Members spoke. We listened.

Today Orangetheory announces the launch of the OTbeat Link, a custom device that allows members to use their Apple Watch to track heart rate data with the in-studio heart rate monitoring system. The device, now being debuted in two studios, will roll out to the entire network in early 2020.

“We’re excited to bring the world’s smartest watch to the world’s smartest workout,” said Dave Long, CEO and Co-Founder of Orangetheory Fitness. “Member experience has been at the forefront of all that we do since the brand’s inception. This innovation addresses the needs of our members by creating a way to leverage the technology they love for a seamless fitness experience and a healthier life.”

The OTbeat Link, a small device that attaches to the Apple Watch band, tracks performance results during the workout in real time. Post-workout, the member can view their Active and Total Calories in addition to their heart rate data in the Activity App on their iPhone. Also, the Orangetheory logo is now easily identifiable within the Activity App and members’ Orangetheory workouts will contribute to closing their Apple Watch Activity Rings.

The OTbeat Link is beginning its rollout in the SoHo and Astor Place studios in New York with a domestic roll out across the rest of the Orangetheory network beginning in February 2020.

“The announcement has been in the works for more than a year,” said Kevin Keith, Orangetheory’s Chief Brand Officer.

“We started noticing how many members wore their Apple Watch during workouts in addition to their OTbeat heart rate monitor,” Keith said. “In fact, after conducting some research we discovered that approximately 43% of members are already using their Apple Watch during class, and the vast majority use iOS devices.”

Initially, the $129 OTbeat Link will be available through a new membership option, Premier+, explained Joe Mazzarella, the brand’s Chief Technology Officer. Eventually it will be sold in studios around the entire network, he said.

The new device will be part of a number of technology upgrades that Orangetheory members will see in their studios throughout 2020. Studios are beginning to implement OTconnect, which recognizes the member and displays their performance data on the treadmills. Next up will be a similar system across the WaterRowers.

The combination of the heart rate data with performance data from the equipment — such as incline, resistance, speed and watts of energy — creates a comprehensive view of the member’s workout. “Ellen, our founder, likes to say you can’t improve what you don’t measure,” Mazzarella said, referring to Ellen Latham. “With these innovations, our coaches will have even more powerful tools to help members get more results.”

Two new apps meant for Orangetheory staff were also announced at the SoHo event. OTcoach — designed for coaches by coaches — will allow more mobility during the class by focusing on correcting form, highlighting member accomplishments and creating deeper rooted connections with our members. "The OTcoach app will empower our coaches to lead all elements of the class on the palm of their hand with the iOS app and on-the-go during workouts,” said Griff Long, Orangetheory’s Chief Operating Officer.

Long estimated that the app will allow coaches to spend 10% more time with members during class, equating to over 7.2 million hours annually across our network of coaches.

Members will also notice that the front desk team at Orangetheory will be using a new app. OTassist provides the in-studio team to seamlessly interact with members like never before by allowing them to see real-time member information such as birthdays, milestones, goals, and much more.

“Our members have made it all possible,” David Long said. “As we get ready to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are pushing hard to make sure they enjoy all of the benefits made possible by their work in the studio. ‘More Life’ isn’t a slogan for us, it’s a motivation.”

Exercise, when you get right down to it, can be a best friend or a nemesis. We love it; we barely tolerate it. One day, we’re reveling in how it lifts our spirits and boosts our heart rate. The next, we’re bemoaning how it frustrates us and makes us hurt.

If you’re one of those dedicated folks who works out religiously — twice a week? three times? more? — hooray! But chances are you know (or periodically might be) someone who struggles to get off the couch even once a week. That’s not unusual: Estimates vary, but the percentage of people who start a program and don’t stick with it seems to be around half. At least.

“Keeping people motivated for exercise is the million-dollar question,” says Irene Lewis McCormick, senior director of fitness education for Orangetheory Fitness. Even Orangetheory, with its million members in 1,200 studios around the world, has attrition issues.

But Irene is optimistic about finding ways to alleviate those issues. Even for folks who start out gung-ho and then peter out when results don’t come quickly enough. Or those who are intimidated by a gym or just flat-out don’t enjoy the workout they’ve chosen. Or who reach a point mid-workout and think, “I can’t go on” — so they don’t.

“The hardest thing to battle and push through is our own thoughts. I learned that if I take it one step at a time, I get very far. I might not be the fastest, but I still get there.”

