I’m just going to come out and say it…I am addicted to fitness subscription boxes!!
It’s so exciting to get surprise new gear, and discover the latest up and coming brands in the health and fitness space. I also have found that it is a FANTASTIC non-food reward that is relatively inexpensive, keeps me motivated, and aligns with my health journey goals!
For the month of April, I decided to try BarbellaBox! BarbellaBox is a fitness subscription box “made for women, BY women.” Each monthly subscription box comes with at least 4-6 items including apparel, gear, snacks, supplements, and accessories.
I was immediately intrigued because the target audience appears to be for CrossFitters/those who like to lift! CrossFit is a high intensity, functional fitness workout. Regular moves we consistently do are squats, Olympic lifts, kettlebell swings, pullups, burpees, box jumps, handstand pushups, wall balls, etc. This requires gear that won’t roll down, chafe, ride up, etc. AKA nothing that is going to get in the way of a good workout! There’s nothing worse than having to constantly pull up your leggings during burpees, running, or squats. Not all gear I have received in past subscription boxes has met this basic requirement for me, so I was definitely encouraged to see that the box is hand selected by women who do CrossFit!
Let’s be honest…not all fitness subscription boxes are created equal. Many claim to provide high value for a ‘low’ monthly fee, but not all boxes deliver on that promise. One of my biggest pet peeves is when fitness subscription services sneak cheap, unhealthy products into their boxes. Often times, they are high carb, high sugar snacks marketed as ‘healthy’ because they are ‘high protein’. CrossFit puts a high focus on quality nutrition and eating clean. This is another reason that encouraged me to try BarbellaBox. Out of all the subscription boxes, they are most likely to select snacks with clean, recognizable ingredients.
Another huge plus for BarbellaBox is that they actually show pictures of past boxes they have sent, which gives potential customers a flavor for what type of products can be expected and estimated value. They also provide sneak peeks of 1-2 of their products on social media for the following month’s box. This is a huge selling point for me and helps build my confidence in their subscription service because, if I like the sneak peek products, chances are I’m going to love the rest of the box!
Last month, I saw a sneak peek for April’s box featuring GORGEOUS light purple FLEO power high rise shorts! I immediately knew I HAD TO HAVE THEM!! So I signed up for a subscription, and the rest is history!
Without further ado, let’s dive in to what I received this month!!
1. FLEO Power High Rise Shorts ($44.95 value)
These are the attention grabbing shorts that got me to subscribe in the first place!…And let me tell you, they did not disappoint!! These shorts are perfect for workouts, but can also easily be used for daily wear. The color is a limited release collaboration just for BarbellaBox called Amethyst Sky. I love how feminine these shorts are, but also that they are high waisted, and don’t ride up! Perfect for burpees, weight lifting, and running! I’m going to need a pair in every color for this summer!
Pros: Beautiful color, buttery soft fabric, fabric feels high quality/expensive, high waisted
Cons: Inseam length might me a little too short for some (must be comfortable with wearing ‘booty shorts’!)
Rating: 10/10
2. Barbella exclusive Snapback Baseball Hat ($24.99 value)
This hat is adorable, and features a kettlebell and pineapple embroidery design. That’s because Barbellas are ‘strong on the outside, sweet on the inside’. I LOVE IT!!! The hat is made of a lightweight mesh which is perfect whether you are going for a run or simply just running errands.
I wore mine to my son’s t-ball game and it was perfect for keeping the sun out of my eyes!
Pros: Cute design, well ventilated hat (cool mesh), vintage wash
Cons: Plastic ‘snapback’ style is currently not on trend. The plastic makes it feel cheap despite the rest of the hat being made out of great materials. Would have been even better if they made this hat in the criss-cross style so could wear in a high bun, topknots, high ponytail, etc. Few women wear their hair in a low pony when they workout, so a criss-cross style would have given more versatility and been more fashionable.
Rating: 7/10
3. Barbella Pushup Grips ($14 value)
I’ll be honest that I wasn’t entirely sure what these were when I first pulled them out of the box! The description for this product says, ‘Take your pushups to the next level and maintain good form with these soft and non-slip pushup handles. They provide a sturdy and stable base for practicing proper pushups.’
I can barely do a pushup to save her life, so this product definitely intrigued me! My family and I had fun testing out this product, and helping teach our kids proper push up form! The base is super stable and does not tip/slip. It is also lightweight so it is perfect for travel and workouts on the go! I think this product would also be great for using for high planks and side twist core exercises!
Push up grips are not something I would think to seek out on the internet or in a store. If I saw it in a store, I wouldn’t quite know what it is! But after trying it, I was definitely pleasantly surprised, and am so happy to have it as part of my home gym now!
Pros: Non slip, light weight, pretty color/design, stable base, nondamaging to floors
Cons: Seems to be more tailored towards intermediate/advanced athletes. I think it could be used as a great training aid for pushups though if you stack some abmats or pillows under chest, and gradually remove them over time as you get the form down!
