Clutch Life Review

I just finished up the Clutch Life: Ashley Conrad’s 24/7 Fitness Trainer and I thought I would let you all know how it went.

UPDATE: This program is no longer free on bodybuilding.com however, all the videos are still available on you tube here.

I pretty much followed it to a T. I had a hic-up in the last week as I got a major sore throat toward the end of week 4 followed by a cough that I just couldn’t kick. I ended up having to take over a week “off” and just do the flexibility days from the plan, then I finish week 4 after I was feeling better. I followed the nutrition plan even while I was sick. I did add a lot of bone broth during that time as part of my protein count because of it’s immune boosting benefits. It took me 6 weeks to finish but I did finish the program.

What I liked about Clutch:

1. I LOVED that the workouts were short. Because the workouts are high intensity, they were shorter than my usual workouts. I was able to get them done while my kiddos had their “quiet time” each day. Most people are short on time and this workout gets results in a short amount of time.

2. You do the workouts at home. You can do them at the gym if you like, but I enjoyed the fact that I could do all my workouts at home. January is my least favorite month to be at the gym. It’s cold out, so I don’t feel like leaving the house. Plus the gym is packed because everyone has just made their healthy new years resolutions. It was nice to avoid the January gym crowd.

3. The workouts fit most any fitness level. Of course you should consult a physician before starting any workout routine (I have to say that, right?), but almost anyone at any fitness level could do these workouts. If you are new to working out you can take longer breaks or modify the exercises. If you are a highly conditioned athlete, these workouts are perfect because they can be VERY challenging (IF you push yourself to your max). You get out of these workouts what you put into them. If you just go through the motions you will not get the results that you would if you give it your all. I decided to push myself to the limits. The cardio was some of the most difficult I have ever done because I made it difficult.

4. You can follow along in real time. There are videos of each and every workout. You can follow along with the trainers. It’s fantastic. I don’t think I would have pushed myself as hard if I didn’t have the trainers telling me what to do. You can follow along on your smart phone, computer, or tablet. AND they are searchable on youtube if you don’t have a link to the trainer page. Here is an example.

5. I like the nutrition plan. While I don’t take any pre workout supplements and the only after workout “supplement” I use is a whey protein shake, I do like her food recommendations. I like her use of healthy fats and clean carbohydrates. I also liked cutting cheese/dairy (besides my shake) out of my diet for a little bit. I loooove cheese.  While there is nothing wrong with it in moderation, I ate too much over the holidays.  So it was nice to take a break from my beloved cheese that doesn’t always make me feel the best.

I also like spreading out my meals throughout the day. I have done intermittent fasting before, or fewer slightly larger meals. And while I have enjoyed different ways of eating, my favorite is smaller portions spread out from morning till night. That way I am never ravenous and I am never stuffed, just satisfied.

And the meal plan has 2 options (shred and build). I used the shred because it was after the holidays. I plan to continue to incorporate these workouts into my weekly routine but eating closer to her “build” plan. There isn’t a huge difference between the 2 plans but enough to make a difference.

6. It forced me to stretch. I try really hard to take the time to stretch each day but I sort of go through the motions some days. Following the video made me take the time to stretch properly each and every day. Stretching helps prevent injuries, aids in quicker recovery, and reduces stress. Stress leads to cortisol which leads to fat gain. So any time you can reduce stress it’s a good thing! Even though the workouts were 7 days a week, 2 of the days are just stretching. So I was able to stretch on Sunday without breaking my Sabbath (which is very important to me and my family).

7. The videos feature women who wear more than just sports bras.  All too often workout videos seem to focus on how “sexy” the woman can be while working out in a bra that usually doesn’t fit so well. It doesn’t seem very comfortable or necessary.  I feel as if women are over sexualized in many workout videos and it was refreshing to see a trainer who wasn’t all about showing off her goods.

8. It’s FREE! I LOVE that these workouts are free. I didn’t have to pay to watch it or to access the nutrition plan or pay for little containers for portion controlling. I didn’t buy any of the supplements. I already have whey protein (for shakes). I get all my omega-3 from fish oil, chia seeds, flax, walnuts etc, and I take a multivitamin. There was nothing new that I needed to buy in order to do the workouts or follow the nutrition plan. No gym membership or payment plan required!

What I didn’t like about the Clutch plan:

1. She swears in the videos. I know, you may think I sound silly and old fashioned when I bring this up as my number one complaint. The word she uses is mild compared to what it could be, but I enjoy working out with my kids some days.  They also may just be in the same room. I have to turn the volume down on these parts of the videos. I know my kids will eventually be exposed to these words, but I don’t want to be the one exposing them.

2. Sometimes there aren’t enough circuits on the video. Each week they add a round of circuits to some of the workouts, BUT the extra circuits are not shown in the video at times. It’s not a big deal. I would just re-watch the video and do the extra circuit or 2. I realize this was a minor inconvenience for a FREE workout.

3. The nutrition plan. Wait, but didn’t I just say I LOVED the nutrition plan? Well, I did, and followed it pretty much exactly. Except, I do like red meat (when it is grass fed) a couple times a week. However, the clutch plan only calls for lean protein. So when we had ground beef or steak I would just count that as one of my “fat” servings as well as protein. I consider saturated fat to be a healthy fat if it comes from grass fed/pasture raised animals. I also like eating the whole egg. So when it calls for egg whites I count the whole egg as one of my fat servings as well. I was then able to eat the red meats and whole eggs when I wanted to without deviating from the serving sizes.

My overall review:

Clutch Life is a fantastic plan! I was able to tailor it to my lifestyle and I got amazing results. I lost weight from my waist and felt like a beast (in a good way) by the end of the 4 weeks. I feel like I am in better shape now than when I began.  I enjoyed every workout, even the ones that pushed me to the brink of exhaustion.  They were interesting (not just sprints on a treadmill), short, and I knew that when I was finished I would feel healthier and stronger.

I thankfully have free weights, resistance bands, a pull up bar, and jump rope at home so I could do all of these workouts at home. You may have to invest in some of these items if you would like to do this routine at home rather than the gym. Or you could come on over to my place 😉 You can just “go through the jump rope motions” if you don’t have one, but I recommend having either free weights or bands and a pull up bar of some sort. These are wonderful items to have in your home in general if you would like to make working out at home more practical.

If you would like more ideas on equipment that would benefit your at home workout check out this post.

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