Stronger But Smaller? Optimal Rows? Heavy Dips? (Q&A)

[@AlexLeonidas]

Awesome Q&A! Next time, the most liked comments will be answered so make them count. Also check out the new adapt shorts by Barbell Apparel barbellapparel.com/leonidas

[@jondoc7525]

So those spider curls it’s all about the tendon

[@jondoc7525]

Rows with eagle loops my man . Try it . I can do ring and pinky pull-ups . Would be cool to meet you one day . Come out to Loveland co

[@יעקבדומר-ו4ח]

Pls lets talk about legs I injured my back when i squated heavy How can i build big legs without a squat

[@jondoc7525]

You don’t have to squat . Especially if you did already . Do what doesn’t hurt . The most important thing is you don’t get hurt again .

[@thenoxz2924]

I have just achieved my first 135 bench thanks to your novice program, I've been doing it for about 4 months. Thank you so much man I'll continue to follow this program until I get some intermediate numbers (according to your standards). This means a lot to me as I was looking forward to this number in the bench ever since I started (I could only do 66 pounds). I have also increased my pull ups from 3 to 8 and my overhead press from 55 pounds to 105. Thanks once again dude, you are a real one, love your content, cheers!

[@John-cena6483]

Dang, the overhead press progress is probably the most impressive. Great gains, that program will serve you well for a while yet!

[@jricknuts8067]

Congrats on hitting your goal man. Just wait, if you stick to it 225 feels so much better and getting to 315 feels amazing, after putting in years of work to get there. The more you progress the more satisfying it is because you know how much work you put in to get there, you know. Good luck with your progress

[@thenoxz2924]

@@jricknuts8067 Thanks friend I appreciate it! I will for sure stick to it! Am very determined to get to those numbers!

[@jondoc7525]

Sometime going for numbers holds you back . Do every muscle

[@Sons-of-aryas]

Nice bro 👌👌

[@Soub_fitness]

These Q&A are truly knowledge concentrate, each time I learn a whole lot from an advanced lifter, thanks Alex !

[@AlexLeonidas]

Always happy to help my serious audience, much love and thanks for your questions!

[@keylimepie5720]

Getting more fitness IQ outa less time with these videos Alex. I’ve learned a lot from you over the years

[@AlexLeonidas]

Love hearing that, OG!

[@Panagiotis1709]

These Q&As are top-notch, brother.

[@kg1392]

Hey Alex! A couple questions for you: 1. What have you been doing for calves these days? 2. How do you program burpees? And how do you progress with them? Thanks, man!

[@torrent222]

as far as calves I don't believe he trains them as he doesn't train legs either as they are a strong point for him

[@jamesb46]

I think doing stair master of tippy toes is a game changer

[@pouihurmen]

Stair master seriously feels like the only thing that does anything for my calves. Calf raises just can’t accumulate enough tonnage

[@torrent222]

@@pouihurmen i personally love single leg raises off stairs for that extra stretch, cranking out lengthened partials when the contraction fails

[@jamesb46]

@@pouihurmen farmer walks also potentially could get the job done, if done on the tippy toes as well

[@PFMFIT]

Thanks for responding to my question Alex! For follow up, im 6ft tall 195-205lbs with long limbs which may be why my arms are so small in comparison. I curl pretty strict and only cheat the last few reps of a set. Both my bis and tris were getting stronger at the time but my bench strength went down. I was talking about my barbell curl of 80lbs for 10 but I can still dumbell curl 35s for like 12. Also I was recomping at the time. So I think I understand now why the arms were getting smaller but not bigger which is basically I need to bulk which im currently doing. Thanks for the advice big guy, much appreciated 💪💪💪

[@hugejackedman3447]

Could be carb intake. I noticed I was having the same problem some time ago. I kept getting that Bruce Lee strength and shrinking! lol But it was because my carb intake was lower than usual. I used to eat a lot of sweet potato and squash and stopped for reasons I can't even remember. When my carbs went back up I started gaining size.

[@Bigbiceps301]

@@hugejackedman3447yeah bro I started a cut and my arms already shrank. currently weighing 152 road to 142 my arms especially triceps already shank down but my strength has stayed the same i have still been taking my 5G of creatine but the only thing thar has changed is my carb intake

[@hammadm5332]

Alex can we get an in depth video on burpees next?

