WOD 5.29.19

A1) Deadlift:
3 x 20 @ 25-35% of 1RM

A2) Alternating Partner Rotational Toss (First variation):
3 x 16

A3) Hollow Hold:
3 x 30 seconds

Rest 1:00 between movements.
Rest 2:00 between sets.

Post work to comments.
Week 2 of 2

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4 x 1:00 Work/4:00 Rest:
10/8 Calorie Bike
Max Reps Alternating Dumbbell Snatch in remaining time (50/35 lb)

Scale the bike calories to something you can maintain in under :30 for all 4 rounds Move fast!  Score highest and lowest reps.

Post highest reps, lowest reps, and Rx to comments.

Kayleigh and Cam at the 2017 Pull for Pride

Sponsor Team CFSBK at The Pull for Pride!

Cam C., Kayleigh R., Chainsaw Charlie, Anise F., and Amy M. will be competing in the Pull for Pride on Saturday, June 22nd  at Murder of Crows. The Pull for Pride is a Deadlift-only event benefiting the Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

Go here to sponsor our lifters!

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Heart of a Dog Substack
A Novel Idea in the Majors: Using Batting Practice to Get Better NY Times

WOD 5.28.19

30 Minutes For Quality:
20 Hand-to-Hand Russian Kettlebell Swings 
50′ Sled Push
20 Calorie Row
10 Alternating Bar Hang Hip Taps

Just move around today and don’t look for intensity if you did “Murph” yesterday. The kettlebells should be light to medium-heavy and unbroken. The Sled Push can be on the heavy side but able to be completed without stopping. Easy on the Row, and hold a Prone Grip Hang (leg-assisted as needed) for 20 seconds if you cannot do the Hip Taps. 

Post work to comments.
Week 2 of 2

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Overhead Squat

5-5-5

Work out of a rack and build to a moderately-heavy load for today.

Post loads to comments.

The East Coast Gambit: Register by June 1st!

Did Murph Day whet your appetite for competition? The first-annual East Coast Gambit is a premier, single day, functional fitness competition in the northeast! Hosted right here at CrossFit South Brooklyn, the event is open to all individuals and will feature both RX and SCALED divisions. All athletes will perform 3 workouts, plus a 4th floater workout. Expect the workouts to challenge you both physically and mentally, compelling you to do your very best on competition day!

Cash and prizes totaling over $3500 will be awarded to the top three athletes in each division! Sponsors include: RYU Apparel, Cafe Grumpy, Thirteen Fit Apparel, WOD N Done, RPM Jump Ropes, Born Primitive, Bear Complex, Wags and Weights, Chestee, and more!

The big day is scheduled for June 15th, 2019 from 8am to 4pm. Standard registration ends on June 1st, and June 7th is the last day of late registration.

Head over to the East Coast Gambit site to see the awesome workouts and sign up!

News and Notes

• How did “Murph” go yesterday? Tell us in the comments!
• We’re smack in the middle of a “floater” period aimed at bridging the gap between last Sunday’s CrossFit Total and yesterday’s  “Murph.” A new 6-week training cycle will start Monday, June 3rd.

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The Joy of Misreading Things NY Mag
Caitlin Meade, Rogue Spectator to Sanctionals Competitor Morning Chalk Up

“Murph”

For Time:
1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor.” It is now referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is. Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

Post time and Rx to comments.
Week 2 of 2

Murph Day 2019 Is Here!

All regularly scheduled classes (including AM Open Gym) are cancelled today for Murph Day. Here’s all the other important stuff you need to know!

• If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and the origins of “Murph,” this is a great place to start.
• A record 211 of you are registered to do “Murph” today.  If you decide not to do it at the last minute, please delete your name from the spreadsheet so someone else can take your place.
• Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a $20 (or more!) donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. Thanks to all who have donated! We’ll have a kiosk set up to accept donations at the gym today.
• For scaling options and game plans, see Coach Fox’s very useful post, “Murph Is For Everybody.”
• Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”?  You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat starts. 
• CFSBK will provide a keg, burgers, and sausages, but please bring more delicious foods, especially side dishes!

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Dancer Honors Late Brother, a Veteran, on Memorial Day CNN (video)
10 Things to Remember About Memorial Day Mental Floss

Hang Power Clean

3-3-3-3-3

The Hang is anywhere above the knee. Work up to a perfect max for the day.

