@@rw1592 Multi-piece bars are a failure point where they screw together. The Geku Fitness setup is apparently good, but it still needs to be assembled each time and relies on screws together segments.
The bands alone would cost you $150 if you bought matching resistances. Platform could be made of scrap wood and a bit of careful carpentry so that'd be basically free. The bar is the wild card. If you can weld, it's free. If have to buy it, good luck.
I like bands, have trained alot with them, especially at the start of the pandemic, before I built my own basement gym. 😎 A system like this do have some merit, and would be a welcome addition when bands were my main form of training. But not with these prices, not in a million years. A pair of decent lifting shoes as a base, a pair of gloves, and some creativity, allowed me to do 99% of what this system does at a fraction of the cost.
The exercise is fine, but this is clearly a product for people with more money than sense. One of the key features of resistance bands is they're cheap compared to other gym equipment. The bar, board and program are not nearly enough of a value-add to justify that price point.
How can anyone in their right mind recommend 50bucks worth of resistance bands for 500 dollars and believe a Facebook group run by the company itself??
I've owned for 3 years it's really good. Anything get boring if that's all you do but after a few years of only using it I now mix in other cycles with other tools. And when I go back to X3 for a cycle it's novelty and physical gains are there again for me
I have had the X3 system since I was deployed overseas in 2019 and it has been great. My biceps have peaks like never before and now there is no excuse not to do a workout other than injury. I had my right shoulder essentially "rebuilt" in Jan 2021 with 3 of the 4 rotator tendons torn from the joint and a 90 percent bicep tendon tear and I am now almost back to pre injury strength levels. ONLY using X3 for workouts, I was able to max the 3 power events in the new Army Combat FItness Test (340 deadlift x 3, 51 hand release narrow pushups, and an 11 meter power ball throw). I went in cold without training for the events and hit max with only X3 workouts. At 57, it is much better on my joints and I continue to improve....I have no complaints and say ignore the nay sayers on here because they have never dedicated the time to actually follow the program as described or never tried it at all. It works.
I got the newer model with the metal base at the beginning of the pandemic when gyms closed down. It was fairly cheaper. It was great and I had my dad and a friend working out for an hour 3 days a week in the backyard in the fresh air. Now it’s a “travel gym” i take with me when I’m on the road
This has “paid endorsement” written all over it. You hardly called out the ridiculous price for this, didn’t mention how easy it would be to DIY and still have the audacity to recommend it. Total dishonest review. No one should spend $550 for a couple resistance bands, a straight bar and a small platform you hook the bands to. Feel bad to anyone that got scammed into buying this.
I looked into this for my dad (75yrs) a while back. He's a commercial fisherman so there are specific challenges trying to train on a ship. There are so many BS statements by the Jaquish. Such as the 3x muscle development. That info was taken from a very small study of I believe 4 postpartum women that have never trained before. The other studies referenced are equally cherry picked and or he only tells part of the findings, parameters, etc. Bands are great. We all know that. But Jaquish just feeds people so much crap to sell his equipment. I made a very similar system (using Rogue bands) for my dad to use. Works perfectly for his needs. Though I am sad to say, he didn't bulk up and gain a ton of muscle like the ads state. Thanks for reviewing the product Coop!
Funny... But more than 3X faster! There are easy DIY for this, and a set of (6) good quality pure latex bands is less than $50. So they actually rip you off 5X-6X faster!
@@shane250 for real. Even buying a 24” pipe from Lowe’s and the threaded end caps would work perfectly for curls or tricep extensions. People can just stand on the bands if necessary. This is literally someone trying to reinvent the bicycle wheel, putting aluminum foil on the spokes, and saying this is REVOLUTIONARY! 🤣
@@shane250 yep, I made my own with a bit of metal pipe from the shed, £60 of bands off ebay , and use a total core as the base doesn't fray the bands like the x3 one does as it's tubular steel for the bands to go round, worked hard 4 times a week (4 exercises one day, the other 4 next day) BUT, no gains! exactly the same size after 4 weeks, and the same strength as well! following the workouts from youtube with john jaquish showing you how.......... I'd say this is similar to the results from weights, I only do one set with weights anyway, so one set with x3 bands works out ok, but no gains! 3 times faster results? 3 times nothing is nothing! :)
I'm 6'3" 275 ... bought the longer bar...it works way better for me...I was too scrunched up at the start of a chest press with the stock bar. The stock bar works well for all the other exercise movements. I got strength gains after the first 3 months but I seemed to have plateaued...I hit my genetic wall so to speak or I've adapted to it...I'm thinking about going back to the gym for a few months then come back to the X3 ...hopefully that works.
I've been wanting you to review this for a while. I'd love to have something like this for traveling, but the price is just too high. It just feels like something that should cost around $200
Yeah, I use wrist straps for deadlifts with the x3 bar because there is no way my grip strength can cope with the amount of resistance I can put through my legs and back, using the heaviest band
I have been using the x3 for 2 years now. I picked one up as I thought it would be a safer option vs free weights post shoulder reconstruction and lumbar fusion. It definitely worked for me, but I find myself fighting tendonitis with it. I’m guessing the tendonitis is due to the high reps. Overall I like the system a lot and have seen positive gains in strength and conditioning, but I am planning to get a rack to get back into free weights.
@@adam-lt8iy depending on the exercise, I do. Deadlifts I’m using the elite band for 25 reps. But with my golfer’s elbow and minor bicep tear, the pain is stopping me from using heavier bands
Your tendonitis is more likely to be the result of the lack of useable ROM of the joints that should do the bulk of the motion. For example: most people I ever worked with do not have true overhead ROM compensating a ton from the posterior trunk/lower back adding more excessive volume onto those tissues resulting in overuse. Likewise, knees most often take the hit for the lack of hip Or ankle ROM. Cells can only adapt to a certain extent until they will have to yield. So whatever joint/tissue region is bugging you in your case, I recommend you look at why it does the bulk of the work. One key question for exercise selection is: do you truly bring the prerequisites to put yourself into the shape which the movement requires you to. That’s exactly what my concern with the X3 training template is and the claim that it is easier on the joints which is not necessarily true.
It sounds like the Isochain would have been much more suitable for you. In fact, it would likely get rid of your issues after a while due to the lack of movement. Despite this lack of movement, the design allows you to feel like it's a live load so you get the full benefit of 'lifting' (no cortical inhibition). You would also develop far superior strength with it quicker as well. I don't see how getting back into free weights is going to help matters...
@@Nielsbaum Thanks for your perspective. I still don't understand the "easier on the joints" argument. My joints are fine after 30 years of weight lifting. Proper form and range, listening to your body and not being stupid protects your joints. Beyond form, the unfamiliar pre-tension set-up using bands (like getting into a squat position with enough pretension to make it worthwhile) can twist and pull your joints in ways that free weights don't. Lifting a bar off the rack versus maneuvering under a pre-tensioned band is way less risky on the joints, at least for me at 60 yrs old. At the same time, if something gave out (exhaustion or injury), I would rather be under a band than a 350 lb bar hoping the safety arms are positioned correctly and that I remembered the abort procedure.
I have owned this since the end of 2018 and and glad I got it. Last year I purchased a second one for the office and asked if they would replace my original standing plate for free and they sent me a second one on them. Great product. Worth the money. I wish I knew about this before I paid 8K for my home gym. Hoping to sell things off slowly. X3, iron master kettlebells, some Fat Gripz, jump rope , and a chest master. Nothing more is needed IMHO.
My entire home gym is a metal base plate, a spring, a few carabiner and a digital barbell handle.....called the Isochain. I use a strap instead of the chain though. I do most of the traditional lifts with it. Best thing I ever bought.
I'd say it is indeed the whole coaching program that would "somewhat" justify the ludicrous selling price of the package. Bands are great, I am using them very frequently in my training. Bands and bodyweight could be everything 99% of regular people would need to get in and stay in shape. However, there are some important limitations: - it is quite tricky and there's a very limited way to actually perform ballistic and explosive exercises with bands if only with anchoring them with own bodyweight. Of course, if you have some external anchoring, you can add to the varieties of ballistic/explosive movements, but still would be limited in terms of resistance you can apply (due to the inherent nature of the strength curve of a band and the strength curve of the major pulling and pushing movements of the human body). In some cases, the opposition of the two curves may be beneficial (having the biggest resistance at the weakest muscle position), but this should be applied with intention and caution. - Also, if for example you'd want to do serious deadlift exercises with a band and a bar, you would need some extra safety (either in the form of straps to support grip or something to protect your feet) to make sure if you accidentally "drop" the bar (i.e. you let go due to grip failure) you don't have it slapped with tremendous force onto your feet to break them. With a barbell you have this safety by design as the plates would keep the bar above ground, no matter how heavy the load 😀 So, my conclusion would be: if someone dishes out this much money on the X3, they better commit to follow the programs and be consistent with regularly working out, and then it wasn't a waste of money for them. For other people, who already have some training routine and workout discipline, buying a very similar equipment can be done for the fraction of the price: I just did that some weeks ago, and the whole setup - including time and money invested to fabricate a good platform cost me less than 150 bucks.
