Mush! Mush! Check out Thomas H.’s photoset from last weekend’s Strong Fit class. Strong Fit meets Saturdays at 8am. Check it out if you want to do fun stuff like this! 

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. With just 10 days to go until the main event, we’re currently at just over $10,000 raised for Brooklyn Community Foundation, which is 42% of our $25,000 goal. Yesterday we provided a template for a last-minute email you can send to your friends, family, and coworkers. Can we get to 50% by the end of the day? Let’s do it!

2. The 4th and final event of this year’s Subway Series goes down tomorrow at CrossFit Virtuosity. See our event page for details, and if you’re looking for something fun to do, head up to Williamsburg and cheer for our CFSBK athletes!

3. Want to learn from the best and train for the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championship? Olympian Coach Nick (whose boat just won the men’s 40+ at the Head of the Charles!) will prepare participants in the months leading up to race day, which is February 25th, in Boston. Come to Coach Nick’s kick-off meeting at 12:15 this Sunday, October 29th in the Annex. This meeting is open and free to anyone who’s “erg-curious” and wants to learn more about what’s involved. There will not be a workout.

4. Ever wonder what CFSBK would look like if it transformed into an art gallery? Well, those of us that participated in or attended CFSBK’s previous Art Shows know it looks pretty awesome. Our fourth Art Show will be Saturday, November 18th, and we need to know by Wednesday, November 1st whether you want to participate.  See Tuesday’s post for details!

5. As we’ve mentioned on the blog in the past, Coach KHarpz is writing a series for our friends at beyond the whiteboard on her training for next year’s Northeast Regionals. Check out her 3rd and most recent installment, “Swole Searching: How Bad Do I Want It?”

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean | SDHPs, Burpees, Thursters
Unplug from Technology for the Bigger Lifts BarBend
In the Wake of Harvey CrossFit Journal (video)

Clean

Every Minute x 15:
Power Clean

Lots of reps with a short turn around time again today. Keep the weight medium-heavy and focus on an aggressive 2nd pull and, even though they’re powers, pulling under the bar with consistent footwork.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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For Time:
30 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 95/65
15 Burpees
30 Thrusters 95/65
15 Burpees
30 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 95/65

The barbell should be medium-heavy for both movements.

Post time and Rx to comments.

CrossFit Kids Coach Lynsey shows us the correct Fight Gone Bad-face. Don’t forget that we give a FGB Spirit Award for the best costumes/team spirit. Check out more shots from last year’s action here! | Photo by Thomas H. 

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-10 Days!)

With just 10 days to go until the main event, we’re currently at $9,172 raised for Brooklyn Community Foundation, which is 37% of our $25,000 goal. We’ve done an amazing job so far, but now it’s crunch time, gang! Every dollar we raise will benefit great local programs. Learn more about the Brooklyn Community Foundation and all the great work they’ve done. They support a variety of artistic, agricultural, environmental, social, and educational programs helping people of all ages. No doubt there are several programs they’ve helped that you identify with.

Congrats to those teams and individually topping our leaderboards on CrowdRise! Below are our top fundraisers from both the individual and team divisions (as of 5:30pm Wednesday night):

Top Five Teams:

1. Ziggy WODdust and the Squatters from Mars: $2,334
2. Superheroes Gone Bad: $1,873
3. Foam Roller Derby: $1,725
4. Hallowed By Thy Gains: $825
5. Ruth Bader Gunsburg: $645

Top Five Individuals:

1. Charles S.: $1,725
2. Scott M.:$1,170
3. Lizzie D.: $1,064
4. Patrick S.:$825
5. Katherine D.: $790

Send a last-minute email to your friends and family! Maybe something like this?

Dear ______ [insert name],

I know you probably think I’m bananas for doing CrossFit, but I love it so much—largely because my gym, CrossFit South Brooklyn, is so freaking awesome and doesn’t just care about getting “swole” (defined by the Urban Dictionary as the state of being very muscular and/or buff and in good shape), but we also care about helping our neighbors in Brooklyn.

