Orangetheory Hell Week 2023: Experience, template of last year.

Get ready because it’s that time again! Orangetheory Hell Week is back, and it’s one of the most anticipated challenges of the year. Orangetheory Hell Week consists of eight days of high-intensity yet achievable exercises, challenging members to unlock their potential and test their physical and mental limits through workouts targeting arms, legs, and mental fortitude.

Ok.

Let’s start the Orangetheory hell week experience and what you need to know.

What Is Orangetheory Hell Week?

Hell Week at Orangetheory Fitness (October 24-31) is an exhilarating 8-day fitness challenge designed to tap into your inner athlete. Each day, you’ll be faced with a surprise fitness challenge curated by the coach, which diverges from a standard Orangetheory workout template.

These challenges are carefully designed to test the limits of all fitness levels, pushing you to your boundaries while ensuring you complete an impressive Orangetheory workout. The ultimate goal is to gain strength, endurance, and a sense of accomplishment through these challenges.

So, what is hell week is an eight-day fitness challenge where we take Orangetheory workouts. We put them on steroids, so there might be a little bit more twists and turns, there might be some more squats, there might be some higher incline, but the challenge is simple: to survive, you make it four out of the eight workouts, then the covered t-shirt is yours.

According to the Orangetheory coach.

Orangetheory Hell Week is from October 24 to 31, and each day has its own name. The classes are 2G and 3G, not lift 45 included. For example, in 2022, the Themes name of 8 days was.

Day 1: Group Project

Day 2: The Distance Directive

Day 3: To Hell or High Wattage

Day 4: Switch the Core Concept

Day 5: Never Miss a Leg Day

Day 6: Confirmed Chaos

Day 7: Escalate the Situation

Day 8: Untitled

Don’t stress about Hell Week’s name! Just have fun! Roll your eyes! Curse under your breath or aloud! You just have to show up and do your best in 4 out of 8 days. It’s still YOU vs. YOU! It’s not a competition and there’s no ranking. I repeat, just have fun! Aim to finish at least 4 out of the 8 workouts between October 24-31.

Members who successfully complete four out of eight Hell Week workouts earn a special edition Hell Week shirt or tank, a coveted symbol of their accomplishment.

What To Do in Orangetheory Hell Week?

Orangetheory Fitness states, “This challenge is crafted to push members beyond their regular workouts, testing their resolve, perseverance, self-discipline, and stamina.”

In Orangetheory’s Hell Week, you’ll cycle through all three of their workout stations: the treadmill, the rower, and the weight floor.

In essence, Orangetheory’s Hell Week is a comprehensive, multi-faceted challenge that will put every aspect of your fitness to the test.

Is Orangetheory Hell Week Hard?

Honestly, Hell Week at OTF is hard and more complicated than any regular class and any other challenge in Orangetheory. However, it is designed to accommodate all members, even new members, hence manageable for all. Besides, with the appropriate preparations, it becomes a trick that you find fun and fulfilling.

Orangetheory Hell Week Workouts (Hell Week Themes)

Orangetheory Hell Week was introduced in 2013. However, below are Hell Week themes 2021 and 2022, which will give you a glimpse into the ‘exercise series.’

2022:

Day 1: Group Project

Day 2: The Distance Directive

Day 3: To Hell or High Wattage

Day 4: Switch the Core Concept

Day 5: Never Miss a Leg Day

Day 6: Confirmed Chaos

Day 7: Escalate the Situation

Day 8: Untitled

2021: 

Day 1: Phishing the Rest

Day 2: The Burpee Breach

Day 3: Row for Ransom

Day 4: Decoding the Drop Set

Day 5: Encrypted Elevation

Day 6: Meltdown 

Day 7: Pyramid Scheme

Day 8: Ultimate Ultimatum

Orangetheory Hell Week Template of 2022 and Experience Sharing

Here, we will discuss the orangetheory hell week 2022 experience and template. This data was collected from Reddit.

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #1 “Group Project” 2G/3G 60 minutes.

Day #1 is a team workout where all work to the beat of the rowers. The goal is to get all the way to the bottom of the rowing pyramid and if you are quick enough, maybe you will get a bonus round in. It’s a fun little workout today. It would be better to have faster switches, but it is a nice intro to hell week. It is like a group tornado!

This day, the pacer is the rowing crew. Rowers will be getting a distance challenge from the coach and the goal is to finish that as quickly as possible. Once you are done, hop off and get straight into a bodyweight squat hold until everyone is done. Once you are all done, the coach will give you a 15-second countdown and everyone will do their buy-out. For the rowers, this is 30 seconds of jump squats.

