I used to be a member, and one day I caught a glimpse of the coach’s clip board while we had a couple guests trialing the class. The sheet mentioned one person was local, but the other was just visiting and therefore a “lost cause.” Felt kinda icky the rest of the class hearing the coach hype up the local guest while totally ignoring her friend. Really made it obvious that we’re just numbers and not valued members.
Oh not everyone gets ignored. I visited my brother out of state and went to his Orange Theory and was extremely called out. I told them up front I really need to not push it too.
I've been the visiting guest. I was there with my cousin and I was supposed to pay for the session, but they didn't charge me. I was very glad they would at least let me workout there...with family I never get to see.... while being out of state and not having access to anything....I would have gladly paid.
I was visiting a city with an orangetheory and since I've heard about how good of a workout it is, I wanted to take a class while I was there. On Tuesday, I signed up for a class on Thursday. Between signing up and the time of my class, they called me 20 TIMES and texted me 6 times. I didn't go to the class because I just got so turned off by how preyed upon I felt before even walking in the door. So shady!
Ugh how annoying! That is a huge turn off I would also not show up lol. I think I'm just going to start putting in my spam email address and secondary phone number if there ever is a sign in sheet ;)
As a 1.5+ year member who’s actually obsessed with OTF, this makes me extra thankful for my studio. Our coaches and SAs don’t do most of these things, even when I took my first class, and our little community is the sweetest! Definitely location-based as Keltie said!!
The owner of the OTF franchise in my city makes a point of spending time with customers and coaching her own classes. The first class I took she sat down with me to get to know me and that’s when I realized she got to know her members by name, every single one of us and I think the trainers are encouraged to do so as well. That alone made me come back and trust I was being lead by people who actually care about the work they do. Tbf I think OTF is really for people who either have never worked out in their life or haven’t worked out in years to get into the habit again.
I absolutely love this for you!! This is an example of the franchise location being passionate about community & fitness 🥹 give them a high five from me!!
Same. The team at my location is great and doesn't hard sell. It's one of the reasons I'm so comfortable there. The whole color zone thing doesn't factor into my thinking or reasons for being there -- the community aspect allows me to challenge myself and hold myself accountable without having to figure out what exercises to do when I go to the gym and the coaches allow for my form on the Floor to be corrected if needed.
I wish gyms installed sound level meters and weren't allowed to play music louder than is healthy. Hearing health is just as important as physical health!
Different gym, but once I went through a sales pitch at a gym and they asked what my goals were. I said, I’d like to work on my stress management and maybe lose about 10 pounds. The guy (20 something year old talking to a mid 30s mom of 3) said, I think you could lose 20. 😳
they have power walking option now, you slowly progress to jogging. This video was kind of obnoxious. OTF is life changing. ive done solid core which is so hard, pilates and regular gym memberships. I gotta say I LOVE OTF the best. They have the workouts for you already you do not even have to think.
As a small gym franchisee, the financial pressure can be overwhelming. Losing money most months of the year. Went into it because I was passionate about it. But have now lost my life savings, my house, etc. Some bigger franchisees can weather these financial pressures, but small single unit franchisees often face an insurmountable uphill battle. You sign a ten year contract with the franchisor, plus ten years with the landlord, and can’t get out without declaring bankruptcy. You’re locked in. The fitness industry is a high risk endeavor.
This link happened to be in my next up as I read your comment! Keltie reviews "F45, Barry's, Soul Cycle, and more" ruclips.net/video/GADfNZHjumU/видео.html
I quit OTF after I got injured during a class and the coach/front desk staff treated me like I was the biggest inconvenience they had ever met. Got a doctor’s note and used that to cancel my membership. Never going back!
You needed to show them a doctor’s note to cancel your membership?! So they treats you like this was a high school gym class you needed to bring a note to? You know you could have just told your financial institution to cancel the membership?
Former OTF coach I’m glad someone is sharing this info! It always felt so sleezy as a coach I was trained that it’s a workout intended to be done 3 times a week maximum, but encouraged to “prescribe” a member a number of classes that would require the unlimited monthly membership (I wouldn’t do it). I always told people once a week for that type of training was plenty, but a lot of people did 2x a day, or everyday from the start and were way overtraining. The coaches also get sales incentives, not commissions but bonuses on members signing up and were also encouraged to call/email. I just wanted to coach but also became a sales person. My mom teaches CPR and most of the stories that scared people into learning CPR is someone needing it at their Orangetheory class. One of my head coaches didn’t actually know cpr and someone needed it in her class. It’s not always safe/healthy to gamify fitness even if you’re competing against yourself!
2x a day is too much, but going and working out once a week isn't going to do much for you - I don't care what they've designed. I think if you're not willing to go and work out 2x a week at least, I'm not sure why you're wasting any money at all. Maybe 2 is enough, idk.
PLEASE not me watching this at work…i work at orange theory 😭😭 i just started like 2 months ago and i like it actually ! i will say the memberships are so pricey though id never pay that much 💀 but i get to workout for free sooo
@@KeltieOConnor LOLL oh absolutely, i thought it was hilarious i had to click right away. anyway can’t wait to see what you have to say, im gonna finish watching when i get home 🫶🏻
If i was Jeff Bezos and didn’t like orange theory and i would start a red theory next to each orange theory and charge 1/3 the price with the similar generic hiit/mix program.
@@KeltieOConnor i did thank you!! just watched and i will say you hit the nail on the head, i 100% agree with you about everything 1. i’m a SA and i hate!! the sales tactics, we def don’t get paid as much as we should to be pushing this hard to sell memberships. i hate how gyms are lowkey kinda predatory nowadays:/ 2. at my location (im in the US) we don’t have a sign in sheet like that; we do call logs but they make us do it w/ ppl that didn’t sign up, or ppl who call that are interested. i hate calling dw, i really wish people would say they’re not interested right away bc i hate being so pushy 3. i do wish there was a bit more passion for getting people healthy not selling stuff but i think it also depends on the coach 4. pricey but the community aspect is def there, everybody is really nice and full of energy which i like, and also working out in groups is sm more motivating to me all in all i think is subjective but if you like it, great! for sure best job ive hard (so far); my manager is very nice and lenient, i get to sit down, 5min commute and the hours are not crazy and ofc i get to workout for free. sadly the pay isn’t the best to cover all expenses but it’s fine for now while i figure out my life, other than that great video like always 🤍and sorry this was long LMFAO
I must be lucky! I LOVE my Orange Theory, the staff, the community, the workouts. I've lost 45lbs since last October (combined with sobriety). You are spot on about the over-hyped "science based" claims though which extends to their obsession with the inbody scans.
I’m an Orangetheory coach part-time (was a member for a while beforehand). My full time job is marketing and I agree they OD with the heart rate tactics and I feel so bad for our front desk team having a large sales goal. I always sneak in jokes on the mic “don’t worry about 12 splat points, it’s just for the orange aesthetic.” 😅 But for most people 3-4x per week at OTF is great, especially if you enjoy short runs and some full body lifting. They also have tread/strength only classes for 50 minutes which has been a great implementation. Love the video 🧡
I wish I could take one of your classes I would giggle so hard about the ignoring 12 splay points HAHAHHA! You sound like an amazing trainer 🩵 so happy you enjoyed the video ☺️
I hated it. I used to do bootcamp, heavy lifting and boxing so I understand how to workout. I struggled getting in and out of the rower and holding up the group. The coach's never corrected form and people are disasters. But the pressure to run and the teammate aspect... sucked. I will stick with bootcamp and a personal trainer once a week.
Been a member for 6 years and still love it. Recently upgraded to Premier membership. I never felt pressured to upgrade. Love my coaches. Personally think it’s a case by case basis with studios.
I went once, it was a pretty good workout. But I told them I was limited because of knee issues and the trainer still acted completely surprised every time I couldn’t do a certain move. What really kept me away was how many times I was called after the first class. It was multiple times a day, everyday. I truly considered going back but when I realized how slimy the sales tactics were, count me out, there’s no way those people were getting a card number from me. The phone number was bad enough.
I'm glad you mention each OTF is different! I work casually at a local OTF and I think it's important to mention that depending on where you live will depend on the price. Also, the staff makes a huge difference! My location is super chill, and we are gonna give you our prices and get you to buy, but we aren't worried if you don't buy. Community is more important, as you mentioned! Finally, I def take people off the call list if you seem totally uninterested or if you just straight tell me you don't want to. Like ok cool, I dont wanna bother you either! It's so annoying to call people who are obviously not interested.
LOVE!!! The location that focus on community have a way to my heart 🩵 most important part of a fitness studio! Give your location a high five from me and they get my A+ gold star gym award hehe 🏆
I applied for a job at Orange theory 1 year ago and SOOO thankful it didnt work out. I have worked at Crunch Fitness for around 1 year and they ALWAYS have a 5ish min warm up and cool down programmed into our 45 min HIIT workouts. One of the big things that matters to me in teaching group fitness is actually teaching the group about WHY we're doing what we are in the programming. Its like a dose of medicine, you gotta find the perfect amount/type for you❤🙌
I used to do hiit classes 5 times a week at crunch and realized I wasn't getting stronger which is what I wanted. Over time I learned to go strong in some exercises and not all and to do hiit classes a few times a week and do my own fun workouts other days. I've gotten so much stronger..except now I have shoulder issues and may need shoulder surgery after 2 rounds of failed PT and no improvement after pain shots Work on stability!!!
Maybe the group fitness classes are better, but the pay structure and time demands for personal trainers at Crunch was awful. Terrible at best, borderline illegal at worse.
@davida730 for the personal trainers YES. I completely agree, I tried it for a few months and went back to Group Fitness instructor which pay very well and are on a consistent weekly schedule.
@@davida730 yeah all the employees at crunch tell us how little they get paid..it's usually a first fitness job for them so workers usually stay like less than 5 year before moving elsewhere or on their own.
OTF coach here- let me just say that it totally depends on the location! We are franchises so each studio is owned by a different person or company. The class is a useful way for people who don’t want to think about what to do and want to follow a plan and stay consistent. I think the best way to avoid being harassed by SAs is that if you’re not interested in purchasing a membership to let them know to take you off of the call list! Communication is key and most of us appreciate your honesty as to why you’re in the studio!
I worked at orange theory as a salesperson - we were given scripts and instructed to call every person in our database at increments of 24 hours for 3 weeks then we bump them down ro 72 hours - it felt like HARASSMENT! Also I got my personal training certification and wanted to transition into a coach role, and they refused to pay me for a week of 40 hour mandatory training…. So I quit.
Which is why I don't put my actual info on the call sheets. Don't call me. I just came in for a free session in your kill room. Honestly, why are the lights off? It's creepy. I would like to see my surroundings when I die.
I put my spam email address and old work number lol. I just came in to try your free class. I absolutely CANNOT STAND the orange lighting, the huuuge blaring motivational texts, loud mics yelling instructions non stop, constantly flashing stats on screens. I felt so frazzled going from one station to another, I could not focus on anything. I mean I did break a sweat but I felt anxious and stressed out and overstimulated. Never again. I will stick with my pilates and hot yoga, then do my own cardio outdoors.
