After a brutal past couple of years of gym closures the time has eventually come and we are heading for the CrossFit Open 2022. For new members here are some answers to the FAQs ….

What is the CrossFit Open?

The Open debuted in 2011, and at the time, the concept of holding an online worldwide competition was, well, insane. The idea: Athletes from around the world would each complete the workouts from the comfort of their own city or town and submit their scores on the CrossFit Games website. The Open would bring to life the concept of the Hopper model for testing one’s fitness — and it worked. Each year, the Open has gained more and more traction around the world as the CrossFit community has grown. What’s more is that the Open has been a way to track the collective progress of the community. From first pull-ups and muscle-ups to an increase in max loadings, the Open has shown that the community is getting fitter together.

The design of the Open and its place within the CrossFit Games season was very intentional. The ultimate purpose of the CrossFit Games is to find and crown the Fittest on Earth. To do that, the Open casts a wide net and attracts a large number of people from around the world to participate on a level playing field at the start of competition.

Structurally, the Open is a series of workouts spaced across three weeks. Individuals can do the workouts from anywhere: their affiliates, at home, in a park, or even on a beach — although you might find yourself eating sand if the workouts call for burpees!

How does it work at Gym 1971?

Each Friday evening, typically starting at 5pm and running until the last member has completed their workout. Gym 1971 will programme the Open workout, members can turn up complete their workout and judge other members whilst they complete theirs.

Its an opportunity to measure your fitness against yourself, the gym, the country, Europe and the world. For the older members who have done the open last year or years before its a great way to look at your fitness journey. Thats the boring part ..

After the workouts are done or whilst the workouts are ongoing its also an opportunity to socialise with other members, encourage and support each other through the workout then grab a beer or a nocco for some and talk about how brutal it just was! lol

This year we will run a fun competition style inter box open. There will be 2 teams and members will be auto registered at random into a team from the list of members who intend on coming on at least 1 of the 3 Friday evenings. Teams will be Captained by a Coach from the gym and points will be scored as followed:

1 Point for turning up and completing the workout in any category.

2 Points for turning up and completing the workout in any category whilst being registered for the open.

5 Points for the winning team on the evening.

5 Points for Spirit of the night (awarded to a member who stands out on the night).

The Open at Gym 1971 is as good as the members want it to be. Save the dates, show up, stay the duration of the night if you can, workout and then support others. It really is that simple! Oh and stay for beers afterwards too!!

How to register for the Open?

Visit: https://www.crossfit.com/

Why bother? I’m not going to the games!

First pull-ups, cheering, memories — that’s all well and good, but still: “I’m not a competitive athlete,” you might say, “so why would I do this?”

We hear you, and we’re here to tell you that we hear that a lot. But that’s like not signing up for a marathon because you won’t finish in the top five or qualify for the Olympics. There are many benefits to completing the event independent of where you finish.

If you’re not in it to win it, the Open is a way to check in on your fitness, hold you accountable to moving forward and staying motivated for the upcoming year, accomplish personal goals, and celebrate with the community.