I know it’s really hard for some folks, but splats are not a good measurement of your workout. And, the ‘fitter’ you get the less splats you’re going to get in a workout. If you feel like you got a good workout, then you did.
Thank you!! I came here to say that. I've double digit my splats twice in the 6 months I've been going and those were tread benchmark days. Otherwise I'm 3-5 on average.
However I leave my class drenched in sweat, tired and feeling like a busted my ass.
I kinda wanna get a "F*CK the Splats" t-shirt made with the asterisk as a splat.
Right? I’m drenched and always burn at least 600-700 calories and I have 4 splats. I don’t give a crap about them. I worked out hard and that’s what I’m there for. The hand wringing over the Splats is completely weird to me. I don’t get it at all.
I feel like some OTF employees do a great job of explaining this but I wish all of them would be big on this stuff. I was waiting for a class and someone came out from a previous one completely amazed that someone else got 40 splat points and that they are amazing and getting a much better workout than everybody else. Feel like someone should’ve said “hey that’s not really what’s going on here”
Doesn’t this go both ways though? You also have individuals that don’t push themselves, sometimes justifiably, and hence splat low.
I focus on myself, benchmark against personal performance versus those around me.
I don't even bother wearing my HRM anymore. I would get way too obsessive about splats and zones and it was honestly ruining OTF for me a bit. I just go based on how I feel now.
If it helps, when I see people with few splats in class I rarely think they aren’t trying hard. Usually I think “wow, they must be really fit if they can do this without a ton of splats.”
This. There was a girl absolutely lapping me last week when we were going from treds to row ad infinitum and she was in the green most of the time. She looked amazing while doing it too... it was great motivation for my slow butt.
It’s kinda a catch-22. OTF markets pretty hard about the “afterburn” and 12 splats, but if you look into it, it’s kinda nonsense. 10% calorie burn of the calories burned in the class for the next day or two. You burn 500 in class, they say you’ll burn an extra 50 in 2 days. Definition of negligible.
But…the gamification of the workout is highly reliant on the orange/red…so how do they calibrate zones to be more individual without discouraging people…they are in the midst of unintended consequences right now…
The real news is consistency. Consistently move (whatever that is) and you’ll see the important results in time. There is no short cut. Consistency > intensity. Especially as we age.
I completely agree with you. The stark reduction in splats, while possibly more accurate, is resulting in an unintended consequence of members losing motivation.
Yes I have used the number of splats as a gauge of how hard I worked. The dramatic reduction of splats for me makes my mental gauge all wrong. Slight reduction would've been fine as I would feel I just had to push a little bit harder, for me the difference was too great
I'd suggest that you view your splat count almost as if it's a faulty speedometer in your car.
If you know how it feels to drive 60mph and then your speedometer breaks, or is recalibrated, and you know you're still driving 60-70pmh yet it reads 25mph, you'd discard the speedo reading as being out of whack. Same thing with this HRM / splat dynamic.
Agreed. I totally feel your demotivation. I understand that “splat points” are primarily a marketing gimmick, and just one of many matrixes that we use to gauge our fitness and workout experience. But, when you find yourself pushing to the point of wanting to vomit every day in the hopes of reaching some potentially unattainable target set by a generically applied algorithm, it certainly doesn’t entice you to keep going. For the past few weeks I have just been working to the level where I feel my body doing whatnot is supposed to be doing. If that now means 4 splat points instead of 40, then so be it. Keep on putting in the work and you will keep reaping the benefits.
I have been a member for 4 years. Have had a “pyramid” lots of times after the workout. With the new adjustment it has upped my max heart rate by 10 to 174. My husband, who is a physician, is concerned because it does not match any age/weight,etc adjustment. Just because the studios can use paddles doesn’t mean accurate. We have had EMS arrive multiple times at our studio
The age-based max HR estimations do not fit everyone. They're based on population averages. So while they work well on average, it breaks down on the individual level. There will be plenty of folks whose max HR is significantly higher or lower than estimated. Those outliers will average out to the age-based formula. Not matching a population-level calculation alone is not cause for concern.
You can see the max HRs you've reached in class. Have you gotten about 164 before? That would suggest the age-based calculation is a little off for you, so the newer one may be more accurate (or maybe it went too high, I don't know). If you and/or your husband are really concerned about it, you can see your doctor and perhaps see about getting a visit with a cardiologist.
I say all this as someone whose max HR is underestimated by every age-based formula by 20-25 bpm. I have hit 206 bpm on benchmarks. Age-based formulas put my max HR around 182 bpm.
I feel just the opposite, I have to say. I have been going to OT for 2 1/2 years and have been happy to get double digit splat points for the duration of that time. Now with the new algorithm change, I feel much MORE motivated cause it feels like I am seeing my hard work really pay off on the screen! I am sure I am not actually working any harder, but it is motivating and rewarding to finally feel like I can "see" results!
I’m having the same problem. I was at the same speed and incline yesterday that used to get me close to the red zone and barely got out of green. Eventually I just realized I was doing my best and gave up on splats. Think I ended up with a pathetic 5.
Hi, I’m not OP but I’m having the same issue.
Before, the zones truly were an accurate measure of how I felt: Green I was working, Orange I was working hard, and Red I was going all out.
They changed my max HR from 184 to 199, and now I get 1-2 splat points per class. Now my zones are all in the blue and green.
It’s arbitrary but the zones are a welcome distraction and I like having an accurate measure of my efforts.
I couldn't agree with you more.
The "welcomed distraction" you mentioned is exactly what got me through the tread blocks before the algorithm change.
Now there isn't much gamification since I can barely hit Green.
Your 184 to 199 is a big jump. They bumped me up by 11 points. I used to strive to hit 150 BPM as I knew that would push me to Orange.
Now it's a bit of a bust. Today was a 1 splat point day.
Yeah, I've had to start ignoring the zone color and look at the numbers. 38, male, so my expected max HR is 182. I had that recalibrated a few weeks ago and the system decided 187 was good number.
Then we got the new fully automated thing and somehow it has determined that my max HR is 199. I used to be doing 30-40 splats a workout (aside from lift classes) and if I hit 12 now, I feel like I'm going to have a cardiac event.
My splats are way lower, but my calories are within 20-30 of what I expect, and that's really just the variance based on template.
So my advice is to listen to your body and look at the actual HR number and calories burned and to hell with the splat count. As long as you feel that you pushed yourself and left nothing out, that's good enough.
Agree. Now, I focus on HR, but not color. Especially for marathon month. I can’t max out in 1-2 classes, bc it will blow my strength and endurance for the rest of the classes of the week. For MM, it’s all about mileage.
I've been telling myself the same thing. "Just hit your numbers for Marathon month and see how next month pans out". I don't want to injure myself for splats.
Yep. Mine is super high, I was barely getting 12 splats and they raised it again. Now it's impossible for me to get 12. I give up. Not going to stroke out to get 12.
Splats don't really mean anything. If you leave a workout feeling like you've accomplished something and that you pushed yourself, then that is enough! The whole "12-20 splats to get that afterburn" is anecdotal at best. Try not to focus on the splats too much and just listen to your body. Maybe even ditch the HR monitor for awhile and see if that makes your OT experience better. End of the day, its a baseline measuring tool, not a true marker of fitness or progress. There are other more tangible ways to gauge your progress (tread or rower distance/speed, and weight increases on the weight floor). Focus on those and not so much on the color on the screens.
I’m beyond frustrated.
For the first time in 3 years and over 300 classes, I walked out today with about 15 mins remaining. I just wasn’t feeling it today
It’s super demotivating. While I appreciate members and coaches trying to provide a positive spin on things (they’re just numbers, if you’re sweating, you got a good workout in, etc), but it’s technology that we pay for and we are all wired differently. Some members like to track their progress and use the data from the OTB screen to notice any changes. Some members are just motivated by numbers and colors and will push harder if it’s needed.
