Brian, Have you ever considered doing a detailed video on your library or at least some of your favorite books that have helped make you the person you want to be? I've been following your channel for a long time now and while the training advice has helped, the most valuable things I've gotten from it has been the attitude towards training and life in general. If you have any reading recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
That is a really good question. I’ve been asked a few times about the books, but most of the time people want to know about training books. If your comment gets a ton of likes, maybe I will try to put together a video for those you interested
It has to be barbell and plates, if I'm forced to pick one. With this you not only get the big lifts but by jamming it in a corner you get a landmine setup that's great for a huge amount of accessories if you're creative enough. Some ones that spring to mind: -Landmine row -Landmine press -Meadows row -Landmine lunge -Landmine hack squat -Landmine grip work -Landmine curls (bunch of small plates, grip the very end of the kurling in the webbing between the thumb and index finger) -Landmine side laterals (only works in an oldschool corner setup, grip the very end of the bar, use straps if needed and raise up and slightly forward) -Landmine French press (a very sturdy collar, grip the weight plate comfortably in a seated or kneeling position and raise, lower until the collar hits the shoulder and alternating shoulders between reps) -Landmine sumo deadlift -Landmine floor press (perpendicular to the bar, grab the collar and press unilaterally) The incremental loading capacity of all of these accessories as well as the main traditional lifts is also a huge factor.
Hi Brian, good to see your still killing it. To answer your community question, I would choose a barbel, as I’m an Olympic lifter. The two main movements I do a snatch and C&J!
Tough question! Right now I'd go with sandbags. I started out with KB's and love those, but sandbags are my absolute favourite right now. More because I'd enjoy the workouts more than solely having any of the other tools. Enjoying training helps for consistency which triumphs the "best" tool.
Barbells. They are the easiest to scale up and down out of all the implements especially sandbags. I also think they are the most versatile as I do landmine exercises with mine. I make my answer assuming I have an access to a rack.
I trained with barbell only for years in my garage using a landmine for single arm work. You are still a beast man. Can you press with a log? Hopefully you will get better soon
Thank you my friend and I’m not sure if I can press with the log yet. Prior to the bicep rupture I definitely couldn’t even hold it in the Rack position but now I might be able to.
Tricky question getting us thinking! Honestly, though I greatly prefer my barbell by a long shot, I'd choose my adjustable dumbbells. I wouldn't get as strong as I'd like, but they're easier to transport if needed and they would help my compensation/balance. Please don't make me actually give things up though...my Minimalist program requires more than dumbbells! Immensely glad you're pain free! Here's hoping the good news continues! Love and prayers!
Question of the day: You nailed it, there is no training more wholesome or progressively loadable than the barbell. It's all I use today anyhow, I wouldn't notice if the cables/dumbbells/kettlebells were absent.
Interesting Brian, I was going to say kettlebells until I heard your pick and it made a lot of sense to me. But I guess I’ll go with kettlebells assuming in this scenario I have a full complement to use…whereas right now I have a very limited set to work with but find them to be very fun. Guess I’m getting bored with Barbells mostly cause I’ve been training for hypertrophy which in retrospect doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as my main goal is to lose weight right now. So calorically I’m usually at maintenance or in a deficit…not good for hypertrophy. You’ve convinced me to try out sandbags and just ordered one last night.might be getting ahead of myself lol as I just started the power building scaled this week and already looking forward to getting the everyday carry. Hope you get some good news on the MRI and happy you’ve had some pain relief. Cheers for all you do, much appreciated.
QOTD: First 5 months of this year, all I had was kettlebells (cuz that's what i had after moving, full set of hardstyle bells by 4k). And it was fine, there's a ton of basic building stuff you can do and there's lots of work and of course everything off the floor. But man did I miss my barbell work. Finally mid summer got a barbell and some plates (still no rack, so everything comes off the floor) and I still love it. If i had to choose only one, i'd choose barbell (with rack? do we get to include the rack? need a rack, KB's don't need a rack, big advantage). I don't miss not having dumbbells at all. Surgery: good luck on whatever happens. Any surgery has risks that the docs always poopoo over. (I mean what do they care? it's not their body).
I would choose dumbbells. But, I've not had any experience with sandbags and I don't yet feel confident enough with a barbell. I do plan to get a sandbag or two soon though.
