Let it Burn

If you’ve walked through Harbor East lately, you’ve probably noticed the eye-catching orange signage of the Baltimore area’s newest fitness franchise, Orangetheory. 

The gym, which has made its new home in the former Chazz restaurant space, opened its doors in October. And while it may be easy to be intimidated by the glowy orange lights, the fit (yet very friendly) instructors, and the bumping Top 40 soundtrack, don’t let that stop you. Orangetheory guarantees results. 

“We are one of the only workouts in the industry today that is backed completely by science,” says owner Sonrisa Medina. “The Mayo clinic has partnered with us, which has never happened before—for a medical community and a fitness community to team up.” 

The “theory” behind the workout is based on working your way through a five level heart rate zone to achieve maximum results. Each 60-minute class has members alternating between lifting weights, using treadmills, and rowing, with the length of each interval varying by workout. 

But what really sets it apart from other gyms and studio classes is that participants wear heart rate monitors to track their real time biometrics, which are displayed on screens above the equipment. “The zone we coach our members to get into is the orange zone, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which means burning calories after your workout as your body gets back to homeostasis,” says Medina. 

By spending as much of your workout as possible in the orange heart rate zone—hence the name—you will continue to burn calories up to 36 hours after your workout through the “afterburn” effect. You can also expect state-of-the-art equipment and facilities—we’re talking individual shower rooms. (However, be warned, Orangetheory is BYOT—bring your own towel.) 

“I’m just excited to be a part of the growing fitness community in Baltimore,” says Medina. “We are bringing something to the region that they’ve never seen before.”