Search Results for: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CROSSFIT OPEN @ CFSBK

A1) Back Squat:
3 x 5 @ 3011

A2)  3-Point DB Row:
3 x 5 @ 3011

No pause at the bottom but the turnaround should be controlled with little to no “bounce” (or torso movement in the Rows). Add a few lbs to last week as able.

Post loads to comments.
Week 4 of 6

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For Time:
40 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
20 Box Jump Overs 24/20″
10 Calorie Bike

Must be facing the box on the Jump Over and both feet must touch the top of the box at the same time, no full extension required. Start fast and aim to stay fast without blowing up. 

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach Lynsey gets the crowd going at the 2018 Community Potluck

Next Saturday: CFSBK Community Potluck!

The big event is just over a week away! This year’s Community Potluck goes down Saturday, February 8th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come. Bring your friends and family!

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge: animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, and whole grains are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Coach David!
• We’ll be doing karaoke again this year!
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE (for kids).
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail Coach Brett at Brett [at] Crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let him know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page. 

Get your heavy-duty plates ready. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Performance
Snatch Balance:
3-3-3

Work up to a heavy triple with no misses.

Fitness
Behind-the-Neck Snatch Push Press + 2 Overhead Squats

Work up to a medium-heavy complex with no misses. If you cannot perform a mature Overhead Squat, instead sub 3 Behind-the-Neck Snatch Push Presses @ 31X3 tempo with a weight you can control and move perfectly with.

Post loads to comments.
Week 2 of 2

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Rounds or 20 Minutes:
5e Kettlebell Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts
10 Hollow Body Band Pull Downs
15/11 Calorie Bike (or 270m Jog)
:20e Single-Arm Plank

Post work to comments.

 

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A post shared by CrossFit South Brooklyn (@crossfitsouthbrooklyn) on Dec 28, 2019 at 11:53am PST

Our 2020 Dogs of CFSBK calendar benefitting Pupstarz Rescue is now available at the front desk! We do this calendar every year and 100% of the proceeds to to helping dogs in shelters find permanent homes and escape being euthanized. Save pups by looking at cute pups all year. It’s a win-win! Photography by @aaronweiss and @robert1er

The 2020 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge

It’s that time of year again… New Year’s Resolution time. While we believe it’s best to make choices in accordance with your goals and values all of (or at least most of) the time, we recognize that many of us use markers like the beginning of the year to kickstart positive changes. This year’s Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge will follow a similar model to last year. There are two levels that you can choose to participate in. On Level 1 you’ll focus primarily on food quality and eating from a large spectrum of whole foods (lean proteins, veggies and fruits, whole grains and legumes, and healthy fats). This is a perfect place to start if you’re new to healthy eating or are want to revisit what that means for you. On Level 2 you’ll add the practice of portion control, focusing on eating appropriate (for you) servings of lean proteins, smart carbs, veggies, and healthy fats.

While this year’s Challenge is a few weeks shorter than the 12 weeks we’ve done in recent years (in 2020 we’re providing a 10-week format) this is NOT a “get fit quick” plan. The reason we run longer challenges than many other gyms (and, admittedly, like we used to) is that while extreme behavior changes can bring rapid results, we’ve almost always seen this followed up by a “crash,” where participants rebel against the limiting factors of an extreme or restrictive diet. We’d rather you have more inclusive food options and change a few small, manageable things over a longer period, than to change many things for 30 days only to get lost in a haze of bagels, beer, and chocolate cake once the challenge ends.

Who?

The entire CrossFit South Brooklyn Community!

What?

A 10 week challenge meant as a collective kickstart toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits in the new year.

Where?

