Spend 20 Minutes working up to a heavy triple Thruster
Bar must travel in one smooth motion from the bottom of the squat to overhead lockout. No jerks allowed.

Watch Rob Orlando show you how it’s done.
Post loads to comments.
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3 Intervals Each For Time of:
Sprint 400m

Rest 1:1. Perform these at 80-90% intensity. Perform 30 burpees for any interval that deviates 5 seconds from your best effort.

3×10-12 weighted sit ups.

Partner anchors feet. Go heavy.

Kevin M, Kim R, Scott F, Noah B and Inka H. The CFSBK Sandy Clean Up Crew!

Holiday Schedule

• Christmas Eve, Monday Dec 24: 6am, 7am, 8am, 12pm classes normal. 5-8pm Open Gym
• Christmas Day, Tuesday Dec 25: Special 9:30am CrossFit Group Class WOD only
• New Years Eve, Monday Dec 31: 6am, 7am, 8am, 12pm classes normal. 5-8pm Open Gym
• New Years Day Jan 1: No am classes. 12pm, 4:30p, 5:30p, 6:30p, 7:30p, 8:30p new schedule goes into effect.

Take Your Shoes Home!

Please take your shoes home from now until January 1st. We’re cleaning out our closet area and want to make sure there are no abandoned shoes taking up space from active members. Also, in 2013 we’ll only be storing Olympic Weightlifting shoes at the gym, no sneakers. We’ll also be adding more cubby spaces for you guys.

Congrats to Coach MeLo for being accepted into Hunter College’s DPT program.  Only about 20 out of 300+ applicants are accepted.  We’re not surprised!
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100 All Time Greatest Sport Photos Sports Illustrated
Body Image Lift Big Eat Big
How I Lost My Love Handles in 2012 — And Ate More Than I Ever Have Huffington Post

Work up to a heavy single box squat in 18 minutes
See if you can go a little heavier than the previous heavy double.

Post loads to comments.
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3 Rounds for max points of:
:45 Row For Calories
:15 Rest
:45 Max Reps Push-Ups
:15 Rest
:45 Max Reps Box Jumps
Rest 1:15 minute

Goodbye McGraths!
Farewell to the McGraths (David, Liese, Lucy and Finn) who are moving to Ireland TODAY.  The McGraths have been part of the CFSBK family for many years and will be missed dearly.  We wish them the best of the luck in this new chapter in their lives.

Get Strong, Early Birds

We’ve still got room in our early strength cycle for any morning athletes interested in doing 2 days per week of dedicated barbell lifting. Sign up today!

Cycle C: Morning Novice
Jan 7- Feb 27
Monday and Wednesday 6:30am

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ave Tate Talks Box Squats Pt 1 CrossFit
Dave Tate Talls Box Squats Pt 2 CrossFit
How to Box Squat YouTube

Tandem Hamstring Mobilization with Partner Distraction

LFPB Challenge Substitutions

When analyzing a behavior, start from the perspective that your reasons behind doing it are completely rational. Regardless of how constructive or destructive the action is, it makes sense to you because it fulfills a particular desire in your life.  An example would be walking over to the pastries left out in the break room and eating a donut everyday. You’re compelled to eat them because they taste good, they’re available and by 3pm you’re usually little burnt out and want something to make you feel better. A perfect storm! From that perspective, we can see why despite knowing this behavior is counterproductive to your long term goals, it “makes sense” to you in the moment and you rationalize eating that donut every day.
As we roll into the Look, Feel and Perform Better Challenge, you’ll be asked to make some positive behavior changes over the next 6 weeks.  If you approach it with the perspective of simply abstaining from things you enjoy, it’s going to be a long month and a half that can fatigue your personal will power. Instead, think (or write down!) the behaviors you want to modify and analyze what they’re doing for you.  This can provide a more practical framework for substituting behaviors while still placating some of those emotions that want to be satisfied.  In the example above, a possible alternative would be to eat a fruit salad around 3pm instead of the donut.  You’re still satisfying your desire for a something sweet, getting that mid-day pick up and performing an action that is relatively easy to accomplish.  NOT doing a particular behavior can be similarly analyzed. For example you might set an intention to stretch your hip flexors and calves out for 10 minutes each day. However after a couple days of bailing on it you realize there doesn’t seem to be any time in the morning for stretching and by the time you get home from work your will to be proactive in anything seems to have vanished. Instead you go home and fiddle around on the internet until it’s time to go to bed. In this scenario, maybe you need to readjust the amount of time you planned on stretching (does 10 minutes seem long enough to want to avoid it? Maybe everyday seemed too daunting to get started on) or perhaps you can sit in a samson stretch while you check email at night, alternating after about 5 emails. After that perform a quick :30 calve march before bed. Although it’s not the ten minutes you planned on, you’re moving in the right direction by making it something that seems almost TOO easy. Remember, doing something for less than you might need is a better start than not doing it at all.

