Fitness: 3-4 Warm-Up sets then 1×5 Work Sets
5lbs heavier than last week

Performance: 2-3 Warm-Up Sets then 65%x1x8 every :30
This will be our last Dynamic Effort exposure

Post loads to comments.
DL e4/6 compare to 10.9.12
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Fitness
3 attempts of:
25 Kettlebell Swings
10 Strict Chin-Ups.
Rest about 2:00 between Rounds

If you can’t do 10 Strict Chin-Ups use a manual support from a partner. If needed, you can also use a band, but consider it more to assist your partner than you.

Performance
3 attempts of:
25 Unbroken Kettlebell Swings 2p/20k
Max Reps Strict Chin-Ups
Rest about 2:00 between Rounds

Post Rx and chin-ups per round to comments.

Can You Tell What Rip Is Talking About?

Fight Gone Bad

• We realize that you guys are having some issues with the fundraising site. Apperently the BCF classification had not been updated as a public foundation which caused some issues with crowdrise. They’re performing a work around and we should be up and running very soon. Stay tuned!
• In the meanwhile, make sure you guys have gotten your team captains organized and gotten your information to cfsbkFGB(AT)gmail.com. We need to get this information organized ASAP!

5 Year Anniversary Party Postponed

I (David) blew it and didn’t realize what a task planning a legit party actually entailed.  The 5 year anniversary party for the gym has been postponed, the new tentative date will be Saturday November 3rd. We’ve hired Jamie D, the very FIRST CFSBKer and party planner extroirdinare to plan the party. We’ve got some awesome stuff in the works!

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A Vegan and Meat Eater Engage In Civil Discourse!
A Closer Look At Minimalist Footwear Podiatry Today
Stop Doing Kegels: Real Pelvic Floor Advice For Women (and Men) Breaking Muscle
Beauty In Strength
LGBT CrossFit Fundraiser

5 Rounds, each for time of:
Run 400m
20 Push-Ups
10 Strict Knees to Elbows
Rest 2:00

Scale Push-Ups to 10 or modify with an incline
If you can’t get your kneed to your lower arm, substitute supine knees to elbows with an anchor.

Post total time and rx to comments.

Watch these two videos of Annie S demoing Push-Up standards and Playing with Push-Ups!

Reminder there is NO Comp Class or Teaser Class Today!

Want more Annie Sakamoto?!

Annie Wins the 2011 CrossFit Games “Spirit Of The Games” Award
Annie Does “Diane” (Deadlifts and Handstand Push-Ups)
Annie Demos Various Rope Climb Techniques
Annie, Eva and Nicole do “Nasty Girls”

Fitness: 4 Warm-Up Sets then your third 3×5 LBBSQ exposure. Bar speed should remain quick.

Performance: 4-5 Warm-Ups sets then a heavy 3×3. Next week is a heavy double for 5 Sets.

Post loads to comments.
LBBSQ e3/6 compare to 9.8.12
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Perform the Following Couplet for 12 Minutes:
Odd Minutes: :30 Max Reps Heavy Thruster
Even Minutes: :30 Max Double Unders

Choose one of the following options for your Thruster weight:
A: 135/95
B: 115/85
C: 95/65
D: 75/45

Post total reps per movement and Rx to comments.

Newlywed , Jane M launches a Medicine Ball at her target.

Reminder there is NO Active Recovery today!

Warming Up Wisely

By Noah Abbott

Each time we walk into the gym, we are confronted with a certain amount of work for the day. For many, this is one of the greatest pluses of working out at a “non-traditional” gym- you don’t have to think about programming or planning. Upon walking in the door and looking at the white board, we are given a prescription: exercises, rep-and-set schemes, even target weights, be they relative (70% of 1RM) or absolute (225#/185#.)

Despite the seeming absolutism, each day there is as much unsaid information and room for improvisation and interpretation as there are set parameters and instructions undoubtedly scrawled illegibly and supplemented with original art from the Osorio Stick Figure collection. The way we warm up for each lift and WOD is our own time to acquaint ourselves with the given exercise, practice form and execution, and familiarize our body with the (often heavy as all get out) weight we are about to move.

