MAXIMIZE Your Gains With This ONE COOL TRICK

[@FxSvz]

Alphadestiny reached a 4 plate flat bench without flat benching for months. He rotated the variations week to week, session to session. Strength is strength.

[@dblifts8887]

As someone who always had the mentality of "go hard or go home", this speaks in a bit of an uncomfortable way, but what Alec is saying is 100% true! There are times where busting your balls does in fact work, but there are also times where you need to take a step back and consider if you are doing too much work, or if you could go about things in a much more intellectual way. Hard work got me to a 5x5 squat with 375lbs, but eventually I realized that if I kept up with meat head training I was bound to either hurt myself, or start regressing, and the latter started to occur! Besides, as much as we want to make progress as lifters, it's also important to train intelligently for the purposes of longevity, and not just burn out after a couple years of running into a brick wall over and over again.

[@pseudoscience2.011]

Training intelligent and listening to your body is just as important as the effort and consistency.

[@NiightDJ]

What does “start regressing” mean

[@functionalaestheticse.c.8953]

Spot on 👌 Well said 💯

[@functionalaestheticse.c.8953]

@@NiightDJ Going backwards in performance instead of improving.

[@StrengthHacksCoaching]

Variation is the key to maximizing development as well as longevity, since moving away from minimalist training I feel much better. My SI joint and my shoulder never get inflamed like they used to.

[@phillyshell2]

I can totally see Alec being a strength and Conditioning coach for a NFL team. So fkn knowledgeable.

[@EnkiriElite]

Much appreciated man 🙏

[@a.julian3770]

Don't know if he can compare to the abstract genius of Dr. Joel Seedman though.

[@spyrothedragon091]

@@a.julian3770 in due time he might be at his level

[@CeroAshura]

@@a.julian3770 nobody can measure up to the mystic barbell warlock doing single leg bosu ball squats with one handen barbell overhead hold and dumbbell curl in the other with resistance bands on the sagittal plane.

[@grapplerart6331]

@@a.julian3770 With the help of apha destiny, he might actually get there.

[@top1percent_fit]

Pure gold knowledge right here! People really need to understand how to train smart, not just to train hard. "Train smarter than last time" would make so much more sense...

[@EnkiriElite]

Thanks bro!

[@GVS]

Nice shirt bro

[@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg]

I need to get me one too

[@EnkiriElite]

@@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg wait until I get my discount code.

[@ShinSuperSaiyajin]

doing variations of the major lifts is one of the best ways to gamify training. Not to mention, it's more exciting and unpredictable that way

[@FitLabb]

Agree. Always have to stress the importance of training smarter before training harder for better results. Adding variations of the same exercises can be very effective, & can be a great form of progressive overload if done properly. I also believe following a periodized program is a great example of how to safely & effectively make continued progress by varying intensity levels over time, instead of just going at maximum intensity every workout, as you touched on with that comment someone recently left. 💪

[@EnkiriElite]

Yup! Deloading is the boring part, but if you are programming correctly then it's not actually something you have to do all that often. Thanks for chiming in!

[@functionalaestheticse.c.8953]

Definitely more effective than going all out every time but requires more discipline and planning.

[@anneonymous4884]

I'm glad to hear this. I mix up overhead movements (strict press, klokov press, klokov push press), Oly lifts (clean from blocks, hang snatch), squats (high bar back squat, front squat), deadlifts (conventional and snatch grip) and pec exercises (bench and weighted dips).

[@zoranagavrilovic9403]

It's interesting I get this video recommended because I just recently did this exact thing for this exact reason

[@sladethompson4920]

Gold video

[@jelloshaha]

i actually like lowering myself slowly to a stable position and getting comfortable at the bottom. i feel that really pushed my dip to the next level. i feel comfortable and confident whenever i go for pr

[@1notdeadyet1]

I like the recommendations that you do movements very similar to the main movement you do. On top of what you already said, it allows you to work smaller stabilizing muscles that wouldn’t get a lot of work otherwise.

