Workout of the Day

SKILL: Kipping Toes to Bar

METCON

Every 2:30 x 6 sets
5-15 Toes to Bar
10/8 Cal Bike

Notes
Intent is to work our strength and skill under controlled fatigue!

Advanced athletes (already doing 10+ TTB unbroken consistently in metcons) should aim for the RX calorie target and on the high end of the TTB range.

Those building endurance with the skill or consistent mechanics should plan to scale back the bike in order to finish each round in under 1:15 each time in order to get ample rest before performing the skill again.

Use this progression to scale:
Intensity: Aim for big unbroken sets, staying shy of failure
Consistency: 1-2 submaximal sets of linked kipping TTB (ex: 2×3 or 1×7) or partial ROM reps
Mechanics: 5 Strict Toes to Bar or Hanging Leg Raises + 5 Kip Swings

ASSISTANCE

A1. Barbell Rollouts, 3-4 x 8
A2. Pike Ups, 3-4 x 12-15

Notes
Rollouts: Use a slow, controlled tempo. Maintain a hollow body position throughout the set. Only go as far as you can maintain tension.

Pike Ups: This is all about compression (torso to legs) and hip flexor/quad strength. Can be done feet together, straddle, or one leg at a time! Mix and match as desired, as long as you work with control, not momentum.

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(Group Class Programming WK1/8  )

Joy going overhead

Inside CrossFit South Brooklyn

Here is one of the lectures Coach David did at AffiliateCon 2025 on the guiding principles behind CFSBK’s longevity

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Finding the Sweet Spot: Mastering CrossFit’s Mechanics-Consistency-Intensity Hierarchy CrossFit

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

Power Clean and Jerk

A. 5 sets x 2 Reps, building

B. 1 min AMRAP @ 80-85%

Notes
After 2-3 lighter warm-up sets, take 5 working sets to build on a double power clean and jerk. Work to a moderately heavy, technically sound top set.

These reps are not intended to be cycled; reset the bar to the floor after the first jerk, take 5-10 seconds, and then start your second rep.

Push jerk is suggested, but athletes confident with the split jerk can feel free to employ that variation as well.

After your 5 working sets, rest a few minutes. Then complete as many reps as possible in 1 minute at 80-85% of your top weight for the day. We recommend quick singles here, but you could also practice your barbell cycling technique.

STRENGTH

Front Squat
3×3
1xAMRAP @ 75-80%

Notes
Perform 3-4 warm-up sets, then work up through three progressive sets working towards a heavy triple. Leave 1 rep in reserve. Afterwards, take 75-80% of your best lift and do a max effort set, keeping 0-1 reps in reserve.

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(Group Class Programming WK1/8  )

WWE superstar Ivy Nile popped in for a workout at CFSBK yesterday!

Enter the Community Collage Contest to win Personal Training and a permanent spot on the walls of CFSBK!

Workout of the Day

AMRAP 12 MIN
270m Run
6 Strict Chin-Ups
20 sec Bar Hang

Rest 6 Minutes

AMRAP 12 MIN
500/400m Row
10 Strict Dips

Notes
Aim for 4+ rounds on each segment of this workout.

Run < 2 min. Scale to 130m.
Chin-Ups: 1-2 sets. Scale volume of reps or to foot assisted.

Row < 2 min
Dips: 1-2 sets. Do not sacrifice range of motion as you fatigue.
A. Ring
B. Matador
C. Box (foot assist)

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(Group Class Programming WK1/8  )

IYKYK

Gym Closing Early this Thursday

We’re closing the early this Thursday for a staff dinner event. Check Zen Planner for available classes. We appreciate your understanding we’ll never close again!

New Training Cycle starts TODAY!

Monday 1/5/26 – Sunday 3/1/26
This 8 week cycle will kick off the year and take us into the first week of the CrossFit Open. We’re so excited for another year of hard workouts, aren’t you!?

Weekly Biases
Monday: Varied
Tuesday: Olympic Lifting + Squats
Wednesday: Gymnastic Skill/Capacity and Assistance
Thursday: Varied
Friday: Floater Strength
Saturday: Varied
Sunday: Floater Strength

On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, we’ll utilize classic CrossFit variance. Expect to see longer duration monostructural and mixed modal workouts, high intensity intervals, partner workouts, and occasionally working with Open-style schemes of changing skills or weights. As we like to say… “Type 2 Fun!”

Tuesday:
This day will be dedicated to Olympic weightlifting and squats…
Weeks 1,3,5,7: Clean and Jerk Variations / Front Squats
Weeks 2,4,6,8: Snatch Variations / Back Squats

Throughout the cycle, we’ll employ some lifting complexes as well as repeated sub-maximal efforts on a timestamp. The squats will generally be low volume, tough effort sets.

