Fitness: 1×5 across
Pick things up and put them down.

Performance: 5/3/1 “1 week“
75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+

Post loads to comments.
e6/6
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For Time:
800m Run
21 Toes to Bar
550m Run
15 Toes to Bar
400m Run
9 Toes to Bar

Substitute Knees To Elbows or 50-40-30 Sit-ups in Lieu of Toes To Bars.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Congratulations to Team SBK on a great showing yesterday at CrossFit Queens!

Sign Up To Get Strong with Coach Jeremy

We all want to get stronger. That’s because we implicitly understand that building strength is the foundation for increasing overall physical capacity. It has been proven again and again that lifting heavy primes our bodies to be more effective and efficient at metabolic conditioning workouts. Strength is the only mode of training that supports everything else we do in the gym and in life. Plus it’s pretty badass.

This program will involve the following:
-Small group training designed to increase your competency with the lifts.
-Consistent and repeated exposure to the powerlifts along a linear progression of weight
-Short and intense complementary conditioning workouts.
-Group discussions on lifting topics
-New PR’s

Strength Intensive-A Cycle-Novice
3 classes per week
August 12-October 4
Monday, Wednesday at 7pm, Friday at 6pm
(2 spaces left)

Strength Intensive-B Cycle-Intermediate
3 classes per week
August 13-October 6
Tuesday, Thursday at 7pm, Sunday at 10am
(7 spaces left)

Strength Intensive-C Cycle-Morning Novice
2 classes per week
August 12-October 2
Monday and Wednesday 6:30am
(6 spaces left)

Strength Intensive-D Cycle Continuing Ed
2 classes per week
August 12-October 2
Monday, Wednesday at 6pm.
SOLD OUT!
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“I Want to Be” Campaign Puts New Spin on Recycling [Video] Greatist
Artist Kyle Bean’s impressive portfolio

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Perform your final Low Bar Back Squat exposure for this cycle. Calculate your total work

Performance: 5/3/1 1 week
75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+

or 70%x3x3

Post loads to comments.
e12/12
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Perform 5 Intervals of
Row 250 meters

Rest about 2:00 between intervals.

Post each time to comments.

Wall Ball, Where It Pays To Be Tall

• There is NO ACTIVE RECOVERY today.
• Happy Rowing to everyone attending Coach Nick’s Rowing Seminar from 2-4pm today!
• Happy Birthday, Joel Wertheimer!
• Want to get Really Strong? Sign up for one of our upcoming Strength Cycles with Coach Jeremy. To register your slot, check out the online store listings under  “Strength Cycle” Slots are going fast!

Subway Series Event 1 Today

Good luck to Team CFSBK who will be taking on “Ladder DT” at CrossFit Queens today. Anyone who wants to come cheer on the team can meet up with some of the competitors outside the church on the corner of 4th Ave and Pacific at 11:45am.

We currently have three slots open now since Whitney Hubbard, Julian Vincour and Steph Paddock can’t make it. To sign up, please email sam(AT)crossfitvirtuosity.com

Team CFSBK
Jen Stopka
Marian Lai
Rickke Mananzala
Mike Fiore
Ryan Flynn
Todd Cavallo
Zach Hodge
Steve Pokk
Alan Lynch
Daniel Fitzpatrick

Oly Videos

You can also check out the videos CT Weightlifting put up from the recent meet. Below is a link to the youtube and the time stamps where the lifts happen.

DO Snatch: 4:48, 5:35 (first attempt missing)
DO Clean and Jerk 12:04
Clean and Jerk Video 2: 2:08, 10:04

Jake Snatch 1: 7:25, 11:30
Jake Snatch 2: 0:17
Jake Clean and Jerk: 0:45, 6:11, 8:09
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Kendrick Farris Does Isabel

Are We Having Fun Yet?

