CrossFit South Brooklyn

Established 2007

Back Off Week: Kettlebell Play Date

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Windmills 101

then,

Spend 10-15 minutes playing with Windmills. Work up to a heavy set of 5.

5 rounds of the complex
7 1 Arm KB Swing Left
7 1 Arm KB Swing Right
7 2H KB Swing
7 Reverse Lunges Left (KB held goblet style)
7 Reverse Lunges Right (KB held goblet style)
Try to do each complex unbroken, resting only as needed between rounds.

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Robin R. She-Hulks out!!!

Congratulations to the Strength Cycle Totalers!

Last night’s total yielded some epic lifts and huge numbers!  Congratulations to all the participants! We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves!

Squat/Press/Deadlift-Total

Jenna J 130/65/175-375
Stella Z 175/77.5/225-477.5
Kahrin B 190/95/245-530
Nick Parish 250/110/300-660
Ruvin L 270/115/350-735
Nino D 280/120/345-745
Nick A 280/105/305-690
David T 285/135/350-770
Deepak T 315/145/350-810
Matt C 315/145/350-810
Dan H 370/160/405-935
Nick Pines 335/155/375-865
Luis E 350/180/405-935

Big up to veteran strength cyclers Sarah H. on her 200lb PR Deadlift and to Jess B. who deadlifted a whopping 280lbs!  Another incredible night full of major accomplishments!  Can’t wait until the next one!

The Paleo Challenge Countdown Continues!

Only 15 days left to sign up for the 2012 Paleo Challenge! Sign up today!

________________

What was the best thing you did for yourself in 2011?
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135lb Barbell Windmills for Reps Youtube
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Comments

  2. The best thing I did for myself was moving into a new apartment with my girlfriend Sam. I had lived in my old pad with one of my best friends for about 5 years previously and really felt like I was in a rut. I love my new apartment and neighborhood.

    I just finished sending my Paleo Plan to the cfsbkpaleochallenge email account. Here are my responses to the specific parameters of my plan. Things I'll be focusing on:

    Health
    NO: Grains/Sugar/Dairy
    Take 3 Fish oil Capsules 2-3x per day with meals
    Take a multivitamin 1-2xDay (as recommended by packaging)
    Don't use fruit or juice as an excuse to eat lots of sweet carbs

    So I don't lose too much weight
    1-1.5 grams Protein per day and Squatting 2x per week
    Total training is 4 days per week, bias heavy barbell movements and difficult gymnastics
    Eat a minimum of 3 meals per day

    Alcohol/Coffee
    I don't drink very much alcohol as is, so when I do I'll try to get gluten free beer or maybe wine and for sure not have mixed drinks that include sugar. I'm going to keep the alcohol looser since I drink 1-2 drinks every 2 weeks or so which I don't think is enough to have a significant effect on my other goals.
    In the last 4 months I've developed a gnarly latte habit (about 2 per day). I'd like to replace that with tea, water and ice coffee or americanos. I'm not a caffeine fiend and I'd successfully quit all forms of it for 2 months last time without any withdrawal symptoms or cravings so I think this will be pretty easy.

    I feel like these are all very realistic for my challenge and important to me.

    Good luck, David!

  3. I did a couple of great things for myself in 2011. I took Tracy to Thailand. I paid down a shit-ton of debt and, most relevant to this forum, I started the CFSB Strength Intensive.

    The Strength Intensive has been an incredible physical and mental challenge. Since starting, I'm much more confident in my lifts and a lot stronger. And that feels good. I highly recommend it.

    Last night was my first Total. I came in at 770 lbs. I am happy with the result and really look forward to the next one.

  4. The best thing I did for myself this year: I started CrossFit, duh!

    Total was AMAZEBALLS. So great to see everyone giving it their all, and of course throwing up my own PRs doesn't hurt either.

    If I were handing out Total Oscars, Dan H would definitely get the one for Best Bar Approach. (And I think I would win for Loudest.)

