Is Crossfit expensive?

Triathlon Forum
1

Feel free to flame away at Crossfit. I have never done it, but I am intrigued by it. I don’t know (nor care) if it will make me a faster triathlete. At the end of the day, I care about being healthy and looking decent with my shirt off. Triathlon has certainly helped with this.

They just opened a CF studio in my neighborhood. It is about 500 yards away from the GloboGym that I go to once in a while. I checked out their pricing and I was shocked at how expensive it is.
$185 per month if you do a month-to-month.
$150 per month if you do a annual membership.

My GloboGym is about $30 per month.

Is this the going rate?

2

What do you get for that?Are you left to your own devices or does that include all the group workouts?I am interested to know just how thses new Crossfit gyms are promoting themselves and what actual services they provide for the money.

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3

Compared to Globo Gym, yes they are expensive.

They want to sucker you in the for the full year, hence the cheaper fee, and yes, that is the way mine functions as well.

Mine, is around $120 a month, but I live in a small city with 3 affliliates so there is some competition for business. One affiliate is slightly less expensive and better yet, less focused on the crazy one rep max Olympic style shit that my current Xfit gym is now obsessed with (which BTW, I have zero interest in doing), so I am thinking about switching gyms. The owner of my current gym seems to think we are all going to compete in the games, rather than using Cross as a strength workout for other sports, so he’s lost my business.

See if you can broker a punch card or like a 3 month trial at a lower rate. Or offer to pay $100 a month for 2 classes a week, pay $150 for 3 classes a week (I doubt you need more) or then a higher fee for unlimited. But only the koolaid drinkers do the unlimited :slight_smile:

S

4

Good question. Sounds like unlimited group workouts and access to their facility. (including their Workout of the Day).

http://ladera.crossfitethos.com/getting-started/

5

I pay 100/month for unlimited. 6 work outs with 4-8 people and 2-3 trainers floating around for any questions/help. Also do open gym on Sundays to work on technique or to make up a workout. They offer nutrtion stuff (lots of recipes/shopping lists for a weeks worth for lazy people like me/some supp advice though most dont take any). To me its worth it. Met some good folks and it gets me out of my comfort zone. I could prob do most of it at a gym but I figure it is less per day then I used to spend at starbucks. Still do tri training in the am but I have focused on CF a lot more lately.

6

Crossfit, like triathlon, can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. It can pretty much be done for free if you have access to a pull up bar and some basic fitness equipment. The cost of the CF gym comes from a much lower member base and still having to pay the bills and buy enough good equipment for all of your members. The benefit of a CF gym is you essentially have a personal trainer at your disposal for every workout with no additional cost. Compare a CF membership fee to the cost of a gym and a personal trainer, and its actually fairly . Ive done CF both as a gym member and on my own, and both ways have advantages and disadvantages, but if you have any doubts in your lifting form, I would recommend the gym. Good luck, and let the flames begin!

7

If,like you say they offer unlimited group workouts and if they have people there to supervise and give serious and well thought out advice then I’d say that it is better value than what most tri coaches or personal trainers charge.I mean to have structured workouts and your trainer/trainers there to motivate you at every workout is a huge plus to any athlete,not to mention the extra motivation that group participation brings…

Now,the problem is that most of these types of places tend to be pretty heavy on the hype and a little light on the substance so that is always a serious reality check but if you can figure that out then it is probrably not far off being a good deal ( the $100 a month by the other poster sounds better to me ).So if the facility is decent,the coaching is solid,informed, safe practices are a priority then it is probrably worth a look.I would definately give it a shot if I had one close to me as I’m doing it on my own right now.

If you want to be on the podium of your local tri’s then it probrably isn’t the best training plan but if you want to look good dancing on the podium at your local bar than it is definately the way to go.

I believe that due to the timing of IMCabo that ALL single guys should train this way when preparing for that race as spring break is on at the same time and skinny guys with funny tan lines 'aint going to cut it on the dance floor post race.

8

My buddy owns a CrossFit gym, and I’m wanting to say he said it’s something like $225/mo (maybe that was without any deals/specials)

Only reason I remember was because I about choked when he told me how much!

