OTF has heavy weights- I regularly use the up to 50 lbs dumbells, and they have up to 80lbs. I'm kind of tired of hearing that you can't lift heavy at OTF. Just walk a couple of feet to the heavy weight rack. The workouts are also very different day to day. True no barbells or pull-ups.
Good point. There are definitely heavy dumbbells. Appreciate that feedback. What we should have said is something like "there's a limit the amount of weights you can lift", or "it's not a core part of the culture to lift heavy weights at OTF".
Thanks for the review. I've never done Crossfit, but will probably try it at some point. I have been doing OTF for 2 1/2 years, after living a sedentary lifestyle for over 20 years. And it has changed my life dramatically. I loved your conclusion to the video: "The best choice is the one that keeps you coming back". OTF is best for me because it is the first program that has EVER helped me stick with my goals. I was disappointed to hear that you felt less of a personal community at OTF. I personalities can be different from gym to gym, but the biggest reason I keep coming back is because of the people (both staff & customers) who I look forward to seeing every day. The coaches, especially, made a point of learning what drives me to be better, and are really good at pushing my "buttons". I suspect you'd also see that if you attended classes at an OTF studio long enough for them to get to know you. Again, thanks for the honest review.
That sounds like a great gym. The community ends up meaning more than the workouts in the end, because it helps you stick with it. Glad you found a good one.
They should really talk about the risk for injury at CrossFit. I was an avid cross fitter and had a nasty Achilles tear due to box jumps and haven’t been back. Started OTF to be able to keep fit while not being mindful to not hurt myself.
So your injury was because of CrossFit? Probably more you didn’t warm up or stretch correctly. If you’d have hurt yourself at home would you have blamed the house builder? 😩
Thank you for this. I tend to lose weight easy but prefer to put muscle. However, I love that both offer group workouts because working out with myself, I am very lazy and not motivated.
Orange Theory is about three levels lower in weight challenge than the Cross Fit boxes I have been to. I’ve been an OTF member for five years and there is hardly a comparison in terms of equipment, also. There are no barbells, slides, real benches, cables, or pull up bars and myriad of other equipment at OTF. I love it, but it’s no where near CF in terms of “resistance training”. Frankly, the resistance training at OTF emphasizes a lot of floor exercises, a lot of relatively light barbells (most of their station racks only go up to 20 or 25 pounds) and stresses balance stuff with bosu, rollers and TRX. As far as I can see and have experienced , no comparison.
Yeah, it's definitely a different beast. We do love OT for it's ability to make workouts approachable for people getting started, but long term if you wanted more challenge you'd find your way to a CF gym.
I did CrossFit but now I’m at OT. I travel a lot for work and 90% of the time I can find a OT near my hotel. So, the money I pay is used 100%. CrossFit gyms they close and open like hot dogs carts. The one I used to go had changed names (no kidding) 4 times.
I took my first CrossFit class in 2019 as part of a study on the effects of CrossFit training on cancer survivors. As a 68 year old in moderately good health, it was quite challenging, but the instructors and classmates made it enjoyable. I started classes at Orange Theory about three months ago at the age of 70 and find it quite enjoyable too. I agree that one of the big differences is the sense of community in CrossFit, working out with (at least in my program) the same instructor and classmates each time, plus the higher overall exercise intensity. As mentioned, CrossFit pushes you, Orange Theory pretty much let's you work at your own pace. I agree that if cardio and light weight work and calesthenics are your goal, Orange Theory would be the way to go.
Obviously this is a commercial for Crossfit. But either of the two will work for you. It is accurate though to point out the importance of diet. Working out is maybe 20% of losing weight while diet is 80% (or more). I'm a big advocate of IF with a reduced carb load. That works well with Keto (obviously), but you don't have to do that specifically.
Thanks for your helpful comparison. I think it was a fair and balanced comparison. I’m new to OTF and really like it so far. Then again, I’m more of a cardio person and not a fan of weights. OTF gives me the structure I need to take a stab at the weights.
The one thing that has always scared me about cross-fit were knee injuries. I had several co-workers who were considerably younger than me (like 30 years younger) get knee injuries doing box jumps. Is this your experience? I've been going to OTF for over 4 years and have never had an injury, but cross-fit has always intrigued me...
