CFSBK Turns Ten

By David Osorio

10 years ago today, I taught the very first CFSBK group class at St. Mary’s playground on Smith Street between Nelson and Luquer. By that point, the idea of starting the gym had been brewing inside me for many years and I was both excited and terrified to be finally doing it “for real.” The park was perfect. It was a few blocks from where I was living. It had two pull-up bars, a dip bar, some monkey bars, and a rubber-coated floor. There were two basketball courts and plenty of space to run around. At the time I had been working as a personal trainer at Equinox in Columbus Circle and one of my clients who I had become very close with said he and a friend would make the trek out from the UWS for the inaugural class. I wanted it to be PERFECT. This was going to be the beginning of what I wanted my life’s work to be and I wanted to do it right.

I got my few pieces of equipment together and showed up early to set up. However, much to my horror, and for the first time I’d ever seen, the park was closed! There is about a 20′ high fence surrounding the whole park, and it was padlocked on both entrances. My friends were on their way already and I was bugging out. I considered running to a hardware store and getting bolt cutters or climbing the fence… to, I guess just be stuck inside there alone? There was no way around it: we just wouldn’t be able to get inside. Of course, when Jamie and Christina got there, they were extremely gracious about it, and I just ran the workout on the sidewalk next to the park. I couldn’t do what I planned, so I made up an interval workout composed of bodyweight rows (by attaching the rings to a beam on the fence), running, and thrusters with 2 PVCs I brought for the warm-up. This is actually why the blog post for 9.19.07 is entitled “SNAFU” (“Situation Normal All Fucked Up”). It was an ominous and humbling first day for me, but it was only “day one,” and I figured it could only get better from there.

While a LOT has changed since then, I think the “feel” of that first class would still be recognizable to any CFSBKer reading this today. There are a few things which are fundamentally part of our gym’s DNA, the most important of which is that it has always been a labor of love. Ten years later, that love is stronger than ever thanks to all the (mind-blowingly) incredible people who comprise our community and staff. There are an overwhelming amount of things to say, people to thank, and reflections that I have about all this, but I’ll just leave it as a simple THANK YOU to everyone who jumped on board and gave a part or all of themselves to this journey. I figure it can only get better from here.

Hey! We’re having a party to celebrate this.. you should come:

10th Anniversary Party
Saturday, September 30th from 8pm-1:30am
Open bar, free tacos, dancing, makin memoriez!

Finally, if you missed it, check out 10 Things I’ve Learned in Ten Years of Owning a CrossFit Gym on insidetheaffiliate.com.

Ask a Coach

Hey, did you like the video feature on new standardized warm up movements we did yesterday? We’d like to do more stuff like that and need your help. So, from time to time, we’ll be asking you for questions that we can address in short videos. Today is one of those times! Leave a CrossFit-related question that we can address in a short video in today’s comments. One of our illustrious coaches may respond in a future video!

News and Notes

• Missing something? The photo from our latest lost and found dump is now up on our Flickr account. Claim your stuff before we donate it to CHIPs in two weeks!
• Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! There you’ll find fun stuff like these photos from the Subway Series and Flex on the Beach or this video of CFSBK families leaving the gym in style.

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Where Pain Lives aeon
How to Make Lasting Mobility Changes and PR Your Olympic Lifts Athlete Daily

Tempo Press / Tempo Stiff-Legged Deadlift Superset*

A1) Tempo (31×1) Press:
3 x 8

Heavier than last week.

A2) Tempo (31×1) Stiff-Legged Deadlift:
3 x 8

Start light enough to make your reps on all 3 sets. Around 40% of a heavy Deadlift is plenty. If you’re not sure what your 1RM Deadlift is, then use today to find a medium-heavy set of 8 reps. These should be lighter than the Sumos you pulled last Monday. Use a double overhand grip.

