No, we’re not talking about a bad self-tanning job. We’re excited to partner with OrangeTheory Fitness on a weeklong FITraiser designed to get you moving for a great cause.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m always up for a fitness challenge. However, what you might not know is that I have a hard time challenging myself. Given the choice between running speed intervals and doing a long, slow, distance run, I’ll pick the latter every time. Are you like this, too? It’s not the most fun thing to push yourself, but we can agree that challenging the status quo is the best way to improve, regardless of the goal.
So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I took up the challenge of attending a free class at OrangeTheory Fitness. I didn’t know what to expect, but it seemed like an interesting concept – group training for an hour with a focus on heart rate, and a combination of running and functional strength. With the weather taking its sweet time to turn, I figured this would be a good way to get some running intervals in and avoiding the brutal wind.
I came in and got all set up with my heart rate monitor and talked with the staff about my current fitness level and future goals. Everyone was really kind and genuinely interested in Tri 4 Schools, too! There were only 20 people in the class, and Adrian, our trainer, took the time to walk us all through the different exercises and plan for the day. Then, the workout got going! I loved that there was a time component and rep/set goal for each activity, as it kept me motivated and moving. We worked with medicine balls, rowers, free weights, and even TRX straps!
The next part of the class was my favorite…and also the hardest. We were on treadmills, but they were super awesome! They were incredibly flexible to help avoid joint pain, and were able to change speeds super-fast! That’s my biggest irritation with doing interval work on a treadmill, hence the reason I always do them outdoors – it takes the entire interval to get to the speed you want! Not so here. We did some speed intervals and a hill climb, and everyone was encouraged to find the right base, push, and all out speeds for them. During my speed intervals, I got up to 10.2mph! I would have never pushed myself to do that on my own. The hill climb was the toughest challenge, we worked from 6-8% incline, with still trying to maintain our push speed (for me, around 7.5mph).
The entire time, we could monitor our heart rate on the large screen display to help us gauge whether we should work harder, slow down, or maintain our effort. I wasn’t sure if that would be useful for me, but it helped me push harder at the beginning of class.
Afterward, we all stretched together, and then Adrian spent some time going over my results with me. I spent half the class in my target heart rate zones, which he said was great! We got out stats emailed to us, too, and they have an app to track your results over time (great for data nuts like myself).
So, why am I telling you all this? Because OrangeTheory wants to do a special fundraising week for Tri 4 Schools, and I hope you all take advantage and try it out for yourselves. The week of May 9, at both of their Madison locations, for the drop in rate of $28. Half of your fee goes to Tri 4 Schools, and if you decide to sign up for a membership, you’ll get a BONUS free class! They have a ton of different package options and prices depending on your fitness goals.
I hope you’ll consider taking a class the week of May 9th, just let them know you heard about them through Tri 4 Schools!
How to sign up:
Email studio0340@orangetheoryfitness.com OR call either location, and mention Tri 4 Schools.
Todd Drive/Beltline: 608.709.8099
Mineral Point Rd: 608.960.4044
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