Sled Work

5 Sets of a 100′ Weighted Sled Push 

If you’re beat up from “Murph,” use this as active recovery. If you’re fresh, go heavier but submax.

Post work to comments.

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AMRAP 10 Minutes:
15 Dumbbell Power Snatches 50/35
30 Double-Unders

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

The 9am heat gets serious at Murph Day 2018. Photos by Robert C. and Thomas H. are up on Flickr, and even more are on the way! | Photo by Robert C. 

CFSBK on BTWB

The hits keep coming from our wonderful CFSBK coaching staff. We’re a little behind what with Murph Day and Iron Maidens and all, but be sure to check out these recent posts written for our friends at Beyond the Whiteboard!

• “That’s when the little voice popped into my head that said ‘you’re going to quit your job.’ It was a relief to think about that choice, not because I hated my job or physical therapy, but because it was a major stressor that was eating away at my happiness. It was time to let go, move forward, and condense my efforts to serve the fine people of CrossFit South Brooklyn.” From Coach KHarpz‘s “Lift & Let Go”
• “Get away from working on your fitness and spend some time outside enjoying your fitness. Regularly schedule time away from a barbell or a pull up bar. You (hopefully) don’t suffer in the gym for the sake of it, but for the level of fitness that you gain from all that hard work.” From Coach Fox‘s “Older, Fitter: 3… 2… 1… REST”

News and Notes

• All classes are cancelled this Saturday for Iron Maidens! 
• A note from Trisha B.: “I will be traveling from 6/11 – 6/20 and need some coverage for my part-time babysitting job. The job is very easy. It’s basically helping a family get their 5-year-old girl off to school a few mornings a week and also, if possible, picking her up 2-3  afternoons. This lovely family lives on Garfield Place between 4th and 5th Avenues and their daughter attends PS 118 on 4th Avenue and 7th Street. I know they will take whatever help they can get, so don’t be shy about asking me about different time frames. Contact me at 917.370.0672 by text or phone or email at msbuckley189 [at] gmail.com.”

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
5 Professional Strongmen Give Advice to New Athletes BarBend
Manhattanhenge: What Is It, and How to See It Scientific American

Patrick got a hero’s welcome from Joseph and Olivia after finishing “Murph” yesterday. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it a special day!

Iron Maidens Fundraising Update: T-Minus 4 Days

The Iron Maidens Raw Open is this Saturday, June 2nd! 60 women, from CFSBK and beyond, will test their strength at Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift in this women-only powerlifting meet. You won’t want to miss it!

For the 3rd year in a row, Iron Maidens lifters will raise funds for the Stay Strong Scholarship, which supports students at Bronx-based Grace Outreach. This year, our goal is to raise $40,000 to continue supporting these students. Right now we’re at $14,710 raised. Can you help us get there? Show some love by donating to your favorite CFSBK lifter(s) or directly to Grace Outreach through the 2018 Crowdrise campaign below.

DONATE HERE

In case you missed it, here’s some recent stuff we posted on the importance of the Stay Strong Scholarship:

• An Interview with Stay Strong Scholar SB
• An Interview with Stay Strong Scholar AS
• DACA Youth Need Help

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What Does Antartica Actually Look Like? The Outline
Fallen But Never Forgotten CrossFit Journal

“Murph”

For Time:
1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor.” It is now referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is. Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Murph Day 2018 Is Here!

All regularly scheduled classes (including AM Open Gym) are cancelled today for Murph Day. Here’s all the other important stuff you need to know!

• If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and the origins of “Murph,” this is a great place to start.
• 190 CFSBKers are registered to do “Murph” today, but there are still a few spots left in several heats. You can sign up here! If you decide not to do it at the last minute, please delete your name from the spreadsheet so someone else can take your place.
• Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a $20 (or more!) donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. Thanks to all who have donated! We’ll have a kiosk set up to accept donations at the gym today, or you can go HERE to support this terrific cause.
• For scaling options and game plans, see Coach Fox’s very useful post, “Murph Is For Everybody.”
• Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”?  You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat starts. 
• CFSBK will provide a keg, burgers, and sausages, but please bring more delicious foods, especially side dishes!

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History of Memorial Day PBS
Murph Tips Beyond the Whiteboard

Clean Complex

Every Other Minute on the Minute x 12 (6 sets):
Clean Pull + Hip Clean

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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5 x 250m Row Sprints

Rest 3 minutes between efforts. Go hard on each one, but aim for relatively consistent times throughout.

