Tempo Back Squat / Tempo Front Squat

Tempo Back Sqaut (41×1):
2 x 6

Tempo Front Squat (41×1):
1 x 6

Go heavier than last week. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses. Be true to the tempo work.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 4 of 8
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Every 5 minutes for 4 rounds:
20/15 Calorie Row
15 Front Squats 95/65
10 Toes-to-Bar

Work at a 75-85% pace. The Front Squats and Toe-to-Bars should be unbroken or 2 quick sets. Aim for consistent times on each round. Scale the Front Squat weight and Toes-to-Bars (to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises, or reduced reps) as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Tom S. captured Chris A. in full relaxation mode after class

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Murph Day 2017 is just over a week away! Go here to sign up. For the second 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. We’ll be accepting donations the day of the event, but you can go here to donate now!

2. On Tuesday Eat, Pray, Gainz returned with a recipe for Coconut Red Lentil Curry from guest chef Coach Whit. 

3. Registration for Coach Arturo’s popular AG Strength class opened yesterday. The PM/weekend cycle is already sold out (!), but there are still spots open in the AM cycle. See yesterday’s post for more details.

4. We’re now offering an 8am Short Circuit class on Sundays.

5. Sunday CrossFit Preschool and Kids classes are on a temporary hiatus. We’ll keep you posted!

6. Today’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class will feature guest instructor Sasha S.!

7. Today’s 11am Active Recovery class will feature Coach Lauren S. (Snickers)!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Final Cut: Films Condensed into a Single Frame The Guardian
East Regional Preview CrossFit

Want to do this some day? Read on! | Photo by Thomas H.

Struggling with Your Pull-Ups? Sign up for AG Strength!

Are you struggling with your Pull-Ups? Are you stuck at the bottom of your Handstand Push-Up? Check out Coach Arturo‘s Anti-Gravity Strength class!

Each AG Strength class will be an hour-and-a-half long, focusing on the strength and skills needed to improve Pull-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups. This will include a variety of skill exercises, progressions, weighted and strict practice, and other techniques to teach, develop, and perfect your Pull-Up and Handstand Push-Up. This fundamental strength work will carry over into other CrossFit gymnastics movements, including the coveted Muscle-Up.

Schedule

Cost and Eligibility

The cost is $160 per month. This cycle is open to all CFSBK members as well as CrossFitters from other affiliates.

What Happens in a Class?

The first class will begin with an assessment of each individual’s upper body push, pull, and core strength. Once the assessment is completed, each AG Strength class will consist of skill work, strength development, and flexibility training based on your personal needs, weaknesses, and strengths. If a member chooses to do a CrossFit group class on the same day, we recommend doing the skill and strength work from the AG Strength cycle first. Arturo can advise on this on a case by case basis. Just ask!

Testimonials

“There are a lot of good specialty workout options here at CFSBK, and I am happy to say that AG Strength has earned its spot at the top with the best of them. For any good program to be effective, it needs two components: an excellent coach and coach-able participants. Coach Ro brings his meticulous approach and his dedication to the integrity of his craft. Its up to you to bring the latter. In this class, great emphasis is placed on the proper execution of movements. Suffice it to say. this class is not about building egos but rather overall strength. Rest assured, by the end of the cycle you are guaranteed to see results. I did! Apart from having loads of fun while working extremely hard (this may be paradoxical but it’s the truth), I have seen improvements in my Bench, Overhead Press, Chin-Up and Pull-Up (I couldn’t do a Pull-Up prior to this class). Love this class! Thanks, Coach Ro!”—Wendy S.

“AG Strength brought marked improvements to my upper body pull and push strength, and it was impressive how it translated into gymnastic gains/z. During AGS I got my first Handstand Push-Up, my first Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up, and went from doing a 15 lbs weighted strict Pull-Up to a 60 lbs one! It’s a great class to focus on targeted upper body strength, and Arturo’s programming helps you see constant week-after-week improvements.”—Daniel R.

