Open Gym: What It Is And What It Is Not
At CrossFit 613 we offer quite a bit of open gym during the afternoon, weeknights, and weekends. Some of you may be asking to yourself what it is and when/why would I use it? After all you are paying for coaching and programming right?
We wanted to share a quick thought on what open gym is, what it is not, and when/how it can be utilized to support your regular training.
What It Is
We offer 'open gym' or unstructured gym time as a way for individuals to practice skills or technique work that may need more attention than other areas of CrossFit.
Often times, different individuals excel at different aspects of CrossFit. Some may be great runners, others great weightlifters, and even some great gymnasts (this one is quite unlikely however!).
CrossFit is all about creating a broad inclusive fitness and so often times that means putting some extra work into the areas that may be considered weak.
Along side our specialty classes, open gym is a great way to select a few specific movements that may need that extra attention. Open gym is also a great way to make up any missed classes so you can stay on track with the programming.
Finally, for the more competitive athletes, it can be a way to add in some additional training to support competition. That being said, no matter how good you are or how long you've done CrossFit, EVERYONE can use coaching!
What It Is Not
Open gym is a great way to compliment regular classes. it should NOT be a replacement for classes. We pride ourselves on our coaching and well thought out programming. That is after all why you are here! Replacing regular classes with open gym can often lead to a number of issues:
substituting balanced programming for things you are good at.
picking workouts at random which often times will lead to stalled progress.
more is better! Now you're free to pick your own workout, you pick the hardest thing you can find because that must mean it’s going to get you fitter right?
lack of proper warm up/cool down. Lets be honest, warming up is not always the funnest thing but it IS necessary for avoiding injury and providing sustainable long term success.
If you plan to use open gym follow the protocols we use in classes (they are there for a reason!). For those of you who have never attended before, don't be afraid to try it out! Coaches are always available to help you out and provide feedback. For those of you who attend open gym mostly, jump into more classes! We have an awesome community that you're missing out on!