@@mudeye YT gamer body. He put together the original stepper, Innstar Bar, triangle carabiners, and Undersun bands. I followed his instruction, and it works great. Saved a lot of money.
So i never excercised before Apple fitness plus came out and now I do it every day and found love your channel! I've never purchased anything shown here and but actually bought this (after finding a good discount code) because I didn't want to cheap out on using something else that might not have been as effective or break easier and the x3 doesn't have any subscription. It's definately expensive for what you get but I do love how high quality the equipment is vs seeing the alternatives for around 200 less and looks way lesser quality as if they made it out of their garage. I can't say I could tell anyone else to spend 500 plus on the x3 but I"m very happy with it so far especially because Apple fitness plus is more based on cardio and even their strength program isn't like a real strength workout. I would say 350 and maybe 400 I would recommend it to anyone but then again most people would rather buy cheap bands and do a diy solution but i'm happy with what I got!
I LOVE bands because I can take them in a camper or a boat and have a whole workout on the beach or in the middle of nowhere. BUT over $550 no way. I have 2 sets of bands and a Bodylastics EZ bar and the total price was UNDER $200! I don't need a program or an app. I've been training for over a decade. They need to sell this product for a realistic price and I would buy it tomorrow, but at this price not gonna happen. edit: also I can tell I absolutely need a wider bar. My shoulders are significantly wider. My EZ bar is 43" long and it feels good.
I feel like the creator of this device was someone that used to be someone that worked for a traveling carnival. Step right up and get your magic snake oil!!
I have made a DIY version of this using material from any hardware store and tire inner tubes. My unit cost me less than $50 and equals the X- Bar in form and function.
We have this at the gym, and it works great. And by “this” I mean a $40 pack of bands, a $15 pair of battle rope anchors, and some misc cable attachments. I’ll put the $500 I saved towards a power rack.
Big issue too with bands vs weight is that a 45 lb plate will always weigh 45 lbs. The band will give over time and get slack, making the stretched resistance much lower. 550 would be better spent elsewhere.
My recommendation for the x3 team is to get a new pricing expert and to rethink their business strategy. I like the equipment, I have a full time job, children, dogs, lack of time, a check on each and every box. I think I would enjoy using this equipment, but I'm simply not paying this amount. I can see value, but there is better value elsewhere at lower price points.
Seems a bit irresponsible to repeat their claim of generating muscle 3 times faster without mentioning any evidence. Also found it odd that the video mentioned bands potential to offer more tension at the top, but didn't mention the down side of offering substantially less tension at the bottom. I mean for deadlifts there would be literally zero tension at the start of the movement. Even in the video on their website where the guy is deadlifting "600+ pounds" the tension at the bottom starts at 135. I really don't understand not mentioning this. This video seems more like an advertisement for the product than a review of it.
I purchased the X3 system in March 2020 when everything was shutting down and it served me well until I could acquire everything I needed for a home gym! Since then I've sold everything that I purchased for the home gym, but I still have the X3 system and it works great when I can't get to the gym!
$550 for literally $50 worth of elastic rubber and a short knurled bar worth another $50 at most. You could, and should, literally DIY this with cheaper elastic and whatever short knurled bar you can buy.
$549 for $40 dollar band and $50 dollar band bar 🙃 Coop you are going to start loosing followers if your reviews are paid advertisement without disclosure. If this is not a paid advertisement, you should say it right off the bat which you do on some of your videos and you did not for this. The value of this channel is that your opinion is that of a average garage gym owner and not someone that is paid to say something “good” about a $550 dollar gimmick that can be easily piece together for under $150. If this isnt a paid ad please address this in a future video.
This is not a paid ad. No review has ever been a paid ad. Here’s my challenge EVERY review: to give my actual opinion. No matter what I say, there will be those that disagree. So, I just call it like I see it. Is it expensive? Yeah, I say that in the video. But it’s also good and effective and has the results to back it up. I’ve also used it for over two years and take it with me every time I travel. There are products that people would prefer I just 💩 on and there are products that companies want me to praise. I do neither based upon the pressure of outside forces. These are my opinions and I stand by them whatever the scrutiny may be. - Coop
The thing is, while I agree $550 is a lot for the package, if it’s a $50 bar, I would have expected more knock offs that compare in price…but there’s nothing close in compactness, durability, knurling, etc. DIY is an option, but I’d be happy to pay $200 or so for just the bar.
@@GarageGymReviews Thanks for the clarification. I was starting to wonder and i really value your reviews. That is why for me personally your unbias opinions is worth a truck load.
@@GarageGymReviews Coop - as a fan, i'm saying this outta appreciation and affection for you and the channel, so please take it in the spirit in which it's intended... ....because trust and credibility cannot be replaced once they're lost, it's equally important that (reasonable) perceptions of conflict of interest are managed, as well as actual conflicts of interest.. while there may be no actual conflict of interest because you're receiving no commercial benefit from promoting X3 in what appears very similar to a paid advertisement, your reticence to more harshly criticise the unequivocally absurd price-point of this product (and your non-judgmental repeating of the outrageous "3x as fast" claim) seriously undermine your credibility....in the past, you've railed harder against pricey (but more ingenious!) products, and your reluctance to do so here is a bad look, especially when followed by a "but..." justification....effectively, you breezily glossed over two elephants in the room additionally, because this device is so simple and replicable, as a 'garage gym' proponent rather than purely a product shill, we expect that you'd spent more time discussing less expensive and DIY alternatives, but this was nearly absent from the video Again- i've got 'nuthin but love for you brah', so please regard my comments as respectful, considered advice rather than baseless criticism
I feel like you can buy some bands, some plywood, and use a short barbell standard, Olympic bar (ideally for spinning sleeves) or a lat attachment for the bar
It’s all backwards. The fact that resistance band has less resistance at the end of rep is a DISADVANTAGE. Because BEGINNING of the rep when muscle is at the stretched position is what builds muscle and where you need the most of the resistance. Bands are still extremely effective when you don’t have access to gym.
I have one, great equipment and the only issue I've had with it is that when you use it with the platform the bands wear extra fast. I did deads with the max weight band for quite a while, very similar to a 400lb~ pull in how it feels....but where it rubs on the platform rubs super fast, which is going to lead to breakages pretty fast....all they need is some kind of smooth plastic over the lip of the platform, seems like a simple and cheap improvement they should make considering how much they are profiting on this.
I bought two pieces of polypropylene webbing fabric (4 inches wide) on eBay that I put over the bands where they go under the ends of the ground plate. This has significantly reduced the wear issue where the bands contact the edges of the ground plate. The fabric is showing some wear but will be much cheaper to replace than the bands.
I use a total core ab gadget for the base, 1" tubular steel for the bands to go round! the inventor John Jaquish should have thought of that! ?? unless he wants you to keep fraying the bands and pay out more money to make him richer!??? :)
I wasted four months of training using the X3. I was not impressed with my results. My arms appeared smaller and I wasn't happy with how I was looking. When I went back to lifting weights I had demonstrably lost strength across the board. I probably got better results in one month of weight training than in the previous 3+ months that I had committed to the X3 so in a way they got the "3x better" part sort of correct only in reverse as I’ve personally found that my weight training results were 3x better than they were when using the X3. I'm not saying that it isn't possible to derive some benefit from using the X3 but claims that it is as good as, or 3x times superior to weight training are utterly absurd.
For those of us who live in urban areas (i live in London UK but I'm sure its the same in NYC, Paris, Montreal, Mexico City, Amsterdam or Chicago) who live in a small flat and don't have a garage or massive house and would have to pay gym fees of ~£40/mo buying this kit and maybe a few other resistance bands and a door anchor and a jump rope for cardio strikes me as a very reasonable way to do a workout. Add to the fact that you (I) have the flexibility to work out anytime and eliminate gym travel time eating into minimal free time without other responsibilities, strikes me as a cost effective, sane solution. I bought mine for £322.
Hello. I'm in the UK as well (Worcester), and am thinking of buying the product. I'm currently spending around £350 per month for PT sessions, gym membership, and fuel. My overtime pays for it, and it's overtime I could do without so I can focus on other things. The PT sessions feel like they lack any kind of logical progression, and I haven't got 2 hours to spend in the gym to follow the programme on the non-PT days. Add to that the macho, self-centred environment, lack of support, exercises that I'm losing interest in, feeling distracted whilst being watched by others, and a lack of muscle growth, is leading me to think this would be a much better investment. The app should make it suitable for near beginners like me. £322 sounds like a decent price considering what I'm currently spending. How are you finding it so far?
huhh, our man had a big payday? seriously its sad - someone like you, who trains seriously, this review should have had one conclusion: cool setup, but expensive, and unless you're in some highly unique life context, free weights are your friend anyway. Seriously, you're going going to critique a complete all in one functional trainer for having a 2:1 pulley system, but not mentioning the limitations of bands in even one sentence? man, how much cash did they hand over to you for this? hope its a life changing amount, only then is this forgiveable.
what I don't like about bands, and I have them, is opposite of what the owner says about them. He says it matches your strength curve over a range of motion. That is only true with certain exercises. and for someone who likes to have constant force throughout a movement, when doing slow eccentric motions, there simply is little resistance for the last half of the release. Dumbells and a good cable/weight machine where you can angle or rotate and place pully arms, and use it for hip belt sqauts, is I think the ultimate way to go, if willing to move up to the next level of gear. But if you live out of your car or van....
