Worth the Drive

To get the results that you want in fitness, all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and commit to the process. For Eryn, all it took for her was to walk through the studio doors of Orangetheory (OT).

Like so many others before, Eryn worked out by herself at a gym. Her normal routine consisted of 50 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of weights on the machines. She felt lost with no direction and never knew what to do. Not seeing the results she wanted, she took a new approach.

“I felt empowered and so excited to come back.”

Eryn heard about OT and couldn’t wait to try it. In the fall of 2017, she took a tour at the OT studio in West Linn. The coaches and front counter staff made her feel welcomed. She then joined the Orangetheory nation.

However, her time there didn’t last long. She cancelled her membership and moved to Vernonia in February. The closest studio she could go to was Orenco Station. Her hiatus from OT was short lived.

A few months later, she rejoined at Orenco Station. She knew the value of it and how Orangetheory gave her the results she wanted. She said, “I was nervous to join a new studio but after one class I knew that the hour drive was worth it no matter how crazy my family thought I was for driving so far. I have taken classes at a number of studios but the environment at Orenco Station is something special. The staff is one of a kind…they truly care about all members and are there for you no matter what.”

She recalls taking her first class during Hell Week, which is not for the faint of heart. Although she felt terrified at first, the fear eventually went away and after class she never felt better. “I felt empowered and so excited to come back,” she said.

Two and a half years later, Orangetheory has not only helped her lose fat and gain muscle, but also accomplish things she never thought possible. Eryn said, “In 2019 I was able to run eight half marathons and finished my very first full marathon. OTF is like no other. I always feel supported and motivated by my peers.”

The things, which motivate her and keep her coming back are the constant results. Her body continues to evolve and transform. She recently gained a new personal record (PR) on the weight room floor. She lifted weights that she never thought she could lift and last month she ran her fastest mile ever.

Photo courtesy of Eryn Palo.

“OTF has not only transformed my body, but also has helped transform my mind. I have never been more confident in my abilities in the gym, but also in my personal life I have the strength to make positive changes. I know that with some hard work and consistency I can do anything. I mean, I ran 26.2 miles last year – there is nothing that I can’t do.”

She enjoys turning on the treadmill and pushing herself on endurance days. Strength days prove difficult for her, but she never misses a strength day because she knows she needs to work on this the most. “I have goals to gain more muscle and the amazing coaches have helped me get closer to this goal each week. Another benefit of OTF is the workouts, which are never the same; so even after so many classes, I never get bored. They always keep us on our toes,” said Eryn.

Her friends and family ask what it is about Orangetheory that keeps her coming back? One word– community. Last year was hard for her. She struggled with mental health issues causing a brief disappearance, but she never felt alone. Her OT family reached out to her to make sure she was okay.

This past Thanksgiving, her crazy Orangtheory Run Squad talked her into doing a 90-minute class and following it up by crushing a 5K race together. Eryn said, “Holidays are meant to be spent with family and I am so grateful I was surrounded by my OTF family this Thanksgiving. That has to be the thing that I love most – the family that I have gained.”

They supported her every step of the way. When she felt ready to come back, she felt as if she didn’t miss a day. She has created lifelong friends at Orenco Station and feels grateful. During the Dri-Tri last year, Persia asked her, “Remember where you were five years ago? Look at where you are now!” This brought her to tears when she came so close to slowing down during the workout. Persia gave her the motivation she needed to keep going.

OT has helped her stay accountable and has given her the strength to improve many things in her life. Eryn feels much stronger mentally and physically.

Keep Burning Eryn!

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Escaping Groundhog’s Day

Many who’ve worked out on their own tend to get into a routine doing the same things over and over again when hitting the gym. This was no different for Angie who had gym memberships at various places after completing college. A mother of three boys, she gained some extra weight and lost some strength and stamina in the process.

No matter how much she went to the gym, she couldn’t seem to lose the weight. She found herself having to talk herself into going. When she went, she’d do the same things as she did previously with no results. She said, “My fitness routine was like the movie Groundhog’s Day. I was frustrated with myself and wanted to make a change, but didn’t know how.”

“I leave every class drenched in sweat, out of breath, and feeling tired and energized all at the same time!”

