CrossFit South Brooklyn

Established 2007

Snatch | Back Squat

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Fitness: Snatch Segment Deadlift + Snatch
If you have a hard time organizing the pull off the floor, perform snatch from the mid-hang.

Performance: Snatch 1-1-1, then 85% x 1 x 2 from the mid hang
Work up to a heavy snatch in 3 attempts, then perform 2 singles from the mid-hang at 85% of today’s best snatch.

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Back Squat

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression

Performance: 75% x 6 x 5
Rest about two minutes between sets.

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Gracie D. practicing handstands with Coach Ro. Welcome back, Gracie!

Veggie CSA – Sign Up Now!

Are you ready for a summer filled with gorgeous local vegetables? Time is running out to sign up for the annual vegetable CSA with Sol Flower Farm. The deliveries are weekly and begin in June! 

Sign-up directions, pricing, and FAQ can all be found here. They also offer a separate flower share. If you want to split a share with someone, post to the blog to find a buddy!

Questions? Email mignyc at gmail dot com. 

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How Far Fitness Has Fallen Outside
Huayhuash: A Mountain Bike Adventure in Peru Bike Magazine

Rest Day

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  • Happy birthday, Daniel B. and Carolyn H.!

Starting Class with Introductions 

The original version of this article appeared on Coach David’s blog Inside the Affiliate. 

A longstanding tradition at CFSBK is to start classes with introductions and a short Question of the Day (QOD) while we do our general movement preparation. We’ve been doing this since the 2007 days when were still meeting in a park and over time, it’s become a staple of our class template. Initially, I just thought it was a nice way to start classes and get people acquainted, but it has since proven to be a valuable tool for setting the tone of the class, learning peoples’ names, and showcasing the personality of our members and coaches. The QOD reflects the importance we place on both having an on-going, continual conversation with our members and creating opportunities to foster a sense of community.

Tone
Especially for newbies, CrossFit group classes can be really intimidating. By adding some light introductions and silly banter at the beginning of class, we simultaneously break the ice and get everyone to relax and laugh at themselves.

Names
Intros are a great opportunity for people to help learn each other’s names, especially for regulars who often share a bar with the same few people each class. 

Multitasking
A lot needs to be accomplished within a group class and there isn’t much time to spend trying to create the warm and fuzzys. This is why we always couple intros alongside basic movement prep. You’ve probably noticed that class usually starts with the coach having everyone circle up to start some dynamic range of motion movements (DROMs). We also do this during ground-based mobilization. As folks are hunting around looking for tight positions, we go through names and questions. 

You may have noticed that in some larger classes, the coach will skip the QOD. We know this makes you sad, but completing the QOD sometimes becomes difficult since it will take longer to go around the circle and people might not talk loud enough for those across the circle to hear. (Talk louder!! We all want to know your answers!) It also makes it harder for our coaches to stay within the time budgeted for movement prep. Take these classes as an opportunity to ask questions of your bar partner or get to know a person you’ve never met before. 

Testimonials
We asked for our members’ thoughts on the Question of the Day and we’ve included some of their responses below:

Two people said the QOD was incredibly helpful when they came out of our Foundations program, in terms of getting to know the coaches and other members, and another wrote that it “makes us closer in a weird way.” Peter M. said that “knowing the names of the people you’re working out with and a little something about their personalities is a part of what makes CrossFit special to me.” Lauren B. wrote that she’s a “big fan of introductions and hearing bizarre bits about people. When you’re new it makes you feel part of what’s going on instantly. Over time it builds community. Discovering your own strange habits and opinions is a nice bonus.” Richard G. wrote, “Of all the reasons I keep coming back to CFSBK (health, fitness, varied workouts), one of the main reasons has been the community. And learning names facilitates those encouraging hoots and cheers during the workouts.” 

We don’t underestimate the power of creating a novel and interesting experience in your day. We hope these are the kinds of little things that keep people coming back to CFSBK. We want to make space for you to put some names to new faces and have a laugh, and for us, it’s an opportunity to learn your names and have informal face time with everyone who takes classes at the gym.

We also love occasionally posting QODs on the blog. So tell us: What is your favorite piece of art?

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Mobility for People Who Hate Doing Mobility Catalyst Athletics
First Day of 2014 CrossFit Regionals Announced CrossFit
When You’re Just Learning to Walk, Every Step is a Personal Record CrossFit NYC
Weight Gains New York Times 

Bench Press | WOD 4.28.14

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Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression 
Add 2.5 to 5 lbs to last week. You should be making all of your reps at this point. If you missed reps last week, either redo the same weight or back off a few pounds. 

Performance: 75% x 6  x 5
Rest two minutes between sets. 

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For Time:
100 Double Unders
then,
3 Rounds
25 Wall Ball 20/10, 14/9
7 Hang Power Clean 155/105
then,
40 Calorie Row

Yesterday’s 10:30am Prospect Park WOD-ers 

  • Regular programming resumes today! We hope you enjoyed the outdoor WODs and yoga and AR.
  • In case you missed it yesterday, CFSBK’s Endurance Program coach Michael O. shared some running training tips on the blog. Check it out!
  • There’s a new post over on Inside the Affiliate about how to manage large group classes in an efficient and professional manner. It’s only Part 1 since David had so much to say about it, so stay tuned for next week’s too!

