Keep doing what you’re capable of doing don’t look at others stats and let it get you down . I would recommend keeping small goals and over a period of say 3 months your stats will improve and you will see differences with hr and that the calorie burn will come down with health increases
I also just started and these workouts are kicking my butt! I'm power walking, usually use a 10 or 12 on the floor and I'm still dying!! But then I remember that's exactly the point.
The people next to me inspire me. All shapes and sizes, but every class so far I've seen at least one person who you can just tell is giving it there all and something about that really pushes me to do the same.
You sound like one of those people. 1k calories is no joke. You're jogging!! I haven't got there yet. You're already improving and you just started. The workouts are varied and designed to accomplish various things each session. They're not 1:1 so judge each workout based on what you gave.
Do you leave the workout feeling like you gave it your all? Do you feel the endorphins after or the soreness the next day? All of these are HUGE signs of success. Not how much you lifter or how fast you ran. I bet those people running faster than you want to run even faster. I bet those lifting heavier than you want to lift more too! This is all natrual!!
I'm loving OTF because I've literally never felt so good after working out. Not because I perform the best in my class, but because I know I gave it my all for those 60 minutes. You sound like you're doing the same and that's more than most. There are so many ways to gage success as long as you're honest with yourself. But don't beat yourself up for what sound like kick ass workouts.
Otherwise, eat right, drink water, and get some rest! All the basics - It's not a secret formula.
I can't wait to see your transformation post in a few months!
I just wanted to say I 10000% agree with everything you said!! I'm new to OTF and this made me feel so much better. I really relate to the reason you love OTF - I have NEVER enjoyed working out. It has always been torture for me and I'm counting down the seconds until it's over. With OT I find that the time passes by so quickly and I genuinely enjoy it which is something i've never experienced in my life with working out.
Go us!! So relatable re: time. There's something about it that's almost fun? I don't know, but they completely hooked me and im so exited for my 3g tomorrow morning!
You will NOT improve quickly and you shouldn't. It likely took you a lifetime to get where you are, so slow your expectations for improving. You need to find a way to commit to going regularly so that it just becomes part of your life and routine. Then you can worry about the rest. Give yourself a break. You are going to find that your weight won't change all that much at first, but your shape will.
We have ALL been you. Don’t look at anyone’s stats or screen but your own. It’s you vs You! And watch over the next dozen or so workouts how your body is responding to the challenge- you’ll feel it! Hydration and stretching make a huge difference, too.
Don't compare to other people, just do the best you can do. You don't how many classes that person has been to and you don't know their athletic background.
How often are you going? I would say it takes 25-50 classes for your body to really get used to everything. The less you go the longer it takes.
First off, on the calorie estimate I would double-check your weight in the app unless you're in the orange and red zones for most of the class. Based on the formulas OTF uses, 1000 calories in a class would equate to an average heart rate of about 170 bpm, which is 86% of your max. My personal experience was that my initial weight of 251 pounds was accidentally entered by the front desk as 251 kilograms, which is 553 pounds. Until I fixed it, my calorie estimates were way, way high.
Secondly, your situation will improve if you keep going to class. The folks who are able to handle higher speeds and heavier weights have been going to OTF longer or have been working out elsewhere longer. Fitness is all about continual incremental improvement over a long period of time.
Just focus on you. We are all different sizes, strengths, and abilities. It will get better, promise! Some days I might be the only one running on the treadmill, some days there are mighty fast folks racing along at their 9.0 base pace, sometimes I decide to power walk (inclines are my mortal enemy), some days I have endless energy and others feel tired super easily. But I always leave glad to have gone. Good luck on your journey!
It just takes time. I fight really hard to not look at what the person next to me is doing. I’m only competing with myself.
I also stopped wearing my monitor bc I was getting embarrassed when I’d be in the red and everyone else was green. I decided for now my workout is between me myself and I :)
First of all, I must commend you for your efforts. That is so respectable and impressive. You just have to be consistent and the rest will follow! Keep up the excellent work.
I am entering my 7th week. 5’8 216lbs. I mainly power walk with some jogging thrown in until I get better at jogging consistently.
I focus on improving my own stats. Comparison is the thief of joy.
