Mackenzie C and Coach Nick at the CRASH-Bs

Congratulations to Teresa B. on getting 8 muscle-ups yesterday!

Upcoming Strength Cycle

Our latest strength cycle began in earnest yesterday.  We’ll be continuing with the Wendler 5/3/1 for this cycle for the Squat, Press and Deadlift.  Novice athletes will be doing 3×5 sets across for the lifts.  The upcoming schedule is:

Monday: Constantly Varied Functional Movements at High Intensity
Wednesday: Squat+Conditioning/Accessory Work
Thursday: Press+Conditioning
Saturday: 2012 Open Sectionals WOD
Sunday: Deadlift+Conditioning

Athletes continuing with the Wendler 5/3/1 will add 5-10lbs to their training maxes if they made all of their rep outs. 

2012 Open Sectionals Clarification

We now have over 40 athletes registered to compete in the CF Games Open Sectionals!  We wanted to clear up a couple of points so everyone knows what’s going on with the Open:

1. Everyone interested in competing in the 2012 Open Sectionals must register with CrossFit HQ via the 2012 Games website.  If you are going to compete in the 2012 NYC Open competition (which you must register for separately) you must STILL register on via CrossFit HQ.  To register to compete in the Open Sectionals Click Here. 

2. We will be doing the WODs as our group class programming on Saturdays during the Open.  This will give all of our athletes whether competing or not an opportunity to complete the Sectionals WODs.  Scaling options will be available for those not registered to compete. 

3. Athletes do not have to compete in the NYC Open Series CrossFit Competition to do the WODs.  The event is a great opportunity to do the WODs in a competitive environment with Crossfitters from all over the NYC.  For full details on the 2012 NYC Open Series as well as registration information check HERE. 

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Stolen from HQ’s Facebook page: Tell your CrossFit story in 10 words or less
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Intros to the Open CrossFit
Paleo Magazine: Modern Day Primal Living Paleo Magazine Online
We’re Really Really Healthy (The Truth about Food and Health Claims) Whole9
Monsanto Found Guilty of Chemical Poisoning in France Reuters

5 Rounds for time:
Run 400m
40 Double Unders
Athletes without double unders will sub Ball Slams

Post time and RX to comments.

Dan L. Hitting Full Extension

Congratulations to Kate D. and Melissa Lo on getting their First muscle-ups on Friday!

Happy Belated Birthday Shaun M.

CFSBK at the 2012 CRASH-Bs

Coach Nick led Coach Josh M. and CFSBKer Mackenzie C. to PRs at this weekend’s CRASH-Bs in Boston.  The event is a 2000m erg test and athletes from all over the country come to the participate.  Josh rowed a PR 6:48.6 PR and Mackenzie rowed a 8:15.8 beating her previous best of 8:26.  Congratulations to both athletes on their performance and thanks Coach Nick for leading a team of SBKers up to Boston to compete for the 3rd year in a row! 

Team CFSBK is Growing. We still need YOU!

We now have 38 athletes from CrossFit South Brooklyn competing in the 2012 CrossFit Games Open Sectionals and we’re lookng for more!  This is going to be a great event and a great chance to challenge yourself!  You can register here! 

2012 NYC Open Series is Open For Registration!

CrossFit Queens, CrossFit South Brooklyn, CrossFit Metropolis, CrossFit Virtuosity, and CrossFit Long Island City will be combining forces each Saturday of the Open to bring together NYC’s most competitive athletes for five epic Open events!

This is an incredible opportunity to throw down on the 2012 Open Sectional WODs with other local CrossFitters and represent yourself and SBK to the fullest.  For full details on the events and to register please check out the event’s EventBrite page HERE!

Each venue has a limited amount of space so be sure to register today!

2012 Paleo Summit

There is a FREE online Paleo Summit being offered online that’ll feature 8 days worth of lectures from some of the most important voices in the Paleo/Primal diet world.  We’re talking Matt Lalonde, Paul Jaminet, Sarah Fragoso, Chris Kresser, Dallas & Melissa Hartwig of Whole 9, Paul Chek and more.  This is free event starts February 26th and you can find out more details including a full list of participants HERE. 

