Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Start light and aim to add 2.5-5­ pounds each week. If you make 5-pound jumps each week the bar will be 35# heavier in week 8.

Performance: 3 x 12
Decreasing reps from week 1 through 8 (12, 12, 8, 8, 5, 5, 3, 3). Work the numbers backward with a goal to press 95% of your 1RM for triples on the final week. Or, start at 60% and aim to add 5% each week (95%x3x3 on week 8).

Post loads to comments.
e1/8
_____________________

15-12-9-6-3 Reps For Time of:
Kipping Pull-Ups
Front Squats 115/75

Post time and Rx to comments.

Kate R. made a video of Saturday’s 608 festivities, with a fun surprise at the end. Check it out!

Training Cycle Template

Our new training cycle begins TODAY. You can always find the information below in the left-hand tab under Member Resources, called Training Cycle Template.

Two changes you may notice: we will be doing another eight-week cycle, as opposed to our standard six-week cycles, and we will be phasing out Back Off Week. The rationale behind the eight-week cycle is to prolong the amount of time we have to work on particular lifts and skills. And instead of Back Off Week, which has always included novel programming post-Crush Week, we’re going to use the first week of the next new cycle as a transition week with lower volume WODs and first exposures of the lifts, which are naturally going to be lighter. This will create less down time before cycles, while still staying on track with our programming templates.

Training Cycle Dates: M 4/6 – Su 6/7
Crush Week: M 6/1 – S 6/7
Back Off/Transition Week: Will now be the first week of the following cycle, starting June 8, 2015.

Cycle Goals:

• Strength focus 
• Gymnastics warm-ups
• Full versions and multiple reps of Olympic lifts

Monday: Press + WOD/Assistance

Fitness 3×5 Linear Progression
Start light and aim to add 2.5-5 lbs each week. If you make 5 lb jumps each week the bar will be 35# heavier in week 8!
Performance 3 sets across each week, decreasing reps from week 1 through 8
(12, 12, 8, 8, 5, 5, 3, 3) Work the numbers backward with a goal to press 95% of your 1RM for a triples on the final week. Or, start at 60% and aim to add 5% each week (95%x3x3 on week 8).

Wednesday: Squat + WOD/Assistance

Fitness Front Squat 3×5 Linear Progression
If you maintain 5# jumps the bar will be 35# heavier by the end of the cycle!
Performance Back Squat 3×5, VOLUME DAY. 
Start light enough to make consistent jumps of 5-10 lbs for 8 weeks.

Thursday: Clean and Jerk + WOD/Assistance

Fitness and Performance – Varied exposures 

Saturday: Squat + WOD/Assistance

Fitness Back Squat 3×5 Linear Progression
Add 5 lbs each exposure. If you maintain 5# jumps the bar will be 35# heavier by the end of the cycle!
Performance Back Squat 5RM and Front Squat 5RM, INTENSITY DAY.
Heavier than Wednesday but start light enough to not squat a true 5RM until a few weeks into the cycle. Perform a drop set of FRONT SQUATS after your top set on the back squat. Start at 75% for a set of 5 and look to increase the weight a bit each week.

Sunday: Snatch + WOD/Assistance

Fitness and Performance – Varied exposures

There’s Still Time to Sign Up For the Next Cycle of CFSBK’s Olympic Lifting Program with Coach Frankie Murray

We pushed the next cycle of the Olympic Lifting Program back a week to give people more time to sign up. Don’t miss you chance! Revised dates below.

What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to two open gym or group classes per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/14/15 – 6/4/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/14/15 – 6/4/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later. 

Noon Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/14/15 – 6/4/15 
REGISTER HERE

PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/14/15 – 6/4/15
REGISTER HERE

Each cycle needs a minimum of eight participants and is capped at 10 athletes. Both cycles will end with a mock Olympic meet on Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 2:30pm.

