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Orangetheory is a highly regimented group fitness HIIT workout with over one million members worldwide. It is a one-hour-long, HIIT-centric workout that relies on your heart rate to burn calories. It is rooted in the caloric after-burn science of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which enables you to continue burning calories even after your workout is over. While Orangetheory is a great option for anyone looking to burn calories, some believe that it is not the best option for building muscle. This is because it does not incorporate periodization, which is the planned manipulation of training variables such as loads, sets, and reps, and it focuses mainly on metabolic training. However, Orangetheory does offer Strength 50 classes designed to help members build muscle mass, improve form, and get stronger physically and mentally.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Focus | Group fitness HIIT workout |
| Workout Style | Metabolic training |
| Benefits | Muscle toning, weight loss, calorie burn, muscle building, overall health, improved heart strength, confidence, mental well-being, sleep quality |
| Drawbacks | Lack of periodization, lack of hypertrophy training, stress on the body |
| Protein Intake | 0.55-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight recommended for endurance/resistance training |
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What You'll Learn
Orangetheory's Strength 50 class
The Strength 50 class is designed to elevate heart strength, confidence, mental well-being, and sleep quality. It also targets the "orange zone", which is 84-91% of your maximum heart rate, for 12 to 20 minutes to boost metabolism, burn fat, and improve cardio-metabolic, cardiorespiratory, and mental health. The class is led by a certified coach to ensure a good workout for participants of all ages and fitness levels.
The Strength 50 class is a welcome addition to Orangetheory's offerings, providing a treadmill-free option that still delivers an effective and engaging workout. The class structure, with clearly set-out sets and reps, ensures that participants can work at their own pace and choose the weights that are right for them. This makes the class accessible and effective for a wide range of fitness levels and goals, from beginners to advanced athletes.
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Orangetheory is not the best option to build muscle
While Orangetheory is a great option for those who want to burn calories, lose weight, and maintain their overall health, it may not be the best choice for building muscle. Here's why:
Orangetheory and similar group fitness classes typically focus on metabolic training, which can be beneficial but may not provide the same muscle-building results as other training methods. Metabolic training is just one type of training, and if done in isolation, it can cause you to miss out on other essential training systems and styles. For example, hypertrophy training, which is crucial for muscle growth, is often absent from these classes.
Additionally, with group fitness classes, you are limited to a set class plan with little room for customization. Structured strength training programs allow for adjustments in intensity or volume, enabling you to progress and adapt your exercises to your specific needs and goals. By increasing the volume or adding weight, you can continue challenging your body and making gains, which is essential for long-term progress.
Orangetheory's high-intensity classes can also be very stressful on the body, and if you're already dealing with stress from other areas of your life, adding these intense workouts can be counterproductive. While they may provide short-term results, the benefits of group training might be overshadowed by the stress they place on your body.
Furthermore, periodization, a key aspect of maximizing muscle growth, is often lacking in group fitness classes. Periodization involves the planned manipulation of training variables such as loads, sets, and reps, and it helps to maximize adaptations and prevent overtraining. Without periodization, your muscle-building efforts may plateau, and you may not see the progress you desire.
While Orangetheory can be a fun and motivating way to stay active, it may not be the most effective method for building muscle and optimizing your fitness routine. To achieve long-term muscle-building goals, consider incorporating structured strength training programs that offer periodization and the ability to customize your workouts.
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Maximise muscle growth with the right protein intake
Orangetheory's Strength 50 classes are designed to help members build muscle mass, improve form, and get stronger physically and mentally. While Orangetheory can help build muscle, it is important to maximise muscle growth with the right protein intake.
Protein is crucial for muscle growth as it helps repair and maintain muscle tissue. It is digested and broken down into amino acids, which are involved in tissue growth and repair, immune function, and energy production. To build muscle, a person must consume more protein than what is broken down. This is referred to as a net positive nitrogen balance, as protein is high in nitrogen. If the body does not get enough protein, it breaks down muscle to provide the body with the amino acids needed to support body functions and preserve more important tissues. This can lead to decreased muscle mass and strength.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) to prevent protein deficiency in minimally active adults is 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. However, newer research suggests that individuals trying to build muscle need more. Increased protein intakes above the RDA may help increase strength and lean body mass when paired with resistance exercise.
The optimal amount of protein for muscle-building is thought to be between 1.2 and 1.6 g per kg of body weight. This means an 81.8 kg male would need to consume between 98 and 131 g of protein daily, combined with resistance training, to support muscle growth. It is important to note that the amount of protein needed varies from person to person, depending on their goals and workout routines.
Some studies have shown that gradually increasing protein intake, even by as little as 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, can help maintain or increase muscle mass. Additionally, muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is maximized in young adults with an intake of ~20–25 g of a high-quality protein; anything above this is believed to be oxidized for energy or transaminated to form alternative bodily compounds.
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Orangetheory's heart-rate-based training
Orangetheory is a highly regimented group fitness HIIT workout with a cult following of one million members around the world. It is a one-hour-long, HIIT-centric workout that relies on your heart rate to torch calories. It is rooted in the "caloric after-burn" science of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which enables you to continue burning calories even after your workout is over.
Orangetheory takes it a step further by measuring your heart rate during the workout, with each member wearing a heart rate monitor to track their progress. The focus is based on individual effort translated into a "splat number," calculated by your heart rate and measured against your age, and then displayed on a board for everyone to see.
Orangetheory's Strength 50 classes are designed to help members build muscle mass, improve form, and get stronger – both physically and mentally. However, some sources suggest that Orangetheory and other group fitness classes mainly focus on metabolic training, and if it's the only type of training you do, you're missing out on other training and energy systems, such as hypertrophy training, which is essential for building muscle.
Additionally, with Orangetheory and other group fitness classes, you are confined to the class plan, and the high-intensity nature of the classes can be very stressful on your body, overshadowing the benefits of group training. However, if Orangetheory helps you stay motivated and active, ensuring you get regular exercise, then it can be a great option to include in your fitness routine.
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Orangetheory's benefits for mental health
Orangetheory is a fitness program that combines group classes with heart-rate-based interval training. While it is well known for its physical benefits, Orangetheory also has a positive impact on mental health.
Orangetheory workouts can help regulate stress and lower the risk of depression or anxiety. Exercise is a helpful way to manage stress, as it helps the body to regulate stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, just 150 minutes of heart-pumping exercise every week (or three Orangetheory classes) can lower your risk of experiencing depression and anxiety by 20%.
Orangetheory workouts can also improve mood, energy, and focus. Maintaining a workout routine can help people feel better about their bodies, their health, their capabilities, and their overall quality of life. This can be especially beneficial for the nearly 50 million American adults experiencing mental illness, who may find relief through exercise.
In addition to the mental health benefits of the workouts themselves, the Orangetheory community also provides support and camaraderie for its members. Many members have made lifelong friends at their studios, and the sense of belonging can improve mental well-being and provide additional motivation to keep up with the workouts.
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Frequently asked questions
Orangetheory is a highly regimented group fitness HIIT workout with over a million members worldwide. It is a one-hour-long, HIIT-centric workout that uses your heart rate to torch calories.
While Orangetheory is great for burning calories and fat, building muscle, and maintaining overall health, it is not the best option for building muscle. This is because it does not incorporate periodization, which is the planned manipulation of training variables such as loads, sets, and reps, that is essential for building muscle.
Structured strength training programs are the best way to build muscle as they allow you to adjust the intensity of your exercises or increase the volume by adding reps or weight.