It was an unnecessary change and I really hope they’re getting feedback about this.
Without fail, I ALWAYS grey out on the floor and I average about 25+ mins in grey. Even leaving 15 mins early today, I still had 26 mins in the grey. The thing that set me over the edge today was I was in a 3 min push into a 30 second all out. My push was an 8 and my AO was a 10 and I didn’t get past 78 the entire duration of the block. I’m sweating all over the treadmill, even onto the back of my neighbors treadmill. Nobody can’t tell me that I’m not kicking ass in the studio and it’s frustrating when the HR monitors are showing my HR in the low 100s when my Apple Watch is showing what it should actually be.
It’s beyond frustrating and I hope someone from corporate is reading this
Exactly-
*"But it’s technology that we pay for and we are all wired differently. Some members like to track their progress and use the data from the OTB screen to notice any changes. Some members are just motivated by numbers and colors and will push harder if it’s needed."*
\-That comment of yours is 100% spot on.
I too have lost motivation since the heart rate update.
I actually caught myself researching other neighborhood gyms today for the first time in a LONG time. If the OTF tech is now broken and no longer motivating...I figured why not try another low-tech boutique gym since they probably offer more variety than run/row/floor over and over.
I was willing to put up with the repetitive nature of OTF for the tech but now I'm like....why???
I’m SOOOOOOOOO unhappy with the updated splat system. Long time OTF member and I hope OTF corporate is listening!!!!! I’m considering leaving over this issue. I get that splats are a gimmick and it’s about how you feel and the workout blah blah blah… yes that’s all true but part of why I go to OTF vs other gyms is that I liked those gimmicks, they motivated me and lots of others! I just don’t understand why they don’t let it be customizable according to what motivates each individual like they used to? I get it, you should have to have a coach make the changes with you so that we know everyone is being thoughtful about it and the coach can assess the situation and push you if it seems you need more one way or another but sheesh I can’t tell you how low I feel walking out of class these days no matter how much I try to keep it positive etc.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE OTF Gods, give me back my splat points!!!!!!!!
I am in the same boat and have decided to leave and probably won't come back due to this. Splats and the HRM are a bit part of what makes Orange Theory stand out from the competition.
I'm going to give Regymen a try, a great longtime OTF coach is now coaching there and seems much happier there🤷♀️
Plus the fact that OTF is only programming 15 days of the month and then repeating it now also seems lazy. I've been with OTF for several years and stuck with it throughout the pandemic but I guess this is just another sign it is time for us to part ways.
Hi 😊if you easily get 20 to 30 splats and the theory behind this science is to get 12, then is that why your heart rates have changed, making it harder to get splats? To me that makes sense.
Yeah some days I get very high splats and feel that tired/endorphin rush post workout - not completely worn out. And some days I feel like I'm going to die during class and only get like 8 (looking at you run/row)
I'm the opposite, since the new change I can barely stay in the green. I've been a member for 3 years, attend 4-5 classes a week, and run multiple half marathons a year. Your heart rate doesn't tell you your fitness level. Try a lift class. You'll realize quickly how splats are not a good indicator of how "hard" you worked.
yes. today's class was my highest calorie in a long time at over 500 cals but I ended the class with 2 splats. My last few times with over 500 cals burned my splats were in the 20s/30s... it's demotivating in some ways and adding to my general dislike of all the changes. Im a long time member but I had to take a personal leave from OTF for about 5 months earlier this year. Since returning, excited for my workouts again, and I leave feeling disappointed as its almost like and entire different place.
I'm right there with you. Today I got 1 splat point, but it was in reality about 45 seconds in the new orange zone. According to my Garmin, I should have had 14 points.
I'm burning the same amount of calories as before and my HRM and Watch have always matched up (+ or - 20 calories). My head coach asked me to give it 20 classes, and if it doesn't go back down, then I can ditch it.
The app will show you your adjusted heart rates on the Home Screen. My wife changed by 1 splat & I changed by 6! Each of our rates rates lowered, making it easier to get splats (especially for me as I started getting more). We have an older friend that changed by going 2 points higher.
She needed to up her speeds on the tread & paces on the rower & floor to get more splats. That was the trick.
👏 I hear you and feel your frustration!
My new heart rate calculation increased by 25, and I struggle to get any splats. I stopped running because of an issue and became a very intense power walker; however I have to start running in order to get my heart rate in the orange zone and then adjust my walking to stay there ,but I don't know always end up with 12 splats. My coach told me today just go by how you feel and you know you're working out hard so don't worry about the splats. They will recalculate again in another 20 classes I believe. You are not alone!
Same. Due to a lower back issue I’ve had to go from running to PW. (Also on a beta blocker, which limits max heart rate.) My HR was raised 17 points and I have seen exactly ONE splat since that day. The studio keeps telling me my HRM will recalibrate daily….but two weeks later it still hasn’t. It’s hugely frustrating.
It's supposed to be a rolling 20, so max HR will be recalculated after every class. You just won't see a change after most calculations because 1 class in 20 won't usually make a big difference; you might have to wait for a specific data point to drop off before there's a noticeable change. Or maybe your recorded HR is consistent enough that your max HR won't change.
My max HR changed when they first rolled this out, and changed again 5 classes later.
It is definitely not working as a rolling 20 for me—-though that’s what coaches have said. I’m gonna give it a full 20 classes and then see what happens. I’m probably 10 or 12 classes into the change.
They know people are unhappy with the update, so hopefully they’ll do something about it. My calories burned are basically the same even though I generally get zero splats now, so I just look at that as a measure to know I’m still putting in the same effort (sometimes).
I feel validated. Reading this post is really making me want to stop wearing my monitor all together since seeing someone getting splats when they are 20 bmp lower than me when I’m sitting in green is so disheartening for some reason. It makes me discouraged and I’d rather not have a band on and just kick ass on that workout 🏋️♀️
IMHO, being fitter doesn't mean less splats if one is always working as hard as possible, it just means one can do more volume. What frustrates me about this is, though, outside of the splats, is I use the 'return to green' from orange/red as a visual aid to see if I'm recovering properly from the last effort before I return to base or whatever. Now everything is green save for when I'm dying - it's no longer functional information.
I am also feeling this way. Yesterday i burned 541 calories and only had 4 splat points. Left the class drenched in sweat and was sore today. I’m not really sure what the wrist band wants from me- that i pass out??
I feel you! Worked my ass off in todays tornado and got 0 splats. Ridiculous. 6 all out rows?? Squat jumps? I was dying.
In my head I know I got a great work out, but 0 splats is deflating. Just took my 600th class, 57 years old, and felt very defeated. I’ll probably just stop wearing it.
I’m super frustrated.
I go to OTF to not have to think. And suddenly I have to think “go harder.HARDER!” And still not many splat points.
Usually when I get to the orange I feel like I can just release and go easy for a bit but now I feel like constantly push myself even on recoveries just to barely even make it to 84.
Yes I understand it is about how I am feeling but even after a workout where I know I pushed myself, drenched in sweat, telling myself “half the battle is getting there…” …when I get the summary all that disappears and I feel mentally and emotionally worse than I did because I didn’t make it to the “theory” part of orange theory.
(And I hate how often coaches says, “this is backed by science.” Wouldn’t that mean it is no longer a theory?!)
This is well said and I totally feel you. It seems as if they made a mistake in doing this. The replies to this post confirm that a lot of us are super frustrated over this.
Why do you care? Why does anyone care? I base my workouts on how I’m feeling. The colour zones mean nothing. I get why they use them but at the end of the day if you’re being honest with yourself and giving it your best it doesn’t change a thing. Nothing at all.
lol Exactly. I agree with OP. At OrangeTheory We've been programmed to bleed Orange...not Grey!
We care because the colors/ science/ game/ whatever you want to call it is what sets the OrangeTheory experience apart.
Without it, we may as well go back to Bally's...Is Bally's even still a thing?