Right where you are! But, also:

• Come to the CFSBK Potluck on February 8th!
• Participants are encouraged to organize “rest day dinners”, either in homes or at restaurants, with fellow LFPBers.
• You’ll have access to the private 2020 LFPB Challenge Facebook Group.
• Attend our weekly (dates listed below—these are not mandatory but helpful) webinars to help keep you inspired and to answer any questions that come up along the way. You spoke and we listened so this year we are NOT using Facebook for the webinars, which means you won’t have to choose between missing them and reneging on your decision to stay off the social media monster. We’ll instead be using Zoom. Can’t attend? They’ll be archived and you’ll have access to them throughout the challenge.
• The key to success is generally not to make sweeping changes, but rather to consistently practice the small stuff each day. With that in mind, consider scheduling some time now to set aside each day where you can work towards your goals

When?

This year the Challenge will run from Monday, January 13th through Sunday, March 22nd. And get ready to get your chef on, because we’ll also be hosting a potluck dinner at the gym on Saturday, February 8th. where you can meet and greet with fellow CFSBKers and sample some of the delicious ways they make healthy food choices.

Why?

To look, feel, and perform better! And, for some sweet prizes!

Wait, did you say prizes? Yes. The grand prize for both the men’s and women’s category is one month of FREE unlimited training at CFSBK, a $250+ value! There are also 2nd and 3rd place prizes for the men’s and women’s categories including a punch card or free specialty classes at CFSBK and a personal training session!

I’m interested. What will I need? For Level 1, only an openness and willingness to learn how to make more informed and healthier food choices. For Level 2, the same but you’ll also need hands! You’ll be “measuring” portions of lean protein, smart carbs, veggies, and healthy fats using your hands as your very own personalized portion control guide. Whichever level you choose, we will all benefit from doing a bit of food shopping and prep beginning the first week to make better-for-you food choices easier to make. Like we mention above, this isn’t a get-fit-quick scheme, it’ll require effort on your part. Not everyone can be an Iron Chef, but unless you have a full time cook at home, you’ll be doing some basic work in your kitchen.

Most people will achieve great results and remain more sane on Level 1. There’s no sense mowing your lawn if your house is on fire…we all need to take care of the big stuff (like eating high quality, whole foods) before digging into the small stuff (like weighing out foods, counting macros, or taking supplements). If you’re already consistently making quality food choices, then you may benefit from paying more attention to portions. If you’re not sure which way to go, choose Level 1.

Alright, you’re in? Great!

How To Participate

While the official start date is January 13th, 2020, you must complete the following steps by January 17th to be eligible for prizes:

• Sign your name on the big ole LFPB Challenge List in the front desk area of the gym at 597.
• Sign up and pay at the front desk or in the CFSBK Online Store ($100 total plus NY tax).
• Answer a few brief questions and submit your “before” photos according to the guidelines on the Look, Feel, Perform Better portal. These entries are private will not be published without your consent. You can access the 2020 LFPB Challenge Entry Form HERE.
• Join the 2020 LFPB Challenge Facebook Group
• Perform the LFPB Capacity Tests (programmed for our CrossFit group classes on Saturday, January 11th) and record your results. Or, if you prefer, use any other performance metrics that you find value in as long as you can retest them in 10 weeks.
• Set up your Tracker Sheet and begin tracking points earned daily and weekly reflections based on how well you’re able to practice the guidelines and/or what else came up for you.
• Complete your Post Challenge Submission by Friday, March 27th at the end of the Challenge.
• Participate in weekly Virtual Classroom Sessions! We listened to popular request to move these away from Facebook, so they’ll be held on the Zoom platform this year. Each session will include a brief topical lecture alongside a live chat. They’ll be held on Mondays from 1:10pm until about 1:40pm on the following dates: 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16 (may be subject to change, we’ll give advance notice if so).

You can find more info (including Level 1 and 2 guidelines) at the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge page or via the widget on the sidebar to the right!

New Year’s Schedule

We’ll be running on a modified schedule tomorrow and Wednesday for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Everything you need to know can be found on the Schedule page!

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Front Squat

Heavy 3 @ 40X1

No pause at the bottom. Work up to a heavy triple for the day in a few sets.

