You've Heard All About BBG From Kayla Itsines, but Does It Actually Work?

You've been following Kayla Itsines on Instagram for forever. You've seen the before and afters. But you're still wondering, can you have weight-loss success with BBG? Does this work for everyone?

BBG (Bikini Body Guide) is Kayla Itsines's comprehensive 12-week training program that includes an exercise and diet plan. The Australian trainer launched this program in PDF form, but today you can also access BBG on the SWEAT app with the addition of a new program called BBG Stronger that incorporates weights and gym machines. So how and why does this program work? Here's some insight from women who have had success on this program, with tips on how it could work for you.

With straightforward, quick 28-minute workouts, you have the power to transform your body and get stronger than ever.

We asked dozens of women at Kayla's Sweat Tour last year what their favorite part about the program was, and nearly all of them sung the praises of the workouts' brevity. "It's only 28 minutes!" was a popular answer.

Because it's so short and you can do the workouts at home, it allows millions of women to fit it into their busy lives. The BBG program also incorporates tons of bodyweight work, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing women with limited amounts of equipment to get going on their fitness journeys without needing to sink tons of cash into new gear.

The program combines high-intensity interval training and LISS (low-intensity sustained state) for an effective burn. HIIT has a huge impact on weight loss, while LISS is a great way to keep the calories burning while you recover. The result? Stronger bodies, more fat loss, and higher endurance.

Kayla's BBG workouts are HARD, and they're not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, there's a pretraining program that helps beginners prep their bodies for the style of exercise they'll encounter on the 12-week journey. Women told us that they couldn't do a single sit-up when they started the program, but little by little they built strength and eventually could whip themselves up faster then they ever could before, all thanks to BBG.

"In the past, I had seen transformation pictures on Kayla Itsines's page but never felt like the program was for me since I mostly saw smaller girls getting fit," Julie Ana Kim told POPSUGAR. Julie began combating obesity on her quest to get healthy and started with personal training and BBG. "One day, I was scrolling through her page and saw a girl whose before picture looked somewhat like me. . . . I felt connected to her and felt that if she could do it, then so could I. I immediately bought the guide and started pretraining. I chose to stick with BBG because I saw the results fairly quickly, and I knew it worked because I saw all the transformations."

Joanne Encarnacion, another BBG user and fitness influencer, told POPSUGAR, "I love how BBG was great for any fitness level, whether you were a beginner or a seasoned athlete. The intensity level was based on how hard you wanted to push for yourself."

Julie Ana's progress so far — just one of the thousands of before-and-after progress photos you'll find from BBG.

Even Kayla herself told POPSUGAR that the best part of BBG is the connected community, women from all over the world encouraging and empowering one another. And the community agrees — it's what makes this workout program so much more than a workout program.

"The greatest thing was the community," said Joanne. "The community of women I've met along the way, who not only were into the same workout program . . . but essentially we were all focused on one goal: bettering our lives through health and fitness."

"BBG is a great workout for women who not only want to get fit but also build community," said Shannon Michelle, longtime BBG user and trainer. "The support of other like-minded women helps to motivate and inspire us to be the best version of ourselves. I even made a best friend through the program who keeps me on my A game!"

If you've ever been afraid of going to the gym because you have no idea what to do, you're absolutely not alone. BBG essentially teaches you how to work out, use weights, and create your own circuit routines so you can hit the gym, feel confident, and get a great sweat session. With the new BBG Stronger program, Kayla will take this one step further, teaching women how to use machines.

"BBG takes the stress out of going to the gym and wondering what to do," Mickey Morgado told POPSUGAR. "All you need to do is start the timer and follow the guides! I especially love to do BBG workouts when I know I'm running short on time and I need an effective workout."

By empowering you to hit the gym more confidently, BBG gives you the tools you need to live a healthier and more active life, with or without the program. And that — the education and empowerment — is what makes a program effective!