Help End Homelessness in Brooklyn 

CFSBKer Richard G. is a volunteer and board member of an organization called Brooklyn Community Housing & Services (BCHS). BCHS’s mission is to end homelessness in Brooklyn, and the organization is highly regarded for its work providing supportive services and housing to the mentally ill and homeless who might otherwise be living in our streets, subways, parks and armories.  Their annual gala is this Wednesday afternoon, April 30, at the Green Room right around the corner at 452 Union Street. There will be a cocktail party and silent auction, and music by Jean Rohe with special guest emcee Wesley Stace (John Wesley Harding). Richard would love for you to join! Purchase tickets here.

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A Life Saved by CrossFit CrossFit 
The Search for Our Inner Lie Detectors New York Times 

Red Hook Running Track WOD

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Do you smile while you run? CFSBK’s Endurance Program coach Michael O. does!

  • CFSBKer Eric L. is competing in Strong Like Beast 2014 today. Get after it, Eric! Let us know how it goes! 

Sunday Alternative Programming

We are hosting Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength Seminar and all normal in-house group classes are cancelled, including open gym. We are offering three track workouts located at the Red Hook running track. If you are not already signed up, please check the availability of each class HERE. 

Your group class membership will apply for any of these classes.

10am Track WOD
11am Track WOD
12pm Track WOD

Running Training Tips from CFSBK’s Endurance Program Coach

Last Sunday, Michael O. and the CFSBK Endurance Program crew tested their training by running the Brooklyn 15K. This was a well-timed event with the Brooklyn Half Marathon only a few weeks away. Michael shared a few notes about how their training has progressed, and we’d love to share those notes with all our runners, especially since he’s co-organizing the Track WOD today with Coach Arturo!
  1. Trunk Posture and Mobility: One of the initial things that the program tackled was making sure everyone was set up for success from pelvis to ribcage. Too often runners get obsessed with when their foot strikes the ground and the positioning of their arms (which are both also important to focus on eventually). But Michael says that if you first are picture-perfect in your trunk, everything else falls into place. The most important part of consistent running form is great pelvic and spinal stability, so the team worked for a few weeks on getting that all aligned.
  2. Shorter Intervals with “Open” Form: “Before we start running big 800s and miles, we need to first make sure all the running muscles work and work together,” Michael explains. An often overdone mistake of endurance training is stacking miles on a 70-80% active muscular system. If you increase volume from 30 to 40 miles in a week, the increase usually comes with less muscle activation and thus overloads the imbalance. By letting runners hit a bunch of short “sprinting” type efforts with a big and open form (hills, neuromuscular efforts, shuttle runs), Michael’s crew did their best to get a 90-100% muscular activation for any muscle that helps you run… so, ALL OF THEM!!
  3. Learn the True Meaning of Low-Intensity: Michael believes the most important piece of training is understanding that going all out plays a very small role in increasing one’s endurance (unless you’re heading to the Millrose Games next year). “When I ask our athletes how their run was after one of our full sessions and they say ‘not too bad,’ that’s a great feeling as a coach,” he says. The idea is that not every run should leave you gassed and starving for air. Just as in CrossFit, you shouldn’t walk away from every workout feeling like you blacked out. Michael encourages his endurance crew to hit their longer runs slowly but with great form, which improves their posture over time. If a runner spends all their time in a redline zone relative to capacity, that runner is much less likely to notice or have the strength to improve their form.
  4. Slowly Integrating More Refined Skills: “About two to three weeks ago, our group was looking good enough that we could start thinking about smaller components of the running form,” Michael reports. Those pieces involve ankle placement and application, and hamstring usage and synchronization with the hip flexor. The group is now integrating some intricate drills into their training, which will slowly meld into their form.

Have questions for Michael about running or about joining CFSBK’s Endurance Program? Hit him up at michael.olzinski [at] gmail.com or at the Red Hook running track today. And good luck to all our Brooklyn Half runners on the remaining weeks of your training!
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13-year-old 142kg Clean and Jerk hookgrip
Dogs Annoying Cats With Their Friendship tastefully offensive
Boz vs. Ro CrossFit
The Light Therapeutic Intelligent Life 

Yoga | AR | Prospect Park WOD

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Please remember that the gym is (mostly) closed today!

Saturday Alternative Programming

We are hosting Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength Seminar again and all normal in-house group classes are cancelled. As an alternative, we’re offering off-location workouts. Below are the programming options available for today. If you are not already signed up, please check the availability of each class HERE. 

Your group class membership will apply for any of these classes, including yoga.

Upstairs Annex Classes
9am Yoga for Athletes 
10am Yoga for Atheltes
11am Active Recovery
12pm Active Recovery

Prospect Park WOD
Meet Coach MeLo on Long Meadow Field as you enter from Garfield Place. Look for orange cones. WOD will include handstand practice and sprinting. Bring your own stopwatch to keep track of interval times as well as a water bottle. Email Melissa [at] CrossfitSouthBrooklyn.com if you have any questions.

9:00am Park WOD
10:30am Park WOD

WEATHER UPDATE: If it rains lightly today, MeLo will still hold the Prospect Park WODs. 
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Zero Gravity Workout YouTube
Epic Slo Mo Snatch Fail hookgrip
Three Keys to Exercise Selection for Sport Performance Juggernaut
Do Foam Rollers Aid Workouts? New York Times

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