Clean and Jerk

Warm up to a Clean and Jerk weight slightly heavier than the one you’ll use in the metcon.

Be patient and don’t rush the pull from the floor.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
10 Clean and Jerk 135/95
400m Run

Should be a weight you can power clean and jerk with ease, possibly being able to do unbroken sets in the first few rounds.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Matt E. pulls a heavy Deadlift | Photo by Thomas H.

Common Hands Farm CSA: Sign Up Today!

Happy Spring! Getting fit and eating well starts now. We have your direct hook-up to fresh produce grown upstate, and its time to sign up to reserve your membership today!

In its fifth year, Common Hands will deliver CSA shares right next door to 575 Degraw (Brooklyn Boulders) on Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30pm.

What is a CSA Share?

It is a membership to a farm where you get an exclusive deal on fresh organically grown vegetables delivered straight from the farm to you! Once you pay the upfront membership fee (payment plans available) you receive a weekly delivery from the farm starting in June through November.

Why Should You Join?

Beyond receiving freshly harvested and health-giving food, grown cleanly with no pesticides or herbicides, you are also putting your money where your mouth is, and supporting the local food economy. This is food from real farmers, and by buying a share you are supporting small organic farms. We grow food for you, period. We are not a distributor or large conventional farm with lots of employees, but real down to earth people. On our farm, a team of less than ten people work to grow food for upwards of 200 members each year… and we care what you eat!

We offer Full and Half Vegetable Shares that can be paired with the optional Full or Half Fruit & Egg Share. A Full Share picks up weekly, while the Half Share picks up bi-weekly. Veg shares are $615 for a weekly (“full”) share or $375 for an every-other-week (“half”) share. Fruit and eggs can be purchased in addition to Veg Shares and are bundled together: a full share is $280 and a half share is $140. Pending interest, Flower Shares may be available as well.

Remember, your pick-up location is just down the block at Brooklyn Boulders!

Go to CommonHandsCSA.com for details or click here to sign up directly!  Questions? Email the farm at commonhandsfarm [at] gmail [dot] com, or the gym’s CSA coordinator, Michele, at mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Squat | 1-Arm KB Swings, Reverse Lunges, C2B Pull-Ups
Muscle-Up Transition Tips WODprep
Can Mindfulness Reduce Mindless Eating? NYMag

Back Squat

Performance
3 x 12

Add weight to last week. Use a full range of motion and control.

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10lbs to last week’s work weight.

Deadlift

1 x 10

Warm up and perform one heavy (and perfect) set of 10 reps, heavier than last week. Touch-and-go is permitted.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8
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5 Rounds NFT:
10 1-Arm Kettlebell Swings, Left
10 1-Arm Kettlebell Swings, Right
10 Goblet Reverse Lunges, Left
10 Goblet Reverse Lunges, Right
5-10 Strict Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

Keep the shoulder of the swinging arm packed down and back and the entire upper back engaged. Work up to a challenging weight for the Swings and Lunges. If you want to spice things up a bit, then perform all the swings and lunges as a complex (i.e., without putting the bell down to rest). Use a prone grip for the Pull-Ups. Focus on fully engaging your lats by lulling your shoulders and elbows down and back on the way up. Scale to regular Pull-Ups and/or Banded Pull-Ups or Ring Rows as needed.

Post work to comments.

Coach KHarpz and a team of Maryland CrossFit friends recently competed in the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge. Team “MAAC to the Future” took 10th place out of 46 teams! #gottabethepants

The Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Winners: 1st Place!

We’re so proud of everyone who recently completed the Look Feel Perform Better Challenge, our 12-week  collective kick-start toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits in the New Year. Among the dedicated CFSBKers who rethought their diets, counted macros, and put in quality time with the foam roller, three women and three men stood out to us as winners. Yesterday we announded the second place winners. Today we’re pleased to announce the 1st place winners: Erin and Chas! Tell us how you did it, guys!

  Erin M.