If you are on the treadmill, you basically set your speed and keep running until you get the signal from the coach to go into your all-out. We were coached to get ourselves into orange and hold that until the all-out. Whatever pace that is up to you. For me, it was around about a push and then a bit faster as the row distances got shorter. Distance-wise, it wasn’t bad for a 3G – 2.33 miles (3.75km) but we did have a bonus round in our group this morning.

On the floor, you have a circuit that you repeat until the buy-out. The exercises are a never-ending stream of pull-ups, palm to elbows, high planks to low planks, upright rows, and reverse lunges. Your buy-out is 30 seconds of neutral grip thrusters.

It’s not a bad start to hell week. It was a lot of splat day for me, given a lot of switching, but we did have fun. We only managed one bonus round this morning, but I think if we were a bit quicker in switching, then we could have squeezed in a few more.

Day # 1 Template

2G/3G template

Tread Block – 45 minutes

• Run for a distance until rowers have finished then 30 sec AO, switch to the rower.

Row Block – 45 minutes

• 200m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 300m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 400m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 500m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 600m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 700m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 600m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 500m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 400m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 300m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• 200m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats, switch to the floor.
• Bonus: 200m row, body weight squat hold until all rowers have finished, 30 sec of jump squats

Floor Block – 45 minutes

• Circuit, start where you finished and repeat until rowers have finished then buy-out:
  • 10 x TRX pull up
  • 10 total x high plank to low plank
  • 10 x upright row
  • 10 total x alt reverse lunge
• Remember which exercise you finished on
• Buy-out: 30 sec of neutral grip thruster, switch to treadmill.

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #2 “The Distance Directive” 2G/3G 60 minutes.

Day 2: A lot harder today. This day has the run/rows for hell week. This means it will be full of steep inclines, long rows, and little hops. Day 1 was a bit of a warm-up, but this one feels like the real thing.

For the run/row, you start with a buy-in row, and today, it is like a reverse Everest with rowing and exercises. Only a paltry 800m. Then you are straight into a longish push run starting at 8% and dropping by 2% when you hit 320m or 0.2 miles. In total, you will run 0.8 miles (1.28km) at incline. While it says to do it at a push pace, I had to drop it to around a base, so I didn’t die. Once you finish that little run, hop off and do your first round of exercises, and then you go back up the hill, but this time, they are 320m (0.2 miles) runs starting at 2% and increasing by 2% each round.

Your reward for finishing is to get back on and run until the finisher, which is 30 seconds of all out on either the treadmill or the rower, depending on wherever you happen to be. We had a class of 24 this morning, and maybe only 3 made it to the run for distance. It’s pretty hard today; I made 0.73 miles (1.17km) on the run for distance.

There is no let-up on the floor. You have three blocks of super set action. Each one has a power move buy-in, buy-out, and then straight into the super sets. The first block is all chest and triceps, the second is your arms, and the third is shoulder work. Your finisher today is a member’s choice of either the bench hop overs, lateral hop overs, or lateral hop squats, pretty non-stop with very little rest.

Good luck!

Day # 2 Template

2G template

Tread / Row Block – 23 minutes

• Buy-in: 800m base row (once only)
• Round 1:
  • 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 8% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 8%)
  • 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 6% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 6%)
  • 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 4% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 4%)
  • 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 2% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 2%)
• Round 2:
  • 4 each x reverse lunge to single leg hop + 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 2% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 2%)
  • 4 each x reverse lunge to single leg hop + 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 4% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 4%)
  • 4 each x reverse lunge to single leg hop + 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 6% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 6%)
  • 4 each x reverse lunge to single leg hop + 320m (0.2 mile) push @ 8% (PW 160m / 0.1 mile @ 8%)
• Buy-out: 800m base row (once only)
• Run until time for finisher
• Finisher: 30 sec AO on either treadmill or rower (whichever one you are on)
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Floor Block 1 – 7 minutes

• Buy-in: 24 total x bench hop over (once only)
• Work & active recovery – super set:
  • 6 – 10 x tricep extension
  • 6 – 10 x close grip chest press
  • 12 x knee tuck, rest
• Buy-out: 30 sec of bench hop over (AMRepsAP)

Floor Block 2 – 7 minutes

• Buy-in: 24 total x lateral hop over (once only)
• Work & active recovery – super set:
  • 6 – 10 x bicep curl
  • 6 – 10 x reverse grip low row
  • 12 total x high plank alt cross body knee drive, rest
• Buy-out: 30 sec of lateral hop over (AMRepsAP)

Floor Block 3 – 7 minutes

• Buy-in: 24 total x lateral hop squat with floor tap (once only)
• Work & active recovery – super set:
  • 6 – 10 x lateral raise
  • 6 – 10 x uppercut
  • 12 total x torso rotation, rest
• Finisher: 30 sec of bench hop over or lateral hop over or lateral hop squat with floor tap (AMRepsAP)

3G template

It was brutal and my brain was useless.

