There's a lot more detail I can get into with variable resistance research, so feel free to let me know if want to see that. Again where I'm coming from (and I've said this to John) is that I do sincerely like the product for what it is and give him credit for inventing this product category. Despite not agreeing with all the claims/business practices, I don't mind promoting it because I'm using it in some fashion on all of my workouts and is basically the only way I use resistance bands. Also not to mention it's my ideal travel / outdoor workout equipment of choice. It's not a perfect tool but I know from hearing many of you, that it solves various solutions (namely promoting exercise adherence) for your home fitness. With all that said, it you want to pick up a X3 ✴ and support the channel, their biggest deal is right now (which is what I initially paid): www.jdoqocy.com/click-100825257-13511487
Great video, I also have the x3, In one of the total gym videos you did, you had said that the movements were mostly concentric in nature, which I totally agree with-the thing about resistance band training for me is that there also doesn’t seem to be much happening eccentrically, once you get about halfway back to starting position-tension just drops off dramatically, and I sort of miss that part as opposed to using weights. I actually think that the total gym has a more pronounced or consistent negative comparatively, especially if you put resistance bands on it.. have you noticed this with resistance band training?
I knew he ran into a real one coming on here! A professor's life is analyzing studies and this is your field of expertise! Props to you for taking the high road while still professionally standing your ground. This is truly the best fitness channel out there!
For me, the biggest benefit of X3 is that it's allowed me to develop consistency in my resistance training because I'm not constantly nursing a sore elbow or rotator cuff, both of which have deviled me in the past when lifting weights or even doing body weight training. Due to injuries I suffered to my shoulder and right elbow from my days as a not very good pitcher, I'm susceptible to pain in those areas. But after 6 months with X3, not a peep from either joint despite being up to 6x a week with the bar and bands. The results are really starting to show, too, which is great. So whatever the limitations, I'm a fan because the system keeps me working out without injury.
As long as you enjoy it - what can be wrong about it? I never really cared about the claims made about this system. The same goes for the total gym, isokinator and so on. Thanks for constantly making great content Mike!
Very true. I definitely don’t fault an owner of a company promoting and making claims about their product. I think John just loves the product and and doesn’t feel bad speaking his mind.
You dont fault an owner for making false claims and hard selling individuals into his expensive system knowing its not going to work? Are you serious? @@hybridresistance
@bigbird2017 Making a claim like "This is the best" is what's called puffery, and is normal advertising speak, saying "You will get 3x the specific gains of any other system" is a factual claim that's very easily proven or disproven as an overt lie. The X3 bar is a well made product. The claims surrounding a lot of the stuff on the periphery is honstly just culty.
Thats true. in my opinion it all falls back to enjoyment. New fitness products will always make sensational claims. It's up to us to decide whether we will consider them or not. Honestly, you can get a really good session out of a rope if you enjoy using it, because most likely you will then get creative and start using it more often and in different ways.
Man, people are so upset by the Lifting Weights is a Waste of Time book title and general claim. Because John promotes variable resistance, the critics focus on the ‘lifting weights’ part of the sentence instead of the ‘time’ part of the sentence. They hear, “Don’t lift weights. It’s a waste of time,” yet the X3 routine is ten minutes and people don’t connect that the X3 workout is faster than a weight bearing workout. Thus, lifting weights is a waste of time because the X3 routine is faster. How, years later, are people still not getting this? They’re so mad, bro!
Eh, I have an X3 (and the Force bar and the ParaForce bands) and have liked using it but I don't think 10m is realistic. Maybe 20m if you really rush it. Also, you can go fast with weights as well (like Renaissance Periodization has a good video on fast workouts) by doing compound movements, supersets, myoreps, etc. Especially if you have quick-adjust dumbbells. Plus, it just irks me when people are very dogmatic and act like they have the magic method which is way better than everything else. There's always tradeoffs. One disadvantage is being locked into one strength curve. Current research suggests that if your focus is muscle size (vs just strength per se), the best bang for your buck is higher resistance when the muscle is in the stretched position (like "lengthened partials"). Like if you do a standing lateral raise with a dumbbell, it is a similar force curve to bands, where it is toughest at the top. But you can lie on your side to do it instead and invert the force curve. I think the partials that X3 recommends actually helps to make up for this issue, making it better at hypertrophy than it would be otherwise, but you're still expending more energy overall. And as you get stronger, I felt like stacking the bands correctly felt harder, and less consistent. Vs being able to add weight in very small increments if needed with DBs. Plus, look at the new hypertrophy program that they released. It has new exercises, more sets per exercise, etc. It is not the quick workout that was original proposed as "the way". But in the book, he presents that original method as making him totally blow up with muscles. Why is this new program needed if the original program was already supposed to be more effective at muscle-building than traditional weightlifting? Anyway, I feel like the X3 is made very well and is a good quality product, but I don't think it is magic or the best thing for all situations.
@@ShawnFumo The 10 minute angle was marketing. Jaquish recently came out with a hypertrophy program that takes much longer. I never did the 10 minute thing. I always knew that I needed to do multiple sets and even exercises that he didn't mention. Still, if you're having a busy day, doing 10 minutes is better than doing nothing. Also, I think we need to remember that a lot of people who buy the system have never worked out a day in their lives. So 10 minutes, plus cleaning up the diet (although I am not a fan of carnivore, it does eliminate a lot of the junk that people eat) and voila, results.
Great video, Mike. I've had my X-3 system for only two weeks but it has been pretty amazing so far. That being said, I will still be swinging my Adex(Wildman)steel club and my adjustable kettelbells. I've built muscle AND some great endurance using these tools. It has definitely not been a waste of time.
I wholeheartedly agree 💯! Prior to the present day fitness industry including supplements look at the impressive physiques and strength 💪💪 of Old man strength training however there's some validity as to the effectiveness of LVR not the be All end All that John proclaims. I've enjoyed Great results through bodyweight and weight training exercises and working on a sliding bench trainer.
@@hybridresistance I have read DR. Jaquish say Weights are a waste of time as well as Isometrics are a waste and do not work , which leaves out the IsoMax and Bullworker as a useful tool for muscle building. So Weights, Isomax, Bullworker are a waste of time for muscle building to him and only X3 or similar variable resistance builds muscle. I wish you would have asked what he felt about the total gym. It looks like it has built some nice muscle on you. I have an X3 also and have for the pasty few years and use it but the best gains I have ever made was years ago with the Bill Phillips Body for life program using weights. I have yet to see any X3 user compare with what Body for Life did in a 12 to 16 week period.
After using the x3 for a significant amount of time, I just wished more people would just try it out for a reasonable amount of time. My only issue is that the bands are slightly longer than I prefer but there are ways to reduce the length.
I’ve been working out with my x3 for 6 months and couldn’t be any happier.Im 54 and pretty much beat up from all the yrs of lifting weights my knees feel so much better
@@toddblankenship3385 I used it for a few years and do think is has good aspects to it. I do want to recommend checking out "kneesovertoesguy" for knee stuff though. Using a slant board or rubber wedges to lift your heels and doing very high ROM on squats is a nice thing to do, whether you're using regular weights of bands. Will need to drop the resistance, but strengthening the knees in a very bent position does wonders.
Great video. After I commented on the previous video, I kind of wanted to go back and stress that I wasn't criticizing you or your content. I just prefer more truth in advertising, which I think Dr. Jaquish lacks, but your reviews are always fair and reliable.
I am not familiar with the system but certainly appreciate your balanced evaluation including both the comparisons, pros, cons, and alternative options for maximizing results and making an informed buying decision.
I got back into resistance training with the X3 system but I got it open box. Ive since started going back to the gym and doing kettlebells and weights. I still use the x3 but when travelling. At full price I do think its too expensive for what it is. Excellent channel btw.
I agree with you. The Total Gym or any weight machine has its pros and cons. Free weights have their pros and cons. Resistance bands have their pros and cons. Calisthenics have their pros and cons. They are all vehicles/methods of building strength, muscle and bone density. Why limit yourself to only 1 method? We all can use lots of tools and methods to build muscle and we all respond differently based on our own biological advantages and disadvantages. What matters is what we do with what we have access to. Workout! Have fun! Keep going! You inspired me with both resistance bands and The Total Gym and I love them as much as I love free weights and calisthenics. I'm glad you took a deeper look into his claims and ideas and did your own research. Thank you for your integrity and willingness to explore and share what you found. I really look forward to hearing what the creator of Harambe system might say if you get the chance to interview them. I enjoy your interviews and reviews. Thanks for keeping my mind buzzing and adding to the collection of tools I have to workout with. Maybe one day I'll give the X3 bar, bands and footplate a try. I'll be sure to keep using your affiliate links too this Holiday season.
Thanks so much my friend for that positive and generous comment. Totally agree. I think UA-cam fitness can be taken a little too seriously. I’m all for trying new things, incorporating it, and having a good time in the process.
name a single bodybuilder that has built his physique using bands. Ill give you a hint, its literally zero. If bands actually did build muscle, you would see tons of bodybuilders incorporate it into their routines. None of them use bands because its a fake joke.
