When Are You Intermediate?

[@AlexLeonidas]

An important video for novice lifters. And just so we're clear, I still support the 2 plate bench, 3 plate squat, and 4 plate deadlift standards being EXTREMELY realistic and feasible for most first year lifters. However, it's not 100% accurate even though it's a great recommendation. In conclusion, you are intermediate when your basic linear progression gains cease on the major compound movements. 0:32 1:48 3:48

[@Matt-ey7pk]

Anon Ymous Do regular rack pulls, above the knee is useless and can bend bars and be useless besides traps.

[@catandthehat4282]

Hey Alex can you talk about the biological law of accommodation and how it affects novices intermediate and advanced as far as strength gains go

[@nickw22689]

2 plate bench...on each side?

[@Matt-ey7pk]

Nick W yes, 225lbs

[@Azrael88demon]

Here's a question. Instead of fixed numbers like bench 100kg, Squat 150 etc that don't take in account a persons height and weight, would percentages be better? For example bench 1.2 x bodyweight, squat 1.8x, dead lift 2.2x, while not being severely over or underweight for your height?

[@TaoistSwordsman]

I really like how your opinion evolves as you gain more knowledge and experience as a lifter.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thanks bro. Logic over emotions my friend, I strive to be the most logical version of myself and eradicate bias from my thinking.

[@hypnos-7371]

This is exactly why i love this man . So ready To ajust his opinions based on experience and research.

[@jakeoswald8017]

Thank you! I'm 6"3' with a 7'"0' wingspan. Lost my beginner bench gains at 155, im at 215 now but it has been a STRUGGLE.

[@sarcasualindividual]

Yo the mavs need a point guard

[@Summerbrah]

So... did you hit 275?

[@NeuronActivation]

@@Summerbrah His chest died.

[@nathanielwoodbury2692]

This comment and it’s thread is so freaking funny 😂😂😂😂

[@rooost9856]

Go box dude

[@Mman180]

In my opinion, the 6-12 month time frame is kind of flawed too. I see that as a best case scenario. Doesn’t account for being sick, travelling, personal life slowing you down etc etc

[@AlexLeonidas]

It is assuming best case, yes. That said though, I'd say 6-15 months is more realistic. And in the absolute WORST case scenario, 2 years.

[@Mman180]

AlphaDestiny - Agreed with both those time frames! I got sick a lot, travelled, ramadan, football, and still got past the novice phase in less than a year and a half

[@andreandi395]

Just hit 225 for 5x5 yesterday after 4 years ... guess i do smth wrong then

[@connorsleftnut942]

André Andi don’t go above RPE 8 and you’ll blow up. Focus on bar speed and volume.

[@woffe8094]

@@connorsleftnut942 wrong. Just max out every day for max gainzzz

[@Josh-ht8kv]

You're intermediate when you realize Blaha is on roids.

[@teuvojormanainen6543]

his current ohp and bench are pitiful, is he even cutting anymore?

[@electricant55]

He's permacutting, 1 gram a week

[@dripllc5088]

Rafał Sobczyk lol

[@darthbrutalicious6066]

You're intermediate when you realise Blaha's girlfriend is his sister.

[@leftphilange69]

He looks good now that he did a recomp

[@John-fh2mg]

Age plays a factor as well. Gains as an 18yr old are completely different than gains for a 35yr old, with slower recovery.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Definitely John.

[@boholaesthetic3416]

good thing im still 17, been to the gym for about 4 months now, my lifts are very small, im around 60 kg body weight. the weight of the bar is not included, a thick bar) deadlift 60 kg (for 5 reps, 3 set) bench 30 kg (PR) squat 40 (last week , I think I can go for 50)

[@luv3z2p00p]

unless youre on steroids lol

[@Azrael88demon]

It takes a while and u might want to look up a nutrition plan. U might not eating enough, What's your height?

[@charlieboo1830]

Lol pretty sure he's eating a decent and or good diet . Being older takes a toll , when I was 17 , all I had to do was show up to school , eat , and make sure I don't set the house on fire .

[@TylerYeagerPowerlifter]

Body Weight definitely plays a huge roll in this. People love numbers but theres so many factors that come into play. Not only that but you gotta take into account how long they have been training.

[@alexhowley9834]

Tyler Yeager Powerlifter right. I think it comes down to how well you can control a weight and activate the muscle you are using. For instance some people say they can crank out "30" pushups but they usually just look like shit. Sag their hips, barely go down etc..

[@toneandtravel5385]

Height as well though. Like when I'm super skinny I'm still about 82kg cause I'm 192cm. But a shorter guy who weighs 82kg probably has quite a lot of muscle mass

[@GrowthMindsetTogether]

Tyler Yeager Powerlifter 2x deadlift, 1.25x bench, 1.5-1.75x bodyweight sound like good goals to aim for to become early intermediate

[@CeroAshura]

@@toneandtravel5385 I'm 82kg at the moment, 5'7" (172cm). My legs look huge, my arms not so much as I don't do direct arm work. But I gotta say I look blocky and I've gained a lot of mass on my back. I've got a friend at the gym who's your size. He looks skinny at 95kg. So I understand the struggle.

