Several people have messaged me asking for my thoughts and experience on Kayla Itsines bikini body guide, so I thought it would be best to write a comprehensive Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide Review. Plus, I did promise to put my thoughts to pen, and share my thoughts with you. Without further ado, here is my full Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide Review!
kayla itsines bikini body guide review
What is BBG (the bikini body guide)?
Kayla Itsines offers three products within the bikini body bundle. These are the BBG 1.0 workout guide, the BBG 2.0 workout guide, and the HELP food guide. BBG 1.0 gives you 12-weeks worth of workouts and BBG 2.0 is the sequel to BBG 2.0 and gives you an additional 12-weeks of workouts. The BBG guides provide you with information on what to do for cardio (the amount of cardio varies every 4 weeks, and the majority of the cardio is LISS training) and also provides you with plyometric based circuit workouts which are done 3-days out of the week.
The circuit workouts are divided into weeks 1-3, weeks 2-4, weeks 5-7, weeks 6-8, weeks 9-11, and weeks 10-12. I did not realize that this was how the circuit workouts were arranged and stupidly I did the workouts for weeks 1-3 for the first 2 weeks .. always make sure to thoroughly read sometime from cover to end instead of assuming you know what to do! You can buy the BBG at www.kaylaitsines.com using a credit card or download her Sweat with Kayla app and have the BBG workouts conveniently on your phone.
The equipment you need for the BBG are two benches/steps, a mat (not necessary but better than doing sit ups on a cold and hard floor, right?), two hand weights (the weight recommendation is between 3-5 kgs each), a medicine ball (between 6-12kgs), a jump rope, and a bosu ball. It is a workout that was designed to be done at home, but since I lived in San Francisco at the time, where I had a tiny room, so I did all my workouts at the gym. Specifically in the group exercise room; lots of space!
Okay, now I am going to divide my thoughts on the BBG into weeks 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12.
**Update**
Kayla has since given her bikini body guide a design ‘facelift.’ It now has a pre-training section which lasts for 4 weeks, so that beginners can build up their strength, and feel confident in doing the workouts.
Weeks 1-4
When I first started the guide, I remember looking at the circuit workouts for weeks 1-3 and thinking ‘Okay, this doesn’t look sooo hard’. And like I said, they weren’t incredibly hard but they still made me red as a tomato and sweatier than a sweaty thing. The circuit workouts for weeks 2-4 are much harder, and when I finally got round to these workouts (in week 3 by accident lol), I realized just how hard the rest of the BBG was going to be. Weeks 2-4 introduce you to such lovely exercises as jump lunges and commando’s .. all my girls doing the BBG will know what I mean when I say that they are HARD and I always dreaded doing them. The amount of cardio you have to do isn’t too bad and was quite manageable. I didn’t see any physical results during this time, only performance related progress.
Weeks 5-8
This is where the BBG starts to get really hard. Kayla really steps up the circuit workouts, and there is significantly more cardio to do too (still just LISS though). The jump rope really comes into play during these weeks and my god, your strength is really tested. The way Kayla structured the BBG kept me so motivated because I knew that every week was different, and also because I knew that every 4 weeks, the intensity would get turned up. The amount of cardio you have to do was a little bit hard to keep up with. During these weeks I had to do a lot of split sessions – so for example, I would do a circuit workout in the morning, and then go back to the gym at night to do cardio. Or some days I would do cardio in the morning and then cardio again at night. It was a bit ridiculous and the only downside to weeks 5-8. I started to really see some changes in my body at the end of week 8 🙂
Weeks 9-12
Probably my favorite/most hated weeks ever haha. This is where the bosu ball comes in and it really tests your ability to do plyometric movements. The amount of times I cursed ‘bloody jump lunges!!’ in my head (and sometimes online, oops) was a tad ridiculous. I felt sore every week .. EVERY WEEK! It is crazy that I could still get so sore considering you are progressively increasing your strength and endurance over time. I felt kinda pathetic the amount of times I had to take a break during some of the exercises, but weeks 9-12 are just that hard. In terms of cardio, the amount decreases and now you have to also incorporate HIIT training into your workout. I hope this doesn’t scare you off from doing the BBG haha, because even though the final section was so hard, it felt absolutely INCREDIBLE to complete them and to feel so incredibly accomplished (and sore).
Honestly Fitness Approved
To sum up, I love the BBG. Sure, I may not have had as dramatic progress as some of the lovely ladies who have done the BBG but I did make progress. I became much stronger and can do more push-ups, burpees, jump lunges and all other manner of exercises than I ever could before. My stomach toned up (my problem area!) and my arms toned up a lot. My legs also tightened up and the outer thighs became much smaller. I don’t (yet hehe) have a super defined stomach, that stupid thigh gap (girls need to STOP focusing on this, just focus on losing fat, not getting a bloody gap), or rock solid arms. But I am closer than I was 3 months ago and I will never stop on my quest to be the healthiest and fittest version of me that I can be 🙂
Oh and my progress photo is on my Instagram if you were curious. I am repeating the BBG and will be buying Kayla’s bikini body guide v.2 when it comes out (update, I did buy Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide 2.0). I believe it comes out in September and I can’t wait for the next challenge.
If any of you want to buy her guides, click on the image below and you will be re-directed to her website. She also offers an Sweat with Kayla app, which hosts the workouts on the app itself. Click here to read my full review of Kayla Itsines Sweat with Kayla app.
I hope this review has helped you all. Please leave a comment if you have any more questions and I will be happy to answer them.
Honestly yours,
Alice xx
Disclaimer: I became affiliated with Kayla Itsines in September 2014, but this in no way changes my opinion of her products. My thoughts and experiences are and will always remain honest and unbiased. I am here to help you.
231 Comments
Hello, I just wanted to ask if the free week of workouts are from the first week of the actual e-book? Also, does it work in such a way that only the arm workout is done on for example Monday, and then you carry on with the leg workout on Wednesday and finally the abs workout on Friday?
Thanksss ! 🙂
Hi Clarice,
The free workouts are different workouts from the ones found in Kayla’s bikini body guide.
And yes it works in that format – you do the arm workout one day, legs another, and abs another day too. It doesn’t have to specifically be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Alice xxx
Hey hun!
I was thinking of getting Kayla’s BBG, and I came across your blog while finding reviews about Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide.
Do you think it’s really worthy of it’s high price tag?? I saw quite a bad review at http://www.bikinibodyguides.com/kayla-itsines-review/ and I’m quite worried about it. I’m a high school student and that money is quite a huge sum for me.
Will appreciate if you can reply ASAP.
Thanks,
Joanne
Hey Joanne!
I get that and just remember that everyone’s experience is different. I think it is worth the price tag and when you break it down, all you need to do is put aside $20 for 3 weeks before you can buy it. There are definitely tons of good workouts that are cheaper or free, so perhaps you can try those first and if those don’t work, you can give BBG a shot? Also, I was a student when I bought BBG, over 2 years ago, and I still use it every now and again. Think of it as an investment piece!
Hope this helps,
Alice x
Hi alice did you follow the eating plan as well? or just healthy and normal? xx
Hi Leanne,
The second time round I followed the eating plan and lost a lot of weight. The times I just ate healthy and normal, I got stronger, but did not see much difference in body fat.
Hope that helps xx
Being 31 do I need to modify this at all? I feel like it is geared towards people in their 20’s but I train 4-5 times a week etc. Also could I use the eating plan for my hubby too?
Hey Christina I’ll be 32 right away and I’m on week 9… You’re still so young, just a baby really- you can do this!!
Hello Christina!
If you are exercising regularly then I do not think you need to modify it at all. I would only recommend modification if someone was new to working out or had an injury/history of knee problems etc. The eating plan can definitely be used for your husband although he might want to eat more as the HELP guide is designed for women. I would recommend asking Kayla’s team at sales@kaylaitsines.com.au 🙂
Hope this helps x
Hi Alice, I have bad knees, having dislocated both of them at different times a few years ago. They popped out and back in straight away but have never been the same since and they have this ‘crackling’ sound every time I bend them (terrible when squatting). I can do the BBG workouts but my knees get sore afterwards. Any modifications that you would recommend?
Hi Kelly,
Ouch, that sounds really painful 🙁 I am not too sure what to offer unfortunately as I am not a doctor. I would suggest emailing Kayla and her team directly at sales@kaylaitsines.com.au and see what they say. Have you discussed this with your doctor at all?
Alice x
Hey girl..!!! loved your review and thumbs up for your transformation..!!!! i want to ask one thing… i’m thinking of purchasing the bbg..i have all the equipment needed in my house but is it possible to use another equipment instead of the bosu ball…??? i dont have that and as far as i’m lookin it’s a little bit expensive…so any alternatives..???
Thank you, Evi! Ahh yes, the bosu ball is expensive unfortunately. There is no real substitute but my recommendation would be to buy it when you reach week 9 and then just return it when you finish 😛 Most place’s offer full refunds within 30 days. Other than that, Kayla recommends doing normal burpees instead of the bosu burpees (http://www.kaylaitsines.com.au/workouts/).
Hope this helps!
Alice xxx
hi there…
so, I’ve been exercising my whole life, and i eat healthy but still can’t achieve my goals.
is it really worth it? it is extremely expensive, and i have tried the free week of the BBG guide, but, can you tell me anything else about the meal plan, ?
thank you so much girls!! keep it up .!
Hey Kiki,
Lol, this sounds like me a little bit. I cannot predict how your body will respond if you do the BBG, but in my experience it has definitely been worth it. I toned up even without following the HELP guide, and now that I am following it, my results are a lot better. The HELP guide is basically an eBook which helps you learn the right foods to eat and the right amount as well. It is not good for vegans as there is dairy involved in it.
I personally like it a lot, as she gives you a 1 week meal plan which is very easy to follow. Plus she advocates getting a balanced diet with a variety of foods from every food group which I really appreciate. I have noticed my energy levels have been high on the plan and I do not feel hungry (only verrrry late at night).
