What’s up, fellow Obsessives?

Hope you’re having a great start to 2026. I know many of you might be bringing new members to your studio or making friends with new faces on the treads and rowers.

If so, don’t forget to tell the newbies about OTF Obsessed, I’d love to see the new members around here as well!

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Two Sundays ago, I laid out some of my OTF goals for 2026.

But in the time since, I’ve done some thinking about those goals.

So many of them are based on compiling numbers over these next 361 days.

Making my class count grow.

Logging plenty of miles, meters and splats.

Locking in on the floor.

And all of that is fine. If my preoccupation with stacking numbers gets me up at 4 am and into the studio at least four times a week, I shouldn’t mess with a good thing.

At the same time, I do recognize where it falls a bit short.

And it’s where Orangetheory’s model can also be a bit soft.

While we like that OTF takes the guesswork out of the daily workout — just show up and do you what you’re told — it can also cause us to get too comfortable.

Be honest: Have you ever left the studio and realized you were on autopilot for the previous 60 minutes? That you probably could’ve pushed more on the tread, rower or floor, but didn’t? That your lack of mental focus ending up with you physically taking a green day when you probably didn’t need one?

I certainly can find myself there at times.

And I’d like that number to shrink in 2026.

It starts with being present every time I wake up for a workout.

It starts with saying thanks for the opportunity before me, setting a good plan for maximizing the benefits of my class before I step into the studio and then being intentional about every exercise and station while I’m there.

And while I like numbers, I can’t lose sight of the fact that I can’t let those numbers be empty. We all spend so much time and money at OTF that we owe it to ourselves to get the most out of it.

Of course, every goal is worth more when you can measure the pursuit.

So starting this week, I’m going to be grading each class on a five-point scale. One for the days when I never fully wake up or let something else get in the way of my wins at OTF. Five for the days when I lock in and give it all that I have — whatever that amount may be that day.

My goals in 2026 can’t all be about quantity … they should be about quality, too.

I’ve never participated in a Transformation Challenge before and that’s not going to change this year. But I’m sure a lot of you are taking the plunge for the first time and would like some tips on what to expect in the weeks ahead.

So I’m asking former partcipants: What should people know about the Transformation Challenge? What are the best ways to succeed? What do you wish you would’ve known before starting? Did you follow a good nutrition plan you’re willing to share?

Pass along your tips to [email protected] and I’ll share them with everyone later this month!

5️⃣ x 5️⃣ Signature Workout (Today!): No idea why this is on Sunday the 4th, instead of Monday the 5th but you still have time to get to the studio and take it!

• Nancy P. says that her studio missed her 2,500th class last week, but that’s not going to happen here at OTF Obsessed. “I’m proud of my 2500 classes!,” Nancy writes. “At 66, I love keeping up with the youngsters.” From the looks of it, I think it’s the other way around, Nancy!

• Michael C. set a goal to hit 250 classes in 2025 and reached that mark on Christmas Eve! “My life has changed since joining OTF in 2021 and this has been my best year yet. Can’t wait to run it back and even surpass that in 2026. Happy New Year, OTF Obsessed.”


Tell me about your latest milestone or PR! Just hit reply on this email.

A random, but interesting Instagram post from a studio in Australia. If there’s a wider release of these four areas coming out from all studios, we’ve yet to see it. But it does jive with a lot of things we’ve been seeing and hearing.

Note: OTF Obsessed is an independent fan-created newsletter and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with Orangetheory Fitness.