In the “real world,” when give a task most people will start by hashing out a plan of attack before jumping into the deep end. If we were to fix a broken table leg, we would plan out what tools we needed, sketch a few ideas, acquire materials, set out a work space, and make sure we had enough beer to get us through our clumsy Bob Villa imitation. If given a project at work, we would brew a pot of coffee, do some internet research, sketch a few outlines, vent to coworkers about how unfair it was that we had to do this shit, call home and say we’d be home late, and then maybe get to work. I propose that before any endeavor in the gym, we should practice a similar amount of introspection, practice, and slow familiarization with our task at hand. The beer and the bitching are up to you.

Position, Balance, Tension, Focus   

Our first consideration when beginning our warm-up sets is to use lighter weight repetitions of a movement as practice for the relatively high skill movement to follow. A good rubric to follow is to begin with an emphasis on Position and Balance in our first few sets and transition to emphasizing Tension and Focus as the weight begins to increase and we near our work weight. To illustrate this concept, let’s use the squat (our most familiar and important lift) as an example.

During your first 2 or 3 warm-up sets (always starting with an EMPTY BAR), while the weight is light and manageable, try to dial in your Position. Where are your feet and hands set up? Are they too close or far? Is your rack tight and centered? Are you reaching proper depth as you squat, are your knees shoved out, is your back in a good, safe position at the bottom? Think about these concepts, and begin to fix the feeling of proper positions in your mind. Your lifting partner is an invaluable resource at this time, as they can cue you on some things you can’t see. Ask them questions, and use their feedback to inform your lifting.

Once your positioning feels OK, quickly check in on your Balance. What part of your foot is bearing your weight at the start of your squat, does it shift at the bottom or remain constant? Is your bar path straight and balanced, or is it wavering or shifting? Your partner is helpful here as well, although some elements of balance, especially in your feet, can be so subtle that they are tough to perceive. If you can’t sense your balance due to your shoes, consider removing them – going barefoot is Tre Paleo.

Now that we are Properly Positioned and Badassedly Balanced, lets work on Tension and Focus. As the weight begins to increase, shift your inner gaze to getting TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT. Are you making sure to get a full, deep breath before you lift? Are you staying tight at the bottom of the lift? Are you holding that breath at the top and staying tight and controlled at the top of the lift before your next rep? Check in with your partner, and don’t get offended if they say you’ve gone soft, this isn’t Menace II Society, G.

Finally, its time to get Focused. Are you often suprised when your warm-up sets feel really heavy and slow, and then your heavier work sets feel faster and relatively light? If so, you are probably not truly focusing until your work sets, which can be both dangerous and prevent you from reaching full potential. Treat your last few warm-up sets exactly like a work set. If you have a ritual during your work sets- stamping feet, Monica Seles grunts, weeping uncontrollably- perform it during your last few warm-up sets. Prime your central nervous system for the task at hand, and your work sets will feel even easier and more controlled when you get there. Also, as you near your work sets, cut the chatter and jokes (what my grandpa called “grab-assin”) and go to your Squatty Place. Find your Power Animal, Chi, or Inner Ronnie Coleman, get centered, and then attack the bar.

Weights Go Up, Reps Go Down, or “The Two Trains Passing In The Night Theory of Warm-ups”

Numerous times I have had an athlete come to me and complain that their first work set of, say, 100 pounds for 5 reps felt incredibly heavy and slow. I walk over to their rack to watch their next set, and before they even begin, I spot a whiteboard where this dutiful soul has recorded their warm-up sets. It reads: 45×5, 55×5, 65×5, 75×5, 85×5, 95×5. As this point I begin sounding like Foghorn Leghorn as I stammer and sputter (I say, I, I, I say, boy!) and explain that a warm-up scheme like this means that before their very first “live” squat they have already moved over ¾ of a ton of weight!