Think about a behavior you engage in, try to understand why you do it (or avoid it) and see if you can create substitutions to spare your willpower and cultivate a healthy alternative.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Look Feel and Perform Better Challenge.  Social support is another huge motivator, more on that later.

Complimentary Range of Motion Testing

FUN FACT:  The Psoas muscle was the first muscle to develop in utero.  It is why it is so intimately connected with our fight-or-flight reactions, and linked to the state of our stress and nerves.  Want to know if your Psoas is limiting the mobility in your hip??  Inka will be doing complementary ROM (range of motion) testing and MLT (muscle length testing) for the hip flexor joint/ muscles.  She will take you through AROM (active range of motion) and then PROM (passive range of motion) and will help you figure out if you are within normal range of motion for these muscles.  How does this help your workout?  Knowing where you fall short can help you figure out where you need to roll out and stretch more and give you that extra edge during your workout.  It can also help to prevent injury by addressing the imbalances in your body.  She will also be working on your psoas muscle which is a muscle that is hard to get to by yourself and is often neglected. 

The psoas can also be a factor in low back pain since it attaches your vertebrae to your inner thigh.  There are a number of reasons why it causes low back pain but a big one is from sitting down for a prolonged amount of time.  Your Psoas starts to think this contracted state is a normal resting position and your tissues want to move into that resting position, leaving you tight and contracted

Resident Massage Therapist, Inka Hodes will be offering this from this Sunday during the morning classes and Open Gym.  Email her directly to make an appt. inka.hodes(AT)gmail.com

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Tip 501: Get Enough Sleep For Better Body Composition & Hormone Regulation Poliquin
My Top 10 Tips on Increasing Quantity and Quality of Sleep Poliquin
The Split Jerk: Start To Finish with US Olympian Chad Vaughn CrossFit Journal pdf

15 Minutes to work up to a heavy single jerk from out of a rack. Only go up in weight if you’re crisp and clean.

Post loads to comments.
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For Time:
Row 500m
40 Double Unders
30 Wall Ball Shots 20lb, 10′ / 14lb, 9′
20 Kettlebell Swings 32k / 24k
10 Burpees

Post time and Rx to comments.

Kristin H !

Pilates Is Hard Core Fun

When coaches cue you to “engage your abdominals”, do you scratch your head and wonder what they are talking about? Does the mere thought of hollow rocks make you want to cry a little? Do you suspect that you have a “weak core”, whatever the heck that means? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may benefit from some one-on-one Pilates lessons. Kristin Hoesl (KH) has been teaching Pilates privately for over six years, and is available for sessions at several locations in Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan. Check out her website at www.khpilates.com, where you can find more detailed information about her experience, what the Pilates method can do for you, and pricing. Or, email KH at kristin(AT)khpilates.com and she’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. Now, scoop your abs!

Sign up For the Look, Feel and Perform Better Challenge today!

Step 1: Read the Overview
Step 2: Pay your $20 buy-in at the front desk. (there is a metal box with envelopes) and sign your name on the board by the couches
Step 3: Upload your “before” pictures and fill out the pre challenge questions here.
Step 4: Awesomesauce!

