CrossFit Kids racing toward the weekend

This Week at CFSBK in Review

What happened this week? Good question!

1. Coach Melo and Coach Katie’s graduation WOD/party is tomorrow at 2pm. Come one and all to help them celebrate their doctorhood!

2. What lift are we doing on Wednesdays now? How will we approach the Olympic lifts this cycle? All of the answers are in our new training cycle template.

3. Coach David let us in on some ancient secrets regarding ankle mobilization. Well, they’re not ancient, but they’re useful. They’re also not secrets anymore.

4. Rytas S. left us and had some nice things to say. Bon voyage, Rytas!

5. Have you thought about trying out 9am yoga with Jaclyn K.? Now’s your chance! She’s offering a free class on Thursday, June 23rd.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Push Press, Pull-Ups, Run
The Greek Hero at the Gym Wall Street Journal
Sara Sigmundsdottir Does “Grace” at 200lbs BarBend

Snatch

Performance
Every minute on the minute x 15:
Snatch Deadlift + Mid-Hang Snatch

Start light and work up to a medium-heavy load on the complex for the day. Goal is no misses and fast reps.

Fitness
Every minute on the minute x 15:
Snatch Deadlift + Mid-Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat

Start light and work up to a medium heavy load on the complex for the day. Goal is no misses and fast reps.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
20 Push Presses 95/65
20 Pull-Ups
270m Run
10 Push Press 95/65
10 Pull-Ups
270m Run
20 Push Presses 95/65
20 Pull-Ups
270m Run

The Push Press load should be light today and unbroken on the fast end. Scale for Pull-Ups is Jumping Pull-Ups or Banded Kipping Pull-Ups as they should also be completed quickly. The Push Press and Jerk rack positions are the same. Read this article.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach MeLo braces for a Squat. Come out to the gym this Saturday at 2pm to help her and Coach Katie celebrate their graduations!

FitAID and PartyAID at CFSBK

You may have noticed that we’ve added a small fridge to the front desk area with a couple of new LifeAID products for purchase. What is this stuff?

FitAID is NOT an energy drink! FitAID is a sensible pre- or post-workout option to aid in performance and/or recovery. It contains a small amount of caffeine (45mgs, much less than a typical cup of coffee, which can range from 90-330 mgs) from green tea extract plus BCAAs and B-vitamins to help your body recover. It also contains a small amount if carbs (11 grams) to help fuel your efforts in the gym or to begin to replenish glycogen stores post-workout 

What about PartyAID? PartyAID contains key electrolytes (and here) to keep your body hydrated, vitamins A,B,C,D and E to keep your body at optimal performance. It also has Milk Thistle to give your liver a little extra needed support. Whether you are experiencing a long night out and need to function the next day, or are just looking for a natural mood enhancer, PartyAID before and after you party can help you recover.

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Overhead Squat Technique WODprep

Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weigh throughout the cycle.

Performance
3 x 8

We’ll do sets of 8 again next week, so leave room to go up.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 1 of 8
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For Time:
20 Deadlifts 225/155
50 Double-Unders
15 Deadlifts 225/155
75 Double-Unders
10 Deadifts 225/155
100 Double-Unders
5 Deadlifts 225/155

The Deadlift weight should be medium heavy for you and unbroken on the fast end. Scale so that they can be completed in at most 2-3 sets. The sub for Double-Unders  is 20-30-40 attempts or 3x singles.

Post time and Rx to comments.

As anyone who’s ever attempted a Squat will tell you, ankle mobility is important! Read on to add a new stretch to your repertoire! | All photos by Thomas H.

Ankle Mobilization with a Band and Kettlebell

By David Osorio

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.

Jason M. Deadlifts three hundred and eig… no, wait, four hundred and… Look, it’s a whole lot of weight

• Writer, poet, and CFSBKer Jynne D. just published an article in the New York Times! Congrats, Jynne! Read “In Defense of the Three-Week Vacation” and be sure to tell her how proud we are the next time you see her! 

Upcoming Training Cycle Template

Training Cycle Dates: M 6/13 – S 8/7
Crush Week: M 8/8 – Su 8/14
Transition Week: Will be the first week of the following cycle, starting August 15th.

We’ll continue programming barbell lifts on consistent days of the week, flipping the days for the Squats and Olympic lifts from the previous cycle. The programming of the Olympic lifts will have an emphasis on hang variations and pulls. Monday will be a 2-Lift day in which the Bench Press and Barbell Bent-Over Row are super-setted (performed back to back).

