Orangetheory Fitness

Orangetheory in general provides a high intensity workout everytime. Of course, you still get out of it what you put in.
I was a member before. I mainly went to the Countryside location then. The workouts have changed and are harder than I remembered. This facility is convenient since it’s on a major road and near restaurants to pick up food on the way home.
The instructors are good and encouraging. I’ve only taken 2 classes here so far so no instructor stands out yet. It’s expensive but I like it.

Ah, PUSH it
Ah, PUSH it
Oooh, baby, baby
Baby, baby
Oooh, baby, baby
Baby, baby
Get up on this! Right now, seriously take advantage of that ONE time FREE offer for class.
OrangeTheory is the perfect place for ppl who are unfit mentally. You know that feeling you get every time you even «think» about working out — then you roll over and go back to sleep. Yeah the struggle is real.
OT isn’t a gym fad like «curves» because it’s backed by science. You wear a heart-​rate monitor during training and the workouts are designed to keep heart rates in a target zone that spikes metabolism and increases energy. Throughout the workout you can view your progress on various screens and determine if you need to PUSH yourself. I never thought my body was even physically capable of a hour of non-​stop full body workout. After three (3) classes I was able to see results immediately — physically and mentally.
They said the first step is the hardest — and it usually is if you aren’t running.

How the heck do you rate a place like this? I mean, I am not a work-​out-​aholic. I’m a runner, but that has only made me a bit faster, with a lot of stamina, and very weak. Therefore, I figured I needed to add something to my running routine. My point is, how do I say I am a fan of a place that I always wants to vomit when I’m leaving? How do I say, «as good as it gets,» when frankly, a pizza and ice cream is as good as it gets — this place i dread walking into.
So, I guess I start with the staff — outside of being technologically deficient, they are very friendly and helpful, and as this is a gym, non-​judgmental. It would have been nice had they sent in my information to their corporate office or wherever after I signed up so I could sign into the app/​website and sign up for classes, but that was easily resolved. And it would have been nice when I signed up for a 10 class package with 2 thrown in, if my account showed 12 classes remaining instead of 9 (hadn’t used a class yet), but that was also easily resolved.
The facilities are smallish and a bit cramped, but everything is modern and easy to use. They also, blissfully, keep the place air conditioned with fans, so while you’re sweating and want to die, at least you’re a bit more comfortable.
The classes are rough. They really work you out. There are varying setups, but basically, you rotate time on a treadmill, a rower, and with weights. Not every «weight room» exercise uses weights (my first class, the torturous devil trainer threw in burpies), but you get the idea. You work in a circuit until you basically kill yourself. That is the point, to work yourself to death.
So, this isn’t a glowing review, but keep in mind, this is a gym. I shouldn’t walk out of here feeling happy or rested. You should walk out feeling like you just got run over by a truck. I assume that as time goes on, it’ll get easier (i.e., I won’t have to throw up afterwards), but then I’ll just have to work myself harder. So with those things considered, this is as good a workout as I think you’ll get.
I’m removing a star because while I appreciate that they let me join, they really need to control their memberships. The place has a limited number of people who can join each class — obviously, these are specific work out routines and there’s only so many treadmills, rowers, and spots in the weight room. Therefore, unless you know your schedule and sign up weeks in advance, you’re going to be put on a wait list. That in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but it does make it hard to know if you’re going to get in to a class or not when you can’t plan your weeks a month in advance. Basically, what people do is sign up for the best class (the 6:30) every day and then just cancel the day before or day of if they can’t or don’t want to make it. I don’t know how you control these things, but they need to do a better job because it’s not right that they sign up so many people that you can’t get into a class that fits your schedule without being wait listed and having to wait until possibly right before class starts to find out if you get in. Either you should be limited to how many classes you can be signed up for (e.g., only allow you to sign up for 3 or 4 classes and you can’t sign up for more until you take one of those or cancel), or they should limit their memberships, or simply open more facilities.
All of that said, it’s a 4 star gym if you like being worked out until you vomit, and really, who doesn’t?

