Greenville Gains Podcast: Episode 2

In this podcast episode, the host discusses different variations of the big three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. He explains that while these lifts are great for getting strong, they are not necessary for most people unless they are powerlifters or specifically want to focus on them. He suggests alternatives for each lift to reduce strain on joints and prevent injuries. For squats, he recommends switching to hack squats for less stress on the lower back. For bench press, he suggests using dumbbells instead of a barbell for less strain on the shoulders. And for deadlifts, he recommends either trap bar deadlifts or Romanian deadlifts as safer alternatives. The host emphasizes the importance of being open-minded and trying different exercises to find what works best for each individual. Yo, yo, yo, what's up Gains fam? This is Evan Levy and welcome to the official Greenville Gains podcast. Here we'll be discussing lifting, nutrition, business and mindset along with many other topics in the future. Today on episode two, we'll be talking about lifting. So I see a lot of people lately, they're very dogmatic about their lifting, you know, especially the big three, squat, bench and deadlift. Now, just to give you guys a little background, I'm a former competitive powerlifter, I've done five meets, you know, I used to love these lifts and I think they're great, they're good for getting strong, but it's not the end-all be-all of lifting. There's a lot more to lifting than just squat, bench and deadlift. So unless you're a powerlifter and actually competing or you just want to really focus on them for, you know, one of your phases, I don't think they're necessary for most people. You know, you look at most bodybuilders, they don't even do these lifts anymore because they are so strenuous on your joints and central nervous system and bodybuilders are the leadest most jacked people on the planet. You know, you can get super strong and super jacked without using these big three lifts. You know, over time with your lifting program, you can't just keep doing the same thing anyway. Variations are key, you know, for longevity, so it's safer on your joints, it's more fun, keeps things interesting and it prevents injuries over time. So here are three variations on the big three basics that might feel better for you. So number one is switching from a barbell squat to a hack squat. So for people like me with lower back injuries, the squat is like, it's a nightmare. I mean, it hurts, it hurts your back, you're not really feeling much in your legs. A lot of people love barbell squats. I personally don't, I used to, but at a certain point, I didn't have the mobility to even get into the position in the first place with my shoulders and then every time I squatted, my back would hurt. So for people like me out there, I know there's a bunch of you with lower back problems, doing a barbell squat might not be your best bet. So what I would recommend is switching to a hack squat. With hack squats, it's much easier to keep the form, you're not limited by other muscles like your abs, your lower back, your upper back, not limited by shoulder mobility and there's much more emphasis on your quads instead of just taking, you know, focusing on your hamstrings and your glutes. And once again, there's a lot less stress on your lower back. So overall, if you're just trying to be in shape, lean, build muscle, that sort of thing, I would definitely recommend hack squats over barbell squats for all these reasons. I think it's just a lot less strenuous on your joints, a lot less stress on your lower back and it's going to really, really grow a strong lower body, especially your quads. So that's squats. Number two is switching from a barbell bench press to a dumbbell bench press. Now I see a lot of people complain about their shoulders, oh, my shoulder is killing me, I can't bench press anymore. When you're benching with a barbell, your joints are basically locked into place, they're in a fixed position because they're in a straight line on the bar. So if you switch to a dumbbell bench, whether it's a flat or an incline, it's not locked into a fixed position, you can play with different elbow and dumbbell positions and see what's more comfortable for you and it's just less stress on your joints, your shoulders, elbows and wrists and, you know, you can't go quite as heavy as a barbell but I think it's better for hypertrophy anyway, building muscle, because when you use a barbell, you're limited by how far the bar can go to your chest, whereas with dumbbells, the dumbbells can actually come outside your chest, get lower and get more range of motion, more stretch and a better contraction. So I would definitely, I personally prefer dumbbell benching way, way over barbell. I'll still mess with barbell bench here and there, but once again, unless you're a competitive powerlifter, I don't think it's necessarily the best exercise to hit your chest, triceps and shoulders, I think there are better options. And number three, we're talking about deadlifts. Give me one second, I do have kind of a scratchy throat today, so I just got to take a sip of water here. So number three, deadlifts, straight bar deadlifts. Deadlifts are notorious for people hurting their back. I mean, it's over and over, every day I see someone deadlifting, oh my back hurts, I went too heavy, I didn't keep the form. If you're not a competitive powerlifter, I really don't think there's any reason to do straight bar deadlifts. It's just so much strain on your lower back and there are so many variations that you can still work your posterior chain really hard, your lower back, hamstrings and glutes without that unnecessary strain on your back. So it's risk versus reward, right? If something is really high risk, but you're not getting much out of it, then what the hell is the point of doing it? So there are a lot of exercises that you can do instead. For example, you can do a trap bar deadlift. So I'm a big fan of trap bar deadlifts, it's essentially your hips are in a lower position and your torso is more upright, and so therefore it's a safer position for your lower back without having to hinge forward so much. And you can still go heavy. I mean, you can go heavy on trap bar deadlifts, you know, probably heavier than a straight bar deadlift. You also get more quad engagement as well because it's almost like a squat deadlift hybrid. So I would recommend either a trap bar deadlift or if you're just focusing straightly on your posterior chain and not worrying about deadlifting from the ground, I recommend some kind of Romania deadlift, an RDL, either a barbell or a dumbbell. Now, that's what I would recommend as far as, you know, with any kind of deadlift. Straight bar deadlift really, maybe not the best bet, once again, unless you're competing. I would either do a trap bar deadlift or some kind of RDL. Now, just to recap, we talked about switching from a barbell squat. Once again, guys, we talked about switching from a barbell squat to a hack squat, a barbell bench to a dumbbell bench and a straight bar deadlift to a trap bar deadlift or an RDL. So this applies to a lot of exercises too, but these are the biggest examples that I could think of. So, you know, just for future reference, be open-minded and open to new exercises and variations because you never know which exercises you're going to like and feel the most until you try them. So anyway, guys, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. I'm really sorry about my scratchy throat. I'm doing my best here. I'm maybe getting a little run down, but I'll be fine. I'll be good by tomorrow. I'll just get a good night's sleep. I'll be good to go. So if you liked this episode, I hope you got something out of it, got some value from it. Please do me a favor and share this show with your friends and family who might benefit from it as well. So thank you so much, guys, and I'll see you next time. Have a great day and let's keep getting those gains.