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How did the Olympic Lifting Centric Back-Off Week work for you?  Do you have a better grasp of the lifts covered?
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It’s for Everybody: Matt Ramsey on the Open CrossFit

Spend 30 minutes working technique on this lift

Post insights to comments.
Today is the last day of our mini back off cycle. We will start a new training cycle tomorrow.

Scott’s official application for the CFSBK band

Good Luck, CRASH B’ers!

Best of luck to Mackenzie C and Coach Josh who are competing in the CRASH B Indoor rowing championships today in Boston. Coach Nick has been training Mackenzie and Josh for the past couple weeks and will be their coxwain today.  Best of luck!

More CFSBKers on the Interwebz

• Check out “Battle of Cleans and Jerks” at Cal Strength.  CFSBK platform superstar Brian D is in this one!

• Matt U attempts to pet all 185 Breeds at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (Don’t Tell Stella)

• Rick M has been deemed one of the most stylish New Yorkers by Time Out Magazine

• Samir C‘s book, “A Legal Theory for Autonomous Artificial Agents” is causing some buzz over at the Concurring Opinions blog where over a dozen lawyers have started writing articles about the implications of this book and the legality of artificial intelligence.

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Brooklyn MovNat Workout in Prospect Park Today at 10am
How 1 Minute Intervals Can Improve Health NY Times

Spend 30 minutes working technique on this lift.

Check out Cal Strength’s Donny Shankle doing a 495lb Rack Jerk and 440lb Hang Squat Clean
California Strength will be at CFSBK on 6.6.12

Post insights to comments.

Corbett M Gets Set to Squat

Don’t forget that at 1pm today Asta F will be hosting an info session on putting together a CFSBK team (or teamS) for the Ragnar Relay.  Whats a Ragnar Relay? Watch this video to learn more.

Team CFSBK is 29 strong for the CrossFit Open.. but we want you! Click here now to register!

Miranda Talks about Fran

Check out this video of Miranda Oldroyd talking about a recent date with Fran.  For competative CrossFitters, benchmark workouts eventually become less dependant on work capacity and more about skilled execution.  Understanding transitions, having a rep plan and knowing where to take rests becomes the primary focus. When you do a benchmark workout or lift, always remember to put in your notes how you can be better next time.

Describe how you could be more efficient in a recent workout or lift.
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Weighted Muscle Ups
Bent Arm Pike Press to Handstand, Lower to Inverted Hang, Kip Up to Support
What Happens to Your Digital Life When You Die?

Big thanks to Bekka P, CrossFitter extraordinaire and part of team Tattly who hooked us up with these tattoos for the SBK mannequin.  Check out this Custom SBK Tattoo we even made on her chest.

Only one thing is missing (besides her head)… is that she needs a name!  Post your submissions to comments and we’ll give her a proper moniker!

Ragnar Relay Cometh

Attention All Runners!  Team SBK is putting together up to 2 teams to run an upcoming Ragnar Relay event on May 11-12th.  For more information on this 200 mile team race, click here and don’t forget to check out the info session happening tomorrow at 1pm at the gym.  Get stoked!

Rest Day Dinner Tonight

Attention all Windsor Terrace (and beyond!) CrossFitters. Kim M is hosting the sixth Rest Day Dinner of the 2012 Paleo Challenge tonight in your hood.  This will be a potluck style dinner at her apartment and there is still room! For more information and to RSVP, click here

CRASH Bs are This Weekend!

Mackenzie C and Coach Josh M are racing at the CRASH-Bs in Boston this Sunday. They’ve been going through Coach Nick’s meat-grinder of a program since last Monday (if they seem unhappy, that’s why). Before that, they completed three rowing clinics at CFSBK. Please give Josh and Mackenzie your best wishes next time you see them!

Join Team SBK!

