Body Beast DVD Workout - Base Kit

This is my first DVD-based workout kit, having never done P90X or T2 or Insanity, etc., despite their popularity. I like to think I am in shape and I definitely work out on a regular basis, but had hit a plateau and wanted some added 'motivation'. But the main reason for doing this workout is that I am already lean ... and I wanted to add on some mass. I'm only a week into this DVD, so I will update my review and the rating as I progress throughout the series. Clearly, motivation is a strong part of these DVD's and this does not disappoint. I think Sagi is pretty good in this regard. My recommendation on this DVD is that they really need a separate 'section' on the DVD that just teaches people how to do the different exercises. That way, you watch it once and you're good to go. Instead, if you are doing legs - as an example - he will demonstrate what you need to do and then within seconds you're in the middle of a set and quickly jumping to another set. The first time you go through the DVD, you will definitely need to hit pause and rewind to see it again... while the 2nd & 3rd time you do the legs workout, you'll be begging for him to hurry up and get through this part as you just want to workout. Other recommendations I find: Do not just do their warm ups, which take about 60 seconds - do a bit of cardio first to warm yourself up or do some light weights to better warm yourself up. Or - just repeat his recommended warm ups. I find this particularly true for the legs workout. I really wish they would spend a few extra seconds at the beginning of each workout to advise you on what you'll need for the workout so I can get things organized - get my weights out, my bench properly set up, etc. On the Back/Bi's workout I had to continually hit pause. As I am not watching the TV during many of the workouts as that would create bad form (ie. you'd be lifting your head up when you shouldn't be), so it would be helpful if Sagi was more clear in his counting of reps or 'up' and 'down' call-outs. I also think some recommendation of weights for each workout would be helpful - that is - a beginner, an intermediate and a 'pro'. This way, we all have something to quickly start with as a baseline and then we can continue to increase from there. Otherwise, I'm left with 10-15 seconds to grab dumbbells while also trying to figure out what to start with - 10 lbs or 20 lbs or 40 lbs? Finally, some of his workout 'partners' need a better attitude... they have no personality, while others seem great. So now to the workouts themselves. I find that because you are doing them with a lot of intensity and using free weights (ie. dumbbells), you'll find yourself using small muscles that you haven't in a long time and you'll definitely end up sore. My triceps ached after that workout but it was the leg workout that really left me sore. But not in a bad way. It was a sore that reminds you that you haven't worked out that hard on your legs in quite some time, or done that many reps in quite some time. To complete the workouts, you'll definitely want a bench and some dumb-bells, like the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells. I have a set of 25 / 40 / 55 dumbbells plus the SelectTech and this combination helped me to quickly move between sets. To complete some of the back workout, you'll also need a pull-down machine (for which I have a nice all-in-one stacked weight machine) or a set of bands or a pull-up bar. My final recommendation is that once I've paid the money for the DVD, they should include in their set a printed workout guide with space to mark your weights down so you can see the progress you're making week-by-week. It's silly that I should need to go online and find a guide to print out after spending $50. So far, I'm pleased with the workouts and I look forward to each of them. I'll post updates as I progress. Beast up! --- Update: It's tough for me to judge whether I honestly finished all the workouts as travel kept interrupting my momentum and gains, but I must say there were some some very good workouts... some tough exercises... and some that need some improvement. But, I always looked forward to the workouts and the fact that they are only 25-40 minutes in length ensured I found 'no excuse' for not working out. After a while, the workouts do tend to get a bit repetitive, and I find that I need to mix them up a bit (combine some of my favorites from the Build with the Bulk sessions). I was also surprised that in the Bulk session, we were still doing 15 / 12 / 8 reps - I'd have thought lower reps and higher weights would be better. Overall, the chest, arms, back and shoulder workouts were good... but the leg workouts ultimately disappointed as it focused too much on deadlifts for me, so I had to mix them up by doing other exercises instead - such as leg press, squats, etc. I also can't emphasis enough how the people in the workouts can 'make' or 'break' a workout, since you watch the same workout episodes over and over... My favorites: Nick ("my buddy Nick"), John ("Asian Sensation") and Chris ("Smiley") - all had such a great personality and you could tell they know what they are doing and they have a lot of fun on camera. Sometimes John is a bit too serious, but overall, the three work great together with Sagi. Richard ("Big Mac") is also good. In the next tier, Sean, Brian ("Pretty Boy") and Big E are what I'd say are 'okay'. They do the exercises well, they listen to Sagi, but they just don't seem to have as much fun as the others. Then there are the bottom two - Eric and Scotty. Eric does every move in a cartoonish, over-exaggerated manner that is actually dangerous. Sagi even tells him he's doing it wrong and he doesn't change his ways. Don't get me wrong - he did an awesome job in his exercises and clearly has killer stamina as he finished the Cardio workout, while I was a wreck... Then there is Scotty - he has pretty much zero personality, is very quiet and couldn't even answer the questions correctly on 'how much weight are you using now? And what about last set?". This would be fine if I just watched this awkward exchange once, but to have to watch it countless times during the 90 days is painful. But enough of the people, I really enjoyed Sagi and the top 3 workout partners in particular, and I find him motivating but not in an annoying way. He has a really good demeanor about him. Overall, I'm really pleased with this workout and I'm looking forward to Body Beast 2.0!

