Clean and Jerk

1-1-1-1-1

Begin at about 75% and work up to a heavy single (not a 1RM) for the day. No press-outs. The goal is zero misses, but if you have a missed lift (either straight up or technical), take 5-10% off the bar for your next rep.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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Tabata Mash-Up

8 Alternating Tabata Rounds Each of:
Russian Kettlebell Swings
Air Squats
AbMat Sit Ups

Perform 20 seconds of Russian Kettlebell Swings and 10 seconds of rest, followed by 20 seconds of Air Squats and 10 seconds of rest, then 20 seconds of AbMat Sit-Ups and 10 seconds of rest… repeat for a total of 8 rounds. Score combined total number of reps for all 3 movements.

Post work to comments.

Striking Workshop at CrossFit Suffolk

On Sunday, February 11th, CrossFit Suffolk will host a CrossFit Striking Workshop, a single-day immersive experience that teaches participants how to increase overall fitness, core strength, rotational speed and power by incorporating striking drills into CrossFit workouts. Strikes are some of the most functional movements because punching and kicking with true power, speed and accuracy require people to utilize their entire body. This is why fighters are some of the most well-conditioned and powerful athletes in the world.

With this in mind, the Striking Workshop is designed to teach participants to incorporate basic mixed-martial-arts, boxing and self-protection striking concepts into workouts. The course also teaches attendees to program these skills into workouts for greater variance. All this is done in a non-contact format that focuses on proper technique by using shadow boxing, focus mitts, kick shields and a heavy bag.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Wodurday
A Brief History of the Stick Nautilus
Lonely No Longer CrossFit Journal

For Time:

550m Run, then…

3 Rounds:
21 Deadlifts 135/95
15 Toes to Bars

The Deadlifts should be light and completed in 1-2 sets. If you can’t string together sets of 6-10 Toes-t0-Bars then scale to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises.

550m Run, then…

3 Rounds:
15 Hang Power Cleans 135/95
9 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

The Hang Power Cleans should be medium heavy and completed in 1-3 sets. If you can’t string together sets of 3-5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups, then scale to Chin-over-Bar Pull-Ups or Jumping Pull-Ups.

550m Run, then…

3 Rounds:
9 Overhead Squats 135/95
6 Muscle-Ups

The Overhead Squats should be medium-heavy and completed in 1-2 sets If you can’t complete the Ring Muscle-Ups in 1-3 sets then scale to 12 Ring Dips or Burpees.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Headed into the 2nd day of Wodapalooza, Coach KHarpz is at 7th place on the Intermediate Women leaderboard. Show her some love in the comments! 

Farewell (sort of!) to Katie H.

As we mentioned yesterday, the blog is still catching up on community news. CFSBK’s resident anthropologist Katie Rose Hjetmanek recently completed her research at the gym and actually in Miami at Wodapalooza this weekend to observe the competition. Here’s a great message she sent us:

Hi CFSBK! Your resident anthropologist here. I hope you are thriving as 2017 gives way to 2018. I haven’t seen many of you the past couple of months. I have been traveling and nursing a knee injury. It has been a wonderful 18 months with you all. I have learned more than I ever thought I would, made wonderful friends, and experienced so much that the gym and its community have to offer. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you

I want to thank David Osorio for his openness to this project and to me as an anthropologist. He allowed me to run around and do my anthropology, trusting me along the way. My heart is full of gratitude for the opportunity and overwhelmed by his generosity. Thank you so much David for this incredible chance to learn more about CrossFit, CFSBK, and what it means to build something that is so important for so many

Thank you to coaches. I cannot begin to explain how much I learned from you as I practiced and observed classes and training. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me, as both an anthropologist and a member. Not only do I understand the various parts of CrossFit better but I can embody them better as well – I’m so much stronger and able than I was a year ago. Thank you for extending your wisdom my way. Also, I’m sorry. I know it was annoying to have me hanging out, especially when I was around for hours and hours.

