My grandfather used these like crazy, lol. He had a big chest in his glory days, I tried it as a kid and it was hard af, no shocker to me they are powerful
Mine had an expander too! It was the first english word I learned as a kid 😂 he also had a metal stick with a spring in the middle so he could bend it. It was hard too. I couldn't even do a half rep.
I'll be going on a three weeks mountain trip this summer, and with the closest gym being roughly 2 hours away, I was looking for something to go along rings + grippers + resistance bands. Your expose has me convinced that a chest expander would be the perfect tool to round up my training, and I'll make sure I pack one in my luggage. Thanks Alex, much appreciated.
Very cool that I convinced you to consider expander training! Not only will it be helpful for your mountain trip, but I'm certain you'll love how it compliments normal training. Perfect for us home gymgoers.
YO ALEX. Today I benched 225Lbs. For 3 Reps at 145Lbs. B.W. I trained the bench for 26 days since breaking my wrist twice. YOUR my biggest inspiration Alex, ever since the CHIPS AND JUICE. Wanted to let you know my bro
My Grandad and my Dad used the chest expander.. I’ve been using it off and on for 50yrs. What killed off the use of springs was the introduction of the bullworker in the very early 70s, kids always looking for the next best thing and what with all the hype and promises surrounding the bullworker it became the top seller. I’ve lifted weights for my entire adult life but the last 3yrs I’ve concentrated on calisthenics. I found I was losing width so I broke out the old chest expander and hey presto! In a short space of time my shoulders were back... I use just 4 exercises on just 2-3 strands x10reps to get blood in the shoulder girdle before working out. The best lateral raise is two hand, springs in front at the waist with a slight lean forward. Highly recommend the chest expander if you have any shoulder or elbow niggles, they just seem to disappear!! As for the name chest expander I think that just evolved during wartime. Before the 2nd world war it was strand pulling or cables. The guys enlisting in the Navy had too have a minimum 2” chest expansion to pass the medical. So to get in recommended by relatives, they would use the family cables! at the medical you’d deflate your chest, breathe in expanding the chest and flexing everything you had!! Easily passing the test... thank you Alex for promoting the expander.
See this is what I am talking about. I’m only in my mid 40’s but I have nothing but respect for older knowledge especially generational knowledge. This is what’s needed in a technological age where old wisdom is being lost to be replaced with hollowed out versions. Thank you sir.
The parts about the old-school greats is really reigniting my passion for pure bodybuilding training. I've spent too long worrying about strength in specific lifts, time to just try to get jacked. Thanks Alex, this video is really something special.
Going back to old school roots provides much satisfaction. I feel you big time on reigniting the passion, let's get it brother and I'm happy you loved the video.
I've had the best gains of my life doing the old school Reg Park 5x5 full body 3x a week routine. Been doing it for 2 years straight now with NO changes to the routine whatsoever. I'm bigger and stronger than I've ever been in life.
Getting muscular as a natty will always make you stronger, while doing pure strength, powerlifting style will not always make you muscular. Especially as a natty.
This year, I had a shoulder injury that prohibited me from loading any kind of weight for any kind of overhead pressing. Lost a lot of my shoulder and trap gains. I implemented the chest expander, focusing on rear delt movements for sets of 12-15 hard reps, building up a cable as I got stronger. My injury cleared up in a month. It completely addressed the issue of my overdeveloped front delts which caused a lack of balance on the delt heads, leading to pain when overhead pressing. It's an absolute necessity for me now and has helped build more balanced delt formations. Highly recommended.
I have to contribute to this, last night i found expander after i wathed this vid, with witch i started training when i was about 15..now i am 23 and have the same overdeveloped front delt and chests...so i started doing pull aparts and day later my shoulder feels better, i ll also start to add inverted rows and external rotations with dumbbells and i ll let u all know if it all helped
May i ask what exercises you found most useful… i have impingement on both shoulders, and tendinitis of left rotator cuff + bicep tendonitis. I just got expander through amazon and want to try and heal my shoulders; my doctors/PT don’t seem to know what to do for 6 months, now.
Chest expanders are awesome. Perfect for rear delts and upper back work. Also the chest expander is definitely one of the best pieces of portable fitness equipment you can have.
@@jmgonzales7701 Chinese amazon sellers all basically sell the same type. That's the type I bought, and it works well. I have no idea where Alex got his, but they look beefy.
I hope to see spring training surge in popularity, I purchased a spring chest expander asap after watching your interview with Golden Era Bookworm and am very pleased with the results so far. I'm only doing single arm spring curls and spring pull-aparts right now (using 3 springs on a cheap amazon model) and have noticed gains in my biceps and upper back. I plan on buying 2 expanders from Robert's shop to take my spring training to the next level, the pictures you showed in this video gave me some ideas on new spring exercises I want to add in.
I want to see other strong natties using expanders, especially in the home gym community. Love that you're getting great results so far. I see your training clips, it's refreshing and cool. The back and bicep gains are no joke, and no doubt you'll be very happy with Robert's expander when the time comes. Basically all set, imagine how far we can push these expanders in the long term.
I carry one of these expanders along with grippers and a power twister in my e- bike basket and work out at the park under a shade tree while listening to the radio. It's great. Portable and takes the place of bunch of big expensive machines.
Bro you stay getting more yoked month over month. You’re really out here putting in the work and sharing the knowledge with us all. Keep it man, good looks!
After watching your video I bought 2 expanders for 19 zł from amazon (4 euros/dollars). After first workout i have never felt the small muscles in my upper back. This is the biggest game changer since I started using band face pulls (also from your videos). Thank you man!
