Health

Orangetheory Fitness Will Open in Capitol Hill This Summer

Your first class is free.

Photos courtesy of Orangetheory Fitness.

Orangetheory Fitness, the buzzy boutique gym with a cult following dubbed “Orange Nation,” will open its fifth DC location in Capitol Hill this summer. The 3,750-square-foot studio will be the anchor fitness facility at 700 Penn, the mixed-use space near Eastern Market Metro that’s home to Trader Joe’s, JRINK, and Trickle Springs Creamery.

“We are excited to come to Eastern Market and join a great host of neighbors at 700 Penn,” says George Leppert, managing partner of Leppert Holdings and owner of DC’s Orangetheory Fitness locations. “We are dedicated to provide our fun, scientific approach to fitness to the Capitol Hill community and to those who are looking to try an innovative workout in the Eastern Market neighborhood.”

The hour-long class focuses on high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a series of short, all-out bursts of cardio and strength intervals followed by brief periods of rest. Orangetheory incorporates treadmills, rowing machines, free weights, and TRX suspension cables, meaning no two classes are the same. You’re required to wear a hear-rate monitor (provided) that’s synched to an overhead screen displaying the heart-rate zones of everyone in the class (attention, Type-A fitness junkies). The goal is to spend 12-20 minutes of the class in the “Orange Zone,” or 84-91% of your max heart rate. This sweet spot creates the “Orange Effect,” a post-workout after-burn when excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is reached, meaning you’ll burn more calories long after you’ve finished the class, even while you’re sleeping. After class, your results are emailed to you so you can track improvement over time.

The Capitol Hill Orangtheory Fitness will be located at 330 7th St., SE. Individual classes are expected to cost $30, and packages will be available.

Kim Olsen

Kim Olsen ([email protected]) is a freelance writer in Alexandria.