Work up to a medium 3×5 Across
Today we’ll review Bench Press 101 and work technique on the lift.  You’ll be seeing Bench Pressing on Wednesdays the following 6 weeks. The first formal exposure will be next week.

Post loads to comments.
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4 Rounds NFT:
10 Strict Dumbbell Presses
10e Palloff Presses

Work up to a heavy but perfect 10 on the press

Upcoming Oly Camps

Want to get better at the quick lifts? CFSBK will be hosting Josh Wells and Shelly Hancock who will be teaching the theory and practice of the Snatch or Clean and Jerk on two upcoming dates. These camps will be small group sessions focusing on understanding and executing the lifts correctly.  For more information about each camp, click the cooresponding links below:

3/9/13 Snatch Camp
3/16/13 Clean and Jerk Camp

Both camps run from 3pm-5pm and cost $90.00 per person. Space is limited to 10 athletes. Sign up today!

Live Workout Announcements for the Open

This year, each Open workout will be announced LIVE from a different affiliate. Starting March 6, head to the Games site each Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT to see the announcement and then watch two of CrossFit’s top athletes take on the workout and post the first official scores. 

Open Workout 13.2 will be announced LIVE from Crossfit South Brooklyn!  Be sure to RSVP for this event here!  Athletes for the workout will be announced one week in advance. 

See below for the list of times and affiliates.

Open Workout 13.1 
March 6, 2013, 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET)
CrossFit Vitality
Concord, N.C.
Athletes: Dan Bailey vs. Scott Panchik

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The Back-Off Week Cathletics

The CFSBK Armada Grows to 13 Ergs
Big thanks to Katie M, Ryan J and Monte M for helping bring the “vader black” ergs back from Boston

What’s that thing on the left?

You may have noticed the two tabs on the left, one says “coming” and the other is a little W holding a barbell. CFSBK will slowly be phasing in new billing software called WodHopper. This new system will allow us to keep better membership analytics and provide some other cool new features for you guys. We haven’t officially launched it, so stay tuned for updates as they come.

Post Challenge Write Up Due!

Don’t forget to submit your post challenge write up here. Please get it in by today so we’ve got enough time to go through them all. The point of this is to help you assess how you did and what your plan is moving forward. I’ve had so many people come up to me or send me emails about the progress they’re making.  The LFPB challenge was just the start of a much larger plan to continue with your progress, refine your approach and keep your momentum. At the potluck we’ll expand upon this idea and talk more about how CFSBK would like to support your progress moving forward.

RSVP Here

Programming Update

Crush week is officially over! We’re going to be on back off week until next Wednesday when the new cycle starts. This B/O week will act as prep for the new cycle introducing the movements and getting your recovered for the next training cycle. Get Stoked.

Monday
Fitness: Low Bar Back Squats
Performance: High Bar Stop Squats

Wednesday
Bench Press

Thursday
Front Squats

Saturday
CrossFit Open WOD

Sunday
Clean and Jerks
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What is Your Main Event? CrossFit Invictus
Highlights From The 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games

For Time:
Row 2000m

Post time to comments.
compare to 10.19.12

Read: Rowing a 2000m Row by Coach Nick
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5 Rounds NFT of:
16 Kettlebell Swings
8 OH Rev Kettlebell Lunges
1:15 Plank

Isaac in the Squat Zone

Happy Birthday, Bethany E!

C.R.A.S.H. B Results

Team SBKIRT Killed it at CRASH B’s yesterday in Boston! Check out these results:

Joe Blankush: 6:57.0 PR
Alex Cox: 6:58.0 PR
Gina Gatto: 8:12.7 PR
Ryan Joyce: 6:51.6
Colette Komm: 8:36.8
Marian Lai: 8:42.3 PR
Melissa Lloyd: 9:13.5 PR
Monte MacDiarmid: 6:27.7 PR
Peter Mattis: 6:41.0 PR
Katie Mears: 7:22.8 PR
Cloyde Mills: 7:38.5 PR
Adele Myers: 8:34.9 PR
Dan Reshef: 7:31.4 PR
Charmel Rogers: 7:15.3 PR

World Record Indoor Rowing Times

Open Men: Rob Waddell
Time: 5:36.6  Average Split: 1:24.1

Open Women: Sophie Balmary
Time: 6:28.4 Average Split: 1:37.1
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Patakk
The Handstand Pirouette CrossFit Journal

C.R.A.S.H.-B Competition Today!