Thank you for compacting years of research into short easy to understand videos Alex, been watching since '16 and its crazy how much you've changed the way I train and think about fitness.
Used these all the time as a kid in the early 80's before i started lifting weights. Definitely contributed my lifting strength and natural 19 3/4 inch arms before i was 20.
I'm glad the machines are starting to regain some love. Specific, well made machines are fantastic for lifting and I hope we can popularize some of them enough to be commercial gym trendy.
Thanks Michael, took a lot of work to make this video with all the historical references. Love talking about old school training and I'm happy you like it too.
@@AlexLeonidas oh of course brother it was a great video love learning about history! I appreciate your videos man they truly help so much with my training thank you
I bought one about 2 weeks ago now because I saw you using one in a workout video. Nothing else in my home gym gives me a great rear delt stimulus like the expander. A must own I reckon
The first thing I used for training was the chest expander when I was about eleven or twelve years old (I'm 51 now). For quarantine reasons I went back with them. But one thing leads to another and I had my first taste of resistance bands, mini bands to be more precise. I haven't set foot in a gym for over a year. For me the mini bands are much better than the long ones and it's pretty similar to the workout I would do with the chest expander, plus you can train your legs too.
Literally just got my hands on this thing an hour ago. Just playing around with it, nothing structured. Omg am i feeling it. Traps, tris, delts are being WORKED. I'll definitely be using this often.
Just bought one of these today thanks to this video for upper back work, and I'll be damned if I can 'reverse fly' a single spring. Holy _shit_ I didn't realize how challenging these are (or how weak I am lol). Got my work cut out for me for sure! MASSIVE respect being able to max out the 7-spring one. I can't even fathom the level of strength that takes.
My grandfather did some bodybuilding. Built his own gym with friends that had a hosepipe in the corner for a shower. Real spit and sawdust place is how he described it to me. He showed me some of his old black and white posing photos and he was absolutely jacked. Completely natural of course. When the war came he did a lot of boxing in the army but I don’t think he went back to bodybuilding after his service. Bodybuilding hasn’t really changed hugely. I mean the main difference is the use of steroids but the fundamentals of progressive overload were well understood back then and are still the foundation of everything today.
This honestly makes a lot of sense. Getting bigger by getting stronger is a good concept, but the application of it is more like "get stronger, through a full joint range of motion, with your muscles engaged throughout the movement". It's entirely possible to get stronger with barbells, dumbbells and weighted calisthenics and neglect the time under tension aspect It's impossible to get to Fred Rollon strength standards without having the muscles fully engaged and constantly straining, simply due to the nature of the expander and it's exercises
The first time I used my expander, I understood right away how Fred Rollon was so jacked. The straining is on another level and for Fred to have been well above 7 springs on many exercises is still mind boggling to me. But it all makes sense.
Those 6 months with the expander have done a lot for your mid and lower traps and your teres too. Development looks like it's going well overall but those 3 areas are looking like they're growing like crazy
Thank you brother, I definitely see it as well and when I get shredded again the separation will be more clear than ever. It's shocking how effective the expander is for building the whole upper back area.
Just watched your video and enjoyed it a lot. I’m 65 Australian male and divorced now but when I was 12 I got a chest expander as a gift. I never forgot the feeling I got when I saw my body changing. I spent a lot of my teenage years at home apart from sport due to Asperger’s. I remember working out most nights especially during summer and I built a body I was proud of. Many years and injuries later I’ve been noticing my body slowing down and not feeling that good particularly in strength and endurance. I put this down to total lack of motivation and feeling I don’t have to go out looking good anymore cos really nobody is looking at me. I’m old! Recently I bought another 5 spring chest expander, took off 2 springs and started a short daily routine. I noticed a small change in muscle mass on my electronic scales. There’s a saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. I want to keep this small exercise regime up and hopefully awaken the motivation to go walking again soon. Thanks for the post mate 👍
seems like a must for home gym enthusiasts like myself. looked at prices for them and they're quite affordable even the higher end ones are a good price.
The best thing that the expander did to me was improving the "mind muscle connection" with my long head. I don't how or why but I feel a tremendous contraction right there in every pushing exercise and it shows when I look in the mirror. I don't know why but it has something to do with the resistance curve of the expander: at the very end of the rom the long head is fighting for his life to extend that shoulder and you can really feel it if you lockout your elbows. It's kinda like when you feel your biceps working during a rings support hold, those exercises don't cause much hypertrophy but they improve the feeling of other movements.
My Dad had these in the 80s when I was a kid, and I used to screw around using them. Thinking back on it, I think they’re what made me so strong as to never have any shoulder injuries in college volleyball and throwing javelin, hammer, shot out, and discus. They were pretty fun exercises, and I couldn’t do many reps because my Dad had 3 or 4 springs on them all the time.
Been waiting for this video. Seeing you use this thing the past few months has given me a semi-new perspective. If I had a home gym with limited equipment or worked out at the park etc. this would be a must have.
Absolutely man, for limited equipment and calisthenics athletes, the expander is a Godsend. Wish I owned one earlier and I'm glad you see it in a new light.
I started with a 3 spring chest expander back in the 60's. Good video. And if I may add, one of the reason's chest expanders fell out of favor was that a lot of them, just were not built that well. Reg Park and Fred Rollen had to custom make their chest expanders.
When I was a kid in Denmark the cartoonists used to love making fun of guys getting tangled up in chest expanders. It was wild - they drew guys getting chest hair caught in the springs, getting pulled into a ball with springs wrapped around them, guys getting catapulted through the air. It was almost a seperate genre of cartoons.
