LIIFT4 Final Results & Review

I did it!!! It feels really good to say that I finished LIIFT4 and did every single workout! Although I’ve completed a lot of Beachbody programs, I actually haven’t finished every workout for many of them as I usually modify by dropping 1-2 of the (cardio) workouts each week to fit into my running. Before I get into my final LIIFT4 weight loss, measurement change and before and after photos, I wanted to share a few things I liked and disliked about LIIFT4.

To give you some quick background about me & how I approached LIIFT4 if you’re reading my blog for the first time, I started this program at 3.5 months postpartum with twins. Before this program, I did 21 Day Fix and before that, I started with the postpartum workouts on Beachbody on Demand. I also have consulted with a postpartum physical therapist. I worked out for my entire twin pregnancy.

During LIIFT4, I ran 2-3 days a week, averaging about 12-15 miles per week in addition to the workouts (this is not required). I drank Shakeology on average 6 days per week and also used the Beachbody Performance Line Recover supplement after tough workouts. I am breastfeeding and pumping for my twins so I increased my calories by 1-2 brackets  and added a blue/fat container and I did not have a decrease in milk supply. I did not follow the nutrition plan 100% the entire 8 weeks, but did my best and overall did a decent job of sticking to approved foods outside of the weekly cheat day (I do NOT think you could have the same results I had without the nutrition plan).

Things I Liked About LIIFT4

4 Workouts Per Week

4 days a week was perfect for me to mix in about 3 runs per week, since it’s difficult for me to do double workout days right now with infant twins and a toddler. For someone with more time and ability to actually sleep through the night to recover, this program would be doable with half or full marathon training.

I really want to emphasize that LIIFT4 is designed to be a stand alone program – you do NOT have to do any other workouts besides the 4 in the program (which adds up to about 2.5 hours per week) to get great results. My challenge group had marathoners, hikers, recreational runners, AND people who didn’t do any other workouts at all, and people from each of these groups got great results (I’ll share more on that later!). A few women in my group were nurses who said this was the perfect way for them to get in workouts on their days off and not have to worry about anything on the days they had their 12 hour shifts.

Heavier, But Manageable Weight Lifting

I absolutely loved lifting heavier weights. Instead of lifting lighter weights for a full minute like programs like 21 Day Fix, LIIFT4 is about lifting a weight that you can barely get 10 reps in. The program works in Super Sets, meaning as soon as you do 10 reps of one move, you immediately go into another 10 reps working another muscle group (or sometimes you’d work the same muscle group, it depends on the week). Then, you repeat this sequence twice, for a total of 3 sets. Often I’d barely be able to complete the 10th rep on the final set and I noticed I was sore nearly every single week, which to me, means I’m making progress!

I Never Did the Same Workout

I get bored doing the same thing over and over, and with LIIFT4 I loved that every single workout was different. That being said, there were only about 6-8 moves per muscle group, but each workout combined the moves in different ways. For example, week 1 you might do a weight circuit for Chest and Triceps where you do all 8 moves in one order. The following week you would do Chest and Triceps again, but this time it was a HIIT 50/50 format, meaning you did about 4 different chest moves and 4 different tricep moves (the same moves you did the previous week) but in a different order. After the strength training, we’d do 3 different HIIT moves in 60 second, 45 second and 30 second intervals (and repeat 3 times).

The Moves Are Basic

I really liked that the weight lifting moves were all basic enough that most people can do them properly. There aren’t any complex twisted-squat-to-bicep curl-to-press type moves. Each move focuses on one body part and is very simple – we did moves like squats, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, lunges, and chest presses. And since you repeat these moves throughout the 8 weeks, you can really focus on lifting the proper weight so that you can get the best results. When programs are overly complex and switch things up too much I feel like I’m using the wrong weight or just trying to figure out how to get into the move half the time, and not truly getting as great of a workout.

I Was Challenged Until The End

This goes along with the points above, but I loved that I was always feeling challenged throughout the 8 weeks. By the end, I had increased my weights for nearly every move by 50%! And I loved that the final two weeks of LIIFT4 are a completely different format of workouts – the last two weeks were actually my favorite workouts of all.

