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Body Beast

Body Beast Workout Review: I Got Huge

February 14, 2018 - Updated November 26, 2018

Body Beast Workout ReviewIn 2012 at the age of 32 I finished my first round of Body Beast and its also when I wrote this review. Just about all of this still rings true in 2018.

Since 2014 I seem to gravitate to doing Body Beast workouts when I’m not doing a program. All of the workouts are less than an hour and I really like that.

What I also like is Body Beast is a complete program.

Stepping back in time to 2012 I can say Body Beast is one of the only Beachbody workouts I was looking forward to finishing. It’s not that it was any harder than the others but that it was much different.

You probably already know that Body Beast is a 90 day program with 12 workouts designed for those looking to bulk up and put on muscle. Sagi Kalev is the brains behind Body Beast and has been bodybuilding since 16 winning numerous awards including Mr. Israel.

What I like to do is post my before and after photos at the top with my thoughts below. Without further ado.

Day 1 photos on the left and day 138 on the right with my measurements below.

Body Beast Before After Front

Body Beast Before After Back

Body Beast Before After Side

Body Beast Before & After Measurements

Was the first thing you said “Man, that guy looks kind of fat.” Its cool. That’s what I said too. This is the biggest I’ve ever been in my life and to be honest I’m a little uncomfortable with how large I am.

And to take it a step further here is what I looked like going through the “Build”, “Bulk”, and “Beast” phases.

Body Beast Before Photo
Body Beast – Day 1
Body Beast Build Phase Results
Build Phase Results – Day 23
Body Beast Bulk Phase Results
Bulk Phase Results – Day 76
Body Beast Results
Beast Phase Results – Day 138

I probably should have stopped at Day 50. I’ve already called myself fat but I prefer to say I look “full.”

While you can’t see a lot of definition in the last photo I can tell you that I am very pleased with my results. Body Beast did exactly what it said it was going to do. The amount of weight I can lift now is double if not triple of what it was when I started Body Beast.

Body Beast Workout Delivery
I Went All In

It should be known I finished my first round of the Ultimate Reset where I lost 16 pounds before starting Body Beast. If anything I was cleaned out and still had a good base from all the years of P90X and Insanity. I was just much skinnier than normal.

I did make one mistake during Body Beast. I was using the Body Beast supplements the entire time and Beachbody sent an email saying they told us the wrong portion to use with “Fuel Shot.”

Turns out they told us to use double the amount needed. With Fuel Shot being mostly carbs it’s the reason why I put on so much weight.

It took me 138 days to complete Body Beast. Missed 14 days to traveling. Took 8 extra recovery days from playing double-header softball games the night before or resting to play that night. Missed 10 days in a row to injury. Add in 10 lazy days and 6 days where I rode my mountain bike instead of doing Body Beast and you’ll get the 48 additional days. Only 10 non-active days in 4 months. Not too bad.

Somehow I put on 24 pounds doing the lean version of Body Beast. Flipped over the Body Beast calendar on my shelf from “Huge Beast” to “Lean Beast” and didn’t notice it until the last phase. Only difference between the two is you flip a week of the Bulk and Beast phase.

Was shocked when I saw 200 on the scale for the first time ever. Thinking all the mountain biking I did over the summer added to my waist going up to a 38. Thunda Thighs are in full effect.

Jeans started to not fit around day 65. Luckily I found a pair of baggy jeans (my fat pants) I haven’t worn in a while in my closet. They have also been the only jeans I’ve worn in the past month. Been pretty much wearing t-shirts and fat pants for the past two months. Going shopping is out of the question as I plan to drop some of this weight asap.

Chest, shoulders, and arms are much larger. Received comments from family, friends, my girlfriend, and my buddies wives about how good I look (with my shirt on). I guess the ladies like big arms, big shoulders, and a big chest. 🙂

Body Beast was the only program I did in those 138 days mixed in with softball, putting 220 miles on my mountain bike, and a couple small other outdoor activities which might have contributed to some of my results.

Did The Body Beast Supplements Make A Difference?

Definitely. I don’t see how I would be able to put on weight without the Body Beast supplements. Had to cut the portions in half the last 4 weeks as I was getting too big. The Max Creatine and Super Suma were probably the two that I noticed something from the most.

How Did You Do With The Meal Plan?

B+. My one gripe about Beachbody workouts is they don’t have a daily meal planner. The recipes are great but I’d like it to be planned out for us instead of saying here is a bunch of stuff to make. My calculations in the “Book of Beast” said I needed to eat 3071 calories per day which I’m pretty sure I came up short most of the time.

