1) This is due to weakness of your Vastus Medialis muscle (tear drop) and Vastus Lateralis (External quad sweep). You just need to strengthen them over time. As long as you are not doing too much weight that you feel pain or stress on the inner part of the knee, you are OK. However, it is important you strengthen BOTH the quads and hamstrings to ensure a strong and stable knee joint. Over time if you do not fix this muscle weakness in your legs, you could damage your knees as they should not track inward when doing pressing/squatting movements.

2) The best way to exercise any muscle groups is to use a weight you can handle with proper form. It doesn't matter if you use DBs or BBs because over tiem you will get stronger. Standing and pressing overhead with either a DB or BB is still and overhead press. When you sit down, it becomes a seated press.

3) The most effective to build total back strength and size is not to rely solely on cable machines. When you do rows of any type with DBs or BBs and Pull-ups, you work not only the Lats but also all the secondary stabilizing muscles. When you do machines or cables, you only train the targeted muscle and do nothing for the stabilizers. The best course of action is to mix in both free bar rows and pull-ups with cable back work.

4) The best all around back exercises are pull-ups and rows.

John

Thanks for the advice man :)

Hey Scott and jmboiardi

My goals is to grow as much as possible. I want to get big fast. Mostly in form of muscle growth but a little fat too.

Should my goal just be to get in as many calories as possible? Bascicly just eating everything infront of me?

Is it okay to eat all the uhealty things as long as i eat the good foods to (high in protein...)

Keep in mind:

1. Im am bulking.

2. I want to grow big muscles really fast.

3. I dont care with gaining some fat.

4. My metabolism is really high so i need a LOT of calories.

5. I just want to get big.

Looking forward for a constructive answer

If you want my advice, the answers to both these questions is "No":

1) If you eat everything in site, you will put on mostly fat versus muscle as you will be over-eating. Then when you try to cut to lose the fat (especially when natural), you will lose a lot of weight and significant muscle mass. If you eat more than a 500 calorie surplus over TDEE, you will continue to put on weight but it will be mostly fat. This is why tracking your macros, eating them in the right ratios, and running no more than a 500 calorie surplus is critical if you want to make lean gains. It takes longer but it also lasts longer as it is quality muscle versus fat.

2) Nutrition is the cornerstone of a solid foundation. Garbage in = garbage out. You eat shit food, you get a shit physique regardless of how much high quality protein you eat. Period. Your body uses macros (protein, fat, carbs) to get the MICRONUTRIENTS it needs for health and growth. Shit food has macros but no micros so it does not fullfill the needs of the body for quality muscle growth.

The bottom line is you must eat wholesome nutrient dense food (at the micronutrient level) consistently to build a solid physique and quality lean muscle tissue. There are no short-cuts and it takes willpower and commitment to eat right. If you occassionally eat some junk food, it is OK as long as it doesn't become a regular habit. Building a physique naturally and correctly takes time. You can't rush it. If you go into this with your current mentality, then the only option is to load up on steroids and eat whatever you want. You will get huge, strong, and lean(er) very quickly. You will also lay the foundation for future health problems, mess up your endocrine system, and lose it all once you come off the juice. You know both Scott's and my opinion and advice on this subject.

John

Thanks to John for covering these questions and the ones prior to this while I was MIA!! And as usual John has the answers you need 😁 

Wanting to get big is great.. but that's no reason to fill yourself with junk because as a natural athlete, you can't get away with eating like crap yet looking incredible. In moderation, sure, it's OK to treat yourself now and then.. but it should only be limited and if anything it should be like a cheat meal, not a cheat day.

Use this list as an idea of what foods you should fill your diet with: http://muscularstrength.com/article/healthy-shopping-list-for-life

And if you haven't already, go to the @mealplan page so you can figure out how many calories you should be aiming for daily.

Hey Scott

Recently when i train my legs feel weird. First i get out of breath, later in my workout i get cold sweat, later in my workout i get back rings for my eyes/dizzy, and lastly i am out in the barthroom "Vomming" in the toilet. Soon afterwards i feel nice and can wourkout again.

Keep in mind:

1. it only happens when i train legs, not pull/push day but it isnt every time i workout legs this happens. sometimes i only get some of the symptomes.

2. i drink a lot of water both before and when working out

Have you heard about this before or do you have a solution to this?

