I have heard all of the excuses for not participating in the CrossFit OPEN… but I’m here to tell you that you SHOULD absolutely sign up and participate in all five of the workouts, regardless of your fitness level and what the workouts may be.

The excuses along the lines of “I’m not good enough,” “I’ll have to scale,” and “I’ll finish in last place” seem to be among the most popular excuses given. I understand the fear of signing up for a competition that is worldwide and includes elite athletes; but the OPEN is much more than a competition. There is a scaled division and scaling the workout is a great opportunity for all to participate. Set a goal for yourself to complete every workout, stick to that goal, and you will not only feel accomplished at the end, but you will also NOT find yourself in last place.

As I mentioned, the OPEN is definitely much more than a competition. It is an opportunity for the amazing worldwide CrossFit community to come together, celebrate their fitness, and work hard toward their goals. While some have goals to make it through the workout without quitting and others have goals to qualify for Regionals or the Games, each and every goal is important. Every year during the OPEN we see individuals achieving things they may have thought impossible… their first double under, toes to bar, pull-up or even their first muscle up.

Whether you have been doing CrossFit for one week or 10 years, you have worked hard to get where you are. The OPEN is more than a chance to see where you rank in the worldwide field of CrossFit athletes; it is a chance to see how your fitness has progressed. It will, undoubtedly, expose your strengths and weakness and can help you develop your goals for the next year.

Friday Night Lights

Beyond the competition aspect, the OPEN is fun. More often than not, when you ask someone why they love CrossFit, their answer includes something related to the community and the support they receive from others. This is even more true during the OPEN. The environment in gyms across the world is something you will not see in other sports. Everyone pushes himself or herself to perform at their absolute best and the cheering during WODs and celebrations afterward are truely amazing. You will feel inspired watching and cheering for others, motivated by the support you receive from others while working out, and determined to continue to improve over the next year. 

Essentially, the CrossFit OPEN is not about competing with others. It is about proving to yourself that you can do it, having fun, and empowering others to do the same. Sign up for the OPEN and I know that you will be glad you did!!!!!

When Does the CrossFit OPEN Start?

The CrossFit OPEN begins on Thursday, February 21st, 2019. Here’s the full schedule so you can mark your calendar.

• Week 1 – Thursday, Feb. 21st – Monday, Feb. 25th
• Week 2 – Thursday, Feb. 28th – Monday, Mar. 4th
• Week 3 – Thursday, Mar. 7th – Monday, Mar. 11th
• Week 4 – Thursday, Mar. 14th – Monday, Mar. 18th
• Week 5 – Thursday, Mar. 21st – Monday, Mar. 25th

The workouts are released on Thursday night.  We will do the workouts on Friday, (they are the WOD that day).  You can also do them Saturday, (during OPEN Gym),  Sunday @ 2 pm, (lots of people repeat them at that time).  You can even do the OPEN workout on Monday if you have serious conflicts over the weekend. 

What are the age groups for the CrossFit OPEN?

There are several age groups outside of the individual men, women, and teams category.  Here is the complete list:

• Individual Men (18-34)
• Individual Women (18-34)
• Men (35-39)
• Women (35-39)
• Men (40-44)
• Women (40-44)
• Men (45 – 49)
• Women (45 – 49)
• Men (50 – 54)
• Women (50 – 54)
• Men (55-59)
• Women (55-59)
• Men 60+
• Women 60+
• Boys (16-17)
• Girls (16-17)
• Boys (14-15)
• Girls (14-15)

So what do you say?  Click HERE to get registered for the 2019 CrossFit OPEN.