At the end of every Foundations Class we’ve included a lecture on training perspective. The emphasis of this lecture is all about taking the long road with your training and enjoying the process.  Today is a good opportunity to reflect on why you train and what you’d be missing in your life if you stopped.  Think beyond quantifiable gains, specific numbers or movements you’ve gotten strong enough to do.  At a more fundamental level, appreciate the simple fun of playing with barbells, learning new skills, regularly challenging yourself and realizing that you’re more capable than you were before.  CrossFit should be first and foremost a fun and enriching experience. What you do is not normal, most people don’t take the time to learn technical exercises, most people don’t push themselves to discomfort and many wouldn’t come to a gym without air conditioning in the summer heat.  Reflect on why fitness is important to you and what, beyond the performance markers stimulates you.

2012 CFSBK Subway Series Event

Competition

Recently, Coach Josh showed me an interview on the CrossFit Journal featuring Ben Bergeron, coach of 2011’s 1st place affiliate team talking about training and competition.  Ben quipped that if people are part of a running club, they typically run races, if they’re part of a Judo club, competing in tournaments is expected. He considered his gym a CrossFit club and said one of the primary reasons for their success is their emphasis on people going out and competing in CrossFit events. It could be the Open, local throwdowns or even national events, the point was that there are physical and mental elements of sport that can’t be developed by working out in the same place with the same people under the same psychological pressures. Another example of a gym finding success through regular competition would be the famous Westside Barbell Club in Columbus Ohio. Owner and world renown strength coach Louie Simmons has said that people who come to train at Westside but avoid competition, even informal in-house challenges are permanently kicked out of the gym, that’s how highly they value it.  Now that sounds all well and good for world class CrossFit athletes and Powerlifters, but what about your every day middle of the pack CrossFitter?  On CrossFit.com, under the “What is CrossFit” tab there is a famous line that might give you some perspective, it says, “The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen.” While this quote is speaking about programming specifically, we can still extract the concept that often it’s the degree not type of stimulus that needs to be modified.  Local competitions exist so that a wider net of people can experience the benefits of competing, you don’t need to have your eyes on Regionals or the Games to sign up and you don’t have to go in expecting to win. I have yet to meet someone who put themselves out of their comfort zone, signed up for an event and didn’t come out better on the back end, regardless of how they did.  It’s a profound learning experience about yourself, a great way to focus your training and an opportunity to meet more like-minded people.   If you’re on the fence about signing up for the Subway Series, think about what you have to lose versus what you could gain from the experience.

• There is still room availible to sign up for the 2013 Subway Series event happening here at CFSBK on 8/17. There are both Rx’d and Scaled divisions. For more information and to register, click here.
• Saturday is the first event of the season happening at CrossFit Queens. Good luck to all the athletes signed up already to compete!

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Doctors Increasingly Ignore Evidence In Treating Back Pain NPR
WTF is Kefir Greatist
Nation Just Wants To Be Safe, Happy, Rich, Comfortable, Entertained At All Times

Fitness: Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat

Performance: Hang Power Snatch + Snatch Balance
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Press

Fitness: 3×5 Across
This is probably getting tougher at this point. Consider smaller jumps (1-3lbs) and dynamic starts if you’re running into a wall.

Performance: Wendler 1 Week
75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+

Post loads to comments
e6/6
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Partner Fartlek Mile
Partner A sprints hard to their chosen arbitrary point (the hydrant down the block, etc…) while partner B jogs or walks to it. Partner B then sprints hard to their chosen arbitrary point while partner A walks or jogs to it. Keep the sprint efforts shorter than 10 seconds. Complete 3 rounds around the block. Run hard, rest as needed. Remember, pedestrians have the right of way!

Post experience to comments.

KH rocks a CFSBK TFBA Shirt while biking in Amsterdam

• Check out this free subscription to Paleo Living Magaizine on the iPad. It’s completely free and won’t auto-renew.
• Rogue released some videos about the novel equipment they made for the Games this year. Check it out: The Pig, The Itidarod, The Worm
• Got the competition bug? Represent CFSBK at the upcoming CF Subway Series events! There is still room in the CFSBK event on 8/17!!

Last Day to Support Jen Stopka!

