Coach Fox demonstrates a mature inverted position during a wall walk. Note the hollow body position and full extension of his knees and elbows. The tighter you can make yourself the better!

So Close To a Pull-Up…

By David Osorio
Originally published on 1.8.2013

Are you “so close” to a pull-up? Do you feel like it’s within reach but has still eluded you despite your most sincere efforts? Below are three things I think will help folks who are close to pulling body weight get over the bar.

Start with Chin-Ups
Chin-ups are easier than pull-ups and you’re more likely to get your first chin-up sooner than your first pull-up so it’s a pretty good place to start. In my experience once a couple chins have been developed the pull-up magically shows up a lot faster. That being said, both versions are totally legit and huge milestones for anyone who didn’t have them before. Chins are also easier for people to organize well. The upper arm is already rotated into a more stable position and the last few inches over the bar usually involve less neck craning and wiggling. Once you can do about 3-5 chin-ups you’ll be a lot closer (if not already there) to the pull-up. When performing chin-ups, keep your hands just inside shoulder width and imagine pulling the bar down to your chest, not pulling yourself up to it. That cue usually helps people fire the upper back and pull the elbows posteriorly during the ascent, both good things.

Keep The Reps Low
If you’re struggling to get your first pull-up, your muscles experience the effort as a near maximal exertion.  You’re going for something that you’ll only be able to do 1 rep of (right now), so when we train to develop our first pull-up a lot of our reps should look and feel pretty similar. Several doubles or singles with just enough resistance to clear the bar is better than high volume sets of 5 or 10 with much more assistance. If you were a 1 rep max obsessed lifter, you wouldn’t spend all your time doing sets of 5 and 10, you’d perform submax singles, doubles and triples more often to get your body ready for the effort. Here are two examples of productive training sessions:

7 sets of 1 rep with ample rest
5 sets of 2-3 reps with ample rest

“Ample rest” could be anywhere from a minute to three minutes depending on how much you require to get another successful rep. Because this is going to be a strain, make sure to warm-up with some ring rows and more heavily assisted pull-ups. 2-3 sets of 5 reps should be sufficient.

When you’re scaling workouts, use the lowest volume option possible. 20 pipping pull-ups as Rx-ed on the workout might be 5 chin-ups for you. That component of the workout won’t have anywhere near the same conditioning effect but depending on your goals that might be okay.

That being said, a little volume isn’t a bad thing. Just remember that if you want to get a pull-up you’ve got to train in a way that feels similar to your goal.

Resistance Matters
While the big jump-stretch bands can be a valuble tool in this process, they shouldn’t the only or even the majority of assistance you use. In my opinion, having a good spotter is ideal. Someone who knows how to give you just enough help to make you finish the rep without any jerky movement, uneven assistance or too much pushing. You’ve got good hands on you if you never get “stuck” anywhere in the rep but still work really hard at the most difficult positions (the very top and the first few inches at the bottom). The range of motion should be smooth and you should be able maintain good organization throughout. Another option is using a band just below what you can do on your own and having a partner gently push you through the finish. Depending on the size, height and strength of everyone involved, sometimes this is a more practical solution and can lead to better spotting. If you’re working with someone who is not a coach or giving you too much/too little/weird help, tell them what you feel and work together to make it better. One major problem with bands alone is that at the top of a rep you’re getting the least help since the band tension decreases as you ascend. If you’re flying solo, choose a band that helps you get all the way over the bar, not just enough so that when you reach your chin can barely make it over the bar. That’s a no rep.

Hopefully these three tips can help you find some success with getting your first pull-up. Make your goal to not only do it, but do it well. If you train smart in the beginning and pay attention to your neck and shoulder positions you’ll develop a solid foundation to build off of. If you make your emphasis simply getting any sliver of your chin over the bar, things will be a lot slower and less awesome for you. To see exactly what I’m talking about, watch this MobilityWOD: Stop The Pull-Up Chicken Necking People!

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What Powerlifting Tells Us About The Effects Of PEDs FiveThirtyEight
Strong Gym: Inside A Strength Training Gym Inside the Affiliate
The Leap This American Life

Bench Press

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 50% of 1RM (capped at 20).

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Deadlift 

Fitness and Performance: Heavy 5
Work up to a heavy, dead stop, set of 5 reps. No loss of spinal position. No touch and go. Start light enough to add 30-50 lbs over the cycle. These should feel easy today. 

Post loads to comments.
e1/6
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Tabata Row for Calories or Fartlek Mile

Post what you worked on to comments.

