Dexter’s Mitten Fitness, under the leadership of coach and owner Colby Buswell, is gearing up for an exhilarating 2024 CrossFit Open competition starting February 29th. This annual competition is a landmark event for many in the fitness community, drawing participants from around the world to compete in a series of challenging workouts over three weeks.
Known for its worldwide participation, the CrossFit Open is the first leg of the CrossFit Games season, where athletes of all skill levels test their mettle in three closed-door workouts. Workouts will be published every Thursday during the competition.
Life can be tough, but Mitten Fitness keeps the mood light. “We definitely emphasize the Open competition as a fun benchmark event to track our growth year-on-year,” Buswell says.
Colby Buswell, owner of Mitten Fitness, is passionate about people’s health and wellness and how positive social connections can strengthen them. Photo by Michelle Brasser.Molly McGuire is one of the coaches at Mitten Fitness and sees how the gym’s strong social connections can be a catalyst for exercise, especially at special events like Open. “The British Open is another really great reason for us to come together and support each other,” she explains. “It brings us together as a gym.”
Although not affiliated with CrossFit, Mitten Fitness is embracing the opening with open arms and adding a twist to the event. The gym will schedule 24.1 Open Event workouts during all school hours and additional Friday afternoon/evening event heats.
24.1 Workout was presented to a global audience on Thursday, February 29th at 3pm. The first workout of the Open includes two of his exercises that are common in the CrossFit universe. 1) Dumbbell snatch. Lift the dumbbells off the floor with one arm and snap them straight above your head. Weight: 50th for men, 35th for women. 2) Burpees are the bane of training where athletes drop to the floor, do push-ups, and then jump back up. That’s one burpee.
Athletes officially competing must record their scores by Monday using the following steps:
21 snatches on one arm –> 21 burpees –> 21 snatches on the other arm –> 21 burpees, then 15–> 15–> 15–> 15, then 9 –> 9–> 9–> 9. This is 90 snatches and 90 burpees, which takes him 15 minutes.
This is where the magic of scaling down comes into play. Don’t want to do burpees? Please do push-ups. Don’t like push-ups? Please do some squats. Don’t want to run the 21-15-9 scheme? Run 12-9-6. This is where coaches make their money. We will combine movements that suit you. Whatever you decide, know that the other members of the gym are working hard for you (figuratively, not literally).
Owner and coach Colby Buswell graded another Mitten fitness coach, Josh Fink, on the quality of his reps in preparation for his official entry into the 2022 CrossFit Open. As Buswell’s outfit suggests, most members have not officially participated in the British Open and do not take it too seriously. Photo by Kat Carty Buswell.“I think not being affiliated and putting pressure on people to officially register helps overcome any fear of trying open training,” Buswell observes.
Although competitive workouts are designed for elite athletes, all members regardless of skill level can participate in this benchmarking opportunity. Many, if not most, of the participating athletes tailor their workouts to their abilities, and Mitten has become a regular practice for most members of his fitness team. Athletes of all ability levels train together. The words “You are you” are often heard around the gym as encouragement.
Adding to the excitement of the British Open, Mitten Fitness will host a ‘Friday Night Lights’ event on March 1st, fostering a community atmosphere with heat times starting at 4pm. The gym promises an evening of socializing over drinks and pizza from local favorite Raterman’s Bread Haus & Bistro. Members and spectators alike are encouraged to donate snacks and desserts and enjoy a night of fitness and fellowship. The gym is a frequent social gathering spot throughout the year, and the inclusive camaraderie makes it even more popular.
Community is at the heart of competition. If you ask him in mittens, it doesn’t matter if he’s doing curls with 40-pound dumbbells or 5-pound dumbbells. It doesn’t matter if you’re carrying 225 pounds on the bench. or 35 lbs. You may end up walking most of the 400-meter run. That does not matter. What matters is that you are here with them.
“We value the social aspect of the gym much more than you would expect from a gym, and rather than scoring or comparing athletes’ performance, we use that sense of community for motivation. ,” says Buswell. “This approach is naturally more inclusive and we encourage new members at all levels to try it out.”
“This is achievable at every level and really drives you to achieve your highest goals,” McGuire echoes.