CrossFit Open 2021 | Worldwide Online Fitness Competition Starts NOW | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 428

Tom Rowland, fishing guide, CrossFit enthusiast, and host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, announces the start of the 2021 CrossFit Games Open—a worldwide online fitness competition he's participated in throughout its entire history. The Open is five workouts released over five weeks, starting with 21.1, where athletes of all levels perform the same workouts as professional competitors like Noah Olsen, who Tom has interviewed on this podcast. Competing in the 50-54 age division, Tom breaks down why this international competition matters, how you can create custom leaderboards with friends, and why having your form judged helps prevent injury year-round. If you've ever wondered how you'd stack up against the best in the world doing the exact same workout, this episode reveals why tonight—March 11th, 2021—matters to CrossFitters everywhere.

Why Tonight Matters: The 21.1 Announcement

Tom records this episode on Thursday, March 11th—the exact day the CrossFit Open begins. In about eight hours from when he's speaking, professional athletes Kari Pierce and Christy Ramos O'Connell will go head-to-head performing workout 21.1, which nobody has seen yet. This is the unique tension of the Open: the world's best athletes don't know what's coming any more than you do. Tom has been waiting all year for this moment, preparing for five workouts he can't predict. The first one drops tonight, and he's ready to test himself against both his own standards and thousands of competitors worldwide in his age division. Tom explains what makes tonight's announcement special at 1:47.

The Five-Week Competition Structure

The Open releases five workouts over five weeks—this year designated 21.1 through 21.5. Each Thursday, a new workout drops, and competitors have until the following Monday to submit their scores. Tom breaks down the registration process ($20 to enter), the age division system (he's right in the middle of the 50-54 bracket at 52 years old), and how the leaderboard structure works. You can view worldwide rankings, segment by country to find national champions, create affiliate leaderboards for your gym, or build custom leaderboards with friends. Tom even floats the idea of creating a Tom Rowland Podcast leaderboard for listeners who want to compete together. The full leaderboard breakdown and how to create custom competitions starts at 2:43.

Testing Yourself Against the Professionals

Here's what makes the CrossFit Open unique: you do the exact same workout as Noah Olsen, the second-place finisher who Tom has interviewed on this podcast. When Noah completes 21.1 in three minutes, and you complete it in twenty-four minutes, you get an unfiltered view of the gap—and that's valuable. Tom mentions Matt Frazier, the five-time champion who just retired, won't be competing this year, which opens the door for Noah to step in as the man. You can watch video of how the professionals move, pick up technique tips, maybe knock a couple minutes off your time, but you're still twelve minutes behind. Tom finds this humbling and motivating. It's one of the few sports where backyard athletes perform exactly what the pros do, on the same timeline, with measurable comparison. Tom's take on competing against Noah Olsen and watching elite technique starts at 4:08.

The Judging Standard and Year-Round Training Benefits

Beyond the competition itself, Tom values having a judge verify every rep meets the movement standard. Understanding the difference between a good rep and a no rep carries over to the other 47 weeks of training. When you know what a bad rep looks like, you're less likely to practice sloppy form that leads to injury. Tom connects this directly to durability—the difference between athletes who make consistent progress and those constantly dealing with setbacks. The Open's low-key competition environment provides form feedback that most people never get. It's not just about your score on the leaderboard; it's about learning movement standards that protect you and improve performance year-round. Tom explains how judged reps prevent injury and build better training habits at 6:08.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I've done every single CrossFit Open since they started this thing, and I'm not going to lie—I look forward to this all year. There's something about preparing for workouts you can't predict that forces you to be well-rounded. You can't game the system. You can't just get good at one thing. And when that first workout drops tonight, I'll be right there with everyone else, wondering what they're going to throw at us.

What I really want people to understand is that this isn't just for Games athletes or gym owners. If you're 52 like me, you're competing against other people who are 52. If you're new to CrossFit, you can scale the movements and still participate. And if you want to see what you're made of compared to the rest of the world—not just your gym, but the entire world—this is your chance. It costs twenty bucks. That's it.

If you're on the fence about signing up, or if you've never heard of the Open before and this is new to you, give this episode a listen. I break down exactly what it is, why it matters, and how you can create a leaderboard with friends or even with other podcast listeners. This is one of those things that makes the training worth it. Good luck to everyone competing. I'll see you on the leaderboard.