When it comes to protecting your CrossFit gym, choosing the right insurance provider isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s a crucial step in securing your business, reputation, and future. With so many options available, two providers stand out for affiliate owners: CrossFit Risk Retention Group (RRG) and Gyminsurance.com. While both offer liability coverage tailored for fitness professionals, CrossFit RRG is the clear choice for dedicated CrossFit affiliates who want comprehensive protection, a deeper understanding of the methodology, and a provider that aligns with their core values.
Understanding the Basics:
What Do These Providers Offer?
Before diving into the key differences, it’s important to understand what both companies bring to the table.
CrossFit RRG
CrossFit RRG was created by CrossFit affiliates, for CrossFit affiliates. Unlike traditional insurance providers, it’s a Risk Retention Group—a model that allows policyholders to own and control the insurance company. This structure provides greater control over claims, coverage decisions, and premium rates. More importantly, CrossFit RRG is exclusively designed for official CrossFit affiliates and credentialed trainers, meaning its policies align with the unique risks and challenges faced by the CrossFit community.
CrossFit RRG provides:
- General liability insurance (protection against claims of injury or property damage)
- Professional liability insurance (coverage for coaching and training services)
- Optional add-ons like additional insured certificates, sexual abuse coverage, and employment practices liability insurance
- A community-driven approach, ensuring policyholders benefit from a system designed specifically for CrossFit
Gyminsurance.com
Gyminsurance.com is a more traditional third-party insurance broker that provides coverage for a broad range of fitness businesses, including yoga studios, martial arts schools, and personal training gyms. Unlike CrossFit RRG, it is not CrossFit-specific, meaning policies are designed for general fitness facilities rather than the intensity, movement complexity, and coaching demands unique to CrossFit.
Gyminsurance.com offers
- General liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance
- Property insurance for gym equipment and facilities
- Coverage options for a wide range of fitness modalities
While these offerings may seem comparable at first glance, the real differences become evident when evaluating specialization, claims processing, community benefits, and long-term value.
Why CrossFit RRG Stands Out
1. Built for CrossFit, Backed by CrossFit
CrossFit RRG isn’t just an insurance provider—it’s a CrossFit-endorsed solution. Unlike Gyminsurance.com, which insures multiple types of fitness businesses, CrossFit RRG is exclusively available to CrossFit affiliates and credentialed trainers.
This means:
Policies are specifically designed for CrossFit training methods, movements, and risks.
Whether it’s Olympic lifting, high-intensity interval training, or gymnastics, CrossFit RRG understands the liability concerns unique to affiliates.
Claim decisions are made by people who understand CrossFit.
Gyminsurance.com’s adjusters work with a broad fitness audience, but CrossFit RRG ensures that if you ever have a claim, it will be handled by people who know the difference between a WOD and a boot camp circuit.
Your gym is protected under the CrossFit umbrella.
Because CrossFit RRG operates within the CrossFit ecosystem, your policy aligns with HQ’s standards, keeping your gym in compliance with industry best practices.
If you’re running a CrossFit gym, it only makes sense to have insurance that speaks your language and understands the movements and risks involved.
2. Claims Control: A Major Advantage
One of the biggest advantages of CrossFit RRG is its policyholder-controlled claims process. Unlike traditional insurance providers, where outside underwriters make final decisions, CrossFit RRG allows affiliates to have a say in how claims are handled.
What does this mean for you?
Fairer claim resolutions
Since decisions aren’t outsourced to an uninformed third party, CrossFit RRG ensures that settlements are based on an accurate understanding of CrossFit methodology.
More control over rate increases
Traditional insurance companies can raise premiums unpredictably after claims. With CrossFit RRG, members have more influence over long-term rate structures.
Less likelihood of unnecessary claim denials
Many standard insurers may reject claims due to a misunderstanding of the functional movements and intensity that define CrossFit training. CrossFit RRG removes that risk.
Gyminsurance.com, on the other hand, follows a traditional claims model, where insurance companies are motivated to minimize payouts and maximize profits—not necessarily to protect your gym’s best interests.
3. Long-Term Stability and Affordability
Because CrossFit RRG operates as a Risk Retention Group, premiums are not dictated by outside market forces as much as they are with traditional insurers.
This benefits gym owners in several ways:
Fewer unpredictable rate hikes
Gyminsurance.com operates like a standard insurer, meaning your premiums can increase significantly if claims rise across the broader fitness industry, even if your gym has a clean record. CrossFit RRG’s rates are controlled by its members, keeping increases reasonable.
Reinvestment in the CrossFit community
Because affiliates are the stakeholders, profits go back into maintaining lower premiums and better coverage, rather than fueling a third-party company’s bottom line.
By contrast, Gyminsurance.com is a for-profit insurance provider, meaning its primary goal is maximizing earnings for shareholders, not optimizing coverage for CrossFit gyms.
4. A Stronger Community
One of the most underrated benefits of CrossFit RRG is that it strengthens the CrossFit ecosystem. Instead of paying premiums to a generic fitness insurance provider, affiliates who choose CrossFit RRG support a system built by and for CrossFitters.
This means:
More leverage when advocating for CrossFit
specific coverage improvements. As a member-driven group, CrossFit RRG responds to the needs of its affiliates faster and more effectively than a traditional insurance provider.
Collective risk pool
A collective risk pool that helps stabilize the CrossFit industry by keeping rates predictable and policies tailored to affiliates’ actual risks.
Stronger alignment with CrossFit’s mission
By choosing CrossFit RRG, gym owners are investing in a company that supports their long-term success, rather than an insurance provider that simply lumps them in with general fitness studios.
Gyminsurance.com provides a broad service for various fitness businesses, but it doesn’t have the same vested interest in the CrossFit community.
The Verdict: CrossFit RRG is the Clear Choice for Affiliates
When comparing CrossFit RRG vs. Gyminsurance.com, the choice comes down to specialization, claims control, community support, and long-term value.
CrossFit RRG is specifically designed for CrossFit affiliates
Gyminsurance.com covers a broad range of fitness businesses, but it lacks the deep understanding of CrossFit training, liability, and best practices.
CrossFit RRG provides more control over claims and premiums
As a Risk Retention Group, policyholders have a say in how claims are handled and how rates are structured, reducing unnecessary rate hikes.
CrossFit RRG reinvests in the CrossFit community
When you pay premiums to CrossFit RRG, you’re supporting a company built by and for affiliates—not an outside insurer focused on profits.
CrossFit RRG ensures policies align with CrossFit HQ’s standards
Since it’s an exclusive provider for credentialed trainers and affiliates, you won’t run into coverage gaps due to misunderstandings about CrossFit programming.
For CrossFit gym owners looking for insurance that truly protects their business, understands their training methods, and supports their long-term success, CrossFit RRG is the superior choice. It’s not just about having insurance—it’s about having the right insurance.
If you’re serious about protecting your gym, trainers, and community, CrossFit RRG is the smart, forward-thinking choice. It’s more than just insurance—it’s an investment in the future of your affiliate and the CrossFit community as a whole.
Don’t settle for generic coverage. Choose CrossFit RRG and get the specialized protection you need to run your gym with confidence.