CFSBK socks on fleek! Pick up a pair at the front desk or our online store!

This Week at CFSBK in Review 

1. Coach Whit is out of town for an OPEX seminar this weekend, but tomorrow’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes is ON with guest instructor Sasha S.

2. We announced our upcoming Pelvic Floor Workshop! Register here!

3. Now that face-melting summer weather is past us, we’ve introduced Around Degraw, a new feature in which we’ll profile small businesses and attractions within walking distance of the gym. This week we told you about Ample Hills Creamery, which is owned by CFSBKers Jackie C. and Brian S.!

4. Last weekend, some intrepid CFSBKers completed Ragnar Wawayanda! Go here to read Packer’s report.

5. As of today, we’re up to $12,640 of our $15,000 fundraising goal for Fight Gone Bad! Can we make it to $13,000 by the end of the day? What about $15,000 by Monday? C’mon gang, let’s do this!

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Power Clean | Double-Unders, Power Cleans
Do Superheroes Exist? CrossFit
Scientists Develop New Extra-Sloppy Peach

Power Clean

1-1-1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Power Clean. If you’re very new to the lift, then perform 5 heavy singles (with rest in between) instead of a true max effort single. Focus on a strong and fast rack delivery where the barbell is pulled onto active shoulders in a mature rack position, not crashing on the chest or collarbones. Footwork should not get too crazy either.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

__________________

For Time:
20 Power Cleans 185/125
10 Double-Unders every minute on the minute, starting at 0:00

The power clean can be on the heavy-ish side today. However, you should still be able to do at least 3-5 reps per minute on the slow end. The 10 Dubs are (obviously?) meant to be unbroken and should take only a few seconds at the top of each minute. Sub 5 attempts or 30 singles as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Read on to learn more about some intrepid CFSBKers who completed a Ragnar Race!

• Does any of this cool stuff belong to you? Someone lost their bike helmet, a baby lost its bib, someone else lost their rain boots. Really makes you think about the human condition, huh? Oh, sorry!  Anyway, if any of this looks familiar, please claim it at the front desk before we donate it to CHIPS on Monday.

CFSBK at Ragnar Wawayanda

CFSBKers Dan G., Packer D., Eduardo C-G., and Joe M. partnered with intrepid runners Lauren O. and Amos B. last weekend to complete Ragnar Wawayanda, a 24-hour trail running relay race. Running over rocky, mud-slicked trails in the dead of night while dead tired turns out to be equal parts spooky & spiritual. Lauren O. put it best:

“Think of a Ragnar relay as a cross between Murakami’s WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING, Alice following the mome raths in Disney’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND cartoon, and the Michael-Douglas-in-a-Colombian-mudslide scene from ROMANCING THE STONE. This is the format that finally tricked me into loving running. (The bonfire helped.)”

Thanks to Packer for the report and great job, guys!

__________________
Urban Exploration with Open House New York Gothamist
4 Exercises to Improve Overhead Performance in WODs BarBend

Back Squat

1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Back Squat. As always, use spotters for heavy attempts and stay with your barbell in the event of a miss. For Fitness athletes, start a little heavier than where you squatted 5 last week and go from there. For Performance athletes, start around 90% and go from there. If you’re very new to the lift then perform 3-5 heavy singles instead of a true max effort single.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
__________________

For Time:
250m Row
21 Burpees
500m Row
15 Burpees
750m Row
9 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach Jess will star in the forthcoming CFSBK-themed horror movie, Dawn of the Deadlift | Photo by Thomas H.

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-11 Days!)

We’re at $10,020—which is over 66% of our fundraising goal for Brooklyn Community Foundation. We posted some great fundraising tips, and a sample email template if you haven’t started fundraising yet. We’re getting there, but there’s still work to be done!

Here, in their own words, are just a few things Brooklyn Community Foundation accomplished with the help of last year’s Fight Gone Bad donations:

• “In 2015, we deployed over $4.2 million in grants through our Community Fund and our Donor Advised Funds.”