However, one day that all changed for her. Her husband boldly brought Angie to her first Orangetheory (OT) class at Orenco Station on Valentine’s Day. “I was very nervous because I knew it was a group fitness class, and I have always felt intimidated in any group fitness class I have ever taken. I almost didn’t go, but he convinced me to just give it a try. So, I did and the rest is history,” said Angie.

She remembers taking her first class feeling intimidated and assumed being self-conscious not intending to sign up for a membership. By the end of class, she knew she found what she was looking for. Angie felt pushed, challenged and encouraged. She said, “By the end of that class, I was tired, drenched in sweat, and knew I hadn’t experienced a workout like that in over 10 years.”

Going to class helps her be the best version of herself. Her commitment to working out regularly helps her relieve stress while transforming herself into a physically, mentally and emotionally stronger person.

“I am a mom of three young and busy boys, am a special education teacher, and have a husband who travels frequently. My days are filled to the brim with endless to-dos so my time at OTF is often the only ‘me’ time I get each week. As Coach Kim always mentions, ‘It is the one hour of your day where you can focus on you,’ and I try to take full advantage of that. As busy as my days and nights are, I know how important it is for me to get my workouts in, and I find myself looking forward to the next workout the minute the last one ends.” 

Angie’s main goal when she started OT was to get back to her weight prior to having children. With the help of great coaching, exercise nutrition and an extra boost from the Transformation Challenge, she lost 15 pounds and has gone down a couple of sizes in her clothes. She achieved this by making healthy and sustainable life changes.

She continues to work on more goals in several areas. Angie wants to attend four to five classes per week staying consistent. She wants to reduce a little more body fat now that the studio has the InBody scanner, which will help monitor her metrics.

Performance wise, she wants to increase her base and push paces breaking the range of six to eight miles per hour and lift heavier on the floor. Eventually, she wants to run a race in 2020 never having signed up for one her entire life.

Angie reached a milestone back in March of 2019 by winning the Transformation Challenge by losing seven percent body fat. She attributes her success by also using a food-tracking app helping with her nutrition. She recently turned 40 and hasn’t been in this great of shape since her days in high school.

A great thing about Orangetheory is how no two classes are the same and they never get any easier. Angie said, “I leave every class drenched in sweat, out of breath, and feeling tired and energized all at the same time!” The coaches and staff are genuinely vested in the members wanting to see them be the best versions of themselves.

She loves how OT is truly for everyone regardless of who they are especially for those starting their fitness journey. Along the way, she has had her mom, sister, a few co-workers, and some of her best friends join Orangetheory.

The community at Orenco always has her coming back for more because of its encouraging, fun and supportive environment. She can always count on seeing smiles and familiar faces when walking into the studio. There’s a sense of togetherness for that hour especially when the workout is extra tough.

Angie knows that Orangetheory has helped her become the best version of herself. She always feels challenged to push herself a little harder and to give a little more than the previous day. Angie also loves that the challenges are almost always to not be better than your neighbor, but to be better than you were previously.

“I am just so grateful that my husband signed me up for that first class almost three years ago, and so grateful that I was brave enough to just give it a try.  Because I was willing to step out of my comfort zone and take a risk, my life changed for the better,” said Angie.

Keep burning Angie!

New Beginnings

When something ends it’s the start of something fresh and new. For Heather, moving to Orenco Station from Gresham marked a new chapter in her life. She moved to Hillsboro because of a divorce and to shorten her commute to work.

Heather took a walk around Orenco Station one day and saw that Orangetheory (OT) Orenco Station was in the process of pre-sales drawing people in to learn more about it. Although the studio at Orenco wasn’t open yet, she took it upon herself to take a class in Tigard. Immediately after taking her first class, she went back to Orenco and Heather said, “I just finished my first workout…that was amazing…sign me up!” Three years late – the rest is history.

“I have truly never felt better about myself and fulfilled in life.”

She recalls her first class as nerve wrecking not knowing anyone, feeling that she’d be lost, and that she couldn’t finish a 60-minute class feeling out of shape. However, as she walked though the door of the studio with the music pumping and receiving a high-five from the coach her nerves died down and she thought to herself, “OK I got this – let’s do this!” Standing next to her on the treadmill, the coach inspired her by pushing her to run 0.1 mile faster. “I felt so good after that class and was instantly addicted,” said Heather.

