AMRAP 20 Minutes:

10 Power Cleans 185/125
10 Double-Unders
9 Power Cleans 185/125
20 Double-Unders
8 Power Cleans 185/125
30 Double-Unders
7 Power Cleans 185/125
40 Double-Unders
6 Power Cleans 185/125
50 Double-Unders
5 Power Cleans 185/125
60 Double-Unders
4 Power Cleans 185/125
70 Double-Unders
3 Power Cleans 185/125
80 Double-Unders
2 Power Cleans 185/125
90 Double-Unders
1 Power Clean 185/125
100 Double-Unders

The Power Clean should be on the heavy side of medium. Scale half attempts or 3x Singles for Double-Unders as needed. If you complete the 100 Double-Unders, then stop there and score time to complete. If you scaled the Dubs at all, then use the remainder of the time to practice them.

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

How is Crush Week treating you so far? Jason N. has that post-“Fran” glow | Photo by Thomas H.

• Herondale meat CSA customers: just a friendly reminder that this month’s meat pick-up is tonight from 6-8:30pm. 

The CFSBK Guide to Cues: “Pull yourself under the bar”

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 probably have some sense of what these commands mean, but in this newish 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. In our first installment, we discussed the ubiquitous “knees out.” Now we’re going to look at one that comes up a lot during Olympic lifting: “Pull yourself under the bar.” What the hell does that mean? We’re glad you asked…

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

The Snatch and Clean and Jerk are technically demanding lifts. Most of us can relate to feeling intimidated or overwhelmed when we first started learning them. That’s why we often break them down into three separate phases, each with its own set of positions and intentions.

The 1st Pull: Moves the bar from the floor to the Mid-Hang position. The intention here is to maintain balance and position while beginning to accelerate the barbell.

The 2nd Pull: Is an aggressive extension and transition from the Mid-Hang to full extension, the purpose of which is to create maximum momentum and elevation of the barbell.

The 3rd Pull: Is what we’re focusing on here today. Now, this is where a lot of new lifters get confused, since the 3rd pull is a downward movement rather than an upward one. So when coaches tell you to “pull yourself under the bar,” they’re telling you to actively pull your body underneath the bar into the receiving position. It’s not a passive “catch” but an intentional pull underneath the bar using our arms. The arms play a more passive role in the 1st and 2nd pulls as we elevate the bar. But in the 3rd pull of the Snatch, we ideally use our arms to pull under and push up, staying connected to the bar. Think of actively heaving yourself down rather than simple dropping underneath.

Why is it important?

The faster you can get under the barbell, the more weight you can move. You have to accelerate downward faster than gravity, and the only way to do that is to pull under the bar. We have a video!

In the first Snatch, I passively drop under the bar. In the second Snatch, I actively pull myself under the bar. See how much faster and cleaner it is? To Snatch efficently, you and the bar need to move as one. 

What can I do to fix it?

Drills! The following barbell drills will help you stay active and pull under the bar with proper mechanics:

The Scarecrow Snatch, the Tall Snatch, and the High Hang Snatch all demand quickness under the bar, accentuating the downward heave of the 3rd pull. You may want to try these with a PVC or a lighter barbell than usual at first. Also, if you’re not doing it already, you should always use the hook grip!

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

____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Handstand Obstacle Course CrossFit Motivation
Improve Your Overhead Press By Testing These 5 Areas The Barbell Physio

Dylan K. on his way to landing a Box Jump | Photo by Thomas H.

• Searching for something? Uh, no. Not like… in life. We mean your personal belongings, of which there are many in our lost and found. Claim your stuff before we donate it to CHIPS in two weeks.

This Sunday: The 2016 NYC Subway Series at CrossFit Virtuosity

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! The second event of the year will take place at CrossFit Gantry on this Sunday, August 14th.

The action kicks off at 12:00pm, and workout info can be found here. Head to Gantry to support CFSBK’s athletes!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: “Fran”
It Gets Real with These Ring Handstand Push-Up Fails Break Parallel
Lock It In… NOW Catalyst Athletics

“Fran”

For Time:
21-15-9
Thrusters 95/65
Pull-Ups

This is THE classic CrossFit couplet that has inspired and hooked so many CrossFitters over the years. So simple, yet so potent. The intention is for this to be brutally fast. The fastest times world-wide are completed unbroken and under 2 minutes. Scale accordingly. However, as always, there’s is room to gut out Rx’ing a benchmark such as this at a load or degree of difficulty that’s at the edge of your ability so you might also consider that when deciding what your “Fran” will look like today. Top athletes complete the reps unbroken and with minimal rest but your (and my) Fran might be very different. If you can do the 21 thrusters unbroken but then you wind up in a world of shit for the 21 Pull-Ups, then you should probably break those Thrusters up! Do you rest too much during the 15s? Have a strategy to minimize rest like: 3-5 breaths between sets or a controlled 3-5 count in your head. In any case, have a plan that is honest to your level of ability. Let your judge know your plan and ask them to help keep you to it. And as always, have fun!

