When it comes to fitness, I will try anything once. In fact, a year ago, I signed up for my first F45 challenge and became instantly addicted to the classes and results! This will be my third 8 Week Challenge but this time I experimented with my own meal plan and no double classes. Read on to find out my experience and see my before and after photos 👀
Why did I decide to do the challenge?
I have actually been consistently doing F45 for about a year now. In that time I have done two challenges at another studio with amazing results (Total lost: 15kg weight and 15% body fat) but after a very stressful year and enjoying Summer a little too much 😅, those numbers were starting to go in the opposite direction.
I also decided to try a new studio that was closer to my home to give me more time in my day and try reduce some of the stress in my life. It’s amazing the difference of having an extra 30 minutes sleep, not getting to work an hour early or having to pack and carry your gym bag around all day does!
I trained at the F45 Vauxhall studio which was an easy 15 minute walk from my house. Classes start as early as 6:00am and the last class 6:55pm in the week. I generally committed to 6:00am classes as I prefer to train on an empty stomach and get my workout in before the busy day ahead. The trainers are motivating without being too in your face and the facilities are AMAZING, all new equipment, free towels and free scans!
What to expect?
F45 sessions are fast, fun and hit every spot in 45 minutes. The ‘team training’ combine HIIT and circuit, alternating between cardio (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), strength/resistance based (Tuesday and Thursday) and a 1 hour Saturday class that mixes both cardio and resistance with a DJ for one hell of a fat-burning sweat fest.
The ‘8 Week Challenge’ works via a free app, where you book yourself into classes, are given a weekly shopping list and daily meals (including recipes) and extra guidance from trainers. Your progress is tracked from start to finish, with a full body scan at the start, mid-way and end marks. The 8-week programme is broken up into three stages: Spring Training (Week 1–2), Regular Season (Week 3–6) and World Series (Week 7–8).
How did I do the challenge differently?
The meal plan is available for free on the F45 Challenge app with a choice of mainstream, vegetarian or vegan with the flexibility of swapping between. The female meal plan is set at 1,300 calories per day and the males 1,900 calories per day. Each day consists of three meals and two snacks but you can also choose a few meals and repeat them for the week instead.
I know my body quite well from doing this style of training for over a year and the recommended 1,300 calories is just too low for me personally. I used My Fitness Pal to track my calories and decided to start the challenge on the male calories (1,900) with a 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat macro split and slowly taper down to (1,500) over the course of the challenge. Some days I went over but I made sure to even it out over the course of the week. The last two weeks I kept my protein high, moderate fat and carbs low. I did this to try preserve muscle and I wanted to see how my body would respond and if it would tap into my fat stores (Which actually worked ✨).
Week 1 & 2: Spring Training
Week 1 and 2 were the hardest by far as we are detoxing the body, removing water retention and preparing for fat loss. Diet-wise, there’s no caffeine, dairy, red meat or artificial sugar and instead, plenty of chicken, fish, eggs and greens. Alcohol isn’t recommended for the duration of the Challenge, which I managed to stick to after our holiday in Menorca.
Week 1, I was determined more than ever to finally get back on track and end this year on a bang. Previous challenges I could never cut out coffee, but this time round I was determined to kick my 3–5 a day habit. After 3 days, I ended up getting a cold and was knocked out for half the week. In hindsight I should have weened myself off to one coffee a day to reduce some of the detox symptoms (Low energy, sleepless nights, lack of concentration). Food wise, I was a ravenous monster, drinking 6–8 cups of tea and once I got sick I just focused on getting better than being ‘on plan’.
By the end of Week 2, I was feeling more like myself and my hunger levels had finally balanced out. I had lots of energy, was smashing the classes and even surprised myself with a few personal records.
Week 3-6: Regular Season
Week 3 to 6 is called ‘Regular Season’ and is centred around building muscle through a high protein diet that aids healthy fat loss and muscles repair. Caffeine, dairy, red meat and some gluten grains. After the first two weeks I found that adding dairy back in upset my stomach and I have always been sensitive to gluten so I based my meals around whole foods, no dairy or gluten.
Week 3–6 I had a lot of life things going on. In Week 3 had a holiday to Menorca which I managed to stay relatively on plan with daily gym sessions and making healthy choices at the buffet; Eggs, fresh fruit, oats, fresh seafood, roasted potatoes, MYO salad and yes I treated myself to dessert 💁🏻.
Week 4 is when I started feeling a BIG difference from the extra carbs in my energy levels, motivation, strength and fitness. I was pushing myself every single class, lifting weights I never thought I could lift and feeling super light on my feet in the cardio classes. Week 4 is also when you check in and get your mid way scans.
At Vauxhall, you can have free scans throughout the challenge, where you just jump on the InBody scanner for your weight or put your own details in to get your full report breakdown.
At the halfway mark, my midway scan results were:
⬇️ 4.5kg weight
⬇️ 2.5kg fat
⬇️ 1.2 kg muscle
⬇️ 2% BF
My main focus was to drop my body fat while keeping my muscle, which is something I always struggle with when trying to diet down. One thing that I was REALLY happy with was that the majority of my fat loss was from my mid section, 1.5kg in fact! 🎉🎉🎉
Week 5 & 6 was probably the most stressful 2 weeks of the year. Working 14 days straight with a 6 day photoshoot is not good on the body. I had to prioritise getting through these days which meant I had to put my training on the back burner but I managed to stay on plan with my eating.
Week 7 & 8: World Series
The final two weeks of the plan and is focused on high fat, low carb, stripping fat and maximising muscle definition. By the start of the second week, I was feeling drained, tired and ended up finally catching the virus that everyone around me had and it completely knocked me out!
Even though I wasn’t feeling 100%, I just focused on recovery and made sure to move a little with light walking on the treadmill, with a couple F45 classes and really knuckled down on my nutrition when I started feeling better.
The Results
⬇️ 7.5kg weight
⬇️ 4.5kg fat
⬇️ 2.6kg fat off my mid section!
⬇️ 1.8 kg muscle
⬇️ 3.5% BF
✨Inbody Score: 91/100 points
💪🏻 Muscle Mass: Over range
▪️ Weight: Normal range
▪️ Body Fat: Normal range
▪️ BMI: Normal range
My Before & After Photos
When it came to the end of the challenge I was feeling really good in my clothes, most of my pants were falling off me and I was starting to see some nice definition in my mid section. I was starting to feel more like myself again and proud of all the hard work I had put in, despite all the hurdles that were being thrown my way throughout.
If you’re looking for a way to kickstart your fitness journey or help you get back on track after treating yo’self a little too much, I definitely recommend the F45 8 Week Challenge. A couple things I will leave you with is make the challenge work with you and not the other way round and celebrate your small accomplishments along the way so you enjoy the journey AND the end results.