Power Clean and Power Jerk

Take 10 minutes to warm up to a bit beyond your work weight for the metcon.

Post loads to comments.
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Metcon A 
15-12-9 Reps for Time:
Power Clean 155/105
Shoulder-to-Overhead 155/105
Feet do not need to move for the Shoulder-to-Overhead (as in the Power Jerk). Anything from a Strict Press to a Split Jerk is acceptable.

Metcon B
Every Minute on the Minute for 10 Minutes:
Even: 10 Toes-to-Bars
Odd: 10 Burpees

Rest 5 Minutes between A and B. Post times and Rx to comments.

Super Karl dialing in his Split Jerk during Open Gym

• Movie night returns this Friday, February 26th! From 8 to 10:30pm (after OG), we’ll be showing Fittest on Earth 2015, a behind-the-scenes documentary about last year’s CrossFit Games, on the big screen. Come watch it with your fellow CFSBKers and other CrossFitters from local affiliates. Go to the event page for more details.
• Come watch our Starting Strength program Total on Sunday! Coaches Jeremy and Margie’s Starting Strengthers will wrap up their eight-week cycle starting at 2:00pm. Lifters will be testing their 1 rep maxes in the Back Squat, Press, and Deadlift. All are welcome to come by, hang out, and do some cheering. Get ready for some massive PRs!
• CrossFit Open Workout 16.1 will be announced tonight at 8:45pm. Go here for more info and the live annoucement! Today is also your last day to register for the Open.
• Schedule Change: Today’s 9am Yoga class with Jaclyn is cancelled.

The CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competiton

This year we had 73 athletes register to participate in our first-ever CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competition out of the 92 total CFSBKers who are part of our collective affiliate team. Color us stoked!

In our inaugural year, we have 6 teams of 12 people. You can see all the teams here. Please read all of the information below to understand how it will all work.

If one of your teammates does not participate in one of the Open Workouts, their score will not be included in the team’s size or in the overall ranking. Team members need to communicate with their captains if they are unable to perform a workout due to travel, illness, injury, or any other reason. Scores not submitted to the CrossFit Games Open site will not be counted as a valid submission.

Schedule
With the exception of Week 2, we will be be programming the Open Workouts as the group class programming on Saturdays. 16.2 will be programmed for Sunday, March 6th because Iron Maidens is the day before.

Stay tuned to the blog and your captains about any other events or updates regarding the Open. If you want to meet up, this Friday the gym is hosting a movie night starting at 8pm. We’ll be screening The Fittest on Earth 2015. All are welcome! There will be free beer!

MAY THE WODs BE IN YOUR FAVOR! 

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Deadlift | “Cindy”
Maybe It’s Time To Start Taking Animal Feelings Seriously NY Mag

Deadlift

3-3-3-3-3
Work up to a max triple for the day. No failing, no loss of position. Touch-and-Go is permitted.

Post loads to comments.
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“Cindy”

AMRAP 20 Minutes:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats
In its best form, this classic triplet is performed unbroken with stamina/cardiovascular capacity being the limiter. For most, it’s either Pull-Up and/or Push-Up capacity that slows us down. If you can perform the reps, then do Cindy as Rx’d. Otherwise, scale the Pull-Ups to Ring-Rows and the Push-Ups to the knees as necessary or reduce the rep scheme to largely keep moving. In 2009, Chris Spealler scored a whopping 38 rounds at the Games, and Gillian Mounsey scored 28. Are you a heavy hitter? This is a CFSBK leaderboard workout. Tell a coach you’re gunning for it so we can keep you in our sights!

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.
Compare to 6.26.14 and 10.31.2014

Look at all those accomplishments! Brad L. PR’d his Snatch at 209lbs. Lauren B. got Kipping Dips. Bryan B. did “Jackie” in 6:03. Latasha B. Back Squatted 307lbs for two sets of two reps. Please write all of your awesome accomplishments and goals on the board. We’d like to make this a recurring feature on the blog!

• Movie night returns this Friday, February 26th! From 8 to 10:30pm (after OG), we’ll be showing Fittest on Earth 2015, a behind-the-scenes documentary about last year’s CrossFit Games, on the big screen. Come watch it with your fellow CFSBKers and other CrossFitters from local affiliates. Go to the event page for more details.
• Schedule Change: Tomorrow’s 9am Yoga class with Jaclyn is cancelled.

Last Chance to Register for the CrossFit Open and Sign Up for Intramurals!