__________________
A General Feeling of Disorder by Oliver Sacks The New York Review of Books 
Professional Rock Climber Shows Us How to Sit in a Chair 
Loving and Being Loved The School of Life 

Training Cycle Template

Training Cycle Dates: M 4/6 – Su 6/7
Crush Week: M 6/1 – S 6/7
Back Off/Transition Week: Will now be the first week of the following cycle, starting June 8, 2015.

Cycle Goals:

• Strength focus 
• Gymnastics warm-ups
• Full versions and multiple reps of Olympic lifts

Monday: Press + WOD/Assistance

Fitness 3×5 Linear Progression
Start light and aim to add 2.5-5 lbs each week. If you make 5 lb jumps each week the bar will be 35# heavier in week 8!
Performance 3 sets across each week, decreasing reps from week 1 through 8
(12, 12, 8, 8, 5, 5, 3, 3) Work the numbers backward with a goal to press 95% of your 1RM for a triples on the final week. Or, start at 60% and aim to add 5% each week (95%x3x3 on week 8).

Wednesday: Squat + WOD/Assistance

Fitness Front Squat 3×5 Linear Progression
If you maintain 5# jumps the bar will be 35# heavier by the end of the cycle!
Performance Back Squat 3×5, VOLUME DAY. 
Start light enough to make consistent jumps of 5-10 lbs for 8 weeks.

Thursday: Clean and Jerk + WOD/Assistance

Fitness and Performance – Varied exposures 

Saturday: Squat + WOD/Assistance

Fitness Back Squat 3×5 Linear Progression
Add 5 lbs each exposure. If you maintain 5# jumps the bar will be 35# heavier by the end of the cycle!
Performance Back Squat 5RM and Front Squat 5RM, INTENSITY DAY.
Heavier than Wednesday but start light enough to not squat a true 5RM until a few weeks into the cycle. Perform a drop set of FRONT SQUATS after your top set on the back squat. Start at 75% for a set of 5 and look to increase the weight a bit each week.

Sunday: Snatch + WOD/Assistance

Fitness and Performance – Varied exposures

Competitions/Events:

April 11: OutWOD
May 2: Get Fit or Be Hacking
May 2: Hail to the King at CrossFit Queens
May 25: Memorial Day “Murph” WOD and BBQ
May 30: Reebok Spartan Race

Want to learn more about CFSBK’s programming? Check out these articles:

• The Underlying Philosophy Behind Programming at CFSBK Chris Fox
• A New Dawn for CFSBK Programming: Fitness and Performance David Osorio
• Low Bar and High Bar Back Squats David Osorio 

Drop Pieces

1x1000m Row
Rest 4 minutes.
2x500m
Rest 2 minutes between each.
4x250m
Rest 1 minute between each.

Aim to drop your split for each piece. 

Post times to comments.

Benson enjoyed the festivities yesterday for 608’s Grand Opening. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us!

There’s Still Time to Sign Up For the Next Cycle of CFSBK’s Olympic Lifting Program with Coach Frankie Murray, Which Starts TOMORROW!

What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to two open gym or group classes per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later. 

Noon Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 
REGISTER HERE

PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15
REGISTER HERE

Coached by Frank Murray, “participants can expect to build a strong foundation focused around proper technique, mobility, and attention to individual weak points. Building this foundation will not only help lead to higher lifts, but also set the base for continued and consistent progress. Moreover, by developing proper technique, mobility, and focusing on weak points, participants will become more confident, less prone to injury, and more consistent lifters. All of this giving you the tools for a longer, healthier, stronger career with the Olympic lifts.” —Next Level Weightlifting

__________________ 
The Power of Introverts Susan Cain  

Thruster: 1-1-1-1-1
Work up to a heavy single barbell thruster, off the floor. Can start with a squat clean, must be one motion from the bottom of the squat to lockout overhead, no jerks. Clean from the hang of you have trouble organizing off the floor. 

Post loads to comments.
__________________

For Time:
50 Deadlifts 225/155
30 Burpees
550m Run
30 Burpees
50 Kettlebell Swings 53/35
550m Run

Post time, Rx, and fun had to comments.

