Leadership Lessons from 200 Orangetheory Workouts
- Vicky Cleary
- Jun 27
- 4 min read
I’ve just hit my 200th class at Orangetheory. That’s a lot of workouts.
I’ve been a member since September 6, 2021, and started going just one time per week as a supplement to my gym routine — mostly to keep things fresh and, honestly, to occasionally step into a workout where someone else told me what to do. That’s one of the reasons why I still go.
You should know: I love my workouts. They keep me feeling strong physically and mentally (hello, endorphins). They also challenge me — both physically and mentally (hello, resilience).
What I’ve discovered is that when I step into an Orangetheory studio, it’s not just about burning calories or hitting a splat point goal (IYKYK). It’s professional development in disguise — a surprising way that fitness fuels focus, resilience, and sustainable success in your career.
With the challenge that each class brings, you have to manage your energy, focus under pressure, and keep going when things get hard. Sound familiar?
Whether I’m leading a project team or coaching a client through burnout, I’ve noticed how often my time on the rower reflects the dynamics of corporate life.
Heads up: I’ve included my Orangetheory referral link in this post. If you’re inspired to try a class and sign up using my link, I may earn a free class. No pressure...just sharing something that’s made a big impact in my life.
Here are five leadership lessons I take from the studio floor straight into the office:
career growth and nervous system
1. You’re Competing With Yourself, But Surrounded by Others
In OT, you’re in a room full of people doing the same workout, but your performance is tracked individually. You’re not racing the person next to you — you’re racing your previous best. “It’s you against you,” as they say.
Corporate Parallel:
In the workplace, it’s easy to compare roles, promotions, recognition, and progress to others. But real, lasting performance comes from internal benchmarks, not external comparison.
Your career isn’t a competition. It’s a personal growth journey.
When you’re overly focused on what everyone else is doing, you lose sight of what you need to thrive.
Takeaway: Track your growth based on your own metrics. Progress is personal, even in high-performing teams. Stay in your lane, but keep moving forward.
2. There’s Power in the Push
Orangetheory is built around three types of effort — base pace, push pace, and all-out effort. You’re not supposed to be sprinting the entire class. The real transformation happens in those intentional pushes, when you get a little uncomfortable.
Corporate Parallel:
Too many professionals stay in “push mode” (or worse, “all out” mode) every day, trying to prove themselves, outrun burnout, or meet unrealistic demands.
But high performance doesn’t come from constant hustle...it comes from strategic effort and intentional recovery.
Just like in OT, the base pace has a purpose. It builds stamina and consistency. The push pace, where you stretch yourself, is where you grow. But you can't live there 24/7.
Takeaway: Know when to push, and when to recover. Sustainable success is built on pacing, not pressure. This is energy management, and this true self-leadership.
3. Coaching + Metrics = Growth
In every OT class there is a coach guiding you, offering cues, encouragement, and corrections. And you get real-time metrics: heart rate, calories burned, time in zone (splat points). You’re supported and held accountable.
Corporate Parallel:
It’s easy to feel like you have to figure things out on your own (not just at work, we often think this in life, too). But growth doesn’t happen in isolation. You need data (KPIs, feedback, performance reviews) and you need someone in your corner to help you process that data and move forward with clarity.
Coaching isn’t about fixing something that’s broken, it’s about building on your strengths, increasing awareness, and getting intentional about your next level.
Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of coaching and feedback. The right support system helps you stay on track and course-correct faster so you can perform at your best.
4. Variety Keeps You Engaged
No two OT workouts are exactly the same. You rotate between treadmill intervals, rowing sets, and strength floor exercises. The variety keeps your body challenged and your brain engaged.
Corporate Parallel:
Doing the same work, in the same way, every day? That’s a fast track to disengagement. Innovation and motivation need variety.
The best leaders (and teams) build in stretch assignments, cross-functional work, learning opportunities, and even “active recovery” periods because variety builds capacity.
Takeaway: Mix things up. Variety doesn’t mean chaos. It means healthy challenge. Whether you’re developing muscles or leading teams, change prevents stagnation.
5. It’s Harder Than It Looks — But You’re Stronger Than You Think
Every class has at least one moment where I want to tap out. But somehow, I finish. And that finish-line feeling? It’s fuel.
Corporate Parallel:
That tough conversation, high-stakes presentation, or new leadership opportunity may feel overwhelming — until you do it.
Resilience builds in the moment you don’t quit.
We often underestimate our own capacity because we’re judging it from a place of fear or fatigue. But the truth is: you grow by doing hard things, not avoiding them.
Takeaway: Discomfort doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’re expanding your capacity. Growth lives just outside your comfort zone.
Final Thought
There’s a lot that fitness can teach us about leadership.
Orangetheory reminds me that growth comes from discomfort, pacing matters more than pressure, and having the right coach makes all the difference.
So whether you’re sweating it out in the studio or leading a meeting that feels like an uphill sprint, know that both are building your strength, focus, resilience, and leadership capacity (all of which are important for sustainable success).
If this post resonated, you’re not alone.
These small mindset shifts, in and out of the studio, are exactly what I coach my clients through.
Want support applying these lessons in your own career? Let’s connect, click "Book Now" to schedule a free strategy session.
Heads up: I’ve included my Orangetheory referral link in this post. If you’re inspired to try a class and sign up using my link, I may earn a free class. No pressure — just sharing something that’s made a big impact in my life.
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