21 Day Fix Review

This 21 Day Fix review covers all the workouts in the program as well as my experience with them and my final thoughts on the workout program.

21 Day Fix by Autumn Calabrese is aimed at ramping up your fitness levels and improving your nutrition in preparation for 21 Day Fix Extreme.

21 Day Fix features 30-minute workouts, portion control, and loads of motivation to keep you going through the burn. And I promise you, there will be burn.

A lot of the workouts in 21 Day Fix are simple and fun and don’t feel like much but your body the next day will beg to differ. That’s a good thing though.

If you can’t keep up with the trainers, there’s always someone modifying so you can dial back on the intensity.

I took up that option a lot in the first week because I wanted to be sure I got the form right before ramping things up.

My goal for 21 Day Fix was firming up my midsection after all the Christmas bingeing and health-related breaks towards the end of last year.

I don’t really do workout programs to lose weight in an unreasonable amount of time because that’s not my main goal.

My main goal is always firming and toning up since I have a lifelong fit habit already.

If you don’t have a fit habit already, 21 Day Fix is a good way to start building one.

Who’s Behind 21 Day Fix?

21 Day Fix is brought to you by Autumn Calabrese, a trainer and fitness competitor.

She’s also the host of the FIXATE cooking show and author of the FIXATE cookbook.

Other programs she’s created with Beachbody include 21 Day Fix Extreme, 80 Day Obsession, and Country Heat.

Autumn is one of my favorite Beachbody trainers in addition to Shaun T and Chalene Johnson.

I love the way she sprinkles motivational sayings throughout her workouts. She really makes you want to keep going when you are just about ready to give up.

21 Day Fix Breakdown

Week 1

• Total Body Cardio Fix
• Upper Fix
• Lower Fix
• Pilates Fix
• Cardio Fix
• Dirty 30
• Yoga Fix

You can read my individual breakdown at 21 Day Fix Week 1 Update.

Week 2

• Total Body Cardio Fix
• Upper Fix
• Barre Legs
• Flat Abs Fix
• Cardio Fix
• Dirty 30
• Yoga Fix

You can read my individual breakdown at 21 Day Fix Week 2 Update.

Week 3

• Total Body Cardio Fix
• Upper Fix
• Lower Fix
• Pilates Fix
• Cardio Fix
• Dirty 30
• Yoga Fix

You can read my individual breakdown at 21 Day Fix Week 3 Update.

I also share my favorite Autumn Calabrese motivational quotes for the week in each weekly update.

What I Loved About 21 Day Fix

• 21 Day Fix is a great mix of resistance, cardio, pilates, yoga, and ab workouts.
• Though a few of the workouts were repetitive, it didn’t feel that way because there were so many moves involved.
• It takes only 30 minutes out of your day, which is one of the most important things for me in a workout. Short and quick.
• Despite the short time, it delivers an effective punch of a workout that your body will still feel.
• 21 Day Fix workout is a low-impact exercise. I wore a knee brace for my wonky knee and had no issues getting through any of the workouts.
• I like Autumn’s approach very much. She explains all the moves and throws in a lot of motivational quotes. I’ve compiled most of them and will be sharing them in a future article.
• Discourages calorie counting craze. Just measure your food into the supplied containers and that’s all you need to do.

Overall, I found 21 Day Fix a very effective workout on its own and in preparation for 21 Day Fix Extreme.

However, as with all workout programs, boy was I glad to see the end of it.

If you’re a newbie, 21 Day Fix might be a bit too much for you but if you’ve worked out previously, even off and on, then it should be fine.

Either way, focus on the modifier for the first few workouts to get your body ready for the intensity of the full workouts.

21 Day Fix Equipment

You require 2 sets of weights – light and heavy for the program or a resistance band and a yoga mat.

If you don’t have dumbbells, there’s someone in the workouts using a resistance band instead so you can follow her.

