Fitness: 4 ascending Warm-Up Sets then your first 3×5 LBBSQ exposure. Bar speed should remain quick as you’ll be adding to this start weight for the next 5 weeks.

Performance: 4-5 ascending Warm-Ups sets then some heavy 3×5 Work Sets across. Leave a little room to add weight next week as you’ll be seeing one more exposure of 3×5 before we move to triples.

Post loads to comments.
LBBSQ e1/6
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With a partner, perform about 4 Rounds or 20 minutes of:

Fitness:
3 Wall Walks with a :10 Hold at the top (alternate people)
8e Weighted Reverse Lunges
1:00-2:00 Plank or weighted plank

Performance:
3 Headstands on AbMat. Hold the top for :05-:10
8e Weighted Reverse Lunges
2:00 Plank or weighted plank on your forearms

Headstand Video 1
Headstand Video 2

Every year for Labor Day weekend I come down to Virginia Beach and visit Christy, my best friend from college.  She is actually the one that got me started in CrossFit.  I got to go to her gym today and do a WOD that was appropriately titled the Birthday Sh*tstorm (they do one wod a month for the people who have a birthday in it) and it was a doozy.  I just wanted to share my experience at CrossFit Unrivaled. Everyone was awesome, the wod was crazy and Britney our coach was great!  Highly recommended if anyone traverses to the Virginia Beach area.  Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend! – Shaye L

Attention Mobility Fans:

As many of you know, Kelly Starrett, creator of the infintely useful MobilityWOD is coming out with a book.  This mamoth hardcover book will be 400+ pages, contain 3,500+ photographs and no doubt be Kelly’s magnum opus.  The gym will be buying a few copies and wants to know if you want in too. At retail, the book will cost $59.95 but pre-order sales will be $29.98 for orders of 10 or more.  If you’d like to get in on the pre-sale discount, please email David(AT)CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com with “Leopard” as the subject line.

“Becoming a Supple Leopard”
The Ultimate Guide To Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance
By Kelly Starrett with Glen Cordoza
Website

Dance, Whitney… DANCE!

Bob Ross Remixed PBS
Mister Rogers Remixed PBS
Julia Childs Remixed PBS

7pm Group Men’s Relay Race Team

Were you reading the comments this week regarding how the internet sucks us in? Check out Samir C‘s previous blog post on The Distraction of Distraction

Holiday Weekend Schedule

Saturday: Normal Group Classes
Sunday: Normal Group Classes
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Normal Group Classes (Monday’s Deadlifts will be programmed)

Dynamic Effort Deadlifts This Cycle

By: David Osorio

This cycle will be the first time we’ve seen Dynamic Effort Method Deadlifts with Accommodating Resistance programmed for Group Classes.  Lets explore what these methods are and who they’re appropriate for.

Dynamic Effort Method
As the name implies, Dynamic Effort (DE) work focuses on developing speed and explosiveness. This is accomplished by using a sub maximal weight lifted at maximal speeds.  Your muscles ability to produce force is dictated by a number of variables including overall size, angles of insertion on the bone, muscle shape, muscle fiber type and finally neuromuscular control.  The DE Method aims to help optimize that last variable by training your body to fire a large number of motor units quickly and efficiently.  You see, your muscles arent simply hunks of meat that are either “on or off”.  This is intuitive when you think about it a little.. consider holding a child’s hand versus holding a heavy dumbbell.  Your body senses that you need to work harder in the second scenario and will engage more motor units to accomplish the task at hand (pun intended).  Motor units are subdivisions of muscles that are recruited depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Fewer motor units are used for light and fine motor patterns like writing and putting on clothes while more motor units are requited for heavy and fast patterns like lifting weights and jumping. When you’re first learning a new skill, that awkward, uncoordinated feeling you experience is your body not knowing how to best produce a firing pattern that will express effective, efficient movement.  The more you practice a skill, the better your bodies internal “software” gets at using the “hardware” resulting in better movement.  Lifting weights is no different, when you go to attempt a 1 Rep Max Deadlift, part of the equation regarding whether you’ll hit it or miss the lift is how good you are at firing up lots motor units.  By training a particular % continuum of your 1RM at high speed, you develop an explosive capacity to generate lots of force quickly.

Accommodating Resistance
We’ll also be playing with some Accommodating Resistance (AR) this cycle by way of bands and chains. The point of AR is to modify the amount of resistance you experience throughout the range of motion.  In any exercise, you’ll notice that there are “easier” and “harder” parts during the rep.  For example in Deadlifts, people often miss lifts at the bottom or around the knee, rarely after they get the bar onto the thigh. Similarly, the first 1/4 of a Back Squat is a hell of a lot easier than everything that happens at parallel and below (this helps explain the popularity in commercial gyms of partial squats).  The reason for this is that at certain points during the bar’s path you find yourself in more mechanically advantageous positions based on joint angles, muscle positions and where the resistance (barbell/body weight etc) is relative to the primarily muscles trying to move it.  Bands and chains can make those “easier” areas harder by changing how that resistance is expressed throughout the movement.  Watch this video of Bands and Chains used in Deadlifts and notice how at the top of the lift, when it’s usually the easiest, either the band is stretched out the most pulling the bar down or more chains are hanging from the bar increasing the amount of weight being lifted. The result of this kind of training is more well rounded strength and an increased ability to accelerate the lift through the range of motion.

