A true CFSBK Original G, Steph P

Good Luck Marathoners!

Good luck to the following CFSBKers who will be running the ING NYC Marathon this Sunday the 3rd.  The marathon trails down 4th ave right past CFSBK so take some time to check it out this weekend. Also, if you’re coming from above 4th ave please make sure to plan accordingly as the street will be difficult or impossible to cross at certain points during the race.

CFSBK Runners:
Rob U, Darlene M, Anthony H, Jonathan C, Michael R and Fraisier H. Did we miss anyone?!

New Degraw Street Neighbors: Dancewave

CFSBK would like to welcome our future neighbors, Dancewave! As if Degraw street wasn’t physically cultured enough, we’ve got an amazing new resource opening up just 270 meters away. Check out their upcoming event:

Dancewave (DW) will host a Design Kick Off Ceremony on November 12, 2013 at 11 a.m. to celebrate Dancewave’s new location on 182 4th Ave., in Brooklyn.  DW invites the public to view the future construction site on Degraw and Fourth. The building will serve as home to DW’s growing school, organization, community events, and cultural center. This future Brooklyn landmark is scheduled to open Fall 2016.

RSVP is required to rsvp(AT)dancewave.org
Special guest speakers will include Brooklyn President, Marty Markowitz and Council Member, Steve Levin. Dancewave Company I will perform TRIO an excerpt from Pupil Suite by Andrea Miller of Gallim with music by Balkan Beatbox.

See the full invitation here!
______________________
Acrobatic Gymnastics Worlds 2010 Ukraine WG Combined
The Beginners Guide To Handstands
Thank You CrossFit Coach Dan Bell

Cindy

As Many Rounds As Possible In 20 Minutes Of:
5 Pull Ups or Ring Rows
10 Push Ups
15 Squats

Nate

As Many Rounds As Possible In 20 Minutes Of:
2 Muscle-Ups
4 Handstand Push-Ups
8 Kettlebell Swings, 32/24kg

Fitness Rx is Cindy and Performance is Nate.

“Nate” Demo with Eva T

Post rounds completed and RX to comments.

Happy Halloween!!!

• Happy Birthday, Alan C!
• Check out CFSBKer, Actor and Photographer Brian H‘s awesome sites.
• Are you Running the Marathon this weekend? Email David(at)CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com if you are!

Opportunities

Today’s workouts each contain 3 exercises repeated for 20 minutes with the intention of maximising work output. An advanced “Cindy” score can easily go upwards of 20 rounds which works out to over 600 reps!  That’s 600 opportunities to ingrain and develop the motor skills and strength required to successfully perform these movements at high volume.  Will your first push-up look like your 50th?  Will your 40th Kettlebell swing  include planted heels, a powerful swing and a neutral shoulder position? Remember that range of motion is only one component of functional movement.  When you initiate a movement, what happens between the start and finish dictate the adaptation you’re pursuing.  Soft technique builds soft athletes.  Lazy attention to details builds laziness inside and outside the gym. Virtuosity is defined in Gymnastics as “performing the common uncommonly well”.  Will you settle for mediocrity today, or will you pursue virtuosity? No opportunity is too small!

Happy WODing!

What are you Halloween plans, or.. what was your favorite costume from year’s past?
__________________
Tatiana Kashirina 190kg Clean & Jerk World Record ATG
The Great Blaze in the Hudson Valley
New Study Finds Human Beings Were Never Meant To Wake Up From Sleep

Fitness: High Hang Power Clean + Below The Knee Power Clean + FSQ

Performance: High Hang Clean + Below The Knee Clean
_____________________

Front Squat

Fitness: 3×3 with pause

Performance: Heavy triple with pause

Go heavier than the paused 3×5 we did a couple weeks ago.

Post loads to comments.
CLN/FSQ e3/6
_____________________

3 Intervals of:
Run 400m or 500m Row

Rest approximately 2 minutes between each effort. Build in intensity with the goal of the third effort being your fastest time.

Post times to comments.

Piked Handstand Push-Ups

Getting Ready To Squat

By Coach Margie

When you approach a loaded bar, make the decision to be there. Develop your Set Up. This is not the time to saunter up, ease yourself into position and expect to manage maximal loads successfully. As strong as you may be, if you are not mentally prepared to own the barbell, well… the barbell will win every time.

