Evan H. rowing at Fight Gone Bad 2015. Read on to learn more about Evan!

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Better Know a Member: Evan Hunt

Welcome back to a newish feature on the CFSBK blog, Better Know a Member! (The name is a play on an old Stephen Colbert segment, Better Know a District.) You all love Underneath the Hoodie and Behind the Desk, and now, in a similar vein, we’ll be profiling members from across the CFSBK community. In our previous installment, we introduced you to Meredith R. Today it’s time to meet Evan H.! 

Name (and any nicknames) Evan Hunt, aka Big E, aka Evie Doug, aka De-De La (if you’re my mom or dad).

Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born in the south burbs of Chicago. I grew up in the burbs and Chicago proper.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK? I have been at CFSBK for just over a year. I CrossFitted for a bit while I was living in the D.C. area, but really I was just having large amounts of money deducted from my bank account each month so that I could tell people I was doing CrossFit.

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street? I work in HR at The Plaza, which usually amounts to me telling Eloise that she is not supposed to steal or be mean to her colleagues. When I’m not at work, I love wandering around Brooklyn. My favorite is to grab a coffee and just start walking.

What’s the first movie you ever loved? I believe it was Flight of the Navigator. It seemed to have all the elements a child of the 80’s would love. I haven’t seen it in about 20 years, so I’m not sure if it stood the test of time.

You have friends or family coming to visit from out of town. What  do you take them to do in NYC? Cookies from Levain on the Upper West Side. Olive oil cake and a latte from Abraco on the Lower East Side. Pizza from Luigi’s. Ice cream from Ample Hills. They are just coming to eat, right? I guess we should probably spend some time in all of the wonderful parks, too.

Favorite and least favorite lift: Favorite – Deadlift. Least favorite – Thruster (If I wasn’t sure of it before, after 16.5, I certainly am.)

Any advice for new CFSBKers? If you’re like me, you probably aren’t good at much (i.e. Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Squats… running). At first I spent a lot of my time avoiding workouts that “I wasn’t good at.” The problem was, I wasn’t good at anything, so I skipped a lot of workouts. The beautiful thing about CFSBK, is no one cares.  (Obviously the coaches do, but you know what I mean.) If you need to do Push-Ups from your knees, do them from your knees. If you need to do ring rows instead of pull-ups, knock yourself out! There is a beauty in conquering something new and that can only happen if you put in the work.  Also, always do what Coach Ro says. It’s not up for discussion.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: 2014 Regional Workout #6
The History of the Burpee Task & Purpose

2014 Regionals Event #6

For Time:
50 Calorie Row
50 Box Jump Overs 24/20
50 Wall Ball Shots 20/10, 14/9
50 Ring Dips
50 Wall Ball Shots
50 Box Jump Overs
50 Calorie Row

Scaling Option
For Time:
30 Calorie Row
30 Box Jump Overs 24/20
30 Wall Ball Shots 20/10, 14/9
30 Ring Dips or Push-Ups
30 Wall Ball Shots
30 Box Jump Overs
30 Calorie Row

There is a 21-minute time cap on both workouts.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Changes to our CrossFit Kids programs are adorably afoot! Read on to learn more.

• Schedule Change: Today’s 4:30pm CrossFit Preschool and 5:30pm CrossFit Kids classes are cancelled.
• Packer is still looking for some runners to participate in a Ragnar Trail Race at the end of September. E-mail david [dot] packer [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!
• Don’t forget that Inka H. is back in town and taking appointments for bodywork!

CFSBK Kids Program Anniversary and Changes to Come!

This month we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of our CrossFit Preschool & CrossFit Kids programs at CFSBK. Over the course of the year, we have doubled our weekly class offerings, added birthday parties, hosted a school field trip, offered day off from school camps, and have served over 100 children between the ages of 3 – 12 years old!

We’re excited to announce some changes to our current programming. Beginning Monday, 4/11 we will be offering new age groupings for our classes.

CF Preschool (3 – 4 years old): Run! Jump! Skip! Roll! Through playful games and fun activities, children learn to move safely and gain basic coordination and body awareness. Together we explore tumbling and movement using fun, kid-friendly scenarios and games. Your preschooler will flex their mini-muscles as they build their confidence and develop their fine and gross motor skills.

• Mondays, 4:15 – 5:15pm
• Sundays, 9:00am – 10:00am & 10:00am – 11:00am

CF Kids (5 – 7 years old): Building on the skills they developed in CrossFit Preschool, our new Kids classes are designed to further develop coordination and strength, and encourage a lifelong love of fitness. Age-appropriate programming includes calisthenics, basic tumbling, running, climbing, throwing, and other modalities to stimulate bone density and vestibular system development while improving fine and gross motor skills, coordination, and flexibility. On top of physical development, social and cognitive growth is encouraged through teamwork, problem-solving, and building the confidence that helps kids make healthy choices. 