The CrossFit Open Sectionals are a great time to celebrate the “Sport of Fitness” and the the spirit of competition in general.  We’ve been harping on it over and over again but getting out of your comfort zone, changing your training environment and seeing how you stack up against the rest of the WORLD is an incredible opportunity that only comes around once per year.  Everyone who signs up for team SBK not only gets to participate in the open, but helps our chances in sending a team to Regionals.  Do it for you, do it for us!

Team SBK, So Far
David Osorio
Andrew Migdail
Ben Whitney
Carlos Guerra
Chris Paschke
Christian Fox
Christine Denahan
Dan Betz
Daniel Halioua
Ellie Myers
Jessica Fox
John McCann-Doyle
Joshua Martinez
Kate Denny
Keith Walter
Lana Zellner
Luca Loguercio
Marian Lai
Matthew Huber
Melissa Loranger
Michael Mishik
Rickke Mananzala
Rob Nugent
Robert Fasone
Robert Semmens
Sarah Archenbronn
Teresa Belling

Sign up Today!
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The Fuzz CrossFit Invictus
8 Reasons why you act against your own better judgement Mark’s Daily Apple

Spend 30 minutes working technique on this lift.

Post insights to comments.
Today is the start of a mini Back Off cycle.

New Blood Arturo on 250m Sprints

Got dinner plans tomorrow? Come on down to Kim M’s Rest Day Dinner!  Check out the link to RSVP and get the address.  David will be bringing more than limes and tequila this time!

There is also still room on the CFSBK Ragnar Relay Team(s).  Come one, come all this Saturday at 1pm for an info session led by our own Asta F. For more information, click here!

GYMPROVEMENTS!

Changing Rooms
The 2 new changing rooms are live!  Huge thanks to Coach Josh for putting these together for our community. No more waiting around to suit up in your finest compression sleeves and invo8s!  Thanks also to Alex H who lent a hand with painting them.
More Storage
Another improvement you might notice is the extra 5 tier rack located in the coat room.  Much more room to put your bags while you get your WOD on.  Josh also built our additional storage by the Ergometers for the CSA boxes, BFT and more.
And on the Horizon..
We’ll be adding 3 new pairs of high rings from the ceiling, a punching bag, a projector and large screen for movie nights and a new knotted climbing rope!

Come Check out CFSBK Alumni Paul S pummel some Poor Fool!

Come out Saturday night to watch Paul S in his first amateur fight. It will be held at Gleason’s Gym in Dumbo which is hosting an amateur master’s fight night from 6pm to 8:30pm.  Admission is $20 at the door (kids under 6 are free.)  After Paul’s fight head to reBar for the after-party, just 2 blocks North of Gleason’s on Front Street.  Any questions?  Contact Sarah H at sarah <at> frenchfrieswithepper.com

Gleason’s Gym
77 Front Street, Dumbo

reBar
147 Front Street, Dumbo

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
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How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? NPR
CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting: An Uncertain Alliance Greatist

5 Rounds for time of:
20 Pull-Ups
30 Push-Ups
40 Sit-Ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely 3 minutes between each round.

Post total time, work intervals and Rx to comments.
Compare to 2.26.11

Difference Maker: Alex T decided that it was too hard to locate different weight bells given their random sizes and color patterns so he did something about it. Last Saturday he stayed after classes and stencil labeled every kettbell’s kilogram weight so that Everyone could easily locate what the weight they want.  We salute you, Alex!

Ragnar Relay Info Session this Saturday

Thoughts on Scaling Pull-Ups in “Barbara”

by David Osorio

This benchmark girl is a high-volume interval workout comprised of body weight movements. Completed as prescribed, it calls for 100 Pull-Ups, 150 Push-Ups, 200 Sit-Ups and 250 Squats.  To preserve the intended stimulus of “Barbara”, scale the movements such that you can complete each round in about 3-5 minutes. For many people this will mean drastically scaling the pull-ups.

