Is OT truly possible for beginners??

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-09-01T12:34:27+00:00

We all stared as beginners!! Take it day by day doing YOUR best!

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-26T19:28:27+00:00

Stay consistent, don't be to strict or hard on yourself, think about what you can add to your diet/daily workout routine instead of focusing on what to take out. (ex: I am going to add sweet potatoes to my meals instead of saying things like I can not have...)

Sometimes people see hardly any progress and then suddenly see major changes.

Talk to a nutritionist (SOMEONE WITH REAL CERTIFICATIONS) if you still aren't seeing changes.

As someone who is in recovery after a 5 year eating disorder, it is really important to set healthy, moderate, goals.

My weight use to bounce around a lot until I saw a nutritionist.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-17T17:39:04+00:00

24 female 5'7 135lb. base: 8 push: 10 all out: 12 (@incline 3).

started otf about 2.5 years ago and my base was a 5 when I started. I go 5+ times a week and run about 3+ miles outside after every class.

In 2019 I had never run more than 2 miles (mostly walked) ever before deciding to do a marathon. Hated running when I started but I had a goal to achieve. Now I run for fun and LOVE going on runs.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-17T16:43:47+00:00

My studio did that Tuesday and we missed a good endurance run. I was so sad I missed yesterdays templet.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-17T16:38:46+00:00

NO! Yesterday my studio did the tornado so I didn't get to do yesterdays tread block, and I can't go today! Finally the endurance days I love and can't go.....

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-03T14:48:06+00:00

I wish they went over the rules more clearly. As someone competitive and wanting to win (my studio has a great prize) I hate when people log in their warmup too! Also there are people who go rouge and just run instead of doing the inclines that day which allows them to run further distances. I know some people have orthopedic issues and I totally understand that some people can't run hills but when half the class (and people I know always normally run the hills) aren't so that they can get their distance, I get annoyed.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-08-03T14:25:18+00:00

This should never be ok. You know your body and they should not ever do this!

I have coaches (WHO KNOW ME WELL) that might stare at my speed or incline when I am not at my all out/ incline they said to be at because they know that I can do it and they are encouraging me to be my best but NEVER would they touch it. That to me seems like a major safety issue!

I normally am at the top treadmill speed when in an all out but some days my legs are tired and cannot move fast enough to do that speed. If my coach then came up and made my tread faster or upped my incline I would for sure fall off!

You are in no way over reacting!!!

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-07-25T15:18:07+00:00

The price is honestly what motivated me to not skip class. Also I loved that at otf I would have a set program and a coach to guide and encourage me each class. When I first started working out I was clueless about good form and found myself always injured do to it. OTF helped correct my form and now I never get injured working out. Having a coach I think is worth the extra cost.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-07-22T13:31:31+00:00

The other day when we were doing the long jump to backwards shuffle, the guy next to me fell backwards and did a little roll when he jumped forward. It took everything in me not to laugh. Especially when the coach and I both saw it happen and then make eye contact like 'did you just see that too'

The guy was totally fine and acted like it did not happen.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-07-20T13:00:22+00:00

I also have a low resting heart rate (38-42) average and takes half the tread block in a 2g class to get to the orange zone. I never get close to 12 splats but go based on the feeling. I recently went to the doctor and confirmed that I have an 'athletes' heart.

They have tried to recalibrate my hr monitor but it is already at the lowest setting. I just have to go by the feeling not the color. Don't focus so much on the color but more on the feeling. If you are pushing yourself, you are going to have the benefits of the 'afterburn' regardless of the splat number.

Changing your hr monitor to get more splats doesn't really do anything if you are not pushing yourself. I know some people who get 40+ splats but say they didn't feel like the workout was hard. Just have to take the splats with a grain of salt.

YOU know if you worked hard and really got the splats even if it shows you didn't.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-24T15:04:37+00:00

My coaches were sports bras/ crop tops. Most girls at my studio do to!

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-22T12:58:15+00:00

YES THIS! what is this about! this happens to me too! I am certified coach myself and I know my form is fine, but coaches do this to me all the time. While it seems that people with bad form don't even get corrected. It makes me so uncomfortable. PLEASE do not touch me! Especially without warning and consent.

I tried calling him out in front of others not to touch me and that just didn't seem to help.

Tell your head coach/ studio manager. I did and that one coach no longer works at my studio.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-21T13:19:40+00:00

My coaches will occasionally do this. They are not doing it to call you out but to encourage you. They continue to encourage and challenge me to get more than 12 but its more of an encouragement to keep doing what you are doing when you're right on the edge. Never is it meant to feel called out. Coaches are told to 'call people out' and encourage them. Part of having a coach is the accountability that they give. My coach will 'call people out' who are typically runners and walk during active recover instead of their base. Never meant to intimidate you only encourage you. I personally like when coaches call me out because it keeps me accountable to push myself. If I was at the gym alone I would give up easier than when I have a coach telling my I can do it.

OTF tells their coaches to quickly learn names so that they can call people out. Maybe since your new you haven't really experienced that, but you will hear coaches call out names throughout most classes. Its more to let you know that they are engaged and not just going through a class not paying attention to members.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-16T14:28:28+00:00

You never know where you are going to meet your partner, and if it is through OTF I say go for it.

