I first tried F45 at the very beginning of this blog journey, and continue to enjoy having it in my workout routine almost a year later! You can read my very first review of F45 here, and my post-COVID review here! I love now that I’m in Little Rock, I still have it as an option after moving from Knoxville. Throughout the holidays, I did a pretty good job staying on track with my workouts. After the new year, though, I have taken some time off and switched up my routine.

I’ve done more sleeping in, and going to the “regular” gym after work following the Whitney Simmons ALIVE programming. If interested, you can read my initial thoughts on her app and programming here!

Now that we’re a full month into 2022 (which is CRAZY), I’m feeling motivated to get back into my morning workout routines. This 8-week challenge with my local F45 studio is the perfect way to be accountable to jumping back into that routine, and creating those healthy habits all over again. I plan to do a mid-way and final check in, so keep reading to see what there is to expect during these next 8 weeks!

When Is This Challenge?

F45, like a lot of other boutique fitness studios, usually does a couple of challenges throughout the year. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to have these challenges because it helps get people motivated to start creating those healthy habits early! I’m so glad that this challenge officially starts on January 31st and runs through March 26. Starting at the end of January gives people time to get acclimated into the new year, and be ready to get involved and committed to something like this.

How Is The Challenge Set Up?

F45 does a handful of challenges throughout the year. For this challenge, there are 4 phases within the 8-weeks. Each phase is set up with a main focus, and they continue to build on one another.

Here are how the 4 phases are structured:

Phase 1: Spring Training

Phase 1 is called Spring Training. Here the main goal is to get rid of unhealthy habits while building new, strong, healthy ones. Hopefully during this time clients will learn a new routine of consistent exercise, healthy eating, hydration, quality sleep, stretching, and recovery. The perfect way to jump start the challenge!

Phase 2: Regular Season

Phase 2 is called Regular Season, and the goal during this period is to prioritize strong, quality nutrition. Because nutrition is my biggest problem area, I really look forward to the progress I can make here! On the F45 challenge app there are going to be a ton of new recipes for me to try, and ways to track my food intake throughout the day.

Phase 3: Championship Round

Phase 3, the Championship Round, focuses on recovery while hopefully keeping a high-intensity level of training. At this point, it’s easy to want to give up because of feeling sore or rundown from working out more than normal. Focusing on healthy recovery should help fight that burnout and keep us pushing forward in the challenge!

Phase 4: World Series

Phase 4, the last phase of the challenge, is called World Series. Now, clients will be combining everything they’ve learned with the excellent habits they’ve built to really show off! With nutrition in check, high intensity, strong workouts, and a healthy focus on recovery we should be feeling like rockstars!

What Are The Rules?

There are no real hard and fast rules to this challenge. They do suggest staying away from alcohol for the entire 8 weeks if possible. The alternate is switching your normal drink for a light beer, or clear spirits to keep calories low. Sticking to suggested nutrition is another “rule” the studios hope that clients will commit to. Without focus on nutrition, a lot of the positive results you should see might not show up.

Progress photos are also highly suggested so that clients can see physical changes as the challenge goes on. I’m already a big fan of progress pictures, so I plan to share those throughout this process. Other than that the game plan is to have fun, build healthy habits, and see some progress after the 8 weeks!

What Am I Most Excited About?

For me, this challenge is about getting myself back on track. I really enjoy the morning routine of getting up early to start my day with a workout. But, this is a really easy train to fall off of as soon as you start pressing that snooze button. That’s been my situation throughout January as I’ve traded the morning workouts for evening ones. Even though I’m still getting my workouts in, I miss the feeling of accomplishment with having it done before work in the morning!

I am also excited to have this challenge hold me accountable with my nutrition. I know I’m a broken record here, but this is my biggest downfall. If I’ve got someone holding my feet to the fire, though, I know I’ll stick to the game plan! This is going to be a great way for me to restart my nutrition and get on track for summer!

Final Thoughts

When this post goes live I should officially be on day 2 of the 8-week challenge! I can’t wait to share all the ups and downs throughout the next 2 months. I’m hoping by the end, I’ll have some real results to share and can give some thoughts/suggestions to anyone else hoping to try this challenge!

If you want to find your local F45 studio to sign up for this challenge it’s not too late! Check out F45’s website and get connected with your closest studio now!

If you’ve done the challenge before and have any tips, tricks, or advice please leave it in the comments down below!