Tempo Back Squat / Tempo Front Squat

Tempo Back Squat (41×1):
2 x 8

Tempo Front Squat (41×1):
1 x 8

Go heavier than last week. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses. Be true to the tempo work. This may mean eating some humble pie, starting with light weights, and trusting that it doesn’t have to be “heavy” to be effective.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8
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Partner WOD
In teams of 2 with one partner working at a time, complete the following for time:
200 Double-Unders
100 Burpees
50 Deadlifts 185/125
100 Double-Unders
50 Burpees
25 Deadlifts

Post time, Rx, and partner to comments.

Pierre has some fun with the pegboard at 608 | Photo by Thomas H.

Starting Tomorrow: New Short Circuit and Fit 55+ Classes!

Starting tomorrow, May 14th, we’ll be offering another Short Circuit class at 8am on Sunday. Short Circuit uses some of the best training methods to give you a great total body workout in just one hour. Each class includes two circuits programmed specifically to help you shed pounds while increasing your strength, stamina, and flexibility. At Short Circuit, we want you to get sweaty, have fun, and build confidence, one workout at a time. We create an inclusive space where people can feel comfortable exactly where they are in their fitness journeys and, more importantly, challenge themselves to get better. Visit SHORTCIRCUIT.FIT for more info and the full schedule!

Starting Monday, May 15th, we’ll be adding a third Fit 55+ class each week and tweaking the schedule a bit. Fit 55+ will now meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am. This is a strength and conditioning class for older adults who want to move and use their bodies and are not content to simply sit on the couch getting older. Strength training and conditioning can help both stave off, as well as reduce, the effects of many chronic diseases. As the old adage goes, “If you don’t move it, you lose it.” Know someone who might benefit from this class? Send them over to the Fit 55+ program page!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Top 5 Hydration Myths Busted CrossFit Journal
Oldest American WWII Veteran Turns 111 Statesman

Here’s Coach KHarpz with Annie Thorisdottir at CrossFit Reykjavík. “Looked up from my workout and she was just sitting next to me on the Assault Bike,” KHarpz reports

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Monday was finally good for something: it brought us Coach Fox’s Easy Turkey and Green Salsa with Black Beans Skillet recipe! 

2. Tuesday? Well, that wasn’t so bad either. We learned more about Zach Z. in the lastest installment of Better Know a Member!

3. We recently cleared out our lost and found, and the goodies are up on Flickr. Does any of this stuff belong to you? Claim it at the front desk before we donate it to CHIPS in two weeks! (You thought we were gonna keep doing the days of the week thing, didn’t you?)

4. Rachel H. is planning to go to the Power Monkey Fitness Camp in October and would like to assemble a group of CFSBKers to go with her. Groups of 5 or more people get a sweet discount. The camp takes place October 1st through 7th in Crossville, TN. Contact Rachel at rthsiung [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!

5. Registration for Murph Day 2017 is open! This is a great community event where we perform this classic CrossFit benchmark workout followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. The workout is tough—very tough—but it can, of course, be scaled to meet everyone’s capacity. What’re waitin’ for? Sign up today! See the event page for more details.

6. Don’t forget! Starting this Sunday, May 14th, we’ll be adding new Short Circuit and Fit 55+ classes to our schedule. Who doesn’t love more fitness? All the details can be found here.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean | Run, Thrusters
Swearing Improves Strength and Stamina BarBend
Adding Years to Her Life CrossFit Journal

Back Rack Reverse Lunges

3 x 8e

Go heavier than last week. Perform 8 reps on one leg, rack the bar, then perform 8 reps on the other leg. The last few reps of each set should be tough.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8
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4 Rounds:
AMRAP 3 Minutes…
5 Toes-to-Bars
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats
Rest 1 minute

Begin each round where you left off. Aim to score consistently on each round within a few reps. Scale Toes-to-Bars to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises, and Push-Ups to Knee Push-Ups as needed.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Molly and Tucker Fox pose for a photo with front desker Karina S. Do you think Molly and Tucker got to sample Coach Fox’s Turkey and Green Salsa Skillet?

