Problems With The X3 Bar

The fact that this gasses you out just shows you how challenging band workouts can be, which is actually a good thing because it does help build up that cardiovascular endurance. And Dr J does advocate for rest pauses to squeeze out more reps.

Thanks for your video Mike. Question: what size or level of muscle mass did you have before starting with X3? You clearly carry significant bulk/mass so was curious how much was built with X3 vs maintained. Thanks.

About to mix up bands with pull up bar bodyweight exercises and dips, wish me luck

You’re doing the bicep curls wrong way. You’re supposed to keep the bar touching your torso all the way up and down. That way you’ll get better results.

Mike, every exercise I do I keep going until I feel that burning sensation. I stop for just a few seconds to shake it off and get right back into it. I repeat that until I absolutely can't do anymore. Is that considered a rest- pause?

I have used this for 2 weeks and I have noticed massive physiological gains by going super heavy as I can for like 20 minutes a day maybe twice a day on Sundays. I bought two sets of the cheap band I use 2x heavy bands for my deadlifts. I also found sitting on the couch for a couple minutes in between every couple sets works good as well. I feel way stronger already

How do you get out from under the squat when you’re at your max rep?

Been using X3 for 4 years. Ain’t no problems with X3 for me..X3 Baby

Hello, I'm in the UK and have been having personal trainer sessions and gym membership for 8 months. I haven't seen much in the way of muscle mass increase despite ketovore diet. It's also expensive, have sustained injuries, and am starting to find the gym environment unappealing. I feel like the personal trainer sessions lack logical progression, and there's no emphasis on me being taught what I need to know to become independent. I'm following the same programme each time when I'm on my own, which I'd have to pay to change. I have to work overtime regularly to afford it. I'm now thinking of buying either this system or Harambe, but can't decide - any advice? I'm relatively new to strength training - do both systems come with plenty of guidance in terms of the body positioning for each exercise?

Personally, I don't want my exercise to be easy. I don’t see the sense in that. I want it to be challenging. However, if I can’t do an extra rep, I’m fine with that. The point is to take your muscle to total fatigue including partials.

If you do the exercise too fast your lungs are going to give out before the muscle you are working. For example, if you are doing a squat, the way it's supposed to be done is, 2 to 3 seconds up and 2 to 3 seconds down without locking out at the top.

Thank you for the very well done video!
I just started year 5 with the X3 Bar.
Turned 70 in October.
I had to stop the overhead press because I strained my neck during the exercise a few months ago.
Odd that didn't happen for almost 5 years, but it happened.
It's completely healed so I could probably go back to it with a lighter band, more reps, and be careful of the neck.
Currently, I perform the chest press, pec crossover, and triceps press on push days and the deadlift, bent row, and bicep curl on pull days.
I don't do leg exercises with the X3 because of the cardiovascular issue you mentioned.
Thanks for addressing it because I've never heard anyone else do so.
I thought it was just me.
So, I purchased a MaxiClimber XL 2000 for exercising my legs.
It's killer!
As far as becoming bored with the X3 or not liking the intensity, I have never experienced that.
I'm addicted to the pump I feel after working out with the X3!
Plus, I crank the tunes and go to town 6 days per week, taking Sundays off.
It's always a very enjoyable experience for me.
I did purchase some smaller bands from Serious Steel because I tend to go lighter resistance with more reps.
But with the X3 and carnivore way of eating (I don't get bored with that, either), I am in the best shape and health of my later adult life.
And this is after reaching 247 pounds 7 years ago, going keto, working out, and dropping 64 pounds in six months.
I switched to carnivore after that.
Grace and Peace to you and yours.
Scott Evans - Colorado

Nothing easy is worthwhile 😊

And those people are called
WUSSIES

problem is in Australia it costs $1000

I had made my own with cutting board, hockey pucks and $50 bar with triangle caribiners from Amazon, but got frustrated with triangle caribiners and pulled the trigger on X3 with Black Friday special.
If I was starting from scratch today, I would use the new foot plate risers from Clinch Fitness instead of the hockey pucks and the new $50 bar on Amazon with X3 style hooks instead of the triangle caribiners

Excellent points about the dread. The time under tension and sheer discomfort becomes particularly burdensome with this style of exercise; especially for exercises such as squats. I would venture to say that you can get the same, if not better results, with free weights without that kind of discomfort -- sure, the pushing through discomfort is a key part of any progressive overload system, but the way one perceives and is able to deal with discomfort among the different styles of overload does matter significantly. Personally, I find 3 heavy sets of an exercise much less psychologically demanding than holding tension for as long as is necessary with a band system. In other words, I can overload more easily and sustainably with multiple shorter sets rather than one long set. The optimal style of overload depends on your goals, mental state, and biology. For these reasons, I personally experience better results with free weights.

On my total gym, with bands on it, I do 3 sets. The first 2 are 20 to 25 reps, by the end of the second set, I’ve got like 2 left in the tank, then the 3rd set is complete failure. As long as your pushing harder, or trying to push harder then your previous workout your good.

SO helpful! I think I'm going to go for a mishmash system. Harambe is just too expensive to go all in. X3 doesn't allow a la carte. I hate their footboard, and their bands are too long for me. I might do the Harambe T-bar, and maybe SS bands, and possibly the wooden board.

I mean, people do know that they can train to failure without using a $550 resistance band system.... right?

The most overlooked aspect of the x3 is working out with one rep to exhaustion also gets the heart rate up to burn fat and get lean. This is what’s so appealing to me about this system. I currently do the 30 minute circuit at planet fitness and it has given me better results than anything I have tried. I think the x3 would be a good alternative and have even better results for cardio and muscle building. I have been a weight lifter my entire life and only discovered circuit training within the last 2 years. I always thought I needed to be at the gym for an hour to get results. It turns out that less is more. Work out until your heart rates up and your muscles are fatigued and be on your way 😊….15 - 30 minutes max. If you are taking longer than this you are resting way to much.