[@TheBlooRayChannel]

Long femurs, long arm dude at 5ft 11, 77kg. My bench press came to a halt at 80kg, squat at 100kg, but was steadily progressing on the deadlift and stopped Starting Strength at around 150kg. After lifting about 8-9 months on and off. Currently running 5/3/1 and all of the lifts are progressing nicely.

[@salmanhussain6863]

i think for some lifts particularly OHP linear gains stops pretty early.

[@LongJourney93]

Salman Hussain I would say not really. The bench press definitely

[@reaIitybits]

Yes because you are closer to your maximum potential in absolute terms.

[@revolverking6969]

I agree for a tall guy like me you definitely plateau at the OHP first

[@toneandtravel5385]

Disagree. I'm 192cm and my OHP is one of my best lifts.

[@salmanhussain6863]

Tone and Travel height doesn't matter. Leverage matters.

[@reaIitybits]

There's still merit to these standards IMO, if you leave an inexperienced beginner to decide whether or not he tapped out linear gains he might hit a small plateau and misinterpret that as reaching intermediate, start running intermediate programs prematurely etc. With lifting numbers at least people will have a ceiling to aim for even if it's beyond their reach and that way they'll push hard and really tap out linear gains in a true sense. Thoughts?

[@AlexLeonidas]

John F. Trennedy for sure. I still think they are the best and most realistic standards

[@garrywellman]

I think the main thing that the old standards forget to take into consideration is where the person started. If you take someone with an athletic background and put them on a novice program, they might hit those numbers faster than someone who's only able to squat an empty bar day 1 (both in the same 6-15 month time frame). I personally believe the only thing to go off of when it comes to whether you're an intermediate or not is whether or not neural adaptations have ceased and you can no longer make progress every workout (or every week). Once you start hitting major plateaus, it's time to get off of novice programs.

[@PermanentHigh]

Aidan No, intermediate is not determined by your level of progress, it's determined by your strength. Whether or not you have a head start because of genetics ot previous athletic endeavors is irrelevant. If yoir base strength is already at Intermediate, then you're intermediate. If you had to grind for 2 years to get intermediate, then you're intermediate. You either hit the numbers related to your weight class, or you don't.

[@garrywellman]

Did you even watch the video?

[@robsstrengtharising7775]

Very accurate my LP ended at 235x1bench squat 330x5 and deadlift at 425x1 , now I’ve been doing 531 3 days a week with lots of inspiration from your philosophies, including the home band workouts, you really are inspiring man and you love anime too?since I saw your first vid to now your one of my top KZbinrs for damn sure

[@salmanhussain6863]

i was at a bodyweight 160lbs. i couldn't make linear progress. i started eating more and now i m 200lbs(high boy fat) and now my gains are linear!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Yep, sometimes diet is the reason novices stall! Assuming that's taken care of, then it would be the other factors discussed in this video.

[@mnikhk]

Actually if you notice ppl like Silent Mike,Omar isuf,Candito,etc are getting injured bcos they dont want to move up a wieght class even though they have maxed out their natural potential at that bodywieght.I mean at their level of intelligence and atleast 6 months of planning how can you not only miss prs but have major screwups.

[@salmanhussain6863]

mnikhk yes you may be correct bro.

[@salmanhussain6863]

Arnold Cabiles this is a possible reason ofc. If you are not a genetic elite you have to get a bit fat to increase your numbers.

[@ismails4860]

You're absolutely correct I'm upping my calories and seeing big prs

[@turnippatrol4607]

I've also come to the EXACT same conclusion recently - linear progression on basic low volume programming is the defining feature of a novice trainee. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to define people as novice/intermediate/advanced based upon body size/body strength, because people vary in exactly the ways you pointed out. Another important factor that people tend to ignore is starting amounts of LBM. For example, someone who's upper body naturally carries very little size/muscle mass will probably not reach a 225 lbs bench on basic low volume linear progression, but maybe their squat could reach 315 on that style of programming.

[@NinjaCokeGaming]

Yes bro that is literally me haha

[@djust270]

I'm 6'1" long arms, been training 3 years and I can't bench 2 plates. I generally only use dumbbells. I use 65lbs for 10-12reps. I can deadlift over 4 plates

[@aidennovinc6379]

The A.D.D. Gamer my arms are 6’6” and I can bench 225 for about 10 reps

[@jow.c4611]

Bench 225 until you can rep it for 20 reps then just jump to 315 for 6 reps, and repeat. Up calories and protein relative to youre size.

[@niqqa9]

It only took 8 months to squat 3 plates at 170lbs and a novice program. But my bench was only 180lbs at the time and was doing a more "advanced" training program for chest

[@gtm-lifts8426]

The best most honest video I’ve ever fucking seen the best video you have ever done in my opinion! Fist bump!

[@LongJourney93]

This is one of the best videos ever. Love it

[@leonkennedy9739]

4:14 im about to hit 3 plates on bench as a beginner lmao. Im not even a giant 5'8 215lbs. Started lifting 10 months ago from being a couch potatoe.

