Yeah that's the link. I couldn't get it before. But like I said, going with a trusted brand is always your best bet to avoid things like that, and you can see ones like BSN and Optimum Nutrition are both up near the top of the list with 5 stars. So just go with a quality brand and it shouldn't be a major concern my bro!

I don't know heaps about scoliosis, but from what I do know, I believe you're right. I don't think weight training will make it worse, but I think the only way to fix it is surgery.. although if it's only a mild case, then maybe you can rectify it some other way? I would still talk to a specialist about what to do though.

Ok.

By the way Scott do you have any idea why I seem to have a hard time with adding weight on the bench press? I last time got 140x7, today I did push and I got 140x6, and then the spotter had to get it up all the way on the 7th rep. So I made zero progress, and this has happened before too...yet my other lifts are going up...? Even when I temporarily started doing Dumbbell Bench press my weights were going up, I did 50x11 which still wasn't even hard and I am turning the dumbbells too not just pressing up and moving them in a little.

I'm just frustrated with why I get stuck at the same weight for the same amount of reps for the barbell bench press...even Incline Dumbbell bench press is going up and I do that after Bench Press, OHP, and Dips... 😒 

I was able to deadlift 115x8 pretty easily on the last set yesterday, I think my legs from probably tired as hell the first time I deadlifted. So should be able to do 135 next time yay.

What is your opionon on setting up this way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfJ0yKAmYl0 it seems pretty good to me?

And btw should I try to hit 15 dips before I start adding weight?

Thanks.

Hey Scott I know your busy but just hoping you can answer my post above soon. Also a new question I have is what are your thoughts on periodization?

Everyone has weak points man. Maybe you just need to throw some heavier weight on the bar if you have a spotter, and let your body get used to handling that weight. For example, you put 150lbs on, and do as many reps as you can, then get a spot until you hit 7 reps. If you do that for a while, then your body should start to think it needs to adapt to this new weight, and if you move back down to 140lbs, ideally you'll be stronger at it. That's just one option, but also keep in mind you can't always progress every single week. Maybe you aren't warming up enough either, that could be a problem.

And Omar knows his stuff, you can definitely take his advice for the deadlift set up! I would say aim to get at least 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps with bodyweight dips, then aim for adding weight.

I honeslty haven't looked into periodization much, because that's not how I train. I'm sure it can be good, particularly if your goal is strength increases, but that's just not the way I do things.

For warmups I do 5 min treadmill/rowing, shoulder warmup, and then warmup set 45x12, 95x10 and then first set, is this right? I decided just to switch to Dumbbell Bench press and then in a month or so I will switch back but this time I will use either your 7,7,6,4,3 or 5x5. Although I have changed my program from the original I got from the trainer doing bench with 6-8 I have been doing for months so perhaps just adapated to it and that's why it's stuck I guess. I should use 2-3 min rest when I do switch back right since the goal is strength?

So rather than using periodization, you always train by just adding weight or reps and then after a 4-8 weeks you change exercises a bit?

Also is it correct that you should train each set 1-2 reps shy of failure but on the first working set you should try to beat last workout's effort and go to failure? Or do you do it for your last set? It seems weird that some people say last set because after doing 4-5 sets you would be weakest on the last one...

Also a few questions about the stretches:

1. Should you try to increase the time each time you do the stretches, and increase reps on exercises?

2. Once you can do a stretch or exercise easily, should you still keep doing it?

3. Once all of them are easy to do (stretches and exercises) does that mean ATP is gone?

4. Lastly the quad stretch is really hard for me, not the actually muscle, but on the left leg my hand gets tired of holding my leg within less than 60 seconds, what should I do?

The warm-up looks fine. Yes 2-3 minutes is a good target for your rest period when strength training.

Yes that's basically how I train, I very rarely do percentage based training.

Ideally yes, go to 1-2 reps shy of failure, but you do want to progressively overload where you can. Doing an extra rep or an extra set is one method of progressive overload.

If you're not stretching for very long at the moment (say you can't get to 30 seconds for a stretch), then yes work on improving time. You only need to hold a static stretch for 20-30 seconds really. You should always stretch whether it gets easier or not, yes. You will know when it's gone by looking in the mirror my friend. Just keep using the stretches until you start to notice some differences in your posture 😊 

If your hands are getting tired, you just need to keep practicing on getting longer holds each time you do it, just like any other stretch. The more you do it, the better you will get at it.

Thanks Scott for the answer.

I have a few new questions:

1. I just yesterday got 170x5 on deadlifts (yay), however after those, when I went to go do pull ups, it hurt just to hold on to the bar, I could only do 5 reps before my hands just hurt too much, and this stopped me from doing pull ups. So What should I do, is it time to buy some wrist straps? My grip was fine on the deadlifts, just it was pretty much done after finishing them... so should I not use it on deadlifts but use them on pull ups?

2. Can you preform sissy squats on a smith machine? (Since my gym nor do most have a sissy squat machine)

3. Also regarding deadlifts, so my gym only has HEX PLATES, not the round ones. So this means that after each rep I have to spend like 10-15 secs to fix the bar position and then reset my position, so my question is will this hurt the deadlift at all? Any tips you have about this? I heard they are planning on getting round plates but nothing concrete about when :/

4. As for the failure, so you are saying is it correct to go to failure on the FIRST Working set or the LAST working set of an exercise?