The Darkhorse will definitely work really well and so will the four horsemen, but the best would be conjugate which I’m getting ready to release in a few weeks if you can wait that long
@AlphaTnation dope dude. Yeppers I can wait. I actually need to save more, so the wait will be worth it. Damn, I need a gf that can help me saving and that type of crap 😄
Because of a elbow tweak from grappling I couldn't barbell bench and ohp for two months. Switched to weighted dips and kettlebell ohp, I absolutely love the change up after almost 14 years of benching and barbell ohp-ing. I'd choose kettlebells if I get a dip station, if not I have to stick with a barbell, gotta say the shoulders just move more freely with kettlebells.
Barbell and plates, no questions asked. Nothing feels as good as coming out of a heavy squat! Hope you got some good news by now about the rotator cuff! If you are struggling adapting to the straps, I suggest you give those versa grip style ones a try. Inspired by you, I learn to deadlift taking my breath at the top, which meant I always struggled with regular straps or figure 8s. The versas were a game changer, I take almost the same time to set up with them as with my regular hook grip, so no change in technique at all
The pick is tough. If I think of it from training for performance barbell and plates. If thinking of it from training the rest of my life and longevity I would say kettlebells. As a side note I tore my teres minor in April and had to train using the hands free deadlifts while it healed. I definitely thought they would make a great assistance exercise even uninjured as I found I had to brace much harder with them then with normal deads. They definitely made it so I was able to come back from the injury much faster than I would have otherwise. Will be interested in seeing your video on them!
It is all done. I was just waiting until after the weekend to publish it so you can expect it soon, but I had a very similar response to you. I think I’m going to keep it in as an assistance
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial I do classic compound movements with them, like frontsquats, lunges, rows, overhead press, floorpress etc. together with weighted dips and pullups. Nothing you couldnt do with a barbell or dumbbell, but I like high rep kettlebell swings, snatches and clean and press for conditioning. They just feel like great functional movements...
Kettle-bells 100% Kettle-bells are the most versatile training implement available today. If you can only have one piece of fitness equipment for the rest of your life, a decent weight kettle-bell will allow you to train everything you need to be healthy, strong, and jacked
Personally, and there aren't any wrong answers in the end really; Barbell; You can fairly simply (with a little ingenuity) figure out how to do isolateral stuff with a bar, less so to balance equilateral movements with smaller implements. Plus you can use the plates themselves as individual implements for carries and raises and so on.
2 things: I remember the “comeback” series intro like a fighter intro when you still had the picc line dangling. Then, immediately prior to the 700 lb deadlift, flipping the bird to said doctor who claimed you couldn’t do it. Definitely spit some coffee on that one…
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial just so that you know, we have talked over email before if you remember, I'm Alen 👋 Im happy that you are getting better but i was wondering how is it possible that biceps seperates from the bone and just heals itself without losing functionality?
QOTD: A few years ago I would choose the barbell, no doubt. But now I'm more a kettlebell guy. It won't get you that crazy 1RM on the 'main lifts' but they are a very all round tool for training. Best bang for buck imo
Bb and plates for sure. I don’t use dbs much but for stuff like single arm row or other exercises I can easily replicate with my barbell in a landmine set up. There’s a lot of ways to use a bb, and you could use the plates themselves for various exercises too.
If I could train unhindered by a lower back injury I would choose barbell training for everything but in reality if I have to choose one implement, it would be dumbbells
"I was mad at him" (the doctor) hahaha, Brian... c'mon! :D LOL Definitely understand that you don't want to undergo surgery after your last one that went bad Misloading the bar sucks, haha. About to bench with a misload? One side flies off and you're like "I'm stoopid" Question of the day: It was an easy one for me. Dumbbells! Why? Well, it has to be dumbbells that go up from 1 kg to at least 100 kg in nice increments, and then some big ones such as 130-150--170-180-200 kg (super dummies). That covers everything as I'll never lift anything more than 400 kg ever. So, the reason why I choose DB's - it's just about longevity. This is choose one for life, right. So I wanna be able tolift until I'm 80 years old, and I don't want imbalances that barbells can create, even though you can do 1-leg stuff with BB's, but it's harder on upper body stuff. DB's are so versatile and what I would choose when I'm old. Oh and GOOD LUCK WITH THE MRI RESULTS, I hope you don't have to wear a sling again!!
I would miss the versatility of dumbbells a lot, but I couldn't give up on barbell squats and deadlifts. Besides, I can always mimic the dumbbells by cheating and using the plates without a barbell for quite a few exercises. But there's nothing you can do to make a dummbell more like a barbell.
At my other Gym, neversate, we have radiant heating in the floors, so we always put one bumper plate on to help protect that. So it’s just habit for me.