[@tamasmezei5074]

Was there a reason for the transitions to black and white effect? Seemed kinda random

[@AlexLeonidas]

It's my new effect, it gets your attention to what I'm saying since many people got used to the zooming.

[@tamasmezei5074]

AlphaDestiny I see. And indeed it worked on me lol

[@amkool6135]

AlphaDestiny why don't u just talk in a more entertaining way to get ppls attention

[@tamasmezei5074]

D N How? I'm just flexing my shoulders and traps. It's almost the same pose as Alex's profile except my face is in it. How bout you post a profile before talking shit

[@flashqt]

AlphaDestiny both zoom and black and white.... now that’s attention grabbing

[@mikegorbet2544]

Team T Rex arms checking in for the second video today. Damn, Mr. Alexander. Chill.

[@KevSosa09]

There are dozens of us! Dozens!

[@kzg_veritas12]

I workout because of self improvement I simply just like the aspect of being strong (decently strong especially legs) especially compared to most of the populace + it adds value to me as a person

[@pinkplight9992]

I've been on the novice program for nine months now. I'm 19 year old at 5'6" weighting 150 pounds now. I maxed the trap bar deadlift, and I just got to 185 for 5 rep just Friday. My squat is 315 just hit it 2 weeks ago to be honest. One thing for sure is I'm happy with my strength considering that I'm one of the strongest lifters in my college gym,but my problem is I'm still not big...

[@RichardWilliams-sn7tt]

Another awesome video man. I'm one of those outliers on the other side; the guy who's benching 155 after 16 months of proper training. Idc, I just keep going. My gains are slow, however, if I can stay uninjured as I have I will eventually reach all of my goals. I started at 145lb with a 70lb bench. This morning I was at 167lb with a 155lb bench. My other compounds with similar gains. I'll get there eventually! Oh yeah, I'm 44 years old so I got a late start lol.

[@blakejr.910]

I’m 6’7 and I’ve learned that because I’m so tall weight lifting was going to present a challenge for me because of my height and I have a much longer path to travel in order to perform my lifts. When I first started lifting seriously I weighed about 190 (after being 300 pounds of mostly fat). My max (1 rep) on bench was 205, squat was about 180, deadlift was about 230. I had reached my peak, and because I can’t decrease my height to make the movement shorter, I would just have to increase my overall strength. So I ate more and picked up weight. 3 years later, I’m about 235 pounds, max (1 rep) squat is 420, DL is 525, and bench is 330. So basically if you wanna move weight you gotta gain weight.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Fantastic Blake! Excellent numbers and inspiring transformation brother.

[@captainkibs6317]

I feel you man I’m 6’3 with an even longer wingspan and I started Alex program in the spring this year. My numbers went from a 155 pounds floor press for reps to a 190 pounds. My box squat went from 185 to 250. My trap bar deadlift went from 225 to 360. I kinda have a Kevin Durant body type with long legs.

[@blakejr.910]

Swerve FC not to confuse, that’s my 1 rep max, I want to get to the point where I can do it for reps though. I’ve lowered my working weight to about 305 and seriously worked on my squat form. I’ve been doing pause reps, 5x5 @ 305 on squat. Allan Thrall has a video on pause squats check it out

[@kingsalman8907]

What about now Blake

[@BrookMaboyi]

Bro, where are you at now?

[@flight7142]

I consider myself an intermediate lifter for my age and size. I'm 16 185 bench 295 squat 415 deadlift 205 power clean. 5'10 165

[@piercebivens2320]

Bro I feel you on a deep level haha. 16 also, around 190 and 6'0 right now. 210 bench, 285 squat, 320 dead (385 trap bar though) and 135 overhead press. My deadlift and OHP stalled way the fuck out, and now I'm switching to ATG (255) and front squats (195) and trying to progress on those because I hate back squatting. Bench still going up though, so that's good at least. Mirin your dead and squat at your weight btw.

[@sad6boy]

There was never even linear progression for me on OHP, the first day I lifted couldn't even do the bar at 5x5.

[@SinnedNogara]

My squat ceased at around 260-265 for 3x5. However I stayed on a novice program stalling for months trying to squeeze out any noob gains. Once I hopped on Texas Method my squat exploded. Also my bench is still at bodyweight for reps (170ish). May have to just jump on intermediate stuff at this rate.

[@devincooper1021]

Greg Nuckols wrote an article about novices using DUP and adding sets after resetting, I think it fixes a lot of problems basically all programs have for that population. It's a good read for both beginners and anyone who coaches them.

