Workout of the Day

FLOATER STRENGTH

A: Power Clean or Deadlift
1-3 Reps E2MOM x 8 Sets

B: Back Squat
L2 80%x 6 sets x 4 Reps
L1 5 sets x 3 reps Across

C: Shoulder Press or HSPU
5 Sets of 3-8 Reps

Feel free to superset any of these with some Push-Ups, Chin-ups or lunges.

Notes
Choose one lift that best rounds out your training week thus far. Tomorrow we have rowing and clean and jerks.

ASSISTANCE

5 Progressive Sets of:
10 WTD Box Step Overs (full extension)
10 DB Bent Over Rows

Notes
Alternate exercises at a comfortable pace building in intensity through your sets.

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)

 
Everyone loves Coach Erick!!!

Floater Strength Dayz

This programming option is unique to CFSBK and a solution we’ve developed to help provide more flexibility and autonomy to members who may not be able to make a particular lift or movement pattern earlier in the week. We’re so grateful that CFSBK members are so thoughtful with their programming decisions and this allows you to have a day that makes sense for your schedule. What do you think about floater strength days?

Workout of the Day

ASSISTANCE

3-5 Rounds for Quality
2 Wall Walks, each with :10 hold at top
:40 Single Arm KB farmer’s carry
8-12 DB Kang Squats

STRENGTH

Every 3:00 x 6 Sets
A: 3-6 Touch-and-Go Deadlifts
B: 6-9+ Handstand Push-Ups
C: Rest

Notes
Work through the EMOM focusing on a challenging strength effort on both exercises. You may add weight/difficulty through the EMOM as desired/able.

HSPU Options
Strict
Kipping
Box Piked
9-12 DB Presses

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)

Coach David using the new leaf blower to push out all the bad air.

Note on Air Quality

Unless you’re a hermit and get all of your world news from this blog, you know all about the air quality issues in NYC right now. We plan on staying open for all who want to come out however are adjusting the programming Thursday/Friday to be a bit less cardio respiratory taxing. Will this help? Honestly we don’t know but it can’t hurt. Stay safe out there.

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

LEVEL 2

Back Squat
80%x 6 sets x 4 Reps

Notes
Rest as needed between sets. 2-3 minutes potentially. 80% is roughly a 7-8 rep max, so your work sets today should have 1-2 reps in reserve.

LEVEL 1

Back Squat
5 sets x 3 reps Across

Notes
Perform 4-5 progressive warm-up sets followed by 5 sets of 3 reps at the same weight. Try to go 5-10lbs heavier than last week.

ASSISTANCE

3-4 Rounds for Quality & Load
8-12e RFE Split Squat
:30 L-Sit or Tuck
Floater Exercise

Floater Options
A: 4-8 Chin-Ups
B: 8-12 DB Shoulder Presses
C: :45 recovery pace on air bike

Notes
Work through 3-4 rounds of the assistance gradually increasing intensity. For the L-Sits, accumulate :30 in no more than three sets for whatever version you’re doing.
FYI tomorrow we’ll be pressing overhead

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)

Tricia graduated Foundations in June and takes group classes, Diapers & Dumbbells with her newborn AND here she is doing Murph!! We commend you Tricia!!!

NOT FOR TIME, A PRIMER

CFSBK weekly programming includes regular “For Quality & Load” assistance work either on top of or instead of traditional “For Time” conditioning.  We usually use this method of training 1-3 times per week as a supplement to our primary lifts and conditioning tests.  The value of this work can’t be overstated and in this article we’ll discuss the rationale behind FQ work.

“Assistance Work”
Most FQ workouts generally fall under the title “assistance work” because their intention is to help develop the muscle groups and movement patterns used in our primary lifts and WODs.  Sometimes a lagging muscle group might prevent you from properly executing an exercise, especially at load or intensity. For example, if your chest regularly drops when trying to squat heavy, you might benefit from some concentrated low back/hip extension work like good mornings, RDLS, perhaps even heavy kettlebell swings. FQ work is our opportunity to program in different exercises that may not lend themselves well to being timed or performed at maximal weight, but do help you get into better positions when you need it most.