Great question! There's definitely a risk of injury with things like box jumps, running, rope climbs...and really anything that you do at the gym. Since we are all in our late 30's, 40's and beyond, this is a major concern for us, so we spend extra time making sure clients learn the right form before doing anything that puts them at major risk. If you can find a CrossFit gym that puts an emphasis on proper technique (for example, learning how to jump and land properly), before having you do advanced movements, it can be a great next step for you in your training.
I agree with all of this! Love OTF and CrossFit. I lost weight with OTF and made gains with CrossFit. CrossFit kicks my ass! I usually want to take a nap after 😂
A year ago I was torn between going to OTF and CrossFit. I decided CrossFit simply because it was 2 mins down the road from me. I like CF now that I’ve learned the technique but it took me a year to get here. CF workouts are much more intense so it was a few months before I could start coming to CF every weekday which was my goal. The Olympic lifts were and still are pretty intimidating to me and to be honest I really don’t care about being able to do them or even about how heavy I can lift. Yes strength gains are nice and I like the feeling of progress, but to me cardio a weight loss is more important. Also muscle volume and mass are negatives for me. OTF would still be fun for me and I would have probably liked it more straight away. I’ve moved recently and now I’m very far away from my CF gym and right next door to a OTF lol. I agree with the community aspect with CF. You and your coach as well as other crossfitters will get on a first name basis quickly and you may make some friends too. I’d say at least half the people in my class on any given day are all "friends” with each other in the sense of they know what they do for work, their hobbies, there reasons to get fit, inside jokes etc.
So many variables play into this question. Athleticism of the individual, the quality of the CrossFit coaches and gyms in the area you are looking and quality of OTF coaches. I have done both .. I have done CrossFit for many MANY years across the US. Been a member at a number of different gyms and dropped in at many locations. I had done CrossFit through multiple physical challenges, to include 3 pregnancies. I’m a busy mom and need flexibility with scheduling. Sometimes depending on the location CrossFit gyms don’t offer that ..OTF does (depending on your location) .. there can be below average coaching in both for sure .. I have had some excellent CrossFit coaches and some that were not good at all.. and sometimes it a personality issue. Injuries are much more likely in CrossFit for sure as the level of skill required and demands on the body. You can get lean with CrossFit it the programming includes good conditioning .. but that is very dependent on whether or not your gym offers competitive high quality programming. Some gym owners are lazy with their programming. OTF offers a more consistent expectation with regard to programming. If you’ve gone long enough you know what to expect .. the workout is less up to the whim of whoever is programming the workouts that week. So positives and negative for both but I for sure after 11 years of CrossFit got burnt out and needed a change and a more flexible option for my busy schedule. I feel in much better shape after doing OTF (but that’s because the programming at my last gym was less than stellar.. so you see it very much depends on a number of factors). This is a long winded response but after months of being unhappy with the CrossFit gym I did go to I needed to get it off my chest. Do what makes you most happy!
They need to have more of a conversation about the fact that crossfit is dangerous in the way that they use Waits and do movements that just are not practical and tend to do more harm than good
This is simply not true. Injuries happen to those who try to do things beyond their capacity such as lifting too much or trying a new technique without proper coaching and using too much weight. If you scale Crossfit movements to your capacity, you will not get injured any more frequently.
Somewhere in between. Although closer to CrossFit. Too much cardio in OT that is not created with rest acne training. OT is a gimmick in my mind. Not sustainable.
Well, unfortunately you lost at the point where you stating the dangers of CrossFit, their shortcomings, etc. I think your bias comments really show where you are trying to market.. the fact that at the end of the video you concluded that both are good depending on your goals…. CrossFit combines cardio, weights, mobility, gymnastics, etc. agreed not all those movements are for all individuals.. perhaps your market strategy should be around the science behind OTF, how it applies to people and how it actually benefits and also the type of environment you are promoting. Heart rate zoning training works, perhaps deep dive a little to enthus people to give otf a try. Good luck though.
