orangetheory fitness seattle – Page 7

September 4, 2014September 19, 2014

Two reasons why Orangetheory Fitness Seattle is so addictive

Have you been to Orangetheory Fitness in Capitol Hill already?

If you have, you either love it or you love to hate it (because you know the high intensity workout is good for you). From a trainer perspective, here are the top two reasons why I find OTF 60 minute workout to be so addictive.

1. Results… plain and simple

The combination of strength and cardio, along with heart rate monitored workouts, music, and a motivating trainer have already helped hundreds of people in Seattle burn fat and get leaner. I truly enjoy noticing my body feeling leaner even after only three workouts. In our first two months of operating, we had men and women lose between 15-30 lbs in six weeks.

Take action

Not only do I enjoy my own personal results from the workouts, I also love noticing our members get leaner and leaner. Usually you notice the fat loss in your face around the neck and the chin — the fat melts away and I see people gaining so much confidence.

2. The feeling afterwards

Being part of a positive fitness-minded community is something everybody should experience for over-all health. That’s not main reason I keep coming back though… I can’t get enough of the “post-workout HIGH” when my body is in recovery mode after working out for 54 minutes. After the 1 hour workout, which is the ideal amount of time for exercise, I can feel my body releasing those recovery hormones and putting me into a better state of mind regardless of what happened earlier in my day.

Not a typical class!

Mentally, the workout is the best mood adjuster available. Physically, the workout gives me a great high that ultimately leaves me energized and looking forward to the next.

I am addicted to OTF most of all because it is something special

Kyle Anderson began the launch of OTF Seattle about a year ago and I came on board around the same time. Without a doubt, our small, modest staff has the most family culture out of any group I’ve worked with. We truly are brothers and sisters around here and we invite members to be the same. So why not kick ass in the workout and let that positive action spill over to the other areas of your life.

Arnie knows

Whether fitness, fat loss, overall health… OTF took me away from the idea of individual training and has shown me how group training is the future of fitness. Push on — get in the Orange!

Orangetheory Seattle

June 6, 2014September 4, 2014

— Leave a Comment

Benefits of Hills and Incline Training for Cardiovascular and Fat Burn Effects

Incline hill training wants you

You’re at the bottom of a large hill and the only way forward is up. The hill represents work against gravity — as such we may truly ascend upwards and into a fitter state of mind.

Chambers Bay near Tacoma, WA

Benefits of locomotion on hills and incline

When you power walk up a hill with a significant incline you will have to work harder to maintain a challenging pace. The metabolic benefits of brisk walks can be especially enjoyed in PNW neighborhoods.

Strengthens the core functionally. To work uphill the body seeks to maintain a proper center of gravity which is where your core does most of the work it is meant to do.
Hormones regulated into state of fat burning
Beneficial cellular processes become activated for anti-aging effects
Strengthens the glutes and hips to achieve a powerful, yet efficient leg drive
Get lean, lean, lean.

Instead of feeling down on yourself for ruining a diet, just go for a walk.

Research has shown that walking on a treadmill or walking outdoors will stimulate creativity — and being creative in this modern world is epic for fat burn. You’re the person navigating your life with unique challenges, obstacles and also opportunities for growth through incline.

Let incline hills be your challenge today. Set aside 20-30 minutes at various intensity for the best results.

Weightloss Now

June 5, 2014September 4, 2014

— Leave a Comment

High Intensity Interval Training is a HIIT for fat loss

Run faster to burn fat quicker

You want to burn fat more quickly, like in a faster way. Here’s a somewhat truism. Actual fat loss is leaps and bounds more important than just weight loss. Should you do what it takes to get that lean/healthy muscle tone?

I know, that’s why I want to burn fat today!!

Fat loss is a byproduct of healthy nutrition and effective training

If you are doing this for health reasons, then fat loss should not necessarily be the primary goal in itself. The primary goal is the action and digestion of consuming our plant-strong diet with lean proteins and healthy omega-3s. In this case, fat loss is merely a byproduct of superior nutrition habits.

Methods for fat burning

Look at the picture and notice the differences in body composition between these two runners. Keep in mind that these are both extremes.

Runners, explosiveness/strength vs endurance/distance

explosive/strength vs endurance/distance

Even though the body fat % may be about equal, the female sprinter has more impressive form and physique
The sprinter appears to have leaner muscle for the obvious reason that there is in fact more lean muscle
Notice Hip:Waist ratio significant difference. Sprinter butts can be out of this world (not said for an Olympic marathoner)

How much does your time matter? The Sprinter trains her body for a FRACTION of the time that a marathoner. While the marathoner is out there hitting the cement and losing muscle for long hours, the sprinter has much shorter bouts of effort. High intensity rules the fitness world currently.

It should be making sense by now

You just get way more bang for the buck by focusing on strength, power, speed, explosiveness, and conditioning to experience your fat loss effects.

Train your cardiovascular system with sprints

In this workout, my trainer was Kyle Anderson of Seattle, WA (Orangetheory Fitness Capitol Hill) and he motivated me through the challenging sprint intervals. Check out my heart rate report

A heart rate graph through challenging strength and conditioning workout

The data on the heart rate graph shows that I did work within 84% or higher of my max heart rate through intervals. Training the cardiovascular system in this method also improves muscle tone due to the muscular and metabolic demands of sprinting.

Three steps to running faster

latissimus dorsi: One of the most powerful sprinting muscle. Learn the power of arm drive for sprinting success.

latissimus dorsi: One of the most powerful sprinting muscle. Utilize the power of elbow drive for sprinting success.

1. You should feel that you are propelling yourself forward during sprints. Too many people land on the ground and waste energy on the reactive force of landing. Instead of running on the ground, run over the ground.

2. Use the hips to run forward. The human gait (natural movement of body through space) expresses hip:waist ratio in important ways. Larger, more developed glutes and tapering to a lean waist will typically be strong indicator of fitness (and perhaps even fertility).

3. Drive your upper body muscles in sync with the hips. The latissimuss dorsi as a totally undervalued muscle when it comes to sprinting (and that hourglass shape). The more powerful a muscle contraction (arm drive) helps you produce force with the legs.

Go all out

At some point during your intervals, when you are all out generating force and power, you should attempt to go a little faster than the last workout you recovered from. By making progress, you will get results faster. That is the nature of fitness — we must choose our own path. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Progression should be the number 1 consistency in our training.