I know this is a little late, but I absolutely loooved last week's running video. I watched it in chunks over the week (when I should've been writing an essay) and it helped me get through all my weekly tasks... (essay is now done ✅). Can't wait to watch this one! 💕
4years here. Still go about 3-4 times a week. I love OTF and the people here. It’s been great to keep in shape and to learn new things when I was a beginner. I will not give it up. Im not sure what to think of this video. I usually enjoy Kelties videos but I can’t seem to agree with some of her points here.
Same here I am 400+ workouts and love it! I think this video is a bit biased and doesn't really offer anything good about OTF. They don't really market the "orange theroy" anymore anyway. Where I am they don't even make us wear the heart rate monitor if we don't want to.
@@tamalee534 you should agree with her. She didn't exactly bash them. You as a "customer" buy what you like. And that's fine. The true victims are the fitness trainers who thought they were going to be trainers but have to be a usedcar salesmen, so maybe she shouldve framed it more this way instead of it about customers. Some people really like these types of workouts and are willing to pay for it. Therefore there's a market for it, and it's priced appropriately based in the number of membership acquisition and participation, etc. So if it's going to be good for you or not depends on you, ultimately.
@@tarab1656it’s the way they do it. For me I once was bored and signed up for a trial online and got never ending phone calls for months after. No gym or any other workout related industry has ever done that.
ALSO as a runner it irks me so much that they NEVER talk about running form & often peoples form is so bad!! 1/3 of the workout is running so it’s crazy that they have never mentioned running form and I have been to over 15 orange theory classes!
My cousin works in one of those. She’s a very petite lady about 4’11’ weighed around 94, but since she started working there she hit those weights hard and now she has natural curves and a tight body. I’m so proud of her. She said I could go anytime she’s working so I’m going to HAVE to call in that favor!
I used to work for Orange Theory as well. They treat their employees like absolute garbage, pay is shyt, and we were basically telemarketers in disguise. They didn’t teach us anything about the actual program so we could best inform our customers. My entire shift consisted of calling potential customers and harassing them to join.
Some gyms don't even pay their front desk staff - you just work for "a free membership" which is actually NOT free since you are required to work a certain number of hours to compensate for the FULL membership price (not even a staff discount, you work off the same full price as a regular client!). And then they still expect you to also be a sales associate when you don't even make any commission either (!) ask me how I know 😡😡
@@Ruffles2012 you're not a hired employee, so your tax information isn't collected, you're considered a volunteer who is compensated for their time with a free membership. it's a lot more common than you think, and it's how places cut costs by taking advantage of people who really love fitness and maybe can't afford the expensive membership so they're willing to work for free in order to go there. it sucks and is a shitty business practice, but it's legal!
@@archimedes_espinosa I wasn't talking about Orange Theory specifically because I haven't worked there, but regardless they wouldn't get sued because it's not an illegal practice, it's referred to as "work for trade" in the US and there are plenty of places that do it.
Great video, Keltie! (Allegedly). I also hate the sales tactics but I get why they do it. I actually have been going to orange theory for a little over a year and enjoy it. I live in an area where there aren't a lot of other class-based fitness places to try out and orange theory works for me. My location has great trainers and good people of all walks of fitness which is nice. It's also the only gym I've gone to where after missing almost a week due to illness they reached out to me to see how I was doing and when I'll be back! The best gym is the one you go to often :)
I worked in multiple types of gyms for over 15 years, including Orange Theory. These sales tactics are exactly the same EVERYWHERE you go, regardless if it is a large box gym, a small studio or a private country club. As a trainer, if the 'sales associate' didn't make the sale, they handed them off to a trainer to try to 'close the deal'. The cold calling goes on and on, if you sign up for a gym membership and do not buy training sessions, a trainer will call you to offer a 'free session', which is really a session to try to sell you training sessions. If you do not want to be cold called, put a fake phone number down and misspell your email address...
I just joined OTF last night after a really incredible class. I felt supported and guided along the way. The instructor was incredibly kind as well as the front desk staff. I know people that have lost significant weight with this membership and so I’m looking forward to giving it a try. Fingers crossed!
I’ve been going to OTF since January, and I love it. I think it definitely depends on the location. The coaches where I am at are amazing snd supportive. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my stamina and strength. I really hope you enjoy it!
I've been a member for years. I used to have multiple gym memberships, but soon went back to premier OTF membership. I love the two studios I go to. I've never experienced any high pressure sales tactics. The managers have been super accommodating when I've had to cancel last minute. They knew I had a son with special needs, who also had a membership that cancelled often for medical reasons. We were never charged. I have loved my coaches. The biggest knock I have on OTF is the high turnover and frankly high they treat their coaches (hence the high turnover). Just when you find a coach you love, their gone!!
I am a die hard OTFer! It’s a fantastic workout that continues to push me 7 years in. You get to set your pace, your goals, and keep yourself accountable. Coaches are not one size fits all but that’s the fun - you find your rhythm and it becomes your life! It’s not for everyone and that’s fine-i hope everyone finds something they never get sick of, something that makes them happy and healthy! OTF is that for me 🍊🧡
I used to work at OTF in February 2024, but left due to not knowing I was pregnant. I didn't have any PTO days so I quit. They took away the sales commission for the DFW Texas area. Not sure other locations globally but I was the top sales person in Dec 2023 and saw no additional pay, not even my name on a board. It was truly sad honestly.
Happy OTF member here 🧡Amazing insights on how Orange Theory works and I am sorry that your experience working there in earlier years wasn’t great. I think labelling the entire business as a “scam” is a bit harsh and may come from a bias of working in a not so great location/franchise. Scams are “businesses” that take a person’s money without delivering a specific product or service that was agreed upon.. At the end of the day, consumers have free will and a choice on where they want to spend their money and time. The tactics and level of passion in the staff definitely varies from studio to studio and ownership. I’ve been a member for over a year and those unfortunate sharky tactics were never in my experience.. and I’m very grateful for that and its maybe why this has been my longest gym membership 😅
Thank you!! I have a low resting heart rate (50s) and was killing myself trying to stay in the orange zone when trying a workout at Orangetheory!! I appreciate you explaining that... and all the "allegedly's" 😂
I also have a low RHR and it takes a long time to go up in cardio sessions... Cardio is funny in how the fitter you get, the fewer calories you supposedly burn unless you're pushing yourself like crazy
Yep! And I’m slightly overweight and have ALWAYS had a lot of muscle.. so right now I have a high resting heartrate and when I did it, I was in the verge of orange/red the entire time but I didn’t feel like I got a great workout (at all) My body is just slightly out of shape so my heartrate goes up QUICKLY, but with muscle-memory I guess it allows me to do all the exercises and it still didn’t feel the most difficult. I wasn’t even pushing myself
I was a member and will occasionally go to a drop in class if I’m bored- but I stopped wearing the heart monitor a long time ago. I actually feel better and push myself harder in some ways without the monitor.
15:30 This is SO true of martial arts places too. If you're looking for a traditional martial arts experience, trust the ones with websites that look old and the ones who have no "try our gym" package. Most places will charge you a bunch of money to do a two week trial. A traditional martial arts school will give you a free 1-2 week trial because they want to be able to kick you out at any time, so they don't want your money until they know what you're like. At the end of the trial, if they think you're trustworthy then they'll ask if you'd like to sign up. Usually they only have two options (monthly or yearly) because they don't have a limit on how many classes you can take, they want you in the school as much as possible so that you'll improve at a reasonable rate. They care about this because they won't allow you to test for a new belt until you've actually learned everything for your current belt, so they are hugely incentivized to actually have you there learning as much as possible (many of them also have minimum amounts of time between tests that increase as you go up in rank). I was totally spoiled because I grew up going to a very traditional school like this. I went every single day so it was crazily economical (something like 40 cents a class, and that's not factoring in how often I came an hour early to do my own thing in the back of the dojang). I have since moved and trying other schools is so hard knowing that they are often more profit-minded, or are geared towards daycare for young kids more than training. Anyway, those are some good things to look out for! A good martial arts school does NOT want just anyone paying to be there, and they truly won't accept everyone. I remember the master of my school telling someone who had been attending for years that he would never be allowed back after he used excessive force in a match and injured someone. Martial arts schools are only safe when the person running the school is 100% willing to lose a customer to maintain that safety.
I was an OTF member for a while in 2022 and let me just say I clicked on this video SO FAST when I saw it in my feed. I was moving away from my home gym and cancelling with them (OrangeTheory DC) was a Nightmare with a capital N. I called them several times over the course of a month before I escalated things (aka yelling at the sales rep) that I wanted the manager to process my cancellation and I was tired of them pushing me around. I kid you not, they told me that they were working on "processing my cancellation" like 6 times. I will Never again sign up for Orange Theory because of this gym in Washington DC.
Wow, I quit just a few months ago and it was all online. Super easy. Glad they changed that. I HATE when I have to call to cancel something bc it's always a hassle
@@Justforme7 no you can still take the classes until the membership fully expires. You are just forced to pay for the extra month - which I assume means that when they cancel they don't want to go anymore - at least that was my case. So I paid an extra $100 for nothing
@@lomoliving5528 Yeah, it's usually something like you have to give 30-days notice, so realistically you're always gonna pay for one more month than you actually wanted to, but that's pretty standard practice for month-to-month agreements.
Are the sales tactics that different than other gym class memberships? Genuine question - I assume all gyms like this do this. Full disclosure - I've been going to OT for 2 years but I'm not a super fan but I do really like it - I just can't motivate myself to workout unless I'm in a class haha. I pay a little over $100 for 8 classes month. At least where I live that is a lot cheaper than most other classes like pilates etc. I've never heard them mention EPOC since I've been going. I lLOVE your videos and I'm not trying to come down on this :) Just trying to provide the perspective of someone who goes a couple times a week.
I've been a member at OTF for 9 years. I've almost done 1500 classes. I absolutely love it. I warm up before class and stretch on my own after class. It's a wonderful workout. I've never been in better shape. I have visited many locations (at least 7), so I can still workout while I'm on vacations. No one has ever pressured me. I signed up for 8 classes per month at first, but I was paying extra to do more classes, so one of the SAs suggested unlimited. I have a good mix of muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness. I highly highly recommend it. 👌
I've been part of Orange Theory since like February and take all the calorie stuff with a grain of salt. The price has been worth it to me because it gets my butt in there at least twice a week for a workout with great people. I think a big thing is the workout is JUST 1 hour, is pretty well rounded, and can be what you make of it. You don't have to go 100% every day, or you can power walk instead of run, you can lift heavy or light, and ask for modifications if needed. At the end of the day, it is a business and they need to make money, so they can do whatever they want...it's easy to block their number. The community/SAs/coaches will vary from studio to studio and I don't think it's very fair to blanket your experience to every studio and their environment so I appreciate you added that to the end of the video. I'm sorry you had a bad experience working there and I think it's important to acknowledge that anywhere you work can be toxic and bad, not necessarily specific to OTF. I have friends who are SAs and their managers are not like your was at all and they have loved the experience. Thanks for your video and sharing your experience Keltie!
