For time:
21 Back Squats
30 Burpees
15 Back Squats
20 Burpees
9 Back Squats
10 Burpees

There is a 15 minute cap on this workout.  Choose a weight that will allow you to complete the first round of squats in 3-4 sets, the second in 2-3 and the last in 2-3. The weight should feel heavy, but something you aren’t really intimidated by. We rarely do Back Squats in a timed environment, pace this so that you always leave 3 reps “in the tank” before racking the bar to rest.  The Back Squat is not a movement you want to grind out under duress. Know thyself

Potential Weight Options
Rx+ 225/145
185/125
155/105
135/95
115/75
95/65
Post load and time to comments.

Hannah Weaver (right) ran her 1st 5K with me this am with a time of 35:28. The plan had been to run the first mile then walk the second and run the third. We walked for about 90 seconds after the first mile then H decided she wasn’t slowing down again. By mile 2 she was definitely my pacer and we passed a number of legitimate runners. She cruised up the big hill! I definitely would have been slower if she hadn’t pushed me! Picture below–H got the adult medal!
Sadie (left) rocked the peewee race.
So very proud!
-Jess G

News and Notes:

• There is NO Active Recovery, Comp Class or No Teaser  this weekend.
• We just passed 15K raised for charity! Go Team CrossFit South Brooklyn!!
• CFSBK has started a Movie Club! See the 10.18 Post for more details
• On October 27th CrossFit Virtuosity is hosting the Trick-or-Treat Team Throwdown. More information here. Interested? Post to comments!

Baby Muster This Weekend

CFSBK parents! You’re awesome! Your kids are cute! We should hang out more often.

Come join us for a CFSBK Baby Army Muster and Picnic on Saturday, October 13th at 1:15pm

Let’s all get to know each other better and watch our cute little ones roll/toddle/run around on gym mats. And, of course, plot baby army world domination.

Babies and children, parents and parents-to-be, friends and pets welcome. We’ll have some fresh fruit for everyone, and you’re welcome to bring some snacks to share if you like.

RSVP to organizer extraordinaire Erica N at erica.nofi(AT)gmail.com

___________________
“Squat To Love, Live To Squat” How Anthony Bainbridge took his squat from 425 to 495 at a bodyweight of 165 pounds in 61 days CrossFit Community
Fighting For Greatness CrossFit Community
The Virtuosity Series: The Hollow Hold

Teresa’s Pirouettes

12 Days Until Fight Gone Bad

Under two weeks until the big day and Team SBK has raised $14,561 for charity! This is 146% of our original goal!  As mentioned in Saturday’s post the board of directors at the BCF have thrown their hats in for a 1 to 1 Challenge and are going to provide $1 for every dollar we raise over 10K. This puts our Actual total to $19,122

As amazing as this is, we still have some folks who have not started their fundraising.  We aren’t asking for any minimum amount raised, but we would like to see everyone make an effort to raise something.  If you have 5 minutes (you do!) available today, draft that email you’ve been putting on the back burner.  It takes so little to help those who are making such a big difference in the community we live in… for example:

Brooklyn College Foundation Inc.

Rowing a 2000m Race 

By: Nick Peterson

Introduction

Here are some recommendations for the 2K on the erg – what rowers call an “erg test.” Of course, there is no magic bullet. When I first started this I thought I could just write, “Go as hard as you can. That’s it.” And while that’s actually true, I think there are some important things for people who are unfamiliar with this distance to keep in mind. The goal is to remain consistent and calm throughout your piece.

Consistent Pacing

Why Be Consistent?

This is a test of endurance. So going out like gangbusters at the beginning will not bring your score down. You wouldn’t start a marathon with an all-out sprint for as long as you can go; if you did, you’d hit a wall, then look up and remember that you have another 25.8 miles to go. The same is true here, even though it’s a much shorter distance.

This is not a piece that you can approach with a “just go out hard, and then hang on” mentality; to do so is called to “fly and die” – a term used in the rowing world and I’m sure in other endurance racing sports. Think of this as running as fast as you can for this distance, a mile and a quarter, while carrying a weight. Or, better yet, doing seven or eight minutes of deadlift high pulls, with 30 reps per minute – or 210-240 deadlift high pulls for time. No breaks. You can’t do 30 reps in 45 seconds, then pause for 15 seconds, than go again for 45 seconds. Just a steady 30 reps throughout each minute. If you do this, you have to be consistent and relaxed, and settle into a good breathing pattern.

