Awesome questions as always, post more down below! 0:04 Hey Alex, I have been interested in try to learn the one arm chin up/pull-up. I tried negatives but have extreme pain in my bicep. Not sure if I should keep doing it or stop because I don’t want to hurt myself. Thoughts? 1:22 Hey chief!! Does connective tissue band work enhance muscle hypertrophy and build extra muscle, or is it purely for connective tissue and recovery? 3:07 I am 17 years old, never had facial hair and acne. Does that mean that my t levels are low? 4:12 Weighted vs high volume calisthenics? 5:19 Hey Alex, Have you ever experienced insomnia after lifting? I love going at max intensity in the gym, but I rarely do it because when I do it usually puts me in a state of being extremely tired, but unable to sleep. Happened yesterday when I did a 320 lb 1RM sumo deadlift PR. 7:07 Hey! I love lifting and have a decent physique (for my standard). I’m going to start training for a half marathon and want to switch to a 3 day a week full body split as opposed to my usual 5/6 days a week in the gym? Any suggestions on routines or advice for maintaining muscle mass during this training? 8:57 Yo Alex, do you think I can build a decent back by only doing weighted pull up variations (Wide,close,neutral,chin up) and deadlifts, or do I need to add some rowing variations too ? 11:30 I want to become a strongman one day, but all the other strongmen are really tall. Is it possible for me to compete in strongman in the future even though I'm only 5'8? 12:49 Can I do greasing the grove push ups even with DOMs from proper workouts? Love to content keep it up. 14:20 Hey Alex, Would you recommend a novice to train forearms directly? 15”40 Should I remove pullups from my pulling days if I do them greasing the groove style? 16:43 Let’s say a guy is eating just his caloric maintenance and his strength is increasing. Would he still gain size only because his strength is increasing even though he’s not in a caloric surplus? Or would he experience plateau in strength because his body needs more food? I would highly appreciate your reply! 19:32 Hey Alex, the more experienced you become as a lifter, the less size you gain (you still gain strength), how many years of lifting does it take to look massive maybe gain 80 percent of your size gains. 21:43 When should a lifter begin training in the west side style? When linear progression stops? When certain numbers are reached? 23:19 How to do warmup sets properly in a 3x3 strength training program? 24:15 Is it safe to do mix grip behind the back deadlift? 25:13 My gym isn't the best but it's the only one accessible to me. Can I do Smith Machine Squats or Leg Press since I can't do Barbell Squats at my gym and can I do Smith Machine deadlifts instead of Barbell Deadlifts as I don't have access to do them either. 27:00 I’m running NE and wonder if the ab training in the end is necessary? I’m training BJJ 4 times a week and train my core pretty hard? Peace homie
AlphaDestiny What do u think about separately concurrent predization? I mean, for example: Monday: intensity - bench, volume - OHP, dynamic effort - deadlift. Wednesday: intensity - deadlift, dynamic effort - bench and OHP. Friday: Intensity - OHP, volume - bench and deadlift. Bcuz with this concept u focus on 1 (heavy) lift and u don't have to worry about being tired with the other heavy lifts. BTW same concept with squat (I didn't include squat Bcuz right now I don't squat due to a knee injury)
Have you tried blood flow restriction training for your arms? If the high reps are just about "the pump" then the hypotrophic mechanism is primary metabolic which is how bfr training works; limiting arterial flow to increase satellite metabolites. Otherwise try myo reps and gaint sets.
Will you finally tell us why you grew out / cut off your long hair? I know it’s none of my business but I’m growing my hair out for a few reasons and really curious to know what yours was.
Hi Alex, love your work man. In a previous Q&A video you said that many guys don’t get proper forearm growth because they don’t include wrist flexion exercises. Would you make a video where you talk in a bit more detail about which of those exercises you recommend and perhaps include a demo of the proper form? Thanks
"Could you give a quick demonstration of the connective tissue work you recommend for each joint? I want to make sure I'm doing them properly and at the right speed. Thanks, keep up the good work!" I quoted my question from last time above, if there's a rule against repeat questions, or my question has already been added to your backlog, please let me know, thanks.
Of course you need rest. Telling you from experience. Had to take 3 weeks off because of training for 5 years with average rest and actually getting weaker in the last year
Alex, I just started my first 9-5 job. It's really more like a 7-6 because of traveling on crowded public transportation. It makes it difficult to workout and eat properly because of frequent overtime. I feel too tired to go to the gym at night, because I just want to sleep so I can be less tired the next day. What can I do until I find a better job?
Can I do a volume and intensity day on a 4 days a week upper lower split? So 1 intensity day and 1 volume day for legs, and one intensity day and 1 volume day for upper body?
Yo Alex! Can I train muay thai 3x a week whilst on NE? There will be a rest day between the volume and intensity days. Also does connective tissue work have to be 12-24 hours after volume/intensity day? Or can it be done up to 2 days afterwards? Cheers bro keep up the top notch content!
Hey Alex, how are you? I’m curious to know if you went through with 24 hour fasting once a week. And also, what do you think about intermittent fasting 7 days a week vs 24 hour fasting once a week for the autophagy benefits?
I’ve heard you should always put squats at the beginning of your workouts to maximize your hormones during your session. When I do this I feel drained and it detracts from my other lifts so I save legs for the end of my workout. Does it matter when you put your leg training in a full body session?
You said a novice shouldn't train forearms directly, but what about those like me that don't want to use mixed grip or hook grip to prevent injuries or muscle imbalances and want to use the straps only on the heaviest set of deadlifts?
Hey Alex. I bought your NE book and it's awesome. I would like incorporate more bodyweight (weighted) exercises and exercises on rings. How can i add and use these exercises on basic 2x full body per week setup? Thanks alot for answer and keep it up your amazing work and content!
Hey alex, do you think it's okay if I completely replace calf raises using both feet with one leg calf raises so I can use less weight as I don't have that much equipment? I'm thinking about switching between volume and intensity for calves, training them 2/4x a week.
