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A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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Why OrangeTheory is My Favorite Workout Class

July 23, 2018 by Taylor Leave a Comment

Why OTF is My Favorite Workout Class - Espresso and Ambition

Last summer, I wrote a post comparing my experiences at SoulCycle and Pure Barre. And recently, I tested out OrangeTheory for the first time. Originally, my plan was to make a mega-post that compared all three of these “cult favorite” workout classes, but it feels odd to re-use old content, and, considering I haven’t been to a SoulCycle or a Pure Barre class recently, I feel like I can’t really add any new information beyond what I already talked about in my earlier post.

I can, however, talk about why OrangeTheory was my favorite of the three.

 

Reason #1: It’s scientifically-backed

OrangeTheory is based on this concept of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which means… exactly what it sounds like. When you get your heart rate up and keep it at that elevated rate, your body naturally uses more oxygen – even after the workout has ended. As a result, your metabolic rate stays elevated throughout the day. Keeping your heart rate in that 75-85% of your max (the orange zone) for a certain period of time should, theoretically, allow you to continue to burn calories at a higher rate – hence the name, OrangeTheory.

 

Reason #2: It’s customizable

This isn’t so much a reason I personally love it, but more of a reason why I think it’s great in general. Most of the class can be adjusted based on personal level of fitness, instead of the more one-size-fits-all methods of a lot of other workout programs. On the treadmills, you can be the person who power-walks the whole time, or you can be the person who’s maxing out the speed during the “all-out” segments. You can use super-heavy weights during floor work or you can use 5-pound dumbbells. It’s all a matter of what your body can do. For that reason, I think it’s fantastic for people who are just getting into fitness and want a controlled environment where they can ease into it gradually.

 

Reason #3: It’s a challenge

There’s just something about seeing your stats reflected back at you throughout the workout that makes you want to push harder. Or… maybe I’m just extremely competitive (yes, even with myself). But if you’re like me in that regard, you’ll definitely get a kick out of watching your numbers throughout the workout and forcing yourself into that extra little push to get into that orange zone.

 

Reason #4: It’s easy to integrate into an existing routine

 I really love the way the OrangeTheory plans are packaged. Basically, you can purchase a given number of classes per month. During the month I was using it, I had the 8 classes per month plan, which meant that I was going to OrangeTheory twice a week, leaving me four other training days and a rest day. (As a side note: a six-day-a-week training schedule is what I like, but honestly, it’s definitely not a necessity for good fitness levels.) Other plans – like unlimited classes per month – make it hard to combine with an existing training program (at least for me), because I feel guilty for not making the most of the “unlimited” aspect.

 

Workout classes definitely aren’t the only way to achieve your fitness goals (I mean, I’m not currently doing any classes and I’m doing just fine), but they sure are a fun one. If you have a favorite workout class, let me know in the comments!

xo, Taylor

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Meet Taylor

A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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tayy_kay

📍 dc
🔥 nasm certified personal trainer
✨ self-love + balance
🎥 2 new workouts per week!

