Retrospectively, I would like to apologize Alec! One year ago, I was one of the Jeff's fanboys who acted on your video, without even watching it all, as part of the mob to dislike it or to post an unsolicited commentary and I'm deeply ashamed of it! I've seen now Jeff's dishonesty, I've seen his cowardice, his bad advice, bad technique, I have learnt more about you and actually watched your videos, I tried to take back any damage I have, as part of the mob, done on your video and subsequently to your reptutation. (I also subscribed) I hope you find forgiveness for misguided souls such as me now :P

It’s funny to look back at this video, Alec must feel like that first dude to suggest the world is round and got burned at the stake for it.

Who else is watching this in 2020?

Some thoughts: Jeff isn't a powerlifting coach. If you already have perfect training and all your numbers are going up without issue, Jeff isn't your guy. The WWE guys come to Jeff because through their well structured power and strength training, they are accumulating injuries and pain. Why would you recommend more of the same when that hasn't been working? Why would I continue to do 400 pound squats when both my knees ache and crack when I do the exercise? You criticize Jeff for combining exercises, like using light weights with the lunges and the extension exercises. The point of those exercises was not to induce leg or glute development, but rather activate different parts of the trapezius to better support shoulder movements. The lunges and the extensions are there to provide dynamic movement so that the mid and lower trapezius learn to activate and stabilize the shoulder better. WWE wrestlers have lots of movements above the head, so shoulder stability is critical for their long term performances and strength. It just doesn't make sense from a long term perspective to continue to load the shoulders when that type of training is creating pain and injury. You've cherry picked a very specific example of Jeff recommending replacing a pull up with a one arm pull. If I have pain from some of my back exercises, does it make sense to just keep loading on weight, like through weighted pull ups or extremely heavy rows? If I get injured from doing heavy weights, doesn't that actually hinder my strength training as a whole? If I take two months to do light weighted exercises, and I avoid a 6 month injury, aren't I ahead in my strength training? You touched on Jeff not having the best form on a certain exercise. Is Jeff's lack of ability to perform a complicated power exercise himself indicative of his ability to spot proper form in others and correct it? You make the correlation here, but you don't have to be an elite athlete or a master of perfect form for every excise (in execution) to be able to coach others in form. Likewise, someone could have a PhD in physiology, train people for 20 years, and still have shit form, but be able to recognize what good form is in others, as well as have the required knowledge to train others. Jeff has shown at least a 405 deadlift on camera. Now that isn't a world record breaking number, but again he isn't a powerlifting coach. Most sports coaches outside of football don't try to maximize raw numbers on the powerlifting lifts, as sport specific drills and coordination under heavy loads in dynamic positions are more important. Soccer is an easy example where higher strength numbers just doesn't improve an athlete's performance on the field after a certain threshold has been crossed. Overall I think the mistake you have made here is you've misunderstood Jeff's training philosophy. Jeff doesn't say he looks to maximize one's strength beyond all other athletic metrics when he calls himself a strength coach. If good power training requires both perfect form and heavy weights, Jeff focuses on the perfect form aspect. Muscle imbalances over a long period of time have a huge detrimental effect on your longevity in any sport, which is why Jeff's PT background is so useful and why he has so many subscribers. There are probably other people with a larger body of knowledge than Jeff in regards to pure strength training. It seems very simple minded to say some who focuses on strength longevity is a bad strength coach.

This video aged like fine wine. You were spot on Alec from the start

This is a certified hood classic.

Came here from Geoffrey's channel. I never knew you were the first to call out Jeff on not being a strength coach. It really was bold of you, especially when I now see the comments of Jeff's fanboys defending him, which aged very poorly.

I first watched this vid 2 years ago when it first came out. I was a follower of jeff at the time and was in my 3rd semester in college majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in pre professional studies… I hadn’t got into the core of my curriculum yet. I took jeff words as gospel and thought alec was “clout chasing”. Fast forward to now I’m about to graduate and have had the opportunity to take classes like biomechanics, periodization and programming, exercise physiology, etc. I watch this vid now and it’s funny how right alec was about everything.

And people used to think you were just hating on the guy. Maybe we hate the fact that the bigger fitness youtuber is unironically a worst strenght coach than Jason Blaha (that is a crazy guy, but ,at least, study a lot about strenght)

I owe you an apology ever since Jeff’s fake plates debacle started. I hope everyone else in the comment section would stop defending a fallible man.