@@BigronnieTriceps I been using bands since 2021 and look more decent than most bozos that are iron addicts for years and still look like shit even if they tried doing their favorite bodybuilders workout routine.
@@BigronnieTriceps I don't think bands are as ideal as they could be for hypertrophy due to the force curve, but that doesn't mean they don't work at all, especially if you compensate a bit (like doing partials after tiring at full ROM, since that hits the lengthened muscle more). I think from an overall fatigue standpoint (which becomes a limiting factor for serious bodybuilders), it probably is a bigger issue. For instance a standing lateral raise with a DB is hardest at the top and so acts like a band, and you could do partials on that too, but from current science it seems the most ideal thing would be to do it leaning or even laying on your side, so it is hardest in the lengthened position. This way you get more hypertrophic effect with a lighter weight and less overall fatigue. Still, I have no doubt that people could put on decent muscle with bands. You probably wouldn't go pro with it, but most people don't need that anyway. And plenty of people with regular weights sabotage themselves by not having enough protein, not having a calorie surplus, not getting enough sleep, overtraining, etc. no matter what modality they use. If you do those other things right and are consistent about your training, you're probably going to grow no matter what, even if it isn't the most optimal way to do it. If bands make it easier/safer for someone to do regular resistance training, vs them getting derailed with some other method, then that is an overall good thing for them.
Pretty good follow up to a good interview (hopefully that second one will happen)! A few points I have… 1. I’m surprised neither of you brought up the aspect of recovery/injury with respect to X3, which is a big selling point for many people, especially those who already have injuries. That would definitely be a point of interest in a second interview! I pretty much never get sore using X3, going as heavy as I can! 2. I’m surprised you didn’t advise that older gentleman about the Serious Steel bands, especially since they do have the orange and purple bands that are much lighter (for those who are unable to use the white band). And for shorter folk like me, the 32” bands are a must. That’s one aspect of the X3 system I enjoy, is that it evolves with not only the knowledge and experience of Dr Jaquish but also the other users; so it’s always a helpful, supportive community. 3. When you cited that study that concluded no difference in the two methods, I was surprised that you just cited the authors’ conclusions but didn’t make mention of the study data supported the conclusion, as we know sometimes authors can manipulate such information for various purposes. I know you said this video was just a superficial follow up, but it’d be interesting to see if you could dive more into studies like these, especially to study if the data indeed support the conclusions.
I’m not going to say that the X3 system is not good, and may not be better than lifting weights, but to stand there, and say, lifting weights is a waste of your time is a bald face lie, because for centuries, this was mankind only way of building strength And I’m sorry most people who just stick with a great regular routine of lifting weights will tend to gain strength
Great discussion. I think therabands for rehab is spot on. After surgery or trauma. You do feel weak. I torn an ankle bad and those bads needed to be gentle. The variability for x3 needs to be increased. A few bands seems like not enough. I'm not in the market for this product. I have an old set of "gym in a bag". Forgot the name, thrift store find. It has 8 bands all with handles. round bands, smooth texture. I grip it in various ways to shorten them up. The angle on the wrists is ok. Jaquish say's that's bad. Probably. It's appealing because you don't always need 1,000 pounds of weights to get going. The x3 looks like some nice wide bands for the press. But the others look like one size for all sizes. Not ideal. It can pump for sure if you work it right. For travel and some power, maybe good. I'm a body weight cali type and think you can get into lots of different moves. I do remember the total gym. Chuck norris sold that thing with huge success. It felt a bit herkey jerkey for me. A little noisy. I used headphones and workout to John Meadows videos (mountaindog) He had it going on. The tips and tricks work for me. My biggest tip of muscle and building is. Get of the darn junk food. I ate like garbage for 40 years and never built any sizeable muscle. Now it magically shows up. With even less effort than before. junk food for me is (seed oils and sugar), that's it. I eat all sorts of carbs and saturated fat. High protein of course. Some good science on the poly and mono saturated fats has been researched by peter "hyperlipid" local insulin resistance on the cellular level. not systemic level. It can block muscle building, increases inflammation. I'm pretty sure this is correct based on my results. also on "body builder" diets that everyone knows about, there is no junk.
Thank you, Mike, for your review and honest thoughts. I got the Total Gym Fit because of you (and I made sure to use your affiliate link), and even though I powerlift and powerbuild-your expertise on exercise science just makes a lot of sense. It seems that you are a walking demonstration. The situation with Dr. Jaquish are his bold claims that really don’t have much weight behind them (pun intended). His statements are more so marketing claims to move his product, make the ridiculous margins (pretty sure he has very high margin on each of his “systems” sold), and to sucker people who are wanting to train into going with his system. Have you looked into flywheel training by chance?
Thank you. I've looked into a few things, just not sure where to pull the trigger on trying it out. I was eyeing the handy gym, but that seems like I'd need two. I'm open to suggestions for sure.
@@hybridresistance The handy gym seems too expensive and too noisy based on reviewers. I was going to build a flywheel trainer out of swamp cooler parts at Home Depot (about $100 in parts, axel, bearings, etc.) but I can't get over the gimmick factor and inability to measure progress. Plus you need two, one for the floor and one on the vertical. I got bands, bar, and board instead.
X3 definitely works but once you hit the cap on your beginner gains, your momentum will slow down dramatically. I've used X3/Harambe with the 1-Set/8 exercise split, and I was growing albeit very slowly. (1-2 centimeters of circumference per month, I'm still too fat so I couldn't really determine muscle gains in pounds) I switched over to Isokinator and my growth has been much faster, especially in my pecs On the band quality, the 41's are from Serious Steel, they're just rebranded. The problem is the ground plate. The way the finish grips the outer layer of the band causes it to tear. (harambe ground plate for the win, you should know Mike, I see it behind your Mac Board)
I don’t think the bands are serious steel as I have those bands, and they are a thinner cut. Know doubt they may come from the same factory in Sri Lanka though. As far as the ground plate I personally don’t think they have any impact on the bands as I’ve use multiple different sets of bands on the ground plate and they don’t have the same wear as the stock X3 bands do. I did review the Harambe plate and the only issue I have with that one are the bands likes to slip around. I was told I can use their conditioning butter, but I didn’t really want to go through an extra step. That’s the main reason I don’t use that foot plate though. That and I also prefer a narrower footplate having the line of pull directly centered under a thinner bar, but I will be reviewing their new footplate, so I will keep you posted on that.
I do like bands as an adjunct to calisthenics to add resistance to movements to enhance effects and reduce the number of sets/reps before reaching failure and thus save time. I prefer to use something akin to your Amazon setup, though.
Thanks for your professional opinion and I think the x3 can be an additional training tool besides other equipment like free weights and a sliding bench but not replace and say that lifting free weights is a waste of time ! Thanks Mike for the video.
Thanks man. My " Band, Board, Bar" program and video I highlight it's use with other modes as ideal or a great option alongside basic movement patterns.
Really good video! I have been working out exclusively for one year and one month with resistance bands only and gained +14 kg of weight during that time (muscle mass + some added fat as well, been around at 17 % bf), I think it works pretty well. But as stated in one of the studys, to compare variable resistance training against weights the testing period needs to be over a longer period of time. I will complete working out another year with resistance bands only and compare after that and maybe move on to some weights to have another stimulous. My setup consist of a Step plattform, Innstar bar with triangle hooks, J hook handles and Rogue Monster Bands. The only issue I have with this setup, the Rogue Bands cannot really be used for overhead Presses, because they overstretch and get micro tears. So I do them seated on the plattform, as well as triceps overhead extensions. But they are still good for the height of a front Squad. If I had a narrow bar like the X3 bar, it would be a issues for pressing movements like the chest press standing, because my triceps would work more than my chest. I do it laying down on the step plattform with my back and use the J hook handles. I can go super heavy that way and come more close to the center, similar to dumbells. I just fall in love with how the variable resistance fully exhauste the muscle and how it feels if used properly with slow movement and enough time under tension. I would like to see more of the scientific stuff behind the variable resistance.
Thanks for sharing all of that and your experiences with your resistance band set up. I know a lot of people using that same situation and add it to their general resistance training routine..
I honestly didn't look into it until a few days ago and I was surprised to see it is not accredited from any of the recognized US accreditations. I honestly took John and others word when I heard it was over the last year. You could say it's "valid", but just not respected among higher education graduate programs. So yes, that rubbed me the wrong way honestly. But to give him some defense there are a lot of examples of a business owners, author, or whatever who have done similar things assumably for business/marketing purposes. Hopefully if I can get him on again, I'll ask about this.