The SBK Indoor Rowing Team (SBKIRT), 17 strong, is competing at the CRASH-B World Indoor Rowing Competition at Boston University’s Agganis Arena today. This concludes 20 weeks – TWENTY!! – of training. Their program mimicked what it’s like to train for the Olympic team. As the SBKIRT members can attest, it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounds – there were many weeks of boring, low-intensity rowing and high-volume weightlifting, followed by several more weeks of high-intensity workouts with names like “Tabata Tabata Tabata,” “Trough,” and “Hell” (AKA “A Very Dark Place”). And two 6000m tests and one 2000m test thrown in for good measure. The goals for the group were 1) improve rowing technique, 2) improve stamina, 3) learn how to race, and 4) improve mental toughness. The whole group has achieved all these goals in spades.

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The 2012 C.R.A.S.H-B Sprints 
Rich Froning’s 300lb Snatch CrossFit

21-15-9 Reps For Time of:
Deadlift 225/155
Handstand Push-Up

WOD Demo

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to 12.14.11 and 8.8.11


7 properly locked bikes on the Bike Rack

If you ride your bike to the gym, please make sure you’re locking up your bike correctly. Drape the front wheel over the top cross beam and lock your tire and frame to the rack, like this:

Please don’t lock your bike parallel to the rail so that no one else can lock their bikes up. Bad Karma! Also- the rack is locked to the gym and in the OFF chance you happen to forget your lock, the front desk can provide you with a temporary U-Lock.

CRASH B This weekend

Our intrepid ERGonauts head to Boston today for the CRASH B Sprints this weekend.  It’s no secret that these guys and gals have been spending a lot of time on the rowing machines lately getting ready for this event under the guidance of Coach Nick. We wish them the best of luck as they put their training to the test!

The World Indoor Rowing Championships contesting a 2,000m race. Although C.R.A.S.H.-B. as an organization maintains an untraditional irreverence to all things that are not fun, nonetheless this ergometer has become serious business, threatening to replace fun with pain, unless you can equate the two.

Team CrossFit South Brooklyn
Marco Addezio, Julie Barnard, Joe Blankush, Alex Cox, Gina Gatto, Dan Halioua, Jason Horowitz, Ryan Joyce, Colette Komm, Marian Lai, Melissa Lloyd, Monte MacDiarmid, Peter Mattis, Katie Mears, Cloyde Mills, Adele Myers, Stephanie Paddock, Christian Reiss, Dan Reshef, Charmel Rogers, Jen Stopka, Ben Whitney
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Hydration Aja Barto
Ido Portal on Paleo Diet, CrossFit, Gymnastics, Motivation, Movement & More RawBrahs

Parker Pulls Heavy

News and Notes

• There are still spots left for the partner Thai Massage workshop on 2/23
• Don’t forget to RSVP for the 2nd Paleo Potluck and LFPB awards ceremony. Everyone is welcome to come!

Why Are We Discouraging Failing?

