Orange theory

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isabella4145
isabella4145 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried orange theory?
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  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    What is it?
  • NextRightThing714
    NextRightThing714 Posts: 355 Member
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    I'm a member and I really enjoy it. What would you like to know about it?
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
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    I tried the free class a few weeks ago. I thought it was a good workout and I liked the format. I generally prefer to workout on my own and only do group classes one or twice a month at most, so I won't be joining and may just drop in on a class occasionally. If you are curious, most of the Orange Theory locations offer a free first class if you live or work in the area, you should try it.
  • Lesscookies1
    Lesscookies1 Posts: 250 Member
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    The calorie burned information they provide is such an overestimation.
  • Fitwithsci
    Fitwithsci Posts: 69 Member
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    I worked out there one time several years ago, but group fitness classes are not really my thing. Its basically very high intensity cardio, while wearing a heart rate monitor with the goal of staying in a certain heart rate zone. Its probably great for weight loss, but I cannot imagine gaining a lot of strength with such a workout unless you have never worked out before or have only done cardio. They said I was just a few calories shy of the record for number of calories burned in a single session, but i'm a bigger guy (working out with mostly women) and I stayed in the top of my HR range the whole time so that isn't too surprising. In spite of many other posts indicating that the calories burned are not accurate, I would disagree. As long as they (Orange Theory) have an accurate weight, and heart rate monitor, they should be able to give you a pretty good idea of calories burned.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Fitwithsci wrote: »
    I worked out there one time several years ago, but group fitness classes are not really my thing. Its basically very high intensity cardio, while wearing a heart rate monitor with the goal of staying in a certain heart rate zone. Its probably great for weight loss, but I cannot imagine gaining a lot of strength with such a workout unless you have never worked out before or have only done cardio. They said I was just a few calories shy of the record for number of calories burned in a single session, but i'm a bigger guy (working out with mostly women) and I stayed in the top of my HR range the whole time so that isn't too surprising. In spite of many other posts indicating that the calories burned are not accurate, I would disagree. As long as they (Orange Theory) have an accurate weight, and heart rate monitor, they should be able to give you a pretty good idea of calories burned.

    Isn't part of the point being made that their calorie burn claims include "afterburn"? That's more complex than a simple combination of a person's weight and HRM (and even HRM can be misleading for non-steady state cardio).
  • hal1964
    hal1964 Posts: 82 Member
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    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    I've been doing Orange Theory for about five years as I live near the studio where it was founded (Ellen's Ultimate.)

    It's an amazing workout that combines cardio and strength training. It will kick your butt and keep you interested the whole time (you just don't have a moment to even get bored!)

    As for the "after burn"--hey, I have no idea if there's any truth to that. But I can say without hesitation that it's an intense, challenging workout and you can always make it harder by increasing your pace and weights that you're lifting as you get more used to it. It has some similarities to Cross Fit, FWIW.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    hal1964 wrote: »
    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?

    I have increased my VO2 max since starting Orange Theory, but I also run a lot and am not sure which or whether it was both that improved my conditioning. Challenging yourself to sprint and run faster than what's comfortable for you will increase your speed and endurance whether you do it on your own or through a class.

    Will also say that some of my closest friends are people I met through OTF. It's a great way to meet other people who are very focused on their health and fitness!
  • hal1964
    hal1964 Posts: 82 Member
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    Running_and_Coffee wrote: »
    hal1964 wrote: »
    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?

    I have increased my VO2 max since starting Orange Theory, but I also run a lot and am not sure which or whether it was both that improved my conditioning. Challenging yourself to sprint and run faster than what's comfortable for you will increase your speed and endurance whether you do it on your own or through a class.

    Will also say that some of my closest friends are people I met through OTF. It's a great way to meet other people who are very focused on their health and fitness!

    Thanks! I was a runner and enjoyed it but I sprained my knee playing a sport and haven't been able to run as much since. I hate the treadmill. Are there other cardio activities someone can do?
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The claims are exaggerated about EPOC. Lots of peer reviewed clinical studies have shown that EPOC has little effect on "afterburn", but it's touted by Orange Theory as the effect after a high intensity workout. This notion has been passed around the fitness industry for the past few years now with little to no evidence to back other than anecdotal evidence.
    High intensity training is great for getting fitter and help with meeting a calorie deficit easier, but the reality is that weight loss happens (regardless of exercise) if you eat less than you burn. You can bust your *kitten* in any class or workout setting, but if you consume those calories burned and stay at maintenance, you won't lose any weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I'm a newer member and didn't hear a single claim about afterburn during my tour/orientation, signup, or in my classes or materials. They may have dropped that focus in their marketing since I only see a couple single sentence references on their website.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    hal1964 wrote: »
    Running_and_Coffee wrote: »
    hal1964 wrote: »
    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?

