A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO THE CROSSFIT OPEN

The CrossFit Open is coming up on October 10th. Maybe you’re a hardcore crossfitter who’s been preparing hard. Or you’re a little rusty, but you heard about the Open a week ago and you thought “eh, why not”.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ve somehow never even heard about CrossFit before (Question: If this is you, how did you find our website?), and you’re trying to decide whether it’s for you or not (Hint: It is).

Wherever you’re at in your CrossFit journey, we here at WOD Recovery thought it would be good to give a brief refresher on CrossFit with some commonly asked questions.

If you’re a veteran, refresh yourself. If you’re a newbie, sit back and learn about everything you’ve been missing.

What is CrossFit?

You know when you’re at the gym, working out half-assed? Maybe you do a few sets of bench press, check your phone, post a picture to your story on Instagram to get a few likes.

Then you hear some grunting from the corner, and you look over and there’s someone who at first glance looks like the sole goal of their workout is to make themselves puke?

That’s probably a crossfitter.

What does the average workout look like?

The beauty of CrossFit is that there is no ‘average’ workout. They can be altered endlessly.

A workout generally consists of a circuit of exercises, and from there completion of the workout occurs in one of two ways.

The workout can have a set time limit, say 20 minutes, in which the crossfitters do as many reps or sets of the circuit as possible, or the number of cycles of the circuit will be a set amount, and the crossfitters will finish it as quickly as they can to get as low of a time as possible.

Is the CrossFit Open for me?

Well, to answer that, let’s take a look at Webster’s Dictionary’s definition of the word ‘Open’.

Open: exposed or vulnerable to attack or question.

Are you exposed or vulnerable to an attack? Will you be able to defend yourself adequately if a wild beast or man attempts to maul you? If yes, then you’re not ‘open’ and therefore NOT eligible for the Crossfi–

Wait, that’s the wrong definition of ‘Open’. It doesn’t make any sense in this context. Let’s look at this DIFFERENT definition of ‘Open’ from Webster’s Dictionary.

Open: not restricted to a particular group or category of participants.

Yes, that definition makes a lot more sense. Everyone can participate. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never lifted a weight in your life, because you’re only competing against yourself. As long as you’re safe, you can compete.

However, there are some exceptions to who can compete in the CrossFit Open.

What are the exclusions for who can compete in the Crossfit Open?

If you are actively dead, you may not compete in the CrossFit Open. If you are not a human, you may not compete in the CrossFit Open.

I’m looking at you, shaved gorillas, who with some basic training, massive strength, and opposable thumbs, would dominate the competition.

Again, you must be a human to compete. On top of that, you must be a currently ALIVE human. Yes, the restrictions are tight, but if you fall into the category of ‘living human’, you may compete.

Is there somewhere I need to go for the CrossFit Open?

Last year there were roughly 500,000 people who competed in the CrossFit open. I crunched the numbers, and that is roughly 3.7 Sh*t Tons of people.

No gym in the world could possibly fit that many. Luckily for you, there are ways around this.

The easiest option is to go to a licensed CrossFit affiliated gym near you. Unless you live under a rock directly in the center of nowhere, the odds of not being near a CrossFit gym is quite low.

But lets pretend you did live under a rock directly in the center of nowhere. You’re roughly 600 miles from the nearest sign of life, and roughly 604 miles away from the nearest CrossFit gym.

You do have WiFi, however, and that’s your saving grace. As long as you have the equipment needed for each exercise, you can record and upload your workout to the CrossFit Open website, and get an official score from there.

It sounds like a lot of work, but that’s what you have to expect when you live under a rock directly in the middle of nowhere.

After I compete in the CrossFit Open, can I tell everyone I meet about CrossFit?

No. Please no. You can be proud of your accomplishment, and you SHOULD feel proud of your accomplishment, because it is no easy task.

You can tell your loved ones and those who are close to you about CrossFit and how much fun you had, but please, do not tell everyone.

Here is a list of who you should and more importantly, SHOULD NOT, tell about your love of CrossFit:

Do Tell:

Your loved ones

Close, personal friends

People who directly ask you about CrossFit, and then go on to ask you more questions related to that

Do Not Tell:

Literally everyone else

There is a running joke that CrossFitters can’t shut up about CrossFit, usually told by people who don’t do a lot of literal running. Do not live up to this stereotype by never shutting up about it.

Should you tell that lady you bump into at the grocery store? No.

I’ve heard that CrossFit puts no emphasis on safety and I’m worried about injuries. Is that true?

Yes. There is nothing that CrossFit loves more than injuring people. It is their Magnum Opus, or for those non-latin speakers out there, greatest reason for doing what they’re doing.

NOT!

Any licensed CrossFit affiliated gym you go to will put emphasis on proper technique and form. Of course CrossFit coaches want to push you, but they will always make sure you are working out in a safe manner.

Help! It’s the first day of the CrossFit Open and I’m already too sore to continue, what should I do?

Well, funny you should ask. The most important thing in CrossFit is that you work hard and have fun. The second most important thing?

Recovery. That’s where we at Wod Recovery RX come in (it’s even in the name!)

You can’t continue to do CrossFit, or any sort of exercise, at a high level day after day without the proper recovery tools and techniques. It’s not sustainable.

Your body will constantly be breaking down, and sooner than later your ability to perform will decrease, even after all of the hard work you put in.

One of our products, 1000mg full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD oil, aids in recovery through decreasing inflammation and relieving stress, creating a more relaxed and recovery-ready body and mind post-workout.

“Hey wait a second, isn’t hemp just a fancy word for ‘Marijuana’? I thought ‘Pot’ or ‘The Devil’s Lettuce’ made you sit around on the couch eating chips and not caring all day?” You may ask yourself.

Well, yes and no.

First of all, this isn’t the 1950’s anymore, so stop saying things like. ‘The Devil’s Lettuce’.

Second of all, our CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant and not the marijuana plant, plus has the benefits of Cannabis, like lowering both physical and mental stress, while taking away any negative side-effects.

It really is a medical marvel.

After all of this, should I do the CrossFit Open?

Yes. Yes, you should.

With these commonly asked questions answered, you must be feeling more prepared than ever for the CrossFit Open.

Stay tuned for more updates from the team at Wod Recovery RX.

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The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act require this notice.

Disclaimer: All hemp-derived products contain 0.0% THC