How Orangetheory Fitness Delivers an Amazing Workout

I enjoy working out, but I bore easily. And once that happens, I find myself on the couch more often than at my neighbor’s doing the latest workout DVD. I was in one of my lulls when my neighbor called and told me that an Orangetheory Fitness was opening a location near us.

I walked in for my first class and saw they divided the room into three areas: treadmills, rowers, and weight stations. My first thought was I am not going to last long here because we are going to be doing the same workout every time — boring.

I was so wrong.

Almost a year later and I have yet to do the same workout twice. The trainer that walks you through each class keeps you motivated and challenged. The time flies by and you sweat your a$$ off.

I am hooked.

The Benefits of Orangetheory Variety

Orangetheory is a firm believer in variety especially since in a year I have not done the same workout twice. When you first arrive, your trainer will come out in the lobby and fill you in on what type of workout you will be doing that day. The workout can be endurance, power, or strength. You also can have a class that incorporates all three challenges.

For example, on a strength day, your trainer will encourage you to use heavier weights. The trainers make your class fun, too. My favorite class is called a “Tornado” and it will focus on power and endurance. The Tornado is also a team challenge. Your teammates will start out in one of the three areas of the gym and one person will be the pace setter. Then when the pacesetter has reached the assigned mileage on the treadmill, he or she will move to the challenge on the rowing machines and your teammates with rotate. This class really makes the time fly.

The trainers are their to walk you through your workout, help you with your form, and challenge you to push yourself at certain times during your workout. One of their favorite sayings is “if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Orangetheory Helps People of All Fitness Levels

The trainers are especially motivating when you are on the treadmill. Orangetheory is geared to ALL fitness levels. And the trainers help you establish a “base pace” so you know where you’re starting out. They have three levels or starting paces set at speed walker, a jogger, or runner.

From there, your trainer will keep track of the time and then will have you do a push pace where you are a little more uncomfortable and breathing a little heavier. The third pace that you are asked to perform on the treadmill is your “all out” pace. Orangetheory uses heart rate monitors so you can keep an eye on your effort and your target zone.

Once you sign up for Orangetheory, you add their mobile app to your phone. This is how you sign up for the time slots/classes that you want. Because of this approach, the class sizes are controlled and you are not fighting for space.

After the trainer gives you a pep talk in the lobby, you will enter the room and get started on either the treadmills or the rowers. Before you know it, you are half way through the class, sweating, and high-fiving your neighbors.

How Orangetheory Makes a Game of Your Workout

Because of the trainers, your mind is off the workout. You’re paying attention to your heart rate and how many “splat points” you are earning. What are splat points? You earn splat points for the amount of time you spend in your target heart rate zone. If you earn more then 12, then you will burn more calories throughout the day doing your usual tasks at home or at work.

You will sweat like you have never sweat before. Last month, the trainers were adding up the total calories burned by everyone attending class. They then took totals for all classes each week and we competed against the other Orangetheory locations in the area. Our Orangetheory location really wanted to win. So the trainers challenged the women to burn 600 calories or more and men with 900 or more. If you met this goal, they wrote your name on the mirror as a member of the “Burn Club.”

I didn’t think I would reach that goal, but there was my name on the mirror. It was such a good feeling. Now that I know it’s possible, I try to reach it every time I go to class. I smashed my previous high the other day with 648 calories burned.

Taking Orangetheory Benefits Home

The trainers are always thinking of ways to challenge you and make it fun in the process. In fact, my trainers are with me when I am working out at home. The other day when I was running with Ripley, our energetic two-year old terrier/retriever mix, I could hear one of the trainers Roger in my head , “let’s see a push pace up this hill.”

When I’m picking out socks to wear, I think of the trainer Scott. He wears fun socks on Fridays and says, “you know those funny socks will give you the umph you need to get up this hill.”

So … break out your fun socks and try out a class at your nearest Orangetheory.