Post loads to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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For Time:
20 Deadlifts 225/155
400m Med Ball Run 20/14
20 Deadlifts 225/155

Post time and Rx to comments.

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MURPH DAY 2019

1. Murph Day is TOMORROW! This is one of our biggest and best community events of the year, when we perform the classic CrossFit Hero WOD “Murph” followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. Because we’ll be running heats from 8am to 1pm, all other classes are cancelled. If you’ve been on the fence, there’s still time to get in on the fun. As of 2pm on Saturday, 187 CFSBKers have signed up to participate. Join us here!

2. CFSBK and many other affiliates do “Murph” on Memorial Day in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and where this workout comes from, this is a great place to start.

3. What is “Murph”? How should you approach it? All of the answers are in a recent post, in which Coach Fox lays out some scaling options.

4. Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. You can donate at the gym on the big day.

5. Additionally, CFSBK will donate $5 of each Murph Day t-shirt we sell to K9s for Warriors! 

6. CFSBK will provide one keg, burgers, and sausages, but please feel free to BYOB and more delicious foods, especially side dishes! 

7. Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”? You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat goes off.

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A Solution for Loneliness Scientific American
Mental Strength in Weightlifting Catalyst Athletics

Partner WOD

In teams of 2 with one partner working at a time, complete the following chipper for time:
300 Double-Unders
2000m Row
100 Box Jumps 

Modify the Dubs to Alternating Foot Steps or 2x Singles as needed.

Post time, Rx, and partner to comments.
Week 1 of 2

Join Callie for the women-only Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals course. You’ll learn the basic body movements, mechanics, and techniques of submission grappling. By the end of the the 4 weeks, you’ll have a solid sense of the Jiu Jitsu fundamentals and how it can continue to enhance your life

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at CFSBK: Classes Start Tomorrow!

WOD 5.24.19

AMRAP 5 Minutes:
5 Hang Power Snatch 95/65
5 Lateral Bar Burpees
5 Toes-to-Bars
5 Lateral Bar Burpees

Rest 5 minutes, then…

AMRAP 5 Minutes:
5 Hang Power Snatch 95/65
5 Lateral Bar Burpees 
5 Toes-to-Bars
5 Lateral Bar Burpees

The barbell should be light for you. Modify to Knees-to-Chest as needed. The goal is to move unbroken and score within a few reps on each AMRAP.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.
Week 1 of 2

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Murph Day 2019 is THIS MONDAY! So far, 165 CFSBKers have registered to participate in one of our biggest and best community events of the year. Can we beat last year’s total of 190 participants? Go HERE to sign up for a heat! (Also, we’re still looking for volunteers to help out with set up and break down, which you can sign up for at the same link.)

2. For the 4th year in a row, we’ll be raising money to benefit K9s for Warriors, an organization that provides service dogs for veterans suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disability, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma as a result of military service post-9/11. The program has graduated over 300 Warrior/canine teams like Edna and Sarge, who are pictured above. 90% of the dogs in the program come from rescue shelters or are owner-surrendered. Because there is no charge for the workout, nor will it be deducted from your weekly class limit, we do recommend donating what you would have paid for the class to K9s for Warriors. You can donate at the gym on the day of the event!

3. Still on the fence about doing “Murph”? Don’t forget that you can scale it! On Tuesday, Coach Fox walked us through all the options.

4. We have new cycles of our women-only Level 1 and all-genders Level 2 Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes starting this Sunday! Go HERE to learn more and sign up!

5. CFSBK masters athletes Dan Baldini and Bob Semmens recently competed in both the CrossFit Open and the Age Group Online Qualifier. Yesterday, the told us about their experiences and filled us in on what it’s like to compete as a masters athlete.

6. Lizzie Donahue is our May Athlete of the Month. Congrats, Lizzie!

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Developing Strength One Leg at a Time Breaking Muscle
The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Health: Sleep Well The Guardian

Front Squat

5-3-1-3-5

Warm up and work up to a heavy set of 5 reps, then a heavy set of 3, and finally a heavy set of 1 before working back up.

Post loads to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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AMRAP 9 Minutes:
30 Alternating Dumbbell Box Step-Ups 24/20, 50/35 (alternate legs, hold the DB anyhow)
30 AbMAt Sit-Ups

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Dan B. (left) and Bob S. (right)

The Masters

CFSBK masters athletes Dan Baldini and Bob Semmens recently competed in both the CrossFit Open and the Age Group Online Qualifier, the next step qualifying teens and masters take on their way to the CrossFit Games. We asked them to tell us about their experiences, and today we’re happy to share them with the community!

