I started following you when you were at 10k subs. Watching on and off for years. Bought your program back then and did the full body workout routine for 7 months 3x per week. I got stronger and bigger than 90 % of the people that went to the gym for 2 years+ doing ppl splits. I always recommend your channel and the novice workout to everyone who asks for advice since then. Awesome to see your success!
Thanks for sharing your gains experience OG, that 10k special feels like yesterday and I'm so happy that you stuck around for all these years and ended up MOGGING most lifers at the gym. We fulfilled our "Alpha Destiny". Cheers to continual success!
Brother that depth at 18:25 pretty much jumpscared me, holy shit good job. I thought I had good mobility on behind the neck presses but u got me beat 😂🙏
The chest expander truly is the best investment I've made in fitness. I'm doing high rep pullups every day (300+) and doing all variations of pullaparts using it, and my back is STRONG now Alex, it's kind of "your" thing now. I think it would be smart if you got sponsored lol, or even made your own
@@conorscott1386 Usually go to the gym and do 30 sets of 10 with one min rest between sets and my max in one set is 20. I think that leans more towards GTG.
@@duvertjeremy4690 if i'm being honest i think those are just industrial springs bought from a hardware store. He talked about people using garage door springs in past videos.
please talk about how important is it for the natural bodybuilder to focus on progressing lifts in some way in order to maximize the ability to put on muscle versus Im just gonna go in and chase the sensation a pump, I wanna feel muscles working, coming from your background as a natural for a lifetime
You could argue that wide grip pullups have less lat stretch at the bottom position compared to close grip, and thus less range of motion to stimulate the lats
The lats lose leverage at higher levels of humeral elevation so the wide grip grooves you in perfectly for lats not to mention the shoulder addiction component especially for the top squeeze
@@AlexLeonidasHow does the lat's leverage at the top affect the stretch? I've always felt narrow supinated chins as the most lat stretch, perhaps since the lats wrap around the ribs. Would be interested to hear your take. 💪
Hi Alex, thank you for everything you do for the community! Can you expand on your concept of 6 sets of compounds / 4 sets of isolations per session 2x per week? I've been lifting for 14mo consistently - as for 4 sets of isolation for 2x full body / week, how would I fit in abs, neck, tricep, bicep, delts, etc. into 4 isolation sets per session? Would love if you can expand on this in a future Q&A
Hey Alex, what's your opinion on using a hybrid AB press/incline bench as a way of hitting front delts and upper chest in one go? Peter Khatcherian seems to be a pretty big advocate for this method
Yo Alex, you say AD press is optimal for front delt hypertrophy as there is a greater stretch when the torso isn't completely vertical. If you have a slight lean back (not excessive) on the standing OHP, won't this basically accomplish the same thing? Thanks for the great content as always.
I stopped training deltoids, they were getting too big in relation to my bis and tris. I want a more classic look and overdeveloped deltoids will make me look more like a physique guy. I'm doing lateral raises and reverse flies once a week, that's it.
Alex why can't i feel my back on my pull ups. I can do 12 reps and when i did 3 sets of 10 i never get sore and don't fell the tension during the lift. What set and reps can i do to feel the burn
It's usually a deep stretch that will get my lats sore on pullups. Something like a deep pause with a dead hang and then go into an active hang before pulling. If you've never tried, try some L-sit chins. I feel a bit more of a stretch and they obliterate my lats. But yeah... definitely going from dead hang to active hang between reps should help you engage your back better. The other trick you can use is to arch your upper back so your posterior is engaged. I think this can be why folks have such a hard time getting pulldowns to work as well as pullups. It's all about how you engage your back before pulling. 💪
Hey Alex, what is your current opinion on upright rows? In RP video you said that you used to stay away from them like many of us. Are they safe to do? Are they worth implementing? How does it compare to chest expanders?
@@theturbolads5997 oh it’s just because it’s a similar motion pattern to benching and it increases strength and size just like other exercises, some calisthenics athletes can bench 225 with never doing bench
Does anyone else have a dificult time getting their upperback and lats sore. No matter the volume and intensity my upperback never seems to get sore so I am currently hitting it 4 days a week on my upper lower
Same here, the back muscles for a lot of people can take a huge beating without getting sore. You don't have to get soreness to make something effective btw man. As long as you train your back hard you will get results soreness or not. If you reaaaally wanna feel the soreness for some reasons, personally the last time I got crazy sore in my back is when I've done heavy farmers walk and super wide grip pullups down workout.
Alex, a few nutrition questions please, how important to you is the protein content per meal, especially the leucine content, because almost everyone says that studies show that you need at least 3g of leucine three to five times per day per meal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and to build muscle!? In your entire strength training career, have you ever paid attention to how much protein a meal has or how much leucine and has it changed over the years? In your early years when you were building muscle mass, did you eat more protein per meal or more protein in general? how much protein do you eat per meal, how many grams of a protein source, for example chicken, beef, turkey, eggs etc. and how much protein overall per meal? And how much total protein per day? I´m very confused and to get in 3g of leucine per meal a few times a day I have to eat almost 6oz of chicken breast per meal for example and thats a lot of food and very expensive. I´m very skinny and want to build muscle mass and I believe in what you say. Thank you very much
Hey man, Blaha is calling you out again in a video he just posted. Said you hurt people, damaged equipment, etc. with the above the knee rack pulls. Pretty nasty video in my opinion, I just thought you should be "awared" about it.
Just making up lies as usual and I have nothing to apologize for. I made enough videos clarifying my stance on rack pulls and they absolutely got me and my OG audience yoked. Only bad parts was the SFR and lack of carryover to deadlifts (which I never promoted), but the raw stimulus stimulus itself was off the charts. And the injury rates were practically inexistent, never got nasty messages about tears/back problems/anything of the sort. Plus the average puller wasn't doing +1000lbs, I'd say at most 500-800 for moderate reps so there wasn't a bar bending epidemic. Not surprised, and he never apologized for calling me Strapon Destiny or removed those 2017 drama videos targeted towards me, where he made up a plethora of vile sh*t, criticizing my methods then eventually copying them. Thanks for letting me know brother.