• “In 2015, we also launched our cornerstone initiativeInvest in Youth. This initiative included a new Grantmaking Program focused on 1) Youth Development and Leadership, 2) Youth Justice, and 3) Immigrant Youth and Families. It also featured a new leadership initiative—the Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project—to halt the school-to-prison pipeline by providing powerful disciplinary alternatives in Brooklyn public schools, and the Brooklyn Youth Fellowship, the Foundation’s first-ever youth-led grantmaking program to support youth-led neighborhood and school-based projects through the Youth Voice Awards. This initiative deployed $1.54 million to 54 organizations in 2015, with 70% of those grants going to highest need neighborhoods.“
• “We launched our first-ever resident-led grantmaking program in Crown Heights through our Neighborhood Strength Model. With a fund of $100,000, we brought together a diverse group of religious leaders, business owners, activists, and youth to form the Crown Heights Advisory Council. Together, they determined priorities for the 2015-16 Neighborhood Strength grant program in Crown Heights, which included a focus on supporting organizations addressing tenants’ rights and homelessness, police relationships, youth development, and stronger bonds between Crown Heights’ distinct communities. More than 50 nonprofits and residents applied and the Council selected 11 to receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Our Senior Program Officer, Prachi Patankar published a great post to the Philanthropy New York blog about why this work is important. This year we are expanding this program to Sunset Park.”

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 9pm on Tuesday 10/4):

Top Five Teams:

1. He Man and the Masters of the Universe: $2,640
2. Bring It On Fleek!: $1,305
3. Posterior Chain Gang: $1,005
4. Victorious Secret: $975
5. The Gowanus Superfunders: $750

Top Five Individuals: 

1. Charles S.: $2,530
2. Scott M.: $1,005
3. Mike I.: $875
4. Jay R.: $750
5. Erik B.: $425

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Fit? Then Sitting is NOT the New Smoking The Russells
Hunger Casts a Cruel, All-Consuming Spell NY Mag

CFSBKers Jackie C. and Brian S. at the front desk with Greg. Read on to learn more about Jackie and Brian’s business! | Photo via Bond Street

Around Degraw: Ample Hills Creamery

Now that summer is over and nice, crisp walking-around weather has returned, we’d like to introduce a new feature on the CFSBK blog, Around Degraw! In this feature, we’ll be telling you about nearby small businesses we like. Looking for something to do after class that’s fun and within walking distance? Look no further! For our first installment, we talked Jackie C., a dedicated CFSBKer and part of the husband-and-wife team behind Ample Hills Creamery. 

When and how did Ample Hills start?

We opened in the spring of 2011 with our first shop in Prospect Heights. We were prepared for failure but certainly not success, which was why we ended up having to close the shop after only being open for four days. We ran out of ice cream. We closed down and regrouped, hired more staff and made a lot more ice cream. We currently have two large brick and mortar shops in Brooklyn-our original shop on Vanderbilt and our shop in Gowanus where all our ice cream is being made. We have two seasonal kiosks: one on the waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park and another at Riis Beach in The Rockaways. In addition we have two smaller outposts in Manhattan, at Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen and the other is inside Bubby’s in The Meatpacking District.

We also sell our pints in about 30 grocery stores throughout New York City and we ship nationwide.

Your Gowanus location is really close to the gym! Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s been like to be part of the Gowanus small business community?

We were super excited to have found our corner shop in Gowanus and even more psyched when we realized the potential for a roof deck and outdoor seating. Over the last several decades we’d watched Gowanus grow from abandoned warehouses and shady nighttime vibes to funky new community oriented spots, four star restaurants and great evening entertainment. When we signed the lease for Gowanus a few years ago we found out that this 17k square foot shuffle board court was going in and that was amazing. We knew then that clearly we were in good company.

What are your plans for Ample Hill in the next few years?

We are working on opening a larger production space in Red Hook so that we can open more shops in and around New York, as that’s what excites us the most.

A unique feature of Ample hills is your rotating and eclectic ice cream flavors. What is your all-time favorite flavor you guys have created and what is currently available that you’d recommend?

Pistachio Squared is most definitely my all time favorite flavor. For the longest time I’d been asking my husband Brian to make Pistachio and he felt like it was too common. I argued that sometimes common is good. He finally gave in and decided to make it but had to AMPlify it by making Pistachio brittle hence the the name Pistachio Squared. Needless to say it blew me away and continues to do so every time I have a scoop. We also offer a shop specific flavor at each of our locations that somehow pay tribute the history or neighborhood of where they are. Our Gowanus site specific flavor is called “It Came From Gowanus.” It’s a dark deep salty chocolate with lots of mix-ins such as hazelnut crack cookies, orange scented brownies, and white chocolate pearls.  he flavor is both a nod to Brian’s former life as a sci-fi writer and the notoriously polluted Gowanus canal.   

