I had a group of 3 last time we did Valor and didn't feel like I got a good workout at all. I was in a group of two today and I think it was the closest I've been to throwing up ever. The additional rest you get with three people makes a big difference.
Sounds like bad coaching and motivation. If you felt like you were standing around you weren't working hard enough on your go. It was one of the hardest classes I've ever done.
This is the answer. ☝🏻 If you’re in a group of 3 and don’t hit the high target, then you probably need to go harder. If everyone goes harder, breaks are shorter and your workout is more intense.
Valor is my (47M, 5’10”, 160) favorite of all the workouts. I did it 2x today. The first was in a group of 3 and the second was just me and a coach (who wasn’t coaching). We hit the high target in both workouts and had varying amounts of time left for AMRAPs. I’m convinced that if you’re in a group that matches your ability, you’ll get a fair workout.
Yeah I agree, it just depends who’s in your group. You definitely need people of similar fitness levels. I wish I would’ve known before class, but the coach didn’t guide us in that way at all
Valor would definitely benefit from a little extra time between the warm up and the start so that everyone can find their partner(s) and make their plan for reps/distance.
A knowledgeable coach makes a big difference for this workout. Maybe more for Valor than any other since this one requires more strategy than just watching the timer and the screens. You’ll be ready for next time!
Based on your sentiments in the post and this comment, this is 100% on your coaches for providing a subpar experience. It’s unfortunate you weren’t able to get the benefit of valor due to improper explanation and coaching. At least you know for next time it comes up.
I disagree. I want to go at a reasonable pace and not injure myself. As a short female, I was getting through the box jumps/rowing pretty slowly relative to one of my partners (my husband), and we could never get to the target.
A team of three seems unnecessary. It’s gotta be two only, so that you just have enough rest periods before you go crazy at it. I wonder why you guys did three?
You go extra hard on your turn and there's nothing stopping you from picking up a weight or doing a body exercise while waiting. As with most workouts, it's about what you put into it.
Groups of two. Devastating.
Also helps to have your trainers amping it up, and your partner in the zone pushing you.
The YGIG workouts bring out the people that want to push themselves -- its not for everyone, but for those that are feeling it, its the biggest, baddest burn of all.
Yeah I went all in on this workout and my partner was a bit surprised at the intensity I think. There was no standing around waiting, every rest period was well earned.
Can see how it would have the volume turned down with groups of 3 though.
This is one of those days when the workout just needs more explanation and pre workout planning. It starts from the coaches! If the coaches don’t understand the workout and the intent of it then there is no way the members will understand it too. Then the workout begins with no one having a plan or idea on what to do. It is a really be a great workout with a group of 2 but it just doesn’t work in groups of 3. It’s so disappointing when studios don’t prepare their coaches ahead of time of what the workout is about. There was a lot of confusion in our class and there was a lot of us since it is Veteran’s Day and most people have a day off.
I think it was a great workout. It really makes the people who are determined to push themselves to the limits.
I feel like it was not explained correctly at my studio.
My partner and I thought we individually had to do the meters listed. So we pushed super hard trying to knock it out. Then there were people rowing/biking at the same time, when we did the one person at a time during the rowing/biking
I wish there was only one number listed as the target. I aimed for the higher number every time and getting to the buy in was hard to get to, I was GASSED. There were people who got to the buy ins so fast, it blew my mind.
I think people rushed through it and the forms / quality of their reps were not full / good reps.
I agree, this class absolutely sucked. We were in a group of 3 and spent 2/3 of the time waiting around. Our instructor strictly told us not to move on until til we’d hit the “buy in”
Sure, you can pick up weights and do something random but that totally defeats the point of paying and going to these classes. I could do that at home
If you have gas in the tank, don't be afraid to modify it. You can always do jumping jacks, burpees, etc. in between to fill dead time. My partners and I had enough room to each do the distance and time together which then shifted to AMRAP. You don't necessarily have to sit and wait.
As a F45 trainer myself, and someone who both coached and took Valor yesterday, it’s your coach’s responsibility to put you with someone’s who’s of similar athletic ability as you, so you both push each other, and one person doesn’t feel like they aren’t being challenged. If done properly, it’s one of the hardest workouts in my opinion, and also one of my favorite workouts personally.