As simple as squatting is, it takes all your guts to do it right.

There are two parts to your Set Up: getting underneath the bar, and preparing to squat it.

Getting underneath the bar:

1)     Mentally psych yourself up to lift the weight. Get mad, excited, juiced, pumped, jump around, curse at the bar, or go deep within yourself and find that quiet place of absolute certainty. Whatever. Experiment to find your intensity and focus.

2)     Now, get underneath the bar and get a good strong rack position. Make sure the bar is wedged in tight between your hands and your shoulders. Build stability by finding tension in your upper body: remember this is where the weight will sit, so you want to create a firm shelf, not some namby pamby, twiggy little thing that will snap in two. If you have a low bar rack, raise your elbows up behind you, and push the heels of your hands against the bar. If you have a high bar rack, grip the bar tightly and push up against it.

3)     Take a big breath into your belly, hold it and bear down. Your stomach should get fatter. Now squeeze your butt and stand up confidently with the weight on your back.

4)     Walk back two or three steps and set your feet.

Preparing to squat:

1)     Let the bar settle on your shoulders.

2)     Make sure your rack position is still tight.

3)     Take another big breath into your belly and bear down. Get fat!

4)     Now SQUAT!

This is your ritual; use it every time you play with a barbell.

Happy lifting!

Watch this video to see exactly what we’re talking about

______________________
The 10 Creepiest Buildings in Brooklyn
Chris Knight Vintage Crime Scene Photos Superimposed on Modern NY Streets (Warning: Graphic)

“CrossFit Wellcome Girls and Boys”
-Chloe R (Coach Arturo’s daughter)

Meet the Farmer, Meat Share Raffle, and NEW Salami Club!

On Wednesday, November 6 (meat share pick up day) Jerry Peele of Herondale Farm, our meat CSA partner, will be in the gym from 5:30-8:30 PM. He loves getting feedback from CSA folk, and will also be able to sign up new members on the spot. Come say hello when you pick up your share, and ask Jerry about the additional items available for special order (hint: it’s time to start making stock!)

This visit, his son, Jack, will also be offering tastings of Jacuterie, his brand new salami, made (of course!) from Jerry’s grass-fed meat. The salami will be offered as a separate CSA share. Get the whole story, including pricing, straight from Jack himself.
Finally, MEAT RAFFLE! Ten bucks will buy you a chance to win a 15-lb meat share – a $160 value! Twelve pounds of Herondale cuts + three Jacuterie salami. The drawing will be held at 8 PM.

Questions? Email Michele at mignyc (at) gmail dot com.
See you then!

What’s something beautiful you’ve seen recently?
____________________
The KettleClamp. Turn your Dumbbells into Kettlebells Rogue Fitness
Deskbound, new book by Kelly Starrett
Smash your lateral arm! MobilityWod

Part A: Handstand Skill Work

4 Rounds NFT of:
4 Kick Ups to the wall
8 Log Roll to V-Ups

If you’re skilled at kicking up then try switching your lead leg.
If you’re comfortable kicking up to the wall and can hold for 10 seconds or more, try gently pulling your feet a few inches away from the wall, one at a time or shuffling your hands around a bit. Read this post for details.

Part B: Inversion Strength Work

4 Rounds NFT of:
2 Wall Walks with 5-10 second hold
8 Dumbbell Presses
8 Renegade Rows (no push up)
____________________

5 Rounds For Time Of:
15 Overhead Squats, 75/55
10 Toes to Bars

Post time and Rx to comments.

Jacinto Cleans at the competition this weekend

This weekend Jacinto B and Bob S took on the CrossFit New England Masters Comptition. Both competed in the 55+ category and had a great showing! Bob took 6th place while Jacinto took 9th. See the full results here.

I was not unhappy- first time at a one day multi WOD event- I found it tough. After the firs 3 WODs which ran consecutively I was really sore and stiff.  Also I received 15-20 no-reps in the thrusters (I did about 60 to get 40) and 10 no-reps in push press (I did about 30 to get 20) for depth and extension but  overall it was a great learning experience.  Weights were not advantageous for me relative to the field- too light which favored the smaller faster guys. – Bob

Claim Your Stuff

Once again, the Lost and Found runneth over. Please check out the flickr to claim your lost goodies before they get donated to C.H.I.P.S. next Friday. If you can’t make it to the gym this week, please email cfsbkfrontdesk(AT)Gmail.com and we’ll hold onto it for you.