Our first few warm-up sets, while the weight is light, should mimic the repetitions we plan to use when we work, or can even be slightly more. We can use these sets to get more mobile and comfortable in the positions we will need to hit when we work. As we begin to increase weight, we should drop the repetitions. We have already achieved Supple Leopard/Panther/Aardvark status due to our dedicated mobility work, standardized warm-up, and our first few light warm-up sets. Now we just need to accustom our body to the feeling of moving heavy weight. As we get close to work sets we should drop the repetitions to singles or doubles in an effort to not fatigue ourselves before we really get started. A warm-up set for the same reps at 95% of our work weight is just a neglected work set, sitting alone and unloved in our log book and condemned to a lifetime of second class Squatizen status.

Other Considerations

If we warm up with intention (Position, Balance, Tension, Focus) and with a plan (dropping the repetitions as we increase weight), we are most of the way there, but there are still a few ideas to consider. First, as Fox likes to say, “you are your own Peyton Manning.” I assume he means 2010 Peyton Manning (a cool and introspective leader who is confident changing playcalls on the fly and makes funny commercials) and not 2011 Peyton Manning (a spinally-fused ghost who haunts the sidelines of the NFL’s worst team looking like he wants to stab his teammates, yet still makes funny commercials). Listen to your body, and be prepared to add in some extra warm-up sets if you feel cold, wonky, or want to practice something. If something feels sticky or sore, do some mobility work or foam roll a bit between warm-up or work sets. You are Peyton Manning! (Minus the peanut shaped head.)

Also, keep in mind that lifts using smaller muscle groups (think: Beach Muscles) will fatigue faster than those using your larger muscle groups (think: Yo’ Butt) Don’t go overboard warming up the Little Guys, they are generally simpler lifts anyway, and you’ll find yourself fatigued when you work. You can linger a little bit on the Big Mommas, which have higher muscular endurance and can be trickier to nail down.

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Hopefully, now that you’ve suffered through some decent informati
on wrapped in a bunch of bad jokes, you’ve got a better understanding of the general concepts that drive a good warm-up. If nothing else, when warming up make sure you have a plan. Think about what you want to accomplish with your warm-up, and use that time to get yourself ready to succeed. A lackadaisical warm-up inevitably leads to spotty and uneven results. Make your warm-up a dress rehearsal for your lifts and then break a leg. On second thought, don’t.

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iCore Cruncher Informercial

Lauren B with some early evening carries

Scheduling Note

There is No Teaser Class, Comp Class or Active Recovery this weekend as David will be taking the Starting Strength Seminar with Mark Rippetoe (Coach Jess too!)

CFSBKers Sound Off

We’re gushing at all the great content being produced from our own in-house athletes. Check it out!

• Michael S, a brand new CrossFitter at CFSBK has something to say about “What To Do When You’re The Worst“

• CrossFit Veteran Vincent D was featured on ABC 7 News in their piece on “Warning For Barefoot Runners”

• “The Professor” Samir C has a blog post on the physical and psychological stress of rowing with “Row, Row, Row Your Erg (Not So Merrily However)

Fight Gone Bad Update

We have a few slots left for Fight Gone Bad in order to make full teams. If you are interested and didn’t get to sign up, please email Jess ASAP at cfsbkfgb(at)gmail(dot)com.

Everyone that signed up for Fight Gone Bad (not FGBelated) should have received an email indicating your team and teammates. If you didn’t please also email me and let me know ASAP.

Rest Day Trivia

1. Today, marmalade refers to a kind of jelly containing the fruit and rind of many kinds of fruits, but originally, around 400 years ago, the first kind of marmalade was made from what fruit that resembles a hard yellow apple?

2. In 1943, French underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau helped create an invention designed for underwater breathing, and 60’s British rock group Jethro Tull named an album after it. What is it?

3. Who was the author of the 1961 classic of science-fiction, “Stranger in a Strange Land”?

4. By what three-word phrase do we name the index used to measure the quantity of harmful particles and chemicals in the air?

5. If all the U.S. state capitals were listed in alphabetical order, the first and last on the list would be capitals of bordering states. Can you name them?