608 is ready for you. Come have a beer with us TODAY from 2-3pm for our Grand Opening! 

News and Notes 

• SCHEDULING NOTES: Kids Club is CANCELED tomorrow, and will resume the following weekend (4/12). Also, our schedule WLL NOT change for Easter tomorrow (4/5). All classes will run as normal.
• Happy belated birthday, Chris D.!

The Next Cycle of CFSBK’s Olympic Lifting Program with Coach Frankie Murray Starts MONDAY!

What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to two open gym or group classes per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later. 

Noon Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 
REGISTER HERE

PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15
REGISTER HERE

Coached by Frank Murray, “participants can expect to build a strong foundation focused around proper technique, mobility, and attention to individual weak points. Building this foundation will not only help lead to higher lifts, but also set the base for continued and consistent progress. Moreover, by developing proper technique, mobility, and focusing on weak points, participants will become more confident, less prone to injury, and more consistent lifters. All of this giving you the tools for a longer, healthier, stronger career with the Olympic lifts.” —Next Level Weightlifting

__________________
Stagnation (a no-flow chart) Ann Friedman 
My Quantified Email Self-Experiment: A Failure Medium 
Dark Horse: The Story of a Record-Shattering, All-Electric ’68 Mustang The Verge 

A Note From Coach David About 608

As anyone who has been training with us for a while knows, we have long been on the hunt for—and in need of—more space. While many businesses look to expand into other markets in order to attract new clientele, 100% of the motivation behind increasing CFSBK’s footprint is to better serve you, our current population. I’ve learned a lot about Brooklyn real estate over the last few years, and the market in Gowanus in particular. Finding a space that accommodates the needs of a CrossFit gym is rare, to say the least, making the fact that I found it right across the street from 597 pretty incredible. On that note, I want to give a huge shout-out to Todd C. (T-Bone!) who found the original listing for 608 and pushed me to look into it.

I taught last Sunday and we had a pretty large class come in for “Barbara” to close out Crush Week. During the weekends, we usually have to really tightly manage how people will organize themselves to execute the workout. But this Sunday, we simply split the class up between 597 and 608. When my portion of the class was about to start, I started assigning people to stations but then stopped and realized I didn’t have to. I just said, “Okay guys, go wherever you want!” This was the first time I really felt like the new space was at work and in essence is why we wanted to expand. It all comes down to whether this will make a better experience for our members and increase our coaches’ abilities to do their jobs well. The answer to both is an obvious yes.

While tomorrow is cause for celebration there is still much work ahead! Answering the question of what’s the best way to make this work for everyone will take some time and experimentation. This is going to be a learning process for all of us. We appreciate your patience, and I hope you feel entirely confident that all of our decisions are informed by the desire to make your experience at CFSBK the best it can possibly be.

—David

How 608 Will Work

Starting this Monday, April 6th our 608 expansion will be fully open and operational. Initially, think of 608 like a much larger annex where specific programs, personal training, and group classes will take place there on a case-by-case basis. All members will continue to check in at 597 to sign in for all programs. Particular programs, such as our Olympic Lifting Program (sign up here!) and Strength Cycle, will happen there permanently and over time, we will expand into additional and new classes. 

We’ll be celebrating our expansion TOMORROW with a two-gym WOD and informal open house from 2-3pm. Come have a beer and check out the new digs!  

Showers
There are two showers in each of the locker rooms. The gym will provide soap, shampoo, and conditioner, as well as towels. We also have hair dryers and mirrors available for your convenience. We ask that you please keep your showers to five minutes or less to accommodate for others who are trying to get in, shower and get to work. You can use the handy timers inside the showers to keep you on track for a new shower PR. 

Storage
If the Front Desk tells you to head over to 608 after you check in, you can bring your stuff over with you as we have plenty of storage space outside the bathrooms and inside the locker rooms for bags, coats, or anything else you’ve got. 

