F45 - Functional 45 Training
F45 Training
F45 functional training is a 45 minute systematised workout and the latest gym craze in Australia. Find out where, what and how?
A video of F45 - Functional 45 Training
What is F45?
F45 is:
- a highly intensity systemised 45 minute work out
- done in a facility or studio environment
- over 800 filed and timed exercises mashed up to make each session different
- DJ mixes and voice overs while training to keep you motivated
These facilities are licensed on a franchise basis by suburb and there are currently as at February 2015 around 46 functioning gyms in Australia, 32 in the pipeline and a lot of franchises listed as available per the F45 training website.
F45 is described as an "innovative, cost effective and incredible systemised training facility" and we note nowhere on the site could we find the word "gym" or "studio". F45 is the branchild of Luke Istomin, a Sydney Eastern Suburbs trainer, als a Director of F45 training and has Daniel Conn as the face of the franchise.
What is a workout?
There are are 800 odd filmed exercises which are shown on large screens during the workout and which are all timed, allowing each participant to work at their own pace within the timed exercise. No more big people waiting around behind you for the equipment to become free. The workouts are billed and we quote as "insane".
Heart rate monitor options are available for those who want to push themselves, Given the large number of exercises you never do the same workout routine twice and thus theoretically will never get bored with a common routine. Each routine is tested prior to release by 5 programmers at head office. Take all that, add DJ mixes and voice overs to keep you motivated and going throughout the session and you have F45. Sound like fun? Given the growing demand, it must be. Check out the growing search volumes for the word F45 training since 2010 below:
Whose doing it?
Apparently a lot of celebrities and well know wallabies, NRL players and other sports people, although the franchise does claim three quarters of the participants are female. The goal they say is to make women feel more comfortable lifting weights due to the functional group setting.
So if you are young, hip and happenning and have some some prior exercise this might be the next thing for you. If you are tired of doing the normal jog and need to mix things up a bit. get stronger and fitter then this is definitely for you. The 45 minute length is also a good idea given work routines allowing 15 minute for change and travel to and from the facility.
What does it cost?
There is a 1 week (7 days) free trial option available at the gym we looked at, so try for 2 weeks and then decide, free. After that and this may differ by gym but it runs at around $56 pw for the first week and then $66pw thereafter. So if we have this correct, $242 per month. A little more than your standard gym membership and if you go to around 5 classes thats about $50 per class. Seems pricy on the face of it, but there is a lot of tech and equipment involved so Im guessing you get what you pay for.
Could not establish if you could just buy a class at a time and also what happens if you go to 2 or 3 different facilities, maybe 1 near work and 1 near the office given they are licenses. Happy to correct this article if the good folk at F45 training can share.
Where can I find a gym?
You can check out all locations here.
There are 30 odd facilities in NSW and the rest are scattered around the country with 8 in Queensland and only 1 in Victoria. All the main suburbs of Sydney are covered including Bondi, Neutral Bay, Alexandria, Balmain, Surry Hills, Pyrmont, Maroubra, Brookvale and Glebe. Visit the F45 training website to get the latest numbers as they seem to be growing fast.
Where can I get more information?
You can check out our local F45 facility listings here or visit the F45 training website here.