@@mikesmith379 Right,, I do that now, but not ideal for me to be able to do it easily in the different ranges of motion. When learning about isometric types, it's often said that there's a gain at the angle of the exercise and 15 degrees above and below that location. Probably same could said or done with bands,, by doing say a bench press exercise in two different ranges of motion, with using max tension in each range done. Everything I read and hear about isometric at peak loads for thirty to sixty seconds,, they all confer that it's as good as any exercise for building strength and size. Personally, I'm incorporating some into my routine. It's a real mental exercise at that level though.
Great review. Great video. At that price? NoF'ingWay. They need to sell a version for more experienced lifters. Meaning no app, no instructions or paperwork in the box, no fancy box, no marketing hype.
Great Review as always Hit on every point Coop, Top Shelf Man Agree with U on not wanting the X3 to be my only form of training, us weightlifters need the Barbell to make us feel complete. Nice job by Brittany, hope I spelled your name right, U did Great I don't see many weightlifters such as myself dropping over $600 to my door on this product. I am a Westside student so I add bands to my barbells on the big 3 lifts (Bench, Squat, and Dead) so I would not use this system but I do think it has a market for housewives, very busy men who want to workout in their office just to stay in shape, and young beginners getting used to resistance. I think it is just too pricey for most people to justify it's purchase. Great idea but X3 needs to lower the price or they are only gonna sell to the rich population.
I own the x3 system and have also bought cheap bands in the past, and x3's bands are insanely better and it's not even close. No way you can recreate this with $30 bands. They're really high quality and probably equivalent to or slightly better than Serious Steel bands.
@@JoeSchoffstall I got at least as good bands off ebay, same latex dipped bands, but they were a bit stronger than x3 ones!! for £60 I have a complete set of 6 ( 2 lower strength bands for adding smaller amounts of resistance) I worked HARD for 4 weeks, no gains in size or strength....when it came to lifting weights! I think I was fitter though, because doing a lot of reps makes you puff like hell! I am 69 , but still! haha!
I have had the X3 for over a year. I love it. I think your review was fair and accurate. Those who may it overpriced just have no clue the value of the time saved using this system
For me, this would be perfect for travelling with. But not at $550… I’ll stick to my TRX. My gut instinct is their business model on this is wrong. They could pitch to the whole fitness industry in terms of a cheap/reasonably priced ‘gotta have’ travel accessory, instead of a narrow band of gimmick and fad chasers looking for the next panacea.
I’m a month into this fire season and realizing for certain people, this is great. Finding gyms is mission:impossible. But having something I can check would be great
The resistance curve of bands is backwards for most exercises. Much better to do timed static contractions (TSC) in the mid range of the movement with an inflexible strap like the "Forearm Forklift" furniture movers strap ($25).
For everyone complaining about the price, I made a diy black iron bar and wooden platform to test the concept. When I saw it working, I bought the real X3. It's much sturdier than my diy set. I don't feel like the bar is going to snap and break me or something else. No more gym commutes or monthly fees. My workouts are done in 20-30 minutes 6 days a week. And I'm more than satisfied with the results. The system works if you work it.
I did one set to failure/gasping! especially with curls , dipping down to get it up then resist negs as well, but didn't get stronger or bigger in the 4 weeks, but I've always been a hard gainer even when young, but at 27, while only 5' 4" and 152lbs I did : Press 150lb curl 106lb, bench press 190lb (didn't have a bench in those days, so didn't do the bench press as an exercise) bent row 190lb and deadlift 350lb..... just doing weights then , only beginner type training though, 2 or 3 sets basic exercises , didn't do squats! or bench ( did try squats once 12 reps 170lb) only 1 set stiff legged deadlifts, didn't know what I was doing really in those days! :)
@@earplugs55 There are so many variables from rest to diet that could effect your results. I would say complete the 12 week program. And over 1 year into my X3 journey, there are weeks when I may not increase in reps. But I've learned that as long as I exhaust the muscle, the results will come. Also at 5'4", consider the 32" bands from serious steel. They do stretch over time, but the shorter length increases the difficulty in the full range of motion compared to similar sized bands. At 5'9, I use them for curls, deadlifts, and the chest press.
@@SenecaTheWiser yes........ at my age of 69 , I'm probably past it for muscle size gains! found it very hard even when I wasy young to see any results, keep on working get results, I like your attitude! I've been tuned to maintenance only for so long ! I can see how some others could get results, have you used weights/have weights so you can compare if your getting stronger?
I’ve had mine for a few years. My wife does the program the way it’s intended. I switched mine up to 5 sets of 5-12, and broke it down to 4 days a week. I seem to have better results when I’m not squatting and deadlifting 3 days a week
Seems to me a couple of flaws that take away from the versatility of bands. One is that by placing bands under platform at set width, it takes away being able to increase or decrease the resistance you can get. One cool thing about bands as a standalone resistance tool is that by widening or narrowing your stance, you can increase or decrease the resistance, even within a set (basically drop sets). Can't do that with this. The other disadvantage ties into the first one. By hooking the bands into the bar, once again you lose the ability to increase or decrease tension thus resistance. It's at a set width. If you just grab the bands, you can move your hands closer or further away from the anchor point thus increase or decease resistance. You can probably get away with losing one or the other (the tube bands such as Bodylastics that you hook up to handles only can vary resistance by varying foot width) but with this system, you seem to lose both
I love exervise bands abd you should too. BUT you can get your own bar and bands way cheaper. I've seen metal bars for resistance bands that look exactly like this x3 bar for $60 on amazon and other places. I seriously doubt x3 actually makes this bar or their bands. they just buy from China then brand it their logo and sell you a "program" for $550. Most these places even titan fitness just buy from China then slap their logo on it and charge $$$ $ for it. There's a reason why titan fitness , valor fitness , force USA and many other suspiciously all have similar products and yet different prices. You are just buying a Chinese mass made product with logo stickers.
I'm using two medium bands and cover all exercises for a whole body workout. I also use bands alongside traditional gym equipment, so no bar or plate. Just bands and strong hand holds.
It should be $50, you can make the plate with 2x4 and small piece of plywood, a pipe eyebolt and spring clamp will make the bar. I dont see any good back lat exercises.
Why would you need that thing that you stand on? You can just stand on the bands directly. I bought regular non branded bands, and they are still okay after 2 years. I also bought 2 metal handles instead of the bar. The entire setup is $60 CAD.
I’m a avid X3 user and I’ll say this. The claim “3 times faster muscle growth” is terrible. They need to change that claim. Only way I see it true is your joints aren’t as sore and you won’t get injured with X3 if done correctly. Can lift heavy year round with no damage to the body.
I been watching you with years but the problem with trying to make a living off your type of UA-cam channel is this. You should disclose paid advertisements bro
I'm using X3 and now pushing the dark grey band which 240 doubled for presses and hitting 40 reps. How does that compare to a 225 lb. bench press? Can I bench press 225 40 times.
no way! hahahh! bands tension doesn't relate to lifting REAL weights, e.g. I can deadlift 20 reps with bands using 420lbs of resistance, but actually with weights I can only deadlift 150lbs 12 reps!!!
@@earplugs55 I was deadlifting 225lbs 10 times for one set 3 years ago and I'm doing the dark gray band 240lbs 38 to 40 times now, and it took me a while for that, so I think I would be lifting more weight but don't know unless I go to the gym.
@@danbuckles2745 I'd like to know if you can lift more weight in the gym!?? if you add reps with x3 you would THINK you could lift more weight, in my experience, actual weight lifting/training strength DIDN'T go up! maybe it only strengthens you where the x3 is hard, at the top? sounds logical, the rest of the rep is easy, with weights the most stimulating part of the exercise is where the muscle is under stretch, like with bench press at the bottom, squat at the bottom( no resistance there with x3) etc....... x 3 is only working the muscle hard at the contracted position...
@@earplugs55 The only way I can answerer this at this point is around 3 years ago I could lift 225lbs deadlifting ten times the first set and now after almost two years of deadlifting I can do 38 to 40 deadlifts with the dark grey band which is theoretically 240lbs. However what X3ers are doing is not exactly a deadlift but a Romanian dead lift which doesn't incorporate the lift start with the legs but starts further up below the knees. That's why one needs to go easy as your lower back is more in play until you feel comfortable, and it becomes strengthened. I feel I could probably deadlift more weight in the gym but haven't verified it yet.