How did you do this year?

Dan: I tied for 114th place in the Open, and I tied for 75th place in the AGOQ.

Bob: I finished 123rd in the world-wide open and 81st in the 60 and over AGOQ.

What are your athletic backgrounds? Have you competed in the past?

Dan: I was on the swim team in college, and after that I ran for about 10 years, then I got into triathlons and I did that for about 15 years but I found the training got pretty tedious. I’ve been doing CrossFit on and off now for about 14 years, basically since the first one opened in New York (CrossFit NYC). Objectively I’m not that great a CrossFitter. It’s just that if you keep at it long enough the competition falls away. This year only about 2,700 men did the Open in my age group, so the odds of making it to the AGOQ weren’t that bad. I imagine most folks my age have moved on to things that don’t make you feel like you’re about to have a heart attack.  For this reason there isn’t much of a masters community, at least in New York. Bob is the only CrossFitter I know in New York over 55.

Bob: I played varsity football, wrestling, and track & field in high school as well as competing at high school powerlifting. I hoped to play college football but incurred a serious knee injury as a senior in high school, which cut short my football career.I trained in martial arts for 30 years in Tae-kwon do (Black Belt), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Purple Belt) and Judo (Brown Belt). I won a gold medal in the senior division at the Pan American BJJ championships and two gold medals in the senior division at the New York BJJ Open.I have completed 5 triathlons, one marathon, and numerous 10Ks. I began CrossFit training in 2006 at CFSBK to supplement my martial arts training and went “full time” in CrossFit training in 2009 due to some physical ailments. I did a CFL1 cert at CFSBK in 2009. I still fondly remember CFSBK at the Lyceum. The first WOD I remember there was “Fran,” where David asked me to use rings instead of a bar for the Pull-Ups as bar space was limited. This is my fifth AGOQ.  I have finished as high as 35^th and as low as 177^th.

What were your approaches to the Online Qualifier workouts? Did you do them solo or in a team environment?

Dan: This was the seventh time I’ve done the Open and the first time I’ve made it to the AGOQ.  I moved up an age group so I figured this year was my chance to do well and I mostly prepared on my own following CompTrain Masters programming.  When it came to the workouts Bob and I did them together at CFSBK from Friday morning through Monday morning.  This was much more fun than doing them solo and I probably did better as a result.

Bob: Dan and I did them together, although in a different order. I would judge and record Dan and then he would do the same for me.

What is it like to compete as a master’s athlete?

Dan: I enjoy CrossFit competitions. Except for the Open and the occasional masters competition, I’m up against folks who are a lot younger and better than me. I think knowing that there’s no way I’ll be competitive relieves any anxiety and I get a sense of accomplishment just finishing, although I prefer not to come in last. Of course I like being fit, but it’s the competitions that keep me training hard throughout the year.

Bob: There is not really much community in the master’s division. It’s all online! I wish there were some community. Our division had about 3000 competitors, so I was really lucky to find Dan to work with in the AGOQ. He and I had competed in some other master’s events. Unfortunately, most of those master’s events have gone away.  I have a coach who programs my training, so I don’t do many classes at CFSBK anymore just Open Gym. It is difficult to train every day without company. Aiming to compete well in the Open and AGOQ each year helps keep me motivated to train hard.

Murph Day 2019: T-Minus 4 Days!

Murph Day 2019 is this Monday the 27th, Memorial Day! So far 150 of you have registered, which is awesome. Can we make it to 160 by the end of the day? Go HERE to sign up for a heat!

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The New Kilogram Just Debuted. It’s a Massive Achievement Vox
The Evolution of Memorial Day JSTOR Daily

Power Clean and Push Press

Every Other Minutes x 10:
5 Power Cleans + 3 Push Presses

Start light and build to a medium-heavy load.

Post loads to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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4 Sets for Quality:
8-10 Dips (Ring/Matador/Box)
16-20 Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Post work to comments.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at CFSBK

Pull-Ups

Choose one of the following options and work on performing 4-6 sets.

A) Strength Work:
Strict Pull-Ups 
Sets of 2-5 challenging reps (assisted as needed)

B) Strength + Skill Work:
2-3 Strict Pull Ups + 2-4 Paused Kipping Pull Ups

Pause with your chin over bar for a second (not quite as long as in the video) before pushing away to cycle into the next rep.

