I tried OrangeTheory Fitness
…and I might be hooked.
OrangeTheory Fitness is a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout.
I did not think that I would ever really do a HIIT workout now that I am a retired athlete. In fact, I made this one of my first workouts because I could convince myself to go once and get a good hard jumpstart on getting back in shape, but was 98% sure that I would never come back. The 2% won out. I not only went back for the second free class (that month’s promotional offer,) but I bought a heart monitor on Facebook Marketplace (they are going for $60-$100 on there!) and signed up for the basic program (4 times a month.) Don’t worry, that gives me plenty of days to try out other gyms, but I am incorporating this into my routine!
The basic setup: The gym is set up in three sections: a row of treadmills, a line of rowers, and the “A-frame” for weights and core. The treadmills are actually really neat and have a lot of bounce to them which takes a ton of pressure off my poor (softball-catcher-abused) joints. I immediately noticed a huge difference in the terrain compared to running around on my neighborhood streets and even in the park by my house. The “A-frame” has sets of weights going around it (8-probably 25 lbs) and each person is assigned one set of weights. There are monitors on both sides which continuously demonstrate the movements for that interval. The “A-frame” itself has two straps that you can pull on to do some core work. Then, depending on the day, your station may have a bench, or a bosu (the half medicine ball thing), or you might grab a mat from the wall if you’re going to be on the floor a lot. The lights are in fact bright orange and the coach plays bops the whole time.
The heart monitor-- you can either use a little circle that goes on your arm above or below your elbow OR a rectangle that goes around your chest. The results show on a few screens in the workout room and on your monitor on the treadmill. The entire point is to be in the “orange zone” or higher which I think is a heart rate about 150 or higher (about 84% of 180). The goal is to hit 12 “splat points.” You earn 1 splat point for every minute you are in the orange zone or higher. The idea is that if you have at least 12 of these, you will get an “afterburn” or that you will continue to burn calories after your workout.
Before you go in, they assign you a number and the first area you’ll be in--usually treadmill or rower. This is designated on a little square with the number and area. While still in the lobby, the coach explains what type of workout it will be (I don’t know all the acronyms, but at least one is endurance.) I like that the workouts are in categories so if you are going regularly you are getting a lot from each session and not just working on the same muscle groups in the same way. You’ll go in and start your warm-up. The coach will tell you how fast/high/heavy you should be going during the warm-up. Then, the coach goes over what you’ll be doing at each area and if you are on the floor for core/weights the coach will demo how to do each movement. Then you get to it. The coach comes around and offers encouragement, might get you heavier weights if they think you’re ready, and corrects your form. Having the correct form is the biggest reason why I want to go to an exercise class because if your form is wrong you are not getting the full effects.
What I liked: I liked that you are keeping track of how hard you are working--not comparing yourself to others on how fast or far you are going or how heavy your weights are. We all start somewhere with those things, but no matter where you are on your fitness journey, you can give it your all for 60 minutes. I was nervous that I was going to be embarrassed and flailing, but I was encouraged the whole way through and never felt like I wasn’t good enough to be there.
This workout is also incredibly effective and I started seeing results very quickly. After three classes, I went to do the at-home workout I'd been doing for years and instantly noticed all of the weights were suddenly way too light. OTF just works.
For me, the coaches give me the perfect amount of instructions. I like that they demo each exercise and then are actually paying attention to each person’s form. It’s also very easy to get their attention if you need help or a suggestion for a modification. One day, I was feeling some pain in my back knee on lunges, so I quickly called over Coach Haas (shoutout) and he was able to walk me through a modification really fast and made sure that it was working the same muscle groups but not straining my knees. There is absolutely no judgment if you need lighter weights--the focus of all the coaches is to keep good form and work up to more reps or heavier weights, etc.
Once you are a member, you can use their app to keep up with what is going on with Orangetheory (corporate), do guided at-home workouts (some are as short as 15 minutes!), book classes, and shop their merch. It is super easy to book and you can see who your coach will be. I also love that you can see your all-time and monthly/weekly calorie burns and splat points!
I would consider the membership options to be fairly standard for exercise classes. If you want to go somewhere with attentive coaches/trainers and a workout thought out for you that is going to get you in shape, you have to pay for that. The most a class ever costs is $28 and just depending on how often you go and which membership package you choose, the cost of your classes is just a fraction of that. Mine is about $15 per class which I find reasonable.
Rating: 10/10- this woman-founded workout will get you into shape fast and then keep pushing you. The environment is encouraging and uplifting and helps you push yourself harder each time you come. Even if you think you are not cut out for this--you are, you gotta just keep pushing and you will feel so proud of yourself after!
Let’s get it!
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