Malcolm does some construction site Deadlifts last January

More work? Or a sip of water?
by Christian Fox
 
            You’re mid-Helen. You’re finishing your 2nd round of KB swings and the pull-up bar is waiting for you. So what do you do? Place your bell down, grab a sip of water, wipe the sweat from your face, chalk up your hands, and then size up the pull-up bar? Or do you ditch the bell and get on the pull-up bar knowing that you’ve only got one round left and the big rest is coming. Last sprint, last swings, last pull-ups. Forget the chalky feeling on your tongue; you’re getting on the leader board this time.
 
            In many WODs, a sip of water here and there is totally appropriate. Think Murph, Angie, Barbara (during the rest), or some other 20+minute chipper style WOD. These are designed to be done at a medium to medium-high intensity and take significant time to complete; hence they need to be paced out and can allow for a sip or a break. WODs like Fran, Annie, and the like are meant to be executed at a high intensity throughout, and take a short time to complete. I feel pretty confident saying that you will not dehydrate during 5-10 minutes it takes to complete either of these couplets. Often though, we see athletes stopping mid-WOD to grab a sip or just to put their hands on their hips and rest. Sometimes, sure, this is appropriate. Are you sick, pregnant, injured, or the like? Then yes, you may need to pace even short WODs. But if not, then be honest with yourself about why you’re reaching for your water bottle again or chalking up for the 4th time in 12 pull-ups. It probably isn’t thirst. It’s being uncomfortable with being uncomfortable.
 
            Let me be clear…I’m not saying not to stay hydrated and on the south-side line of Pukieville, but if this sounds like you then try this trick. BEFORE the clock starts, drink a cup of water. Then put your water bottle away from you and out of reach. Mid-WOD when you start to think how nice a little H20 would feel on your tongue, use that to motivate you to finish faster. The water is the reward. Finish and it’s yours.
 
Train smart, but train hard. Remember that intensity is what brings results. Increase your pain tolerance. Try getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

How would you describe your discomfort tolerance?  Are there types of workouts or specific exercises you find yourself taking lots of breaks from?

You and a partner will attempt to row as many meters as possible
in 20 minutes.  Individuals are not allowed to row more than 500m per
turn. Can your team break 5,000m in the allotted time?

Post
partner, total meters rowed and strategy to comments.
compare to 12.06.09

Review Coach Nick's rowing technique before today's class.

Skill Work
Handstand Practice
Level A. Kick-ups
Level B. Spotted Inversions
Level C. Freestanding Practice

Armando and Dom finish up the new pull-up bars

Good luck and farewell to Christian D who after over a year of training at CFSBK will be moving to The Hague (Netherlands)!   Christian has made enormous gains with us and we can't wait to hear all about his training overseas.
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Congratulations to Team SBK on their performances on yesterdays Bronx Half Marathon.  Here's how we did:
Mike W 1:35:25
Joe W 2:02:14
Jess F 2:03:04
Dan R 2:07:16
Asta F 2:10:55
Chris F 2:23:52
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Cycle A of our upcoming Strength Intensive is already SOLD OUT.  Intermediate lifters looking to join Cycle B should sign up ASAP!  Register Here

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You are how you move Chip Conrad / Physical Subculture
Robb Wolf on refined carbohydrates CrossFit

For time:
50 Burpees
25 Thrusters 95/65
50 Box Jumps, 24"/20"
25
Deadlifts 225/185
50 Double Unders
25 Pull-Ups
50 Burpees

Post
time and Rx to comments.
compare to 1.10.10

Wall Ball!

Happy Birthday, Dan H!

Good luck to Chris F, Jess F, Dan R, Asta F, Mike W and Joe W on today's Bronx Half Marathon!!

5-5-5
(E7/8) Sets Across

Post loads to comments.
compare to 8.11.10

Assistance Work
3-5 Medium Sled Sprints, 50'
3-5 Heavy Sled Drags, 50'

Post experience to comments.

