"these are not random numbers" Yep I'd say that's the way to go about it. Build a portfolio of lifts, that you know correlate to size and can progress on over time.
@@AlexLeonidas yep and with me, even if my "strength to size" ratio isn't what people expect, getting stronger for reps on those movements is still extremely productive.
The problem is in social media when you say "strength" people hear "powerlifting total" when really it should be "performance across all movements in all rep ranges"
For me now being an intermediate i realized I didn't care so much about strength as I do hypertrophy. That being said that doesn't mean I just want to lift the same weight I just don't CHASE NUMBERS. I'm still looking to make some form of progression when I come into a workout wether that be one more rep, better quality reps, etc. Adding weight to the bar is the last thing I do. I also realize I have similar aspects to Geoffery Schofield, he's super big but not very strong. I look like I'm big and strong but I barely hit intermediate numbers. So for me I can do tons of volume, grow quickly, but I don't get much stronger. I will probably never focus purely on strength but I'm always going to try to get stronger.
I like that you're aware and didn't resort to making bold, black and white statements. Even though you are proportionately bigger and don't care so much about strength, you're still mindful of progression.
And the benefit is that if you ever want to go for strength training, you already have the muscle for it, you could achieve numbers very fast if you wanted.
Wonderful video and extremely valid points that take into consideration nuances. When I got into working out, I was told strength = size BUT strength was not defined as ONLY my 1RM on three exercises. Increasing 1, 5, 8, 10, and 20 rep maxes on big basic compounds and necessary isolations has never not been fruitful and will never not be.
Thanks Karel, really wanted to provide context for every point and I'm happy you resonated with my message. Well said, it's not just about 1RM strength for the big 3.
This video is beautiful, especially the part about strength only being for powerlifters. it’s so frustrating telling someone to get stronger to get bigger then them say they don’t wanna be a powerlifter so they shouldn’t focus on strength lol
This video hits close to home. I bought into the low weight high rep trend. Now that I incorporated strength days + progressive overload my progress skyrocketed and some of my lagging body parts started to improve. Edit: Just to clarify I still do high volume days. I just added strength days into my program to learn how RIR feels.
@@Marko-ij4vy do you think that benching 2x a week with one beaing a heavy session (3x3-5) and the other being hypertrophy focused 3x8-10 is a good idead for not hiting plateaus ?
@@maltheellegaard4821 Id still do some lighter weight/higher reps work after the heavy work usually on some other variations. For example on a "heavy" day if I do heavy benches in the 3-5 rep range I still do some 10s on dumbell bench afterwards.
Youre the only bodybuilder who is very strong that I genuinely believe is natural. I always defend that when my friends say you can’t get that amount of strength naturally. Keep it up bro
I'm blown away by the concepts and philosophies this channel tackles. It says so much about the mindset required to do something special. I know that's what I'm trying to do. Something special.
@@AppalachianAnglingAdventures BOM is right though lol what NH isn’t understanding is that even for hypertrophy you don’t want exercises having any type of overlap. If you do a tricep extension and then dumbbell press like he used as an example you simply will not get the same number of reps you would have gotten bc even if it doesn’t hit the long head as hard it still uses it and you still pre fatigued the other heads. Meaning your tricep is giving out faster than your shoulders and chest. To be charitable you could argue that you rather just save time because the difference in stimulus isn’t gonna be significant but personally I rather focus each year being as optimal as I reasonably can I don’t care if each session takes a little longer for max gains
couldn’t agree more, and i’m happy you made this video ! was refreshing to see someone bring it back to using strength as a measurable indicator of progress in regards to hypertrophy
I've been feeling very down today, feeling inadequate and stupid in my training and strength, but this has given me some sort of hope that just continuing will get me there and that my recent optimism was not irrational. That I can, after about 10 months of bulking, go from 309/236/410 (lbs), fully achieved by March 21st 2023, to something like 364/265/463 (can you tell I train in kilos? lol). That though my strength isn't quite there, especially on the deadlift (I don't have a clue on the squat) after the big cut I did, it will come back. But most importantly that I will make serious gains and not just progress at a snail's pace - that I am doing enough. After all, I've trained to the point where my nervous system doesn't let me pick up my working weight for a single the following week maybe 3 or 4 times, and it takes me up until the next workout where I train the given muscles, or thereabouts, to be recovered in them. I do accessories as well, and they each have a thought behind them. I've been trying to figure out how others train, how things like Tom Boyden's 540 lb deadlift happened (seriously, WTF?!), but I must've been wrong to get so negative about my own training. I just don't wanna be a sucker and spin my wheels. My hope is that once I've finished cutting down leaner again, it'll give me room to lift for a long time and build up a lot of mass before I have to cut again.
This is so true. The only lift of the big 3 that I was able to continue linearly progressing on for some time was the deadlift. The bench and squat ran out extremely quick. By the time I got to a 225 bench (which didnt happen until recently) I had a 43 inch chest and over 16.5 inch arms. My legs are a little over 26 inches and I dont even squat in the 300s yet 😭. By the time I get to a 315 squat my legs will probably be well above an "intermediate" level and most likely same for my chest by the time I get to 275. I'm blessed with weakness 💀
Thank you everyone, and yes daaaamn I'm still stoked about it days after. It's funny when you get the hang of it progress kinda speeds up again. Like the journey from 225-275 was painful, but 275-315 was way faster because i understand programming better now. Still much to learn tho, keep gaining everyone 💪.
Great video Alex, I noticed a lot of anti strength videos showing up in my feed recently. I like seeing people trying to go against the grain but getting stronger in general even at higher rep ranges has worked well for me.
I agree. Too much BS about "volume" these days. I can tell you this: As long as ur "volume" is 10-20 sets per week per muscle, your STRENGHT is what determines how big you are - That is, strenght in the 6-30 rep range. Period. No more junk volume nonsense, get STRONG and u i WILL GROW, that is your goal, done.
