Established 2007
Virtual Class Zoom Room (Password: CFSBK)
Virtual Yoga: 7am
Pilates Happy Hour: 6:00pm
AMRAP 20:00
16 Calorie Bike
8 Kipping Toes to Bars
16 Box Jumps
8e DB or KB Snatch
Notes
Bike: 16 cals / 12 cals / 20 cal Row
T2B: 8 Kipping / 4-8 Strict / 12 Hanging Knee Raises / 12 Tuck-Ups
Snatch: Perform 8 on the left, then 8 on the right.
CrossFit Group Class Programming Template
First Bar Muscle-Up vibes from 2017 Subway Series
CFSBK Zoom Room (Password: CFSBK)
CFSBK @ Home: 7am, 12pm & 6pm
Teens/Preteens: 4:30pm
Pause Back Squat
1-1-1-1-1
Notes
Work up to a challenging but perfect single on the pause back squat. Next week we’ll start back at 5s like we did on 1/25 without a pause.
compare to 11.28.20 or 11.30.20
AMRAP 16:00
16 Kettlebell Swings
16 Sit-Ups or Tuck-Ups
16 Single Arm Suitcase Reverse Lunges
Notes
Move at a steady, sustainable pace on this workout.
KB: Medium weight and unbroken
LG: 16 reps total. Choose a challenging weight (consider using your Kettlebell) and perform all 16 reps with the weight hanging from one arm. Alternate arms per round. If you came on Saturday and your legs are very sore, consider going lighter or just using bodyweight to flush out your legs.
CrossFit Group Class Programming Template
Coach Whitney getting her cleans in
Photo by Sam A
This article was originally posted on 3.28.16
Vital Stats
Height: 5’5’’
Weight: 135 lbs
DOB: June 2, 1986
Born and raised: Born in Mississauga, Ontario, raised in Lake Forest, Illinois
Place of higher learning: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
By Kate Reece
Whitney Marie Hubbard has always needed to be moving. Not through states, though she has done that, but with her body. Over the years, that’s looked like dancing ballet at Miss Jenny’s studio in the suburbs of Chicago; flowing through sun salutations and breathing deeply in her decade-long yoga practice; rolling around on the floor during modern dance class warm-ups in college; and learning to gracefully heave a barbell over her head at CrossFit South Brooklyn, back in the days of the high-ceilinged, bare-bone concrete of The Lyceum. Whitney’s language is movement, and despite her bones literally being stacked against her, she speaks beautifully.*
Whitney was born on June 2, 1986 in Mississauga, a large city on Lake Ontario, next to Toronto. She spent the first five years of her life there before her father’s job as a financial executive moved them to Lake Forest, a small suburban city on the North Shore of Chicago, abundantly dotted with ponds and creeks and green grass. After a trip to Canada, she remembers coming home to Lake Forest and on one of those old-school radios built into the wall of her family’s new kitchen, Neil Diamond’s 1980 hit “Coming to America” was playing.
She began dancing when she was three, which mostly looked like romping around a room and tossing her hands theatrically in the air. When she found a song she liked (think Minnie Mouse cassette tapes), she would rewind the song repeatedly and choreograph routines to it. Her strongest memories of this are in her maternal grandmother Nana’s house. A wooded backyard extended far behind the house, which they called the Uppy Uppy Yongo because when you yelled that out, it would echo. After she choreographed the perfect dance, Whitney would assemble her family around to watch her perform. Not a naturally extroverted or outgoing kid by any means, this was where she shined—dancing was where she came alive. She took up ballet and jazz, then also gymnastics, until her mother, Roxanne, made her choose around the age of nine. “You’re good at both of these things, but what if you put your energy into one thing?” she asked, already noticing that her daughter’s young body was being put through a lot. And it wasn’t just the physical activity in-and-of-itself that was taxing.
As the story goes, when Whitney was a baby, she had three fat rolls on one leg and two fats rolls on the other. That’s how her mom first noticed. After a battery of tests and tracking her growth, Whitney was diagnosed with hemihypertrophy, a condition in which one side of the body grows larger than the other, to an extent considered greater than normal. Most of us are at least slightly uneven, but you could really notice the discrepancy between Whitney’s leg lengths. Her right side was clearly growing longer and larger than the other. After coming to America, Whitney traveled back to Toronto every six months to see her doctors, at a hospital unhelpfully named SickKids. By the time she was an adolescent, doctors predicted the final difference would end up around four to five centimeters, and to prevent that, they recommended surgery. Whitney’s parents agreed. The summer she turned 11, after a family trip to Australia, a surgeon made four incisions on her right leg and scraped the growth plates of her tibia and femur, telling the bones to stop growing. It worked—but then she had an unexpected growth spurt, and her left leg outgrew the right. Almost 30 now, Whitney’s right arm is slightly longer than the left, her left leg is about three-and-a-half centimeters longer than the right, and she has more muscle definition overall on her right side. “It makes things real interesting,” she says with a wry smile.
But if you know Whitney at all, you know she is rather competitive, and not one to make excuses, even when those excuses would be entirely justified. The girl wanted to dance and dance she did. “You grow up as a dancer, you grow up in a mirror,” she says, and for better or worse, she imbibed the subtle and not-so-subtle messages that perfection was the only option. Three to four hours a day, five days a week, she looked in a mirror and modeled her physical form after someone else—her teacher or the best student in class—and constantly worked to make her version match their version. In CrossFit or yoga, there are ways to mold or modify the movements to your body’s specific geometry but in studio dance, even if your right hip isn’t naturally as high as your left, it doesn’t matter. You get your leg up. You figure it out. And you don’t let anyone see you sweat.
