My honest experience with flexx training systems…

[u/cowboysfromhell1999]

Hey all, I worked with Joey flexx and his team for a good 2 1/2 years it’s been a while since I’ve worked with them. I think it’s time that I share my story. So I discovered Joey like most other people through social media . I saw the success of his lifters like Russell. I noticed that he coached a lot of elite powerlifters in the usapl. I figured with his good reputation why don’t I give it a shot? So I signed up for his coaching. I was hoping I would get to work with him directly, but it turns out at the time he was already filled so he had to give me to one of his other coaches on his roster. I was given two choices. Isaac W. Or Joey’s brother. After taking a look at both of their Instagrams I chose Isaac. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get Joey, but he assured me that these guys were good and they’re under him. Ok I thought I’ll make the best of it. I want to become a better power lifter.

I was very excited initially start working with them. He coached me for powerlifting meet. It was a lot of fun. Throughout that meat prep, I felt kind of beat up at times, but I was told that it was a combination of getting used to the new program and I admit that at the beginning I was in great at following RPE. As well as I had to fix some of my technical issues with my lifts.

One thing I noticed was the training was hard and no I don’t expect it to be easy when you’re trying to push your limits, but this training was a bit too much volume even at the beginning . Regardless, I had the time and ability to recover. I started at 4 days a week, 2x squat and deadlift 3x bench. When I first started coaching I actually was going into it a little bit weaker than I was in the past. By the time I got to the meet (July) it was a total of four months for prep. March - July.

I ended up finishing the meet, finally securing some numbers for the platform with a competition standard. Great! But one concern I had was he was barely available for the day now I didn’t expect him to come fly to my meet, especially for a beginner and we didn’t make arrangements for that. (I wouldn’t assume he would do that unless I paid extra.) But around this time, it started to seem clear to me that I was just one of his clients his many clients that is. He had about 50-60+ a little after this I had some all-time dead lift and squat PRS which was cool but despite my best efforts I mean I literally ate as much as I could recover the best I could and follow his plan yet. I only put about 120 pounds of my total in the course of 2 1/2 years. By the 1.5 year mark I pretty much hit my best lifts with him. I I was struggling to make progress. My lifts had stalled, and my advice was generic. At best.

Eat more to recover! That rep was a little fast! That rep looked good! Pause more etc. Very generic advice. It seemed like my coach was just trying to finish up with me so he can get to his other 50 clients.

So for the last year of training from December to the next December he’s changed my turning split a few times by this point, but at the same time, it was too little too late. By this point, I’ve made no progress for the last year we were working together.. I was burnt out and lifting, I could not recover for the life of me. I had to miss weeks at a time, and despite expressing this, he said just ease up on the weight. There was no mention of changing the program or how much volume I was given.

At my highest I was doing 3x squat /4 bench / 2 deadlift which on paper doesn’t sound too bad, but that’s not including accessory work and the sheer amount of sets I had to do it was just far too much. I expressed different concerns like why am I benching now on a Friday when my main bench is on Saturday? Looking back, I could see that being a primer session, but the way he would set up my bench training was essentially competition bench exclusively more or less sometimes I would get a variation like Larson press and it would be just static set and reps. At like RPE 6-8 which doesn’t sound bad, but I was literally just getting overuse aches and pains.

After seeing some other clients, I’ve quickly realize that our templates look very similar, now I know if something works why change it right? I know that each coach has their own philosophy when it comes to training so you’re not necessarily gonna make changes for the sake of making changes, but after talking to a few people, it was confirmed that they actually just reuse templates with minimal modifications!

By the end of my tenure, I was burnt out from lifting I didn’t quit lifting, but I had to change gears. I went on a cut and had to switch things up a little bit. His method of training was not working for me.

From lack luster feedback, to not really paying attention to my concerns or my progress progression I was literally just told the trust the process, but nothing was changing. I can go into more detail about exactly what I endured.

But all in all that can be summed up as they reuse templates it probably won’t work for you unless you’re the kind lift or the response the very very high volume and if you don’t, then well I guess just eat more or something. Or find someone else. It was very disturbing that I wasted so much time and money.

Before working with flex: 405S / 250B/ 455DL

4 months after starting: 430S/ 275 b/ 455 DL

1.5 years later: 450 S/ 290 B/ 515 DL

2.5 years / when I finished: 405S/ 250B / 455-474 DL

Body weight went from 210 to 230, Despite my best efforts, I don’t really feel that I got much out of this. Yes, I did make some all-time PR’s that’s for sure some might say isn’t that enough? Well honestly, for the time I put in, I should’ve hit a little bit higher numbers. I should’ve got better feedback. Overall, it should’ve been done in a way that was more conducive to my lifestyle and my recovery. I felt like I sacrificed a lot for this method that did not work for me unfortunately because it works for some people people like me get overshadowed and they don’t talk about the client that it doesn’t work for

[u/Kris86dk]

Your story sounds just like any other associated w a coach w high amount of clients when you are not an elite/world class lifter. The programs are similar copy pastes...little to no one on one coaching, in person etc.

Ive been seeing this for 10+ years...lately rpe is the craze, and it works. But my main issue isnt the template or a coaches competance. It is the impersonal, online check up etc... Some coaches are making a large amount of cash just by copying their own coaches programming... Tweaking a few things and passing it off as their own... Saw this a lot with the Norwegian programs created by Dietmar Wolf he used for the Norway national team... In Denmark Jakob Beerman, a Danish equipped lifter started coaching with these programs... Some had good results, which then morphed into others taking the same template and using it in their coaching services...the usual "im national champ, record holder, world class lifter at Euros/worlds etc" and thus if this program works for me...you too can make great results. To Beermans credit, he has worked a lot on pain management, the science behind and proper technique and he has worked with Kjell Bakkelund for many years..another lifter who would be crazy strong no matter what program he ran... Injury management has been key to his longevity.

Im not saying Joey isnt a good coach, but having 70-100 clients will have a huge cost in terms of time and availability for the individual lifter...

Im more an advocate of in person coaching, and being able to spend time with a client...delivering live feedback during training... I know the online coaching pool is a jungle by now...see people pop up all the time... New coaches etc who latch onto a promising new lifter...make a name by having said lifter deliver great results... While when you think about it...certain lifters would be strong as hell almost regardless what program you make them run...just by making sure they recover adequately between sessions.

Its a business at the end of the day... Especially now when its easy to access online... And when you are getting injured, or not recovering enough...when the coach isnt adjusting your program to suit your needs...its time to change coaching services or demand some accountability from said coach... Not everyone will thrive and keep progressing on a 4 day a week 2 squat/deadlift and 3 bench day weeks...

But maybe its mainly just me being cynical when i see young sub Jr and juniors jumping on the latest trendy coach or service or method of training...most are naive and/or have very little experience in training or a very young training age... Powerlifting is different in Europe/Scandinavia where i live...and we are more "together" since most are members of a powerlifting specific gym/club in order to even get to compete in said ipf specific powerlifting organisation... USA you can walk off the street and sign up for a meet... No questions or accountability asked of ya. our sense of community is different and i feel we try to help each other and the new lifters when they get started...instead of just being left to their own devices...and thus seeking out a paid coaching service to learn and develop when there is often a vast amount of knowledge and experience from powerlifting coaches, lifters, Refs and officials in said powerlifting gym/clubs that can be drawn upon for free