Nearly 25 years in, skeptics remain convinced that CrossFit is just a fad. That it has a shelf life. That it has, or will, lose momentum.
But the data doesn’t lie. And recent data put out by the popular gym management and CRM software company PushPress suggests that CrossFit is “outperforming the competition,” according to PushPress founder Dan Uyemura.
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The Details
PushPress data, which analyzed 3,500 gyms — 50 percent of which were CrossFit gyms — showed that between January 2023 and September 2024, CrossFit had more new members sign up than non-CrossFit gyms.
- “CrossFit won 18 out of the 21 months,” Uyemura said.
More specifically, CrossFit gyms picked up an average of eight to nine members per month, while other types of gyms scooped up an average of seven to eight.
January 2024 saw the most new members, with CrossFit gyms gaining an average of 11 new members.
Further, Uyemura said CrossFit is also leading other types of gyms to varying degrees when it comes to other key metrics, such as average length of engagement (client retention) and average revenue per member.
- “CrossFit gym owners are towards the forefront of business maturity,” Uyemura added.
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While it might not have as many affiliates as it did at its peak in 2018 when it hit 15,000 affiliates, there are still more than 12,000 CrossFit gyms in the world in 146 countries, according to CrossFit. It’s safe to say that it’s more than a fad.
Uyemura added: “The data tells a clear story: CrossFit affiliates are consistently outperforming non-affiliates across key business metrics. This isn’t about hype or trends. It’s about measurable, sustained success in the fitness industry.”
What CrossFit CMO Jenna Hauca said: “We continue to invest in marketing and media enhancements to drive positive brand perception and top-of-funnel interest from prospective new members. The PushPress data leads us to believe that these efforts are working and track with what we are seeing in the community and hearing from our affiliate owners. Of course, there’s still plenty of work to be done, but we feel confident we’re on the right track.”
Will This Trend Continue?
Though the 2024 data looks good for CrossFit, things still feel out of sorts in our community after competitor Lazar Đukić tragically died during the first event of the 2024 CrossFit Games.
- His death has led athletes and coaches to demand change from CrossFit LLC.
With the investigation into Dukic’s death still ongoing, it feels like CrossFit is almost in a holding pattern. Whether this apprehension will trickle down to the affiliate level — specifically to their ability to attract and retain members — isn’t clear.
That said, CrossFit isn’t unfamiliar with controversy, and when controversy hits, the community always seems to be able to weather the storm.
Remember 2020 when hundreds of affiliates threatened to de-affiliate from CrossFit after founder Greg Glassman put himself under fire and eventually resigned from the company?
In the end, most of the threats ended up being just that: threats.
In this sense, CrossFit and its community of followers are loyal. They’re loyal to the methodology and their affiliates. So, despite what’s happening at the sport level, we predict Uyemura will continue to be correct in 2025: “CrossFit is not going away.”
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Featured image: @crossfit845 / Instagram