  Before (L), After (R)

“Wow, this is very flattering! There were several factors that contributed to my success, but I’ll try my best to keep it to 3 sentences. (Ha! I should just apologize in advance for being long winded.) Having the structure of macros and logging everything I ate via My Fitness Pal really left me with nowhere to hide, providing a clear picture of what I was doing wrong or right and therefore holding me accountable. The tracker also kept me focused by having a place to put some notes about how I felt along the way, progressions, and all the gainz (and losses!).

The motivation really kicked in once I started seeing the scale move in a downward direction and my clothes fitting looser, but also small wins at the gym like more strict Push-Ups strung together, going down a band in Pull-Ups, finally getting kick-ups to the wall, and holding myself at the top of the rings for longer than a half second.

What really contributed to my success though, was the amazing support system we have at CSFBK. From the challenge talks, to the online forum, to our wonderful members – some of whom I’m lucky enough to call friends (like Jenny who was always sure to call me out!), I don’t know that I would have lasted 6 weeks let alone the full 12! Thank you Fox and DO for always putting on such a great program year after year. I’m sure it takes a lot of hard extra work and it does not go unnoticed.”

  Chas C.

  Before (L), After (R)

“The process of tracking was what kept me on track. I used MyFitnessPal to track my daily macros and the spreadsheet to track not only my points, but also my progress on lifts/metcons, general well-being, and daily soundtrack. The process kept me accountable to both myself and the greater CFSBK community, without whom I’d never have the strength to do “just one more rep,” let alone this 12-week marathon. Now I’m still tracking to help ensure that the positive changes I’ve made thanks to the challenge remain a part of my life going forward.”

Did you take part in the Challenge? If so, what lessons about nutrition, fitness, and recovery did you take away from it?

_____________________
A Conversation with Whales NY Times
What We See and What We Think We See Pacific Standard

Lots of fitness happening in this great photo by Thomas H.

• Schedule change: Tonight’s 6:30pm Active Recovery class is cancelled.
• CrossFit HQ reposted our CrossFit Kids Rules on Instagram. It’s adorable. Check it out, and hey… follow us, too, while you’re at it!

The Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Winners: 2nd Place!

We’re so proud of everyone who recently completed the Look Feel Perform Better Challenge, our 12-week  collective kick-start toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits in the New Year. Among the dedicated CFSBKers who rethought their diets, counted macros, and put in quality time with the foam roller, three women and three men stood out to us as winners. We annouced the 3rd place winners yesterday, and we’ll announce the 1st place winners tomorrow. We’ve also asked them to tell us a bit about the “secrets” to their success. Today we’re pleased to announce the 2nd place winners: Jenny and Evan.

Jenny M.

Before (L), After (R)

“Consistently tracking and hitting my macros was a huge part of my success in the challenge. My Fitness Pal helped me learn exactly what I could eat on my mostly vegan diet so that I could hit my macros and still enjoy my food (yes, even protein!). The app and tracker also helped to keep my accountable: if left to my own devices, I’m much more likely to skip the protein shake or have a bunch of sweets. However, allowing myself to enjoy life and exceed my macros on certain days helped to make these dietary changes sustainable–I can only stay away from pizza for so long! Having a great group of friends, including my challenge buddy Erin Musni, to help me celebrate my successes and laugh at my failures was also invaluable.”

Evan H.

  Before (L), After (R)

“There were really 2 primary aspect that helped contribute to my success, a supportive wife and how I felt. My wife decided to take on the dietary portion of the challenge with me, so we would work together to plan our meals, which we found to be essential to changing our eat habits. It is also nice to partner with someone for group accountability, this is especially true when scrounging for snacks (i.e.,  I’m much more likely to grab an apple & peanut butter instead of chips if the boss is around). The other reason was when I followed the guidelines of the competition, I ALWAYS felt better. After a couple of weeks the urge to eat the wrong foods or skip my active recovery was almost completely removed…oh yeah, I forgot about the cheat meal…god bless the cheat meal. (But only 1 per week.)”

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Ring Dips | Wall Balls, Box Jumps
Is Strength Training for Kids Safe? Fitness HQ
Trippy Images Reveal What Brains on LSD Look Like NY Mag

Ring Dips (or Close DB Bench Press)

Performance
Tempo Ring Dips (32X1):
4  x 6-12 Strict, 1 x Max Reps

Perform 4 sets across to 2 reps shy of failure, then 1 max effort set to failure. Perform a full range of motion on all reps. Rest as needed between sets. Goal is to add total reps each week by increasing the sets across and/or the max set.

