Why would a hoop aerialist like Erica want to gain weight? Read on to find out!

Critical Mass, Part I

Introduction by Erica Dohring

“You’re gaining weight on purpose?” Looking the inquirer in the eye with a strong “yes” has yielded an interesting array of responses: surprise, confusion, amusement, and, my personal favorite, “of course you would” (said lovingly). Deliberately trying to gain weight is an unusual pursuit in the US, even among active, athletic adults. In this 2-part miniseries—Part II will be posted next week—you’ll read the stories of 5 women who are going against the grain, even if they are probably snacking on it right now.

Today we’ll hear from Erica D., Lorena F., and Coach KHarpz, all of whom are currently at work on massing programs…

You have fairly different fitness backgrounds. Can you tell us a bit about where you’re coming from athletically?

Erica: For the last 2 years, I’ve been specializing in bodyweight strength and circus skills. This includes progressions of the basics like Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, and Pistols as well as the more exotic skills like the Human Flag and the Lyra (a.k.a. “The Big Ring”).

Lorena: I started doing CrossFit last year after moving to Brooklyn and finally succumbing to my friend’s pledges of how great it was. Now I’m completely hooked. Before that I did some weight lifting for about 2 years following a training program from a local NYC coach named Maik Wiedenbach. The training consisted of power lifting and dieting. When I started I could only do assisted Push-Pps, and Pull-Ups were a far-away dream. After a year and a half, I was able to unassisted Push-Ups, I was able to do Chin-Ups and was starting to do Pull-Pps.  I also trained Squats, Deadlifts and Bench Presses. Along with workouts, the program also included a diet to lose body fat. I was able to reduce my body fat from 30% to 20% within one year. It was the first time in my life that I physically challenged myself to follow a program to achieve predetermined goals.

Katie: I’ve always been a team sport kind of athlete. My best sport was lacrosse. I started when I was 5 and played club all the way into college (until the great ankle sprain of 2010). I supplemented my off season with track and field and field hockey in high school. Honestly, I’ve tried almost everything, but for whatever reason, I was more skilled if it involved a stick/racket/bat. If it involved me just moving a ball with my hands and feet, I was atrocious. Soccer and basketball are by far my worst sports.

Why did you decide to do a massing program?

Erica: My motivations were twofold—aesthetic and performance. Aesthetically, I would like a more muscular lower body and performance-wise, I’d want to be stronger in all my movements. I was first exposed to the idea after reading RP founder Lori Shaw’s article on it. Even though it made a lot of sense, it took me a while to come around to the idea. Ultimately, what encouraged me to go for it was seeing other women do it and enjoy themselves! There is an awesome Facebook group called “RP Massing Ladies” where a bunch of confident women are getting after it, pushing past discomforts, making jokes about their “power pouches,” and crushing PRs they’d been trying to hit for years. It’s a super uplifting and badass online community. It also really helped to see Katie Harper post about it and know there was someone in my direct community I could turn to with questions if needed.

Lorena: When I started at CFSBK, I immediately started using Beyond the Whiteboard. I love data tracking and analysis, so after a few months of tracking my workouts, BTWB told me that I have a low BMI compared to other women CrossFitters., which in my head automatically meant that to be able to lift more I should weight more. This is a simplistic conclusion, but seems intuitive when you realize that I have long arms and legs with a short body. Anyway, I started reading and hearing stories about other people that did diets to gain weight. As a woman, gaining weight was never associated with something positive. But here I am trying to gain some weight to gain strength.

Katie: To increase my performance as a CrossFit competitor. I tend to fall short in the strength category compared to all of the other advanced athletes out there, so I thought that changing up my diet would give me a big advantage.

Can you tell us about the programs you’re doing?

Erica: I’m following a “massing” template by Renaissance Periodization. The basic idea is that, for about 3 months (or until you gain the desired amount of weight, whichever comes first), you aim to gain between 0.25 and 1 lb per week of mass. At the end of your gain period, you might expect 25% of that tissue to be muscle and the rest to be fat. After a period of maintenance, you can begin cutting to remove any unwanted fat, eventually leaving you with a more muscular physique and stronger body than what you started with.

Lorena: Nowadays I do group classes 5-6  times a week, and I try to do 1 hour of AR twice a week. I took advantage of the LFPB Challenge at the gym and decided to follow a diet to gain strength, which requires gaining some weight. This makes me somewhat uncomfortable, probably because of years of being sold on the idea that “thin is pretty,” which women are constantly bombarded with.

Katie: I’ve been following an RP template that Keith set up for me. It’s actually based off of a maintenance template (with the goal to keep weight the same with more specific macro balance/timing), but I set my weight as 135 pounds (even though I was 132 lb when I started). The goal for me was to gain a modest amount of lean mass (3-5 lb) and see how it affected my performance. I didn’t want to do anything too drastic so close to the Open. But my intention is to kick it into high gear and go on a massing template in the offseason since things are going well for me. By the CrossFit Open in 2019, I want to be a lean 140 lb brick house

What kind of progress have you seen so far?

