Welcome to our Beachbody Review!
If you’ve been looking at ways of becoming a fitness coach, then you’ve probably been introduced to this opportunity at an MLM called Beachbody.
But you’re worried about is Beachbody a scam? Or even a pyramid scheme, so you started doing some research.
First off, it’s great to see that you’re doing your research before buying into any “seemingly good” product.
That is how you avoid scams and find only legitimate ways to make money online!
To be completely transparent with you, we’re not associated with Beachbody in any form. We’re not here to pitch or sell you anything.
To put your mind at ease, let me tell you that Beachbody isn’t a scam… But that doesn’t mean that it’s a great business opportunity for you either.
Our review will let you know why we feel this is one of the most questionable MLM programs out there…
Beachbody Review Summary
Product Name: Beachbody
Founder: Carl Daikeler
Product Type: Health & Wellness MLM, Fitness Program MLM
Price: $39.95 + Monthly Sales Quota
Best For: No One
Pros
- Proven History
- Positive Product Reviews
Cons
- Questionable Ingredients
- Expensive Products
- Hidden Monthly Expenses
- Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
- No One Is Earning A Decent Income
Summary: Beachbody is a health and wellness MLM company that sells popular workout programs, such as Insanity, and some nutritional supplements. They also offer an opportunity for everyday people to earn an income from selling these programs.
But this isn’t a business opportunity I would recommend. First off, we have proof that they use questionable ingredients in their products. Secondly, there is a lot of recruitment required if you want a chance of making this work… But our final concern is that no one is making any money, with proof that 93% of their members are actually losing money here, rather than making any money.
Rating: 20/100
Recommended? No
Table of Contents
What is Beachbody?
Beachbody, the company got started back in 1998. It is currently based in Santa Monica, California.
It was founded by Carl Daikeler and Jon Congdon, with the goal of helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle and fit body whilst earning good money on the side.
They have a number of exercise programs, such as Insanity, Hip Hip Abs, P90X, and Brazil Butt Lift, etc.
Alongside these exercise programs, they have several nutritional supplements, with their most popular one being Shakeology.
In 2007, they created an offshoot of the main company called Team Beachbody, which is based on the MLM or Multi-Level Marketing model to sell products and services.
There are now more than 400,000 Team Beachbody coaches in their MLM program.
In 2016, Team Beachbody earned a revenue of $863 million, which earned them the 28th place on the 2017 DSN (Direct Selling News) Global 100 List. But this only proves the company is doing well, not necessarily that their members are.
You can learn a little more about Beachbody with this 3-minute video…
Now, that video makes it sound really enticing… But you’re clever enough to know that this is just a clever marketing video used by the company. So, you might still be wondering…
Is Beachbody a Pyramid Scheme
No, Beachbody isn’t a pyramid scheme.
Their members are able to make money by selling their exercise programs and nutritional supplements, without the need to recruit. But as with all MLM opportunities, most of the people that are successful is due to the amount of recruitment they do.
So, a better question to answer about Beachbody, is whether or not Beachbody could be a pyramid scheme in disguise…
What’s A Pyramid Scheme?
A Pyramid scheme is a company where members are promised payment for recruiting new people into the scheme. There is usually no products or services to speak of, and so your only option is through recruitment.
They are illegal in most countries around the world, as the structure makes it impossible for everyone to earn money when recruitment is the only option.
This diagram from Wikipedia does a great job of showing you why they’re not sustainable…
Beachbody does have a legitimate product line, in the form of the exercise videos and the nutritional shakes.
However, when you factor in the price of those products, alongside a hidden monthly sales quota to hit, the only way members are able to avoid losing money is by recruiting more people into their downline. That makes Beachbody very similar to a pyramid scheme in disguise…
Here’s a great 5-minute video that shows you how to spot these pyramid schemes in disguise…
Success is Rare at Beachbody
Success isn’t just rare at Beachbody, but rare at any MLM.
