If there’s one thing I love about a workout, it’s not having to come up with the workout myself. As much as I’ve tried to be a disciplined gym girl who self-trains, I tend to choose my bed over the 3×25 pushups I optimistically planned for earlier in the day. Thankfully, that’s where Orangetheory comes in.
Orangetheory is a group fitness class that curates the workout for you. The 60-minute class held underneath orange lights is spent between the treadmill, rower, and weight floor — sometimes in that order, sometimes not.
I took my first Orangetheory class in March 2023, and a big reason why I’ve kept going back is because of the science behind the workouts. Thanks to their signature heart-rate-zone training model, I’m always aware of how hard I’m working, data I can’t get from my local pilates studio or an F45 class.
Now 250+ classes later and a DriTri finisher, I can say Orangetheory has been the most consistent exercise routine I’ve ever had. It’s one that I continue to look forward to most days. (It’s still a workout, after all.) Here is more on why it’s my go-to workout and my honest Orangetheory review.
What Is Orangetheory Like?
Orangetheory’s traditional Orange60 template includes a warmup, approximately 25 minutes of treadmill work, approximately 25 minutes of strength training and rowing, and a cool down. (They also offer Strength50 classes, which focus exclusively on strength training, and Tread50 classes, which focus exclusively on treadmill work.)
In all of the classes, an Orangetheory coach leads the entire workout. They’ll prompt you on the treadmill, demonstrate what moves to do on the strength floor, provide goals to hit on the rower, and act as your biggest cheerleader throughout the class. For me, the coaches are a large reason why I love Orangetheory as much as I do. The energy they bring to a class is indescribable until you experience it for yourself.
During class, members wear a heart-rate monitor on their arm to track what kind of zone they’re in depending on their height, weight, and gender. It’s basically a way to track how hard your heart is working during different times of the workout. (If you don’t want your heart rate up on the screen for everyone to see though, you don’t have to wear the arm band.)
A coach at Orangetheory might prompt the group to “get back to the green zone,” which is 71-83 percent of your maximum heart rate. Translation: They want you to lower your exertion. When a coach wants you to work harder, however, they may encourage you to get your heart rate up into the orange zone (84-91 percent of your maximum heart rate). The zone you’re in shows up on either the tablet in front of you or up on TVs in the studio, so you can always see where you’re at.
When you’re in the orange or red zone, you earn what’s called “splat points.” According to the Orangetheory website, you want to aim for at least 12 splat points per class in order to, “achieve optimal caloric burn.” This translates to spending at least 12 minutes of class in a high heart-rate zone. Personally, the more Orangetheory classes I take, the less I care about splat points. I like to stay in the green zone, which sometimes means I don’t earn any splat points in a workout.
What to Expect at Your First Orangetheory Class
The first time I took an Orangetheory class, I went by myself and felt a little anxious. I had frequented Barry’s Bootcamp before, so I assumed the environment would be just as intimidating. Fortunately, it wasn’t at all.
I walked in 30 minutes before my class and was greeted immediately by the sales representative behind the counter. She was friendly, welcoming, and didn’t make me feel out of place at all. I put my stuff into a locker and filled out some paperwork while she explained the workout and what I could expect. She gave me a heart-rate monitor to wear and also assigned me a treadmill to start on.
A few minutes before class started, the Orangetheory coach took me into the studio and walked me through the space. She showed me how to strap my feet into the rower, made sure my rowing form was correct, and explained what the treadmill section and floor section would look like. Then, I took the class like everyone else.
It wasn’t hard for me to keep up with the class, but if you aren’t familiar with how to do squats, lunges, push-ups, or other moves, you may have a harder time keeping up on the weight floor. Fortunately, the moves are also displayed on a screen, so you can always look there if you don’t know how to do something or forget what’s next.
On the other hand, the treadmill portion is pretty easy to follow along with so long as you can decipher what the coach says on the mic over the loud music. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to put your hand up and ask the coach to repeat themselves, or just as your neighbor.
At the end of class, my coach showed me the results I received from my heart-rate monitor, explaining what splat points are, why I spent more time in certain zones than others, and what my afterburn looked like. Then, the sales representative walked me through some of the class packages and the cost of an OTF membership.
As a general FYI, some sales representatives can be a little . . . pushy with the sale. Don’t be afraid to say no and take some time to think about the membership before committing to it. The membership isn’t exactly cheap, so don’t feel pressured to commit to anything before you know you want to.
Orangetheory studios run deals almost every month — sometimes nation-wide, sometimes specific to the studio you attended — so if you aren’t offered a deal the month you’re there, it may be a better idea to wait until the next month.
Orangetheory Training Tips for Beginners
Remember that you’re only competing with yourself. It’s easy to compare yourself to your neighbor; they might run at a higher speed than you or lift heavier on the weight floor. Know that you are on your own personal journey that likely looks different than your neighbor’s. The only person you are competing with is yourself.
Master the moves on the weight floor before increasing your weight choice. When you’re on the weight floor, you have multiple dumbbell options. Start light and work your way up. Even if a strength move is demonstrated with a dumbbell, don’t be afraid to try it with just body weight first. Your coach can also always offer modifications if you need them.
Don’t skip the benchmarks or signature workouts. Every month, Orangetheory offers signature workouts and benchmarks for members. The signature workouts tend to be specialty workouts that are a bit harder than the traditional Orange60 templates. For example, one signature workout that repeats 2-3 times a year is Orange Everest, where members gradually increase their incline on the treadmill to 15 percent, then gradually decrease their incline until they’re back to 1 percent. A benchmark, on the other hand, is something Orangetheory uses to track your improvement. One month, you may have a timed 200-meter row. Next month, you may have a timed mile run. Though these may seem intimidating to a beginner, don’t skip class just because it’s a signature workout or benchmark day. These benchmark and signature workout days are a great way to track your progress. The first time you do them, your time or distance will be recorded in the Orangetheory app, so you can look back and see how much you’ve improved over time.
What to Wear and Bring to Orangetheory
Orangetheory is a super inclusive environment, so wear what you’re comfortable working out in. For me, I don’t really care about what I look like when I go to an Orangetheory class, so I normally wear an oversized T-shirt with shorts or leggings. I personally love Athleta’s Saultation Stash High Rise Leggings ($109) because they stay up on my hips and I don’t have to constantly pull them up. If I really want to feel good about myself, I’ll pair those leggings with a Momentum Seamless Tank ($49), which also stays put if I’m doing burpees or any sort of jump movement.
You’ll also want to wear tennis shoes that support you both on the treadmill and the weight floor. I wear Nike Air Max Scorpions ($259, originally $369) because they offer a lot of support on the treadmill, but they’re admittedly a little bouncy and big for the weight floor. According to some Orangetheory coaches, flat tennis shoes are best for the weight floor.
Bring your own water bottle and sweat towel. There are water fountains, and my studio does have plastic water bottles for sale, but they don’t provide anything else. Also, as a general heads up, you’ll want to leave your cell phone outside the studio. Per Orangetheory policy, you’re not allowed to have it with you during class, so don’t plan on recording your workout routine. Think of it as a good opportunity to unplug.
Taylor Andrews (she/her) is the balance editor at PS, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With seven years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.