By the time you’ve read this, the Open Workout 16.1 countdown clock to the left will have counted down to just ONE day to go. You know what that means? Yeah, wise guy, it does mean that Dave Castro will announce 16.1 live from NorCal CrossFit tommorrow night. But it also means time is running out to register!

“What Deadlifts with two legs in the morning, four legs in the afternoon, and is swole all day long?” It’s the Traveling Foxes, of course! Legend has it that the Sphinx forgot its famous riddle when confronted with this feat of strength | Photoshop by Cam C.

• Tomorrow is the last day to register for the CFSBK Open Intramural Team Competiton, and Thursday is the last day to register for the CrossFit Open.
• Schedule Changes: 6:30 pm Active Recovery and 7:30 Anti-Gravity are cancelled.

The Starting Strength Challenge at CrossFit Gantry

Looking to compete in another powerlifting meet in the spring? The Starting Strength Challenge will be hosted by Zilber Coaching at CrossFit Gantry (in Long Island City) on April 24th! Three attempts to establish a one-rep max in the Squat, Press, and Deadlift will be judged by Starting Strength Coaches.

Not only will you get to compete against the lifters that attend your local meet, but your results will be compared with the competitors from all FIVE of the other locations nationwide that are holding the same exact meet during the same weekend!

The best male and female lifter from the combined meet, calculated using the Wilks formula, will be awarded with their own York Barbell and other awesome prizes!

You can also register as part of a team. To do so, please indicate your team name in the COMPANY/ORGANIZATION field of the registration page. Your final team roster is due via email by Friday, April 22nd at 11:59pm. Go team CFSBK!

This is a great opportunity to experience a competition, lift some weights, set personal records, and see how you stack up against athletes both locally and in other parts of the country.

Go here to register!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch | Double-Unders, Thrusters
The Complete Guide to Breaking Your Smartphone Habit Art of Manliness
Maddy Myers Sets New Junior American Record hookgrip

Power Snatch + Hang Snatch Complex

1-1-1-1-1
Work up to max for the day in 5 attempts.

Post loads to comments.
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For Time:
50 Double Unders
15 Thrusters 95/65
40 Double Unders
12 Thrusters
30 Double Unders
9 Thrusters
20 Double Unders
6 Thrusters
10 Double Unders
3 Thrusters

Post time and Rx to comments.

Video of the Week: Here is perennial CrossFit Games competitor Dan Bailey providing commentary on his performance of the CrossFit.com workout of the day for February 8, 2016. It’s a great insight into how a top-level CrossFit competitor prepares, plans, and reflects on his performance. Super interesting!

• We’re just 3 days away from the annoucement of CrossFit Open Workout 16.1. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain(z). Go here to register! 
• Movie night returns on Friday, February 26th! From 8 to 10:30pm (after OG), we’ll be showing Fittest on Earth 2015, a behind-the-scenes documentary about last year’s CrossFit Games, on the big screen. Come watch it with your fellow CFSBKers and other CrossFitters from local affiliates. Go to the event page for more details.
  
• Speaking of the Open, this year we’re adding a new twist in order to promote some friendly competition. We’ll be organizing intramural Open teams for those who are interested. Go here for more details, and here to sign up before Wednesday’s deadline.
  

The Iron Maidens of CFSBK: Colleen Meagher

The Iron Maidens Raw Open is less than two weeks away. Leading up to the event, we’ve been posting brief interviews with CFSBK lifters to help you get to know our team and give you a sense of what these women are doing to prepare. This year, through competitors’ fundraising efforts, Iron Maidens will create the inaugural annual Iron Maidens Stay Strong Scholarship. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to pay for 70% of college tuition for 10 women in the College Prep program at the Bronx-based Grace Outreach. Right now we’re at $19,549 donated—so close! Help us reach our goal (and keep on going) by the end of the day! You can donate to a lifters’ campaign by going here.

Colleen! When we last checked in with you, you were Athlete of the Month, and you just keep on kicking ass. What’s your motivation for competing in Iron Maidens?

I stopped by to watch the competition last year, and it looked fun! I saw my friends competing and thought, awww, I wish I had signed up! So when this years event came online, I signed up in an instant!  If you’re not competing, I highly recommend spectating. It’s exciting and fun! 

How has lifting impacted you athletically? Personally?

Athletically, it’s given me a passport to do or try anything, most notably surfing for four days in Mexico over New Year’s break. Paddling out against waves requires strength. Having strength feels wonderful. I’ve really been using my strength this week, too, in preparation for a move, packing and stacking boxes—heavy boxes!

