A1) Close Grip Bench Press:
3 x 5 @ 3011

No pause at the bottom but the turnaround should be controlled with little to no “bounce.” Add a few lbs to last week if able.

A2) Segmented Deadlift:
3 x 5 @ 3131

Tempo for these is @3131, read as: 1 second pauses at each of the 3 positions (1” > Knee > Mid-Thigh) > 1 second at full extension > 3 second eccentric/lowering to the floor > 1 second pause on the floor. Add a few lbs to last week if able. 

Post loads to comments.
Week 4 of 6

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Every Minute on the Minute x 16 (4e):
1) 20 Alternating Dumbbell Muscle Snatches 
2) 10 Burpees
3) 5 Strict Pull-Ups
4) Rest

Choose a challenging load that allows you to perform the Dumbbell Muscle Snatches unbroken. Add weight, use assistance, or modify the Pull-Ups to challenging Ring Rows as appropriate. Aim to complete each round of work at or before 30 seconds, modifying volume as needed in order to do so. 

Post work to comments.

Eric M. says, “Allô CFSBK from CrossFit Tel Aviv!” We love it when you send us photos of yourself repping CFSBK in exotic (and not-so-exotic) locales. Send the goods to Josh [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com

Reps & Sets Abroad: Some Thoughts on CrossFit and Travel

By David Osorio

Editor’s Note: This is a great chance to repost this fun piece by Captain Osorio on CrossFit and travel. If you’re traveling to Austin, you can now visit CFSBK coaching alumnus Noah Abbott’s gym, CrossFit Lumos! “Reps & Sets Abroad” was originally published on 5.10.16.

An important aspect of CrossFit that often seems to go unnoticed is the fact that it offers a readymade community pretty much everywhere you go. Traveling to Paris, France or Austin, Texas? There will be a gym there full of like-minded people that you can hang out with. Moving to Rome, Italy or Rome, Georgia? It’s a safe bet that you’ll be able to find an affiliate that will make your new home feel more like, well, home.

I recently traveled to Austin and wanted to check out some affiliates. First I dropped into CrossFit Central. I got there a little early, so the owner Jeremy let me do some Power Cleans and Push Jerks at their Central Athlete facility with some other folks who were training. Afterwards, I took the 4:30 group class back in the CrossFit Central building. We started with some line drills then a 15 minute EMOM of three gymnastics skills: Hollow Holds, Ring Dips, and Handstands. We finished a metcon called “Waterfall” which consisted of running, Burpees, Kettlebell Swings, and Double-Unders. CrossFit Central is an OG affiliate that has been around at least as long as CFSBK, so Jeremy and I chatted about the evolution of things and a little bit about their history. As an affiliate owner, I’m always interested in talking to other coaches and owners about their journey. CFC had a nice vibe and everyone was very welcoming. Running in that Texas heat is no joke!

I also had the opportunity to drop into CrossFit Jääkarhu as well! It was a huge space with leveled classes and lots of equipment, including some slugs from the CrossFit Games. We did some line drills, then an every-other-minute-on-the-minute workout of heavy Clean and Jerks for 7 sets. The class finished with “Diane,” which I PRd at 7:41 doing strict Handstand Push-Ups! CFJ had a nice mixture of a relaxed atmosphere and a well-organized class. I stayed for about 30 minutes after class to talk to a few of the coaches about what it’s  like to have just opened 18 months ago, how they do leveled programming, and how they use their space. They have a successful team and a big competative element, but they also have plenty of programing for beginners and intermediates. They run seperate classes for their “Fitness,” “Sport,” and “Competition” programs, often at the same time in different parts of their massive gym. I really liked the vibe of this gym and highly recommend it!

I can’t think of another fitness pursuit or activity that offers this kind of global community. Most people don’t have the luxury of being able travel to a place where they don’t know anyone and still be able to easily train with people who share the same ethos. CrossFit has, of course, exploded over the past few years, so we’re at the point where you can go to almost any major city in the world and check out an affiliate. The people there will almost always be really welcoming and just as stoked to meet you, and it’s enlightening to see how other people in other parts of the country/world express the CrossFit culture. It’s a rare thing and something worth taking advantage of!