Dharma F learns to Deadlift

CrossFit South Brooklyn is currently in 8th place overall with $3,365 raised for out upcoming Fight Gone Bad charity event.  Have you started your fund raising efforts?  Have you signed up yet?  Start here!

The CrossFit Store is offering 40% off all products with the coupon code: FBFinalSale (Note: Click "APPLY" for the discount to take effect) The sale is effective from tonight at midnight PST until midnight PST on Sunday!

Appropriate scaling
by Coach Fox

We all know that CrossFit is infinitely scalable. We have CF Kids who do scaled down versions of what our regular classes look like. You tell your Mom and your Grandma that yes; they too, can walk into their local CF affiliate and get some. In Foundations at CFSBK or at a Level 1 cert, your coach lectured you that CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement, executed at (relatively) high intensity. Remember that adjective: relatively. After CrossFitting for a while you may feel like you should do every WOD Rx’d…not so.
 
What high intensity means for all of us is different. Sometimes the difference is scaled via time/perceived effort. For example: 2 athletes complete Fran as Rx’d. Athlete A finishes in 3:00 flat, while athlete B finishes in 6:59. One took more than 2x as long as the other. Did they both get a dose of CrossFit? For sure. Let’s assume that athlete B scaled back intensity and paced the workout more and didn’t redline because he didn’t sleep well the night before and was feeling sluggish. That sounds like smart scaling to me. Here’s another scenario. Athlete A is the same, but athlete B finishes the workout in just under 12:00. He breaks the movements up into 3 or 4 at a time from start, and his movement is a mess from the 10th thruster on, missing ROM on a few of the pull-ups along the way. He was well rested and just really wanted to do his first Rx’d Fran. Here athlete B gets a very different workout. It became more a matter of slogging through to the finish instead of sprinting to the end, and the metabolic effect of the WOD was lost. Some scaling on weight or reps may have gotten him the intended effect of the infamous 21-15-9 of thrusters and pull-ups. If his thrusters were the limiting factor using a 75lb barbell may have been appropriate. If pull-ups were the time suck then maybe going 12-9-6 on that portion would have made the difference.
 
Just this week you were challenged to find your max weight for a “4 minute Grace”.  This was a great active lesson on scaling that I hope you got. Sure, sometimes it can be good just to go at a WOD Rx’d for the sake of completing it as such. There can be some real mental/emotional benefit to that. The majority of the time though, when it comes to met-cons, especially the short/intense kind, try and find where your intensity level needs to be for the intended effect of the workout. Then focus on getting stronger and the Rx’d weight will come. A good estimate for high rep barbell work is to use around 65% of your max. So if your max clean and jerk were 150lbs, then 95-100 lbs would probably get you a good dose of Grace. If you’re not sure where or when to scale, just ask one of the coaches as CFSBK. That’s what we’re here for. Cheers to good training.

What does Rx'd mean to you? Is it a goal of yours? Why or why not?

Eight rounds for time of:
3 Mid Hang Power Cleans 165/105
8 Burpees with CF Games Push-Up Standards

Post time and Rx to comments.

Clean Variations

Keith From CrossFit Virtuosity Cleans

Impressed with all the strength gains Jeremy's Strength Intensive athletes are making?  Want to get stronger?  Check out our next two upcoming cycles.  Space is limited to 6 athletes per cycle.

Cycle A
August 23rd-Oct 15th
Mondays

and Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm and Fridays from 6:00-7:30pm

Cycle B
August 24th-Oct 17th
Tuesdays

and Thursdays from 7:00-8:30pm and Sunday from 10:00-11:30am

Cycle

B will be the level 2 cycle, following an intermediate program. It is
designed for advanced lifters who have exhausted a linear progression.

Click
here to register!

5-5-5
(E6/8) Sets Across

Post loads to comments.
compare to 8.7.10

Perform 4 Rounds of:
1 Minute Row for max calories
1 Minute max Box Jumps 20"
1 Minute rest

Post totals for each movement to comments.

