I have had the most challenging year of my life. I have had to deal with a death in my family on top of setbacks I could not even imagine a year ago. I am not sure if it was the depression or the global pandemic which led to a 15-pound weight gain, but I was distraught either way. But then I came across an abundance of YouTube videos raving about F-45. In my 3:00 am hysteria, I booked a walkthrough, and a month later, I can finally say I proved my mom wrong by making a good decision past midnight.
What is F-45?
It is a 45-minute workout focusing on functional movements. Basically, rather than only running on a treadmill or using the machines at the gym, F-45 consists of useful movements for your everyday life. This includes squats, lunges, hip hinges, jumping, lifting, etc. Also, every time you go, you get a completely new workout, so in my opinion, it’s a little less boring than going to your local Goodlife (especially if you are like me and do the same workout repeatedly). The days also alternate between cardio and strength training to improve your overall fitness.
What is my experience of going five days a week for a month?
Honestly, it is the hardest thing I have ever done. The workouts are grueling, especially as someone who did not leave their bed for months. That being said, your physical and mental strength comes fast. When I started, I did an in-house body scan, and to my surprise, I was practically no muscle and 33.6% body fat. According to a quick google search, this would classify me as obese. Thankfully you can ignore google because the trainers at the gym will explain your results and help you set achievable fitness goals. It turned out I was actually at a very healthy weight; I just had to lose 14.1Ibs of fat mass and gain 12.8Ibs of lean body mass (muscle). Thus, my goal became improving my body composition rather than worrying about the number on the scale. This is something that changed my outlook on health. I have always been the person who weighs herself every day, and my relationship with food is horrible, if not non-existent at times. However, by having a goal that I could not measure through the scale I lifted a lot of pressure off myself, and I noticed that I started fuelling my body with healthy food, always exceeding the minimum calorie intake suggested through the body scan. Even though I cannot measure my results through my scale, I have seen substantial physical results. Strength-wise, I have increased my plank from 20 seconds to 2 minutes, I can now do push-ups and lots of them, and I lift heavier every time. When I first started, I left every session, thinking I would puke, and while it is still difficult, I have increased my cardio. I can also see progress when I look at myself in the mirror. For the first time in my life, I have abs, shoulder muscle, and back muscle. I have to say my butt has perked up a bit too. I have to wait a few more weeks for my second body scan, but no matter what it tells me, I can firmly say F-45 has brought me more results than I could have expected.
Who do I Think Should Join?
I think if anything I said resonated with you, you should give it a try. I have done Orange Theory, spin class, and almost every GymShark athlete’s program, and nothing has changed my lifestyle like F-45! Fitness is about finding what works for you. If you are looking for something you can jump into, especially as an inexperienced gym-goer, F-45 is for you. If you like being in a community that holds you accountable, F-45 can give you that. If you want to see results, I cannot recommend F-45 enough! Here is a link to the closest F-45 to campus: https://f45training.ca/southgateedmonton/home.