Mary M. shows that sandbag who’s boss in this awesome photo by Robert C.

CFSBK at Pull for Pride

Cam C. and Kayleigh R. will be competing in the Pull for Pride this Saturday, June 10th at 4pm at CrossFit Crow Hill. The Pull for Pride is a Deadlift-only event benefiting the Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. Head over to Crow Hill and cheer our lifters on! Better still, you can sponsor Cam here.

News and Notes

• Rachel H. is planning to go to the Power Monkey Fitness Camp in October and would like to assemble a group of CFSBKers to go with her. Groups of 5 or more people get a sweet discount, and she needs just 2 more people! The camp takes place October 1st through 7th in Crossville, TN. Contact Rachel at rthsiung [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!
• Many sad fitness implements, articles of clothing, and water bottles are in our lost and found bin, abandonded by their uncaring owners. [Music from the Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial begins to play] But you make it right by going to our Flickr account and seeing if any of this stuff belongs to you. Please claim your lonely items before we donate them to CHIPS in two weeks.
• Coach Jeremy’s and Coach Margie’s Strength Cyclers will wrap up their eight-week cycle on Sunday, June 11th starting at 2:00pm. Lifters will be testing their 1RMs in the Back Squat, Press, and Deadlift. All are welcome to come by, hang out, and do some cheering. Get ready for some massive PRs!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Press | Row
10 Undeniable Benefits of the Clean and Jerk BarBend
Taylar Stallings Power Snatching 103kg hookgrip

Push Press

3 x 6

Heavier than last week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

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Every 4 minutes for 5 rounds:
250m Row

Take the first row at about 85%, then all out efforts on each. Score best time to comments.

Post best time to comments.

Lesley O. is CFSBK’s June Athlete of the Month! | Photo by Joel Z.

Athlete of the Month: Lesley O.

By Chris Fox

I first met the Lesley O. and her husband Nate in early 2011… and they pretty quickly let me know they were “non-joiners” and thus would likely not be taking classes or taking part in the larger CFSBK community beyond our private sessions. Lesley has now been around for longer than I’d realized before we sat down for this interview, and she and Nate and the kids have been a staple in the gym for almost all of that time. Lesley, based solely on doing CrossFit as a mother of 4, is a true TFBA and a well-deserving AOM. I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about her below!

Fox: Congrats! I’m so happy to be able to interview you for AOM.

LO: Thanks! Are you sure?

Fox: Yep… let’s start! When and why did you first start CrossFit?

LO: It was February 2011. Nate and his friend Rich were doing privates with you for a while, so I kept hearing about this “CrossFit” thing. I wasn’t (at the time) into the group class idea, so I started with private training. After Rich eventually fell off, Nate and I did semi-privates together for a while until I was about 7 months pregnant with Genevieve. I took a break, did a few more private sessions after Genevieve was born, and have been doing classes ever since.

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

LO: I’d been working with a personal trainer at a local gym. It was fine. We did some similar things that we do here, but it just wasn’t adding up to anything. When I went on my own, I’d pretty much just “do the elliptical” for a while.

Fox: What were your initial impression of CFSBK? Why did you stay? 

LO: It was a big, intimidating space with lots of very fit people! Nate and I initially came together. I don’t think I would have come on my own. Honestly the fact that we lived so close at the time also helped. I soon became less intimidated by the experience and began to appreciate and enjoy aspects of CFSBK. I didn’t have to think about what I was going to do. It was laid out for me in a sensible way, and the progress was quantifiable. I could actually “see” how I was improving, and the programming was varied so I wasn’t doing the same thing each day or week. Honestly, for the first 2 years coming to the gym I didn’t even remember the names of the things we do… now it’s mostly there. 😉

Fox: So you were like, “Is that the one where you do uh and then do eh?”

LO: Yep… It took a while but here I am!

Fox: I’m pretty certain that many folks around here follow the same trajectory. Were you an athletic kid? Where’d you grow up? 

LO: I grew up just outside of Boston where one of my sisters still lives (the other is in Austin). I was… sort of an athlete? I played basketball and field hockey as a youth. I wasn’t an all-star athlete, but I did enjoy being on a team.

Fox: I know that family is a large part of your life. Let’s hear about how you met Nate, and about all your kids!