News and Notes

• Starting tomorrow, we’re offering Fit 55+ on Fridays at 11am! Know someone who might benefit from this class? Send them here! 
• We’re now offering an 8am Short Circuit class on Sundays. Hurray for more fitness! 
• Next Level Weightlifting Club is cancelled tonight. NLWC will return next week on Thursday nights!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | KB Swings, Box Jumps, Burpees
6 Things That Happen to the Body When You Stop Lifting BarBend
Bessie Stringfield, the Bad-Ass Black Motorcycle Queen of the 1930s Atlas Obscura

Clean and Jerk Complex

Every 90 seconds for 10 reps:
Clean High Pull +Mid-Hang Clean + Push Jerk + Split Jerk

Work up to a heavy load for the day.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
30-20-10
Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg
Box Jumps 24/20″
Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Charlie N. on AG Strength 

Registration for new cycles of Coach Arturo‘s popular AG Strength class opens tomorrow! This is an hour-and-a-half class that focuses on the strength and skills needed to improve Pull-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups. The fundamental strength you build in AG Strength will carry over into other CrossFit gymnastics movements such as the coveted Muscle-Up!

To preview the class a bit before sign ups start, we’re bringing you Charlie N.‘s testimonial. Here’s what Chainsaw had to say: 

For anyone who is interested in doing it, I would highly recommend it. It was great to focus on upper-body strength and everyone in the group made a massive amount of progress, from first Pull-Ups to getting upside down against the wall for the first time, and we all have abs of steel from all the core stuff we did.

My main goal going into this was to get one strict Handstand Push-Up, and I FINALLY did this on Saturday. Major achievement for me because I was nowhere near it at the beginning of the cycle.

I also went from a weighted pull-up with 15 lbs to 35 lbs. We did a load of tempo work with Pull-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups and this really works.

Strict Knees-to-Elbows with absolutely no kip was a big fat zero on week 1. I did 15 on Saturday.

Loaded pushing: my strict Dumbbell Press (tempo 3010) still needs work. I went from 1 at my required weight of 40 lbs to 3 reps on Saturday. I should have been at 6 reps to clear that level, but I’m not there yet. The weight was based on Close-Grip Bench Press numbers.

The whole experience was great, though. Ro is an encouraging and attentive coach. Everyone made huge progress, and it was PR Central over at 608 on Saturday. Lots of fun, and if you are thinking this could be helpful for you, try your best to get into one of the upcoming cycles. You won’t regret it.

Congrats, Charlie! Check out tomorrow’s blog post for more info and registration links.

Did you participate in the recent AG Strength cycle? How’d it go? Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Rack Reverse Lunges | Run, Double-Unders, Muscle-Ups
Let Him Go CrossFit
Can Plants Hear? Scientific American

Back Rack Reverse Lunges

3 x 6e

Heavier than last week. Perform 6 reps on one leg, rack the bar, then perform 6 reps on the other. The last few reps of each set should be tough.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 4 of 8
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Performance
30 Minutes Not for Rounds:
400m Run
30 Double-Unders
3-5 Muscle-Ups

If you’re feeling pretty good after a few rounds, then attempt a max set of Muscle-Ups, stopping one rep shy of a miss.

Fitness
30 Minutes Not for Rounds:
3-10 Ring Dips
:10-:20 Ring Support
20-30 Double-Unders or 40-60 Singles
400m Run

Scale the Dips to the Matador or to Push-Ups as needed. Scale the Ring Support to a support where your feet can touch the floor to take as much load off as needed. Scale the Doubles to half attempts or Singles as needed.

Both the Fitness and Performance versions of today’s conditioning should be performed at around 75-85% intensity. Today’s programming should be challenging and, as it’s not “for time” or “for rounds,” can be used as an opportunity to dial in some higher skill gymnastics positions without the demands of the clock. Enjoy!

Post work to comments.

Edvard H. and Kayleigh R. knock out some Pull-Ups at Murph Day 2017. More shots from last year’s Murph Day can be found here and here | Photo by Thomas H.