To the members, thank you so very, very much. So many of you have shared your experiences of CrossFit and CFSBK with me and I am forever indebted to you for your willingness, kindness, and openness. Your candor has helped me learn about and make sense of CrossFit and the way it manifests itself in your lives. This project really relied on your generosity and I’m astounded and impressed by the depth of it. Thank you for welcoming me as you do others, even though I asked more from you. You are all so very fortunate and brilliant to have made CFSBK the true treasure that it is!

I am not yet finished with the project as a whole. I am going to Wodapalooza in January (Go Katie Harper!!!) and will complete my fieldwork at other gyms by the end of June. I’m still hoping to do international fieldwork as well but that all depends on funding. Afterward I will write up. Therefore, if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, you can always contact me at KHejtmanek [at] brooklyn.cuny.edu, maxesandprs [at] gmail.com, or via Instagram at @Maxesandprs.

Finally, I’m not really going anywhere. I will remain at Brooklyn College and in Brooklyn. And I hope to return to CFSBK as Katie (full stop) rather than Katie the observing anthropologist. CFSBK has come to mean a lot to me too, I’ve built very important relationships, and perhaps the blessing of doing fieldwork where you live is that you don’t have to leave, you just have to put down your notebook. So perhaps I will see you in 2018.

Again: thank you, thank you, thank you.

See you soon, Katie! If you’re reading this, tell us how it’s going in Miami!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Drive Better by Stopping Better in the Jerk Catalyst Athletics
Define Your Habits by Playing the Long Game Breaking Muscle

The blog is a bit behind on stuff what with new programs launching and the LFPB Challenge gearing up, but here’s something really cool. It’s CFSBK member and photographer Robert C. giving a TEDx talk called “Is a Robot Standing Between You and Your Next Job?” It’s a very cool and informative video. Congrats, Robert! 

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Coach KHarpz is in Miami this weekend for Wodapalooza! Here’s a transmission from the Sunshine State:

“Looking forward to throwing down as an Intermediate Individual at this year’s Wodapalooza! Couldn’t be more thankful for all of you and the supportive crew that is coming down to watch! A couple of people have asked, so if you want to spectate from afar, here are the ways you can locate me on the livestream, especially if you want to see what I look like cleaning a sandbag in a swim cap and goggles on Saturday, : 1) Download the WZA phone app. My schedule will be posted under Intermediate individual directed to this link below. There will be a livestream option on the site as well as through the app. 2) You can also access the schedule and livestream from the website. 3) If I know more info I’ll post details about heat times to the blog! STAY WARM FOLKS!”

Kick some ass, Katie! You can follow Katie’s ass kicking on the WZA leaderboard.

2. Save the date: The CFSBK Community Potluck goes down on Saturday, February 3rd! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. See the event page for details.

4. We also heard from Constance T. this week! See you soon, Constance!

5. We just passed 6,000 followers on Instagram. Thanks for helping us reach this milestone! We still need your help reaching 5,000 followers on Facebook, so smash that “like” button to help your favorite gym out!

6. Our next Brazilian jiu-jitsu cycle with Callie Brennan starts this weekend. There are a limited number of spots in each class, so get on it! Details are in yesterday’s post

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | NFR Work
How to Conquer Your Fear of Trying New Things NY Mag
Handstand Like a Boss Athlete Daily

Power Snatch

Every Other Minute on the Minute x 16 Minutes (8 reps):
Mid-Hang Power Snatch + Power Snatch

Build up to a heavy single on the complex.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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21 Minutes Not for Rounds:
200′ Single-Arm Front Rack Walk (each arm)
16 Wall-Facing Shoulder Taps (or 4 Wall Walks)

Post work to comments.

Our next Brazilian jiu-jitsu cycle with Callie Brennan (pictured right) starts this Sunday. There are a limited number of spots in each class, so get on it!

Sign Up for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at CFSBK!

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a full-contact grappling style that prioritizes strategy over brute force. Literally translating to the “soft
“or “pliable” (jiu) “style” (jitsu), it is often thought of as the chess of martial arts. BJJ is, at its core, a self-defense system that employs positional advantages, joint locks, and chokes to defend against an opponent or attacker in an assertive and elegant manner. You needn’t be stronger than your opponent to subdue them, which makes BJJ one of the most practical and effective martial arts for all ages and sizes. There is no striking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a submission grappling art based on efficiency of movement, leverage, and timing.