@@AlexLeonidas I agree man, he's an absolute piece of trash (why I spend my time exposing him). I used to absolutely love rack pulls and anyone with common sense can tell that they're great trap builders. I learned about them from you and they've personally helped me. So thanks for that. Lately he has been attacking people for their height. Just yesterday he said a bunch of IFBB pro's are from the lollipop guild. Which is disgusting IMO and highly hypocritical. He accused you wearing lifts in your shoes. I've found forum posts where he talked about how he wears lifts in his shoes. I put it in a music video I made making fun of him. Also did another one of him to the oompa loompa song. Normally I don't agree with those types of attacks but he needs a taste of his own medicine IMO. Anyways man I've been a long time fan of yours (3 years or so). You've done a great job helping people lift and keep up the good work. He's a hateful, jealous, spiteful, and toothless piece of trash. I think the best revenge is just to continue being successful. I'm sure it grates on him every single day.
is it stupid to go up to 15 reps per set on exercises like bulgarian split squats or in general, regardless if its a compound movement or accesiorie exercise, as a natural
Personally, I don't see why it would be stupid. Might be a lot harder and not necessary as the weight gets heavy. But also depends on how your knee joints feel about it. A,d also you must be really masochistic to to push it to 15 lmao. A 8-12 rep range on these for me is already torture.
I have 2 sets of military press on my push day. You Sir have made me confident that i should not remove it. Also, I like doing it cuz it makes me look epic in front of a mirror.
as a beginner with the goal to build as maximum muscle as possible naturally, is it really necessary to eat every two to four hours? How much time do you have between your meals and snacks or shakes and do you ever ate every two to four hours to build muscle? thx
As a “hardgainer “ who started a year ago, I went all in as you described - essentially a bulk. I’m up 20 lbs but have to eat caloric excess with only 1 protein supplement /day. This doesn’t mean eating every two hours but eating better (and a bit more) when i do. That said every body is different, but yea you’ll have to eat different than before you were lifting
Is being tall or short actually makes a difference in lifting? like if your short your range of motion is shorter so heavier weight but if your taller you can build more muscle mass so who really has the upper hand? so like who can theoreticaly be stronger and who can build muscle mass? (next QnA)
How would you program a bodyweight-only program weekly? I really liked your "down" calisthenics workouts, but I've always wondered how exactly could those routines be spaced throughout the week. There's this great youtuber called K Boges who has his foolproof template like he likes to call it where he does one pull, push and squat variation almost every day for 2-4 sets for each exercise. Even though it seems like a valid approach for most people I wondered if there could be an even more effective way to maximize your size potential with calisthenics (since he doesn't talk that much about isolation work and regarding the legs, he favours endurance rather than size). In my case specifically, I have a pullup bar and two dumbbells (15 lbs each) which I planned to use for isolation work (myo reps style since it is a fixed weight. I also use bands for neck training). I want to have a routine which I could perform anywhere (and I don't mind doing bodyweight squats in the 500+ total reps in a single workout), but I can't seem to piece it together so that it makes sense regarding the frequency and volume. Any tips would be appreciated.
Pull-ups alone will not get you that thicc back. Some type of row is essential imo. And face pulls. I think it is a good idea to mix things up. Some days I do heavy barbell rows, others I do weighted inverse rows on the rings and sometimes I just do different grips on the cable machine.
Back thickness is a very tenuous concept. Do you mean big traps? Erectors? Lower lats? Scapular muscles? I've seen thickness applied to all these areas. The bottom line is the back is a complex group of muscles that can be hit in a variety of ways. I think most natural lifters have severely lagging lats. Heck, even most enhanced pros do. This is why I think rows have become a bit overrated recently. They're not some panacea, and you won't build your lats fully from rowing. You can hit most of the back with pullup variations, grip width and hand rotation bias different areas. You'd need extra volume for upper traps and erectors, but any balanced program will include hip hinges and some rows.
Depends how strong you get at various grips but I do agree that adding in at least one horizontal pull is optimal. Inverted rows are actually Godly when done right.
@@ChicagoScorpion exactly. And it ultimately all anyone can say is "it depends try it for yourself because we are all individual" unless they are shilling something
@@sotirioskapartzianis235 literally bro. Without ever even doing or maxing out normal bread and butter dips. Probably can't even hit a 1 plate bench with a crap diet worried about tiny points of their programming
"Is rotating neutral grip pull-ups for chin-ups after 6 weeks of using neutral grip pull-ups considered program hopping… Is changing the day I perform lateral raises considered program hopping" -These guys
Reducing muscular overlap and only training a muscle when "recovered" are very overrated principles imo. Nobody worries about this kind of thing in sports, but for some reason we act like a little fatigue or soreness means the muscle is at too low a recovery point to train. I've found that increased frequency reduces my soreness overall and improves my work capacity. I think frequency is hugely important for lagging smaller muscles like side/rear delts, biceps, and calves. It's not uncommon for me to hit biceps 4 out of 5 training days (total sets in the range of 12-15). Your body adapts, and you can still train hard if you're smart with your warmups and lift like a bodybuilder (Dr. Mike style preferred). I used to obsess about where I would add volume for a particular muscle. Just spread it throughout the week with the same volume to start, it'll increase your rep and set to set quality. Then just bump up by a set on a couple of the days. It's also helpful to alternate movements day to day, at the minimum, if not use 3-4 different movements each week.
Hello sir, and thank you for uploading these videos. I have learned a lot from them. Do you think a 13 year old, who has still not hit a growth spurt, should do power shrugs for traps, or will it stunt growth? I'm only 5'2 and 95 - 98 lbs btw, but have been doing calisthenics for a bit over 1 year consistently, with some biceps isolation with dumbbells and pull-aparts with the chest expander. Thanks
Hey Alex, I had to skip the gym for over three months due to health complications. I lost a bunch of muscle (fat too). When I go back to lifting, can I “maingain” my muscles back due to muscle memory, or should I bulk again. For context: I went from almost 16 inch arms (15 3/4) to 14 inch arms, I haven’t measured the rest of my body. But I went down a size in all of my clothing items. (Large to medium).