Of course, Whitney did figure it out. She became one of the best dancers in the studio, figuring out how to pirouette or balançoire such that no one would notice she had a stronger side. Within a year of her surgery, she was dancing with the 16-year-olds and began performing in national competitions. She first experienced the nervous pees at one such competition, wearing a tiny crushed-velvet maroon dress, before going onstage to perform a dance called “Cherish,” set to a sultry Sade song. Being exposed to an older peer group roused Whitney’s desire for greater independence and she admits that she developed an attitude and experimented with being a bit stuck-up. She began assisting dance classes, demoing movement for younger girls and giving small movement corrections. By the time she was 16, she was spending her summers teaching and choreographing.
It was around this time that Miss Jenny, the owner of the dance studio Whitney grew up in and her beloved teacher, pulled Whitney into her office and said something along the lines of, “You’ve always had a great attitude, but lately that’s been changing. I know this isn’t who you are, and you can’t keep acting this way.” Whitney broke down in tears and apologized. It was complicated feedback for her to receive. While she changed her behavior in ways she sees as positive, yet again there was that insidious message: “Be perfect, little girl. Don’t mess up.”
Her teenage schedule looked like this: Wake up at 6 a.m., go to school, musical practice (yes, musical practice) from 4-6 p.m., slamming a roasted chicken breast Subway sandwich, dance from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the studio, go home and do homework until 2 a.m. As you might expect, Whitney was a quiet, diligent student, and got straight A’s. She floated around on the fringes of friend groups and didn’t party. She has a somewhat photographic memory and liked school to what she says was probably “an annoying degree.” Also, that competitive side again: from a young age, she not-so-secretly tracked her hockey-playing smart older brother’s GPA, and constantly checked whether she was beating him (they were both eighth-grade valedictorians).
Whitney knew she would study dance after high school. What else would I do? she thought. This is what I’m doing, this is what I love. Despite getting a full-ride to the University of Arizona’s prestigious dance program, she picked the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, whose dance program was smaller and had a heavier emphasis on modern dance. She joined a sorority and lived in the house, which on a 4,552-acre campus, was fortunately only a short walk to the dance department. Convenient, given her penchant for waking up at the absolute last minute. Also convenient given that in college, along with learning how to dance in a new style, she learned how to party. (Additionally, she learned things in college that led her to surrender chicken breast sandwiches and become a pescetarian, which we’ve talked to her about here and here.)
Whitney now says that her BFA in dance taught her how to be uncomfortable, how to be creative and express herself, and how to work with people—things that are different than sitting in a statistics class day after day—and that aligned with the kind of person she wanted to be in the world. She also found yoga her junior year when she took an 8am class three days a week as part of the dance program. She loved the disciplined process of repeating the same movements over and over. Her daily hours of dancing had birthed knee problems, bad plantar fasciitis, and arthritis in her big toe, and yoga helped temper those injuries.
After graduating from college in 2008, Whitney moved to New York. Why New York? She was scared of the city and figured that meant she should go there. Her boyfriend, who was living in California at the time, joined her and they found an apartment the South Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. When the boyfriend moved out a couple years later, Whitney walked over to her landlord and his wife’s apartment and asked them to lower the rent so she could still afford it. They said yes, and she told them she’d probably be here forever. She just signed her lease for her eighth year.
Also in 2008, the yoga-inspired athletic apparel company Lululemon only had one store in the entire city, on the Upper West Side. They were about to open three more stores and Whitney got hired to work at the SoHo location. A big component of her job was to take an unlimited amount of classes throughout the city, in which she would wear the clothes, talk about the clothes, and give instructors or the person on the next yoga mat over the clothes. She took all the dance and yoga classes she wanted for free, and in her free time, went to dance auditions. She got certified as a yoga instructor in 2010.
Lululemon soon hired her to open a mini showroom in Brooklyn, and with her team, she began exploring the community—which would lead her to CrossFit South Brooklyn. “I found this weird thing called CrossFit,” one of her colleagues said. “We should go check it out.” It was late 2009, and Whitney emailed David and told her they were interested. David wrote back and offered to set up a teaser class. Whitney forgot to write back, and a few weeks later, she got an email that said, “I saaaaaaiiiiiiiddddddd, let’s set up a free teaser class. Thanks, David.” When they walked into the The Lyceum for the class, a 24-year-old David—donning a thick beard and flannel button-up—was sitting with his feet up on a desk. “We were all simultaneously like, ‘Who is this cute guy?’ and also, ‘Is he for real?’” Whitney says, laughing. She was taking at least one or two dance or yoga classes each day and though she’d never set foot in a gym, she certainly didn’t think she was out of shape. It only took a few CrossFit classes for her to realize that there might be more to fitness than she’d realized. After a longer conditioning workout, she even asked David if it was possible for her heart to explode. “No,” he said. “Take a break, but you’re fine.”
When Whitney was fired from Lululemon in December of 2012, she’d begun attending CFSBK classes more regularly. CrossFit had unexpectedly become important to her. She loved the absence of mirrors, and along with picking up the movements relatively easily, something clicked and she learned, yet again, how to be uncomfortable.
Losing her job would give her a new opportunity to practice that skill. “It was a shock, but a necessary push off a cliff,” Whitney says now, and she began to shed the parts of her identify that were tied up in her job. At CFSBK, David approached her and asked her to staff the new Front Desk, which replaced the old envelope that used to sit on a table at the entryway. Whitney accepted, and also began teaching a few regular yoga classes.
At a certain point, she began realizing a couple things: One, that CrossFit South Brooklyn was really a special place, and two, that she couldn’t help but see things. She’d be foam-rolling on the mat before class and see a person from preceding class doing a lift, and she’d wonder to herself, What would I say to them to make that lift better? What cue would I give them? Occasionally she’d share her thoughts with her bar partners, but she mostly kept her mouth shut, and trained hard.
Toward the end of 2013, apropos of nothing but her own initiative, Whitney got her Level 1 certification. She casually mentioned it to David, though she was committed to becoming a CrossFit coach regardless of whether he would hire her—which he did, in January of 2014. It was around that time that a few other big things happened. She picked up more consistent work as a yoga instructor. She adopted her dog, Penny, who watches over the meat CSA pick-ups and is almost as big a part of the community as Whitney (and certainly oft-photographed). And she started to realize that her skills had changed in the gym. She knew how to push.
