@Ben Yanes Okay, so how would you rate this workout? 1. Hip thrusts at the start of the week (squeeze-focused lower glute exercise) 2. Glute-style leg press (stretch-focused lower glute exercise, not letting knees come forward to avoid making it quad-dominant) 3. Single-leg press with upper torso slightly across the body (stretch-focused upper glute exercise) Btw, I didn't forget the hip abduction machine (squeeze-focused upper glute exercise), I just don't like it, whether it's the stretch or the clunky feeling. I might do it sometimes at the end of my lower-body workout, but I won't focus much on it. Does this sound solid? I intentionally paired squeeze- and stretch-focused exercises for both upper and lower glutes. 8 And is there one more exercise for any other glute part I'm missing? Like the side glutes (or whatever else)? TBH, I find all the glute muscles, maximus, minimus, medius, etc., pretty confusing, so I'm leaving it to the expert. Hope this covers everything and I don't need anything else!

@Ben Yanes Oh, right, got it. So if I’m doing the exercise with proper form, where the movement comes from the hips and not from twisting the torso, and I keep the upper body fixed so that rotation is purely from the hips… in that case, it won’t really give much stimulus to my obliques, right? And one last question: to target the side glutes, should I focus on a pure frontal‑plane motion like kickbacks, or is it better to use a frontal motion with a slight forward/cross‑body component, like on the hip abduction machine? Cuz I can add only one of them into my routine.

@Keeve Wong hey thanks keeve, for this precious information and for helping me out on this.

@Ben Yanes Okay, I totally agree with you, but then why do I feel a bigger stretch when I go a little higher, like in option 3?

Hey ben, I’m genuinely open to both approaches, but I’m trying to understand one core thing clearly: in the long run, do bulk-and-cut and main-gaining lead to roughly the same total muscle gain, or does one meaningfully outperform the other? If the difference is real and significant, if let's say bulk and cut clearly leads to greater hypertrophy over time, then I want to know that cuz then I'll be willingly to make that choice intentionally. At this point, my training, nutrition, and recovery are all well-dialed in. I’m not exaggerating here; I’ve been disciplined and consistent for over two years, and my progress has been steady and measurable. Right now, I’m essentially main-gaining. My body fat stays stable (around 12–15%), my lifts continue to improve, and aesthetically I’m very comfortable where I am. Even if I’m not particularly large, I genuinely like my physique. Staying lean matters to me, and realistically, cuz without the use of PEDs, I don’t expect dramatic or rapid muscle gains anyway (I will be a life long natty). Because of that, I believe maintaining roughly ~12% body fat is a sweet spot for me. Muscle absolutely enhances a physique, but beyond a certain point (bodybuilders are the extreme example) and leanness often contributes more to overall aesthetics. Please correct me if my thinking is off here. So ultimately, that’s what I’m trying to decide: if long-term muscle gain is broadly similar between main-gaining and bulk-and-cut, I’ll happily continue main-gaining, because it aligns with my aesthetics, mindset, and how I feel in my body. But if bulk and cut offers a clear hypertrophy advantage over time, then I’m prepared to prioritize that approach for the next few years and adjust accordingly.

Ben, I can imagine where you’re coming from. These days, so much of what people learn about fitness, rehab, or even general health comes from the internet, and the content we’re exposed to is usually either overly basic or wildly exaggerated. And honestly, when platforms reward sensationalism, it’s not surprising. I’ve noticed a pattern across many fields, not just training and rehab, where information is presented in what I call a “70/30 ratio”: about 70% truth or fundamentals to keep people grounded, and 30% exaggeration, oversimplification, or certainty to get attention, views, and clicks. That 30% is what often turns normal variation into a ‘problem’ and creates strong but misleading narratives that people latch onto. And when millions of voices repeat confident claims, even if they’re inaccurate, their volume tends to outweigh the smaller number of voices promoting nuance and uncertainty. Just like lifting weights: no matter how perfect your form is with 5 kg, the person lifting 100 kg will still draw more eyes. Scale and volume have influence, for better or worse. So yeah, I fully get why these rigid systems frustrate you. They don’t just simplify, they overpromise, create dependency, and make people feel broken when they’re not. And once someone buys into that framework emotionally, it becomes really hard for them to question it or step out of it. But yes, I’d love to hear more from you, how do you feel about all of this, and how does all of this make you feel?

Also our government banning TikTok in India was probably the only best decision they made and that actually helped our collective IQ, that platform was a factory for exaggerated, misleading fitness takes and filled with self-proclaimed “experts” that turn bullshit into content and calling it education.

I’ve heard that thumb pulling can help develop facial structure (some people even call it “mewing 2.0”). Even though a lot of people say it doesn’t work, those are often the same people who believe mewing does work, so why wouldn’t thumb pulling work too? In fact, it seems like a more direct and powerful way to influence the jaw. Of course, I don’t think it’s going to completely transform someone into Brad Pitt or anything like that, but I do think it could bring some noticeable changes. Anyway, that’s just my point of view, no w I’m curious to see what Ben has to say about this.