I remembered my first CrossFit Open in 2014, I was living in Vancouver at the time going to CrossFit Optimum Performance, and I was super nervous about it. I had been training CrossFit off and on since 2007 but didn’t do it consistently until 2012.
I remember showing up (to) the affiliate on the Friday with butterflies in my stomach. At the time there was no scaled and Rx division like we have now. The CrossFit Open was the first sporting competition I had done since I was in high school a decade earlier, I ended up having a Blast!
The atmosphere was great, everyone was super encouraging, and there was no limit to the number of high fives and fist bumps going around. The thing that I found even more amazing was that everyone cheered for every other person competing without giving preference to anyone’s overall fitness level.
It didn’t matter if you completed three rounds or thirty rounds in the workout. It also didn’t matter if you were a man or woman, everyone from the young firebreather, the lawyer, the soccer parent, the entrepreneur, the student-athlete or the grandparent got the same respect for putting themselves out there.
Everyone has an equal chance to give it their best shot and the same opportunity to do these tests of fitness.
Why does it matter to you?
In the words of Greg Glassman the founder of CrossFit “Our understanding is that the needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree, not kind, one needs functional competence to stay out of the nursing home. The other one wants functional dominance to win medals.”
The Open is a snapshot of your current ability on your fitness journey but is by no means a test of your future athletic potential.
Inside all of us lives our inner athlete and sometimes it takes putting yourself outside of your comfort zone to realize that with some consistent effort and hard work you can become the fittest version of yourself!
So here are my tips for having the best experience possible over the Open.
Give it your best effort – Leave no doubt in your mind that you could have done anything more.
Cheer on your Teammates – Like myself, in 2014 this might be the first sporting event some of you have ever done outside of school. Give support to everyone around you as this is a team effort!
Don’t sweat the little things – there will be movements you may not be able to do… YET!
Remember this is just a stepping stone on your fitness journey. No one is going to judge you for giving it your best.
Zero negativity or self-deprecation – This is a negativity free zone, we don’t want to hear anyone complain or throw a hissy fit. The Open is also not the place to make fun of your abilities, the simple fact that you’re willing to put yourself out there is something to be proud of.
Believe in yourself – You have done CrossFit workouts before these workouts are literally no different from any you have already completed.
We want to keep the atmosphere as positive and friendly as possible. If you’re struggling with any aspect of the Open take one of the coaches aside, we would love to listen and help you overcome anything that could hinder your success.
Have Fun – We do this as an intramural competition to make this about a team effort. We want to see friendly banter, positive attitudes, high fives, fist bumps and smiles on your faces after you have caught your breath.
If this is your first CrossFit open, we want you to embrace the process! Scale the workouts and if the scaled workouts are outside of your current ability don’t sweat it talk with one of the coaches, and we will help you scale it to something that works for you!
The Anchored Athletics teams top priorities are for you to have a safe and enjoyable CrossFit open experience.
The next fives weeks are going to fly by! If you need anything from me, see me, send me an email, call me or talk to any of our excellent coaches as we’re all here to help you succeed!
So let’s all kick some ass and have fun!
