Last week, I tried CrossFit for the second time. A new studio opened up just a few blocks from me and was giving out free trial classes to potential new members.
I admire the competitive nature of CrossFit, to which I discovered last year when I visited CrossFit Fenway in Boston.
They somehow turned exercise into an actual sport you can compete in, complete with the CrossFit Games. Reebok, who is a sponsor at the Back Bay location, recently began an ad campaign called, “The Sport Of Fitness Has Arrived.”
For my session, the instructor began by taking us through a warm up Tabata, my favorite! We did 20 seconds of squats, followed by 20 seconds of forearm planks. This was a good warm up but not as efficient in my opinion as a dynamic warm up. It was a cool exercise though for the gym to show off their awesome timer. I took the picture below at the end of the session but it was set up to act like a Gymboss, complete with automated alerts at 20 second and 10 second intervals for four minutes.
Like I mentioned above, this was my second visit to a CrossFit studio. Both facilities put me through what they call a “Baseline” workout. The Baseline consists of a 500 m row, 40 squats, 30 sit ups, 20 pushups, and 10 pull-ups.
Above is my vlog from CrossFit Fenway. At Back Bay, I had to row on one side of the gym and cross to the opposite side for my pull-ups, which were not set up properly for me to immediately begin. We had to add a few weighted plates for me to stand on in order to grab the rings. Both times, I did use a green elastic band. Last year I got 6:04 and this year I got 6:30. However, if I had not had to adjust the height for the pull ups, I think I would have tied my time, but that is just me.
Either way, according to the chart above, I am an expert. That works for me. However, I do understand I am not an actual expert since I did need the assistance of the green band. This is kind of where I ask, how do you compare when you offer these advantages? It’s not really accurate for women using an across the board starting line.
The class was small and energetic. I had a great group of fitness enthusiasts it seemed. Half had tried CrossFit before. I don’t feel like my knowledge of CrossFit is adequate enough to really give it a good review. The baseline is not enough to know what an actual 55 minute workout is like. That being said, the facility was clean, open and bright! The classes will be capped off at about 12-15 and classes will run on the half hour I believe. They can only have about 300 members so it’s going to be a first sign up, first served basis.
They had an incredible response before opening. Over 800 people registered for a free class like the one I took. After the class, they give you the sales pitch which is expected and totally fine. They are brand new, they gotta get members some how. The part that shocked me though was the price. Cross Fit is expensive! I understand most CrossFitters do not belong to other gyms, so if you are planning to join, you might want to wait for your other membership contract to expire. I can’t remember what the exact rates were, but I left under the impression that at a minimum you will be spending over $200 for a monthly membership. It’s not like a regular gym membership in that you can go whenever you want. You need to sign up for a class, arrive on time and finish in 55 minutes. They are prepared to add classes and slots where needed to satisfy their members.
Update: Some one on my Facebook page had a good point. You’re paying for a monthly gym membership plus a personal trainer for each time you go. Makes more sense to me, when you think of it like that.
I enjoyed the class, and loved the space. Wish I could have gotten more of a taste of what CrossFit actually is. Perhaps if they run a special, I’ll buy a package but I can’t justify spending the amount for something I’m not 100% in love with. If you do Cross Fit, and I know many of my readers do love Cross Fit, how much do you pay a month/session? I’m very curious now, because I was shocked.