Row block 1:

• 1 min AO x4 with 30-sec rack and rest between
• End with 30 sec AO
• Remember your distance

Row block 2:

• Row half your distance from block 1 (once)
• 6 ea reverse lunge to single leg hop
• 4 ea reverse lunge to single leg hop
• 2 ea reverse lunge to single leg hop
• If done, row for distance
• End with 30 sec AO

Floor Block 1

• Buy-in: 24 total x bench hop over (once only)
• Work & active recovery – super set:
  • 6 – 10 x tricep extension
  • 6 – 10 x close grip chest press
  • 12 x knee tuck, rest
• Buy-out: 30 sec of bench hop over (AMRepsAP)

Floor Block 2

• Buy-in: 24 total x lateral hop over (once only)
• Work & active recovery – super set:
  • 6 – 10 x bicep curl
  • 6 – 10 x reverse grip low row
  • 12 total x high plank alt cross body knee drive, rest
• Buy-out: 30 sec of lateral hop over (AMRepsAP)

Tread block 1:

• 6 min run for distance. Begin at 8%, decrease by 2% every 90 seconds until 2%
• 30 sec AO at flat road
• Remember your distance

Tread block 2:

• 1 min AO at 2%, 30 sec WR
• 1 min AO at 4%, 30 sec WR
• 1 min AO at 6%, 30 sec WR
• 1 min AO at 8%, 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO flat road

The goal is to match the beat distance from block 1.

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #3 “To Hell or High Wattage” 2G/3G 60 minutes

Day 3: If you love rowing, then this is for you. If you want time on the treads, you will be cursing. Personally, I liked the template, even without a lot of time on the tread, as the floor featured one of my favorite exercises – the single-arm snatch. Also, no lunges and no hopping – life is good.

The tread shares time with the floor with five rapid-fire but violent blocks. All three tread blocks are the same. Three-minute push straight into a 30-second all-out. We were coached to go a bit faster each round to maximize distance. The floor blocks are also all the same – 30 seconds of effort, then 15 seconds of rest. The exercises are all power-based moves with snatches; single leg squats with a rollout to stretch out your core. Love the snatches; these blocks kept the heart rate up compared to all the switching.

Distance-wise, it wasn’t great, as you only have 10.5 minutes of tread work. I managed 2 miles (3.2 km). Pushes are long enough to deter you from an aggressive push pace, and you have the nasty little all-out at the end.

The floor and tread are just an entree for the main event – 23 minutes on the rower. It is broken up like the tread blocks, where you have three blocks, essentially a 3.5-minute row for distance, and the other two blocks are a series of all-out rows. I clocked over 5km on the rower and was pretty gassed on the all-out rows. Very hard.

Day # 3 Template

2G template

Tread Block 1

• 3 min push
• 30 sec AO
• Remember distance

Floor Block 1

• 30 sec of single arm snatch (R)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of single arm snatch (L)
• 15 sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX single leg squat (R)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX single leg squat (L)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX rollout
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of alt single arm snatch (AMRepsAP)

Tread Block 2

• 3 min push
• 30 sec AO
• Check distance.

Floor Block 2

• 30 sec of single arm snatch (R)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of single arm snatch (L)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX single leg squat (R)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX single leg squat (L)
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of TRX rollout
• 15-sec rest
• 30 sec of alt single arm snatch (AMRepsAP)

Tread Block 3

• 3 min push
• 30 sec AO
• Check distance.

Row Block 1

• 3 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• Remember distance.

Row Block 2

• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15-sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15-sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row

Row Block 3

• 3 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• Check distance.

Row Block 4

• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row
• 15 sec rack and rest
• 30 sec AO row

Row Block 5

• 3 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• Check distance.

3G template

Rower 1

• 75s push 24-26,
• 30s AO 26-28

Rower 2

• 30s AO,
• 15s rest,
• 30s AO,
• 15s rest,
• 30s AO

Rower 3

• 2m push 24-26,
• 30s AO 26-28

Rower 4

Same as block 2, but a total of 4 AO

Rower 5

• 2.5m push 24-26,
• 30s AO 26-28

Floor Blocks timed with rowers:

Block 1, 3, and 5: circuit of 4 each TRX S/L squats, 8 TRX rollouts (block 5 has a 30-second finisher of alternating S/A snatches)

Block 2: 30s S/A snatch R, 15s rest, 30s S/A snatch L, 15s rest, 30s alternating S/A snatch

Block 4: same as block 2, but add an extra round of alternating S/A snatch

Tread: self-led

• 0.25-mile push straight into 30-second AO
• 25 pulsing half squats
• 30s AO
• 20 pulsing half squats
• 30s AO
• 15 pulsing half squats
• 0.25-mile push into 30-second AO
• 15 pulsing half squats
• 30s AO
• 10 pulsing half squats
• 30s AO
• 5 pulsing half squats

Start from the top if finished (I think).