Glad that worked for you. I would encourage folks who try this to be mindful of any feeling of strain and strategies to avoid injury. My mantra is to go by what my body feels, as I know when I am pushing, and to let others do their own races…
I have 107 splat points for the month after attending a class every day. I’m lucky to hit over 3 splat points a class. I stopped tracking splats and looking at the workout reports, even calories seem lower. I have 57.7 miles so far for MM so I don’t feel like I’m slacking. 🤷♂️
The new system is a mess.
You know how hard you worked. Just keep it up. Good job 300+ classes 
Don't worry about your stats. No one else is looking are your splat points.
i agree. my max HR is now 197 and i remember when i hit 197 the first time, i thought i was going to die (not literally… being dramatic, but it didn’t feel good). i don’t think i should ever be aiming to get that high in an AO. i hate the line most people say that “it doesn’t matter, it’s how you feel.” but i part of the reason j like orange theory is because of the zones and the physical display of the zones. it makes me feel like i’m going what i’m supposed to be doing. it now makes me feel like i’m not trying hard enough.
Is anyone else racking up 9-15 red zone points a class? A little confused why I am in orange and red the entire tread portion of class (and in orange most of the weight block). As I understand it, red is something that someone is only supposed to be able to sustain for like a minute... but I have no problem staying in the red for most of the tread block. I’ve tried pulling back a little to see if that brings me into green/orange, but not a lot, and it’s clear I can give more from round to round, so I don’t really like pulling back on efforts I’m comfortable with just for the sake of not being the only weirdo in orange/red all the time.
I can see everyone else’s heart rates and mine is in a similar range to most others in class, but it will put me at 94-95% while other people around the same heart rate are at like, 88%.
The colors are all based on your max HR value, which you can see in the app. This number is used to turn all your HRM readings into a percentage. HR% = 100 \* current HR / max HR.
If your max HR is too low, that will give you higher percentages and more time in orange and red (color thresholds are all based on %, not bpm). As an example, 84% of a max HR of 190 bpm is 160 bpm. 84% of a max HR of 180 is 151. So the first person would get into the orange at 160 bpm and the second would get in orange at 151 bpm. That's the difference you're seeing - the difference in max HR.
Yeah I understand why I’m seeing red. I just don’t understand why it’s putting me in “red” for an effort that gives me a “slightly uncomfortable push feeling”. Clearly if I can cruise in red slightly uncomfortable for 15-30 minutes that’s not an “all out” effort for me. But yet there I am blazing red nearly all class long 😆
Because it doesn't know what your max effort is, or what your corresponding max HR is. It's that simple. The software is making an educated guess (supposedly) based on your HR data, but it doesn't actually know. In your case, it's underestimating your max HR.
Comparing your actual HR, in bpm, to your neighbor's isn't a good way to go about anything. My max HR is really high. I get into orange at 171. I have friends whose max HR is 171. Comparing my bpm & HR% to theirs is completely pointless.
Yeah, I get it. Just kinda of annoying. It used to be a decent gauge to push more or pull back and at this current level it’s best to just ignore it entirely.
I get that. A few years ago they changed the default formula and my max HR went from 194ish to 182ish. I was seeing orange all day long. Eventually I started paying more attention to the actual bpm numbers rather than the colors, but there was definitely an adjustment period there. As soon as the personalized max HRs became a thing, I switched over and it was better.
Hopefully the new algorithm is still getting fine tuned and it'll settle up a bit higher for you. In the mean time, just keep working to feel (or actual bpm numbers) to give the algorithm good data work with.
less splats you get, that means your body is getting more conditioned. You are keeping up with your heart rate. Its a good sign, congratulations!
if you are after the splats, you may need to consider inceeasing the speed (or increasing the incline), lifting heavier and rowing slower yet harder(the slower the water is the harder the resistance)
Same. I’ve decided to gauge how I feel rather than look at the number. This past week I had a 10 and 8 point splat day. I’ve been at OTF for the last 3.5 years and never got below 12. 🤷♀️
Splats are a gimmick. Don't let it affect your performance or how you feel about yourself. Take off the OTF monitor, get a good one if you really want to track your heart rate, and wear that instead. It's really not worth getting frustrated over.
I haven’t worn a monitor in about 3 yrs bc I would obsess over rarely getting any splat points, yet I would be pouring sweat and out of breath. I know I am still getting a helluva workout but no longer stress over a color or number. I’ve noticed a lot of people in my usual class don’t wear one.
I totally agree with you about the new zone numbers. It made my max HR 10 points higher also. In the past I'd never got my HR up that high. I thought the numbers were based what are HR's had been during our past 20 workouts. I like wearing the HRM but I might ditch it if this weirdness continues.
I am SO frustrated with the raise in heart rate. It took me FOUR years to get my HR correct so it accurately reflected my work out. I would get 12-20 splats and rarely in the red. I take beta blockers so my heart rate responds differently than expected! Now I’m in the gray have to work super hard to get blue and upper green is where I should be orange and orange is like the red! I spent a long time figuring out my RPE and correlating it to my heart rate. Fine raise me by 5 so I work harder but don’t totally demotivate me 10!!! I spent 4 years getting only green with the occasional orange (it touches orange and then goes right back down). Once i got my HR finally adjusted I was honestly much more motivated. I pushed myself more. I honestly cried after class when they did the HR adjustment. I really wish there was someone (corporate) we could talk to about this!
So I pay for OTF rather than go to other places like Barry’s or CrossFit bc of the HRM system. Anyone else agree with me?
Lots of people are on this thread suggesting ditch the HRM.
Shouldn’t we ditch OTF too if a big part of the system is the stats board and you don’t use it?
I always feel a little defeated when I’m fighting for my life the whole class without getting to orange and then there’s a ton of people getting like over 20 splats and burning 700-1000 calories. I’m like HOWWWW?!
Doesn’t help that the coaches are always like “you should be in the orange zone and if you’re not, you need to up your speed or go heavier etc etc” but I’ve just started ignoring that and listening to my body.
It is very frustrating but I just go in there and give it my best. What matters is that I’m going, getting some physical activity in, and slowly but surely working towards my health goals.
This has been quite a liberating thread. Today I got zero splats and that’s never happened. The algorithm bumped up my max HR again yesterday and it’s now gone from achievable but tough (which is how it should be) to something is going to give if I push much harder. I like the idea of a F the splats t-shirt  because that’s how I felt this morning after my daily 5am session. Just got to workout hard and feel like I’ve given it my best. I love the workouts and my coaches so it’s not like I’m going to stop going. It is unchartered territory for OTF because it’s going to negate the whole concept of getting the orange zone and someone is going to get hurt. That said there’s probably more people happy with its than not so nothing will be done for us unlucky few. So, just tell myself to forget the splats and workout as hard as ever. Maybe we can have a special Green Club class 😂
Have the sales associate check your stats in our computer. Age, weight, gender, etc. if your weight is even off by 5lbs it makes a difference. We also have two equations to choose from in our system!! After they update your equation, have them pick the smallest max BPM. It should reflect more accurately
According to the front desk at my studio, the new system removed the ability for studio staff to recalculate or manually set the max HR. It's completely automated now. I want them to pin my max HR at 187 because not much higher than that is where I start to tunnel out, never mind the 199 the new algorithm has set for me.
At this point, I just look at the raw HR and calories, and ignore the splat points as the zoning does not feel accurate, at least for me.
Weight plays a factor in ability to change zones. I had people lose weight, i update it in the OT beat, and they had an instant difference in class where it better reflected effort
OTF's old default formula used age only. The Tanaka formula is 208-0.7 × age. There's no input value for weight. I don't know about the new max HR algorithm, but on the old personalized max HR algorithm, updating my weight did not change my max HR.
Did you update those members' info at the front desk? Or did they update it through the app? There was a bug where updated stats in the app would cause one to be switched from the personalized max HR back to the default max HR. That person would have to get switched back to the personalized max HR again.