See Whitney Dance. Dance, Whitney, Dance!

Whitney H is performing in her fifth season with Von Howard Project, a contemporary dance company, and would like you to come see the show! Here are the details:

How: Get tickets by clicking this link!

_____________________
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule: Aerobics Workout
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule: Brule on Sushi

As Many Rounds as Possible in 12 minutes of:
5 Deadlifts 315/205
20 Wall Ball Shots 20/10′, 14/9‘

You should have a 1RM deadlift of at least 405/275 to perform this Rx’d. This is meant to be heavy.

Post Rx and rounds completed to comments.

Resident Gymnastics guru Ken H climbing in Kentucky

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIERRE D.! 

• Fight Gone Belated happens at today at 1:15pm today!
  

BEYLER & TÜRK

Strength, Bands & Staying in Your Lane Cathletics

Fitness: High Hang Power Snatch + Hang Power Snatch + OHS

Performance: High Hang Snatch + Hang Snatch + OHS
_______________________

Back Squat

Fitness: 3×5 Across
add 2.5-5lbs from last week’s weight.

Performance: 2×5, then 1 x max reps <10.
Start at 75% of your recent 1RM if you were not here last week. Otherwise, add 2.5-10lbs based on your rep out number from last week and continue onward.

Post loads to comments.
BSQ/Sn e2/6
_______________________

4 Rounds NFT of:
100m Goblet or Zercher Carry, heavy
15-30 second L-Hang

100meters is to the light post towards 3rd avenue and back.

And then this happened

• Happy Birthday Megan D and Dave B!
• Last chance to pick up your FGB scorecards. Any remaining cards will be recycled Sunday night. Please pick up your card at the front desk this weekend if you’d like it.
• Fight Gone Belated is happening tomorrow (Sunday) after the last class at 1:15pm. Folks are encouraged to come cheer on team 30 as they take on FGB!

Claim your stuff!

Once again, the Lost and Found runneth over. Please check out the flickr to claim your lost goodies before they get donated to C.H.I.P.S. next Friday. If you can’t make it to the gym this week, please email cfsbkfrontdesk(AT)Gmail.com and we’ll hold onto it for you.

See the pics here
_________________________
Pork: Did Leviticus 11:7 Have It Right? Perfect Health Diet

Fight Gone Rad: Allison, Kim, Cliff, Todd, Allan (+Rocket) and Jacinto!

• Team Photos are now up on Flickr!
• Last call on these abandoned glasses. They’ve been in the lost and found for a while and will be donated on Monday.

Meet the Farmer, Meat Share Raffle, and NEW Salami Club!

On Wednesday, November 6 (meat share pick up day) Jerry Peele of Herondale Farm, our meat CSA partner, will be in the gym from 5:30-8:30 PM. He loves getting feedback from CSA folk, and will also be able to sign up new members on the spot. Come say hello when you pick up your share, and ask Jerry about the additional items available for special order (hint: it’s time to start making stock!)

This visit, his son, Jack, will also be offering tastings of Jacuterie, his brand new salami, made (of course!) from Jerry’s grass-fed meat. The salami will be offered as a separate CSA share. Get the whole story, including pricing, straight from Jack himself.
Finally, MEAT RAFFLE! Ten bucks will buy you a chance to win a 15-lb meat share – a $160 value! Twelve pounds of Herondale cuts + three Jacuterie salami. The drawing will be held at 8 PM.

Questions? Email Michele at mignyc (at) gmail dot com.
See you then!

CLUE Film Screening and Q&A

Andrew M has been working on a CLUE Film Screening featuring a Q&A with cast member Michael McKean & director Jonathan Lynn. Come celebrate the 80s cult classic film Clue with this pre-Halloween screening, with a costume contest, prizes, refreshments & a mix of rockin Halloween-themed ’50s tunes courtesy of DJ Boogalow! Screening will be hosted by Tom “Meet the Lady” Blunt.
Doors at 7:30 pm
RSVP on FB
For tickets and more info
______________________
5 ways to maximize your cognitive potential
Dogs shaking in Slow Motion

Fitness

5 Rounds, each for time of:
25 KB Swings
20 Lunges
15 Burpees

Rest 3 minutes between rounds

Performance

5 Rounds, each for time of:
30 Double Unders
10 Burpees
3/2 Muscle Ups

Rest 3 minutes between rounds

Post time from each round to comments.

