Fitness: 3×5 Across

Performance: 5/3/1 3 week
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

or 70%x3x3

Post loads to comments.
e10/12
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As Many Rounds As Possible in 7 minutes of:
7 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans
7 Burpees

Post rounds and Rx to comments.

Jason Khalipa takes first in the Burden Run with 28:58

See more at The CrossFit Games website.

Kettlebell Kitchen at CFSBK Today!

Want to make eating healthy Paleo meals easier? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Kettlebell Kitchen– your go to for Paleo & Zone meals! Food for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, Kettlebell Kitchen is an easy & convenient way to get top notch nutrition delivered right to the box. We’ve tasted the food ourselves, and we think it’s great!

Today from 8:45am onwards they’ll be in house to let you taste the food and learn about how the program works.  Check them out before or after your class today!
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They will be delivering food every Monday & Wednesday, the order cutoffs are:

-Wednesday evening by midnight for Monday delivery
-Saturday evening by midnight for Wednesday delivery

The complete menu, along with ingredient lists and nutrition facts can be found here: MENU
Ordering instructions and FAQs can be found here: FAQs
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I Believe I Can Fly

Sam Briggs wins Row Events 1 and 2 with a 2000m time of 7:17 and 1/2 Marathon time of 1:27:47.9

So Close To a Pull-Up..

Are you “So Close” to a pull-up? Do you feel like it’s within reach but has still eluded you despite your most sincere efforts? Below are three things I think will help folks who are close to pulling body weight get over the bar.

Start with Chin-Ups
Chin-ups are easier than pull-ups and you’re more likely to get your first chin-up sooner than your first pull-up so it’s a pretty good place to start. In my experience once a couple chins have been developed the pull-up magically shows up a lot faster. That being said, both versions are totally legit and huge milestones for anyone who didn’t have them before.  Chins are also easier for people to organize well. The upper arm is already rotated into a more stable position and the last few inches over the bar usually involve less neck craning and wiggling. Once you can do about 3-5 chin-ups you’ll be a Lot closer (if not already there) to the pull-up. When performing chin-ups, keep your hands just inside shoulder width and imagine pulling the bar down to your chest, not pulling yourself up to it. That cue usually helps people fire the upper back and pull the elbows posteriorly during the ascent, both good things.

Keep The Reps Low
If you’re struggling to get your first pull-up, your muscles experience the effort as a near maximal exertion.  You’re going for something that you’ll only be able to do 1 rep of (right now), so when we train to develop our first pull-up a lot of our reps should look and feel pretty similar.  Several doubles or singles with just enough resistance to clear the bar is better than high volume sets of 5 or 10 with much more assistance. If you were a 1 rep max obsessed lifter, you wouldn’t spend all your time doing sets of 5 and 10, you’d perform submax singles, doubles and triples more often to get your body ready for the effort.  Here are two examples of productive training sessions:

7 sets of 1 rep with ample rest
5 sets of 2-3 reps with ample rest

“Ample Rest” could be anywhere from a minute to three minutes depending on how much you require to get another successful rep. Because this is going to be a strain, make sure to warm-up with some ring rows and more heavily assisted pull-ups. 2-3 sets of 5 reps should be sufficient.

When you’re scaling workouts, use the lowest volume option possible. 20 Kipping pull-ups as Rxd on the workout might be 5 chin-ups for you. That component of the workout won’t have anywhere near the same conditioning effect but depending on your goals that might be okay.

That being said, a little volume isn’t a bad thing. Just remember that if you want to get a pull-up you’ve got to train in a way that feels similar to your goal.

Resistance Matters
While the big jump-stretch bands can be a valuble tool in this process, they shouldn’t the only or even the majority of assistance you use. In my opinion, having a good spotter is ideal. Someone who knows how to give you just enough help to make you finish the rep without any jerky movement, uneven assistance or too much pushing. You’ve got good hands on you if you never get “stuck” anywhere in the rep but still work really hard at the most difficult positions (the very top and the first few inches at the bottom). The range of motion should be smooth and you should be able maintain good organization throughout. Another option is using a band just below what you can do on your own and having a partner gently push you through the finish. Depending on the size, height and strength of everyone involved, sometimes this is a more practical solution and can lead to better spotting. If you’re working with someone who is not a coach or giving you too much/too little/weird help, tell them what you feel and work together to make it better. One major problem with bands alone is that at the top of a rep you’re getting the least help since the band tension decreases as you ascend.  If you’re flying solo, choose a band that helps you get all the way over the bar, not just enough so that when you reach your chin can barely make it over the bar. That’s a no rep.

