Arturo leads a class through DROMs 

• Happy birthday, Michael A.!

The 2015 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Begins TOMORROW!

New year, new you? Not really. We think it’s best to act in accordance with your goals and values all (or at least most) of the time, but we also recognize that many of us use markers like the beginning of the year to kick start positive changes. The 2015 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge begins tomorrow, and is a great marker to get you on track to become the best version of you in 2015. Some of you have done this in years past, some of you are new to it so here’s the overview:

Who? The entire CrossFit South Brooklyn community
What? A six-week challenge meant as a collective kick start into healthier nutrition and recovery habits.
Where? Right where you are. You’re encouraged to organize “rest day dinners” either in your homes or out at restaurants with fellow participants and there’ll be LFPB Challenge forums that you can look to for daily support. The key is consistent practice every day.
When? The Challenge runs from Saturday, January 3, 2015 through Friday, February 13, 2015. We’ll wrap up with a potluck and awards ceremony on Saturday, February 21nd.
Why? To look, feel, and perform better! And, for some sweet prizes!

Wait, did you say prizes? Yes. The grand prize for both the men’s and a women’s category is two months of FREE unlimited training at CFSBK, a $450+ value! There are also 2nd and 3rd place prizes for the men’s and women’s categories. Last year there was more than $1000 total value in cash prizes and gifts including a free month of dinners from Kettlebell Kitchen, gift cards to Lululemon, Beircraft, grass-fed steaks from Herondale, and other cool stuff too. This year looks to have more of the same awesomeness. Additionally, Kettlebell Kitchen is extending a 15% discount throughout the challenge to all CFSBK members who are participating! 

Alright, I’m in! Great!

Challenge Guidelines and How To Participate: 
Once you complete the following steps we’ll check them off as such. Please complete all steps by January 5th in order to be eligible for prizes: 

• Sign your name on the list in the community area of the gym.
• Buy-in of $30. This must be cash and can be given to Front Desk staff. 
• Answer a few brief questions and submit your “before” photo according to the guidelines on our new Look, Feel, Perform Better website. These are private will not be published or seen by anyone but the judges without your consent.
• Track points earned daily on the spreadsheet (link coming soon!).
• Perform the Test WOD and record results.

This year’s challenge will follow last year’s model and may be a bit different for each of you depending on where you’re currently at with food and recovery. The idea behind this is that while extreme actions can bring extreme and rapid results, we’ve also seen them often result in a “crash” where an individual rebels against the limiting behaviors of a challenge. We’d rather you change a few manageable things for the long-term than many things for six weeks and then get lost in a haze of bagels, beer, and chocolate cake.

Head over HERE (a page you can access by clicking on the 2015 LFPB widget in the right-hand column) to choose which statement best describes you and then follow those guidelines for the entire challenge.

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Weight Training Appears Key To Controlling Belly Fat Harvard School of Public Health
Saving the Bees The Atlantic
The Cloud: An Interactive Thunderstorm in Your House Colossal 

Fitness: 5 x 3 Linear Progression
Bail each rep and reset within a few seconds. Try to go heavier than two weeks ago.

Performance: Work up to a top set of 3 on a Touch and Go Power Clean
Work on resetting hook grip on the descent. Hips back, chest and knees OUT on the descent to the floor. You can pause at the hang but not at the floor. Must be touch and go. Try and go a bit heavier than two weeks ago. 

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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Look, Feel, Perform Better Capacity Test
“Cindy, Row Your Boat”

AMRAP 3 minutes:
Max Calories Rowed

Post rounds and calories to comments.

Rob U.: Warming up or Prancercizing?

Holiday Schedule Reminders

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Happy New Year from CFSBK! Do you have any resolutions for 2015? 

Fitness: 3 x 3 Linear Progression
Add 5-10 pounds to last week. 

Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 75% of 1RM (capped at 20) 

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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Fitness
For Time:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Hang Power Snatches
Burpees 

Performance
For Time:
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Hang Power Snatches 115/75
Perform 3 Muscle Ups after each round of snatches

Post time and Rx to comments.

Strong Serene taking her swings overhead

Thursday night Yoga for Athletes is now ACTIVE RECOVERY!