“What’s so wonderful about CrossFit is that you can only work against your own edge,” she says. “You could try to work against someone else’s edge, but you’ll end up hurting yourself or underserving yourself. The best thing you can do is work against your own edge consistently, while also having the perspective of other people. It’s important to see, for me especially, other women in the gym whose strength you admire—and to say, ‘Damn, okay… let’s go.’” 2015 was the first year she didn’t dance, but everything is a compromise of some kind, she says. Training and coaching CrossFit happen to be what she loves the most.
*She’s had her fair share of wipeouts, of course. Ask her about a tuna fish sandwich and red grapes in grade school, or about her recently deceased toenail.
Parting Shots
How she likes her eggs: Either scrambled or over-medium. Three eggs a day!
Favorite book: Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections
Favorite lift: Snatch
Something she’d like CFSBK members to know: She really, really likes coaching, and when you tell her that something she said or did made a difference for you, it makes her heart swell with joy and contentment.
Buy Cookies from Troop 6000! This is a Girl Scout program specially designed to serve girls in the New York City Shelter System.
Virtual Class Zoom Room (Password: CFSBK)
Virtual Yoga: 7am
Pilates Happy Hour: 6:00pm
Kids: 4:30pm
B Day: Single Leg Squat / Upper Body Pulling
Pendlay Rows
4×8-12
4 Rounds for Time:
8 SA DB Hang Clean + Front Rack Reverse Lunge (Left Arm/Leg back)
4 Burpee Box Jumps Overs
8 SA DB Hang Clean + Front Rack Reverse Lunge (Right Arm/Leg back)
4 Burpee Box Jumps Overs
Notes:
14:00 Cap
DB: Weight should be on the heavier end and sets should be unbroken (50 / 40 / 30 / 20 / 10)
Zach H and judge Gabrielle at the 2017 Subway Series
Operation Backpack 2020 Thank You (This is the organization we raised funds for via Education Front Line)
CFSBK Zoom Room (Password: CFSBK)
CFSBK @ Home: 7am, 12pm
Morning Mindfulness: 8am
Fit55 @ Home: 11am Fit55 Zoom Room (Password: fit55)
Coach Victoria judging the 2017 Subway Series. This team had a really dialed in work/rest strategy
We passed out Dept of Health Inspection for 597! 608 today!
We are Brooklyn’s first CrossFit affiliate, and an internationally consulted gym for our progressive and professional business practices. CFSBK had humble beginnings starting outside in a playground in Carroll Gardens back in 2007, but each year, we continue to grow organically, maintaining our status as the largest affiliate in the borough and one of the most well established in New York City. We pride ourselves on our professional coaching, exceptional facilities, and above all—our fun, inclusive, and supportive training environment. Don’t believe us? Check our Yelp reviews.
CFSBK’s mission is to provide a safe, effective and inclusive training environment for all our members. We pride ourselves on our top-notch coaching, intelligent programming, and professional yet relaxed atmosphere. Everyone from folx exercising for the first time to competitive athletes will feel appropriately challenged and motivated. At CFSBK, you are accepted for who you are, then immediately challenged to get better.
CFSBK is located in the heart of Gowanus on Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th avenue. We have a total of 11,200 square-feet of training space split between three connected facilities. Check out the other links under “About” to learn more!
CFSBK started in November of 2007 in a small park below a subway line. After three months, we developed a small crew of five to eight people who trained together on the weekends. A fast-approaching winter forced us to find a space we could rent by the hour so we could continue teaching classes and growing the business. We ended up at The Brooklyn Lyceum, an old bathhouse, where we slowly went from two classes per week and about 10 members to classes five days per week and about 50+ consistent members. Many from that crew are still with us. We learned plenty of lessons through a trial-and-error approach as we found our voice as a gym and community. A little over a year later, we moved into our current facility just a few blocks down the street, on 597 Degraw Street. We schlepped our equipment over and have been steadily building our program ever since. In 2014, we leased a 1,200 square foot annex space above us for additional offerings and in 2015 we expanded into a second location across the street at 608 Degraw Street which gave us an additional 5,000 square feet to accommodate our growing membership and array of class options. Today, we are one of the largest and most well known CrossFit affiliates worldwide. You can see a little slide show of our growth over these past 15+ years on an Instagram highlight set here.
Our gym also serves as a model for CrossFit affiliates worldwide, and we regularly mentor hundreds of readers each day around the world via Coach David’s popular blog, Inside the Affiliate.
CFSBK strives to be an inclusive community with a strong sense identity and social impact. Below you can see some of our inclusive programs and annual events as well as their social impact via fundraising and awareness.
20 Rounds for Time:
12 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
6 Hang Power Cleans 135/95
3 Ring Muscle-Ups
Partners alternate complete rounds. Aim to score consistent splits per round, breaking up reps early on as needed to do so. The barbell should me medium-heavy for you. Modify volume on the Muscle-Ups or to 6 Dips or 9 Push-Ups as needed. There is a 30 minute cap on this workout.
Post time and Rx to comments.
Week 3 of 6
View this post on Instagram
Mat Fraser gives Greg C., Toni S., Ely C., and Pat C. some advice before their heat at Wodapalooza
Tomorrow’s 12pm Pilates class is cancelled. Don’t forget that we also offer Active Recovery at 11am!
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Why Is Washing Your Hands So Important, Anyway? Smithsonian
The Duo Who Documented the Birth of NYC’s Subway Atlas Obscura
Speed Band Deadlift:
10 x 3 @21X1
Rest :45-1:00 between sets.