I'm loving your content for the time being, currently hovering around 61-63 kg (134-140 pounds) depending on how bloated I'm and have trained for like a year now, proud of my physique and strenght gains. I'm only wondering if it's resonable of me to think that I can have a goal of having my working sets on the bench press at 100 kg (225 pounds) by the end of April/ May considering my weight/ just hitting for a 1RM. (have made fast gains recently adding weight on the bar every session and my estimated 1RM is 90 kg (200 pounds and based on the fact that I hit 80 kg (176 pounds) times 4) Should I lean bulk/bulk (which I am currently doing) and if so, how much weight should i gain per week? (my lifetime goal is to be at a much higher bodyweight) Kinda hitting a little plateau where I can't make gains from session to session on other lifts which tells me that something something ain't right/ getting a bit more advanced for my weight (?), appreciating everyone single one who took their time to read through this mouthful.
Maaan it's awesome that you are progressing. I was exactly in your position a few months ago. If you d like to hear my advice, it's to eat more. You've already heard this a thousand times but it's the single best thing you can do to enhance your recovery, crush those platous, start making all kinds of gains as if you just started working out. You will feel the difference. You will feel the strength you have and will be blown away by the prs you are hitting without even using all your energy. I was around 63 kg for about 6 months. Recently ive finally managed to get to 70-73 kg by drinking a lot more calories. Trust me man life is so much better when you are 73 instead of 63 kg
How should one deal with major drops, reps wise in latter sets of the workout? For example I do 13 pullups on first set, 8 on second and when it comes to the fifth set, I can do only 5. I would like to incorporate some weights as 13 reps is too high. I'd like to stay in 6-8 rep range, but then I feel like after a couple of sets I wouldn't even be able to do 4, nevermind 6. What are your thoughts?
Pullups are weird. What I think is happening here is you are basically (or fully) reaching failure. If you do that then your latter sets will suffer. If you started at maybe 8-9 reps you should be able to maintain that for multiple sets. Good luck
AlphaDestiny What do u think about separately concurrent predization? I mean, for example: Monday: intensity - bench, volume - OHP, dynamic effort - deadlift. Wednesday: intensity - deadlift, dynamic effort - bench and OHP. Friday: Intensity - OHP, volume - bench and deadlift. Bcuz with this concept u focus on 1 (heavy) lift and u don't have to worry about being tired with the other heavy lifts. BTW same concept with squat (I didn't include squat Bcuz right now I don't squat due to a knee injury)
Hey Alex. Would adding lateral raises to your novice program for that sweet v taper interfere with the exercises that include the shoulder? (recovery and such). If not, what rep range and amount of sets would you recommend?
Hey Alex I sent you $5 dollars via paypal and still have not recieved my copy of the updated Naturally Enhanced. When should i expect to recieve it? Thanks
Hey Daniel, thank you very much I appreciate that. I'm going through all my emails now so you should have it soon. If not, make sure to bump your message. Cheers!
I have a question please, i want to do hanging leg raises but im not strong enough to do them with good form and lots of reps, so i was wondering any ideas please for exercises to start with to progress into a full hanging leg raises. Thanks, for anyone that can help. 👍👍👍👍
so my max bench press was 95 kg before my bulk, at a ~85kg bodyweight. Now about 6 months later focusing on my bench I've managed to increase it to 120kg. I was extremely happy about this progress but then realised I'm now at a ~ 100 kg bodyweight which made me question how good of a strength progression it's actually been. I'm quite tall at 188 cm and always felt I'm in a slight disadvantage because of this. My question is therefore, how much of my strength is from the extra body weight gained and how much is from actual strength/muscle gain??
Hello Alex I have a question about programming my calisthenics plan. I really want to learn the Planche one arm and front lever and just strength training for push and pull and abs and growth in legs, and grease the groove buy I'm worried about recovery (I'm 16 and been training for a year and I have gotten to the point low rep ranges aren't as good for strength but volume is perfect and I've done full body 2x a week to show my experience sometimes feel good but I'm just worried about nervous system recovery)
Inon Siboni - you shouldn’t be putting pressure on your head/ neck during dragon flags. If you start with legs too high/ body too vertical you will put pressure on your neck. Start with tucked flags and only bring body up to about a 45 degree angle. Or your C7 vertebrae (the main one that pokes out when u look down) is sticking out far due to small traps. Use a padded mat when u do the ex.
@@DrTopLiftDPT first of all thanks bro for the help. And second, so: 1. What do u think about the 'canslestick' (a gimanstic position)? 2. I am doing it with pad and the pain is not in the vertebrae (maybe eventually it is but I don't really feel it exactly in the vertebrae + the pain is not mid set but after each one of the sets). 3. So I don't need to do full ROM? (When in the top)
Inon Siboni - thanks man and checkout my channel. 3. The bottom half of dragon flags is where it is hard. 1. Never done a candlestick really. 2. My guess then is that the neck extensors are not prepared for the load u are giving them. Again I would not try to press your neck and head into the floor. U should be using lats more to stabilize not neck.
Alex, one of my arms is longer than the other. (Longer arm is dominant) Will this limit my deadlift /bench performance and will this cause imbalances ? Thanks
Alex there's an old Steve shawn video saying beginners and intermediates running concurrent program should select general exercises and cycle them instead of focusing on weakness because everything is a weakness. What's your view on this matter?
Hey Alex, I’m currently sumo deadlifting 485 for 2 on deadlift on mixed grip and I know for sure I can hit 500lbs on dead lift but I don’t have enough weights to hit 500. Money is tight but wondering if I should try to just maintain it and hit more reps for 485 or switch the variation.
One are chin up: re: “75% bodyweight weighted chin up.” Do you mean paused? What is your difference in strength paused vs un-paused. I recently started doing paused reps on chins and the strength difference is severe.
