You’ve probably seen an Orangetheory in your travels recently, what with there being more than 15 locations spread across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Famous for its bright aesthetic and science-backed workout, the fitness haven is taking the world by storm—literally, there are locations in Australia, Japan and Chile, just to name a few. Now, the one-hour high-intensity workout has taken residence in Farmingdale’s Airport Plaza.
“The thing about Orangetheory Fitness is that every single class is different,” explained Nick Galanis, the Orangetheory area developer for Long Island and local franchise owner.
It’s this principle of having a different experience each time that makes the workout so effective. While fitness enthusiasts often fall into a routine, Orangetheory offers an hour divided into segments on the treadmill, water rower and strength training floor that keeps the body on its toes.
First-timers, who are eligible for a free trial class, will meet with an extensively trained and Orangetheory-certified coach to determine their fitness goals and establish the motivation they need to achieve those goals. They will then be fitted for a heart rate monitor that can be worn around the wrist, on the upper arm or strapped across the chest.
This monitor, which can be loaned each class or purchased to keep and wear whenever the gymgoer pleases, connects to both the Orangetheory app and a screen in the gym itself to show your heart rate, what percentage of your maximum heart rate you’re working out at and how much time you spend in each of the designated five zones. In order of increasing intensity, gray is little to no activity, blue is a warm-up pace, green is a base pace and the fat burning zone in which you should spend about half an hour, orange is the push pace and may be uncomfortably challenging, and red is the all-out effort that you may struggle to maintain for even a minute. Between the orange and red zones, guests should only clock 12 to 20 minutes.
Should participants meet that orange and red zone goal, they will achieve EPOC—excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or the Orangetheory afterburn that burns calories up to 36 hours after completing the workout.
Unique to Orangetheory, whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, the coach guiding the workout is dedicated to making sure that each guest gets the most out of their experience. While the near 30 athletes that fill each class are performing at their designated treadmill, rower or strength station, the coach will ensure that everyone is challenging themselves, going through each move safely with proper form and accommodating any injuries or concerns.
“We do a lot of stuff to get the members excited,” Galanis said. “It’s really community driven. It’s not just about the body, it’s about community, mind, body and spirit.”
Orangetheory is located at 253 Airport Plaza Blvd. To learn more, visit www.farmingdale.orangetheoryfitness.com or call 631-386-8088.