QOTD: I would choose dumbells because I think it is easier to fix and maintain balanced strength if one leg, shoulder, arm, etc. is weaker than the other. Heh half way through the video you say about balancing with the split squats. We are on the same page 😀 As for the miss-load of the deadlift, might that be good for balancing out strength as well... say 5lb difference, and lift it from both sides maybe.. with lighter weight too perhaps? No idea, if it would definitely load the back differently than even a single-leg deadlift! I really hope you don't need surgery again!
I appreciate you taking the time to answer all of this, my friend, and be honest I wouldn’t be sure about the offset dead lift thing, but it be a really interesting experiment. Thank you for taking the time to answer the question brother
Feel you on the pain factor, hope all recovers well! Been having issue with my my left shoulder on pressing movements (mainly anything overhead), and likewise with the left bicep tendon so I'm relating to the pain you were describing living with and why it would be great to receive such relief! Def would likewise choose the barbell/plates because even though kettlebells/dumbells or such might have their use(sandbags too).... to me nothing can be as overloaded or progressed and provide such overall great stimulus as compound barbell movements! Most all of my training revolves around the barbell and only implements or the use of dumbells/machines are all secondary but I rely on the barbell for all of my big movements and focuses.
I had something happen to me recently put about 10 extra pounds on one side during a squat, funny thing is i didnt feel a difference 😂 as for my equipment of choice? Even though it wasnt listed, bodyweight implements like a dip and pullup bar, question for you, what would have more carryover to a deadlift, deadrows or kroc rows? Ive tried to find a dead row vs kroc row video but i couldn't find anything
As a smaller, older guy, I’m on team kettle bell if I’m limited to one implement. The KBs fit with my plan for longevity strength, conditioning and mobility. I am able to build muscle even in my legs by programming lunges, split squats, carrys with KBs and they work for hinge, arms and rotation/trunk. That said, please don’t take my bar, plates, rack, DBs and sandbags away, I love all the tools of your trade! Thanks and glad you are healing Brother!
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial start with the basic kettlebell swing. It really improved my hip hinge and therefore glutes and back. They are also great for carry’s, if you’re not already crazy strong. They really excel at rotation work. Give them a try. Maybe Brian will make a video about how he specifically uses them in his training (like his offset carry). Stay strong my friend!
Any of Pavel Tsatsouline’s work is highly recommended. Enter the Kettlebell, Return of the Kettlebell, and Kettlebell: Simple & Sinister are some of his best.
Like you Brian I’ve had a few injuries. Recently I had an adductor tear also can be known as a sports hernia during the leg press. I heard something pop on my right leg and I knew something was up. I am always trying to always figure out a workaround, as I have a pin in my shoulder. I won’t be doing legs for a while and I will probably move over to Dumbbell lower body training to be on the safe side. I turn 43 next week and I think the universe is trying to tell me something.
Barbell and weights. I've never done work with sandbags (although I plan on starting in the coming months and will be getting your program when I do), and any work I would do with the dumbbells or kettle bells can be replicated with other objects. Also, I hope your visit with the doctor goes/went well.
Thank you so much my friend and definitely getting a Sandbag training! You won’t believe what a game changer it is! And thanks for taking the time to answer the question, and for the kind words
Kettlebells. I love the versatility of them. I also love the strength endurece component (marathons of swing and cleans left your soul dry) and doing movements with 3 points of contact (2 feet's and 1 hand on the ground while the free hand is in charge of moving the weight) not the best way to obtain maximum strength, but a good way to obtain stability in weird and dangerous range of motion (the only way to move without injury's is to adapt to the movement). I will miss the barbells and the sandbags, but I just love the steel balls
Man, I really need to learn more about kettle bells, because so many people love them, and I am definitely ignorant to a lot of what you can do with them
Sir, the Pavel books are a good way to study the subject. You have to take stuff with critical eye, these are old books and have stuff that is outdated, but they have also stuff that you can take from the mother Russia to incorporate in the daily modern life. Mark wildman is a sport coach (with a RU-vid channel) that teaches training with a heavy base in movement patterns and different planes of motion using all sort of funny equipment. Lebe Stark it's a little like Pavel: while Pavel teach in his books different power-streng-endurence protocols (power and endurece with kettlebells and calisthenics, streng with barbells) Lebe Stark spoke a lot about classic kettlebell sport, and his channel is pretty active. The Bionner is a gentleman with huge success on RU-vid because every one of his videos explores a different type of movement from a different school of though. For a competitive athlete doesn't have so much sense to use training timing and energy on different disciplines, but the ultra focus on just one type of movement have the problem to hurt the athlete for over use of the joints on a specific range of motion (I wish it was different, I love to train kicks, I could jam every day with music or a podcast training the motions for fun. But 1 thousand kicks daily, well, makes my knees sing an awful song) In motion I see the issue like in martial arts: for your own pleasure and fun you can have a black belt 10 Dan in deadlift, but having fun with different schools of movement makes life even more enjoyable. Have a blessed day, sir.