LO: I met Nate right after I moved to New York in 2001, and we had what I consider to be an extended flirtation at a big law firm we both worked at. Long story made short, we eventually started dating, married in 2006, and had our first child, Vivian, in 2008,. After that came Whit, Genevieve, and Arthur, who’s now 2.

Fox: I know (actually I don’t) that with 4 kids there’s not much time, but what do you do outside of CrossFit and being an awesome mom?

LO: Honestly, getting to CFSBK is my time away from home, especially now that we don’t live as close. I’ve also been working with a friend on a not-for-profit called the Childhood Rescue Project. It’s been great to work on a project that I believe in, and for a woman I strongly believe in as well. Other than that I really enjoy cooking and baking at home, especially when I get to be alone while doing it! Mexican food is always on the menu… and ask me about my awesome and easy Key Lime Pound Cake. Although Nate and I have pretty different parenting tactics, it balances out well. He’ll take the kids on the weekend for a few hour trek through the park, and they’ll come back filthy after doing things I likely would not have done with them. But, during that time, they’ll have thoroughly enjoyed their romp, be exhausted afterwards, and I’ll have had some time alone to do what I enjoy.

Fox: I’ve always appreciated how you guys work as a family unit and have a ton of admiration for it. Plus, the kids are a hoot! I hope we get a picture of them playing in “Lake Degraw” a few years ago during “Murph.” Back to fitness for a quick bit: What were things that you struggled with early on, and what are you working on now?

LO: The Olympic lifts for sure. I used to think I would never get them at all. Now I even have good days! I’m still looking for Pull-Ups, and to that end, I’m really enjoying AG Strength. It’s all the stuff I know I should do but don’t make time for. I have to say though, that Squatting is still so hard and doesn’t seem to get any easier.

Fox: I have to say that your Squat has come so far since your first private session where I thought you might fall over and wondered how you were able to walk! Just kidding, sorta… last question: What should we look for in a future AOM?

LO: Someone who has improved, and someone who has improved in the face of some adversity in particular. Also, someone who’s a welcoming presence in the gym. It can be an intimidating space to walk into at first!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Kettlebell Swings, C2B Pull-Ups, Run
Park Slope Dad Nightmare The Awl
Squats and Your Knees Starting Strength

Snatch Complex

Every 90 seconds for 10 rounds:
Snatch High Pull + Low Hang (from 1″) Snatch + Overhead Squat

Stay tight, maintain back angle, and shift your weight back (just behind mid-foot) on the start of the High Pull. Don’t pull the bar crazy high on the High Pull. Anywhere above naval height is plenty high, and remember the arms perform their job after the legs have accelerated the bar upward. The goal is not to have to move your feet to adjust for the Overhead Squat.

Post loads to comments.

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AMRAP 20 minutes:
20 Russian Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
270m Run

The Swings should be medium-heavy and unbroken for the most part. Sub regular Pull-Ups or Jumping Chest-to-Bar as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Rob U. gets some encouragment from the fam during “Murph”

Hand Care for CrossFitters, Part 1

By Noah Abbott

Editor’s note: Are your hands feeling a little beat up after “Murph”? Now’s a perfect time to read “Hand Care for CrossFitters” by our greatly missed Coach Noah. Part 2, by Coach Fox, can be found here. “Hand Care for CrossFitters, Part 1” was originally posted on 10.20.15.

“Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: Dry friction resists relative lateral motion of two solid surfaces in contact. When surfaces in contact move relative to each other, the friction between the two surfaces converts kinetic energy into thermal energy. This property can have dramatic consequences, as illustrated by the use of friction created by rubbing pieces of wood together to start a fire. Another important consequence of many types of friction can be wear, which may lead to performance degradation and/or damage to components.” —Dr. Wiki Pedia 

While this may be the most boring and technical opening to an article about CrossFit ever, thinking about friction when related to hand care is useful for isolating and overcoming the fundamental problem faced by kippers everywhere. In short, the solid surface of your hand slides against the (much more) solid surface of the bar, leading to dramatic consequences and damage to components (ripped hands) and subsequent performance degradation (having to stop a workout or avoid workouts while your boo boo heals.)

While it may seem like an inevitable rite of passage to do a high volume kipping workout, tear your hands to shreds, and then post pictures of it to social media, ripped hands are simply drags on optimal performance. Further, hands that are constantly rough, flaky, and/or bloody are, to put it mildly, gross. So, what’s fledgling CrossFitter/hand model to do? There are plenty of ways to take care of your hands, both intra and extra-WOD. The following routine is what has worked well for me, use at your own risk (of beautiful, baby soft mitts!). 

