Was it celebrity allure that led me to F45 Training, the Australian fitness chain for which the famously ripped Mark Wahlberg serves as chief brand officer? Wahlberg’s enviable six-pack abs notwithstanding, I was actually inspired to try F45 by an unsolicited testimonial I received from a reader. Alexis reached out to me on a messaging app, describing herself as a new member of F45, which she declared “one of the best gyms I’ve ever been to.” She invited me to work out with her, promising “It’s so much fun! It will definitely be a great workout!”
I didn’t manage to connect with Alexis, but I never forgot her enthusiasm. That’s how I found myself at the F45 in downtown Santa Barbara one evening. I nabbed the last space in the small parking lot they share with Dune Coffee Roasters and walked through the open roll-up doors that make up the front wall of the studio. Coach Bolden greeted me with a brief orientation, then got class started by welcoming new members, explaining the “pods” (circuits) of the day’s workout while another coach demonstrated each exercise, and assigned each of us a starting station. Video monitors on the wall led us through a warmup. The monitors also showed video of each exercise, count down work time and rest time, prompt you when it’s time to change stations, and announce water breaks. Each class wraps up with a brief round of core work led by a coach.
The monitors are helpful because F45 workouts have such a complex structure, it can be hard for a beginner to navigate the rows of kettlebells, plates, barbells, benches, and cardio equipment arrayed neatly on the studio floor. But the monitors only supplement the work done by the multiple coaches who circulate during each class, correcting form, offering modifications, encouraging you to increase your weight, and cheering everyone on. Thanks to them, F45 delivers a fairly personalized workout, even in a large class. In the different classes I tried, Bolden suggested modifications when I didn’t want to jump, Jonah reminded me to lift the bar all the way over my head for the barbell squat press, Ellie corralled me to the right station when I kept getting lost, and Kyle adjusted the footrests and straps to help me get into the rowing machine, then instructed me to pull the hand grips to my pecs and lean back.