Erica: Performance-wise, I’ve seen some huge improvements even though it’s only been about 3 weeks! My first few days of the program, I hit 8 strict Chin-Ups (a number I’d been after for many years), a 20# weighted chin-up, and 14 strict Push-Ups. Earlier this week, I hit 9+ consecutive Pistols on each leg (up from a struggling ~4) and PR-ed my Heel Hang from 14 seconds (up from 12). It’s fairly early in the mass, so the performance improvements are more likely to be from the extra food aiding recovery than muscle, but either way, I’m thrilled.

Katie: Progress has been made! I weighed in at 136 (with clothes on) last Monday. Aesthetically, I have definitely noticed that I have A LITTLE more muscle in my legs, but it’s hard to tell with the rest of me. When I’m really strict on the weekends my abs are poppin’ though, which is fabulous. Overall, I have a lot more energy on my long days at the gym, and my performance has improved. I used to feel like I was going to fall asleep mid-workout at least three times a week, and I know that most of the time, it’s not sleep related. I have been getting 7-7.5 on average weekly these days.

Have you altered your training to fit your diet?

Erica: Definitely. I’m doing a lot more volume on both my upper and lower body, but especially lower. I’ve also shifted my rep schemes from 1-2 reps of very high-effort progression steps to sets of 8-12 reps of moderate effort. Also been experimenting with Hip Thrusts for glutes, as I’ve had a hard time finding a good calisthenics glute exercise I like.

Lorena: My program includes tracking macros, sleeping 8 hours, and taking some supplements such as omega-3s, magnesium and vitamin D. From the beginning, I was surprised by the proportion of carbs on my diet. Before I was eating the same amount of proteins and carbs and controlling my calories to make sure I didn’t gain weight. Now I’m eating much more carbs and I can feel the difference on my performance. I don’t feel tired, and I think I recover much faster from workouts.

Katie: Quite the opposite, actually. I needed to match my diet to fit my training volume. I was definitely under-eating, which was affecting my energy levels.

What kind of challenges have you encountered so far?

Erica: The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date has been managing my gain rate. The first week, I actually lost weight and the second week I gained a bit too fast. The scale is unfortunately an imperfect measurement tool (you fluctuate throughout the week due to water and other stuff), and it’s sometimes hard to make a call on how to tweak things as you go.

Lorena: I have been on this diet for 5 weeks, and so far, I haven’t gained weight. I must confess that gaining weight makes me feel anxious. Every time I weight myself I have to consciously think that an increase in weight is actually a good thing. I’m very good at tracking macros and going to the gym even when I’m not in the mood. The change in my mindset might be the most challenging thing about it so far.

Katie: As expected, compliance. I’m a social lady, so sometimes I want to go out, have fun, and eat whatever I want. I think that’s fine. I’ve set realistic expectations for myself, and I am pretty relaxed about my intake on my weekly rest day and weekends. So if I’m being honest with myself, I find that I’m compliant about 4.5 out of 7 days. And I think that’s good for now. But, yikes, is it hard to find time to cook for myself with all of the stuff I have going on these days. I have created a few menus for myself to make the task as easy and mindless as possible. It’s a bit monotonous, though. Sometimes, I feel like all I do on Monday through Friday is wakeup, work, work out, cook, sleep, and repeat.

What do you ultimately hope to gain from your massing program?

Erica: I’d like to get stronger in all of my movements, but in particular the push and pull from my shoulders with Skin-the-Cats and L-Sits would be amazing.

Lorena: Because I’m not a professional or even recreational athlete, and I’m not training to any competition, it might seem (to me) that I don’t have a clear goal to achieve. My ultimate goal would be to gain mass, without gaining fat and gaining strength to be able to lift more weight. I’m planning on using the Open and Benchmark WODS to track my performance, and listening to my body to assess how I feel. I think ultimately the main goal is always to be healthier.

Katie: A one way ticket to Regionals baby, AWW YEAH! (maybe not this year, but hopefully one day if I keep this gainz train going!)

Check back next Tuesday for Part II, when we’ll hear about Francine D. and Coach Lauren’s massing experiences!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Push Press | Dumbbell “DT”
Set a Goal for Each Training Session Catalyst Athletics
The Most Unusual Menus from Libraries Around the World Atlas Obscura

Push Jerk

5-5-5-5-5

Work up to a heavy set of 5 Push Jerks. No splits. Barbell comes off the floor.

Post loads to comments.