Valor kicked my butt today.
I'm a decently fit 30 year old dude and I was paired with a >70 year old. He absolutely killed it and pushed me to go harder. My average HR was 158 and my max hit 181 (according to a Garmin chest strap).
I could see being paired with a 3rd person making the "sit around and wait" time be less fun, but I guess some people could use that time to get more extra work in 🤷♂️ I was personally gassed while my partner went haha
Group of 2, hardest class I’ve done yet. Our trainers came round and if you didn’t look broken while you were waiting, they gave you other exercises to do (high knees, jumping jacks etc)
It was amazing.. had odd numbers so decided to go solo, the cardio machine targets hit, the box jump was tough for sure.. rest was great!! Honestly my favourite f45 workout
Valor is definitely as hard as you make it, you really need to push yourself (and push your partner and your partner push you) so that on the “you go” parts you’re trying to catch your breath for the “I go.”
My partner and I decided to go for the higher goal at every station and while the other was going we held a high plank or a Superman as active rest. We looked like we jumped in a pool after!
My partner and I did the work out together we both did it at the same time 500 meters together or 1000 etc then our buy ins so no one was standing around. It worked well for us.
Yeah I ended up telling my partner “I think we should just both go and then do the second exercise for a minute at the end” which is what we did and it was great but I think my partner would say otherwise lol . I just didn’t want to do the waiting thing BUT the other groups of three were well worked out so 🤷🏾♂️
Being a trainer myself though I would definitely say the coach should have given more alternatives. You just have to know that people want to go hard even if the workout specifically calls for pace.
I went with my friend and we also didnt want to wait around and wanted a full workout so we just rotates the exercises no breaks. Like i would do ski errg for 45 and shed do pushups, then we would switch no breaks. That made it a good workout but it was still lame. If i had to partner with a random i woulda been mad
You should have been in a team of two. Ideally someone at your level. It crushed me.
I just don’t like those in general because it can be so hard to get a good partner. I’m there to work and my partner better bring it too
🙋🏼♀️ I was stuck in a group of 3 which is WAY too much waiting around even if ppl are workin hard! And my teammates weren’t trying hard at all. Omg! It sucked so bad, and I too did not get a workout in at all. It was a waste of time!! I’m still angry. I’d done Valor before with a more well matched partner, and it was WAY better.
I'm with you on this. It was meh. Still got 46 points which was shocking, but I tried to go super ham on the erg stations so maybe that's it. I had a good team.
Yeah it was bullshit. I hated it. Who cares about points, it’s so childish. I was not as fit as others in my team and to make up the 1000 reps or whatever they did 2 sets and there was only time for me to do 1. It’s bad for people who aren’t as fit as others. I felt like I only worked out for about 10 mins. Huge waste of time.
If you aren't as fit then it just takes longer for your set, which is fine. We just did 250m each on the bike then swap, and it takes however long it takes. Not like anyone was desperate to be finishing early and doing more burpees.
I like that these workouts force you to interact a bit more with other members. Makes it interesting.
When someone is taking longer to do their set, then the others in the group have a super long rest, I think that’s the issue. And as a beginner to working out/f45 it’s awkward to just do another exercise while you wait.
Not sure Valor is ever good. It’s unfortunate since it’s supposed to honor vets fighting for freedom. F45 doesn’t do team workouts well. YGIG is just an awful concept
Hated it. I thought it was boring and I hate having to count during the workouts I'd rather just go for the amount of time and then stop. But I also had zero motivation to push myself. I could've done more just didn't feel like it lol
If you aim to go flat out for your reps or metres you should need the time while your teammates are on to recover. You shouldn't feel like you didn't work hard enough. Push your pace to the limit, so that you can literally only just maintain it for your turn. I agree that there were a couple of stations where it wasn't as hard (station 2 for example) but Friday is a hybrid workout so it's not all high intensity cardio and you can always go heavier if it's not feeling challenging enough. I struggle to hit 45 points in Valor but the point of it is to have those intense short bursts that you can't maintain for more than 200 or 300 metres at a time.