Have you dropped into another affiliate while traveling? If so, what was it like? Any advice for first-timers?

News and Notes

• This year’s Community Potluck goes down Saturday, February 8th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. Learn more and let us know what you’re bringing on the event page!
• Missing something? Maybe a shirt or a jump rope or a dozen water bottles? It might be in our most recent lost and found dump! Be sure to claim your stuff before we donate it to CHIPS in a couple of weeks!

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The Story of Breakfast CrossFit
Why Fitness Trackers Might Not Give You All the “Credit” You Hoped For The Conversation

Every 2:00 Seconds for 7 Sets:
3 Position (Mid/Below-the-Knee/1″) Hang Power Clean 

Aim to work sets across at about 65-75%, with the goal of no misses. Keep these crisp, focusing on timing and speed. Consider sloppy footwork or racking of the bar as misses. If you miss any set you must drop weight.

Post loads to comments.
Week 4 of 6

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4-5 Rounds or 20 Minutes:
1-2 Rope Climbs or Modified Rope Climbs
2-4 Hollow Body Wall Walks
8 Calorie Bike/12 Calorie Row
16 Seated Pike or Straddle Leg Lifts

Aim to move continuously and deliberately. Scale the rope climbs to legless if able, and/or add in 4-8e hip taps to the last wall walk of each set as able. The leg lifts should be done at a controlled tempo without touching your heels on the floor between reps. Modify to 8-12e single leg as needed. 

Post work to comments.

CFSBK Kids Birthday Party Testimonials

Did you know that our CFSBK Kids program offers birthday parties? We offer hour-and-a-half events for kids of all ages! Each party consists of an hour of age appropriate activities, followed by a half-hour during which the parents can do food/cake and kids can do a little controlled free play afterwards. While we have refrigerators for drinks/beer, tables, chairs and plenty of room for parents to hang out, birthday cakes and any other food you’d like to serve is to be provided by the parents. Our parties are a blast!

Don’t take it from us. We’ve gathered some recent testimonials from parents:

“Coach Lynsey and the entire CrossFit South Brooklyn Kids team did the most amazing job hosting my daughter’s 6th birthday party! They took her theme (Rainbow Girl Superpower!) and ran with it, making my life as a parent as easy and stress-free as possible. The coaches did a fantastic job of incorporating plenty of exciting and age appropriate activities and had all the girls laughing, running and playing throughout the entire party (bonus points for how ready my kids were for bedtime after the party). I can’t say enough amazing things about CrossFit South Brooklyn and their awesome Kids program and would plan a party here every day if I could (wait, can I??).”—Courtney S.

“We threw our daughter’s birthday here—for the second year in a row, at her demand—and it was fantastic. The kids are challenged, exhilarated, and exhausted, the coaches are fun and encouraging. The parents love watching their kids learn how to conquer complicated but age-appropriate obstacle courses while hanging on the sidelines. Each year we’ve heard from other parents that it’s their favorite birthday party. Love CFSBK kids parties!”—Rebecca G. 

“CrossFit South Brooklyn made the best birthday ever! They are GREAT with the kids, and the kids have a blast with the activities (obstacle courses, bouncy house, rope swing). They even customized the activities to my daughter’s party theme, Star Wars, which she can’t stop talking about. It’s also nice that you can bring drinks and food for parents, and the large open room accommodates groups well. I would definitely recommend CFSBK for a birthday party.”—Stacey

Go HERE for more info and to book a party. Feel free to send today’s post to any parents who might be interested! 

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The 3 Laws of Muscle Activation in Resistance Training Breaking Muscle
The N.E.A.T. Way to Exercise Blue Zones

A1) Front Squat:
3 x 5 @ 3011

No pause at the bottom but the turnaround should be controlled with little to no “bounce.” Add a few lbs to last week.