I cant imagine lifting without a strength focus. Yes, hypertrophy and volume work are great, but strength is what makes training fun (for me). But like you said, not to the extreme. I'm not out here periodizing for 1 rep maxes. I just like moving heavy ass weight for reps and pushing my limits.
It’s the only reliable way to document and therefore ensure that you are actually getting better. Whether someone looks better or worse is in some ways subjective (sure for most people if they were to pack on 20 pounds of muscle they will look, though there are cases in which people pack on too much muscle on the “wrong” parts of their body and therefore ruin the flow/look of their physique), with strength however if someone puts 20 pounds on their bench assuming they keep their technique the same and didn’t gain any body weight, it’s undeniable that they got better.
Your videos just continue to become increasingly impressive. The same can be said for your physique and lifts (as well as the potency and eloquence of your points). You’ve grown a lot both physically and mentally over the years, man. Genuinely happy for you.
I was weak AF when I started lifting about 3 years ago (I was using 25 pound dumbbells for chest presses)…now using 90 pounds per side for 3 sets of 14-15 reps! Slow and steady!!
What you said it totally true. I’m more muscular than I’ve ever been. When I was 116kg (256lbs) 3yrs ago I had much less muscle mass and trained only for strength. My bench press was about 170kg (375lbs) 1RM. I’m 116kg today and my max bench is 190kg (420lbs) and I’ve changed my focus to hypertrophy since lockdown was opened. My rep rangers are higher than before but I still focused on progression hence the results.
Dude that's awesome, 375 to 420 bench is such a massive improvement and only elite lifters will really understand just how much muscle you had to put on to do that. Well done, and same here I generally stick to the 6-10 rep range but at the end of the day net progression is what matters.
@@AlexLeonidas thank you bro! I’m a huge fan of your channel and I love your training philosophy and the fact that I have your encouragement is much appreciated. You’re definitely right it’s not just neural strength you definitely have to pack on muscle to get those results.
when you see the numbers grow on the bar, dumbbell or machine, and you can keep it there by maintaining the 'given weight'... and eventually increasing the reps which leads to more strength. Making it able to increase the weight even more, that alone gives so much satisfaction.. and if you eat well there's only gains around the corner. so yeah i agree
Strongly agree, although it is not perfect indicator of gain, but it is a good proxy of muscle hypertrophy. Give you a concrete goal to strive for as well.
I used to not care about strength with 10 years of lifting experience. I thought I have plateaued hard and that I have reached my "natural limit". I then got the natural community bug and I eventually did my best to increase my lifts. Then BOOM!! My numbers went up and my physique got a lot better. I now weigh 190 lbs at 5"10. This is the best 190 lbs I have ever looked in my life. I still don't do 1 rep maxes but I do 5 by 5s and the usual 8-12 rep ranges for hypertrophy. Great discussion Alex!! NH is very strong himself and I think he thinks the same way I do by focusing on higher rep ranges. Strength matters I'm sure but it's different if you focus on powerlifting numbers. Your best example for this is Candito.
I think you make points that I’ve had for a long time now, Alex. I completely agree. I think form and exercise execute, in accordance with individual biomechanics, is also such a big deal too. The bench press has always been an effective way to train pecs for me, yet you see so many people, such as Derek from MPMD, make claims that it did almost nothing to grow his chest. When factoring in form, if you increase your bench press it will be highly dependent on so many factors what grows. You add 100 lbs to a horizontal press and SOMETHING will grow. Grip width, bar path, back arch are all examples of form shifts that can alter limiting muscle groups. I can almost guarantee you that Derek’s shoulders or triceps blew up with the 405 bench he had because that was the form he selected to progress. Strength has always correlated with muscle gains for me.
Watching Alex is great because he’s like that one gym friend who is like “Bro, I’ve been doing ____ and my shit BLEW UP” except he actually knows what he’s talking about.
Strength is Strength: if you increase you 10-rep max overtime, you gain strength. This can not be perfectly translated to 1-rep max, but it indicates strength. Bodybuilding is a strength training regardless it's focused on muscle growth. If you train mostly on medium and high reps, but the performance go up in reps or weight, you gained strength.
The way I look at it, the high reps with good form don’t come until you get comfortable with gaining overall strength first. For example if you get comfortable benching 245 for a few good reps, the 225 is gonna feel that much easier
100% agree. I've never been a super strong guy, despite my looks. Meanwhile, I've trained with guys who could lift a house, but you'd never know it by looking at them. So yeah, strength standards are subjective for each person. Your best bet is just getting stronger and your physique will represent the progress you've made.
Really great video. People think that neurological strength is always increasing, partly bc of PED users almost always having neuro gains to make. But that’s not true for someone who already utilizes that rep range on a regular basis. This is another reason why I don’t like strength blocks. You could spend 10 years never lifting past 75% of 1 RM and then start maxing out and you won’t be any weaker. In fact you’d be STRONGER because you put on more muscle from getting in more volume Good on highlighting the difference between training for general strength vs specific movements. Which even in of itself is flawed because the real way to get the strongest is fully developing every primary mover and even the stabilizers. The only argument one could make is that we can’t train every lift 24/7 but even that falls apart bc there comes a point where you’re so developed on one set of lifts that you would make faster progress from emphasizing the weaknesses. It also often implies that someone who trains for size necessarily cares about developing x muscle. All in all I’m not a fan of traditional powerlifting, it’s not ideal for size or strength ironically I think the only thing we have a slight disagreement on is whether or not including higher intensity is optimal for hypertrophy. You’ve often mentioned how different loads cause slightly different stimulation but my question would be is that pure intensity or is it relative to muscle fatigue? As in is there a difference between a rep that’s a pure 1 rep max and the last rep on a set of 20 where you’re straining just like you do from a pure max
I do agree but I think at some point certain strength training levels can become ridiculous. I'm closing in on a 405 bench and I have just over 16" arms at 5'10" 219. I'm putting most of my compound strength work on the back burner and going to experiment with high volume/frequency isolation work for my lagging body parts for the next 40 weeks or so. I just want to see what happens.
