Choosing a CrossFit Gym

I suppose CrossFit has arrived. I'm seeing commercials of Chad Ochocinco head to head with Iceland Annie. There are 46,000 individuals registered for the CrossFit Open. It has come a long way since 2007 (the tipping point). I'm still sticking to my opinion that Mark Twight is heavily responsible for the growth of the sport. (If you don't know the background story, look it up - it's an interesting read). There were 350 affiliates in 07 when I was introduced. We are approaching 3000.

How do I choose a CrossFit gym? Luckily if you live in East TX, you don't have that many options. My buddy has 80 affiliates within 30 miles of his California home. There are 4 CrossFit Gyms in the Tyler area.

What you need to look for? You must find a gym that fits your schedule, budget, and convenience. Schedule: consistency is the key ingredient to CrossFit and if your gym's class schedule is not accommodating to your schedule(factor in family, work, extracurricular) chances of you sticking with it go down. Budget: You must be able to afford it. CrossFit is the medium between personal training and a gym membership. Prices range from (and this is what I've seen worldwide) $90 to $400 per month with the average typically being around $150 per month. Convenience: This is the least important of the 3 as we have athletes drive over an hour to train with us daily. But if you are the type of person that will easily blow off a hike across town to a gym, then you need to find something that is convenient as well. (Things like child care and showers also weigh into this category.)

Jeremy Thiel once said your CrossFit Gym should be like a mullet. Business in the front and party in the back. It's true. Even though I always viewed us as the anti-establishment and the underground, you still must bring a professional aspect to your business and you should look for that when selecting a gym.

Knowledge: CrossFit gets a bad rep sometimes because people go too hard too fast. Of course a program that is 100% safe is an ineffective program. (GG) Find a coach that will teach you the basics of human movement and follows the principle of:

1. Mechanics
2. Consistency
3. And then and ONLY THEN intensity

Ultimately it boils down to the fact that you will be the one getting the results. From Day 1 when a potential CrossFitter walks through the doors, we make this very clear. It's your journey. We are just guiding you along the way. "We will never be able to get you as good of results as you get yourself." Treat fitness as a lifelong journey. The ones who succeed the most are the ones who take things slow.

Last, please don't take this as a plug for my gym. Everyone can do CrossFit but CrossFit is not for everyone. The beauty of the CrossFit affiliates is that we are not franchises and we can run our gym however we please. I know for a fact the experience we offer does not suit every potential CrossFitter's needs. Nor will any gyms. The goal is to find the experience that aligns with your goals.

Hope this helps.