What to look for in a gym (it's not perks)
Curious about what to look for a in a gym membership? Find out from a personal trainer. You'll want to feel helped by most of the staff you encounter and get solid answers to some key questions.
Why this Simple Solutions Fitness Alternative is one of our favorites
One of the hard parts about choosing between two good fitness options is assuming that you already know the "right" fit and all the fitness options out there. Read this for a breakdown of a good alternative to hiring SSF, working out at CrossFit Fringe in Columbia Mo.
Regardless of how hard we try, we recognize that working with a personal trainer at the studio isn't right for everyone.
While we're always trying to deliver the best service possible based on client feedback, we can't be the best gym in Columbia mo for everyone. Some people want the bigger gym with all the equipment or the class with the vibes.
But we still want to help point people in the right direction nonetheless.
In this article, we're going to walk through one of our favorite places to refer out to, its key features, strengths, and weaknesses, and compare the two side by side.
CrossFit Fringe is SSF's favorite pick for people who need gym alternatives
Equipment and workout routines can be very different from gym to gym. The last thing you want to feel is overwhelmed by all the exercises that you could be doing today. You want a workout designed by a professional that's going to help you focus on showing up for yourself.
Your workout routine consists of many variables:
- Which exercises to choose from.
- How much weight to use.
- How often you workout.
- Don't forget about coming up with warm-ups and stretching.
At SSF we design full-body routines that will help you build strength and confidence in 2-3 workouts per week, but if it turns out it's not right for you, CrossFit Fringe is the next best choice.
CrossFit Fringe was founded by Tyler Lasley who worked as a graduate assistant with Division I student-athletes at The University of Missouri when I played football. Building on that foundational experience in strength and conditioning, Tyler started Fringe and has continued to grow both the business and his professional expertise to the heights they've reached today. CrossFit Fringe is located in Columbia, Missouri, and has the honor of being one of the “First 500” CrossFit Affiliates and has a passion for quality education, employing 17 coaches with various backgrounds.
At Fringe, clients of all kinds have a wide variety of training options available to them including:
- Fringe Vitality for athletes 50+
- CrossFit Kids for youths
- Personal Training
- Individual Programming for athletes all over the world.
I trained at CrossFit Fringe for 6 months to see what the experience would be like for referrals and felt comfortable with the community of supportive athletes who worked out with me. If you're googling "CrossFit Columbia Mo", you can stop your search right here because you found a great option.
CrossFit Community
One of the most important aspects of the science of motivation is a sense of relatedness. Relatedness can give you a bit of external motivation when you remember your friends who'll ask why you missed the last class.
With a core focus on frequent group training and community (relatedness), you may find yourself making connections that touch all aspects of your life (CrossFit has even been studied as a replacement for religion for some).
Membership options start at $139 per month but all kick off with an introduction.
After your free intro, you'll get:
- An understanding of CrossFit.
- A monthly newsletter that educates and highlights member accomplishments and events.
- Access to virtually daily workouts performed during class or at home if you can swing it.
Your workout routines will be constantly varied. With a wide variety of class times and open gym sessions available, you can work out with access similar to a large gym in a private setting without all the machines and equipment that many find intimidating.
Simple Solutions Fitness vs. CrossFit Fringe
It would be remiss if I didn't mention that you can get the same benefits of community and varied workouts that help you accomplish your goals at SSF. Plus, we have smaller sessions so you'll get a bit more attention than you would in a larger class.
CrossFit Fringe offers one on one personal training and open gym access while we do not. They also work with clients through nutrition coaching while we primarily refer out to dietitians at Bamboo Nutrition.
You have the same opportunity for individualized programming while working with either SSF or Fringe.
Check out some of these reviews from our clients:
When you compare the two at a high level there are only a few details that differ:
| Simple Solutions Fitness | CrossFit Fringe | |
| Group Training | Yes | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| One-on-One Personal Training | No | Yes |
| Kids Training | No | Yes |
| Online Training | Yes | Yes |
| Private Environment | Yes | Yes |
| Quality Coaching | Yes | Yes |
| Mirrors | No | No |
| Supplements | No | Yes |
| Open Gym Access | No | Yes |
| Older Adult Friendly (50+) | Yes | Yes |
| Nutrition | Referral | Yes |
As you can see, both gyms serve a wide variety of clients' needs and where there are gaps, we refer out while CrossFit Fringe has coaches in-house.
The choice is yours
If you feel like we're not the choice for you, CrossFit Fringe is a good alternative.
We're always looking to improve our training, partner with the best professionals who align with our values, and incorporate client feedback with how we deliver our services.
We truly believe that we do a great job of serving the clients who come to us.
If you're interested in giving us a shot, fill out the contact form below.