Gowanus has really rebuilt itself over the past few years. Are there other businesses or things to do around the neighborhood that you’d recommend? 

CROSSFIT!!! And then once you’re super fit I’d say go to Baba’s and eat some pierogis followed by a game of shuffle board at The Royal Palms and then if your still hungry and want to play then you should go to Insa for some karaoke followed by Threes for some great beer.  And really, I could go on.

Thanks, Jackie! It’s impossible not to love an ice cream shop named after a Walt Whitman line. Do you have a favorite small business near the gym? Send leads to Josh [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com.

__________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: NFT Work | Deadlift
Rack It Right CrossFit Journal
Choose to Fight Training Think Tank

5 RNFT or 20 Minutes

12 Russian Kettlebell Swings
12 (6ea) Goblet Reverse Lunges
12 (6ea) Forearm Plank Alternating Reaches
6-12 Handstand Push-Ups, or Dumbbell Presses

Use the same kettlebell for both movements and keep it relatively light. Feet wide in the plank, reach one arm away from the body and hold for a 1 count before switching sides. If you’re doing the Dumbbell Presses, then perform a Wall Walk or a Kick-Up (with a few second hold) after each set of presses.

Post work to comments.

__________________

Deadlift

1-1-1

Max effort day. After a few warm up sets, attempt to set a new personal best on the Deadlift. As always, work to maintain a neutral spine and keep the bar over the middle of your foot. For Fitness athletes, start where you pulled a double last week and go from there. For Performance athletes, start around 90% and go from there. If you’re very new to the lift then perform 3-5 heavy singles instead of a true max-effort single.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

CFSBK TFBA Bethany E. grips the bar during a Deadlift | Photo by Thomas H.

Register Now for the Pelvic Floor Health Workshop!

Iron Maidens Lift n’ Learn presents:

A Pelvic Floor Health Workshop
November 13, 2016 from 2:00-4:30pm

Do your hips ever feel a little unstable at the bottom of your squat? Are you fastidious about making a trip to the bathroom before that heavy Deadlift… because you learned the hard way? Do you sometimes feel pressure in your pelvis on a max set of 5?

The health of your pelvic floor is part of the equation here! Correct pelvic floor engagement is an essential, but often overlooked component of lifting, and everyday life.

This team taught workshop aims to shed light on what exactly constitutes the pelvic floor, how to strengthen it, and engage it under load. Our goal is to provide you with the tools to cultivate healthy pelvic floor function and prevent dysfunction.

You will walk away with:

• A basic understanding of pelvic floor anatomy
• Exercises you can do at home or as part of your warm-ups to engage and strengthen the pelvic floor, including breathing and bracing techniques
• An understanding of how to apply engagement under load 

This workshop is for women only.
Limited to 25 participants
$75 registration fee

REGISTER HERE

Developed and presented by:

Katie Harper received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 and has been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer at CFSBK since March 2015. She is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, CrossFit Movement and Mobility Trainer, Functional Range Conitioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms), Functional Movement Screen Provider (FMS), Graston Technique Provider, Rocktape Functional Movement Specialist I, and has attended the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation I course offered by the Institute of Physical Arts.

Kristin Hoesl has been training clients one on one and in groups in Pilates for over a decade. She specializes in helping athletes access their pelvic floor, and find both stability and mobility through their abdominal core and spine.

For over 30 years, Debbie Parsons has been teaching and studying movement. From a professional dance career to Pilates certification (1994), and continuing through Crossfit Level one and Starting Strength programs, Debbie has been helping clients to move with economy and efficiency.

Margie Lempert has been a coach at CFSBK since 2009, always with a focus on barbell training for women. She founded Iron Maidens Raw Open, an annual all-women powerlifting competition in 2015, teaches small group barbell classes with her husband, and trains individual clients. She is a Starting Strength Coach and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. 

Melissa Loranger received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 and has been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer at CFSBK since April, 2012. She is a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, a Certified Starting Strength Coach and has taken multiple continuing education courses offered by the Institute of Physical Arts, Graston Techniques, LLC and Rock Tape.

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update (T-13 Days!)

