As an affiliate that has an open gym membership I can speak first hand to it's pros and cons.
Benefits as I see it:
1.faster growth in the early days of opening your box due to a cheaper price point
2. referrals..more people telling more people
3.energy in the gym
4.pace bunnies..they make the older more affluent people who can afford Crossfit work harder
5. as most of the open members at my box are younger they first become the firebreathers and then they become a good source for future coach's

negatives:
1.you need a bigger box
2.Makes it harder to manage class at times
3. you need more equipment
4.you give a potential client and easy out when it comes to spending money in your box
5.greater risk of injury due to lack of coaching

While I have had nowhere near the success that Cf Central and Petranik has had I do think by limiting how many open members are in our box we have managed to make the postitives outweight the negatives. Ask me again in 1 year and I will let you know if I have changed my mind.

I prefer the class system. It creates energy, allows me to push myself and creates a team environment.

Any of our athletes can come and work on skills or ROM or anything they like as long as it does not infringe upon an ongoing class: I really dont want anyone doing the WOD of their choice when there is a full class hitting the daily dose.

Off times? Do what you need: make-up WODs, etc. are encouraged throughout the open schedule times, every day.

Ohhhh...Lisbeth you read my mind on this topic. I want to open a box and wanted to have a 1-2hour open gym time slot. Thanks for this question!

Everyone: PLEASE put in your $.02!

Thanks,
Nathan Magniez

We have scheduled sessions. In the new year we are going to open the gym 1 day a week for "open gym" so folks can come work on skills and offer a clinic for specific skill work.
I like your rules Andy, firm, fun and encouraging.

Lisbeth-

Great post and something I have been kicking around with the opening of my box. I feel like there is a very large community of CrossFit Athletes still working out at the Globo gym becuase they don't want to pay the $150 for the CrossFit classes. I think affiliates could greatly benefit if they would have open gym times that these people could come in and do WOD's without the class system. I haven't figured out all the details yet, but in my mind it would look something like this.

They would pay a lower monthly rate than folks coming to class...say $75 or something, and I think I would put them under a contract. They would have to pass my elements class and be at a certain level in order to be able to work out alone and be eligible for this option. If they wanted to take part in a class during on a day they would have to pay the daily drop in rate.

Like I said I don't have it all worked out, but I think there is a huge community of folks who are fairly proficient in CF, but don't have a place to do it fully...I think it is a big un-tapped market.

I also believe that these people will end up migrating to the classes for the competition and the more hands on training.

As for my regular members, I think they should be able to utilize the gym however they want when classes aren't going on. We are there to help them get better.

My partner and I have discussed this several times, and we just don't see an advantage to running open gym.

In my mind our people are paying for the most effective coaching possible (not for equipment of a place to train). I suppose I just don't see how open gym creates an optimal coaching environment. We train weightlifting and/or gymnastics skills everyday, and I would not be sure how to best teach those in a randomized setting.

We do encourage people to come in early or stay late around group classes if they would like to do some additional skill training. As said before, as long as you are not interfering with other peoples' training, you can hang out as long as you want. But it's skills they have already learned from us in a private/group setting.

Coming from an affiliate owner that has tried having time slot to allow open WOD time as well with classes for rest of the day I reccommend classes.

As mention already by Chef, it is difficult to manage people when everyone is doing their own stuff. It can be come hazardous. At our box we have gone to classes only for the most part. What we have done now is given our memembers "Freestyle Fridays" On Fridays its an open gym style only for 1 day. Allowing them to come do any WOD of their choice or our own WOD that is still posted. A lot of them come in on Fridays and work on form n finish with a quick WOD. We still enforce booking time slots too prevent an overload at any given time.

I have to add to Toby comment about proficient CrossFitters that may not want to pay full price. I think this is true, but at the same time we need to remember we don't just offer great coaching. We also offer a place to kick, scream, yell, drop weights, and a lot of unorthodox equipment that will not be seen or allowed at any fitness gym/studio/etc.