Talks way too fast to hold my attention.

Do you have a link to the bigger board ? I only see the link for the mini Mac board . Thanks

Good, honest review. I appreciate the thoughtfulness regarding getting winded before muscle failure, etc. You aren't doing Jaquish's drag curls (keeping the bar close to the body), which I find more challenging than the traditional bicep curl, because there is no rest at the top and you're also getting rear delt activation, as well. But the way you're doing the traditional curls, stopping well before lock out, you're certainly getting a serious workout, so cool. I may try some of your variations, they look interesting, but right now, the standard X3 routines are giving me a really good full-body workout. I HAVE added in his pec cross-over, which isn't on the printed cards but is in his videos covering his routine. Those feel great after the chest press. Also, immediately after the overhead shoulder press, I do upright rows to hit the front delts and I can do a long set (note: I never lift above bottom of chest level, to avoid shoulder impingement), which tells me that the shoulder press isn't working the front delts to failure. But those 2 together certainly max out my shoulder routine. I like your addition of shrugs, good idea.
Thanks again for an excellent video!

I own an x3 and love it. But I've had more fun and gains making it more of a reverse pyramid type of training than this super high rep one set to failure thing. Dr J is very dogmatic about the program and nutrition program

I can do 40 reps on the white-band for overhead presses with the X3 but the next band up the light gray feels way too heavy. Have you found a band from another company that can bridge the gap for me?

I love my X3, but the issue i ran into was once i got into higher bands, i couldnt complete pull exercises such as calf raises simply because i couldn't keep the bar in my hands. I struggle to get a single rep with the black band because as soon as I raise up, the bar slides right out of my grip. I had to drop back down a band and go higher reps.

I do 3 sets always have.

Hi, I found out that you are taking boron. DO you cycling it? If yes, how much and how long?

Hey brother awesome content as always! Question. Have you ever heard of the VigorFit? I have an XLS and I’m really not a huge fan. Not enough levels of resistance. Looks like this gym is able to hold real weight as well as built in resistance bands. And the price seems too good to be true.

Mike, I have the original Mac board, but might consider the mini for traveling. How much is the mini? Thanks!

Hi, Sliding Bench Trainer, my only criticism of the X3 is the board it wears against the resistance bands. The wooden boards you showed look good and are rounded and the edges won't fray the bands.

Would it be good if using isometric exercises ?

Mike,

I'm on week 20 of the X3. Here's what I learned.

1. The importance of more rest days off. Similar to the Mike Mentzer philosophy. Right now, I workout Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

2. Each Monday, after a 72 hour rest, I try to break my records, whether it's a push or pull day. So far, I continue to break all my records week after week. This means, I'm getting progressively stronger as I overload the muscle with more heavy weight week by week. I take each set to failure.

3. On Wednesday/Friday I switch things up and do a 6 second cadence each rep. I do a three second static hold and three second cadence on the negative (eccentric). This has been inspired by Mike Mentzers training approach. Each set literally takes between 2-4 minutes to complete this way. Obviously, I do down a band or two, from my max, so to say. I do each set to failure.

4. Because of how intense these workouts are becoming, I find I need between 3-4 minute to rest between sets. So, my X3 workout takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Finally, I've become a big fan of Mike Mentzer's HIT training technique. This is why I will only lift a max of three days per week. Eventually, going down to two. I believe Mentzer would've been a big fan of X3.

I believe for best results on the X3, you need to rest more. I disagree with Jaquish and some of the trainers that you should workout 6 days a week. I believe people who do this are over-training and will hurt themselves or hinder their growth in the long run.

Nice! What I found with this is if I look at what my previous reps for whatever set I'm doing as I get to that figure I start feeling weak and Ill only manage maybe a few half reps more, so I literally don't look at the app anymore and just hit it and always get a good few reps extra on most and on some like the squat I blew 40 reps np when I was goofing it at like 24 for odd for 2 weeks. I don't know why that is because when you're on metal you can push hard past your previous pb but that X3 its more gruelling so I fade easier! Cardio is the killer though with the X3 on split squats ha! I love the X3 though, just the core basics I cant be bothered anymore with accessory sets of anything else. Cool vid 👍👍

Mini Mac Ordered!! Thank you :)

This was excellent - had picked up Undersun bands after seeing them on your channel, and went all in with them last summer. But yes - even with them, squats and deadlifts, etc. took the fun out of it. Just gassed out for a day or two. Had to switch it up or I'd hate working out - so this was great perspective.

Good advice variety is the spice of life. This summer I have been doing all my workouts with the bowflex xtreme. Been making good progress for a 64 year old. But even the 410 lb resistance isn't enough for chest back and legs. I wrap resistance bands around the tower and hook to the handles for extra resistance .

Excellent video as usual.

I’m moving closer and closer to pulling the trigger on the X3 Bar system.

I like this system but it really needs to be more affordable

I did purchase a cheaper version which I have used occasionally. I use it for resistance for the lower body on the TG. To me it is a great system for the person in a tiny NYC apartment or an RV. It covers the basics. It is great for people looking for more variety at home. Serious lower body work is very hard no matter what system you use, men and women. The full price X3 I don't get

i couldnt afford one at the moment so i made a diy bar,this training is everything, it is hard training and thats what make it so affective,the pump is ridiculous,true mike i used lighter bands on shoulders bis &side laterals,i aslo been hooking bands to dumbells fighting the negative and firing the positive,that time under tension,another great video mike,thank u