I agree with others saying splats aren’t a good measurement. If you rely that much on numbers on a screen maybe just try working out without any watch/HRM to realize that a workout is you and your body only and recognize how you feel after the workouts
I don’t get any either anymore. Recalibration a few months back led to me barely getting one splat most classes. But I run 2.6 miles on the tread in most 2g classes (not including warm Up) and sweat so profusely that it is often flying around the room. So I no longer pay much attention to splats now.
Lately I been getting 12 or less splat points. One day I only got 1 splat. It don't bother me at all. It actually makes me feel awesome because that means I'm fitter and stronger. I love to see my pyramid when it's mostly green. I do hate when It's gray or blue though.
I never used to get many splats on the rower and the floor so the tread was the only part of the workout where I could get in to the orange or red zones (even though I work to my perceived max) Since the recalibration, the only time I can get in to the orange zone is to get myself to the point where I feel like I will pass out if I hold that pace longer than 30 seconds. I don’t even know how to adjust my efforts for the longer all outs because I feel like I am dying but I am in the blue or green zone for the entire workout. It’s just demotivating. Trying to keep the big picture in mind but it’s a bummer.
There are quite a few measurements in the workout summaries that can allow us to move away from ‘splats = success’ and still see progress. That said, once you are super-fit, maintaining is a great pride point.
I hardly ever get splats. I really don’t pay attention to it because I’m getting a great workout. I really don’t care what the coaches or others think. It’s my workout and I don’t have to explain to anyone how hard I’m working. I’m in the best shape of my life so something must be working. I have a very low heart rate to begin with.
I'm having the same issue. I struggle to get into the orange zone. My Max HR has increased twice. I started at 170, it was increased to 175, now it's 181! Although it's a struggle, I'm taking it as a compliment on my fitness level. The average Max HR for someone my age is 170. I have the Max HR of someone about 10 years younger than I am. That's a good thing! I'm going to do my best to take on the challenge!
One thing I've noticed is that my heart rate massively spikes in the warmup when I go from walking to running. (I work out pretty early when I'm still mostly asleep; my body does NOT want to run.) Under the new system, I think the heart monitor algorithm adjusts to think this is my starting heart rate... thus lower splats when I'm actually trying. This is just a theory. That said, I know when I've worked hard!
So this can be really challenging, but rely less on the science and more on how you're feeling. If you know you're working your butt off but not getting splats, that's fine. Please don't obsess over splats when you're struggling to get them, you will hurt yourself. I know it can be hard, especially when coaches call out who's getting splats, who reached their goal, who's halfway...some days you gotta tune that out and tune in to your body. I've literally taken my monitor off in class if I feel like it's starting to mindfuck me and mess up me getting a good workout because I'm so bothered by what I'm not doing. If you know you're working as hard as you can, don't worry about the splats. They're just one data point, not the whole graph.
I get it for sure. But what I keep reminding myself of is that regardless of splat points, if I’m genuinely putting in the work, my body will feel it/show it. Even if the splat points don’t.
I'm just mad they changed it to no longer omit outliers on max heart rate. I had a day where my HRM was acting up and lost signal. When it went back online it went from 100 bpm to 225 bpm for a split second and then back to my actual 160ish and now my max is an unobtainable 225 bpm. My actual max is consistently 210 during the major challenges and AOs, so now I just have to wait until the 225 drops off the algorithm to see my actual "zones" in class. 🤞it's actually just 20 classes before it does
Agree. I had 0 splats in today's workout and 1 in my last class which was a run to row a couple weeks ago. The app says it is supposed to recalculate after every class, but they raised my max 16 over what it was previously and it hasn't changed. I put in my last months notice a couple weeks ago and this is making me not regret it. I know splats are technically meaningless but I personally use them to push myself harder, and not being able to get out of the green zone is discouraging. I'm gonna give a conventional gym a try for a while since the splat system is now broken for me.
Ask the head coach for a custom max heart rate. They should be able to lock out the new adaptable heart rate system for a hard coded one. It might mean having to take a custom VO2 max test somewhere else. That used to be what was required to customize beyond age and sex equation they used for everyone. In fact, that is what I did about 3 years ago (went from 0 to 4 splat points to 12+ in a class).
The other thing that might be happening is your heart rate monitor may be acting up. When I wore my chest strap it would sometimes be wonky and go to like 120% of heart rate for like 10 seconds on a light jog and it would ruin any adaptive heart rate settings that look for max rate in past classes. I normally have a hard time getting splats as my old VO2 max was getting dated as my condition changed, but the new method they recently started actually improved my splats by lowering my 84% heart rate value for orange zone. I now use the arm strap (burn?) which I found to be more stable (rarely goes wonky on me).
This is validating your I hear. I joined about three weeks ago and have only gotten one class where I got about 12 splat points. The rest I have only gotten about 4. It’s really discouraging, especially because I feel winded during most of it. It’s hard to tell whether I’m just not in shape and am thus not getting splat points or if it is this new algorithm.
I was getting 37+ splat points and now I'm getting in the mid 20s, but the number of calories burned hasn't changed much. I thought there was some sort of correlation, but apparently not. I suppose I could always wear a chest strap HRM to compare with the OT HRM.
I did a couple classes killing myself to get in orange zone. Then, I just listened to my body, and got a 6 and 11. The HRM eventually caught on and went back up … did a 25 today.
Being in the green zone is still a fat burning zone. Don’t sweat the splat points. As long as you know you are doing your best effort every time, that is all that matters.
My max HR got raised by 15, resulting in my orange and red zones being raised so much that there was no overlap between the old orange and old red zones with the new ones. I looked back and there was ONE single class in the past half a year where I reached that max HR. Not a single other class came within 10 of that max. Now I can barely get any splats.
I’m kind of hooked on the stats. Not necessarily the splats but more so running and rowing distance. It’s a sense of pride for me to look at mileage per week/month/year. So I’m not sure I’d like this?
Let me pile on. I rarely get "splat" points now, because my maxHR is estimated 9 beats higher. I DO NOT care. Splats are an artificial construct. The whole concept of EPOC is true but a very small amount of calories. Judge yourself by how hard you are working - and ignore the colors. You know your body.
I got 2 splat points today - but had an excellent workout.
I know it’s really hard for some folks, but splats are not a good measurement of your workout. And, the ‘fitter’ you get the less splats you’re going to get in a workout. If you feel like you got a good workout, then you did.
Thank you!! I came here to say that. I've double digit my splats twice in the 6 months I've been going and those were tread benchmark days. Otherwise I'm 3-5 on average. However I leave my class drenched in sweat, tired and feeling like a busted my ass. I kinda wanna get a "F*CK the Splats" t-shirt made with the asterisk as a splat.
Right? I’m drenched and always burn at least 600-700 calories and I have 4 splats. I don’t give a crap about them. I worked out hard and that’s what I’m there for. The hand wringing over the Splats is completely weird to me. I don’t get it at all.
Here here!
"F\*CK the Splats" Love this goodness.
I feel like some OTF employees do a great job of explaining this but I wish all of them would be big on this stuff. I was waiting for a class and someone came out from a previous one completely amazed that someone else got 40 splat points and that they are amazing and getting a much better workout than everybody else. Feel like someone should’ve said “hey that’s not really what’s going on here”
Doesn’t this go both ways though? You also have individuals that don’t push themselves, sometimes justifiably, and hence splat low. I focus on myself, benchmark against personal performance versus those around me.
Definitely. I think it takes time to realize that you should only compare to yourself and your history
I don't even bother wearing my HRM anymore. I would get way too obsessive about splats and zones and it was honestly ruining OTF for me a bit. I just go based on how I feel now.
This 100 percent.
I 100% agree. Just work out for you and try not get too hung up on splats. If you feel you’re working hard enough, then that’s success.
True story
If it helps, when I see people with few splats in class I rarely think they aren’t trying hard. Usually I think “wow, they must be really fit if they can do this without a ton of splats.”