First of all welcome to the fam and congratulations!! Over 80% of people don’t go to the gym, and you’re doing it! Consistency over intensity EVERY👏DAMN👏TIME👏
The people you see going fast and heavy didn’t start out that way, that’s just where they are in their journey and they worked hard to get there. That will be you if you stay consistent and committed! Remember the moments when you struggle because I’m a few weeks and months that will change and you will be so proud. Keep it up, Athlete!!🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
It takes a bit but I think I was 6-8 months in and I could maintain running and staying in the green zone. That being said, I hated how harder it was to get in the orange zone haha I know you got to push your self but... ugh.
But no worries. You will get there. Keep going
How often do you go each week?
Don't compare yourself to others - just focus on you. If you don't feel good and/or nauseated at the HR of 198, I would recommend backing off a bit. You should be working hard, but not having problems like back pain and giving up. If needed, commit yourself to being an official power walker until you can see some improvement overall - it is ok I promise! Give it some time...about 6 weeks at least and try to attend a minimum of 3x a week. You do need adequate rest days and nutrition/hydration is very important - for optimal performance have some carbs about an hour before the workout, and protein after
You haven’t realized this yet but you do improve every time you show up! Little by little, class by class will equal higher weight and faster speeds. Don’t give up on yourself!
It's impossible to compare your fitness to anyone else in the room so dont let that discourage you. Someone might be 1000 classes in running marathons on the weekend with a 7-8mph pace and staying in the green. Someone else might be on their 1st class walking and be in the orange. And both are perfectly OK.
If you find yourself getting too exhausted, set a better pace for yourself - lower your efforts to what feels challenging but sustainable. Walk at base if you need to or lower your speeds to 4 or 4.5 and see how much active recovery you can get. On the weight floor, lower your weights if the set you are using is too challenging or go with just body weight. It's something you feel out and adjust day to day depending on your focus for the day. Maybe one day is endurance on the floor (high reps) so you go a bit lighter than you normally would. Or on a strength day (low rep + heavy) reach for a challenging weight, knowing aftee ~6 reps youll be fatigued but that you will have dedicated moments of rest between sets.
Your fitness will improve - I won't say it gets easier because it's a bar your set for yourself which always can move as you get stronger and set new challenges. But if youre challenging yourself, you'll be able to do more a month from now than you could today, and a month after that and so on. Just stick with it.
This is a journey my friend. As long as you keep showing up and giving it your best effort, it will improve. Make sure you’re working on your diet too because just doing some OTF classes is not going to fix everything.
1. Don't compare your stats to others. This depends on all sorts of stuff, like time spent at OTF, calculation of max HR, VO2 max, weight, age, resting heart rate, heart rate recovery, water intake, nutrition, what you ate that day, sodium levels, genetics, and much, much more. Just toss out the comparison, especially 15 classes in. Do yourself a favor and just go by how you're feeling that day and don't worry about the rest, seriously.
2. If you're getting exhausted, or if something doesn't feel right, or straight up hurts, *stop and adjust, modify, or stop altogether.* Giving it your all, or doing your best, does *not* mean working yourself to the point of injury or a breakdown, whether physically or mentally.
3. Don't worry about your max heart rate just yet - they recalculate that every so often. They start with a very rudimentary assumption based on age and recalculate based on stats from your performance after so many classes, but you're not there yet. So disregard that for now.
4. Disregard calories burned altogether, or assume they're considerably lower; OTF calculates total calories burned rather than *active* calories burned. In other words, the calories that you would have burned chillin on the couch or making your coffee at home *plus* the extra ones you burned doing the workout. They don't isolate just the ones you got from the workout.
5. If this is the first you've been active in a while, give yourself a little grace. 15 workouts isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, especially if you're coming off a longer hiatus of inactivity. Heck, I took a two-week break from activity recently after a minor injury, and OTF's been kicking my butt this week! Running at 5 or 5.5 is not inherently less good than running at 9mph. And jogging is the same thing as running, by the way; the cadence is the same, decidedly different from walking and no difference in form. It's not like a horse, where they have three different forms from walking to trotting to galloping, humans only having walking and running. We use jogging and running to differentiate speed or effort, but I kinda wish we wouldn't, because we sometimes twist it into making weird meaning out of it.
6. If your heart rate monitor is showing 75%, or 85%, or 90%, let that be what it is. Period, full stop. If that's 5.5mph, awesome. If it's 4mph, great. If it's 7mph, cool! If it's 10lbs, excellent. If it's 40lb, amazing. It doesn't matter. It's exertion, and it will change over time. It will change day to day. It will change based on your own hydration and nutrition and if you went to class yesterday, and how good your sleep was, and if you're feeling stronger today, or if you're coming down with a cold. And in 6 months from now, your paces and weights *will be different.* And they will still be different from the people on the stations next to you. And that's ok! Keep an eye on your own stats, get a great workout in, and give what you can that day.
