Fitness: 3-5 Warm-Up Sets then a medium heavy 3×5

Performance: Work up to a heavy single then drop back to 80%x4-10 reps

Post loads to comments.
conjugate exposure 3/6
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As Many Rounds As Possible In 10 Minutes of:
Run 400m
21 Burpee Box Jumps 24/20″

Post time and Rx to comments.

Last Saturday the 9am crew had the pleasure of doing the Run+Dip/Push-Up WOD during the rain storm. Despite the heavy downfall everyone in class opted to still do the runs.  This soaked floor is the aftermath!

News and Notes

• Hooray! We’ve got 127 people signed up for Fight Gone Bad! We’ll start making all the teams today and get you the information to sign up ASAP!
• 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!)
• There are a boatload of new photos up on our Flickr page.. check them out! Also, don’t forget our Facebook page or to check in on Foursquare, if you’re so inclined. WhatupmayorGina!
• The CFSBK Book Club meeting was pushed back to 9/23 due to the Jewish Holiday.  This month’s book is Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 by Hunter S. Thompson. All are welcome to attend! 
• The 2012 CrossFit Games will be airing on ESPN2 all this week. Check out the schedule here.

Recommended Reading

We’ve been seeing Romanian Deadlifts this cycle on Mondays.  Many have griped over sore hamstrings and inadequate grip strength for the movement.  Check out Greg Everett’s article discussing the history, technique, common faults, transferability and details of the RDL.

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Watch… Long Jumping
Watch… The Highland Games
Think Volley Ball is Hard? Try playing with your feet.. Watch Sepak Takraw
Ngyuen Thi Buch Thuy: ‘Just Give Me The Damn Sepak Takraw Ball’

Today’s rest day WOD is to perform 5 minutes of free writing.  The topic is “How am I doing?”
You can do this on paper or on your computer. You might be surprised what comes out when you don’t allow yourself to censor or edit your thoughts.

From Wikipedia:
Here are the essential rules that are often formulated for the beginners or students, often a paraphrase of Natalie Goldberg’s “Rules for Free Writing,” ^[ often referred as Natalie Goldberg’s first four rules of writing

• Give yourself a time limit. Write for one or ten or twenty minutes, and then stop.
• Keep your hand moving until the time is up. Do not pause to stare into space or to read what you’ve written. Write quickly but not in a hurry.
• Pay no attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, neatness, or style. Nobody else needs to read what you produce here. The correctness and quality of what you write do not matter; the act of writing does.
• If you get off the topic or run out of ideas, keep writing anyway. If necessary, write nonsense or whatever comes into your head, or simply scribble: anything to keep the hand moving.
• If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you’re writing, ask yourself what’s bothering you and write about that.
• When the time is up, look over what you’ve written, and mark passages that contain ideas or phrases that might be worth keeping or elaborating on in a subsequent free-writing session.

Sunday Crew Caught Red Handed Just Standing Around!

Sign Up For Fight Gone Bad Today!

Today is the deadline to sign up for Fight Gone Bad 2012!! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate. Most of our verteran CFSBKers say that FGB is their favorite day of their CrossFit year! Come see why!
There are currently 92 people signed up for FGB2012!

Last Chance to Be a Supple Leopard

We’ve got over 100 CFSBK orders in for Kelly Starrett’s “Becoming a Supple Leopard” book.  David will be placing the order on Wednesday so if you’d like to get in on the 50% wholesale discount, email him with “Leopard” in the subject line. We’ll be collecting money when the books come in.

Ho’ Brah Tacos

Check out CFSBKer Alan L’s Bay Ridge restaurant Ho’ Brah Taco Joint.  Several coaches have made it down and can attest that this place is LEGIT. Currently coach Jeremy holds the top leader board spot for Tacos at 33 eaten in 24 hours. BAZ holds the second spot at 1 taco eaten.  If you’re looking to make a shot at the board, why not start here! Support your local CFSBKers!