GUYS! We’re at $8,530—which is 57% of our fundraising goal for Brooklyn Community Foundation. We posted some great fundraising tips, and a sample email template if you haven’t started fundraising yet. KEEP GOING!

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 8pm Sunday 10/2):

Top Five Teams:

1. He Man and the Masters of the Universe: $2,640
2. Bring It On Fleek!: $1,205
3. The Gowanus Superfunders: $750
4. Posterior Chain Gang: $710
5. Flexual Healing: $500

Top Five Individuals: 

1. Charles S.: $2,530
2. Mike I.: $725
3. Scott M.: $710
4. Jay R.: $650
5. Erik B.: $425

_____________________
Twitter Reveals How God Created Animals Sad and Useless
Why Do We Love to Curse So Much? NY Times

Power Snatch

Every minute on the minute x 15:
2 Power Snatches

These will add up quickly, so start modestly on the load and only increase if the reps feel crisp. Do them touch-and-go if you can organize them, do quick bailed singles if you can not.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

__________________

For Time:
50 Calorie Row
50 Toes-to-Bars
50 Box Jump Overs 24/20″

Sub volume or to Hanging Leg or Knee Raises or 100 Sit-Ups for the T2B as needed. For the Box Jump Overs , there is no extension requirement on top of the box but you must be facing the box, i.e. no lateral jumps. Two foot take-off is Rx’d, get down however desired.

Post time and Rx to comments.

The Chainsaw Roses of Love respresenting at yesterday’s Girls Gone Rxed event at CrossFit 718. We’ll have a full report on all the ass kicking soon | Photo by Thomas H.

Save the Date: Save the Date: Squad WOD at CFSBK 

Did Girls Gone Rxed pique your interest in getting involved with New York’s community of woman CrossFitters? Then save the date for Squad WOD at CFSBK!

Date: Sunday, November 6th, 3pm – 5pm
What: A women-focused WOD led by Crossfit Solace Coach Heidi Jones

Squad WOD is a female-focused workout that takes place at different gyms across the NYC area. The intention is to bring women together in an environment that is free of judgement and overflowing with empowerment, camaraderie, and support for each other.  

Squad WOD is a chance to meet, connect, make new friends, and empower one another in an environment that is all about celebrating each of our strengths and broadening our squads.  

After each workout, there will be a different speaker who tells her story of triumph over obstacles in a continued effort to inspire the group.  

The cost of the event is $20. The money raised will be donated to a local women’s charity. 

The workouts are for all levels of CrossFit athlete from beginner to advanced. We’ll have registration info for the CFSBK event soon!

_____________________
Watching Male Spiders Practice the Art of Seduction NY Mag
The Strongest Man in the World vs. The Fittest Man in the World Super Training

Back Squat / Front Squat

Fitness
Back Squat: 2 x 5 Linear Progression
Front Squat: 2 x 3 Linear Progression

Heavier than last week

Performance
Back Squat: 85% x 3 x 2
Front Squat: 85% x 3 x 2

Post Loads to comments
Exposure 14 of 16
__________________

Team WOD
In teams of 3, complete the following for time:
1 Mile run buy in (team runs the mile together) then,
300 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9

All three teammates must be back in the gym before the first Wall Ball shot occurs. Break the Wall Balls up however desired.

Post time, Rx, and partners to comments.

Coaches Margie and Jeremy have watched an estimated 5,529,000 Deadlifts together | Photo by Thomas H.

Girls Gone Rx at CrossFit 718

Todayour friends at CrossFit 718 will be hosting Girls Gone Rx Brooklyn. Teams of 3 ladies will compete in 4 events throughout the day to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. $30 for each team’s registration fee will be donated directly to Bright Pink. CFSBK is proud to be sending four teams to the competition:

 Chainsaw Roses of Love: Charlie N., Kayleigh R., Kelly L.
Flexual Healing: Griselle O., Val K., Tyler G.
Wall Ball Busters: Melody W., Elyssa S., Natalie R.

Kick some ass, ladies!

718 is just a quick bike or train ride away. Head on up to cheer for our athletes!

__________________
Warm Up Routine for Gymnastics and Handstands Tykato Fitness
Less Than 1 in 10 Teens Gets Enough Exericise Harvard Medical School

CFSBK mamas Mary H. and Coach MeLo | Photo by Coach JB

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. In another week of Humans of Starting Strength Program, we talked to Andre L. and the dynamic duo of BFFs Micheline G. and Christina L.

