Gainz Box Subscription Review + Coupon – July 2017

Gainz Box is a monthly box of fitness apparel, supplements, equipment, snacks, and more. Gainz Box is a veteran-owned business and donates a portion of their proceeds to charities that support U.S. veterans.

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is of the Gainz for Women, $32 a month, box. 

The Subscription Box: Gainz Box

The Cost: $32 + $6 shipping on a month-to-month basis, save with longer subscriptions

The Products: Women or Men's apparel (in your size), equipment, snacks and supplements, and other fitness items. (Gain[z] Box markets to a CrossFit audience, but I do not think you absolutely have to be into CrossFit to enjoy this box – many of the items are suitable for general fitness enthusiasts!) They promise a $75 value in every box.

Ships to: U.S.

Check out all of our Gainz Box reviews and more fitness boxes in the Fitness Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

The box came with a full-color fold-out information card featuring some of the items from the box in action.  I think the posing is often kind of cheesy but I also think it shows people who have a sense of humor and a fun attitude.

There was also some product literature. Note: You’ll see a Trifecta Nutrition card here.  This is a gift card but I did not include it in the overall value of the box because I couldn’t find any meal plans on the site for under $119 or so, so you’d still have to spend a significant amount of your own money to try this out.  (You can buy things like brown rice a la carte, but I object to paying $6.99 a week for 4 servings of cooked brown rice, which is something it takes almost no effort to prepare on your own.  Maybe there is more value if you are looking at meat, but I have no idea how much meat is supposed to cost.)

Paleoethics Super Serum Beef Protein, Cocoa Flavor (0.88 oz x 2) – Value $4 (buy a package of 25 servings for $49.99)

My initial excitement over getting protein powder (something I actually like and use almost daily) was quickly tempered by a different feeling. I have been a vegetarian for 24 years and also, even if I wasn’t, I don’t think “chocolate-flavored beef” would sound very good.

In all seriousness, I am sure this doesn’t actually taste like beef, but I am going to have to pass it along to someone else. (My husband is not a vegetarian, but also doesn’t eat beef.)

Here is the household beef expert, giving this a sniff (of course I did not actually feed it to her!).

Paleoethics Surge Pre-workout Energizer (3 servings) – Value $3 (buy a package of 30 servings for $29.99)

This is caffeine-free and vegetarian (not vegan, as it does contain bee pollen and royal jelly, though it is dairy and egg free). I definitely appreciate getting pre-workout supplements that are stimulant-free, since I work out at night. This also doesn’t have fillers and I couldn’t be happier about that – I hate it when silica settles out of my drink (and yeah, this happens with some other products). I tried one packet and the flavor is tolerable. I am saving the other two packets for when I am back to exercising (I had gum graft surgery recently and can’t yet do anything vigorous) to see if they really do provide a boost.

Paleoethics Shaker Cup – Value $9.99 (or get one free with a $50+ order)

I drink Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy at work most days and my shaker cup is getting gross. Even though I wash it regularly. So, I’m happy to get another one.

I don’t usually mention value inflation on information cards, but the booklet that came with this box said the shaker cup and powders from Paleoethics are worth $34 together, which is precisely double the value I calculated for these items.

Zevia Zero Calorie Energy Drink in Raspberry Lime (12 fl oz) – Value $2.05 (buy a 12 pack for $24.56)

This has 120 mg of caffeine, which is a bit more than a cup of coffee but honestly not too bad. I tried a little (I’m not really supposed to have carbonation right now, but it sounded like something I would enjoy) and I do think I like the flavor this more than some other natural energy drinks I’ve had. (This is kosher and vegan. Plus it has 0 calories.)

Flu War Antibacterial Gel (30 mL) – Listed Value $1.99

This doesn’t seem to be available for purchase on the Flu War site, so I’ve taken the value from the information card. I am sure that gyms are havens for lots of bacteria, so this makes sense for a subscription box of this nature. There isn’t really a substitute for vigorously washing your hands with soap and water, but if that isn’t an option for you for some reason, it is nice to have something like this as a backup.

Vermont Cracked Pepper Beef and Pork Stick (1 oz) – Value $1.37 (buy a box of 24 for $32.95)

This is another food-related item that I had to give away. (Most months, this box is great for vegetarians, but then you do occasionally get a meat product. A lot of people who do CrossFit also eat a Paleo diet, which is kind of meat-heavy.) I know there is someone at my office who likes these because every time I bring one in (this is a popular food subscription box item), it disappears quickly.

Reebok Crossfit Games Shirt – Value $32

One of my favorite items to get in fitness subscription boxes lately has been fitted t-shirts. They are just so great to wear for working out. So I was happy to see this. As mentioned above, I’m not really working out right now because I am recovering from oral surgery and was told not to do vigorous exercise or heavy lifting, but I wore this to walk on my treadmill last night (have to keep moving somehow!) and it was comfortable. I know I’ll be getting a lot of use out of it.

Verdict: I calculated a value of about $54.40 for the July Gainz Box. That is above the cost of the box plus shipping and the two highest-value items (shaker cup and shirt) are the two most useful items in the box for me. I liked having the chance to try the energy drink and pre-workout supplement, as well. Obviously, I am less enthusiastic about the non-vegetarian items, but then, they made up only a small part of the overall value of the box. Just be aware that if you have dietary restrictions, you may run into a similar issue from time to time. (I really can eat most of the snacks from this box. This month was an exception.)

What did you think of the July Gainz Box?