Wednesday: Gymnastic Skill/Capacity and Assistance

This day will generally be centered around a gymnastic movement and have three sections: 1. skill-specific warm-up 2. workout that combines the gymnastic movement and lower skill aerobic component 3. assistance work specific to the movement.

Progressions and scaling options will of course be available so athlete’s can work appropriately at the edges of their abilities.

We’ll cycle through a different skill each week. Expect to see kipping pull-ups, handstand push-ups, toes to bar, bar muscle-ups, etc.

Friday and Sunday: Floater Strength Days

Round out and/or make up missed strength elements from the week . If you have a continued goal that you want to make progress on, this is also a great day to spend time on it.

These days will incorporate a second segment (metcon or assistance).

Workout of the Day

FLOATER STRENGTH

A. Strict Press, Heavy 3, then AMRAP @ 70%
B. Pause Back Squat, 3×5, building or across
C. Deadlift, 4×3 @ RPE 7-8
D. Pause Bench Press, 3×5, building or across

Notes
Tomorrow we have running, strict chin-ups, rowing, and carries.

Athletes can superset their main lift with a non-interfering movement as desired.

Deadlift: This is the same rep scheme as last week. If you performed it then, aim to go a bit heavier today.

METCON

EMOM x 20 MIN
A. 45 sec Double Unders
B. 45 sec Alternating KB Gorilla Row
C. 45 sec Shuttle Run
D. Rest

Notes
This is a long EMOM focused on sustainable effort and consistency. Choose paces and loads that allow you to move well for all five rounds.

Gorilla Rows: No prescribed load. Choose something challenging that you can move through consistent, full range of motion for 45 seconds straight. Maintain a strong hinge and stable core while keeping the movement strict and controlled.

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

Coach Katie advocating for sustainable energy with some windmills at the gym

Over 50 responses to our feedback form but we want MORE!

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to fill out our 2025 feedback form. We’ve been going through all the entries taking note of themes, good ideas, blind spots and also enjoying all the warm messages from our community. If you havent taken the time to fill this out yet, please do so today! We want to hear from as many of you as possible.

2025 CFSBK Member Feedback Form

Workout of the Day

PARTNER METCON

For Time

100 “Curtis P’s” (115/75lb)
*Starting at 0:00 and every minute on the minute, perform 4 Burpees

Notes
1 “Curtis P” =
1 Power Clean +
1 Front Rack Reverse Lunge, each side +
1 Push Press

Athletes alternate who is working on each minute.
At 0:00: Partner A performs 4 Burpees + as many Curtis P’s as possible in the remainder of the minute.
At 1:00: Partner B performs 4 Burpees + as many Curti’s P’s as possible in the remainder of the minute.
Continue in this fashion until 100 total reps are completed as a team.

Scale volume and/or load so you can complete at least 3 reps of the complex per minute when it’s your turn.

Have a game plan—don’t wing it. Mindless transitions will steal your time to work. Put hands on the bar immediately after the burpees.

Barbell should be relatively light load that you can move without struggle through the whole complex.
+/115/95/75/55/-

Volume Scaling = 80 Curtis P’s as a team

Burpees < 15 sec/round
2-3 Reps
4 No-Push-Up-No-Jump Reps

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

January 2026 Member of the Month: Bo Bishop

As we kick off 2026, we’re so pleased to spotlight someone who brings generosity and a calm steady presence to our community: Bo Bishop.

Known for his kindness and care for others, Bo makes CrossFit South Brooklyn feel like more than just a gym. His profile this month is deeply personal and a reminder of why showing up truly matters, for ourselves and each other.

We’re so glad you walked through our doors, stuck it out after that first class, and made CFSBK home. Bo, we’re grateful for you. Congratulations!

Name (and any nicknames):

Bo Bishop. Bo is my nickname. My legal name is Frederick Charles Bishop III, but my parents called me Bo from day one. A few friends call me Bish, which I find endearing.

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, home of Devo, Jim Jarmusch, and LeBron James. I moved to New York in 2005.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you find your way to CFSBK?

January 3rd marks my three-year anniversary with CrossFit. I was strictly a runner before that, and bored with my routine. My dear friend (and former CFSBK member of the month) Caleb Crain encouraged me to try foundations. I almost puked after David introduced us to thrusters in the first class, but kept coming back because I couldn’t get a refund.

