I'm a lifetime natural bodybuilder and hope to motivate others to pursue the same rewarding journey!
My video topics range from bodybuilding program reviews, general tips on how to build muscle, get leaner and gain strength, along with an insight into my own training as a lifetime natural bodybuilder.
The following quote really sums up my ethos:
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” - Socrates
How would you tweak it? For me, I can't train five days, and that's their typical split (it's "bro). A longer video on it from your good self would be great, with some tweaks 🙏🏻
First: I normally ignore all videos with so called Doc: Mike in the thumbnail, but I took a sec to read the title & decided to give it a listen. 😄 Second I totally agree about partial range of motion but only with certain exercises. I don't agree with the "constant tension" belief most hold to, but I go back to the articles Arthur Jones wrote about training with conventional equipment. The reason he spent so long developing the Nautilus series of machines is because he realized way ahead of his time that conventional equipment (barbells dumbbells etc..) are not efficient tools. When lifting you only experience the full resistance of the weight at a small part of the rep because you are moving generally in a curved path (around joints) and because of this there is only a small part of the rep where you are moving the weight vertically or directly against gravity. This is usually around the "sticking point" of the rep. Because of this I try to spend more time lingering at this part of the rep as he describes in the pod cast you highlighted here, and less time at the ends. Though I still believe a full squeeze & stretch is important in that said rep. As a side point I feel that's a reason why so many find doing 21's beneficial as by default; more time is spent at that mid range portion in the whole set.
You are portraying a caricature of a steroid user. More ore less everyone that starts using steroids lifted natural for years and years, so the majority has experienced the character growth that you have, the only difference is they want to find out what they can achieve with steroids. That doesn't really make their journey much different from you. Of course there are exceptions, people that start using steroids very young (both in age and lifting age), and there are some that get the side effects you talk about. Those are the ones you see on RU-vid and read about. You don't hear about people like me that started lifting at 15, started steroids at 23, started competing at 24. Stopped bodybuilding at 28, got 3 children and just lift for fun. Maybe if I had gotten a heart attack you would read about me on redit etc. I don't think I missed out on any of the positive things you talk about, just because I started using steroids don't mean I didn't need to experiment in the gym, I still needed to do grueling cardio, I still needed to eat chicken, rice and broccoli like every one ells. I am happy you are proud over not using gear...but I don't understand why?, I only see some one that except leaving progress on the table. In my opinion there's nothing extra moral about that, it's just a choice. Sorry about my bad English. I wish you the best, and I hope you don't think I was rude in anyway. Bye from Sweden.
👋Guys, please see description for timestamps as there are a lot of different topics covered in this video. For some reason chapters has stopped working
Exploration and experimentation is one of the joys of lifting. Why lift just one way? Lifting is for the body, mind, and the spirit. Science is great, but ultimately its not about data, its about learning what you can become by pushing yourself with rigorous consistency
Yes definitely. I will aim to be considerably better and bigger. The goal last time was extreme leanness which was successful despite everything else. Hopefully lifestyle will align for me to realise this goal more easily, this will be the biggest contributing factor.
Hey guys, if you enjoy the video please consider subscribing. Check out the description box for excel tools, free plans and newsletter and coaching services. What are your thoughts on science based lifting? Has it all gone a bit too far?
This is a really good video Ross, reminds me of some of our sessions back in the day. Too much information now kills the enjoyment a bit, the discovery of what works and what you enjoy is a part of it that I think is a bit lost today.
Thankyou mate, the not knowing makes it more enjoyable. I saw some comments on a popular video today asking for studies to be made on what exercises were best for lengthened partials. Why not just experiment and try for yourself haha!?
@@cherylkealey4831 Your the second person that's asked for that recently so I will definitely do it. I have mentioned it in my shorts a few times and love his beyond brawn book
Nice routine. This is similar to what I have found works for me. I have a physically demanding job and only so much time and energy. Plus I’m not trying to reach diminishing returns. If I’m getting 80 percent of the results, I’m good.
I agree, minimalism is good and suits me at the moment. I’m doing an abbreviated routine similar to ones in Brook Kubik’s books and feeling a lot less tired. Keep up with these type of videos please
We shouldnt push any philosophy training style, in the end of the day depend of your goals, how much time you want to spend or can you spend in the gym. My opinion you should something you enjoy as well. But there is something you cant remove from your exercises, everyone should squat, hinge, bench, vertical press and vertical and horizontal pull. Some isolation is necessary forif you want to grow some others muscles(like biceps or triceps per example). I love training and I need to train almost every single day, I have one day off, seeing your video I do something similar tominimalist training then, I do 2 or 3 main lift per day and 2 isolations exercises I spend 60% of the session in those mainlift. Some days I do 1 and 2, for deadlift and for bench and squat I could do 4 to 6 or 8 to 15 reps. Final thought: I was writing my comment while watching the video, excelent video, I think the concept of minimalist is bad use just for BSD powerlifting style. Im more follow in the part of use the main movements, plus some more isolation work more like Alex. Excelent video, people need those movement more than all those dumbs machines which doesnt make you healthy, strong and functional
Minimalism is good as long as you rotate exercises every once in a while (Alex Leonidas said it himself) 👍 Sometimes life gets in the way and you gotta get stuff done
Doggcrapp Training is one of the very best examples of training minimalism executed in a way that can allow you to build a ton of muscle with minimal time commitment. It’s also very adaptable to whatever your individual needs/weaknesses are.