I have a set from the 1930s. Spenbys, made in England still in original box . Built to last forever and they still look like new! Used them today. Utterly murdered my delts and arms lol. I only train to absolute failure. Fantastic bit of kit
This video came in a great time. Just when i was thinking to get one because of your previous videos, now i'm 100% sure this will be perfect to mix with rings and calisthenics. Thanks, Alex!
I was even thinking of making a video "Calisthenics + Expander = Gains!" Really the ultimate trio man. Rings, general calisthenics, with some expander movements.. man you'll build a great physique.
Hi, I like the film but would point out that old-time trainees suggested using higher reps with expanders/cables than with weights. See the article in Milo 8.2 about Jack Reid, for example, who produced great strength and an impressive physique with expanders. Although I must admit that the author (Brad Reid) recommends lower reps in other articles. However, other authors suggest slightly higher reps and even caution that very low reps might cause injuries - presumably due to the multi-dimensional nature of the forces - an overhead pulldown with heavy bands is not going to feel the same as doing a pullup or chinup or even a pulldown on a machine. I am not suggesting that cable/expander work "will" cause injury, just that the forces and the direction of forces is different to weights or even calisthenics. You can tell that a weight is heavy from the moment you start to lift it and a weight above your 1 rep max feels and is too heavy from the start, but a set of cables/springs/bands starts off easy and gets much harder very quickly. There is a risk of struggling to finish the rep "anyhow" and losing good form. I believe it is better to keep within your limits until you have the movement down precisely. The nature of the resistance also means that you are only really getting stronger in the final range of motion and this may require working hard at other points in the range. (The Bullworker people have introduced smaller bullworkers plus a range of isometric bands of different lengths to address this very problem - whereas they used to argue that the standard Bullworker was all you needed. There is also a guy on youtube who did a program of partials working at the weakest range of motion, while it provided a remarkable hypertrophy stimulus, it temporarily diminished his full range strength.)
I recently bought an old chest expander, and I use it almost everyday. I can already see a difference in my entire shoulder girdle. I have been doing pull ups and dips as my primary upper body movements for years. This expander has filled in the gaps nicely.
Something I think is really weird is that Louis Simmon or any other guys to come from the conjugate side of training never tried to use springs as a form of accommodating resistance, I would think they would work similar to bands but who knows they could offer some unique benefits. Plus that way you could use the springs for leg work also.
I know right! Would've been an amazing form of accommodating resistance and I'm probably going to try this out in the near future. Yup for legs you'd need garage door springs though, short thick ones 💯
I’m very interested at the strengh benefits and injury prevention aspect of the expander, would love a video on that. I love band pull appart and i’m interested buying one, because bands are a nightmare to overload
I just wish that someone would design a steel footplate handle ( a steel handle with the grip portion flattened out ) that a foot could fit through. This would add much more versatility to the Expander for standing curls and seated rows etc. It would also be great to have an attachment that allows for the handle to be securely clamped on to a bar or post or even a tree. I will likely build one out for myself in my shop but I think this could be a great way to boost popularity of the classic steel expander. I’m also thinking about fabricating an attachment to allow for extending the expander’s length to allow for full standing shoulder presses and military presses…without risking overstretching the springs.
2:29 that moment was so good (really made me smile and laugh a bunch) if your mind is open and relaxed, you see all the possibilities and aren't blinded by anything. I think the conspiracy possible, but needn't be true
i got one as a gift, it uses elastic bands. I just lolled around with it for months, not understanding it. but then figured out how to adjust it and began to use it for triceps and rear delts and sum traps. i train at home with kettlebells, rings, battle rope (for cardio and for climbing) and now expandor
I got almost immediate results in my delts using some bands I got in physical therapy. If I gained so much from so little. I don't think I'd doubt something like an expander to get the same results presented.
Warning they can be dangerous for those not in shape as they are very hard on the rear delts. I permanently damaged both of my rear delts and now have nerve damage from abducting (arms away from body) under high tension and did too much volume. Even when I started very conservatively with 1 strand, adding another strand creates a large jump in tension. I wish I could go back 5 years but here I am not being able to do much now. I didn't even go past 3 strands.
I used to train with an expander at 16, 17 years old, with just an expander and a 5kg pair of weights, I was able to build a close to Bruce Lee physique. In regards to chest, it really helps expanding the muscle fiber, specially for starters. It's a great base training that can be used in between heavy weight sets, I will get another one soon.
Quite interesting, I must say. I've been lifting for years and I've always enjoyed cable work. It just feels right. What I need is something like Tonal with enough resistance so I can say goodbye to my free weights forever.
Garage gym reviews does some decent comparisons on the various “smart gyms” out there. I believe the Vitruvian Trainer might be a decent option that can go heavier than any of the other options on the market (I don’t know if there’s anything newer on the market, so don’t quote me on that)
In developping countries chest expanders are still widely used and other old school methods like the powertwister, they train legs with cloths/fabric wrapped around the handle for exmaple an leg curl you wrap one handle to an anchor and the other anchor to your leg with fabric/cloth.
Thanks for your videos, Alex. I just ordered my chest expander. I will post an update about it in a few months. Your videos are OUTSTANDING. Please keep up the great work.
I love the violin extension - the strength curve feels just right. Unfortunately I have a cheap rubber set. I think the rubber strands are okay, but the main problem is that the handles don't rotate, which rules out quite a lot of these exercises. I wonder if cheap versions like this contributed to it's downfall.
I clicked on this video not expecting much. Well, you've completely changed my opinion on this. I didn't know it would be this versatile. Thanks for posting this. I just bought a Robert Baraban Chest Krusher and it is great. Now, I'm going to Subscribe. Keep up your great work please.
