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Iwasn’t always an early bird. Waking up early for a slow coffee and a morning walk before work sounded great in theory—but sleeping in always won. As you can probably imagine, hitting the gym before my 9-to-5 has always been tough—but ever since I tried classes at Orangetheory Fitness, that changed. (And I suppose you can consider me a morning person these days… for the most part).
First, I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a consistent gym goer, let alone someone who signs up for 7 a.m. classes at their own will. I’ve always been more inclined to leisurely jog around the neighborhood after work and hope for the best.
Over time, I realized that method yielded little-to-no results for me, especially given my personal goals to burn calories and increase my endurance. It was time to change how I approached working out. I didn’t really know where to start—but I did know that my best friend had been raving about Orangetheory Fitness for a long time. I was always a little intimidated to try it because I heard classes were intense—but last year, I signed up.
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How Orangetheory Fitness classes work
In August 2024, I arrived at my first-ever class about 20 minutes early. No, it wasn’t a morning class (I eventually got there, I promise!)—it was a guided 6 p.m. Orange 60 class which consisted of about 30 minutes on the weight floor and 30 minutes on the treadmill. I walked into the dimly lit, orange-hued room that was filled with treadmills, rowing machines, workout benches, and dumbbells, not knowing what to expect.
There are two additional classes you can choose from throughout the week at Orangetheory Fitness: the Tread 50 (where you focus on endurance the entire class) and the Strength 50 (where you focus on strength the entire class).
As I settled onto my treadmill, the coach enthusiastically gave everyone the rundown: We’d spend half the class running and walking in intervals, and the other half focusing on strength (lifting dumbbells, working with TRX straps, and using the rower). He’d guide us throughout the workout, and then we’d spend time stretching at the end.
The coach knew it was my first class, so he recommended I borrow one of the gym’s performance monitors to help me track my heart rate. I secured it around the lower half of my arm.
The performance monitor acts like a fitness tracker, tracking your heart rate throughout the duration of the class and gives you a visual representation of how hard you’re working and recovering. But it syncs to the OrangeTheory machine you’re working on (like the treadmill or rower) via Bluetooth and gives you metrics in real time, including which “Zone” you’re in as you’re working out:
Zone 1, the Gray Zone (50-60% max heart rate)Zone 2, the Blue Zone (61-70% max heart rate)Zone 3, the Green Zone (71-83% max heart rate)Zone 4, the Orange Zone (84-91% max heart rate)Zone 5, the Red Zone (92-100% max heart rate)
The coach explained that the goal is to spend 12 to 20 minutes in the Orange Zone to gain 12 to 20 “Splat Points” (you’ll gain one Splat Point per minute when you enter the Orange Zone). When you reach that point, your metabolism will be working so hard that you’ll continue to burn calories even 24 hours after class, according to the brand. Plus, during the workout, you’ll also be able to see how many calories you’re burning in real time.
As someone who knew nothing about tracking my heart rate and calories prior to my first class, Orangetheory Fitness made it shockingly simple.
Throughout the class, I also appreciated how the coach guided everyone in the room. This allowed me to essentially turn my brain off for an hour and focus solely on exercise, letting a professional lead the way. (As someone who is constantly overthinking—even during workouts—this was a refreshing surprise.)
At the end of class, I felt energized and confident that I got a substantial workout in.
How Orangetheory Fitness classes changed my fitness game
Needless to say, I kept going to classes—and this morning, I attended my 90th one! Yes, I began looking forward to them so much that I started waking up early to attend the 7 a.m. workouts on a regular basis. (As a non-morning person, this is a huge deal). Sure, I don’t go every day, and I took a long break in 2025 after a medical procedure, but I try to go two to four days per week now.
Now, instead of dreading my alarm, I look forward to starting my day with a guided combination of strength and endurance training. (Plus, the music the coaches play is usually super catchy, and I love a good playlist). Over time, I also realized that each class is different, which makes each morning a bit more exciting.
Credit: Orangetheory Fitness
If you’ve been thinking about trying Orangetheory, now’s a good time—they’re offering your first month free if you sign up for the Premier Membership and get a performance monitor. It’s $291 for unlimited classes (about $18 each if you go regularly), and you’ll use their app and tracker to follow your workouts. The deal ends March 24 and requires two months, but after that you can cancel anytime.
If you’re setting new goals to keep a closer eye on your workout metrics, I highly suggest trying it.
Amanda (she/her) is a writer and editor covering deals, trends and sales. She has almost a decade of experience in digital journalism, including more than five years in e-commerce at brands like Bustle Digital Group and TODAY. Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in journalism from Ramapo College of New Jersey. When she’s not working, you can find her writing songs.