[@bronzeliver6735]

For the next q&a what is an elite OHP standard assuming you’re training consistently for years

[@bambik06]

Hey Alex, I've got a few questions 1) For biceps growth you suggest a forearm biased curl before underhand curl so the forearm is prefatigued and biceps work harder. Does this also work in reverse for forearm gains? (so to do underhand first) 2) How do I add more variation to dips without chains? Is alternating between touch and go and pause in the stretch a good way? 3) Due to my cable length I can only do double rope pushdowns in kneeling position. Is it fine to do it this way or should I buy a shorter cable? Thanks for helping natural community Alex. We all owe you so much

[@manuelcantu422]

HOW SHOULD I PROGRAM OHP AND DIPS Basically I’m looking for the best way to get strong on these two lifts. Would any of the options below work? Or is there another way to program the movements I’m not thinking of. I personally and doing push legs pull split right now. Option 1) heavy ohp and heavy ohp same day and progressively overload both? Option 2) focus on heavy ohp and use dips as an accessory movement. Basically less intense dips Option 3) heavy ohp accessory dips one day heavy dips accessory ohp the next workout?

[@danielkantor5693]

Hey man, I do full body (3x a week) but I do dips + OHP on the same day... For me I do Dips first, 3 sets but only 1-2 sets of OHP (very taxing and slower progression). I'm still getting stronger (although OHP seems to be harder to progress as bodyweight fluctuates). If Dips/OHP get stale or plateau (you can do this with any exercise), I would switch out the exercise and commence for a few weeks. For example I switched out BB Bench with Dips and still getting stronger every session (1 rep more usually). If you do 3x a week you have to train hard (0-RIR to Failure for each set) to see progress. If your really focusing on low reps (like less than 5 reps) I would lower the sets (nothing over 2 sets) and train really hard (again 3x a week but deload accordingly/switch out exercise if you get seriously fatigued).Nevertheless, I would go with OPTION 1.

[@manuelcantu422]

@@danielkantor5693 thanks for the feedback

[@manuelcantu422]

@@danielkantor5693 I appreciate the feed back you’re the second person to say number 1 is my best option quick question tho. Do you still feel like you’re making gains in both even if ohp is a little less? And would you say ohp gains are less because it’s a harder lift to progress or because you’re fatigued from your dips?

[@dynaspinner64]

Cant wait for the calisthenics park training video!

[@jackedsouls]

T bar rows are my bread and butter for back. Great point about the top ROM not being a big deal, a lot of people won't use 45lb plates because of this. I prefer the no handle variation just grabbing the bar.

[@jonathanrichter3184]

For the algorithm

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thank you Jonathan

[@Timmaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

For the algorithm

[@op-th1yx]

For the algorithm ✊🏻

[@yigamooo]

FOR THE ALGORITHMMMM

[@WillWinterz]

the amount of progress your physique has gained over the past year or two is insanity, the ultimate natty motivation bro. maybe Overkells physique is attainable...

[@not-thinking-about-cheating]

Thank you so much! My question was just for busy times like exam phases. I'll probably just do 3 sets of rdls and barbell rows on separate days in a week

[@MightySuki]

Those twins were on all kind of gear 😂

[@somewhatideal]

Great stuff Alex! Here are my questions: 1. What are your thoughts on high volume, antagonist supersets? Ie. 4x10-12 pull ups + dips, then 3x15 cable rows + pull ups. 2. What do you think about hybrid training like running/sprinting and weightlifting or calisthenics and powerlifting while wall climbing once a week? Is this even doable? And if so, how'd you recommend programming it?

[@hamzafarouk.]

Do you plan on continuing this fitness journey going into your fifties and sixties (and even beyond) as well as the channel? im just curious

[@orionpax5811]

Akex I love your videos My question is: Which exact lifts should someone get strong at to build the best v-taper possible. How would you program it? Strenght standards? split? thanks

[@KingAdjust]

Bicep push-ups

[@danielkantor5693]

Just do pullups (don't have to do rows), underhand, overhand pullups work best for that. Prisoners don't do any rowing and have good backs!

