CrossFit is addictive because you are rewarded quickly with easily obtainable, incremental improvements. Furthermore, the Workout Of the Day (WOD) creates a flush of endorphins (a positive neurochemical response), mixed in with a tribal feeling of camaraderie amongst your peers in the class. This fusion of desirable feelings leaves members wanting more, thus instilling high retention and attendance rates at CrossFit Gyms, creating a natural air of addictiveness.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n There are some key points that help create the addictiveness. These include things such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let look at these points in more detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When doing a survey of 2 of our CrossFit Affiliates, the friendship and enjoyment elements were highlighted as being somewhat important to our members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because all walk of life and age ranges grace CrossFit gyms, it becomes a melting pot of cultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You become friends with people you may not ordinarily be friends with anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n People talk the same language. You get kicks out the same things. Camaraderie perfuses the environment as you slog through workouts together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, because it\u2019s more of a club than a traditional gym<\/a>, people naturally<\/strong> become friends whilst stretching off together, or when paired up. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there is a tonne to learn<\/strong>. And from what we have learnt already, there is a tonne to refine.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Extending from this, social outings are then commonplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Things such as barbecues, nights out, weddings, or evening Open Gym sessions with your buddies on a Saturday.\u00a0These are arranged by gym owners, coaches and even by members themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, going to the gym is not just “going to the gym”.<\/em> You find yourself going there to hang out, blow off steam, unload some problems and have a laugh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This environment can become inherently moorish. <\/p>\n\n\n Whilst visiting over 70 CrossFit gyms throughout the world, it is notable that the smaller gyms have a higher degree of sociability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bigger the facility, it seems, the lesser the interaction between members. Logic would dictate this is purely down to size and dilution. For example, larger places have a more less interaction between members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly, when in Alberta Canada again this year, I noticed one of the biggest facilities I’ve ever trained in (a Reebok CrossFit, spanning 2 absolutely massive North American-sized industrial units) had recently closed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When visiting this place 2 times in the years prior, we felt the atmosphere was notably less social. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s entirely likely due to its sheer size. Consequentially, this meant a less social atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So possibly, the facility underperformed on average, due to its diluted sociability scoring, therefore struggled in retention compared to the smaller counterparts in the same region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another key component of CrossFit is the endorphin hit you get after a high-intensity workout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what’s known as the MetCon in CrossFit classes. This Best Gym Hacks article<\/a> expands on this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although we roll about on the floor gasping for air – complaining no end about the sore legs and how deathly the WOD was – deep inside our central nervous system is the neurochemical feel-good-factor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The analgesic properties of these endorphins wash throughout our bodies post-workout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They make us feel a wonderful sense of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These becomes key to our cyclical well-being and healthy gym-habits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Understandably, CrossFit has been long heralded as superior for mental health compared to a \u2018normal\u2019 gym, particularly from the feelings it induces. Exercise is known to be an effective antidepressant, as this study<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many studies have examined the efficacy of exercise to reduce symptoms of depression, and the overwhelming majority of these studies have described a positive benefit associated with exercise involvement.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>Lynette L. Craft<\/a>, Ph.D.\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Frank M. Perna<\/a>, Ed.D., Ph.D. – The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Walking away from each class in this positive mind state helps create a desire for more and more. We enjoy that feeling. And crave more of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the huge amount of techniques and exercises there is to learn within the scope of CrossFit, every day is indeed a school day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Olympic weightlifters dedicate their entire lives to working on the Snatch and Clean and Jerk. Fluency of these 2 skills are one of the scores and scores within the CrossFitters repertoire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So there is a tonne to learn<\/strong>. And from the things we’ve learnt already, there is a tonne to refine.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The survey we carried out showed as affiliate owners showed that learning new things <\/strong>was important to our members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As business owners, we jointly make sure to keep the movements in our programming fresh, so as to keep engagement <\/strong>high. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It also ensures members are getting value for money. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This scientific study<\/a> shows the link between exercise with its positive effects on human, plus the correlation of its addictiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is just for exercise in general. You can become addicted to anything and any exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n CrossFit is fun for the many that do it, making it more open to addictiveness due to the other factors at play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Improvements are small and incremental in CrossFit. That means there are a lot of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This article<\/a> explains the Novice Effect Theory, highlighting how we improve at a steep rate when first starting CrossFit, followed by a levelling out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trailing this is an eventual plateau, with only small gains as we move on to advanced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a sense of continual improvement very early on, we are rewarded neurochemically again, therefore adding to the ‘good experience’ ticklist in our brains – signalling to ourselves, ‘more of that please<\/em>‘.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As human beings we generally like structure and order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n CrossFit is a 1-hour class. This is ample time to warm up, do the strength\/skill piece, then MetCon (Workout Of the Day (WOD)), and then cool down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Contrast this with a ‘globo gym<\/a>‘ like Anytime Fitness<\/a> – we’ve all been in there meandering around for 2 hours, coming away not having achieved much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other end of the scale, F45<\/a> is a 45-minute class. This is for many too short. You don’t get time to do a group cool down and stretch off together, as you do at a CrossFit class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bestgymhacks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/161d2550-070e-4732-8771-f8b9113de804-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nReasons it’s addictive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Community Atmosphere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Social endeavours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Size matters <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Case in point <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Endorphins and Dopamine <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Self-Improvements <\/h2>\n\n\n
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Our members say so<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nCrossFit improvements <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1-Hour – Get It Done<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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