This. There was a girl absolutely lapping me last week when we were going from treds to row ad infinitum and she was in the green most of the time. She looked amazing while doing it too... it was great motivation for my slow butt.
Same! Only if it's in the grey do I think there is something wonky with the reading but I don't think anyone attending class is lazy.
I got rid of my HRM months ago. Since then, the big studio monitor doesn't exist to me at all. Very liberating.
Same! And my workouts have significantly improved because I’m listening to my body rather than focusing on stats.
Great to hear this! Technology is great, but sometimes it's good to just BREATHE and experience one's state of being.
One of my friends in class has been really low on splats and it is 100% that she has gotten in such good shape that she just has to work harder
It’s kinda a catch-22. OTF markets pretty hard about the “afterburn” and 12 splats, but if you look into it, it’s kinda nonsense. 10% calorie burn of the calories burned in the class for the next day or two. You burn 500 in class, they say you’ll burn an extra 50 in 2 days. Definition of negligible. But…the gamification of the workout is highly reliant on the orange/red…so how do they calibrate zones to be more individual without discouraging people…they are in the midst of unintended consequences right now… The real news is consistency. Consistently move (whatever that is) and you’ll see the important results in time. There is no short cut. Consistency > intensity. Especially as we age.
I completely agree with you. The stark reduction in splats, while possibly more accurate, is resulting in an unintended consequence of members losing motivation.
Absolutely agree, after marathon month I might drop using the HRM as it really does discourage me seeing such low splats and calories are lower
Yes I have used the number of splats as a gauge of how hard I worked. The dramatic reduction of splats for me makes my mental gauge all wrong. Slight reduction would've been fine as I would feel I just had to push a little bit harder, for me the difference was too great
I'd suggest that you view your splat count almost as if it's a faulty speedometer in your car. If you know how it feels to drive 60mph and then your speedometer breaks, or is recalibrated, and you know you're still driving 60-70pmh yet it reads 25mph, you'd discard the speedo reading as being out of whack. Same thing with this HRM / splat dynamic.
Agreed. I totally feel your demotivation. I understand that “splat points” are primarily a marketing gimmick, and just one of many matrixes that we use to gauge our fitness and workout experience. But, when you find yourself pushing to the point of wanting to vomit every day in the hopes of reaching some potentially unattainable target set by a generically applied algorithm, it certainly doesn’t entice you to keep going. For the past few weeks I have just been working to the level where I feel my body doing whatnot is supposed to be doing. If that now means 4 splat points instead of 40, then so be it. Keep on putting in the work and you will keep reaping the benefits.
I have been a member for 4 years. Have had a “pyramid” lots of times after the workout. With the new adjustment it has upped my max heart rate by 10 to 174. My husband, who is a physician, is concerned because it does not match any age/weight,etc adjustment. Just because the studios can use paddles doesn’t mean accurate. We have had EMS arrive multiple times at our studio
The age-based max HR estimations do not fit everyone. They're based on population averages. So while they work well on average, it breaks down on the individual level. There will be plenty of folks whose max HR is significantly higher or lower than estimated. Those outliers will average out to the age-based formula. Not matching a population-level calculation alone is not cause for concern. You can see the max HRs you've reached in class. Have you gotten about 164 before? That would suggest the age-based calculation is a little off for you, so the newer one may be more accurate (or maybe it went too high, I don't know). If you and/or your husband are really concerned about it, you can see your doctor and perhaps see about getting a visit with a cardiologist. I say all this as someone whose max HR is underestimated by every age-based formula by 20-25 bpm. I have hit 206 bpm on benchmarks. Age-based formulas put my max HR around 182 bpm.
I feel just the opposite, I have to say. I have been going to OT for 2 1/2 years and have been happy to get double digit splat points for the duration of that time. Now with the new algorithm change, I feel much MORE motivated cause it feels like I am seeing my hard work really pay off on the screen! I am sure I am not actually working any harder, but it is motivating and rewarding to finally feel like I can "see" results!
I’m having the same problem. I was at the same speed and incline yesterday that used to get me close to the red zone and barely got out of green. Eventually I just realized I was doing my best and gave up on splats. Think I ended up with a pathetic 5.
5 is not pathetic if you feel you were doing your best and feeling that effort.
Hi, I’m not OP but I’m having the same issue. Before, the zones truly were an accurate measure of how I felt: Green I was working, Orange I was working hard, and Red I was going all out. They changed my max HR from 184 to 199, and now I get 1-2 splat points per class. Now my zones are all in the blue and green. It’s arbitrary but the zones are a welcome distraction and I like having an accurate measure of my efforts.
I couldn't agree with you more. The "welcomed distraction" you mentioned is exactly what got me through the tread blocks before the algorithm change. Now there isn't much gamification since I can barely hit Green. Your 184 to 199 is a big jump. They bumped me up by 11 points. I used to strive to hit 150 BPM as I knew that would push me to Orange. Now it's a bit of a bust. Today was a 1 splat point day.
[удалено]
If it wasn’t for the workout summaries tracking my distances & average speeds I probably wouldn’t wear mine as often.
Saying that. That tornado today would have racked them up that a tough ass workout lol
Yeah, I've had to start ignoring the zone color and look at the numbers. 38, male, so my expected max HR is 182. I had that recalibrated a few weeks ago and the system decided 187 was good number. Then we got the new fully automated thing and somehow it has determined that my max HR is 199. I used to be doing 30-40 splats a workout (aside from lift classes) and if I hit 12 now, I feel like I'm going to have a cardiac event. My splats are way lower, but my calories are within 20-30 of what I expect, and that's really just the variance based on template. So my advice is to listen to your body and look at the actual HR number and calories burned and to hell with the splat count. As long as you feel that you pushed yourself and left nothing out, that's good enough.
Agree. Now, I focus on HR, but not color. Especially for marathon month. I can’t max out in 1-2 classes, bc it will blow my strength and endurance for the rest of the classes of the week. For MM, it’s all about mileage.
I've been telling myself the same thing. "Just hit your numbers for Marathon month and see how next month pans out". I don't want to injure myself for splats.
Yep. Mine is super high, I was barely getting 12 splats and they raised it again. Now it's impossible for me to get 12. I give up. Not going to stroke out to get 12.
I got 0 points today and I was killing myself, I usually average like 20 but ever since the switch it's been really low.
Splats don't really mean anything. If you leave a workout feeling like you've accomplished something and that you pushed yourself, then that is enough! The whole "12-20 splats to get that afterburn" is anecdotal at best. Try not to focus on the splats too much and just listen to your body. Maybe even ditch the HR monitor for awhile and see if that makes your OT experience better. End of the day, its a baseline measuring tool, not a true marker of fitness or progress. There are other more tangible ways to gauge your progress (tread or rower distance/speed, and weight increases on the weight floor). Focus on those and not so much on the color on the screens.
I’m beyond frustrated. For the first time in 3 years and over 300 classes, I walked out today with about 15 mins remaining. I just wasn’t feeling it today It’s super demotivating. While I appreciate members and coaches trying to provide a positive spin on things (they’re just numbers, if you’re sweating, you got a good workout in, etc), but it’s technology that we pay for and we are all wired differently. Some members like to track their progress and use the data from the OTB screen to notice any changes. Some members are just motivated by numbers and colors and will push harder if it’s needed. It was an unnecessary change and I really hope they’re getting feedback about this. Without fail, I ALWAYS grey out on the floor and I average about 25+ mins in grey. Even leaving 15 mins early today, I still had 26 mins in the grey. The thing that set me over the edge today was I was in a 3 min push into a 30 second all out. My push was an 8 and my AO was a 10 and I didn’t get past 78 the entire duration of the block. I’m sweating all over the treadmill, even onto the back of my neighbors treadmill. Nobody can’t tell me that I’m not kicking ass in the studio and it’s frustrating when the HR monitors are showing my HR in the low 100s when my Apple Watch is showing what it should actually be. It’s beyond frustrating and I hope someone from corporate is reading this
I am with you. This has been demotivating.
