Being a keen Crossfitter (even I roll my eyes at that label..), I stopped by Crossfit Bislett with the intention of joining for the duration of my stay is Oslo. It was right down the street, and provided the best alternative to the megalopolis Crossfit Oslo and it's exorbitant joining structure (1500kr to see if I can do an air squat?! You're kidding me.).
Crossfit Bislett is in a small corner of Bislett Stadium, its inside space is good for small classes (maybe four to six people) and not much more. They have a good set up with quality gear.
I met with one of the owners/managers and discussed the box and it's situation. They have a small capped membership and are aiming to create a dedicated, tight knit community, which is great. They haven't been open long and are already at their member cap. I asked regarding the size and how they manage larger classes, and so far they had just been using the outdoor space for WODs, but this is something they were unsure of how to manage once winter came.
They let me do a free session as the upcoming class wasn't full, which was great. The coaching was in a hybrid of Norwegian and English for my benefit. I can't comment much on the quality of coaching as it was only a simple WOD.
At the end of the session, I asked about joining and was told to send them an email, but it wouldn't be a problem. I emailed, and only received a reply three days later saying they would have to discuss it at their coaches meeting that day and get back to me.
That was now over a month ago, with no reply...
In the silence, I joined another gym.
I like their intentions, and it looks like the gym will do well. I'm a fan of small community style boxes, with dedicated members. I don't know how they will manage training outside a minus 20 degree winter, but maybe that's a Norwegian thing that I'm yet to comprehend. Replying to emails though, there's an international standard there. read more