Post loads to comments.
Week 5 of 6

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2 Rounds

In 8:00:
1100m Run

Then AMRAP in remaining time of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg

Rest 4:00 between rounds. 

Work at a repeatable pace and aim to score similarly to within a few seconds on the runs and reps on both pieces. The kettlebell load should be medium-heavy for you and unbroken  Modify to Ring Rows and/or Knee Push-Ups as needed. 1100 meters is 2 laps around the block.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

7:30pm class bid Coach Tori a fond farewell on Monday night. You can also see some photos Aaron W. captured from the evening on our Flickr account

Everything You Need to Know About Fight Gone Bad 2019

Please check the heat assignments to see when you’re competing and judging tomorrow. Plan to arrive at least 20 minutes before your heat to get registered and ready. 608 will be available all day to warm-up. Your team captain will pick up shirts at the front desk when everyone on your team arrives. Immediately after your heat, there will be a team portrait taken outside, so look your best and get ready to flex!

At the end of the day, we’ll have an awards ceremony and group picture. We encourage everyone to hang out and cheer on the other teams. If you’re in an early heat, please hang out and then try to make it back for the awards ceremony… especially if you’re going to the podium!

Schedule

8:30am: Gym Opens
9:00-1:10pm: Fight Gone Bad Heats
1:30pm: Group Photo!
Awards Ceremony

Fundraising Update

CFSBK has raised over $17,000 for the Sunrise Movement so far! Check out our CrowdRise page to see who our top teams and individuals are so far. Don’t stop now, gang! Every dollar you raise will go to helping young people stop climate change and create millions of jobs in the process.

As usual, we’ll be giving awards to the top individual fundraisers, the top male and female Rx’d athletes, and the FGB Spirit Award for the teams with the best costumes and such. Many thanks to the following sponsors for donating prizes: Brooklyn Brewery, Threes Brewing Company,  Shake Shack, Cafe Grumpy,  ThirteenFit Apparel, Puori Supplements, Littlefield, Bear Komplex, Kick Axe, Crossfit Linchpin, Chameleon Coffee,  Left Bank, Fleishers Craft Butchery, Abbotsford Road Coffee, Hungry Ghost Coffee, Herondale Farm. 

Movement Standards

Everyone competing in Fight Gone Bad tomorrow also has a judging assignment slot. Please come familiar with the movement standards so you can accurately perform and judge the workout. We’ll review that day, too. The Box Jump is still a CrossFit Games-Standard Box Jump, which means you’ll need to show extension and control at the top of every rep as opposed to being able to reach extension as you jumped off.

Box Jump (Demo Video)
Men’s Rx: 20″
Ladies’ Rx: 20″
Additional option: 16″

Standards:
Start: Standing on Ground
Finish: Standing on top of the box with knees and hips fully extended and under control. Athletes may jump down or step down, jumping off at the top before showing control is a no rep. For FGB, step-ups are considered a scale.

Sumo Deadlift High Pull (Demo Video)
Men’s Rx: 75lbs
Ladies’ Rx: 55lbs
Additional option: 35lbs

Standards:
Start: Both plates on ground
Finish: Knees and hips fully extended and barbell at approximately collar bone height.

Wall Ball: (Demo Video)
Men’s Rx: 20lb ball, 10′ target
Ladies’ Rx: 14lb ball, 9′ target
Additional option: 10lb ball, optional target

Standards:
Start: Hip crease dips below parallel
Finish: Ball hits ABOVE target line

Rowing:
No Scales
No ROM standards

Push Press (Demo Video)
Men’s Rx: 75lbs
Ladies’ Rx: 55lbs
Additional option: 35lbs

Standards:
Start: Bar in a racked position in front of shoulders
Finish: Knees, hips, shoulders and elbows fully extended with the barbell above the shoulders

If you need any additional modifications, don’t hestitate to let us know!