Hopefully these three tips can help you find some success with getting your first pull-up. Make your goal to not only do it, but do it well. If you train smart in the beginning and pay attention to your neck and shoulder positions you’ll develop a solid foundation to build off of. If you make your emphasis simply getting any sliver of your chin over the bar, things will be a lot slower and less awesome for you.  To see exactly what I’m talking about, watch this MobilityWOD: Stop The Pull-Up Chicken Necking People

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There are as of yet three unannounced events for this year’s Games. Write a Games-worthy WOD that you think could work for this year’s programming. And/Or predict what the obstacles in the zig zag sprint will be.
To see the full list of announced events, click here.

Fitness: Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat

Performance: Hang Power Snatch + Snatch Balance
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Press

Fitness: 3×5 Across
This is probably getting tougher at this point. Consider smaller jumps (1-3lbs) and dynamic starts if you’re running into a wall.

Performance: Wendler 5 Week
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

Post loads to comments
e5/6
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Choose one task to cash out with:
Run 1 Mile
Row 2K
Row 1/2 Marathon

Jordan Troyan Takes 1st Place in the Pool event with a time of: 10:06

• Happy Birthday Carissa C and Katie H!

Claim Your Stuff

The Lost and Found runneth over! Check out these pictures to see if you’ve left behind any clothing, baseballs or bras lately.  All unclaimed items will be donated to C.H.I.P.S. early next week.

Water Bottles
Bras, Locks and that Damn San Francisco Hat again
Fancy Shoes, Jump Ropes and Hoodies
More of your stuff volume 1
More of your stuff volume 2
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Archived Footage of Wednesday Night CrossFit Games Announcement

Fitness: 3×5 Across

Performance: 5/3/1 3 week
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

Post loads to comments.
e9/12
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21-15-9 Reps For Time of:
Kipping Pull-Ups
Burpees

There is a 7 minute cap. This should be a fast and furious couplet, not a slog so scale appropriately.

Post time and Rx to comments.

Teresa B Power Snatching

The CrossFit Games

The CrossFit Games start tonight! We’ll be streaming them at the gym or you can watch them online at home. Click here to see how to watch them on your own. Below are the announced events so far. What are your initial impressions?

The Pool
10 Rounds for time of:
Swim 25 yards
3 Bar Muscle-Ups
Swim 25 yards

Pool Workout Demo

Row 1 and Row 2
Row 21,097 meters

Row 1 is at 2000m checkpoint
Row 2 is the entire 21,097

Row 1 and 2 Workout Demo

Zig Zag Sprint
50 Yard Sprint with 4 obstacles

4 round bracket style tournament.

Naughty Nancy
4 Rounds For Time of:
Run 600m up and over the berm
25 Overhead Squats 140/95

Clean and Jerk Ladder
1 Rep Clean and Jerk every 90 seconds with progressively heavier barbells

To see the full schedule, including slots for events TBA, click here.

Join Amy and Charlie’s Paleo Challenge

CFSBK superstars Amy and Charlie decided to do a Paleo Challenge for the month of August and have already roped in a few folks. If you’re looking to jumpstart some cleaner eating habits, check out their spreadsheet and figure out how you’d like to participate. Having a little community support can really make initiating a change process that much easier.  Their model reflects the challenge the gym ran at the beginning of the year.  If this is your first time attempting a challenge, we recommend keeping your parameters very simple and straight forward and making short term adherence goals that lead to a larger sustainable behavior changes. Experiement with yourself, see the results and remember… you can’t out train a bad diet!
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High Line’s Best-Kept Secret: It’s a Fast Commute NYT

Camilla working some Erg Sprints

• Want more CFSBK? Check out our Flickr, Facebook and Instagram pages!

Gymnastics Ring Strength Series Live!