Micheline G. deadlifting like a boss

Holiday Schedule Reminders

Using CrossFit for Weight Loss

By Chris Fox

CrossFit can absolutely be the only physical activity you engage in as a means to the goal of losing unwanted body fat. At CFSBK we program each class to include a warm up, strength training, and a conditioning piece. The warm up gets you ready to train. Strength training builds lean body mass, which includes building stronger muscles and bones. High intensity conditioning work complements your fitness beyond simply being stronger, increasing your work capacity. Strength training and (relatively) high intensity conditioning training stoke your metabolism both during and after your training is over. It is not necessary, and can perhaps be harmful, to add an excess of “cardio” (i.e. low intensity conditioning work) to your training. The type of stress induced by chronic cardio (especially in the absence of strength training and good nutrition) elevates cortisol levels which break down lean muscle and halt protein synthesis. This in turn can make losing unwanted fat tougher than it needs to be, if not impossible. More important than the volume of conditioning work is what and how much you eat. In fact it’s probably more than half of the equation.

What and how much do you need to eat? If you’re struggling with weight then intermittent fasting is not the answer, and neither is bulletproof coffee, or eating strictly low carb. You don’t need a fancy new high hype diet. If your goal is to be healthy and lean then you simply need to start by eating balanced meals made up of primarily quality foods in appropriate amounts, spread throughout the day. 

First prioritize protein. The USDA claims that women need 46 grams per day and that men need 56 grams. This is utterly insane. Those amounts are surely enough for sedentary people with no body composition or performance related ambition to simply exist, but they are not enough for you. Aim for about a gram of quality protein per pound of lean body mass each day, spread throughout the day. This is a pretty standard and accepted guideline in the strength and conditioning world. You’re training like an athlete so you should eat like one. As a rule, don’t just crush a 48 oz porterhouse and call it a night. Your body would rather digest smaller amounts at a time of protein at a time. What do we mean by quality protein? Eat clean animal foods like eggs, poultry, pork, beef, fish, game, etc from the best sources available to you. If you’re a *vegetarian you should consider upping your overall intake. Your body has a harder time assimilating vegetable based protein so it may be prudent to overdo it a bit. 

As a CrossFitter, your meals should be relatively balanced, meaning you should be getting calories from protein, carbs, and fat. If you try and workout while cutting carbs to a minimum you’ll notice after a week or two that your performance declines, aka THE DREADED LOW-CARB FLU. CrossFit requires glucose. If you don’t consume it, your cortisol levels will elevate in response to the increased stress of training in a carb depleted state and you’ll maintain or gain fat.You need some carbs to perform and recover. We’d maintain that getting your carbs from gluten-free sources is better, and that leaves a ton of options. Potatoes (sweet and white), beans and legumes, rice, fruit, corn tortillas, and of course, veggies. How many carbs? The same prescription as your protein (about 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight) is on the low side and a good place to start for weight loss. (If you’re primarily a strength athlete then you do not need as many carbs and that 1 gram per pound may be plenty. You’ll need plenty of protein, some carbs, and a bit more fat). After a few weeks there you need to gauge your recovery. If you’re feeling frazzled, not sleeping well, and not recovering, consider upping carbohydrates a bit at a time until you feel better. Last is fat. Eat enough to feel satisfied. You want a number, I know. Aim for about one half gram per pound of lean body weight. If you’re on the higher end of the carbohydrate spectrum then you’ll need fewer calories from fat. If you’re on the lower end then you’ll need more. Have some quality fat at each meal. Animal fat (*from pastured animals. If you’re eating conventionally raised animal food then opt for leaner cuts and add some vegetable fat. Avocados, macadamia, coconut, and olive oil should be the primary sources. Nuts and seeds can also be used for a variety and seasoning. Spread your meals out a bit, maybe as many as 3-5 times a day depending on your schedule and hunger levels. There are plenty of resources out there to help you get an idea of how many grams of what are in what but I like the free version of FitDay.  

CrossFit combined with proper nutrition and recovery can help you become fit and lean. Hard work and proper refueling and recovery are opposite sides of the same coin. The strength training and conditioning you perform at CFSBK can be all the training you need, especially if you’re a five days a week person. If you’re coming 2-3 days a week then add in some activity on your days away from us. Interval training is very effective and takes little time. Bodyweight circuits, kettlebell intervals, erg sprints, bike sprints, track work, there are plenty of options. Keep the work on the short side and keep the intensity up.