  5. Best thing this year has been becoming a Coach at CFSBK. This has affected me in SO many positive ways it's unbelievable. Thank you David for the opportunity and to all of you for your patience and support. Next year can only get better.

    2nd best thing, moving out of our tiny ass apartment on Lincoln place and into an amazingly awesome loft space. F*ck location, I need space.

    Finally, huge congrats to ALL of the totalers. I didn't get a chance to watch a whole lot of the lifts but what I did see was so exciting. Favorite moment was Sarah's deadlift. Way to get it Sarah!

  7. The best thing i did in 2011 was go to Argentina to see the Perito Moreno Glacier.

    Last night was awesome. Thanks stella. I Got the foot stomp from fox, seems like it worked for him, so why not steal.

    Bailey your #280 was awesome. Also, JJ for coming back and owning those deadlifts at the end. I dont think I could have done that awesome mental strength.

  8. The Strength Cycle was Life-Changing.

    Thanks to Margie who taught me the basics during Tough Tits and Jeremy who taught me everything else… a sample conversation:

    Me: Do you have any suggestions about how to improve my squat?

    JF: Walk up to the bar, put it on your back, and squat with it.

    Me: Oh… Thanks.

    Now THAT'S good coaching.

    Seriously, I am so proud of what I accomplished this cycle. What seemed impossible now seems like the minimum. I'm totally hooked. Shout out to Jess B. That was a HUGE DEADLIFT! And thanks to Michele who can load your bar in stilettos.

    Best Moments of the night:
    Jess Fox saying:"Did you just press 95lbs…? thats awesome!"
    (You know that when Jess says you did good, you did good)

    My Little sister Keely saying: "I'm so proud of you… could you see me doing that someday?"
    (Another lifter is born!)

    Best Thing I did for myself this year?
    I don't often do things for myself, so honestly? It's signing up for the Strength Cycle.

    Everyone did awesome last night. Ya'll are some strong Mo' Fo's.
    Happy Holidays!

  9. First of all, huge shout out to Jess Bailey, who not only deadlifted ALL the weight last night, but also for talking me into signing up for strength cycle, and encouraging me throughout when I showed up on Friday nights. I knew I wanted to get stronger, but signing up for strength cycle never really occurred to me on my own because I assumed it was for more advanced people, as if there were some mysterious pre-reqs I needed to meet before I could join. I know there are other folks out there who are probably thinking the same thing, so let me tell you, you are wrong! My total may not look like much on paper, (and actually, it was 370, not 375, but no one likes a math show-off) but relative to where I started, it was a pretty big accomplishment for me. Like Dan H3, I started coming to crossfit around last October, but only just recently found full depth in my squat, so in a way I felt like I was really starting with the basics, which in a lot of ways is good, because Jeremy is a great coach to do that with. The whole process was really rewarding, and I am excited to see how much I can build on my numbers going forward. And with that, my numbers:

    Squat: 105/115/130(PR). I had no idea what to expect coming into this lift because two weeks prior, 105×5 was too hard. I thought I'd be lucky to top out at 115. My previous "PR" was 123, but wasn't really a PR since it wasn't to full depth, so really, my previous PR was more like 95. Even if I had barely broken 100 I would have been happy with this because my squat form is miles away from where it started.

    Press: 55/60/65 (PR). Again, I had no idea what to expect from this lift because I had only been making 1 pound jumps each week, so I just opened at something I knew I could do and then took it from there. It is possible I had 70 in me, but I'm not sure. I think my previous PR on this lift was 50, but I forgot to look it up. Again, very happy with this.

    Deadlift: 165(f)/165/175(PR). This was the lift I was feeling most confident coming into, so I don't know what was going on with me on the first attempt. God punishing me for the sin of pride I guess? Kind of a bummer because I was hoping to go to 185 for my final attempt, but I am still psyched about the 175; my previous PR was 143.

    All in all I am really happy with all of this. In an ideal world, I would already be signed up for the next strength cycle so I can keep building and see what I am capable of, but I don't know yet how it will fit into triathlon training, my other love. Still trying to come up with how to sell it to my tri coach; he is of the mind that endurance athletes do not need to be lifting heavy (and also that I will get bulky, which is obviously wrong). So if anyone has any particularly convincing articles as to the benefits of lifting heavy for endurance athletes, especially during base training, please send them my way so I can build my case!