Great interview in the other video, and great follow up discussion here with your thoughts. My experience is that bands are great for travel, and they are safer for solo home use than trying to bench press free weights to failure. I think the band-board-bar systems allow more repeatable tension by fixing the geometry and spacing of the bands (versus using hands and feet). But I agree with James Grage that using hands and feet allows more fine tuning of tension, so I am trying to learn to do that, which lets me travel with even less gear. I don’t know if the LVR helps or hurts, in other words I don’t know that it synchronizes with your natural force curve for every exercise. For one legged squats or deadlifts I am happier pulling up on the bands at the bottom of the lift to even out the tension, and I’ve thought about trying something like the the ISO-flo if I’m essentially providing self resistance anyway. I would love to hear about research in LVR and force curves if it exists. I agree with Jaquish that I was never sure that the Nautilus machines force curve matched human force curves either.
The more I think about the price, the more I realize that the price is totally part of the marketing strategy. If they tried to make the price $250 they wouldn't be able to attract the same up market customers. The high price denoted a sort of exclusivity that people (especially image conscious people) want to be associated with.
I'm not saying your wrong, but I think when you price out the quality of parts (including mark up) you're going to be in the ballpark (especially in the sale now). Their competitors such Harambe are charging the same or more. I did make made a video breaking down the parts. You can certainly make one cheap no question , but here's that video ua-cam.com/video/utzAQtx2CiI/v-deo.html
It's the same with the Harambe system ,i was sitting on the fence to buy the x3 bar but was put off with the way Dr John Jaquish handles his you have to buy the whole setup before you can buy his other accessories and his high price, so i was excited to find Harambe system, well the price was even more than the x3 bar ,a lot more and charges duty taxes too $150 to Australia, shipping $275 all up $1700 Aussie dollar $1088 us and the 4 set band holders were like $275 usa to buy.I would also like to see a review of the Harambe system,just by looking at it i would say the x3 bar would be more tension range of movement.
Thanks for your insight Mike. The X3 is better than doing no training, and some people might just prefer resistance bands. However, NO professional athletes endorse this product, as well as no body builders. If it were such a great product, I’m sure there would be a few high level advocates. Resistance training will work, and may be a smart, viable choice to fit people with lifestyle that doesn’t allow for traditional weight training. Personally, I think it’s WAY overpriced. To each his own.
I can’t do the front squat or ahead press even with the lightest band and so have to use free weights and Bulgarian split squats. Otherwise all good but also enjoy some body weight exercises and other weights too.
Thanks Mike , send me a link to your program and I’ll buy if there’s a fee to use it. I lifted free weights 6 nights a week when I was in my 40’s and 50’s and put on mass and strength , I needed to because of my career 25 years as a LEO and SWAT team member on the east coast NJ/NY. Many critical incidences that I got involved in and it has taken a toll on my body. I’m in my late 60’s now and need to get back into the weights with other training equipment to add versatility to the workouts. Thanks again for doing the follow up video.
I feel like the best way to use bands it to attach them to barbells to create a strength curve that more naturally matches our bodies. I don’t think just using bands are enough over time.
I think the over the top marketing probably turns people off (it did for me). The range of motion is a bit short on some movements even as a 6ft tall guy. Even if the claims aren’t totally accurate, drinking the cool aid has its benefits in terms of results. And agree that they should include a lighter band like harambe, I can see the lightest band being heavy for some people on some movements. Overall, I bought it because it takes up little space and is portable. The shortcoming could be remedied by buying some shorter bands and supplementing with calisthenics if necessary.
I think you nailed a very important point that relates to all fitness products, programs, and even supplements. And that is that relief in the system will yield greater results. But that’s just also the power of marketing.
I just submitted a comment so I thought as I didn't see it posted so im going to try again. Dr john does make some valid points in reference to LVR but it's not the be All end All as he states as I've successfully trained with weights and bodyweight with Great results.
I think Mike that the x3 is now how many years old & I think possibly dr j needs just an upgraded product. Better footplate maybe harambe style & obviously different band lengths like u said. It’s a no brainier to see if he did this & also allow access to individual purchases he would get this product out to more people to enjoy x3 just like we do & of course he will make more sales
Interestingly, it seems like they did just start to have an option for diff band lengths, as well as an easier band than the defaults. The ParaForce ones are also a bit shorter than the normal ones.
The one thing I miss , is what you can’t do with the X3, is lat pull downs. Have you done a review on the Grabby bar? Thank you for another great video.
I haven't tried it but it would seem to me that you could anchor a band high (door anchor, or wall anchor) and do lat pulldown's ua-cam.com/video/6rHkApp5vj4/v-deo.html
In one of my videos, I show how my alternate pull exercise with the X3 is a pull down with the straps set up over my pull up bar. It is worth noting that X3 is relatively safe as the bands won’t snap and hit you in the face if they do break. So that might be a risky exercise.
As far as I know, the body recognizes increases in mechanical tension instantly, no matter what matter of resistance is applied. It will adapt. Weights, bands, it doesn’t matter. That guy was just promoting his product As far as I am concerned. To say weight lifting causes no results is crazy. For him to say most of the gym goers are out of shape people maybe kinda true, but thats cause, either A, there beginners, or B, there diet is terrible, C, there training needs work, or D some combination of A threw C. You can have the worst genetics and still get into shape. Your just not gonna be Arnold.
Because this is more about Jaquish's claims, I was curious about a claim he made on his supplement Fortagen. The claim is Fortagen is 5x more efficient than "standard protein sources," and 10g (4 calories) of it is the same as taking 50g of a whey protein supplement. I've seen other EAA manufacturers make similar claims like "Your body only uses 35% of whey." Fortagen takes it even further though by saying "standard protein sources." There are definitely terrible quality whey proteins out there, but even then they usually only overstate the protein on their labels by 30%...70% seems like a much better number than then 20% (10g = 50g) of Jaquish's claim. He links a study while claiming "In studies, just 18% of whey protein was utilized by the body." But when I read the study, there's nothing that seems to imply this. In fact charts and the conclusion of the study seemed fairly positive about whey unless it was looking at just whey powder used in baking. Maybe I'm misreading the study, but it seems to say you get full asorption of whey protein. Is there something to an EAA product like Fortagen, or is this just marketing hype? Cause I gotta say this is really incredible that I could get 25% of my daily protein intake for just 4 calories, but it seems too good to be true to me.
@@hybridresistance Interesting. Putting aside any claims of percents of absorption, the no calories thing doesn't seem to hold up. I did see one website which had an interesting factoid that US regulations say that if you just have pure amino acids, you can't list that on the nutrition label as protein. So they can put down 0 protein, 0 carbs, 0 fat, which is 0 calories, even though it may actually have calories from the AAs. It sounds like calories of amino acids is similar to protein in general of like 4kcal per gram. It doesn't make sense from a logical level anyway. I've heard that if you take around your max usable protein (say 1g / 1lb bodyweight) and divide that by three, that's about the max your body can use toward muscle in a single sitting, and the rest goes to energy use or fat. So say you took EAAs and filled up all the usable protein and then had some eggs. All of the protein from the eggs would go toward energy uses instead of building muscle, so it'd be effectively the same as if you had a bunch of egg protein and then the eggs. And if it takes your body extra energy to break down regular food protein into AAs and process waste products, doesn't that mean the food protein would use up more energy overall?
I’m 5’5 I heard this will not be good for me because the bands are like 40” long, so I hear it’s good for tall people but not short people. What’s your thoughts
He claims to be on TRT due to not being able to produce any on his own from a rugby accident and that gets him into the normal T range. I have been on TRT for 15 years to get me into the normal T range. I don't even look like his two years before photo, more like his purchaser's before photos. TRT is not a "miracle muscle builder for no effort" crutch but it does give you a fighting chance to be your normal. Now if he was on a dose 10-50X the normal dose, then that is a different story. The "R" stands for replacement, not overdose. Ask your endocrinologist whether his muscles are due to TRT or his hard work and genes.
Bands have less threat to body injury, compared to traditional weight. You can't exactly drop a band on your toe. Overhead movement in the wrong direction and then loose control, should be less prone to injury with bands. It can happen either way. But the risk is reduced, so the person in theory would go heavier than free weights. They don't need the stability muscles as much to push harder than free weights. Free weights can pull you away and out of alignment and into injury. A beginner would go way less to get the from down, like me. So the results can be quicker with bands. How did they measure the results. With free weights after bands. To better measure lifting capacity. Band weight measurements has to be complicated.
Maybe its just me but doing the presses for chest with such a short bar is mainly just hitting triceps and shoulders without much chest activation .. Especially if you have wide shoulders and long arms like myself ..Its almost like doing close grip pushups and wondering why you arent feeling your pectorals...Did you notice this?
Good points and you do feel that in your tris for sure, but what's burns out first for me during the presses even with the narrow bar, are my delts. I do have the longer bar which I like as well.
Do the attachments at the end of the bar where the bands hook on rotate as you perform a movement or are they stationery which puts more strain on the wrist
I'd say to hold on for one week brother. I got some Harambe info coming very soon. I would say for the cheapest, it's going to be hard to beat x3's sale right now as I know Harambe won't be having one. With that said you can save 10% off Harambe using "slidingbenchtrainer".
I just started with the X3 so can't speak to long-term effect, but re: the older subscriber who couldn't do the overhead press, why not try it from a squat position?