I pay for a Pilates membership and was nervous because it’s so expensive. But after my intro class, it made so much more sense to me. It can be dangerous and while I could buy a reformer and exercise at home, it still wouldn’t be a good “investment” unless you’re a pro. It’s also fun trying new things you know you’d never do by yourself. Some memberships are worth it. But paying $$$$ to do things you could do for free is so angering.
what is wrong with youtube? I remember subscribing to Keltie a long time ago, and then without me realizing, I haven't seen her videos pop up in my feed in so long! I'm happy they started popping back up again!
I was a member of an OTF for a short time. I enjoyed the workouts, although I did find the membership overpriced. The people in my community that attended the location were not pleasant, but that’s of course dependent on the location. My experience when it came time to cancel was not great. I couldn’t afford it anymore, so I called to cancel the membership. I was told I had to give 30 days notice of cancellation, so I would still be charged for the next month. I said okay. I ate the next monthly charge, but the following month I got charged again. When I called to find out what happened, I was told the 30-day notice has to be submitted in writing, so the monthly membership charges would continue until 30 days after the written notice is received. I hadn’t been told that the first time I called about canceling (although I assume it’s in some fine print somewhere), so after a bit of back and forth with the associate, I canceled my card and had my bank send me a new one so the card number they had on file simply wouldn’t work anymore. That turned me off from ever going back to an OTF.
I've done orange theory, it's a great workout. But everything you mentioned is done by all commercial gyms. They do nothing usual. This is just how the commercial/franchised fitness industry works. Also, you do keep burning calories after the workout, but that's true for almost all cardio workout.
Oh my goodness and sometimes to this day I STILL get annoying ass calls from OrangeTheory DC even though I moved 2 years ago. They are the absolute worst!!!
Great video. Never did orange theory’s , but tried barrys, also worked at F45 and high studios (same as barrys in Amsterdam) and one thing I will sum up: if these classes were that effective we, personal trainers, would not have our job and wouldn’t be as fully booked all the times as we are 😅 dying in the class is not equal to have a good workout. 🎉
My friend signed up for this n i was shocked she had to buy her own heart beat tracker. She quit eventually cus the timing of classes sucked and they always left her super exhausted and shes a really active person.
Another great video and amazing advice Keltie! *allegedly* 😉 This auto sales-themed gym experience is my exact experience at LA Fitness - don’t know if they have this in Canada - but they basically want to sell a more expensive membership based on features that are supposed to make it special but then all those features actually cost more and don’t come with the gym package - like personal training… They have an entire sales staff on the same floor as the weights, right up front, so they can accost you as you’re trying to leave. Any gym you walk into that has an entire sales staff with at least 10 individual desks needs to give you pause. Even if it’s a good gym!
12:05 this is the worst part of joining a new gym or club. you don't even get to go home after you already spent an hour or more working out and now you're super exhausted. because they want to sit you down while you're all disoriented, maybe hungry, and skittish. Then go over some options. At this part I usually ask for all the information I can get, then take it home to review over a couple of days before calling or going back to give a final decision. I feel bad for folks (and there are some who fit the bill) who don't want to be rude and will literally sign up for a plan right there and then after their free trial session.
I’ve been going to OTF for a few months now and love it. It’s not my first rodeo with working out and i was getting pretty bored prior to joining. so for me it works! I pay $129 for 8 classes a month and love my studio. We have great coaches who do a good job at warming up. I love the community there and everyone is friendly. I feel like the coaches actually know me and when i can push myself and when i need to slow down. And I’ve noticed they encourage the green zone. they do talk about “after burn sometimes.” As a nurse i always tune out during that spiel 😂 So yeah i guess it’s location based! I actually drive 15 min further than the studio closest to me because i started there and love that one. I will say though that if you have no experience with working out this class is probably not the safest. the risk of injury is much higher than if you were working out alone with a personal trainer or even at a gym.
I went to OTF for several years. It was great for accountability. But I had to stop because I kept getting injured (hip, knee and other joints). After I left, I learned that as a peri-menopausal woman it’s actually not good for me to constantly do HIIT training. My Dr told me that HIIT classes causes stress on the body and therefore cortisol spikes. This stress actually can slow down your metabolism. LISS and strength training are recommended for menopausal women. And I don’t get injured doing it.
Oh I’m so sorry that happened! Yeah I’m majoring in health sciences and what that doctor told you has DEFINITELY been taught to me. From what I’ve heard, developing muscle around your bones is more beneficial at the age you are at, and stuff like yoga/stretching class (which all ages could use)
Former OTF salesperson, you literally described the demographic perfectly. That was my first job out of college and I went into it with this passion for fitness. Went to school for exercise science so I figured out quickly the EPOC thing is BS. Was paid $10/hr, commission was never fully explained. Was calling the same people every single day and it really was harassment in my opinion. Yes we had to clean the bathrooms and the studio as well. I remember if we managed to get someone to sign up for a class over the phone, we HAD to get a credit card on file (despite the class being free?) It was tough asking for that info on first contact lol. Fun times
I’ve been a member for a few years now and I do love the workout, but the pricing is INSANE. I pay for a premium membership where I live (almost $200 a month) and when I was out of town that studio wanted to charge me $10 per VISIT! They said it was because their studio was a “premiere” studio, which I found odd considering it wasn’t even as nice as my studio. I asked what their premiere price was and it was only $10 more a month, yet they still wanted to charge me $10 per visit. And also every month they try to get people to sign up for extra crap that costs even more money. I plan on moving soon and when I do I will not be signing up in the new city.
ALSO THEY REQUIRE FULL 30 days notice to cancel. Both times I canceled I had to pay for a complete extra month. That is why I never went back. I am sure I am not alone.
Thank you for this! Really fascinating to understand these sales tactics. I'm in the UK, ad OTF isn't widespread yet, but feel a lot of these tactics are very similar to those used by all sorts of gyms. I find them intimidating and hard to say "no" to - I've ended up with SO MANY memberships (to all sorts of things) I didn't want because I buy into the sales tactics. (It doesn't help that I'm autistic, and one of my traits is I see the best in everyone / everything / want to make people feel good by supporting them!). It's so helpful to see 'behind the curtain'. Thank you, Keltie! Also, the reminder I don't need my heart rate in zone 5 for a whole 60 mins was helpful, and that it's a good thing to warm up and mobilise before exercise - I need to buy into the 'less is more' way of thinking....
Thank you so much for talking about this! I have 2 terrible OTF stories. First one is mine. I'm a fitness instructor. Back in 2022, i was training to become an OTF coach. I made it very clear that I booked a 5 day vacation and gave them the dates. They said no problem! Upon my return i reached out ASAP and never heard back, they ghosted me!!!! Not to mention that i had to bug them for six months to pay me for the training!!! I had theater them with lawyers. Total scam! Story 2, a good friend of mine who has over 20 years of experience fitness training was also trading with OTF. She had a bad knee at the time. They discontinued her training half way through because of it. You can still totally coach with the injury that she had. Moreover the orange lights made me sick, the music was too loud and its not a gym!!!!!! Its a fitness boutique and the workouts are flippin boring. Ok I'm done now, have a wonderful day lol
Glad I found this video and comments. I signed up after a free class because I was digging the whole thing. That says a lot because I am not a work out person at all and have always been slightly terrified of gyms and exercise classes in general. Did one class, great. Went for a second and had a terrible, terrible time. I can be a little klutzy and was having a little trouble switching from equipment to equipment. I was having a bit of a hard time getting proper form on the rowing machine (I think it was the rower), but I wasn't exactly "causing a scene" or slowing anyone down. The instructor seemed to take issue with me and she was what I would describe as annoyed or maybe frustrated with me. The more I tried to get better form and keep up, the more nervous I got, which then made the instructor even more frustrated. I was so taken aback after the class that I decided not to go back and canceled my membership with no explanation. That may have been a little extreme on my end, but I felt so embarrassed and humiliated.
I’ve been doing orange theory on and off for a few years, it is the only exercise program that works for me. All I have to do is drive to the location and then I cant quit until the workout is over. If orange theory is something that might work for you in the future, I would try a different studio and only go to classes with a specific coach (avoid the ones that piss you off). You should only be comparing your workout to yourself and go as slow as you need to. The coaches dont remember what its like to start orange theory for the first few classes after doing no exercise for months on end. Orange theory should be directly related to other gyms or workout programs. For a dumb comparison on orange theory sales tactics: I cant look at couches in a furniture store without some sales person following me the whole entire time, and shocker thats the same at every single furniture store.
I loveeeee OrangeTheory 🍊any gym I have done a trial at always tried to hard sell that’s normal for any place trying to pay rent, that doesn’t make it a “scam”. It is a struggle for me to self motivate, working out in a group setting with a coach motivating you, available at lots of different times each day is a bargain for me at the price. It is a fraction of getting a private coach, and the atmosphere is really fun and they do a lot of special events.
My studio tells us you are supposed to be in the orange or red zones for at least 12 minutes (total), and they definitely don't try you to go there much more. The coaches I've had generally do coach you through bringing the heart rate down to green. I've also never seen any number of calories advertised in any of the studios here in NYC area, that's kind of wild, since it's so individual. We also do about 5 minutes of warm up in my usual studio.
I really feel for the workers who got the job thinking they were just going to work a front desk job, just to be forced into a cold calling position. I had the same thing happen to me at a t-shirt printing place I worked at in my early 20s. At first it was fine but a couple months in I was one of the workers forced to transfer to a new location that the owner was opening up on the opposite side of town. I ended up driving twice as far to a completely new store and was forced to cold call random businesses every day in order to drum up business. It was horrible, nothing is worse than spending all day calling people that DO NOT want to talk to you so you can beg them to try your services, especially when its not even technically part of the job you signed up for.
As a member of OTF, I like it. I get to use my body regularly (otherwise sitting at a desk) and I don’t have to think about what I’m doing each workout. Having coaches motivate you to try a little harder is helpful for me too. But I’m not trying to be a pro athlete. I’m just trying to keep the old man out. It’s great for that.
As a PT I can’t tell you how many people get injured in these classes. It’s also not advisable for anyone with an auto-immune disease to exercise to that point. In fact, it’s dangerous. No one should be working out to their “orange” zone for weeks on end. It will set people up for burn out, injuries, and adrenal fatigue.
Love this video!! I used to work at an orange theory and I think it definitely depends on your studio. I would never pay this much to actually take classes, but the community was decent. I tried to not be pushy when selling to members, but I felt super icky when cold calling and when people wanted to cancel/freeze their membership - we were told to make them feel bad for leaving even if it was for financial reasons. 😭😭 but again my studio was not the most ethical…. Hahaha
I just signed back up at OTF. I was a founding member before Covid and loved it but after Covid the vibe and community felt off so I didn’t go back. I’ve just joined again because they let me come back at my old founders membership, unlimited workouts, for almost $100/month cheaper than what it costs now. My location, also in Vancouver, never had the used car sales vibe. I appreciate this video for your perspective now and as ex-staff, since I’ll know what to keep an eye out for! ALLEGEDLY!! 😂
I’ve managed to lose 35 pounds with orange theory and changing my diet. I hate that they charge for so many things (late cancelations, certain challenges like marathon month, or even just using their “fancy” scale to see body composition). But I’m not there to gain muscle, I just want to lose weight and the calories I burn in just an hour is more than any other activity I’ve ever done, including going to the gym and trying to figure out my own routine. But that’s what I love is I show up and everyday is somewhat different. If you hate the treadmill, it ain’t for you. But I’ve been able to build up to much faster running speeds and shorter mile times.
