Muscle Burns Fat review – not from a coach!
Note: I’m in no way affiliated with Beachbody On Demand. I’m not a Beachbody coach, I’ve just set myself a goal of getting through as many of the Beachbody workouts as I can. So far I’ve done Barre Blend, 21-Day Fix , 80 Day Obsession and 30 Day Breakaway.
After finishing 30 Day Breakaway I was on the hunt for a new Beachbody workout that would continue the extra strength and endurance gains I made doing 30 Day Breakaway. I also wanted a program with some cardio because I really feel it lifts my mood. The Muscle Burn Fat reviews I read were mainly positive so I decided to give the program a go. Read on for my completely honest Muscle Burns Fat review.
What is Muscle Burns Fat?
Muscle Burns Fat (also called #MBF) is a 3 week workout program streamed on the Beachbody on Demand service. Each workout is around 30 mins per day and you workout 7 days a week (although Sundays are a recovery workout called Dynamic Recovery).
The idea is that you follow #MBF with #MBFA – aka Muscle Burns Fat Advanced. #MBFA is another 3 week program which is more intense with more advanced moves and longer workouts (around 40 minutes each).
What are the Muscle Burns Fat workouts like?
#MBF is very similar to CrossFit. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the MBF workouts are strength training using weights. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for cardio /core work using a cordless jump rope. Saturday workouts includes EMOMs (Every Minute on the Minute) where you have a minute to go hard and complete a certain amount of reps. You rest for a brief period of time and then do it again. I found the EMOMs to be very challenging – my legs were killing me afterwards. Almost every workout uses a bod rope which is Beachbody’s branded cordless jump rope. Luckily Sundays are for recovery workouts. The #MBF calendar is:
Monday: Lower Body Burn
Tuesday: Core Circuit
Wednesday: Upper Body Burn
Thursday: Core Circuit
Friday: Full Body Burn
Saturday: Power Ignite
Sunday: Dynamic Recovery
You can watch a full sample #MBF Muscle Burns Fat workout here:
Pros of #MBF
√ It is one of the few Beachbody programs set to music (although the music is original, so don’t expect to be working out to familiar songs).
√ Muscle Burns Fat Works every part of the body.
√ Each workout is capped at around 30 minutes which is awesome if like me, you only have limited time to workout.
√ The trainer Megan Davies get straight to the point in each workout with minimal chatter so you are not standing around waiting for the next exercise to begin. I really appreciated this as I like to go hard and just get the workout over and done with.
√ Each day is a different workout which keeps things somewhat interesting and challenging.
√ There is a modifier who does a less intense version of each move.
√ The use of the cordless jump rope is different and fun.
√ You’re encouraged to track your weights to see how your strength improves over time which I found motivating.
√ The Dynamic Recovery workouts on Sunday felt amazing.
√ The cast are a diverse bunch and refreshingly, they are not all size 0.
√ I loved that there was a follow on workout to do – #MBFA.
√ It’s hard not to like the trainer Megan Davies. She’s not over the top but definitely still motivating.
Cons of #MBF
X Working out 7 days a week is a bit much for me. I prefer to have one complete rest day a week.
X All the lunges and jumping around in muscle burns fat is hard on the knees, even if you do follow the modifier.
X Some of the moves involve “racing the clock”(doing as many reps as you can in a short-time frame). This does seem like a recipe for a potential injury and I did feel like my form definitely suffered.
X The program needs more onscreen counters so you can tell how long you have to go on each rep.
X It would be helpful if the trainer Megan provided more guidance on the weights you should use for each move. It wasn’t that helpful to know which weights she was using as she could obviously lift way heavier than me. I would have liked it if she asked the cast what size weights they were using.
X Some of the moves felt overly complicated. They combined multiple muscle groups (for example, bicep curls with back rows) to the point I wasn’t even sure what I was supposed to be focusing on.
X You aren’t going to significantly improve your upper body doing #MBF. Megan’s upper arms are goals but it is pretty obvious she does more than just #MBF or #MBFA to get those impressive results.
X Muscle Burns Fat was filmed during COVID so the cast members are on zoom. All the different screens were a bit distracting. However I’ve read that some people loved seeing the cast on Zoom in their home set-up as it made the workouts seem more real. It would have been good if there was an option to only see Megan or Megan and the modifier and block out the rest of the zoom cast.
X Beachbody on Demand is a MLM and they definitely push their Shakeology shakes, nutrition bars etc. You can of course ignore this and just focus on the workouts.
For the pros and cons of Beachbody in general, see my Beachbody on Demand review.
#MBF FAQs
Does muscle really burn fat?
The #MBF program promises to “help you build muscle, burn fat, and turn your body into a calorie-scorching machine”.
No, it is a total myth that muscle burns fat.
What equipment do you need to do #MBF?
- light, medium and heavy weights
- bod rope – which is a cordless jump rope
- thick workout mat.
How can I do #MBF without a bod rope?
You could always do the program just pretending you have a jump rope. Alternatively, you could also just substitute the jump rope moves for any HIIT moves. However I don’t recommend doing this. It is the bod rope that is part of what makes #MBF so unique. Getting the hang of a bod rope takes a bit of practice, but once you master it, it becomes a lot of fun. Plus it really is a good upper arm workout.
I didn’t want to buy Beachbody’s bod rope so I just bought a cheapie from Amazon.
Is #MBF good for beginners?
I’m not going to lie- I found #MBF to be very challenging and I don’t consider myself to be terribly unfit. I don’t think it is suitable for complete beginners – especially those with bad knees! Even Beachbody have designated #MBF as an intermediate to advance program. There is a modifier for each workout who does a lower impact version of each move which helps somewhat but I still think you would need to be at least somewhat fit before embarking on #MBF.
For complete beginners, I’d recommend 21 Day Fix.
Also, the idea is that you complete #MBF followed by #MBFA but you could also do a couple of rounds of #MBF before progressing to #MBFA.
Is #MBF a HIIT Workout?
Yes, the cardio workouts that include EMOMs (Every Minute on the Minute) where you have a minute to complete a certain amount of reps are an excellent HIIT Workout.
Can I just skip straight to #MBFA if I am very fit?
You might be tempted to just skip ahead to #MBFA if you are very fit however #MBFA builds on the moves you have already learnt in #MBF. At the very least I would recommend watching some of the basic form videos before attempting #MBFA.
Will I bulk up on the #MBF program?
No, the #MBF program is designed to get you lean and toned. Even though Megan looks very buff in #MBF, it is pretty obvious she does a lot of additional lifting on the side.
So did I lose any weight doing #MBF?
The scales didn’t move for me after I completed #MBF but my clothes definitely fit a bit better and I felt leaner and stronger. If weight loss results are your main goal, you’d probably need to do #MBF in conjunction with a weight loss/ restricted eating program. Beachbody does recommend that you follow one of their nutritional programs (the 2B mindset or the Ultimate Portion Fix) while doing #MBF. You could of course just follow your own diet program.
Overall I would totally recommend #MBF
One of the great things about Beachbody on Demand is that they always seem to be working hard to keep their programs fresh and fun. I loved the way they incorporated the Bod Rope into each workout and I also loved the mixture of cardio with strength training.
I ended the program feeling stronger, with more defined abs and upper arms. Doing the program was a great way to increase my endurance and push myself.
And finding 30 mins a day to work out was do-able for me.
Courtney has a passion for all things fitness on a budget. She loves home workouts and trying out different fitness gear.