Don’t be afraid to call a “No Rep” on someone if they’re not meeting the standards! You’ll be doing them and the event itself a favor.

If you think you’ve got a top 3 score in you and want to go for the CFSBK leaderboards, please let one of the coaches know ahead of time so we can communicate with your judge. Also remember that to get on the board, you need to start on the Wall Ball station and that Step-Ups are considered a scale for the Box Jumps.

News and Notes

• Please note that all classes are cancelled on Saturday for Fight Gone Bad, but we will be offering Open Gym from 12:30pm to 3pm in 608. 
• Immediately following Fight Gone Bad, follow CFSBK member Nancy Goldstein for a Career Transition Workshop. This small, action-intensive workshop coaches you through the skills necessary to land a new job, and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Sunrise Movement. Go HERE to learn more and register!

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Contralateral Romanian Deadlift / Push Press Superset

A1) Contralateral Single Leg Single Arm Romanian Deadlift
3 x 6-8 @ 4111

Focus first on balance and stability through the foot, lower leg, and hip. Use dumbbells or kettlebells to add load as able.

A2) Barbell Push Press:
3 x 6-8 @ 41X1 

The bar should not be crashing back to the rack position. Start light enough to use the prescribed tempo and to build in load over six weeks.

Sumo Deadlift

3 x 6-8 @4111

Use a double overhand grip and control the tempo, using a switch grip only if you need it. Hook grip is preferred. Start light enough to use the prescribed tempo and to build in load over six weeks. Here’s a useful demo video. 

Post loads to comments.
Week 2 of 6

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Cash Out

4 Sets:
12-15 Supine Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 
12-15 Dumbbell Bench Press

Rest 1:00 between sets.

Post work to comments.

September Athlete of the Month: Azam Poulatov

As told to Chris Fox

Up next is a guy who—unbelievably—was too nervous to take group classes after completing Foundations. He has since overcome “fitness fears” that most of us easily would rather go around. You might say that he’s made a hobby out of exploring the limits of his abilities and tolerance for discomfort, only to push beyond them when encountered. Run 100 miles in 100 degrees? 30-Mile Spartan Beast Race, including 30+ obstacles? Pishaw. No problem. Azam is someone who certainly lives the qualities he recommends to future Athletes of the Month at the end of this interview. But let’s start at the beginning.

Hi Azam! When and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn?

I did my Foundations in July of 2013. I came upon CrossFit when I was looking to do some sort of a circuit training-type workout, probably just by having done an internet search on the topic. When I started back in 2013 there weren’t any CrossFit gyms near my area, plus the Yelp reviews made a compelling argument for me to choose CFSBK and stick with it to this day.

Glad you wound up here! What were you doing fitness-wise prior?

Nothing very inspiring for certain. Mostly going to a “regular” commercial gym where I’d jump on a treadmill or elliptical and then use some free weights to do curls.

So this was pretty different. What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?

Very intimidating. Especially, when I saw some of the ladies snatching what seemed like and, in fact, turned out to be, very heavy barbells. It was definitely outside of my comfort zone.

Do you come from an athletic background?

Not sure what would constitute an “athletic” background. I did some Olympic weightlifting back home when I was young but quit after a few months. I dabbled in a little bit of track and field then quit just after a few months, too. I then did martial arts for a little while, and then… you guessed it right… I quit that as well. So as you can see, prior to CrossFit I was not much of an “athlete” and didn’t have an “athletic” background.

Well you stuck with us! I would say you fall firmly into the “athlete” camp nowadays…Where did you grow up?

I was born in a town called Khujand located in the northern part of Tajikistan. I lived there until I was 22, when I moved to the US to go school. I went to a small liberal arts school in Oklahoma and studied Business Administration as my major, which like most people I don’t use, in my day-to-day work.

That’s even further away than Staten Island. How’d you end up in Brooklyn?