Heather hated how she looked and felt at the time. Knowing that she wanted to get back into the dating world after her divorce, she had goals of working out three to four times a week to have more energy and to develop a better nutrition plan. She also had to stop eating at Jack In the Box and McDonald’s, which didn’t help her cause.

Since training at OT, she ran her first marathon last year and plans to run another one in 2020 as her next goal. Heather started with a base pace of 5 mph, push pace of 5.5 mph and an all-out of 6 mph. Her base, push and all-out are now 6.5, 8 and 10 mph respectively with an occasional 12 mph all-out. She wanted to stay consistent with her workouts while continuing to push herself in every class.

“I have made so many new friends since joining OTF, it is truly more then just coming in for a workout. I love the energy this community brings and the high fives and the encouraging words of ‘push through it, you’ve got this!’”

Heather had lost 13 pounds and had gained a heap load of confidence since joining Orangetheory. With all that built up confidence, she checked off two items on her bucket-list by competing in her first pageant winning the title of Miss Oregon for America and completing her first marathon. She said, “I have truly never felt better about myself and fulfilled in life.”

The things that motivate her to train as much as she does are the community feel, coaches and variety of workouts. Heather said, “I love that it’s never the same workout and every time I come, it’s a butt kicker and I leave feeling stronger.” She loves ESP classes because it offers different challenges with elements of inclines, heavy weights and all-outs. Every one knows that classes are difficult day-in and day-out. The coaches’ encouragement and support help her power through those demanding classes.

Like many other members, Orangetheory at Orenco has become her second family and it has helped her believe in herself and to love herself more. “I have made so many new friends since joining OTF, it is truly more then just coming in for a workout. I love the energy this community brings and the high fives and the encouraging words of ‘push through it, you’ve got this!’” said Heather.

Keep Burning Heather!

A Reason For Change

Change is never easy and sometimes a life-altering event forces one to start. Jesse has always had a large body his entire life and in 2012 he hit a critical mass. In a routine visit with his doctor, Jesse learned that he was two points away from having diabetes. The news scared him.

At that stage in his life, Jesse’s poor eating habits led him down a path of internal destruction with his health. He had 40 percent body fat and couldn’t bend down to tie his shoes – it was bad. He said, “I remember not being able to sit comfortably in a chair or wear clothing that fit. I was tired of being unhappy and unhealthy.”

Jesse decided to take a proactive stance in changing his health with his nutrition. He stopped eating dairy and gluten all together. Then he began to reshape his body composition in phases.

“I have changed the way I eat and now I am intentional about fueling my body for my workouts, my recovery and mind. I feel great about my food choices for the first time ever in my life.”

He started by losing 100 pounds, which took him three years to shed the weight. Although he lost the weight, he didn’t maintain the weight since he didn’t know how. He took two steps forward and one step back.

In 2015 he married his wife and became comfortable and complacent. Even though he stopped eating dairy and gluten, he would always find ways to eat food that wasn’t good for him. His poor eating habits slowly crept back into his life.

Fast-forward to this year, Jesse welcomed his son into the world igniting his third phase in his body composition change. “I have changed the way I eat and now I am intentional about fueling my body for my workouts, my recovery and mind. I feel great about my food choices for the first time ever in my life,” said Jesse.

Jesse felt that dieting and all things related to food have consumed much of his life. He decided that he’s finished being a prisoner to his poor food choices. He wants his son to love life and to not have issues with food. As a result of Jesse’s change, he hopes to pass on his positive relationship with food to his son.

Nutrition plays a large role in changing one’s body internally. The other piece Jesse needed was the external component in the form of a workout. He took his first Orangetheory class at the Cedar Mill location at the beginning of the year. Five months later, he took another class at Orenco Station and signed up.

“I’m being intentional about my incline walking on the treadmill as well as lifting heavier on the floor. I’m putting on muscle rapidly and losing body fat monthly.”

Jesse said, “Both clubs were awesome and had a competitive atmosphere but Orenco felt alive, full of energy and enthusiasm. It was contagious…Shout-out to our coaches who bring the noise every day especially at 5 a.m. OTF provides the workouts so I don’t have to. I just show up and ball out.”

He works out six days a week at the studio and has Coach Chris as his mentor. Coach Chris has helped Jesse individualize his workouts within the classes he takes. “I’m being intentional about my incline walking on the treadmill as well as lifting heavier on the floor. I’m putting on muscle rapidly and losing body fat monthly,” said Jesse. Coach Persia once told him to try Orangetheory for 90 days. He’s happy to report that he has completed 88 workouts in his first three months.  