Join guest Gymnastics Coach Ken H. as he takes you through 4 weeks of gymnastics strength training with an emphasis on developing a rudimentary ring routine and Crossfit strength movements. Each class will include a proper warm-up, stretching and then use both isometric and dynamic strength exercises to develop: core strength while learning transitions on the rings, levers, muscle-ups and planches. Students will also have strength and flexibility assignments to do on the outside of class.

Saturdays from 2:00pm – 3:00pm
7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/24
*please note that class skips 8/17

Price:
$60 for 4 Weeks

Cap:
8 Participants
Register Here!

Ken Haller’s Bio
Ken was a nationally competitive gymnast in Newton, MA and at the University of Michigan. After graduating, Ken coached for eight years at Capital Gymnastics in Northern Virginia where he coached regional and national champions. His students have gone on to be NCAA champions and members of Cirque du Soliel. In searching for an activity to replace gymnastics, Ken filled the void with rock climbing and yoga for the past ten years and recently found CrossFit to round out his training.

Jen Stopka’s Fundraising Marathon

Jen Stopka is running the Chicago Marathon this October with Team in Training to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She’s dedicating the marathon to 9 year old Alyssa who was diagnosed with leukemia. She’s pictured here on her last day of treatment with her favorite superheros.

Why should you donate? Because cancer sucks. And because there are some really swanky prizes:

Up for grabs:
– 1 hour massage with Inka Hodes
– 1 hour private yoga session with Whitney Hubbard
– 1 hour personal training with Noah Abbott

Tickets are $5 each. Bonus tickets if you donate $25 (six tickets) or $50 (fifteen tickets).
Email jennifer.stopka[at]gmail[dot]com or post in the comment section on Jen’s fundraising page to tell her which prize to put your tickets toward, otherwise tickets will be distributed evenly.

All proceeds will go directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Winners will be announced August 1!
This raffle is open to everyone (not just CFSBK), so please pass along to all of your NYC friends!
Start donating!
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50 Common Science Misconceptions Sci Show
Focus, Drive, Execution CrossFit Games
Login A Look Inside New York’s “Active Design” Initiative to Fight Obesity Greatist

Fitness: 3×5 across
Should be a little bit of a fight but plan to hit all 15 reps today. Time your total bench pressing time so that you get your longest rest before your last set. Don’t doddle through the warm-ups.

Performance: 5/3/1 “3 week“
70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3+

Post loads to comments.
e5/6
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3 Rounds NFT of:
15 Kettlebell Swings
15 Dumbbell Presses
25 Sit-Ups

Go heavy on the Swings and Presses.

Post loads to comments.

Jake L Clean and Jerks 323lbs

Oly Meet Wrap Up

Congratulations to Coach DO, Brandon Renert and Jake Leviant on a successful showing at the CT Olympic Lifting meet yesterday. See the full results including some links to videos below. A special treat is watching David almost pass out on the platform after cleaning 100kilos/220lbs.

David
Snatch: 70 (154lbs), 75M, 75M
Clean and Jerk: 90, 94 (207lbs), 100M
Total: 164 kilograms
Ranked: 4th Place in Men’s 69k division

Brandon
Snatch: 70, 80M, 80 (176lbs)
Clean and Jerk: 90, 96, 102* (224lbs)
Total: 182 Kilograms
Ranked: 3rd Place in Men’s 77k division, 5th place in Men’s Masters division

Jake
Snatch: 107, 114M, 118 (259lbs)
Clean and Jerk: 135, 143, 147* (323lbs)
Total: 264 Kilograms
Ranked: 3rd Place in Men’s 94k division

Attention Radhika Vaz Fans

Who doesnt love to laugh? Check out Radhika’s new show, “OLDER. ANGRIER. HAIRIER” playing all this week in the city. Radhika is a long time CFSBKer and has even performed in the gym for charity. We can’t recommend her enough!

At 40 I have the confidence I wish I’d had at 20, the body I hope I’ll have at 60, and nose hair. At 40 there is a lot of nose hair.
Written and Performed by Radhika Vaz.

Dates:
July 24, 25, 26, 27 @ 8pm
July 28 @ 7pm

Location:
The Producers Club 358 W 44th Street. NYC.

Tickets:
$18 Tickets online here
$25 Tickets at the door.