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Dumbbell “DT”

5 Rounds for Time:
12 Dumbbell Deadlifts 50/35
9 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans 50/35
6 Dumbbell Push Presses 50/35

Post time and Rx to comments.

Join the 2018 CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competition!

For the 3rd year in a row, CFSBK is organizing a friendly, in-house intramural team competition during the CrossFit Open. This competition aims to promote a healthy community rivalry and provide motivation for all Open competitors to perform their best each week! Participation is voluntary, and those who wish to participate will be split into balanced teams with team captains assigned by CFSBK management. Team scores will be compiled at the close of each week by the captains using an average team ranking. Last year, we had more than 70 CFSBK athletes compete in this in-house competition. We’re hoping to surpass that number this year, but we need everyone to sign up by the end of the day!

You may perform the workouts scaled or Rx’d, whichever is most appropriate for you. Since we will be using overall team ranking as the score, performing workouts Rx’d will be more valuable to your team than performing them scaled, regardless of how many reps you get. This dovetails with the intention of the Open: to attempt as many workouts Rx’d as you can while scaling when necessary.

The Open workouts will be programmed for Saturday group class each week, which provides team members the opportunity to complete the workouts on Friday and Saturday during group class or Saturday and Sunday during Open Gym. However, if you must miss a workout (due to travel, injury, illness, etc.), it won’t necessarily negatively affect your team’s score, because the score will be an average of top submitted scores for each week.

Teams are encouraged to attend the same group class, wear matching outfits/t-shirts (we’ll assign each team a color), and trash talk. If the competition results in a tie at the end of the Open, there will be a head-to-head team throw-down. Teams will be invited to compete against each other every week during a super-fun, good-vibez, open-to-all Friday Night Lights event.

This isn’t mandatory, so if you want to do the Open workouts without joining the intramural competition, you can. If you are interested in joining an Intramural Team, fill out this survey by midnight tonight!

You must be officially registered for the CrossFit Open to compete in the Intramural Team Competition, so go here to sign up if you haven’t already! Please remember to sign up for the CrossFit South Brooklyn affiliate and team on the Games site!

We’re shooting to have 200 CFSBK members sign up for the Open, which starts THIS THURSDAY! Right now we’re at 139. Can we get to 150 by the end of the day? Let’s do it!

Upcoming Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Cycles!

BJJ Fundamentals (8 spots available)

Mid-Hang Snatch

Work up to a heavy Mid-Hang Snatch for the day.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
100 Alternating Leg Dumbbell Overhead Reverse Lunges 50/35
200 Double-Unders
100 Sit-Ups
50 Russian Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg

The Lunges are Single-Arm Overhead and should be split evenly between the left and right arm. Perform a set of 10 Alternating Reverse Lungs with the dumbbell held overhead in the left arm, then switch arms and perform a set of 10 with the dumbbell held overhead in the right arm. Repeat for 5 sets each arm to complete the 100 total reps. Scale load to be able to complete sets of 10 reps unbroken, or to the front rack as needed. Scaling for Dubs is 300 Singles or 50 attempts. The Kettlebell Swings should be heavy for you, but unbroken on the top end.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Joy M. putting the “Box Jump” in “Burpee Box Jumps” | Photo by Thomas H. 

TODAY: LOOK, FEEL, PERFORM BETTER CHALLENGE LECTURE, “SNACK ATTACK”

The 4th Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A is today at 12pm in the Annex. I’m soooo hungry… What healthy snacks can I have? Do you struggle with mid-afternoon hunger or late night munchies? In this lecture we’ll dig in a bit to see why and learn a few strategies for dealing with it.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: WODurday
A Before-School Exercise Program May Help Children Thrive NY Times
How Much Is Enough? Finding Your Perfect Workout Frequency BarBend

WOD 2.17.18

3 Rounds for Time:
800m Run
25 Pull-Ups
25 Overhead Squats 75/55

Scale the Pull-Ups to Jumping Pull-Ups as needed and the load on the barbell to be able to do the reps in 1-2 sets.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Azam P. at the Orcas Island 100

Azam P. recently completed the Orcas Island 100 mile race. Here’s his report:

The Orcas Island 100 offers a steep single track, rolling terrain around mountain lakes, and fun and fast downhill sections through old-growth forest and sweeping views of the neighboring Islands. With ~26,000 feet of elevation gain (and equal loss), it’s as tough as it is beautiful. Runners have to complete four 25.2-mile loops, each loop with five fully stocked aid stations. There is a 36-hour overall time limit, and cut-off times were strictly enforced throughout the last loop. There was a local beer, live bluegrass musi,c and wood-fired pizza at the finish line! This race is quickly gaining a reputation as being a low-key, intimate race with a grass roots feel.

