Last week I finished up a one week trial of F45, a 45 minute workout class that focuses on strength, cardio and resistance. Where I live, the one week trial costs around $50 and allows for one class a day. I’ll get more into the details of pricing later, because overall, it’s really damn expensive.
Overview
I want to start out by saying: I love F45. Classes are 45 minutes long with equipment, loud music and super friendly instructors. The overall focus of the class depends on the day of the week. Here is the overall structure of the week:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday — Cardio
Tuesday, Thursday — Strength
Saturday, Sunday — Resistance or Hybrid
Each class has a different name, and within the class, each person has a different set of exercises. It sounds complicated, but the general idea is that you will get a different workout every time you come, and the diversity of exercises, sets and timing always keeps you on your feet.
The Studio
The studio I visited was set up with 20–30 squares, each with different equipment. After you arrive, you pick a square and that is where you’ll be for the rest of the workout. In front of each square is a screen that clearly shows the exercise you will be doing, how to do it, and a timer. I found the screens to be really helpful for remembering how to do a specific exercise. It was nice to always have something to look at if an instructor was not around. The exercises are very flexible and can be changed if you have injuries, or just aren’t feeling up to it that day.
The amenities at the studio were also really nice. Clean bathrooms, showers, shampoo, conditioner, the whole 9 yards. The studios are kept really clean and I was impressed with the setup and workflow they had going.
The Instructors
The instructors at F45 are really knowledgeable and walk around throughout the workout to make sure you have proper form. As someone who isn’t super familiar with a lot of strength exercises, I found the instructors to be really helpful for not only ensuring my form was good, but also motivating me to keep going when it got tough. They also make it a point to remember your name, which is a really nice touch.
The Workouts
The workouts at F45 are tough, especially on the cardio days. I found myself dripping in sweat, but it felt so good. The exercises range from biking to rowing to squats, box jumps, resistance band work, dumbbells and so much more. The combination of the variety of exercises along with the loud music and general energy from being around other people working out was a recipe for success. I haven’t felt that good after a workout in a long time. To be honest, I was intimidated at first since I hadn’t been to a workout studio in a while, and F45 seemed tough. I was pleasantly surprised at how inviting the studio was and how flexible it was for beginners.
The Price
As you can probably tell, I really loved F45, the only thing I didn’t love was the price. Where I live, F45 is really expensive. A single workout is $40, and a monthly unlimited membership is around $400. I think it’s a really great class to take if you want to get in shape quick and want something with structure that you know you can go to at least 5 times a week.
Overall Thoughts
I will definitely be coming back to F45 in the future when my schedule is a little bit more consistent and I know that I can go to a class pretty regularly. The class is expensive, but I found the format to be really motivating and effective in getting me to workout consistently.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried F45 or if there’s another workout class I should try out!
