Turkish Get Up
For Quality:
100 Turkish Get Ups
Use dumbbells and/or kettlebells and switch arms as desired with the goal of doing 50 on each arm. The load should be challenging, something you could do for unbroken sets of 3-6 each arm. If you’re newer to the movement consider scaling total volume.
Post loads to comments .
Week 3 of 8
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For Time:
50 Burpee-Box Jumps 24/20
Post time and Rx to comments.
December Athlete of the Month: Sara Greenberg
This month we get to learn a bit about another one of our resident TFBAs, Sara Greenberg! Sara has been on our Athlete of the Month radar for a while now for a variety of reasons: her commitment to good training habits, consistently doing the little things on her own to improve, volunteering at and participating in CFSBK extracurriculars, and for generally being a super nice and supportive person to have around.
Fox: Hey Sara. Congrats, and thanks for doing this! When and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn?
Sara: I started Foundations in January 2016, tired of doing my own gym circuit. I wanted to increase my strength and endurance. An even stronger motivation was my search for community. Even in a city packed with humans, it is hard to find.
Fox: Right? It can almost be more difficult to make meaningful connections in a city with millions of people! What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?
Sara: The first members I met were exuberant and friendly. Shawn, Sasha, Andre and Allie B. and first person I was paired with for strength work was affable, good-humored, encouraging Monique. It was a fantastic welcoming committee!
I was fairly intimidated but I learned quickly that the environment is welcoming regardless of the strength or speed of any member. Even when I was (or am) the last person to finish a WOD, the coaches and classmates were and are supportive, cheering me on.
Fox: Do you have an athletic background?
Sara: I skied competitively and danced as a kid, but I wasn’t particularly good at sports and never considered myself an athlete. In high school, I was cut from the freshman soccer team… as a freshman. (Who does that to a kid?!) I’m still a little scarred by that! I’m definitely in the best shape of my life now.
I started practicing yoga about 18 years ago, and it has been a tremendously important part of my life. I don’t compare myself to other people when I’m on the mat. I am patient and accepting. Off the mat, I am still cultivating those qualities. There is no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at yoga.
I completed a yoga teacher training program during my first six months at CFSBK. I appreciate the value of good cues, which I work on refining. The right ones can keep someone out of injury, can make a pose more comfortable and can change the entire experience from frustrating to therapeutic. Too many words are unnecessary. CFSBK coaches are so skilled in instruction, observation, and cueing. A few words can make something “click.” I am picturing Whitney’s “celebrate” pose when the barbell is overhead in the Snatch.
I wanted to row in college. One of the coaches took one look at me and asked if I’d ever thought about being a coxswain, which I didn’t even know how to spell. Translation: “you’re too short.” It was empowering and exhilarating to fine-tune technique, navigate current and wind and take command of a boat of eight big guys (I’m short, not tiny; hence, I was on the men’s heavyweight team). I definitely spent more time yelling at people on ergs than sitting on one.
Fox: Where did you grow up?
Sara: I grew up in West Hartford, CT. I was born 11 weeks early weighing in at a hefty 2 pounds and 9 ounces.
Fox: How do you spend your days when you’re not at the gym?
Sara: My friends say I’ve always had the most depressing jobs. My first job after college was at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. After 9/11 my advocacy focused largely on upholding the prohibition of torture. I started practicing immigration law about a year ago, which I find fulfilling and challenging. Advocating for others compels me. Advocating for myself on the other hand? I’m still working on proficiency.
Fox: Any hobbies, odd or mundane?
Sara: The arts are crucially palliative and life-affirming. Among my favorites are music in small venues (baroque, West African and bluegrass, to name a few), modern dance performances, and photography exhibits.
Fox: 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?
Sara: DON’T HONK. Both the noise and the principle drive me insane.
Fox: What were your initial goals in the gym, 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?
Sara: My initial goals were to make it through a workout. It was so humbling to get crushed by Step-Ups to a 16-inch box. Now, a 24-inch box is fun! It took me months to remember the difference between a Snatch and a Clean. It took me two, frustrated, curse-filled years to get Double-Unders, and they’re still a work in progress.