As someone who worked in the fitness industry, this is ALL over (even at Barry’s). Everyone pays the staff low wages unfortunately. Most workouts focus on intensity over warming up (hello Barry’s). Thought I’d see something earth shattering about their sales or how the run things, but nope. Gyms are about subscriptions. Most don’t want you to attend but just want you to keep paying monthly.
I haven’t watched the video yet. Posting a comment before. I was a founding member of OTF studio. And went there for 1.5 years. I LOVED it!!! I was one of few who actually saw the results and it was because of changing my dieting habits and putting in the work. But I loved it. I miss OTF so much. I quit because I am solo parenting 2 under 2 8am-8pm 6 days a week. And for now (3 months pp) I’m focusing all the time and energy on my family. But can’t wait to go back to OTF. I looked and felt amazing just after 8 months of OTF.
I go to a traditional gym in my city. My gym membership is half subsdized by my health insurance, so it's $27/month. Then I fork out an extra $240 for 8-9 one on one coaching sessions a month with a private instructor.... who turned out to be a retired S&C coach and probably the best partner in fitness I've ever had. I went from a total wimp that could barely pick up a bare bar to someone who can deadlift my own weight, and I'm currently working toward benching 100 lbs by the end of the year. Moral of the story is if you have THAT kind of money - hire a real coach at a real gym!
zone 2 and zone 3 are fine, though you want a couple sessions a week in zone 4 and 5 for the cardiovasular results, if you can do it. Also, a low resting heart rate has no bearing on wether or not you could get to zone 4 or 5, it just means you have to go all out to do it, which is the point. When I first started my resting heart rate was high 60's and because of my weight I could get to zone 5 pretty fast, but after months of conditioning and losing the weight, my resting heart rate is 50 and I have to work harder (run faster) to get to zone 4 and 5, but I stil do it 3 times a week because it is invigurating. But, it is not absolutely neccessary, zone 2/3 is fine and you can do that longer with less stress on your joints. And I do that more than zone 4/5 over a week. 700 calories in one session is possible, but quite hard, and generally not sustainable day after day. 500 though is a good target if you are trying to get into shape and/or lose weight. And EPOC is real, but not that big. I saw someone say that HIIT (zone 4/5) burns 5 times more calories because of EPOC than does steady state (zone 2/3). That is a misrepresentation. HIIT may have 5 times more EPOC than steady state, but that is like 25 calories vs 5 calories. It isn't the calories burned during the actual workout. Sorry, just read the Orange Theory claims of 700 calories in one hour, that is pretty much impossible for everyone except an athelete in the middle of a competition, and not repeatedly every day.
I came here to say the same thing, low resting heart rate(unless related to some medical condition) has nothing to do with zone 5. It sounds as if the OT will adjust your zones based on your actual max HR after 5 classes, since the standard 220- your age formula doesn't work well if you are in shape.
I wouldn’t say it’s a scam, it’s just different business tactic and at the end of the day, if you feel like you are getting a good work out, then that’s what matters 😊
Anyone that’s thinking of going to this gym DONT! They will literally scam you, if you ask to have your account frozen even if you give a month notice and get charged $15 fee, they will charge you for the month that was suppose to be frozen and then blame you for it.
Speaking of diabolical gym tactics, I once joined a gym -Fit City for Women, in Vancouver (idk if they are still there.) where they MADE you pay for your membership through a monthly direct draft from your bank account (rather than a credit card) and when I tried to quit/cancel the membership, I tried three times and each time they did not stop billing me. Until finally, as a last resort I had to literally go to my bank and close my bank account and open a new one. When I told the TD Bank person they said, “Yeah, you aren’t the only person who has had to close their bank account to get away from this gym’s unauthorized billing.” Insane. 😮😢
One time I signed up to try out a class, and I think i got sick or something and ended up not going. I was going to reschedule but then they started calling and texting me every single week (sometimes multiple times AND from different numbers) and i got the ICK. They did that for MONTHS and eventually I texted back one of the many different numbers they contacted me from and told them if they continued to contact me I would report them for harassment. that finally got them to stop and I never heard back. but omg your video makes it all make sense now
I loved OTF when I used to go some years back because I enjoyed the versatility of exercises throughout the class as well as the community however I was totally aware of the sales tactics and didn't respect that aspect of it, but understanding how businesses work, I tried not to think about it. After some time though, it was difficult to ignore since this "leading science" was the reason for such outrageous prices and it was so falsely presented, I couldn't justify it anymore and it truly became less fun. Especially considering that I can do all of these extremely basic workouts at any other regular gym and any time for wayyyy cheaper. After quitting, it was honestly relieving and I realized how much money I felt like was wasted over the course of 8-10 months. People can get these communities and type classes anywhere. Business is business but it's important to remember and see the humanity in the clients that keep said business afloat. I feel like places like OTF, Goodlife, Planet Fitness, etc etc forget that. There's a local gym in Toronto called Shape Fitness and it's so lowkey and the community is amazing and all the classes are included. Locally owned is always where it's at tbh.
I worked for Goodlife and their sales tactics were very similar. But still better than the ones used at the "boutique" personal training gym I worked at in Van...
Honestly I super enjoyed OTF for about 4 years. Still go a little sometimes. Only changed because I bought a bunch of home equipment in 2020 and also switched to long distance triathlons. This video is way over hyping 'predatory' and over downplaying the optimization and science challenges. It's a solid option and design for those who enjoy it and I lost weight and got in great shape buying into it.
I did a free "friend class" a few months ago because my BF loves the classes. I don't enjoy running and I do weight-training 5-6 days a week currently. I felt rushed during the class, especially in the weight-training area, I didn't even have time to think about which weights I wanted to use! I also didn't enjoy the lack of warm-up and rushed cool-down. I was shocked that in 2024 we are so focused on calorie counting, I used to be obsessed with that and realized it's not good for my mental health. I wish you could turn that off...Also they called SO MANY TIMES afterwards trying to get me to sign up, when I really wasn't interested since I don't think it fits my goals or is my style.
God i HATED that heartrate thing. I did a class once because I was interviewing yeaaaars ago and I kept getting yelled at for being in the yellow zone or whatever........ when I was, at the time, a college athlete... like no shit I won't reach the "all out zone" even if I'm fully gassing out gmfu It was also the stupidest workout format. In my formal athletics training with actual coaches, we would NEVER ever do all these things in a single session.
I worked at a YMCA in a rural area… this is SO accurate. I was a college kid working my way up; they exploited alllll young people and squeezed us for everything we had. You got rewarded for good work with MORE work. The cold calls were real. They made me a “coach” to help people on fitness journeys when I had 0 experience. I led a weight loss group with my teaching being personal experience losing weight thru EDs.
I’m in Canada. Literally nothing about this is what happened to me when I started. I’m open to hearing about it, I just wasn’t sold anything. Went in for a trial, no one came up to me after to ask if I wanted to sign up. I asked to see plans to sign up and they said start with fewer classes, you can always upgrade . They also explained how to go about canceling and not get charged. Nothing about it screams sales. Also no one ever promised me anything about how many calories I was going to burn. Meanwhile, the results are doing all the sales .i feel great, i go 3x4 times a week and am losing weight, getting stronger and i love the community and positive vibe. Maybe im in the minority and lucked out w my studio , but i have nothing bad to say about OTF
I go to OTF everyday but like you mentioned in the video, each studio is different. Ours is packed so no weird sales tactics because we already have so many members. But also I have a fitness background, so I like it because I just do what I need on a given day. But that is why I like it. It is an hour of workout where I don’t have to make choices about what to do next, but I can always modify and go at whatever range I need for that day.
OTF is fine for what it is which is a cardio based workout that has a routine that is somewhat similar each time, with small variations. I”m an adult, so I understand that this is a business and they need to sell memberships to stay in business. I could do this cardio on my own, but being in a class adds a bit of competitiveness to it which is great. Cardio Boxing classes would be something similar. I use a low cost gym for weightlifting. For me, this couldn’t be my only gym, but for some it is fine if you are not strength oriented. It’s month to month and it’s easy to get out of. 30 days notice. I use a credit card, so it’s easy to cut the gym off if they were to do something inappropriate.
“You’ll continue to burn calories after the class is over” that’s called being alive
Fair
😮
😂😂😂 true
lol! It’s that way with ANY workout.
When I did my free class there, I HATED that they called me out as new. I desperately just wanted to blend into the crowd.
Yes!! I was visiting my brother and wouldn’t ever be joining but they kept calling me out. Hated it.
dude throughout my entire free class my trainer kept calling out how i was in the red zone 😭
It's classic cult behavior to do that with new people. Red flag!
4:24 the 4y❤r@@243Summer
What's wrong with that.. they probably wanted to make you feels welcomed, you may be overthinking it.
I used to be a member, and one day I caught a glimpse of the coach’s clip board while we had a couple guests trialing the class. The sheet mentioned one person was local, but the other was just visiting and therefore a “lost cause.” Felt kinda icky the rest of the class hearing the coach hype up the local guest while totally ignoring her friend. Really made it obvious that we’re just numbers and not valued members.
THIS EXACTLY!!!! I forgot about this energy 😭😭 so sad
Same thing happens in the barbershop hype up the new local vs the new guy just passing through 🤫
Oh not everyone gets ignored. I visited my brother out of state and went to his Orange Theory and was extremely called out. I told them up front I really need to not push it too.
I've been the visiting guest. I was there with my cousin and I was supposed to pay for the session, but they didn't charge me. I was very glad they would at least let me workout there...with family I never get to see.... while being out of state and not having access to anything....I would have gladly paid.
Ehhh it’s a business. They either make money or close. It’s not a charity.
I love all the “allegedly”s 😂
Letterkenny vibes lol
Prime CYA language. We must respect it!
I was visiting a city with an orangetheory and since I've heard about how good of a workout it is, I wanted to take a class while I was there. On Tuesday, I signed up for a class on Thursday. Between signing up and the time of my class, they called me 20 TIMES and texted me 6 times. I didn't go to the class because I just got so turned off by how preyed upon I felt before even walking in the door. So shady!
20 TIMES in just 2 days is a lot. Why call if the customer has already signed up for it. That's like wasting your sales rep's energy lol
Thats so aggressive! Is that even legal?
I had this experience with them too! It was too much,
Ugh how annoying! That is a huge turn off I would also not show up lol. I think I'm just going to start putting in my spam email address and secondary phone number if there ever is a sign in sheet ;)
same. they even followed me on instagram. i blocked them
As a 1.5+ year member who’s actually obsessed with OTF, this makes me extra thankful for my studio. Our coaches and SAs don’t do most of these things, even when I took my first class, and our little community is the sweetest! Definitely location-based as Keltie said!!
The owner of the OTF franchise in my city makes a point of spending time with customers and coaching her own classes. The first class I took she sat down with me to get to know me and that’s when I realized she got to know her members by name, every single one of us and I think the trainers are encouraged to do so as well. That alone made me come back and trust I was being lead by people who actually care about the work they do. Tbf I think OTF is really for people who either have never worked out in their life or haven’t worked out in years to get into the habit again.
