Last week I was invited to try out a class at F45 in Yorkville (110 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Canada) and my friend and blogging pal Kaitlyn was more than happy to join me! (Never underestimate the power of having a friend in a group class setting – it’s very, very inspiring!)

Not aware of what F45 is? Neither was! As it turns out F45 stands for Functional 45 which, according to them:

“…is the new training technique leaving competition and clients gasping for air. F45 is the most innovative, challenging and systemised team training workout in the world. Come and train like the stars at F45 Training.

You’re scratching your head, aren’t you? I get it, that doesn’t explain a lot. So let me boil it down: it means you’re going to be working out like a beast for 45 minutes straight. It combines high-intensity interval training and functional training in a group fitness setting. The interesting thing? They conduct one class the entire day, it changes daily AND the sequence of intervals will never be the same again. Intrigued? I sure was!

The F45 training area is basically one big room with a lot of equipment that can be easily moved around depending on the kind of class you’re going to be taking (the instructors will set up the stations before you start the class). There are screens on the wall which will give you instructional quickies on how to complete the move you’re currently doing in your circuit – this is immensely appreciated because in a class of 20 or so, the instructor won’t be able to help you at all times so you can just follow  what’s happening on the screen.

Keep in mind though – this is specifically a group exercise gym – it’s not intended for you to go there and do your own thing! We arrived early and got the lay of the land: a group before us was finishing up and they were looking hot and sweaty. The music was also POUNDING (which I really appreciated because I cannot stand hearing myself breathing while I’m working out).

While the other class finished up, we checked out the place: there are plenty of change rooms/shower stalls as well as bathrooms if needed. There are no lockers, but there are cubby slots where you can stash your stuff while you’re working out. You might be skeptical about a cubby slot with no lock, but it’s all out in the open where you’re working out so you can glance at your stuff if need be.

Kaitlyn and I opted to do the session labelled: “22: Paired Cardio”.

22: PAIRED CARDIO

Pray you get a good partner because you’ll be going through hell together. But then, apparently that’s the best way to heaven. Welcome to the infamous F45 1,000 calorie killer workout. No muscle escapes our attention since muscle tissue burns 15 times as many calories as fat. Even after your session, your metabolism will still be in overdrive. Listen carefully and you’ll hear the calories burning.

I liked the idea of doing it in a team, and, more interestingly, this workout claimed it would burn 1000 calories. For anyone who has ever counted calories you know that burning a thousand calories in 45 minutes in practically impossible (seriously – it takes me about 80 minutes of straight running to burn that), BUT I wanted to see how close to that 1000 I could get. (Sidenote: F45 has a TON of different programs, check them all out here.)

Armed with my trusty Garmin and heart rate monitor strapped to my chest (to track calories), Kaitlyn and I got to work. We tackled each station twice in rotation with your partner. You’ll do station 1.1 first for 45 seconds, rest for 15, do station 1.2 for 45, rest for 15, then repeat. After that station is finished, you’d then move on to station 2 and the cycle repeats.

The interval stations were extremely varied for the session we did. We went from axe chopping, to cycling, to sledgehammer shoveling, to the TRX thingamajig you see above. It’s varied enough so that you feel like you’re working opposite muscles per segment, which is always a blessing because it gives those muscles a chance to recuperate before you slam them with activity again. There are also two levels per station – so if you’re not feeling especially healthy that day you have the option of doing the less amped up version of the exercise.

By the time we hit the third segment of intervals (there are water breaks between the segments), I was starting to feel the burn for sure. Very rarely do I get in exercise situations where I feel genuinely SWEATY (running doesn’t really do that to me) but my back was soaked and my hairline was getting greeeeasy!

When 45 minute was up, I was so very close to spent. I was sweating like a beast, but I felt really, really good. The group atmosphere of the class was incredibly encouraging at the end – we were high fiving people that we had just finished the class with!

But… how did it play out calorie-wise?

As I suspected… nowhere even remotely close to 1000 calories. (For reference, I’m 34 years old, 155 pounds and 5’3″/160cm tall.) I burned roughly 430 calories in the 40 minutes I had the tracker going which is roughly the same I’d expend while running. I had anticipated burning somewhere in the range of 400 to 600 calories for the session, so this was on par with my expectations. Even if I had worked doubly hard (which, looking at my heartrate, would not be possible!), I still would not have achieved a 1000 calorie burn.

With the 1000 calorie expectations out of the way (seriously – that’s just advertising nonsense) – this is a REALLY good exercise routine. The 22: Paired Cardio program is varied and enticing and it MAKES. YOU. WORK. There is no point in the routine where it feels like a boring or conventional program. I was sweating extremely hard by the end, but I also felt really, really good. It’s an empowering workout made all that much better by doing it with a friend to help you with that internal motivation (thanks Kaitlyn!).

F45 was started in Australia (so you’ll find a metric ton of those gyms there), but they’ve got plenty of locations worldwide. If you’re interested in trying something new at the gym – something that will get you motivated and moving and isn’t your regular boring routine of treadmill or elliptical, this could definitely be for you!

We were invited to attend the F45 training session free of charge.