Started on the rower and my legs are deceased. Best one of the weeks I think so far as far as violence goes!

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #4 “Switch the Core Concept” 2G/3G 60 minutes

Day 4 is a lot better after the last couple of days, and this day has a core-focused switching template with a huge number of 30-second all-outs (18 of them!) on offer. If you love speed and no rowing, then today is perfect!

It is a switching template, so it doesn’t really matter where you start. The treads all start with a push-to-all-out combo, then a series of walking recoveries and 30-second all-outs. The first block has one-minute walking recoveries, the second 45 seconds, and the third 30-second walking recoveries. It feels pretty doable in the first block, but by the time you get to the last block, you will barely have time to catch your breath before the next all-out starts. I wanted to get a bit more distance, so I got back to base as quickly as possible and tried to increase my all-out pace (incline) each round.

Good distances with the base rather than walking recovery with 3.5 miles (5.63 km) on the treadmill.

The floor blocks are all relatively the same. You start with a back-to-back Bosu set to start, and then it is into a circuit workout where you do the same core work but with weights. You will also have a different weighted exercise for each block – the first has the high plank alternating low rows, the second bicycle presses, and the third high plank pull-throughs. If you get through a single round of this, you repeat the weighted exercise until the buy-out, which is a push-up to high plank jack. You will feel your core burning by the end – love the Bosu and all the core work. No lunges and no burpees, which is another plus.

I didn’t think this was too bad that day, and it was a lower splat day for me. But love your all-outs and core work and enjoyed a day off the rowing.

Day # 4 Template

2G template

Tread Block 1

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min WR
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min WR
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min WR
• 30 sec AO

Floor Block 1 – 6 minutes

• 2 rounds back to back:
  • 12 x bosu crunch
  • 12 total x bosu alt v up
  • 12 x bosu bridge
• Circuit:
  • 12 total x high plank alt low row
  • 12 x crunch
  • 12 total x high plank alt low row
  • 12 total x alt full v up
  • 12 total x high plank alt low row
  • 12 x bridge
• Bonus: high plank alt low row until buy-out
• Buy-out: 30 sec of push up to high plank jack (AMRepsAP)

Tread Block 2

• 45 sec push
• 30 sec AO
• 45 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 45 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 45 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 45 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 45 sec WR
• 30 sec AO

Floor Block 2 – 7.5 minutes

• 2 rounds back to back:
  • 12 x bosu crunch
  • 12 total x bosu alt v up
  • 12 x bosu bridge
• Circuit:
  • 12 total x bicycle press
  • 12 x crunch
  • 12 total x bicycle press
  • 12 total x alt full v up
  • 12 total x bicycle press
  • 12 x bridge
• Bonus: bicycle press until buy-out
• Buy-out: 30 sec of push up to high plank jack (AMRepsAP)

Tread Block 3

• 30 sec push
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR
• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec WR

Floor Block 2 – 8 minutes

• 2 rounds back to back:
  • 12 x bosu crunch
  • 12 total x bosu alt v up
  • 12 x bosu bridge
• Circuit:
  • 12 total x high plank pull through
  • 12 x crunch
  • 12 total x high plank pull through
  • 12 total x alt full v up
  • 12 total x high plank pull through
  • 12 x bridge
• Bonus: high plank pull through until finisher
• Finisher: 30 sec of push up to high plank jack (AMRepsAP)

3G template

The 3G was ROUGH.

The tread started with 1m push, 30s AO; then it was a whole bunch of 30s AO with decreasing recoveries. Trust me when I say you do not want to base pace the WR. If you do the AO right, you will need them.

Row block was the doozy of the day.

Start countdown at 2000m. 1m push, 30 AO., 15 MB jacks, and 15 MB squat jacks. 30s AO. Repeat AO/ both exercises. At about 5 minutes in, the coach will change to 45s AO; at about 9ish minutes, the AO goes to 1m. Always with exercises in between. The goal is to get through 2000m and start back up. The furthest in our 3G was a guy with 625; I consider myself a strong rower and only got back up to 150. A lot of people barely made it to 2000.

The floor block is:

• 12-plank alternating low row
• 12/16/20 weighted crunches
• 12 bicycle press
• 12/16/20 weighted V-up
• 12-plank pull-through
• 12/16/20 weighted hip bridge

Deceivingly difficult today. I only had 5 splats coming off the tread and ended the day with 24.

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #5 “Never Miss a Leg Day” 2G/3G 60 minutes

The day 5 template is called “Never Miss a Leg Day,” it sure lives up to its name, though maybe it should be called “Hell’s Everest.” My legs were wobbly after all the incline runs, rows, and all the leg work on the floor. It is a brutal violent template and makes little row/run look a bit tame by comparison.