During a Workout
During a workout, reducing friction is all about reducing lateral motion between your hand and the bar. Make sure you grip the bar right where your palm and fingers meet—any lower and you risk folding skin under the bar, adding to the surface causing friction. Then, grip the bar tightly, and motion during a kip should happen at your wrist, not through your hand rotating around the bar. You are trying to grip the bar with your skeleto-muscular structure, not the thin layer of epidermis covering it. Don’t grip the bar so deeply in your palm that the skin near your fingers scrunches up—that’s creating a fleshy surface for the bar to rip. Here’s Mark Rippetoe, folksy as ever, taking a long time to say just that (this is the shorter of two videos I could find from him). 

The biggest thing you can do during a workout to avoid rips is to pay attention to your hands and fear the last 5-10 reps of a workout. Every time I’ve ripped it’s been between reps 95 and 100 in a workout like Angie—that’s usually the part when you are tired, stomping on the gas, and having to really throw everything behind every rep. The added force and shift of attention from your hands to the clock often leads to a rip, just as you finish the workout. If you feel your hands getting hot (thermal energy!) or skin starting to shift, drop from the bar and rest for a bit. In the words of Papa Osorio, “Be careful,” and be especially careful at the end of a workout. 

Also, unless you are literally in danger of falling off the bar and cracking your head open, don’t overdo it with the chalk! (This shouldn’t even be an issue if you are gripping with your thumb around the bar, like a homo sapien.) While chalk can help promote a good relationship of your hand to the bar, especially if you are a little sweaty, overchalking can cause your hand to stick when you don’t need/want it to, especially when trying to release the bar. 

There are a number of ways to protect your hands from the bar. CrossFit’s commercialization has led to all sorts of gloves, wraps, and other bar-hand barriers being available. For the most part, the tradeoff between protection, grip, and “feel” is up to the user. Generally gloves offer lots of protection but poor grip and feel (also, do NOT buy Reebok’s CrossFit gloves, they are just marked-up batting gloves, which you can buy for 10 bucks elsewhere). Gymnastics grips are a pretty good compromise. Classically they are suede (fancy!) with a wrist wrap, like these from Rogue, or these from MuscleDriver. NaturalGrip makes a lower profile version that is a permanent (or at least semi-permanent) grip that you secure with athletic tape or a wrist wrap. The NaturalGrips are based off the tape jobs people have been using to protect themselves pre/post tear for a while, which are also a good option. Here is a pretty involved way to tape, very similar to the heartier NaturalGrip. Here’s a slightly quicker/dirtier way to do it, more appropriate mid-WOD. The main theme is that the tape needs to run both lengthwise and across your palm, otherwise it will roll up under and movement and either fall off your hand or be the world’s crappiest bracelet. Further, you don’t need tons of tape, your hand shouldn’t look like this when you are done.

Home Prep
Taking care of your hands does not start and stop when you walk in the gym. A little consistent attention at home will make sure your hands are both less aesthetically gross and less susceptible to tearing at the gym. Flaky, cracked hands with big, raised calluses are asking for trouble, because the rough callus represents one half of the two solid surfaces that create friction. Since we can’t do anything about the bar, making sure your calluses are smooth and low-profile will keep you from tearing. 

There are plenty of tools for shaving down calluses, but in my opinion most of them suck. Pumice stones, Ped-Eggs, nail files, and other sorts of abrasives require daily use and are pretty slow. I think of them more as “finishing” tools for getting your hands smooth after the real work has been done. For this heavy-duty work I recommend the Tweezerman Safety Slide Callus Shaver with Rasp. The Tweezerman is basically a razor blade on a stick, akin to a cheese grater for your hand. You use it when your hands are dry and it shaves your callus down in big, satisfying flakes. It has a built in rasp for the fine cleanup work at the end, and only costs 10 bucks, making it the king of callus care in my book. While it takes a little bit of bravery the first few times, it pretty quickly becomes natural to use and works wonders. Get one, and again, don’t use it in the shower, it will bite into your softened skin and get stuck, as opposed to slicing off nice little flakes.