Hey Alex what can I do to stop cramps on my hamstrings when I try to max out on my bench press its really hindering my ability to max about because my right harmstring stiffens up and I have to rack the back
Hey Alex,I am a novice lifter,i cant go to the gym for some reaons.But i have some welghts,pullup bar and bands.Now i cant do bench press,squat and all that.My question is that can ı do 5x4-6( like on your novice program)with only ohp and pullups and then also do some bodyweight dips,pushups,and direct work for arms?Would that be benefical?İ can do rows too,what do you think should i do?Love your content.
Peppermint oil question, i took ur 60 drops per 1oz advice and went with it on reddit beard subs and they told me thats way 2 much, actually a dangerous dose. Did u had any side effects. Do u still recommend double the dose or?
PLEASE answer this I really wanna to start the concurrent peirodization style of training but I don't know 1 thing yet: Do I need to incorporate "accessories muscles" to volume and intensity day? Like upper back exercises, triceps isolations and so on.. BTW what I mean by that is if I need to do on intensity day intensity work for the accessories (like triceps extension with low reps) and on volume day to do volume work(?). BTW2 Maybe I'm actually need to incorporate very little accessories on intensity days because the focus is on strength which being worked with the compound movements(?).
What do you think about doing eccentric moves with more than your 1rm on compound lifts to become more explosive on the concentric? How does this compare to dynamic effort? A sportsspecific example for negatives would be doing nordic hamstring curls to sprint faster.
Hey Alex, I am following kinda of push/pull rest push/pull.I do cover the whole body because i do squats on push days and do rdls on pull days. I go two workouts with a little more volume 10-12(sometimes 8) and the other two with heavier weights.Now my question is if i do enough volume for my chest because on push day i do weighted dips and cable flys,thats all. i was wondering if i can add cable fly or some other exercise like landmine press for upper chest because i dont hit it enough and will it hinder my rest.Traning is going great meaning i am putring more weight on the bar and i am increasing reps every week. Hopefully you understand my question sry for bad english,been following you for 2 years love from serbia❤
Yo Alex .. I can leg press 500kg / about 1100 lb using full range of motion. but I cant even squat 100 kg / about 225 lb, do you think I have some kind of problem in my body
Okay alex I have a really important question.You advanced trainers and lifters always tell us to see what is best for each one of us newbies .how much time should I stay consistent with an experiment(high frequency,low frequency,high reps/low reps ect..)to se e what is best for me
I would not recommend that, since those were tailor-made for me and are appropriate for my training experience, weaknesses, and goals. You could use them to get ideas but copying them 100% may not be suitable for you.
Hey Alex, I'm a shot putter and 100m sprinter. Any advice and excerises to increase my explosiveness and my strength so I can throw further and push harder in my runs?
Hello, Im new to traininh and im trying to improve my deadlifts. I want to strangthen my bracing so ive neen training without a belt, when should I start using a belt? Im not a powerlifter but I just want to keep increasing my numbers safely as high as I can. (I bench 62.5kg for 7x4, deadlift 100kg for 5 reps and I weigh 60kg)
Hey Alex,I am an average lifter ,4-5days a week. I will be joining a military in 2 months and after reading and asking around about military training and the daily routine in my country,it is a really high frequency high volume (1000 reps minimum) training with mostly bodyweight training and a lot of cardio and conditioning everyday.So how should I prepare ? and should there be any supplement needed to aid in this extreme adaptation period?
Hey Alex I ran stronglifts 5x5 for 3 months and made some decent strength gains but I wanna switch to a full body twice a week routine with one day being volume and one day being intensity do you recommend this for someone who is still in the novice stage
Hey alex. Do you have any ideas on building lockout strength on ohp? My form is on point but i always get stuck at my forehead. Thanks for all the videos
I had this problem. For me what helped was using dumbell shoulder presses. I don’t know why but my first motion of the ohp is really very front delt/upper chest pushing up. The later/lockout portion is really all shoulder focused. So yeah, once I got more strength on my shoulders I was able to lockout and so better on my ohp. Idk just my experience, hope it helps
Hey Alex, In one of your videos you stated that you are an intimidate once linear progression runs out. Yet your novice program isn't using linear periodization. After your novice program should I move to a linear program. I want to move into NEO
I’ve injuried my shoulder, possibly with dips and I haven’t done them since. 2 years later, my mobility is much better in that position. How can I see if I can safely do dips without injuring my shoulder again? Or would you say the cost outweighs the benefit in this case?
Yo Alex what alternatives do you recommend to lat pulldowns. I already do weighted pull ups with 2 plates but I’d like to have another great pull. Thanks brother.
Hey Alex, If following your novice program I am still not making hypertrophy gains in my weak areas: shoulders, biceps, etc. Should I add in isolation work at the end of the workout or can I remove the squat and replace it with isolation work since I am already happy with my leg size? I'm wondering how fluid you can make the novice program.
Hey Alex, What do you think of fasting during a cut? Lets say you do a 24 hour fast once a week on a sunday well keeping your calories at maintenance the other 6 days of the week (monday-saturday). Would this be an effective strategy for cutting fat well maintaining as much muscle mass as possible?
I hurt the back of my neck while OHPing. It wasn’t even during my heavy working sets; I was just warming light, and using perfect form. It sounded like a bunch of little pops, and suddenly my neck hurts like hell. It’s not a zinger, and I’m not sure what it is. Do you know what it could be, and should I see a doctor?
hey alex, i've been getting knee pain when deadlifting, the plates i have are round on the edges so they tilt to the side a bit, do you think thats the problem?
Hi Alex, Does training traps the day after training your neck effect neck recovery or trap training? I do neck curls and reverse neck extension for neck, and above the knee rack pull and power shrugs for traps.
I work 16 hour days 4-6 days a week, from 7 a.m to 11:30 p.m and would like to get back in shape. What are my best options when it comes to working out?
