Trying to find a workout that fits for you and your needs, works for the goals you want to achieve, and is actually fun can be a hugely daunting tasks! And let's face it - no one is going to want to workout when their workout isn't enjoyable and doesn't seem worth your time. However, if you aren't a newbie to the fitness world, or simply have been digging around on the internet within the past few years, you might have heard about Orangetheory Fitness. It is being deemed "The Ultimate Workout" by fitness gurus, gym fans, and workout fanatics alike. Their popularity has soared over recent years, receiving massive amounts of raves from avid fans. What makes Orangetheory Fitness so special? Well you are about to find out! This is everything you need to know about orangetheory:
What Exactly Is Orangetheory Fitness?
According to the official Orangetheory Fitness website, "Orangetheory is a 1-hour, full-body workout, focused on training endurance, strength and power. We use heart rate-based interval training, which burns more calories post-workout than traditional exercise." Their workouts typically are centered on heart rate-based interval training that combines cardiovascular and strength training. The Orangetheory Fitness gyms were franchised and have created several chains throughout the United States, their main headquarters being centered within Southern Florida. The Orangetheory Fitness gyms were created by certified and trained physiologist Ellen Latham.
Their studios are designed to feature a main lobby, that usually has some sort of retail store selling merchandise, a couple of bathrooms that feature showers if needed, lockers for storing your clothes and other items, and their main studio where everything takes place. Their main studio features treadmills, steppers, bikes, striders for their cardio workouts, while also having an indoor water-rower and a weight room with all sorts of equipment. If that isn't enticing on its own, all participants wear a state-of-the-art heart-rate monitor created by Orangetheory Fitness itself, which provides real-time readings showed on monitors in the studio during class. It definitely isn't your average gym! The studios are often said to be very-friendly, open within its community, while having classes on around 24-26 participants on average.
What Does An Orangetheory Fitness Class Consist Of?
Orangetheory Fitness classes are all about high-intensity training, in which you are pushing yourself for short periods of time, allowing yourself to have a short period of rest to ensure you can ramp back up your intensity. For example, within an Orangetheory routine, you may find yourself running on the treadmill for a short, relatively easy starting pace. You will then begin to push yourself at a much harder, possibly uncomfortable rate until you are then able to rest taking a refreshing walk. High Intensity Training has become so popular in recent years because it offers real results in terms of weight loss and fitness gains. It is also more time-efficient than your run-of-the-mill cardio session, being a popular choice among fitness fanatics everywhere.
Within an average Orangetheory Fitness workout, you'll find that the 60 minute workout is split into both cardiovascular and strength training - with these intervals being broken up into small short blocks with breaks sprinkled in-between. The class is usually split into two groups, with one group starting on the treadmills and one group beginning on the indoor water-rowers. Although participants start in different places, they will each get the chance to experience the same total workout throughout the one-hour class. Each workout usually amounts to about 26-28 minutes on the treadmill (or the bike or strider, if you’re not a fan of the treadmill), and about 26-28 minutes on the weight-room floor, using a variety of equipment.
On the weight floor, participants usually are working within their own personal station. You are free to use equipment such as TRX straps, dumbbells, medicine balls, Ab Dolly, or your true-to-heart strength training equipment for bodyweight work. Exercises usually work with combining isolated and functional moves on the floor ranging from burpees, to TRX chest presses, to knee tucks using an Ab Dolly, to dumbbell Arnold Presses, to medicine ball push-ups and more! The idea is to provide you a full-body workout that will help tone and gain muscle. Fitness coaches are their to demonstrate each move while also participating in showing you how to move better. There are also TV monitors to display the workout name and also provide a mini-demo to help ensure total ease within the workout.
During a treadmill session, participants are asked to increase their incline and speed for short series. Each participant has the option of being a "power walker," "power jogger," or "power runner" depending on their fitness level or experience. There are also different ranges to measure the intensity of your session. As I said, they also include a bike or strider, if you’re not a fan of the treadmill or have leg issues, bad knees, or any other physical health issue.
The workout within each Orangetheory routine is different and is constantly being mixed up. This is to guarantee that you will not get tired or bored with your workout! It gives you something to look forward to each session! Some sessions may also have different themes, ranging from Power, Strength, or Endurance, or even having special event classes that go longer than the usual session.
The Benefits of Orangetheory Routines
There are many health benefits that come with each session of your Orangetheory Fitness regime. As stated before, the core of each exercise class focuses on high intensity interval training, which in itself provides numerous health benefits to every participant.
In a recent study performed by the Journal of Physiology, brief sessions of high-intensity training were said to induce metabolic and performance adaptations compared to that of more traditional endurance training. The study compared two groups: one group conducted six sessions of all-out 30-second sprints on stationary bikes, with brief periods of rest, while the second group performed 90-120 minutes of moderate exercise training on stationary bikes. Each group completed the same amount workouts, however, the group that completed the 2.5 hours of working out at high intensity intervals were found to show the same increase in endurance capacity and overall fitness compared to the second group.
It was also found in another study conducted by some of the same researchers from the previous study, that when it comes to those who are often overweight or sedentary, just 10 minutes alone of high-intensity interval training can drastically improve endurance when performed three times a week for six weeks. The researchers involved in the study also so improvements in blood pressure and in heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
Whether you are curious about joining an Orangetheory Fitness class or looking to up your workout routine, try stepping out of the ordinary and into on of their introductory classes! You will surely be surprised!
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