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My client Anna is smashing "the most hated exercise" Bulgarians with 22.5kg dumbbells with perfect form. It's funny when 5'1", 120lbs girl can do them with easy, but big boys in the gym avoid it like the plague.

Dorian Yates just posted he’s grown in height at 63. If anyone else said it, I’d ignore it. But I believe him 100%. I was 5’11” my entire life. Now there’s hope I’ll be a 6-foot mega chad.

Good morning, X. Let’s start this Sunday with some straight-shooter kind of humor. Mike Israetel: “I’m bigger and stronger than Mike Mentzer.” Dorian Yates: “A bag of shit that gets bigger is just a bigger bag of shit. Still a bag of shit.”

Good morning, X. Why is it that the better I do here, the more people tell me I’m going to die prematurely? Those two guys are still alive, so why would I die?

It's not all about big muscles, or is it? When you spend a couple of years lifting, you realize it becomes something more than a physical challenge. Visits to the gym become part of your lifestyle, and you find solace in being there with your thoughts, undisturbed, and sometimes alone. It’s mental now. It gives you joy, and you're just happy to be there. The gym is more than just a place to build muscle; it’s like a sanctuary, an asylum from everyday noise. I’ve watched gym rats for so long and seen how they are immersed in their routines. Many train almost every day, and they aren’t primarily concerned about being bigger or much stronger. They just love being there, doing their curls, incline presses, triceps pushdowns, and other exercises. They love the pump, the feeling of resistance, the sense of belonging to this world of iron. Working out is much more than hitting PRs, getting jacked, or achieving a strong deadlift and bench. For many, the gym is an escape, a place of freedom. It's where you can leave behind the stress and chaos of daily life and focus on yourself. You are in the present. The clanging of weights, the rhythm of your breath, the pump and burn in your muscles,- these sensations help you forget your worries and negative emotions. You are fully absorbed in the act of lifting, being ‘here and now,’ and it makes you feel good. In the gym, progress isn’t always measured by the weights you lift or how big you are, but by the positive changes you create in your inner state. Outsiders may call it an addiction, and I agree it is—kind of. A ‘healthy addiction’? It might sound like an oxymoron to them. They don’t get it, but those for whom working out in the gym is a lifestyle understand. It’s not only about big muscles and heavy lifts; it’s a part of who we are, and most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.

Would be nice to see the squat video, we all know what 4 plates look like in a picture.

Hit a new PR on biceps curls today 6 clean, solid reps.

One thing I love seeing in the gym is a young loner completely focused on his training. No friends, no group workouts, no distractions and chatting between sets. Just this young boy... lifting, pumping, and quietly resting... getting ready for the next set. It’s a rare sight nowadays, but when I spot it, I recognise it straight away. And I know that if he stays on track, it’s only a matter of time… In a few years, this young man will be bigger and better than the rest of his peers.

Little update from my client’s cut. Anna’s come a long way.

Lifetime with no parole, and no access to a gym — for this.

Some lifters—especially those in their 40s and up—would seriously benefit from understanding this: Higher rep range doesn’t mean light. It doesn’t mean just a “pump set.” It doesn’t mean easy. Quite the opposite, it's very challenging. That misconception—and the close-mindedness that sometimes comes with it—has cost many lifters quality gains. Chasing heavier and heavier weights in low rep ranges to trigger hypertrophy has its ceiling... both in terms of progress (which inevitably slows, because you can’t get stronger forever), and injury risk, especially when this is the only way you train. For lifters in their 40s and up, this becomes even more important. Connective tissue that’s been overused for years, or decades is more vulnerable to injury. When you’ve built strength through years of lifting, and your body’s a bit beat up from only heaviest loads.. you can (and should) start incorporating higher rep ranges into your training. Use your strength to max out those new ranges and build more quality muscle.

Bulk at 30 vs recent cut at 45. 🙈

Flex Friday That's a 230lbs of lean Polish muscle with a Joker smile, just for you. Took me only 16 years to look like that. A little perspective for those who want their fizik tomorrow.

Why do higher reps work for legs? Perhaps the man himself could convince you that no one has ever built a set of world-class wheels using only sets of 4-6 reps.

3 plates, 40-something second pause. Wasn't in mood for high reps today so did some singles....

If your legs are smaller than his, you’re legally required to follow him. Consider it a free investment in your bodybuilding future.

My client Anna is smashing "the most hated exercise" Bulgarians with 22.5kg dumbbells with perfect form. It's funny when 5'1", 120lbs girl can do them with easy, but big boys in the gym avoid it like the plague.

Little update from my client’s cut. Anna’s come a long way.

Is it fair to refuse coaching to someone I don’t like? I had some unpleasant experiences with this guy in the past—nothing major that affected me too much, but enough to form a negative impression. He was expelled from the gym, then returned apologizing and asking for a second chance. Now he wants me to coach him. My gut feeling says no, and so does my girlfriend. Second chance or no?

