by Coach Chris
Having had worked in education prior to going all-in on CrossFit, I still see a ton of parallels between the education world and what we do here at CrossFit Kanna. You could ultimately call what we do “physical education” although that might bring back bad memories from your own experiences in school. We like to think this is proper PE 😉
Here are some analogies to give you a better idea of what fitness offerings are out there and why using the term “gym” isn’t that precise.
GLOBO GYMS/LIBRARIES
Globo gyms where you pay $10-50/month for access to equipment are like libraries. Lots of great resources, but no guidance or instruction on how to use them. They’re the cheapest option because all they do is provide access, but people can get overwhelmed with how many options they have. Their business model counts on having 5,000+ members and only a fraction of them showing up each day. The majority no-shows subsidize the minority that actually show up and use expensive equipment and resources. The other fact is that you need to know how to use the machines and what kind of programming you want. Cheap is rarely better, but it can be a great option for the self-directed and disciplined.
PERSONAL TRAINERS/TUTORS
Personal trainers are like private tutors. Pretty darn expensive ($60-$100/hr), but you get 1:1 attention and a customized program. Of course, the quality of trainer/tutor can vary, plus there is no community included. These are great for those who need instruction on an unconventional schedule or a very specific program.
SMALL GROUP/SMALL CLASSROOM
A small group or classroom allows for members to pay much less than personal training, but still get a ton of attention. At Kanna, we cap classes at 12 people and the pricing works out to be $8-$12/class. It allows for a community vibe and studies have shown that social groups are important for health and longevity. With a coach/teacher, you get expert guidance, correction, and the programming is done for you. You just have to show up and put in the work.
PROGRAM/CURRICULUM
Now, just because it’s a small group doesn’t mean it’s great for you. Sometimes a program or curriculum can be too easy or too hard. A proper program should be scalable to many different abilities, ages, and experiences (in education terms: differentiation) And unless you absolutely want to specialize, a program should be general. For us, this means variety in what we do (strength, cardio, gymnastics, etc) and also how we do it (classes are always an hour, but workouts range from 10-30 minutes and vary in intensity. Other time is spent warming up, mobilizing, and skill review). Movements can be scaled for the overweight person who has never worked out to the former collegiate athlete with lifting experience. Same stimulus, different degree of difficulty.
None of the options above are inherently bad, but you need to figure out what works best for you, your budget, your lifestyle, and what your goals are. To learn more about us, you can book an intro here.