F45 Training Ellerslie is a functional group fitness studio on Findlay Street in Ellerslie, Auckland — 'more than just a gym,' in the team's own words, and closer to a total wellness solution for every body. Sessions are built on a library of more than 5,000 dynamic, energy-packed movements and over 80 workouts, spanning cardio, resistance, hybrid and recovery styles, with specialist programmes like F45 Training | HYROX, PEAK500 and LIONHEART in the mix.
The format is functional group fitness with the effectiveness and attention of a certified personal trainer: you train as a team, guided by coaches who plan the session, walk you through it and check your technique along the way. The studio's philosophy keeps the focus on effort over aesthetics — it's not about mirrors, mood lights or followers, but about what you did with your time and who encouraged you along the way. The wider F45 brand has been rated the #1 Gym by Men's Journal in the US and by Canstar Blue in Australia.
Since its foundation members joined in 2020, the Ellerslie studio has built a reputation for its welcoming community. Members describe friendly, energetic trainers, an environment where complete beginners feel at ease, and success stories ranging from weight loss and body transformations to members in their sixties training through serious health challenges.
New to F45? The studio runs a 7 Days for $14 trial, classes can be booked through the class schedule and the F45 Training app (which also serves up healthy recipes), and the team — studio manager Jaxson Macfarlane alongside trainers Blake Schimanski, Brandon Tuala and Kat McCormack — can be reached on 027 8 345 345 or at ellerslie@f45training.co.nz.
F45 Training Ellerslie sits on Findlay Street in the heart of Ellerslie, one of Auckland's most convenient inner suburbs. It is part of the F45 Training network, a global brand built around functional group fitness classes, reimagined — and the Ellerslie studio has been putting that philosophy into practice since its foundation members walked through the door in 2020.
The idea behind F45 is simple but effective: functional group fitness, with the effectiveness and attention of a certified personal trainer. Instead of wandering a gym floor wondering what to do next, members turn up, join a team, and are guided through a planned workout by trainers who coach, correct and encourage from the first warm-up to the last rep. As the studio puts it, F45 Ellerslie is more than just a gym — it positions itself as the total wellness solution for every body.
Variety is the engine of the F45 model. The brand draws on more than 5,000 dynamic, energy-packed movements across a library of over 80 workouts, organised into four broad styles: cardio, resistance, hybrid and recovery. Cardio sessions get the heart rate up; resistance classes build strength through functional movement; hybrid sessions blend the two; and recovery workouts give the body a lower-intensity way to rebuild. Beyond the weekly mix, F45 also runs specialist programmes including F45 Training | HYROX, PEAK500 and LIONHEART, plus the F45 Challenge for members who want a structured goal to train towards.
No two classes feel the same — a point members make again and again. One Ellerslie member puts it plainly: 'Every class is different,' with everything planned out in advance and each routine walked through before the session begins. All you have to do, they say, is show up.
The studio is run by a dedicated coaching team: Jaxson Macfarlane as studio manager, with trainers Blake Schimanski, Brandon Tuala and Kat McCormack leading classes. F45 describes its trainers as being in a league of their own — delivering the expert guidance and unconditional support of a one-on-one personal trainer, but in a group setting where the energy of the room does part of the work.
Members consistently single out the coaching and atmosphere. Reviews describe friendly, energetic trainers who check that every movement is being done correctly, a 'super welcoming' environment, and an owners-and-trainers group that 'really do care about your goals.' One foundation member, there since the studio opened, credits the team with helping them achieve many personal goals; another, who admitted to feeling intimidated before her first visit, calls joining the best thing she has ever done.
The studio's success stories give a sense of the range of people who train here. There is the 61-year-old building stamina and endurance to combat multiple sclerosis, who says she is in the best shape of her life. There is the member who has lost 187 lbs since their first workout in 2021, and another who lost 13 lbs of fat while gaining 4 lbs of muscle. There are stories of mental and physical health improving after three years and 500+ classes — and one member who says it was the friendships formed at F45 that got them through cancer treatment.
It's not about mirrors, mood lights or followers, the studio says. It's about what you did with your time, how you feel when you're finished, and who encouraged you along the way.
Newcomers can get a proper taste of the studio through the 7 Days for $14 trial — a full week of classes at a modest price. Book a class via the studio's class schedule, or start with the New to F45 page. Once you're in, the F45 Training app becomes the hub: members use it to book sessions and browse healthy recipes.
F45 Training Ellerslie is at 6 Findlay Street, Ellerslie, Auckland 1051. You can call or text 027 8 345 345, email ellerslie@f45training.co.nz, or follow the studio's community in action on Instagram. Whether you are a lifelong athlete or someone who has never set foot in a group class, the message is the same one a 49-year-old member left in her review: 'If I can do it, so can you!'