23 Feb Paul Oneid – Why am I doing the CrossFit Open?

Due to personal and professional commitments, I have decided not to compete until Fall 2018.  Because I am taking such a long off-season, Tucker and I will be working together to shift my focus towards more bodybuilding hypertrophy work, with a diligent focus on my diet.  I need a goal and my body needs some time away from the competition lifts.  I am still diligently focusing on my weak points, but this is a new challenge and so far, I am having a lot of fun – which is important!

Get your copy of the 10/20/Life Second Edition HERE

Get your 10/20/Life gear HERE

Get your Captain Jacked Supplements HERE

Grab your INZER Gear, the best gear on the market HERE

For a bit of context, to those uninitiated to the world of CrossFit, the Open is a 5 week period in which you must complete one prescribed workout per week.  The workout is released on Thursday at 8pm and you have until 5pm on Monday to complete it.  The workout is judged, you submit your score online and you are ranked against everyone in the world.  For the more competitive athletes, at the end of the 5 weeks, you must rank in the top “X” amount in your region (ranking depends on region) to move onto the next round of competition – CrossFit Regionals.  For those more competitive athletes, there is also a video component to ensure integrity of scoring.  Top 5 at Regionals make it to the CrossFit Games.

So, why am I, a powerlifter, going to participate in the Crossfit Open?  First, notice I said “participate” and not “compete.”  I will not be competing because competition implies some tangible and objective goal.  I am participating to have some fun, do something different, to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and to participate in the community that I have the pleasure of spending so much time around.  I have no aspirations of grandeur, or any form of ego.  This is purely for fun.  I will place one caveat here – I am going to scale something if I can’t do it and I refuse to put myself at risk of injury.  For example, if pistol squats are prescribed, I will likely scale the workout and protect my quad.  Fun doesn’t mean stupidity.

My favourite thing about CrossFit is the community.  Say what you want about the elitists (these are the vast minority in my experience), say what you would about the methodology, that isn’t what this is about.  With Pam being both a Regionals level athlete and a coach at her CrossFit box and Dynamo Barbell being part of CrossFit O-Town, I spend a lot of time around CrossFit.  I teach seminars to CrossFitters and consider many of these people to be my close friends.  What better way to have fun than to just throw down on a workout I know I will suck at and spend some time with friends?  I am doing the conditioning work anyway, why not make it fun?

The workout was released last night and it is the perfect way to get me into the swing of things.  I will be able to pace myself somewhat lol.  I’ll be posting some videos along the way, so follow along if you’re down for a good laugh.  This week’s workout will be happening tonight at 5pm during Pam’s class.  If you’re in town, see you there!