I’ve been hearing amazing things about Orangetheory for years now. One of my best friends in high school worked there, and she would rave about how amazing the workout classes were. I was an athlete in high school and always enjoyed running/exercise, so my friends who loved Orangetheory were begging me to try it. I finally ripped the Band-Aid over Thanksgiving break and took my first class. My mom has a friend who is an OTF coach, so I took my first class with her.
I loved the workout. The first class is super helpful and informative, and walks you through the ways that Orangetheory works. Basically, the class works through your different heart rate zones. Moving from treadmill to rower to weighted exercises, the 60-minute class works in high intensity intervals that ramp up your heart rate and then slow it back down.
Part of the reason why I loved the class so much is because you can pretty much determine its level of difficulty. Working with “base” “push” and “all out” paces, the class is easily customizable depending on your strengths and weaknesses. Coaches recommend that you don’t take back-to-back classes though, because the workout is so intensive.
As for memberships, there are “packs” available of 10/20 classes, or an unlimited membership for $179 monthly. There is also a heart rate monitor available to wear during class which goes for around $99. Though not the cheapest, Orangetheory is definitely an investment. People join for different reasons, and I personally joined because I want to get stronger and faster. I want to run a half marathon at some point, and figured interval training could help with that.
Ultimately, I like Orangetheory because it makes me feel strong and accomplished. The endorphin high of completing a workout is amazing, and I feel great after every class that I complete. Doing workout classes with friends is also super fun and motivating! So, I would definitely say that this class is worth the hype.