Today was Orange Theory day.
I signed up for Orange Theory last month. Orange Theory is a fitness studio. I know a fair number of people who have worked out there and like it so I decided to give it a try. Quite honestly, before I signed up last month I wondered whether I was "fit" enough to work out there. I didn't want to feel like death 10 minutes into an hour long class...
Well, never mind. That has yet to happen.
Orange Theory workouts are based on heart rate monitoring and the concept of Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption. The "theory" is that if you are able to spend anywhere over 12 minutes in your "orange" heart rate zone your body goes into an oxygen debt and your body can continue to burn extra calories for up to 36 hours. The recommendation/goal is 12-20 minutes. Your "orange" heart rate zone is 84 -91% of your "maximum" heart rate. Your "maximum" heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220. I'm 50 so that makes my "maximum" heart rate 170. I say "maximum" as this is a calculation. I have had my heart rate up over 220 lots of times while doing speed work.
Anyway, my first class was free. After that it's $59 a month for 4 classes and goes up from there. You have to use their proprietary heart rate monitor so it was $69 to buy one that goes around your arm or $5 a class to rent. Quite honestly, after the first class I seriously had doubts I would do this for any length of time so I chose to rent the heart rate monitor.
After my second class I questioned whether I even needed to wear the heart rate monitor. The class is divided up into workouts on the treadmill, rower, and weights. The minute I started running, even at the 5.5 mph (10:54 pace) warm up pace, my heart rate shot up to over 100%. In fact during my first class my instructor even came over and asked if I was OK. My thinking is that if this is their "theory" then I don't need their heart rate monitor to tell me my heart rate is over 143 (which is the bottom of my orange zone).
My heart rate has always been in the orange zone for over 20 minutes every class I've taken. Basically whenever I'm running I'm orange to red. Red is 92-100%. This lead me to another question... if my heart rate is in the orange zone every time I go running, and you only need 12 minutes of orange for a 36 hour after burn, doesn't that mean I'm always burning extra calories? I think not.
Seriously, I even went and looked through my Garmin records to see what my heart rate was when I was in marathon shape as I wanted to know if my heart rate was high because I was out of shape. Nope. It's always that high when I run.
I had to commit to a minimum of a two month membership so I did. My second month expires at the end of June. Until then I'll be going once a week to change up my exercise routine a bit. After that I might look for another recovery day activity. I guess I'm just not as enamored by the work out like some of my friends. Don't get me wrong. I'm a sweatball by the time class is over. I just don't see the value in it.
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