Video of the Week: CrossFit Games athlete and former Junior Olympic weightlifter Kenneth Leverich went to the famed Muscle Beach disguised as an elderly gentleman and put the regulars to shame. Super funny!

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Tomorrow we’ll be hosting OUTWOD during every group class from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Class will be “free” to any CrossFitter, but we’ll ask all participants throughout the day to donate a drop in membership’s worth to the Orlando Victims Fund. We encourage everyone to register through the OUTWOD site and make their donatation in advance. All classes will be running on our regular schedule.

2. Sunday’s 11:00am Active Recovery class with Coach Fox is cancelled.

3. Tomorrow’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes class is ON with guest instructor Sasha S.

4. We caught you up on the CFSBK Classifieds. Don’t forget to use this fun feature of the site!

5. Next Saturday, July 16th, we’ll be hosting our first-ever Spikeball tournament! Head over to the event page for more details and to let us know if you’re planning to compete. Spikeball!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Hang Snatch | Wall Balls, Farmer Carry
Milk and Other Surprising Ways to Stay Hydrated NY Times
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Hang Snatch

Every 90 seconds for 10 reps:
1 Mid-Hang Snatch

Start at about 50% and work up as appropriate. If you’re newer or less flexible, then perform a Mid-Hang Power Snatch plus your best Overhead Squat.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 4 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
15 Wall Ball Shots 20/10, 14/9
50m 1-Arm Farmer Carry, Left
50m 1-Arm Farmer Carry, Right

The carries should be heavy. Use last week’s carries to inform you of a weight to use today.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Saturday, July 16th: Spikeball Tournament!

An afternoon of friendly Spikeball competition. Haven’t played before? Don’t worry! It’s pretty simple, and the video above explains everything. All are invited! Please let us know in the comments section of the event page if you plan to compete. Teams (of two) can declare beforehand, or we’ll pair you up the day of the tournament. The top three winning teams go on the leaderboard until the next tournament!

When?
Saturday, July 16th at 4:00pm. We’ll start with about 30 minutes of practice and organization. The tournament proper will begin at 4:30, but please be at 597 by 4:00 so we know how many people are participating.

Head on over to the event page to sign up and see more videos!

News and Notes

• Today’s 9:00am Yoga class with Jaclyn K. is cancelled.
• This Saturday we’ll be hosting OUTWOD during every group class from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Class will be “free” to any CrossFitter, but we’ll ask all participants throughout the day to donate a drop in membership’s worth to the Orlando Victims Fund. Participants can donate money in advance, but we’ll also set up a computer at our front desk for donations throughout the day. All classes will be running on our regular schedule.  
• Sunday’s 11:00am Active Recovery class with Coach Fox is cancelled.
  

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | Row, Burpees, KB Swings, Box Jumps
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Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 6

Heavier than last week

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 4 of 8
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5 Rounds for Time:
200m Row
15 Burpees
20 Russian Kettlebell Swings 53/35
15 Box Jumps 24/20″

Post time and Rx to comments.

KLove showing off her handstand skills  in the Azores. We are not jealous, not jealous at all 

• Tomorrow’s 9:00am Yoga class with Jaclyn K. is cancelled.
  

This Saturday, July 9th: OUTWOD at CFSBK

Don’t just track your gainz. Track your gainz in style

New Merch!

In addition to our new and (much) improved log books (shown above and available at the front desk for $20), we also have CFSBK 3D logo shirts for sale ($25). They come in both a men’s t-shirt (modeled here by Coach Ro) and a women’s crop top (modeled by Coach JB). CFSBK rainbow tees are coming soon!

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How Exercise Shapes You, Far Beyond The Gym NY Mag
Learning How To Snatch Barbell Brigade

Bench Press / Bent-Over Row Superset*

1A) Barbell Bench Press

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add a few pounds to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 10

Go heavier than last week. 

1B) Barbell Bent-Over Row

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add a few pounds to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 10

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. Keep the following notes in mind:

1) Set up like a Clean and Deadlift the bar up.
2) Hip hinge until bar is at least below the knee (try to be as horizontal as possible).
3) Maintaining a consistent back angle, pull your elbows up and back and aim to hit your stomach (not your chest) with the barbell.
4) Start with a weight that allows all the reps to be done perfect and without momentum. It should feel too light to start.

*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.
Exposure 4 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
3 Muscle-Ups
5 Hang Power Snatches 115/75
270m Run

The Snatches should be light and unbroken today, so scale accordingly. Sub 3 Jumping Muscle-Ups (buy-in is a mature ring support + 5 strict Ring Dips) or 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups if you don’t have Muscle-Ups on the high rings. Sub Jumping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

CFSBK photographer extraordinaire Thomas H. just goofin’ around

Happy 4th of July from CFSBK!

