A Beginner’s Guide to The CrossFit Open

If you’re a regular reader of the SCFIT Blog, you’ll have no doubt heard us talk about The CrossFit Games season, and The CrossFit Open!

In case you missed those updates, be sure to check out our previous articles:

So: you’re now clued up on what The Open is, and what we’ll be doing at SCFIT! If you’re still feeling a little bit lost in terms of:

  • Exactly what to expect on Friday
  • How to choose the workout for you
  • Why we do The Open, and why it matters to you

…then read on! This article is for you.

Know Your Why

For a small few, the CrossFit Open is the first stepping stone leading towards qualifying for the CrossFit Games. For thousands and thousand of others, it’s simply a chance to do awesome things, discover your potential, and get involved in the wider CrossFit community! Be clear on why you are doing this, and you will have so much more fun! Members who have the best CrossFit Open experiences are those who go in with an open mind, give it their all, and join in on the community action, celebrating one another’s successes. 

Woman competing in CrossFit Open

Should I choose Foundations, Scaled, or RX?

In classes, the coach will always help you find choices and scales in the workout that will help you achieve the desired stimulus. This will often mean adjusting loading, reps and movement options to achieve the desired intensity. We often see a whole spectrum of scaling options – not just A or B. 

The Open however, presents workouts with three distinct options: Foundations, Scaled and RX. It’s the only time where we have set movement choices, weights and standards, so it can be a great opportunity for members to push beyond their comfort zone and try something new! It’s not uncommon to see members ‘give RX a go’ and surprise themselves as they manage to achieve their first Toes to Bar, or see a beginner brave the scaled option and have a stab at their first bodyweight press up! The Open is a chance to try – and give it your absolute best. Our recommendation is to choose whichever category will truly challenge you, and allow you to put in shift that you’re really proud of.

Friday Logistics

On Friday, the 6am, 9:30am and 12pm classes will be running as usual, and the exciting news is that the Workout of The Day will be… you guessed it, The CrossFit Open workout! These sessions will follow the standard class format – an hour in length, coached throughout, with a group warm up. If you can’t make Friday Night Lights, you can still join in on The Open fun by coming to a class on Friday! Please note: if you have registered for the official CrossFit Open and will be submitting your score for the workout, you must organise your own judge for the class. 

Friday Night Lights

Onto Friday evening – the usual class times will be replaced with bookable heats for you to do your workout! Things to note:

  • Book your chosen heat on WODBoard as normal.
  • The heat time is your workout start time. This means you need to be warm, prepared, with a judge, ready to start at the beginning of your heat time.
  • Arrive early. We suggest arriving at least 30 minutes before your heat time.
  • You will complete your warm up in your own time. Use the SCFIT Team’s suggested warm up, and feel free to add any additional movements you know will help you prepare!
  • Stay late! The fun is in the community: get involved, judge and cheer other members, and be a part of it!

Should I register for the Official CrossFit Open?

Absolutely! That being said – you don’t have to in order to join in – but as a proud CrossFit Affiliate, we strongly encourage all members to register online and join in on the world’s biggest inclusive online fitness event! Whether or not you have any interest in knowing how you fare against your peers (or the rest of the world!) it can be a fantastic way for you to measure your progress in years to come. For example – perhaps your goal this year is to take part in the scaled category. Perhaps next year you will aim to ‘RX’ each workout. Maybe the year after that you will hope to make it to Quarter Finals. Start your CrossFit Open journey this year and join in on the action! Register here.

A note on Judging

It is your responsibility to arrange to have a judge for your workout. If you’re not submitting your score online for the official CrossFit Open, a judge is not essential, but it is still recommended – they will help you hold high standards, and count your reps for you! This will only do you good. If you do not have a suitable judge, you will not be able to submit a score for verification. Chat to a member of the coaching team ASAP if you can’t find a judge!

So… what are the workouts?

The first Open Workout will be released TONIGHT! You can watch the live announcement here, or check WODBoard first thing tomorrow to find out what’s in store, and to explore the different options. 

See you there…

…and that’s it! We can’t wait to see all of you on the gym floor tomorrow, and cheer you on through the first CrossFit Open Workout! If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to a member of the SCFIT Coaching team and they’ll be happy to help.

New here? We’d love to meet you! Book your free No Sweat Intro with a member of the team now.

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