F45

Fabulous at 45? Might be true, but no. Friends on 45th street? Not even close. Failing in the 45th percentile? I wouldn’t brag about that. So what’s the deal with F45, anyway?

The back story:

F45 is a franchise owned by Mark Wahlberg with over 780 locations across the US, so they must be doing something right!

The “F” stands for Functional Fitness and “45” is for the number of minutes in class. With ultra high ceilings, two glass walls, and two white walls, this studio gym feels much larger than it actually is. The red, white, and blue Americana theme is subliminally serving you “Team USA” vibes. Go ‘Merica!!!

Who’s it for?

There were both men and women in class. Some super buff people as well as fitness beginners. Tiny designer workout ‘fits and then oversized concert T-shirts. The music is loud, the lights are bright, fist-bumps for everyone, and not a mirror to be found!

I purchased the “first-timers: 7-days for $7” package just to try it out. It’s clean inside and doesn’t smell like sweat, which is a huge win in my book! It’s $55 for a drop in class, or $256 a month for unlimited classes. So if you go twice a week, that $32 a class which is much cheaper than hiring a personal trainer to tell you what to do for 45 minutes!

What to expect:

After checking in on the iPad, tuck your belongings into a cubby and wait for the rundown of the days routine. Each routine is given a funny name like; Angry Birds, Pipeline, Lone-star, Crossfire, and West Hollywood, just to name a few. It’s like my OPI nail polish found its way to the gym!

I chose the “HIIT” workout on my Apple Watch and hit start! The first four minutes of class you watch an instructor explain each station while another instructor demonstrates the exercises and then you quickly pick a station to start at.

The next four minutes consist of simple warmup exercises that you follow on one of half a dozen TV monitors, just to get your blood moving. Arm swings, high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, etc. Eight minutes down, thirty seven minutes to go…

And we’re off to the races! Follow the instructor on the video with the corresponding number that you are standing next to. You do as-many-reps-as-possible (AMRAP) for forty seconds, then you hear a “ding” and have twenty seconds to switch stations. (The timing, however, will change as the class progresses.) This repeats over, and over, and over again until you’ve done them all and are officially sweaty!

You’ll get to incorporate all the typical standard gym equipment like; battle ropes, BOSU balls, kettle bells, box jumps, the stationary bike, resistance bands, barbells, free weights, weighted sticks, you name it, they’ve got it.

Being SO fast paced, I found the class similar to getting sucked down an Instagram rabbit hole. You know, one video ends, a new one begins, and the next thing you know, it’s been 45 freaking minutes! But it turns out that’s not such a bad thing when it comes to your workout.

I recommend you bring a hand towel, cold water, grip gloves if you have them, and wear shoes with good arch support. If you have any major contradictions, this might not be the gym for you. But otherwise, there are tons of weight options to choose from at each station, so you make it as easy (or hard) as you want.

Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash

Would I go back?

You betcha! I burned 177 calories during my 45 minute workout. I might not sign up on the cardio days, but that’s a personal choice. Women over 40 need to be upping their weight lifting game and the guidance of the instructors ensure I’m doing it safely with good form.

Just remember, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Your future self will thank you!