My BeachBody on Demand Review (Not a Coach)

You may have seen those late-night infomercials advertising any of Beach Body’s exercise programs and wondered if they worked. 

Or, having seen several of them, haven’t been able to decide which one would be best for you.

I signed up for BeachBody on Demand and have been used the program, and wanted to share with you what I thought about and how you can use it.

Disclaimer: I do not sell BeachBody on Demand services nor am I a BeachBody Coach. I do have a few friends that are, but this review is purely my own thoughts and experience with it.

However, I may include some affiliate links which means that I may receive a small compensation at no additional charge to you, should you choose to make a purchase.

I Don’t Like Exercise

I feel like I should first say: I don’t really like to exercise. There are some people who love to go to the gym, work on their bodies and get in shape.

That is not me. I exercise because it’s healthy for my body.

But I will confess I like my body better when I’m exercising and more toned.

It’s also been shown to be very helpful in good mental health. And I have found this to really be true when I’m dealing with unpleasant situations in life.

It helps to clear out the mental cobwebs, if you will.

I definitely remember feeling that way in the midst of a situation I found very trying, and recognized immediately after exercising that I felt a little better and more stable, even though the situation hadn’t changed in those 45 minutes.

So, this is your encouragement to do something in the way of exercise. Get that heart rate up at least 20 minutes per day.

My Use of Beach Body Products

Before BeachBody had an on-demand site/app, I bought one of their stand-alone workout programs that I’d seen on an infomercial because it was exactly what I was looking for at the time, and I still use it most often.

The one I bought was Body Beast because it is a bit more low-impact than the other programs.

Beachbody is probably best known for its popular high-impact, high aerobic exercise programs like P90x, Insanity, and PIYo.

I generally don’t have the stamina nor the interest level to motivate myself enough to endure those programs, at least not at home.

I could probably do quite a bit in a gym with a class, but by myself, I get bored. And then my chronic fatigue issues kick in. But that’s a different subject.

When I initially bought Body Beast, I didn’t buy it from a Coach (I didn’t know any at the time), I bought it here as a DVD set.

I bought the program from Amazon because, at the time, (and before they became a reputable MLM), BeachBody didn’t have the best online reputation for responsibly charging credit cards. So, I was nervous to go with them directly, and figured Amazon was safer.

(Note: I don’t know that those allegations were true, but it was certainly a prevalent complaint in many online forums at the time.)

Nowadays, I trust that my BeachBody coach would help me with whatever problems I had with my BeachBody on Demand or other BeachBody credit-card charging issues. However, I have yet to have any problems with that.

If you are someone who wants to get “shredded”, be super toned and fit, but also like variance and speed in your workouts, this is where Beachbody on Demand comes in.

How BeachBody on Demand Streaming Works

I initially bought BeachBody on Demand (“BOD” as they abbreviate it on their app and as I will refer to it here) from a friend who had recently become a BeachBody “Coach”.

Basically, part of BeachBody has become a network marketing (aka, direct sales/MLM) company, using its Coaches to sell programs like BOD, along with supplements and shakes, including the infamous Shakeology, all of which are generally good quality products.

So, I was happy to help support my friend and see if this program was something that I was going to use regularly.

I got a year of unlimited access to Beach Body’s most popular (and some older) programs for $99 (currently). I felt like that is a pretty great deal.

Much cheaper than a gym membership, especially as my I prefer to work out at home.

(I would never “swing by” a gym, much less get dressed to go. And don’t get me started on how I look when I work out….)

Once you sign up, you will get instructions on how to set up your login and password, and how to access your programs on your devices.

You can download the Beachbody app for free from the app store from your phone or tablet.

It will look like this:

On your computer, you can use the link provided to you in your sign-up email.

All of these programs require a Beachbody account username and password.

In the BOD app/website, you can select the workout program that you want by Fitness Level, Time, Type, and who the Trainer is, as below.

