I love Beachbody. There, I said it. And no, I am not a coach. I just truly enjoy many of their programs.
I started using Beachbody back in 2016 after having my son. I began with the original 21 Day Fix program and absolutely loved it. Since then, I have tried many other workout programs, apps, and platforms, but have always dipped back into the Beachbody pool, trying out new programs as they were released.
Beachbody has really been stepping up their game, with the merger of MYX Fitness, to complete the Beachbody / MYX II exercise bike system designed to improve your overall health and wellness. LIIFT4, also provides the opportunity to improve your wellness through intense exercise.
I just finished LIIFT4. Here is my complete, honest review of this program plus I’ll even share some of my personal results with you!
What is LIIFT4?
It’s an 8-week Beachbody program that’s created and led by super trainer Joel Freeman. This program has a dual-focus - weightlifting and HIIT cardio, two of my favorite things! Cardio to burn calories and weightlifting to build lean muscle.
The program has only a 4-day per week schedule with 3 rest days each week. I’ll admit, I was a little put off by the 4 days per week as I am someone who believes in moving her body every single day, but I realized this just meant that I got to take those 3 extra days to sub in something else I enjoy like running and walking!
There are 60 different workouts throughout the 8 weeks, so no repeating workouts!
Then, when I went through the program, the 4 days made total sense and ended up being a perfect balance. I found that the intensity of the four strength/HIIT days per week left me feeling sore and tired, so the rest days were a very welcomed break! I used my days off to run for 2 days (3 miles or so) and walk/stretch on the last day. It was perfect.
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How Long Are The Workouts?
Each of the 60 workouts ranges anywhere from 23 minutes to 40 minutes, with the majority of them being right around the 35-minute mark. For me, this was perfect because I like to keep my workouts brief so that I can keep my day moving, but not so short that I feel like I’m cheating myself. My sweet spot is usually somewhere between 30-45 minutes each day, so this was perfect.
What Do The Workouts Look Like?
There are 4 different types of workouts in the program. Here’s a breakdown of what each type looks like:
LIIFT 50/50
As you might imagine, LIIFT is a combination of lifting and HIIT. These workouts start with a weightlifting section for the first half of the workout, followed by a HIIT section, and ending with core. In the weightlifting section, you’ll work through 3 blocks of exercises with 3 sets of 2 different exercises performed back-to-back.
In the HIIT section, you’ll do 3 rounds of 3 exercises. The first exercise in the round is performed for 60 seconds. The second exercise is performed for 45 seconds. And the third is done for 30 seconds. Once you’re done with all 3 exercises, you’ll go back and repeat the round 2 more times.
Circuit Training
These workouts are all weightlifting with a core block at the end. In these workouts, you’ll do 3 blocks of exercises. Each block has 3 rounds of 4 different exercises performed back-to-back. At the end of the workout, there’s a burnout round with 2 exercises that are performed for 30 seconds each. You’ll repeat that 3 times. This is a burner!
LIIFT Intervals
This workout is a combination of weightlifting exercises and HIIT cardio with a, you guessed it, core finisher at the end. You’ll do 2 weightlifting exercises followed by a 30-second HIIT exercise. You’ll repeat that 3 times before moving onto the next block. There are a total of 3 blocks of exercise. These days were some of my favorites!
HIIT
In these workouts, you’ll find 4 HIIT moves with varying lengths that end with a core segment. The format is as follows: the first exercise is performed for 60 seconds, the second for 45 seconds, the third for 30 seconds, and the fourth for 15 seconds. The cherry on top is the burnout round that includes 30 seconds of each exercise.
While these are the core workouts of the program, things are switched up throughout the 8 weeks. Weeks 1-6 are called “build it” and weeks 7-8 are “shred it”. In the build it weeks, the program alternates between the 4 types of workouts. The last two weeks are changed up a bit with an additional leg day and total body HIIT workout.
What Equipment Do You Need?
All you need for this program are several different sized dumbbells. I went through this program and am writing this review during the COVID-19 crisis and quarantine situation, so as you know these can be incredibly difficult to get your hands on if you didn’t already have some. Not impossible, though.
I used weights ranging from 5-15 pounds. I would have like a pair of ’20s but wasn’t able to secure any during the program. That said, you make do with what you have and I promise you’ll stick get a great workout in.
If you’re a beginner or are new to lifting, you’ll find that even light dumbbells like 5, 8, and 10 pounds will be more than enough. If you don’t have any dumbbells, improvise! Soup cans, water bottles, paint buckets...you get the idea.
Is There a Nutrition Plan?
Yes! There is a nutrition program, however, I did not personally follow it. I have been following a loose macro counting plan for some time now and find that works awesome for my body, so I don’t mess with it!
But if you’re into the nutrition aspect, there are 6 different options that are based on your weights. Each plan will provide you with a calorie range that you should stick with along with how many servings of each type of food you should aim for.
Beachbody also offers their Ultimate Portion Fix and 2B Mindset plans which are now being touted as the official nutrition plans for all programs, so I would also check those out.
As with all Beachbody programs, their supplements are built into the workout programs. So you can expect to see Shakeology, Energize, and other supplements making an appearance in the nutrition programs. I did not use any of their products during this program.
I perfected my own version of a superfood shake, you can get the recipe here. And I use this pre-workout from and this post-workout supplement from Old School Labs.
My Results
I’ll preface this by saying that I didn’t necessarily have much weight to lose. Going into this program I was already in great condition as I had been focusing on my health and fitness for months prior to this.
I did notice way more muscle tone and that my clothes were fitting me better. I’m not a big scale person, but I do love using measurements. Once I have my final measurements and before/after photos, I will post them here!
I noticed that my pants were fitter looser in the hips area and that my abs were starting to pop through. I can even feel my “six-pack” muscles under my skin which is exciting for a momma of two!
After finishing this program, I felt like I had done all the BeachBody programs that interest me for the time being so I signed up for this workout platform. I love that they have a huge variety of workouts to choose from, with brand new, live classes each and every day, which has been keeping me busy and feeling super fit in a short amount of time each day.
How to Try LIIFT4 Yourself
If you’re looking for a program that combines cardio with weight training, you’re going to love this. As someone who used to be cardio-obsessed, I can totally relate to the feeling of not wanting to go 100% all-in on the strength training.
I also love the variety and thrive on mixing my workouts up to keep them fun and exciting, which you definitely get with this program.
If you want to give LIIFT4 a try, you can gain access by signing up for Beachbody On Demand. They offer a FREE 14-day trial which is awesome because it gives you the opportunity to check out a program before you committ to the monthly or yearly payment. By 14 days in, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not you’re going to like the program.
The best part is that your subscription to Beachbody On Demand (BOD) gets you access to ALL their workouts. That means that you’ll have access to thousands of videos, streamed right to your phone, TV, or another device. It’s like the Netflix of workouts, you get to choose whatever you’re in the mood for, or you can follow a program calendar.
Although I’ve tried countless other workout applications, some I like and some I don’t, I always look forward to trying out new BOD programs. I love the way they always mix things up and offer choices for people of all backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
I am so glad I tried this program out finally, it really is one of my favorites!