Orangetheory Fitness

I joined this location when they first opened after I heard rave reviews from friends who are fanatics at other OTF locations in the Atlanta area. However, they all said, «Your heart rate monitor is the most important part of the workout, etc.» It lets you know what range you’re in, how you’re keeping up with your classmates, etc.
The OTF workout wasn’t for me. However, I was going to keep trying because I felt like I needed to prove a point that I «could do it». I truly wanted to love OTF. Unfortunately, out of the handful of classes I took my heart rate monitor only registered twice. TWICE! And the staff didn’t care enough to try to troubleshoot it mid-​class to ensure you were staying on pace. Super frustrating for someone who is goal-​oriented and WANTED it to work especially after paying $ 40 for the stupid thing!

I love OTF! I’ve been to this location and the location in Sandy Springs; both have been consistently awesome. With that being said, this location is my favorite because it’s relatively new and the classes aren’t too crowded yet.
The basic premise of this workout is that the higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn. At a certain percentage of your max heart rate (the orange zone or higher), not only do you burn calories but you burn more calories for the next day or so. This is called the afterburn effect. The more time you spend in the Orange zone, the higher the afterburn effect.
To participate, you need a heart rate monitor and not just any heart rate monitor but the OTF-​branded monitor. It’s $ 34 dollars I think. I personally think it’s worth it and you can use it on your own using apps on your phone. This heart rate monitor links directly to the TV monitors in the training room so you can watch your heart rate real time and see how many calories you’re burning.
Pros:
–This workout is for everyone. I’ve taken branded bootcamp-​style workouts (I’m looking at you, Barry’s Bootcamp) where I felt like I needed to be in pretty good shape to feel comfortable. This place offers modifications for all levels and even accommodates for injuries. There are folks here from all different levels of fitness abilities so it’s never intimidating to go to these classes.
–You can challenge yourself by monitoring your results and adjusting as needed. Herein lies the genius of this program.
–Combo of cardio, HIIT, and strength training. Due to thee nature of the program, your heart rate will rarely drop low because you’re moving from exercise to exercise.
–I’ve taken classes from Kenisha, Jermaine, and Austen and all are fantastic trainers. You’ll get a fantastic workout and they’re also super nice and encouraging. They’ve had a lot of the same trainers since the opening of this location so you can get to know them/​they can get to know you.
–Staff is very accommodating. I’ve asked to be moved to a later class past the cancellation time and they were happy to oblige.
Cons:
–It’d be nice to see the monitors that display your heart rate in the strength training side of the room. You can kinda see if you squint but it’d be nice to have a monitor on that side of the room.