Monday – Bench Press + Bent Row + Metcon
Tuesday – Rest Day
Wednesday – Front Squat + Metcon
Thursday – Snatch + Metcon
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – Back Squat + Metcon
Sunday – Clean and Jerk + Metcon

Bench Press Cycle

Fitness
3×5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 12
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 10
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 8
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 6

Barbell Bent-Over Row Cycle

Fitness
3 x 8 Linear Progression

Start light and perform the reps with perfect strict form.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 12
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 10
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 8
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 6

Front and Back Squat Cycles

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 8
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 6
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 4
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 2

Use the previous cycle’s numbers to inform a smart starting place for the 3 x 8s.

Snatch and Clean and Jerk Cycles

The Snatch and Clean and Jerk exposures will be varied, with an emphasis on maintaining tension in proper positions.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Bench Press / Bent-Over Row | Wall Balls, Burpees
What Separates a Games Athletes from a Regional Athlete? CrossFit
Steph Curry Literally Sees the World Differently Than You Do NY Mag

Bench Press / Bent-Over Row Superset*

1A) Barbell Bench Press

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle. 

Performance
3 x 12

12s again next week, so start light enough to add weight. 

1B) Barbell Bent-Over Row

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle.

Performance
3 x 12 Linear Progression

In both cases, keep these light enough to perform strictly and with solid form. Don’t let these turn into an ego exercise. Really think about the movement rather than the weight moved.

*Superset means that you perform a set of exercise A (in this case the Bench Press) and then after a short rest, 30 seconds to a minute, you perform a set of exercise B (in this case the Barbell Bent-Over Row). You then rest a short period before returning to exercise A and continue in this fashion until all warm up and work sets are completed.

Post loads to comments.

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AMRAP 10 Minutes:
Wall Balls 20/10  14/9
20 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Leah M. and Mark C. crushing it. What was your favorite Crush Week workout? Which was the hardest?

Graduation WOD and BBQ for Coaches MeLo and KHarpz!

Training Cycle Template

Training Cycle Dates: M 6/13 – S 8/7
Crush Week: M 8/8 – Su 8/14
Transition Week: Will be the first week of the following cycle, starting August 15th.

We’ll continue programming barbell lifts on consistent days of the week, flipping the days for the Squats and Olympic lifts from the previous cycle. The programming of the Olympic lifts will have an emphasis on hang variations and pulls. Monday will be a 2-Lift day in which the Bench Press and Barbell Bent-Over Row are super-setted (performed back to back).

Monday – Bench Press + Bent Row + Metcon
Tuesday – Rest Day
Wednesday – Front Squat + Metcon
Thursday – Snatch + Metcon
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – Back Squat + Metcon
Sunday – Clean and Jerk + Metcon

Bench Press Cycle

Fitness
3×5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 12
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 10
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 8
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 6

Barbell Bent-Over Row Cycle

Fitness
3 x 8 Linear Progression

Start light and perform the reps with perfect strict form.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 12
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 10
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 8
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 6

Front and Back Squat Cycles

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start light enough to add weight throughout the cycle.

Performance
Weeks 1-2: 3 x 8
Weeks 3-4: 3 x 6
Weeks 5-6: 3 x 4
Weeks 7-8: 3 x 2

Use the previous cycle’s numbers to inform a smart starting place for the 3 x 8s.

Snatch and Clean and Jerk Cycles

The Snatch and Clean and Jerk exposures will be varied, with an emphasis on maintaining tension in proper positions.

Standardized Warm Ups

Option A)
4-6 rounds of the Burgener Warm Up with an empty barbell or a PVC:
Hang 
Hang Pull
Hang High Pull
Hang Muscle Snatch
Hang Snatch
Snatch (from mid shin)

Option B)
8 minutes:
Gymnastics skill work of choice: Pull-Ups, Toes-to-Bars, Muscle-Ups, or Inversions.

Option C)
3 RNFT:
4-12 Strict Pull-Ups or Ring Rows
8-12 Push-Ups or Dumbbell Push Press
16 Alternating (8ea) Lunges or Squats

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Overhead Squat

Take 10 Minutes to warm up to work weight for the WOD.

Practice: Power Snatch + Overhead Squat and Clean and Jerk + Overhead Squat

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“Nancy”

5 Rounds For Time:
400 Meter Run
15 Overhead Squats 95/65lbs

Post time and Rx to comments.

Our CrossFit Kids classes love to climb the rope under the watchful eye of Sensei David

Farewell, Rytas S.!

Dedicated CFSBKer Rytas S. is moving to London this coming week. We’ll miss you, Rytas! He sent an e-mail to David that neatly expresses some of the things that make CFSBK a great gym, so we asked him if we could post it. Here it is!

