Olga P. pulls a Deadlift at a recent Starting Strength Program Total. Read on to find out how you can be a badass, too! 

Register Now For Starting Strength Program

The Starting Strength program is an opportunity to spend 8 weeks honing your technique and increasing your capacity at the most fundamental strength movements: Back Squat, Overhead Press, Bench Press and Deadlift. This small group format of 90 minute sessions offers one-on-one guidance, great camaraderie, and a simple roster of movements allowing you time to correct errors and challenge your limits.

Whether you are brand-new to lifting, someone with experience who has struggled to surpass a plateau, or just looking to try something different, by taking the time to focus exclusively on the lifts that support almost ever other activity you do inside (and outside) the gym, you will gain confidence and enhance your performance.

Upcoming Program Times and Dates:
A cycle: Novice, 7pm Mon/Wed and 6pm Fri | Monday, Jan. 2nd – Friday, Feb. 24th (8 slots)
B cycle: Intermediate, 7pm Tues/Thurs and 10am Sun | Tuesday Jan. 3rd – Sunday, Feb. 26th (8 slots)
C cycle: Morning Novice, 6:30am Mon/Wed | Monday, Jan, 2nd – Thursday, Feb, 23rd (8 slots)
D cycle: Continuing Education, 6pm Mon/Wed | Monday, Jan. 2nd – Wednesday, Feb. 22nd (4 slots)
E cycle: Late morning, all levels, 10am Mon/Thurs, co-taught by Coach Margie | Monday, Jan. 2nd – Thursday, Feb. 23rd  (12 slots)

Class Sizes: Space is limited to 4-8 participants
Class Length: 90 minutes 

Cost: 3x Per Week Cycles:
$300 paid upon registration and then another $300 at the halfway point
Cost: 2xW Cycles:
$200 paid upon registration and then another $200 at the halfway point 

Group Class/Open Gym/Active Recovery/Yoga/Pilates Add-On Option!
This add-on membership allows our 2x/week Starting Strength Program to attend two additional classes per week, outside of the regularly scheduled strength cycle classes. This includes group classes, open gym, and Active Recovery/Yoga/Pilates. 

Price is $100 per four weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill ($100) charged automatically to the card on-file four weeks later. Register here!

If anyone is confused as to which cycle they belong in or has any questions, they can contact Jeremy directly at Jeremy [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com to discuss placement.

News and Notes

• A note from Stella Z.: “My choir, the Oratorio Society of New York, will be performing Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, December 21 at 8pm. Messiah always sells out, so now is the time to reserve a seat if you want to come! I have two rear-balcony tickets available at $23 each (slight discount off the regular $25 price), or tickets in other sections (along with full concert details) are available here.”
• CFSBK is now offering Short Circuit classes on Saturdays at 9am. Foundations isn’t a prerequisite for Short Circuit, so bring a friend. Head over to the Short Circuit website for more info.
• Tonight’s 7:30pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled.

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Press | Deadlifts, Bar Muscle-Ups
How Selfies and Social Media Changed Bodybuilding Vice
Can You Regain Muscle Mass After Age 60 NY Times

Press

1-1-1-1-1

Establish a new 1RM Press. If you’re newer to this lift, then perform 5 heavy singles or triples instead. The goal is no missed reps.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

_____________________

For Time:
5-4-3-2-1
Deadlifts 315/205
Bar Muscle-Ups

The Deadlifts should be heavy but unbroken on the fast side. The scale for the Bar Muscle-Ups is 1 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up + 1 Burpee per Bar Muscle-Up. Sub Jumping BMUs, or regular Pull-Ups as needed. Bands are okay for the Pull-Up + Burpee sub.

Post time and Rx to comments.

A quick glimpse of Saturday’s Active Life Bulletproof Workshop. We highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn more (a lot more!) about movement, performance, and how to get rid of pain!

The 2017 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Info Session and Q&A Meeting 

It’s that time of year again… New Year’s Resolution time. While we believe it’s best to make choices in accordance with your goals and values all of (or at least most of) the time, we recognize that many of us use markers like the beginning of the year to kick-start positive changes. This year’s Challenge will follow a similar model to last year. There are two levels that you can choose to participate from. 

