• The 54D exclusive fitness program is beloved by celebrities and known for its dramatic results.
• It comes with a high price tag and requires serious commitment from members to stay in the program. 
• I loved the workout and think the community vibe is exceptional, but it’s not for everyone. 

Only 20 minutes in, and I’m drenched in sweat, trying to find the energy for one more round of sprints as a trio of tall, lean athletes behind me cheer as though I’m about to score the match-winning point. No, I’m not taking the field for the World Cup — I’m in the middle of Manhattan taking the latest trendy workout class beloved by celebrities, and wow, was I wrong about my expectations.

The 54D program built its brand on being both tough and exclusive. It comes with an A-list price tag ($4,500 per nine-week cycle) and fans such as Alex Rodriguez. But if you’re three minutes late for class, you’ll be locked out. You’ll be removed from the program if you miss more than three sessions, no matter how famous you are.

The program promises eye-catching transformation (for both body and mind) through six days a week of grueling workouts for the eponymous 54 days, the amount of time it takes to see lasting changes, its founder, Rodrigo Garduño, says.

A former pro soccer player, Garduño designed the program based on his experience finding the discipline to stay active after a period of depression when he retired from his sport.

“Training really took me out of a bad moment in my life,” he said in an interview with Business Insider. “I thought if it happened to me, how many other people were feeling exactly the same way for different reasons, not knowing what to do with their lives.”

Based on interviews with the program’s graduates, an outside expert, and my own experience, I’ve found that 54D offers some of the most successful features of elite athletic training.

I love the camaraderie and the idea that challenging group workouts can help you become the best version of yourself — something that’s been life-changing for me. But I don’t want to gloss over the downsides, and 54D may be too intense for some people.

I wish we could move past the emphasis on body transformations, some of our baggage around weight loss, and the pervasive all-or-nothing mindset that can make it hard for many to find an accessible, healthy approach to fitness.

The program has a multifaceted approach to fitness

Beyond the high-intensity workouts, a selling point of 54D is a full suite of spa-quality recovery amenities, including compression boots to soothe sore legs and soundproof rooms for meditation.

The program also involves a customized diet from a staff nutritionist, with regular check-ins. General guidelines include cutting out alcohol and processed sugar and focusing on protein and veggies, CEO Omar Yunes says. The diet doesn’t necessarily involve calorie cutting — at least one participant told BI the nutritionist taught her to eat more, not less, since she was previously too calorie-deprived to build muscle.

With more extensive support than many fad programs, 54D emphasizes balancing hard training with caring for your body through good nutrition and recovery. It also encourages a higher intensity than some people are looking for, and participants who fall short may face a sense of shame as a result of the brand’s no-holds-barred approach.

Classes are led by jacked, hyperfocused coaches who discourage any chitchat between drills or even stopping for a water break except at designated times (unless you need an emergency sip). In my class experience, there weren’t modifications or scaled options, and though no one was admonished for slowing down, we were consistently urged to keep the pace high. So everyone did their best to keep up.

Later, Yunes told me that the coaches were there throughout the program and knew who might have injuries or need extra support. Each class has several coaches so that as one teaches, the rest can help anyone struggling with the exercises to do a modified version — like a knee push-up — if needed.

“It’s not about doing 100 push-ups and whoever finishes first,” he said. “You’re being asked to do 100% of what you can do in that moment.”

The program is intense by design, Yunes said, because the drastic changes are intended to help people see more striking results to help them stay motivated to stick to it.

“You need that sense of victory to keep you going,” he said. “When change is too slow, it’s very easy to get demotivated.”

The tight schedule and strict rules are intended to foster the sense of focus and team unity you might find in an elite sporting league. However, it could be detrimental to everyday athletes who may benefit from a lighter touch and more flexible guidelines, even if the fitness industry has led them to believe an all-or-nothing approach is the only way to be fit, Darlene Marshall, a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine coach who specializes in positive psychology and holistic wellness, said.