Take Your Shoes Home!

Please take your shoes home from now until January 1st. We’re cleaning out our closet area and want to make sure there are no abandoned shoes taking up space form active members. Also, in 2013 we’ll only be storing Olympic Weightlifting shoes at the gym, no sneakers. We’ll also be adding more cubby spaces for you guys.
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Powerful Language Versus Victim Language CrossFit Invictus

Work up to a heavy 5
Make sure to keep your upper back engaged. If you start to lose position and droop forward, lower weight and work on that thoracic extension.

Post loads to comments.

Tabata Couplet
6 Rounds Tabata Box Jump
Rest 1 minute
6 Rounds Tabata Pull-Up

Post reps per movement and Rx to comments.

“Deskbound” by Kelly Starrett
This is a 56 minute lecture that Kstar did at Google all about posture, sitting all day and what to do about it. If you have a job that puts you in a chair all day, do yourself a favor and watch this.
Has anyone opted for a standing workstation yet? If so what have your experiences been?

Want to start 2013 cultivating some positive lifestyle choices to Look Feel and Perform Better?
If yes: click here
If not: click here

Ankle Mobility
Christian Fox

When a joint lacks range of motion, whether due to injury or inflexibility, another joint above or below it will attempt to make up for the range of motion deficit. In referring to the ankle we see this commonly in all the squat variants, and particularly in the Front Squat and Overhead Squat, whether as their own movements or as the receiving position for the Clean and the Snatch. Most of you should know that limited hip flexion ROM (tight hamstrings and adductors, perhaps) would cause undesirable movement in another joint(s), your lumbar spine. As you move deeper into the squat and hit the end of your hip flexion ROM, your back begins to flex in an attempt to get lower. This isn’t good, right? Right! Let’s take a look at limited dorsi-flexion (toes toward the shin) ROM at the ankle. It could start to be made up for at the knee, but then the bar starts to travel back too far. Think squatting with perfectly vertical shins and an upright torso. You’d fall backwards, right?. So what happens next is the hip starts to flex (fold forward) in an attempt to keep the bar balanced over mid-foot. What happens here? In a Front Squat you probably lose the bar forward. In an Overhead Squat you’d probably lose the bar forward or compensate even further up at the shoulder and have the bar way back behind you, over the mid to low back instead of over the scapulae. To pull off this circus stunt of a squat would require sick shoulder strength, stability, and ROM at the shoulder. More than likely it’d be a missed lift.
 
Of course in both of these situations, when you run out of hip flexion ROM due to the increased demand caused by limited ankle ROM, you could still make up for it at the lumbar spine…Still not good.

 
            So, how can you get more ROM at the ankle? Glad you asked. Here’s one way. Get in front of a wall (a wall with a ledge like at SBK or a doorway works well), place your heel close to the edge and the ball of your foot on the wall. You may need to lean back significantly to achieve this position. Use your arms to pull you in, leading your hips into the wall. Attempt to be as tall as possible and not bend over at the hip. Use leverage to create an acute angle at the ankle. You can use PNF for this stretch (contract 5 seconds, relax and pull into stretch 15 seconds) and you can rotate your shin over the ankle to hit different areas. Try this stretch both with a straight knee and with a slightly bent knee. Spend 2-4 minutes each leg. Your squat is worth it. Cheers to good squatting!

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Recovering From Hurrican Sandy, Part 2 CrossFit

A Normal Day at CrossFit South Brooklyn

Announcing The 2013 Look, Feel, Perform Better Challenge!!!

