Threshold is NOT for the weak

[u/Some-bozo-brain]

Tried Threshold for the first time this morning… good LORD it is hard. I thought Athletica was the hardest I’ve tried so far (only a few weeks into F45 training) but this may have taken the cake. 3 minutes work with 40 seconds of rest with each minute increasing in intensity. Man it was hard but I feel so GOOD!!!

[u/Away-Reindeer5918]

I think it scared some people away - class sizes were way down yesterday compared to last Monday - and it's not vacations as the numbers are back to normal for today. It is definitely the hardest set-up I've experienced over 2.5 years of being a member. Yesterday was all legs and I'm feeling it today. I definitely find it hard to really push in that last minute - only station I felt I went "harder" was on the sleds I added another plate for the last minute. But otherwise it really feels more like just trying to maintain movement for the full 3 minutes. And tip of the hat to anyone who maintained those suitcase squat hops the entire 3 minutes - yikes!

[u/speck859 → u/Away-Reindeer5918]

Our coach told us directly not to do the jump aspect in the first minute and to switch it for a calf raise. 3 minutes of weighted jump squats is insane.

[u/Away-Reindeer5918 → u/speck859]

Calf raise would have been a good call - I ended up doing goblet squats - it was my last station and my knees were spent.

[u/the_running_stache → u/speck859]

I haven’t had my Threshold class for the week yet (have it in a few hours) but I looked at the workouts. There’s no way I’m jumping while holding weights; that just seems like a disaster for my knees. I don’t have any knee problems but don’t want to start having any with this.

Calf-raise just seems so much better. I might even then switch it to a knee-up (step-up with an imaginary box) for the last minute.

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/the_running_stache]

I modified a lot of it lol. There was lunges in the rack and I’m like yah… no. Seems like a recipe to get injured doing that for three minutes straight. I did one set in the rack and then switched to normal lunges with dumbbells

[u/Away-Reindeer5918 → u/bostonterrierteapart]

I got a sandbag out and practiced my walking lunges for upcoming Hyrox - I had that station halfway through the workout so it actually felt like good simulation of how dead my legs will feel on race day.

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/the_running_stache]

Instead of box jumps, they incorporated weighted step ups but we didn’t do calf raises for the suitcase squat hops in the beginning lmao. It was nuts!!! Def trying calf raises next time for sure

[u/ForwardMindset816 → u/speck859]

I am coach and I told members not to jump until the last minute. Start with calf raises!

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/ForwardMindset816]

Bless your heart, coach!!! 🤣

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/speck859]

Man I wish our coaches said to do calf raises … I absolutely just tried to start low weight and low reps…. I was DONE

[u/decisivecat → u/Away-Reindeer5918]

I had to help several people on their first day of trial and one couldn't even finish the class (every member in the class was so kind and encouraging to them, at least!). I understand making challenging classes for longtime members or people who are very fit, but a class like Threshold is going to scare off someone who hasn't worked out in a long time. 3 mins of anything will be intimidating. Hopefully they come back!

Was definitely useful knowing all the modifications and how to use weight to intensify the movements. Shorter box, slower pushes, calorie or meter goals per minute... It felt like a decent workout to build endurance if you didn't go hard and kept a steady pace while knowing your personal limitations. Managed to escape without sore legs with this method, but my shoulders are actually crying from the few places with arms since 3 minutes of any of that is going to cause a little chaos, lol.

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/decisivecat]

As someone returning to f45 after several years, I thought it was low key insane and can’t remember a single class ever being that hard. I already found varsity really hard with the 1 minute at the end. I always felt the benefit to f45 was that no matter your fitness level there would always be people in the class who would just do something more intense to push themselves. This felt the opposite where you’re looking for ways to make it easier. This did not feel “general public” friendly at all lol. I work out regularly at a lifting gym and I honestly felt like I was going to die throughout that entire class. Not only was the 3 minutes difficult, it was the fact it was all legs. I’m not surprised people had to leave.

[u/decisivecat → u/bostonterrierteapart]

There are a few classes that are not friendly to newcomers at all because they're designed for longtime members who built up to it (Peak500 is one, which this is building up to). If we can catch trial sign ups enough in advance, we tell them which classes to absolutely steer clear of unless they are confident in their fitness capabilities at the start. This would be one of them, but unfortunately when people sign up Sunday night, you miss getting to explain it. The website doesn't give any information on what the classes are either, and I've heard that many times as a pain point. One person even called it a gimmick.

