WOD 2.6.19

3-5 Sets:
6e Alternating Lateral Lunges
6 Strict Chin-Ups
6e Single-Arm Kettlebell/Dumbbell High Pulls

Work up to a challenging set on each exercise. Add weight to the Lunges (goblet-style) and use assistance as needed on the Chin-Ups.

Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 7

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Perfomance
For Time:
550m Run
21-15-9
Hang Power Cleans 135/95
Ring Dips
550m Run

The barbell should be medium-heavy for you. If you have some Dips but not 45, scale to 15-9-6 or 9-6-3. You should be able to do sets of 7+ Dips to attempt the Rx volume. Begin and end the workout with a 550m run.

Fitness
For Time:
550m Run
21-15-9
Hang Power Cleans 95/65
Box Dips or Push-Ups
550m Run

The barbell should be medium-heavy for you. If you have some Box Dips but not 45, scale to 15-9-6 or 9-6-3, or to Push-Ups with a similar strategy. Begin and end the workout with a 550m run.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Better Know a Member: Matt Cooper

Blog readers can look forward to new installments of our Better Know a Member series in early 2019. For the past 3 years, we’ve been bringing you these profiles from across our community of kind, interesting, wonderful members. In our previous edition, we got to know comedian Maria H. a little better. Today, let’s talk to someone else with a cool job, Matt Cooper!

Name (and any nicknames):

Matt Cooper (COOP). Generally, I go by Matt and use COOP on the whiteboard. But I answer to both.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. It was an interesting childhood.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK?

I’ve been at it for two years. Before, I was going to a “normal” gym without much progress. Then my stepdad, a former Green Beret and affiliate owner, suggested I try CrossFit. So I did my homework and found the CFSBK reviews to be overwhelmingly positive. I signed up, went through Foundations (shout-out to Coach Fox), and the rest is history. Looking back, I definitely made a good life choice.

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street?

Currently I’m across the street, rowing my tail off for Nick Peterson’s Crash-Bs program. Aside from that, I spend most of time traveling and performing as a psychic entertainer (aka Mentalist). Usually, I’m hired by corporations for special events to entertain a group of executives. But lately, I’ve been doing some public shows and little TV spots here and there. Outside of my career in show business, I love shooting street photography. It’s just a hobby, but I find it extremely gratifying to do something artistic and have no one to answer to.

What’s your hidden talent?

I’m well versed in mnemonics: the ancient Greek system of memory. I got into it when I was learning to count cards for Black Jack, like the MIT group from the movie 21. But it turns out, card counting isn’t as glamorous as Hollywood suggests. Fortunately, advanced mnemonics (like the Memory Palace) are quite useful outside of the casino. It’ll work with anything: names, dates, books, grocery lists, etc. If you’re interested, read Moonwalking with Einstein. It’ll open your mind to the amazing world of super power memory.

Do you have any unusual rituals, superstitions, or habits?

When I’m feeling nervous or uneasy about something, death metal music really helps a lot. Maybe because I’m interested in death from a stoic philosophy standpoint. After all, death is what makes life precious… Now I know it’s not for everyone, but I find this genre to be a reliable source of encouragement. It is raw power and pure feeling. It conjures up this explosive energy that is both physical and emotional, and it puts me in a cheerful state of mind. In terms of ritual, I’ll listen to it before big workouts, and ALWAYS before going on stage to perform.

What are you recommending right now?

Letter writing. Send a funny postcard to a friend, a love note to loved one, or type-written letter to Tom Hanks. It doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as it arrives in the mail unexpectedly. It’s such a wonderful exercise in creativity, generosity, and surprise. Get yourself a nice pen, some stationary, or even an old school typewriter — then write. Don’t worry about it being deep or poetic or perfect. It’s the effort which makes it 10x times more meaningful than a Hallmark card. Also, California-Typewriter is a cool documentary to get the creative juices flowing.

Any advice for new CFSBKers?

