First, a little background. This is my 5th Beachbody program. I have done many rounds of P90X, and have also done P90X+, P90X2 and Insanity. I have also run marathons and was a collegiate athlete. I'm a 43 year old male. In my late 30s I fell out of shape and about 4 years ago tried P90X and absolutely loved it. For me, P90X is simply an amazing product and it changed my life. I also loved Insanity and think the cardio workouts in Insanity are also top-notch. I was not impressed with either P90X+ or P90X2.
Despite all the resistance routines in P90X, I never got as big or ripped as I wanted. I even tried modifying some of the P90X exercises (such as doing pull ups and push ups with a weighted vest) to gain more mass. This was met with mixed results. I have a very thin body type and I don't gain weight easily (I'm not complaining). So I was really excited when Beachbody came out with a new program designed to gain mass.
The program did for me exactly what I wanted it to I gained about 14 lbs during the first two phases (which last a total of 9 weeks). I've lost 2lbs thus far during the third phase so I have gained about 12 lbs overall. Is all of this weight lean muscle? No, I definitely gained some fat around my mid-section. However, my clothes feel somewhat tighter and my wife has told me that I look and feel bigger. I have not "cut" all the fat I gained but at this point if I had to guess I would say I gained at least 4-5 lbs. in lean muscle mass. I am extremely happy with this result.
The workouts are broken down into three phases. Build, Bulk and Beast.
Build (3 weeks) In this phase there are 4 basic routines somewhat similar to P90X. Chest/Tris, Legs, Back/Bis and Shoulders. There is also a cardio routine mixed in twice (and only twice) during this phase. The weekly schedule is 6 days on, 1 day off. The routines are a little shorter than the comparable P90X routines, about 40-50 minutes each. Before starting this routine you calculate your daily caloric requirements based on your weight and body fat percentage. You then will be given an eating plan that will create a caloric excess. In other words, you will be eating a lot of food in order to gain weight. Some of this weight will be muscle and some will be fat (especially if you are middle-aged like me). That's how your body works. It is not possible to gain muscle without gaining at least a little fat as well.
Bulk (6 weeks) In this phase there are 5 routines. Unlike P90X and the Build phase, each routine isolates one body area. The routines are Chest, Legs, Back, Arms and Shoulders . During this phase there is no cardio. I repeat, THERE IS NO CARDIO FOR 6 ENTIRE WEEKS. The schedule is essentially 5 days on, one day of rest, and then repeat. This results in you working out 6 days a week (except for the last week of the Bulk phase when you have two off days). Before starting the Bulk phase you recalculate you caloric needs again using your weight and body fat percentage. I gained about 4 lbs. during the Build phase and my body fat percentage also increased slightly. As a result, my target caloric intake level went up and I had to eat even more food in the Bulk phase compared to the Build phase.
Beast (3 weeks) In this phase you combine the Build and Bulk workouts and add back in a bit more cardio. You also reduce your caloric intake and add more protein to your diet to "cut" all the fat (but not the muscle) that you gained during the first two phases.
Workouts: The resistance workouts are very challenging. For the first couple of weeks, my muscles were very sore the next day, especially after the Legs workouts. Make no mistake, you are going to be lifting a lot of weight and doing a lot of reps. While there are some push-ups and pull-ups, the focus is on lifting heavy weights, not using your bodyweight as resistance. The exercises themselves are what I would call "old-fashioned," and I mean this in a good way. There are squats, deadlifts, bench presses, shoulder presses, curls, etc. You burn a lot calories lifting and I definitely felt exhausted after a workout. The Cardio routine is OK. It is only 30 minutes and not nearly as tough as Plyo or an Insanity routine. Likewise, the Abs routine in only OK. No where near as tough as the Abs routines in P90X and P90X2. The best thing about the workouts for me is that they are shorter than the P90X routines. The Build workouts are about 40-50 minutes and the Bulk workouts are 30-40 minutes. There is not much down time in the workouts. Although I like that, sometimes the pace is too fast. I don't have a set of dumbbells, rather, I have Bowflex adjustable weights. Many times I simply could not adjust my weights fast enough to keep up with the DVD (they are using a set of dumbbells) so I had to pause the DVD or rewind. Not the end of the world but somewhat annoying. If you have the money for a set of dumbbells I would recommend it.