It’s certainly still humbling and challenging. Technique, strength, endurance, hydration and fuel all need work. I need to relax my neck, arms and grip. (I hear you, Brett! I just can’t seem to do it.) There is nothing about Olympic lifts that feels natural to me. I’d like to smooth out my Kipping Pull-Ups. I’d like to stop hating Wall Balls. A girl can dream.
I want to keep heaving my suitcase into the overhead bin by myself, running to catch the subway if I need to and carrying my laundry up four flights of stairs. For me, it’s not about the leaderboard.
Fox: What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?
Sara: The coaching is stellar. I feel completely safe and never stop learning. I have made strong friendships and look forward to continuing to do so. It’s also the littler things: philanthropic commitment, facilities, community events, and My Little Ponies.
I particularly enjoy the variety of options in addition to group classes. I’m a huge Short Circuit fan—such thoughtful, effective programing. Anti-Gravity is so helpful for building skills we don’t normally dissect in class. Pilates is the most brutal fun you can imagine.
Fox: What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?
Sara: An AOM can balance intensity and enjoyment. She or he strives to improve while buoying up others. An AOM helps you do barbell math without judging you. She or he has a sense of humor about her or himself and is generous with their compassion, advice, recipes, and Sauvignon Blanc.
News and Notes
- Each year at CFSBK kicks off with the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, a 12 week challenge meant as a collective kickstart toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits. Go HERE to find out what the LFPB Challenge is all about and how you can participate!
- We’re here for all your holiday fitness needs! Head over to the Schedule page to see what changes you can expect over the next few weeks.
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Maybe I Should Quit Everything and Try CrossFit NY Mag
How Mumbai’s Dabbawalas Deliver 200,000 Homemade Meals Every Day Atlas Obscura
GO SARA! What a great choice. You’re a favorite person to see at the gym and I am in awe of your constantly growing skills and how you’re often found smiling after a WOD. Thanks for being you and part of CFSBK!
GREAT CHOICE! I love when Sara is in class with me! She is lovely and fun and it’s super fun to watch her pull ups etc get better and better.
Congrats, Sara!
Congrats Sara! Well deserved!
Yesss Sara!!!!! So well deserved!!!!!
This is so awesome!!! I’m so happy that Sara gets the recognition she deserves for being a TFBA and really kind, genuine and dedicated person in the gym. Definitely small but mighty!
Love working out with you and I really appreciate learning more about you–your cultural interests, coxswain experience, etc. So cool! Thanks for always making the gym a really fun place. Also, thanks for the good reminder about not judging barbell math; sometimes I get a little testy when I’m nervous about back squats. :X
In other news, 100 turkish get-ups!?!?!?! Yikes!I’m interested to see how this goes tomorrow morning…
Woohoo! The Notorious SBG gets even more notorious! Great choice.
Congratulations you badass!
PS my favorite Sara memory is from the 2017, the event that involved walking lunges with 35# DBs. Shawn Campbell was doing it and I was her judge. Shawn’s a smaller athlete, so 35# DBs is a lot for her. This was right after Jeff Sessions’s confirmation hearings in the Senate.
Shawn was doing her damnedest. Sara yelled, “Nevertheless, she persisted!” and it really gave Shawn a boost.
Love both of those two!!!!
Yes! Because you get extra points for lunging while cracking up. Right?
So happy to finally have Sara as AOM. She’s been positive part of the community since day 1!
100 TGU @ 20kg
Did sets of 5 throughout with a bit of rest between arms, took a little more than 30 minutes!
Good times.
Sara!!! What an excellent pick for AOTM! Sara is one of those people who always have a smile on her face, is doing badass stuff (woman, those pull-ups are awesome!) and is super humble about it. Love when I get to workout with her!
❤️❤️❤️
I LOVE LOVE Sara! I get super excited when we’re partnered together, either in group class or short circuit – so supportive and all around just a fun person to be around.
Didn’t count Turkish get-ups but I believe I did between 70-80. Was focusing on quality – there’s so much to think about with these things! for the first few reps I was totally skipping the bridge part and the elbow part on the way down.