[@paulhillis5838]

I wish i'd done this earlier. I used to bang away on bench press as my main press and plateaued for ages. After lockdown i recalibrated, focused on weighted dips then paused bench. Now back to flat bench and ive made more progress on last 6 months than i did previous 2 years, and that was coming after a period of lockdown calisthenics type homeworkouts. Id also add that as mentioned in the video, when you dont really know your max on a lift, easier to start light and like being a noob again adding weight each session which is nice for motivation!

[@cjparkeffaking4551]

"color outside the lines a little bit" is strength training art

[@regularjack2]

I rotate exercises once I plateau. I used to rotate a bit too frequently but now I think it’s best to get as much out of each exercise as you can.

[@EnkiriElite]

Agreed!

[@viktorkirilov5933]

Basically u are describing a conjugate concept and probably the best one

[@AntiGravityResearch2022]

I’ve been doing single set training and spacing out my heavy work more, along with doing MANY variations for my focus lifts… and I’ve added so much weight to everything I do. Burning yourself out just screws up recovery

[@chaosdisciple3052]

That was a good conversation in chat [often is in this part of KZbin]. I'm glad you made this video.

[@EnkiriElite]

Yessir, i take pride in the truly helpful community that I have built on this channel. Lots of knowledgeable dudes chime in here all the time!

[@510hops6]

I just recently switched up my training. Switched from back squats to front squats because I was close to plateauing, and switched deadlifts for rack pulls and RDLs as I rehab my lower back and try to bring my deadlift up in another way... I'll also say running a TWO WEEK split is something that needs to be talked about more. Trying to cram a bunch of major exercises into a 7 day window may not be feasible, but spreading them over 14 days helps your CNS stay fresh

[@EnkiriElite]

That would be a good topic actually, an alternating microcycle..thats basically what I'm doing right now but only on about 50% of the exercises. So I have 2-3 options and I rotate through those every week, and then on the remaining exercises i have one option and I do the same movement every week but theh swap it out when it gets stale (usually after a couple months).

[@jayvee4165]

@@EnkiriElite hey when should I start adding those variations every week? When I’m an advanced lifter or late intermediate?

[@0bsolete]

Glad you and Tony Horton agree on muscle confusion. Enjoyed the video.

[@EnkiriElite]

Don't know who that is haha but thanks!

[@0bsolete]

@@EnkiriElite It's the P90X guy. He talks about confusing the muscles.. it was a joke, I failed. Again, great video.

[@EnkiriElite]

@@0bsolete ha! Na that's on me, given my profession I should probably know who that is lol.

[@Copeman9999]

Really like those concentric-first dips. Might give them a shot

[@EnkiriElite]

Totally different ball game, 10/10 recommended giving it a shot when you need something different.

[@Amivgr1]

This is good advice.

[@EnkiriElite]

Thank you, sir.

[@danielj6559]

Please share how your diet looks!

[@EnkiriElite]

Will do!

[@pedrocerda6574]

Been doing this recently :) high bar squats r my favorite exercise of all time but I’ve been plateaued on them for a long time so I started doing zercher squats instead just to try it and it’s very satisfying seeing my numbers finally going up, especially on such a “weird” exercise lol. Today I just started doing paused bench bc I’ve been plateaued on that for a while too. Thanks for the videos man :) love seeing them

[@1notdeadyet1]

When you love filming yourself exercising so much that you film yourself filming yourself exercising

[@thomasrichards460]

Great content as always! I'm only using this method recently, you've thought me a lot!

[@Boulders-and-Barbells]

The only "one cool trick" video worth watching on the 'tube. Good one!

[@EnkiriElite]

A major compliment! Thanks bro.

[@nicolasklug2311]

Agreed Alec about the variation ! Ive been doing way more variation with very high frequency training and it def seems to be great for overall muscle gains and prevention of overuse injuries. Also, Alec you should try bradford presses for ur vertical pressing strength it has a great SFR really less load needed. Ive done them standing at first but have been doing them seated for less lumbar they are great.

[@EnkiriElite]

I'll take a look. Not sure what the specifics of that movement are. But I appreciate the suggestion and thanks for chiming man! Always good to hear from long term subscribers!

