Independent Fitbod Bodybuilding Review: User Results

You’re ready to build muscle and build it fast.

You found an app called Fitbod.

It promise a shortcut to big gains with personalized workouts. But you wonder how well it works for bodybuilding.

After all, you don’t want to pay for the wrong app and lift heavy weights for months for nothing. So you Google “Fitbod review” and you get 370,000 results in 0.56 seconds. Ugh.

Why this review is different

The problem is most reviews don’t focus on Fitbod for bodybuilding. Many are more like first impressions, and don’t show you actual results with before and after photos. You can also find plenty of reviews on Fitbod’s website, but those aren’t independent.

For this review, I searched Google and Reddit for reviews from real lifters who have used Fitbod to build muscle mass. I included their before and after photos (when they posted them publicly). I also included reviews from people who tried both Fitbod and our own bodybuilding app, Dr. Muscle.

Dr. Muscle is like Fitbod, but focused on building muscle and transforming your body. It’s also more advanced (and more expensive). Since I built this app, you could say I’m in a good position to discuss reviews of Fitbod for bodybuilding. But should you really listen to me?

Related:

Should you really listen to me?

It depends. On the one hand, I’ve been a lifter and a coach for 20 years, and a trainer for the Canadian Forces. I have a B.Sc in exercise science and a PhD in health statistics (epidemiology). I’ve helped about 10,000 people get in shape 1-on-1, in group classes, and online. And I walk the walk, being in decent shape myself (that’s me above in the before-and-after photo).

On the other hand, full disclosure: in 2016, I finished my PhD, gathered a small team, and started building Dr. Muscle. Since we compete with Fitbod, you might expect me to bash them. Frankly, I won’t. I’ll just show you what I found and let you decide for yourself if you should trust Fitbod to help you gain muscle and bulk up.

One last point: I’m quite familiar with Fitbod, as I wrote my own Fitbod Workout App Review a few months back. But this time, we’ll focus on user reviews (with before and after photos).

Fair enough? Let’s get into real Fitbod reviews, before and after results of users who actually tried Fitbod for bodybuilding, and 3 other bodybuilding apps as potential alternatives.

FITBOD APP REVIEW & ALTERNATIVE—IN A NUTSHELL
In case you’re in a hurry, here are the highlights of my review:

- Many users praise Fitbod, saying it helped them get in shape and lose fat.

- But Fitbod seems to fall short when it comes to bodybuilding. One reviewer said: “I used this app a few years ago and it made me lose a bunch of weight, like 50 pounds. I never visually saw an increase in muscle mass. I used the app for about a year or so.”

- Digging deeper, it looks like this is because Fitbod changes exercises too often for optimal gains.

So while Fitbod is a great fitness app, I feel Dr. Muscle is the superior choice for serious bodybuilders who want to get in top shape. I will go over why in this article.

Does Fitbod Work for Real People?

Yes. Fitbod can help weightlifters gain muscle mass and trim fat with consistent use.

Actual Fitbod Bodybuilding Results

Read real reviews from Fitbod app users about their bodybuilding results:

“The app doesn’t give you gains, you do. Fitbod is just a matter of tracking what you do. I have used the workouts that Fitbod provides and I like the way it always gives me new exercises and repeats the exercises I like to do more often.”

Xegano, Reddit User

“I used this app a few years ago and it made me lose a bunch of weight, like 50 pounds. I never visually saw an increase in muscle mass. I used the app for about a year or so. I know I’m the one that’s gonna be the one putting in the work for the gains but I just didn’t know if Fitbod did the best at creating the workouts geared for that.”

d3adlykitty, Reddit User

“I’ve been using the app for about a month, and I have found that I really dislike the timed intervals. I don’t use proper form because I’m so stressed out to do things on time. I feel like I am not able to focus on the proper muscle, I move around alot without really feeling like I’m doing anything.”

wiresalad, Reddit User

Fitbod Before and After Photos

M/25/5’11.5” [206lbs] 30 Days weight lifting using FitBod, having trouble seeing results

r/progresspics – M/25/5’11.5” [206lbs > ? = ?] 30 Days weight lifting using FitBod, having trouble seeing results

— Jacobmarksman275, Reddit User

— Doc4pupperz, Reddit User

Unfortunately, Fitbod has left many users wanting when it comes to bulking up. While weight loss seems to be easily achieved with the app, users often struggle to gain the muscle mass and definition they want.

Bodybuilding Science: What Actually Works to Build Muscle?

So, what does help you build muscle mass?