I absolutely love this for you!! This is an example of the franchise location being passionate about community & fitness 🥹 give them a high five from me!!
Same. The team at my location is great and doesn't hard sell. It's one of the reasons I'm so comfortable there.
The whole color zone thing doesn't factor into my thinking or reasons for being there -- the community aspect allows me to challenge myself and hold myself accountable without having to figure out what exercises to do when I go to the gym and the coaches allow for my form on the Floor to be corrected if needed.
I wish gyms installed sound level meters and weren't allowed to play music louder than is healthy. Hearing health is just as important as physical health!
Most aren’t. You can check the sound levels and speak to them about it. They probably will at least give you earbuds (they should).
Same!
It should illegal to play music that can harm their members hearing.
Different gym, but once I went through a sales pitch at a gym and they asked what my goals were. I said, I’d like to work on my stress management and maybe lose about 10 pounds. The guy (20 something year old talking to a mid 30s mom of 3) said, I think you could lose 20. 😳
OH MY GOD NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! 💀💀💀💀💀💀
@thelittlemuffet right?? He was lucky I am not into confrontation. 😂
Damn that’s brutal
WOW. Em no! Bye. He asked for your fitness goals and then made you feel shitty. I would never go back!
omg that was so rude!
I went to a class without realizing that half the class was RUNNING like you want me to pay to run on a treadmill😭
Yes why I didn’t like it
You can choose the type of classes you want.....ones that emphasize weights... tread.. rowing..
Understanding what you are paying for would help you out immensely. The price is justifiable.
they have power walking option now, you slowly progress to jogging. This video was kind of obnoxious. OTF is life changing. ive done solid core which is so hard, pilates and regular gym memberships. I gotta say I LOVE OTF the best. They have the workouts for you already you do not even have to think.
Well it's the fun of being in a group and help to stick to your goal. Some people need the support
As a small gym franchisee, the financial pressure can be overwhelming. Losing money most months of the year. Went into it because I was passionate about it. But have now lost my life savings, my house, etc. Some bigger franchisees can weather these financial pressures, but small single unit franchisees often face an insurmountable uphill battle. You sign a ten year contract with the franchisor, plus ten years with the landlord, and can’t get out without declaring bankruptcy. You’re locked in. The fitness industry is a high risk endeavor.
I’m sorry this happened! How heart 💔
But alex hormozi told me it was super easy
@@colossicus555he made 100 million selling and buying gyms.
Noted 📝
Great point
Make this a series with other companies too! Really insightful for comparing membership choices
Yes would love that
SoulCycle please 🙏 😂
This link happened to be in my next up as I read your comment! Keltie reviews "F45, Barry's, Soul Cycle, and more" ruclips.net/video/GADfNZHjumU/видео.html
I quit OTF after I got injured during a class and the coach/front desk staff treated me like I was the biggest inconvenience they had ever met. Got a doctor’s note and used that to cancel my membership. Never going back!
You needed to show them a doctor’s note to cancel your membership?! So they treats you like this was a high school gym class you needed to bring a note to? You know you could have just told your financial institution to cancel the membership?
Former OTF coach I’m glad someone is sharing this info! It always felt so sleezy as a coach I was trained that it’s a workout intended to be done 3 times a week maximum, but encouraged to “prescribe” a member a number of classes that would require the unlimited monthly membership (I wouldn’t do it). I always told people once a week for that type of training was plenty, but a lot of people did 2x a day, or everyday from the start and were way overtraining. The coaches also get sales incentives, not commissions but bonuses on members signing up and were also encouraged to call/email. I just wanted to coach but also became a sales person.
My mom teaches CPR and most of the stories that scared people into learning CPR is someone needing it at their Orangetheory class. One of my head coaches didn’t actually know cpr and someone needed it in her class. It’s not always safe/healthy to gamify fitness even if you’re competing against yourself!
2x a day is too much, but going and working out once a week isn't going to do much for you - I don't care what they've designed. I think if you're not willing to go and work out 2x a week at least, I'm not sure why you're wasting any money at all. Maybe 2 is enough, idk.
PLEASE not me watching this at work…i work at orange theory 😭😭 i just started like 2 months ago and i like it actually ! i will say the memberships are so pricey though id never pay that much 💀 but i get to workout for free sooo
The absolutely IRONY hahhah! Hope you feel seen in this 🤣🫶
@@KeltieOConnor LOLL oh absolutely, i thought it was hilarious i had to click right away. anyway can’t wait to see what you have to say, im gonna finish watching when i get home 🫶🏻
If i was Jeff Bezos and didn’t like orange theory and i would start a red theory next to each orange theory and charge 1/3 the price with the similar generic hiit/mix program.
@@unlitrashhope you have a great day at work!!! 🫶🫶
@@KeltieOConnor i did thank you!! just watched and i will say you hit the nail on the head, i 100% agree with you about everything
1. i’m a SA and i hate!! the sales tactics, we def don’t get paid as much as we should to be pushing this hard to sell memberships. i hate how gyms are lowkey kinda predatory nowadays:/
2. at my location (im in the US) we don’t have a sign in sheet like that; we do call logs but they make us do it w/ ppl that didn’t sign up, or ppl who call that are interested. i hate calling dw, i really wish people would say they’re not interested right away bc i hate being so pushy
3. i do wish there was a bit more passion for getting people healthy not selling stuff but i think it also depends on the coach
4. pricey but the community aspect is def there, everybody is really nice and full of energy which i like, and also working out in groups is sm more motivating to me
all in all i think is subjective but if you like it, great! for sure best job ive hard (so far); my manager is very nice and lenient, i get to sit down, 5min commute and the hours are not crazy and ofc i get to workout for free. sadly the pay isn’t the best to cover all expenses but it’s fine for now while i figure out my life, other than that great video like always 🤍and sorry this was long LMFAO
I must be lucky! I LOVE my Orange Theory, the staff, the community, the workouts. I've lost 45lbs since last October (combined with sobriety). You are spot on about the over-hyped "science based" claims though which extends to their obsession with the inbody scans.
congrats! keep going!!
I’m an Orangetheory coach part-time (was a member for a while beforehand). My full time job is marketing and I agree they OD with the heart rate tactics and I feel so bad for our front desk team having a large sales goal.
I always sneak in jokes on the mic “don’t worry about 12 splat points, it’s just for the orange aesthetic.” 😅
But for most people 3-4x per week at OTF is great, especially if you enjoy short runs and some full body lifting.
They also have tread/strength only classes for 50 minutes which has been a great implementation.
Love the video 🧡
I wish I could take one of your classes I would giggle so hard about the ignoring 12 splay points HAHAHHA! You sound like an amazing trainer 🩵 so happy you enjoyed the video ☺️
I hated it. I used to do bootcamp, heavy lifting and boxing so I understand how to workout. I struggled getting in and out of the rower and holding up the group. The coach's never corrected form and people are disasters.
But the pressure to run and the teammate aspect... sucked.
I will stick with bootcamp and a personal trainer once a week.
Been a member for 6 years and still love it. Recently upgraded to Premier membership. I never felt pressured to upgrade. Love my coaches. Personally think it’s a case by case basis with studios.
Defiantly franchise to franchise! Love that you’re is so welcoming and encouraging! Keep it up 👏🏻
I went once, it was a pretty good workout. But I told them I was limited because of knee issues and the trainer still acted completely surprised every time I couldn’t do a certain move. What really kept me away was how many times I was called after the first class. It was multiple times a day, everyday. I truly considered going back but when I realized how slimy the sales tactics were, count me out, there’s no way those people were getting a card number from me. The phone number was bad enough.
I'm glad you mention each OTF is different! I work casually at a local OTF and I think it's important to mention that depending on where you live will depend on the price. Also, the staff makes a huge difference! My location is super chill, and we are gonna give you our prices and get you to buy, but we aren't worried if you don't buy. Community is more important, as you mentioned!
Finally, I def take people off the call list if you seem totally uninterested or if you just straight tell me you don't want to. Like ok cool, I dont wanna bother you either! It's so annoying to call people who are obviously not interested.
LOVE!!! The location that focus on community have a way to my heart 🩵 most important part of a fitness studio! Give your location a high five from me and they get my A+ gold star gym award hehe 🏆
I applied for a job at Orange theory 1 year ago and SOOO thankful it didnt work out. I have worked at Crunch Fitness for around 1 year and they ALWAYS have a 5ish min warm up and cool down programmed into our 45 min HIIT workouts. One of the big things that matters to me in teaching group fitness is actually teaching the group about WHY we're doing what we are in the programming. Its like a dose of medicine, you gotta find the perfect amount/type for you❤🙌
I love that last line! All about what works best for you 🩵
I used to do hiit classes 5 times a week at crunch and realized I wasn't getting stronger which is what I wanted. Over time I learned to go strong in some exercises and not all and to do hiit classes a few times a week and do my own fun workouts other days. I've gotten so much stronger..except now I have shoulder issues and may need shoulder surgery after 2 rounds of failed PT and no improvement after pain shots
Work on stability!!!
Maybe the group fitness classes are better, but the pay structure and time demands for personal trainers at Crunch was awful. Terrible at best, borderline illegal at worse.
@davida730 for the personal trainers YES. I completely agree, I tried it for a few months and went back to Group Fitness instructor which pay very well and are on a consistent weekly schedule.
@@davida730 yeah all the employees at crunch tell us how little they get paid..it's usually a first fitness job for them so workers usually stay like less than 5 year before moving elsewhere or on their own.
OTF coach here- let me just say that it totally depends on the location! We are franchises so each studio is owned by a different person or company. The class is a useful way for people who don’t want to think about what to do and want to follow a plan and stay consistent. I think the best way to avoid being harassed by SAs is that if you’re not interested in purchasing a membership to let them know to take you off of the call list! Communication is key and most of us appreciate your honesty as to why you’re in the studio!
I tell my intros- green is good!!! We want that recovery and majority of minutes in the green with a few in orange
Do they actually take you off the list if you ask them to?
I worked at orange theory as a salesperson - we were given scripts and instructed to call every person in our database at increments of 24 hours for 3 weeks then we bump them down ro 72 hours - it felt like HARASSMENT! Also I got my personal training certification and wanted to transition into a coach role, and they refused to pay me for a week of 40 hour mandatory training…. So I quit.
Which is why I don't put my actual info on the call sheets. Don't call me. I just came in for a free session in your kill room. Honestly, why are the lights off? It's creepy. I would like to see my surroundings when I die.
Girl not KILL ROOM LOL~!
Lmfaooo
Dead 💀
I put my spam email address and old work number lol. I just came in to try your free class.
I absolutely CANNOT STAND the orange lighting, the huuuge blaring motivational texts, loud mics yelling instructions non stop, constantly flashing stats on screens. I felt so frazzled going from one station to another, I could not focus on anything. I mean I did break a sweat but I felt anxious and stressed out and overstimulated. Never again.
I will stick with my pilates and hot yoga, then do my own cardio outdoors.