9

The box I go to charges $100 a month, $80 if military or police, for unlimited. They have 5 class times a day m-f and 2 on sat and sun. I go at 5:30am and there are typically 3-8 people working out with 1-3 trainers. The cost is all relative to location though not necessarily the expertise of the trainers.

10

I’m still confused by the purpose of crossfit (beyond the fundamental purposes of a for-profit business). They’ve obviously got a whole culture thing going on, and those on the inside are convinced that crossfit is the only way to accomplish whatever it is that crossfit accomplishes. I can imagine that participants achieve some level of general fitness in these workouts, but is general fitness the only real goal? Is it sort of like an exclusive gym alternative? Are these people training for crossfit competitions? Do they think that it’s a superior method for athletic training (namely that whole muscle confusion thing)? I actually had one guy tell me that he was planning to run (and do quite well) in a local 15k road race, but thanks to crossfit he didn’t have to run more than 2-3 miles, once a week - and that was simply to maintain the feel for running. Ultimately, he didn’t fare too well.

I’m a firm believer in the “don’t knock it 'til you’ve tried it” philosophy, but based on the absurd prices (my opinion) and the inherent superiority complex of the participants (again, my opinion), color me a cynic. Maybe I just don’t understand the elegant beauty of the program. I welcome any detailed explanations.

11

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12

I’m still confused by the purpose of crossfit (beyond the fundamental purposes of a for-profit business). They’ve obviously got a whole culture thing going on, and those on the inside are convinced that crossfit is the only way to accomplish whatever it is that crossfit accomplishes. I can imagine that participants achieve some level of general fitness in these workouts, but is general fitness the only real goal? Is it sort of like an exclusive gym alternative? Are these people training for crossfit competitions? Do they think that it’s a superior method for athletic training (namely that whole muscle confusion thing)? I actually had one guy tell me that he was planning to run (and do quite well) in a local 15k road race, but thanks to crossfit he didn’t have to run more than 2-3 miles, once a week - and that was simply to maintain the feel for running. Ultimately, he didn’t fare too well.

I’m a firm believer in the “don’t knock it 'til you’ve tried it” philosophy, but based on the absurd prices (my opinion) and the inherent superiority complex of the participants (again, my opinion), color me a cynic. Maybe I just don’t understand the elegant beauty of the program. I welcome any detailed explanations.

It is a trend just like aerobics.We used to to the circiut training thing all the time in the 80’s/90’s,in fact I used to teach circiut training back then and man did we get fit.This new incarnation is just an extention of what guys have been doing in the military for decades and MMA for years.It is just packaged differently to the masses and attached to the ‘caveman diet’ to make them feel badass.

I’m sure I will be corrected but I believe this Crossfit thing is a spin off what was happening in the Gym Jones Gym in Salt Lake City www.gymjones.com .These are the guys who trained a bunch of movies stars for shows like 300 Spartans and is rumoured to have trained a bunch of the guys from Seal Team Six who we all know are really Badass.Apparently one of the trainers left the gym,which is pretty exclusive and not open to the public and started using the training techniques to coach clients.It has grown from there.

There is also the MMA spin off with Marty Rooney setting up his own very similar version called Warrior Training which uses many of the same techniques but is slanted towards fight specific training. www.trainingforwarriors.com This is the one I like because Marty travells the world checking out all the different fighting techniques and incorproates them into his Training for Warriors progams.I like his Facebook blogs and workouts because they involve different cultures,he explores some cool places and because I can actually see what he is talking about when I watch the MMA guys do their thing.

The down side of these fad training programs is that they suck people in who don’t really know what they are doing and end up being borderline cults.A lot of the claims of Crossfit are in fact great,functional fitness,increased strength,etc,etc,ect but some of the stuff is a joke,especially a lots of the Crossfit Endurance for triathletes.This again is why I prefer the Warrior Training because the training is desiged for the purpose of getting people fit to fight in the cage and then scaled down for the fitness crowd.They treat it as more of a martial art instead of a fitness trend and the discipline and culture of the martial arts apply.