Splits & Rating

All rowing pieces are broken down into 250m and 500m increments; your goal is to look back at your “splits” – your time per 500m – and see very little variation among the different 500s. (You have the option to display splits on your erg, along with calories and watts; rowers use the 500m splits.) Your first and last 500s will naturally be a little faster than the middle two 500s, but otherwise there should be no glaring differences.

If you’ve pulled a 2K test in the past, a good thing to do on your next 2K is to shoot for the exact same score, but to do so with consistency. For example, if you pulled an 8:20 the last time you did it, that’s 2:05 splits (2′ 5″ per 500m), on average. So the next time you pull a 2K just sit on 2:05 splits the whole time. If that feels too easy, then go for 2:04. But be conservative.

Also, your rating, or stroke rate, should be largely the same throughout. The rating is generally 28-34 per minute for the body of the piece. I always tended to be around 30-32.

2K PLAY BY PLAY

I’d like to lay out the 2K sequentially, in order, starting with the warm-up. Keep in mind, though, that throughout the test you must focus on breathing, good posture, relaxation, and LENGTH. Do not ever shorten up your stroke. Ever. This is all especially true when you are really hurting.

Warm-Up

Do a gentle warm-up, at least 10 minutes. I liked starting at 3:00 splits and knocking down the split by 10s every 300m until I got to 2:00 or 1:50. Very easy. Take a break to stretch or go to the bathroom. Then do a few harder pieces. I always liked doing a few 20s (in rowing speak, this means “20-stroke pieces” – so a 10 is a 10-stroke piece, a 30 is a 30-stroke piece; beyond that you start using meters or minutes for measuring pieces). After the 20s, I liked doing one or two minute-long pieces at race pace. If you do this, rein it in – don’t get caught up in the excitement and go harder than your target pace. After this, do one or two 10s at your sprint pace – what you will do at the beginning and end of the piece. Again, don’t go crazy

“Paddle” – i.e., row lightly – for a few more minutes just to flush things out.

Throughout the warm-up stay long and relaxed.

You can take another break if you want. You are now ready to start.

Start

For the erg, you can do your start in two or three strokes. At the start, sit at half or three-quarters slide – not at full slide (more rowing terminology, sorry – the “slide” references have to do with how far up the rail your seat is; so “half-slide” means your seat is about halfway, and “full slide” means your seat is all the way up). Keep your back a little more vertical than you normally do when rowing. Focus on being relaxed. Take a few deep breaths, then squeeze to the finish – go hard, but don’t jump. Just lean back. Once you’re done with that first stroke, don’t waste any time getting back up to the catch for another short stroke (again, not full slide), which is much quicker – instead of a squeeze, you now want to kick it. For the third stroke, you can establish length.

Take 10 really hard strokes at a pretty high stroke rate – 36-40. Then immediately settle into your rhythm. You’ll feel great at this point, but once you get to about 400m your energy systems will switch over from anaerobic to aerobic, making for the first mental obstacle of the piece. So just relax and get into your groove. Establish your breathing pattern, and make sure you are long.

Again, do not go nuts at the beginning. This is a long piece, and you have to think of each stroke as a brick; you’re building your piece, brick by brick, and you have to be patient. If you go too hard at the beginning, your time won’t be better in the long run – you’ll hit a wall and you’ll have a hard time digging yourself out later. (Sorry about the mixed metaphors.)

400m or 500m In

Take a “power 10” – literally, 10 more powerful strokes that help you get over a hump – just to kick down the split a little, and use the 10 as a chance to focus on being quick and light. Focus in on your legs doing the work during the 10, and keep your arms and shoulders relaxed at the catch and during the recovery. The 10 takes you over the first hump. (In rowing, the way to deal with difficult moments is to go a little harder.) Your rating may go up a little on its own. After the 10, settle back into your rhythm, and make sure you’re long.

