Global Gym Franchise To Open First Queens Studio In Bayside

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- A global gym franchise that doubles as a workout fad is moving its trendy studios and signature high-intensity workouts into Queens, and Bayside is the first stop.

OrangeTheory Fitness, famous for its hourlong high-intensity group training sessions, is slated to open a new studio at 41-19 Bell Blvd. by September or October, Garrett Ball, the franchise's eastern Queens operations manager, told Patch.

Though its opening is months away, Ball and his team have already pitched a promotional tent outside their new spot. They're offering free trials and pre-sale membership rates for the studio's unique workout plan, because OrangeTheory Fitness isn't exactly your average gym, he said.

The Boca Raton-based fitness franchise offers daily 60-minute workouts in studio just large enough to fit the dozen people and equipment its classes are set up for.

Sessions typically includes a high-intensity circuit of treadmills, rowing and floor exercises designed to elevate the heart rate. Every member wears a monitor to keep track of their progress, Ball said.

"It's basically a one-hour, full-body personal training session in a group setting," he said. "Essentially, all of our workouts are scientifically backed to burn the max amount of calories."

And, OrangeTheory Fitness claims, calories keep burning long after that hour is up. Members burn an average of 500 - 1,000 calories during their workout, but can they'll continue to burn calories up to 36 hours later in the "afterburn," its website states.

The fitness franchise has garnered a global following, now boasting studios in 19 different countries. Its website lists upwards of 1,000 locations - both established and coming soon - in the U.S. alone.

Its Bayside studio, replacing the now-shuttered women's gym Lucille Roberts, is the first in a wave of OrangeTheory Fitness gyms planned for Queens.

Ball said in the next few years, the franchise he manages will likely open at least two more studios in Flushing and College Point. OrangeTheoryFitness' website lists another studio, run by a separate owner, as "Coming Soon" to 31-57 St. in Astoria.

But despite a massive following, the franchise is best known for its close-knit atmosphere. Its gyms almost always have smaller member bases - most under 1,000 people - than their big-name competitors, Ball said.

"When you walk in, we know who you are," he said. "It's a very individualized experience."

OrangeTheory Fitness is offering special pre-sale membership rates ranging from $99 to $169 in the months leading up to its opening, Ball said. Those interested in learning more can call the studio at 347-382-9099.

(Lead image: An Orangetheory Fitness in San Jose, California is one of more than a thousand studios the franchise has stationed across the globe. Photo via Shutterstock)