Novice Errors, Neck Training, Weaknesses (Q&A)

[@AlexLeonidas]

Awesome Q&A! For extra questions, join me at muscularstrength.com/AlphaDestinyFree 0:04 Could a larger neck be acquired through manual resistance training? 1:32 I think that it would be beneficial to do cheat rows as I can row 135lbs(60kg) strict for sets of 10, but I have plateud. Being only 16 yrs old, are cheat rows bad for my lower back as I am still developing. 3:11 Hey Alex, why shouldn't I do sets of 4 in your novice program? 4:40 You think maxing out every week on the bench press with the same variation is okay? 6:10 Is there an optimal bench grip? Mine's very narrow but weak, whereas my friend's grip is a lot wider & a lot stronger. And how wide is your grip? 7:52 For strictly size and hypertrophy, how many fullbody sessions a week? 9:10 How do you get all the micronutrients etc if you fast all day and only eat one or two meals a day? 10:55 What are your thoughts on Vegan Gains saying chest flys are useless and that all people need to do is get stronger at pressing? 13:08 Does it mean anything that my 1rep max is different with and without clips on the end of the barbell (Bench specifically) 14:32 Wrist curls don't feel all that great on my wrists can I get big forearms if I replace wrist curls with finger curls for high volume ? And will it improve my grip strength ? 16:30 Hi Alex, i have boulder shoulders but i severely lack in the chest area despite me being strong at horizontal presses ( my paused bench press 1rm is at 350lbs). Cant do dips, it fucks my shoulders up ; what would be your advices to develop my pecs ? incline press only increased the imbalance between my shoulders and my chest so far... 18:52 Alex, do you think it's possible to build respectable leg mass using only unilateral exercises such as lunges, step ups, split squats? I want to build more leg mass without placing too much stress on my body as I would with heavy barbell squats (making more out of less weight). 20:22 What are your thoughts on diet breaks when cutting? Jeff Nippard has made a video on it 21:00 What is average neck size of a male? 21:57 How many sets of direct neck work a week is recommended? 23:33 Should I just focus on pull ups instead of barbell rows?? I can only do 5x5 pull ups (137lbs bw) and only 8x5 barbell rows (100lbs) 24:39 Feel like my head is going to explode when doing OHP. Any fixes? 25:38 Alex i do 45 lbs neck sides, 2 x22 lbs plates. how do i increase the weight on the side (no room for plates left, cant grab 3+ plates). should i switch the exercise or increase the volume? 26:25 Whats ur opinion fasted workouts? and can it be applied to concurrent full body workouts with lower volume?

[@Wallow28]

How should one modify full body training when doing prolonged fasting e.g. the snake diet? Doing Texas method at the moment

[@kevinvargas8344]

AlphaDestiny What are your thoughts on the Larson press? Does it over come the biological law of accommodation when compared to the regular competition bench press?

[@AlexLeonidas]

@Wallow How long are you fasting? A good setup is you eat for one day, skip the next. Or OMAD using a tight eating window. Or maybe just throwing in a 48 every weekend. Lots of options to work with, you can also do an aggressive cut with minimal training to lose the fat quickly then resume a normal diet.

[@craigshaw8761]

AlphaDestiny my bench hasnt improved in roughly 3-6 months but i started lifted about 9 months ago, do you have any idea why this might happen assuming my form is good

[@pauljenkins3071]

AlphaDestiny hey Alex I have bought your program and it says it’s not for athletes and I would consider myself an athlete what program would you recommend for a wide receiver in football? Thanks

[@andresromero8786]

Crazy...i was here since he was like at 9k and now hes almost at 200k. Truly a very knowledgeable fitness expert and speaks the truth! Great work man!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Andres Romero Much love Andres!

[@thehiatusprt]

my girlfriend is getting a huge neck due to manual resistance .... so it does works!

[@nic.g21]

Hey Alex, can you release a Spotify playlist of your favorite workout music? I want a taste of that melodic death metal!

[@Huffman_Tree]

Some people say all you need for a big neck from the front view is neck curls. But isn't that the same logic as guys who want wide shoulders but only train front and side delts, never rear delts?

[@QuissProductions]

This is a bit different as the sternocleidomastoid, the muscle you use in neck curls, goes all the way around to the side of the neck and therefore can increase width from the back view as well.