Post times to comments.

Iron Maidens Fundraising Update: T-Minus 6 Days

Yes, Murph Day is tomorrow, and we can’t wait to see you all there, but Iron Maidens is also less than a week away! For the 3rd year in a row, Iron Maidens lifters will raise funds for the Stay Strong Scholarship, which supports students at Bronx-based Grace Outreach. This year, our goal is to raise $40,000 to continue supporting these students. Right now we’re at $13,427 raised. Can you help us get there? Show some love by donating to your favorite CFSBK lifter(s) through the 2018 Crowdrise campaign here.

News and Notes

• 177 of you have signed up to do “Murph” tomorrow. That’s a lot! There’s still time to get into a heat here.
• Today’s PM Open Gym is cancelled as we set up for Murph Day!

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How to Increase Your Bench Press Without Benching BarBend
Why Beans Were an Ancient Emblem of Death Atlas Obscura

Triple Metcon

At 0:00

4 Rounds for Time:
16 Alternating Dumbbell Power Snatches
3 Ring Muscle-Ups or 9 Burpees

6 Minute Cap. Choose a load that challenges you for the Dumbbell Power Snatch.

At 12:00

5 Rounds for Time:
10 Dumbbell Hang Cleans (5 left, 5 right)
5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

6 Minute Cap. Choose a load that challenges you for the Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans. Scale to Jumping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups as needed.

At 24:00

5 Rounds for Time:
2 Deadlifts 365/255
6 Strict Handstand Push-Ups

6 Minute Cap. The Deadlift should be heavy for you. Scale to up to 2 AbMats (as long as you get some range of motion) or to Hand Release Push-Ups as needed.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Nothing but smiles at last year’s Murph Day! 😉

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MURPH DAY 2018

1. Murph Day is THIS MONDAY! This is one of our biggest and best community events of the year, when we perform the classic CrossFit Hero WOD “Murph” followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. Because we’ll be running heats from 8am to 1pm, all other classes are cancelled. If you’ve been on the fence, there’s still time to get in on the fun. 161 CFSBKers have signed up to participate. Join us here!

2. CFSBK and many other affiliates do “Murph” on Memorial Day in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and where this workout comes from, this is a great place to start.

3. What is “Murph”? How should you approach it? All of the answers are in a recent post, in which Coach Fox lays out some scaling options.

4. Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. Go HERE to support this terrific cause, or donate at the gym on Monday.

5. Additionally, CFSBK will donate $5 of each Murph Day t-shirt we sell to K9s for Warriors! We’re offering a brand new design this year!

6. CFSBK will provide one keg, burgers, and sausages, but please feel free to BYOB and more delicious foods, especially side dishes! 

7. Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”? You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat goes off.

NEWS AND NOTES

Sunday Evening Open Gym (5/27) will be cancelled tomorrow!!

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“Make Failure Your Fuel”: Abby Wambach’s Bard Commencement Address Time
Squat Because Your Brain Needs Strong Legs Breaking Muscle

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Murph Day 2018 is THIS MONDAY! So far, 143 CFSBKers have registered to participate in one of our biggest and best community events of the year. Can we get to 160 by the end of the day? Go HERE to sign up for a heat!

2. For the 3rd year in a row, we’ll be raising money to benefit K9s for Warriors, an organization that provides service dogs for veterans suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disability, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma as a result of military service post-9/11. The program has graduated over 300 Warrior/canine teams like Edna and Sarge, who are pictured above. 90% of the dogs in the program come from rescue shelters or are owner-surrendered. Because there is no charge for no charge for the workout, nor will it be deducted from your weekly class limit, though we do recommend donating what you would have paid for the class to K9s for Warriors. You can donate here or at the gym on the day of the event!

3. Still on the fence about doing “Murph”? Don’t forget that you can scale it! On Monday, Coach Fox walked us through all the options.