[@nicolasklug2311]

@@EnkiriElite 👍💪

[@Sayied]

Louie Simmons liked this

[@atlaspowershrugged]

Rotating through different variations of big compound exercises? :D Seriously though this is a great fix for the doing too much too often problem!

[@EnkiriElite]

It is! Especially if you play it smart after rotating to a new movement, and build your way up over the course of a few weeks. You can actually sneak deloads into your program without really noticing or having to stop training "hard."

[@RGV2300]

6:11 that's clearly overtraining, lol. It happened to me when i used to increase the load every week, which for me, isn't sustainable. The solution is simple: picking a load that allows you to do quality work, more than 5 reps per set. From there, master that load, keep it for several workouts and apply progressive overload in different ways. What i do is increase volume slightly, then change tempo, add resistance bands, and any other thing i figured it out without increasing the load, that's the last goal. This is slow af, but who cares, slow strenght gain means longer strenght duration. This also allows your body to properly adapt.

[@zenlifestyleandmannersshow6892]

This is reminding me of conjugate. Though I would predict you think the conjugate method has too much variation too often?

[@EnkiriElite]

The way Louie has preached that they actually practice it at Westside, yeah, I would say that is too much rotating to be very useful for most people. But you are right, that the heart of this concept is the rotational component of "Conjugate," but the way I would run it is not the same, either in terms frequency of rotation or max effort days vs. speed days vs. rep days.

[@BrandonWilliams-wf6hg]

I've started doing jiu jitsu 3 times a week a few months ago and have been doing mainly low fatiguing exercises cause heavy weights and jiu jitsu just destroys me.

[@rexhenderson7020]

I do bjj/muay thai 3-4 times a week and i do a "two day split Texas Method ". 1 day is volume on squat, press, pull and the other day is instensity day on those lifts. Allows me to recover while still lifting heavy 💪👍

[@EnkiriElite]

Combat sports are no joke man, so it makes sense. Another option to consider is my one lift a day protocol. Thst will let you keep the major compounds in play without wrecking your body so badly that you can't train for jui jitsu

[@rexhenderson7020]

@@EnkiriElite yes, i like high frequency programs! I've tried them before and they definitley allow you get stronger/more explosive while minimalizing over reaching. My problem is i cant stop from doing more once im warm and into it! 😄

[@robert50173]

True...next vid...how often to change...

[@Wayf4rer]

At this point people use their trap bars to OHP more often than deadlift lmao

[@Copeman9999]

I'm going to do trap bar ohp for a block when I stall on regular ohp. Not because I think it's anything special, but just because doing it in a crowded commercial gym is funny

[@Tee468]

@@Copeman9999 that's like the same reason I do zerchers. It looks funny and people are like "wtf is that"

[@atlaspowershrugged]

As it should be.

[@EnkiriElite]

@@_Zane__ it's just a neutral grip ohp. Not sure why there would be anything bad about that.

[@sourikray1997]

"BWUHH - AHHHHHHH!!" the sound of Max Effort

[@6pac.]

Just one question- What is the name of your intro music?

[@EnkiriElite]

Just some shit I made in garage band bro lol

[@6pac.]

@@EnkiriElite Heavy shit bro! Might aswell release the extended version someday on your channel.

[@geovaniefloresnaturalbodyb701]

Just started doing the Larsen presses at the gym had a couple of stares lol. Don't knock it till you try it it's a grind

[@EnkiriElite]

There great man. You're gonna love em

[@tomlazoriksuccessfitness]

I completely get behind this idea. I more or less use this strategy in my personal programming 💪🤓

[@EnkiriElite]

I think eventually eveyone who goes far in the game basically does this as well haha. Good stuff man!

[@thelastemplar165]

Nice shirt

[@Democosoh]

Yep, I know what you're talking about 😅 During this Summer I trained my bench press very hard and I was veeeery happy with the results, but then my thumbs told me they were actually very pissed with me 😂😅 and they still are...after recovering for a while, now I don't have any pain during everyday activities, but I still can't bench press without feeling discomfort/slight pain (even with dumbbells...)...so I switched to ring pushups and I'm slowly progressing through them, aiming to do weighted sessions soon. I have no pain or discomfort with rings...I know you really like weighted pushups, but what if I couldn't do bench press ever again cause of my thumbs? Are they a good strength/mass builders on the long term? Thanks!

