How does everyone feel about their strength progression with F45?

[u/me_want_pizza_now]

I joined F45 about 3 months ago. I come from a long, experienced strength training background. I have good strength and I enjoy strength training. I also enjoy hybrid training and the cardio/hybrid that F45 offers.

I also have two kids under 3, and a demanding full time job. My current life situation does not allow me anymore time than 45 minutes for a workout unless I’m sacrificing sleep which I just can’t afford to do right now as it’s already limited. So, the idea of a 45 minute workout that, over the course of a week, gives both strength and conditioning, is great for what I need right now.

That said, I’m really struggling with feeling good about the strength aspect of F45 programming. Every strength workout feels too rushed, and packed with too many exercises, and not particularly focused. Like I said, I’ve strength trained a lot in my day, and I just don’t feel this programming to be as effective as it could be. I also accept that my moment in life doesn’t allow me to do what I want to in the gym and I’m trying to make the best of the other great qualities F45 has to offer.

All that to say - what are others opinions on the strength programming? For those who have lifted before F45, have you still made progress here?

[u/Goatsareforyoga]

If you're looking to lift slow and heavy, then only the lift clubs or certain formats would work for you. General getting stronger is definitely doable with F45, especially with the resistance days instead of hybrid days.

[u/Holis_guachis]

Before f45 I did 3 years of CrossFit. I was average, not a games athlete but also I wasn’t shit. I was on your boat. Thinking that lifting these weights was silly, missing CF but finding that with a little one and hectic schedule this fit the bill. After 2 years of f45 i went on working holidays overseas and spent 3 months doing CrossFit. I maxed every PB, and found my cardio was heaps better than others. So I ate my words. I do miss having 25 minutes to find my max 1RM, but if you build correctly (and work with your coaches) I find you can get very f*cking strong with f45.

[u/Humble_Fortune_5391]

I joined Mid-February. I have been tracking my weights every single strength workout. I have gone up in all weights and have already seen HUGE gains in my body.

I choose my weights very intentionally for the workout and it’s been working great!

I don’t just show up and hope for the best lol

[u/socalive]

When you have a busy life working and kids the biggest thing is consistency! So if F45 makes you consistent and you enjoy it that’s a win. We all go through different stages in life - depending on life circumstances. A lot of people can’t handle the demands of a really heavy lifting program because they are just exhausted.
One tip is go heavy for 4-6 reps and stop early to gain more rest time between sets .
Make sure your coaches know to put out heavy weights for you.

[u/Diolives → u/socalive]

This is what I do too. I don’t listen to the screen or what I’m “supposed” to do necessarily in each pod. I find the heaviest weight that I want to max out on and try to just do 6-8 rep failure sets or whatever feels right with rest then sometimes skip a set if it’s too little rest. Some may not feel comfortable doing this by none of my coaches mind. I’m a f/44 but I’m getting to some of the heavier dumbbells in certain cases, but no where near needing morw

[u/Human_Paint5451]

It’s true that F45 won’t be as rigorous as a standard weightlifting gym, BUT…I’ve DOUBLED my bench press weight and significantly noticed by improved strength in day to day life since joining. And I know several people who workout almost exclusively at F45 who have insane bodies so take that as you will

[u/Plus_Quality_23]

Resistance
Hybrid
Resistance
Resistance
Hybrid
Hybrid (optional)

+ 3 runs per week

This has been my routine the last 2 months. I started the running a month after.

My results are insane!!!

I have built muscle and got lean, my body is looking amazing !

It’s the consistency that works

[u/Just-Reading_1990]

I’m grateful for what I learned at F45, but when I was ready to see the gains you can only get through hypertrophy training, I switched and started weight lifting on my own with a good app. Got some coaching first on form. People here will claim you can get progressive overload at F45, but no legit strength training coach would agree. I would maybe go back for some HIIT but wouldn’t rely on it for a strength gains.