Hope this helps, good luck 🙂
Alice xx
Hi I just wanted to ask if you followed the nutrition guide also? I eat healthy. Is it necessary to get the nutrition guide then? Would i see more dramatic changes with the nutrition guide?
Thanks!
Hey Amy!
No I don’t follow the nutrition guide, but I am thinking of following it after the holidays just to see how it works for my body. If you understand nutrition and feel good with what you are eating then it certainly is not a necessary purchase. You may see more results, but then again you may not since it is a generic guide and not exactly suited exactly according to you. I would give the training guide a go without the nutrition guide first and if you don’t see the results you want, then you might want to invest in the nutrition guide.
I hope this helps you!
Alice xxx
Hi,
I saw your above question about the boss ball, ( i don have one either & really dont want to purchase!) but just wondering is the burpees the only excercise that the bosu ball is used for in the plan? because if it is then I wont bother I will just do burpees, but if there is a few different exercises I might aswell get it…
Hey Elissa,
Yes, the burpees are the only exercise that requires the bosu ball 🙂 They are killer with the bosu ball though lol, but they are expensive.
Alice xxx
I appreciate the reply lovely! You’ve been very helpful! I’v been contemplating for so long if I should purchase it but I think I’m up for the challenge now =)
No problem, Elissa!! I’m so glad I could help you and I’m so excited for you to take this journey 🙂 Please keep me updated on what you think about it!
Alice xxx
No problem at all, Elissa. I’m so pleased I could help. Can’t wait to see what you think of it!!
Alice xxx
Hi! I am thinking of pursuing her body guide but I don’t have an ebook. Do you know if I can print it from a home computer? Also did her workouts do anything for your chest area? Also did your back get toned up at all?
Thankss
Hi, You can view the ebook from your computer and print it out. You can also download it to your smartphone or tablet 🙂 So no need for an e-reader thingy!
Thanks for helping out, Emma! Much appreciated 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi Brianna!
Yeah you can print it from your computer! I did that so I could bring the workouts with me to the gym.
Um the workouts helped my chest a little yes, because there are a lot of push ups! Seemed to make the area together and my bust a bit perkier hehehe. And my back didn’t get toned from this workout as there are no back targeting exercises in it. I do my own back exercises 🙂
Hope this helps!
Alice xxx
Hi, I bought the guide and am currently on week 6. I saw that on weeks 9-12 the resistance training days increase to 3-4. However, the guide only provides circuits for 3 (monday, wednesday and friday). Do you know which one is supposed to be repeated if I want to do 4 days in a week?
Hey Carolina,
I think it’s up to you to choose honestly! I chose to just continue doing 3 strength workouts as I was still busy with uni at that time. If you choose to do 4, choose the body part you want to work on most 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi, I was just wondering what do you do after you finish the entire 12 week workout? Do you just repeat it all over again? o:
Hey Alison,
I emailed Kayla and her boyfriend Tobi, and yes they just recommended I start it again. You can do whatever you want though! For ex. you can do one of her circuit workouts and then your own thing, or a gym class like body pump or Pilates. Sky’s the limit really 🙂
Alice xxx
Thanks for the review, Alice! I cannot wait to try this guide, and you helped make my decision a lot easier.
I am so happy the review helped you, Jessica!! Thanks for your kind words and good luck with the guide 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi, I’m still very confused with the whole week 1-3, etc etc stuff.. Is it week 1 and 3 or week 1 through / to week 3?
I just bought the guide and I’m confused. It’s just 3 days a week that we use the guide right ? But it also mentioned LISS? or HIIT? What’s that all about ?
Hey Cindy,
Yeah, I remember being pretty confused about that when I first bought the guide too!
Read through the first 20 pages carefully as that will tell you exactly how many of the circuit workouts and cardio to do.
For the workouts, week 1-3 means you do those workouts on the 1st and the 3rd week. Then you have weeks 2-4, which means you do those workouts on the 2nd and 4th week. And so on and so forth. Does it make sense now?
Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi, i saw your review and bought the guide, i read the pages but still abit confused.
The workouts say monday, wednesday and friday… So is that mean only for those days? and on top of the those days, we need to add the cardio and stretching as per instructed ?
thank you so much.. and well done on your progress!! 🙂
Hey Kya,
Definitely re-read the first 20 pages of the guide, as that provides an explanation on how to fit in the cardio and stretching 🙂 And Kayla probably wants you to do it on those days, but you don’t have too. For a while, I was doing them Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Just make sure you have a rest day in between the circuit workouts so you do not overstress your body!
Hope that helps and thanks for your kind words. Good luck!
Alice xxx
So say we do workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (assuming sunday is our rest day) what do we do on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday ??????
Hey. Thanks for the great, detailed review. I’m definitely thinking of buying this workout series. But I need to ask -do you need two benches? What are they used for!? Trying to see if I can get away with just one high step I have inside my house.
Thanks!!!!!
Hey DC,
Yeah, you definitely need two benches or bench equivalents! They are used for the leg workouts primarily. Maybe you could use two chairs as benches?
Hope this helps!
Alice xxx
That helps a lot – thanks so much!! Starting tomorrow… cannot wait for the great results! 🙂
Good luck, DC!! Keep me updated on what you think of it and your results 🙂
Hey there
I was considering trying this program, it’s winter in Australia and I’m normally pretty fit but finding I unmotivated at the moment. My question is this: what does Kayla recommend in regards to after the 12 weeks, like how to maintain or continue the fitness levels and progress? That’s always the hardest part for people I feel 🙂
Hey Erin 🙂
Ooh winter, it is really hard to want to do anything in such dreary weather! Kayla recommends that you just repeat the 12 weeks again, which is what I am currently doing although I am much more flexible with it. For example, I may do her leg workout from one of the weeks one day, then do a gym class the next.
I think mixing it up is really key to staying motivated and from keeping bored. Are you a member of a gym at all? If so, try out some of their classes with a friend. And if not, maybe you could go ice-skating or skiing since it is winter?
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions, Erin 🙂
Alice xxx
I’ve just purchased this as well – from reading it through, my understanding is once you get to the ende you keep repeating weeks 9-12 (as your fitness is at this level, rather than weeks 1, 2, 3 etc). Hope that helps xx
Hey Kelly,
It is up to you 🙂 Some girls restart it all over again and some stick to weeks 9-12. All up to your preference. Thank you for the helpful input 🙂
Alice xxx
Thank you so much for the helpful review! I have a question about the schedule and time commitment that I’m hoping you can answer. I know you mentioned circuit training 3x per week, but what do the rest of the days look like? Is there cardio every other day and on top of the circuits? And how long does the LISS typically take? Thanks in advance!
Hey Whitney, I am so glad you liked it 🙂
Well, you can kind of structure the cardio as you wish. The amount varies from 3x to 5x per week, and HIIT training is introduced during the last 4 weeks. Weeks 5-8 see the most cardio so you would be doing 3x circuits and at least 3x sessions of cardio. You can structure that however you like, for example doing circuit training MWF and cardio TTS, or you can do circuit training in the morning and then cardio at night. LISS is typically 35 minutes at least.
I hope this helps!
Alice xxx
Am I blind?? Where are the specific hiit and liss weekly schedules? I only see the example schedule.. I’ve looked so many times lol
Haha, no you are not blind Leah 🙂 There are no specific HIIT and LISS schedules. HIIT training must be done on a day SEPARATE from circuit training. However, LISS training can be done on the same day as circuit training – however if you do this, you must do one in the morning and then one in the evening. So for example, you could do LISS in the morning, and then circuit training at night.
Hope this helps, let me know if you are still confused.
Alice xxx
Hey there! I want to start a for,healthy life. and i saw the girls who followed BBG and how their body have transformed! I just wanted to ask from where I can get the BBG ? thank u
Hello Nawras 🙂
That is fantastic that you want to start getting healthier. You can purchase Kayla Itsine’s BBG from http://www.kaylaitsines.com.au/guides/ and you can try a free workout of hers at http://www.kaylaitsines.com.au/free-downloads/
Good luck!
Alice xxx
I can’t buy this 🙁 also I tried to see the free one but it didnt work with me! can you emaile me the full book? or to let me know how it would work!
Hello,
I suggest emailing sales@kaylaitsines.com.au and they can help you with it!
Alice xxx
If you can’t buy the book because of how much it costs I understand but you can’t expect someone to just give it to you as that would not be fair to Kayla or the other people who have paid to buy it. Save for it ☺️ I promise it’s worth the money!
Thank you, Jaclyn 🙂 100% agreed!
Just wondering what the meal plan includes? Do you know if this is simple everyday grocery food or is it more complicated expensive speciality foods? In considering purchasing the BBG assuming it can fit into my everyday life without having to drive all over to purchase specialty foods/equipment. Your revew was most helpful and thank you for that! Good luck with the rest if your progress!
Lindsey
New York.
Hi Lindsey,
It is definitely simple foods you can find at any grocery store; nothing fancy and expensive! I don’t think you would have any problem following it and finding the foods in it. It includes things such as poached eggs, chicken, and fruits 🙂
I am glad my review helped you, and I hope this answers your question about her H.E.L.P guide and the meal plan in it.
Alice xxx
hey, this was such a good review ive been thinking of purchasing this for so long!
i was unsure whether the progress photos she puts up were a bit far fetched but seems like everybodys getting results 🙂
i was just wondering if the HIIT training you need to do is something you’ve got to think up yourself or go do at a gym? or does she outline what to do? thanks heaps xx
Hi Leila,
Some people definitely progress quicker than others, but I do think anyone can benefit from it 🙂 I didn’t lose masses of weight but my abs definitely got better. It didn’t do too much for my legs though, but hey maybe it will in a few more months 😉
She tells you some examples of HIIT training to do, and how long it should be and what pace you should be going. She recommends doing HIIT on a treadmill so you can control the speed you are going but of course you could do sprints at a park or something.