This is a great program, but, I don't think a single 90 day cycle will deliver extreme results. If you follow the eating plan and take all of the supplements and work out 6 days a week- it promises amazing results. I do 4 to 5 workouts a week and do take supplements after. I haven't done the eating plan- but who really does? All of the guys on the DVDs have spent at least 10 years getting their bodies to look the way they do. There is absolutely no way a non-seasoned body builder or even a seasoned body builder will look that good in 90 days unless they are a professional. So get that image out of your head. You're not going to look like Sagi after 90 days. I don't know if most people can do 6 days a week and give maximum effort. The program is really challenging when you do it right, so you would probably burn out after a month of 6 days a week. What you can expect after 90 days: You will be stronger, more solid and better conditioned. Your cardio will improve because you're flying through the workouts with very little rest. You're going to have to learn proper form on your own because the system doesn't teach it to you. I think after the first cycle you'll figure out the moves and develop good form. My gf said she didn't see any difference in the way I looked after 90 days and I was pretty discouraged. She said I was pretty obsessed with working out, and I looked the same. I'm in a fitness group with my friends and we post before and after pics. When I flexed and compared the two pics- My arms were much bigger and cut, my gut was a lot smaller, love handles got smaller, shoulders were a lot bigger and my legs were definitely bigger. Real results happen in the 2nd and 3rd cycle- in my experience. I'm almost done with cycle 2 and I'm finally seeing much more definition. Fitness is for life so you're going to have to keep on working out to get and stay in shape. I'm probably going to do a round of p90x after this cycle and then go for cycle 3. I say this program changed my life and I mean it. I lost about 120 lbs in 2 years by Jan 2015 mostly due to ADHD meds. I am a 6'3" male and I was over 360 lbs., but, I lifted weights most of my life. I was solid but, no one is healthy at 300+ lbs. My meds decimated my appetite and the weight just fell off. So I looked great but I was so unbelievably weak. I went from deadlifting 400 lbs. to not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without extreme difficulty. I was scared that there was something wrong but my doc told me that I "deconditioned," basically my muscles were very weak. The most embarrassing thing that happened was at work one day. I told people that I couldn't really do long walks and stuff because I had knee problems. I was with a colleague and we had to walk 5 Philadelphia city blocks to a meeting at a restaurant. I was in a suit and my legs started to get tired 3 blocks into the walk. We crossed the street and I stepped into a divot and lost my balance. I was on my hands and knees in the street and literally could not get up. I had to crawl to the sidewalk. People tried to help me and offered to call an ambulance. I took a cab back to the office after a couple minutes rest and then went home for the day. I was a 33 year old guy and couldn't get up after I fell. A few months went by and I moved to new apartment in Delaware and drive to work so I don't have to walk those terrifying city blocks anymore. I already had a weight set and started to lift a little bit. I couldn't go to the gym for fear of people laughing at me. I went a couple of times in the past, but I literally had to lay down for 5 or 6 mins just to be able to walk to my car and drive home on shaky legs. I wanted to get stronger and saw the Body Beast program on TV. I figured I could do it in my home and fail without embarrassment. The first couple of weeks were literally hell. I was so weak that I couldn't make it through most of the dvds. But, I kept at it, bought supplements, and kept going. BCAAs, Whey protein, and Casein Protein go into my post workout drink. After the first month, I felt a lot stronger and did not feel like I was constantly in fear of falling and not being able to get up. I started the program for real after a month of half effort and everything changed for me. I realized that I couldn't get up after a fall because my core and legs were weak and fatigued quickly. After less than a month of doing the program, I was squatting over 