From: alexhormozi
This article outlines various bodybuilding techniques and workout strategies, including training philosophies, specific exercise applications, and approaches to maintaining motivation and managing recovery.
Training Philosophy and Approach
A core principle for some is to train body parts in reverse order of weakness, focusing on areas that require the most development first [00:00:33]. For example, calves, being a weakest body part, are often trained first and have been for over 10 years by one individual [00:00:15]. This approach can involve starting a session with a “low investment movement” like calf raises, which few people would refuse to do [00:01:03]. To stimulate growth in weaker areas, one strategy is to double the volume and increase the frequency, such as training calves in every workout rather than just twice a week [00:00:52].
While some individuals might dedicate each session to a single body part and consistently get volume in, a less common but effective approach for some is to train full body every single session [00:01:31], [00:01:50]. This method is considered optimal for body composition and can reduce the need for separate cardio sessions by incorporating supersets [00:02:49], [00:02:55]. The goal is often to maximize muscle gain with minimal “headache” [00:02:47], [00:03:02].
Experimentation with various training modalities is common in one’s twenties, including CrossFit, bodyweight training, swimming, kettlebell training, and isometrics [00:02:04]. After this exploratory phase, individuals often learn the few key things that genuinely matter for their goals [00:02:43].
Specific Workout Techniques
Warm-Up and Pre-Fatigue
Warm-ups are generally believed to be more about increasing core body temperature than about specific movements [00:39:48]. Starting with calves first can help with this [00:39:54]. A technique called “pre-fatiguing” involves exhausting a muscle group that assists in a compound movement before performing the main exercise. For instance, pre-fatiguing calves can make hamstring exercises feel more isolated [00:03:14], and pre-fatiguing hamstrings can isolate quads [00:03:16].
Leg Training
- Calves: Begin sessions with calves, especially if they are a weaker body part [00:00:15], [00:00:22]. Increase volume and frequency for growth [00:00:52].
- Hamstrings:
- When performing seated hamstring curls, leaning forward and raising the chest can enhance the stretch and maintain constant tension on the hamstring throughout the movement [00:04:05], [00:04:28].
- Supersetting seated hamstring curls with extensions is a common practice [00:03:32].
- To isolate hamstrings further, point toes forward during curls to minimize calf involvement [00:05:31].
- A mechanical drop set can be applied: start with toes out, then move to neutral, and finally to limp/dangling feet to continue working the muscle through different leverage points [00:05:55].
- Quads: Following pre-fatigued hamstrings, quads can be isolated [00:03:16]. Post-quad stretching can lead to a “brutal” maximum pump [00:15:47].
Upper Body Training
- Shoulders: When training shoulders, especially on a machine, sitting with shoulders forward can help with targeting the medial and rear deltoids [00:15:58]. Some individuals exclusively train medial and rear delts if their front delts are already sufficiently developed [00:16:13]. One-arm lateral raises can be intensified by leaning the hip out to get a bigger stretch [00:26:43].
- Biceps: Moving the bench forward slightly for bicep curls can allow for a fuller stretch and a more intense pump [00:31:50].
- Triceps: When rehabbing an injury, continue training the affected muscle with the lowest weight possible on the machine where the injury occurred, gradually adding weight over time [00:38:28]. This is likened to a gymnast getting back on the apparatus after a fall to avoid developing a mental block [00:38:53].
Repetition and Set Strategies
- Perfect and Imperfect Reps: A strategy involves performing as many perfect repetitions as possible, followed by as many imperfect (partial range) repetitions as possible within the same set. This aims to fatigue the muscle across its full range first and then continue to fatigue it in partial ranges, increasing overall volume and intensity per set [00:25:07].
- “If you have to ask” rule: If one questions whether they have another set left, the answer is to do another set [00:13:52].
- Drop Sets: A “double drop set” involves reducing the weight twice within a single set, for example, doing 10 reps, dropping weight, doing another 10, dropping again, and doing a final 10 [00:23:58].
Training Environment and Motivation
Training with a partner can significantly boost motivation and performance, as individuals tend to train harder, longer, do more sets, and maintain better form when working out with others [00:11:41], [00:11:51]. Partner training also leads to less rest between sets, as the other person’s set acts as the timer, preventing distractions like “doom scrolling” on a phone [00:11:17], [00:06:32].
Having multiple gym memberships can provide variety and help maintain motivation by allowing individuals to change their training environment based on their needs, such as a quiet gym for focused work or a more social one for group sessions [00:04:47].
Exercise doesn’t always have to feel like “discipline.” Engaging in activities that are enjoyable, such as pickleball, can be a form of “sneaky cardio” that burns a significant amount of calories without feeling like a chore [00:12:23], [00:13:04].
Gear and Equipment fitness_equipment_and_gear_preferences
Personal preferences for fitness equipment and gear preferences are highly detailed, especially for items worn during workouts:
- Vests/Tank Tops: Criteria for choosing include consistency in sizing, minimal and consistent shrinkage after washing, appropriate thickness (not too thin or too thick), avoidance of bunching, softness of material, and sufficient stretch to “show all the good and hide all the bad” [00:08:31].
- Shoes: The ideal shoe is versatile enough for a “nice establishment” and a workout, can get wet without issue, prevents foot sweat and long-term odor, allows for exercises like calf raises, and can be walked in for an hour daily without causing blisters, especially when not wearing socks [00:09:41].
- Gym Bag: A highly functional gym bag that disregards convention is preferred. It should be durable, potentially modifiable to suit specific needs (e.g., cutting off parts, moving things around), and ultimately the best tool for the job, even if it lacks aesthetic appeal [00:28:26].
Long-Term Perspective and Adaptation
Achieving maximal muscle growth eventually plateaus; at this point, the focus shifts to stimulating the muscle to maintain existing gains and avoiding injury [00:43:11], [00:43:14]. While exercises may be cycled based on how one feels or to address a specific weakness, there aren’t always strict rules for varying routines daily [00:42:30]. Listening to experienced individuals or “pros” is considered the “greatest hack of all time” in both bodybuilding and business, as their insights can provide invaluable shortcuts and help avoid mistakes [00:14:55].