Thanks for visiting and hope this helps you 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi! I just purchased BBG and I am planning on starting it soon! I just want to know if I need to buy the nutrition guide and pair it with BBG? How did you eat during these 12 weeks?
Thanks!
Hey Rachel,
No, you do not need to buy it as long as you are already eating fairly healthily. If you think you could do with having something which helped you with what you ate then it would be a good investment 🙂
I ate a mix of healthy foods and of course some unhealthier foods when I went out to eat at restaurants. It was pretty standard and different everyday – lots of lean protein, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi! I recently purchased the ebook and am planning on starting it soon! I was just curious as to what you ate during these 12 weeks? Did you follow the nutrition guide, and should I purchase it?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi! Great post! I just bought the guide and am starting it today… Just a quick question to clarify my confusion: will each circuit be performed twice for 7 minutes each? For example, perform circuit 1 for 7 minutes then rest for 30-90 seconds, perform circuit 2 for 7 minutes then rest. And then repeat again??
Thanks!! You are a great inspiration! 🙂
Hi Christina,
Thank you for reading my post and hope you enjoyed it! And yes, you have got it completely correct – and remember if you complete all of the exercises in 1 circuit between the timer has gone off, keep repeating the exercises until you hear the timer go off.
Good luck and thanks for your kind words, so happy to hear I can inspire you 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi,
Loved your review! I’m a student and can’t afford gym membership and can’t justify purchasing expensive equipment… would it still be worth me purchasing the ebook?
Hi!
I’ve just started with Kayla itsines bikini body guide, but what am I supposed to eat when the nutrition plan for 1 week is over?
I don’t know really what to eat after that plan, and if I don’t know then I will be eating the wrong things.
Help please? 🙂
/Camilla
Great Review, loved it! Do you happen to have a before and after picture? Have a great day!
Hi, I really want to purchase the E-Book except I’m a little concerned that it won’t work. I’ve seen progress pictures and not sure if they’re fake, over exaggerated, rare results etc. I know I can’t be guaranteed results but do you really reccomend this program?
Hi,
So in addition to Cristina’s inquiry above ‘For example, perform circuit 1 for 7 minutes then rest for 30-90 seconds, perform circuit 2 for 7 minutes then rest. And then repeat again??’ Do we add resistance training on top of the 28 min workout or is the resistance training incorporated on those 28 min workout?
It says Week 1-4 , 2-3 sessions of resistance training
2-3 sessions of LISS Cardio, etc. .
So let’s say Monday, I do a resistance training and then the 28 min workout? I’m no t clear whether the cardio and resistance training are already incorporated in the 28 min workout. =(
Hello,
Haha! I think I’ve got it. The resistance trainings are her workouts and you do LIIS and HIIT and stretchers on your own or follow what she recommends. Thanks.
Hi! Thanks for a great review! I just got a question, i want to buy the BBG and Im only 15, is it a good idea or should I wait? 🙂
Hi Melaine 🙂 The guide is recommended for ladies aged 16 and above. Give it another year and you are good to go!
Alice xxx
Great review! Could you please give me an example of one of her suggested cardio/LISS workouts? I really want to buy the guide, but I want to be clear on what I will have to do on the days that I am not doing her M/W/F training sessions. 🙂
Hi Wendy,
Anything that you can do at a low intensity will be fine. So for example, you could use the elliptical machine or the stair master at the gym, you could go for a hike or do a low impact aerobics class … the options are endless 🙂 Google ‘low impact workouts’ for some more idea’s. Kayla specifically recommends fast walking though, and the duration and speed is explained in the eBook.
Hope this helps,
Alice xxx
hi
you did an amazing job
i’ll start bbg today but i’ve Q
what the exercises you did in other days like sunday and tuesday because i dont speek english very good so i dont understand the book 100% 🙁
Hi everyone, I’m hoping one of you can answer my question! If you do both the nutrition and workout guide, but with the nutrition guide you have something different for the dinner each night, (as i still live with my parents) will you still see changes? (Also the dinners we eat are healthy)
Thanks! 🙂
Hi,
First of all congrats with the good results keep up the good work. I just downloaded her guide but there are a few things i don’t understand. In the guide she only describe monday, wednesday and friday workouts(circuit). But she don’t include the days to do cardio. So do i have to do cardio on tuesday en thursday? I cant find that anywhere in the guide. Plsz help me out. Today is day 2 and i decided to walk outside for half a hour just in case the cardio is on tuesday.
Greetings from rainy Holland
X, m
Hi Em,
Thanks for your kind words 🙂 She does not give specific days to do cardio; you can choose when you do cardio. You can do it any day. You can also do it the same day you do your circuit workout but if you do this, you must split them up. For example, you can do the circuit workout in the morning, and the cardio at night.
Hope this helps, and good evening from sunny California 🙂
Alice xxx
Hi,
Amazing review! I am on day one of the guide today. I also got the nutrition guide and some items, such as almond milk, aren’t mentioned. Would that count for 1 portion of dairy? Wondering if you had the same dilemma? Thanks 🙂
Hey Alex,
Oh gosh, I had the same problem to be honest! I did not follow the nutrition guide very strictly but I would pick out meals from it here and there. I would personally email Kayla at sales@kaylaitsines.com.au and see what she says. Personally I would count almond milk as 1 portion but that is just me.
Ask her and let me know what she says!
Alice xxx
Hi! My question for you is about the “look” that this book targets. I noticed you don’t need much equipment or weights for the exercises, but what if you want to gain muscle mass? Are the exercise made so we can add our own weights if we want?? Or we shouldn’t? I feel like the book makes u lose a lot of fat and tightens you but not much muscle mass gain from what I’ve been seeing in progress pictures. I personally like weight training, I’m scared I won’t like the book because of that, but If I could add my own weights to it to gain more muscle mass then should be fine. Also because this book was made to be done at home, you don’t use those machines at the gym so that’s why I feel like u don’t really gain muscle mass.. Thanks for the help
Hi Leah!
Hmm, well the “look” is for someone to gain lean muscle mass, so if that is what you want then I would definitely recommend it. However, if you are looking for muscle mass in the sense of a professional bikini competitor, then I think you may be disappointed. You certainly can add more weights during the program, but the emphasis is not on building big muscles.
You do not need machines to gain big muscle mass 🙂 Although i understand what you mean .. you definitely need some heavy dumbbells or access to machines with heavy resistance.
I would recommend the guide more for someone looking to shed fat and gain lean muscle as opposed to someone you is trying to gain significant muscle mass.
Hope this helps you!
Alice xxx
Thanks for the awesome overview! My question is did you ever skip a day or two of the plan? If so, did you do anything to make up for the missed workout? With school starting again I know I am going to be extremely busy and am afraid I may not find the time on some days to complete the workouts assigned.
Hi there!
I love your review (and also your blog!)
I have been thinking of getting her nutrition plan and workout guide but I was wondering if you have heard of Tone it up? It is another program, similar to Kayla’s I think but I am having a hard time deciding between the 2! If you have any experience with Tone it up I would love to hear your thoughts on the differences between the 2.
Trying to find out what is right for me as I don’t want to loose weight right now I just want to tone
Thanks!
Hi Alex!
I am glad you loved both the review and my blog, it makes me so happy that people are enjoying what I write about.
TO answer your question, I honestly do not have much experience about Tone It Up and their method of exercising. Are you referring to Tone It Up’s nutrition plan? I do not know anything about their nutrition plan unfortunately :/ Kayla’s nutrition plan gives you a week’s worth of meals to follow and gives some basic education about nutrition, which is always useful. It is quite general however and is not person specific, but to be honest I doubt Tone It Up’s nutrition plan is person specific either (someone correct me if I am wrong!!)
Their exercises seem to consist of videos which are done on specific days, am I right? If so, Kayla’s workouts differ because her eBook gives you twelve weeks worth of circuit workouts and tells you what cardio to do. I prefer this to watching several different videos because I feel as if Kayla’s workouts are ordered specifically and personally I think they are extremely hard and challenging. Idk, I really like the format of Kayla’s workouts; they are circuit based and only 28 minutes long (not including breaks).
By ‘tone’, do you mean you want to gain muscle or you want lean muscle (like Kayla Itsines body type)? If you want to gain lean muscle, Kayla’s workout is great for that because it involves a lot of moves designed to give you that look. If you want to gain muscle mass, then I would not recommend it … I would recommend a bodybuilder approach of using heavy weights with low repetitions.
Hope this helps you!!
Alice xxx
Hey Alex,
I know this post is old but maybe this will help someone else… Tone it up’s nutrition plan is way more interesting – Kayla’s is boring and really bland, which in my experience leads me to cheat. But with TIU I felt like I was always working out… Like 2 hours a day sometimes. They include insane amounts of cardio in TIU, which aren’t necessary if your resistance training is challenging enough. Essentially, Kayla’s resistance workouts kicked this TIU girl’s butt, and because my workouts are better bang for my buck now, I don’t have to spend 6 hours a week on the treadmill like I did with tiu. So to sum it up – I eat with Karena and Katrina, but I work out with Kayla!!
Thanks for your feedback, Robin. Very useful for me and my readers!! x
Hey there!
Just wondering what weights you used for the medicine ball and the actual weights themselves? I’ve never owned a medicine ball and I’m not sure where to start.
Thanks!
Hi Mei Lyn!
Good question, I am always curious to see what other people are using. I used 12 pounds for the hand weights and I think I used an 8 pound medicine ball, although I wanted to go heavier so I started using a 12 and 15 pound kettle bell (I did 15 on days where I felt really strong lol).
I am actually restarting BBG next week (and my friend is starting in 2 weeks so we are gonna be BBG buddies) so I will let you know what my current weights are. I bet I have gotten a lot weaker haha!!