People and their EMG data……I can deduce that pull aparts work, simply by looking at your upper back, and rear delts. When did this stuff have to become so overcomplicated? Just look at Alex’s back, and take his daggum word for it, folks. It’s pretty obvious
Wassup Alex? What's your opinion on zercher lifts (squats shrugs etc), do you still do them and would you recommend them (especially for intermediates)?Much love from Greece ❤
Kind of wild to hear someone who always stressed the importance of getting more out of less weight still saying they regret going so heavy so often - it just shows how using pure weight increase as the primary method of progression is ironically, arguably the least beneficial means of building muscle.
Hey Alex. I'm a novice. Former Athelete. Lifting 4x/wk while cutting for 4 months while gaining strength on SBD. 126lbs, 5'4, 15% bf now no stall on LP yet. SBD 1RM based on 5RM. (265/135/330). Raw, beltless, sumo, high bar. The National Men's Junior record for 115lb in my country is (310/190/355). 130lbs record - (390/225/485) & 145lbs record - (465/325/475). I'll be turning 24 in June, 2026, I want to break a National Record. What should I do after LP ceases. Strength is priority right now.
It feels incredible and I'm excited to experience the long term bulletproofing! I feel like the back presses and super wide grip pullups built me enough tissue capacity to handle this position. Starting light though.
Question: Many people such as yourself have gotten amazing results with closed chain vertical pulls. But the last several years a lot of top level natural bodybuilders have completely shifted to open chain vertical pulls for their hypertrophy work. Their reasoning seems to be the added stability giving better output potential, and the ability to isolate the back more. What do you think about this approach?
Quick comment on the pull apart (expander) who would be against it? Work is work, and work works. It’s legit just a banded pull a part. Add fat grips to it. I bet it would blow up even more. It’s always going to boil down to consistency and progressively getting more and more difficult. The body knows resistance that’s it. How you apply it is either here nor there.
Can someone please explain to me what Alex meant when he Said 12 sets of compound per week and 8-10 isolation movements? Does that mean like 4 sets of bench,squat,deadlif in a week?And then like 3 sets of bicep curls,rope pushdowns and and 4 sets of laterals for example? Thanks a lot?And all to the failure,is it good Way to Train for someone who can max bench 225?
The point about increasing proximity to failure AND intensity instead of adding volume while bulking got sort of overly general, no? Adding volume can be a tool either way, you just have to make sure it makes sense for either purpose. If cutting, you could add sets as long as your calories reflects this extra effort and recovery (dont end up underfed). On the other side, the benefit of adding volume instead of intensity on a bulk would be that you DON'T have to use higher intensity, for what ever reason. Both choices should aim to get closer to failure anyway imo, that's not exclusive to the intensity approach. But why would you want to avoid intensity? There's no rule really, but there are tons of reasons people can run into. Personally I feel like intensity is a razors edge to balance in terms of fatigue. This is definitely partly a skill issue then, done right you shouldn't neceessarily bump into fatigue, but controlling volume is way easier for me. In contrast, piling on the intensity I can feel fresh as a cucumber on Monday but wake up like a maxed out credit card Thursday and have it linger far longer than usual. Towards the end of a meso I'll definitely be more injury prone as my stupidity rises with my fatigue levels, I don't know that heavier weights leads to injury, but I know that if I'm ever injured it's when I'm lifting on the intense side and have a lapse of judgment/poor focus. I also prefer sepparate strength meso's so I can focus more and not have to learn to balance the heavier side of volume-intensity limits, bulk or not. Oh and the variety is nice too, keeps the spirit high. I should mention, since you said "can actually recover from": if anyone isn't recovering they're just doing too much work either way. Intensity can take you into that territory as well, both can be right when done correctly and for the right reason. But fair play, I do see a lot of people complain about for example Israetels programming. But why though? If they're doing 20 sets their argument has to be that it's their MRV, but then saying they're not recovering and refusing to lower the volume sort of blows my mind. Also, rep creeping and refusing to increment intensity at all, then being shocked when it isn't manageable week 5. It's a balancing act, and it just takes some proper planning and testing to get right.
Say you go to a busy gym and can't properly follow your program because the equipment you want to use is always full and you're limited on time. How much would it hurt your gains if you opt to do a substitution exercise from time to time, for example a DB bench instead of a regular bench press?
Hey Alex I have seen you using the Baraban Chest Krusher in some of your B-roll but I can't find a video where you talk about it. I'm thinking about grabbing one to add a peak contraction focus to my chest day (cambered bar bench and incline DB press) wondering if it's worth the hefty price.
Hey Alex, you used to preach heavy exercises, saying that on top of the weighted stretch, it “overloads” the muscle (heavy cheat rows & rack pulls), but you now support the opposite philosophy of more out of less weight because mechanical tension is what’s important. I’m curious though, what are the specific benefits of higher absolute loads for strength and hypertrophy? I also remember you talking about how dips are great for triceps due to the high absolute load. What other exercises are beneficial due to this?
Hey Alex, I got stuck at early intermediate status in weighted pull ups. I can do two plates(40 kg) for 4-5 reps but did not make any progress in the last 6 months. Do you have any suggestion to break the plateau? For the info my bw is 80 kg, I follow a full body program in which I hit weighted pull ups 2-3 times per week. Thanks for great content!
Do you do any variations? Like middle paused pullups, top paused pullups? Also include horizontal pulls, strengthen the mid back, maybe try less volume?
I have a question i am doing pull up and rows as back workout (3 set each) how can i incorporate Rope climb since Rope Need forearm and back? (Without hurting my back recovery)
Carryover is such an underrated yet awesome concept - never could do 315 for 8 reps at RPE until today. Did a lot of variations, higher rep work, etc. and today pulled 315 for 8 reps and it honestly felt like RPE 8. Love your content mang
Ayyyye I haven’t had a question answered on the channel since my question about trap bar rack pulls a few years ago, when my name was still “Terror Zone” 😂 getting my question answered feels like you’re literally right there talking back to me instead of me just listening to a video you uploaded. Thanks for your response once again!
