I’ve now been doing BBG by Kayla Itsines for 10 weeks! I can’t believe I’ve actually stuck to something for this long, it’s kind of a small miracle. In this blog post I thought I would go over the basics of BBG, some questions that I received and how it’s all going!
What is BBG?
BBG stands for Bikini Body Guide. It’s a 12 week exercise and food plan put together by personal trainer Kayla Itsines. There’s also the option of 4 pre training weeks, which I did too. There’s a few ways to do it, you can buy the plan off her website, you can follow her book or you can do it on her Sweat app. I do it on the app!
How is it structured?
Basically, it’s three workouts and three LISS (low intensity steady state) a week. Later in the programme it amps up and you do some HIIT (high intensity interval training) as well. Each workout is 28 minutes and consists of two repeat seven minute circuits, so four circuits. If you follow the planner, Monday is legs, Wednesday is arms and abs, Friday is full body, Sunday is rest and the other days are LISS days.
What’s the meal plan like? Do I follow it?
I like it! I’m not super strict at following the plan, but I’m relatively strict at watching what I eat and making sure my diet is balanced. The plan includes three meals and two snacks a day. I mainly follow the breakfast, lunch and snacks, but just cook what I want for dinner (I make it clean though!). Before following the plan, I was pretty uninspired when it came to meal ideas and snack ideas and I would end up doing the same thing all the time. I love the variety in the plan and getting to try new things out. If there’s something in the plan that I don’t like the look of, I’ll just eat something else, but stick to the same food group. E.g. I’ll have a chicken wrap as opposed to a tuna one. At the start I did weigh food to get an idea of portion sizes. Now I know I have an idea of portions so don’t worry about it. I try to follow a no refined sugar policy at all times too. I do still have a few treats but I try to limit them as much as possible.
How do I find the exercise?
I walk for my LISS days which is fine. I listen to podcasts and audio books and I take a dog or two (we have four) with me as well. The workouts… I love them and hate them at the same time. On my first BBG day I decided to do a leg workout. I only got through half of it and I could barely walk the next few days. No joke, I was SO SORE that people were looking at me strange in the super market two days later. Buying a foam roller was the best thing though and I always make sure I stretch properly too. I still find the workouts really intense, but I’ve got so much fitter and stronger! I can now do 15 burpees in a row! YUS! I still do a bit of modifying too. If I can’t do a particular exercise or am finding it really tough, I do something else. E.g. I’ll swap out normal push ups, for ones on my knees, or do an exercise without the extra weight.
What equipment do you need?
I do all the workouts in middle of my lounge. I have some 3 kgs dumbbells and a foam roller. I use two stacked pallets outside for the stepping exercises. My friend uses a chair but I find that way too high. Later in the programme, there are exercises with medicine balls and kettle bells. I find the workouts tough enough without the weights so don’t worry about it. Oh, and there’s also skipping in some of the workouts, but I just pretend to skip!
You could get some equipment here:
What progress have I made?
Usually you have the crappy quality before photo and the pretty after photo but I’m mixing it up for ya’ll. So far I’ve lost 4kgs. I didn’t take any measurements before hand so can’t give you any comparisons. I notice the my butt has lifted, my tummy has flattened out a bit and my arms and legs are more toned. I know I still have a long way to go (my goal is 10kgs) but I’m pretty proud of my effort so far. I keep spotting myself in the mirror and thinking ‘dam girl!’ My confidence has improved a lot because I know that I work hard for my body. Exercise gives you a whole new appreciation of your body I think!
How much is it?
The app itself is free but the subscription is $32 a month. It is pricey for an app, but I figure it’s cheaper than a gym and the fact that I’m paying for it keeps me motivated too! There’s actually quite a few programmes within the app (BBG Stronger, Body and Mind, etc) so there’s a lot of choice too.
Download the app here. FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL: Enter FB30DayTrial on the promo code box when you sign up.
Final Words
I highly recommend BBG! Before BBG I never stuck with anything I was so confused as to what exactly I should be doing. Having a set programme has been so great! I also think that its relatively easy to maintain as a lifestyle, as opposed to crash diets and intensive boot camps. I know I’ll certainly be doing it for a while yet, until I learn enough to create my own programme. I’m learning so much about my body and love feeling fitter, stronger and healthier! Have fun!
