Fitness|August 12, 2026|Francis
How to Make Progress at F45 When Every Workout Is Different
A simple way to track strength, conditioning, and technique at F45 when every class changes, using five anchors and a 30-second log.
F45 can make you fitter while making it strangely difficult to prove that you are getting fitter.
One day you are doing kettlebell rack squats and rowing intervals. The next day it is dumbbell lunges, ski ergs, push presses, and an exercise you may not see again for three weeks. You leave exhausted, but you cannot answer a basic question: Am I actually improving, or am I just surviving different workouts?
The solution is not to record every station. Track a few recurring movement patterns, compare only genuinely comparable efforts, and write down one or two useful results after class. That gives you continuity without turning a 45-minute workout into a data-entry job.
Here is the whole system:
- Choose five movement-family anchors.
- Track only one or two anchors in each class.
- Record the load or output, the interval, and one technique note.
- Compare like with like.
- Review the pattern every four weeks.
You do not need a perfect log. You need a comparable one.
Why F45 progress is hard to see
In a traditional strength program, comparison is straightforward. If you squatted 135 pounds for eight reps last month and can now squat 145 pounds for eight controlled reps, something improved.
F45 changes several variables at once:
- Exercises rotate.
- Work and rest intervals change.
- Equipment changes.
- A station may appear early in one class and after several fatiguing stations in another.
- Cardio, resistance, and hybrid sessions create different kinds of stress.
- Quick transitions make detailed logging impractical.
That does not mean the programming is random or that it cannot produce progress. F45 describes its programming in Base, Build, and Peak phases. The member-level problem is simpler: class difficulty is not a reliable progress metric by itself.
Feeling destroyed could mean you worked harder. It could also mean you slept badly, started at a harder station, used shorter intervals, chose the wrong load, or attended a more conditioning-heavy class.
Progressive overload means gradually making training more demanding. That can mean adding weight, but it can also mean more controlled repetitions, more range of motion, less assistance, or more output in the same interval. Research comparing load and repetition progressions found that both can produce useful adaptations—not every improvement requires a heavier dumbbell. (PeerJ study)
At F45, the practical challenge is preserving enough consistency inside the variety to notice those changes.
Use a five-anchor F45 scorecard
Do not treat every exercise name as a separate progress category. Organize the results you care about into five movement families:
- Squat or lunge
- Hinge
- Upper-body push
- Upper-body pull
- Engine
The first four cover major strength patterns that recur under different names and equipment setups. The engine category covers measurable conditioning work on something repeatable, such as the rower, ski erg, bike, or a shuttle interval.
Core work, carries, jumps, and accessory exercises still count. You simply do not need a permanent score for every variation unless one directly supports your goal.
Your scorecard could begin like this:
Movement family | Current anchor | Latest comparable result | Next target |
Squat or lunge | Dumbbell goblet squat | 20 kg × 11 clean reps in 40 sec | 12 reps at 20 kg |
Hinge | Barbell Romanian deadlift | 50 kg × 10 in 40 sec | 11 controlled reps |
Upper push | Dumbbell flat bench press | 15 kg each × 12 in 45 sec | 16 kg each for 10 |
Upper pull | Assisted chin-up | 7 reps with purple band | 8 reps with same band |
Engine | Rower | 218 meters in 45 sec | 225 meters |
The movement family keeps your notes organized. The specific variation keeps the comparison honest.
A goblet squat and a front-rack kettlebell squat both belong in the squat family, but their numbers are not interchangeable. When the goblet squat returns, look up the previous goblet-squat result—not the heaviest vaguely squat-shaped exercise you have done.
Compare the pattern—not the whole class
This is the most important rule in the system.
A higher number means very little if the test changed. Before calling something progress, check:
- Was it the same exercise variation?
- Was the work interval the same length?
- Did you use the same equipment and units?
- Was the range of motion similar?
- Did you use the same assistance or regression?
- Did the station appear at roughly the same point in class?
- Was the technique at least as good?
You do not need laboratory conditions. You need enough context to avoid fooling yourself.
- Useful comparison: 12 goblet squats with 20 kg in 40 seconds versus 10 reps with 20 kg in 40 seconds.
- Weak comparison: 12 goblet squats today versus 10 barbell front squats last month.