Ive had terrible experiences at crossfit gyms 1 was so clicky and not accepting the other is the only gym ive ever seriously hurt myself and threw may back out casue the coach wanted me to do deads AMRAMP. the 3rd was excellent but it was more of a straong man gym and the coach there was amazing Part my fault for listening to that dummy since i do know how to lift but i wanted to get full crossfit experience. out of the 4 crossfit gyms i tried only 1 had a competent coach the other were at best elementry PE teachers. I stick to my weight at a small conventional gym now where i can workout with fellow knuckle dragging gorillas that like to lift heavy. I personally love Orange theory since i hate to cardiio its a great place to force urself to do it and kinda go in Zombie Mode and i loce not having to think about or calcualte weights sometimes especially if its cardio stuff. Tehy even got a set of 70s and 75 for me LOL to use so i can go pretty heavy at times when u compund the supersets, and even if the coaches are not trained personally i feel much safer doing things for time there without fear of hurting myself. I know not all crossfit gyms are run by idiots and clout chasers these were just my experiences. I go everyday even do 2 a day since im now older really want to transion away from heavy and aim more for overall fit and increase my capacity for work instead. For me the mix of power bodybulding / power lifitng gym and oranage theory was perfect but i agree with u gym the perfect gym is the one u attend consistantly. wasnt trying to shit on crossfit just wasnt for me and just wanted to share
100% agree with your assessment of both CrossFit and Orange Theory. There are a lot of crappy gyms out there, and it really sucks that a crappy gym can ruin someone's experience of working out.
OTF has heavy weights- I regularly use the up to 50 lbs dumbells, and they have up to 80lbs. I'm kind of tired of hearing that you can't lift heavy at OTF. Just walk a couple of feet to the heavy weight rack. The workouts are also very different day to day. True no barbells or pull-ups.
Good point. There are definitely heavy dumbbells. Appreciate that feedback.
What we should have said is something like "there's a limit the amount of weights you can lift", or "it's not a core part of the culture to lift heavy weights at OTF".
That is not heavy at all. But you already knew that.
Thanks for the review. I've never done Crossfit, but will probably try it at some point. I have been doing OTF for 2 1/2 years, after living a sedentary lifestyle for over 20 years. And it has changed my life dramatically. I loved your conclusion to the video: "The best choice is the one that keeps you coming back". OTF is best for me because it is the first program that has EVER helped me stick with my goals.
I was disappointed to hear that you felt less of a personal community at OTF. I personalities can be different from gym to gym, but the biggest reason I keep coming back is because of the people (both staff & customers) who I look forward to seeing every day. The coaches, especially, made a point of learning what drives me to be better, and are really good at pushing my "buttons". I suspect you'd also see that if you attended classes at an OTF studio long enough for them to get to know you.
Again, thanks for the honest review.
That sounds like a great gym. The community ends up meaning more than the workouts in the end, because it helps you stick with it. Glad you found a good one.
They should really talk about the risk for injury at CrossFit. I was an avid cross fitter and had a nasty Achilles tear due to box jumps and haven’t been back. Started OTF to be able to keep fit while not being mindful to not hurt myself.
So sorry to hear about your injury. Glad you found something new that works for you.
So your injury was because of CrossFit? Probably more you didn’t warm up or stretch correctly. If you’d have hurt yourself at home would you have blamed the house builder? 😩
Thank you for this. I tend to lose weight easy but prefer to put muscle. However, I love that both offer group workouts because working out with myself, I am very lazy and not motivated.
Totally! working out with other people is WAY better
Both are fun. I’d start OT and then go to CrossFit. And swap around just to stay excited.
100% There's no one right answer. It's worth trying both and seeing what works best for you.
Orange Theory is about three levels lower in weight challenge than the Cross Fit boxes I have been to. I’ve been an OTF member for five years and there is hardly a comparison in terms of equipment, also. There are no barbells, slides, real benches, cables, or pull up bars and myriad of other equipment at OTF. I love it, but it’s no where near CF in terms of “resistance training”. Frankly, the resistance training at OTF emphasizes a lot of floor exercises, a lot of relatively light barbells (most of their station racks only go up to 20 or 25 pounds) and stresses balance stuff with bosu, rollers and TRX. As far as I can see and have experienced , no comparison.
Yeah, it's definitely a different beast. We do love OT for it's ability to make workouts approachable for people getting started, but long term if you wanted more challenge you'd find your way to a CF gym.
