I Survived Hell Week at OrangeTheory Fitness
As we head towards Halloween, one thing was scarier than any ghost... my first Hell Week with OrangeTheory Fitness!
Each OTF studio hosts 'Hell Week' in the days leading up to Halloween, where you run from the spooky season and test your mental and physical strength with a week of higher intensity workouts.
Hell Week is coming around for the eighth year, and has "kicked the butts of anyone brave enough to try it and tough enough to survive it." as the OTF blog says. "It’s pushed members to trust that their bodies are more capable than they realize, that they’re ready to run faster and lift heavier than ever before."
This week did kick my butt, and for those who sign up for the challenge there's an extra celebration at the end! If a member completes five workouts in eight days, they earn a limited-edition Hell Week T-shirt or tank to add to their workout collection. I didn't sign up for the competition, so no shirt for me :( but I still did the workouts so I got all the sweat benefits. Hell Week was more challenging than the average OTF class but it's always a good idea to push yourself and see what new limits your body can handle!
Each year Hell Week is different, but here's a little taste of 2021's workouts:
Day 1: Phishing for Rest Tread Block 1
45 sec base @ 4% incline
45 sec base @ 5% incline
45 sec base @ 6% incline
45 sec base
1 min all out
1 min walking recovery
Tread Block 2
45 sec base @ 5%
45 sec base @ 6%
45 sec base @ 7%
45 sec base
1 min all out
1 min walking recovery
Tread Block 2
45 sec base @ 6%
45 sec base @ 7%
45 sec base @ 8%
45 sec base
1 min all out
Row Block 1, 2 and 3 4 minutes each
Repeat twice: 300m row + 20 x shuffles, 20 x high knees
Row for distance
Floor Block 1 4 minutes
Next exercises are non-stop
5 x clean to front squat
10 x front squat
15 x neutral half thruster
20 x TRX pull up
When finished, repeat power sit ups until time
Floor Block 2 4 minutes
Next exercises are non-stop
5 x clean to front squat
10 x front squat
15 x neutral half thruster
20 x TRX bridge row
When finished, repeat knee tucks until time
Floor Block 1 4 minutes
Next exercises are non-stop
5 x clean to front squat
10 x front squat
15 x neutral half thruster
20 x TRX high row
When finished, repeat crunches until time
Day 2: The Burpee Breach Tread Block 1 Run for distance like the wind
Reset your distance
2 min run for distance
30 sec walking recovery
90 sec run for distance
30 sec walking recovery
75 sec run for distance
30 sec walking recovery
1 min all out run
30 sec walking recovery
45 sec all out run
30 sec walking recovery
30 sec all out run
Tread Block 2 Get ready for inclines while you run!
1 min run for distance @ 1% incline
Increase incline every minute through 10% incline
2 min run for distance @ 1% incline
Try to beat your distance from block 1
Floor Block 1 9.5 minutes
2 min x ultimate burpees + 30 sec x iso squat hold
90 sec x burpee + bicep curl and shoulder press + 30 sec x iso squat hold
75 sec x burpee + bicep curl + 30 sec x iso squat hold
1 min x burpee + 30 sec x iso squat hold
45 sec x full burpee + 30 sec x iso squat hold
30 sec x burpee (without the pushup)
Floor Block 2 12 minutes
3 rounds of: 30 x bench hop over, 20 total x alternating step up &10 x squat jack
Go to the rower in order of finishing the floor and then:
See how many rounds you and your partner finish of 100m all out rows
Final 2 minutes all out rows
Day 6: Meltdown Tread/Floor Block - 23 minutes
0.1 mile all out run
4 each x single arm clean to press
4 each x bench plank single arm low row
4 each x single arm snatch
4 each x half kneeling single arm to lateral step up
0.15 mile all out run
6 each x single arm clean to press
6 each x bench plank single arm low row
6 each x single arm snatch
6 each x half kneeling single arm to lateral step up
0.2 mile all out run
8 each x single arm clean to press
8 each x bench plank single arm low row
8 each x single arm snatch
8 each x half kneeling single arm to lateral step up
0.25 mile all out run
10 each x single arm clean to press
10 each x bench plank single arm low row
10 each x single arm snatch
10 each x half kneeling single arm to lateral step up
Reset and run for distance
Row Block 1
4.5 minute row for distance
Record your distance
Row Block 2
Reset your monitor
90 sec push row
1 min base row
30 sec push row
30 sec base row
30 sec all out row
Try to beat your distance from block 1
Row Block 3
Reset your monitor
20 sec all out row then 10 sec recovery row x 9
15 sec all out row
Try to beat your previous best distance
Row Block 4
Reset your monitor
10 sec all out row then 20 sec recovery row x 9
15 sec all out row
Try to beat your previous best distance