Power Clean and Push Press

Every Other Minutes x 10:
5 Power Cleans + 3 Push Presses

Start light and build to a medium-heavy load.

Post loads to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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4 Sets for Quality:
8-10 Dips (Ring/Matador/Box)
16-20 Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Post work to comments.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at CFSBK

Pull-Ups

Choose one of the following options and work on performing 4-6 sets.

A) Strength Work:
Strict Pull-Ups 
Sets of 2-5 challenging reps (assisted as needed)

B) Strength + Skill Work:
2-3 Strict Pull Ups + 2-4 Paused Kipping Pull Ups

Pause with your chin over bar for a second (not quite as long as in the video) before pushing away to cycle into the next rep.

C) Skill + Stamina Work:
Sets of 5+ reps. If you have sets of 10+ regular Kipping Pull-Ups and want to work on the Butterfly then this is a good day to do so, and here’s a good Butterfly progression to work on! Stop if/when you lose rhythm. Be mindful of your hands.

Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 2

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15 Minute Row @ R/16

Use watts as the metric and pull a split that allows you to maintain nasal breathing throughout.

Post work to comments.

Murph Day 2019 is less than a week away! So far 122 of you have registered, which is awesome. Can we make it to 140 by the end of the day? Go HERE to sign up for a heat! | Photo by Robert C. 

“Murph” Is For Everyone

By Chris Fox
Originally posted on 5.23.17

Hero WODs are usually longer, harder, and heavier—more grueling than your average WOD. “Murph” is no exception. But “Murph” is also for every CFSBKer who wants to do it. As always, we have a scaling option that is appropriate for wherever you’re at on your fitness journey. Whether you’re going to do a full “Murph” or not, you can choose to perform one of the following options:

“Murph”

1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats however desired. The classic and most often-chosen version is “Cindy” style: 20 rounds of 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. Many folks choose to split the Push-Ups up and instead do 20 rounds of 5 Push-Ups, 5 Pull-Ups, 5 Push-Ups, 15 Squats. If your Pull-Ups and Push-Ups are pretty strong, you might consider doing 10 rounds of 10 Pull-Ups, 20 Push-Ups, and 30 Squats (less to count!). Of course, you can also choose to perform the reps “Angie” style and do “Murph” as a chipper… or as Rx’d and wear a 20/14lb vest for the whole shebang.

Our standard movement scaling options are…

Run: Row or Bike
Pull-Ups: Ring Rows
Push-Ups: Knee Push-Ups
Squats: Squats!

We know that many of you can perform the movements as prescribed but may need to scale the total volume a bit. To this end, here are some scaling options:

1/3 “Murph”

33 Pull-Ups
66 Push-Ups
99 Squats

11 sets of 3/6/9

1/2 “Murph”

50 Pull-Ups
100 Push-Ups
150 Squats

10 Sets of 5/10/15 or 5/5/5/15

3/4 “Murph”

75 Pull-Ups
150 Push-Ups
200 Squats

15 Sets of 5/10/15, or 5/5/5/15

We encourage everyone to complete both 1 mile runs, unless an injury precludes you from running. It’s generally the large volume of bodyweight movements that need scaling.

How have you approached “Murph” in the past, and how will you approach it this year? Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Aerobic Recovery Day
3 Reasons Why No Two Squat Stances Look Exactly the Same BarBend
From Heart Patient to Lifter Starting Strength

Aerobic Recovery Day

40 Minutes for Quality:
A) 400m Jog (or about 2:00)
B) 10e Half Kneeling Band Chops 
C) 65m Each Single-Arm Farmer Carry (medium-heavy load)
D) 20 Dead Bugs (hold a hollow)
E) 20 Walking Lunges (load with dumbbells as needed/desired)

Rotate through the exercises above at a low intensity/aerobic pace. If you wear a heartrate monitoring device, then aim to say below about 150 bpm. Otherwise, you should be able to breathe through your nose the entire time and/or hold a conversational pace.

