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F45 Sydney 2 Week Trial Review

We all know the popular fitness brand called F45, but what’s it like to go to class when you’re not THAT fit? Here’s my F45 Sydney 2 week trial review at the F45 Haymarket club.

Since moving to Australia the biggest difference I’ve noticed in myself is how I’ve taken to the healthy culture which is thriving in Sydney. Gone are the days of boozing it up and eating whatever I wanted and now after giving up alcohol and becoming vegan on January 1 2016, I’ve also become more conscious about making sure I move my body rather than spending the entire day sat at an office desk.

You’ve probably heard of F45, standing for Functional 45 which means 45 minutes of high intensity functional training.

It’s the revolutionary training system that was founded by 2 Australian guys in 2011, and it’s now spreading through continents like wildfire. I wasn’t too sure about what it actually was even though I knew a few people that were obsessed with it so I tried out the 2 week free trial at the Haymarket gym. Here is my review of the F45 2 week trial.


Previous fitness experience

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After my first half marathon in Sydney 2015

So my previous experience revolved around cardio – I started cycling to work back in November 2015 and I’ve kept it up since. I also ran my first half marathon in 2015 and then again this year. I absolutely hated running at school and decided to challenge myself with trying to fall in love with it, and it worked. I always seem to take up running in the new year and made sure I got up early before work and run between 5-8KM but as the winter drew near, I found it hard to get out of bed. I’ve since rediscovered it again as it’s my form of meditation to start the day.

But I knew I needed to do more than cardio, I needed to build up some muscle. I also heard something recently; ‘Bikini bodies are made in Winter’. This is so true, why didn’t it click with me before? I knew it was time to get the body I always dreamed of having.


Getting over the fear of group training sessions

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Training at F45 Haymarket

I’ve never participated in any group training sessions before because I had the fear that it would a/ stress me out and b/ I’d find it too intimidating and everyone would think how rubbish I was. I think it brings it back to being at school and even though I was quite good at most sports and in the school teams, I have bad memories of running and coming last! So I decided to bite the bullet and take up F45.


Why F45 Haymarket?

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F45 class at Haymarket

Why F45 and not any other training session out there? Let’s face it, there’s a huge amount of gyms and training sessions in Sydney, you only have to go to a park in Sydney CBD during your lunch hour to see how many there are but I went for F45 because everyone I knew who had been absolutely raved about it, especially the Haymarket gym because of the friendliness of the people who have joined but most of all because of the instructors.

Everyone I knew who went there were getting results. They were getting stronger, building muscle and getting six packs. I thought, maybe it might work for me too? So I decided to give it ago let alone the Haymarket gym is in a brilliant location, right in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.


How F45 Works

F45 works by using their awesome app. It lists the times you can sign up for a class which alternates everyday and I’ve found that I can chose on the day (given there’s still enough spaces left) so I’m not restrained to going days in advance. You can also cancel a class pretty east to allow others to join. Since I started, there hasn’t been a repeat of any class.

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Booking a class on the F45 app


What Happens in the class?

Here’s a great time lapse of a class at F45 Haymarket 

The instructors set up a new course everyday so if you sign up for two classes a day, you’ll be doing the same course. It’s all done on a timer so when arriving you’ll notice quite a few TV screens dotted around. The instructors start off by going through the course, showing you what to do. This can be anything from cycling as fast as a you can to doing burpees, to chin ups, using the rowing machine to lifting weights.

The purpose of the class is to move fast as it’s high intensity training (known as HIT). As it’s all done on a clock, the class is 45 minutes meaning you will tend to have 45 seconds on each station before moving onto the next one. As the instructors show you what to do, you’ll also have the TV’s  there to guide you on each station as well in case you’ve forgotten what you are doing!

Once you’ve been shown the exercises, it’s warm up time! A selection of press ups (I Know!!!) to star jumps to get your heart pumping before the class starts. A video of my recent work out will be coming to you soon!


What Did I Learn From F45 HayMarket

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Yep that’s me on the bike!

Firstly, it’s hard. Like really hard but you’ll feel absolutely amazing after your first class. Because I’m not used to using any weights or doing any exercises, my body became quite stiff so I couldn’t go back for a couple of days. I then rejoined a few days later and had no problems whatsoever.

The fear of group sessions totally wore off almost straight away. Yes there are uber fit people there but you work at your own pace and because it moves so fast, I didn’t really have the time to watch what others were doing. The people who attend the Haymarket F45 were really friendly, and it seemed like most have formed good friendships. I thought that was great and  I honestly believe that’s down to the instructors and owners T and Dan.

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F45 Haymarket owners T and Dan 

T and Dan are the reason I kept going everyday. They were not only really friendly but very professional and most of the time I felt like I was getting a personal training session because they really look after you. Their energy is electrifying and it makes you want to work harder. You can see that they actually care about their business and it’s their passion which radiates towards everyone who attends their sessions.


Results?

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OK so it’s only been 2 weeks so seriously is there any difference? To be honest, I have seen a huge difference in my body. I suffer from severe bloating and already it’s gone down, I feel heaps stronger already which I’ve noticed in my running and cycling and most of all I have way more energy and I’m much happier and more focused.


Will I continue with F45 Haymarket?

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During the 2 week trial I had a really bad day at work and normally I would have cycled home and brought the bad energy into my home but I went to F45 instead and because of T’s energy I felt a million times better.

I love the 45 minutes rule because it makes you think it’s not that long really to make a big difference in your day and towards you future of health & wellness. That being said, I would be crazy to give this new regime up so I’m signing up pronto!

I’ll keep you posted and let you know my progress updates in the coming months!

If you’re thinking of signing up, why not try out the 2 Week FREE trial at Haymarket now!! You have nothing to lose and only a better well being to gain!!