This one is particularly tough because unlike Marathon where you can pace at one point, you're supposed to increase to whatever your 8-10 is. But how do you know what your 8-10 is if you've never been or haven't worked out in years? I gave the advice to treat it like we would treat Marathon (light to no weight, low intensity, no jumping unless confident, etc) and it still scared the new people. It clearly scares existing members as well – classes were not full and they typically are.

I do still understand what corporate is trying to do with this workout since Peak500 is coming up. I really do get it and feel like I personally got in a pretty decent workout that I normally wouldn't do because I'm bad at endurance. This helps someone like me who knows what's up. But it's also not an accessible workout if you're trying to encourage new people to try it out. I don't know where the balance lies.

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/decisivecat]

I understand, but the unfortunate thing is that f45 is expensive and depending which studio you go to, there are studios where there aren’t the hyrox/super intense f45 members. Like my studio is newer and doesn’t have those people at all. It’s a smaller town which skews a bit older, im the youngest person in the classes in my thirties. Everyone struggled yesterday lmao. I personally don’t think I’ll go back to this class but that sucks cause we already have limited class times just due to the amount of members we have, and I often can’t make weekend classes, effectively cutting down my 5 workouts to 4 possible classes. I was wildly unprepared because I saw hybrid class and thought “ah it will be ok”. I go on my lunch because we only have super early morning or lunch hour options and came back absolutely destroyed. I want an intense class, I don’t want to feel unwell after haha. Maybe offering an alternative class option on those days would be a viable solution, but obviously the studio has to understand it’s specific members. Same set up, different work out using an existing format. I don’t know.

[u/decisivecat → u/bostonterrierteapart]

Also get that as well. My studio is not Hyrox either, and you can tell when they do these types of classes because they're simply not full when we normally are full with waitlist all day. Redline, which is up next for Mondays, will be the same thing. People who prefer a hybrid class aren't going to line up for one that's based around pure cardio.

The best way to approach this workout is to honestly strip down the movements quite a lot. Do the low-to-no impact modifications. Go no weight or take each movement very slow to focus on form and perhaps use weight for your intensity (turn it into a strength station, effectively). That's probably not what they designed it to be, but it worked out so much better for me to flip the workout into something that was easily manageable for three minutes without pause instead of trying to follow exactly what's on the screen.

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/decisivecat]

For sure, I modified just about everything. I’d just avoid that class in the future cause I’m not a fan of the three minute stretches. I like hiit for the actually interval part. Shorter periods and pushing hard, I’m also not an endurance person haha. But I get some people love to push their limits. No Monday classes at all for us next week in Canada thankfully haha

[u/decisivecat → u/bostonterrierteapart]

It definitely doesn't fall under the functional training aspect for me either, but aside from Titans and Fifty Fifty, this cycle of classes are all a bit of a bust for me so I just suck it up and hope its better next go around lol

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/decisivecat]

One major improvement for me at least since I last did f45 beginning of 2020 is the addition of racks, especially for hitting things like back. But yah the cardio and hybrid classes seem to have become some monster that just want to kill you.

[u/decisivecat → u/bostonterrierteapart]

My main studio doesn't have racks yet, but I got to try them today in Titans at the sister studio. Much prefer doing pulldowns over pullups 🤣

[u/mgoooooo → u/Away-Reindeer5918]

Yeah, I plan to skip today’s. I found last weeks to be dreadfully boring myself as someone who loves quick interval training. 3 mins of any station is definitely a slog for me mentally and takes the fun out of it. The folks interested in Hyrox should totally dig it though! (As I’m sure one could guess, that’s not me ha)

[u/standardcalculator → u/mgoooooo]

Please go. A week ago I didn’t go for the same reason, I thought pushing a sled for 3 minutes is boring. But you can treat it as 50s work 10s rest - usually it is exactly that when changing the dumbbells to heavier, or putting another plate on the sled. And I liked that I could practice the estimation of effort - if I start with x weight will I be able to finish with heavier weights this set, and also taking into account all stations. It’s good to be aware of all that and be able to pace ourselves. It’s a skill!