 
Up for grabs:
–  1 hour massage with Inka Hodes
–  1 hour private yoga session with Whitney Hubbard
–  1 hour personal training with Noah Abbott

Charlotte Kaiser and ioby

 I’ve posted before about how I am on the board of an awesome organization called ioby (stands for “in our back yards”) which provides a crowdsourcing/fundraising platform specifically for small neighborhood groups trying to improve their communities. What’s special about ioby is that it creates a platform for donations (gifts to groups on ioby are tax-exempt, gifts to groups on Kickstarter aren’t) specifically geared to *groups* (vs. individual fundraising sites like Crowdrise). So small civic organizations can raise $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 from individual donors. At the same time, ioby offers grassroots philanthropy opportunities for people who want to support neighborhood groups but maybe don’t know where to start, and maybe don’t have a ton to give but want to feel like they are making a difference.

ioby turns 5 this week and is at a critical juncture in its history as an organization. It’s kind of make-or-break time. The board is trying to raise $30K – two months’ operating expenses – over the next two weeks. We’re already 1/3 of the way there.

I’ll match donations to ioby made by CFSBK athletes, so all support is doubled! You can donate at https://ioby.org/cashmob. And check out a great video on ioby’s work while you are there.

THANK YOU GUYS!!

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How Exercise Changes Fat and Muscle Cells NYT

Fitness: 3×5 Across

Performance: 5/3/1 1 week
75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+

Post loads to comments.
e11/12
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In 4 minutes, complete 3 Rounds for time of:
7 Shoulder to Overhead 135/95
14 Kipping Pull-Ups

Rest exactly 1 minute, then
Row 1000m or Run 800m for time

Post time or work completed and Rx to comments as well as run or row time.

Dr. Mike Rxing some heavy deadlifts for himself.

• There will be no Active Recovery this weekend since Coach DO will be rafting in PA.
• We will be donating everything found in the Lost and Found (including water bottles) to C.H.I.P.S this weekend so please CLAIM YOUR STUFF! Also remember that we only allow you to store your Weightlifting shoes at the gym, all other sneakers need to be removed fromt he coat room. To see pics of what’s recently turned up, check out the following pictures we put on Flickr:
  Water Bottles
  Bras, Locks and that Damn San Francisco Hat again
  Fancy Shoes, Jump Ropes and Hoodies
  More of your stuff volume 1
  More of your stuff volume 2

Coach Nick’s Rowing Workshop This Weekend

There are 4 slots left for Coach Nick’s Rowing Workshop happening this weekend. To claim your spot, click here!

Coach Nick is teaching a two-hour rowing clinic on Saturday, 8/3, at 2:00. Do you want to improve your effectiveness on the erg? Do you dread rowing workouts? Or maybe you love them and want to row more on the side? The clinic will include the following:

Kettlebell Kitchen at CFSBK!

Want to make eating healthy Paleo meals easier? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Kettlebell Kitchen– your go to for Paleo & Zone meals! Food for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, Kettlebell Kitchen is an easy & convenient way to get top notch nutrition delivered right to the box. We’ve tasted the food ourselves, and we think it’s great!

They will make their first delivery to our box on July 24th (and every Monday & Wednesday thereafter). The order cutoffs are:

-Wednesday evening by midnight for Monday delivery
-Saturday evening by midnight for Wednesday delivery

The complete menu, along with ingredient lists and nutrition facts can be found here: MENU
Ordering instructions and FAQs can be found here: FAQs

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2013 Reebok CrossFit Games Personifies Continued Growth For Sport And Sponsor Forbes

Athletes Of The Month: Willie and Nancy!

This month we have a real treat, our first multiple Athlete of the Month honor…the Dynamic Duo of Willie and Nancy Hernandez! They both were among the names being thrown around as AOM choices, and then someone had the bright idea of featuring them both as a couple. Besides losing a collective 70 lbs between the two of them in the last six months, they’re easy to coach, supportive of their rack mates as well as of each other, and a pleasure to have in class. Read on and learn a little about the couple that sat outside in their car before a teaser class going back and forth convincing each other that it was a bad idea and they could just go home or get lunch instead…we’re sure glad they came in.
——–
Fox – Tell me guys, what first brought you through our doors?