[@andyserb128]

Basically conjugate style!

[@EnkiriElite]

In spirit, but there are some big differences in how I execute it vs. "Real conjugate "

[@chrisstanley9477]

I came here for the "bzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaahhhhhhhuu" and i was not dissapointed.

[@hasanc1526]

Is rotating my lifts every 4 weeks too often? Do I max out on my first session with the new lift to find my max to determine how much I lift during my next session?

[@ashraffaridharis5570]

So the bottom up dip is just a dead stop decline bench?

[@tjcogger1974]

Cool shirt!

[@BurlyBaboon]

Does this include variation within a program i.e. squat on Monday and front squat on Thursday, as this doesn't necessarily check the ego but it does stave off plateauing and probably helps with avoiding overuse injury?

[@EnkiriElite]

Yes, similar concept. Just plugging in different variations where you can to increase the total workload and drive more progress while delaying accommodation.

[@miguelohara9534]

Alec do you hook or mix grip when you deadlift?

[@EnkiriElite]

Either mix or straps. I strongly dislike hook grip with weights past what I can clean. Just murders my thumbs.

[@dariusrana8487]

Question. Do you just work upto a single set or do sets across? From what I gather it's just a single set?

[@EnkiriElite]

Depends.on the exercise you are referring to. On the box front squat here it's just a single top set right now. But during different phases I I sets across even for primary work. My secondary work on the other hand is almost always just sets across.

[@agnus_dei4809]

what kind of weight vest do u own??

[@EnkiriElite]

Kensui fitness

[@debil3250]

Hi, new subscriber here. I've got a question: Does it make a difference how fast you perform a lift for the purpose of building explosiveness that carries over to your overall athleticism compared to slowly lifting the weight and simply adding more weight to the bar? PS: Your athleticism is nuts.

[@EnkiriElite]

General rule is, you use slow lifts to build max strength, then you use explosive lifts to help you "learn" how to use that strength more quickly. That makes it more transferable into athletics.

[@EnkiriElite]

So both parts of the equation are required, they just have different purposes!

[@powertrip8676]

hello enkiri, im a beginner in the gym. what 2 exercises do you recommend for shoulders and lats?

[@agontprevarator5214]

Press and chinups

[@innovatixn99]

OHP and pull ups

[@EnkiriElite]

They got it right

[@powertrip8676]

@@EnkiriElite ok well here I am after a gym session. The ohp went fine and I really felt it hitting my shoulders and the soreness after. But chinups are a problem for me. I can barely do them and with bad form so it felt like a waste to me. Anything other than chin-ups until I can build towards them?

[@Morpheah]

@@powertrip8676 Lat pull-down machine?

[@Johnny1864]

"Trainers hate him..." lol

[@EnkiriElite]

You won't BELIEVE what happened next!!!

[@EnkiriElite]

Title for my next vid lol

[@ninjaknight4486]

So do you think adding 5 pounds to the bar every week on a backsquat is too quick?

[@EnkiriElite]

It all depends on how you set it up man. If you do that for too long, I mean, yeah you're just going to stall after a couple months at best. But if you know how to undulate the loads over time then you can play the linear periodization game for s very long time. It's all about the programming.

[@Dark89Avenger]

At this point, you should rename yourself into Alpha Enkiri :d :d The final evolution of YT fitness.

[@EnkiriElite]

AlphaKiri

[@stanley16fttapemeasure38]

Wait a minute I’ve done dips from the bottom of my whole life. Is that not how they’re done?

[@BaldOmniMan]

I just made a video about this myself kinda 😂

[@mcneilohara1463]

No one gives a shit

[@DrOrr]

@@mcneilohara1463 daaaaaamn

[@Rbcaul]

When I saw the thumbnail I thought it said 'vibration' gains 🤪 Thought someone was gonna get roasted lol

[@neversate]

Alec why not start breakfast chat video series?

