Orangetheory Fitness is a boutique fitness studio franchise based in Boca Raton, Florida. As of December 2019, the chain includes over 1,200 studios in all 50 U.S. states and over 23 countries. Since its founding in 2010, the chain has expanded rapidly, surpassing $1 billion in systemwide sales in 2018. As of 2020, the chain has over one million members.
Background
Orangetheory workouts are a form of high-intensity interval training, alternating between short periods of intense exercise and long recovery periods. These hour-long sessions are designed to generate excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Studios are split into three stations: treadmill, indoor rowing, and weight training. Attendees cycle between these stations over the course of a session. Workouts are categorized as emphasizing endurance, power, or strength, or a combination of the three. Workout sessions are group exercises led by a coach. Classes are pre-designed and not divulged to attendees prior to arrival. Members can book classes through the Orangetheory app which displays the location, day and time of open classes as well as which coach will be teaching. Members have the option to book classes at any OTF location around the world. There are five heart rate zones used in the Orangetheory workout; grey, blue, green, orange, and red.
The grey zone is 0-60 percent of your maximum heart-rate. This is the most comfortable zone, and is also known as your resting heart rate.
The blue zone is 61-70 percent of your maximum heart-rate. This is your known as warm-up period, as you start to increase your intensity.
The green zone is 71-83 percent of your maximum heart-rate. This is known as your comfortable and fat burning zone. You want to aim to stay in this zone for 25 to 35 minutes of your workout.
The orange zone is 84-91 percent of your maximum heart-rate. This is where you feel uncomfortable, which creates EPOC, otherwise known as the after burn effect. You should aim to stay in this zone for at least 12 minutes of your workout.
The red zone is 92-100 percent of your maximum heart-rate. This is where you "empty your tank" and use all of the energy you have at that moment.
Each attendee has the option to wear a branded heart rate monitor that is synchronized to a screen displaying performance metrics for the entire class. Attendees are encouraged to accumulate "splat points," which are based on the amount of time spent in the orange and red heart rate zones, in order to achieve the EPOC effect. Statistics are delivered to each member after each workout via email and a mobile app.
Technology
Heart rate monitors are to be worn around the chest or forearm. All metrics are shown on screens within the studio and for updated studios, they are shown on tablets attached to the treadmills. OTF recently partnered with InBody to give members the opportunity to see their body composition analysis through the InBody Test. The test is performed by standing barefoot on the scale while it measures the weight. It then measures limb weight by standing still with arms out at a 45-degree angle while holding scanners. This 15 second test provides the user with a summary of statistics such as their metabolic rate, skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, and more. This test gives more information than a normal scale allowing users to pinpoint areas of improvement. After completing the scan, users are asked to enter their email to get a copy of their in-depth summary.
Social involvement
The main goal of OTF is to bring people together, and in a typical class, there will be members of all ages and all activity levels working towards the same goal. 75% of Orangetheory employees are millennials. To keep members young and old interested, there are seven themed challenges throughout the year to promote a healthier life. The challenges are: Transformation Challenge, Dri-Tri, Marathon, All Out Mayhem, Hell Week, Orange Voyage, and 12 Days of Fitness. They keep members interested with these challenges by offering fun theme workouts and apparel such as t-shirts, hats, or socks, for completing so many days of the challenge.
Corporate history
Orangetheory Fitness was founded by exercise physiologist Ellen Latham, Jerome Kern, and David Long in March 2010. It is the successor to a Fort Lauderdale-based Pilates studio, "Ellen's Ultimate Workout", founded by Latham in the late 1990s. Orangetheory Fitness was ranked #415 in Inc. magazine's "Fastest-Growing Private Companies" list and #255 in Entrepreneur magazine's 2016 "Franchise 500" list of top franchises in the world. Its position on the "Franchise 500" rose to #25 in 2019 and #43 in 2020.
Documentary
Momentum Shift was released October 21, 2019. This short documentary follows founder Ellen Latham's journey to begin Orangetheory Fitness and how the company got to the success level that it has today.
