So, you are thinking about joining a CrossFit gym.
But you have either done a little research or heard through the grapevine that they can be expensive.
This probably has you wondering if it is worth the money or if you would be better off not joining.
We hope this article will help make that decision a bit easier.
How much does Crossfit Cost Anyway?
That’s a great question and it’s pretty important if you are trying to decide if it is worth it to join a CrossFit box.
We’ve done the research and the truth is the cost depends on where you live. If you live in a place like Washington DC you would be looking at about $260.00 per month which is the highest price in the USA. If you are in Alabama you would have the lowest cost at just $97.50 per month.
Most of you will be somewhere in between with the average cost being around $160 per month for a good plan that gets you over 20 classes per month.
There are all sorts of plans out there and they will vary from gym to gym. You can stop by once for about $15 or you can get signed up for a lesser number of classes per month like 8,12, or 15 classes. Every gym is different though so you will need to research the ones near you to see what plans they have based on how many times a month you will be wanting to go.
Side note, the cheapest Crossfit Gym is in Brazil, they charge just $33 per month.
What You Get for the Money
When it comes to CrossFit gyms/boxes you aren’t going to get a ton of fancy equipment to use. That’s not what CrossFit is about.
CrossFit gyms will have barbells, rigs, kettlebells, ropes and maybe some rowing machines and air bikes. That’s pretty much it, and if we are being honest that’s really all you need.
More important than the equipment is the coaching. At a regular gym, you are on your own, if you don’t know how to do an exercise you are going to have to figure it out for yourself.
However, at a CrossFit gym/box there are certified coaches there to teach you how to do the exercises and what your form should look like, and it is included in the price.
Now…
The problem is, some of these coaches are good and some of them are bad. After all, the only thing they had to do to become a certified coach was to attend a weekend seminar that cost them $2000.
With that in mind, you never know what you will get from a coach, if you are thinking about joining a CrossFit gym you should try and do some research and look at some online reviews to see if the coaches there are any good. You could do a trial membership to find out for yourself but if you are new to CrossFit or working out in general it can be difficult for you to tell if the coach knows what they are talking about.
You also can’t just show up whenever you want to and workout, they have set times and classes for you to attend. Many CrossFit gyms are also only open in the morning and late afternoon/evening. They close down during the day when people are at work.
At a regular gym, you can go whenever you want to and some are even open 24 hours a day.
CrossFit: Is it Worth the Money?
For Beginners
If you are a beginner and you want to do CrossFit I would say it is worth it, you will definitely need some coaching to get the lifts down when you first start out. Just winging it with things like power cleans and snatches is not a good idea. Make sure you have a good coach, they will be worth their weight in gold.
The members of the CrossFit gym are also very supportive of each other (so much so that they are sometimes called a cult) so you don’t have to worry about being judged. The constant cheering for you, while you are working out, can get old for some people though.
For Intermediate and Advanced
If you are a bit more advanced and don’t really need the coaching all that much then it can be a bit harder to justify the cost.
In reality, you could just get yourself a nice home gym and do all of your lifting at home. Play your own music, workout whenever you want and do your own thing.
In the age of Covid staying at home to train definitely has its benefits, so long as you don’t need a coach to teach you the lifts it might be the way to go.
You will be missing the whole community aspect, if you don’t mind that then training at home is a good option.
When you think about paying $160 a month to belong to a CrossFit, that’s $1600 for 10 months. That could buy you a really awesome home gym.
Can I just do CrossFit at a Regular Gym?
Eh…that really doesn’t work all that well. For one thing, many gyms don’t have the bumper plates or the open gym space for you to do a CrossFit workout. On top of that, it can be pretty annoying to the regular gymgoers.
You can maybe do some CrossFit workouts at a regular gym but for the most part, I would advise against it.
Will CrossFit Get You in Great Shape?
If you are looking to get into great cardiovascular shape then yes, CrossFit will definitely help you with that.
While there is weight training involved in many of their workouts they are all still great cardiovascular workouts that will definitely get you into great shape.
Will CrossFit Make You Strong and Build Muscle?
To be honest, just doing the workouts of the day for CrossFit won’t really make you that strong or build much muscle. You will need to focus on some of the strength training movements like deadlifts etc outside of just doing a WOD. WOD’s are great for cardio but you will need to do more than that for strength and muscle.
Who Should NOT do CrossFit?
This is an easy one. CrossFit is not for lazy people. The workouts are seriously intense and require a lot of effort. If you are lazy you are not going to like and you probably won’t get much out of it either. If you are ready to bust your but and work hard, CrossFit will give you some of the best workouts of your life.
Conclusion
CrossFit can be expensive but you do have someone showing you the ropes and how to do the lifts correctly, so if you are new to CrossFit it can actually be a pretty good deal provided you have a good coach.
If you are more advanced you can opt for a good home gym which will save you money in the long run and is much more convenient.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
