It’s fresh and juicy and not for the faint of heart.
Orangetheory Fitness promises group workout sessions that show results. St. Albert’s new fitness centre celebrated its grand opening with cocktails, a DJ and lots of oranges on Thursday night. Doors officially opened at 5:30 a.m. Friday.
The new gym pushes 24 participants through a half-hour of cardio and a half-hour of strength training using treadmills, rowing machines and other exercises. Participants have a heart monitor strapped around their chests, continuously tracking their heart rates.
The goal of the cardio is to elevate the heart rate to 85 per cent of its maximum for 12 to 20 minutes. For a 30-year-old woman, this would mean a heart rate of 166 beats per minute.
Manager Dominic McKenzie said most people train without monitoring their heart rate and don’t burn as many calories.
“By monitoring the heart rate they can see how intense they work out and they burn the most calories,” he said.
“It’s going to push people but it’s also a motivating environment.”
McKenzie added that once people get their heart rate to 85 per cent, their body continues to burn calories for up to 36 hours after the workout. This requires a few weeks of exercising though.
Before its official opening, the fitness centre already counted 375 members. It’s the first of its kind in St. Albert and in Canada. The franchise started in Florida and has more than 60 locations in the United States.
McKenzie said the studio would most likely expand its service as more members join. The St. Albert studio currently offers about 50 workout sessions per week.
New members are encouraged to sign up for classes online or try out the first training session for free. Membership rates have been decreased but won’t stay that way for long, McKenzie added.