Did you know that between 73% and 99% of all MLM members lose money?
The main reason for this is down to the fact these companies hit their members with a monthly sales quota to achieve.
If you aren’t able to sell enough products, you still have to buy them yourself. Meaning you are endlessly spending money in the hope that you eventually start making enough sales to not have to do it.
This is why so many MLM members lose hundreds, if not thousands of dollars before they are able to recruit their first downline.
There are also the costs to remain active, and Beachbody’s income disclosure statement shows that 93% of members lose money.
How Does Beachbody Work?
Beachbody sells workout routines in the form of online videos, DVDs, exercises accessories and then their nutritional supplements.
Then there is the opportunity for everyday people to work from home and sell these items for commission on their sales and those of their downline team.
It sounds like a good deal for both parties… But what you soon realise is that the company saves millions of dollars a year on advertising costs and they leave the hard job of getting the brand out there, to their members.
Beachbody Product Line
If you’re serious about joining an MLM, you need to sit down and do your research on the products.
Teach Beachbody provides several different products for their coaches to offer out to their clientele.
These include fitness programs, nutritional supplements to fitness gear.
Here’s a few examples…
Daily Sunshine (30 servings) – $99.95
Daily Sunshine is their whole-food-based 3-in-1 smoothie for kids
This shake is a mixture of fruit and vegetables, combined with plant-based protein and healthy fats. This makes it easy for kids to get their daily fix of fruits and vegetables, even for those picky eaters.
Beachbody Performance Line – $109.95 to $199.95
Beachbody Performance is their pre-workout energy drinks, intra-workout drinks, and post-workout supplements to help with muscle recovery and muscle repair.
80 Day Obsession Accessory Bundle – $90.85
This is a package of exercise and workout accessories such as resistance loops, strength slides, and portion control containers.
It also provides an 80-day workout calendar to help you keep track.
The list of products go on, but if you want to check out their full list, you can see it here.
Whilst the list might sound great and unique, you should know there are thousands of other MLM companies within the health and wellness niche. They all offer a similar range of health and wellness workout products.
Examples include:
- Max International
- Arbonne
- Vyvo
- Univera
- Reliy International
- Pure
- American Dream Nutrition
- Trivita
- Yoli
So, is there anything that makes Beachbody stand out from the crowd?
Shakeology Protein Shake – $129.95 – Flagship Product
Shakeology is Beachbody’s flagship product that boasts of an ingredient list containing vitamins, minerals, and superfood. This shake is low-calorie but packed with nutrients.
It is promoted as a superfood nutritional shake that helps to lose weight and reduce your cravings for junk food, whilst boosting energy levels and improves digestion.
You can learn more about this product in this 5-minute video about Shakeology…
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Can You Make Money with Beachbody?
It’s going to be really hard for you to make money with Beachbody…
They may be a few members who are earning some income, but it would be barely over the minimum wage. What makes this statement even worse, is that they will be working like a full-time sales manager just to scrape an income.
Even their income disclosure statement shows that 56.2% of their members aren’t paid anything.
How To Make Money with Beachbody?
Beachbody is an MLM, therefore it brings with it the usual two ways for you to earn money from their compensation plan. These are:
- Sell their products for retail commissions
- Recruit people into the company
Before we explore their compensation plan a little more, let’s go through how much it will cost you to get started…
Getting Started with Beachbody
It’ll cost you $39.95 to get the Beachbody Digital Business Starter Kit.
You can also choose to receive their Challenge Pack worth between $140 to $265 depending on the package you choose.
But the costs don’t just stop there…
Beachbody Monthly Costs
At first, the monthly costs don’t sound too bad. It’ll cost you $15.95 a month and this gives you a free website and keeps you an active member.
But if you take a look at the Beachbody FAQ section, it states that you are required to sell at least 50 PV per month. This works out to selling at least $50 worth of product just to remain active.