*Warm up and then perform a set of Presses, followed by a set of Stiff-Legged Deadlifts. Repeat for 3 work sets of each, resting about a minute between movements. Use a 31×1 tempo for both movements. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8
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Performance
For Time:
21-15-9
Hang Power Cleans 95/65
Push Presses
Toes-to-Bars

Fitness
4 Rounds for Time:
10 Hang Power Cleans
10 Push Presses
10 Toes-to-Bars

The barbell should be light today, and this should be a sprint…unbroken on the fast end. Use a weight that is light for you. Sub Hanging Leg or Knee Raises for Toes-to-Bars as needed. Choose the Fitness version if the larger sets in the Performance version will slow you down to small sets.

Post time and Rx to comments.

As you may have noticed, our recently begun 8-week training cycle includes a couple of new standardized warm up movements. Check out this video of Captain Osorio demonstrating Single-Arm High Pulls and Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings! 

Fight Gone Bad 2017: Register Now!

Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called “Fight Gone Bad.” Last year, we raised over $30,000 for the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grant-making, and community service. This year, we’ll be partnering with BCF again and hope to surpass last year’s donation numbers.

The registration deadline is this Friday, so act fast! Last year we had over 130 members participate, and this year, we’re capping it at 200.

When is Fight Gone Bad?

Saturday, November 4th, 2017. First heat begins at 9am. While we originally posted a save-the-date for October 21st, we decided to reschedule for a couple weeks later, because we already have a lot happening in late September and early October! This gives teams more time to fundraise, hold practices, and plan-out costumes!

What is Fight Gone Bad?

Three Rounds, as Many Reps as Possible, of:
Wall Balls, 20lb, 10ft / 14lb, 9ft
Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls, 75/55 pounds
Box Jumps, 20″ box
Push-presses, 75/55 pounds
Row

In this workout, you move from each of five stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. When the announcer calls “Rotate,” athletes must move to next station immediately. Each of the three rounds is five minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

What does the registration fee cover?

The $30 (plus tax) fee covers the cost of a team t-shirt. You and your team will be able to create a unique team name and decide on t-shirt colors. We also give prizes to the team with the most spirit. Think costumes, props, makeup, and other fun stuff!

Why are we fundraising?

In the past, our annual FGB fundraiser has been a great way to bring our community together to support great charities—and we chose to support the Brooklyn Community Foundation because Brooklyn has been exceptionally good to us and we want to help give back to the community that CFSBK is proud to call home. If you’re not familiar with BCF, make sure you visit their website to check them out. Or if you’re busy, at least check out their list of Grantees; we’re sure you’ll find one or two not far from you!

Will there be a fundraising minimum?

While encourage everyone to make wholehearted attempts to raise funds, there is no fundraising minimum to participate. As in years past, there will be some sweet prizes awarded to the top individual fundraisers!

Ok, you keep talking about fundraising but how should I do this and when should I begin?

Once our registration deadline ends on September 22nd, we’ll create teams consisting of six athletes. Shortly after, athletes will get an email from us with their team assignments and all of the details to set up their fundraising pages. We’ll be using Crowdrise as our fundraising platform again and participants will have individual fundraising pages that will be super easy to share with friends and family. (Check out last year’s main fundraising page HERE!)

Also, we’re looking for donations to give out as prizes. Contact Danae [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com if you have something to offer!

Tell me more about the workout. What if I can’t do it Rx’d?

Here’s CrossFit founder Greg Glassman explaining FGB in detail in a delightfully vintage video. And don’t worry! We have scaling options available!

So the day begins at 9am, but how long will it last? When will my team go?

The length of the event depends on how many total athletes/teams we have. We run two teams through the workout simultaneously and new heats start every 20 minutes. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you exactly what time your team will be going until we get closer to the event. Of course, we hope that you plan on spending a few hours with us, not only competing but also supporting your fellow teams. And as usual, we’ll have some tasty adult beverages to enjoy!

What if I can’t attend that Saturday, November 4th?

You can still sign up to be a part of a team to participate in fundraising and get a team t-shirt. Unfortunately, though, we won’t be running a Fight Gone Belated this year as we have in years past. Sign up anyway and select the option to be on Fight Gone Belated, so you can raise funds for BCF!