Appropriateness
DE and AR are advanced training techniques used with seasoned Group Class lifters.  Think of the continuum of development like this:

• Phase 1: Basic technical practice at submaximal weights and speeds (2-4+ Months)*

• Phase 2: Strength and connective tissue development with medium and heavy weights (4-9+ Months)*

• Phase 3: Fancy shit used to overcome plateaus and individual weaknesses (9+ months of consistent training)*

*Generalized guidlines

If you haven’t spent extensive time with a particular lift and exhausted a linear progression, Dynamic Effort and Accommodating Resistance won’t give you the most return on your time. You’re better off getting as strong as you can at the base lift before using advanced methods.  You want to milk your body for all the strength potential you can get before digging into the bag of tricks to squeeze out your remaining capacity.  It’s inherently human to want to try advanced techniques in order to accelerate your development, but as anyone proficient in their craft knows, without a solid foundation, you won’t come close to what you’re capable of.  If your deadlift numbers are still gradually moving up, keep doing what’s clearly working and ride that train as long as you can. If you’ve been stalled out in your Deadlift for sometime, despite regular lifting and many, many attempts at lifting 1RMs, consider trying DE and AR methods.  When in doubt, ask a coach and as always, we’ll be doing our job and telling folks which to do if we feel you’re better off doing one or the other.

Happy Lifting!

Related Videos:
Dynamic Effort Day at Westside
Jay Fry Speed Deadlifts at Westside

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Park Slope’s Juventino Disclosed
Squat Quick Test Is It Your Ankle Or Your Hips? MobilityWOD
Nutrition For Injury Recovery Precision Nutrition

3 Rounds of:
In 5 Minutes
Row 500m
AMRAP Hang Clean and Shoulder To Overhead

Rest about 4-5 mintues between each round

Work Weight Options:
155/105
135/95
115/75
95/65
75/53
65/45

Post total reps completed and Rx to comments.

Assistance Work
Dumbbell Press
1×10 Warm-Up
1×20 Work

Malcolm S on his Hands

Gym Equipment Etiquette Reminders

While not comprehensive, these pointers can help your rack up credibility points at the gym.

Plyo Box Storage: For years we’ve told you, “DON’T STACK THE BOXES!!!” because they get wedged on top of each other and end up stuck together… well we take it back*! Josh M put some carpet material on the inside of each 16″+ box (thanks Josh!) so now you CAN stack them without fear of a coach reprimanding you. We’ve also painted some numbers on the boxes.  When you put them back, please organize them with the red numbers facing forward.

*This does not apply to the smaller 12″ wooden boxes we usually keep by the jump stretch bands. Those most certainly get wedged together and are a total pain in the ass to seperate. NEVER stack the small wooden boxes!

White Boards: We often do workouts that require you to track rounds or reps on the fly.  To make your life a little easier we cut up some whiteboards into little tablets for personalized use (Thanks DMak!).  Two points of etiquette with these. 1. Please erase your board after you’re done with it. 2. If the workout requires you to track rounds (as opposed to reps) please write a bunch of dashes on the board and use your finger to track completed rounds.  Keeping the marker uncapped during the workouts dries them out and leaves more stuff on the ground for people to potentially step on.

Erg (Rower) Handles: When you’re done with an erg, please put the handle all the way back in the window.  We know it seems intuitive to house them in the little dock that concept 2 provided but if you leave them there too long it weakens the spring that provides recoil on the handle.  The small dock is only for rest periods or partner transitions.

Bumpers: When you’re breaking down your barbells make sure to put them back in an orderly stack. If you’re the first person back to a low set of bumpers and the PVC holder is down, put it back so all the remaining bumps can be stacked properly. Also- whenever classes are large and we’re running low on weight, try to use the largest bumpers available.  For example, if you’re squatting 165, your bar should have a pair of 45s and a pair of 15s on it. Not 25s, then a bunch of 10s and change.

Bailing: Bailing is a necessary part of lifting heavy and metcons but don’t go crazy with it.  People can get a little bail-friendly and drop weight they could have just as easily put down under control.  Excessive dropping puts wear on the bumpers AND the bars. You’ve no doubt noticed the bumpers with big cracks and no metal inserts in them.  Why is that? Too much bailing! Also- it should go without saying but NEVER bail an empty bar, these will quickly destroy the finest barbells.