But when starting out, this isn’t always possible to hit the ground running and start selling straight away, so you should budget to have to pay this figure yourself until you can.
The costs for the first year look like this…
- $15.95 x 12
- $140-$265
- $50-$200 x 12
Minimum Costs for Year 1 = $971.35 – $2,896.35
That is before you consider any other expenses, such as marketing, training, fuel, etc.
P.S. This program enabled us to Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream. It’s Free to get started and costs only $49/month to go full-time!
Beachbody Compensation Plan
MLM’s seem to like having overcomplicated compensation plans that make it look like there are tons of ways of making money, when the reality is that there is only the 2 we mentioned earlier.
We’re try to keep our explanation simple for you…
Here are the highlights of their compensation plan:
- Retail Commissions – earn retail commission up to 25%. You can increase this to 40%, if your customers avail the Beachbody on Demain membership
- Fast Start Bonus – Earn $20 every time your recruited downline gets a Shakeology Home Direct Starter Pack. Earn an additional $100 if you sell one Shakeology Starter Pack weekly for 5 consecutive weeks
- Challenge Pack Fast Start Bonus – This bonus is paid the first time to coaches of sponsored coaches who purchase a Beachbody Challenge Pack.
- Team Cycle Bonus – This is a weekly bonus that applies only to those above “Emerald” level or when you recruit two coaches and place them on your left and right leg of your team. A monthly personal purchase is also required to be consistently qualified for the program.
- Matching Bonus – Once you reach a rank of “Ruby” or above, you qualify for the weekly matching bonus on any team cycle bonuses earned by your personally sponsored coaches.
- Star Diamond Leadership Bonus – This bonus pays out 2% of the entire TV (Team Volume) of the top performing Diamond coaches. This is paid out every 3 months and is based on the performance of the entire network.
Don’t worry if that doesn’t all make sense, I think that is the main idea. All you need to know is that to make money you need to achieve these two things:
- Sell their products
- Recruit new members
If you want to learn more about their compensation plan, you can watch this 11-minute video…
Is Beachbody a Scam?
No, Beachbody isn’t a scam. They offer a legitimate range of products and they also pay their members like they say they do.
But what happens is that when so many members are losing money, like is happening at Beachbody. Members leave claiming the program is not what they thought it was, and it’s all a scam.
The rest of our review is aimed at getting to the truth and we will reveal all of the other details you need to know, before you can make an informed decision…
Just to be completely transparent with you, I’m not a distributor of Beachbody, nor do I endorse Beachbody in any way. I have researched the website, testimonials, and information available on the internet to get the details about what this program genuinely does. I do this, as I have been caught out by a scam in the past, and am trying to help others avoid a similar fate…
Tired of MLMs? Check How We Make Money Online Here!
What We Liked About Beachbody
Here’s what we liked about Beachbody:
#1 Proven History
What you have to realise is that most MLM’s don’t actually make it past the 5 or even 10 year mark. So, with Beachbody getting started in 1998 and to still be operating, that shows that they are not a scam.
If it were to be a scam, the FTC would have been investigating them.
#2 Positive Product Reviews
When considering whether you can sell the products or services, you need to see what real users are thinking about the products.
Regarding Beachbody’s products, they do have a high number of positive comments on both their Consumer Affairs profile and Better Business Bureau (BBB) page.
Please note, they do have a really poor rating on the BBB website, but that seems mainly around their customer service and refund services, rather than the products. But it is still something you have to take into consideration.
What We Didn't Like About Beachbody
Here’s what we liked about Beachbody:
#1 Questionable Ingredients
We do have a concern about some of the ingredients within their Shakeology product. We’ll get onto the price in a minute, but there are studies into the risks of including Folic Acid into these products, as there are reasons not for everyone to have it.
Check out this complete review about Shakeology by a nutritionalist.
We won’t go into full detail, but the important point you need to know is this…
Their products include folic acid. But there are studies that folic acid supplementation can lead to cancer.