One basic way to make exercise at Orangetheory a habit? Purchase and use a heart rate monitor, she says. When members wear one, a coach can use their personal data to ascertain where they are in their training, and use that information to help them achieve optimum results.

“If I can see where you are, I can see what you need to hear to keep you engaged,” she says. “You don’t have to wear a monitor, but the program is based on it. Showing up just two to four times a week, you’ll experience the physiological crescendo of all things that will happen during exercise.”

Another roadblock? No guidance from a coach or mentor. Without it, people flounder and lose interest. By sharing concerns and goals with a coach, though — or even a friend in class — they are more likely to stay the course.

“There are 7,000 coaches in our network,” Irene says. “They are equipped to deal with all sorts of issues. We love coaches who look great and are funny and have wonderful personalities. At the end of the day, though, it’s remembering members’ experiences that trumps all that.”

Coaching is an “empowerment process,” says Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist and a scientific advisor for Orangetheory, “and OTF is about transforming lives through empowerment. We want to enrich their lives. That’s what wellness is — spiritual, mental, physical.”

But often, people just plunge into a plan without first thinking through the reasons. And if the only reasons are “because my doctor said so,” or “because it’s January 1 and I need to be skinny by summer,” odds are that the plan will be far from a lifetime commitment.

“They never sat down and established sensible goals,” says Fabio, who teaches behavioral science at San Diego State University. “A structured plan takes you from preparation to action.”

So does the dynamic of working out in a group setting like that found at Orangetheory.

“When you feel like, ‘I just want to stop,’ you see others who are challenging themselves,” Fabio says. “For some, it’s competitive. For others, it’s a nice support system.”

Ida Mohebpour, a member of Orangetheory in Glendale, Ariz., can speak to that. Since joining in August, she’s lost 20 pounds. Just as importantly, she’s gained confidence.

“The hardest thing to battle and push through is our own thoughts,” she says. “I learned that if I take it one step at a time, I get very far. I might not be the fastest, but I still get there.”

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS ON STAYING MOTIVATED: 

Make a game plan. Keep it simple; if it’s too involved or extreme, you’re less likely to stick to it.

Find workable solutions. If you’re not a morning person, go to a class later in the day.

Reinforce good behavior; never punish yourself. If you miss a class, don’t take two the next day or double up on effort. “By doing so, you’re associating punishment with your behavior,” Fabio says. Workouts shouldn’t be considered punishment.

Ask for help. We’re all on this fitness path together.

Rest. “The workout is the stimulus and the magic happens between workouts,” Irene says.

Separate your life from your workout. “You can’t quantify your life based on your workout,” Irene says. In other words, a bad workout doesn’t make you a bad person.

Alter your goals if need be. “Most individuals have that ‘all or nothing’ thinking, me included, which means we fail if we fall off track on a goal we set for ourselves,” Irene says. “It doesn’t. It just means I must take another route to get to my goal.”

About the Author
Leslie Barker has written about and lived her passion – health and fitness – for decades, most recently as senior writer for The Dallas Morning News. Her essays, tips and ways to find joy in even the simplest of circumstances have inspired couch potatoes to start moving as well as more experienced exercisers to keep moving.

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Sometime amid his all-out sprint on the treadmill and final set of squats on the weight floor, the former NHL All-Star, his sweat-soaked T-shirt tethered to his chest, knew he was hooked. 

Five years after hanging up his skates, longtime Vancouver Canucks captain Trevor Linden signed up for an Orangetheory Fitness class during a road trip that, fortuitously, included a pit stop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He walked out of the 3,000-square-foot studio so impressed by the effectiveness of the workout, so pumped by the energetic atmosphere, that he immediately called his business partner, Chuck Lawson, with a plan to introduce the franchise to their home city.

After acquiring Lower Mainland franchise rights for the Florida-based fitness company, they launched their first location in 2014, and have since expanded from South Surrey into North and Metro areas. The duo — and country — reached a major milestone when Canada’s 100th studio, their 10th, announced its grand opening on West Broadway in Vancouver on Sept. 14.

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the OTF Fort York location in Toronto will host a celebration packed with workouts and giveaways in honor of this landmark event. Orangetheory co-founders Ellen Latham and Dave Long will be among the guests in attendance.

“I think (the growth) has been pretty organic for us,” Linden said. “The feedback has been tremendous and the results are tangible, so it’s been very positive.”

