KH (aka Cage), Coach Whit, Jenna J., and KMo have spent the past week hiking 35 miles on the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland. They survived (!!!) and are coming back to us tonight. Ask them about their adventures!

• FIGHT GONE BAD 2015: Since 2008, CrossFit South Brooklyn has conducted a yearly fundraiser in the form of a workout called Fight Gone Bad. Have you signed up yet? The deadline is only 10 days away. REGISTER HERE!
• SCHEDULE UPDATE: Pilates is CANCELLED tonight.

Want to Model Your CrossFit Muscles?

Ewan B. (who took a bunch of great photos for us at the final Subway Series event) has a client that sells a fat burner, and they are looking for ripped athletes (male and female) with low body fat. Ewan is doing a casting, and needs athletes with the necessary physique. It’s a paying gig ($500) and he would need a signed model release. The shoot may be as soon as tomorrow, so have a flexible schedule! Email Ewan [at] ewanburns.com, and check out more of his work at www.ewanburns.com. 

_____________________ 
Breathing and Breath Control for Olympic Weightlifting Catalyst Athletics
The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things Fast Company

Bench Press

Performance: Low Intensity: 65-70% x 7 x 4
Add a few pounds to last week’s low intensity exposure.  

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add two to five pounds to last week’s exposure. 
Exposure 4/8
_____________________ 

Deadlift

Fitness and Performance: Work up to one heavy set of 5 using perfect form.
Heavier than last week’s set of 5. Dead start, no touch-and-go. 

Exposure 4/8
Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

For Time, 15-12-9-6-3:
Hang Power Cleans 115/75
Over the Bar Burpees

The power clean is meant to be light, something you might do unbroken.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Are you ready for Fight Gone Bad? REGISTER HERE!

Announcing Fight Gone Bad 2015!!!

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.

Last year, we had 180 members participating and this year, we’re capping it at 200.  

The registration deadline is Monday, September 10, 2015.

REGISTER HERE

Tell Me More… 

When is Fight Gone Bad? 
Saturday, October 17th, 2015. 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 pounds 
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.

What if I can’t attend that Saturday, October 17?
Sign up anyway and select the option to be on Fight Gone Belated! We’ll do our best to coordinate a make-up date with those athletes that can’t attend so you can still participate in the fun. You’ll still get to create a team name, participate in fundraising, and get a FGB t-shirt!

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!

Is there a fundraising minimum?  
While we’d love for everyone to make wholehearted attempts to raise funds, there is no fundraising minimum to participate. However, as in years past, there will be some sweet prizes awarded to the top Individual and Team fundraisers!  

Okay, you keep talking about fundraising but how should I do this and when should I begin?
Once our registration deadline ends on September 17th, we’ll create teams consisting of six athletes. Shortly after, athletes will get an email from us with their team assignments and all of the details to set up their fundraising pages. We’ll be using CrowdRise as our fundraising platform again and participants will have individual fundraising pages that will be super easy to share with friends and family. (Check out last year’s main fundraising page HERE!)

Tell me more about the workout. What if I can’t do it Rx’d?
Here’s Coach Glassman explaining FGB in detail. And don’t worry, we have scaling options available!   

So the day begins at 9am, but how long will it last? When will my team go?
The length of the event depends on how many total athletes/teams we have. We run two teams through the workout simultaneously and new heats start every 20 minutes. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you exactly what time your team will be going until we get closer to the event. Of course, we hope that you plan on spending a few hours with us, not only competing but also supporting your fellow teams. And per usual, we’ll have some tasty adult beverages to enjoy!

Okay, I’m sold. Where do I register?
Sign up here for Fight Gone Bad 2015!

Once registration closes after September 17th, we send an email to request the following information: t-shirt size, your division (Rx or scaled), and whether you need to be on a Fight Gone Belated team. 