Movement Clinic: Crossover Symmetry and Healthy Shoulders

What is it?
An hour-long clinic with Coach Whit focusing on shoulder function and health. We will:

• Complete brief flexibility & mobility testing
• Learn how to use (and read) the Crossover Symmetry apparatus through a series of exercises sequenced to address posture, scapula positional stability, rotator cuff function, and motor programming
• Briefly discuss and practice other simple ways to prepare, warm-up, and recover the shoulders

The goal of this clinic is not to simply give you a fish, but rather to teach you how to fish…  except here the fishing poll is a set of resistance bands and the fish are your badass, strong, supple shoulders! Woohoo! You’ll walk away with concrete ways to approach your own shoulder health and function, whether it’s before/after group class, as a part of your warm-ups in class, or during OG.

When?
Monday, May 15th at 7:30PM

Where?
The clinic will be held in 608 Degraw. Please check in with the front desk and then proceed across the street by 7:30!

Who?
Anyone can attend. The clinic is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The clinic will be capped at 9 people to allow for individual attention.

How?
This clinic is now SOLD OUT. Please e-mail Coach Whit directly at Whitney [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com if you’d like to be added to the waiting list.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Wisdom SMBC
If Life Has You Down, Do a Handstand NY Times

Better Know a Member: Zach Z.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been having fun with Better Know a Member, a blog-favorite in which we profile members from across the CFSBK community. Last week we spoke to Kirby S. This week, let’s find out more about a man who has Deadlifted on the roof of CrossFit Bangkok…

Name (and any nicknames):

Zach Zinn (Zinn City, Z Squared, Slippery Double Z—not sure why)

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Philly and its general environs. I’ll never be converted to a full New Yorker, though I’m dangerously trending towards hipsterdom with new beard and first-ever glasses in the last year.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK?

About a year and a half now. Former co-worker and fellow CFSBKer Lauren M. insisted I’d like it and should give it a go. I didn’t really want to but she managed to convince me and was totally right, which is pretty par for the course for us. 

Program your nightmare workout:

The sled push is a true nightmare factory, so anything involving that. It’s one of several medieval torture devices that are all part of the fun at Strong Fit!

Ask me about that time I…

Was on a live Nickelodeon show with Paula Abdul while wearing a cow suit. Performing the role of “Cow,” naturally. 

What are you recommending right now?

Everyone should try the miracle fried Korzo burger at Korzo in Park Slope at least once. They also have also have a hilarious bartender and occasional Coach Foxes sightings.

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street?

I do techy/communications type things at the Social Science Research Council in Downtown Brooklyn, which has been making fantastic social science for almost 100 years. If you’re the kind of person who gets jazzed up about the origin of the word “interdisciplinarity,” then I have lots of reading material for you. I’m occasionally shipped away to far off lands for projects, which is great opportunity to tour CrossFit gyms of the world. This year I visited Cambodia’s “Angkor Fight Club,” which has many rules.   

Any advice for new CFSBKers?

“Trust the Process” (I’ve been waiting to say that). Picking stuff and putting it down is way more complicated than it seems. It will take a long time for things to click but the payoff is well worth it. I’ve easily made more progress here in a year than in 10 years of sports club gyms! I definitely recommend trying a Starting Strength cycle to slow things down and improve technique. CFSBK is also a fun place to dress like you are in an ’80s home workout video.

News and Notes

• Sign ups for Murph Day 2017 are open! This is a great community event where we perform this classic CrossFit benchmark workout followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. The workout is tough—very tough—but it can, of course, be scaled to meet everyone’s capacity. What’re waitin’ for? Sign up today! See the event page for more details.
• We recently cleared out our lost and found, and the goodies are up on Flickr. Does any of this stuff belong to you? Claim it at the front desk before we donate it to CHIPS in two weeks! 

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Press | Row, Overhead Squats, Handstand Push-Ups
Coney Island Museum Atlas Obscura
The Truth About the Starting Strength Method Starting Strength

Clean Complex

Every 90 seconds for 10 reps:
Clean High Pull + Mid-Hang Clean High Pull + Mid-Hang Clean

Post loads to comments.

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3 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
15 Thrusters 95/65

Push the pace a bit on the runs. The Thruster weight should be toward the light side for you and done unbroken or in 2 quick sets on the fast end. Aim for about an 85% effort throughout and consistent splits for each round.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Micheline G. is ready for “Murph”! | Photo by Thomas H.

