Fitness: Knee Hang Clean + Front Squat + Jerk (1+1+1)
Work up to a heavy single on the complex.

Performance: Clean and Jerk
80%x 1 x 2
85% x 1
90% x 1
85% x 1
80% x 1 x 2
Base percentages off your 1 Rep Max clean and jerk. Go no higher than 90% (unless it’s truly feeling like a PR day, in that case go for it). Press outs are missed lifts.

Post loads to comments.
e5/6  
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Team WOD
AMRAP in 21 minutes:
7 Toes to Bar
7 Thrusters 115/75
7 Burpees
In teams of three with one partner working at a time, complete as many rounds and reps as possible.

Post reps and Rx to comments.

Eric, post-WOD or hunting for a lost contact?

• Happy birthday, Alex W., one of our favorite transplants from CrossFit Virtuosity! 

Make a Friend from Crow Hill CrossFit at 9am and 1pm Today!

During the 9am and 1pm classes today, members of Crow Hill CrossFit, along with one of their coaches, Robin, will be dropping in to WOD with us. They will be wearing their Crow Hill gear. Please go out of your way to show them the CFSBK love!

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When Feces Is the Best Medicine The Atlantic
Sleep-Deprived People Have Shrinking Brains Science of Us
Tried CropFit? SUBWAY Restaurants 

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 5 pounds.
e9/12 

Performance: 85%x2, 95%x1x3, 80%x2
Rest two minutes between sets.
e5/6

Post loads to comments.
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5 Rounds or 15 minutes:
6 Dumbbell Bench Presses, as heavy as possible
12 V-Ups
400m Run

The pace on the run should be conversational, so run it with a buddy and well, have a conversation. 

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach JB watches Ben’s squats

Bend, Stretch, and Mobilize Today

• Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whitney at 10am.
• Active Recovery is back on at 11am and noon today with Coach David.

Make a Friend from Crow Hill CrossFit in Class Tomorrow!

During the 9am and 1pm classes tomorrow, members of Crow Hill CrossFit, along with one of their coaches, Robin, will be dropping in to WOD with us. They will be wearing their Crow Hill gear. Please go out of your way to show them the CFSBK love!

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Marshawn Lynch Working Out with Skittle Weights Kissing Suzy Kolber
From a Young Age, Kids Punish ‘Them’ More Harshly Than ‘Us’ Science of Us 
Tommy Hackenbruck (CrossFit Games Athlete) Takes on Steve Austin’s Skull Buster Challenge 

Shaye A. getting set to Low Bar Back Squat. How and why do you prefer to carry the bar, high or low bar?

Come Roller Skate with CFSBK on October 12th!

What: All-ages roller-skating, admission for the first 25 people that RSVP is compliments of CFSBK
When: Sunday, October 12, 2-4pm (Note: this is the weekend the gym is closed for the Starting Strength Seminar)
Where: the newly-opened Pier 2 Roller Rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Event is a go with a minimum of 10 people. Skate rental is not included. The same pier also has bocce and shuffleboard courts we could play on. Afterwards, we’ll head to 68 Jay Street Bar (where Charlie works) for some post-skating drinks. Stella Z.‘s SMART in DUMBO trivia night is also happening later that day at 7pm, in case people want to stay for that too. 

RSVP to mare [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com by Friday, October 10. 

Join Ken H. for 4 Weeks of Gymnastics Training on Saturdays! 

Join guest gymnastics coach Ken H. as he takes you through four weeks of gymnastics strength training. This 1.5 hour long class will incorporate different facets of body weight strength training and movement. Specifically, each class will be composed of three to four distinct areas: warm-up and active mobility, rings skill work (muscle ups, levers etc), body weight strength conditioning, balance (on hands and feet), and flexibility. Students will be asked to have a goal or intention to focus on for the next six weeks. Students can then focus on that goal outside of class.

When: Saturdays from 2:00pm – 3:30pm, Sept. 13th to October 4th
Price: $80 for 4 Weeks
Cap: 8 participants 

Register here! 

Ken Haller’s Bio
Ken was a nationally competitive gymnast in Newton, MA and at the University of Michigan. After graduating, Ken coached for eight years at Capital Gymnastics in Northern Virginia where he coached regional and national champions. His students have gone on to be NCAA champions and members of Cirque du Soliel. In searching for an activity to replace gymnastics, Ken filled the void with rock climbing and yoga for the past ten years and recently found CrossFit to round out his training.