Currently, I count approximately 67 programs that are accessible in my BOD account:
10 Minute Trainer
21 Day Fix
21 Day Fix Extreme
21 Day Fix Extreme Real Time
21 Day Fix Real Time
22 Minute Hard Corps
3 Week Yoga Retreat
3-Day Refresh Yoga
4 Weeks of The Prep
6 Weeks of The Work
80 Day Obsession
A Little Obsessed
A Little More Obsessed
A Week of Hard Labor
Autumn’s Exclusives
Barre Blend
Beachbody Yoga Studio
Body Beast
Brazil Butt Lift
Brazil Butt Lift Carnivale
Brazil Butt Lift Carnivale
ChaLean Extreme
Cize
Clean Week
Core de Force
Country Heat
Double Time
Focus T25
Great Body Guaranteed
Hip Hop Abs
Ho’Ala ke Keno
Insanity
Insanity Max:30
Insanity: The Asylum Vol 1
Insanity: The Asylum Vol 2
Jericho’s Exclusives
Joel’s Exclusives
Kathy Smith’s Project You! Type 2
Kids and Family Collection
Liift4
Mes de Mas
Morning Meltdown 100
P90
P90X
P90X One on One
P90X2
P90X3
PiYo
Power 90
Power Half Hour
Pre and Post Natal Fitness
Rev Abs
Rockin’ Body
Sagi’s Exclusives
Shaun Week: Insane Focus
Shift Shop
Slim in 6
Tai Cheng
The 20s
The Master’s Hammer and Chisel
Tony’s Exclusives
Total Body Solution
Transform :20
Turbo Fire
Turbo Jam
Yoga Booty Ballet
YOUv2

Side note: I have noticed that the program I use almost exclusively, Body Beast, has a few (6) more workouts than what I bought in the stand-alone original DVD package.

They’re not a totally different line of workouts, but some additional variations on workouts already in the program, like legs, chest & tris, etc.

Is Beach Body on Demand Available on All Devices?

BOD Available for phones, tablets, computers, and they even have an Apple Watch app according to their iPhone app store.

Does the BeachBody on Demand Have Streaming Lag Issues?

I will say, the app worked well on my iPhone and very old, limping along iPad, but until recently, it did not work well on my Mac computer.

I don’t know why or what changed – we have average-speed internet, a bit on the slower side compared to some homes, but it would constantly be “buffering”, causing delays that it would take at least 30 seconds to catch up.

And then I would abandon the progress and restart it, trying to figure out where I left off.

However, I am happy to report that I have not had that issue the last few times I used it, for the most part.

As for now, I will say that the programs looks very “grainy” and unclear at the very beginning of each video, I guess that was as it was buffering and getting the data it needed but worked fine after a few seconds.

One thing that I’ve noticed that can be kind of annoying, if, for some reason you get interrupted – say, another app causes it to pause, or you open another tab on your computer, it would often reset to the beginning of the workout on the app and computer.

On the computer, it would just get stuck and unrecoverable, so you would have to start over.

(I usually watch Amazon Prime on-demand shows (try it for FREE here) in a different browser window while I’m working out, so sometimes I have to switch between the two or pause to get more water or if I get a text/phone call – that’s where things get hairy.)

watching Jack Ryan on Amazon video while working out to BodyBeast in smaller window

I use the volume on the workout program just low enough that I can hear the counts and basic instructions but it doesn’t overpower the show’s sound.

So, there is an overall issue of having the lack of saving workout progress. You can decide whether you find that annoying or perfectly fine.

For me, it’s annoying, but not worth cutting my access off totally for.

Keeping Track of Your BeachBody on Demand Workouts

One thing that I’m not super crazy about is that when you do a workout, the app doesn’t register or keep any track of your workout for you.

And generally, it will take you to the very first home screen every time you log in — though there is a ‘Recently Watched’ Section that will take you to the program you were most recently in.

So, that can be a little clunky, especially if you’re wanting to do various types of workouts, which is why I bought it.

I bought it thinking I’d like to maybe do weightlifting one day, and a dance program the other day.

I’ll discuss what actually happened a little later.

I suppose you could bookmark a specific program’s page if you’re on your computer, but that’s not possible on the app.

My suggestion to them would to let you make a ‘Favorites’ tab where those would be quickly and easily accessible.

You do have the option to print some worksheets to help you track your workouts.

I have a friend who did this with several of her workouts, and it was quite impressive to see.

