X3 Elite Bar: Bonus Interview with Dr. John Jaquish

In this video, I talk with Dr. Jaquish about the improvements of the Elite X3 Bar fitness band bar system over the original. From aesthetics to function, this bar is amazing. I was able to demo it after the video and get some pointers direct from Dr. Jaquish and I’m here to tell you, this bar is the real deal.

Since re-starting with the X3 Bar resistance band bar system 9 weeks ago, I can tell you I wish I had the Elite in my hands every day. Lifting with the black band (300 lbs of resistance when doubled over for the deadlift) has proven to be challenging with the original bar. What I wouldn’t give for the knurling of the Elite!

X3 workout bar system continues to prove to me it is the superior way to build muscle not only effectively, but efficiently, too.

Full Transcript

MC: Hey, what’s going on MC? This is a quick intro to the video I’m about to show you. This was a bonus video that I shot when I last interviewed Dr. John Jaquish, the inventor creator of the X3 Bar resistance band bar system. It is kind of revealing the new Elite X3 Bar exercise band bar system. I got to demo it, I got to do a workout with it. It was absolutely incredible. But without further ado, I’m going to let you check out the bonus interview with the brand new X3 Bar Elite Bar. Check it out. All right, welcome back to MCPD. I am here again with Dr. John Jaquish. A little bonus video that we shot the same time as our last interview, but we’ve held on to it for secrecy reasons, right, because you can’t let the cat out of the bag. What I’m holding in my hot little hand here is the original X3 Bar resistance band bar system, and holding it makes a big difference. There is a difference between it aesthetically and physically. This is a solid, well built, well constructed, engineered piece of equipment. We talked about, off camera, the decision to coat it in rubber.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah. I wanted to be nice to people and have a comfortable grip, but apparently people really like a more Olympic neural bar grip, and there’s always some challenges in developing a product and seeing how people use it and seeing what people like and what people don’t like. People like the metal bar way better. Also, it takes some of the questions away. When people see this online, when you’re looking at this right now, you don’t know that it’s metal.

MC: No, not at all. If I was to guess-

Dr. John Jaquish: It could be made of cheese. You don’t even know. Right?

MC: Yeah. It looks light, it looks plastic, but it’s not.

Dr. John Jaquish: It was not the best decision to coat this in rubber, and also, you can’t hang on to rubber as well as you can on to a neural bar.

MC: Yeah.

Dr. John Jaquish: So people, even some of the non-exercisers, like females who’ve never lifted weights, or guys who’ve never lived weights, they’d much rather hang on to a steel bar with a little bit of grip on it because it’s just a better feeling. There’s a reason they don’t rubber coat bars in the gym.

MC: Yeah, yeah.

Dr. John Jaquish: Right. So it just ended up being a better decision to redesign.

MC: So this was the original.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah.

MC: You went through some different engineering, and it moved on to what you called the Pro Bar. Right? Now, is that a different hook design? Or what was the difference in that iteration?

Dr. John Jaquish: A slightly different hook design and it was just basically steel. There are some difficulties in the manufacturing and getting it consistent, getting it right every time. So we decided to redesign again and do it in a way where we were getting the benefits of steel and the benefits of some other materials, specifically aluminum, so that we could reduce the weight, because the more steel you use, the heavier it is. When you have this in your backpack, you’re not going to appreciate it if it’s heavier. Even when you’re working out, the heaviness comes from the latex banding that attaches to it and not the bar. So ultimately, lighter weight materials can be milled to a much finer degree, and then anodized so it’s protected. It’s got coating on it, so it’s very well protected. It’ll last forever, like heirloom quality kind of construction. So when you look some of the great things out there that are made with aluminum, like iPhones or whatever, there’s a reason that that is a material that a lot of people go for, is anodized aluminum.

MC: I’ve got to say, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t, because I’m a big comic book nerd, and you started to say “Ah,” and I’m like, “Oh my God, he made it out of adamantinum. He’s Wolverine. This is amazing.” And then you said, “Aluminum.” Like, “All right, whatever man.”

Dr. John Jaquish: Anodized aluminum’s cool.

MC: I’m not saying it’s not. I’m saying it’s not Wolverine.

Dr. John Jaquish: I mean, look at your iPhone. It’s great. Yeah, it’s okay.