My siblings had also moved to US and were living in Brooklyn. Somehow, they managed to hoodwink me into moving to NYC so we could all be closer to each other.

How do you usually spend your days?

Ha! Lately it feels like work, then home, then gym, then home, then rinse and repeat the following day. I work in IT designing computer networks. The way I usually explain what I do is: I basically make the “internet plumbing” work so people and businesses can get to their apps. Although I do go for training runs the days I am not in the gym or and try to make day trips to Bear Mountain for some trail running/hiking on the weekends.

What are your hobbies, weird or mundane, other than CrossFit?

I did obstacle racing for a while and was using my CrossFit training as the base to get through some of those. Lately I gravitate more towards long distance trail running, and have been doing two or three 100 milers each year for the past few. I could tell some stories about those, but the one that’s been seared in my brain involves the toughest 100 mile race I’ve done yet. In northern Georgia… in the heat and humidity of summer in the South. I went through two days and nights where the weather went from 100 degree heat/humidity into hyperthermic torrential downpour by the second night. The “run” turned into a painstaking “one foot in front of the other” expedition where I was just surviving the elements, from high winds on the ridge lines to a mud-sliding slippery downslope.

But don’t let that scare you away! Should you sign up for one, it’s not all bad! Other memorable experiences involve just being in the beauty of nature, enjoying the quiet and seeing wildlife. Recently I was in Southern California and saw a bear and a mountain lion and almost stepped on a copperhead snake. I passed a moose and wild goat during another recent 100 miler in the Cascade mountains. Nothing compares to actually getting into these remote, untouched places and enjoying the beauty of what mother nature has created.

Other than that I pick up a book here and there when I am commuting to work and back. Maybe even dabble in a little bit cooking as part of my meal preps. Between work, family, and fitness, there’s not a whole lot to report on the hobby front I guess.

Wow! Sounds like there’s a pretty satisfying payoff to all the hard work in a race like that. If you could place an ad in the NYC subway system, or on a huge billboard in Brooklyn that people would see every day, what would it say?

I wish I could come up with something profound but all I can think about are the last two lines from the poem “Invictus” by William Henley, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” I suppose it’s more of a mantra rather than an ad.

What were your initial goals in the gym, if any, and what are you working on now?

Once I was introduced to them I wanted to lift bigger weights, especially on the Oly movements, when I first started. And I still do now! Currently I’m working more on the gymnastics side of things (i.e. Pull-Ups, Handstand Push-Ups, Muscle Ups and so on) where I have been steadily, if slowly, improving.

What did you struggle with at first or what are you most proud of for improving?

I want to say I struggled with everything at first and that wouldn’t be untrue. But I suppose I struggled a lot keeping up in metcons and with some of the more complex movements (Snatch and definitely Split Jerk). My proudest moment so far has easily been when I got my first Ring Muscle-Up. To put it in words, I guess that it felt like “nirvana,” or at least like I’d reached some sort of “CrossFit summit.”

Do you participate (or have you participated) in any special programs at CFSBK?

I’ve participated in Anti-Gravity Strength, which has definitely helped me on those gymnastics goals and did a year of Alchemy Nutrition Coaching which helped me to improve some lifestyle things. Does private training count as a special program? I’ve done privates since day 1 with someone I think you know. 😉 I was actually too anxious/afraid to start taking classes after Foundations so I began training multiple times a week with you before being (mercifully) kicked into group classes.

Fly free, little bird! How has Crossfit (the training itself, or the community) changed you?

I am not sure how to put it, but I think it gave me a different perspective on some things. What I mean is that whenever I encounter something difficult or challenging outside of the gym, I can remember times when I was on the floor after a hard workout. I can then know that whatever I am currently facing in my daily life, it can’t be as hard as doing some of those workouts. Haha… Does that make sense? I hope that makes sense.

What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting Crossfit?

Don’t be intimidated, just show up. Or be intimidated and show up anyway. Sounds simple enough but it takes a lot of courage to do that.