Hope this helps. Remember, these are the weights I used and they may be too heavy or too light for you so feel free to experiment with what weights to use. And always remember to challenge yourself 🙂
Alice xx
hello it’s a great review, but i don’t understood something (i’m chilean, we speak spanish maybe something got lost in translation) it’s a 12 week program with exercises, for example the first week monday, wednesday and friday but it says to do
2-3 sessions of ressistance training
2–3 sessions of LISS cardio training
1 rehabilitation (stretch) session
the exercises on the guide (i.e. week 1) are the 3 session of ressistance training?
if it’s not then how do i know which one is LISS and which one is ressistance
thank you so much i hope to get an answer soon because i want to start next week 🙂
Hello Mariana,
Thank you, I am glad you liked the review. The resistance sessions are the workouts that are given in the eBook (weeks 1-3, 2-4 and etc). Kayla gives you examples of what types of cardio to do, it should be somewhere within pages 1-20.
Hope this helps 🙂
Alice xx
Hello,
Did you lose any weight on the program? Did you follow the food guide?…..if not, how many calories were you eating? I have the guide, i just don’t have the nutrition guide.
I love your blog btw!!!
Thanks soooo much:)
Hello Shay,
I actually did not weigh myself at all, I relied solely on the progress photos. I did not want to get discouraged in case I gained muscle, as it is more important to focus on what I actually look like as opposed to numbers on the scale. And boo I did not follow the nutrition guide, although I will be restarting BBG next week and following the nutrition guide … exciting 🙂 I was eating around 1,600-1,800 calories when I was doing BBG.
I am SO happy you love my blog! Means the world to hear that and I hope you visit again 🙂
Alice xxx
So I’m really confused about the LIIS and HIIT part of the program, like what exercise is considered a LIIS or a HIIT??
Thanks!
Hi Janice,
Please refer to my post about cardio, which talks in detail about HIIT and LISS 🙂 You can find the post by clicking here.
Thanks for dropping by, and please subscribe if you find my posts useful!
Alice xxx
Hi, I’m thinking about purchasing and starting this 12 week BBG program. I just have one question. At the moment I am not excersising so much. I’m not so fit, so to say. Do you think this guide works for people like me, who don’t have great condition and strength to start with, or can it be a bit to hard?
Thank you for your review, it helped a lot!
Hi Linnea!
I think that it would be smart to prepare yourself before you start the BBG program. There are a lot of moves that can tire you out very quickly, such as squat jumps and push-ups.
I recommend doing some exercise for 2-3 weeks before you start to build up your endurance. Or you can start the program and maybe repeat week 1 until it gets easier.
I definitely recommend this program for everyone, but it is good to have a base level of fitness when starting it 🙂
Hope this helps, and I am so happy my review helped you!
Alice xxx
I just have a quick query for you, though the guide does result in changes are there any advice for keeping the weight off after completing the guide? Am really researching this before buying it!
Hey Laura,
So the guide itself doesn’t offer any ways for keeping it off but Kayla recently released a BBG 2.0 so you can continue and keep the weight off. Somewhere on her website (I think on her FAQ Guide) it also suggests that you can repeat the BBG or mix and match workouts from it to help keep the weight off.
I think as long as you think of this as a way of life (eating healthily and exercising regularly), you should have no problem keeping the weight off 🙂
I hope this helps! Smart to research lots, the guide isn’t cheap but it’s worth it in my opinion.
Alice xx
Hi Clarice, I just bought Kayla Itsines BBG, and because you already done it I thought that you could probably help me understand it when it comes to exercise part…Do I do same exercises in week 1 and week 3, than week 2 and week 4, and so forth, is that right, did I understand it correctly? Please help :-)))
Clarice? Hehe, my name is Alice!
Yes, you have it absolutely right. You do the same exercises in week 1 and week 3, then week 2 and week 4 and etc 🙂
Good luck with the BBG,
Alice xx
I’m so sorry, I don’t know where I got Clarice from, sorry again, must be from the previous messages, I read it wrong 🙂 thanks for your reply, I’m so excited to start :-)))
Hi, I was think about purchasing the BBG because I have been trying to get fit and healthy but just haven’t seen results and I saw the equipment requirements. I don’t actually have weights and I’m not sure about buying them. Is there a substitute or something?
Hi! Only a small question… I’m about to buy the guide but i’m questionning myself a lot about the weight loss. I would like to get in shape but without losing too much weight. I read your review but since i am quite small and have quite a small breast too i’m afraid it will all go away. Would you recommend to still take the nutrition plan and the training program or just the training program? Thank you!!
Hi Sarah,
Hmm, this is a hard question unfortunately as I do not know how your body would respond to her program. Perhaps you could start out with just the training program and see how that goes?
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful as I honestly do not know how your body would respond. You might lose weight from both the nutrition plan and the workout guide, or you may just add lean muscle … it is hard to say.
I hope this helped anyway; always here to try and help!
Alice xx
Hi Alice! My twin sister and I started doing the free BBG workout guide this week and we absolutely love it! I was just wondering which exercise equipment are the most important? We already have one set of dumbbells, which we share and that works just fine, but none of the other equipment. Also, the bosuball, how often do you use it in the guide? Do you only use it once or more than once? I also was wondering what you would think is best to get, just the workout guide or the bundle? We already eat pretty healthy right now. The things we eat are salad, a good portioning of cereal, small serving sizes, and having one healthy snack around 3. So do you think its necessary to get the bundle or no? If no, do you have any suggestions as to what we should try eating? And do you know any foods we could eat to help burn fat and speed up our metabolism?
Sorry for the boat load of questions.. hehe… I was just curious if you knew most of the answers for most of my questions, if not thats okay.
Thank you for your time!
Aliseea
Hey Aliseea (and twin sister)!
That is so great that you both love the BBG 🙂 I would say that dumbbells and 2 steps are absolutely crucial as they are used all the time. And you can sub the dumbbells for a medicine ball. The bosu ball is literally only used like 2 or 3 times so it is not necessary in my opinion.
Umm, well I am actually currently doing the BBG with the H.E.L.P guide to see which would be better – doing BBG alone or with the nutrition guide. I still got great results just doing BBG, so maybe you could try out the BBG on its own and see how it goes? Plus, everybody is different so I can’t really guess which would be more effective for you and your sister unfortunately.
In terms of fat burning food, there are no foods that will really accelerate fat loss (despite many marketing claims!!!). The best thing seems to be having a diet which is full of healthy and well portioned out carbs, healthy fats such as olive oil, protein and lots of fibrous veggies. Sounds like you girls are doing great honestly.
Hope this helps you girls, so excited to see your progress! Do you have an IG?
Alice xx
Hi Alice,
Thank you so much for taking your time to respond to my questions, we appreciate your advice and we’ll just try the BBG and just see how it goes (:
We have created a new IG for the journey of the BBG, our username is: a.c.fitnessjourney
Again, thank you for answering my questions and I hope you’ll have a great day!
Aliseea xo
Hi there!
I’m currently a 1st year student and I downloaded the free workout. I just wanna know does it also have the same effect such as the 12 week bikini body guide because I really don’t have money to buy the guide? Thanks
Hi there 🙂
It won’t have the same effect unfortunately because although it does give you a free week of workouts, in the BBG, it changes up your workout circuit twice a month. So this is always challenging your body. The free week is still great though, and if you cannot afford it, then just keep doing the free week of other workouts mixed with other workouts.
Alice xx
Where did you do your workouts? Because I noticed that in some of the workouts you need benches and like bosu balls, did you use your local gym or improvised at home?
Thanks!
Hey Janice,
I do the workouts at the gym, usually in the group exercise room (I go to 24 Hr Fitness). If I was still at my parents house, then I would do it at home but I live in the tiniest room ever haha.
A lot of girls have improvised it to do at home, or have bought the necessary equipment. Benches can be subbed for stairs at home, weights can be subbed for heavy cans and etc.
Hope this helps 🙂
Alice xx
Loved this review! I am on week 1 myself.
I’m kind of confused about the formatting of the workouts as well- so i will have to take your advice about reading the instructions carefully.
What did you use to create the graphic of equipment needed?
Hi, i am thinking of purchasing the BBG workout guide although i was just wondering if the medicine ball is necessary? I do not own one and would prefer if i did not have to purchase one. Is it used for many exercises? and is there anything else you could use as a replacement?
Thanks alot, Michaela xx
Hi Michaela,
I wouldn’t say the medicine ball is heavy, you can use any old thing that is heavy such as a single dumbbell, cans of beans, and etc lol. The medicine balls at my gym are usually way too light so I end up using a dumbbell or a kettlebell instead!
Alice xx
Also, how many days a week is the plan for? Is it just 3 days a week or 7 days?
Thankyou again x
You do 3 days worth of circuit workouts, and the amount you do LISS varies depending on what week you are on. You basically get told to do x amount of LISS and you can choose when to do it 🙂 Just make sure you do it separately from the circuit workouts. So for example, you can do a circuit workout in the morning and LISS at night xx
Hi, I’m just wondering if there is a certain weight medicine ball that the BBG recommends? I’m getting the BBG for my birthday (bf shouldn’t have used our shared credit card.. saw it on the statement!) and I’m just trying to plan what equipment I need to buy.
Thanks!
Meg
Hi Meg!
Kayla’s website recommends using a medicine ball between 6-12kg. I normally use a kettlebell in place of a medicine ball (the medicine balls at my gym are far too light) and I use one that is either 6 or 9 kilos.
Hope this helps 🙂
Alice xx
Hi Alice,
I just bought the guide and am very excited to start using it and can’t wait to see some results! I find the guide a bit confusing and your blog has given me some clarity but I still do have one question. It seems that each workout session/day is only 28 minutes (minus any warmup cardio or stretching). Does it only take this short amount of time or are we supposed to supplement the 28 minute workout with other LISS or brief workout of other kinds? Is it recommended that the days you do the resistance sessions (MWF), keep it to just 28 minutes? Thanks.
Hi Sarah,
Well, it takes that amount of time with no breaks in between the sets. I try to only rest for 60 seconds (Kayla recommends 60-90 seconds) in between each circuit, so it takes me about 31 minutes.