[@AlexLeonidas]

A good read indeed. Love Greg's work

[@seanbaker1410]

I'd say 1.5 times bodyweight for bench, 2 times bodyweight for squat, and 2.5 times bodyweight for deadlift is more accurate. You can't tell a dude weighing 225lbs that being able to bench his own bodyweight makes him an intermediate lifter. Body weight changes everything, so the 2 plate 3 plate 4 plate thing doesn't really make sense

[@rohina3739]

Sean Baker That's what he says in the video. I agree with Alex in this video. I know that personally I hit the numbers you mentioned but I am still pretty much a novice lifter. But I think your general idea is good too! :)

[@aldrigigen2314]

So in your opinion a guy weighing 225 would be a late novice benching 300 lbs for reps, squatting 400 lbs for reps and deadlifting 500 lbs for reps? Are you kidding me, You cant go from strength compared to bodyweight completely as some are really short and should still be able to hit good numbers as they got better leverages.

[@rohina3739]

Aldrig Igen I Agree

[@seanbaker1410]

Aldrig Igen Generally speaking, with regards to bodyweight: 1x bodyweight bench, 1.5x squat, 2x deadlift for beginner, 1.5x bench, 2x squat, 2.5 dl for intermediate, 2x bench, 2.5x squat, 3x dl for advanced. That's pretty standard in the powerlifting world. Obviously people will be better at certain lifts compared to others cuz of leverages but those are good benchmarks to shoot for if you're training for powerlifting

[@aldrigigen2314]

You do also know that powerlifting is heavily influenced by drugs etc which gives them a huge advantage? Not saying a 315 bench etc is impossible without drugs, but saying somebody is still a novice at a 315 bench is so wrong on all levels. Strength regarding to bodyweight doesnt work in my opinion as leverages has way to big of a role and this is noteworthy in powerlifting that some lighter weight classes got a heavier number in some lifts than heavier weight classes. the 225, 315, 405 is a way better thing to reach for in my opinion and sure some lighter dudes might not get there, but theyll get close.

[@xxRichie13xx]

I've been following a strength program for a month after being stuck at a max of about 225...I'm already reppin that now for 7 reps...should be getting 275 at the end of this month and 315 early in 2018. But yeah a good program is a game changer.

[@leodehaas498]

what is the program you are using?

[@joedagg4495]

Also it is good to know what type of training you react best to. Whenever I do training over 8+ reps I experience absolutely 0 gains, but If I do 3 reps heavy training my PRs go flying up same with my bodyweight, but my friend is the complete opposite.

[@HeyItsThatGuy360]

Perfect timing for this video to drop. Great content AlphaDestiny!

[@raphaelsilvas2025]

Im 6.3 217lbs 8 pack abs bench 335 ive been going up 10 pounds a week for a while now.

[@RodesLaw]

Very true. This is especially true for OHP. I stopped linear progression at 135lb. I'd say bench and OHP are the first to stop moving up linearly. They are extremely limb length dependent movements.

[@libaanahmed2429]

I'm trying to hit that 2plate bench, 3plate squat and 4plate deadlift at the end of this year, i've alread hit my goals for bp and squat, but im on 3.5plates on deadlift atm, i'm 18 and I still recognize myself as a beginner, although I started a cut recently since im morbidly obese(215lb) :).

[@jerm9864]

I'm starting to think I just like to hear Alex talk 😂

[@cammk9415]

Nick's Health and Fitness same here yo. I sometimes go to bed just listening to his videos lol

[@handsguy5298]

lol same here

[@BasedBalboni]

Agreed

[@Naptownstreetsquid]

Glad to see you finally came around to my side of the argument. only took a couple of years lol Yes I had this debate with you a few years ago in the comment section of a video of yours. and laid out the exact points and some more that you discussed in this video. We all live and learn.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Naptown Squid Gotta look at the facts homie. Just like back then I promoted super minimalist systems, I am now the opposite

[@kamranhussain3159]

Daaamn 2 vids? Today is a good day

[@marcorodriguez7694]

Glad you made this video dude.

[@goldenmemes51]

Finally good videos last 2 months of videos were boring imo thx alphad

[@mulepati]

I can bench 2 plates, squat 2 plates, and deadlift 3 plates, been lifting for 7 months, and following the alpha novice program for 3 months. don't know if that's good

[@NeuronActivation]

Have you stalled?

[@adamnorris6101]

This is your best shirt

[@CA_Anurag]

Alex your subs and audience need a forum to discuss and share their experiences of lifting.Its just a suggestion.I read some comments here giving valuable inputs, but are ignored/buried in other comments.Alpha destiny community can help each other you know.

[@johnjohntv1195]

Yes exactly!

[@michalhromadka686]

That's a very good idea, actually!

[@fredrickgoodwill285]

Destinypedia

[@ezequielalmada197]

Beard's starting to look yoked, Alex.

[@RandomizedAlias]

Is it possible to be a novice-intermediate hybrid? I still make linear gains on certain lifts but I can’t make linear gains on my pulls and OHP anymore...

[@HazmatEsports]

I experienced this also. As soon as I switched to concurrent my OHP shot up

[@AlexLeonidas]

Yes that can definitely happen. I actually made a program for exactly that outalpha.com/alpha-destiny-noviceintermediate-hybrid-program/

[@RustyIsScared]

isnt that fucking common sense? lol

[@MrPorko2c]

I treat all my lifts separately tbh. I’m an awesome squater (squat more than I deadlift crew checking in) and a pretty decent bencher. My deadlift is terrible though because of shit leverages. So basically I kept running linear progression for squat and bench for months after I had already moved to an intermediate deadlift program.

