Orangetheory Fitness

I decided to try out OTF because I’ve heard a lot of great things about it, and I have a friend who works in their corporate office. My friend and I decided to try out the free class today to see how much we would like it, and I was very much satisfied! Anthony our trainer was very clear in his instruction and motivation, and Natalia (I think that was her name, I’m terrible with names) was an amazing «first time instructor» and she was very nice, not trying to shove memberships down our throats afterwards. I played volleyball for 11 years and I loved that the workout reminded me so much of the things we used to do in our weight room sessions. I like the coach/​team environment so it was right up my alley. Keeps me moving. Membership and class packages are a bit on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for, it’s a way better workout than a gym offers any day, and I’ve tried many. I have not signed up for anything yet, but I have a feeling I’ll be a member pretty soon! Thank you OTF for finally getting me motivated! Lol I am definitely going to be sore for DAYS.

To the amazement of some of my friends, I am actually a bit of a workout obsessive. They are always telling me, «No, Liane, we don’t want to workout right now,» or «But Liane, why are we parking at LA Fitness when you said ‘Let’s get Guiness’?» or alarmingly «Liane! Stop lacing my feet into those abhorring sneakers!»
Haha, I came here with my friend to act as her motivator. I’d heard great things about OTF from some ladies at my box (IMT CrossFit, whoo!) and wanted to see if it’d be a great fit for her. We came in for the free trial class.
What to Bring/​Wear
— — — — — — –
— WATER. There is a water fountain by the weight room section, but I highly recommend having your water bottle on hand
— Wear a sports bra! Apparently some people will try this out with a regular bra and then be amazed when their boobs attempt to assault them
— Breathable tops (dri-​fit or whatever sweat-​wicking blends)
— Workout capris or leggings; if you do shorts, you may want to consider bicycle shorts underneath if your outer shorts are loose through the thigh
— Comfortable sneakers for the running portion
The Process
— — — — — — –
For the free trial, you will have the lovely opportunity of working with someone (maybe Valerie, who was super awesome with us). That person will have you fill out some liability waiver forms and an about-​yourself and personal mission (you know, do you want to Hulk it, beach body bunny it, or whatever-​other-​primary-​objective it) form. You will also surrender your credit card info so that you can use their heart rate monitor (as collateral to ensure you don’t peace-​out with it).
Next, get ready to workout and strap on that heart rate monitor!
For the ladies, the recommendation is — wear it tight, right under the breasts, and you want to cut off all breathing capacity (or almost, anyway!). It needs to be tight enough that you *cannot* slip 2 fingers between the band and your skin. I found that to be a bit too constricting, so I initially loosened it just a tad. Don’t do what I did. The band will start to slip when you’re running, and you’ll end up flashing lots of rib cage/​back/​whatever in an attempt to re-​tighten it, lol.
You start with 1 section and rotate to the next section throughout the workout. There are 3 sections:
— Treadmills (go, Treads!)
— Rowing (this one kills my lower back)
— the Weight Room
Pick whichever one to start, and the announcer (he really sounds like a sportscaster) will tell you what to do, when to do it, and when to move to the next section.
They have their own process of hitting target heart rates (they code the ranges by color, i.e., blue/​green/​orange/​etc.). I think of it as another method of saying «warm up,» «fat burning,» «cardio,» and «sprint til you die» zones. You see what color you’re hitting up on a TV (you own a little square of real estate on that TV that will display your name and info), and that’s how you know if you’re on target. So, if the instructor says: Let’s bring it back to base/​green, just look at the TV and see if you’re heading back toward green. If you’re prone to klutziness like me, pick a machine/​location that lets you easily see the TV. Don’t crane your neck and trip on the machine.
I DO think it’s pretty nifty that you can see all that information. I also think OTF is geared more towards cardio, so if you’re looking to get more cardio, or if you like the group aspect of things, I’d highly recommend OTF. I think if you’re looking to bulk up or really tone up muscles, it’d be a bit harder here just because the weight room doesn’t get a lot of attention. BUT! I was told that they have different «days» (1 day will be endurance focused, another strength, etc.), so I could have just caught them on a non-​strength day.
For me, personally, I still prefer CrossFit because I enjoy its environment more. However, if I was looking for something more indoors/​with AC/​cardio, I would definitely consider OTF. I like their announcer-​style class structure and the friendliness of the staff.
Packages
— — — — — — –
They have 3 packages/​pricing structures, all of which is paid month to month (i.e., you’re not locked in for 6 months):
— Basic (4 classes/​month) is $ 59
— Elite (8 classes/​month) is $ 99
— Premier (unlimited) is $ 159
To cancel, you have to give 30 days’ notice. So, if you join Jan 1, you’d need to cancel BEFORE Feb 1 in order to officially cancel your membership by Mar 1^st. (Note, you do not lose your membership for that month of February.)

So I need to lose some weight & I always wanted to try OTF but every studio was far from home. So I just completed my first class & it was a great workout. I started with treadmill, rowing and finished up with floor exercises. I wore my heart monitor which I could see my stats on the big screen along with other team members. It was a great workout and I burned 655 calories and I didn’t burn myself out. The trainer is very motivating, helped me out when I needed the help. In the beginning I felt like I was going to pass out but I didn’t.
So about the place — it is small but it is super clean and doesn’t smell like sweat like other gyms. It is well ventilated, not hot at all. They have cute merchandise at the front of OTF gear. I bought a water bottle and a towel.
About the pricing — yes it is a bit expensive but I need the motivation so it is worth it to me.
*Now I hope they get my email straight because I didn’t get the email with stats which other people got.
At the end I am glad I came to this studio. Is it like personal training like they say in advertisements? No it’s not. It’s group training. However, I can see myself being a long term member and getting in shape here!
Update:
I am canceling because of the price and inflexibility of the scheduling. If you cancel any class yourself within 12hrs you get a $ 10 charge on your credit card. Which that’s fine and was not hidden in the paper I signed. However I was told that if you have an emergency or you can’t go for any reason to call. But funny thing is that if you call and ask to be taken off the list you will be charged as well (sometimes depending who picks up the phone and decides to charge or not to charge).
I am still glad I came to this studio. The workouts are great and I do feel healthier.

