There aren’t many fitness programs out there that you can find that weren’t already bought up by BeachBody. Not everyone is a fan of the fitness company, so you might be looking for other options. Now, you can try out one of the latest programs that is gathering a lot of steam, and the only cost on this program is your standard fitness equipment, food and supplements. The program is called LiveFit, and it was developed by Jamie Eason.
LiveFit Creator Jamie Eason
If Eason’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the fitness enthusiast has made the rounds in the media for many years. Eason was a former cheerleader for the first year of the Houston Texans football team. Eason had to give up her dream of being a cheerleader after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and found herself out of shape. Eason decided to turn it around and joined a gym, though she wasn’t fond of the results and started working with a professional nutritionist to build muscle.
Eason then got involved with fitness competitions, and was hired by Bodybuilding.com, where she has become one of the most popular names on the website. The 40 year old has had two children and a fight with breast cancer, but still looks incredible thanks to her routine. Now, she is sharing the secrets through the LiveFit program that many have tried.
The Phases of LiveFit
Eason has stated that LiveFit is a program that people of all shapes and sizes can perform, and it also involves a nutrition plan to get you the body that you’ve wanted. LiveFit itself runs over the course of 12 weeks, and is broken down into three phases. Each of the phases focuses on the three aspects of training, nutrition and supplements. Here is what the main focus is on in each phase:
Phase One – Weight training and clean eating to lose significant weight at first by building up strength. The first two weeks involved three consecutive days of rest before going down to two days of rest per week in the final two weeks. These first two weeks also involve chest and triceps workouts, then back and biceps, then legs and calves then delts and abs. The final two weeks take away that day of rest and add a leg day.
Phase Two – Introducing more cardio workouts and a focus on limiting carbohydrates to efficiently burn fat. This phase has just one day of rest per week through all four weeks. The first week of the phase involved five days of cardio, followed by three days of cardio during the final three weeks. Despite the focus on cardio, you still also work out your back, chest, arms, delts and legs throughout the month.
Phase Three – Continuing to eat clean and back to a focus on building muscle to finish off your transformation. Like phase two, there are only four days of rest. Unlike phase two, though, there are five days during the phase where you are encouraged to eat a lot of carbohydrates, and the first week is a balance in carbs, while the rest are low carb days. There is also a mix of all workouts from cardio to legs, backs and chests.
Getting Started
Thankfully, Eason provides all of the materials for LiveFit so that you don’t have to purchase any plans, and even has details for every single workout. These workouts take up to an hour, and involve one minute of rest between each set. Here is what you can expect on the first day of the LiveFit program:
The Workout
Day one focuses on chests and triceps muscles, with six exercises that involve three sets of 12 reps each. The workouts are:
- Wide Push-Ups
- Flat Bench Cable Flys
- Narrow Push-Ups
- Dumbbell Bench Presses
- Triceps Push-Downs
- Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Eating
Most meal plans tell you exactly how many calories you need to eat, but LiveFit only offers up suggestions based on whether you are male or female. The main suggestions that Eason makes are that you drink a lot of water, take a multivitamin each day and a calcium supplement. As for food, Eason also says that you should have a tablespoon of fish oil or flaxseed every day and eat a meal every three hours.
The first phase outlines that you should not be eating any carbs three hours or less before you go to sleep, and that you don’t eat fruit more than twice per day. Here is a breakdown of the food you will eat during the first phase in your many meals:
Breakfast
- Five Egg Whites
- Vegetables (Unlimited through the entire phase)
- One Serving of Starch
Mid-Morning
- Vegetables
- Turkey Muffins (Get used to these)
Lunch
- Six Ounces of Lean Meat
- Vegetables
- One Serving of Starch
Mid-Afternoon
- Turkey Muffins (Yes, again)
- Vegetables
Dinner
- Six Ounces of Lean Meat
- Vegetables
- One Serving of Starch
Evening
- Five Egg Whites
- Vegetables
Supplements
While the LiveFit exercise and eating plans are offered for free by BodyBuilding, it is a website that is trying to make money, after all. That’s where the supplements come in, and Eason suggests getting her signature series of multivitamins for maximum results. There are several different supplements that she offers depending on your needs (gender, digestion issues, etc.). There is the multivitamin, anti-bloat, krill oil and more. You don’t necessarily need to take these supplements and can use your own, though the trainer herself wouldn’t encourage it. To give you an idea on the cost, the LiveFit combination of vitamins costs more than $115 through the entire phase.
Food
One thing that people always want to know when it comes to a workout plan is what they get to eat, and how much of it. Get ready to go shopping quite frequently if you are going through the LiveFit 12 week program as the shopping list is fairly long. Here is an example of what you can expect to pick up from the store for just a few day’s worth.
Oils (Used Sparingly)
- Coconut or Sunflower Oil
Fatty Proteins (½ Serving Per Meal)
- Avocados
- Walnuts
- Salmon
- Coconut
Lean Proteins (Several 6-10 Ounce Portions Per Week)
- Cod
- Mahi Mahi
- Egg Whites
- Chicken Breast
- London Broil
- Turkey
- Bison
- Shellfish
Flours
- Chickpea or Rice Flour
Sweeteners
- Applesauce
- Stevia
- Coconut Sugar
Fruits
- Berries
- Bananas
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Apples
- Mangos
- Oranges
And that’s just a small sample, as there will be much more than that, but you can see that your shopping list would be pretty extensive throughout the week. If you’re not extremely dedicated or have the resources to purchase a lot of groceries each week, this might not be the program for you.
What People Are Saying
Looking at Eason, you can tell that she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to the proper nutrition and exercise to get into great shape, but what about the average person that isn’t quite dedicated to a life in fitness? Not all people were able to stick to the exact plan, with the biggest complaint being that workouts can sometimes be up to two hours at six times a week. That’s a lot of time to dedicate, so be prepared.
Most that went through the program did say that they were able to build muscle and trim fat by staying mostly on the plan, though there can be some nagging aches if you aren’t used to lifting in the gym. A lot of people also said that they avoided using the expensive supplements offered, instead taking their own and seeing significant results regardless. The negatives about the LiveFit program haven’t been glaring compared to some of the other ones out there.
Final Word
If you are looking to get into great shape and build a lot of muscle, then the LiveFit program is definitely something that you will want to try out. That also means that you have to be willing to put in the time and dedication both in the kitchen and the gym, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. What makes this program so much more enticing compared to others is the fact that you don’t have to buy anything upfront from the program itself.
There are no fitness DVDs on sale, just the optional supplements. Each exercise has a video tutorial in case you feel that you are doing it wrong, and the resources are second to none. Eason updates the LiveFit program on a weekly basis, providing plenty of recipes along the way so you don’t feel that you’re eating the same thing over and over.
Those that are looking just to drop a few pounds without having to stress about lifting weights regularly might want to opt for something more cardio-focused, but this will have an overall better effect on your body. All in all, it’s hard not to recommend this program as it offers so many free resources and has produced a lot of positive results for those that made it all the way through.