Do you reckon you can commit to get fit in 12-weeks? Willing to bet on it?

The new online Rebellion fitness programme from personal trainer Julia Buckley makes it a bit harder to come up with excuses to swerve the exercise and tuck into a kebab – it’ll cost you money if you do.

To take part in Julia’s 12-week timetable, you’ll need to stick down a £50 deposit. Take a before pic, put the work in, take an after pic and send your results to Julia and you’ll get your cash back. Don’t, and you lose the bet. With yourself. And you’re £50 down. Not cool.

What’s this Rebellion programme all about then Julia?

“It’s a brand new, full-body transformation programme for people who are ready to put the work in and want to see and feel changes in their body.

“Losing weight and looking good is the motivation for many people to start exercising, and I’m not fighting that, but I want to open their eyes to the other benefits too – more confidence, more energy, better skin, better sleep, and a better quality of life.”

So, what’s with the £50 deposit?

There’s a theory called loss-aversion, which says that people will work harder to avoid losing something that’s already theirs than to gain something new

“There’s a theory called loss-aversion, which explains that people will work harder to avoid losing something that’s already theirs than to gain something new. I’d seen so many transformation programmes where people are offered a prize when they complete it, so I decided to leverage a bit of economics and flip that over.

“If you deposit £50 with me and then you don’t send me your before and after photos at the end of the 12-week programme, you don’t get your deposit back. I think this is a more powerful incentive for people to stick to the plan and see it through than offering them a reward they didn’t have before.”

What sort of exercises can people expect?

“There are three types of workout: sculpt, which is weight training and strengthening; shred, which is a lot of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and more cardio based; and sustain, which is power yoga, mobility and flexibility work.

I would recommend at least five 20-minute sessions weekly

“Each block is 20 minutes, so absolute beginners who haven’t exercised for years can just tackle one of those sessions per day if they like, but I would recommend at least five 20-minute sessions weekly, building up gradually. For the best results possible, I would recommend fitter people do all three 20-minute sessions five days a week.”

Have you had a good response so far?

“I thought the idea of the £50 deposit might put people off, but the response has been fantastic. Existing members are signing up and lots of new people are signing up too.”

And what results can people expect to achieve?

“Besides all of the positive mental effects, people can expect to drop a minimum of one dress size if they follow the programme properly.”

How many deposits have you held on to so far?

I haven’t withheld anyone’s deposit yet. And I really don’t want to either, I promise!

“I haven’t withheld anyone’s deposit yet. And I really don’t want to either, I promise!

“The programme really isn’t harsh as it sounds. All you have to do is relish the accountability, take a before photo, give the programme everything you’ve got, and take an after photo.

“Your body will change but really, whatever that photograph shows isn’t important –it’s about committing to the programme, breaking the cycle of procrastination and working towards a fitter, healthier you.”

Sold. Where do we sign up?

“It’s £7 a week for membership to my website, which I prefer to call an online fitness club – there are loads of workouts on there, a food planning section, forums,  and I provide coaching via video content and forums. Those who want to do the Rebellion programme can transfer their £50 deposit, and let the 12-weeks commence!”