Honestly I don't know how you can sustain that workload thats 64-96 hours a week. I'm not sure what kind of work you're doing but adding workout outs after your work days is not an option because you definitely need the sleep. You definitely need to be very careful with your recovery. Id suggest light bodyweight work to build up your work capacity like pushups, pullups and squats
I'm doing PPL 2X a week, and I've been training for longer then a year, I usually spend around between 1 hour 20 and 40 mins in the gym. I do around 4 sets per exercise, and do around 6-8 exercises per session, I'm seeing progress, and getting stronger on some most lifts every week/ other week, but could this lead to bad recovery quickly?
I only train weighted pull ups and a quite advanced calisthenics routine but I learned the one arm pull up for 2 reps on both arms without every doing any progressions so I guess I'm lucky?
Hey alex, is it too early to say that ive hit a fat loss plateau if my weight is the same after 1 week? Should i lower my calories or give it another week
Yo Alex. I’m on your Novice Program. I was wondering if you can 1) Maintain and even gain muscle on a caloric deficit/maintenance 2) can you still get strength gains on a caloric deficit 3) I can definitely eat healthier, but I still eat pretty clean, I’m on a caloric deficit/maintenance amount, I do full body 3x a week and do lots of cardio in between (4-5 Miles a day). How come I’m still not losing weight? Thanks brother. If anyone else can pitch in that’d be great too
Haden Pelletier of calories? Probably part of the problem. I do a rough estimate. I have MyFitnessPal, but don’t like using it because I become obsessive when I start counting calories
Samurai Sam Yeah dude I have the same issue. You just have to be mindful of calorie density then and try to fill up on more veggies and water. I use MyFitnessPal but I only rough estimate on there. and always assume I ate more than I say I did. So I’ll do extra walking or cardio to compensate.
Haden Pelletier yeah I have an endomorphic or a “constant maintenance” body type. Sure, I can put muscle on easily, but fat comes on way too easily. I’m constantly worried about what to eat, when to eat, and overcompensating when I workout.
Samurai Sam Yea bro I relate hard :/ currently trying to recomp. Slight deficit + high protein + more cardio, but not very strict. Last time I cut way too hard and I lost a lot of muscle and I was starving, ended up binge eating. But my appetite is often too large for weight maintenance. Like, I have the appetite of a 5’10 180lb dude but I’m 5’5” 130 lb trying to maintain lol.
What would you recommend for someone with kyphosis? Doing shoulder press constantly pulls my trap. Should I avoid it completely. This happens even with an empty bar. Should I also stop chin ups? Focus on rows and push ups?
I'm 17 years old, 170 lbs, and 6 feet tall. I want to achieve the front lever. My plan is to master the dragon flag (for a strong core) and work up to a 90 lb weighted pull up. Those are my prerequisites and then i start training for the front lever directly by going through the progressions and doing tuck front lever pull ups. Is this a good plan.
Hey Alex, love the great content, keep it up! My question: would cheat-style side lateral raises (with a controlled eccentric) work on blowing up your sidedelts? Any (other) exercises for the side delts you’d recommend?
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome questions as always, post more down below!
0:04 Hey Alex, I have been interested in try to learn the one arm chin up/pull-up. I tried negatives but have extreme pain in my bicep. Not sure if I should keep doing it or stop because I don’t want to hurt myself. Thoughts?
1:22 Hey chief!! Does connective tissue band work enhance muscle hypertrophy and build extra muscle, or is it purely for connective tissue and recovery?
3:07 I am 17 years old, never had facial hair and acne. Does that mean that my t levels are low?
4:12 Weighted vs high volume calisthenics?
5:19 Hey Alex, Have you ever experienced insomnia after lifting? I love going at max intensity in the gym, but I rarely do it because when I do it usually puts me in a state of being extremely tired, but unable to sleep. Happened yesterday when I did a 320 lb 1RM sumo deadlift PR.
7:07 Hey! I love lifting and have a decent physique (for my standard). I’m going to start training for a half marathon and want to switch to a 3 day a week full body split as opposed to my usual 5/6 days a week in the gym? Any suggestions on routines or advice for maintaining muscle mass during this training?
8:57 Yo Alex, do you think I can build a decent back by only doing weighted pull up variations (Wide,close,neutral,chin up) and deadlifts, or do I need to add some rowing variations too ?
11:30 I want to become a strongman one day, but all the other strongmen are really tall. Is it possible for me to compete in strongman in the future even though I'm only 5'8?
12:49 Can I do greasing the grove push ups even with DOMs from proper workouts? Love to content keep it up.
14:20 Hey Alex, Would you recommend a novice to train forearms directly?
15”40 Should I remove pullups from my pulling days if I do them greasing the groove style?
16:43 Let’s say a guy is eating just his caloric maintenance and his strength is increasing. Would he still gain size only because his strength is increasing even though he’s not in a caloric surplus? Or would he experience plateau in strength because his body needs more food? I would highly appreciate your reply!
19:32 Hey Alex, the more experienced you become as a lifter, the less size you gain (you still gain strength), how many years of lifting does it take to look massive maybe gain 80 percent of your size gains.
21:43 When should a lifter begin training in the west side style? When linear progression stops? When certain numbers are reached?
23:19 How to do warmup sets properly in a 3x3 strength training program?
24:15 Is it safe to do mix grip behind the back deadlift?
25:13 My gym isn't the best but it's the only one accessible to me. Can I do Smith Machine Squats or Leg Press since I can't do Barbell Squats at my gym and can I do Smith Machine deadlifts instead of Barbell Deadlifts as I don't have access to do them either.
27:00 I’m running NE and wonder if the ab training in the end is necessary? I’m training BJJ 4 times a week and train my core pretty hard? Peace homie
AlphaDestiny What do u think about separately concurrent predization?
I mean, for example:
Monday: intensity - bench, volume - OHP, dynamic effort - deadlift.
