“Grace”

For Time:
30 Clean and Jerks 135/95

The Cleans for this benchmark should be power and the Jerks are shoulder-to-overhead anyhow. Be sure to come to complete knee and hip extension with the bar held overhead at the top of each rep. If you can do the Rx’d loads, then go for it. Choose a weight when scaling that allows you to get through the 30 reps fast. You can cycle or you can do singles but the weight should be on the light side for you. There is a soft 7 minute cap today.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Trick or chalk!

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-2 Days!)

Well, you guys are kicking some serious ass. Since Tuesday, we’ve raised more than $3,000 dollars for Brooklyn Community Foundation, surpassing our $15,000 goal for a total of $18,163 raised.

But that’s not it! We have some big news. Brooklyn Community Foundation is thrilled to announce that they will match funds raised by CrossFit South Brooklyn’s 2016 Fight Gone Bad! Now that we’ve passed the $15,000, the Board will match your contribution dollar for dollar. You or your friend puts in $10, their Board puts in $10, doubling your impact on Brooklyn’s communities. All the more reason to hit that $20,000 dollar mark by Friday! 

We’ll have more info about Satuday’s big event in tomorrow’s post, but we’re also pleased to annouce that the Kimchi Taco truck will be peddaling its delicious foods at Fight Gone Bad. Try the Korean fried chicken taco. And the short rib taco. And the spicy pork. In fact, just eat all of them.

Short Circuit: A Testimonial from Ariela R.

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been telling you about Short Circuit, a new class utilizing 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. Today we’re thrilled to bring you our first testimonial. It’s from Ariela R., and here’s what she has to say:

“For the past year, I’ve been attending circuit and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes around the neighborhood. Though I enjoy the workouts, it’s hard to ignore the shoebox size rooms they are crammed into, the unlabeled dumbbells that are seemingly kept in as much disorder as possible, the lack of corrections from coaches, and that dust bunnies that are getting their workout right alongside of you. Yes, CFSBK spoils you! So imagine my delight when I heard about the new Short Circuit classes. A total body workout in an hour, CFSBK level coaching with small tweaks throughout to make sure your form stays on point, and a ton of variety within the workout that makes it fly by. What more could you ask for? And, there is no need to have taken Foundations class in order to participate, which means you can drag along all three of your non-Crossfit friends in for a great workout.”

Yes! As Ariela mentions, unlike our CrossFit group classes, you don’t have to have taken Foundations or have any kind of CrossFit background to participate in Short Circuit, so now you can sweatily bond with your friends and family. Now they’ll get to find out what this CFSBK place you’ve been talking up is all about!

How is this different from CrossFit? While some movements will be familiar, Short Circuit does not include barbell training or higher-skilled calisthenics (like Kipping Pull-Ups or Handstand Push-Ups). You will get a a kick-ass workout, though, and as with our other specialty offerings like Active Recovery, Anti-Gravity, Pilates, and Yoga for Athletes, it’s up to you to decide how Short Circuit might fit into your overall training. That’s why members with CrossFit Group class memberships can use their existing memberships to attend any of these classes! 

Schedule

Monday 9:00am
Wednesday 9:00am
Friday 9:00am

For more info on drop-in pricing and packages, head over to the Short Circuit program page.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rack Thruster | “Karen”
Dan Bailey Does “Grace” in 1:01 CrossFit
8-Year-Old Does “Grace” YouTube

Rack Thruster

1-1-1-1-1

Work up to a 1RM Thruster taken out of a rack. Take the bar out strong and maintain a strong rack position through the drive. Any re-bend of the knee is missed rep.

Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

“Karen”

For Time:
150 Wall Ball 20/10, 14/9

Settle in and embrace it. Do your best to keep your feet in the same place to help with accuracy. Cycling your arms back to the rack position immediately after the toss can save your shoulders quite a bit. If you think you’re gunning for the CFSBK Leaderboard, be sure to let a coach know so that they can verify your score.

Post time and Rx to comments.

What are these nifty new signs all about? We’re glad you asked!

CFSBK and NYC Smoke-Free 

You may have noticed some new No Smoking signs outside 597 and 608 Degraw. NYC Smoke-Free, a program of Public Health Solutions, works to protect the health of New Yorkers though tobacco control policy, advocacy and education. They partner with community members, organizations, legislators and health advocates to support local efforts to end the devastating tobacco epidemic throughout NYC. NYC Smoke-Free believes that every NYC resident has the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air where they live, work and play.