Starting on the tread, it is a bit like the hellish template. You have five blocks, but you start with a 5-minute block going up to 10%. For the next block, you will need to increase your pace, but you drop two inclines off the end. It goes all the way up to your all-out pace for a minute (30-second flat road and then 30 seconds at 2%). You think it is all done then, but then you finish off with 3 minutes of work where you string all your efforts together (base, base to push, push, push to all out) and finish with a minute of all out. It’s brutal, violent, and definitely a worthy hell week tread block.

Distance-wise, it’s not bad – 3.0 miles (4.82 km) of incline running pleasure before getting to your floor block.

No, let’s on the floor. You start with a 1000m push row to get your heart rate back to orange, and the floor blocks are basically designed to keep it there. You have rear foot elevated lunges, split squats, full lateral step-ups, bicep curls and then into a stand (basically a front squat), tall kneeling to squat to jump (more on this later), high plank toe taps, and then straight leg raises. Three rounds of this, halving the distance on the row each round. I don’t think anyone managed to get through the entire set, but if you do, you can repeat all the exercises if you want. Your finisher is a minute of the kneeling to squat to jump.

The tall kneeling to squat to jump is a new move. You basically start in a tall knee and, from there, move into a squat position, keeping yourself still quite low. From there, you jump up and land back down into a squat. Move back into the kneeling position to reset.

Very hard day. I think this is the hardest so far and the most splats I have had all week.

Day # 5 Template

2G template

Tread Block 1

• 30-sec base
• 30 sec base @ 2%
• 30 sec base @ 3%
• 30 sec base @ 4%
• 30 sec base @ 5%
• 30 sec base @ 6%
• 30 sec base @ 7%
• 30 sec base @ 8%
• 30 sec base @ 9%
• 30 sec base @ 10%
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Tread Block 2

• 30 sec base to push
• 30 sec base to push @ 2%
• 30 sec base to push @ 3%
• 30 sec base to push @ 4%
• 30 sec base to push @ 5%
• 30 sec base to push @ 6%
• 30 sec base to push @ 7%
• 30 sec base to push @ 8%
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Tread Block 3

• 30 sec push
• 30 sec push @ 2%
• 30 sec push @ 3%
• 30 sec push @ 4%
• 30 sec push @ 5%
• 30 sec push @ 6%
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Tread Block 4

• 30 sec push to AO
• 30 sec push to AO @ 2%
• 30 sec push to AO @ 3%
• 30 sec push to AO @ 4%
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Tread Block 5

• 30 sec AO
• 30 sec AO @ 2%
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Tread Block 6

• 30 sec base
• 30 sec base to push
• 30 sec push
• 30 sec push to AO
• 1 min AO
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Floor Block – 23 minutes

• 3 rounds of:
  • 1000m / 500m / 250m push row
  • 8 each x rfe split squat
  • 8 each x full lateral step up
  • 8 x bicep curl to stand.
  • 8 total x alt tall kneeling to squat to jump.
  • 16 total x decline high plank alt toe tap.
  • 16 x straight leg raise.
• Bonus: repeat all exercises as a single block until finisher
• Finisher: 1 min of alt tall kneeling to squat to jump (AMRepsAP)

3G template

Tread Block 1

• 30-sec base
• 30 sec base @ 2%
• 30 sec base @ 3%
• 30 sec base @ 4%
• 30 sec base @ 5%
• 30 sec base @ 6%
• 30 sec base @ 7%
• 30 sec base @ 8%

Tread Block 2

• 30-sec base to push
• 30-sec base to push @ 2%
• 30 sec base to push @ 3%
• 30 sec base to push @ 4%
• 30 sec base to push @ 5%
• 30 sec base to push @ 6%

Tread Block 3

• 30-sec push
• 30 sec push @ 2%
• 30 sec push @ 3%
• 30 sec push @ 4%

Tread Block 4

• 30-sec push to AO
• 30-sec push to AO @ 2%

Tread Block 5

• 30-sec base
• 30-sec base to push
• 30-sec push
• 30 sec AO

Floor Block 1 – 11.5 minutes

Circuits (repeating):

• 8 each x rfe split squat
• 8 each x full lateral step up
• 8 x bicep curl to stand
• 8 total x alt tall kneeling to squat to jump
• 16 total x decline high plank alt toe tap
• 8 x straight leg raise

Floor Block 2 – 2 minutes

• 30-sec alt kneeling squat (no jump)
• 30-sec jump squats
• 30-sec alt kneeling squat (no jump)
• 30-sec jump squats

