After talking to several friends and co-workers about Orangetheory Fitness, I finally took the plunge and booked my first session this last Saturday. Even though it’s just treadmills, rowing and weights, everyone raved about how upbeat the classes were and how they couldn’t wait to go back. So, what is Orangetheory?

Orangetheory Description

Taken from Orangetheory’s website:

Orangetheory’s hour-long gym sessions are held in an upbeat group setting which is divided into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training that uses treadmills, indoor rowers, weight training blocks, and floor exercises.

During your session, heart-rate monitors are worn where the data is displayed live on a video monitor for your trainer to see your progress, and to help keep you accountable during your workout. When your heart-rate stays within a specific range, your metabolism is stimulated, your energy increases, and you experience the Orange Effect—additional energy and calorie burn for up to a day and a half after your initial workout!

Our experienced personal gym trainers will give you the right motivation to get you on your way toward your fitness goals. Whether you have a performance based goal such as increasing power, speed, or strength, or simply have a desire to lose weight and tone up in a fun way, Orangetheory Fitness is the perfect place to get you there.

My OrangetheoryExperience

There is an option to request your first class online, but I called into my chosen location to reserve a time. They asked that I come in 30 minutes before my first class to fill out paperwork and get a tour of the facility. They also recommended that I bring a water bottle and sweat towel.

When I arrived, there was a class going on and I could see how positive the trainer was. The reception area was separate from the workout room, separated by a full glass window. The receptionist was very friendly and asked about my fitness goals and how I had heart about Orangetheory. Upon completing the paperwork, she set me up with a heart rate monitor. It was the traditional chest strap model that would be used to monitor my results during class. There were lockers and locker rooms available for use, but I did not check the locker room out. The lockers had keys provided and were large enough to put a small handbag in or extra clothes during the winter, but not large enough for a full backpack. There were also hooks on the wall, if you just wanted to hang up your keys during class.

The receptionist then explained the monitor that was on display in the workout room. It displayed everyone in the class, along with your heart rate and other workout stats. When walking in you moved from gray to blue, then green, to orange, and finally red. Orange is where you were aiming to be. For every minute in orange and red, you would get a splat point. The goal was to get at least 12 splat points during class. This would encourage your body to continue burning calories for the next 36 hours. She also explained the 3 treadmill paces used – base, push, and all out.

When the first class ended, the receptionist introduced me to the trainer Timothy. As it was my first time, he ensured throughout the class that I knew what was going on and how to set up my rower and other equipment. I started the class on Rower 1. Others entering the class could choose to start on either the rowers, treadmills or weight room. Even in the weight room, there were numbered stations, so when you moved throughout class, you stuck with your number, so I moved to weight station 1, then treadmill 1.

The Workout

Every workout is different, but here’s a rundown of some of mine. The first section of the rowing workout consisted of rowing 200m, then performing 2 different squat exercises with a weighted ball, then back to rowing adding 200m. You continued this pattern until time was up. The second section consisted of rowing 200m, then jump squats. Starting with 8 squats the first time, adding 4 each time with 200m of rowing in between.

I next moved to the weight room (really, just a side section of the room next to the rowers, which were behind the treadmills). The weight section of the workout was broken into 2 blocks. The first block included goblet squats, single arm dumbbell snatch, and upright rows. You continued doing these exercises until time was up. The second block was all about abs, using an ab roller.

And the last section for me was the treadmill. Attendees have complete control of their treadmills, with guidance from the trainer. Starting with a few minute of warm up, we next moved into Base Pace for 3 minutes. For a jogger, the recommended Base Pace was 4.5-5.5mph. We then completed 1 minute of Push Pace, which should be about 1 mph faster than your Base. We alternated intervals of Base and Push, with a couple of All Outs included, which should be at least 1mp faster than Push.

Conclusion

OrangeTheory could be my new favorite work out! I signed up for their 4 sessions a month membership. While memberships and pricing may vary by location, the 4 sessions a month started at $59/month. There were also options for 8 sessions a month and unlimited. You do have to purchase your own heart rate monitor to wear to class. One bonus of the heart rate monitor and membership, if it gives you access to a private app where you can wear your monitor for workouts outside of the studio and work towards your orange rate as well. I haven’t tried this out yet, but look forward to it. You can also schedule all your workouts in the studio on the app or online.

I loved the enthusiasm of the trainer and he really pushed you to do your best. While in the weight room, he encouraged me to increase my weight and corrected my form. Given that it was my first class, and I’ve learned from previous workouts to not go all out in the first session, I felt like I could have given more, but still got a great workout. Ended up with 6 splat points. So here’s to earning 12 next time!

Sign up today – your first class is free! Orangetheory’s website