I’m pretty much a total health-nut. I wake up at 6 am everyday and go to the gym, eat avocado toast like it’s going out of style, and am pretty much obsessed with Soul Cycle like any basic girl. As I often love to try new things to ~switch it up~ during my workouts, I decided to tackle to most popular workout of them all: Kayla Itsines’ BBG Program to answer the question: does BBG work?
What is BBG?
Kayla Itsines is an insanely famous Instagram workout guru. A few years ago, she came out with her “Bikini Body Guides,” or BBG for short, which is targeted towards women for them to become stronger and lean. The workouts are as follows:
-2 Circuits, with 4 moves each
-Each circuit goes for 7 minutes, for total of 28 minutes
-Each circuit targets arms and abs, legs, or full body, to be completed three days per week
-Low-Intensity-Steady-State (LISS) Workouts (such as walking or biking) to be completed the other three days per week
-A rest day once a week
Although the workouts started out with physical PDF guides, now they can be found on Kayla’s “Sweat with Kayla” app, that spells out exactly what you need to do daily. In addition to her workouts, Kayla also has a HELP (Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Plan) guide, that discusses nutrition in depth and even gives you daily meal plans.
Transformations with BBG
Sounds simple enough, right? So why exactly is everyone so obsessed with this program? The hype around Kayla’s BBG all started once she started to repost transformation photos on her Instagram. These transformations showcased how her BBG program helped hundreds of women shed some unwanted weight and instead gain tone, definition, and what we all want – great abs.
My Experience with BBG
I started BBG during my senior year of high school, and it’s safe to say that at that point it defined my life. I always went around telling people how hard legs were that day, because sure enough, my legs were so sore. But, I also fell in love with it – so much so that I not only did the first guide once, but twice, meaning I did BBG straight for six months.
However, I didn’t follow the program totally – already having a hectic school and dance schedule, I followed the workouts in a way that fit into my schedule (during the last month, you’re supposed to complete additional HIIT workouts that would make you work out twice a day). I also didn’t follow the HELP guide, because once I read through it I realized I already had a pretty healthy diet.
Does BBG Work? Yes & No
Yes, because the workouts truly made me stronger and more confident in my workout ability. I had started out with barely any strength to do a pushup, or the stamina to complete 20 jump lunges, and only three months later I was able to complete 20 pushups and 40 jump lunges with ease.
Kayla’s workouts shaped my perception of working out completely. I don’t have to run on the treadmill for hours in order to get in a good workout. Even two years later I still break up my workout routine with circuits three days a week, cardio three days a week, and rest one day a week. And thanks to Kayla, my burpee skills are on point.
But, BBG also didn’t work. Like most people who start her program, I expected to see my body change before my eyes. To my dismay, I didn’t get a six-pack or a perfect bubble-butt. Maybe this was because I didn’t also follow her eating plan, but I also felt that meticulously counting the amount of protein and carbs I got each day was too time-consuming and too restricting on my diet.
BBG also didn’t work in keeping me long-term. Although I did Kayla’s workouts for six months straight, I started to dread doing them because they became so hard. As I aim to workout six days a week, actually liking my workout is pretty important to me – so I ditched Kayla’s workouts and created my own, similar routine that fit well in my schedule and made me happy.
So should you try Kayla’s BBG Program? If you’re looking to get stronger and reach some new workout goals, then go for it. But, if you’re in it just for the body aspect, then this will not magically make you a Victoria’s Secret model. Besides, health isn’t about how you look, it’s about how you feel.