[@Huffman_Tree]

Sure but the point is that all the stuff in the back of your neck will push the front out more, making it look a lot thicker. You also can't see your rear delts from the front, but if they get big they will push your side delts out more -> you look wider

[@GT-td9ni]

I think a thick neck from the back as well as the front looks badass. Just super set extensions and curls. 10 mins tops and your done.

[@muhammadchrist5726]

Can't wait for these recipes bro

[@mahmoudargoon2828]

Hey,Alex,thanks for everything you're doing for the community man. My question is about dips:bodyweight dips specifically,I noticed everyone is talking about high volume bodyweight pullups for back size,but no one is talking about high volume dips for pec size,So what do you think about high volume bodyweight dips? Like doing 50-100 daily maybe..?

[@gingercore69]

Mahmoud Argoon just look at people doing the 100 pushups a day challenge... Now imagine how much better it would be with dips... I would go for it, totally...

[@mahmoudargoon2828]

gingercore69 Exactly,that was my thinking,but I'm baffled by how seemingly a small number of people"at least people on social media" have actually done it..

[@vedangprajapati9542]

Alex, I’m 16 and running your novice program. At the bottom part of the box squat (when I sit back and explode off the box) my lower back hyperextends as soon as I leave the box, why is that? Any fixes? I’m asking because I feel my lower back aching a bit after the squats. Thanks Alex, you are one of the only honest fitness channels nowadays.

[@samshepherd1504]

Vedang Prajapati you could have a lack of core stability in regards to a lack of using your abdominals to stabilize your spine. I'm assuming that this is the reason your low back aches because your abdominals might not be working as hard as they should and therefore your low back has to fire harder, possibly resulting in over use. I might suggest doing corrective exercise for your core such as doing dead bugs and bird dogs (just search on KZbin), a couple sets of each every day. Also learn how to properly brace your core with belly breathing

[@fastbonkers]

Vedang Prajapati deadbugs try them should help

[@maxtitus1519]

Dr. Mike Isratel says Volume is king and Intensity is Queen.

[@jimatmeijs269]

These video's are awesome man

[@leos8760]

Your very unique. I love your content your intelligent and comedic. Best of luck to you brother 👊👏

[@nahuelise4055]

Hey Alex, could you share some recipes of your smoothies?

[@AlexLeonidas]

Definitely will

[@nahuelise4055]

Excellent bro,gotta keep those micros on point

[@MrBeastmodefitness]

Love these Q and A's man. Are you still trying to reach 100 bodyweight dips or is that no longer your aim?

[@AlexLeonidas]

didn't feel like continuing it, but I'll probably go back to it

[@AboveElevated]

Flyes are def. No joke. If you start doing flyes, youll get a bigger chest, Alex. My chest is almost overdeveloped and I credit flyes for that. My chest is bigger and more developed than yours at 11-12 bf % , yet I cant even bench more than 110 kg.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Damn nice

[@suicidalbarrelroll7005]

I'm looking to have tapped out my linear gains by the end of 2019, hopefully that will have got me to 225 bench, 315 squat, 405 deadlift. Looking into the conjugate method. How would you go about selecting appropriate variations for your max effort days?

[@bryan200023]

Hey man! So for the past 2 years I’ve been focusing on calisthenics, mainly on statics. As a matter of fact, by december 2017 I was able to hold a very decent 10 seconds full front lever and an improvable 5 seconds straddle planche; however, because of the lack of variation in my training, I’ve developed some lagging areas such as my legs and others that I would discover later. So in January of this year, I decided to try your novice program and so I did, and I came to know that I already had a 90lb pull up for reps (bw 165lbs) and 185lb pendlay row with ease, so a little close to intermediate stage I’d guess, but the thing is that my squat was 95lbs and my horizontal pressing was just laughable, and that’s why I decided to focus this year on improving on these lagging areas so that my strength would become good in all areas, and later on I could run a program with both weights and calisthenics. So far, the progress has been great, but I’ve been getting heavier (specially on my legs) and I already lost my ability to hold both the front lever and the straddle planche, so I need to ask: in order to maintain that strength that took me so much to acquire, how can I incorporate the calisthenics training? I’ve tried at the beginning and at the end of the full body workouts but it either takes too long, or I’m already tired by the time those exercises arrive, but if I do them in the days in-between workouts, my recovery is hindered, so what would you recommend in that case? Should I just wait until I reach the intermediate numbers and then focus again on calisthenics? Or is there a way that I can train both at the same time? Thanks in advice