As I have relatively advanced arthritis, the lower body exercises do not seem doable Years ago there was a expensive machine that advertised 4 minutes of exercise equal to an hour. Way overpriced
Good video; I read his book and own the X3 system (2 weeks old!) ; Dr J is clearly very commercial in a lot of his statements and he admits himself the title of the book was to be as provocative as it could be...which led to 200k sales rather than being completely ignored. The bands have some big advantages in terms of portability and it appears from most of the feedback that they help avoid/prevent joint damage and injuries associated to free weights ; to me the biggest fallacy of his claims though, ignoring the ones about comparisons between bands and weights , lies in his nutrition advice: eating 3 big steaks a day !!!??? High cholesterol is not an issue ...??? Come on...
@@sydneybird116 oh dear ...you must have read the same literature Dr J read 😱most likely secretly funded by Mr Chicken and Mr Burger. Blood cholesterol levels are clearly increased by eating dietary cholesterol. In other words, putting cholesterol in our mouth means putting cholesterol in our blood, and it may also potentiate the harmful effects of saturated fats. The intake of trans fats, which come mostly from junk food and animal products; saturated fat, mostly from dairy products and chicken; and cholesterol, coming mostly from eggs and chicken, should be as low as possible. For more than a century, we’ve known that cholesterol may be associated with cancer proliferation. It was recently discovered that 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC) is a cholesterol metabolite that can function as an estrogen and increase the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, as well as stimulate prostate cancer cell proliferation. So, it isn’t necessarily the cholesterol, but what cholesterol turns into; oxidized cholesterol may play a role in the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer. In USA the medical expenditure comparison between vegetarians and omnivores shows a clear difference in inpatient and outpatients care costs ; specifically this refers to hypertension, diabetes , dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) , renal disease, coronary heart disease and even depression. There are even studies showing what happened to vegetarians when they started to eat meat; they all developed the following increased risks : 231% weight gain, 166% diabetes, 152% stroke, 146% CHD (coronary heart disease). So no thank you : I will stick to my strict whole food plant based lifestyle which I have adopted 6 years ago; my blood levels are essentially perfect across the whole range ; at 58 I don't take any medicines and I still train as I did in my thirties; and if you think you can't build muscles on a plant based diet google Nimai Delgado and draw your own conclusions.
You definitely can. My suspicion is it isn't as "optimal" as some other methods, but consistency trumps everything else. Also, while you can "recomp" a bit when first starting out, eventually you generally do need more of a bulking/cutting cycle where you have a calorie surplus to build muscle and then a deficit to lose fat while keeping your muscle. Neither side has to be extreme (like could do 0.5lb per week increase when gaining and 1lb per week loss during cutting)
This really gets into the school of high intensity training. If you’re interested in this, do some searches on Mike Mentzer and the Body by Science book to find some starting points . But yes, that certainly is a possibility if your workouts/recovery is programmed in a certain way, but this is also a heavily debated topic among resistance training.
how many current bodybuilders do this style of training? 1 hard set and thats it. Its literally none. So many people getting scammed here its sad.@@hybridresistance
I am referring to his comment that his average force rate per workout increased seven fold (from 10,000 to 70,000) by switching his training frequency from multiple times a week to once a week. Am I misinterpreting the meaning of that metric?
I'm not sure what you're talking about or if it's on a particular model or video, but you certainly can load bands on these machine to point where you can't get even pull off more than 2 reps. Really depends on the type of bands, where they're placed, and how much resistance you want to add.
The "irony" about JJ is that HE IS the very thing that he supposedly despises, three times as much strength/size using his "system" eh!!!??? PLEASE!!! LOL!!!
Yeah I listened to an interview by that dude and pretentious indeed. He also had a habit of interrupting in conversation which bugs the eff out of me. Probably an effective tool but not convinced this way is the only, superior way.
Mike, thanks for the video and content. You state on your site you have an impressive background in higher education as well as a masters and PhD. Are you able to share more information about your credentials I.e. where you were educated/ where you currently teach? Understandably, privacy is an issue so I want to respect that. But it would help substantiate your claims as well as provide credibility for your perspectives on the reasearch interpretation from Dr J.
I got an interview coming up on another channel where I get into this. But yes, the privacy is the main issue that I learned early on why I keep those two worlds separate. Of course with my clients, I'm more than open to share my credentials. Regardless, I try not to focus too much on the science on this channel and really stress the practical applications about keeping home fitness fun for ideal exercise adherence.
@@hybridresistance A valid and understandable reason. The channel definitely caters to practical applications of exercise. I always appreciate hearing about the data backing up training principles. Glad to know your training methods consider the current research. Thanks for the reply!
@@chineseasianperson No problem at all brother. If the rest of the internet was as respectful as you, I'd open up about a lot of things. Another thing I really want to stress on the channel is to not take fitness so seriously to point where a certain way of training is religion. Even with Dr. J, I walk a fine line where some people hate / love him so when I talk about him (or x3) it can trigger an emotional response. I do respect the business he built and do give him slack on presenting research to support his product. Many companies do similar practices, but possibly not just to the level he goes. I hope to get him back on in the future if he's up for it.
@@hybridresistance Funny, you're now the third Dr. Mike that seems good on UA-cam (also Renaissance Periodization and Doctor Mike channels). Feel like you all would get along as well!
Jaquish cherry picks his so called research. Bands don’t produce strength like weights. They force curve is backwards. The weakest portion of the lift and stretch portion is where muscle is made. Not the last few inches. Have you looked at his pics? Crazy. All of them are photoshopped.
I don’t necessarily fault him for using research studies to promote his product as a lot of companies will do similar actions. Possibly it might be that he is just the most outspoken and is seeing some bold claims. I did have actually a recent study on deck showing strength curves and biceps growth being more beneficial at the lowest position but yes, I think there are some deficits using variable resistance only strength training.
I've met him in person, he does look like the way he does in his pics in real life....for crying out loud, he even has up to date videos of himself through Facebook and Instagram...gtfoh with this "Photoshop" nonsense....
And you're wrong about bands not producing strength like weights. I started using the x3 in late August of 2021 and I went to a local Golds Gym with a friend and did a workout at the flat bench. The last time I did any bench pressing was early 2021 and my heaviest bench was 335 for 1 rep, for a work set I was only able to get to 300lbs for 12 solid reps. When I went with my buddy to get on the bench to see how much I could bench of my old working weight I was able to get 20 clean reps benching 300 lbs and did 10 1/2 reps of the 335lbs that I only was able to do 1 rep with, and mind you this is over 2 years of no benching, no weight training, and just pure resistance band training. The point training with bands, if you got a decent routine, will give you massive gains.
There's a lot more detail I can get into with variable resistance research, so feel free to let me know if want to see that. Again where I'm coming from (and I've said this to John) is that I do sincerely like the product for what it is and give him credit for inventing this product category. Despite not agreeing with all the claims/business practices, I don't mind promoting it because I'm using it in some fashion on all of my workouts and is basically the only way I use resistance bands. Also not to mention it's my ideal travel / outdoor workout equipment of choice. It's not a perfect tool but I know from hearing many of you, that it solves various solutions (namely promoting exercise adherence) for your home fitness. With all that said, it you want to pick up a X3 ✴ and support the channel, their biggest deal is right now (which is what I initially paid): www.jdoqocy.com/click-100825257-13511487
Yes please, would love some longer form more detail into the research. Really liked the interview as well.
What are your thoughts on Harambe System? It has better foot plate too
@@Zipfreer I did review the foot plate in my foot plate video, but I do plan on reviewing their new T-bar bundle in the near future.
Would love to see a video that goes more in-depth into variable resistance training.
Great video, I also have the x3,
In one of the total gym videos you did, you had said that the movements were mostly concentric in nature, which I totally agree with-the thing about resistance band training for me is that there also doesn’t seem to be much happening eccentrically, once you get about halfway back to starting position-tension just drops off dramatically, and I sort of miss that part as opposed to using weights.
I actually think that the total gym has a more pronounced or consistent negative comparatively, especially if you put resistance bands on it.. have you noticed this with resistance band training?
I knew he ran into a real one coming on here! A professor's life is analyzing studies and this is your field of expertise! Props to you for taking the high road while still professionally standing your ground. This is truly the best fitness channel out there!
I don't know about "the best", lets just say "pretty good" (Larry David voice).
For me, the biggest benefit of X3 is that it's allowed me to develop consistency in my resistance training because I'm not constantly nursing a sore elbow or rotator cuff, both of which have deviled me in the past when lifting weights or even doing body weight training. Due to injuries I suffered to my shoulder and right elbow from my days as a not very good pitcher, I'm susceptible to pain in those areas. But after 6 months with X3, not a peep from either joint despite being up to 6x a week with the bar and bands. The results are really starting to show, too, which is great. So whatever the limitations, I'm a fan because the system keeps me working out without injury.
Definitely. You can't beat the simplicity of their system as that's one of the biggest selling points I hear from people.