Jesus christ I was an asshole to you Mr alec. I hope you forgive us for how most of us ex-athlean fanboys treated you with disrespect and vitriolic contempt even when you didn't say much wrong and only pointed out some flaws in the beginning. God bless you for your angel like patience and your bravery in being the first to call out those you believe to be wrong.

so happy you're proven right after one year Alec

Damn, the athlenex fan boys are still attacking you. The fitness industry has too many scam artists, thanks for exposing them. Like the vid 👍 came here from curlenex

This aged great

As an avid Athlean-X viewer I watched the entire thing and you make some fair points and articulate em very well. I've always watched Jeff more for do it at home PT advice like important stretches and small modifications on the common gym exercises and calisthenics for stubborn parts that "won't hit". I've always been more uncertain about the complex exercise programs he tries to sell.

You and Curlean-X really helped to advance my understanding. Never did I realize how gimmicky and useless a lot of these exercises were. Appreciate the the links materials in your videos, learned a lot of new things.

Just found your channel because of all the new stuff with jeff. Wish I found you a year ago. Would have saved me a ton of time I wasted on Jeff's workouts

Also came here from Geoffrey's channel. This was a solid critique of Athlean X with valid points. There are way too many Stan's on YT, smh. PS - My pet peeve is also combination exercises (ie lunge with bicep curl).

Jeff is a PT and a bodybuilder. His muscle building is all about the pump and the photoshoot with the fake weights.

I didn’t comment a year ago, but did dislike this video. So I’ll comment now and apologize for all the cult fanbois that forced you to turn off the like numbers.

The legendary video is back up !

0:21 turns out you were digging athleanx's grave the whole time that's crazy lol

I feel bad that the fanboys are now silent because , well , it's hard to convince people they've been lied to .

This video aged like wine 🍷!!n

Alec was way ahead of his time 🙏🏼

alec knows his shit!

Came here after an explosion on KZfaq from Jeff Cavaliere commenting on Greg Doucette's video about Jeff's fake weights and then Curlean-X posting a video that references Pure Bullfit's smear campaign towards you.

This is where all of this began boys! Remember the day when Alec had to hide this video from all the unfair criticism of Jeff's fanboys. Where are you now, haters! Time to get some beer, Alec! You've won the impossible war!

I'll never understand why Alec received so much hate for this. All he did was point out the obvious of Jeff being more therapy/corrective based. He provided plenty of nuance to focus just on strength progression technique and logical conclusions that using light weight and exercise combos won't build max strength/power. **I mean shit..Jeff was telling people to blow out before performing heavy lifts like a squat or deadlift. So he doesn't even have the understanding of how to brace properly for heavier weight. Yet he's a "strength coach"?

So sad to see that such a logical objective , informative video got such a negative response from emotional fan boys. We cant even have healthy discourse anymore without people getting their panties up in a bunch.

9:36 Jeff actually talked about progressive overload recently... by showing his RPE 11 425lb Deadlift LOL to prove that he's not using fake plate (I still cringe about how he gripped and ripped that bar to this day). Overall I'll still go for Jeff's videos for PT and rehab prevention but the fake plates situation is hurting his reputation and he's becoming more exposed, including his programming style

Up for the algo. Has athlean x apologised for the fake weights?

Dude, you´re just the guy I was looking for to train me! As soon as I can I will hire you as my online coach. You have the background that I need. I trained mainly using progressive chalistenics and I need a change. I am getting back to training soon after a more than year and a half layoff. I am 38 and I think you are just the guy to get me in the best shape of my life! I checked out your website. I was thinking of using starting strength method, but I think yours is more open minded and complete. I am also planing to become an online coach and nutritionist and being trained by you is going to be an excelent part of my learning preparation because I really need to learn how to train with weigths again, so I can be a more complete coach. Abraços from Portugal

Can't believe I disliked this video, was I DUMB!????

Great video

They thought you were a madman lol. You were just the only of us who could see.

*Puts on voice like the immortal knight from Indiana Jones 3* ... This video... aged well.

I'm sorry I didn't know your channel sooner =((( . That 's so amazing

I was one of Jeff's fanboys last year. Not anymore. So I did the only thing that was right and deleted the DIS from dislike.