I have been really looking forward to this video and man did it not let me down. I love that tool. It just feels different. BTW that nostalgic look with the shaved beard and a white tank top is just perfect for a video where you're talking about oldschool bodybuilding :D
I can attest to this, I started using chest expanders because of a man named Kevin Wikse who probably has the heaviest front pull on RUclips. I was able to put on size very fast.
I got a cheaper but good/decent one on Amazon… it’s still amazing, feels so much better compared to a resistance band, it’s like having a mini cable machine
Hey Alex I want you to know that I seen your video at the end of November and got an expander in December. A silicon one from Amazon. Best workout equipment I've ever owned. I increased my lifitng power by almost double in a week and my man titties have lifted. I've been weight training seriously for about a year and this is a gamechanger. I get a good workout and since the Siberian winds I've been inside away from my outside gym. This gave me more of a challenge than my weights ever did AND I'm starting formation on a 6 pack???????? Never do situps I neglect my core usually. I'm being as serious as possible I thank you for this workout equipment you sold me on. Best shit ever.
Hey Alex, just got my chest expander today and started with 2 springs. Definitely a fantastic piece of kit and I'm looking forward to working my way up to more springs in the future!
Love using tjese movements with high resistance bands with knurled handles provided by Valhalla fitness..I usually superset with my pushups or dips during active rest...tires you out...no body can tell me that this is a useless device...it should be an essential...great video...saludos from Argentina...
My grandfather used these like crazy, lol. He had a big chest in his glory days, I tried it as a kid and it was hard af, no shocker to me they are powerful
Love hearing about jacked grandpas using expanders!
Yeah my old man had one late 90s...
Trained with it as a kid also!
Solid effort required 😅
Mine had an expander too! It was the first english word I learned as a kid 😂 he also had a metal stick with a spring in the middle so he could bend it. It was hard too. I couldn't even do a half rep.
My pops too. Make sure you get all your chest hair out of the way before use 😅
Exact same but for my father
I'll be going on a three weeks mountain trip this summer, and with the closest gym being roughly 2 hours away, I was looking for something to go along rings + grippers + resistance bands. Your expose has me convinced that a chest expander would be the perfect tool to round up my training, and I'll make sure I pack one in my luggage. Thanks Alex, much appreciated.
Very cool that I convinced you to consider expander training! Not only will it be helpful for your mountain trip, but I'm certain you'll love how it compliments normal training. Perfect for us home gymgoers.
Take a sandbag
It’s also a cool piece of history harkening back to a bygone era of Natty Greatness
Can u guys recommend a brand which is good and affordable?
The words good and affordable don't go together, just get bands until you can afford the robert baraban one
YO ALEX. Today I benched 225Lbs. For 3 Reps at 145Lbs. B.W. I trained the bench for 26 days since breaking my wrist twice. YOUR my biggest inspiration Alex, ever since the CHIPS AND JUICE. Wanted to let you know my bro
That's a good bench especially at that weight! Congrats!
congratulating my man keep on the grind 🙌🏾
I also hit 225 when I was around 145! I can tell you you’re gonna freak out at how strong it’ll be when you gain some weight!
Dude that's badass. That's what it's all about. Keep it up king 🔥
All my iron brothers I appreciate it alot🙏
My Grandad and my Dad used the chest expander.. I’ve been using it off and on for 50yrs. What killed off the use of springs was the introduction of the bullworker in the very early 70s, kids always looking for the next best thing and what with all the hype and promises surrounding the bullworker it became the top seller. I’ve lifted weights for my entire adult life but the last 3yrs I’ve concentrated on calisthenics.
I found I was losing width so I broke out the old chest expander and hey presto! In a short space of time my shoulders were back...
I use just 4 exercises on just 2-3 strands x10reps to get blood in the shoulder girdle before working out. The best lateral raise is two hand, springs in front at the waist with a slight lean forward. Highly recommend the chest expander if you have any shoulder or elbow niggles, they just seem to disappear!! As for the name chest expander I think that just evolved during wartime. Before the 2nd world war it was strand pulling or cables. The guys enlisting in the Navy had too have a minimum 2” chest expansion to pass the medical. So to get in recommended by relatives, they would use the family cables! at the medical you’d deflate your chest, breathe in expanding the chest and flexing everything you had!! Easily passing the test... thank you Alex for promoting the expander.
Love this commentary!! So much history here.
See this is what I am talking about. I’m only in my mid 40’s but I have nothing but respect for older knowledge especially generational knowledge. This is what’s needed in a technological age where old wisdom is being lost to be replaced with hollowed out versions. Thank you sir.
The parts about the old-school greats is really reigniting my passion for pure bodybuilding training. I've spent too long worrying about strength in specific lifts, time to just try to get jacked. Thanks Alex, this video is really something special.
Going back to old school roots provides much satisfaction. I feel you big time on reigniting the passion, let's get it brother and I'm happy you loved the video.
I've had the best gains of my life doing the old school Reg Park 5x5 full body 3x a week routine. Been doing it for 2 years straight now with NO changes to the routine whatsoever. I'm bigger and stronger than I've ever been in life.
Getting muscular as a natty will always make you stronger, while doing pure strength, powerlifting style will not always make you muscular. Especially as a natty.
Can you possibly do a full body Chest Expander video detailing how each exercise works and what it targets?
I'd like to release an Expander Only Workout, but first let's see how this video does.
@@AlexLeonidas I second his comment. Would love to see the absolute versatility of the product
Yes, please!!