Work on imbalances
FQ work also uses more unilateral (one side at a time) bilateral (alternating sides) and stabilization exercises to promote symmetry and balance.  An imbalance in your pressing strength might not be apparent with a barbell, but it can become comically obvious when working with dumbbells.  Perhaps your imbalance is actually neurological, you know how to “set your back” but proper abdominal bracing strategies still elude you.  A healthy dose of hollow rocks, planks or a variety of other holds can help you identify how to engage and develop different parts of your body.  Mobility work would also fall under this category, if you’ve ever done a workout that included holding a stretch or performing something like an “inchworm” you know we’re sneaking in some active flexibility training.

Same movements, different focus
Sometimes we even will take movements that you regularly see in WODs like push-ups, jumping rope and rowing and take the clock away.  These are great opportunities to troubleshoot the movements themselves and aim for perfection with every rep without the stress of worrying about what your time or load will be. Instead, you can still get a significant stimulus by focusing on whatever you struggle with most about that movement. It could be coordination, range of motion or strength at a particular position in the lift. Whever your case may be, slow down and do it right so you can speed up and do it right later.

The take home message is that the better you can become at a wide variety of exercises and types of workouts, the more well rounded and successful of an athlete you can become.  We hope this gives you some food for thought the next time a FQ workout comes up and what our thought process is behind it.

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

E2MOM x 8 Sets
1 Power Clean

Notes
Perform 1 power clean every other minute for a total of 8 progressive work sets.

PARTNER METCON

6 Rounds for time of:
16/12 Calorie Bike
16 Kipping Pull-Ups

Notes
Alternate complete rounds until each partner has completed 3 rounds each for a total of 6. Try to push the pace on this workout!

Pull-up options:
(+) CTB or 6-8 Bar or Ring Muscle-Ups
15 Kipping Pull-Ups
8-10 Kipping Pull-Ups
8-10 Strict or banded
15 Jumping Pull-Ups

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)

When your gym pal asks you if you want to go to 608 and do a 2nd workout after class

CrossFit Brings the Community Together

Check out this great video from friend of CFSBK (and the person behind the inside CFSBK series we showed a video of yesterday) Michael Dalton. CrossFit semifinals replaced the Regional competitions that ran for many years prior to the pandemic. Coach David was the competition director for every North East/East Regional event and it was always such a fun celebration of CrossFit culture and sport. If you can ever make it out to a semifinal event they’re a blast!

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

Bench Press
Heavy 8-12

Notes
Take 15 minutes to work up to a couple heavy sets within the 8-12 rep range.

METCON

AMRAP 8:00
2-4-6-8-10… reps of:
Burpees
Box Jumps
Kipping Toes to Bars

Notes
Work up the ladder adding 2 reps to each exercise each round. Sub hanging knee raises or sit-ups if needed.

ASSISTANCE

Dumbbell LTEs
3×10-12

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK6/9)

You can’t beat those Degraw street summer vibes

Diapers & Dumbbells / Substitute Baby Wranglers needed

Check out this video from 5 years ago when CrossFit highlighted our Diapers & Dumbbells program. Then coach (now owner of Bell City CrossFit) Melissa L discusses the origins and intent behind the program. This program still exists and is ran by Coach Lizzie, David and Sasha. We love it so much!! We also need some help on three upcoming dates with baby wrangling while Sasha is away. You will be compensated for your time and need to be very comfortable and experienced handling babies. There are often between 8-12 babies and you will have a 2nd baby wrangler with you. Please contact cfsbkcharlie@gmail.com if you’re interested!

Monday June 26 1:30-2:30pm
Wednesday June 28 1:30-2:30pm
Monday July 3 1:30-2:30pm

Workout of the Day

SKILL: Snatch Balance

STRENGTH

EMOM 15:00
Pause Snatch

Notes
Pause just below the knee cap for a 2 count before following through to the full snatch

METCON

Tabata Mash-Up
Kettlebell Swings
Double Unders

Notes
Alternate :20 of work on one exercise before taking a :10 rest and switching to the other for :20 of work until 16 total (8 each exercise) have been completed.