Here's our issue (ideas appreciated, but wanted to lay it out to help new Affiliates):
We started as a personal training company who needed space for athletes to do their 'homework.' We realized the value of having a basic gym membership for cash flow when we opened our CrossFit box ( our second location.) However, one year in, we face these challenges:
1. Our membership is made up, predominantly, of CrossFitters. That means they gravitate toward doing the WOD on their own, uncoached, because it's *cheaper.* Our coaching staff is excellent; groups are exciting and full of good instruction; but you just can't beat $35/month to belong to a CrossFit box.
2. During a CrossFit group, there may be half a dozen others doing their own workout - or even the WOD - in the box at the same time. This gives the perception that the CrossFit group is only for beginners, and something to 'graduate' away from, unless you require specific coaching in one particular move or lift. Argh.
3. The membership base pays for the rent of the box, but not enough to staff a non-coaching "gym staff." That means the owner (me) works about a 75-hour week, including coaching and Personal Training. Hey, I love it, but I've got kids and a wife, too.
4. Collecting past-due membership fees is a pain in ANY gym, but if members can attend your box as a member OR as a CrossFit group participant (with a punch card,) there's some loss from month-to-month.
5. Some CrossFitters will 'coach' their friends through WODs to "help." Of course, this means their friends don't attend the group.
6. Members not participating in the CrossFit group really get the coaching, because we're a small box and you can't enforce earplugs.

If I had it to do all over, knowing what I do now, I'd offer 3-4 hours of "open" gym time daily, charge the same membership rate, and not sell memberships to football players. They just can't understand the value of bumpers, tires, and Prowlers without coaching. Where's the damn pec deck?

haha - this topic came up this sunday in NJ and all i wanted to do was move on to the next topic.

i dont run an open gym, i train people in crossfit - end of discussion.

as i see it, skill practice and related coaching should be part of your programming and you should be covering all elements often enough as it is. additionally, there is often time during warm up or after WOD to work on "goats." if someone want a little extra time to practice, it's fine with me if it doesn't interfere with class. anything more they can sign up for personal training.

i train people in crossfit - i dont run a gym

the can of worms has been opened!!

A lot of great points to be made on both sides of the fence. I think it is site specific. What works for some of us, might not work for others. Follow your gut... your athletes will let you know what you need to do.

Classes.

Does anyone actually know a person who performs better without a coach than with one?

Proficiency in CrossFit is an extremely rare & beautiful thing. Mastery of all movements, lack of weaknesses, perfect technique? All that without being a coach/trainer and without going to multiple certifications/events. With ability to program & coach themselves.

Have yet to meet such a monster.

Great topic of discussion.

We have a 2 hour "Open Gym" session every Sunday for members to come work on extra skills and make up a WOD, but otherwise we run classes like most affiliates.

For me the biggest con of the open gym concept is the loss of community and "fitness as sport" that comes through the class structure.

I agree there are tons of folks crossfitting solo globo gym style, and perhaps someone will figure out how best to serve that market, but I don't feel it's my responsibility. No disrespect to the solo CFers out there, but I don't like the idea of a low fare, no value add, just come use my equipment approach and I don't like the idea of a lone wolf in my gym when so much of what makes this stuff work is the community, friendship and healthy competition.

Leo - thats a great point, I've heard that comment a few times - "I dont need a Coach"..so why is it that EVERY elite athlete (with perhaps the major exception of Roger Federer) has a stable of coaches working for them?

Re: Toby's comments on 'proficient' crossfitters.

This is an aspect that has irked me since we opened our doors.

We joke that the hardest person to sell on our services is somebody who is already doing CF. Somebody who has already been following mainpage for a few months on their own or at their local gym. They see no benefit to our coaching, they just want a place to train. However, usually their concept of 'proficiency' is different than ours.

I'm willing to talk to somebody about open gym hours if they can demonstrate a bodyweight snatch and a strict muscleup. If they can't, then they definitely have aspects that I can coach.

Leo,
Again, I agree w/ you 100%. I have yet to meet such a monster either. Which is why I sought out an Olympic lifting coach to help reach my goals. I know I'll perform better under the tutelage of an experienced coach.

"The coach who trains himself has an idiot for a client"

All the good athletes I meet have coaches.

We recently implemented an open gym on Saturday mornings, after our regularly scheduled WOD. There is not a separate or 'reduced' membership for open gym - it is only available for members of our affiliate and it is a supplement to the group classes, not a replacement.
Several of our members had asked for open gym hours so they could work on their weaknesses and/or personal goals and the feedback has been pretty positive so far.

I believe that people who pay for CrossFit pay for the coaching, community and fun. Otherwise they could simply do CrossFit at a globo gym for $40 a month save themselves $60 - $100 a month. I do believe it's a good idea to have a day for working on skills or your own WOD - open gym format.

We have classes only. We have scheduled an "open gym" on Saturdays after our morning class a few times so people could make-up a wod they missed or work on a skill. Everyone came to the class, and no one came to open gym. People like direction and being told what to do. That's why they have us as coaches. But even more, they like working out with each other in the classes. It's not as fun doing something by yourself, and the benefit is way less in terms of fitness. I have heard from a few people that they would like open gym, but they haven't shown up when we held it. I think for most people, if you don't give them a specific task to complete, it's a huge barrier to actually getting themselves to the gym to work out. People don't come to "work out". They come to do the WOD.

