I tried the MADFIT app and have *honest* thoughts | at home workout program review

[@federica6921]

Hey Justina, loved this review! I was contemplating whether or not getting the app but apart from it being a little too pricey for me, I really didn't like the tracking your food with a point based system, it's a little confusing to me and I definitely don't like how some food categories turn red if the app thinks you've had too much!! Like I'm sorry what?? That's so irresponsible. I'm Italian so I naturally eat a fair amount of carbs on a daily basis but I also try to incorporate more protein in my diet, like you said. It's just sad that some people (and the app) would think this as "bad". Thank you for being honest as always!

[@JustinaErcole]

Hello my fellow Italian! (My dad's family is from Abruzzo.) Yep the nutrition aspect is incredibly irresponsible and I'm very curious which RD approved it. Thanks for watching!

[@DarkBlueNutrition]

Also you’re so right about the calorie thing. a) that assumes I want to know how many calories I’m burning (I’m not against it but recovering from an ED as a teen I’m not a fan of obsessing over a number.) And and an RD today - I can definitively say it could be triggering for others! b) you’re absolutely right - the accuracy has to be far off! It just might as well not be there. 😅

[@JustinaErcole]

Right?! Even if we ignore the fact that it can be triggering for people, it's not accurate...at all. So why even list it?

[@colombaantonia9593]

Thank you for the review, I’m glad you pointed out how irresponsible it is the way calories are tracked 😳I watched a bunch of other influencers praising it for its “creativity” while to me it just seemed really off putting :/ Another thing is that, although I get that there is a massive amount of work behind making an app like hers, I think it is still very overpriced. You are so smart and I love how you express yourself so eloquently btw

[@JustinaErcole]

Yeah it’s just…very odd. Thank you for watching!

[@apirtayooo]

Maddie did mention that the Full Body Program’s first month would be no equipment at all. If I was an absolute beginner who had money to spare for an app, more likely I’ll appreciate that! It was great to hear what you expected on what is progressive programming. I thought that point system was cute and creative but now hearing this review made it ooohhhh yikes 🥺 I love Maddie and her workouts, especially her dance workouts. This was disappointing to hear. But I’m assuming since the app is new, she’ll make changes in the future. Idk hopefully lol

[@JustinaErcole]

Ahh got it, I must have missed that! I definitely think it could progress to weights faster, but just my preference. And I do hope she adjusts the nutrition aspect to be a little more ED friendly in the future. I really love Maddie too and it’s clear she put a ton of work into the app. Thanks for watching and sharing your opinion April!

[@bags_books_and_bowwows]

Thanks for saving me time and money. Such a bummer that the app is so weight-loss focused, because her YT workouts are motivating when I’m in a little bit of a mental funk. So many other reasons to move and increase strength whether or not weight loss is a goal. Linking exercise to weight loss seems to be the marketing curse of the fitness industry, I can’t really be mad at her for it.

[@JustinaErcole]

I just wish that more influencers with such a large following would stop choosing these tactics 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@rabbitruler44]

So interesting! I’m happy to hear you say you enjoy her workouts on youtube. I do too but I saw some people online saying her HIIT workouts aren’t actually HIIT…idk what that means but it made me wonder if her exercises are still good/effective. I’ll keep using them, thank you!

[@chelseapw]

Thank you so much for presenting information in a balanced, respectful, science backed way. I’m learning so much and I am shifting my perspective to health and wellness over weight loss. ❤️

[@JustinaErcole]

You're so welcome Chelsea!

[@josephroa4475]

Good and fair review. I personally hate those fitness trackers. I have seen way too many people think that their workout is a waste if they didn’t hit a certain number or not want to do resistance training because their Apple Watch tells them the amount of calories they burned was less than what they want.

[@JustinaErcole]

Yes! Calories burned in a workout do not matter...unless your fitness goal is simply to burn a lot of calories during your workout lol.

[@Grace-zh2lp]

I’ve been pondering getting the MadFit app for weeks (I did her trials that she has posted on KZbin) but I was waiting to hear your review first. My big concern was whether or not weight would eventually be incorporated so thank you for the thorough and honest review!!