- Useful comparison: 230 meters on the rower in 45 seconds versus 218 meters over the same interval.
- Weak comparison: LionHeart points from a resistance class versus points from a cardio class.
Progress can also show up without a larger number. Count it when you:
- Complete more clean reps with the same load.
- Use more weight for the same number of good reps.
- Need less assistance on a pull-up.
- Improve depth, control, or range of motion.
- Sustain the same machine output at a lower perceived effort.
- Recover faster before the next station.
- Stop needing to modify a movement that previously broke down.
Better technique is not a consolation prize. It is often what makes the next load increase possible.
Use the 30-second post-class log
Detailed station-by-station tracking sounds disciplined until you abandon it after three classes.
A useful F45 log should take about 30 seconds. Immediately after class, record:
- Class name or type
- One or two anchor results
- Work interval
- Effort from 1 to 10
- One technique or recovery note
- The next target
A filled example:
Panthers — Tuesday Goblet squat: 20 kg, 11 clean reps in 40 sec, effort 8/10. Depth stayed good. Rower: 218 m in 45 sec, effort 9/10. Started too fast. Next time: get 12 squat reps; hold a smoother row pace and aim for 222–225 m.
That is enough information to make the next encounter useful. You do not need to remember the full circuit. You need one small piece of evidence that changes what you do next time.
If you prefer a reusable note, copy this Apple Notes workout template. For a broader view of performance, habit, and outcome metrics, see how to track fitness progress.
How to apply progression during class
Tracking only matters if it changes your next decision.
Before class starts, look at the exercise demonstration and choose one or two stations that match your anchors. If a familiar exercise appears, check its last result while the coach explains the workout.
Then choose one specific target:
- One additional rep
- A small load increase
- Less assistance
- Better range of motion
- More consistent pacing
- The same result at a lower effort
Tell the coach if the target would benefit from a quick form check. “I got 11 clean reps with 20 kilograms last time. Can you watch my depth before I try 12?” is far more useful than vaguely asking whether you should go heavier.
During the station, prioritize the target—not the ego boost of grabbing the biggest available weight. If technique deteriorates, the comparison stops being useful.
After class, log the result and move on.
A simple rhythm is:
- Each class: Record one or two anchors.
- Each week: Review one strength target and one conditioning target.
- Every four weeks: Look for trends across all five families.
- When Benchmark or another assessment returns: Use it as a more standardized checkpoint.
Use F45 Benchmark as a checkpoint, not your whole system
F45 already has a useful strength assessment called Benchmark.
F45 describes Benchmark as a 45-minute resistance workout designed to establish a strength baseline and show incremental progress when repeated. Its published format includes the kettlebell rack squat, dumbbell flat bench press, chin-up, barbell Romanian deadlift, push-up, and butterfly sit-up. For the loaded movements, participants have three opportunities to complete ten reps during a 45-second work set. (F45 Benchmark guide)
The F45 Training app also supports recording assessment results such as Benchmark and Playoffs so members can compare performances over time. (F45 Training app)
Use Benchmark when your studio offers it. It gives you a more controlled comparison than an ordinary class and covers several of the movement families in the scorecard.
But it has limits:
- It measures only the exercises in the assessment.
- It does not capture the weeks between tests.
- Its timed format is not the same as an untimed maximum-strength test.
- It cannot explain whether poor sleep, pain, pacing, or technique affected a result.
- Studio schedules and assessment availability can vary.
Benchmark is your periodic exam. The 30-second class log is the coursework that tells you what happened between exams.
Use LionHeart for effort—not as a strength score
LionHeart fills a different role.
According to F45, LionHeart uses heart-rate information to produce a personalized effort score. Reports can include heart-rate zones, summary statistics, points, personal records, and estimated calorie burn. (F45 LionHeart)
That can help answer questions such as:
- Was my effort more controlled in a similar cardio class?
- Did I spend less time near my limit while producing comparable machine output?
- Does my heart rate look unusual during a session that normally feels manageable?
- Am I consistently attending and completing the classes I planned?
It cannot tell you whether your Romanian deadlift got stronger or your squat technique improved.
Heart rate is affected by workout type, heat, hydration, sleep, stress, caffeine, and accumulated fatigue. Compare LionHeart results from similar classes and use them alongside—not instead of—your movement scorecard.
