"The design of our workout is to change people's metabolism," said Orangetheory owner Mark Thomas. "Every class is about half of the time doing cardio training and the other half doing various types of body weight exercises."
While interval training isn't new, the unique tool Orangetheory incorporates is. Every student wears a heart rate monitor to fine tune and personalize their fat burning workout. For example, Louise Austin of Yorba Linda went to lose the slow and steady 15 pounds she put on, but she did 10 better.
"I've lost 25 pounds since I've started Orangetheory," said Austin. "Feeling better about myself, having more energy, liking the way my clothes fit."
Every student's name, heart rate and percentage of max heart rate is up on a 60-inch screen to keep students honest.
Of course burning calories is always a bonus, but by monitoring your heart rate and strategically placing yourself in the orange zone, it's going to help you get the changes you want.
"The reason we are called Orangetheory is because our goal is to get into the orange zone -- zone 4, 84 to 91 percent of the max heart rate for 12 to 20 minutes out or our 60-minute program," said Thomas. "You change metabolism by creating what we call the EPOC effect or after burn."
EPOC stands for excess post oxygen consumption. Science has found high intensity exercise for short duration intervals, with recovery periods in between, can fire up metabolism and torch calories.
"It's working in that orange zone for 12 to 20 minutes that not only gives us the benefit of the calorie burn in the workout, but then for the next 24 to 48 hours, boost your metabolism and elevate the calories that your burning just at rest," said trainer Kory Kraining.
Students see how they're doing and after class they get a report card.
"Every member gets automatically emailed a much more detailed print-out of the workout, which shows a graph of what the heart rate was throughout the workout, how many calories they burned," said Thomas.
Newport Beach has the first California Orangetheory, located on 1040 Irvine Ave., but 12 are in the works. Class cost $11 on average. For more information, call (949) 630-0555.