It’s that time of year again…New Years Resolutions time. While we think that it’s best to live healthy all (or at least, most) of the time, we also recognize that many of us use markers like the beginning of the year to try and kick start positive changes. Some of you did 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 two month challenge meant as a collective kick start into healthier nutrition and recovery habits.
Where? Right where you are. We’ll be hosting a big potluck in the gym a few weeks into the challenge and there will be Rest Day Dinners meant as continual support for each other, but the key is consistent practice every day.
When? Tuesday January 1, 2012 through Tuesday February 12, 2012.
We’ll wrap up with another potluck and challenge wrap-up on Saturday February 16th.
Why? To look, feel, and perform better! And, for awesome 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, plus cash money and some shweet shwag. 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 Lululemon gift cards, Beirkraft gift cards, grass-fed steaks from local ranchers, and other cool stuff. This year promises to be even better.

Alright, I’m in!
Great! Here are the guidelines of the challenge and how to participate.

Once you complete the following steps we’ll check them off as such. All steps must be completed by January 5th in order to be eligible for prizes.

REGISTRATION
Buy-in: $20. This must be cash in an envelope (labeled with your name) and must be handed to a coach.
Online Registraition: Answer 3 brief questions and submit your “before” (Front, Side, Back) photos. This information will all be private will not be published or seen by anyone but the judges without your consent. Register Here!

Photo Recommendations:
+ Wear a bathing suit or something similar that will allow body composition changes to be clearly observed. + Stand against a bare wall and make sure your photograph is well lit. At the end of the challenge you’ll replicate these pictures with identical lighting, angles and clothing.
+ Set up your camera about 5-7 feet away from you so that it can capture your whole body from head to toe. Feel free to block out your head and face.
+ You’ll be submitting front, side and back view photos

Point System Overview

The LFPB Challenge will involve scoring points in a system. This allows us to gauge compliance of healthful choices regardless of everyone’s specific body composition objections and performance metrics. We’ve narrowed the field down to things that can help everyone.Points are earned as follows:

3 Points= Full Compliance to guidelines
2 Points= 1 Action outside guidelines
1 Point= 2 Actions outside guidelines
0 Points = 3+ Actions outside guidelines

Guidelines:

Avoid Grains: Consume no grains or gluten products. This means bread, pasta, tortillas (sniff), beer (sniff, sniff), pastries, cookies, etc… Check labels for wheat/gluten containing items. Generally, try to avoid packaged foods.

Avoid Sugar: Consume no refined sugars. This means honey, fructose, coconut sugar, agave, etc. If you’re craving sweets, eat some fruit.

Hydrate: Drink ½ oz of water per lb of bodyweight daily. Herbal tea and seltzer are Kosher too. Diet drinks are not.

Sleep: Sleep at least 7 hours per night

Considerations
SOME alcohol in the form of wine or liquor. Beers contain gluten, except for a few. The refining process of liquors leaves the gluten out, plus tequila is kinda paleo? If your goals include losing bodyfat then minimize this or cut it out completely. Alcohol can also impair sleep. If you know alcohol is significantly impeding your progress, set a specific goal for yourself and include it in your guidelines.

SOME coffee. Yeah, I don’t want to know what you act like without your morning cup either but consider cutting down, especially if you’re sensitive to it and/or sleep and hormonal recovery are large parts of your challenge.

SOME dairy allowed – cream in coffee and full-fat, fermented, unsweetened dairy. Most dairy will help with gaining weight so consider this depending on your goals.

Bonus Points:
1 Point: Fish Oil
1 Point: 9 Hours Sleep
1 Point: Workout
1 Point: Active Recovery or Meditation

Fish Oil: Taking 2-4 grams of EPA/DHA in fish oil tabs. Your grandmother was right, fish oil is really good for you. Take this daily and you’ll cruise in some easy points.
*If you are eating all grass-fed/pastured/wild caught animal products this may not be necessary. If you eat nuts, any veg oils, or any conventionally raised animal products however then stick to a minimum of 2-4g per day.

9H Sleep: You’re balling out of control on restoration. Good for you. I bet you feel great.

Working Out: You trained today! Could be a WOD at the gym, yoga class at a local studio, jog in the park, long hike in the woods. You’re moving with intention and rigor.

Active Recovery: Spending 20+ minutes with a foam roller or a lacrosse ball or some other tools working on myo-fascial release and mobility. Become a supple leopard. 10+ Minutes practicing meditation also counts as a point.