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13

Vegas: $154-$174/mo for 3-unlimited classes, another site didn’t have pricing, another site didn’t have pricing, another one without pricing, $149-$189 3-unlimited, $130-$170 unlimited (3-month or 12-month pre-pay).

I love this FAQ entry:
"
Why are the prices not listed? Are you that expensive?
No we are not that expensive. What is the price for not being sick or injured anymore? What is the price for being in the best shape of your life?

If you can’t see the value or don’t want it that is fine. Those who are serious about their fitness will.

"

Seriously. I don’t even consider sites that don’t show pricing online. That’s something I hate about CF gyms and boxing type gyms, the ones that omit pricing. Stupid quote even messed up my text lol

That last one I checked gives you $20 drop in and punch cards for a certain # of classes. That’s what I’d do to try it out. Me personally I pay $300 a month for 3 X swim coached hours, 3 X strength coached hours, 1.5 hour trainer group class, and 1 hour track workout. Groups are small, sometimes even just me, most of the time 2-3. That’s 34 hours a month or $8.82 an hour. Also includes weekly customized tri schedule and unlimited email and in person questions. I’d rather do that right now rather than cross-fit but I DO want to try it out sometime in the future once I get a few Ironman and 100-mile runs and bike rides and some hiking. I did one class and it was fine but at the time I didn’t want to pay $180 or so a month.

Various outdoors and indoor bootcamp classes are in the range of $150 a month for unlimited.

So is it expensive? Not terribly so and in-line with other like activities and companies.

Trainers are my gym are $60 an hour. 3 hours of that in a month is the $180. You can’t compare someone motivating you to a gym. I used to be anti-trainer just because of the cost but I cannot tell you how much I’ve fallen in love with it after trying it out. If money permits I will have a trainer/coach of some sort for life. That’s why I don’t view the $300 as terribly expensive given everything it offers.

14

Yeah, I think you will find a huge price difference in these gyms and a bunch of them will be total cult like experiences…The trendier they are the more expensive they will be.I would never pay the kinds of prices you quoted…Good old fashioned fight gyms are the way to go but they are very intimidating for a lot of people,especially women. You could always buy the DVD’s of P90X (CaptainCanada’s second favourite workout) or Rushfit www.gsprushfit.com if you want to do the stay at home thing.

You will see more and more toned down,Crossfit training in regular gyms very soon which will drive the prices down at the other places…It will be interesting to see just how long the Crossfit fad lasts.

…and then there is TRX/Suspention training as well but that is a whole different discussion

15

The fight gyms are a bit cheaper at around $50 a month but I think they’re closer to a gym’s group class experience than CrossFit which is closer to a gym trainer experience. I don’t think the experience is the same (having done all four).

I do seem to remember them being closer to $200 a couple of years ago so they do seem to be going down slightly.

16

Save your money and get a box, kettle bells, pull up bar, medicine balls, and some chalk and do your own wods from the hundred of workouts on the official site in your garage. If your local crossfit gym and coaches are worth a damn, the monthly charge will include training, coaching, nutrition advice etc. Not just a place to train. The aspect of training with other people and against the clock really helps some people…so if you need that push, is paying $100-$150 amonth really that unreasonable? And your current instructor sounds like a tool if he doesn’t develop a crossfit endurance program for you as a triathlete…focusing on olympic lifts alone is not the best approach IMO.

17

Look around, just because it’s a crossfit box does not mean its great.
Try them out first, get a feel for the people there.
Make sure all the trainers are atleast a level 1 or higher, maybe an Olympic lifting cert and an endurance one as well.
Where I live I have 5 boxes all within 20 minutes or so.
The one that is closest to me is $240 a month and is a body sculpting crossfit. And they are dicks, only 8 to a class, email RSVP, if your a no show you get charged $40, and once the class is done they kick you out and close the doors.
The next two have the same owner and are great. I go to the one closer and cheaper, $125 unlimited vs $185 unlimited.
You really need to look at the box carefully before pulling the trigger.
Feel free to ask more questions

18

Save your money and get a box, kettle bells, pull up bar, medicine balls, and some chalk and do your own wods from the hundred of workouts on the official site in your garage. If your local crossfit gym and coaches are worth a damn, the monthly charge will include training, coaching, nutrition advice etc. Not just a place to train. The aspect of training with other people and against the clock really helps some people…so if you need that push, is paying $100-$150 amonth really that unreasonable? And your current instructor sounds like a tool if he doesn’t develop a crossfit endurance program for you as a triathlete…focusing on olympic lifts alone is not the best approach IMO.

