Tip #: Show Up 30 Minutes Early For Your First Class
Once you register, youll receive an email from Orange Theory asking you to show up 30 minutes before class start time.
This way, the people working at Orange Theory can give you a run-down of how the class works beforehand, including getting you set up with your heart rate monitor. Theyll also give you a tour of the studio before class starts, and show you how to use the exercise machines.
I took my mom and sister to Orange Theory one day and for whatever reason, they werent able to get their heart rate monitors set up properly in time for class.
They still had a great workout, but I was a little bummed because in my opinion, the heart rate monitor is the best part! And really makes the whole experience. So just be sure to get there in time for that to be set up for ya : )
Otherwise, Im not going to lie I understood maybe 10% of what they told me during the introduction. In hindsight, they did an awesome job giving me a run-down but it was so much information at one time that I was a little overwhelmed. This leads me to my third tip.
From The Five Heart Rate Zones To Splat Points To Lobby Life Head Into Your First Session With Confidence By Reading Up On These Must
When I signed up for a free trial class with Orangetheory Fitness, being asked by the front desk to show up 30 minutes early felt extreme.
Sure, I assumed there’d be waivers to sign, forms to fill out, and maybe a tour of the studio. But an orientation half as long as the workout itself? That seemed a bit overkill.
But I was willing to trust the process to see what the hype was all about, as I’d heard several friends rave about the workout. So when a new studio opened in my neighborhood with a free trial class, I decided to pull the trigger.
Upon arriving onboarding started out standard enough I filled out a form with my height, weight, age, and gender, detailed my sporadic current workout routine, and listed my fitness goals mainly to challenge myself after almost two years of minimal effort at-home workouts. (
Once paperwork was complete, I was handed a heart rate monitor . Our coach noted that the monitor would calculate our maximum heart rate, or MHR , which can be used as a metric to calculate how hard you’re working. For example, the American Heart Association defines moderate-intensity aerobic activity as roughly 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, and vigorous exercise about 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Here are six things I wish I’d known before signing up for my first Orangetheory Fitness class.
Can I Use My Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitor At Home
Yes, you can. You can pair the Orangetheory heart rate monitor to your phone and use the Orangetheory at-home workouts. You will find a simplified version of connecting the heart rate monitor to your phone for at-home workouts in the FAQs below.
Related: How to Use Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitor Outside of Class
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Tip #: Your First Orangetheory Fitness Class Is Free As Long As Youre Local
Your very first class is free, as long as youre local. If you arent local, like if youre visiting a friend in a different city, you wont be able to take the class for free and will have to pay whatever that studio charges for a drop-in which can be expensive! So just be sure that youre local to whichever location you decide to take your first class so that its free.
When you walk in, youll notice the energy of the room immediately. At least in my experience, the instructors are usually pretty chatty with their class, and its obvious that the people in the class have developed relationships over time. Its a cool culture!
If youre worried that you wont be able to keep up, dont be! It is a great workout, and can definitely be tough, but you can really take Orange Theory classes at your own pace! And you will see so many people of all varying ages and fitness levels alongside you.
How Much Does It Cost To Initially Join Orangetheory
While your first class at Orangetheory is free, youll need to pay for any future classes that youd like to take via one of the options listed above.
If you intend to see your stats during and after class, youll also need to purchase a separate Orangetheory heart rate monitor.
Further details are below.
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How Else Can You Prove Youre Improving Think Of Your Heart Rate Monitor As Your Built
What is it with fitness and technology that so many products have been so bad? Does anyone remember the belt thing that vibrated your butt, like that was supposed to do anything? Or what about those horrible rubber suits that made you sweat like a waterfall? Who thought that was a good idea?
Certainly there have also been some very clunky heart rate monitors over the years. The first ones emerged in the 1800s, but wearable technology for the masses wasnt available until much more recently.
In 1977, a Finnish professor from the University of Oulu devised the first wireless tracker for his countrys National Cross-Country Ski Team. He went on to found Polar Electro, which made the first heart rate monitors for everyday people.
Orangetheory embraced this technology early on. Heart rate monitors are if youll pardon the pun at the heart of our workouts training based on optimal heart rate zones is the very essence of what sets us apart. Identifying and staying in those optimal zones is also the part of working out that people are really bad at understanding.
As reported in The New York Times, a study of 120 Canadians found that most participants despite their confidence to the contrary overestimated their level of intensity while exercising. Thus, their workouts werent all they could have been.