I have been watching AthleanX for years (on and off) and I bought a lot of this programs. I can never get into his programming. There is always something a little off for me. For example, he still sells AX1 which is based on the principle of "muscle confusion" - which is the idea that you get more gains if you always change exercises. Yes variety does help, but changing exercises all the time without having mastered the basics, or having spent enough time on them to be skilled at them isn't going to help a lot. Yet I remember seeing him having a go at CrossFit. Some of his other programs do that less and tend to stick to the same exercises for longer and he does follow the principle of progressive load, but I think that he is trying really hard to do something special because a lot of the basics are covered. I always found that his beginning advice wasn't for beginners, maybe like you said, he works with athletes who already have some ability. His AX1 test, after 3 weeks of not doing a single push up, is doing 200 push ups (and 200 of two other exercises I can't remember on top of my head). AX2 is full of circuits and combined exercises. I don't even know why us women have our own program and in his own program selector it's the first thing he tells you to do, regardless of ANY OTHER GOAL you might have, the moment you click on "female". But you can at least say no. And btw, his program for women is a follow along, Beachbody style circuit program. And AthleanX initially was more of a "we are better than P90" kind of thing and it grew from there. The first thing you said about combining exercises is exactly my biggest pet peeve in his programs, exactly for the reasons you stated. As the time went by, I found myself watching less and less of his videos for strength and conditioning, and more for the rehab aspect of things, which funny enough, is what you are saying in the video. I have been a Jeff fan for a long time, and I still rate him, but you managed to shine a light on these niggling "back of my mind" feelings I couldn't quite put the finger on. What's funny is having someone like V-Shred copying him.

Great job Alec! Shame on Athlean-X and his bodyguard.

I feel this is nearly 100% on point. Subscribed.

I owe you an apology for falling for Jeff's fishy ass tactics [facepalm]

Knowing most of Jeff’s advice/ information is BS, who would you recommend watching for advice on general strength and hypertrophy?

Finally I found my way to this video, and it was via Coach Greg, it's a long story, don't ask 😉 However it'll be funny to see what all the AthleanX fans thinks now that he has, FOR SURE (Coach Greg reference here), been outed for using fake weights. And btw, Pure Bullfit, Everyday Damn Fitness and Shredded Sport Science, please do defend he's use of fake weights! I'd love to see you "experts" make fools of yourselfs, please entertain me! Ps. Out of all this, at least you got yourself a new sub! See you in the comment section 😺

You cherry picked exercises and did not give the context, sports specificity, transverse plane training, agility, reactive training, speed, all needed to be an elite athlete... you dug yourself a 6 foot hole for your channel. How many videos of a “Zombie “ squat with hyperextended cervical spine can one make? How many Sagittal Plane training videos? How many self ego-feeding videos can one make?

I recommend that you subscribe to athlean X and watch his videos . All of the videos, and pay attention. I think you'd learn alot from his videos.

This is probably one of the most thoughtful and intelligent criques of Jeff's content I have ever seen! It's clear that you are a true strength and conditioning coach and understands what that entails. I'm glad that Jeff's constant controversy sent me in your direction! I don't have any hate for Jeff but it definitely seems like his channel is pretty gimmicky.

after that workout Sheamus did with fakeweights-X I doubt that he can lift the big show like he did years ago lol

Gave this video an angry dislike a few years ago. It's never too late do correct old mistakes, thumbs up to you my man!

Shreded sports science did a nice video on u, i kindly ask u to respond

He is also obsessed with bicep training, I think I've seen him talk about bicep curls more than squats and deadlifts. He even made a video explaining that two arm DB standing curls are more athletic and activate your core more than one arm. Could be right but I'm not sure bicep curls are necessarily a core targeted exercise 😂😂

Jeff is a certified strenght coach from the NSCA. Progressive overload is so obvious that even Tyrone (Fitness addict) knows about it. And he's not replacing the chin up for the one arm high pulley row. He's just switching exercises from time to time. What he does with light weights is called metabolic stress by the way.

"When I left personal training in commercial gyms" let's be honest. You were fired for ignorance of fitness and physiology.

Hey Alec, I did exactly what you said. I watched and listened with an opened mind. I’m not here to criticize. Just to give my opinion. 1. To say that Jeff doesn’t speak about progressive overload is just a mistake on your part. I think you haven’t done your due diligence if you haven’t heard him, because he speaks about it all the time. 2. For you to say he doesn’t seem to know much about strength training is simply not true. He was a strength coach with The New York Mets. I think you’d have to agree that when hiring a strength coach MLB Teams definitely do their due diligence. However, I do respect your opinion even though I disagree with it...Good luck with your channel bruh.