@@danbuckles2745 I am 69 and it makes my lower back ache, after 20 reps with 210lbs bands doubled so 420lbs! but with weights I can only deadlift 150lbs for 12 reps ....so you can see band strength does not equate to lifting real weights, well, with me anyway! 😀
I’ve had the X3 for 4 yrs or so. I’ve been a bber for over 20 yrs. Yes 550 is alot. Before I bought it, I tried to re create it for less. Your essentially paying for the bar and it’s durability. It really is a good workout, u need next to no space to do it. I’ve tracked with it too. I bought the longer bar a few months ago, as I’m a bigger guy. 6’2” 240. Save your money, and buy one. They just had a cyber Monday deal with $150 off.
Product is worthless, at least if you use the app . The bands are junk , at least the first three are white/grey/ black (mine wore out in a few months). I have the original floor plate and it ripped up all of my bands . Customer service is awful .
i used bands i got off ebay and a total core for the base, it's got 1" tubular steel piping for my bands to go round, no fraying at all! jaquish should have thought of that! unless he wants you to fray em and make even more money out of you buying more bands!
I’ve had X3 since November 2020 and believe me, they do not rip. What a great investment of 500 bucks for years of use and results in 15 minutes 2-3x a week for me
Could you do a review of the inspire leg extension/curl bench attachment? It seems to be the only decent option for a leg developer that doesn’t have to stand alone
The x3 metal plate shreds bands. The bar has weird rotational properties and is way to short. Jaquish is a fraud with diploma mill PhD. Dick Hartzell created these bands and platforms. Look him up. Westside still uses his stuff. Jaquish basically ripped him off.
They do make a wider bar, and the foot plate is metal now. I love my X3 bar and bands. The protocol is to aim for 1 set of 15-40 reps (until failure), and then partial reps until you can’t do anymore. It’s a great workout and program.
I wish you would call these companies out for their pricing. 550 is nuts. You can’t just claim it replaces a whole home gym and then charge the price of a starter gym. This thing should be 99-149 max.
no way can x3 replace a gym, in reality it is a POOR version of a very short barbell! and only 1 exercise per bodypart! so a LIMITED home barbell really! that is the TRUTH!
Price feels laughable but the alternative would be a cheaper product but charge a subscription for the programming.. which would cost even more, and in that sense the price isn’t as bad as it seems. $200 seems like a good price for this but imagine if to get it that low they go the peloton route and the program/app is $30 a month. You’re at $560 after 1 year, nearly a thousand bucks after two years.
Hello Coop have you ever tried the Bodylastics bands with their anti snap bands? I've been using Bodylastics for quite sometime and they have held up Great 👍. Also, check out the Undersun fitness and Clench bands which have their Clench Fitness grips 💪👍
Thanks for the recommendation on the Clench Fitness grips. Cyber Monday deal today for under $100. Not sure X3 offers anything more and even at their Cyber Monday deal of $400, it still seems like a lot.
Good review, I have it and honestly the biggest issue for me is getting bored to death with it vs my garage gym / traditional weights. It’s also easier to do 3 or 4 sets of iron vs 1 real true set to absolute failure.
Just bought one with your link. They are on sale $150 at the moment. The bigger band is too! Thanks for doing this review and including Brittany's opinions. The additional perspectives helped solidify my decision.
I bought the bar separately (there are ways...), and bands from Serious Steel (rumoured to make X3 bands), near the beginning of the pandemic. I later added the baseplate after realizing the benefits vs. other methods. I found the program incredible for deads, squats, and overhead press but very uncomfortable and annoying for chest and ineffective/weird for triceps. Triceps were best not using the bar and going door mount/similar instead. While I recognized the effectiveness it just didn't excite me so I stopped using it and have since built out a home gym. I feel bad about not taking advantage of it more when it's all I had, but I still do use the system for travel or supplemental exercises. If you can get a hold of the bar only does $250, that plus 1-2 bands is all you need for a great travel gym (plus maybe a door band loop).
Honestly a lot of the reviews have felt like just marketing overviews. Instead of a review that tests marketing claims and comparable performance to the alternatives.
“Finally” was over a year ago when he sold to 4 pillar marketing. This is what GGR is now, essentially a salesman making advertisement commercials for products. Not mad at coop. He built his brand into something and was offered money he couldn’t refuse. It was a good business move for him and his family. But the videos aren’t marketed towards the hardcore home gym people anymore. It’s marketed to the 120k people in the Facebook group and these gimmicky companies have figured out there are probably 30k-40k suckers in said group who will buy their product because a guy on UA-cam told them to buy it.
I see a lot of people in the comments saying they can diy one. please don't do this guys. it will break when you're deadlifting and you will injure yourself
The problem is is that when your muscles are in the stretch position this offers little to no resistance, and that is where the most muscle growth occurs. The resistance profile/curve is wrong. Maybe for travelling if you need something portable, but even then I would just find a gym and get a day pass or something. I mean it really does exactly the opposite of what you need for growth.
I personally have this system and can second everything said in the video. Except for the complaints about the knurling. I haven’t had any issues there. I recommend it if it fits your use case. The price is up there but it is a lot cheaper than a squat rack, barbell, weights, dumbbells, etc…, that you would buy otherwise. And as long as you adhere to the program and truly go to failure the way the guy says, it works.
$550 is plain ridiculous
I was interested until I saw that price. $200 would be the max I'd spend on this
I agree way too much. I would instantly buy this at a lower price point.
I'd say it only cost about $50 for this company to make this product lmao, $550 is ridiculous
I’ve seen a vid series where they made a DIY version. The platform was made from plastic cutting board and hockey pucks
@@caleb-jx4hi there’s no way. That bar alone is much more than 50$ to produce. 550$ is still too much, but let’s be logical here.
Nothing wrong with bands and they will build muscle no doubt but you can find a setup like this for 150$ max.
Where? What system?
@@SnukkaPain The reviews I saw said the Dasking was cheap garbage. Dasking isn't a "setup like this".
Sure you can, but you have to invest time to put it together and time is money for many.
@@rw1592 Multi-piece bars are a failure point where they screw together. The Geku Fitness setup is apparently good, but it still needs to be assembled each time and relies on screws together segments.
Sam, would love to see you DIY this for 1/5th the cost and track your progress.
1/10th the cost easily
@@MushookieMan I believe they would have many more sales and make more money if they cut the cost in half and quit ripping people off
There's some DIY's for this on UA-cam. They use cutting boards and some hockey pucks. I built it out of boredom and it works pretty good.
I've done this getting some pipe and fittings at a hardware store well under 100.
The bands alone would cost you $150 if you bought matching resistances. Platform could be made of scrap wood and a bit of careful carpentry so that'd be basically free. The bar is the wild card. If you can weld, it's free. If have to buy it, good luck.
The rollers on the platform suggestion is genius and I agree 100% with that. It would make it so much easier to align everything quicker.
I like bands, have trained alot with them, especially at the start of the pandemic, before I built my own basement gym. 😎
A system like this do have some merit, and would be a welcome addition when bands were my main form of training. But not with these prices, not in a million years.
A pair of decent lifting shoes as a base, a pair of gloves, and some creativity, allowed me to do 99% of what this system does at a fraction of the cost.
The exercise is fine, but this is clearly a product for people with more money than sense. One of the key features of resistance bands is they're cheap compared to other gym equipment. The bar, board and program are not nearly enough of a value-add to justify that price point.
How can anyone in their right mind recommend 50bucks worth of resistance bands for 500 dollars and believe a Facebook group run by the company itself??
@@toddmckay5013 lol that's just sad
@@toddmckay5013 He’s an absolute fraud on PEDs
Because he is a sellout
I've owned for 3 years it's really good. Anything get boring if that's all you do but after a few years of only using it I now mix in other cycles with other tools. And when I go back to X3 for a cycle it's novelty and physical gains are there again for me
The price is what kills this thing. You could get an actual EZ-curl bar with some resistance straps and a small foot pad for significantly cheaper.
It is a neat system and good for space and travel. If they make a few improvements and get the price down, I could definitely see getting one
Improvements? Like what please state
I have had the X3 system since I was deployed overseas in 2019 and it has been great. My biceps have peaks like never before and now there is no excuse not to do a workout other than injury. I had my right shoulder essentially "rebuilt" in Jan 2021 with 3 of the 4 rotator tendons torn from the joint and a 90 percent bicep tendon tear and I am now almost back to pre injury strength levels. ONLY using X3 for workouts, I was able to max the 3 power events in the new Army Combat FItness Test (340 deadlift x 3, 51 hand release narrow pushups, and an 11 meter power ball throw). I went in cold without training for the events and hit max with only X3 workouts. At 57, it is much better on my joints and I continue to improve....I have no complaints and say ignore the nay sayers on here because they have never dedicated the time to actually follow the program as described or never tried it at all. It works.
You're 57 and still in the military??