I did CrossFit but now I’m at OT. I travel a lot for work and 90% of the time I can find a OT near my hotel. So, the money I pay is used 100%. CrossFit gyms they close and open like hot dogs carts. The one I used to go had changed names (no kidding) 4 times.
Lol, yeah, having a franchise makes the product more consistent. OT is a great travel workout.
I took my first CrossFit class in 2019 as part of a study on the effects of CrossFit training on cancer survivors. As a 68 year old in moderately good health, it was quite challenging, but the instructors and classmates made it enjoyable. I started classes at Orange Theory about three months ago at the age of 70 and find it quite enjoyable too. I agree that one of the big differences is the sense of community in CrossFit, working out with (at least in my program) the same instructor and classmates each time, plus the higher overall exercise intensity.
As mentioned, CrossFit pushes you, Orange Theory pretty much let's you work at your own pace. I agree that if cardio and light weight work and calesthenics are your goal, Orange Theory would be the way to go.
Great perspective. Love this.
Obviously this is a commercial for Crossfit. But either of the two will work for you.
It is accurate though to point out the importance of diet. Working out is maybe 20% of losing weight while diet is 80% (or more). I'm a big advocate of IF with a reduced carb load. That works well with Keto (obviously), but you don't have to do that specifically.
100% Nutrition is a HUGE part of losing weight. The workouts are beneficial, but if you don't dial in your diet, you'll never get in shape.
Thanks for your helpful comparison. I think it was a fair and balanced comparison. I’m new to OTF and really like it so far. Then again, I’m more of a cardio person and not a fan of weights. OTF gives me the structure I need to take a stab at the weights.
How has it been going! I think it's a great place to start.
I have done both , love both and now for me it’s ORANGE THEORY, Sure wish they would open an OT in Festus Missouri. Fingers crossed!
The one thing that has always scared me about cross-fit were knee injuries. I had several co-workers who were considerably younger than me (like 30 years younger) get knee injuries doing box jumps. Is this your experience? I've been going to OTF for over 4 years and have never had an injury, but cross-fit has always intrigued me...
Great question!
There's definitely a risk of injury with things like box jumps, running, rope climbs...and really anything that you do at the gym.
Since we are all in our late 30's, 40's and beyond, this is a major concern for us, so we spend extra time making sure clients learn the right form before doing anything that puts them at major risk.
If you can find a CrossFit gym that puts an emphasis on proper technique (for example, learning how to jump and land properly), before having you do advanced movements, it can be a great next step for you in your training.
I agree with all of this! Love OTF and CrossFit. I lost weight with OTF and made gains with CrossFit. CrossFit kicks my ass! I usually want to take a nap after 😂
Both are great. It gets people off the coach and moving. Also, naps are awesome.
Honest review
Team OTF. You are completely wrong about the demonstrations. The coaches do demonstrate and there are heavier weights
Thx for the feedback. Every place is different, so I'm glad you had a good experience
A year ago I was torn between going to OTF and CrossFit. I decided CrossFit simply because it was 2 mins down the road from me. I like CF now that I’ve learned the technique but it took me a year to get here. CF workouts are much more intense so it was a few months before I could start coming to CF every weekday which was my goal. The Olympic lifts were and still are pretty intimidating to me and to be honest I really don’t care about being able to do them or even about how heavy I can lift. Yes strength gains are nice and I like the feeling of progress, but to me cardio a weight loss is more important. Also muscle volume and mass are negatives for me.
OTF would still be fun for me and I would have probably liked it more straight away. I’ve moved recently and now I’m very far away from my CF gym and right next door to a OTF lol.
I agree with the community aspect with CF. You and your coach as well as other crossfitters will get on a first name basis quickly and you may make some friends too. I’d say at least half the people in my class on any given day are all "friends” with each other in the sense of they know what they do for work, their hobbies, there reasons to get fit, inside jokes etc.
This is a great summary! Thank you!
I think OT is a great cardio workout once a week!
It really is!
Thank you.
OTC is like entry level CrossFit
Kinda, yeah!
I use a combo.