Wednesday: intensity - deadlift, dynamic effort - bench and OHP.
Friday: Intensity - OHP, volume - bench and deadlift.
Bcuz with this concept u focus on 1 (heavy) lift and u don't have to worry about being tired with the other heavy lifts.
BTW same concept with squat (I didn't include squat Bcuz right now I don't squat due to a knee injury)
Why do I get neck pain when doing dragon flys? (In the back not in the front)
High volume australlian pullups,for thick back?
Maybe it's stupid and obvious question but: what do u think is better? Rubberbanditz or EliteFTS (for bands)?
Have you tried blood flow restriction training for your arms? If the high reps are just about "the pump" then the hypotrophic mechanism is primary metabolic which is how bfr training works; limiting arterial flow to increase satellite metabolites. Otherwise try myo reps and gaint sets.
Your content is always on point 💯. Thank you for inspiring me to make my own fitness channel man.
Why are you in every comment section
I'm going to check your channel out man
Will you finally tell us why you grew out / cut off your long hair? I know it’s none of my business but I’m growing my hair out for a few reasons and really curious to know what yours was.
Hey Alex love the content, keep it up. Love the new haircut.
Hi Alex, love your work man. In a previous Q&A video you said that many guys don’t get proper forearm growth because they don’t include wrist flexion exercises. Would you make a video where you talk in a bit more detail about which of those exercises you recommend and perhaps include a demo of the proper form? Thanks
Is it a good idea to do a 10-15 second static hold on the last rep of neck curls and extensions? Trying to spice up my neck training.
"Could you give a quick demonstration of the connective tissue work you recommend for each joint? I want to make sure I'm doing them properly and at the right speed. Thanks, keep up the good work!"
I quoted my question from last time above, if there's a rule against repeat questions, or my question has already been added to your backlog, please let me know, thanks.
Hello Alex, you often mention your elbow issues but you did not really specify where the pain was located? Lateral, medial elbow or else?
Hey Alex. Any illusion strategy tip for choosing eyeglass frame?
How I'mportant is rest for the muscles or do you really not need to rest?
Of course you need rest. Telling you from experience. Had to take 3 weeks off because of training for 5 years with average rest and actually getting weaker in the last year
Bruuuh Alex make a calisthenics program with weight training involved. That shit would be dope
Alex, I just started my first 9-5 job. It's really more like a 7-6 because of traveling on crowded public transportation. It makes it difficult to workout and eat properly because of frequent overtime. I feel too tired to go to the gym at night, because I just want to sleep so I can be less tired the next day. What can I do until I find a better job?
Have you ever considered making a program for MMA athletes?
opinion on calisthenics and weights program
A 3x5-8 weighted pullups
3x5-8 weighted dips
3x10-60sec. L-Sit
3x5-8 Leg Press (I got a bad back for barbell squats)
3x5-8 Bench Press
3x5-8 Barbell Row
3x 5-8 lateral raise
B 3x5-8 weighted pullups
3x5-8 weighted dips
3x10-60sec. L-Sit
3x5-8 leg extensions
3x5-8 incline dmbell
3x5-8 cable row
3x5-8 shoulder press
C 3x5-8 weighted pullups
3x5-8 lat plldown
3x5-8 weighted dips
3x10-60sec. L-Sit
3x5-8 leg curl
3x5-8 chest cable flys
3x5-8 rear delt machine fly
thoughts on creatine
Can I do a volume and intensity day on a 4 days a week upper lower split?
So 1 intensity day and 1 volume day for legs, and one intensity day and 1 volume day for upper body?
Would it affect my workout if I start with neck? I usually wanna get it out of the way
Yo Alex! Can I train muay thai 3x a week whilst on NE? There will be a rest day between the volume and intensity days. Also does connective tissue work have to be 12-24 hours after volume/intensity day? Or can it be done up to 2 days afterwards? Cheers bro keep up the top notch content!
Hey Alex, how are you? I’m curious to know if you went through with 24 hour fasting once a week. And also, what do you think about intermittent fasting 7 days a week vs 24 hour fasting once a week for the autophagy benefits?
I’ve heard you should always put squats at the beginning of your workouts to maximize your hormones during your session. When I do this I feel drained and it detracts from my other lifts so I save legs for the end of my workout. Does it matter when you put your leg training in a full body session?
You said a novice shouldn't train forearms directly, but what about those like me that don't want to use mixed grip or hook grip to prevent injuries or muscle imbalances and want to use the straps only on the heaviest set of deadlifts?
Use chalk to be able to grip the bar better
Alex, can you do a connective tissue workout for the channel and a GPP workout? Thanks.
Your hair is not based on testosterone. There are other androgens involved which effect the sensitivity of the testosterone in your body.
Hey Alex. I bought your NE book and it's awesome. I would like incorporate more bodyweight (weighted) exercises and exercises on rings. How can i add and use these exercises on basic 2x full body per week setup? Thanks alot for answer and keep it up your amazing work and content!
Spot on on the soreness one, it's real and accurate stuff
Hey Alex can you recommend me a few good science training book? Might as well they be some you have had read.
Good question!
Hey alex, do you think it's okay if I completely replace calf raises using both feet with one leg calf raises so I can use less weight as I don't have that much equipment?
I'm thinking about switching between volume and intensity for calves, training them 2/4x a week.
Yes you can do that
Is it normal that my triceps literally never increases in size / strength? I’ve tried everything I can think of, any help would be appreciated.
When you are about to post i feel it.I dont even need the notification bell😂😂
You can do hack squats on Smith machine. Still not recommended but they are ok.
