Week 1 of the CrossFit Open: Training Preview & Friday Night Lights
Week 1: Welcome to Open Season! 💪🔥
(This is another long one…bear with me!)
Hello Bantam Members, and welcome to the second half of our current cycle—and Week 1 of the CrossFit Open! 🎉
If you haven’t signed up yet, you can register at games.crossfit.com. Registration remains open until Week 1 scores are due at 8:00 PM EST on Monday, March 2.
🏆 Intramural Open
Our friendly, in-house competition will run throughout the Open, and it’s always one of the most fun parts of the year!
📋 Sign-Up Deadline:
Please sign up at the front desk by Thursday, February 26 so we can assign teams.
👉 You may participate in the Intramural Open without officially registering for the CrossFit Open—though we encourage you to do both!
One-Time Points
You can earn points for your team by:
Signing up for the official Open
Completing the Judges Course (show us your certificate)
Available on games.crossfit.com (2026 Judges Course)
Can be bundled with Open registration
Bringing a donation for Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA)
Please review their needs/wants list before donating
A copy is posted at the front desk
Weekly Points
Earn points each week by:
Completing the Open workout
Participating in Friday Night Lights / Saturday Morning Lights
Judging another athlete
Dressing “on theme”
Week 1: Neon
Week 2: Pool Party
Week 3: Bantam Spirit
✈️ Traveling During the Open?
You can still participate and earn points!
Dress on theme (or match the gym you’re visiting)
Post your Open workout on social media and tag Bantam
We’ll repost and give participation points
❓Questions? Ask a coach!
🌟 Week 1: Friday Night Lights (FNL)
We’ll be running a limited schedule on Fridays during the Open to support FNL.
Friday Schedule:
5:30 AM class
9:00 AM class
Gym reopens at 4:00 PM for FNL
(No need to arrive early—there will be plenty of warm-up time!)
FNL Format
Coach-led warm-up begins 30 minutes before your heat
Time for personal warm-up afterward
Heats start at 5:00 PM and run every 30 minutes
Heat sign-ups open in Zen Planner starting Tuesday
Heats will be adjusted as needed
📈 What’s Coming Up This Week (Besides the Open?)
We’re starting progressions for the Other Total, one of CrossFit’s classic strength benchmarks:
Overhead Squat
Clean
Bench Press
If you’re limited by mobility or injury, don’t worry—scaled options will be available.
Workouts will start strong early in the week and taper slightly as we approach Friday.
Thursday will be our GOAT Day—choose your own adventure EMOM or follow the suggested workout, plus guided stretching to get you feeling great for Open 26.1.
🗓 Weekly Breakdown
Monday
OHS progression + one of the toughest workouts of the week in chipper format.
Tuesday
Bench Day, followed by a short, spicy AMRAP.
Wednesday
Squat cleans for strength, then a balanced triplet to challenge lungs, legs, and core.
Thursday
Alternating EMOM (choose your own adventure or follow the plan) + group pliability.
Friday
Open Workout 26.1
I can’t wait—my favorite time of year. It’s like Christmas… but without the gifts.
Saturday
TBD based on Friday’s workout, likely a partner WOD to get you moving and loosen up.
❤️ Thank You, Bantam Family
As always, we are incredibly thankful for each and every one of you and grateful to have you as part of the Bantam community.
We’re excited to see you push yourselves, support one another, and have some fun over the next few weeks.
See you at the gym!
— Your Bantam Coaching Team
“Never miss a Monday. It sets you up for success for the whole week!”
— Betsy Allen
(And if you made it this far, thank you. That quote is your reward.)
