Hell is the Color Orange
So one of my new years resolutions was to join Crossfit and go twice per week. My friend Brandy ended up telling me about this other type of fitness class called Orange Theory. Although Brandy works in advertising, I think she should consider sales, as she got me to completely change my mind and join Orange Theory instead. Orange Theory is sort of like the cardio version of Crossfit. They have three portions of the class - treadmills, rowing machines, and free weights/TRX bands. Every class is different, about an hour long, and lead by an instructor. What OT does that is different, is that they input your height, weight, and age, and strap a heart rate monitor to your chest while you work out. Throughout the studio there are several large, flat screen monitors that has your name, your heart rate, and the number of calories burnt listed. Obviously, the calories are my motivation.
Don't let the cheery yellow building and palm trees fool you.
My first class was somewhat traumatic...
Let me explain.
I'm not exactly the best at pacing myself... so naturally, I bonked on the treadmill about 5 minutes in. At 10 minutes I was totally exhausted. At 15 minutes, I was praying for my own death. At 18 minutes, I was certain death was imminent. At 20 minutes, it was over. And damn did it feel good. And then it was time to switch to the weight room, and after that I finished up on the rowing machine. At the end of the class, I looked up at the screen and saw I burnt over 600 cals!
I did OT for about two months. It did eventually get easier, or at least to the point where I was no longer convinced I was going to die from running on the treadmill at a 12% incline. In fact, my favorite part of the class ended up being the treadmill portion. But I have to be honest - I was not crazy about the free weights/TRX portion. I also noticed a big difference in the quality of my workout based on the specific OT studio I went to.
Overall, I think OT is a great option for someone who is looking to improve their cardio quickly. I loved the music, and the instructors were always awesome. But it fell short in the weight training, which is (annoyingly) something that my body needs to look fit.
