CFSBK has seen accomplishments galore lately! Let’s see… Grace D. hit a 100kg Back Squat. Kayleigh Cleaned 158lbs and Snatched 110lbs. Coach Jess did “Grace” in 237. Matt C. Snatched 85kg. Tom S. Cleaned 175lbs. Keep up the great work, all!

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Weekend schedule changes: Tomorrow’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes is ON with guest instructor Sasha S. All CrossFit Kids programming is cancelled from today through Monday for 4th of July weekend. 

2. On Monday, July 4th, we’ll offer Open Gym hours from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

3. SAVE THE DATE: On July 9th CFSBK will be hosting an OUTWOD workout for every class as part of a national benefit for victims of the Orlando shooting. CrossFit gyms from New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, LA, and Tennessee will be participating in this special OUTWOD event. Class will be “free” to any CrossFitter but we’ll ask all participants throughout the day to donate a drop in membership’s worth to the Orlando Victims Fund. Go here to register and make your donation.

4. We learned more about Malachy M. in our latest installment of Better Know a Member.

5. We bid a fond farewell to Yoshi and Josi Stone and Rich and Meghan Armstrong. Good luck, guys. Visit us soon!

6. In a new blog feature, we took a closer look at the “knees out” (!) cue. Let us know what other cues you’d like to see featured.

7. The Subway Series is fast approaching, and registration is still open! A series of local competitions is just a subway ride away. That’s why they call it the Subway Series. 

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Wall Balls, Power Cleans, Push-Ups
Zone vs. Macros: Accounting for Fat in Protein CrossFit Journal
The Beginning of Everything Kurzgesagt

Snatch

Performance
Hang Snatch:
2-2-2-2-2

Work up to a heavy double Mid-Hang Snatch

Fitness
Hang Snatch + 2 Overhead Squats:
5x (1+2)

Take a few jumps to warm up to a medium-heavy load on the complex and perform 5 reps there. Prioritize perfect positions over a heavier load.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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AMRAP 15 Minutes:
15 Wall Balls 20/10, 14/9
9 Power Cleans 135/95
6 Ring Muscle-Ups

The Power Cleans should be on the light side for you and ideally done unbroken touch-and-go. Scale volume on Muscle-Ups so as to be able to move through them in a few short sets if not unbroken, or use today’s WOD as an opportunity to work on them. Sub for them is either Jumping Muscle-Ups on the low rings or 15 Push-Ups.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

It’s summer, and Jay-Star is feeling the heat | Photo by Thomas H.

• SCHEDULE UPDATE: This Saturday’s 10:00am Yoga for Athletes class is ON with guest coach Sasha S. All CrossFit Kids programming is cancelled from 7/1 through 7/4 for 4th of July weekend.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2016 SUBWAY SERIES!

Another year has gone by, and it’s time once again for an NYC affiliate throwdown: the sixth 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!

Event Schedule
Sunday, August 7th: CrossFit Virtuosity
Sunday, August 14th: CrossFit Gantry
Sunday, August 21st: CFSBK
Sunday, August 28th: CrossFit Queens

Scoring
Scoring will work “Open-style”: top 3 male and top 3 female athletes from each affiliate will score based on their place finish in each event. Athletes may score in any event regardless of attendance at other events. 

The ultimate series winner will be the affiliate with the least points after all 4 events have been completed. In the event of a tie, a 5th tie-breaking event will be held. 

As last year, an Rx division and Scaled division trophy will be awarded. 

Registration
All athletes MUST register for each individual event in advance via the Subway Series website in order to participate. Each event will be capped at 100 total participants, so we strongly advise you to register ASAP. These events sell out quickly. 

REGISTER HERE!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | DB/KB Carries, Burpees
Improving Your Jump for the Snatch and Clean Catalyst Athletics
How Not To Be Disappointed With Your Friends Art of Manliness

Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week’s weight. 