_____________________ 
The Current State of S&C Coaching Mark Rippetoe for T Nation
A Call for a Low-Carb Diet That Embraces Fat New York Times
You Can Trick Your Brain Into Craving Healthy Food Science of Us
Teen Contender Radio Diaries

Fitness: High Hang Snatch + Knee Hang Snatch + OHS (1+1+1)
Work up to a moderate load on the complex.

Performance: Power Snatch 2 Rep Max
Stay on the bar. You do not need to fully recover (stand up) the 1st rep, but it must be a clear rep before dropping the bar back to the hips. Practice the jump/catch recovery during warm up sets. Focus on keeping a tight upper back, sending the knees back off the floor, and staying over the bar long enough to get into an effective power position for the second pull. 

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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3 Rounds for Time:
20 Wall Balls 20/14, 14/9
20 Chest to Bar Pull Ups 

Post time and Rx to comments.

Dr. Fidler at the Rockaways last Friday, post-hurricane swell

“Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord”: A Poem by Dr. Mike Cutaia                  

*Psalm 100 

Written on August 15, 2014

It’s hard to know where the titles come from.
Out of nowhere. Or, from somewhere
long forgotten. This one appeared during a hard session
of volume work, grunting through some back squats
like a sweaty warthog having a bad day. Emerging
from some childhood recess in my brain,
triggered by who knows what (?), I recall
this title of a hymn, sung by an eight year old
practitioner of prayer, standing lonely and alone
amidst the loud congregation members
petitioning urgently to their Lord.
This was the Scottish Presbyterian church
where I was sent to “to get some structure”
for my life. My parents didn’t go. Just me–
a little chubby Italian elephant, out of place,
and hiding at the feet of the loud sonorous
indifferent adults in this house of righteous song,
along with my barely perceptible squeaks
of chorus. But, now I realize
what a gift they gave me. To accept all of
my bodily music. How special is this corporeal feat
of motion and sound in the gym. Not a PR,
but something just as good. As Walt Whitman
would say, I’m celebrating myself today.
I’m in the church of the body.

Join the 2014 Fight Gone Bad Fun! 

There are still some spots left for Fight Gone Bad. Read more here, sign up here. 

We are open for any and all donations for prizes. If you own or work at a business that wants to provide some sort of prize (no matter how small!) for our top performers (for the WOD and fundraising) please email David [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com. 

Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called Fight Gone Bad. Last year, we raised over $40,000 for the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking, and community service. This year, we’ll be partnering with BCF again and hope to surpass last year’s donation numbers. Last year we had 180 members participating and this year, we’re capping it at 200. 

What are you waiting for?

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Flowchart: Should You Catcall Her? Playboy
21 Kids Who Shut Down Picture Day Buzzfeed
Fledge Shoot To Support CrossFit 
Watch Walter, a Golden Lab, Run to the Water With a Camera on his Back! 

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 5 pounds to last exposure. 
e8/12 

Performance: 1 x 20
Add 5-15 pounds to last exposure.
BSQ e5/6 

Post loads to comments.
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5 Rounds for Time of:
5 Deadlifts, 275/185
10 Burpees

Deadlift should be heavy-ish (about 65-80% of max effort) and unbroken. As always, prioritize your ability to maintain a neutral back. This workout appeared in the 2008 CrossFit Games with top times being just over 2:00, check it out!

Post time and Rx to comments.

CFSBK Badass Katie Harpz deep sea fishing in Florida last weekend!

News and Notes

• We are open for any and all donations for prizes for Fight Gone Bad 2014. If you own or work at a business that wants to provide some sort of prize (no matter how small!) for our top performers (for the WOD and fundraising) please email David [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com. 
• Fleisher’s Pastured-Raised Meats is hosting a field trip to be a part of a pig slaughter and all-day class. Travel up to the Hudson Valley for a once in a lifetime way to experience our local food system in action. Learn more here!
• Megan D.’s friend is having a couple local art events to celebrate the launch of a new venture called Fiercely Made. There is a print show on September 12 from 5-7pm, at 453 Court Street. The launch party is September 19 from 6-10pm at 303 Bond Street, where they’ll be filling 3,500 sq ft with surf boards, bikes, knives, art, and wood wood wood!