I’d make one of Sagi’s “Beast-O-Matic” mass gain shakes every other day which did help. Probably consumed 1k liquid calories a day between the Body Beast supplements and Shakeology.

I understand the goal of Body Beast is to get huge and you have to eat a lot of food to do it. However, this is probably the one Beachbody workout where you really need to follow the meal plan because of the lack of cardio. You don’t burn off the additional calories that you would with Insanity or P90X.

I don’t see how you can get six pack abs or definition unless you are following the meal plan 95% of the time. Yes – I would have a cheat meal or two every week and enjoy a couple of beers too. As long as I’m working out/being active 5 days a week and eating well 90ish% of the time then that’s all good with me.

What I Liked

Workouts were 30 – 50 minutes long. Less stress on the joints as there is almost no jumping/high impact moves like in P90X and Insanity. Body Beast is really just about building and bulking up major muscle groups by lifting heavy weights in a stationary position.

Been dealing with a knee injury for 7 years and this is the first time where I wasn’t beating up my knees jumping around. If anything my knee feels much stronger now as I gave all the joints in my body a time to rest while challenging my major muscle groups.

My numbers doubled if not tripled in weights lifted from when I started to when I finished. So much so that I started running out of weights to lift. Maxed out my dumbbells in the press moves by week 6.

I didn’t need to buy the EZ-Curl Bar and 95 pounds of plated weights but I did. At the beginning I might have 45 pounds to do deadlifts. At the end it was full.

EZ Curl Bar Assembled With Weights
I pick this up and put it down.

What I Didn’t Like

It’s hard to keep up with Sagi during the drop sets with the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells. You have to get up, go to the stand, set it in, turn the dial, pick your new weight and get back to the move. They are using a typical dumbbell rack and are able to move faster.

Ran into this a couple of times moving from the pull up bar to the dumbbells or the EZ-Curl Bar. I had everything I needed to do Body Beast but regular dumbbells might have been easier.

I’d have to pause the dvds at least 3 times every workout which added 5 minutes because of this. I also ran into an issue where my Body Beast dvds were skipping.

What About Flexibility, Stretching, Abs, And Cardio?

You do “Beast Cardio” once a week for 30 minutes. Barely broke a sweat in the beginning and could only do about 3/4 of it at the end of Body Beast due to me being 24 pounds heavier. Caught myself being winded doing normal things around the house. Used to be able to do 25 push ups with little effort. Now I get to 12 and I’m pretty much done.

Abs – What abs? You do the Beast Ab workout once a week after Beast Cardio. Its only 12 minutes long and moves slow. Never felt sore the next day from doing it.

Flexibility – There are no yoga or stretching workouts. Sagi does include 2 minutes of stretching in the warm up and cool down. I think a cinder block could beat me in a flexibility contest right now.

Would I Do Body Beast Again?

Absolutely. Body Beast would be an excellent program to do 30, 60, or all 90 days at a time. What I mean is you can do just the Build, Bulk, or Beast phase for 30 days at a time to switch things up. A hybrid with Insanity sounds like a winner for those who like cardio.

Next round of Body Beast for me will be done with a lot less supplements. There is no way I get over 200 pounds without taking them. A weight I should never be at.

Summary

The Body Beast workout did exactly what it said it was going to do. Get me huge. I didn’t think I could get this huge though. Was fun to focus on just lifting weights.

Started to hit hard line drives my last three weeks of softball. Was crushing my drives and approach shots the last two times I went golfing.

Breaking a sweat can be done in Body Beast if you keep up with Sagi. Getting it all done in less than an hour was a nice change of pace from P90X.

I completed another round in 2016 without taking any supplements while following a Paleo eating plan and I got way more ripped than in 2012. I didn’t track that round like this one nor take pictures as I feel like my original review did a good job of describing the program.

If you have any comments about Body Beast or just want to call me fat then feel free to do so below.

Body Beast Supplements Review

January 26, 2018 - Updated November 26, 2018

Body Beast Supplements ReviewIf you’re gonna do Body Beast then you will have to get the Body Beast supplements. Its mandatory. Sagi says so. It’s probably the only way you’ll be able to get the additional proteins and calories you need to get the best results possible.

(**The entire Body Beast supplement line has been discontinued and replaced with the Beachbody Performance line of supplements**)

Otherwise you might come up short and not have the fuel needed to blast through the workouts and GET BIG. Without going into what each of them in-depth I’ll just share with you a little bit about them.

