Orangetheory® Fitness, the fast-growing fitness franchise that is sweeping the globe, will open eight new studios across the GTA before the end of the year, taking its regional total to 11. The chain, called one of the “Best Workouts in Toronto” by Elle Canada, will add another ten studios across the GTA in 2017.
The exponential growth in Toronto reflects the brand’s rapid expansion across Canada with studio open rates up a whopping 300 per cent from just last year. By the end of 2016, the GTA studios will include Parklawn/Lakeshore, Danforth/Pape, Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, North York, Richmond Hill, Brampton and Whitby. In 2017, there will be three more studios in Toronto, as well as additional studios in Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Oakville and Vaughan.
“The rapid growth of Orangetheory Fitness in Canada continues to beat our expectations. This year, we exceeded our studio opening goal by 20 per cent,” says Hifa Maleki, VP of Franchise Development and Operations, Orangetheory Fitness Canada. “A big part of our success is rooted in the passion our franchisees have for Orangetheory. More than 90 per cent of our owners are also studio members.”
Designed to appeal across the spectrum from fitness newbie to workout junkie, the Orangetheory workout is a dynamic trainer-led group class. The goal is to achieve 12 to 20 minutes of training at 84 per cent or more in the participant’s maximum heart rate range. Tracked by heartrate monitors worn during the workout, this level of intensity is called the orange zone. Training in this zone produces an “afterburn” effect, increasing metabolism for up to 24 to 36 hours post-workout.
“I’ve been in the fitness industry for 17 years, and I’ve never experienced this level of anticipation,” says Dave Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of Orangetheory Fitness Canada Inc. and a Toronto Franchisee . “Our new Toronto studios have yet to officially open and we already have more than 500 members at each location ready to train with us. It’s amazing.”
Attracting High Performance Athletes
Another factor that sets Orangetheory apart from other fitness chains, is that it has a large number of current and former professional athletes as studio owners. In the US, Super Bowl winner, Brendon Ayanbadejo, operates seven locations in California. Here in Canada, Orangetheory franchisees include hockey legend and president of hockey operations with the Vancouver Canucks, Trevor Linden, olympic gold medal curler, Brad Gushue, and world champion curler, Blake McDonald. “I think it’s the high performance nature of the workout that attracts former athletes to Orangetheory,” says MacDonald. “Something about pushing your limits and always trying to outperform your last effort, that’s the Orangetheory way.”
In November, the brand will celebrate its arrival in Toronto with a series of events, including VIP workouts with Track & Field Olympian, Sports Broadcaster and Orangetheory Fitness member, Perdita Felicien.
About Orangetheory® Fitness:
Orangetheory® Fitness (www.orangetheoryfitness.com) is a one-of-a-kind, group personal training workout broken into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training. Backed by the science of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), Orangetheory’s heart-rate-monitored training is designed to maintain a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy. Led by skilled personal trainers, participants use a variety of equipment including treadmills, rowing machines, TRX® suspension training and free weights, burning an average of 900 calories including after-burn. The result is the Orange Effect – more energy, visible toning and extra calorie burn for up to 36 hours post-workout. Orangetheory Fitness was recently ranked #415 in Inc. magazine’s Fastest Growing Private Companies List and #462 in Entrepreneur’s 2015 Franchise 500® list of the top franchises in the world.