Expanded Friday Open Gym
Starting on Friday the 10th, OG will take place in both locations to spread out the evening rush. Again, all members will check in at 597 and then choose which gym they’d like to train at based on equipment/space available. The OG coaches may also choose to distribute athletes between each gym based on what’s going on. 

Saturday Open Gym
Starting on Saturday, May 16th, we will be having OG available Saturdays from 2-4pm. If you come after 2:15pm, you can come straight to 608 and check in with the OG coach.  

Events
CFSBK will now be able to be open during events where we used to have to close down (such as the Starting Strength seminar). Please stay tuned to the blog before each event to see where we’ll be meeting and where you’ll check in. Thanks!

__________________ 
A Haven Between Hoops in Kurdistan The New York Times 

A) Pull-Up Practice

Strength: 7 x 3 Strict Pull-Ups
Use assistance as necessary. Rest about 2 minutes between sets.

Skill: 20 Minutes to Practice Sub Max Sets on the Kipping Pull-Up or Butterfly for Advanced Athletes 

Buy Ins:
Kipping Practice is 3 Strict Pull-Ups
Butterfly is 3 Strict Pull-Ups + 10 Unbroken Kipping Pull-Ups

Helpful Gymnastics WOD videos:
Kipping Pull Up Progression
Blocking Movement for Quality Pull Ups 

Butterfly Pull Up Progression Part 1
Butterfly Pull Up Progression Part 2
Butterfly Pull Up Progression Part 3 

Post what you worked on to comments.

B) 20 Minutes, or 5 Rounds:
270m Jog
250m Row
15 Kettlebell Swings
Go at a moderate pace, about 70-80%. You should be able to keep moving and hold a conversation. 

Post what you worked on to comments.

Luca L.’s last day at CFSBK was Tuesday, and after letting us take this Baywatch-esque photo of him, he wrote us this little love letter: “After 5 years at CFSBK, I have decided to take my talents to Crossfit The Rock, on Long Island. If the folks there are even half as cool as everyone at CFSBK, I will consider this move at least somewhat of a success. I want to give a massive shout out to all the coaches, staff, other members, and especially to our fearless leader David for really making it an awesome place that’s way more than just a gym. CFSBK really has been a huge part of my life since joining, and I’m really bummed out to be leaving, but the time has come for me to don my faded dad jeans and lame tennis shoes and move to the burbs. I think I’ll also be required to learn what lacrosse is. And I was finally getting the hang of the standardized warmups, too. Anyway, save me a spot at the next Fight Gone Bad! Peace out!” You will be missed, Luca!

News and Notes 

• SCHEDULING NOTES: Kids Club is CANCELED this weekend, and will resume the following weekend (4/12). Also, our schedule WLL NOT change for Easter (4/5). All classes will run as normal.
• Join us this Saturday from 2-3pm for the Grand Opening of 608! During group classes, we have a fun “two-gym” WOD planned for everyone, and from 2-3pm, come enjoy a beer during our open house. 
• DON’T FORGET TO RSVP TO CLASS: Click on the Class Schedule and RSVP tab in the left-hand column (under General Information) and select the class for which you’d like to RSVP. 
• Happy belated birthday, Christian R.!

The Next Cycle of CFSBK’s Olympic Lifting Program with Coach Frankie Murray Starts MONDAY!

What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to two open gym or group classes per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later. 

Noon Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 
REGISTER HERE

PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15
REGISTER HERE

Coached by Frank Murray, “participants can expect to build a strong foundation focused around proper technique, mobility, and attention to individual weak points. Building this foundation will not only help lead to higher lifts, but also set the base for continued and consistent progress. Moreover, by developing proper technique, mobility, and focusing on weak points, participants will become more confident, less prone to injury, and more consistent lifters. All of this giving you the tools for a longer, healthier, stronger career with the Olympic lifts.” —Next Level Weightlifting