Jesse enjoys the variety of classes because each class is something new. He especially enjoys strength and power classes. But, his favorite class to take is when it’s a tornado workout. He said, “I love all the splat points I get going back and forth from treads to rowers and the movement in between rows. The quick transitions only add to the competitiveness that already exists.” In addition, he loves how each coach brings their unique way of coaching and the music they play.

He also loves how the staff at the front always makes him feel welcomed because of their friendliness and kindness. Jesse has committed himself to the process and he thinks it’s safe to say that he’ll stick around to see all the continued benefits of  the Orangetheory life at Orenco Station. He iterates that he has long-term fitness goals and is happy that he gets to put in the work along with all the other members at the studio.

Keep Burning Jesse!

 

 

 

 

Skies the Limit

Many members of Orangetheory (OT) find out about it in various ways. For the most part, potential members learn about it via social media and by walking by the studio at Orenco. However, Susan learned about OT from her friends who raved about it.

Susan heard positive feedback about OT and wanted to see what the hype was all about. She and her husband came by the studio while it was under construction to learn more about Orangetheory. Not seeing results she wanted at different gyms, she took a leap of faith and signed up as a founding member.

“I am amazed at where I am at in my physical training. I have pushed myself to the point where I didn’t think I could go any further and have exceeded it.”

The day finally arrived when she took her first class with Coach Shay as her instructor. “I burned over 500 calories and got about 50 splat points. I felt like I had a real sense of accomplishment. And, a bonus –  it didn’t kill me!” said Susan.

Before starting her fitness journey at Orenco, Susan had one goal – to see positive results. Slowly, yet surely, she has definitely seen the results she was looking for. Susan’s new goal is to attend class at least four times a week and to push herself harder each time.

Working in the travel industry, she knows how difficult working out can be flying to different cities and countries. She said, “I’m a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and travel very regularly, so to achieve my goal, I attend classes in other countries and cities. OTF gives me that opportunity. I have attended classes in Utah, Georgia, Arkansas, California, Minnesota, Canada, and England.”

Susan started as a power walker and can now run a mile in less than nine minutes and rowed 2,000 meters in 8:05. In addition, she has finished in the top three in her age group for most of the benchmark challenges. She accomplished these milestones through her determination, motivation by the coaches, and by the encouragement of other members.

She feels accomplished every time she completes a class. Susan said, “I am amazed at where I am at in my physical training. I have pushed myself to the point where I didn’t think I could go any further and have exceeded it.” Susan likes endurance days the most challenging her to see how far she can run, row and lift.

The things she loves the most are the friendships that she has established with other members, staff and coaches. She and her husband moved to Hillsboro five and a half years ago and due to her job, she hadn’t formed many friendships. However, Orangetheory changed that for her where she has made more friends. Her workout buddy, Rebecca, has helped Susan master the art of rowing when she takes the 6 a.m. class.

Orangetheory continues to push her farther than she dreamed possible, which she loves the most. Susan has even convinced her daughter and son to join and is trying to get her husband to try a class spreading the OT love.

Since December, she has pushed herself to work harder and has lost almost 50 pounds since joining. She knows that Orangetheory will keep her on track and continue to push her to be the best version of herself.

Keep Burning Susan!

Continuous Goals

Persistence pays off and that’s why so many members at Orangetheory (OT) see positive results quickly. Jared exemplifies his commitment and desire to reach his fitness goals every time he comes to the studio. You’ll see Jared and Ann, his wife, taking classes at 6 a.m. nearly every weekday morning.

Jared wanted a fresh approach to a fitness routine, which included training support in a community environment – he came to the right place! He saw an OT Orenco Station sign and researched what Orangetheory was all about. He found what he was looking for. Both he and Ann signed up as founding members and couldn’t wait for the studio to open.

“I am maintaining my weight while increasing muscle mass and my blood pressure is in a low and healthy range.”

He was excited for his first class but had doubts about the unknown. Jared wasn’t sure if he could do the workout, or if he could keep up and wasn’t sure how he would feel with his heart rate on the TV screen. “By the end of the first class I was totally in. This was what I was looking for. A great workout informed by science created by professional trainers and facilitated by excellent coaches,” said Jared.