@@ROSSNEWHAM 5/3/1 and Rest Pause from the 531 second edition book is also a cool variation that blends elements from both programs. I found that to be very enjoyable as well.
None of those guys attacking minimalism are pointing to problems inherent to minimalism. They're getting stuck on a word they don't like and attaching ineffectiveness to it. It's absurd.
Yep. I had to work a heavy intense labor job the last 6 weeks. I was bagging 20 to 50 pounds of ice with a scooper and than walking and carrying said ice to delivery it to bars and restaurants as well. No way I could have done some crazy maximal program lol. I did two full body workouts a week during that time. Now I have a cushy office job again and can go back to more volume. Fitness influencers like alex, GVS, basement etc are like 20 something’s who have nothing else to due but train. Plus I have 4 kids and a wife so I also had to fit time in with them.
@@Lk47233 1x each workout per week, so Monday/Thursday etc. reps would vary per exercise. 6-20 using rest pause sometimes perhaps. Sets 1-2. I had a client do this to great effect, uninterrupted strength gains each week
Really great exercise selection. Although, on the chin ups and dips, why do the lighter set (6-8) before the heavier set of 3-5? Why not do the heavier set first when you have more strength and then back down to the 6-8?
@@roachofdoom1234 thank you. It’s something I’ve been playing around with recently. Okay the overall load might be slightly lighter on that heavier set due to fatigue but are you going to that feeling a lot warmer, the joints feel better and more quickly you can feel a decent mind muscle connection with heavy loads. That being said the difference isn’t gonna be huge due to fatigue I just think it’s a nice way of doing things sometimes after spending so long doing the first set as a heavyset it becomes quite mentally draining
Those guys mean well but they are in their early / mid twenties if I'm not mistaken, have no kids or day job lol. Minimalism is optimal for my life style and even if I had more time to devote; I'd never do more. More to life than lifting. We will all hit or have hit natural potential regardless in due time.
It just seems like an odd approach to pick some arbitrary but definitely exhausting volume rather than starting low and titrating up as needed to see results. You might eek out more results faster, but you have to weigh the costs of fatigue on the rest of your life. Even a young man with relatively few responsibilities could be devoting energy elsewhere. But maybe my experience isn’t representative. I have an autoimmune condition that doesn’t affect my efforts in the gym but might hamper my recovery.
Alex doesn’t even train all that Maximally anymore. He basically has been doing a push pull leg split with like 2-3 compounds each time and 2 sets each exercise. He just rotates the variation of the main lift so that he can utilize the max effort method (basically just straight up maxing out) on a weekly basis.
Not only that but basement bodybuilding also did a video about what he hated with training and I recommended workout abbreviation. He actually replied and said great idea lol. When you train a long time you realise it’s all cyclic in nature.
Training minimalism is total optimization. I always see muscle growth as an on and off switch and not a spectrum. Once you achieve the minimum required that triggers the growth process any more will be digging a hole in your recovery ability. You can not train more to get more results, you have to train just adequately enough to start the growth mechanism
(i do agree if you mainly do SBD, you better work your ass off with the isolations and accesories as well if you want to see results) I dont think you neccessarily have to run marathon style workouts to fall outside of the minimalist category. To me what i think matters most is administering time and frequency for availability and then selecting the split to work with it with good lifts and vatiations. It is possible to work the entire body 5x a week with more than 2 lifts per muscle for variation in under 5 hours for about 10 sets per muscle. Dont believe me? Try it. Now, if you run a shit split a la PPL you are by definition forced to make way longer sessions with way more volume per session. Dont confuse maximalism with spending your life in the gym.
Very very good point. I think people underestimate the benefits of doing shorter more frequent sessions. They choose the split that sounds good to them as opposed to thinking how to maximise the stimulus potential within the time/frequency available in gym
@@ROSSNEWHAM exactly my point man. Btw very good video, had me thinking about my training and gave It a spin. Content that challenges your perceptions surrounding a topic and makes you reflect are few and honestly, its welcomed
You are onto something here, I think you oversell Dr Mike's volume recommendations. He has changed quite a bit on that and advocates starting with lower set numbers and increasing only if needed. Other natural bodybuilders like Alberto Nunez are recommending starting with 4-8 sets per muscle group, so honestly I think it's totally possible to write a two-day a week program with most muscle groups falling in this range. Something like two full body days with 2-3 sets of a horizontal or vertical press, horizontal or vertical pull, a squat/leg extension, a hinge/leg curl, curls, tris and shoulder iso. Could be done 60-75 mins if using supersets. Don't agree with all points made, but you're a very intelligent and articulate guy, would like to see this channel grow.