@@AlexLeonidas Yes sir, finally decided to change my name on here. Similar to when you first named the channel AlphaDestiny, I was also a teenager and thought it sounded cool at the time.
Alex, why does it feel like my nuts are going into my stomach when I do box squats? I followed all the steps in your tutorial, but it just doesn't feel right. Its super uncomfortable
Might be a dumb question BUT, i've heard multiple people say, "if you are a beginner then you dont need as much volume to grow, so keep it as low as possible, so in the future when you plateu you got another tool in the toolbox", on the other side others say, "when you are a beginner you have superior recover capabilities, therefore you can push volume a lot without having overuse and overlap problems". What do you think is the correct aproach? Love your content!
Yo Alex time for you and Eric Bugenhagen to do a Collab now he is not any more with WWE. We already spam him to make a Collab with you. It's gonna be crazy
Great Q&A as always Alex !love all Variations of pull-ups .Also can’t forget about the Rows along with some isolation.The back gains have been insane with all these exercises implemented 💪🏽
Thank you for answering my question Alex (last question). I'm weak. 60kg OHP 1RM at 73kg bw so I just asked that question to learn more. Love your vids brother God bless ☦
I did pullups only for back training for years, my back looked great but I developed neck pain that lasted for months and prevented me from training until I strengthened my mid back with horizontal pulls.
Hey Alex, assuming that non-training related variables are in check and form is consistent week-to-week, what do you recommend doing when a lift feels very good in terms of feeling in the muscle, pump, no joint pain, ecc... but progression has become stale (no rep nor weight being added in several weeks)?
I stopped following most bobybuilders a long time ago now, you are the only one I still follow to this day because you are natural, you deserve to be so much bigger than all these roid heads
Hey Alex, I was wondering if lifting heavy can cause any sort of hernia. If it can than my question is how to prevent it from happening? Great Q&A as always, keep up the good work💪
Hey alex, would you consider side extensions with the chest expander a long or lateral head builder for the triceps? And would using these as a main triceps movement alongside dips result in good tricep growth?
I asked him the same question on IG and he said the side extension will pretty much work all heads of the tris. It's not gonna hit them all equally of course so I think if you mix them with dips you will get some good growth overall. Cheers
Love the super wide pull-ups. Made me so strong I can smack the whole rack on pull downs. Thanks Al, like always the best fitness channel on all social media.
Hey Alex, I am an intermediate lifter and try to test my 1RM every 3 months. From the last time I tested to the previous week, my lifts only went up by 5 LBS. Am I progressing okay or should I be making some sort of tweak to progress faster?
Hey Alex could you talk about how u transitioned from being shredded to your bull? I.e did you slowly start bulking or just started eating what ever you wanted as soon as the cut finished ? Thanks man
I started following you when you were at 10k subs. Watching on and off for years. Bought your program back then and did the full body workout routine for 7 months 3x per week. I got stronger and bigger than 90 % of the people that went to the gym for 2 years+ doing ppl splits. I always recommend your channel and the novice workout to everyone who asks for advice since then. Awesome to see your success!
Thanks for sharing your gains experience OG, that 10k special feels like yesterday and I'm so happy that you stuck around for all these years and ended up MOGGING most lifers at the gym. We fulfilled our "Alpha Destiny". Cheers to continual success!
Brother that depth at 18:25 pretty much jumpscared me, holy shit good job. I thought I had good mobility on behind the neck presses but u got me beat 😂🙏
That’s called the handsome press !
The chest expander truly is the best investment I've made in fitness.
I'm doing high rep pullups every day (300+) and doing all variations of pullaparts using it, and my back is STRONG now
Alex, it's kind of "your" thing now. I think it would be smart if you got sponsored lol, or even made your own
Do you know where his Big springs at 4:33 come from ?
I’m agree, he’s basically the face of the chest expander at this point
300 pull-ups dang. Most I ever did in a day was like 150. You doing GTG or straight sets?
@@conorscott1386 Usually go to the gym and do 30 sets of 10 with one min rest between sets and my max in one set is 20. I think that leans more towards GTG.
@@duvertjeremy4690 if i'm being honest i think those are just industrial springs bought from a hardware store.
He talked about people using garage door springs in past videos.
please talk about how important is it for the natural bodybuilder to focus on progressing lifts in some way in order to maximize the ability to put on muscle versus Im just gonna go in and chase the sensation a pump, I wanna feel muscles working, coming from your background as a natural for a lifetime
Well its the only thing that works.
Happy to see the behind the presses working for you again
Wish I never dropped them!
I love this QnA series 😊
You could argue that wide grip pullups have less lat stretch at the bottom position compared to close grip, and thus less range of motion to stimulate the lats
Partials past failure on at least one set can probably somewhat compensate for this
The lats lose leverage at higher levels of humeral elevation so the wide grip grooves you in perfectly for lats not to mention the shoulder addiction component especially for the top squeeze
@@AlexLeonidasHow does the lat's leverage at the top affect the stretch? I've always felt narrow supinated chins as the most lat stretch, perhaps since the lats wrap around the ribs. Would be interested to hear your take. 💪
Beard gains in the B-roll is crazy😂
Pretty much my entire back was built by pull ups only lol, I've tried rows every now and then but have always stuck to just plain pull ups
Alex your channel has helped me a lot.Thanks for the great content as always❤
Joi aai akhom 😎
Much love, Surajit Baruah!
Hi Alex, thank you for everything you do for the community! Can you expand on your concept of 6 sets of compounds / 4 sets of isolations per session 2x per week? I've been lifting for 14mo consistently - as for 4 sets of isolation for 2x full body / week, how would I fit in abs, neck, tricep, bicep, delts, etc. into 4 isolation sets per session?
Would love if you can expand on this in a future Q&A
Hi Mr. Leonidas, when do you have your last meal before bed and how do you structure your meals?
Hey Alex, what's your opinion on using a hybrid AB press/incline bench as a way of hitting front delts and upper chest in one go? Peter Khatcherian seems to be a pretty big advocate for this method
Yo Alex, you say AD press is optimal for front delt hypertrophy as there is a greater stretch when the torso isn't completely vertical. If you have a slight lean back (not excessive) on the standing OHP, won't this basically accomplish the same thing? Thanks for the great content as always.