Here’s the ingredients for their supplement per serving…
Their vegan shakes contain Holy Phytic Acid, which binds to nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. This prevents them from being absorbed by the body.
#2 Expensive Products
Then there is the price of these products… It’s a huge red flag when an MLM has overpriced products, that they could be operating as a “pyramid scheme in disguise”.
This means their focus is more on recruitment than it is on actually selling quality and affordable products.
Beachbody’s nutritional supplements cost between $90 to $120.
That is nowhere near competitive with all other supplements available online.
Here are some examples of other brands available on Amazon.
These are all well-known brands and are 70% to 90% cheaper than the ones being sold by Beachbody… Who do you know that is willing to pay $90 to $120 on a nutritional supplement?
#3 Hidden Monthly Expenses
Yes, there are costs that are hidden from you at first. The initial costs look reasonable, but then you realise that there is a monthly sales quota you have to achieve.
You are required to sell 50 PV on a monthly basis to remain active. (eligible for commissions).
PV stands for Personal Volume. Basically, this means you need to sell over $50 worth of Beachbody products, like the supplements and workout calendars, every month.
If you’re unable to do this, and most members aren’t, you then have to spend $50 worth on products yourself.
The truth about MLM’s is that their biggest customer group is their own distributors and not real customers. They feel obliged to keep on buying products in the hope that they are able to”become their own boss” at some point.
#3 Is Beachbody a Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
When you combine overpriced products and a requirement to keep on spending $50 every month just to remain active, it only leaves you one way of avoiding losing $50 every month on expensive nutritional supplements and workout videos…
How do you do that? Well, that is through recruiting a downline team under you!
That, in our opinion, makes it a pyramid scheme in disguise as they are more focused on you recruiting members and not actually selling the products. The company still makes money, as their members are obliged to keep on buying this stuff.
This is a diagram that shows you what is happening…
Any company that focuses on recruitment above everything else ends up looking like this. that nicely brings us to the conversation about their success rate…
#4 No One’s Earning a Decent Income
When you take a look at their latest income disclosure statement, which covers 2020. It does show that 1.4% of their members are at the Star Diamond rank and earning an average of $116,539.
But it also shows that 76.1% of their members are coaches and are only earning an average of $439. Add to that, the small print shows that 43.8% of their coaches didn’t receive a bonus or commission check.
From what I am seeing, this is a business opportunity where less than 2% are earning enough for it to consider a full-time income, and more than half are earning nothing at all.
Those that are earning a decent income are doing it at the expense of a downline team that is stuck buying those products every month.
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My Beachbody Review - Final Conclusion
First and foremost, Beachbody isn’t a scam. It has good products that receive good feedback.
But as for thier business opportunity, I wouldn’t particularly say this is one I would invest into.
There is the questionable ingredients you have to consider, the fact that there are signs it is operating as a pyramid scheme in disguise, plus the income potential is really low with almost half of their members not even earning an income at all. With only less that 2% earning a decent income.
Recruitment seems to be the main goal, and that isn’t an ethical business model.
How We Make Money Online
I’m not a fan of MLM, not because it’s illegal or not profitable, but because of all the restrictions and expensive costs involved.
Instead, Affiliate Marketing is our top recommended business model for anyone looking to make money online
The reasons are simple…
- You can promote anything you want and aren’t restricted to only promote products from one MLM company
- You don’t have to recruit anyone to make money
- You never need to sell to your friends and family
- It’s free to get started
In fact, with affiliate marketing we’ve been able to Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream. If you want to learn more, click here.
Thanks for checking out our Beachbody Review! If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section below. 😉
John Crossley
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Beachbody
$39.95 + $50 Monthly PV
Pros
- Proven History
- Positive Product Reviews
Cons
- Questionable Ingredients
- Expensive Products
- Hidden Monthly Expenses
- Low Income Potential
