8Fit Review – Come for the Workouts, Stay for the Meal Plan
Although I already have my shortlist of go-to fitness apps, I like to mix it up and try new things now and then to keep things fresh.
Sure enough, about mid-spring this year, I started itching for something different again. I’d had my eye on 8Fit for a while and so when they had a special offer on their annual plan, I snapped it up.
I’ve had about a month to try out their pro version and thought I would bring you this 8Fit review in case you’ve been curious about it!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and I am not in any way associated with 8Fit. These are just my honest thoughts after using the app.
**My blog posts contain affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one, I may make a commission (at no extra cost to you). Full disclaimer here.**
What is 8Fit?
8Fit is a fitness app headquartered in Berlin. The app offers a library of workout programs, meal plans, and even sleep meditations. It’s designed to be highly customizable so that you can find a daily plan that works with your goals, fitness level, and preferences. It’s not to be confused with Figure 8 Fitness, which is a completely different brand and exercise program.
What Does 8Fit Cost?
There is a free version of this app where you get limited access to the workouts. However, there’s no ability to customize and no meal plans.
The Pro plan gives you full access to all the app’s features. I’m not 100% sure what the USD cost is, for me here in Canada, there are 3 payment options – the annual plan for $99.99, the 6-month plan for $74.99, and the 1-month plan for $32.99. (At the time of this writing, 1 US dollar is about 1.36 Canadian dollars.)
Clearly there’s a strong incentive to purchase the annual plan, which is more or less comparable with competing apps’ rates.
But that month-to-month cost seems pretty out to lunch. I had already purchased the annual plan but as someone who usually prefers to pay monthly, I was a little discouraged by this rate.
Equipment Required
8Fit was definitely designed with home exercise in mind. Many of the workouts only require body weight. Others make use of resistance bands and dumbbells.
You should have an exercise or yoga mat, especially if you plan on doing the pilates and yoga workouts. (Bmat is my personal favorite! Durable and “sticky”!)
My 8Fit Review – Thoughts and Experiences
Format/Layout
The app is clean, modern, and easy to use. That said, there’s a lot going on when you first log in and it can be a little overwhelming at first glance.
At the top of your main dashboard, 8Fit will sometimes have the odd tip or suggestion for you.
Then you’ll find your goals for the week.
For me, my weekly goals consist of completing 4 workouts, eating seven 8Fit meals, and walking 8000 steps.
I really like this approach to the goals. Even though you have daily workouts, you only need to do 4 in order to reach your weekly goals.
I also love that they added a step-count goal because it encourages you to stay active throughout the day. (If you didn’t already know, I really like to walk for exercise!)
Food Plan & Recipes
If you’ve read any of my other app reviews, you’ll know I have a tendency to breeze on past the food plan section (if the app in question even has one) because I am in no way a fan of fussy, restrictive diets.
But I’ve got to hand it to 8Fit, their food plans and recipes are pretty darn good. First of all, there’s no ban on bread and pasta, which automatically makes it 100% more realistic for me to follow.
I love that they recommend meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you’re not expected to eat each and every meal they have planned every day.
Instead, they give you a target goal to consume a certain number of their meals each week. I’m not sure if this goal changes ever, for me it wants me to eat seven 8Fit meals a week.
To me, that’s such a refreshing perspective on meal planning! It makes it wholly achievable and flexible which means I don’t feel like giving up on it before I even start.
Better still, most of the recipes aren’t overly fussy with a million steps and ingredients, which is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to diet programs.
So I have actually started making some of these meals.
(I will give you a second to pick yourself up off the floor.)
Today, I made their Zucchini grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Yes, I had to break out the grater, and from conception to plate, it took about ten minutes. (Which is about 5 minutes longer than I normally like to spend making lunch.)
BUT. It is delicious and easy and I will definitely be making it a lunchtime staple.
The recipes also come with swap-out suggestions, making it easier to execute the recipes with what you might already have on hand.
Meal suggestions are also highly customizable, and factor in how often you eat, your daily calorie goals, and how much variety you like throughout the week.
You also get to tell it your wish-list when it comes to what type of recipes it presents to you. There’s the ideal plan whether you want recipes you can whip up in under ten minutes (me!) or family-friendly meal ideas that won’t cause eye-rolls and groans at dinner time.
Up until now, the only other app whose food plan was (in my opinion) realistic was Jillian Michaels’ app, but 8Fit’s is definitely comparable in this respect.
The Workouts and Programs
When you go Pro, you get to choose the level of difficulty and access all the workout collections.
There’s also a weekly class which is a full-length workout video that’s only available for a few days and then you need to wait for the next one. The videos I did were about 30 minutes long.
The rest of the workouts are in spliced video format, with various models to demonstrate each exercise.
As a pro member, you can scroll through all the programs and choose the one that fits your fitness level. Each program comes with an overview of what the program entails, what kind of results you can expect, as well as what level of fitness you should have before starting the program.
I decided to start with “Masters 1” which is a 2-week program consisting of 6 different workouts.