Sure! Part of what makes CrossFit so fun is community, which is particularly true at CFSBK. But meeting people is tough when you’re new in town. So try to come in a few minutes early and stretch out with the cool kids (hint, everyone is the cool kid at CFSBK). An easy icebreaker is discussing the WOD (work out of the day). Before you know it, you’ll have some real life gym buddies, which makes coming to the gym so much easier.

News and Notes

• We can’t wait to see you at the Community Potluck this Saturday night! Head over to the event page for more details and to let us know what you’re bringing!
• We’re always trying to get better at what we do. If you have a minute, head over to the Feedback page and tell us about your experience at the gym!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
We’ve Lost Touch with Our Bodies Scientific American
Should Pregnant Clients Do High-Impact Exercise Girls Gone Strong

Today is a scheduled rest/recovery day, but don’t worry! We are open and running on our normal schedule. In today’s CrossFit group classes, you’ll have the option of doing either yesterday or tomorrow’s programming, which can be found in the comments section of today and every Rest Day’s post.

Upcoming Programming Cycle Template

Training Cycle Dates: M 2/4/19 – Su 3/24/19

Goals: To stay fresh through the CrossFit Open, which runs from February 21st through March 24th. We’ll program regular metcons and strength/skill work with a bias toward the movements and formats that are typically seen in the Open. This mesocycle (the 7 weeks) will run on a 3 day microcycle, a departure from the 5 day microcycle we’ve run for some time now. The shorter microcycle will allow for more frequent exposure to movements as a focus of the day, and give folks who come on set days to fewer than 5 CrossFit classes in a week more variance in their training. It will still “feel” pretty similar to recent cycles, the main difference being that Wednesdays won’t always be Squats, and Thursday and Sunday won’t always be Olympic lifts. Saturday will still be Wild-And-Crazy-WOD day, especially when the Open starts!

Day 1

Hinge

Day 2

Press

Day 3

Squat

Register for the Open!

By the time this post goes up, we’ll be just 16 days away from the announcement of Open Workout 19.1. Go here to register! And please take a minute to fill out this short survey, so we know if you’re interested in participating in our Intramural Team Competition!

There are so many good reasons to register, and we tried to convey some of those reasons on the blog last week. But today we thought we’d throw it over to you guys to help us recruit more competitors. So…

Have you participated in the Open in the past, or do you plan to this year? Tell everyone about your experience! Why did you do it, and what did you learn? Why did you sign up this year?

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Yesterday’s Results Board: RDL, Z Press, Skin-the-Cat | Sit-Ups, Squats, Box Jumps
I Wish I Could Do That Breaking Muscle
So You’re Saying My Seltzer Is Not Made of Crushed Up Bliss NY Mag

WOD 2.4.19

4-6 Rounds:
6e Barbell Split Stance Romanian Deadlift
6e Alternating Dumbbell Z-Press
2-4 Skin the Cats

Spend about 20 minutes rotating through the three exercises, resting about 30-60 seconds between movements. Scale the Skin the Cats to low rings as needed, and use a jump on both ends to come through. Use as much control as possible on the descent, fighting not to drop. Build to a challenging set on each of the movements.

Post work to comments.
Week 1 of 8

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AMRAP 10 Minutes:
30 Sit-Ups
20 Squats
10 Box Jumps 24/20

Post Rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

One of our biggest and best community events is less than a week away!

Saturday: CFSBK Community Potluck

This year’s Community Potluck goes down this Saturday, February 9th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come. Bring your friends and family!

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge: animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, and whole grains are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Coach David!
• We’ll be doing karaoke again this year! In case you want to practice beforehand, these are the YouTube channels we’ll be using: Sing King Karaoke and Karafun.
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE (for kids).
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail Coach Brett at Brett [at] Crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let him know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page. 

Get your heavy-duty plates ready. We can’t wait to see you there!

