You may have seen the commercials for Orangetheory or started hearing friends talk about the Orange Zone and Splat points.

So just what is Orangetheory? It is a 60-minute, high-intensity class which uses technology to monitor your performance using a heart rate monitor. The goal is to get your heart rate up to 84 to 91 percent of your maximum and then spend at least 12 minutes in the Orange Zone. For each minute in the Orange Zone, you earn one splat point.

The class is designed so that you can work out individually at your own pace, while also having the energy of a group. By working out 12 minutes in the Orange Zone, you will also continue to burn calories for the next 36 hours, known as post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

Orangetheory University Place has been open six months, and Studio Manager Shoshanna Walsh has seen lots of changes in the founding members.

"We have seen so many positive changes in our members since opening in August!" exclaimed Walsh. "My favorite stories are the ones of members who have never found a routine that they really stuck with, until now! The community aspect combined with the high-energy workouts really gives people a place where they can become part of the family and see real results."

Orangetheory workouts are something quite different from what you find at other fitness facilities.

"Orangetheory workouts are unlike anything else. We run a different workout every single day of the year," said Walsh. "We focus on heart-rate-based training guaranteed to produce results from the inside-out. Our workouts are backed by science, proven to burn more calories post-workout, tracked by technology, so you can monitor your results in real time, and inspired and led by our certified coaches to make sure no one is under or overtraining."

In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a member of Orangetheory since it opened in August 2019 and am a huge fan. I have reaped the benefits described in their commercials and online testimonials. I am sleeping better, and my fitness level has increased dramatically. My favorite part is how effortlessly it pushes you to give more effort without wasting your time. You come in and you work out for the whole 60 minutes. Individual weight stations are set up for you, so you don't have to find the weights or piece of equipment you need. Workouts fly by as you are so busy you only have time to listen to the cues such as "30-second all out" where you run or walk at a high elevation at your max pace. At the end of each workout you receive an email with your stats so you can see how you are progressing. Throughout the last six months, they have done fun challenges to motivate the members like "Hell Week" and an eight-week transformation challenge.

The University Place Orangetheory location offers a military discount on Premier and Elite memberships, as well as freezing privileges to members who serve in the military so they can put memberships on pause for deployments or training.

Go to orangetheoryfitness.com for more information and studio locations.

Orangetheory University Place, 3626 Market Pl. W, #104, University Place, 360.712.7565