It was hilarious to witness runners scream profanities to whoever designed course as we were crawling through the steepest part of the course. The toughest part was being able to power through the same course four times. The best part was the pizza slice in the my mouth as I ran out of the aid station on my last loop with 14 minutes before the 36-hour cutoff time. My finishing time was 35 hours 29 minutes and 50 seconds. So I basically had 30 minutes left before the race was officially over.

Congrats, Azam! This was truly an amazing feat.

Tomorrow: Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture, “Snack Attack”

The 4th Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A is this Sunday at 12pm in the Annex. I’m soooo hungry… What healthy snacks can I have? Do you struggle with mid-afternoon hunger or late night munchies? In this lecture we’ll dig in a bit to see why and learn a few strategies for dealing with it.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
My Body Size Does Not Determine My Ability Girls Gone Strong
The Father of Artistic Figure Skating Is a New Yorker Who Lived During the 19th Century Deadspin

Sara B. representing CFSBK in Cuba. “I am in Guantanamo to monitor, analyze and critique Military Commission hearings and process,” she writes “an opportunity for which I am grateful. I would be happy to talk your ear off about promoting rights-respecting national security policies and the right to a fair trial.”

This Week at CFSBK in Review

Holy crap. A lot of important stuff happened on the blog this week. Allow us to recap…

1. We’re now just 6 days away from the start of the CrossFit Open. We’re currently hovering around 130 CFSBKers registered, but we still need more folks to sign up to reach our goal of 200. Go here to do that!

2. We’ll also be bringing back our Open Intramural League. This is a totally voluntary, totally fun, and very low pressure way to add an element of camaraderie and friendly competition to the Open. You don’t need to be “good enough” or do the workouts as Rx’d to contribute points to your team. If you want to participate, please fill out this survey!

3. CFSBK is excited to partner with our friends at beyond the whiteboard to provide digital workout tracking for our affiliate! Members are able to access each day’s workout on the app or desktop site, both of which provide tons of data, gym leaderboards, and a variety of other cool tracking parameters. See Tuesday’s post to find out how you can take advantage of this service that we’re offering to CFSBK members for FREE.

4. Abbotsford Road Coffee (right around the corner on Sackett between 3rd and Nevins) is now offering CFSBK members and employees a free upsize (e.g., a large for the price of a small) on their excellent coffee! Just show your membership scan card at the register. (You do have a scan card, don’t you?)

5. On Wednesday, Coach Brett talked about overcoming his mental struggles when it comes to competition and offered some tips on how you can have FUN during the open! You can look forward to more writing from Brett throughout the Open.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean and Jerk | Row, DB Burpees
What Makes Ice Dancing Different? Deadspin
A Message to Masters CrossFit Journal

Power Clean and Push Jerk

Every 3 minutes for 6 rounds:
5 Touch-and-Go Power Clean + Push Jerks

Build across the 6 rounds. Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
30 Calorie Row
20 Dumbbell Burpees 50/35
30 Calorie Row

Post time and Rx to comments.

The CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competition is back! See below to find out how you can join the fun…

The Open Is Upon Us

Team SBK!

As most or all of you know, the 2018 CrossFit Open starts on February 22nd, one week from today. The Open is a worldwide competition in which CrossFit HQ releases a workout (and a scaled version) each week for 5 weeks. Last year more than 380,000 people from all walks of life and all levels of fitness participated in the Open. For the 8th year in a row, CFSBK will be participating in the Open, and this post provides a quick rundown of how to sign up and participate.

How can I learn more about the Open and Sign Up?

Everything you need to know about the Open and registration info can be found on the CrossFit Games site. Make sure to register as a member of our affiliate AND our team (also called “CrossFit South Brooklyn”). We already have over 100 CFSBKers signed up!

Ok, I’m registered. What’s next?

Great! CFSBK will program the Open workouts every Saturday throughout the Open, which means you’ll have opportunities to perform the workouts during:

• Friday morning and afternoon CrossFit group classes
• Friday evening Open Gym as part of our “Friday Night Lights” events (open to all)
• Saturday at any CrossFit group class or during afternoon Open Gym
• Sunday evening Open Gym

Every Friday night of the Open, CFSBK will host a series of Friday Night Lights events. Anyone can come in to do the workout. We’ll help organize heats and judges and all the other stuff. Stay tuned to the blog for more info!

We’ll also be bringing back our Open Intramural League in which (if you so choose) you’ll be placed on a team of about 20-30 people. Your scores and participation will help your Intramural team earn points, and a victor will be crowned at the end of the competition (unless there’s a tie, which has happened). This is a totally voluntary, totally fun, and very low pressure way to add an element of camaraderie and friendly competition to the Open. You don’t need to be “good enough” or do the workouts as Rx’d to contribute points to your team.

Member Survey & Intramural Opt-In (Super short!)

