Here’s How To Make the Best Out of the CrossFit Open and Set Your Sights for Next Year
Something happens to the human psyche when it is expected to perform. The phrase ‘rise to the occasion’ comes to mind. Yet many of us acquiesce over time. We get comfortable, surrender to routine, accept our weaknesses, and hide from our fears. People cease to put themselves in uncomfortable situations that might spark something and draw out unrecognizable bits of their humanity. But just because you are grounded by routine in your everyday life—as most of us are to a certain extent— doesn’t mean you can’t fill your life with challenges that propel you forward.
That’s the long way of saying, hey, you spend a few days a week doing this stuff, why not rise to the occasion? And what’s the occasion? The CrossFit Open, of course. It’s well underway.
Nah, I Don’t Do It To Compete. I Just Do It to Stay Active.
Right. Got it. But guess what, you may be coming into the gym every day and just going through the motions. Maybe you haven’t actually been trying to get those handstand push-ups or chest-to-bar pull-ups. Maybe the craziness of 2020 made you a little lazy with your reps. Maybe you’ve never really focused on your form or speed. Maybe you’ve relaxed a bit and haven’t pushed yourself for a good time on the board.
On the other hand, maybe you have been working hard. Maybe you have been staying after class working on those kips. Maybe you have changed your diet since last year. Maybe you’re coming out of a midlife crisis. Maybe you want to see how you compare to people ten years younger than you. Maybe you are just a little bit curious about what you can do. That’s what The Open is for.
It is a nudge. A splash of cold water in the face. A reminder that you can be better and you may have fight in you yet.
So what is the CrossFit Open?
The Open is a series of workouts that serve as the tryouts for the CrossFit Games. These are international open tryouts. Anyone anywhere around the world can perform the workout, get judged by an approved CF judge (or submit a video), and get their score on the Leaderboard. Workouts are released on Thursday and participants have the weekend to get her done. CrossFit has gone to great lengths to make this the most accessible and inclusive competition in the history of man. So you can see yourself ranked against thousands of other people in your age group, region, country, etc.
(They call this Leaderboarding. It’s more fun than you think!)
The high scorers move on to regionals, then finals, and then the head honcho of fittest on earth competitions, the CrossFit Games.
It’s Not Like I’m Interested in Going to the Games, So Why Bother?
Why bother combing your hair? Why bother dressing respectfully or speaking proper English? Why bother staying healthy or voting or doing anything you don’t have to do?
Because it keeps life interesting and fun.
For regular Joe Schmos, the Crossfit Open has taken on a grass roots level of support, inspiring gyms everywhere to stir the competitive juices. This is an annual celebration of sorts, where CrossFit affiliates and aficionados around the globe measure their skills against other CrossFitters.
So MOST people that enter the CrossFit Open are not elite athletes striving for the Games.
How To Make the Open a Fun Experience for You and Your Gym Buddies
Heck, we just had a global pandemic, why not celebrate movement? Here’s how you can make the best of it, have fun, and rise to the occasion. You can still sign up! (As of this writing, the 2nd workout had just been released) And if you don’t sign up for the Open in 2021, set your sights for next year.
Approach It as a Challenge and Meet a Weakness Head On
One of the workouts is bound to highlight an area of deficiency in your CF game. It is designed to do that. Whether it’s the gymnastics movements, cardio, Olympic lifts, or skills like pull-ups and toes-to-bar. Find that weakness and face it head on. You might get a terrible score, but you can use that as fuel for the next year and focus on something concrete.
Worry About Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
Use the games as a benchmark to set realistic goals and keep your workouts fun and engaging. It’s not uncommon to find athletes that have been doing CrossFit for a while to simply plateau, settle into routine, and disengage. Everyone goes through ebbs and flows in their journey, but giving yourself a little jolt once a year helps your gym visits be more fruitful and productive.
Help Your Gym Learn Its Weaknesses Too
The Open is a great time for data collection. If your gym does its own programming, the Open can be a way for your gym to identify overall weaknesses in the programming and find better ways to help athletes approach these movements.
Enjoy the Competition Aspect of It & Embrace the Hurt
Competition is good. It drives innovation, curiosity, and even progress. Getting competitive with yourself and the people you workout with everyday is a healthy way to drive you to improve and stay vigilant of your movement standards.
Get a First or Reach a New Benchmark
The CrossFit Open is known for getting people their firsts. There is something about the exhilaration and pressure of performing that drives people out of their comfort zone. This leads to a lot of first pull-ups, toes to bar, new PRs, or simply great workouts.
Use it as a Three Week Diet Challenge
Haven’t been watching your diet so much lately? Use the competition as a diet challenge, where you clean up your act, meal prep, try new protein-rich recipes, and sharpen and re-sharpen your discipline for proper nutrition.
Binge on technique videos and learn new tricks
Why not take a moment to see if there might be a more effective way to approach a certain movement or workout. The internet has endless videos and articles regarding form, technique, and workout tips. You might learn a new trick or approach that will stick with you and improve your game.
So, Aren’t You Glad you Signed Up for the CrossFit Open? If You Didn’t, Set Your Sights for Next Year
Here at Rush, we love to see new and seasoned athletes take a whack at these CrossFit workouts. Some workouts will have you cursing the world or wanting to throw something at someone. That’s ok. We get it. We’re here for you.
As a CrossFit Affiliate through CrossFit RFG, we have seen athletes surprise themselves every Open season. Let’s keep our workouts inspired and our movements beautiful.