[@gyrozeppeli7296]

​@@danielkantor5693Fuck minimalism, prioritizing pull ups and ignoring rows made me look wide from the front but I dissapear like a sheet if paper from the side

[@devilseye361]

😂😂​@@gyrozeppeli7296

[@pepe8196]

Bro my bicep tendonitis sucks. My plan is to do really light curls every other day to get more blood flow in the area the same way I learned from you to do tri push downs light to help tennis elbow .

[@user-us4mc7ej3c]

Try to do the light curls with a band, they are the best for pumping blood into the tendons

[@niqqa9]

19:10 why does he look like a psycho doctor to me there lol

[@snowiblind]

What are your thoughts on primarily doing sternum pullups over regular (chin to bar) weighted pullups for overall back gains? The lats still seem to give first on sternum pullups, but because of the crazy ROM, we're getting quite a bit more upper back volume too. Why not just primarily do sternum pullups as an overall mass builder for your back (besides exercise rotation and advanced lifters specifically only wanting lats)?

[@brianbachmeier34]

We're all gonna make it brazzz

[@AlexLeonidas]

With the right instructors, absolutely!

[@NorEEzta]

Most helpful weightlifting Q&A on YT.

[@friend7681]

Alpha Destiny is my goat

[@Ezpz_184]

Is there a super heavyweight calesthenics community/ people to look up to? Currently looking for a 90lb weighted chin-up at 260lbs.

[@georgepetrou501]

Some of the top street lifters are close to 100kg/220lbs (Mathew Zlat, Vitaliy Feschuk, Ludo Adamantium) But if you're looking for truly big heavy boys look up Andrey Smaev. He's 130kg(286lbs) if I remember correctly and he's very very strong. Hope this helps.

[@rajatchopra1411]

Hey alex will you ever include olympic lifts like snatch and clean and jerks in your workout?

[@pt_dawson123]

Good shit as usual. My question is, in your back pain video you said you were sleeping on the ground. You still doing it? Btw I started and love it.

[@crossroad536]

This might be a dumb question. But what would be the biggest difference between supinated vs supinating db curls?

[@JeronimoArrubla]

Hey alex, what are your thoughts on Kinobody's training philosophy?

[@lachlaneft]

Golden content man!

[@andrewcameron5395]

Hey mate loving the content. Just wondering if you’re still working on weighted calisthenics ebook? Keep up the great work

[@Jonathan-gl6iv]

Alex, have you ever tried doing weighted push ups with a chest climbing harness? The load is directly under the chest, its stable and its really easy to progressively overload. To set it up however you would need a dip bar or really high plyo boxes.

[@castas115]

What are the differences between volume days and intensity days, for example on back days?

[@MatteoMarra3]

Your arms are inspo for a lot of us natties out here dude. Thanks for all the golden nuggets you're dropping here!

[@TheMercilessJude]

💪💪 Respect. More gems from you for your viewers as usual. Like you, just don't get the underhand power cleans. 🤣 Great analysis on the dips vs dumbbells bench press. In 38 years, never did a dumbbell bench, but lived on heavy dips. IMHO Dips are best for pecs(leaning forward) and helped me build pec size and power off the chest. Still love that you're getting people into pullups. Love the larsen. If I have one lifting regret, it's I wish I did feet up decades ago. I feel stability is more an issue for us taller lifters since so much of us is off the bench. But we get better at it with practice. And getting the most out of less weight via the larsen is a must for lifters who are heavy benchers.

[@lees.9745]

Do you recommend any particular exercises to relieve golfers elbow?

[@Woah869]

Also commenting for the algo because I’m running outta words to describe ur work my man!

[@JustinTownsend-j6z]

Feeling a little discouraged on handstand pushups. I used to be able to do them elevated for 10-15 reps, now I can only do them for 1 when I go slower, pause and keep strict form. But I guess it’s much harder to do them at 193 lbs and with proper form. even 1 high quality strict rep is better than nothing I guess. I may have to switch to pike/planche pushups until I can get enough high quality reps in.

[@boldizsarcsaszar958]

After all this time, how do you regard full body 2x week? In particular for progressing the foundational lifts

[@mowafy7778]

Can you talk about bfr for hypertrophy

[@yooper9062]

What do you think about working out every other day? So 4 days one week and 3 days the next. Would alternate between lower and upper body, so essentially upper and lower would get worked out twice every 8 days. Off days I'd just do things like walk, bike, golf, etc. And maybe on workout days I'd doing some jogging or biking also.