Rating: 8/10
4. Ultima Replenisher Hydration Powder ($7.99 value)
I was immediately surprised at the value because this came with 6 flavor stickpacks! Flavors included delicious blue raspberry, raspberry, lemonade, orange, grape, and pomegranate. Each stickpack provides a mix of electrolytes/minerals, plant based flavors/colors, gluten free, and keto friendly. To me, it is a much cleaner version of Crystal Light!
Pros: Delicious flavors, stick packs are portable/mess free, good value, sweetened with organic stevia (lower glycemic)
Cons: Sweetened with organic stevia (notice that this is both a pro and a con. Sweet taste can spike sugary cravings later).
Rating: 7/10
5. Mike’s Recovery Love Mineral Soak 10 oz ($6.45 value)
YOU GUYS!! This was by far my absolute FAVORITE!! First of all, the sample size of 10 oz was an AWESOME VALUE!! I was able to get 2 baths out of this, and it left me wanting more! It is made 100% from pure high concentration essential oils, and I was able to recognize and pronounce every single ingredient. As I get further in my health journey, sourcing clean products has become such a huge focus for me!
I believe that this soak can be used for both hot and cold baths, but I think you get the best sensory experience from a hot bath with this product! On the back of the label, it says that their blends help ‘soundproof’ the world around you. And man, is it true!! I have never been so relaxed, and the smell is incredible!
I got the ‘Love’ blend which has a floral scent mixed with vanilla tones to make the perfect comforting scent blend! Mike’s Recovery website describes Love blend as, “A sensual blend of 7 essential oils combined with remineralizing Atlantic sea salt and medium chain triglycerides.” It contains essential oils including Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, and Rosewood to name a few!
In addition to the 10 oz pouch, I also received a coupon in my box for a free 10 oz pouch with a purchase of $55 or more! Considering that I plan on stocking up ASAP to up my recovery game, this coupon will definitely be going to good use!!
Pros: Divine scent, relaxing, relieves tension/soreness, clean ingredients
Cons: Products are made from high concentration essential oils so your kiddos can’t jump in the bath with you, and you should not use if you are pregnant/nursing.
Rating: 10/10 (MUST HAVE!)
6. LivBar Organic Nutrition Bar ($2.75 value)
As I mentioned earlier, I am usually wary when fitness subscription boxes put snacks in because not all of them are healthy! However, I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED when I received a LivBar in my Barbellabox!
LivBar is made out of 100% ‘real food’. Meaning I can pronounce and recognize every single ingredient! Not only that, but the ingredients are all organic. It is also VEGAN, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, corn free, and GMO free. I was STUNNED! Never have I seen such a high quality snack in a fitness subscription box before!
The flavor provided was Lemongrass Cherry Matcha. It is admittedly a unique flavor, but turns out, also DELICIOUS!! It contains only a hint of sweetness without the blood sugar spiking ingredients! It only contains 1g of added sugar.
The wrapper is easy to tear into and compostable. When I opened the wrapper, I was also pleasantly surprised to see that I was actually able to recognize all of the ingredients in the bar that I was about to consume! Again, this is super rare for a snack bar!
Pros: Clean ingredients, delicious flavor, low sugar, easy to open packaging
Cons: High calorie (180 calories per bar). I actually split my bar in half and stored the other half in a sandwich bag to be used as a snack for the following day. Eating just 1/2 the bar was still satiating and gave me a great energy boost! The other half stored beautifully in the sandwich bag, and did not dry out!
Rating: 9/10 (going to need to order more of these!)
7. Barbella KettleBell x Pineapple Sticker ($2.00 value)
This is a cute sticker for your waterbottle, laptop, or car! The logo is same as the one on the snapback hat , ‘Strong on the outside, sweet on the inside.’
There aren’t a whole lot of pros and cons to go over for a sticker – either you love it or you hate it! In my case, I loved it! I plan on putting it on my water bottle. It’s hard for me to imagine paying $2 for a sticker, but other than that, it’s perfect!
Rating: 8/10
Total April Box Value = $103.13
Would I recommend you subscribe to BarbellaBox?
In a heartbeat, YES!! I love everything I received, and am already so excited to receive my next one! I actually cancelled a subscription to a totally different fitness subscription box recently because it undelivered on its value, and just wasn’t a good fit for my lifestyle. I am happy to say that I feel like I have finally found a home with BarbellaBox! 🙂
Want to get your own? Use my referral link to reserve your May subscription box! https://barbellabox.cratejoy.com/refer/Stacy-OCHDHXBG
BarbellaBox has already released their sneak peek for May and you aren’t going to want to miss it!! It includes a vacuum insulated travel tumbler in gorgeous colors AND IT HAS A STRAW!! Keeps hot bevvies hot for 12 hrs, and cold bevvies cold for 24 HOURS.
May’s Barbella Box also comes with a long crop tee that goes perfectly with high waisted leggings! You aren’t going to want to miss out on this!! 🙂
Last but not least, May’s box will have the Double Under Wonder speed rope in an exclusive design for Barbellas! I personally already own my own Double Under Wonder speed rope, and so does my husband and we LOVE OURS!! So excited to get another one!! (one for gym bag and one for home!)
Don’t miss out on these awesome premium products – subscribe today!! 🙂