1. With Level 1, you’ll focus primarily on food quality and eating from a large spectrum of whole foods (lean proteins, veggies and fruits, whole grains, and legumes). This is a perfect place to start if you’re new to healthy eating or are having to re-learn what that means for you.
2. With Level 2, you’ll be tracking macronutrients and focusing on eating particular quantities of them, adjusting along the way as necessary.  

As with last year, the Challenge will last 12 weeks. The reason behind this is that while extreme actions can bring rapid results, we’ve seen this often result in a “crash” where the individual rebels against the limiting factors of extreme dietary challenge. We’d rather you have more inclusive food options and change a few manageable things over a longer period than change many things for six weeks only to get lost in a haze of bagels, beer, and chocolate cake once the Challenge ends. 

Who? The entire CrossFit South Brooklyn Community. 

What? A 12-week challenge meant as a collective kick-start toward healthier nutrition and recovery habits.

Where? Right where you are. You’re encouraged to organize “rest day dinners” either in your homes or out at restaurants with fellow participants. There will be twice monthly (non-mandatory, but helpful) LFPB Challenge Meet-Ups at the gym in addition to the online forums that you can look to for daily support. The key to success is not sweeping immediate change but rather consistent practice each day.

When? There is an Info Session and Q&A on Sunday, December 18th at 12pm in the Annex! Here we’ll further outline the Challenge and answer any questions you have. The dates of the Challenge are from Monday, 1/2/17 through Monday, 3/26/17. We’ll also be hosting a Community Potluck Dinner on 1/28/17 where you can meet and greet with fellow SBKers and sample some delicious ways they keep on track with their food choices.

What will I need? For Level 1, only a desire to begin to make better food choices. For Level 2, you’ll need a food scale and a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons since you’ll be measuring out servings of lean protein, clean carbs, veggies, and fats. Whichever level you choose you should plan to do a bit of food shopping and prep beginning the first week to make good food choices easy. 

Why? To look, feel, and perform better! And, for some sweet prizes!

Wait, did you say prizes? Yes! The grand prize for both the men’s and women’s category is one month of FREE unlimited training at CFSBK, a $265 value! There are also 2nd and 3rd place prizes for the men’s and women’s categories including a punch card for free specialty classes at CFSBK, and a free personal training session

Alright, you’re in? Great!

How To Participate:

We’ll have full sign-up details right here on the blog. Keep a lookout. In the meantime… See you at The Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge Info Session on December 18th at 12pm in the Upstairs Annex! 

_____________________
Sammy Lee, First Asian American Man to Earn Olympic Gold, Dies at 96 NY Times
Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups: Common Faults CrossFit
Johnson & Johnson Has Released an 8,000-Calorie Shampoo People Can Eat If They Get Trapped in the Shower

Snatch Complex

Every other minute on the minute x 15:
Clean Pull + Mid Hang Clean + Jerk

Start at about 60% and build from there as appropriate. No press-outs. If you miss a lift, you can attempt in on the next round. If you miss again (either a straight up miss or a technical miss), then take weight off the bar.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

__________________

Cash Out:
550m (1 lap) Carry

Bear hug or goblet hold a heavy object and carry it around the block. Sandbags, heavy slam balls, or KBs are appropriate.

Post work to comments.

TODAY: The Starting Strength Program Total

Coach Jeremy’s and Coach Margie’s Starting Strength Programmers will wrap up their eight-week cycle today 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!

Check out the Rove Foam Roller Kickstarter

A friend of CFSBK recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Rove foam roller. Rove is the first fully functional, truly portable foam roller. It’s engineered using only the highest quality materials, and we’re recommending it because we think it looks useful and awesome! Rove’s creators are almost halfway to their goal with 18 days to go. Let’s help them get there! Go to the Kickstarter campaign for more info and to back this project. 

______________________
Journey Series: Butterfly Pull-Ups Average CrossFitter
16-Year-Old Megan Trupp Clean and Jerks 95kg University of Ontario Weightlifting

Front Squat

Fitness
5-5-5

Work up to a heavy 5-rep Front Squat. Aim for heavier than Week 1’s heavy 5. The goal is to leave a rep in the tank.