_____________________ 
Oliver Sacks Dies at 82; Neurologist and Author Explained the Brain’s Quirks The New York Times 

Fitness
Back Squat: 3 x 8
Heavier than last week. 
Exposure 3/8 

Performance
High Intensity
Back Squat: 85-90% x 3 x 2
Front Squat 85-90% x 3 x 2
Add a few pounds to your last High Intensity day. 
Exposure 5/16 

Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

5 Rounds For Time:
400m Run
15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 

Sub regular pull-ups, banded pull-ups, or challenging ring rows as appropriate. Also consider scaling volume to perform a more challenging version of the pull-up. If chest-to-bar pull-ups are in your wheelhouse, scale up and perform 5 bar muscle-ups instead.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Another awesome shot by Ewan B. from last Sunday’s Subway Series event

• Happy birthday, Lisa C. and Matthew C.! 

Schedule Changes

• The following class is CANCELLED next week: Pilates on Tuesday, 9/1
• LABOR DAY UPDATES: The following classes will be offered as a modified schedule for Labor Day. Please note the changes to the morning and evening classes:
  • 6:30pm
  • 8:00am
  • 9:00am
  • 10:00am
  • 12:00pm
  • 4:30pm
  • 5:30pm

Three Ways to Spice Up Your Sunday CFSBK Life

• Active Recovery at 11am. This class is designed to give your muscles and mind a rest. For an hour you’ll be guided through a combination of soft tissue work, mobility techniques, and general restorative movement. Want to learn more? We wrote a detailed article about this class on Coach David’s blog, Inside The Affililiate, called “Running an Active Recovery Class.”
• AntiGravity at 2pm (and Tuesdays at 7:30pm). The class focuses on the gymnastics skill and strength components that are most commonly demanded in CrossFit workouts, using a variety of skill exercises, progressions, weighted and strict practice, and other techniques to teach, develop, and perfect your bodyweight movements. 
• Open Gym from 6-8pm. CFSBK has been offering Open Gym hours for a few years now, as an opportunity for members to perform some independent programming, while a coach monitors training. We now offer an Open Gym membership option and extended hours just for athletes who would like to use our facilities and equipment to do their own programming and training independent of group classes.

_____________________
The Paleozoic Diet Lucky Peach
NASA’s Next Horizon in Space The New York Times 

Clean and Jerk

Take 5 minutes to warm up a bit beyond your clean and jerk weight for the WOD.

Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

A) AMRAP, 8 minutes:
1 Clean 185/125
1 Jerk 185/125
2 Cleans
2 Jerks
3 Cleans
3 Jerks 

 Rest 5 Minutes 

B) AMRAP, 8 Minutes:
10-20-30-40-50-… of:
Double-Unders
AbMat Sit-Ups 

Rest 5 Minutes 

C) AMRAP, 8 Minutes:
30 Russian Kettlebell Swings
10 Burpees

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

All the pull-ups at last Sunday’s Subway Series event | Photo by Ewan B.

Schedule Changes

• ACTIVE RECOVERY ON SATURDAYS AT NOON IS CANCELLED INDEFINITELY. This class has had consistently low attendance for a while, and we’re nixing it. Check out Active Recovery at 11am on Saturday or Sunday to get your weekend mobility fix.  
• The following classes are CANCELLED this week and next week:
  • Yoga for Athletes today, 8/29 
  • Pilates on Tuesday, 9/1
• LABOR DAY UPDATES: The following classes will be offered as a modified schedule for Labor Day. Please note the changes to the morning and evening classes:
  • 6:30pm
  • 8:00am
  • 9:00am
  • 10:00am
  • 12:00pm
  • 4:30pm
  • 5:30pm

Come Party on Degraw Street With Our Neighbors Today from 12-5pm!

DanceWave—a nonprofit Brooklyn based dance center—is moving to Degraw and hosting a block party today between 12-5pm. Businesses on our block—between 3rd and 4th—will be participating. Brooklyn Boulders will be setting up an outdoor obstacle course and the School of Rock will offer music lessons. CFSBK’s Comp team will display their super human skills outdoors from 2:30pm onwards. Come join in the festivities!

