Orangetheory Fitness Pittsburgh - East End

I tried to join this studio, but they gave me the wrong time for my first orientation. They verbally confirmed my second orientation attempt but didn't enter it into the system. They also gave me the wrong pricing. The monitors are way inflated at $120+, and they offer a 50% off deal, except they really don't.

The most frustrating part of the weeks-long experience trying to join is they almost never answer the phone. There's no way to easily work out the inaccuracies. Now they have all my personal information so I'm anticipating OTF spam for the rest of my life. If you're not sure about trying this place out, I recommend trying other places first.

Wanted to wait until after completing my first transformation challenge to post so I could talk not only experience, but results, as for the price, this matters to me.

Highlights:
Pros-
1. The instructors- they are friendly and energetic, many take time to encourage class members by name which is real motivation, additionally, they essentially conduct a group personal training session, giving just the perfect amount of personalized attention to ensure perfect form but not so much that you can't go at your own pace.
2. The ambience- the lighting is perfect, dim and cool, the music is great, and the atmosphere is contagious. 3. The results- I get a great sweat every single class, and am seeing and feeling some excellent results, you really can't help but get into shape... and you can do so at your own pace.
4. The cancellation policy- this is definitely a mixed bag, however, knowing I will be charged $12 for a no show or canceling less than 8 hours in advance means when I commit I really commit ( non premier members lose the class, value approx $28). While some people may find this frustrating it is just the extra push I need.
Cons-
1. The location- nice spot in the east end but can be a parking challenge
2. The price- I do think it's worth it but at approx $60-$160 a month, it's definitely more than a workout, it's an investment
3. Scheduling- for the most part this has steadily improved and you can count on being able to book two weeks out at 9 pm each evening but sometimes that isn't the case and typically by 5 am the next morning classes are full, I've had to stay up until as late as 1 am to get into a class... or forgotten and been locked out entirely... for $150 a month I almost feel spaces should be guaranteed
4. Technology- sometimes this goes down, once or twice a month since I started, and nothing is done about it... the problem is you then have no record of your workout and the record is a big plus

Ultimately, I would highly recommend OTF to anyone who needs an extra dose of motivation, who wants to get fit fast, who struggles to get in a full body burn, who wants to have fun and is ready to invest in themselves!

Great studio. I am a travel nurse and I am always nervous when I walk through the front doors of a new studio (which is often). My home studio (St.Cloud, MN) has made me hold all OTFs to a high standard. I have been in various studios in CA, ND, MN, and now PA and I have no complaints for any of them!!

Here in Pittsburgh I have felt very welcome by the coaches, front desk staff, and especially the fellow members!

Each person is on their own journey trying to be better than they were yesterday! OTF is the real no judgment zone!

Tried the free class before the pandemic. I was thrown into a bunch of exercises I'd never tried and there's a trainer yelling directions over mediocre pop music to the whole class. And they track your heart rate against your classmates on a giant screen for extra peer pressure. And my heart rate watch wasn't working right so I looked like I was slacking the whole time while DYING. 2 stars will not return.

I have always heard of Orange Theory and was excited to try it out. My friend and I started together and they were great about explaining how the class works and the heart rate monitor. The first class is free! The class always rotates from between the treadmill, rowing, and floor exercises. I was a fan of the treadmills as they have fans in them. The rower takes sometime getting used to. There is a screen on the side showing what the floor exercises are. The workouts vary between focusing on power, strength, and endurance which is nice so every workout is not the same. The only thing that is frustrating is that you have to book classes two weeks in advance as they do fill up pretty fast. Overall, it is a great workout. I have been going for the past two months and I can say I leave every workout pretty sweaty.

The most challenging workout I had thus far! Orangetheory is everything I needed. The group workout and coaching combination is fantastic. It's cardio combined with strength training. The monitors on the screen allow you to see your intensity level during your workout. Anyone of any fitness level can use this gym.

The environment is welcoming and fun. The trainers engage you throughout your workout pushing you to go the extra mile. You certainly will SWEAT and feel like you had a true workout.

The gym is new to the area but I'm sure it will be harder as time goes on to get the exact workout time you want, however they offer many slots throughout the day/week.

If you are looking for something new to add to your workout Orangetheory may be a great fit for you!

The heart-rate-based workout is great, IF you can get into a class.