[@freehatespeech6804]

I can only do one muscle up. How can I increase my muscle up reps? I trained low rep range, lots of sets, high rest time explosive pull ups to get to this point. I use strict form, no swinging or kipping, starting from a dead hang or sitting on the floor.

[@drakehero64]

Great video 😁

[@mcbain7392]

Thoughts on front squats? I have a short torso and long legs(5'11) so I switched last week becase the last 3 months I stalled doing heel elevated back squats with only 8x154lbs (also weird spine pain). Also I wanted to improve my core and stability for OHP in the future.

[@ibliss8350]

Question for the next Q & A: if you had to rebuild your physique from scratch, would you do rack pulls and shrugs like the old days?

[@udayvarma756]

Q&A Shoulder pain on pushdowns Especially on the last reps

[@nicolasarmel2372]

When doing inverted body weight rows is it better to have the legs bent due to the increased range of motion?

[@waliddilaw1824]

How to get back after a big 3-4 months lay off and gaining 20+ lbs?

[@friend7681]

Get back to work my man there’s no easy route Do exercises that maximize strength scientifically proven

[@SmokeSouljah]

Did weighed chains no golfers elbow. But I been trying to max out on the Panatta back pull-down and I gotta stop it. My inner elbow hurts. The pullups definitely translate over to almost 4 plates on this machine but my elbow hurts. Did pullups for last yr everyday n no elbow pain so I know it's that machine

[@Christopher_Stead]

You've mentioned before that expander work improved your posture quite a bit. How long did this take and what improvements specifically did you see?

[@adamoto1927]

Alex could you go over your current advice on improving nerd posture and one hip higher causing one side bigger, thanks!

[@vevlindoesfitness2271]

Excellent content. My question is how to apply westside principles (I really dont want to get injured from minimalism) in a busy commercial gym with no chains so I can get stronger on a weighted dip and on a weighted pull up? My current stats are: bodyweight: around 72 kg, weighted dip: +50kg 4 reps; close grip chin up: +40kg 3 reps, been training for 3 years and my current goal is to hit +60 kg on a close grip chin up for reps and +80 kg on a weighted dip for reps (for context I am 19 years old and height around 5 foot 9 inches)

[@pacman7328]

18:35 freaky back

[@flybeta]

Went back to close grip benching after your video on it after just not improving with my pinkies far out on last rings for the longest just weak there and lack any explosiveness. With weighted dips and close grip only took me about a week to hit 185lbs again for a few reps.

[@seanking6184]

Could you do a 20 or 30 down workout for the neck?? (like witb neck curls or banded neck curls etc)

[@kodokraksasa6564]

Shoulder pain during bench/ dumbbell bench and nothing else. Specifically my left shoulders, my right never hurts. Weird considering my left arm mibility is way better

[@joaquinlezaca684]

How do you improve your bodyweight pull up numbers if you are still on 3 pull ups?

[@Symbolic16]

Awesome video Alex! Question: how important is exercise variety if progression and stimulus (healthy amount of soreness) are taking place with no signs of overuse for months now? Ex. Seated Overhead extensions have been amazing for the long head, can I commit all tricep sets to this exercise or would I be leaving gains on the table? Cheers from San Antonio, Texas!

[@Luka-el9nt]

Tricep tendonitis advice? Also, should i stop all pressing while i have it?

[@Minder777]

If you were able to only do only two days per week in the gym, but as long as needed, focused on hypertrophy, how would you structure your workout?

[@hamzafarouk.]

What are your current fitness goals and when do you plan on bulking again?

[@Parov10]

You can do one arm pull up, but can you do a one arm dip? What do you think about this exercise? Also do you think if I can do more than 50 strict push ups in a row it’s better to do clapping push ups sets because it’s harder and I can do less ?

[@KingAdjust]

I lift 60 pounds on barbell curls is 100 pounds possible by December? Also I use 60 pounds for french presses and the same question

[@AlexLeonidas]

With excellent technique, unlikely.