Use a 555 number haha
I know this is a little late, but I absolutely loooved last week's running video. I watched it in chunks over the week (when I should've been writing an essay) and it helped me get through all my weekly tasks... (essay is now done ✅). Can't wait to watch this one! 💕
So happy I could join you throughout the week! That one was a long one so don’t blame you for breaking it up, congrats on finishing the essay 🩵
Almost five year OTF member here and coming upon my 1000 class. I LOVE my OTF studio and the workouts ❤
4years here. Still go about 3-4 times a week. I love OTF and the people here. It’s been great to keep in shape and to learn new things when I was a beginner. I will not give it up. Im not sure what to think of this video. I usually enjoy Kelties videos but I can’t seem to agree with some of her points here.
Same here I am 400+ workouts and love it! I think this video is a bit biased and doesn't really offer anything good about OTF. They don't really market the "orange theroy" anymore anyway. Where I am they don't even make us wear the heart rate monitor if we don't want to.
@@tamalee534 you should agree with her. She didn't exactly bash them. You as a "customer" buy what you like. And that's fine. The true victims are the fitness trainers who thought they were going to be trainers but have to be a usedcar salesmen, so maybe she shouldve framed it more this way instead of it about customers. Some people really like these types of workouts and are willing to pay for it. Therefore there's a market for it, and it's priced appropriately based in the number of membership acquisition and participation, etc. So if it's going to be good for you or not depends on you, ultimately.
Same here.. I love it. Of course they have to sell memberships. It is a business. I do not agree with this assessment at all. 😑
@@tarab1656it’s the way they do it. For me I once was bored and signed up for a trial online and got never ending phone calls for months after. No gym or any other workout related industry has ever done that.
ALSO as a runner it irks me so much that they NEVER talk about running form & often peoples form is so bad!! 1/3 of the workout is running so it’s crazy that they have never mentioned running form and I have been to over 15 orange theory classes!
My cousin works in one of those. She’s a very petite lady about 4’11’ weighed around 94, but since she started working there she hit those weights hard and now she has natural curves and a tight body. I’m so proud of her. She said I could go anytime she’s working so I’m going to HAVE to call in that favor!
I used to work for Orange Theory as well. They treat their employees like absolute garbage, pay is shyt, and we were basically telemarketers in disguise. They didn’t teach us anything about the actual program so we could best inform our customers. My entire shift consisted of calling potential customers and harassing them to join.
Some gyms don't even pay their front desk staff - you just work for "a free membership" which is actually NOT free since you are required to work a certain number of hours to compensate for the FULL membership price (not even a staff discount, you work off the same full price as a regular client!). And then they still expect you to also be a sales associate when you don't even make any commission either (!) ask me how I know 😡😡
How is that legal??
@@Ruffles2012 you're not a hired employee, so your tax information isn't collected, you're considered a volunteer who is compensated for their time with a free membership. it's a lot more common than you think, and it's how places cut costs by taking advantage of people who really love fitness and maybe can't afford the expensive membership so they're willing to work for free in order to go there. it sucks and is a shitty business practice, but it's legal!
That’s cap. Orange theory would for sure get sued if this was true.
@@archimedes_espinosa I wasn't talking about Orange Theory specifically because I haven't worked there, but regardless they wouldn't get sued because it's not an illegal practice, it's referred to as "work for trade" in the US and there are plenty of places that do it.
Great video, Keltie! (Allegedly). I also hate the sales tactics but I get why they do it. I actually have been going to orange theory for a little over a year and enjoy it. I live in an area where there aren't a lot of other class-based fitness places to try out and orange theory works for me. My location has great trainers and good people of all walks of fitness which is nice. It's also the only gym I've gone to where after missing almost a week due to illness they reached out to me to see how I was doing and when I'll be back!
The best gym is the one you go to often :)
Alledgedly....Love you Keltie
ILY!!!!
You got to keep that “allegedly” in there to be a top RUclipsr…
I worked in multiple types of gyms for over 15 years, including Orange Theory. These sales tactics are exactly the same EVERYWHERE you go, regardless if it is a large box gym, a small studio or a private country club. As a trainer, if the 'sales associate' didn't make the sale, they handed them off to a trainer to try to 'close the deal'. The cold calling goes on and on, if you sign up for a gym membership and do not buy training sessions, a trainer will call you to offer a 'free session', which is really a session to try to sell you training sessions. If you do not want to be cold called, put a fake phone number down and misspell your email address...
I just joined OTF last night after a really incredible class. I felt supported and guided along the way. The instructor was incredibly kind as well as the front desk staff. I know people that have lost significant weight with this membership and so I’m looking forward to giving it a try. Fingers crossed!
I’ve been going to OTF since January, and I love it. I think it definitely depends on the location. The coaches where I am at are amazing snd supportive. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my stamina and strength. I really hope you enjoy it!
I've been a member for years. I used to have multiple gym memberships, but soon went back to premier OTF membership. I love the two studios I go to. I've never experienced any high pressure sales tactics. The managers have been super accommodating when I've had to cancel last minute. They knew I had a son with special needs, who also had a membership that cancelled often for medical reasons. We were never charged. I have loved my coaches. The biggest knock I have on OTF is the high turnover and frankly high they treat their coaches (hence the high turnover). Just when you find a coach you love, their gone!!
I am a die hard OTFer! It’s a fantastic workout that continues to push me 7 years in. You get to set your pace, your goals, and keep yourself accountable. Coaches are not one size fits all but that’s the fun - you find your rhythm and it becomes your life! It’s not for everyone and that’s fine-i hope everyone finds something they never get sick of, something that makes them happy and healthy! OTF is that for me 🍊🧡
I used to work at OTF in February 2024, but left due to not knowing I was pregnant. I didn't have any PTO days so I quit. They took away the sales commission for the DFW Texas area. Not sure other locations globally but I was the top sales person in Dec 2023 and saw no additional pay, not even my name on a board. It was truly sad honestly.
Former Temple Manager here... Sounds like the same boss I had who also owned DFW studios.. 🤣
Happy OTF member here 🧡Amazing insights on how Orange Theory works and I am sorry that your experience working there in earlier years wasn’t great.
I think labelling the entire business as a “scam” is a bit harsh and may come from a bias of working in a not so great location/franchise. Scams are “businesses” that take a person’s money without delivering a specific product or service that was agreed upon..
At the end of the day, consumers have free will and a choice on where they want to spend their money and time.
The tactics and level of passion in the staff definitely varies from studio to studio and ownership. I’ve been a member for over a year and those unfortunate sharky tactics were never in my experience.. and I’m very grateful for that and its maybe why this has been my longest gym membership 😅
Thank you!! I have a low resting heart rate (50s) and was killing myself trying to stay in the orange zone when trying a workout at Orangetheory!! I appreciate you explaining that... and all the "allegedly's" 😂
I also have a low RHR and it takes a long time to go up in cardio sessions... Cardio is funny in how the fitter you get, the fewer calories you supposedly burn unless you're pushing yourself like crazy
Yep! And I’m slightly overweight and have ALWAYS had a lot of muscle.. so right now I have a high resting heartrate and when I did it, I was in the verge of orange/red the entire time but I didn’t feel like I got a great workout (at all)
My body is just slightly out of shape so my heartrate goes up QUICKLY, but with muscle-memory I guess it allows me to do all the exercises and it still didn’t feel the most difficult. I wasn’t even pushing myself
I was a member and will occasionally go to a drop in class if I’m bored- but I stopped wearing the heart monitor a long time ago. I actually feel better and push myself harder in some ways without the monitor.
15:30 This is SO true of martial arts places too. If you're looking for a traditional martial arts experience, trust the ones with websites that look old and the ones who have no "try our gym" package. Most places will charge you a bunch of money to do a two week trial. A traditional martial arts school will give you a free 1-2 week trial because they want to be able to kick you out at any time, so they don't want your money until they know what you're like. At the end of the trial, if they think you're trustworthy then they'll ask if you'd like to sign up. Usually they only have two options (monthly or yearly) because they don't have a limit on how many classes you can take, they want you in the school as much as possible so that you'll improve at a reasonable rate. They care about this because they won't allow you to test for a new belt until you've actually learned everything for your current belt, so they are hugely incentivized to actually have you there learning as much as possible (many of them also have minimum amounts of time between tests that increase as you go up in rank). I was totally spoiled because I grew up going to a very traditional school like this. I went every single day so it was crazily economical (something like 40 cents a class, and that's not factoring in how often I came an hour early to do my own thing in the back of the dojang). I have since moved and trying other schools is so hard knowing that they are often more profit-minded, or are geared towards daycare for young kids more than training. Anyway, those are some good things to look out for! A good martial arts school does NOT want just anyone paying to be there, and they truly won't accept everyone. I remember the master of my school telling someone who had been attending for years that he would never be allowed back after he used excessive force in a match and injured someone. Martial arts schools are only safe when the person running the school is 100% willing to lose a customer to maintain that safety.
i would love to see this type of video for Club Pilates!!
Literally was thinking this the whole video! 😂
I was an OTF member for a while in 2022 and let me just say I clicked on this video SO FAST when I saw it in my feed. I was moving away from my home gym and cancelling with them (OrangeTheory DC) was a Nightmare with a capital N. I called them several times over the course of a month before I escalated things (aka yelling at the sales rep) that I wanted the manager to process my cancellation and I was tired of them pushing me around. I kid you not, they told me that they were working on "processing my cancellation" like 6 times. I will Never again sign up for Orange Theory because of this gym in Washington DC.
Wow, I quit just a few months ago and it was all online. Super easy. Glad they changed that. I HATE when I have to call to cancel something bc it's always a hassle
@@lomoliving5528 wait so when u cancel you still have to pay for the next montth but u can't take classes right?
@@Justforme7 no you can still take the classes until the membership fully expires. You are just forced to pay for the extra month - which I assume means that when they cancel they don't want to go anymore - at least that was my case. So I paid an extra $100 for nothing
@@lomoliving5528 Yeah, it's usually something like you have to give 30-days notice, so realistically you're always gonna pay for one more month than you actually wanted to, but that's pretty standard practice for month-to-month agreements.
I’ve worked at quite a few gyms… and there’s nothing unique about their “sales” tactics. All gyms are the same , I wouldn’t use the term SCAM.
I love Orange Theory! With the right studio and staff it’s a whole vibe! Keeps me motivated. Been a member for 6 yrs.
Are the sales tactics that different than other gym class memberships? Genuine question - I assume all gyms like this do this.
Full disclosure - I've been going to OT for 2 years but I'm not a super fan but I do really like it - I just can't motivate myself to workout unless I'm in a class haha. I pay a little over $100 for 8 classes month. At least where I live that is a lot cheaper than most other classes like pilates etc.
I've never heard them mention EPOC since I've been going.
I lLOVE your videos and I'm not trying to come down on this :) Just trying to provide the perspective of someone who goes a couple times a week.
I've been a member at OTF for 9 years. I've almost done 1500 classes. I absolutely love it. I warm up before class and stretch on my own after class. It's a wonderful workout. I've never been in better shape. I have visited many locations (at least 7), so I can still workout while I'm on vacations. No one has ever pressured me. I signed up for 8 classes per month at first, but I was paying extra to do more classes, so one of the SAs suggested unlimited. I have a good mix of muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness. I highly highly recommend it. 👌
1500 classes?! Wow 😮 way to go!