I've been to about a dozen boxes and the best program I've seen yet is Potomac CrossFit's. They have classes throughout the morning and evening that begin on time and respect the time of their athletes. Before or after the class, athletes are welcome to hang out, cheer, or work on some skills in the back.

During the afternoon, they have (or had... not sure if they changed it up) an open gym session that accommodates athletes with a different schedule. There is usually one coach in there to put athletes who come in at their leisure through a WOD.

I've seen boxes work REALY well with both systems, but as a CrossFit athlete, I prefer group classes. However, since I'm on a MEBB program, I do enjoy the ability to come into a box and do my own thing.

I am one of probably many folks that would be interested in open hours at a CrossFit box in order to use equipment that is not available at the Globo Gyms. I am interested in bumper plates and a platform so that I can do Olympic lifts for my training for masters track and field throwing (shot put, doscus, hammer. etc.. I might be interested in some WODs for GPP, but, in general, the purpose of my training is to support the goal of throwing far. So I am interested in primarily the platform, bar, and bumper plates, and would also be interested in playing with any strongman equipment, and I am even interested in trying some rings or other gymnastics skills to improve my body awareness, but would probably not be interested in doing daily timed WODs. I want to be able to design and execute my own structured, personalized program that supplements mostly my throwing training on the high school field with Olympic lifts and other exercises both GPP and sport-specific. I respect those for whom CrossFit is their primary activity, but there are a lot of folks out there like me who choose to specialize in a specific modal domain, and could also benefit from a CrossFit box's facilities. I used to lift at a local high school where I coached part-time, but now I don't have access to a platform. I am considering building one in my garage, but I would join a local CrossFit box if I didn't have to do the WODs in a class, but could just use the platform during an open gym time at a reduced monthly rate.

I'm not a huge fan of the Open Gym, because the whole point to CF is getting coached during a WOD that's soooo intense that even the best mover needs cues to "hold it together".
I also think that open gyms should be for members, open gym is earned.
bottom line for me is we are not a globo gym!

We have no open gym times for WODs, but we are considering having open gym on Saturday mornings for an hour starting the new year for our athletes to do supplemental Olympic Weightlifting.

I believe CF is built on the energy and camaraderie that is forged in the class setting. I also agree that athletes pay for high end coaching and the atmosphere that a class creates.

Funny. Been kinda dealing with this issue of late now that we have a lot of our equipment. What I've decided was:

1. Classes.
The previous points of community, coaching, etc are all dead on accurate. When there's a WOD, it is entirely class-based. No other activities are to be performed. Although if it's a slow day people can practice technique for body weight exercises pull-ups, squats, muscle-ups, etc. All equipment is reserved for the WOD classes, and since there's only one coach, me, I don't want people doing lifts if I'm not there to watch their technique. Even down here there's liability potential.

2. Rest Days.
- Previously, all Rest Days were "make-up" days or "work on skills" days. Currently, all Rest Days are technique training/practice days. Since we just got our barbells, rowers, etc recently, there's a lot of new movements to teach before including them in a WOD. While I'm a fan of prepare for the unknown, a lot of my athletes are complete novices to many movements and thus have some frightening technique. Soon, Rest Days will revert back to "make-up" or "work on skills" days, which I guess can be considered "open gym" days. Classes still assemble at the normal class times on a rest day, but the athletes will choose either to do a WOD they missed, practice, or just hang out.

So, I am all for class based system, not open gym.

Lots of respect for the different opinions here but any affiliate that dosen't offer reasonable open gym hours every day is losing members and money. There are plenty of people looking for access to space, equipment, coaching as needed, and even the Crossfit community that are unable or unwilling to attend a class. Consider how many of your clients are shift workers, new parents, people that travel for work, or are just plain unorganized. The world is full of people that fall into these catergories(probably more than one occasionally!) that would love to be part the crossfit community but due to lifestyle or personality, the class format dosen't work for them. Perhaps making a "skills assessment" that looks for basic competency in some common crossfit movements mandatory prior to being able to purchase an open gym type membership would help both the trainer and potential client have a better understanding of the individuals athletic needs and if they could be meet with an "open" membership. Classes or coaching sessions could be purchased as neeeded. I think that class workouts should still be given priority of equipment and space. With all this being outlined up front, I know that there are many more people that would find what they are looking for at a Crossfit affiliate. My local affiliate would have two more members.