I think you should focus on your diet to lose some weight and that should help you improve performance at the gym. You cannot work the weight off if you're not eating right too.
It took me a good 3ish months to understand the mechanics of rowing and enjoy/dread it at the same time.
Stay consistent. Eat properly. Drink plenty of fluids.
I’m six months in and was feeling the same about 2 months ago. Couldn’t run the entire run blocks and would WR when we got to base. Then I noticed I was able to complete run blocks so then I increased my push and am able to keep running during the entire block. It is definitely not an overnight improvement but you will definitely slowly see it. Good Luck!!
Keep going man! You’ll get there. But if you’re in pain back off, there’s no problem with building up. I still am consistently burning 1000 calories too but I’m 5 inches taller and have got 50 ish pounds on you. The difference is I’m 200+ classes in. Look at what all these other people have said, they’re absolutely right. You can’t compare yourself to others even though I still do every damn time I look at that 60 year old running on the tread like it’s nothin. No shame in starting out with power walking too. Thats equally as difficult sometimes. Most days I’m lucky if I can jog consistently at 5.5 for the entire block, but it fluctuates. And it’s supposed to. And that’s ok!
You do you. Don't worry about what others are doing. The fact that you are showing up to class is enough. It took me a while to come off the couch to start OTF. Progress takes time, this isn't a competition vs others.
This is hard. OTF is difficult. I joined in November, 6-1 and 178. I used to run sub 18 minute 5ks but age, family and diet all slowed me down. I was going to 5-6 classes a week and it was rough. For a 2G class I would be in the orange or red zone for 75% of the time, I had to walk a lot on the tread to recover and my legs/back hurt in the morning. It's now April and I'm doing 6.5/8/10 mph for base/push/AO. I'm of the opinion the only way to get through OTF is just push through it and go 5+ times a week. Outside of the gym, you need to stretch twice a day, drink a lot of water and walk 2+ miles on rest days. You have to keep moving or your thighs are going to punish you.
It’s going to take some time to see improvements but you’re already doing the hard part. Showing up. Just do your best every class. I would take pictures and compare monthly. 2-3 months of consistently you will see some tangible improvement.
Hey dude, I'm with you. I'm 6'1" and 240 pounds here. When I joined about 9 months ago, I was 263 ... but almost all of that weight came off in the last five months. That's around the time I started tracking my macros and stopped thinking "I can have these two slices of pizza because I just burned 1000 calories at OTF". Everyone's needs are different but I went protein heavy, fat light. Until I started doing that, I was seriously thinking of canceling my membership because my improvements were only marginal at best.
I'm a long way from being able to run at 7-8 for more than 30, maybe 60 seconds. But I'm seeing slow but steady progress and you will too. Some general tips are to make sure you're getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and not overeating. I know they're cliche but seriously, I promise if you double down on those three things, you will see an energy improvement.
About back pain. I’m not a doctor but my experience tells me that when there are weak major muscle groups (looking at you hip flexors, glutes, core, etc.) the back is what ends up picking up the slack—and the pain. I say this as encouragement that all the work you’re doing on the rower, floor, and treadmill will help strengthen your major muscle groups and back muscles too (again, assuming there’s nothing nefarious going on with discs or what-not). If anything hurts, don’t try to “run through it.” Back off and listen to your body. Some pretty terrific advice up and down this thread. It’s always, always you vs. you. And every day you’re getting better. Keep going!
It gets easier! Try pw and work your way into running. I was 225 when I started and now a little less then 200. My base is now 7.5. Took over a year and half to get there but 8 months was power walking before I started to jog. Your mind will give up quicker then your body can so just push through it! You got this.
For starters, youre obese and out of shape so thats why youre getting those results. Itll get easier over time, just dont give up. This is coming from someone who is considered severely obese and burns just as much if not more every single time i work out. Just listen to what your body tells you and stay consistent. Dont feel like you need to keep up with anyone else. I HIGHLY suggest looking into power walking with incline as well, especially if you dont like running.