Denise Howard is a perfect example of why. She had been taking kickboxing classes for a while, but she no longer felt the effects of her workout.
You Can Track Your Progress
In addition to your OTbeat score appearing on a screen in the class, you can hook up your heart rate monitor to the Orangetheory App.
This can help you keep track of your progress and other measurements, such as calories burned, splat points, average heart rate, average maximum heart rate, and time in each zone.
On top of that, you can join monthly challenges and sign up for classes right from your phone.
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Orangetheory Launches Fitness Tracker That Connects To Your Apple Watch
Orangetheory’s new OTbeatLink lets members use their own Apple Watch instead of the brand’s separate heart rate monitor during exercise classes.
Orangetheory launched a new device Thursday that allows members to use their own Apple Watch to track their heart rate during classes. The device, called the OTbeatLink, attaches to the band of your Apple Watch to monitor your heart rate and syncs that data to a live leaderboard in each Orangetheory class.
The OTbeatLink is a separate device that attaches to the Apple Watch.
Previously, the only way to get your workout stats to show up on that live leaderboard was to buy one of Orangetheory’s own heart rate monitoring devices.
Now you can use your Apple Watch to get your stats and post-workout reports without needing to buy a dedicated heart rate tracker.
You do however have to purchase the OTbeatLink at Orangetheory studios or on Apple’s website for the integration to work. This device attaches to your Apple Watch .
Once you activate the OTbeatLink, you can select Orangetheory in the Apple Workout app, prompting the screen on your watch to mirror the in-studio heart rate monitors during class, which also show which color “zone” you are in. Your hard work during Orangetheory classes will also count toward your Move and Exercise rings on the Apple Watch.
Orangetheory also confirmed that there are no plans at the moment to develop integrations with other fitness tracker brands like Fitbit.
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Your Effort Is Personal
What is considered high intensity for one person may not be for another. Your maximum heart rate is unique to you and is largely based on your fitness level, age, experience, and other factors.
The OTbeat heart rate monitor can tell you which zone youre in and whether you need to increase or decrease the intensity.
This means that one person may be in the orange zone while speed-walking on an incline, while another person may get there by sprinting. All in all, you can tailor the workout to your needs, and the coaches can help guide you through this.
Also Check: How To Check Your Resting Heart Rate
Orangetheory Gear: Orangetheory Heart
August 1, 2019 By Mommy Gearest
Even if youve only been scouring my site or social channels for a few months, you already know there are two things I love fiercely: Orangetheory Fitness and gear. So it seems time to put them together and break down each of the Orangetheory heart-rate monitors Ive personally used during the past two years in case youre wondering which one to buy or to buy next to keep tracking those splat points.
There are four OTF heart-rate monitors available, and youll need one of them after you sign up for an OTF membership. Whether you buy a new or pre-loved Orangetheory heart-rate monitor is entirely up to you and how you feel about someone elses sweat.
But first: read this if youre wondering what is Orangetheory Fitness?
How To Use Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitor Outside Of Class
Orangetheory Fitness is one of the most reckoned gym chains, especially in the USA. And now that people also welcome at-home fitness as much as gym fitness, Orangetheory has found a way to keep up with the technology.
For this reason, you no longer have to go to an Orangetheory studio just to have the once-in-a-long-time experience Orangetheor offers. The company has a mobile app, which you can sync with your heart rate monitor to have an excellent out-of-studio exercise.
Can you use your Orangetheory heart rate monitor outside of class?
Yes, Orangetheory heart rate monitor connects via Bluetooth. So, you can use the Orangetheory heart rate monitor for At-Home / Outdoor Workouts through the Orangetheory Mobile App and with any app that connects via Bluetooth like orange zones, DigiFit, iCardio, UnderArmor, Nike, MapMyFitness, FitBit, Peloton, etc.
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Tip #: Dont Be Scared To Try Something New
I was definitely a little intimidated before my first class, but you really dont need to be! If youre worried about looking funny, or tired, or whatever you should know that the room is, first of all, kind of dark haha.
Its not hard to see but its definitely not an environment where everyones looking around at each other. Everyones so focused on what the instructor is saying, and therefore focused on their own workout, that you dont have much time to pay attention to any one else.
And its really not that competitive either, at least not in my experience! At times youll be right next to someone who is also running or rowing or squatting, but again, everyone goes at their own pace, gets out of their comfort zone, and pushes their own unique limits, so competition really isnt a thing!
Where Can You Buy Used Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitors
It is understandable if you dont want to buy a new OrangeTheory heart rate monitor. Purchasing a brand new one can be quite pricey.