_____________________
Exercise, Government Style Starting Strength
No, You Do Not Have To Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day The New York Times
Stop Wasting Time in the Gym CrossFit Invictus

We’re loving the incredible photos Thomas H. and Ewan B. got from last Sunday’s fourth and final Subway Series event. Check them out in our Flickr account!

• The following classes are CANCELLED this week and next week:
  • Yoga for Athletes on Saturday, 8/29 
  • Pilates on Tuesday, 9/1
• Congrats to Kristin C., who got married last weekend! In her words: “It was a magical time at Blue Hill Stone Barns in Westchester. Right now we are traveling (and eating) our way through Japan for two weeks!” Check out some photos of Kristin and her husband Marcello at their wedding here and here!
• Lose something recently? Check out our latest batch of lost and found items here and here!
• Happy birthday, Rob U.!

Got Plans Tomorrow? Come Party on Degraw Street!

DanceWave—a nonprofit Brooklyn based dance center—is moving to Degraw and hosting a block party this Saturday between 12-5pm. Businesses on our block—between 3rd and 4th—will be participating. Brooklyn Boulders will be setting up an outdoor obstacle course and the School of Rock will offer music lessons. CFSBK’s Comp team will display their super human skills outdoors from 2:30pm onwards. Come join in the festivities!

_____________________ 
Why Eating Late at Night Might Be Particularly Bad for You and Your Diet The Washington Post
Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles’ Foe, It’s Fuel The New York Times
New NASA research points to an “unavoidable” rise of several feet for the Earth’s oceans Quartz

EMOM For 16 Minutes:
Even: 1 Snatch
Start at 70% and go up a few pounds each rep if it’s moving well.
Odd: 5-7 Tempo Ring Dips, Tempo Ring Push-Ups, or Tempo Push-Ups
2-2-X-2 Tempo (2 sec down, 2 sec hold bottom, explode up, 2 sec hold top) 

Exposure 3/8
Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

3 Rounds For Time:
Row 500m
Run 400m 

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Coach K HarpZ is in Florida on vacation and she tried to take a cool photo doing a pistol on a paddle board for the blog. In her words, it ended up not running so smoothly, as she was a couple beers deep/full of wings and chili after lunch at the local pub… so that may have played a factor… or at least she’d like to think so. 

• The following classes are CANCELLED this week and next week:
  • Active Recovery today, 8/27
  • Yoga for Athletes on Saturday, 8/29 
  • Pilates on Tuesday, 9/1

A Letter to New CrossFitters: Good Training Habits 

The original version of this article appeared on David’s blog, Inside the Affiliate. 

Below is a short article we ask all our new members to read when they graduate from our Foundations program. At CFSBK, we believe it’s important to guide our members’ training perspectives early on. The sooner we can get folks thinking about how to make proactive, intelligent training decisions, the more likely they’ll optimize their time under our roof.

While it’s our responsibility as coaches to teach movement, program wisely, and generally take care of folks, it’s your job as an athlete to listen to your body, track your workouts, and maintain a mature perspective about why you’re doing CrossFit in the first place. For some athletes, this may be completely intuitive, but most folks walking through our doors will need to be taught even the most basic components of serious physical training. Many people pursue CrossFit because they want to lose some weight or a friend does it and it sounds fun—not necessarily because they’ve suddenly decided to eat, sleep, and breath CrossFit. (The obsession part happens organically, after they’ve been exposed to its benefits.)

With that in mind, the commercial fitness industry’s claims of quick fixes and supposed “secrets” to success may have influenced peoples’ perspectives and expectations when they arrive at our gym, and it behooves us to disabuse them of such false messaging. Messages such as the one below are part of a larger dialogue that CFSBK is constantly facilitating, with the aim of giving our members the most accurate and honest advice about what it takes to adopt a healthy lifestyle. 