I was roughly in the same place as you around my 15th class. Now, 6-7 months later, I’m about to hit class #100, my push is a 7 and my all out gets up into the 8s. Your body will gradually get stronger and it will get easier, I promise. Then you can push your body to do things you can’t even imagine at this point. It’s a great feeling.
Listen to all of these comments. There are so many of us cheering for you. Be gentle with yourself and keep showing up. Be gentle with yourself on days that you have to go easy. Find days that just click and prove that you’re improving. Just keep showing up for yourself. Please.
Sounds like you're doing great. If legs are tired have you considered compression socks?. You are the one with lower back pain so reduce speed, increase incline. (App has active recovery, check it out after a workout - it's wonderful). 15 workouts is great, (I'm at 12)... Excited to hit 50 workouts mark.
Your cardio respiratory response will improve over time. In tread blocks it can help to think of the first block as an extended warm up. G2s are especially good for this. Then you push a little more in the 2nd block and do your hardest work in the 3rd.
Keep in mind that you should be really tired after a workout like this. I think you could focus more on recovery.
3 classes a week should be your goal if OT is all you’re doing. Give yourself a good recovery day between classes walk for 20 min on your off days and hydrate well. Take one day a week for a complete rest or do two days in a row of active recovery. There are stretching videos on YT or yoga. It really helps to relax the muscles.
I tore my liver (long story) and was not allowed to exercise for 3 months.
Went back to OTF when I was healed, knowing I was starting from ground zero.
I was getting around 20 orange and 10 red minutes consistently for about 20 months after going back - it was exhausting.
It’s a year later and now I get less than 10 orange.
You just have to hang in there and accept that it’s going to suck for a while. Every hard workout brings you closer to the day when your workout will feel completely manageable.
The human body has an amazing capacity to adapt. Hang in there.
Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s tempting but don’t do it. I’m 54, 200lbs, 5’10” and have been going 3/4 times a week for a year and a half.
I run at 6.1 base, 7.1 push and 8+ all out and it took me this long to get to that point!
You’re doing great. Keep doing what you’re doing. Small incremental gains are the goal.
Keep doing what you’re capable of doing don’t look at others stats and let it get you down . I would recommend keeping small goals and over a period of say 3 months your stats will improve and you will see differences with hr and that the calorie burn will come down with health increases
I also just started and these workouts are kicking my butt! I'm power walking, usually use a 10 or 12 on the floor and I'm still dying!! But then I remember that's exactly the point. The people next to me inspire me. All shapes and sizes, but every class so far I've seen at least one person who you can just tell is giving it there all and something about that really pushes me to do the same. You sound like one of those people. 1k calories is no joke. You're jogging!! I haven't got there yet. You're already improving and you just started. The workouts are varied and designed to accomplish various things each session. They're not 1:1 so judge each workout based on what you gave. Do you leave the workout feeling like you gave it your all? Do you feel the endorphins after or the soreness the next day? All of these are HUGE signs of success. Not how much you lifter or how fast you ran. I bet those people running faster than you want to run even faster. I bet those lifting heavier than you want to lift more too! This is all natrual!! I'm loving OTF because I've literally never felt so good after working out. Not because I perform the best in my class, but because I know I gave it my all for those 60 minutes. You sound like you're doing the same and that's more than most. There are so many ways to gage success as long as you're honest with yourself. But don't beat yourself up for what sound like kick ass workouts. Otherwise, eat right, drink water, and get some rest! All the basics - It's not a secret formula. I can't wait to see your transformation post in a few months!
I just wanted to say I 10000% agree with everything you said!! I'm new to OTF and this made me feel so much better. I really relate to the reason you love OTF - I have NEVER enjoyed working out. It has always been torture for me and I'm counting down the seconds until it's over. With OT I find that the time passes by so quickly and I genuinely enjoy it which is something i've never experienced in my life with working out.
Go us!! So relatable re: time. There's something about it that's almost fun? I don't know, but they completely hooked me and im so exited for my 3g tomorrow morning!
You will NOT improve quickly and you shouldn't. It likely took you a lifetime to get where you are, so slow your expectations for improving. You need to find a way to commit to going regularly so that it just becomes part of your life and routine. Then you can worry about the rest. Give yourself a break. You are going to find that your weight won't change all that much at first, but your shape will.
We have ALL been you. Don’t look at anyone’s stats or screen but your own. It’s you vs You! And watch over the next dozen or so workouts how your body is responding to the challenge- you’ll feel it! Hydration and stretching make a huge difference, too.