Scaling Pull-Ups, Strict versions versus Kipping Pull-Ups
If you don’t have well developed kipping pull-ups then you’ll need to drop upwards of 1/2 to 3/4’s of the volume on this movement.  Kipping pull-ups and strict pull-ups are very different exercises with different training outcomes.  The kipping pull-up is a dynamic movement used for conditioning purposes while the strict pull-up is a slower movement used to develop pulling strength & stamina. If you’re doing a strict variant (For example: Strict pull-ups, Banded Strict Pull-Ups, Leg Assisted Pull-Ups or even Ring Rows) choose either 5 or 10 reps per round.  If you choose 10 reps then you should be able to accomplish every set in 2-3 micro sets. For example, if your reps look something like this: 3-2-1-1-1-1-1 then the scale is too difficult!  
What you don’t want to happen is for the these to slow you down so much that you spend most of your time at the pull-up station staring at the bar and shaking your arms out.  The small danger is that it could ruin the intention and balance of the workout while the larger danger is that this kind of training will leave you unreasonably sore and could ruin the rest of your training week.  Because strict variants have a controlled lowering phase (unlike kipping pull-ups) they have the potential to do a lot of structural damage on your muscles. While we want enough of this “damage” to make your body a little sore for a few days  we certainly don’t want so much damage the putting your shirt on two days later because a workout in itself. Trust me on this, sometimes less is more. Scale to make these challenging but doable.

If you’ve got kipping pull-ups then it becomes more a matter of how many reps you can do unbroken.  If 20 reps is something you can bite off in 1-3 sets then go for it Rx’d. If you work mostly in 2’s and 3’s then scale to 10 reps per round.

Here is a programming summary with scaling options for you to choose from:

Strict Variant: A: 10 reps, B: 5 reps
Kipping Pull-Ups: A 20 reps, B: 15 reps, C:10 reps

As always, you can scale on the fly whenever you feel like you’ve bit off too much or perhaps not a big enough chunk.  If you start with 10 reps but by round three have “lost your pull-up”, swallow your ego and drop the reps. Remember you want to keep the workout moving and not hit a wall on any particular movement.

Closing Thoughts
Even if you drop to 5 pull-ups per round, the rest of the workout (even scaled) can pack a pretty serious punch. If it’s your first time with “Barbara” we highly recommend doing a 3 round version of the WOD.  Interval workouts like this, especially THIS one, have been known to make people “not right” afterwards.

As Rx’d, Barbara gives you 700 opportunities to choose to do a movement correctly or rush through something with questionable form.  Our goal is to increase your work capacity while strengthening your muscles, connective tissue and discomfort tolerance.  Scale wisely, move well and enjoy your date with Barbara today!

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Block Making in Kenya CrossFit
The 21 Most Inovative Gyms in the US Greatist
The Dogs of CrossFit South Brooklyn WODStack (Thanks Ross T!)
Doctors Clear Peyton Manning To Let 300-Pound Men Slam Him Into The Ground As Hard As They Can

Rickke Mananzala

True, February is the shortest month of the year (even though this year is a leap year), but that’s not to shortchange this February’s AOM. Rickke Mananzala has been part of the Crossfit scene in NY for 3+ years now and is on track to stay part of it for years to come. I first met Rickke when he visited us at the Brooklyn Lyceum a few years back and his skills and engine made an immediate impression on me. I remember him telling me he’d be visiting more frequently, but instead it took him about 2 years to do so…It was worth the wait. A few standout reasons we chose Rickke for AOM are: his undeniable ability as an athlete (yep, there are a few leader board spots that I’ve been knocked off of by Mr. Mananzala), his ever-smiling support of fellow SBKers at competitions and classes alike, and his commitment to smarter training through mobility. In fact, Rickke was a few minutes late for our meeting due to a late running appointment with Alec H (SBK’s resident body guru). A totally acceptable reason for being late, in my book.

I hope you enjoy getting to know a bit of Rickke in this interview as much as I have over these last few months.

Fox – The beginning, how, when, and where did you find CrossFit?