As long as you enjoy it - what can be wrong about it? I never really cared about the claims made about this system. The same goes for the total gym, isokinator and so on.
Thanks for constantly making great content Mike!
Very true. I definitely don’t fault an owner of a company promoting and making claims about their product. I think John just loves the product and and doesn’t feel bad speaking his mind.
You dont fault an owner for making false claims and hard selling individuals into his expensive system knowing its not going to work? Are you serious? @@hybridresistance
@bigbird2017 Making a claim like "This is the best" is what's called puffery, and is normal advertising speak, saying "You will get 3x the specific gains of any other system" is a factual claim that's very easily proven or disproven as an overt lie. The X3 bar is a well made product. The claims surrounding a lot of the stuff on the periphery is honstly just culty.
Thats true. in my opinion it all falls back to enjoyment. New fitness products will always make sensational claims. It's up to us to decide whether we will consider them or not. Honestly, you can get a really good session out of a rope if you enjoy using it, because most likely you will then get creative and start using it more often and in different ways.
Man, people are so upset by the Lifting Weights is a Waste of Time book title and general claim. Because John promotes variable resistance, the critics focus on the ‘lifting weights’ part of the sentence instead of the ‘time’ part of the sentence. They hear, “Don’t lift weights. It’s a waste of time,” yet the X3 routine is ten minutes and people don’t connect that the X3 workout is faster than a weight bearing workout. Thus, lifting weights is a waste of time because the X3 routine is faster. How, years later, are people still not getting this? They’re so mad, bro!
Eh, I have an X3 (and the Force bar and the ParaForce bands) and have liked using it but I don't think 10m is realistic. Maybe 20m if you really rush it. Also, you can go fast with weights as well (like Renaissance Periodization has a good video on fast workouts) by doing compound movements, supersets, myoreps, etc. Especially if you have quick-adjust dumbbells. Plus, it just irks me when people are very dogmatic and act like they have the magic method which is way better than everything else. There's always tradeoffs.
One disadvantage is being locked into one strength curve. Current research suggests that if your focus is muscle size (vs just strength per se), the best bang for your buck is higher resistance when the muscle is in the stretched position (like "lengthened partials"). Like if you do a standing lateral raise with a dumbbell, it is a similar force curve to bands, where it is toughest at the top. But you can lie on your side to do it instead and invert the force curve. I think the partials that X3 recommends actually helps to make up for this issue, making it better at hypertrophy than it would be otherwise, but you're still expending more energy overall. And as you get stronger, I felt like stacking the bands correctly felt harder, and less consistent. Vs being able to add weight in very small increments if needed with DBs.
Plus, look at the new hypertrophy program that they released. It has new exercises, more sets per exercise, etc. It is not the quick workout that was original proposed as "the way". But in the book, he presents that original method as making him totally blow up with muscles. Why is this new program needed if the original program was already supposed to be more effective at muscle-building than traditional weightlifting?
Anyway, I feel like the X3 is made very well and is a good quality product, but I don't think it is magic or the best thing for all situations.
@@ShawnFumo The 10 minute angle was marketing. Jaquish recently came out with a hypertrophy program that takes much longer. I never did the 10 minute thing. I always knew that I needed to do multiple sets and even exercises that he didn't mention.
Still, if you're having a busy day, doing 10 minutes is better than doing nothing. Also, I think we need to remember that a lot of people who buy the system have never worked out a day in their lives. So 10 minutes, plus cleaning up the diet (although I am not a fan of carnivore, it does eliminate a lot of the junk that people eat) and voila, results.
Great video, Mike. I've had my X-3 system for only two weeks but it has been pretty amazing so far. That being said, I will still be swinging my Adex(Wildman)steel club and my adjustable kettelbells. I've built muscle AND some great endurance using these tools. It has definitely not been a waste of time.
I wholeheartedly agree 💯! Prior to the present day fitness industry including supplements look at the impressive physiques and strength 💪💪 of Old man strength training however there's some validity as to the effectiveness of LVR not the be All end All that John proclaims. I've enjoyed Great results through bodyweight and weight training exercises and working on a sliding bench trainer.
Thanks man. I think once someone tries it, it's hard to not say it can't be a useful tool and good addition (especially for home fitness).
@@hybridresistance I have read DR. Jaquish say Weights are a waste of time as well as Isometrics are a waste and do not work , which leaves out the IsoMax and Bullworker as a useful tool for muscle building. So Weights, Isomax, Bullworker are a waste of time for muscle building to him and only X3 or similar variable resistance builds muscle. I wish you would have asked what he felt about the total gym. It looks like it has built some nice muscle on you. I have an X3 also and have for the pasty few years and use it but the best gains I have ever made was years ago with the Bill Phillips Body for life program using weights. I have yet to see any X3 user compare with what Body for Life did in a 12 to 16 week period.
@@bobl9949 Absolutely, Sir. 💪🏾💪🏾
@@hybridresistance Mike, we really appreciate your time making these reviews.
After using the x3 for a significant amount of time, I just wished more people would just try it out for a reasonable amount of time. My only issue is that the bands are slightly longer than I prefer but there are ways to reduce the length.
I’ve been working out with my x3 for 6 months and couldn’t be any happier.Im 54 and pretty much beat up from all the yrs of lifting weights my knees feel so much better
@@toddblankenship3385 I used it for a few years and do think is has good aspects to it. I do want to recommend checking out "kneesovertoesguy" for knee stuff though. Using a slant board or rubber wedges to lift your heels and doing very high ROM on squats is a nice thing to do, whether you're using regular weights of bands. Will need to drop the resistance, but strengthening the knees in a very bent position does wonders.
I'm sticking with the total gym with my weight adapter bar. HIIT . More variety of exercises
Great video. After I commented on the previous video, I kind of wanted to go back and stress that I wasn't criticizing you or your content. I just prefer more truth in advertising, which I think Dr. Jaquish lacks, but your reviews are always fair and reliable.
No offense taken at all. Thank you for the kind words and for watching.
I am not familiar with the system but certainly appreciate your balanced evaluation including both the comparisons, pros, cons, and alternative options for maximizing results and making an informed buying decision.
The best exercise is one that you stick with. The fact is most of us cannot outrun the fork. 80% of the work is done in the kitchen.
True statements.
I got back into resistance training with the X3 system but I got it open box. Ive since started going back to the gym and doing kettlebells and weights. I still use the x3 but when travelling. At full price I do think its too expensive for what it is. Excellent channel btw.
Thanks so much.
I agree with you.
The Total Gym or any weight machine has its pros and cons.
Free weights have their pros and cons.
Resistance bands have their pros and cons.
Calisthenics have their pros and cons.
They are all vehicles/methods of building strength, muscle and bone density.
Why limit yourself to only 1 method? We all can use lots of tools and methods to build muscle and we all respond differently based on our own biological advantages and disadvantages.
What matters is what we do with what we have access to. Workout! Have fun! Keep going! You inspired me with both resistance bands and The Total Gym and I love them as much as I love free weights and calisthenics.
I'm glad you took a deeper look into his claims and ideas and did your own research. Thank you for your integrity and willingness to explore and share what you found.
I really look forward to hearing what the creator of Harambe system might say if you get the chance to interview them. I enjoy your interviews and reviews. Thanks for keeping my mind buzzing and adding to the collection of tools I have to workout with.
Maybe one day I'll give the X3 bar, bands and footplate a try. I'll be sure to keep using your affiliate links too this Holiday season.
Thanks so much my friend for that positive and generous comment. Totally agree. I think UA-cam fitness can be taken a little too seriously. I’m all for trying new things, incorporating it, and having a good time in the process.
name a single bodybuilder that has built his physique using bands. Ill give you a hint, its literally zero. If bands actually did build muscle, you would see tons of bodybuilders incorporate it into their routines. None of them use bands because its a fake joke.
@@BigronnieTriceps I been using bands since 2021 and look more decent than most bozos that are iron addicts for years and still look like shit even if they tried doing their favorite bodybuilders workout routine.
@@BigronnieTriceps I don't think bands are as ideal as they could be for hypertrophy due to the force curve, but that doesn't mean they don't work at all, especially if you compensate a bit (like doing partials after tiring at full ROM, since that hits the lengthened muscle more). I think from an overall fatigue standpoint (which becomes a limiting factor for serious bodybuilders), it probably is a bigger issue. For instance a standing lateral raise with a DB is hardest at the top and so acts like a band, and you could do partials on that too, but from current science it seems the most ideal thing would be to do it leaning or even laying on your side, so it is hardest in the lengthened position. This way you get more hypertrophic effect with a lighter weight and less overall fatigue.
Still, I have no doubt that people could put on decent muscle with bands. You probably wouldn't go pro with it, but most people don't need that anyway. And plenty of people with regular weights sabotage themselves by not having enough protein, not having a calorie surplus, not getting enough sleep, overtraining, etc. no matter what modality they use. If you do those other things right and are consistent about your training, you're probably going to grow no matter what, even if it isn't the most optimal way to do it. If bands make it easier/safer for someone to do regular resistance training, vs them getting derailed with some other method, then that is an overall good thing for them.