4. So many good things happening at the gym next week! On Saturday, June 2nd, we will host the Iron Maidens Raw Open. 60 women, from CFSBK and beyond, will test their strength at Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. For the 3rd year in a row, Iron Maidens lifters will raise funds for the Stay Strong Scholarship, which supports students at Bronx-based Grace Outreach. On Tuesday, CFSBKer and Executive director of Grace Outreach Danae Mcleod talked about why the Stay Strong Scholarship is especially important in helping DACA youth achieve their dreams. This year, our goal is to raise $40,000 to continue supporting these students. Right now we’re at $11,747 raised. Can you help us get there? Help DACA youth by donating to your favorite CFSBK lifter(s) or directly to Grace Outreach through the 2018 Crowdrise campaign here.

5. Register for our upcoming Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals class with Coach Callie Brennan! Fundamentals is your jiu-jitsu starter pack. The course is geared towards anyone intrigued by BJJ but unsure where to begin, anyone who wants to become better acquainted with dynamic movement on the ground. By the end of the course, you will be at the point where you can walk into a live-sparring Jiu Jitsu class without reservation.

6. “Powerlifting for me has been about doing something for my body that is not about losing weight, getting smaller, or changing an aesthetic. Those things are fine for some people but for me the fact that most if not all fitness is about those goals has been damaging and discouraging to me in my pursuit of health and a strong, capable body. The biggest thing I have taken from Starting Strength (besides several PR’s haha) is that strength is for everyone.” That’s Anise in the most recent installment of our continuing series Humans of Starting Starting Strength. Give it a read!

7. All classes are cancelled next Saturday, June 2nd for Iron Maidens. Come out to the gym to cheer our lifters on!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | NFR Work
Are You a “Type D” Athlete? Relax and Ask for Help NY Times
Here’s What Competing in the CrossFit Games Teaches You About Real Life Self

Snatch Complex

Every Other Minute on the Minute  x 16 (8 Reps):
Snatch Pull + Hip Snatch

Build to a heavy but perfect load on the complex. No misses, no press outs. The “Hip” or “Power” position is one in which both the knees and hips flex. While the torso may lean forward a small amount, the barbell remains in the crease of the hip and does NOT travel down the thigh into a Mid-Hang position. The limited travel off the bar into the hang doesn’t allow for maximal loads to be used, and instead forces the lifter to focus on SPEED and an active arm pull under the bar.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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20 Minutes Not for Rounds:
270m Jog/300m Row/Half-Mile Bike
7 Box Jumps (jump up, step down, use a high-for-you box)
3-5 Wall Walks

Post work to comments.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at CFSBK

Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) is a full-contact grappling style that prioritizes strategy over brute force. Literally translating to the “soft” or “pliable” (jiu) “style” (jitsu), it is often thought of as the chess of martial arts. BJJ is, at its core, a self-defense system that employs positional advantages, joint locks, and chokes to defend against an opponent or attacker in an assertive and elegant manner. You needn’t be stronger than your opponent to subdue them, which makes BJJ one of the most practical and effective martial arts for all ages and sizes. There is no striking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a submission grappling art based on efficiency of movement, leverage, and timing.

Fundamentals is your jiu-jitsu starter pack. The course is geared towards anyone intrigued by BJJ but unsure where to begin, anyone who wants to become better acquainted with dynamic movement on the ground, and anyone who could use a review to jump back into it. This will be an 8 week course with 1 class per week. Classes will cover the basic body mechanics and techniques used in Jiu jitsu. Come dressed in standard work out garb (leggings, spats, shorts that won’t fall off) and be advised that the sweat you leave with may not be your own. No zippers, no claws, no jewelry! By the end of the course, you will be at the point where you can walk into a live-sparring Jiu Jitsu class without reservation.

Days & Times

June 3rd to July 22nd
Sundays from 1:30 to 3:00pm

Pricing

$200 ($100 will be charged when you register and then again at the 4-week mark of the cycle)

About the Coach

Callie Brennan is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Team Fabio Clemente. Callie has been training and competing for the past 7 years. She began teaching beginner and intermediate students under the guidance of Pan American champion Babs Olusanmokun and multiple time World and Pan American champion Dominyka Obelenyte. Callie has competed locally and internationally winning gold at American Nationals as a white belt, the Montreal IBJJF Open at blue belt, and New York IBJJF Open at purple belt in her weight. She also medaled in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials at blue belt.

Callie recently founded Rag Doll Camps with her training partner and coach, Dominyka Obelenyte, with a mission to close the gender gap in the sport. She also teaches privately. Callie initially began CrossFit to supplement her jiu-jitsu practice, and she is looking forward to sharing it with the CFSBK community!

Feel free to contact Callie directly with any questions!