Murph Day 2017: Sign Up Now!

“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.” From here on it will be 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.

There is no charge for the workout, nor will it be deducted from your weekly class limit.

SIGN UP HERE!

News and Notes

• Next Level Weightlifting Club will meet at 6pm today with Coach Frank
• Rachel H. is planning to go to the Power Monkey Fitness Camp in October and would like to assemble a group of CFSBKers to go with her. Groups of 5 or more people get a sweet discount. The camp takes place October 1st through 7th in Crossville, TN. Contact Rachel at rthsiung [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!

• We recently cleared out our lost and found, and the goodies are up on Flickr. Does any of this stuff belong to you? Claim it at the front desk before we donate it to CHIPS in two weeks!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Rack Reverse Lunges | Toes-to-Bars, Push-Ups, Squats
Lifting the Bar off the Floor: Get It Right without Overcomplicating It Catalyst Athletics
Good News For People Who Love Salty Foods The Awl

Push Press

3 x 8

Go heavier than last week. Perform each rep as it’s own event, focusing on moving from a solid rack to a stable overhead position. Hold each rep overhead for a 2 count before recovering.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
200m Row
7 Overhead Squats 95/65
7 Handstand Push-Ups

The barbell should be light for you and unbroken on the fast end. Scale the Handstand Push-Ups to Box Piked HSPUs or 3 Wall Walks as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Eat, Pray, Gainz: Easy Turkey and Green Salsa with Black Beans Skillet

By Christian Fox

Healthy, delicious meals don’t have to be at all complicated… and here’s some proof! It really couldn’t be much simpler. Make it your own depending on what you like and/or what you have on hand in your kitchen. 

The recipe below makes 4 servings, each at about 375 calories with 42 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 23 grams of carbohydrate.

Ingredients

• 1lb lean ground turkey (we used Plainville brand 93% lean)
• 1 15.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (we used Fairway brand)
• 1 16oz jar salsa verde (we used Mrs. Refreño’s Green Salsa w/Jalapenõs)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Prep

• Drain and rinse black beans

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the turkey over medium high until cooked through.
• While the turkey is browning, drain and rinse the black beans.
• Once the turkey is cooked through (you shouldn’t see any pink in there) add the beans and the salsa.
• Cook a few minutes more until the beans and salsa are warmed through.

That’s it!

Hacks!

• Change the ingredients to your taste, or use what you have on hand!
• Any lean ground meat will work, as will crumbled tempeh, Boca Burger, or extra firm tofu (pulse the veggie options in a food processor for a few turns to crumble).
• Any beans you like or have on hand will work. Make sure to drain and rinse ‘em.
• Use your salsa of choice!
• The pic above shows the dish served with a few toasted corn tortillas (for added carbs), a dollop of nonfat yogurt, shredded lettuce and Oaxaca cheese, and some sliced pickled jalapeños. A few pickled red onions would have been nice, too…
• Serve over cooked pasta or rice for extra carbs!
• Garnish with sliced avocado for extra fat!

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Here’s How CrossFit Games Athlete Sam Dancer Warms Up BarBend
Nike’s Quest to Beat the Two Hour Marathon Comes Up Short Wired

Snatch Complex

Every 90 seconds for 8 rounds:
Snatch Lift Off (1″) + Snatch High Pull + Mid-Hang Snatch High Pull + Mid-Hang Snatch

Stay tight, maintain back angle, and keep your weight back (just behind mid-foot) on the lift off, pausing with the bumpers 1″ off the floor. Return to the floor for the Snatch High Pull. Don’t pull the bar crazy high on the High Pulls. Anywhere above naval height is plenty high.

Post loads to comments.

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5 Rounds for Time:
20 Wall Ball 20/10, 14/9
3 Deadlifts 315/225
Rest 3 minutes

The Wall Balls should be unbroken on the fast end or broken up into 2 sets with a quick rest. The Deadlifts should be on the heavy side for you but unbroken. Aim for consistent times on each round, scoring fastest and slowest rounds.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Our new sandbag rack, now organized by weight, over at 608. Want to play with sandbags and other fun implements of destruction? Check out Strong Fit on Saturdays at 8am!