We are thrilled that CrossFit South Brooklyn has signed a tobacco-free policy for its entrances on Degraw Street. By doing so, CFSB is protecting athletes, coaches and employees from exposure to toxic secondhandsmoke, reducing cigarette butt litter, and showcasing its commitment to public health. Adopting smoke-free protections will help to denormalize tobacco use – still the number one cause of preventable death in NYC and beyond.

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-3 Days!)

We’ve passed our $15,000 fundraising goal for Brooklyn Community Foundation and are up to $16,120, but don’t stop now! Every dollar we raise will benefit great local programs. Learn more about the Brooklyn Community Foundation and all the great work they’ve done. They support a variety of artistic, agricultural, environmental, social, and educational programs helping people of all ages. No doubt there are several programs they’ve helped that you identify with.

As if that weren’t incentive enough, our top team and individual fundraisers will win prizes from our generous sponsors: Fleisher’s, Afro Brutality, Ho’Bra, Lululemon, Dinosaur BBQ, Left Bank restaurant, Brooklyn Fencing, Olympia Wine Bar, and Olivier restaurant.

Congrats to those teams and individually topping our leaderboards on CrowdRise! Below are our top fundraisers from both the individual and team divisions (as of 8:30pm Tuesday night):

Top Five Teams:

1. He Man and the Masters of the Universe: $2,915
2. The Gowanus Superfunders: $2,285
3. Bring It On Fleek!: $2,080
4. Posterior Chain Gang: $1,240
5. Victorious Secret: $1,115

Top Five Individuals: 

1. Charles S.: $2,755
2. Jay R.: $1,150
3. Scott M.: $1,080
4. Mike I.: $850
5. Richard G.: $775

Send a last-minute email to your friends and family! Maybe something like this?

Dear ______ [insert name],

I know you probably think I’m bananas for doing CrossFit, but I love it so much—largely because my gym, CrossFit South Brooklyn, is so freaking awesome and doesn’t just care about getting “swole” (defined by the Urban Dictionary as the state of being very muscular and/or buff and in good shape), but we also care about helping our neighbors in Brooklyn.

That’s why I need your help! Through this fun competition we’re doing on Saturday, we’re raising money for a local organization called Brooklyn Community Foundation. BCF supports tons of great and important programs in Brooklyn.

Donate here, and I promise to send you a photo of me drenched in sweat after I crush this workout on Saturday. Also, I’ll love you forever!

XXOO _______ [your name] 

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Is Innate Talent a Myth? Scientific American
Feeling Like You’re on a Team at Work Is So Deeply Good for You NY Mag

We are SO. CLOSE. to our hitting our $15,000 fundraising goal to benefit Brooklyn Community Foundation for Fight Gone Bad 2016. It’s go time, CFSBKers!

• Schedule Change: Don’t forget that Coach Ro is traveling this week, and Anti-Gravity class is cancelled. AG will resume on October 18th.

Short Circuit: Reprogram Your Body!™

CrossFit South Brooklyn is thrilled to announce Short Circuit, a new class utilizing 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. Our instructors have worked with clients in every age group, with every body type, and across all ability levels. We want to show you that you’re capable of much more than you thought! This is our passion. This is our goal.

Each Short Circuit class consists of 4 segments:

Plug In
We start classes with a comprehensive, dynamic warm-up programmed to get your body ready for exercise while practicing skills and positions relevant to the day’s class.

1st Circuit (Strength and Stamina)
The 1st Circuit focuses on your strength and stamina by using 3-4 exercises done in sequence for 15-20 minutes. We use dumbbell, kettlebell, and bodyweight exercises programmed to keep your muscles strong and toned.

2nd Circuit (Conditioning and Intervals)
Here’s where things heat up! We’ll use a variety of high-intensity intervals to bump up your heart rate up and really make you sweat. Whether you’re on the rowing machine, swinging a kettlebell, or doing some Burpees, you’ll get your endorphins pumping with our higher intensity circuit.

Unplug
Finally, we finish with some extra core and flexibility work before sending you off to take on the rest of your day. You’ll be recharged and ready to go!

What if I can’t do something?

Every movement we teach and perform will have a variety of scaling options, so you’ll be challenged whether you’re flying through a set of 10 Push-Ups or still working on your first one. Our seasoned coaches can modify your workouts specifically for your abilities all while motivating you to do your best and to go a little further, faster, longer than you thought possible. We are here to help everyone achieve their goals, one drop of sweat at a time! No experience is required to take a Short Circuit class. Just show up and get fit!