Strength Goals for Volume work are very valuable. For example my current standing Dumbbell Paused OHP is 60s for a 10 rep max. My Goal in a year is to take that to 3x15 with 3 minute rest times as a second press. Same weight, but this will make a 20+lbs difference on my Barbell OHP 1 rep max.
I haven’t given up training for strength because beating a personal best makes me feel like goddamn Hercules, Hero of Greece. I figure that sort of victorious T-bath has to have some positive effect on muscle size.
I got caught in the rabbithole of chasing numbers and forget that I need to have a consistent technique too to make guaranteed progress. Suffered a Platue on Squat and Bench for 4 months, Maybe diet also played a role in that But Now I'm finally seeing some good gains.
@@goncalopereira8267 Ñot bench but other movements. OHP Deads Squat But you will lose some speed in lower body maybe. Plus add some Other skills and ye you can surely take on couple of dudes.
There's a balance between big mover mindset and volume accumulator that must be made. This is how you get effective volume and time management in the gym in check. You don't throw away progressive overload and/or emphasizing the big lifts just because chasing numbers/strength can be problematic and strength itself (being the neurological adaption to a specific movement pattern) doesn't have a 1 to 1 correlation w putting on size. Instead, I think the missing piece is how the lifts are performed that you're progressing on and if that progression is gradual/effective volume or is it forced. If you're locked in and your tissue is doing most of the work (eliminating momentum), controlling your negatives, and your reps/weights are increasing it's good volume. This can then be paired w other movements/assessory work that you roughly or don't track at all and allow to progress on its own. The true secret sauce never lies in if numbers are just going up because this can be from altering form/tempo/or longer resting intervals just to increase weight. So many variables to measure that you're surely going to not give proper attention to one and your training can suffer. I think of training variables as juggling and the more you're putting too much attention on one variable you'll start dropping the others. So, make your mindset simple and direct and focus it on "effective volume " and everything else falls in place. It's when we lose that high stimulation density in our training to chase strength/progressive overload that it becomes problematic/ less effective. We want to lift more weight by the right means, under the right conditions, not by any means necessary in hypertrophy training. This doesn't mean you can't take long breaks between sets, train w low reps, or strive to add weight. It just means to do so intelligently and within reason so you don't sacrifice the potential stimulus of your workout for progressive overload but instead leverage progressive overload overtime to increase the stimulus/trackability of your workouts.
I'm so sick of channels like Basement Bodybuilding strawmanning powerbuilding. Strength work followed by BACK OFF SETS, VOLUMIZING TOTAL WORK, CYCLING REP RANGES / INTENSITY, AND ACCESORY WORK is very effective for hypertrophy!!! If there are potential pitfalls to powerbuilding, do videos on those specifics! There are too many 140 lb lifters at my gym that desperately need compound lifts and base strength to establish a more muscular frame.
Yes he always takes examples of powerlifters peaking for a meet using big arch sumo deadlift low bar squat etc and then goes into how “powerbuilding” isn’t good for hypertrophy. Peaking for a meet on a minimalist program ignoring most powerlifters don’t even train that way anymore and if they do it’s not most of the year. Ignoring the huge influence of conjugate training and it’s hypertrophy emphasis in powerlifting. I really think the “ natty bodybuilders” need to actually compete in some bodybuilding shows. Bodybuilding isn’t synonymous with hypertrophy as you have to cut get your physique symmetrical which isn’t necessarily hypertrophy. What if people strawmanned bodybuilding and just emphasized what bodybuilders do to cut before a show and their views on hypertrophy training would sound ridiculous. That wouldn’t be fair but that is what they do when they strawman powerbuilding.
I agree with everything you've said, but the only caveat I'd.like to add as a bodybuilder is that the difference between a strength athlete and a hypertrophy enthusiast is the rep ranges in which we seek strength/progressive overload. Gaining on a 1 rep max is not going to do much for your physique over time. However, gaining on consistently doing 5-10 reps will.
Can't we all just get along? 😆 I've adopted topsets (or downsets, however you want to refer to them) as an attempt to get a little bit of strength focused work first and finish with more hypertrophy focused volume. You absolutely have to get stronger to get bigger, but where you develop that strength has an incredible amount of flexibility. You gotta build that base somehow! My personal opinion is that you absolutely need weight increases for progressive overload, but it doesn't have to be the only knob to turn (as long as you're working out heavy enough). I prefer to do my volume work in the 55-75% 1RM range and strength work in the 75-85% range. When I get fairly proficient at a certain rep range I'll adjust to where I'm weaker and bring that up. I find that chasing rep PRs (5RM, 8RM) is more sustainable for me...as someone who chased 1RM a little too much when I was younger. You feel like a pure animal when you take your 5 rep max and turn it into an 8 rep max (or 10, 12...). To put it in another way, I have my internal strength standards for the main lifts that I would like to eventually hit (315 bench 1RM, etc). But right now, I'm just concerned at smashing rep PRs with higher volume on some compound focused machines (ex: hammer strength decline chest press). I'm not benching nor do I really care about what my bench is at any given moment, but at some point I'll rotate that lift in and see how I'm doing. I doubt I'm getting weaker. I really like Greyskull as a linear progression program for newer lifters. It uses a useful working range for strength and hypertrophy, puts in very small increments for linear progression, and allows you to push yourself with an AMRAP on the last set for every exercise. You can run it through a couple times with 3x5+ (drop the load, repeat), but experiment with 3x8+ a subsequent time if you want a little more volume.. Or do 4 sets instead of 3. Basic programs are pretty easy to adjust for preferences.