That might be worse for the lower back due to extreme flexion and poor stability in comparison to normal upright ohp
I stopped training deltoids, they were getting too big in relation to my bis and tris. I want a more classic look and overdeveloped deltoids will make me look more like a physique guy. I'm doing lateral raises and reverse flies once a week, that's it.
Alex why can't i feel my back on my pull ups. I can do 12 reps and when i did 3 sets of 10 i never get sore and don't fell the tension during the lift. What set and reps can i do to feel the burn
It's usually a deep stretch that will get my lats sore on pullups. Something like a deep pause with a dead hang and then go into an active hang before pulling. If you've never tried, try some L-sit chins. I feel a bit more of a stretch and they obliterate my lats.
But yeah... definitely going from dead hang to active hang between reps should help you engage your back better. The other trick you can use is to arch your upper back so your posterior is engaged. I think this can be why folks have such a hard time getting pulldowns to work as well as pullups. It's all about how you engage your back before pulling. 💪
@@nmnate Thanks I will try
Hey Alex, what is your current opinion on upright rows? In RP video you said that you used to stay away from them like many of us. Are they safe to do? Are they worth implementing? How does it compare to chest expanders?
Hi Alex what exercises would you recommend for learning a Full Planche?
Hey Alex do yo think that gaining weight while maintaining reps on pullups and dips is considered progession?
Why aren't you talking about your 2x/week program anymore should i don't do it atm ?
I'm not running it that's why, doesn't change the results. See ua-cam.com/video/lhZRRY1hW1c/v-deo.html&t
Alex do you ever get any deep Tissue or massage work? If you do is it important to include as recovery work in your opinion
Never, it's super overrated
What do you think is the ideal bodyfat to have before beginning a bulk?
Are you still doing regular neck training?
Do you think that wide grip lat pull downs can mimic similiar results to wide grip pull up for heavier lifters that cant do them yet?
Exact same muscular biasing, so yes
Hey Alex, how can I maintain (and maybe increase) my bench press strength, JUST with Bodyweight pushups?
100% you can
@@DEXIFYIWNL but how? That’s what I’m trying to find out
Use rings, do explosive push-ups, harder variations, include handstand push-ups, etc. Use your head, be creative
@@theturbolads5997 oh it’s just because it’s a similar motion pattern to benching and it increases strength and size just like other exercises, some calisthenics athletes can bench 225 with never doing bench
@@DEXIFYIWNL I mean in terms of programming it, with just bodyweight
Does anyone else have a dificult time getting their upperback and lats sore. No matter the volume and intensity my upperback never seems to get sore so I am currently hitting it 4 days a week on my upper lower
Same here, the back muscles for a lot of people can take a huge beating without getting sore. You don't have to get soreness to make something effective btw man. As long as you train your back hard you will get results soreness or not. If you reaaaally wanna feel the soreness for some reasons, personally the last time I got crazy sore in my back is when I've done heavy farmers walk and super wide grip pullups down workout.
18:26 holy shit
That’s called the handsome press !
Alex, a few nutrition questions please, how important to you is the protein content per meal, especially the leucine content, because almost everyone says that studies show that you need at least 3g of leucine three to five times per day per meal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and to build muscle!? In your entire strength training career, have you ever paid attention to how much protein a meal has or how much leucine and has it changed over the years? In your early years when you were building muscle mass, did you eat more protein per meal or more protein in general? how much protein do you eat per meal, how many grams of a protein source, for example chicken, beef, turkey, eggs etc. and how much protein overall per meal? And how much total protein per day? I´m very confused and to get in 3g of leucine per meal a few times a day I have to eat almost 6oz of chicken breast per meal for example and thats a lot of food and very expensive. I´m very skinny and want to build muscle mass and I believe in what you say. Thank you very much
great questions!
I hope he answers all the questions in detail
would like to see this answered as well!
Hey man, Blaha is calling you out again in a video he just posted. Said you hurt people, damaged equipment, etc. with the above the knee rack pulls. Pretty nasty video in my opinion, I just thought you should be "awared" about it.
Just making up lies as usual and I have nothing to apologize for. I made enough videos clarifying my stance on rack pulls and they absolutely got me and my OG audience yoked. Only bad parts was the SFR and lack of carryover to deadlifts (which I never promoted), but the raw stimulus stimulus itself was off the charts. And the injury rates were practically inexistent, never got nasty messages about tears/back problems/anything of the sort. Plus the average puller wasn't doing +1000lbs, I'd say at most 500-800 for moderate reps so there wasn't a bar bending epidemic. Not surprised, and he never apologized for calling me Strapon Destiny or removed those 2017 drama videos targeted towards me, where he made up a plethora of vile sh*t, criticizing my methods then eventually copying them. Thanks for letting me know brother.
@@AlexLeonidas I agree man, he's an absolute piece of trash (why I spend my time exposing him). I used to absolutely love rack pulls and anyone with common sense can tell that they're great trap builders. I learned about them from you and they've personally helped me. So thanks for that.
Lately he has been attacking people for their height. Just yesterday he said a bunch of IFBB pro's are from the lollipop guild. Which is disgusting IMO and highly hypocritical. He accused you wearing lifts in your shoes. I've found forum posts where he talked about how he wears lifts in his shoes. I put it in a music video I made making fun of him. Also did another one of him to the oompa loompa song. Normally I don't agree with those types of attacks but he needs a taste of his own medicine IMO.
Anyways man I've been a long time fan of yours (3 years or so). You've done a great job helping people lift and keep up the good work. He's a hateful, jealous, spiteful, and toothless piece of trash. I think the best revenge is just to continue being successful. I'm sure it grates on him every single day.
is it stupid to go up to 15 reps per set on exercises like bulgarian split squats or in general, regardless if its a compound movement or accesiorie exercise, as a natural
Personally, I don't see why it would be stupid. Might be a lot harder and not necessary as the weight gets heavy. But also depends on how your knee joints feel about it. A,d also you must be really masochistic to to push it to 15 lmao. A 8-12 rep range on these for me is already torture.
