When I moved to Little Rock, I took the first full week off to get myself unpacked and settled in. Well, that took us about 48 hours and then I was standing around with my hands in the air. So, to fill in some of that time I decided to go ahead and try a handful of the boutique workouts in the area. Orange Theory, F45, CYCLEBAR, and Pure Barre all have locations in Little Rock. Since I’m new to the area, I was able to try each them through their different free trials to see what I thought! If I wrote about all 4 here, this post would be FOREVER long. Instead, I’m going to cover 2 and then write on the other 2 next week! Keep reading on my experiences with Orange Theory and F45, and what I would recommend after trying them out.

I’ve also written about trying out some of these workouts in Knoxville before moving, and you can find those posts here!

Orange Theory

The Orange Theory studio is only 8 minutes from the house, so I tried it out first! I went to the 6:15 am class because I’m a morning work out person, and there were about 10-12 other people there. As with most Orange Theory studios, your first class is free. After that, you’re on your own dime. For the record my thoughts have always been that it’s difficult to decide if you want to spend over $100/month on a workout that you only get to try once before committing.

The Workout

It turns out I chose to try out this Orange Theory studio right in the middle of what they call Hell Week. Hell Week is a series of highly focused, higher than normal intensity classes that comes around once a year. Every studio participates, and the workouts are the same across the board. On the Tuesday I took class, the workout was focused around a 14 minute row for distance. I ended up with a little over 3,000 meters and was happy to be off the rower by the end of it.

The weight floor consisted of low impact, full body movements to bring your heart rate down and build strength. These movements included isometric lunge holds with bicep curls, boat holds with a single arm shoulder press, and planks with dumbbell rows. As always, the weight floor is where I felt most comfortable and strongest.

I finished the class with 12 “all out’s”, or sprints, on the treadmill. 10 of the 12 sprints were 45 seconds on, 30 seconds of rest. The final 2 were 30 seconds on, 30 seconds of rest. Probably my favorite part about Orange Theory is how easily I can forget that I’m on the treadmill. These classes will definitely force you into cardio, but the good news is even if you hate it it almost always feels like it’s over quick!

All in all, I burned 319 calories according to my Apple watch during class, and felt strong and consistent all the way through. I do think that with Orange Theory the accountability is really on you as to how hard you want to work. Even with the instructor there, you’re the one that has to decide if you’re going to push yourself or take it easy.

Pricing

Pricing with Orange Theory is expensive, bottom line. You’re looking at $160/month for unlimited which is honestly the best package. They did tell me, though, that you have access to all Orange Theory studios with that membership. So, if you travel a lot that might make it worth it for you!

F45

I have to say, I really enjoy the vibe and set up of the F45 studios I’ve visited. The closest studio to me now is about 25 minutes away. In Knoxville, I could almost throw a rock from my front door and hit the F45 studio, which made it even better! This F45 location allows a 3 day trial, which is pretty good compared to most other boutique studios. I reserved my first class for 8:30 am to try to get a different taste since I had the free time.

Bear

The first workout we did was called “Bear”. At the F45 studios, all of their workouts are named. This is kind of similar to CrossFit naming their more popular WOD’s, and I think it’s fun to know a workout by name! The setup for this workout is somewhere around 18 stations, with 2 rounds performed at each station. The first round is 35 seconds on, 10 seconds off. The second round is 45 seconds on with a 30 second rest to change stations. The movements are all full body, and it is a good mix of cardio and strength. I ended up burning about 200 calories total, which is a little less than a standard workout.

Double Down

The second workout we did is called “Double Down”. I took this class on Thursday at 5:30 pm to try class at a different time than my first. The class was definitely more full than the 8:30 am class, and I really enjoyed the energy of more people. This class is set up with 12 stations, most of them leg focused. There were also a couple of ab focused stations sprinkled in. The workout is designed for you to spend 3 rounds at each station, 40 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest between sets. By the end of it, my legs felt like jello and I had burned 175 calories.

Empire

The third and last class for my trial is one called “Empire”. For this Friday class I showed up at the 6 am class, which would be my normal choice if I were to get a membership. This class is set up very similar to Double Down, 12 stations and you spend 3 rounds at each. The working time is also the same with 40 seconds on, and 15 seconds off. The main different is that the movements we did for Empire were more core and upper body focused. After the other workouts this week, I was definitely sore trying to get through this one! I ended up burning 154 calories and met a lot of really nice people first thing in the morning!

Pricing

After finishing up my 3rd class I talked with one of the studio owners about pricing. He let me know that for this F45 studio, the monthly unlimited membership is $150/month. He also said there are class packs, but that those usually expire within the month. The truth is, if this is going to be your workout of choice the monthly unlimited package is going to be the best way to go regardless!

Final Thoughts

Truthfully, I really enjoyed my time at both the local Orange Theory and F45 studios! The Orange Theory studio is much more convenient, being less than 10 minutes from the house. But, the workouts at F45 are a little more my style overall. They are both priced about the same, and each certainly have a strong sense of community. If you’re looking for more cardio and expansive class times, Orange Theory is the one for you. If you’re wanting more strength specific training, then F45 is probably best.

Either way, as long as you can swallow the price each month you won’t be disappointed by either of these studios! Check out the Orange Theory Bryant website here and the F45 of West Little Rock website here to schedule your first visit ASAP!