“We makin ALL KINDS of gains!” Old school Hodge Twins saying if my memory serves me right Love the Jack of all Trades comparison, for the uninformed; “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” -Shakespeare
Using heavy-light/speed periodising for isolations has been a game changer for me, both in terms of recovery and hypertrophy, despite using strength technique/rep ranges. Tried going back to straight sets but the fatigue accumulation has been much worse with no tangible added benefit. Seems people either want to push pure strength peaking or pump work, and not a hybrid where strength increases is used to accumulate more volume and stimulus variety in a reasonable time frame, and then maybe peak at the end if you want to compete or push the limits.
Ive recently changed my goals towards Hypertrophy but I’m till am trying to get strong on my lifts. Although I’m not deadlifting as much , I’m getting stronger on RDLs instead. I’m also not benching but I’m incline benching and using dumbbells too and I’m also getting stronger on those. Strength and Hypertrophy training are key
I think the point people miss is that when someone says “go from a 225 - 315 bench and your chest will explode”, the way to go from those numbers to bigger ones is often by doing a lot of direct hypertrophy work to supplement the main lift in order to get there. So although the quantifiable metric is “I now bench 315 and I’m huge”, the process was actually “I did loads of volume work and grew my pecs, delts and triceps” in the process which then meant I could bench 315
Yeah but where some ppl get confused is they make some of the strength gains from higher intensity. AD’s 405 bench for example you can say in terms of hypertrophy work (if you don’t go lower or past say 12 reps give or take) you could say equates to a 365 bench. Imagine what his chest will look like when he adds another 50 pounds from here
Those of us who have been in this game naturally for over a decade will tell you.. get strong AF over 5-30 reps. These young UA-camrs who say otherwise will come to realize this down the line.
Strength = muscle size + neural adaptations. The neural adaptations happen much quicker than muscle growth. Once those have kicked in, muscle growth will be the biggest factor in increasing strength and vice-versa.
I don't think that anybody is denying that size and strenght for yourself is correlated. But focusing on strenght put you on a different mindset that make you do unoptimal things ( for hypertrophy) like maxing out. Rather you should train for size if thats your objective and for strenght if strenght is your objective. Then, even if you train for size, if you are growing, for sure you are putting strenght. Also, maximum hypertrophy training is probably the worst to see short term strenght gains due to high fatigue state and low specificity
As someone that is average in EVERYTHING I disagree, the charts work VERY well with me haha, it's scary how accurate these charts are for me, the only thing that I'm a little bit stronger is the OHP almost 50kg at 70kg body weight.
I'd like to see you do a proper in depth look at Mike mentzers old program ideas. Seek strength gains, train to failure and allow adequate rest to grow.. Gotta be gold dust?!
I managed to Chieve the 100kg bench, by just doing a big bulk till 92kg bodyweight +Pushups I didnt bench at all for 2-3 years (had an injury which is why i took a break in that time) I totally agree, that hypertrophy work still builds good strength.
"these are not random numbers"
Yep I'd say that's the way to go about it. Build a portfolio of lifts, that you know correlate to size and can progress on over time.
100% and I love the way you said that, build a portfolio of lifts then relate accordingly 💯
@@AlexLeonidas yep and with me, even if my "strength to size" ratio isn't what people expect, getting stronger for reps on those movements is still extremely productive.
Big Mover Mindset Master Race
Hell yeah my bro
Hey bom
Planet mode activated 🌍
@@elias6113 hey struggler 🥂
@@BaldOmniMan love ya 😎
The problem is in social media when you say "strength" people hear "powerlifting total" when really it should be "performance across all movements in all rep ranges"
Tell me about it!
yuh
we all know that feeling where we see the strength gains, no feeling like it, strength is important alex.
For me now being an intermediate i realized I didn't care so much about strength as I do hypertrophy. That being said that doesn't mean I just want to lift the same weight I just don't CHASE NUMBERS. I'm still looking to make some form of progression when I come into a workout wether that be one more rep, better quality reps, etc. Adding weight to the bar is the last thing I do. I also realize I have similar aspects to Geoffery Schofield, he's super big but not very strong. I look like I'm big and strong but I barely hit intermediate numbers. So for me I can do tons of volume, grow quickly, but I don't get much stronger. I will probably never focus purely on strength but I'm always going to try to get stronger.
I like that you're aware and didn't resort to making bold, black and white statements. Even though you are proportionately bigger and don't care so much about strength, you're still mindful of progression.
And the benefit is that if you ever want to go for strength training, you already have the muscle for it, you could achieve numbers very fast if you wanted.
Wonderful video and extremely valid points that take into consideration nuances.
When I got into working out, I was told strength = size BUT strength was not defined as ONLY my 1RM on three exercises.
Increasing 1, 5, 8, 10, and 20 rep maxes on big basic compounds and necessary isolations has never not been fruitful and will never not be.
Thanks Karel, really wanted to provide context for every point and I'm happy you resonated with my message. Well said, it's not just about 1RM strength for the big 3.
George orwell is seething at thoese double negatives
This video is beautiful, especially the part about strength only being for powerlifters. it’s so frustrating telling someone to get stronger to get bigger then them say they don’t wanna be a powerlifter so they shouldn’t focus on strength lol
It's the biggest strawman yet, I'm so done hearing that embracing strength = training like a powerlifter.
This video hits close to home. I bought into the low weight high rep trend. Now that I incorporated strength days + progressive overload my progress skyrocketed and some of my lagging body parts started to improve.
Edit: Just to clarify I still do high volume days. I just added strength days into my program to learn how RIR feels.
From my experience its best to combine both. Do some heavy low rep "strength" sets and then do high rep/volume sets.
@@Marko-ij4vy do you think that benching 2x a week with one beaing a heavy session (3x3-5) and the other being hypertrophy focused 3x8-10 is a good idead for not hiting plateaus ?
@@maltheellegaard4821 Id still do some lighter weight/higher reps work after the heavy work usually on some other variations. For example on a "heavy" day if I do heavy benches in the 3-5 rep range I still do some 10s on dumbell bench afterwards.