Willie – I saw the CrossFit Games on ESPN and then watched some videos online and thought it looked pretty cool and challenging. The real thing that got me looking though was a visit to the ER for a headache. I went in feeling “just off” and after a few tests the doctors told me they might not let me leave the hospital. My BP was through the roof, the nurse couldn’t believe I was standing. Turned out that my blood sugars were also in the red zone as well as my cholesterol…My doctor told me that if I kept on living the way I was that I’d be dead in 3 years. That was a wake up call. I was scared straight.
Nancy – Yeah, he was a real mess and I was scared for us. Willie showed me CrossFit online and I thought it looked crazy, like I wouldn’t be able to do that stuff. I was always bored at the gym though so I wanted to give it a shot. That first teaser class, just even going inside the gym, was scary. We sat in the car for 45 minutes going “this isn’t for us” as we watched the door slam open and closed while people ran in and out…and it was December!

Fox – But you came in and did the Teaser with David. Were you hooked at that point?

Nancy – I sure was. I loved it, the intensity and the competition. I tried to sign us both up right there but the Foundations cycles were sold out until late January. I emailed Jess right away and asked if there was anything we could do to start sooner. So we did a private Foundations with McDowell starting that Monday or Tuesday.
Willie – I didn’t think they would even let me take Foundations. I was crushed by that class. I remember David saying “How bad can 10 minutes be?”. It was bad. The workout was 10 minutes of 300m row and 15 burpees…I didn’t finish one round. I kept bending over and trying to catch my breath and David kept telling me to stand up and keep moving.

Fox – But you came back, and did a private Foundations with The Magnificent Mr. McDowell Myers. I assume he was a great teacher because you’re still here and have been coachable from day one. What was Foundations like? And then your first classes afterwards?

Willie – Every day going in to Foundations I thought I was gonna get cut! I kept telling Nancy, “Today is the day that he’s gonna tell me I can’t take another class…that I need private training and that CrossFit group class isn’t for me. You’ll be ok Nancy, but it isn’t for me”.
Nancy – McDowell gave us scaled workouts and was patient with us. We were nervous because we could see classes going on and it was real busy, but we just kept coming back for the next class. Before we knew it we were taking classes.

Fox – What were you guys doing fitness-wise before CrossFit?

Willie – (haha)…We would go to the NYSC in Atlas Park in Queens. I would pull a new 12 week program out of a magazine for us that we would half follow for a week at most. Nancy would go on the treadmill, I would do a few presses, and then we’d head over to Chili’s for dinner. It was obviously a failed plan but we didn’t know better at the time.
Nancy – Yeah, I would run a lot on the treadmill and lose weight but I wanted to look strong! Willie would always tell me I needed to lift weights but I didn’t really believe him…until you guys told me the same thing!

Fox – So someone didn’t believe something that their significant other told them until someone else also said it? Shocking. I can’t relate at all…anyway…Were you guys athletic as kids? Any sports backrounds?

Willie – I played sports as a kid through the Boys Club. Baseball, basketball, swimming, etc…then when you’re 18 all that ends and I continued to eat as if I were still active. I all added up eventually.
Nancy – I wanted to do that stuff but we started our family when I was pretty young so I never really did. I would go to the gym when I felt I was getting a stomach but didn’t play sports. I stayed at home with our daughter Crystal and then our son William.

Fox – So Big Willie and Little Willie?

Nancy – Actually, we call him King Will at home…he hates it!
Wille – Don’t put that in the article.

Fox – Definitely not, Willie…Anything stand out for you diet-wise that your new, lower level of activity could keep up with once you stopped playing ball?

Nancy – He would drink three 2 liters of soda a day. A whole 2 liter just at breakfast and then 2 more throughout the day.
Willie – Yeah, after that doctor visit that was the first thing I cut out. That alone made a big difference.

Fox – Holy shit! Three 2 liters? That must’ve been a hard habit to break, good job on giving that up. You’ve both lost significant weight since joining while also both getting much stronger. Do you know how much weight you’ve dropped since joining?