News and Notes

• Our new 8-week training cycle starts today! We’ll have the full template up on the blog tomorrow.
• Are you participating in the 2019 Open? Please take a minute to fill out this short survey, so we know if you’re interested in participating in our Intramural Team Competition!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean | Wall Balls, Kettlebell Swings, Row
Why Should I Even Still Do The Open? Morning Chalk Up
Can Low-Impact Sports Like Cycling Be Putting Your Bones At Risk? NY Times

Clean

Every Minute on the Minute x 20:
1 Clean

These are intended to be full (Squat) Cleans. You can (but don’t have to) increase weight on the 6th, 11th, and 16th reps.

Post loads to comments.
Week 8 of 8

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For Time:
40 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
40 Russian Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg
40/30 Calorie Row

Fast burner, and a repeat if you’ve done Foundations with us in the past year or so! Set a fast pace and GO.

Post time and Rx to comments.

The coloring station was quite popular at yesterday’s Kids’ Night Out

CrossFit Youth Programs at CFSBK

Our CrossFit youth programs emphasize physical development through games and age-appropriate “workouts.” Most importantly, we’re all about having FUN! Think of it like the gym class you wish you had growing up!

Developing a positive association between fitness, physical activity, and the joy of movement is the primary goal of our programs. Our Preschool and Kids classes are comprised of games, obstacle courses, relay races, basic gymnastics, and other engaging physical activities. The Preteens program is focused on building strength, stamina, endurance, and grit. Teens class begin to look more like CrossFit with basic weight training, calisthenics, and conditioning workouts. 

Days & Times

CF Preschool (3-4 years old): Sundays, 9am – 10am
CF Kids (5-7 years old): Mondays, 3:30pm to 4:30pm and Sundays, 10am – 11am
CF Preteens (8-11 years old): Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
CF Teens (12-17 years old): Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

We also offer CrossFit Kids birthday parties!

To learn more, head over to the Kids & Teens program page! 

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Yesterday’s Results Board: WODurday
Does Intermittent Fasting Work? Scientific American
The First Rep Starting Strength

WOD 2.2.19

15 Minutes or 3-5 Rounds:
5e Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats
5 Strict Chin-Ups
20s Side Plank

Add weight to the Split Squats as able (Goblet or Suitcase), and add weight or use assistance to the Chins as needed.

Post work to comments
Week 8 of 8

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Performance
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
60 Double-Unders
40 Dumbbell Hang Clean and Jerks 50/35
20 Burpees

Fitness
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
60 Alternating Jump Rope Foot Steps
40 Dumbbell Hang Clean and Jerks 35/20
20 Burpees

The Dumbbell Hang Clean and Jerks are 20 each side. Split them up as desired. 20 minutes is a long time to move though this triplet, so set a sustainable pace and aim to keep moving.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Tonight: CFSBK KIDS’ NIGHT OUT!

Do want a night off for yourself and your kids? Of course you do! So sign up for tonight’s CFSBK Kids’ Night Out! Your kid will engage in fun movement activities and games, eat pizza, and watch a movie.

What:  We’ve organized a night of CrossFit kids physical activities and games. We’ll all share a pizza dinner and then watch a movie on our big screen.
When: TONIGHT from 4pm to 8pm
Who: Kids ages 4-12
Cost: $60 per child with a 50% discount for additional siblings. Dinner will be provided.

News and Notes

• Our Level 2 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu starts tomorrow afternoon, and there are still spots left. Go HERE for more info and to sign up!
• We’re just one week away from our annual Community Potluck. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. Head over to the event page to learn more and let us know what you plan to bring!

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My CrossFit Box Is Saving Me Right Now Morning Chalk Up
Chill Beats to Relax to JSTOR Daily

When you realize that the CrossFit Open is less than 3 weeks away

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. On Monday, we gave you 5 reasons to sign up for the 2019 Open. If you do decide to take our advice, please take a minute to fill out this short survey, so we know if you’re interested in participating in our Intramural Team Competition!

