At $100+ per hour many people who would benefit from the care and attention of a personal trainer simply cannot afford it.  And yet, blindly wandering through your local gym with little to no plan or inspiration often yields sub-optimal results.

Enter CrossFit.  At $250 per month, a CrossFit group class membership gives members access to professional coaches at a rate far below the cost of personal training.  CrossFit’s success can be largely attributed to its success at addressing this under-served market niche.

CrossFit offers members a choice of personal training at the same rates you would pay anywhere else or you can enjoy discounted group class memberships that allow you to share a coach’s attention at a fraction of the cost.

CrossFit Empower offers up to 6 group classes (and 2 open gyms) per day, 7 days per week.  Our members attend an average of 3 to 5 days per week (15-25 classes per month) which works out to a per member cost of $10-17 per class.  The more frequently you attend, the greater value you receive.  This is, in effect, about one tenth the price of personal training.  And with classes capped at 12 attendees, each member gets plenty of coaching attention.

But group classes are not for everyone.  If you have a membership at a big box gym or you train with a personal trainer, your training is all about you.  Show up when you want, do what you want, leave when you want.  If you pay me for personal training I don’t mind if you show up late or if you want to leave early (it just means you get less training time) and I don’t mind if you don’t show up at all.  I’m still paid for the full hour.  Personal training is all about me serving you.

But group classes are a different matter.  When you attend group classes, it is no longer all about you.  As a group class coach I am constantly balancing the needs of the group with the needs of the individuals in that group.  To maximize the efficacy and safety of community based fitness a coach must create an operating structure built upon mutually understood standards of behaviour.  And then the coach must hold each member accountable to those standards.

There are many ways to create structure for your CrossFit community.  There are pros and cons to each and different coaches and gym owners will prefer different approaches.  This makes every CrossFit gym’s culture and community unique.  And it means CrossFitters are exposed to different cultures when they visit different CrossFit gyms.

The cultures and rules in any CrossFit gym generally reflect the values of the members, coaches and owners.
When you are considering your fitness options, try to think of more than just the price tag.  Group classes offer extraordinary savings but they also require you to integrate into a culture where, as with team sports,  the needs of community will often supersede your personal needs.

In general, if you love team sports and activities, you will thrive in the cooperative, collaborative CrossFit group class setting.  On the other hand, if you prefer receiving the trainer’s undivided attention and prefer independence and autonomy in your training then personal training may be your best fit.

Whichever way you like it, at CrossFit Empower, both options are available.