By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown

We keep hearing about this weird, potentially ambiguous “thing,” in the CrossFit space: The Open. 

You’ve probably seen CrossFit Newtown (CFN) relentlessly post videos, write a bunch of words in someone’s really bad handwriting all over the blackboards, and share articles in our Monday Message— all in an attempt to explain what exactly the Open actually is. 

You may be a seasoned CrossFitter who’s stoked for the Open. Perhaps you’re well aware, but a bit jaded by the idea of three weeks of intense workouts. This might be your first year, and you’re truly looking forward to pushing yourself. Maybe you’re someone who’s over competitions and feels as though the Open can be stressful or disheartening. You may also be totally brand new to the CrossFit world and are just now learning what this “thing” is. Regardless of where your thoughts, feelings, and knowledge currently lie, I challenge you to open [pun intended] your mind, because we’re doing things differently this year. 

The CrossFit Open is a worldwide celebration of fitness. One workout is released each Thursday afternoon for three consecutive weeks and you have until the following Monday to complete them. The workouts are developed by CrossFit Head Quarters (CFHQ) and are designed to create a defined and measurable means to see where your fitness stacks up— not only against the world, but against yourself. There is nothing else on the planet that has a competition as inclusive and widespread. To be able to get to be a part of the Open, as a global CrossFit Community, is special. 

At CrossFit Newtown, we are bringing back the spirit of the Open for this 2026 season.

Now, I understand the term “competition,” might provoke feelings of hesitation. However, like most things in life, competition is on a spectrum. Doing anything to the extreme is bad for you. Finding balance though, that can breed positivity. Embracing a healthy level of competition can be used as a productive tool to drive the needle forward. Competition does not solely equate to competing against others. It can also mean competing against yourself— pushing yourself to do things you did not think you were capable of. 

We all know that growth only happens outside of our comfort zone. The Open provides three opportunities to do just that. Competition and keeping score are key components. Just like if you want to see progress with your nutrition, you track what you eat and you align yourself with others who are also working to get healthier. You can think of the Open like a nutrition challenge.

James Hobart (Current CFHQ Product Manager, former Seminar Staff Leader, and former Games athlete) said something like, “The Open is your annual physical wellness exam.” It’s like going to the doctor. That’s the intention of benchmark workouts. That’s what the Open can be. Measurable, repeatable, observable data. It’s not about winning, beating each other or beating a younger, fitter version of yourself. It’s about consistency across a lifetime in the never-ending pursuit of your health and fitness. It is as essential, or more, as checking your health markers.

We live in a nation full of disease and decrepitude, a food and “healthcare” system— sickcare is more like it—  that are both broken, and a country that is one of the most obese in the world. What we do inside of these four walls of CrossFit Newtown is not normal. Chasing constantly varied, high intensity, functional fitness is a difficult pursuit. Being abnormal, being the kind of human being who pushes themselves outside of their comfort zone, is not easy. It’s admirable. The way each and every one of you shows up for yourselves, and in turn for the people you love, on a regular basis needs to be celebrated. 

And that’s what the Open is all about. Celebrating the hard work we do here at CFN almost every single day. Honoring the fact that we are not “normal,” because “normal” here in the United States equates to obesity, heart disease, and rapid decay. It means allowing the aging process to become a negative, uncontrollable factor in our lives. To choose to be abnormal is pretty rad. That’s the kind of culture we need to continue to breed here at CFN, because we hold ourselves to higher standards than the average American. 

That’s what CFHQ has always done. They hold our community to high standards. Standards are meant to feel lofty and challenging. That’s the point. Complex skills, lifting heavy weights, and running fast are not things humans can automatically do. They must be earned. As CrossFitters, we do hard things. We don’t believe in short-cuts. We understand it is a process that we learn to respect. We know, increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains is how we will stay fit, healthy, and independent across our life span. We must understand healthy competition is healthy. It’s necessary for positive change. The Open provides the ideal avenue. 

The success we find inside of the gym directly translates to our lives outside of the gym. Our ability as human beings to cope, deal with stress, handle hardship, build confidence in ourselves, and feel like strong, capable humans—  that’s where the magic happens. That’s why the Open is vital.

So whatever preconceived notions you may have about the Open, I challenge you to approach this year with a new perspective. The Open is a celebration of our fitness. We are so lucky and privileged to get to move our bodies and strive to move our bodies virtuously. Let’s use this year to renew the spirit of the Open for our CFN community. We all deserve it.

‍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.