Schedule & Location

Monday 9:00am
Wednesday 9:00am
Friday 9:00am

Prices

Members of CrossFit South Brooklyn may use their existing memberships to drop into this class; however, anyone and everyone is welcome as there are no prerequisites for this class. Because no experience is required, this is a great opportunity to workout with your friends! If you’d like to purchase a punch card for this and our other specialty classes (Yoga, Short Circuit, Active Recovery and Pilates) you can purchase one of the cards listed below:

Single Class Drop-In: $25
10 Class Punch Card: $200
20 Class Punch Card: $360

REGISTER HERE!

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: “Diane”
A YouTube Video Is Doctor’s Secret Weapon Against Back Pain NPR
These Creepy Vintage Halloween Costumes Will Scare You Way More Than Modern Ones 22 Words

“Diane”

For Time:
21-15-9
Deadlifts 225/155
Handstand Push Ups

This benchmark (and CFSBK Leaderboard) workout is done unbroken on the fast end, with top times world-wide under 2 minutes. Average times, however, creep up into double digits. We’ll have a soft 15 minute cap today, so feel free to make it more of a strength workout and challenge yourself via load on the bar and/or degree of difficulty on the push. The Handstand Push-Ups start and finish with both arms fully extended and both feet touching the wall. Kipping is allowed. Hands must be within 24 inches of the wall and no wider than 36 inches apart. Scale HSPU volume, ROM, or to Box Piked or regular Push-Ups as needed. If you think you might be pushing for the CFSBK Leaderboard, then be sure to let a coach know so that they can verify your performance.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Dave and Dan capturing the essence of Fight Gone Bad

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-5 Days!)

We’re at $14,185—so close to our $15,000 fundraising goal for Brooklyn Community Foundation. Can we surpass our goal by the end of the day? Hell yeah we can. Let’s do it, CFSBK!

Did you know that we have been hosting our annual “Fight Gone Bad” charity event since 2008? Our fundraising efforts have benefitted a wide variety of charitable organizations in Brooklyn, with our total amount raised to date exceeding $360,000. Let your friends and family know that you’ll be sweating for one of the best causes around!

Congrats to those teams and individually topping our leaderboards on CrowdRise! Below are our top fundraisers from both the individual and team divisions (as of 6pm on Sunday 10/9):

Top Five Teams:

1. He Man and the Masters of the Universe: $2,865
2. Bring It On Fleek!: $2,005
3. The Gowanus Superfunders: $1,715
4. Posterior Chain Gang: $1,240
5. Victorious Secret: $1,040

Top Five Individuals: 

1. Charles S.: $2,755
2. Jay R.: $1,150
3. Scott M.: $1,080
4. Mike I.: $850
5. Richard G.: $675

_____________________
Dan Bailey Vs. “Diane” CrossFit Games
Kristan Clever’s World Record “Diane” CrossFit Games

Power Snatch

1-1-1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Power Snatch. If you’re very new to the lift, then perform 5 heavy singles instead of a true max effort single. Focus on a strong and aggressive 2nd pull followed by an immediate and equally aggressive 3rd pull under the bar. No press-outs. Footwork should not get too crazy either.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

_____________________

For Time:
20 Power Snatches 155/105
5 Burpees every minute on the minute, starting at 0:00

The Power Snatch can be on the heavy-ish side today. However, you should still be able to do at least 3-5 reps per minute on the slow end.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach McDowell helped out with some much-needed barbell TLC this week. We’re in the process of wire brush scubbbing, oiling, and wiping down our whole fleet of barbells!

• Schedule Change: Today’s 2:00pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled. Coach Ro is out of town for the week, so AG will resume on October 18th.

Register Now for the Pelvic Floor Health Workshop!

Iron Maidens Lift n’ Learn presents:

A Pelvic Floor Health Workshop
November 13, 2016 from 2:00-4:30pm

Do your hips ever feel a little unstable at the bottom of your squat? Are you fastidious about making a trip to the bathroom before that heavy Deadlift… because you learned the hard way? Do you sometimes feel pressure in your pelvis on a max set of 5?

The health of your pelvic floor is part of the equation here! Correct pelvic floor engagement is an essential, but often overlooked component of lifting, and everyday life.