I'm loving your content for the time being,
currently hovering around 61-63 kg (134-140 pounds) depending on how bloated I'm and have trained for like a year now, proud of my physique and strenght gains. I'm only wondering if it's resonable of me to think that I can have a goal of having my working sets on the bench press at 100 kg (225 pounds) by the end of April/ May considering my weight/ just hitting for a 1RM. (have made fast gains recently adding weight on the bar every session and my estimated 1RM is 90 kg (200 pounds and based on the fact that I hit 80 kg (176 pounds) times 4)
Should I lean bulk/bulk (which I am currently doing) and if so, how much weight should i gain per week? (my lifetime goal is to be at a much higher bodyweight) Kinda hitting a little plateau where I can't make gains from session to session on other lifts which tells me that something something ain't right/ getting a bit more advanced for my weight (?), appreciating everyone single one who took their time to read through this mouthful.
Maaan it's awesome that you are progressing. I was exactly in your position a few months ago. If you d like to hear my advice, it's to eat more. You've already heard this a thousand times but it's the single best thing you can do to enhance your recovery, crush those platous, start making all kinds of gains as if you just started working out. You will feel the difference. You will feel the strength you have and will be blown away by the prs you are hitting without even using all your energy. I was around 63 kg for about 6 months. Recently ive finally managed to get to 70-73 kg by drinking a lot more calories. Trust me man life is so much better when you are 73 instead of 63 kg
How should one deal with major drops, reps wise in latter sets of the workout? For example I do 13 pullups on first set, 8 on second and when it comes to the fifth set, I can do only 5.
I would like to incorporate some weights as 13 reps is too high. I'd like to stay in 6-8 rep range, but then I feel like after a couple of sets I wouldn't even be able to do 4, nevermind 6.
What are your thoughts?
Pullups are weird. What I think is happening here is you are basically (or fully) reaching failure. If you do that then your latter sets will suffer. If you started at maybe 8-9 reps you should be able to maintain that for multiple sets. Good luck
AlphaDestiny What do u think about separately concurrent predization?
I mean, for example:
Monday: intensity - bench, volume - OHP, dynamic effort - deadlift.
Wednesday: intensity - deadlift, dynamic effort - bench and OHP.
Friday: Intensity - OHP, volume - bench and deadlift.
Bcuz with this concept u focus on 1 (heavy) lift and u don't have to worry about being tired with the other heavy lifts.
BTW same concept with squat (I didn't include squat Bcuz right now I don't squat due to a knee injury)
Not good man your body wont respond to more than one properly
@@GabrielMartinsFitness Well I'm already run this concept for half a year and it is very successful so far.
Hey Alex. Would adding lateral raises to your novice program for that sweet v taper interfere with the exercises that include the shoulder? (recovery and such). If not, what rep range and amount of sets would you recommend?
Any tips for increasing OHP, or should I just milking linear progression
Keep milking those gains, if it's working no need to change anything. Contact me again if you plateau :P
Hey Alex I sent you $5 dollars via paypal and still have not recieved my copy of the updated Naturally Enhanced. When should i expect to recieve it? Thanks
Hey Daniel, thank you very much I appreciate that. I'm going through all my emails now so you should have it soon. If not, make sure to bump your message. Cheers!
I have a question please, i want to do hanging leg raises but im not strong enough to do them with good form and lots of reps, so i was wondering any ideas please for exercises to start with to progress into a full hanging leg raises. Thanks, for anyone that can help. 👍👍👍👍
so my max bench press was 95 kg before my bulk, at a ~85kg bodyweight. Now about 6 months later focusing on my bench I've managed to increase it to 120kg. I was extremely happy about this progress but then realised I'm now at a ~ 100 kg bodyweight which made me question how good of a strength progression it's actually been. I'm quite tall at 188 cm and always felt I'm in a slight disadvantage because of this. My question is therefore, how much of my strength is from the extra body weight gained and how much is from actual strength/muscle gain??
Hello Alex I have a question about programming my calisthenics plan. I really want to learn the Planche one arm and front lever and just strength training for push and pull and abs and growth in legs, and grease the groove buy I'm worried about recovery (I'm 16 and been training for a year and I have gotten to the point low rep ranges aren't as good for strength but volume is perfect and I've done full body 2x a week to show my experience sometimes feel good but I'm just worried about nervous system recovery)
Maybe it's stupid and obvious question but: what do u think is better? Rubberbanditz or EliteFTS (for bands)?
Are wide grip pushups bad for the shoulder/elbow ? And if not, are they even beneficial at all ?
Why do I get neck pain when doing dragon flys? (In the back not in the front)
Inon Siboni - you shouldn’t be putting pressure on your head/ neck during dragon flags. If you start with legs too high/ body too vertical you will put pressure on your neck. Start with tucked flags and only bring body up to about a 45 degree angle.
Or your C7 vertebrae (the main one that pokes out when u look down) is sticking out far due to small traps. Use a padded mat when u do the ex.
@@DrTopLiftDPT first of all thanks bro for the help. And second, so: 1. What do u think about the 'canslestick' (a gimanstic position)? 2. I am doing it with pad and the pain is not in the vertebrae (maybe eventually it is but I don't really feel it exactly in the vertebrae + the pain is not mid set but after each one of the sets).
3. So I don't need to do full ROM? (When in the top)
Inon Siboni - thanks man and checkout my channel.
3. The bottom half of dragon flags is where it is hard.
1. Never done a candlestick really.
2. My guess then is that the neck extensors are not prepared for the load u are giving them. Again I would not try to press your neck and head into the floor. U should be using lats more to stabilize not neck.
Alex, what do you think about the videos Scooby1961 have made against neck training?
Alex, one of my arms is longer than the other. (Longer arm is dominant) Will this limit my deadlift
/bench performance and will this cause imbalances ? Thanks
Hey Leonidas, great content and work, just curious how long you have been lifting for? thank you
Alex there's an old Steve shawn video saying beginners and intermediates running concurrent program should select general exercises and cycle them instead of focusing on weakness because everything is a weakness. What's your view on this matter?
What's your opinion on full body every day?