On a personal level, I once heard a speaker (at a vegan seminar) say that strength in your body translates to strength in your aura. I believe this is true. Lifting has given me confidence and has added fun to life, too. I never would have guessed that lifting things up and putting them down could be so much fun!

That’s so great. What’s the best piece of lifting advice you’ve received?

The best advice I’ve received is to be aware of where the bar is in relation to the middle of the foot. If the bar feels in front of the midfoot, I correct it and then everything is so much better!  It’s like a magic fix.
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Squat | KB Swings, Lunges, Burpees
A Guided Mediation for the Anxious Mind The New Yorker 
Bad Performances Produce Good Weightlifting Catalyst Athletics

Back Squat

Performance
75% x 5
85% x 3
90-95% x 1
85% x 3
75% x 5
If you’re feeling good then hit 95%. If not then back off a bit and hit 90%.

Fitness
5×5
Warm up to a medium heavy load for 5 sets of 5 reps.

Post loads to comments.
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5 Rounds For Time:
20 Russian Kettlebell Swings 72/53
20 Lunges
10 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Our Competition Team was off and running in yesterday’s beautiful weather | Photo by Thomas H.

• Schedule Change: Today’s 2pm Anti-Gravity class is cancelled.

Judges Needed for Video Reviews

Since the inception of the CrossFit Games regional competitions, Coach David has worked as the Competion Director for the North East and Canada East regions. This means he leads a team that reviews Open Workout videos and works at the Regionals leading judging and scoring teams, as well as determining appeals and making sure the competition element runs smoothly.

Part of his task is to assemble a team of 9 people to help watch the top videos in his regions in order to ensure that movement standards have been met by all the athletes heading to Regionals. We’re looking for 2 more people to help lead the charge on this! You would be responsible for watching 5-10 videos per week and giving them the thumbs up or down regarding performance standards. Coach David will assist you on any tough calls or questions you have a long the way.

The only requirement is that you pass the online judges course.

If you’re interested in helping out, please e-mail David [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com as soon as possible!
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Muscle-Ups | Open Workout 13.2
What Is Life? Is Death Real? Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Muscle-Ups

Performance
Every Minute on the Minute for 12 Minutes:
1-5 Muscle-Ups
Choose a rep scheme that challenges you but allows for no misses. The goal is to do these unbroken. Spend no more than 15 seconds of each minute performing your reps.

Post reps to comments.

Fitness
5 Rounds Not For Time:
3 Low Ring Leg-Assisted Transitions
3 Tempo Dips (31X1 tempo)
3 Challenging Ring Rows
Use a false grip for the Transitions and the Ring Rows. Perform the movements deliberately, and try not to use momentum.The Ring Tempo Dip emphasizes a controlled negative phase of the movement.
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Open Workout 13.2

AMRAP 10 Minutes:
5 Shoulder-to-Overhead 115/75
10 Deadlifts 115/75
15 Box Jumps 24/20″
The top scores in 2013 on this WOD were 12+ rounds for both women and men. Most mere mortals, however, were somewhere around half of that. If you can handle the Rx’d loads, then go for it!

Post rounds, reps, and Rx to comments.
Compare to 3.16.13 and 3.31.14

Dr. Judy with a beautiful overhead position while she warms up her Thrusters. She and her husband Dr. Mike have been training for a trip to Peru, where they hope to see Machu Pichu

• Schedule Change: Today’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class is cancelled. Coach Whit is out of town.

The Open Is for Everyone

For the past month or so, we’ve been urging you to register for the CrossFit Open—counting down the days, posting promotional videos, and just generally prodding you to get in on the action. Still, you might reasonably ask, “What’s in it for me? Why should I sign up to do a bunch of crazy workouts?”

There are a lot of reasons! As we’ve already explained, as of last year, the Open includes both Rx’d and Scaled divisions, so you don’t have to fret if you don’t have Muscle-Ups yet. And registering for the Open is good for the whole CFSBK community. As befits our spirit of inclusiveness, we usually have a big team, and we’d love to have an even bigger team this year! Even if you do only one rep for one of the WODs, it won’t bring the team down.

But, to step out of the editorial “we” for a moment, I can only speak to my own experience (hi, this is Josh). I’ve never really been competitve in the traditional sense. I played high school baseball and rowed in college, but looking back, I did it more for the camaraderie than anything else.