If you’re doing the Open, we want to get to know a little more about you so we can highlight and support members from different backgrounds and experience levels through the 5 weeks. Also, if you want to participate in Intramurals, we NEED you to fill this out to be on a team.

CFSBK Open Survey

May the WODS be with you!

WOD 2.14.18

Every 3 minutes for 5 rounds:
10 Box Jumps 24/20
10 Russian Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg
10 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9

The goal is unbroken reps with consistent scores.

Post work to comments.

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Back Squat

10-10-10

Warm up and work up to a heavy set of 10 reps. Use spotters on all work sets.

Post loads to comments.

Photo by Thomas H.

Compare and Despair: How NOT to Approach the Open (or any other workout)

By Brett Ferguson

So, the CrossFit Open is rapidly approaching. The Open is a five-week competition that Dave Castro and his sadist team at CrossFit HQ come up with every year to see which athletes will make it to Regionals and, ultimately, the CrossFit Games. For the rest of us mortals, it’s a time each year when we can see how we stack up with the rest of the global CrossFit community, see how we compare to our results last year, and have some fun with everyone in the CFSBK community. Because that what it’s about, right? Fun?

Well, if you’re anything like me, this isn’t always the case. I started CrossFit because I was tired of working out by myself and, while I was strong, I couldn’t do ten Burpees in a row without gasping for air. I enjoyed the challenge. I liked learning new things every day. I was excited by the prospect of a workout that I knew was going to be really hard for me. Where did all of that intrigue and enjoyment go?

1. Expectations. I began to “should” myself all over. I should be able to do a Muscle-Up by now. I should be able to do Double-Unders (it took me literally 6 months of coming to class 10-15 minutes early every day and whipping myself repeatedly before I could get a few strung together). I should be able to run faster. “I should, I should, I should.” Sub in whatever movement you are struggling with right now, and my guess is you’ve said something like that to yourself.
2. Comparing myself to others. That guy can Clean this weight, so why can’t I? She can keep moving through a 10-minute workout, and I can barely breath with my hands on my knees three minutes in. We were in the same Foundations class, so why is he so much better at this than I am?

The nastiest critic in my life is… me. Nothing is ever good enough. In my head, if I don’t beat (read: DESTROY) my scores from last year’s Open, beat (again: DESTROY) so-and-so in the standings, make it to Regionals, get sponsored, and get a million followers on Instagram, then what’s the point?

I have learned (and by learned I mean over and over and over) that every time I get too caught up in the goal, I become disconnected from reality. Most recently, my coach had me retest Open Workout 17.5. With absolutely no reason or data to back this up, I arbitrarily decided that I should be able to get a score that was TWO MINUTES faster than my score last year. WHAT? I set myself up for failure immediately. I looked at the clock after three rounds, and I was already off pace. That’s when the mental demons kick in for me. “You should just stop, they say, “You’ll never be any good at this. You can’t even reach a goal that you set for yourself. You suck at Thrusters. Your Double-Unders are too slow. Why are you breathing so hard? So-and-so wouldn’t be breathing so hard.” As a result, I started doing worse and worse during the workout than if I hadn’t even set a goal in the first place. I talk to myself in ways that I would NEVER talk to anyone else. If I said the things to any CFSBK member during a class work out that I say to myself, David would boot me out the door.

How did I end up doing on that work out? I beat my score from last year by over a minute. Was I happy? Absolutely not. Instead of being happy that all of my practice with Double-Unders this year paid off or that I was able to breathe while doing the Thrusters after practicing breathing and bracing all year, I decided to be angry and beat myself up for the rest of the day because I hadn’t reached the unattainable benchmark that I had set for no reason.

Think about something you can do now that you couldn’t do when you started CrossFit. Think about something you can do this year that you couldn’t do last year. If you did that and then the next words in your mind were “Yeah, but…” because you want more, take a second and give yourself some credit for what you’ve accomplished.

It’s easy for me to get obsessed with a goal and to completely take for granted how far I have progressed. This year in the Open I want to push myself hard physically as much as I can while still being able to recognize the improvements that I have made. I want to enjoy being around everyone while they try as hard as they can. I want to cut myself some slack if I don’t perform how I hope to. If I am able to do this, it be a huge mental PR for me.

If you’re thinking about doing the Open, DO IT. The energy in the gym is electric, and people end up doing things every year that they’ve never done before. It’s not about beating others but seeing how far you’ve come this year. Does that mean you do it perfectly? Hell no.