Hopefully, all of you have already read this article. But a good refresher never hurt anyone…

Good Training Habits

While it’s our responsibility as coaches to teach you movement, program intelligently, and keep you safe, it’s your responsibility as athletes to develop good training habits. Here is an overview of three great habits that will significantly enrich your training experience.

1. Be Proactive With Your Movement Prep
Everyone needs to do a little personalized maintenance on their bodies. Even 10 minutes of DIY movement prep before class can go a long way in keeping you fit and pain free. After you’ve signed in and changed, take advantage of the time you’ve got and start moving. 

Warm-up
Row an easy 300-500m on the erg. Get your heart rate up a little and try to get a light sweat going. We recommend holding 20 strokes per minute and rehearsing good form. 

Stretch/Foam Roll
Many of us know where our tightest areas are—they’re the ones that make it difficult to squat below parallel or press a barbell overhead. Spend a few minutes mobilizing and doing some soft tissue work (foam roller/LAX ball, etc.) on your “problem areas.” If you don’t know where to begin, ask a coach what you should be prioritizing and we’ll help you out. We also regularly refer our members to out Active Recovery classes and MobilityWOD.com. This is great resource for folks who need simple, effective strategies to help them move better. 

2. Log All of Your Workouts
Training without logging is like driving without a road map. You don’t know where you’ve been or where you’re going. Taking notes on each training session helps you track your progress and helps us make informed decisions about how to assist you in choosing weights and scaling movements. Each day should list some quantitative and qualitative notes about your training session. Here is an example:

Warm-Up:
3 rounds NFT
5 Snatch PP (22lb bar)
5 OHS
5 Muscle Snatches
10 Push-ups on knees 

Move up to yellow bar

AMRAP 15 minutes:
Row 350m
12 Overhead Squats, 45lbs 
4 Rounds + 320m 

Kept rows at about 2:23 splits, felt hard but doable. Don’t shift forward during overhead squats…. Mid foot!

You can track your workouts in a journal or online. As coaches, we LOVE to read the details of your workout in the Comments section of CFSBK’s blog. It gives us a deeper perspective into your training and the programming in general. 

3. Start Slow and Maintain Perspective
We take our training seriously at CrossFit South Brooklyn and with that comes with a good deal of responsibility. Our movement pool uses serious strength and conditioning exercises in order to develop broad, inclusive fitness. If we don’t treat these movements and workouts with respect, training plateaus and injuries are sure to follow. The best way to ensure your success and training longevity with us is by starting slowly and developing a rock-solid technical base. In fact, the first few months you start CrossFit, intensity should not be a significant concern. The movements are potent enough that just consistently performing them will create a favorable adaptation. After you feel really comfortable with most of our exercises and have a working knowledge of your weights, only then should you start ramping up the intensity. 

Training with a lifelong perspective is incredibly important. Remember that you’re here to build yourself up, not break yourself down. Scaling workouts properly, listening to your body and checking your ego at the door will allow you to work out successfully for years to come. Most importantly, have fun with this stuff and enjoy the process.

Coach Fox wrote an article in May of 2014 that expands on many of these themes, called “Tips on How to be Prepared and Get the Most Out of Group Classes.” Check it out!

_____________________ 
Ben Smith: 5×5 Front Squat CrossFit 

Performance:
Medium Intensity
Back Squat 75-80% x 5 x 2
Front Squat 75-80% x 5 x 2

Add a few pounds to your last medium intensity day.
Exposure 4/16 

Fitness:
Front Squat 3 x 8
Add a few pounds to your 3 x 10 exposure last week. 
Exposure 3/8

Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

AMRAP 20 Minutes:
20 Thrusters 95/65
20 Pull-Ups
20 Double-Unders 

The thrusters should be light enough to do a few unbroken sets, but if you’ve never done an Rx’d barbell on “Fran,” then use today to push the weight a bit. Similarly with pull-ups, the intention is to kip through them in 1 or 2 sets early on. Scale some volume if needed or use bands or ring rows, but today is a good day to slog through some volume on a challenging version. Scale double-unders if needed to 10 attempts or 50 singles.

