I hadn’t worked out repetitively since the summer, and this semester I wanted to find a workout that would be able to keep me motivated. Living downtown, F45 was just a quick walk away and offered me the chance to try something new.
F45 State College is located at 232 E. College Avenue, and when I first showed up, I was surprised to realize that the atmosphere wasn’t as intimidating as I had expected it would be. I walked in as the last class was leaving, and girls left the room with their faces red – all obviously ready for a nap. I was amazed at all of the different types of equipment that filled up such a small space.
Since the classes change based on the day of the week, this specific day focused on cardio with the class ‘MVP with Emily.’ The class was split up into partners, where each duo would work at each station for a minute with 30 second breaks in between. My partner and myself went around the 12 stations two times – from burpees to crunches to spinning on the bike, we worked every muscle twice. It was a whole lot of work in a short amount of time. The intense timing allows you to work hard, take quick breaks and then work even harder the next time around. Stretching before the class is important as well as warming up after the initial demo of stations have been taught.
F45 supplies you with a towel for the class and allows you to keep your water nearby throughout the whole class to make sure that you’re keeping hydrated. I would suggest eating a few hours before going to this intense 45 minute cardio class. While having something in your stomach is important, eating right before a class as high-intensity as this one could be dangerous.
Overall, the instructors did a great job helping people if they forgot a move at a certain station or motivating class members to work their hardest throughout each of the intense one-minute intervals of exercise. They also made sure to check up on the new people to see if they had any questions or wanted any further clarification on what to do.
“I really like it because it’s a quick and effective workout. The workouts change every day so it never gets repetitive or boring,” says Courtney Berlin a Penn State junior.
If you are looking for a new way to work out in a short amount of time that is effective, sign up online for a free week trial!