[@Tonys_Podium]

RandomizedAlias i notice i get weak if i eat fish and rice, strength comes back with meat and potatoes.

[@pajenn2387]

I would use Wilks score instead of number of plates per lift to account for gender and weight. I'd say around 250-300 Wilks you are intermediate in terms of strength (depending on age and genetics). I'd say you should also have trained seriously for at least a year.

[@B3tterTh4nU]

As a very lanky person--6'2" height with a 6'8" armspan, I tapped out on linear gains on bench at around 205 for 5x5 (about 225/230 1RM). However, my long arms have been advantageous for deadlifts, where I had linear gains until about a 480 1RM. As for squats, I feel like I've almost never had linear gains since I started and progress has always been slow due to having extremely long femurs.

[@Anabolic_Nerd]

Yeah I’d say around that, my noobie gains ended around 315x5 squat, 435-455 deadlift and 255 bench after that I had to start incorporating more intermediate programs like candito with high frequency to make gains. At this point gains come once every couple months if I’m lucky if not regression

[@richardortwein3576]

I love how Alex is humble enough to admit his mistakes and learn from them That’s some man shit unlike some people cough cough layne norton

[@Fatal1tyProTV]

Richard Ortwein Don't forget out boy hemingwhey

[@richardortwein3576]

Fatal1tyProTV ah mister blowhole how could I forget

[@THEBEAST-ek6bu]

@@richardortwein3576 😎

[@diogoalmeida1962]

I agree with the benchmarks you talked about. And I also support the notion that a novice lifter is someone who can add weight to the movement every workout. Then he starts only adding load once a week as an intermidiate. And then, after 2-5 years of consistent work, he reaches the advanced level, where he can only PR at the end of the mesocycle (1-2 month period). Anyways, great video, as usual, man!

[@andrewcarey5681]

I think gains would be scaled back for someone under 18

[@hippo6billion811]

No I'm 16 deadlifting 500 after a year or so of working out

[@hiyesiambanana2310]

@@hippo6billion811 cap

[@hippo6billion811]

@@hiyesiambanana2310 no why would I make that up

[@CK113th121]

Glad you said this. I hate when I see people asking for help online and some just tell shut up and do SS or something until deadlifting 405

[@s57iotukt55]

Has anyone just had recovery issues that made them think their LP was over? 200+ lbs 6 feet tall I was squatting twice a week deadlifts in the middle. My legs were always sore to an unbearable amount. Minimal lower body assistance work just to try and reduce how sore they were. Did 5x5 then 3x5 then 3x3 and nothing changed. Still so sore. I tried foam rolling, stretching, baths and hot tubs, always ate and slept enough, supps, living a low stress life. Just shy of 300 and I just couldn't keep going, I was drained and I couldn't even squat the high weights properly.

[@Ezmody]

Commenting this again in case you haven't seen it. Alex, have u seen the new study about SlingShot where it actually disproves what you were saying "SlingShot overloads triceps" It actually uses less triceps than a normal bench. It also looks like SlingShot gives more of a 15% advantage than 10% so a 315 bench is closer to a 270 bench with SS. journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/Influence_of_the__Slingshot__bench_press_training.96097.aspx

[@Stuke51]

Leverages are important. In less than a year of lifting, I brought my trap bar deadlift to over 430lbs but my bench and squat were far behind.

[@spontaneousbootay]

i did 225 bench in a few months but about a year for 315 deadlift for reps and squat max at 6'2". the linear gains tip is helpful

[@christianhorta111]

this video just changed everything for me rn thank u man

[@EquusLigneus]

I have been working out consistently with StrongLifts 5x5 for about 2.5 months now at 6''2 235lbs and these are my lifts atm: Progression since 25. September to 10. December: *I don't use a belt on my lifts. Squat = 135lbs -> 230lbs 5x5 Bench = 135lbs -> 190lbs 5x5 OHP = 65lbs -> 120lbs 5x5 Row = 45lbs -> 170lbs 5x5 Con. DL = 135lbs -> 305lbs 1x5 I have hit the point where it's getting very hard to increase weights, especially on DL, OHP, Row and Bench. My left elbow's radius bone is slightly out of position causing my elbow to crack whenever I extend it. Talked to my doctor about it and he does not want to let me get it surgically fixed. I guess all the "Newbie" gains are over and the real grind to getting stronger has begun.

[@someguy5329]

In one of your older videos titled "how to really build large glutes", you mentioned that 80% of your leg size will be achieved after passing the novice phase (which is now when linear progression gains cease). Is this from personal experience or do you have other evidence to support this?

[@AlexLeonidas]

Can't really say I have evidence other than relating it to muscle gaining charts for first year lifters. From a logical perspective, it seems that about 70% or more of leg gains come from surpassing the novice phase. After that there are diminishing returns. And yes from personal experience I also found this to be very true.