Do both. Either periodized or in the same session.
@@maltheellegaard4821 do all in the same session mate.
Youre the only bodybuilder who is very strong that I genuinely believe is natural. I always defend that when my friends say you can’t get that amount of strength naturally. Keep it up bro
I agree he’s one of the only ones I actually believe
I'm blown away by the concepts and philosophies this channel tackles. It says so much about the mindset required to do something special. I know that's what I'm trying to do. Something special.
I loved the comment about guys getting sucked down the powerlifting strength chasing rabbit hole. See it all the time.
It's cool to see all of The Noble Natties have a civil discussion. This is how knowledge evolves in the natural community 🧠
100% the community being stuck thinking in one way would definitely be a negative thing. Debate is how we learn 👌
Between this and the NH video response to Bald Omni Band I’m digging it 👍🏻
@@AppalachianAnglingAdventures BOM is right though lol what NH isn’t understanding is that even for hypertrophy you don’t want exercises having any type of overlap. If you do a tricep extension and then dumbbell press like he used as an example you simply will not get the same number of reps you would have gotten bc even if it doesn’t hit the long head as hard it still uses it and you still pre fatigued the other heads. Meaning your tricep is giving out faster than your shoulders and chest. To be charitable you could argue that you rather just save time because the difference in stimulus isn’t gonna be significant but personally I rather focus each year being as optimal as I reasonably can I don’t care if each session takes a little longer for max gains
@@KurokamiNajimi oh yeah I side with bald Omni man too. If a press/overhead extension set works for NH that’s cool but not something I’m gonna do
This is a great reminder to switch things up. I’m still getting back into a routine I used to do after being retrained for a while.
couldn’t agree more, and i’m happy you made this video ! was refreshing to see someone bring it back to using strength as a measurable indicator of progress in regards to hypertrophy
I've been feeling very down today, feeling inadequate and stupid in my training and strength, but this has given me some sort of hope that just continuing will get me there and that my recent optimism was not irrational. That I can, after about 10 months of bulking, go from 309/236/410 (lbs), fully achieved by March 21st 2023, to something like 364/265/463 (can you tell I train in kilos? lol). That though my strength isn't quite there, especially on the deadlift (I don't have a clue on the squat) after the big cut I did, it will come back. But most importantly that I will make serious gains and not just progress at a snail's pace - that I am doing enough. After all, I've trained to the point where my nervous system doesn't let me pick up my working weight for a single the following week maybe 3 or 4 times, and it takes me up until the next workout where I train the given muscles, or thereabouts, to be recovered in them. I do accessories as well, and they each have a thought behind them. I've been trying to figure out how others train, how things like Tom Boyden's 540 lb deadlift happened (seriously, WTF?!), but I must've been wrong to get so negative about my own training. I just don't wanna be a sucker and spin my wheels. My hope is that once I've finished cutting down leaner again, it'll give me room to lift for a long time and build up a lot of mass before I have to cut again.
Love training for strength, a good dose of strength training + hypertrophy is the most fun imo
This is so true. The only lift of the big 3 that I was able to continue linearly progressing on for some time was the deadlift. The bench and squat ran out extremely quick. By the time I got to a 225 bench (which didnt happen until recently) I had a 43 inch chest and over 16.5 inch arms. My legs are a little over 26 inches and I dont even squat in the 300s yet 😭. By the time I get to a 315 squat my legs will probably be well above an "intermediate" level and most likely same for my chest by the time I get to 275. I'm blessed with weakness 💀
Your content have motivated me so much thanks Alex. Recently hit my first ever 315 bench thanks to your advice.
The big 315, I'm proud of you David!!
315? Wow, congratulations!!! 💪🏋️♀️
Aaayyy very nice dude!! Feels good doesn't it??
THE GRIND DONT STOP BABY
Thank you everyone, and yes daaaamn I'm still stoked about it days after. It's funny when you get the hang of it progress kinda speeds up again. Like the journey from 225-275 was painful, but 275-315 was way faster because i understand programming better now. Still much to learn tho, keep gaining everyone 💪.
Great video Alex, I noticed a lot of anti strength videos showing up in my feed recently. I like seeing people trying to go against the grain but getting stronger in general even at higher rep ranges has worked well for me.
As soon as my strength increased my muscle growth followed incredible advice as always Alex 🔝
"You only learn the truth after the work is done." Wow. Very well said.
I agree. Too much BS about "volume" these days. I can tell you this: As long as ur "volume" is 10-20 sets per week per muscle, your STRENGHT is what determines how big you are - That is, strenght in the 6-30 rep range. Period. No more junk volume nonsense, get STRONG and u i WILL GROW, that is your goal, done.
Preach bro!!!!
I cant imagine lifting without a strength focus. Yes, hypertrophy and volume work are great, but strength is what makes training fun (for me). But like you said, not to the extreme. I'm not out here periodizing for 1 rep maxes. I just like moving heavy ass weight for reps and pushing my limits.
It’s the only reliable way to document and therefore ensure that you are actually getting better.
Whether someone looks better or worse is in some ways subjective (sure for most people if they were to pack on 20 pounds of muscle they will look, though there are cases in which people pack on too much muscle on the “wrong” parts of their body and therefore ruin the flow/look of their physique), with strength however if someone puts 20 pounds on their bench assuming they keep their technique the same and didn’t gain any body weight, it’s undeniable that they got better.
9:45 Berserk enjoyers rubbing their hands like Birdman when they hear the words “Bonfire” and “Spark”
The average Berserk enjoyer 🔥🔥🔥💯
Nothing but respect to your discipline and and high end consciousness!
Your videos just continue to become increasingly impressive. The same can be said for your physique and lifts (as well as the potency and eloquence of your points). You’ve grown a lot both physically and mentally over the years, man. Genuinely happy for you.
Alex, such great analogies! You are definitely mastering the craft my friend!