“Mayhem”: A Poem by Dr. Mike Cutaia    

It usually happens as I enter the gym.
The mayhem engulfs me. Like the schoolyard
     of my youth,
           the noise and music are loud, compelling,
touching something inside that is primal.
Bodies in motion. Sweat in the air. Animals at work.
The senses are quickly primed and ready.
One particular image emerges often. My mind rolls back
     through centuries of time to a hot, dusty plain
           somewhere in the ancient Roman Empire.
Maybe, … my people in Sicily?
Gladiators stand tall, quiet,
     and defiant in the heat of the sun.
The tigers growl unfed and waiting.
And I am somewhere in their midst,
     standing on the hot sand
           of the amphitheatre floor
breathing hard, sun in my eyes,          
     the roar of the crowd
           running right through my head.
And then, suddenly the daydream ends.
I am brought forward a couple of thousand years
           to this night in the gym.
The music blares. The plates bang down.
The visible struggle within each of us,
     shared with all our collective senses,
           to be something more
                       than what we are.
It’s brutal in a different way.
But, unlike my relatives from long ago,
           no one will die tonite.

__________________
Funny or Die Dips—The Internet’s Shortest Videos 
How the Gluteus Became Maximus The Atlantic 

Rotate through and spend about 15 minutes working up to a heavy load on each of the following movements: 

A) Turkish Get Up: 1-1-1-1-1
Use dumbbells only. Each side.

B) Fat Bar Deadlift: 1-1-1-1-1 

C) Push Press: 1-1-1-1-1

Post loads to comments.

More of the 15.5 action on Saturday  

• Don’t forget to pick up your meet! The April distribution of the Herondale Farm Meat CSA is today from 6-8:30 PM. Eggs will also be available for $6—bring small billz!

Community News

• CFSBK OG Jon Gabrus made NYMag’s 50 Comics to Know About list! Check it out here.
• Aside from becoming a father, Jonathan K. recently left his job at Mas Farmhouse to start von Kava, a chef’s table at this season’s Smorgasburg. They’ll be doing flash fine dining—three courses and some surprises in 15 minutes. He would love for CFSBKers to stop by! Get more info here.
• GallopNYC is hosting a Veterans’ Family Day on May 9th (noon to 4pm) right here in our own backyard at Prospect Park’s Bowling Green. There will be outdoor activities and fun with horses for all ages—free to veterans and their families. Click here for the flyer with details on how to RSVP. If anyone would like to learn more about GallopNYC, email CFSBK-er Dan G. at dan [at] gallopnyc.org or find him before/after a workout.

The Next Cycle of CFSBK’s Olympic Lifting Program with Coach Frankie Murray Starts MONDAY!

What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to two open gym or group classes per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later. 

Noon Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:30pm from 4/7/15 – 5/28/15 
REGISTER HERE

PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8-9:30pm from 4/6/15 – 5/27/15
REGISTER HERE

Coached by Frank Murray, “participants can expect to build a strong foundation focused around proper technique, mobility, and attention to individual weak points. Building this foundation will not only help lead to higher lifts, but also set the base for continued and consistent progress. Moreover, by developing proper technique, mobility, and focusing on weak points, participants will become more confident, less prone to injury, and more consistent lifters. All of this giving you the tools for a longer, healthier, stronger career with the Olympic lifts.” —Next Level Weightlifting

A typical day* would consist of: 

Warm-up
Weak lift
Opposing lift
Mobility

*Each athlete may have different exercises depending on their individual needs. 

Join Us For the Grand Opening of 608 Degraw Street This Saturday, and New 608 Policies

During this Saturday’s group classes, we have a fun “two-gym” WOD planned for everyone. Join us for class, and please also join us in the afternoon from 2-3pm for a beer for a low-key social hour and open house. 