What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

I crave the coaching, first and foremost. The CFSBK coaches are world-class. They care about our mental and emotional well-being as much as the physical elements. They encourage us to celebrate each other, and that sense of camaraderie and community buoys me. I love the fist-bumps and shouts of encouragement. I love that different versions of success are championed. I love the diversity of people. I love the art shows, comedy shows, movie nights, seminars. I love seeing statements of inclusion and anti-oppression on the walls. And at the end of the day, it’s just flat-out fun. Wildly, infectiously fun. Even inside the pain cave.

What does CFSBK mean to you?

It’s one of my sacred third spaces. I never thought I could become emotionally attached to a gym, but here we are.

How has the gym changed your life?

CFSBK literally helped save my life. I went to the ER in May for what I thought was a kidney stone, only to find out that I had cancer at 45. One of my first questions after “Am I going to die?” was “How long will this keep me away from the gym?” I had twelve weeks of chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove my right kidney. My team at Memorial Sloan Kettering told me that I was able to handle treatment better than 95% of people, thanks to the foundation I’d built at CFSBK. Physically, I was more equipped to fight through it. Mentally, I treated each infusion like part of a long chipper. My increased bone density allowed me to restore white blood cells faster. After surgery, I was prepared to deal with the soreness because I was used to recovering after workouts. Throughout the process, coaches and gym members texted encouragements, brought dinners, and made me feel included in the community, even when I didn’t have the strength to make it to class. On the first day of foundations, David (somewhat jokingly?) said he was going to make us harder to kill. Turns out he was right. I’m cancer-free today, and I truly believe everyone should be doing some form of strength training. And everyone should be lucky enough to have the support system I have.

Can you share a memorable experience or achievement from your time at CFSBK?

I vividly remember my first CrossFit class. I was all jitters, expecting everyone to watch and laugh while I flailed around with a barbell. When Coach Erick asked if anyone had questions, I raised my hand and said, “This is my first CrossFit class…” as a sort of apology. Everyone started clapping. I can still feel the rush of relief. They were genuinely excited that I was there, that I had shown up, that I was trying. That’s when I knew the gym was special.

What are your current fitness goals?

I’m focused on getting back into a consistent routine and building my strength and conditioning back after treatment. Chemo tanks your oxygen levels, so anything aerobic feels brutal. I’m learning to take things slow and listen to my body. But I want to get back to my pre-diagnosis fitness levels and keep improving from there.

Program your dream workout:

21-Minute Every-3-Minute Interval (E3MOM 21)

Barbell Complex:

• 3 Deadlifts

• 2 Hang Power Cleans

• 1 Shoulder-to-Overhead

Then:

• 12 Sit-Ups

• 3 Wall Walks

Rest any remaining time in the 3-minute window. And don’t forget to have fun out there!

Program your nightmare workout:

A 10k row. The CrossFit equivalent of eating an undressed bowl of kale.

Favorite and least favorite lift:

Favorite: Bench (You get to lie down; it’s relaxing.)

Least favorite: Back Squat (I thought I would be good at this as a runner. I was wrong.)

How do you spend your time outside of CFSBK? Do you have any hobbies?

I’m the head of strategy at a branding and design studio, which means I help organizations figure out why they exist, beyond making money. When I’m not doing that, I love to write fiction and screenplays. I live a block away from the Nitehawk and see way too many movies. I love exploring NYC on foot; it’s one of the greatest perks of living here. I also make music under the alias Proofreader.

What are you currently recommending (books, shows, food, etc.)?

Everyone should read Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut, watch Paths of Glory by Kubrick, listen to Post by Bjork, and get the burger at Red Hook Tavern.

Any advice for new CFSBKers? 

No one is policing your weights or counting your reps. Everyone is here to support and encourage you. The barbell is your friend. And always dance between reps.

PS: Get involved with all the amazing groups, classes, events, seminars, and parties CFSBK offers outside of your normal class. There’s a lot of life to be found here.

Workout of the Day

“BASELINE”

For Time:
500m Row
40 Air Squats
30 Sit Ups
20 Push Ups
10 Pull Ups or Bar Muscle-Ups

Notes
We did this workout on 4/30/25 and 12/16/2024!

Improvements in our fitness (work capacity across broad time and modal domains) should not be based on opinion. Retesting workouts is one way we measurably evaluate if our training inside the gym and recovery and lifestyle habits outside of it are delivering the results we’re aiming for.

If you’ve done this before, look over your training notes. Can you hold the movement standards and beat your previous time? Or, if you were scaling, possibly perform the workout as prescribed today?

This is one workout of many you’ll do this year, and as such, it’s just one data point. Give it your best, reflect, and then move forward!

Intent: < 7 min. Start at the top and work your way down. Pull ups can be strict or kipping, athlete’s choice.

Find the fastest pace you can move at today on your gymnastics without shorting your ranges of motion.

