Those new to CrossFit may not be aware of it, but we are only a month away from the most fun time of year in any CrossFit gym. I am talking about the CrossFit Open. The Open, as it is called, is a five-week test of fitness. During those five weeks, every Thursday night CrossFit Games Director Dave Castro will announce a workout. Then athletes will have until Monday evening to complete that workout in the presence of someone judging them, and then enter their scores online. They then get to compare themselves to others around the world on that workout. The Open is designed to be accessible to all athletes, and for the past 4 years has included an option for scaling workouts.
FIVE WEEKS –Oct 10 to November 11th.
The Open is unique in sports because it means CrossFit is the only sport where non-professionals will do the exact same work as the professionals. This means for those five weeks you will be doing the exact same workouts as 2017 CrossFit Games champions Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey. The exact same workouts! This is truly unique. You may be a great softball player, and hit .450 in your local softball league, but you can’t compare yourself to Major Leaguers based on the performance since the quality of the pitching differs. In the Open, Mat Fraser will be doing the workouts in a CrossFit affiliate, just like you will, in the presence of a judge… just like you!
So, here are the top reasons you should participate in the Open:
- IT IS SUITABLE FOR ALL FITNESS LEVELS
Since 2015 there has been a scaled division in the Open. This is great because whatever level you are, each workout can be scaled to suit you, yet still lets you compete. Whether that means working with an empty bar or doing jumping pull ups instead of muscle ups it doesn’t matter. You still get the chance to workout, enjoy the atmosphere, sense of international community and measure your times against others of your level (if you want).
if you are thinking, but this is my first year, i’m not ready… it doesn’t matter !Once the open starts you will be doing the same workouts as the other people in the gym, but their intensity level will be higher than yours because they are registered.
2. FUN
It’s fun! there is nothing quite like the energy in the gym during open workouts. everyone steps up it up. everyone cheers each other on. there is always talk of strategies for tackling a workout. everyone is impatient to see the thursday night announcement of the next workout. plus, there is always friendly competition amongst friends.
3. COMMUNITY
You get to be a part of the worldwide crossfit community. during the open, crossfitters from every nation and continent are all performing the same workouts. during the open you realize that although you workout at crossfit pickering, there is a worldwide community of more than 13,000 crossfit affiliates where people are persevering through the same workouts as you. let’s face it, crossfit offers us fitness, but also community. unlike a traditional gym, we are here for each other to cheer one another on and celebrate our successes together.
4. LEARN FIRST HAND JUST HOW GOOD THE TOP ATHLETES ACTUALLY ARE
Additionally, for the fun of it, it can be very interesting to measure own your score against the top athletes in Crossfit. This gives a powerful impression of just how fit and talented they actually are! Watching Camille Leblanc Bazinet clean and jerk twice her bodyweight on Instagram is impressive and motivating, but very different from comparing times when you’ve both just finished the same workout!
5. TRAIN YOUR COMPETITIVE SPIRIT
We are all competitive in different ways and to varying degrees. If you are one of the top athletes in your Box, then the open lets you compete against the best from your area, country and other potential Regionals athletes. If you are very new to Crossfit, the Open will enable you to see how you are doing against many other newcomers from all around the world.
Have fun competing against the best
So, at only $20, there really is no reason not to sign up for the Open. Registration has started, and the first workout will be announced on October 9th. Sign up and participate!
At CrossFit Pickering we will use the Open to celebrate our local community, as well as the CrossFit community as a whole, and we will have fun throughout the five weeks. Even if you are still in your Bootcamp, you can participate! We also add a little twist by having teams at CFP who compete for most enthusiasm and participation! Team Captains will be announced this week! So excited for this.
crossfitpickering.com 