I have 2 sets of military press on my push day. You Sir have made me confident that i should not remove it. Also, I like doing it cuz it makes me look epic in front of a mirror.
Perfect, and 2 sets on a push day is all you need for vertical pressing! I do 1 set seated, then 1 set standing.
as a beginner with the goal to build as maximum muscle as possible naturally, is it really necessary to eat every two to four hours? How much time do you have between your meals and snacks or shakes and do you ever ate every two to four hours to build muscle? thx
As a “hardgainer “ who started a year ago, I went all in as you described - essentially a bulk. I’m up 20 lbs but have to eat caloric excess with only 1 protein supplement /day. This doesn’t mean eating every two hours but eating better (and a bit more) when i do. That said every body is different, but yea you’ll have to eat different than before you were lifting
Is being tall or short actually makes a difference in lifting? like if your short your range of motion is shorter so heavier weight but if your taller you can build more muscle mass so who really has the upper hand? so like who can theoreticaly be stronger and who can build muscle mass? (next QnA)
How would you program a bodyweight-only program weekly? I really liked your "down" calisthenics workouts, but I've always wondered how exactly could those routines be spaced throughout the week.
There's this great youtuber called K Boges who has his foolproof template like he likes to call it where he does one pull, push and squat variation almost every day for 2-4 sets for each exercise. Even though it seems like a valid approach for most people I wondered if there could be an even more effective way to maximize your size potential with calisthenics (since he doesn't talk that much about isolation work and regarding the legs, he favours endurance rather than size). In my case specifically, I have a pullup bar and two dumbbells (15 lbs each) which I planned to use for isolation work (myo reps style since it is a fixed weight. I also use bands for neck training).
I want to have a routine which I could perform anywhere (and I don't mind doing bodyweight squats in the 500+ total reps in a single workout), but I can't seem to piece it together so that it makes sense regarding the frequency and volume. Any tips would be appreciated.
Pull-ups alone will not get you that thicc back. Some type of row is essential imo. And face pulls. I think it is a good idea to mix things up. Some days I do heavy barbell rows, others I do weighted inverse rows on the rings and sometimes I just do different grips on the cable machine.
Back thickness is a very tenuous concept. Do you mean big traps? Erectors? Lower lats? Scapular muscles? I've seen thickness applied to all these areas. The bottom line is the back is a complex group of muscles that can be hit in a variety of ways.
I think most natural lifters have severely lagging lats. Heck, even most enhanced pros do. This is why I think rows have become a bit overrated recently. They're not some panacea, and you won't build your lats fully from rowing.
You can hit most of the back with pullup variations, grip width and hand rotation bias different areas. You'd need extra volume for upper traps and erectors, but any balanced program will include hip hinges and some rows.
Depends how strong you get at various grips but I do agree that adding in at least one horizontal pull is optimal. Inverted rows are actually Godly when done right.
Guys need to stop asking questions before trying it in their program and seeing their individual results. (I just posted a video why)
Fr. These guys ask the dumbest hypothetical questions but they never once tried what they're talking about.
"Are weighted dips good for hypertrophy? My gym bro told me they kill gains 🤓"
@@ChicagoScorpion exactly. And it ultimately all anyone can say is "it depends try it for yourself because we are all individual" unless they are shilling something
@@sotirioskapartzianis235 literally bro. Without ever even doing or maxing out normal bread and butter dips. Probably can't even hit a 1 plate bench with a crap diet worried about tiny points of their programming
"Is rotating neutral grip pull-ups for chin-ups after 6 weeks of using neutral grip pull-ups considered program hopping… Is changing the day I perform lateral raises considered program hopping" -These guys
Reducing muscular overlap and only training a muscle when "recovered" are very overrated principles imo. Nobody worries about this kind of thing in sports, but for some reason we act like a little fatigue or soreness means the muscle is at too low a recovery point to train.
I've found that increased frequency reduces my soreness overall and improves my work capacity. I think frequency is hugely important for lagging smaller muscles like side/rear delts, biceps, and calves. It's not uncommon for me to hit biceps 4 out of 5 training days (total sets in the range of 12-15). Your body adapts, and you can still train hard if you're smart with your warmups and lift like a bodybuilder (Dr. Mike style preferred).
I used to obsess about where I would add volume for a particular muscle. Just spread it throughout the week with the same volume to start, it'll increase your rep and set to set quality. Then just bump up by a set on a couple of the days. It's also helpful to alternate movements day to day, at the minimum, if not use 3-4 different movements each week.
lol.. training to aneurism level... pretty hardcore
18:26 wtf Bro !
😂😂😂😂
The handsome press !
Hello sir, and thank you for uploading these videos. I have learned a lot from them.
Do you think a 13 year old, who has still not hit a growth spurt, should do power shrugs for traps, or will it stunt growth? I'm only 5'2 and 95 - 98 lbs btw, but have been doing calisthenics for a bit over 1 year consistently, with some biceps isolation with dumbbells and pull-aparts with the chest expander.
Thanks
Don’t do power shrugs bro, run his novice program instead
Would you recommend skipping the top part of narrow grip vertical pulls for lats?
Hey Alex, I had to skip the gym for over three months due to health complications. I lost a bunch of muscle (fat too). When I go back to lifting, can I “maingain” my muscles back due to muscle memory, or should I bulk again. For context: I went from almost 16 inch arms (15 3/4) to 14 inch arms, I haven’t measured the rest of my body. But I went down a size in all of my clothing items. (Large to medium).
People and their EMG data……I can deduce that pull aparts work, simply by looking at your upper back, and rear delts. When did this stuff have to become so overcomplicated? Just look at Alex’s back, and take his daggum word for it, folks. It’s pretty obvious
Wassup Alex? What's your opinion on zercher lifts (squats shrugs etc), do you still do them and would you recommend them (especially for intermediates)?Much love from Greece ❤
Wide grip pull-ups are fucking humbling.
Literally back to skinny dweeb numbers, doing less than 10 BW on the ultra wide
THIS!! I feel your pain bro.
