Core De Force Review – What You Need to Know (& Photos)
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I wanted to add in some cardio, so I decided on Core De Force’s full body MMA workouts! The whole calendar is 30 days, and you don’t need any equipment — super convenient!! Below I review the workouts and share the amazing Core de Force results (with before and after pictures) below!
What is Core De Force?
Beachbody’s Core de Force is a 30-day mixed martial arts program created by Joel Freeman and Jericho McMatthews. Each workout is a mix of kickboxing, Muay Thai, and interval training to burn a ton of calories and increase muscle definition.
Who should try it?
People who want to:
- lose weight
- gain lean, toned muscle
- improve their midsection
- feel super challenged in their workout
- learn more about mixed martial arts
- try high-intensity workouts
- get in a workout under an hour and see results
- use their own body as their resistance and workout
How long is Core de Force?
It’s a 30-day program, and the workouts are 30-45 minutes long. You’ll workout 6 days a week, and the 7th day is an active recovery day.
I recommend doing 2 rounds because you’ll be stronger and able to go harder in your 2nd round. I know for me after I did the strength workouts for the first time, I had to modify everything. As I got stronger, I could do a little more each time.
Your Core De Force Workouts & Workout Lengths
There are 3 Types of Workouts:
- Cardio: Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai combinations
- Strength: Bodyweight training that sculpts and tones
- Recovery: Stretch and replenish your body for the next week
The program includes 16 unique workouts:
- Speed (27 minutes) – 6 Rounds of High-Intensity Cardio.
- Shred (37 minutes) – 9 Rounds of High-Intensity Cardio.
- Power (47 minutes) – 12 Rounds of High-Intensity Cardio.
- Plyo (47 minutes) – The mack daddy workout with 12 rounds of jumping Cardio.
- Power Sculpt (36 minutes) – It’s a total body strength workout that again uses your own body weight to shred out lean muscle.
- Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – This workout left me sore for days. It’s total body strength routines using just your body weight.
- Active Recovery Recharge (21 minutes) – This workout is pretty easy, but it’s still worth doing. It focuses on form and technique to reduce muscle soreness.
- Relief (5 minutes) – This stretch workout is a quick way to extend your cool down if you’re feeling stiff.
- Core Kinetics (15 minutes) – This is a no-joke ab workout that activates the whole core.
- 5 Min Core On the Floor (5 minutes) – It’s a killer ab workout with no rest.
- MMA Mash-Up (25 minutes) – It’s a bonus workout that includes the best from the cardio and strength workouts.
- Speed 2.0 (27 minutes) – MMA Speed intensified with fresh combinations and more intense cardio spikes
- Shred 2.0 (37 minutes) – Includes fresh Muay Thai combinations to get into fighting shape fast!
- Agility Strength (37 minutes) – This workout includes fast footwork to improve your agility and coordination.
- Agility Power Grab (27 minutes) – The agility ladder challenges your coordination and agility once again for a max calorie burn!
- MMA Kick Butt (37 minutes) – Such a great lower body workout to challenge your legs and butt.
CORE DE FORCE RESULTS
Here are just a few Core de Force Before and After shots!
Each of these Core de Force before and after pictures motivate me so much! You’ll see each woman above did 3 rounds as well.
What’s included in Core de Force?
This workout program was originally on DVD, but now it’s exclusively on Beachbody on Demand to stream. We did a full article on streaming your workout with Beachbody on Demand you may like, but if you’re used to streaming anything – it’s super easy to use!
With Beachbody on Demand you receive digital access to::
- All 16 Core de Force Workouts
- Quick Start Guide
- Eating Plan
- Food Tracker
- 30 Day Workout Calendar
- Deluxe Calendar
- Hybrid Calendar
- Online support from your coach (like us!)
- With Beachbody on Demand, you’ll also get access to 45+ other Beachbody programs too like Morning Meltdown 100, LIIFT4, 10 Rounds, and 80 Day Obsession!
Ordering Options:
We personally use and reviewed Shakeology (fav flavor is chocolate) and the workout supplements.
OTHER FAQs
Is it set to music like Les Mills Body Combat?
The workouts have music, but unlike Body Combat – it’s not set to music.
Is there a modifier?