[@JustinaErcole]

You're welcome! And apparently weights are added in Week 5 according to someone else in the comments :)

[@DarkBlueNutrition]

Love hearing your feedback on the app! I was genuinely curious (I’m a blend between my own workouts, Apple Fitness+ and Old School Tone it Up workouts.. not necessarily a Madfit follower!) Your feedback also helps me as I start to build my own paid fitness program! Solid content Justine 🙌💙

[@boochie37]

I love Maddie's channel and I had really high hopes for the app. I was excited to see what the nutrition tracker that wasn't calorie based was like, because I have a history of ED and calorie counting has always aggravated that. I downloaded the free trial on the first day so maybe this was corrected, but some of Maddie's in app recipes had more points than I was allotted for an entire day. That on top of the app decided I wanted to lose weight. Oh no. I don't need that at all. I also wasn't a fan of the workouts in app. I prefer listening to someone walk me through the exercises and remind me about proper form, breathing etc. Additionally there were some spelling errors and some user interface decisions that made it not very user friendly. Those can be adjusted, but to me it seemed like the app was tested by app developers and didn't have a run through of general public testers.

[@JustinaErcole]

I feel exactly the same way unfortunately.

[@ladybugs752]

Loved this review! Thank you for being so honest! Didn't expect that at all from Maddie, especially the nutrition part 😔 I loooove her channel and her dance workouts too! (have you tried sharona's hill her dance workouts? Maddie and her have the best dance workouts!)

[@JustinaErcole]

I also didn’t expect it! Hopefully it changes to be a little more ED friendly in the future :)

[@ניצןק]

Thank you for your educational channel I sometimes disagree on some things but overall I think your content is very much needed here and is teaching a lot. Easy and fullfiling to learn from you.

[@JustinaErcole]

You're so welcome!

[@FitnesswithTara]

I appreciate your respectful criticism and review of fitness products and programs to help us make more informed purchases.

[@JustinaErcole]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@stardusstie]

Came here for a quick review of this app and left adoring you and your philosophy. Instant subscribe!

[@JustinaErcole]

So happy to have you here!

[@Aura-fv5wr]

Really wanted to know your educational opinion about the app. Loved the review as usual ! Not a Maddy follower but she seems great,wonder why the app workouts are like this. Maybe trying to be different for the sake of being different...

[@JustinaErcole]

I'm really not sure! I honestly love her KZbin workouts but this just felt super off unfortunately.

[@AngelaCatsaros]

Thank you so much for the review. You are really helping so many people who struggle with food, weight, disorders, etc. keep it up , girl!!

[@JustinaErcole]

You are so welcome Angela!

[@issarime1]

Very informative video, excellent feedback, golden tips. P.S. Your attitude, awesome!!!!

[@mdub123321]

Great review. Thanks for addressing the issues around the science and the "calorie burning". The diet tracking looks like the CSIRO wellbeing diet, but without proper explanation of how it works. Maybe the app is just trying to do too much.

[@sabrinadavis5153]

I am SO GLAD you talked about the nutrition aspect of it. I've only been using the app for a week or so and the point system is already triggering like a value assignment in my brain, and I thought it might have just been me. Did you turn on your notifications? Because I also really hate the reminders she sends. They were so... insensitive I guess. I was so disappointed because I really love Maddie's channel and I loved the idea of the app :(

[@JustinaErcole]

I did have them on…but I always ignored them 😂 I can’t even remember what they said. But yes it’s totally a shame because I also love Maddie’s channel! Hopefully she makes some changes along the way. Thanks for watching!

[@bis14chg]

Love this review and I never spend money on fitness apps lollll. I dont know why but all the madfit wokouts I have done feel like a warmup for me :P :P before i do my more intense Caroline/Sydney/Penny workouts.

