With all this hubbub around the 2020 CrossFit Open, you may find yourself wondering what it is, and why it’s important. 

Firstly, the Open is an online, worldwide CrossFit competition consisting of 5 workouts over 5 weeks. The workout is released at 8pm EST on Thursday and scores are due online by 8pm EST on Monday. At CFNH you will have 3 opportunities to complete this workout, during Friday Night Lights, during Saturday open gym, and during Monday classes. The workouts contain a variety of movements and consist of varying time domains. Even if you weren’t around during the last Open in February, you have likely done a previous Open WOD in the past few months. 

The premise of the Open is to compete against CrossFitters all around the world, with the top scoring athletes qualifying for the CrossFit Games or Sanctionals (previously Regionals). For individuals not striving to go to the games, it is an opportunity to see where you stack up against the masses and more importantly, to see how you’ve improved over the past year. The Open workouts are designed to expose weaknesses (such as a heavy barbell or strict gymnastics work) as well as celebrate new accomplishments (maybe you got muscle-ups or double unders in the past year). 

The Open also provides us the opportunity to push ourselves differently than we do in our everyday classes. Participating in a workout against your peers, in front of a crowd at Friday Night Lights might just be the push you need to hit that 95# snatch, or to hit a set of 15 pull-ups unbroken. Maybe you’re interested in doing a local competition but you aren’t sure how your nerves will hold up – Friday Night Lights is a perfect opportunity to compete in a safe environment. During everyday classes we are focused on training to be fitter; the Open is a chance to compete and test our fitness. 

Signing up for the Open through CrossFit HQ also allows athletes to see a snapshot of how they stack up against the community and themselves. The program keeps scores and standings from previous years as well as allowing you to make custom leaderboards with unique designators (like mom, grandpa, engineer, teacher). It’s a great metric for tracking your level of fitness through the years. 

If you’re a new member, or more experienced but coming back from an injury or hiatus, the Open provides an opportunity to set a baseline for the future. It’s a chance to find out where you currently stand in a competitive atmosphere and provides a starting point for your goals for the upcoming season. For new members and veterans alike, the challenges of the Open poke at holes in our abilities and provide focus for our training. 

I encourage every member to sign up for the Open and to join the community as we test and celebrate our fitness during Friday Night Lights. Reach out if you have any questions or hesitations, I’m happy to chat!

-Coach Anderson

 

Register Here

20.5!!!!!

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