Performance
70% x 1 x 5 Paused (pause for a 3 count at the bottom and maintain tension)

Your Training Max (TM) is used to base the percentages off of. Increase your TM 10 lbs above the previous 3 weeks. If you were above the recommended reps for the rep-out sets, then increase your TM 15-20 lbs.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8
______________________

Partner WOD
10 Rounds For Time (5ea):
250m Row
20/15 Push Ups

One partner working at a time. Partners alternate full rounds. Push the pace on the row pieces, and scale the push ups (volume or degree of difficulty) so they can be done in 1-3 sets.

Post time, Rx, and partner to comments.

TODAY! Active Life Bulletproof Assessment Workshop at CFSBK!

CFSBK will be hosting a Bulletproof Assessment Workshop on today from 2:30-6:30pm for athletes looking to take their performance to the next level! This will be an interactive workshop, with a full movement assessment from the Active Life coaching staff. The movement assessment will include a series of strength and mobility assessments, which will identify imbalances and expose weaknesses. 

You will walk away from this workshop with an insight on how flexibility, mobility, strength balance, work to rest ratio, and skill can tie into your training. Knowledge bombs will be dropped! Sign up! It’ll be a blast. The class is capped to 50, so get on it before it fills up! The registration fee is just $49.

Questions? Contact Coach Katie at Katie [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com Click here to sign up today!

News and Notes

• Starting TODAY, CFSBK will be offering Short Circuit classes on Saturdays at 9am. Foundations isn’t a prerequisite for Short Circuit, so bring a friend. Head over to the Short Circuit website for more info.
• Coach Jeremy’s and Coach Margie’s Starting Strength Cyclers will wrap up their eight-week cycle TOMORROW 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!

______________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Should a Simple Fitness Check Be Part of Your Checkup? NY Times
The Clean with Cal Strength’s Dave Spitz Train Heroic

Photos from the 3rd CFSBK Art Show, like this one of Jenna J.’s work, are up our Flickr account

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Time is running out to sign up for tomorrow’s Active Life Bulletproof Assesment Workshop! Head over to the event page to register.

2. Row with Coach Nick for a good cause at this weekend’s Row New York Jingle Mingle! Details are in Monday’s post.

3. The goods from our latest Lost and Found dump can be seen here. If anything belongs to you, please claim it before we donate it to CHIPS!

4. On Tuesday, we filled you in on Jake and Pierre’s results from the CrossFit Liftoff competition. We also told you about Sweet Polly, Murat U.’s new restaurant. Click here for the press release!

5. As we update our Coaching Staff page, we’ll be posting the new bios to the main blog as a way of reacquainting you with one of the main things that makes CFSBK a special gym: our wonderful, talented coaching staff! We started with Coach Nick.

______________________
5 Underappreciated Benefits of Lifting Weights BarBend
16 Fun Things to Do in New York This December Gothamist

Snatch Complex

Every other minute on the minute x 15:
Snatch Pull + Mid Hang Snatch + Snatch

Start at about 60% and build from there as appropriate. No press-outs. If you miss a lift, you can attempt in on the next round. If you miss again (either a straight up miss or a technical miss), then take weight off the bar.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

______________________

4 RNFT:
6-12 Wide-Grip Pull-Ups (Use bands as needed, use full ROM)
20-second L-Sit

Use rings, boxes, or paralletes for the L-Sit.

Post work to comments.

The CFSBK Coaching Staff: Nick Peterson

Editor’s note: We’re in the process of updating the bios on our Coaching Staff page. As we do so, we’ll be posting the new bios to the main blog as a way of reacquainting you with one of the main things that makes CFSBK a special gym: our wonderful, talented coaching staff! First up, Coach Nick…

Nick has coached at CFSBK since 2011. Nick fell in love with rowing in 9th grade on the Potomac River, and accrued 13 years of competitive rowing experience, culminating in racing in the men’s quadruple sculls at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. For years afterward he worked out as he always had—running, lifting, rowing on the erg, sometimes trying to do handstands—until his wife convinced him to try capoeira, and, later, CrossFit.