Alittle off topic, but im looking to set up my website, just wondering if anyone has any reccommedations as far as what site to use... blogspot, typepad.. etc. ooor actually buy a site. im not 100% on how to do this but i thought i would ask funtioning affiliates what they perfer first .. THANKS!!

Open gym is not an option at our facility. However, as long as it does not interfere with the class I dont have a problem letting a client do a WOD they may have missed during the week or one they are going to miss. We do a 5 day on 2 day off program so it may be difficult for a client to make it 5 days a week. I recommend 4 days which is what I have been doing and getting the best results.

Funny though I did offer a open gym on Friday after Thanksgiving just to allow folks to come in and do their own WOD. Of course there will be coaches present.

In my garage gym, it's in class format. It's my opinion that I'm there to train you in the movements and coach you in the WODs. Anything less is globo-CrossFit IMO and I'm not into that at all.

Come to train, come to learn, come to BE COACHED. Everything else is social hour.

Ask my wife, I regularly tell those milling around in my garage to "shut up, I'm trying to train here!"

Well from a trainer point of view, individual training just wouldn’t work – in our place anyway. When everyone is doing the same exercises within the wod it means that we are giving out one set of cues. The benefit of this is that even if the instruction isn’t aimed directly at someone, they still here it and think about their own execution of the movement (and rapidly try to correct themselves before we catch them on!)

We have a Hurly team of 15 players currently training strength & conditioning. Even with 2 of us watching and coaching them there are times when it's slight chaos as they are all working their way through different lifts at different times. You need eyes in the back of your head.

I go to an affiliate with open gym and I can tell you the reason---convenience. I work hectic hours and some times I do not have time for a long warm up and skill session and just need to warm up quick and get rolling. In our area there are allot of younger people who work hotel/restaurant jobs and struggle to get to the gym. An open gym allows for some flex in schedules and work out time. The bulk of the time I am with a group and we all work out together. Having the option not to is not a bad thing. I can tell you that crap form gets called and you are not alone. Coaches are there to help you and guide you.

I don't usually have the time to read into the comments and when I do a cool one comes up. Go figure. We have been affiliated for 4 years and opened our second facility 2 years ago. We have tried it all. I just posted this on our website. There is only so much space and equipment is expensive to replace. Untrained members doing their own thing simply cost more. We are trainers not gym owners. Hopefully this helps.

* What is the North Shore CrossFit Difference? -

Sometime over the past few years we have become perceived as a very expensive gym. Our model is not and never will be an open gym concept. We are a school of Fitness. Not a Gym! We do not compete against Gold’s, Latitude, the BAC or the YMCA. We charge $0 for a membership. We only charge for training. We compete against personal trainers. We charge far less money per hour and crush them with knowledge, service and results!
I ran into a former member last week getting coffee. She told me she made a big mistake. She left NSCF and joined Latitude and signed a 2 year contract for $60 a month. On the surface she viewed it as saving money for her monthly membership. The only difference is she now has a membership to a gym with no instruction and no community. She didn’t realize what training at NSCF was all about until she left, hired a personal trainer and bought a training package for 3x pr/week. She now pays over $800 a month for a similar training model. It could cost her $210 for the same option. She could pay $60 for Latitude and $150 at NSCF for her training 3x pr/ week. That is $590 cheaper pr/month that the tradition gym model. Yes she can go to the gym whenever she wants but she only works with a trainer for 3 hours a week. Not only is it a huge price difference she commented on how much she learned from us and that her trainer is not that good. I am sure her trainer is good at what he does just not at what we do.

Why not pay $60 a month for a gym membership to be able to go whenever you want? Belonging to a regular gym is a great idea. They sell you space for a very low monthly fee. You have unlimited access to practice your skills, swim, run on treadmills, play racquet ball, jump in the sauna or hot tub, they offer a babysitting service and whatever else comes with a gym membership. They get 5000-10,000 thousand members to split the cost of the services pr/month and they are in business. Makes sense to me. What you do not get is any coaching. None. You have to pay extra for that. We train less than 150 students per month. Big difference in numbers. Everyone at the highest level of their game goes to a trainer. That is where we come in. We provide elite level training and coaching for a very affordable price. The community support and camaraderie is just a very nice bonus.