Barbell loading is light, about 45% of a 1RM or about 55% of your recent heavy 5 x 3. You can choose Sumo or Conventional Deadlift, but we recommend sticking with one throughout the cycle. These should be fast reps. Focus on moving the bar with speed through perfect positions. Note the tempo includes a 2 second descent and 1 second pause on the floor. This is meant to help prevent you from bouncing the plates and/or relaxing on the descent. The intent is to lower the bar under control and maintain tension before exploding up. In each of the linked videos above you’ll see examples of moving through perfect positions with amazing speed.
Band Guide
If your MAX deadlift is…
<135: Orange Band
135-225: Red Band
225-315: Blue Band
315+: Green Band
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Week 1 of 6
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20 Minutes Continuous Effort:
15 Calorie Row
100’e Single-Arm Rack Kettlebell Carry
20 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches
:20 L-Sit
The carries should be challenging, use an appropriate load. The Dumbbell Snatches should be light-medium and unbroken. Focus on getting into a rhythm with these. The L-Sits can be done on parallettes, boxes, or rings. Modify to Tuck Sit Holds as needed.
Post work to comments.
As told to Chris Fox
Though Caroline is a relatively new part of our CFSBK family, she’s been making a great impression since day one. Right away you see that she’s smart, funny, and certainly more than capable in a group class. We also appreciate how she goes that extra mile. whether it be to help one of her classmates in class, connect outside of 597 and 608 with gym friends, or volunteer at a gym event, Caroline is an A+ example of a CFSBK Athlete of the Month. Keep reading to learn a bit more about this gal from the Palmetto State.
Hey, Caroline! Congrats, and thanks for meeting with me. Let’s begin at the start…When and why did you begin your Crossfit journey, and how did you end up at CrossFit South Brooklyn?
Thanks! This is so exciting and a great way to start my day! I started doing “CrossFit” during the summer of 2017 at a gym in Columbia, South Carolina called Base 10 Fitness. They’re not a CrossFit affiliate, but the classes are structured pretty similarly and the movements are mostly the same. It was a great intro and such a great experience, largely because it’s a small gym with small classes and a tight-knit community. I’ve never really been a “gym girl” and didn’t know how to do the stuff in classes at first, but the coaches were super helpful, as were the other members.
I joined CFSBK in the summer of 2018 after moving to Brooklyn! I moved here with no job and no real plan for what I’d do, but I figured spending time with people who might be as nice and positive as the folks at Base 10 would be a good idea. In all honesty, I needed a reason to get out of the house! I had a list of gyms and figured I’d check out others in the area, but once I took the free intro class with David, I didn’t go anywhere else.
Lol, let’s come back to the “moved to NYC with no job” part later. What were you doing for fitness prior to joining that gym in SC?
I guess I’ve been an “athlete” of some sort all my life. My momma put me in gymnastics classes as a toddler so I could have a place other than the couch to jump on and flip off from. I wound up competing in gymnastics from about ages 2 through 10. During that time, I participated in different programs and camps, like TOPs (basically like a strength and conditioning school for young female gymnasts), and really enjoyed it! I quit at around 10 years old when my family moved to a new area. The change was a lot for me… new coach, new classmates, etc. I wasn’t enjoying it and didn’t want to go anymore, so I stopped.
I started cheerleading soon after leaving gymnastics (yes, like that Cheer) and continued throughout college at Louisville and then at USC. It might sound funny, but I think there’s a lot of similarity between cheer and CrossFit. To excel at either you need to be coordinated, strong, and powerful enough to throw heavy stuff around. In one it’s barbells; in the other it’s people.
Once college was over and cheerleading wasn’t an option anymore, a lot of girls “joined gyms.” I wanted to stay fit and had no idea what to do, so I joined one too. To my surprise, there was a lot of carryover from all those years of cheer! From the need for strength, to the teamwork aspect, to developing new skills, setting goals, and tracking progress. I was immediately drawn to it.
I hope we get a shot of you in your full cheerleading regalia as the pic for this article! What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?
I loved it, obviously. I’m not huge on trying new things, so I was nervous and almost didn’t show up, but I live literally on the same street as the gym and had no good excuse to skip out. I was greeted at the front desk, chatted a bit, and noticed people hanging around and talking. The people here just seemed to be happy and enjoying themselves. And the logo is pretty cool, too. 
Glad you left your apartment and didn’t chicken out! Where did you grow up, and how’d you end up in Brooklyn?
I was born in Greensboro, NC and grew up between there, Greenville, SC, and Boiling Springs, SC. There’s not a lot happening in the Carolinas other than counting cows and sitting in parking lots, which is to say I grew up in small, rural, Southern towns. I went to the same school as my mother, grandma, and great grandma. I’ve got two older brothers (I’m the baby) and also grew up with lots of cousins just a few years apart. It was nice and we’re a close family because of it, but small town + big family = everyone knows your business. And, my mom teaches middle school and coached at our high school, so someone always knew who we were! Her maiden name is Pace and I was always “one of those Pace kids.”
I moved to Brooklyn because I wanted to get out of the South. It was such a great place to grow up, and I’ll always be thankful for it, but I saw generations stay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I just wanted to know what else was out there. My parents lived in new York when they were first married and encouraged us kids to explore. I studied abroad for a summer in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and pushed back “real life” for a bit after college. I spent a few fun months bartending and was in no rush to make any big decisions. When my brother’s roommate situation fell apart last minute here in Brooklyn, I took it as a sign and decided to move. So here I am!
Wow…I’m always impressed by people who just pick up and move, especially when they could well have stayed comfortable where they were. How do you spend your days outside of CFSBK nowadays?