This team taught workshop aims to shed light on what exactly constitutes the pelvic floor, how to strengthen it, and engage it under load. Our goal is to provide you with the tools to cultivate healthy pelvic floor function and prevent dysfunction.

You will walk away with:

• A basic understanding of pelvic floor anatomy
• Exercises you can do at home or as part of your warm-ups to engage and strengthen the pelvic floor, including breathing and bracing techniques
• An understanding of how to apply engagement under load 

This workshop is for women only.
Limited to 25 participants
$75 registration fee

REGISTER HERE

Developed and presented by:

Katie Harper received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 and has been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer at CFSBK since March 2015. She is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, CrossFit Movement and Mobility Trainer, Functional Range Conitioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms), Functional Movement Screen Provider (FMS), Graston Technique Provider, Rocktape Functional Movement Specialist I, and has attended the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation I course offered by the Institute of Physical Arts.

Kristin Hoesl has been training clients one on one and in groups in Pilates for over a decade. She specializes in helping athletes access their pelvic floor, and find both stability and mobility through their abdominal core and spine.

For over 30 years, Debbie Parsons has been teaching and studying movement. From a professional dance career to Pilates certification (1994), and continuing through Crossfit Level one and Starting Strength programs, Debbie has been helping clients to move with economy and efficiency.

Margie Lempert has been a coach at CFSBK since 2009, always with a focus on barbell training for women. She founded Iron Maidens Raw Open, an annual all-women powerlifting competition in 2015, teaches small group barbell classes with her husband, and trains individual clients. She is a Starting Strength Coach and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. 

Melissa Loranger received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 and has been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer at CFSBK since April, 2012. She is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, a Certified Starting Strength Coach and has taken multiple continuing education courses offered by the Institute of Physical Arts, Graston Techniques, LLC and Rock Tape.

__________________
Teach Every Child About Food TED
Weightlifting Technique with Brooke Ence Barbell Up

Front Squat

1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the front squat. For Fitness athletes, start a little heavier than where you squatted 3 reps last week and go from there. For Performance athletes, start around 90% and go from there. If you’re very new to the lift then perform 3-5 heavy singles instead of a true max effort single. We will discuss how to properly bail a Front Squat attempt in class.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
_____________________

3 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
21 Thrusters 75/55
12 Pull-Ups

The barbell should be light today and ideally unbroken. Scale volume or to Jumping Pull-Ups as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Daisy is also happy that it’s Saturday!

• Schedule Change: Tomorrow’s 2pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled.

Next Sunday: Iron Maiden’s Lift n’ Learn Session

All IM competitors and IM curious are welcome!
October 16, 2016
2-4pm

Press and Negotiating
BYOProgram OR plan to focus on working up to a heavy five on your Overhead Press. Feedback on technique can be provided. Post-lifting, we’re happy to welcome CFSBKer and Starting Strength Cycle alum Karina Totah for a workshop in negotiation skills:

Women don’t ask. Research shows they forego over ½ million dollars in salary over their lifetimes. 

Like lifting, negotiation skills get better with practice. But unlike lifting, success and failure aren’t as black and white in negotiations. Come out to lift, and stay to learn the nuance of negotiation so you can successfully navigate asking for what you need and want.

In this workshop, we’ll cover negotiation framing and prep, do a live practice, and discuss negotiation plans.

Karina Totah’s Middle-Eastern father had her haggling from a young age.  She strengthened her negotiation instinct with more structured training at Yale’s School of Management.  Now she enjoys sharing her knowledge with other women.  By day, Karina is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the New York City Housing Authority; by morning, usually at 7am, she’s a CFSBKer.

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Greg Everett’s Olympic Lifting Warm-Up Routine BarBend
Inside the New York Public Library’s Last, Secret Apartments Atlas Obscura

CFSBK socks on fleek! Pick up a pair at the front desk or our online store!

This Week at CFSBK in Review 

1. Coach Whit is out of town for an OPEX seminar this weekend, but tomorrow’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes is ON with guest instructor Sasha S.

2. We announced our upcoming Pelvic Floor Workshop! Register here!

3. Now that face-melting summer weather is past us, we’ve introduced Around Degraw, a new feature in which we’ll profile small businesses and attractions within walking distance of the gym. This week we told you about Ample Hills Creamery, which is owned by CFSBKers Jackie C. and Brian S.!