So, the K.I.S.S. rule is the place to start with body composition changes. It doesn’t have to be (and probably shouldn’t be) whatever the next fad diet is. Basic nutritional principles put into consistent practice may very well be all you need to reach your goals. 

*I personally have run the gamut from being a chubby, sugar addicted adolescent to a skinny, yoga-addicted vegetarian/vegan as a young adult, to the version of myself I have been for the past 15 years or so. I am by no means going to make the cover of any magazine that has SIX PACK ABS on it and neither am I going to the CrossFit Games anytime soon, but I have been able to steadily increase my strength and fitness over the years while controlling my body fat, both to respectable levels. The single most important aspect of my diet that has changed has been moving from first a sugar/processed food diet and then a vegetable-based diet, to one that includes animal products as sources of protein and fat. The balance that it has brought me has been incredible. I stopped craving foods all the time, started adding muscle to my frame and recovering much better. Aches and pains diminished. I’m sick far less frequently and I’m more resilient overall. I was a moral vegetarian/vegan for years and firmly believed in the health aspects of avoiding meat for a long time so I understand the mental and emotional battles of considering eating meat again. My best advice is to simply consider that adding some ethically raised animal food to your diet may be of benefit to you. Self-experimentation is a must.

Are you doing the 2015 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge? If you missed the Kick-Off and Q&A Meeting on Sunday, learn more here. We’re starting everything on Saturday, January 3, and the deadline to complete all the sign-up steps is Monday, January 5th. 

Bench Press

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 2.5 – 5 pounds to last week. 
Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 75% of 1RM (capped at 20)
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Deadlift 

Fitness and Performance: 1 x 5
Add 5 – 15 lbs to last week ONLY IF ALL YOUR REPS WENT WELL. No loss of spinal position. No touch and go.

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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AMRAP 5 Minutes:
15 Thrusters 95/65
15 Pull Ups or Jumping Pull Ups

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Coach David introduces you to the new Assault AirBike

Updated Personal Training Rates in 2015

Get Hella Strong in Strength Cycle (Plus a New Group Class Add-on Option!)

We all want to get stronger. That’s because we implicitly understand that building strength is the foundation for increasing overall physical capacity. It has been proven again and again that lifting heavy primes our bodies to be more effective and efficient at metabolic conditioning workouts. Strength is the only mode of training that supports everything else we do in the gym and in life. Plus: it’s pretty badass.

Upcoming cycle times and dates (CLASSES ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT):
A cycle: Beginners, 7pm Mon/Wed and 6pm Fri | Monday Jan 5th – Friday Feb 27th
B cycle: Intermediate, 7pm Tues/Thurs and 10am Sun | Tuesday Jan 6th – Sunday March 1st
C cycle: Morning beginners, 6:30am Mon/Wed | Monday Jan 5th – Wednesday Feb 25th
D cycle: Continuing Education, 6pm Mon/Wed | Monday Jan 5th – Wednesday Feb 25th 
E cycle: FULL

Each cycle will culminate in a CrossFit Total on Sunday, March 1st.

Class Sizes: Space is limited to 4-8 participants
Class Length: 90 minutes
Cost: 3x Per Week Cycles:
$300 paid upon registration and then another $300 at the halfway point

2xW Cycles:
$200 paid upon registration and then another $200 at the halfway point

New Group Class/Open Gym/Active Recovery Class Add-on Option!
This Add-on membership allows our 2x/week Strength Cycle to attend two additional classes per week, outside of the regularly scheduled strength cycle classes. This includes group classes, open gym, and active recovery classes. Please note that Pilates and Yoga for Athletes are not included as a class option.

Price is $100 per four weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill ($100) charged automatically to the card on-file four weeks later.

Sign up here.

If anyone is confused as to which cycle they belong in or has any questions, they can contact Jeremy directly at Jeremy [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com to discuss placement. 

_____________________ 
How Speakers Make Sound Animagraffs
‘Dr. Oz’ Is Wrong More Than Half The Time, Study Finds Mother Nature Network
Best of ESPN.com’s 2014 Endurance Galleries ESPN

Fitness: 5 x 3 Linear Progression
Bail each rep and reset within a few seconds. Try and go a bit heavier than last week. 

