This is for every "older than average" CrossFit athlete not yet convinced to the Open.
Five years ago at age 64, I stumbled into the neighborhood box, convinced I couldn't do "CrossFit". I saw a "WOD" with a mix of ages and genders, some with dumbbells, and thought I would fit there somehow. I didn't know a WOD was CF. Honest.
The positive energy, small classes, variety, skilled coaches and immeidate gains had me hooked. But golly did I have a lot to learn. The Open seemed like a silly idea. It took two coaches to convince me to try 2021. "Don't underestimate yourself".
Confidence
I had never done a double under. Thanks to the smiling coach, I cranked out 51, one wild jump at a time. Each week, I'd walk home with a huge grin on my face, astounded that I had again done the workouts Rx. In the end, I landed in the 80th percentile. This experience, was a huge confidence boost - that a dude starting late in life can actually do this stuff.
Scaling
In our box, I have NEVER felt any pressure to use more weight. And yet the WOD Rx weights still left me thinking that somehow I was grossly underperforming - that I needed what seemed like a herculean improvement to "measure up." The Open changed all that. I could see that my age can do what the top 30 somethings can. That in some lifts, I was doing nearly ok. Now, when I pick the "women's" Rx, I feel good about it.
Where It Took Me
With retirement, I had time to dive in big time. Last year, I made quarter finals and ended #91. I set my mind to learn double unders and finally this year what seemed like modest performance put me in the 97th percentile for that workout. Lots of guys my age find them to be difficult! The two "cardio" workouts clarified my next challenge.
I'm convinced all the strength, balance and coordination gains will serve me well into older age. The Open played a crucial role in my motivation and approach to scaling. I highly recommend particiating next year, even if you are an old guy.
(The final key to my double under success was timing. I was jumping with the first swing. That's too soon! This video was the trick.
)
PS If you'd like to look for me on the Leaderboards, I'm Bruce Jacobs, Side Door CrossFit
Five years ago at age 64, I stumbled into the neighborhood box, convinced I couldn't do "CrossFit". I saw a "WOD" with a mix of ages and genders, some with dumbbells, and thought I would fit there somehow. I didn't know a WOD was CF. Honest.
The positive energy, small classes, variety, skilled coaches and immeidate gains had me hooked. But golly did I have a lot to learn. The Open seemed like a silly idea. It took two coaches to convince me to try 2021. "Don't underestimate yourself".
Confidence
I had never done a double under. Thanks to the smiling coach, I cranked out 51, one wild jump at a time. Each week, I'd walk home with a huge grin on my face, astounded that I had again done the workouts Rx. In the end, I landed in the 80th percentile. This experience, was a huge confidence boost - that a dude starting late in life can actually do this stuff.
Scaling
In our box, I have NEVER felt any pressure to use more weight. And yet the WOD Rx weights still left me thinking that somehow I was grossly underperforming - that I needed what seemed like a herculean improvement to "measure up." The Open changed all that. I could see that my age can do what the top 30 somethings can. That in some lifts, I was doing nearly ok. Now, when I pick the "women's" Rx, I feel good about it.
Where It Took Me
With retirement, I had time to dive in big time. Last year, I made quarter finals and ended #91. I set my mind to learn double unders and finally this year what seemed like modest performance put me in the 97th percentile for that workout. Lots of guys my age find them to be difficult! The two "cardio" workouts clarified my next challenge.
I'm convinced all the strength, balance and coordination gains will serve me well into older age. The Open played a crucial role in my motivation and approach to scaling. I highly recommend particiating next year, even if you are an old guy.
(The final key to my double under success was timing. I was jumping with the first swing. That's too soon! This video was the trick.
PS If you'd like to look for me on the Leaderboards, I'm Bruce Jacobs, Side Door CrossFit