4. Last weekend, some intrepid CFSBKers completed Ragnar Wawayanda! Go here to read Packer’s report.

5. As of today, we’re up to $12,640 of our $15,000 fundraising goal for Fight Gone Bad! Can we make it to $13,000 by the end of the day? What about $15,000 by Monday? C’mon gang, let’s do this!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Power Clean | Double-Unders, Power Cleans
Do Superheroes Exist? CrossFit
Scientists Develop New Extra-Sloppy Peach

Power Clean

1-1-1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Power Clean. If you’re very new to the lift, then perform 5 heavy singles (with rest in between) instead of a true max effort single. Focus on a strong and fast rack delivery where the barbell is pulled onto active shoulders in a mature rack position, not crashing on the chest or collarbones. Footwork should not get too crazy either.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

__________________

For Time:
20 Power Cleans 185/125
10 Double-Unders every minute on the minute, starting at 0:00

The power clean can be on the heavy-ish side today. However, you should still be able to do at least 3-5 reps per minute on the slow end. The 10 Dubs are (obviously?) meant to be unbroken and should take only a few seconds at the top of each minute. Sub 5 attempts or 30 singles as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Read on to learn more about some intrepid CFSBKers who completed a Ragnar Race!

• Does any of this cool stuff belong to you? Someone lost their bike helmet, a baby lost its bib, someone else lost their rain boots. Really makes you think about the human condition, huh? Oh, sorry!  Anyway, if any of this looks familiar, please claim it at the front desk before we donate it to CHIPS on Monday.

CFSBK at Ragnar Wawayanda

CFSBKers Dan G., Packer D., Eduardo C-G., and Joe M. partnered with intrepid runners Lauren O. and Amos B. last weekend to complete Ragnar Wawayanda, a 24-hour trail running relay race. Running over rocky, mud-slicked trails in the dead of night while dead tired turns out to be equal parts spooky & spiritual. Lauren O. put it best:

“Think of a Ragnar relay as a cross between Murakami’s WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING, Alice following the mome raths in Disney’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND cartoon, and the Michael-Douglas-in-a-Colombian-mudslide scene from ROMANCING THE STONE. This is the format that finally tricked me into loving running. (The bonfire helped.)”

Thanks to Packer for the report and great job, guys!

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Urban Exploration with Open House New York Gothamist
4 Exercises to Improve Overhead Performance in WODs BarBend

Back Squat

1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Back Squat. As always, use spotters for heavy attempts and stay with your barbell in the event of a miss. For Fitness athletes, start a little heavier than where you squatted 5 last week and go from there. For Performance athletes, start around 90% and go from there. If you’re very new to the lift then perform 3-5 heavy singles instead of a true max effort single.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
__________________

For Time:
250m Row
21 Burpees
500m Row
15 Burpees
750m Row
9 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach Jess will star in the forthcoming CFSBK-themed horror movie, Dawn of the Deadlift | Photo by Thomas H.

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-11 Days!)

We’re at $10,020—which is over 66% of our fundraising goal for Brooklyn Community Foundation. We posted some great fundraising tips, and a sample email template if you haven’t started fundraising yet. We’re getting there, but there’s still work to be done!

Here, in their own words, are just a few things Brooklyn Community Foundation accomplished with the help of last year’s Fight Gone Bad donations:

• “In 2015, we deployed over $4.2 million in grants through our Community Fund and our Donor Advised Funds.”

• “In 2015, we also launched our cornerstone initiativeInvest in Youth. This initiative included a new Grantmaking Program focused on 1) Youth Development and Leadership, 2) Youth Justice, and 3) Immigrant Youth and Families. It also featured a new leadership initiative—the Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project—to halt the school-to-prison pipeline by providing powerful disciplinary alternatives in Brooklyn public schools, and the Brooklyn Youth Fellowship, the Foundation’s first-ever youth-led grantmaking program to support youth-led neighborhood and school-based projects through the Youth Voice Awards. This initiative deployed $1.54 million to 54 organizations in 2015, with 70% of those grants going to highest need neighborhoods.“
• “We launched our first-ever resident-led grantmaking program in Crown Heights through our Neighborhood Strength Model. With a fund of $100,000, we brought together a diverse group of religious leaders, business owners, activists, and youth to form the Crown Heights Advisory Council. Together, they determined priorities for the 2015-16 Neighborhood Strength grant program in Crown Heights, which included a focus on supporting organizations addressing tenants’ rights and homelessness, police relationships, youth development, and stronger bonds between Crown Heights’ distinct communities. More than 50 nonprofits and residents applied and the Council selected 11 to receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Our Senior Program Officer, Prachi Patankar published a great post to the Philanthropy New York blog about why this work is important. This year we are expanding this program to Sunset Park.”