tayy_kay
without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little c without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little challenging to really feel like i’m working at my full potential on leg days 😶 enter: single-leg movements. since all the weight is in one leg, you’re putting way more emphasis on it than you do during two-leg movements - and you’ll definitely feel that 🔥 you also get some added bonuses in the form of ensuring you’re working each side of your body equally AND a balance challenge!!
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you can add in weights or bands to up the challenge level, or do it all bodyweight like i am here!
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1️⃣ 15 single-leg box squats per leg (use other leg as a kickstand for an easier modification!)
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2️⃣ 15 bulgarian split squats per leg
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3️⃣ 15 single-leg hip thrusts per leg
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4️⃣ 15 single-leg deadlifts per leg
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throw on at the end of a longer leg day workout or do it 3-4 times as a workout all on its own!!
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👚 @girlfriend 🎧 numb - neffex
🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time 🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time to be alive, and it’s more important now than ever to listen to your body and stop being so hard on yourself. motivation is a fickle thing and working out when you don’t have all the equipment you love is weird. give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. don’t beat yourself up for missing workouts - exercise should be something you do because it makes you happy, not because you feel like you have to punish yourself. if it doesn’t make you happy that day, that’s okay. give yourself a break, come back and try again tomorrow. 💪🏼
circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not kidding about how much i love this long resistance band, it’s so versatile! definitely worth getting your hands on one for home workouts 😊 (although almost all of these can be completely with dumbbells or heavy objects if that’s what you’ve got in hand)
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also please watch to the very end of the fourth video for quality footage of greg 😂
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1️⃣ 12 long band shoulder presses to standing chest presses
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2️⃣ 12 upright rows to bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 overhead triceps extensions per arm (the one leg stance is some bonus balance work!)
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4️⃣ 12 rear flies, featuring greg trying to fight my shadow
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5️⃣ 12 commandos
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6️⃣ 12 side-to-side pushups
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repeat 4x total!!
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👚 @underarmourwomen
🎧 best of me - neffex
giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, cra giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, crazy time in the world a little differently, and for me, it’s looked like a lot of establishing to and sticking to routines (seriously, sometimes it feels like my skincare routine and workout split are the only thing still giving meaning to days of the week, lol). my morning smoothies have been another important one - there’s a recipe in my story highlights and surprise surprise it uses this protein powder 😛
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anyways, onto the real reason you’re here! i’m giving away 25 $20 giftcards for @310nutrition with NO STRINGS ATTACHED 🤯 you hear that? you ain’t gotta do a thing to win - the first 25 people to use the code KAYGC20 on their order automatically win. get your hands on some fire plant-based protein powder, courtesy of me and 310 😋 (p.s. if you’re still seeing this caption, there are still giftcards available!!)
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#310gc20 #310shake
sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and hold a fake photo shoot just to prove to yourself that you’re still a real human
posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangen posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangentially topical. link in bio.
upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating towards circuit-style workouts lately, because they really work up a sweat and home workouts just don’t feel as legit to me unless i’m hardcore sweating 🤷🏼‍♀️ i don’t mind not breaking much of a sweat at the gym, but it feels weird not to when i’m working out at home - anyone else feel this or am i just weird?? 😅
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do all exercises back to back with no rest in between!
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1️⃣ 10 push-ups to renegade rows
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2️⃣ 12 alternating bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 diamond front raises
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4️⃣ 8 sets of 3 tricep pulses to this lil cross-body weight move that doesn’t have a name {keep your core tight to feel it on your obliques!}
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5️⃣ 15 bent-over rear delt rows
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6️⃣ finisher!! 🥵 10 burpees with 2 shoulder taps and 2 toe taps in the middle of each rep
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repeat 🔁 for a total of 3 rounds!!
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👚 top from @gymsharkwomen, shorts from @nike 🎧 dangerous - neffex
would be nice if both sides of my head could agree would be nice if both sides of my head could agree on whether my hair is wavy or straight, but apparently that’s a little too much to ask of it 😂
got a circuit-style leg workout for you today! 🥳 there are 3 sets of 3 exercises that you’ll complete back-to-back - once you’ve done those three moves, rest for 30 seconds before repeating them all over again 2 more times! rest for 1-2 minutes in between each circuit - keeping your heart rate up is the goal here, i was driiiiiiipping sweat by the end of this one 🥵
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circuit 1️⃣: 10 step-ups to reverse lunges per leg
10 reverse lunges to curtsy lunges per leg
20 lateral lunges
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circuit 2️⃣:
10 squats to surrenders (stop in a squat position before standing up at the end to really feel this one)
10 stagger-stance rdls
20 criss-cross squat jumps
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circuit 3️⃣:
15 leg lifts per side
10 single-leg glute bridges per side
15 frog pumps
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👚 top from @fabletics, joggers from @gymsharkwomen
🎧 watch me - neffex
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