What initially appealed to the retired hockey player and former Canucks president is precisely what’s drawn in countless others who have persevered and perspired through an OTF workout: a genuine, comforting environment, overflowing with warm smiles and words of encouragement, that welcomes members regardless of their age, lifestyle or place on the fitness spectrum.

In other words, you don’t need to be built like a right wing who has grappled with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux on the ice to break into the Orange Zone and benefit from the hour-long, heart rate-based interval training routine.

“Everyone who’s coming to Orangetheory Fitness is on a different fitness journey,” Linden said. “Some are professional athletes; some aren’t. Some just want to get from point A to B. That’s the great thing about Orangetheory — it can push you to the next level. There’s that understanding within the class that everyone’s there for one common goal, and that’s to get better that day.”

That group dynamic, guided by enthusiastic, reassuring coaches, is what supplied an adrenaline rush that nudged his legs up unimaginable inclines and boosted his splat-point count.

“I find that you end up pushing yourself,” Linden said, “when you have positive people around you.”

Lawson, president and CEO of L&L Signature Fitness Group, with decades of experience in the fitness industry, didn’t need much convincing to join the Orangetheory team after recognizing that it’s an all-around “winning program.”

In the years since, he’s been overjoyed by the remarkable success stories of his studios’ regulars, from power walkers who now run marathons to participants who, after committing to Orangetheory, say they have reversed health symptoms caused by chronic diseases.

“Once people start doing it and see the results they’re getting, the before and after, even in short periods of time, it’s incredible,” said Lawson, recalling how a young member recently dropped 60 pounds and won a Transformation Challenge. “It’s not just about him losing some weight; it’s about him changing his whole life.”

As inspirational narratives have spread throughout Canada, the recognizable brand has surfaced in eight of the country’s 10 provinces, connecting members from the Atlantic to the Pacific with the same strenuous yet gratifying workout on any given day.

But even before the first Canadian Orangetheory officially opened on Oct. 26, 2012, co-owners David Hardy and Blake MacDonald had already created a social media frenzy in St. Albert, Alberta, with a unique promotion outside their studio location in Inglewood Towne Center.

MacDonald, now Orangetheory Fitness Canada's President, hauled a rowing machine into a busy downtown intersection and, decked in an orange jumpsuit, pushed and pulled through a resistance workout that captivated passing drivers.

“We had local TV news crews come out to find out what was going on with this rower, so the first studio in Canada opened with a bit of a bang,” recalled Hardy, a current partner at Orangetheory Fitness. “At the same time, we also used orange bikes all over St. Albert.

While strolling through Inglewood Towne Center, a strip mall one mile north of their house, Don and Kathie W. were among the many shoppers intrigued by the massive orange couch and bicycle parked on the sidewalk.

The one-time long-distance runners, both 60, were on the lookout for a full-body workout to maintain their peak fitness levels, and quickly discovered that splat points weren’t a gimmick or passing trend. While training side by side, they also found the collaborative program brought them closer.

“We’ve been married 39 years and we’ve never had anything that we’ve done consistently together,” Don said. “It’s not an individual thing … (we) encourage and motivate each other, and it’s something we can do together as a couple.”

With each passing workout, coaches developed into role models, while classmates in a vibrant community became lifelong friends.

“That sense of personal interaction with the coach really helps,” Kathie said. “Actually, our best friends have come out of Orangetheory Fitness. We knew them when we were running previously, but we have become truly best friends. We’ve been on holidays with them a number of times, as couples, as a result of Orangetheory.”

For the last five years, their daughter, Brittany, has worked as a studio manager of an Orangetheory club in the Edmonton area, and she recently earned a promotion to part-owner and operator.

“We love Orangetheory so much,” Don said with a chuckle, “that we gave it our firstborn!”

The explosive growth of OTF Canada has already surpassed Hardy's initial target. “When we originally started this, our goal was to open 40 locations,” he said — and he now anticipates construction on as many as 25 additional studios in each of the next four years.

Linden similarly doesn’t expect Orangetheory’s expansion across the country’s largest metropolitan areas to slow down any time soon.

The former goal-scorer is already pondering his next hat trick.

“We're just getting started,” Linden said. “We have three more on the books in the next nine months ... People are starting to really talk about Orangetheory and how great it is. They’re seeing more of them around the Lower Mainland and B.C., and the brand is being recognized.”

