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What’s up, fellow Obsessives?
There’s a great story over on OTF Reddit about a man proposing to his future wife in the exact OTF station where they met during a partner workout.
It got me wondering: How many of you have met a partner at Orangetheory? Or how many of you attend workouts with your significant other? It sounds like a great idea for a newsletter and I’d love to include some responses in a future issue.
Have a great week ahead!
— Kevin
📅 The Week Ahead
Tuesday — 🚣 1,000 meter row benchmark I wrote some tips for glory in this benchmark back in May you may want to review. The TL;DR; Start strong but controlled, pay attention to your split times and make sure you save enough to go all-out over your final 200.
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Smaller Orangetheory studios are in the works
Is the future of Orangetheory smaller?
Maybe in some places.
Health Club Management recently reported that OTF parent Purpose Brands is rolling out four smaller concept studios in Canada in the first quarter of 2027. The company’s planned push into Rome will also involve smaller studios.
At 1,800 to 2,100 square feet, the yet-to-be-named studios will come in around 40 percent smaller than the Orangetheory studios we know and love.
A few summary bullet points from the article:
The concept was born out of a year-long design process where the studios were reimagined from the “studs out.”
The workout floor will feature “newconnected rowers, intentional signage and a social media wall.” Workouts putting an emphasis on strength training through the new Orangetheory Strong equipment that’s already being rolled out elsewhere.
Premium washroom and shower facilities aren’t going anywhere. (Phew.)
The coach-led experience will feature guided recovery during the workout with mobility and massage tools at each station.
The lobbies sound like they will be smaller with self check-in stations, mobile retail racks and stackable seating.
Per the article, “the growth is part of Purpose Brands' ambition to reach 10,000 locations and 10 million members by 2030.” There are currently more than 1,500 Orangetheory locations and Purpose Brands also owns Anytime Fitness.
Orangetheory is going to pay plenty of lip service to the member experience with this strategy and I don’t doubt they’re looking to nail that part in the ever competitive and changing world of retail fitness.
But let’s not kid ourselves: Both space and money are at the root of this push.
Smaller studios make sense in urban areas where rent is high and available square footage is low. They also make sense in smaller communities that don’t have the population to fill 30 or more stations for several classes per day.
Smaller studios are less expensive to build out so startup costs are lower. There’s fewer treadmills and rowers to buy so equipment costs falls. And relying on technology in the lobby can reduce labor bills.
The big question that remains is whether or not Purpose Brands can capture the secret community sauce that keeps us as OTF Obsessives. Are you as motivated to show up day after day without the energy of a full class or people you like to see every day? Will these smaller studios engender the same kind of loyalty without that? I’m skeptical.
At the same time, I recognize the business need to scale and evolve, particularly in places where growth has been challenging. This marks an attempt to solve a few of those challenges and I’m interested to see how it plays out.
🏅 Milestones and PRs
Have a milestone, PR or big win to celebrate with everyone else? Hit me up at [email protected] to share!
🧡 One More Thing
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Note: OTF Obsessed is an independent fan-created newsletter and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with Orangetheory Fitness.