She is very dedicated to exercising, and I wish you could meet her because she one of the most positive people you will ever meet, and she is so inspiring. I told her she should be a BeachBody Coach!

If we all made everyone else feel as good as she makes everyone feel, this world would be a much more lovely place. #loveyouCrystal

Here’s her picture of her (with her permission of course) and her spreadsheets where she kept track of her progress:

This one was the Morning Meltdown 100 when she was halfway through:

LIIFT4 Weight Progression Tracker completed:

Most of their workout programs have trackers that you can print off. Body Beast has an overall one and one for the individual exercises so you can record what weights you were using.

Can You Download BeachBody Programs from the App for Offline Use?

Yes. On your phone, and I think also tablet.

If you’re able to do it on your computer, I haven’t seen exactly where you can do it.

It’s probably too easy to steal and keep forever.

When you do download, the program is only available through the BOD app.

Are There Beachbody Nutrition Programs to Go With the Workouts?

BeachBody has actually put out a ‘Beachbody Nutrition+’ app that has a few fun, though basic, features:

It does appear that you have to have a BOD account.

The first page can help you “Track Your Day”, including statistics like inputting your water intake, daily weight, how many Shakeology shakes, and meal tracking.

(Note: You can now also do this (minus meal tracking) in the regular BOD app.)

It also has some “Featured Recipes” at the bottom for a quick click,a ‘Video’ tab to help guide you through the most basic info of getting acquainted with BeachBody.

And then there is a ‘Recipes’ tab, grouped by either BeachBody program type or general recipe type (i.e., chicken, vegan, dessert, etc.)

My Final Review Thoughts on BeachBody on Demand: Is BeachBody a Good Program?

Overall, I really do like the BOD program and like how there are so many workouts available.

And I think it’s a great value to have on-demand access to so many workouts.

They do have a few technical issues to fix up, and also a few items that could make the app more user-friendly.

And maybe they will make those in the future.

Why I Cut Off My BeachBody on Demand Account

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I have cut my BOD account off, and here’s why: I don’t really use it.

After having bought Body Beast, I really liked it and used it consistently.

However, the version I used almost exclusively was the version I bought online, not the version in the app.

There is another program, Hammer & Chisel, which is similar, and has the same trainer as Body Beast plus an additional trainer.

And I was interested in that one. But I just never used it very much at all – that workout nor the on-demand streaming in general.

I used the yoga program on BOD for a few sessions, and I did like it.

But somehow, I ended up preferring YouTube programs like Yoga with Adrienne.

And I like YouTube kettlebell programs too. I’m not sure BOD has any of those. (If they do, I haven’t seen it.)

I don’t really know why I haven’t used the BOD program more, it’s just me. I like going to my physical purchases and using those.

I’m not saying it won’t work for you – obviously you’re here because you want to know about the BOD program.

If you like structure and want to interact with your BeachBody Coach regularly and want to be a part of a fitness accountability group, BOD is definitely the way to go.

My friend that I posted above is a part of her Coach’s group and she loves it. My Coach had one for a little while and it was just something that I ended up occasionally checking but never participating.

I think it was information overload, which I tend to inflict upon myself, and I just wasn’t that interested in strangers’ progress, nice though they were.

My recommendation is to at least try out the BeachBody on Demand program. There is a 14-day trial that you can use to see if you like it.

I didn’t really use the trial, either, lol. I pretty much just signed up immediately.

But I already had Body Beast, and maybe that was my downfall and why I never used this program. Womp womp.

And I have had it for two years now, but cut it off before my yearly renewal was up.

Is the $99 BeachBody Fee Worth It?

$99 is a very reasonable fee for this type of program. (However, as explained above, it isn’t if I’m not using it.)

If you’re looking for a good workout program with lots of options, this is a good one to at least give a trial for and see what you think.

These are my opinions and my experience.

I think you should always decide what is right for yourself when reading others’ reviews, while noting the pros and cons of each and determining if that is a deal-breaker or deal-maker for you.

Do you have more questions about the program and its functionality that I can help answer? Did this help you make your decision on whether to sign up? Please let me know in the comments! (I love feedback!)

As always, I hope this was helpful, thanks for being here, and God Bless!!

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