@@AlexLeonidas im looking forward to it king
@@AlexLeonidas please do
This year, I had a shoulder injury that prohibited me from loading any kind of weight for any kind of overhead pressing. Lost a lot of my shoulder and trap gains. I implemented the chest expander, focusing on rear delt movements for sets of 12-15 hard reps, building up a cable as I got stronger. My injury cleared up in a month. It completely addressed the issue of my overdeveloped front delts which caused a lack of balance on the delt heads, leading to pain when overhead pressing. It's an absolute necessity for me now and has helped build more balanced delt formations. Highly recommended.
Wow!!!!! Now that's incredible, the expander fixed a legit shoulder injury in a short amount of time.
I have to contribute to this, last night i found expander after i wathed this vid, with witch i started training when i was about 15..now i am 23 and have the same overdeveloped front delt and chests...so i started doing pull aparts and day later my shoulder feels better, i ll also start to add inverted rows and external rotations with dumbbells and i ll let u all know if it all helped
May i ask what exercises you found most useful… i have impingement on both shoulders, and tendinitis of left rotator cuff + bicep tendonitis.
I just got expander through amazon and want to try and heal my shoulders; my doctors/PT don’t seem to know what to do for 6 months, now.
Man gave us a whole documentary full of history and workout info. Well done ✅️
Chest expanders are awesome. Perfect for rear delts and upper back work. Also the chest expander is definitely one of the best pieces of portable fitness equipment you can have.
dunno where to buy or how cheap this is
Can u replace them with bands?
@@jmgonzales7701 Chinese amazon sellers all basically sell the same type. That's the type I bought, and it works well. I have no idea where Alex got his, but they look beefy.
@@IamliterallyToji_777 No, watch the video. The strength curve is very different. You'll only really understand once you've used one.
@@Wayf4rer well then since i don't have them i'll replace them with bands i have no other choice lmao
I hope to see spring training surge in popularity, I purchased a spring chest expander asap after watching your interview with Golden Era Bookworm and am very pleased with the results so far. I'm only doing single arm spring curls and spring pull-aparts right now (using 3 springs on a cheap amazon model) and have noticed gains in my biceps and upper back. I plan on buying 2 expanders from Robert's shop to take my spring training to the next level, the pictures you showed in this video gave me some ideas on new spring exercises I want to add in.
I want to see other strong natties using expanders, especially in the home gym community. Love that you're getting great results so far. I see your training clips, it's refreshing and cool. The back and bicep gains are no joke, and no doubt you'll be very happy with Robert's expander when the time comes. Basically all set, imagine how far we can push these expanders in the long term.
Hi, would you mind pointing me towards the expander you got? I can’t pickup Robert just yet and i have a feeling most will simply be too weak. thanks
I carry one of these expanders along with grippers and a power twister in my e- bike basket and work out at the park under a shade tree while listening to the radio. It's great. Portable and takes the place of bunch of big expensive machines.
I use a chest expander that is 39 years old. It’s been used one hell of a lot. I’ve used it since 2002-3 and it still goes strong
Built to last, that's amazing!
Bro you stay getting more yoked month over month. You’re really out here putting in the work and sharing the knowledge with us all. Keep it man, good looks!
And thanks for the shout out bro, I appreciate it
After watching your video I bought 2 expanders for 19 zł from amazon (4 euros/dollars). After first workout i have never felt the small muscles in my upper back. This is the biggest game changer since I started using band face pulls (also from your videos). Thank you man!
Thank you for compacting years of research into short easy to understand videos Alex, been watching since '16 and its crazy how much you've changed the way I train and think about fitness.
Thank you for sticking around OG. I'm happy my videos made you reflect/experiment with different training.
Used these all the time as a kid in the early 80's before i started lifting weights. Definitely contributed my lifting strength and natural 19 3/4 inch arms before i was 20.
you must be 4' tall lol
I’m 6’3 and 18 inch. I hope to be like you one day bro
The chest expander and the OG nautilus pullover machine are some of the best equipment ever made and yet nobody uses them anymore 🤯
bro I'd kill for a pullover machine
I'm glad the machines are starting to regain some love. Specific, well made machines are fantastic for lifting and I hope we can popularize some of them enough to be commercial gym trendy.
@@MonkeyBarsEveryday same
Tell me about it!! So many of us wish to have had the opportunity of using the Nautilus Pullover machine. At least we still have expanders.
Whats the difference between the nautilus and the old white technogym machine? (Isotonic, I have this one )
Dude! Such an awesome style of video! You should do history of all the workout equipments and their evolution from their inception
Thanks Michael, took a lot of work to make this video with all the historical references. Love talking about old school training and I'm happy you like it too.
@@AlexLeonidas oh of course brother it was a great video love learning about history! I appreciate your videos man they truly help so much with my training thank you
Game over when your chest hair gets caught in it.
Wear a t-- shirt.
I bought one about 2 weeks ago now because I saw you using one in a workout video. Nothing else in my home gym gives me a great rear delt stimulus like the expander. A must own I reckon
This is the longest commercial for the chest expander i’ve ever seen
It's not a commercial that's why
The first thing I used for training was the chest expander when I was about eleven or twelve years old (I'm 51 now). For quarantine reasons I went back with them. But one thing leads to another and I had my first taste of resistance bands, mini bands to be more precise. I haven't set foot in a gym for over a year. For me the mini bands are much better than the long ones and it's pretty similar to the workout I would do with the chest expander, plus you can train your legs too.
Literally just got my hands on this thing an hour ago. Just playing around with it, nothing structured. Omg am i feeling it. Traps, tris, delts are being WORKED. I'll definitely be using this often.
