Why an affiliate?

[Chad James]

I don't mean this in a bad way at all...but I am wondering what the point of an affiliate is for SOME crossfitters?

I have a free place to work out with literally ALL of the equipment except a c2 rower. I have a key to my high school (ex-basketball coach loves me and hooked me up) and it is running distance from my house. Great facility, my own place (dead in the summer), no mirrors, all sweat....dreamy.

As much as I'd literally LOVE to do some WOD's with fellow crossfitters, how can it justify driving an extra 20 minutes and paying a butt load? Or am I missing something? I called the nearest Crossfit and they just kept throwing numbers at me. I'm like whoa, whoa, whoa...I just wanna work my butt off in that atmosphere and I'm doing so on a college kid's budget.

Thoughts?

[Celio Silva]

For the same reason as in many other (if not all) sports: the atmosphere. Training by yourself and training with others is very different. You'll soak up much more knowledge and motivation from a group atmosphere.

[Chad James]

It just seems like I can get self-motivation in the gym and motivation from others on the website. The people on here are great! Knowledge also comes from the website. Crossfit has done such an awesome job, they can answer anything and show better techniques....daily!

I'm interested in joining an affiliate, just not for hundreds of dollars :-(

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

check this out

http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=32282

[Mark Reinke]

We make our services affordable to all income levels. After the first visit, we let the individual decide on the value of everything that we offer. Then we talk about frequency of attendance, and make it work. Even for college students on a limited budget. Plus, I was a bit off on my intensity prior to visiting my first affiliate last year. It's definitely a different game when you're amongst a group of like minded people looking to improve everything about themselves.

[Chad James]

Jamie - thanks for the link, no idea how I missed that in my search!

Mark - thanks to you too, valuable information and makes me a lot more interested in checking one out. Let's hope they can be reasonable lol.

Thanks!

[Dan Thacker]

Chad, I don't really understand the question. If you are happy doing what your doing, then great! Doing CrossFit on your own is tough and not many people have that capacity. I tip my hat to you. People join to learn, get better, and interact. If your local affiliate just threw numbers at you, then they are not representing an approach I would use. It is not affordable for everyone but it's no different than any other service. As an affiliate, I'm trying to make a living and we feel what we provide is worth every penny. Keep in mind many people simply can't learn this stuff on their own. I personally want to learn Jiu Jitsu. Sure I could buy some videos and try and teach/train myself but no way. I'm going to look for a good school and if I have that much desire, the driving distance is not a factor for me. The benefits of belonging to an affiliate are too numerous to list. But like I said, if you are happy, great. Best of luck

[Joel Chapman]

Doing CrossFit on your own is tough and not many people have that capacity.

I understand everything is relative, but saying not many people have the capacity to do crossfit on their own (w/o joining an affiliate) is unfair, if not untrue.

[Anthony Bainbridge]

Originally Posted by Joel Chapman

I understand everything is relative, but saying not many people have the capacity to do crossfit on their own (w/o joining an affiliate) is unfair, if not untrue.

Some people hire a contractor to build a patio deck. Others do it themselves. Some people bring their car into a mechanic to be fixed. Others tinker with it in the garage. Neither way is right or wrong - it depends on what you perceive to be more valuable.

You're right - most of them do have the capacity. But most of them also work full time, have a family, and very active social lives. They don't eat, sleep, and breath fitness like some people. They want the benefits - but without the hassle of research and a lot of trial and error. So they cut to the chase and hire a coach.

[Leonid Soubbotine]

Good point Anthony.

It's funny but this question only comes up on the message board and never with people who visit our gym.