Also how much water do you recormmend drinking while working out?

Merry chistmas

Hey Scott

Recently when i train my legs feel weird. First i get out of breath, later in my workout i get cold sweat, later in my workout i get back rings for my eyes/dizzy, and lastly i am out in the barthroom "Vomming" in the toilet. Soon afterwards i feel nice and can wourkout again.

Keep in mind:

1. it only happens when i train legs, not pull/push day but it isnt every time i workout legs this happens. sometimes i only get some of the symptomes.

2. i drink a lot of water both before and when working out

Have you heard about this before or do you have a solution to this?

Also how much water do you recormmend drinking while working out?

Another question: When am i supposed to train traps? on my pullday or my pushday?

Nicolai

It could be one of 3 things:

1) You are pushing too hard and/or holding your breath when you are squatting.

2) If you are doing high-bar squats and resting the bar against your neck, you could be pinching your carotid arteries - especially if you tilt your head back when you squat - and impedeing the blood flow to your head.

3) You are drinking too much water and have mild hyponatremia. Hyponatremia causes the symptoms you have described and can kill you. Your kidneys can only process so much water. When you overload the system by drinking too much, you get the symptoms you have described.

You shouldn't over-hydrate and drink too much water - especially when you squat or deadlift. The core contracts strongly when squatting and deadlifting such that the pressure on your stomach could cause you to vomit. Your body will tell you when you need a drink of water - it is called "thirst". Don't overthink it just drink more water when you are thirsty.

I train traps with Back so they are on my Pull day. The choice is yours. Some people train Traps with Shoulders. Shoulders are in my Pull day as well so either way Traps are done during my Pull days.

John

hey Jmboiardi.

Thank a lot man.

I tested reason number 3 and you were right. It worked and i had an amazing workout. i clearly owerthinked it.

You really helpem me out the man

keep up the good work :)

Excellent. Glad I could help.

John

Hey Scott

My ribs are protruding through my skin. Is there anything i can do to mak it less seable?

Is the cause of it only down to genetics or?

-Nicolai

It's probably just because of a low body fat percentage and not enough mass around your serratus. You can build that with some oblique work, and dumbbell pull overs as well as push-ups will hit the serratus quite a bit as well. Check out the video below for some exercises to fill it out more!

Heu scott

thank you once again :)

You're welcome @Nicolaisc50 😊 

Hey Scoot i am back again :)

1. Should i be training to failure every time I train and in every set? and why? And how does this effetcs my CNS?

2. How does masturbating effects my testosterone level and my muscle gainz?

3. Recently when i benchpress i have som shoulderpain, eventhough warm up my shoulders, i retract my scapular and have very little elbow flare out. How can i get rid of the shoulder pain?

Nicolai

I'm gonna chime in on the cortisol discussion. I have a fairly indepth underdstanding of cortisol, and more practically the HPA axis. This is mostly because my body doesn't actually produce any cortisol on its own, so I've had to figure out the right replacement dose for myself. Then, also through studying human biology, phisiology, and pathophysiology while in college. Most articles floating around the fitness community on cortisol levels and training, are drive-by science at best. But, usually they're statements made by those who really aren't qualified to speak on the subject. The human body is incredibly responsive, and adaptive. If you consistently train hard for long periods of time, your cortisol levels will normalize. That is, if they ever actually spiked. It takes a considerable amount of stress to trigger any significant "cortisol spike". People training below the elite level would be unlikely to expereince elevated cortisol from a training session. For a young healthy person, there really is no limit to their training potential. If you think there is, take a look at college athletes. School, homework, strength and conditioning training, practice, scrimmages, and games all occuring daily/weekly for most of the year. Yet, they develop from sub-elite to professional level athletes all while under a phenomenal amount of stress. Find your own limits in your training, there are no set rules that will tell you how your body will respond. If you suspect you're overtraining to the point that cortisol is affecting progress, check yourself for the following symptoms following a training session:

Fatique (greater than what you'd expect)

Decreased concentration

Low libido

Swelling of the hands and feet

Insomnia

Irratibility

High blood pressure

If these sort of things are happening, you're probably over doing it on the training and need to dial it back a bit. But, this is very unlikely to be the case unless your workout is ridiculously punishing.