That’s why I need your help! Through this fun competition we’re doing on Saturday, we’re raising money for a local organization called Brooklyn Community Foundation. BCF supports tons of great and important programs in Brooklyn.

Donate here, and I promise to send you a photo of me drenched in sweat after I crush this workout on Saturday. Also, I’ll love you forever!

XXOO _______ [your name] 

Coach KHarpz at Beyond the Whiteboard

As we’ve mentioned on the blog in the past, Coach KHarpz is writing a series for our friends at beyond the whiteboard on her training for next year’s Northeast Regionals. Check out her 3rd and most recent installment, “Swole Searching: How Bad Do I Want It?” (Great title!)

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Back Squat | Front Squats, Ring Dips
I Wish I Had Bones: Quit Relaxing at the Top of Your Pull! Catalyst Athletics
How Absurd Do You Like Your Art? Nautilus

Tempo Back Squat (20X1)

3 x 6

Heavier than last week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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Performance
For Time:
21-15-9
Front Squats 135/95
Ring Dips

Fitness
For Time:
21-15-9
Front Squats 135/95
Push-Ups

Post time and Rx to comments.

Congrats to Coach Nick who won the 40+ men’s 8 at the 3-mile Head of the Charles race by 16 seconds. You may have seen him on the erg a lot lately – it’s all been just for this race. More photos from the race can be seen here.

This Sunday: CRASH-Bs Kick-Off Meeting

Want to learn from the best and train for the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championship? Olympian Coach Nick will prepare participants in the months leading up to race day, which is February 25th, in Boston. Come to Coach Nick’s kick-off meeting at 12:15 on Sunday, October 29th in the Annex. This meeting is open and free to anyone who’s “erg-curious” and wants to learn more about what’s involved. There will not be a workout.

Here’s some basic info:

• The events at CRASH-Bs are individual
• You don’t have to be a CFSBK member to participate—so tell your non-SBK friends! (If you have any!)
• The group will get together for three technique clinics (each of which will conclude with a workout) and three or four races
• Participants will do the workouts on their own
• Nick will provide programming and support—including video analysis of your technique—throughout the program
• Anyone can join—there is no minimum performance requirement

At the kick-off meeting, Coach Nick will explain the program in detail.

Send Coach Nick an email at Nick [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com if you plan to show up or if you have any questions.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
A Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness The Atlantic
The Boring Part of Weightlifting: Recovery & Restoration Catalyst Athletics

Saul M.’s art on display at last year’s CFSBK Art Show

Call for Artists in CFSBK’s Fourth Art Show, on November 18, 2017

Ever wonder what CFSBK would look like if it transformed into an art gallery? Well, those of us that participated in or attended CFSBK’s previous Art Shows know it looks pretty awesome. Our fourth Art Show will be Saturday, November 18th, and we need to know by Wednesday, November 1st whether you want to participate. 

The aim of the evening isn’t to sell the work of our artists (though if that happens, great), but to showcase the often hidden talents of CrossFitters, bring our community together in a novel way, and to continue being the coolest CrossFit gym on the planet.

Want to Participate?

We’re excited about everyone who has reached out so far, but we want to hear from more of you. If you are an artist (even if your art is just a hobby) and a CrossFitter at CFSBK or beyond, reach out to Kate R. at katharinereece [at] gmail.com by November 1st, 2017 to get on the roster of artists. If you haven’t participated before, your email MUST INCLUDE 2-3 images of pieces you would consider showing or pieces that are similar to what you would create for the show. The volume of responses we receive will determine how many of your pieces we can include.

Note: Several of you have asked if anyone can participate. Yes, but the artist MUST be a CrossFitter. They don’t have to work out at CFSBK.