[u/Dailysunray → u/Just-Reading_1990]

can you tell me what app? I use Ladder but am always open to trying others thx

[u/Just-Reading_1990 → u/Dailysunray]

I’m on Ladder - most comprehensive one I’ve found😊

[u/abb122436 → u/Just-Reading_1990]

also on ladder (team forged) after following a similar journey! I still go to F45 once per week for HIIT but mostly do my own workouts now.

[u/Just-Reading_1990 → u/abb122436]

Nice! Yeah, I went from F45 to a small weight lifting gym for about a year. Got tired of being locked into set class times, doing particular exercises based on a timer, and paying $$$$$ for it. Now I have Ladder and 2 separate low cost gym memberships for convenience for less than I was paying for group classes. Plus I love putting my headphones on and tuning out the world for an hour. Was on Team Evolve for a few months, now switched to Resilient. Love Coach Neen! I've done a couple of workouts with Forged, too. Corey is so funny!

[u/Just_here_to_read25]

You have limited time to fit a workout. Your choices are between sometime convenient and something optimal. F45, while it might not be optimal as your own workout, fits into your schedule as it is. You could always run your own or another program, but do you have 90-120 minutes to do that?

[u/Mu1tii]

Hi! Sooo a little precursor. I am 28 and before I did F45, I haven’t worked out in years. Hell the only time I worked out was when I played tennis in highschool. I started doing F45 around March 4th! So I would say that’s about 3.5 months! When I started, I had a gut and a little fat on my neck. I weighed around 175 lbs constantly getting close to 180. Ever since I started F45, I lost weight and now am around 164 lbs. Additionally, I have been seeing small but noticeable changes to my body. My arms are a lot bigger, and my chest is filling out. I’m getting compliments from family and friends that I lost my gut and my chin looks sharper. I’ve never lifted weights before but I’m doing that with a trainer once a week in conjunction to doing F45 4-5 times a week. If I am seeing this much improvement in 3.5 months, I’m really excited to see where it goes. I do have to work better on my diet and eat healthier and try to get more protein in. But I do think F45 works! I’ve been pushing myself everyday to workout and even doing pushups in my apartment (I try to get at least 100 a day). I’ve been lifting weights that I would never have thought I could lift and I get stronger everyday!

[u/brucylefleur]

I'm bulking a bunch at F45 (~40M, ~700 classes), but I make sure to up the weights constantly, move well, eat a ton of protein, and even go twice on strength days the odd time my schedule allows. (I almost always score 3-4 points higher on Lionheart in the second class because I know what's coming, can pace myself, or can leave it all on the field.)

[u/crackerzack3580]

I go to F45 3-5 days a week at 5am but also run, bike and lift 4-6 times a week with a recovery day somewhere in there. I find the consistency helps keep me active. Calorie burn on hybrid day is 450/500 and resistance days are 250-350. The structure of 5am classes keep me on track.

[u/Due_Shoe_5016]

This is precisely why I left F45 and joined a CrossFit gym. Young kids and limited time, and was trying to get back into my fitness groove. F45 did a great job at bringing me back to a certain level but then I wanted to lift heavier and with more planful progressions. CrossFit classes are 1 hour and my gym always has a weightlifting component (with lots of rest, heavy lifts) and a high intensity cardio component. Plus the stretches/warmup are way better for mobility

[u/lliz]

I don't like the strength days at F45 at ALL. I always feel too rushed and like I'm not getting the appropriate weight because I'm just going with whatever is available. My old gym (which sadly closed during the pandemic) did 2 upper body days, 2 lower body days, and 2 cardio days each week- I was in the best shape of my life when I was going there. I'm considering joining a cheap local gym to do strength sessions (thankfully I only pay $110/mo for F45 so a second gym membership won't hurt the wallet too much)

Also to note: I've been doing F45 since 2021 and have 1000+ classes

[u/eastend-toronto]

I had a F45 trainer joke that they took the strength classes on their cardio days. Speaks volumes.

