I’m a couch potato, and I’m tired of being a couch potato. Problem is, unless something is really close to my house, I don’t go. Also, I need some motivation (like, other people) to keep me going. I’ve tried exercising in my house and it’s not working out too well. I tried Curves (very close to home) but the whole “girly” vibe turns me completely off.
So this place called OrangeTheory is opening, also close to my house. It looks like a group exercise class with cardio and strength training, with hour long workouts. Supposedly, you get your heartrate into the optimum range (the “orange zone” --they give you heartrate monitors) and keep it there.
Has anyone done this? It looks like it might appeal to me, but I’m afraid I’m too much of a potato do make it work. I’m really out of shape these days. They say it works for anyone regardless of fitness level since it’s based on heartrate, but I’m just afraid everybody else are going to be the fit gym-rat type and I’ll feel completely out of place. I really want to get back into shape and lose weight, though.
Well, from what the stuff I was reading said, everybody works at their own individual pace–the point is to get your heartrate into the “orange zone” and then keep it there. So I’d imagine since I’m pretty out of shape, it wouldn’t take a whole lot of effort at first to do that.
Anything you actually do is a good system! If it involves some variety of enticement…no prob! Find what you like and stick with it.
I found a local network of trails out in the brushland, yet right in the city – “Mission Trails Regional Park” – and I’ve been wandering there, three times a week, for the past five years. Put a lot of miles on my old hiking boots! I found something I’m not only willing to do, but actively love doing!
Take good care of yourself! (We want to see more of your books!)
That’s 80-90% of Max HR. That’s very intense.
As a comparison, runners do lactate threshold workouts (roughly 20 min for the hard part) at 83-87%, that’s a pace the runner can hold for a hour race.
That’s just too intense for an untrained participant. For a fit athlete who’s looking for more, it’s fine in small doses.
You’re not working “at your own pace” if the target hr is the same for everyone. You may go at a slower pace but the intensity is just as high. And it’s that intensity, applied too often, that can break you down.
This is really nothing new, it’s HIIT wrapped in a new package.
And even that’s not new. It’s just the same interval training that runners, swimmers and cyclists have been using for many decades.
They have different packages available. They recommend about 3 times a week to see results.
I was reading a review of the program where they mentioned a 450 pound man who lost 70 pounds doing the program (maybe more later–that’s where he was at the time of the article.) I’m not anywhere near that bad, but I have been pretty sedentary for a long time and I have crappy endurance.
If they have starting classes of 15-20 min and build to the full program, that’s fine. If they expect you to jump into the full hour right off the bat, look elsewhere.
The fact is, you can start at 15-20 min at 65-70% and still gain fitness.
Here is a short review of an Orangetheory workout from Health magazine.
So they would “like” you to be at 84-91% of maximum heart rate for 1/5 to 1/3 of the one hour workout. It would likely take some ramp up time to hit that goal, but it is doable.
If you are having motivation problems, adding a trip outside your house may not be your best strategy.
Ten-fifteen minutes of calesthenics-type stuff (maybe some bands or light weights in the mix) a few times a week and a walk (thirty minutes or so) on the other days is a do-able starting point. Contrary to all the “target” advice, even a little is better than nothing.
If you’d like a little exercise instruction, take some DVDs out of the library for a test drive, to find a program you find congenial.
Think “six months” as a time frame for seeing results.
What happens if you don’t hit the Orange zone? Are you mocked, run through a gauntlet, kicked out of the gym?
Point is, no one but you is going to know. It’s a good way to quantify where you need to be. I’ve found, at my gym, that we help the newbies. We’re all there for the same reason, to get healthy and stay fit. Some of us are just farther along than the others.
I’ve been doing Body Pump for a couple of years now. When I started out I was weak, but I’ve gotten stronger over time.
Yes, you’ll probably more out of shape than the other people there, but that’s just because they’ve been going for a while. Don’t let that stop you. You’ll eventually get in shape too.
They have a location near me and I went to check it out a while back. I saw a variety of body shapes from lean and muscular to pretty normal looking with some extra pounds. You work as a group under the guidance of an instructor who gives each person instruction on how intense the exercise should be. For example, you may all be on the treadmill but each person has their own recommended settings. I specifically asked if they have classes aimed at different fitness levels like beginner or seniors. They said they didn’t specifically do that, but often different time slots would work out that way. You can go to any timeslot, but if you want to be around similar people, you can ask if any timeslots would be more like what you want.