What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

I keep asking that same question myself… just kidding! The same things that I came here for initially I guess. I like the programming. The coaches are constantly providing feedback and guidance. And, in general, it feels more personal when I show up to CFSBK than just being “another member” in some gym.

What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?

I am not sure if I can add anything to what other Athletes of the Month have mentioned in the past. Qualities I have always admired in a person are tenacity and determination, both of which have to be renewed on a regular basis.

News and Notes

• Thank you to everyone who lifted, volunteered, cheered, sponsored, and donated at Iron Maidens. Iron Maidens competitors raised $22,266 to fund the Stay Strong Scholarship. That’s amazing! You can still donate here.
• Did Azam’s comment about AG Strength pique your interest? A new cycle starts soon, and details will be up on the blog tomorrow!

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Today is a scheduled rest/recovery day, but don’t worry! We are open and running on a normal class schedule, but you’ll have the option of doing either yesterday or tomorrow’s programming (which can be found in the comments section of today and every Rest Day’s post). We recently explained why we program Rest Days twice a week and how you can get the most out of them.

Coach Keith has less beard in this video, but it’s still a pretty good rundown of everything that our Active Life Strength program has to offer. An evening cycle starts in mid-October. Get on it! 

Register for Active Life Strength

Get out of pain, stay out of pain, strengthen your weaknesses, and improve mobility and movement patterns, all while getting stronger! This is a predominantly strength-based class very specifically programmed to strengthen movements and improve positions based on your individual needs.

The Active Life methods help athletes of all levels identify the root causes of their pain, injuries, and plateaus, and provide solutions for alleviating and eliminating those limitations through strength training, hands on treatment, corrective movements, and program modification. As the Head Coach at Active Life Athletics, Coach Keith worked closely with the Active Life doctors as they developed the system and led the charge to incorporate it into a gym model. Using those principles, this program will help you identify your individual weaknesses and limitations, guide you through the necessary strength and mobility exercises, and get you moving and lifting more efficiently, with less pain. A pain-free athlete is a confident athlete, and a confident athlete is a dangerous athlete. If your goal is to look better, feel better, and go hard into your 80s, this program will help you set and maintain the foundation.

For more information on The Active Life, check out:

• @activeliferx on Instagram
• www.performancecarerx.com
• The Active Life on YouTube

Schedule

PM Cycle
October 15th, 2018 – December 7th, 2018
Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
2x per week for 8 weeks
Register Here!

Cost

The cost is $160 per month ($320 total plus NY state sales tax). The first charge will occur at the time of registration and the second payment of $160 will occur automatically 1 month later. This cycle is open to all CFSBK members as well as CrossFitters from other affiliates.

(Please note that you are committing to specific days and times and there be no refunds for any missed classes or late cancellations.)

What happens in class?

We will start with testing your single leg strength relative to your Back Squat, your Deadlift stamina relative to your absolute strength, your 1-arm carry ability, and your upper body pressing and pulling. You will then receive progressive strength work during each class to address your weaknesses based off of your test results.

In addition, we will identify your general movement limitations through mobility and flexibility assessments. Each athlete will receive an individualized “Not for Time” piece to complete as a warm up/cool down for CrossFit group class or during standardized warm-ups to address these limitations through corrective movements, stretches, and holds.

Testimonials

“It was nice to delve into mobility and strength issues and focus on only a few movements (Squat, Deadlift, Farmer’s Carry, High Pull, and Overhead Press) that will improve them. I also was grateful to have a workout tailored for my needs, which will help me improve and which will be valuable indefinitely because I can add weight to many of the moves (i.e. Overhead Carry). Pain/soreness was less the impetus for my decision to take Active Life Strength than the hope that I can improve mobility and upper-body strength. ALS was a great addition to regular classes. I’m 56, so there are limits to what I can achieve, but the class gave me hope that with effort and focus I can reach a higher level”—Paul B.