Diet: For the Build and Bulk phases, the diet is a balanced plan based on a 25/50/25 split between protein, carbs and fats. In the diet YOU ARE GOING TO EAT A LOT OF FOOD. I really had trouble some days keeping up with all the food I was supposed to eat. I know a lot of you are thinking "I will have no trouble with this" but for me, I really got sick of feeling full all the time. There were days when it was tough choking down yet another serving of no fat plain greek yogurt. However, if you want to gain muscle, you really need to stick to the plan and eat a lot. For the Beast phase, you switch to a 40/30/30 split and there is a lot of protein on your diet. I did not try any of the recipes (there are not that many of them) so I cannot comment on that. The one great piece of advice the diet plan gives is to drink a huge protein shake after you work out. It is a lot easier to drink your calories than eat them. I would throw 2 cups of skim milk, ice, wheat germ, 3 or 4 servings of fruit and all my supplements in a blender and drink it right after a workout. This is a lot easier than eating each separately. I would say that I stuck to the diet about 90% of the time. Some days, I could simply not eat all the food required. I also have a weakness for coffee ice cream that I was not able to successfully suppress. This may have affected my results somewhat. As I said above, I did gain some fat (this is inevitable) but not an inordinate amount.
Supplements: I am normally very skeptical about supplements but I decided to go "all in" and buy all of the recommended Beachbody supplements. There is no doubt that the Beachbody supplements are overpriced. WAY overpriced. I'm sure you can get a much better deal on supplements somewhere else. Personally, I didn't know that much about what supplements are good or not and I didn't have time to do a lot of research on the topic. So I bought the supplements. Did I get ripped off? Probably. Would I have gotten the same results without the supplements? Possibly. For me, the bottom line was that I got the results I wanted so I am happy. If I do it again I will think long and hard about the supplements. One tip: if you are going to buy supplements through Beachbody don't order the supplements with the Body Beast program. If you order a 60 day supply of the supplements separately they are cheaper and come with free shipping.
Gear: There are three essential pieces of equipment. Dumbbells, a pull-up bar and a weight bench. Yes, you can do some of the exercises on a stability yoga ball but you will get so much more out of the program with a real bench. Same goes for the pull-up bar. Yes, you can use a band but you get much more out of doing real pull-ups. Dumbbells are a must. I did not use the EZ bar that is recommended. I don't feel like my workouts or my results suffered but I can't know this for sure.
Trainer: Personally, I like Sagi Kalev, the trainer. Certainly, he is no Tony Horton or Shaun T. English is not Sagi's first language. As a result, sometimes Sagi tries to be motivating but the words don't always come out right. This "unintentional comedy" can be pretty funny. Sometimes I felt like I was in the old SNL "Hans and Franz" skit from 20 years ago. Sagi and his workout partners also have some of that weightlifting "meathead" attitude which is part of the reason I hate going to the gym. But I didn't buy the program to be entertained, but rather to get results.
Overall, I really like the program and got great results. I'll be honest, I love doing cardio and it was a big challenge to only do 2 days of cardio during the first 9 weeks of the program. Therefore, I would not put it at the level of P90X, which to me combines the best of resistance exercise, cardio and core work. As Insanity really focuses on cardio and is excellent in that regard, BB really focuses on resistance exercises. If you are looking for a well-rounded exercise program where you lose weight, do some tough cardio routines and tone your muscles, then please do not purchase this program. However, if you are looking to get big and gain weight in the comfort of your own home, I highly recommend Body Beast.
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THE WORKOUT: There is nothing new here. It is based on decades old Wieder principle of progressive overload, with many advanced set techniques thrown in, like drop sets and supersets. It is presented in a form that is new and fresh, that doesn't require the viewer to fully understand why things work, just that they do. The video assumes you have a basic to intermediate knowledge of body building, so there isn't too much instruction as to how to do the moves. All moves are on the workout sheets in plain English (not Tony Horton speak like p90x) so you can you tube them prior if you are concerned. The rest periods between sets are very short, which helps increase results. Also, mush workouts are less than 45 minutes, which keeps you in the optimal growth zone and doesn't waste too much time.SPECIAL NOTE: This product isn't as "revolutionary" as p90x, but it is the best in home body building (not fitness) program I have seen. The biggest achievement here are the leg workouts. They are the best I have seen without the use of heavy weights (ie squats). My hat goes off to Saqi for his workout design here.