280 lbs and deadlifting the same. So in about 60 days I went from basically crawling up a flight of stairs to squatting 280 lbs. I couldn't curl 20 lbs for more than 10 reps before the program, now my top set curl is 50 lbs., after a pyramid of 20, 40 and 50 lbs. I don't look like Sagi, and that's fine. I'm almost done with cycle 2 of the program and I have my life back. I'm almost as strong as I was 120 lbs heavier. My muscles are harder than they have ever been at any time in my life. I can do weighted burpees and pull ups. I run up stairs now. This is a rehabilitation program as much as it is a fitness program. Most people won't start where I was- basically relearning to walk. I'm actually pretty embarrassed of having been so weak- I don't tell many people about it. This program took me from deconditioned to legit strong in four months. I'm never going to stop working out and will probably do this program 20 or 30 times instead of going to the gym. It will take years to look like Sagi, and I'm perfectly ok with that. I'm really looking forward to my results after 1 year of Body Beast with P90X thrown in for good measure. I don't know if this review will help. I wrote it to encourage people who might be recovering from an injury or have limited mobility- to encourage them to not be afraid of this program. You can start where you are, no-one can judge you in your own home. You will get stronger, that is literally inevitable. The only bad thing is that you need A LOT of equipment. For me- the investment has resulted in a whole new life. You will need years to look like Sagi, but, only 90 days to be a stronger better you.

Body Beast is a ninety day workout program that consists of three smaller sections. Two of these sections are pretty much the same (building muscle), whereas the third and final section is specifically for cutting fat. Overall, it is a very well rounded program and can help someone to make some serious progress. It doesn't take a lot of equipment, but the equipment it requires can be pretty expensive. At the absolute minimum, you need a set of adjustable dumbbells ($200-500), a good adjustable bench ($90-400) (They tell you that you can use a yoga ball, but that will definitely not end well), and an assisted pullup bar ($20-60). All in all, that can cost almost one thousand dollars. There are a couple of things that I want to clear up. The first is that women will not turn into some sort of female bodybuilder from doing this. In fact, you will probably be better off doing this, rather than something like insanity. When you do pure cardio with no strength training, your body will start to eat away at your muscle instead of your fat. Body Beast prevents this. In addition, women physically cannot get big without some sort of hormone booster. Especially not in a ninety day program. The second thing is the issue about beach body's "support groups". Yes, it is true that beach body is scandalous in this area, but you will not have to worry about that if you order through amazon. Amazon will not give any credit card info to beach body, therefore you cannot get billed beyond the purchase of this product. Pros: *Very effective workout program *strength training is more fun than pure cardio (unless it's a spartan run woot woot!) *Includes a decent cardio tape for those that enjoy cardio *includes some very important things to maximize progress (varied rep ranges to activate all the different muscle types, etc.) *can be used for women or men (or both if you have a family) *Sagi is pretty funny and very motivating *includes the Book of Beast, a nutritional guide with some very useful info that can be applied outside of the program *Sagi emphasizes form over weight Cons: *very expensive for all of the equipment (up to $1000) *can get a little monotonous if you don't enjoy weight lifting, although most people who think they don't like it end up loving it after a couple of times *Sagi and his employees (assistants, servants, buddies, whatever you want to call them) are not the best examples for proper and SAFE form *you have to go out of your way to look up proper form (although if googling on a computer is too much work for you, you might want to rethink getting a fitness program) *cutting section should be a little longer *food can get pretty expensive Overall, I think that, if you have the money, Body Beast is a very very good program and can help you to reach you goals faster.