I bought and used all four of the Body Beast supplements during my round of Body Beast. I even made a mistake and used too much of one. You will have to read my Body Beast review to learn more.

Body Beast Workout Supplements
Body Beast Workout Supplements

Technically they are not Body Beast supplements as they are branded with the Beachbody name. Lets be honest though, these supplements were designed for Body Beast and you only see them mentioned during and after each Body Beast workout. In no other Beachbody workouts are these even mentioned.

Hardcore Base Shake

18 grams of Whey Protein and 9 grams of maltodextrin + dextrose. Only has 130 calories. Quick and easy way to get amino acids into your body after a workout due to it being quickly absorbed. Can be used with the other Body Beast supplements in a shake, by its own, pre or post workout, and up to 2 doses a day. It says its flavorless but I say it tastes like a very light Vanilla. The Body Beast meal plan shows how to make some Beast-O-Matic shakes with the Hardcore Base Shake to help you get everything your body needs to get through Body Beast.

Beachbody Hardcore Base Shake
Beachbody Hardcore Base Shake

Fuel Shot

Fuel Shot works together with the Hardcore Base Shake. What Fuel Shot does is provide you with the right amount of carbs to blast through Body Beast. It also comes with lots of electrolytes that keep you hydrated and energy levels up. Another flavorless supplement that does taste a little like Vanilla. Is designed to be used right before or right after a workout. Can be mixed in with the Base Shake. Comes with 200 calories per serving. It’s recommended you have two scoops per day but its ok to have more.

Beachbody Fuel Shot
Beachbody Fuel Shot

Super Suma

Also known as Brazilian ginseng – its been used by indigenous people of the Amazon for generations as a cure-all. Was used in the 1970s by the Russians in the Olympics to give their athletes more muscle-building and endurance without the side effects of taking steroids. Super Suma is not steroids. This is all natural. It will help with strength, energy, rejuvenation, and other physical effects. Take two a day any time during the day. Preferably before a workout to help give you a little extra pump.

Beachbody Super Suma
Beachbody Super Suma

M.A.X Creatine

Designed to be used within 30 minutes of a Body Beast workout. Will help you crank out a couple extra reps. What it does is help your body supply the things your body needs to create more oxygen for your muscles to breathe. If you want to put on mass with Body Beast, then you need to be using creatine. Take two scoops a day preferably with the Hardcore Base Shake and Fuel Shot right after a workout.

Beachbody Max Creatine
Beachbody Max Creatine

You can buy all of the Body Beast Supplements separately for $130 total. It would be best to buy them with one of the Body Beast Challenge Packs as you get all of it at a considerable discount. Go to the Beachbody Store and click on the nutrition tab to buy them or to check out the ingredient list a little more. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions about the Body Beast supplements.

Download Body Beast Workout

December 11, 2012 - Updated March 23, 2020

Download Body Beast Workout

Beachbody On Demand is now a thing. You can stream Body Beast and every other Beachbody workout online whenever you want for $99 a year ($8.33 a month). This is what you want.

Beachbody does make you pay for it up front. If you are not happy with it within 30 days they will refund your money. They also offer a 6 month option for $60 or a free 14 day trial.

With your Beachbody On Demand membership you can download the files to your computer. At that time you will be given an encryption key from Beachbody to access the files. As long as you keep your account active you will be able to view the files.

I’m sure you’re probably looking for a way to download Body Beast for “really” free as this option isn’t truly free. I get that.

Before you hit the back button I’ll tell you right now there are torrent websites out there with the Body Beast workout available for download.

What you don’t get with the free download or torrent is the Body Beast workout calendar and the “Book Of Beast.” Its a 135 page book that contains a meal plan, info about the Body Beast supplements, and other stuff about getting huge. If I did not read it before starting Body Beast I would have been lost. Beachbody did throw us a bone and offered up some of the Body Beast stuff for free. Here is how you get it.

  • Create a free Beachbody account. After doing that you need to go to the Get Fit and Eat Smart tab. Download the Body Beast workout sheets for free. Then input your numbers into the calorie calculator to determine how many calories you need to eat for Body Beast.

You will find a workout tracker and tons of people on the message boards talking about Body Beast. Probably the best part of the free account is I will be your Beachbody Coach. What a deal! I’ve completed Body Beast and had great results.

I know what you’re getting yourself into and will be there to answer questions when you have them. I don’t work for Beachbody so please don’t think I’m going to report you to Beachbody if you do decide to download the Body Beast workout for free or its torrent.

Where Can You Buy The Body Beast Workout For Cheap?