     You may have noticed that we’ve been strongly discouraging people from failing on their lifts this cycle.  The rational behind this is two fold.  Firstly, when you fail, it means you’ve tested your absolute limit. You’ve gone to the horizon of your capacity and fallen over the edge. In the context of Testing new rep maxes, this is okay and a necessary part of strength training.  However every day is not a test and we don’t want you to max out to failure with any regularity. Our day in, day out workouts should be considered Training and an opportunity to go a little bit heavier than your previous efforts without reaching your absolute limits.  Training to failure too often can be taxing on the central nervous system and actually slow down your progress. If you focus on going “a little heavier than last time” you keep pushing the ceiling of your potential a little big higher instead of busting right through it and having no where to go but back down.
     The second major reason we want to make failing a rarity is for the psychological stress and negative expectations it can put on you.  If you’ve trained yourself to think, “okay when things get hard I’ve got an easy escape route in bailing” you learn to give up more often and associate missed reps as a regular part of your routine.  They don’t become significant, they don’t become a wake up call on where you’re at.. they just become the norm.  This can subtly undermine a lot of your self expectations and the mindset you bring into your lifts. 
     All that being said, we don’t want you to avoid lifting heavy and training hard. Once your technique is in order, you’re expected to grind through lifts.  Maximal Effort Method training is a staple of our programming and one of the best ways to get strong. It should feel difficult, it should feel heavy and you should expect to fight for it. Just like in real life, you don’t start fights you don’t think you can win, especially on a regular basis, all that does is screw with your confidence and send you limping home.  A skilled athlete doesn’t need to miss reps to know where their potential for the day is.  They have an innate sense of what they’re capable of and when to call it quits.  Any missed lifts moving forward should be considered learning experiences on your physical capacity, psychological outlook, technique and always put into the context of the intended training stimulus for that day.

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Travel Inside A Black Hole vsauce
Getting High On Snake Venom Vice (NSFW)

In 7 Minutes:
Row 1000/850m
Then in the remaining time perform as many rounds as possible of:
10 Burpees
15 Kettlebell Swings

Male weights: 24k, 20k, 16k
Female weights: 16k, 12k, 8k

Range of motion standard for the Kettlebell swing is such that the entire bell should clear your head with your knees and hips at full extension. Burpees are chest to deck followed by a jump with full hip extension.

If you can’t complete this today, perform this workout as soon as possible. Ask a coach if you’re able to substitute one of the following week’s WODS for this if you need to, or  come to Open Gym on Friday or Sunday.

Post Row time and rounds/reps completed to comments.
compare to 12.31.12
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Reverse Tabata L-Sit x10 Rounds

The Price Is Right, CrossFit Edition!

We’ve taken 9 random items from the gym for you to size up. Post to comments how much you think each item costs. Person who is closest without going over wins.

A pair of “home made” parrallettes
A 20lb Dynamax Medicine Ball
A 10lb Dynamax Medicine Ball
A Pair of 45lb Blue Rogue Competition Bumpers
A Pair of 45lb Kraiberg Economy Bumpers
A 45lb “Burgener and Rippetoe” Barbell
A standard Rogue Bench
An Abmat
A Pair of Rogue Competition straps and wooden rings

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CrossFit Greenpoint Does The Harlem Shake
A Logical Argument Against The Tracey Anderson Method
Sam Dancer Does a 405×22 Back Squat

21-15-9 Rep rounds for time of:
Thrusters, 95/65
Kipping Pull-Ups

Scale the workout appropriately and work on your discomfort tolerance today.

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to 1.30.13 and 12.2.12

Nate O on Heavy Carries

Some recent PR’s This Cycle:

We’ve finished the primary training and lifting portion of this cycle. Here are some recent PRs that made it to the CFSBK leaderboards and Accomplishments boards. Did you also PR this cycle? If so let is know in the comments. Also, let us know what you thought of the last 6 weeks of training.

Olympic/Quick Lifts:
305lb Jerk: Coach Josh
315lb Clean: Coach Josh
235lb Snatch: Jake L
286lb Clean and Jerk: Jake L
247lb Clean and Jerk: Matt K
123lb Clean and Jerk: Billy K
225lb Push Press: DH3
100lb Push Press: Stella Z
100lb Push Press: Kristen H

Power Lifts:
622lb Deadlift: Nick F
500lb Back Squat: Nick F
375lb Front Squat: Nick F
1,362lb PLT: Dave B
1,201lb PLT: Avi S
455lb Back Squat: Avi S
1,205lb CFT: Christian R
550lb Deadlift: Christian R
220lb Press: Christian R
185lb Back Squat: Steph P
275lb Deadlift: Serene
230lb Deadlift: Steph P
230lb Deadlift: Bethany E
245lb Deadlift: Jen S
225lb Back Squat: Charlotte K
255lb Back Squat: Matt C
200lb Back Squat: Stella Z
285lb Deadlift: Yoshi S