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

CFSBK Power Couple Mary and Dima M. just spent a week on the amazing island of Kauai. Here’s a photo of them kayaking along the Napali Coast! | We love seeing photos of your adventures—and hearing about your promotions, events, art, personal victories, discoveries, media campaigns, and small government coup d’états! Send awesomeness to Kate, our Managing Editor, at Katharine [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com. 

• The following classes are CANCELLED this week and next week:
  • Active Recovery on Thursday, 8/27
  • Yoga for Athletes on Saturday, 8/29 
  • Pilates on Tuesday, 9/1

• Happy birthday, Kevin G.! 

Got Plans This Saturday? Come Party on Degraw Street!

DanceWave—a nonprofit Brooklyn based dance center—is moving to Degraw and hosting a block party this Saturday between 12-5pm. Businesses on our block—between 3rd and 4th—will be participating. Brooklyn Boulders will be setting up an outdoor obstacle course and the School of Rock will offer music lessons. CFSBK’s Comp team will display their super human skills outdoors from 2:30pm onwards. Come join in the festivities!

_____________________
Age Is Irrelevant When It Comes to Fitness Outside 

Jude G. and Amy M. during the Trans Rockie run. Jude is on the left, at the summit on the second day. Amy is on the right, celebrating after their final day back at camp. The pics don’t feature their CFSBK tees, but they promise they wore them with pride but under many layers since Colorado is cold at night. Read more about their experience below!

• The following classes are CANCELLED this week, as Coach Whit and KH left yesterday for Iceland:
  • Pilates on Tuesday, 8/25, and Tuesday, 9/1
  • Active Recovery on Thursday, 8/27
  • Yoga for Athletes on Saturday, 8/29 
• Happy birthday, Eleanor M.!

A Letter From Jude G. to David and CFSBK, About the Trans Rockies Run

Hi David and Team,

I wanted to send you a note expressing my gratitude for creating such a unique and supportive community at CFSBK. 

A week ago I finished the three-day Trans Rockies run—a 58-mile race through the Colorado Rockies. The event was grueling—13 to 25 miles each day on varying terrain from exposed mountain top to dense woods. My lungs and heart worked hard climbing peaks over 12K and my quads were severely tested running down a mountainside for miles.

Before joining CFSBK, everything about the Trans Rockies Run would have seemed impossible—the miles, the altitude, the course, even camping out each evening. I would have researched the event, admired the athletes that participated and thought, ‘That looks amazing but I can’t do that.’ However, because of my experience at CFSBK, I decided to ignore my initial reaction and I signed up for what turned into an incredible adventure.

I am very grateful to be a part of the CFSBK community, I agree with all the prior praise expressed for CFSBK—it is far from just a venue to workout. Many thanks to the talented, supportive and good humored coaches, their encouragement got me through months of training and ultimately across the finish line. I couldn’t have done it without you. 

Brooklyn-trained. Rockies-tested. 

Much love,
Jude 

P.S. I also convinced Amy M. that 58 miles through the Rocky Mountains was a good idea, so thanks again for creating a space that attracts awesome people and new friendships!

_____________________ 
The LeBron James of Weighlifting Wall Street Journal 

Bench Press

Performance: High Intensity: 85-90% x 3 x 4

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add two to five pounds to last week’s exposure. 
Exposure 3/8
_____________________ 

Deadlift

Fitness and Performance: Work up to one heavy set of 5 using perfect form.
Heavier than last week’s set of 8. Dead start, no touch-and-go. 