• Sundays, 11:00am – 12:00pm

CF Preteens (8 – 11 years old): Our preteens program is focused on building strength, stamina, endurance, and grit. These classes are structured similar to our teen and adult classes and include a group warm-up, skill practice, WOD, and a class ending challenge/game. Classes will include calisthenics, tumbling, running, rowing, climbing, throwing and basic barbell and kettlebell movements. On top of physical development, social and cognitive growth is encouraged through teamwork, problem-solving, and building the confidence that will prepare them for the CrossFit Teens program.

• Wednesdays & Fridays, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

CF Kids/Pre-teens (combined age groups):

• Mondays, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

CF Teens (12 – 17 years old): CrossFit Teens is a strength and conditioning program that is specifically designed for teenagers and helps them develop a lifelong love of fitness. In a group setting, teens participate in fun and engaging workouts that deliver measurable results and prepare them to be well- rounded athletes. The workouts consist of constantly varied, functional movements that deliver a fitness that is broad, inclusive and general and scalable for any participant at any level. Each class will include skill practice and a strength development aspect, specifically designed to be accessible and appropriate to teenaged athletes. Classes will finish with a WOD, or Workout of the Day, designed to test work capacity, endurance, skill, and strength in a fun, competitive, but inclusive environment. (E-mail Coach Noah at noah [at] crossfitsouthbrookly [dot] com for more info.)

• Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

As we prepare for these changes, our CrossFit Preschool & Kids programs will be on break from Friday, 4/1 – Sunday, 4/10. Classes will start up again on Monday, 4/11 with our new age groups. CrossFit Teens classes will run as scheduled.

We are so proud to bring a love of fitness to so many children! Thank you for being a part of our program. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We’ll see you after the break!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat | Toes-to-Bar, Power Snatch, Row
How To Do Handstand Push-Ups: 5 Simple Drills WODPrep

Back Squat

10-10-10

Build up to a heavy 10 on the Back Squat. Use spotters, but the goal is no failing. Suggested starting weight is about 60% then go by feel from there. When heavy enough, on longer sets like this, you won’t simply bounce from one rep to the next all the way through. Take your time and get set at the top for each one. Stay tight and work on controlling your breathing.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
25 Toes-to-Bars
15 Power Snatches 95/65
30 Calorie Row
15 Power Snatches 95/65
25 Toes-to-Bars

Scale the Toes-to-Bars as needed to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises. The Snatch weight is meant to be light enough to go unbroken on the fast end, with no more than 3 sets on the slow end. Don’t sandbag the row!

Post times and Rx to comments.

Coach Ro on the podium at the 2016 National Masters Weightlifting Championship. We’re proud of you, Ro!

Next Level Weightlifting Club at CrossFit South Brooklyn

Want to get better at Olympic lifting? Next Level Weightlifting Club at CFSBK offers Olympic lifting, strength training, and mobility all in one. Weightlifting classes are held in two-hour windows and taught by Coach Frank Murray, one of the best weighlifters in the country. While there is a start to every class, you are allowed to show up at any time during the two-hour training session to lift. Those involved receive the week’s programming. which they can either do during the training session or on their own during Open Gyms. If you are unable to participate in class on a regular basis, you also have access to Coach Frank via e-mail and can submit videos to be evaluated and critiqued. Think of him as your personal coach.

Next Level Weightlifting Club has been running at CFSBK for several months with great success. Frank recently answered some frequently asked questions about the program. Enjoy!

Do I need a lot of experience to participate in Next Level Weightlifting Club?

NLWC is for all levels. In fact, we encourage beginners to join! The sooner you start, the better foundation we can build. If you spend too much time trying to teach yourself or waiting until you’re “good,” it will be harded to break bad habits. So, the sooner you join the better! 

Why should I join NLWC?

The Olympic lifts are among the most practiced exercises in CrossFit and are some of the most technically challenging movements. Learning how to lift properly will improve overall coordination, build strength and flexibility, and reduce your chance of injury. The Olympic lifts are also full-body movements with high transferability to other CrossFit skills. Look at athletes such as Matt Fraser.  With only a background in weightlifting, he was able to become a top CrossFit athlete within a year!  

I don’t want to stop CrossFitting. Can I do both?

Yes! In fact, we created the program just for that reason! CrossFit and weightlifting should be done in conjunction. That is, CrossFitters should always be practicing the Olympic lifts (with greater or lesser degrees of frequency, depending on training goals, of course).

