Front Squat

Performance
3×12

Leave a rep or two in the tank. We’ll do 12s again next week, so these should not be max effort sets. Use full a full range of motion and control.

Fitness
3×5 Linear Progression

Start your linear progression light enough to increase the weight by 5-10 lbs each week over the next 8 weeks.

Post loads to comments.

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5 rounds for time:
9 Deadlifts 155/110
6 Hang Power Cleans 155/110
3 Push Press 155/110
25 Double-Unders

The load on this riff on the benchmark workout “DT” should be medium heavy for you. For almost everyone, it will be the Push Press that’s the limiter. In it’s best capacity, the barbell complex is done unbroken. If breaking the reps up, consider doing 8 of the Deadlifts, then taking the 9th into your first Hang Power Clean. Same strategy for taking the Hang Power Cleans into the Push Press: do 5+1 then aim to make all the Push Presses unbroken. Jerks are no reps today for the shoulder-to-overhead.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Nate O. puts skills learned in Coach Ken’s gymnastics class to good use | Photo by Thomas H.

Sign Up for Our Seasonal Fish CSA! Discount for Early Birds

Last summer, we brought in a new fish CSA partner and were blown away by the quality and freshness of their fish! Lucky for you, registration is now open for the 2016 season, which runs weekly from June 11 til late fall.

Big City Fish Share, now in its fifth season, delivers sustainably caught, never-frozen, super-fresh seafood from Montauk to New York City. You can sign up for a weekly share of either 1 pound or 2 pounds of filleted fish, littleneck clams, or oysters.  Sign up by June 7th, and lock in $16 per pound for the whole season.  After June 7th, the price will go back to $17 per pound.

The delivery window will be Saturday mornings, 10am to 12pm, starting June 11. This is a weekly, not monthly, share.

Customers can sign up for 4 deliveries at a time, and can easily place their orders on hold through the website if they go out of town. Any funds left in your account at the end of the season will be returned to you by check. Expect a good variety of fish, including big-eye tuna, squid, founder, fluke, swordfish, black sea bass, bluefish, porgy, and monkfish. 

Any other questions? E-mail bigcityfishshare [at] gmail.com. For general CSA questions, e-mail Michele at mignyc [at] gmail.com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean and Jerk | KB Swings, Hand Release Push-Ups, Run
The Sugar Conspiracy The Guardian
Whatplates.com

Jake L. considers the barbell | Photo by Thomas H.

This week at CFSBK in Review

1. Results of the LFPB Challenge are soon to come. Stay tuned to the blog Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to find out the top three winners!

2. Kelly Starrett is doing a reading and book signing at the Barnes & Nobel in Tribeca on the 26th. Don’t miss out on your chance to see your favorite Mobility Guru.

3. We caught you up on the CFSBK Classifieds. Spring cleaning time is here. Please feel free to post giveaways or for sale items!

4. Our new 8-week programming cycle started, and we gave you the whole rundown. (Coach McDowell also revealed a hidden talent for reciting long, classic American poems on command. Don’t make him do Howl during a CrossFit Kids class, please!)

5. Have you signed up for our CSA with Common Hands Farm yet? Get on it and secure your veggie supply for the Spring/Summer/Fall!

6. High Rings and ropes joined the equipment arsenal over at 608 Degraw. 

7. More importantly, Coach David asked us to think about the mileage we put on our joints outside the gym. Try not to be a Bigfoot!

8. The first Iron Maidens Lift & Learn session will take place on Saturday, May 1st. We want to keep the Iron Maidens energy and community connected between competitions, so we thought it would be fun to get together semi-regularly to train and learn about lifting (and maybe other stuff!) from women achieving great things. Here’s everything you need to know!

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Bay Area CrossFit Coach Saves Family After Crash CBS
Grace in :59 Seconds CrossFit Fond du Lac
Is Teaching Kids Empathy Just As Important As Teaching Them Math? Pacific Standard

Paused Clean and Paused Jerk

Performance
70% x 2 x 5

Fitness
5 x 2

Use a load that allows you to perform 5 technically sound doubles.