Nick found out about CFSBK when he met Coach Margie, and soon thereafter became CFSBK’s resident rowing coach. He eventually began coaching CrossFit group classes and training clients one-on-one. Nick still conducts a few rowing workshops a year and has prepared a group of CFSBKers for CRASH-Bs, the preeminent international indoor rowing championship in Boston, every year since 2010. The three-month program mimics the kind of specialized training that elite athletes pursue.

Nick is a CrossFit Level 1 coach, and attended Robb’s Wolf’s Paleo Solution seminar and Kelly Starret’s Mobility and Recovery Seminar.

This Saturday: Row New York’s Jingle Mingle 

Speaking of Coach Nick, you can (and should!) join him for Row New York’s annual Jingle Mingle this coming Saturday, December 3rd. The Jingle Mingle is an erg-a-thon fundraiser for Row New York, which is a great organization that teaches rowing to kids from under-served communities in NYC. They also have tutors and help with SAT prep, among other things.

Here are the details:

• Location: The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, West 59th Street (entrance is between 59th and 60th Street on Ninth Avenue), in Manhattan
• Start: Doors open at 9:00 AM
• 500m Super Sprints: Mixed teams starting at 9:30 AM sharp, followed by the ugly sweater contest at 10:00 AM
• Main Event: 90-minute relay/ergathon at 10:30 AM–12:00 PM

The teams will comprise four to eight people, and they can break up the 90-minute relay however they want. Email Nick if you plan to participate at Nick [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn [dot] com. He’ll review technique with you and coach you at the event.

Row New York has set up a Crowdrise page for us – our team name is No Sleep Till. The goal is to raise $250 per participant. Even if you can’t make it to the event, please send the Crowdrise link around to friends and family.

______________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat | KB Swings, T2Bs
Phoenix Multisport: A Sober Community CrossFit
Digestive System Crash Course

Back Squat

Fitness
5-5-5

Work up to a heavy 5-rep Back Squat. Aim for heavier than Week 1’s heavy 5. The goal is to leave a rep in the tank.

Performance
70% x 1 x 5 Paused (pause for a 3 count at the bottom and maintain tension)

Your Training Max (TM) is used to base the percentages off of. Increase your TM 10 lbs above the previous 3 weeks. If you were above the recommended reps for the rep-out sets, then increase your TM 15-20 lbs.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8
______________________

Every minute on the minute x 16:
Even Minutes: 10 Russian Kettelbell Swings
Odd Minutes: 5-10 Toes-to-Bars

The Kettlbell Swings should be on the heavy side but done unbroken each set. Scale the Toes-to-Bars to Hanging Le or KNRs as needed, or to 15 Sit Ups per round. You should ideally have about 30-40 seconds of rest each round. It’s ok to use today as a strength biased day if the movements are challenging for you but you should still have at least 15 seconds of transition time between movements.

Post work to comments.

Photos from the 3rd CFSBK Art Show are now up on our Flickr account. Take a gander at art works by our talented members and staff, like this beaut by Saul M., here.

THIS SATURDAY: Active Life Bulletproof Assessment Workshop at CFSBK

CFSBK will be hosting a Bulletproof Assessment Workshop on Saturday, December 3rd from 2:30-6:30pm for athletes looking to take their performance to the next level! This will be an interactive workshop, with a full movement assessment from the Active Life coaching staff. The movement assessment will include a series of strength and mobility assessments, which will identify imbalances and expose weaknesses. 

You will walk away from this workshop with an insight on how flexibility, mobility, strength balance, work to rest ratio, and skill can tie into your training. Knowledge bombs will be dropped! Sign up! It’ll be a blast. The class is capped to 50, so get on it before it fills up! The registration fee is just $49.

Time is running out, so sign up now!

Questions? Contact Coach Katie at Katie [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com Click here to sign up today!

News and Notes

• The goods from our latest Lost and Found dump can be seen here. If anything belongs to you, please claim it before we wrap it and give it to our families for Christm—we mean, donate it to CHIPS in two weeks.
• Row with Coach Nick for a good cause at this weekend’s Row New York Jingle Mingle! Details are in yesterday’s post.