The middle 600 – between around 700m and 1300m in – is about the hardest part of the piece. My second 500 was always my slowest of the whole piece, when I realized, “okay, uh, this is happening”; part of my third 500 always had the worst splits, but the end of the third 500 was, for me, when I started to tighten the screws, so that segment always ended up being faster than the second 500.

1000m

This is where you kick its teeth in. Take a power 20 – really aggressive, but again, not inconsistent with the rest of the piece. In other words, if you’re at a 32 throughout the piece, don’t go to a 40 here; at most, your rating will jump one or two beats. (I guess I shouldn’t stress this too much, because the reality is that you won’t be able to go crazy anyway.) The 20 at the 1000 helps you get through this. Kind of.

The third 500 is really hard for most, but some also actually like it because you’re past the halfway mark and just taking it home. In a rowing race, this segment can really determine the result.

Once you’re done with your power 20, just check in again on your length and breathing.

500m to Go

Take another power 10.

400m to Go

Squeeze your split down a bit more. This is the calm before the storm. Don’t let the splits float up – keep it down.

250m to Go

Kitchen sink time. Just go for broke. You can put up with anything for 21-25 strokes. If you’re a fast-twitch athlete, you’ll love this. You should jack the rating as high as you need to – I always had a low rating in general, and I’d be at a 40 or higher at this point.

CONCLUSION

There are various games you can play in your head to help you get through the piece – you’re used to this from all the other training you do. I found myself counting much more than necessary, just to help me through. For instance, from 750m to go until the end, I counted pretty much every stroke. I tricked myself into thinking that each stroke would be 10m, and always felt a little better knowing that each stroke was actually a little more than 10m. (Yeah, it can get that stupid.) I think this is a personal thing, and while I’m happy to share other thoughts on little mind games you can play, I think it’s better for you to develop them on your own. But the best thing you can do throughout the piece is maintain length and make sure you’re breathing sufficiently.

Some videos to check out

Here’s Xeno Muller (’96 gold/’00 silver in the single, the one-man event), and Rob Waddell rowing in a double.
’00 gold in the single and apparently the best VO2 max of any athlete ever tested, according to Wikipedia

Incidentally, Waddell is the world-record holder on the erg: 5:36.6 or something like that. That’s INSANE. My best was 5:51.8, perfectly respectable internationally. But 5:36 is phenomenal. I raced against Xeno in college.

Here’s Xeno, with Rob Waddell to his right, on ergs
They’re using RowPerfect gizmos, which keep the entire erg on tracks so as to roughly simulate the feel of a boat.

Here’s a guy that Xeno is coaching in the single
He looks really good – simple, direct drive. Don’t know who he is

For Time:
Run 400m
21 Deadlifts
Run 400m
15 Deadlifts
Run 400m
9 Deadlifts

Weight Options
Rx+: 255/175
Rx: 225/155
A: 185/135
B: 155/115
C: 135/95
D: 115/75

Post load and time to comments.

Congrats to Zach H who ran a 44:12 10K yesterday and took 2nd place in his age group!! (Male, 20-24)

Announcing The CFSBK Movie Club

“Remember how much fun it was back in middle school when you and your pals would giddily invade the local multiplex on a Friday night to catch whatever schlock the most recent teen heartthrob (Freddie Prinze, Jr. FTW!) was turning out that week?  There’s just something special about sitting in a dark room with friends and watching attractive people pretend to be other attractive people.  We may get older, we may develop taste, but movies will always be awesome.
 
It is with that in mind that we submit, for your consideration, CFSBK Movie Club.  Each month, the group will vote for an upcoming film; we will organize a field trip to see said film in the theater; and then we will retire to a nearby bar to discuss.  Kind of like Book Club, if the books were made of moving pictures.

To get the ball rolling, we will be seeing “Cloud Atlas” (as a tie-in with the Book Club) sometime in November.  After that, it’s up to you (so choose wisely).

If you’re interested, email gina.gatto(AT)gmail.com to be added to the listserv.

Cool Equipment

Do you know about the following pieces of equipment? Cool stuff!