    PS. If you are ever on the fence about whether you should sign up for strength cycle, get your ass into a total and just hang around for a bit, and see for yourself what people are doing. It is really inspiring to see people surprise themselves with how easily they can move really heavy weight (DH3!) and then how psyched they are about it. Anyone who witnessed super strong lady Sarah Haskin's reaction to finally hitting the DL she had been working so hard at will agree with this!

    PPS. sorry for the length of this post. don't feel bad if you need to take a nap and then come back to it.

  10. Best thing I did for myself this year #1: Signing up for Strength Cycle! No doubt, it has had such a profound effect on my mental and physical well-being. I know I've said this here before but heavy lifting (+ paleo which I was already doing) got me off my diabetes meds for the first time since diagnosis at age 18.

    Best thing #2: Growing a Rocket! I honestly don't think I've had had such an easy and lovely pregnancy so far if it weren't for all the time I've spent at our gym and on the platform.

    Allan and I signed up for Paleo challenge last night, so excited because it really is going to be quite the challenge paleo-ing our way through the first weeks of having a newborn at home.

  12. btw — my total is actually 690 — it says 610 up there.

    last night was a so-so performance for me. this was sort of a weird cycle. i never got into the groove of my lifts, kept failing and deloading, and really made very little progress. i also didn't lose any weight (i wanted to lose ~5 pounds), though i did go down a waist size. but it was a really fun night last night. nice seeing everyone's lifts. thank you to all the spectators who came and cheered us on.

    squat: 265/275/280 (10 lb PR)
    this was my first time doing heavy squats in my new lifting shoes. they felt really solid. i hit good depth on my squats which i'm pleased about. considering i only added 5 pounds to my squat this cycle, i'm happy with this PR on my 1RM.

    press: 105/115/110
    this kind of sucked. 105 went up really well, 115 went up NOT AT ALL, and then i failed at 110 which is my old PR. i only added 2.5 lb to my press this cycle. presses are a cruel mistress.

    deadlift: 295/305/315 (10 lb PR)
    295 was my old PR, so i was happy to pull 305, though i really wanted 315. 315 didn't come even an inch off the ground as far as i can tell (for me the hardest part of a deadlift is the first centimeter, and it gets progressively easier as i pull it).

    total: 690

  13. the best thing i did for myself this year was joining CFSBK. i started foundations in march after years of wasting time on the elliptical and leg press machine. i came in not knowing what a deadlift or snatch even was, squatting 100 pounds, and not having anything close to a strict pushup. over the course of the past 8 months i've transformed my level of fitness and diet and really examined what it means to be fit. i did two strength cycles and discovered my love of strength sports. if you told me a year ago i'd someday become intensely interested in powerlifting and olympic weightlifting i would have literally slapped you. so i'm honestly hoping 2012 is more of the same — i'm looking to start olympic lifting with some level of seriousness, focus on strength and power conditioning, and continue to clean up my diet. also i want to lose 10 pounds :/

  14. Big thanks go out to everyone who supported the totalers. What a blast. And congratulations to all the lifters on their superb performances.

    Personally, looking back, I'm baffled at how I went from wandering in the door in November to yesterday. It's a testament to the first-class coaching from Jeremy and the outstanding support and sportsmanship of other folks in the CFSB orbit.

    The best thing I did for myself this year was cajole my gal into getting engaged.

    I can't wait to see what happens in 2012, on both fronts.

  15. First of all congrats last night to the lifters a bunch of rock stars! I may not get to be back with you for a bit that I got the word back yesterday on the MRI that I have a labral tear in my right shoulder blah! Doc said today I need to work hard to get the inflammation down to avoid surgery – one hell of a motivator for the Paleo challenge! But I shall continue to enjoy living vicariously through the lifters – One day I will total!