Lastly, make sure to keep your hands moisturized. Buy a decent lotion and use it whenever you can, especially after you cut your calluses down. Smooth, supple hands are less prone to cracking, and won’t stick to the bar like dry hands. Just take it easy with the scents, this isn’t middle school.

Wound Care
If you do rip, don’t freak out. First, assess where you are in the workout. If there are six pull-ups left, just finish the damn thing. If there are 60, it’s scaling time—no sense in ruining a week of training just to finish. 

Make sure you wash the wound and spray some Bactene on it. Cold water is key here—hot water will sting like bajeezus. Then let it dry. When you get home, cut off any excess skin. I use the Tweezeman for this, but you could use nail scissors, a katana, an angle grinder, or whatever you want.  

A Final Thought
In the end, the biggest factor in not ripping is simply time. The longer you do this stuff the more time under tension you accumulate, and the more conditioned your hands become. Further, the easier pull-ups are for you, the less likely you are to tear. Most coaches and OGs brag that they haven’t ripped in “forever,” but like most people they probably ripped a bunch initially, and then slowly got strong, skilled, and epidermically-conditioned enough for it to not be a big issue. 

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OGAR: Will of Steel Trailer CrossFit
Pessimism Is Suicide Current Affairs

Tempo Back Squat / Tempo Front Squat

Tempo Back Squat (41×1):
2 x 8

Heavier than Week 3’s 2 x 8.

Tempo Front Squat (41×1):
1 x 6

Heavier than Week 3’s 1 x 8.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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CrossFit Regionals Event #6

Team Relay Chipper:
50/35 Cal Row or 30/21 Cal Bike
20 Burpee Box Jump-Overs
10 Sandbag Cleans

Partner 1 starts on the row/bike… then Partner 2 begins when Partner 1 finishes the row/bike, then Partner 3 and so forth. You can only progress to the next movement when the partner ahead of you finishes. Your score is the total time for all three teammates to complete the chipper.

For the Burpee Box Jump Overs, the feet must touch the top of the box (i.e., no jumping over or crawling over). The Sandbag Cleans are over the shoulder. Hips and knees must reach full extension at the top of each rep. The Regionals Rx was 30″/150#, 24″/100#.

Post time, Rx, and partners to comments.

Coach Jess leads CrossFit Kids and Teens through warm ups for “Smurph.” More photos from Murph Day are up on our Flickr account!

CrossFit Kids and Teens 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.

Schedule
CF Preschool (3-4 years old): On temporary hiatus
CF Kids (5-7 years old): On temporary hiatus
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

Pricing
Single-class drop-in: $35
10-class pack: $300 ($30/class)

SIGN UP HERE!

We offer a 15% discount for siblings. Siblings do not have to be registered for the same class, but they must each have their own class packs. There is a 6-month expiration date on the 10-class pack.

Eligibility
CrossFit youth classes are open to all kids within the appropriate age groups. For questions about our Preschool and Kids programs, contact Coach Lynsey at Lynsey [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com. For questions about our Teens program, please contact Coach Jess at Info [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
According to Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump Jr. Is a World-Class CrossFit Athlete Deadspin
Huang Minhao Snatching 140kg at 62kg Bodyweight Hookgrip

We all got a little soaked at Murph Day, but we had fun! The first set of photos from the day is now up on Flickr

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. CFSBKers donated over $3,000 (including $5 from each t-shirt we sold) to K9s for Warriors this year. Thanks to everyone who donated to provide service dogs for veterans! You can still contribute to this terrific organization here.

2. Rachel H. is planning to go to the Power Monkey Fitness Camp in October and would like to assemble a group of CFSBKers to go with her. Groups of 5 or more people get a sweet discount, and she needs just 2 more people! The camp takes place October 1st through 7th in Crossville, TN. Contact Rachel at rthsiung [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!

3. In case you missed it, Coach KHarpz has begun writing a fascinating series for Beyond the Whiteboard on her progress toward qualifying for the 2018 East Regional! Check out the first installment!

4. Coach Nick and Coach MeLo completed their CrossFit Level 2 Certificate Course last weekend. Congrats, you two! We’re lucky to have some of the best coaches in the business.