[@NRoby24]

I sure hope this will not be the case for me. My ass is already massive and my legs aren't small either even thought they are long compared to my torso. I don't want to have a big black ass size.

[@doyouhavegainsonyourphone4507]

6’1 with a nearly 6.5 foot wingspan. Best bench of all time is 190lbs. Best deadlift is 455 and best squat is 365. Life man...

[@selimsouidi3065]

I waited for this so long, I havent watched yet but I know it will be awesome!

[@selimsouidi3065]

Oooh yeaah I knew my boi would come to this conclusion I am glad you realized this

[@cillyprodd]

Just turned 15 i was benching the bar just 2 months ago im 6'1 130 lbs now i reps 135 on bench squat 225 and can deadlift 300

[@cillyprodd]

ice facts

[@Wtfisahandle344]

This video was needed man

[@DeanAdventure]

What is your obsession with number of plates? There is a simple solution to your problem, to calculate your weight sessions in power units. Calculate the amount of weight moved and the DISTANCE it is moved to get a PU or power unit.

[@MajesticSkywhale]

I can squat three plates and pull four easily, but can't bench more than a single plate, lol

[@alexmora2342]

2 videos in row? damn Alex u on a roll today!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Haha you know I had to! That anime vid was just a fun little bonus :P

[@mbrapsht2770]

Depends on your weight. 2.5x of your weight deadlift, 2x squat, 1.5x bench press, your bodyweight overhead press, 0.75x dip, half your bodyweight pull up. I weigh 80kg, so my targets for every lift are: 200kg, 160, 120kg, 80kg, 60kg, 40kg.

[@TheBcoolGuy]

Thanks for explaining what linear progression is! I am a geek for fitness, but I often have trouble following you because of all this terminology. This confirms I am still a novice, but not that far away from the 2, 3, 4. I don't really bench, but my 1RM is like 7 kg off, and for the rest, it's like 15 kg and 27.6 kg. Very proportional too. I'm doing periodisation now after experiencing genuine, full-on overtraining, and just letting my CNS catch up. I'm still making linear progress on everything I do, more or less. Only exception is standard OHP, but I can do a lot more than many my training age (and especially my knowing-what-the-hell-I'm-doing training age) can do.

[@yourenotwrong3511]

How are them numbers looking now bro?

[@tj5641]

I am 142 lbs. My lifts are: 170 lb bench 245 squat 285 deadlift 125 OHP Pull-up with 70 lbs I have not tested my bench in a while so that is why it seems a little low. Am I intermediate?

[@yg78t76t7]

I can confirm. 225 - 255 is the biggest plateau for bench. Been stuck at this range for almost 5 months.

[@born2270]

Bro same man I’ve been stuck at 265 for 6 months now I think it might also be bcs I lost 4kg in body weight but still very annoying I wanna hit 3 plates so bad guess I gotta eat more

[@prod.gerero]

I've been looking for a video like this! been working with dumb bells in the garage, but now aiming to hit the gym thank you!

[@watchthebeststuffhd492]

Also you are missing out that a lot of the people trying to run your novice program are really young. For example, i'm currently 15 and I ran your program at 14 years old and could make much less gains than you were suggesting and got demotivated. Could you also address this Alex? Thanks

[@iD4v1d]

WatchTheBestStuff Hd I was the same way, I stalled at a 45 kg for 5 bench when I was 15 and for demotivated, came back to lifting a year and a half later and benched 50 kg the very first day.

[@Bogstandardjoe]

@Ewolf5150 Mocking younger people just trying to improve themselves isn't cool or big, mate.

[@ismails4860]

This is commen sense! I stalled on my bench @60kgbw after 6 months and upped my calories i made all kinds of prs

[@matthewschoenborn4833]

When I was 17 I was in powerlifting & had 285/450/465 at 181 lbs no gear except a belt. Now i’m 19 & i’ve been dealing w sprained ankles, just now getting my numbers back up

[@dixonvmusic2737]

But eye can see your point. Most dudes are like 5 10 and 160-180 pounds so a 225 bench 405 dL and 315 squat makes sense for good relative strength at that Bodyweight and height

[@MC-ep8cu]

6-15 months? I don't think. so it takes 5-10 years to reach those numbers IMO 2 plates bench 3 plates squat 4 plates deadlift most men start a bench press at about 75-105 comfortably you don't put 120-150lbs on your bench in less than a year

[@salimattal2864]

I starter at 20 kg 😂😂

[@mkha44]

started my bench at 185lbs and I'm at 315lb bench with around 8 months of powerlifting training so its definitely possible.

[@danielkantor5693]

@@mkha44 How do you bench that much?? Im 5'7" 185ibs and can only bench 195Ibs for 5 reps...

[@mkha44]

​@@danielkantor5693 consistency and training method. if you train for powerlifting then your bench will go up very quickly due to the neural adaptations and acclimation to heavy weights. that means training bench 3x a week to build neural adaptations because force production is controlled by the central nervous system so powerlifting is training the central nervous system. the highest that neural adaptations will get you on bench is around 2.5x your bodyweight so after that, most additional strength will need to come from additional muscle mass. other than that, the rest of it will come from leverages, genetics, and how much muscle you have. although my bench did go up a lot, i also had a good amount of muscle from some inconsistent calisthenics over the years so just getting used to bench increased my bench a lot.

