Ellen and Dan Goldberg of CrossFit Syracuse wanted to find a way to make the Open fun and stress-free for their members.

When they started doing the intramural Open, an in-house competition where athletes form teams with goofy names such as “Saved by the Barbell,” participation increased.

This year they had more than 190 members sign up.

“To me, the Open … is the time of year we get to showcase everything that’s great about our gym and about CrossFit in general,” Ellen says.