Pretty good follow up to a good interview (hopefully that second one will happen)!
A few points I have…
1. I’m surprised neither of you brought up the aspect of recovery/injury with respect to X3, which is a big selling point for many people, especially those who already have injuries. That would definitely be a point of interest in a second interview! I pretty much never get sore using X3, going as heavy as I can!
2. I’m surprised you didn’t advise that older gentleman about the Serious Steel bands, especially since they do have the orange and purple bands that are much lighter (for those who are unable to use the white band). And for shorter folk like me, the 32” bands are a must.
That’s one aspect of the X3 system I enjoy, is that it evolves with not only the knowledge and experience of Dr Jaquish but also the other users; so it’s always a helpful, supportive community.
3. When you cited that study that concluded no difference in the two methods, I was surprised that you just cited the authors’ conclusions but didn’t make mention of the study data supported the conclusion, as we know sometimes authors can manipulate such information for various purposes. I know you said this video was just a superficial follow up, but it’d be interesting to see if you could dive more into studies like these, especially to study if the data indeed support the conclusions.
Thank you for expressing all these comments. I'll be referring back to these in the future when I cover this or interview John again.
@@hybridresistanceWould love to hear more on point 1.
I’m not going to say that the X3 system is not good, and may not be better than lifting weights, but to stand there, and say, lifting weights is a waste of your time is a bald face lie, because for centuries, this was mankind only way of building strength And I’m sorry most people who just stick with a great regular routine of lifting weights will tend to gain strength
Great discussion. I think therabands for rehab is spot on. After surgery or trauma. You do feel weak. I torn an ankle bad and those bads needed to be gentle. The variability for x3 needs to be increased. A few bands seems like not enough. I'm not in the market for this product. I have an old set of "gym in a bag". Forgot the name, thrift store find. It has 8 bands all with handles. round bands, smooth texture. I grip it in various ways to shorten them up. The angle on the wrists is ok. Jaquish say's that's bad. Probably. It's appealing because you don't always need 1,000 pounds of weights to get going.
The x3 looks like some nice wide bands for the press. But the others look like one size for all sizes. Not ideal. It can pump for sure if you work it right. For travel and some power, maybe good. I'm a body weight cali type and think you can get into lots of different moves.
I do remember the total gym. Chuck norris sold that thing with huge success. It felt a bit herkey jerkey for me. A little noisy. I used headphones and workout to John Meadows videos (mountaindog) He had it going on. The tips and tricks work for me.
My biggest tip of muscle and building is. Get of the darn junk food. I ate like garbage for 40 years and never built any sizeable muscle. Now it magically shows up. With even less effort than before. junk food for me is (seed oils and sugar), that's it. I eat all sorts of carbs and saturated fat. High protein of course. Some good science on the poly and mono saturated fats has been researched by peter "hyperlipid" local insulin resistance on the cellular level. not systemic level. It can block muscle building, increases inflammation. I'm pretty sure this is correct based on my results. also on "body builder" diets that everyone knows about, there is no junk.
You're right on that when you cut down some of that weight / fat, you will start to see that muscle much easier.
Thank you, Mike, for your review and honest thoughts.
I got the Total Gym Fit because of you (and I made sure to use your affiliate link), and even though I powerlift and powerbuild-your expertise on exercise science just makes a lot of sense. It seems that you are a walking demonstration.
The situation with Dr. Jaquish are his bold claims that really don’t have much weight behind them (pun intended). His statements are more so marketing claims to move his product, make the ridiculous margins (pretty sure he has very high margin on each of his “systems” sold), and to sucker people who are wanting to train into going with his system.
Have you looked into flywheel training by chance?
Thank you. I've looked into a few things, just not sure where to pull the trigger on trying it out. I was eyeing the handy gym, but that seems like I'd need two. I'm open to suggestions for sure.
@@hybridresistance The handy gym seems too expensive and too noisy based on reviewers. I was going to build a flywheel trainer out of swamp cooler parts at Home Depot (about $100 in parts, axel, bearings, etc.) but I can't get over the gimmick factor and inability to measure progress. Plus you need two, one for the floor and one on the vertical. I got bands, bar, and board instead.
X3 definitely works but once you hit the cap on your beginner gains, your momentum will slow down dramatically. I've used X3/Harambe with the 1-Set/8 exercise split, and I was growing albeit very slowly. (1-2 centimeters of circumference per month, I'm still too fat so I couldn't really determine muscle gains in pounds)
I switched over to Isokinator and my growth has been much faster, especially in my pecs
On the band quality, the 41's are from Serious Steel, they're just rebranded. The problem is the ground plate. The way the finish grips the outer layer of the band causes it to tear. (harambe ground plate for the win, you should know Mike, I see it behind your Mac Board)
I don’t think the bands are serious steel as I have those bands, and they are a thinner cut. Know doubt they may come from the same factory in Sri Lanka though. As far as the ground plate I personally don’t think they have any impact on the bands as I’ve use multiple different sets of bands on the ground plate and they don’t have the same wear as the stock X3 bands do. I did review the Harambe plate and the only issue I have with that one are the bands likes to slip around. I was told I can use their conditioning butter, but I didn’t really want to go through an extra step. That’s the main reason I don’t use that foot plate though. That and I also prefer a narrower footplate having the line of pull directly centered under a thinner bar, but I will be reviewing their new footplate, so I will keep you posted on that.
I do like bands as an adjunct to calisthenics to add resistance to movements to enhance effects and reduce the number of sets/reps before reaching failure and thus save time. I prefer to use something akin to your Amazon setup, though.
Thanks for your professional opinion and I think the x3 can be an additional training tool besides other equipment like free weights and a sliding bench but not replace and say that lifting free weights is a waste of time ! Thanks Mike for the video.
Thanks man. My " Band, Board, Bar" program and video I highlight it's use with other modes as ideal or a great option alongside basic movement patterns.
@@hybridresistance And it's only $5! The best bargain in town! Thanks for putting it together for us.
Really good video! I have been working out exclusively for one year and one month with resistance bands only and gained +14 kg of weight during that time (muscle mass + some added fat as well, been around at 17 % bf), I think it works pretty well. But as stated in one of the studys, to compare variable resistance training against weights the testing period needs to be over a longer period of time. I will complete working out another year with resistance bands only and compare after that and maybe move on to some weights to have another stimulous. My setup consist of a Step plattform, Innstar bar with triangle hooks, J hook handles and Rogue Monster Bands. The only issue I have with this setup, the Rogue Bands cannot really be used for overhead Presses, because they overstretch and get micro tears. So I do them seated on the plattform, as well as triceps overhead extensions. But they are still good for the height of a front Squad. If I had a narrow bar like the X3 bar, it would be a issues for pressing movements like the chest press standing, because my triceps would work more than my chest. I do it laying down on the step plattform with my back and use the J hook handles. I can go super heavy that way and come more close to the center, similar to dumbells. I just fall in love with how the variable resistance fully exhauste the muscle and how it feels if used properly with slow movement and enough time under tension. I would like to see more of the scientific stuff behind the variable resistance.
Thanks for sharing all of that and your experiences with your resistance band set up. I know a lot of people using that same situation and add it to their general resistance training routine..
Awesome, man. I've got some rogue handles similar to those j hooks. Great for chest press workouts.
@@thomaskennedy7842Check out LeCardio handles, even the green band from rogue fit in, really useful!
As a researcher, what is your assessment of Rushmore University and the validity of a PhD issued by an unaccredited institute of higher learning?
I honestly didn't look into it until a few days ago and I was surprised to see it is not accredited from any of the recognized US accreditations. I honestly took John and others word when I heard it was over the last year. You could say it's "valid", but just not respected among higher education graduate programs. So yes, that rubbed me the wrong way honestly. But to give him some defense there are a lot of examples of a business owners, author, or whatever who have done similar things assumably for business/marketing purposes. Hopefully if I can get him on again, I'll ask about this.
Great interview in the other video, and great follow up discussion here with your thoughts.
My experience is that bands are great for travel, and they are safer for solo home use than trying to bench press free weights to failure. I think the band-board-bar systems allow more repeatable tension by fixing the geometry and spacing of the bands (versus using hands and feet). But I agree with James Grage that using hands and feet allows more fine tuning of tension, so I am trying to learn to do that, which lets me travel with even less gear.
I don’t know if the LVR helps or hurts, in other words I don’t know that it synchronizes with your natural force curve for every exercise. For one legged squats or deadlifts I am happier pulling up on the bands at the bottom of the lift to even out the tension, and I’ve thought about trying something like the the ISO-flo if I’m essentially providing self resistance anyway. I would love to hear about research in LVR and force curves if it exists. I agree with Jaquish that I was never sure that the Nautilus machines force curve matched human force curves either.
Thanks so much, great comment my friend. Thanks for brining all this up
The more I think about the price, the more I realize that the price is totally part of the marketing strategy. If they tried to make the price $250 they wouldn't be able to attract the same up market customers. The high price denoted a sort of exclusivity that people (especially image conscious people) want to be associated with.