Each program seems to consist of:
- Time intervals
- Tabata
- Reps
- Paleo run
The majority of these workouts are really short, around 15 minutes or less. Even the most advanced workouts seem to be kept under 20 minutes.
But in addition to workout programs, you can also find different individual classes as well as workout collections that include HIIT pilates, yoga, and core-focused workouts. I did notice the pilates classes seem to be a little longer in duration.
This bite-sized approach to exercise is a great concept, but also a little limiting for those who might be looking to burn more calories.
I would have preferred the option for longer sessions and feel that an option to customize session length would really enhance the app.
The workouts are easy enough to follow along with. However, I kind of wished there were some vocal cues so that I didn’t always have to be glancing down at my phone to see what exercise was next.
Calorie Burn Estimates
Speaking of calories, each workout is accompanied by a calorie-burn estimate. These estimates are – how should we say – a little optimistic.
For example, there is no earthly way for me to burn 225 calories in 15 minutes, which is what the app suggested for today’s Time Interval workout.
My heart simply can’t pump that fast. If I’m in freak mode and pushing it to the absolute brink, my peak burn is about 9 calories per minute (according to the heart rate monitor on my iWatch.)
That means I can potentially blast 135 calories in 15 minutes – but only if I’m busting out burpees like my life depends on it.
For workouts like these, I tend to average closer to 6-7 calories per minute, which puts it around 100 calories in total.
Perhaps the number presented is an “average” calorie burn and not specific to the age, weight, and gender of the person doing the workouts. (At 125 lbs, my calorie burn would be lower than someone who weighed 150 lbs, for example.)
But even then it seems high.
It’s odd because other than that, the app does a great job calculating how many calories in your meals and what your daily calorie target should be.
But if you’re relying on these estimates, just be aware there’s a chance you might think you’re burning more calories than you really are.
Music Selection
Another perk this app has is the wide variety of beats to choose from, thanks to the app’s music feature via Feed.FM. Whether you like to work out to dance, pop, or indie rock, you’ve got choices.
If you’re working out and a tune comes on that you really dig, you can even pause the workout to see the name and artist.
If you’d rather work out with your own playlist, you can toggle the 8Fit music off.
I always appreciate a fitness app that puts some effort into the music because I’m too lazy to put together a new playlist and it’s just one less thing to think about when its time to work out!
The Sleep Meditations
The 8Fit pro subscription does come with a handful of sleep meditations ranging between 5-13 minutes long. They are entirely decent, but the fact that there are only 6 meditations to choose makes it seem a little like an afterthought rather than a primary feature.
Personally, I prefer slightly longer sleep meditations and a wider selection to choose from. (For that reason, Aaptiv remains my favorite for meditations.)
Nevertheless, it’s still a nice “add-on” and will do in a pinch if you need some help preparing your mind for sleep.
8Fit Review Summary – Is it Worth Subscribing?
Overall, 8Fit is a solid fitness app. Its focus seems to be more around sustainable healthy living than getting ripped quickly.
So if that’s your goal and you don’t mind paying upfront for the year, it’s worth the price of admission if you intend to make use of the meal plans.
The bite-sized workouts and realistic weekly goals are probably 8Fit’s biggest selling points when it comes to the workouts. But surprisingly, my favorite thing about the app is the recipes.
The workouts themselves are decent but, in my opinion, don’t quite hold up to the competition. If you’re not concerned about meal plans and are looking for more customization on workout length, this might not be the best app for you.
The shorter workouts will be more ideal for some people than others. I would think that this app is most ideal for beginners who need a place to start without getting overwhelmed.
What did you think of this 8Fit review? Have you ever used this app, and if so, what do you think? Let me know in the comments!
Pros
- Free version (with limited access) available
- Realistic exercise and meal goals help prevent overwhelm
- Good music selection
Cons
- Calorie burn estimates don’t seem accurate
- Month-to-month option is very expensive compared to other apps
Other considerations
- Most workouts are very short, which depending on your goals and preferences, can be either a pro or a con
8Fit Review Quick FAQ
8Fit is a fitness app headquartered in Berlin. The app offers a library of workout programs, meal plans, and sleep meditations.
There is a free version of 8Fit, but it’s quite limited. To unlock full access to all the apps features, you can subscribe to 8Fit pro for $99.99 CAD annually, $74.99 CAD for 3 months, or $32.99 monthly.
If you prefer short workouts and intend to follow the meal plan, 8Fit is worth the annual subscription.
One Comment
Nancy Yturralde
Great review. I used 8 fit a few years ago and really liked it. However I joined a private gym later on costing $109 per month until Covid closed it down. However it went to zoom meetings which I am still doing. The results are much better than 8 fit probably due to the longer more focused workouts. We have moved from California to Utah so the time change caused me to use mostly the video workouts rather than live. They have a 6 am workout which is 7am here in Utah (too late for my work schedule). Consequently I’m at this point looking for something else. Thank you for your review. I was hoping that 8 fit might have changed to a longer workout.