“My honest answer would be to tell a student in one of my classes, listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself and stop and rest if you need to, and this program specifically punishes you for taking a break,” she said of the strict attendance policy.

Many graduates of 54D say they got hooked on exercise thanks to the program’s team dynamics and routine

For many gyms, a significant profit comes from paying members who rarely or perhaps never take advantage of the services. Garduño said his vision required serious dedication, even if that meant losing out on business. The result is a stronger sense of community, he added.

Would-be participants have to complete an interview process before they’re allowed to join, which Garduño said helped them understand what they’re getting into. It includes questions about the prospective participant’s goals and a detailed explanation of what the program entails, according to Yunes.

“Our programs require a real commitment from both the members and us as a company, so we need to know the expectations for both before deciding to go into this process together,” he said.

Some people who try it never go back to other fitness brands, instead signing up for 54D again and again. Three graduates said in interviews that they’re in their fifth, sixth, or even seventh round of the $4,500 program after seeing major results not only in their fitness but also in their focus at work and in their personal lives.

Maddie McMillan, a 25-year-old from Miami, initially signed up to challenge herself and is now in her fifth cycle of the program.

“You get hooked,” she told BI. “It’s completely different from any other workout program.”

McMillan said she’s not only physically in better shape than ever but also more focused at work and adept at habits that used to be difficult, such as waking up early or showing up on time.

“It becomes something you accomplish that no one can take from you. It’s an hour just for you,” Alexandra Rodriguez, a mom of three (no relation to the celebrity), said. “I’ve become a better person because of the way I feel every day.”

She told BI it now felt like an essential part of her self-care.

Though the physical effort was difficult for her at first, it was incredibly rewarding to see how her body and mind adapted to pushing through the discomfort of another sprint up the studio’s incline ramp, she said.

And Jackie Tommasino, another participant, told BI that she started the program in August 2021 and went on to complete six cycles.

Despite an old injury that left her with a titanium rod and screws in one leg, she looks forward to the workouts and makes a point of taking the dedicated rest day on Sunday, as well as foam rolling and stretching to keep up with the intense exercise.

Community and discipline can be huge benefits of exercise, and 54D isn’t the only way

Despite being a skeptic when I walked into 54D, I had a blast during the workout and immediately felt the sense of community and empowerment that Garduño said the program was about. However, I also have an extensive background in fitness and a personality built for this kind of intensity — many people in my life would likely find this to be a path to burnout instead of motivation.

Speaking with Marshall helped me put into words some of my misgivings: She said the more punishing aspects of the program echoed some toxic aspects of the fitness industry as a whole, which doesn’t make room for much nuance or context in helping people build healthy relationships to exercise.

No matter how much I loved my workout with 54D, it’s hard to get past the lingering worry that 54D’s promise of “human transformation” is a sly nod to getting a six-pack — even if aesthetics don’t feel like part of the gym’s atmosphere. (There are no mirrors, and sweaty selfies aren’t allowed.)

The website also has an uncomfortable emphasis on before-and-after pictures, even marketing itself as an “online fat loss program” and advertising one product as an “emergency kit” to lose weight in two weeks for an upcoming event.

As a health reporter, I know studies have found there’s no proven path to long-term weight loss, and I worry it may be setting people up to fail and feel ashamed to guarantee results if they follow the program.

At its best, the program highlights how community can be a game changer for people trying to develop a fitness regimen and resilience. And Garduño has managed to make these otherwise boring basic principles attractive in a way that’s worth the high cost and intensity for some.

But you don’t need a fancy membership to apply similar principles at home. While there is an online version of 54D, which is more affordable at $100 a month, there are plenty of ways to take simple steps to improve your fitness. For instance, you could hit the gym with a friend or take a slow approach to a new workout routine.

While there’s a time and place for hardcore workouts, I think the most lasting change comes from programs meeting people where there are and making room for all kinds of movement, for all kinds of bodies. That, unfortunately, is missing from much of the mainstream fitness world.