Do you have an all time favorite WOD?
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World’s Fattest Dachsund
Brandon Wynn’s Gymnastics Ring Training
A Case For Wide Stance Squats Elite FTS

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

Performance:
2-3 Warm-Up Sets
Speed Deadlifts: 55%x1x8 every :30

Post loads to comments.
DL e2/6 compare to 2.2.2
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3 Rounds NFT of:
6 Romanian Deadlifts, slightly heavier than last week
6 Heavy Single Arm Dumbbell Presses
2:00 Plank, add weight if necessary

If you need to, use a hook grip on the RDLS.
For the Dumbbell Press, start with your non-dominant arm and don’t let your stronger arm exceed the reps and weight of the former. Get TIGHT
While this is not for time move quickly between each station.

Last Year David promised to do 15 Burpees during each rest period and the entire workout in a 20lb weighted vest if he hit his fundraising goal

Sign up for Fight Gone Bad 2012 Today!

Training vs. Testing

by Coach Noah
Originally Posted 8/1/12

All last week attempted One Rep Maxes (1RMs) here at CFSBK.  People moved some impressive weight, beat old PRs, and gained insight about their training and their performance.  Going forward into Crush Week, now that many of us have some experience exploring the outer margins of our strength, let us discuss what testing is, as opposed to training, and where both of these concepts fit our development as Crossfitters.

Training

When we train a skill or movement, we perform with a direct and focused outcome.  At CFSBK we mainly use a “linear progression” model for our strength training, which allows us to slowly and steadily increase our strength and avoid plateaus.  We mix this with conditioning and muscular endurance training that is designed to complement our strength training while drawing from a deeper pool of movements and time domains.  Our training is never random- our coaches spend a good deal of time and energy to make sure that each movement we do in the gym makes us stronger, more mobile, and works to address weaknesses and imbalances.  At CFSBK we train submaximally 90% or more of the time- basically if it is a workout without a “Girl” or “Hero” name or a One Rep Max test, consider it training, and handle yourself accordingly, as described below.

Good training is generally submaximal, which means we use loads or rep schemes that are lower than our absolute ability.  Training submaximally is great for a number of reasons.  It allows us to train with proper technique, avoid injury, and recover better.  Training submaximally also lets us “own our exercise” and perform our reps with good speed, authority, and confidence.  

Your own training should draw on these concepts.  Your training should be submaximal, with an eye on the larger outcome your training session will have on your general fitness.  During training, failure should be nearly non-existent (I will discuss this further at the end of the article) and we should reflect about what today’s work means to our greater plans both before and after our training session.  We should leave each training session feeling that we accomplished our goals and are moving forward with our bigger plan.

Testing

Testing is the rare and exotic unicorn in direct opposition to the common utilitarian draft horse of training.   Compared to training, testing is rare.  At CFSBK we have programmed crush weeks, during which we will program more “named” workouts, or generally tougher workouts that are related to the training cycle we have just completed, with an eye on testing how effective our training has been.  Unlike training, where we have a full understanding and direction for our daily toil, a day of testing can be a bit of a wild card.  Coach Jeremy has referred to it as a “performance,” and just like on the stage, sometimes during a test we bring the house down, and some days we fall flat.  Part of the value of training lies in this mystery and our reaction to it.

Why train so frequently and test so rarely?  Testing taxes your body and has little progressive effect on your system.  Moving extremely heavy load or at breakneck speed can lead to diminished accuracy in technique, technical misses, and is extremely taxing on our CNS.  Incessant testing leads to poor recovery and less adaptive stress on our system.  Adaptive stress fuels growth, so the more we test, the less we grow.

Why test at all then?  Tests are necessary for benchmarking our progress, identifying weaknesses, and gaining experience and confidence in performance under pressure.  The very reason the “girls” and “heroes” are referred to as “benchmark” workouts is that we should only perform them every so often as a yardstick for our strength and conditioning gains.  Don’t be the guy who does Fran every friday.  That said, every so often you should pick a workout and say “I’m gonna really get after this” and lay it all out there.  It’s best to make sure it’s a workout we do semi-regularly so you will have some comparative data, and it’s good to pick a workout that incorporates movements you have been working on during your training so that you can reward your hard work with progress.

Failing and Bailing

This conversation is a long time coming, and an attempt to clean up some lax training habits and psychology that have become a bit too hardwired at the gym.  The difference between training, where we very rarely fail, and testing, where we very well may fail, necessitates a discussion of when, why, and how failing/bailing should occur.

