The Sprightly Spud

It’s open season. And no, I’m not referring to; ‘the annual period when restrictions on the killing of certain types of wildlife, especially for sport, are lifted’…

Whether your a seasoned athlete, or have only recently invested in your first pair of grips, the open should feature in your calendar in fluorescent yellow highlighter. 

What is the Open?

The first in a series of qualifying rounds for the annual CrossFit games, the Open allows any individual who partakes in the sport to compete with the professionals. The fittest athletes from each region will be chosen to test their mettle further in the Quarterfinals. The field is then whittled down further in the Semifinals, until only the elite remain. These athletes will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, in August, to battle for the title of ‘Fittest on Earth’ in the international CrossFit games; a four day demonstration of near superhuman abilities in the realms of weightlifting, gymnastics and functional fitness. 

Lets face it, unless I undergo some sort of hulk-style transformation over the next week, I will not be catching a flight to Texas this summer with the likes of Sara Sigmundsdottir and Emma Lawson, however, I will still be doing the Open.

Why is it for everybody?

Firstly, there’s no requirement stating that you must actually submit your scores for comparison. It perfectly acceptable to turn up at your box on a Friday morning, get a bit sweaty doing something that vaguely resembles the prescribed weekly workout, and feel great afterwards. Pressure: gone. 

What’s more, most boxes will have an intra-box league table underway. So, you may not be repping out snatches heavier than Danielle Brandon, but you could cultivate some healthy competition with Sandra from the 5.30 class. 

Secondly, in order to make the Open physically possible for mere mortals, CrossFit issue versions of each workout which include more achievable versions of each movement, or lighter weights. For example, the ‘RX’ workout may have double unders, but this neurological challenge may translate to singles for ‘Scaled’ athletes, and to jumping jacks for those choosing to complete the ‘Foundations’ adaptation. As a result of this, even if you are not yet proficient in ring muscle ups, you can be ranked against fellow fitness junkies who are of a similar ability to yourself.

CrossFit even caters to disabled athletes, with the ‘Adaptive’ open. 

No, Jane, you are not too old!

CrossFit has no age limit, hence why the games has a age-group divisions (in addition to the Individual category), which rank all competitors against others of similar maturity, from teens aged 14-15, to masters aged 65+, anyone can be involved. The top 25% in each group will be selected to advance to the quarters, with the top 200 of these going on to the semis.

But why is it so brilliant?

One key benefit to taking part in this pinnacle of sporting inclusivity, is that it brightens up the winter months. What could be more exciting than counting down the minutes to midnight every Thursday for three weeks to find out the dumbbell delights that await you over the weekend? From Friday morning to Monday night, you have the opportunity to complete this week’s workout as many times as takes your fancy, until you have a score you are satisfied with. (Or are too physically exhausted to be able to do anything other than lie on the sofa with a large pizza.)

Perhaps the best thing about the Open, is the atmosphere it brings to every CrossFit box around the world. There is a monumental sense of unity, community and connection, not only with members of your own gym, but with athletes globally. Not to sound unbearably cheesy, but it truly creates the feeling that you are ‘part of something’. Furthermore, any CrossFit coach will verify that Open season leads to a tidal wave of personal bests. Whether it be you first pull up, finally mastering your dub, or a new max lift, the potential to astound yourself is infinite. Even if you don’t quite hit that PB this time round, you are left with a benchmark and target for next year – its a win win. 

Convinced? Good. If you fancy pitting yourself against Matt Fraser, official registration is live as of January 9th. Get yourself to games.crossfit.com where you can log into your athlete profile (or create an account), fill in or edit your information, sign a waiver, and pay the $20 registration fee. 

Bring on February 29th!