Supporters of Crossfit preach that the Box is a judgement-free zone where Crossfit members will actively encourage each other to perform at their best. It is drilled into the consumers that in Crossfit, everyone is competing against themselves and not others. This advertising scheme is in place to draw people to the Box, and make them believe that the Box is more than just your average, run of the mill gym.
Crossfit boxes are much more than your average, run of the mill gym. Every day, a different workout is provided that can be scaled to difficulties ranging from beginner to advanced to competitive. At the Crossfit Box we attend, there are women seven months pregnant, people fifty or more pounds overweight, people of average health, and elite Crossfitters who train for Crossfit competitions. Crossfit serves all of these people and serves them well. In my month at Crossfit785 I have become stronger and leaner than I was when I started. But, I can't say that the community boasted about on online forums exists because of Crossfit.
Crossfit785 has roughly 100 members. Each class is limited to 21 people, and there are about seven classes offered throughout the course of the day. Some people consistently attend at the same time every day, and others don't. I typically go to either the 5:30 AM or 5:30 PM classes. In my opinion, that's pretty ample time to be able to make a judgement about the Crossfit community in the Box I attend, and this is my observation.
People in Crossfit are just people.
These are the same people you'll find at work, school, the grocery store, or a restaurant.
People form cliques.
Once a close group of friends forms, the members of said group can be pretty unwilling to let someone new in. Making new friends is tedious, and if someone has a few friends they go to Crossfit with regularly, it's pretty unlikely they're going to make great friends with someone else simply because they already have friends!
People are competitive.
Period. One workout program typically won't change someone's entire way of life. Some people find validation in competing against others. The other day this guy mentioned that he always wanted to finish in the top half of the class, and if he would finish in the bottom half it would upset him... that doesn't necessarily go along with the doctrine of competing for personal records.
People can be mean.
Some people can be flat out rude. They might have had a bad day, or maybe they're just mean all the time. People don't stop being mean just because they're working out.
People can be really nice.
There are nice people everywhere. In our Box, we've been welcomed by several people, and even made a couple of acquaintances. Our coaches are eager to give us advice, and correct our form when necessary (read: a lot). One or two people might offer us encouragement every now and then.
My point? Community is not inherent only to Crossfit. Community is inherent to any place where roughly the same group of people go to the same place with common purpose. In any community there are nice people, mean people, funny people, and strange people. It takes all sorts of people to form a community. But, that can happen at a regular gym, at a yoga class, a book club, or any host of activities where people regularly come together. So, don't join Crossfit only for the community, because just like anything. "community" is an extremely romanticized word. Join Crossfit because you want superior coaching, a regular workout plan, and have a desire to get in the best shape of your life, not because you want to be a part of a community.
Crossfit boxes are much more than your average, run of the mill gym. Every day, a different workout is provided that can be scaled to difficulties ranging from beginner to advanced to competitive. At the Crossfit Box we attend, there are women seven months pregnant, people fifty or more pounds overweight, people of average health, and elite Crossfitters who train for Crossfit competitions. Crossfit serves all of these people and serves them well. In my month at Crossfit785 I have become stronger and leaner than I was when I started. But, I can't say that the community boasted about on online forums exists because of Crossfit.
Crossfit785 has roughly 100 members. Each class is limited to 21 people, and there are about seven classes offered throughout the course of the day. Some people consistently attend at the same time every day, and others don't. I typically go to either the 5:30 AM or 5:30 PM classes. In my opinion, that's pretty ample time to be able to make a judgement about the Crossfit community in the Box I attend, and this is my observation.
People in Crossfit are just people.
These are the same people you'll find at work, school, the grocery store, or a restaurant.
People form cliques.
Once a close group of friends forms, the members of said group can be pretty unwilling to let someone new in. Making new friends is tedious, and if someone has a few friends they go to Crossfit with regularly, it's pretty unlikely they're going to make great friends with someone else simply because they already have friends!
People are competitive.
Period. One workout program typically won't change someone's entire way of life. Some people find validation in competing against others. The other day this guy mentioned that he always wanted to finish in the top half of the class, and if he would finish in the bottom half it would upset him... that doesn't necessarily go along with the doctrine of competing for personal records.
People can be mean.
Some people can be flat out rude. They might have had a bad day, or maybe they're just mean all the time. People don't stop being mean just because they're working out.
People can be really nice.
There are nice people everywhere. In our Box, we've been welcomed by several people, and even made a couple of acquaintances. Our coaches are eager to give us advice, and correct our form when necessary (read: a lot). One or two people might offer us encouragement every now and then.
My point? Community is not inherent only to Crossfit. Community is inherent to any place where roughly the same group of people go to the same place with common purpose. In any community there are nice people, mean people, funny people, and strange people. It takes all sorts of people to form a community. But, that can happen at a regular gym, at a yoga class, a book club, or any host of activities where people regularly come together. So, don't join Crossfit only for the community, because just like anything. "community" is an extremely romanticized word. Join Crossfit because you want superior coaching, a regular workout plan, and have a desire to get in the best shape of your life, not because you want to be a part of a community.
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