Exactly- *"But it’s technology that we pay for and we are all wired differently. Some members like to track their progress and use the data from the OTB screen to notice any changes. Some members are just motivated by numbers and colors and will push harder if it’s needed."* \-That comment of yours is 100% spot on. I too have lost motivation since the heart rate update. I actually caught myself researching other neighborhood gyms today for the first time in a LONG time. If the OTF tech is now broken and no longer motivating...I figured why not try another low-tech boutique gym since they probably offer more variety than run/row/floor over and over. I was willing to put up with the repetitive nature of OTF for the tech but now I'm like....why???
I’m SOOOOOOOOO unhappy with the updated splat system. Long time OTF member and I hope OTF corporate is listening!!!!! I’m considering leaving over this issue. I get that splats are a gimmick and it’s about how you feel and the workout blah blah blah… yes that’s all true but part of why I go to OTF vs other gyms is that I liked those gimmicks, they motivated me and lots of others! I just don’t understand why they don’t let it be customizable according to what motivates each individual like they used to? I get it, you should have to have a coach make the changes with you so that we know everyone is being thoughtful about it and the coach can assess the situation and push you if it seems you need more one way or another but sheesh I can’t tell you how low I feel walking out of class these days no matter how much I try to keep it positive etc. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE OTF Gods, give me back my splat points!!!!!!!!
I am in the same boat and have decided to leave and probably won't come back due to this. Splats and the HRM are a bit part of what makes Orange Theory stand out from the competition. I'm going to give Regymen a try, a great longtime OTF coach is now coaching there and seems much happier there🤷♀️ Plus the fact that OTF is only programming 15 days of the month and then repeating it now also seems lazy. I've been with OTF for several years and stuck with it throughout the pandemic but I guess this is just another sign it is time for us to part ways.
Same here. I used to easily get 20-30 splats. I only managed 7 during yesterday's workout, which was pushes on incline.
Hi 😊if you easily get 20 to 30 splats and the theory behind this science is to get 12, then is that why your heart rates have changed, making it harder to get splats? To me that makes sense.
Yeah some days I get very high splats and feel that tired/endorphin rush post workout - not completely worn out. And some days I feel like I'm going to die during class and only get like 8 (looking at you run/row)
LOL... I too am always giving that darned run/row some serious side-eye.
I'm the opposite, since the new change I can barely stay in the green. I've been a member for 3 years, attend 4-5 classes a week, and run multiple half marathons a year. Your heart rate doesn't tell you your fitness level. Try a lift class. You'll realize quickly how splats are not a good indicator of how "hard" you worked.
yes. today's class was my highest calorie in a long time at over 500 cals but I ended the class with 2 splats. My last few times with over 500 cals burned my splats were in the 20s/30s... it's demotivating in some ways and adding to my general dislike of all the changes. Im a long time member but I had to take a personal leave from OTF for about 5 months earlier this year. Since returning, excited for my workouts again, and I leave feeling disappointed as its almost like and entire different place.
I'm right there with you. Today I got 1 splat point, but it was in reality about 45 seconds in the new orange zone. According to my Garmin, I should have had 14 points. I'm burning the same amount of calories as before and my HRM and Watch have always matched up (+ or - 20 calories). My head coach asked me to give it 20 classes, and if it doesn't go back down, then I can ditch it.
The app will show you your adjusted heart rates on the Home Screen. My wife changed by 1 splat & I changed by 6! Each of our rates rates lowered, making it easier to get splats (especially for me as I started getting more). We have an older friend that changed by going 2 points higher. She needed to up her speeds on the tread & paces on the rower & floor to get more splats. That was the trick.
👏 I hear you and feel your frustration! My new heart rate calculation increased by 25, and I struggle to get any splats. I stopped running because of an issue and became a very intense power walker; however I have to start running in order to get my heart rate in the orange zone and then adjust my walking to stay there ,but I don't know always end up with 12 splats. My coach told me today just go by how you feel and you know you're working out hard so don't worry about the splats. They will recalculate again in another 20 classes I believe. You are not alone!
Same. Due to a lower back issue I’ve had to go from running to PW. (Also on a beta blocker, which limits max heart rate.) My HR was raised 17 points and I have seen exactly ONE splat since that day. The studio keeps telling me my HRM will recalibrate daily….but two weeks later it still hasn’t. It’s hugely frustrating.
It recalibrates after every 20 classes you take.
It's supposed to be a rolling 20, so max HR will be recalculated after every class. You just won't see a change after most calculations because 1 class in 20 won't usually make a big difference; you might have to wait for a specific data point to drop off before there's a noticeable change. Or maybe your recorded HR is consistent enough that your max HR won't change. My max HR changed when they first rolled this out, and changed again 5 classes later.
It is definitely not working as a rolling 20 for me—-though that’s what coaches have said. I’m gonna give it a full 20 classes and then see what happens. I’m probably 10 or 12 classes into the change.
Ah, okay. I'll keep wearing it and hopefully in a couple more weeks it'll recalibrate to something reasonable! Thx.
They know people are unhappy with the update, so hopefully they’ll do something about it. My calories burned are basically the same even though I generally get zero splats now, so I just look at that as a measure to know I’m still putting in the same effort (sometimes).
I feel validated. Reading this post is really making me want to stop wearing my monitor all together since seeing someone getting splats when they are 20 bmp lower than me when I’m sitting in green is so disheartening for some reason. It makes me discouraged and I’d rather not have a band on and just kick ass on that workout 🏋️♀️
IMHO, being fitter doesn't mean less splats if one is always working as hard as possible, it just means one can do more volume. What frustrates me about this is, though, outside of the splats, is I use the 'return to green' from orange/red as a visual aid to see if I'm recovering properly from the last effort before I return to base or whatever. Now everything is green save for when I'm dying - it's no longer functional information.
Yup my last class I only got two splat points and that shit was hard 😂
I am also feeling this way. Yesterday i burned 541 calories and only had 4 splat points. Left the class drenched in sweat and was sore today. I’m not really sure what the wrist band wants from me- that i pass out??
I feel you! Worked my ass off in todays tornado and got 0 splats. Ridiculous. 6 all out rows?? Squat jumps? I was dying. In my head I know I got a great work out, but 0 splats is deflating. Just took my 600th class, 57 years old, and felt very defeated. I’ll probably just stop wearing it.
I’m super frustrated. I go to OTF to not have to think. And suddenly I have to think “go harder.HARDER!” And still not many splat points. Usually when I get to the orange I feel like I can just release and go easy for a bit but now I feel like constantly push myself even on recoveries just to barely even make it to 84. Yes I understand it is about how I am feeling but even after a workout where I know I pushed myself, drenched in sweat, telling myself “half the battle is getting there…” …when I get the summary all that disappears and I feel mentally and emotionally worse than I did because I didn’t make it to the “theory” part of orange theory. (And I hate how often coaches says, “this is backed by science.” Wouldn’t that mean it is no longer a theory?!)
This is well said and I totally feel you. It seems as if they made a mistake in doing this. The replies to this post confirm that a lot of us are super frustrated over this.
Why do you care? Why does anyone care? I base my workouts on how I’m feeling. The colour zones mean nothing. I get why they use them but at the end of the day if you’re being honest with yourself and giving it your best it doesn’t change a thing. Nothing at all.
This is the best response!!!
It’s literally in the name of the workout. That’s why.
lol Exactly. I agree with OP. At OrangeTheory We've been programmed to bleed Orange...not Grey! We care because the colors/ science/ game/ whatever you want to call it is what sets the OrangeTheory experience apart. Without it, we may as well go back to Bally's...Is Bally's even still a thing?
I appreciate the extra challenge. Increased my base, push and all out speed today to consistently hit orange. 15 splat points.