We also want to make you aware of some new policies we’ll be instituting in the new space:

1. Remember to check in at the Front Desk for all classes. Group classes will be brought over to 608 on the discretion of the coach. Strength Cycle and Olympic Lifting classes will happen in 608, after you’ve checked in at 597.
2. Showers will open on Monday, 4/6, from 7-9am and during Open Gym times. We regret (but are excited) to inform you that the only water option will be cold. We’ve done some research about the health benefits of cold showers, and can’t wait for you to experience them.
3. Up to five members at a time can use each shower. If there’s a rush on showers, members are encouraged to clean one another to speed up the process.
4. There will be antiseptic dispensers and wipes on all the walls, which we’re sure you’ve familiar with from your globo gym days. You will be required to wipe down every piece (by every piece, we really mean every single piece—from fractional plates to 100-pound dumbbells) of equipment with which your skin and sweaty clothing comes in contact. Dry, clean clothing contact does not necessitate a wipe.
5. In the interest of harmony amongst our coaching staff, music will not be played during group classes in 608.

__________________
If you have any other ideas for new policies that will enhance your experience in 608, please share in the comments!

Alex B. with the Comp Kids on Saturday. Check out more photos from 15.5 (and of babies and dogs) in our Flickr.

• The April distribution of the Herondale Farm Meat CSA is tomorrow (4/1) from 6-8:30 PM. Bring your own bags to carry your share home. Any meat unclaimed at 8:30 will be distributed in the gym, as always. If you have questions/issues, please email Michele at mignyc [at] gmail.com, or text 347.645.4524. 

2015 CrossFit Open Final Leaderboard: Team CFSBK

The results for 15.5 are in, and here are our team’s final leaders! Congrats to everyone who pushed themselves the last five weeks with these TOUGH workouts. We loved reading about all the new moves you realized you could do, and about the goals you’ve been inspired to set because of these workouts. 

CFSBK MEN’S MASTERS (40+)
1. Bob S. 
2. Pierre D.
3. Peter M. 
4. Coach Fox
5. Michael R.
6. Andy M. 
7. Chris P. 
8. Carlos G.
9. James K.
10. Bjorn B.

__________________
Being There: Heidegger on Why Our Presence Matters The New York Times 

What new goals do you have that were inspired by the Open, and what’s your plan to achieve them? Remember, goals come with plans, wishes don’t. 

Headstand 101 

Post what you worked on to comments.
__________________ 

Every Minute on the Minute, 10 Minutes:
Even: 12 V-Ups
Odd: 12 Superman (butt tight, belly tight) 

Post what you worked on to comments.

Benson and Vesper hung out on Saturday to watch everyone crush 15.5. Congrats to everyone who competed in the Open! Don’t forget to submit your final scores for 15.5 by 8pm tonight.

News and Notes

• CFSBK’s Hoopin’ Tacos finished their season 12-2, and the play-offs are TONIGHT. They are playing the Stevie Knicks at 6:30pm at John Jay (on 7th Ave between 4th and 5th). Come cheer them on!
• Join us in saying WELCOME to Back-Off Week. It starts today. Our new cycle starts next Monday, April 6th. 
• Happy birthday, Jon W. and Jacqueline D.! 

The Sweat Spot: Balancing Precision and Intensity for Maximum Gainz

By Noah Abbott

At CFSBK, we always tell people that from their first day of Foundations through the first month or two of group classes, their loading, pacing, and intensity should be at roughly 60-70%. Things should feel easy and athletes should leave each class feeling like they had more in the tank. This is incredibly important advice—your first few months and few thousand reps are crucial for motor patterning. Your body learns the positions and pathways you move through, and if you are assuming imperfect positions or moving inefficiently from point A to B, you will gradually condition yourself to keep repeating those patterns. You can always go back and re-learn these patterns, and to some extent they evolve over time, but starting with great positioning is key to continuing to move well as weights go up and intensity increases.

That covers the first few months, and most of our members are great at following that advice. Everything still feels a little foreign and clunky, so people are happy to stay well within safe and proper parameters while they slowly gain confidence and familiarity with the movements. However, after the first few months, many people struggle to find the proper balance between precision and intensity as they begin to develop as an athlete. Often people fall toward one of two extremes, both of which blunt performance and progress. Either they want to do everything as fast, heavy, and hard as possible, or they are so focused on doing everything perfectly that they rarely work hard enough to elicit a neuromuscular adaptation.