Is this program just for weighlifting, or would I do strength training as well?

In short, YES, we do a lot of strength training! Olympic weightlifters are the strongest athletes on the planet, and while their technique, speed, and flexibility are tremendous, it’s their strength that separates them from other athletes! We can teach you proper technique. but without additional emphasis on strength training, it would be possible to reach your full potential. That’s why we incorporate exercises such as Back Squats, Front Squats, Presses, Snatch Pulls, and Clean Pulls into the program. Our goal is to make you as strong and as technically proficient as possible.

What are the pricing options? What if I can’t be there on a regular basis?

We offer 2 classes per week, which last 2 hours per class. Classes meet on Monday and Wednesday nights from 7 to 9pm. Our recurring monthly membership rate is $150. That option gets you access to our weekly programming and to me as your coach!

If you can’t make those times on a regular basis, we also have 10-class punch card ($250) and drop-in ($30) options!  Finally, if you want to keep CrossFitting at CFSBK, you can add 2 group classes/Open Gym sessions a week (8 classes total) for an additional $100 a month!

If I can’t make it regularly, is it really worth it?

Absolutely! Even if you only drop in occasionally, I can give you important feedback that you can take away and work on outside of NLWC. In just one class, we can identify what aspects of your lifting need work and how best to improve. 

What if I can’t make it on time or can’t stay for the entire class?

Not a problem. NLWC is an Open Gym-style class. The idea has always beenthat members could do just that: come in when they can and work on the lifts they want to work on while being coached. You can show up at anytime and leave at anytime. Also, we’ve tweaked the schedule a bit: Classes now run from 7 to 9pm!  

Can I follow a different program but still get feedback on my form?

As long as the program is safe and you’re practicing Olympic lifts, that’s fine!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Muscle-Ups | Kettlebell Swings, Burpee Box Jumps
Can an Outsider Ever Truly Become Amish? Atlas Obscura

Muscle-Up Work

Fitness
Perform 10-15 transitions on the low rings.

Focus on achieving the correct positions throughout and not just getting from A to B.
Watch these 2 short videos before coming to class: Video 1 Video 2

Performance
Every other minute on the minute x 7:
3/2/1 Strict Muscle-Ups

Use a false grip and be sure to start with extended elbows.

Post work to comments.

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In teams of three with one person working at a time, partners alternate full rounds…

30 total rounds for time of:
12 KB Swings 32/24kg
6 Burpee Box Jumps 24/20″

Post times to comments.

Lauren B. after cranking out a set of Deadlifts in 16.4. Isn’t it weirdly satifying to bail a Deadlift? | Photo by Thomas H.

• Schedule Change: Today’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled, but you can still get your AR in on Sunday at 11am!

Inka H. Is Back!

Our beloved Inka H. is back in Brooklyn for a hot minute and available to do some bodywork at CFSBK. Many members can attest to her magic! Here’s what she’d like you to know:

“I left Brooklyn about 2 years ago to study some of the most cutting edge techniques in bodywork, and I am excited to be in NY for a short time to offer some bodywork to my old CFSBK fam!  I have been fortunate to study the KMI method of Structural Integration (AKA Rolfing) with Tom Myers, Nerve and Artery Manipulation with Kirsten Schumaker, Anatomy in Motion (AIM), and advanced biomechanics and visceral work with Liz Gaggini.

I’ll be offering sessions April 2nd through the 5th, and April 11th at the gym . Please email me directly for times and to set up appointments: inka.hodes [at] gmail [dot] com. First sessions are typically 1.5 hours ($140 per session).”

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Crazed Heavy-Metal Drummer Accompanies “I’m a Little Teapot” Boing Boing

Coach Fox congratulates Brad D. on finishing 16.2. And we congratulate everyone who competed in the Open!

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Tomorrow’s’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled, but you can still get your AR in on Sunday at noon!

2. Brooklyn-based filmmaker Jessie Auritt is making a docmentary called Supergirl, the coming of age story of an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who is a world record holding powerlifter. The Supergirl team is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds they need to finish the film.

3. We caught you up on the CFSBK Classifieds. And speaking of which, Paul A. is looking for a place to sublet from May through August and perhaps even a long-term lease. Let’s help him out!

4. In the lastest installment of Underneath the Hoodie, Kate Reece profiled the wonderful Whitney Hubbard. Ever think, “Damn, Whitney is a good coach?” Read and find out why she’s such a good coach.

5. Sign up now for the Common Hands Farm CSA. No dillydallying!

6. In its first year, the CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competition was a total success. Go here to read the final recap.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Push Presses, Pull-Ups, Double-Unders
Exercise Makes Our Muscles Work Better With Age NY Times