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK5/9)

Harry, Yu and Kris enjoying some post Murph food and conversation

The Snatch Balance

Today before snatching we’ll work an assistance lift called the snatch balance. This movement helps develop confidence dynamically receiving the barbell in an overhead squat position.

Workout of the Day

7 Rounds for time of:
Run 270m
6 Front Squats
6 Strict Chin-Ups

Notes
FSQ: Heavy and unbroken (come off the floor) +/135/115/96/75/-
Chins: 1-3 sets per round. Modify to banded if needed but keep the volume at 6 reps

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK5/9)

CFSBK is a place for families

HOW TO BE A GOOD BAR PARTNER

By Chris Fox (6/20/14)

We’re not speaking about how to help a friend get lucky by being a good wing man or woman here—we’re going to discuss seven ways you can be a solid bar mate when paired up with others during one of the lifting segments of a group class at CFSBK.

1. Be ready to lift. This seems simple enough. After all, that’s what you’re going to do in a moment. Have your lifting gear—shoes, wraps, tape, belt, sleeves, special clean and jerk PR shirt, whatever—on you by the time your coach pairs you out to lift.

2. Have your numbers planned. Obviously you need to know this so a coach can pair you on a rack, and this goes especially for the slow lifts where there shouldn’t really be any guessing. This is where good journaling comes into play. Knowing what you squatted last week, what you plan to hit this week, and what your warm up sets will look like will help you be efficient during the warm ups so you can rest between work sets. I’m always amazed when it’s 10 minutes into lifting time and a rack is still warming up. If you don’t know what you’re loading on the bar, then at best you’ll waste some of your lifting time. Even worse, you’ll waste your classmate’s time. This is by far the biggest time suck we notice during classes. Having a plan for your warm up sets will allow you to make practical decisions for your warm ups and also be flexible for the sake of keeping the flow moving. 

3. Be present, especially if you are spotting someone. I don’t think I need to explain why you should be present when spotting but I’ve seen people drift off while doing it. I once had to “ask” someone not to be on their phone when spotting the bench press. Related to this, understand how to spot a lift. We’re only talking about the bench press and the back squat here. What we expect might be different than what you learned in the high school weight room, so if you’re not sure how we spot these lifts at CFSBK, ask a coach. Even while not spotting, being present with your rack mates is a good idea. You’ll often lift with the same few people for a cycle on a lift. It’s nice to know a bit about them and enjoy the time. I don’t mean you need to force idle chitchat, but an extra pair of eyes can be helpful, as can words and cues of support. Additionally, being present ensures that you’re being mindful of things around you and your partner’s rack. Extraneous bumpers lying in the way of a potential bail can cause a bar to take an unpredictable path, as can someone walking into a heavy bar on someone’s back. Being aware of your surroundings can head off avoidable injuries. Be in control instead of wondering what’s going to happen. 

4. Keep it in bounds. While we expect people to be engaged and help their partners, remember that you are not a coach and shouldn’t take over all the cueing adjustments/programming in your platform. It’s a fine line to find for some people but when in doubt ask a coach and always defer to the advice given by staff. We’ve heard people with great intentions give bad cueing or suggestions to rack mates. Know thyself.

5. Be ready for your set. When you’re not ready, you push the person behind you further back on the clock. In busier classes when there are three or even four people in a rack, someone should just about always be lifting. Don’t miss your turn or make your rack run out of time. 

6. Be clean, at least relatively. If the air around you suggests you may not have seen a bar of soap since the X-Files went off the air, it can be unpleasant and distracting to those around you. We work out together in pretty close quarters and get sweaty and sure, we all stink a bit every now and then (like me a few Thursdays ago, sorry!) but do your best to make that the exception, not the rule. Please note that some exercise apparel, especially that tech/wicking stuff, does not wash well—and all exercise gear has a shelf life.

7. Help load and unload the bar. Another pretty self-explanatory one. Share the workload on setup and breakdown—even going as far as to help another rack put stuff away if you’re done. You can’t really do too much here, but you can certainly do too little.

