If you take a look at the business model of normal gyms, the goal of these gyms is to get as many people signed up as possible, for as long as possible.
A quick Google search shows that the big box gyms that we know of have anywhere from 1000-5000 members at any given time. But 80% of Americans who have a gym membership don’t go to the gym! Unfortunately, these stats don’t bother the gym owners, as they count on all those unused memberships to make a profit, while not maxing out their facilities.
What makes CrossFit Lobo different?
If we have members who haven’t use their memberships recently (and by recently, we mean in the last week or so), they’re going to hear from us.
Why? Because we get excited to help people see results and get better. The only way we can do that is actually have people who show up and want to get better every single day.
So we are the opposite of a normal gym: We don’t bank on people NOT coming.
With the personalized coaching we provide 7 days a week, we need people at the gym to let us do what we do best.
That said it isn’t enough for us to simply have members to exist.
Our community is such a core part of our identity as a gym, that we want only awesome people to join our gym.
In fact, when we have consultations with prospective members, we are not afraid to turn them away if we feel they aren’t a good fit. Here are some reasons why we turn away people:
- They have a need we cannot (or will not) fulfill.
- They are not committed enough to the results they are seeking to do what it takes to get there.
At CrossFit Lobo, we want 100% attendance and 100% success from all our members.
What makes an “awesome” member?
To get as close to that as possible, we look for prospective members who display a growth mindset.
The concept of the growth mindset originates from Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, where she outlines the major differences between a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset.”
- Fixed Mindset: Where you believe “your qualities are carved in stone.”
- Growth Mindset: Is “the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way — in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments — everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”
The reason why we actively search for people who display a growth mindset is because CrossFit is inherently challenging, and we want to know that people have what it takes to stick it out.
Why do we care whether or not people stick it out?
Let’s go back to what makes our gym stand out: the community.
We want people who are going to stick around for a long time and be an integral part of our community. Having tire-kickers or people who hop from one fad to the next are not members who positively contribute to the community. Their lack of engagement detracts from the community and fails to give our coaches reason to coach.
So in evaluating what type of mindset people have, we ask this question.
Even when people face a plateau (which they inevitably will), do they see it as a ceiling they can’t surpass (fixed mindset) or an obstacle to work even harder to overcome (growth mindset)?
In the past 4 years we’ve seen a lot of people come through the gym.
And it isn’t just the first few days that tell us what mindset someone possesses. In fact, the first few weeks (or months), many people tend to experience a honeymoon phase with CrossFit where they sustain high enthusiasm and big results in a short period of time.
So what we take a look at is what they do when they inevitably run into obstacles or plateaus months down the road.
Are these obstacles a sign to find something else to do? To start over in something else completely because it’s no longer easy?
Or are these obstacles welcome, because they mean that you will always have something to encourage your constant growth, physically and mentally, for years to come?
Additionally, since Dweck’s book has been published, she has encountered a lot of misunderstandings about what the growth mindset entails. She refers to this as the “false growth mindset.”
One of the myths about the growth mindset is that effort is the only thing that matters–not the desired outcome whatsoever.
However, having a true growth mindset is not just about “going through the motions” at the gym and hoping for the best, but it’s about reevaluating your strategy and trying new approaches to ultimately get the outcome you are seeking.
When someone at our gym only puts in effort without deliberately working to get better every day, they eventually get bored. They are bored because all they can do is continue to put in the exact same level of effort on the exact same things they were doing previously.
CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity.
To put in the same degree and type of effort every day goes against what makes CrossFit effective.
To see results and get fitter, you need to vary your workouts and possibly even your approach.
- If working out 3x a week hasn’t produced the results you’re looking for, maybe it’s time to have a nutrition coach evaluate the way you’ve been eating.
- If proper nutrition and working out isn’t giving you as quick of results as you hoped, maybe it’s time to evaluate other lifestyle factors such as stress and sleep.
The point is, members with a true growth mindset are the ones who not only see results in our gym but also ENJOY it for months and years to follow.
Are you growth-oriented and looking for a gym to join? Click here to come in for a consultation. Give us a little bit of information about you, and one of our staff members will get back to you ASAP to see how we can help you meet your fitness goals.
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