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Orange is a color often associated with the citrus fruit or Halloween. But for the hundreds of thousands nationwide who are members of Orangetheory Fitness, it’s the color of their fitness obsession.
You might have spotted an Orangetheory Fitness gym near you or noticed friends posting about “Orangetheory nation” or “OTF life.” The studios are drenched in the bright, vibrant color and are sprinkled around various corners in a host of cities. The first studio opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2010, and since then, the company has expanded to more than 1,300 studios.
The one-hour workout is the brainchild of physiologist and Orangetheory co-founder Ellen Latham, who developed the “Ultimate Workout,” which has helped people push through their fitness plateaus and beyond. Ahead, everything you need to know about the workout and whether it’s worth it.
Here’s what you need to know before signing up for a class:
The Orangetheory Fitness workout combines strength, endurance and power
The hour-long workout focuses on full body conditioning that is separated into three blocks focused on strength, endurance and power.
The strength workouts incorporate weights, TRX straps and floor workouts. The endurance training portion relies on the treadmill, rower and floor workouts. And the power challenges come from high-speed and high-performance workouts that call for sprints on the treadmill and the rower.
You can put as much effort into your workout as you’d like
Unlike other classes, the workout isn’t about how many pushups you can do or your mile time, but how hard you work.
Instead of having everyone in a class do the same thing, members do variations of the same workout wearing heart-rate monitors to capture how hard their bodies are working.
Each member’s heart rate number is then measured against their personal performance data so they can monitor how much effort they’re giving each workout in realtime. This process allows both members and coaches to recognize when gym members can use a little encouragement or might need to pull back for safety Brittany Leboeuf, PhD, research scientist at Orangetheory Fitness tells TODAY.com.
“Every workout is designed to be scalable and accessible. Our coaches are trained to provide real-time options and expert modifications tailored to each member’s needs,” says Leboeuf. And the heart rate monitors help make that possible.
Class members spend about half of the workout on a treadmill either power walking, jogging or running. The second half of the class is spent either on a water-rowing machine or on the gym floor doing a series of moves like squats, crunches or assisted pull-ups and both sections have prepared modifications.
“For example, when members are being coached on the (treadmill), there are options given for power walkers, joggers, and runners giving the members guidance wherever they may be on their fitness journey. On the strength floor, coaches offer modifications for members who need an alternative exercise,” Leboeuf adds.
The workout changes daily
Each workout follows a daily outline that incorporates the rowing machine, treadmill and gym floor for a full-body workout, but one workout is never the same as the day before.
Some workouts will, however, repeat at some point during the month, Leboeuf points out. This was worked into the brand’s “design strategy as a way for members to gauge progress in the studio,” she says.
A group of certified trainers, physiologists and program developers design exercises each month that target various muscle groups. Then the workouts are tested in-house, approved and then rolled out to the greater “orange” public.
For these workouts, program designers also incorporate benchmarks that allow members to challenge themselves. “For example, we have a 1-mile run benchmark that assesses a member’s aerobic fitness. Members can track their progress on these benchmarks using our mobile application and set goals to improve their performance over time,” says Leboeuf.
Always, Orangetheory offers modifications for anyone who has an injury. Latham designed the workout format to include people of every fitness level, adding that being inclusive is one of the things that makes her workout different.
“I knew that I needed a non-impact way of putting wattage into the workout, and that jumping on high boxes would not be ideal for people with knee issues,” she says. “So I incorporated water rowers (…) for the treadmill portion, we have speed walkers, joggers, runners … we have every level.”
How much does Orangetheory cost?
Orangetheory offers different membership tiers which vary in price depending on location. In New York City, for example, prices are as follows:
To purchase classes in bulk, you can you’ll find options for 10 classes ($320), 20 classes ($600) and 30 classes ($850).
There is also the basic membership (four classes for $119/month), elite membership (eight classes for $199/month) and premier membership (unlimited classes for $279/month or $249/month for a six-month commitment). And you can tack on additional classes to your membership at a discount.
Orangetheory aims to create a sense of community
Orangetheory hopes to create a community with their workouts and motivating coaches.
“Our coaches, staff and members come together to foster an environment that’s supportive, energizing and grounded in shared goals — and that sense of community extends well beyond the workout itself,” says Leboeuf.
“We encourage what we call ‘Lobby Life’ — the time before and after class when members connect, share advice, celebrate milestones and simply catch up. It’s one of the most special parts of Orangetheory, and we see firsthand how those bonds create accountability, motivation and true friendships,” she adds.
The brand also hosts events to keep its members connected such as DriTri, Orangetheory’s versions of a triathlon that requires the rowing machine, running and body weight exercises, its Transformation Challenge and Hell Week which features mystery workouts.
Will I lose weight doing Orangetheory?
Many Orangetheory members join hoping to achieve weight-loss goals, Leboeuf explains, and the brand’s workouts are designed to support those goals. “We combine cardiovascular training with strength and power work to deliver efficient, total-body sessions that improve fitness, build lean muscle and support metabolic health,” she says.
“At the same time, we know that weight loss isn’t the only measure of success,” she notes. During the brand’s Transformation Challenge “members are encouraged to set an intention — whether it’s losing body fat or building muscle, and track their progress using tools like InBody scans to monitor changes in body composition,” Leboeuf says. Though weight loss isn’t always the goal, the brand has found that the nearly 60 thousand members who completed the challenge lost an average of 5.4 pounds in 8 weeks.
Current federal physical activity guidelines recommend 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes to 150 minutes of vigorous workouts per week with aerobic activity spread out throughout the week.
So, a workout such as Orangetheory coupled with a healthy, nutrient-dense eating plan can support your weight loss goals.