Want to get see the long view of our programming? Check out the programming board between the two bathrooms to see what we’ve done each month. If you stare are it long enough you can see the past present and future simultaneously. 

News and Notes 

• Coach David’s blog Inside the Affiliate is back with a new spotlight, this time on STRONG Gym in Missouri. Learn more about how they do things in Middle America here!
• CFSBKer Christian A.’s friend Gary Chou runs Orbital Bootcamp, a 12-week program to help students launch their ideas into the world. He’s launching a winter session and is hoping to raise money to fund scholarships specifically for women and people underrepresented in tech. From the previous program Gary ran, Orbital had a gender balanced pipeline (exactly half of the 60 applications came from women), and 70% of admitted students were women or people underrepresented in technology. Check out the Crowdrise campaign here! 

Want to Bring Your Kids to CFSBK?

Introducing: CFSBK Kids Club. This won’t be your ordinary kids’ watch program! This one hour drop-off program is designed for children ages 3 to 8, and will keep them engaged with hands-on activities. While you’re working out, your child(ren) will have the opportunity to explore arts and crafts, science experiments, games, and movement. You’ll get peace of mind and they get an hour jam packed with FUN! 

But before we launch the program, we want to hear from you first. Fill out this survey by Friday (12/5) at 5pm so we know what you want and need!

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Would You Live in a Treehouse? The Atlantic
The Science of Kissing It’s Okay To Be Smart
Stochasticity Radiolab

Would you be interested in a self defense class if we offered one at CFSBK? Post thoughts below.

Fitness: 3-3-3-3-3
Controlled bail of each rep, then reset and pull with in a few seconds. 

Performance: Touch And Go 5-5-5-5-5
Build up to a heavy but perfect 5. Work on resetting your hook grip on the recovery and catching at the hips, not the thighs. Example here. 

Post loads to comments.
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Fitness
For time, 15-12-9-6-3:
Hang Power Snatch 95/65
Burpee

Performance
Power “Amanda”
For time, 9-7-5:
Power Snatch 155/105
Muscle Up

Post Rx and time to comments.

Jason M. overhead squats 258 lbs last Saturday to hit leaderboard status!

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Postcards from Pripyat, Chernobyl
The Importance of Play CrossFit Invictus 

Fitness and Performance: 5 – 5 – 5

Post loads to comments.
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Every Minute on the Minute, for 12 minutes:
6 Deadlifts 155/105
2 Push Jerks 

Post Rx to comments.

Congrats to our former (but forever) CFSBKers Sara and Dave Elwell on the birth of their son: Henry Donald Seymour Elwell, 11/19/14, 8lbs. 2oz, 20.5 inches.

• NORMAL SCHEDULE RESUMES TODAY.
• Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whit is canceled today.

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What You SHOULD Be Learning From the World Championship Catalyst Athletics
Are You Watching the Greatest Skier in History? The Atlantic

Shaye L. having way too much fun at Fight Gone Bad 2014

Schedule Changes This Week

Friday (11/28):
Classes not listed or otherwise noted are canceled.
8am, 9am, 10am, 12pm
Open Gym 5:30-8pm

Saturday (11/29):
NORMAL SCHEDULE RESUMES. 
Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whit is canceled 

News and Notes

• Attention Spartans! There’s a Black Friday discount code to sign up for future races. CFSBK is organizing a crew for the race on May 30th, learn more here, and use code Black20 for 20% off!
• Do you like playing basketball? Michael C. is interested in starting a co-ed basketball team this winter with a league around the city. He’s looking at a 4-on-4 Zog league in Park Slope on Mondays and Wednesdays. Shoot him an email (michael.crumsho [at] gmail.com) if you’re interested!
• Happy birthday, Liz R.!

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We Should All Be Feminists | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED
An Astronaut Reveals What Life In Space Is Really Like WIRED
Gratitude Without God The Atlantic

For Time:
500m Row
50 Box Jumps
50 Kettlebell Swings
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders
50 Wall Balls
550m Run

Post time and Rx to comments.

Dave F. is one of our favorite turkeys! Here he is warming up for Fight Gone Bad 2014.

Schedule Changes This Week

Classes not listed or otherwise noted are canceled.

Wednesday (11/26):
6am, 7am, 8am, 10am, 12pm
4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm 

Thursday (11/27):
8am, 9am, 10am 
Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whit is canceled

Friday (11/28):
8am, 9am, 10am, 12pm
Open Gym 5:30-8pm

Saturday (11/29):
NORMAL SCHEDULE RESUMES. 
Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whit is canceled 

CFSBK is Thankful For You!

