My Honest Orange Theory Review

Today I wanted to share my super honest Orange Theory review. I was super excited to hear that Orange Theory was *finally* coming to NYC. YAY!

When a studio rep called me up to let me know about the sweet founders deal they were running for the soft launch of the Chelsea studio I couldn’t say no. Unlimited classes at a super discounted price? Count me in.

My 2 weeks of unlimited classes are now sadly over and I was able to make it to 5 classes. Here’s what I thought about the whole experience.

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The Studio:

All the action takes place in one large studio filled with treadmills, water rowers, TRX suspension trainers, assorted weights, and other fun goodies like the Ab Dolly (if you get to use it in class you’re in for a painful treat). The “weight room” area is divided into individual spots so you basically have your own rack of weights, stepper, and TRX. If the class is crowded expect to be in close quarters with your neighbor during the strength portion. I found myself having to awkwardly stagger my position during push-ups or other moves in some of the classes I took.

While I don’t want to start off the review on a negative tone since overall I really loved OTF, the ladies locker room is not up to par with others in the NYC fitness scene. Truthfully, the layout is downright bad making morning workouts a wee bit stressful.

Compared to other boutique fitness joints at the same price point, OTF lacks the fancy products and luxury experience in the locker room. Like one of the mornings morning I forgot deodorant… tough luck Kayla, no aerosol deodorant insight. They have the bare minimum of products– shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap and lotion.

If the price was lower this wouldn’t bother me so much, however, at $34 a pop for drop-in classes the least you can do is splurge for brand-name shampoos in the shower and some Neutrogena face wash instead of making me feel like I’m at an NYSC.

Side note, some people could care less about the locker room especially if they are only working out at night or live close enough to run home after class.

 

The Class:

To put it simply, I love the format of classes at Orange Theory.

Upon checking in everyone receives a heart rate monitor. Throughout class, your heart rate and zone you’re in based on that heart rate will be frequently pointed out as a way to gauge your exertion. Usually, I’m not motivated by numbers during a workout yet for whatever reason I found my eyes frequently checking out the screen displaying my heart rate.

The theory behind Orange Theory (har, har) is to stay in the orange zone (Zone 4 on a scale of 1-5) for 12+ minutes total during class. This maximizes the calorie burn post-workout aka EPOC for the fitness nerds out there. During class you can see what zone you’re in– grey, blue, green, orange, or red. The goal is to be in orange– that tough but not killer zone.

How it works:

All the classes I’ve taken have been 50/50 treadmill and strength training, switching in the middle. The treadmill portion is comprised of intervals and hills similar to my EPOC workout, but each class is of course a little bit different. If you’re intimidated by the treadmill portion don’t freak out! Whether you’re a power walker, jogger, or marathon running beast there’s an option for you. The instructor will also certainly not call you out.

The strength training portion is compromised of AMRAP (as many reps as possible) circuits, displayed on a TV overhead in case you forget what’s next and each circuit lasts 6-8 minutes. In the 5 classes I’ve taken I never saw a repeat circuit, of course certain things like push-ups frequently popped up, but there was certainly a lot of variety in the strength training moves I saw in each class.

The strength portion is where Orange Theory really stands out to me compared to other treadmill workouts like Barry’s Bootcamp. I find the strength training at Barry’s to be really lackluster and often times downright dangerous. At Orange Theory the focus is on compound, smart movements, and quality over quantity.

After class, your score is emailed to you

(please ignore all my unread emails that day…)

In this class, I spent 15 minutes in the Orange Zone which is right where they want us to be!

Bottom Line:

Orange Theory Fitness offers a great workout, but the studio itself is a bit lackluster by NYC standards. I ended up canceling my founder’s membership due to the location more than anything.

I will hit up classes here and there, especially while I’m training for a race. It’s a great way to get the best of both worlds– intervals on the treadmill and legit strength training.

Orange Theory Fitness- NYC
124 West 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
1 Class is $34
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Additional photos via Orange Theory Fitness.