I've been part of Orange Theory since like February and take all the calorie stuff with a grain of salt. The price has been worth it to me because it gets my butt in there at least twice a week for a workout with great people. I think a big thing is the workout is JUST 1 hour, is pretty well rounded, and can be what you make of it. You don't have to go 100% every day, or you can power walk instead of run, you can lift heavy or light, and ask for modifications if needed.
At the end of the day, it is a business and they need to make money, so they can do whatever they want...it's easy to block their number. The community/SAs/coaches will vary from studio to studio and I don't think it's very fair to blanket your experience to every studio and their environment so I appreciate you added that to the end of the video. I'm sorry you had a bad experience working there and I think it's important to acknowledge that anywhere you work can be toxic and bad, not necessarily specific to OTF. I have friends who are SAs and their managers are not like your was at all and they have loved the experience. Thanks for your video and sharing your experience Keltie!
So true it’s going to be different studio to studio! Love that you’re is working out so well for you and all the staff at yours are great so well!
I pay for a Pilates membership and was nervous because it’s so expensive. But after my intro class, it made so much more sense to me. It can be dangerous and while I could buy a reformer and exercise at home, it still wouldn’t be a good “investment” unless you’re a pro. It’s also fun trying new things you know you’d never do by yourself.
Some memberships are worth it. But paying $$$$ to do things you could do for free is so angering.
what is wrong with youtube? I remember subscribing to Keltie a long time ago, and then without me realizing, I haven't seen her videos pop up in my feed in so long! I'm happy they started popping back up again!
Same happened to me! 😢
Same
I was a member of an OTF for a short time. I enjoyed the workouts, although I did find the membership overpriced. The people in my community that attended the location were not pleasant, but that’s of course dependent on the location.
My experience when it came time to cancel was not great. I couldn’t afford it anymore, so I called to cancel the membership. I was told I had to give 30 days notice of cancellation, so I would still be charged for the next month. I said okay. I ate the next monthly charge, but the following month I got charged again. When I called to find out what happened, I was told the 30-day notice has to be submitted in writing, so the monthly membership charges would continue until 30 days after the written notice is received. I hadn’t been told that the first time I called about canceling (although I assume it’s in some fine print somewhere), so after a bit of back and forth with the associate, I canceled my card and had my bank send me a new one so the card number they had on file simply wouldn’t work anymore.
That turned me off from ever going back to an OTF.
I appreciate that you’re so dedicated to provide great videos ❤
I appreciate that you enjoy them!!!
I've done orange theory, it's a great workout. But everything you mentioned is done by all commercial gyms. They do nothing usual. This is just how the commercial/franchised fitness industry works. Also, you do keep burning calories after the workout, but that's true for almost all cardio workout.
She does mention the post workout effect at around 9:40
I’m actually awake at 8 am on a Saturday
Welcome to 8am club Tammy!
@@KeltieOConnor good morning ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Me also...sheesh. 😊
Hey Keltie, I'm loving your videos. Thanks so much!
Can you please create a warm up video? I'd love to learn how to do it properly!
Oh my goodness and sometimes to this day I STILL get annoying ass calls from OrangeTheory DC even though I moved 2 years ago. They are the absolute worst!!!
Great video. Never did orange theory’s , but tried barrys, also worked at F45 and high studios (same as barrys in Amsterdam) and one thing I will sum up: if these classes were that effective we, personal trainers, would not have our job and wouldn’t be as fully booked all the times as we are 😅 dying in the class is not equal to have a good workout. 🎉
Hahahha 😂😂 it’s true nothing beats a PT!
My friend signed up for this n i was shocked she had to buy her own heart beat tracker. She quit eventually cus the timing of classes sucked and they always left her super exhausted and shes a really active person.
Another great video and amazing advice Keltie! *allegedly* 😉
This auto sales-themed gym experience is my exact experience at LA Fitness - don’t know if they have this in Canada - but they basically want to sell a more expensive membership based on features that are supposed to make it special but then all those features actually cost more and don’t come with the gym package - like personal training… They have an entire sales staff on the same floor as the weights, right up front, so they can accost you as you’re trying to leave. Any gym you walk into that has an entire sales staff with at least 10 individual desks needs to give you pause. Even if it’s a good gym!
12:05 this is the worst part of joining a new gym or club. you don't even get to go home after you already spent an hour or more working out and now you're super exhausted. because they want to sit you down while you're all disoriented, maybe hungry, and skittish. Then go over some options. At this part I usually ask for all the information I can get, then take it home to review over a couple of days before calling or going back to give a final decision. I feel bad for folks (and there are some who fit the bill) who don't want to be rude and will literally sign up for a plan right there and then after their free trial session.
I’ve been going to OTF for a few months now and love it. It’s not my first rodeo with working out and i was getting pretty bored prior to joining. so for me it works! I pay $129 for 8 classes a month and love my studio. We have great coaches who do a good job at warming up. I love the community there and everyone is friendly. I feel like the coaches actually know me and when i can push myself and when i need to slow down. And I’ve noticed they encourage the green zone. they do talk about “after burn sometimes.” As a nurse i always tune out during that spiel 😂 So yeah i guess it’s location based! I actually drive 15 min further than the studio closest to me because i started there and love that one.
I will say though that if you have no experience with working out this class is probably not the safest. the risk of injury is much higher than if you were working out alone with a personal trainer or even at a gym.
I agree with you! I love my 2x a week class and my studio.
I do OTF and am absolutely obsessed with it; I guess it just isn't for everybody.
I went to OTF for several years. It was great for accountability. But I had to stop because I kept getting injured (hip, knee and other joints). After I left, I learned that as a peri-menopausal woman it’s actually not good for me to constantly do HIIT training. My Dr told me that HIIT classes causes stress on the body and therefore cortisol spikes. This stress actually can slow down your metabolism. LISS and strength training are recommended for menopausal women. And I don’t get injured doing it.
Oh I’m so sorry that happened! Yeah I’m majoring in health sciences and what that doctor told you has DEFINITELY been taught to me. From what I’ve heard, developing muscle around your bones is more beneficial at the age you are at, and stuff like yoga/stretching class (which all ages could use)
Former OTF salesperson, you literally described the demographic perfectly. That was my first job out of college and I went into it with this passion for fitness. Went to school for exercise science so I figured out quickly the EPOC thing is BS. Was paid $10/hr, commission was never fully explained. Was calling the same people every single day and it really was harassment in my opinion. Yes we had to clean the bathrooms and the studio as well. I remember if we managed to get someone to sign up for a class over the phone, we HAD to get a credit card on file (despite the class being free?) It was tough asking for that info on first contact lol. Fun times
I’ve been a member for a few years now and I do love the workout, but the pricing is INSANE. I pay for a premium membership where I live (almost $200 a month) and when I was out of town that studio wanted to charge me $10 per VISIT! They said it was because their studio was a “premiere” studio, which I found odd considering it wasn’t even as nice as my studio. I asked what their premiere price was and it was only $10 more a month, yet they still wanted to charge me $10 per visit. And also every month they try to get people to sign up for extra crap that costs even more money. I plan on moving soon and when I do I will not be signing up in the new city.
ALSO THEY REQUIRE FULL 30 days notice to cancel. Both times I canceled I had to pay for a complete extra month. That is why I never went back. I am sure I am not alone.
Thank you for this! Really fascinating to understand these sales tactics. I'm in the UK, ad OTF isn't widespread yet, but feel a lot of these tactics are very similar to those used by all sorts of gyms. I find them intimidating and hard to say "no" to - I've ended up with SO MANY memberships (to all sorts of things) I didn't want because I buy into the sales tactics. (It doesn't help that I'm autistic, and one of my traits is I see the best in everyone / everything / want to make people feel good by supporting them!). It's so helpful to see 'behind the curtain'. Thank you, Keltie! Also, the reminder I don't need my heart rate in zone 5 for a whole 60 mins was helpful, and that it's a good thing to warm up and mobilise before exercise - I need to buy into the 'less is more' way of thinking....
Thank you so much for talking about this! I have 2 terrible OTF stories. First one is mine.
I'm a fitness instructor. Back in 2022, i was training to become an OTF coach. I made it very clear that I booked a 5 day vacation and gave them the dates. They said no problem! Upon my return i reached out ASAP and never heard back, they ghosted me!!!! Not to mention that i had to bug them for six months to pay me for the training!!! I had theater them with lawyers. Total scam!
Story 2, a good friend of mine who has over 20 years of experience fitness training was also trading with OTF. She had a bad knee at the time. They discontinued her training half way through because of it. You can still totally coach with the injury that she had. Moreover the orange lights made me sick, the music was too loud and its not a gym!!!!!! Its a fitness boutique and the workouts are flippin boring.
Ok I'm done now, have a wonderful day lol
Glad I found this video and comments. I signed up after a free class because I was digging the whole thing. That says a lot because I am not a work out person at all and have always been slightly terrified of gyms and exercise classes in general. Did one class, great. Went for a second and had a terrible, terrible time. I can be a little klutzy and was having a little trouble switching from equipment to equipment. I was having a bit of a hard time getting proper form on the rowing machine (I think it was the rower), but I wasn't exactly "causing a scene" or slowing anyone down. The instructor seemed to take issue with me and she was what I would describe as annoyed or maybe frustrated with me. The more I tried to get better form and keep up, the more nervous I got, which then made the instructor even more frustrated. I was so taken aback after the class that I decided not to go back and canceled my membership with no explanation. That may have been a little extreme on my end, but I felt so embarrassed and humiliated.
I’ve been doing orange theory on and off for a few years, it is the only exercise program that works for me. All I have to do is drive to the location and then I cant quit until the workout is over. If orange theory is something that might work for you in the future, I would try a different studio and only go to classes with a specific coach (avoid the ones that piss you off). You should only be comparing your workout to yourself and go as slow as you need to. The coaches dont remember what its like to start orange theory for the first few classes after doing no exercise for months on end. Orange theory should be directly related to other gyms or workout programs. For a dumb comparison on orange theory sales tactics: I cant look at couches in a furniture store without some sales person following me the whole entire time, and shocker thats the same at every single furniture store.
I loveeeee OrangeTheory 🍊any gym I have done a trial at always tried to hard sell that’s normal for any place trying to pay rent, that doesn’t make it a “scam”. It is a struggle for me to self motivate, working out in a group setting with a coach motivating you, available at lots of different times each day is a bargain for me at the price. It is a fraction of getting a private coach, and the atmosphere is really fun and they do a lot of special events.
I signed up for a free class and they called me relentlessly. I suggest to sign it as messy as possible.
My studio tells us you are supposed to be in the orange or red zones for at least 12 minutes (total), and they definitely don't try you to go there much more. The coaches I've had generally do coach you through bringing the heart rate down to green. I've also never seen any number of calories advertised in any of the studios here in NYC area, that's kind of wild, since it's so individual. We also do about 5 minutes of warm up in my usual studio.