“I liked how the program was tailored for each person’s situation. I thought the personalized quality work assigned to each person was spot-on and really helped address my weaknesses. I would totally take this class again. I definitely felt improvements in the areas I was experiencing pain. My strength has improved as well. I feel more stable in my upper body. I still have a way to go to balance out a strength discrepancy in my legs, but now I know what to pay attention to and have been given the strategy to continue to work on that. As a bonus, I have gained a bit more flexibility and mobility in areas I didn’t know needed it.”—Maria M.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Press and Deadlift Test
A Breakthrough for US Troops: Combat-Ready Pizza NY Times
Don’t Separate Flexibility and Mobility: You Need Both Breaking Muscle

Snatch Complex

Snatch Pull (4 seconds down) + Snatch Pull (4 seconds down) + Snatch

Build to a heavy but perfect load on the complex. No misses, no press outs.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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20 Minutes Not for Rounds:
600m Row/1 Mile Bike/550m Jog

then, either…

A)50′ Handstand Walk
B) 3 Wall Walks + 10 Shoulder Taps at the top of the wall walk
C) 100′ Bear Crawl (with hips higher than shoulders)

Choose a Handstand Walking practice option that is suitable for you, and perform the mono-structural movement at a recovery/conversational pace. If you choose the 50′ Handstand Walk, you should be able to complete the distance in 1-3 sets.

Post work to comments.

Register for Active Life Strength!

There are still spots left in Coach Keith‘s next Active Life Strength class, which starts this Monday! The Active Life methods help athletes of all levels identify the root causes of their pain, injuries, and plateaus, and provide solutions for alleviating and eliminating those limitations through strength training, hands on treatment, corrective movements, and program modification. As the Head Coach at Active Life Athletics, Coach Keith worked closely with the Active Life doctors as they developed the system and led the charge to incorporate it into a gym model. Using those principles, this program will help you identify your individual weaknesses and limitations, guide you through the necessary strength and mobility exercises, and get you moving and lifting more efficiently, with less pain.

Here’s what Colleen M., who just did a previous cycle, had to say about the class:

My pain was being caused by shoulder impingement and a labral tear of the hip. At my wits end with my shoulder, I thought, “I will go back to HSS and ask them to do surgery.”  I was just sick of it.  Just as the surgery idea was taking hold, Active Life was offered at CFSBK.

Putting an Active Life program in a regularly scheduled group class was the magic formula for me. I find it very difficult to work on my own. I need the guidance of a coach, the structure and dynamics of a group class combined with individual program tailored to each participant’s needs. This saved me and my shoulder.

I know, disclaimer, not meant to diagnose or treat, etc., etc., but this is my experience. Looking into surgery was the next step for me if Active Life didn’t work, and it DID work. I have mobility now and I’m happily working pain free.

As for my hip (a two year old injury) HSS and NYU hip center both said that the cartilage could not be repaired on its own or through surgery, but if I could strengthen my core I could relieve pressure on the joint. Strengthening the core works, but doing self-guided extra work outside of group class is just not my strong suit. Flash forward to Active Life About half way through, I had a revelation–my individual program was forcing me to use all the muscles on my back, and on the back of my legs!  There’s an inner hamstring muscle that I didn’t even know I had, from that to my lats and up and down, shoulders to heels, all those muscles woke up and I learned how important they are. It was just so extraordinary. Strengthening everything behind me I was relieving the injuries on the front of me.  WOW.  I’m so happy.

I’m now adding some weight to the bar and I have a few post-injury PRs. I can also tell you that I can now bound up the subway stairs two steps at a time – a first for this New Yorker of 26 years! Having fun with my new superpower.

Sound like something you need? Check out the options below!

Register Here!