Yes, you do have to do LISS. She explains how much LISS to do on page 14. You can do LISS on a day when you do the workout sessions, but you MUST break them up. For example, you can do LISS in the morning and the workout at night. Not one after another.
Hope this helps 🙂
Alice xx
Hi Alice,
Thanks for this post! The guide does seem quite confusing and I really want to know as much of the background as possible before purchasing ie. exact equipment required etc
So as per all answered questions above the circuit training (from the guide) needs to be done 3 times a week and then mixed in with LISS and HIIT.
For week 1- 12 do you have to do some form of exercise every day (7 days a week) or is each week different.
I just want to know if it is a 7 day a week commitment or if it offers flexibility with one or two rest days. You also mentioned you can split the LISS and circuit within the day, so is your full day work out longer than 28 minutes (excluding rests etc)? I quite like the idea of being able to fit in a roughly 30 minute exercise session per day as life is so busy!
Hi Kate,
No problem, I am pretty overwhelmed and happy at how many people it has helped. The guide divides itself into 3 sections; section 1 is weeks 1-3, weeks 2-4, section 2 is weeks 5-7, weeks 6-8, and section 3 is weeks 9-11, weeks 10-12. Each ‘section’ asks you to do a different amount of LISS and HIIT only comes in during the third section. No matter what part of the BBG you are on though, you will get at least 1 rest day, if not 2.
And yes, you can split the LISS and the circuit training. So you could do LISS in the morning and the circuit at night. NOT one after the other though! So yes, the full day would be longer than 28 minutes.
Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by. Hope you come back again soon 🙂
Alice xx
Hi there!
Thank you for your review. I have the bbg and tried to start, but for the arms workout aka workout two, it has an exercise called lay down push ups.
For the life of me I can barely manage 1 rep, I just don’t have to strength to hold my whole body weight with my arms bent next to my chest. Did you have this problem? And if you did, what did you do instead?
I’m not that unfit, but my upper body strength seems it can’t handle even the first week of this guide, which has me pretty worried about trying to attempt the rest of it.
Thanks again for being so helpful
Hi Jacquie,
Thanks so much for stopping by! Oh gosh, I can absolutely relate. I NEVER thought I would be able to do push ups! To be honest, I was able to start straight off with the BBG because I had been doing the insanity workouts for about 2 months beforehand, which really helped me improve my push ups and arm strength.
I would honestly recommend focusing on building your arm strength first before attempting the rest. The amount of push ups you do only increases, and I would hate for you to feel discouraged while you did the BBG. Perhaps you could give yourself a solid 2-4 weeks where you tried to build up the amount of push ups you can do to at least 15 in a row, by practicing them a little bit everyday?
Hope this helps, and do not give up!
Alice xx
Hi,
I recently bought her guide, but I am so confused on how to use it!
Please help 🙂
Hi,
I’m wondering if you used only her fitness book or did you also purchase the book on eating healthy? If you did buy the book on healthy foods, how closely did you follow it?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Sara,
Please refer to my posts on my experience with Kayla Itsines BBG – round 2. I am doing the BBG again and following the HELP guide very closely this time round.
Here are my new posts on the BBG and the HELP guide:
Round 2 – Week 1
Round 2 – Week 2
Round 2 – Week 3
Round 2 – Week 4
Round 2 – Week 5
Round 2 – Week 6
Thank you for visiting and please come back soon 🙂 x
Hiii ; am wissem am 17 years old , iam so freaking fat n i hate my body i wanna have extra resultats in a less time so what can i do , am lost i don’t know how to start , am just done trying i can’t lose wheight , Helppppp 🙁 !
I am sorry Wissem 🙁 We need to start with making sure you get to a place of positive body image first … true fat loss takes a long time, so be patient and trust the process. I have lots of healthy meals on my blog and even a beginners workout circuit. If you need anymore detailed help or have any questions, please email me at honestlyfitness@live.com
Love your body! xx
Hi,
For weeks 5-8 is it important to have at least one rest day or is it possible to spread out the workouts into the full 7 days without any rest day?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Jer,
Yes, Kayla recommends at least one rest day per week no matter what week you are in. It is essential to let your muscles recover so you do not get injured or hinder your progress.
Thanks for stopping by x
Hi
I was just wondering do you thin my results would be effected if I just did the arm workout due to knee/ankle problems but do a double arm workout? Thanks
Hey everybody!
I’ve not only started the BBG challenge but I’m up to Week 9!!! It’s been an absolute struggle and although I haven’t seen THAT much change in my body, it’s been a heck of a challenge on my sanity. I feel like I need to express my feelings somewhere or to someone so… a couple things I wanted to rant/talk about:
1. That “I-FEEL-LIKE-DYING-WOULD-BE-EASIER” feeling always comes around on my first 7 minutes of the workout. It’s the worst emotion because I feel like everything’s too hard and my body is just 20x heavier than it actually is. Any people becoming discouraged reading this: DON’T BE BECAUSE
2. That “OMG-I-FINALLY-DID-IT-LET’S-DO-IT-AGAIN!” feeling comes around at the end of the last 7 minutes and boy oh boy, it’s like your on top of the world!!! Best feeling ever my friends!
3. I DON’T HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT LET ALONE A GYM MEMBERSHIP struggle. I honestly can’t afford to buy equipment or a gym membership on top of the billion other things I’m begging my parents to buy me. And I guess I just wanted to say that instead of using equipment I use anything I can find. Heavy books, encyclopaedias, random objects.
4. IT’S SO WORTH IT!
To any of you guys considering buying it, I can only agree with Honestly Fitness! This BBG challenge may not have quite given me my desired slim/fit body like the transformation photos on the website but my physical ability and resilience has increased PLENTY! Good luck to any beginners! My best advice is that the feeling of giving up and tossing your $90 in the bin may only last for a second but the body, the mind, the feeling of accomplishment last for a lot longer.
Can I do the BBG if I am already fit? Like I am not overweight or something and I do a lot of sports… I lift 3x a week and i’m looking for something new. Would you recommend it? Thanks:)
I definitely would, Alex. I think it will be a great and new challenge for you 🙂
Alice x
I will give it a try then. Thanks a lot! x
In the guide I see that the number of calories per day is about 1600. Kayla says this is about right for women 55kg and over. What about if you are under 55kg and looking to lose a couple of kilos? Do you think 1600 is too much? I have to say it has been easy to stick to the eating plan as there is plenty of food!
I think you might have to do a bit of trial and error here. If you stick to the plan but are losing a safe amount of weight then I see no reason why you would need to eat any less. However, if you are finding that you are gaining weight you could perhaps eat a little bit less – maybe 1 less servings of carbohydrates, dairy or etc.
Hope this helps!
Alice x
Hi there! This is such a helpful forum! I am on week one day one of the BBG – having finally found some motivation 3 weeks post purchase. Quick questions, how do we know what size weights we should use?
Hi Christina, the weight sizes are listed above the equipment graphics 🙂 Good luck with BBG xx
Hi Alice! Great review. I finally started following Kayla after you mentioned her on my blog, and check out all her IG posts. She’s so cool! I love a workout program that people can reasonably do at home (well with a bit of stuff), and it’s so great you’re going to continue with the next version. Does she ever offer nutritional advice?
Hey Ashley!
I am glad you liked it, and that you have become a fan of Kayla’s. She is definitely a huge fitness inspiration for me!
I’ve been facing a few setbacks with completing the program (being ill, injuries and etc) so I am hoping to start her next guide in the New Year. Thank you for the support 🙂
And yes, she actually has a nutritional guide that can be purchased at her website. I have to say that at first I was skeptical about it, but have found I actually really like it and have seen better results since I started following her nutritional guide. She does have a blog as well where she offers great nutritional advice.
I have heard from others that her workout style is quite similar to BodyAttack, which I know is something you teach!
Hi I was wondering how many days a week the BBG requires exercising?
Hi Elizabeth,
Please look through the comments – I have answered this question several times 🙂 xx
Hi Alice!
Excellent review of the guide as a whole. I just purchased and did the first work out today. Phew, it was wonderfully challenging and you feel great afterwards! However, I did have a question about the nutrition guide. As it explains, the calorie intakes are around 1600 calories a day. Because I don’t really have much fat to lose (121 lbs, 5’6″ and on the verge of underweight according to BMI)and am focusing more on muscle strength and toning, I’m afraid to keep my intake this low. I was wondering if you had a macronutrient percentage breakdown that could be followed for someone consuming more calories to maintain weight but promote fat loss? Thank you for your help!
Best,
Alyssa
Hi Alyssa,
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It really is hard, isn’t it?! In terms of nutrition, I can definitely understand your concerns. I have seen this question answered by Kayla a few times and honestly she just recommends sticking to the plan. However, I do know that Natalie (her instagram name is 0403natalie) eats more than the guide suggests because she was afraid of losing too much. I would recommend taking a look at her account as she posts what she eats; she seems to have added a few more protein servings on. Unfortunately I do not have a macronutrient percentage breakdown. If anything, I would just add on one or two more servings of fat and/or protein a day to help maintain your weight but promote fat loss.
Hope this helps!
Alice xx
Thanks for your reply Alice 🙂 I will definitely take a look at Natalie and see if I can incorporate some of her ideas into my plan!
Best,
Alyssa
Alice,
I’d really like to try Kayla’s guide, but my mom thinks it could be a bit of a scam, she says she’s seen so many products like this that only show you the positive testimonies and pictures of fantastic results. I really think it looks legit. After reading your review and chain of questions/comments, I am even more interested. Really I’m wondering if you use the HELP guide, and if so, what kind of meals/foods are used. We can’t afford to just go buy all sorts of things, but if they’re in season, and more everyday healthy options, I’m sure my whole family would be interested in implementing her nutrition guide into our life. I live in WA state in the US. So it’s winter. Can you give me examples of foods being used in the meals? Thanks!
