Becca Steinsquat and Samir no-middle-name Chopra get their Zercher on

Goal Setting
Christian Fox

Goal setting can be a tricky thing. Many times when people do what they think of as goal setting they are actually just creating a wish list. For example, “ I want to be faster on the erg”, or “I want to lose weight” are not really goals, they are wishes. “I want to take 30 seconds of my 2k Row time”, and “I want to lose 15 lbs by November”, or even better, “I want to lose 15 lbs and be down 2 pant sizes by my birthday party in November” is a goal. These are specific statements that spell out what the desired end result is. Be specific. Make a list of reasons WHY you want to achieve said goals. Write it all out.
 
            A goal must also be for you. You have to really be the one who wants to achieve it. They can’t be for anyone else, and they can’t be something you just think you should be able to do. You need to own it.
 
            Have a plan on how you’ll achieve the goal. Map out the steps you’ll take on the way. Want to have that faster 2k row? Think you’ll need to row a bit to get there? Plan it out and write it out. “I will row 2x a week before or after class. One day will be a 5k-10k piece focusing on technique. The other day will be 5 x 250 or 500 meter sprints focusing on intensity”. Have a plan, write it out, and make it happen.
 
            Tell people your goal. They’ll ask you about it. They’ll want to know how it’s going. People (especially your coaches and fellow athletes at CFSBK) want to see you achieve your goals. That can help to keep you honest. Even if you’ve disappointed yourself in the past by quietly not keeping to your goals, you’re less likely to want to disappoint others. Peer pressure can be used to your advantage here. Know a few people with the same goal? Form a casual support group to keep each other honest. It doesn’t have to be hokey, but it can work.
 
            Importantly, you won’t achieve goals that are in obvious opposition to each other. “I want to gain 20 lbs of muscle and bump my back squat from 330 to 350”, in addition to “I want to PR my ½ Marathon time by 11 minutes” won’t jive. We can all be guilty of the error of wanting it all, and wanting it right now. Take it from me…sadly I know.
 
            Finally, check in on your progress often. If you had the goal of losing 15 lbs and 2 pant sizes by November, you also had a plan to get there, right? Have a checklist for each day. Set a reminder in the calendar on your phone! Did you keep to your eating plan? Did you do your strength and conditioning work? Did you get enough *sleep so your hormonal profile is conducive to fat loss and not fat storage? *That may be another article right there…
 
            Set powerful goals and have a powerful plan to achieve them. Screw New Years Day…Start right now. Cheers to success.

Post a 1 month goal to comments. Remember, goals come with plans, wishes don't
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Alec and Deb are doing 4 workshops at Nimble Fitness. Check them out all the details here!

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3 Attempts at max reps
Rest 3 Minutes between attempts
(E1/4)

Post reps to comments.

For time:
100, 75 or 50 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to 1.1.09

DIY Cool Down
3 Rounds NFT of:
10 Ring Rows
20-30 Sit-ups

Andres Overhead at Quist

Remember that we won't be holding formal classes at the gym this Saturday for Robb Wolf's Paleolithic Nutrition Seminar.  We will however be holding a track meet at 9:30am at the Red Hook Track. Check out yesterday's post for more details.

We will not be running 6am and 7am classes on Monday, otherwise the afternoon and evening schedule will be as usual.

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Upcoming Foundations Cycle Dates:

September Evening Foundations
9/21/10 – 10/14/10
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00pm-9:15pm
Register Here!

September Morning Foundations
9/7/10 – 9/30/10
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00am-8:00am
Register Here!

3-3-3
(E2/8) 3-3-3-1 Tempo Squats

A tempo simply means that the amount of time you spend in certain positions of an exercise are controlled.  This is a great way to develop position-specific strength and stability.  Today's tempo will work like this:
:03 Hold at the top
:03 Hold at 1/4 depth
:03 Hold at full depth
:01 Ascent back to top

Post loads to comments.
compare to 8.28.10

For time:
63 Double Unders
21 Power Cleans 155/105
45 Double Unders
15 Power Cleans 155/105
27 Double unders
9 Power Cleans 155/105

Post time and Rx to comments.

The Congregation Ritual

There are no classes this Saturday for Robb Wolf's Paleolithic Solution Seminar.  Folks who won't be coming to see Robb speak are encouraged to come out to Red Hook for some track work and tacos.

CFSBK Track Meet
9:30 am
Benchmark distance at the Red Hook Track
4 x 400 meters
Food Truck Follies to follow!