We here at CFSBK wish you a happy Independence Day. All classes and CrossFit Kids programming are cancelled today. We’ll be open for Open Gym hours from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Regular programming will resume tomorrow. Have fun and be safe!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | Deadlifts, Double-Unders
Glide Blissfully Across The Entire Rockaway Beach Boardwalk Gothamist

Clean and Jerk

Fitness
Clean Deadlift + Mid-Hang Clean + 2 Power Jerks:
5x (1+1+2)

Warm up to a medium-heavy load and perform 5 sets across of the complex.

Performance
Clean Pull + Hang Clean + Power Jerk + Jerk

Work up to a heavy load on the complex.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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For Time:
5 Deadlifts 365/255
50 Double-Unders
5 Deadlifts
40 Double-Unders
3 Deadlifts
30 Double-Unders
2 Deadlifts
20 Double-Unders
1 Deadlift
10 Double-Unders

Today’s Deadlift in the metcon is meant to be a heavy stimulus, so scale accordingly and use upward of 80% of your 1RM. These will be done unbroken on the fast end, but breaking them up quickly is appropriate if you have trouble organizing touch-and-go reps at high loads. In either case, be sure to keep a neutral spine and load the hips on the decent if performing touch-and-go reps. The scaling option for dubs is 2x singles or 20-16-12-8-4 attempts.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Meredith R. and Matt E. high five in the final frame of the CFSBK sitcom pilot | Photo by Thomas H.

• Schedule Changes: Today’s CrossFit Kids programming is cancelled. For tomorrow, the 4th of July, we’ll be offering Open Gym from 8:00am to 12:00pm. 

Catching Up with the CFSBK Classifieds

Did you know that we offer a classifieds section of the website for our members? Well, we do! Here are a few examples of goods and services up for grabs at the moment: 

• Actually, there are no goods. It looks like all of the goods that are currently posted have been sold. Get on there and post some more! CFSBK members have advertised everything from juicers to furniture to cars (no illegal exotic animals, please).
• Paul A. and his wife are looking for an apartment. Got any leads?
• Stella Z. wants you to join the CFSBK Pub Quiz Team! They’ll be competing Mondays at 8:00pm at The Gate.
• Colleen M. is looking to swap veggie CSA shares. 

We hope you’ll take advantage of this fun feature. Many people have found roommates there. Why deal with Craigslist when you can live with your workout partner?
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The Ambiguous Cylinder Optical Illusion Kottke
Beatriz Piron: 108kg Clean and Jerk Hookgrip

Back Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week.

Performance
3 x 6

Heavier than last week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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5 Rounds or 20 Minutes:
6ea Lateral Dumbbell Step-Ups
6 Strict Pull-Ups
270m Run

Choose a medium-heavy load on the step ups but not so heavy that you need to use a bunch of momentum off the trail leg. Keep the knee of the working leg tracking over the middle toes of the foot and control the descent on of the movement. The Pull-Ups can be banded or weighted as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Next Saturday, July 9th: OUTWOD at CFSBK

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Why Female Praying Mantises Devour Their Partners During Sex Gizmodo
Pistol Squat Progression WODprep

CFSBK has seen accomplishments galore lately! Let’s see… Grace D. hit a 100kg Back Squat. Kayleigh Cleaned 158lbs and Snatched 110lbs. Coach Jess did “Grace” in 237. Matt C. Snatched 85kg. Tom S. Cleaned 175lbs. Keep up the great work, all!

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Weekend schedule changes: Tomorrow’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes is ON with guest instructor Sasha S. All CrossFit Kids programming is cancelled from today through Monday for 4th of July weekend. 

2. On Monday, July 4th, we’ll offer Open Gym hours from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

3. SAVE THE DATE: On July 9th CFSBK will be hosting an OUTWOD workout for every class as part of a national benefit for victims of the Orlando shooting. CrossFit gyms from New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, LA, and Tennessee will be participating in this special OUTWOD event. Class will be “free” to any CrossFitter but we’ll ask all participants throughout the day to donate a drop in membership’s worth to the Orlando Victims Fund. Go here to register and make your donation.

4. We learned more about Malachy M. in our latest installment of Better Know a Member.

5. We bid a fond farewell to Yoshi and Josi Stone and Rich and Meghan Armstrong. Good luck, guys. Visit us soon!

6. In a new blog feature, we took a closer look at the “knees out” (!) cue. Let us know what other cues you’d like to see featured.

7. The Subway Series is fast approaching, and registration is still open! A series of local competitions is just a subway ride away. That’s why they call it the Subway Series. 

