Over on my personal website, I wrote an article about how I trained in 2022 and in it I mention the Built Like A Badass program.

That post was very popular, even though I didn’t actually write much about the program! I spent more of the article talking about my general fitness regime.

So I have decided to actually review the Built Like A Badass program in more detail here on my new website in 2024.

I hope to give you some insight into what it is, why you may want to try it, and whether it worked for me or not.

I will quickly note that this is an honest review. I am NOT affiliated in any way to Joe DeFranco or the program, and will make absolutely ZERO money if you buy it. I just like sharing my opinions!

Here’s the article at a glance:

1. What is Built Like A Badass?
2. Who is Built Like A Badass for?
3. What did you like about it?
4. What didn’t you like?
5. Does it work?
6. How did you eat on the program (+ supplements)?
7. Will you do it again?
8. The final word on Built Like a Badass

What is Built Like A Badass?

First things first! Built Like A Badass is a 12-week all-round strength and hypertrophy program that promises ‘a muscular athletic physique’.

Exactly want I wanted! I’m pretty sure it’s what the vast majority of the human race wouldn’t mind having either.

The program requires just three days a week of training, allowing you to balance work, family, social and gym life a lot easier than something like a 4/5/6-day split.

However, in those three workouts, you work f*cking hard.

(Not as hard as Mike Mentzer’s high-intensity workouts, but that’s another story…)

Each workout incorporates elements of strength training (covering three ‘big lifts’ – deadlift/squat, bench, chin ups), hypertrophy/bodybuilding, and finishers that test your mental fortitude as much as your physical strength.

The program is created by elite American strength coach Joe DeFranco (who will always look more badass than I could ever dream) and his team.

The overall goal of this program is athleticism – looking and feeling like an athlete.

It’s not going to get you massive, it won’t get you ripped, and you probably won’t hit new PBs, but you should be left feeling strong, muscular, fit and functional.

Who is Built Like A Badass for?

The official line is that Built Like A Badass is ‘designed for weekend warriors, average Joes and washed-up meatheads‘, which is pretty much 90% of the guys I know.

In other words, it’s for the guy (or gal) who wants to work hard, get results, and not spend every day in the gym.

Again, if you are trying to improve your one-rep max on a particular lift or you want to pack on pounds of muscle, this isn’t the right program for you.

But if you are trying to get rid of a dad bod or just feel more athletic, then it’s perfect.

What did you like about it?

Quite a lot!

#1. Just three days a week. The program consists of a three-day split: upper/lower/upper. Instantly, this fits my schedule really well and allows me to do some extra fitness classes on my ‘off days’, which I use more for social and mental health than anything else.

So I could do this program Mon, Tues and Thurs, with cardio classes on Wed and Fri. This leaves the weekend free for gallivanting. Perfect.

#2. Short workouts. In my experience, I could get in and out of the gym within around an hour, which is ideal for me. The workouts are short but this is because they require…

#3. Intensity! For many people, this may be a negative, but I loved the intensity of the program. You go hard with the big lifts and the bodybuilding work.

Then there are some brutal finishers that you form a love-hate relationship with. For example, at the end of one workout you perform 100 push ups as fast as you can. It’s simple, but painful!

#4. Covers all the bases. The program has elements of strength, hypertrophy and cardio, which is perfect if you are short on time. This multifaceted hybrid approach to working out is probably why you end up feeling like an athlete.

#5. Always interesting. While some weeks share similar movements, no workout is identical. This keeps the entire 12 weeks interesting. I found I was looking forward to the next workout because it had the element of surprise.

What didn’t you like?

I genuinely like a lot about this program, but there were a few small gripes.

#1. Squat *or* deadlift. During the 12 weeks you have to pick deadlift or squat, but not both. Essentially it means that, if you want to do the program correctly, you must give up squatting or deadlifting for 12 weeks.

I understand why, but if you enjoy both, get ready to have a Sophie’s Choice situation on your hands.

For the record, I always deadlift, simply because I love deadlifting.

(One guy at my gym told me he figured out a way to do both, but I doubt Mr. DeFranco would approve – he designed the program this way for a reason!).

#2. Sometimes left me guessing. Some of the exercises have YouTube videos accompanying them, but others don’t.

Some movements were a bit difficult to understand because of it. It wasn’t always immediately clear exactly what I had to do. Not impossible to figure out, but did require some Googling.

#3. Deload weeks. I felt that the deload weeks came too frequently. This is probably because I don’t usually take deload weeks in my usual training.

Obviously, DeFranco and his team have a better understanding of this than me, but sometimes I got to the end of a four-week block and felt good to go again.

However, the scheduled deload was sometimes a bit deflating. I did them, but I ended up doing some extra things, which kind of negated the deload.

Does it work?

Generally, I felt the program delivered. It was interesting, tough, extensive and left me feeling strong and fit.

The thing is, I already trained in this way before. I was already incorporating strength, hypertrophy and high-intensity cardio into my week, so B.L.A.B. wasn’t a huge shift in tone.

If you have only ever done bodybuilding or powerlifting or cardio or sitting on your ass, then Built Like A Badass will definitely give you some good results.

As I’ve already mentioned a few times, it’s not the program for you if you want to pack on slabs of muscle, nor if you want to increase your 1RM on the main lifts.

But if you want to feel more athletic than you currently do, while improving your physique and fitness, then Built Like A Badass is a solid program and worth checking out.

How did you eat on the program (+ supplements)?

To be honest, I’m not sure if there is a specific way to eat on the program, but I just ate as I usually do!

For me, this is a plant-based diet that’s high in protein. This means I eat a lot of tofu, tempeh and alternative meats, as well as fruit, vegetables, beans and grains.

Oh, and I definitely still ate some junk food and drank some wine!

I would usually eat a bowl of granola and drink espresso before the workouts. Then after the workout I would have a protein shake and an apple/banana. For the rest of the day, I would just prioritize protein and try not to overeat.

I also use this protein powder, which tastes good, helps me recover and is good value for money.

Creatine is also worth taking to enhance your explosive power. This is my go-to creatine, but I think most creatine is the same, so opt for whatever suits you.

Finally, during workouts I used an amino acids drink. However, you don’t really need to use this if you are eating enough protein. I just like the flavour!

Will you do it again?

Yes!

In fact, as I update this article in April 2024, I have just started the program again for the fourth time. This was following a few months training like Mike Mentzer (i.e., high intensity, low volume, low frequency).

I just completed my first session and it kicked my ass. The barbell complex on the first day is always humbling.

Meanwhile, I have just spotted that Joe DeFranco has a few other programs. I liked how Built Like a Badass was set up, so I will check those out. The ‘Strong Bastard 911’ program looks pretty cool, so I may start that later in the year.

The final word on Built Like a Badass

If you have made it this far, then you are clearly interested in the program.

In that case, I would say try it for yourself. Again, I have zero affiliation with the program or DeFranco, but I do recommend trying it.

The worst that will happen is you stay exactly the same. But chances are – if you put in the intensity required – you will feel more athletic and, dare I say it, like a badass. 💪

Want something else to read? Check out this article on the best way to prevent a hangover!