Rickke – It was the end of 2008 and my friend Joseph introduced me to it. He told me there was this thing called CrossFit and I would love it so I should try it. My first taste was actually in my apartment and involved a WOD of burpees and squats or something like that. I had that classic “that was a LOT harder than I thought it would be” response and was hooked. I started perusing mainsite and tackling the “easier” WODs, ones that had a lot of bodyweight stuff. Shortly thereafter I took my first teaser class at CFNYC. Jacinto taught it and that was that. I was in. I was coming off of shoulder surgery and had this sense that if I went back to the same old Muscle and Fitness gym routines at David Barton that I would end up back under a knife again, which I didn’t want. I knew I needed something more functional and it turned out CrossFit was it.

Fox – Jacinto taught my first teaser as well! We did just about every movement under the sun, and I also was hooked. So, you were a gym rat?

Rickke – Not really, although I did have my routine. I was the only active person in my family, so I wasn’t really encouraged to play sports. I ended up joining the basketball team in middle school and played throughout high school and got convinced to play soccer and run track very late in high school. I was a keeper in soccer since my field skills were atrocious and I didn’t like the individual aspect of track so much, so I was mostly into my relay events. So, I  was physically active and tried to stay in shape but I wouldn’t say I was a prototypical gym rat.

Fox – Where did you grow up?

Rickke – My dad was a Navy guy so we moved around a lot. I was born in Oakland, California moved to Minnesota and then to Maine later on. Let’s just say I stood out in Maine way more than I did in the Bay Area. I was one of the only brown kids in school, my mom was a domestic worker, and then I came out – all of these things combined created a pretty tough high school experience. My mom cleaned the homes of kids at my school, which seemed like a respectable profession to me, but I learned very quickly that I was different than them, and not a different that they would be cool with. My folks were not very accepting of my coming out at 16, and so I ended up being on my own sooner than I anticipated. High school was tough, but since I was legally emancipated at least I was considered my own guardian and could sign myself out of school early (which I did often)! Jokes aside, the lessons I learned as a youth helped mold me into the person I am today and put me on the path to professional work that is really meaningful to me. Anyway, I eventually moved to Springfield, MA and then to Brooklyn where I’ve been for the past 10 years.

Fox – It seems like you’ve taken challenges and met them head on. How have those experiences shaped the man you’ve become?

Rickke – On a professional level, I gravitated towards social justice organizing and advocacy work. I came to NYC and started working with an organization that is still very near and dear to my heart, F.I.E.R.C.E. where I worked as an organizer and eventually the Director. I really wish FIERCE was around when I was a teenager. I think it’s really important to have spaces for young people to transform individual experiences with isolation and harassment into collective experiences of empowerment and action.

Now,  I’m a full-time student (Columbia – Political Science and Public Policy) but I still work as a consultant supporting a variety of grassroots organizations. My professional work is driven my personal values and what I believe about how the world should work. I know it sounds idealistic, but I feel really strongly that all people should be able to live happy, healthy, and empowered lives. Public policy should facilitate this, not create more problems or barriers for people. And public policy isn’t just for policy wonks (I swear I’m not going to school to be one). I really believe every day people can and should make the government work for them through grassroots action.

I think these personal experiences I shared have a connection to what, in part, drew me to CrossFit. Having to take care of myself early on and dealing with bullying in school pushed me to be very mentally and physically resilient. Years later, when I found CrossFit, it was a welcomed change from my boring fitness routine and it woke me up from just going through the motions at the gym. It brought me back to my desire to continue building physical and mental resilience. Now though, 17 years after I first left my house as a teenager (yeah, I’m aging myself), I feel very lucky to be getting stronger in such a fun and supportive community. CFSBK is great.

Fox – Let’s go there. How did you wind up at CFSBK in particular?

Rickke – Well, convenience was a part of it! I left my job in Manhattan and I live here in Brooklyn…Honestly though, I had been looking for a more strength-biased approach to CrossFit because I realized focusing on strength could help me avoid future injury (if I was smart about it) and knew that’s what was available here. I actually did my Level 1 Cert at the Lyceum in the summer of ‘09 and I really liked the people I met from CFSBK. I checked out the blog for some time after that and sensed the community, smart programming, and expectations of members and coaches alike that were in place here. That’s what truly drew me in. I love the community here. I’ve been to a lot of CrossFit gyms and CFSBK is so welcoming and diverse and I appreciate that I can do a tough workout with someone and then have a deep conversation with them about the flaws of our financial system and Occupy Wall Street.  I also love the commitment to mobility, especially because I came into Crossfit with some limitations from various injuries. I appreciate the mobility knowledge we have on the coaching staff, instead of the “3.2.1. MOBILIZE!” where people actually get competitive with their couch stretches (I’ve seen it elsewhere)! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I love the ladies of CFSBK, they kick serious ass! One of my favorite moments is at the Subway Series event at CFLIC where Jess banged out like 10 HSPUs in a row and people just erupted in cheers.