Please RSVP to Christian(AT)CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com

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Fight Gone Bad Team 9:
1. Alec H
2. Charles L
3. J L
4. Laurel M
5. Jenn M

Fight Gone Bad Team 10:
1. Will S
2. Debbie P
3. Josh L
4. Claire M
5. Jeremy F

Athlete of the Month
John McCann Doyle

Starting this month at Crossfit South Brooklyn, we will be honoring an Athlete of the Month. Our inaugural Athlete of the Month is…drum roll…John McCann Doyle.
While picking the first person to give the honor to was a challenge for us, there were a few things that stood out about John that we agreed made him the perfect choice. Those things in no particular order were:     
-        His commitment to training at CFSBK consistent basis
-        His commitment to working on his weaknesses as an athlete
-        The support he shows his fellow athletes during and post WOD
-        The fact that he’s a pretty sick athlete
-        His humbleness and coach-ability
-        The fact that he came in to consistently train around a pretty bad heel injury
 
John was honored but a bit embarrassed when I told him he was our first Athlete of the Month. I sat McDiesel down for a little Q & A, and this is what I got. Ladies and Gentlemen…The Hammer.
 
Fox – John, congratulations. I wanted to meet with you to interview you for being SBK’s first Athlete of the Month.
 
JMD – Serious? I’m not that good at this stuff…
 
Fox – Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Most folks won’t even notice the life-sized cutout of you we put at the entrance. So anyway, here we go.  When did you first start CrossFit?
 
JMD – I started doing main site WODs on my own in April of ’09, and then started at CFSBK in October of that same year. I had taught myself a bunch of the movements and was pretty good at the bodyweight stuff but knew I needed to get better at the weights.
 
Fox – How/Why did you to start CrossFit?
 
JMD – I had just quit a job I didn’t like, and was stressed out and wanted to get back into shape. I had been doing some recreational running and yoga and was looking for a new challenge. That’s when I heard of CrossFit, and started doing main site on my own at a commercial gym, which eventually led me to SBK when I moved to Brooklyn.
 
Fox – What were your fitness goals back then, and have they changed?
 
JMD – Back then, like I said, I just wanted to get back in shape. I knew lifting heavy was my weakness, in addition to the O-lifts, so I wanted to get stronger at those. I still want to get stronger, particularly in the squat. I’m now also looking to progress my gymnastics skills. On particular I’m working on handstands with the goal of getting freestanding handstands and an L-sit to handstand. I’ve also been rock climbing and want to get outdoors with that as well.
 
Fox – You had a heel injury that prevented you from bearing weight on one leg for good while. How did you find the motivation to still train during that time?
 
JMD – Honestly, I really need to stay busy. My roommates will see that I’m bugging out and tell me to go do something. A big part of my getting to the gym during my injury was the feeling I get from the community at SBK. I really appreciate the social aspect of our gym.
 
Fox – Ok John, what are your non-fitness interests? And give me something not many people know.
 
JMD – Skateboarding! That’s my thing. I also read history books, in particular about social justice movements. Malcolm X and the black freedom movement in this country, stuff like that. Also…I enjoy gardening. I keep an apartment garden, and also do work at a community garden and at my parent’s home in Westchester. That’s probably the one most people wouldn’t know.
 
Fox – Last question… What do you think the coaches should look for in an Athlete of the Month?
 
JMD – Someone who supports the other athletes around them. Someone who trains smart. I also really admire the folks who find the time to train that also are raising families. I’ve got a lot of free time, but to make the time and still be a family person is really something.
 
            Thanks to John for sitting down with me, and for being a part of the community at CrossFit South Brooklyn. Let’s all keep an eye on him now and make sure this doesn’t go to his head. 3 cheers to the Hammer!

3-3-3
(E1/4) Heavy triple

Post loads to comments.
compare to 4.12.10

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time of:
Kettlebell Swing 36kg/24kg
Sit-Ups

Post time and rx to comments.

The Accomplishments/Goals Board

The A/G board will get erased today.  The new board will stay up for all of September however there are now some rules for engagement.  All goals written must be achievable within the month and task driven.  For example "I want 100 muscle ups!" is not an acceptable goal.  "I will practice muscle ups 2x per week for 4 weeks" is a goal that is short term, quantifiable and contributes to a larger objective.  Another example, "I want to be more flexible" would not work, however, "I will go to Active Recovery Class 2x this month and do the MobilityWOD 3x per week" is.
As far as the accomplishments go, here you can track not only your adherence to posted goals, but any minor and major achievements as well.  Did you PR your double unders? Sleep more than 6 hours a 5 nights a week?  Did you deadlift a new 3RM today? Write it down!

Happy Birthday, Jenna M!