The beast is a great personal trainer. He has real personality. He uses building and bulking to build you the body you always wanted. The Build phase uses old-school lifting techniques to give you a foundation in lifting. The Build phase is composed of four primary workouts: 1) Chest/Tris (49), 2) Legs, 3) Back/Bis, and 3) Shoulders. The Bulk phase uses more modern approaches to weightlifting and is composed of five primary workouts: 1) Chest, 2) Legs, 3) Back, 4) Arms, and 5) Shoulders. There are three other workouts: Abs, Total body, and Cardio. The warm ups are less than three minutes and the cool downs are less than two minutes. They are fairly action packed, for those who do not like to stretch. Compared to P90X, Beast is more like P90X without the cardio days. So if you like to skip the cardio days of P90X, this program may really appeal to you. As far as equipment goes, I found that although it might be nice to have a bench and an EZ bar they are not necessary. I was able to do the whole program using my couch, mat, chair, and free weights. Having an exercise ball is helpful, because the modifications are shown with an exercise ball for those who do not have a bench. Warning: This set does not come with Tempo and lucky 7. You have to buy those separately if you want them. The following is a list of many, but not all the exercises on the DVDs: Build Chest Triceps (49 minutes): Chest press, dumbbell incline, partial chest fry, decline pushups, triceps extensions, triceps kickbacks, triceps pushups, dips Build Back and Biceps (53): Dumbbell, pullover, pull-ups, EZ bar row, one arm row, Reverse fly, Biceps curls, Hammer curls, and airplane cobra Legs Build (39): Sumo Squat, step up, parallel squat, alternating squats, Bulgarian Squat, Straight leg dead lift, seated calf raises, standing calf raises, squats, In and out abs Beast Arms Bulk (36): Standing curl, triceps extension, EZ curl wide, scull crusher, hammer curl, triceps kickback, weighted sit-ups Shoulders Bulk (36): Lateral raise, Arnold press, up right row, alternating front raises, plate twist, reverse fly, superman stretch, plank twist Chest Bulk (31): Incline chest press, incline chest fly, chest press with rotation, incline press, close grip press to fly, decline pushups, cobra, Russian twist Back Bulk (30): Pullovers, pull-ups, Reverse grip row, one arm row, dead lift, reverse fly, plank rotation Legs Bulk (40): Alternating lunges, Squats, Sumo Squat, split squat with EZ bar, stiff leg dead lift, alternating side squats, calf raises, beast abs Shoulders Build (39): Shoulder press, lateral raise, upright row, EZ bar underhand press, single arm front raise, rear delt raise, standing dumbbell shrug, dumbbell scap trap, sagi six-way, tuck and roll Abs (11): Crunch, Russian twist, hip up, crossed tuck in, cobra, spiderman crunch, bucket drop, one arm open plank, windshield wipers, beast abs move Cardio (30): Toe tap, Sumo squat hold, weighted burpee stretch, burpee, plyos pushups, sumo jump, squat to upright row hold, alternating jump hold, plank press up and hold, plank twist sprint Total Body (39): Incline press, bent over row, reverse alternating lunge, twist plank, military press, Post delt rise, stiff leg dead lift, Russian twist, Biceps curl hammer down, triceps extension kickback, calf raises, side forearm plank

I was a gym-rat in my 20s and 30s, got away from it in my 40s, and thought this would be a good way to return to lifting in my 50s. If you've had some time in the gym, this is a good post-beginner / intermediate program. The workouts are definitely intense and you'll need to give yourself time to get up to full-speed. Don't be afraid to think for yourself. I do the exercises which work for me for each workout and figure I'll add the rest when I'm ready. The resource book that comes with the program is well laid-out and helpful, especially if your knowledge of nutrition is limited. The instructor is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, however, he is also a bit condescending at times to his workout partners. I enjoy good-natured gym abuse, but in this case, Sagi's passive-aggressive barbs undermine his credibility. One big peeve: The are no actual workout sheets included with the program. The first instruction in the book is to go to the company website and download them. Unfortunately, the website addresses given in the book either lead nowhere or aren't for the worksheets. I finally found them by going to the "choose a product" pull-down menu on Beach Body's home page, selecting "Body Beast -- more exciting products," then clicking "Download Now" under the "FREE Worksheets" banner on the right. The worksheets themselves are definitely helpful in following the somewhat confusing structure of the workouts. The basic program also mentions a free Body Beast app. Evidently, information on accessing the app is provided by Beach Body via email *if* you order directly from the BB website and not through Amazon. I'm still working with BB's customer service on that one. Bottom line: If you're looking for a good way to get back into bodybuilding / lifting or want to have more structure in your workouts, this will do the job. There's no such thing as "the perfect workout," though, so pay attention to your body if it's telling you you're in over your head. Giving credit where credit is due, Sagi is constantly urging you to "be safe" and to "back off on the weights" if you need to do so. That's always good advice, no matter what your skill-level. Hope this is helpful. Jim B.