Jared had the goals of simply becoming physically fit and more flexible prior to starting Orangetheory. He worked on speed and lifting heavier in his first year and weight loss his second year. Now in his third year at OT, he has focused on weight maintenance, getting faster and stronger.

The regular training that produces results motivates Jared to come in on a frequent basis. He feels the transformation in his body and his soul rejuvenated. Jared also enjoys connecting with all his new OT friends in class.

In his first two years at the studio, Jared dropped 50 pounds! He said, “I am maintaining my weight while increasing muscle mass and my blood pressure is in a low and healthy range.” Jared tracks his daily caloric burn and intake striving for monthly goals by increasing his speed by 0.2 mph on the treadmill, watt output by five on the rower and weight on the floor. He’s now working on running an eight-minute mile by the end of the year and continually working on his flexibility.

Every time he comes to the studio, he’s always impressed with the OT Orenco Station team and happy with community at the studio. The staff welcomes him with smiles, gives encouragement in class and takes interests in his and his wife’s lives. Jared always looks forward to the 6 a.m. class.

“Our coaches are extraordinary. I have had personal training and the OTF coaches are the most informed, motivating, and encouraging professionals that I ever had. Each has their distinct personality, flavor, and each brings the highest standard of coaching direction. The staff is warm and engaging, welcoming and helpful solving any challenge I bring to them for assistance.”

Orangetheory Orenco Station accelerates success towards his physical goals in a beautiful and professional studio with carefully designed workouts directed by great coaches. He’s definitely a fan to say the least.

Keep Burning Jared!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Back On Track

Humans are creatures of habit and it takes nearly 21 days to form a habit. Jon who won the 2019 Transformation Challenge developed a routine and habit leading to his success in and out of the studio. Prior to joining Orangetheory (OT), he and his wife took group training interval classes and stopped going for a while. Once the studio opened at Orenco Station, they joined to get back on track with group interval training.

“I love the intensity and it’s a great reset to any stress going on in my life.”

Jon recalls his first class at the studio as tough but his body felt good from the workout. He felt his body waking up again to an intense heart rate work out, working recovery and strength training. “I was never a runner before joining OTF but I found the cardio work on the tread to closely mirror some of the interval training and hill repeats that we used to do on the bike,” said Jon.

Jon prior to taking classes at Orangetheory.

Before taking classes at OT, Jon gained some weight and wanted to lose some of it. He also wanted to get back into his previous fitness form. The results, convenient class times, absolute dedication, passion, support from the coaches and staff motivates him to come often. Jon said, “I love the intensity and it’s a great reset to any stress going on in my life.”

Since joining OT, he hit a major milestone winning the 2019 Transformation Challenge for the men getting down to 169 pounds and losing 5.5 percent body fat in the eight weeks. He went to classes about five days per week and sometimes more. Jon knew to listen to his body and forced himself to hold back and have a “green day” if he felt sore.

“I’ve never changed my diet and lifestyle habits to match how much time I put into fitness activities and gym routine. I would generally eat and drink whatever I wanted thinking that the workout calories I burned allowed me to do so. I think that the real secret is ‘you can’t outrun your bad diet.’ I was also one of the folks that swore off recreational beer and alcohol for the challenge. The results have been so good. I’m happy to report still being booze free and committed to healthy eating.”

A key part to Jon’s success has come from his wife’s unwavering support to not only  meet his goals, but more importantly to reach their goals together. Jon said, “Lifestyle habit and diet changes, which are essential to OTF results cannot occur in a vacuum…Forming our team and supporting each other has had some great effects to reinforce training schedules, diets, and habits that we can both stick to.”

He also ran his first half marathon in April having never ran in any event or distance on the road before in life. He was happy to beat his goal of under 2 hours and finished in 1 hour and 48 minutes. Jon has goals of continuing with the habits that have led him to successful results, attending classes regularly, and to run one half marathon a month during the summer and possibly run Hood to Coast.

Jon likes how the Orenco Station community has a positive vibe and how everyone supports one another. These are some of the building blocks, which make the studio a great place for everyone – thank you for being part of it.

Keep Burning Jon!

Resonating Words

A person can tell you many things. Sometimes you forget what they say going through one ear and out the other. However, there are times when a person will tell you something where it simply sticks and resonates with you.

