Orangetheory Fitness Aims To Provide 'Structure' To Workouts

FARMINGDALE, NY — International workout franchise Orangetheory Fitness will soon be holding the grand opening of its new Farmingdale location.

Orangetheory Fitness aims to be different from traditional gyms. Instead of the free reign, laissez-faire approach of many gyms where people customize their own workouts, Orangetheory exclusively offers 60-minute classes that are led by a coach and pre-designed by corporate. Customers use the Orangetheory Fitness app to book their desired classes in advance, with a different type of class being offered each day.

"[At Orangetheory], you’re paying for results, community, the personal touch and people getting to know you," Nick Galanis, 42, the area developer for Long Island, told Patch. "You go to a regular place and you’re paying for access; you walk in and you’re not quite sure what to do. Here, you walk in, and everything is already set up perfectly for you to get the best workout and the best results."

Class attendees wear a heart rate monitor, usually in the form of a band on the wrist, forearm or bicep, that tracks workout progress in real time. That's one of a trio of ideals Galanis feels separates Orangetheory Fitness from other gyms.

His second point is the fact that workouts change every day, so people who routinely attend classes will get to work different parts of their body throughout the week.

Galanis' third factor is the ability of the coaches, all of whom have gone through "Orangetheory certified training" to be able to instruct.

He believes the three ideas of science, workout variety and the coaches blended together create something "incredible."

"It can’t be duplicated," Galanis said. "The coaches really care about the member and take a personal, sincere interest in their fitness goals. It’s beyond the body. It’s the mind and the way [the customer] is feeling."

Equipment includes treadmills, a bike, a strider and more. The studio also has a set of machines called rowers, which provide a cardio-burning cardiovascular workout and upper body resistance training. Rowers use water, which create a fluid motion that's meant to cause no strain on the body.

Screens are placed in the studio that categorizes each individual's workout information into five heart rate zones: very light activity, warm up, challenging but doable, Orange Effect (uncomfortable) and "All Out Effort!" The zones correspond with the heart rate tracker each person wears. The goal is to spend 12 or more minutes, or 20 percent of the workout, in the orange zone (Orange Effect), which leads to an effect called the "post-workout after-burn" based on the science of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Per the Orangetheory Fitness website, "if you challenge your body at the right intensity, your body will work harder to recover oxygen lost during exercise. This revs your metabolism and makes you burn calories long after your workout is over."

Anyone 16 and over (14 and 15-year-old teens need a parent present) can participate in classes. Galanis said prices range from as low as $8 per class for those who want to attend unlimited to as low as $20 for anyone planning to go once in awhile. The Farmingdale studio can hold a maximum of 30 per class, and like other locations, has orange lights for a specialized atmosphere.

The grand opening is scheduled for Sunday, July 28, at 253 Airport Plaza Boulevard. Until then, health enthusiasts and anyone else seeking a workout can sign up for free trial classes on the app. After that, anyone who likes it and wants to continue can sign on for a pre-sales rate.

"We’ve been waiting for Airport Plaza for quite awhile," Galanis said. "We love Farmingdale. We’re excited for people who live in the area to actually get to experience what Orangetheory Fitness is about."

Galanis, a veteran Marine, fell in love with fitness and the structure it provided him during his service. Now, as a leader of the Long Island team, he hopes Orangetheory helps others in similar ways.

"I really hope [customers] achieve their results, they get a great experience from it and they make some friends along the way," he said. "We want them to feel good in mind, body and spirit. Have an amazing workout and feel the energy, the coaches and make some sincere friendships. If I had to put in a bottle, that’s what I would want."

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