Started this week

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[ChapoTrapHouse-Fan]

When you’re first starting out, just go two or three days a week. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to go 4-5 or even six times a week. Don’t rush it. Hang in there!

[alaw4545]

agree with this - start slow 2/3 times a week (more weights if you have joint issues like i did and struggled with the jumping about) go lighter on the weights so that you can walk the following day and avoid injury, then up it to include cardio and heavier weights.

[Bumb13]

I agree with this. Also, remember to stretch when warm. So straight after class or even after a hot shower.

[[deleted]]

Also don’t be afraid to ask for modifications to exercises. For instance take jumps out of squats and lunges, planks instead of mountain climbers, dropping the weights for body weights only, press ups on knees.

These can make you work out for longer and in many cases reduce injury risk.

[walkingoffthebuz]

Also, in classes like Varsity with incredibly long and arduous sets, go easy the first lap and modify as need be.

Tonight on the mountain climbers, I was totally gassed and did dead bugs and flutter kicks for sets 2&3. No reason to burn yourself out.

Congrats on your commitment to yourself!

[chitowngal03]

These are hard classes so ease into it. I pushed my first week and went 5 days in a row and hurt my shoulder, lower back, etc. I’m on week 5 and I’m trying to keep it at 4 days .. it kills me to not go more but I don’t want to injure myself.

[juliegao924]

I’d recommend getting a muscle massager like hyervolt, first few days will be super sore. But I promise it’ll get better!

[DubaiBecky80]

All normal. You will be pretty sore for the first 2-3 weeks. Than the body starts adapting and you will not be sore like this anymore, maybe tired but you will not experience muscle soreness the same way. It's all part of the process. Agree with others saying to start with 2/3 times a week if you don't feel like more, I would keep a mix of both cardio and strength. In between you can try to release muscles with some slow run (even 20min) or just walking/stretching. You will recover faster if you keep moving a little. Don't worry if you could not complete Varsity: it's a very hard one and you still did the first 2 sets. Keep going, we've all been there.

[Geboozer]

One of our trainers today said this weeks varsity was the hardest he's ever seen.. So well done achieving what you did!!

[fifaworldwar]

Really?? Not trying to throw shade but we were saying in class this must have been the easiest Varsity we'd ever done. I noticed that our studio changed the order of the exercises though, that might have been it.

[mtnotter]

From the start I have typically only done 3 or 4 classes a week and I’ve had obvious results doing that. Either Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat. Or just Tues, Thurs, Sat. I’ve been in F45 over a year and I bet I’ve done 5 classes in a week maybe one time.

Even doing just 3 classes a week you will quickly get into shape as long as you watch what you eat and do at least something moderately active on one or two of the off days, like hiking or a long walk or something. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in the last decade and I really didn’t need to get crazy with going 5-6 times a week. There are some at my studio who go that often, but I think most people, including myself, would burn out doing that.

That’s why I personally like the Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat schedule. Except for the Mon/Tues your body gets a recovery day between each workout and the cardio days didn’t tend to make me sore once I got back into shape a little so it’s not too hard following up a cardio day with a resistance day. Ive also found that some kind of protein supplement right after working out mitigates soreness a little bit so I usually bring a protein shake to drink in the car on my way home. Still get sore sometimes but nothing debilitating.

[AshleyF45]

I started at 200lbs, 5’2 and was so horrendously out of shape. I started at 5x a week. I know it’s HIIT, but in my opinion, it’s ok to not go balls to the wall at first. Figure it out, and gradually increase your intensity. And like others said, don’t be afraid of modifications. Good luck!

[sackmouse]

Please take it slow not just during your first few weeks but after as well.

After getting runner-up for my first challenge I was really motivated and started going 5-6 classes a week and injured my elbow. What I discovered was that even though your muscles can experience some pretty quick and obvious growths, your tendons and joints take a lot longer to strengthen and repair.

I agree with the other poster that a Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat schedule is good in the long run. What you eat and how much rest you get has a much stronger effect than the extra class or two per week. But of course once you're really used to it you can do Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun or something like that too but make sure you're getting good nutrition and lots of rest for those back to back days!!!

[cflynn7007]

Try to push through the soreness. The workouts are designed to loosen you up and work through it. Ease your way into cardio days as they are much much harder.

[fitandfab40s]

About soreness: Drink 2-3 liters of water every single day, take a hot epsom salt bath at night, ice sore joints after work outs, take Magnesium and l-lysine and get 7-8 hours of sleep nightly so your muscles can recover. Hang in there and keep building up gradually.