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Wall Balls, Power Cleans, Push-Ups
Zone vs. Macros: Accounting for Fat in Protein CrossFit Journal
The Beginning of Everything Kurzgesagt

Snatch

Performance
Hang Snatch:
2-2-2-2-2

Work up to a heavy double Mid-Hang Snatch

Fitness
Hang Snatch + 2 Overhead Squats:
5x (1+2)

Take a few jumps to warm up to a medium-heavy load on the complex and perform 5 reps there. Prioritize perfect positions over a heavier load.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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AMRAP 15 Minutes:
15 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
9 Power Cleans 135/95
6 Ring Muscle-Ups

The Power Cleans should be on the light side for you and ideally done unbroken touch-and-go. Scale volume on Muscle-Ups so as to be able to move through them in a few short sets if not unbroken, or use today’s WOD as an opportunity to work on them. Sub for them is either Jumping Muscle-Ups on the low rings or 15 Push-Ups.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

It’s summer, and Jay-Star is feeling the heat | Photo by Thomas H.

• SCHEDULE UPDATE: This Saturday’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes class is ON with guest coach Sasha S. All CrossFit Kids programming is cancelled from 7/1 through 7/4 for 4th of July weekend.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2016 SUBWAY SERIES!

Another year has gone by, and it’s time once again for an NYC affiliate throwdown: the sixth annual Subway Series! All NYC affiliates are invited to participate—the affiliate with the best overall score at the end of four events wins the Subway Series Trophy and bragging rights for a whole year!

Event Schedule
Sunday, August 7th: CrossFit Virtuosity
Sunday, August 14th: CrossFit Gantry
Sunday, August 21st: CFSBK
Sunday, August 28th: CrossFit Queens

Scoring
Scoring will work “Open-style”: top 3 male and top 3 female athletes from each affiliate will score based on their place finish in each event. Athletes may score in any event regardless of attendance at other events. 

The ultimate series winner will be the affiliate with the least points after all 4 events have been completed. In the event of a tie, a 5th tie-breaking event will be held. 

As last year, an Rx division and Scaled division trophy will be awarded. 

Registration
All athletes MUST register for each individual event in advance via the Subway Series website in order to participate. Each event will be capped at 100 total participants, so we strongly advise you to register ASAP. These events sell out quickly. 

REGISTER HERE!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | DB/KB Carries, Burpees
Improving Your Jump for the Snatch and Clean Catalyst Athletics
How Not To Be Disappointed With Your Friends Art of Manliness

Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week’s weight. 

Performance
3 x 6

Sixes again next week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8
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5 Rounds for Time:
200m Dumbbell/Kettlebell Carry (as heavy as possible)
20 Burpees

Choose a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell and carry it goblet style 100m out and 100m back. It should be challenging but not so heavy that you need to rest more than twice per trip.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach Lady Fox and Beignet C., the smallest (and arguably most adorable) CFSBKer. More cute photos by Thomas H. can be found here

The CFSBK Guide to Cues: Knees Out

By David Osorio

Knees out! Chest up! Flat back! The verbal cue is one of the most important tools in a CrossFit coach’s repertoire. You likely have some sense of what these commands mean, but in this new blog feature, we’d like to take a look at some common cues. From time to time, we’ll be offering these short guides to explain what these mean and why they’re important. First up is one we’ve probably all heard: knees out!

When might you hear it in class, and what does it mean?

You’ll usually hear it during some sort of squatting activity, but it can apply to any movement that requires you to bend your knees (e.g., the take-off in a Box Jump or the Olympic lifts). The intention is to keep your knee over your midfoot by shoving your knees out, rather than letting them cave in. In the photos below, note how Lauren’s knee is aligned over her midfoot (left) rather than drifting inward (right).

Why is it important?

When you align your knee over the middle of your foot and maintain that position throughout the movement, you are aligning the muscles of your leg to most effectively produce force, as well as minimizing soft tissue stress. Put simply, if your knees are over the middle of your feet during a Back Squat, you’ll be moving the weight upwards in a straight line. If your knees cave in or splay out, the force you exert won’t be used efficiently to move the weight back up. Instead, it will be absorbed by your soft tissue in a counterproductive way. Pushing your knees out reduces wear and tear on your joints, and who doesn’t want that?

What can I do to fix it?

As far as Squats and the Olympic lifts are concerned, the first and easiest thing you can do is buy weightlifting shoes. An elevated heel allows you to maintain more dorsiflexion of your foot, which is especially useful if you have tight ankles. Lifting shoes provide a stable platform on which you can more effectively engage your feet and give you a better tacticle sense of what your feet are doing, creating a better connection to the floor.

Second, simply being aware of the issue and mentally cueing yourself will go a long way. Many newer CrossFitters simply lack this awareness and aren’t quite sure how to fire some external rotators or activate their glutes. If you’re an experienced CrossFitter and your knees tend to cave in at heavier weights, be your own manager and take some weight off the bar if you can’t maintain good positions. In any case, make sure your set up is correct: your stance is the right width (for you), your feet are active and creating external rotation, and your belly is braced.

Finally, if you’re struggling with keeping your knees out because of mobility issues or muscle weakness, don’t hesitate to ask a coach to watch you Squat and suggest some accessory work. One possibility is the Banded Squat, which will “feed the weakness” and reinforce better positioning.

What cues would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Lifts vs. Assistance Exercises Starting Strength
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