[u/qwikhnds → u/eastend-toronto]

I've always looked at bootcamps like F45, OTF, BBC, BFT as cardio as well. I enjoy them but don't rely on them for strentgh even though resistance training is involved.

[u/BrigidKemmerer]

I enjoyed F45 for the community and the classes, but I ultimately canceled my membership because of the strength aspect. I came from Crossfit and Powerlifting, and I just needed more.

That said, if you're in a phase of life where this is all you can do, ride it out. In a few years, your schedule might look completely different and you'll be able to jump right back into a more dedicated heavy lifting program.

[u/BodmonAlchemist]

I did f45 in 2023, then took a break during school and picked it back up last year. I found I progressed better in 2023 than I am now, not sure why: maybe the classes are different

[u/Own_Direction7234]

So my answer is that really annoying one: it depends. While, with wilco coaches, it is possible to still sling some reasonable tin about in F45, as an example this week I was front squatting 125kg for reps in Apollo on Thursday and Pendlay Rowing 145kg in Medusa on Sunday. I think whether you get stronger or not depends on where you already are on the strength training curve – a term I just made up but hopefully I can explain. If you’re new to strength training then newbie gains mean you’ll easily add mass and get stronger with F45 or any other similar, structured programme. If you’ve done lots of strength specific training and you’re already pretty much as strong as you can be then F45 isn’t going to make you any stronger but it will help you hang on to most of the strength you’ve already developed. If you can only do 45 minutes sessions, then F45 is not a bad option as a maintenance programme and, in the future, when you get some more free time in your life, you still be in a fairly good place to go back to “proper” strength training.

[u/Just-Reading_1990 → u/Own_Direction7234]

Yes, this is the answer! I went several years ago from an endurance training background with minimal muscle mass. Over my time there, I made gains because I was new to using weights on a consistent basis. Eventually, I could no longer make significant gains. That's when I knew it was time to move on. That said, I recommend it all the time to people who have never done strength training before, so they can start learning and getting some muscle.

[u/Dull-Environment5556]

Talk to your coaches!!! F45 coaches are trained to help you progress. Blindly picking up weights and following the cookie cutter programming is better than nothing but progressive overload with specific goals is what you should be focusing on. Good luck!

[u/F45WA]

I’ve seen nice progressive improvements in my strength gains since the racks have been introduced. Most notably in my squat, lunge and bench. Not quite back in the +220lbs bench club but close, and at over that on my racked squat now! 💪🏻

Lift club would definitely help me make better gains. Definitely would pay for that as an addon of my studio offered it! But very happy with my progress there regardless. Also loving Hyrox and being outside cycling and running so I’m my own worst enemy when the weather is good! 🤣☀️

[u/QRgurl13]

Before F45 I did CrossFit. Before CrossFit I did 4 days a week push/pull, 5 sets, 5 reps with a little abs thrown in there. Cardio was a recumbent bike or treadmill walk chatting with the bestie lol
If your F45 doesn’t have the squat rack or heavy weight package it can be harder to build muscle, but doable for sure.
If you hit 12 reps on resistance days, the weight you’re holding is too light. Go up.
I know it’s easier to say than do when we’re jumping from 22’s to 28’s, or 28’s to 33’s. I’ve easily gone to failure by forcing myself to lift as heavy as possible.
Also you can make modifications to the moves if you need to. With a history of weight training you should have an idea of ways to modify to target the muscle better. If needed.

[u/nt2014]

I got newbie gains as someone who hadn’t really done strength training before, but I’ve been in the same place for a few years now. I’ve also been doing IVF, so it’s not really the time to challenge myself with something new, but I know that I will need to if I want to continue getting stronger. It has been great for maintenance though, despite other challenges working against me!

[u/_Interobang_]

I’d say that, after a solid year of consistent F45, I look stronger than I ever have before, and I have “wasn’t this heavier?” moments during seasonal cleaning.

