Monarch Fitness is a personalized fitness subscription box. You fill out a short profile questionnaire before sign-up that asks about your fitness goals, dietary needs and preferences, preferred types of apparel, etc. Then the Monarch Fitness team chooses products based on your answers. I don’t remember everything I picked (you can take the survey without entering credit card information if you want to see it), but I definitely remember that there were vegetarian and vegan options available. You can also opt to get a box every other month instead of every month.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Monarch Fitness Performance Pack
The Cost: $64.99 + $5 shipping (in the US) for monthly subscription, $67.99 + $5 shipping (in the US) for bi-monthly subscription.
COUPON: Save $10 off your fist box with code MONARCH10.
The Products: full-size supplements, fitness apparel/gear, healthy snacks, nutrition advice, plus workouts, educational materials, and motivational content, selected according to your fitness goals and preferences and curated by fitness professionals and trainers.
Ships to: US
Check out the Fitness Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Monarch Fitness to your subscription list or wishlist!
Because these boxes are customized and not everyone receives the same items, Monarch Fitness sends individual cards with more information on the items in the box.
Also included was this card with a “Butt Burner” workout and information on how much protein a person needs in a day. Both of these were actually super useful to me. Although I don’t have access to a Stair Master (mentioned in the workout), I can do the cardio part on my treadmill with an incline (plus I climb the stairs to my 8th floor office about 9 times a week, so surely that counts for something…). The workout has lots of bodyweight moves, some plyometrics, and foam rolling of the hamstrings (which is something I really need to do more often anyway).
I also thought the “How Much Protein Do I Need Every Day” side of the card was informative. It strongly suggests adapting protein intake to fit your activity level and fitness goals (for me, that is attempting to lose body fat while preserving muscle mass) and offers summaries of some recent studies on the matter as well as recommendations. I’m not tracking macronutrients super carefully right now but will probably start doing that at some point later this year.
Zing Nutrition Bar in Dark Chocolate Coconut (1.76 oz) – Value $3.49
Zing Nutrition Bar in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (1.76 oz) – Value $3.49
I’m counting calories this year and for some reason, I was really far under my target yesterday (small meals and a lot of exercise I guess). So I ate both of these. While they are a little high in sugar, what I love about them is how balanced they are in terms of protein, fat, and fiber. Most bars have a ton of protein and no fiber, but these were much more balanced. Also they tasted good. And they’re vegan, if that is important to you.
Hylete Electric Blue and White V-Neck Tee – Value $35
I have a pretty standard workout uniform of t-shirt, yoga pants, and a sports bra. Most of the t-shirts I use are too baggy, though, and can get interfere with certain activities. This one fits me much better and is also quite comfortable. I think it wicked sweat away pretty well during cardio, also. I’m very happy with this.
MP Squeeze Bottle – Value $3?
I feel like my water bottles are constantly in the dishwasher waiting to be washed. So adding another one to the set is useful.
MP Assault Preworkout Supplement in Black Watermelon (12.38 oz) – Value $37.99
Monarch Fitness let me choose categories for supplements and preworkout supplements was a category I chose, since I actually do use them. It is suggested to mix one scoop of this in 12-16 ounces of water. Based on my past experience with preworkout supplements, I mixed one scoop in 32 ounces of water and that worked quite well for me. Always try at half strength first!
I drink this type of product during my workouts instead of before (plain water is kind of boring for me). This one has a lot of caffeine (300 mg, or about the same as in 3 cups of coffee) but didn’t leave me jittery at all. I’m a fan, though I will probably limit use late at night so I can sleep. And for what it’s worth, when I initially used this I was suffering from some muscle soreness due to a change in my workout routine. I thought for sure it would take a few more days to get over. But I am actually almost at 100% today. So maybe the amino acids in this helped with muscle repairs?
Cory Vines Headband – Value $12?
I have long hair that I pull back into a ponytail. But there are all those little pieces that are not quite long enough, you know? This helped keep them out of my face, which was great. Cory Vines specializes in limited run athletic wear so this isn’t available in their shop. I estimated a value based on a similar item from lululemon.
Click Espresso Protein Drink (1.12 oz) – Value $1.78
BPI Sports Whey HD in Chocolate Cookie (1.34 oz) – Value $1.29
I like getting packets of protein powders. I make smoothies every morning and include protein powder in them. I usually use less than the recommended amount, though, so the nice thing about packets is that you can sample it over a few days to see how you like it without being stuck with a half pound or a pound of something. These are both dairy-based, which is fine by me because I find that dairy-based protein powders dissolve in liquids a bit better than the plant-based ones.
Verdict: I calculated a value of about $98 for the February Monarch Fitness box. That is really close to the promised $100+ value per box and might actually meet it since I did have to guess at the value of the headband. It is also a fair amount above the cost of the box. More importantly, I feel like the curation was excellent. The workout and protein information were useful to me, and they really paid attention to my survey answers and as a result, this is probably one of the best fitness boxes I’ve ever received. Keep in mind you could get something totally different depending on how you fill out the survey.
What did you think of the February Monarch Fitness box?
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