LIIFT4 - Results

LIIFT4 is an intermediate weight lifting programs led by supertrainer Joel Friel.  For more product information, please follow my affiliate LINK.

LIIFT4 is listed as an intermediate program, but having done all 8 weeks, I can assure you that it is totally beginner friendly.  There is a modifier for each workout that takes the impact out of jumps for you and still lets you get a good workout.  First time lifting weight?  No problem.  Each exercise can be done without weights or using household items such as cans of food or water bottles.

I loved the four day per week format.  We had Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday OFF. 

I trained for and completed my first 10K in several years in week 5 of the program.  I ran on one of the program days and two of the off days and still had a 100% rest day each week.

When I started this program, I could only do a few pushups on my knees, but couldn't do full range of motion.  In the last week of the program, I could pump out as many as you wanted on my knees and even a few on my toes.  The upper body - chest and back - workouts are responsible for this change!  I was bench pressing 25lb dumb bells at the end.

I had a pretty good baseline going in to this program, having come off of #MBFA, and felt that the progression in moves and heaviness of weights was appropriate for me and also for a beginner.  This workout is your basic "sets of 10" weight training workout.  Good old standard moves like squats, shoulder press, chest press and upright rows and curls are performed with form cues and a variety of cast body type and age examples.

The cast and set were not offensive or overly chipper or chatty.  There's no music and Joel doesn't talk too much.  There's no annoying inside jokes or misogynistic banter.  There was a running joke about one guy taking his shirt off, but it was actually funny.  Joel is your basic "dude" guy - but what do you want from a weight lifting guy?

I am often too hard on the personality of the trainer and cast.  I workout super early in the morning and am easily annoyed.  One program that I did (9WCF) was SO annoying...the instructor got up on her soapbox about clean eating almost every day - and the modifier used every platitude in the book.  I wanted to slap them both!

I made progress in 8 weeks in terms of strength and endurance.  I recently took a BogaFit class and was really surprised at how strong my core has become.  I managed not to fall of that board the whole class!  At first I wasn't sure what I got myself in to - but by the end I was totally comfortable on the board.

I highly recommend LIIFT4 for all fitness levels, and especially if you are an endurance athlete looking to stay strong and injury free with strength training.