Community Announcements

• Sadly, a few of our members have moved or are moving soon: Josh L. moved to Austin, TX. Mark H. moved to Phoenix, AZ. Nick and Juno D. are moving to Portland. CFSBK Front Desk superstar Jess M. and her fiance Brett F. are leaving for Seattle today. We will miss all of you!
• CFSBKer Joey B. got married on Sunday! Congrats!
• CFSBKers Sarah M. and Johanna N. also got married on Sunday! Congrats, you two!

Starting Strength Seminar with Mark Rippetoe

From October 10-12, 2014, CFSBK will be hosting Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength Seminar (SSS). The SSS teaches the methods of basic barbell training detailed in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training and Practical Programming for Strength Training. This method deconstructs the five basic barbell exercises down to their elements in skeletal and muscular anatomy, and then derives a system for performing and coaching them based on the biomechanics of the loaded human body moving in a gravitational framework.

This is a great seminar for anyone who either wants to develop their coaching skill set or just learn everything about the Starting Strength method directly from Rippetoe himself. Participants have the option of taking the seminar and being evaluated as a coach, or taking it simply as a lifter looking to deepen their understanding of what it takes to be strong.

Learn more here, and sign up here.

Also, the gym will be closed that weekend. When the date gets closer, we’ll provide more info about alternative activities. 

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6 Myths the Haters Need to Stop Telling About CrossFit Sports.Mic
Our Roommates, Ourselves The Atlantic
Fabian Oefner: Psychedelic Science TED

Lauren B. during a hike at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, hitting a handstand PR of 8 seconds

News and Notes

• Congrats to Stella Z. who hit a PR on her bench yesterday of 150#!
• There’s a new post over on Coach David’s blog Inside the Affiliate called “A CrossFit Coach’s Guide to Working with New or Troubled Movers.” Check it out! 

PSYCH! You Still Have Time to Join the FGB Madness! 

There are still some spots left for Fight Gone Bad, so we’ve extended the deadline to register. Read more here, sign up here. 

Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called Fight Gone Bad. Last year, we raised over $40,000 for the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking, and community service. This year, we’ll be partnering with BCF again and hope to surpass last year’s donation numbers. Last year we had 180 members participating and this year, we’re capping it at 200. 

What are you waiting for?

QOD: Did you sign up for Fight Gone Bad 2014? If you’ve competed in a previous FGB, tell us about your experience!

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The Anterior Chain: Don’t Neglect It Catalyst Athletics
What it Takes to Run the World’s Largest CrossFit Gym Fox Business
My Week on the All-Emoji Diet The Atlantic
Photographer Thomas Herbrich Took 100,000 Smoke Plume Photos Looking for Unexpected Shapes Colossal 

Fitness: 5-5-5
Work up to a heavy 5 rep set in three attempts (5-7 TOTAL sets). 

Performance: 1-1-1
Do 4-5 warm up sets, then establish a new 1 Rep Max in three attempts. 

Post loads to comments.

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4 Rounds, 3 minutes each:
270m Run
Max Pull Ups or Muscle Ups
Rest 2 minutes between rounds. Run a hard 270 and score number of pull ups or muscle ups per round.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Rob U., Karl H., and KH want to wish you a happy Labor Day!

Modified Labor Day Schedule

We are observing a modified class schedule today:

8:00am
9:00am
10:00am
12:00pm 

4:30pm
5:30pm
6:30pm

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. It’s also a great excuse to begin drinking early. 

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR FIGHT GONE BAD!

Read more here, sign up here. Sign up by midnight tonight!

Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called Fight Gone Bad. Last year, we raised over $40,000 for the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking, and community service. This year, we’ll be partnering with BCF again and hope to surpass last year’s donation numbers. Last year we had 180 members participating and this year, we’re capping it at 200. 

What are you waiting for?

Enjoy the sunshine, CFSBK, and thanks to our coaches and Front Desk staff who are laboring on Labor Day!