I have been doing Beast 6 days a week for a month and I am a fan. I am a 46 year old female and decided to purchase because I wanted to add weights to my exercise program for more muscle and strength - not to be "ripped." I like to do T-25, several 10 minute trainer videos and Zumba step. I have tried Insanity, but it was too hard on my knees. So, I am not the usual demographic for this product. Even so, I highly recommend it! Yes, the banter of the host calling himself "Beast" all the time in third person (how pretentious!) does get irritating and his constant focus on "getting huge" can turn off some who are not looking for that. Don't let it deter you. Especially women. You can always mute him (I have gotten used to it and often fast forward through his banter anyway). This is a great workout that is well paced with basic moves that anyone can do no matter your fitness level. It is also basically low/no impact, so for those of us who have knee problems it is great (do be careful with the squats). One downside - I do not use the diet or supplement information - way beyond my needs as it is for hard core lifters who need to focus on food and supplements. I hope someone can decipher what he is talking about - it was way too much for me. Still, makes sense to use any basic healthy eating program and add protein if lacking in the diet (I have added protein drinks). The beauty is in the weights = this is what makes the program accessible to anyone. You choose your own. You need three sets of good hand weights in heavier increments - yes, there is the chin up bar, weight bench and other equipment that serious weight lifters should have, but for someone just starting out, or for those not wishing to "get huge" three sets of weights is fine to start (and then you can move up). You can use the stability ball instead of a weight bench or I just use a good chair and even my ottoman instead of the bench and it is fine. They have one of the people with "limited equipment" as Beast likes to say repeatedly to show you how to modify. Can you get these exercises online and build your own weight program - absolutely. I like it because I need the direction - what to do, how often, for how long and in what order. Done. Bottom line, if you are looking for a well paced, directed, easy to use weight lifting program this is for you. I have lost some weight, but more importantly, my measurements are smaller, clothes fit better and I have more strength and energy. I highly recommend adding weight lifting to your exercise program - especially women!

I usually don't write reviews on Amazon, but I've had such good results with this workout program that I wanted to write a quick review about it. Ive been going to the gym for a long time and love weightlifting and bodybuilding. I've been on the lookout for a home workout program for a while because lets face it, sometimes the cost of a gym membership can be expensive and having to travel can take up more time. When I stumbled upon the Body Beast workout I thought I'd give it a try and I haven't been disappointed. It's not only a great workout geared towards bodybuilding, but it also really gets your heart pumping and keeps you going at a good pace. I ended up buying the bowflex dumbells for this workout which work great. I originally had purchased the ones that go up to 52.5, but for me I found out pretty fast that I needed to bump up the weight, so I ended up getting the bowflex 1090s as well which work great for this workout. I started this workout about 4 months ago and had to start over after the first two months because of different personal stuff like a baby and getting stationed somewhere new, but I started it up again and am about 1/2 way through the program this current rotation. I feel overall stronger and in better shape. I've definitely lost 1-2 inches or so off my waist even though I didn't have much to lose to start with. My weight has stayed pretty even keel, about 185 this entire time. I haven't been eating the amount necessary to gain weight and that isn't my goal right now, but if I wanted to gain 10 pounds I could see myself easily doing that with the right diet. Time wise it is perfect for me. Most workouts are around 45-50 minutes for the first cycle and then they shorten down to 35-45 minutes or so. As a medical resident where time is a big factor I found these fit in my schedule perfectly and allow me to just feel healthy and jacked. Overall great program and I highly recommend!

I watched the first workout. I couldn't understand the Beasts instructions because of his presentation style. This was disappointing because he was easily understood in the introduction before he went into "Beast Mode". The Beast is the type of weightlifter who grunts as loud as he can to prove that he is actually lifting heavy weights. The Beast actually complains that one of the guys isn't grunting loud enough but sounded like he was actually questioning the guy's manhood. And then they drop their weights which would get you thrown out of any of the gyms I have ever been in. Obnoxious guys like these are the reason why I stopped working out in the weight room at the gym. The Beast did not adequately explain what weights he was using or the relationship between the sets and the weights. His cueing was rushed and confusing. The graphics were so small and shown for such a short amount of time they did not help explain what was going on either. I had hoped to learn new techniques but was instead left wondering what the technique was. The music was a distraction and was probably left over from some bad superhero movie. All and all, the production and presentation was below Beach Body's usual quality. I was quite glad when I found I could return the set and get my money back.