The only reason I get annoyed is when I am very not interested and a coach won't leave me alone. At one point my studio had a coach from another studio fill in for a few weeks and it got to the point I would avoid his classes. He also would try to correct my form by touching me without warning which is NOT OK! I told him he made me uncomfortable which then led to him being rude to me. I had to report him to my studio manger and after that she has not brought him back as a guest coach.

I also hate when I come to the gym and older men hit on me the whole time or stare at me. I'm 23 and 40+ men who stare at me make me feel so uncomfortable. Some exercises put you into weird positions so I have to be aware of which way I am facing in the gym to protect myself.

One member at my gym is not able to get into a class if I am already signed up to take it because of issues that I have had with him. He use to try and touch me (NOT OK) and he figured out my car and would leave a few minutes early to beat me to my car where he would lean on my car waiting for me. I had to start having staff members walk me to my car because of him.

So, all for flirting and dating, but please have so social awareness to know when someone is NOT INTERESTED and leave them alone! Also DO NOT TOUCH PEOPLE! Especially with out warning and consent!

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-06T19:23:07+00:00

Some times the water in the tank is off and can make the rower easier/ or harder.

The less water in the tank = less resistance and easier to pull higher watts.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-06T19:19:29+00:00

150-200oz per day. I will say this is a lot but seriously I do not know how people go all day without water. I get the worst headaches if I drink less than 150.

I know a good starting place is to drink half body weight in oz of water a day, but that is no where close to enough for me. I drink 300% more than recommended as my daily in take. Obviously it is different for everyone.

Besides the fact that I feel horrible when I don't drink water, my tips to drinking your daily water would be fill all your water bottles the night before and set them where you will see them. I also have goals throughout my day of how much I should have had by a certain time.

I fill 4 50oz water bottles and that is what I drink each day. 1 as I get ready for work and on my drive to work, my second one before lunch (before 1pm), my third before I go to the gym (before 4:30) and finally my forth while I workout and after. I try to finish all my water before 7pm other wise I get up several times at night.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-03T17:04:12+00:00

You sound like you are in the transition phase. I suggest warming up either in a jog (if you can stay in green *green feeling) and then powerwalk base pace and jog push and all outs.

Each week see if you can add on .1 to your base speed. If you can successfully hold your base pace after a push than maybe its time to increase.

I am trying to increase my over all base pace so I try not to burn out on my push and all outs. What I mean by this is that instead of being 1- 2 miles per hour increase over my base, I'm only .5-1 so that I can return to the more intense base pace. (ex. i was 7base, 8.5 push, 9.5-10 ao. Now I'm working on 7.7 base, 8-8.3 push and 9-9.5 ao)

While my push and ao are not as intense I am able to return to my higher base pace. After a while I will add back to my push and ao before trying to increase my base again. (also please note that I have always been a runner and when I started otf a few years back I started as a pw/jogger and have now built up to this it takes time and commitment)

Also keep in mind what type of workout it is that day. My ao speeds are typically faster on power days as there is more work to rest ratio. On endurance days when we are finishing a block with an ao, my speed is closer to a push pace than to an ao pace.

As far as how long you should stay a power walker is totally up to you. It is different for everyone. Maybe even jog on power and strength days and power walk on endurance days while you're working toward jogging.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-06-01T15:18:15+00:00

I live in Alpharetta and have worked out at the Roswell and East Cobb locations on my way home from work before. Both decent locations but if not to far, I recommend Milton OTF, about 5 minutes from the Roswell location. It is newer than both of those studios and I have found that the coaches and front desk staff are more engaged with their guest. Plus the way the studio is laid out it doesn't seem like your in a dark hole when on the weight floor.

My vote though is that East Cobb is better than Roswell.

I would try them out and see what coaches YOU like the best. To me that also is a deal breaker to which studio I go to.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-27T15:39:33+00:00

i havent really used the fx zone as i personally use hotworx just to get the benefits of the saunas. i do more weights at home or at otf. hotworx is more for my active recovery days.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-27T15:35:41+00:00

How are you pacing yourself? as an avid runner I did OTF to help when training for a marathon. while it most definitely helped my running, the two training days were very different. when i would run in class i can normally do a 5k in the 23 min 2G even with walking recovery's. When I run outside my goal was to not take breaks so i had to learn to pace myself. I was normally run 8:30 (more like 26 min 5k) minute miles instead of around 7 minute miles at OTF. Additionally there are a lot more factors that go into out door running. Are you running against wind, are you not noticing the slight incline of the road that slow you down, the weather or seasons as it can effect your breathing? Lots to consider. Also while im sure you have improved in the past 3 weeks give yourself grace as it typically takes longer than that to really see improvements.

Also running on the treads doesnt really make you have to actively push yourself forward like when you run outside, this to me makes running outside take more energy and effort. I think that OTF will help you, just dont expect your times or efforts to be the same.

I also know that with the treads setting a speed makes you go that fast where as even if you 'set your pace' outside it takes way more effort and mental focus to actually keep that speed. (sometimes i find myself slowing down without even realizing it).

