21 Day Fix Review

Overall Rating – Gold
Great program, with a nice mix of resistance, cardio, pilates and yoga. Autumn Calabrese is an awesome trainer who make this program approachable to people of all fitness levels. Includes the best portion based diet plan of all the Beachbody programs.

Intensity – 5 out of 10 (Intermediate)
21 Day Fix is the perfect program for those who are just starting out on their fitness journey or those not quite ready for one of the more extreme programs offered by Beachbody. The workouts are structured in such a way that there is a 20 – 30 second rest after each and every exercise, which generally last for a minute each. Also each exercise is generally repeated once, so you can use the first time through to get your bearing with the exercises. The cardio exercises tend to be lower impact, so it is great for those with knee issues or who are out of shape. The resistance exercises are pretty standard, so there is not need to worry about learning complex exercises. The resistance workouts are focused more on endurance than strength, so you will only have 2 sets of weights. a heavy set and a light set for each workout. The goal is to pick weights so that you can get through the entire workout without stopping.

The program is 7 days a weeks for 3 weeks, which is something to keep in mind if you are used to a dedicated rest day. However, one of the days is Yoga Fix, which is a great way to stretch out the body and aid recovery. Also, every workout has a warm-up and cooldown. The warm-up does a great job easing you into the workout and the cooldown is a great way to loosen back up, so that you are ready for the next day.

There are two modifiers in each workout, much like T25. Cat is the lower impact modifier in every workout. So if an exercise is too hard for you, or you cannot complete the entire minute follow along with her. There is also a modifier showing how to do each exercise with resistance bands in case you do not have dumbbells. Autumn does an amazing job at thoroughly explaining the form of each exercise during the rest periods, and she gives out tons of helpful tips during the move itself. Her extensive instructions along with the modifiers, really makes this program approachable for everyone.

One thing to note is the bonus Plyo Fix workout, is actually rather high impact and is more intense than the other workouts in the series. I actually like that because it is not part of the main schedule, so if it is too intense for you than no worries. However, it serves as a measuring stick to how ready you are to move onto something more intense, such as T25, P90X3 or the upcoming 21 Day Extreme Fix.

Average Time – 30 minutes
Every workout is about a half hour in length, except for 10 Minute Fix for Abs, which is well 10 minutes. Each workout includes a warm-up and cooldown, so there is no need to do an additional cooldown on top of the main workout, as in T25.

Cost
21 Day Fix Essential Package – $59.85 ($44.89 for coaches) for 7 workouts
Additionally, you will get the eating plan and all the food containers you need to follow it. You will also receive a free workout (Plyo Fix), if you order through me, any teambeachbody coach, or teambeachbody.com

21 Day Fix Ultimate Package – $59.85 ($44.89 for coaches) for 9 workouts
You get everything that comes with the essential package, plus 2 more workouts, an additional large food container, a resistance band and a 21 Day Fix tote bag. The two additional workouts are Flat Abs Fix and Barre Legs, which I have not had a chance to try yet. You will also receive a free workout (Plyo Fix), if you order through me, any teambeachbody coach, or teambeachbody.com.

Benefits

1. Well rounded – hits all areas of fitness including resistance
2. Great workout in only 30 minutes
3. Low impact
4. Approachable for beginners
5. Awesome trainer

Drawbacks

1. May be too easy for those looking for advanced programs
2. Every day of the week means little scheduling flexibility
3. Not clear how to continue after 21 days
4. Resistance work may be too endurance focused and unlikely to build power

Variety
There is a lot of variety in the 21 Day Fix Program. There are 4 resistance workouts each week, 2 are total body routines and then there is a lower focused and an upper focused workout as well. There is also one pure cardio routine each week as well as a pilates workout and a yoga workout. That’s not to even mention the bonus Plyo Fix routine you will receive. With all those different workouts, it is virtually impossible to get bored during the 21 days of the program.

Equipment

1. Dumbbells (or Resistance Bands)
2. Yoga Mat (or miniMat)

Design & Nutrition Plan
This program is well designed. Even though there is no dedicated rest day, the schedule is structured in such a way to prevent overtraining, because of all the variety. However, from a practical perspective not having a dedicated day off makes it very hard to stay on track. If you miss even one day you are no longer able to complete the program in 21 days. Plus, it may be mentally draining to not have a day where you don’t even have to think about working out. Plus what are you supposed to do after the 21 days are over? I do not see working out every day being very sustainable in the long run for most people. Also since the program is not very intense you may outgrow the program after a round or two and have to look elsewhere to prevent plateau. However, 21 Day Extreme Fix is going to be released soon, which hopefully, will provide the clear answer of what to do next.

On top of that the program comes with a top notch portion control nutrition plan. I am not a huge fan of the nutrition plans in the other Beachbody programs, but for those who do not wish to count calories I think this is ideal. The program comes with 7 colored containers, which each correspond to a food group. Basically, each day all you have to do is fill the containers with food and you are set. There is no need to track calories or macros, as long as you are not eating more than fits in each container, you are on track.

The Trainer
This program was my introduction to Autumn Calabrese and I think she is an amazing trainer. She is awesome at explaining each exercise in an easy to understand manner. On top of it she is a great motivator. She is not the drill sargent type, but rather she connects with her audience on a personal level and it seems like she genuinely wants everyone following along to succeed. She does a great job of taking everything one step at a time so as not to overwhelm her audience.

Final Thoughts
This is my new go to program recommendation for those just starting out on their fitness journeys. This program is extremely well rounded, so no aspect of fitness is neglected. There is a ton of variety, so it will not bore you. Autumn is a world class trainer, who will make sure you are engaged during each and every workout. Plus the program is only a half hour a day for 21 days, so it is really easy to stay motivated from start to finish. Some people may find this program not challenging enough after their first 21 days, luckily 21 Day Extreme Fix is on the way.