REGISTER HERE!

News and Notes

• A note from CFSBKer MK: “I’m selling my Liv Envie Tri Advanced 2016. I used the bike for 2 seasons, pretty light mileage. Size Large. Shimano Ultegra components. Aero clip-on bars (easy to adjust). Super light. Super fast. Super fun. Turns out that it’s just a little too small for my build . Purchased in May 2016 from Ride Brooklyn for $3400.  Looking to sell for $2800 or best offer!  Definitely prefer to sell to someone in the BK community!  Call/text MK Flynn at 415-306-4572 if you are interested.”
• Got news you want to share with the community, something for sale, or an event coming up? Always feel free to send anything you’d like to share with the community to Josh [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com!
• Due to a mix-up at our laundry service, towels may be in short supply or unavailable throughout today’s AM classes. If you plan to shower after class, it might be a good idea to bring your own towel. We apologize for any inconvenience!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Front Squat / Ring Row | Power Clean, Push Jerk
Elijah Muhammad: 12 Things You Didn’t Know About Me Athlete Daily
Your Unreasonable Assumption of Comfort in Weightlifting Catalyst Athletics

For anyone using the gym in the morning 5/24: We ran into a problem with our cleaners, so we are temporarily out of towels in the shower rooms. We should have the problem resolved by late morning. Sorry for the inconvenience, thank you for your patience. -CFSBK

Danae gets ready to Squat

Iron Maidens 2018: DACA Youth Need Help

By Danae Mcleod, Executive Director of Grace Outreach
Reposted from NYNMedia

Throughout the United States, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival students are not eligible for state or federal financial aid of any kind to help them cover college expenses. That makes it very difficult to complete a degree.

Many DACA students pay for college on their own dime. Many of them can pay lower in-state tuition if they attend college in their home state. However, a recent decision by the Arizona State Supreme Court makes DACA youth who live in the state pay out-of-state tuition prices. More than ten other states have passed similar laws. Thankfully, New York has not, but it is painfully clear that there are people who wish to make it even harder for undocumented immigrants and DACA youth to get to college.

Nearly all DACA youth pay taxes. They are given temporary social security numbers and required by law to file their income taxes. Yet they are still not covered for certain civic benefits like post-high school education.

So how do DACA youth and undocumented immigrants make it through higher education while paying out of pocket? The direct answer is most do not. According to TheDream.US, only 5 to 10 percent can afford college.

There are many great scholarships for undocumented youth wanting to further their education. TheDream.US awards some 3,000 scholarships to those who are either high school or community college graduates, or students who live in states where they cannot access in-state tuition. Golden Door and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation are two others. However, these scholarships are extremely competitive and not sufficient to meet the needs of the more than one million Dreamers estimated to currently be living in America.

Nearly four years ago, I started working at Grace Outreach, a nonprofit in the South Bronx that works with women who want to earn their high school equivalency degrees, go to college, and get jobs. I have met hundreds of smart, talented and motivated women who want to improve their lives through education – but most of them are DACA youth and undocumented women who came to the U.S. as children. As such, many of them are ineligible for financial aid.

I started looking for ways to help. We started by applying for all of the scholarships for undocumented youth. None of our students received a scholarship, in part due to the incredibly competitive nature of these applications.

In 2015, I started talking to a close friend, Margie Lempert, about my students’ dilemma. Lempert runs a women’s powerlifting event called the Iron Maidens Raw Open every year at CrossFit South Brooklyn. She wanted to add a fundraising component to this incredible day showcasing women’s strength. We thought that the grit and determination that it took for undocumented women to get to college matched the strength and tenacity that women powerlifters demonstrate. Together we created the Stay Strong Scholarship to support undocumented women at Grace Outreach. The money raised pays for 80 percent of college tuition for selected undocumented students and DACA youth.

In the two years since Grace Outreach and Iron Maidens started the Stay Strong Scholarship, we have raised over $65,000 and sent 10 women to college. So far two students have graduated with associate’s degrees and moved on to bachelor’s programs. We currently have five students making their way through City University of New York community colleges with GPAs more than 3.0.

Now more than ever, the undocumented community needs our support. There are many great organizations out there supporting DACA youth but the need is still so great. We must provide more avenues of support to the undocumented people in our city who are living, working, paying into our tax system, and trying to better their lives through education.