Maybe this year you have Toes-to-Bar when last year you didn’t. Maybe this year you can do Burpees when last year you were doing Squat Thrusts. Maybe last year you were in the Scaled Division and this year you signed up for Rx. Whatever you do, take a second to acknowledge your improvements and try to enjoy the process along the way, rather than than thinking about how far you think you have to go. We all started CrossFit to improve ourselves and have some fun. Every time we walk into the gym we are improving ourselves. Let’s be sure to do that having fun thing as well.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Toes-to-Bar: Getting Them, Improving Your Efficiency, and Using Them to Build Your Squat Athlete Daily
Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially if You’re Over 40 NY Times

CFSBK & BTWB

CFSBK is excited to partner with our friends at beyond the whiteboard to provide digital workout tracking for our affiliate! Members are able to access each day’s workout on the app or desktop site, both of which provide tons of data, gym leaderboards, and a variety of other cool tracking parameters. BTWB is an official CrossFit® app, and it’s run by CFSBKers!

Complete the following steps to register and start tracking your workouts:

1. Create a profile by registering at btwb.com.
2. Use the gym code CFSBK101 to receive a free membership and link you into the CFSBK group class programming feed.
3. Download the app for Apple or Android and sign in!

You read that right: this premium service is completely FREE for CFSBK members. OMG, that’s you!

We’ll be adding a BTWB widget to the blog this week, but get on there now and start tracking your workouts!

News and Notes

• Schedule Change: Today’s Jiu Jitsu Open Mat is cancelled. Callie is out of town this week.
• T-Minus 8 days until the announcement of CrossFit Open Workout 18.1. Go here to join Team CFSBK!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Push Press | Deadlifts, Burpess
Powerlifting Slows the Aging Process: Here’s Why BarBend
I Will Die in This Beautiful Place NY Times

Push Press

5-5-3-3-1

These should all be work sets (i.e., challenging), finishing with a heavy single.

Post loads to comments.

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AMRAP 5 Minutes:
3 Deadlifts 275/185
7 Bar-Facing Burpees

The Deadlift load should be on the heavy side of medium for you, unbroken throughout the workout. For the burpees to be considered Rx’d you must jump your feet out and back in, i.e., no stepping out and in. You may step closer to the bar before jumping over it.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

CFSBK TFBA ALERT: Coach MeLo recently joined Coach KHarpz on the team at Bespoke Treatments. Congrats, Melissa! Need some physical therapy? Now you know where to go!

Countdown to the Open: T-Minus 9 Days!

By the time this post goes up, we’ll be a little over one week away from the announcement of Open Workout 18.1. So far 110 of you have signed up. That’s awesome, but we still have a ways to go to reach our goal of 200 CFSBKers registered. Can we make it to 120 by the end of the day? We sure can! Go here to register.

Did you register for this year’s Open? If so, tell us why you signed up in the comments!

News and Notes

• Schedule Change: Tomorrow’s Jiu Jitsu Open Mat is cancelled. Callie is out of town this week.
• Abbotsford Road Coffee (right around the corner on Sackett between 3rd and Nevins) is now offering CFSBK members and employees a free upsize (e.g., a large for the price of a small) on their excellent coffee! Just show your membership scan card at the register. (You do have a scan card, don’t you?)

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Toes-to-Bars, Double-Unders, Snatches
Yes, You Can Do CrossFit CrossFit Journal
Failure to Progress Breaking Muscle

WOD 2.11.18

Performance

With a running clock…

At 0:00
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
15 Snatches 95/65

At 6:00
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
12 Snatches 115/75

At 12 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
9 Snatches 135/95

At 18 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
6 Snatches 155/105

At 24 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
AMRAP Snatches 185/125

Fitness

With a running clock…

At 0:00
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
30 Single-Unders
15 Snatches 55/35

At 6:00
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
30 Single-Unders
12 Snatches 75/55

At 12 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
30 Single-Unders
9 Snatches 95/65

At 18 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
30 Single-Unders
6 Snatches 115/75

At 24 minutes
In 3 minutes complete:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
30 Single-Unders
AMRAP Snatches 135/95

The Snatches are anyhow (Power, Full, Split) and should begin light and end up heavy for you. The Performance and Fitness movement and loading options are representative of the CrossFit Open Rx’d and Scaled options. With that in mind, choose one track and try to stay with it.

Post work and Rx to comments.

Ariel loves those Double-Unders | Photo by Thomas H. 

• Today’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled. 

Focus on the Process: How an Evolution in Mindset Changed the Way I Compete

By Whitney Hubbard

Editor’s Note: We recently updated and reorganized the Articles & Media page to make it more navigable. Be sure to take a look around! Whenever we get a chance, we’ll be reposting great stuff from there. Today, just in time for the Open, it’s a Coach Whit special from last year. “Focus on the Process” was originally posted on 4.18.17.

