The 2021 CrossFit Open, which starts this Thursday night (March 11), is unlike any other, and not just because of the pandemic. With new divisions, fewer workouts, more athletes who will move on to the next stage, and no clear front-runner—at least in the men’s division—the only constant from years past is how much it’s going to hurt (a lot).
For those uninitiated, the Open is exactly what it sounds like: an event that welcomes all comers to compete against each other, regardless of skill or experience. The competition takes place remotely, with participants from around the world submitting video recorded workouts (held up to specific standards) rather than converging on one staging area. The democratized contest is typically one of the first major dates on CrossFit’s competitive calendar, both an opportunity to mix regular Joes and pros and to begin qualification proceedings for the sport’s marquee event, the CrossFit Games (which unlike the Open, has a steep path to entry).
To guide you through the Open’s new changes, we talked to Noah Ohlsen, a seven-time CrossFit Games athlete who’s placed as high as second. He’s about to take on the Open for the tenth time.
There’s Probably a Division for You in the 2021 CrossFit Open
CrossFit has done its best to make the Open accessible to anyone who wants to do it. In fact, there’s an entire division for athletes without access to equipment (though they won’t be eligible to move on to the next stage), along with one for adaptive athletes.
For the first time, CrossFit is also partnering with the OUT Foundation, which offers an all-gender leaderboard specifically for LGBTQIA+ athletes, and creating separate divisions for service members, police, firefighters, college students, and teachers, collectively called the Occupational Games.
In addition, you can build your own custom leaderboard to compare your scores to other people’s based on their gender, occupation, phase of life, and region.
Prepare for Double-Unders in the 2021 CrossFit Open
It’s impossible to know exactly what the workouts will be ahead of time, but some movements are practically guaranteed to show up. For example, thrusters, toes-to-bar, and double-unders have been in every one of the past 10 Opens, and chest-to-bar pullups, wall balls, and snatches aren’t far behind. (Though it may feel otherwise, burpees don’t come up every year. In fact, they’ve only shown up 70 percent of the time, making them as common as ring muscleups).
So if you’re going to focus on anything, says Ohlsen, it’s probably best to choose the high-frequency movements—especially double-unders.
The 2021 CrossFit Open Has Higher Stakes Than Ever
For roughly 39,940 athletes, the stakes have never been higher.
Typically, fewer than 1 percent of Open participants move onto the next stage of competition. This year, the top 10 percent advance, which could be as many as 40,000 athletes. If you’re now in contention—or are on the cusp—it may feel as scary as it does exciting.
“You have to treat it just like the past Opens,” says Ohlsen. “It’s easy to get really excited, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to succeed.” However, if you aren’t satisfied with one of your workouts, you can always shoot your shot again.
You Might Want to Test the 2021 Open Workouts Multiple Times
With only three workouts instead of the previously standard five, you may want to think about re-testing.
Just like in years past, each week’s workout will be announced on Thursday night, and you have until Monday morning to enter your score. However, instead of five weeks, this Open is only three, so if you think you could’ve done better, you might want to consider redoing the workout, says Ohlsen.
“Especially with there only being three weeks, it’s a little less physically taxing to re-test,” he says. “Having to do that five weeks in a row can really crush your body and spirit.”
That being said, there’s no surefire way to know whether you’ll score better the second time around. That depends on a lot of factors, like your past Open experiences, ambitions, and willingness to suffer again. But in general, Ohlsen says you don’t need to overthink it.
“I can generally tell after having finished a workout whether or not I messed something up and could do better,” he says.
The 2021 CrossFit Open Men’s Field Is Wide Open
If you’re a male Games athlete, this may be your year.
In early February, Mat Fraser, the five-time Games champion and the undeniable CrossFit GOAT, announced his retirement. Since 2015, no man has even taken second place more than once, so there’s no clear front-runner in the men’s division.
Having come closer to Fraser than anyone else in the past half-decade, Ohlsen is certainly in contention—which means that he’s trying his best to downplay the Open. “In 2016, I won the Open and then had my worst-ever finish at the Games,” he says. Now, especially with more stages between the Open and the Games, Ohlsen is designing his training plan so that he peaks in time for the Games in August. That is, in theory. With such a long season, he knows he’ll have to be flexible.
“I hate to say it, but there could be an injury or something else that derails your plan, so you can’t be stuck to one idea. You’ve got to be willing to ebb and flow.”
But whether you’re shooting to win the Games or about to do the Open for the first time, Ohlsen has this advice: “Have fun. It’s a good time. You’re surrounded (hopefully) by a community of people within the gym who are cheering for you. Outside of competing at the Games, my fondest memories are during the Open.”
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