Burpee Box Jumps Rx in 5:01. Great reminder to myself that since it’ll be difficult for me to get to a gym over the holidays in Texas, doing 50-100 burpees for time on the patio will really get my heart racing, and will only take a few minutes and no equipment.
Go Sara!
So nice reading about you!
SARA! One of my dearest Foundations buddies. You are wonderful and I miss you! xx
Dang, that was a Foundations Superstars Group! Miss you Kirby!!!
KIRBY! I can’t believe I didn’t mention you…my first CFSBK friend and huge inspiration from Day 1. I’m pretty sure you had double unders in Foundations. We miss you!
Go Sara!! Congrats on the athlete of the month. Great choice – so fun to work out w/ Sara in Short Circuits.
Sara – can you possibly contact me about an immigration question that just came up over the weekend? rgreenspan (at) me (dot) com
thanks so much
Wow! Loved learning more about you Sara. My first encounter with you was seeing you whip out HSPU in the last Open. You are so warm and welcoming to others. Excellent choice!
Yay Sara! I can’t think of a more deserving AOM. It’s always a pleasure to be parternered up with her in group class.
Saraaaaaaa!!!! Is the flippin’ best is all I can say. Great choice
this is great! sara’s so friendly, hard-working, thoughtful, strong. love when we get to be partners, sara – you’re always inspiring and always encouraging.
today’s lesson = to finally learn all the steps in a turkish get up, do one million of them
fun 🙂
Yay Sara! What a great choice- always working hard with a smile.
Monday 10 AM class with Brett.
68 TGU’s ranging from 12.5# to the 12kg bell. somewhat meditative focusing on a point on the ceiling, went my much faster than I expected.
BBJ’s in 5:42. went by about as slowly as expected.
Congrats Sara! Great choice for AOM!
76 Turkish getups at 30# before hitting the time cap, did sets of 2-4 per arm. My elbows are bruised up like crazy – anyone else?
WOD: 4:24 Rx. After missing a jump around BJ#20, I started taking the extra step before jumping, which added a little time.
I am truly overwhelmed by all the love on the blog! I am getting a little verklempt. This community is so important to me and I am ever grateful for your friendship, support and encouragement. This honor came as a huge surprise. “Athlete” is not a moniker I’ve ever given myself and I am too embarrassed to admit how many times I have hit myself in the head with a barbell. Thank you, wonderful coaches!
Congratulations Sara!!! Well deserved.
The Wod today were tough but after sitting here at work, even when standing up for bits and walking around has left me destroyed and hobbling around like an old man.
I pushed hard to get through 100 TGUs with 30# in the 30 min cap but couldn’t make it. I was laughing to myself as I was in the eighties and that was the same time period of music playing.
The Burpee box jumps I think I could have done faster if I did not push so hard to get the get ups done. Sub 5 is still fine with me but I think I could have gone faster.
4:52 at RX.
Sara! I can’t say enough good things so I’ll echo every word above and add that your gainz in both strength and skill is stunning. Your focus and determination are discernible when you’re at work in the gym. Your sense of humor is stealth and always on point (…My Little Ponies…Sauvignon Blanc)! Keep on keepin’ on!
Sara! Well-deserved, indeed. Sara is dedicated, patient, fierce, and fun! It’s been so excellent watching you make little steps and big strides in your progress over time at CFSBK. Hell-to-the-yeah! Thanks for being YOU.
Catch Up Posts…
Saturday
BSQ 3-3-3-2-1
155×3, 175×3, 185×3, 195×2, 205×1 with a belt on that
10 minutes, at a sustainable pace:
150m row
5 power clean @ 105#
5 FSQ @ 105#
Rest 3 min, then
Work up to heavy power clean in 5 min.
amrap score = 6 rounds even
did this a year ago or so and got 5 rounds, but only w/ 3 FSQ per round. so essentially doubled the squat volume in the same time. legs are making progress! pace was challenging but maintainable!
power clean = 135, 145, 150, 155F someone walked in front of me and I let it distract my focus, 155 (94%)
Sunday 9am group class:
EMOM as RX’d at 75#. All hang muscle cleans. rounds complete in :14-:19
Rows: 1638 / 1695 at 16 s/m
Accessory: 3 rounds
10 ea side plank powell raise @ 30×1 @ 10#
:20 ea psoas march hold
5 pistols each side (4 or 5 sets L, 2 sets R)
Monday pre-class
EMOM X 10
even: 25 DU + 10 v up
odd: 6 sandbag clean @ 80#
…got the heart pumping!