David,

I wanted to drop you a quick note before I leave the gym next week.

My wife has taken a job in London, and we are packing our bags and seeing where fate takes us.

It is a bittersweet departure – although we have much to look forward to, we have to say goodbye to an amazing life in Brooklyn. Not the least of these sad goodbyes will be to CrossFit South Brooklyn. I’ll be leaving the gym almost exactly 4 years after I graduated from my Foundations class. It is difficult to express to you what a tremendous impact you and your crew have made on my life.

I recently finished a book by Carol Dweck called Mindset. Her theme is the difference between people with a fixed mindset, those who feel like they are as smart and as gifted as they will ever be, versus those with a growth mindset, those who feel like they can constantly grow and improve. Dweck spends the book explaining why people with a growth mindset routinely outperform their fixed mindset counterparts.

What I have found at CFSBK is an entire community of people who have embraced the growth mindset – constantly pushing themselves and tackling weaknesses. I was enamored with that from the very beginning, though I didn’t know why at the time. Over the last 4 years I went from avoiding weaknesses to focusing on them and welcoming things that once made me feel timid.

What was really unexpected was for that mentality to then seep into other parts of my life. During this same period I have found myself challenging myself at work, in a non-profit that I run, and in personal growth and development. I have begun demanding the same kind of mentality from those around me. 

Sure, some of that comes from CrossFit in general. However, I am certain that most of that comes from the CFSBK community and you and your team particularly. I have visited a number of other affiliates and all CrossFit gyms are not created equal.

All of the coaches at CFSBK really enjoy being part of the growth of the members. They are happy to be there, teaching at whatever hour. They enjoy answering questions even if a class isn’t going on. They seem genuinely happy to see anyone who steps in through the front door – as if they have a new friend to show their growth world to! That general sense of welcome and openness creates an atmosphere where not only is it OK to learn and grow, but one in which it is expected. It is OK to try new things and it is OK to fail a few times along the way. In turn, when something doesn’t work out the 1st, 2nd or 20th time it becomes an educational journey. I cannot stress enough how rewarding it has been to be part of that atmosphere for 4 years.

I could continue on and on, specifying different coaches and what each has imparted to me, but I would inevitably forget hundreds of details, and I don’t want to half-ass a list like that. Therefore, could you please simply extend my deepest gratitude to the entire staff on my behalf? I will truly miss all of you guys.

Most sincerely, thank you,

Rytas

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | Power Cleans, Bar Muscle-Ups
Manohair Aich, 4-Foot-11 Bodybuilder Known as the Pocket Hercules, Dies at 103 NY Times
The Price of Control, the Cost of Discipline Starting Strength
On Reading Issues of Wired from 1993 to 1995 New Yorker

Front Squat

1-1-1

Warm up and take 3 attempts at a new 1RM Front Squat.

Post loads to comments.
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9-6-3 Reps for Time:
Power Cleans 225/155
Bar Muscle-Ups

The Power Cleans should be on the heavy side today. If you don’t have Bar Muscle-Ups, then perform Jumping Bar Muscle-Ups, or Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups + Push-Ups.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Malachy M. goes for a 1RM Back Squat as Coach McDowell watches. Who’s ready for 1RM Front Squats today?

Fish CSA Starts Today! You Can Still Join! 

Our second season with Big City Fish Share begins today with the first fish delivery of the season!

Fish CSA members: pick up your fresh, wild-caught fish between 10pm-12pm sharp at the gym; just look for Michele and she’ll check your name off the list.* 

If you’re still considering joining, you can! The CSA offers weekly deliveries of of super fresh, 100% wild-caught fish, never frozen, and filleted just for us. You can sign up for one or two-pound shares. If you sign up now, your season will start June 18. The share runs through November and you can pause or re-start your subscription easily, anytime.

This is our second season with Big City Fish Share. Past members will testify that the quality, price and sustainability of the fish are incredible. At $17/lb, this deal simply cannot be found anywhere else in the city. So join us!

*CSA members: As with all our CSAs, the gym cannot hold your share for you if you can’t make the pickup. If you have an emergency, try and find someone to pick up your share for you, or contact Michele, the CSA coordinator, at mignyc at gmail dot com.

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How Far Can We Go? The Limits of Humanity Kurzgesagt
The Marvelous Mouth of Cassius Clay Esquire
The Clean and Jerk Rack Positions Catalyst Athletics

Fatima A. sets up for a 1RM Deadlift

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Allie C. is CFSBK’s June Athlete of the Month. Congrats, Allie!