@@cometier actually I retired at the end of March 2024 with 32 years, 2 months and 21 days of service. lol
I got the newer model with the metal base at the beginning of the pandemic when gyms closed down. It was fairly cheaper. It was great and I had my dad and a friend working out for an hour 3 days a week in the backyard in the fresh air. Now it’s a “travel gym” i take with me when I’m on the road
This has “paid endorsement” written all over it. You hardly called out the ridiculous price for this, didn’t mention how easy it would be to DIY and still have the audacity to recommend it. Total dishonest review. No one should spend $550 for a couple resistance bands, a straight bar and a small platform you hook the bands to. Feel bad to anyone that got scammed into buying this.
I actually did DIY the whole setup. Other UA-cam videos showed me how to do it lol. Cost around $200 but that’s way less than these
What’s your setup?
Look up gamerbody on UA-cam for the bar set up and the stand I used a plastic cutting board 1inch thick and hockey pucks for the feet
Ggr was sold to a media company a year or so ago and has become a paid ad channel
I looked into this for my dad (75yrs) a while back. He's a commercial fisherman so there are specific challenges trying to train on a ship. There are so many BS statements by the Jaquish. Such as the 3x muscle development. That info was taken from a very small study of I believe 4 postpartum women that have never trained before. The other studies referenced are equally cherry picked and or he only tells part of the findings, parameters, etc. Bands are great. We all know that. But Jaquish just feeds people so much crap to sell his equipment. I made a very similar system (using Rogue bands) for my dad to use. Works perfectly for his needs. Though I am sad to say, he didn't bulk up and gain a ton of muscle like the ads state.
Thanks for reviewing the product Coop!
check out harambe system instead
Who is Jaquish
@@omegamanGXE Thats the X3 guy. John Jaquish
@@buckybryan550 Johnnn Jaquish Jingleheimer Schmidt
Damn, your 75year old dad is still fishing? Thats impressive
Great! A system that has proven to con people out of their money 3 times faster than any other band system. 😂
Funny... But more than 3X faster!
There are easy DIY for this, and a set of (6) good quality pure latex bands is less than $50. So they actually rip you off 5X-6X faster!
@@shane250 for real. Even buying a 24” pipe from Lowe’s and the threaded end caps would work perfectly for curls or tricep extensions. People can just stand on the bands if necessary. This is literally someone trying to reinvent the bicycle wheel, putting aluminum foil on the spokes, and saying this is REVOLUTIONARY! 🤣
@@shane250 yep, I made my own with a bit of metal pipe from the shed, £60 of bands off ebay , and use a total core as the base doesn't fray the bands like the x3 one does as it's tubular steel for the bands to go round, worked hard 4 times a week (4 exercises one day, the other 4 next day) BUT, no gains! exactly the same size after 4 weeks, and the same strength as well! following the workouts from youtube with john jaquish showing you how.......... I'd say this is similar to the results from weights, I only do one set with weights anyway, so one set with x3 bands works out ok, but no gains! 3 times faster results? 3 times nothing is nothing! :)
@@shane250 nice one! hhahhhahah!
I'm 6'3" 275 ... bought the longer bar...it works way better for me...I was too scrunched up at the start of a chest press with the stock bar.
The stock bar works well for all the other exercise movements.
I got strength gains after the first 3 months but I seemed to have plateaued...I hit my genetic wall so to speak or I've adapted to it...I'm thinking about going back to the gym for a few months then come back to the X3 ...hopefully that works.
How’s your nutrition ?
I've been wanting you to review this for a while. I'd love to have something like this for traveling, but the price is just too high. It just feels like something that should cost around $200
Exactly. I love the bar, can’t find anything similar and would be happy to pay $200 just for that
@@shish_taouk none that I have seen is this quality. Can you provide a link to what you mean?
@@shish_taouk If they don't spin, then "similar" is useless crap.
@@ChrisP3000x you don't need his "special bar" for a lot of the exercises any piece of strong pipe would do, that's what I used
@@kylen6430 you can make a x3 setup for like 150 bucks on Amazon
Yeah, I use wrist straps for deadlifts with the x3 bar because there is no way my grip strength can cope with the amount of resistance I can put through my legs and back, using the heaviest band
I have been using the x3 for 2 years now. I picked one up as I thought it would be a safer option vs free weights post shoulder reconstruction and lumbar fusion. It definitely worked for me, but I find myself fighting tendonitis with it. I’m guessing the tendonitis is due to the high reps. Overall I like the system a lot and have seen positive gains in strength and conditioning, but I am planning to get a rack to get back into free weights.
@@adam-lt8iy depending on the exercise, I do. Deadlifts I’m using the elite band for 25 reps. But with my golfer’s elbow and minor bicep tear, the pain is stopping me from using heavier bands
Your tendonitis is more likely to be the result of the lack of useable ROM of the joints that should do the bulk of the motion. For example: most people I ever worked with do not have true overhead ROM compensating a ton from the posterior trunk/lower back adding more excessive volume onto those tissues resulting in overuse. Likewise, knees most often take the hit for the lack of hip Or ankle ROM. Cells can only adapt to a certain extent until they will have to yield. So whatever joint/tissue region is bugging you in your case, I recommend you look at why it does the bulk of the work. One key question for exercise selection is: do you truly bring the prerequisites to put yourself into the shape which the movement requires you to. That’s exactly what my concern with the X3 training template is and the claim that it is easier on the joints which is not necessarily true.
It sounds like the Isochain would have been much more suitable for you. In fact, it would likely get rid of your issues after a while due to the lack of movement. Despite this lack of movement, the design allows you to feel like it's a live load so you get the full benefit of 'lifting' (no cortical inhibition). You would also develop far superior strength with it quicker as well. I don't see how getting back into free weights is going to help matters...
@@Nielsbaum Thanks for your perspective. I still don't understand the "easier on the joints" argument. My joints are fine after 30 years of weight lifting. Proper form and range, listening to your body and not being stupid protects your joints. Beyond form, the unfamiliar pre-tension set-up using bands (like getting into a squat position with enough pretension to make it worthwhile) can twist and pull your joints in ways that free weights don't. Lifting a bar off the rack versus maneuvering under a pre-tensioned band is way less risky on the joints, at least for me at 60 yrs old. At the same time, if something gave out (exhaustion or injury), I would rather be under a band than a 350 lb bar hoping the safety arms are positioned correctly and that I remembered the abort procedure.
Not safer. That’s a scam narrative
I have owned this since the end of 2018 and and glad I got it.
Last year I purchased a second one for the office and asked if they would replace my original standing plate for free and they sent me a second one on them.
Great product.
Worth the money.
I wish I knew about this before I paid 8K for my home gym.
Hoping to sell things off slowly.
X3, iron master kettlebells, some Fat Gripz, jump rope , and a chest master.
Nothing more is needed IMHO.
My entire home gym is a metal base plate, a spring, a few carabiner and a digital barbell handle.....called the Isochain. I use a strap instead of the chain though. I do most of the traditional lifts with it. Best thing I ever bought.
I travel a ton for work and this thing is a God send
I'd say it is indeed the whole coaching program that would "somewhat" justify the ludicrous selling price of the package. Bands are great, I am using them very frequently in my training. Bands and bodyweight could be everything 99% of regular people would need to get in and stay in shape. However, there are some important limitations:
- it is quite tricky and there's a very limited way to actually perform ballistic and explosive exercises with bands if only with anchoring them with own bodyweight. Of course, if you have some external anchoring, you can add to the varieties of ballistic/explosive movements, but still would be limited in terms of resistance you can apply (due to the inherent nature of the strength curve of a band and the strength curve of the major pulling and pushing movements of the human body). In some cases, the opposition of the two curves may be beneficial (having the biggest resistance at the weakest muscle position), but this should be applied with intention and caution.
- Also, if for example you'd want to do serious deadlift exercises with a band and a bar, you would need some extra safety (either in the form of straps to support grip or something to protect your feet) to make sure if you accidentally "drop" the bar (i.e. you let go due to grip failure) you don't have it slapped with tremendous force onto your feet to break them. With a barbell you have this safety by design as the plates would keep the bar above ground, no matter how heavy the load 😀
So, my conclusion would be: if someone dishes out this much money on the X3, they better commit to follow the programs and be consistent with regularly working out, and then it wasn't a waste of money for them. For other people, who already have some training routine and workout discipline, buying a very similar equipment can be done for the fraction of the price: I just did that some weeks ago, and the whole setup - including time and money invested to fabricate a good platform cost me less than 150 bucks.
Good feedback ... It's a long response that why noone has credited your comment. Well said though.
And what was the equipment you bought? I'm looking to save the money too.
@@mudeye YT gamer body. He put together the original stepper, Innstar Bar, triangle carabiners, and Undersun bands. I followed his instruction, and it works great. Saved a lot of money.
It's not tremendous force if your grip fails. It's actually really easy to let it down.