2. With two weeks to go until the main event, Fight Gone Bad Fundraising season is in full swing! We just passed $5000, but we still have a long way to go. On Monday, we gave you a letter you can tweak and send to your friends and family. Let’s do this!

3. FGB TEAM CAPTAINS: Your t-shirt orders are due today by noon. Please submit them to Coach Jess at info [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com.

4. In our latest installment of Behind the Desk, we learned more about another one of our beloved front desk staff members, Lynsey R. We also learned what a “smoggie” is and that Coach David’s sheep costume is still boring old white.

5. Yesterday we introduced a new class called Short Circuit! We’re very excited about this new offering and hope that you’ll spread the word to your friends and family.

Girls Gone Rx at CrossFit 718

Tomorrow, October 1st, our friends at CrossFit 718 will be hosting Girls Gone Rx Brooklyn. Teams of 3 ladies will compete in 4 events throughout the day to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. $30 for each team’s registration fee will be donated directly to Bright Pink. CFSBK is proud to be sending four teams to the competition:

Flexual Healing: Griselle O., Val K., Tyler G.
Wall Ball Busters: Melody W., Elyssa S., Natalie R.

718 is just a quick bike or train ride away. Head on up to cheer for our athletes!

__________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | “Jackie”
Ask a Swole Woman: 17th Century Whaler Problems The Hairpin
The Ninety-Two-Year-Old Powerlifter The Walrus

Power Clean and Push Jerk

Every minute on the minute x 15:
2 Power Clean and Push Jerks

These will add up quickly, so start modest on the load and only increase if the reps feel crisp. Do them touch-and-go if you can organize them. Do quick bailed singles if you cannot.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 7 of 8

_____________________

“Jackie”

For Time:
1000m Row
50 Thrusters, 45 lbs
30 Pull-Ups

This classic benchmark (and CFSBK Leaderboard item) should hurt a bit and is all about how much you want to push it. Baller status for doing the reps all unbroken. Try to keep the bar on your body for all 50 reps. NO BAILING THE EMPTY BARS! If you think you’ll bail, then set up a lighter bar with bumps on it. Resting the bar on your back is allowed. Standard scaling options for Pull-Ups: volume, Jumping Chest-to-Bar, DIY bands, or Ring Rows.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Short Circuit: Reprogram Your Body!™

CrossFit South Brooklyn is thrilled to announce Short Circuit, a new class utilizing some of the best training methods to give you a great total body workout in just one hour. Each class includes two circuits programmed specifically to help you shed pounds while increasing your strength, stamina, and flexibility. At Short Circuit, we want you to get sweaty, have fun, and build confidence, one workout at a time. We create an inclusive space where people can feel comfortable exactly where they are in their fitness journeys and, more importantly, challenge themselves to get better. Our instructors have worked with clients in every age group, with every body type, and across all ability levels. We want to show you that you’re capable of much more than you thought! This is our passion. This is our goal.

Each Short Circuit class consists of 4 segments:

Plug In
We start classes with a comprehensive, dynamic warm-up programmed to get your body ready for exercise while practicing skills and positions relevant to the day’s class.

1st Circuit (strength/stamina)
The 1st Circuit focuses on your strength and stamina by using 3-4 exercises done in sequence for 15-20 minutes. We use dumbbell, kettlebell, and bodyweight exercises programmed to keep your muscles strong and toned.

2nd Circuit (conditioning, intervals)
Here’s where things heat up! We’ll use a variety of high-intensity intervals to bump up your heart rate up and really make you sweat. Whether you’re on the rowing machine, swinging a kettlebell, or doing some Burpees, you’ll get your endorphins pumping with our higher intensity circuit.

Unplug
Finally, we finish with some extra core and flexibility work before sending you off to take on the rest of your day. You’ll be recharged and ready to go!

What if I can’t do something?
Every movement we teach and perform will have a variety of scaling options, so you’ll be challenged whether you’re flying through a set of 10 Push-Ups or still working on your first one. Our seasoned coaches can modify your workouts specifically for your abilities all while motivating you to do your best and to go a little further, faster, longer than you thought possible. We are here to help everyone achieve their goals, one drop of sweat at a time! No experience is required to take a Short Circuit class. Just show up and get fit!