Pause the clean at the knee with the weight back towards the heels. Pause at the bottom of the dip and ensure a strong rack position with weight balanced towards the heel. OK to bail and reset between reps.

Post loads to comments.

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3 Rounds for Time:
30 Russian Kettlebell Swings 53/35
20 Hand Release Push-Ups
270m Run

The kettlebell weight should be light today, light enough to go unbroken on all sets on the top end. Scale Push-Ups with the same goal, or to complete them in no more than 3-4 quick sets.

Throwback Thursday: Charlotte and Nick (and Linus) practicing Capoiera at the Lyceum in 2009

The Inaugural Iron Maidens Lift ‘n’ Learn Session: Sunday, May 1st at 2:30pm

We want to keep the Iron Maidens energy and community connected between Competitions, so we thought it would be fun to get together semi-regularly to train and learn about lifting (and maybe other stuff!) from women achieving great things.

We’re happy to invite you all to the first Iron Maidens Lift n’ Learn session on Sunday, May 1st at 2:30pm.

What: 90 minutes of lifting, followed by a 30-45 minute talk/workshop/dialogue
When: May 1st, 2016 at 2:30pm
Where: CrossFit South Brooklyn, 597 Degraw Street (608 space)
Who: IM participants, and anyone’s who’s curious about IM
How Much: Free!

Our first session will likely feature: You! Bring your ideas for people and topics you want to us to cover in the future to help shape the program.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Squat/Deadlift | Row, Farmer’s Carry
Gamechangers: The Unsung Heroines Instagram

Back Squat

Performance
3 x 12

Leave a rep or two in the tank. 12s will be programmed again next week, so these should not be max effort sets. Use full range of motion and control.

Fitness
3 x 5 Linear Progression

Start your linear progression light enough to increase weight by 5-10 lbs each week over the next 8 weeks.

Deadlift

1 x 10

Warm up and perform one heavy (and perfect) set of 10 reps. Touch-and-go is permitted.

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
1000m Row
Rest 4 Minutes
270m 1-Armed Farmer’s Carry

Go hard on the row. Carry 1 heavy object to 4th and back, switching arms as needed. Top end load for the farmer’s walk would be about 1/4 x body weight all the way to 4th in one hand with no rest, then all the way back in the other with no rest. Start light if you’ve never done these before. Any time the object goes down you must switch hands. Stay braced and as upright as possible.

Post times and Rx to comments.

Ropes and rings are now up at 608! There’s more to come (including a cargo net!) in the very near future

The Mileage We Put on Our Joints Outside the Gym

By David Osorio

We often focus on our positions, alignment, and mechanical efficiency inside the gym, but less often discussed is the the mileage we put on our joints and connective tissue in our everyday lives outside the gym. The deleterious effects of extended sitting are well documented, and Kelly Starrett talks a lot about basic posture and foot positioning during our everyday life. What else should we be thinking about?

My own exploration into posture started when I was in high school. At some point, I began waking up every day with back pain, and it seemed intuitive to me that a 15 year old should not have back pain. So I began researching the most ergonomic way to sleep for someone who biases overextension (not that I knew what “overextension” meant when I was 15—I figured that part out later). The research I found recommended sleeping with a pillow under your knees, which creates a slight posterior pelvic tilt and puts the lumbar spine into less extension, as well as using a contoured pillow that allows your cervical spine (neck) to remain neutral while sleeping. I also side sleep, so when I shift to my side I try to put a pillow between my legs to keep my pelvis neutral and use a slightly thicker pillow under my neck. (Have you been keeping count? Yes, I do sleep with 3 to 5 pillows at my disposal.)

Years of doing this have made it second nature. I do it throughout the night without even being aware of it. I used to nap on my stomach but eventually curbed that habit, too. It’s the worst way to sleep, because it puts your back into overextension and forces your neck into extreme rotation for hours. At first it may seem daunting to make these changes, but like anything else, with consistent practice, you can gradually develop a habit that becomes a default behavior.

