Fitness

Spend 15 minutes working on the Hang Power Clean and Push Press or Split Jerk. Remember to hit the “Jump” position on the way up.
___________________

Performance

Spend 15 minutes working on the the complex:
1 Power Clean + 1 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk.
Go only as heavy as you can keep clean for all reps in the complex. Focus on an aggressive drive UNDER the bar.

______________________
Fitness/Performance

3 Rounds of:
Dumbbell Bench Press, 12 Reps
Row Max Calories In 20 Pulls

Find a heavy 12 on the Dumbbell Bench, you can work up to a heavy set or start with something heavyish and stay there for all 3 sets. 

Post results to comments.

Arturo R on Kipping Pull-Ups

Last Chance To Sign Up For Strength!

A Cycle- Novice Cycle
July 30-Sept 21
Monday, Wednesday at 7pm, Friday at 6pm
Register Here!

Register Here!

4 Slots Left For The CFSBK Wine Wasting!
Date: Saturday, August 25th

If you have ever seen nywineguy on the white board – this is him.  Brian has been a Certified Sommelier within the Court of Master Sommeliers since 2008 and is currently the NY/NJ/Penn Manger for The Hess Collection Winery.  He has worked in all aspects of the wine industry from production to restaurants and stores to distribution and now represents one of the top family wine companies in the US.  Brian has been teaching about wine and training service staffs since 1995 and is also President of bottlejunction.com; a website dedicated to connecting small wineries and distributors.

____________________
What are some of your favorite movie fight scenes?

Fitness

5-10-15-10-5 Reps for time of:
Dumbbell Thrusters
Jumping Pull Ups or Ring Rows
__________________

Performance

5-10-15-10-5 Reps for time of:
Thrusters 95/65
Kipping Pull Ups

If you are doing any version of a strict pull-up, perform 3-6-9-6-3 reps

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to “Fran” and “Narf”

Sarah J looking comfortable at the bottom of a 1RM

Happy Birthday, Kate D!

Dumbbell Thrusters

The Thruster is a common CrossFit exercise that requires you to squat below parallel with a load on your shoulders then thrust it overhead in one fluid movement. It’s commonly used as a potent conditioning tool and less commonly used as a strength developer.  Today’s workout has two versions of the Thruster, one with Dumbbells and the other with a Barbell.  While more total weight can be moved with a barbell, mobility limitations can make it very uncomfortable for many people to rack the barbell on their shoulders.  If you have a really hard time keeping your elbows up as you descend and find the movement stressful on your wrists, Dumbbell Thrusters are probably going to be your best bet.  Dumbbells also require more shoulder stability and are excellent at developing muscle symmetry. 
A common issue with dumbbell thrusters is that as you fatigue your weaker side may begin to collapse inwards at the rack position or fail to lock out overhead. Often the dumbbell will begin to drop toward your chest during the ascent and then barely make it to lock out.  This is a clear indication that you’ve got underdeveloped external rotators in your shoulder.  To get through the workout, you’ll have to either slow down significantly or reduce the weight of your dumbbells.  Trying to gut through a collapsing rack support is ill advised as it could put excessive stress on the soft tissue in and around your shoulder. Below are a few different things you can do pre/post workout to help develop this weak link:

We recommend you do them 2-3 times per week for 3 sets of 8-20 reps. 
Joe Defranos Shoulder Health Circuit

______________________
1936 Olympics rowing: The greatest underdog, Nazi-defeating American Olympic victory you’ve never heard of Slate
“Fran” At the Arnold Classic
Miranda Does “Fran”

Fitness

Perform 3 sets of the following:
A) High Bar Back Squat x 8 reps.
Rest 30 seconds
B) 5 Lat Activations
Rest 90-120 Seconds
 
Add 2-10lbs from last week’s squats
______________________

Performance

Spend 15 Minutes working up to a heavy set of 10 reps. This should be lighter than Wednesday’s 5’s (~ 85%). If you made all 10 reps last week add about 5-10% to the bar and try again today.

______________________

3 Rounds for times:
30 Kettlebell Swings
400m Run

Rest about 2-3 minutes between attempts.
compare to 3.31.10

Post results to comments.

Coach MeLo Squats 220

Book Club Book Is..

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline; suggested by Julie B! Start reading and plan on the next book club meeting being held on Sunday, August 19th at 5pm at Pacific Standard. All are welcome to participate in the book club!

Upcoming Strength Cycle Dates

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.

We are offering four 8 week Strength programs that will involve the following:
* Small group training designed to increase your competency with the lifts.
* Consistent and repeated exposure to the powerlifts along a linear progression of weight
* Short and intense complementary conditioning workouts.
* Group discussions on lifting topics including: planning warm-ups, the mental aspect of lifting, and elements of the adaptive response to strength training.
*New PRs.