The Level 1 Cycle is your jiu-jitsu starter pack. The course is geared towards anyone intrigued by BJJ but unsure where to begin, anyone who wants to become better acquainted with dynamic movement on the ground, and anyone who could use a review to jump back into it.

In Level 2, we will build on concepts and vocabulary of movement from the various positions with a larger portion of class-time dedicated to progressive resistance drilling, positional sparring, and straight sparring. If you have grappling experience from the past, you are welcome to jump into the Level 2 course!

Course Details

These will be 4-week courses with 1 class per week. Classes will cover the basic body mechanics and techniques used in jiu-jitsu. Come dressed in standard work out garb (leggings, spats, shorts that won’t fall off) and be advised that the sweat you leave with may not be your own. No zippers, no claws, no jewelry!

By the end of the course, you will be at the point where you can walk into a live-sparring jiu-jitsu class without reservation.

Schedule

Level 1 (January 14th – February 4th)

Sundays, 3:30pm – 5pm

Level 2 (January 14th – February 4th)

Sundays, 2:00pm – 3:30pm

Pricing

1 class per week for 4 weeks: $100

Register here!

About the Coach

Callie Brennan is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Team Fabio Clemente. Callie has been training and competing for the past 7 years. She began teaching beginner and intermediate students under the guidance of Pan American champion Babs Olusanmokun and multiple time World and Pan American champion Dominyka Obelenyte.

Callie has competed locally and internationally winning gold at American Nationals as a white belt, the Montreal IBJJF Open at blue belt, and New York IBJJF Open at purple belt in her weight. She also medaled in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials at blue belt.

Callie recently founded Rag Doll Camps with her training partner and coach, Dominyka Obelenyte, with a mission to close the gender gap in the sport. She also teaches privately.

She initially began CrossFit to supplement her jiu-jitsu practice, and she is looking forward to sharing it with the CFSBK community!

Feel free to contact Callie directly with any questions!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Back Squat | Row, DB Push Press
Learning to Actively Pull Under the Bar Catalyst Athletics
Why You Should Add Crawling to Your Warm-Up and Workout Routine BarBend

Another cool photo from Thomas H.’s recent set

Perfection Is the Enemy of Good Enough

By David Osorio

Originally posted on 1.11.16

As the Look Feel Perform Better Challenge enters full swing, many of you are diligently working to count your macros and make better decisions at the checkout line and in front of the fridge. We commend your diligence and are here to support your efforts in the online forums, during the bimonthly nutrition lectures, and in person around the gym.

But a public service announcement, perhaps even a warning, is warranted at this early stage of the Challenge. This Challenge is three months long—about as long as a college semester—and the reality is that motivation can wax and wane over a period of this length. The New Year finds everyone on their best behavior, feeling impervious to temptation and carefully planning each and every meal. And then you know how it goes: things get complicated. Life happens. You’re starving after a long, brutal day at work and end up grabbing a couple slices of pizza on the way home.

Remember not to lose sight of the forest for the trees. What’s important is your cumulative effort. Overarching trends—not any particular day, night, and certainly not a single meal—will be the key to making sustainable changes and ultimately looking, feeling, and performing better.

Changing your nutritional habits is like practicing free throws. On different days, because of different circumstances, your success rate will fluctuate. A bad day where you missed 30 shots out of 50 doesn’t negate the next day, when you creep up to a 90% success rate. If you’re out there, practicing and putting in the work, the sum of your efforts will add up to a higher average success rate, which is what we all want.

Maybe you didn’t get any points today. Maybe you went over by 30 grams on your fat intake. Maybe you had a few slices of pizza and a couple of beers with your friends last night. The world won’t end! There are far more important questions to ask yourself. Are you eating cleaner overall and making more intentional decisions than you were last month? After a couple of weeks, is it getting easier to look at meals and assess how they’ll fit into the bigger picture of your goals? Do you have more “go-to” healthy meals that you enjoy and have become staples of your diet? Do you feel better than you did before you started the Challenge?

