I never know what to anticipate, which can feel scary and exciting at the same time. To date, I have taken four classes at the Orangetheory in downtown Sarasota, each one led by a different coach, each one a distinctive workout from the previous.
ICYMI, their elevator speech is this: half of the class starts on the treadmills, half of the class starts on the rowers/in the weight room. The coach calls out instructions for both groups and half way through the class you switch. Or do you!??? Today we had two switches, which made for shorter bouts of each circuit and kept the momentum going.
And keep your brain learning. New activities are stimulating for your brain. So in addition to the fact that "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy."- #ElleWoods, mastering something new creates a fresh neural pathway in your brain, making you cognitively sharper.
(Or the person on the treadmill next to you, who you throw a side eye at their speed and thus increase yours.) The performance tracking in real-time on the monitors in the studio and post-class performance summary email makes it a breeze to track your progress and set goals for yourself.
The physiological design of Orangetheory is to get 12 to 20 minutes of training at 84% or higher of your maximum heart rate during the class (branded as the Orange zone). This design produces workout "afterburn" effect, which is an increased metabolic rate for 24-36 hours after the workout. On my first class I logged 17 mins in this zone. Hair flip.
All of the coaches have great tunes that are usually blasted. I love this.
The coaches affirm your hard work during and after the class! Sure, when you have a great run outside you feel a sense of accomplishment. Or when you have a strong lift day it feels awesome. It also feels great to receive a compliment when you know you pushed myself out of your comfort zone. It can only help you; surrounding yourself with positive people is important to living a meaningful life.
- (Author Bonus!) Going makes me think of my hero
On a personal note, my older sister who some of you may know as momtreprenuer Coach Kimmy, teaches at Shred415, which has a similar class structure of alternating between weight-training and cardio, however one difference is that at Shred415, the cardio is done on a Woodway treadmill, a bodyweight-powered device that's lower in impact than a traditional machine. Anyway, I have taken her classes (and limped around the following day...HA) and well, tbh going to Orangetheory makes me think of and feel connected to my sis.
Want more? Here are 5 Things To Know Before Your First Orangetheory Class and their main website.
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