So i never excercised before Apple fitness plus came out and now I do it every day and found love your channel! I've never purchased anything shown here and but actually bought this (after finding a good discount code) because I didn't want to cheap out on using something else that might not have been as effective or break easier and the x3 doesn't have any subscription. It's definately expensive for what you get but I do love how high quality the equipment is vs seeing the alternatives for around 200 less and looks way lesser quality as if they made it out of their garage. I can't say I could tell anyone else to spend 500 plus on the x3 but I"m very happy with it so far especially because Apple fitness plus is more based on cardio and even their strength program isn't like a real strength workout. I would say 350 and maybe 400 I would recommend it to anyone but then again most people would rather buy cheap bands and do a diy solution but i'm happy with what I got!
I LOVE bands because I can take them in a camper or a boat and have a whole workout on the beach or in the middle of nowhere. BUT over $550 no way. I have 2 sets of bands and a Bodylastics EZ bar and the total price was UNDER $200! I don't need a program or an app. I've been training for over a decade. They need to sell this product for a realistic price and I would buy it tomorrow, but at this price not gonna happen.
edit: also I can tell I absolutely need a wider bar. My shoulders are significantly wider. My EZ bar is 43" long and it feels good.
I feel like the creator of this device was someone that used to be someone that worked for a traveling carnival. Step right up and get your magic snake oil!!
I have made a DIY version of this using material from any hardware store and tire inner tubes. My unit cost me less than $50 and equals the X- Bar in form and function.
Program schmogram. Bar, bands, base should be $100 max. What were they thinking.
We have this at the gym, and it works great. And by “this” I mean a $40 pack of bands, a $15 pair of battle rope anchors, and some misc cable attachments. I’ll put the $500 I saved towards a power rack.
Big issue too with bands vs weight is that a 45 lb plate will always weigh 45 lbs. The band will give over time and get slack, making the stretched resistance much lower. 550 would be better spent elsewhere.
Not true. I’ve had these bands for 4 yrs and they’re just as tough as before…
@Jake-wz6rc they should be feeling lighter by now. Guess they don't work
My recommendation for the x3 team is to get a new pricing expert and to rethink their business strategy. I like the equipment, I have a full time job, children, dogs, lack of time, a check on each and every box. I think I would enjoy using this equipment, but I'm simply not paying this amount. I can see value, but there is better value elsewhere at lower price points.
Seems a bit irresponsible to repeat their claim of generating muscle 3 times faster without mentioning any evidence. Also found it odd that the video mentioned bands potential to offer more tension at the top, but didn't mention the down side of offering substantially less tension at the bottom. I mean for deadlifts there would be literally zero tension at the start of the movement. Even in the video on their website where the guy is deadlifting "600+ pounds" the tension at the bottom starts at 135. I really don't understand not mentioning this. This video seems more like an advertisement for the product than a review of it.
This video is a absolutely an ad. Since GGR was sold to a media company, it went south
IT IS AN ADVERT! he's a commission seller!
I purchased the X3 system in March 2020 when everything was shutting down and it served me well until I could acquire everything I needed for a home gym! Since then I've sold everything that I purchased for the home gym, but I still have the X3 system and it works great when I can't get to the gym!
$550 for literally $50 worth of elastic rubber and a short knurled bar worth another $50 at most.
You could, and should, literally DIY this with cheaper elastic and whatever short knurled bar you can buy.
Make me one. Thanks
$549 for $40 dollar band and $50 dollar band bar 🙃
Coop you are going to start loosing followers if your reviews are paid advertisement without disclosure. If this is not a paid advertisement, you should say it right off the bat which you do on some of your videos and you did not for this.
The value of this channel is that your opinion is that of a average garage gym owner and not someone that is paid to say something “good” about a $550 dollar gimmick that can be easily piece together for under $150.
If this isnt a paid ad please address this in a future video.
This is not a paid ad. No review has ever been a paid ad. Here’s my challenge EVERY review: to give my actual opinion. No matter what I say, there will be those that disagree. So, I just call it like I see it. Is it expensive? Yeah, I say that in the video. But it’s also good and effective and has the results to back it up. I’ve also used it for over two years and take it with me every time I travel. There are products that people would prefer I just 💩 on and there are products that companies want me to praise. I do neither based upon the pressure of outside forces. These are my opinions and I stand by them whatever the scrutiny may be. - Coop
The thing is, while I agree $550 is a lot for the package, if it’s a $50 bar, I would have expected more knock offs that compare in price…but there’s nothing close in compactness, durability, knurling, etc. DIY is an option, but I’d be happy to pay $200 or so for just the bar.
@@GarageGymReviews Thanks for the clarification.
I was starting to wonder and i really value your reviews. That is why for me personally your unbias opinions is worth a truck load.
@@GarageGymReviews Coop - as a fan, i'm saying this outta appreciation and affection for you and the channel, so please take it in the spirit in which it's intended...
....because trust and credibility cannot be replaced once they're lost, it's equally important that (reasonable) perceptions of conflict of interest are managed, as well as actual conflicts of interest..
while there may be no actual conflict of interest because you're receiving no commercial benefit from promoting X3 in what appears very similar to a paid advertisement, your reticence to more harshly criticise the unequivocally absurd price-point of this product (and your non-judgmental repeating of the outrageous "3x as fast" claim) seriously undermine your credibility....in the past, you've railed harder against pricey (but more ingenious!) products, and your reluctance to do so here is a bad look, especially when followed by a "but..." justification....effectively, you breezily glossed over two elephants in the room
additionally, because this device is so simple and replicable, as a 'garage gym' proponent rather than purely a product shill, we expect that you'd spent more time discussing less expensive and DIY alternatives, but this was nearly absent from the video
Again- i've got 'nuthin but love for you brah', so please regard my comments as respectful, considered advice rather than baseless criticism
@@svengali5415 well said
I feel like you can buy some bands, some plywood, and use a short barbell standard, Olympic bar (ideally for spinning sleeves) or a lat attachment for the bar
Use a functional trainer bar I have one that came with my life fitness cable machine. It's the same as the one here pretty much.
during peak covid i used a wooden closet rod and bands.
@@pWin317 i did the same, i used a sawed off metal mop handle but it started to bend & got pretty dangerous lol
@@sdelcegno good idea I actually have one of those too and it's wider than what the company sells
Pretty sure I could make this same set up for $100 or less
It’s all backwards. The fact that resistance band has less resistance at the end of rep is a DISADVANTAGE. Because BEGINNING of the rep when muscle is at the stretched position is what builds muscle and where you need the most of the resistance. Bands are still extremely effective when you don’t have access to gym.
I have one, great equipment and the only issue I've had with it is that when you use it with the platform the bands wear extra fast. I did deads with the max weight band for quite a while, very similar to a 400lb~ pull in how it feels....but where it rubs on the platform rubs super fast, which is going to lead to breakages pretty fast....all they need is some kind of smooth plastic over the lip of the platform, seems like a simple and cheap improvement they should make considering how much they are profiting on this.
I bought two pieces of polypropylene webbing fabric (4 inches wide) on eBay that I put over the bands where they go under the ends of the ground plate. This has significantly reduced the wear issue where the bands contact the edges of the ground plate. The fabric is showing some wear but will be much cheaper to replace than the bands.
I use a total core ab gadget for the base, 1" tubular steel for the bands to go round! the inventor John Jaquish should have thought of that! ?? unless he wants you to keep fraying the bands and pay out more money to make him richer!??? :)
I wasted four months of training using the X3. I was not impressed with my results. My arms appeared smaller and I wasn't happy with how I was looking. When I went back to lifting weights I had demonstrably lost strength across the board. I probably got better results in one month of weight training than in the previous 3+ months that I had committed to the X3 so in a way they got the "3x better" part sort of correct only in reverse as I’ve personally found that my weight training results were 3x better than they were when using the X3.
I'm not saying that it isn't possible to derive some benefit from using the X3 but claims that it is as good as, or 3x times superior to weight training are utterly absurd.
For those of us who live in urban areas (i live in London UK but I'm sure its the same in NYC, Paris, Montreal, Mexico City, Amsterdam or Chicago) who live in a small flat and don't have a garage or massive house and would have to pay gym fees of ~£40/mo buying this kit and maybe a few other resistance bands and a door anchor and a jump rope for cardio strikes me as a very reasonable way to do a workout. Add to the fact that you (I) have the flexibility to work out anytime and eliminate gym travel time eating into minimal free time without other responsibilities, strikes me as a cost effective, sane solution. I bought mine for £322.
Hello. I'm in the UK as well (Worcester), and am thinking of buying the product. I'm currently spending around £350 per month for PT sessions, gym membership, and fuel. My overtime pays for it, and it's overtime I could do without so I can focus on other things. The PT sessions feel like they lack any kind of logical progression, and I haven't got 2 hours to spend in the gym to follow the programme on the non-PT days. Add to that the macho, self-centred environment, lack of support, exercises that I'm losing interest in, feeling distracted whilst being watched by others, and a lack of muscle growth, is leading me to think this would be a much better investment. The app should make it suitable for near beginners like me. £322 sounds like a decent price considering what I'm currently spending. How are you finding it so far?
huhh, our man had a big payday? seriously its sad - someone like you, who trains seriously, this review should have had one conclusion: cool setup, but expensive, and unless you're in some highly unique life context, free weights are your friend anyway. Seriously, you're going going to critique a complete all in one functional trainer for having a 2:1 pulley system, but not mentioning the limitations of bands in even one sentence? man, how much cash did they hand over to you for this? hope its a life changing amount, only then is this forgiveable.