5. Also since I am going to do 5x5 for deadlift/squat/bench/OHP is it correct that you find a weight which when you do where the 5th rep is hard, and that you only increase weight when you can get 5 sets of 5 reps with that weight? So as since I got 170 lb on deadlift for 5 sets of 5 reps next workout go up 10lb?

1. Do as many pull-ups as you can WITHOUT straps, and then use them once you really can't do any more because of your grip strength. I talked about this in my video a few weeks ago on grip strength.

2. Yes using a squat machine for your sissy squats is a great idea!

3. Well.. ideally you want to put the weight back down from where you picked it up.. so it shouldn't take too long to reset your position, maybe 5 seconds max to get the hex plates back onto their flat side. But if you can't help it, then there's nothing you can do, and as long as you are still hitting your reps and you're still fatiguing, that's OK.

4. Go to failure on the last set if you are going to go to failure. Like I said before, you typically want to have 1-2 reps left in the tank, because if you go to failure on every set, you'll burn out quickly. And if you fail out on your very first set, it will kind of ruin the rest of your sets.

5. Yes that's right! If you can do 5x5 with a certain weight, it's time to increase it!

Ok thanks. Yeah actually now that I only go to failure on last set it doesn't feel as tiring lol.

What is your opionon on touch and go deadlift vs dead stop? I saw someone do touch n go on youtube and then I tried it yesterday, and it seems like a good idea because then the bar can't rotate and I don't have to waste time getting it back into position on every rep? What are the pros & cons of each and which should I do?

Also when you first started doing front squat did you have any problems with wrist flexibility (holding the bar in the clean position)? How did you fix it?

Thanks

I recommend you do dead stop deadlifts. It's called a 'dead'lift after all - lifting it from that dead stop position is how you should be doing it 😁 I found that you get a lot more engagement through the legs when you actually have a dead stop as well.

To be honest the front squat clean position never really bothered me. But if it is bothering you, you can either do it with your arms crossed, or you can do it with straps. You can put your straps on the bar (not your wrists) and then hold the strap above the bar. It can be good if you have issues getting your wrists comfortable under the bar.

1. Ok I will do dead stops on deadlifts then. Now, I know you can do the front squat with the other grip but it changes the exercise. I meant what stretches will increase my wrist flexibility so I can front squat with the clean grip?

2. I don't know if I ever asked you this, but does the Upright Row lead to shoulder impingment? Jeff made a video a while back showing that the supraspinatus and bicep tendon could be damaged over time doing this excercise. Other people say if you only bring it to your chest it's fine, while others say as long as you grip the bar wide it won't cause impingement so which of these is correct, is it bad, and if not which setup is the safe one to do? And also Jeff seems to do it sort of like a front raise, where as the form that a PT showed me was to bring it up and BACK, so if you bring it back at the same time as up wouldn't it mean you externally rotate the shoulder rather than internally? Lastly if the upright row is bad then why would the high pull/snatch type exercises be any safer as those involve a similiar movement...

Thanks

1. Ok I will do dead stops on deadlifts then. Now, I know you can do the front squat with the other grip but it changes the exercise. I meant what stretches will increase my wrist flexibility so I can front squat with the clean grip?

2. I don't know if I ever asked you this, but does the Upright Row lead to shoulder impingment? Jeff made a video a while back showing that the supraspinatus and bicep tendon could be damaged over time doing this excercise. Other people say if you only bring it to your chest it's fine, while others say as long as you grip the bar wide it won't cause impingement so which of these is correct, is it bad, and if not which setup is the safe one to do? And also Jeff seems to do it sort of like a front raise, where as the form that a PT showed me was to bring it up and BACK, so if you bring it back at the same time as up wouldn't it mean you externally rotate the shoulder rather than internally? Lastly if the upright row is bad then why would the high pull/snatch type exercises be any safer as those involve a similiar movement...

Thanks

1. Changing your grip on the front squat makes no difference to the exercise, except for your grip placement. The bar is still on the front of your body, it's still focusing mostly on the quads, you'll just be holding it a different way. But the best way to get better at the clean position is to keep practicing it. Maybe try some stretches where you bend your hand back and forward as far as you comfortably can as well.

2. If you do upright rows correctly, as I always demonstrate in my videos with them, then you'll be fine and won't need to worry about shoulder impingement. Grip is typically the most important factor - don't have your grip too close. You should be bringing it up and back a bit.

ok.

So just shoulder width grip or like as wide as you grab on bench? And how high to you bring it up? Just to chest level or above?

In the how to upright row video you have a shoulder width grip and bring the bar as high as your neck.

That's right man. Like I said before, if you follow the form I demonstrate, you will be fine 😊 Just make sure you have warmed-up the shoulders properly first, like you should before any workout.

Thanks Scott.

I have been noticing that I feel my shoulders during pull ups, and I saw a few videos which said that even at the bottom you should keep your shoulders packed, rather than letting them relax at the bottom. I assumed since every rep is supposed to start with a dead hang I thought you were supposed to relax the shoulders at the bottom and then before each rep bring them back and then pull. I tried doing pull ups yesterday without relaxing my shoulders and when doing that I didn't feel my shoulders at all? So which way is right then?

Also since my deadlifts are starting to get heavier (Already at 195! For 5x5), so I want to get some wrist straps, however is there anything specific to make sure of before you buy wrist straps? Like size? Any company that's better quality? And also how do wrist straps make the weight eaiser to hold, like how does it make the weight lighter on your grip?

Thanks.