What's It Worth?

These days, our society tends to look for the quickest and cheapest fix for problems. We've been conditioned to believe that if it's fast and cheap, it's right! Everything is literally a click away and only getting cheaper as we streamline our processes.

The same can be said for our gym memberships. It's not hard to find a gym membership for $10-30 a month. They have the nicest, newest equipment, amazing facilities and bathrooms, freezing cold air conditioning, extra amenities like tanning beds, massage therapists, child care, dog walkers, someone to pay your bills for you while you work out…. Hell, they will even feed you on Tuesdays! It is amazing how much they can cram under one roof! With all the things that they offer, why would you go anywhere else?

Let me tell you how these gyms operate. They love to bring you in and show you around. They like to let you see the fact that they have TVs on their treadmills. Some even have a whole movie theater set up so you can watch a movie while you “work out”. They show you the tanning beds that are free or have a nominal fee to use. Then they sit you down and tell you (for you only), they'll waive the $500 activation fee (that they don’t charge anyone) and give you the “special rate” (that everyone has) of $10-30 per month with an agreement that expires in one year.

What they don't say is they are counting on you to not show up. They want you to give your money without anything in return. Now, some people will show up and work out, but a lot of them fall into the trap that just showing up to the gym will provide the results they want. Meanwhile, these gyms rarely take any time to talk to you, find out what you want, what your goals are, what your life entails, what you have tried in the past. They tell you what they offer and pressure you into signing up!

Inside, they expect you to come up with your own workouts, and show up on your own, without any accountability partners. They count on it happening at the beginning of the year for about a month, then after the super bowl, everyone stops coming and they can continue to sit back and count their money. The fact is, if everyone on the member list shows up, they would LOSE money! Lots of it! They would have so many machines break down, their utility bills would be astronomical, they would have to purchase more equipment than the 50 treadmills and stationary bikes that they own to have space for everyone. My question then becomes, is this what you want?

Let me show you a different experience…

You walk in to CrossFit Backward Arrow and are greeted by a coach, or even a regular member! You see smiling faces, handshakes or hugs (even now!) between members and genuine conversation going on between people. It seems these people all know each other and even like each other!

You are introduced to the owner of the gym, not a manager, but the people who own and run it! You are taken into a quiet room to let us get to know you more. We ask you about who you are, what you do, your goals, your past experiences, your fears…. all giving us a better idea about how we can help you. Then you are introduced to everybody that is in the class by name. You get several handshakes or high fives from the general members. They know what it was like to be you, they know how scary it can be to try something new. You are then led through a warm-up, possibly taught a new movement from a coach that is trained and focused on your development, well-being and safety.

We explain a workout to you and ensure that you know how to complete it safely with the appropriate weights or modifications. You complete a workout that you did not have to think up on your own and push yourself to a point that you have not pushed yourself before…you actually sweat during a workout. You breathe hard, you feel tired…. but strangely accomplished! You get high fives, hugs or slaps on the butt (your choice) from your coach and the other people in the class! You feel like this is different from what you've done in the past. You feel sore, but are ready to try it again the next day! The challenge is fun and different. Again, you don’t have to think of a workout and are looking forward to seeing some of the new friends you made the day before. You find yourself thinking about working out again, wondering what the workout is, talking more with the friends that you made in the gym. After a few weeks, you find that you are lifting more weight, breathing better and seeing changes in the mirror and scale (if that is your goal).

So, after seeing this and knowing the difference, which would you rather pay for? You MAY see changes at one, you WILL see changes at the other (so long as you show up and put in the work). The changes that you see may be physical, but you will notice changes in your mental toughness and your social life as well.

Now, let’s talk about actual cost. When thinking about this, you must also think about your gym now as a service rather than a good. With a good, you can compare apples to apples and know the cost and compare equally. With a service, it is much more difficult to do that. A service is not always something that you want as the cheapest option. For example, would you place your child in the cheapest daycare option who may not pay attention to them? Or would you want to put them in the BEST option for you and them? One that you know would take care of your child the right way, no matter what the cost.

Would you like your car serviced by the cheapest service technician who will cut corners and put your safety and driving ability on the line? Or do you want it serviced by the guy who is going to be reliable and be sure that the job is done right every time? Would you be willing to pay the more expensive price to be sure that your child or car was taken care of? Why would you do any less for your own body?

So, you can pay $20 per month for a facility that you may not show up to and the gym is counting on you not to. But at CFBA, we charge more per month and are wanting you to show up. In fact, you showing up is crucial to the success of the gym. When you are there, you are a member of a bigger community. The community is the most important part. If not for the community, we are just another gym! If you show up 1 time per month, that one session is going to cost you a lot. If you show up twice, your cost drops but is still sizeable. If you show up 4 times per week, your cost drops significantly…. Much less than the cost of a personal trainer and about the same as that super sexy Starbucks drink that you order at least 2-3 days per week. While the actual number usually scares people, when you break it down, it becomes much cheaper.

I know that everyone is budget conscious in today’s society, so let me tell you some of the things that other members of the gym have given up to be a part of it all. I have seen members give up cable television, go out to eat less, drink less Starbucks, go shopping for general “stuff” less. When they do these things, they find that they are happier, healthier, thinner (if they wanted to be), stronger and more connected than they were before. If they have given it up and are thriving without it, what makes you think that you won’t be able to give it up too?

With all that being said, the question still remains…. Is it worth it? If you ask the members of CFBA, you will be greeted with a resounding “YES!”. The best things in life are not free or cheap. You achieving your goals is worth the price that you need to pay to do that. We are looking forward to continuing to work with you at CFBA and are so looking forward to seeing what we can help you to accomplish!