TRAINER Sagi: Based on the program design and his cliches, Sagi is an old school body builder, following the Wieder principles. His shtick falls perfectly within the characterization. Being a former meat head, from the glory days of Arnold, this was a treat for me.
EQUIPMENT: The minimum you need to optimally enjoy the program is a bench, a pair of quick adjustable dumbbells, and a pullup bar. It helps to also use a swiss ball and a second set of dumbbells if you have them. If yyou have a fixed set of 'bells, all the better.
OVERALL: The program is excellent within the bounds it chooses to operate. I would prefer it they had some barbell work, but they don't. Each individual workout is fantastic, but at times they don't fit together well (ex: from bulk legs, to back, to shoulder, to arms, you do varying dead lifts on consecutive days, then upright rows, then biceps work not giving muscles time to recover). I have made significant gains in strength after losing much of it in two years of mainly p90x and p90x2 work. There is also way to much in video beach body marketing.
TIPS: buy from here so you get Amazon's return policy. Beach Body says easy returns, I tried once on a different program, they fought and fought me. Also, skip the package with the supplements. If you are so inclided do quick search on Amazon for what's in them, you can get them significantly cheaper
ABOUT ME: I am a former personal trainer, former meat head, and "alum" of p90x and p90x2, hence all the program references. I figured beachbody fans would check this out, so I would make it relevant to them.
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This is a great program. It delivers what it promises, which is muscle growth and some increased strength to go with it.First off, this is obviously a bodybuilding program. I would say its a good introduction to bodybuilding, but that it can also be used by someone that has been lifting for a while and is just looking to do something different. If you are looking to lose weight and shed some fat, there are definitely other programs that will work better for fat loss and improving general fitness. Rushfit and P90X are really great for weight loss and increasing functional strength and fitness. With that said, as a bodybuilding program it is really effective in helping to put on some extra muscle. I would be lying if I told you exactly how much muscle I put on, but I can tell you that my weight has gone up by about 6lbs, and my body fat actually decreased by 1.5 percent. Obviously I traded some fat for muscle and then grew a little. I'm pretty happy with those results. I did this on the "Lean" program.
I'm not new to bodybuilding/weightlifting by any means. I fell out of shape after being super active for a long time and used Rushfit and P90X to whip myself back into shape. I had all of the equipment required for the program before I had even heard of it. Good for me, but for the guys who don't have a ton of equipment its a really big, expensive problem. You need a lot of weights, a bench, an easy bar, and several dumbbell handles or adjustable weights to keep up with the tempo of the program without driving yourself crazy with pausing the video. I had to dock a star for the equipment requirements just because its a bit out of reach for someone that doesn't have a pretty legit home gym already.
The workouts are great. They're nice and short, and you still get a pretty good sweat. You get a great pump from each of the workouts. The warm ups are horrible in my opinion. I never followed the warm ups on the videos. I also did a lot of stretching after the workouts, and I think that helped a lot.
I didn't use the meal plan. I already know how to eat to grow. If you don't the meal plan will do a pretty good job in helping to pack on the pounds. Just make sure you eat clean. Its hard to eat so many calories and not cheat, I know, but if you cheat you end up getting fat. Especially on this program because you won't be doing much cardio. By the way,I was afraid of not doing cardio for so many weeks so I ran sprints twice a week the entire program. Its believed that running sprints increases growth hormones naturally, and I think it helped a lot. This isn't required by the program and isn't necessary by any means.