The Nutrition Plan Has a Cheat Day

I liked that this plan had a built in cheat day. While I prefer to call it a “treat day” as I believe cheat has a negative connotation to it, I really liked the fact that I could plan to have my favorite beer, pizza or ice cream once a week and not feel an ounce of guilt about it. I always tell my challengers that they should plan one cheat meal per week so it was in line with how I usually run my challenge groups anyway.

Things I Disliked About LIIFT4

Cardio Was Repetitive At Times

I wish that the HIIT moves had more variety. While I really appreciated doing the same moves week to week (in a different order, with heavier weights) for the weight lifting portion because it allowed me to get a better workout, I got a little bored of the cardio moves and had a love/hate relationship with several of them (Triple Bear I’m looking at you!).

Joel’s Jokes Could Use Some Work

Joel’s a nice guy – and pretty easy on the eyes – but he doesn’t have the best jokes or the most motivational approach to coaching. What he is really great at, though, is encouraging your to increase your weights but also making sure that your form is on point. He spends most of the videos providing valuable reminders on form (as I’ve said, you only do 10 reps so the time goes quickly and there’s not a ton of time for other talk).

A Lot of Crunches

As a postpartum mom, I don’t do crunches yet and actually didn’t do ANY during this program. Every time there was a crunch, I substituted the move for one of these postpartum friendly core exercises or moves that my postpartum physical therapist gave me. I don’t have diastasis recti, but I do have about a finger separation at my belly button, as MANY postpartum women do. Crunches actually make the separation worse, instead of repairing it. I recommend all postpartum women avoid crunches for at least 3 months. I give all of my postpartum moms this YouTube postpartum core series to do in place of any crunches in all workouts.

The great thing about LIIFT4, though, is that the above portion is at the end so you can easily just either turn off the workout and do the postpartum core moves or just substitute them.

LIIFT4 Results – Before & After Photos and Weight Loss

I am thrilled with my results from LIIFT4. I was a little skeptical of the 4 day a week format but like I said, the workouts are incredibly efficient and I was sore throughout the program. My nutrition overall was good but thanks to the treat day I still drank alcohol (usually beer) 1-2 days a week, and had pizza, ice cream, cookies, and a burger & french fries throughout this program. I really liked the balance of it!

My LIIFT4 Weight Loss & Measurement Changes

I lost 11 pounds in total.

I have increased energy, my running has improved, and I feel incredibly strong. My legs, in particular, feel so much stronger and I know that’ll make my running even better!

I lost over 2 inches off my waist, ~1.5 inches off each thigh, ~2 inches off my hips and an inch off my chest, for a total of 8.5 inches lost.

My Challenger’s LIIFT4 Results

I have to give a shout out to the 15 or so challengers I had who completed LIIFT4 along with me! Many of my challengers completed this program as is, with no additional runs or workouts. Two of my challengers were also training for a marathon while they did it, some were very recently postpartum like me, and some ran recreationally while doing this program.

Here are some of their results:

“This was such an amazing program and group to be a part of. I missed just one workout which felt like a huge step in my postpartum journey. I too am still making progress toward my prepregnancy weight but this program helped me lose 8.5 lbs.” – Rachel

“I’m down 6 pounds – all in the first four weeks, but was able to do before and after measurements and am down 12.5 inches! I loved this program.” – Dana

“Feeling so much stronger and full of energy! I only lost 4 pounds but feel like I gained muscle definition for sure! I really loved this program! Thank you to you coaches for your encouragement! Didn’t miss a single workout!” – Rachel

“Down 6lbs and 3.5inches! I loved this program and how well it can fit into an RN Mom’s whacky schedule. I’m super proud of not missing a workout but can still definitely work on the nutrition component ? Can’t wait to keep going!” – Ashlea

“I loved LIIFT4!! I lost 6lbs and 9.25 inches! I feel a lot stronger and can now do a push up on my toes!” – Jenny

Join Us?

Join my next private, virtual accountability group and get stronger than you ever imagined in just 4 days a week! You’ll get guidance from me & daily check-ins to keep you on track! If you’re a runner like me, I can help you mix this program with your running and if you’re a new mom, I can provide safe modifications for the core work to ensure you heal properly. Fill out this form to get more info and sign up!