As always, no researching allowed. If you know the answers post to comments, even if someone else already answered and you didn’t read it yet!
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CrossFit and GPP by Tony Leyland
Aaron O’Connell: Making sense of a visible quantum object TED

Performance:

For Time:
Row 50 Calories
21 Kipping Pull-Ups
Row 40 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots, 20lb 10’/14lb 9′
Row 30 Calories
21 Kipping Pull-Ups
Row 20 Calories 
21 Wall Ball Shots, 20lb 10’/14lb 9′
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Fitness

For Time:
Row 50/40 Calories
21 Ring Jumping Pull-Ups or 10 Strict Pull-Ups
Row 40/30 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots
Row 30/20 Calories
21 Ring Jumping Pull-Ups or 10 Strict Pull-Ups
Row 20/10 Calories
21 Wall Ball Shots

Post time and Rx to comments.

Sergey B takes the Jerry Cans for a stroll

The Farmer’s Walk

Check out this short video from Elite FTS on The Farmer’s Walk Set Up and Execution. You can also check out Dan John’s article on “The Secret of Loaded Carries” for more related reading.  Then check out Matt Gonzalez carry 700lbs for 50ft and this little carry slightly less.

Dude, Where’s My 1RM?

By Coach Jeremy 

Everyone has had the experience:  it’s the 2nd attempt of a Crossfit total or your working up to a new 1RM on singles day, you load up the bar with a weight equal to you your existing 1RM, you get psyched up, unrack the bar, go into the hole, and……nothing.  It doesn’t come back up.  Why?  Did you get weaker?  Are you doing something wrong?  Why can’t you do what you’ve already done?

Think of a 1RM not so much as a measure of strength capacity but as an act of strength performance.  Veteran lifters will speak of owning a weight versus hitting a weight.  Owning a weight means that you can get under a bar just about anytime you want and move that weight (assuming a proper warm-up and having not done back-to-back hero WOD’s that week).  Hitting a weight is a much less reproducible feat.  It means that on a day where you felt good, were well rested, timed your eating properly, had your weight belt sitting just right, heavenly bodies were aligned properly, and you managed not to fuck anything up,  you were able to squeeze out a higher weight than ever before. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a weight that you have only hit isn’t something that you can just do on command.  It’s an act of strength and will; repeating it doesn’t just happen.  No sprinter expects to hit a PR every time they run a given distance, not in competition and especially not in training.  There is no reason to just assume that every time you get under a barbell you’re going to PR.

We should also consider that not every one’s best event in lifting is the 1RM.  Consider again, sprinting.  All sprinters are fast, that’s why they are sprinters.  However sprinters have different specialties, some are better in a 60m dash, others are better at the quarter mile.  If we took a random group of sprinters and tested their best times at a series of distances, say 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m, we would probably find that the rankings would look very similar across the events: the faster runners would tend to do well at all of them.  However, you would also expect to see some shuffling of rankings based upon the individual strengths of the sprinters.  Some are better at accelerating, some run the turns well, some finish well, etc. To bring this back to lifting, imagine a group of powerlifters from the same weight class.  If you tested their 1RM, 3RM, and 5RM squat you would see something very similar:  The strongest lifters would tend to be at the the top of each ranking, however you would also see some move up or down the leader board as the reps changed based upon their individual characteristics.  This is relevant to us because the better you are at an event, the 3RM versus the 1RM for instance, the more likely you are able to reproduce your best effort.  We should test our strength at 3RM’s and 5RM’s for precisely the same reason that Track and Field tests more than just the 100m dash as a measure of speed.

Weighlifting, Powerlifting and Crossfit Total’s are all tests of 1RM. This isn’t because 1RM’s are magical, it’s just that they are easier to quantify, they are the highest weights (and everyone wants to see big weights), so they lend themselves to being tested. All this being said there is certainly nothing wrong with going after 1RM’s and when game day comes, you want to break some records. Set yourself up for success by working hard at a good program, resting up in the days leading to the event and getting your head inside your lift when you get under the bar.  Once the day’s lifting is over, let it go.  A sprinter isn’t suddenly slow on the day they don’t PR; you’re not weak on the day you don’t either.  Allow for the fact that not everyday you try to PR is going to be the perfect day to demonstrate that amount of strength.

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Survival of the Fittest: The Future of CrossFit’s Innovative Model Huffington Post
Let Me Tell You About CrossFit