If you live in Hurst and you are deciding between CrossFit and a regular gym, start with what happens after you walk in the door. Both have weights, and both can get you in shape. What changes is how much of the planning, teaching and showing up is on you.
Here is how the two compare, from the coaches at CrossFit OTL, a short drive from Hurst in North Richland Hills.
What you get at a regular gym
A regular gym sells you access. You get machines, free weights, cardio equipment and usually long hours. You decide what to train, how heavy to go, how long to rest and when you are done. Many gyms also offer classes or personal training, often at an extra cost.
If you already know how to train and you enjoy building your own plan, that can be a great setup. It is flexible, and you can come in whenever it suits you.
It gets harder if you are not sure what to do once you get there. You can spend 20 minutes wandering between machines, copy whatever the person next to you is doing, and leave wondering if any of it counted. And if you stop going, nobody is likely to notice.
What you get at CrossFit OTL
You come to a class at a set time. Each class is an hour long, with a coach the whole time. You warm up together, the coach teaches the day's movements, and then everyone does the workout at their own level.
The workouts change from day to day and mix lifting, bodyweight movements and cardio like rowing and running. Someone else wrote the plan, so your job is to show up and work.
Every workout is also scaled to the person doing it. If the workout calls for a weight or a movement that is not right for you today, your coach changes it. The person next to you might be lifting twice as much, and you are both doing the right workout.
Coaches learn your name, and so do the people in your class. After a few weeks, you will have people who notice when you are not there.
Side by side
- Who plans the workout? At a regular gym, you do. At CrossFit OTL, the coaches do.
- Who checks your form? At a regular gym, usually nobody unless you hire a trainer. At CrossFit OTL, the coach running your class.
- When can you go? A regular gym is usually open whenever you want. CrossFit OTL runs on a class schedule.
- Who else is there? At a regular gym, whoever happens to show up. At CrossFit OTL, the same group at the same class time.
- How do you start? At a regular gym, you sign up and figure it out. At CrossFit OTL, you sit down with a coach, then learn the movements one on one in On-Ramp.
Which one fits you
A regular gym may be the better choice if you already have a program you like, you want to train at odd hours, or you would rather work out alone.
CrossFit is probably the better choice if you have paid for a gym membership and stopped going, you never know what to do when you get there, you want someone teaching you and watching your form, or you do better with people around you.
Plenty of people worry they need to get in shape first. You do not. On-Ramp teaches you the movements before you join a group class, so the first time you squat, press or row in a class, you already know how.
Class times that work from Hurst
CrossFit classes run at 5, 6, 7 and 8:30 AM on weekdays, then noon and 4 PM, with 5 and 6 PM classes Monday through Thursday. The Saturday class is at 8:30 AM. If you work in Hurst or commute through the area, you can be done before the workday starts or come in on your way home.
Kids and Teens classes for ages 5 to 17 run during the afternoon adult classes on certain days, so some parents train at the same time their kids do. See all of our programs.
See it before you decide
The easiest way to compare is to come look. Book a free intro and you will sit down with a coach, talk about your goals and past experience, and see the gym. There is no workout, no cost and no commitment. If you want more detail first, read what to expect at your first CrossFit class.
If you have trained at a CrossFit gym for 3 months or more, you can skip the intro and book a free trial class instead.
CrossFit OTL is at 9155 Blvd 26, Suite 270, North Richland Hills, TX 76180. Here is how to find us from Hurst.