C) Skill + Stamina Work:
Sets of 5+ reps. If you have sets of 10+ regular Kipping Pull-Ups and want to work on the Butterfly then this is a good day to do so, and here’s a good Butterfly progression to work on! Stop if/when you lose rhythm. Be mindful of your hands.

Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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15 Minute Row @ R/16

Use watts as the metric and pull a split that allows you to maintain nasal breathing throughout.

Post work to comments.

Murph Day 2019 is less than a week away! So far 122 of you have registered, which is awesome. Can we make it to 140 by the end of the day? Go HERE to sign up for a heat! | Photo by Robert C. 

“Murph” Is For Everyone

By Chris Fox
Originally posted on 5.23.17

Hero WODs are usually longer, harder, and heavier—more grueling than your average WOD. “Murph” is no exception. But “Murph” is also for every CFSBKer who wants to do it. As always, we have a scaling option that is appropriate for wherever you’re at on your fitness journey. Whether you’re going to do a full “Murph” or not, you can choose to perform one of the following options:

“Murph”

1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats however desired. The classic and most often-chosen version is “Cindy” style: 20 rounds of 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. Many folks choose to split the Push-Ups up and instead do 20 rounds of 5 Push-Ups, 5 Pull-Ups, 5 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. If your Pull-Ups and Push-Ups are pretty strong, you might consider doing 10 rounds of 10 Pull-Ups, 20 Push-Ups, and 30 Squats (less to count!). Of course, you can also choose to perform the reps “Angie” style and do “Murph” as a chipper… or as Rx’d and wear a 20/14lb vest for the whole shebang.

Our standard movement scaling options are…

Run: Row or Bike
Pull-Ups: Ring Rows
Push-Ups: Knee Push-Ups
Squats: Squats!

We know that many of you can perform the movements as prescribed but may need to scale the total volume a bit. To this end, here are some scaling options:

1/3 “Murph”

33 Pull-Ups
66 Push-Ups
99 Squats

11 sets of 3/6/9

1/2 “Murph”

50 Pull-Ups
100 Push-Ups
150 Squats

10 Sets of 5/10/15 or 5/5/5/15

3/4 “Murph”

75 Pull-Ups
150 Push-Ups
200 Squats

15 Sets of 5/10/15, or 5/5/5/15

We encourage everyone to complete both 1 mile runs, unless an injury precludes you from running. It’s generally the large volume of bodyweight movements that need scaling.

How have you approached “Murph” in the past, and how will you approach it this year? Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Aerobic Recovery Day
3 Reasons Why No Two Squat Stances Look Exactly the Same BarBend
From Heart Patient to Lifter Starting Strength

Aerobic Recovery Day

40 Minutes for Quality:
A) 400m Jog (or about 2:00)
B) 10e Half Kneeling Band Chops 
C) 65m Each Single-Arm Farmer Carry (medium-heavy load)
D) 20 Dead Bugs (hold a hollow)
E) 20 Walking Lunges (load with dumbbells as needed/desired)

Rotate through the exercises above at a low intensity/aerobic pace. If you wear a heartrate monitoring device, then aim to say below about 150 bpm. Otherwise, you should be able to breathe through your nose the entire time and/or hold a conversational pace.

Post work to comments.

May Athlete of the Month: Lizzie Donahue

As told to Chris Fox

What brought you to CrossFit?

On the gorgeous warm and clear day of October 28th, I was hanging with my dear friend Bjorn Bellenbaum. He was telling me about the iron man competitions he used to run. I exclaimed how amazing it would be to run a marathon. That I couldn’t even run a block without pain in my shins and knees. He told me that’s because the muscles around my knees are weak.

“I’m not going to a gym.”
“Of course not, but I think you should do CrossFit.”
“Oh that. No way. I’m too old”
“We’ve got members in their 80s”.
“Hmmmm”.

Bjorn, by the way, is one of the long time CFSBK members who worked out with David in St. Mary’s park.

What were some your first impressions?

My first impression when I signed up for the Free Intro Class was a calm sun drenched concrete box with notes of rubber. The garage doors were open, the sun was shining, a few folks were sitting around. A few were pushing iron up and down. The music was interesting. The vibe was very chill. I dropped by after 2pm on Friday, October 28th, 2016, and signed up for the Free Intro Class on Sunday, October 30th.

Are you one of those people who remember dates and weather?