We’ve posted this as an Athlete of the Month article, however the language and sentiment keeps being appropriate. We coaches would like to honor you all, and this is the forum to do it in. You come to Degraw Street from near and far, even spending up to an hour on a bike or subway to train with us. You come to us early in the morning before work or school, you make time in your lunch hours to WOD with us, and you even make it in in the evening after a long day spent at a desk or caring for kids. You do “shifts” at the gym, caring for your children while your spouse gets their WOD on. You’re willing to hold someone else’s kid so that their mom or dad can finish up at the end of a class. You make time for not just the fitness aspect of CFSBK but you also put in hours and energy to volunteer at events both in-house and on the road. You do your best to learn the names of the people who are squatting and skipping rope next to you. You cheer, hoot, and holler encouragement at your people.

SBKers are YOUR people… You lift hard, you row hard, and you push yourself and everyone around you to be better. You are coachable. You are humble, and eager to help a new member feel right at home. You travel and visit CrossFit gyms around the country and world at large and represent South Brooklyn well. You are proud, if not even a little conceited, that you work out at CrossFit South Brooklyn. You bring your dogs into the gym so the dog-less among you can get a little canine love in the form of a belly rub or a lower leg tongue bath. You socialize outside of the gym with other SBKers and know how to show love the Brooklyn way, whether or not you were born here. Most of all, you “get it.” You are not selfish and you love to see people do well, which is a big part of why we do well.

Thanks to all you special people who make CFSBK what it is and are part of our team. It doesn’t exist without you.

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What is one thing you’re thankful for and where do you find yourself on Thanksgiving today? 

Fitness: 3 – 3 – 3
Performance: 1 – 1 – 1 

Post loads to comments.
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AMRAP 8 Minutes:
3 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
3 Overhead Squats 115/75
6 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
6 Overhead Squats 115/75
9 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
9 Overhead Squats 115/75
12 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
12 Overhead Squats 115/75
etc… 

Post reps and Rx to comments.

The Art Show in full swing on Saturday night. Check out Asta F.’s photos in Flickr!

News and Notes

• CrossFit Desert Lightning wrote up a blurb about Coach David’s popular article on Inside the Affiliate last week about deadlifting. Check it out here!
• Attention Spartans! There’s a Black Friday discount code to sign up for future races. CFSBK is organizing a crew for the race on May 30th, learn more here, and use code Black20 for 20% off!
• Happy birthday, Mike G. and a belated happy birthday to Alan L.!

Want to Bring Your Kids to CFSBK?

Introducing: CFSBK Kids Club. This won’t be your ordinary kids’ watch program! This one hour drop-off program is designed for children ages 3 to 8, and will keep them engaged with hands-on activities. While you’re working out, your child(ren) will have the opportunity to explore arts and crafts, science experiments, games, and movement. You’ll get peace of mind and they get an hour jam packed with FUN! But before we launch the program, we want to hear from you first. Fill out this survey by next Friday (12/5) at 5pm so we know what you want and need!

_____________________ 
The Morning Routines of 12 Women Leaders Forbes
Can Money Buy You Happiness? The Wall Street Journal
A Beautiful Mosaic of Filth, from the Gowanus Canal New York Review of Books
Ruslan Nurudinov 239kg Clean & Jerk Almaty 2014 World Championships

We often do some general movement prep during class, but before or after is the time to really dig into your specific mobility needs. If you’re stiff, sore, and generally not a flexible person, come before class to work your range-of-motion and perhaps do some light foam rolling to loosen up. If you want to do some intense tissue mashing with the orb, foam roller, or similar implements, save if for after class.

• SCHEDULE CHANGES: Please note our updated schedule here. Pilates with KH is canceled tonight. Yoga for Athletes is canceled Thursday and Saturday of this week.
• Do you like playing basketball? Michael C. is interested in starting a co-ed basketball team this winter with a league around the city. He’s looking at a 4-on-4 Zog league in Park Slope on Mondays and Wednesdays. Shoot him an email (michael.crumsho [at] gmail.com) if you’re interested!
• Happy birthday, Alan L.!

Training Cycle Template

As we mentioned briefly last week, due to the timing of the end of the current cycle leading in to Thanksgiving and the fact that many of you travel for it, we’re delaying the start of the next cycle by a week. The week between, “limbo week,” as the coaches are calling it, will offer some exposure to the movements in the next cycle (outlined below) in addition to some novel lifting and WODs. We’ll be looking to put all that turkey and stuffing to good use starting Monday, December 1, so travel safe and enjoy time with your family and friends! Of course, if you’re staying in Brooklyn, be sure to attend one of the morning classes we’re holding on Thanksgiving. Full modified holiday schedule can be found here. 

