#6: 2016 CrossFit Open

11054292_623522037780685_6704366671419313406_nEach year the CrossFit Open comes around and each year I try to convince our community to sign up. The CrossFit Open is the first leg of the qualifying events for the CrossFit Games. The CrossFit Games are where about .0004% of those that participate in the Open end up.

The main thing to understand about the Open is that it is a chance to push yourself in a very unthreatening competition style atmosphere. Don’t get wrapped up in the whole, “well I’ll never make it to the games” or “I can’t do all of the movements” mindset. This is about you and the things you will achieve through this experience.

Last year we had a muscle up event announced. Many were nervous but at the end of the event 4 people got their first muscle up. You will do things that maybe you thought you couldn’t and it will be awesome. Will you get frustrated? Yes. There will be movements and workouts that you really want to do but just cant. That’s ok. Will you do at least one thing you thought you couldn’t? Highly likely. Will there be a first place and last place in our gym? Yes, but this is just a single part of the experience. Will you have fun? Everyone who has done the Open with us has had a great time.

Here is how it works. Each Thursday for 5 weeks starting on 2/25/16 an event will be released via a live stream on games.crossfit.com at 8pm. It is packed with a lot of excitement as no one knows what the event will be and everyone is hearing the event for the first time at the same time. There will be glorified experts posting strategy videos and you can guarantee that Ryan will watch each of them. Ask him for the notes.

From here, we will spend the next day (Friday) strategizing and building anticipation for the event. This year we will try and get as many people as possible to do the workout on Saturday. The energy is much better when we have more people doing this together. We will start the first heat at 9:30am. Each heat will have a competitor and a judge. Your judge will count your reps and sign your score sheet. At the completion of the workout you will log your score online (by Monday at 7pm) and I will validate. Once validated you can check your worldwide ranking.

For those that are unable to do some of the movements there will be a scaled option. You can pick and chooses when you do the scaled workout but it is important to know that 1 rep of RX scores above all scaled scores. The scaled should only be used if you really can’t do a movement. If you think you might be able to then give it a try. This is your chance to push yourself. If you feel like only doing 1 rep isn’t a workout then do some extra work after.

If for some reason you cannot do it on Saturday then you can do it on Friday, Sunday or Monday. If you are put of town you can do the workout at any CrossFit gym in the world. Scores have to be submitted by 7pm on Monday in order to be valid.

Some incentives to get you to sign up and throw down with us on Saturday:

  • We will have drinks and grab some food after each event. We will see what everyone wants to do. It may just be drinks at the gym.
  • I will Assault Bike 10 calories for each person that signs up. Sorry I didn’t burpee in the mud last year. Seemed unsanitary.
  • We will have a cookout after the week 5 workout. We will raffle off a $100 Rogue gift card. To be eligible you must be in attendance and you must log a score for all 5 Open events.

Note: I receive no kick back from CrossFit for getting people to sign up. I just believe in this event so much and I know you will have fun if you give it a try.

Still on the fence? Everyone will do this workout if you come on Saturday. It will be the only thing we do for those 5 Saturdays. So, even if you are not logging a score you will still do the workout. Why not do the workout and log your score?

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2 Responses to “#6: 2016 CrossFit Open”

  1. Nathalie Cone

    Sounds fun! So how does it work if we can’t make it on Saturdays? Would I do the Open WOD on Friday or Monday morning in place of the regular WOD that day?

    • Gary Ostroski

      You would do it on either Friday or Monday. Just has to be submitted by 7pm