The more diversity of mediums the better—painting, photography, film, collage, printmaking, dance, design, drawings, textiles, installations, or something we haven’t heard of yet.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Press / Sumo Deadlift | Row, Wall Walks, Rope Climb
Stefi Cohen Deadlifts 525 Pounds at 123 Pounds Bodyweight BarBend
The Incredible Progress of Daily Practice Zen Habits

Press / Sumo Deadlift Superset*

A1) Tempo (31X1) Press:
3 x 6 

Heavier than last week.

A2) Tempo (31×1)  Sumo Deadlift:
3 x 6

At or close to your 8RM on 10.9.17.

*Warm up and then perform a set of Presses, followed by a set of Sumo Deadlifts. Repeat for 3 work sets of each, resting about a minute between movements.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8
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21 Minutes Not for Rounds:
21/14 Calorie Row or 270m Jog
7 Wall Walks
3 Rope Climbs

Scale a bit of volume on the Wall Walks and Rope Climbs if you can’t do them relatively unbroken. Aim to keep moving for the entire time.

Post work to comments.

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update

With just under 2 weeks until the big event, we’ve raised just over $7,000 for Brooklyn Community Foundation, which is around 30% of our $25,000 goal! Ziggy WODdust and the Squatters from Mars are still holding onto first 1st with Foam Roller Derby in 2nd. Charles S. is still our top individual fundraiser. It’s crunch time, gang! Let’s get going!

We’re still looking for donations from sponsors to give away as prizes on the day of the event. Please contact our Events Coordinator Danae at Events [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com with your treasures.

Go Hear Stella Z. Sing!

Want to treat yourself to a post-FGB evening of music? Here’s a note from Stella: “My choir, the Oratorio Society of New York, will be performing an all-Brahms program at Carnegie Hall at 8 PM on Monday, November 6. We will be doing the gorgeous German Requiem and the Schicksalslied (“Song of Destiny”). I have 1 ticket available in the rear balcony for $25 each (no online ticket fees like the box office has!). If you’d like one, please email me at stellavision [at] gmail.com. You can also get tickets in other sections of the auditorium here.”

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Snatch | Double-Unders, Power Snatches
Should We End Aging Forever? Kurzgesagt (vide0)
Living Large After Lung Loss CrossFit Journal

Snatch

Performance
Snatch Balance:
1-1-1-1-1

Build to a 1RM Snatch Balance.

Fitness
Tempo Overhead Squat (2211):
2-2-2-2-2

Warm up and perform 5 heavy doubles. You’ll likely have to jerk these into position to begin. Open at a load that’s challenging but allows you to hold solid positions and go up from there as appropriate. The goal is no fails. Make sure your area is clear to bail safely.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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AMRAP 5 Minutes:
30 Double-Unders
15 Power Snatches 75/55

Rest 5 minutes, then…

AMRAP 5 Minutes:
30 Double-Unders
15 Power Snatches 75/55

The barbell should be light for you and unbroken on the fast end. Scale the Dubs to Singles as needed. Use lighter bars with larger bumps to save the plates from bailing.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Hoop it up | Photo by Thomas H. 

Next Saturday: The Subway Series at CrossFit Virtuosity

Another year has gone by, and it’s time once again for an NYC affiliate throw down: the seventh annual Subway Series! All NYC affiliates are invited to participate—the affiliate with the best overall score at the end of four events wins the Subway Series Trophy and bragging rights for a whole year! This year, the 4th and final event happens at CrossFit Virtuosity on Saturday, October 28th!

This year’s Subway Series is using a team format (M/M and F/F) and there are both Scaled and Rx’d divisions, so we hope as many CFSBKers as possible will sign up. As you can tell from last year’s photos, it’s a fun day. You can register below, but hurry: early bird pricing only lasts through September 5th!