Post work to comments.

May Athlete of the Month: Lizzie Donahue

As told to Chris Fox

What brought you to CrossFit?

On the gorgeous warm and clear day of October 28th, I was hanging with my dear friend Bjorn Bellenbaum. He was telling me about the iron man competitions he used to run. I exclaimed how amazing it would be to run a marathon. That I couldn’t even run a block without pain in my shins and knees. He told me that’s because the muscles around my knees are weak.

“I’m not going to a gym.”
“Of course not, but I think you should do CrossFit.”
“Oh that. No way. I’m too old”
“We’ve got members in their 80s”.
“Hmmmm”.

Bjorn, by the way, is one of the long time CFSBK members who worked out with David in St. Mary’s park.

What were some your first impressions?

My first impression when I signed up for the Free Intro Class was a calm sun drenched concrete box with notes of rubber. The garage doors were open, the sun was shining, a few folks were sitting around. A few were pushing iron up and down. The music was interesting. The vibe was very chill. I dropped by after 2pm on Friday, October 28th, 2016, and signed up for the Free Intro Class on Sunday, October 30th.

Are you one of those people who remember dates and weather?

No. The reason I remember is because exactly one month before, on September 28th, 2016, my dad died. Don’t say sorry. I mean, of course you can. But I’m not bringing it up to create a somber moment. Both Bjorn’s strong knees and my dad’s death were inspirations for me to get strong. My dad was 88 years old and had cancer of the everything. He had always been very athletic and somewhat of an endurance queen, so up until the day he died his vitals were excellent. He had a strong death.

A strong death?

Yes. It’s a story. But the short of it is that after his death I felt like I had zero vitality left.

Did CrossFit recharge you?

Shazzzzam! Not just physically but it’s one of the most spiritual things I’ve ever done. Busting your hump with other differently abled humans is a type of communion.

Communion. Hmmm. Were you raised Catholic by any chance?

Very much so.

What brought you to Brooklyn?

The usual boring reasons. Another question could be did you ever think you’d end up in Brooklyn? HELLS TO THE NO!!!! Born and raised in Staten Island. Manhattan was the skyline. Mecca. Brooklyn was where my parents and their ancestors came from. I only went to Brooklyn to visit my grandmas in their smelly apartments.

Staten. Island.

Staten Island, but the North Shore. It’s a distinction I desperately hold on to. Certain members of the Wu-Tang Clan went to my junior high. Sure, a couple of years after I graduated. But I cling to it, nonetheless.

Are you happy to be living in Brooklyn?

Yes! Absolutely. Extremely grateful to be living with my beautiful partner of 11 years, Jasmine. And our two cats. Viva la cliché! We also live two blocks from our nephews which is beyond delicious. Jasmine has been a regular at Short Circuit for the past several months.

What do you “do”?

I’ve worked for over 20 years as a tv and film editor. While I really love the process of editing, I don’t love the business. I think it was a hobby that I gave a bit too much time to.

What would you want to do instead of editing?

Lizzie: I’m very interested in helping people access a peaceful death. Especially people who don’t have family or friends. I’ve been taking Thanatology classes and various trainings that have to do with end of life situations.

How do you know this isn’t a hobby?

I don’t. But in the meantime it’s an extremely useful skill set to have and it will come in handy with my friends and family. Just recently I helped my aunt access a peaceful transition. Yes, I just wrote that. I am still figuring out the language around this death business.

Let’s discuss another kind of death. Subways.

I have this fantasy that the MTA only allow ads that address subway etiquette. Companies must create campaigns that revolve around subway do’s and don’ts. For example: “We all want to get home to our comfy Caspar mattress, but first we must step aside and allow our fellow sleepers room to exit”.

What have you struggled most with at the gym and what are you working on now?

Everything has been a struggle. But I love the struggle and the struggle tolerates me. My current goal is 3 Pull-Ups in a row. I usually use a red band when I do Pull-Ups. Recently I’ve been making myself do my first Pull-Up without an assist. During an AMRAP a few weeks ago I did 2 in a row without assist, 4 times. Which came to 8 strict Pull-Ups in about 16 minutes.