Hi Alex! Could you please get a photoshoot with Kratos makeup at some point? Perhaps for 400k?
Maybe for Next April Fools I can do a Kratos Workout, thanks for the support brother!
Kind of wild to hear someone who always stressed the importance of getting more out of less weight still saying they regret going so heavy so often - it just shows how using pure weight increase as the primary method of progression is ironically, arguably the least beneficial means of building muscle.
It's a crazy turn of events bro, never thought my training would be this different.
What's the best chest expander?
Hey Alex. I'm a novice. Former Athelete. Lifting 4x/wk while cutting for 4 months while gaining strength on SBD. 126lbs, 5'4, 15% bf now no stall on LP yet.
SBD 1RM based on 5RM. (265/135/330). Raw, beltless, sumo, high bar.
The National Men's Junior record for 115lb in my country is (310/190/355). 130lbs record - (390/225/485) & 145lbs record - (465/325/475).
I'll be turning 24 in June, 2026, I want to break a National Record. What should I do after LP ceases. Strength is priority right now.
Alex, would love your recommendation on where a high quality chest expander, since you mention to be weary of low-quality devices.
The best expander of all time can be purchased from shop.handgripper.net
Awesome to see you perform the handsome press !
It feels incredible and I'm excited to experience the long term bulletproofing! I feel like the back presses and super wide grip pullups built me enough tissue capacity to handle this position. Starting light though.
@@AlexLeonidas yes keep up the amazing content !
Alex!!!!
Bald and bearded and beautiful gang 💪
Question: Many people such as yourself have gotten amazing results with closed chain vertical pulls. But the last several years a lot of top level natural bodybuilders have completely shifted to open chain vertical pulls for their hypertrophy work. Their reasoning seems to be the added stability giving better output potential, and the ability to isolate the back more. What do you think about this approach?
Quick comment on the pull apart (expander) who would be against it? Work is work, and work works. It’s legit just a banded pull a part. Add fat grips to it. I bet it would blow up even more. It’s always going to boil down to consistency and progressively getting more and more difficult. The body knows resistance that’s it. How you apply it is either here nor there.
Can someone please explain to me what Alex meant when he Said 12 sets of compound per week and 8-10 isolation movements? Does that mean like 4 sets of bench,squat,deadlif in a week?And then like 3 sets of bicep curls,rope pushdowns and and 4 sets of laterals for example? Thanks a lot?And all to the failure,is it good Way to Train for someone who can max bench 225?
The point about increasing proximity to failure AND intensity instead of adding volume while bulking got sort of overly general, no? Adding volume can be a tool either way, you just have to make sure it makes sense for either purpose. If cutting, you could add sets as long as your calories reflects this extra effort and recovery (dont end up underfed). On the other side, the benefit of adding volume instead of intensity on a bulk would be that you DON'T have to use higher intensity, for what ever reason.
Both choices should aim to get closer to failure anyway imo, that's not exclusive to the intensity approach. But why would you want to avoid intensity? There's no rule really, but there are tons of reasons people can run into. Personally I feel like intensity is a razors edge to balance in terms of fatigue. This is definitely partly a skill issue then, done right you shouldn't neceessarily bump into fatigue, but controlling volume is way easier for me. In contrast, piling on the intensity I can feel fresh as a cucumber on Monday but wake up like a maxed out credit card Thursday and have it linger far longer than usual. Towards the end of a meso I'll definitely be more injury prone as my stupidity rises with my fatigue levels, I don't know that heavier weights leads to injury, but I know that if I'm ever injured it's when I'm lifting on the intense side and have a lapse of judgment/poor focus. I also prefer sepparate strength meso's so I can focus more and not have to learn to balance the heavier side of volume-intensity limits, bulk or not. Oh and the variety is nice too, keeps the spirit high.
I should mention, since you said "can actually recover from": if anyone isn't recovering they're just doing too much work either way. Intensity can take you into that territory as well, both can be right when done correctly and for the right reason. But fair play, I do see a lot of people complain about for example Israetels programming. But why though? If they're doing 20 sets their argument has to be that it's their MRV, but then saying they're not recovering and refusing to lower the volume sort of blows my mind. Also, rep creeping and refusing to increment intensity at all, then being shocked when it isn't manageable week 5. It's a balancing act, and it just takes some proper planning and testing to get right.
Say you go to a busy gym and can't properly follow your program because the equipment you want to use is always full and you're limited on time. How much would it hurt your gains if you opt to do a substitution exercise from time to time, for example a DB bench instead of a regular bench press?
Hey Alex I have seen you using the Baraban Chest Krusher in some of your B-roll but I can't find a video where you talk about it. I'm thinking about grabbing one to add a peak contraction focus to my chest day (cambered bar bench and incline DB press) wondering if it's worth the hefty price.
Hey Alex, you used to preach heavy exercises, saying that on top of the weighted stretch, it “overloads” the muscle (heavy cheat rows & rack pulls), but you now support the opposite philosophy of more out of less weight because mechanical tension is what’s important. I’m curious though, what are the specific benefits of higher absolute loads for strength and hypertrophy? I also remember you talking about how dips are great for triceps due to the high absolute load. What other exercises are beneficial due to this?
Hey Alex, I got stuck at early intermediate status in weighted pull ups. I can do two plates(40 kg) for 4-5 reps but did not make any progress in the last 6 months. Do you have any suggestion to break the plateau?
For the info my bw is 80 kg, I follow a full body program in which I hit weighted pull ups 2-3 times per week.
Thanks for great content!
Do accessories to progress lagging muscles for me bicep curls helped alot
Do you do any variations? Like middle paused pullups, top paused pullups? Also include horizontal pulls, strengthen the mid back, maybe try less volume?
I have a question i am doing pull up and rows as back workout (3 set each) how can i incorporate Rope climb since Rope Need forearm and back? (Without hurting my back recovery)
Wide grip pullups aren't optimal for your back... there have been studies on this. Wide grip, though harder, it provides inferior ROM.