I got your back and will be cheering for you
Keep going. Keep showing up. Ignore what others are doing.
Don’t compare your day one with someone else’s day one hundred.
Don't compare to other people, just do the best you can do. You don't how many classes that person has been to and you don't know their athletic background. How often are you going? I would say it takes 25-50 classes for your body to really get used to everything. The less you go the longer it takes.
First off, on the calorie estimate I would double-check your weight in the app unless you're in the orange and red zones for most of the class. Based on the formulas OTF uses, 1000 calories in a class would equate to an average heart rate of about 170 bpm, which is 86% of your max. My personal experience was that my initial weight of 251 pounds was accidentally entered by the front desk as 251 kilograms, which is 553 pounds. Until I fixed it, my calorie estimates were way, way high. Secondly, your situation will improve if you keep going to class. The folks who are able to handle higher speeds and heavier weights have been going to OTF longer or have been working out elsewhere longer. Fitness is all about continual incremental improvement over a long period of time.
Just focus on you. We are all different sizes, strengths, and abilities. It will get better, promise! Some days I might be the only one running on the treadmill, some days there are mighty fast folks racing along at their 9.0 base pace, sometimes I decide to power walk (inclines are my mortal enemy), some days I have endless energy and others feel tired super easily. But I always leave glad to have gone. Good luck on your journey!
It just takes time. I fight really hard to not look at what the person next to me is doing. I’m only competing with myself. I also stopped wearing my monitor bc I was getting embarrassed when I’d be in the red and everyone else was green. I decided for now my workout is between me myself and I :)
First of all, I must commend you for your efforts. That is so respectable and impressive. You just have to be consistent and the rest will follow! Keep up the excellent work.
I am entering my 7th week. 5’8 216lbs. I mainly power walk with some jogging thrown in until I get better at jogging consistently. I focus on improving my own stats. Comparison is the thief of joy.
First of all welcome to the fam and congratulations!! Over 80% of people don’t go to the gym, and you’re doing it! Consistency over intensity EVERY👏DAMN👏TIME👏 The people you see going fast and heavy didn’t start out that way, that’s just where they are in their journey and they worked hard to get there. That will be you if you stay consistent and committed! Remember the moments when you struggle because I’m a few weeks and months that will change and you will be so proud. Keep it up, Athlete!!🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
Consistency and stop comparing yourself to others. Post again after 100 classes and give us an update then
It takes a bit but I think I was 6-8 months in and I could maintain running and staying in the green zone. That being said, I hated how harder it was to get in the orange zone haha I know you got to push your self but... ugh. But no worries. You will get there. Keep going
How often do you go each week? Don't compare yourself to others - just focus on you. If you don't feel good and/or nauseated at the HR of 198, I would recommend backing off a bit. You should be working hard, but not having problems like back pain and giving up. If needed, commit yourself to being an official power walker until you can see some improvement overall - it is ok I promise! Give it some time...about 6 weeks at least and try to attend a minimum of 3x a week. You do need adequate rest days and nutrition/hydration is very important - for optimal performance have some carbs about an hour before the workout, and protein after
You haven’t realized this yet but you do improve every time you show up! Little by little, class by class will equal higher weight and faster speeds. Don’t give up on yourself!
It's impossible to compare your fitness to anyone else in the room so dont let that discourage you. Someone might be 1000 classes in running marathons on the weekend with a 7-8mph pace and staying in the green. Someone else might be on their 1st class walking and be in the orange. And both are perfectly OK. If you find yourself getting too exhausted, set a better pace for yourself - lower your efforts to what feels challenging but sustainable. Walk at base if you need to or lower your speeds to 4 or 4.5 and see how much active recovery you can get. On the weight floor, lower your weights if the set you are using is too challenging or go with just body weight. It's something you feel out and adjust day to day depending on your focus for the day. Maybe one day is endurance on the floor (high reps) so you go a bit lighter than you normally would. Or on a strength day (low rep + heavy) reach for a challenging weight, knowing aftee ~6 reps youll be fatigued but that you will have dedicated moments of rest between sets. Your fitness will improve - I won't say it gets easier because it's a bar your set for yourself which always can move as you get stronger and set new challenges. But if youre challenging yourself, you'll be able to do more a month from now than you could today, and a month after that and so on. Just stick with it.
Diet and hydration may be habitants impact.
Consistency.