Fitness youtubers usually fail in one category. They forget that outside of fitness and making videos 98% of people have life with regular jobs, family and other responsibilities which of course we choose ourselves, but there's nothing wrong with settling for slightly less gains if that allows you to have other goals and you balance everything. Plus, whether you choose to train as optimal as possible or not, results are pretty much the same in the long run as long as you stick to it. Not to mention that going all out can lead to burnout and even quitting if you can't manage it all in your life. That's why I recommend 2-4 workouts a week, no more than 1 hour and more focus on intensity than volume. If you want to go all out, better do it with sleeping and eating. That will make the difference, not so much whether you do 3 or 13 sets in the gym.
I have my own motto: "maximize with minimalistic movements." In other words, train the big 5, and then pick 1 or 2 accessory movements per session and hammer them. Its absolutely not lazy training. it's incredibly demanding if applied properly.
Do you think Mentzer is really suitable for naturals since he was on steroids, and therefore didn't really matter what type of training he did? I think your adaptations to his Consolidation Routine is effective, but he would probably say, no, you don't need it (but you'd be right!).
Great comment my man! I think the philosophy holds true to naturals but more attention will be needed across the body - unless your genetics are insane. Frequency can be higher than what he suggested without a doubt
@@tomdeblink6080 I am sorry that phrasing in a slightly humorous way bothers you. I listened to the alpha destiny and basement bodybuilding videos before I came across this one. Many great minds like Brooks Kubik, Dan John, Bill Hinbern, Marty Gallagher, etc have been advocates of minimalist training for decades now. If you look at a program like easy strength, you can get a very good workout in a small amount of time if you program it intelligently and efficiently.
Yeah decent video. I am not sure Alex was ever a minimalist really, but yeah I get the impression Landon was very much chasing the numbers & using techniques that wouldn't pass in comp - and, as you suggest, wouldn't build much muscle. The Low Bar Squat is interesting as for some ppl it's going to be better on their knees than a high-bar. Now if the point is to squat, something that has excellent health benefits beyond hypertrophy, then low bar might be the way to go. But yeah, you are going to need accessories eventually to build those numbers... probably. I always get a bit sus when ppl say they lack time etc. Like yeah your gym workouts might literally be between work & picking kids up or whatever and there's a legit cutoff. I get that. But I mean...yeah home workout equipment is available and mini workouts are definitely possible. A lot of people are too anchored to the gym as the place where they do their work...anchors are powerful but also potentially limiting. This leads on to my next point... specialisation. If you are short-on time, then pick 1-2 areas to work on then do the bare maintenance volume on the rest. If you really need to chase the pump then as before you don't really need the gym for that anyway. The other key thing is that ppl talk like will is infinite. It isn't. When I do volume deadlifts, I just don't expect go to do that much afterwards. I normally pick 2 accessories I can superset...maybe facepulls and leg curls...and I will work them pretty hard knowing they're all I have left for the day. It's more than ok to be realistic about your mental/physical capacity in the gym.
Some good points there! Low bar squat may be better for knees for some but definitely not close to quad hypertrophy stimulus potential of high bar. Time is always available if you prioritise and plan accordingly. Home gym equipment may not be due to setup, space and funds etc.
@@ROSSNEWHAM Re: home equipment. I mean yeah space can be tight, especially in Brit flats. But I mean for a start push-up bars are pretty small, bands don't take up a lot of room - these are very, very cheap. T*** has good options. Chest expanders are not that big. There are few that don't have options here: the truth is ppl want to be in the gym and I get it, because home workouts don't feel the same - but it is a limitation.
I guess the reason why Alex, Basement Bodybuilding and others advice against minimalism is because of their powerlifting background, especially for Basement Bodybuilding. The minimalism they experienced was SBD. I am writing this comment after only watching the first few minutes of the video so from what I understand you are talking about implementing low volume which is volume minimalism. That works if your intensity is high enough and there's nothing wrong with that. I will update my comment if I feel like I have to add anything after watching the entire video. The problem with SBD for bodybuilding isn't the lift but the lifter's structure. A back squat, shoulder width bench press with leg drive and arch, and conventional deadlift may be good but not for everyone. Their variations however will be useful for bodybuilding. A heel-elevated squat/front squat, minimal arch and leg drive bench, RDLs/block/deficit pulls will be much better depending on the lifter. Then at some point if you get decently strong at it, doing limiting variations will be helpful to minimize fatigue that affects other lifts in the session. I'd say SBD minimalism is movement-pattern minimalism. It doesn't cover most movement patterns like vertical pulling, vertical pushing, elbow flexion/extensions etc. It is more lower body dominant than upper body.