• SCHEDULE CHANGE: Today’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled.

Ankle Mobilization with a Band and Kettlebell

By David Osorio
Originally posted on 6.15.17

Here’s a great little ankle mobilization you can set up with a band and kettlebell that is highly efficient and ergonomic. Set up a green jump stretch band low on the upright of a rack, and loop the other end around the joint line on the front of your ankle.

That means the “corner” where your foot and ankle meet, not on the front of your tibia (shin bone). Once you’ve got the band where you want it, crawl out so that the angle of the band is a continuation of your foot line. That means your toes, your heel, and the band should all form a straight line when viewed from above.

Grab your kettlebell and place it on your knee to introduce a little more compression into the system. The compression causes the ankle joint to close in the direction you want it to.

Finally, you can hook your back foot over the band so that it creates a slight downward vector in the band, which will help optimize the joint distraction.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat / Front Squat | Burpees, Power Cleans, Double-Unders
Lifting the Bar Off the Floor: Get It Right Without Over-Complicating It Catalyst Athletics
Child’s Play Is Good for All of Us NY Times

Tempo Back Squat / Tempo Front Squat

Tempo Back Squat (41×1):
2 x 10

Tempo Front Squat (41×1):
1 x 10

Go heavier than last week, or find a good starting weight. The last few reps of each set should be tough, but the goal is no misses. Be true to the tempo work. This may mean eating some humble pie, starting with light weights, and trusting that it doesn’t have to be “heavy” to be effective.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8
_____________________

AMRAP 15 Minutes:
10 Burpees
15 Power Cleans 115/75
30 Double-Unders

The barbell should be on the light side. Scale the Doubles to 60 Singles or 15 attempts as needed.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Check out CFSBK front desker Greg C. in the trailer for VelociPastor! Warning: may contain images of Greg turning into a dinosaur…

Fit 55+: Staying Strong, Mobile, and Able

What is Fit 55+? 
Fit 55+ is a strength and conditioning class for older adults who want to move and use their bodies and are not content to simply sit on the couch getting older. Research points to development of chronic disease in older populations not as a consequence of aging alone, but as a product of decreased activity and less-than-healthy lifestyle choices. Strength training and conditioning can help both stave off, as well as reduce, the effects of many chronic diseases. As the old adage goes: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Fit 55+ will help you:

• Build muscular strength and joint integrity
• Increase and maintain bone density
• Improve cardiovascular function
• Improve pulmonary function
• Improve balance, coordination, and mobility
• Reduce your risk of falling (and be more resilient in case you do)
• Maintain independence and improve quality of life

Who is this class for?
Any older adult who wants to exercise in a fun, safe, and inclusive manner. Whether you’re a total newcomer to resistance training or more of a veteran, our classes will challenge you to become better.

What does a class look like?
A typical class will start with a series of light warm up movements to get your heart and joints ready for exercise.

From there we’ll move onto the strength training portion of class, using a variety of tools to help you develop strength. You’ll use both weight training and bodyweight exercises of the upper and lower body to develop and maintain muscular strength and joint integrity.

After the strength training portion of class we’ll move on to the conditioning portion. Here the goal is to get a bit sweaty and elevate your heart rate for a while to improve heart function and lung capacity. To this task we’ll use a variety of equipment and modes like: rowing machines, exercise bicycles, sled pushes, sandbag training, and bodyweight exercises, in addition to many others. The variety keeps it engaging and more fun (we think) than just walking on a treadmill for an hour.

Finally, we’ll end with a few cool down stretches to relax your heart rate and your mind before you head out of the gym.

When do Fit 55+ classes meet?
Mondays and Thursdays at 11am. Starting Monday, May 15th, we’re please to announce that we’ll be tweaking the schedule a bit and adding a third Fit 55+ class. The week of the 15th, Fit 55+ will start meeting Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am!

Pricing
Drop-In: $25
5-Class Card: $100
Monthly Unlimited (2x per week): $125

REGISTER HERE!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Important: There’s an Instagram of People Snatching Snack Food BarBend
The Amazing Names of the 2017 Kentucky Derby Horses, Ranked The Week

Here’s Part 1 of Mat Fraser: Making a Champion, a fascinating look at how an elite CrossFit athlete lives and trains. Part 2 and Part 3 are also up on YouTube!

