Alexia Clark Workout Review

I didn’t see a lot of Alexia Clark workout plan reviews (update: as of 12/24/19, there is now an Alexia Clark APP! For the longest time, there wasn’t one. 🙂 ) when I was trying to decide whether or not to sign up for the program. So I decided to write one. I signed up for the program and tried it for a few weeks, canceled to start another program with a group of ladies, then missed the Alexia Clark workouts so much that I quit the other program early and signed back up.

I’m not being paid to write this, but she does have a referral program now, which means if you use my link to sign up, I’ll save money on my subscription at no extra cost to you. It’ll actually save you $5.00 per month! 🙂 I’m also a member of the Amazon affiliate program.

What Is the Program Like?

A different workout every weekday. That means five totally different workouts. It irks me when programs say they’re going to give you a new workout every day and then fail to deliver (it’s happened to me more than once, so I’m not pointing fingers at any single program). Mash-ups of workouts I’ve already done and different rep counts of the same moves in the same order are fine, but they’re not new workouts and lead to disappointment if they’re advertised that way.

Alexia Clark workouts truly are different from day to day; she delivers what she promises. Does that mean you’ll never see the same move twice? No, I’m not even sure that’s possible. Lol If you’ve ever checked out her Instagram account, you’ve probably noticed that she’s easily one of the most creative trainers ever. Sidenote: The workouts shown there are not the same workouts you’ll see each day as a member.

These workouts are strength training but HIIT-style, with circuits. You’ll get your heart rate up, you’ll sweat a ton, and if you’re like me, you can expect to be out of breath by the end of the first circuit but thrilled to keep going. Each day is either full body, upper body, lower body, or a challenge. Generally, there are two full body days, an upper, a lower, and then Friday’s the challenge (which is like a box of chocolates–you never know what you’re gonna get, but it’s going to be good).

You’ll see circuits that include:

• Number of reps to do per round (there are usually 3 rounds) and whether to increase your weight as you go
• 40 seconds of work with 20 seconds of rest between moves
• EMOM workouts (every minute on the minute, you’ll do a certain number of an exercise move, then either rest for the rest of that minute or do a different move)
• Alternating two moves for 30 seconds each, several rounds
• A mix of compound and isolation movements, but I’d say there are more compound movements
• More (she’s creative!)

Here’s what the login/sign-up screen looks like:

Once you log into the website, you’ll choose whether you’re working out at the gym or at home.

Then you’ll say whether you have 20-30 or 50-60 minutes to work out. If you choose 20-30, you’ll see two circuits. If you have about an hour, you’ll see five (three to do within that 50-60 minute time frame and two optional circuits).

Click on a circuit to get the instructions, then you can go through demonstrations of each move in slideshow form (one move per slide, video style so you can see the whole move). You go through all the rounds of each circuit and then move on to the next one.

There’s a breakdown of how to do each movement in the circuit.

Gym Workouts vs. Home Workouts

There’s a home option and a gym option, but you don’t have to just choose one or the other when you sign up. You get access to both. Feel free to add in yoga, a walk, dancing, circuits you missed through the week, or whatever else you’d like on the “off” days.

Alexia’s a superstar at making home workouts just as hard as the gym workouts. Since I have accumulated a decent amount of gym equipment over the years, sometimes I do the gym workout at home. I never feel like I’m slacking when I do the home workouts. In fact, I usually do those and I have yet to make it through all five circuits at a time!

Equipment Needed

You could really get by with the bare minimum. Dumbbells, mostly. A couple of resistance bands. Other things I’ve seen in her home workouts that aren’t 100 percent necessary (but fun if you have them):

• Kettlebell (I have a 10-lb one like this and really like its design, but I usually use a heavier one that’s all metal and not that comfortable to hold…I recommend the SPRI ones but not the all-metal ones)
• Flat bench (I have and really like this one)
• Medicine ball (I don’t have one and sub a dumbbell)
• Slamball (I don’t have one and use a dumbbell without actually throwing it, Lol)
• Variety of resistance bands since she uses longer bands and minis. She has her own sets for sale on her site now but they weren’t available yet when I started. I bought this band in purple/5-35 lbs (update: I recently got the orange one for some shoulder work and it’s great, too) and this set of mini resistance bands.

I haven’t tried to do her workouts at the gym yet, but they seem to use pretty standard gym equipment. Cables, weights, benches, etc. If your gym doesn’t have what you need, just flip over to the home workout for a substitute. It’s cool that with this plan, you get access to home and gym workouts so you’re not limited to just one. I know I love my gym membership but I don’t always want to go there. Sometimes I just want to knock out my workout at home.

How Much Is It?

It’s $29.99/month. Occasionally, she runs specials where you can get a discounted rate for a certain number of months.

What Kind of Support Do You Get?

This isn’t one-on-one coaching or customized, but I’ve seen Alexia post in the Facebook group and she responds to emails pretty quickly, in my experience.

The community around her program is one of the best I’ve ever been a part of. These ladies cheer each other on, show off their incredible progress, inspire each other, and are really nice!

You can post in the QueenTeam Alexia Clark Facebook group and/or hunt down fellow AC sisters on Instagram with the #queenteam and #alexiaclark hashtags. You can also see some amazing progress pictures that way, too.

