Hey Daybreak, what’s up with Orangetheory Fitness coming to Sudbury? Oh, that question again. Every time a new fitness facility opens (or closes for that matter) or hits the news, friends and members always ask our thoughts. Well, the latest “opening” has spurred another round of questions about Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) opening in our hometown of Sudbury. So, we thought we’d codify our response which we’ve used in the past when the top fitness trends such as Lifetime Fitness, B/SPOKE and Purebarre came our way:

“We LOVE it! Fitness in any size, shape or form benefits EVERYONE.”

C’mon… for real? I don’t believe you. Well, yes, my good friend… it’s true. You see, Orange Theory Fitness is doing a tremendous job promoting the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and functional fitness models. They have created a buzz by marketing to the masses and have done an excellent job of getting people off their butts and into a high-end fitness facility. In other words, they are getting people fit by introducing them to the world in which CrossFit has been thriving for over a decade.

“So you see, there’s a lot of similarities and synergies between OTF and CrossFit. However… “

Yeah, but then why don’t you see them as competition? Keeping people moving is the essence of both business models… and when people move, they are healthier. And when they are healthier, they are happier. We like it when happy people are standing beside us in line at the grocery store… or beside us at our kids’ soccer game… it just makes for a better community. And while OTF caters to the masses with a handful of basic movements, it’s the perfect launching pad for those who want, or rather, who crave more. Those who crave more variety, more challenges, more goals, more… well, FITNESS.

“Once Orangetheory gets to those fitness-seekers we can’t reach, those members inevitably seek the more, the variety, the what’s next … which they find at Daybreak CrossFit.”

We’re not competing for the same members as both Daybreak CrossFit and Orangetheory Fitness have their own unique place in our macrocosm of health and wellness. Daybreak CrossFit is boutique fitness investing in our members and building a community which serves as our predominant marketing model. OTF is franchise fitness whose marketing machine educates millions of fitness seekers across the country about the positive effects of functional fitness.

“Awareness is the key to getting people off that couch, and Orangetheory is often the start of a fitness journey that leads people to CrossFit.”

Now it’s making sense, but aren’t the workouts the same? Well, OTF does indeed validate the market demand for instructor-led, class-based functional fitness. However, to make their model scale they have focused workouts on running, rowing and dumbbells. These movements make classes easy for franchisees to replicate and coach, but there’s in inherent limitation in their model: it’s predictable. In CrossFit, we too row, run and use dumbbells. We too burn calories and build strength. But at CrossFit, routine is and has always been the enemy and we incorporate much more into our workouts.

In CrossFit, we leverage many times over (we estimate 20-30x) the number of movements and exercises OTF uses to not only build a broader range of fitness, but also, more importantly, to create exponentially more variety. Orangetheory, like the Lifetime Alpha, P90x and Insanity workout crazes of yesteryear, tend to hold newbies’ attention in the early days, but once members know what’s coming, they have told us they lose that drive, that motivation, that craving to push harder or push longer. And it’s when that novelty fades, that they seek the infinite variety which has been the lifeblood of CrossFit.

“A rising (fitness) tide really does lift all boats… so rise away Orangetheory!”

I get it. It makes much more sense now. You can co-exist. Yup, you got it. The new Orangetheory Fitness Sudbury is likely to be an excellent starting point for those exercisers in the Sudbury and Wayland areas we just couldn’t reach through word-of-mouth. And for many of those OTF members, the transition to CrossFit won’t be a large one, but it will certainly be a profound one. Daybreak CrossFit is the answer to “What’s next?”.

“Once Orangetheory gets to those fitness-seekers we can’t reach, those members inevitably seek the more, the variety, the what’s next … which they find at Daybreak CrossFit.”

Runners, rowers, triathletes, gymnasts, weekend warriors, golfers, tennis players, obstacle course racers, Spartans and yes, even the proverbial couch potato… they all have found CrossFit to be that next step. At Daybreak, we have the most experienced coaching staff and the most inclusive community who are ready to embrace yet another wave of fitness-goer… no matter their age, ability or starting point. And while we have done our fair share of couch-to-CrossFit, we LOVE the fact that Orangetheory Fitness is helping spread the word and becoming yet another starting point for, well… FITNESS. People who are ready to find CrossFit, through Orangetheory or other means, will do so at the right time…. and we’ll be ready for them.