Fitness
Tempo Close Dumbbell Bench Press (32X1):
4 x 6-12, 1 x Max Reps

Perform 4 sets across to 2 reps shy of failure, then 1 max effort set to failure. Rest as needed between sets. Start with a load that feels almost easy for 12 reps. Keep elbows in close to mimic the bottom of a dip.

The tempo note (32X1) means control the eccentric (down) portion for a 3 count, pause at the bottom for a 2 count, contract concentrically (up) as fast as possible, then hold the top for a 1 count before beginning the next rep.

Post loads/work to comments.

Exposure 2 of 8

_____________________

5 rounds for time: 
12 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
12 Box Jumps 24/20

Post time and Rx to comments.

Steve L. demonstrates a good landing position at the top of a Box Jump

• Schedule change: Tomorrow night’s 6:30pm Active Recovery class is cancelled.

The Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Winners: 3rd Place!

We’re so proud of everyone who recently completed the Look Feel Perform Better Challenge, our 12-week  collective kick-start toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits in the New Year. Among the dedicated CFSBKers who rethought their diets, counted macros, and put in quality time with the foam roller, three women and three men stood out to us as winners, and we’ll be announcing them over the next three days. We’ve also asked them to tell us a bit about the “secrets” to their success. Today we’re pleased to announce the 3rd place winners: Francine and Mauricio. 

 Francine D.

  Before (L), After (R)

“So excited to know that I was one of the top 3! This challenge was so much fun to do because I was doing it with a group of like-minded people. It was so helpful to have the daily tracker. Tracking macros was so much easier than counting calories or eating strict Paleo, where, in my case, I just found myself eating tons of fat and meat because I could. I also ate more frequently, which I believe proved better for me than the intermittent fasting I had been doing previously. And while my diet remained essentially plants and animal proteins, counting macros was actually liberating instead of confining because it helped me to realize how out of balance my consumption had been prior, and I finally allowed myself to eat a larger variety of clean foods with greater frequency. I also cut out alcohol pretty significantly, reserving it for special occasions, and it was awesome to learn how to drink moderately again. I never felt deprived and am motivated to keep eating for performance.”

 Mauricio A.

  Before (L), After (R)

“It’s hard to believe I made it to the top 3! Woohoo! I started this challenge as any other competition, with a goal to win it. After a few weeks, I realized this was ALL about having to change old habits and focusing on healthier choices. The challenge provided the necessary tools and the right amount of time for me to truly change everything I was doing wrong. The group meetings and lectures provided the guidance, the gym and members provided the motivation, and the tracker put it all into place. It is amazing how different I feel after 3 months. I lost 16lbs by the end of the challenge (and counting). I feel stronger and happier. I’m keeping up with the life style change and I cannot wait to see what 6 months, 9 months, 12 months will do to my body and mind. Thanks CFSBK for putting all together and thank you to all of the people who participated! You guys ROCK!”

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Power Snatch + OHS, Bar Muscle-Ups, Burpees
Understanding Training Stressors Training Think Tank

Paused Snatch

Performance
70% x 2 x 5

Fitness
5 x 2

Use a load that allows you to perform 5 technically sound doubles.

Pause at the knee for a 2 count with the weight back towards the heels and shoulders in front of the bar. Set up tight and maintain tension throughout all the positions. It’s okay to bail and reset between reps.

Post loads to comments.

_____________________

Every minute on the minute x 3 rounds:

Minutes 1, 4, 7, and 10
5 Power Snatches + 5 Overhead Squats 115/80

Minutes 2, 5, 8, and 10
5 Bar Muscle-Ups

Minutes 3, 6, 9, and 12
12 Burpees

The load on the barbell should be on the light side and unbroken. Hit the same positions on the first 2 pulls as you did in the lifting portion. The sub for Bar Muscle-Ups is Jumping Bar Muscle-Ups or Chest-to-Bar (or Jumping C2B) Pull Ups. If you have Bar Muscle-Ups but not 5 in less than a minute, then scale volume so as to leave at least 15 seconds of transition time. Same for Burpees: if necessary, scale volume in order to finish them in no more then 45 seconds.