[@MrDominic600]

Alex i hope u see this, i like how ur bringing no attention to the trolling thats going on right now, its pretty easy to lose ur cool when someone is doing these type of things and possibly turning ur already fans into potential haters. Ngl ive watched some videos and what theyre trying to say about u is pretty convincing but anything can really be proven factual given u are looking at it a certain way. Keep it up man, ppl in my gyms are talking about u now ur becoming mainstream and i like the 2018 humility gains ive noticed from u. Big ups from Brampton ontario✌🏾

[@JourneyofTawhid]

can my forearms get strong enough were i wont need to use wraps no matter how heavy the lift

[@007misha7]

I've been doing your novice program for some time now while cutting,making all kindz of gains and i have also been doing them fasted and i feel incredible!

[@kentstraker7058]

Love your videos keep up the good work

[@runmrghillie634]

Alex, is there a limit to how much you should work out in a particular session. I.e. if you carry on you for longer you aren't stimulating any more growth?

[@fastbonkers]

Often you say that slow eccentrics are a big no no, especially for athletic development but there is a whole training method around slow eccentrics and isometrics to increase your rate of force development called Triphasic training, what are your thoughts on Triphasic training why would you disagree or agree ,and a final bonus, what do you think would happen if you implemented this method while using band resistance on all the movements.

[@zirrnorseman8068]

Fastbonkers never heard of this. Research time

[@fastbonkers]

Zirrnorseman so what have you learned?

[@zirrnorseman8068]

Fastbonkers same as what you said originally. There are 3 two week training blocks focused on the eccentric isometric and concentric portions of a lift. It helps to better recruit the fast and slow twitch fibers. And the ratio of the time it takes for the muscle to fire and the weight to be lifted decreases. So very explosive lifting which carries over to any athlete really. I might try this with my oly lifting. Oh and something about better force absorption from the weight

[@fastbonkers]

Zirrnorseman yes you are right more force you can absorb more can produce- btw for oly lifting cal dietz recommends eccentric rdl eccentric front squats and isometric catch position and isometric power postion

[@tylermason1381]

@AlphaDestiny do you think rack pulls above the knee would be just as effective with a sumo stance? I can pull a lot more in this manner so I figure the stance wouldn’t matter all that much considering I can overload my upper back and traps more

[@nathangardner7086]

Tyler Mason I would like this answered too

[@MrUuuuu123]

my left side is substantially weaker than my right side. I have a really strong OHP/Bench but i feel like my right side is doing most of the work. Should i just ditch barbells for a period of time and just focus on dumbbells? stats ; 165 ohp / 250 bench 150lbs.

[@markmarki9511]

Hey Alex! I've just seen your older videos. Your face have changed a lot like damn for the better. Is it just the neck and traps and the beard gains, or did you do Dr.Mike Mew's mewing, or any other orthotropic thing?

[@AlexLeonidas]

Just neck, traps, facial hair, and age. No mewing or orthotropics

[@abudibro200]

When doing some chest exercises, such as the bench press I don’t feel the chest being worked despite doing all the ‘retract the shoulders’ stuff. Any tips ?

[@Adogx94]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j33Fhn-MZc-kY80

[@versipelio3623]

I had the same problem, once i started to pause at the bottom i can feel my chest and get nice gains

[@abudibro200]

Heitor Braz was thinking about stopping touch n go and start doing pause, think I might start next workout

[@Saccioo]

Hey Alex, I primarily perform calisthenics movements and have progressed to pistol squats as my go to leg exercise. That being said i have recently injured my right knee making pistol squats almost impossible. Are there any other alternatives that would provide the same benefits as pistol squats yet at the same time take this stress off of my knee? Thank you!

[@666Necropsy]

any viewers experience??have been experimenting with neck work for awhile. starting out i would do 1 set as many reps as possible for each exercise. then i worked on increasing sets everyday. my problem is i dont have weights but bands so i had to get creative. there are many ways to do neck reps in a cheating fashion so i spent much time slowing the reps down and making them as hard as possible. i have seen an increase in the measurement but its easy to manipulate the tape so its hard for me to judge. only being a few weeks training my neck 4-5x a week i can see way more increases around my lower neck area maybe traps instead of a round measurement on the tape at my adams apple. im seeing muscle growth all around the lower part of my neck where it connects to my shoulders,chest . has anyone else experienced this. keep in mind im doing extreme volume with light bands. i can do double back neck work compared to front. IS THAT HEALTHY??? like rowing more then bench?