Bikes: We have a pretty lax policy on people leaving their bikes up by the front during class.  That being said there are two things to consider. First off, you should lock your wheel to the frame of your bike to discourage would-be theives. In the 2+ years we’ve been on Degraw street there has only been one attempted bike theft incident.. but you’re better off safe than sorry.  Secondly, please do not put your bike in front of the sign in desk, garbage can or fridge.  Stacking your bike in front of any of these makes it hard for other members to use the front area at all.

Being mindful of your foot print:  During peak hours the gym can be quite crowded.  If you’re stretching out on the mat or working on something, please be mindful of your surroundings and do your best to be as efficient with your personal foot print as possible.  This is especially true for jumping rope which can make it very difficult for people to get around you. If you’re going to skip rope, make sure you’re not in a high traffic area. If you want to use a rack or set up a barbell somewhere, make sure to ask a coach first if theres room and where you can go.

Finally, if you’re not sure about something, don’t hesitate to ask a coach.  A CrossFit gym is probably very different than the commercial gym you spent the last X years in.

Related Reading:
Degraw Street Etiquette 101 David Osorio
Gym Etiquette Noah Abbott
Bad CrossFit Gym Etiquette Satire Video

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CrossFit Sonora Gym Tour
Vegetarians Are Great… 70’s Big
The Secret Advice From a Vegan CrossFitter

Fitness: Perform 4 ascending warm-up sets then 3×5 across work sets on the Box Squat

Performance: Take 6-7 total sets to work up to a heavy single on the Box Squat. Afterwards perform one set at 80% for 5-10 Reps.  Avoid failing, but use two spotters for your heaviest set just in case.

Conjugate Squat e1/6
compare to 6.27.12
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As Many Rounds As Possible In 10 Minutes Of:
Run 400m
16 Wall Ball Shots 20lb-10′ / 14lb-9′

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Jay Reingold at Mt. Hood starting point for the 2012 Hood to Coast 200 mile relay in Oregon, aka “the mother of all relays.”. Friday – Saturday August 24-25. Finished in 27:47:16, 206th out of 1070 team. (One of Jay’s teammates got injured and he had to work double duty, running approximately 26 miles!)

RAGNAR ADIRONDACKS!

If you’re interested please get in touch with Asta Fivgas at astafivgas(at)gmail.com ASAP!

Jim Ryan Wants Your Kids To Golf!

We are hosting 4 clinics at the Brooklyn Golf Center in Marine Park and one golf outing at the 9 hole Riis Park Golf Course. The clinic dates are: Saturday September 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th from 4-5:30pm And the golf outing at Riis Park Golf Course will be on October 13th from 3:30-5:30pm.

More details:
Registration is only $125 per golfer, which covers the 4 clinics and the golf outing.

Golf balls and clubs are available for you to use but if you have your own clubs please bring them.

SFX will provide a golf shirt and hat for the young golfers.

You are responsible for your own child’s transportation.

Discounted buckets of balls will be available after each clinic.

Space is limited so spots will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis.

Register at www.sfxyouthsports.com click on register for any of our programs and you will be redirected to our registration website.

SFX Junior Golf is not intended to be a substitute for golf lessons, the program is intended to be an introduction to golf fundamentals and to promote an interest in the sport.

Please contact Jim Ryan at jimmyr72(AT)gmail.com if you have any questions.

See you on the links!

Jim Ryan
Director Of Golf
SFX Youth Sports
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Rowing Lovers/Haters/Knowers Of, Coach Nick says this race was unbelievable: South Africa Wins First Ever Rowing Olympic Gold NBC Olympics
My Paleo Media Diet Lifehacker

Crystal Conquers The Wall

• Happy Birthday Sarah LR and Daniel O!

• Scheduling Note: CFSBK will be Closed on Labor Day

MAS CFSBK POR FAVOR

Want to see more shots from the gym? Check out our Flickr feed for great shots from the last week of training. We’re also on the Facebook machine, so friend us there and lurk our page! Finally, do you like CFSBK and writing reviews? Why not bring two of your hobbies together on our Yelp page!

Rebuilding Your Feet

Mobility WOD recently had two great posts about the integrity and maintenance of your feet.  Your feet after all are you connection to the earth and the foundation of all (most) movement. Check out part 1 and part 2 to see if you can’t develop some foot-friendly strategies as well as learn some Self Myofacial Release techniques you can do to thank your feet for carrying you around all day.   If you really want to go down the rabbit hole, check out any of these other foot-related posts by Kelly:

“Why Put Your Kids At A Movement Disadvantage?”
“Stop Walking Like A Duck, You Arent”
“Long Ruck Feet, Or Ultra Marathon Feet”
“Haiku Winner, Travel Ideas and Your Feet”
“The Standing Athlete”
“Athletes Don’t Wear Flip Flops”
“Pinchy Ankles and Weak Feet”
“Bro, Your Navicular Bone Dropped”
“Foot Position Test, Breaking Diane”
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Do you actively do anything to protect or develop the integrity of your feet?  Do you ever experience foot pain? Why?  What is your thought process when purchasing a shoe?