CrossFit has exploded in popularity over the last several years which has prompted some major format changes starting with the Open. The CrossFit Open has now been moved to the front of the season and will kick off October 10th, 2019 at 5:00 PM PT. As in previous years, the Open will run for 5 consecutive weeks with ensuing workouts releasing on October 17th, 24th, 31st, and November 7th. Athletes will have from Thursday (the day the workout is announced) until the following Monday to submit their scores. Athletes of all ages and ability levels can participate by registering on the CrossFit Games website. The Old Format  In previous years, all of the CrossFit athletes would participate in the Open. From there, 260 athletes— 40 men, 40 women and 30 teams of 6 moved on to eight Regional events where the top five in each category would earn an invitation to the Games. The New Format With CrossFit's rapid global rise in popularity, founder Greg Glassman has decided to introduce a new format that would allow more participates from across the world to be represented at the games. The top 20 individual men and women worldwide in the Open, along with the National Champions of each country, will earn a qualifying spot to the 2020 CrossFit Games.  CrossFit-sanctioned competitions have replaced CrossFit's Regional events and will become a direct pathway for top men, women and team competitors to receive invitations to compete at the CrossFit Games. Since teams are no longer required to share an affiliate or geographical location to earn an invitation to the CrossFit Games team competition, Sanctionals are now the only pathway for teams to compete at the CrossFit Games. There will be 28 events in 21 different countries spanning 6 continents. (Source: https://games.crossfit.com/sanctionals/overview)  Prepping for the Open We are 3 weeks away from the start of the Open which means it’s time to ramp up your training regime! The CrossFit website is a valuable resource to view all of the previous Open workouts and even see competitors times which will help with your training. We highly suggest taking a look at the workouts from the last few years and incorporating them into your routine.  Avoiding injuries is pivotal to compete at your optimal level. We carry an array of products that can be used to help you perform at your best. We took a look at the most frequent Open workouts and provided you with the recommended gear: Box Step-Ups/Jump Overs - 5mm Shin Guard Sleeves Dumbbell Overhead Lunge - Adjustable Strength Wraps, 3mm Knee Sleeves  Toes-to-Bar/Pull-Ups - 2 Hole Titanium Hand Grips Squat Cleans - II-Band Wrist Wraps, 3mm Knee Sleeves Snatches - 5mm Knee Sleeves, Elbow Sleeves  Thrusters - Adjustable Strength Wrap, 3mm Knee Sleeves  Good luck to everyone participating in this years Open!  Sources:  https://games.crossfit.com/history-of-the-games https://games.crossfit.com/sanctionals/overview https://games.crossfit.com/about-the-games https://wodprep.com/blog/crossfit-open-2019-changes/    

A CrossFit WOD is a common abbreviation frequently used in CrossFit gyms as well as its community, it’s everywhere in CrossFit! Although not quite clear at the beginning, once you know what it stands for it seems quite clear and it makes sense! Here’s a hint: It is used daily in CrossFit gyms. 3 examples of CrossFit WODs and its meaning Before we begin with the examples, we have to know. What is a CrossFit WOD? The abbreviation WOD stands for Workout of the Day and refers to the daily workout routine which is put on the board in CrossFit gyms. It is different every day, although it can be repeated at times. The workouts can consist of a mix of any of the following: cardio, weightlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics, etc. Now let’s see some examples! CrossFit WOD Example 1 The workout example I am about to present comes from the CrossFit worldwide competition, the CrossFit Open, from 2017. It was the 17.1 CrossFit WOD. For Time: 10 Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs 20 Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs 30 Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs 40 Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs 50 Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs Time Cap: 20 minutes Athletes must alternate hands for each dumbbell snatch and face the box for the Burpee Box Jump Overs.   CrossFit WOD Example 2 The following CrossFit WOD comes from that competition as well, but from the 2018 version, the 18.2. However, this workout was followed by a second challenge, the 18.2a. Workout 18.21-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps for time of:Dumbbell squatsBar-facing burpees Workout 18.2a1-rep-max clean Time cap: 12 minutes to complete 18.2 AND 18.2a CrossFit WOD Example 3 This CrossFit WOD was also used in the competition. However, not only was it used in 2011 as 11.6, but also in 2012 as 12.5, and it was so challenging it was also used in 2018 as 18.5. Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:3 thrusters3 chest-to-bar pull-ups6 thrusters6 chest-to-bar pull-ups9 thrusters9 chest-to-bar pull-ups12 thrusters12 chest-to-bar pull-ups15 thrusters15 chest-to-bar pull-ups18 thrusters18 chest-to-bar pull-ups This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 18, go on to 21. If you complete 21, go on to 24, etc. Even though no gymnastics were shown in these examples, many movements were put in the competition. Such as handstand walk, bar muscle-ups, and ring muscle-ups, etc. Whether you think they sound easy or hard, these CrossFit WODs are sure to get you into shape and give you an idea of what CrossFit is all about!