Update: 3/18/20 Due to the quarantines, Kayla updated BBG to require less equipment. You can literally do the entire program with a kitchen chair and milk jugs if need be. Read more about that from her here.

Update: 3/16/20 With the world experiencing the Corona-virus Pandemic, now is a perfect to try BBG from the safety of your own home. Women all over the world are coming together to workout together virtually. The best part about BBG, is outside of the initial cost of the program, you can actually get results without buying a single piece of equipment. Here was my experience, that will hopefully help you see how you can do it for free too!

I purchased Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide (BBG) because I could save money on a gym membership and I read it could be done without equipment. A few weeks in, I realized that while BBG says it is an at home workout program, it does require some additional equipment. Since I was trying to save money, it became apparent that I must have an imagination and modify these moves, or I’d spend money that I didn’t have. Below are the modifications I made to BBG 1.0 so that I didn’t have to buy equipment.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I will receive a small percentage of compensation at no additional cost to you.

BBG Weeks 1-12 Equipment Substitutions

BBG Week 1 modifications

Knee-Up & Step-up: Use stairs, sitting bench, the side of your bathtub, a step stool, a fireplace ledge, or a kitchen chair.

Step-Up (with dumbbells): I started with 5lb hand weights that I already owned, but I also owned 3lb hand weights. So when I wanted more weight, I’d hold the 5lbs and 3lbs together. You could also use cans from your pantry, milk jugs that you save and fill with water, textbooks, or small paint cans. Then use stairs, sitting bench, the side of your bathtub, a step stool, a fireplace ledge, or a kitchen chair to step up.

Squat & press: I held both my 5 lb hand weights. I even held all the 5’s and 3’s together before… it was quite the handful. However, you could grab a big rock from your yard, milk jug, a small stool, small side table, textbook, or a paint can.

Tricep Dip: I used the arm of our futon, but you could also use a coffee table, ottoman, armrest of your couch, side table, side of a bathtub, or a kitchen chair.

BBG Week 2 Modifications

Knee-Up: See Week 1

Tricep Dip: See Week 1

Skipping (Jump rope): do the motion with no rope

Reverse Lunge & Knee-Up: Fireplace ledge, stairs, or a small stool.

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Tricep Dip: See Week 1

BBG Week 3 Modifications:

Knee-Up: See Week 1

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Tricep Dip: See Week 1

BBG Week 4 Modifications:

Knee-Up: See Week 1

Skipping (Jump Rope): See Week 2

Reverse Lunge & Knee-Up: See Week 2

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Tricep Dip: See Week 1

BBG Week 5 Modifications

Sumo Squat: I would just stand on the ground and squat while holding all my weights. However, if you have a kettle-bell already, you could stand between two chairs to keep it from hitting the ground.

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Crab Walk: I held both my 5 lb hand weights, and I even held all the 5’s and 3’s together before… it was quite the handful. You could grab a big rock from your yard, milk jug, a small stool, small side table, textbook, or a paint can.

Walking Lunge (with dumbbells): I started with 5lb hand weights that I already owned, and I also owned 3lb hand weights, so when I wanted more weight, I’d hold the 5lbs and 3lbs together. You could also use cans from your pantry, milk jugs that you save and fill with water, textbooks, or small paint cans.

Skipping (Jump Rope): See Week 2

Straight-leg Raise & Hip Lift: I laid on the ground and held the leg of our futon, but you could hold the leg of a coffee table or a 20 lbs dumbbell if you own it.

Bent-Leg Jackknife: I held a textbook

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Decline Push-Up: feet on the couch, coffee table, or step stool.

Tricep Dip (between benches): use two kitchen chairs.

Raised-Leg Sit-Up & Twist: feet on the couch, coffee table, or step stool.