Allison
Hi Allison,
I can definitely understand your mother’s concern, but rest assured it is not a scam. The workouts are fantastic (and hard) and her HELP guide provides a good overview of nutrition and a 7 day meal plan (although I think the new updated version now has 2 weeks worth of meals?).
I do use the HELP guide. At first I thought it was a little bit simplistic but after using it together with Kayla’s BBTG, it really helped accelerate my results. I actually just made a new post called ‘Meal Planning for The Kayla Movement‘ which you can check out to give you an idea of the meals and food used in her guide. They are not fancy and expensive at all, and you can adjust it according to the seasons (for example, I have been buying lots of zucchini at the moment since they’re in season).
Hope this helps!
Alice xx
I found Kayla on Instagram a few months ago and really enjoy her photos and the amazing body transformations…however, I am about to turn 51 and not sure if this course would be right for someone my age. I am pretty active and am looking for something I have not tried. I read about you being 32, but do you think you could do it at 51?
Hi Tracey! I think that Kayla’s workouts are appropriate for a range of age groups; however, her workouts are quite stressful on the joints (lots of jumping and push ups) so I would only steer clear of her workouts if you have any concerns in that area. However, that being said, her workouts can be modified so that you can perform them at a low impact but the results would differ then.
And no, I am only 22, not 32!
Alice xx
Actually u have to pay $69 to download to full bikini body 12 weeks challenge x
Hi!
I just got the guide and I am SUPER confused about how the whole 7 minute thing and the week thing works.
Could you explain? 🙂
Hey Ally,
If you scroll down the comments (I know there are so many!!!) I have definitely answered this a few times. Otherwise check out Kayla’s FAQ section on her website http://www.kaylaitsine.com 🙂
I am so glad I found your blog I love how thorough everything is! I started week one this week and because I work night shift I know I won’t be able to do split work outs (LISS in am and resistance in PM). Do you think it’s ok to just do LISS right before resistance training?
Hi Julia! I literally just answered this question, so please scroll down through the comments. If you genuinely can’t split them then just do them together; it is better than nothing xx
Hey i was just wondering if the bbg would be good for me? Im 15 and i play soccer seriously and train twice a week and then have a game another day. Would the bbg make me too tired to perform my best and would it be right for me? Also, i know the bbg aims for a fit and toned body shape, but will it make me a lot more fit for example long distance running ect?
Hi, if the eating plan consists of 1600 calories then how what foods should I cut from it to consume 1300? Thanks!
Hi, Kayla’s HELP guide does not focus on calories; the focus is on serving sizes. I would recommend just sticking to the HELP guide but if you are noticing adverse side effects, then I would consider eating less of a food group (example, less fruit).
Hi there, I started Monday and i find that i have no upper body strength, i ended up doing the push-ups on my knees, will i get better as i go along?
Also im really wanting to get the tops of my legs into shape they are the biggest part of me so can you suggest any good ideas on whats the best workout for this area?
Thanks very much.
PS im 30 in 5 months so want to look the best ive ever looked 🙂
Hey Joanne,
You 100% will get better as you go along! You should’ve seen me when I first started BBG; I could already do full pushups because I had been doing the Insanity workout beforehand but they were much much weaker. Just be consistent and remember to push yourself and your arms will slowly get stronger.
Ah, the tops of the legs … also my greatest enemy lol. Honestly, they should slim out while you do the BBG workouts as long as you are watching what you eat. Pilates and fast walking are also great for working out that area. Just remember that you can’t spot reduce; the fat will come off only with a combination of the right exercises, proper nutrition and healthy stress and sleep levels.
Good luck! I am confident you will look amazing come your 30th birthday 🙂
Hi Alice
If I wasn’t inspired by Kayla’s instagram, I am certainly inspired by both your commitment to the program as well as blogging your honest thoughts, results, tips and ideas.
I am interested in the BBG (really, I have to do something to improve my physical health), but have a few reservations I was hoping you might give me your thoughts on.
Firstly, my age – 45. And my current state of fitness – 0. Thankfully, no joint injuries to speak of.
Second. Boobs. BIG. G-cup. & a short torso (5 foot in total) – so finding a sports bra is hard enough for papayas this big, but finding one where the wires don’t extend right up inside my armpits & create nerve tingling in my fingers (even before you’ve started exercising & boob slamming bouncy moves) – harder. I’ve looked in stores here (Australia), online here, online overseas – UK, Europe & US and the ones I’ve thought looked the best I purchased … still the wires are too high. High intensity jumping moves NEED support. This problem has me really stumped.
Thirdly, my stomach, nutrition & again with the bouncing moves (& bending over moves – such as burpees) & the effect on my chronic acid reflux. My current diet is reasonably good, as I’ve had to make many changes & improvements to combat (or at least minimise) the effect of acid on my oesophagus (I hope you never have to know too much about it, but continual exposure to stomach acid on oesophagus tissue can cause pre-cancerous conditions, so you can understand I want to avoid it as much as possible). While I’ve been for multiple tests in the last few years, seen GPs, gastroenterologists, dieticians, etc., as well as weaned myself off the medications they gave me (anything that cuts your stomach acid to zero, can’t be good … YOU NEED IT! – hence my want to manage the acid issue with good nutrition) they can’t find anything physically wrong. They simply say ‘here, take these tablets, follow the traditional food pyramid & lose some stomach weight’. Of course, losing some stomach weight would be IDEAL, seeing as I am sure that contributes to pressure on the valve that sits between the food pipe & the actual stomach. So I find myself looking into Kayla’s program 😉
Certain foods trigger the acid rise – wheat, tomato, garlic, too much onion, too much oil, caffeine, to name but a few things … but sadly, sometimes even too much water. But, I think think that with the changes I’ve made in my diet from where it used to be, I could adapt her nutrition guide to suit. However … bending over, lots of jumping, even riding a bike (up & down knees pushing stomach around … I make myself sound hugely overweight, but I really only have an issue on my tummy … boobs have always just been large no matter my size) cause acid reflux so bad that I’m either in tears or I actually get sick.
How much of the workout/s actually require lots of jumping up and down? By your feel, how much modification to her workout do you think is possible before it would become ineffective?
I’d be appreciative of thoughts from someone who has experienced the program first hand, and doesn’t have anything to gain or lose by giving her opinion. Apologies for the length of my comment, hopefully you didn’t faint before reaching the bottom 😉
Much thanks in advance, Cate
Hi Cate!
Your food related questions regarding your chronic acid reflux should definitely be asked to a health specialist or a registered dietitian to receive the most accurate information. Unfortunately, I am not informed enough to offer any good, concrete advice :/ I am sorry I cannot be of much help in that area!
What I can answer however are your questions regarding Kayla’s guides, your age, state of fitness and sports bra problem! Okay so I do not see a problem with you doing the guide regardless of being 45. There are quite a lot of older women and mum’s out there doing the guide. And not having any joint injuries is a big plus! Having correct form throughout your exercises will certainly help you avoid getting any future joint problems.
Kayla’s updated BBG guide now has a pre-training section which gives you a month’s worth of exercises in order to build up both your fitness level and your strength so you are able to do the BBG at your full capacity. This should definitely whip you into shape, but I can certainly recommend some online workouts if you feel like you would like to focus more on building up your cardiovascular levels and etc.
In terms of sports bras … luckily I haven’t had much jiggling problems before because my boobs are relatively small lol. However, I have been told by women with bigger boobs that the Victoria’s Secret sport’s bras do a surprisingly good job of eliminating jiggle. I can also ask next time I post on Instagram and see what others with large boobs suggest. The BBG does require a fair amount of jumping in all fairness but I know of plenty of people who have modified the moves for various reasons and have still seen good results. Maybe not quite as dramatic as some of the transformations Kayla posts but they all become fitter and stronger as a result. Any exercise is better than non!
I am so sorry to hear how badly your acid reflux affects you 🙁 I really wish I could help more or that someone who visits my blog can help.
And no worries about the length at all! If even one shred of my reply helps you then I will be so happy 🙂
Alice xxx
hello!
I was wondering if you are supposed to complete the circuits twice for each day?
Twice for each workout! So 28 minutes of working out altogether. Do not split up the workouts, do it all at once 🙂 xx
I was hoping to get help here! I just purchased the Kayla Itsines BBG bundle, received the email to download the ebook, I hit download all and nothing happened. I then clicked it again a few times and now it tells me I’ve reached my downloading limit but I don’t even have the ebook downloaded onto my iPhone. I don’t know what to do I really need help
Hi Stephanie! I recommend emailing her sales team asap. Their email is sales@kaylaitsines.com.au
Just explain what happened and attach a copy of your invoice/receipt. Hope you get your guide soon xx
hi!
I was hoping to get some answers here! 🙂 hopefully you can help me.. My question is,do you know if Kayla permits/recommends doing liss and hiit on the same day and one followed by the other? or would it be beter to do one in the morning and one at night? i really like to get over with it at the same time though.. thankyou!!
I’m now week 2 but I didn’t follow the meal plan. I only make my own similiar healthy plan around 1200-1500 calories.
However I am afraid that I cannot reach the goal. Since I have been remain an under-800-calorie diet for a long time, but now I feel like I’m gaining weight instead of getting lean.
I just wonder is it normal for gaining weights at the starter of training guide?
Hey Angela,
How tall are you? A 1,200-1,500 calorie a day meal plan is still quite low for someone who is active (as I assume you are since you are doing the BBTG). Unfortunately, this sounds like a question for a doctor or a registered dietitian to answer for you. It sounds as if you should be concentrating on getting in high quality foods and restoring your metabolism as opposed to worrying about how many calories you are consuming.
Sorry to not have been of more help xx
Hi- I just started the guides and am amazed by how hard they are for me. I mean HARD.