About the Author

Alex Kramers is a Florida-based sportswriter who’s covered the NBA and NFL since 2009. He served as the Sacramento Kings reporter and digital media coordinator from 2012-2014, and currently writes regular feature stories for Kings.com.

Click here to read this story in English.

Quelque part pendant son sprint sur le tapis roulant et une dernière série d’accroupissements au sol, l’ancien joueur étoile de la LNH, son t-shirt trempé de sueur et collé sur sa poitrine, savait qu’il était devenu accro. 

Cinq ans après avoir raccroché ses patins, Trevor Linden, le capitaine vétéran des Canucks de Vancouver, s’est inscrit à un cours de conditionnement physique d’Orangetheory au cours d’une escapade routière qui l’a conduit, heureusement, à un arrêt au puits à Fort Lauderdale, en Floride. Il est sorti d’un studio de 3 000 pieds carrés tellement impressionné par l’efficacité de l’exercice, si remonté par l’atmosphère énergique, qu’il a immédiatement appelé son associé en affaires, Chuck Lawson, pour lui parler d’un projet de lancer une franchise dans leur ville de résidence.

Après avoir acquis les droits de franchise des basses terres continentales pour l’entreprise de conditionnement physique basée en Floride, ils ont ouvert leur premier établissement en 2014, et se sont depuis étendus de South Surrey aux quartiers North et Metro. Le duo, et le pays, ont atteint une étape majeure quand le 100e studio, et leur 10e, a annoncé sa grande ouverture sur West Broadway à Vancouver, le 14 septembre.

Mercredi le 2 octobre, l’établissement OTF de Fort York à Toronto organisera une grande fête avec un tas d’entraînements et de jeux-questionnaires pour fêter cet évènement marquant. Les cofondateurs d’Orangetheory, Ellen Latham et Dave Long, seront parmi les invités présents.

« Je crois que la croissance a été très organique pour nous » a déclaré Linden. « La réaction a été un franc succès et les résultats sont tangibles; c’est donc très positif. »

Ce qui intéressait d’abord le retraité du hockey et l’ancien président des Canucks est précisément ce qui a attiré d’innombrables autres participants qui ont persévéré et transpiré lors d’un exercice OTF : un environnement authentique et réconfortant, débordant de sourires chaleureux et de bons mots d’encouragement, qui accueille les membres, quel que soit leur âge, leur mode de vie et le niveau de leur forme dans l’échelle de la condition physique.

En d’autres termes, vous n’avez pas besoin d’être bâti comme un ailier droit, baraqué comme Wayne Gretzky ou Mario Lemieux sur la glace, pour entrer dans la zone Orange et bénéficier d’une série d’exercices d’une heure, avec intervalles basés sur le rythme cardiaque.

« Tous ceux qui viennent au conditionnement physique d’Orangetheory sont à un stade d’exercices différent, » a déclaré Linden. « Certains sont des athlètes professionnels, d’autres pas. Certains veulent simplement aller de A à B. C’est ce qui est formidable avec Orangetheory, pouvoir monter au niveau supérieur. C’est ce que l’on comprend dans le cours : chacun est là pour un but commun : devenir meilleur ce jour-là. »

Ce groupe dynamique, guidé par des entraîneurs enthousiastes et rassurants, est ce qui a fourni une poussée d’adrénaline qui a fait monter ses jambes à des angles inimaginables et a stimulé le décompte des exercices dorsaux.

« Je trouve que vous finissez par vous pousser vous-même, » a déclaré Linden, « quand vous êtes entouré de gens positifs. »

Chuck Lawson, président directeur général de L&L Signature Fitness Group, qui a des décennies d’expérience dans l’industrie du conditionnement physique, n’a pas eu besoin d’être convaincu pour entrer dans l’équipe d’Orangetheory après avoir reconnu que c’était un « programme gagnant » complet.

Depuis des années, il a été enthousiasmé par les histoires de réussites remarquables des habitués de son studio, des marcheurs rapides qui courent maintenant des marathons, des participants qui se sont convertis à Orangetheory et qui disent qu’ils ont inversé les symptômes de santé causés par des maladies chroniques.