Winners will be selected based on their results which will include consideration of: before and after photos, total points earned, improvement on the capacity test (TBA) and the written testimonials.

We’re looking forward to huge, community-wide success once again with this year’s challenge. We recommend beginning to rid your pantries now of things that are off the list, and not going off the “deep end” by over-indulging in the weeks leading up to the challenge. In years past some members have had a real tough time with the first few days to 2 weeks of these things. Starting to move in the right direction early can ease some of the ‘detox’ symptoms that may appear. Consider eliminating gluten this week, and maybe adding fish oil next week, or something similar depending on where in the guidelines you’re at currently.

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Deadlift, Handstand Push-Up, Air Squat Demo CrossFit

In teams of two complete 8 rounds of the following work, alternating every round:
400m Row
10 Ring Dips
10 Toes to Bar

Post partner and total time to comments.

CFSBK ladies working footwork

Strength Cycle Sign Ups

Want to start 2013 getting super strong? Sign up for one of the remaining Strength Cycles with Coach Jeremy:

Cycle A: Novice
Jan 7-Mar 1 (4 Slots Left)
Monday, Wednesday at 7pm, Friday at 6pm

Cycle B: Intermediate
Jan 8-Mar 3 (5 slots left)
Tuesday, Thursday at 7pm, Sunday at 10am

Cycle C: Morning Novice 8 left
Jan 7- Feb 27 (8 slots left)
Monday and Wednesday 6:30am

Cycle D: Continuing Education
Jan 7 – Feb 28 (3 slots left)
Monday and Wednesday at 6pm

If anyone is confused as to which cycle they belong in, they can contact Jeremy to discuss placement.

An open letter the CFSBK Community

By: Noah A. Barth

At Crossfit we found our studied discipline on three pillars: strength, conditioning and community. It is this third facet of our common identity that I would like to address. More than your average gym, CFSBK fosters an impressively diverse, dynamic and nurturing community. From supporting one another’s work toward physical goals and enjoying genuine sympathetic joy when they are achieved to simply sharing good times, the sense of community encountered at CFSBK is truly unique.

Life events sometimes require us to draw on this camaraderie in service of a cause larger than pleasure. We’ve recently exhibited this through solidarity and support when one of our fellow athletes is injured, or the incredible fundraising efforts of this year’s Fight Gone Bad. We were able to raise substantial funds for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, but make no mistake- the need for continued assistance is still very real and very immediate.

This brings me to the first two pillars of our community- strength and conditioning. At the end of the day we are a collective centered on the development of the physical; and this is an area at which we also excel. The recent events of our larger community behoove us to share these capacities.

I recently had the good fortune to spend a day volunteering in the Far Rockaways through New York Cares with fellow Crossfitter Julie Bernard. We were clearing damaged flooring and drywall from a flooded home. The family’s young son was running around outside and we overheard him worrying to his mother “that Santa won’t come because the house is no good.” That particular neighborhood was very hard hit and it is difficult to understate either the need for further assistance from able bodied persons such as yourselves or the volume of gratitude that the people of the Rockaways feel for such service.

I am aware of how impossibly busy this time of year is. There are gifts to buy, functions to attend, family to spend time with. Yet I challenge all of you to find one day, just one, before the year is up to dedicate the merits of your training to something greater than yourselves. Donations are great but making the sacrifice to head out there and give of yourselves, to labor in the cause of another’s need is truly a small miracle. New York at large will thank you, and I promise, when the day is over you will thank yourselves.

When we had finished clearing that house, the mother told our team leader how relieved she was that we were able to provide that assistance because it meant a flooring contractor could lay new boards in time for Christmas and there would be a place for the tree. Thanks to some helping hands and warm hearts, Santa would still be able to visit their home.

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The Sistine Chapel, full 3d View
18 Rules of Living by the Dalai Lama

4 Rounds NFT of:
Run 270m
15 Dumbbell Thrusters
10ea Side Plank Ups
15 Glute Bridges

Turkish Get-Up

Work up to something really frackin heavy today.