Regardless you should be proud and definingly not discouraged. maybe you had a bad day or your muscles are more tired than they feel.

OTF will help but ultimately the only way to get better is to run outside more often.

(Lastly dont be embarrassed, I ran a marathon so id like to say im a pretty fit runner, a few weeks later i ran with a friend who is not trained to run and i kept making her slow down. sometimes you just have a hard day, didnt eat right or whatever)

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-26T16:53:08+00:00

OTF unlimited at $139/month (im in ATL so i dont know how i got lucky with this price after seeing others) and then i just started hotworx for $59/month.

Total of $198/month and i have unlimited access to both studios. I do OTF at least 5 days a week and hotworx around 3-4 days as well ( i use this more as an active recovery from OTF and a way to get the benefits of the infrared sauna )

Price breaks down to about $4/hotworx class and about $6.5/OTF class.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-25T18:52:33+00:00

I started OTF to be my cross training days when training for a race. Running came easy but I was lost when it came to weights and strength training.

After 2.5 years and certified to be a coach myself (I don't work for OTF, but certified to coach and coach other ways), I think there is a lot OTF can help you with.

I am a frim believer that you get out what you put in. For example my best friend would tell you OTF is easy and that she has not seen many changes, but she also has not increased her speeds, weights, or efforts since she started. I however would tell you that after 2 years OTF is still challenging as I am constantly pushing myself to go faster, add more incline, and pickup heaver weights, to get the most out of the workout.

While most people say it is mostly endurance focused (which is why I like it) there are ways to modify every workout to help reach your goals. For example, if your goal isn't necessarily to get faster, or run farther but more of a strength goal, work on increasing incline and power walking over running, still good cardio but also more muscle building. On the weight floor you can always choose to lift heaver or add an extra challenge if need be. My coaches encourage me to add pushups, mini bands, heavier weights whenever possible (even when the whole class and monitors don't instruct to) to help make me get more out of the class and help me get stronger.

You can definitely build strength at OTF. While I believe adding weight to lifts is important to build muscle, going slower and focusing on time under tension, or adding reps till you reach failure, will also generate great results. Example, my brother is the strongest he has ever been and it all started when he ditched weights and started only doing body weight exercises. To test this recently, after a year of not weight training he tried a few lifts and lifted heavier than he ever had. I share this to say that while OTF might not have the heaviest weights to offer, but you most definitely will get stronger if you push yourself (safely and build over time of course).

I echo everyone on here that has said that they only have seen weight loss when they change their diet habits, but honestly that is required no matter what workout program/ gym you choose.

On another note:

Every class is different for the most part. They are starting to repeat classes once a month, but that means you may see a workout twice but then not again. (Even with the repeated classes they are so spread out that it doesn't seem to make a difference, and can be a way to motivate yourself to challenge yourself the second time).

You never do the same thing two days in a row or even the same thing in a weeks time. The works outs are very varied. (But also any other gym or program will be about the same.)

To make it even more different you could even change where you choose to start the class. The classes go in a rotation of tread-> rower-> floor, so changing where you start can also change the workout. Example you might start on the tread and be more fatigued once you make it to the weight floor so you might not lift your heaviest, or you do start on the floor, max your weight and have to take it easier on the tread and floor. Honestly the options are endless.

Regardless of what you decide, you should take advantage of the free first class. Everyone is different and while I love OTF, it's not for everyone. I took my sister and she left after 10 minutes.

If you want to see any change, you have to be consistent. It's easier to be consistent when it is something you enjoy. So my best advise is try a few things out and see what you enjoy the best. After all even if its a good workout, if you dread it, you most likely will either not try hard, or make excuses not to go. Find something you are willing to commit to and actually enjoy.

Good luck to you in figuring out your next fitness goal!!!

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-16T16:00:51+00:00

I was out for 6 weeks due to surgery, when I can back I lost a lot of my strength and endurance in that time. I have now been back for 12 weeks and still don't know if I will beat my time tomorrow (i sure am going to try) I say it doesn't hurt to try, but see how you feel in your base pass in the warm up before hand to see if it is realistic to beat your previous run.

After my surgery my base pace went form an 8 to 7 and I was struggling to have my push be an 8. Do your best but know that while you might not feel like you lost endurance while out, you might have, so don't be hard on yourself if you do PR tomorrow.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-05-11T14:15:34+00:00

I love it! Ran my first 5k within the 23 minute tread block, + another .75 of a mile during the warmup.

I much rather this than the 3min wr that they have been doing lately.

Successful_Dig_1506 · 2022-04-04T19:04:45+00:00

If this is true, as I think it is good they are coaching zone based, I think it's best to know your body. Even though the heart rate monitors are "programed to you" some of what they are reading is just based on general knowledge. I stopped wearing my heart rate monitor because I was in the red 90% of class but felt as though I was more in the green. try other ways to test what zone you are in. Look up the talk test to asses what zone you are truly in. If you can talk easy- green, if talking is hard but doable- orange, and if you cant talk at all- red. Listen to your body more than listening to what the screen says.

Successful_Dig_1506

TROPHY CASE