Performance
3 x 6

Sixes again next week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8
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5 Rounds for Time:
200m Dumbbell/Kettlebell Carry (as heavy as possible)
20 Burpees

Choose a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell and carry it goblet style 100m out and 100m back. It should be challenging but not so heavy that you need to rest more than twice per trip.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coach Lady Fox and Beignet C., the smallest (and arguably most adorable) CFSBKer. More cute photos by Thomas H. can be found here

The CFSBK Guide to Cues: Knees Out

By David Osorio

Knees out! Chest up! Flat back! The verbal cue is one of the most important tools in a CrossFit coach’s repertoire. You likely have some sense of what these commands mean, but in this new blog feature, we’d like to take a look at some common cues. From time to time, we’ll be offering these short guides to explain what these mean and why they’re important. First up is one we’ve probably all heard: knees out!

When might you hear it in class, and what does it mean?

You’ll usually hear it during some sort of squatting activity, but it can apply to any movement that requires you to bend your knees (e.g., the take-off in a Box Jump or the Olympic lifts). The intention is to keep your knee over your midfoot by shoving your knees out, rather than letting them cave in. In the photos below, note how Lauren’s knee is aligned over her midfoot (left) rather than drifting inward (right).

Why is it important?

When you align your knee over the middle of your foot and maintain that position throughout the movement, you are aligning the muscles of your leg to most effectively produce force, as well as minimizing soft tissue stress. Put simply, if your knees are over the middle of your feet during a Back Squat, you’ll be moving the weight upwards in a straight line. If your knees cave in or splay out, the force you exert won’t be used efficiently to move the weight back up. Instead, it will be absorbed by your soft tissue in a counterproductive way. Pushing your knees out reduces wear and tear on your joints, and who doesn’t want that?

What can I do to fix it?

As far as Squats and the Olympic lifts are concerned, the first and easiest thing you can do is buy weightlifting shoes. An elevated heel allows you to maintain more dorsiflexion of your foot, which is especially useful if you have tight ankles. Lifting shoes provide a stable platform on which you can more effectively engage your feet and give you a better tacticle sense of what your feet are doing, creating a better connection to the floor.

Second, simply being aware of the issue and mentally cueing yourself will go a long way. Many newer CrossFitters simply lack this awareness and aren’t quite sure how to fire some external rotators or activate their glutes. If you’re an experienced CrossFitter and your knees tend to cave in at heavier weights, be your own manager and take some weight off the bar if you can’t maintain good positions. In any case, make sure your set up is correct: your stance is the right width (for you), your feet are active and creating external rotation, and your belly is braced.

Finally, if you’re struggling with keeping your knees out because of mobility issues or muscle weakness, don’t hesitate to ask a coach to watch you Squat and suggest some accessory work. One possibility is the Banded Squat, which will “feed the weakness” and reinforce better positioning.

What cues would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Lifts vs. Assistance Exercises Starting Strength
What To Do When a Wild Animal Attacks New York Times

OUTWOD at CFSBK on July 9th

Bench Press / Bent-Over Row Superset*

1A) Barbell Bench Press

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add a few pounds to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 10

Go heavier than last week. 

1B) Barbell Bent-Over Row

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add a few pounds to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 10

In both cases, keep these light enough to perform strictly and with solid form. Don’t let these turn into an ego exercise. Really think about the movement rather than the weight moved. Keep the following notes in mind:

1) Set up like a Clean and Deadlift the bar up.
2) Hip hinge until bar is at least below the knee (try to be as horizontal as possible).
3) Maintaining a consistent back angle, pull your elbows up and back and aim to hit your stomach (not your chest) with the barbell.
4) Start with a weight that allows all the reps to be done perfect and without momentum. It should feel too light to start.