Over the past five years I (Mary) have tried all kinds of work out regimes, everything from long sessions of cardio, to spinning, to yoga, and even half marathons. While I’ve seen marginal changes to my physique, I still hadn’t gotten the results I was after. Then last April in a final (vain) attempt to look my best for my wedding, I signed up for a foundations class. Since April, I have slowly watched my body trim down and develop muscles I never knew I was capable of having

More importantly, I was completely surprised by the awesome community. Thank you Crossfit South Brooklyn for encouraging and guiding me down a path towards a body revelation. And lastly, thank you for enfolding me (and now my husband, Dima who is also a regular) into your awesome community. We are such big fans of the box that we decided to have a couple of wedding photos taken there. See a few others on the Flickr Page

Support the Brooklyn Rugby Club

Running a rugby club in NYC presents a number of challenges but funding is always our biggest challenge.  One of our biggest fundraisers is our Men of Brooklyn calendar.  The calendar is meant to be a cheeky take on the famous Stade Francis calendar of the famous professional French team.  Cheeky because, while some of us do CrossFit, we aren’t built like Greek statues like they are.  It’s our first year doing the calendar and we’ve already sold over 100 pre-orders. If you’re interested in helping us out, please check out the link!
–Alex, Jason and Mario
_____________________
Friendly Platypus
Bathroom Prank
Dinosaur Prank

Fitness
15 minutes to work on the complex:
High Hang Power Clean + Mid Hang Power Clean + FSQ
Focus on bringing the bar through the hips

Performance
15 minutes to work up to a 1RM High Hang Clean
Start from a vertical torso with the shoulders behind the bar
__________________________

Front Squat

Fitness: 3×3 Across
Heavier than last weeks paused 5 rep sets

Performance: Work up to a Heavy 5
Heavier than last weeks paused 5 rep sets
Only go as heavy as you can maintain a neutral spine and a solid rack.

Post loads to comments.
CLN/FSQ e2/6
__________________________

50 Sit Ups
550m Run (1 lap)
50 Sit Ups

• Fight Gone Bad pictures are up! Big thanks to photogs Asta F, Bekka P and Dan R for putting these up. We’ve got almost 500 pictures worth of Fight Gone Goodness for all to see. Check them out on our Flickr page here.

Need a Photographer? Bekka P at your service!

I (Bekka) recently went out on my own as a freelance photographer. I work on a wide varieties of projects from documentary to event to product photography. I work with companies such as Creative Mornings, City of Industry Shop, I Spy DIY and even CrossFit South Brooklyn. I like happy people and honest projects. If you have something that fits email me at hello [at] bekkapalmer [dot] com. You can see my photography portfolio online at photography.bekkapalmer.com

Developing Your Handstand, Part 2

In a previous blog post, I wrote an article called “Developing Your Handstand” which discussed some basic points to consider for developing a hand balancing practice. If you haven’t read it already, or don’t remember it, I suggest reviewing it before getting into this article.

We’ve been seeing plenty of inversion work in our previous and current cycles so many of you are now comfortable kicking up to a wall or spotter and want to take it to the next level. From here there a few different skills you can progress to: unassisted static handstands, handstand walking and handstand push-ups. This article will focus on the former two. My personal opinion is that it’s easier and more productive to work on static and dynamic hand balancing in tandem as opposed to focusing on only one.  I often say that learning to be a good hand balancer mirrors the motor development children go through when first learning how to walk. Initially, you’ll need a little support from the wall or a spotter (cruising) and then it’s a bumpy trial and error journey where you begin to figure out where your body is in space and how to get yourself balanced.  This is a long and tedious process where you’ll spend more time on the floor than anything resembling a handstand. That’s all to be expected, persistence and smart practice are key here.  Below are some tips to get you started in the right direction.