Well Pillar4 Media who bought GGR probably paid him a ton, can't blame him but this channel has less value to me now
he's getting paid if ya buy it! so money is the reason!
what I don't like about bands, and I have them, is opposite of what the owner says about them. He says it matches your strength curve over a range of motion. That is only true with certain exercises. and for someone who likes to have constant force throughout a movement, when doing slow eccentric motions, there simply is little resistance for the last half of the release. Dumbells and a good cable/weight machine where you can angle or rotate and place pully arms, and use it for hip belt sqauts, is I think the ultimate way to go, if willing to move up to the next level of gear. But if you live out of your car or van....
What about partial movement staying in the high resistance range?
@@mikesmith379 Right,, I do that now, but not ideal for me to be able to do it easily in the different ranges of motion. When learning about isometric types, it's often said that there's a gain at the angle of the exercise and 15 degrees above and below that location. Probably same could said or done with bands,, by doing say a bench press exercise in two different ranges of motion, with using max tension in each range done.
Everything I read and hear about isometric at peak loads for thirty to sixty seconds,, they all confer that it's as good as any exercise for building strength and size. Personally, I'm incorporating some into my routine.
It's a real mental exercise at that level though.
Great review. Great video. At that price? NoF'ingWay. They need to sell a version for more experienced lifters. Meaning no app, no instructions or paperwork in the box, no fancy box, no marketing hype.
Great Review as always
Hit on every point Coop, Top Shelf Man
Agree with U on not wanting the X3 to be my only form of training, us weightlifters need the Barbell to make us feel complete.
Nice job by Brittany, hope I spelled your name right, U did Great
I don't see many weightlifters such as myself dropping over $600 to my door on this product. I am a Westside student so I add bands to my barbells on the big 3 lifts (Bench, Squat, and Dead) so I would not use this system but I do think it has a market for housewives, very busy men who want to workout in their office just to stay in shape, and young beginners getting used to resistance. I think it is just too pricey for most people to justify it's purchase. Great idea but X3 needs to lower the price or they are only gonna sell to the rich population.
I can build this with parts from Home Depot for under $50. The bands I can get from Walmart for about $30
If you do please please list instructions. I’m slow AF.
I own the x3 system and have also bought cheap bands in the past, and x3's bands are insanely better and it's not even close. No way you can recreate this with $30 bands. They're really high quality and probably equivalent to or slightly better than Serious Steel bands.
@@JoeSchoffstall I got at least as good bands off ebay, same latex dipped bands, but they were a bit stronger than x3 ones!! for £60 I have a complete set of 6 ( 2 lower strength bands for adding smaller amounts of resistance) I worked HARD for 4 weeks, no gains in size or strength....when it came to lifting weights! I think I was fitter though, because doing a lot of reps makes you puff like hell! I am 69 , but still! haha!
Make me one
@@earplugs55
And what name brand were those bands?
I have had the X3 for over a year. I love it. I think your review was fair and accurate. Those who may it overpriced just have no clue the value of the time saved using this system
I’m thinking of getting x3, some people say sometimes you get a wired torque in the bar? If so can you explain what they meant? Thanks
For me, this would be perfect for travelling with. But not at $550… I’ll stick to my TRX. My gut instinct is their business model on this is wrong. They could pitch to the whole fitness industry in terms of a cheap/reasonably priced ‘gotta have’ travel accessory, instead of a narrow band of gimmick and fad chasers looking for the next panacea.
Can you guys do a review on sandbags, and the best way to fill them (sand vs pea gravel)?
I’m a month into this fire season and realizing for certain people, this is great. Finding gyms is mission:impossible. But having something I can check would be great
Synapse CCR...
I use velcro straps to keep the bands from separating performing the chest press exercise
The resistance curve of bands is backwards for most exercises. Much better to do timed static contractions (TSC) in the mid range of the movement with an inflexible strap like the "Forearm Forklift" furniture movers strap ($25).
For everyone complaining about the price, I made a diy black iron bar and wooden platform to test the concept. When I saw it working, I bought the real X3.
It's much sturdier than my diy set. I don't feel like the bar is going to snap and break me or something else.
No more gym commutes or monthly fees. My workouts are done in 20-30 minutes 6 days a week. And I'm more than satisfied with the results. The system works if you work it.
is that with just one set like Jaquish says? I did one set all out for 4 weeks and no gains
I did one set to failure/gasping! especially with curls , dipping down to get it up then resist negs as well, but didn't get stronger or bigger in the 4 weeks, but I've always been a hard gainer even when young, but at 27, while only 5' 4" and 152lbs I did : Press 150lb curl 106lb, bench press 190lb (didn't have a bench in those days, so didn't do the bench press as an exercise) bent row 190lb and deadlift 350lb..... just doing weights then , only beginner type training though, 2 or 3 sets basic exercises , didn't do squats! or bench ( did try squats once 12 reps 170lb) only 1 set stiff legged deadlifts, didn't know what I was doing really in those days! :)
@@earplugs55 There are so many variables from rest to diet that could effect your results. I would say complete the 12 week program. And over 1 year into my X3 journey, there are weeks when I may not increase in reps. But I've learned that as long as I exhaust the muscle, the results will come.
Also at 5'4", consider the 32" bands from serious steel. They do stretch over time, but the shorter length increases the difficulty in the full range of motion compared to similar sized bands. At 5'9, I use them for curls, deadlifts, and the chest press.
@@SenecaTheWiser yes........ at my age of 69 , I'm probably past it for muscle size gains! found it very hard even when I wasy young to see any results, keep on working get results, I like your attitude! I've been tuned to maintenance only for so long ! I can see how some others could get results, have you used weights/have weights so you can compare if your getting stronger?
@@SenecaTheWiser yes, shorter bands would give more resistance sooner at the lower level! :)
how smart is it on the joints to put most of the weight on the top of the movement? and how smart is for hypertrophie?
not much good! hahha I tried it for 4 weeks (homemade x3 , same strength or stronger bands! much cheaper,only £60!
Excellent Review!!
I’ve had mine for a few years. My wife does the program the way it’s intended. I switched mine up to 5 sets of 5-12, and broke it down to 4 days a week. I seem to have better results when I’m not squatting and deadlifting 3 days a week
Great in-depth review, now I know what X3 is. Much appreciated
Seems to me a couple of flaws that take away from the versatility of bands.
One is that by placing bands under platform at set width, it takes away being able to increase or decrease the resistance you can get. One cool thing about bands as a standalone resistance tool is that by widening or narrowing your stance, you can increase or decrease the resistance, even within a set (basically drop sets). Can't do that with this.
The other disadvantage ties into the first one. By hooking the bands into the bar, once again you lose the ability to increase or decrease tension thus resistance. It's at a set width. If you just grab the bands, you can move your hands closer or further away from the anchor point thus increase or decease resistance.
You can probably get away with losing one or the other (the tube bands such as Bodylastics that you hook up to handles only can vary resistance by varying foot width) but with this system, you seem to lose both
sounds very good reasoning! yes............
I love exervise bands abd you should too. BUT you can get your own bar and bands way cheaper. I've seen metal bars for resistance bands that look exactly like this x3 bar for $60 on amazon and other places.
I seriously doubt x3 actually makes this bar or their bands. they just buy from China then brand it their logo and sell you a "program" for $550. Most these places even titan fitness just buy from China then slap their logo on it and charge $$$ $ for it. There's a reason why titan fitness , valor fitness , force USA and many other suspiciously all have similar products and yet different prices.
You are just buying a Chinese mass made product with logo stickers.
Awesome review Coop!
Love my X3 Coop....thanks for the awesome review. Videos like this helped convince me to pull the trigger.
You got SUCKERED
I'm using two medium bands and cover all exercises for a whole body workout. I also use bands alongside traditional gym equipment, so no bar or plate. Just bands and strong hand holds.
It should be $50, you can make the plate with 2x4 and small piece of plywood, a pipe eyebolt and spring clamp will make the bar. I dont see any good back lat exercises.
Why would you need that thing that you stand on? You can just stand on the bands directly.
I bought regular non branded bands, and they are still okay after 2 years. I also bought 2 metal handles instead of the bar. The entire setup is $60 CAD.
I’m a avid X3 user and I’ll say this. The claim “3 times faster muscle growth” is terrible. They need to change that claim. Only way I see it true is your joints aren’t as sore and you won’t get injured with X3 if done correctly. Can lift heavy year round with no damage to the body.
I been watching you with years but the problem with trying to make a living off your type of UA-cam channel is this. You should disclose paid advertisements bro
They were sold to pillar4 media a year ago and the content has been like this now..