I am 40 years old and I exercise 5 days a week. Soul cycle, run and hiking. I realized I needed to do more cross training and boy was I right! I keep a very clean diet of real food- gluten & dairy free, etc. Even though cardio fit clearly very poor ab and arm strength. I have started the pre-workout routine and even struggling with that. Any tips? Recommendations? How do women who have just had a baby or never worked out just jump into this guide. Thanks.
Hie… I m 19 year old.. I have been trying to lose weight from couple of months.. Nothing is helping.. Ll this guide help me lose weight n tone my body?
Hi Guna, it can’t hurt to give it a try. It’s helped many girls (including myself) to lose weight and tone up. I recommend following the HELP eating guide if you do the workouts for best results xx
Hi! I was just curious, I often switch between phone, tablet, and laptop, once I purchase the guide can I access it from all three?
Hey Alice!
I’ve been following Kayla on Instagram and reading reviews about her guide, and I really would like to start it, but I do have a question before I begin. I’ve read before that doing ab exercises when you’re stomach isn’t completely flat will not give you abs until you get rid of the excess fat, and I’ve noticed in a lot of progress pictures girls have gained abs from her guide. I myself, am 5’1 and 123lbs, not overweight by any means, but I do have a little lower stubborn belly fat that i would like to get rid of. Do her workouts flatten your stomach and then give you abs in the process? I really would like to know before I invest and begin in the guide. Thank you in advance!
Hey Jessica!
Working on your abdominals will build and strengthen the muscle. However, the ab muscles won’t ‘reveal’ themselves until you reduce your overall body fat.
Kayla’s workouts are structured to burn fat and to strengthen muscles at the same time, which is how some of the girls have gotten abs. However, bear in mind that all the exercise in the world won’t reduce fat if your diet isn’t in shape as well! Many of the most successful girls on Kayla’s plans do the workouts and follow the HELP guide/eat very well. I noticed the most results when I started following both guides (have lost 9 pounds so far, yippee!).
Hope this helps your decision to invest in the guide. You know my feelings: I love it!!!
Alice x
Wonderful progress!
Hi, I live in Bali and am wondering how accessible all of this is out here. I don’t have access to equipment (maybe a medicine ball) and am a bit limited to foods. Are there recommended substitutes for equipment? What types of foods are in the nutrition guide? And how much space do you need? Has anybody done this in Bali? Thx. 🙂
Hey Kait,
Kayla has a FAQ on substitutes for equipment on her website (http://bit.ly/1MBaTOg). Also, a friend of mine who is on Instagram lives in Bali and has been doing the guides. Her Instagram name is @balibodyjourney so please feel free to contact her as she will be a great resource for you!
Alice x
Hey!
This review was super helpful! I just bought the BBG but I’m a bit confused on when and how the cardio works in? I know you do the workouts 3 times a week, but how do you know when to do the HIIT or the LISS and how much?
Yay, I am glad it was helpful! The guide tells you the amount of cardio to do on p.17 and what type of cardio to do on p. 14. The amount of cardio you do changes every 4 weeks, and HIIT cardio (such as sprints etc, I explain what HIIT is here) is added into the last 4 weeks of the guide.
Hope this helps 🙂 xx
I bought the guide about a week ago and did my first week (week 1). I was about to start week 2 today but it happens the file expired because I made it to the limits of times I can open the file. I contacted them and they say they might help me in 2-5 days. I’m wondering of you’d know anything about it because I’m scared I’ll have to pay it all again!! And what should I do this week considering the facts I don’t have my workouts? Any suggestion?
Thank you
Camille xxxx
Oh no, I am sorry to hear that, Camille! Did you get a copy of your order/invoice emailed to you? As long as you have that, you will NOT have to pay again because that is evidence that you did buy the guide.
Perhaps this week you could do her free week of workouts in preparation before you get the file emailed to you? Do you have a gym where you could do workouts? If so I can email you links for some good workouts to do at the gym. Otherwise at home, you can go to Youtube and search for something like ‘at home plyometric workout’!
Hope this helps you,
Alice xxx
hey christina, i’m from Peru and i’ve been wanting to buy the BBG from Kayla. I was wondering if you followed her eating plan as well or you followed one from your own.
Thank u so much for posting this, i’m your follower on instagram now!
xoxo
Christina? My name is Alice 😉
I have always wanted to go to Peru, how lucky you live there! I do follow her eating plan guidelines, but not necessarily the meal plan. I like to be flexible so I eat according to the amount of food servings she recommends.
What is your IG name? Thank you so much for following me there, I really appreciate it xxx
hi 🙂
i’m wondering how many medicine ball are needed for bbg exercise ? just one?
Hi! Just one medicine ball is needed.
Alice x
Do you know if there is two websites where you can buy the guide, because i`m scared that one of them is fake?
Hi Sille!
Kayla’s website used to be kaylaitsines.com.au but moved to kaylaitsines.com.
I recommend buying them from her new website, just in case. If you click on the banner on the right hand side of my website, it will take you directly to the correct website!
Alice x
Hi to all- i loved going through and reading through everyones comments. I have a question! I started Kaylas BBGs 7 weeks ago and did it consistently for a good 5 weeks. I was feeling great, but a lot happened that kept me out of the gym for the last two weeks (weeks 6 and 7) so now here I am, behind, on week “8” if I had never stopped. Question is- should I go back and start from where I left off in week 6? Can in incooperate weeks 6 and 7 with week 8&9? Continue week 8 as it is? I really don’t know whats best!
I’m turning 17 next week and I’m on the fence about getting Kayla’s guide. Help me plzz!! I’m already skinny 119-121 lbs and 5’5, so I don’t want my legs to get skinnier like I’ve seen a lot of women experience. I want to tone my legs and get larger thighs. Not really muscly or anything like that. I have wide shoulders that look kind of manly so even though relatively large arm muscles look good on the other women with the bbg, it’s not going to look good on me. I also don’t know if the guide focuses on flutes enough. I really want to grow them like lisa morales( dream body). Thank you!
Hi Lorraine,
Such a breath of fresh air to hear from someone who isn’t looking to get skinnier legs! Kayla’s guide does not focus explicitly on flutes, but it definitely targets it through a combination of different exercises. I think her guide could definitely help you tone your legs and you can use heavier weights since your goal is to get bigger legs. I would also recommend looking up Jamie Eason as she has posted some great leg and butt workouts, to tone them and make them bigger.
And the BBG won’t make you get bigger arms 🙂
Alice x
When do I know to start HIIT and how many days a week/how long do I do it for in weeks 9-12?
Hi Nina,
This information is on page 17 of Kayla Itsines bikini body guide 🙂
Alice x
Hello!
I’ve been reading lots of great things about the BBG and I just cannot decide if I should buy it. I feel like it’s expensive and I want to make sure it really does work. Every time I see a new transformation on Kayla’s Instagram, I feel motivated and want to buy it. If these beautiful women can do it, then so can I right? I guess my biggest question is about the eating guide. I am a picky person. I’m afraid that I’ll get the bundle package and it will be a waste of money because I’m afraid that I won’t eat what she recommends! I am so torn! Please help! Thank you 🙂 If anyone else has tried the bundle, please let me know how you liked it! Your comments are very helpful and much appreciated 🙂 Thanks!
Kat
Hello Kat!
Ah, that is a hard one and I completely understand your dilemma! I have bought a few fitness guides before and felt like such a sucker for buying them because they were awful. I know Kayla offers a free week of workouts, so you can at least use that for a few weeks and see how your body responds to it.
What foods do you dislike? I find that Kayla’s guide is very flexible. I don’t really follow the meal plan anymore as I just pick and choose foods that fit into the serving sizes she recommends.
Feel free to email me at honestlyfitness@live.com if you have more questions 🙂
Alice x
Sorry, i’m a bit lost with the ebook. So, when it says weeks 1-3 that means I have to do those circuits for three weeks (legs/arms/general body)? It does not say anything about cardio (just some worm un before to . Am I missing any part of the training way? I’ve just started today 🙂
Hi Cristina!
Nooo, I had this same problem at first!!! The circuits for weeks 1-3 should be done on the first week and the third week. Circuits for weeks 2-4 must be done on the second week and the fourth week. And so on and so forth. Does that make sense?
P.17 of the guides tells you how much cardio to do 🙂 Make sure to read the beginning portion very carefully or else you will miss important instructions and make silly mistakes like I did 😛
Best of luck with it,
Alice x
I think I answered my question about LISS and HIIT. I found the example chart that Kayla supplied. So, we do, do LISS and HIIT separately. One more question, how is the workout 28 minutes? There are two circuits and you perform each for 7 minutes, that’s a total of 14 minutes. Do we do each circuit twice? For example, circuit 1 for 7 minutes, circuit 2 for 7 minutes, then circuit 1 again for 7 minutes, and circuit 2 again for 7 minutes?
Hey Gabby,
Yes, exactly – you do LISS and HIIT separately! And the workout without any breaks is 28 minutes (but obviously you need to take breaks!). And yes, as you said, there are two circuits and you perform each for 7 minutes and then repeat that for a total of 28 minutes. After each circuit, remember to take a 30-90 second break.
Hope this answers all your questions 🙂
Alice x
Hi Alice!
Great review of the BBG, I just had a question regarding the training,
I really want to get started on the guide but I leave for holidays in 3 weeks for a month and most likely wont be able to keep up the training! do you think its worth getting it now and starting for 3 weeks or just start from week 1 again when i get back or if i did start the first 3 weeks then just continue on from week 4?
Thanks!
Harriette xx
Hi everybodyy! I started the guide but I have a doubt. Everywhere says that each circuit takes 7 min and repeating twice each one, you complete 30 minutes. I´m doing them in less time. Do I have to repeat them once to make the 30 min or its OK if it take me the half time?
Hello, I have started the BBG guide multiple times and never gotten through the first 4 weeks. I am finally ready to make my health a priority. Before I begin I would like to print my guide as I have seen many other Kayla followers do. Does anyone have tips on how to get this printed for the cheap? Where did you get your guide printed?
