Orange Theory Fitness | A Review

I learned about Orange Theory Fitness from my friend Mallory who goes to a studio in her Colorado town. At first I thought this was just a strange name for a gym, but then one day I was driving down Poplar Avenue in Germantown, when I saw a sign for an Orange Theory Fitness studio in a new shopping center. It was only about 10 miles from my home. A few weeks later, I received a voucher in the mail for a free session. I asked Mallory about it, who suggested I go and check it out (it turns out everyone's first session is free). That was around December though, and I never went. A couple of weeks ago, I finally decided to call and make an appointment. I had read a lot of wonderful things about the studio online, and I knew it was something I would love. It reminded me a lot of the team training classes I attended at the DAC.

 

Morning coffee before heading to OTF!

 

      I scheduled my free session for this past Saturday at 9:30am, but they suggested I get there at 9 to meet the trainer and get a short tour of the studio. When I arrived, I was checked in by a kind girl at the front desk. She and I chatted while I filled out a form with my name, address, and fitness stats. She introduced me to the trainer for my session, and he walked me through the studio. There were three different stations: water rowers, treadmills, and weights. He explained that for that day's session we would divide ourselves into two groups and rotate between the stations. It seemed challenging but fun, so I was excited to get started. Out in the lobby area, I was handed a Polar chest strap and a chip to clip on to it; this would display my heart rate and calorie burn up on a screen so I could see where my HR was at all times of the workout.

What is "the orange theory?"

This is the best way that I can sum it up: basically, there are five stages of your heart rate: gray, blue, green, orange, and red (resting, mild effort, moderate effort, overload, and burn-out/maximum effort). The sixty minute workout aims to keep you in the green and orange ranges for maximum metabolic burn. Supposedly, a one hour workout like this will cause your body to continue burning calories for 24-36 hours after the workout. The workout is done in intervals, with the trainer calling out instructions to increase your heart rate or slow it down to a "base pace."

 My Workout

I joined the group on rowers, mainly because I had never in my life used a rowing machine; I figured I would be super awkward on it, so I wanted to get it over with! It was actually pretty easy--easy to use, but it definitely packed a punch! We warmed up for a couple minutes and were then instructed to rotate between a 350 meter row and a routine in the weights section. Meanwhile, the trainer was cueing the treadmill users ("treads") to increase their incline, increase their speed, decrease this, increase that, and I could hear some of them panting over the  music. I knew I was probably going to get my butt kicked when it was time for the treadmill portion of the workout! After twenty-five minute of rowing and weights (and 90 seconds of "squat-jacks" OMG!), it was time for twenty-five minutes on the tread. It really was tough! I've done my own HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts on a treadmill before that I thought were strenuous, but it's nothing like having a trainer push you and motivate you to go faster and increase your incline. I chose a tread were I could easily see the screen and I was constantly pushing myself into the orange zone. I followed the trainer's instructions as best as I possibly could and pushed with everything I had. I was so relieved when the workout was over, there were tears in my eyes! After a cool-down stretch, I went up to him to shake his hand and told him how much I enjoyed it. "I am definitely coming back!" I told him. Before I left the studio, I checked the screen where our workout results were listed; in less than hour, I had burned 560 calories! Shortly after I left, the studio emailed me a PDF document of my workout so I could see the different ranges my heart rate had been in throughout the hour. I'm going to work even harder to stay in the orange zone next time!

In the lobby, I went ahead and booked another session for next Saturday, bright and early at 8:15AM. I am dying to buy a membership but am holding off until I know for sure what's next for our family; it is highly likely that our home in Olive Branch will be listed for sale very soon :)

 

PROS:

The workout is challenging but NOT impossible; modifications can be made easily if you need them.

It's a highly effective workout in just an hour!

I am sore--really sore. That's a pro for me!

You won't get bored; I was told that the routine differs at every workout.

Loud, energetic music. I began doing my exercises to the beat.

Your heart rate is monitored at all times.

 

CONS:

The trainer lowers the music when he's speaking through his mic, but sometimes it was still a little difficult to hear him.

Memberships are a little pricey: $59 for four sessions in a month, $99 for 8, and so on. You can also buy 10 sessions that you can use any time and at any location for $180. That may be what I end up doing eventually!

Been there, bought a towel :)

 

Overall, I highly recommend Orange Theory Fitness wherever you live. It was one of the best workouts I've done in a while! Your first session is always free, so give it a try!