[@igottaplanson4203]

MRgreen this interesting to read because I am the opposite with the upper part of my neck growing much easier than the lower part which sucks for aesthetic purposes. So you really have nothing to worry about bud and as far as the back training goes you can do all the rows you want, in fact you should always do more pulling movements the pushing to ovoid and shoulder injuries or imbalances

[@yanissahil3134]

You’re the best bro keep it up

[@AlexLeonidas]

Happy to help Yanis, will do :)

[@noodles_7964]

Alex what was the name of the powder you mentioned you add in your smoothies? Sorry I couldn’t understand it begins with Letter A

[@gauravmishra3917]

Mohammad Tariq I think he said "Amla powder"

[@dennis280792]

Amoxicillin 😁

[@AlexLeonidas]

Amla and Triphala are great

[@andrew7540]

Why haven't you included neck exercises in your novice program?

[@top2737]

Cuz its an isolation accessory movement BUT unlike bicep and tricep and shoulder isolations neck isolation doesnt impact any of the main compound moves. So u can pretty much do it before workout after or whenever the fuck u want, it wont slow down ur main lifts progression.

[@mitchzimmer9432]

Bulgarian light for weighted pullups?

[@anynamez7048]

Can you recommend programs for at home dumbells/bench only?

[@AlexLeonidas]

I don't really know any but it's easy to make one yourself.

[@anynamez7048]

AlphaDestiny wow u replied damn haha u a legend bro just sayin😁

[@anynamez7048]

AlphaDestiny so just full body dumbell routine of my own selected exercises?

[@Lukeyboy]

Yo my neck seems unbalanced, one shoulder seems higher than the other causing one arm to be stronger than the other cause of this. You know what this could be?

[@6Lukeyboy9]

Your vids are hilarious homie

[@JohnnyPepere]

Adopt a better posture on a everyday basis and especially while sitting.

[@kareemsalha2127]

do sumo dead lifts have the same benefits as the conventional dead lift?

[@david199508]

No, conventional deadlifts will emphasise your back and core more. Unless you have morbidly short arms you'll probably benefit more from conventional deadlifts, especially as a novice lifter.

[@qazxswpat]

Alex, is grip training enough to get big forearms or do you need to incorporate wrist flexion and extension as well? Love the content, thanks

[@billybrothers2492]

b go to josh Bryant forearm exercises best out there

[@qazxswpat]

Billy Brothers thanks man I will!

[@GabrielMartinsFitness]

Dude, if you have wrist problems like me watch arm wrestling training by ray video on the especial wrist curl on the decline bench!!! It was the first in my life i didn't feel pain doing a wrist curl, absolutely perfect exercise

[@lawrencefroymovich]

Hello Alex, I am in high school and have started your novice program recently. I started at around 20% body fat and have noticed my weight going up. Although I do think I am gaining more muscle, I think the additional weight is in part due to me eating more food. Should I cut down on my eating habits to aid in a successful recomp?

[@Shadow_de_Kronos]

When I do deadlifts/squats, the right side of my rhomboids light up really hard but my left side is totally fine, how do I fix this unevenness?

[@akshatjakhar1172]

Mohammed Spondon switch away from back squats to bulgarian split squat or front squats & as of deadlift which style you use? Try resting & eating in surplus if you’re on a cut, to help recover.

[@FelineFitness]

Hey Alex, did you see Nether Beast's new channel, Expanding Universe Creations?