*Superset means that you perform a set of exercise A (in this case the Bench Press) and then after a short rest, 30 seconds to a minute, you perform a set of exercise B (in this case the Barbell Bent-Over Row). You then rest a short period before returning to exercise A and continue in this fashion until all warm up and work sets are completed.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 3 of 8

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21-15-9 Rounds for Time:
Dumbbell Thrusters
Box Jumps 24/20
Toes-to-Bars

Rx for the Dumbbell Thrusters is 45% of body weight. These should be challenging. Sub Hanging Leg Raises or Hanging Knee Raises for the Toes-to-Bars as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Malachy M. does a trippy Box Jump. Read on to learn more about Mal!

Better Know a Member: Malachy M. 

Welcome back to a fun feature on the CFSBK blog, Better Know a Member! You all love Underneath the Hoodie and Behind the Desk, and now, in a similar vein, we’ll be profiling members from across the CFSBK community. In our previous installment, we introduced you to Pigeon K. Now it’s time to meet Mal M. Let’s go!

Name (and any nicknames): Malachy McPartland

Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born in Teaneck, NJ. When I was 4 years old, our family moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I started school on a Dutch and English compound. After 3 years, we returned to the states and put down roots in a small town called Grandview, NY in Rockland County.

How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK? I’ve been CrossFitting for a little over a year. I have some good friends who had convinced my wife to try a teaser class at Crossfit 718. I wasn’t into the idea at the time and almost let my wife do it by herself. She really wanted me to do it with her, so I did. It was in the middle of winter and their heat was broken for some reason. The WOD was simple, but it put me into a realm of pain I had not experienced since my track and field days of high school. My lungs hurt and I felt incredibly out of shape, but I actually enjoyed the whole experience. It made us both want to sign up for Foundations at CFSBK since it was only two blocks away from our apartment. The rest is history.

What’s your hidden talent? I inherited some artistic ability in the form of drawing from my mother. I’ve always drawn since I was a little kid, probably because she was doing it and she was so good.

If you had to switch careers today, what would you choose to do? If money wasn’t a concern, back to working as a carpenter. It allows you to focus on the present.

You have friends or family coming to visit from out of town. What do you take them to do in NYC? I would take them to the Brooklyn Bridge waterfront area to show them how much Brooklyn has changed over the last 15 years.

Favorite and least favorite lift: Favorite is Back Squat. I wouldn’t say it’s my least favorite, but one that gives me the most difficulty is Overhead Squat. Need to work on that.

Any advice for new CFSBKers? Ask the coaches questions about your training and your form. Try not to let ego affect your movements and cheer for your partners and classmates. Be excellent to each other and party on dudes!

News and Notes

• Paul A. and his wife have decided to stay in Brooklyn (yay!) and are looking for a 1-bedroom apartment beginning in the middle of August or the beginning of September. Anybody have any leads? Go here to see Paul’s post in the CFSBK Classifieds. 
• Since there are so many people who do work related to education at the gym, some of us thought it would be a good idea to get together for dinner and nerd out. If you’re an educator or work in the field of education (doing research, consulting, non-profit work, ed-tech, policy, etc.) and would like to join a “CrossFit South Brooklyn Education Professionals Dinner,” email Coach JB at jmbrown224 [at] gmail [dot] com. We are planning our first dinner for some evening during the week of July 18 (date and location TBD.)

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | Run, Deadlifts, Pull-Ups
Seeking Answers, Michael Phelps Finds Himself New York Times
Longevity Versus Performance Training Think Tank

Clean and Jerk

Fitness
Every 90 seconds x 10:
Clean Deadlift + Mid-Hang Power Clean + Front Squat + Power Jerk

Performance
Every 90 seconds x 10:
Clean Deadlift + Mid-Hang Clean Pull + Mid-Hang Clean + Power Jerk

For both complexes, start light and work up to a medium-heavy load for the day. The goal is no misses and fast reps.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8

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5 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
20 Deadlifts 135/95
10 Pull-Ups

The load should be light on the Deadlifts and done unbroken on the fast end. Substitute the same volume of Jumping Pull-Ups or half strict as needed.