I never use Beach Body supplements. They're over priced and usually not of the highest quality compared to other brands offering the same compounds. I won't go into brands, but here is a list of the supplements I took for the entire program
Whey isolate( three shakes a day(one in the morning, one after the workout, and one at night before bed)
HMB-One serving with each protein shake
Suma-with each of my first three meals of the day
Fish oilwith the other three meals a day
multi vitamin-right after workout and with breakfast
acetyl l carnitineright before my work out
Green coffee bean extract-before major meals of the day
Green tea extractbefore major meals and before workout
I think the real standouts above would be the HMB, the suma, the whey isolate and the fish oil.
I don't think there is enough rest in this program. Especially for someone new to lifting. Listen to your body. If you're too sore, don't lift. You have to stay healthy and recover to grow, so don't be afraid to take a "de-load week after ever 3-4 weeks while doing Body Beast. It certainly won't hurt your gains, and it will go a long way towards helping you grow and avoid injury.
Sagi is a meathead, and I found him way more annoying than Tony Horton. The guy knows his stuff, though. He's just a bit self centered and arrogant, and he treats his workout partners like trash. I did not like seeing that to be honest. Its stupid, I know, but there are several times where his partners have to put away their own weights and then he barks at them to put HIS weights away. It just makes him come off like a bit of a lazy, self obsessed bodybuilding fairy type. It doesn't detract from the quality of the workouts at all. It does make following the workouts really annoying, and I'm docking another star because of it.
Overall this is a really great program. I think anyone can put on a few pounds of muscle following this program and the meal plan. The workouts are great. They require a bit too much equipment in my opinion. A solid three out of five stars considering everything.
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I'm in week 6 of Body Beast and I am doing the Lean Phase and I've been watching my diet, because I am female and believe the meal plans are geared towards men. As well as the cardio part, I think 2-3 days of cardio is good for women. I either run 3-4 miles or do insanity. Anyways, I am seeing AWESOME results, so far. I am female, 5'4 and weighed 115 when I started. I have not weighed myself yet, but I think I am still about 115 pounds. However, I am noticing distinctive definition in my arms, legs, and abs that I have never seen before in my life. I did ChaLean Extreme and some Jillian Michael's DVDs this past summer, which gave me some good results. They helped me to get interested into weight lifting and prepare me for Body Beast which focuses primarily on weight lifting. So, I would recommend women to do more than one day of cardio. It is an awesome program and recommend it to anyone who wants to get lean or bulk up.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Body Beast DVD Workout - Base Kit
Body Beast is a fun and challenging program. It is broken down into three phases: 1) Build, 2) Bulk, and 3) Beast. The Build phase uses old-school lifting techniques to give you a foundation in lifting. The Build phase is composed of four primary workouts: 1) Chest/Tris, 2) Legs, 3) Back/Bis, and 3) Shoulders. The workouts are all near to 40 minutes. The Bulk phase uses more modern approaches to weightlifting and is composed of five primary workouts: 1) Chest, 2) Legs, 3) Back, 4) Bis/Tris, and 5) Shoulders. The Chest and Back routines are just under 30 minutes: the Bis/Tris and Shoulders come in around 35 minutes: the Legs routine is the longest at 41 minutes. The Bulk phase workouts are more specific--and more intense. The last phase (Beast phase) mixes the Build and Bulk workouts with some extra cardio in order to shred and show the muscle you've worked so hard for.Sagi Kalev, the trainer, gets right to work in each of the routines. There is normally only ~2 minutes of warmup and 1:30 for cool down and stretching. He can be a little corny at times, but is mostly straight forward and about the business at hand.
At this point I've done the Build phase and am starting the 5th week of Bulk. I've already seen inches gained in my arms and my back. The workouts leave me thrashed for days at a time. The most notable routine is Bulk Legs. I've done Bulk Legs four times now and am still ending up with quads and an IT band that is sore to the touch for the next 3-4 days! I have done P90X Legs and Back before and after the second or third time of performing the routine was able to perform the routine and not walk with too much pain the next day. I've had no such relief with the Body Beast routines. The Bulk Chest and Back routines have left me the same way where my chest or back are sore to the touch for a few days.
To summarize, Body Beast is a fun program that will crush and build you back up you if you push hard.
As an aside, you also get to eat A LOT while doing Body Beast, being a twenty-five year old male--this has been awesome!
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