Reasons to Do the CrossFit Open
Written by Teresa James
The CrossFit Open!! As some of you may know, this time of the year for the CrossFit community and beyond can be the most rewarding, humbling, and exciting part of their year. In order to participate in this event and give our community another goal or baseline for their fitness journey, we would like to encourage you all to take a moment to see why we believe we should all participate. Here are our reasons to do the CrossFit Open.
Reason #1: IT GETS YOU COMPETING AGAIN
Many of us competed as kids whether on an organized team or just racing siblings to the car. When we become adults, we often feel like we need to retire that side of us. Sure, we compete for jobs and accounts and other “grown-up” things, but more often than not, we have forgotten the thrill of physical competition. We may not be a win-at-all-cost type of community – and this certainly is not the only kind of competitor – but there is something about putting yourself on the line that sparks inspiration.
You may be confused by how fearful you may feel like an adult because we shouldn’t be that terrified, right? Doesn’t this mean it’s time to bail? We didn’t grow up so we could fail at things, but as adults, we suddenly believe that we are not allowed to fail at anything, especially things that are supposed to be fun, so we avoid the risk of putting ourselves out there. Without that risk, we might not experience the biggest thrills.
Reason #2: CONNECT WITH THE CROSSFIT COMMUNITY
The CrossFit Open gives you the opportunity to expand that community internationally. You will be working out with the world! There are hundreds of thousands of other CrossFitters experiencing the same hardships, triumphs, and sense of achievement that you will. Plus you can see where you rank regionally, by state, by age, etc.
Reason #3: BECAUSE YOU MIGHT SURPRISE YOURSELF!
Stepping out of our comfort zone is always easier said than done. Humans are wired to seek balance, safety, and familiar surroundings, but signing up for the Open will give you 3+ new workouts to try, and allow you to test yourself against some of the best athletes in the sport.
You still complete the workout in your gym, but the context is different, and that added dimension can be helpful for pushing you further and harder, hitting PRs and new exercises for the first time. The added pressure can often be a huge help to spur you on to surprise yourself!
Reason #4: IT’S SOCIAL!
The morning crew doesn’t usually see or workout with the evening members and Mon/Wed/Fri’s don’t run into Tues/Th’s, so this is a great opportunity to meet the rest of the members of your gym, hang out, work out, and relax after the WOD.
We hope somewhere in these reasonings you find a spark that will help you join us as we invite our community to take on this new challenge, together. Just like all of our workouts and programming, the CrossFit Open can be for anyone and any fitness level. This is more about testing your personal strength and progress, setting those goals, and letting yourself have a little bit of fun along the way. Find a partner, friend, or even ask a coach to join you as we all experience this and cheer each other on, together!