Register Here!
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Yesterday’s Results Board: Burpees, Deadlifts, Thrusters, Run, Bar Muscle-Ups
Finding Her Voice Athlete Daily
The Surprising Survey of American Fears Smithsonian

For Time…

3 Rounds for Time:
15 Lateral Burpees Over-the-Bar
9 Deadlifts 155/105
6 Thrusters 155/105

10 minute cap. Rest until the 15 minute mark, then complete…

5 Rounds for Time:
270m Run
5 Bar Muscle-Ups

The barbell weight should be light for the Deadlifts and pretty heavy and challenging for the Yhrusters. For the run/Bar Muscle-Up couplet, push the pace on the runs. If you can get through the full volume of Bar Muscle-Ups without large rests or lots of misses, then go for it. If not, then scale some volume or perform jumping Bar Muscle-Ups or Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups instead.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Photo by Thomas H. 

Sunday, October 29th: CRASH-Bs Kick-Off Meeting with Coach Nick

Do you hate and fear workouts that involve rowing? Do you secretly love them but don’t want to admit it? Either way, you have a good reason to train for the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championship! Olympian Coach Nick will prepare participants in the months leading up to race day, which is February 25th, in Boston. Come to Coach Nick’s kick-off meeting at 12:15 on Sunday, October 29th in the Annex. This meeting is open and free to anyone who’s “erg-curious” and wants to learn more about what’s involved. There will not be a workout.

Here’s some basic info:

• The events at CRASH-Bs are individual
• You don’t have to be a CFSBK member to participate—so tell your non-SBK friends! (If you have any!)
• The group will get together for three technique clinics (each of which will conclude with a workout) and three or four races
• Participants will do the workouts on their own
• Nick will provide programming and support—including video analysis of your technique—throughout the program
• Anyone can join—there is no minimum performance requirement

At the kick-off meeting, Coach Nick will explain the program in detail.

Send Coach Nick an email at Nick [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com if you plan to show up or if you have any questions.

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Handstand Training: Fun Progressions to Build Stability and Strength Girls Gone Strong
How Strength Training Can Prevent Running Injuries NBC News

TONIGHT: Come out to the gym for a Halloween-themed Movie Night! We’ll be showing What We Do in the Shadows, a funny mockumentary about vampires with domestic issues. We’ll start the movie at 8:15pm, right after Open Gym!

1. Do you hate and fear workouts that involve rowing? Do you secretly love them but don’t want to admit it? Either way, you have a good reason to train for the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Championship! Olympian Coach Nick will prepare participants in the months leading up to race day, which is February 25th, in Boston. Come to Coach Nick’s kick-off meeting at 12:15 on Sunday, October 29th in the Annex. See Monday’s post for more details!

2. Photo’s from last weekend’s Subway Series event at CFSBK are up on our Flickr account, here and here. 

3. Coach Keith officially joined our coaching staff part time this week. Welcome again, Keith!

4. So far we’ve raised Over $6,000 for Brooklyn Community Foundation, which is around 25% of our goal! Ziggy WODdust and the Squatters from Mars have surged into first place with Foam Roller Derby not far behind. So far, Charles S. is our top individual fundraiser. See yesterday’s post for some info on some of the great initiatives Brooklyn Community helps to fund.

5. The 4th and final event of the 2017 Subway Series goes down next Saturday, October 28th at CrossFit Virtuosity. There’s still time to register here. Represent CFSBK and be a part of the BLACK TIDE! This is always a mega-fun event, and we’d love to see more of you sign up. As usual, there will be Rx and Scaled divisions, so don’t be afraid to get after it!

