Comparison: 21 Day Fix vs. Hammer and Chisel

As of today I have been doing Hammer and Chisel for one week.  And today I went out and bought heavier weights and a stronger resistance band.

Guys.  This is huge!

I am amazed that just one week into this program I am ready and able to increase my weights!  I realized that my 3 and 5 pound weights just weren't challenging me as much as I needed, so I went all-in and invested in some new equipment.  And I'm so excited!!

The workouts I've done in the last week have been really challenging, but at the same time it feels so good when I complete one and I'm so proud of myself for stepping it up and making it happen.  So what I'd like to do today is do a quick comparison between 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel so that you can see what the differences are between the two programs.  Here we go...

Intensity/Skill Level:

I would say that 21 Day Fix is for people with beginner to intermediate fitness levels.  It's definitely a customizable program where you can follow the modifier if you need to go a little easier or if some moves are too hard for you at first.  With that being said, I think you can still get a good workout if you're at an intermediate level.  It's really all about pushing yourself to your limit.

For Hammer and Chisel, Beachbody says that this program is for intermediate to advanced fitness levels.  Even after just a week of workouts I can see why.  There are plenty of moves that are really challenging and you also need a good level of endurance to keep up with the routines.

Overall, I am really glad that I started my fitness journey with 21 Day Fix because it gave me a good place to begin.  I modified a lot of the workouts at the beginning and slowly worked my way up to following the full moves.  I also did the same thing with my weights and started with 3 lb. weights before eventually moving up to 5 lb. weights.  I honestly don't think I could have started right off the bat with Hammer and Chisel because it would have been so hard that I would have given up.  By starting with 21 Day Fix I was able to ease my way into fitness and also gain some confidence in my abilities along the way.

Routine Format:

With 21 Day Fix most of the routines (5 out of 7) are based on one minute intervals.  So you do a move for 60 seconds and then move on to the next move.  The only exceptions are the Pilates Fix and the Yoga Fix.  I liked this format because, as Autumn the trainer says, "You can do anything for 60 seconds".  It's a great way to ease into the moves because you only have to do them for a minute at a time.  And the workouts are all 30 minutes, so you know exactly how long you'll be spending on your workout every day.

So far with the Hammer and Chisel routines I've noticed that they are all pretty different.  Sometimes you will have 60 second intervals, but other times you do a set number of reps and repeat.  Other times you do reps in a specific sequence, where you start with 10, go down to 8, and then go down to 6 reps, all on the same move before moving on to the next exercise.  And the workouts are all different lengths.  So some days you might only workout for 20 minutes and the next day you might have a 45 minutes routine.

Personally I really like all of the variety that Hammer and Chisel offers.  Not only do you get two different trainers, but you also get a wide variety of routines and routine structure.  There really isn't any time to get bored!  I did find that by the end of the third round of 21 Day Fix (so 9 weeks in), I was starting to get tired of doing the same routine on the same day of the week every single week.  So in my opinion you definitely get more variety with Hammer and Chisel.

Equipment:

I'm pretty sure all the equipment I needed with 21 Day Fix was weights and a yoga mat.  Like I mentioned before, I started with 3 lb. weights and moved up to 5 lb. weights by the end.

With Hammer and Chisel, however, you do need quite a bit more equipment.  In addition to weights (probably three different sizes) you will also need a workout bench or a stability ball.  You'll also need a pull-up bar or a resistance band with a door attachment.  That's all I've needed so far, but like I said before I did just go out and buy a heavier set of weights plus a stronger resistance band.

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Overall, I have loved both 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel.  I feel like 21 Day Fix was my first love because it was a great introduction into fitness and really gave me the confidence to try something even harder.  But I do feel like Hammer and Chisel has already pushed me way past where I was with 21 Day Fix, even just one week in.  So Hammer and Chisel is my new favorite and I am really excited to see what kind of results I can get in these 60 days.

If you have any questions about either program, feel free to leave comments below.  Also, if you know anyone who might find this interesting, please share the link with them.  And, as always, if you're ready to start your own fitness journey and you'd like to talk to me about your goals, go ahead and email me at [email protected].