Cash outs and barbell warm-ups.

The 2014 Look, Feel, and Perform Better Challenge

The 2014 LFPB Challenge is upon us! It’s a 6 week organized group effort aimed at cleaning up diet, training, and recovery habits. Here’s the quick dealio…

Sign your name on the list in the community area of the gym. Once you complete the following steps we’ll check them off as such and you’ll be in. Please complete all steps by January 5th in order to be eligible for prizes.

1. Buy-in of $30. This must be cash and can be given to Front Desk staff. When you hand in your dinero you’ll pick up a “LFPB Challenge 2014” packet*. This will include a summary of challenge guidelines, sample meals, etc.

   *The packet will be available at and after the meeting on Sunday, 12/29 at 5pm. 

2. Answer a few brief questions and submit your “before” photo according to the guidelines on our new Look, Feel, Perform Better website! These are private will not be published or seen by anyone but the judges without your consent.

3. Track your points earned daily on the LFPB spreadsheet.

4. Perform the Test WOD and record results.

You’ll either follow a Level 1 track or a Level 2 track for the full 6 weeks. More info available on this in the overview here. There’ll also be coach and community support in the LFPBC forums, a new feature we’ve added this year.

If you’ve participated in one of these challenges before, what types of positive adaptations did you achieve? If this is your first time, what do you hope to achieve?
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8 Unlikely Animal Friendships The Onion

Fitness:  Snatch Segment Deadlift (1″ off floor, Knee, Mid Hang) + Mid Hang Power Snatch + OHS
Try to catch the power snatch in a quarter squat, stabalize the load then proceed into the rest of the overhead squat. Only recover the bar after the power snatch if you need to adjust your feet or position. Only go as deep as you can organize properly in the overhead squat.

Performance: Snatch Segment Deadlift (1″ off floor, Knee, Mid Hang) + Mid Hang Snatch
The first part of this complex can develop awarness of balance and tension during the initial pull off the floor. Focus on speed under the bar for the mid hang snatch.
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Back Squat

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Add 5lbs from last week.

Performance: Work up to a 3RM
Try to beat last week’s heavy 3 by 5 to 15 lbs. Avoid failing but use spotters just in case.

Post loads to comments.
Snatch/BSQ e-/6
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10 Rounds NFT of:
10 H2H Kettlebell Swings
10 Hollow Rocks

Although not for time, transition quickly between movements for all 10 rounds.

Behind The Desk: LF DOOM

Here is the next installment in our new series called Behind the Desk, about our beloved and much appreciated Front Desk staff. These CrossFitters take care of the important duties of checking in our members, handling walk-ins, tidying up after classes, and so many other things that it would take forever to list them. They are the glue that holds this gym together!

 

Full name: Lisa Marie Fernandez 

Where were you born and where did you grow up:  New Orleans!

First album that you loved:  Mariah Carey’s Music Box

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street:  This

“Ask me about that time I…”: got my belly button pierced with a fake i.d. when I was 13… WOOF

Earth is about to implode but aliens on a previously undiscovered planet named Euripides want to preserve one artifact from humans. What would you offer them? A hug.

Favorite shade of blue: Cerulean

Favorite lift:  Low Bar Back Squat… duh!

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Crossing Swords with CrossFit Outside
Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever

4 Rounds, each for max reps of:
1:00 Wall Ball Shots 20lb,10’/14lb,9′
1:00 Box Jump 20″
1:00 Row for Calories
1:00 Burpees
1:00 Rest

Post Rx and total reps to comments.

We are only hosting 9 and 10am classes today!

General movement prep at the beginning of Active Recovery Class

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Get off the internet and talk to your friends and family!

From the Vault: Charlotte K planks with a little help from Linus

• There is no 8:30pm group class or Active Recovery tonight. All other classes are on as normally scheduled. Tomorrow we’ll be hosting group classes at 9 and 10am only.
• Don’t forget to RSVP for the Look Feel Perform Better info session this Sunday at 5pm.  We will review the challenge in and field questions about it. The info session is not mandetory for the challenge and information will also be available on the site.
• Thank you to everyone who donated to our Winter Coat Drive! Were able to send out a few large containers of coats to those in need of warmer clothing.

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Top 3 Great Discoveries of 2013 SciShow
All You Can Feel Recreational Drug reactions exposed to film
Top 10 CrossFit Articles of 2013 Breaking Muscle

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Should be getting a bit heavier but you still get all 15 reps.

Performance: 2×5, 1xMax Reps <10
Add 2.5-5lbs from last week. The lower your reps get on the rep out, the less aggressive of a jump you should take.