_____________________  
302 Unbroken Double Unders James Walbourne
How to Build a Better City MinuteEarth
What Is the Greatest Story Ever Told? The Atlantic

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 5 pounds.
e7/12 

Performance: 88%x1, 92%x1, 96%x1, 92%x1, 88%x1
e4/6

Post loads to comments.
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For Time:
60 Kettlebell Swings 53/35
500m Row
400m Run
30 Overhead Squats 95/65

Overhead squts should be a light weight. Kettlebell swings and overhead squats are meant to be minimally broken. 

Post time and Rx to comments.

Matt R. got his first muscle up at OG last night, with Coach JB’s help!

• Happy birthday, Lisa C. and Matthew C.!

Schedule Changes for Today and Labor Day

There is no Yoga for Athletes today, as Coach Whitney is out of town.

Monday is September 1, 2014. We are observing a modified class schedule:

8:00am
9:00am
10:00am
12:00pm 

4:30pm
5:30pm
6:30pm

Don’t Miss Out: Sign Up for Fight Gone Bad 2014

Guys, we keep bringing it up because it’s that important and that fun. You now have until Monday to sign up for FIGHT GONE BAD 2014. Read more here, sign up here. 

Also, we are now open for any and all donations for prizes. If you own or work at a business that wants to provide some sort of prize (no matter how small!) for our top performers (for the WOD and fundraising) please email Info [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com.

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Rest Day – “23″ By Joe Kearney Misfit Athletics
Fantastic Fungi: The Startling Visual Diversity of Mushrooms Colossal 

Throwback from #sbkgoeswest, at CrossFit SolCity

On the Road, and Sweaty: Visiting Other CrossFit Affiliates

By Noah Abbott 

About a month ago, Coaches Melissa, Chris and Jess Fox, Commander in Chief Osorio, a few of our members, and I were lucky enough to take a long vacation in California, centered around attending the 2014 CrossFit Games. (You may have noticed when every single class for a week was taught by some combination of McDowell, Arturo, Jeremy, Whit, and Nick.) While on the road, despite some questionable food choices and even more questionable beverage choices, we were able to work out roughly about every other day, each time at a different CrossFit affiliate. Heading down the CA coast, we stopped in at CrossFit San Francisco and WODed with Carl Paoli, benched outside, Muscle Beach style at Grover City CrossFit, and experienced both older, established, and polished Brick Crossfit and the younger and more familial Sol City CrossFit in LA.

“Dropping in” at another gym can be a wonderful experience, or a shocking reminder that CrossFit gyms vary widely in philosophy, organization, and overall quality. We often get questions from members about what gyms to visit while they are away, and have a dedicated Travel Gym Recommendations section of the blog to make finding a good home away from home that much easier. Still, if you find yourself headed to a locale nobody else has visited, or haven’t stepped outside the gentle confines of CFSBK, here are some tips and (typically verbose) musings to make you a better road warrior. 

Preliminary Research

Much like Coach David suggested in his ITA piece on choosing a Crossfit gym, it’s useful to do some poking around on the web when looking for a gym to visit. First, size up the gym itself: 

• Programming: Check to see if the gym programs (roughly) like CFSBK. Do they have dedicated strength training along with metcons, or just day after day of chipper style beatdowns and Hero WODs? Do they talk about mobility, technique, and recovery? Scroll back through a few weeks of their blog, and see if you can get a feel for how they run their gym—even though you are just going to be there for a day or two, look for intention and clarity in their approach.
• Staff Bios: Check out how long their staff has been coaching and whether they have some diversity of experience, knowledge, and credentials. If the head coach or owners blog says “I started CrossFit 6 months ago and fell in love, got my Level 1 and opened my gym last week!” you might be in for some growing pains. Look for coaches that emphasize their education and coaching experience over their competitive CrossFit resume (“Trevor is a total firebreather and took 26th place in the West Mid-Central Madagascar Region!!!”). It seems silly, but you can get a decent idea of the vibe of a gyms coaches by how they portray themselves. I once didn’t visit a gym because their head coach’s bio picture was him posing with a giant machine gun—not necessarily a bad thing, but generally not the vibe I look for when choosing a gym.
• Drop In Policies, Schedules, and Flexibility: I’ll cover some of this in greater depth further along in this article, but make sure to check out what they require of visitors, if their classes fit your schedule, and if they can accommodate any special needs you might have. Smaller and newer gyms tend to be looser about paying for classes, and will often be more flexible about scheduling. Recently I dropped in at CrossFit Ancile in the bustling metropolis of McFarland, WI. They were able to accommodate a bunch of specific training requests I had, mainly because they were under a year 

