As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the official 2014 CrossFit Games season kicks off with the Open on February 27, with the first day of registration being tomorrow January 15th. The Open is the first step in competition for anyone hoping to qualify for Regionals and eventually move on to the CrossFit Games. BUT, even if you have no plans of ever competing at Regionals, or anywhere for that matter, that does not mean you should write the Open off.
CrossFit HQ does a great job of programming for the masses; typically, the workouts have been very inclusive so that everyone can stay in the game for all 5 weeks. For example, a workout that has shown up twice now has been AMRAP 12: 150 wallballs, 90 double unders, 30 muscle ups. Hate double unders? Don’t have muscle ups? Not to worry… as long as you can complete 1 wall ball, you’d be able to have a score to submit for the week, and continue on with the competition.
The CrossFit Open is one of most exciting times of the year to be a CrossFitter. First, it gives us a chance to see how much our community has grown year over year. In 2011, 26,000 athletes competed in the Open. In 2012, that number grew to 69,000 and last year, there were 138,000 athletes! Who knows what kind of numbers this year will bring. More importantly, it brings the community together. Every CrossFit athlete around the world will complete the exact same workout each week for 5 weeks. How cool is that?! Got a friend who does CrossFit in California? You can have your own 5-week competition with them for fun. It is very fun and exciting to be a part of something that is so large and so important to our sport. The Open is also unique in that it gives you an opportunity to compete directly against the top athletes in our sport. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to play a round of gold against Tiger, and despite my best efforts, I still haven’t gotten a chance to play a 1-on-1 game vs. Paul Pierce. But, each year when the Open rolls around, I get to compete against and compare my scores with the Rich Froning, Iceland Annie, and other elite athletes in our sport.
Finally, the Open is a great way to stay motivated and track your progress from year to year. The Games website stores all of your scores for you. CrossFit HQ has a history of repeating Open workouts from year to year, so it’s a great way to see how much you have improved in just a year’s time. Like any competition, the Open also teaches you a lot about your strengths and weaknesses, which can help you dial in on what you need to work on. For newer athletes looking to make the leap into competition, this is also a great opportunity to experience being judged while you work out.
Still not convinced? We’ll be completing the workouts each week in class every Friday for 5 weeks from February 28th until March 28th. You will be partnered up and asked to judge/count reps/cheer on your fellow peers before its your turn to have at it. If you have any questions about the Open, please post to comments or ask one of your coaches. Here’s to a great 2014 competition season!
Here is last years video to get you even more pumped up…
Strength
Front Squat
3-3-3-3-3
WOD
4 Rounds
10 Hang Squat Cleans (135,95)
20 Kettlebell Swings (1.5,1)
Level 2 – (115,75) (1,0.75)
Level 1- (95,45) (0.75,0.5)