[@EnkiriElite]

Lol fuckin a

[@CR-wy5oi]

This goddamn son of a bitch is right. I swapped convential deadlifts and back squats for snatch grip deadlifts and front squats only to come back and hit “random” PRs on the first 2 exercises. Alec is a god

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

Exercise and muscle growth is enabled by ATP production, and ATP doesn't work without Mg being attached.and Cu splitting oxygen to produce ADP. If you are burning more cellular energy currency than your body can produce, YOU BETTER HOPE YOUR MUSCLES STOP GROWING, or your heart might just fail due to lack of Mg enabled ATP available to the heart. This appears to have happened to a friend of mine who was yoked 20 years ago, but who struggles to walk an incline now -- any incline. I was a no-gainer back then, but my heart didn't fail as my muscles weren't soaking up all my activated ATP. If you want to break through here... eat to create more magnesium activated ATP.

[@Wayf4rer]

Why would I listen to someone who made no gains?

[@epicotakugamer4930]

No gains

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

@@Wayf4rer Because you have a mind, can learn the underlying biochemistry, and reach a conclusion for yourself based on your own understanding. As I said, my friend had hella gains, and now he's crippled, and he's about 4+ years younger than me! I do believe that I'm now anabolic for the first time in decades, precisely because focused on increasing my magnesium activated ATP -- time will tell. But the key takeaway from your note is -- don't blindly follow anyone. I provided information and respect the reader's ability to do their own investigation. If you just follow people, you limit the context of what you can know. For example, are you working your way to an early heart attack that cripples you following the advice of **huge** guys -- even natural? My friend didn't use drugs -- to my knowledge. I should ask him, but I don't think he did. Believe me, you do NOT want what happened to him to happen to you. So, no, I'm not asking you to "follow me," because I believe you are waaaay more capable than just being a "follower." And I am interested in whether I can be more anabolic in my 50's than in my late 20's, primarily by eating and living to optimize my activated ATP status. But, hey, you want to talk smack to people not genetically / epigenetically gifted, so maybe some more growth is required to take on the personal resposnibility required to learn and then make one's own decisions based on what one has learned. Happy following! BTW, Ronnie Coleman and Aaahnold are prime examples of "gainers," perhaps the best ever. Do you want to end up like them in your golden years? Then do what they did. "A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." ~Bruce Lee

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

@@epicotakugamer4930 Actually, since I started eating to optimize my activated ATP, I believe I have turned anabolic for the first time in close to three decades. Nothing to post in the newspaper about, but a flip from catabolic to anabolic is a big deal in real time, but after almost 30 years, it tells the discerning that something may be going right. Look down on those hard/no gainers, but it will burn you inside when you have to rely on one to help you walk up stairs after an activated ATP deficient heart attack and possibly kidney failure from the surgery. Or maybe a blood clot. But I get it -- no ability to discern coupled with youth arrogance doesn't allow much room for contemplation, prioritization, and learning new information with words that sound foreign. Disrespect activated ATP "natural law." Nobody has ever fought "natural law" and won in the end. Ask Ronnie Coleman. Or Awwwwnawwwld. They both paid a high price for disrespecting natural law, but hey, at least they could gain muscle! lol You can actually investigate what I said and reach a knowledgeable conclusion, as opposed to emotionally reacting to it based on toxic subconscious programming. You can do it, but you have to CHOOSE to do it.

[@cei712]

What alphadestiny has been preaching for years

[@CraigDRolle]

To think once upon a time I thought Jeff Cavliere was a strength coach. Enkiri >>>>>>>>>> Cavliere .

[@LordLegender]

Alexander Leonidas was preaching this a long time ago, to give credit where credit is due

[@EnkiriElite]

And I said that barbell rows were problematic 3 years ago. The knowledgeable people all eventually say the same things, they just say them at different times.

[@TheTinyTimmyTimTim]

First clip sounded like you had Tourettes lmao

[@EnkiriElite]

It be like that sometimes.

[@kolec76]

I hear "variation" I look for AlphaDestiny in the comments lol

[@chrisatkeson4638]

Certified Freak. 7 days a week.

[@user-zb3lr3ke4f]

*Happy AlphaDestiny noises*

[@whitefang9758]

He even used the more out of less weight phrase

[@1000kamikasi]

First