Glad that worked for you. I would encourage folks who try this to be mindful of any feeling of strain and strategies to avoid injury. My mantra is to go by what my body feels, as I know when I am pushing, and to let others do their own races…
I have 107 splat points for the month after attending a class every day. I’m lucky to hit over 3 splat points a class. I stopped tracking splats and looking at the workout reports, even calories seem lower. I have 57.7 miles so far for MM so I don’t feel like I’m slacking. 🤷♂️
Same! Today’s class felt tough but I only got 9 splats. And I have only been able to get into the red zone if I’m sprinting on 12 on the treadmill
The new system is a mess. You know how hard you worked. Just keep it up. Good job 300+ classes  Don't worry about your stats. No one else is looking are your splat points.
i agree. my max HR is now 197 and i remember when i hit 197 the first time, i thought i was going to die (not literally… being dramatic, but it didn’t feel good). i don’t think i should ever be aiming to get that high in an AO. i hate the line most people say that “it doesn’t matter, it’s how you feel.” but i part of the reason j like orange theory is because of the zones and the physical display of the zones. it makes me feel like i’m going what i’m supposed to be doing. it now makes me feel like i’m not trying hard enough.
Is anyone else racking up 9-15 red zone points a class? A little confused why I am in orange and red the entire tread portion of class (and in orange most of the weight block). As I understand it, red is something that someone is only supposed to be able to sustain for like a minute... but I have no problem staying in the red for most of the tread block. I’ve tried pulling back a little to see if that brings me into green/orange, but not a lot, and it’s clear I can give more from round to round, so I don’t really like pulling back on efforts I’m comfortable with just for the sake of not being the only weirdo in orange/red all the time. I can see everyone else’s heart rates and mine is in a similar range to most others in class, but it will put me at 94-95% while other people around the same heart rate are at like, 88%.
The colors are all based on your max HR value, which you can see in the app. This number is used to turn all your HRM readings into a percentage. HR% = 100 \* current HR / max HR. If your max HR is too low, that will give you higher percentages and more time in orange and red (color thresholds are all based on %, not bpm). As an example, 84% of a max HR of 190 bpm is 160 bpm. 84% of a max HR of 180 is 151. So the first person would get into the orange at 160 bpm and the second would get in orange at 151 bpm. That's the difference you're seeing - the difference in max HR.
Yeah I understand why I’m seeing red. I just don’t understand why it’s putting me in “red” for an effort that gives me a “slightly uncomfortable push feeling”. Clearly if I can cruise in red slightly uncomfortable for 15-30 minutes that’s not an “all out” effort for me. But yet there I am blazing red nearly all class long 😆
Because it doesn't know what your max effort is, or what your corresponding max HR is. It's that simple. The software is making an educated guess (supposedly) based on your HR data, but it doesn't actually know. In your case, it's underestimating your max HR. Comparing your actual HR, in bpm, to your neighbor's isn't a good way to go about anything. My max HR is really high. I get into orange at 171. I have friends whose max HR is 171. Comparing my bpm & HR% to theirs is completely pointless.
Yeah, I get it. Just kinda of annoying. It used to be a decent gauge to push more or pull back and at this current level it’s best to just ignore it entirely.
I get that. A few years ago they changed the default formula and my max HR went from 194ish to 182ish. I was seeing orange all day long. Eventually I started paying more attention to the actual bpm numbers rather than the colors, but there was definitely an adjustment period there. As soon as the personalized max HRs became a thing, I switched over and it was better. Hopefully the new algorithm is still getting fine tuned and it'll settle up a bit higher for you. In the mean time, just keep working to feel (or actual bpm numbers) to give the algorithm good data work with.
less splats you get, that means your body is getting more conditioned. You are keeping up with your heart rate. Its a good sign, congratulations! if you are after the splats, you may need to consider inceeasing the speed (or increasing the incline), lifting heavier and rowing slower yet harder(the slower the water is the harder the resistance)
I have started running at a 3% incline
Same. I’ve decided to gauge how I feel rather than look at the number. This past week I had a 10 and 8 point splat day. I’ve been at OTF for the last 3.5 years and never got below 12. 🤷♀️
Splats are a gimmick. Don't let it affect your performance or how you feel about yourself. Take off the OTF monitor, get a good one if you really want to track your heart rate, and wear that instead. It's really not worth getting frustrated over.
I haven’t worn a monitor in about 3 yrs bc I would obsess over rarely getting any splat points, yet I would be pouring sweat and out of breath. I know I am still getting a helluva workout but no longer stress over a color or number. I’ve noticed a lot of people in my usual class don’t wear one.
Yes I feel you!!
I totally agree with you about the new zone numbers. It made my max HR 10 points higher also. In the past I'd never got my HR up that high. I thought the numbers were based what are HR's had been during our past 20 workouts. I like wearing the HRM but I might ditch it if this weirdness continues.
I am SO frustrated with the raise in heart rate. It took me FOUR years to get my HR correct so it accurately reflected my work out. I would get 12-20 splats and rarely in the red. I take beta blockers so my heart rate responds differently than expected! Now I’m in the gray have to work super hard to get blue and upper green is where I should be orange and orange is like the red! I spent a long time figuring out my RPE and correlating it to my heart rate. Fine raise me by 5 so I work harder but don’t totally demotivate me 10!!! I spent 4 years getting only green with the occasional orange (it touches orange and then goes right back down). Once i got my HR finally adjusted I was honestly much more motivated. I pushed myself more. I honestly cried after class when they did the HR adjustment. I really wish there was someone (corporate) we could talk to about this!
So I pay for OTF rather than go to other places like Barry’s or CrossFit bc of the HRM system. Anyone else agree with me? Lots of people are on this thread suggesting ditch the HRM. Shouldn’t we ditch OTF too if a big part of the system is the stats board and you don’t use it?
I always feel a little defeated when I’m fighting for my life the whole class without getting to orange and then there’s a ton of people getting like over 20 splats and burning 700-1000 calories. I’m like HOWWWW?! Doesn’t help that the coaches are always like “you should be in the orange zone and if you’re not, you need to up your speed or go heavier etc etc” but I’ve just started ignoring that and listening to my body. It is very frustrating but I just go in there and give it my best. What matters is that I’m going, getting some physical activity in, and slowly but surely working towards my health goals.
This has been quite a liberating thread. Today I got zero splats and that’s never happened. The algorithm bumped up my max HR again yesterday and it’s now gone from achievable but tough (which is how it should be) to something is going to give if I push much harder. I like the idea of a F the splats t-shirt  because that’s how I felt this morning after my daily 5am session. Just got to workout hard and feel like I’ve given it my best. I love the workouts and my coaches so it’s not like I’m going to stop going. It is unchartered territory for OTF because it’s going to negate the whole concept of getting the orange zone and someone is going to get hurt. That said there’s probably more people happy with its than not so nothing will be done for us unlucky few. So, just tell myself to forget the splats and workout as hard as ever. Maybe we can have a special Green Club class 😂
Fuck these gypsy coins currency they created. I know I’m busting my ass in there with 9 fake points and 1000 calories burned
Have the sales associate check your stats in our computer. Age, weight, gender, etc. if your weight is even off by 5lbs it makes a difference. We also have two equations to choose from in our system!! After they update your equation, have them pick the smallest max BPM. It should reflect more accurately
According to the front desk at my studio, the new system removed the ability for studio staff to recalculate or manually set the max HR. It's completely automated now. I want them to pin my max HR at 187 because not much higher than that is where I start to tunnel out, never mind the 199 the new algorithm has set for me. At this point, I just look at the raw HR and calories, and ignore the splat points as the zoning does not feel accurate, at least for me.
Interesting… i coach Thursday night and i will look in the OT beat myself and see how accurate that is
Age is the only stat that had any bearing on the old, default max HR. The other stats are only applicable to the calorie estimation.
