Liift 4-what I liked and didn’t like about it…what you’ll need to do the workouts, how long they are, every last detail She Fit—I’ve been seeing ads on social media for this sports bra made by She Fit.  They aren’t cheap but I love the vibe of the company and the bra design looked amazing so I ordered one.  I’m gonna tell you if it’s worth the money.

You’re listening to the Crunches & Cosmos Podcast where I simplify women’s fitness by helping you figure out which fitness programs and products are right for you.

I break down all the different pieces of your fitness routine with information and genuine reviews.

Today’s episode of Crunches and Cosmos is brought to you by One Strong Southern Girl dot com.

If you head over there today and jump on my email list I’ll send you my home exercise inventory checklist and my home exercise expert guide.  Plus, you’ll be a part of my inner circle and that’s kinda cool. 

I share stuff with my email list that I don’t share anywhere else so if you think that sounds cool then head over to One Strong Southern Girl dot com.

February is the month of Valentine’s Day.  Which, depending on when you ask me, is a good or bad holiday. 

I say that because just as I’d decided it was a completely unnecessary holiday designed to make couples spend money, then I heard a mother online talk about how she uses Valentine’s Day to have all her family members tell each other what they love about the other one.

So, yeah.

Seriously, I’m not a bad person.

But for me, February is American Heart Month. Years ago, I was on a local board of the American Heart Association and chaired our local fundraising gala and heard a lot of stories from people who’d been affected by heart disease. 

And even though I’m a medical professional, I believe that experience taught me more about how heart disease and its effects on families than anything I learned in school.

If you hear anything I say today make it this: Cardiovascular disease (which includes strokes and heart attacks) is the leading cause of death for men and women.  And healthy choices can make a difference in the progression and prevention of the disease and that includes regular exercise.

So, I’m glad you’re here! I believe exercise can help you become the best (and healthiest) version of you there is so that you can give your unique gifts back to this world.

So, let’s get to the reason you’re here today and talk about Liift 4…

First of all, weight training increases lean body mass and reduces body fat (your body becomes more compact).

Over time the body gradually loses muscle mass--for women that can start as young as 35. 

And if you’re not doing some kind of resistance training you’re helping it along.

Prevent and reverse the loss of muscle by doing some kind of strength training in your exercise routine.

And the sexy truth is that weight training is how you change the shape of your body. And, of course we’re all looking for a body transformation.

Strength training is an important aspect of your overall physical health and it’s why I review programs like Liift 4.

What is Liift 4?

An exercise program by Beachbody that combines dumbbell weight training with cardio (HiiT) training. Liift 4 is a total body workout program.

Who is the instructor of Liift 4?

Joel Freeman is the instructor of Liift 4. You might remember him from Core De Force (or you might not) but he and Jericho McMatthews were the co-instructors of that kickboxing program from Beachbody.

I liked Joel Freeman. He’s a kinda funny cool guy that you’ll probably like.

He does NOT do any of the workouts in the program, though.  I don’t like that but it’s not a deal breaker.

The details of the Liift 4 program…

Liift 4 is an 8-week program that has workouts 4 days a week—a total of 32 unique routines.

The style and exercises are very similar so you’ll feel like you’re doing the same workouts on some days.

There’s a nice workout calendar that’s a part of the program that you can print out from the Beachbody site (and you can see an image of that calendar on my full blog post about Liift 4).

There are 9 total cast members. 

Every workout has 4 of the cast members doing the routines—2 men and 2 women (not counting Joel Freeman).

I did love the cast and the set.  But there was no woman that appeared to be over 30 in the cast.  I would have liked to see someone like that but it wasn’t a huge deal.

The workouts…

The routines are divided into muscle pairings.

Weeks 1-6 are called the ‘build’ phase, and weeks 7 and 8 are called ‘shred weeks’ and the muscle groups are paired up a little differently in those last 2 weeks.

Every single routine has a 2 minute warm-up, uses 10 reps for every set and each routine closes out the workout with an abdominal section of exercises.

There are 4 different formats you’ll see in the workouts—Liift 50/50, Liift Intervals, Circuit and HiiT. Liift 50/50 has weight training and then cardio at the end.

Liift Intervals have cardio sprinkled between the weight training.

The circuit workouts don’t have cardio, so these routines are just weight lifting.

And the Hiit routines are only on leg days (but not every leg day).

The longest routine you’ll do in the 8 weeks is 40 minutes and the shortest workout is 27 minutes.

My favorite workouts were the full body routines in the last 2 weeks.

*You can check out the average calories I burned in every routine in Liift 4 on my full post about Liift 4 on my website. 

What equipment will you need to do the Liift 4 workouts?

You have to have dumbbells to do the workouts.

As a female, I used a range of dumbbells from 5 lbs. up to 30 lbs.

In general, men will need a heavier range of dumbbells.

You’ll also need a mat if you’re working out on a hard surface.

Who will (and will NOT) love Liift 4?

Women! Yes!

If you’re just starting out doing strength training, this program is a great foundation for learning dumbbell exercises.

If you love exercising with dumbbells (no matter what level of exerciser you are) then you’ll like Liift 4.

If you’re looking for a program that combines strength training with cardio then you’ll love Liift 4.

BUT

If you’re looking for a program that’s primarily cardio then you probably won’t love this program.

And if you don’t own dumbbells (and don’t plan to buy any) and don’t want to do strength training then you should try a different exercise program.

Overall…

I did like the Liift 4 program.

I got bored on some days but there are only so many ways to do dumbbell work, so I get it. 

The program does the best job it can to make the workouts interesting.

I loved that there was a nice blend of cardio and weight training. The workouts were satisfying.

My Liift 4 results…

My sister did the Liift 4 program exactly as it was designed and she felt like she did get stronger and saw new muscle definition in her body.

I did all of the workouts in the order of the workout calendar but I did other workouts on the rest days so I didn’t follow the calendar exactly.  I also feel like I ended the program stronger and with better muscle tone.

Where can you buy Liift 4?

You can only get Liift 4 with a membership to Beachbody on Demand. 

But it’s worth a membership. 

You’ll get access to SO MANY workouts because your membership is to the entire Beachbody library (not just Liift 4).

Here’s a link to try out a Beachbody on Demand membership.

*That's an affiliate link.  If you use it to sign up for a BOD membership you'll be supporting One Strong Southern Girl. Thanks!

SHE FIT

She Fit makes a sports bra that you can adjust to fit your shoulders and chest size perfectly!

I just bought one of their bras and tried it out.  Here are my thoughts…

The company has a ‘girl power’ vibe to their branding which I LOVE and makes me want to be part of their team.

The bra arrives in nice packaging with its own bag to wash the bra in.  I don’t like anything that requires special washing instructions. BUT this bra ended up to be not a big deal to take care of.  You can wash the bag with your regular clothes (just put it in the bag).

I LOVE the fit of this bra! The fit is just as good as the ads claim.

I’m NOT an affiliate of She Fit (but I might look in to that) but I definitely recommend this sports bra. Head over to She Fit and check out their bras!  

Today’s Fun Tip

Remember that your exercise program is like your life…there are many seasons and phases—ups and downs.

Your exercise routine is like anything else in life, it takes work.  You have to commit to constantly learning and growing to make it work for wherever you are in your life right now. 

Because exercise can make your life better.  I promise.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Your Ultimate Guide to Liift 4 (A great dumbbell program for women)

Get a trial membership to Beachbody on Demand!

She Fit

One Strong Southern Girl Articles

Email me: [email protected]