OrangeTheory Fitness Addiction?
Can You Get Into the Orange Zone!?
Ever thought about losing weight? Let's get real, who hasn't at one point in their life. After having my first baby seven years ago and having three more right after that; a day hasn't gone by since that thought doesn't cross my mind. However, losing weight is easier said then done in a lot of people's cases. They say that losing weight is 80% of what of we eat and 20% exercise. While I have always been able to control my eating, the exercise part never came easy whether it be due to lack of time, motivation or whatever other excuse I give myself.
I have been a member of LA Fitness, Good Life Fitness, Extreme Fitness, The Yorkville Club, Bally's and God knows what else. However, no matter how many clubs I joined throughout my life and promised myself I would stick with, I never quiet made it passed the six week mark. I guess the lack of motivation, my lack of knowledge of exercise or the mundane rhythm of it just got to me. I have in the past been a member of Moksha Yoga. Loved it and stuck by it, however the gym never quiet fancied me in the same way Yoga did. That is until I found OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF). OTF is nothing like any gym or studio you ever tried. Unlike your normal gym memberships where you sign a yearly contract, and no one cares if you show up or not, at OTF everyone cares and so does your wallet. Allow me to explain!
At OTF the memberships are not cheap. So lets get that out of the way real quick. While they only have month to month payment options which is great for people like me who hates contracts, however if you sign yourself up for a class and don't go, you pay a penalty fee. So trust me when I say people notice and so does your wallet. Because after a few classes missed, it adds up. Depending on the tier level that your gym is (meaning the real estate it occupies) that will determine your monthly rate. An OTF membership can start anywhere from $60-$80 a month and go as high as $200+. Again this determines where your club is located at. Moreover, depending on what your membership rate is, it also determines what your penalty rate is for missing a class.
OTF allows you sign up for four classes a month, 2 classes a week (eight a month) or unlimited. I have the unlimited because I like the ability to go whenever I want, 5-6 days a week if I feel like it, which I normally do on a weekly basis. I don't like being restricted when it comes to my workout regimens.
The max people allowed in an OTF class is 24 at time. So basically its you and 24 people (or less) with a personal trainer for one hour who guides you through the same exercise for that day. They are three work stations. The treadmills, water rowers and weight room floor. Depending on the size of the class, everyone or half the class will either start on the water rowers/weight floor or treadmills for 30 minutes. After that, everyone switches over for the next 30 minutes to start their portion of the workout on the machine (treadmill or water rower/weight floor) that they haven't done yet. OTF never repeats its workouts. So expect a new workout class everyday for the year.
Everyone who takes an OTF class has a heart monitor (wrist watch or chest strap) that you have to buy from OTF in order to work with their system. I have seen people complain about this, but keep in mind the OTF board is their own system made by them in order to track your progress. So if this bothers you, I suggest you find another studio/gym who doesn't track your progress at each workout. No wait, last time I checked, I don't know of another gym who has this system....oh well I guess no point in complaining if you want to join this studio, right?! Are the heart monitors cheap? Not really....but then again I didn't see those same people complaining who show up to class with their expensive Apple watch which can also track your heart beats per minute for a lot more money. So buy the monitor from OTF and move on. This is the least of your concerns if you are serious about losing weight and getting health. FYI, pay extra for the wrist band, the chest strap always craps out on everyone!
OTF has three to four TV screens set up in their studio. Two which show the class progress of their heart monitors and the other screens to demo the floor exercises. The OTF board will display everyone names and will show what zone your heart is currently in.
The black zone means your heart monitor is out, or you're dead. So check your monitor (and your pulse while you at it) if you are ever in this zone. The front staff and trainers are great to catch this when it happens and will quickly correct it for you.
The grey zone is a resting zone. You can't honestly be working out in any capacity and be in the grey zone. The blue zone is a light moderate exercise zone, like walking, lifting light weights and warming up.
The green zone is where you start to challenge yourself in a doable but still challenging zone. Here is where you would jogging, speed walking, raise your incline to 5% on the treadmill or more and keep a steady pace on the water rower of about 75-80 watts. The green zone is your base pace that keeps your heart moving and you can comfortable(ish) keep for about 20-35 minutes of your workout. You will still sweat in the green zone, but nothing like the orange zone!!
The orange zone, your push pace, is where you start gaining splat points and stuff gets real for every minute you are in that zone. In this zone, while it is still doable; its uncomfortable as hot milk on a summers day. The goal is stay about 12-20 minutes in this zone in order feel the burn and have the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) effect. In this zone, (depending on many factors which I would advise you read up on) you can continue to burn up to 36 hours after your workout. Again a lot of factors dictate this, but for the most part its very true. This is known as the "afterburn" effect.
Finally we have the red zone for all your anabolic training junkies! In this zone, which is known as your all out effort; many will push themselves to the max. This is the max. The goal is to remain here 30 seconds to 1 minute during your all out IF you can actually reach this. However this is totally unnecessary as you can get the same effect in the orange zone. Mostly people who reach the red zone are either doing anabolic training (so in very good shape) or in somewhat poor shape or haven't workout in a while so their heart is still not use to strenuous exercise. The trainers are very good to monitor everyone who reaches the red zone to make sure they don't pass out or have a heart attack. I have only ever been in this zone for five minutes in my whole six month of being a member at OTF and honestly I don't care much for it. I get the same results in the orange zone as I do in the red zone without killing myself. However if I was doing anabolic training, then I might feel different.
As stated, I have been going to OTF for six months since the last week of Sept 2016 when it first opened in my area. I first started going two days a week till I felt comfortable enough to give it my all and in Dec 2016 I moved my membership up to unlimited and I now go 5-6 days a week. From Dec 2016 till March 2017 I have lost 25 pounds. The OTF I go has five of the most amazing trainers I have ever seen. I have never attended a class where I left wanting. It literally kicks my butt and muscles in places I never knew I had. The trainers have a key eye and work well in correcting your position on the water rowers and weight room floor. They are amazing at motivating you and really help with you earning those splat points. I call it the S & M of workouts because it literally feels that way. You hurt, burn, cry, scream and yell and yet you still show up the next day for more. It the "Orange Addiction" as some call it and it the best one I have ever had. While some people complain about how expensive it is, however for the results you get, you get every penny you pay for. Its impossible to not lose weight, and tone up in that studio as long as you go consistently, eat right and sleep.
Finally, what's the best part of this whole experience, you might wonder? Its the atmosphere! The owner of the studio in my area has made it her mission to make sure that the studio resembles a culture where everyone feels welcomed, is encouraged to get healthy and wants to come back...daily. The staff is amazing with helping you with membership and accommodating you when you need to cancel out of a class with a good reason and not be charged (sickness, dog died, child threw up). I have made a whole new group of friends at OTF, not only with the staff and trainers but with the members as well. While some people complain that these new studios are pricey and are promoting an elites mentality due to the price tag that comes with it; but if that price tag can allow me to lose the 70 pounds I gained, and help keep my rheumatoid arthritis under control, then sign me up because if it comes with a bunch of smiling people as well, then its worth every cent in my book!
Now, Let's Get Orange!
Dayana
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