I'm not saying your wrong, but I think when you price out the quality of parts (including mark up) you're going to be in the ballpark (especially in the sale now). Their competitors such Harambe are charging the same or more. I did make made a video breaking down the parts. You can certainly make one cheap no question , but here's that video ua-cam.com/video/utzAQtx2CiI/v-deo.html
It's the same with the Harambe system ,i was sitting on the fence to buy the x3 bar but was put off with the way Dr John Jaquish handles his you have to buy the whole setup before you can buy his other accessories and his high price, so i was excited to find Harambe system, well the price was even more than the x3 bar ,a lot more and charges duty taxes too $150 to Australia, shipping $275 all up $1700 Aussie dollar $1088 us and the 4 set band holders were like $275 usa to buy.I would also like to see a review of the Harambe system,just by looking at it i would say the x3 bar would be more tension range of movement.
Thanks for your insight Mike. The X3 is better than doing no training, and some people might just prefer resistance bands. However, NO professional athletes endorse this product, as well as no body builders. If it were such a great product, I’m sure there would be a few high level advocates. Resistance training will work, and may be a smart, viable choice to fit people with lifestyle that doesn’t allow for traditional weight training. Personally, I think it’s WAY overpriced. To each his own.
@@mickeydell4310 definitely a fair enough comment and one that I am mostly on board with. Thank you so much for the comment and for watching.
I can’t do the front squat or ahead press even with the lightest band and so have to use free weights and Bulgarian split squats. Otherwise all good but also enjoy some body weight exercises and other weights too.
Thanks Mike , send me a link to your program and I’ll buy if there’s a fee to use it. I lifted free weights 6 nights a week when I was in my 40’s and 50’s and put on mass and strength , I needed to because of my career 25 years as a LEO and SWAT team member on the east coast NJ/NY. Many critical incidences that I got involved in and it has taken a toll on my body. I’m in my late 60’s now and need to get back into the weights with other training equipment to add versatility to the workouts. Thanks again for doing the follow up video.
It's in the gray box under the video, click "more" and go to the bottom. Worth much more than $5.
Thanks my friend and thank you so much for your service. Send me an email and I will hook you up for your service to community.
I feel like the best way to use bands it to attach them to barbells to create a strength curve that more naturally matches our bodies. I don’t think just using bands are enough over time.
I think the over the top marketing probably turns people off (it did for me). The range of motion is a bit short on some movements even as a 6ft tall guy.
Even if the claims aren’t totally accurate, drinking the cool aid has its benefits in terms of results. And agree that they should include a lighter band like harambe, I can see the lightest band being heavy for some people on some movements.
Overall, I bought it because it takes up little space and is portable. The shortcoming could be remedied by buying some shorter bands and supplementing with calisthenics if necessary.
Ideal set up for variable resistance is probably a rack with band pegs, but cost and space is prohibitive.
I think you nailed a very important point that relates to all fitness products, programs, and even supplements. And that is that relief in the system will yield greater results. But that’s just also the power of marketing.
I wonder if Mac could make a hinged foot plate that is 36”x 24” that folds to 18x24 for portability? Or even just comes in 2 parts?
I just submitted a comment so I thought as I didn't see it posted so im going to try again. Dr john does make some valid points in reference to LVR but it's not the be All end All as he states as I've successfully trained with weights and bodyweight with Great results.
I think Mike that the x3 is now how many years old & I think possibly dr j needs just an upgraded product. Better footplate maybe harambe style & obviously different band lengths like u said. It’s a no brainier to see if he did this & also allow access to individual purchases he would get this product out to more people to enjoy x3 just like we do & of course he will make more sales
I agree with you on all the above.
Interestingly, it seems like they did just start to have an option for diff band lengths, as well as an easier band than the defaults. The ParaForce ones are also a bit shorter than the normal ones.
Would love to see you review a grabby bar system and see how it stacks up.
The one thing I miss , is what you can’t do with the X3, is lat pull downs. Have you done a review on the Grabby bar? Thank you for another great video.
I haven't tried it but it would seem to me that you could anchor a band high (door anchor, or wall anchor) and do lat pulldown's ua-cam.com/video/6rHkApp5vj4/v-deo.html
In one of my videos, I show how my alternate pull exercise with the X3 is a pull down with the straps set up over my pull up bar. It is worth noting that X3 is relatively safe as the bands won’t snap and hit you in the face if they do break. So that might be a risky exercise.
@@hybridresistance ok I will check it out, thank you for the information, I appreciate it.
As far as I know, the body recognizes increases in mechanical tension instantly, no matter what matter of resistance is applied. It will adapt. Weights, bands, it doesn’t matter. That guy was just promoting his product As far as I am concerned. To say weight lifting causes no results is crazy. For him to say most of the gym goers are out of shape people maybe kinda true, but thats cause, either A, there beginners, or B, there diet is terrible, C, there training needs work, or D some combination of A threw C. You can have the worst genetics and still get into shape. Your just not gonna be Arnold.
Great comments and points all around my friend. A lot of owners say equally exaggerated claims, but just don’t have the same personality as John.
@@hybridresistance very true
Because this is more about Jaquish's claims, I was curious about a claim he made on his supplement Fortagen. The claim is Fortagen is 5x more efficient than "standard protein sources," and 10g (4 calories) of it is the same as taking 50g of a whey protein supplement. I've seen other EAA manufacturers make similar claims like "Your body only uses 35% of whey." Fortagen takes it even further though by saying "standard protein sources." There are definitely terrible quality whey proteins out there, but even then they usually only overstate the protein on their labels by 30%...70% seems like a much better number than then 20% (10g = 50g) of Jaquish's claim. He links a study while claiming "In studies, just 18% of whey protein was utilized by the body." But when I read the study, there's nothing that seems to imply this. In fact charts and the conclusion of the study seemed fairly positive about whey unless it was looking at just whey powder used in baking. Maybe I'm misreading the study, but it seems to say you get full asorption of whey protein. Is there something to an EAA product like Fortagen, or is this just marketing hype? Cause I gotta say this is really incredible that I could get 25% of my daily protein intake for just 4 calories, but it seems too good to be true to me.
Yes I'm not totally on board that with either. His Fortagen is basically a copy of this, but with more servings I believe map-protein.com/product/map/
It's all a BS "upsell" to pad his wallet
@@hybridresistance Interesting. Putting aside any claims of percents of absorption, the no calories thing doesn't seem to hold up. I did see one website which had an interesting factoid that US regulations say that if you just have pure amino acids, you can't list that on the nutrition label as protein. So they can put down 0 protein, 0 carbs, 0 fat, which is 0 calories, even though it may actually have calories from the AAs. It sounds like calories of amino acids is similar to protein in general of like 4kcal per gram.
It doesn't make sense from a logical level anyway. I've heard that if you take around your max usable protein (say 1g / 1lb bodyweight) and divide that by three, that's about the max your body can use toward muscle in a single sitting, and the rest goes to energy use or fat. So say you took EAAs and filled up all the usable protein and then had some eggs. All of the protein from the eggs would go toward energy uses instead of building muscle, so it'd be effectively the same as if you had a bunch of egg protein and then the eggs. And if it takes your body extra energy to break down regular food protein into AAs and process waste products, doesn't that mean the food protein would use up more energy overall?
I’m 5’5 I heard this will not be good for me because the bands are like 40” long, so I hear it’s good for tall people but not short people. What’s your thoughts
Not to start an argument with anyone, but he is on TRT and that changes everything.
This does have an effect for sure. You’re gonna like a future episode coming up this week.
@@hybridresistance looking forward to it
He claims to be on TRT due to not being able to produce any on his own from a rugby accident and that gets him into the normal T range. I have been on TRT for 15 years to get me into the normal T range. I don't even look like his two years before photo, more like his purchaser's before photos. TRT is not a "miracle muscle builder for no effort" crutch but it does give you a fighting chance to be your normal. Now if he was on a dose 10-50X the normal dose, then that is a different story. The "R" stands for replacement, not overdose. Ask your endocrinologist whether his muscles are due to TRT or his hard work and genes.
Bands have less threat to body injury, compared to traditional weight. You can't exactly drop a band on your toe. Overhead movement in the wrong direction and then loose control, should be less prone to injury with bands. It can happen either way. But the risk is reduced, so the person in theory would go heavier than free weights. They don't need the stability muscles as much to push harder than free weights. Free weights can pull you away and out of alignment and into injury. A beginner would go way less to get the from down, like me. So the results can be quicker with bands. How did they measure the results. With free weights after bands. To better measure lifting capacity. Band weight measurements has to be complicated.
Maybe its just me but doing the presses for chest with such a short bar is mainly just hitting triceps and shoulders without much chest activation .. Especially if you have wide shoulders and long arms like myself ..Its almost like doing close grip pushups and wondering why you arent feeling your pectorals...Did you notice this?