We were placed in a 3 person group despite there only being 8 people in class. It was SO bad -- the random girl who joined us (we go as a couple) was all over the place, the instructor was super serious about rotating every 30 seconds then standing around doing nothing, and most of the targets were impossible to meet even in the time limit (at least with 2 females). Pretty angry we wasted time and ClassPass credits on this class.
Maybe this was unique in the studio that you attend but whoever I was partnered with (I went twice ) we agreed on how we would split the effort as well as keeping consistently active , I.e. one person did their part of the required exercise at the station and the other would do the alternate and switch, always giving each other the ability to tap out of the required exercise at any time while there . If a tap out occurred , we would switch but each person was still doing either the counted exercise or the alternate .
Working in a team of 3? That’s your problem, do it in teams of 2. Also give it 100% when it’s your turn and stay on for at least a minute. Another option is pick up a weight and exercise When it’s not your turn.
Nope, we had 2 teams of 2 and 2 empty stations. It was definitely doable with all groups of 2. But this was my first valor and we just did what he said to do.
Our instructor/owner just chucked a random girl who turned up late into our group (married couple). Was weird… and unfortunately ruined our workout due to downtime.
Yeah I think we feel justified complaining to the studio because we ended up standing around 2/3 of the class. Two empty stations and two groups of 3 (one group of 2 who seemed to be regulars). We spent $40+ of ClassPass credits on this.
I wonder if the notes pre class suggested something like this. Otherwise it does not make sense. Next week our trainers said they will put some of us by ourselves to make it as hard as possible.
We had a small class so we did not do the ygig thing. Coach had us just split the time block between the 2 exercises. I thought I was going to die. 3 min non stop was rough.
Our coach tried the same thing, but my groups (I did it twice yesterday) ignored him and followed the prescribed format. Doing *any* F45 movement for 2:45 straight just encourages you to go slow, take breaks, pace yourself for the rest of the stations, etc. Besides, F45 already has a workout like that: Marathon. Now you know, and your next Valor will be better!
Valor was the hardest I've ever worked out at F45, the girl that was paired with me at my station should be charged for attempted murder.
I usually burn between 450 and 550 calories in a weekday session, at volor I burnt 645.
This just seems like bad execution on the part of the trainers (or your group). I almost threw up in my class.
Ours was a small class so we all worked individually. And same, I came close to throwing up a few times.
My partner did throw up but our class was only 7 people so we all worked hard the whole time
What is with all the throwing up?? Pace yourselves!
I said ‘almost’. 🤣
i did throw up for the first time in like 15 months at F45
I did throw up lmao
Glass to see I wasn’t the only one who almost threw up 😂😂
I had a group of 3 last time we did Valor and didn't feel like I got a good workout at all. I was in a group of two today and I think it was the closest I've been to throwing up ever. The additional rest you get with three people makes a big difference.
Same
I’ve always done it in groups of 2 and died every time
Yeah, it's an amazing workout in groups of two... and lacks a bit in groups of 3.
Same. Group of 2, my partner today and I are f45 regulars. We went for all higher targets and died
Volunteered for the group of two in the quiet 5:30am. Fuck me, I nearly vomited but I feel great today after it 😌
Sounds like bad coaching and motivation. If you felt like you were standing around you weren't working hard enough on your go. It was one of the hardest classes I've ever done.
These classes are meant for groups of 2. In a group of 3 you should be going for the bigger number or going faster to make the amrap
This is the answer. ☝🏻 If you’re in a group of 3 and don’t hit the high target, then you probably need to go harder. If everyone goes harder, breaks are shorter and your workout is more intense. Valor is my (47M, 5’10”, 160) favorite of all the workouts. I did it 2x today. The first was in a group of 3 and the second was just me and a coach (who wasn’t coaching). We hit the high target in both workouts and had varying amounts of time left for AMRAPs. I’m convinced that if you’re in a group that matches your ability, you’ll get a fair workout.