Hey Alex, I’m currently sumo deadlifting 485 for 2 on deadlift on mixed grip and I know for sure I can hit 500lbs on dead lift but I don’t have enough weights to hit 500. Money is tight but wondering if I should try to just maintain it and hit more reps for 485 or switch the variation.
Just go to a gym
One are chin up: re: “75% bodyweight weighted chin up.” Do you mean paused? What is your difference in strength paused vs un-paused.
I recently started doing paused reps on chins and the strength difference is severe.
Hey Alex. Can I do dead bench on your novice program? I can only bench in a squat rack which doesn't have adjustable pins.
Hey Alex what can I do to stop cramps on my hamstrings when I try to max out on my bench press its really hindering my ability to max about because my right harmstring stiffens up and I have to rack the back
What other variations of the jefferson deadlift can I do?
Snatchgrip pendlay rows for more upper back gains?
Hey Alex,I am a novice lifter,i cant go to the gym for some reaons.But i have some welghts,pullup bar and bands.Now i cant do bench press,squat and all that.My question is that can ı do 5x4-6( like on your novice program)with only ohp and pullups and then also do some bodyweight dips,pushups,and direct work for arms?Would that be benefical?İ can do rows too,what do you think should i do?Love your content.
Peppermint oil question, i took ur 60 drops per 1oz advice and went with it on reddit beard subs and they told me thats way 2 much, actually a dangerous dose. Did u had any side effects. Do u still recommend double the dose or?
PLEASE answer this I really wanna to start the concurrent peirodization style of training but I don't know 1 thing yet:
Do I need to incorporate "accessories muscles" to volume and intensity day? Like upper back exercises, triceps isolations and so on..
BTW what I mean by that is if I need to do on intensity day intensity work for the accessories (like triceps extension with low reps) and on volume day to do volume work(?).
BTW2 Maybe I'm actually need to incorporate very little accessories on intensity days because the focus is on strength which being worked with the compound movements(?).
tips for how to vlog while at the buffet?
What do you think about doing eccentric moves with more than your 1rm on compound lifts to become more explosive on the concentric? How does this compare to dynamic effort?
A sportsspecific example for negatives would be doing nordic hamstring curls to sprint faster.
Hey Alex,
I am following kinda of push/pull rest push/pull.I do cover the whole body because i do squats on push days and do rdls on pull days.
I go two workouts with a little more volume 10-12(sometimes 8) and the other two with heavier weights.Now my question is if i do enough volume for my chest because on push day i do weighted dips and cable flys,thats all. i was wondering if i can add cable fly or some other exercise like landmine press for upper chest because i dont hit it enough and will it hinder my rest.Traning is going great meaning i am putring more weight on the bar and i am increasing reps every week.
Hopefully you understand my question sry for bad english,been following you for 2 years love from serbia❤
Alex I Bet You've never been ask this before... How Do You Develop Thick Fingers/Hands?
Yo Alex .. I can leg press 500kg / about 1100 lb using full range of motion. but I cant even squat 100 kg / about 225 lb, do you think I have some kind of problem in my body
You probably leg press way more often then you squat and have bad squat form and lack of motor pathways/muscle memory.
Okay alex I have a really important question.You advanced trainers and lifters always tell us to see what is best for each one of us newbies .how much time should I stay consistent with an experiment(high frequency,low frequency,high reps/low reps ect..)to se e what is best for me
i'm going to start training 2x per week and can't buy any programs right now, do you sugest i copy your volume day/intensity day training videos?
I would not recommend that, since those were tailor-made for me and are appropriate for my training experience, weaknesses, and goals. You could use them to get ideas but copying them 100% may not be suitable for you.
Thoughts on Snatch Grip Bent BB Row?
Hey Alex, I'm a shot putter and 100m sprinter. Any advice and excerises to increase my explosiveness and my strength so I can throw further and push harder in my runs?
Read Strength Manual for Running by Louie Simmons
Hello, Im new to traininh and im trying to improve my deadlifts. I want to strangthen my bracing so ive neen training without a belt, when should I start using a belt? Im not a powerlifter but I just want to keep increasing my numbers safely as high as I can. (I bench 62.5kg for 7x4, deadlift 100kg for 5 reps and I weigh 60kg)
Would cold showers help (referring to the insomnia question)
What you prefer better full body workouts or some bro split routine?
Hey Alex,I am an average lifter ,4-5days a week.
I will be joining a military in 2 months and after reading and asking around about military training and the daily routine in my country,it is a really high frequency high volume (1000 reps minimum) training with mostly bodyweight training and a lot of cardio and conditioning everyday.So how should I prepare ? and should there be any supplement needed to aid in this extreme adaptation period?
Hey Alex I ran stronglifts 5x5 for 3 months and made some decent strength gains but I wanna switch to a full body twice a week routine with one day being volume and one day being intensity do you recommend this for someone who is still in the novice stage
Hey, Alex, big fan here. Do you know why Heavy shrugs could be giving me lower back pain?
Hey alex. Do you have any ideas on building lockout strength on ohp? My form is on point but i always get stuck at my forehead. Thanks for all the videos
I had this problem. For me what helped was using dumbell shoulder presses. I don’t know why but my first motion of the ohp is really very front delt/upper chest pushing up. The later/lockout portion is really all shoulder focused. So yeah, once I got more strength on my shoulders I was able to lockout and so better on my ohp. Idk just my experience, hope it helps
Pin press. End of discussion. From forehead height.
Strengthing your triceps, problem solved
Hey Alex, In one of your videos you stated that you are an intimidate once linear progression runs out. Yet your novice program isn't using linear periodization. After your novice program should I move to a linear program. I want to move into NEO
I’ve injuried my shoulder, possibly with dips and I haven’t done them since. 2 years later, my mobility is much better in that position. How can I see if I can safely do dips without injuring my shoulder again? Or would you say the cost outweighs the benefit in this case?
why risk it
Alex what do you think of old time strongmen exercises and training styles
Ok so I have a lagging chest, and I realised this is due to over dominant front delts, any tips on getting more chest activation etc
Yo Alex what alternatives do you recommend to lat pulldowns. I already do weighted pull ups with 2 plates but I’d like to have another great pull. Thanks brother.