Neoprene Dumbbell Weight Pair

Gaiam Premium Yoga Mat

SPRI Xertube Resistance Bands

21 Day Fix Meal Containers

The 21 Day Fix meal plans are designed with color-coded containers for different food groups.

These color-coded containers control food portions so you can effectively lose weight without starving yourself.

The color-coded containers include:-

• Green container for vegetables like kale, spinach, tomatoes, capsicum, etc.
• Purple container for fruit blueberries, watermelon, apples, tangerines, oranges, etc.
• Red container for protein like salmon, tuna, chicken breast, lean ground chicken or turkey, eggs, tofu, etc.
• Yellow container for carbs like quinoa, beans, edamame, brown rice, plantains, etc.
• Blue container for healthy fats like avocado, almonds, cashews, walnuts, coconut milk, etc.
• Orange container for seeds and dressings.

Depending on your calorie needs, you can determine which mix of containers you should include in your diet every day.

I have been practicing portion control for over 15 years and it’s one of my top recommendations in Reach Your Fitness Goals Faster With These 17 Tips.

21 Day Fix Meal Plan

21 Day Fix comes with a meal plan that details the approved foods for each group of containers.

Don’t worry, there are loads of foods on the approved lists so don’t fret about having to deny yourself your favorites.

The best thing about the meal plan is you can adapt it to your dietary needs.

And for even more options while on the meal plan, you can also check out the Fixate Cookbook. It offers 101 additional recipes you can try while on 21 Day Fix.

The meal plan also contains an equation to help you calculate your daily calorie needs.

I don’t follow the meal plans that come with programs exactly because I tend to be a picky eater but I do stick to a calorie level for the day.

For 21 Day Fix, my calorie level was 1,200 calories per day. You can check out some of the recipes I tried in the weekly updates.

Where to Buy 21 Day Fix?

The basic 21 Day Fix workout contains two workout DVDs, a getting started guide, tally sheets, 7 color-coded containers, an eating plan, and a quick fix guide for the last 3 days of the program.

All you need for this program is the basic DVDs. You don’t need specialized sets with accompanying products you may not need or like.

You can get the 21 Day Fix workout set HERE and check out more 21 Day Fix Reviews HERE. You can also buy used DVDs on eBay.

If you buy used DVDs, you can get the 21 Day Fix set of matching food containers separately HERE. 

I am not a Beachbody coach or MLM shill. I simply love the Beachbody programs and review the ones I try out on this website.

Other Things You Might Want to Know About 21 Day Fix Workout

Which 21 Day Fix Workout Is The Hardest?

I have to say I’ve never been so glad to never do a workout again in my life as I was with barre legs.

My butt was on fire for days after that workout. If you’ve done ballet before, you might not think it’s so tough though.

After barre legs, total body cardio fix was the hardest 21 Day Fix workout for me.

Which 21 Day Fix Workout Is The Best?

I love working on my upper areas so for me, the best 21 Day Fix workout was Upper Fix.

I also appreciated Yoga Fix for all the stretching on days 7, 14, and 21. Your body will really need that.

The best workout depends on your personal preferences and which parts of your body are stronger. 

Which 21 Day Fix Workouts Don’t Need Weights?

There was no need for weights with barre legs, yoga fix, pilates fix, and some of the cardio fix.

However, you need weights for most of the workouts.

Does 21 Day Fix Workout Work?

It depends on your expectations of it. If you have unreasonable weight loss expectations, it’s not going to work.

Even if it works, it’s not sustainable because after 21 days, then what? All the weight will pile back on eventually.

It’s best to build a healthy attitude towards your weight loss goals irrespective of which workout program you’re on.

With consistency and a great diet, yes, the 21 Day Fix workout, or any workout program for that matter, will work.

What Next After 21 Day Fix?

What’s next for me is the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I already started it and will be uploading the first week update shortly.

If you enjoy the home workout updates, be sure to sign up below so you’re notified whenever new updates are added to the website.

Stay fit!