The CrossFit Open season (register to join Team CFSBK here!) is an incredible time of year. As a coach, I’m pretty much guaranteed weekly goosebumps watching athletes completely outperform their expectations or achieve something they previously thought impossible. Just as often, I’m inspired by watching members lift each other up, cheer each other on, and push each other outside their comfort zone. And as an athlete in Open season, I get to participate in the test. Has the year of training paid off? Will the hours of work translate into results? Am I better than I was a year ago, two years ago? Have my weaknesses improved? Do I have new skills, and can I express them when the challenge arises?

But there’s another series of questions I’ve also asked myself. And maybe you have, too. They’re less about my personal progress and more about the competition. Where do I stand? Did I beat so-and-so? Who am I behind on the leaderboard now? What place am I in? Why did they do better than me? (Also, why do I still suck at Thrusters!?)

In CrossFit, though surrounded by other athletes, we are essentially on our own. It’s us, the barbell, the jump rope, and the clock. It’s us versus our best. That’s really all there is. But when you’re left alone with yourself, you might find there’s a web of thoughts to confront and a few stories to unravel along the way.

My own thoughts and stories became apparent as I got more outwardly competitive a few years ago. I considered myself decently fit and pretty “good” at CrossFit. I had developed some skills with the help of my coaches over time—Kipping Pull-Ups, consistent Double-Unders, heavier Snatches. But I had also noticed I could “beat” other athletes in workouts. After four or five years of doing this stuff, I felt excited to consider myself someone who could “hold her own,” could compete, and maybe win from time to time. I decided I was ready for the next level: CFSBK Competition Team.

Spinning Stories, or How to make yourself feel like total crap when you’re already endeavoring to do something very challenging

The days of Comp Team were fun, demanding, frustrating at times, and definitely a big push. But heading home at the end of a long Saturday, it often felt like I was running myself into a brick wall. Our group would hit a killer three or four part training session, ending with some soul-crushingly hard conditioning workout, probably in 90 degree humid heat with the door open. And somehow the 400m run on Degraw Street was now uphill in both directions. But not for everyone, mind you—just for poor little me, if you catch my drift. And I would simply feel like not enough.

Everything about me was less than or worse than. I took longer to warm up because of some injury I was nursing. I had less weight on my barbell. And I wouldn’t, just couldn’t, keep up on that conditioning. Sooner or later, I’d be lagging behind, watching the other athletes — especially the women — pass me. Or lap me. I finished a lot of workouts last. Or I scaled when others didn’t and then beat myself up for it the whole time. It was important to me to be at this level, to work alongside others that I considered incredibly strong, powerful, fast, and fit. There’s got to be an adage here that fits. Little fish, big pond. Only as good as the company you keep. Yada yada yada. More often than not, though, the result of these sessions was not lifting myself up to their level but rather mentally pushing myself down. I rarely ever “won.” And if I did, it never lasted. Or never meant much because I must have just gotten lucky that day or it was something I was naturally good at, so it didn’t really count. Coach Brett and I won a local CrossFit team competition with another male athlete in October that year. I was so happy to be on top of a podium. But I was also sure it was only because of those two guys on my team, and I was simply tagging along.

What a load of shit.

All Slump, No Pump

I didn’t realize it at the time, but my mindset was a big part of my problem. I constantly externalized and compared myself to others’ efforts and performance—things I had absolutely no control over. I saw myself as less than, and I expected to have that outcome proved over and over again. I was born with hemihyperplasia (formerly hemihypertrophy), which means one side of the body grows more than the other due to an increased production of cells. So, I have one leg and arm shorter/smaller than the other, and a lot of structural imbalances inherent in my body because of the condition. That’s my reality, but it doesn’t need to define me. I’ve mostly tried to deal with the logistics of it but ignore its implications.

Even still, I figured I was just intrinsically “less fit” than some other athlete I admired. When faced with obstacles and challenges I gave up easily, talked myself out of things, or worked with even less effort. Because what was the point if I wasn’t going to beat him or her anyway? Even if only subconsciously, I was more focused on avoiding failure than I was on doing my best. If you’re familiar with Carol Dweck and her research on achievement and success, it seems clear that I was operating with a Fixed Mindset. I was in a self-defeating cycle and had all these inspiring individuals around me with which to threaten myself on a weekly basis. Needless to say, it was frustrating and pretty dark. Add to that a few recurring injuries, and I had a tasty recipe for an old-fashioned slump with a side of self-pity.

Know Thyself: You Got What You Got! Now What?

Flash forward to 2016, when I attended a couple of incredible workshops: the Performance Care Athlete Workshop at Active Life Athletics and an OPEX Athlete Camp. Though quite different in subject matter and scope, I walked away from both of these experiences with a sense of reality around my capacity and training. Not with what I thought I could do, how I saw myself, or what I was hoping for, but just… what is.