    Best thing this year is defo joining CrossFit there were a lot of butterflies the first time I walked into foundations in February. Over the past year I have moved from avoiding eye contact with David so he would not call on me (he did anyway) to doing my first ever competition at Subway series and tackling lifting with awesome classes at titsday and strength. Obvious health benefits aside the mental aspect of attacking things that once seemed impossible has been a fascinating and pleasant surprise. Also for a little nomad like me to run into a community of support is a new thing for me and I have to say I dig it!

    Also, and very importantly I have never really seen my 5'3" blondy self pulling off skull wear well and now I can totally own it 😉

  16. "if you told me a year ago i'd someday become intensely interested in powerlifting and olympic weightlifting i would have literally slapped you."

    -Nick A.

    *hahahah* ditto.

  17. Thanks, DH3. My mental strength is second only to my massive biceps. There was just no way I was going to let that lift get away from me and end the night on a bad note.

    Jess Fox: in response to your comment from yesterday, meditation is about the process, not the end goal. Don't worry about whether you can quiet your thoughts or sit still for long enough; just try it. Even if you only meditate for 1 minute at a time, that is a success, and you can build from there, just like everything else in life that we have to work at. Also, there are several different approaches to meditation, and not all require quieting your thoughts or clearing your mind. Mindfulness, for example, encourages you to just let thoughts come and go, and to not beat yourself up for fidgeting or letting your mind wander, but just to start again when you realize you're doing those things. I know I've said this before but the Tuesday night Dharma gatherings at the Shambhala Center really are great for anyone who wants to give meditation a try, because they give beginners the opportunity to ask any questions they want and receive a little instruction.

  18. thanks for the help michele!

    Deepak's heavy deadlift was 415, he finished with 875.

    Totaled at 810 which is a 15% increase from this time last year. Since going through two more strength cycles I can put up way more weight and I have a better understanding of technique.

    I could have squatted more (achieved a 50lb PR), probably pressed more (10lb PR), but that was certainly my max deadlift (45lb PR). Triple PR. Worth it.

  19. Strength cycle is awesome, I highly recommend it. It is fun and relaxing and challenging and rewarding. Congrats to all of the amazing totallers from last night. And thanks to all of the awesome supporters. I'm still glowing. 🙂

  20. Congratulations all of you heavy lifting animals! It sounds like it was a fantastic total! Jealous!

    Here are the best things that I did in 2011:

    1. Spend time with my family. There's nothing more important to me than them, and they are just amazing.

    2. Coaching baseball. (I will be tee ball coordinator for SFX leage, a coach, and also a coach for pee wee, so if your wee ones are 4-6, talk to me!)

    3. Golfing more. A lot more. I work hard, I have an absurdly busy schedule, work has been just brutal this year, and this relaxes me. a lot! rounds in Spain, with my oldest guy, rounds in Puerto Rico, it was awesome.

    4. Working my way into boxing again. Hands down my favorite sport of all time. Still have some wood to chop but I've got some wiley vet moves!

    5. Working on my metcon capacity. It's definitely getting better.

    I like David's plan, I have some plans of my own that I am working on. I'll be ready for the paleo challenge, and with a little luck, I'll be able to throw out my washing machine and just use those washboard abs that I have never, ever seen.

  21. I forgot to say this:

    Press: 80, 87.5*PR, 95 (PR by 15lbs)
    Squat: 160, 175*PR 190 (PR by 25lbs)
    Deadlift: 220*PR, 235, 245 (PR by 30lbs)

  23. Sorry guys, I cant stay off the blog today… one more thing!

    All jokes aside; Jeremy is truly an amazing coach. He's more than knowledgeable, he's a veritable encyclopedia of weightlifting information, anecdotes and lifters. He can talk for 20 minutes about the benefits of one bar vs. another and can tell you about 6 different combinations of plates that will total 150lbs in about 2 seconds, and he is so cool and calm about the whole thing that he has you lifting more than you ever thought possible before you realize what happened.

    As a person that has limited funds (Thank You NYC Public School System) I have to say AGAIN that the Strength Cycle was money well spent. I cant wait to sign up for the next one!

