The CrossFit® Open: What Is It And Why Should I Participate?

Aside from already having a huge global community, CrossFit really gained a lot of exposure after their third documentary in 2015, Fittest on Earth.

This documentary was produced by CrossFit and released on Netflix to showcase top athletes attending the CrossFit Games final competition. To find the “Fittest on Earth”, there are a number of levels of competition one must complete and rank in.

The games begin with the Worldwide Open, which is the largest participatory sporting event on Earth. The competition is three weeks long and anyone over the age of 14 can compete and submit their scores. The 2021 CrossFit Worldwide Open started on March 11

If you rank high enough in this first round of competition, you can move on to the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Last-chance Qualifier, before the CrossFit Games.

CrossFit will make four options available for participants to choose from: Prescribed (Rx’d), Scaled, Foundations, and Equipment-Free. Adaptive divisions will also allow athletes with impairments to compete in the games.

The highest ranking will be awarded to athletes completing workouts as prescribed, followed by scaled athletes, foundation athletes, and finally equipment-free athletes.

The prescribed (RX) workout in CrossFit is when you stick to the required movements and set the weight or amount of reps in the workout. A scaled workout is when you adjust the weight or amount of reps in the workout depending on certain factors (injury, ability etc.).

Why participate in the CrossFit Open?

The CrossFit Open is great because truly anyone who wants can participate and do the workouts inside or outside of a gym. Submissions are online this year, which makes 2021 one of the most inclusive years for the CrossFit Open.

While only a select few will make it to the CrossFit Games, everyone can benefit from taking part in the open.

Some benefits of competing in the CrossFit Open include:

• Immersing yourself in the community
• Investing in yourself and challenging your own fitness
• Establishing a baseline for your own athletic performance
• Seeing where you rank against others
• The chance to appreciate outstanding physical performances

Let’s take a look at how you can achieve these benefits by participating in the CrossFit Open.

Immersing yourself in the community

We already know that the CrossFit community is vast. The Open allows you to connect with athletes of all levels all across the world. Especially now in 2021, The CrossFit Open is the most accessible it has ever been. With four categories of competition and the ability for online submissions, it’s true that anyone who wants to compete can do so with ease.

Investing in yourself and challenging your own fitness

Believe us, the $20 competition fee is worth it! By investing in this competition you’re making a commitment to your fitness and assigning a value to it. Imagine how good it would feel if you started a business and made your first $20 sale. That’s what investing in your registration for the CrossFit Open is like, but it’s for your health and your body! 

Establishing a baseline for your own athletic performance

If you have been training for a while don’t know where you stand, fitness wise, competing in the CrossFit Open is a good way to establish a baseline for your performance. Many CrossFit athletes have said how great it feels to compete just one of the prescribed (RX) workouts in the competition, and how it keeps them coming back for more year after year.

Seeing where you rank against others

Now, we’re not talking about comparing yourself against the winners of the CrossFit Games (unless you are competing at that level). We’re talking comparison against those with similar statistics to yours. Maybe you can make a new friend and compete with them year over year. Maybe everyone in your gym is registered and having their own internal competition as well.

However you’re approaching this challenge, know that your ranking can only improve if you work at it. This will provide some motivation for the year ahead until the next CrossFit Open is here.

The chance to appreciate outstanding physical performances

As we’ve mentioned, the Matthew Frasers and Tia-Clair Toomeys of the world are so inspiring to watch. They compete at an almost superhuman level and work extremely hard day in and day out to do so. But there are also inspiring CrossFit members within your own community and you may not even know it!

Look through the rankings and performances and make it a goal to compliment another competitor’s work. You’ll make their whole day!

Summary

The CrossFit Open is a special competition that many in the community hold near and dear to them. They work all year for the chance to compete and improve their scores, and that is a special thing.

Participating in this event is a privilege, it’s fun, and it’s rewarding. And you won’t know until you try it ;)

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