Post work and Rx to comments.

Coach Arturo gives Melody W. a tactile cue during Kipping Pull-Up practice in our Anti-Gravity class. Check out Anti-Gravity with Coach Noah today at 2pm!

• Schedule change: This Tuesday’s 6:30pm Active-Recovery class is cancelled.

YOU SHALL NOT SNATCH, or, Thoughts on the Absolute Necessity of the Hook Grip 

By Noah Abbott
Originally posted 7.1.2014

Lately my coaching comrades and I have been noticing a strange phenomenon. Normally conscientious and dedicated Crossfit padawans, attempting the two toughest things we do at the gym—the snatch and clean, without the use of a hook grip. While we talk about the hook grip in Foundations, I think it may be prudent to inject a bit more philosophical and theoretical gravity into its use, to ensure that it is used every single time you Olympic lift, until you are so comfortable with it that you will feel weird doing anything else. 

What is the hook grip and why do we use it? It is simply a method of gripping a barbell, or anything of roughly barbell diameter. To secure your hook grip, follow these steps: 

1. Open your hands as wide as possible and push the bar deep into your palm.
2. Wrap your thumb around the bar as far as you can.
3. Tightly grab your thumb with your index and middle fingers and pull it further around the bar, while your
ring and pinky fingers hold onto the barbell.
4. ?????
5. PR 

The hook grip is as old as time immemorial. American weightlifting legend Tommy Kono says that when he started lifting (roughly 1945 or so) he used the hook grip, which he had seen in a book. That legacy has continued, and EVERY SINGLE competitive Olympic lifter in the world, universe, and likely in uncharted galaxies uses the hook grip. So you should too. Need more proof than every gold medal won at every Olympics, ever? Ok, fine, here goes: 

1. The hook grip is strong as hell. You are basically turning your hand into an Organic Lifting Strap (extra hipster cred for sustainability!). Want a test? Go hang from a barbell with a normal grip, then try using a hook grip—which do you want to bet lets you hang longer. In fact, you will probably quit from thumb discomfort before your hook grip actually fails. This is a test, so please don’t actually use a hook grip to do pull-ups, unless it’s to win a bet. 

2. The hook grip allows you to accelerate the barbell with loose arms. Since the grip is “passive”—the bar is held by the friction caused from the weight of the barbell clamping your thumb into your fingers—you can secure a rock solid grip on the bar without contracting the muscles in your forearms. Loose arms translate to better pulls. Ever have a coach correct your early arm pull or tell you to “whip your elbows faster?” You can’t do either of those without a hook grip. 

3. The hook grip allows for proper rack delivery in the clean. This dovetails off the last point, but the passive and relaxed nature of the grip makes it easier to open your hands and deliver the bar to your shoulders with high elbows.  People who don’t hook grip and squeeze the hell out of the bar end up with their hands glued fully around the bar, a bad rack position, and subsequently FAILZ.

Ok, so I’ve convinced you, right? Well, we still get lots of complaints about the hook grip, and since this ol Crossfit thing is a customer service business, we endeavor to satisfy your complaints, or at least confuse you enough that you drop the subject. Common gripes generally fall into two categories: 

1. My hands are too small! No, they are not. Likely, you haven’t really shoved the bar deep enough into your palm, or gripped it tightly enough with your fingers. Halil Mutlu won three consecutive Olympic Golds, standing 4’11” tall and beginning his career at 56KG (118 lbs), before beefing up to a scale shattering 62KG (136 lbs.) Dude was little, and his hands were tiny, and he hook gripped like a boss. Further, at the gym we have a range of barbells (33, 25, and 15#, or yellow, green, and white tape), which are smaller in diameter than the 20KG/45# bars. That said, they are generally 25mm diameter vs the normal 28mm, so they aren’t exactly toothpicks. Unless you are literally a baby—not a wimp, but an actual infant—your hands are just fine. 