12pm group class:
100 TGU in 26:44 @ 12kg
started on L and did sets of 5 ea side throughout
roughly same pace on first half and back half
it got a bit old around 50 reps, but with some encouragement from Fox on the mental game… dare I say I enjoyed this?! felt really good to finish!!!
spent about 10-15 min stretching, because I don’t do it very much these days! adductors, glutes, couch stretch w/ PNF
Sara is an amazing human being, as you can tell by her work, or by the fact that she always has something nice to say about you when she sees you at the gym. Just stop being so hard on yourself lady, you’re amazing! Great AOM pick!
Made up Sunday’s work today in a sweltering 🔥🔥 3pm open gym
HPC + PP EMOM @ 115lbs in around 28-38s each round, mostly depending on how much I stopped to breathe. This got so hard towards the end – it was hot, I was out of breath, and my push presses started to go away. Was trying to pause at the top for a good breath every 2 push presses, but it got hard towards the end when I just wanted to finish them. Instead of doing the row work, decided to jump into their Oly Lift class and work on my snatches…
A) Empty barbell
– 4x(2 pull + 1 high pull + 2 muscle snatches)
– 4x(1 pull + 3 power snatches with a 3s hold in the last one)
B) EMOM 12′ 1 pull + 3 power snatches
— worked at 95lbs through all sets, focused on breathing and bracing, each set was 20s long.
C) OHS
1×8 barbell
4×6 medium-light
– stayed light, 33lb barbell, then worked at 73lbs
D) 8min AMRAP
4 power snatch
2 OHS
30 DUs
– worked at 95lbs, was really gassed so DUs were terrible. 3rd+6.
I’m ded
WOOOOO SARAH!!!! you the best
A)@sustained pace:
10 side plank powel raises
rest 15 sec
3 pHSPU negatives – slow lower – 6″
rest 15 sec
20 hollow rocks
rest 15 sec
ski 250m
x 3 rounds – EASY warm up pace here!
B)Muscle Up
1-2 strict x 4 kipping x 4; rest as needed
didnt go great on long straps, need to focus on core engagement during transition, im a limp noodle mess. played around with kip on long straps, did one really solid set of 4 and a really good set of 3, a few wack doubles because i was trying some different techniques, best mental cue was HIP POP directly into L sit-that was legit, need to remember that.
C)@sustained pace:
12 pull ups
rest 15 sec
25ft sled push – 330#
rest 15 sec
6 C2B
rest 15 sec
25ft sled push – 330#
rest 15 sec
3 BMU
25ft sled push – 330#
rest 2-3 min
x 3 rounds
2:27/2:37/2:39
this sled ended up being way harder than expected, the floor at 597 is horrendous it moves underneath you. all gymnastics felt VERY good tho
Wow so much blog love. I’ll ditto what everyone said and note this AOM has been a long time in the making! Sara is everything you all mentioned and I can attest that she is always the last person to leave our events because she’s washing dishes/cleaning organizing or just going above and beyond in some way. Thank you!!!
60 TGU @ 45lb DB
Did 5e until I got to the 40s where I started 3R3L2R2L
Was surprised how much harder my left arm fatigued than my right.
BBJ metcon In 5:02
Congrats, Sara! So well deserved. Such a nice person and awesome crossfitter. Those guns, too! Loved reading more about you. <3
TGU: 50 total reps at 25#
Mentally and physically challenging. Left arm is SO weak. Right was was fine.
WOD: 5:01 almost Rx'd
Had to use plyo boxes because I forgot my sneakers at home so height of the box was only 18". Learned I do NOT like jumping barefoot. Wasn't winded afterwards so def went too slow. Tried to push myself harder but was too focused on my feet!
The notorious Sara Guns-berg is truly wonderful, warm, and strong. (We need a repost of her SBG FGB judge outfit.) So glad to get hang with you and see you blossom at CFSBK! Great AOTM pick!!