Our gym has plenty of students and young professionals, and unfortunately, many of them eventually move away! When this happens, we’re usually asked for some help in choosing the best CrossFit gym in the area they’ll be moving to.
When we first got started, there were only about 150 CrossFit gyms in existence. Around most major cities, and certainly in our region, I knew of the available gyms, and likely even had some personal contact with the owners. Back then, I could readily say which gyms were most likely offering an awesome service, and which ones were struggling.
When folks ask me about other CrossFit gyms, I think they’re expecting something along the same lines; a personal recommendation or disapproval. Any more, I have little secret knowledge on the gyms out there. Thankfully, us CrossFit gym owners are serial over-sharers. You can head to mydemosite.org and know how we train, who our instructors are, skim our facebook to check out our community, and youtube to see what other troubles we’ve gotten ourselves into. Gather all that information together, and you’re ready to make a decision that will impact your training for years to come.
[dropcap3 color=”gray”]5[/dropcap3] Qualities of a Great CrossFit Gym
[list style=”list4″ color=”gray”]- Experience CrossFit has grown exponentially in the past few years, and it’s fairly easy to start your own CrossFit gym. A little startup capital, a weekend certification, an approved affiliate application, and you’re in there! Many don’t stay around forever, so if you find one that has been around for several years, they’re most likely doing something right, not to mention the additional business and training experience they’d had from being around for awhile.
- Great Instructors Another no brainer! It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out what an instructor’s level of experience is. How long have they been training? What is their background? Are they well-versed in the tools CrossFit pulls from (weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, etc..)? Do they have any competitive experience? Check through all of the instructor bios, and see what you can dig up. Lastly, check their level of education/certification. I’ve met great instructors with hardly a “cert” to their name, and terrible ones with a stacked resume.
- Professionalism, presenting a good website, and responding quickly to email/phone calls. This speaks for itself. If a gym doesn’t put energy into a professional appearance, there’s likely other areas they are lacking in as well. Call them up, shoot them an email, and see how long they take to respond, and how they respond. Ask to tour the gym when you go in for a trial class. Is it clean and organized, or reminiscent of a Chuck-E.-Cheese’s after a 5 year old’s birthday party. Some say this doesn’t matter, but most of the time, it’s telling of their level of service in all facets of the business.
- Convenient Class Offerings If they only have a few classes offered here and there, or an inconsistent schedule, look elsewhere. You’ll enjoy the flexibility a full schedule offers down the road. This isn’t so much a quality issue, as a capacity issue. Larger gyms will typically have more class offerings. Additional classes outside of the standard CrossFit group class, and seminars with subject matter experts, are a big plus.
- Structured Entry Program This can come in many shapes and sizes, but there should be some sort of consideration for addressing the needs of brand new members. This could be a tiered class structure, with Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced classes, a short stint of required personal training, or a longer, small group “Foundations” or “Elements” course. This may not apply if you’ve been training longer, but again, says plenty about the kind of service they offer. “Hey bro, come on in! We’re doing Filthy Fifty!” should not be the first contact you have with a new gym.
The list could go on, but those are the first things I check out. Take the above, and narrow down your search in the nearby area. Most medium sized cities of larger have several options to choose from. Check out a few CrossFit gyms, and chances are you’ll know exactly which one is best for you after spending some time with them. Don’t be afraid to drive past one CrossFit gym to get to a better one. A great gym, instructors, and community can change your life.