MC: Yeah. All right, so-

Dr. John Jaquish: What it does to your biomechanics and biochemistry is more like the Wolverine.

MC: So let’s see, should we do it?

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, yeah.

MC: All right, grab it.

Dr. John Jaquish: Let’s show the new one. So this is the Elite X3 Bar resistance band training system, so you see branding on the end of it.

MC: Honest to God, that’s my second favorite thing about this, is the branding is key.

Dr. John Jaquish: Well, the feel, I mean it’s great. It’s not going to scratch or anything, I mean, unless you abuse it. So when you grab a hold of this thing, your hand’s not rotating anywhere, and I know when I use this one, I get about a 5% greater output because I can just hang on with it.

MC: That’s amazing. That is amazing.

Dr. John Jaquish: I can just hang on to it more so than the other two versions of X3 Bar fitness band bar system, so this is fantastic. And you can also see the bar goes all the way through on the inside, so it’s steel core, and then anodized aluminum on the exterior. And so, you see, when I rotate it, both sides rotate together, whereas it wasn’t like that before.

MC: Ah, okay.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Much more structural integrity.

MC: Yeah, I like it.

Dr. John Jaquish: So the structural integrity of this is really important, more so important than even in a bar in the gym, because you’re handling much more weight with X3 portable gym than you would at the gym, because in the stronger range, we’re seven times more capable. So we’re handling a lot more weight than we normally would, and so this thing really has to be built for power. And so this design is far superior, and this kind of bearing, you don’t even hear anything.

MC: Yeah, it’s smooth.

Dr. John Jaquish: Not a squeak, not a rattle.

MC: No.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, yeah, much, much better.

MC: When you’re using this, I mean, you’re talking about the Olympic bar, right? I’m thinking of one of those huge, like I’m going to go bench press.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, a 45 pound bar, right.

MC: Yeah.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah.

MC: What is this? 21 inches?

Dr. John Jaquish: Yes.

MC: Okay. So with 21 inches of steel-

Dr. John Jaquish: 21 and a half.

MC: … I can do more with this, and again, you’re not taking a 45 pound Olympic bar with you on vacation. This thing can go with you anywhere.

Dr. John Jaquish: Anywhere. I’ve taken it everywhere. I just got back from Greece.

MC: I saw those photos online. I’m a little bit jealous.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I’ve seen better ones, where I was like in front of the Acropolis from my balcony, and I’m doing my chest press. So yeah, absolutely take it everywhere. Never miss a workout.

MC: That is fantastic. That is fantastic. Do we still go to the x3bar.com to get it?

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah, yep. Same website.

MC: Awesome.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yep, just a good product.

MC: I mean, I’ll tell you, unbelievable. I mean, if you just look at it. Obviously, it’s difficult in a video.

Dr. John Jaquish: It’s easier to grab.

MC: It really is.

Dr. John Jaquish: I mean, look, it certainly feels good to grab a hold of something beautiful, and especially when you’re using it every day.

MC: No, I’m married. My wife is beautiful.

Dr. John Jaquish: But you get it.

MC: I get it.

Dr. John Jaquish: You get it because you get greater results. The durability, this is going to last forever. The ability to grab a hold of this thing and not have it slip out of your hand, but also be very comfortable and lightweight because of the aluminum.

MC: Yeah, that’s incredible.

Dr. John Jaquish: This alloy is very light, and then with the steel core, there’s still a little heft to it, but ultimately, you throw it in your bag and you take it half way around the world and you don’t feel like you’re carrying your gym with you, but you are, anywhere you go.

MC: Yeah, yeah, that’s amazing.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yep.

MC: Well, thanks for the bonus video, and giving me a little sneak peek early on of this incredibly engineered piece of equipment.

Dr. John Jaquish: If you’re going to do a workout with it right now, you’re going to feel how much you’re going to get out of it.

MC: Yeah, I am. We’ll see how it goes.

Dr. John Jaquish: Really easy to keep a hold of.

MC: I’m looking forward to it.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yeah.

MC: All right, well let’s do it.

Dr. John Jaquish: Cool, man.

MC: All right. Thanks again.

Dr. John Jaquish: Yep. Awesome.

MC: We’ll see you guys next time. MCPD checking out.