2. Jared Klett is our January Athlete of the Month. Congrats, Jared! Check out Tuesday’s post to learn more about this Deadlifting, octahedron-building, longtime CFSBK member.

3. Want a night off for yourself and your kids? Of course you do! So sign up for our CFSBK Kids’ Night Out, which goes down tomorrow night from 4 to 8pm. Your kid will engage in fun movement activities and games, eat pizza, and watch a movie while you do… well, whatever you want!

4. Our Level 2 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu starts this Sunday. Go HERE for more info and to sign up!

5. This year’s Community Potluck goes down on Saturday, February 9th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. Head over to the event page to learn more and let us know what you plan to bring!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Hang Power Snatches, Pull-Ups, Deadlifts
Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They’re Saying NY Times
The Forgotten Art of Squatting Is a Revelation Quartz

WOD 1.31.19

AMRAP 15 Minutes:
10 Hang Power Snatches 115/80
20 Pull-Ups
30 Deadlifts 115/80

The Hang Power Snatch should be light-medium for you, and the Deadlift should be very light. Consider your stamina for high-rep Pull-Ups, and scale some volume as needed. The sub for Pull-Ups today is Jumping Pull-Ups.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.
Week 8 of 8

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Cash Out

4 Sets:
10 Dumbbell Lateral Raises
10 Dumbbell Presses
Max Reps Dumbbell Curls

Use the same weight for all three movements. Rest as needed between sets.

Post work to comments.

Have you been rehearsing for potluck karaoke?

Next Saturday: CFSBK Community Potluck!

This year’s Community Potluck goes down on Saturday, February 9th! We’re excited to get everyone in house to break bacon and socialize together outside of classes. This event will simultaneously kick off the new year, support the Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge, and bring folks from all times and corners of the gym together. The fun starts at 7pm and will continue until around 10. This event is open to everyone and all are encouraged to come. Bring your friends and family!

Your dish doesn’t have to be paleo, but please try and keep the ingredients of your dish to within the guidelines of the Challenge: animal and vegetable proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, starches, legumes, and whole grains are all good to go. We’ll vote on the top 3 dishes, so bring your best recipe! You may, of course, opt to bring a healthy dessert that limits the use of sugars and refined grains.

• The gym will provide some alcohol, but feel free to bring whatever else you’d like. If you’re not drinking booze and want to bring a drink, seltzer is great, too!
• If your food needs to be kept warm, you’ll need to provide your own crockpot or other method for keeping it at serving temperature. We’ve got surge protectors and extension cords.
• We’ll provide notecards so you can label your dish and list its ingredients.
• When you leave please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave any pots, pans, Tupperware, utensils, etc. They will be discarded that night.
• There will be a raffle for one free personal training session with Coach David!
• We’ll be doing karaoke again this year! In case you want to practice beforehand, these are the YouTube channels we’ll be using: Sing King Karaoke and Karafun.
• THERE WILL ALSO BE A BOUNCE HOUSE (for kids).
• If you’d like to help out (and haven’t already been contacted) we’ll need some hands on deck putting everything away afterwards. If you stay until the end, we’d greatly appreciate some help cleaning up!
• We also need some volunteers to help set up before and clean up afterwards. To help set up, arrive by 6:30 PM! E-mail Coach Brett at Brett [at] Crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let him know you’re available.
• Let us know what you’re bringing by posting in the comments section of the event page. 

Get your heavy-duty plates ready. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Bar Muscle-Up Work | Front Squat
Victor Assaf’s Surgeon Said, “Forget About CrossFit.” He Didn’t Listen. Morning Chalk Up
Why It Hurts to Lose Sleep NY Times

Bar Muscle-Up

Performance
Every Minute on the Minute x 10:
5 Burpees + 2-5 Bar Muscle-Ups

The goal is no misses on the Muscle-Ups. Choose a number that allows you to practice perfecting the movement as best as possible. Stay smooth and steady on the Burpees.

