After 14 years of CrossFit, CrossFit Barrington owner Craig Niven still embraces the Open. This year, that meant 103 of his members competed in the CrossFit Open, 27 of whom went on to qualify to Quarterfinals.

It’s something that would have been a lot more challenging to accomplish, he said, without HybridAF and the option for unattended access.

• “We programmed every Open workout in the classes on Fridays, but with 103 registered, there were always a few people each week who couldn’t make it on Friday. They’d use HybridAF to access the gym on Saturday or Sunday,” said Niven, a Level 2 coach who started CrossFit in 2010 and opened his gym in Illinois in 2011.

Niven isn’t the only one: Read about what two CrossFit Games champions and gym owners said about how HybridAF makes their lives easier during the Open.

Being able to provide the unattended access option to his clients, not only gave them a better Open experience, but it also took the stress off him, as well. In fact, that’s true not just during the Open, but on a weekly basis.

• “We see a high volume of gym-goers during early Saturday mornings, Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. Previously (before HybridAF), we offered a manned two-hour open gym on Sunday mornings. The freedom of no longer staffing the gym on Sundays, and the associated cost reductions, has been fantastic,” said Niven, whose gym has been with HybridAF for the last two-and-a-half years.

Today, Niven estimates that about 25 percent of his members regularly take advantage of HybridAF—a feature that’s included in his regular membership offering—and the ability to come in when best suits their schedule.

For the record: Although Niven includes unattended access in his regular membership, some HybridAF-using gym owners also use HybridAF to generate additional revenue they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Read about that here.

The bigger picture: Needless to say, Niven calls HybridAF a no-brainer for the busy, often overworked gym owner looking to save both time and money.

• “Simplify your life and enjoy more family time,” he said.

And for those gym owners who are still hesitant at the thought of their members showing up to the gym after hours, Niven admits he was there once too, but that the fears were unfounded.

• “Initially, I had concerns about members accessing the gym independently, but those worries vanished. Over the past two-and-a-half years, we have experienced zero issues or problems,” he said.

“We should have added HybridAF a long, long time ago,” he said.