Crunch Live Online Fitness Review

Crunch gyms are well-known for their fun and cutting-edge group fitness classes, highly-qualified trainers, and dedicated clientele which often includes celebrity sightings. And given the gym's ability to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to fitness trends, it comes as no surprise that they were the first national gym brand to roll out a completely online membership platform, Crunch Live.

What Is Crunch Live?

For $9.99 per month (or a discounted $90 per year), Crunch Live subscribers gain access to exclusive fitness classes and programs led by popular Crunch trainers. Customize your workout experience with a wide range in class length, such as a variety of "quickie workouts" that can be done in 15 minutes or less. Class offerings include Crunch favorites like DIESEL, Yoga Body Sculpt, Fat Burning Pilates, and Aerobics with Attitude.

Crunch Live Pros and Cons

Pros

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest benefits of Crunch Live is that it's an online streaming platform. You don't need a Crunch gym membership to enjoy the workouts—but if you have one, then you can access Crunch Live for free.

That said, there are lots of online streaming workouts available to the average consumer. These are the things that make Crunch Live stand out from other options:

Access to Crunch Trainers and Programs

Crunch gyms have a reputation for employing top trainers and implementing the most popular programs, and Crunch Live provides you with access to these trainers and programs wherever you happen to be. Whether you live in a city that doesn't have a Crunch gym, or you're a regular Crunch member who can't always make it to an in-person class, you can simply log in and get to work to enjoy the gym's exclusive programs.

High-Quality Videography

When you compare the crisp and clean videography of Crunch Live workouts to the mishmash of poor quality videos available on other online platforms, you can feel confident that what you're paying for is: a) professionally put together, and b) programmatically sound, as all workouts are led by certified trainers. That's a particularly important factor to consider before following any online fitness program.

Cons

Just because Crunch Live is affiliated with Crunch gyms, that doesn't mean it's the best online streaming platform available.

Shorter Workouts and Limited Selection

Crunch Live's videos are somewhat limited—you have access to fewer than 100 total classes—and most classes are short, averaging around 15 to 30 minutes with many "burst classes" as short as 1 to 3 minutes. While Crunch Live does have a handful of 45- to 60-minute classes, you may prefer to use a different platform that has more selections for longer, full-length classes.

It's a Paid Subscription Service

While Crunch Live offers high-quality videos and classes, what the platform offers isn't entirely better than other, free online workout programs. (You can, however, try Crunch Live free for 90 days.)

SparkPeople, for instance, is free and offers good quality custom videos. Granted, most of these workouts are also less than 30 minutes and there aren't a ton to choose from, but they're led by high-quality trainers, have a wide variety of formats, and cost nothing to access. SparkPeople also offers health habit trackers to help keep you motivated to reach your goals.

Likewise, the BeFiT YouTube channel is a free resource that includes professionally developed, short- and full-length programs from professional and even celebrity trainers like Jillian Michaels, Denise Austin, and Mari Winsor. 

A Lack of "Connection" With the Trainers

While the videos are high-quality and the trainers are good, I personally never felt drawn into any of the workouts, as I didn't really "connect" with the trainers. That's not to say someone else wouldn't feel differently—there's nothing about each video or trainer that's inherently bad—I just didn't get that, "Yes! Let's get going!" feeling that I've had on other platforms and with other trainers.

The Bottom Line

Crunch Live is a good fit for anyone who's curious about Crunch fitness programs but doesn't have access to a Crunch gym, or to anyone who is a Crunch gym member who frequently travels or can't make it to class. There's something to be said for gyms that have a mix of both in-person and online class formats that allow you to maintain your regular routine wherever you are. 

Because everyone is different, I'd also suggest that if you're curious, go ahead and check it out. Crunch Live offers a free, 90-day trial, so there's no harm in giving it a whirl.