When I think minimalist training for myself, I think of one exercise per muscle per training session. Just get lots of incline barbell done for chest, or pull-ups for back. Then rotate every few weeks to something similar to prevent overuse or underdevelopment
I cover this further into the video. To be fair I don’t actually think I explain myself well initially. Movement minimalism can work but it has to be exercises that are going to work well for you plus performed in a way in which strength increases will reflect size gains in correct areas. Good comment and reflect my philosophy even if I wasn’t able to convey that initially in video
Minimalism can work well. It doesn’t have to fail you but as you state it needs to be good exercise selection and can allow for rotations. Not stubbornness and over attachment to certain lifts
I think it’s totally fair to have points in life where you just lift when you can and get the work in while you are busy. This is why home gyms are the best. You can actually do a lot of work in 45 mins if you need to just a few times a week
Wanted to share my thoughts on your video respectfully. Looks like you also missed what Alex and Basement meant by minimalism. Now did you do that on purpose? Hopefully not, I'll give you the benefit of doubt. When people think minimalism, they think SBD or powerbuilding. That means no direct work for a lot of muscles what will this result in? Lagging muscles, inbalanced physique, injuries ect. Thats the minimalism they are talking about, the no true scots man fallacy of "you have to SBD to have a great physique". Again you might have misunderstood what they meant, but if not thats just dishonest.
@@RDbodybuildingreardelt I talk much more about this towards the end of the video. I start off kind of jumping into it from the volume / time/ abbreviation perspective which your right doesn’t necessarily mean minimalism (though inevitably it will lend itself to it) on the first clip but later expand considerably. I don’t think some of their viewers understood what they meant by minimalism. Did minimalism alone fail them? Power building can be done well or poorly it doesn’t have to necessarily mean poor results, lagging body parts or injuries. So sbd and a few low intensity accessories are minimalism but say leg press, chins, dips and high intensity accessories aren’t? It can be a dangerous trap to fall into they are right - but it can work really well. Depends on variables as stated in video. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment
I agree competely with you. I am in that point/period of my life that I needed to step back with the volume and try a routine of 3-4 times a week upper/lower with a couple barbell lifts and a couple of accessories. I can put much more effort on these sessions. and more importantly I can continuw training and being consistent which is the most important thing in the end. Thank you for your effort of making these videos cheers
@@todlichreiter my pleasure, Thankyou for taking the time to comment! Continueing to train is the most important factor Irrespective of routine. 2 videos back I gave out a 2x pw routine you can try
Just read Stuart mcrobert beyond brawn and you understand…… natural lifters have to look at training in a whole different way….. if your not recovering your not going to get stronger and if you’re not getting stronger your not gonna get bigger!!!!! I know your always gonna get one idiot saying I know someone is is strong and not big and vice verser but they are out liners a rare one in a million.
@@philipbrown8090 yep it’s a great book! Disparity between strength and size can be present but it’s mostly down to exercise execution, selection, genetics and rep ranges
@@ROSSNEWHAM all the brawn books highlight the use of perfect execution of all exercises…… it’s funny that doing an exercise properly has become a new thing lol ….. at any powerlifting meet if the rep isn’t done right it doesn’t count and if the weight is heavy it’s moving slowly……. Genetics of course…. I’ve never been able to change the shape of a muscle only make it bigger…… but things only happen when you get stronger…… now I’m 52 I still push myself to get stronger and will do anything to achieve this through rest and proper nutrition….. and even at this age I’m still loving getting stronger every year I’ve trained….. I’m sure you have seen all the fads in training routines and this will never change and that’s why people rarely even get close to their genetic limits.
I mean I’ve been lifting for hypertrophy and I really feel my strength gains have been sacrificed to a significant degree, and my body is still getting big! Anyone chasing the big lifts would be stronger than me but would not see the same muscle gains across the body. Regardless the progression IS ever-present and essential.
I’m currently lifting for ‘hypertrophy’ also - it’s a refreshing change, but there’s also maybe an argument that your actually getting stronger just unable to express that due to more fatigue, higher reps etc.
@@ROSSNEWHAMI believe its balanced with enough frequence and volume.In 4 weeks time the muscles is trained 1,5 times per week. Every other week is a more upper or lower focused. The flexibility to add maybe some extra focus on example arms can be done on a lower day or calfes on upper. But I see Your point man. 😎😎💪💪
@@espendahl9719 there’s more moving parts for upper so slightly less time spent on each component compared to legs. Overall it’s great but may need to add a little more on lower days for upper or increase length of upper days