Tickets are on sale now for the Soiree, so encourage folks to get them while they can!  We are excited to have performances by The Drums and Tamaryn, as well as DJ Kilo Kish.  Visit the website, or look for the evite, which I will forward out soon.  Also, the event is up on facebook!  Please share with all of your facebook friends – and look for updates there!
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When Deborah Cordner Carson asks herself why she does CrossFit, she looks at her grandfather’s weightlifting belt and remembers.

Fitness: 1×5 across
Get stoked to lift some heavy weight.

Performance: 5/3/1 “5 week“
65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+

Post loads to comments.
e4/6
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For Time:
3 Rounds of:
20 Thrusters 75/45
50 Double Unders

then,
3 Rounds of:
15 Kipping Pull-Ups or Ring Rows
15 Push-Ups

then,
Run 400m

Post total time and Rx to comments.

Whitney B Bench Pressing at TTD

• Good luck to Coach DO, Jake Leivent and Brandon Renert who will be competing in the 2013 CT Open Olympic Weightlifting Championships today!

Kettlebell Kitchen at CFSBK!

Want to make eating healthy Paleo meals easier? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Kettlebell Kitchen– your go to for Paleo & Zone meals! Food for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, Kettlebell Kitchen is an easy & convenient way to get top notch nutrition delivered right to the box. We’ve tasted the food ourselves, and we think it’s great!

They will make their first delivery to our box on July 24th (and every Monday & Wednesday thereafter). The order cutoffs are:

-Wednesday evening by midnight for Monday delivery
-Saturday evening by midnight for Wednesday delivery

The complete menu, along with ingredient lists and nutrition facts can be found here: MENU
Ordering instructions and FAQs can be found here: FAQs

We’ll have some of the folks from KBK at the gym on Saturday the 27th from 8:45am onward to give you the 101 and some samples of the food if you’re interested but not ready to pull the trigger.
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Stop Glossing Over The Good Stuff

Fitness: 3×5 Across

Performance: 5/3/1 5 week
65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+

or 70%x3x3
Consider doing paused squats to focus on positional strength.

Post loads to comments.
e8/12
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As Many Rounds As Possible In 4 Minutes Of:
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Burpees or 3 Muscle-Ups

Rest 2 Minutes

As Many Points As Possible In 4 Minutes Of:
Row for Calories

Post rounds completed, Rx and calories to comments.

Internal Rotation, I haz it!

• Happy Birthday, Brian S!
• Happy jumpingto everyone attending the Doubles Or Nothing clinic today!

Not For Time, A Primer

CFSBK programming often includes “Not For Time” (NFT) assistance work either on top of or instead of traditional CrossFit “For Time” conditioning.  We usually use this method of training 1-3 times per week as a supplement to our primary lifts and conditioning tests.  The value of this work can’t be overstated and in this article we’ll discuss the rational behind NFT work.

“Assistance Work”
Most NFT workouts generally fall under the title “assistance work” because their intention is to help develop the muscle groups and movement patterns used in our primary lifts and WODs.  Sometimes a lagging muscle group might prevent you from properly executing an exercise, especially at load or intensity. For example, if your chest regularly drops when trying to squat heavy, you might benefit from some concentrated low back/hip extension work like good mornings, RDLS, perhaps even heavy kettlebell swings. NFT work is our opportunity to program in different exercises that may not lend themselves well to being timed or performed at maximal weight, but do help you get into better positions when you need it most.

Work on imbalances
NFT work also uses more unilateral (one side at a time) bilateral (alternating sides) and stabilization exercises to promote symmetry and balance.  An imbalance in your pressing strength might not be apparent with a barbell, but it can become comically obvious when working with dumbbells.  Perhaps your imbalance is actually neurological, you know how to “set your back” but proper abdominal bracing strategies still elude you.  A healthy dose of hollow rocks, planks or a variety of other holds can help you identify how to engage and develop different parts of your body.  Mobility work would also fall under this category, if you’ve ever done a workout that included holding a stretch or performing something like an “inchworm” you know we’re sneaking in some active flexibility training.

Same movements, different focus
Sometimes we even will take movements that you regularly see in WODs like push-ups, jumping rope and rowing and take the clock away.  These are great opportunities to troubleshoot the movements themselves and aim for perfection with every rep without the stress of worrying about what your time or load will be. Instead, you can still get a significant stimulus by focusing on whatever you struggle with most about that movement. It could be coordination, range of motion or strength at a particular position in the lift. Whever your case may be, slow down and do it right so you can speed up and do it right later.