Is there anything you’re most proud of yourself for improving?

Consistently pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Walking has been my primary source of exercise for most of my life. I’ve swam, biked, ran, done aerobics, yoga, but I’ve never maintained any of the hard stuff for long.

What’s one of the most invaluable things CrossFit has taught you?

Core strength and what it’s good for: everything.

What do you love most about CFSBK?

The coaches. Of course. You people are magic.

What advice would you offer for someone just starting out in CrossFit?

Listen to what the coaches are telling you. Again. And again. And again. Don’t be a size queen. Focus on form before weight. Ignore the voice in your head that says you don’t belong here. She may be right, but who cares. Ok, maybe it’s not always coming from outside your head. Again, who cares.

What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

All the lovely humans who inhabit this community. The high I feel as I’m walking home after class. Being able to pick up my nephews with ease. Catching things with my left hand. Running.

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

The fact that you picked me for Athlete of the Month makes me think this feature has jumped the shark. I guess I’d insist that they have a heartbeat and an active membership at CFSBK.

News and Notes

• A new group class programming cycle starts today. Woo hoo! The next 2 weeks, from today through June 2nd, will be a “floater” period aimed at bridging the gap between yesterday’s CrossFit Total and Memorial Day’s “Murph.” A 6-week cycle will start on June 3rd.
• Hey, speaking of… how did your Total go yesterday?! Tell us in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: CrossFit Total
Me, Myself, and My Numbers NY Mag
“Botanical Sexism” Could Be Behind Your Seasonal Allergies Atlas Obscura

CrossFit Total

Back Squat:
1-1-1

Press:
1-1-1

Deadlift:
1-1-1

After your warm ups, you will have 3 attempts at a 1RM on each lift. You can take fewer attempts if you wish but not more. You will “declare” an “opener” (your 1st attempt) and have 2 more attempts after that. Misses count as attempts. Knowing this, begin with a plan. Your plan can (and should) be somewhat flexible but we don’t recommend playing it entirely by ear today. Use the last few weeks as a guide to what your opener should be and what you want to make by your 3rd lift (hopefully a new 1RM!). In the end your score is the sum total of your best successful Squat, Press, and Deadlift. We’ve done some heavy singles and triples on all 3 lifts recently, so use those numbers to guide you on where to open and what to shoot for.

Choose an opener you feel 100% confident you can make. The confidence you’ll build under the bar by nailing that first successful lift cannot be understated. Check out Monday’s blog post for more tips!

Warm Up Examples

As the loads increase, the reps should decrease.

Squat Opener: 325
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2
305 x 1
___
325 / 340 / 350

Press Opener: 125
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 1
115 x 1
___
125 / 130 / 135

Deadlift Opener: 385
45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
355 x 1
___
385 / 405 / 415

These are just a few examples of a good plan for warm ups. You can do more or fewer sets and can also do an extra set or 2 at the lighter weights if you feel like you need it.

Happy Lifting!

Post loads to comments.
Compare with 6.9.13 and 8.1.15

TONIGHT: Game of Thrones Finale Viewing

Join us TONIGHT from 8:30 to 10:30pm for a Game of Thrones final episode viewing party! Stick around after Open Gym to experience on of the biggest events in TV history with your fellow fitness fiends. The show starts at 9pm.

All are welcome. Bring friends! This event is BYOB and snacks.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: DB Hang Power Snatches, Burpees, Row
Revisiting the Massacre That Inspired the Game of Thrones Red Wedding Smithsonian
6 Things I Learned from 6 Month of Hip Thrusts BarBend

WOD 5.18.19

Every 6 Minutes for 5 Sets:
8e Dumbbell Hang Power Snatches 50/35
8 Burpees
250m Row

Consistent times. We advise taking it particularly easy today if you’re planning to do the CrossFit Total tomorrow. If not, then get after it!