Another great one from Kate R. and Coach Katie’s photoshoot

• Schedule Change: Today’s 2:00pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled. Coach Noah is out of town. 

Farwell to the Stones and the Armstrongs!

Yoshi and Josi S. and Rich and Meghan A. are leaving Brooklyn for new adventures. They had nice things to say about the CFSBK community, so we decided to post their farewell notes (with permission). Good luck, guys!

CFSBK peeps!
I just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks for everything over the last 5+ years. When I first arrived I was woefully out of shape, obese, plagued by bad habits and poor nutrition. CFSBK was a huge part of reversing all of those trends and setting me on a healthy, sustainable path. Eventually Josi joined me, a few years later Felix started CrossFit Kids, and I think Ramona even got in a class or two after her third birthday. The gym really became a big part of our family, and we’ll always be grateful for the positive influence. I know it has been said countless times, but you have built a unique and wonderful community. We are proud to have been a part of it. As we make our move out the ‘burbs, we will always consider ourselves SBKers at heart. We wish you more growth and success, and hope that you have a positive effect on more families like ours.  Thanks for working so hard to do what you do.

Back Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 8

Sets of 6 next week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8
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6 Rounds
Every 3 minutes for time:
10 Overhead Squats 115/80
15 Russian Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
20 Double-Unders

Score times for each round. Post fastest and slowest round to comments. Full Snatches may count as the first rep of each round, but don’t sacrifice good positions for speed. Performing a Power Snatch and getting stable for the Squats is faster in the end than missing a rep and having to pick the bar up again. Sub 10 attempts for Double-Unders or 50 singles if your singles are a WIP. The goal is fast, unbroken sprints on the fast end.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Coach Katie did a photoshoot with Kate R. a couple of days ago, and the results were pretty awesome! Check out the rest of the album here

• Schedule Change: Tomorrow’s 2:00pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled. Coach Noah is out of town.

Brainz and Gainz!

Stella Z. is getting the CFSBK pub trivia team back in business. You don’t have to know everything—anyone who enjoys weeknight drinking and racking your brains for answers is welcome. No commitment either—just come when you can.

Location and day of the week to be determined based on interest, but would be Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday nights at a bar in one of the neighborhoods surrounding the gym.

Email Stella, stellavision [at] gmail [dot] com, if interested. If you have a preferred night of the week, mention that in your email. Let’s flex some mental muscle together!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
What Happened Before History? Human Origins Kurzgesagt

Eli F. gets his C 2 the B

The Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Movie Night returns on tonight at 8:00pm with Purple Rain (1984)! Come for Open Gym, stay for a kick-ass movie. Or just come for the movie. We don’t care as long as you’re there! Bring your own beer, snacks, crying doves, little red Corvettes, etc.

2. Big news from Coach Noah: he’s moving to Austin to open his own CrossFit affiliate in August! We’re sad to see him go but, of course, also very excited for him. He’ll continue to coach his regular classes until the move.

3. In the latest installment of Better Know a Member, we learned more about Pigeon K.

4. Did you leave a pair of shoes at the gym some time over the past 6 months? We have an impressive collection of shoes pulled from the lost and found. If any of these belong to you, please claim them soon!

5. There’s a new post up over on Inside the Affiliate. It’s not just a fun, interesting read. What Makes a Great CrossFit Group Class is also a terrific insight into what makes CFSBK such a great gym.

6. Interested in doing a competition over the summer? Flex on the Beach registration is open! The event will take place on September 17th, and our comp team will be there.

7. Last but certainly not least, we told you about Meg L.’s big book news and presented a poem by Dr. Mike. We love our multi-talented members!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Row, Wall Balls, Run, Burpees
CrossFit Instructor Accidentally Breaks Record for Most Pull-Ups in a Minute Daily Mail
The Elbow Problem Starting Strength

Snatch Complex

Performance
Every 90 seconds x 10:
Snatch Deadlift + Mid-Hang Snatch Pull + Mid-Hang Snatch

Fitness
Every 90 seconds x 10:
Snatch Deadlift + Mid-Hang Snatch Pull + Mid-Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat

For both versions of the complex, start light and work up to a medium-heavy load for the day. The goal is no misses and fast reps.