Training Cycle Dates: M 12/1 – Su 1/11
Crush Week: M 1/12 – Su 1/18
Back Off/Transition Week: M 1/19 – Su 1/25 

Cycle Goals

• Prepare for the 2015 CrossFit Open
• Lactate threshold work
• Cycling Olympic lifts
• Cycling Kipping Pull Ups and Toes to Bar
• Time Capped Ladders
• SWU: One kipping pull-up/ one Kipping T2B for more practice

Monday: Bench Press + Deadlift + WOD/NFT

Fitness 3×5 Linear Progression Bench, Heavy 5 Deadlift

Performance Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90%) then Max Reps at 60% (capped at 20). Try and beat your previous week’s rep max. Heavy 5 Deadlift.

Wednesday: Front Squat + WOD/NFT

Fitness 3×3 Linear Progression

Performance Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90%) then Max Reps at 60% (capped at 20). Try and beat your previous week’s rep max. 

Thursday: Power Clean + WOD/NFT

Fitness 5×3 Linear Progression (Start light. Bail each rep and reset within a few seconds)

Performance Touch and Go 5-5-5-3-3-3 (Start light and work on resetting hook grip on the descent) 

Saturday: Squat + WOD/NFT

Fitness 3×5 Linear Progression

Performance Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90%) then Max Reps at 60% (capped at 20). Try and beat your previous week’s rep max.

Sunday: Power Snatch + WOD/NFT

Fitness 5×3 Linear Progression (Start light. Bail each rep and reset within a few seconds)

Performance Touch and Go 5-5-5-3-3-3 (Start light and work on resetting hook grip on the descent)

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Most Heavy Drinkers Are Not Alcoholics New York Times 
Under-Desk Pedals Help Students Learn Better Community Health
Scotland From Above The Atlantic

Deadlift: 5 – 5 – 5
Work up to a challenging but perfect set of five on the deadlift. All dead stop reps, no touch and go. Use this as a starting place for the next cycle where we’ll be following a linear progression. 

Post loads to comments.
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4 Rounds for Reps
AMRAP 2 Minutes:
12 Lunges
9 Push Ups
6 Power Cleans 135/95
Rest two minutes.

Start back at the lunges for the start of each round. Score is reps per round. 

Post score and Rx to comments.

Congrats to the Fighting Tacos, who won their championship game yesterday 6-1!

News and Notes

• SCHEDULE CHANGES: Please note our updated schedule here. Pilates with KH is canceled tomorrow night. Yoga for Athletes is also canceled Thursday and Saturday of this week.
• Happy birthday, Dan G.!

Refresher: CFSBK Membership Policy Notes

Below are our current membership policies. If at any point you require any membership changes (i.e. upgrades/downgrades, cancellations, holds) please contact our Front Desk staff. Please review this policies as we head into the holidays and many of you will be traveling.

Signing In

• All members must sign in at the Front Desk (FD) prior to your scheduled class. This includes Foundations, Strength Cycle, Personal Training, Yoga, Pilates and any Speciality classes/events.
• To speed the check-in process, we ask everyone to carry their scan cards. If your scan card is not functioning consistently, please request a new one from the FD staff.
• If there are multiple classes going on (Ex: Group class and Active Recovery), please let FD staff know which you plan to attend.  
• Active Recovery and Open Gym classes count towards your membership as normal classes and members need to check in accordingly. If you plan to attend a group class and then take Active Recovery (or vice versa), you must let FD know at check in so that attendance counts are accurate.
• Please note that we have a 5-minute grace period for class attendance. Any member arriving over 5 inutes late will only be permitted at the coach’s discretion. 

Upgrade/Downgrades

• Members looking to upgrade their recurring membership before their next billing cycle will be charged a $15 upgrade fee to offset the difference between membership rates. Otherwise, you can simply wait until your next billing date to begin your new membership. Upgrade requests should be made at least 3 days in advance so that we have time to make the necessary changes before your next bill.

Example: David has a 3x/week membership and gets billed on the 15th of every month. Today is the 10th and he decides he wants to upgrade to a 5x/week membership. If he wants that upgrade to be effective today, then he gets charged $15 and can start attending 2 additional classes per week immediately. Otherwise, he can wait for his upgrade to be effective as of the 15th where his new 5x/week membership rate will go into effect.  

