CrossFit Open 2024: How to take part
It’s that time of year when hundreds of thousands around the world get involved in one of the biggest fitness events in the world: the CrossFit Open.
Whether you’re a seasoned competitor, a CrossFit newbie, a fitness enthusiast or a community cheerleader, one thing is certain: the Open is for you.
The Open means different things to different people. For some, it’s a culmination of a year’s worth of training and really putting themselves to the test. For others, it’s a chance to benchmark their fitness and set goals for the coming year. And for the majority, it’s the sense of community and togetherness that takes over each and every CrossFit box for multiple weeks in a row.
Regardless of fitness level, the Open brings together groups of people for something much bigger than what they would experience solo in the gym.
Here we’ll walk through the Open journey and discuss:
But First, What Is The CrossFit Open?
Launched in 2011 to find the fittest people on earth, the CrossFit Open is seen as the ultimate global fitness competition. Having gained traction year on year, it now sees everyone from weekend warriors to professional athletes getting involved with the qualifying workouts. Professional athletes from other sports are also drawn to its appeal, with Olympic weightlifter Dmitry Klokov and Strongwoman athlete Chloe Brennan both taking part previously. The qualifying workouts, signifying the first stage of the competition, put everyone across the world on a level playing field. So whether you’ve only just started CrossFit or you’re at an elite level, you’re doing the exact same workouts, which adds to the huge sense of community.
It’s popular for very good reasons, too.
Firstly, it’s open to all skill levels. Unlike many competitive sports, the CrossFit Open welcomes participants of all levels. This inclusivity creates a profound sense of community, and you’ll find most CrossFit boxes hosting a ‘Friday Night Lights’ event each week during the Open. These gatherings combine the Open workout with a social atmosphere, and the evening is a 50/50 split of working out and encouraging everyone else around you. With athletes supporting and cheering each other on all evening, it’s an electric atmosphere which we highly recommend trying out for yourself.
Secondly, it’s a great test of your fitness. The Open workouts are known for their diversity, testing participants across a range of movements and modalities. From weightlifting to gymnastics, and endurance to skill-based exercises, the Open is a comprehensive assessment of your overall fitness. It acts as a great benchmark for knowing where you are now, and understanding both your strengths and areas for improvement.
This year, The Open kicks off on 29th February and begins with one workout per week for three consecutive weeks. The workouts are made public every Thursday at 8pm UK time, and you have until 1am the following Tuesday (it’s based on Pacific Time, in case you’re wondering!) to submit your scores online.
If you haven’t entered a CrossFit competition before, we cannot stress enough that this is still very much for you, whether you train in CrossFit or not. A huge number of the MLA community take part in this every year, with 2024 being no exception.
How To Approach The Open
We asked our very own Flo Wong to break this down. As well as managing all of MLA’s partnerships, Flo is a competitive athlete and a two-time CrossFit Games semifinalist, so she’s our go-to when it comes to comp prep!
Six Weeks To Go: Your Game Plan
Familiarise yourself now with longer AMRAP workouts and your pacing strategies. We often see workouts that are between 12 and 15 minutes long, and it's so easy to go all out too quickly on these. Finding your rhythm and breathing strategy is crucial. If you find yourself having to take very long breaks, you’ve probably pushed it a bit too hard at the start and redlined too early. The sweet spot is finding a pace that’s challenging but sustainable. Now is the best time to experiment and learn from your workouts, before putting yourself to the test at the Open.
Know Your Movement Standards
Respect the movement standards and get comfortable with them. Practice and practice and make sure you hit them. Remember that slow becomes smooth, and smooth becomes fast. If you’re just taking shortcuts to be fast, it’ll likely end up not being a rep, costing you time and energy. Come along and practice these standards at the MLA gymnastics social with Ella Wilkinson on 1st February. It’s a great opportunity to work on your gymnastics movements and level up your handstand skills!
Two Weeks To Go: Listen To Your Body
In the final two weeks or so before the Open kicks off, you should start to think about tapering your training. You’re unlikely to gain much more fitness in two weeks, but you can get too fatigued and struggle to recover. Or worse yet, you can push yourself too hard and get injured before the big event. Look after yourself and give yourself plenty of recovery time.
One Week To Go: All About Nutrition
With one week to go and as the Open begins, have a plan for your nutrition. Stick to foods that you know work for you, rather than testing new things on the day itself. Remember, food is fuel, so make sure you are fuelled by having nutritious meals ready to go. If you don’t have the time for at-home meal prep, then it might be worth jumping on board with a personalised meal delivery service like Fresh Fitness Food. Use code MLA65 for £65 off your order.
Don’t Skip Mobility
This goes for all workouts year round, not just the Open. Be sure to mobilise before and after your training and competition sessions to keep your body healthy and ready for what’s to come. MAP Online is a great tool ahead of the Open as it’s been created by a Sports Therapist and CrossFit Coach.
Prep Your Hands
Torn hands can seriously limit you in a workout, so get your hands prepped for the workouts. Shave down your calluses, and be sure to moisturise. If you don’t have gymnastics grips for a high-volume gymnastics workout, get some now! We love FOR:TIME’s new Supernova grips, and code MLA10 will get you some money off. We also recommend weightlifting tape which can help with your hook grip and avoid tears - Black Cat Barbell is one of our favourites and the code MORELIFEADVENTURES20 will get you 20% off your first order.
Enjoy It!
Having a plan as outlined above can really help you to get the most out of the Open. And having buddies to do it with is even better. Remember that the Open is a celebration of fitness and community, not about comparing yourself to others. Remember you may be in a room with people that have been competing for years and years, so don’t focus on them. Focusing on yourself and giving it your absolute best shot is how you’ll enjoy it and have the most fun!
Join us on the MLA Leaderboard and win Prizes!
In the spirit of getting as many of the MLA community together for the CrossFit Open, we’re teaming up with a number of our partners to offer prizes to those that take part. We’ll create our very own MLA leaderboard so we can track, support and encourage each other, plus gift each person with some wellness-related goodies to help you on your Open journey.
Have We Convinced You Yet?
The CrossFit Open is more than just a competition. It’s a personal journey and a celebration of the diverse and supportive community that defines the world of CrossFit. It’s not just about chasing scores, it’s about chasing a better version of yourself. It demonstrates that the true measure of success is not simply the numbers on a leaderboard, but rather the character that’s built through sweat, perseverance, and a commitment to the process.