    I have increased my VO2 max since starting Orange Theory, but I also run a lot and am not sure which or whether it was both that improved my conditioning. Challenging yourself to sprint and run faster than what's comfortable for you will increase your speed and endurance whether you do it on your own or through a class.

    Will also say that some of my closest friends are people I met through OTF. It's a great way to meet other people who are very focused on their health and fitness!

    Thanks! I was a runner and enjoyed it but I sprained my knee playing a sport and haven't been able to run as much since. I hate the treadmill. Are there other cardio activities someone can do?

    They have a few ellipticals and bikes, but it's really a treadmill focused class. I used to hate the treadmill, too, but it's just totally different when you're running with someone telling you how fast/what incline and the music is pumping and everyone around you is doing the same thing. It's absolutely nothing like running on a treadmill on your own at the gym.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
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    hal1964 wrote: »
    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?

    I'd say give it a try. I found it sort of boring, although I did appreciate the competitive atmosphere they try to foster by showing everyone's time in the orange zone on the big screens. I think the calorie burn, though, is a massive overestimation due to attribution of too many calories to epoc.

    Like almost everything else, it's full body (since they do incorporate a strength segment near the end, mostly via dumbells, trx, or body weight exercises) so it's not bad if you enjoy it.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited July 2018
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    Thanks! I was a runner and enjoyed it but I sprained my knee playing a sport and haven't been able to run as much since. I hate the treadmill. Are there other cardio activities someone can do?[/quote]

    Swimming, swimming, swimming.
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
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    I like it for a few reasons.
    1) They have a pretty upbeat attitude and aren't in your face about your performance
    2) Paying per class and being charged for no-shows keeps me from flaking out
    3) They do try to build community in their groups with various events throughout the year and extra things outside the gym. Last weekend we had a field day with other nearby locations
    4) Data - after each session you receive an email about your workout showing how many minutes you kept in the different heart rate zones over the workout and calories burned during the workout
    5) Decent app for signing up for classes and seeing your schedule
    6) Lots of classes to work with your schedule

    They aren't my only workout, I'm also doing yoga twice a week, which the trainers have supported (I haven't had any pressure to upgrade my plan and do more OTF per week).
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    They use heart rate monitors to track your burn and I have not found their read outs to be dramatically different from what my own Garmin says I've burned, or before I had the Garmin, my Polar. Slightly higher, but nothing dramatic, like on Wednesday it said I burned 500 in the class, and my Garmin reported 484. The competition is not for calorie burn (because someone out of shape and/or larger will always burn more) but they have benchmark races, like who can run the furthest in 24 minutes, etc. If you absolutely hate the treadmill and don't enjoy competition, though, skip it. Nothing is for everyone.
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
    edited July 2018
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    hal1964 wrote: »
    Thanks! I was a runner and enjoyed it but I sprained my knee playing a sport and haven't been able to run as much since. I hate the treadmill. Are there other cardio activities someone can do?

    As someone else mentioned they have a couple other machines for people recovering from injuries. You don't have to run, if you are on the treadmill the trainer gives instructions for running, jogging, and power walking (at a much steeper incline). I'm still at walking.

  • hal1964
    hal1964 Posts: 82 Member
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    Running_and_Coffee wrote: »
    hal1964 wrote: »
    Running_and_Coffee wrote: »
    hal1964 wrote: »
    I've been curious about Orange Theory for awhile. I am not really looking at weight loss but am curious about the accountability part of it. I am also looking to increase my fitness level, specifically VO2 max. Would this help me improve my goal?

    I have increased my VO2 max since starting Orange Theory, but I also run a lot and am not sure which or whether it was both that improved my conditioning. Challenging yourself to sprint and run faster than what's comfortable for you will increase your speed and endurance whether you do it on your own or through a class.

    Will also say that some of my closest friends are people I met through OTF. It's a great way to meet other people who are very focused on their health and fitness!

    Thanks! I was a runner and enjoyed it but I sprained my knee playing a sport and haven't been able to run as much since. I hate the treadmill. Are there other cardio activities someone can do?

    They have a few ellipticals and bikes, but it's really a treadmill focused class. I used to hate the treadmill, too, but it's just totally different when you're running with someone telling you how fast/what incline and the music is pumping and everyone around you is doing the same thing. It's absolutely nothing like running on a treadmill on your own at the gym.

    I can do treadmill now it's just different so perhaps you are right. Can you tell me what a typical class consists of?

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