In these first couple of weeks, take a moment to remind yourself why you’re doing this and what you’d like to say you accomplished three months from now. It probably won’t be something like, “I didn’t eat a single grain of sugar.” It should be something more like, “I learned how powerful nutrition can be and can confidently say that I’m healthier and happier than I was before I started.”

Are you doing LFPB this year or have you done it in the past? If so, what is the biggest challenge and how did you deal with it?
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Yesterday’s Results Board: HSPUs / DBSSRDL | Double-Unders, Hand Release Push-Ups, Pull-Ups
We’d Love to Link You to This Website But It’s Impossible The Outline
Picking a Gym: Do They Respect You? Breaking Muscle

Handstand Push-Up / Dumbbell Split-Stance Romanian Deadlift Superset*

Performance
A1) Tempo (40×1) Handstand Push-Up:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add a few reps to last week. These should all be sub-max sets, adding a deficit if you’re able to. Full range of motion, no AbMats. No crashing or resting on your head! Perform the reps strict if you can. You can kip the concentric if you must, but keep true to the tempo on the eccentric through the full range of motion and do not crash or rest on your head.

A2) Dumbbell Split-Stance RDL:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week.

Fitness
A1) Tempo (40×1) Seated Dumbbell Press:
5 x 5-8 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week. Optional: Perform a Kick-Up to the wall with a few second hold immediately after each set of Presses.

A2) Dumbbell Split-Stance RDL:
5 x 6-10 reps

Add weight and/or reps to last week.

*Warm up and then perform a set of Handstand Push-Ups, followed by a set of DB Split-Stance Single-Leg RDLs. Repeat for 5 work sets of each, resting about a minute between movements. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses.

Post loads/reps to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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Every Minute on the Minute x 10:
20 Double-Unders
10/7 Hand Release Push-Ups
5 Pull-Ups

Post work to comments.

Mer-Bear’s award-winning pie from last year

Save the Date and Get Cookin’ for the Community Potluck on February 3rd!

We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm! This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come.

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge… animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, whole grains, and dairy are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Captain Osorio himself!
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE. Bring your kiddos!
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail our Events Coordinator Danae M. at events [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let her know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page!

We can’t wait to see you there!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rack Jerk | Front Squats, Toes-to-Bars
How I Made Peace with My Appetite Girls Gone Strong
How to Create Motivation (Even When It’s Not New Years) XPT

Rack Jerk

Performance
5 x 1

Fitness
5 x 3 

Warm up and perform sets across at 90-100% of Week 1‘s best successful lift. The goal is consistent reps, not PR attempts or press outs.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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AMRAP 9 Minutes:
3 Front Squats 205/145
9 Toes-to-Bars

The Front Squat come off the floor and should be heavy but unbroken. First rep can be a full Squat Clean. Sub Hanging Leg or Knee Raises for Toes-to-Bars as needed.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Is Greg preparing for his new role as Sub-Zero in the next Mortal Kombat movie or just getting ready to go outside? | Photo by Thomas H. 

Today: Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A, “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (today at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

Akoto O. on Injury and Functional Fitness

Akoto O. hasn’t been around the gym lately because of an ankle injury. She recently send us a nice message updating us on her status and letting us know how CrossFit has prepared her to deal with this setback:

Many members have reached out to me to offer well wishes, words of encouragement, meals, books and Netflix recs! Colleen, who missed a big chunk of her own workout by staying by my side when I fell that Saturday, has even offered to be my open gym partner when I return. What a special, kind community you all have fostered. I am lucky to call CFSBK my fitness home.

Now, forgive this portion of the rant, but I gotta give a shout out to functional fitness:

I have strict instructions to not put any weight on my right ankle. In physical therapy, before I was discharged, as the therapist showed me how lift and lower myself on to the bed, couch, toilet, etc., I thought, “Oh, just like seated Pistol progressions.”

Using a walker is kinda sorta like holding myself up on the Matador.

Hopping around on one leg: one-legged Single-Unders!

The other day I was home alone and I had to bend down and pick up an object: Single-Leg Deadlift!