Post loads to comments.

Finish with a 2:00 Couch Stretch on each Side

Dan B goes for a new 1RM

Homebrew Report

Huge thanks to everyone who came out and made Homebrew To The Rescue a huge success.  We were able to raise $4,403 for The Rockaway Rescue Alliance and The Graybeards who are working hard to help those affected by Hurrican Sandy. The breakdown for funds raised is detailed here:

Auction: $1,805
Raffle: $715
Online: $1,500
House Tickets: $383

CFSBK would like to thank: Julie Barnard (JB) who was the mastermind behind the event and wrangled all the cats into one box for HB2R.  The Foxes were the gym liaison who brought it to life and did all the heavy lifting involved. Everyone who donated food, raffle prizes, time and talents to make the event a community effort. Also, we can’t forget the brewers..

Andrew, Dylan & Bill Billingsgate Belge Speciale
Brett Taylor Debaser, Single IPA
Fritz Fernow Vienna’s Pail, 4.8% ABV
David Privler Whalemina Amber Ale
Mary Izett Series of Sours
Clinton Stauffer Carroll St. Kolsch
Strong Rope Brewery’s Fence Hopper, Hoppy Honey Ale
Derek Getschow Orange Bear, Hefeweizen w/ Orange
Tim Fusco BlueDoor Brew, Gluten Free

CFSBK Book Club Meeting Tonight

The Book Club will be meeting this evening at 5pm at Pacific Standard to discuss the final book of 2012, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”. If you’ve read the book come on down for a pint and some conversation.  We’ve posted the discussion questions on the event page. 

GOWANUS CANAL HURRICANE SANDY FLOODING MAP

Press Release:
Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc. (FBCB6) is assembling an inventory of the impacts from Hurricane Sandy and the Nor’easter on local businesses, property owners, and community organizations. We have created a Google Collaborative map for the Gowanus Canal corridor and are gathering information about how properties were specifically affected.

Please share this map with people in the Gowanus area who have been affected by the storm. You can access the map at the following link here

Was your property affected? Add a pin and tell us:
· Your Street Address (with name of business, if applicable)
· What you experienced (e.g.; flooding, damage to building, damage to property, loss of electricity, etc.)
· Photographs of damage (if available) For more information about this initiative, please contact Melissa

Umberger, FBCB6 Project Manager at (718) 643-3027, extension 203 or email planner@BrooklynCB6.org.

Thanks to Melon W who passed this along to us!

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This Ones For The Butch Girls Breaking Muscle

Spend 15 minutes working on your Kettlebell Swing Technique and Efficiency

then,

5 Rounds Not For Time of:
10 Kettlebell Swings, heavy
10 Burpees
10 Ring Rows, as difficult as possible

It’s not for time, but don’t sandbag it.

Post experience to comments.

Radhika V gets Unladylike

CFSBK Movie Club Meeting Today

The CFSBK Movie Club will be seeing the 3:10 PM showing of “Hitchcock” at the Cobble Hill Cinemas today. CHC also happens to be in the vicinity of any number of bars for folks who want to stick around for a post-movie hangout and discussion afterwards.  We’ve chosen an earlier than usual time since many will also be heading to Home Brew to The Rescue Afterwards.

Home Brew To The Rescue Tonight

Tonight 10 of New York City’s finest homebrewers will take over CrossFit South Brooklyn for a one-of-a-kind charity event to support organizations doing real, on-the-ground work for victims of Sandy.
In addition to unlimited samples of some of the city’s best homebrewed beer, you’ll be treated to meats, cheeses and other tasty, top-secret snacks. There will be a raffle with killer prizes from Sycamore Bar & Flowershop, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Brooklyn Homebrew and CrossFit South Brooklyn just to name a few!

You can get tipsy, stuff your gut and help New Yorkers who need it most? It’s a win-win for everyone. Today, let your liver do the heavy lifting.

This Holiday Season Give Women in India a Chance at an Education. And LYAO.

