Fitness Challenges

[The Adelaide Connection]

Hi all, I am looking to get involved in a fitness challenge post soccer season (and not doing much since it wrapped up) and thought I might throw out a feeler for what people have been involved in, etc.

Specifically, I am looking at the F45 8 week challenge. I am going to head along to a regular session on Friday (I have never been to an F45 gym), but aside all of their glowing media and transformation photos I can’t really see any balanced reviews. Anyone have any experience with the challenges or the F45 gyms in general? Cheers.

[Bornadog]

Re: Fitness Challenges

Hi all, I am looking to get involved in a fitness challenge post soccer season (and not doing much since it wrapped up) and thought I might throw out a feeler for what people have been involved in, etc.

Specifically, I am looking at the F45 8 week challenge. I am going to head along to a regular session on Friday (I have never been to an F45 gym), but aside all of their glowing media and transformation photos I can’t really see any balanced reviews. Anyone have any experience with the challenges or the F45 gyms in general? Cheers.

Talk to MJP, he runs a fitness centre.

[Daughter of the West]

Re: Fitness Challenges

I can’t speak first hand, but my husband is an F45-er. Goes three to four times a week. He has never done the 8 week challenge though - just attended regularly. He enjoys it, and in the time he’s been doing it, plenty of people have commented on how lean he has gotten and that he’s lost weight (which he hasn’t - the scales haven’t changed).

One thing to be wary of - in the quick changeovers, every so often he ends up realizing halfway through a set that his weight is too heavy and then ends up tweaking something (shoulders and his neck mostly). It’s happened maybe every 6 months or so. It’s all his own fault, but I can see how it would be quite easy to get caught up in the class and perhaps not check your weights or check your form as well as you should.

[mjp]

Re: Fitness Challenges

AC - If you want some details pm me.

Details of our current 4-week challenge are here: https://round1fitness.com.au/2019-summer-slam/

Now - you (obviously) aren't going to do it with us but most gyms do it in a similar way:

- Dietary restrictions (with a menu plan to support)
- Training requirements

F45 base there ones solely around classes - they aren't open outside of class times. We have 'extras' as well for which there are videos to support (and you will find them at most non-F45 gyms). Examples we use for this challenge can be found in this youtube playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnjegEBzRp7ij-gS-srTizEGh-b_BUe_s

We also do Body Scans for everyone (we have one on-site), run a separate social media page, there is a 45 page 'handbook' that comes with it (which includes the 10x day eating plan with full recipes + a meal prep guide for people wanting to go to another level) etc.

We run twice a year. Most boys lose around 1 to 1.5kgs per week and manage to 'hold' their muscle mass. We have had to vary the diet stuff over the past few years to stop boys losing muscle. Girls tend to lose 600g-1kg per week and around 10% of that is muscle...what can I say, despite what I tell them girls dont eat enough food and if your food is down and your training is up, well, your body will cannibalise muscle for fuel. These results are pretty repeatable as we have had nearly 1200 people go through the challenges over the past 5 years or so...

8-week challenge? I think that's too long for most 'normal' people (6 weeks is the biggest one we do but I prefer 4) but knock yourself out if you think you can get to the end...

Best results ever in a one week challenge? 17kgs = just on 20% body fat % (again, measured by our inbody 570 scanner). I didn't like that much at the time though and I don't like it much now - but for most 'normal' people if you get focussed and stick to the straight and narrow path, you can do 10-15% 'better' than the averages I quoted in the paragraph above.

I also wrote a blog series on why I love the challenges:

https://round1fitness.com.au/challenge-love-letter-1/

https://round1fitness.com.au/challenge-love-letter-2/

https://round1fitness.com.au/challenge-love-letter-3/

https://round1fitness.com.au/challenge-love-letter-3-2/

https://round1fitness.com.au/challenge-love-letter-5/

If you can't find something in there to encourage you to have a crack, well, I am even worse at writing than I thought!

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Fitness Challenges

Thanks for the brilliant response mate. Certainly given me a bit of food for thought. It’s a shame I am not in Melbourne, I would definitely head in.

I might have a bit of a wider look in terms of the challenges- I agree that 8 weeks is a bloody long time. I may also hit you up via PM with a question or two.

As an aside, does anyone know why I am getting a “Forbidden” error message page whenever I try to quote someone in this thread?

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Fitness Challenges

I can’t speak first hand, but my husband is an F45-er. Goes three to four times a week. He has never done the 8 week challenge though - just attended regularly. He enjoys it, and in the time he’s been doing it, plenty of people have commented on how lean he has gotten and that he’s lost weight (which he hasn’t - the scales haven’t changed).

One thing to be wary of - in the quick changeovers, every so often he ends up realizing halfway through a set that his weight is too heavy and then ends up tweaking something (shoulders and his neck mostly). It’s happened maybe every 6 months or so. It’s all his own fault, but I can see how it would be quite easy to get caught up in the class and perhaps not check your weights or check your form as well as you should.

Thanks for the reply. They do a free trial so I might head down to a session and see how I go. It sounds like the sessions are pretty short, sharp and shiny and that certainly sounds like it might suit me.

[Bornadog]

Re: Fitness Challenges

Thanks for the brilliant response mate. Certainly given me a bit of food for thought. It’s a shame I am not in Melbourne, I would definitely head in.

I might have a bit of a wider look in terms of the challenges- I agree that 8 weeks is a bloody long time. I may also hit you up via PM with a question or two.

As an aside, does anyone know why I am getting a “Forbidden” error message page whenever I try to quote someone in this thread?

MJP is in Perth

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Fitness Challenges

Of course! I did actually know that (especially from all of his excellent intel on Perth based kids at draft time) but had a bit of a brain fart.