Rower Block 1

• 10 jump lunges
• 600-meter row
• 25 squat jacks
• foot shuffle thingy until the time

Rower Block 2

• 10 jump lunges
• 400-meter row
• 20 squat jacks
• foot shuffle thingy until the time

Rower Block 3

• 10 jump lunges
• 200-meter row
• 15 squat jacks
• foot shuffle thingy until the time

Rower Block 4

• 10 jump lunges
• 100-meter row
• 10 squat jacks
• foot shuffle thingy until the time

Rower Block 5

• 30-sec base row
• 30-sec base push row
• 30-sec push row
• 30 sec all out row

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #6 “Confirmed Chaos” 2G/3G 60 minutes

Day 6 was a more violent version of the standard 60-minute class. That day was the switching template, so expect much switching between the transitions to each station.

I started on the tread, beginning with a bit of an endurance block before all the power combos.

After the last all-out, everyone switches around; if you were on the tread, you go to the rower, rower to the floor, floor to tread. On the floor were eight complete burpees to lateral stepovers and a low plank hold until time. Killer!

Day # 6 Template

3G template

Tread Block 1

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min WR
• 45 sec push
• 45 sec AO
• 1 min WR
• 30 sec push
• 1 min AO
• 1 min to transition to rower

Row Block 1

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min to transition to floor

Floor Block 1

• 8 total x full burpee to lateral step over
• low plank hold until time
• 1 min to transition to tread

Tread Block 2

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min to transition to rower

Row Block 2

• 1 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• 1 min recovery
• 45 sec push row
• 45 sec AO row
• 1 min recovery
• 30 sec push
• 1 min AO row
• 1 min to transition to floor

Floor Block 2 – 1.5 minutes

• 8 total x full burpee to lateral step over
• low plank hold until time
• 1 min to transition to tread

Tread Block 3

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min to transition to rower

Row Block 3

• 1 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• 1 min to transition to floor

Floor Block 3 – 6.5 minutes

• 1 min of alt lunge jump with hop
• 30 sec of burpees
• 1 min of high plank hold
• 45 sec of alt lunge jump with hop
• 45 sec of burpees
• 1 min of high plank hold
• 30 sec of alt lunge jump with hop
• 1 min of burpees
• 1 min to transition to tread

Tread Block 4

• 1 min push
• 30 sec AO
• 1 min to transition to rower

Row Block 4

• 1 min push row
• 30 sec AO row
• 1 min to transition to floor

Floor Block 4 – 1.5 minutes

• 8 total x full burpee to lateral step over
• low plank hold until time

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #7 “Escalate the Situation” 2G/3G 60 minutes

Day 7: If you thought the chaos session was the worst part of hell week, OTF has more. The coach prompted us to speculate on the nature of today’s practice, titled “Escalate the Situation.” I thought an endurance run with more inclines, given we had had much endurance during hell week. I was right.. today we have endurance everywhere, but it is on the treadmill where it is most brutal – a 23-minute run for distance where you have to increase your pace every 2 minutes. This is a brute workout with no let-up on the floor, either!

If you start on the treads, I suggest not going too hard out of the blocks. You have a lot of time up here. It reminded me of CMIYC but without the benefit of doing the run/row if you get caught. You are stuck up there the whole time. It is pretty simple – pick a pace to start with, and every 2 minutes, the coach will get you to increase your speed (gear or incline if you are a biker/strider/power walker). Keep going until the 22nd minute, in which you will be doing an all-out for a minute. I always say the collapse is optional, but I really needed it today.

I started off at just below the base and increased the pace by 0.2 km/h (0.125 mph) every 2 minutes. For the first 6 or 7 minutes, I was in high green as the pace wasn’t too bad, but once it hit orange, it wasn’t letting up. The last couple of minutes were very tough, knowing that you had to do an all-out then to finish – white lights time for sure.

You will get good distances today. I managed 5.843km (3.652 OTF miles) and close to 7.2km, including warmups. Good day to stretch the legs out and go for it.

The floor work today is just as bad as the tread, in my opinion. You have four kinds today – one with pushups, high plank triple jacks, shoulder taps, and normal. In between floor blocks, you will have an all-out row and some time to recover.

The basic setup is to get a round of single / arm-leg reps. You will get 2 minutes to do this; the remainder of the time is yours to accumulate reps on the walkouts. Your goals are 25 for green, 50 for orange, and 75 for red. I pushed it hard today, got through 114 of them, and had to have a little collapse lie down on the floor afterward. I don’t really know what the coach said during the cooldown. Very tough workout today!