Women’s Education Project and Happy Cavity Productions bring you a
special benefit performance of the hit one-woman comedy Unladylike:
The Pitfalls of Propriety.

Some women just don’t have the heart, mind or body to be a lady.
Presenting one woman’s struggle to achieve propriety from adolescence
to about now.
Written and performed by Radhika Vaz, directed and developed by Brock Savage.

When and Where!
December 20 Thursday at 8pm.
The Producers Club.
358 West 44th Street (b/w 8 and 9 Ave). NY.

Tickets!
This show has sold out in New York, LA, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore so
book now! Purchase Here

$20 per ticket. All proceeds benefit Women’s Education Project so they
may continue to develop resource centers for young women from the
poorest families in India to succeed in higher education.

People are talking about this show!
“…the Indian Wanda Sykes…” The Huffington Post.
“Vaz looks like an angel but is a rebel in disguise.” Time Out Mumbai.
“Radhika’s feminist agenda is a hoot.” Femina.
For more information on Radhika Vaz

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Strenth Is A Choice Elite FTS

Coaches McDowell and Josh Perform a Kettlebell Swing, Pull-Up Couplet

Shoulder Dysfunction, Where to start?

A lot of shoulder dysfunction has its roots in poor posture.  If you walk around all day with your shoulders internally rotated and your head pushed forward, chances are that your thoracic spine and scapula have lost optimal function.  The problem with this is that when you go lift a weight overhead, do a push-up or try to snatch, certain joint positions won’t be available to your body so other areas will have to compensate to finish the job.  Watch this short video to see a very basic overview of how some of your bones are supposed to move when your arms go overhead.  You can see that the scapula, clavicle and humerus all share responsibility to finish the job.  The video doesn’t account for the contributions of the Thoracic and Cervical spine, but just know they play an important role too. If the imbalances in the system arent addressed inflammation and pain may become present. Over time long term injury and dysfunction may eventually result.  So what to do about it?  Start with these simple MWODs below and see if you can’t begin to break up some of your gnarly restrictions. Watch each one and give them a shot pre-workout.  See if you can’t get into better positions or “cool off” some existing inflammation.

Shoulder: What to Fix First
Pain Ball: Calling All Shoulders
Darth Shoulder
Death By Desk
The Neck of a Desk Warrior Poet

If something feels a little off but not necessarily injured or painful, your best bet is to start doing some soft tissue work around the area to see if you can’t create some relief for yourself. Additionally, make sure every exercise you do using that area of your body is performed with perfect execution and a controlled tempo. I’ve seen many folks “lay off” an area without really seeing much improvement while others train smart through and around the issue and experience a quick return to normalcy. Often by using the tissue modestly and correctly, the increased blood flow stimulates a recovery process that promotes tissue healing. Again, your emphasis becomes controlled movement, not performance or intensity. If a particular movement seems to aggravate any tissue, let a coach know and we’ll modify it for you. Train smart, move well and listen to your body.
Chronic or painful symptoms should always be treated by a trained professional.

Finally, if you’re spending the majority of your waking life in poor positions, you need to address these postural issues and find effective strategies to improve them.  (STOP! What is your posture like Right Now?)

Help Lara Find a Place to Live!

CFSBKer extraordinare and all around awesome lady Lara is looking for a place to live in the hood. Here are some deets on her and what she’s looking for. Help a sister out!

I am a straight-talking firecracker with emotional strength and intelligence.  I care about integrity.  I am down to earth. I love friendly, sharing, awesome folks who like to keep common spaces clean and tidy and have a passion for life.   I love to laugh.  I like to cook and share.  I love crossfit.  I am an actor/producer and also a JetBlue flight attendant.  I work long days and on my days off I am auditioning and working on other projects.

If this jives with what your living situation, please email me at larasilva99(AT)gmail.com so we can start a conversation!

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Watching People Lift Heavy Things CFSBK’s Own Samir Chopra
Is Sitting The New Smoking? Discovery
Sitting Is Killing You