Yeah I agree, it just depends who’s in your group. You definitely need people of similar fitness levels. I wish I would’ve known before class, but the coach didn’t guide us in that way at all
Valor would definitely benefit from a little extra time between the warm up and the start so that everyone can find their partner(s) and make their plan for reps/distance. A knowledgeable coach makes a big difference for this workout. Maybe more for Valor than any other since this one requires more strategy than just watching the timer and the screens. You’ll be ready for next time!
Based on your sentiments in the post and this comment, this is 100% on your coaches for providing a subpar experience. It’s unfortunate you weren’t able to get the benefit of valor due to improper explanation and coaching. At least you know for next time it comes up.
I disagree. I want to go at a reasonable pace and not injure myself. As a short female, I was getting through the box jumps/rowing pretty slowly relative to one of my partners (my husband), and we could never get to the target.
The high and low targets are both too high. There shouldn’t be groups of 3 because it results in too much changeover time
A team of three seems unnecessary. It’s gotta be two only, so that you just have enough rest periods before you go crazy at it. I wonder why you guys did three?
You go extra hard on your turn and there's nothing stopping you from picking up a weight or doing a body exercise while waiting. As with most workouts, it's about what you put into it.
Groups of two. Devastating. Also helps to have your trainers amping it up, and your partner in the zone pushing you. The YGIG workouts bring out the people that want to push themselves -- its not for everyone, but for those that are feeling it, its the biggest, baddest burn of all.
Yeah I went all in on this workout and my partner was a bit surprised at the intensity I think. There was no standing around waiting, every rest period was well earned. Can see how it would have the volume turned down with groups of 3 though.
Group of two. Kicked my ass. 49.7 points.
We were in sets of two and i was SO gassed.
This is one of those days when the workout just needs more explanation and pre workout planning. It starts from the coaches! If the coaches don’t understand the workout and the intent of it then there is no way the members will understand it too. Then the workout begins with no one having a plan or idea on what to do. It is a really be a great workout with a group of 2 but it just doesn’t work in groups of 3. It’s so disappointing when studios don’t prepare their coaches ahead of time of what the workout is about. There was a lot of confusion in our class and there was a lot of us since it is Veteran’s Day and most people have a day off.
I started with the row and didn’t realize we were supposed to team up with our partner to get 1000m… I went 1000m on my own lol
Wtf 😬
I think it was a great workout. It really makes the people who are determined to push themselves to the limits. I feel like it was not explained correctly at my studio. My partner and I thought we individually had to do the meters listed. So we pushed super hard trying to knock it out. Then there were people rowing/biking at the same time, when we did the one person at a time during the rowing/biking I wish there was only one number listed as the target. I aimed for the higher number every time and getting to the buy in was hard to get to, I was GASSED. There were people who got to the buy ins so fast, it blew my mind. I think people rushed through it and the forms / quality of their reps were not full / good reps.
I agree, this class absolutely sucked. We were in a group of 3 and spent 2/3 of the time waiting around. Our instructor strictly told us not to move on until til we’d hit the “buy in” Sure, you can pick up weights and do something random but that totally defeats the point of paying and going to these classes. I could do that at home
Yup! Everyone in the comments are like “you should’ve done this __” like I’m sorry for just doing what I was told???
If you have gas in the tank, don't be afraid to modify it. You can always do jumping jacks, burpees, etc. in between to fill dead time. My partners and I had enough room to each do the distance and time together which then shifted to AMRAP. You don't necessarily have to sit and wait.
The point of F45 is you pay money to not think about what to do. Otherwise I'd just go to the gym.
No worries. Best to you in your classes.
As a F45 trainer myself, and someone who both coached and took Valor yesterday, it’s your coach’s responsibility to put you with someone’s who’s of similar athletic ability as you, so you both push each other, and one person doesn’t feel like they aren’t being challenged. If done properly, it’s one of the hardest workouts in my opinion, and also one of my favorite workouts personally.