Going with dumbbells if I can only pick one. A bit more versatile than barbell, but okay for me since heavy squats wreck my back. I also love front-foot-elevated split sqauts (reverse lunges). I drop down slowly, lightly touch the knee, and explode up, they're rough! Great stuff Brian!
I'm torn between barbell & plates and kettlebell. I think as Pavel says the kettlebell maybe the ultimate one piece workout equipment but would take time to master the movements. Most of us are used to the barbell though and that's the mean work we would want to do
Hi Brian! All the best for your injuries. But your positive attitude will serve you well!! As for the question: I’d say barbell and plates for sure, but sandbags are the most impressive thing I discovered thanks to your videos… tomorrow I start week 2 of your massbuilder program. It’s awesome!!!!
That's tough question of the day. I think I would go for sandbags, because I've never used them before, but when I see you using them in your videos they look like an incredibly versatile way to train.
I pray you get good news and that you recover quickly. I love the videos and your positive attitude. I prefer the barbell and plates just because I'm stuck in my ways
Kettlebells for me. I love the variety of exercises you can run with KBs and you can make your workout pure strength, endurance strength, or even cardio. And they are easy to port around to cool locations.
I'm with you---a barbell and plates would be simply indispensable. I work a manual job and can simulate "sandbag training" with a variety of things that aren't sandbags. Thanks so much for the great content!
You just saved me a ton of money and gym space with that Dumbbell trick, not sure why I didn’t think of that. Also I’m on team barbell and plates. Loving the training programs by the way, just started the darkhorse program about 4 weeks ago and it is brutal.
Thank you so much for the support and I’m glad the dumbbell trick is going to help you out brother. I can’t remember where I saw it but when I did, I thought it was absolutely genius.
@@BrianAlsruheOfficialglad to hear You're doing well brother I've been watching you for years you're the best, one of the most positive people in the industry, prayers for you brother
Bro, It will be a good news. Please don't worry. QOTD Answer : Kettlebells for me brother (Versatile as heck). I mean I can hit mobility, strength, conditioning and flexibility all in one session.
I tore a pec muscle about 5 yrs ago, surgery was like a 12 month recovery..... Fu@k that..... I did it doing bench, which I now believe is a stupid workout that only benefits Ortho Drs....... I am now training for first amateur strong man & never had surgery...... Don't just jump out & have surgery, take ur time & see if u really need it.
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial so I've been doing CrossFit for over 5 yrs..... & I'm one of the strongest guys in my gym...... But as I transition to strongman/power lifting...... I'm once again at the bottom of the totem pole...😂😂 Damn it man
By the way, ur breath & brace technique added over 50 lbs to my deadlift almost over night..... Ur vids are better than any personal trainer or coach I've ever had.... Thanks
I think if you are serious, and you are willing to seriously work, you can get most of the functional strength and conditioning that you are capable of getting with sandbags, and calisthenics. Maybe even all. Whatever you can't hit well with calisthenics, you can hit well with some sandbags. I don't think most people could commit to that though. It would suck If someone put together a forever program with calisthenics, and sandbags my brother would surely buy it. He is just opposed to going to a gym. Many people are, they are too intimidated, too cheap, and/or too time broke. A program like that would really appeal to that demographic.
Best of luck on the injury front and I wish you a speedy recovery. On the question of the week, barbell and plates easily. The fact that it’s such an easy answer for me probably means I should expand my training but….🤷
But if you will do it consistently because you love it, then that will be the best thing for you in the long term anyway. Thanks for taking the time to answer the question brother.
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial Of course! In return I think it's awesome you reply as often as you do to responses on here. In the vein of expanding beyond barbell training, I have a bit with KBs but your channel really has me wanting to get into sandbag training at least a little (I think barbells will always be primary). At the moment though I don't think I have the space to get into it properly or, if that sounds like a cop-out, to want to do it with the restrictions I'd have to work around. Someday though.
I pray. Lord Jesus I come too you to please hover over Brian, please shower him with healing and protection. Please also bless his family and friends, protect them from harm and sickness. I ask you too please open their hearts to you Lord Jesus. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen 🙏
@@humanen1900 “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.”
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”