[@KingAdjust]

@@AlexLeonidas I have decent technique I do a little back moving like in the video and my elbows go up slightly but no cheating I am still a semi beginner especially on isolations I'm not sure if this means it's more achievable

[@KingAdjust]

​​@@AlexLeonidasAlso, could Yates rows be my only row variation? Some people say that it's only for lats and others say it's a total back developer I'm doing Romanian deadlifts, upright rows for the back/traps as well too

[@phattien7431]

Arms looking good alex

[@cristian9365]

Hi Alex. Why does hammer curling across the body (pinwheel) put more emphasis in the brachioradialis and curling straight forward puts more emphasis in the brachialis? Shouldn't the position not matter since both muscles don't cross the shoulder joint? And am I still getting some quality work for the brachialis doing the pinwheel version and vice versa? Much love from Chile!

[@ew-zd1th]

My triceps is fatiqued from back work. Cant handle. Torso/,lower,rest torso, arm, lower, rest repeat. Because of my tricep doms from upper

[@sadeedkhan4867]

Alex can you please elaborate on 19:21. I don’t understand that because in the past haven’t you stated that the only way to get big as a drug free lifter is to get crazy strong?

[@AlexLeonidas]

You do, the wording/mechanism is just the opposite. In the end, it's the same thing.

[@ulfheddin3686]

Hey alex could barbell rows replace rdls on some days since im not rowing or rdling any significant weight and my l back is lacking in strength and thickness. Also would it be better to get at one variation of pull ups first or a bunch of them even tough i can barely get 10 reps on most variatons.

[@JustinTownsend-j6z]

22:00 ahh I didn’t realize I could do this with inverted row! definitely trying. What did you recommend putting in a pack back for weight? I’ve just been using med sized heavy rocks. Is this O.K?

[@Eniovrolix]

Hey alex i have a question for next q&a did you ever had upper trap and so how did you get rid off it im struggling for months with it now on the left side and tried many things but i have to say i do work a manual labor job where i have to use traps a lot and they are one of my better bodyparts also i train neck twice a week and its well over 18 inch maybe its some overuse in the neck i dont know anymore and thx for all the good information thoughout the years you elevated my gains to new level and i think a lot of people

[@SMGA14]

I have 14 inch arms after 2 months of training I can already strict curl 50kg barbell for 6

[@user-dn4lg1dv5v]

Weighted dipa and chins are goated. Just these 2 lifts alone will give you a jacked upper body.

[@johnguest4525]

weighted dips and incline DB bench press to target the upper pecs, works wonders.

[@user-dn4lg1dv5v]

@johnguest4525 agreed. I always feel great and have a massive chest pump after hitting heavy dips and incline DB press. Looks impressive hoisting a heavy set of DB's around on incline as well.

[@lucasrobison3634]

What’s the best way to re-organize a program into a different amount of days? For example, making a 4 day split into a 3 day split and so on. How does volume and organization change?

[@Parov10]

Hey Alex, I like your pull up power a lot. Can you give us one arm pull/chin up accessories ( I’m not talking about pull up variations)! 🙏🏻

[@Apath1s]

Can u Combine 2 vertical pulls and one horizontal pull on full body (only bodyweight)? Furthermore, 1 Of Each can be enough if done 3 times a week (2-3 sets)?

[@husseinmohamedsheddo6908]

Are really the stretch and slow eccentric good stimulus for hypertrophy? They are harder on recovery which equals less sets . And they are not the main stimulus which is mechanical tension

[@friend7681]

7:15 so does that if I stagnate I just have to rotate the exercises ? Ofc considering the big muscles and small muscles and so on?

[@bilalturkan8004]

Triceps getting stronger in long head isolation but barely change ? Always having that long lanky look despite having 17 inch arms fairly lean

[@ianbatista631]

Hey Alex, question regarding tracking progress on the secundary movements of pre-fatigued body parts. For example, for chest I do incline DB press followed by dips (both w/ very controlled negatives and 1-2 secs pause stretch at the bottom). On the DB press I'm able to increase reps and weights on pretty much every session, training very close to or hitting actual failure, but by the time I get to the dips my chest is already FRIED, so sometimes I'll either have trouble matching the previous sets x reps from the previous session or even end up regressing a rep or two. Not sure if it's a by-product of the progressive overload induced in the first exercise or just a plateau straight up?