Point is, there is nothing I need to do to get around safely that I can’t do. All of this feels familiar to me in some way, and because of that, I feel wholly prepared to get through the next few months. Doctors, nurses and therapists have all remarked on my strength and stamina. I owe that to CFSBK, both to the grade-A instruction I’ve received in class over the last 4.5 years and to the things I’ve had the freedom (and equipment) to work on in open gym.

As for an update on my ankle and recovery: Compound fracture dislocation. Surgery went well. The pain is surprisingly manageable. Worst part: my sleep is trash. Best part: I get to track my macros with home cooked meals everyday, but I don’t have to deal with the tyranny of dirty dishes (thanks Mom). I especially don’t miss washing tupperware. Hashtag blessed.

My mother, who is a retired nurse and a phenomenal cook, just happened to be in town when all of this happened, so she’s extended her stay and will be with me at least until the new year. Also, insurance fully covers visiting nurses and physical therapists. Silver linings, ya’ll. I’m in good hands.

Doctor says no regular commuting until February, which is when I plan to come back to the gym, so I’ll see you all then.

Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times.

We miss you, Ko! Heal fast!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Wodurday
“Bring Sally Up” Pull-Up Challenge BarBend
The Messy Facts About Diet and Inflammation Scientific American

At 0:00…

3 Rounds For Time:
20 Calories Rowed
20 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9

At 12:00

3 Rounds For Time:
15 Power Cleans 115/80
15 Burpees

The Power Clean should be light/medium for you. The Burpees happen behind and lateral to the bar, no jump over.

At 24:00

Every Minute on the Minute x 10 (5 ea):
Minutes 0, 2, 4, 6, 8: 45 Second Hollow Hold Minutes
1, 3, 5, 7, 9 : 45 Second Reverse Plank

Tuck the Hollow or bend your knees on the Plank as needed to hold for 45 seconds.

Post work to comments.

If a medicine ball falls in the gym, and nobody’s there to catch it, does it count as a rep? (Probably not.) | Photo by Thomas H. 

TOMORROW: Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A, “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (tomorrow at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Clean and Jerks 2.27x Her Bodyweight hookgrip (video)
What Is “Starting Strength”? Starting Strength

Phil S. gets after some rope climbs. Check out more of Thomas H.’s recent photos here! 

Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Lecture and Q&A: “What Do I Eat?”

Are eggs bad for me? I know avocado is a healthy food, so can I have as much as I want? What’s a whole grain? I heard that avoiding carbs is a fast way to lose weight. Should I skip them? What about gluten, lactose, caffeine, nails, etc.?

Whether you’re following Level 1 or Level 2 on the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, we want you to focus on what foods to eat rather than what are “bad” or foods you should try and will yourself to not eat. In the first lecture of the series (this Sunday, January 7th at 12pm in the Annex), we’ll discuss what healthy foods you should be including in your diet, as well as provide some guidelines on how much of them should be on your plate (even if you’re not counting your macros). An open Q&A will follow.

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Hey, speaking of the LFPB Challenge, today is the last day to sign up and/or complete all your Pre-challenge stuff! See yesterday’s post for a handy checklist.

2. Coaches KHarpz and Chris Fox recently wrote pieces for our buds at Beyond the Whiteboard. Check out Coach Fox‘s “Older, Fitter: You’re Not as Old as You’re Gonna Be,”  the first in a series of posts that will reveal some of his knowledge about training older athletes. Coach KHarpz penned the latest installment in her continuing series detailing her quest to qualify for regionals,“Massing SZN: I Command You to Grow!” They’re both great weekend reads!

3. What’s all the good stuff for sale in the fridge, and how can it help you reach your fitness goals? Everything you need to know is in Wednesday’s post!

4. Save the date for the CFSBK Community Potluck on February 3rd! This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the LFPB Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together.

5. We’re very close to 5,000 likes on Facebook and 6,000 followers on Instagram. If you already follow us, thank you! If not, smash that like button to help your favorite gym!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | DB Deadlifts, DB Thrusters
The Catch: Weightlifting’s Most Complicated Movement Breaking Muscle
Exercise Alters Our Microbiome. Is That One Reason It’s So Good for Us? NY Times