Sal M completes the 10! Power clean/Pull-up workout at the 09 regional Qualifier

Tonight is the accumulation of 8 weeks of pushing and pulling iron.  Check out Jeremy's Strength Cycle athletes compete in the CrossFit Total.  They'll have 3 attempts to nail a 1RM Back Squat, Press and Deadlift.  Good luck, everyone!
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Read, "Routine vs Ritual" by Chip Conrad.  Chip will be hosting the "Brutal Recess" seminar at CFSBK. For more information watch this then click here.

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August's Foundations cycle is just around the corner.  Jump on in before it sells out!

August Evening Cycle
Dates: 8/16-9/8
Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 8pm-9:15pm
Register Here!

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The Healing Imagination Mark's Daily Apple
Being Mindful is Like Boiling Water Utne

Some post weightlifting posing
top row: Ryan P, Katie M, Josh M, Yoon S
bottom row: Bethany B, Laurel M, Jessica F

Active Recovery is on for tonight at 6pm!

Are you a new athlete or someone who wants to get back to basics?  Remember we've got On Ramp every Tuesday and Thursday at 8pm

Check out the CrossFit South Brooklyn page on Facebook!
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Fight Gone Bad 5 is slowly approaching.  We've built out our team page with pictures, videos and the current roster.  Right now CFSBK is in 8th place for overall fund raising with a total of $2,405 raised! Get over to the team page to sign up!
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Video clip of Robb Wolf talking insulin sensitivity at CFSBK

1-1-1-1-1
(E4/4) Max Effort

Post loads to comments.
compare to 8.2.10

Sub 4 Minute "Grace"
Attempt find the most weight you can Clean and Jerk for 30 reps in under 4 minutes. 

For example, if you can perform "Grace" as Rx'd in 3:08, try adding 10-15 lbs and see if you can keep it sub 4.  If your previous effort was 7-10 minutes, try dropping 15-20 lbs.  The goal is to scale this benchmark workout so that you can achieve the metabolic stimulus of a short, hard workout.  There is a hard cut off at the 4 minute mark.

Post load and time to comments.
compare to 5.6.10

Yoon locks out 215 lbs

Many of you newer folks started your CrossFit journey with us here on Degraw street.  There were however ancient times when our program was based out of The Brooklyn Lyceum. Lots of memories were made in that building and our time there helped us get to where we are today.  After 2 years in the Lyceum we left to make a home of our own just a few blocks away.  We marked the occasion with an unforgettable WOD and a "Gym Move for time" cool down.  Check out the photo set from that day here!

Or you can watch the CFJ preview video they did on us here

If you trained with us during the Lyceum days, what stands out as one of the more memorable moments or aspects of training there?

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Robb Wolf is coming back to CFSBK on September 4th!  Check out the FAQ on his blog to get ramped up to just Some of the awesome info he'll be dropping on us.  Interested in the seminar? Sign up here!

4 Rounds for time of:
Run 400m
16 Burpees
8 Deadlifts, 255/165

Post time and Rx to comments.

Meg from Concord CrossFit doing "2-fer-1" Farmers Carry's at CFSBK

Congratulations to Mike V on the birth of his first daughter!
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Where are Jeremy, Margie, Becca and Paulie at?  They're in Witchita Falls, Texas at "A Coaches' Roundtable Weekend" listening to the likes of Mark Rippetoe, Tommy Suggs, Jim Wendler and John Sheaffer.  To learn a little more about these coaches and the event, click here

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We're working on some new performance logs and want your input.  Our previous logs had the following information in them:

Benchmark WODs (Girls, Heros etc)
Benchmark Lifts (Squat, Clean etc)
The Zone Diet information (block charts etc)
Kilogram to Pound Conversion
Strength Standards
Acronyms and Abbreviations
What is CrossFit?
Hierarchy of Athletic Development

Because we're printing the next set ourselves, the format and information provided will be significantly different.  What kind of information would you want in a log book?  What do you think is unnecessary?