Proven Principles Behind Muscle Gain

The basic principle behind gaining muscle is to maximize the rate at which your body deposits protein while minimizing the breakdown of protein. This is similar to how fat loss works; to burn fat, one must simply use more calories than you take in. To gain muscle, one must take in more protein than you use (Kleiner, 2015). Learn more:

Hypertrophy Guidelines

Hypertrophy is the technical term for bodybuilding. To achieve maximum hypertrophy, one must use resistance training that comprises both metabolic stress and mechanical tension on the body. Protein can also be added to the diet to increase deposition (Michaela C. Devries, et al, 2015).

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests weight lifting novices begin with 8 to 12 repetitions of an exercise for 1 to 3 sets with 70−85% of one repetition maximum (1RM). For advanced bodybuilders, the ACSM suggests 3−6 sets of 1−12 repetitions of an exercise in 3 to 6 sets with 70−100% 1RM.

Does the Fitbod Bodybuilding App Deliver for Weightlifters?

Let’s take a look at how the Fitbod bodybuilding app delivers specifically for weightlifters, bodybuilders, and individuals looking for muscle gain.

Using Fitbod for Bulking and Building Muscle

Unfortunately, Fitbod may not be the best app to build muscle. It lacks the technology needed to automatically extend you past your comfort zones, and you must decide when it’s time to increase your weight, reps, or sets.

Try Dr. Muscle For Free And Get A Bodybuilding Program Customized Just For You

Using Fitbod for Weight Loss Instead of Bodybuilding

Fitbod is an excellent app when used to track workouts and promote weight loss if you’re less invested in muscle gain and definition.

Using Fitbod for Strength Training Instead of Bodybuilding

You can also use Fitbod to improve your overall strength if you’re not looking to bulk up as much as you are looking to get lean and fit.

Fitbod vs Other Bodybuilding Apps

Let’s compare Fitbod to other popular bodybuilding apps:

Strong

Both Strong and Fitbod can be used to diligently track workouts. Strong allows you to design your own individual fitness programs and store them in the app, but doesn’t make any recommendations for what should be next. You’ll need to decide on your own how far to push yourself each workout to get the desired results.

JEFIT

JEFIT is also a good app to track workouts, but it’s a little buggy when it comes to user experience. At $39.99 per year, JEFIT is affordable, but there’s also a limited free version available. Unfortunately, it lacks the focus on muscle building that most bodybuilders want out of a bulking app.

Dr. Muscle

Dr. Muscle uses the data you enter into the app with AI technology to develop customized workout plans for you that are designed to deliver faster results by 59%. It removes the guesswork from complicated fitness concepts like DUP or RPE and simply instructs you on what to do next. With Dr. Muscle, you are pushed just outside your comfort zone with each workout, which is where the most gains occur.

Dr. Muscle vs. Fitbod Reviews

“On Fitbod I was very skeptical there was any rational progression” -Bear

“After 3 months of Fitbod workouts I found my muscle content was down and fat percent was up” -Deniz

What You’ll Get While Bodybuilding Using Dr. Muscle
Progressive overload	Yes
Variation	Yes
Fatigue management	Yes
Individual specificity	Yes

Bottom line, I’m confident Dr. Muscle is the better option. It guides you through the entire bodybuilding process, and removes all the guesswork out of programming and progressions for muscular development. It guides you and teaches you along the way. Fitbod doesn’t do that.

FAQ

Is Fitbod good for muscle building?

Contrary to popular belief, Fitbod isn’t strictly a muscle-building app. It’s marketed as a fitness app and mixes strength training and cardio exercises into custom workouts that you design.

Does Fitbod really work?

Fitbod works well to help users track their workouts and lose weight. Its ability to help users bulk up and gain the maximum amount of muscle in the least amount of time is up for debate.

Is Fitbod worth the money for bodybuilders?

Many bodybuilders have been disappointed after paying for Fitbod and not getting the muscle gains they expected from the app. Users who expect weight loss versus bulking up tend to be more satisfied with the app.

Is there a better app than Fitbod for gaining muscle?

Great Fitbod alternatives specifically for building muscle include Strong and Dr. Muscle. Dr. Muscle is one of the only bodybuilding apps that harnesses the power of AI technology to ensure you are consistently working out at your max where muscle gain occurs.

What is the best app for building muscle?

Time and again, Dr. Muscle edges out the competition for the best app for building muscle. Bodybuilders enjoy its simple user interface and results-driven workout plans.

To sum it up, you can see from user reviews that Fitbod hasn’t put much focus on bodybuilding programs but excels in weight loss training. You need to work with a program that takes you by the hand, addresses issues such as: progressive overload, fatigue management, and daily undulating periodization.

Also, you need to use an app that creates a program based on your experience in training, equipment you have, and the goals you want to achieve. And that helps you get the desired results.

Dr. Muscle solves these hassles for you, it’s just like a personal trainer in your pocket. It uses AI to recommend the best program for you and guides you through the entire process.

Try Dr. Muscle For Free And Get A Bodybuilding Program Customized Just For You