Hey Alex, how do you think someone should train the most effectively, if their goal is to become good at armwrestling.
Hey Alex,
If following your novice program I am still not making hypertrophy gains in my weak areas: shoulders, biceps, etc. Should I add in isolation work at the end of the workout or can I remove the squat and replace it with isolation work since I am already happy with my leg size? I'm wondering how fluid you can make the novice program.
Hey Alex,
What do you think of fasting during a cut? Lets say you do a 24 hour fast once a week on a sunday well keeping your calories at maintenance the other 6 days of the week (monday-saturday). Would this be an effective strategy for cutting fat well maintaining as much muscle mass as possible?
Do you know of any good mobility routines or resources to fix a hip and oblique imbalance?
I've been training for 20 years, and if it wasn't for strength gains probably would have given up by now. I still set strength prs at 32 as a natural.
Awesome Daniel
Thanks Alex
Hey Alex! Do you think that you should train in a different way if you have more slow twitch muscle fibers than fast twitch muscle fibers?
I hurt the back of my neck while OHPing. It wasn’t even during my heavy working sets; I was just warming light, and using perfect form. It sounded like a bunch of little pops, and suddenly my neck hurts like hell. It’s not a zinger, and I’m not sure what it is. Do you know what it could be, and should I see a doctor?
Y'all. Me too
Hey Alex. What's your opinion on narrow grip dumbbell press?
Hello Alex, just how important is water for gains. Would you recommend drinking a certain amount per day?
Very important, your muscles need to soak up all that moisture. I think its around 60oz a day
hey alex, i've been getting knee pain when deadlifting, the plates i have are round on the edges so they tilt to the side a bit, do you think thats the problem?
Hi Alex,
Does training traps the day after training your neck effect neck recovery or trap training? I do neck curls and reverse neck extension for neck, and above the knee rack pull and power shrugs for traps.
I work 16 hour days 4-6 days a week, from 7 a.m to 11:30 p.m and would like to get back in shape. What are my best options when it comes to working out?
Honestly I don't know how you can sustain that workload thats 64-96 hours a week. I'm not sure what kind of work you're doing but adding workout outs after your work days is not an option because you definitely need the sleep. You definitely need to be very careful with your recovery. Id suggest light bodyweight work to build up your work capacity like pushups, pullups and squats
Hey Alex, could I substitute the pendlay row for face pulls and pull ups to avoidance muscular imbalance on the bench press?
Hey Alex, my arms and forearms are getting big but I have really thin and long fingers and it looks strange. What can I do to make 'em look thicker?
CinnamonRoll increase sodium level
Become fat
I'm doing PPL 2X a week, and I've been training for longer then a year, I usually spend around between 1 hour 20 and 40 mins in the gym. I do around 4 sets per exercise, and do around 6-8 exercises per session, I'm seeing progress, and getting stronger on some most lifts every week/ other week, but could this lead to bad recovery quickly?
Just eat more
I only train weighted pull ups and a quite advanced calisthenics routine but I learned the one arm pull up for 2 reps on both arms without every doing any progressions so I guess I'm lucky?
What your best weighted pull up numbers?
Any tips for a novice lifter having difficulty to overload OHP?
Hey alex, is it too early to say that ive hit a fat loss plateau if my weight is the same after 1 week? Should i lower my calories or give it another week
Yo Alex. I’m on your Novice Program. I was wondering if you can 1) Maintain and even gain muscle on a caloric deficit/maintenance 2) can you still get strength gains on a caloric deficit 3) I can definitely eat healthier, but I still eat pretty clean, I’m on a caloric deficit/maintenance amount, I do full body 3x a week and do lots of cardio in between (4-5 Miles a day). How come I’m still not losing weight? Thanks brother. If anyone else can pitch in that’d be great too
Samurai Sam miscalculation man
Haden Pelletier of calories? Probably part of the problem. I do a rough estimate. I have MyFitnessPal, but don’t like using it because I become obsessive when I start counting calories
Samurai Sam Yeah dude I have the same issue. You just have to be mindful of calorie density then and try to fill up on more veggies and water. I use MyFitnessPal but I only rough estimate on there. and always assume I ate more than I say I did. So I’ll do extra walking or cardio to compensate.
Haden Pelletier yeah I have an endomorphic or a “constant maintenance” body type. Sure, I can put muscle on easily, but fat comes on way too easily. I’m constantly worried about what to eat, when to eat, and overcompensating when I workout.
Samurai Sam Yea bro I relate hard :/ currently trying to recomp. Slight deficit + high protein + more cardio, but not very strict. Last time I cut way too hard and I lost a lot of muscle and I was starving, ended up binge eating. But my appetite is often too large for weight maintenance. Like, I have the appetite of a 5’10 180lb dude but I’m 5’5” 130 lb trying to maintain lol.
Hey, Alex would you consider 4 or 5 sets (full body) bodyweigth to faliure high volume and would you do it everyday or every otherday....thanks Dave
What would you recommend for someone with kyphosis? Doing shoulder press constantly pulls my trap. Should I avoid it completely. This happens even with an empty bar. Should I also stop chin ups? Focus on rows and push ups?
I'm 17 years old, 170 lbs, and 6 feet tall. I want to achieve the front lever. My plan is to master the dragon flag (for a strong core) and work up to a 90 lb weighted pull up. Those are my prerequisites and then i start training for the front lever directly by going through the progressions and doing tuck front lever pull ups. Is this a good plan.
Hey Alex, love the great content, keep it up! My question: would cheat-style side lateral raises (with a controlled eccentric) work on blowing up your sidedelts? Any (other) exercises for the side delts you’d recommend?
Definitely