Sub Jumping Pull-Ups or scale volume as needed. Use lighter bars and larger bumps as available to save the 10s and 15s!

Post time and Rx to comments.

 

Here’s Morit S. Squatting 325.2 lbs at Saturday’s USAPL New Jersey State Championship. Mo took 2nd in her weight class and was gracious enough to write a recap for us. Read on! | Video by Coach Margie

From Iron Maidens to the NJ State Championship

By Morit Summers

This year’s Iron Maidens Raw Open truly helped me realize that being on the platform under the bar is my happy place. So when Iron Maidens was over and I started to lose motivation, one night in May I randomly, without even thinking about it, signed up for the New Jersey State Powerlifting Championships. After I did that, I kind of freaked out and had no idea why I had done it. I had to buy and wear a singlet, which I really was not happy about, but more importantly, I had no coach.  Thanks to Margie that wasn’t a problem for long!  

Unfortunately and fortunately, throughout training for this meet, I had a lot of random awesome stuff come up and my training schedule was not exactly what I would have wanted it to be. I wasn’t truly excited, thinking this was going to be a disaster until a week before the meet when I had my last Big 3 day with Margie and I PR’d all my lifts!

It’s funny because I kind of bombed at the beginning of Iron Maidens. I didn’t listen for the commands. I could hardly hear them because I was so nervous. I think my heart rate was too loud! This time around I repeated the commands with Margie over and over again before each lift. I do not even remember lifting, because all I was doing was focusing on the commands!  Somehow it really helped keep me calm and kept my racing heart race in check.

I’m super happy with my progress and my performance, and I’m excited for more!

_____________________
First CrossFit Workout? CrossFit
The First Time “Fran” Was Posted to the CF Main Site

Clean and Jerk Complex

Fitness
Clean Pull + Clean + Jerk:
5 x 1

Warm up to a medium-heavy load and perform 5 reps of the complex at that weight. No press outs, no misses.

Performance
Clean Pull + Clean + Jerk:
Perform singles of the complex at 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 80%, 85%, 90% (of best Snatch)

Go up to 90%. If it’s feeling good and if you feel like a PR ,then move up. If you’re not feeling great today, then go back to 80% and work up from there.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

_____________________

AMRAP 14 Minutes:
40 Double-Unders
40 AbMat Sit-Ups
40 Lunges

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.

It’s almost that time of year again…

SAVE THE DATE: Fight Gone Bad 2016!

Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called Fight Gone Bad. Last year, we raised over $60,000 for the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking, and community service. This year, we’ll be partnering with BCF again and hope to surpass last year’s donation numbers.

We’ll have registration info up soon. For now, here’s what you need to know!

When is Fight Gone Bad?

Saturday, October 15th, 2016. First heat begins at 9am.  

What is Fight Gone Bad?

Three rounds, AMRAP, of:
Wall Balls, 20lb, 10ft / 14lb, 9ft 
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, 75/55 lb
Box Jumps, 20″ box 
Push Presses, 75/55 lbs
Row

In this workout, you move from each of five stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. When the announcer calls “Rotate,” athletes must move to next station immediately. Each of the three rounds is five minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point. Scaling options will be available!

Why are we fundraising?

In the past, our annual FGB fundraiser has been a great way to bring our community together to support great charities—and we chose to support the Brooklyn Community Foundation because Brooklyn has been exceptionally good to us and we want to help give back to the community that CFSBK is proud to call home. If you’re not familiar with BCF, make sure you visit their website to check them out. Or if you’re lazy, at least check out their list of grantees; we’re sure you’ll find one or two not far from you!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Back Squat: Chipper WOD
If You Want to Bond with Someone, Swear at Them NY Mag
Olympic Weightlifting Schedule NBC
Olympic Rowing Schedule NBC

Back Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week or establish a 3RM.

Performance
3 x 2

Go heavier than last week or establish a 1RM.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
__________________

For Time:
270m Run
25 Toes-to-Bars
25 Burpees
25 Kettlebell Swings 32/24kg
25 Dumbbell Thrusters
25 Calorie Row

Sub Hanging Leg Raises or Hanging Knee Raises for T2Bs as needed. The swings are Rx’d as overhead. For the Thrusters, Rx the dumbbells at about 45% of your (total) bodyweight. The goal is to move quickly through this chipper and not get bogged down too much on any one movement.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Alex B. Power Snatching at last year’s Subway Series event at CFSBK

Tomorrow! The 2016 Subway Series Kicks Off at CrossFit Virtuosity!

