Morning Meltdown 100 Phase 1 Review

Updated 06/05/2022

The Morning Meltdown 100 is the latest workout by Beachbody. If you have read my previous reviews of Beachbody products, you may know I have a bone to pick with Beachbody. Many Beachbody workouts are not plus size inclusive with modifications. The average woman in America is a size 16-18! There is no excuse not to show proper modifications. Women with large busts and tummies need that help. When I review workouts, I try to include information relevant to plus sized people. I feel that many fitness bloggers do not address if workouts are appropriate for plus sizes. Or not do they understand if a workout is appropriate?

I have been debating cancelling my Beachbody on demand subscription. Why should I pay a monthly fee when many of the workouts are hard for me to follow? Then I learned about Jericho McMatthews new workout. Called the Morning Meltdown an Intermediate to advanced with 100 workouts total. I could not wait for Morning Meltdown to come out of Beachbody on demand. I could tell from the trailer there was a “plus size” participant. How could not try it?

I had just finished 21 day fix Real Time. While I am a fan of the 21 Day Fix and Autumn Calabrese (plus size inclusive mostly) it’s not challenging enough. Even the Real-time version did nothing. I did not lose an inch. But here is the Morning Meltdown a new workout that says I can lose up to nine pounds in two weeks. Do I want to lose nine pounds in two weeks? You bet I do! Is it a good idea? Nope. More on that later.

But there is a catch. There ALWAYS is. The ad does not say it. Eat right. Most Beachbody workouts come with a-free diet plan. I think with the 21 Day Fix the diet aspect is more clear. If you want those advertised results, follow the diet. Bottom line is, what you eat matters. This is true with Morning Meltdown.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know I practice Intermittent Fasting. Which makes it a lot harder for me to go overboard. It’s hard to stuff your face (fasting makes you feel full easily). When your eating window is short, it’s almost next to impossible to eat too much.

Realize these workouts always have a diet plan they want you to follow. Diets do not work, so I do not participate in the diet plans of my workouts. I was fasting and eating low-carb, though, so I should see results. So I completed the first phase, and I am in phase two. Want to know if the Morning Meltdown is worth it? Read on.

The Good

The Morning Meltdown has a unique concept. A live DJ! The DJ helps you keep the pace better. The music is never the same. Best of all, not that craptastical exercise music you hear in most workouts. Mostly the music is not terrible. I cannot stand workout music.

Jericho comes out before the first workout and tells you she is committing to 100 workouts. Then signs a poster on the wall. The class comes out and follow suit. You get the idea early on Jericho wants you to like her workout and dedicate over three months of your life to it. That tells me Morning Meltdown is well thought out and planned. Usually those workouts have great results.

Jericho is not annoying. If you suffered through an awesome workout with a trainer who will not shut up, you can relate. She talks just enough. Yet not too much. Jericho also shows each move beforehand. Well, not the modifiers. More on that later. Bottom line Jericho is a good trainer. She’s likeable and authentic.

Jericho knows her participants and checks in with modifiers. The whole workout and premise with the DJ works because of Jericho's personality. Overall, she is a good trainer. I was sweating. I am what they would consider and intermediate to an advanced level. I lift the same or close to the same weight as Jericho. I can do all the moves.

However, I have back and hip issues and choose not to do any moves like burpees that can make my back worse. I usually perform the weighted moves with the class. Normally I only use modifiers for high impact moves most of the time.

I was sweating after most of the workouts more with the weight lifting. You never do the same workout twice. Jericho’s routines weighted or cardio will mean your legs, arms, core, and bottom will get worked twice a week. The workouts in phase one are effective. I would consider the workouts intermediate not advanced.

I like these workouts better than 21 Day Fix. Sorry Autumn!

Cannot see the modifications.

The Bad

The modified moves are not great. The girl showing the modified moves is a beginner. She has tiny weights. Easy moves. If you have been exercising regularly, this will not make you break a sweat.

The second modifiers moves are an improvement yet sometimes not challenging enough. If you are an intermediate to an advanced level, you will figure it out and change it yourself. You should not have to though. Just saying.

There should be a true intermediate modifier. Then someone who is between intermediate to advanced. It would fill that gap so you don't have to figure it out. Also, the burpees and jump moves. Not a fan. They are an injury waiting to happen. Want to know more? Here is a good article.

Also, my downstairs neighbors would not appreciate my pounding on their ceiling.

The Ugly

You cannot see most of the modifications until after everyone has done a few reps. How hard is it to show the modifiers? For crying out loud seriously. How hard is it? We have two modifiers. One girl who performs the “easy” version, and another who does a moderate version of each move. Yet Jericho only demos the move most of the class is doing. I stream via Roku and do not have the modifier option that some Beachbody On Demand subscribers have. I have not seen that option on my app either. I also have BODi by Beachbody on my MYX II Plus bike and there is no modifier option.

What made me loathe PiYo was the fact that the group was 3-5 reps into a move at least before the modifier was shown. Same deal here. With Morning Meltdown there are two modifiers and I cannot see either. How hard is it to place the modifier behind the instructor? Seriously. That is my main gripe with the Morning Meltdown. That, and the modifiers did not get the amazing workout clothing everyone else did.

While that may sound like nitpicking, consider over half of our population is a size 14 or larger. The problem is most exercise tapes are excluding the plus size community. I want to see someone who looks like me in a fitness tape and not have them be part of the background. Or looking plain compared to everyone else.

They had these two cute participants vital to the workout. The production not providing them with stylish clothing is bs. BTW most people who are in great shape will not buy Morning Meltdown. It will be the ladies like me who have some weight to lose. I want to see someone who has my physique showing the moves and looking cute while doing it.

My Results

I developed an eye infection after the first week. Not only that, but I had to take antibiotics every 12 hours with food. For someone who fasts 16-36 hours at a time, this was bad news. So I spent 10 days fasting for 12 hours. I have insulin resistance and a slow metabolism, which fasting helps counterbalance. So weigh in’s and measurements were something I reevaluated.

I went by how my clothing fit, not by the scale. A new workout will yield a weight loss but most do not realize that is water weight. It takes time to see results. So the lose up to nine pounds in two weeks is a marketing ploy. If you're not working out and watching what you eat to begin with, you will see your weight drop the first week.

Bottom line, my new workout Capri are loose in some spots. Not baggy, but loose. I can say the same for my jeans, I can tell changes are coming. That is all that matters. If you are doing a diet and or fitness program to drop weight fast, you are going to gain it back. Sorry not sorry truth bomb.

So while I cannot boost a nine pound weight loss or losing inches, it does not matter. Morning Meltdown is a solid workout. If you try to eat right and don’t eat a bunch of junk, it should help you. Remember, you cannot spot reduce, so diet matters. The better you eat, the better your results.

I am a busy mom with 3 kids who works at home and homeschools. I don’t have time for a crappy workout. This workout is not crappy and being 20-30 minutes, it will not waste your time. I recommend Morning Meltdown so far. Stay tuned for my Phase 2 Review.