Performance: Work up to a top set of 5 on a Touch and Go Power Snatch
You can pause at the hang but not at the floor. Must be touch and go. Try and go a bit heavier than last week. 

Post loads to comments.
e4/6
_____________________ 

Partner WOD
5 Rounds Each, For Time:
10 Overhead Squats 95/65
12 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Mobility: Ken has it. Check out Active Recovery at 11am today to work on yours!

• Happy birthday, Michael B.! 

The 2015 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Kick-Off and Q&A Meeting is TODAY at 5pm

It’s that time of year again… New Year’s Resolution time. While we think that it’s best to act in accordance with your goals and values all (or at least most) of the time, we also recognize that many of us use markers like the beginning of the year to kick start positive changes. 

Who? The entire CrossFit South Brooklyn Community 
What? A six-week challenge meant as a collective kick start into healthier nutrition and recovery habits.
Where? Right where you are. You’re encouraged to organize “rest day dinners” either in your homes or out at restaurants with fellow participants and there’ll be LFPB Challenge forums that you can look to for daily support. The key is consistent practice every day.
When? Today is our kick-off meeting and Q&A at 5pm, which will outline the Challenge. The Challengeruns from Saturday 1/3/2015 through Friday 2/13/2015, and wraps up with a potluck and awards ceremony on Saturday, February 21nd.
Why? To look, feel, and perform better! And, for some sweet prizes!

_____________________
Man Fitted With Dual Thought-Controlled Prosthetic Arms MedGadget

Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 5-10 pounds.
Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 70% of 1RM (capped at 20). 

Post loads to comments.
e4/6
_____________________ 

Fitness
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
50 Calorie Row
40 Alternating Leg Goblet Reverse Lunges (20 ea)
30 Pull Ups
20 Push Ups 

Performance
AMRAP 12 minutes:
50 Calorie Row
40 Toes to Bar
30 Front Squats 115/75
20 Muscle Ups or Chest (20 Strict C2B Pull Ups sub for those who can do all the T2B but not MU)

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Coach Fox leads a class through some hip openers during DROMs

• Interested in learning more about the 2015 Look, Feel, and Perform Better Challenge? Come to the free info session TOMORROW at 4pm!
• Happy birthday, Daniel S.!

Holiday Schedule Reminders

TODAY 12/27
Canceled: Yoga for Athletes 
All other classes are back to normal schedule 

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Recordings That Made Waves: The Songs That Saved The Whales NPR
Worth Radiolab

Our 10am Christmas WODers yesterday!

Fitness: 3 x 3 Linear Progression
Add 5-10 pounds to last week. 

Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 70% of 1RM (capped at 20) 

Post loads to comments.
e4/6
_____________________ 

AMRAP 7 Minutes:
10 Double Unders
2 Deadlifts 275/185
20 Double Unders
4 Deadlifts
30 Double Unders
6 Deadlifts
40 Double Unders
8 Deadlifts
50 Double Unders
10 Deadlifts
60 Double Unders
12 Deadlifts
70 Double Unders
…add 2 deadlfts and 10 double unders until time is called

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Just like ground-based mobilizations we use to exaggerate ranges of motion for the hips, we can use the PVC as a blocking implement to help move the shoulders through a full range of motion before training. Here, supple leopard Rachel mobilizes during the QOD.

• Interested in learning more about the 2015 Look, Feel, and Perform Better Challenge? Come to the free info session THIS SUNDAY at 4pm!

December Holiday Schedule Reminders

On: 6, 7, 8, 10, 12p, 430p, 530p, 630p
Canceled: 730p, 830p

THUR 12/25 (Christmas)
On: 8, 9*, 10
Canceled: Everything else (including Yoga for Athletes)

FRI 12/26
On: 9*, 10, 11*, 12pm, Open Gym
Canceled: 6/7/8am

SAT 12/27
Canceled: Yoga for Athletes 

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The New Bionics That Let Us Run, Climb, and Dance TED
4 New Movements You Will See In The 2015 Crossfit Open The WOD Life
The New Nutrition Secret The Huffington Post