ASSISTANCE

3-5 Rounds for Load and Quality
4 Weighted Strict Chin Ups OR 8 ea Three Point DB Row
6-8 ea Single Arm DB Bench Press @ 30×1
6-8 ea Single Leg DB RDL
16 Alternating Seated Pike Overs, 8 ea

Notes
Start with moderate loads in round 1. Then make sure at least 2 of your sets today are RPE 8.5+

Athlete’s choice on the upper body pulling movement.

If balance is prohibitive on the RDLs, use a rig for light support. You can use one DB/KB in the contralateral hand, or use one weight in each. If you’ve never tried this with the top knee bent, give it a go today!

The pike overs are all about hip flexor strength, “compression” of torso to legs, and body control.

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

“To burpee… or not to burpee… THAT is the question”

Workout of the Day

PARTNER METCON

For Time

10,000m Bike

AND

10 Rounds (5ea)
15 Wall Ball Shots
200′ Dual KB Farmer Carry

Notes
In this workout, BOTH partners are working at the same time.

Partner A will complete 1 round of 15 Wall Balls and a 200 foot carry, while Partner B is accumulating distance on the bike. Then switch places: Partner B does 1 round while Parnter A bikes. Continue in this fashion until both tasks are complete.

If you finish one element before the other, simply continue trading off with what you have left until it’s done!

Challenge yourself on the wall ball weight/height and the carry weight.
Grit it out on the bike and share the work.
Ride into your bright 2026 future with your CFSBK community!

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

The final class of 2025!

New Training Cycle starts 1/4

Monday 1/5/26 – Sunday 3/1/26
This 8 week cycle will kick off the year and take us into the first week of the CrossFit Open. We’re so excited for another year of hard workouts, aren’t you!?

Weekly Biases
Monday: Varied
Tuesday: Olympic Lifting + Squats
Wednesday: Gymnastic Skill/Capacity and Assistance
Thursday: Varied
Friday: Floater Strength
Saturday: Varied
Sunday: Floater Strength

On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, we’ll utilize classic CrossFit variance. Expect to see longer duration monostructural and mixed modal workouts, high intensity intervals, partner workouts, and occasionally working with Open-style schemes of changing skills or weights. As we like to say… “Type 2 Fun!”

Tuesday:
This day will be dedicated to Olympic weightlifting and squats…
Weeks 1,3,5,7: Clean and Jerk Variations / Front Squats
Weeks 2,4,6,8: Snatch Variations / Back Squats

Throughout the cycle, we’ll employ some lifting complexes as well as repeated sub-maximal efforts on a timestamp. The squats will generally be low volume, tough effort sets.

Wednesday: Gymnastic Skill/Capacity and Assistance

This day will generally be centered around a gymnastic movement and have three sections: 1. skill-specific warm-up 2. workout that combines the gymnastic movement and lower skill aerobic component 3. assistance work specific to the movement.

Progressions and scaling options will of course be available so athlete’s can work appropriately at the edges of their abilities.

We’ll cycle through a different skill each week. Expect to see kipping pull-ups, handstand push-ups, toes to bar, bar muscle-ups, etc.

Friday and Sunday: Floater Strength Days

Round out and/or make up missed strength elements from the week . If you have a continued goal that you want to make progress on, this is also a great day to spend time on it.

These days will incorporate a second segment (metcon or assistance).

Workout of the Day

Open WOD 17.1 / 21.2

For Time
10 Dumbbell Snatches
15 Burpee Box Jump Overs
20 Dumbbell Snatches
15 Burpee Box Jump Overs
30 Dumbbell Snatches
15 Burpee Box Jump Overs
40 Dumbbell Snatches
15 Burpee Box Jump Overs
50 Dumbbell Snatches
15 Burpee Box Jump Overs

Time Cap: 20 Minutes

Notes
Whether or not you were lucky enough to hit this one in 2017 or 2021… let’s close out 2025 with it! 😈

This workout is a tough mental and physical grind. Top 5% athletes in the Open finished this under 14 minutes, with average times being much closer to the timecap. Commit to your effort for the long haul, work hard, and make yourself proud!

DB: 50/35/20# — Scale to a load you could do at least 10 unbroken reps with.
Box: 24/20″ — For further scaling, a step up and over the box is permitted with both feet touching the top.

Snatch: Rep is credited when knees, hips, and elbow of working arm are fully extended. The middle of the DB is in line with or behind the body when viewed from the side.

BBJO: Athlete faces the box, chest and thighs touching the ground at bottom of the burpee. Two foot take off to jump on the box. You may jump completely over the box, but feet must go over, not around. Rep is credited when both feet are on opposite side of the box.