[@realbenmaynard6019]

Here’s a question Alex I know it might sound sacrilegious, but I’m not a huge fan of bench pressing. Like it’s fine and everything, but could I just get really strong at weighted calisthenics movements and just bench at a minimal degree? For example, just work up to a heavier bench set once every other week or so? Thanks for any insight! Always appreciate your stuff 🙏

[@DexFlex_YT]

hey Alex if you're strong enough can you do a one leg pendulum sissy squat if possible can you try it would be fun to see

[@Lao-Lin]

Should you rather skip/take an additional rest day when feeling under recovered, or plow through the workout? I sometimes struggle with falling asleep and stress/fatigue management in general, I can feel it hindering my gains. It's not even local, just fatigue in general. Annoys the fck out of me. Cheers bro

[@joeyntl4904]

Hey Alex I have a question on programming I run a 3x10 on all lifts training specifically for Hypertrophy. I use the 3x10 as the goal. For example I first pick a weight I can max out at 10 so RIR is 0 then I increase weight for the next set and do as many as possible and the same for the 3rd. My question is when the 3rd set hits 10 should I increase the weight for all sets incrementally or start over and repeat the process by finding a weight that on the first set I can hit 10 and the RIR is 0?

[@plockacherrys5765]

Alex why can't you summarize everything new you have learnt or lessons you have from experiences into a video for every semester? It would be so nice

[@Naturalgainss]

On the end of my bulk I reached 42 cm arms (16.5 inches) but I got some elbow pain due to overuse on the Tricep isolation exercises now I switched to cutting how can I maintain as much arm size as possible Thank you very much Alex I really appreciate your help 🙏

[@korrupt4]

Have to ask, have you always been insanely strong? Been watching you for a few Years and you push real heavy weight easily and I don't mean like 'for your size' I mean for any size. Even before you started lifting did you notice super strength?

[@bassmuscle101]

Hey Alex, I've gotten to a point in my training where I want to train at home as a challenge to myself for the next few months while I'm trying to lose weight for the summer. Plus, my local gym shut down and I have to utilize what I have at home. 2 32kg Kettlebells, a dip station, Pushup handles and, a weight vest with about 80lbs of 10lb plates. I'm trying to figure out what to do from here. Any advice from you or the community would be greatly appreciated!

[@squatcurldeadlift7346]

The ring row with a backpack in front of the body is amazing, it's one of my favorite back exercises right now. I'm wondering, does it have any benefits or downsides compared to a seal row?

[@joelziegler5605]

I've been getting into full body training recently after one of your videos led me to Leroy Colbert. Leroy Colbert recommends 3 sets per muscle group for just one exercise (3 sets per exercise). From there I looked into Steve Reeves' recommendations on full body training and saw that he advocated for 3 sets per muscle group across 3 different exercises (1 set per exercise). I was intrigued given that this is an unconventional approach, at least by modern standards. Is there any benefit to doing it this way? Any downsides? As a Silver Era Enthusiast yourself, I figured you might find this interesting or have already thought about it.

[@kemsouexe174]

alex try standing unilatéral machine row you wont regret it

[@publicrestroom5075]

Why do you think cheat curls are bad/ yet you preach doing slightly sloppy lateral raises to emphasize the lengthened portion of the lateral raises? Wouldn’t a bit of body english help make the curls more lengthened bias, because momentum will help with the top portion? Unless i missed something in ur vids, i am questioning this.

[@liamlewis7923]

Ref. "How often to max out on pullups". Ive been the idiot maxing out each week 😂. Ive gone backwards, got golfers elbow, the lot. I dont understand the words you've used to fix this like double progression etc. Any chance you can dumb this down for me?

[@nomadicstrength]

Yo Alex just wanted to ask what your approach would be to get rid of golfers elbow pain? All pulling variations cause pain, even pullups on rings sith super strict form.

[@johnguest4525]

Try a high overhand grip without wrapping your thumb around the bar. Keep it vertical,pressed against the side of your forefinger.

[@rokaskulikauskas5514]

Q what to do when barbell bench press plateau

[@Peter-cp7xx]

What do you think about russian step loading for weighted pullups?

[@willjackson6729]

Yes

[@Parov10]

Hey Alex do you think every muscle should be trained with full range

[@danteghazizadeh1656]

Are you referring to yourself too at 18:15?