Post loads to comments.
Bench Press e3/6
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In about 5 attempts/20 Minutes, work up to a best complex of:
5 Power Cleans
5 Thrusters
5 Romanian Deadlifts

Post loads to comments.

The old skull and bones
This flag originally hung in my (DO) dorm room in college. I thought it would cool at my gym and held onto it. It was the original inspiration for all our skull and cross bones iconography. It’s still hanging at the top of the far column at the gym.

Holiday Schedule and Programming Notes

Tuesday the 24th (Christmas Eve): No Active Recovery, no 8:30pm class. Otherwise normal.
Wednesday the 25th (Christmas): Only 9am and 10am Group Classes
Thursday the 26th: Normal Schedule

Tuesday the 31st (New Years Eve): No 7:30 or 8:30pm Classes. Otherwise normal schedule
Wednesday the 1st (New Years Day): No 6a,7a,8a or 10a Classes. We’ll still have a noon class PLUS an extra 1pm Group class and then a normal evening schedule.

Programming Switch
We will be performing Wednesdays Snatches and Squats on Thursday this week to accomodate the holiday.  Christmas day will have a seperate WOD.

Inside The Affiliate: New Article

Coach DO has a new blog entry on Inside The Affiliate. ITA is a free, open source blog for the CrossFit community dedicated to sharing what we’ve learned running an affiliate for six years. If you like it, please share it with your CrossFit friends on Facebook and help spread the word!

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Where will you be this holiday week?

As Many Rounds as Possible in 15 Minutes of:
25 Kettlebell Swings, 53/35
15 Kipping Pull-Ups
10 Push Press, 115/75

Post rounds and Rx to comments.
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5 Rounds NFT of:
Row 1:00
10e Reverse Lunges
15 Plate OH or DB weighted Sit-Ups

Barbell Warm-Ups

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Dan Bailey Does today’s CrossFit.com workout
Ilya Ilin Snatches 420lbs

Fitness: Clean Segment Deadlift + Hang Power Clean + FSQ + Power Jerk

Performance: Clean Segment Deadlift + Hang Squat Clean + Power Jerk
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Front Squat

Fitness:3×3 Across
Add 5lbs from last weeks front squats.

Performance: Work up to a Heavy 3
Try to beat last week’s numbers by 5-15lbs.

Post loads to comments.
C&J/FSQ e2/6

Jaclyn’s Ultimate Box of Fitness

Holiday Schedule

Tuesday the 24th (Christmas Eve): No Active Recovery, no 8:30pm class. Otherwise normal.
Wednesday the 25th (Christmas): Only 9am and 10am Group Classes
Thursday the 26th: Normal Schedule

Tuesday the 31st (New Years Eve): No 7:30 or 8:30pm Classes. Otherwise normal schedule
Wednesday the 1st (New Years Day): No 6a,7a,8a or 10a Classes. We’ll still have a noon class PLUS an extra 1pm Group class and then a normal evening schedule.
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Klokov + Ilyin + Polovnikov Weightlifting Seminars – What did you learn? ATG

Devi A Front Squats

• Happy Birthday, Leslie B!
• CFSBK is interested in possibly offering a CrossFit Kids program. If you’ve got children between 5 and 17 who might be interested in the program, please let fill out our online survey.  Thanks!

Look Feel Perform Better Info Session

Looking forward to the 2014 Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge? Coach Fox will be holding an info session on Sunday the 29th at 5pm. The LFPB is an annual jumpstart we do every year to help folks align their nutrition and lifestyle goals with the support of the CFSBK staff and community. If you’re going, please RSVP in the comments section of the event page so we can plan accordingly.
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Albert Azaryan: Lord of the Rings

5 Rounds, each for time of:
4 Deadlifts, 315/205
40 Double Unders
12 Toes-to-Bars

Each round has a 5 minute window to be completed. The work portion should take 90-120 seconds with the remaining time used as recovery.

Post Rx and fastest and slowest rounds to comments.

Behind The Desk: Danae

Here is the next installment in our new series called Behind the Desk, about our beloved and much appreciated Front Desk staff. These CrossFitters take care of the important duties of checking in our members, handling walk-ins, tidying up after classes, and so many other things that it would take forever to list them. They are the glue that holds this gym together!

Full name: Danae Mcleod

Where were you born and where did you grow up: St. Louis

First album that you loved: Paula Abdul’s Straight Up

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street: Finishing a philosophy dissertation, applying for teaching jobs, walking Kai, working on IJFAB

“Ask me about that time I…”: Was stranded on an island for 9 days.

