Looking to easily lift your kids (and other heavy things) in and out of the car? What about being able to carry in more groceries so you don’t have to take all those extra trips? What if you could be more comfortable at your office job? Or, the ultimate kicker…be overall better at everything you do? Well, F45 might be the place for you!
Before jumping into this review, let me start by giving you a little background. F45 is a group functional training program, and if you think about it, the name is pretty self explanatory.
- The F in F45 stands for functional the classes and workouts all focus on functional training. This means you will be doing exercises that mimic things you might do in your everyday life, like running, squats, step-ups, push-ups, lifts, twists, pulls and more to help you perform your day-to-day activities.
- The 45 is just the length of a class (each F45 session is 45-minutes long).
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s jump into the good stuff, like what even is the purpose of functional training in the first place? The purpose of functional fitness training is to improve your ability to perform your everyday activities, like the ones I mentioned above (which is why F45 is great!). Essentially, you should think of it as training for the entire movement and not just a specific muscle like your regular gym routines require.
There are 31 different class types offered at F45 (which I’ll get into), and like a lot of workouts on the market, each class uses stations to combine cardio, interval, strength, and functional training. Let’s dive into more of what F45 is all about, as well as pricing, expectations, and more.
Table of Contents
- What is F45 Fitness?
- How much does F45 Fitness Cost?
- What to expect at your first F45 Fitness Class?
- Who is F45 Fitness for?
- Who should avoid F45 Fitness?
- You Might Also Like – Other Class Reviews
What is F45 Fitness?
F45 was founded in Australia in 2012 by Rob Deutsch and another Co-CEO, who set out to create a group training facility that featured the most dynamic and effective training styles to date. Not only were they focused on finding the best workouts, but they wanted them to be doable and accessible for all fitness levels.
F45 is equipped with awesome instructors to lead the workouts and motivate people to reach their fitness goals. The F45 founders may call Australia home, but they’ve popped up 1,000+ franchise locations around the world. F45 is a group fitness studio, but not in the same way as your typical barre or spin classes. Instead of moving in unison with your classmates, you use equipment in intervals, much like Orangetheory Fitness.
Pro Tip: The workout of the day involves 18 different stations, and the moves at each station are to be performed for 35-50 seconds with 20-25 seconds of rest and/or to transition to the next. You’ll typically go through a circuit of all the moves at least twice, and the music and circuit specifics will change with each class so you’ll never get bored!
F45 also offers its own Lionheart heart rate monitors that sync up with the technology used in the studios, so you can see how your heart rate changes throughout your workout while it’s displayed on the screen. After the class, you can access your entire heart rate report online, and even better, because this is a standard heart rate monitor, you can use it outside of class, as it will pair with most smartphones!
Pro Tip: Some of the users who didn’t wear the heart monitor said that they felt as if they missed out on part of the experience (even though they were covered in sweat and had an amazing workout).
Don’t expect a frilly juice bar or fancy lighting either. F45 means business. It’s just a stripped down room filled with equipment like rowing machines, sandbags, and bosu balls. Along with fellow exercisers and trainers in the room, there are TV screens throughout the space that provide demos of each exercise along with timing intervals so you know what you’re doing, as well as a timer and a measure of your heart rate (if you’re wearing one of F45’s heart rate monitors).
How much does F45 Fitness Cost?
Unlike most studios that have a flat rate across the board, F45 pricing varies widely by location.
For example, in Florida and Georgia you can get a class for around $25, while in a big city like NYC you’re looking at closer to $35 for a class.
F45 also offers memberships (some locations operate on just a membership basis).
Per week, you can expect to pay around $60 to $65 for an F45 membership, but keep in mind that the price varies by location (in NYC you could be looking at $100 a week).
Pro Tip: Some F45 locations offer solid discounts if you pay several months upfront, and most will offer a new member perk like free or discounted classes, so don’t be afraid to try it out!
What to expect at your first F45 Fitness Class?
Although F45 is a group fitness class, you’ll still move through the circuits on a more individual basis. However, you’re still very much part of the coaches and your fellow teammates cheering you on as you go, so you’ll always have the strength you need to power through your workout.
Like I mentioned above, there are 31 different 45-minute workout classes at F45, and each has a theme. F45 classes are created from a database of more than 3,650 different exercises and an exercise encyclopedia that grows by about 1,000 exercises every year, so you’ll never get bored! Let’s take a look at a few of the options.
- Renegade – Focuses on muscle resistance to help build quality lean muscle that will eat away at unwanted fat.
- Docklands – Docklands is a tough aerobic focused class.
- Gravity – Focuses on bodyweight training with minimal equipment and plenty of functional movement patterns for greater mobility and calories burned.
- Firestorm – A high-intensity interval circuit. There are 54 stations and no getting off.
- Brooklyn – A boxing-focused class, you’ll put your cardiovascular, strength, boxing, MMA and martial arts to the ultimate test.
- F45 Challenge – An 8-week fitness challenge that includes meal plans, recipes, shopping list and more.
By having a variety of classes to choose from, you can get a great workout in and burn anywhere from 500-800+ calories, depending on the exercise and how hard you work. View all 31 F45 class options here.
Who is F45 Fitness for?
Each exercise at F45 can be adapted and modified to your specific fitness level! That means F45 not only accommodates everyone (all fitness levels), but also challenges every single person who comes to class.
Who should avoid F45 Fitness?
Of course, like any workout during pregnancy, before attending F45, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor to make sure you are exercising in a safe way for you and your baby. If you need any sort of accommodation or modification during your workout, there are trainers (yes, multiple trainers!) who will be there to help you.
If you’re looking for a fitness community and a way to log your progress, F45 is a great place! With 31 different class types to choose from, F45 allows you to combine cardio, interval, strength and functional training into one solid workout.
*Remember that F45 is a franchise, so what you may have experienced at one location might not be the same as the next, as each has their own management and unique pricing.
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- 9Round Review
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- Orangetheory Review
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