Orangetheory Fitness — Attraction in Chadds Ford Township

A fantastic way to get your heart rate up and enjoy it in the process. Their instructors are high energy and really seem to care about maximizing your workout.

I gave this 3 stars because I think a good part of the success of this franchise is in their technology and equipment. And unfortunately, the technology isn't very accurate, often breaks down and there doesn't seem to be a general consensus on how it works. Some examples:

Rower has been down for several months

There are not enough 12 pound weights to go around which becomes frustrating when you have to steal them from another station during the workout.

A few treadmills are not balanced and move when running

Wrist band ($100) often requires replacement and seems to be very finicky during a workout. You can go from being in the orange zone to a sudden drop to grey (85% to 40%), which requires a reset in your watch during your workout, resulting in an inaccurate summary of your true workout effort.

There is a significant delay in what you see on the board during your workout (your % of max heart rate) vs your reality. This is very frustrating when you are trying to maintain yourself at a certain level. Since I joined, a few of us have seen up to a 45 second delay of your actual heart rate to what is registered on their system.

Their other app, OT Beat, when running this during a workout yields very different results than what appears on the board during class. For example, I was at 86% max heart rate on the board but 91% on the app. In summary, my app said I earned 25 splat points but the board only registered 20. Big difference.

Not very clean. Dust balls are all around the perimeter and on the equipment.

In Summary:

I love the concept and will keep coming and working hard. My suggestion for those reading this and have just as high expectations of a gym that charges $156/month:

Do not buy a new wrist band. You can get them used from other members who have dropped (eBay, Craigslist). Not worth $100.

Use another (more accurate) source for the tracking of your heart rate, max heart rate and calories burned.

Just work hard. You WILL see results. Don't let the lack of understanding of the technology and the consistent breaking down of the wristband to discourage you.

Cheers...

In the initial phases I enjoyed this location...mostly just because the workouts were good, motivating and fun. This is what I would expect if any orange theory and it’s not terribly hard to replicate a preplanned workout.

However, this location has terrible customer service and poor character of management and staff. I had to unexpectedly stop my membership due pregnancy and some health concerns. No more details needed, but when I brought this to attention of staff and provided a medical note from my doctor explaining that I could no longer attend, one trainer in particular, Bob, pressed the issue. He made me feel ashamed for not being able to continue and even questioned “why can’t you continue, lots of pregnant women keep coming?”

The medical issues I was having were sensitive and not of his concern. Further, management refused to waive my fees for the following months that I could not attend. While I understand policy, I also understand that some empathy goes a long way, and as this was an unavoidable medical situation. I would imagine waiving one fee would not be of huge impact from a national company.

Unethical handling of my medical situation and poor compassion. Another Orange Theory is not out of the question, but...

Soooo….OTF Talleyville has been a game changer for me and has helped me on several different levels. I joined three months ago and have attended over 50 classes so far. From a group fitness perspective, the guided classes provide structure that is science- based to provide a total body workout. More importantly though, everyone in each class has varying degrees of fitness levels and that is perfectly fine and celebrated because you make the workout work for you. The beauty of the workout structure is you set your own goals within a template. The upbeat atmosphere with tunes rocking make the hour fly by. For me personally, I have seen significant results physically, but also just having more energy and being in a better mood for the work day have been extremely positive. Finally, the community aspect of OTF Talleyville is pretty cool as well. Everyone from the coaches to the other members are very friendly and engaging. If you are on the fence or nervous about trying something new, give it a shot, you can thank me when you experience all of the above...