Orangetheory Fitness Review

WORKOUT GEAR FAVS:

Happy {fit} Friday, loves! I’ve been DYING to share about my experience with Orangetheory Fitness here on my blog, but wanted to make sure I had tried it out for a while (I’ve now been going for 4 months!) before writing about it. I just have to start out by saying that this post is not sponsored- I pay for my own membership & all thoughts and opinions are honest + my own. SO many of my readers, friends, and family have asked, so I hope this is helpful!

I first heard of Orangetheory Fitness from my mom. She went and tried out a class in Vegas and immediately called me after telling me I HAD to try it. She knew it would be something I would love! Fast forward a couple weeks, and I went to a class hosted by Orangetheory for bloggers here in Houston. It was tough, fast paced, and I was in love. I immediately got in contact with my local studio (Cypress-Town Lake… Gotta represent ha! 😉 and signed up. There are a few different memberships to choose from and I started out with 8 classes per month (each studio’s pricing is different so definitely contact your local studio to find out pricing!).

So, how does Orangetheory work?

Every class is held by an instructor who guides throughout the class. There are three different stations set up around the room and the class is divided into groups. Throughout the class, we rotate stations, taking turns at each one. There are different classes that focus on different goals. Some days will be strength days, some are endurance days, etc. I love that the classes are always changing it up, which keeps the class interesting & definitely NEVER boring!

During each class we also wear heart rate monitors. This is where the fun comes in! During the class, everyone’s heart rate is displayed on the monitors. You will see your heart rate change colors from blue, green, orange, and red, based on the intensity of your workout. The goal is to get and stay in the orange zone for 12-20 minutes of class. I find the heart rate monitors SO helpful because I know when I need to push myself harder to get the most out of my workout. I’m also extremely competitive when it comes to my workouts so I always try and beat my own scores!

The OT Workout Stations:

The three stations are divided by: treadmills, row machines, and weight room. For the treadmill portion you can walk, jog, or run (one of the best things about Orangetheory is that you can do what works for YOU and what YOU know you can handle). During the treadmill portion the instructor will call out your workout. These cues are base pace, push pace, and all out. I actually love the treadmill portion of class. It goes by so quickly by changing paces, pushing yourself, and listening to good jams!

During the rowing machine portion, the instructor will usually call out the same cues as the treadmill portion (base pace, push pace, all out). Sometimes the rowers are just used to warm up and sometimes they are used a ton (last week in Vegas my sisters and I were in a team competition during class and a big portion of it was rowing. It was so much fun!).

The weight room is my absolute favorite part of class.

The workouts are always changing and always challenging. The instructor will show you 3-5ish different exercises to do. You do a certain amount of reps for each exercise until you finish & then you repeat those exercises + reps over and over until the time is up. I love this because you don’t have to wait or keep up with anyone but yourself. You can work as hard and fast as what works for you. I always love to watch my heart rate during this block especially to see that cardio is definitely not the only way to burn calories! At the end of class, you will get a report emailed to you giving you your stats from class (calories burned, time in the orange zone, etc). This is so helpful for keeping track of your progress.

Orangetheory For Moms:

I’ve always been pretty fit and have always loved pushing myself + being healthy. Since becoming a mom, I’ve especially craved that sense of pushing myself. & honestly I don’t have hours to go spend at the gym. I love that it’s a one hour, full-out workout. That’s why I think Orangetheory is SO great. It’s quick, effective, and totally makes you push yourself! Since having Truman, my weight hasn’t been an issue. I was able to lose my baby weight through exercise and eating right, but my muscle definition was definitely not the same. In fact, I struggled with putting on muscle and feeling physically strong.

I kind of laugh at these pictures because they were taken about a month after I started Orangetheory and I thought I was already getting so much stronger and more toned. I remember starting and struggling to lift 8 lb weights. Now, I am up to 15’s & 20’s and feel SO much stronger. My muscles are still small and a work in progress, but I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made. I love my home studio (Cypress – Town Lake) and also love that I can do Orangetheory pretty much anywhere! This summer I also took classes in Summerlin, Las Vegas & Newport Beach, California. The classes and atmosphere are just amazing everywhere you go and I am completely hooked.

Memberships:

OH! And the 8 classes a month just wasn’t cutting it for me- I’d use all of my classes the first couple of weeks and then pay for drop-ins because I loved it so much. Now, I have the unlimited membership and try to make it at least 3 times a week. PS I’m not the only member in my family anymore. My two baby sisters are also Orangetheory addicts and we LOVE taking classes together whenever we’re together.

I hope this post was helpful to you! Seriously, if you are thinking about trying Orangetheory Fitness.. Do it! You can try out your first class free- I promise you’ll be hooked (& very sore) after 😉 Please let me know if you have any questions at all and I will do my best to answer! As always, thanks so much for reading! xoxo

*PHOTOS BY AILEE PETROVIC