What I learned from doing the F45 8 week challenge
This past summer I decided enough is enough. I had been lazy with my workout routine for a few years now and I decided to do something drastic. I decided to join the 8 week F45 challenge.
Just a note — I’m not affiliated with F45 in any way and I’m not paid to write this article. This is just my personal experience with the program.
What is F45 anyway?
F45 is short for Functional 45. It’s 45 minutes of functional training with pre-set stations in a circuit. It’s basically a HIIT workout with X seconds of work and Y seconds of rest between each set. Each class uses a slightly different ratio and no two classes have the same set of workouts. You’re partnered up with one or two other people and you go through the stations together. On days when I’m not feeling 100%, this motivates me to push myself harder and give it my all. The classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are cardio (lots of plyometric lunges, squats, burpees, etc.) and Tuesdays and Thursdays are resistance based (slower classes with weights, kettle bells, etc). The Saturday classes are a mix of both.
When the 8 week program starts, you’ll get full body measurements taken, along with your weight, body fat composition, body muscle composition, and everything else calculated. This gives you a great starting point and a good guideline on how to tailor your diet. The same measurements are taken at the end of the 8 weeks.
What were my goals starting out?
When I started out, I really wanted to just shake things up. As I mentioned before, I had gotten lazy with my workouts for a while and I hadn’t been able to shake out of it. The regular gym routine and gym classes just weren’t motivating me anymore and I needed to do something else. My goal for the 8 weeks was to get myself back into an exercise and healthy eating lifestyle, and perhaps lose 8–10 pounds of fat along the way.
In the past I had done bootcamp classes, Muay Thai, boxing, worked with personal trainers, and had even become lethal on wheels through a roller derby program, so I wasn’t scared of the exercises, nor did I think I couldn’t handle them. My goal was to commit to 4–5 classes a week, and go to 5 if I can, and to closely monitor my diet and make sure I know exactly what I’m eating.
What was my experience like?
Before I signed up for the 8 week challenge, I did a trial week at the F45 gym near my office to see if I would even like it. I didn’t just like the classes, I LOVED them. I loved that they started on time and ended on time. I loved that everything was set up for me when I walked into the gym. I loved that I didn’t have to think about anything during the 45 minutes, and the only thing I had to do was push myself to train as hard as I could each set. I loved that the trainers took time to get to know me and often came around and adjusted my form, and helped me push myself harder. I loved that every single person came into the class and worked their butts off, motivating me on days I wasn’t motivated. I loved that I could do these classes before work, and not even need coffee for the rest of the day because the workouts gave me so much energy. I wish I could list a few things I didn’t like about my experience, but in all honestly I don’t have anything.
What were the results after 8 weeks?
When the challenge ended, I had been able to do 5 classes a week, for a total of 40 classes. My belt buckle had gone down one entire hole, and getting close to a second new hole. I was visibly leaner and could see muscle definition in my arms. My belly had gone in and I started seeing hints of a defined stomach. I had lost 4% body fat and 10 lbs overall. I had even lost inches from my neck (who knew people gain weight there?!). To my surprise I hadn’t actually gained any muscle, even though I felt much stronger and I could easily do a few sets of proper pushups now, where before I could only do them from my knees. The trainer told me this was because I had just learned how to use my muscles better, and also I had gotten lighter, making these workouts a little easier. Overall I felt very strong.
From the diet side, I managed to completely cut out sugar from my diet. I stayed away from alcohol for the duration of the challenge. I stopped eating bread and other simple carbs, and replaced them with quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, and lots of veggies. Apples, bananas, peanut butter and feta cheese became my snacks of choice. I had a big bowl of salad every night with exactly one table spoon of olive oil in it. Everything I ate was tracked in an app, which helped me stay honest with myself. I tried to stay away from anything I didn’t prepare myself, and if I did have a meal out with friends, I went for the simplest and healthiest option on the menu. I often looked up the menu ahead of time to see if there’s something I can eat.
If this seems strict, it’s because it really was. I wasn’t about to work that hard in the gym only to ruin it with my diet. But I never felt hungry and I never felt like I’m eating something that I don’t like.
What was my biggest challenge?
Believe it or not, my biggest challenge wasn’t waking up in the morning to make it to class in time. It wasn’t the class itself, even though some classes were very challenging to get through. It wasn’t the diet (who doesn’t want to eat bananas smeared with peanut butter every day??). My biggest challenge was being social and being on this program. If I had a dime for every time someone said “oh one meal won’t hurt your results”, I’d be able to pay for the entire cost of the challenge. Sometimes I would have to turn down social events to avoid putting myself in a situation where I would be tempted to snack, and sometimes I had to flat out say no when people tried to pressure me into eating or drinking. Often times I would go to social events, and sip on my club soda and lime for the entire night. This allowed me to spend time with friends and also not lose sight of my goals.
What next?
I actually had such a positive experience with the challenge that I’m now in the middle of another extra month I tacked on to the end of it. I plan on finishing this up, workout out on my own over the winter, and doing another challenge next spring to get me to my optimal shape for the summer. I know I can do it and I can’t wait for the next challenge to start.
