SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

Should you do the opens? The short answer is: probably.  The more nuanced answer lies below, formatted as a series of questions.

Do you just want a workout or are you interested in learning how to move better? If you just want a workout, don’t do the open. If you want to move better, do the open. Competing in the open will inspire you to shore up your skill weaknesses. If you don’t have a double under, you will score frustratingly low in the opens every year. That tangible feedback of scoring low will (hopefully) inspire you to pick up a jump rope and practice.

Are you interested in knowing what you are capable of or are you just staving off decline? If you are curious about your capacity, do the opens. The open will give you a very accurate measure of where you stand in a field of thousands of people. You can see where you stack up in your age bracket, across a variety of workouts (and if you do multiple years) if you have improved or declined. If you are just after maintenance, don’t do the opens.

Do you want your training to be engaging mentally or do you want to just do the work and go home? If you want to just do the work and go home, don’t do the opens. If you want to be engaged and interested in your training, do the opens. The strategy, the competition and the intensity will keep you up some nights wondering how you will do. Sometimes you will feel awesome about your performance. Sometimes you’ll be bewildered by your failure. You will not be bored.

Have you been doing CrossFit for at least a year? If so, you should do the opens. If not, probably wait until next time.

To summarize, if you want to move better, want to understand your capacity better, want your training to be engaging and have trained for at least a year, you should do the opens. Spend $20 in 2017, sign up and commit to do all 5 workouts. I learn a ton each year I compete. If you haven’t heard me blab about the lessons I learned this year, ask me – I’m more than happy to share.

Thanks to Joe (of Vulkan weightlifting) for coming over and guest teaching for a second class on snatch technique.
Having taken the same class twice now from Joe, what follows is my takeaway. Technique reigns supreme. Practice basic movements twice a week for a few months with an empty bar. Don’t get greedy and add weight too soon.
I’ll be passing specific movements on to peeps during the regular classes. If you were in the class, don’t hesitate to share what you learned with other people.