Sweatastic! Found this local F45 through classpass (message me if you have CP questions) and I'm so…read moreglad I tried it out.
I took the Tuesday 9am class, and turns out Tuesdays are strength days, so it was less of a cardio focus. Still, I kept my heart rate up the entire time, because not only are you changing stations quickly, the moves are structured with some that will bring your heart rate up to ensure metabolic burn.
I loved the positive vibe from both coaches (eek I forgot their names, man and a woman) and how they seemed to be watching my form at the right times and correcting a few small things here and there during my workout.
The workout structure:
It legit felt like I was in class for 20 minutes, not the 50 total my fitbit said. This is a plus for anyone who tends to get bored, or doesn't have tons of time to spend in the gym. In the 45 minutes of actual work I did, my fitbit said I still burned close to the same amount of calories from my self-guided lifting sessions at the gym that sometimes take double that time.
The day I visited, we had 9 stations (each station is a different move/activity), and at these stations, we did three sets before rotating. Most of the stations were right next to one another, but it wasn't exactly circular, so if I got lost on where to go next, I just watched where someone else in my group was heading.
There's also looped videos on the walls showing you the movements for each station, in case you need extra guidance or want to make sure you're doing a backward lunge instead of a forward lunge, etc.
After completing all nine stations, three sets total at each station, we had what felt like a 30 second break before repeating all 9 stations again. The coaches weren't militant about "no breaks, no water until we say" which I've actually experienced at some places who run circuit-style workouts. I appreciated the ability to drink water after doing tons of under-hand pull ups.
We finished class with a 2 minute plank. I made it to 1:40, dropped to my knees, but then at the urging from the coaches, finished the last 5 seconds back in final plank position. I was reminded to tuck my pelvis, keep everything in a line, and a few other tips focusing on form.
Each day of the week is a different workout - I hope I can try all of them so I can compare!
I saw they are (at time of me writing in Nov) a newer gym, and my only wish would be they offer childcare on weekends, but maybe one day once established.
I enjoyed everyone's energy, the encouragement, the focus on form, the constant change, the adaptability for each station based on where I was at, and how quickly I got a good workout in!