Similarly, I used to always hear my former roommate stomping up and down the stairs to our walk-up. One of our neighbors even called him “Bigfoot” because of how loud he was on the stairs. I often think of the mechanical wear we put on our bodies walking the hundreds of thousands of steps we climb up and down over the course of our lives. Whenever you walk up or down stairs, two things to consider are the orientation of your feet, which should point straight ahead (as opposed to duck-footed) and how lightly you tread. Think about the difference between smashing down hard at the top of a Box Jump and a graceful landing. Aim for a relaxed and quiet trip up or down the stairs.

Pick one new ergonomic habit you can improve and start working on it today. Simple, small changes add up over a lifetime.

What ergonomic habits have you been working to develop, or which ones would you like to work on?

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Japan’s Female Pro Wrestlers Blur the Lines Between Decorum and Beauty CBC
Not a Creampuff Workout CrossFit

Video of the Week: “The Story of Nuno Costa” is a short documentary about a top CrossFitter’s journey to find meaning in movement

Common Hands Farm CSA: Sign Up Today!

Happy Spring! Getting fit and eating well starts now. We have your direct hook-up to fresh produce grown upstate, and its time to sign up to reserve your membership today!

In its fifth year, Common Hands will deliver CSA shares right next door to 575 Degraw (Brooklyn Boulders) on Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30pm.

What is a CSA Share?

It is a membership to a farm where you get an exclusive deal on fresh organically grown vegetables delivered straight from the farm to you! Once you pay the upfront membership fee (payment plans available) you receive a weekly delivery from the farm starting in June through November.

Why Should You Join?

Beyond receiving freshly harvested and health-giving food, grown cleanly with no pesticides or herbicides, you are also putting your money where your mouth is, and supporting the local food economy. This is food from real farmers, and by buying a share you are supporting small organic farms. We grow food for you, period. We are not a distributor or large conventional farm with lots of employees, but real down to earth people. On our farm, a team of less than ten people work to grow food for upwards of 200 members each year… and we care what you eat!

We offer Full and Half Vegetable Shares that can be paired with the optional Full or Half Fruit & Egg Share. A Full Share picks up weekly, while the Half Share picks up bi-weekly. Veg shares are $615 for a weekly (“full”) share or $375 for an every-other-week (“half”) share. Fruit and eggs can be purchased in addition to Veg Shares and are bundled together: a full share is $280 and a half share is $140. Pending interest, Flower Shares may be available as well.

Remember, your pick-up location is just down the block at Brooklyn Boulders!

Go to CommonHandsCSA.com for details or click here to sign up directly!  Questions? Email the farm at commonhandsfarm [at] gmail [dot] com, or the gym’s CSA coordinator, Michele, at mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Double-Under Progression for Beginners WODPrep
Have Fun Trying to Reach the Poles of Inaccessability Atlas Obscura

Ring Dips (or Close DB Bench Press)

Performance
Tempo Ring Dips (32X1):
4  x 6-12 Strict, 1 x Max Reps

Perform 4 sets across to 2 reps shy of failure, then 1 max effort set to failure. Perform a full range of motion on all reps. Rest as needed between sets. Goal is to add total reps each week by increasing the sets across and/or the max set.

Fitness
Tempo Close Dumbbell Bench Press (32X1):
4 x 6-12, 1 x Max Reps

Perform 4 sets across to 2 reps shy of failure, then 1 max effort set to failure. Rest as needed between sets. Start with a load that feels almost easy for 12 reps. Keep elbows in close to mimic the bottom of a dip.

The tempo note (32X1) means control the eccentric (down) portion for a 3 count, pause at the bottom for a 2 count, contract concentrically (up) as fast as possible, then hold the top for a 1 count before beginning the next rep.

Post loads/work to comments.

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5 Rounds NFT or 20 Minutes:
5ea 1-Armed Dumbbell or Kettlebell Thrusters, as heavy as possible
7ea Split Squats
5-10 Strict Toes-to-Bars or Hanging Leg Raises

Focus on keeping a rigid, squared off torso for the first two movements. Only add weight to the Split Squat if you can do all reps in both legs with perfect form. The goal on the Toes-to-Bars/Hanging Leg Raises is zero swing.