• Membership downgrades will be effective as of the member’s next billing cycle. Downgrade requests should be made at least 3 days in advance so that we have time to make the necessary changes before your next bill. We cannot provide refunds retroactively for time prior to notification.

Example: Jess is currently on a 5x/week membership that bills on the 1st of the month. Today is the 10th and she wants to downgrade to 3x/week. Her 5x/week membership will remain active through the end of the current month and her new 3x/week membership will begin as of the 1st of the next month.

Account Holds

• CFSBK will honor membership holds/suspensions of one week or more, provided that staff is notified at least 3 days in advance.
• Periods of suspension will extend the member’s current billing cycle by the total number of days absent, resulting in no financial loss for planned timed away.
• Memberships can be placed on hold for up to 3 months. Any suspensions beyond 3 months and/or of an indefinite time period will result in a dropped (inactive) membership. Memberships can easily be reactivated by purchasing a new membership online or by stopping by the front desk upon return. 

Banked Classes

• CFSBK will allow members to ‘bank’ classes only from the prior week’s missed classes. These banked classes are limited for use during the following week only.  
• CFSBK does not allow you to bank future classes.
• Anyone missing classes beyond a week should contact us ASAP to set up a membership hold. Classes missed beyond one week without a request for suspension is at a loss to the member.  
• Members must alert the FD staff at check-in when using the prior week’s banked classes.
• This policy allows us to offer flexibility for extenuating circumstances. We do not intend for members to ‘bank’ classes liberally when they don’t make it into the gym.

Example: Noah is on a 2x/week membership. His graduate school finals unexpectedly kept him out of the gym and he missed his 2 classes this week.   

– Noah will be back at the gym next week. He’s planning on hitting 2 extra classes (4 total) to make up for this week and then he will resume to 2x/week the following week.
– Outcome = No net loss of classes.

Example: Noah realizes that he needs additional time away during/after finals. He informs our staff ASAP. 

– Noah’s membership is put on hold effective from date of notification until he returns.
– Outcome = No net loss of classes, as long as the request was put in 3 days before he wanted to take a hiatus.

Example: Noah let things snowball, didn’t make it into the gym and never notified CFSBK of his absence. He returns 3 weeks later hoping to make up the missed classes.   

– Unfortunately, we cannot permit this since we were not notified in advance of his absence.
– Outcome = Loss of classes. 

Please note that your weekly class tally STARTS on Monday, so plan your schedule accordingly. So, if for instance you are on a 3x/week membership, you can’t come Monday/Wednesday/Friday and then attend Open Gym on Sunday night as part of the upcoming week. You would have to pay a drop-in fee for the additional class. Classes missed the previous week can be banked (see above) but you cannot use up your weekly classes in advance of the designated week.

Refunds/Cancellations

• Membership cancellations can occur at anytime and for any reason without additional fees. We do request that you provide a reason for cancellation for our tracking purposes.
• While cancellations can occur at any time, members looking to cancel prior to their upcoming bill must notify CFSBK at least 3 days prior the bill due date.  
• CFSBK will not provide refunds retroactively for any cancellation requests.
• Deleting your payment information from Zen Planner does not cancel your membership. Membership cancellations are only processed by contacting the Front Desk (cfsbkfrontdesk [at] gmail.com) or by sending an email to Info [at] CrossfitSouthBrooklyn.com. 

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Does Exercise Really Make Us Smarter? New York Times
Zulfiya Chinshanlo 134kg World Record Clean and Jerk
That Sugar Film

4 Rounds NFT of:
4 Chin-Ups
8ea Lunges
12 Weighted Sit-Ups
16 Calorie Row

Front Lever Practice

Ryan H. and Rio T. talk Taco strategy and coconut water. Come see them in action today!

• Good luck to Jason K. and Rosa M. who are running the Philly Marathon and Half-Marathon today. They’ve been working with Endurance Coach Mike O. in prep for this event!

CFSBK Fighting Tacos Soccer Team in the Finals TODAY, at 2PM

After a strong season, the CFSBK Fighting Tacos have advanced to the championship game of the playoffs, and their final game is today at 2pm. The field is Baruch Field on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, here is a link to a map. Come on out and support your Tacos!

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Congrats to all of our artists last night, and huge thanks to everyone who came out to CFSBK’s first Art Show, especially to Katie H. and Brad L. who helped set up at the eleventh hour and to everyone who helped put all the gear away. It was a fantastic night. Photos coming soon!