Warm-Up on the wall: 2 Skills
The wall is a great place to work some transitional skills for hand balancing. First, experiment with slowly bringing one foot (foot A) off the wall and then gradually bringing your other foot (foot B) off so that you can get a sense of what it feels like to balance. Foot A should stay off the wall while foot B gently heel taps the wall as needed to keep you inverted. When both feet are off the wall, you’ll need to push your body up towards the ceiling and GRAB the floor with your entire hand. As you’ll come to experience, hand balancing requires the full use of your fingers and palm to adjust how your weight is being distributed.  The other key element here is finding a neutral body position. If you’re globally overextended or closed at the hip you won’t find any success with this drill.  If you’re not sure what position your body is in, have a coach or friend lend an eye and give you some feedback. Expect to be kicking back down and using the wall a lot.

The other drill you can work on at the wall is getting comfortable moving your hands. To balance on the open floor you’ll need the confidence, body awareness and strength to momentarily support yourself on one arm. You can begin to gain some of these elements by simply shuffling one hand at a time while your heels are still on the wall. You don’t need your entire hand to come off the floor initially, simply make tiny adjustments by sliding one hand an inch or two in any direction, alternating between hands. Some people will intuitively know how to take a step with their hands, others will need a little remedial work like this before getting to the open floor.
You can take this drill to the next level by kicking up to the wall about 6-12 inches further away than you’re used to and then walking to the wall. Watch this excellent video to see what I’m talking about.

The Open Floor: Have an exit strategy

Now that you’ve got some confidence moving your hands and have been playing with coming off the wall you can begin to attempt some open floor drills.  The key to safely working without a spotter on the open floor is having a clear, consistent and safe exit strategy.  The easiest way to exit a botched handstand is to take a step (with one hand) in the direction you’re falling and then reaching the same side leg towards the floor. This is essentially a poor man’s pirouette. Mastering this skill will allow you to practice handstands anywhere, on any surface without the fear of falling onto your torso or head. Falling into a backbend or rolling out of the handstand are NOT recommended unless you’ve had individual coaching on the skill or are a 14 year old girl.
The pirouette is your exit strategy when you’re falling over yourself, or off to the side. If you’re falling back in the direction your came up through, simply kick back down.  To gain confidence and familiarity with pirouettes, perform some “half-assed” handstands where you don’t actually get your feet all the way above your body. The idea is to kick up off to one side and pirouette into the direction you’re falling. All you’re doing is teaching your body to react to an imbalance and find the floor with your legs. As you get more comfortable with this you can start kick higher up into more mature handstands and pirouetting out of them.  Chances are you’ll bias one side a bit which is okay. Remember that you’ve only got a split second to move your hand. If your body is falling over and you wait a moment too long you might end up on your butt so don’t stay glued to the floor. Working on the open floor is in large part about moving your hands quickly and intuitively to restack your body. Often you’ll need to move a hand almost immediately after kicking up.  In the beginning, we recommend learning this skill on a gymnastics mat with a coach watching you, also, make sure the area is clear of other people.

Once you can consistently exit a handstand safely, you simply need to start doing handstands All The Time. Like on the wall, the same fundamentals apply. Keep your hollow body position, push the floor away with your shoulders and actively grab the floor with your hands.  At a certain point, you’ll trade off from needing coaching feedback to simply needing more experience. Inversions are uncomfortable and disorienting at first, like a child learning how to walk, you’ll need to practice on a regular basis until the experience becomes more familiar.  If you’re serious about handstands, I recommend kicking up from anywhere from a few attempts to several minutes of practice everyday. Usually there isn’t a day that goes by where I dont’ spend at least a few seconds upside down. Other days I’ll set a clock and dedicate 10 minutes or so to working on inversions. The important part is that it’s become a regular part of my physical vocabulary and something that has gone from strenuous to relatively intuitive.  Also, handstand practice is potent, so go with the mantra that less is more. Dont’ go to failure and learn how to listen to your body. You might only be able to do a few kick ups before your shoulders fatigue to the point that skill work becomes unproductive.

There are many methods and progressions for developing hand balancing skills. Play around with different approaches and see what seems to work best for you. Regardless of the methodology, consistent practice is the most important element to learning how to walk or stand on your hands.
________________________
Learning the Handstand Walk with Dogtown CrossFit
Handstands with Dave Durante
Handstand walk progression part 1 with Carl Paoli