If you’re a competitive person, you may feel like you have to keep up with the other people but that’s just up to you. Most people will not care if you’re working out at a lower level. In my experience the other people are supportive of the newbies because they know how hard it is and want you to succeed.
I don’t remember there being a long-term commitment. It’s definitely worth trying out for a month and seeing if you like it. If nothing else, having an instructor will be an invaluable tool for you to get any fitness questions answered and making sure you’re working out in the best way possible.
One thing I also remembered is about signing up for the class timeslots. Since space is limited, you have to reserve a slot and priority is given to people based on how long they’ve been a member. So the earlier you sign up, the easier it will be to get into a class. I’m not sure how often the classes fill up or if that’s an issue or not. If there are other locations in your city, it might be worth checking them out to see if it would work for you.
One thing that helps keep me motivated is paying for stuff, cuz I’m super stingy. So while you didn’t list “having invested money” as one of your motivators, maybe it could be.
And that could help you get up and get to these classes.
Remember, too, that weight loss begins in the kitchen. So if you keep everything else the same, go to the classes and aren’t shedding pounds don’t worry. If your endurance gets higher and you generally feel better, you are winning!
Surprisingly, this is less a motivator for me than it probably should be. But if I start going to the same classes every week and make friends, that might be. My biggest hurdle for exercising (aside from being pathetically out of shape and having the endurance of a limp kitten) is that I get BORED. Even reading a book or watching Netflix on my iPad isn’t enough to keep me going, usually. But a group working together might be enough to keep me moving.
Oh, yeah. I hope and expect to lose weight (I have done so before–I lost a lot of weight doing Weight Watchers, but then discovered WoW and gained it all back. I’ve since quit WoW) but if I get more endurance and don’t feel stiff and tired all the time, that will make it worthwhile right there. Plus, I have some external motivation for wanting to shed some pounds–I get to be on writing panels at a convention next summer, and I want to be happier with the way I look by then.
If you didn’t want to do the HR monitor, I’m not sure that Orange would be the place for you. It seems like that’s an integral part of their workout system. They probably wouldn’t force you to use the monitor, but I would think you would asked about it often.
Other gyms often have these types of small-group, instructor-led classes. Orange is unique in that’s all they offer, but many other gyms will have similar classes as part of their normal offerings along with personal trainers and open group classes. But most other gyms won’t have the HR monitoring as part of the class.
I’m a member and have been going for about 6 months now. A few points:
The heart rate monitor is there so you know what YOUR pace is. It’s not a competition. If walking fast on a treadmill is what you need to start at, then you work at your level.
The cardio portion has 3 “levels” - walkers, joggers, and runners. For each level, there are different targets. So on a hill day, a walker’s base target might be 3.5 mph at a 1% incline while a runner is at 6mph at a 1% incline. At some point, you will be asked to “push” yourself to go at 3.5mph at a 6% incline. For very brief points in time, you will be asked to go “all out” at 3.5 mpg at a 10% incline for 30-60 seconds. Everything is at your own pace.
The weight portion always has alternatives for people who need them (light weights, push ups from your knees, etc.)
Every workout is different. In the 6 months I’ve been going, I bet I haven’t repeated an exact workout yet.
A trainer is there watching and correcting. If you’re doing something wrong or have questions, they will correct you. They are also there to motivate and push you.
From my experience, I needed the accountability of signing up for a class and making myself go. There are days I really don’t want to but I’m already signed up so I make myself go so I don’t lose the money. I almost always feel better after. And I knew if I went to a gym on my own, I would never push myself as hard or vary my routine as much.
I’m already a member of a gym close to my house (no Orange Theory gyms close to me) but the HR monitor would be fun to have. It’s one of the reasons I’m looking at FitBit. I’m okay with knowing how I did. I just don’t need anyone else to know. It’s like how I Facebook-brag when I up my weights, but I don’t say what I upped them to.
Thanks, gumpy3885! I was hoping to get at least one response from an actual member, so I could get a real idea of what to expect. It sounds like they’ll accommodate the potatoes among the group, which is good news for me!
I think I’m going to give them a try. They don’t have any contract commitment, so I’ll try them out for a month and see if I like them (and if I go!) and then re-evaluate.