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Sign ups for Murph Day 2017 are now open! See the event page for more details. This is a great community event where we perform this classic CrossFit benchmark workout followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. The workout is tough—very tough—but it can, of course, be scaled to meet everyone’s capacity. What’re waitin’ for? Sign up today!

2. Starting May 14th, we’ll be adding new Short Circuit and Fit 55+ classes to our schedule. Who doesn’t love more fitness? All the details can be found in Tuesday’s post. 

3. Here’s CFSBK OG Bethany E. at the South Brooklyn Weightlifting Club Spring Classic, where she placed 3rd in the 57kg weight class, PR’d her Deadlift at 296lbs, and scored a total of 628lbs. Congrats, Bethany!

4. On Wednesday, we got to know Kirby S. a little better. She had some great advice for new CFSBKers: “Sign up for stuff! I’m SO not a joiner by nature, nor am I an especially competitive person, but being part of the CFSBK community has helped me come out of my shell and say ‘yes’ more often…which is a highly transferrable life skill. There are so many ways to participate beyond simply coming to class, and it’s really fun to feel like a part of something. And you can take it as seriously as you want! The LFPB Challenge, Fight Gone Bad, the Open… do it!” You heard the woman: sign up for Murph Day!

5. We’ve accumulated approximately 3,000 pairs of unclaimed weightlifting shoes that were left at the gym over the past year. Please take a look here, here, here, and here. Let the front desk know if any of them belong to you!

6. This Sunday’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled. Still want to do something other than group class this weekend? Don’t forget about Saturday’s 10am Yoga for Athletes and 11am Active Recovery classes, as well as Sunday’s 2pm Anti-Gravity class.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | Box Jumps, C2B Pull-Ups, KB Swings
To Make Better Decisions, Ask Yourself “What,” Not “Why” NY Mag
What I Wish I Knew When I Started Athlete Daily

Clean and Jerk Complex

Every 90 seconds for 8 rounds:
Clean High Pull + Mid-Hang Clean High Pull + Mid-Hang Clean + Push Jerk

Rest 2 minutes, then…

Every minute on the minute x 6:
Clean High Pull
105% x 2 x 6

The percentage is based on what you worked up to today. Focus on pulling off the floor exactly as you would for a full Clean: a smooth pull from the floor with weight balanced over the mid-foot and a vertical extension allowing the bar to stay close to the body.

Post loads to comments.

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Every minute on the minute x 15 (5ea):
1) 5 Box Jumps 30/24″
2) 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
3) 15 Russian KB Swings 32/24kg

The Box Jumps should be higher than your usual Rx. Scale the Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups to regular Pull-Ups, Jumping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups, or Ring Rows as needed, or scale volume to keep you moving. The KB swings should be on the heavy side for you. Aim to finish each minute’s work at consistent times.

Post work to comments.

Look at all those recent accomplishments and new leaderboard entries! Don’t forget to write your goals and accomplishments on the board!

Check Out Prefer

Emily W. recently joined a team building a new app called Prefer. Prefer aims to do something CrossFit athletes are already great at—connecting people in real life and growing community through trusted referrals. On Prefer you can discover, chat, book, pay, and refer your favorite pros, from dog walkers to handy guys and gals to accountants to business coaches to babysitters and more! Prefer is a great place to grow your business and a great place to find professionals trusted by friends. CFSBK athletes can try it with the invite code AMRAP.

News and Notes

• In case you missed it, sign ups for Murph Day 2017 are now open! See the event page for more details.
• Our friends and neighbors across the street at littlefield are relocating nearby and opening a sister bar and restaurant called Parklife. Back their Kickstarter campaign to help keep this awesome neighborhood institution going!
• Do you follow us on Facebook? How about Instagram? If not, you should! We’re always posting cool stuff there, and it’s an easy way to support the gym!
• Today’s 9am Yoga class is cancelled.
• This Sunday’s 11am Active Recovery class is cancelled.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Rack Reverse Lunges | NFR Work
(It’s Great to) Suck at Something NY Times
Danny Broflex: The Takeover CrossFit Journal