5. On Wednesday, we told you about a new business called Fabric that Steven S. just launched. Check it out!

6. Behind the Desk returned this week, and we learned more about Karina S. You can look forward to more interviews with your favorite front deskers in the coming weeks!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | Single-Arm DB Thrusters, Box Jumps
Boost Your Workouts with Caffeine, Even if You Drink Coffee Daily NY Times
When Spellers Became Athletes The Outline

Clean and Jerk Complex

Every 90 seconds for 10 rounds:
Clean High Pull + Low Hang (1″) Clean + Push Jerk + Split Jerk

Post loads to comments.

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3 Rounds for Time:
10 Single-Arm Dumbbell Thrusters (Left)
10 Single-Arm Dumbbell Thrusters (Right)
30 Box Jumps 24/20″

Rx the dumbbell at 20-25% of your body weight. The Thrusters should heavy but unbroken. The Box Jump is Rx’d as a two-foot take off. Jump down or step down is allowed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Behind the Desk: Karina S.

Over the next month or so, you can look forward to new installments of our Behind the Desk series, about our beloved and much appreciated front desk staff! These CrossFitters take care of the important duties of checking in our members, handling walk-ins, tidying up after classes, and so many other things that it would take forever to list them. They are the glue that holds this gym together.

Last time, it was Lynsey R. And now (drum roll, please)…

Name (and any nicknames):

Karina; RinaKrack (emblazoned on my pair of Nike Dunks in high school); Kareesh, and its various iterative diminutives only Russian can express.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Born in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Grew up in Kiev, Ukraine. Came back when I was 12, experienced hardcore culture shock and puberty at the same time.

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

Since September 2016, so like 9 months. I was doing a lot of pole and aerial silks when I realized all my teachers were doing Crossfit (Sam Star and Sadie Durante, for example). Then I saw Fittest on Earth and was like “I wanna be a monster.” CFSBK was just down the street from where I worked, so I moseyed my way down!

Program your dream workout: 

AMRAP 10 minutes:
10 Toes-to-Bars
30 Double-Unders
3 Rope Climbs
15/12 Calorie Row

Heaven.

What are you recommending right now?

The Great British Bake Off (The Great British Baking Show on Netflix). That show is visual Xanax. Rick & Morty (other than the weird episode).

What are three things you can’t live without?

1) Cooking my own food/eating fermented things: I like cooking maybe a little too much and get anxious if I can’t make my own meals regularly (need to have kitchen access in dem Airbnbs). I make a lot of “garbage” like tarte citron/various pies, and they sit around the house until I eat it or until I can lure unwary travelers into my apartment to consume them. Fermentation wise: cheese, yogurt, kefir, tvorog, kraut, kimchi, sourdough (baking it but not necessarily eating it). My family has always made our own kraut and tvorog, but since moving here I’ve gone full Brooklyn and started making my own yogurt, kimchi (aka “ruining the apartment”), cider, and mead. If anyone ever wants hella healthy sourdough, I always make too much and it’s so fermented you can usually eat it even if you have a gluten intolerance. Take care of your gut biome and your gut biome will take care of you!

2) Sleep mask + ear plugs:  Used them both once—deepest sleep ever, now I can’t do without.

3) Exercise: If I go longer than a day without exercise, I become highly unpleasant.

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

Teaching Pilates—hit me up. Doing Improv. Sitting around a table with a bunch of fellow weirdos writing jokes and laughing till I cry. The Internet. Spiralizing vegetables with my new spiralizer.

Any front-desk public service announcements ?

Put your dumbbells back in the right place. My fingers can’t withstand any more crushings. Let that weigh on your conscience. Kettlebells, too! But I haven’t lost a fingernail to a kettlebell yet.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Rack Reverse Lunges | Toes-to-Bars, Overhead Squats, Double-Unders
Ditching All My Running Gadgets Made Me a Better Runner NY Mag
Will Someone Please Tell Me What They Think a “Toxin” Is? The Awl

Back Rack Reverse Lunges

3 x 8

Heavier than Week 3’s 8s. Perform 8 reps on one leg, then perform 8 reps on the other.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8
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2 Rounds
AMRAP 6 Minutes:
6 Toes-to-Bars
9 Overhead Squats 115/75
15 Double-Unders

Rest 6 minutes between rounds.

The goal is to score the same and feel the same on each round. Scale the Toes-to-Bars to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises as needed. You should be able to do at least a few sets unbroken. The Overhead Squat weight should be on the medium side for you, unbroken, and something you could Snatch into the first rep. Scale Dubs to Singles as needed, or to 5 attempts to keep yourself moving.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

Coaches Nick and MeLo completed their CrossFit Level 2 Certificate Course over the weekend. Congrats, guys! We’re lucky to have some of the best coaches in the business!

