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OrangeTheory (OTF) Info
Since January 2019 I have seen my co-worker, transform her body and she looked amazing. She is a year older than I am. So, if I’m 56 now that should tell you how old she is. Anyways, for six months I noticed how great she looked and would ask her questions and she would talk about Orange Theory (OTF). I kept waiting for them to open a gym near me and finally gave in and decided to try her gym which was close to my work.
The day after I turned 56 (June 22, 2019) I went to my first OTF class. I was so nervous and afraid. I hadn’t worked out much in the past year. I had quit smoking August 7, 2018 and have gained weight. So not only was I out of shape, but I was also overweight. I got ready for my first class which was a Saturday. I was so nervous because I wasn’t completely sure what to expect.
I did the first class and was shocked that I had survived. I was shocked that it didn’t kill me and that I actually enjoyed it. Myranda was my coach and she is still one of my favorite coaches. I arrived a little early and she walked me through the program and gave me a heart rate monitor. During class she came over and checked on me regularly. Not to push me or brown beat me into doing more than I felt comfortable doing, but instead to encourage me and to make sure I was doing it right and to give me pointers to make sure I didn’t hurt myself.
After my first class I signed up for the 8 classes a month. After 3 weeks and a long 4th of July weekend I had used up all 8 classes. After the first 8 classes my husband actually commented that I was looking toner. Whatever that means. I’ll take it. After my 8 classes I decided to sign up for the unlimited.
OTF is a heart rate monitor type class. The goal is to spend 12minutes in the orange zone. When I hit the red zone I normally pull myself back because I don’t like how I feel. The classes are 45 to 60 minutes long. I like to start on the treadmill mostly but you can start on the floor with the weights. The coaches guide the classes and they call out directions.
I am not a runner so I mostly power walk.
I have a base pace
A push pace, and an all-out pace.For me my base pace power walking is 3.5. My push pace is about 3.9 and sometimes with all-out I will jog at a 5.5 or walk at a 4.2. The best thing is the all-out is about 30seconds to 1 minute. I figure I can handle anything for 30seconds, and the coaches tell you in advance how long the all-out is. Same with the push.
The coaches will tell you in advance and watch the time for you. So, you can concentrate on what you are doing. They also do the same thing for the rowers.
After the tread I move to the floor. They have a variety of floor exercises with weights and TRX straps. They break the floor down into about 5 exercises per round with about 3 rounds to do. Each round is approximately 7mins. They tell you how many to do before moving on to the next exercise and then repeat until the 7min is up and you move on to the next round with different exerecies. The coaches come around and help you with your form and gives you pointer. I can’t believe I really love the TRX straps, and all the inclines on the treadmill. Mt. Everest is one of my favorite workouts on the treadmill.
In full disclosure I haven’t been to OTF in the past year and my membership is on hold due to health issues. I have had 2 surgeries this summer (June 28, 2021 and Aug 30) and was in excruciating pain prior to the surgeries. The Doctor thinks I should be able to return to OTF in January and I am really looking forward to it, but I am a bit scared since I am so out of shape and have gained weight again due to lack of movement because of the pain. I have already contacted OTF to let the coaches know that I had 2 hip replacements so they will help me to make modifications to my workout when I return.
OTF is very addicting. The staff is wonderful and encouraging. I love that the classes hold you accountable for showing up. That is the other thing since class size is limited you have to book your class in advance and if you don’t show up you get charged, but you can cancel your class within 8 hours to avoid a charge. My studio charges $12.00 for not showing up so I better show up to avoid the charge or cancel 8 hours prior.
For those who like Peloton the Treadmill boot camp is similar to OTF.
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2 Replies
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Thankyou for sharing your journey. I really get a lot of inspiration from hearing about this. Keep it going and keep us posted.
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I have also discovered training by heart rate recently! I have lived with fibromyalgia for almost a decade and exercise has been a constant battle of either not doing enough, or overdoing it and causing a flare-up of symptoms for several days/weeks. Ever since I started wearing a heart rate monitor (almost a year ago now) during my workouts, I have been able to keep close tabs on how much I am exerting myself at all times and ensure I am staying in the proper heart rate zones. Now I am finally able to make steady progress with my fitness, and minimize the “overdoing it” so I have fewer flares. So happy. 🙂
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