Full disclaimer, before we start: I’ve been in a bit of a fitness rut. During confinement, I loved home workouts (opens in a new tab) – more specifically, sweaty, heart rate inducing HIIT training (opens in a new tab) – but recently I completely skipped my sweat sessions.
For what? Well, because I realized that I had been following the moves every time I hit the gym, sticking to the same old high knees and burpees rather than progressing through my workouts. I felt low on energy and lethargic and was determined to look forward to working out again – which is why when I was offered the opportunity to try WeGLOW, the fitness app from Stef Fit, I jumped at the chance.
I had spent a few months doing low impact workouts, like Pilates and yoga, but I didn’t like them as much as I did HIIT workouts. I wanted to rekindle my love of HIIT, but I didn’t know where to start until I met Stef Williams.
A little background for you: Stef is a qualified personal trainer, founder of activewear brand SEFI and creator of the popular WeGLOW workout app. So popular in fact, that it has had over 150,000 downloads, with 14 million workout minutes completed in 2022. Impressive, isn’t it? (And that’s before we mention his 1.9 million casual Instagram followers…).
To celebrate her new line of activewear, I was lucky enough to be invited to a workout class led by Stef herself. By the end of a quick 20-minute HIIT session, I was dripping with sweat and pushing myself harder than I had in the past six months. Not only that, but I really enjoyed trying out new moves. So when I got home, I decided to download the WeGLOW app and try it for four weeks. Keep scrolling to read my honest review.
WeGLOW app review: “The workouts are tough and I always felt like I was sweating good”
What is WeGLOW?
First of all, what is WeGLOW? In short, it’s an app designed by Stef that offers a range of different workouts, recipes, and meal plans. It also has a section where you can track your own fitness journey by uploading progress photos.
“I founded WeGLOW in 2020 because I wanted to create an app that gives women the tools and support they need on their health and fitness journey to build positive, lasting habits and results that actually last. “Stef said. “WeGLOW is an inviting, accessible, and inclusive fitness app that doesn’t take a ‘one size fits all’ approach; health and fitness looks different for everyone, and WeGLOW ensures everyone feels good about themselves and his journey.”
Need to know : the app can be used at home or at the gym, allowing you to tailor workouts to your environment. There are plenty of options, with plans ranging from one to twenty-four weeks (these map out your weekly workouts for you, offering four to five different workouts per week), to on-demand one-time workouts covering yoga poses. (opens in a new tab)HIIT, abs (opens in a new tab)warm-up exercises (opens in a new tab)and more.
Instead of making a guide, I chose to select the workouts myself so I could try a bit of everything and see what worked for me.
Is WeGLOW suitable for people of all fitness levels?
Short answer: yes. “At WeGLOW, we prefer to educate our community along the way so they can understand the ‘why’ behind what they do and gain confidence in themselves,” Stef explains during our conversation. “We have an entire ‘Learn’ section in the app dedicated to educating our community and helping them separate the myths from the facts. Whether you’re an active gym goer or this is your first workout training, WeGLOW caters to all abilities and schedules.”
There are three different workout levels on the app; beginner, intermediate and advanced. You can also filter to see only workouts under 20 minutes and workouts that don’t require any equipment.
How much does WeGLOW cost?
The app offers a free trial, which I recommend you do to see if it’s right for you.
After your free trial, you can sign up for a range of different options as listed below:
- Pay monthly – £15.99
- Quarterly payment – £38.99
- Pay annually – £99.99
What will you need?
As above, you can use the app at home, but I’d say it’s best suited for the gym, as some workouts require weights, resistance bands, etc. #
However, if you plan to use it at home, you might want to invest in some essentials like one of the best workout mats.
Although not essential, I also invested in a new gym kit. If you know me, then you’ll know that I love aesthetic gym kits. I always find that I feel more motivated when I like what I wear. (Read our edits of the best sportswear (opens in a new tab) and the best matching gym sets (opens in a new tab)here, and scroll through my go-tos, below).
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Lululemon Strongfeel Women’s Training Shoe
When I was doing workouts at the gym, I loved wearing my Lululemon Strongfeel sneakers. Designed for training, they’re super lightweight, with a support rod that helps with jumping and lifting.
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PE Nation is one of my favorite sportswear brands and I love their new Arcade Tank. It’s supportive and wicks sweat with a flattering fit, but I’d recommend wearing a sports bra underneath for more intense sessions.
Is the WeGLOW app worth it?
Overall, I really liked Stef’s app. The workouts were tough and I always felt like I had a good sweat. One of the biggest things was being able to choose from such a wide range of options, from low impact workouts to intense cardio sessions and even yoga.
Another big plus was the ability to track my progress via photos on the app. While I was training to feel good, not look good, it was nice to see my body getting stronger and more defined as the weeks went by.
Although I didn’t follow a meal plan per se, I loved browsing through all the different recipes in the app whenever I was short on inspiration – the banana pancakes, the prawn curries and the burritos being my personal favorites.
That said, I sometimes found the amount of kit needed for workouts a little off-putting. Often times I’d load up a workout at home only to see that I needed specific weights that I didn’t have (although it’s handy that when selecting a workout it shows you how long it lasts, what each move will be like, and what equipment you will need before you begin). I was quite surprised at the amount of equipment you had to have – a full workout bench, kettlebells, dumbbells, resistance bands, etc. Exercising in a gym wouldn’t be a problem then, however, I had trouble using the app at home. (When this happened I either improvised or did the moves using my body weight, but that’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of trying it yourself).
Another thing I struggled with is that the trainers don’t explain every move to you like they would on a YouTube video, for example. Instead, you can watch a silent video, which can be tricky when trying to workout at the same time. I would recommend watching the videos before doing the workout to familiarize yourself with the movements.
That being said, I’m a fan and will definitely incorporate the WeGLOW app’s WeGLOW workouts into my weekly routine, and can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone looking to change up their sweat sessions.
Download for Apple (opens in a new tab) Or android (opens in a new tab) NOW.