Review: F45 Training Gym Night Bazaar
As many of you are vegan athletes like myself I am sharing this blog article with you all which reviews F45 training gym at the night bazaar in Chiang Mai. Obviously there are lots of indoor fitness opportunities in Chiang Mai but this particular place is my favourite and I shall detail the reasons below. As I am a long distance marathon, trail and ultra-marathon runner I chose to join F45 as I wanted to supplement my training in particular with regards to strength.
Flexibility
F45 offers classes every day. The same circuit is offered either four or five times a day Monday-Friday, twice on a Saturday and once on a Sunday. The classes are held throughout the mornings and evenings during the week and around lunchtime at the weekend. There are enough classes to suit anyone’s timetable so you need never miss a class and if you are very motivated you could even attend twice a day! Booking a class is very convenient as you can simply open up the app and click to book or cancel which can also be sent straight to your phone’s calendar.
The Work-outs
The work-out circuits change daily so you never repeat the exact same set. The sets are either cardio, strength or a mixture of both. There are always beginner level options for the more demanding moves. The sets last around 45 minutes including a brief instruction, a warm-up, the circuit and then stretching afterwards. The moves are always shown on screens so it is very easy to follow what you need to do. The program follows a high intensity interval training (HIIT) process so each exercise could last 30 seconds, 45 seconds or a minute with a short break and then repeated again. I particularly enjoy the work-outs as they are always fast paced and the time always seems to just fly by. Exercises can involve jumping, skipping, weights, lunges, lifting, rowing, cycling, running, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups to name just a few. The courses are always very varied and switch between up to about 30 different sets. Before you know it, the 45 minutes is up.
The Hollywood class on Saturday is particularly enjoyable as the class is an hour long and has a live DJ spinning tunes to accompany your work-out.
The classes are also a great opportunity to socialise with other members and make a new gym buddy.
The Equipment
There is enough equipment and weights to suit every level. All equipment is modern. There are bikes, rowing machines, boxes, steppers, skipping ropes and weights of all different shapes and sizes. Machines are of course all in perfect working order. You may use equipment freely to warm up briefly before the course starts if you wish.
The Trainers
Mark, Mo, Mike and Tony are all fantastic trainers. They are extremely professional and patient and will always notice if you are struggling with an exercise and immediately rush over to come and help. They are obviously very knowledgeable in their field and are always full of helpful pointers and advice when it comes to the moves. On top of all this they are also very pleasant and friendly and their outgoing personalities guarantee that the classes will always be fun and enjoyable!
Eight-week Challenge
If you time it right, F45 also offers an eight week challenge which you may join if you’re interested. You will need to measure your weight and fitness levels and test again at the end to see the results. There is a phone application to help you with this that will even give you meal plans for which you can select a vegan option! I enjoyed making some of the meals from these plans especially the breakfast overnight oats.
Location
Finally, F45 is conveniently located in the centre of Chiang Mai at the night bazaar. Car and bike parking is available for free. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian restaurants very close by for you to visit after your work-out including V-Secret which is just over the road in Pluen Ruedee night market. There is also a vegan ice-cream stall within walking distance called Better and Better in Kalare Food Court.
Ready to give F45 a go? They offer a 7-day trial period for just 200 BAHT! Check out their website here and contact them via Facebook here or just drop in to the studio.