Fabric Launches in New York!

CFSBKer Steven S. recently launched an exciting new company called Fabric! If you’re a parent like Steven or his co-founder Adam, you’ve probably considered buying life insurance. It’s a smart way to help ensure that, even if something were to happen to you, your family would be taken care of financially. But with so many other things on your plate, it’s easy to push getting coverage to the end of a never-ending list. It’s understandable: the process is often intimidating, slow, and complicated. The problem is bigger here in New York where the world seems to move at lightning speed and every second is precious.

Fabric not only makes getting life insurance easy, it make it fast, affordable, and convenient. You can now go from start to covered in two minutes on your phone, tablet, or desktop. No pushy agents or meetings, and no impenetrable legalese. Check out Fabric here!

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Odd-Object Lesson CrossFit Journal
Why It’s So Hard to Keep a Secret Scientific American

Push Press

3 x 8

Heavier than Week 3.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

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30 Minutes Not for Rounds:
20 Russian KBS
50′ Sled Push
20 Calorie Row
10 Burpees

Just move around today and don’t look for intensity if you did “Murph” yesterday. The Kettelbell Swings should be light to medium-heavy and unbroken. The Sled Push can be on the heavy side, but you should be able to complete it without stopping. Easy row, easy Burpees.

Post work to comments.

 

3… 2… 1… Go! Here’s yesterday’s 10am heat taking off at Murph Day. Thanks to everyone who participated, coached, grilled, worked the front desk, or helped out in anyway. How did “Murph” go for you? Let us know in the comments!

Today’s the Last Day to Sign Up for AG Strength!

Are you struggling with your Pull-Ups? Are you stuck at the bottom of your Handstand Push-Up? Check out Coach Arturo‘s critically acclaimed Anti-Gravity Strength class. Class starts tomorrow, so act fast! There are still some spots left in the AM cycle.

Each AG Strength class will be an hour-and-a-half long, focusing on the strength and skills needed to improve Pull-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups. This will include a variety of skill exercises, progressions, weighted and strict practice, and other techniques to teach, develop, and perfect your Pull-Up and Handstand Push-Up. This fundamental strength work will carry over into other CrossFit gymnastics movements, including the coveted Muscle-Up.

Schedule

Cost and Eligibility

The cost is $160 per month. This cycle is open to all CFSBK members as well as CrossFitters from other affiliates.

What Happens in a Class?

The first class will begin with an assessment of each individual’s upper body push, pull, and core strength. Once the assessment is completed, each AG Strength class will consist of skill work, strength development, and flexibility training based on your personal needs, weaknesses, and strengths. If a member chooses to do a CrossFit group class on the same day, we recommend doing the skill and strength work from the AG Strength cycle first. Arturo can advise on this on a case by case basis. Just ask!

Testimonials

“There are a lot of good specialty workout options here at CFSBK, and I am happy to say that AG Strength has earned its spot at the top with the best of them. For any good program to be effective, it needs two components: an excellent coach and coach-able participants. Coach Ro brings his meticulous approach and his dedication to the integrity of his craft. Its up to you to bring the latter. In this class, great emphasis is placed on the proper execution of movements. Suffice it to say. this class is not about building egos but rather overall strength. Rest assured, by the end of the cycle you are guaranteed to see results. I did! Apart from having loads of fun while working extremely hard (this may be paradoxical but it’s the truth), I have seen improvements in my Bench, Overhead Press, Chin-Up and Pull-Up (I couldn’t do a Pull-Up prior to this class). Love this class! Thanks, Coach Ro!”—Wendy S.

“AG Strength brought marked improvements to my upper body pull and push strength, and it was impressive how it translated into gymnastic gains/z. During AGS I got my first Handstand Push-Up, my first Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up, and went from doing a 15 lbs weighted strict Pull-Up to a 60 lbs one! It’s a great class to focus on targeted upper body strength, and Arturo’s programming helps you see constant week-after-week improvements.”—Daniel R.