I eventually did look for a job and now work for Brooklinen. I joke that it’s sort of my first “real-person” job, and I love it. I’ve got awesome co-workers who’ve become my best friends, and I also have a ton of fun with gals and guys from the gym. Some of us recently had a 2020 Vision Board Party! I may be a bit of a jock, but I come from a book heavy family, so I’m also quite bookish. Last year, I read 52 books and plan to do it again this year! 2019 was filled with mostly fiction (ironically, I find that reading fiction makes me more empathetic in reality), but this year I’m trying to include more non-fiction as well. I’m also in a few book clubs to keep me inspired, and for Christmas this past year I received the perfect gift—one of those bed tray tables to read and keep a drink on! I’m obsessed with it. And, of course, I love to watch sports of any and all kinds, with college football as the front runner. (SEC, baby!) I’ve also had some of my best New York conversations with random old guys while catching the Carolina Panthers over at 200 5th.
52 books in a year! Holy cow. I would need to do nothing else but read to hit that number. I love asking this next question because I feel it gets to people’s true self in a way. 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?
That would be my momma’s motto: “Nobody Cares.” And not in a bad way at all, but more as a reminder to not worry about being judged. Nobody really cares about what you do since they’re all busy caring about themselves. You wanna dance, then dance your heart out. You wanna wear leggings and a tee to go out, do it and be comfy! If you meet a cute bartender and want to leave your number, do it, because why not? I’ve always been comfortable in my own style and have my mother to thank for it. There’s a quote—maybe by Dr Seuss, maybe not—that goes: “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” I think that’s a powerful thing to believe.
Thanks for that! I love Dr Seuss and love that quote, so of course I had to look it up. Turns out it was Bernard Baruch, but the sentiment is there nonetheless. What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting Crossfit?
SCALE! You don’t have to do what’s on the board. Forget what you think you “should” do. Go light, learn from the coaches, and stay positive.
What keeps you coming back to CFSBK? How do you make training fit into your lifestyle?
CFSBK just feels like home. Sometimes I might not want to come to class, and when I do, my most-used phrase is “This is NOT fun.” But I always like who it makes me. The programming is awesome and coming here in the morning sets the vibe for the rest of my day. It makes me want to eat better, puts me in a great mood, and serves as an anchor for whatever else happens in my life.
I love the phrase you use there, “I always like who it makes me.” To me that sounds like you’re putting action ahead of inspiration and letting the results follow. Which I both admire and recommend, and strive to do myself. Last question! What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?
A future AOM should be someone who’s willing to listen and learn more, no matter how much they think they already know. Someone who asks questions, helps others, and is excited and enthusiastic about improving!
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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting NY Times
Six-Time Gold Medalist Finds New Home in Adaptive CrossFit Community Morning Chalk Up
3 Position Power Snatch:
Every 2:00 seconds for 7 sets
Mid-hang>Below-the-Knee>1″. Aim to work sets across at 60-70% with no misses. Keep these crisp, focusing on timing and speed. Press outs are misses. If you miss any set you must drop weight.
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Week 3 of 6
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5 Rounds or 20 Minutes:
1:00 Bike
:15-:30e Single Arm Plank
5e Pistol Squats or Goblet Box Step-Ups
10 Dual Dumbbell Cuban Presses
Post work to comments.
As told to Chris Fox
New decade, new Athlete of the Month! James has travelled a unique path to the sport of fitness, as you’ll learn about below. His ever present smile and friendliness, not to mention his work ethic and improved capacity over the few years he’s been training at CFSBK, make him a shoe-in for the honor. I really enjoyed learning a little bit about what inspires this particular human, and hope you will too.
When and why did you begin your journey to CrossFit South Brooklyn? What were you doing fitness-wise prior?
I was watching the 2016 Olympics and I realized I always wanted to do something like that, but before I didn’t have the work ethic to do so, or to really even imagine it was possible. Because of the musical theatre program I went to for college, I developed a lot of self-discipline and started thinking about goals for my life, things I wanted but never thought I could achieve, and in time began doing CrossFit. Before CrossFit I was mostly doing body building and lots of ballet during college.
You’re in the right place! We do have a few Olympians training inside the walls at 597 and 608 Degraw. What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?
The first thing I saw was the rainbow flag, and that made me feel really comfortable as a member of the LGBTQ community.
We place creating a safe, inclusive environment very high up on our list of values. The flags we hang are symbolic of that fact. Glad we made you feel at home, and we hope many more people feel the same way. What was your “athletic” background prior to dance?
I was fourth in the world at Guitar Hero in the eighth grade. So I had finger dexterity and rhythm in spades. I did two seasons of track in high school, running the 800 (PR 2:06) and the mile (PR 4:57). I used to blackout after races and get horrible cramps because I wasn’t fueling myself the way I should have been.
The truth is that I was dealing with an eating disorder at the time and that’s why resisting societal beauty standards is so important to me now. People rant and rave about big muscles and being skinny and how attractive people are, and it causes young chunky kids like me to starve themselves. Instead, we should obsess over how kind and generous people are rather than how they look. And we should have better education on nutrition in schools!
So beautifully said, James, and I couldn’t agree more. It seems we could all benefit from practicing more compassion toward ourselves and others, and a few more servings of veggies! Glad you’ve found yourself and are on a healthier path today. Also, holy cow you were fast! Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. My mom is a pastor, and I grew up in the Presbyterian church. That’s why I am a strong Christian today. But it made it difficult to be bisexual. I didn’t know that anyone thought it was wrong for so long. I remember being shocked when I realized some people weren’t okay with it in high school and in church. In my study of the Bible and all my research, LGBTQ people and relationships were capable of just as much goodness and love and generosity, fundamental Christian values. And I am glad to have found a place to live where there are churches, gyms, and communities that know this to be true. It’s allowing me to grow and flourish into a better, happier, more productive person!
And we’re fortunate to get to see glimpses of that flourishing! How’d you end up in Brooklyn?
I went to NYU Tisch’s New Studio on Broadway for Musical Theatre for undergrad, and that’s where I met my wife Emily. We got married right after graduation (my mom officiated the wedding) and moved in with my sister and her husband in downtown Brooklyn. We help take care of their son (our nephew and godson and cutest baby ever) Miro. My brother also lives in the city, and soon my parents are going to have a place here as well, which will be so awesome. I have plans for the whole Franch family to live together someday in a supportive communal compound…mwahahaha.
