BaseStrengthAI is more reliable than a coach, cheaper than an Excel template!👇👇👇 www.BaseStrength.com/the-app Bromley Merch from Barbell Apparel only available HERE! 👇👇👇 barbellapparel.com/Bromley
Rep the hell out of your books. They are a great information source and why the hell should you work this hard for nothing? I'm gonna go check out your t-shirts now. :) By the way, I love the tier list.
Redditors will seethe and complain while waiting anxiously to get their upvoots. Your only mistake was going there in the first place Bromley. Never disrespect yourself like that. Much love
Honestly when you consider everything it’s insane how much information and good content you put out because when you get down to it lifting is super simple we know as much as we could ever really need. Eat big ,lift big, rest big, be reasonable, be patient
I'll comment on heavy Jefferson curls for you: there's no need for them. I always recommend that people start with an empty bar or less and work up very slowly. Believe it or not, that's what I did when I started. And I got a great workout from 45 lbs. Now obviously I like pushing the envelope so I've done some heavy singles but I probably could have gotten most or all of the back development without going past 275 or so. The only tangible benefit to going heavy is it gives confidence to do really creepy stuff like holds at the bottom with lighter weights that would be scary otherwise.
That small benefit actually seems really big sometimes I don’t know how to explain this but there is some sort of confidence I get (maybe it’s just post activation potentiation which Bromley talks about) from doing heavy sets at the beginning (in general not necessarily Jefferson curls) but Maybe it’s some form of psyche effect and not much hard science but feels very solid to me Or Maybe there are some STRONG correlations of volume and strength(other than muscle growth) By saying that as you do it more and more You build up more efficiency Which gives you more confidence which gives you more efficiency which gives you more confidence Like a loop
I have to say... the weeks that I haven't been doing RDLs are the weeks that my back gets cranky (sitting at a desk all day). It took me a little while to get into them. I started with just going slightly below the knee and getting very little out of them. Then I basically taught myself to hinge (45 degree back extensions), lowered the RDL weight and went as far as I can maintain my back posture. Took me a little while to get there, but now I regularly do RDLs until the plates are about an inch off the ground. They feel absolutely fantastic. Just a small pause at the bottom and you've got that S-tier posterior chain developer in your toolbox 👍
You yourself noticed that the exercise wasn't the problem, it was the weight you used it is better to start very lightly, get used to the movement and gradually increase the weight
@@maxschmidt9461this is true. But once form is mastered you definitely should look to progress and on the rdl you can get really strong on it with good form
Have been watching you for a while now. Feel much better, stronger, planted 5 trees, gained few pounds of muscle and my family loves me again) Seriously... this is amazing content which actually helped me to understand fitness through the experience of yours. Very much appreciated!
Reverse hypers have been huge for low back injury recovery journey. For a while, it was about all I could do along with belt squats. With that said, slow eccentric tempo RDLs have really carried over to getting my deadlift back up. Honorable mention: belt squat good mornings with a chest harness. Great video, brother!
I have been watching you since you had 33k subs and I am glad you are getting sponsorships and promoting your products man, idk how people expect you to stay on youtube if you aren’t getting paid.
Tier lists are a simple way to make things clear to people who are less informed on the topic. I have learned so much on so many subjects from tier lists which encouraged me to do my own research later. It's your channel my dude. I have been doing seated good mornings with an ssb bar (barbell will fuck up your forearms), they are amazing. They hit purely back and hamstrings (to a lesser degree) with less weight. I deadlift 450, I've gotten up to 210 for a top set of 10-12 with these. I have a long torso and short arms so it has been a life-saver. RDLs I got way too close my deadlift max beltless because it didn't do much for off the floor position. Seated good-mornings can be knee to chest so for those of us with less optimized leverages, it helps a lot
Should have mentioned seated good-mornings; I know some people who absolutely love them. I experimented but decided the setup was a pain in the ass. But I do remember thinking that my back was getting the brunt of the work.