July 25, 2012 - Updated November 26, 2018

Buy Body Beast Workout CheapYou have one way to save some money when buying the Body Beast workout for cheaper than the $39.90 retail price at the Beachbody Store.

And that is by signing up as a Beachbody Coach.

With a coach account you will be able to buy the Body Beast DVD’s for $29.93.

Coaches get a 25% discount on all Beachbody products. It does cost $40 to sign up and is $16 a month to keep the account. The benefits of the coach account add up when you buy Beachbody’s nutritional products.

The sign up fee can be waived if you buy the Body Beast Challenge Pack during the coach sign up process.

Body Beast WorkoutBody Beast Workout

12 Beast Like Workouts

$39.90

 

Body Beast Workout Beast StackBody Beast Ultimate Kit

12 Beast Workouts

4 Size Building Supplements – $150

 

Body Beast Workout Challenge PackBody Beast Challenge Pack    <—– Best Deal

12 Body Beast Workouts + Shakeology

 

 

Regardless of which one you choose you get the following:

All 7 Body Beast workout dvds and the bonus workout.

  • Beast Basics – A run through dvd of Body Beast.
  • Build – Chest & Triceps. Shoulders. Beast Abs. 3 Workouts on one DVD.
  • Build – Legs. Back & Biceps. 2 Workouts
  • Bulk – Chest. Back. Legs. 3 Workouts
  • Bulk – Shoulders. Arms. Beast Abs. 3 Workouts
  • Beast – Cardio. Abs. P90X Plyometrics Bonus. 3 Workouts
  • Beast – Total Body. Abs. 2 Workouts
  • Tempo – Bonus workout
  • The Book Of Beast – Nutritional guide, workout calendar, and workout guide. All in one book with everything about Body Beast.
Body Beast Workout DVDS
Body Beast Workouts
Book Of Beast
The Book Of Beast
Body Beast Workout Packaging
Body Beast Workout Packaging

Now you have to ask yourself why you want to be buying DVD’s in 2018. At $40 or $30 for the DVD’s those are both reasonable prices for an excellent workout program.

What I would suggest is signing up for Beachbody On Demand and using that account to view Body Beast online instead of buying the DVDs.

The coach discount is nice if you need to buy the equipment you need to do Body Beast or supplements to help you get better results.

What Equipment Do You Need For Body Beast?

July 20, 2012 - Updated November 26, 2018

What Equipment Do You Need For Body Beast

If you’ve committed to doing the Body Beast workout or are looking to see how much its gonna cost for all the equipment then I hope this helps you out.

The Body Beast workout is designed to do just one thing – get you big. Assume you will need some heavy equipment to build big muscles.

If you are serious about getting results with Body Beast then you will want to get all the equipment before you start. It will be a real pain in the butt if you only have some of the equipment.

Mandatory

  • Body Beast DVDs or Beachbody On Demand: All the workouts and The Book of Beast (aka workout and nutrition guide).
  • Dumbbells Or Resistance Bands: I’m a fan of the Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells but also use the Beachbody resistance bands.
  • Weight Bench Or Stability Ball: The stability ball will work but you’ll want a bench to sit on while lifting heavier weights.
  • Chin-Up Bar Or Resistance Band Door Attachment Kit: If you can’t do pull ups now then start out with the kit. It will help you build up strength so you can do them. You will eventually need the chin up bar.

Optional

  • EZ-Curl Bar: Yes, you can do Body Beast with just dumbbells but the EZ-Curl bar will let you do more complex moves. Sagi says you’ll have a better workout with the EZ-Curl.
  • Chin-Up Max: It clips onto the Chin-Up Bar and assists you in doing chin-ups.
  • Beachbody Jump Mat: Place it near your bench so you have a place to set down the weights without damaging your floor. Limits the pain on your knees when doing the cardio workouts.
  • P90X Push Up Stands: More depth and takes pressure off your wrists.
EZ Curl Bar & Weights
EZ Curl Bar & Weights
EZ Curl Bar Assembled With Weights
EZ Curl Bar Assembled With Weights

You can still get great results doing Body Beast by just using dumbbells or resistance bands and the pull up bar. Hopefully at some point during Body Beast you start packing on some muscle and start looking around for more weights to use. This is where the EZ-Curl Bar and weight plates come in.

I own all of the pieces of equipment above and used them during my round of Body Beast.

A number of those items can be bought at the Beachbody Store directly. If you’d like to save 25% on those items then I suggest signing up as a Beachbody Coach and adding those items during sign up.

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