Thank you so much man!
I was weak AF when I started lifting about 3 years ago (I was using 25 pound dumbbells for chest presses)…now using 90 pounds per side for 3 sets of 14-15 reps! Slow and steady!!
What you said it totally true. I’m more muscular than I’ve ever been. When I was 116kg (256lbs) 3yrs ago I had much less muscle mass and trained only for strength. My bench press was about 170kg (375lbs) 1RM. I’m 116kg today and my max bench is 190kg (420lbs) and I’ve changed my focus to hypertrophy since lockdown was opened. My rep rangers are higher than before but I still focused on progression hence the results.
Dude that's awesome, 375 to 420 bench is such a massive improvement and only elite lifters will really understand just how much muscle you had to put on to do that. Well done, and same here I generally stick to the 6-10 rep range but at the end of the day net progression is what matters.
@@AlexLeonidas thank you bro! I’m a huge fan of your channel and I love your training philosophy and the fact that I have your encouragement is much appreciated. You’re definitely right it’s not just neural strength you definitely have to pack on muscle to get those results.
WoW references for life skills. Always works. Brilliant man.
THAT 405 IS EPIC BROO!
when you see the numbers grow on the bar, dumbbell or machine, and you can keep it there by maintaining the 'given weight'... and eventually increasing the reps which leads to more strength.
Making it able to increase the weight even more, that alone gives so much satisfaction.. and if you eat well there's only gains around the corner.
so yeah i agree
You are channeling some serious Josh Peck vibes in this video. Love the energy and the cold hard truths about strength first.
Strongly agree, although it is not perfect indicator of gain, but it is a good proxy of muscle hypertrophy. Give you a concrete goal to strive for as well.
I used to not care about strength with 10 years of lifting experience. I thought I have plateaued hard and that I have reached my "natural limit". I then got the natural community bug and I eventually did my best to increase my lifts. Then BOOM!! My numbers went up and my physique got a lot better. I now weigh 190 lbs at 5"10. This is the best 190 lbs I have ever looked in my life. I still don't do 1 rep maxes but I do 5 by 5s and the usual 8-12 rep ranges for hypertrophy. Great discussion Alex!! NH is very strong himself and I think he thinks the same way I do by focusing on higher rep ranges. Strength matters I'm sure but it's different if you focus on powerlifting numbers. Your best example for this is Candito.
I think you make points that I’ve had for a long time now, Alex.
I completely agree. I think form and exercise execute, in accordance with individual biomechanics, is also such a big deal too.
The bench press has always been an effective way to train pecs for me, yet you see so many people, such as Derek from MPMD, make claims that it did almost nothing to grow his chest.
When factoring in form, if you increase your bench press it will be highly dependent on so many factors what grows. You add 100 lbs to a horizontal press and SOMETHING will grow. Grip width, bar path, back arch are all examples of form shifts that can alter limiting muscle groups. I can almost guarantee you that Derek’s shoulders or triceps blew up with the 405 bench he had because that was the form he selected to progress.
Strength has always correlated with muscle gains for me.
Dropping that science. This is my favorite fitness channel primarily because of videos like this.
Strength is strength!!! Much love Alex
Damn right!!! Much love Prince Tubby
Strength is the most important thing in my novice lifting.
Good old WOW analogy love it!
My man comparing bodybuilding with world of warcraft grabbed my attention 😛 been doing both for years 👌
Watching Alex is great because he’s like that one gym friend who is like “Bro, I’ve been doing ____ and my shit BLEW UP” except he actually knows what he’s talking about.
Rewatching this video a year later cause it's that good
Strength is Strength: if you increase you 10-rep max overtime, you gain strength. This can not be perfectly translated to 1-rep max, but it indicates strength.
Bodybuilding is a strength training regardless it's focused on muscle growth. If you train mostly on medium and high reps, but the performance go up in reps or weight, you gained strength.
Beautifully put, Murilo!
Preach brother
Strength training is just really fun for me
Likewise, enjoyment is a huge factor and it's okay to enjoy strength training + bodybuilding.
@@AlexLeonidas Strength helps hypertrophy, hypertrophy helps strength
The way I look at it, the high reps with good form don’t come until you get comfortable with gaining overall strength first. For example if you get comfortable benching 245 for a few good reps, the 225 is gonna feel that much easier
100% agree. I've never been a super strong guy, despite my looks. Meanwhile, I've trained with guys who could lift a house, but you'd never know it by looking at them. So yeah, strength standards are subjective for each person. Your best bet is just getting stronger and your physique will represent the progress you've made.
What grind on that 405 decline! Maybe in 10 years time it'll be 405 on the incline! Keep up the great work Alex
Thanks dude, who knows at this point! Taking one PR at a time, slowly but surely.
Bench 250lbs -> 300lbs
OHP 155lbs -> 185lbs
Pullup ~90lbs -> 135lbs
You can bet my chest, shoulders and back got bigger!
Massive gains, I don't doubt it!!
@@n.8224 1 get strong
2 get lean
3 train for years (12+ for me)
#2 is optional with enough 1 and 3
Great video Alex! Hope a lot of people get to see it because most could really use it.