A Cycle- Novice Cycle
July 30-Sept 21
Monday, Wednesday at 7pm, Friday at 6pm
Register Here!

Register Here!

What Olympic Sport Are You Most Excited About?
_______________________
Olympic Sports
All About Gut Health Precision Nutrition

More photos from the Tough Titsday Powerlifting Meet are now up here!

Happy Belated Birthday Jim Ryan
Happy Real Birthday, Brian D

The Return of CFSBK Gymnastics: Rings and Tumbling 101

Ring Strength Class
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.  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.

Ring Strength Class Dates and Times:
Sundays from 1pm – 2pm
8/5, 8/12, 8/19 & 8/26

Price:
$60 for 4 Weeks

Cap:
8 Participants
Register Here!
 
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CFSBK Book Club

We had a ton of folks submit books for the Sci-Fi Edition of the CFSBK Book Club.  Today is the last day to cast your ballot. Please email pjeanlouis1(at)gmail.com with your selection and we’ll see which book wins out.  Please only vote if you plan on participating in the book club!

• Anathem – by Neal Stephenson
• Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 
• Reamde by Neal Stephenson
• Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
• The Age of Miracles – by Karen Thompson Walker
• Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

_______________________
CFSBK’s Next Equipment Purchase
How To Do Picture Perfect Easy Double Unders Technique WOD
How Hard Can It Be? (Gymnastics) WSJ
Supplement Recommendations TTMJ
Soak Fitness Bath Salts Rogue Fitness
How Shark Attack Survivor Got Fitter WSJ

Fitness

12-9-6-3 Reps For Time Of:
Deadlift
Burpee
Dumbbell Push Press
_______________

Performance

12-9-6-3 Reps For Time Of:
Deadlift 12-9-6-3
Burpee
Handstand Push-up

Post time and Rx to comments.

CFSBK Double Feature Movie Night!

CFSBK will be showing a double feature at the gym on Saturday, August 18th.  For this first round, our movies will be:

“Star Wars: Episode IV” and “Pumping Iron”

This is a free event for all CFSBK members including friends and family.  We’ll start Star Wars at 7:00pm and then Pumping Iron at 9:15pm.  You’re welcome to stay for both or just come for one if you’d like.  CFSBK will provide adult beverages and everyone is welcome to bring snacks or food if they’d like however nothing is expected. Post-movie “Pose Offs” and PVC light saber battle are encouraged.

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The Beauty Of CrossFit Dana Zilber
How To Watch The Olympics Online Gym Culture
64″ Standing Box Jump
Health Food Store Worker Dies of Vitamin Lung

Fitness

3×8 High Bar Back Squat
If you’re also squatting on Saturdays, add 5lbs
If you’re not squatting Saturdays, add 5-10lbs
______________

Performance

Spend 15 Minutes working up to a heavy 5 rep High Bar Back Squat. No failing, no bailing. Try to beat last weeks heavy 5.
______________

Fitness/Performance:

5 Rounds NFT of:
5 Reps: Neutral Grip Ring Pull-Ups or Assisted chin-ups
Partner Paloff Hold: :30 each side

Hold the top of each pull-up for a 2 count. Focus on a mature top position.
For the Paloff hold, alternate body positions per round. Get lat active and brace!

R1. Standing
R2. Kneeling
R3. Bottom of a Squat
R4. 1/4 Lunge (inside leg back)
R5. Shooters choice!

Post results to comments.

Liese M focused on warm-ups

Warm-Up Strategies For Developing Kipping Pull-Ups

Originally Posted 10.04.11

We’ve seen people make great progress with our standardized warm-ups over last 2 months.  Here we’ve outlined a plan to start incorporating regular kipping pull-up skill work into your warm-ups.  Like any other skill, you’ll need regular practice to develop mastery of the movement. That being said, don’t go overboard with this, I wouldn’t be swinging on the bar more than 4 times per week. The progression below is broken into 3 steps based on your skill level.  Don’t advance to the next step until you’ve mastered the previous one. This may take several weeks so be patient!

Level 1, The Kip Swing: Add 5-8 Kip Swings before each set of pull-ups during Warm-Up 1. Otherwise you can do 1-2 sets of kip swings when you finish Warm-Up 2. Progress to Level 2 after you can consistently string these together with a nice “pop” on the back end.

Points of Performance
– Make sure you’ve got the right grip. If your palms feel like they’re being pinched you need to readjust.
– Always start from a static deadhang with a tight body and active shoulders.
– The kip should feel fluid and “springy”. Try to ride the momentum you create
– Before moving to Level 2, ask a coach to access your kip swing.