In 2014, Monica’s oncologist gave her words of advice, which were so profound that she shares them with anyone who asks her. After enduring four rounds of chemotherapy, followed by six weeks of daily radiation, she wanted to take control of the cancer she had. Her doctor told her, “…keep up your healthy nutrition routine…work out as hard as you can as often you can and then do more…get seven to eight hours of sound sleep every night.”

When she completed all of her treatments in 2015, Monica asked her doctor once again what she could do to remain healthy and keep the cancer away. He asked her, “Do you remember what I told you when you started? Do those same three things forever!” Since then, Monica continued to follow his advice. Determined not to have cancer take control of her life, Monica took control of it. She began by walking the Camino, a 260 mile trek from Lyon, France to Santiago, Spain with her daughter Kelsey.

“It’s the energy of walking into a place that sparkles, welcomes, and hugs you even when you’re a ‘sweat-ball.’ It’s your new friends who text you when you’re gone from the studio for a while and they want to make sure every thing is OK.”

As she went through her treatment, she remained diligent working out three to four times a week. She tried various types of workouts ranging from Zumba to swinging kettlebells, but she couldn’t find what she wanted the most from those workouts – a community. That’s when she discovered that an Orangetheory (OT) location was opening at Orenco Station only five minutes away from her front door.

Monica, a little gun-shy, signed up for a membership during pre-sales. Once Orangetheory opened its doors in December of 2016, she showed up for the two-week trial period.  She said, “The first class was terrifying! I remember walking into the studio and standing, frozen, staring at the machines, TV monitors, and the orange of it all!” She had no idea of what she got herself into.

She gave herself the grace and permission to, from the start, quit if she couldn’t handle OT. Monica attended classes two to three times a week and eventually went six to seven times a week embracing the culture. Monica said, “I was hooked. Addicted. Obsessed. In Love. I found my groove – my thing.” Everyone she talks to about OT, she swears, thinks she has joined a cult.

“Just start. Just start and do not quit. Eat healthy. Sleep soundly. And, work out as hard as you can, as often as you can…and then do more.”

The community is the number one reason, which provides Monica her mojo, daily joy and her happy place. She has made so many friends and works out with people who she has come to love. Monica said, “It’s the energy of walking into a place that sparkles, welcomes, and hugs you even when you’re a ‘sweat-ball.’ It’s your new friends who text you when you’re gone from the studio for a while and they want to make sure every thing is OK.” She also landed a new career working with 401(k) accounts from her friend, Milauana, who she befriended by attending classes at the studio.  

It didn’t take long for her to realize that OT wasn’t all about the equipment and tech, but more about the coaches and how they coached her every step of the way since day one. “They were patient and yet they pushed me. They watched me, and they coached me. I have learned how to row, how to run, how to lift correctly, and how to modify when I need to,” said Monica. She has observed each and every one of the coaches and seen how magnificently they’ve grown individually. Each coach has blossomed into a leader, mentor and a good friend to all – this is why she doesn’t quit.

Monica appreciates how the coaches don’t quit. The coaches show up for special workshops occasionally on Sundays after normal hours of operation. They take the time between classes giving advice and tips to help members with any problems or questions. Coaches provide a contagious energy beginning with high-fives at the start of class to celebrating milestones of any member during and after class.

Since she has joined the Orangetheory family at Orenco Station, Monica has seen real results in many ways. She feels great loaded with vast amounts of energy especially after an early morning strength-day workout. The euphoria from finishing a class empowers her to tackle the day with confidence and power.

She definitely feels the strength she has gained in her muscles in the past two years. Monica lifts heavier now because the coaches know she can and encourages her to do so. She loves how she doesn’t bat an eyelash now when she adds more weight or making the TRX strap exercises a little more challenging.

Monica’s healthy habits and diligence has rubbed off on her kids and they’ve followed suit. Her daughter Kelsey wants to open an Orangetheory in Vienna, Austria so she can take classes every day. She and Kelsey plan to walk the next Camino – the Portuguese Camino – in 2020. Her sons also send photos of healthy meal prepped foods for the week too.

When people ask her how she stays in shape and how she has so much energy, she tells them, “Just start. Just start and do not quit. Eat healthy. Sleep soundly. And, work out as hard as you can, as often as you can…and then do more.” This advice stuck with Monica and has worked for her – it can work for you too.