I'm using X3 and now pushing the dark grey band which 240 doubled for presses and hitting 40 reps. How does that compare to a 225 lb. bench press? Can I bench press 225 40 times.
no way! hahahh! bands tension doesn't relate to lifting REAL weights, e.g. I can deadlift 20 reps with bands using 420lbs of resistance, but actually with weights I can only deadlift 150lbs 12 reps!!!
@@earplugs55 I was deadlifting 225lbs 10 times for one set 3 years ago and I'm doing the dark gray band 240lbs 38 to 40 times now, and it took me a while for that, so I think I would be lifting more weight but don't know unless I go to the gym.
@@danbuckles2745 I'd like to know if you can lift more weight in the gym!?? if you add reps with x3 you would THINK you could lift more weight, in my experience, actual weight lifting/training strength DIDN'T go up! maybe it only strengthens you where the x3 is hard, at the top? sounds logical, the rest of the rep is easy, with weights the most stimulating part of the exercise is where the muscle is under stretch, like with bench press at the bottom, squat at the bottom( no resistance there with x3) etc....... x 3 is only working the muscle hard at the contracted position...
@@earplugs55 The only way I can answerer this at this point is around 3 years ago I could lift 225lbs deadlifting ten times the first set and now after almost two years of deadlifting I can do 38 to 40 deadlifts with the dark grey band which is theoretically 240lbs. However what X3ers are doing is not exactly a deadlift but a Romanian dead lift which doesn't incorporate the lift start with the legs but starts further up below the knees. That's why one needs to go easy as your lower back is more in play until you feel comfortable, and it becomes strengthened. I feel I could probably deadlift more weight in the gym but haven't verified it yet.
@@danbuckles2745 I am 69 and it makes my lower back ache, after 20 reps with 210lbs bands doubled so 420lbs! but with weights I can only deadlift 150lbs for 12 reps ....so you can see band strength does not equate to lifting real weights, well, with me anyway! 😀
I’ve had the X3 for 4 yrs or so. I’ve been a bber for over 20 yrs. Yes 550 is alot. Before I bought it, I tried to re create it for less. Your essentially paying for the bar and it’s durability. It really is a good workout, u need next to no space to do it. I’ve tracked with it too. I bought the longer bar a few months ago, as I’m a bigger guy. 6’2” 240. Save your money, and buy one. They just had a cyber Monday deal with $150 off.
How long until these bands wear-out or snap; hence need to be replaced?
No thanks..
Product is worthless, at least if you use the app . The bands are junk , at least the first three are white/grey/ black (mine wore out in a few months). I have the original floor plate and it ripped up all of my bands . Customer service is awful .
i used bands i got off ebay and a total core for the base, it's got 1" tubular steel piping for my bands to go round, no fraying at all! jaquish should have thought of that! unless he wants you to fray em and make even more money out of you buying more bands!
I’ve had X3 since November 2020 and believe me, they do not rip. What a great investment of 500 bucks for years of use and results in 15 minutes 2-3x a week for me
Very good review.
very, and i mean VERY helpful review by Brittany, thanks!!
Could you do a review of the inspire leg extension/curl bench attachment? It seems to be the only decent option for a leg developer that doesn’t have to stand alone
The x3 metal plate shreds bands. The bar has weird rotational properties and is way to short.
Jaquish is a fraud with diploma mill PhD.
Dick Hartzell created these bands and platforms. Look him up. Westside still uses his stuff. Jaquish basically ripped him off.
They do make a wider bar, and the foot plate is metal now. I love my X3 bar and bands. The protocol is to aim for 1 set of 15-40 reps (until failure), and then partial reps until you can’t do anymore. It’s a great workout and program.
I wish you would call these companies out for their pricing. 550 is nuts. You can’t just claim it replaces a whole home gym and then charge the price of a starter gym. This thing should be 99-149 max.
no way can x3 replace a gym, in reality it is a POOR version of a very short barbell! and only 1 exercise per bodypart! so a LIMITED home barbell really! that is the TRUTH!
For most resistance band work your feet will work fine as a base and PVC pipe will work fine for the bar. Nice product but not worth the price IMO
I will build my own version (and order Rogue bands).
Price feels laughable but the alternative would be a cheaper product but charge a subscription for the programming.. which would cost even more, and in that sense the price isn’t as bad as it seems. $200 seems like a good price for this but imagine if to get it that low they go the peloton route and the program/app is $30 a month. You’re at $560 after 1 year, nearly a thousand bucks after two years.
The guy who came up with this is so jacked but he claims doesn’t go to the gym. You don’t get that jacked by using bands.
You do when you use the bands to find a vein
he was an american football player when young! they aint small, and he's trained with weights for 20 years or more, and! on testosterone injections!
Hello Coop have you ever tried the Bodylastics bands with their anti snap bands? I've been using Bodylastics for quite sometime and they have held up Great 👍. Also, check out the Undersun fitness and Clench bands which have their Clench Fitness grips 💪👍
Thanks for the recommendation on the Clench Fitness grips. Cyber Monday deal today for under $100. Not sure X3 offers anything more and even at their Cyber Monday deal of $400, it still seems like a lot.
Coop starting to remind me of the school janitor on The Simpsons.
Love the “if they were to snap” statement @ 3:16, that would be a disaster
there's a youtuber 'gamerbody' that gives the list of what to get and he made a wider bar with high quality triangle rings for waaaay less money.
Garbage.
Good review, I have it and honestly the biggest issue for me is getting bored to death with it vs my garage gym / traditional weights. It’s also easier to do 3 or 4 sets of iron vs 1 real true set to absolute failure.
Have you tried the GHAccelorator they offer at all? also, any suggestions on a replacement base foot plate for the new metal plate?
Just bought one with your link. They are on sale $150 at the moment. The bigger band is too! Thanks for doing this review and including Brittany's opinions. The additional perspectives helped solidify my decision.
How are you getting on with it?
I bought the bar separately (there are ways...), and bands from Serious Steel (rumoured to make X3 bands), near the beginning of the pandemic. I later added the baseplate after realizing the benefits vs. other methods. I found the program incredible for deads, squats, and overhead press but very uncomfortable and annoying for chest and ineffective/weird for triceps. Triceps were best not using the bar and going door mount/similar instead.
While I recognized the effectiveness it just didn't excite me so I stopped using it and have since built out a home gym. I feel bad about not taking advantage of it more when it's all I had, but I still do use the system for travel or supplemental exercises.
If you can get a hold of the bar only does $250, that plus 1-2 bands is all you need for a great travel gym (plus maybe a door band loop).
On sale now for $399 and the 600lb band is also on sale for $69
The rollers on the bottom is a great idea!!
Are good bands very expensive to produce? Because I feel even the rogue/elitefts bands are not cheap at all
NOT EXPENSIVE! same bands or better on ebay for around 1/10th the price!
Coop finally selling out? This review seems more like an advertisement 😢
Honestly a lot of the reviews have felt like just marketing overviews. Instead of a review that tests marketing claims and comparable performance to the alternatives.
“Finally” was over a year ago when he sold to 4 pillar marketing. This is what GGR is now, essentially a salesman making advertisement commercials for products. Not mad at coop. He built his brand into something and was offered money he couldn’t refuse. It was a good business move for him and his family. But the videos aren’t marketed towards the hardcore home gym people anymore. It’s marketed to the 120k people in the Facebook group and these gimmicky companies have figured out there are probably 30k-40k suckers in said group who will buy their product because a guy on UA-cam told them to buy it.
GGR was sold to a media company awhile back, hence the oddness
@@bradbennett923 Yup, agreed
So happy you did a review on this. I've been wondering about this for years.
the only thing is that someone that gets money if you buy one is BIASED!
I see a lot of people in the comments saying they can diy one. please don't do this guys. it will break when you're deadlifting and you will injure yourself
Individual handles for each side to use for a dead lift would be good...less stress on the spine
The problem is is that when your muscles are in the stretch position this offers little to no resistance, and that is where the most muscle growth occurs. The resistance profile/curve is wrong. Maybe for travelling if you need something portable, but even then I would just find a gym and get a day pass or something. I mean it really does exactly the opposite of what you need for growth.
Yea I would not pay more than $100 for that
For $500, you'd expect this to solve the full ROM issue with bands.
So when you accidentally lose your grip on a deadlift, you destroy your feet?
Brittany's remark on the chest press is spot on.
I love the X3 system, but chest press is unusable, especially for us big dudes
I put the band around my old total core then laid on that, better range of motion, still no gains tho! hahha
X3 vs maxpro… Which you recommend?
I personally have this system and can second everything said in the video. Except for the complaints about the knurling. I haven’t had any issues there.
I recommend it if it fits your use case. The price is up there but it is a lot cheaper than a squat rack, barbell, weights, dumbbells, etc…, that you would buy otherwise. And as long as you adhere to the program and truly go to failure the way the guy says, it works.
Lol you got scammed big time
Thanks for the review. To me it’s an expensive portable gym when on vacation.
So its a bar and resistance band?