BBG Week 6 Modifications

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Split Squat (with a step): You can use a sturdy step stool

Walking Lunge (with dumbbells): See Week 5

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Bent Leg Raise & Hip Lift: Lay on the ground and hold the couch leg or table leg

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Straight-Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 5

Raised-Leg Sit-Up & Twist: See Week 5

Skipping (Jump Rope): See Week 2

Flutters: Lay on the ground and hold the couch leg or table leg

** If you only buy 1 thing, I highly recommend this Reebok Step. 100% worth it. (week 7-12 continued below)

BBG Week 7 Modifications

Sumo Squat: See Week 5

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Crab Walk: See Week 5

Walking Lunge (with dumbbells): See Week 5

Skipping (Jump Rope): See Week 2

Straight-Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 5

Bent-Leg Jackknife: See Week 5

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Decline Push-Up: See Week 5

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Week 8 Modifications

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Split Squat (with a step): See Week 6

Walking Lunge with dumbbells: See Week 5

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Bent Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 6

Squat and Press: See Week 1

Straight-Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 5

Raised-Leg Sit-Up & Twist: See Week 5

Skipping (Jump Rope): See Week 2

Flutters: See Week 6

Week 9 Modifications

Split Squat (with a step): See Week 6

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Knee-Up: See Week 1

Split Squat (between two benches): This one is hard to modify. I wouldn’t jump between two kitchen chairs because that isn’t stable, and I would fear getting hurt. First, I began by changing this move to a tuck jump because I felt like these two moves used similar muscles. Eventually, I had my husband build two jump boxes out of scrap lumber from an old ping pong table. He made two of them so that I could jump between them. If you don’t have scrap lumber to build one, tuck jumps are just fine.

Snap-Jump & Knee-Up: I used the stairs, but you could also use a sitting bench, the side of your bathtub, a fireplace ledge, or a kitchen chair to step up.

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Decline Push-Up: See Week 5

Burpee & Push-up: I put weights on the ground, did the burpee, then picked them up and finished the move. However, you could also do the move w a can of paint, a small stool, or a milk jug in front of you. Then you can grab it when you stand up.

Straight-Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 5

Bench Hop: You can use a kitchen chair, coffee table, or sitting bench. Then jump from side to side, but make sure you get your feet up!

Bent-Leg Jackknife: See Week 5

Straight-Leg Raise: I layed on the ground and held the leg of our futon, but you could hold the leg of a coffee table or a 20 lbs dumbbell if you own it.

Raised-Leg Sit-Up & Twist: See Week 5

Week 10 Modifications

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Split Squat (between two benches): See Week 9

Crab Walk: See Week 5

Split Squat (with a step): See Week 6

Burpee, Push-Up & Bench Jump: I did the first two moves and then added in a tuck jump.

Squat and Press: See Week 1

Decline Push-Up: See Week 5

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Burpee & Push-up: See Week 9

Flutters: See Week 6

Bench Hop: See Week 9

Week 11 Modifications

Split Squat (with a step): See Week 6

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Knee-Up: See Week 1

Split Squat (between two benches): See Week 9

Snap-Jump & Knee-Up: See Week 9

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Decline Push-Up: See Week 5

Burpee & Push-up: See Week 9

Straight-Leg Raise & Hip Lift: See Week 5

Bench Hop: See Week 9

Bent-Leg Jackknife: See Week 5

Straight-Leg Raise: See Week 9

Raised-Leg Sit-Up & Twist: See Week 5

Week 12 Modifications

Step-Up (with dumbbells): See Week 1

Split Squat (between two benches): See Week 9

Crab Walk: See Week 5

Split Squat (with a step): See Week 6

Burpee, Push-Up & Bench Jump: See Week 10

Squat & Press: See Week 1

Decline Push-Up: See Week 5

Tricep Dip (between benches): See Week 5

Burpee & Push-up: See Week 9

Flutters: See Week 6

Bench Hop: See Week 9

Straight-Leg Raise: See Week 9

Bent-Leg Jackknife: See Week 5

Burpee, Push-Up & Bench Jump: See Week 10

Conclusion

This is what worked for me. Keep in mind that I am NOT a personal trainer so use safety and your judgement when modifying any workout.

The great thing about BBG is that if all you spend is the 120 dollars per year and never buy equipment, you will still get awesome results. The program will absolutely work for you if you use your imagination to make what you have work for BBG.

Once you are a month or two in, thinking of modifications is almost second nature, so don’t feel overwhelmed at all. You’ve got this!