Updated at 2 p.m. Tuesday: Florida-based franchise Orangetheory Fitness will occupy retail space on the ground floor of a Wisconsin Avenue apartment complex, according to the real estate development group that owns and will operates the property.
The Woodmont Triangle project, referred to as 7900 Wisconsin by developer JBG Smith, will have 16 floors of luxury apartments on top of a floor of retail space.
The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2020, according to a JBG Smith spokesperson.
Orangetheory is taking one corner of the 19,600-square-foot first floor of leasable space, along with a “neighborhood grocer,” according to a JBG Smith site plan.
“Orangetheory Fitness is a great complement to Woodmont Triangle’s diverse collection of retail offerings,” JBG SMITH Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing Amy C. Rice said in a statement. “We believe that the future residents of 7900 Wisconsin Avenue, as well as the existing residents and daytime population in the neighborhood, will appreciate Orangetheory’s brand of cardio and strength training fitness in Bethesda.”
The fitness gyms feature hour-long classes designed to elevate heart rate and measure performance through technology tracking, according to Orangetheory’s website. Participants wear heart rate monitors and work to spend 12 minutes in the “orange zone,” or a heart rate 84-91% of a person’s maximum level.
The workouts are based on excess post-exercise consumption, when the body is made to work harder to recover lost oxygen following exercise, which leads to additional calorie burning, according to the Orangetheory website.
The company was created by physiologist Ellen Latham in 2010, after decades of working in the fitness industry. Latham developed the orange zone concept to “metabolically charge the body,” according to the website.
The gym has grown to more than 1,000 locations in the past decade, and has even attracted a former First Lady. Michelle Obama mentioned her affinity for the high-intensity workout in an interview during her book tour earlier this year, according to news reports.
Obama told Oprah Winfrey about her early-morning cardio routine, but said when she has time for a longer workout, she chooses Orangetheory.
Each Orangetheory studio has treadmills, rowers and other machines intended to elevate heart rate while allowing participants to work at their own pace.
The first Orangetheory class is free. Additional class costs are broken down into three membership categories with monthly contracts. Each studio sets unique pricing, according to an Orangetheory general manager.
This article was updated to reflect more specific pricing information.
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@moco360.media
