Learning There is No “Perfect Time” and Diving into 21 Day Fix Extreme

After becoming a Beachbody Coach this year, I had plans to do the 21 Day Fix. It’s definitely one of the most talked about Beachbody programs and a good friend of mine, Allison had success with the program. I’ve tried P90X, P90X2, P90X3 and Insanity and enjoyed them all and figured I wouldn’t be disappointed with 21 Day Fix.

The thing is, I was waiting for the “perfect time” to do the program. It’s only 21 days but I wanted to have 21 days to fully commit to it, knowing I wouldn’t miss a workout and I’d follow the nutrition plan (well, adding a few hundred calories for breastfeeding). But as you know, I’m signed up for three half marathons in the spring and summer and then I’ll be going into full marathon training for the New York Marathon in the fall. The only time I could really put on the calendar to do it was after the Rock n’ Roll Half in June. But, my friend Allison added me to her March challenge group so that I could see what it was all about and after seeing inspirational messages every day, I decided to dive in and join her April challenge. I also figured that doing a challenge myself would prepare me to host my own challenge group!

So, I started the 21 Day Fix Extreme last Monday. I’m also running a half marathon in a week. I’m not doing all the workouts (my goal is 5 per week out of the 7) and I’m not following the diet completely, but I’m doing it and I am feeling great! Although I do think that I can do things in moderation, when it comes to challenges and goals, I like to dive in and do things 100%. However, participating in this challenge has given me perspective that I can actually get results and have fun while doing the program and giving myself some slack.

So what exactly is the 21 Day Fix you might ask? There are actually two versions, 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme. I am doing Extreme so that’s what I’ll be referencing here. Here’s a high level summary.

21 Day Fix Extreme Overview

• 21 Days
• 7  high intensity, calorie torching workouts per week, averaging about 30 minutes per session, targeting the entire body. All workouts can be modified for your current fitness level and you can always hit pause if you need more breaks!
  • Upper Fix, Lower Fix, Plyo, Pilates, Yoga, Cardio and Dirty 30 (full body strength)

    

• Bonus 10 minute ab workout
• Equipment needed: various weights (you could get away with just two sets, a light and a heavy) and one pair of resistance bands.
• Specific nutrition plan. 
  
  • Free recipe book (several people in my challenge group have raved about the recipes 

    

  • Based on your current weight, activity level and goals, you will be assigned a certain amount of food per food group.
  • Color-coded tupperware for each food group and guidance on how many servings of each tupperware you are allowed each day.
  • Recommended (but not required) daily Shakeology.

So far I really like the program. I didn’t actually use the tupperware containers the first week and I just tried to eat healthier. I ended up failing on that end on the weekend, but that’s ok. I am doing a lot of meal prepping today and planning to follow it more closely this week. I am drinking Shakeology most days which really helps with the afternoon sweet cravings! I just mix it with water and some ice at work and it’s delicious.

The workouts are great! There is just a 1 minute warm-up and cool-down and not much rest between moves, so the 30 or so minutes that you’re working out are VERY efficient and your heart rate will be up, even on the strength training routines. There is always a person modifying the moves for those who need it and you definitely can take longer breaks if needed. I really like the method used for the strength training workouts (upper and lower fix) which are 1 minute super-sets, meaning the first 30 seconds is a heavier weight and the 2nd 30 seconds is either a lighter weight (upper fix) or a plyometric move (lower fix). By the end of the 60 seconds whichever body part we’re targeting is burning and I know I’m making progress. You always repeat each move once within each workout which ensures that you’re really feeling the burn.

I also appreciate that the program is only 21 days which makes it a lot easier to commit to. Of course, best results will happen if you repeat it a few times, but the results I’ve seen after only 21 days from others are pretty incredible!

I’m considering hosting a May challenge group starting May 9th and would love to know if anyone is interested in joining. The challenge will end just in time for Memorial Day. Basically, you’d purchase the program  (or a challenge pack, which includes a month of Shakeology, which is the best deal because you save $50. Most people who decide not to get Shakeology at first will end up buying it later and missing out on this deal!) and then you’d be added to a private Facebook group with all the others in the challenge group. Every day I’ll post the workout, some motivation and a prompt for all members of the group to engage with each other (which is optional). It’s an incredible way to stay motivated even if you’re doing the program alone.

Stay tuned in an couple weeks for my complete review of the program and results!

Do you tend to wait for the perfect time to do things or do you go with the flow?

Do you have 21 days to commit to 21 Day Fix with me?