Communal family compound, heh? Have you seen the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country? Ah, nevermind…How do you spend your days?
I usually work out at Open Gym mid-mornings. Then I walk the dogs, do the laundry, clean the house, cook, and nanny for my awesome sister… #communal living. After that I do podcast related duties: edit audio, compose music, plan storylines, research dialects for characters, and generally mumble a lot to myself, freaking my wife out terribly. I am a member of The Brothers Pimm, and we host an audio drama podcast focused on fast-paced, cinematic storytelling, mystery and intrigue. Join us every Wednesday for the latest installment of City Limits! It’s one part high-flying superhero action, one part hard-boiled gumshoe noir, and a whole lot of fun. I’m getting to use my theatre degree and get better at storytelling in a very exciting medium! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter or search for City Limits wherever you get your podcasts to get started listening! Also, I eat six times a day just like my nutritionist tells me to, which takes up more time than one might imagine
Man, sounds like you regularly have pretty packed days. Do you have any time for hobbies other than CrossFit?
I like video games and anime and Rupaul’s Drag Race and board games and asking my wife to paint my nails (I’ll learn someday!) Also, and most importantly, I like to tussle with my little rescue dog, a chihuahua named Bampo.
Bampo is always a big hit when he shows up in that carrier! 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?
“Honesty with compassion.” This slogan has made my marriage the most wonderful gift of my whole life, and has led me to truly knowing myself and how I can best help serve not only my wife, but the world. We should tell the truth to one another, but come from a place of love. It doesn’t do anyone good to live in ignorance, but it doesn’t help if you scream and call people stupid while you try to educate them.
So well said again. Thank you. What were your initial health and fitness goals, and what did you struggle with at first? Or, what are you most proud of for improving?
My fitness goal upon starting CrossFit was to make it to the CrossFit Games, and it still is! But I’ve always struggled with strength. Strict Handstand Push-Ups are still a huge struggle. I never thought I would be able to do a Strict Muscle-Up or Handstand Walk, and while I’m still not great at either of those skills, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come! I couldn’t Snatch 95 pounds when I began 3 years ago and this year I snatched 225! CrossFit has taught me patience, diligence, and to enjoy this very, very long process (which hopefully will lead me to the CrossFit Games!)
What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting CrossFit?
If you don’t have a lot of money, do a lot of research, and watch a lot of videos before you begin. The most important thing is to try not to get injured! I’ve learned a lot through injuries, but would I have rather learned through any other means? Yes. Injuries will happen. Go to a good physical therapist, even if it bankrupts you. Keep moving.
What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?
The nice people! It’s a bummer when I come to open gym and I have the whole place to myself. I enjoy working out alongside the Fit 55+ class. They inspire me to try to get my parents moving so I can have them around for longer!
What qualities are important to you for a future AOM?
That the next Athlete of the Month is Emily Franch, my wife and future queen of the world. No one else will do.
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3 Strategies for Optimizing Mechanical Tension Breaking Muscle
Tips for Making it Through Dry January Outside
Every 5 Minutes x 5 Rounds…
For Time:
3x
6 Burpees
6 Deadlifts 185/125
6 Box Jump Overs 24/20
The barbell should be on the medium-light side and unbroken. Stepping in/out on the Burpee and up to the box is allowed. Choose a height that’s in your comfort zone and allows you to move continuously. The intent is to stay out of the “pain cave” and perform each piece at a sustainable and repeatable pace across each round to within a point or two. Signs that you’re in the right zone are: consistent split times, a focused yet relaxed facial expression, and the ability to maintain nasal breathing throughout. These workouts should feel slightly harder than Thursday’s workouts.
Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 6
As told to Chris Fox
Here we are again! We coaches are lucky to have so many wonderful members working on themselves within the walls of 597 and 608 Degraw Street. So much so that sometimes it’s challenging to pick just one each month. However, when Paul’s name was mentioned, he, like so many AOMs before him, was an obvious choice. From Silicon Valley before Silicon Valley was a thing, Paul is quite a humble jazz saxist who you may have caught onstage during his band’s set at last year’s CFSBK Art Show. Read on to learn a little more about the guy some folks know as “Benny”…
Hi Paul, and congrats! Like all great stories, let’s start at the beginning. When and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn, and what were you doing fitness-wise prior?
Thank you! I’m humbled and honored. As almost any coach will tell you I have a long way to go. I started almost three years ago. I had been a member of various New York Sports Clubs over the years, but not very happy with them and never entirely engaged. So, I would quit, rejoin six months or a year later, and so on. It always seemed like something I had to do, rather than something I wanted to do. And I never had a plan, so I spent a ton of time running on treadmills, perhaps the most boring thing imaginable, or aimlessly using the machines.
At one point about 12 years ago I worked with a guy who was one of the first kettlebell trainers in New York City—he operated in a mixed-martial arts gym in midtown. Kettlebells are ubiquitous now, but there was a time when they weren’t common. He put me through some rigorous workouts with kettlebells and battle ropes. That was during the six months before my son was born, after which I stopped.
My wife and I used to pass by CFSBK occasionally, since my son did summer camps at Brooklyn Boulders and the Brooklyn Fencing Center. It looked intriguing, and we’d always vow to check it out sometime. One day she told me she’d signed us up for foundations. I didn’t really know what to expect—I wasn’t even sure what CrossFit was—but I went and never looked back.
Great story. Though having Theo created a break in your kettlebell routine those years ago, I guess he eventually led you back to fitness and to us! What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?
I thought it was cool from the moment I walked in the front door. Brett taught my first foundations class (I was lucky to be the only person for the first class or two, until someone else, also named Paul, showed up), and he made me feel welcome and engaged. I also remember waiting in the front and watching a class and thinking it seemed so cool that all these people were working hard and seemingly enjoying it all. Plus I loved the fact that dogs were allowed. We’d just gotten Took, our Kerry Blue Terrier pup, and I thought it would be fun to bring him around. Now he comes at least once a week.