Post loads to comments.

__________________

For Time:
500m Row
30 Wall Ball 20/10, 14/9
400m Run
30 Burpees
500m Row

Post time and Rx to comments.

Meg L. just published a new young-adult novel, Museum of Heartbreak! Here’s a photo of her at the launch event at McNally Jackson, and if you look closely, you’ll see that this copy is inscribed to CFSBKer Mary S. (who tipped us off to Meg’s big news). To find out more about Meg and her writing, check out her author page. Congrats, Meg!

• Don’t forget! Jaclyn K. is offering a free yoga class today at 9am in the Annex.
• Dr. Fidler has some new contact info up on his info page. Go here to check it out and learn more about his services!

A Poem by Dr. Mike

Today is turning out to be Literature Day on the CFSBK blog, but we don’t mind. Dr. Mike Cutaia has written for us before, and we’re pleased to present this poem about his wife, Dr. Judy. Enjoy!

“The Reluctant Athlete”                                                     6/10/2016

She doesn’t extoll the virtues of
      our gym work,
wringing grimaces
of boredom and pain
     from family members,
like I do.
She doesn’t write down her results
      or do bar math.
She doesn’t remember what squat weight
      she did last week,
or waste time
      with the fine points of deadlifting.
She doesn’t record PR’s.
She doesn’t watch the action
      in the gym like I do,
            screaming silently “yes!”
when I see a good one.
She doesn’t check out
      the Instagram pics.
But, I know she is a Crossfitter
      because when we miss a session,
she says,  “I don’t feel right today. I need to move
      and do some work.”
Ah… the sound of music in my ears!   

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.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | NFT Work
Closest Thing to a Wonder Drug? Try Exercise New York Times

Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week.

Performance
3 x 8

Sets of 6 next week.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 2 of 8
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5 RNFT:
8ea Dumbbell Lateral Step-Ups
50m 1-Arm Farmer Carry Left
50m 1-Arm Farmer Carry Right
5 Bar Levers or Floor Levers

Choose a medium-heavy load on the Step-Ups but not so heavy that you need to use a bunch of momentum off the trail leg. Keep the knee of the working leg tracking over the middle toes of the foot and control the descent of the movement. Work up to a heavy load on the carries keeping your mid-line tight and your head stacked over your center. Keep the Levers as strict as possible. Scale to tuck or half-tuck as necessary to be able to move with control.

Post work to comments.

Coaches Melissa and Katie celebrating at their Graduation WOD/BBQ last weekend. More photos by Thomas H. can be found here. Congrats again, you two!

• Jaclyn K. is offering a FREE yoga class tomorrow at 9am. Don’t miss out!
• There’s a new post up over on Inside the Affiliate. It’s not just a fun, interesting read. What Makes a Great CrossFit Group Class is also a terrific insight into what makes CFSBK such a great gym.

This Friday: Movie Night Returns with Purple Rain!

Movie Night at CFSBK returns on Friday, June 24th at 8:00pm with Purple Rain (1984)! Come for Open Gym, stay for a kick-ass movie. Or just come for the movie. We don’t care as long as you’re there! This event is Bring-your-own everything: beer, snacks, crying doves, little red Corvettes, etc.

If you’re not familiar with Prince or Purple Rain, we cannot help you. Just kidding! Here’s how IMDB describes this classic: “A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.” That doesn’t really do it justice, but you’ll have to come to Movie Night to find out why.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Losing All Your Weight At Once Juggernaut Training Systems
I Tried a Medieval Diet, and I Didn’t Even Get That Drunk Atlas Obscura