For more information on The Active Life, check out:

• @activeliferx on Instagram
• www.performancecarerx.com
• The Active Life on YouTube

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Front Squat / Ring Row | DTish
Starting CrossFit: Dealing with Obstacles CrossFit Journal
How a Special Diet Kept the Knights Templar Fighting Fit Atlas Obscura

Power Snatch

Warm up to a medium-heavy Power Snatch, around as heavy as your second load for the workout.

Post loads to comments.

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Open Workout 13.1

In 17 Minutes:
40 Burpees
30 Snatches 75/45
30 Burpees
30 Snatches 135/75
20 Burpees
30 Snatches 165/100
10 Burpees
AMRAP Snatches 210/120

The Burpees in this Open Workout were to a target 6″ above the athlete’s reach. We’re not going to set up targets, but be sure to jump and reach overhead on each Burpee. The Snatches are anyhow… Power, Full, Muscle, or Split. The first weight should be a weight you know you can get through. The second weight should be doable, something you can do sets of 2-5 when fresh; however, many people will end up somewhere in here as the total work adds up. The third weight should be challenging for you. That 4th weight is really just a joke that @thedavecastro played with us mere mortals that year, and something only Regionals level athletes worked up to.

Post total reps and Rx to comments.

Better Know a Member: Corey Brown

New year, new round of Better Know a Member! In this series, we profile members from across the ever-growing CFSBK community. Last week we got to know Texan and Court Street Grocer aficionado Jaime C. This week, let’s learn more about Corey B.!

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Born in Erie, PA and raised in Chapel Hill, NC.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK?

I’ve been doing CrossFit for a year and five months. I became a runner six or seven years ago and then started running marathons. I used to run by CFSBK when I would run home from work. I’ve always had zero motivation when it came to lifting heavy things, but I like to do crazy stuff, and CrossFit seemed to be just that. I signed up for Foundations class and quickly made a promise to myself not to ever tell anyone about CrossFit. I have failed numerous times with this promise.

Did you have any mentors or heroes growing up?

I’m such a daddy’s boy, and he was and is my hero. Growing up biracial I felt out of place 100% of the time, and he was so good at explaining life and how things would change for me as I got older. This was coming from a man who lived through a terribly racist time, and he still was able to see the good in the world and teach me to look for that. I should send him a card.

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

I am a performer and teacher at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Basically I’m very funny and help to make other people very funny. I also have a full-time job as an academic adviser at NYU. You can also catch me checking my stats to see how well I’m doing in the Bachelor or Bachelorette leagues that I’m in.

What’s your hidden talent?

I was on the bowling team when I was in college at East Carolina University. I always hovered slightly above a 200 average, which was good, but not good enough to try to make a career out of it and do well. I’m still pretty decent out of it, but it’s very expensive to bowl in NYC.

What’s the first movie you ever loved?

I was smitten with The Karate Kid. I did a lot of martial arts growing up, and seeing some punk kid from Reseda learn karate made me want to find a wise old man who lived in a shack and have him teach me how to defend myself. Then they made The Karate Kid 4 and broke my heart.

Any advice for new CFSBKers?

Watch! I usually get to the gym 30-45 minutes before class starts, and I just watch everyone else. I can see what people are doing right and wrong and that teaches me a ton. You can only learn so much in an hour, and your body can only handle so much lifting, but your eyes/ears and brain can keep digesting. So if you creepily ever see me just staring in your direction, all I’m doing is picking up tips! Or you have a booger and I’m deciding if I want to tell you.

News and Notes

• “Some of us can self evaluate, assess where we need more work and flexibility, and get to it. Most of us, myself included, cannot.” That’s from Coach Fox‘s latest post at Beyond the Whiteboard. It’s called “Older, Fitter: Little Tips for a Long CrossFit Life,” and you should check it out!
• In case you missed it, we’ll be running on a modified schedule this weekend. Everything you need to know is over on the Schedule page.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Front Squat | Open Workout 13.2
Fueling the Open CrossFit
Cocktail of Brain Chemicals May Be a Key to What Makes Us Human Scientific American