Fitness
Spend some time working skills and drills at an appropriate level to develop or refine the Bar Muscle-Up:

A) 3-5 Band Resisted Bar Transitions (develops strength and awareness of the lats in pulling the bar to the hips)
B) 3-5 Jumping Bar Muscle-Ups (develops speed in the turnover)
C) 3-5 Band Front Lever Pulls (develops lat strength, necessary for the pull… the most important part!)

Rest as needed between sets, aiming for 5-8 sets total.

Post work to comments.
Week 8 of 8

_____________________

Front Squat

3-3-3

Work up to a heavy triple for the day. Goal is no misses.

Post loads to comments.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at CFSBK: Register Now!

Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) is a full-contact grappling style that prioritizes strategy over brute force. Literally translating to the “soft” or “pliable” (jiu) “style” (jitsu), it is often thought of as the chess of martial arts. BJJ is, at its core, a self-defense system that employs positional advantages, joint locks, and chokes to defend against an opponent or attacker in an assertive and elegant manner. You needn’t be stronger than your opponent to subdue them, which makes BJJ one of the most practical and effective martial arts for all ages and sizes. There is no striking in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a submission grappling art based on efficiency of movement, leverage, and timing.

In Level 2, we will build on concepts and vocabulary of movement from the various positions with a larger portion of class-time dedicated to progressive resistance drilling, positional sparring, and straight sparring. If you have grappling experience from the past, you are welcome to jump into the Level 2 course!

This is a 4 week course that meets once per week.

Days & Times

Level 2 (February 3rd – February 27th): Sundays, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Pricing

$100 (1 class per week)

About the Coach

Callie Brennan is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Team Fabio Clemente. Callie has been training and competing for the past 7 years. She began teaching beginner and intermediate students under the guidance of Pan American champion Babs Olusanmokun and multiple time World and Pan American champion Dominyka Obelenyte. Callie has competed locally and internationally winning gold at American Nationals as a white belt, the Montreal IBJJF Open at blue belt, and New York IBJJF Open at purple belt in her weight. She also medaled in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials at blue belt.

Callie recently founded Rag Doll Camps with her training partner and coach, Dominyka Obelenyte, with a mission to close the gender gap in the sport. She also teaches privately. Callie initially began CrossFit to supplement her jiu-jitsu practice, and she is looking forward to sharing it with the CFSBK community!

Feel free to contact Callie directly with any questions!

REGISTER HERE!

This Saturday: CFSBK KIDS’ NIGHT OUT!

Do want a night off for yourself and your kids? Of course you do! So sign up for our CFSBK Kids’ Night Out on February 2nd! Your kid will engage in fun movement activities and games, eat pizza, and watch a movie.

What:  We’ve organized a night of CrossFit kids physical activities and games. We’ll all share a pizza dinner and then watch a movie on our big screen.
When: Saturday, February 2nd from 4pm to 8pm
Who: Kids ages 4-12
Cost: $60 per child with a 50% discount for additional siblings. Dinner will be provided.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Making This Your Year to Compete Breaking Muscle
How Are Bodies Shaped? transathletes.org

Today is a scheduled rest/recovery day, but don’t worry! We are open and running on our normal schedule. In today’s CrossFit group classes, you’ll have the option of doing either yesterday or tomorrow’s programming, which can be found in the comments section of today and every Rest Day’s post.

January Athlete of the Month: Jared Klett

By Christian Fox

The first month of 2019 brings us an Athlete of the Month who, if you don’t log many morning hours doing Open Gym at 608, you may actually not know. Or you might know him as the tall, dark, handsome, and strong in a Jeff Goldblum kind of way guy, quietly smashing big weights. And to not know him is a shame! Jared Klett has humbly been making progress in his fitness for quite some time with (and without) us, and is the only human we know who can Deadlift over 400 lbs and also create a 10 foot tall octahedron out of LED lights! What the heck is an octahedron? You’ll have to read on to find out.