Bruh I TRULY appreciate your input/knowledge....many has DEFINITELY slept on the Chest Expander... it's a serious thorough workout
Appreciate you 👍🏿
The tricep pump I get from using the chest expander is like nothing I've felt before
It's a unique feeling for sure
just used expanders, been doing for two days only and i have no words how good it is, thanks for info and useful tips.
Just bought one of these today thanks to this video for upper back work, and I'll be damned if I can 'reverse fly' a single spring. Holy _shit_ I didn't realize how challenging these are (or how weak I am lol). Got my work cut out for me for sure! MASSIVE respect being able to max out the 7-spring one. I can't even fathom the level of strength that takes.
My grandfather did some bodybuilding. Built his own gym with friends that had a hosepipe in the corner for a shower. Real spit and sawdust place is how he described it to me. He showed me some of his old black and white posing photos and he was absolutely jacked. Completely natural of course. When the war came he did a lot of boxing in the army but I don’t think he went back to bodybuilding after his service. Bodybuilding hasn’t really changed hugely. I mean the main difference is the use of steroids but the fundamentals of progressive overload were well understood back then and are still the foundation of everything today.
This honestly makes a lot of sense.
Getting bigger by getting stronger is a good concept, but the application of it is more like "get stronger, through a full joint range of motion, with your muscles engaged throughout the movement".
It's entirely possible to get stronger with barbells, dumbbells and weighted calisthenics and neglect the time under tension aspect
It's impossible to get to Fred Rollon strength standards without having the muscles fully engaged and constantly straining, simply due to the nature of the expander and it's exercises
The first time I used my expander, I understood right away how Fred Rollon was so jacked. The straining is on another level and for Fred to have been well above 7 springs on many exercises is still mind boggling to me. But it all makes sense.
Those 6 months with the expander have done a lot for your mid and lower traps and your teres too. Development looks like it's going well overall but those 3 areas are looking like they're growing like crazy
Thank you brother, I definitely see it as well and when I get shredded again the separation will be more clear than ever. It's shocking how effective the expander is for building the whole upper back area.
@@AlexLeonidas looking forward to that video bro. I've been watching for years and you're definitely headed towards your best physique yet
@@AlexLeonidas what weight are you at right now? You already seem lean as hell. I guess the stronger when leaner, leaner when bulked up is very true.
Just watched your video and enjoyed it a lot. I’m 65 Australian male and divorced now but when I was 12 I got a chest expander as a gift. I never forgot the feeling I got when I saw my body changing. I spent a lot of my teenage years at home apart from sport due to Asperger’s. I remember working out most nights especially during summer and I built a body I was proud of. Many years and injuries later I’ve been noticing my body slowing down and not feeling that good particularly in strength and endurance. I put this down to total lack of motivation and feeling I don’t have to go out looking good anymore cos really nobody is looking at me. I’m old! Recently I bought another 5 spring chest expander, took off 2 springs and started a short daily routine. I noticed a small change in muscle mass on my electronic scales. There’s a saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. I want to keep this small exercise regime up and hopefully awaken the motivation to go walking again soon. Thanks for the post mate 👍
seems like a must for home gym enthusiasts like myself. looked at prices for them and they're quite affordable even the higher end ones are a good price.
Definitely a must have for home gym owners and saves a lot of space
Robert Barabans 7 spring expander is a real quality piece of work. Got one myself after your recommendation
The best of the best, bar none!
I believe that bands were popularised by Westside. I had my own expander as a kid, I'm 32 y/o now. Maybe in Poland they were popular for longer time.
The best thing that the expander did to me was improving the "mind muscle connection" with my long head. I don't how or why but I feel a tremendous contraction right there in every pushing exercise and it shows when I look in the mirror. I don't know why but it has something to do with the resistance curve of the expander: at the very end of the rom the long head is fighting for his life to extend that shoulder and you can really feel it if you lockout your elbows. It's kinda like when you feel your biceps working during a rings support hold, those exercises don't cause much hypertrophy but they improve the feeling of other movements.
My Dad had these in the 80s when I was a kid, and I used to screw around using them. Thinking back on it, I think they’re what made me so strong as to never have any shoulder injuries in college volleyball and throwing javelin, hammer, shot out, and discus. They were pretty fun exercises, and I couldn’t do many reps because my Dad had 3 or 4 springs on them all the time.
Loving the coverage on bronze era. I've been watching a lot of bronze age content on golden era bookworm too.
Golden Era is the GOAT of old school training history. The Bronze Era was so interesting
Been waiting for this video. Seeing you use this thing the past few months has given me a semi-new perspective. If I had a home gym with limited equipment or worked out at the park etc. this would be a must have.
Absolutely man, for limited equipment and calisthenics athletes, the expander is a Godsend. Wish I owned one earlier and I'm glad you see it in a new light.
My dad would incorporate these in the 80s, you brought bck memories.
Good memories 😊
So cool that you talk about this. My mom always tells me my grandfather in Italy would use these. He was born in 1920
I started with a 3 spring chest expander back in the 60's. Good video. And if I may add, one of the reason's chest expanders fell out of favor was that a lot of them, just were not built that well. Reg Park and Fred Rollen had to custom make their chest expanders.
When I was a kid in Denmark the cartoonists used to love making fun of guys getting tangled up in chest expanders. It was wild - they drew guys getting chest hair caught in the springs, getting pulled into a ball with springs wrapped around them, guys getting catapulted through the air. It was almost a seperate genre of cartoons.