[@mayukhsen8195]

Hey Alex would you like to do a video on max effort method for bodyweight movements like one arm push ups or pull up variations, for example any bodyweight exercise variation that's hard enough for individuals to not be able to do more than 3-4 reps with. How would one one train the pull up or pistol squat or one arm push up if he can only do 1 rep? How should he balance training intensity and recovery for fasteat results? Because heavy compound movements like that tend to burn out the CNS a lot. Thanks in advance for the awesome content you share with your fans. Power to you sir

[@rudyrich9817]

Mayukh Sen Hepburn method, you start a 1x1 when you reach 5x1, you go back to 1x1 harder way,

[@StefanIsapanda]

Hey alex im a 16 year old lifter with naturally low testosterone,i've been lifting for around 8 months and i started following your program about 2 months ago and been making slower gains than most others i see following it, i track calories on a 400cal surplus bulk and work with clean form on most exercises

[@mehmetejder5672]

İf you making slow gains you need to eat more calories

[@StefanIsapanda]

im eating around 400-500 over my maintenance though

[@cayden-]

yo not for a video just curious, when you workout your neck directly, how does the soreness feel? lmao now i really wanna know if u get doms and how they feel

[@cayden-]

AlphaDestiny fuuuuck alright i’ll find a place to put it in my program now

[@samdoyle3945]

How to do weighted push-ups at home and how to progress from bodyweight push-ups to weighted push-ups.

[@DoggyNivlem]

Yo Alex im following your novice programme. Can i change the ab exercise to add some variations, getting bored of doing planks all the time

[@israeldamianohemphill3033]

is using 5×10 ok? or 4×10 for progressive overload in the case of a novice lifter

[@רמישבתון]

What do you think about on the knee pull? you sit on your knees and pull from the floor a barbell (very similar to above the knee rack pull) i invented this lift.

[@dimitrispap8373]

Hey Alex! Im doing heavy squats 2 times a week and hip thrust (single leg) and barbell row 1 time. I do all of them without a belt and i feal my back getting stronger.. but is that enough or I need to isolate the lower back? Also whats your opinion about the hip thrust? Awesome work man!!

[@christophercanale1153]

Excellent video thanks bro

[@JoshuaSmith-pw1bp]

Why is my incline bench so weak compared to my flat bench? My friends can incline almost as much as they can bench

[@AlexLeonidas]

Weaker shoulders and likely stronger chest. Plus the leverages are very different.

[@giovanniquargentan6198]

What about a four days a week, upper-lower volume upper-lower high intensity for bulking? Intensity will ruin recovery?

[@sam_making_games]

1:32 how bout Pendlay rows in your novice program? Because what I've experienced is that you can't maintain a strict form when you lift heavy. I can only do 65 kgs so it's really not heavy but it's not possible for me to keep a strict form even then. Am I doing it wrong?

[@TheHollandFootball]

Hi alex, do you get any girls with your physique?

[@AlexLeonidas]

yeah you?

[@pillowz33]

make video on your smoothies?

[@dixonvfitness1921]

Alex what do you think about taking a calisthenic physique to a bodybuilding show? I think it would be interesting to see the high level calisthenic practitioners like Austin Dunham and Frank Medrano compete in a show because they have similar physiques to most natural bodybuilders.

[@vedangprajapati9542]

Will doing movements like the overhead press, squat, and deadlift stunt growth as these exercises compress the spine for teenagers? Or will decompressing afterwards be enough? Thanks Alex, great content as usual

[@Marcus-bp2tt]

I have finally got my l hang but i cant stay still when im doing it, i am moving backwords and forward. What should i do to doit whitout moving?

[@shaunzero]

Just question for your next Q & A: On your max effort days, do you do back off sets on the same lift you maxed out on, move on to assistance lifts or both? I feel like doing both would a little too much volume for an intensity day and I'm a bit conflicted on doing back off sets with the same lift I maxed out with versus moving on to an assistance exercise instead.

[@chrisz9821]

Hey Alex! I have developed pain in my lower back after doing box squats I think. I am feeling it when I'm sitting for a long time or standing for a long time. Any ideas to deal with it?

[@SuperJAIMISH]

I know Lebron's frame is largely due to genetics and the years of training but what kind of a training methodology and diet would one need to follow to get that type of a physique?

[@vedangprajapati9542]

Is it bad to flare out the elbow to a certain extent on the overhead extension? I’m running your novice program and I’m 16

[@miroslavaborislavova6861]

Can I build my body with variations of deadlifts(deficit snatch grip DL for quads and glutes and sumo and stiff legged for posterior chain also rack pulls ) and presses (Bench and overhead for shoulder,pecs triceps)

[@ironhead3494]

Alex, I’ve been training my traps frequently for over a year now, should I now settle in to working them 2-3 times a week now to reap the benefits of nucleus overload or do I continue to work them everytime I hit the gym?

