Dates for the CrossFit Open 2021
Seasoned Crossfitters love referring to “the Open” but many newcomers may still not know what really do they mean.
If you resonate with this feeling worry note we are here to demystify all the details about what the Crossfit Open is and how exactly it works.
And for those who are already familiar with the year’s biggest Crossfit event you may still want to keep reading along as we will be sharing out thoughts on the changes and predictions for the 2021 Open.
What is the Crossfit Open?
The Crossfit Open is a worldwide online competition. It’s held each year by Crossfit HQ through their online platform and it lasts 3 weeks. Each week one workout is released and athletes have 4 to 5 days to complete it.
Athletes who wanted to make it to Regionals or the Games needed to qualify through the Open. This requirement was what made the Open so special: regardless of their fitness level people from all over the globe could compete against each other and compare their score to those of the elitès of the sport.
Now that is unique!
Almost no other sport has an event that allows for an open to all division, hence the name.
Open Workouts:
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When is the Crossfit Open 2021?
The Open starts March 11th.
The Open has historically been held during or around the months of February and March.
For the competitive season of 2020 it was moved to October 2019 in order to simplify the qualification process for athletes who wanted to make it to the Games.
After the drastic changes made to CFHQ in March of 2020 the new CEO of Crossfit, Eric Roza, announced his plan to bring back the Open dates to February.
The 2020 season was unpredictable and left most athletes uncertain about the future. Re-establishing one of Crossfit’s longest standing traditions has certainly been a grounding decision for the community.
How to participate in the CrossFit Open?
Participating in the Open is relatively straightforward. You will have to sign up to Crossfit’s website, insert the required information and pay a participation fee. Prices may change slightly each year but they average about (20$) 10-15€. The price is relatively low compared to most participation fees which has allowed the Open to become the biggest community event in Crossfit.
The Open is meant to be an event focused on bringing together the community while allowing each one of us to look back to our previous years performances and evaluate our progress and where we need to work on to become fitter human beings.
This is why so many competitive athletes, regardless of their interest to qualify for the Games, sign up each year.
Not only but most Crossfit boxes will put up their own leaderboards to encourage friendly competition between members.
If you fall into one of these categories, or are planning to sign up to the Open for any other reason, and are looking for the most effective way to prepare for the event then you are in the right place.
Equipment list
With lockdown regulations leaving most of the world to train from home there was a lot of uncertainty around the Open.
Luckily CFHQ decided to release the full list of equipment needed to participate in all three of this year’s Open events.
So what do you need to make sure you can perform all 3 WODs?
- A dumbbell
- A bar and plates
- A plyo box
- A jump rope
- Somewhere to do pull ups
Weights have not been specified on either barbell or dumbbell. However the typical Open dumbell weights have historically been 50/35 lbs or 22.5/15kg.
So what classic Open movements are we NOT going to see? ❌
We’ll definitely be saying goodbye (for now) to rowing, wall balls and ring muscle ups. As well as any double dumbbell movement: remember you only need ONE dumbbell!
Lastly some would say that bar muscle ups are probably going to be off the list as well given most home gym set ups lack the overhead space necessary for the movement.
When it comes to new movements it will be up to Castro’s diabolical imagination. What skills do you think we’ll see in this year’s events?
How to prepare for the CrossFit Open?
Our coaches have been training athletes for the Open for almost a decade. We have experience with competitors looking to break through that red line on the leaderboard separating the qualified athletes from the rest. We have also acquired the skills needed to help the best of the best strategize every single element from the start of their Open prep to dominate the leaderboard.
But we also have had the privilege to work with dedicated crossfitters who are simply looking to improve from their previous year performances.
Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum you can trust we have the right program and support system to help you.
