You’ve heard of CrossFit. A CrossFit or Group fitness gym can be found nearly everywhere today. Typically, you will be able to find multiple gyms in the same town.
Maybe you’ve seen fit people lifting big weights on Instagram. Maybe one of your co-workers goes to CrossFit after work every day. Maybe you even have friends who won’t stop talking about it. (Trust me, this is a thing)
But before you start Googling every gym, consider these four things 4 when searching for “CrossFit and Group fitness gyms near me.”
Number 1: Consider more than just price and location in your decision.
When choosing a gym, price and location are often the deciding factors. In my opinion, a great CrossFit gym with an awesome community is worth the extra 10- or 15-minutes’ drive.
CrossFit is a social activity, and every gym has a different culture, and you should find a gym whose coaches and clients you connect well with. I tell everyone that moves to our area to look into all the CrossFit gyms before deciding which one is the best for them. It’s important to find the right community!
Yes, CrossFit can be expensive. Guess what? It can also be cheap.
But you get what you pay for. So you need to ask yourself what you’re looking for. Do you just want access to equipment and not much in the way of service or coaching? If that’s the case, then maybe the lower-priced option is good for you. If you are new to CrossFit, however, I don’t recommend this route. The movements can be complex, and you’ll need quality coaching. Again, some people don’t want coaching, and that is ok too.
At CrossFit Ellis, we pride ourselves on client service. We provide our clients with one-on-one personal training services, which has a higher price point. If you want a higher-value service that provides faster results than group classes, you should consider a CrossFit gym that provides one-on-one personal training.
Again, we pride ourselves on not only coaching, but accountability and community as well!
Number 2: Ask, “Do the CrossFit boxes near me understand my goals?”
The most successful CrossFit gyms should understand the wants, needs and desires of their clients. We are all NOT the same, which means we may need to take a different approach from the masses to help you achieve your goals.
The best gyms in the business understand that we are in the results business. The worst gyms in the business think we are in the “get-bodies-in-the-door” business.
The path to results begins with a goal-setting session when you first walk in. We call ours a No Sweat Intro. Good gyms will ask you what your goals are. Do you want to lose weight? Gain strength? Get toned? Feel better in your skin? We ask them all!
Now, here’s the secret—the great gyms will ask you WHY.
Understanding the “why” is very powerful in setting any goal. Is it about more than just losing weight? Does your family have a history of chronic disease? Do you want to get stronger so you can play with your grandkids? Do you want to be able to use your fitness outside of the gym in activities like sports, running 5ks or marathons, hiking or to get prepared for an upcoming event like a Spartan Race? WE WANT TO KNOW THESE THINGS!
If no one sits down with you and talks to you about your goals, how can they truly help you achieve them?
You deserve to find a gym that appreciates you!
Number 3: Ask, “Do the CrossFit gyms near me offer nutrition coaching?”
Yes! You read that correctly! The best CrossFit gyms in your area should offer nutrition coaching.
Despite the misconception that we are here to just crush you every day and get you to the Crossfit games, haha….
CrossFit is not about heavy barbells and kipping pull-ups. It’s about improving your fitness.
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, defined fitness in 100 words: “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean-and-jerk and snatch.
“Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics; Pull-ups, dips, rope climbs, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc. hard and fast. Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.”
Whats the first thing mentioned? Nutrition!!
In any health and fitness routine, nutrition is responsible for 80% of the results. We see it in our clients all the time. Those who do nutrition coaching see 3.5 times the results of those who just exercise. If you are not eating real whole foods, you are not doing CrossFit … period.
People quit gyms when they don’t see results. If you want the fastest route to results, you need good nutrition and exercise. So why not find a gym where you can get both?
Number 4: Ask yourself whether you’re searching for a “CrossFit gym near me” or a “CrossFit personal trainer near me.”
If you’re new to CrossFit, I highly advise that you start in a one-on-one personal-training environment. Fitness can be intimidating. You will feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, and possibly overwhelmed.
A CrossFit gym in your area that offers personal training or a form of On-ramp, will help you prepare for group classes. You may even find that you enjoy the one-on-one environment more than group training.
CrossFit is a training methodology. Group training and personal training are the means with which it is delivered.
At CrossFit Ellis, we do offer personal training services. We find personal training is best for the following:
• Clients dealing with a pre-existing injury.
• Clients new to CrossFit.
• Older clients that might feel out of place with 20- and 30-year olds. We actually specialize in older clients!
• Clients who want to make sure they’re performing the movements correctly.
• Clients who don’t like a group setting.
Do some research, ask questions, and find the community that has your best interest in mind!
Inspired by Rob Connors
