By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown
The 2026 Open has come to a close. You probably heard your coaches talk about “standards” a lot throughout these past three weeks and may wonder: What’s the big deal about standards? Said standards may seem like we’re asking a lot of you. And that’s because we are. Because we want the best for you and your health. Standards exist in order to ensure consistency and fairness across a worldwide competition, but they also play an important role in your personal health. They show you how to live the most functional and independent life possible.
The reason we hold standards is because we want you to be able to live an independent life for as long as possible. Nobody wants to have to ask for help for mundane, day to day tasks. Nobody wants someone else to have to wipe their own ass because they can’t do it themselves anymore. And nobody wants to have to wear that life alert button around their neck because they’ve fallen down and have lost the ability to get back up.
We want what’s best for you. The intention is not to annoy you as much as possible; although it may feel that way some days lols. We don’t want to “no rep” you during the Open. We want you to understand the difference between a good rep that hits full range of motion, and a not-so-good rep that does not. Because knowing the difference will improve your fitness.
Standards set a clear expectation. “Close enough” does not count. Here’s an example:
Let’s say you’re taking a math quiz, and the question is: 5+5 = ? And you have the following multiple choice answers:
- 8
- 9.5
- 9.9
- 10
Any answer besides 10 is incorrect, and you would not receive points for that question on a quiz. Likewise, when we hold the standard to squat below parallel, we are looking for correct execution of the expectation. Is 8 close? Sure. Is 9.9 even closer? Sure is. But is it 10? Nope. Sure isn’t. 10 is 10. Below parallel is below parallel.
How can holding standards improve your overall health? To answer that question, let’s try an analogy: Can you imagine if your front door only opened halfway? Imagine having your hands full of groceries, your kids running around, and the door only functions at half its capacity. What a pain in the ass to have to walk through that door everyday! Wouldn’t you do what you could to make sure the door would function properly? Oil the hinges? Make sure the hardware doesn’t get rusty and rot? That’s what coaches are trying to get you to do with your joints. We want that damn door (i.e. your ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows and shoulders) to perform its function optimally.
If these standards feel difficult to achieve due to joint pain, or lack of range of motion, that simply means we have work to do. Work to do together. We want you to be able to move through full ranges of motion pain free. If you struggled to do that in the Open, come talk to your coaches! This is what we’re here for! We can start by doing a better job of educating you and we can help get to the root of the issue.
With this knowledge, you may be motivated to hit these standards based on the healthy lifestyle component. But you may also be motivated by the leaderboard! Because seeing improvements in the 2027 Open, would be pretty rad. Both reasons to focus on adhering to the standards are totally legitimate, and they go hand in hand. Wanting to improve, wanting to get better, and wanting to be a healthy fit human is cool! Staying stagnant is where we need to reassess.
If you’re someone who knows you can’t squat below parallel right now, make it your goal the next three months to use a medball or a box to squat to every single time a squat movement appears in the workout. Use minimal to no loads until you CAN squat below parallel without assistance and without pain. I promise you, your quality of life WILL improve, and you’ll start feeling better. Sometimes, in order to get better, we have to take a step back.
So, I challenge you to hold yourself to the standard, because it matters. Who’s stoked to put in the work?! The 2027 Open will be here before ya know it. Cheers CFN.
Shaina Hayutin is a CrossFit Coach and Content writer at CrossFit Newtown in Newtown, PA. With a Degree in Journalism, a Level 2 CrossFit Coach, a Healthy Steps Nutrition Coach, and over a decade of experience in the fitness industry, she emphasizes the critical role that community plays in achieving optimal fitness results while maintaining long-term health and wellness.