« Quand les gens commencent à s’exercer et qu’ils voient les résultats qu’ils obtiennent, l’avant et l’après, même en de courtes périodes, c’est incroyable, » a déclaré Chuck, se rappelant comment un jeune membre a récemment perdu 60 livres et a gagné un Défi Transformation. « Ce n’est pas seulement parce qu’il a perdu du poids, c’est parce qu’il a changé toute sa vie. »

Étant donné que des récits inspirants se sont répandus dans tout le Canada, la marque reconnue a fait surface dans 8 des 10 provinces du pays, reliant des membres de l’Atlantique au Pacifique avec le même entraînement ardu, et pourtant gratifiant, n’importe quel jour.

Mais même avant que le premier studio Orangetheory ait officiellement ouvert au Canada le 26 octobre 2012, les copropriétaires David Hardy et Blake MacDonald avaient déjà créé une effervescence à St. Albert en Alberta, avec une promotion unique hors de leur installation au Inglewood Towne Center.

Blake MacDonald, maintenant président d’Orangetheory Fitness Canada, a amené un rameur à un carrefour achalandé du centre-ville et, vêtu d’une combinaison orange, a ramé lors d’un exercice d’endurance qui a captivé les conducteurs de passage.

« Nous avons vu arriver les équipes de tournage de la télévision locale pour voir ce qui se passait avec ce rameur; alors le premier studio au Canada a ouvert avec un peu de big-bang, » se souvient Hardy, un associé actuel de Orangetheory Fitness. « Au même moment, nous avons utilisé des bicyclettes orange dans tout St. Albert. »

En se promenant dans le Inglewood Towne Center, un centre commercial linéaire à un mille de chez eux, Don et Kathie W. faisaient partie des nombreux acheteurs intrigués par le canapé massif et la bicyclette orange stationnés sur le trottoir.

Coureurs de fond ponctuels, les deux dans la soixantaine, ils recherchaient un entraînement complet pour maintenir leur forme à un niveau maximal, et ont découvert que les exercices dorsaux n’étaient pas une plaisanterie ni une passade. En s’exerçant côte-à-côte, ils ont également découvert que le programme collaboratif les a rapprochés.

« Nous sommes mariés depuis 39 ans et nous n’avons jamais fait quelque chose régulièrement ensemble, » a dit Don. « Ce n’est pas quelque chose d’individuel… nous nous encourageons et nous motivons ensemble, et c’est quelque chose que nous pouvons faire en couple. »

Avec chaque entraînement qui passe, les entraîneurs sont devenus des modèles de rôle, tandis que les participants sont devenus des amis pour la vie dans une communauté vivante.

« Ce sens de l’interaction personnelle avec l’entraîneur aide vraiment, » a déclaré Kathie. « En fait, nous avons trouvé nos meilleurs amis à Orangetheory Fitness. Nous les connaissions quand nous courions auparavant, mais nous sommes vraiment devenus de meilleurs amis. Nous sommes partis en vacances avec eux plusieurs fois, en couple, grâce à Orangetheory. »

Au cours des cinq dernières années, leur fille, Brittany, a travaillé comme gérante de studio d’un club Orangetheory dans la région d’Edmonton, et elle a récemment eu une promotion pour devenir copropriétaire et exploitante.

« Nous adorons tellement Orangetheory, » a déclaré Don avec une boutade, « que nous lui avons donné notre premier-né! »

La croissance explosive d’OTF Canada a déjà dépassé la cible initiale de Hardy. « Quand nous avons commencé à l’origine, notre but était d’ouvrir 40 établissements, » a-t-il dit, et il prévoie maintenant construire jusqu’à 25 studios supplémentaires au cours de chacune des quatre prochaines années.

Linden ne s’attend pas non plus à ce que l’expansion d’Orangetheory dans les plus grandes régions métropolitaines du pays ralentisse de sitôt.

L’ancien compteur prépare déjà son prochain tour du chapeau.

« Nous venons seulement de démarrer, » a déclaré Linden. « Nous en avons trois de plus dans nos plans livres dans les neuf prochains mois… Les gens commencent à parler d’Orangetheory et à le louanger. Ils voient davantage de monde dans les basses terres continentales et en Colombie-Britannique, et la marque devient reconnue. »

A propos de l'auteur

Alex Kramers est un journaliste sportif basé en Floride qui couvre la NBA et la NFL depuis 2009. Il a été journaliste et coordinateur des médias numériques pour les Sacramento Kings de 2012 à 2014 et écrit actuellement des reportages réguliers pour Kings.com.