Alec probably knows his critique is flawed, he is just trying to gain attention to his channel by stirring up some drama including a big youtuber... and he is obviously succeeding in doing so lol

The "ball burpee" adds the speed aspect to the burpee. Too slow - hit by the ball. Sorry, but your criticism wasn't really convincing.

Post or link to your credentials... i can't find anything on you as CPT, CSCS, FNS, or any degrees of any sorts. Thanks.

R.I.P your channel bro, was fun while it lasted

Nobody disagrees that Jeff looks good and he has a lot of studies and degrees about athleticism. But in reality he is not strong at all and if you want to get strong yo SHOULD follow the advice of someone who is an strong badass.Keep going Alec! You are making a great job.

I bet if he looked at ur channel he would find a million things wrong with the way you workout

I think one of the major points your missing is Jeff brings new things to his viewers, there would be no point in telling people that squatting heavy is good for legs as it’s common knowledge. He instead focuses on showing new concepts that will benefit your overall strength and balances.

He’d have you crying within 5 minutes of training with him. Those combo exercises are on top of strength training. His perfect leg workout has heavy squats and transitions into explosive movements at the end.

J-Cav is absolutely hypertrophy and PT focused, he says it all the time, so yeah, he's appealing to people looking for the beach body. Alec unfortunately missed plenty of Jeff's videos that praise DLs and squats as fundamental for strength training (not to mention other compound movements). Yes, Jeff talks about progressive overload aplenty, but Alec just missed it I guess. Also true that Jeff is a bit obsessed with myriad variations, but some people appreciate that. Overall, the Athlean-X channel should be seen as (1) a bunch of snippets of ideas for personal PT and accessory movements, and (2) an advertisement to buy his online programs. Taken with a grain of salt, it has a lot of value. I mix the knowledge with Starting Strength, Jeff Nippard, and Alan Thrall to piecemeal a more complete picture. No one system will be perfect for everyone. That's my 2 cents.

Respect for telling it like it is. I've seen individuals who have spent hundreds on Jeff's programs and have made little to no gains, dismiss any/all advice from everyone - putting themselves in denial because they've invested so much money (the cognitive dissonance is strong here) - and will either eventually give up completely (blaming it on their "genetics" or some other extraneous factor) or finally cave and try one of the many free novice programs out there and finally start making great progress. It just saddens me because he's essentially a con-man on that front, and has set really low fitness standards for the general public, especially those new to fitness; I've conversed with people in person who genuinely believe that Jesse's progress for 2 years was "good", and these are the same people who believe 225 lb squats are impressive for the average male, and other nonsense. The disconnect is unreal.

Why I like ATHLEAN-X 1. Concepts are based on science ( not like Jeremy Ether : too much statistics ). 2. Helped me to prevent and recover from injuries. 3. One of the best channel to learn muscle anatomy. No one is perfect. Compared to other fitness channels its one of the best ( probably only one ) content providers. Some of your points are valid but the good content outweighs these minor points by a ton !!

Alright who wants to AWARE Blaha?

He might not be a strength coath, but he trains ATH A LETES. NON NEGOTIABLE

Dunno, he has always focused on hypertrophy, mobility and injury prevention. That said, you talk about a lot of stuff ''he doesn't do'' despite he does^" Jeff's vids did wonders for my rehab tho^"

"I need this shovel to dig my own grave." 2meIRL

Alan Roberts incoming!

Jeff has SOOO much info. You should probably subscribe to him and watch his videos, for real.

I respect the honesty in this video. I feel that more ppl need to see this for the real gainzzzz

Good video, seems pretty on point, he is a bit too concerned on imbalances and as he says compensatory strenght, but to be fair there are too many idiots lifting heavy on the big lifts with shit RoM who end up with bad knees shoulders etc, so if u think about it his advice is good for the majority

Highly underrated channel.

You’re right coach I came to this conclusion on my own . He is good when it comes to understanding how muscles function, rehabilitation and proper form but that’s about it .

I'm just saying that I've been doing Athlean-X for a year and I am noticeably and functionally stronger than I was before I started. So, take that for what you will.

