What heart rate zone do Orangetheory workouts aim to keep participants in for maximum efficiency?

Orangetheory Fitness workouts are designed to encourage participants to spend a significant amount of time in higher heart rate zones, particularly Zone 4 and Zone 5, for optimal efficiency and effectiveness. Focusing on Zone 4, which represents 84-91% of an individual's maximum heart rate, allows participants to reach a level of exertion that promotes the orange effect—maximizing calories burned during and after the workout due to the elevated metabolic rate.

In this zone, the body engages in a high-intensity effort that leads to greater cardiovascular fitness and increased endurance. Additionally, training in Zone 5, which corresponds to 92-100% of maximum heart rate, involves short bursts of all-out effort, which helps to improve peak performance for advanced participants. However, most of the sustained effort and the bulk of the workout will typically aim for Zone 4 to back the concept of the orange effect.

While other zones like Zone 2 (which focuses on endurance) and Zone 3 (which targets aerobic capacity) have their benefits, they do not maximize the afterburn effect as effectively as spending time in Zones 4 and 5 does during Orangetheory workouts. By incorporating these high-intensity intervals, participants can maximize