The Perfect At-Home Workout: BBG

This isn’t a paid post because BBG doesn’t need me to rave about them. They don’t even have affiliates because they prove themselves over and over to be an awesome workout for women (and men) of all ages. I am simply compelled to write this so that if you are on the fence, you get off the fence and do it. Plus, it just so happens to be the perfect at-home workout.

With the world experiencing quarantine from the Coronavirus, people are trying to figure out how to move their workouts into their homes. This isn’t hard to do if you have a decent home gym, but most of us do not.

Don’t fret! BBG is here to save the day, and now is a perfect time to try Bikini Body Guide if you need some direction. Women and men all over the world are coming together to workout virtually, and it’s been super awesome to be part of that kind of unity during a time like this.

There are a lot of home workout programs to chose from, so why choose BBG? Here is what sets BBG apart from other at-home workouts you might have heard of.

BBG: At-Home Workout

BBG stands for Bikini Body Guide and is a workout created by Kayla Itsines, an Australian trainer. It consists of three 28-minute HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts per week which focus on mostly plyometrics.

Don’t be fooled by the name, it is for people of all shapes and sizes with varying goals. Even men use the app, despite the fact it was created for women. Anyone can use it to achieve the body they desire.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links and other affiliate links. I will receive a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through my link. Thanks for your support!

I was 185 pounds and 33 years old when I first tried BBG and in horrible shape, yet the program still worked for me. In fact, I’m still working out TWO YEARS later. I’ve lost 25 lbs and 4 pant sizes combining the workouts (BBG, PWR, PWR At-Home) in the SWEAT app with WW and Noom.

I’ll admit, when I first stumbled across BBG, I wasn’t sure it was worth my investment. It was 120 dollars for a one year subscription. That’s a lot of money in my world, and my track record with at-home workouts was not good. Even knowing I struggled to workout at home in the past, the structure of BBG made me think
“I can do this.” I decided it was worth a try at the very least.

And I was right. Although the first workout was very hard, I didn’t give up. (You can read about that here). Even as an overweight, out of shape, no time, full of excuses 33 year old mom, I did not quit.

The Problem With finding an At-Home Workout

Look, I have tried at-home workouts before. I have done Beachbody, In-Shape DVDs, Youtube videos, even Jillian Michaels! I have started it all and quit it all.

Even when the workout was only 20 minutes a day for twenty-eight days, I couldn’t keep up with it. Here was the problem: I couldn’t commit to working out every day. Even as little as 10 minutes every single day is too long for me to complete a jump-loaded and unenjoyable at-home workout.

Many of my friends and I agree, that the hardest part of working out is starting. Finding the willpower to start the other programs, every single day, was basically impossible.

Right there BBG has a major advantage over every other at-home workout I have tried. The intense workouts are only 3 days a week. I could find the drive to hit start only 3 times a week. Not only were they a few days a week…they were each only 30 minutes long!

IT ONLY TAKES 90 MINUTES A WEEK…SORT OF.

Do you have 28-40 minutes to spare? If so, you have enough time to do BBG. The HIIT session is 28 minutes, if you do warm-up and cool-down, then you are looking at 40 minutes total. Keep in mind, you are only doing that three times a week. This was the initial selling point for me. SURELY, I could find 90 minutes a week to get this done.

After doing BBG for just one month, I lost 10 lbs and several inches. This transformation came with just the Beginner Program. These results alone kept me going, and from that point there was no quitting. Are you starting to see why BBG is the perfect at-home workout?

THE OTHER component to BBG IS LISS (LOW INTENSITY SUSTAINED STATE)

LISS is the other half of the program. In addition to your three HIIT workouts, you must commit to a low intensity activity that you complete 2-4 times a week. Do you know of any other workout that gets drastic results with only 3 hard days and then a few walks?! I don’t. That’s another thing that sold me on the program.

LISS includes activities such as walking, jogging, or riding a bike 2-4 times a week. I have been traumatized by the HIIT mentality of every single workout program I have ever tried, and I believed it was the only way to get in shape. It’s not. Adding LISS to the HIIT workouts help build habits for lifetime fitness.

IT CAN BE DONE AT HOME

With the pandemic, we are all trying to shift our workout routine and make it happen in our house. This is the big reason I chose BBG two years ago. It doesn’t require a lot of space or equipment and was created to be done at home. Two years ago, I just didn’t have time for the gym life!

Even though I only owned a yoga mat and 5 lb weights when I started, I felt confident that I had enough equipment to do the program. By the end, I purchased 10 lb weights, but other than that, I was able to come up with creative and free ways to do the entire program at home. (If you want to know exactly what equipment the program requires, check this out.)

The app is amazing

When you go to your app store, you will buy the SWEAT App. BBG is one of many workout programs found within the SWEAT App. You have plenty of at-home workouts to chose from. However once regular life resumes, there are plenty gym-based programs you can continue to use.

It is seriously worth just signing up for a year and paying 120 dollars in one purchase. After the quarantines are over, you will have fun exploring the different gym based programs when you feel confident going out again.

The program is easy to follow

I could go on forever about why I love BBG and the SWEAT app, but one of my favorite things about each program is how you workout with them. I easily understand the move because it looks like this with each exercise:

If seeing the move isn’t explanation enough, you can click on the image and the exercise is explained in text too. It really is like having a personal trainer with you.

You Will Get Results

I have worked out with the SWEAT app for 23 consecutive months. While I felt stronger, my results didn’t always show how I thought they would. Which brings me to…

a sidenote about nutrition

BBG did an incredible job of shaping my body, however I have struggled with my diet over the last two years. I have managed to lose 25 pounds and keep it off, but it has taken me two years. If you want drastic results like you see on the internet, you must be disciplined with your diet.

If you have always struggled with dieting, start with this book. Tracking what you eat is the most effective, long term weight loss approach. It’s weird, but something about MyFitnessPal frustrates me, and I never lose weight with it.

If you can relate to that, check out WW or Noom to lose weight. I highly recommend both of them because I have had personal success with each program. Here’s where you can read about my WW success and Noom success. All that to say, if you want drastic results, you must crack down on your eating!

CONCLUSION

BBG has been great for me and my family: it changed my life. I cannot believe how far I have come with fitness, and I have no plans of stopping.

Just do it no matter how out of shape you are, or how hard it is switch to a new workout. Ignore all your excuses and self-doubt, and do your best. Don’t worry about getting out of shape while gyms around the world are closed any longer. With BBG fitness is still possible, with minimal time and equipment, in the safety of your own home.

WHERE I AM AT Two years LATER ON THIS FITNESS JOURNEY…

Now that I have created a fitness habit, I switched my program from BBG to PWR because I wanted to do more heavy lifting. You can read about the differences in the two programs here. They are both available in the SWEAT app (which is what you purchase to gain access to BBG).

Now with the Coronavirus quarantine, I am on my third workout of PWR at-home (also in the SWEAT App). So far I LOVE it, but it definitely requires more equipment than BBG. I will write a post about what PWR at-home workouts are like and what equipment it requires soon.

As always, know I am rooting for you, I’d love to know if you have committed to making changes in your life. Are you going to try BBG? Comment below, and follow me on Instagram to connect. I’d love to hear from you!