Fox – That Jess moment gives me goosebumps remembering it. We do have a bevy of TFBAs…What are your current fitness goals?

Rickke – I want to train smarter, get stronger, and stay mobile and injury-free. I have a new perspective on training now and want to be healthy over the long haul. No more overtraining for me.

Fox – The accrued hours we’ve noticed you spending on a lacrosse call had no small part in choosing you for AOM! Any hobbies you spend time on, what with your leisurely school life?

Rickke – Ha! Really, doing work and school full-time takes up most of my time and I’m lucky to fit in CrossFit in the remaining hours of my week. I am a bit of a novice foodie and like to try new restaurants and I’m into the craft of making classic cocktails and coming up with my own. Ask Asta about the “Hot Scotty” some time. I love to travel when I get the chance – going to upstate NY to hike and I hit Miami when I can to spend time with good friends down there. I played the alto saxophone years ago and I’d like to try picking it up again at some point. What’s up with the CFSBK band by the way?

Fox – Alright, last stock question. What should we look for in a future AOM?

Rickke – I heard Shane say something recently to people in his Foundations class, “90 percent of fitness is about smiling”. He was joking around and helping them get through a tough workout, but I think there’s truth in that. In the end we should be enjoying what we do and a smile is a great way to show it.

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Thanks, Rickke, for sitting with me for this interview. You’ve become an integral part of our community and it feels as if you have always been here. We look forward to you being part of our little fitness culture establishment for a long time. From all the coaching staff at SBK, congrats!

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Competition Highlight: Kalista Pappas, age 14, 2008 CrossFit Games Clean and Jerk Event
Are You Ready To Compete? CrossFit 208
How to Think About CrossFit CrossFit Merge
First Aid Skills Tests. Would you know what to do in these Situation? BBC

5 attempts at a max load on the barbell complex:

7 Rounds of:
1 Power Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Push-Press
1 Back Squat
1 Push-Press

Rest as needed between attempts
Check out the WOD Demo

Post loads to comments.
Compare to 9.24.10

What Jimmy R Does when not taking pies to the face

Only 14 Days Remain to Register for the 2012 CF Games Open Sectionals. Register HERE!

The More You Know: Programming This Week

Today’s WOD is the second of three in this cycle’s shortened Crush Week.  We’ll be running four Back-Off WODs starting on Thursday each with a focus on Olympic Weightlifting technique before rolling into the next wave of the Wendler 5/3/1 Cycle. 

Butterfly in the Sky, I Can Fly Twice as High: Join the CFSBK Book Club

Shaye L., Peggy J-L, Teddi M, and Martina O have joined forces to create the CFSBK Book of the Month Club!

The first meeting will be held on Sunday, March 11^th at 5:00 PM at [location TBD].  Please feel free to bring Paleo-friendly snacks to share! The first BOM will be Super Sad True Love Story:  A Novel by Gary Shteyngart.

If you have questions or want to RSVP to the first meeting on Sunday, March 11th please email Martina O. at parisgirl30(AT)gmail.com.

For full details check here.

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What’s the last book you read?  Fiction or not, would you recommend it to the book club?
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I Am The Fittest CrossFit
Paleo Diet: Am I Losing Enough Weight? Robb Wolf
The Carbohydrate Loading Conundrum Robb Wolf
Sh*t CrossFitters Say Youtube
St*ff CrossFitters Say Youtube

Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
24 inch Box Jump, 12 reps
95 pound Thruster, 6 reps
6 Bar-facing burpees

Post rounds completed and Rx to comments.

