CrossFit Tempe — Local services in Tempe

I had been at this gym for 7 months and recently requested to cancel my membership due to a conflicting schedule and the cost of membership.

This was my first CrossFit gym, and I signed on as an “open gym” member ($99/month) as I was not interested in classes, but instead just wanted to train with with one of my best friends and former coaches/current community staple, Aaron. Great guy!

Gym owner, Michelle, immediately met me with with resistance and judgement. She conveyed that since I wasn’t a class taking member, I was basically less than and not a part of the community. Over the months, I had also listened to her openly complain about drop ins and visitors. “These people come in, think they own the gym, and just get in the way of our classes.”

When I decided I wanted to cancel my membership, I personally texted Michelle to let her know my situation, and that I was interested in returning to the gym in 3-6 months, once my life started to get back to normal. Michelle sent me the cancel request form, which I filled out and submitted. The cancel form has a designated section for constructive feedback that encourages you to outline any questions/comments/concerns you had, and what could’ve been done to keep you from canceling. I left this portion blank, and instead opted to text my feedback directly to Michelle. This was done in an effort to show respect, be personable and welcome discussion. I have heard from multiple friends and members at the gym that my feedback was instead shared with everyone and mocked… so I’ll just attach it here!

“I have some constructive feedback that I didn't put on the form, I've shared this sentiment with Aaron so I apologize if this is repetitive.

This was the first CrossFit gym I've been a part of, and it's different from your conventional non-CrossFit gyms in the sense that you don't have receptionists, sales reps, shift managers, etc. Your trainers are your only employees, so for a lack of better words, they are the "face" of your business when you're not there. Patrick is GREAT. He's very welcoming, enthusiastic and makes new people (myself included) walking in feel welcomed and a part of the community. Obviously Aaron is good at this as well, that's just his personality. Even the new guy working mornings, I met him once (he was working out at the same time I way there), he came up to me, introduced himself, told me he was a coach, told me if I ever had questions or needed anything that I could come and talk to him. Awesome stuff!

The younger guys (Parker, Pearse, Ben) for whatever reason don't excel at this behavior. In my personal experience, they've been fairly standoffish towards me since the beginning for whatever reason. Didn't come across super welcoming, weren't even interested in reciprocating my efforts towards building your basic "hey man, how's it going, what are you working out today" type of relationship. I know they're younger covid kids so maybe lack of social awareness/exposure. Maybe I'm not super approachable, I don't know. Whatever the reason, I felt it was abnormal, especially given the fact that Aaron is one of my best friends and they all look up to Aaron/approach us while we're working out. And not just with myself, I'd observe them exude the same to new people walking in to sign up/do their first class.

I didn't take it super personal, nor is it in any way a determining factor for me singing a cancellation form, just something I felt was worth sharing.”

Michelle offered no apology, asked no follow up questions, just said thanks for the feedback. 5 days later, after apparently letting this info live in her head rent free, Michelle texted me this morning to let me know that she was kicking me out of her gym.

There are some genuine and great people here, but unfortunately I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a place to get into CrossFit. Attitude reflects leadership, and it’s clear that Michelle does not value cultivating positivity, nor having an inclusive...

I had been a member at CrossFit Tempe for 4ish years and while I initially enjoyed my time there, over the past year the culture has shifted in a way that made me decide to cancel.

The atmosphere has become increasingly cliquish — you’re either part of the “in crowd” or you’re overlooked. Simple gestures like greetings, encouragement, or high-fives that are common in most CrossFit gyms have been missing, and it started to feel more like a high school social hierarchy than a welcoming fitness community.

I also grew uncomfortable with the coaching environment. Instead of hiring experienced coaches, Michelle has leaned on promoting members with minimal certification. Many of the newer coaches seemed more focused on their own workouts and free memberships than on coaching or creating a positive environment. On top of that, I witnessed one coach make a racially insensitive joke toward a Chinese member, and another coach make inappropriate comments about members’ weight. Those were the last straws for me.

When I decided to cancel, the process was unnecessarily difficult. I submitted my cancellation in writing, as Arizona law allows, and even received confirmation from the gym that my cancellation had been processed. Despite this, I was still charged afterward, which I had to dispute with my bank (I won, my bank actually recommended I refer this as an unfair billing process with the AZ attorney general… that’s how bad). This reinforced the sense that the business prioritizes its own bottom line over fairness and integrity toward its members.

Many of the positive reviews mention Patrick, who genuinely brought energy and inclusivity to the gym. Unfortunately, he has since left, in part because of the environment. Take that as you will when reading older reviews — the atmosphere now is very different. While there are still good people here, I would recommend looking elsewhere if you’re seeking an inclusive, respectful, and professionally run...

5 years ago I discovered what was then “CrossFit Tempe” and it forever changed my life. Not only was it the most powerful, and effective work out I had done, the staff and coaches were knowledgeable, encouraging, and despite being a beginner, I was always made to feel welcome. I left as life took me in a different direction, but have since returned to what is now PMFit. I return to focus on my health goals, strength, conditioning and to have a healthy outlet for my mental health and wellbeing. I also return as a post-op bariatric patient. As bariatric surgery is a tool in my weight loss journey, so too is exercise and nutrition. In knowing this, there was only one obvious choice on where to turn for fitness and that was PMFit. I called up Coach Ken, he said “come on home girl!” and so I did. The coaches are incredibly supportive, demonstrating each movement, offering scaling and modified options when necessary, provide feedback on form adjustments to not only improve your technique, but keep you safe and free of injury. The community is just as supportive and friendly. I fell right back in, and the inches and lbs are already falling right off! The gym is also committed to the health and safety of its members. There are sanitation bottles and expectations that everyone cleans their gear, distances during work outs, and class sizes are limited. It’s been and incredible journey thus far and I HIGHLY recommend PMFit to anyone looking for a workout home...