During training we should virtually never fail.  We should be working submaximally, with a plan, and in control of the weight.  Part of our plan is a plan to succeed.  If we do fail it should be a technical fail- lost balance in a squat, hitting ourselves in the chin during a press- a mistake.  Repeated failure during a training phase is a not-so-subtle message from our CNS that we are training too hard and need to back off or deload entirely.  During a 6-8 week training phase you should be able to count your missed reps on one hand, with fingers to spare.

During a test, we may very well fail as we brush up against the ceiling of our strength, conditioning, and skill.  This could be as simple as not being able to stand a squat back up after taking it down, or can be biting off more than we can chew in a WOD and realizing that we either won’t be able to complete it at all, or at least not before the next equinox.  These failures will inform our training going forward, as they set concrete benchmarks about what where we currently stand.  A missed lift or slow metcon shouldn’t be a cause for frustration, demonstrative shouting, or thrown weight belts, but as useful data that will inform our next training cycle.

Bailing is a luxury that weightlifters went without for many years.  Bumper plates are an invention of Olympic Weightlifting, where technical misses occur fairly often due to the high skill demand of the movements.  Powerlifters for years toiled away in “iron gyms,” without the ability to bail every time they got stuck in the hole.  This week we had everyone get spotted during 1RM attempts, and asked that they hang in there and finish their lifts, even if it had to be with the aid of the spotter.  Fighting through a rep is a learned skill, and often the feeling of “oh no, this will never go up” can one second later become “I’ve got it” with the application of a little tenacity.  The converse is true- people can become so comfortable bailing the bar that the second their squat feels less than stellar they toss if off their shoulders.  While there are some WODs and specific workouts where a (CONTROLLED) bail is ok (Grace for example) these bails usually happen at the TOP of a lift so the athlete doesn’t tire out or have to fight through a suboptimal position. Learn to fight out a rep, finish what you start, and don’t get comfortable with the idea of bailing the bar.

The Takeaway

The best athletes have a larger view of their training, and don’t simply walk into the gym each day without a plan, throw some weight on the bar, and see what they can do.  Careful planning, listening to your coaches and your own body for feedback, and picking your times to test a lift
or skill will all lead to greater success, faster recovery, and less injuries.

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James Hobart Split Snatches Heavy Doubles
The History of Fitness

2 Warm-Up Sets
Then 3 Work Sets of:
Chinese Rows, 10 Reps
Supine Band Pull-Aparts, 15 Reps

Post loads to comments
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5 Rounds NFT of:
L-Sit Hold, Accumulate 40 or 25 seconds
100m Farmers Carry, go very heavy

Post experience to comments.

Congratulations to the CFSBK Softball Team on a Successful First Season!
See more pics from the last game here. Thanks Ellie!

Newly Weds! Congratulations to Mike and Janelle as well as Jane and Jenna on getting hitched yesteday! CrossFit Couples FOR LIFE!!!

New Equipment

CFSBK recently picked up some more new equipment. Look out for it at a Group Class near you soon!

25lb Competition Green Bumpers: 3 Pair
35lb Competition Yellow Bumpers: 3 Pair
45lb Competition Blue Bumpers: 2 Pair
New Micro Mini Orange Bands: 6 Pair
20lb Medball: 2
16lb Medball: 1
14lb Medball: 1
12lb Medball: 3 (by popular female request)
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The Man Behind The Beard: Lucas Parker CrossFit Games
The Tragic Death Of the Military Press Starting Strength
Words Of Wisdom And Training Compilation Ross Enmait

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

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

Post loads to comments.
LBBSQ e2/6 compare 9.1.12
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Performance
For Time:
Run 1/3 mile
21 Strict Ring Dips
Run 1/3 Mile
15 Strict Ring Dips
Run 1/3 Mile
9 Strict Ring Dips

Fitness
For Time:
Run 1/3 mile
21 or 42 Push-Ups
Run 1/3 Mile
15 or 30 Push-Ups
Run 1/3 Mile
9 or 18 Push-Ups

Post time and Rx to comments.

Athlete Of The Month

Barbara Kryszko!