Keep Burning Monica!

Persistence Pays Off

Brian came to Orangetheory (OT) almost a year ago now. A friend suggested that he should try OT after researching the benefits of interval training. He wanted to try something new, at the very least, to supplement his training regimen. His friend couldn’t have been more correct!

At that point in time, Brian paid about $600 per month on a personal trainer who helped him lose close to 2/3 of the weight he needed to reach his desired goal. He realized that he didn’t enjoy pure lifting with only one cardio routine. Brian came to the studio for his first class and struck gold with this new type of training at OT.

“I wanted a workout that I could get excited about and that forced me to engage my body using more plyometric and cardiovascular intensive exercises.”

He said that he’ll never forget his first class taught by Coach Shay at the time. “Amazing music, varied exercises that worked my entire body, and frankly, the hardest workout I had ever attempted, were the most memorable features about that class to inform my decision to give OTF a chance,” said Brian. He felt like death as classes ended, but he felt absolutely phenomenal 10 minutes after class ended. It was at that moment he knew he was hooked!

Brian typically frequents the noon class three to four times per week. He said, “I love that noon slot because I can slip out of work for an hour and a half and engage my body. I feel invigorated after every workout and that powers me through the rest of my day.” This factor alone could have him attending classes at noon for eternity but it is not.

When he started training at OT, Brian wanted to lose the final third of his weight to reach his goal. “I wanted a workout that I could get excited about and that forced me to engage my body using more plyometric and cardiovascular intensive exercises,” said Brian.He had already lost more than 80 pounds by the time he first tired his class in March 2018. He lost more than 200 pounds from July 2017 to September 2018. Brian finally lost the last 35-40 pounds at OT.

Now that he has reached his target weight, Brian has recommitted himself to living the best and active life. As an avid outdoorsman, he has taken what he has learned in class by controlling his breathing and heart rate applying it to other fitness recreational activities. Brian finds himself transitioning between base, push and all-out paces when he’s out on an excursion.

Brian’s biggest accomplishment in the last five years in his fitness journey has been losing 200 pounds – which is no easy feat! In addition, his overall speed and endurance has vastly improved since joining the OT family. Orangetheory has given him the workout he needed by providing engagement with variability, convenience and access to the same experience in different cities, which he loves.

“Simply put, I believe in the workout! I have found a workout that is compact (one hour long), highly effective, led by a caring and knowledgeable staff that takes place in a positive and encouraging environment that is fun! What more could I ask for?”

He definitely loves attending ESP (endurance, strength and power) days at the studio because he gets the biggest bang for his buck. Apart from the workouts, Brian enjoys the camaraderie between staff and fellow members. The energetic and encouraging environment pushes him to give his best in each class along with the wave of positive energy propelling him to the end of class.

He said, “Persia was a huge influencer for me. In the beginning, when I was still carrying around a bit of extra weight, her cheers of encouragement and her words reminding me why I showed up always get me through to the end of a hard workout.” Brian has branched out and began taking classes with other coaches and found that each one wanting him and other to succeed realizing their fitness potential.

Brian said, “Simply put, I believe in the workout! I have found a workout that is compact (one hour long), highly effective, led by a caring and knowledgeable staff that takes place in a positive and encouraging environment that is fun! What more could I ask for?”

Keep Burning Brian!

2019 Transformation Challenge

What doesn’t challenge you doesn’t change you, and we’re here to help you along your personal transformation journey to not only change your body, but to change your life. Join us in this month’s 8-week Transformation Challenge starting January 21st! It’s only $35 to register, and $500 to the first place male and female who complete the challenge and lose the highest percentage of body fat.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up for the Transformation Challenge and complete the waiver form at the front counter
• Get your initial free InBody scan at NUTRISHOP in Hillsboro from Jan. 17 – 20 and email them by January 20 
• Take before and after photos of front and side views of yourself in the same Orangetheory gear (great time to buy if you don’t have any)
• Email the before and after photos to otforencoevents@gmail.com
• Attend a minimum of 18 classes at Orenco Station from Jan. 21 – March 17
• Get your final InBody scan from March 15 -17 and email it by March 17
• Take advantage of 25% off at The Fit Foods and 15% off at NUTRISHOP
• Have fun and enjoy the journey