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Yesterday’s Results Board: Clean | KB Swings, Push Jerks
How 7 Elite Powerlifters and Weightlifters Warm Up for Squats BarBend
What Separates “Ugly-Cute” from Just Ugly NY Mag

Clean Complex

Every Minute x 15:
Mid-Hang Power Clean + Power Clean

Lots of reps with a short turn-around time today. Keep the weight medium-heavy and focus on an aggressive 2nd pull and, even though these are Power Cleans, pulling under the bar with consistent footwork.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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For Time:
42 Russian KB Swings 24/16kg
21 Push Jerks 115/75
30 Russian KB Swings
15 Push Jerks
18 Russian KB Swings
9 Push Jerks

The weights should be medium-heavy for you and manageable. Some beasts might do this unbroken, but breaking the larger sets up into 2-3 quick sets is appropriate. Don’t let the approachable Rx fool you. Scale the load so that you’re moving pretty consistently and not taking long breaks between sets.

Post time and Rx to comments.

For Time: 50′ Farmer Carry, Sow Kettlebells, Cultivate Kettlebell Farm | Photo by Thomas H.  

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update

So far we’ve raised Over $6,000 for Brooklyn Community Foundation, which is around 25% of our goal! Ziggy WODdust and the Squatters from Mars have surged into first place with Foam Roller Derby not far behind. So far, Charles S. is our top individual fundraiser. We’re off to a great start, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. Onward, FGBers!

From Brooklyn Community Foundation, here are a few local initiatives that your fundraising will help to sustain:

• “INVEST IN YOUTH – Invest in Youth is our 10-year, $25 million commitment to improving social and economic opportunities and outcomes for 16- to 24-year-olds, especially young people of color. In 2016, we invested $2.3 million through a unique set of programs including $1,915,000 to 60 youth-serving nonprofits from our Invest in Youth Grant Program as well a significant investment in a new restorative justice model for Brooklyn schools via our Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project. Our Brooklyn Youth Fellowship also entered its exciting second year, and we’ve seen our increased advocacy efforts lead to policy changes at the city and state levels.”
• “IMMIGRANT RIGHTS FUND – We created the Fund in the weeks after the 2016 Presidential Election to build a boroughwide response to unjust government policy changes threatening Brooklyn’s immigrants and their families—including increased deportations, criminalization, and discrimination. We have committed a minimum of $1 million over the next four years to support local organizations as they take on both immediate and long-term needs in Brooklyn, from legal assistance, community safety, and social services to advocacy, organizing, and leadership development. To date, we have awarded nearly $250,000 to 22 organizations across Brooklyn.”
• “BROOKLYN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT – We designed the Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project to create a racially just model for school discipline built upon the principles of restorative justice, which focus on repairing harm and building safe and respectful communities, rather than removing children from the classroom and pushing them into the criminal justice system. Working in partnership with NYC Department of Education and the Mayor’s Leadership Team on School Climate and Discipline, we have committed $1.8 million over four years (2015-2019) to support restorative justice implementation in four Brooklyn schools—three high schools and one middle school—as well as a comprehensive academic evaluation to develop shared learnings from the process.”

We’re still looking for donations from sponsors to give away as prizes on the day of the event. Please contact our Events Coordinator Danae at Events [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com with your treasures.

Tomorrow: Movie Night!

Tempo Back Squat (20X1)

3 x 6

Heavier than Week 4’s 3 x 8

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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For Time:
80 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
60 Calorie Row
40 Burpees

Can you do an unbroken set of 80 Wall Balls? How far can you go?

Post time and Rx to comments.

Welcome, Coach Keith!

By David Osorio

I’m happy to announce that Keith Van Wickler will be coming on to our coaching staff part time! Keith has been interested in being a part of the CFSBK team since before he stepped in to help out the recent coverage block and will now be on the coaching schedule on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Let’s give him an official welcome in the comments!

Growing up as an athlete in Oceanside on Long Island, Keith got an early start in coaching helping out with local youth sports and camps. He began focusing on fitness while training for rugby with powerlifting and eventually used a methodology similar to CrossFit before heading to Australia for a season. After a few injuries, Keith began CrossFit officially in 2010 while pursuing his Masters degree in Physical Education and began coaching at CrossFit Buffalo in 2011.

This Friday: Movie Night!