On Friday 07 September we sent out a newsletter to all our wonderful clients to let them know that our membership structure was changing. Here are the details:

Unlimited Memberships

The new membership structure is a services based structure, which means that the more programs and services you are interested in using the higher the base cost. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because it means you can access individual services you are interested in more economically. For instance, under the old system Yoga was $10 per visit on top of your membership to take a class. However, under the new system you will be able to add-on unlimited monthly yoga access for $15 by upgrading to an All-In membership (among other things).

Most of our current members will simply switch to the new CrossFit Ironstone membership, which comes with access to CrossFit classes, Mobility, Weightlifting Technique, our Competitors programming and Open gym access. We have done away with the 12-month / 6-month / month-to-month options and have settled on one monthly price. Some members might choose the All-in option, which adds access to our new classes (including yoga). However, some of our members who only do Weightlifting and who have no interest in CrossFit classes will be best served with the new Ironstone Fitness membership + Barbell Club add-on which will allow them to go to yoga, HIIT, and strength classes in addition to all weightlifting training sessions and open gym.

Check out this diagram for a brief overview of the new unlimited options and what they include. This diagram is followed by additional details and then a brief Q&A style section. These prices do not include HST.

Cancellation Policy

Members of Ironstone will be free to cancel at any time with two-weeks notice prior to your billing date. All cancellation requests must be made via the membership change form available on our website.

If your next recurring bill is less than two weeks away and you wish to have your membership ceased before that date (i.e. in fewer than two weeks) your request will be subject to a late cancel fee of $50. Alternatively you could elect to convert your next membership payment to a punch card if this makes practical sense for you.

Cancellations cannot be processed retroactively and will be applied to your membership as of the date requested factoring in the two-week requirement.

Hold Policy

We will still be offering membership holds. We believe they add a lot of value to your membership so that you do not have to cancel for periods during vacations or work trips and you are able to maximize your attendance in-between. If you are halfway through a month that you have paid for it makes far more sense to hold rather than cancel.

Most aspects of the hold policy remain the same: the minimum hold length is 7 days (not able to use it for 7 consecutive days), there must be at least 7 days between hold requests, we require minimum 2 business days notice to action a request, and holds cannot be for an indefinite period (they must have an end date).

The only new change to holds will be that the new maximum hold duration in a calendar year will be 2 Months (with few exceptions made for military deployments or complicated medical issues). If you will be away for longer than 2 months then cancellation will be the best path, and because we no longer have commitment lengths and cancellation is free of charge you do not effectively lose anything by cancelling at that time.

Punch Cards & Drop-Ins

There is no substantive change to the punch card and drop-in policy. Some prices may be adjusted to reflect new unlimited pricing. Drop-Ins will remain at $20, tax included.

Ironstone Barbell Club / Weightlifting

Over the summer we announced a number of substantive changes to the Ironstone Weightlifting Program.

Weightlifting (and perhaps eventually powerlifting) are unique fitness activities in that they have very specific, space, equipment, and coaching requirements. As a Nova Scotia Weightlifting Association member club we are committed to an extremely high standard of Weightlifting coaching and instruction. Our Weightlifting program has always been a sub-set of our CrossFit Athletes who happen to enjoy Weightlifting work or who want to get better at it. Not anymore.

The Ironstone Barbell Club’s first priority is to build and develop a competitive Olympic Weightlifting Team. As such, it will use periodized program that is completely disconnected from the CrossFit Ironstone program. Weightlifting programming will include the main lifts and strength development exercises and will be decidedly competition focused. This means that from a programming standpoint it will not integrate with CrossFit but rather stand alone as its own program.

Membership in the Barbell Club includes a small monthly membership fee. What do you get for your monthly membership fee?

• 4 days a week of weightlifting programming loaded in BTWB for you to follow whether you participate in a Team training session or do it on your own during Open Gym
• Individual modifications and consistent communication with our Weightlifting Coach Jacob
• Access to Weightlifting Team Training Sessions on the schedule Which are only available to Barbell Club members (or those who pay a drop-in) and supervised by Coach Jacob
• Free entry in our annual in-house weightlifting competition

Most importantly you get a sustainable Weightlifting program with consistent high quality coaching

Questions and Answers

I really only go to Ironstone for CrossFit. What membership should I choose and how will things change?

CrossFit classes at Ironstone won’t substantively change other than continued efforts to refine and improve the class flow and experience. You should choose the Unlimited CrossFit membership option.

I really only go to Ironstone to use open gym. How does this change things for me?

Open Gym access is still included in the CrossFit Ironstone membership and you can coninue to use it the same way you do now. There is no requirement to attend a CrossFit class. Depending on your class interests, if you require individual program design or want to be a member of the barbell club you may have a better option by selecting the Ironstone Fitness membership and an Add-on that provides Open Gym access.

I want to do Olympic Weightlifting but I’m not into CrossFit. What will work best?

The best option is going to be an Ironstone Fitness Membership ($110) with the Barbell Club add-on (+ $30). This will allow you Open Gym access to do all your weightlifting work, access to the team training sessions and other Barbell Club perks. Additionally, you will have access to unlimited Yoga and the Strength Biased Interval Training Courses – both of which can be used to augment your flexibility and build a more durable body in conjunction with a weightlifting program.

I don’t think this new structure or the new rates will work for me. What should I do?

If you are concerned that the new structure doesn’t work for you, about the price increase, or you have other questions you would like answered please talk to one of the staff or owners! We are happy to discuss and help you navigate your options.

 

 

More to come in the next few weeks! We are planning a podcast to explain more of the how and why of these changes along with a few Blog posts to drill down on how these changes can be of big benefit to some groups of people.

We will be following up with existing members in the coming weeks to facilitate the transition. Changes to the website reflecting this new structure will also be rolled out in the coming weeks.

With Deep Gratitude for all of you,

Patrick, Jens & the Ironstone Team