Solana Beach Spotlight: Orangetheory Fitness
James with class regulars after a busy class - classes typically fill up around typical working hours.
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the leaders of Orangetheory: Solana Beach - James, Head Coach, and Steph, Studio Manager.
We spoke about community, training, how to act as proactive resources for those coming through our doors.
Steph, James, and myself after my first class in Solana Beach!
Orangetheory is a boutique fitness studio that incorporates HIIT (high-intensity interval training) with long recovery periods. Classes typically utilize three primary stations: treadmill, indoor rowing, and weight training. Each class will be catered with an endurance, power, strength, or combination emphasis. Upon checking in for each class, attendees put on a heart rate monitor that is synchronized with the studio’s software and display panels which are located on the studio floor. The display boards utilize a color-coding system to describe different heart rate zones - each part of the workout has a targeted zone. When targeted heart rate zones are acquired, attendees are awarded with “splat points”, or a trademarked metric to track effort progression.
James and Steph were kind enough to set aside time from their busy schedules to sit and chat about what the Solana Beach franchise has to offer, and why you should give them a try!
Coaches guide each member through each movement and pattern, incorporating subtle cues and words of encouragement. Members are given breaks between sets to give each other high-fives and offer support.
James, a Sacramento native and CSU Monterey Bay product, has been coaching Orangetheory members for almost 4 years. “I worked out of a few wellness centers during and after college in the Bay Area, as well as coaching team sports. I loved the sense of community that team sports had to offer, but that often doesn’t translate out of the academic realm. After working for a bit after school in the Bay, I needed a change and moved down to San Diego. I had one interview at Orangetheory and I was bought in to the inclusive community that their studios created.”
Steph, a San Diego local and Point Loma Nazarene University graduate, started working at Orangetheory after finishing her bachelors in Kinesiology and has since worked her way up to studio manager. “I grew up playing softball, water polo, I was on several surf teams, but that ended when school finished. I think that Orangetheory and other boutique fitness studios offer that sense of friendship and family. That’s why you see more studios and gyms like this becoming more popular, the conventional model isn’t cutting it anymore.”
Orangetheory workouts are calculated, to say the least. Every movement, every sprint, every rest period, is all designed to acquire “splat points” within the “Orange Zone”. Here we dive into what really is the theory behind Orangetheory. Created by exercise physiologist Ellen Letham, Orangetheory designs its classes to push members heart rates into the Orange Zone, or 84%-91% of their maximum heart rate. Members are issued OTconnect devices, Orangetheory’s patented heart rate monitor and performance indicator. Each individual’s performance data is displayed on monitors on the studio floor, allowing each member to see how they’re doing. A color coding system is implemented to make sure that members are resting when they need to rest (Green), but pushing when they need to push (Red).
See the statistics from my first class below!
Class totals allow give members the opportunity to reflect on each workout’s performance. The Splat Points are the previously mentioned target heart rates.
Each color represents a different heart rate zone and effort level.
Gray = Very Light Activity
Blue = Warm Up
Green = Challenging But Doable
Orange = Orange Effect, Uncomfortable
Red = All Out Effort
All Time metrics allow members to track monthly and annual numbers, allowing them to analyze performance and maintain goals. Having only taken one class, my All Time totals match my Class totals.
More information on the metrics and science behind them can be found here.
The crux of each Orangetheory workout is the coach’s role. In a fitness world that is unregulated and unstandardized, Orangetheory created their own in-depth coaching courses to ensure every member’s needs are met. When touching on the topic of education, James had this to say, “Our coaches go through a pretty significant training schedule. We want to make sure that the product, the classes, is uniform whether you’re taking a class in San Diego or a class in New York. To start, each potential coach goes through a full, 40-hour week of training. After that baseline has been established and expectations have been set, candidates go through what we call a ‘5-5-5’. This includes observing 5 classes, floor coaching 5 classes, and then performing 5 mock classes. Some people knock these out in a matter of a week or so, some people draw it out over months. Each step needs to be met to attain our OTcert, or Orangetheory’s coaching certification.”
OTcertified coaches need to lead members of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds through weight training, cardio, and mobility flows.
San Diego native, Steph, has seen how the community has been drawn to and accepted Orangetheory and like-minded businesses/services over the years, “I’ve lived in the San Diego area my whole life. Seeing Orangetheory and other fitness studios pop up, is really about the community. Community is everything. Conventional or commercial gyms just don’t offer the same sense. We see people people achieve real results, and that’s always awesome, but we also see people find their community community, not just their gym community. Members link up, explore different ventures, hang out outside of class - that’s the coolest thing. We do our best as a studio to stay involved in the community and give resources or opportunities for members to better themselves and try new things.” Compounding on that, James had this to say, “We’re always looking for like-minded resources or people to expose our members to. For instance, we’ve partnered with StretchLab Solana Beach and Road Runner Sports Solana Beach for events and pop-ups, we host workshops in house, and team up with other OrangeTheory locations to host classes in different environments. We just had an outdoor class in Mission Bay with several other San Diego studios and their members.”
In my opinion, Orangetheory’s biggest appeal is that community and that culture the franchise has been able to develop. After checking in prior to class starting, members were engaging with each other, catching up, laughing. In the class, attendees are picking each other up and encouraging one another. Coach James offered guidance, optimism, confidence, but the class itself was very member-centric and lead. People came to this workout to better themselves, but they worked for each other once they got there.
I’d recommend Orangetheory for those who want a full-body workout with a bit of intensity. I’d recommend the studio for those wanting a lively, team-based environment focused on achieving goals together. If you’re a fan of conventional training but are tired of conventional gyms or want a sense of community or guidance, check the offer below!
Orangetheory offers free first classes for those looking to join their community! They ask for prospective members to arrive 30 minutes prior to their class to speak on individualized goals and limitations. This is also when your fitness monitor is assigned! The coaches will then explain what to aim for in your workout.
More questions? Here is Orangetheory’s frequently asked questions page. You can follow Orangetheory Solana Beach’s Instagram here and like their Facebook page here.