The Case for Group-Based Fitness
There’s a little less than 100 days left in the year, and there’s still time to get fit!
While there are plenty of options, I am a huge advocate for group-based fitness. The last 15 years of fitness have seen the massive rise of this style, where companies like CrossFit have opened affiliate gyms (‘boxes’) that allow people to get stronger and healthier in a group setting. These programs often combine a mix of bodyweight movements with calisthenics, as well as more traditional weight training equipment, such as kettlebells, dumbbells, and barbells. I spent years doing the programming, and although I came from a sports background, I was never fully introduced to compound movements like the deadlift, or Olympic lifting prior to this. Through this system, I gained a level of insight into fitness I had previously not been aware existed. While there has been an argument to safety and overall efficacy over the years, I don’t think you can argue with the results: many more people were introduced to fitness through this program than ever before. In the past decade, many more companies have introduced their own brand of group-based fitness with their personal twist, but the effect is the same-get fit and have fun with a community while doing it.
As an advocate for this style of fitness being an amazing way to get healthier and attract people who would otherwise not be improving their fitness. Here are just some of the reasons why a group-based fitness program may be a great ‘fit’ for you.
Stronger Together: I own and operate a facility, Quiet Strength Health and Performance, where we utilize different concepts in the world of fitness to program. Our clientele ranges from ages 13-75, and I can tell you definitively that programming for a community is one of the hardest things to do. You must consider the physical generation gaps, training ages, motivations, desired outcomes, and time commitment, to name a few. I have found in the five years of operating and ten years of coaching that progress would not happen if you did not have buy-in from your members and that their success is dependent on the people working out beside them. Anyone that has been in a commercial gym knows what I am referring to. There is an implicit contest between people that are working out. As much as people want you to believe they have their hoodie up and headphones in and are blind to the world, trust me, they see EVERYTHING. The beauty of existing in a box-style gym is that you are intentionally surrounded by people who are looking to achieve the same thing-the best results. This version, however, comes with far more cheering and intentional viewing. We have found that many athletes work out harder alongside someone else than they would have from working out by themselves.
Iron Sharpens Iron: The number of tips and tricks and movement tweaks that I have learned in a CrossFit gym and a Powerlifting gym are unparalleled. There are quite literally 100 reasons why people are choosing to go to a commercial gym. Many people going to group-based gyms desire one outcome: to get better. This is probably why there is far more dialog; members understand that their shared goal is enough to create an environment of encouragement. Community fitness is truly unbeatable when this part is done well.
Diversity Wins-I am an advocate for diversity when it is done right. There are a diverse group of people who frequent commercial gyms. The unfortunate aspect of this model is that you could go through your entire one-hour experience and not talk to anyone. What is far worse is that this disengagement from the world (in a public space) is often baked into the culture. At group-based gyms, the culture can be far more of a learning experience. Our location has featured a high degree of different ages, genders, races and nationalities, and it is an amazing thing watching people who probably have little in common with one another exist, grow, and value each other. It’s rare when you can find that, which is probably why CrossFit was considered the “3rd Place”.
The New Golf Course-Growing up, I was often told I should learn to golf because “that’s where the deals are made.” Today, I think the group-based gym can be the new golf course. Beyond the sets and reps, it’s a place where conversations turn into collaborations, and where members of different ages and experiences can mentor and learn from one another. I saw this firsthand with Caleb Hardy, a young member whose tragic passing still weighs heavily on us. From ages 22 to 25, Caleb transformed not only physically but also in his hunger for growth and knowledge. What stood out most was how he began finding opportunities within the gym—not just for fitness, but for professional and personal development. Watching older members share wisdom and younger members lean into that guidance showed me the real power of our space. In many ways, the gym offers something even more impactful than a golf course: a community where careers can grow, partnerships can form, and lives can change.
Coy Jackson
Owner, Head Coach
Quiet Strength Health and Performance
4500 16th St. Moline, IL 612656