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! The first event of the year will take place at CrossFit Virtuosity in Williamsburg this Sunday, August 7th.

CFSBK is sending Jason C., Coach KHarpz, James A., and Brad D. to compete. The first event kicks off at noon. More event info, including the Scaled and Rx workouts, can be found here. Head up to Virtuosity on Sunday to watch our athletes kick some ass!

_____________________
The 2016 CrossFit Games… Through the Eyes of a Powerlifter Massenomics
When Wellness Becomes Fitness CrossFit

A friend (in need of a spot) is a friend indeed | Photo by Thomas H.

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. This Sunday, CFSBKers Jason C., Coach KHarpz, James A., and Brad D. will be competing in the first of this year’s Subway Series events at at CrossFit Virtuosity! The first workout kicks off at noon. More event info, including the Scaled and Rx workouts, can be found here. Head up to Virtuosity on Sunday to watch our athletes kick some ass!

2. As you may have noticed, we’re now offering RxBars for purchase at the front desk! Go here to find out why we think you should consider these as a pre- or post-workout snack.

3. Prompted by an e-mail from Paul A., we reposted a CFSBK classic: Coach Fox’s “There Is No Wagon: Thoughts on Binge Eating and Dieting.” It’s great. Give it a read! 

4. Herondale meat CSA customers: please note that the farm has informed us that August’s delivery will be delayed by one week. Delivery will be Wednesday, August 10th. The time remains 6-8:30pm.

5. CFSBK is in the process of redesigning its website (not too much!) with the help of the fantastic Chris Y. Now we’re looking for a front-end web developer familiar with the Squarespace CMS to help us see the project through. Have professional services to offer? E-mail david [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com if you’re interested.

6. Packer is looking for a few more people to fill out his team for the Wawayanda Lake Ragnar Race (September 30th to October 1st). Interested? Contact him directly at david.packer [at] gmail.com!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Deadlifts, Pull-Ups
Tolerance of Smoke May Have Given Us an Edge Over Neanderthals New Scientist
Load the Squat to Increase Mobility Barbell Rehab
Fitness Blogger Proves that Weight Is a Meaningless Number NY Post

Snatch Complex

Fitness
Snatch Pull + Snatch:
5 x 1

Warm up to a medium-heavy load and perform 5 reps of the complex at that weight. No press-outs, no misses.

Performance
Snatch Pull + Snatch:
Perform singles of the complex at: 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 80%, 85%, 90% (of best Snatch)

Go up to 90% if it’s feeling good, and if you feel great, then move up. If you’re not feeling great today, then go back to 80% and work back up from there.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8

__________________

15-12-9-6-3 Reps for Time:
Deadlifts 225/155
Pull-Ups

The Deadlifts should be light-medium and unbroken on the fast end. Scale volume on the Pull-Ups or to Jumping Pull-Ups to avoid breaking the sets up too much.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Kristin C. caught mid-Box Jump by Thomas H.

This Sunday: The 2016 Subway Series Kicks Off at CrossFit Virtuosity!

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! The first event of the year will take place at CrossFit Virtuosity in Williamsburg this Sunday, August 7th.

CFSBK is sending Jason C., Coach KHarpz, James A., and Brad D. to compete. The first event kicks off at noon. More event info, including the Scaled and Rx workouts, can be found here. Head up to Virtuosity on Sunday to watch our athletes kick some ass!

_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Front Squat | Double-Unders, Ring Muscle-Ups
Why CrossFit and BJJ Should Never Be in the Olympics Breaking Muscle
Big Goals Can Backfire. Olympians Show Us What to Focus on Instead NY Mag

Front Squat

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Add 5-10 lbs to last week’s weight.

Performance
3 x 2

Heavier than last week’s 4s.

Post loads to comments.
Exposure 8 of 8
__________________

For Time (15 minute cap):
50 Double-Unders
9 Ring Muscle-Ups
50 Double-Unders
6 Ring Muscle-Ups
50 Double-Unders
3 Ring Muscle-Ups

Scale volume or to Jumping Muscle-Ups as necessary. The buy-in for JMUs is a mature Ring Support and a few strict Ring Dips. If you don’t have the buy-in, then scale to Leg-Assisted Low-Ring Transitions. Scale for dubs is 20-25 attempts.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Coaches Jess and Chris Fox visiting EBT CrossFit in Brownsville, TX. “It was hot as hell,” says Lady Fox

August Meat CSA Date Change

Herondale meat CSA customers: please note that the farm has informed us that August’s delivery will be delayed by one week. Instead of tonight, delivery will be Wednesday 8/10. The time remains 6-8:30 pm.

If this is a hardship for you, contact Michele at Mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com immediately to make an alternate plan.