Day # 7 Template

2G template

Tread Block – 23 minutes

• 22-minute run for distance, increasing your pace every 2 minutes
• 1 min AO
• Collapse (member’s choice)

Floor Block – 23 minutes

• Goal:
  • Green: 25 total walkouts
  • Orange: 50 total walkouts
  • Red: 75+ total walkouts
• 3 rounds of 2 minutes back to back:
  • 8 each x split stance single arm high row
  • 8 each x single arm lateral lunge
  • Remaining time: walkout to push up, count reps
• 2 min to do 150m AO row, rack and rest
• 3 rounds of 2 minutes back to back:
  • 8 each x single arm close grip chest press
  • 8 each x single leg bridge
  • Remaining time: walkout to triple high plank jack, count reps
• 2 min to do 150m AO row, rack and rest
• 3 rounds of 2 minutes back to back:
  • 8 each x single arm shoulder press
  • 8 each x split squat
  • Remaining time: walkout to high plank shoulder tap, count reps
• Finisher: 1 min of walkouts, count reps
• Collapse (member’s choice)

3G template

Rower block:

• 2-minute blocks 8 MB squat hold front press Row for rest of 2 minutes Increase front press by 2 each block Finisher – 1 minute push row, 1 minute AO row

Floor block:

• 2 minute blocks 8 each split stance high rows 8 lateral lunges Walkout to push up for rest of time X2
• 8 each side Single arm chest press 8 each side single leg hip bridge Walkout to triple plank Jack for rest of time X2
• 8 single arm each side should press 8 split stance lunge each side Walkout to shoulder tap for rest of time X2
• Finisher 1 minute bear hold 1 minute walkout

Tread block:

14-minute rfd increasing pace every 2 minutes

Orangetheory Hell Week Day #8 “Untitled” 2G/3G 60 minutes

I must admit that I am still a little weary from the weekend and the countless burpees and walkouts, so I wasn’t too unhappy that today’s workout was a partner exercise. Unfortunately, it is a partner exercise for hell week, which means the entire template has a unique twist.

All templates today will be run across all three stations so you do not escape the massive amount of rowing that you will need to do today. You will start with a little buy-in – 2.5 minutes on the tread, rower, and floor before getting into the partner workout.

Find your buddy at the start of the partner workout and decide who is going to start the row and who is on the treadmill. If you are on the treadmill, you start with a 160m (0.1 mile) run at a 15% incline whilst your partner starts the push row, accumulating distance the whole time.

Once partner A finishes the run, they will go to the floor, where you get three possible exercises to do before swapping with your rowing buddy. Your potential exercises today include all our favorites:

• Step up to a bicep curl,
• Full thrusters squat to press,
• Bridge row, chest press,
• Sprinter sit-ups and
• High plank alt reach.

There probably is an order to it, but our coach just randomly flipped between screens. Our worst combination was the step-up to bicep curl, squat to press and sprinter sit-up.

When you do swap, don’t reset the rowing monitor, as you will need to accumulate meters on the rower. The rower then will go to the treadmill and do the same 160m run, but this time at 13%. Keep this pattern up until you get to 1%.

The other twist is that every 5 minutes, the exercises will change. If you happen to be on the floor, you will need to start all over again with the exercises.

Your finisher today depends on whether you are on the floor or the rower. If on the floor, then you are doing a minute of sprinter sit-ups; if on the rower, it is a minute all-out row.

Day # 8 Template

2G template

Tread Block

• 30-sec base
• 30-sec base to push
• 30-sec push
• 30-sec push to AO
• 30 seconds AO

Row Block

• 30-sec base row
• 30-sec base to push row
• 30-sec push row
• 30-sec push to AO row
• 30 seconds AO row

Floor Block

• 30 seconds of good mornings
• 30 seconds of squat to alt cross-body knee drive
• 30 seconds of speed skaters
• 30 seconds of in/in-out/out
• 30 sec of boat hold

Partner Workout – 31 minutes

• Possible exercises:
  • 16 total x full step up to bicep curl
  • 16 x squat to press
  • 16 x TRX bridge row
  • 16 x TRX chest press
  • 16 total x sprinter sit up
  • 16 total x high plank alt reach
• Workout:
  • Partner A: 160m (0.1 mile) run @ 15% (PW half distance) and 3 random exercises
  • Partner B: Accumulate meters on rower @ push pace
  • When Partner A finishes, swaps with partner B
  • At each partner swap, the incline on the treadmill decreases by 2%
• Exercises change every 5 minutes; if caught on the floor, then you must restart and complete all of the new exercises.
• Finisher: If on row, then 1 min AO row or 1 min of sprinter sit-ups

Orangetheory Hell Week Tracker

As a whole, Orangetheory has a challenge tracker that helps you keep track of all your challenge progress. Therefore, you can track your hell week’s progress with the challenge tracker.

The challenge tracker is a touchscreen in class, which has all the names of the members taking a class. The members fill out their progress in the equipment they use after every challenge.