If the BBJO is a particularly challenging movement for you, consider scaling to 10 or 12 reps per round, rather than 15. We encourage this scale before removing the push-up from the burpee.

Check the video link above for full movement standards from the Open.

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

Sasha and some of our “newest” members in 2025

67,503 Check Ins in 2025

In 2025, members of our community, visitors, brand new and old friends walked into our gym over 67,503 times. That’s over sixty-seven thousand times people chose to make CFSBK part of their day. Some of those check-ins were nervous or even took a lot of bravery to get here. Some felt like seeing your favorite people in your home away from home. Some were routine, some felt magical, while others left you humbled but determined. But for all of us at CFSBK, each visit was an opportunity to put a brick in the wall of our fitness and to find a friendly, fun corner of the world to get fitter with great people. We just want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to the magic of 2025 by making the decision to walk through our doors. We’re so excited for 2026 and so grateful to serve our incredible community in the new year!

Happy new year from everyone at CFSBK!

17.1 Standards

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

Pause Front Squat
3 x 5, building or across
*Pause for 2 secconds at bottom

Notes
After 2-4 warm up sets, perform 3 work sets of 5 reps, either building in load across sets or holding the same weight for all sets. Pause for a full two seconds in the bottom while maintaining an upright torso, strong brace, and active elbows.

Prioritize position and control over load. The pause should be stable and balanced, not relaxed. Drive smoothly out of the bottom without bouncing or losing posture.

METCON

EMOM x 9 MIN
1. 40 sec Strict T2B/Knee Raises
2. 40 sec Hollow hold
3. 40 sec Sit ups

Notes
Strict Toes-to-Bar/Knee Raises: Move with control and full tension. Avoid swinging and focus on pressing down through the bar while lifting with the core. Scale to partial ROM or knee raises or reduce time if strict form cannot be maintained.
Hollow Hold: Maintain a strong hollow position with lower back pressed into the floor and ribs down. Break early if tension is lost rather than letting the shape collapse.
Sit-Ups: Perform smooth, controlled reps with consistent breathing. Avoid rushing and use the remaining time to reset before the next minute.

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

Matt setting up for some front squats

Coven Tonight!

Kick off 2026 with goals you actually feel excited about. Come learn road-tested tools to craft and implement habits and goal-setting strategies to empower your winter with inspired, joyful action. You will leave class catalyzed with a plan you can act on! Join Coach Clay for a fun evening of learning both folk ritual traditions and modern research-backed tactics for conjuring up a magical New Year.

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

Strict Press

Heavy 3
-then-
AMRAP @ 70%

Notes
In a total of 6-8 sets, build to a heavy set of 3 with full control and no leg drive. Prioritize a strong setup with tight glutes, braced midline, and a vertical bar path. The final heavy set should be challenging and technically sound, not a grind with loss of position.

After your heavy triple, perform an AMRAP at 70% of that top set. Reps should be smooth and repeatable with consistent tempo. Stop the set when bar speed slows significantly or posture breaks down. Focus on quality pressing and shoulder stability rather than pushing to failure.

The press is typically the lightest of our “slow” barbell lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, press), so don’t be afraid to employ the fractional plates today!

Example:
35×8
55×6
65×4
70×1
– – –
75×3
80×3
82.5 x 3
Then, AMRAP @ 58#

ASSISTANCE

3-4 Sets
10-12 DB Reverse Flies
12-16 Bicep Curls
1:00 Handstand Hold

Notes
DB Reverse Flies: Light to moderate loads and move with control. Emphasize squeezing the shoulder blades together without shrugging or swinging the weights.
Bicep Curls: Choose a load that allows full range of motion and steady tempo. Keep elbows fixed and avoid using momentum to move the dumbbells.
HS Hold: Focus on stacked alignment with active shoulders and a braced midline. Break as needed to maintain quality. Scale to wall-facing holds, box pike holds, or shorter intervals if alignment cannot be maintained.

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(Bridge cycle 12/22-1/4 )

David and Gilles tossing them sandbags

Please bring training shoes separate from your snow shoes to gym 🥾👟

In an effort to keep our floors as clean as possible for all of us who do burpees on them, please wear a different pair of shoes to the gym than the ones you train in. This is just while there’s snow, salt, and general grossness outside. We’ve got seating for you to change at the roll-up gate in each gym. Thank you!

2025 Member Feedback Form

Another year in the books, folks! We appreciate every member of the CFSBK community and want to give you the opportunity to let us know how we’re doing and how to better support you in 2026. Please take a moment to fill out the member survey above and our team will review every entry!

2025 CFSBK Member Feedback Form