[@vedangprajapati9542]

Do you recommend novices running your novice program to incorporate extra lower back exercises after the main compound movements are done? Thanks, I just want to stay injury free in the future

[@Man1Yoyo]

hey alex, is there any way to get more manly hands and thicker fingers?

[@lukaerikss97]

I bump this, ya boy wants those manly hand, not even lifting nor working a manual labor job has thickened up my hands, and they do contain muscles so theoretically they can grow

[@anthonypasquarelli6420]

Pinching works your thumb muscle. Also many rock climbers report thicker fingers because of tendon strength

[@souloho3900]

Hey Alex, I started getting knee pain from doing box squats, only on my left knee. I've lowered the weight, widened my stance, push butt all the way back, weight on heels, knees pushing out coming up, but can't seem to get rid of the knee pain!

[@Melvincuber96]

Alex I see how you work out to be a strong natural. I'm a total newbie who wants to lose weight and get in shape so my question is how should I train to be as strong as a lion and as fast as a cheetah (metaphorically spoken)

[@AlexLeonidas]

Lose weight and run a novice program, in 6-12 months you'll be a total badass

[@ezioauditore6644]

Hi Alex, why is my close grip bench press stronger than my wide grip bench press, is this a bad thing?

[@adrianomelai]

I'd say that's very good actually. More gains from doing close-grip compared to wide-grip.

[@SuperTostaEmPo01]

Hey alex, love your content, what exercises would be great to try to minimize Pectus Excavatum ? keep going with the good work

[@austins6865]

Hey Alex! Can I get a good physique by doing full body workouts everyday. Low volume, low intensity, high frequency (everyday). This is because I only have a 15kg barbell at my home and two 5 kg dumbbells, am a novice.

[@petit-dessein]

Hey, do you know if coffee can mess up with your digestion ? Have you ever experienced it before having your fasting habits ?

[@sheadoherty7434]

CyTriikmax if you're fasting then don't drink coffee or tea. There are calories in both and your body WILL need to activate its digestion. Watch Shredded Sport Science's video on this

[@schniderj5003]

Can the z press replace the ohp ?

[@justinkennedy5710]

Schnider J definitely

[@joelphillips4468]

Would you train your traps on upper or lower body day because of carryover with deadlifts (done on lower body day)?

[@abdadkhbqefkehfkf]

What's the difference in progressing in "Hypertrophy" rep range and in reps below 4? Why, for gaining muscle and strength; People prefer getting stronger in lower rep ranges?

[@TheMorganBrothers]

Abdullah Iftikhar high rep and low rep progression both make you stronger. However for people concerned with a 1RM lower reps are more specific.

[@mathieuboudreau1066]

I am doing approximately 70 km of bike every day (working in the cycling patrol for my area) and I am wondering : do you think this kind of endurance training could give me some nice legs ? It burns a lot of calories (1200) and I find it pretty hard to be in a caloric surplus.

[@gingercore69]

mathieu boudreau unless you race it on the fastest speed you can, it wont give you much size, right? But shape/tone should be good

[@Pose005]

How many exercises do you choose to rotate and cycle with when progress stalls?

[@hkmontero3461]

I hope someone would help. How can one do a fullbody workout 3x a week without doing deadlifts? (My max is 315lbs) i am doing alex’s novice program but deadlift takes too much of my energy. I mostly vomit and get a nasty headache. Been doing this program for 3-4 months. Thanks!!

[@aceplayys7847]

SEALTEAM 69 replace deadlifts with something like weighted pull ups

[@putakunta1768]

SEALTEAM 69 High handle trap bar or block pulls, or pull-ups and then light RDLs.

[@hkmontero3461]

bxbblee i’m actually considering not doing them anymore. As u said my CNS can’t handle the stress. I honestly feel like i’m fucking dying doing them. I might migrate to upper-lower body split. Binge drinking alcohol and smoking is not even helping w/ my recover.

[@kelvinmejia983]

What are your Thoughts on doing power cleans or just cleans with different t variation in general?

[@burstingbagel8667]

How should I balance out my shoulders if my rear delt is bigger on my left arm but my front delt is bigger on my right arm?

[@Adogx94]

BurstingBagel Just use dumbbells and single arm movements for shoulders for a while. It should even out soon. In the future I would be sure to always include a few unilateral (one sided) and/or isolateral (each side is resisted independently) movements along with your typical bilateral (both arms at the same time with the same source of resistance) movements.