Although there may be discounts and promos from time to time, you may not want to wait for them. They dont schedule sales and promos regularly.
Plus, there is also a sense of urgency. Of course, you need to purchase one right away so you can use it in your next class!
So where do you purchase used ones? Well, there are a lot of options. First, you could ask around friends or even check at your local OrangeTheory. Someone may know a member who is selling their preloved heart rate monitor.
You could also check online. Facebook marketplace could be a good place to look for one. Someone near you might be selling theirs. If they are, it would be best to meet up so you can check on the product first before finalizing the purchase.
There are some who sell through eBay. Lots of people have purchased their preloved OrangeTheory heart rate monitors through this website.
But with Ebay theres always a danger of scams, untrustworthy people, etc.
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Is Orange Theory Worth It
In my opinion, YES! I am so glad I signed up. If you are in need of a workout where you can just show up, have someone tell you what to do, and get your butt kicked in the process, Orange Theory is the workout for you.
Likewise, the heart rate monitor is a game changer. I love being able to see just how hard my heart is working, and all of the stats at the end of the class are fun to see, too!
The workout is also very much full-body. Youll leave each class knowing you got some cardio and strength training in.
Lastly, when you join Orange Theory, you can use their app to sign up for classes. Their app is awesome. It tracks all of your workouts and stats, and makes signing up for classes a breeze!
If you have any Orange Theory questions, leave them in the comments below! And if you decide to try Orange Theory, definitely let me know! : )
Do You Have To Buy Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitor
Working out at OrangeFitness with a heart rate monitor is great because you really get to see how you are doing. You get to see if you are hitting your target zones.
But OTF isnt cheap, and youll have to pay for the membership. If you are really tight on cash and dont want to spend additional money on a heart rate monitor at the start, you can still work out without one.
It isnt a requirement. If you are okay without seeing post-exercise class results and splat points, and still want to continue with your workout, you can do that without the heart rate monitor.
See also:
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You May Not Achieve Specific Goals
If you have specific performance or fitness goals, then taking Orangetheory classes may not be right for you.
Lets say your focus is bodybuilding and you want to build substantial muscle mass. To build muscle mass, youll want to prioritize strength training exercises that use enough resistance and rep ranges that make you work until youre close to failure.
Youll also want to practice progressive overload, which means increasing the load or rep range over time. Because every Orangetheory class is different, you wont be able to track your progress.
Therefore, if youre looking to achieve goals beyond weight loss or getting your heart rate up, you may benefit from other exercise programs.
Which Is The Most Accurate Orangetheory Heart Rate Monitor
The most accurate Orangetheory heart rate monitor is dependent on individuals, but I would go with the OTBeat Burn. Besides possessing the latest technology that guarantees higher accuracy, the OTBeat Burn is compatible with the Apple Watch. Therefore, it assures you of continuous and highly accurate results.
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Can Orangetheory Help You Lose Weight
Considering that a single class can burn more than 500 calories, Orangetheory classes may help you achieve a calorie deficit that is needed to lose weight.
However, most research has found that high intensity exercise leads to similar weight loss results as steady-state moderate intensity exercise, such as walking or running at a moderate and consistent pace .
The major difference is that high intensity exercise is often viewed as more convenient because you can burn a higher number of calories in a much shorter time.
For example, a 170-pound person will burn around 84 calories in 20 minutes of walking at a moderate pace and around 269 calories in 20 minutes of high intensity rowing .
But steady-state exercise can be easier for many people to do consistently and regularly because it doesnt require going all out and being completely exhausted by the end. Therefore, someone may prefer to go for an hourlong walk to burn a similar number of calories.
The one major difference is that Orangetheory classes are 60 minutes long, which means youre burning significantly more calories than you would in 1520 minutes of HIIT.
If you attend a few classes per week, youll probably lose some weight. But if you attend only one class per week, it probably wont be enough to help you reach the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Therefore, its best to choose exercise that you enjoy and can do on a consistent basis.
Orangetheory Price And Other Info To Know Before Signing Up
Boutique gyms with consistent class structure and instructors are popping up all over the world, and one of the biggest questions people ask me about my particular gym is the Orangetheory price.
Id love to jump right in and answer that specific question for you about the Orangetheory price, as well as share a few other things with you about Orangetheory before you join. Spoiler alert: I AM HOOKED. Its the first workout that Ive ever done consistently for over a year. Big deal for me!
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