Damn love the world of Warcraft examples
Really great video. People think that neurological strength is always increasing, partly bc of PED users almost always having neuro gains to make. But that’s not true for someone who already utilizes that rep range on a regular basis. This is another reason why I don’t like strength blocks. You could spend 10 years never lifting past 75% of 1 RM and then start maxing out and you won’t be any weaker. In fact you’d be STRONGER because you put on more muscle from getting in more volume
Good on highlighting the difference between training for general strength vs specific movements. Which even in of itself is flawed because the real way to get the strongest is fully developing every primary mover and even the stabilizers. The only argument one could make is that we can’t train every lift 24/7 but even that falls apart bc there comes a point where you’re so developed on one set of lifts that you would make faster progress from emphasizing the weaknesses. It also often implies that someone who trains for size necessarily cares about developing x muscle. All in all I’m not a fan of traditional powerlifting, it’s not ideal for size or strength ironically
I think the only thing we have a slight disagreement on is whether or not including higher intensity is optimal for hypertrophy. You’ve often mentioned how different loads cause slightly different stimulation but my question would be is that pure intensity or is it relative to muscle fatigue? As in is there a difference between a rep that’s a pure 1 rep max and the last rep on a set of 20 where you’re straining just like you do from a pure max
I do agree but I think at some point certain strength training levels can become ridiculous. I'm closing in on a 405 bench and I have just over 16" arms at 5'10" 219. I'm putting most of my compound strength work on the back burner and going to experiment with high volume/frequency isolation work for my lagging body parts for the next 40 weeks or so. I just want to see what happens.
Amazing video, progressive overload and intensity over fluff volume.
Strength Goals for Volume work are very valuable.
For example my current standing Dumbbell Paused OHP is 60s for a 10 rep max. My Goal in a year is to take that to 3x15 with 3 minute rest times as a second press. Same weight, but this will make a 20+lbs difference on my Barbell OHP 1 rep max.
Love your approach here. +5 reps on every set AND doing it as a second movement.
Great video as always. You keep getting better and better. Would love it see you work with a new person and take them through a couple of programs.
Strenght training is everything man
And remember to have some fun as well in the process.
I haven’t given up training for strength because beating a personal best makes me feel like goddamn Hercules, Hero of Greece. I figure that sort of victorious T-bath has to have some positive effect on muscle size.
Yeahhhhhhh, Herculean Strength is goals!! I always think of Milo of Croton.
Overcome the mental hurdle of lifting heavier and blast through! 💪🏋️♀️
*Strenght is never a weakness*
Weakness is never a strength
@@aavila1206people die when killed
Excellent video Alex! Loved it!
I get too frustrated far too fast concerning myself with weight progression. It's a tough struggle to balance
Well explained bro🔥🔥. Now I will always try to hit one more rep or add more weight than the previous time!
I got caught in the rabbithole of chasing numbers and forget that I need to have a consistent technique too to make guaranteed progress.
Suffered a Platue on Squat and Bench for 4 months, Maybe diet also played a role in that But Now I'm finally seeing some good gains.
Strength is strength
Mass moves mass
This strength also helps in real life.
what benefits does benching 405 has in real life? or in a fight?
@@goncalopereira8267 Ñot bench but other movements.
OHP
Deads
Squat
But you will lose some speed in lower body maybe.
Plus add some Other skills and ye you can surely take on couple of dudes.
@@yami012 bench is almost uselesss in daily tasks. and in a fight same.
@Nero and bench helps in that?pls bro tell me 1 time you grapple and tought fuck bro i need to increase my bench.
@Nero ok,give me your ig
There's a balance between big mover mindset and volume accumulator that must be made. This is how you get effective volume and time management in the gym in check. You don't throw away progressive overload and/or emphasizing the big lifts just because chasing numbers/strength can be problematic and strength itself (being the neurological adaption to a specific movement pattern) doesn't have a 1 to 1 correlation w putting on size. Instead, I think the missing piece is how the lifts are performed that you're progressing on and if that progression is gradual/effective volume or is it forced. If you're locked in and your tissue is doing most of the work (eliminating momentum), controlling your negatives, and your reps/weights are increasing it's good volume. This can then be paired w other movements/assessory work that you roughly or don't track at all and allow to progress on its own. The true secret sauce never lies in if numbers are just going up because this can be from altering form/tempo/or longer resting intervals just to increase weight. So many variables to measure that you're surely going to not give proper attention to one and your training can suffer. I think of training variables as juggling and the more you're putting too much attention on one variable you'll start dropping the others. So, make your mindset simple and direct and focus it on "effective volume " and everything else falls in place. It's when we lose that high stimulation density in our training to chase strength/progressive overload that it becomes problematic/ less effective. We want to lift more weight by the right means, under the right conditions, not by any means necessary in hypertrophy training. This doesn't mean you can't take long breaks between sets, train w low reps, or strive to add weight. It just means to do so intelligently and within reason so you don't sacrifice the potential stimulus of your workout for progressive overload but instead leverage progressive overload overtime to increase the stimulus/trackability of your workouts.
Since switching my training up from time under tension to increasing strength, ive gained much more size
You a great speaker, beast physique btw
Ps: i'm on NE to get a bigger, stronger and more conditionned
Preciate that Aymerick, and enjoy getting yoked AF!
I'm so sick of channels like Basement Bodybuilding strawmanning powerbuilding.
Strength work followed by BACK OFF SETS, VOLUMIZING TOTAL WORK, CYCLING REP RANGES / INTENSITY, AND ACCESORY WORK is very effective for hypertrophy!!!
If there are potential pitfalls to powerbuilding, do videos on those specifics!
There are too many 140 lb lifters at my gym that desperately need compound lifts and base strength to establish a more muscular frame.
Yes he always takes examples of powerlifters peaking for a meet using big arch sumo deadlift low bar squat etc and then goes into how “powerbuilding” isn’t good for hypertrophy.
Peaking for a meet on a minimalist program ignoring most powerlifters don’t even train that way anymore and if they do it’s not most of the year.
Ignoring the huge influence of conjugate training and it’s hypertrophy emphasis in powerlifting.
I really think the “ natty bodybuilders” need to actually compete in some bodybuilding shows.
Bodybuilding isn’t synonymous with hypertrophy as you have to cut get your physique symmetrical which isn’t necessarily hypertrophy.
What if people strawmanned bodybuilding and just emphasized what bodybuilders do to cut before a show and their views on hypertrophy training would sound ridiculous.
That wouldn’t be fair but that is what they do when they strawman powerbuilding.
Great video Alex! Keep it up!
You're a poet Alex!