I really feel for the workers who got the job thinking they were just going to work a front desk job, just to be forced into a cold calling position. I had the same thing happen to me at a t-shirt printing place I worked at in my early 20s. At first it was fine but a couple months in I was one of the workers forced to transfer to a new location that the owner was opening up on the opposite side of town. I ended up driving twice as far to a completely new store and was forced to cold call random businesses every day in order to drum up business. It was horrible, nothing is worse than spending all day calling people that DO NOT want to talk to you so you can beg them to try your services, especially when its not even technically part of the job you signed up for.
As a member of OTF, I like it. I get to use my body regularly (otherwise sitting at a desk) and I don’t have to think about what I’m doing each workout. Having coaches motivate you to try a little harder is helpful for me too. But I’m not trying to be a pro athlete. I’m just trying to keep the old man out. It’s great for that.
As a PT I can’t tell you how many people get injured in these classes. It’s also not advisable for anyone with an auto-immune disease to exercise to that point. In fact, it’s dangerous. No one should be working out to their “orange” zone for weeks on end. It will set people up for burn out, injuries, and adrenal fatigue.
Love this video!! I used to work at an orange theory and I think it definitely depends on your studio. I would never pay this much to actually take classes, but the community was decent. I tried to not be pushy when selling to members, but I felt super icky when cold calling and when people wanted to cancel/freeze their membership - we were told to make them feel bad for leaving even if it was for financial reasons. 😭😭 but again my studio was not the most ethical…. Hahaha
I just signed back up at OTF. I was a founding member before Covid and loved it but after Covid the vibe and community felt off so I didn’t go back. I’ve just joined again because they let me come back at my old founders membership, unlimited workouts, for almost $100/month cheaper than what it costs now. My location, also in Vancouver, never had the used car sales vibe. I appreciate this video for your perspective now and as ex-staff, since I’ll know what to keep an eye out for! ALLEGEDLY!! 😂
I’ve managed to lose 35 pounds with orange theory and changing my diet. I hate that they charge for so many things (late cancelations, certain challenges like marathon month, or even just using their “fancy” scale to see body composition). But I’m not there to gain muscle, I just want to lose weight and the calories I burn in just an hour is more than any other activity I’ve ever done, including going to the gym and trying to figure out my own routine. But that’s what I love is I show up and everyday is somewhat different. If you hate the treadmill, it ain’t for you. But I’ve been able to build up to much faster running speeds and shorter mile times.
I used to drive past an OT on my way to work every morning at 5:30 and chuckle about the cult rowing in their orange glow.
As someone who worked in the fitness industry, this is ALL over (even at Barry’s). Everyone pays the staff low wages unfortunately. Most workouts focus on intensity over warming up (hello Barry’s). Thought I’d see something earth shattering about their sales or how the run things, but nope. Gyms are about subscriptions. Most don’t want you to attend but just want you to keep paying monthly.
I haven’t watched the video yet. Posting a comment before. I was a founding member of OTF studio. And went there for 1.5 years. I LOVED it!!! I was one of few who actually saw the results and it was because of changing my dieting habits and putting in the work. But I loved it. I miss OTF so much. I quit because I am solo parenting 2 under 2 8am-8pm 6 days a week. And for now (3 months pp) I’m focusing all the time and energy on my family. But can’t wait to go back to OTF. I looked and felt amazing just after 8 months of OTF.
Would you review Burn Bootcamp?? I wanted to love it but have some qualms about it
I go to a traditional gym in my city. My gym membership is half subsdized by my health insurance, so it's $27/month. Then I fork out an extra $240 for 8-9 one on one coaching sessions a month with a private instructor.... who turned out to be a retired S&C coach and probably the best partner in fitness I've ever had. I went from a total wimp that could barely pick up a bare bar to someone who can deadlift my own weight, and I'm currently working toward benching 100 lbs by the end of the year.
Moral of the story is if you have THAT kind of money - hire a real coach at a real gym!
zone 2 and zone 3 are fine, though you want a couple sessions a week in zone 4 and 5 for the cardiovasular results, if you can do it. Also, a low resting heart rate has no bearing on wether or not you could get to zone 4 or 5, it just means you have to go all out to do it, which is the point. When I first started my resting heart rate was high 60's and because of my weight I could get to zone 5 pretty fast, but after months of conditioning and losing the weight, my resting heart rate is 50 and I have to work harder (run faster) to get to zone 4 and 5, but I stil do it 3 times a week because it is invigurating. But, it is not absolutely neccessary, zone 2/3 is fine and you can do that longer with less stress on your joints. And I do that more than zone 4/5 over a week. 700 calories in one session is possible, but quite hard, and generally not sustainable day after day. 500 though is a good target if you are trying to get into shape and/or lose weight. And EPOC is real, but not that big. I saw someone say that HIIT (zone 4/5) burns 5 times more calories because of EPOC than does steady state (zone 2/3). That is a misrepresentation. HIIT may have 5 times more EPOC than steady state, but that is like 25 calories vs 5 calories. It isn't the calories burned during the actual workout. Sorry, just read the Orange Theory claims of 700 calories in one hour, that is pretty much impossible for everyone except an athelete in the middle of a competition, and not repeatedly every day.
I came here to say the same thing, low resting heart rate(unless related to some medical condition) has nothing to do with zone 5. It sounds as if the OT will adjust your zones based on your actual max HR after 5 classes, since the standard 220- your age formula doesn't work well if you are in shape.
I wouldn’t say it’s a scam, it’s just different business tactic and at the end of the day, if you feel like you are getting a good work out, then that’s what matters 😊
Anyone that’s thinking of going to this gym DONT! They will literally scam you, if you ask to have your account frozen even if you give a month notice and get charged $15 fee, they will charge you for the month that was suppose to be frozen and then blame you for it.
Speaking of diabolical gym tactics, I once joined a gym -Fit City for Women, in Vancouver (idk if they are still there.) where they MADE you pay for your membership through a monthly direct draft from your bank account (rather than a credit card) and when I tried to quit/cancel the membership, I tried three times and each time they did not stop billing me. Until finally, as a last resort I had to literally go to my bank and close my bank account and open a new one. When I told the TD Bank person they said, “Yeah, you aren’t the only person who has had to close their bank account to get away from this gym’s unauthorized billing.” Insane. 😮😢
One time I signed up to try out a class, and I think i got sick or something and ended up not going. I was going to reschedule but then they started calling and texting me every single week (sometimes multiple times AND from different numbers) and i got the ICK. They did that for MONTHS and eventually I texted back one of the many different numbers they contacted me from and told them if they continued to contact me I would report them for harassment. that finally got them to stop and I never heard back. but omg your video makes it all make sense now
would love to see a video on how apple watch/ oura ring/ wearables calculate calories burned and the possible deception with it
I loved OTF when I used to go some years back because I enjoyed the versatility of exercises throughout the class as well as the community however I was totally aware of the sales tactics and didn't respect that aspect of it, but understanding how businesses work, I tried not to think about it. After some time though, it was difficult to ignore since this "leading science" was the reason for such outrageous prices and it was so falsely presented, I couldn't justify it anymore and it truly became less fun. Especially considering that I can do all of these extremely basic workouts at any other regular gym and any time for wayyyy cheaper. After quitting, it was honestly relieving and I realized how much money I felt like was wasted over the course of 8-10 months. People can get these communities and type classes anywhere. Business is business but it's important to remember and see the humanity in the clients that keep said business afloat. I feel like places like OTF, Goodlife, Planet Fitness, etc etc forget that. There's a local gym in Toronto called Shape Fitness and it's so lowkey and the community is amazing and all the classes are included. Locally owned is always where it's at tbh.
I worked for Goodlife and their sales tactics were very similar. But still better than the ones used at the "boutique" personal training gym I worked at in Van...
Honestly I super enjoyed OTF for about 4 years. Still go a little sometimes. Only changed because I bought a bunch of home equipment in 2020 and also switched to long distance triathlons. This video is way over hyping 'predatory' and over downplaying the optimization and science challenges. It's a solid option and design for those who enjoy it and I lost weight and got in great shape buying into it.
I keep getting texts from a local gym here promoting all of their deals. Someone used a fake number which so happened to be my number.
Oh my god NOOO!!! 😭😭 I remember hearing people doing that cause they got a freebie for giving a friends number to the gym 💀
@@KeltieOConnor Yep! 🤣🤣🤣 the frequency of texts is much lower now though compared to the beginning.
You cant be undercover when no one knows who you are in the 1st place
I did a free "friend class" a few months ago because my BF loves the classes. I don't enjoy running and I do weight-training 5-6 days a week currently. I felt rushed during the class, especially in the weight-training area, I didn't even have time to think about which weights I wanted to use! I also didn't enjoy the lack of warm-up and rushed cool-down. I was shocked that in 2024 we are so focused on calorie counting, I used to be obsessed with that and realized it's not good for my mental health. I wish you could turn that off...Also they called SO MANY TIMES afterwards trying to get me to sign up, when I really wasn't interested since I don't think it fits my goals or is my style.
God i HATED that heartrate thing. I did a class once because I was interviewing yeaaaars ago and I kept getting yelled at for being in the yellow zone or whatever........ when I was, at the time, a college athlete... like no shit I won't reach the "all out zone" even if I'm fully gassing out gmfu
It was also the stupidest workout format. In my formal athletics training with actual coaches, we would NEVER ever do all these things in a single session.
I worked at a YMCA in a rural area… this is SO accurate. I was a college kid working my way up; they exploited alllll young people and squeezed us for everything we had. You got rewarded for good work with MORE work. The cold calls were real. They made me a “coach” to help people on fitness journeys when I had 0 experience. I led a weight loss group with my teaching being personal experience losing weight thru EDs.
I’m in Canada. Literally nothing about this is what happened to me when I started. I’m open to hearing about it, I just wasn’t sold anything. Went in for a trial, no one came up to me after to ask if I wanted to sign up. I asked to see plans to sign up and they said start with fewer classes, you can always upgrade . They also explained how to go about canceling and not get charged. Nothing about it screams sales. Also no one ever promised me anything about how many calories I was going to burn. Meanwhile, the results are doing all the sales .i feel great, i go 3x4 times a week and am losing weight, getting stronger and i love the community and positive vibe. Maybe im in the minority and lucked out w my studio , but i have nothing bad to say about OTF
I go to OTF everyday but like you mentioned in the video, each studio is different. Ours is packed so no weird sales tactics because we already have so many members. But also I have a fitness background, so I like it because I just do what I need on a given day. But that is why I like it. It is an hour of workout where I don’t have to make choices about what to do next, but I can always modify and go at whatever range I need for that day.
OTF is fine for what it is which is a cardio based workout that has a routine that is somewhat similar each time, with small variations. I”m an adult, so I understand that this is a business and they need to sell memberships to stay in business. I could do this cardio on my own, but being in a class adds a bit of competitiveness to it which is great. Cardio Boxing classes would be something similar. I use a low cost gym for weightlifting. For me, this couldn’t be my only gym, but for some it is fine if you are not strength oriented. It’s month to month and it’s easy to get out of. 30 days notice. I use a credit card, so it’s easy to cut the gym off if they were to do something inappropriate.
I have been a memeber for 4 years and absolutely love it!!! Don't ever wanna go back to a regular gym 😂🧡
I’m an overweight 5’5 man that’s 280 lbs, and started OTF a month ago and my average of cal. burned is 800+. And I’ve never worked out.