😂 Man, you gave me a big laugh! I can't get rid of these images! 🤣🤣🤣
My dad had one. I was like "wtf is this!?" lol
Yes, my Dad did too and he is now 80 and still tough as fuck.
my God that chest squeezer at the end though would give anyone an instant mind mucle connection
an convict looking alex talking about chest expander conspiracies,nice
🤣🤣🤣
It’s a great device if you travel a lot. And if you’re a truck driver, this, a kettlebell, and a clubbell are great for exercising on the go.
Your already looking crazy( in a good way) can’t wait to see the end of the cut 🤙
Thank you Jayden, will be in the 160s quite soon!
@@AlexLeonidas your muscle is insane bro, I’m the same height same weight look like shit, I’m exited to get to even half your level
I have a set from the 1930s. Spenbys, made in England still in original box . Built to last forever and they still look like new! Used them today. Utterly murdered my delts and arms lol. I only train to absolute failure. Fantastic bit of kit
This video came in a great time. Just when i was thinking to get one because of your previous videos, now i'm 100% sure this will be perfect to mix with rings and calisthenics. Thanks, Alex!
I was even thinking of making a video "Calisthenics + Expander = Gains!"
Really the ultimate trio man. Rings, general calisthenics, with some expander movements.. man you'll build a great physique.
@@AlexLeonidas I'd love to see "Calisthenics + Expander = Gains!"
@@AlexLeonidas that is an awesome idea. I myself train 4/5 times at home with rings and an expander would be an amazing tool to complement my training
Hi, I like the film but would point out that old-time trainees suggested using higher reps with expanders/cables than with weights. See the article in Milo 8.2 about Jack Reid, for example, who produced great strength and an impressive physique with expanders. Although I must admit that the author (Brad Reid) recommends lower reps in other articles.
However, other authors suggest slightly higher reps and even caution that very low reps might cause injuries - presumably due to the multi-dimensional nature of the forces - an overhead pulldown with heavy bands is not going to feel the same as doing a pullup or chinup or even a pulldown on a machine. I am not suggesting that cable/expander work "will" cause injury, just that the forces and the direction of forces is different to weights or even calisthenics.
You can tell that a weight is heavy from the moment you start to lift it and a weight above your 1 rep max feels and is too heavy from the start, but a set of cables/springs/bands starts off easy and gets much harder very quickly. There is a risk of struggling to finish the rep "anyhow" and losing good form. I believe it is better to keep within your limits until you have the movement down precisely.
The nature of the resistance also means that you are only really getting stronger in the final range of motion and this may require working hard at other points in the range.
(The Bullworker people have introduced smaller bullworkers plus a range of isometric bands of different lengths to address this very problem - whereas they used to argue that the standard Bullworker was all you needed. There is also a guy on youtube who did a program of partials working at the weakest range of motion, while it provided a remarkable hypertrophy stimulus, it temporarily diminished his full range strength.)
Been eagerly anticipating this video! Chest expander pull aparts are definitely my favourite exercise atm!
Awesome Jobo!!
Wtf Alex, you neever stop expanding your horizons, is amazing
Much love man, we always keep going!
Alex you are truly the og of RUclips fitness channels
Just received mine today and having fun with it. Much harder than I expected, loving it! Can't wait to get stronger at it!
I recently bought an old chest expander, and I use it almost everyday. I can already see a difference in my entire
shoulder girdle. I have been doing pull ups and dips as my primary upper body movements for years. This expander has filled in the gaps nicely.
Something I think is really weird is that Louis Simmon or any other guys to come from the conjugate side of training never tried to use springs as a form of accommodating resistance, I would think they would work similar to bands but who knows they could offer some unique benefits. Plus that way you could use the springs for leg work also.
I know right! Would've been an amazing form of accommodating resistance and I'm probably going to try this out in the near future. Yup for legs you'd need garage door springs though, short thick ones 💯
@@AlexLeonidas inb4 spring shoots off and domes a jet pilot
@@drinkinouttacups2665 💀
My grandfather had one of these. He's still stacked.
1:35. I showed this video to my grandfather , and yess my grandfather had it 💀
I’m very interested at the strengh benefits and injury prevention aspect of the expander, would love a video on that. I love band pull appart and i’m interested buying one, because bands are a nightmare to overload
Should I be wary of buying a vintage one , like springs snapping
Vintage ones have superior quality so if anything there's less concerns.
I just wish that someone would design a steel footplate handle ( a steel handle with the grip portion flattened out ) that a foot could fit through. This would add much more versatility to the Expander for standing curls and seated rows etc. It would also be great to have an attachment that allows for the handle to be securely clamped on to a bar or post or even a tree. I will likely build one out for myself in my shop but I think this could be a great way to boost popularity of the classic steel expander. I’m also thinking about fabricating an attachment to allow for extending the expander’s length to allow for full standing shoulder presses and military presses…without risking overstretching the springs.
2:29 that moment was so good (really made me smile and laugh a bunch)
if your mind is open and relaxed, you see all the possibilities and aren't blinded by anything. I think the conspiracy possible, but needn't be true
😂😂😂 Indeed bro
i got one as a gift, it uses elastic bands. I just lolled around with it for months, not understanding it.
but then figured out how to adjust it and began to use it for triceps and rear delts and sum traps.
i train at home with kettlebells, rings, battle rope (for cardio and for climbing) and now expandor
You probably have the most unique fitness videos on RUclips bro
Will be using this to build monstrously huge rear delts, wish me luck you guys.
Same here, good luck man
@@jaybsthebarbarian8669 Let's get those bulbously succulent rear delts, eh brother?