The Countdown Begins: Murph Day 2017!

We’re now just 12 days away from Murph Day! 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.) This is one of our biggest and best community events of the year, when we perform this classic CrossFit benchmark workout followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. What are you waiting for? Sign up here! 

There are lots of reasons to sign up. It’s fun day! It feels good to complete such a challenging workout! There will be cool t-shirts! But most importantly, 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. Founded in 2011 by Shari Duval with the hopes of pairing 12 Warrior-Canine teams a year, the program has graduated over 263 Warrior/canine teams. 90% of the dogs in the program come from rescue shelters or are owner-surrendered.

You can learn more about the program and read success stories on the K-9s for Warriors website. While there is no charge for this workout, and no class will be deducted from your weekly limit, we do suggest that you make a donation to K-9s in lieu of class payment.

“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.” From here on it will be 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.

SIGN UP HERE!

News and Notes

• Fit 55+ begins its expanded schedule this week! Class will now meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am.
• Friday night’s Next Level Weightlifting Club is cancelled this week. Friday’s class will move to Thursday night starting next week. We’ll have more details soon!
• We’re now offering an 8am Short Circuit class on Sundays. Hurray for more fitness! 

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
A Little History of American Kindergardens Smithsonian
Adam Kramer: Beyond Bars CrossFit

Eat, Pray, Gainz: Coconut Red Lentil Curry

By Whitney Hubbard

Our latest installment of EPG comes from a guest chef… Coach Whit! This vegan recipe makes 6-10 servings, depending on how much you eat! Taken as 8 servings, they’ll each be about 225 calories with 14 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 27 grams of carbohydrate (10g fiber). See hacks below for how to up the protein on this one.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium carrots
• 5 celery stalks
• 1 onion
• Olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp red curry paste (I use Maesri brand)
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 15 oz can light coconut milk
• 1-3 cups water
• 14 oz red lentils (can work with anywhere from 12-16 oz, but macros listed for 14)

Prep:

• Chop carrots into half moons, relatively thin
• Slice celery stalks down center and roughly chop
• Chop onion
• Rinse the lentils and pick over for small stones

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat until starting to soften, 3-5 minutes.
• Add celery and carrot and allow to cook 8-10 min, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
• Add 1-2 tbsp red curry paste and stir to combine… more = spicier.
• Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, and at least 1 cup of water, then add lentils.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until lentils are very soft, about 20-30 min. Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom isn’t burning.
• You made want to add up to 1 cup of additional water if it’s getting very thick but the lentils aren’t soft, yet.
• Optional to add salt and pepper to taste. The curry has great flavor on it’s own!

Hacks!

• You can add other spices to make this more exciting, but the red curry paste pictured is more than enough flavor for me. Last time I added a few teaspoons of turmeric… delicious!
• Bump up the protein by adding your favorite source! I love this as breakfast with eggs on top or for lunch/dinner with a big dollop of greek yogurt or handful of shrimp. I’ve heard chicken is also great…
• To bump up the carbs post-workout, just heap the lentils over a serving of rice or quinoa.
• Fancy garnish ideas chopped scallions and chopped peanuts work well, or use sliced avocado if you need to bump up your fat (or use full fat coconut milk).
• I make a big pot of this on Sunday and have enough for a whole week for two people. It’s a great recipe if you have multiple mouths to feed or want to share with friends. If you don’t think you’ll want 8 servings, simply cut the recipe in half OR freeze half in ziplock bags until you’re ready for more!

News and Notes

• Fit 55+ begins its expanded schedule this week! Class will now meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am.
• Our beloved Jaclyn K. is moving to Philly to attended Physical Therapy school.  As a result, there will be no longer be 9am Yoga classes on Thursdays as of this week. Congrats, JK—we’ll miss you!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Press | Power Snatch, Wall Balls, Pull-Ups
The Body Is Not a Computer Gizmodo
The Last Light Before Eternal Darkness Kurzgesagt