This year, our goal is to raise $40,000 to continue supporting these students. Right now we’re at $8,948 raised. Can you help us get there? Help DACA youth by donating to your favorite CFSBK lifter(s) or directly to Grace Outreach through the 2018 Crowdrise campaign here.

News and Notes

• Register for our upcoming Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals class with Coach Callie Brennan! Fundamentals is your jiu-jitsu starter pack. The course is geared towards anyone intrigued by BJJ but unsure where to begin, anyone who wants to become better acquainted with dynamic movement on the ground. By the end of the course, you will be at the point where you can walk into a live-sparring Jiu Jitsu class without reservation.
• Interested in volunteering to help out at Iron Maidens? Fill out this form!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Bench Press / Lateral Lunge | Toes-to-Bars, Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, Squats
Deadlift Setup Fix Starting Strength
The Overlooked Importance of Parasites JSTOR Daily

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press / Goblet Lateral Lunge Superset*

A1) Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press:
4 x 5-8

A2) Goblet Lateral Lunge (not alternating):
4 x 5-8

Use a heavy load for the rep range that allows you to move with perfect form. Keep rest to a minimum, 30-60 seconds between movements. Prioritize range of motion and stability over load on the Lateral Lunges. Good range of motion would have the femur of the “lunging” leg hit below parallel depth while maintaining a neutral spine. The foot of the opposite leg can stay flat or rotate up onto the heel, whichever feels more comfortable.

*Warm up and then perform a set of Bench Presses, followed by a set of Lateral Lunges. Repeat for 4 work sets of each, resting 30 seconds to a minute between movements.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
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4 Rounds for Times:
10 Toes-to-Bars
20 Push-Ups
30 Sit-Ups
40 Squats

Rest 2 minutes between rounds.

The goal is fast and relatively unbroken rounds. Scale Toes-to-Bars to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises and Pus- Ups to Knee Push-Ups as needed. Don’t fall into the “simple” movement trap, where your start doing Toes-Near-Bars, Pervy Uncle Push-Ups, Hunchback Sit-Ups, and 1/4 Squats. You have 400 opportunities to perform these common movements uncommonly well. Use all 400 of ’em!

Post times and Rx to comments.

Murph Day 2018 is just a week away! So far 99 of you have registered. Can we beat last year’s number, 177? Go HERE to sign up for a heat! | Photo by Thomas H. 

“Murph” Is For Everyone

By Chris Fox
Originally posted on 5.23.17

Hero WODs are usually longer, harder, and heavier—more grueling than your average WOD. “Murph” is no exception. But “Murph” is also for every CFSBKer who wants to do it. As always, we have a scaling option that is appropriate for wherever you’re at on your fitness journey. Whether you’re going to do a full “Murph” or not, you can choose to perform one of the following options:

“Murph”

1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats however desired. The classic and most often-chosen version is “Cindy” style: 20 rounds of 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. Many folks choose to split the Push-Ups up and instead do 20 rounds of 5 Push-Ups, 5 Pull-Ups, 5 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. If your Pull-Ups and Push-Ups are pretty strong, you might consider doing 10 rounds of 10 Pull-Ups, 20 Push-Ups, and 30 Squats (less to count!). Of course, you can also choose to perform the reps “Angie” style and do “Murph” as a chipper… or as Rx’d and wear a 20/14lb vest for the whole shebang.

Our standard movement scaling options are…

Run: Row or Bike
Pull-Ups: Ring Rows
Push-Ups: Knee Push-Ups
Squats: Squats!

We know that many of you can perform the movements as prescribed but may need to scale the total volume a bit. To this end, here are some scaling options:

1/3 “Murph”

33 Pull-Ups
66 Push-Ups
99 Squats
11 sets of 3/6/9

1/2 “Murph”

50 Pull-Ups
100 Push-Ups
150 Squats
10 Sets of 5/10/15 or 5/5/5/15

3/4 “Murph”

75 Pull-Ups
150 Push-Ups
200 Squats
15 Sets of 5/10/15, or 5/5/5/15

We encourage everyone to complete both 1 mile runs, unless an injury precludes you from running. It’s generally the large volume of bodyweight movements that need scaling.

How have you approached “Murph” in the past, and how will you approach it this year? Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean | Run, Pull-Ups, Push Jerks
Murph: Why We Do It Boxlife
From Couch to Community CrossFit Journal