U.S. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gregory J. Rahoi, 38, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, assigned to the Hostage Rescue Team, based in Quantico, Virginia, was killed on December 6, 2006, during a live-fire tactical training exercise at Fort A.P. Hill, near Bowling Green, Virginia. He is survived by his parents, Natalie and Richard, sister Teri, and fiancee Paula Paulk.

Dan B. During 2011 Open Sectionals WOD #2

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”*
or, Why I Should Sign Up For the Crossfit Open Sectionals

by Noah Abbott

For most of the year at CFSBK, our coaches and clients stay focused on Crossfit as it pertains to lifestyle.  Lifting heavy things, practicing new skills, moving with speed and accuracy- these endeavours make us feel better, move easier, and (wait for it…) look better naked. (Groan.)  With the advent of the “Open Sectionals” model for the Crossfit Games, our gym now has 6 weeks each year where we shift our focus, however briefly, to Crossfit, the Sport of Fitness.  

CFSBK prides itself in being first and foremost a positive supplement to people’s existing interests, activities, and lives in general.  We want to make your hikes easier, your kids lighter to toss around (gently), and your general sense of self-worth, confidence, and outlook to be bolstered by our humble living experiment in physical culture.  Rarely do you hear the words “elite” or “firebreather” thrown around- for chrissakes we’ve got a book club!  Why mess with that formula?  Why sign up for the Games at all, where I will have to attempt the same workouts performed by the same Crossfitters now starring in a Reebok commercial near you?

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -William Shedd

So said William Shedd, theologian, presumably speaking not about the religion of Crossfit but about the religion of, you know, God.  Still, what Shedd said (say that 5 times fast!) holds true.  We spend all year training our bodies to run and jump and lift heavy things.  For 6 weeks we have an opportunity to examine that training, in an arena designed so that every athlete can do at least part of each workout.  Think of it as every baseball fan getting invited to spring training with the Mets and getting to take batting practice, regardless of ability.  (In fact, the Mets might want to consider this concept- they can use any help offered.)  

“That which we persist in doing become easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do so is increased.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

In seriousness, testing your ability in a competitive setting, full of adrenaline, support, and feedback, can help you break through plateaus, summon the courage to attempt what you considered impossible, and show how much you can achieve with the right motivation.  Many athletes at CFSBK have PRed lifts, WOD times, or miraculously discovered skills they thought were outside of their purview during competitions.  Beyond simple Crossfit metrics, competition allows us an opportunity to hone our determination, bolster our resolve, and find comfort in discomfort, mindsets applicable and useful in daily life, not just when we have to do burpees.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”-Pierre de Coubertin

Competing in “The World Series of Competitive Exercise” is no small feat.  Most non-Crossfitters will probably think you were on ESPN and they just missed your heat.  You can say you did the same workout that Annie Thoriskjewiofjwiofnvkerjnfijercfnrfv and other really strong people did.  Impress your friends!  Wow your neighbors!  You’ll be the talk of the watercooler!  

“Black Sea, what do I see?
(This) glimmer on the ocean, (is it you?)
Black sea for you and me
(So) close but far away
Na, na, na Can there be a chance?
Na, na, na, For you and me
Na, na, na, Feel my humble stance
You’re my swedish complete taboo”
-Ace of Base

Ok, so that last line makes no sense at all, but The Black Sea is awesome!  We at CFSBK make a point to travel to the Open Sectionals events, wear our super fierce Skull and Crossbones T’s and support our athletes loudly and semi-intelligibly.  That’s the Black Sea (I’ll leave the Swedish taboo part up to your own imagination.)  So, even if you decide not to compete this year, come check out the atmosphere at the events!  Lend your support, make some noise, eat and drink merrily when its all done.  Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to sign up for next years Games.  See you there!

Register for the Open Sectionals HERE Today!

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WOD Demo with Jenn Jones CrossFit
A Whole New Person CrossFit
Jungle Tribes Untouched By Modern Civilization BBC
CrossFit Cribs: CrossFit New Haven
T-Rex Trying