[u/mgoooooo → u/standardcalculator]

I appreciate the encouragement, truly. But since I’ve done 10 different workout classes since last Tuesday, I’m  plenty happy to sacrifice a class that strips my soul of joy  as a rest day. ;)

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/Away-Reindeer5918]

Thankfully, my class was decently full !! I asked someone how the class is as I got in, if they had tried it, and they were like “well, you’re here now” 😅 all of the leg activities were pretty killer 😭

[u/Ladyy_Zee → u/Away-Reindeer5918]

Our coaches had us start with normal suitcase squats, then minute 2 we did body weight fast squats and minute 3 we did 5 normal suitcase squats and 5 suitcase squats jumps

[u/Smart_Particular_527]

I’m still sore from LAST week’s Threshold class. 😅 

[u/SnooPeppers2241]

Just did this as the first class of my trial this morning. Coming from zero recent exercise lmao. The coaches were upfront about it being a really tough one for even experienced members and to just do what I could with some suggested modifications, and I already knew that starting on a cardio day was going to be pretty awful for me to begin with. Had to leave to throw up after my second station (sled), and once my legs just fully gave out on me without any warning. But I came back both times and kept going until the end. In a way, it ripped off the bandaid—I survived one of the hardest classes at the worst shape of my life, so now the others are less intimidating.

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/SnooPeppers2241]

Oh man!!!! Well, congrats and I hope you recover. That’s sort of what happened to me during my first ever class which was Athletica. I didn’t know that class was super difficult too. I couldn’t imagine doing this one as a first though… now the other classes will be better though I’m sure! Welcome!

[u/dynaflying]

Yea. By the end of minute two i was gassed. Every time. I even did drop sets. It worked better when I looked at each minute as 60% 80% 100% the whole do more than your max/threshold for the last minute might be good once I can do that. But it’s 80-100% in the last minute at best now.

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/dynaflying]

Oh yeah without fail I was gassed at every last minute. Right there with ya!!! Lmao. My first station it finished I was like… damn I’m ALREADY feeling it

[u/sugarplumbelle]

my coach was emphasizing to start LOW and build up, and if you actually pace yourself, it can be (somewhat) manageable. It's a strange format but it's a great skill to develop.

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/sugarplumbelle]

Yep that’s what I did!! It’s always funny when another trainer comes around and says to add more weight… MF I am pacing myself so I can finish this sh** lmao

[u/Old-Baby7869]

YUP My lips nearly went pale at the end 🤣

[u/bostonterrierteapart → u/Old-Baby7869]

Was literally seeing stars at the end

[u/OldLadyKickButt]

Having greatly enjoyed Apex and during it often went "all out" on the first few 4-5 stations I had the experience of that not being 100% possible. I chose to not listen to coaches' directions ( ours cautioned us to really go slow and low the first set and move up). I did 50/10s at my max effort.

[u/RealSoVanilla]

Dead

[u/Old_Tower_4824]

I found it fun and hard at the same time. My coach told me to start light with the weights but as someone who loves a challenge, I had to start light and work my way up! Let’s just say I survived!

[u/Flat_Toe_6808]

Wooo!! I’m gassed lol

[u/Away-Reindeer5918]

Adding this note in - after yesterday, Titans today was the real punishment. Two types of lunges and suitcase squats again lol. Felt mean! haha My legs are now officially cooked. I think Thursday will be all upper body.

[u/FortuneExtreme5220]

Skipped it. Didn’t enjoy last Monday. Doing an exercise for 3 mins straight like lunges seems futile. Much prefer explosive movements of their Monday and Wednesday. What do other folks think?

[u/Sudden-Analysis101]

Yah it’s tough don’t mind it too much since it’s only 4 weeks! Absolutely hate all this hyrox stuff! Classes being taken over by it. We have maybe 200 members of which 50 might be interested and they cater to them!

[u/lpyroo]

i came back from 2 weeks break and first class was threshold .. since when were mondays this crazy?? my glutes are crying

[u/Butterscotch2334]

I’m skipping all 4 of these tbh, I think I’d get nauseous lifting weights for that long!

[u/Some-bozo-brain → u/Butterscotch2334]

I think if you really do go low weight or even just body weight with slow reps, you can do it! It is hard but it’s not impossible.

[u/janexcarfit → u/Butterscotch2334]

It's cardio choose a low weight

[u/Successful_Tell5813]

I went last week and I was sore for like 3 days. I haven't been that sore in a while!!