Wellness Wednesday: Orange Theory Fitness

Happy Wednesday and welcome to post #2 of Wellness Wednesday! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Orange Theory Fitness, why I like it, some basic facts about it, etc. So, I figured I would focus on that today since I’ve been doing it for almost two months and am hooked! I promise I’ll be back with a normal outfit post tomorrow. But, I really want to talk all things OTF with you. I’ve gotten a lot of questions that I want to answer in this post but first I want to give you a brief intro to why I started doing Orange Theory.

I had heard about it a few times – actually many times – but never really took the plunge. I thought of it as another CrossFit and didn’t want to do that. So, I kept brushing it aside. Well, when I temporarily moved to Miami Beach to my parent’s apartment there, there was a studio right by me. I decided to try the first class (first class is free!) because I had nothing to lose. I tried it and LOVED it! I was shocked at the fact that I was even able to last the full hour and I felt so fulfilled afterwards. I had so much energy, I was pumped to have accomplished something with my day (lol) and I was ready to go again. Well, I was back and forth so much to NYC that I paused my membership and finally restarted it in February once I was settled back in Miami and officially a “Miamian” again. Ever since I started on February 17, I have been going consistently. If I don’t go, I feel like my day is off. It honestly puts me in such an amazing mood. I currently go to the Gables location and love taking classes with Thomas. His energy, music and overall vibe is really great and makes you want to keep coming back for more workouts. While not every class is going to feel like a “win” (because you’re so tired you could roll over), I promise that you will leave feeling accomplished. It’s helped my health, my mental state of mind, my stress levels and obviously my weight. So far I’ve lost over 5 pounds and feel toner and more comfortable in my clothes. And, this is just the beginning! So, let me answer some questions I’ve gotten from you guys regarding OTF! By the way, this is in no way sponsored by them. I pay full price for my monthly membership and I have no problem doing so. I believe in investing in my health and overall wellbeing. 🙂

If you get more splat points, does that mean that you are unhealthy? Should your splat points go down as you get more adjusted to doing Orange Theory workouts?

I always get a pretty high amount of splat points and that’s totally okay! Splat points are how long you’re in the orange or red zone, which is when your heart is working at 84% or higher. You can get higher splat points based on how hard you’re working, whether you’ve had caffeine that day (I take Excedrin Migraine frequently, which contributes to my high heart rate), if you’ve had alcohol recently, etc. It doesn’t mean you’re better or worse than anyone else. It just means that your heart is working harder! If you feel ill, slow down. Your body will let you know when you need to chill. I also have a high resting heart rate to begin with. So, while sometimes I’m in the red zone, I feel okay so I go off of how my body feels.

Is there a recommended schedule to see results?

I can’t generally answer this question but I go at least 3x a week and have started seeing results! When I wasn’t working, I went 5x a week. I think you should aim for at least 3x a week to see results.

How long does it take to start seeing actual results?

I definitely feel like this is different for everyone. For the first month or so, I wasn’t seeing any results and I was getting really aggravated. But, then I started eating really healthy and I started to slowly see results. Remember that diet is a huge part of it and you have to make sure you are doing both. Everyone is different in terms of results. I think the more overweight you are, the faster you can lose. But I am no expert in that!

Do you get just as good of a work out even if you’re only power walking and not jogging or running?

Yes because you have to walk on a CRAZY incline (hello, booty and calves)!! Before my knee started giving me problems (I have bad knees), I was walking and I was burning just as many calories as I did when I was running. I now bike and still burn so many calories in one class! You really just want to make sure that, no matter what you’re doing, you’re pushing yourself and getting uncomfortable… in the best way possible, of course.

What’s your favorite part about OT?

The high energy, the group setting, the fact that the trainer doesn’t YELL at you like you’re at a military bootcamp, the different workouts everyday and the results you start to see when you really push yourself. I used to be super lightheaded at the end of class and have to take a nap. Now, I can go in the morning and have a completely normal rest of my day without napping! It’s so exciting to see how my body has evolved little by little and I also just love the overall energy of the studio. No one judges you, everyone is there for the same reason and you just feel encouraged.

I’m not in good shape at all, can I still start OT?

Yes! I was in such bad shape before starting. I hadn’t worked out in over a year and was coming from NYC where I drank like crazy every weekend. You’ve gotta start somewhere, right? Like I said, just listen to your body and go from there. You will feel yourself getting stronger as you continue to go. And the better you feel after every class, the more excited you will be to go to the next class!

Do you recommend wearing shorts or leggings?

I personally like to wear workout leggings because there are some exercises where you might have to open your legs or be in wide-legged positions so you will probably feel more comfortable in leggings.

What’s your advice for first-timers?

Don’t look at what other people are doing and don’t look at the board to see what zone you are in! Remember that this is something completely new for your body and don’t be afraid to ask your trainer if you’re doing something wrong. It’s better to have asked than to be injured later on. Also, don’t worry – no one is looking at you. Everyone is there to get a good workout and, honestly, they don’t care what you’re doing! Focus on YOU. Do YOU!

Which membership do you have?

I have the Premier membership because I go 3-5x a week and it’s the most rational option for me.

I hope this post helped! If you have any questions, please feel free to DM me! And if you’re in Coral Gables, message me and I can tell you what classes I go to so maybe we can run into each other and be workout buddies! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