Commute: 34 minutes by subway (1 train to 23 Street, 1 min. walk), 28 minutes by Uber
Intensity: High
Price: $34 per class
Take this class: for a cardio blast with minimal weights
Levels: Beginner & Advanced athletes
On a similar note to last week’s class, I tried another HITT-type workout this week: Orangetheory. In the past eight years, the company has become more and more popular; I’m sure the majority of my readers have at least heard its name before. And if you haven’t heard of it, you can tell it’s a popular spot just by the atmosphere. The gym itself reflects its pop culture nature: the lights are turned down, there’re mirrors all around you and the music is blasting louder than your thoughts. Before entering, you’re given a heart rate monitor to wear for the length of the class. On TV screens at the front, your heart rate, along with other data points, are projected next to your name. With every jump in your heart rate, you rise to the next level on the screen. Eventually, your heart rate reaches the red zone, wherein you attain optimal efficiency for metabolism, allowing you to burn the most calories and continue burning them in the days to come. Ideally, by the end of the workout, your heart rate graph should look like a bell curve; the majority of the time you worked should’ve been spent in the blue zone in the middle. Thus, Orangetheory pushes participants to be able to control their heart rate during and in between intervals. The better shape your cardiac health is in, the more of a bell shape your heart rate graph will match.
Orangetheory workouts are broken into three groups: the treadmill, the rower and the “weight room.” I tend to start on the treadmill because it is my least favorite and by far the most exhausting. For both the treadmill and rower stations, the coach will instruct you to start off at your base pace for a few minutes. From there, depending on the workout, as none are the same, you will be told to increase your speed (and incline if you’re on the treadmill) to get your heart rate up to the blue zone. After a few minutes, you’ll return to base pace and then back up to approach the red zone and back down and so on and so forth. The “weight room,” on the other hand, consists of two to three sections of three movements with the hand weights, ab dolly or TRX equipment. You’re given the opportunity to work with lighter weights and multiple adjustments for your strength level. In addition, these movements are very simple and are perfect for those who have never picked up weights before.
Orangetheory truly is a high-intensity workout; you will re-emerge from the room after an hour completely soaked to the bone in sweat, ready to down three bottles of water. The first time I did Orangetheory, I burned about 1,200 calories; although, from my experience, I’d say the average range is between 500 and 1,000 calories per person. Another important category to watch while you’re working is your splat points: an Orangetheory specified term for the number of minutes you spend in the orange and red zones (the highest heart rate zones). Coaches encourage you to try to get to 12. However, your cardio shape will either affect how often you get into those zones. Obviously, for some, it’s easier to get their heart rate up to a higher level than others.
Now, there are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to try Orangetheory. One, the commute isn’t super straightforward. As we are on the Upper West Side, getting to Chelsea, even by train, isn’t the fastest. In addition, the price of Orangetheory is significantly high, driven by popularity and the fact that we do live in Manhattan. The third and arguably most important factor to keep in mind is the waitlist. Though every Orangetheory gym offers a variety of classes throughout the day, you’ll often find that certain classes, usually the ones in the mornings, are full and require a waitlist. So, if you want to be sure to get in, book your class earlier than the night before.
To check out Orangetheory, download the app MindBody to find Orangetheory’s schedule and pricing. Orangetheory also has three other locations in Manhattan.