  25. Last night I came in to do some mobility work, some Romanian Deadlifts and to push the prowler. I ended up watching almost every lift of the total, and it was awesome. I was most proud of Jenna. I convinced Jenna she should do Crossfit last year, and she joined CFSBK. She convinced me to join CFSBK, and here we are. The second DL attempt was awesome, and I really enjoyed watching her tell Jeremy she was going to pull the same weight after failing on attempt one. Attempt 3 showed she had more in the tank.

    Watching Dan H. was also great. Before that 3rd squat he looked like a boxer in the locker room, waiting to hear his entrance music. Pacing, hood up, head down, belt in hand. He couldn't talk to or look at anybody. After he hit that, it was all gravy it seemed, and he has a 450 pound deadlift in him quite soon I think.

    When I came back in from pushing the prowler, I caught Sarah H. on the phone with her [insert somebody important to her], beaming. She looked like she was telling somebody that she had just had a child or something, and it was awesome.

    Deepak doesn't know me, but watching that slow, hard pull for 405 was great to watch him lock out, because it's just will power at that last moment and he had it.

  26. To echo all the above comments, the Total last night was once again a blast. Thanks for all the people who came out to support us.

    This was my third cycle of Strength, and I came into this one after about two months of not hitting the number of group classes weekly I probably should have. My goals for this cycle were really to just get back into it, ideally improve some PRs, but re-establishing them would be okay too. Once again, Jeremy and his program surprised me and I PR'd every lift.

    BSQ: 325 / 335 / 345(f) (5lbs PR)
    Press: 145 / 155 / 157.5(f) (5lbs PR)
    DL: 345 / 360 / 375 (25lbs PR)
    Total 865 (40lbs PR)

    This cycle I had the pleasure of sharing the platform with the infamous DH3, who put up some amazing numbers. Great job Dan. You may have some problems with your adding, but you sure can lift some weight.

    To answer the blog questions, the best thing I did this year was joining the Strength cycle (3 times) and pursue a passion of mine by attending culinary school (graduation next wednesday)

  27. The total was awesome, thanks to everyone who came out to watch us.
    Jeremy thanks for great coaching. I can't believe that the strength cycle got me looking forward to waking up at 5:45 twice a week- what a way to start the day.

    Special shout out to my dad for getting me on the path and Paulie T-shirts for my first strength cycle.

    Best thing this year- Definitely my 4 month old baby Sam for making every day new and exciting (and teaching me how to live with no sleep, without that lesson there is no way I would be lifting at 6:30 in the morning.)

  30. Moving to NYC and joining CFSBK.
    Because NYC wouldn't be the same without all the support and sanity that came from being a part of our awesome community. I hope all of you have an awesome holiday-ness and merry new year… I'll be back in 2012! (And totally missing the gym in the mean time.)

  31. Thank you guys for all of the kind words! I was not very confident going into the final lift last night and am convinced that all the cheers and support helped me reach a goal that I have had for a really long time. You guys are the best! (Also, foam rolling with Fox helped me too. Thanks Fox!)

    To echo many of the people above, one of the best things I did for myself this year was the Strength Cycle (and not just because it helps me avoid metcons). One cycle has now turned into three (and in a few weeks probably four), and I am excited to see where my lifts go from here. Thank you to Jeremy and Margie for all of their help and guidance, you guys are awesome. And a special thank you to Sarah H. for being such a great lifting partner despite my tendency to allow others to load my bar.

  32. Got married to my beautiful bride. Married men live a lot longer… and a lot happier.

    Great work on the totals everyone. Kudos to all.

  33. Press
    Warmup: 45×5 75×5
    Work: 100×5 115×3 130×4

    Deadlift
    Warmup: 135×5 185×3
    Work: 220×5 250×3 280×6

    Press Assistance: 80x10x5

    Some great posts today!

  36. Best things I did in 2011 (in chronological order):

    1. Got a new job.
    2. Moved across the country.
    3. Had a kid.

    All in all, I'd consider that a pretty full year.

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