Post work and Rx to comments.

Dan L., Mike C., and Mark L. listen as Coach McDowell recites Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” from memory | Photo by Thomas H.

• CrossFit Kids programming returns today with a new schedule!
• Registration is now open for our seasonal vegetable/fruit/egg and fish CSAs. Don’t miss out!

Upcoming 8-Week Training Cycle Template

Training Cycle Dates: M 4/11- Su 6/5
Crush Week: M 5/29 – Su 6/5
Transition Week: Will be the first week of the following cycle, starting June 6, 2016

This cycle will bring us back to more progressive, less randomized programming with an added emphasis on developing/building intermediate gymnastics skills in warm ups. We’ll program the barbell movements on consistent days of the week and will once again squat twice a week.

Monday – Upper Body Push: Dip or Dumbbell Bench Press + Metcon
Tuesday – Rest Day
Wednesday – Back Squat + Deadlift + Metcon
Thursday – Clean and Jerk + Metcon
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – Front Squat + Metcon
Sunday – Snatch + Metcon

We’ve laid out the Fitness and Performance rep schemes and weekly progressions for each lift, as well as the standardized warm ups we’ll be doing for the next 8 weeks, over on the Current Programming Cycle page.

New to all this? Check out Coach Fox’s article “The Underlying Philosophy Behind Programming at CFSBK.”

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Bear Complex | Run, Power Snatches, Burpees
Kettlebell Thruster Technique MaxWOD

Bear Complex

Work up to a heavy load for one cycle through the Bear Complex:
Power Clean + FSQ + Push Press + BSQ + BTN Push Press

Jerks are acceptable for the shoulder-to-overhead portion of the complex. 

Post loads to comments.

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For Time:
800m Run
30 Dumbbell Power Snatches, Alternating
30 Burpees
550m Run
20 Dumbbell Power Snatches, Alternating
20 Burpees
400m Run
10 Dumbbell Power Snatches, Alternating
10 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Azam P. mid Box Jump | Photo by Thomas H.

• Today’s CrossFit Kids classes are cancelled. CrossFit Kids programming will resume tomorrow with new classes and a new schedule!
• Our new 8-week programming cycle starts tomorrow. Check tomorrow’s blog post for the new training template!

Catching Up with the CFSBK Classifieds 

Did you know that we offer a classifieds section of the website for our members? Well, we do! Here are a few examples of goods and services up for grabs at the moment:

• Charles S. wants you to know about the Kickstarter for Pistol Lake, a new active wear company that makes clothing from sustainable materials. Check it out! He also recommends his nanny, who is looking for a full-time position.
• Fatima A. offers her services as a Paleo-friendly chef.

We hope you’ll take advantage of this fun feature. Many CFSBK members have found roommates there. Why deal with Craigslist when you can live with your workout partner?

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These Are the Top Words People Say to Their Dogs NY Mag
Why Some People Can Eat More Carbs Than Others Greatist

Team WOD

In teams of two (Male + Female), partners alternate full rounds to complete 10 rounds for time of:
12 Deadlifts 315/205
12 Box Jumps 30/24

Partner 1 completes 12 Deadlifts and 12 Box Jumps, then Partner 2 Completes 12 Deadlifts and 12 Box Jumps, alternating until both partners have completed 5 rounds each.

The load on the Deadlift should be heavy for you, upward of 80-85% of your 1RM. The box should be a challenging height for you as well.

Post partner, time, and Rx to comments.

Amanda Mc attempts a Snatch at our Next Level Weightlifting Club

• Schedule Change: Today’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class with Coach Whitney is cancelled. Looking to try something other than group class this weekend? Check out Active Recovery today at 11am or at 11am on Sunday, and don’t forget about Anti-Gravity at 2pm on Sunday!

Kelly Starrett Talk and Book Signing

Everyone’s favorite mobility expert Kelly Starrett will be at the Barnes & Noble in Tribeca on Tuesday, April 26th at 6:00pm to discuss his new book Deskbound: Standing Up in a Sitting World. It looks like a super interest book, and it’s sure to be a fascinating talk! Round up your fellow MobiltyWOD fans and roll on over.

