LIIFT4 - Week One Review

 LIIFT4 is a weight training program from Joel Freeman on Beachbody On Demand.  For additional product information, please follow my affiliate LINK.  If you have any questions or would like more information, just let me know.  I'm happy to help!

First, let's clarify the spelling on LIIFT4.  It's a lifting program, but it has delicious nuggets of HIIT (high intensity interval training) mixed in to the workouts - so that's why the word "lift" is spelled with two "i's".  Clever, huh?

This is an 8-week program with four workouts per week.  The workouts are approximately 35 minutes in length.  The only equipment required is just three sets of dumbbells - light, medium and heavy.  If you are just starting out, I recommend 5, 8 and 12 pound weights.  

This program is listed as an intermediate program, but the instructor does a good job of queuing form and there is a modifier demonstrating less impactful moves.  I feel this is a very good program for a beginner, especially taking in consideration the duration of the workouts and the three rest days per week.  Additionally, there is a week of workouts titled "B4 LIIFT4" to prep you for the workouts.

This is a "real time" program, which means you get 32 different workouts over the eight weeks. You won't be repeating any workouts! There is no music, but that doesn't really bother me.  If you wanted to play some of your own music in the background, it would work.  I get up at 4:30 - so all I want to do is put in the work, I don't really care about the music.  

The trainer doesn't chatter too much or get on his soap box about clean eating (like Autumn Calabrese), and I haven't noticed any annoying, repetitive mispronunciations of words (I see you Megan Davies - the word stretch is schtretch, lol).  The interactions with the cast are appropriate and what you would expect and not too familiar and inside jokie (again, I'm talking about you Autumn).

There are three types of workouts in the series:

50/50 - The first half is weight lifting, the other half HIIT training.

Circuit Training - Straight up, good old fashioned weight lifting sets.

Intervals - Three sets of weight lifting followed by a few minutes of HIIT.  Rinse and repeat.

There are also two recovery workouts that are about 10 minutes long - some stretching a foam rolling to get the blood moving again.

I really like these workouts!  They are straightforward, and the moves are basic.  Good old squats, shoulder press, biceps curls, etc.  No questionable combos with weird equipment to break your brain.  Just those old standbys that get results.

I am combining this program with a run training schedule.  I can hardly believe I'm saying that...When I started working out again in November of 2020, I got fatigued on a brisk 30 minute walk,  But I really gained some confidence during 30 Day Breakaway aaaand...I signed up for a 10k on June 12th.  

In some ways, I can't believe how far I've come in six months - my strength, flexibility, mobility and stamina are all light years beyond where I was.  In other ways, I get irritated about the lack of weight loss progress...10 pounds in six months is not what they show you on TV.  But, I think the stronger I get the harder I can work and the weight will eventually come off.  I feel great - and frankly the number on the scale wouldn't matter - except that I have health concerns that are directly effected to my body weight.

So, we will keep plugging away and chunking through these Beachbody On Demand programs.  I pay $10 per month to do all of these, so I think it's pretty worth it!  If you'd like to sign up for a free trial of BOD (as we call it) email me at mrs.ak.morton@gmail.com.  I do get a small commission if you sign up. Thanks!