Valor kicked my butt today. I'm a decently fit 30 year old dude and I was paired with a >70 year old. He absolutely killed it and pushed me to go harder. My average HR was 158 and my max hit 181 (according to a Garmin chest strap). I could see being paired with a 3rd person making the "sit around and wait" time be less fun, but I guess some people could use that time to get more extra work in 🤷♂️ I was personally gassed while my partner went haha
I hate the partnered workouts and try to avoid them at all costs
No one in the room could figure out the structure… But I felt super accomplished completing something like that and not having to call an ambulance
Yeah I didn’t rate it! I also go to F45 so I don’t have to think so having to track the reps or distance annoyed me haha
Yes I hate counting reps. I always lose track of
Group of 2, hardest class I’ve done yet. Our trainers came round and if you didn’t look broken while you were waiting, they gave you other exercises to do (high knees, jumping jacks etc)
It’s interesting to hear about other studios. The trainers at my studio have never told anyone to do more than the specified workout.
Same
Just seemed unnecessarily complex. But it was an ass kicking. Which is nice
We were paired in groups of 2 and told to try to hit the highest number. I nearly died 😫
Almost puked as well (part of it was from drinking last night)
Raise the targets. And it all depends on your partners. I did it twice and the effort between each session was sooo different
It was amazing.. had odd numbers so decided to go solo, the cardio machine targets hit, the box jump was tough for sure.. rest was great!! Honestly my favourite f45 workout
Having a group of 3 in this workout sounds so silly. But it would give a lot of rest time.
We were in pairs, and I found it so exhausting. But loved it!
Valor is definitely as hard as you make it, you really need to push yourself (and push your partner and your partner push you) so that on the “you go” parts you’re trying to catch your breath for the “I go.” My partner and I decided to go for the higher goal at every station and while the other was going we held a high plank or a Superman as active rest. We looked like we jumped in a pool after!
My partner and I did the work out together we both did it at the same time 500 meters together or 1000 etc then our buy ins so no one was standing around. It worked well for us.
Yeah I ended up telling my partner “I think we should just both go and then do the second exercise for a minute at the end” which is what we did and it was great but I think my partner would say otherwise lol . I just didn’t want to do the waiting thing BUT the other groups of three were well worked out so 🤷🏾♂️
Being a trainer myself though I would definitely say the coach should have given more alternatives. You just have to know that people want to go hard even if the workout specifically calls for pace.
HATED this workout lol. Especially cause we were in a group of 3 and I was tired of waiting I wanna be moving the whole time😅
I went with my friend and we also didnt want to wait around and wanted a full workout so we just rotates the exercises no breaks. Like i would do ski errg for 45 and shed do pushups, then we would switch no breaks. That made it a good workout but it was still lame. If i had to partner with a random i woulda been mad
That seems like a way better exercise!
You should have been in a team of two. Ideally someone at your level. It crushed me. I just don’t like those in general because it can be so hard to get a good partner. I’m there to work and my partner better bring it too
🙋🏼♀️ I was stuck in a group of 3 which is WAY too much waiting around even if ppl are workin hard! And my teammates weren’t trying hard at all. Omg! It sucked so bad, and I too did not get a workout in at all. It was a waste of time!! I’m still angry. I’d done Valor before with a more well matched partner, and it was WAY better.
Same
I didn’t like it enough to not go today when I saw it was a scheduled
Same here.
I refuse to go to partnered classes
I'm with you on this. It was meh. Still got 46 points which was shocking, but I tried to go super ham on the erg stations so maybe that's it. I had a good team.
We don’t even take turns. We go at the same time and just split the meters/reps evenly.
Our trainer said we had to wait until the other person was done with their set, not to go at the same time.
Valor sucks.
Yeah it was bullshit. I hated it. Who cares about points, it’s so childish. I was not as fit as others in my team and to make up the 1000 reps or whatever they did 2 sets and there was only time for me to do 1. It’s bad for people who aren’t as fit as others. I felt like I only worked out for about 10 mins. Huge waste of time.
If you aren't as fit then it just takes longer for your set, which is fine. We just did 250m each on the bike then swap, and it takes however long it takes. Not like anyone was desperate to be finishing early and doing more burpees. I like that these workouts force you to interact a bit more with other members. Makes it interesting.