Congrats to those teams and individually topping our leaderboards on CrowdRise! Below are our top fundraisers from both the individual and team divisions (as of 9pm on Tuesday 10/4):

Top Five Teams:

1. He Man and the Masters of the Universe: $2,640
2. Bring It On Fleek!: $1,305
3. Posterior Chain Gang: $1,005
4. Victorious Secret: $975
5. The Gowanus Superfunders: $750

Top Five Individuals: 

1. Charles S.: $2,530
2. Scott M.: $1,005
3. Mike I.: $875
4. Jay R.: $750
5. Erik B.: $425

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Fit? Then Sitting is NOT the New Smoking The Russells
Hunger Casts a Cruel, All-Consuming Spell NY Mag

CFSBKers Jackie C. and Brian S. at the front desk with Greg. Read on to learn more about Jackie and Brian’s business! | Photo via Bond Street

Around Degraw: Ample Hills Creamery

Now that summer is over and nice, crisp walking-around weather has returned, we’d like to introduce a new feature on the CFSBK blog, Around Degraw! In this feature, we’ll be telling you about nearby small businesses we like. Looking for something to do after class that’s fun and within walking distance? Look no further! For our first installment, we talked Jackie C., a dedicated CFSBKer and part of the husband-and-wife team behind Ample Hills Creamery. 

When and how did Ample Hills start?

We opened in the spring of 2011 with our first shop in Prospect Heights. We were prepared for failure but certainly not success, which was why we ended up having to close the shop after only being open for four days. We ran out of ice cream. We closed down and regrouped, hired more staff and made a lot more ice cream. We currently have two large brick and mortar shops in Brooklyn-our original shop on Vanderbilt and our shop in Gowanus where all our ice cream is being made. We have two seasonal kiosks: one on the waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park and another at Riis Beach in The Rockaways. In addition we have two smaller outposts in Manhattan, at Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen and the other is inside Bubby’s in The Meatpacking District.

We also sell our pints in about 30 grocery stores throughout New York City and we ship nationwide.

Your Gowanus location is really close to the gym! Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s been like to be part of the Gowanus small business community?

We were super excited to have found our corner shop in Gowanus and even more psyched when we realized the potential for a roof deck and outdoor seating. Over the last several decades we’d watched Gowanus grow from abandoned warehouses and shady nighttime vibes to funky new community oriented spots, four star restaurants and great evening entertainment. When we signed the lease for Gowanus a few years ago we found out that this 17k square foot shuffle board court was going in and that was amazing. We knew then that clearly we were in good company.

What are your plans for Ample Hill in the next few years?

We are working on opening a larger production space in Red Hook so that we can open more shops in and around New York, as that’s what excites us the most.

A unique feature of Ample hills is your rotating and eclectic ice cream flavors. What is your all-time favorite flavor you guys have created and what is currently available that you’d recommend?

Pistachio Squared is most definitely my all time favorite flavor. For the longest time I’d been asking my husband Brian to make Pistachio and he felt like it was too common. I argued that sometimes common is good. He finally gave in and decided to make it but had to AMPlify it by making Pistachio brittle hence the the name Pistachio Squared. Needless to say it blew me away and continues to do so every time I have a scoop. We also offer a shop specific flavor at each of our locations that somehow pay tribute the history or neighborhood of where they are. Our Gowanus site specific flavor is called “It Came From Gowanus.” It’s a dark deep salty chocolate with lots of mix-ins such as hazelnut crack cookies, orange scented brownies, and white chocolate pearls.  he flavor is both a nod to Brian’s former life as a sci-fi writer and the notoriously polluted Gowanus canal.   

Gowanus has really rebuilt itself over the past few years. Are there other businesses or things to do around the neighborhood that you’d recommend? 

CROSSFIT!!! And then once you’re super fit I’d say go to Baba’s and eat some pierogis followed by a game of shuffle board at The Royal Palms and then if your still hungry and want to play then you should go to Insa for some karaoke followed by Threes for some great beer.  And really, I could go on.

Thanks, Jackie! It’s impossible not to love an ice cream shop named after a Walt Whitman line. Do you have a favorite small business near the gym? Send leads to Josh [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: NFT Work | Deadlift
Rack It Right CrossFit Journal
Choose to Fight Training Think Tank