Reach Out 

Once you’ve found a gym to go to, it’s good policy to get in contact with the gym’s management to let them know you’d like to drop in. A quick email will usually suffice, and there is no need to go into voluminous detail. Just let them know you’re interested in dropping in, that you’re a CFSBK member, and how long you’ve been CrossFitting (especially important if its been 6 months or less). This will often start a short dialogue with the gym owner/administrator, and it’s very useful on their side, so they can let their coaches know to expect you. Some gyms may require you to register in whichever logistics system they use, and possibly RSVP to a specific class. 

Be a Badassador 

Whether you are cognizant of it or not, you are effectively a CFSBK ambassador when you are on the road (especially if you are wearing a skull ‘n bones tee!) Most of us are pretty well-mannered gym-goers anyway, but prepare to kick things into overdrive as a visitor, and reprezentreprezent. 

Once all of the logistics are squared away, its time to actually show up and work out. Make sure to show up at least fifteen minutes early. This is good practice at CFSBK too, often neglected (you tardy scofflaws know who you are!) but especially important when traveling. You’ll need to get the lay of the land, fill out waivers, and generally get settled into a new place. If you stroll in a minute before class time, especially at a gym without a dedicated front desk or admin staff, you will be monopolizing the coach’s time, and by proxy the members’ time as well.

Remember that while traveling, you should strive to be the most A+, 110% version of your elite self you can be. Arrive early, listen as closely as possible, perform all movements with as much care and virtuosity as you can possibly manage, help break down equipment, clean up your space—you want to act like the Coach’s Pet, a near caricature of what a good gym member should be. Accommodating visitors can be hard work for a coach—different gyms speak slightly different “dialects” and follow different patterns, so try and be as helpful, unobtrusive, and anticipatory as possible.  

Treat this experience as just that, an experience. It’s unlikely that the programming where you’re visiting will match up with ours exactly, and that’s okay. Try not to get too Type A about missing your Wendler 3 week, and just embrace the “Unknown, Unknowable,” aspect that is central to CrossFit.

Be chatty! Introduce yourself to other members, the coaches, and if you are working as a team or as partners in a WOD try and be as supportive and motivational as you can be, within reason. I love to plumb members and coaches for restaurant recommendations, places to see, and other info that a local CrossFitter would know. Try and be an ambassador for CFSBK, and leave your temporary home with a good impression of our little community. 

One last, weird little thing regarding paying for drop-ins. Some gyms have very hard and fast policies, and charge decently hefty fees, some allow a set number of visits before you have to pony up (generally 1-3), while others have no policy at all. Usually it’s the older and more established gyms that allow for free drop-ins, as they were a central community value when CrossFit was starting out. Informally, most gyms will waive the fee if you buy a t-shirt, and since 90% of the reason people do CrossFit is for the t-shirts, this tends to work pretty well. Always offer to pay the drop-in fee, and the coach will likely waive it or just tell you to buy a shirt.  Sometimes it can be a bit of a stilted exercise in reading between the lines and innuendo, but it’s a pretty unique and cool tradition based in the idea of a larger CrossFit community.

It’s also pretty common to ask the coach who ran your class or even the whole class to pose for a picture, and most folks will be pretty accommodating about this. That said, try and find a time when people aren’t busy, generally the start and end of each class. Getting a picture in front of something with the gym’s name on it is always cool, as is making muscles and faces for the camera. Make sure you email KR Editz (aka Kate Reece) your picture so she can pump you on the blog, and also put it on your Instagramz so I can give you mad likes and emojis.

Go Forth and Conquer!

• Happy belated birthday, Rob U.!
• Please remember that Yoga for Athletes with Coach Whit is canceled tomorrow. 

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Edible Anatomically Accurate Chocolate Human Skulls Colossal
Roadways You Can Install Like Throw Rugs NPR
Taking an Honest Look Catalyst Athletics
My Secret New York Sanctuary Narratively