We road test six of the most popular high intensity workout classes at a studio near you! While working out at home gained popularity last year when most of the gyms were shut, many of us are itching to get back out there and try something new. There are heaps of different workout styles and classes emerging and it can get pretty confusing trying to work out what is the best one for you. To make this easier we give you the intel about the different classes that are popping up all over the place. Most offer a trial period, so our advice is to check some out in your local area, give it a go and see which ones you like best! Remember if you are looking for results - always combine any workout with a great diet and nutrition – think protein, carbs, fruits, and vegetables. If you want to go that extra mile and but ensuring you’re hitting your nutritional milestones try Optimum Nutrition - AMINO ENERGY, GHOST - AMINO V2, Bpi Sports - BEST BCAA and Max's - INTRABOOST ADVANCE

• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has taken the world by a storm over the past few years and is still gaining in popularity. In our time poor society, the HIIT workout format offers high intensity interval training group fitness classes that last 30 to 45 minutes per session. They are usually scheduled in a rolling way so there are heaps of classes offered at peak times, so it’s a fantastic way to fit strength and cardio training into your day at a time that suits you. And with new studios popping up all over the place there is bound to be one close by.
• F45 (The F stands for functional training) is a mix of circuit and HIIT style workouts completed in a 45-minute session. F45 started in Australia and has become hugely popular here and around the world. The format is pretty simple - every F45 studio in the world runs the exact same 45-minute class each day, which incorporates functional movements designed to target fat loss and help build and maintain lean muscle mass. Workouts alternate between HIIT-style cardio, strength training, or a hybrid of the two.
• Primal Training focuses on primal actions emulating movements from the animal kingdom and is gaining popularity in Australia and around the world. Primal movement is based on the seven fundamental movements that develop in utero and continue through infancy: Twist, Push, Pull, Bend, Squat, Lunge, and Gait (walk). Studios are opening up offering group formats that are based on the above seven movements and incorporated into exercise classes. Primal training enthusiasts say that basing exercise on the seven forms humans have been using for thousands of years is the most natural way to get back to our optimal primal status!
• CrossFit is one of the originals. It first came to popularity in the early 2000s as a training program that builds strength and conditioning through varied and challenging group workouts that test a different part of your functional strength or conditioning. CrossFit has one workout each day for everyone that is completely scalable based on your skill and fitness – so whether you’re a hard-core gym junkie or a first timer, you will be doing the same base exercises and build from that. If you find a bit of healthy competition motivating, you can compete with people in your class, and go online to see how you match against the world’s elite CrossFit athletes. There is even an international competition for the truly dedicated.
• KX Pilates studios are springing up all over the place and for good reason. KX is a combination of traditional Pilates with the strengthening and toning aspects of circuit training. KX Pilates was born from the ‘Kaizen’ philosophy: where continuous improvements reap rewards. KX is a fast-paced class where each participant uses a spring resistance apparatus called a Reformer Bed.  Classes go for 50 minutes and promise to make you sweat as well as make you more resistant to injury, correct weaknesses and enhance core strength and postural alignment.
• Rise Nation started in Los Angeles and is growing in popularity across the world including in Australia. Rise Nation is a bit like a spin class, but instead of a bike you’re on a fitness climbing machine. This class is choreographed to higher tempo music (often classes having their own in-house live DJs and lighting), features a wide variety of moves, and focuses on utilising the beat of the music to motivate you through your climb. The founders say climbing utilises the body’s upright biomechanics, promoting healthy spinal alignment, a balanced physique, and neuromuscular coordination. Each workout lasts 30 minutes and offers high intensity workouts with ‘zero-impact’.

If you are looking to get out there and join a new exercise class, always remember to check in with your doc first if you have any injuries. If you really want to see results always combine any exercise routine with a healthy diet and proper nutrition. We have some great products to help you in whichever exercise path you choose to follow like Dymatize - ISO 100, Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey, Muscle Pharm - COMBAT 100% WHEY, and GHOST - WHEY.