I read about this a few years ago in a T-Nation article. I think actually measuring said hormonal differences are probably a bit bunk, considering how vastly inconsistent they tend to be. Nonetheless, have you ever seen someone ripped with 20" arms and tree trunk legs with shit benchmark lifts (squat, dead, press)?
I think the argument of compound lifts, particularly with spinal compression, releasing GH and Test is completely valid, even if the proof isn’t in the scientific pudding.
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Not at all, I am more aligned with @TrainForPain’s statement
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Early in my lifting career, I would try to stick to 8-12 reps, cause best for hypertrophy, right? Well, I had difficulty getting past certain numbers for lifts, and lowering reps for a period of time allowed me to get stronger and come back and make progress with the 8-12 rep range.
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Bar the DB chest press which is cumbersome when you start getting up to heavy weights, I actually agree with the list because they are my favourite exercises which means they are the best.
However does the DB bench give way more noticeable gains than the flat bench for the natural? I highly doubt it.
The best exercises are the ones that motivate you to engage the darkness and venture forth into the valley of pain.
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Yeah I think some low rep work can greatly increase your 6-12 rep maxes.
For example, when I was 19 I was stalled at around 250 lbs for 12 reps on the squat with a 5RM of 315. I was primarily running 5x5 but started running 8x3 for a few months and worked up to being able to do 405 and by that time my max reps with 315 that I was able to do was 16.
I think this list is missing a horizontal pull, vertical push, and would replace DB bench with Barbell. I think it is quite an arbitrary cut-off point of 5 that they went with as they gave themselves a 5 exercise constraint prior to figuring out which five they should choose.
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I think this is a point people need to understand. If you are not “excited” by your work out - or if your work out is not one you can give 100% to it will not be as good as "lesser” programme done with real venom.
However if someone is “excited” by any thing that makes them bigger:
For upper body size I have a few favs.
Press, log clean and press, incline press, Kroc rows, Pull ups, bent over rows in a smith machine.
For lower body:
front squats, back squats - but done for high reps, sled pushing.
I add sled pushing as although I have not done much - I had 28 inch thighs and 17 inch calf’s with 0 work. Because I spent my youth playing rugby. Pushing people.
If I were forced into just 5:
Incline bench, Kroc row, log clean and press, front squat and back squat.
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If I could only choose 5 to do for the rest of my life it’d be:
- Front squat
- Push press
- Snatch high pull
- Bench press
- Weighted chinup
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Log viper press
Prowler push
Atlas stone/sandbag load
Dips
Chins
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- SSB Squat
- RDL
- Pull-up
- Incline bench
- BB curl (of course I’m not joking)
If calisthenics are free, I’m adding push-ups, dips, lunges and crunches, plus I get one weight move back so my pull-ups becomes rows.
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Id say the humble push up (weighted or not)
Chin up
Trap bar deads (high and low handles)
Viking press
Seated rows
Squats i wouldnt have, over the last 30 years ive seen far more destroy theyre backs and knees than build big legs, for a multitude of reasons.
TBDLs have less of a learning curve, moreover, people built huge legs and strength before the invention of the squat rack.
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Training in the garden with minimal equipment during lockdown, I ended up with these 5:
Standing dumbbell overhead press
Dips
Chins
Dumbbell squats
Standing calf raises
When the gyms re-opened I gave serious thought to just sticking with that, but in the end the lure of curls and benches and hyperextensions was just too much to resist!
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Yes!
I’m a polygamist when it comes to lifts.
Also I’m currently having a little fling with Chain Flys.
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I would also have curls in there
I would have
Squat
Pullover-Skull crusher combo move
Bench
Chin Up
Barbell Curl
I hate only choosing 5 exercises, and I miss dedicated shoulder work. But I guess this is why we avoid extreme minimalism when we can. But I think I could get pretty decently developed with just these 5 exercises. At least I’d have huge arms and big lats.
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If the confines of the question are “best 5 exercises done with no others to make a respectably big body” can I suggest press ups.
They might be hard to over load, but they are very varied. Can get real depth and stretch, target most of the upper body, the core and even the core and legs (try doing press ups after a good leg work out).
Perhaps not superior to any of lift in my opinion. But I feel they are getting 0 love as far as I’ve seen. And they should.
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Are Press Ups virtually the same thing as Push Ups? I did a search on them and they look almost the same - but I’ve never really tried to differentiate hand positioning on push ups outside of hands under shoulders and triangle push-ups.
Under the pretext of “only 5 exercises”, I think I’d choose the lifts that involve the most muscles but with focus on total lift potential (how much weight could you add). So I think my list would look something like this, in no specific order:
- Overhead Press
- Back Squat
- Bent-Over BB Row
- Pull Ups
- Dips
I guess not all too different from my current training. Would add lunges in if the list were to be expanded to 6
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I did not know there was a difference. In fact I refuse to accept that there is. A narrow handed press up is also a narrow handed push up.
There is a 3rd - wide. But to be fair - its splitting hairs.
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Alright - some choices there I think I great exercises.
Firstly the log. You said viper. I’ve never really done viper. But I think the log is great tool for most things. I fact I JUST brought one. I get it next week. I’m so excited.
I don’t think people appreciate the whole body nature of the log. I defiantly did not. You think its all shoulders and triceps. But the clean is hard. You have to keep it close to your body and really explode through the clean. Meaning your back and legs have to be strong and powerful. Its a great whole body lift.
But stones and sand bag for size?
I mean I get it. Picking up heavy awkward objects will make you bigger. But you would honestly choose those over more traditional body building options?
I mean you say you would and I believe you. I guess I just curious as to your experience.
Also - the prowler. I would loved to have included this but I’ve never used it to add legs size. I was blessed. But I have a theory that anyone starting off and looking to add leg size would do well to include the prowler and high intensity efforts on the assault bike. 85% of your max power for 15-30 seconds for a few reps. Its just not something I have tried so can’t say works 100%.
In truth, all I needed was the log viper and the prowler. Having me pick 3 other movements got me to pick movements that would help in size, strength AND conditioning development.
Based off a lot of lists, I see a lot of dudes that are gonna hit a wall at some point because they don’t have the conditioning to continue the brutal training required to put on size.
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