My first Open Workout was 13.3, which was a 12-minute AMRAP consisting of 150 Wall Balls, 90 Double-Unders, and 30 Muscle-Ups. I hadn’t registered, because I’d only started attending group class a week or two before 13.1. I had just graduated from Foundations, and I was terrified. I definitely couldn’t do Double-Unders, and I’m not sure I even knew what the hell a Muscle-Up was before I came into class that Saturday. Coach Jess led my class, and I remember her saying that most of us woudn’t make it to the Muscle-Ups. Hell, I won’t even make it past the Wall Balls, I thought.

I did make through the Wall Balls, though, and I picked up the jumprope with a few second to spare. In the grand scheme of things, there’s nothing exceptional about this story. But I had proven something to myself that day: I can do this thing that I didn’t think I could do.

The Open expresses the fundamentally democratic spirit of CrossFit. It’s easy to forget about that when you watch incredible athletes doing incredible things in the Games. The Open Workouts are designed such that anyone can do them, and that’s what this whole enterprise is really about. Everyone has a chance to prove something to themselves, and at CFSBK, we’re lucky to be able to do that in an environment in which your fellow athletes will cheer you on, whether you’re a veteran, a rookie, or somewhere in between. If you’re thinking about doing it, do it!

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Rest Day
Why Your Brain Actually Works Better in Winter NY Mag

Flashback Friday: On March 13th, 2013, CFSBK hosted Lindsey Valenzuela and Annie Thorisdottir for the live annoucement of Open Workout 13.2. Hear that excitment in the crowd? See the camaraderie between the competitors? That’s what the Open is all about, and that’s why we want you to register! It just so happens that 13.2 is programmed for tomorrow. So come give it a try, relive the glory, and see what all the fuss is about!

• SCHEDULE CHANGE: Tomorrow’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class with Coach Whit is cancelled.

This Week at CFSBK in Review

Because we love you and we don’t want you to miss any of the awesome stuff that’s happening at the gym right now, here’s your weekly recap.

1. Our new programming cycle started this week, and it’s a little different from the way we’ve done things in the past. Check out the details here.

2. In another installment of “The Iron Maidens of CFSBK,” we profiled TFBA Morit S. We’re now just about $1,000 away from our $20,000 fundraising goal. Thank you all for your generous contributions and your diligent fundraising! Go here to donate to a lifter’s campaign and help us push past the finish line.

3. Over at Inside the Affiliate, Coach David just published an interesting new piece entitled “How To Give Newbies Their First Taste of CrossFit.” It’s an excellent reminder of how lucky we are to be part of a gym where the managment puts so much thought into programming and works so hard to create an inclusive environment.

4. We’re less than one week away from the annoucement of CrossFit Open Workout 16.1. Guys, this is getting serious. You best get registered! 

5. Speaking of the Open, this year we’re adding a new twist in order to promote some friendly competition. We’ll be organizing intramural Open teams for those who are interested. Go here for more details, and here to sign up. So far, 24 out of the 53 CFSBKers registered for the Open have signed up for the Intramural Team Competition. We want more of you to join in on the fun! The deadline to sign up for intramurals is Wednesday, February 24th.

4. We have a ton of your personal belongings in our Lost and Found, and we want to give them back. Do any of these shoes belong to you? What about this other stuff? Please claim it before we donate it to CHIPS!

5. Movie night returns on Friday, February 26th! From 8 to 10:30 (after OG), we’ll be screening Fittest on Earth 2015, a behind-the-scenes documentary about last year’s CrossFit Games. Come watch it with your fellow CFSBKers and other CrossFitters from local affiliates. Go to yesterday’s post for more detals.
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Snatch Balance | Overhead Squats, Run
Allow These Two Olympic Runners to Demonstrate the Motivational Powers of Belonging to a Team NY Mag
Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain? New York Times
Peru’s Mysterious “Boiling River” The Telegraph

Snatch Balance

1-1-1-1-1
Take 5 attempts at max for the day.

Post loads to comments.

Compare to 12.31.15 and 11.29.15
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Partners alternate full rounds to complete 10 total rounds for time of:
270m Run
10 Overhead Squats 95/65
Overhead Squats come off the floor and should be done unbroken. Push the pace on the runs.

Post time, partner, and Rx to comments.

Movie Night! Fittest on Earth 2015 on February 26th from 8 to 10:30pm

Hang out with your CFSBK buds after Open Gym and get inspired to compete in the Open!