Yes! I’ve seen the modifier in a sneak peek, and she is awesome. She is a real person that is doing the best she can and hasn’t hit her goal weight yet. I love being able to workout with someone that is so genuine like that.
Is it low-impact?
Each workout is customizable, and each move also includes a low-impact option. I did the low-impact options to protect my knees, and I still burned a ton of calories and felt challenged. Also, Joel has had knee and back problems due to past exercises so this is set up as safe and customized as possible. So while there may be some high impact moves it isn’t the full workout program, and you can also modify the jumping moves.
What equipment do I need?
You just need your body and about 6 feet of room to workout for this program!!
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How many calories burned during Core de Force?
Everyone is different, but I burned anywhere from 100 calories with the short recovery workouts to 400 with MMA Plyo! I tracked my calories burned with my Apple Watch.
Who are Joel and Jericho? Are they married?
You might know Joel Freeman and Jericho McMatthews from previous Les Mills Pump workouts. The duo were my favorite trainers, and when Beachbody and Les Mills went their separate ways Joel and Jericho went to Beachbody! Also, they are both married, but they aren’t married to each other. (We actually interviewed Breanne, Joel’s wife recently!)
Where can I buy Core de Force?
You can order it online from any Beachbody Coach! If you’d like me to be your coach make sure it says, Kalee Dillard is your coach when you checkout. If it doesn’t you can look me up with the coach ID 1001548.
Core de Force vs 21 Day Fix
We love the 21 Day Fix. It includes such a great variety of workouts, and my before and after results were amazing. While I love both programs, they are very different from each other.
Core de Force is typically longer workouts and requires no weights. 21 Day Fix is 30 minutes, and you need weights or bands.
The meal plans for both programs are very similar. I personally stuck with Ultimate Portion Fix versus the Core de Force Meal Plan.
Either workout will give you results. If you’re struggling to get in an hour workout, I’d suggest the 21 Day Fix or T25 instead.
You might also like: T25 vs Insanity Max 30 vs P90X3: Which is Better?
My Core de Force Review: What’s the Real Story?
As a Beachbody coach, some workouts excite me more than others. This workout had me super excited to try, and it didn’t let me down!
The MMA Workouts and Strength Routines are Tough.
I was sweating like crazy during the cardio workouts, and my muscles were challenged in a brand new way during the strength workouts. I know the program has core in the name, but I couldn’t believe the amount of work my abs and lower back got! They are so much stronger after just one 30-day round.
The Core Workouts
You won’t be doing crunches every day, though. Besides a crunch with a hook or uppercut, I really don’t feel like I did crunches or sit-ups at all.
The secret to improving your core strength with the workouts is a lot of standing rotation moves, planks, and challenging push-ups. The combination of the three moves has your entire core fired up and working hard.
It’s also a great workout if you have Diastasis Recti.
If you’ve had a baby and had abdominal separation, you know how frustrating it can be to improve your midsection. Crunches and traditional abdominal moves actually can cause the separation to be more pronounced, but the core training in this program focuses on the whole core which means it can help improve diastasis recti.
Strength Workouts
For me, I felt like the strength workouts were the hardest. You are doing a lot of pushups, planks, and then lower body moves. My heart-rate was up during the strength workouts too especially with those lower body moves. So I burned just as many calories on strength days as my cardio workouts.
I thought it would get old.
I really thought the 3-minute rounds would get old, but they didn’t. Each time I do a workout I learn a little more and get a little stronger so I can do more. It’s a great workout if you’re wanting to lose weight and/or achieve that lean look. Since there aren’t any weights – don’t expect to bulk up or anything.
This workout will give you strong, lean muscle mass.
If you want to gain muscle mass, these workouts aren’t for you. You might prefer LIIFT4, Hammer & Chisel or Body Beast for muscle mass. In contrast, this Beachbody program is designed to give you a longer, leaner look.
If you’re a new mom, you’ll love Jericho.
She is a tough cookie! She had her first baby in 2015, and she immediately started shooting these workouts just 90 days after.
Are you as excited about these MMA style workouts now?