Post work to comments.

Tomorrow Night: Game of Thrones Finale Viewing

Join us tomorrow night from 8:30 to 10:30pm for a Game of Thrones final episode viewing party! Stick around after Open Gym to experience on of the biggest events in TV history with your fellow fitness fiends. The show starts at 9pm.

All are welcome. Bring friends! This event is BYOB and snacks.

News and Notes

• For more info about tomorrow’s CrossFit Total, check out Coach Fox’s post from Monday. Please note that classes will run on a normal schedule but will last an hour and fifteen minutes.
• Put yourself in the expert hands of a certified Wim Hof Method Instructor to learn the 3 pillars of the Wim Hof Method: Breathing Technique, Cold Exposure, and Commitment. Find out how you can utilize oxygen and cold exposure to optimize body & mind, and learn about the underlying physiology. The first workshop we hosted back in March was such a success, so we’re bringing the Wim Hof Method team in May!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean and Jerk | Sled Sprints
Developing Strength One Leg at a Time Breaking Muscle
There Might Finally Be a Cure for Overtraining Outside

Clean and Jerk

1-1-1-1-1

Work up to a max for the day. Push or Split Jerks are okay, but choose one and stay with it.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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Sled Sprints:
5 x 80′

Perform the first 2 at 70% effort then go all out. Rest 2-3 minutes between sprints.

Post work to comments.

Photo by Robert C. 

TONIGHT at 7:30pm: Cornhole Tournament!

WHAT?

An evening of friendly cornhole competition. Haven’t played before? Don’t worry! It’s pretty simple, and this video explains everything. All are invited! Please leave a comment on the event page if you plan to participate. Teams (of 2) can declare beforehand, or we’ll pair you up at the tournament.

WHEN?

Friday, May 17th at 7:30pm during Open Gym. We’ll have the cornhole boards set up periodically over the next few weeks so you can practice.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Back Squat | Kettlebell Swings, Burpees, Pull-Ups
Oh No, People with a Purpose Are Healthier NY Mag
Ignoring Cyclists Won’t Make Us Go Away Outside

Back Squat

3 x 1 @80-85% of last week’s weight

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
21 Russian Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
15 Burpees
9 Kipping Pull-Ups

Post time and Rx to comments.

Rachel and Daniel at Powermonkey Camp

Two intrepid CFSBKers attended a recent weeklong Powermonkey Camp in Tennessee, and today we’re grateful that Rachel H. and Daniel R. were gracious enough to answer a few questions about their experiences. Let’s find out how it went!

Why did you attend the camp?

Rachel: I wanted to get hands on coaching from high-level experts in each of the various fields that I love—gymnastics (rings, bar work, handstands, tumbling) and weightlifting. I was also looking for a way to unplug and have fun.

Daniel: Isn’t a week training in an amazing gym with Olympics-level coaches everyone’s ideal vacation?!

What did you learn?

Rachel: Oh man, I learned so much. Here’s a shortlist just based off of what I can think of right now…

• The real meaning behind the term “active recovery”
• How to program workouts either for increasing aerobic capacity or anaerobic capacity
• Specific, personalized drills for my handstands, after a hands on assessment of my current weaknesses and strengths from Dave Durante
• Specific, personalized cues for a better Snatch, Clean, and Split Jerk from various olympic champions
• Jump rope technique to improve efficiency
• Kettlebell grip technique
• A more nuanced and detailed understanding of the 3 different kip swings for Bar Muscle-Ups (CrossFit, gymnastics glide kip, and a hybrid)
• Specific, personalized cues for a better swing on rings + specific progressions and cues to work up to a Ring Muscle-Up (e.g. swing into a Ring Row)
• Specific drills to improve the pulling and transitions for my Ring and Bar Muscle-Ups
• A better understanding of the weaknesses in my running form, plus best practices for running technique to improve my form and efficiency
• How to row more efficiently, especially as a shorter person, and where my specific weaknesses are
• How to build empathy for adaptive athletes and program adaptive workouts
• My personal aerobic / anaerobic thresholds and recovery rate, along with guidance on where I can improve (through a VO2 capacity test)

….. uh ok I think there’s more but I’ll stop there for now.