I have tried 4 OTF locations in Pinellas & Hillsborough and this flagship St Pete location has consistently the best workouts and instructors.
Equipment is up-​to-​date and rarely you have a machine out of order. The only downside is the treadmills here do not have fans. That said, only the Largo OTF out of the four stores I visited have treadmills with fans. I also like that this location has stair-​steps in their weight room for leg work purposes. The Clearwater location doesn’t.
All of the instructors have been very good and know how to push you. The quality of the instructor can make or break the class. If i have a lackluster instructor then I don’t push myself as hard. This location has great instructors with fun personalities. The instructors at this location have been consistently better than the other Pi
Admin Service can honesty be hit or miss at this location. Largo and Clearwater have nicer admin folks and have always called me back if they miss my call. Sometimes the admin folks at St Pete are nice sometimes they are very short. You can call and sometimes no one answers the phone. But never has any OTF person been judgmental so that’s nice.
Music is played throughout the workout to keep the mood upbeat. I’ve mostly heard music from rock & hiphop. It’s up to the instructor what music is played so you have to try a few people to see what suits you. Occasionally someone will bust out the country during the 5 min cool downs but you can leave at that point. Haha.
The workouts can be tough here but you can totally tailor them to your fitness level. Even if you’re a speed walker, you can do this! No one is judging you to go faster. Because you have a heart monitor You see your calorie-​burning progress on a TV screen and as long as you are in the orange or green you know you are getting a good workout. I like that it takes the guess work out because then you don’t have to wonder «am I pushing my self enough?»
This is a great workout for people who want to lose weight or maintain. Half the class is aerobic the other half is weights/​strength training. Although I think This is not for people already in shape and who want to seriously bulk up or tone, it is a great place to cross-​train if you are a runner. If you’re a runner, they consistently have incline running routines (power walkers just walk uphill) to help you since Florida is so flat. But there was not enough concentration on weights for me. For what I am paying I thought the instructors would be more hands-​on with the weights but they aren’t in general although this location does better than the other 4 I visited.
The only big negative to this location is that it is so popular that you have to book a class weeks in advance. For busy professionals like me that is not convenient, especially when you are paying $ 99/​mo (or more for elite packages). You can just decide the day before you want to take a class because you will be on a waitlist. And there waitlists are often 15 people deep. If try to play it smart and you book weeks in advance you better cancel more than 24 hrs in advance or else you get a late cancel fee.

I’m sure it’s great for a lot of people, but seriously I can’t do it. I thought I was going to pass out! The only exercise I do is 30 to 45 minutes of walking, so the first time I tried OT I felt discouraged, and then I felt like I was literally going to drop on the ground.

Where do I start? Hands-​down the best gym/​studuo I’ve ever been a member of. Super friendly staff take away any anxiety when I first walked in and was confused if this gym was for me. Being a guy and thinking the studio was mainly for women I had misconceptions about it, but it turns out, guys just dont show up as much in advance as the women do :) All of the coaches have their own vibe & music in class which makes it different every time I come which is one of my favorite parts of coming, is music and workout are completely different every time I come. Joining at 231lbs and now 212lbs I owe it all to Orange Theory. Just wish I had started sooner. Anyone on the fence should just call and try a class for FREE.

I am deleting my hasty positive review because I discovered the opposite.

I like orange theory when I went there, but the lack of a good warm up at the beginning wasn’t for this oft-​injured body. I hurt my calf once and knee once generally early on. If they had a good stretching session at the beginning for those who have a bit more mileage I’d have rated it higher. The workouts will make you sweat and you’ll feel good for a week.

Okay, so I LOVE Orangetheory. I have nothing but good things to say, especially about this studio.
First off, it’s a judgment-​free zone. That is incredibly hard to find in a gym. EVERYONE of ALL fitness levels can come here. I love it.
So here’s how it goes, you show up, check in, and make sure your heart-​rate monitor is on. I’ll get more into detail with that later…
The instructor (there’s a bunch of them and they all ROCK) will tell you what kind of workout you will be doing– strength, training, or endurance… maybe a blend of em all! And then they get the music pumpin and you start the class!
Most classes are an hour long and half the class is cardio, with the other half being weight training. I personally like starting on cardio, but the choice of where to start is totally up to you!
So on your cardio block, you can either do walking, running, or jogging and you vary between your base pace, push pace, and your all-​out pace. The instructors let you know when and for how long you will be at each pace and walk you through everything! For the weight-​room, if you have any injuries or ailments they can modify any workout for you!
During the entire class your heart-​rate will appear up on the screen and instructors will let you know what zone you should be in.
All in all, its such a good place and great way to workout! I love it!