[@JustinaErcole]

I would always encourage people to pay for an app or program if they really love it! It's tough work putting together a lot of content, let alone for free :)

[@nicholemaier1622]

Those are my 3 favs too!! I

[@raqueljpolanco]

@@JustinaErcolethat’s why I love heather Robertson! All of her programs are free and I’m unemployed atm so it’s perfect!

[@archergirl2000]

That's one of my biggest pet peeves, when creators push these massive calorie burns '800 calories in 30 mins!' when I know I'm going to burn less than half that. I get it's all for the 'algorithm' but it's annoying. No wonder people get frustrated trying to lose weight and get in shape when there's all these false promises of mass calorie burns out there. I have no idea how to solve the problem and I feel bad when I see people (usually young women) getting upset because they are doing these workouts and can't reach the promised calorie burn.

[@JustinaErcole]

The solution is for creators and studios to just STOP. But unfortunately people suck lol. Thank you so much for watching!

[@carrielight3535]

You Go Girl! Loved your review! Thank You Justina 😊

[@JustinaErcole]

Thanks Carrie!

[@WhenYouDontSleep]

my problem with point-based systems is that it doesn't teach the user anything about nutrition. The categories, as you pointed out, are also kind of nonsensical. What would it track for something like veggie pizza, something with vegetables, carbs, protein, and fat? A bagel is what, 50g of carbs? thats all you can have for the whole day? I'm a type 1 diabetic and therefore more carb-conscious (that's just me, not all diabetics are or have to be!) and I eat 2-3x that in a day. it's great that she didn't want to make the tracking calorie-based, but it isn't based on any kind of nutritional logic either! point-based systems leave the user reliant on the app rather than actually helping them learn anything about basic nutrition and food composition.

[@JustinaErcole]

100% agreed. Thanks for sharing your experience Pilar!

[@sarahjanedelacy4222]

A bagel used up 2 out of 3 allowable carb points?! I can't live in a world where having two bagels in a day is forbidden.

[@sonias.4628]

I loved the review on the app! I hope she fixes some of those points on the app in the future 💙

[@JustinaErcole]

Me too! Thanks for watching Sonia :)

[@Amelias_Edits]

I think what you summarise well in this video is that her app is marketed towards someone wanting to lose weight as opposed to someone wanting to get fit, healthy and enjoy movement. I agree that her KZbin dance workout videos are great, they’re such a positive vibe, whereas this app feels like it’s gearing people up for some disordered eating behaviours which is the complete opposite. I’m glad I watched this video as I know I should probably not get the app as I don’t like the idea of there being food trackers and goal weights within the app, instead of it just being about exercise, which is what people like her for! Side note, I hate water tracking. Like why are we doing that? Unless your pee is super yellow you’re probably fine lol. It’s a pretty obsessive way to view something as simple as drinking water 😂

[@danistheguy]

Super helpful and informative, thank you!

[@fatimaal2284]

your review is so informative. thanks for that!

[@pickupnotes]

Videos like these are very helpful, thank you so much! :)

[@JustinaErcole]

You’re so welcome!

[@annastockl4636]

Hey Justina thanks for the great video!! Would love to hear your opinion on other fitness apps like LEAN and the Pam App!

[@JustinaErcole]

Possibly in the future! 😊

[@mailtoricha]

So informative as always!

[@JustinaErcole]

Thanks Richa!

[@tfoprincess]

What's keeping me from trying is that it didn't seem Samsung compatible and it doesn't work with Spotify. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@sameeksha_94]

Love Love Love your reviews. You describe everything extremely well which really helps us decide what is the best thing for us. Thank you. Love that you are very honest with ur reviews. Thank you so much. Could u also please review Lean with Lilly App?

[@JustinaErcole]

Thank you! Unfortunately I really dislike Lilly’s messaging (I have a review on her already) so I don’t want to focus on her going forward. I’m sure she’s a lovely person but she still preaches a lot of diet culture.

[@sameeksha_94]

@@JustinaErcole No problem. Thank you

[@CrystalNicole13]

So well said! Someone needs to send this to Madi...