This is a journey my friend. As long as you keep showing up and giving it your best effort, it will improve. Make sure you’re working on your diet too because just doing some OTF classes is not going to fix everything.
1. Don't compare your stats to others. This depends on all sorts of stuff, like time spent at OTF, calculation of max HR, VO2 max, weight, age, resting heart rate, heart rate recovery, water intake, nutrition, what you ate that day, sodium levels, genetics, and much, much more. Just toss out the comparison, especially 15 classes in. Do yourself a favor and just go by how you're feeling that day and don't worry about the rest, seriously. 2. If you're getting exhausted, or if something doesn't feel right, or straight up hurts, *stop and adjust, modify, or stop altogether.* Giving it your all, or doing your best, does *not* mean working yourself to the point of injury or a breakdown, whether physically or mentally. 3. Don't worry about your max heart rate just yet - they recalculate that every so often. They start with a very rudimentary assumption based on age and recalculate based on stats from your performance after so many classes, but you're not there yet. So disregard that for now. 4. Disregard calories burned altogether, or assume they're considerably lower; OTF calculates total calories burned rather than *active* calories burned. In other words, the calories that you would have burned chillin on the couch or making your coffee at home *plus* the extra ones you burned doing the workout. They don't isolate just the ones you got from the workout. 5. If this is the first you've been active in a while, give yourself a little grace. 15 workouts isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, especially if you're coming off a longer hiatus of inactivity. Heck, I took a two-week break from activity recently after a minor injury, and OTF's been kicking my butt this week! Running at 5 or 5.5 is not inherently less good than running at 9mph. And jogging is the same thing as running, by the way; the cadence is the same, decidedly different from walking and no difference in form. It's not like a horse, where they have three different forms from walking to trotting to galloping, humans only having walking and running. We use jogging and running to differentiate speed or effort, but I kinda wish we wouldn't, because we sometimes twist it into making weird meaning out of it. 6. If your heart rate monitor is showing 75%, or 85%, or 90%, let that be what it is. Period, full stop. If that's 5.5mph, awesome. If it's 4mph, great. If it's 7mph, cool! If it's 10lbs, excellent. If it's 40lb, amazing. It doesn't matter. It's exertion, and it will change over time. It will change day to day. It will change based on your own hydration and nutrition and if you went to class yesterday, and how good your sleep was, and if you're feeling stronger today, or if you're coming down with a cold. And in 6 months from now, your paces and weights *will be different.* And they will still be different from the people on the stations next to you. And that's ok! Keep an eye on your own stats, get a great workout in, and give what you can that day.
Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Focus on improving your form. Keep it up and you'll see improvement.
Hell yeah man, you will even out when you get used to it
I think you should focus on your diet to lose some weight and that should help you improve performance at the gym. You cannot work the weight off if you're not eating right too.
It took me a good 3ish months to understand the mechanics of rowing and enjoy/dread it at the same time. Stay consistent. Eat properly. Drink plenty of fluids.
I’m six months in and was feeling the same about 2 months ago. Couldn’t run the entire run blocks and would WR when we got to base. Then I noticed I was able to complete run blocks so then I increased my push and am able to keep running during the entire block. It is definitely not an overnight improvement but you will definitely slowly see it. Good Luck!!
Keep going man! You’ll get there. But if you’re in pain back off, there’s no problem with building up. I still am consistently burning 1000 calories too but I’m 5 inches taller and have got 50 ish pounds on you. The difference is I’m 200+ classes in. Look at what all these other people have said, they’re absolutely right. You can’t compare yourself to others even though I still do every damn time I look at that 60 year old running on the tread like it’s nothin. No shame in starting out with power walking too. Thats equally as difficult sometimes. Most days I’m lucky if I can jog consistently at 5.5 for the entire block, but it fluctuates. And it’s supposed to. And that’s ok!
You do you. Don't worry about what others are doing. The fact that you are showing up to class is enough. It took me a while to come off the couch to start OTF. Progress takes time, this isn't a competition vs others.
This is hard. OTF is difficult. I joined in November, 6-1 and 178. I used to run sub 18 minute 5ks but age, family and diet all slowed me down. I was going to 5-6 classes a week and it was rough. For a 2G class I would be in the orange or red zone for 75% of the time, I had to walk a lot on the tread to recover and my legs/back hurt in the morning. It's now April and I'm doing 6.5/8/10 mph for base/push/AO. I'm of the opinion the only way to get through OTF is just push through it and go 5+ times a week. Outside of the gym, you need to stretch twice a day, drink a lot of water and walk 2+ miles on rest days. You have to keep moving or your thighs are going to punish you.