______________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Born to Move NY Times
215 lb Dumbbell Challenge Super Training

A video posted by Jake (@jleivent) on Nov 4, 2016 at 7:05pm PD

Jake L. and Pierre D. recently competed in the CrossFit Liftoff competition. Jake hit 352 lbs in the Clean and Jerk (see above) and 300 lbs in the Snatch, which placed him 22nd in his weight class. Pierre Clean and Jerked 253 and Snatched 185, placing 99th world wide in the Masters division. Congrats, guys!

Check Out Sweet Polly in Prospect Heights!

Looking for a fun new spot to kick back and relax after a long day? CFSBK member Murat U. is excited to announce the opening of his new cocktail and oyster bar Sweet Polly! This fine establishment is located at 71 6th Avenue, just around the corner from Murat’s other business venture, Hungry Ghost. Sweet Polly is generously offering CFSBK members 30% off until the end of November, so get going!

Tweet The Deets

We’re totally crushing on all you guys and we love to hear what you’re up to. Got something of note going on in your life? Let us know! We want to hear about your promotions, events, art, personal victories, discoveries, media campaigns, and small government coup d’états, or you can just share interesting links. We also always love hearing about any CrossFit/athletic-related goals and accomplishments. Send awesomeness to Josh [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn [dot] com.

______________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Press | Row, Thrusters, Burpees
To Stick to a Bedtime, Think of Sleep Like Exercise NY Mag
Drinkercising CrossFit Recursive

Push Press

Fitness and Performance
5-5-5

Work up to a heavy 5. This is NOT a true max-effort day. The goal is no missed reps and to try and hit a number that feels like you could do another rep or two.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

______________________

For Time:
21-15-9
Calories Rowed
Thrusters 75/55
Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

This Saturday: Row New York’s Jingle Mingle 

Join Coach Nick for Row New York’s annual Jingle Mingle this coming Saturday, December 3rd. The Jingle Mingle is an erg-a-thon fundraiser for Row New York, which is a great organization that teaches rowing to kids from under-served communities in NYC. They also have tutors and help with SAT prep, among other things.

Here are the details:

• Location: The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, West 59th Street (entrance is between 59th and 60th Street on Ninth Avenue), in Manhattan
• Start: Doors open at 9:00 AM
• 500m Super Sprints: Mixed teams starting at 9:30 AM sharp, followed by the ugly sweater contest at 10:00 AM
• Main Event: 90-minute relay/ergathon at 10:30 AM–12:00 PM

The teams will comprise four to eight people, and they can break up the 90-minute relay however they want. Email Nick if you plan to participate at Nick [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn [dot] com. He’ll review technique with you and coach you at the event.

Row New York has set up a Crowdrise page for us – our team name is No Sleep Till. The goal is to raise $250 per participant. Even if you can’t make it to the event, please send the Crowdrise link around to friends and family.

News and Notes

• Wondering how Coach Noah is doing down in Austin? He recently wrote an article for Beyond the Whiteboard called Hi! My Name Is (What) on his continuing adventures opening CrossFit Lumos. Check it out!
• Also check out some badass CFSBK ladies doing synchronized Pull-Ups on our Instagram account. 

______________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk metcon
The Overhead Press Starting Strength
The Josephus Problem Numberphile

Clean and Jerk Complex

Power Clean + Power Jerk + Clean:
Take 10 minutes to warm up to work weight for the metcon.

Post work to comments.
Exposure 6 of 8

______________________

For Time:
50 Double-Unders
21 Power Cleans 135/95
50 Double-Unders
21 Jerks
50 Double-Unders
21 Cleans (Full)

Post time and Rx to comments.

Little known fact: this is exactly how George Washington trained for Valley Forge

Schedule Note: There is no CrossFit Preschol (10am) or CrossFit Kids (11am) classes today. All other classes are on as normally scheduled.

Check out the Rove Foam Roller Kickstarter

A friend of CFSBK recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Rove foam roller. Rove is the first fully functional, truly portable foam roller. It’s engineered using only the highest quality materials, and we’re recommending it because we think it looks useful and awesome! Rove’s creators are almost halfway to their goal with 18 days to go. Let’s help them get there! Go to the Kickstarter campaign for more info and to back this project. 

______________________
10 Crazy Impressive Videos of Humans Lifting Humans BarBend
Keeping Children Sedentary for Most of Their Waking Hours Is Causing Harm Washington Post