@@rajarshichakraborty8862 for real dude, lets get them
@@jaybsthebarbarian8669 Update? These did built my rear and side delts quite effectively
@@rajarshichakraborty8862 Yeah man they worked great. Shoulder mobility is 10X beter and rear delts are alot stronger. All my pull exercises got beter
I got almost immediate results in my delts using some bands I got in physical therapy. If I gained so much from so little. I don't think I'd doubt something like an expander to get the same results presented.
Dude, you are one of the best fitness guys out there on RUclips today. Love this video. Just brought one for myself. Please keep up the good work!
Exactly 1 year later (8 november 2023) I did my first chest expender overhead pullapart after receiving it yesterday.
Wow, so did I (comment directly below yours)! Congrats
Remember you promising this video a while back. Great to see it finally come out, super interesting
Warning they can be dangerous for those not in shape as they are very hard on the rear delts. I permanently damaged both of my rear delts and now have nerve damage from abducting (arms away from body) under high tension and did too much volume. Even when I started very conservatively with 1 strand, adding another strand creates a large jump in tension. I wish I could go back 5 years but here I am not being able to do much now. I didn't even go past 3 strands.
I doubt there are that many instructional videos on these. I wanna buy one. Please do a series on using these for the entire body.
Really loving the old school natty information man.
facial hair looking clean, the minimalism looking great on you and compliments your eyebrows
I appreciate that Eric!
This convinced me to consider getting a chest expander, and look into Rober's site in general
Robert's equipment is top notch, Austrian made and lasts 💯
My grandfather would often speak of chest expanders ,never really knew they were this good
That photo was taken in nineteen o five?! This video has convinced me to buy the seven spring expander for sure.
All awesome points, definitely gonna get one eventually, especially for travels
Traveling this looks ideal 100% finding good gyms is a pain. Doing these in the hotel is much better than the alternative.
I used to train with an expander at 16, 17 years old, with just an expander and a 5kg pair of weights, I was able to build a close to Bruce Lee physique. In regards to chest, it really helps expanding the muscle fiber, specially for starters. It's a great base training that can be used in between heavy weight sets, I will get another one soon.
thanks for introducing the legend reg park to us
Quite interesting, I must say. I've been lifting for years and I've always enjoyed cable work. It just feels right. What I need is something like Tonal with enough resistance so I can say goodbye to my free weights forever.
Garage gym reviews does some decent comparisons on the various “smart gyms” out there. I believe the Vitruvian Trainer might be a decent option that can go heavier than any of the other options on the market (I don’t know if there’s anything newer on the market, so don’t quote me on that)
In developping countries chest expanders are still widely used and other old school methods like the powertwister, they train legs with cloths/fabric wrapped around the handle for exmaple an leg curl you wrap one handle to an anchor and the other anchor to your leg with fabric/cloth.
My dad used to have one of these chest expanders. When I was a teen I used it and my triceps fucking GREW!!
Thanks for your videos, Alex. I just ordered my chest expander. I will post an update about it in a few months. Your videos are OUTSTANDING. Please keep up the great work.
Just bought one, your quite the salesman alex you'd make bank if that was an affiliate link!😂
I love the violin extension - the strength curve feels just right. Unfortunately I have a cheap rubber set. I think the rubber strands are okay, but the main problem is that the handles don't rotate, which rules out quite a lot of these exercises. I wonder if cheap versions like this contributed to it's downfall.
I just bought a 5 spring chest expander locally the day I saw this video. Great for my Free time I have to work out during my 8hr shift haha.
Awesome man, how are you liking it so far? Were you surprised at the difficulty?
@@AlexLeonidas yes I couldn’t budge the 5 springs but was able to manage 3 springs on some workouts. It’s an amazing experience
I clicked on this video not expecting much. Well, you've completely changed my opinion on this. I didn't know it would be this versatile. Thanks for posting this. I just bought a Robert Baraban Chest Krusher and it is great. Now, I'm going to Subscribe. Keep up your great work please.
Love the subtle background music, also just got a 5 spring one after watching this video and it’s much harder than I remembered
Been waiting for this one!
Enjoy man, it's already a classic banger!
I have been really looking forward to this video and man did it not let me down. I love that tool. It just feels different. BTW that nostalgic look with the shaved beard and a white tank top is just perfect for a video where you're talking about oldschool bodybuilding :D
I found today at the secondhand store I work at, so stoked to try it out!
I can attest to this, I started using chest expanders because of a man named Kevin Wikse who probably has the heaviest front pull on RUclips. I was able to put on size very fast.
I got a cheaper but good/decent one on Amazon… it’s still amazing, feels so much better compared to a resistance band, it’s like having a mini cable machine
Hey Alex I want you to know that I seen your video at the end of November and got an expander in December. A silicon one from Amazon. Best workout equipment I've ever owned. I increased my lifitng power by almost double in a week and my man titties have lifted. I've been weight training seriously for about a year and this is a gamechanger. I get a good workout and since the Siberian winds I've been inside away from my outside gym. This gave me more of a challenge than my weights ever did AND I'm starting formation on a 6 pack???????? Never do situps I neglect my core usually. I'm being as serious as possible I thank you for this workout equipment you sold me on. Best shit ever.
My grandpa gave me one of those a long time ago, it's been of the best presents he ever gave me, I really miss that man.
Hey Alex, just got my chest expander today and started with 2 springs. Definitely a fantastic piece of kit and I'm looking forward to working my way up to more springs in the future!
which one did u get?
Love using tjese movements with high resistance bands with knurled handles provided by Valhalla fitness..I usually superset with my pushups or dips during active rest...tires you out...no body can tell me that this is a useless device...it should be an essential...great video...saludos from Argentina...
The springs expanding in REAL TIME killed me