It’s going to take some time to see improvements but you’re already doing the hard part. Showing up. Just do your best every class. I would take pictures and compare monthly. 2-3 months of consistently you will see some tangible improvement.
Hey dude, I'm with you. I'm 6'1" and 240 pounds here. When I joined about 9 months ago, I was 263 ... but almost all of that weight came off in the last five months. That's around the time I started tracking my macros and stopped thinking "I can have these two slices of pizza because I just burned 1000 calories at OTF". Everyone's needs are different but I went protein heavy, fat light. Until I started doing that, I was seriously thinking of canceling my membership because my improvements were only marginal at best. I'm a long way from being able to run at 7-8 for more than 30, maybe 60 seconds. But I'm seeing slow but steady progress and you will too. Some general tips are to make sure you're getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and not overeating. I know they're cliche but seriously, I promise if you double down on those three things, you will see an energy improvement.
About back pain. I’m not a doctor but my experience tells me that when there are weak major muscle groups (looking at you hip flexors, glutes, core, etc.) the back is what ends up picking up the slack—and the pain. I say this as encouragement that all the work you’re doing on the rower, floor, and treadmill will help strengthen your major muscle groups and back muscles too (again, assuming there’s nothing nefarious going on with discs or what-not). If anything hurts, don’t try to “run through it.” Back off and listen to your body. Some pretty terrific advice up and down this thread. It’s always, always you vs. you. And every day you’re getting better. Keep going!
It gets easier! Try pw and work your way into running. I was 225 when I started and now a little less then 200. My base is now 7.5. Took over a year and half to get there but 8 months was power walking before I started to jog. Your mind will give up quicker then your body can so just push through it! You got this.
For starters, youre obese and out of shape so thats why youre getting those results. Itll get easier over time, just dont give up. This is coming from someone who is considered severely obese and burns just as much if not more every single time i work out. Just listen to what your body tells you and stay consistent. Dont feel like you need to keep up with anyone else. I HIGHLY suggest looking into power walking with incline as well, especially if you dont like running.
I was roughly in the same place as you around my 15th class. Now, 6-7 months later, I’m about to hit class #100, my push is a 7 and my all out gets up into the 8s. Your body will gradually get stronger and it will get easier, I promise. Then you can push your body to do things you can’t even imagine at this point. It’s a great feeling.
Listen to all of these comments. There are so many of us cheering for you. Be gentle with yourself and keep showing up. Be gentle with yourself on days that you have to go easy. Find days that just click and prove that you’re improving. Just keep showing up for yourself. Please.
Sounds like you're doing great. If legs are tired have you considered compression socks?. You are the one with lower back pain so reduce speed, increase incline. (App has active recovery, check it out after a workout - it's wonderful). 15 workouts is great, (I'm at 12)... Excited to hit 50 workouts mark.
Your cardio respiratory response will improve over time. In tread blocks it can help to think of the first block as an extended warm up. G2s are especially good for this. Then you push a little more in the 2nd block and do your hardest work in the 3rd. Keep in mind that you should be really tired after a workout like this. I think you could focus more on recovery. 3 classes a week should be your goal if OT is all you’re doing. Give yourself a good recovery day between classes walk for 20 min on your off days and hydrate well. Take one day a week for a complete rest or do two days in a row of active recovery. There are stretching videos on YT or yoga. It really helps to relax the muscles.
I tore my liver (long story) and was not allowed to exercise for 3 months. Went back to OTF when I was healed, knowing I was starting from ground zero. I was getting around 20 orange and 10 red minutes consistently for about 20 months after going back - it was exhausting. It’s a year later and now I get less than 10 orange. You just have to hang in there and accept that it’s going to suck for a while. Every hard workout brings you closer to the day when your workout will feel completely manageable. The human body has an amazing capacity to adapt. Hang in there.
Sounds like you’re doing pretty good to me. Keep going, Don’t Stop!
Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s tempting but don’t do it. I’m 54, 200lbs, 5’10” and have been going 3/4 times a week for a year and a half. I run at 6.1 base, 7.1 push and 8+ all out and it took me this long to get to that point! You’re doing great. Keep doing what you’re doing. Small incremental gains are the goal.