Ok, so wait, is this CrossFit?
Not really! While we will offer CFSBK members a 15% discount on Short Circuit punchcards, this class is ideal for your friends and family who want to get fitter but perhaps aren’t quite ready to take the plunge into the world of WODs and AMRAPs and barbells. In short, please spread the word!

Schedule
Monday 9:00am
Wednesday 9:00am
Friday 9:00am

Class Cap: We will limit our class size to 15 people to ensure that every member gets individual attention and there is plenty of equipment to go around. RSVP will required to attend each class.

REGISTER HERE!

Fight Gone Bad Fundraising Update and Notes

• We far we’ve raised almost $5,000 for Brooklyn Community Foundation! Team He Man and the Masters of the Universe has surged into first place with team Bring It On Fleek! not far behind. So far, Charles S. is our top individual fundraiser. We’re off to a great start, but there’s still more work to be done. Onward, FGBers!
• A few spots have opened up! If you’d like to participate, please e-mail Coach Jess at info [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com as soon as possible!
• TEAM CAPTAINS: You should have received an e-mail from Jess about shirt sizes. The deadline for submitting your team’s shirt info is this Friday by noon.

__________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat / Front Squat | Double Unders, Run, Burpees
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect The New Yorker
Dan Bailey’s First “Jackie” CrossFit

Back Squat / Front Squat

Fitness
Back Squat: 2 x 12 Linear Progression
Front Squat: 2 x 8 Linear Progression

Heavier than last week

Performance
Back Squat: 70% x 2 x 2
Front Squat: 70% x 2 x 2

Every other exposure is a de-load so these should feel light.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 13 of 16

_____________________

3 Rounds for Time:
30 Double-Unders
200m Run
10 Burpees

The goal is to push the pace on this one and try and finish before the hurt kicks in. Sub 10 attempts or 75 singles for dubs as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Behind the Desk: Lynsey Roddham

You all love the Underneath the Hoodie series and now we’re bringing back the 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 Juan L. And now (drum roll, please), introducing another newish front desker…

Name (and any nicknames): Lynsey Roddam, aka Lynz, Roddam, Rodderz, or Rodney.

Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born in a town called Middlesbrough in the North East of England where people are often referred to as “smoggies” (mainly by opposing soccer supporters) due to the pollution emitted by the industrial power stations! I was then brought up in a market town from the age of 7 in North Yorkshire called Northallerton. Think Sheep, Yorkshire tea, Yorkshire puddings, and lots and lots of gravy, as well as phrases such as “ee by gum” and “aye up.” Baffled?! You can find more examples and translations here!

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK? I briefly started CrossFit in London back in June(ish) 2015. Shortly after we found out about our move to New York so I put it on hold and started again in January 2016. We live just around the corner so CFSBK is our nearest CrossFit, which incidentally we’re thrilled about because it’s clearly the best one!

Any front-desk public service announcements? Please put your kettlebells and dumbbells back in the right order! 🙂

Ask me about that time I… Texted David O. to ask him if he wanted me to dye his sheep costume!

What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street? I’m always at 597 Degraw Street.

What are three (non essential like food and water) things you can’t live without? Good people, positive vibes, and Yorkshire tea!

You have friends or family coming to visit from out of town. What do you take them to do in NYC? Even though Rob and I have only been here for just less than a year we’ve had soooo many visitors, so I’m pretty much an established tour guide! The first thing, especially if they’ve never been here before, has to be a walk along Brooklyn Heights promenade towards Brooklyn Bridge Park, usually followed by a stroll over Brooklyn Bridge. It offers great photo opportunities and a cultural slap in the face. Especially when the biggest city your visitor has ever been to is Leeds, West Yorkshire with a population of 750,000 and where the tallest building sits at a staggering height of 370ft! We always take guests to our favourite restaurant in our neighborhood: Al Di La and an NYC trip wouldn’t be complete without a roof top view in the form of Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, or a rooftop bar hop! Finally, for those who get truly starstruck, a visit to 66 Perry Street (Carrie Bradshaw’s house!). 

Favorite and least favorite lift:  My favourite lift would have to be a Split Jerk or a Deadlift. My least favourite lift (its not a lift!) is anything involving running. Literally my most hated thing in the world.

__________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Proteins Preserved on 3.8 Million-Year-Old Eggshell Are a Portal to “Deep Time” Atlas Obscura
The Kids Are All Fit CrossFit