Daniel: SO MUCH. We got 2 hours of classes across 10 different modalities (Clean, Jerk, Snatch, Handstands, Kettlebell, Rings, etc). It’s a lot of material. A good chunk of it are progressions that are inline with what CFSBK teaches, but most of them are things we don’t usually practice with enough time in group class (e.g., a good kip swing from the rings, Double Kettlebell Snatches, etc.)

Another part of it is around things we’d never see in a group class. For instance, we spent multiple hours working out and then learning from Chris Hinshaw about different metabolic systems and how to train them. It’s information that’s very valuable if you’re a coach, but also valuable to understand your own basic athletic performance – am I good at recovering, what’s the expected stimulus of this workout, etc.

Would you recommend it?

Rachel: If you haven’t been before, and you’re looking to get a taste of elite level coaching across a wide range of the movements we do in CrossFit (gymnastics, weightlifting, kettlebell, rowing, etc) then hell yes. It’s expensive but also a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity, not to mention so incredibly inspiring and rejuvenating. I left feeling super excited to start working on incorporating what I learned into my regular training, which, given how much I learned, will probably take me a good 6-8 months.

Daniel: Yes. It’s not cheap, but they do provide lodging and (surprisingly good!) food. You get to work with excellent coaches, be part of a group of people that share your same enthusiasm for all things fitness, train with some games athletes (we trained with Alec Smith!), see other games athletes (Matt Fraser stopped by for dinner!).

One of the worries I had was whether I’d feel out of place. Is this gonna be all super fit people and semi-pro athletes? That was NOT the case. Sure, there were people fitter than me, but the culture was very inclusive and nobody really cared about what you can or can’t do.

Thanks, Rachel and Daniel! Check out more photos from their trip on Flickr. 

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Yesterday’s Results Board: NFT Work | Press
To Move Is to Thrive. It’s in Our Genes NY Times
Tastier Tomatoes May Be Making a Comeback Smithsonian

WOD 5.15.19

4 Rounds for Quality:
5 Strict Toes-to-Bars (or Knees-to-Chest)
5e Dumbbell/Kettlebell Windmills
400m Sandbag Carry

Perform the carry with a partner and trade off as needed.

Post work to comments.

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Press

Fitness 
3 x 3

4 sets of 3 reps. Sets across. Add a few pounds to last week. Okay to move to a few heavy doubles or singles as needed.

Performance 
3 x 1 @ 85-90%

3 singles at 85-90% of what you made last week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

Photo by Robert C.

Weekend Events

We have not one but TWO awesome community events on tap for you this weekend. Here’s the deal:

• This Friday at 7:30pm, we’re hosting an evening of friendly cornhole competition. Haven’t played before? Don’t worry! It’s pretty simple, and this video explains everything. All are invited!
• Join us the night of Sunday, May 19th from 8:30 to 10:30pm for a Game of Thrones final episode viewing party! Stick around after Open Gym to experience on of the biggest events in TV history with your fellow fitness fiends. The show starts at 9pm.

The Return of the Vegetable CSA: Discount available!

A few years ago, we offered a vegetable CSA in partnership with Brooklyn Boulders and Common Hands Farm in Hudson, NY. They were our most popular vegetable CSA vendor, so we were sad when they took a few summers off to move farms and re-organize. Happily, the program is back and stronger than ever!

The CSA offers two options: every week or every-other-week deliveries of a wide range of seasonal vegetables. Pickup will be Wednesdays, 4-8, at Brooklyn Boulders.

The full share (every week) is available at a special price for CFSBK members who sign up by Wednesday, May 22nd: $655.

The half share (every other week) is $365 if you sign up by May 22nd.