This location is older, but the coaches seem younger! I really enjoy the format, but also having the ability to tailor my workout to that day’s capabilities. Let’s face it, I can’t always bring 1000% to a workout — but OTF is almost always able to pull me up from when I walk in the door.

If you want to transform your body… THIS is the place! I joined in 2012 and dropped 2 sizes in 6 weeks… I just signed back up after a long hiatus and the results are just astounding. Instructors are all super motivating and make class FUN! It will kick your a**, but in a good way…

I love the workout at Orangetheory. I have been several times to this location, and each time there are different expectations. That keeps me on my toes, I never get bored, as things are always changing. Everyone I have encountered at the front desk has been helpful. The trainers are wonderful. They are equal parts motivating and encouraging. My weight room skills are a bit on the shaky side; corrections to my sometimes awkward techniques are met with positive critiques. My only (major) issue here is this: faulty pods. I am paying a monthly fee for a specific service. Part of that service includes working equipment. I feel out of sorts if I cannot track my progress. It is like going to a Sports Bar… with no tvs. Hopefully this issue gets rectified with a quickness… I need my stats!

Best possible workout in one hour! Ross was my coach and he was great– very motivating and always showed me modifications as needed. Very high energy class with great music! I would recommend to anyone.

Experienced, personable and knowledgeable staff from the front desk to the trainers. They are all rooting for you. Great coaching for safety and results. Top notch. Cost was more than my budget allowed for any extended period.

Orange Theory is crazy! I got my ass kicked in that hour doing this workout, but it was awesome. The place is super clean, and the instructors and other staff are really nice.
During this workout, the class is split into two halves. One half is doing cardio while the other is doing strength training. While the actual workout itself changes, the premise is the same.
When I went, I did 26 minutes on the treadmill. It was all intervals, and what I was doing changed according to the instructor’s directions. Walkers increase/​decrease the incline while runners increase/​decrease the speed. The toning was 26 minutes as well and has a set of three or four workouts that people repeat until time is up.
All the while, I had a heart monitor strapped to my chest, and my classmates’ and my progress was posted on the TV. This way, I knew my heart rate at all times and strived to get it into certain zones. There were time goals for which zones I wanted to be in and for how long.
My only complaint is not all the instructors are as good as the others. And not all the desk clerks are as efficient as the others.
It was super hard and super fun, but I will definitely be back.

Always works for me!
If you want to get fit in the fastest time possible, and workout for less time for the same results as spending hours in a regular gym, then Orangetheory is for you. I used to spend 2 – 3 hours in a gym at a time before I moved to the US — now all I need to do is one hour at Orangetheory and I get the same results :-).
It is a hard workout but it definitely works.

Simply the best workout experience I have ever had.
After meeting Amber and Troy at a 5k run and doing their warm-​ups, then talking to them afterwards about Orange Theory, my wife and I got a free 1-​week pass to come try it out. I was admittedly skeptical at first, and I was bracing myself for a hard-​sell to sign up when the trial was done.
The workout was great. I went 5 days in that trial week, and felt stronger, more energized, and generally better than I had in a long time. And I lost a few pounds. When the end of the trial came, they simply explained what their packages were, no contracts, and no hard sell. We signed up that day for the unlimited membership and have not regretted it.
I have lost nearly 20 lbs since I started. I am stronger than i was, feel better physically and mentally, and have WAY more energy. I look better, too.
The Orange Theory workout — form my perspective — splits up the hour-​long session into two different parts: rowing/​floor/​weights and treadmill. Each floor session usually targets certain areas; legs, arms, core… and then the treadmill give you that cardio. The idea is to get your heart-​rate into the «orange» area, something like 82%-92% of your max heart-​rate. This is apparently where the most calorie burning goes on. You wear a heart-​rate monitor on a strap around your chest (under your shirt) and your rate is displayed on a screen above the gym. At the end, you can see how much time you spent in the blue, green, orange, and red zones.
All the trainers are certified personal trainers and REALLY know their stuff. Helpful, positive, motivating, and generally just good people.