Exposure 3/8
Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

For Time:
21 Deadlifts 185/125
15 Handstand Push-Ups
15 Deadlifts 185/125
9 Handstand Push-Ups
9 Deadlifts 185/125
6 Handstand Push-Ups

The deadlift should be light-medium and possibly unbroken. Scale the handstand push ups to 1 or 2 AbMats or strict push-ups.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Congrats to everyone who participated in the Subway Series this year! CrossFit Virtuosity won overall, and our SBK athletes did awesome yesterday! In the scaled men’s division, Greg took first. In the scaled women’s division, Mo took first and Kayleigh took second. In the Rx-ed women’s division, Coach MeLo took second.
We’d also like to thank all the volutneers who helped with judging, scoring, photography and setting up and breaking down equipment. We couldn’t pull of such a big event without the support of our amazing community. Thank you CFSBK!

• Happy birthday, Simon P.!

Upcoming Class Cancellations

The following classes are CANCELLED this week, as Coach Whit and KH leave for Iceland today for an epic hiking adventure:

• Pilates on Tuesday, 8/25, and Tuesday, 9/1
• Active Recovery on Thursday, 8/27
• Yoga for Athletes on Saturday, 8/29 

Check Out CrossFit Teens at CrossFit South Brooklyn!

Have a teenager who is looking to gain a competitive advantage in their sport, improve their fitness, learn new skills, and have fun in a supportive, social environment?

CrossFit Teens is a strength and conditioning program that is specifically designed for teenagers and helps them develop a lifelong love of fitness. In a group setting, teens participate in fun and engaging workouts that deliver measurable results and prepare them to be well-rounded athletes. The workouts consist of constantly varied, functional movements that deliver a fitness that is broad, inclusive and general and scalable for any participant at any level.

Classes will begin with a warm-up and icebreaker-style question. Each class will include skill practice and a strength development aspect, specifically designed to be accessible and appropriate to teenaged athletes. Classes will finish with a WOD, or Workout of the Day, designed to test work capacity, endurance, skill, and strength in a fun, competitive, but inclusive environment. As the school year starts, post-class homework time will be included to take advantage of the increased mental capacity brought about by movement and physical exertion.

Dates/Times
Summer: Monday/Wednesday at 3:30
Fall: TBD

Cost
1x/Week: $120/Month
2x/Week: $200/Month
10 Class Punch Card: $325
Drop In: $35 

REGISTER HERE

_____________________ 
Meet Moringa, The African Superfood That’s Healthier Than Kale Fast Company
Your New Workout Hero: 80-Year-Old CrossFit Enthusiast Constance Tillit ESPNW 

Fitness
Back Squat: 3 x 10
Go heavier than last week. 

Performance
Low Intensity
Back Squat: 65-70% x 7 x 2
Front Squat 65-70% x 7 x 2 

Exposure 2/8
Post loads to comments.
_____________________ 

5 Rounds, For Time:
20 Kettlebell Swings 72/53
200m Run

 Rest two minutes between sets.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Asta F.’s photos from last year’s Subway Series event at CFSBK are some of our favorites in our Flickr account. Check them out, and come cheer on our SBK crew from 12:30-4pm. Wear your SBK shirts and gear!

• The following classes are CANCELLED today:  
  • Kids Club at 9am
  • Active Recovery at 11am
  • 12pm/1pm group class
  • AntiGravity at 2pm

• Today is Alex N.’s last day at CFSBK before he heads back to school. We will miss you, and think of you anytime your PR song, Florida Georgia Line’s “Anthing Goes,” comes on. Join us in wishing him luck, and come watch him kick some ass in his heat at 1:45pm today! 
• Happy birthday, Adam P. and Cori C.! 

Good Luck to Our Subway Series Competitors!

The fourth and final Subway Series event is happening on your home turf today. Here are the CFSBKers that will be representing for us, listed in order of heat assignment:

Eduardo C.
Jay R.
Greg A.
Allie B.
Kayleigh R.
Erin M.
Sarah M.
KLove
Morit S.
Jason M.
Brendan N.
Michael C.
Alex N.
Andrew S.
Pierre D.
Coach Whitney
Coach K HarpZ
Brad D.
Coach Jess
Steph M.
Alex B.
Coach MeLo

_____________________ 
Hummingbirds Are Fierce, Deadly Gods of War Slate