Sign Up Here!

If you are interested but unable to commit to the whole summer, consider splitting a share with someone (post on the blog to find a buddy!) Folks who pay for a half share (every other week) do get to swap some weeks for others to accommodate for vacations, etc.

If you want help finding a buddy, have questions that the farm’s website doesn’t answer, or want to talk to someone about strategies and recipes for seasonal produce, contact CFSBK’s CSA coordinator, Michele Knaub, at mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | Bike, Row, Run
Watch Julius Maddox Bench 600 Pounds for 8 Reps BarBend
I Now Suspect the Vagus Nerve Is the Key to Well-Being NY Mag

Snatch

1-1-1-1-1 

Work up to a max for the day. Be patient and stay over the bar from the floor through the mid-thigh, before finishing your pull vertically as in previous weeks.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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For Time:
15 Calorie Bike
21 Calorie Row
270m Run

Sprint pace.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Murph Day 2019: Sign Up Now!

On Monday, May 27th from 8am to 1pm, we’ll be doing our annual Memorial Day “Murph” workout. This is a great community event where we perform this classic CrossFit benchmark workout followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. The workout is tough—very tough—but it can, of course, be scaled to meet everyone’s capacity.

“Murph”

For Time:
1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor.” From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

Partition the Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, and Squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a 20-pound vest or body armor, wear it.

There is no charge for the workout, nor will it be deducted from your weekly class limit.

Register Here!

We are looking for volunteers to help out with set up and break down on the day of. Please add your name on the sign-up sheet above if you’d like to help us out! 

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Deadlift | Push Press, Front Rack Carry, Front Squat, Farmer Carry
Ditch the Rigid Meal Plan Breaking Muscle
Training at a Starting Strength Affiliate Gym Starting Strength

Deadlift

Fitness
Heavy Triple

One work set. Heavier than last week. NOT max effort

Performance
Heavy Single 

One work set. Heavier than last week. NOT max effort

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

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20 Minutes or 5 Rounds for Quality:
Using either 2 dumbells or 2 kettlebells…
8 Push Presses
160′ Front Rack Carry
8 Front Squats
160′ Farmer Carry

Use one load for all 4 exercises per set. Work up to a challenging load.

Post work to comments.

Feeling smooshed? In this new vid, Coach David offers some tips on how to unsmoosh yourself through the magic of traction! 

This Sunday: A Totally Radical Total

By Chris Fox

On Sunday, May 19th we’ll be wrapping up our current group class programming cycle with a bang… with a CrossFit Total! You’ve been building your low-end rep strength over the past 8 weeks, and now we’ll be testing at the very lowest end, the 1-rep max (1RM). Classes will start on the hour but expect them to take about 75 minutes instead of our normal 60-minute schedule. The extra 15 minutes will allow enough time to warm up properly and have sufficient rest between your attempts. Programming for the day will look like this:

Back Squat 1-1-1
Press 1-1-1
Deadlift 1-1-1

What this means is that after your warm ups, you will have 3 attempts at a 1RM on each lift. You can take fewer attempts if you wish but not more. You will “declare” an “opener” (your 1st attempt) and have 2 more attempts after that. Misses count as attempts. Knowing this, come prepared with a plan. Your plan can (and should) be somewhat flexible but we don’t recommend playing it entirely by ear on the day of. Use the last few weeks as a guide on what your opener should be and what you want to make by your 3rd lift (hopefully a new 1RM!).

In the end your score is the sum total of your best successful Squat, Press, and Deadlift. We’ve done some heavy singles and triples on all three lifts recently, so use those numbers to guide you (more helpful links below) on where to open and what to shoot for. I cannot recommend enough to choose an opener that you feel 100% confident you can make. The confidence you’ll build under the bar by nailing that first successful lift cannot be understated.

• Preparing to 1RM
• Heavy: A Response
• Heavy Thoughts
• Set Your Back (But What’s My Back?)
• Settling for a New PR