# Athlean X



## Major Eyeswater (Nov 2, 2013)

I've been forced to make a few changes to my workout. I've picked up a few niggling injuries from training heavy - grumbly back, glitch in my shoulder, climber's elbow and so on, so I've re-jigged my training to concentrate on using lighter weights with super-strict form.

I've discovered a guy on YouTube called Jeff Cavalier, who is a physiotherapist by trade. He has unpicked a lot of the ways we normally train & re-invented exercises to make them safer & more effective. He has a program that you can buy - which is on my list to Santa, but in the meantime I've used the stuff he posts up on YouTube to re-design my workouts. He concentrates on athletic training rather than straightforward bodybuilding, so I've applied his ideas to my bodybuilding workout rather than just doing his workouts as-is

The first workout today was a real shock to the system. I'd dropped all my weights down, and still didn't get through everything. Chest, shoulders & triceps have all been hit in a way they haven't been hit for a very long time.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0TLA0EsQbE-MjuHXevj2A


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

I've watched a good number of his videos in the past, which mostly seem decent. This one includes some good explanations regarding bad shoulder exercises for example:


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## Major Eyeswater (Nov 2, 2013)

I've just gone through a back workout utilising as much of his advice as possible.

My old back workout would have been something like heavy pulldowns, followed by a low pulley row. 5 sets of each.

The new one uses 6 different exercises - straight arm pulldown supersetted with wide pulldowns, W-raise supersetted with wide rows, and low pulley row supersetted with close-grip pulldown. I dropped weights right down - the close pulldown & low pulley rows were done with just 40kilos, less than half what I would be using before, but because of the ultra-strict form & fatigue from the previous exercises, I was hitting 'form breakdown failure' on the last set.

Must just point out though that this guy doesn't advise against using heavy weights at all - indeed he emphasises the importance of using a weight that's challenging. I'm just spending a few weeks concentrating on technique while I let these injuries clear up.


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

Major Eyeswater said:


> I've just gone through a back workout utilising as much of his advice as possible.
> 
> My old back workout would have been something like heavy pulldowns, followed by a low pulley row. 5 sets of each.
> 
> ...


 I rate him very highly, i think anyone with a few miles on their training clock should look at what he's doing....all of us that have trained heavy for years will have picked up a lot of wear and tear and it can get quite disheartening going through the same cycle of pushing hard, getting injured,rehabbing,rinse repeat...

I use a lot of his mobility routines and they make a massive difference, if you get his program maybe post an update of how you respond? Im not talking specifics, just more your thoughts and experience....good luck man


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## RexEverthing (Apr 4, 2014)

ausmaz said:


> I rate him very highly, i think anyone with a few miles on their training clock should look at what he's doing....all of us that have trained heavy for years will have picked up a lot of wear and tear and it can get quite disheartening going through the same cycle of pushing hard, getting injured,rehabbing,rinse repeat...
> 
> I use a lot of his mobility routines and they make a massive difference, if you get his program maybe post an update of how you respond? Im not talking specifics, just more your thoughts and experience....good luck man


 What routines of his do you use?



Major Eyeswater said:


> I've been forced to make a few changes to my workout. I've picked up a few niggling injuries from training heavy - grumbly back, glitch in my shoulder, climber's elbow and so on, so I've re-jigged my training to concentrate on using lighter weights with super-strict form.
> 
> I've discovered a guy on YouTube called Jeff Cavalier, who is a physiotherapist by trade. He has unpicked a lot of the ways we normally train & re-invented exercises to make them safer & more effective. He has a program that you can buy - which is on my list to Santa, but in the meantime I've used the stuff he posts up on YouTube to re-design my workouts. He concentrates on athletic training rather than straightforward bodybuilding, so I've applied his ideas to my bodybuilding workout rather than just doing his workouts as-is
> 
> ...


 How are you finding this mate?


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

I think I've watched every one of his videos. He talks a hell of a lot of sense compared to many and I do tend to adopt some principles or workouts for a change.

Seems a decent guy and puts out a lot of video content for free which is admirable. Obviously he gets to sell his Athlean X programme but who wouldn't.


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## Stephen9069 (Dec 11, 2013)

DC1 said:


> I think I've watched every one of his videos. He talks a hell of a lot of sense compared to many and I do tend to adopt some principles or workouts for a change.
> 
> Seems a decent guy and puts out a lot of video content for free which is admirable. Obviously he gets to sell his Athlean X programme but who wouldn't.


 I agree with you mate iv subscribed to his channel and have used a lot of the stuff hes posted


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

Stephen9069 said:


> I agree with you mate iv subscribed to his channel and have used a lot of the stuff hes posted


 I'm big into bio-mecanics so anyone who follows this train of thought when discussing exercise selection gets my attention.


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

RexEverthing said:


> What routines of his do you use?
> 
> How are you finding this mate?


 I use two, basically a lower body dynamic warmup/pre-stretch for the tendons... and a series of shoulder mobility drills to open everything up....works a treat, it constantly surprises me how well it works for probably 3-5 mins of extra work...

I cant afford regular deep tissue work so i have to get a bit proactive


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## barksie (Nov 23, 2014)

watched him for a couple years he talks sense


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## redpill859 (Mar 11, 2014)

after seeing this post the other day decided to look at a few more videos, thought the content was excellent and learnt loads already. very useful :thumbup1:


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## RexEverthing (Apr 4, 2014)

ausmaz said:


> I use two, basically a lower body dynamic warmup/pre-stretch for the tendons... and a series of shoulder mobility drills to open everything up....works a treat, it constantly surprises me how well it works for probably 3-5 mins of extra work...
> 
> I cant afford regular deep tissue work so i have to get a bit proactive


 Link me brethren!!


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

RexEverthing said:


> Link me brethren!!


 Give me 5....im slackin off at work right now... :whistling:


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

@RexEverything


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## Kitson (Jan 25, 2016)

He's one of the few YT fitness guys I listen to.

Others I find quite interesting are Igor Opeshansky (@VitruvianPhysique) and Layne Norton (@Biolayne). They both have scientific backgrounds and approaches to lifting which is better than most of the Broscience you find on YT.

Also - I do believe both the guys above are natty so a lot of what they talk about appeals to me. I find it so hard to split apart what's good for natty and geared lifting on YT because there's so much confusion about what works and what doesn't depending on if you use or not. This spreads onto most forums and routines you find on the internet as well. I bought Arnold's Encyclopedia for Bodybuilding - it's a great book - but his routines have really high volume and I'd find it very hard to do many of them, for example.


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