Mindset is the biggest gainz
I agree with everything you've said, but the only caveat I'd.like to add as a bodybuilder is that the difference between a strength athlete and a hypertrophy enthusiast is the rep ranges in which we seek strength/progressive overload. Gaining on a 1 rep max is not going to do much for your physique over time. However, gaining on consistently doing 5-10 reps will.
Absolutely, as long as you're in the 5-30 rep range all is well. No need to go below that.
Can't we all just get along? 😆
I've adopted topsets (or downsets, however you want to refer to them) as an attempt to get a little bit of strength focused work first and finish with more hypertrophy focused volume. You absolutely have to get stronger to get bigger, but where you develop that strength has an incredible amount of flexibility. You gotta build that base somehow!
My personal opinion is that you absolutely need weight increases for progressive overload, but it doesn't have to be the only knob to turn (as long as you're working out heavy enough). I prefer to do my volume work in the 55-75% 1RM range and strength work in the 75-85% range. When I get fairly proficient at a certain rep range I'll adjust to where I'm weaker and bring that up. I find that chasing rep PRs (5RM, 8RM) is more sustainable for me...as someone who chased 1RM a little too much when I was younger. You feel like a pure animal when you take your 5 rep max and turn it into an 8 rep max (or 10, 12...).
To put it in another way, I have my internal strength standards for the main lifts that I would like to eventually hit (315 bench 1RM, etc). But right now, I'm just concerned at smashing rep PRs with higher volume on some compound focused machines (ex: hammer strength decline chest press). I'm not benching nor do I really care about what my bench is at any given moment, but at some point I'll rotate that lift in and see how I'm doing. I doubt I'm getting weaker.
I really like Greyskull as a linear progression program for newer lifters. It uses a useful working range for strength and hypertrophy, puts in very small increments for linear progression, and allows you to push yourself with an AMRAP on the last set for every exercise. You can run it through a couple times with 3x5+ (drop the load, repeat), but experiment with 3x8+ a subsequent time if you want a little more volume.. Or do 4 sets instead of 3. Basic programs are pretty easy to adjust for preferences.
Great video and great points.
I'm gonna start calling you Doctor Destiny lad!
“We makin ALL KINDS of gains!”
Old school Hodge Twins saying if my memory serves me right
Love the Jack of all Trades comparison, for the uninformed;
“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”
-Shakespeare
Using heavy-light/speed periodising for isolations has been a game changer for me, both in terms of recovery and hypertrophy, despite using strength technique/rep ranges. Tried going back to straight sets but the fatigue accumulation has been much worse with no tangible added benefit.
Seems people either want to push pure strength peaking or pump work, and not a hybrid where strength increases is used to accumulate more volume and stimulus variety in a reasonable time frame, and then maybe peak at the end if you want to compete or push the limits.
I love the WoW analogy
Ive recently changed my goals towards Hypertrophy but I’m till am trying to get strong on my lifts. Although I’m not deadlifting as much , I’m getting stronger on RDLs instead. I’m also not benching but I’m incline benching and using dumbbells too and I’m also getting stronger on those. Strength and Hypertrophy training are key
"Do you think I can hit 5 plates for weighted?"
Ahh how times have changed, you are just proving everything you said here in the present
I think the point people miss is that when someone says “go from a 225 - 315 bench and your chest will explode”, the way to go from those numbers to bigger ones is often by doing a lot of direct hypertrophy work to supplement the main lift in order to get there. So although the quantifiable metric is “I now bench 315 and I’m huge”, the process was actually “I did loads of volume work and grew my pecs, delts and triceps” in the process which then meant I could bench 315
Yeah but where some ppl get confused is they make some of the strength gains from higher intensity. AD’s 405 bench for example you can say in terms of hypertrophy work (if you don’t go lower or past say 12 reps give or take) you could say equates to a 365 bench. Imagine what his chest will look like when he adds another 50 pounds from here
Those of us who have been in this game naturally for over a decade will tell you.. get strong AF over 5-30 reps. These young UA-camrs who say otherwise will come to realize this down the line.
the fellas and i are out here picking heavier and heavier things up and putting them down
Here before NH response
Strength = muscle size + neural adaptations.
The neural adaptations happen much quicker than muscle growth. Once those have kicked in, muscle growth will be the biggest factor in increasing strength and vice-versa.
Increasing numbers is faster than muscle growth
I don't think that anybody is denying that size and strenght for yourself is correlated. But focusing on strenght put you on a different mindset that make you do unoptimal things ( for hypertrophy) like maxing out. Rather you should train for size if thats your objective and for strenght if strenght is your objective. Then, even if you train for size, if you are growing, for sure you are putting strenght. Also, maximum hypertrophy training is probably the worst to see short term strenght gains due to high fatigue state and low specificity
Pavel call is the what the heck effect
Strength is important because strength is strength 🤓 tuning post workout😎💪
As someone that is average in EVERYTHING I disagree, the charts work VERY well with me haha, it's scary how accurate these charts are for me, the only thing that I'm a little bit stronger is the OHP almost 50kg at 70kg body weight.
Pretty awesome man!
@@AlexLeonidas got it in 8 months of training(2x week) following your advices!
I'd like to see you do a proper in depth look at Mike mentzers old program ideas. Seek strength gains, train to failure and allow adequate rest to grow..
Gotta be gold dust?!
Great video mate. Keep it up
7:50 never expected this sentence to come out of Alex's mouth
Getting stronger at multiple rep ranges over time is the key to slamming on lean tissue. Keep form consistent, and you'll grow like a weed.
5:10 Finally Alex speaks my language
😂😂😂👍🏻
I managed to Chieve the 100kg bench, by just doing a big bulk till 92kg bodyweight +Pushups
I didnt bench at all for 2-3 years
(had an injury which is why i took a break in that time)
I totally agree, that hypertrophy work still builds good strength.
This shit is deep
Can you do a home gym walk through, and where you got your equipment from?
Great video man