The Three Pitcher Analogy
This analogy was first described to me by a coach in Arizona, using three target pistol shooters as the example. Since (legal) competitive gunplay in Brooklyn is about as rare as a pair of Nike Metcons (ohhhhh snap), and since baseball season is right around the corner, I’m going to modify the example a bit, and use three baseball pitchers as our test subjects. Instead of just calling them A, B, and C, I’ll call our pitchers Alex, Bo, and Chris. 

It’s a hot summer day when our pitchers report to the practice field to throw a practice session under the watchful eye of their coach. Coach tells each pitcher to throw five pitches before regrouping and discussing what they need to work on.

Alex is up first, and really wants to impress. He rears back as hard as he can and every pitch is a flurry of elbows and knees. No two windups or deliveries look the same, Alex is falling all over the mound, but he’s throwing HARD. Half the time his cap falls off as he throws—he’s almost throwing himself at the catcher. Further, he’s rushing—the moment one pitch thumps into the catcher’s mitt Alex is already winding up for the next one. He finishes his five pitches, huffing and puffing, with sweat pouring down his face, his hair sticking up in ten different directions, one of his shoes untied, and limps to the bench, totally exhausted.

Bo is next up. Bo looks much more in control than Alex from the get-go. He’s working hard, and obviously putting his all behind each pitch, but he is taking a little more time between each pitch, and looks markedly more in control of his body. Still, you can tell Bo is working, and he audibly yells after his third pitch (“Shucks” or “Rats” or some other folksy, W.P. Kinsella-like exclamation). By the end of his session, he’s breathing hard and sweating, but still fairly composed. He walks to the bench slowly, and looks happy to rest for a bit. 

Chris is up last, and wants to outshine Alex and Bo. He’s cool and collected as he walks to the mound, and takes his time getting ready. He is smooth and controlled as he throws, fluid and easy through all of his movements, and takes a lot of time between each pitch to carefully reset his footwork, make sure all of his mechanics are correct, and that he is ready to go. Every pitch looks like a mirror image of the one before, but the catcher’s glove doesn’t pop quite as loud as for Alex or Bo—it looks like Chris is taking a bit off each pitch in an effort to be perfect. 

Here’s how their sessions look when overlaid on a batter and strike zone:

As we can see, Alex is pretty wild, with two of his pitches well out of the strike zone, and no real consistency to any of his efforts. Bo misses the strike zone once, but just by a bit, and most of his pitches are pretty consistent. Chris groups all five of his pitches very close with no misses (for sake of illustration, the pitches are probably even more scattered so they can be seen individually). 

Who Is Training Correctly?
While all three pitchers will gain something from practice regardless of intention and intensity, the athlete coach would reward with a “good job, keep it up,” is Bo. 

Alex needs to slow down! He’s wild, overthrowing, putting himself at risk of injury with undisciplined mechanics, and isn’t learning much. He is confusing unbridled intensity with hard, disciplined work. He should go back to basics, take a little longer between pitches to make sure he is set, and work on consistent mechanics and technique. 

Chris needs to work a little harder. He can obviously throw a fastball over the plate when he takes his time and throws a bit softer than his upper limit. Chris should work on throwing a little harder, working faster, and maybe throwing in some more “advanced” pitches. He won’t develop if he just keeps doing what he already obviously knows how to do. He is too concerned with being “perfect.” 

Bo is our ideal athlete, taking his refined technique and then pushing it right to the edge. He is very effective and efficient, but is working hard enough that one in every five to 10 pitches is slightly less than optimal. Note that when Bo misses, he misses small, and then can make a correction the next time to get better. Bo will grow the fastest of the three because he is pushing the limit of his ability.

In CrossFit, we call this Threshold Training.

