The CrossFit Open is just around the corner. This annual event brings the global CrossFit community together with three challenging workouts we can use to assess our current fitness, determine our improvement over the past year, and see how we rank among our peers. The Open ratchets up competitive fire and is a great way to reinvigorate us for the training year.
As the Open approaches, it is customary to see various “Open Prep Programs” pop up. Typically, these are geared toward fine-tuning common movements seen in the Open, such as double-unders, wall-ball shots, and muscle-ups. Adding some extra skill work to each session a few weeks prior to the Open is a great way to remind our athletes about this event, get them engaged and excited, and help them commit to participating. The Open itself is a tremendous team-building event for affiliates, and anything we can do to build on this is definitely worthwhile.
That said, one of the most valuable aspects of the Open is that it represents one method, among many, we can use to evaluate the effectiveness of our training. The Open provides invaluable data that we can use to identify weaknesses and target future training efforts. With this concept in mind, I feel the best prep for the Open is the training we do day in and day out all year long. When Open season arrives, we hit the workouts, see how we’re doing, and determine what comes next.
This mindset of “trusting your training” mirrors lessons I’ve gleaned from top coaches. Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time, has often been asked what he does to prepare for big rivalry games or championship games. In response, Saban said his approach to the high-stakes games was exactly the same as any other game. He added that if his team had a better way of doing things to prepare for big games instead of what they usually did, they would do that all the time. Finally, Saban made clear how important it is to commit to your process and not change anything just because of outside distractions. Change is disorienting for the athlete while routine is grounding.
In the context of the Open, this means it’s a sound idea to carry on with the regular programming we’ve been using all year, right into the Open. We don’t need to change anything. Sure, we can add some specific skill work in warm-ups and cool-downs, but that should be part of what we’re doing anyway. The same is true for nutrition. If there’s a special diet to boost performance in the Open, shouldn’t we be following it already? Trust your process, trust your training and nutrition, and then throw down with all you’ve got in the Open. This is how CrossFit-developed fitness is meant to be used: build your capacity day in and day out, then use it when needed.
Similarly, I’ve often heard Josh Everett, strength coach to elite operators, say, “We don’t train to the test. We get as fit as possible so we can handle any test thrown at us.” Again, the best prep you can do for the Open is your yearly program. In fact, there is value in NOT doing any specific Open prep. That way, when you attack the Open workouts, you’ll get a clear idea of how well your training is preparing you, where you’re strong, and the weaknesses you need to address. Tailor from there and continue this process year after year. Following the process, program, and diet you consistently feel maximizes your work capacity is the best way to prepare for the Open or any other challenge waiting for you, from the unknown to the unknowable. This approach is the CrossFit lifestyle. It will get you fitter than you could ever imagine and produce results and performances you can’t even explain when a test like the Open comes along.
About the Author
Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and enjoys training athletes in his garage gym.