Wow…what a long way Barbara has come since walking in to CFSBK. Some people don’t make it through Foundations, and some people decide after a short while that Crossfit isn’t for them for whatever reason. Neither of these fitness fates was to be for her. The self professed non-athletic vegetarian was up for a challenge and saw something else in store for herself. We’re glad she did.

Fox – (whispered) Barbara, you’re Athlete of the Month…

BK – Yeah, nice joke. Isn’t there a rule that you have to eat meat or something?

Fox – Haha! Nope, tell me how you found CrossFit South Brooklyn and why you stayed.

BK – Well I had a friend who was talking about signing up and I figured “If she can do that, I can do that”. I don’t know, I think it was just the right time in my life and I was up for a challenge. To be perfectly honest I had “donated “ more money to gyms and health clubs over the years than I care to admit. CrossFit just clicked for me.

Fox – What was it that clicked?

BK – Well believe it or not I used to be about 40 lbs heavier than I am now. I cleaned up my diet a bit and started walking and was able to lose weight, which is great. The bad part is that I did that twice. I lost a bunch of weight and eventually gained it back. I decided that I needed to be healthier and felt like this was going to be a part of it. The community aspect of the gym, the non-judgemental attitude of coaches and athletes alike, the support systems in place, these are all reasons why I stayed in the beginning. Then I started seeing results and understanding that there was an intelligent process at work here. I love that there’s always room to grow.

Fox – I’m so glad we have been a part of that, and I can’t even begin to picture you 40 lbs heavier! Tell me about this “meat free” diet of yours

BK – I knew you’d want to talk about that. Well, I’ve been a vegetarian since high school. My (well meaning traditional Polish) parents used to try and get me to eat meat with little success. By the time I was in high school they understood that this was my choice, or at least they (almost) gave up on trying to get me to eat meat. I gave it up for Lent under the auspice of religion. My Catholic parents couldn’t argue that one and they let me be. I’d first made the decision as a child while in Poland on vacation with family. I remember playing with the chickens that kept in the yard, and then being served chicken for a family meal, and putting it together.

Fox – Being a successful CrossFitter on a vegetarian diet can be a challenge. How do you go about getting enough protein to recover?

BK – I eat lots of eggs, like a few dozen per week. I also eat lots of lentils which I soak and supplement with protein powder too. Unlike many vegetarians I eat no grains. Going gluten free was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my health and now I avoid all grains. To make up the difference in calories I also eat a ton of fat.

Fox – Smart choices! I love it. Tell me a bit about you outside of the gym. Where are you from? What do you do for work and fun?

BK – I’m from the Detroit suburbs. I grew up there and went to college an hour away. I was born in Detroit proper though and went to school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, so I consider myself a city girl. I had a pretty traditional Polish Catholic upbringing, which meant Polish language school and folk dancing and all. I came to New York on a family trip when I was about 13 years old, loved it, and knew I’d live here. I moved to Brooklyn when I came to New York and have been here since. I work as a public interest lawyer, i.e. the kind that doesn’t make tons of money but has a lot of meaningful and rewarding work. For fun, besides CrossFit I like to spend time with friends, eating a great meal, enjoying a good glass of wine and exploring what NYC has to offer. I also recently started meditation and am really drawn to it. I find it to be a nice parallel to CrossFit.

Fox – What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses in the gym?

BK – I’m working on getting stronger with weights, and finding it in myself to just let it rip every now and then. I think I do better on longer, chipper style workouts. I can really tune in with myself and keep moving. I find this to be somewhat similar to meditation.

Fox – Really interesting stuff. Last question. What do you think we should look for in a future AOM?

BK – Someone who is balanced and has a spirit to persevere. Someone who is enthusiastic about not only their own process but also about others. Something I really love about CFSBK is that it fosters both individuals and the community to be the best they can be.

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Huge congrats to Barbara. We couldn’t be prouder to have her as a member of the community, and to see the progress she’s made in sticking with the program even while the friend who prompted the challenge that brought her to us bowed out long ago. We look forward to still more progress and to seeing her ‘let it rip’ on a WOD every now and again. And, to seeing her demo some of the traditional Polish folk dance.