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Orangetheory Fitness targets body fat in Short Pump

Posted at 1:16 PM, Jul 08, 2015
and last updated 2015-07-08 13:16:27-04

SHORT PUMP, Va.  — The newest player in the local fitness industry hopes it can win over the minds of Richmonders by focusing on their hearts. An Orangetheory Fitness franchise is set to open in September at the corner of Lauderdale Drive and West Broad Street in the Corner at Short Pump.

Partners Brooks Stone, Mark Blum, Kyle Turner and Yedda (no last name) are the owners of the franchise, which will be the brand’s first in Richmond.

Orangetheory’s niche is interval strength and conditioning workouts that emphasize participants’ heart rates. Group workouts are led by trainers, and participants are connected to monitors that flash their heart rates on video screens in the gym. The idea is to work out at an intensity that keeps one’s pulse in the so-called “orange zone,” between 84 and 91 percent of their maximum heart rate.

“It’s high-energy fitness that targets body fat,” Yedda said. “It’s designed to increase heart rate and number of calories burned.”

The four franchisees have a fast-paced expansion plan for Orangetheory in the area. They’ll look to open additional locations in Willow Lawn and Midlothian next year and would eventually like to have a total of 11 gyms in the Richmond region. Yedda said it will cost $5.5 million to reach that goal.

To continue reading about Orangetheory Fitness, click here.