@AlexanderBromley I would need atlas shrugged to confirm this if he's done them since I frankly don't have the mobility to do the monkey...things...but I think there is a lot of similarity between these and those. For one the back to hip angle is similar and it also taxes the hamstring in a stretch position secondary to the low back. I think the difference really lies in its accessibility and isolation. I think seated good mornings are a lower barrier to extry mobility wise and isolate the lower back slightly more. I think if a lifter wanted a progression for working this area, reverse hyper to seated good mornings to monkey lifts would be a good one.
This monkey reminds me of the botom range of motion partials bodybuilding technique in this context, the Atlas stones would be an exercise that the monkey does only stretch bottom partials from. In this context, we already have data on paper that it works, it's just a matter of how much weight we lift because it increases the potential risk.
Dude you are a true wordsmith. Apart from the useful info, the way in which you relay the information is both poetic and therapeutic. Thank you, Sir. Also, can't agree more on RDL's. Never had "the breadsticks" before doing them, now after 2 years of RDL's I sure got them. 💪
I've been loving all the content recently, quality is still at the top ! Thank you so much for everything you do, and can't wait to start Kong in a month after a small cut !
Doing my first strongman comp in April after being a competitive powerlifter for the last 5 years or so. My back has never been this fatigued and constantly pumped even when sitting on my floor playing with my beyblades. I can confirm that stone loads, sandbags, and yoke walks are insane stimuli for the spinal erectors (to put in perspective- my weight class in powerlifting is 75kg/165lbs, i deadlift 300kg/661lbs with my comp stance, and around 5% less with conventional. My best stone load so far is 215lbs, best sandbag to shoulder is 220, I struggle to do the yoke with more than 450lbs- and I squat mid 500s.)
I love this arc. I started in strongman and switched to pl (for many reasons) I love both and they are a great complement to each other for someone trying to be a hybrid athlete. I wish strongmen and powerlifters wouldn't go after each other like they do.
All that daily humor wit barbs and disses you are putting out is as much if not more amazing than the daily content you are putting out. Have me rolling lol
I think these tier lists are very informative - I don't get why people would not like these. I think your content in general is great. As someone with a bad back this list was particular helpful for me. I already do RDLs and I've messes around with loaded carries because they are fun. They will become a staple in my training based on the S tier placement. IIRC, McGill said that back endurance is very important for a healthy back. This makes carries pretty accessible. Grab a kettlebell or dumbbell, hold it in the goblet position, and go for a walk. After a minute or so this will get heavy. If more weight is needed Rogue now makes a Husafell-shaped sandbag that is reasonably priced. Sandbags in general are reasonably priced and worth it for back health.
I remember the first time I did a stone session. The next day, MY BACK WAS LIT UP! My back has never been so strong. I went to work at a bar and one of the guards slapped my back (he was like 30kg heavier than me) and was super surprised how jacked my back was for my size hahaha I can't wait to grab sandbags and stones again
i did a variation of jefferson curls with a barbell touching it to my toes, letting my back round with super light weights for alot of reps. it really helped me come back from a lower back injury
Hi mate. Love your content. Tier list idea: isolation exercises that are actually beneficial to bigger compound movements/health/mobility..., rather than growing the muscle to look a certain way.
I finally gifted myself Peak Strength for Christmas and read it in a single sitting a few days ago, it is as good as Base Strength if not better! I'm gonna run the Baby Bully program from the book for a while and see how far i can take it. Thank you Alex for your work, you and Dr Mike & Co. over at RP are responsible for the lion's share of the knowledge i've accumulated over the last few years and sparking my interest to learn all about lifting wherever i can.
I have no idea who these other people or other channels are that you mention from time to time. If they have some weird beef, just ignore them and keep doing what you’re doing. Your content is great
I noticed you worked this into your kong program (I'm on week 5). Am still nervous loading up the bb rows and RDLs but feeling good so far! thanks as always!
Very informative for such a simple format! One variation I'd love to know your opinion on is the trap bar deadlift. Do you find any usefulness for it? I find pleasant to do, but not sure whether they have any specific benefit. To me it seems like a nice mixture between a squat and a deadlift and also just a useful tool for carries.
Alex you have tremendous amount of love here . 100k have your back bro . Thank you so much for doing what you do .i have learned more from you then anyone in this field that i love so much . Dont let the haters bring you down man keep the great stuff comming .
