WOD 12.10.19

Every 5:00 x 5 Rounds

For Time:
3x
8 No-Push-Up Burpees
8 Deadlifts 185/125
8 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.

This workout is a repeat from 11.12.19 and 11.26.19 with an additional rep added to each round. Use the same scaling options you used previously and aim to either add a rep to what you did, OR to to finish each round a few seconds faster.

Post work to comments.
Week 5 of 6

December Athlete of the Month: Erika Minerowicz

As told to Chris Fox

In our latest installment of the Athlete of the Month series, we say hello to the super strong Erika M.! Even though she grew up as a gymnast, inspired by physical cultures that always have room to improve, she was initially drawn to CrossFit just to “get back in shape” after not doing anything for a few years. We can comfortably say that she’s improved and shows no signs of slowing down.

When and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn? What were you doing fitness-wise prior?

I was doing CrossFit in New Jersey and loved my gym there. When I moved to Brooklyn, finding a new gym with a great community was really important to me. I tried every CrossFit gym within 30 minutes of me, which was like 10 different gyms. I had a good feeling about CFSBK, so I saved it for last. Once I started coming here, I never stopped!

Saved the best for last, huh? What were your initial impressions of CFSBK?

My first thought was: Holy crap, this gym is huge! And I was so impressed with the quality of coaching, how well run the classes were, and how friendly everyone was. It was everything I was looking for out of a CrossFit community.

We’re glad we were able to deliver the goods! Did you have an athletic background, prior to being a Crossfit TFBA?

I grew up doing gymnastics, and I did that competitively through high school. Then, when I got to college, I wanted to keep active so I joined the diving team. I didn’t really know anything about diving, but I figured it was kind of like gymnastics. I was very lucky to find a coach that was willing to let me join the team with no diving experience and teach me how to dive!

How’d you end up in Brooklyn?

Well my husband, Mena (who is amazing and asked me to work just how awesome he is into my answers), loves Brooklyn and asked me to move here with him. He wants to live here forever. I don’t know about forever, but Brooklyn is an incredible city, and I’m glad he got me here.

I appreciate the fact that you called Brooklyn a city on it’s own, which in fact it once was. How do you spend most of your days?

I’m an employment law attorney, which (I think) is a pretty interesting area of law! There have been a lot of changes in the last few years, especially in New York. When I’m not working or at the gym, I’m home cuddling with my dog, Marley.

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

I’m a pretty big nerd. I love board games. One of my current favorites is Ticket to Ride, which I believe everyone should play. Lately, I’ve also been into puzzles. I just started a 2000-piece Times Square puzzle, and it is SO FUN! I also play a lot of video games with my husband. We’re in the middle of Luigi’s Mansion right now. It’s good, but it’s no Zelda.

Ha! Those answers are all at the top of the “David Osorio Approved” list. What were your initial goals in the gym, if any, and what are you working on now?

When I first started CrossFit in 2014, I just wanted to get back into shape after not really doing anything for a few years. But I was immediately hooked. It was a lot like gymnastics. I love how there’s always room for improvement. Right now, I’m determined to get better at Ring Muscle-Ups. I’ve worked on them in the past and have made a handful, but never with any real consistency. I promised myself that I’m finally going to work on them until I can say I “have” Ring Muscle-Ups. I’m not quite there and they’re still very inconsistent, but I did string two together for the first time ever last week. Progress!

Nice work! Do you (or have you) participated in any special programs at CFSBK?

Yes! I’ve been going to Next Level Weightlifting Club about twice a week since the spring. I felt like I plateaued with all my Olympic lifts. Then I started going to NLWC regularly, and having all that time to focus on Olympic lifts has made a huge difference. It’s been extremely rewarding, and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve even done two weightlifting competitions! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to spend some time and focus on those lifts, even if it’s just to drop in for one class.

Word on the street is that you CRUSHED those meets. Actually, we have video evidence of it! What piece of advice would you offer to someone just starting CrossFit?

Enjoy it! If you stick with it for a few months, you’ll see so much progress. And not that this is about me, but I’ll get to watch your progress which is so much fun for me.

What a great piece of advice. Sharing in the success of others is something great about this community that we all get to regularly be part of, which is awesome. The better we all get, the better we all get! What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

I love the people here. The coaches, the other athletes, the staff. Everyone here is amazing. David did a great job building this community.

We love you, too! Thanks again for your time. Last question. What qualities are important to you for a future Athlete of the Month?

I think it’s important to have goals and work toward them, but also to not take yourself too seriously along the way.

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