Question for the optimal bros: Am I cheating too much here?

Dorian Yates just posted he’s grown in height at 63. If anyone else said it, I’d ignore it. But I believe him 100%. I was 5’11” my entire life. Now there’s hope I’ll be a 6-foot mega chad.

Quick one for all the bros: If they made a PED, peptide, whatever — something you could take, never hit the gym, ignore nutrition, eat whatever you want, and still have the physique you want… Would you take it?

Hit a new PR on biceps curls today 6 clean, solid reps.

Back here now. It’s been a heavy time, and still is. My mother rests now — in peace. Grateful for your kindness under my last post. I wrote a lot; emotional, painful stuff, but kept it to myself. Not sure X is the place for it. Maybe I’m not ready for it. One day, maybe… Moving forward, one day at a time.

What is your main driver for going to the gym? If your sole motivation is physical appearance, you may only go so far. If 'the look' is all you want, you may find it hard to sustain internal drive for too long. You see pictures of the best in the game and think, "I want to look like them." Are you willing to be as passionate as they are? A great physique, a truly outstanding body, can only be achieved if you love the process without expecting instant rewards. It demands years of pure commitment to effort and patience. It demands enjoyment in pushing your body to places it has never been before. What you see in the mirror is a 'side effect' of how passionate you are about training. Training is always first, it's above all else. For me, working out, not the mirror, has always been the main driver for going to the gym.

It's not all about big muscles, or is it? When you spend a couple of years lifting, you realize it becomes something more than a physical challenge. Visits to the gym become part of your lifestyle, and you find solace in being there with your thoughts, undisturbed, and sometimes alone. It’s mental now. It gives you joy, and you're just happy to be there. The gym is more than just a place to build muscle; it’s like a sanctuary, an asylum from everyday noise. I’ve watched gym rats for so long and seen how they are immersed in their routines. Many train almost every day, and they aren’t primarily concerned about being bigger or much stronger. They just love being there, doing their curls, incline presses, triceps pushdowns, and other exercises. They love the pump, the feeling of resistance, the sense of belonging to this world of iron. Working out is much more than hitting PRs, getting jacked, or achieving a strong deadlift and bench. For many, the gym is an escape, a place of freedom. It's where you can leave behind the stress and chaos of daily life and focus on yourself. You are in the present. The clanging of weights, the rhythm of your breath, the pump and burn in your muscles,- these sensations help you forget your worries and negative emotions. You are fully absorbed in the act of lifting, being ‘here and now,’ and it makes you feel good. In the gym, progress isn’t always measured by the weights you lift or how big you are, but by the positive changes you create in your inner state. Outsiders may call it an addiction, and I agree it is—kind of. A ‘healthy addiction’? It might sound like an oxymoron to them. They don’t get it, but those for whom working out in the gym is a lifestyle understand. It’s not only about big muscles and heavy lifts; it’s a part of who we are, and most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.

People see a picture with above-average physique, and the first thing that crosses their mind is, ‘he is not natty.’ I see it from a bodybuilder’s perspective, and I don’t care who is natty and who's not. Even so, I can possibly understand "their concern" if the guy in the picture is a bodybuilder or some jacked fitness model. Do you remember Ryan Gosling in ‘Barbie’? How the fu.. do they know? And even if Ryan took something, he still looks like a little natty boy regardless. Soon, we’ll reach the point when everybody with a blurred six-pack and shaved chest will be called ‘on gear.’ Clueless, jealous, lazy idiots will point fingers at everyone who takes care of their physical appearance. It’s all gear and gear only. Everybody in shape or bigger than "normal" is a cheater or liar. Training, nutrition, discipline? These things are of secondary importance. It’s all juice. Sad way to cope with their own insecurities and self-image issue. I don't give a fu.. if Ryan Gosling was natty in Barbie. Do you?

Good morning, X. Let’s start this Sunday with some straight-shooter kind of humor. Mike Israetel: “I’m bigger and stronger than Mike Mentzer.” Dorian Yates: “A bag of shit that gets bigger is just a bigger bag of shit. Still a bag of shit.”

I’m not criticising anyone, maybe I just don’t understand… but how in hell can some of you train legs 3 times a week? How do you even recover from that?

"If you're doing hip thrust, and you're a man. Go change your tampon." Lee Priest

Good morning, X. Why is it that the better I do here, the more people tell me I’m going to die prematurely? Those two guys are still alive, so why would I die?

Jay Cutler? Clueless. Ronnie Coleman? Clueless. Nasser El Sonbaty? Clueless. Frank Zane? Also clueless. Dorian Yates used the Nautilus pullover—but recommends the dumbbell pullover if your gym doesn’t have the machine. Shall I go on? Just because you can’t feel them in your lats—and don’t know how to fix it—doesn’t mean the people who can are clueless.