[@JustinaErcole]

I had messaged her on Instagram and she defended everything and said some updates would be coming soon.

[@rileeb848]

I really love your videos! They are very informative. Would you be able to review freeletics? (Or if you have already reviewed this app, could you please link me to the video review)? Also, I've started getting into calisthenics because it's what I enjoy. I was confused in this review about your comments on bodyweight workouts in this app. What are your thoughts about calisthenics vs this app's bodyweight workouts? I'm not trying to be critical, I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts because I trust what you have to say. Thanks again! I have learned so much from your channel.

[@JustinaErcole]

Hey! So it's hard for me to tell you if calisthenics are right for you since I don't know your goals, workout history, training program, etc. But if it's something you enjoy then I say stick with it.

[@caitiedidit]

Wow, as someone who works out with weights several times a week (thanks in part to Maddie! Her coached YT workouts are some of my first experiences learning how to lift dumbbells!) there’s no way I’d be satisfied to practice for weeks without weights, and I wanted to try out the Full Body program on her trial when I finished Epic in 3 weeks… hopefully she’ll come out with a more advanced program for people who are regularly working out already and don’t want to regress to body weight (altho as someone who always learns a lot when I am forced to regress exercises as part of a program, I think everyone should regress exercises and focus on form and variations every now and then, just not for 3+ weeks!). Re: calories I was wondering if her app would help me track my protein (which I’m trying to up drastically without eating protein powder three times a day lol) which is all I really care about. I hate tracking but sometimes I do it just to try and see if I’m getting closer to hitting my protein goal. So this is kind of disappointing to read but I’m grateful for the review. 😫 Was it nice to be able to listen to your own music at least? That’s definitely something I loved the idea of - being able to listen to my playlists but still hear the beeps and coaching and stuff…

[@JustinaErcole]

Hey! So to answer your questions: 1) Honestly you'd be better off tracking protein outside of the app by using serving sizes (i.e. I want to get 5 servings of protein a day, and a serving is my fist) OR just calculating by grams. I honestly have no clue how her system was designed in terms of accuracy. 2) I don't have any music on iTunes and you can't sync Spotify, so I played music from my computer. Thanks for watching!

[@LordLuciferKråka]

I am going to stay away from this app only because of how they show how "much" calories you are going to burn. I don't need more stress over calories in my life than i already have

[@JustinaErcole]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@alyzu4755]

I enjoy her workouts, but I think I'll skip the app. Thank you gor the review.

[@lexsol6941]

I do wonder why she has the nutrition component in the app in the first place. I don't believe she's an RD and if even if she is, nutrition is such an individual thing.

[@JustinaErcole]

I think she included it since movement and nutrition are very intertwined for overall health. And she did state that an RD worked with her on the nutrition tracking. But something definitely didn’t work here.

[@sessyashok5147]

What about the WHOOP wearable? I’ve heard some pretty cool things on it and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[@JustinaErcole]

It's still a fitness tracker and it's still inherently inaccurate. Pick one you enjoy and take the data with a grain of salt.

[@chrispeterson9424]

So I have a participant in one of my fitness classes and she said she started Noom. They have you weigh yourself every day! I thought no, that’s not good ‘cause we’re gonna fluctuate all the time. This poor woman she’s about my age, going through menopause, and really cannot lose weight. I just think most weight loss companies are they playing on people‘s desperation. They don’t encourage sustainable, lifelong habits. It is disgusting.

[@JustinaErcole]

I agree that most weight loss companies do that. BUT for some people, daily weigh ins actually gives them a better understanding of the fluctuations. Regardless, if emotions are tied to the scale then you're better off not using it.

[@triciam4798]

I have a history of ED… calories, tracking them, counting them etc… just NO! Thank you for the awesome review

[@JustinaErcole]

You are so welcome Tricia!