Earth is about to implode but aliens on a previously undiscovered planet named Euripides want to preserve one artifact from humans. What would you offer them? A library

Favorite shade of blue: Yves

Favorite lift: Clean

Heavy Thoughts

Adding to another ongoing series on the blog, here is our next installment of “Heavy Thoughts” where we highlight and describe some of the mental aspects of lifting. In previous posts we discussed having a ritual and cultivating confidence. Today, lets talk a little about visualization.

Visualization is simply a mental rehearsal of what you’re about to attempt. Many studies have show the efficacy of this practice and countless successful athletes will attest to the importance of being able to “feel or see” an event in their minds eye before attempting it.  As described in our confidence article, while the action may seem somewhat intangible, it is still a skill which needs to be practiced in order to be of any real utility.  If you’re not already visualising your lifts, here are some tools to get you started.

1. Get into the habit of replaying the physical sensations of each lift AFTER they occur. The best time to summarize what just happened is immediately after you execute movement so try to “feel” it again, making note of anything that seemed to stick out. Try to create a physical memory of movement basics. Where was your weight? What kind of tempo did you feel through the movement? Did you feel braced and engaged? How did the weight feel? Walk yourself through it again in your head and try to recreate or slightly augment that sensation before your next attempt.  Learning to review what just happened is the best way to start developing the internal resources to properly visualize.

2. Start practicing! Visualisation takes time and a specific kind of mindfulness that doesn’t necessarily come easily to most folks. Set an intention to practice visualizing your lifts during your warm-ups and especially before work attempts.  In essence, you want to try and experience the lift in the most idealized way possible before you start. There won’t be an internal dialogue to guide you through, simply perform the act in your mind.  If you’re aware of a movement fault you’re working on, correct it in your head then attempt to recreate a similar sensation when you actually go to lift. This also doesn’t need to be limited to the gym, you can do this right now.  Pick a lift, close your eyes and feel yourself doing 3 reps of it in “real time” in your head. You’ll note that you might want to rush through it, take your time to feel it. 

3. Practice visualization from different perspectives. Some people prefer to simply close their eyes, “tune out” of reality and to experience the movement from a first person perspective in their heads. Others might benefit from seeing themselves perform the movement outside of themselves, noting key elements they’re focusing on. Another way would be to not only see it but feel it as well, by miming the lift physically while maintaining a careful presense of mind. Finally, you might even consider focusing on the sensation of executing a perfect lift, seeing yourself stand up with the heavy barbell as if it wasn’t a big deal. This final method ties into our previous article about developing and using confidence as a training tool.

Play around with this and let us know how it works out for you. What you definitely don’t want to do is allow non productive thought streams to seep into your training time.  Performing a lift, then immediately focusing on a conversation with your partner, checking the time, looking around the room at something interesting or just zoning out can actually be detriments to your training.

Do you practice visualization techniques, either in CrossFit or other endeavors?
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Imagery in Sports and Physical Performance
Olympic Athlete Nick Symmonds talks visualization
The Importance of Sports Psychology

Fitness:  Snatch Segment Deadlift (1″ off floor, Knee, Mid Hang) + Mid Hang Power Snatch + OHS
Try to catch the power snatch in a quarter squat, stabalize the load then proceed into the rest of the overhead squat. Only recover the bar after the power snatch if you need to adjust your feet or position. Only go as deep as you can organize properly in the overhead squat.

Performance: Snatch Segment Deadlift (1″ off floor, Knee, Mid Hang) + Mid Hang Snatch
The first part of this complex can develop awarness of balance and tension during the initial pull off the floor. Focus on speed under the bar for the mid hang snatch.
_________________

Back Squat

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Leave room to grow, today’s reps should feel like there is weight on the bar but you’re moving perfectly and not grinding. Reset 1-3 exposures from the last cycle if you need to reset.

Performance: Work up to a heavy 5
Try to beat last week’s heavy 5 by 5 to 15 lbs.

Post loads to comments.
Snatch/BSQ e2/6
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Not For Time:
50 V-Ups
50 Dumbbell Push Press
100 Dumbbell Lunges (50ea)

Break up however desired, Rest as little as necessary between sets.

Post Rx and breakdown to comments.

Rickke M’s Front Squats

• CFSBK will be collecting winter coats at the front desk until Christmas. If you haven’t heard, there is a massive shortage this year and all coats are appreciated. Thanks!

CrossFit Kids Survey

CFSBK is interested in possibly offering a CrossFit Kids program. If you’ve got children between 5 and 17 who might be interested in the program, please let fill out our online survey.  Thanks!

Underwater portraits by Samanta French
What is your all time favorite body of water you’ve experienced.
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How to make better decisions (Hint: Get sleep) WNYC