You get the best deal in town training at NSCF. We do not sell you any of these amenities and we never plan on it. We only sell you the training. Come and get coached, break your previous records, have your friends push you beyond your limits. Everyone that trains at NSCF consistently surpasses all expectations they came in with. Everyone succeeds! There are no exceptions. If you do not want to make the commitment to training here every day, you can do both. Go to a regular gym and come to us 1x,2x or 3x a week for your training. Come to NSCF for a monthly seminar, event, competition or Saturday workout. Come every day and be in the best possible shape of your life. It is your choice. It’s doesn’t have to be one or the other.

We are fortunate to share our space with a climbing gym that has staff on site from 6 am till 10 pm. We have open gym hours anytime we are not having a scheduled class. We have had a great response from the climbing community and others who have crazy schedules or do not have the equipment (bumpers, etc) and just want to workout on their own. I think it is a great addition to a gym if you have the resources, however I would not allow "open gym" members to workout at the same time in the same space as my unlimited members.

This rule business makes me cringe. Too many freakin' rules as it is. Andy all due respect and your boxes are you boxes and all that, but I say; if there is a problem that you see confront it in it's face. If it's face don't like it screw um. Rules on a wall are passive agressive. If someone lacks the proper self respect to do the right thing rules aren't gonna fix them. Send um packing and demand that your own police your own. -Celer Silens Mortalis

We have an open gym policy at our box and I think it goes over pretty well. First let me clarify that we host an open gym once a month for 2 hours and there is a cost associated with it. we currently charge 10 dollars to everyone, even if you have an unlimited. We are thinking about changing this but to date, have not. So, I will go over the reasons why I think it works.

1) Yes as CrossFitters, we love the camaraderie that is associated with this and many of our clients are our good friends but in the end, you are indeed running a business and if there is a market for something, I feel you are foolish to not serve it. If the idea is not good, your lack of customers will show that to you.

2) I feel that we offer a service. Say you are a Fran head and want to do that WOD once a month. You may get it once every 4-5 months at our box so by paying 10 dollars, you are being allowed to fulfill your wishes. It seems like a bargain to me considering the price of a movie these days.

3) It seems to me that liability is the main thing holding people back. I see no difference between this and letting someone stay after class and do whatever they want in your box. There is no way that you can offer that person attention and not take away from the class. In that regard, that person working on kipping is not being coached and could potentially get hurt. Also, letting people stay around after class and do what they want opens a total can of worms for everyone doing something different at once and that would lead to a total cluster.

4) There should be a coach walking around looking at form during these wods and it is not as hard as you think. Say one person is doing Fran and another is doing Karen. It is not different than coaching a wod at your box that involved thrusters and wallballs and people are different degrees are at different exercises. You get used to walking around spotting good or bad form and you coach accordingly.

5) It is fun. People usually come in and do a quick wod and stay for 1.5 hours to help others and create a bigger sense of community.

So far, the only complaint that we had is that unlimited members have to pay and we are working on that. To us, it is not part of the class schedule, it is a special opportunity to do something, similar to bringing in a POSE expert and charging 10 dollars for an hour long seminar.

The problem with class only is that not every has the same goals/strengths/weaknesses. If you have smaller class sizes then you can address these issues properly, but I've been to boxes with class size of 15-20 with one maybe two coaches where it basically becomes a standard warm-up, everyone does same WOD (scaled) then cool down. Sure you get form pointers.

Some people need to do a strength biased program, some need more skill work on lifts etc. Having a few open hours a week (doesn't have to be daily, maybe weekend afternoon) for the dedicated to come in and work on these things is important. Another benefit is you can have people who just want to do olympic weightlifting pay you to use your facility.

On another note: no one going to comment on the pic? Why are people trying to train/learn the iron cross when they obviously not have the strength. I knew that CFJ video was going to cause this to happen.

We have open hours, but not an open gym...if that makes sense.

When groups get formed, we can make use of that for motivation. If few people, we can really get in depth with technique and science.

We have open coaching from 830am to 1200pm. During this time we have at least 2 coaches on the floor. We prescribe a warmup and then do a technique session with the athletes, then coach the WOD. Most of our athletes in this time are firefighters or medical staff coming off shift. We believe it's possible to deliver a quality coaching experience in this way and still give people a time that's convenient for them. In addition we run Crossfit group classes at 5:30, 6:30, 9, 12, 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I like a mix of both. I travel a lot for work and cant always meet the class times but the head trainer at the CF Gym I go to lets me use it after hours when he is going about his business. I have been doing CF 3 times as longs as his most experienced assistant coach but I dont have that little piece of paper to be an affiliate-just cant justify the 1000 dollars right now though I do want to eventually. I have been to so many gyms on travel that I have a pretty good grasp on everything so if he isnt around I would rather workout alone.