Girls Gone Rx at CrossFit 718

On Saturday, 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. Sound interesting? Find some teammates and head on over to the website to register!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Watch the Construction of an Olympic Pool in 30 Seconds Atlas Obscura
Hou Zhihui Snatches 91kg at 48kg Bodyweight All Things Gym

Your rest day assignment: meditate on this cool photo by Thomas H.

• Schedule Change: Tonight’s 6:30pm Active Recovery Class is cancelled. 
• CFSBK is in the process of redesigning its website (not too much!) with the help of the fantastic Chris Y. (Seriously, isn’t he great, guys?) Now we’re looking for a web developer to help us see the project through. Have professional services to offer? E-mail david [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com if you’re interested.

There Is No Wagon: Thoughts on Binge Eating and Dieting

By Chris Fox

Editor’s Note: Paul A. (who is currently honeymooning among the Hobbits of the Shire in New Zealand) recently sent Coach Fox an e-mail letting him know that his article “There Is No Wagon” is now being used as training material at Paul’s former school, Achievement First Crown Heights Middle School. The post, Paul writes, “is now being used as a framing for a teacher professional development session on building relationships with the same message that it’s not about a ‘wagon’ picking you up, but about making more good small choices than bad ones!” So awesome! This article was originally posted on 1.17.2014. 

You cannot fall off the wagon. You cannot get back on it. There is in fact, no wagon. You are self propelled, and you make your way down your own path.

I’ve heard it countless times and had said it myself for years…”I’ve got to get back on the wagon”. This language seems to allow for some other power, in this case The Wagon, to make or break us. We make a big change in our lifestyle that seems like it will make everything better. That if we can stick to it we will once and for all be happy. We decide to get on The Wagon. We choose a date, prepare for it, and then go full steam ahead. At first it’s great, this is when you’re riding the momentum created by the hope of change, or of something changing you. Then some of the reality settles in and you stray a bit from The Wagon. You “mess up” and feel guilty. Maybe you even “mess up” a little more because of the guilt. So what do you do now? This is the point where you can move further off your path (have a second or third beer, order dessert after pizza, have a crappy dinner since you “messed up” at lunch, etc…) or turn back toward it (make your next decision one that lines up with your values and priorities). You can eat like crap all day and it’s still only one day. Health and fitness is not made or broken in one day alone. Be nice to yourself, don’t beat yourself up about it. And importantly, don’t wait for some wagon to come along and pick you up.

If you find yourself in a cycle like this then consider a few things. First, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or a failure. It means you’re just like everyone else. Fit people don’t magically not crave “bad” foods or never have trouble abstaining from unhealthy treats, and it’s hard for them to get to the gym sometimes, too. They even kick back and have a few drinks and french fries every now and then. What they do is consistently make more good decisions than poor ones. They live more in line with long term values and less with instant gratification. Try this: Think about what you value, then think of a few small actions you can take right now to live in line with those values. It’s important to realize that we are constantly making small decisions about how we will live and who we’ll be. This means that you can make a choice to have an all weekend bender or give in to a craving for the office donuts. That’s ok. It also means that you can make your next choice one that you are ok with, that makes you happy, and that is in line with your values. Be nice to yourself and put one foot in front of the other. Don’t wait for The Wagon to come around again and pick you up.

___________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Bench Press / Bent-Over Row | T2Bs, Push-Ups, Squats
Is Your “Competitiveness” Making You Worse? Training Think Tank
Superfoods: Myth Vs. Fact

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 6

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 6

Go heavier than last week.

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 8 of 8

__________________

10 Rounds for Time:
5 Toes-to-Bars
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats
Rest 30 seconds

Score total time. Scale volume or to Hanging Knee/Leg Raises as needed.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Hungry Before or After Class? Read on!

• Schedule Change: Tomorrow’s 6:30pm Active Recovery class is cancelled.

Now Available at the Front Desk: RxBars!

By Chris Fox

When signing in at 597 Degraw (you did remember to sign in, didn’t you?) with our superstar Front Desk staff, you’ve probably noticed a few additions to the area. A few weeks ago we started offering FitAid and PartyAid, and now we’re also offering RxBars for purchase. We’ve long wanted to offer a few products that can help members perform and recover better, and we believe these are a really good option. They’re all natural; gluten, soy, dairy, and GMO free; made from nuts, dates, egg whites; and flavored with the essential oils of ingredients like cocoa, peppermint, and coconut. They taste pretty good and offer a responsible option for a post-workout recovery snack since they’re balanced macro-nutrient wise and don’t pack a huge caloric punch. The average RxBar provides (give or take a bit depending on the flavor) 200 calories coming from about: 22 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein, and 8 grams of mostly mono-unsaturated fat. Give one a try next time you’re hankering for a snack before or after training!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | NFT WORK
Beyond Myth: When Steroids Are Just a Fact of Life Pacific Standard
Death From Space Kurzgesagt