[@yasmindias2241]

Hi (sorry in advance for my english, i'm brazilian)!! I did about 9 weeks of the program, and after 4 weeks they did added some weights and booty bands! But, still, I didn't find the exercises challenging at all... Also, I didn't enjoyed the points sistem of the food part... As you mentioned, the "allowed" points for carbs were 3, for my level, so 2 slices of bread and 1/2 cup of oats was all I could have for carbs, for ex... So at the begginig I actually starved, then, after about 4 weeks and a lot of complaints, they added more points to each level... So that make me feel very insecure about the hole thing... I love Maddie and her youtube chanel, but I didn't liked the app, unfortunately... In terms of apps, I love the Katie Yovin one, it's called Thrive! It's very simple to use, the exercises are great, lots of dumbells, bands and even gym based ones if you go to one!

[@JustinaErcole]

Yikes, that just doesn't seem like she flushed out the point system at ALL. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

[@jennterry6977]

Wow, that is surprising and disappointing from her. Thanks for going the extra mile and bringing in an expert to really break it down. Oh and I did laugh at "it's a cute red and green, like a pastel."

[@JustinaErcole]

Hahaha it was like, ohhhh I what you did....but it's still red and green lol

[@jennterry6977]

@@JustinaErcole Lol! Egggggggzactly...

[@xoxoxxoxo6785]

I really like this review. I love Maddie and her workouts but I’m not a big fan of the app either. I know it was a lot of work creating this app but the price is way too high in my opinion. I also wish the programms were a little bit more individually so you can choose if you are a beginner or advanced and if you want to work with or without weights from the beginning. Overall I miss the uniqueness she has on her youtube channel on this app.

[@JustinaErcole]

100%!

[@arielseescoral2607]

Thanks for this!!!!

[@aditi4757]

Can I get a heart too?🥺

[@JustinaErcole]

Always ❤️

[@aditi4757]

@@JustinaErcole aww u so sweet

[@JackieOstick]

Great video!!!

[@JustinaErcole]

Thanks Jackie!

[@kathleenjohnston3582]

Can you do Jacquelyn Umof's stretchyapp ??

[@JustinaErcole]

Possibly in the future!

[@itsamandacristine]

Have you looked at Heather Robertson's 12 week program? It's completely free and it's been 🔥🔥 I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks for the info on this one!

[@JustinaErcole]

I did an entire review on Heather and love her workouts! I don't have the time to commit to a 12 week program but I'm sure it's excellent :)

[@angelicamriveramuniz5506]

Can you recommend a good workout app?

[@JustinaErcole]

Hard for me to say without knowing what your goals, likes, and dislikes are! But I have a ton of reviews on my channel :)

[@madeleine3763]

Very disappointed about the nutrition section, it is so irresponsible! i can only imagine how much this food tracking system, especially with that low calories, will affect her many young viewers. It is things like this, well-meaning or not, that create eating disorders and disordered eating.

[@JustinaErcole]

Yep! I'm not sure what RD approved and designed this.

[@gabyrangel4899]

I’ll get hate for this so read at your risk, “You cant put food at morality” and I agree 100% but who said the color red means bad? Red can also mean stop, you know like the stop sign? 🛑 which saying no is Okeii. I just wanted to point you could have reviewed this without such intense negativity.

[@JustinaErcole]

Red means stop….because something bad will happen if you continue.

[@chelseamoneill7717]

I'm not familiar with Maddie or her programs. This app sounds definitely problematic.This app can be used the wrong way like it's a video game for competitive non eating and overdoing non progressive exercises

[@JustinaErcole]

I’ve heard that she has changed the formula for the food diary, but I still thinks it’s soooo complicated for zero purpose haha. Thanks for watching!

[@luiseduardocarrillocruz82]

I love Maddie!

[@drnick4114]

I don’t think you can provide a fair assessment unless you complete the entire program

[@JustinaErcole]

I understand exercise science and programming though. Why do I need to do the entire x number of weeks when I understand what bodyweight movements will do?

[@danieladeleon1023]

This was very interesting, I just love your approach to fitness and health! I keep learning so much with your videos and they have been really helpful in healing my relationship with food and excercise. Thank you 💜

[@JustinaErcole]

You're so welcome Daniela!