No. CrossFit is a global fitness community with over 10,000 gyms in more than 150 countries. The 'cult' label comes from the strong sense of community and shared values around health, but that's just what happens when you build gyms around people instead of machines. Think of it more as a culture of health and accountability.

Why do people call CrossFit a cult?

When CrossFit started 25 years ago, it challenged the traditional fitness industry by prioritizing functional movement, community, and measurable results over cardio machines and isolation exercises. That was uncomfortable for some people, and 'cult' became an easy label. Inside CrossFit gyms, you'll find supportive communities focused on proven health and fitness practices.

What is CrossFit culture really like?

CrossFit culture is built around support, accountability, and showing up for each other. Members cheer for the last person to finish, coaches know your name, and people genuinely care about each other's progress. It's inclusive, welcoming, and focused on helping people live healthier, more capable lives at any age.

Do I need to be fit to start CrossFit?

Not at all. Every workout is scaled to your current ability. At CrossFit BC, everyone starts with three free classes where coaches guide you through movements at your own pace. The community is welcoming to all fitness levels.

CrossFit Is a Cult. Good.

We've all heard it. But inside CrossFit affiliates around the world, we're not drinking Kool-Aid. We're fighting actual enemies: disease, weakness, decrepitude, and dependence.

"CrossFit is a cult."

We've all heard it. From coworkers, from in-laws, from that friend who refuses to try a class but has very strong opinions about what happens inside one.

And honestly? We get it. From the outside, it can look a little intense. People posting workout times. Using words like "AMRAP" and "EMOM" at brunch. Voluntarily doing burpees. On purpose.

So let's talk about it.

The Label That Stuck

Calling CrossFit a cult was an easy way to push back, especially 25 years ago, when what we were doing looked radically different from everything else in the fitness industry.

When you challenge the status quo, when you suggest that maybe chronic disease isn't inevitable and that gyms should feel like health homes instead of treadmill warehouses, people get uncomfortable. And when people get uncomfortable, they reach for labels.

"Cult" was the one that stuck.

But here's the thing: we were never trying to be different for the sake of it. We were trying to help people get genuinely healthy, in a way that actually worked, in a place where they actually wanted to show up.

What We're Actually Fighting

Inside CrossFit affiliates around the world, we're not drinking Kool-Aid. We're fighting actual enemies:

Disease. Chronic conditions that are largely preventable through consistent exercise and nutrition.
Weakness. Not just physical, but the kind that creeps in when you stop challenging yourself.
Decrepitude. The slow loss of function that most people accept as "just getting older."
Dependence. Needing help with things you should be able to do on your own, at any age.

That doesn't make us a cult. It makes us smart.

Dictionary-style definition of cult(ure) of CrossFit: A global community united by beliefs and practices relating to health and fitness that are proven, effective, and driven by unmatched support, accountability, hard work, and results.

What It Feels Like Inside

We had a member walk through our doors last year who almost didn't come in. She sat in her car for ten minutes, convinced she wasn't fit enough. Sound familiar?

Her first class, she scaled everything. The coach checked in with her three times. The person next to her introduced themselves mid-workout, between gasps for air. By the end, she was smiling. Not because the workout was easy. Because she realized she belonged there.

That's what happens inside a CrossFit gym. Every single day.

People high-five strangers. They remember your name. They notice when you're not there. They cheer louder for the last person to finish than the first. It's not performative. It's just what the culture produces when you build a gym around people, not machines.

10,000 Gyms. 150+ Countries. One Feeling.

CrossFit isn't fringe anymore. With more than 10,000 affiliates in over 150 countries, there's a place for everyone. And yet, every single gym still feels like yours. That's the magic of the affiliate model: each gym is independently owned, coached by real people, and built around the specific community it serves.

At CrossFit BC in Olympic Village, Vancouver, our coaching team has been doing this work alongside our members for years. We're not selling a promise. We're living the process, every day, right beside you.

We're Not Looking for Followers

We're looking for people who are tired of accepting "good enough" when it comes to their health. People who want to be strong, capable, and independent for as long as humanly possible. People who think fitness should be something you do with others, not alone on a machine while staring at a screen.

We're choosing longevity. Community. Strength. We're building lives without limits, the kind you can carry into your 70s, 80s, 90s.

If That's a Cult, Count Us In

We're not going to apologize for caring about your health. We're not going to tone it down because it makes someone uncomfortable at a dinner party.

We fight disease. Weakness. Decrepitude. Dependence. And we do it together.

Long live the cult(ure) of health.

Come See What the Fuss Is About

We're not asking you to believe us. We're inviting you to come experience it. Try a class. Talk to the people there. See if the evidence matches the hype.

Everyone starts with three free classes at CrossFit BC. No commitment, no pressure. Just come meet our coaching team and see what a class feels like.