These are just a few things that can help your experience and that of your peers be more effective and enjoyable. Your fitness doesn’t happen in a vacuum at CrossFit South Brooklyn and the stronger we all get, the stronger we all get.

Workout of the Day

FLOATER STRENGTH

A: Hang Power Clean (optional + 2 Front Squats)
Heavy single

B: Back Squat
L2: 85% x 2 Reps x 6 Sets
L1: 5 Sets x 3 Reps Across

C: Shoulder Press
5 sets of 3-5 reps

Feel free to superset any of these with some DB Bent Over Rows, Chin-ups or lunges.

Notes
Choose one lift that best rounds out your training week thus far. Tomorrow we have Front Squats, Chin-Ups and running.

METCON

4 Rounds for time of:
:30 Tuck-Ups or Kipping Toes to Bars
:30 Rest
:30 Box Jump Overs
:30 Rest
:30 Air Bike
:30 Rest

Notes
Work hard on this 1:1 work to rest interval! Maybe not too hard on that :30 bike if you want to survive.

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK5/9)

Every Murph heat!!!

Thanks to Aaron W who captured the “before” pictures of everyone prior to Murph. Champions!!

Workout of the Day

ASSISTANCE

3-4 Rounds for Quality of:
10e 1/2 kneeling Palloff Presses
5 High Hang Muscle Snatches + 5 Pause OHS
10-15 DB Bent Over Rows

METCON

5 Rounds for time of:
15 Hang Power Snatches
15 Burpees

Notes
The hang power snatch should be on the lighter end, something you can do the early sets in 1-2 and the later rounds in no more than 3 sets.
HPS: +/75/65/45
If you’re really sore from Murph still you can remove the push-up from the burpee.

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK5/9)

Maria H doing a noir version of Murph.

Guest Pilates Instructor in July: Renee C

Our Pilates instructor Frank H will be away some of this month so on June 4th, 11th and 18th we will have special guest instructor and fellow CFSBKer Renee Chen filling in! Check out Renee’s bio and drop into a pilates class this month!!!

Renee discovered Pilates in her previous sitting-all-day-with-back-pain life. Pilates helped her manage chronic pain and improved posture, so much that she actually quit Wall Street for Pilates. She completed her 600-hour comprehensive Classical Pilates certification through Real Pilates, and has been teaching at their Tribeca location. She came to CFSBK following (or being forced by) her husband, and has enjoyed being part of the community very much. She’s excited to share her Pilates practice at CFSBK and hopes to see you on the floor!

Workout of the Day

STRENGTH

If you performed Murph on Monday and your legs are wrecked, we recommend you deadlift 3 work sets of 5 reps at a moderate load today. You’ll have an opportunity on Friday to perform the squat programming or you can skip this week and pick up next week.

LEVEL 2

Back Squat
85% x 2 Reps x 6 Sets

Notes
The weight is up 5% from last week but the reps have been cut in half. Move well and try to have some speed coming out of the bottom.

LEVEL 1

Back Squat
5 Sets x 3 Reps Across

Notes
Perform 3-5 progressive warm-up sets followed by 5 sets of 3 reps at the same weight. Try to go 5-10lbs heavier than last week.

METCON

EMOM x 5 Rounds
A: 12-15 Seated DB Presses
B: Floater exercise
C: Rest

Floater Options
A: Bike 1:00
B: Jog 270m
B: 8-12 Weighted Step-Overs

Notes
Use the first two rounds of this EMOM to warm-up and the latter three as harder work sets. If you’re recovering from Murph make this feel like an easy and consistent effort.

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CrossFit Group Class Programming Template (WK5/9)

Another heat off to the races!! 

Memorial Day Murph 2023 Photos

The amazing Aaron W just dropped 300 pictures from Murph this weekend into our Flickr!!! Check them out!!

flickr.com/photos/cfsbk/ 

The Origin of CrossFit gyms doing Murph on Memorial Day

This past weekend was our 16th annual Memorial Day Murph event and is one of CFSBK’s keystone community events. CrossFit gyms and beyond all over the world perform this tradition which happened organically. Check out the short video below for some history!