Daily Burn

I think I may have fried my brain, because I was trying to come up with a clever title, and everything witty is escaping me. For the past month, I have been giving Daily Burn, an online workout program, an honest try.

First, what is Daily Burn? I could call it a very chill, accepting cult where people talk other people into getting in shape. But that also defines CrossFit. What’s different about Daily Burn is all the workouts are online. You can do them at home, or in the gym (probably preferably if you are alone in the gym, which never happens), or anywhere you can stream videos. There are THOUSANDS of workouts to choose from. All kinds of workouts, too, from yoga and mobility to weight training and kickboxing. Every workout I’ve tried so far also offers several modifications to follow for your personal fitness level.

The main programs I tried during my trial month were Tactical Bodyweight Training (TBT), Mobility workouts with trainer Gregg Cook, Live to Fail (LTF), the 365 workouts, and even True Beginner. TBT was the hardest for me, as I tweaked my shoulder during my first week with Daily Burn. Bodyweight training is great until your body can’t support your weight… I tried True Beginner because I felt maybe it could give me modifications for my knees (and then shoulder), but the Mobility program hit those problem areas perfectly. LTF is the main weight/strength training module, which left me shaking on more than one occasion.

The 365 workouts are a great idea and added bonus for Daily Burn members. In addition to all the programs they offer, Daily Burn does live workouts every weekday, and live workout encores over the weekend. They rotate trainers, and as far as I can tell, they have quite a few regular trainers. But what got me about 365 was how they incorporate community into the program. You can watch the workout live, and even interact with others during the workout or before. The head guy always gives a motivational and inspirational talk before the workouts. And they invite members, not paid trainers with rock hard bodies, but regular members to join them in the studio to workout.

This is very close to the idea of the CrossFit community. I joined the facebook group and regularly talk to other members about health and fitness stuff. I told them about my arthritis, and received tons of supportive feedback. And I have about thirty or so members following me for Burpee-ary. It’s a great group.

With so much to choose from, great, relatable trainers, and a super supportive community, what is there NOT to like about Daily Burn?

The answer is not much. Daily Burn fits in great with my ZooFit lifestyle. It’s fun, reinforcing, enriching, and (even though they don’t focus on it) it is more environmental than going to most gyms. It eliminates the two biggest complaints about joining a gym- I don’t have time (there are dozens if not hundreds of workouts 15 minutes or less) and I don’t have the money (Daily Burn is only about $20 a month). You don’t get more convenient than streaming a workout from your home computer, iPhone, or television. And streaming a workout from a smart device is a lot more environmental than using cardio equipment at a gym.

I also do sorta like that Daily Burn doesn’t offer merchandise, much to the chagrin of many members. I admit, I would totally buy a Daily Burn tank top, or a water bottle, or something. But I respect Daily Burn for not hawking wares and taking away from what we are there for- TO WORKOUT!!! Plus, their products would increase their carbon footprint- it would likely be wrapped in plastic (and annoy me to no end). Shipping products, making products- it all has an impact.

But the one downside to Daily Burn is pretty specific to me and my region. For most people, especially those in a big city, Daily Burn gets them away from big box gyms and corporations. This is a good thing, actually. Big box gyms don’t care about their members. They care about their sales. On Whidbey Island, however, all the gyms are locally owned. They are all small businesses. For the last couple of years, Chris and I always paid for a membership at a local gym during the winter. This year, we had Daily Burn. Not that the gym was depending on our membership (or maybe it was, I don’t know), but in this instance, Daily Burn definitely took our business from a local vendor.

But other than that little detail, I honestly don’t have anything not to like about Daily Burn.

There is a new app (developed by none other than Thor himself) which launches tomorrow. I have signed up for Centr for one month, and look forward to comparing it to Daily Burn. It’s going to be a hard sell, as I’ve already cancelled another online program because they couldn’t compete with DB. But, I mean, it’s Thor. So, if nothing else, I might have some nice eye candy for the next month. Plus, Chris sent me a personal email. Yeah, we’re tight like that, I don’t even need to say his last name.

If you are starting off on your fitness journey, I agree whole-heartedly it is better to get some guidance. But if you can’t go the route of personal training, or CrossFit, or expensive athletic club memberships, give online programs a shot. There are dozens of apps available for free, and Daily Burn (and Centr for that matter) is really inexpensive. Give them a try, and watch your fitness take off!