Chasing the highest possible point total in every class can be counterproductive. A resistance session and a cardio session have different purposes. Progress sometimes looks like lifting with more control, not keeping your heart rate elevated for 45 minutes.
Match the system to your actual goal
The five anchors work best when you decide what “progress” means to you.
General fitness
F45 may provide most of the structure you need. Track attendance, one strength result, one conditioning result, and how well you recover. Over time, look for more classes completed, better movement quality, higher repeatable output, or the same work feeling more manageable.
Maximum strength
F45 can support strength, but changing exercises and short work windows limit consistent practice with heavy lifts. Prioritize resistance days and Benchmark. If a specific lift matters to you, a repeatable strength session outside class may make that goal easier to measure—assuming it fits your recovery and schedule.
Muscle gain
Track loads, clean repetitions, and whether the target muscle was actually the limiting factor. F45 resistance sessions can contribute useful training volume, but fast transitions make weekly set volume and proximity to failure difficult to quantify. If progress stalls, more specificity may help more than simply adding another intense class.
Conditioning
Choose one or two machines as anchors. Record distance, calories, or pace only when the interval is comparable. LionHeart can add effort context, but the combination is stronger: external output tells you what you produced; heart rate and perceived effort tell you what it cost.
Fat loss
Do not judge progress by how many calories a wearable says you burned. Track class consistency, strength retention, conditioning, nutrition habits, and longer-term body-weight or measurement trends. Estimated workout calories are too noisy to become the foundation of a nutrition plan.
Training around pain or an injury
Your anchors may need to be technique or tolerance goals rather than heavier-load goals. Record the variation your clinician or physical therapist approved, the symptoms you experienced, and how you felt later that day or the next morning. Do not use an article or a leaderboard to overrule individualized medical guidance.
Where BodyBuddy can help
BodyBuddy does not automatically connect to F45 or capture every station. You still choose what is worth recording.
The useful part is reducing the friction after class. Afterward, text or voice-message BodyBuddy a quick recap:
F45 Panthers: 20 kg goblet squat for 11 clean reps in 40 sec. Rowed 218 m in 45 sec but started too hard. Next targets are 12 reps and a smoother 225 m row.
BodyBuddy can log the workout, organize the details you actually provided, and use that history during later accountability check-ins. Class and circuit workouts are supported, but BodyBuddy should preserve what you reported—not invent missing stations, loads, or repetitions.
That is the modest role: not replacing F45’s programming, coaches, Benchmark, or LionHeart—just helping carry a useful intention from one class into the next. If your studio or coach gives you a repeatable program outside class, BodyBuddy can also turn that workout plan into daily coaching.
Disclosure: This article was written by the creators of BodyBuddy. BodyBuddy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by F45 Training.
The bottom line
You do not need the F45 workout to repeat exactly before you can make measurable progress.
You need a thin thread of continuity:
- Five movement families
- One or two tracked results per class
- Honest like-for-like comparisons
- A specific target for next time
- Periodic Benchmark or other standardized assessments
The workouts can keep changing. Your measurement system should not.
Start with one anchor at your next class. Record the load, reps, interval, and next target. Thirty seconds is enough to turn “I think I’m getting fitter” into evidence you can actually use.
Frequently asked questions
Can you progressively overload at F45?
Yes, but progression is easier to see when you track recurring exercise variations and comparable intervals. Add reps, load, range of motion, control, or machine output gradually instead of expecting every class to provide a perfect comparison.
Should I record every F45 station?
No. Track one or two stations per class and organize them under five movement families. Logging everything creates more administration without necessarily creating better decisions.
Is LionHeart enough to track progress?
LionHeart is useful for cardiovascular effort, class reports, and consistency. It does not replace exercise-specific strength, technique, or machine-output records.
How often should I review my results?
Make a quick note after each class, review one or two targets weekly, and assess the wider trend about every four weeks. Use Benchmark and other standardized F45 assessments whenever they are available.
Do I need extra workouts outside F45?
Not necessarily. F45 may be sufficient for general fitness and consistency. More specific goals—especially maximum strength, muscle gain, or sport performance—may benefit from additional repeatable training.
Put this into practice
Choose a useful next step
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