[@GrowthMindsetTogether]

The biggest biggest tip I give to novice lifters (im one too) is not to progress too fast. what I mean by this is alex novice program I followed it but when I got the 5 reps I added weight straight away and I did get quick gains but I stalled well below of the 4 plate dead,3 plate squat,2 plate bench range, my bench was stuck at 75kg but Ive hired a coach and now my paused bench has gone up from 65kg to 78kg in the space of just 2-3 weeks!! with microplate progression. please follow the progression protocol if I did this I would of hit them numbers by now.

[@Gabriel27360]

WHAT most people in my gym dont lift that much and they have been working out for a while. And i have been wokring out for like a year and 2 months and my lifts are like this bench:180 pounds Deadlift: 300 squat: 245

[@kamranhussain3159]

How can I do dips without getting a ticket to snap city?

[@michalhromadka686]

Kamran Hussain Improve your shoulder mobilty, rectract your scapula, do them with a slight forward lean, go only as far as it's comfortable.

[@kamranhussain3159]

Michal Hromádka thank you my friend.

[@michalhromadka686]

Kamran Hussain No problem mate.. Also, read this article - www.t-nation.com/training/dips-youre-doing-them-wrong

[@squirtleisthebestpokemon9745]

A very good tip that I've gotten is to lead and to end the movement with your shoulders. At the start of the movement, retract your scapula and proceed. When you're at the top again, do a 'reverse shrug', meaning push your shoulders down (activating your lats automatically) to finish the movement, and then rinse and repeat. This combined greatly reduced the stress I normally feel on my shoulders during dips, that second part is critically important, just retracting my shoulders did not do it for me.

[@Sw3eper]

I love every video alex , rack pulls above the knee has helped me thanks man !!!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Glad to hear they helped you brother

[@Legenda20SLO]

Finally you admitted things we were telling you since the start. I still can't imagine myself benching 225 for reps. Not only I got shit genetics, I also have shit leverages. Very short torso, small rib cage. My incline and flat bench are almost at the same number. The reason for this is that I have very strong shoulders, I actually have shoulders of a late intermediate lifter.

[@reezis1619]

What are your ohp, squat and dead numbers tho? Usually people who are afraid of gaining weight and a little bit of fat are the ones who complain about those strength standards. Start eating in a calory surplus 15% and you will be slapping plates on the bar easily

[@Legenda20SLO]

On OHP I can do 65 kg's for reps. The rest I don't even want to talk about, embarrassing numbers. Incline bench is around 80 kg's. About squats, just lately I figured out I need to work on my form. I figured out my left leg is weaker than the right one, so now I'm doing single leg presses as an additional exercise and it's fixing the problem. I learned about that from Jay Jay Anderson. And conventional deadlift is improving quicker now that I stopped grinding reps and added more volume.

[@WetPig]

I have been lifting for about 1.5 years but I took huge breaks 6-7 months, I have lifted a bit more seriously for about 5 months, about twice a week, im 6'3 175 ( I was 130 and went to 175 in 3-4 months, on bf% increase) My numbers are - 90kg for 8 on the squat (but I'm sure I can do better) 85kg for 1 on the bench (but I can't do it now, can barely do 80kg) my deadlift is 100kg for 9 and in the same workout, I did a 120kg for 1 ( the last workout I did it I couldn't even move the weight, this time I lifted it like it was nothing). I'm pretty happy for about these numbers I have been making gains in the realm of 5kg + reps on the squat from just 1 workout (squat was 85x7 and I did 90x8 the next time) and my deadlift was 95x10 and I did 100x9, still pretty good. Even at this measly strength level, I'm sure I do more weight than most people at my gym.

[@SneakyyFPS]

I’m 19 ,5”8 at 145lbs . Bench :200, squat: 315 for 3, and deadlift :365

[@Sakuraba85]

I bench 2 plates squat 4 plates but my deadlift sucking sucks and i got long arms and long legs. Guess i have to focus on the deadlift more eh?

[@wakingupfrom]

I love this Channel. Thanks Alex

[@AVB15]

My Linear progress ended with a 170 lb max bench. Got well into the 300s for squats.

[@shermin2o9]

6-15 months of training to get to 2 plate bench, 3 plate squat, 4 plate deadlift? It took me over 5 years to get to those numbers, the first 2 being under linear progression.

[@yg78t76t7]

It's all depending upon your base and genetics. If you played sport before and have general athleticism and strength, it will take that amount of time. Someone that is starting from scratch will obviously be longer for them.