2. It hurts! Well, life is pain, anyone who says differently is selling something. Seriously, the wisdom of Wesley/T.D.P.R. aside, discomfort caused by the hook grip is temporary, and generally lessens with familiarity. Simply using the hook grip all the time will make the discomfort vanish, replaced by the sweet caress of PRs and resultant glory. 

If you really feel tight and restricted, Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics suggests you implement this stretch: Make a fist with your thumb tucked tightly inside and ulnar deviate your hand; that is, tilt your hand away from the thumb side. You should feel a stretch around the base of your thumb and probably a little up into your wrist as well. You can also flex the wrist from this position to get an additional and somewhat different stretch. So do that. If you want to be a real badass/masochist, deadlift with a hook grip—cleans and snatches will seem like a manicure after that.  

Lastly, you can tape your thumbs before you lift, which should reduce some of the discomfort. Here’s Rich Froning talking in GREAT DETAIL about how to wrap tape around your thumb, which doesn’t seem too complicated to me, but then again, he’s the champ, and I write things on the CFSBK blog. Some people differ on their approach to taping your thumbs. The aforementioned Greg Everett, for example, says you should NOT tape over the joint, and instead tear a strip of athletic tape in half (after you’ve ripped it free from the roll, do not give Coach Fox an aneurism) and tape north and south of your thumb joint. This will allow your thumb to move a bit more freely than if it is taped like a big burrito, which Everett claims can lead to discomfort, or even a broken thumb. (I am highly skeptical of the broken thumb claim, but again, I have about 1% of 1% of his experience, or less.)

So, as per normal, I’ve covered a simple topic in exhaustive, pedantic, teeth gnashing depth. Not much left to be said, except for this: You know who wished he used the hook grip? This guy.

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The Snatch in Slo Mo Team USA
The Poet Idolized by a New Generation of Feminists NY Times Magazine

Front Squat

Performance
3×12

Leave a rep or two in the tank. We’ll do 12s again next week, so these should not be max effort sets. Use full a full range of motion and control.

Fitness
3×5 Linear Progression

Start your linear progression light enough to increase the weight by 5-10 lbs each week over the next 8 weeks.

Post loads to comments.

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5 rounds for time:
9 Deadlifts 155/110
6 Hang Power Cleans 155/110
3 Push Press 155/110
25 Double-Unders

The load on this riff on the benchmark workout “DT” should be medium heavy for you. For almost everyone, it will be the Push Press that’s the limiter. In it’s best capacity, the barbell complex is done unbroken. If breaking the reps up, consider doing 8 of the Deadlifts, then taking the 9th into your first Hang Power Clean. Same strategy for taking the Hang Power Cleans into the Push Press: do 5+1 then aim to make all the Push Presses unbroken. Jerks are no reps today for the shoulder-to-overhead.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Nate O. puts skills learned in Coach Ken’s gymnastics class to good use | Photo by Thomas H.

Sign Up for Our Seasonal Fish CSA! Discount for Early Birds

Last summer, we brought in a new fish CSA partner and were blown away by the quality and freshness of their fish! Lucky for you, registration is now open for the 2016 season, which runs weekly from June 11 til late fall.

Big City Fish Share, now in its fifth season, delivers sustainably caught, never-frozen, super-fresh seafood from Montauk to New York City. You can sign up for a weekly share of either 1 pound or 2 pounds of filleted fish, littleneck clams, or oysters.  Sign up by June 7th, and lock in $16 per pound for the whole season.  After June 7th, the price will go back to $17 per pound.

The delivery window will be Saturday mornings, 10am to 12pm, starting June 11. This is a weekly, not monthly, share.

Customers can sign up for 4 deliveries at a time, and can easily place their orders on hold through the website if they go out of town. Any funds left in your account at the end of the season will be returned to you by check. Expect a good variety of fish, including big-eye tuna, squid, founder, fluke, swordfish, black sea bass, bluefish, porgy, and monkfish. 

Any other questions? E-mail bigcityfishshare [at] gmail.com. For general CSA questions, e-mail Michele at mignyc [at] gmail.com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | KB Swings, Hand Release Push-Ups, Run
The Sugar Conspiracy The Guardian
Whatplates.com

Jake L. considers the barbell | Photo by Thomas H.