We did all sorts of testing: mobility, flexibility, absolute strength, neuromuscular efficiency, lactic power, gymnastics battery, etc. You can’t really game this stuff out. You accept the parameters, do the work as best you can, and see what happens. You get a sense of things as they are. You’re nailed to the present moment. And somehow, even though we picked apart the numbers and details and outcomes, and even though I still compared myself to other people on that whiteboard (old habits die hard), there wasn’t a value judgment placed on it all. It didn’t mean so much about me, that I wasn’t as good as others or that my best wasn’t enough. It just was what it was. I walked away with concrete information about my current capabilities. Most of all, I left with ideas for how that could change over time. There were real, substantial implications for training. And that’s where the magic happens.

Empowered by this information, I started programming for myself and essentially trained alone from about October onward. It was an adjustment, but it felt necessary. Armed with specific information, I challenged myself to actually do something about it. I’ve known about my leg-length difference my whole life. But now I can’t ignore how crucial single leg strength training will be for my overall health and longevity in this CrossFit stuff. Squatting will probably always be a structurally difficult movement for me, so should I really be concerned that my Power Clean is now the same as my Clean? Or should I spend my time elsewhere? My Overhead Press is a relative weakness, so if I want my shoulders to function better and hurt less often, I have a clear priority.

There’s something else buried in all of this. Somewhere along the way, I think CrossFit got the reputation for kicking you square in the ass all the time. That if you weren’t wiping your blood, sweat, and tears off the floor at the end of every single day in the gym, you weren’t doing it right. But the past few months of training have proven otherwise for me. I started thinking so much more about my recovery, taking some extra time to walk my dog or spending an hour doing simple aerobic work after a couple of tough training days. I focused on executing workouts at sustainable effort instead of trying to bang out every last rep before collapsing on the floor. I practiced caring a little less about numbers on the board and a little more how I felt and what I could sustain during the WOD.

Plan to Succeed, Do Your Best, and Be Content

So here’s the thing: even with all of the details of this testing and training, the biggest difference in my experience of the Open was my mind. I concentrated on my own reality and allowed the work of others to fade into the periphery. A big portion of why I’m still doing CrossFit after 7+ years is the community and comradery that our gym provides. I’m already enjoying taking group classes more frequently right now to contribute to and feed off that energy. But learning about myself and engaging with the process of training—rather than trying to prove myself, look good, or win the workout every time—have transformed my approach to the day-to-day and the way I compete when the time is right.

I cringe as I write this because I’m afraid of how it will read, but a big portion of what allowed me to be my own version of successful in the 2017 Open is that I didn’t care nearly as much about what everyone else was doing. Did I still look at the leaderboard? Hell yes, I even volunteered to tally the scores! Did I still ask around for top times and reps? Sure did. But when it came time to actually do the workouts, I found my own focus to prepare and give my best effort.

• Assess the workout: How do my strengths and weaknesses play here? What is this really testing? I know those Dummbell Snatches are going to add up, but if I just stay calm and find the rhythm, I can keep moving.
• Think about timestamps: If I want a chance at that second round of Bar Muscle-Ups, how will I need to pace to get there with a bit of time but without blowing up?
• Consider what’s possible: Ok, maybe I’ll get some Open magic and be able to rock out a Snatch or two at 135? Stay calm and focus on getting the work done with a good tie-break time up to that point.
• Test out some rep schemes: I know I could do 10-15 reps on those Deadlifts, but maybe it’s better for me to commit to sets of 5, take short breaks, and stay steady.
• Create a strategy: Go in with a plan. And then be adaptable. Doing 35 Double-Unders unbroken is usually no problem. But when I feel my heart rate spiking and I know that’s going to force a big rest before the next set of Thrusters, it’s probably time to do two quick sets and not fall apart.
• Visualize success: It seems crazy, but I watched myself do pieces and parts of these workouts, step by step, in my mind before even stepping foot in the gym. Mentally rehearsing it beforehand—the rhythm of a kip, the pace of a lunge, the bounce of those double unders—means my body can just repeat the work I’ve already done.

It all comes down to this: what is the best possible way that I could execute this workout on this day, with my body the way it is in this moment? Not the me from two weeks ago before my neck tweaked out. Not what I think Coach KHarpz can do so I should try to do something sorta close to that even though I know it’s probably not possible cuz she’s such a beast uggghhhhh. That stuff is irrelevant.

What do I need to focus on, let go of, remember, and forget in order to create my best possible performance right now?

Having this conversation with myself, I walked away from each Open workout with a sense of contentment. I did my best today. Not anyone else’s best or my best the way I hope it could be in another year. Would I get some skill adaptation if I repeated the workout again in two days and get a couple more reps or shave off a few seconds? Probably. (But I’m not going to Regionals I wasn’t interested in going through that shit again to find out!) Did I leave anything on the table today as it stands? Hell no. Was my best sufficient to top someone else on the leaderboard?

That, my friends, is completely out of my control.

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