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Here’s How a Month of Exercise Affected My Brain Fast Company
Emily Abbott Does “Isabel” CrossFit

Brad L. getting after “Nasty Girls” on Wednesday night. What has been the toughest Crush Week workout for you?

This Week at CFSBK in Review

1. Tomorrow’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class with Coach Whitney is cancelled, as are our Saturday and Sunday kids classes. Our CrossFit Kids programming will return Monday with new classes and a new schedule!

2. And this week we annouced that new schedule as well as some changes to our kids programs, which will help us better serve our growing community. Next week is a perfect time to check out a CrossFit Kids class if you haven’t already!

3. Evan H.—one of the nicest, funniest guys you’ll ever meet—got the “Better Know a Member” treatment this week. He tells us to always listen to Coach Ro, which is good advice because…

4. Coach Ro took 3rd place in the 2016 National Masters Weightlifting Championship. Congratulate him next time you see him!

5. Into trivia? Check out Stella Z.’s Smart in DUMBO night!

6. Into seafood? Sign up for our seasonal fish CSA with Big City Fish Share!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: 2011 Regionals Event #1
I Only Look Like This Because I Have Good Genetics… Miranda Oldroyd

4 Rounds NFT

15 Erg Pulls
5-10 Pull-Ups
5 HSPU or 2-3 Wall Kick-Ups/Walk-Ups

Start the HSPU with 3 AbMats and work your way down to the ground.

Post work to comments.
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2011 Regionals Event #1

For Time:
1000m Run
30 Handstand Push-Ups
1000m Row

At the 2011 Regionals, there was a 15 minute time cap on this event. We will not be imposing the 15 minute time cap but aim to use a Handstand Push-Up version that allows you to move through them relatively smoothly without failing early on. Kipping is allowed but you must maintain control of your bodyweight with your arms, i.e., no crashing or resting on your head. The 1000m Run is 1 lap + 4th Ave. to 3rd Ave. and back. All runs start in the direction of 4th Ave. Subs for Handstand Push-Ups are as follows:

Reduced ROM: 2 AbMats, 1 AbMat
Reduced Load: Box Piked HSPU, Dumbbell Push Press

If substituting with DB Push Press, then choose a challenging weight that you can perform 7-10 reps unbroken when fresh.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Like the looks of this seafood bounty? Then sign up for our seasonal fish CSA!

• Today’s 9am Yoga class with Jaclyn K. is cancelled. Thursday Yoga with Jaclyn will resume next week.
• Don’t forget that our CrossFit Kids progamming is on a one-week hiatus. We’ll be back Monday with a new schedule!

Sign Up for Our Seasonal Fish CSA! Discount for Early Birds + Call for Co-coordinator!

Last summer, we brought in a new fish CSA partner and were blown away by the quality and freshness of their fish! Lucky for you, registration is now open for the 2016 season, which runs weekly from June 11 til late fall.

Big City Fish Share, now in its fifth season, delivers sustainably caught, never-frozen, super-fresh seafood from Montauk to New York City. You can sign up for a weekly share of either 1 pound or 2 pounds of filleted fish, littleneck clams, or oysters.  Sign up by June 7th, and lock in $16 per pound for the whole season.  After June 7th, the price will go back to $17 per pound.

The delivery window will be Saturday mornings, 10am to 12pm, starting June 11. This is a weekly, not monthly, share.

Customers can sign up for 4 deliveries at a time, and can easily place their orders on hold through the website if they go out of town. Any funds left in your account at the end of the season will be returned to you by check. Expect a good variety of fish, including big-eye tuna, squid, founder, fluke, swordfish, black sea bass, bluefish, porgy, and monkfish.

If you are interested in splitting a free share in exchange for volunteering to run the Saturday morning pickup every other week, contact Michele, below.

Any other questions? E-mail bigcityfishshare [at] gmail.com. For general CSA questions, e-mail Michele at mignyc [at] gmail.com.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Nasty Girls V2
Bill Starr on Overtraining
$1240 Dumbbells? Yes, $1240 Dumbbells