A2) Chin Up:
3 x 5 @ 3011

No pause at the bottom but the turnaround should be controlled with little to no “bounce.” Add resistance or use band assistance that allows you to perform the reps at the prescribed tempo. As an alternative, perform Tall Kneeling Band Pulldowns. In either case the goal is use a more challenging variation than last week. Keep your neck neutral and avoid “chinning” yourself over the bar. Instead, keep the focus on the lats by pulling the elbows back and down toward the hips. The cue to “pull the bar/band to your sternum” may be helpful here.

Post loads to comments.
Week 3 of 6

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5 Rounds for Time:
21 Squats
7 Power Cleans 135/95

The barbell load should be medium-heavy, unbroken on the fast end. 

Post time and Rx to comments.

Photo by Aaron W. 

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. James Franch is our January Athlete of the Month. Check out Monday’s post to learn more about our first AOM of the decade. Congrats, James!

2. Put yourself in the expert hands of a certified Wim Hof Method Instructor to learn the 3 pillars of the Wim Hof Method: Breathing Technique, Cold Exposure, and Commitment. Find out how you can utilize oxygen and cold exposure to optimize body & mind, and learn about the underlying physiology. The Wim Hof Fundamentals Workshop returns to CFSBK on Sunday, February 2nd!

3. This year’s Community Potluck goes down Saturday, February 8th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. Learn more and let us know what you’re bringing on the event page!

4. The 2020 Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge is now in full swing, so this week we reposted some words of wisdom from Coach David. Even if you’re not doing the Challenge, be sure to read “Perfection Is the Enemy of Good Enough.”

5. “It is not an exaggeration to say that joining CFSBK has fundamentally changed my identity: I used to think of myself as someone who was ‘good at math’ and simply a lost cause regarding anything physical.” On Thursday, we brought you an awesome testimonial from Eduardo C. on the occasion of his 1000th (!) class at CFSBK. Just read it!

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Fish Oil Supplements Tied to Sperm Health NY Times
Curried Chicken & Tomato Kebabs CrossFit

In teams of 2 with one partner working at a time, complete the following…

3 Rounds for Time:
1000m Row/800m Run
30 Hang Power Snatches 95/65
30 Overhead Squats
30 Lateral Bar Burpees 

Partners may partition the work however desired. 

Post time and Rx to comments.
Week 3 of 6

Just over 1 week until our next Wim Hof Fundamentals Workshop. Head over to the event page for more info!

Stella Z. in the New York Times Today!

Be sure to check out the crossword puzzle in today’s edition (Saturday) of The New York Times, which is the work of our own Stella Z.! Stella recently showed off some of her crossword puzzles at the CFSBK Art Show.

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Maintain These Points of Contact for a Stronger Bench Press BarBend
How to Make Your Strength Routine Evidence Based Outside

A1) Half Kneeling Filly Press:
3 x 5e @ 3011

The racked kettlebell does not have to increase week to week, but choose a challenging load.
No pause at the bottom but the turnaround should be controlled with little to no “bounce.” Go a little heavier than last week.

A2) Deadlift:
3 x 5 @3111 

Add weight to last week. Note the tempo has a 1 second pause on the floor, no touch-and-go.

Post loads to comments.
Week 3 of 6

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AMRAP 10 Minutes:
10 Pull-Ups
20 Dumbbell Thrusters 35/20
30 Dumbbell Deadlifts 35/20

Modify volume on the Pull-Ups or to Ring Rows as needed. The dumbbell load should be medium-heavy, unbroken on the faster end. 

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Have you been practicing your karaoke?!

February 8th: Community Potluck!

The big event is just over TWO WEEKS away! This year’s Community Potluck goes down Saturday, February 8th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come. Bring your friends and family!

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge: animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, and whole grains are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Coach David!
• We’ll be doing karaoke again this year!
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE (for kids).
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail Coach Brett at Brett [at] Crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let him know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page. 

Get your heavy-duty plates ready. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Weightlifting Personalities: Are You a Dog or a Cat? Catalyst Athletics
Why You Need More Vitamin D in the Winter The Conversation