The first stage of our community’s annual competition is The CrossFit Games. Named the Open, it’s open to anyone of any shape, size, or experience. Every Thursday night (our time) for three weeks, a workout is released for us all to complete. For those looking to progress further into the individual competition, they must perform the workouts as prescribed, but others who want to take part in Stage One only may “scale” their workouts to suit their ability. Each week, after the workouts are completed, those taking part must upload their score to the worldwide online leaderboard before a specified deadline. Points are awarded awarded to each competitor to directly correspond to their rank, and the winner is the one with the lowest cumulative points over the course of The Open.
Workout One: 24.1
After a really confusing 24.1 clue, and an even more confusing 24.1 announcement (see above), the coaching team at CrossFit DireWolf downloaded the rulebook, printed out the score sheets, and set about getting the 6am class on Friday ready for the first round of attempts. And then the 7am for the second round. And then the 9:30, Xpress, Sweat, and 6pm and 7pm classes! phew!
The workout was simple (once you stopped trying to follow Castro’s blackboard brief), but as many found out, it’s the simple ones that often hurt the most:
CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 24.1
– 15minute time cap –
21 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
21 lateral burpees over dumbbell
21 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
21 lateral burpees over dumbbell
15 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
15 lateral burpees over dumbbell
15 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
15 lateral burpees over dumbbell
9 dumbbell snatches, arm 1
9 lateral burpees over dumbbell
9 dumbbell snatches, arm 2
9 lateral burpees over dumbbell
With a whopping 82 of the pack entering scores for workout one, we’re proud as a gym to have had so many of our members take part. Burpees certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, especially at that volume (ninety?!), and so, as cheesy as it sounds, we’re celebrating absolutely everyone who attempted the workout, in any form, through this past weekend, no matter their score. Getting it done, whether it’s your first or 17th Open, is what it’s all about.
Workout Two: 24.2
Two down, one to go. And what a beastly timestamp we were given for 24.2 – 20 minutes never felt so long!
In a(nother) weird / awkward / “surprise” Thursday Night announcement presented by none other than WWE Wrestler and current and inaugural World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Freakin Rollins*, we were live from Justin Medeiros’ garage* to watch him go up against Colten Mertens for another simple-but-ultimately-painful workout that was definitely the official second Open workout, but also week two of the Golden Barbell Challenge*
CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 24.2
– 20minute AMRAP –
300 meter row
10 deadlifts
50 double-unders
Female deadlift weight: 56kg**
Male deadlift weight: 83kg***
If 24.1 was about pacing, then 24.2 was about… well… also pacing. But for longer. For some it came down to the dubs, for others it was deadlift tekkers, but for everyone it was about how hard you could row without sacrificing the dubs or deadlift tekkers.
Was it stressful getting multiple 20+ minute heats through our class schedule?
Yes.
Was it tricky making sure we all had a fair go at the prescribed weights despite the pound to kilo conversion and the lack of 1s and 2s?
Also yes.
Was it all worth it to see so many of our lot go for the Rx version of this workout even if their double unders were a major road-block?
HELL YES.
Workout Three: 24.3
To the relief of many (but the dismay of some) we were finally given some rig-work and “proper” barbell cycling to tackle in 24.3
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Open announcement if there wasn’t some confusion, and this time around it was the turn of our cousins in the USA, who just couldn’t work out why we in the UK didn’t have the foggiest who Jocko Willink is.
Nevertheless, this highly decorated American author, podcaster, and retired United States Navy officer who served in the Navy SEALs delivered our final workout.
CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 24.3
– 15minute time cap –
5 rounds
10x thruster, weight 1
10x chest-to-bar pull-up
1 minute rest
5 rounds
7x thruster, weight 2
7x bar muscle-up
Female weights 1 & 2: 29kg & 43kg*****
Male weights 1 & 2: 43kg & 61kg*******
After watching four people from the CrossFit community get their pacing and scales pretty hideously wrong for their attempts, we watched the athletes Arielle Loewen, Sydney Wells, Jay Crouch, and Roman Khrennikov do the same thing… except they did all finish; albeit on all fours, gasping for air.
A tough time cap, a tempting starting weight in the Rx category, and a novel 60 second rest between barbells provided the perfect mix for the CFDW pack to push themselves in our third-and-final Friday Night Lights. And we had people on all fours and gasping too!
But more importantly, we saw huge PBs in the chest to bar pull ups, milestones being reached on the thruster bars, and first bar muscle ups being achieved – did someone say #magicoftheopen?
A huge well done
Our congratulations to everyone who took part in the 2024 CrossFit Open. We’re so proud of all our members for taking part, and are truly delighted to have seen so many people pleased with how they did.
* for some reason
** except we didn’t have enough fractionals so the CFDW ladies actually all used 57.5kg
*** except we didn’t have enough fractionals so the CFDW guys actually all used 85kg
**** except we didn’t have enough fractionals so the CFDW ladies actually all used 30kg & 45kg
***** except we didn’t have enough fractionals so the CFDW guys actually all used 45kg & 62.5kg