I remember “Bizarro Paul.” That’s when you told me to call you “Benny.” Also we love that fool of a Took! What’s your athletic background?
My father wasn’t big on team sports when we were kids—he felt it was better to learn sports that didn’t rely on too many other people, and that we would have our whole lives. So I played tons of tennis during my youth, all the way up through the end of college. My game is still pretty good because of all the time I put in when I was young.
Awesome that you still have those racket skills. Sounds like you have a track record for building habits and skills that can last a lifetime. Where did you grow up? Any interesting anecdotes you care to share?
I grew up in San José, California, long before the tech boom. It was a great place to grow up—quiet suburban streets where you could play ball or ride bikes. I have a twin brother and a younger brother. I guess the most interesting thing about my family is that my father was blind. He spent much of his career at the VA, where he and his colleagues developed some of the first reading machines for the blind, and taught people how to use them.
How’d you end up in Brooklyn?
I came to New York from San Francisco in 1996. I moved to Brooklyn Heights not long after September 11th 2001, first to a studio, then to a one bedroom with my girlfriend Courtney, whom I later married. When our son Theo was born, we moved to Boerum Hill. I don’t think I could live in Manhattan again, though I enjoy being there.
Right? I only go to Manhattan for things that don’t exist in Brooklyn…How do you mostly spend your days?
I’m a freelance writer, primarily in the financial services space, with a few steady clients. I worked at Fortune magazine for almost a decade, and so when I began freelancing I found myself in the business/finance niche. When my son was little, I took care of him myself—we never had a nanny. So I suppose you could say I’m really a “stay at home dad.”
Ha! You kid, but what a great opportunity to be able to spend so much time during those years with Theo. What are your hobbies other than CrossFit?
I’m a saxophonist, but I feel like it’s a little more than just a hobby. I moved to New York for the downtown music scene. In the early days I practiced a ton of hours, rehearsed, and played gigs. That’s slowed down a lot, though I still try to practice a little every day. I also study classical composition.
Check out some of Paul’s playing here!
Loved hearing you play at the Art Show last year. 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?
A quote I love from Thelonious Monk, “Lift the Bandstand,” which for me means that when you give it your all, you elevate those around you.
Great quote, and even better interpretation of it. What if any were your initial goals in the gym, and what are you working on now?
I’m not sure I had any initial goals, aside from “getting fit.” That changed as I got better, understood how things worked, and could begin setting goals for various lifts. I’ve struggled most with the snatch, which requires overhead mobility I still don’t have, though I will keep at it. Handstand push-ups, muscle-ups, and other gymnastics moves are a long way off. But I have gotten better at deadlifts, cleans, and many other things.
What I like and appreciate about the training is the fine-tuning. Sometimes the smallest pointer from a coach can be a major revelation, and lead to improvement.
Has CrossFit changed you?
Being part of the community is awesome. I was quite intimidated when I started, but on my second or third day I met the illustrious Charles Smith, who was very kind and became a sort of guide for me in the early days. Now I could name many people who have been encouraging and supportive, and absolute fun to be around.
There’s a reason why Charles a CFSBK Athlete of the Month alumnus. Do you (or have you) participated in any special programs at CFSBK?
About a year ago I signed up for Active Life Strength with Coach Keith, and ended up doing four or five rounds of it. It turned out to be just what I needed. I’m a little older than most people at CFSBK, and the program helped me improve mobility and balancing (i.e., making a weaker leg or arm stronger), which in turn helped me in group classes. For example, my Squats got much better in ALS — the weight I could handle rose substantially. I’ve also just started Coach Fox’s nutrition program — which I feel will prove to be a key element of my fitness journey.
What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting Crossfit?
Dive right in! I waited about a month after Foundations to get going, and I was very nervous during my first few classes. But the coaches will guide you, the other members will support you, and you will be off to the races. There is no need to hesitate.
What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?
Everything: the coaches, the members, the physical space, the events. It’s a marvelous ecosystem. It’s always engaging, challenging, and interesting. I can’t imagine going anywhere else, and certainly not quitting. As long as we’re in Brooklyn, I’ll be showing up.
Shucks. Comments like that are always so good to hear and make our commitment as a staff even stronger. What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?
Good question. Somebody dedicated to improvement, who embraces the CFSBK ethos, and who “lifts the bandstand” during class.
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Open Workout 20.4 Analysis Beyond the Whiteboard
Even Endurance Athletes Need to Spring Outside
Kipping Toes-to-Bar Skill Work
Choose an appropriate track to work on your Kipping Toes-to-Bars today.
A) Foundations Building Superset
A1) 5-7 x 1-3 Strict Hanging Knee Raises, Hanging Leg Raises, or Toes-to-Bars with a :02 hold at Top
A2) 5-7 x :20 PVC Hollow Hold + :20 PVC Arch Hold
B) Technique Building
5- 7 x 3-5 Beat Swings
5-7 sets of 3-5 reps. Once you can do 5 with consistent rhythm you can try to add a Knee Raise, Leg Raise, or Toes-to-Bar at the top of your reps and finish the session by performing another 5-7 sets of 2-5 Kipping Hanging Knee Raises, Hanging Leg Raises, or Toes-to-Bars.
C) Kipping Toes-t0-Bars
7-10 sets of 3-8 reps depending on ability. The sets should be very easy for you to accomplish.
D) Kipping Consistency Work
Every Minute on the Minute x 14:
1) 4-8 T0es-to-Bars
2) 8 Yoga Push-Ups
Alternate movements each minute. Be mindful of your hands (don’t tear!) and stay in tight rhythm. If you fall out of sync take a round off and/or cut reps. The goal is to practice moving as perfectly as possible.
Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 4
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For Time:
15-12-9-6-3
Thrusters 95/65
Burpees
The barbell should be light for you and unbroken. This one should hurt a bit, metabolically speaking.
Post time and Rx to comments.
As Told to Chris Fox
This month we get to know a bit about one of our 7am regulars, Jen Wuotinen. Jen’s friendliness and openness to coaching were noticed by coaches early in her CrossFit career. She’s just seems to have that special something that makes us glad she’s taking our class. Over the years that she’s been training with us, her consistency and commitment to doing that little bit of extra work to improve has made quite an impression as well. And she’s helping to grow the tribe by getting her wife, Melissa, involved at CFSBK as well. Thanks, Jen!
Congrats on being chosen as our October Athlete of the Month! Beginning with the beginning: when and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn? What were you doing fitness-wise prior?
I started Foundations in October 2015 and classes in November 2015. My father-in-law had passed away a few months earlier, and it was sort of a catalyst to try something different and to get healthier. A softball teammate was doing CrossFit in Manhattan, so I decided to check it out. That, and it really helps that we live 2 blocks from the gym. Prior to that, I was “working out” at Crunch (basically watching tv on a treadmill).
Ha! Crazy that we exercise without a television and a drink holder nearby, huh? What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?
OMG, I was so intimidated at first, although that is not CSFBK’s fault. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming, but I was a nervous wreck. I must say that I have to give props to Lauren McCay, another 7am-er who was in my Foundations class. We quickly learned we were neighbors and she really encouraged me to come to classes and we would often get paired up together. I’m so thankful for that initial and ongoing support system.
We love it when members buddy up! It can provide some positive accountability, and more importantly can even turn “the gym” into a fun place where we get to see our friends. What was your “athletic” background prior to training with us?
I played softball in elementary school and volleyball and basketball in high school. I came back to softball in my 30’s once I met Melissa and joined the team she was on (Go Titans!) in the Prospect Park Women’s Softball League. I played from 2006-2018, which was an incredible experience. Loved the teamwork aspect of it and the fact that it was an all-women’s league.
Jess was on that league for a few years. They’re awesome! Where did you grow up?
I am originally from a small midwestern town, Clarkston, Michigan. I went to Michigan State for college and then ended up with my first job working for Ralston Purina in Dunkirk, NY. I have a brother, 3 step brothers, a step sister, a half brother and two nephews! Everyone still lives in Michigan so I’m kind of the odd ball that left home.
Quite a family tree! How’d you end up in Brooklyn?
I was living in Rochester, NY, working for Kodak when I met Melissa in Provincetown while on vacation. We started long distance dating before I made my way down to Westchester, and then finally to Brooklyn in 2008. I’ve been in Park Slope ever since!
I’m always reassured by the origin stories of couples who didn’t meet online dating. How do you spend your days?
I currently work for the MTA Capital Construction agency as an environmental engineer. Capital Construction builds the heavy civil mega projects, although our portfolio is expanding to include other projects such as the Canarsie L train tunnel rehab. I’ve gotten to work on the Second Avenue Subway phases I and II, East Side Access, Penn Station Access, and various other projects. The work is super interesting, the projects can take up to 10 years to complete, and the cost is in the billions, which is why they are termed mega projects.
So work keeps me busy! Other than that and going to the gym, I spend time hanging out with friends, taking care of Melissa and our 2 cats.
I was recently on it for the first time, and the Second Avenue Subway stations are spectacular looking! Anu hobbies other than CrossFit?
I love to travel and wish we had the time and money to do it more. I love seeing new things, experiencing different parts of the world and being out of our routine and comfort zone (for a short period of time). I am obsessed with making plans and doing all the research for our trips.
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?
This was a tough question for me. Putting something on a billboard seems so epic and dramatic. It has taken me about 20 years of my adult life to realize this, so I guess right now it might be something along the lines of: “Allow yourself the space and have the courage to be who you are so that you can become who you were meant to be.”
Beautifully said. What were your initial gym goals, if any, and what are you working on now? What did you struggle with at first or what are you most proud of for improving?
Wow… I think I still struggle with everything but am more ok with it now. At first, I really couldn’t get to parallel while squatting (even with lifters on) and now after many years it seems my body is starting to loosen up so I guess I’m pretty proud of that. I’m currently working on being more proactive on my recovery/off days so that I can keep up the progress with my mobility gains.
Do you (or have you) participated in any special programs at CFSBK?
After my first year at the gym I did a Strength Cycle (and would like to do one again soon), and I did Keith’s Active Life program maybe a year or 2 ago. That really helped me understand my body and what limitations I could focus on to keep from getting injured. Super helpful!
This year I made the commitment to nutrition coaching with Jess and the Precision Nutrition program has changed my life! I never thought I’d be able to lose weight while learning how to eat healthy and feeling more balanced. I’ve never felt so good inside and out. I am constantly recommending it when people ask what I’ve been doing to get lean and healthy.
You’ve put in the effort to make positive changes in a variety of areas, and it shows! What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting CrossFit?
I would say to run your own race, don’t get intimidated or be competitive with what everyone else is doing. Listen to your coaches, trust the process, and stick with it. I was super resistant to the community aspects of the gym when I first started (trying to avoid being sucked into a cult) but now I realize that’s the key to being successful. Making great friends and having people to talk to every day about all the fitness stuff that your non-CrossFit friends don’t want to hear about is a huge reason I’ve been able to stick with it and it’s big part of why I love coming here!
Is that what keeps you coming back to CFSBK?
Yeah, all the things I mentioned above, the coaching, the people, the programming are all top notch. CFSBK is really a special place that has changed many lives, especially mine.
Thanks so much, Jen! Last question. What qualities are important for you to see in a future Athlete of the Month?
Someone who is open to the process and willing to share themselves with the CFSBK community.
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Why Do Some People Hurt More Than Others? The Conversation
Thoracic Stability Exercises for Strength Breaking Muscle