The Dynamic Indoor Rower
The Dynamic Indoor Rower offers the closest simulation to rowing on the water and was developed to meet the specific training needs of the competitive rowing athlete. Unlike the Model D and E Indoor Rowers, the footrest on the Dynamic is free to move and there’s minimal movement of body mass throughout the stroke. The Dynamic demands similar concentration and body control to that needed when rowing in a boat, making it an excellent sport-specific training and coaching tool. –Concept2

See Video

The Reverse Hyper
The Rogue Reverse Hyper® 5,356,359 and 6,491,607b2 decompresses the spine and has no vertical compression on the spine at all. This simple device allows for dynamic strength development in the concentric phase, while serving as a rehabilitation mechanism in the eccentric phase by gently stretching and depressurizing the spine and creating, in essence, an internal pumping mechanism, filling the spinal column with spinal fluid and the low back muscles with blood. Anyone who has injured their back knows that the pressure needs to be relieved and circulation restored to the injured area in order to rehabilitate. This can be used 3 to 4 times a week for therapeutic work but have also had clients that used every day with light weight to get tightness out of lower back area. -Rogue Fitness

See Video 1, Video 2

The Airdyne
Ask any college athlete about the worst workout their coach put them through and it probably involved an Airdyne. There are even horror stories of coaches who took off the seat to make it even more miserable. -Rogue Fitness
The airdyne is similar to the concept 2 Erg in that it works off a flywheel and variable resistance. A nice feature of the airdyne is that since it’s a LOW skill activity, you can go absolutely batshit without worrying about a rapid decrease in technique.

See Video

Honorable Mentions
The Strength Axle
Cargo Nets
Yokes
Parallel Bars

As Many Rounds As Possible in 16 Minutes of:
32 Double Unders
16 Box Jumps 24″/20″
8 Push Presses 115/75

Post rounds completed and Rx to comments.

CrossFit Reebok One

If you could add anything you wanted to the gym, what would it be?

Working in invtervals of :20 work/:10 Rest, complete the following work:
100 Kipping Pull-Ups
100 Push-Ups
100 Sit-Ups
100 Squats

-If you havent got kipping pull-ups, or they’re not developed well enough to complete 100 in a reasonable time, scale to 50 Kipping Pull-Ups, 35 Strict Pull-Ups or 50 Ring Rows.
– Push-Ups can be scaled to 75 or 50, depending on capacity.

Post total time and Rx to comments.

Sarah LR Deadlifts 285

Happy Birthday, Coach Noah!
Want to learn more about Noah? Check out his Underneath The Hoodie article

The 1 to 1 BCF Board Challenge!

We have blasted through our goal of $10,000 (currently over 12K) and I am personally humbled by the oupouring of support. So what do we do now? Plow forward like it’s your last set of burpees! To that end, I have a really exciting news flash. Earlier this week I met with Alex Villari, the VP of External Affairs at BCF, who is also a member of CFSB. Alex has gotten the board of directors of Brooklyn Community Foundation to agree to put in $1.00 of their OWN personal money for every dollar that we raise from now until the date of the event. They have capped this challenge at $15,000 but Alex tells me that their Board Chair is open to putting more of his own money into the pot if we exceed this new goal. If we raise $5,000 additional dollars, they will put in $5,000 of their own personal money. If we raise $10,000, they will put in $10,000 of their own personal money. If we raise another $15,000, they will put $15,000 of their own personal money in. So every contribution that we can collect goes twice as far! 

This makes every dollar you raise 2x as impactful!! Remember, only a few minutes 2x a week can raise a ton of money, and now even more.

The CFSBK 300 Club
1. Kristin Hoesl $1,305 (The Porkchop Express)
2. David Turnbull $722  (Make Like Champion)
3. Emily Ashton $610 (The Porkchop Express)
4. Tom Shpetner $ 591 (17 Minutes In Heaven)
5. David Osorio $575 (DROMulans )
6. Lauren Borducci $500 (South Brooklyn Seahorses)
7. Christian Reiss $450 (The Porkchop Express)
7. Jay Riengold $450 (DROMulans )
8. Mike Mishik $415 (Buns Of Steel)
9. Peter Mattis $350 (Avi’s Calves)
10. Janelle Rooks $310 (Buns Of Steel)
11. Sarah Marquez $305 (17 Minutes In Heaven)

The Brooklyn Community Foundation Series:
Self Help Community Services Inc