Many thanks
Hello Bryana,
I’m thrilled to hear you are ready to make your health a prority; well done! I printed mine at a place called Dragon Printing in San Francisco. I would recommend searching online to see if you have any local print companies that can do it for cheap. Otherwise, I’ve heard of girls printing it themselves and getting it bound at staples, OfficeMax and etc.
I also only printed out the relevant pages needed. I did NOT print out the whole books, and that saved me lots of money.
Hope this helps you,
Alice x
Hey! i havent looked through the comments but i was wondering what do you do once the 12 week guide is over i have heard u start all over again but i dont see how that would work as you are building up exercise the slowing right back down. So i was just wondering what i should do after the 12 weeks to continue seeing results xxxx
Hey, so you can move onto Kayla’s BBG 2.0 workout for more of a challenge. Also, don’t underestimate BBG 1.0! It is honestly just as hard the 2nd time around. Plus, you can do things such as increase your weights and shorten your resting times to ensure you are still challenging yourself and seeing results.
Hope that helps 🙂 x
Hi,
I’ve been contemplating doing this since I’ve noticed my body changing (in a bad way) and I can’t make my usual workouts all the time due to a new 830-5 job. I think I can commit to stick to the workouts in this though.
However, how necessary is extremely clean eating or following her nutritional guide? I don’t eat terribly, but I’m not crazy healthy or eat 110% clean either. Just wondering from your experience how you tended to eat while you did this. Thanks!
Hi Mary,
I think you can definitely commit to your workouts, and it’s much easier to do with BBG since they’re only 28+ minutes long (depending on how many rest stops you take). I have an 8:30am-5pm job as well and have to wake up at 6am to fit in my workouts.
In terms of nutrition, it really varies from person to person so there isn’t a clear cut answer. Some women have seen tremendous change without changing their diet much, whereas others have to be relatively strict about it to see results (like me haha). I would recommend experimenting; maybe just doing the workouts for a month, eating extremely clean for a month, etc etc. I have noticed that a lower carb, higher fat and protein diet works best for me.
Hope this helps you 🙂
Alice x
Hiya! I have a quick question- I just started doing BBG 1.0, but have to start at the pre-workouts because I am super out of shape.
I did the 2nd workout today (Abs & Arms) and I’ve been told to do as many reps as I can without losing form. But some of the ab exercises (toe taps and straight leg sit-ups) I can do literally one of before losing form. I’ve tried my absolute hardest, but I would only be able to do maybe two before having to move on to the next exercise.
My question is, do you think it would be better to swap out the exercises I can’t do for slightly simpler ones to build up strength and then switch to the ones in her guides, or just do the ones in her guides, but definitely not as many reps as she suggests?
Hi Maria!
Hmm, good question – I would suggest doing the simpler and more modified exercises to build up strength and as the weeks go on, try and incorporate Kayla’s exercises back into it. It’ll be frustrating at first but you will get stronger, and probably more quickly than you think!
Hope this helps,
Alice x
Hi Alice,
I have a question – which you may or may not be able to answer, but I would love your feedback regardless. I just completed BBG week 6 and was about to start week 7 today. Yesterday I pulled my hamstring while playing touch football :(. I am wondering if I should take the week off and resume next week at week 7, skip week 7 and restart where I should technically be the following week (week 8), or start completely over. I hate not doing things to completion! I feel guilty taking this week to rest but I physically cannot do the movements. What are your thoughts? Thank you!!
Best, Hannah
Hi Hannah,
Ouch – sorry to hear that you pulled your hamstring during touch football 🙁 As annoying as it might be to have to miss this week, I think it would definitely be best for you to rest this week, foam roll and do what you can to recover, and then just do week 7 next week. I know how frustrating it is to not be in sync with others who are doing it but I would not encourage you to just go into week 8.
Don’t feel guilty! You are doing the right thing by resting and not injuring yourself further.
Hope this helps you decide what to do and get better soon 🙂
Alice x
Hello
just wondering, does the BBG help you lose weight, build muscle, or Just tone ?
because im looking into decreasing some fat ( thats mostly in my stomach area ) and gaining muscle 🙂
Hi Noura,
It helps you tone up and lose fat. You will gain a bit of muscle but it does not use heavy enough weights to help you build tons of muscle.
I think it’ll help you achieve your goals as long as you are eating an appropriate diet.
Hope that helps!
Alice x
Hey Alice, I think you can help me. I really want to start with BBG, I bought it but i dont understand how it works. On week 1, first day what should i do?
For example: Legs and cardio: ALL the circuit one or only one exercise from the circuit one during 7 minutes and then from “arms & abs” ?
Im a little bit lost, i really want to know how it works if you can detail me how a complete day would be.
Thank you!
Priscila
(Sorry if my english is not so good)
Hi Priscila,
Your english is fine and I understood you, do not worry! The BBG gives you a schedule of what to follow (I think it is page 20). An example day would be this: you choose a resistance workout (like legs and cardio) – you do all the exercises in circuit 1 and keep repeating until 7 minutes are complete. You then move on to circuit 2 and you do all the exercises in ciruit 2 and keep repeating until 7 minutes are up. Repeat this for circuit 1 and circuit 2 and remember to have a 1 minute or 1 minute 30 second rest in between each circuit. Does this make sense?
Alice x
Hi Alice,
First of all, thank you for responding to my last comment! I’m happy to say my hamstring is almost totally better and I am finishing up week 10. I have a question about restarting the guide once I finish! When you restart do you go back to doing all recommended exercises for 1-4 for example 2-3 LISS and 2-3 resistance? Or do you stay where week 12 is and do 1-2 HIIT, 2-3 LISS and 3 resistance and just use the circuit workouts for week 1, 2, 3 etc. I hope my question is clear – it’s hard to explain here. Thanks in advance for your reply 🙂
Best,
Hannah x
Hey Hannah,
It’s my pleasure – I get genuinely excited to get comments haha! I’m so happy you recovered and well done on almost finishing BBG! Once you finish you can structure it however you want – I did follow all the recommend LISS and resistance and LISS my 2nd time around but did not my 3rd time around. I also tried out BBG 2.0 for a bit as well which I really enjoyed but it honestly got too difficult for me lol. I also know some girls who just repeated weeks 9-12 for a couple of weeks, and girls who re-did the whole BBG and did all the resistance workouts but did HIIT throughout the 12 weeks.
It is truly up to you and they are all good options 🙂
Alice xxx
hi there! i started the bbg programm yesterday and i can’t understand the LISS and HIIT day yet, even i read it over and over again..
should i do the power walk for 35-40min or running for 15 min (30 sec running 30 sec power walking)? could i jog too?for how long?
thank you very much for your questions-answers 🙂
Hi Alena!
You only do HIIT in the last 4 weeks. The amount of LISS you do changes every 4 weeks. For LISS, you power walk at 4.0mph for 35-45 minutes and HIIT, you sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and repeat that for 15 minutes. No jogging!
Hope this helps you out – let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Alice x
Hi, I have been doing the bbg for a while now. A few months ago I experienced popping sounds at my hips especially when doing ab exercises like straight/bent leg sit ups or straight leg raises. My right hip would have to “unlock” before both legs could come down causing the popping sound. The popping got worse everytime and it would cause my inner thigh bone area to hurt due to constant friction between the joints which I think might have caused some inflammation. I used to love doing the ab exercises but I can’t seem to anymore without feeling soreness and pain at my inner thigh which I suppose is connected to the hips? I’ve seen a doctor about the pain and he did tell me to stop and that I wasn’t doing the exercises right. He said that for women, having both legs up in ab exercises are not good because we have shorter and tauter muscles around the hips than men and we must only raise one leg at a time. But I feel that that won’t have the same impact and burn on the abs as having both legs going up and down.
Sorry this has been a long post. I just need some clarification and some help as after consuming the doctor’s prescription of joint supplements for 2 months while pausing my workouts, I got back to working out only to find out that I still have not been healed.
Really troubled and hope you can help me out! Thanks!
It’s great to see a positive review of Kayla’s program! We at WorkoutLabs are working with Kayla to promote her program and have a 10% discount if you’d like to share it with your readers: http://workoutlabs.com/kayla-itsines-promo-code-review/
William,
Thanks, that’s so kind of you! I’m sure my readers will greatly appreciate it 🙂
Alice
Hi! I chanced upon your website when I was searching for kayla BBG review because I don’t understand the guide…. So for week 1 – 3, we just follow the weekly routine (do monday’s circuits on mondays and so on and so forth)? But how many sets per circuit? What does it mean by “circuit” too?? I saw that there’s HIIT and some others which makes me even more confusing haha. Hope that you get what I mean!! Thank you in advance too babe! 🙂
I’ve loved and hated the Bikini Body Guide in so many ways. On the one hand – it makes you work HARD. I remember I would look at an exercise (like commandos) and think “that one looks fun”. To my dismay, they were not fun. They were terrible!
Ive temporarily given up on the Guide after a few weeks of very busy comings and going and not being home near my gym, but I’m planning on restarting very soon! In the mean time, I’ve been maintaining my cardio and working on cleaning up my eating habits before I restarting this process.
Thanks for the review, you’ve gotten me so excited to restart my journey!
I have a question.. I feel really stupid, but even though I have always been really active I never understood the terminology of the Athletic world. I don’t know if it’s just that I am over thinking things but I don’t understand the basic timing for the BBG Workouts. Do you repeat the workouts for 30min, or do each workout for 7 minutes? I am literally on BBG1 Week 1-3. Please help me out!
Thank you
Don’t feel stupid, it’s a valid question! So there’s 2 circuits, right? Do all the exercises for the first circuit and keep doing them until your timer goes off after 7 minutes. Do the same with the next circuit. Repeat the 2 circuits one more time. And remember to rest in between the circuits!
Does that help?
Alice xx
Yes, that is a lot more clear. 🙂 Thank you. I’m sure I will have more questions. So glad you can help!
Ask anytime you have a question – more than happy to help 🙂