Tips for beginners and other participant to survive

1. Sleeping

Adequate sleep is key to functioning effectively, especially during challenging periods like Orangetheory’s Hell Week. The National Sleep Foundation advises adults to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re struggling to meet this, consider some of their sleep-enhancing tips: refrain from screen use at least an hour before bedtime, maintain a cool, quiet, and dark bedroom, and expose yourself to bright light upon waking.

The Sleep Foundation suggests that without sufficient sleep, the brain’s functionality can be compromised. Therefore, to successfully navigate the rigors of Hell Week, a well-rested brain is essential. Remember, a good night’s sleep is just as crucial as your workout regimen.

2. Fueling:

According to Kimberly Plessel, a registered dietitian on the Orangetheory Medical Advisory Board, proper nutrition is key. “Hell Week demands strategic hydration and nutrition,” she states. For quick recovery between workouts, focus on the three Rs: refueling, rebuilding, and rehydrating. She recommends fuelling your Hell Week with quality carbohydrates, the body’s favored energy source for intense exercise.

A light snack with carbohydrates and protein 30-60 minutes before class is ideal. Post-workout, maintain a carb-to-protein ratio of ~2:1 for active adults, ~3:1 for intense trainers, or ~4:1 for endurance athletes. Additionally, prioritize hydration and protein intake for muscle recovery.

3. Hydrating:

Emphasizing hydration is vital during Hell Week, according to Plessel. It helps control cardiovascular stress, maintain mental clarity and reaction speed, and is essential for muscle recovery.

However, the National Institutes of Health states that 75% of American adults are chronically dehydrated.

The National Athletic Training Association suggests drinking 17-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours before working out, 7-10 ounces 20 minutes before class, and 6-12 ounces every 15 minutes during the session. Post-workout, continue to rehydrate to replenish lost fluids and maximize recovery.

4. Don’t overdo it:

“It’s okay to have a Green day during Hell Week! Or just a low Splat day,” advises Emilia Sainato, Senior OTF Head Coach and Fitness Educator based in Hudson Valley, NY. “During walking recoveries, weight room rests, or exercises on the rower, use your HR data to make sure your heart rate actually falls back to the Green Zone. If it makes you feel better, let your coach know before class that you are trying to limit your time in the Orange and Red Zones.”

5. Stretch

Always allocate time for the final five-minute stretch post-class, advises Brittany Masteller, Orangetheory’s Research Scientist. “The end-of-workout stretch isn’t just for easing your muscles, but also for gradually lowering your heart rate,” she says. This short cool-down period significantly benefits mental clarity, cardiovascular health, muscle flexibility, lactic acid dispersal, self-confidence, posture, and more.

6. Plan ahead

In my experience of last Hell Week, “I really enjoyed the unique daily challenges. The coaches always ensure workouts are fun, particularly during Hell Week.  Pre-planning and registering for classes in advance increase your likelihood of participation.”

Orangetheory Hell Week Preparations

Let’s look at some tips that will help you prepare for Orangetheory’s Hell Week;

• If it is your first time in Hell Week, look into previous themes and how they fit into the exercises. Since the exercises are serialized, you can predict what to expect. Then, look into the upcoming schedule as soon as it is out to prepare for what to expect.
• Next, replenish with a healthy diet and lots of water for hydration, as Hell Week definitely pushes you beyond limits.
• Ensure that you take endurance classes and attend more classes in September and early October to get your body to adapt. Push yourself harder every time you get to class as part of your preparation.
• As you exercise more, ensure that you get enough rest to replenish your energy and health.
• Compare only to yourself because it is all about you by the end of the day. Push yourself as much as possible, but within what your body can take.
• Register for Hell Week as soon as possible to reserve a place before it fills up, which it quickly does.
• Remember that Hell Week is supposed to be fun, regardless of your improvement rate. 

Recovery Tips for After Orangetheory Hell Week

As you wrap up Hell Week, here are some valuable tips to ensure your recovery extends beyond this period:

Continue to Rest: Consistently completing four workouts in eight days doesn’t mean you should maintain that pace. As Dr. Masteller emphasizes, without ample replenishment, your performance may decline.

Listen to Your Body: Soreness is expected, but persistent, severe pain indicates the need for more recovery. Inadequate recovery can affect your performance in class.

Leverage Your Learnings: Completing four classes in eight days demonstrates your ability to push beyond your assumed limits. Carry this newfound confidence forward.

Dr. Masteller encourages participants to enjoy Hell Week while prioritizing health, which is essential for ongoing progress.

Conclusion

Orangetheory Hell Week is a special event that takes out all other challenges in OTF and is definitely the toughest. However, it helps us push ourselves and realize that we can do more than we thought. It is also fun and memorable, which explains why almost all members want to be part of the challenge every year.