News and Notes

• We raised over $3,000 (including $5 from each t-shirt we sold) for K9s for Warriors this year. Thanks to everyone who donated to provide service dogs for veterans! You can still contribute here.
• In case you missed it, Coach KHarpz has begun writing a fascinating series for Beyond the Whiteboard on her progress toward qualifying for the 2018 East Regional! Check out the first installment!
• Rachel H. is planning to go to the Power Monkey Fitness Camp in October and would like to assemble a group of CFSBKers to go with her. Groups of 5 or more people get a sweet discount, and she needs just 2 more people! The camp takes place October 1st through 7th in Crossville, TN. Contact Rachel at rthsiung [at] gmail.com if you’re interested!

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My Relationship with Pain Training Think Tank
Jupiter Is Even Weirder Than We Thought Atlas Obscura

“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.” It is now 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 twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and the origins of “Murph,” this is a great place to start. There is no charge for the workout, nor will it be deducted from your weekly class limit. There are still a few spots left in several heats, and you can sign up here! If you decide not to do it at the last minute, please delete your name from the spreadsheet so someone else can take your place.

Murph Day 2017 Is Here!

All regularly scheduled classes (including AM Open Gym) are cancelled today for Murph Day. Here’s all the other important stuff you need to know!

• Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a $20 (or more!) donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. So far we’ve raised $1600. Thanks to all who have donated! Go HERE to support this terrific cause.
• For scaling options and game plans, see Coach Fox’s very useful post from last week, “Murph Is For Everybody.”
• Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”?  You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat starts. 
• CFSBK will provide one keg, burgers, and sausges, but please bring more delicious foods, especially side dishes!  Leave a comment on the event page to let us know what you’re bringing!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Deadlift, Run
5 Keys to Forming Any Habit Zen Habits
Memorial Day Dos and Don’ts NPR

Snatch Complex

Every 90 seconds for 10 rounds:
Snatch High Pull + Low-Hang (from 1″) Snatch High Pull + Low Hang (from 1″) Snatch + Overhead Squat

Stay tight, maintain back angle, and shift your weight back (just behind mid-foot) on the start of the High Pull. Perform the Low-Hang Snatch High Pull from 1″ off the floor, then return to 1″ off the floor for a Snatch. Don’t pull the bar crazy high on the High Pull. Anywhere above naval height is plenty high, and remember the arms perform their job after the legs have accelerated the bar upward. The goal is to not have to move your feet to adjust for the Overhead Squat.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
10-8-6-4-2
Deadlifts 315/225

Perform a 270m run after each set of deadlifts.

Post time and Rx to comments.

CFSBKers have raised over $1300 for K9s for Warriors so far. Let’s keep it going, gang!

8 Things You Need to Know About Murph Day 2017

1. Murph Day is TOMORROW! This is one of our biggest and best community events of the year, when we perform the classic CrossFit Hero WOD “Murph” followed by some grilling, side dishes, and beers. Because we’ll be running heats from 8am to 1pm, all other classes are cancelled. If you’ve been on the fence, there’s still time to get in on the fun. Sign up here!

2. CFSBK and many other affiliates do “Murph” on Memorial Day in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. If you’d like to learn more about Michael Murphy and where this workout comes from, this is a great place to start.

3. What is “Murph”? How should you approach it? All of the answers are in a recent post, in which Coach Fox lays out some scaling options.

4. Since there’s no charge for this workout (the class won’t be deducted from your weekly limit), we suggest that you make a $20 donation to K9s for Warriors in lieu of class payment. So far we’ve raised $1340. Go HERE to support this terrific cause.

5. CFSBK will provide one keg, burgers, and sausges, but please feel free to BYOB and more delicious foods, especially side dishes! Leave a comment on the event page to let us know what you’re bringing!

6. Shooting to get on the leaderboard for “Murph”? You’ll have to do it in a weighted vest (20/14 lbs), and be sure to let a coach know that you’re going for it before your heat goes off.

7. We’re looking for some volunteers to (wo)man the grill, as well as some folks to help clean up at the end of the day. Please contact our Events Coordinator Danae M. at Danae [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to let her know you’re interested.

8. We’re also looking for someone with video experience to volunteer a few hours of their time on the day of the event to record short “thank you” clips from CFSBKers. Let your blog editor know at Josh [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com if you have some skillz to offer.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat / Front Squat | Thursters, Burpess Over the Bar
Lifting the Bar Off the Floor: Get It Right without Over-Complicating It Catalyst Athletics
The Secret Life of Secrets The New Yorker