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HCM people: David BeckhamGlobal partner, F45
This partnership with F45 is an exciting business venture for me
You were named a new global partner by F45 Training on 11 August. What’s the thinking behind this move?
I’ve been a fan of the model since being introduced by my friend, Mark Wahlberg, [who’s been an investor in the F45 franchise business since 2019].
Health and fitness have always been a big part of my life and since my days playing football, I’ve always found I’m at my best when training as part of a team.
We understand you trained at a London F45 studio and were impressed by the workouts and results. Is this what drew you to F45?
When I first went into an F45 gym there was a 17-year-old on one side and a 61-year-old on the other side and they were both doing the exact same workout as everyone else.
Everyone was enjoying it, everyone was smiling and everyone was laughing – there’s something about that which just motivates you.
What impact has F45 had on your life personally?
I feel in the best shape that I’ve been in since I retired from playing professional football, and that’s through training at at F45.
What else attracted you to the company?
F45 is all about being inclusive rather than exclusive. I’ve been engaged with and impressed by the accessibility and inclusivity of the workouts – they enable people of all levels to join the F45 community and achieve their fitness goals.
[F45 utilises proprietary technologies – a fitness programming algorithm and a patented delivery platform.
This tech draws on a content database of 3,900 functional training movements to offer new workouts each day, creating variety in the programmes on offer, while also providing quality control and a standardised experience across all F45 locations globally. See page 20 for more details.]
Tell us about your new role
This partnership with F45 is an exciting business venture for me [F45 has sold more than 2,800 franchises in 63 countries] and I’m looking forward to the journey with the business as it continues to expand globally.
[As part of this global partnership with F45, David Beckham will be involved with the brand marketing, championing the adoption of F45 globally and supporting the company’s expansion, while helping communicate the benefits of its unique workouts and fitness philosophy.]
F45 classes use a range of functional equipment to deliver classes within relatively small spaces. The equipment varies depending on the session.
Examples include: mats, resistance bands, benches, bosu balance trainers, exercise balls, kettlebells, dumbbells, medicine balls, sand bags, battle ropes, weights, barbells, exercise bikes, indoor rowers and sleds.
Heart rate monitoring is delivered using F45’s proprietary wireless heart rate monitor, LionHeart.
45-minute group workout classes are the main offering. Each is led by two instructors who offer correctional support and modifications.
The company says this is based on a holistic approach and encompasses fitness, nutrition and lifestyle.
The programme runs for 45 days and offers training and nutritional coaching through an app, including meal plans and calorie tracking. There’s also a meal delivery option.
The aim is ‘rapid physical transformation’, with cash prizes given to male and female participants based on their results. Before and after photos showcase members’ progress and social media shares of these images has been a part of F45’s marketing and engagement.
Prodigy is designed to provide adolescents (11 - 17) with strength, mobility and increased wellbeing.
Group-based classes cater for kids of different fitness levels and capabilities and through teaching functional movements, the programme aims to improve motor skills to develop coordination, balance and strength, while promoting bone density and the development of muscle.
• F45 Founded in Epping Australia by Rob Deutsch
• First F45 studio launches in Sydney
• Franchise expert Adam Gilchrist joins the company
• Gilchrist and Deutsch sell their first F45 franchise
• F45 franchises are rolled out in 15 locations in Sydney
• First franchises sold in New Zealand, the US and India
• F45 enters the UK market, selling 50 franchises
• In an exclusive interview with HCM magazine Rob Deutsch says his vision is for F45 to be the ‘largest fitness brand in the world’. www.HCMmag.com/deutsch
• Studios open in Finland, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany
• The company grows its US presence and connection with youth markets through a partnership with US colleges
• Openings in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya and Mauritius
• F45 signs a partnership deal with Everyone Active, which will see an F45-branded studio open at the Little Venice Sports Centre in Maida Vale, London
• The Mark Wahlberg Investment Group and FOD Capital buy a minority stake, valuing the company at US$450 million
• February – James Haskell launches F45 franchise
• F45 launches Prodigy, a training programme for teenagers
• January – F45 is rumoured to be heading for an IPO.
• March – A five-year partnership is signed with Mindbody
• June – F45 says it will list on the NASDAQ for a valuation of US$845m after securing a deal with Crescent Acquisition Corporation. IPO is abandoned due to COVID-19
• June – Founder Rob Deutsch leaves the business
• July – Gympass partners with F45
• September – Body Fit Training and F45 begin legal proceedings against each other as part of an ongoing global dispute over the use of technology
• 15 July – F45 does an IPO for US$300m on the New York Stock Exchange, valuing the business at US$1.4bn on float day. Adam Gilchrist’s shares are valued at US$371
• 12 August – David Beckham is revealed as a new global ambassador for F45