I agree
I have been training with weights for over 30 years and have seen a lot come and go as far as trends. I used to be a consultant type of coach for powerlifting and bodybuilding as well as a successful competitor. Lifting is still my number one love and I am in a typical franchise type gym with tons of weights, machines of all sorts, spin classes, swimming pool and many other types of means of training like an area of heavy bags for those mma fans. I see people training cross fit style, endurance training and traditional style like myself. My gym membership is an annual lump sum payment of $320 dollars (no EFT commitment) for all of that including access to any of the classes. I got that rate because I negotiated the price and refused to sign a contract or give them my credit card or bank routing number.

Being that I have been involved for so long and being associated with local to professional level athletes, I do have quite a number of friends that are cross fit competitors. If I were not 49 and still had the durability of my youth I feel like I would be as fit if not more than some of those friends competing in cross fit even though I continue to train much like a bodybuilder. I have basic strength lifts like squats, deadlifts and military presses, but I also include sets on machines. I train in cycling like a cyclist, which is about 10 hours a week using a power meter to guide training. I chat with my chiro who is a cross fit competitor and a judge at local events. He cannot do what I do on the endurance side and yet I am pretty pathetic on the endurance side myself compared to those of you that compete in tris and road racing. However, I am pretty happy that though I am not an official cross fit I feel like I am in fairly good condition for strength and endurance without having to join a trendy/specialized cross fit gym.

The guys that I know that are training and competing in cross fit are literally training out of a garage as catch83 mentioned. In our area (Atlanta) these guys were some of the first that I know in this trend and the competitions were called “garage games”. It started out with these guys coming over to one of the guy’s house that had room to setup a basic gym in his garage and from there they used the cross fit videos online, pushed each other and it grew from there. From my understanding the racks they have were home made, chin up bar home made, bags of sand of various weight home made and they purchased a couple of olympic bars with some basic array of plates. At $150 a month cross fit membership you could have your own equipment paid off in less than a year. I may be wrong, but I think the guys I know started training out of the garage for the sole issue of rising franchise gym memberships and now it sounds as if cross fit gyms cost more than the fitness franchise box.

19

$150 or more per month?! That’s ridiculous.

To be a Crossfit Level 1 trainer is a 2 DAY COURSE (at least some of the courses here in Canada are)… so my question is what are you paying for?? I highly criticize them for their business practice and bare minimum standards of practice, with such high-risk activity like power lifting, sprints, plyo, etc.

Always question the trainer. I feel many of these gyms are popping up not because they are the best trainers in the world, but because they are the best businessmen. Crossfit is highly marketed, very visible, and the results of many speak much louder than those who have been severly injured (and yes, I am aware of the “scaling” weights).

No this is not directed at everyone. There are some great trainers out there, with lots of olympic lifting, additional certs, and a deep education background on exercise physiology and biomechanics. The challenge is finding these PROFESSIONALS and sifting them from the BUSINESSMEN.

So you’re paying $150 for a building, the equipment, and a “trainer” who dictates the WOD, which was simply dictated by a website. This website has no knowledge on what program you need, what your capabilities are, and what goals you wish to achieve. They just want you to do as they say, and you have to hope you’re in the hands of a competent trainer.

Granted the motivation, group dynamics, and positive attitude of Crossfit have a ton of benefit in training, that is where they excel. Does the high risk of injury, interference principle against your triathlon training, and cost warrant leaving your current gym? That’s a tough question.

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depends if you work in the cost of therapy for your new injuries
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