No. The reason I remember is because exactly one month before, on September 28th, 2016, my dad died. Don’t say sorry. I mean, of course you can. But I’m not bringing it up to create a somber moment. Both Bjorn’s strong knees and my dad’s death were inspirations for me to get strong. My dad was 88 years old and had cancer of the everything. He had always been very athletic and somewhat of an endurance queen, so up until the day he died his vitals were excellent. He had a strong death.

A strong death?

Yes. It’s a story. But the short of it is that after his death I felt like I had zero vitality left.

Did CrossFit recharge you?

Shazzzzam! Not just physically but it’s one of the most spiritual things I’ve ever done. Busting your hump with other differently abled humans is a type of communion.

Communion. Hmmm. Were you raised Catholic by any chance?

Very much so.

What brought you to Brooklyn?

The usual boring reasons. Another question could be did you ever think you’d end up in Brooklyn? HELLS TO THE NO!!!! Born and raised in Staten Island. Manhattan was the skyline. Mecca. Brooklyn was where my parents and their ancestors came from. I only went to Brooklyn to visit my grandmas in their smelly apartments.

Staten. Island.

Staten Island, but the North Shore. It’s a distinction I desperately hold on to. Certain members of the Wu-Tang Clan went to my junior high. Sure, a couple of years after I graduated. But I cling to it, nonetheless.

Are you happy to be living in Brooklyn?

Yes! Absolutely. Extremely grateful to be living with my beautiful partner of 11 years, Jasmine. And our two cats. Viva la cliché! We also live two blocks from our nephews which is beyond delicious. Jasmine has been a regular at Short Circuit for the past several months.

What do you “do”?

I’ve worked for over 20 years as a tv and film editor. While I really love the process of editing, I don’t love the business. I think it was a hobby that I gave a bit too much time to.

What would you want to do instead of editing?

Lizzie: I’m very interested in helping people access a peaceful death. Especially people who don’t have family or friends. I’ve been taking Thanatology classes and various trainings that have to do with end of life situations.

How do you know this isn’t a hobby?

I don’t. But in the meantime it’s an extremely useful skill set to have and it will come in handy with my friends and family. Just recently I helped my aunt access a peaceful transition. Yes, I just wrote that. I am still figuring out the language around this death business.

Let’s discuss another kind of death. Subways.

I have this fantasy that the MTA only allow ads that address subway etiquette. Companies must create campaigns that revolve around subway do’s and don’ts. For example: “We all want to get home to our comfy Caspar mattress, but first we must step aside and allow our fellow sleepers room to exit”.

What have you struggled most with at the gym and what are you working on now?

Everything has been a struggle. But I love the struggle and the struggle tolerates me. My current goal is 3 Pull-Ups in a row. I usually use a red band when I do Pull-Ups. Recently I’ve been making myself do my first Pull-Up without an assist. During an AMRAP a few weeks ago I did 2 in a row without assist, 4 times. Which came to 8 strict Pull-Ups in about 16 minutes.

Is there anything you’re most proud of yourself for improving?

Consistently pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Walking has been my primary source of exercise for most of my life. I’ve swam, biked, ran, done aerobics, yoga, but I’ve never maintained any of the hard stuff for long.

What’s one of the most invaluable things CrossFit has taught you?

Core strength and what it’s good for: everything.

What do you love most about CFSBK?

The coaches. Of course. You people are magic.

What advice would you offer for someone just starting out in CrossFit?

Listen to what the coaches are telling you. Again. And again. And again. Don’t be a size queen. Focus on form before weight. Ignore the voice in your head that says you don’t belong here. She may be right, but who cares. Ok, maybe it’s not always coming from outside your head. Again, who cares.

What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

All the lovely humans who inhabit this community. The high I feel as I’m walking home after class. Being able to pick up my nephews with ease. Catching things with my left hand. Running.

What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?

The fact that you picked me for Athlete of the Month makes me think this feature has jumped the shark. I guess I’d insist that they have a heartbeat and an active membership at CFSBK.

News and Notes

• A new group class programming cycle starts today. Woo hoo! The next 2 weeks, from today through June 2nd, will be a “floater” period aimed at bridging the gap between yesterday’s CrossFit Total and Memorial Day’s “Murph.” A 6-week cycle will start on June 3rd.
• Hey, speaking of… how did your Total go yesterday?! Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: CrossFit Total
Me, Myself, and My Numbers NY Mag
“Botanical Sexism” Could Be Behind Your Seasonal Allergies Atlas Obscura