Carryover is such an underrated yet awesome concept - never could do 315 for 8 reps at RPE until today. Did a lot of variations, higher rep work, etc. and today pulled 315 for 8 reps and it honestly felt like RPE 8. Love your content mang
Awesome, Moises! Strength is strength 💯
Ayyyye I haven’t had a question answered on the channel since my question about trap bar rack pulls a few years ago, when my name was still “Terror Zone” 😂 getting my question answered feels like you’re literally right there talking back to me instead of me just listening to a video you uploaded. Thanks for your response once again!
Ayeeeeee my man Terror Zone, thanks for your great question and long term support!
@@AlexLeonidas Yes sir, finally decided to change my name on here. Similar to when you first named the channel AlphaDestiny, I was also a teenager and thought it sounded cool at the time.
Alex, why does it feel like my nuts are going into my stomach when I do box squats? I followed all the steps in your tutorial, but it just doesn't feel right. Its super uncomfortable
Might be a dumb question BUT, i've heard multiple people say, "if you are a beginner then you dont need as much volume to grow, so keep it as low as possible, so in the future when you plateu you got another tool in the toolbox", on the other side others say, "when you are a beginner you have superior recover capabilities, therefore you can push volume a lot without having overuse and overlap problems". What do you think is the correct aproach?
Love your content!
Yo Alex time for you and Eric Bugenhagen to do a Collab now he is not any more with WWE. We already spam him to make a Collab with you. It's gonna be crazy
12:20 I would say that I actually lower my volume while bulking !
Great Q&A as always Alex !love all Variations of pull-ups .Also can’t forget about the Rows along with some isolation.The back gains have been insane with all these exercises implemented 💪🏽
Thank you for answering my question Alex (last question). I'm weak. 60kg OHP 1RM at 73kg bw so I just asked that question to learn more. Love your vids brother God bless ☦
Are you insane? You are nearing a bodyweight OHP that's not weak bro give yourself more credit
That's a pretty solid OHP man you shouldn't put yourself down.
I'm 73kg too and my OHP is 55kg. 60kg is my goal to get in the next couple of months so you're doing great imo.
Keep grinding homie, and a 60kg OHP at 73kg is NOT WEAK!!
@@AlexLeonidas what about 40kg weighted pull up 1RM at 73kg bw, is that good?
I did pullups only for back training for years, my back looked great but I developed neck pain that lasted for months and prevented me from training until I strengthened my mid back with horizontal pulls.
18:25 Snap city. I relate to your recent training philosophy but stay away from that. Minimal benefit in trade for serious risk of injury.
What is your take on functional training, like the channel „the Bioneer“ propagates?
Is it a good idea?
How to etablate it?
Injury prone all through my training journey, specially shoulders have you experience in a situation like this?
Can resistance band replace expander?
It could if you have enough bands, but it won't beat having high quality springs
Is he training full body 3X per week if he is only doing 12 sets of compounds and 10 sets of iso?
Hey Alex. What is your current advice on growing upper traps if they are seriously the hardest to grow?
Barbell apparel needs to make a chest expander with your face on it lmao
Lmao seriously!!!
what is the brand of equipment you use for those pull aparts called, and how does the resistance profile compare to say, a resistance band pull apart?
You're neglecting the negative with those expander pulls. Negatives have been shown to provide even more growth than the positive.
Hey Alex, assuming that non-training related variables are in check and form is consistent week-to-week, what do you recommend doing when a lift feels very good in terms of feeling in the muscle, pump, no joint pain, ecc... but progression has become stale (no rep nor weight being added in several weeks)?
I stopped following most bobybuilders a long time ago now, you are the only one I still follow to this day because you are natural, you deserve to be so much bigger than all these roid heads
Thank you, Frederick.
what chest expander do you suggest to buy?
By Robert Baraban at shop.handgripper.net
Hey Alex, I was wondering if lifting heavy can cause any sort of hernia. If it can than my question is how to prevent it from happening? Great Q&A as always, keep up the good work💪
Are hammer curls enough for biceps?
Technically yes, see my recent biceps video which talks about hammer curls as the primary curl of choice.
I always get middle back pain from standing ohp even with far lower weight than I can do seated
You’re a professor 🎓
Hey alex, would you consider side extensions with the chest expander a long or lateral head builder for the triceps? And would using these as a main triceps movement alongside dips result in good tricep growth?
watch his video "my top 3 secret triceps exercises"
@@bambik06 thank you for the tip!
I asked him the same question on IG and he said the side extension will pretty much work all heads of the tris. It's not gonna hit them all equally of course so I think if you mix them with dips you will get some good growth overall. Cheers
@@Lopinov thank you! 🙏
Aneurysm level 😂
I did variations of pull-ups for lats only for the last two months. My lat development has been crazy
Hell yeah, pullups always win
Love the super wide pull-ups. Made me so strong I can smack the whole rack on pull downs. Thanks Al, like always the best fitness channel on all social media.
Hell yeah, pulldowns are so easy by comparison! You're strong AF brother 💯
Hey Alex, I am an intermediate lifter and try to test my 1RM every 3 months. From the last time I tested to the previous week, my lifts only went up by 5 LBS. Am I progressing okay or should I be making some sort of tweak to progress faster?
I need that tricep attachment 😂 what is it called
That is called a Spreader Bar! Beware when you search that 😂
My jaw dropped at 18:25, i gotta try this out with some light weight one day
Definitely start light (45-65lbs) and microload from there. The delt stimulation is off the charts given the super ROM.
For me super wide was a lot more than normal shoulder grip. Reps and weighted.
How did you train for the planche and did you ever achieve the full planche?
18:25 I tore my anterior delt just looking at this
Hey Alex could you talk about how u transitioned from being shredded to your bull? I.e did you slowly start bulking or just started eating what ever you wanted as soon as the cut finished ? Thanks man
I remember him saying he felt like he rushed into this bulk. Can’t remember which video. Sorry this is not a full answer!
For the algorithm, thanks for giving out so much good information for free
Great Q&A as always - just started using dual ropes recently and they've really changed the game.
Also are you still plant-based?
Glad to hear it! Plant dominant and I would like to go full vegan again