Initially, a friend had shared that she was completely obsessed with OTF. Intrigued, I went ahead and checked it out.
It took me a while but I finally pulled the plug and called. My initial phone call was a pleasant experience. The person that answered the phone seemed friendly and in no way, a hard sell (as other places). She encouraged me to book a class and explained it would be complimentary. At that point, I decided to stop by and make the reservation in person. I later went to the facility and was pleasantly surprised to find a professional and friendly front desk staff. I was required to provide a credit card but this was two fold; to ensure I would show up and also, as collateral for the borrowed heart monitor they provide the day of your complimentary class.
I went ahead and made my appointment and returned. My instructions were to show up 30 minutes early. This is done in order to give you ample time to sign the paperwork and also, give you instructions regarding the heart monitor. You are also given brief instructions on the structure of the workout.
Upon the conclusion of the previous class, I was then introduced to the fitness coach/​instructor and I took this moment to tell him my limitations due to a bad knee. He was friendly and said no problem, there are options (i.e. bicycle instead of treadmill).
Now, this is where it gets a bit confusing. All of sudden he invites everyone into the workout area, loud music begins and you are suddenly given very energetic instructions.
Part of the class started with the aerobic aspect of the class. Some were on the rowers. At different points, you are given instructions to switch out. There are televisions with your name, heart rate and calories burned. There are also color schemes that are meant to aid you in knowing what workout/​heart level you need to be at. Side note, by the second class it started to make sense. I cannot stress, don’t worry, you will be confused. I even have lots of experience with heart monitor training when I used to run and it didn’t help.
At another point, you are herded into the weight room. When this happens, pick a station which consists of a Reebok stepper and suspension strap. The coach then shows you how to perform the next set of exercises. A plus, there are televisions on the wall reminding you what was physically shown. Great for short attention span (me).
The groups are then flipped and you return to either rowing and/​or treadmill, bicycle or elliptical. Keep in mind each class will be different but the instructions are constant.
In the end, you will be exhausted but feel very accomplished knowing that you have burned lots of calories in one hour.
Now, when you are done, they speak to you about joining. Again, it was pleasant and not a hard sell at all. I get why the first class is free. It was a great class and that alone sells you. The bad part is that you are required to buy a heart monitor when you join. It’s 49 dollars. You also have several options for class packages, all on a month to month basis. I found it reasonable for what you get. You can also download an app and secure your class next class on the app, or online. You also could walk away and think about the memberships and what works for you. I decided to start with a four pack a month to ease in to the work out since I already do Pilates. If my knee doesn’t yell at me, I’m sticking with this. I absolutely loved the workout!
In summery:
Wear good sneakers, one that you can run and participate in what I just described
Wear clothing that you will feel comfortable. I personally don’t like regular t-​shirts because they don’t allow you to breathe and wick sweat off your body. Trust me, you will be sweating.
I can’t over emphasize about hydration.
What ever you do, listen to your body and know your limitations. They tend to push you but don’t go to the point of no return.
If you don’t understand something, ask. Although the coach is busy monitoring everyone, he definitely wants you to do things right.
If you buy the monthly packs (i.e. 4 or 8 a month), keep in mind you use them or lose them. Be honest with yourself, you can always switch the package or add single classes at a reduced fee.

First I’ll start my review by saying I hate working out. I can care less about all things exercise and fitness. I like food and wine and I prefer to indulge in my cravings. That said, it was time I came up with a work out routine, before all the eating and drinking catch up with me.
A friend of mine had told me about orange theory and how wonderful it is so I decided to join. So glad I did.
This location is brand new. The location is extremely convenient with lots of parking. The equipment is clean and very easy to use.
So far my experiences with different trainers has been great. All have been enthusiastic, supportive and willing to help. They make sure you are doing everything correctly. The workout itself is exactly 1 hour. At the end you get a summary of how you did. Booking the classes has been a breeze. If you download the app, you just log in and pick your time. Sometimes there is a wait, but usually you get into the class. I usually dread going to the gym but with Orange Theory I’m actually excited.
The only negative and some might say it’s a positive, is that it’s right next door to Sergio’s. It’s hard ending a great work out and coming outside to smell the aroma of Latin food!

So. I just finished my 6^th class at this location. It’s a tough workout, but it’s worth every second of my time, and every penny spent. There’s no waiting or last minute sign-​ups like I expeprienced at other gyms. You can sign up for the class up to a month in advanced using their super simple app. I feel like normally my main reservation about doing this type of group class would be that I would hurt myself doing one of the floor exercises improperly. That’s not the case here. Even though the trainer is dealing with two groups of people, they take the time to show you how to properly execute the movements, and have televisions up as guides that reinforce what and how you should be doing each workout. The trainers here are extremely personable, outgoing, and most importantly supportive of everyone regardless of their fitness level! They also send a summary of your workout about an hour after you leave via email.