Fox: Hey, Jared! Congrats on being the latest CFSBK Athlete of the Month. We’ll start at the beginning. When and why did you begin your journey at CrossFit South Brooklyn?

Jared: I took Foundations somewhere around 2011, a short while after moving to Gowanus. After completing that and starting group classes, I quickly discovered the limitations a lifetime of sitting at a computer had created in my body. I took a big step back and began a years-long journey towards correcting those and being able to do simple, fundamental things like drop into a deep squat with confidence.

Fox: What were you doing fitness-wise prior to that?

Jared: In my 20s I was primarily a distance runner. As I got older, those runs became harder and harder to recover from. I started exploring boxing and martial arts combined with HIIT workouts and got a taste of what I’d been missing for years: strength, not just endurance.

Fox: What were your initial impressions of the CFSBK environment?

Jared: It was unlike any gym I’d ever set foot in. No machines! Lots of barbells! It was simultaneously intimidating and intriguing. The intimidation quickly evaporated when talking with the coaches and other members. In those intervening years, I tried a number of other fitness environments (like the aforementioned boxing/HIIT workouts) but have always found myself drawn back to CFSBK.

Fox: What’s your athletic background?

Jared: I was thoroughly unathletic as a child, although I did some sports and activities here and there. I played at having a gym membership when I first moved to NYC but wouldn’t say I was really into anything until I started outdoor running.

Fox: Where did you grow up?

Jared: I was born in Illinois, but my family moved to New Jersey when I was two years old, so I usually just say that’s where I’m from. I loved coming to the city when I was younger, so it’s not a huge surprise I ended up here. While no one else in my family is necessarily athletic either, we did do lots of outdoorsy things when I was growing up like camping, going to the beach, and the like.

Fox: How’d you end up in Brooklyn?

Jared: After graduating from college, I had job offers from companies in Silicon Valley and NYC. I decided on the latter, and moved to Sunset Park, Brooklyn in ‘99. Almost 20 years, and 6 apartments later, it’s pretty clear I love it here.

Fox: How do you spend your days?

Jared: I’m a software engineer by career, and really enjoy building things from the ground up. So I seem to find myself perpetually either working for a small startup company or starting my own. Otherwise, I’m either spending time with family (who also come to CFSBK!) or dabbling with an electronics project.

Fox: Any fun hobbies that don’t involve barbells or CrossFit?

Jared: In the last few years I’ve worked on a variety of light art installations, sometimes with a group of friends, sometimes solo. Most recently I created a system of LED-based tubes out of clear PVC that can be assembled into geometric shapes. I used them to build two 10’ tall octahedra at an art festival in upstate NY last year, which was pretty fun. There are some photos and video on my Instagram: @jaredklett. Otherwise, it’s been a few years but I also played drums in a couple bands.

Fox: Get ready for thousands of follows… This will likely be the beginning of your side hustle as an influencer on social media! 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?

Jared: That’s a tough one. I’ve tried to live by a credo that goes something like, “We regret the things we didn’t do, not the things we did.” That’s a message I strongly believe in that might be of benefit to others, and they might be receptive to hearing.

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?

Jared: After a while I felt like I was stagnating with the martial arts/HIIT workouts, so I picked up a copy of Starting Strength and it felt like it addressed what I was missing. The gym I went to at the time had usable but not optimal equipment for the four main lifts, so I tolerated that for a while before I had made enough progress where I felt I had to start training in a proper facility. I rejoined CFSBK as an Open Gym-er in July of 2017 and became laser focused. I had a few setbacks along the way but have made a ton of progress. I recently PR’ed my Deadlift at 415, Squat at 305, Bench at 260, and Overhead Press at 135.