Nancy – I started out at 155 lbs and am at 130 right now.
Willie – I was up around 280 lbs and am down to 237 right now. My goal is to get under 200 lbs.

Fox – Amazing. You’ve lost a 25 and 45 lb plate respectively! How about strength numbers, where you started compared to now.

Nancy – I started at the 33 lb bar for my squat sets and just hit 155 at Tough Titsday. It was so amazing, the whole day. So cool to see that everyone else was nervous, and that we were all supportive of each other at the same time. Honestly one of the best days of my life. I wound up with a 130 lb squat, a 75 lb bench press, and a 150 lb deadlift. So cool.
Willie – Nancy was a nervous wreck that morning. You couldn’t talk to her! I’m proud of her though and glad she’s embraced lifting weights. For me, I started my squat sets at 165 and have moved up to 255x5x3. I backed off recently to deal with some knee pain but am on the mend and looking to go past that.

Fox – Any gym goals that you two are working on?

Willie – I want to bench 315 and get my weight under 200.
Nancy – I want to keep getting stronger and drop a little more body fat to look and feel the way I’ve always wanted to.

Fox – Those sound pretty within reach, great stuff. What about outside the gym, what does the Hernandez family do for fun?

Willie – Honestly CrossFit is our main hobby right now. We used to go out to eat all the time but now we’re being healthier so we work, head to the gym, and crash early at home. We go to the mo
vies every now and then but we hang out here and at home mostly.
Nancy – That’s about right. We still go to dinner, right now I love Purbird. We also take a family vacation every year which is a big deal. This year we went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Atlantis was amazing. Years past we’re done the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and other stuff.
Wille – yeah, I busted my but on the lazy river at Atlantis. So embarrassing.

Fox – Something tells me that you’re the kind of guy that can take a bit of emarassment and come out ok. What do you for work?

Nancy – I’m a letter carrier for the USPS in the Union Square area. I’ve been with them since 1999.
Willie – I work as a custodial engineer for the Dept. of Education. I’m in charge of 2 schools and a team of 9 people down in the Lower East side. I’ve been with the DOE for 16 years but in this role for about 10. 10 More years till I can retire!

Fox – Nice to be looking down retirement at our age, huh? In spite of your fears and how hard things were in the beginning at CFSBK you kept coming in. I really believe that it takes that kind of commitment to anything to be successful at it. You just keep at it and don’t give up. What are some of the things that you enjoyed that kept you coming back to Degraw street?

Nancy and Willie (in unison) – It’s not boring.
Nancy – The community is so great, there’s always someone to talk to that you like. The blog is fun to keep up with, too. And the coaches are all great and approachable.
Willie – Yeah, you don’t get this kind of experience at another gym as far as coaching. I look at it like this. We all come to this place to basically play. All of us from different walks of life can come to this special place and just play. That’s the trick with CrossFit, it’s not like work, it’s like play. All the hard work is made easier by the fact that you enjoy it here.

Fox – That’s great to hear you say that. We strive to provide a fun environment where people can work hard and get better. Alright, last question. What should we look for in a future AOM?

Willie – Someone dedicated and consistent. Someone like me, Fox.
Nancy – I like how he says that with a smooth face! Yeah, dedicated and consistent. I’d add friendly and approachable. It’s what we love about this place is that it’s filled with friendly people.
———
Thanks so much to King Will and (Queen?) Nancy for spending the time to tell me a little about themselves. Congrats on all your hard work, we look forward to seeing more of it for a long time.
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What Will We Miss? VSauce

Fitness: 3×5 across
Perform your last work sets for this cycle.

Calculate how much more volume you’ve added to your work sets.
Start by taking your first exposure weight and multiplying it by its sets and reps then doing the same to today’s and comparing. If you miss reps today, make sure to account for them in the caclulation.

example:
week 1: 75x5x3 = 1,125 lbs of work
week 6: 90x5x3 = 1,350 lbs of work
Total increase: 225lbs

Performance: 5/3/1 “1 week“
75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+

Post loads to comments.
e6/6
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Tabata Mash Up:

Alternate the following exercises for :20 of work followed by :10 of rest for 8 total intervals.
Dumbbell Split Snatch
Double Unders

Post total reps and Rx to comments.