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Hi I literally just saw the advertisement for this program and I have always been a fan of kickboxing i am super pumped about starting this program ONLY problem is I just finished a 2 months worth of physical therapy due to my patella being out of place… Will these videos be as harsh on the knees as T 25? which is one of the programs I was doing when my knee finally gave out again… Again because I have had knee problems for over 10 years now and my Dr said T 25 was way to harsh on knees. I am basically looking for something that I could do that won’t risk me needing a new knee… ???? thank you!!!
Hey Devon! I totally understand and don’t want you tearing anything up! It does have some jumping it in, but you can modify those moves. I modify the jumps without any problems. The main concern I have is that with kickboxing you’re going to do need to pivot your feet between moves like a cross, jab, hook, and upper cut. There is a video before each workout you can watch to see proper form, but a lot of time people have a hard time knowing how to pivot….and it’s hard to do on carpet as well. With that said, you could always order the base kit with the workouts, see what you think and send them back if you think it’s not a good fit…they have a 30 day refund policy but you’d be out the shipping. Have you looked at P90 or Body Beast before? Body beast is going to require equipment but it’s strength based.
Looks like a great fitness program as long as you don’t expect those punches to work!
Is the workout program good for postpartum, specifically someone dealing with diastasis recti and breastfeeding?
Hey Megan! Congrats on the new baby!! Both programs are so different from one another. The program uses all body weight (no weights), and the workouts are longer (a couple are 25 but it ranges between 25-47). On strength days you’ll be doing a lot of squats, kickboxing moves, and push ups/planks. Their meal plans are really similar though.
If I was 8 months post baby, I would suggest going with a 30 day round then mix in 21 Day Fix because Core de Force is all about getting those abdominal muscles and core tighter. Does that make sense?
Where you looking at the base program or the challenge pack? If so (and if you have good Internet) – you might actually like the All Access Beachbody Streaming Pass because it allows you to stream EVERY Beachbody workout for a year. Plus it gives you access to the new workouts in 2017. It’s about $40-60 more depending on the option you were looking at. I’m happy to help you get all set up if you want with any option. :) Just let me know :)
These sound like such great full body workouts!! I need to try them out!
WOW those workouts sound intense (and effective!) I love workouts that combine cardio + toning moves like this!
I think I just saw a commercial for these. I love the body weight exercises and these look tough and sweaty
Love workouts like these- I always underestimate them and then am drenched in sweat!
I enjoy the MMA type workouts. Combat was one of my favorites. I’ve heard really good things about this program.
This was on my list to do with my hubby before I fell in love with barre last month and he decided to up his running again with marathon training starting earlier than usual. Still on my list though for when we do another workout program together which we haven’t done since Insanity Max 30 other than me doing 21 Day Extreme and him joining in some days. We still rotate some of our favorite videos that work for both 1-2 times a week.
This MMA workout looks wicked fun and challenging. Those results are incredible. Thanks for the all-access pass to try a few out!
I’ve been doing these workouts and am a big fan of the round workouts. I design similar kickboxing workouts like these but I love that they mix in a cardio burst. Geez, some of those burst sure get your heart pumping. Great solid program here.
Always interesting to learn about new workouts! I’ve been sticking to my Bodypump and Bodyflow at the gym for a while now.
I usually stay on top of new BB releases. How have I missed this one? It sounds awesome. Too bad about Les Mills. Loved their workouts.
Wow! This sounds totally awesome, I can’t wait to give it a try!!
I love how you said the core strength came even more from the standing rotations and other non-isolated ab moves than sit ups or crunches! That is so true!
i have always enjoying kickboxing and this sounds like a perfect program focusing on that.
Wow. This looks like an awesome workout. A lot of fun and one that will kick your butt!!
It is great learning about Core de Force! I love learning about new workouts, and this one looks really fantastic. I am sure it kicks butt and also has incredible results. Yay!
Hello! I have a question!!!!!
The deluxe kit brings new workouts but there aren’t in the calendar so when do I do them?????
There is a Deluxe Calendar that includes them :) If you look around the middle of the post, you’ll see the basic calendar. Under it is a link to the printable Deluxe kit calendar. Does that help?
I love this program. I’m on my second round of the hybrid calendar. I highly recommend purchasing a punching bag and gloves to supplement the workout. I wonder if anyone else has tried this.