This week at CFSBK in Review

1. Results of the LFPB Challenge are soon to come. Stay tuned to the blog Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to find out the top three winners!

2. Kelly Starrett is doing a reading and book signing at the Barnes & Nobel in Tribeca on the 26th. Don’t miss out on your chance to see your favorite Mobility Guru.

3. We caught you up on the CFSBK Classifieds. Spring cleaning time is here. Please feel free to post giveaways or for sale items!

4. Our new 8-week programming cycle started, and we gave you the whole rundown. (Coach McDowell also revealed a hidden talent for reciting long, classic American poems on command. Don’t make him do Howl during a CrossFit Kids class, please!)

5. Have you signed up for our CSA with Common Hands Farm yet? Get on it and secure your veggie supply for the Spring/Summer/Fall!

6. High Rings and ropes joined the equipment arsenal over at 608 Degraw. 

7. More importantly, Coach David asked us to think about the mileage we put on our joints outside the gym. Try not to be a Bigfoot!

8. The first Iron Maidens Lift & Learn session will take place on Saturday, May 1st. We want to keep the Iron Maidens energy and community connected between competitions, so we thought it would be fun to get together semi-regularly to train and learn about lifting (and maybe other stuff!) from women achieving great things. Here’s everything you need to know!

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Bay Area CrossFit Coach Saves Family After Crash CBS
Grace in :59 Seconds CrossFit Fond du Lac
Is Teaching Kids Empathy Just As Important As Teaching Them Math? Pacific Standard

Paused Clean and Paused Jerk

Performance
70% x 2 x 5

Fitness
5 x 2

Use a load that allows you to perform 5 technically sound doubles.

Pause the clean at the knee with the weight back towards the heels. Pause at the bottom of the dip and ensure a strong rack position with weight balanced towards the heel. OK to bail and reset between reps.

Post loads to comments.

_____________________

3 Rounds for Time:
30 Russian Kettlebell Swings 53/35
20 Hand Release Push-Ups
270m Run

The kettlebell weight should be light today, light enough to go unbroken on all sets on the top end. Scale Push-Ups with the same goal, or to complete them in no more than 3-4 quick sets.

Throwback Thursday: Charlotte and Nick (and Linus) practicing Capoiera at the Lyceum in 2009

The Inaugural Iron Maidens Lift ‘n’ Learn Session: Sunday, May 1st at 2:30pm

We want to keep the Iron Maidens energy and community connected between Competitions, so we thought it would be fun to get together semi-regularly to train and learn about lifting (and maybe other stuff!) from women achieving great things.

We’re happy to invite you all to the first Iron Maidens Lift n’ Learn session on Sunday, May 1st at 2:30pm.

What: 90 minutes of lifting, followed by a 30-45 minute talk/workshop/dialogue
When: May 1st, 2016 at 2:30pm
Where: CrossFit South Brooklyn, 597 Degraw Street (608 space)
Who: IM participants, and anyone’s who’s curious about IM
How Much: Free!

Our first session will likely feature: You! Bring your ideas for people and topics you want to us to cover in the future to help shape the program.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Squat/Deadlift | Row, Farmer’s Carry
Gamechangers: The Unsung Heroines Instagram

Back Squat

Performance
3 x 12

Leave a rep or two in the tank. 12s will be programmed again next week, so these should not be max effort sets. Use full range of motion and control.

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start your linear progression light enough to increase weight by 5-10 lbs each week over the next 8 weeks.

Deadlift

1 x 10

Warm up and perform one heavy (and perfect) set of 10 reps. Touch-and-go is permitted.

Post loads to comments.

_____________________

For Time:
1000m Row
Rest 4 Minutes
270m 1-Armed Farmer’s Carry

Go hard on the row. Carry 1 heavy object to 4th and back, switching arms as needed. Top end load for the farmer’s walk would be about 1/4 x body weight all the way to 4th in one hand with no rest, then all the way back in the other with no rest. Start light if you’ve never done these before. Any time the object goes down you must switch hands. Stay braced and as upright as possible.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Ropes and rings are now up at 608! There’s more to come (including a cargo net!) in the very near future

The Mileage We Put on Our Joints Outside the Gym

By David Osorio

We often focus on our positions, alignment, and mechanical efficiency inside the gym, but less often discussed is the the mileage we put on our joints and connective tissue in our everyday lives outside the gym. The deleterious effects of extended sitting are well documented, and Kelly Starrett talks a lot about basic posture and foot positioning during our everyday life. What else should we be thinking about?