[@joelphillips4468]

In your novice program you say 3 or 5 sets of 4-6, but you also say you need to do at least 15 reps, so you can’t do 3 sets of 4?

[@rezican5038]

If I were bodybuilding would it be a good idea to use a two different exercise sets which will be set up in week 1 and week 2 and the exercises chosen are a variation of the first one? Ex: week 1 is back squat while week 2 will be front squat.

[@david199508]

I think it's better to practise one variation as frequently as you can, otherwise it's easy to lose focus and a sense of direction with your training. After some time you can change to a new variation and focus on that one exclusively.

[@whea7uschrist512]

On your novice program do you recommend 3 sets or 5 sets?

[@shiningsilver2816]

Yo Alex! Can you hypertrophy your jaw? If so how? I think a more defined jawline makes you stand out more without trying and have an 'alpha' appearance.

[@laynewarner937]

The masetter muscle has very low hypertrophy if even possible, trying leaning down? This is probably you’re best bet of getting a more defined jaw

[@JohnSmith-ls9pe]

Wish you the best brother

[@crunkdwscrew]

Alex, when do you take a dump with your eating schedule? I am used to doing it just after breakfast, but now I want to shorten my eating window, which mean I would have to skip breakfast

[@Chris-il9qw]

What’s your opinion on working up to your 1rm at the start of a session do you think it will affect your working sets and building muscle?

[@crab7405]

Is it really a 1rm if you can do working sets after? My understanding of 1rm is not having shit in the tank for another.

[@PaulStickman]

Do strict shrugs give at least some trap size, while you're novice?

[@jgm2924]

Paulas Nu yes

[@AlexLeonidas]

Yes

[@muscleandmath2910]

Raises before presses for better shoulder gains?

[@danielpletikosic9021]

( q&a ) some of your older videos are now set as a private how can I have access to them to watch them ?

[@Marko-l2u9w]

Alex, what is your (month or week) routine?

[@AlexLeonidas]

I use Naturally Enhanced

[@tyrone8934]

Can I make gains if I only lift once per week? I plan on starting MMA in the distant future. That means I'll have to spend most of my time on other types of training: technique, timing, accuracy, pain tolerance, speed, endurance, flexibility, agility, strategy, tactics, etc.

[@gingercore69]

Tyrone 8934 well, if its in the future, why not focus on this before you start and THEN you change it to once a week? Also, mma has lots of endurance, so... If you wanna keep one day... Wich day would you chose? I would chose the intensity one... Because mma wont train you on that... But it will make you bigger/heavier... Watch out for the weight divisions

[@ademirnieto8555]

When the recipe videos dropping?

[@ashwinharidas1929]

Best advice on increasing lateral jump,? Shud i use resistance training for it?

[@laynewarner937]

Fibble Rs explosive lower body training and practice

[@GabrielMartinsFitness]

Westside conjugate

[@d3vilman889]

Looking forward to your cooking videos bro 💪🏼👍🏼👊🏼

[@joelphillips4468]

I find that, when doing volume work, I get fatigued very quickly and sometimes have to drastically lower the weight in the 3/4th set to get the reps out. Is this ok?

[@TAMANGPrince1999]

Alex in the novice program should we take deloads or just keep progressively overloading?

[@david199508]

Novice lifters should never be in need of deloads. If they are they're doing something horribly wrong.

[@WilddEye]

Thoughts on energy drinks?

[@guillermobeltran1276]

Hi Alex! At the ende of your book you give us examples of programs, some of them might be better for some parts than the others, so my question is: How do we approach those programs? We start with #1 and move on to #2 etc? Or take one and follow it year round? Thank you

[@TraxFitness]

Best training split for lagging chest

[@greato5144]

Hey Alex! I have been training for 3y now (currently 17yo) and i have gained a lot of weight, so my lifts have all improved really well, i squat 375lbs, deadlift for 485lbs so on and so on. But my pull ups and dips after i got the weight up have been lacking a lot i have become weaker on them. Used to pull up with 132lbs added weight for 3 or 2 reps now struggling with 88lbs for one. Everything i try just cant get them up, and why do you become weaker, shouldnt it be that with adding bodyweight your strength also increases (current bodyweight 185lbs)?? Sorry, for the long question hope you answer and keep up the work love it!! Greetings from Bulgaria!!!