Why would you criticize him for doing "weird" or "useless" movements, when you yourself have a video of you hanging wile doing front delt raises with low weight?

Also, pretty misleading to say he mentions progressive overload once. He mentions it in a lot of videos. But most of his videos are not focused on program structure and design; there are a few videos specifically for that, and then dozens of programs that have that all built in.

This is EXACTLY what the problem is with Jeffs method. You nailed it! People should be primarily focusing on compounds and using accessory exercises to help improve their compounds. I love the way you train and the numbers you are hitting are very motivating (let my weak ass catch up bro!) Keep it up dude!!!

Alec will respond with a 405 zombie squat.

Jeff can chin up with 3 plates for raps. You should do more research

Only you and Couch J. B. have balls to call out BroleanX. Respek

Everyone knows this guy got shredded because of athleanx haha

Tell me about all those different bars you have man I've been wondering for a while now

Coath has been saying this for years!

Jeff has many videos where he talks about progressive overload I’ve personally seen them

So far so good man! I’ll give it a couple hours for the tables to flip

Jeff is a good guy, but you don't go to his channel to get stronger you go to his channel for a basic strength foundation mostly dominant in conditioning, corrective/prehab exercises, and unilateral work with instability training for sports like training (train like an athlete) if you're looking for bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting advice Jeff might not be the guy, if you're going on a cut and want to spice things up a bit then Jeff is the guy, with a slight hint of bodybuilding training.

Couldn’t have been said any better really. There’s a reason that physical therapists and strength coaches are separate professions. Yes, both are applicable to one another, but they typically can’t be flip flopped and still produce the same results. For example, most strength coaches won’t have the rehabilitation knowledge of a PT, while PT’s typically won’t have the coaching knowledge to produce top end athletes, but they can sure fix the trainees fuckups!

more people need to see this

Well said. I LOVE Jeff and a lot of the concepts he preaches, and to be fair a lot of people misinterpret a lot of the stuff he says, but all your critics were backed by fundamental principles, and you definitely have the background to back it up. Hope the channel grows, be humble and hungry.

You brought up many important points where some of these exercises are just gimmicky, I have been following ATHLEAN-X for 3 years & noticed some stuff he does looks ''wacky'' I & probably many others who watches his channel will never make it a into a practical workout routine. He always mentions his exercises simulates & incorporate everyday working movements for functionality, but if I follow every exercises he puts out that can benefit me it'll take over a month before I can get around everyone of them.

Honestly great video Alec I’ve always found myself not improving my strength when following jeffs advice but I have found benefits to his injury prevention advice which has kept me going and has really helped me but strength is really not his strong point

4.30 he is wrong the hole concept is that he has to be fast to not get hit by the ball

I can't hate this guy tbh...I mean Jeff has like a thousand videos and I do not expect Alec to have seen even 1/5 of them. He probably stumbled on 4 videos that had few points he disagreed with before making this video.

B-but Jeff has helped me add 5 inches to my arms and literally cured my cancer!!

To be honest, I prefer Joe DeFranco for almost everything over Athlean-X. Awesome athletes coach and has great injury prevention stuff on his channel. Good and fair review man, I totally agree, and I also appreciate what Jeff did for me regarding injuries (helped me multiple times). He is a good guy.

I don’t think your at the level to critique anyone coming from your moms garage

Hey Alec, this was a very respectful, articulate critique of Jeff’s channel, full of information to support your criticism. Hopefully Jeff’s fans will appreciate where you’re coming from, as this was a constructive video explaining your why his methods aren’t effective, rather than an outright ad hominem attack. Although I’ve been critical of Jeff myself, I do actually believe he is well intentioned and well informed in the area of injury rehabilitation. However, as you stated, the majority of his videos purport to offer training advice geared toward improving strength, explosiveness, and overall athleticism, but ultimately fail to do so. Jeff channel would probably come under far less criticism and considerably more praise if it was primarily tailored to sports medicine related topics, and injury prevention and rehabilitation. Strength and conditioning are simply out of Jeff’s wheelhouse. However, since many people are unaware of how useless most of his current content is, his channel would probably generate less revenue if he tried making that modification now. This was a tasteful well thought out video, and I honestly hope many of Jeff’s 7 million subs watch this, and conclude that there is merit to what you’re saying and decide to subscribe to your channel as well. If they’re not too butt hurt. Lol.