Good points and you do feel that in your tris for sure, but what's burns out first for me during the presses even with the narrow bar, are my delts. I do have the longer bar which I like as well.
Do the attachments at the end of the bar where the bands hook on rotate as you perform a movement or are they stationery which puts more strain on the wrist
The bar does spin around the hooks, but the hooks don’t rotate independently of each other. Hope that answers what you’re asking.
I stuck between the harambe and X3. Do you have a comparison video? Not the boards but about the system?
I'd say to hold on for one week brother. I got some Harambe info coming very soon. I would say for the cheapest, it's going to be hard to beat x3's sale right now as I know Harambe won't be having one. With that said you can save 10% off Harambe using "slidingbenchtrainer".
I just started with the X3 so can't speak to long-term effect, but re: the older subscriber who couldn't do the overhead press, why not try it from a squat position?
I figure that might be tough to hold that vs just buying an off brand lighter band(s)
I think off-brand lighter and/or kneeling work pretty well. Just put a blanket or something down for your knees and it feels fine.
Does it hurt your wrist when doing the chest press, looks like it puts your wrist in a bad position
Yes, please get in the weeds. Love your content.
I will do that in the future, thanks for the support as always!
As I have relatively advanced arthritis, the lower body exercises do not seem doable Years ago there was a expensive machine that advertised 4 minutes of exercise equal to an hour. Way overpriced
I always wondered about that machine.
Good video; I read his book and own the X3 system (2 weeks old!) ; Dr J is clearly very commercial in a lot of his statements and he admits himself the title of the book was to be as provocative as it could be...which led to 200k sales rather than being completely ignored. The bands have some big advantages in terms of portability and it appears from most of the feedback that they help avoid/prevent joint damage and injuries associated to free weights ; to me the biggest fallacy of his claims though, ignoring the ones about comparisons between bands and weights , lies in his nutrition advice: eating 3 big steaks a day !!!??? High cholesterol is not an issue ...??? Come on...
Dietary cholesterol is not a problem. Try carnivore diet for 30 days and you will likely not go back to the way you are eating now.
@@sydneybird116 oh dear ...you must have read the same literature Dr J read 😱most likely secretly funded by Mr Chicken and Mr Burger.
Blood cholesterol levels are clearly increased by eating dietary cholesterol. In other words, putting cholesterol in our mouth means putting cholesterol in our blood, and it may also potentiate the harmful effects of saturated fats.
The intake of trans fats, which come mostly from junk food and animal products; saturated fat, mostly from dairy products and chicken; and cholesterol, coming mostly from eggs and chicken, should be as low as possible.
For more than a century, we’ve known that cholesterol may be associated with cancer proliferation.
It was recently discovered that 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC) is a cholesterol metabolite that can function as an estrogen and increase the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, as well as stimulate prostate cancer cell proliferation. So, it isn’t necessarily the cholesterol, but what cholesterol turns into; oxidized cholesterol may play a role in the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer.
In USA the medical expenditure comparison between vegetarians and omnivores shows a clear difference in inpatient and outpatients care costs ; specifically this refers to hypertension, diabetes , dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) , renal disease, coronary heart disease and even depression.
There are even studies showing what happened to vegetarians when they started to eat meat; they all developed the following increased risks : 231% weight gain, 166% diabetes, 152% stroke, 146% CHD (coronary heart disease).
So no thank you : I will stick to my strict whole food plant based lifestyle which I have adopted 6 years ago; my blood levels are essentially perfect across the whole range ; at 58 I don't take any medicines and I still train as I did in my thirties; and if you think you can't build muscles on a plant based diet google Nimai Delgado and draw your own conclusions.
Hell, who can afford the carnivore diet!? And eating liver, offal, ... nasty AF!
So do you believe X3 can build muscle if your trying to get lean muscle mass?
I think you can build muscle with bands in general, yes. But main thing I'd tell people is don't limit yourself if you don't' have or want to.
You definitely can. My suspicion is it isn't as "optimal" as some other methods, but consistency trumps everything else. Also, while you can "recomp" a bit when first starting out, eventually you generally do need more of a bulking/cutting cycle where you have a calorie surplus to build muscle and then a deficit to lose fat while keeping your muscle. Neither side has to be extreme (like could do 0.5lb per week increase when gaining and 1lb per week loss during cutting)
What did you think about his claim on being stronger by working a muscle only once a week?
This really gets into the school of high intensity training. If you’re interested in this, do some searches on Mike Mentzer and the Body by Science book to find some starting points . But yes, that certainly is a possibility if your workouts/recovery is programmed in a certain way, but this is also a heavily debated topic among resistance training.
how many current bodybuilders do this style of training? 1 hard set and thats it. Its literally none. So many people getting scammed here its sad.@@hybridresistance
He doesn't claim you can get stronger by working a muscle once a week, he claims that you only need ONE SET FOR EACH MUSCLE 3 TIMES A WEEK.
I am referring to his comment that his average force rate per workout increased seven fold (from 10,000 to 70,000) by switching his training frequency from multiple times a week to once a week. Am I misinterpreting the meaning of that metric?
If you look at the video of you doing rows on your sliding bench the bands are contributing nothing as there’s no stretching
I'm not sure what you're talking about or if it's on a particular model or video, but you certainly can load bands on these machine to point where you can't get even pull off more than 2 reps. Really depends on the type of bands, where they're placed, and how much resistance you want to add.
The "irony" about JJ is that HE IS the very thing that he supposedly despises, three times as much strength/size using his "system" eh!!!??? PLEASE!!! LOL!!!
Total gym all the way for me !!!!!
Yeah I listened to an interview by that dude and pretentious indeed. He also had a habit of interrupting in conversation which bugs the eff out of me. Probably an effective tool but not convinced this way is the only, superior way.
Mike, thanks for the video and content. You state on your site you have an impressive background in higher education as well as a masters and PhD. Are you able to share more information about your credentials I.e. where you were educated/ where you currently teach?
Understandably, privacy is an issue so I want to respect that. But it would help substantiate your claims as well as provide credibility for your perspectives on the reasearch interpretation from Dr J.
I got an interview coming up on another channel where I get into this. But yes, the privacy is the main issue that I learned early on why I keep those two worlds separate. Of course with my clients, I'm more than open to share my credentials. Regardless, I try not to focus too much on the science on this channel and really stress the practical applications about keeping home fitness fun for ideal exercise adherence.
@@hybridresistance A valid and understandable reason. The channel definitely caters to practical applications of exercise. I always appreciate hearing about the data backing up training principles. Glad to know your training methods consider the current research. Thanks for the reply!
@@chineseasianperson No problem at all brother. If the rest of the internet was as respectful as you, I'd open up about a lot of things. Another thing I really want to stress on the channel is to not take fitness so seriously to point where a certain way of training is religion. Even with Dr. J, I walk a fine line where some people hate / love him so when I talk about him (or x3) it can trigger an emotional response. I do respect the business he built and do give him slack on presenting research to support his product. Many companies do similar practices, but possibly not just to the level he goes. I hope to get him back on in the future if he's up for it.
@@hybridresistance Funny, you're now the third Dr. Mike that seems good on UA-cam (also Renaissance Periodization and Doctor Mike channels). Feel like you all would get along as well!
Issues listed here are nitpicking really.
Jaquish cherry picks his so called research. Bands don’t produce strength like weights. They force curve is backwards. The weakest portion of the lift and stretch portion is where muscle is made. Not the last few inches.
Have you looked at his pics? Crazy. All of them are photoshopped.
I don’t necessarily fault him for using research studies to promote his product as a lot of companies will do similar actions. Possibly it might be that he is just the most outspoken and is seeing some bold claims. I did have actually a recent study on deck showing strength curves and biceps growth being more beneficial at the lowest position but yes, I think there are some deficits using variable resistance only strength training.
@sprocketdogs4964 he also has a fake Ph.D from Stanford. He actually got it from Rushmore university, which is a known diploma mill.
I've met him in person, he does look like the way he does in his pics in real life....for crying out loud, he even has up to date videos of himself through Facebook and Instagram...gtfoh with this "Photoshop" nonsense....
And you're wrong about bands not producing strength like weights. I started using the x3 in late August of 2021 and I went to a local Golds Gym with a friend and did a workout at the flat bench. The last time I did any bench pressing was early 2021 and my heaviest bench was 335 for 1 rep, for a work set I was only able to get to 300lbs for 12 solid reps. When I went with my buddy to get on the bench to see how much I could bench of my old working weight I was able to get 20 clean reps benching 300 lbs and did 10 1/2 reps of the 335lbs that I only was able to do 1 rep with, and mind you this is over 2 years of no benching, no weight training, and just pure resistance band training. The point training with bands, if you got a decent routine, will give you massive gains.
@@BullyofTrolls lol.
Stop appologizing in your videos. They will be much shorter.
I’ll have to say I’m sorry my friend! That’s just my personality. But I will keep that in mind.
It’s a great system but he didn’t get that big from using it. He was already that size and pretty much lost fat.
Wrong and stupid.