I've been an OTF member for over 2 years at other studios. I was a big fan until I came to Pittsburgh.

At this studio, people seem to waitlist classes (perhaps even ones they likely won't attend) the moment the schedule comes out (about 2 weeks ahead around 8pm) and then the classes are full if you try to register by even the next day. When 24 hours ahead of class rolls around, people start to drop the class and you can try to get on the waitlist to see if you get in, which you may not. OR, as the studio will tell you, you're welcome to show up just in case there's room for you, but no guarantees.

So, if you have a job, or a family, or your life revolves around something else besides OTF, this is not the studio for you. Perhaps, management, you could crack down on this process of waitlisting/dropping. Classes are full to the brim with no spots even on the waitlist, then may not even be full when class starts. You have a problem and need to fix it.

Finally, if you quit, be prepared to pay for a full additional month, per "policy." I won't be back.

THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. You are just a number in their oversubscribed list. I fell off the treadmill and could have hurt myself very badly and they were most concerned about making sure I signed my life away. I cancelled in October and despite giving one moth notice am still getting charged. They do not respond to emails or phone calls. I've had to work directly with my credit card company to dispute their charges.

Did you know that people in NYC pay over $300/month for the exact same workout?

But this is Pgh, you say, and that is correct. I'm just pointing out a fact. As with all gyms and work-outs, you choose the best for you. Sure, you may save a lot more $ by going to a low-cost monthly gym (I'm still a member and have been for 10+ years), but how many times will you really go? Are you getting an effective or as intense of a workout? Are you ok with the mediocre classes? What about trying to cancel the membership? In the end, you choose the gym that will get you closer to whatever goal you set for yourself, and for me, it's group fitness classes since it's more well rounded.

OTF caters to all fitness levels: there are some that are clearly fit, and some that look like they haven't been to a gym for many years. The workouts are what you make of it, and the atmosphere is not intimidating at all. The gym is new enough and the people are nice enough that I haven't felt that the atmosphere was "clicky" like the Soul Cycle groupies in NYC. The gym trainers are very nice and come to class with a good playlist.

I've been at OTF since they opened- so about 25 or so classes. Even though I post on Yelp on the regular, I didn't want to write one on OTF since working out/gym is a very personal thing for me- I don't really know anyone at the gym, I don't really converse with anyone else, and I don't make small convo with the trainers. In these 25 classes or so, I've started to get to know the trainers just a smidge more, and that was really from the effort of the trainers, not me. The classes are personal enough that when they see you regularly, they notice you and what you're capable of.

You can read about the workout on the website, and if you're reading this review, you probably have already. Out of the many gyms I've gone to for group fitness in Philly and NYC, this one offers the most classes, from 5AM to 9PM, depending on the day. They still have kinks to work out, but they'll figure it out. Yes, OTF is in East Liberty, on the "edge of shady-ness," but as long as you don't wave Benjamins around on the street, you should be fine.

First, I have to say the employees at the front desk are very friendly and helpful, and I'd give them 5 stars for being great. Aside from that, I have been very disappointed in Orangetheory and decided to cancel my membership after a few weeks. This location doesn't have a locker room and has no towel service. The [very tiny] lockers for coats/etc are in the main area and do no have built in locks; they will not even fit a normal sized backpack.

The workout itself is meh. Classes are big and it's hard to follow what's happening, many times the instructor will say to do something on the treadmill and then ignore you; I would expect them to coach me through the whole treadmill workout. The same is true for the strength part, but at least they put this on a screen you can reference. The instructors tend to stand on the side and wait while you are doing the workout they told you to do as opposed to motivating you during the session. I don't feel like I'm being pushed to be better, which is what I'm looking for in an instructor-led class. I can go run on a treadmill with a workout someone wrote down, or lift weights with a set number of reps, for free. To be completely honest, I'm comparing directly to my experience at Barry's Bootcamp (which is AMAZING and I sadly moved far away from one) - Barry's is highly motivational and the instructors coach/motivate both the weights and the treadmill at the same time, throughout the whole session.

The worst part of all though is booking classes. You have to book 29 DAYS ahead (who can confirm their schedule that soon?) and the classes fill fast. Most can't even be waitlisted because the waitlist itself is full. If you book 29 days ahead and need to cancel, you aren't getting into another class because they are all full.

I know some people love Orangetheory, but in the end it just isn't for me.