News and Notes

• The fourth LFPB Q&A Info Session, “Adjusting Nutrition to Meet Your Goals,” is tonight at 6:30pm in the second-floor Annex. Have you been following the LFPB Challenge guidelines but aren’t seeing the changes you thought you would? Are you trying to gain or lose weight, get stronger and improve your conditioning, but it just isn’t happening? In this lecture, we’ll discuss how to adjust your nutrition habits to better align with your goals.
  
• We’re down to one week until the annoucement of CrossFit Open Workout 16.1. You best get registered! Here’s why you should.
  
• Schedule change: This Saturday’s 10am Yoga for Athletes class is cancelled. Coach Whit will be out of town.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Bench/Row WOD
2016 CrossFit Open Predictions from Games Athletes Fitness HQ
16 Hours in a CrossFit Box BuzzFeed Blue
The Strangely Suggestive Power of Birdsong Pacific Standard

Bench/Row WOD

5 Rounds:
5 Bench Presses, as heavy as possible
250m Row for time

This is a slight variation on a WOD we’ve programmed a few times over the years. Work up to as heavy a load as possible on the Bench Press while still making all 5 reps. Your score for the Bench Press portion is the total poundage moved for all 5 work sets. However, if you miss a rep and only complete 4 then you score a 0 for the Bench Press for that round. There is no time component for the entire round, but you’ll score each 250m Erg sprint. The intent is to go all out on the row. Set the monitor up to count down 250m and score your time for that as well. Rest as needed (probably at least 3 minutes) between rounds. Score total pounds moved in sets of 5 and total time for the Erg sprints.

David G. working on his Handstand Push-Ups

• In case you missed it, check out Coach David‘s new post at Inside the Affiliate, “How To Give Newbies Their First Taste of CrossFit.” It’s a fun, interesting read!

The 2016 CFSBK CrossFit Open Intramural Team Competition

Morit (right) on the podium with Val and Ellie at Fight Gone Bad 2015

• The fourth LFPB Q&A Info Session, “Adjusting Nutrition to Meet Your Goals,” is this Thursday at 6:30pm.
• We have a ton of your stuff in our Lost and Found! Do any of these shoes belong to you? What about this other stuff? Please claim it before we donate it to CHIPS in two weeks!
  

The Iron Maidens of CFSBK: Morit Summers

The Iron Maidens Raw Open is fast approaching! Leading up to the event, we’ll be posting brief interviews with CFSBK lifters to help you get to know our team and give you a sense of what these women are doing to prepare. This year, through competitors’ fundraising efforts, Iron Maidens will create the inaugural annual Iron Maidens Stay Strong Scholarship. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to pay for 70% of college tuition for 10 women in the College Prep program at the Bronx-based Grace Outreach. Right now we’re at $17,335 donated. We’re so close, and we need your help to reach the finish line! You can donate to a lifters’ campaign by going here.

What’s your athletic background, Mo? When did you start barbell training?

I don’t really have an athletic background. I started lifting weights when I was 14. I was overweight and did not enjoy sports, so the gym became a part of my life. I went to SUNY Cortland for Exercise Science and Kinesiology, and that’s where I learned how to use the barbell. I really didn’t start working out with the barbell all the time until I joined CrossFit South Brooklyn a little over a year ago. Now I couldn’t live without it.  

How has lifting impacted you athletically and personally?

Lifting is really the only time I feel at my most confident. I am the strongest I have ever been and feel that I can always become better and that there is always room for improvement. I am excited to be at my most athletic in my 30s. I’ve always lifted, but Iron Maidens has given me something new and different to work towards. I’m at a crossroads in my life and career, and having this to focus on has been really amazing and empowering.

Have you competed in a powerlifting meet before?

No, this will be my first powerlifting competition. I am super excited to do this for the first time in a place I feel comfortable and surrounded by strong women! I work in the fitness industry, and for a lot of people it’s about aesthetics and the amount of weight you can lift (although I know that at a powerlifting meet we are trying lift a big number). To me the event means so much more than the numbers! 

So this is your first time competing in Iron Maidens! Anything in particular that you’re looking forward to or nervous about?

It is my first time, and I’m really looking forward to being surrounded by strong women! People have always told me I’m strong, but I’ve never been totally sure what that means. I really feel like training for this competition is a way of proving to myself what I am capable of. I’m not nervous now. I know I will be the day of, maybe even the week of. Usually before any competition I’m incredibly nervous until I get started.

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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean | Front Squats, Toes-to-Bars
Is It Dangerous to Sleep with Your Smartphone? Hopes&Fears
CrossFit HQ Redesigns CrossFit.com