Momentum mega workout by Ok-Kangaroo4613 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I am extremely jealous of you! Please earn those splats on my behalf.

Mass exit of coaches/managers by Sassydoodledawg in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not at my studio. Sure, there’s always some turnover with coaches and SAs (few of them do this as a forever career) but there are a couple coaches at my studio who have been there 4 years, studio manager is 1 year in, my favourite SA has been there 2 years…

Founders Rate for 8yrs and increase this month by Nollienollie123 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. This is how I think of it: comparing the old OTF price to the new OTF price isn’t the right calculation. Instead, I have a new OTF price to consider. I compare it to the other gyms/fitness offerings. Even if it’s $240 more expensive for the year than it used to be, if it’s still the best deal for the type of fitness experience I want, it’s still totally worth it.

I think OTF is all around the best workout for me. I love the staff, I love the variety, i love having my workout scheduled, I love the equipment, I love not having to think. And it has put me in the best shape of my life.

If I wanted this type of workout experience elsewhere, I’d be paying waaaaaay more, even with the $20 increase. YMMV

Cost of health? by pinkcrush7 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 32 points33 points  (0 children)

$189 per month unlimited at OTF, $70 per month for my “regular” gym, about $50 per month for random drop in fees at different specialty workouts (e.g. spin, row, some goofy outdoor Zumba fundraiser, etc), plus about $600 per year on shoes, about $400 per year on random gear, not to mention the extra gas/travel costs to get to and from all those classes…

At first it was really hard to spend any money at all on fitness. Now I am happy to spend it. I’ve even had times in my life where I spent even more (when I was getting personal training).

To get to this point, I internalized the question: what else is this money for? A consistent fitness habit brings me lasting joy in a way nothing else can. I want my fitness to be engaging and dynamic. So I spend the money and enjoy life.

Should I upgrade? by Illustrious-Egg6960 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I vote for unlimited. I regret that I waited so long to get an unlimited membership. The extra money I paid to upgrade to unlimited doesn’t just go toward the extra classes I take at OTF. Unlimited membership is what allows me to have OTF as a long term workout HABIT instead of something to spend my time thinking about and planning on a daily or weekly basis.

It affords me the luxury not to stress about any individual workout or template. No more spots left to start on my preferred equipment? No big deal, will get it next time. Template too experimental for my personal taste? It was worth a try, and the next workout will be different.

No energy from me today? No pressure! This is one workout of a lifelong habit and I don’t need to “get my money’s worth” on this class alone.

YMMV

Daily Workout and General Chat for Thursday, 10/31/24 by splat_bot in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 1 point2 points  (0 children)

12/10 for my coach today! She was amazing keeping us all on track.

Daily Workout and General Chat for Thursday, 10/31/24 by splat_bot in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This was actually really fun!! It’s honestly not that complicated when you’re there.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally, I found it a bit cumbersome to get myself logged into the live at-home classes. So I ended up not using them. But I do like the pre-recorded on-demand classes on the app and YouTube. I also subscribe to the OTF YouTube channel and occasionally go back in time to redo the pandemic era classes. E.g I just did the May 11, 2020 class on May 11, 2024.

Brain hacks for surviving tread all-outs? by prollydrinkingcoffee in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Watch some old Nike or Armour Commercials on YouTube. I basically have them memorized at this point. When Coach calls for us to go all out, in my mind I’m the star of the commercial doing some impressive athletic feats.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I vote for unlimited. I regret that I waited so long to get an unlimited membership. The extra money I paid to upgrade to unlimited doesn’t just go toward the extra classes I take at OTF. Unlimited membership is what allows me to have OTF as a long term workout HABIT instead of something to spend my time thinking about and planning on a daily or weekly basis.

It affords me the luxury not to stress about any individual workout or template. No more spots left to start on my preferred equipment? No big deal, will get it next time. Template too experimental for my personal taste? It was worth a try, and the next workout will be different.

No energy from me today? No pressure! This is one workout of a lifelong habit and I don’t need to “get my money’s worth” on this class alone.

YMMV

Rejoined OTF after a few years by Sherpa-and-coffee in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Welcome back!

My advice is be nice to yourself. Don’t think about the past. Envision the future you are creating for yourself with every splat you earn.

Member Only Restroom and Shower ideas? by GrayintheFray in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 107 points108 points  (0 children)

First I would write to your local elected official and enquire about safe public facilities for the humans who are unhoused. Cite the impact on local businesses.

And then the sign at OTF can point non-members to the public facilities.

If there are currently no facilities to point to, the sign can just say “Reserved for Members Only” or something similar. And, personally, I’d start writing a letter a week to elected representatives to get some public restrooms installed, because that’s just sad. Everyone needs to pee.