[@arturosanchez1519]

I’ve heard people say it’s when you can do your body weight for reps for bench anyways

[@5.7hemi79]

My benchpress "linear gains" stopped at 255 in August 2020 and it became much harder to get stronger. My current bench max is 275 but it took 6 months of consistent training to get 20lbs on my max, which doesnt sound so bad but when your working your ass off multiple times per week for half a year and seeing minimal improvement is pretty tough. On squat my linear progression stopped at around 335 in October 2020 and my current max is 345. Took 4 months to put on 10 pounds. I'm still having nooby gains on deadlift because with my proportions I was born to deadlift. I only train it once a week unlike the other 2 which I train much harder. My current max is 430 and counting. I'm maxing out in 3 days going for 435. My arms and legs are long making squat and benchpress difficult but deadlift easy for me. Honestly I think my linear progression gains will probably tap out between 455 and 475 on deadlift.

[@BurtonOfficialMusic]

Hair and beard looking great! I know you like being bald, but you honestly look better with hair!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Burton thank you Burton

[@Jimmybob242911]

I'm 19 and hit 3 pl8 squat on my birthday Recently hit 4 pl8 dead Had 2 pl8 bench for a while though

[@3dwaffle338]

I personally believe specificity does play a role as well. There are people who can't deadlift because of health reasons and they should do something else instead. A friend of mine does lunges and hyperextensions because of lower back problems and you can't say he is screwed. I believe if you can do hypertensions with 315 lbs for 5 reps,you are elite. No way you will have weak posterior chain. Oh,or doing lunges with 365 for 6 reps per leg. That's insane as well.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Definitely bro

[@everburning8127]

Yep, my leverages suck for optimal linear progression numbers, always struggled with lower numbers versus the shorter femur and shorter humerus novices who hit higher numbers.

[@ibrahim187]

Basic linear progression stopped at 165 on the bench. Feels good to be an intermediate lifter.

[@alphaisamindset1718]

So wtf!? Now that ive hit 411lbs squat, 260lbs bench, 175lbs OHP, and 525lbs deadift, where do I from there? And btw I made all those strenght gains with 5/3/1 and I weigh 165lbs and I'm 5'7" what program should I do now? I'm tired of 5/3/1 running it for 6 years straight now.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Those are great numbers bro, especially since you did it on 5/3/1. My recommendation? Look into the Westside Barbell Conjugate System. I'd especially recommend that you check out the Westside Barbell Podcast and read the articles on the site. Check out Burley Hawk and Matt Wenning as well.

[@menomjoff9989]

All that at 165? That’s solid dude, respect.

[@alphaisamindset1718]

AlphaDestiny Awesome bro, thanks!! Yea, 6 years on 5/3/1 I'm just tired and I need verity now. I just turned 25 also this year in August. But yes, I'll look into that. Thanks!!

[@keithbrown7785]

Erik Villalobos Wait wtf, did you seriously do that program for 6 years or are you exaggerating?

[@alphaisamindset1718]

Keith Brown No fucking problem dude, look me up on IG fitness_freak777 I ain't got nothing to prove to no one but hey!! Go check me out it'll stroke my ego a bit lol

[@doublevision2943]

There's a guy in my gym who looks crazy well developed, quite lean and very impressive musculature. His basic front squat is at around 90 kg (up to 5 reps), his bench is at 115 kg or so. His back squat I think is around 120 kg. He never deadlifts, only RDLs around 140 - 150 kg. Saying this guy is a novice is laughable. He is fairly tall and has normal leverages for his height. The thing is I go to a small town gym, you very rarely see people lifting these numbers at all and I find it quite hard to reach them even after 1 and ½ years at the gym and prior home gym experience, not that my program has ever been optimal or strength focused but regardless, I am certain that I have been "putting in the work". It feels like this is a small town gym curse going around that makes it harder to hit impressive weight numbers lol. People are impressed quite a bit if you rep out 150 kg RDLs Yet I long for front squatting heavy, I've been watching a progress video of Toshiki Yamamoto and it has me dreaming of more plates on the bar. I hit 98 kg but couldn't surpass it for 2 and ½ weeks straight so I took the L and for now am going back to repping out 6, basically banging my head into the wall praying that I magically get stronger (without focusing solely on strength as it hasn't worked well for me either). It is so frustrating to be below "intermediate standards" and stagnate even though it's just hypothetical talk.

[@Jakemints]

Can you please make an in-depth video about concurrent periodization training? I️ get the basic principle but would really like to understand the specifics more.

[@arch92]

my bench is 315... my squat is as well. I don't neglect leg day my legs just natural chicken legs.

[@politode11]

You're absolutely right. I managed to get my squat to 315 and my bench to 240 on your novice program, but I can't seem to get past the 365 mark on the deadlift. It just feels so heavy when I lift it and can barely squeeze out 3 reps. I don't see myself hitting 4 plates anytime soon. Should I run an intermediate/novice hybrid or move straight to NE? (Which I count on buying in the near future anyways.) Love your stuff, keep up the good work brother.

[@zezeti2246]

Me personally,eventhough I reached de 1 plate ohp,2 bench,3 squat and 4 deadL,I think a better way to gauge your level is the % of your bw you can lift,why?! Because a 160 guy benching 3 plates isn't slthe same thing as a 200s lbs guy doing it