Ok, I’m sold. Where do I register?

Register Here!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | Double-Unders, Dumbbell Power Snatches
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Snatch

Performance
Snatch Balance:
70% x 3 x  4

4 sets of 3 reps at 70% of your 1RM Snatch.

Fitness
Tempo Overhead Squat (2211):
4 x 3

Warm up and perform 4 sets of 3 reps. Use a load that’s challenging but allows you to hold solid positions, and as such, only Squat as low as you can move well.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 1 of 8

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5 Rounds of…
AMRAP 2 Minutes:
20 Double-Unders
10 Alternating Dumbbell Power Snatches
Rest 2 minutes

Scale Dubs to Singles as needed. The dumbbell should be heavy for you.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

CFSBKers at yesterday’s Flex on the Beach event. Congrats to everyone who competed in Flex and the Subway Series yesterday! 

CFSBK’s 10th Anniversary Party

This fall marks the 10-year anniversary of CFSBK’s existence. Congrats, Captain Osorio! Help us celebrate at our 10th Anniversary Party! This shindig goes down the evening of Saturday, September 30th from 8pm to 1am. The traditional 10th anniversary gift is tin or aluminum, but we don’t want your recyclables. We just want you to show up, drink some drinks, get down with your gym buds, and help us celebrate 10 years of making Brooklyn a better, fitter borough! Get stoked!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Partner WOD
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Partner WOD

In teams of 2, with one partner working at a time, alternate complete rounds of…

AMRAP 15 Minutes:
15 Russian Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg
10 Box Jumps 24/20
15 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9

Rest 5 minutes, then…

AMRAP 15 Minutes:
10 Burpees
15/11 Calorie Row

Post time, Rx, and partner to comments.

November 11th & 12th: CrossFit L1 Certificate Course at CFSBK

On Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th, CFSBK will host the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course. Courses are open to individuals and trainers at all stages of development. The Level 1 Certificate Course serves as the cornerstone for CrossFit methodology and movement and includes classroom instruction on these topics, as well as hands-on small-group training for the movements. These group sessions are conducted under low intensity with a focus on improving mechanics. Students’ movements are observed and corrected, and they engage in dialogue concerning effective coaching techniques. Large group CrossFit workouts are conducted as an example of bridging the gap from theory to practice. These workouts provide examples of how to:

The Level 1 provides introductory education on the fundamental principles and movements of CrossFit. It is structured to meet two goals: 1) Provide attendees with the knowledge to better use CrossFit methods for themselves; and 2) Provide attendees with an initial and foundational education to begin training others using CrossFit.

Register Here!

News and Notes

• Today’s 8am Strong Fit class is cancelled. 
• Shout out to Jess P. and Jamal A. and CrossFit Kid Prue S. and her mom Franny, all of whom are representing CFSBK at the Subway Series today, as a well as everyone competing at Flex on the Beach today. Kick some ass, guys! Let’s give ’em some love in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
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A post shared by Frank Murray (@nextlevelweightlifting) on Aug 23, 2017 at 5:40pm PDT

Coach Frank and Karina show us what it takes to sound smarter as a weightlifting coach. Want to get better at Olympic lifting? Check out Next Level Weightlifting Club at CFSBK on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights! 

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Our new 8-week training cycle started this week! See Monday’s post to find out what you can expect in the coming months!

2. The 2017 Subway Series kicks off tomorrow. The first event goes down CrossFit Gantry, and don’t forget that CFSBK will host on October 14th!

3. On Tuesday, we brought you an updated version of a blog classic, Coach Fox’s “Developing Your Pull-Up.”  Read it to find out how you can get better at this cornerstone of CrossFit!

4. Have you recently found yourself longing to raise money for a good local cause, make new gym buddies, and do a crazy workout while wearing a wacky costume? Look no further! Registration for Fight Gone Bad 2017 is now open through September 22nd. Get on it!

5. Tomorrow’s 8am Strong Fit class is cancelled. 

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean | Half “Jerry”
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