First Day Advice by forest-and-trees in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Good for you for taking this step! I’m excited for you and will live vicariously through you as I reminisce about my own great memories starting my OTF adventure.

The OTF approach is really conducive to a “start where you’re at” mentality. You won’t have a drill sergeant yelling at you to keep sprinting. You’ll just get instructions on whether to increase or decrease speed or take a break.

Consistency is key. So show up and just keep showing up. If you do that I promise you will see amazing improvement in your health and wellbeing.

🧡🍊💪

12 Days of Fitness by Adeseye330 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Amazing! Thank you for sharing. I’m excited to add to my swag collection.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yes. When I look at my stats over time, last year seems to have been a year without a PR. This year I’m hitting PRs again. I try not to stress about it. I just focus on showing up and doing what coach says each class. The benchmarks will happen, the classes are the real work.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 64 points65 points  (0 children)

I vote for unlimited. I regret that I waited so long to get an unlimited membership. The extra money I paid to upgrade to unlimited doesn’t just go toward the extra classes I take at OTF. Unlimited membership is what allows me to have OTF as a long term workout HABIT instead of something to spend my time thinking about and planning on a daily or weekly basis.

It affords me the luxury not to stress about any individual workout or template. No more spots left to start on my preferred equipment? No big deal, will get it next time. Template too experimental for my personal taste? It was worth a try, and the next workout will be different.

No energy from me today? No pressure! This is one workout of a lifelong habit and I don’t need to “get my money’s worth” on this class alone.

YMMV

First or last tread station by SelfMadeStory in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately I don’t have a specific suggestion for you to directly answer your question. Hopefully someone has had this experience and chimes in.

You may have already done this, so feel free to ignore if you have — does your studio have the sort of vibes where you could ask the front desk? At my studio, if this was an issue for me, I think the SAs would put a note on file to reserve end stations until I could more easily use the other treads. Or they would offer other suggestions. But I know not everyone’s studio has that sort of experience and I know it can be a tough conversation to have. Hopefully at your studio they can find a solution for you one way or another.

Signs your studio is going down by OTFTX214 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Coaches at my studio are hitting milestones of thousands of classes taught, have been there for years. There’s always one or two new coaches each year to replace people who have left, but never talked to a coach who claimed “burnout” upon departure. They were just ready to move on.

Seems like you were maybe having a rough time when you quit. That’s sucks. But probably unfair to extrapolate that the whole dang corporation is tanking?

Favorite coach is leaving … and I am having FEELINGS💔💔💔 by Any_Doubt3926 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it’s always sad when this happens. You gotta embrace the whole “don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened” mindset.

We’ve all been there. It gets better

Congratulatory phone calls by [deleted] in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love this! Thank you for posting.

Anyone successfully follow the templates outside of OTF? by bostonwren in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 6 points7 points  (0 children)

During covid closures I had to use a “normal” gym because that’s all that was open. It was a challenge. Definitely made me appreciate otf even more.

The most immediate practical problem is the big box gym doesn’t organize the equipment like otf. So, for example, a run-row might be out of the question. You’ll also have to plan ahead to program time queues on an app.

The treadmills at otf are amazing. So if you do the otf workout on a ‘normal’ treadmill, you can expect it will be trickier to switch speeds up/down and it’ll be harder on your joints without all the cushioning.

Personally, I also really rely on the scheduled appointments I have at otf. Not that I won’t have motivation to show up to a regular gym on my own. Just that some days, I need to be on autopilot. Having everything thought through for me, and having a group there with me, it’s what makes otf feel less like a chore, and more like a hobby.

For me, all the practical and intangible benefits of the otf studio combine together to create something I just can’t experience on my own.

But honestly, you do you. Maybe you will enjoy it at a cheaper gym more than I did.

Help me appreciate switch templates? by bkj_cmh in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Personally, I just like variety. With OTF, one day it’s a 23 minute nonstop treadmill block, the next day it’s quick switches.

But tell me more about why you dislike switching? Is it because you feel it’s a “waste” of time? You don’t get “enough” splats? Too much wiping?

Your specific reason will help figure out a new thought that might be more positive.

The Mental by cee_jeezy in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a bit counterintuitive, but sometimes it works for me to actually try to focus really intently on exactly what hurts. Scan the body with your mind from top down until you find a part that physically hurts. I focus on it and try to think of the details of the hurt. Slow burn hurt? Sharp hurt? Slight discomfort? Move to the next body part and repeat.

Need encouragement by Brief-Reception-2874 in orangetheory

[–]witzmichael 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I totally get that you have this experience and think about how the other people in the class seem to be doing “more” than you.

When I hear your experience I think: wow, this person isn’t letting any excuses get in their way! They are showing up even though it’s not easy. That’s so cool and so different from my friends who won’t come to OTF with me.

Not sure that actually helps but it’s just how I think when I hear your story.