It's that time of the year again, the CrossFit Open season!

This is by far the most exciting time of the year in the gym's calendar. So, what exactly is the CrossFit Open?

Ultimately, the Open is an opportunity to see how we have made progress over the past year.

It is the first step of the CrossFit Games and brings together the worldwide community.

It is a great way of connecting CrossFitters from around the globe and really builds upon the sport of fitness, giving all of those taking a part a chance to really push themselves and see what they are capable of.

Jake Garner, Head Coach over at CrossFit Coalville, shares his view on the CrossFit Open 2022: "The Open season is an awesome time of the year.

"It gives our members and those of other affiliates a chance to see all the hard work they have put in pay off.

"It doesn't matter what your experience is, whether you have taken part in the Open for the last several years, or if you've only been doing CrossFit for a week.

"The idea isn't just to beast yourself, but is an opportunity to set new goals, evaluate our fitness and identify those areas that need improvement.

"More than anything else, it's great fun. The competitive atmosphere always remains of a steady and friendly tone.

"Both myself and fellow Level 2 CrossFit Coach, Matt Deacon, are both taking part in this year's Open! We can't wait!"

During the Open season, CrossFit release a series of workouts over several weeks.

"These are released on a Thursday. Those that are registered then have until the following Monday to complete the given workout and submit their score.

CrossFit is the sport of fitness, focusing on all aspects of fitness rather than being narrowed in on one avenue.

It is the challenge of the unknown, where every workout is different.

It might be that in one class you are required to work with a heavy barbell under the instruction of the coaches, whilst another might see you completing a 2km Row for time.

The CrossFit Open remains true to this spirit.

Those taking part don't know what they will be doing until the workout is released for completion.

Affiliate owner, Craig Smith, expressed his love of the Open Season: "The CrossFit Games and the Open are a great time of the year to get involved with CrossFit.

"The atmosphere in the box is electric. As a registered CrossFit affiliate, with qualified coaches who have their judges' qualifications, we are able to complete the Open workouts in our gym and submit the scores on your behalf.

"The beauty of the Open is that it is exactly that, open.

"You can be a very experienced athlete, or somebody just having a go. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you get something out of it, have some fun and see where you are at with your fitness.

"Our team are here to point you in the right direction whatever the outcome, one that's always positive."

The CrossFit Open builds upon the themes covered in class throughout the rest of the year.

The wide variety of classes, exercises and in-depth coaching makes CrossFit a very popular choice amongst gym goers.

It allows you to work on your strength and weaknesses in a way that makes sure you do not hit a plateau in your training.

This in turn means you are always achieving the best results possible when in class.

CrossFit Coalville puts its coaching expertise and experience at the forefront of the programming to make sure you meet these expectations, the kind that will take you through a good Open season.

Jake went on to talk about how class size and space make a huge difference to the development of the class and the individual.

He said: "It's unrealistic to think that a coach can coach a tonne of people at once.

"Their experience is irrelevant. They can't possibly be making sure that everyone is moving in the right way, not only to get the most out of their training, but to avoid injury.

"We like to tackle that issue by capping our class size at 12 people. This is a more manageable size which means you feel both looked after in the appropriate way, but also make the best gains possible to your fitness.

"In class, I can spend time with every individual, developing their form and technique without only allowing them a handful of seconds per class. It is this kind of support that sets our guys up for the Open nicely."

With the CrossFit Open starting at the end of the month, February seems like the perfect time to get involved with CrossFit. It's a chance to see where you are at with your fitness.

There is no specific requirement to be able to participate in CrossFit, instead all you need is a willingness to learn, adapt and fulfil your potential.

It is a great time of the year for the sport and CrossFit is very much looking forward to seeing how this season turns out.