I think the major negative of the RDL is that it is very, very easy to do wrong. One slight mishap in your form and they’re useless. If you nail the form though, totally agree. I think sumo could be ‘S’ list if you’re one of the people that it improves their deadlift. Nothing improved my conventional deadlift more than sumo. You could argue that’s because it brought up my glutes… but if it puts 30kg on your conventional, all roads lead to Rome for the lower back.
Listened to this while I did my Jefferson Curls 😂 definitely start light if you want to try them! I started with the bar and did 2x10, and that was enough to get a gnarly lower back pump. I've progressed slowly and made it to 85lbs 3x10
That's a lot of information here. I really enjoy your content and think i will try those jeffersons. Idea for another video of this series: gripstrength. I really struggle to find nice things to effectively improve my gripstrength. Fatgrips, rolling thunder, ricebuckettraining, hanging out with boulderers- everything is welcome to me.
It is satisfying any time I hear people tell the truth about Reddit, Stack Overflow, etc. I used to be a keyboard warrior. I quit intaking fitness content on the regular and a lot of other people need to do the same. Watching this video only because I have a history of back issues. Only commenting because of Reddit bashing. Never give up, never give in.
Can you do a video on beltless training? And how strong your beltless deadlift should be compared to belted? After my lower back injuries I can't lift nearly as much without the belt on deads
4:34 I'm currently recovering from a low back injury after my very first experiment with deadlifts a few nights ago. Thought I was healing ok until I sneezed this afternoon and saw stars again... 😅
As far as the monkey fuckers, I don't think they actually develop the back muscles much at all since they aren't actually moving weight. I use it more for mobility. But regular zercher dls have to be S tier for anyone WITH THE MOBILITY to do them. A lot of folks don't though (I didn't two years ago) and shouldn't try to force themselves into the start position. But monkey-fuckers or Jefferson curls can help with that part.
Hey Alex! Can you please do a series on how to RETAIN strength after doing a peaking program? I have zero trouble gaining strength, I have a lot of trouble retaining it afterwards. Thanks
You aren't going to retain your peak strength. That's why peaking is a thing. It's so you can perform at a higher level than you normally can. Just work on improving your "base" strength and don't worry about trying to do the impossible (retain your peak).
@@nh1776 Thanks. I guess I should reconfigure my question to "How to retain strength while toggling between mesocycles of powerlifting and then switching to mesocycles of bodybuilding" or something to that effect
@@h870 Yeah that's definitely a fair question. Imo if you want the best out of a hypertrophy block you need to somewhat let go of a fixation on strength. Diversify your movement patterns and don't worry about 1RM. Worrying about specificity and 1RM strength is for strength and peaking blocks. But that's just my take.
Goblet squats are underrated. No barrier to entry, much less mobility demand than barbell front squats. Also, you can hold the weight farther away from your center of gravity than weighted carries and get into higher reps than you ever would with front squats. You don't need a super heavy dumbell or kettlebell to do them either. Your core will definitely be the limiting factor rather than your legs, but it's a way to get some extra volume into the squatting movement that has so little systemic fatigue.
Imo, the tier list is one of the few yt trends that isn't completely idiotic. It's almost always longer form content that facilitates discussion in the comments.
Maybe look into a weighted decision matrix for these types of videos. It helps to get a more systematic aproach to these kind of questions. Love your videos btw.
Good mornings are great but I agree that they’re highly technical. You have to develop upper back rigidity and shoulder flexibility so it doesn’t slide up your neck. That’s happened to me. I got nerve damage in my tricep.
Great video👍 I thought you would of assessed the trap bar deadlift? I would love to know your opinion on it. Ie: if you had to choose between the squat and the conventional deadlift could a trap bar be the middle ground 🤔
Such an elaborate tier list. Love it! I would argue that back squats could be up to B or even A tier, depending on bar position and leverages. But high bar with your leverages, C tier seems appropriate. For some reason (mostly leverages I guess) I actually feel my lower back more with high bar squats than when doing deadlifts or RDLs