Threshold Training and YOU
The concept of Threshold Training is as old as CrossFit, being cited early by Greg Glassman (hallowedbehisname) in one of those weird old videos where he draws stick figures on a chalkboard while Tony Budding leers at him. Simply put, the concept is similar to the Pitcher’s Analogy above, that during training athletes need to push themselves hard enough that their accuracy may slightly suffer, but not so hard that it goes totally out the window. There is a sweet spot to find in your training, and falling too far on either side will slow or blunt your progress. 

Do you go as hard as possible every workout, only to be outperformed by others who look like they aren’t trying too hard? Do you often have to strip weight or scale movements mid-WOD? Do you feel like your progress is lagging behind your intensity? If so, you might be like Alex in the Pitcher’s Analogy. You need to slow down, go a bit lighter, and focus on being more consistently accurate before ramping your intensity back up.

Do you often finish WODs without really breaking a sweat? Have you never felt that gut-punched, world-spinning feeling after a workout? Do you use the same weight all the time, or hover in a narrowly prescribed range? Do you repeat lifting exposures or avoid adding weight during Olympic lifts if you felt the lift wasn’t 100% perfect? You might be training like Chris the pitcher—you need to push a little further out of your comfort zone. Perfect practice has its place, but during work sets and WODs, a small bit of deviation is expected and encouraged. Pro football players certainly practice perfect running mechanics, but come gameday, nobody praises how perfectly a player runs with the ball, only that they get to the end zone.  

A Contextual Approach to Threshold Training
All that being said, the different training modalities, prescriptions, and resulting intensities need to be approached contextually. While we generally avoid “being Alex,” there are rare times when that approach is appropriate. Similarly, there is value to sometimes slowing things down and “pulling a Chris.” Here are some loose guidelines: 

Alex (100% intensity, regardless of technique): Last few seconds/final attempts of a competition where there is some real sort of prize on the line. Money? Prestige? Qualification for Regionals/Games/American Open, etc.? You have to decide if it’s worth it. 

Bo (90% intensity with 90% perfect technique): Benchmark WODs, Open workouts, competitions, and any WOD where you feel very comfortable and confident with the movement and you have built a sufficient base of perfect practice. Movements should feel like they are on “auto-pilot” and that you don’t need to do a ton of thinking about how to execute them.

Chris (sub-maximal intensity with 100% perfect technique): Warm-ups, skill practice, new or rarely seen movements, any movement that you don’t feel super comfortable with, are trying to iron out a “kink” from, or any time an old or recent injury or mobility restriction is taxed or bothered during execution.

Aaaaand I’m Done
Okay, enough sports analogies, this is getting ridiculous. Stay tuned for my next article, in which I create a hackneyed and longwinded analogy between muscle-ups and nineteenth-century Russian literature.

Train smart, train hard, and don’t be afraid to explore the outside edge of your comfort zone.

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A Stop-Motion Tour of New York City The Atlantic 

Would you consider yourself more of an Alex, Bo, or Chris (Alexia, Bonnie, or Christina for the ladies)?

“Barbara”

5 Rounds, For Total Time:
20 Pull-Ups
30 Push-Ups
40 Sit-Ups
50 Squats

Rest exactly 3 minutes between rounds.

Post total time and Rx to comments. 
Compare to 1.26.2014 and 2.17.2013

Things are coming together across the street! Join us next Saturday (4/4) from 2-3pm for the grand opening of 608 Degraw Street. All regularly-scheduled group classes that day will also have a special surprise. Get psyched.

News and Notes

• Scheduling Note for Next Week: Our schedule WLL NOT change for Easter (4/5). All classes will run as normal.
• Want to work out today at 9am and bring your kid/s? Sign your kids up at the Front Desk for CFSBK Kids Club, and learn more here. 
• DON’T FORGET TO RSVP TO CLASS: Click on the Class Schedule and RSVP tab in the left-hand column (under General Information) and select the class for which you’d like to RSVP. 
• Happy birthday, Lisa C.!

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Good Guys Radiolab