If you’ve been around my blog long enough or read some of the story behind it, you know that exercise is one of the ways I manage my anxiety and depression. This community is wonderful for that, too.

What often goes along with anxiety and depression? Loneliness, lack of interest in getting up and moving around, lack of interest in leaving the house to spend time with friends or family even though it’d make you feel better.

The group may help you feel less lonely and isolated because there are thousands of like-minded women there to talk to. It may inspire you to get up and get your workout done, which will, in turn, give you a little boost and some momentum.

Sometimes I don’t feel like working out. Sometimes those days turn into weeks and the longer I wait, the harder it is to start back up and the more likely I am to fall back into depression. Some days a before and after from someone doing the Alexia Clark program will make me get up and get my workout done before I get too far down that path.

Is There a Nutrition Guide?

Not really. There are guides on her site that suggest portion sizes and how many servings of each food group to have each day, along with a beverage guide, her plate building method, and tips for eating out. As far as a rigid meal plan that tells you exactly what to eat and when, there’s not one of those.

UPDATE: There is a nutrition guide now, and it’s included in the price! I haven’t tried it, but I know it’s vegetarian (with tips for tweaking it to fit your own dietary needs, so you won’t be left out if you do eat meat), contains a shopping list designed to reduce waste (of money, time, and food), and covers the five days you get workouts. Repeat your favorite meals on weekends or just use the guidelines to come up with something on your own.

A lot of the girls in the community count macros and have fantastic results with that. I don’t really track my food as well as I should because it stresses me out and takes the joy out of eating (for me…some people love it). I try to eat clean and watch my portion sizes instead. Alexia told Strong Fitness Magazine that she isn’t especially strict with her diet since she wants the way she eats to be a lifestyle, not a “diet.” She just makes sure she’s eating mostly whole, clean foods and plenty of protein, healthy carbs, and veggies and avoiding junk and processed foods.

My Alexia Clark Workout Review

I spent years going to the gym and doing the same workouts (with machines) day after day until I just couldn’t do it anymore. I’ve joined other programs (home and gym ones) and gotten bored. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but it is SO easy for me to get bored with workout plans. I’ll commit to one, find myself getting bored and uninspired, then I’ll start to procrastinate, then I’ll start to skip and promise myself I’ll “start tomorrow.” Yuck.

So far, so good with these. She keeps me on my toes with the variety here, so I love it. These workouts are challenging and I like the use of different equipment. 

I am sooooo sore compared to what I was before with other programs and machines at the gym.

This Program vs. Videos

I am so happy I can have something else on the screen while I work out, too, whether it’s loud music or a show.

Videos sound good in theory, but I don’t like being held hostage by a video for an hour, needing to listen to the cues, strain my neck to see what the trainer’s doing, worry about other people in the house being too noisy for me to hear, etc. I can use the computer screen or put my phone on the floor in front of me. Once I’ve learned the moves, I don’t need to worry about cues, making sure I’m still doing what the instructor’s doing, etc. I just count or watch the timer. Simple.

Time Flexibility

Another thing I can appreciate is the flexibility in time the workouts take.

• Short on time? Do two circuits.
• Have more time but totally worn out 45-50 mins in? Stop at 3.
• Want to push hard and have extra time and energy? Do 5.

If I couldn’t commit to the full amount of time on a video, I’d put it off (which usually meant skipping a day) or feel like a failure. I don’t like either one of those options. Having different acceptable stopping points and knowing it won’t feel awkward to do a couple of circuits in the morning and a couple later in the afternoon if you want to do the whole workout makes it so much easier to just get these done.

What Would I Change?

Are there things I wish were different with this workout program? Not really. I do wish there was an Alexia Clark app with the timer built right in (UPDATE: as of December 2019, there is one for iPhone users and one in the works for Android users), but you can access the website on your phone and follow the workout that way (just use an app like Intervals for your timer), so it’s not a big deal. I like being able to pull it up on the computer, too, considering how my phone’s battery likes to die on me these days.

I wish the site would keep me signed in so I wouldn’t have to log in every time, but that’s super nit-picky and I kind of feel like a brat for even mentioning it. My login info is saved so it just amounts to two extra clicks for me.

Would I like to pay less than $29.99/month? Well, yeah, I’m all for saving money and I would hunt down a promo code before buying a pack of gum online (I don’t really buy gum online, but you get my point). BUT you get what you pay for. This is worth it.

Results

I don’t have any visible results to show you yet because I started the program, stopped to do a different program, stopped working out for several weeks when I lost interest in that program, then started back with Alexia Clark workouts.

I can tell you my mind and body feel stronger when I do these workouts. I can feel stronger muscles with my hands. I know I will see results soon, and even more quickly if I can clean my diet up a little more and focus on getting through all five circuits (not that you have to get through all five at a time to see results).

So, what’s the final word on my Alexia Clark workout review? Do I recommend it? Absolutely! You’ll get stronger mentally and physically and you even get to work on your balance with some of the exercises. 

Update: I left the program for several months but then I found that I couldn’t stay away from the Alexia Clark workouts. I had to make some mindset shifts to get over the guilt I felt when I couldn’t keep up with all 5 circuits, all 5 days, but now I’m showing myself some grace about all that.