LEVEL 1 VIDEO DEMO

Level 2, The Dynamic Pull and Mature Finish: Now that you’ve mastered the kip swing and have found the weightless “pop” on the back end, try to reopen your hip and get over the bar. Make it your goal to use momentum, not pulling strength to finish the pull-up. When you get over the bar, hold the top for a 2 count. This will help you establish a mature finish position. Lower yourself down and reset.  Perform 5 reps in Warm-Up 1 instead of your normal pull-ups and do 1-2 sets of 3 reps at the end of Warm-Up 2

Points of Performance
– Don’t slow down your kip swing before you attempt to get over. This is a common mistake.  A bigger kip will make the pull-up easier
– You’ll have to reset after each rep. Kip swing > Dynamic Pull-Up > Hold over the bar for a 2 count > lower down and start over.
– You haven’t completed this step until you can consistently get over the bar in one fluid motion.  Any stalling, slowing down or extra little kicks to get over constitute a work in progress on level 2.
– Have a coach look at your progress before moving to Level 3.

LEVEL 2 DEMO VIDEO

Level 3, Stringing Them Together: Now that you can kip over the bar you need to work on linking them together. If you’ve been diligent about holding the top of the pull-up, you’ll have plenty of time to work on Pushing away back into your kip swing. Once you can link 2 together, incrementally add reps until you can link 10 together. Watch the video at the bottom of this article to see this in real time.

Points of Performance
– You don’t need to lose the momentary pause at the top of the pull-up. In fact, the ability to do this indicates that you’re all the way over the bar.  Sometimes folks develop a kipping pull-up and need to reach with their chin to get just over the bar, this is not a complete kipping pull-up. Try to get the bar to neck level.
– This step is all about timing and rhythm. If you lose your balance or develop a pendulum swing, stop and reset.
– Be patient! Developing your pull-ups is going to take some time.  The good news is that its’ MUCH harder to get from 0-2 kipping pull-ups than it is to get from 2-10 so once you find your rhythm it’s just a matter of consistent practice to pile on the reps.

LEVEL 3 DEMO VIDEO

Watch these videos (Kipping Pull-Ups Part 1 and Part 2) to see some of these progressions broken down. As always, ask a coach if you need any help with these steps!
___________________
Kipping Pull-Ups with Jeff Tucker

Check out Matt U’s CrossFit Games piece from SB Nation

There is NO Active Recovery Today

Upcoming Strength Cycle Dates

A Cycle- Novice Cycle
July 30-Sept 21 (8 slots)
Monday, Wednesday at 7pm, Friday at 6pm
Register Here!

Register Here!

NYPD vs FDNY

On Friday, July 27th the FDNY and NYPD will compete in a baseball game against each other at MCU park.  Tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to charity.  For more information check out their Facebook page. Thanks to Danny F for the heads up!

CFSBK Book Club: Sci-Fi Edition

For this round of the book club we’re going to go with a Sci Fi theme.  If you’re interested in participating, please suggest a book to comments and email Peggy at pjeanlouis1(AT)gmail.com to get on the mailing list.  We’ll give you about a month to read the book and then people will submit questions for discussion at the meeting which usually happens at a local bar.

_________________
Cleaning Up Your Chin-Up Eric Cressey
Todd Wentworth Does a Modified Cindy with Washer/Dryer Flips Language NSFW

Fitness

Every Minute, On The Minute For 12 minutes:
2-4 Hang Power Clean and Push Press or Split Jerk
Add weight after the 4th and 8th reps only if appropriate 
_____________________

Performance

Every Minute, On The Minute For 12 minutes:
2-4 Power Clean and Split Jerks
Add weight after the 4th and 8th reps only if appropriate

_____________________
Fitness/Performance:

“Annie Get Your Abs”
Alternating Rep Rounds For Time Of:

Weighted Sit Ups
15-12-9-6-3

If you don’t have Double Unders, you can do either 1/2 volume attempts or 3x volume Singles.

Post results to comments.
C+J exposure 2/4

Tough Titsday

IRONMAN Lake Placid Results

Congratulations to Jenna J and Paul B for running IRONMAN Lake Placid

Paul B
Swim 1:30:00
Bike 8:25:15

Jenna J
Swim 1:28:52
Bike 8:16:14
Run 5:30:11

Total Time: 15:34:09

TTD PL Meet Results

Congratulations to everyone who competed in yesterday’s powerlifting meet.  The gym couldn’t be more proud of it’s tough ladies, novice and veteran alike. Below are the results for top 3 women in each weight class.

Ladies:
Jess Bailey 575
Alissa Mounsey 535
Nicole Ashley 530

Sarah La Rosa 400

Most Outstanding Winner:
Melissa Loranger 657.5
(Based on  Wilkes Formula)

Click here to see the first batch of pictures from the event. More to come soon.

