Why is 60 minutes classes the standard? 90 minutes classes would be much more efficient

[bldssphq]

@dawn16 Yes but progression will be significantly slower.

For instance, I've been training for ~ 18 months and for the last 12 months I've been training ~2 hours a day in average. I now have the level of the fitter people in any given box that have 4-5+ years doing CF. Only the "freaks" and "super fit coaches" are more advanced than me.

 

[californio]

@bldssphq Not everyone’s objectives are the same as yours.

I go to my CrossFit gym to stay in shape and the community — progressions etc. are secondary.

And an hour is as much as I can do without feeling exhausted (with CrossFit anyway).

Besides, an hour that I can go daily is far more productive than an hour and half I manage to go maybe 2-3 times a week.

 

[sfanacogdoches]

@bldssphq Newbie gains will always slow down, the skill is to maintain that level of fitness for 4-5+ years and add a kilo here or there to the main lifts.

 

[jcano]

@bldssphq It’s easier to commit people to 60 minutes classes because it’s around an hour there plus commute times. Even if it takes 20 min one way to get to the gym that’s close to 2 hours already.

The population of people who want to spend hours at a gym is very small.

 

[lostsoul603]

@bldssphq This would absolutely destroy an already strained business model.

 

[tennesseegirl1993]

@bldssphq The answer is obviously that not everyone has that much time

 

[marco124]

@bldssphq Too small a market. Only a niche of people would be interested and only a portion of that niche would actually have the time. A 90 minute class would likely put off more people than it attracts.

I'd guess anyone who wants to train more than a 60 minute class likely trains twice a day or just does a double class or stays on in the gym.

 

[bldssphq]

@marco124 Thats what I personally do.. open gym. Sometimes I drop in on classes to do WOD when it's aligned/similar to what I had.

 

[unknownroad]

@bldssphq Most people aren’t competitive like that, at my gym there is around 100 members, there is only me and maybe 4 others who train 2+ hours a day. So that is 5%, the 95% just want to turn up and be told what to do and get some fitness in. Anyone who takes CrossFit a bit more seriously wouldn’t waste 60 mins in a class. In 60 mins I can get through a lot more work / volume than they do on most classes

 

[chapelmusicworship]

@bldssphq I’d argue the opposite, classes should be 30-40 minutes and shouldn’t have lifting and metcons shoe horned into every session. If it’s a strength day, warm up properly to lift and put all your energy into it. If it’s a conditioning day, do just conditioning with maximal focus and effort.

Your average CrossFitter is a middle aged suburbanite with a family. If I got told classes would now be 90 minutes per session I would quit and find a different gym the next day.

 

[unknownroad]

@chapelmusicworship Are you suggesting a 40 min session if strength should just focus on the 1 lift? Seems like a wasted trip to turn up and do 1 lift?

 

[chapelmusicworship]

@unknownroad Absolutely 100%. If you’re going to do a 5x5, warm up properly, get up to your working weight and rest adequately between sets you’re looking at 25-30 minutes minimum. Throw in your whiteboard time, stretching and putting your equipment away and you’re there.

 

[wjhassertt]

@bldssphq Ain’t nobody got time for that

 

[jeffvilcinskas]

@bldssphq Because gyms are a business and most people (me!) don’t have (or want/need) the endurance to do a weights set and a metcon/WOD in the same session.

Your proposal sounds perfect for someone who can self train or who has a home gym. FWIW my box has people who will do the 60 min session and then do their own thing for a bit. Or people who will do the 60 min session and then do the 30 min express lunch class as well. And the coaches/advanced session is longer.

For me it sounds awful. I don’t particularly love exercise but I know it’s important for health. I prefer bite sized achievements throughout the week that don’t leave me feeling wrecked. I 100% wouldn’t go to this gym.

Also… life. I’ve got a young kid now. An hour away from home/the child for exercise sandwiched around the rest of the day is already a stretch.

 

[jirahan]

@bldssphq 5/3/1 which is a gold standard for strength progression training only has you hitting squat once a week so i think your presumption that you can't progress with only 1 training session a week is plain wrong.

 

[bacsb0]

@bldssphq Ain't nobody got time for that

 

[megahunky]

@bldssphq Plus driving there, driving home then showering. 90 minutes on top of that? Are you high?

Go to a globo-gym for your strength work.

 

[bldssphq]

@megahunky So your idea is to add another monthly payment and other sessions instead of adding 30 minutes to something that you are already there, on site, ready & warmed up... I don't see it.

 

[aolujumu]

@bldssphq Yeah but your idea is to make it impossible for people with time constraints to use CrossFit gyms. I have a toddler, it’s a struggle making the time to get to a 60 minute class.

 

[bobaliceeve]

@bldssphq Wish it were a thing.. people just(mostly) don’t have the time. You’ve gotta add commute time in as well.