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Wellness > Health

Trying Orangetheory for the First Time

Ashley Quinones
Arden Ericson
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

The year 2021 is a year of opportunity and change for many people, and with that, I decided to try something I have been wanting to try for a long time — Orangetheory. 

 

Orangetheory is a workout class like no other. It is a 45 to 60 minute workout that consists of three different full-body workouts. The workouts overall are formatted towards strength, power and endurance. 

 

The stations are divided evenly amongst the class time. You spend time on the treadmill, rower and strength floor evenly and as directed by the coach of your class. 

One thing that intrigued me the most about this class is the focus on your heart rate. Heart rate is an important part of my workout that I do not focus on enough. Your coach explains to you in your first class that the way the workout is formatted is called Heart Rate Based Interval Training. 

 

With this workout you are able to burn double the amount of calories that you usually burn in the same day after your class time. This is amazing and so efficient. 

 

The first thing that intrigued me about Orangetheory was the abundance of good reviews by my friends here in State College. It is convenient, effective and encourages so many students to participate for just an hour each day. After hearing so many positive reviews, I thought it would be the perfect workout while I am at school. 

 

I scheduled a class for a free trial, and they were able to fit me into the schedule at my convenience. Another thing that I liked and noticed about this was how many questions they asked me prior to attending the class. They wanted to know what I wanted to get out of these classes and what change I wanted in my body. 

 

I enjoyed this sense of community and the amount of concern they have for each person that comes into their gym everyday. As I walked into my first class I was greeted by multiple coaches who already knew my name and had a huge smile on their face ready for my arrival. 

 

They first gave me a tour of what the class was going to look like. I won’t lie, I was definitely nervous about this workout because I had heard from many people that it was very hard to get through. I doubted myself and did not think I was going to push myself through the exercises before even starting. 

 

They set me up with a heart rate monitor, and we were all set to go for the class. I started off with the rower and was definitely a little confused getting started. As this class kept going I found my rhythm with each exercise. I loved how fast each portion of the workout felt. 

 

The class went by so quickly, I didn’t even notice the time that went by. I was able to keep track of my heart rate throughout the class and see the number of splat points that I accomplished just through my first workout. 

 

After the class finished, I felt so accomplished. Even though I thought most people were judging the “new girl,” I know that no one actually cared but myself, and I felt love from this new community. I am so excited to embark on this workout journey with Orangetheory Fitness while I am at school. 

 

I definitely recommend anyone who is curious about this form of workout to try it out. The free trial is great, and if you like it, take it from there. The hardest part is always showing up. 

 

That’s what you have to do to make your goals a reality.

I am a Junior at Penn State studying Public Relations with a minor in Digital Media Trends and Analytics. I love fashion, food, and anything beauty-related which can be found a common trend throughout my articles.
Arden Ericson will graduate Penn State in May of 2023. As one of the Campus Correspondents for Her Campus at PSU, she is a double-major in Public Relations and French Language. After graduation, she will pursue a career that combines her passion for educational equity, social justice and French.