The take home message is that the better you can become at a wide variety of exercises and types of workouts, the more well rounded and successful of an athlete you can become.  We hope this gives you some food for thought the next time a NFT workout comes up and what our thought process is behind it.  As always, we’re always experimenting with new concepts and protocols to help you guys and gals achieve get better inside and outside the gym.
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Mistakes and Forgiveness with Austin Malleolo

Three panoramic views of an empty CFSBK
(Thanks, Coach Melo!)

• Happy Birthday, Sarah H!
• Don’t forget that tomorrow we’re hosting the sold out “Doubles Or Nothing” clinics after evening classes.
• Got the competition bug? Represent CFSBK at the upcoming CF Subway Series events!
• Check out Jenna Jerman’s 15lb Squat PR at TTD

CFSBK Rowing Workshop

Coach Nick is teaching a two-hour rowing clinic on Saturday, 8/3, at 2:00. Do you want to improve your effectiveness on the erg? Do you dread rowing workouts? Or maybe you love them and want to row more on the side? The clinic will include the following:

If you’re interested, please shoot Nick an email at nick [at] crossfitsouthbrooklyn [dot] com. There’s a cap on the number if participants, so sign up now! This workshop is $25.

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Ice, Ice Baby
What is Missing?

Fitness: Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat + Hang Power Snatch

Performance: Hang Power Snatch + BTN Snatch Grip Push Press + Hang Squat Snatch

Attempt to go a little heavier than last week.
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Press

Fitness: 3×5 Across
This is probably getting tougher at this point. Consider smaller jumps (1-3lbs) and dynamic starts if you’re running into a wall.

Performance: Wendler 5 Week
65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5+

Post loads to comments
e4/6
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270m Waiters Walk

Post load and implement to comments.

Shaye L Gets into the Squat Zone

• The coat room was getting a little stinky so we took it upon ourselves to spray the inside of everyone’s shoes. If you’d like to take it upon yourself, use this spray bottle located at the front desk.

Gracie’s Testimonial

I just wanted to thank you for all that you, your staff, and the community have done for me in the last 6 months. In the last 4.5 yrs, I have been walking around in a daze, feeling incredibly lost and alone. Sports and athletics has always been a safe haven for me growing up, but with my mothers Multiple System Atrophy Parkinson’s diagnosis and my little brothers constant struggle with sobriety, I really took it out on myself and my body in the last 4 yrs.

Since I came to CFSBK, I have grown to love who I am again. I revel in the triumphs that I make every week and always feel the support of the entire community behind me when I’m struggling. It’s a feeling that cannot be duplicated anywhere else or accurately described.

On my birthday, my mother had a very bad fall and broke two ribs and got 7 staples in her head. On that same day, my brother pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession with intent to sell heroin. He is currently in rehab and has two years of random drug testing in front of him to pass or he goes to jail. I cannot express how incredibly overwhelming this has all been for me and the place that I always want to go to for peace and support is the box. Similarly, the people that I have chosen to reach out to for help have been those I have grown close with in the community. Both the box and the community have become my safe space to grow, work hard, and fight through some overwhelming emotional feelings of despair.

This morning, my mother had two bad falls again and cried in my arms. After I got her settled, I found myself in my car, crying and heading to the one place I needed to be. CFSBK. To nail some gnarly squats and crush a WOD. Duh.

I know this is all an incredible amount of personal and overwhelming information. But I felt it was necessary to include so that you could truly see how valuable CFSBK is to my life and, I am certain, to many others.

I am very proud to let you know that my little brother has started working out in rehab and is counting down the days to when he can sign up for foundations and get his healthy life going. I cannot wait to see him at CFSBK and I will be eternally grateful to you as he finally learns to fight for himself.

So, thank you. Thank you for providing the coaches, the space, and the community that gets me out of bed on dark days. You all do such incredible things and give us all the tools to do them as well.

CFSBK fo’life

Gracie
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Third CrossFit Games Announcement.. Clean and Jerk Ladder!
Stunning display of female athleticism and freerunning
The One Thing All Men Feel, But Never Admit