Rowing
7:28 2K Row: Katie M
7:57.2 2K Row: Jen S
6:30.2 2K Row: Christian R
6:3X 2K Row: Monty

Benchmarks:
6:32 Annie: Steph P
7:24 Annie: Samir C
8:33 Annie: Nate P
16R+5,2 Cindy: Coach Melo
14R+5,6 Cindy: Teresa
8:43 Diane: Coach Jess
34 Unbroken Doubles: Yoshi
24 Unbroken Doubles: Jen S
50 Unbroken Doubles: Whitney H
41 Unbroken Doubles: Lauren B

Tacos:
9 Tacos: Courtney H
8 Tacos: Jen S

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Lumo Back provides real time feedback on your posture.
Lets Play 52 Pick-Up, Paleo Style Robb Wolf
I’m Not Trying To Be That Diesel Elizabeth Akinwale
The Art of Imperfect TED
Olympic Fixture Since 708 B.C. (Wrestling) Will Be Dropped NYT

Nancy shows us what trajectory she’s on. Great work!

There is No Active Recovery Tonight! Sorry folks!

The Look Feel Perform Better Challenge Ends Today!

OR DOES IT. You’ve spent the last few weeks cultivating new habits and while some of them may have waned a bit, compare your current behaviors to that of December of 2012. Are you better, worse or the same than the end of last year? Long term change is all about trajectory and consistency, if you make a 180 degree turn and “splurge for a while” before getting “back on the wagon” it’s going to be MUCH harder to reclaim what you’ve been working on. My advice? Take what’s been working for you and hold on tight, the longer you can commit to these changes the easier they eventually become. You’ve only been at it for 6 weeks, think about what 6 months would produce.  You might tweak the parameters, modify the point system (or ditch it) or even set up new ones for yourself to take it to the next level. Think about what you found successful and engaging about the challenge and continue forward! 

Final steps:

1. Perform the Capacity Test to get your post challenge results. This will be the WOD on Thursday so you’ll have an opportunity then or Friday to perform it. If you can’t make it either of those days let us know and we’ll try to accomodate.
2. Fill out the Post Challenge Form with your “after” pictures and responses. These are due one week from today on the 19th.
3. Attend the Potluck/awards ceremony! We’re pushing it to FRIDAY, March 1st in order to get everyone’s entries in and go through them all. Mark your calendars.. more details to follow!

“If you’re training people, you’ve got one oar in the water if you are not talking to them about nutrition.” – Greg Glassman
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CrossFit Nutrition Guide
Paleo Diet Testimonials Robb Wolf
Cooking with the Chans

The Scale Of The Known Universe
Blizzard Nemo Time Lapse

1-1-1-1-1
See if you can set a new PR today!

Post loads to comments.
DL e6/6
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“Annie”

50-40-30-20-10 Reps For Time Of:
Double Unders
Sit-Ups

There is a 10 minute cap on today’s benchmark WOD

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to 5.5.12

Queen Asha gets her squat on

Congratulations Brandon!

CFSBK would like to congratulate Brandon R on competing in his first Olympic weightlifting meet this weekend. The results:

I places 1st in my weight class.  I competed against 3 others.   My attempts on the snatch were 60, 65, hit them both and since I knew I was leading in my weight class I went for 75 but missed.  My attempts at C&J were 80, 85 & 90. (kilos)

Lost Ünd Found

The LÜF is overflowing which means we’ll be donating everything to charity at the end of the week (Friday). Please check out the pictures our awesome Front Desk staff took to see if any of your stüff needs to be found.

• Water Bottles
• Clothes Pt. 1
• Clothes Pt. 2
• Shoes
• Misc stuff

What’s the most valuable (interpret however you’d like) thing you’ve ever lost?
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Fit and Feminist 100: The Strongwomen
Relax! You’ll Be More Productive NYT