I Tried a Beachbody Workout Challenge & The Hype is 100% Real
You may be familiar with Beachbody, a popular fitness and nutrition platform that offers nutrition plans, fitness guides, and supplements. I heard about this convenient at-home workout program for the first time on a TV commercial, and it left me with good name recognition. I recently had the opportunity to try a Beachbody workout challenge firsthand and was curious to learn what the hype was all about. I decided to do the Beachbody 630, a shorter challenge featured on the platform.
What is the Beachbody 630, might you ask? It consists of six, 30-minute workouts to be performed each day that help build strength, power, and endurance. They include Lower Body Strength, Total Body Power, Mobility & Stability, Upper Body Strength, Total Body Tempo, and Cardio 30. Each workout kicks off with an active warm-up and ends with a cool down/stretch session. All you need in order to get started is a pair of dumbbells and a power loop/band, then you're ready to work up a sweat.
My training started with an introductory clip about my trainer, Amoila Cesar, which gave me an inside look at his experience and personal life, and how it all relates to my personal Beachbody journey. Cesar was incredibly efficient in explaining how to perform every step of each workout. There were three other "class participants" working out behind Cesar in his video, which helped give me a refreshing sense of being at an in-person workout class, but from the comfort of my own home.
So without further ado, read on to learn more about my fitness experience with Beachbody.
Lower Body Strength
The Lower Body Strength included multiple sets of the following three "blocks": 1. reverse lunges and a deadlift row, 2. a hinge position and a jump squat, and 3. a plank drag along with a ski swing using dumbbells. Cesar demonstrated each movement, and it was easy to follow along. By "easy," I mean the workout itself was brutal, and I knew my legs would be feeling the burn the next day. But no pain, no gain, right?
Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Work Out 7 Days a Week
Total Body Power
Day two was all about Total Body Power. As expected, my legs were absolutely sore, but I was excited about the next workout. This regimen consisted of dumbbell snatches rotated with hip thrusts using weights. Then came an emphasis on body weight for lateral agility. My coordination was tested as I jumped side to side and performed a spider plank. Lastly, the focus was on power as I completed quick sets of jump squats.
Mobility & Stability
Day three? Time to stretch! This was by far my favorite workout day. Going into Mobility & Stability, my entire body felt super tight, making this a welcomed break in between intense training. It involved six movements that targeted breathing and balance. My personal top pick was a thoracic movement, which focuses on the thoracic spine. The takeaway from this day is I found a great active recovery workout.
Related: Are Shorter Workouts More Effective? Here's What Science Says
Upper Body Strength
Day four was all about my upper body, which I learned was in definite need of some TLC. The regimen included a bent-over upright row, alternated with a low plank; lateral front exercises using dumbbells; swimmers, which worked my lower and middle trapezius muscles; and overhead carries. I can confirm that this workout made me feel much sorer than all of the other days.
Total Body Tempo
On day five, I geared up for another full-body workout. This consisted of the following blocks: 1. atomic pushups with weights and bicep curls, 2. a single-arm push press, alternated with split squats, and 3. side kick throughs, rotated with an exercise that basically resembles wood chopping with weights. It's safe to say that blocks one and two caused my entire body to shake.
Related: The Most Effective Full-body Workout To Look and Feel Younger
Cardio 30
I made it to day six! Cardio was the last day's focus, which included jump roping with an imaginary rope; squat jumps, which Cesar referred to as an "instant burner," and that was certainly no exaggeration; backward and forward steps, which were basically like an in-place run; plank hip dips and (jumping) jacks; side hops; a hurdle stretch that turned into a reverse lunge; and finally, side planks with a leg raise.
Confession: I was definitely in a puddle of my own sweat, but the feeling afterward was totally worth it.
Here are my takeaways from the Beachbody 630 Challenge:
The Beachbody 630 Challenge is a solid at-home workout program, one I felt from my head all the way down to my toes. The only suggestion I would give is the addition of music to the workouts. However, I believe Beachbody's reasoning is to not take away from any of the trainer's instructions and tips being given.
My goal for my next Beachbody experience is to participate in a longer workout challenge. (Wait, did I actually just say that?!) The Beachbody 630 Challenge is an excellent starting point to kick off your own experience, and I would definitely recommend it.
Editor's note: This story was written in partnership with Beachbody and the writer's access to the program was provided by the company at no cost.