2. Our second season with Big City Fish Share begins tomorrow with the first fish delivery of the season! Fish CSA members: pick up your fresh, wild-caught fish between 10AM-12 noonSHARP at the gym; just look for Michele and she’ll check your name off the list.

3. CrossFit Virtuosity’s 2016 Prom is tomorrow night! Go here for all the details, and start coordinating your ’80s outfits.

4. Want to prep for the Subway Series and sign up for your next competition? Look no further than CrossFit 718’s Brooklyn’s Fittest: Beat the Streets fundraiser. It’s for a great cause!

5. Coach David wrote about his work as Competition Director for the CrossFit Games East Regional. It’s a fascinating insight into all the work that goes into running a large competition. Must read!

6. Vella S. is looking for a roommate. Check out her CFSBK Classifieds listing here!

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Forged: Making a Rogue Barbell Rogue Fitness
Gymnastics Strength Illustrated: Tim Ferriss & Christopher Sommer Modern Frontier

“Jack”

AMRAP 20 Minutes:
10 Push Presses 115/80
10 Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
10 Box Jumps 24/20″

The barbell and kettlebell should be light enough for you to perform the reps unbroken, at least early on. The swings are Rx’d as overhead. The Box Jump is Rx’d as a two-foot take off (i.e., not a step-up).

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

This shit doesn’t happen by accident!

Coach David at the CrossFit Games East Regional

Coach David recently worked the East Regional as Competition Director. This is the 6th year in a row that he’s performed this role and so he thought he would share a little bit about his experience.

For the past six years, the end of spring has meant that it’s time for Regionals. The first one I worked was the inagural Regional qualifier,  which was held in a parking lot (no, really) in Albany. I schlepped up most of the gym’s equipment in a U-Haul and the Regional Director (Jason Ackerman) and I basically created a competition floor with chalk, some cones, a bunch of mismatched equipment, and whatever else we could find. Back then, you could basically just show up and compete. It was part competition, part BBQ, and part social.

Over the years CrossFit, especially the competative side of CrossFit, has seen tremendous growth. The athletes who qualify for Regionals are nothing short of Meat Robots (credit goes to Kelly Starrett for this term) who look and perform more like superheroes than humans. While the scope and scale of everything has drastically changed, in my opinion, the spirits of community and competition are still there, just on a much larger stage.

I’ve been honored to have been asked back to be the Competition Director of East Regionals every year, and the role has grown along with the competition. “Competition Director” essentially means that you’re the lead on every aspect of the competition with the exception of equipment, which is done by Rogue and a team of volunteers. As CD I work with the Regional Director and CrossFit HQ to make sure we’re optimizing the use of the venue. This includes managing the assembly and placement of the athlete warm-up areas, Athlete Village, Athlete Rally Points, back-of-house rooms for different teams, and drug testing. We also have to create a concrete “flow plan” for where and how athletes get checked in prior to heats, get set up with their chip timers, and walk onto and off the floor.

At the start and end of each day, there are also athlete briefings detailing each event. The judges also need to be trained on a similar protocol, which contains exact specifications for where to run to, how to stand, when to take a knee, what each athlete’s specific lane assignments are, and how score cards will be assigned. The call time for judges is 5:30am every day, and we usually don’t leave until 6 to 8pm. Beyond that, we work intensively with the judges leading up to and through the event to make sure that they understand the standards and flow for every event.

This year we had 180 individuals participating in the Team Competition, 80 in the individual, and about 70 judges (plus our scoring team, timing team, chip timing, athlete control, and medical services). I oversee all these people and teams to make sure everyone is doing their job and things are running exactly on schedule. (We have to coordinate everything to the second; at Regionals, if you’re one minute (literally) off, you’ll need to explain why it happened and have a plan to fix it. In addition organizing and overseeing these teams, I also am the point person for athlete appeals, which means I’m the lucky guy who has to talk to all the athletes who are upset about on the field calls or are appealing something related to their performance. Fortunately, most of the athletes are very reasonable and diplomacy is one of my strong suits!

So, in a nutshell, that’s what I do at Regionals. There is a HUGE crew of dedicated and hard working people who come together to make these events run smoothly. I’m so grateful to be one of the many people behind the scenes who work hard to make sure we send the right people to Carson and create fair, memorable, and fun event for everyone. It’s always an incredibly stressful and draining week, but it’s totally worth it, and I’ll keep coming back as long as they keep inviting me back.

Thanks, DO! You make CFSBK proud!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Squat | Row, Burpees
Barbell Basics Starting Strength
You Are Two CGP Grey