CFSBK at The Games!
Rickke Manzala, Mike Mishik and Pierre Davidoff were all in California this weekend taking in the events live. Check out some of Pierre’s shots from Clean and Jerk Ladder.

• Congratulations to all our Strength Cyclers who participated in yesterday’s CrossFit Total! Tons of PRs were put up yesterday by both novices and veterans alike. Please post results and experience to comments.
• Happy Birthday, Lyssa H!

CrossFit Games Recap

The 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games are finally over! After a very intense four days of competition the results are in and we’ve got some new (and repeat) champs.  What did you think of this year’s programming and athlete performances?

Women
1. Samantha Briggs
2. Lindsey Valenzuela
3. Valerie Voboril

Men
1. Rich Froning
2. Jason Khalipa
3. Ben Smith

Teams:
1. Hacks Pack Ute
2. CrossFit New England
3. CrossFit Adrenaline

Spirit of the Games
Kristen Clever

Events:
The Pool
Row 1 & Row 2
Burden Run
Zig Zag Sprint
Legless
Naughty Nancy
Clean and Jerk Ladder
2007
Sprint Chipper
The Cinco 1 & 2

To see full descriptions of each workout, click here.

Fitness: 1×5 across
Pick things up and put them down.

Performance: 5/3/1 “3 week“
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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For Time:
20 Front Squats, 155/103
30 Box Jumps 24″/20″
40 Kettlebell Swings 53lb/35lb
50 Wall Ball Shots 20lb, 10′ / 14lb, 9′
*15 minute cap

Post time and Rx to comments.

Amanda Goodman wins the Clean and Jerk Ladder for the women with a 245lb Clean and Jerk. Goodman is 5′ and 139lbs

Today is the final day of the 2013 CrossFit Games! Who are your picks to win?

CrossFit Total Today!

 Beau M
Yale M
Erica N
Thibault C
David T
Matthew D
Les K
Jonathon S
Mel L
Uzef G
Clare D
Lisa F

CFSBK Rowing Workshop

Coach Nick is teaching a two-hour rowing clinic on Saturday, 8/3, at 2:00. Do you want to improve your effectiveness on the erg? Do you dread rowing workouts? Or maybe you love them and want to row more on the side? The clinic will include the following:

If you’re interested, please shoot Nick an email at nick [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn [dot] com. There’s a cap on the number if participants, so sign up now! This workshop is $25.

Fitness: 3×5 Across

Performance: 5/3/1 3 week
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

or 70%x3x3

Post loads to comments.
e10/12
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As Many Rounds As Possible in 7 minutes of:
7 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans
7 Burpees

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Jason Khalipa takes first in the Burden Run with 28:58

See more at The CrossFit Games website.

Kettlebell Kitchen at CFSBK Today!

Want to make eating healthy Paleo meals easier? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Kettlebell Kitchen– your go to for Paleo & Zone meals! Food for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, Kettlebell Kitchen is an easy & convenient way to get top notch nutrition delivered right to the box. We’ve tasted the food ourselves, and we think it’s great!

Today from 8:45am onwards they’ll be in house to let you taste the food and learn about how the program works.  Check them out before or after your class today!
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They will be delivering food every Monday & Wednesday, the order cutoffs are:

-Wednesday evening by midnight for Monday delivery
-Saturday evening by midnight for Wednesday delivery

The complete menu, along with ingredient lists and nutrition facts can be found here: MENU
Ordering instructions and FAQs can be found here: FAQs
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I Believe I Can Fly

Sam Briggs wins Row Events 1 and 2 with a 2000m time of 7:17 and 1/2 Marathon time of 1:27:47.9

So Close To a Pull-Up..

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 Kipping pull-ups as Rxd 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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There are as of yet three unannounced events for this year’s Games. Write a Games-worthy WOD that you think could work for this year’s programming. And/Or predict what the obstacles in the zig zag sprint will be.
To see the full list of announced events, click here.