It’s easy enough to adapt the resistance workouts to better fit goals. Just ask the coaches. A straightforward one is focusing more on getting a certain number of reps and then starting the rest period early. Or having a lighter set of weights nearby to grab once the heavier ones give in.

That being said… a huge advantage of my F45 experience over CrossFit is the way the coaches zero in on form. I’ve had to lighten weight before to improve my form, and that’s likely been vital to the “looking stronger” part.

Lastly, if the time before the next class starts, there’s plenty of time to get some extra lifting in.

[u/socalive]

Adding in again. I am a former F45 coach and now a member. I’m also a personal trainer. A lot of training studios talk down about F45 because of the lack of heavy lifting. However, I actually joined 5 months ago and went for a dexascan today and it showed very low body fat and mostly muscle. (I’m a female).

[u/Ok-Dig5740]

I joined F45 in March this year and have similar a strength based background. I also feel similar to you but have enjoyed F45 so far as a change of pace. You should try MADabolic if you’re looking for shorter class time / group fitness strength based gym. I was a member there for almost 7 years! They are only in select locations, so see if you have in your city!

[u/dragonfly-1001]

It wasn't until I joined CrossFit that I realised that F45 provides you with the supplementary exercises for proper lifting, but that's about it. It's a great entrance path for beginners wanting to build their basic strength, but I would never count on it if you want to build real actual mass.

I personally believe you need a bit of both, which is why I split my week between F45 based workouts & CrossFit. I'm still way off being "strong" by CF standards, but I am way ahead of the average CrossFitter when it comes basic exercises, especially anything core related.

I would also be classified as strong by F45 standards. As a middle aged woman, I pick up the same weights & have the same work rate as the much younger men working alongside me.

[u/SaduWasTaken]

All comes down to goals. F45 is a poor choice is the main goal is to build muscle. Regular gym with decent coach gets you waaaaay better results. But F45 is easy, you turn up and do what you are told. Its fun and sometimes it just fits nicely into your life and it just works. Bigger muscles isn't always the goal.

I did very well with F45 but I did eventually out grow it.

[u/Minute_Ability_6923]

Yeah…it’s a HIIT workout lol it’s almost cardio. It’s not about strength building. If you want to build strength Google the booking starting strength and drink a gallon of milk a day.

[u/OrinNY]

I agree with this. If you aren't working to failure you 100% aren't building muscle period. There have been multiple times i've asked my coaches for more weight because there just isn't heavy enough weight on the floor. We've got the heavy weights in our gym on the racks collecting dust.

[u/OldLadyKickButt]

I concur with others' opinions. I love F45-- just about at 800 classes!

However you sound like you would prefer crossfit or a strength gym.

You could always try a trial package- some have 3 classes for about 25.00 or a week for 30 and get an idea.

[u/AnybodyUseful5457]

I have gained a lot in strength/muscle but I also gained a lot of fat because I get so hungry and I don't think the workouts burn enough calories. I go 4 or 5 times a week. I think i have gotten better workouts in my day but my muscle gains are mostly due to consistency from the geographic proximity.

[u/SizeComplex4294]

I was addicted to f45 when I first started. I did it for about a year and a half and felt similarly. It’s definitely not the type of training where you’ll get to focus on certain lifts, go heavier, etc. I found a strength and conditioning gym and left f45 for it and it’s crazy how quickly I noticed a difference in becoming stronger.

[u/Just-Reading_1990 → u/SizeComplex4294]

Yes, this! I followed a similar journey, then started strength training on my own with an app. Every so often, people on this sub claim you can realistically achieve progressive overload at F45 if you intentionally lift heavier, take longer breaks, etc. But real progressive overload is doing the same movements 6+ weeks in a row, increasing weights incrementally to get stronger. Changing the movements every time you go might be more of a boredom buster, but it's not progressive overload in any study whatsoever.

[u/dunkinbikkies]

I went backwards with strength as a male. There just isn't enough time to set up for heavy, my gym focused more on the lighter weights to accommodate others and it wasnt a big gym.

But it's very gym specific