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

Jared: A lesson that was hard for me to learn was to leave my ego at the door when I walk in. There are lots of badass athletes here and it’s easy to get caught up in that energy and start chasing weight or something that may be beyond your reach. I would say patience is key, and to quote Henry Rollins, “Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.”

Fox: What keeps you coming back to CFSBK?

Jared: I’ve now dropped in on a few CrossFit gyms in my travels, and they’re all very nice but there’s something particular about CFSBK. It’s a unique combination of top quality equipment, the energy brought by the members here, and the friendly, deep expertise of the coaching staff.

Fox: What qualities are important to you for a future AOM?

Jared: I’ve been the recipient of some excellent advice and help from my fellow members, so I would say someone who isn’t afraid to approach another member with some friendly words of advice, an offer of a spot, or something as simple as a high five. I tend to get very internally focused in the gym, but lately have been trying to spend some attention on what’s going on around me and return the favor… if they’re not in the middle of a set, of course.

Fox: Thanks, Jared!

News and Notes

• Are you participating in the 2019 Open? Please take a minute to fill out this short survey, so we know if you’re interested in participating in our Intramural Team Competition!
• Want a night off for yourself and your kids? Of course you do! So sign up for our CFSBK Kids’ Night Out this Saturday, February 2nd. Your kid will engage in fun movement activities and games, eat pizza, and watch a movie while you do… well, whatever you want!

_____________________
Yesterday’s Results Board: Dumbbell Bench Press, Farmer Carries, Bike
Does Wearing Weightlifting Gear Really Make a Difference Greatist
Here Are 21 Covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” The Outline

WOD 1.28.19

1) 12 Dumbbell Bench Presses
2) 150′ Single-Arm Farmer Carry, each arm
3) 7/5 Calorie Bike, as fast as possible 

Spend about 30 minutes today rotating through the exercises. Build to challenging sets on the Dumbbell Bench and the Farmer Carries. For the bike sprints, take the first one at what feels like 90%, then go all out on each one after, resting as needed before returning to the bench press. Aim for between 5 and 8 sets total.

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Week 8 of 8

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Cash Out

4 Rounds:
10-30s L-Sit

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Allie B. and Coach Whit embrace after Allie’s first-ever Muscle-Up in Open Workout 18.3 | Photo by Thomas H. 

The Countdown to the 2019 Crossfit Open Begins

We’re now less than a month away from the start of the 2019 CrossFit Open! 2018 was a big year for the gym, and we want to keep the good vibes rolling in 2019. That’s why we’re aiming to have 200 CFSBKers register for the Open this year! Rory McKernan explains what the Open is in this video from last year, but here are 5 really good reasons why you should participate:

1. As in years past, there will be both Rx’d and Scaled versions of each workout. So don’t fret if you don’t have those Pull-Ups or Muscle-Ups or What-Have-Yous yet.

2. We’ll be running the CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competition again this year, and you’ll have to be officially registered for Open to take part.  This competition aims to promote a healthy community rivalry and provide motivation for all Open competitors to perform their best each week. Perhaps most importantly, there will be t-shirts!

3. FRIDAY. NIGHT. LIGHTS. Each Open Intramural team will send a male and a female competitor to this super-fun throw down that we’ll host all 5 weeks of the Open. Check out some of our photos from last year here and here!

4. Competition is fun and good for you, even if you’re not the competitive type! Read Coach Fox’s blog classic “Why Compete?” That about sums it up.

5. The Open best expresses the fundamentally democratic spirit of CrossFit. It’s easy to forget about that when you watch incredible athletes doing incredible things in the Games. But in the Open, everyone has a chance to prove something to themselves, and at CFSBK, we’re lucky to be able to do that in an environment in which your fellow athletes will cheer you on, whether you’re a veteran, a rookie, or somewhere in between. If you’re thinking about doing it, do it!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Power Cleans, Handstand Push-Ups
The State of Our Union’s Children Breaking Muscle
Canada’s Food Guide Government of Canada