Before sharing this experience, here's what authentic Tai Chi Walking actually is — so you can judge the difference yourself: Tai Chi Walking: How It Works, Why It Burns Fat & Who It's Best For
I’ve been working out seriously for over 8 years (mostly calisthenics, some weights, and lately I’ve been adding Tai Chi and Qigong for mobility). When I saw Mad Muscles heavily advertised as a “personalized muscle-building & fat-loss app” with meal plans, video workouts, and even “Tai Chi-inspired” flows, I thought it might be a decent alternative to the usual suspects.
They offered a “3-day trial for $1” that sounded harmless.Big mistake.Within 48 hours they charged me $59.99 USD from my card for a full 3-month subscription I never agreed to continue. No confirmation email, no “your trial is ending” reminder, nothing.
Just an automatic charge and an almost impossible cancellation process. I’m not the only one; hundreds of people are reporting the exact same thing in 2025.Here are the red flags I wish I had seen earlier:Aggressive dark-pattern subscription
The “Start 3-day trial” button is huge and green. The fine print about auto-renewal at $59.99/3 months is tiny and half-hidden. Most people (including me) never saw it.
Cancellation is deliberately difficult
There is no “Cancel subscription” button inside the app. You have to send an email to support OR go through the App Store/Google Play, but even then many users say the charges keep coming for months. Google Play reviews and Reddit threads are full of people begging for refunds.
Content is recycled garbage
The workouts are 90 % the same generic bodyweight circuits you can find for free on YouTube. The “personalized” plan asked me 4 questions and then gave me the identical program my friend got (he’s 5'6" and 180 lbs, I’m 6'2" and 205 lbs). The so-called “Tai Chi” section is three 3-minute videos of a guy doing very basic slow movements with zero explanation of breathing or energy flow; it’s insulting to actual Tai Chi.
Meal plans are dangerous and copy-pasted
Several users (including a girl on Reddit) reported being told to eat only 1,100–1,300 kcal a day to “lose fat fast.” That’s eating-disorder territory, not professional coaching.
Flood of 5-star reviews = paid or fake
If you sort App Store reviews by “most recent” you’ll see the truth: 90 % are 1-star complaints about unauthorized charges. The 5-star ones are suspiciously short and generic (“Great app!!!”) and many were posted within days of each other.
I finally got my money back, but only after filing a chargeback with my bank and leaving reviews everywhere I could. Google Play thread alone has 400+ replies of people calling it a straight-up scam.Save your money and your sanity. If you want real workout apps, stick to:
Strong
Hevy
FitBod
Nike Training Club (free)
Taichiwuji.com
Or just follow Jeff Nippard, Athlean-X, or Hybrid Calisthenics on YouTube.
Mad Muscles is not a fitness app; it’s a subscription scam dressed in workout clothes. You’ve been warned.(Feel free to share your own horror stories below; apparently we’re a very large club now.)