Competitors: What was the competition like for you psycholgically?  Did you get nervous? What kind of energy did you have? If something didn’t go as planned, how did you react? etc.
_________________
Jess Fox’s 300lb Deadlift

4 Rounds of:
Bench Press, 5 reps
Row 25 Calories
Get on the erg immedidately following your bench set and row a hard 25 calories. Rest as needed between rounds. Your score is total lbs moved and total time on the erg.  If you miss a rep on the bench, you get zero points for that set. For example:

150×5 = 750lbs
1:30

165×5 = 825lbs
1:33

Score = 2,375lbs / 6:06

Post score to comments.
Compare to 7.25.11

David and Jacinto work the speed wrap

Tough Titsday Powerlifting Meet Today!

We are hosting our second powerlifting meet and it’s for girls only!

What: 3 attempts at a 1 rep max of Backsquat, Bench Press and Deadlift
When: July 22, 2012 at 2pm
Who: SBK women who have been attending group classes for at least 3 months

The Details:
Each woman will have 3 attempts to hit a max single in Squat, Bench and Deadlift, in that order. All lifters will make their attempts in each lift before moving to the next.
First, second and third place winners will be awarded in each weight class based on total combined weight of best lifts.

There will be 3 weight classes:

• Ladies: Under 135

• Dames: 136-160

• Broads: Over 160

In the event of a tie, lowest weight wins.

Bonus: Celebrate post meet with your fellow lifters and friends. We know you’ll be hungry, so Bierkraft will be delivering piggy awesomeness; snag a meal for you and your buddies when you register. Only 40 meals, so sign up early! Drinks on us!

Competitors:

1. Stella Zawistowski
2. Bethany Benzur
3. Janelle M. Rooks
4. Kim Zhao
5. Sarah Jacobson
6. McKensey Smith
7. Charlotte Kaiser
8. Jess Bailey
9. Marian Lai
10. Liese McGrath
11. Sarah La Rosa
12. Melissa Lloyd
13. Katie Mohrhauser
14.Ellie Rahochick
15. Kristin Hoesel
16. Jess Fox
17. Nicole Ashley
18. Alissa Mounsey
19. Melissa Loranger
20. Allison Keiley
21. Jennifer Stopka
22. Rita Ryan

Good luck, ladies!
______________________
Photo Set from Last Years Tough Titsday PL Meet

Fitness

Perform 3 sets of the following:
A) High Bar Back Squat x 8 reps. Add weight to last week.
Rest 30 seconds
B) 5 Lat Activations (1 count ay the top of each rep)
Rest 90-120 Seconds

As Many Rounds As Possible In 10 Minutes of:
20 Kettlebell Swings
10 Reverse Lunges, each side
10 Renegade Row Complex (1 rep = 1 Row L + 1 Row R + 1 Push Up)
__________________

Performance

Spend 15 Minutes working up to a heavy set of 10 reps. This should be lighter than last Wednesday’s 5’s (~ 85%)

As Many Rounds As Possible In 10 Minutes of:
30 KB Swings
10 *Burpee Over The Box Jumps 24/20″
Perform a burpee beside a box, lateral jump onto the box and then down to the other side.

Post results to comments.
Squat e2/8

The Thinking Ellie

Jacinto Bonilla Learns The Split Snatch CrossFit Journal Preview

TOUGH TITSDAY POWERLIFTING MEET TOMMORROW!

Come watch SBK’s strong women move big weights! Sunday, July 22nd at 2pm is our second Tough Titsday Powerlifting Meet, where the ladies will be testing their one rep maxes in the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift. Spectators are encouraged and welcome! Post event celebrating will happen at about 5pm. For more details and to see the competiors, click here.

Next CFSBK Book Club Meeting

The next meeting for the CFSBK book club has been rescheduled. We will now be discussing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre on Sunday, July 22, 5pm at  Pacific Standard bar. If you’d like to come, please contact Peggy at pjeanlouis1(at)gmail.com
For the next book, we’ll be diving into the Sci-Fi genre.  Start thinking about what book you’d like to read/recommend. We’ll vote on it in an upcoming post.

Help Kevin M Out!

On July 29th, I’m competing in the RBC Decathlon benefiting Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It’s a fundraiser (100% of all donations go directly to cancer research).
Please consider making a donation, here is the link to my event page:

These are the events:
400m Run
Football Throw (for distance)
Pull Ups (max reps, dead-hang)
40 yard dash
Dips (max reps)
500m Row (for time)
Vertical Jump
5 Cone Drill (for time)
Bench Press (max reps at 175lbs)
800m Run

Who is your favorite 70’s era band?
_______________________
Lets Get High(Drated) Robb Wolf
5 Ways To Successfully Reach Your Goals CrossFit Invictus
All For One, How Richie Patterson Qualified For the Olympics in Weightlifting CrossFit Journal
New evidence shows that Neanderthals understood the medicinal value of certain foods i09
Illusions That Let Your Hands Lie to Your Brain i09