My own exploration into posture started when I was in high school. At some point, I began waking up every day with back pain, and it seemed intuitive to me that a 15 year old should not have back pain. So I began researching the most ergonomic way to sleep for someone who biases overextension (not that I knew what “overextension” meant when I was 15—I figured that part out later). The research I found recommended sleeping with a pillow under your knees, which creates a slight posterior pelvic tilt and puts the lumbar spine into less extension, as well as using a contoured pillow that allows your cervical spine (neck) to remain neutral while sleeping. I also side sleep, so when I shift to my side I try to put a pillow between my legs to keep my pelvis neutral and use a slightly thicker pillow under my neck. (Have you been keeping count? Yes, I do sleep with 3 to 5 pillows at my disposal.)

Years of doing this have made it second nature. I do it throughout the night without even being aware of it. I used to nap on my stomach but eventually curbed that habit, too. It’s the worst way to sleep, because it puts your back into overextension and forces your neck into extreme rotation for hours. At first it may seem daunting to make these changes, but like anything else, with consistent practice, you can gradually develop a habit that becomes a default behavior.

Similarly, I used to always hear my former roommate stomping up and down the stairs to our walk-up. One of our neighbors even called him “Bigfoot” because of how loud he was on the stairs. I often think of the mechanical wear we put on our bodies walking the hundreds of thousands of steps we climb up and down over the course of our lives. Whenever you walk up or down stairs, two things to consider are the orientation of your feet, which should point straight ahead (as opposed to duck-footed) and how lightly you tread. Think about the difference between smashing down hard at the top of a Box Jump and a graceful landing. Aim for a relaxed and quiet trip up or down the stairs.

Pick one new ergonomic habit you can improve and start working on it today. Simple, small changes add up over a lifetime.

What ergonomic habits have you been working to develop, or which ones would you like to work on?

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Japan’s Female Pro Wrestlers Blur the Lines Between Decorum and Beauty CBC
Not a Creampuff Workout CrossFit

Video of the Week: “The Story of Nuno Costa” is a short documentary about a top CrossFitter’s journey to find meaning in movement

Common Hands Farm CSA: Sign Up Today!

Happy Spring! Getting fit and eating well starts now. We have your direct hook-up to fresh produce grown upstate, and its time to sign up to reserve your membership today!

In its fifth year, Common Hands will deliver CSA shares right next door to 575 Degraw (Brooklyn Boulders) on Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30pm.

What is a CSA Share?

It is a membership to a farm where you get an exclusive deal on fresh organically grown vegetables delivered straight from the farm to you! Once you pay the upfront membership fee (payment plans available) you receive a weekly delivery from the farm starting in June through November.

Why Should You Join?

Beyond receiving freshly harvested and health-giving food, grown cleanly with no pesticides or herbicides, you are also putting your money where your mouth is, and supporting the local food economy. This is food from real farmers, and by buying a share you are supporting small organic farms. We grow food for you, period. We are not a distributor or large conventional farm with lots of employees, but real down to earth people. On our farm, a team of less than ten people work to grow food for upwards of 200 members each year… and we care what you eat!

We offer Full and Half Vegetable Shares that can be paired with the optional Full or Half Fruit & Egg Share. A Full Share picks up weekly, while the Half Share picks up bi-weekly. Veg shares are $615 for a weekly (“full”) share or $375 for an every-other-week (“half”) share. Fruit and eggs can be purchased in addition to Veg Shares and are bundled together: a full share is $280 and a half share is $140. Pending interest, Flower Shares may be available as well.

Remember, your pick-up location is just down the block at Brooklyn Boulders!

Go to CommonHandsCSA.com for details or click here to sign up directly!  Questions? Email the farm at commonhandsfarm [at] gmail [dot] com, or the gym’s CSA coordinator, Michele, at mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com.

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