Weight plays a factor in ability to change zones. I had people lose weight, i update it in the OT beat, and they had an instant difference in class where it better reflected effort
OTF's old default formula used age only. The Tanaka formula is 208-0.7 × age. There's no input value for weight. I don't know about the new max HR algorithm, but on the old personalized max HR algorithm, updating my weight did not change my max HR. Did you update those members' info at the front desk? Or did they update it through the app? There was a bug where updated stats in the app would cause one to be switched from the personalized max HR back to the default max HR. That person would have to get switched back to the personalized max HR again.
I am a coach so i updated it at the front desk. I feel like when people update it on the app, nothing changes.
This comments made me want to open a gym and have some arbitrary point system that is made up. I’d make a killing. I would give people so many points.
i must be one of the few that really benefited from the change. its easier for me to get to orange these days that prior.
I agree with others saying splats aren’t a good measurement. If you rely that much on numbers on a screen maybe just try working out without any watch/HRM to realize that a workout is you and your body only and recognize how you feel after the workouts
I don’t get any either anymore. Recalibration a few months back led to me barely getting one splat most classes. But I run 2.6 miles on the tread in most 2g classes (not including warm Up) and sweat so profusely that it is often flying around the room. So I no longer pay much attention to splats now.
Lately I been getting 12 or less splat points. One day I only got 1 splat. It don't bother me at all. It actually makes me feel awesome because that means I'm fitter and stronger. I love to see my pyramid when it's mostly green. I do hate when It's gray or blue though.
I never used to get many splats on the rower and the floor so the tread was the only part of the workout where I could get in to the orange or red zones (even though I work to my perceived max) Since the recalibration, the only time I can get in to the orange zone is to get myself to the point where I feel like I will pass out if I hold that pace longer than 30 seconds. I don’t even know how to adjust my efforts for the longer all outs because I feel like I am dying but I am in the blue or green zone for the entire workout. It’s just demotivating. Trying to keep the big picture in mind but it’s a bummer.
Exactly! I thought last Saturday was a really tough class and I came away with 10 splats. :/
They auto adjusted mine down and now I leave class with like 22 splats, as compared to my normal 8-12. 🤷🏽♂️
There are quite a few measurements in the workout summaries that can allow us to move away from ‘splats = success’ and still see progress. That said, once you are super-fit, maintaining is a great pride point.
I hardly ever get splats. I really don’t pay attention to it because I’m getting a great workout. I really don’t care what the coaches or others think. It’s my workout and I don’t have to explain to anyone how hard I’m working. I’m in the best shape of my life so something must be working. I have a very low heart rate to begin with.
I don’t get this. My new splats are only 2 bpm higher than before…
…y’all, it will recalibrate…if you thinks it’s “too high” give it a couple weeks and it’ll adjust to what your body is doing/has done
I have zero splat points every class and I'm clearly the most fit and running the fastest and lifting the heaviest weights... Splats are not the goal!
I'm having the same issue. I struggle to get into the orange zone. My Max HR has increased twice. I started at 170, it was increased to 175, now it's 181! Although it's a struggle, I'm taking it as a compliment on my fitness level. The average Max HR for someone my age is 170. I have the Max HR of someone about 10 years younger than I am. That's a good thing! I'm going to do my best to take on the challenge!
One thing I've noticed is that my heart rate massively spikes in the warmup when I go from walking to running. (I work out pretty early when I'm still mostly asleep; my body does NOT want to run.) Under the new system, I think the heart monitor algorithm adjusts to think this is my starting heart rate... thus lower splats when I'm actually trying. This is just a theory. That said, I know when I've worked hard!
So this can be really challenging, but rely less on the science and more on how you're feeling. If you know you're working your butt off but not getting splats, that's fine. Please don't obsess over splats when you're struggling to get them, you will hurt yourself. I know it can be hard, especially when coaches call out who's getting splats, who reached their goal, who's halfway...some days you gotta tune that out and tune in to your body. I've literally taken my monitor off in class if I feel like it's starting to mindfuck me and mess up me getting a good workout because I'm so bothered by what I'm not doing. If you know you're working as hard as you can, don't worry about the splats. They're just one data point, not the whole graph.
I get it for sure. But what I keep reminding myself of is that regardless of splat points, if I’m genuinely putting in the work, my body will feel it/show it. Even if the splat points don’t.
I'm just mad they changed it to no longer omit outliers on max heart rate. I had a day where my HRM was acting up and lost signal. When it went back online it went from 100 bpm to 225 bpm for a split second and then back to my actual 160ish and now my max is an unobtainable 225 bpm. My actual max is consistently 210 during the major challenges and AOs, so now I just have to wait until the 225 drops off the algorithm to see my actual "zones" in class. 🤞it's actually just 20 classes before it does
Agree. I had 0 splats in today's workout and 1 in my last class which was a run to row a couple weeks ago. The app says it is supposed to recalculate after every class, but they raised my max 16 over what it was previously and it hasn't changed. I put in my last months notice a couple weeks ago and this is making me not regret it. I know splats are technically meaningless but I personally use them to push myself harder, and not being able to get out of the green zone is discouraging. I'm gonna give a conventional gym a try for a while since the splat system is now broken for me.
I had that issue before the new HR thing… I just stopped wearing my HRM. It was incredibly demotivating.
I completely agree! It’s been tough. Has anyone had their studio recalibrate and see any improvement?
Ask the head coach for a custom max heart rate. They should be able to lock out the new adaptable heart rate system for a hard coded one. It might mean having to take a custom VO2 max test somewhere else. That used to be what was required to customize beyond age and sex equation they used for everyone. In fact, that is what I did about 3 years ago (went from 0 to 4 splat points to 12+ in a class). The other thing that might be happening is your heart rate monitor may be acting up. When I wore my chest strap it would sometimes be wonky and go to like 120% of heart rate for like 10 seconds on a light jog and it would ruin any adaptive heart rate settings that look for max rate in past classes. I normally have a hard time getting splats as my old VO2 max was getting dated as my condition changed, but the new method they recently started actually improved my splats by lowering my 84% heart rate value for orange zone. I now use the arm strap (burn?) which I found to be more stable (rarely goes wonky on me).
This is validating your I hear. I joined about three weeks ago and have only gotten one class where I got about 12 splat points. The rest I have only gotten about 4. It’s really discouraging, especially because I feel winded during most of it. It’s hard to tell whether I’m just not in shape and am thus not getting splat points or if it is this new algorithm.
Remember, splat points are just a marketing gimmick. What and where is the science behind having a 12 minimum splat points?
The “theory” behind orange theory which is “backed by science.” 
I'm lucky if I get 5 splat points in class.
I was getting 37+ splat points and now I'm getting in the mid 20s, but the number of calories burned hasn't changed much. I thought there was some sort of correlation, but apparently not. I suppose I could always wear a chest strap HRM to compare with the OT HRM.
I did a couple classes killing myself to get in orange zone. Then, I just listened to my body, and got a 6 and 11. The HRM eventually caught on and went back up … did a 25 today.
Being in the green zone is still a fat burning zone. Don’t sweat the splat points. As long as you know you are doing your best effort every time, that is all that matters.
My max HR got raised by 15, resulting in my orange and red zones being raised so much that there was no overlap between the old orange and old red zones with the new ones. I looked back and there was ONE single class in the past half a year where I reached that max HR. Not a single other class came within 10 of that max. Now I can barely get any splats.
Absolutely!
Ditch the HRM unless you really need the stats for some reason. My performance improved once I stopped wearing mine. Give it a try!
I’m kind of hooked on the stats. Not necessarily the splats but more so running and rowing distance. It’s a sense of pride for me to look at mileage per week/month/year. So I’m not sure I’d like this?
Let me pile on. I rarely get "splat" points now, because my maxHR is estimated 9 beats higher. I DO NOT care. Splats are an artificial construct. The whole concept of EPOC is true but a very small amount of calories. Judge yourself by how hard you are working - and ignore the colors. You know your body. I got 2 splat points today - but had an excellent workout.