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
The Cost: $66.99 + $5.95 shipping (in the US)
COUPON: Save 20% off your first box with code MSA20!
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 all of our Monarch Fitness reviews and more fitness subscriptions in the Fitness Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box 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.
This is the second month of this new format for the workout card and I’m liking it a lot. These brochures are easier to use than the previous cards.
Harrow Long Sleeved Tee in Turquoise – Value $35?
Sorry the color is wonky in this picture, my house isn’t very well lit…anyway, this is a bit strange to get a long-sleeved shirt in the middle of summer but I will hang on to it and use it when the weather gets cooler. I couldn’t find the long-sleeved version on the website so I added a couple of dollars to the price of a similar short-sleeved shirt.
Monarch Fitness Tank in Pink – Value $17?
These are pretty good tanks; I’ve gotten one in another color in a past box and I wear it probably once a week during workouts. I don’t think they are for sale online so I just used the value from similar items at Target.
Mission Endura Cool Instant Cooling Towel – Value $17.99
Someone is really telling me I need one of these, I guess. I also received the exact same one in WODBOM this month! I pretty much never do anything where I get overheated (work out inside, at home, and don’t do things outside where I could get sun exposure) but my husband spends a fair amount of time doing yard work so I expect he will be interested in this.
Kind Plus Almond Walnut Macadamia Bar – Value $1.39
Kind Plus Almond Cashew with Flax Bar – Value $1.39
I easily spend $75 a month on KIND bars. I think I have tried them all. I usually opt for the lower sugar varieties, but these will get eaten, and probably sooner rather than later.
Nutrakey BCAA Optima Recovery Complex in Green Apple Blast (441 g) – Value $48.99
BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) help maintain muscle mass and enhance recovery after workouts. Since I am currently eating at a calorie deficit to lose weight, and since I am a vegetarian (BCAAs *may* be low in vegetarian diets), it is important for me to make sure I am getting enough of these. I like to mix these into my water when I work out; they make it taste more interesting and also have been great for dealing with delayed onset muscle soreness.
Adept Nutrition Fish Oil (1000 mg, 100 softgels)
As you may know, I am a vegetarian so I can’t use this. But, Monarch Fitness is supposed to be customized and I selected “vegetarian” when I filled out the profile. However, they were more than happy to correct the mistake when contacted. They sent out a replacement product and a return envelope and address label, which arrived within a week. I was pleased with the customer service and turnaround time. (No value provided since I sent this item back. If you are not vegetarian, this is a type of item you might receive in your box, though. I do highly recommend taking omega 3s including DHA and EPA – they are great at fighting inflammation, helping keep the skin in great condition, and reducing triglycerides, and you can find vegan DHA/EPA supplements from many brands these days if fish oil won’t work for you.)
Nutrakey BCAA Optima Recovery Complex in Green Apple Blast (441 g) – Value $48.99
So this was the replacement product. See my comments up above. I am honestly not upset about getting a second one because non-stimulant BCAA is something I use daily and now I don’t have to buy any for months.
BPI Sports Pump HD (2 packets) – Value $2.56
BPI Sports is a fitness subscription box mainstay. I do like their BCAA products, but this is new to me. It is a pre-workout supplement that does not have caffeine or yohimbine; the main active ingredient is creatine but there are a lot of plant extracts including some antioxidants as well. Creatine is one of the few supplements with research to back it up and can help your muscles handle extra workload. However, one effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain (eventually muscle mass, but water at first) so I will save this for the future when I am looking to build muscle. Right now I am trying to lose that last 11 pounds…
Verdict: I calculated a value of about $173.31 for the July Monarch Fitness box. That is more than 2.5 times the cost of the box, although it does include the duplicate “replacement” item. I’m happy with the mix of items – you can pretty much always expect at least one piece of (appropriately sized) apparel, one or two supplements (only from categories you agree to), a couple of bars, and one piece of gear (the towel, this time) in this box. I really like the customization and found the return/exchange of the fish oil to be super simple.
What did you think of the July Monarch Fitness box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.