From Romans to Firestorm, is F45 Training worth the hype?
- Jordana Sherman
- Mar 19, 2017
- 3 min read
Over Christmas I decided to give F45 a go and capitalise on their great ‘7 days for £7’ trial offer. For those of you who have never heard of this Australian import, it’s a high intensity circuit-training programme, which offers a suite of different classes focusing on strength, cardio, endurance and a combination of all the aforementioned. Each class has a slightly different focus, but in a nutshell it’s a circuit that you need to complete in either 45 or 60 minutes.
Over the course of my one-week trial, I got a chance to experience 3 classes: Romans, Firestorm and Hollywood Circuit. And whilst I did not have a chance to attend each of the different classes on offer, I got a pretty good feel for what they entail, their intensity and difficulty level. (It’s important to note here that I am an experienced gym-goer, so as I mentioned in a previous post, perspectives will differ based on individual fitness levels).
Romans
This is a 45-minute resistance training circuit based on functional movements. You move through various stations focusing on different muscle-bearing exercises - working for 35 seconds, resting for 25.
If you do your own resistance training I would not bother with this class. I did not find it particularly challenging. From my perspective, the rest periods were far too long in relation to the working periods. I was told that this class was intended for hypertrophy training, but personally I did not find the weight levels high enough to qualify for that.
In conclusion, this is not a class for anyone who weightlifts. If you are a fitness newbie wanting to get a feel for weight training, then this is a good one to try, especially as each exercise is aired on a TV screen to help you follow along. However, if you do weight train regularly, I believe your cash would be better spent elsewhere.
Firestorm
Firestorm is a cardio-based interval circuit. Similar to other F45 classes, it requires you to navigate 27 cardio-based exercises over 45 minutes. The circuit consists of all the usual cardio suspects, such as bikes and rowing machines, along with a host of other body weight exercises.
I definitely enjoyed Firestorm more than Romans as it gave me the cardio boost I was after. However, I do think there are more intense and effective cardio-based HITT classes out there. I have a low threshold for sweating and Firestorm had me only mildly glistening, unlike the deluge that tends to occur with other cardio classes.
So, I preferred Firestorm to Romans, but I still think this is more of a class for fitness novices and intermediaries.
Hollywood Circuit
If you feel I have given F45 a bad rap so far, that’s about to change with the Hollywood Circuit. This is the one class I actually enjoyed. It was the final class I trialled, so in this case “saving the best for last” rings true.
Hollywood Circuit is a 60-minute class, 15 minutes longer than most of the others on offer, and incorporates the very best strength, cardio and endurance exercises in a 27-station circuit. In the hour, you need to make your way through each of the exercises twice, which is no mean feat. What I liked about this circuit was not only the variety but the opportunity to experience some fitness equipment I rarely dabble with, like battle ropes and weighted sledges. Whilst I do see the appeal of the Hollywood Circuit and will probably return to it soon, there are two things that I would flag up:
The class has a DJ, which might be a turnoff to some since the classes are held on Saturday mornings. If you’ve had a late one on Friday night, the blaring music first thing Saturday morning could be a little too much.
Whilst I did find the Hollywood Circuit challenging, I still stick to my guns in saying that there are other HITT classes out there that are more challenging. Whilst my sweat test was challenged to a degree, I was by no means drenched in the same fashion I am during some other HITT classes.
Hollywood Circuit is a fun and challenging class for exercisers of all levels although believe it is more suited for fitness intermediaries and experts. I suggest beginners start off with some of the more discipline-specific classes such as Romans or Firestorm.
Please note: I visited the F45 location at London Bridge but F45 has now expanded to Tottenham Court Road, with several other studios opening soon. The £7 for 7 classes one-week experience package seems to be a permanent offer for those looking to trial F45, so see what you think and let me know in the comments.
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