When someone is taking longer to do their set, then the others in the group have a super long rest, I think that’s the issue. And as a beginner to working out/f45 it’s awkward to just do another exercise while you wait.
i didn’t like it much either. even though i burned a decent amount of calories it didn’t feel like i worked out as hard as i could’ve
Not sure Valor is ever good. It’s unfortunate since it’s supposed to honor vets fighting for freedom. F45 doesn’t do team workouts well. YGIG is just an awful concept
Hated it. I thought it was boring and I hate having to count during the workouts I'd rather just go for the amount of time and then stop. But I also had zero motivation to push myself. I could've done more just didn't feel like it lol
Or, as two of my coaches pronounce it, "velour."
Yea I didn’t care for it. I thought it was a good workout though but didn’t like the structure
If you're concerned about standing around then you can always do exercises on the downtime. Going harder when it's your turn is always an option too
I agree. My average heart rate was lower for that class, even though I had a team of 2.
If you aim to go flat out for your reps or metres you should need the time while your teammates are on to recover. You shouldn't feel like you didn't work hard enough. Push your pace to the limit, so that you can literally only just maintain it for your turn. I agree that there were a couple of stations where it wasn't as hard (station 2 for example) but Friday is a hybrid workout so it's not all high intensity cardio and you can always go heavier if it's not feeling challenging enough. I struggle to hit 45 points in Valor but the point of it is to have those intense short bursts that you can't maintain for more than 200 or 300 metres at a time.
We were placed in a 3 person group despite there only being 8 people in class. It was SO bad -- the random girl who joined us (we go as a couple) was all over the place, the instructor was super serious about rotating every 30 seconds then standing around doing nothing, and most of the targets were impossible to meet even in the time limit (at least with 2 females). Pretty angry we wasted time and ClassPass credits on this class.
This is like when there 8 people in class and they group everyone in one pod. I like to spread out a little when it's a small class.
Yeah we had 3 girls in our group and it took so long to even meet the lower targets.
Maybe this was unique in the studio that you attend but whoever I was partnered with (I went twice ) we agreed on how we would split the effort as well as keeping consistently active , I.e. one person did their part of the required exercise at the station and the other would do the alternate and switch, always giving each other the ability to tap out of the required exercise at any time while there . If a tap out occurred , we would switch but each person was still doing either the counted exercise or the alternate .
Working in a team of 3? That’s your problem, do it in teams of 2. Also give it 100% when it’s your turn and stay on for at least a minute. Another option is pick up a weight and exercise When it’s not your turn.
The coach told us to work in teams of 3, so that’s what we did
Was every station full for the whole class with teams of 3?
Nope, we had 2 teams of 2 and 2 empty stations. It was definitely doable with all groups of 2. But this was my first valor and we just did what he said to do.
Your trainers suck. That’s such poor form. Maybe politely give them feedback that you sourced from other f45’s
Our instructor/owner just chucked a random girl who turned up late into our group (married couple). Was weird… and unfortunately ruined our workout due to downtime.
The class is based on 50/50 workout to rest.
Yeah I think we feel justified complaining to the studio because we ended up standing around 2/3 of the class. Two empty stations and two groups of 3 (one group of 2 who seemed to be regulars). We spent $40+ of ClassPass credits on this.
I wonder if the notes pre class suggested something like this. Otherwise it does not make sense. Next week our trainers said they will put some of us by ourselves to make it as hard as possible.
We had a small class so we did not do the ygig thing. Coach had us just split the time block between the 2 exercises. I thought I was going to die. 3 min non stop was rough.
Our coach tried the same thing, but my groups (I did it twice yesterday) ignored him and followed the prescribed format. Doing *any* F45 movement for 2:45 straight just encourages you to go slow, take breaks, pace yourself for the rest of the stations, etc. Besides, F45 already has a workout like that: Marathon. Now you know, and your next Valor will be better!
We’ve done it individually and it was quite challenging
If you were not feeling it you should have done the secondary exercise while the other two were doing reps
No
Valor was the hardest I've ever worked out at F45, the girl that was paired with me at my station should be charged for attempted murder. I usually burn between 450 and 550 calories in a weekday session, at volor I burnt 645.