So many variables play into this question. Athleticism of the individual, the quality of the CrossFit coaches and gyms in the area you are looking and quality of OTF coaches. I have done both .. I have done CrossFit for many MANY years across the US. Been a member at a number of different gyms and dropped in at many locations. I had done CrossFit through multiple physical challenges, to include 3 pregnancies. I’m a busy mom and need flexibility with scheduling. Sometimes depending on the location CrossFit gyms don’t offer that ..OTF does (depending on your location) .. there can be below average coaching in both for sure .. I have had some excellent CrossFit coaches and some that were not good at all.. and sometimes it a personality issue. Injuries are much more likely in CrossFit for sure as the level of skill required and demands on the body. You can get lean with CrossFit it the programming includes good conditioning .. but that is very dependent on whether or not your gym offers competitive high quality programming. Some gym owners are lazy with their programming. OTF offers a more consistent expectation with regard to programming. If you’ve gone long enough you know what to expect .. the workout is less up to the whim of whoever is programming the workouts that week. So positives and negative for both but I for sure after 11 years of CrossFit got burnt out and needed a change and a more flexible option for my busy schedule. I feel in much better shape after doing OTF (but that’s because the programming at my last gym was less than stellar.. so you see it very much depends on a number of factors). This is a long winded response but after months of being unhappy with the CrossFit gym I did go to I needed to get it off my chest. Do what makes you most happy!
Great response, and we totally agree. AS long as you're moving and improving, you're in the right place :)
They need to have more of a conversation about the fact that crossfit is dangerous in the way that they use Waits and do movements that just are not practical and tend to do more harm than good
Have you done both? What was your experience?
This is simply not true. Injuries happen to those who try to do things beyond their capacity such as lifting too much or trying a new technique without proper coaching and using too much weight. If you scale Crossfit movements to your capacity, you will not get injured any more frequently.
OTF is cardio and floor exercises
Yep.
I am like it
Turn on the paper in it takes two minutes
🔥
Great thanks
You're welcome.
Somewhere in between. Although closer to CrossFit. Too much cardio in OT that is not created with rest acne training. OT is a gimmick in my mind. Not sustainable.
It's a great place to start, but it's def not for everyone.
Well, unfortunately you lost at the point where you stating the dangers of CrossFit, their shortcomings, etc. I think your bias comments really show where you are trying to market.. the fact that at the end of the video you concluded that both are good depending on your goals…. CrossFit combines cardio, weights, mobility, gymnastics, etc. agreed not all those movements are for all individuals.. perhaps your market strategy should be around the science behind OTF, how it applies to people and how it actually benefits and also the type of environment you are promoting. Heart rate zoning training works, perhaps deep dive a little to enthus people to give otf a try. Good luck though.
What were we trying to market?
I love OTF though I haven’t tried CrossFit.
Ive had terrible experiences at crossfit gyms 1 was so clicky and not accepting the other is the only gym ive ever seriously hurt myself and threw may back out casue the coach wanted me to do deads AMRAMP. the 3rd was excellent but it was more of a straong man gym and the coach there was amazing Part my fault for listening to that dummy since i do know how to lift but i wanted to get full crossfit experience. out of the 4 crossfit gyms i tried only 1 had a competent coach the other were at best elementry PE teachers. I stick to my weight at a small conventional gym now where i can workout with fellow knuckle dragging gorillas that like to lift heavy. I personally love Orange theory since i hate to cardiio its a great place to force urself to do it and kinda go in Zombie Mode and i loce not having to think about or calcualte weights sometimes especially if its cardio stuff. Tehy even got a set of 70s and 75 for me LOL to use so i can go pretty heavy at times when u compund the supersets, and even if the coaches are not trained personally i feel much safer doing things for time there without fear of hurting myself. I know not all crossfit gyms are run by idiots and clout chasers these were just my experiences. I go everyday even do 2 a day since im now older really want to transion away from heavy and aim more for overall fit and increase my capacity for work instead. For me the mix of power bodybulding / power lifitng gym and oranage theory was perfect but i agree with u gym the perfect gym is the one u attend consistantly. wasnt trying to shit on crossfit just wasnt for me and just wanted to share
100% agree with your assessment of both CrossFit and Orange Theory. There are a lot of crappy gyms out there, and it really sucks that a crappy gym can ruin someone's experience of working out.