JMD has a case of Overhead Squat Hair

Reebok/Paragon Sports CrossFit WOD in Union Square Park

This Thursday October 27th, Reebok CrossFit and Paragon Sports are hosting an event designed to spread the word about CrossFit with a free WOD held in Union Square Park.  This promises to be a huge event with over 200 people registered so far.  The event runs from 4p-6p and you or any of your friends who are interested in checking out CrossFit can RSVP to attend at crossfitrsvp@paragonsports.com! 

Strength Cycle Total is Next Week!

Mark your calendars, tell your friends that the next Strength Cycle total is next Wednesday, November 2nd.  Come watch the guys and gals of Coach Jeremy’s class reap the rewards of 8 weeks of hard work in the form of big numbers and new PRs.  The total starts at 6pm and all are invited and encouraged to attend one of the most fun and electric nights in the gym! 

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If you could only fulfill one training goal what would it be? Sub-3 Minute Fran? 2.5x Bodyweight Deadlift? 100 Unbroken Double Unders? 
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Making the most of Strength Programming Rogue Fitness
Can I Get a Spot? Practice CrossFit
Old School Strength Training Youtube

20 Minutes Not For Rounds of:
8 Reverse Spiderman Lunge with Hip Lift
10 Prone Angels
12 Hollow Rocks
Row 14 Calories

Try to minimize the amount of stokes it takes you to reach 14 Calories.

Post thoughts to comments.

Gina C. on the last WOD of Crush Week

Happy Belated Birthday to Melon W.!!

 Back Off Weeks

By David Osorio

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What was the most crushing WOD of Crush Week? Are you feeling the need for Back Off Week?
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Community with Group Fitness Program: The Reebok-CrossFit Paradigm Forbes
Powerlifting in Prison Youtube

3 Rounds NFT of:

“Warm-Up 2”
16 Reverse Weighted Lunges (8 each leg, load with same DB as Presses)
12 Single Arm Dumbbell Presses, each arm
12 Ring Rows
+ Once You’ve completed 3 rounds sit in a Middle Split until the warm-up period is complete

Turkish Get-Up

3-2-1-1-1-1-1

post loads and implement to comments.
compare to 6.11.11


Jessica Fox and her Fancy Wrist Wraps

Big thanks to Josh M for building out our new Kettlebell Racks. 

Hoboken Winter Challenge

The CrossFit Hoboken Winter Challenge is upon us again and CFSBK is sending a team!  So far Chris F, Jessica F, Marcos M, Josh M, Melissa L, Noah A, Dan H, Kiki, Mike M, Kate D and Rolando have signed up.  These slots sell out quickly so if you’re interested, jump on board and register today!  Everyone who signs up will recieve a Hoodie and gift bag.  Top male and female will recieve $600!

“It is a sublime thing to suffer and be stronger.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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A Tour of Westside Barbell Youtube

3 Rounds for Time of:
10 Overhead Squats 135/95
50 Double Unders

Post Time and Rx to comments

Rich Froning 2:40, Elijah Muhammad 2:55,Thomas Cox 3:15, WOD Demo
Stacey Kroon 5:34 (99lb OHS), Camille Leblanc-Bazinet 6:48 (135lb OHS), WOD Demo

Jack L at the Starting Strength Cert
Photo courtesy of Thomas Campitelli

There is No Active Recovery Today.  Coach Fox will however be at lululemon atheltica Brooklyn doing a free active recovery from 2-4pm.  This is an open class meaning you can come anytime in that window and leave when you feel actively recovered enough!

Self Defense Seminar Today!

Best of luck to all the ladies participating in today’s free Self Defense Seminar sponsored by CrossFit South Brooklyn, Brooklyn Boulders and the Center for Anti-Violence Education.  We’d also like to thank Coach Jessica Fox for going out of her way to set up and organize this event for our community. The event starts today at 1:30pm.  If this is your first time coming to CFSBK, please refer to the location information below:

CrossFit South Brooklyn
Address: 597 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues (see map)
Subway: R  to “Union Street” or  2   3   4   5   B  or  Q  to Atlantic Ave
Contact: Jessica Fox, 347-623-5549
Event time: 1:30-3:30pm

Thus Ends Crush Week

We hope you enjoyed this cycle’s Crush Week.  CFSBKers will now move on to Back Off Week where we prep some of the new cycle’s upcoming movements, ditch the stopwatch and get a little active recovery.  This might be a good time to plan some extracurricular restorative activities for yourself.  Russian Turkish Baths? Massage? Go for a long Hike? Maybe skip the gym for a few days and sleep in (or get to bed early). However you choose to approach Back Off Week, remember that it’s all about comfort and restoration.  Enjoy!
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I-CaveMan: After Party Part 2 Robb Wolf
How Heavy is Too Heavy? Cathletics
Kettlebell Swings Cathletics
Demon Bells

David McG at the Starting Strength Cert
Photo courtesy of Thomas Campitelli

No Active Recovery at CFSBK tomorrow but..

We will not be holding our 11am Active Recovery tomorrow, however.. Coach Fox will be at lululemon athletica Brooklyn from 2-4pm doing a free Active Recovery class.  You’re more than welcome to drop in at any time and stay for as long or as short as you’d like.

Changing Weight 1.0

(The Simplified Version)
by Christian Fox
    
                Many people start fitness routines like CrossFit because they just plain want to look better naked, this does not escape me. With my being a fitness coach you may be surprised, however, that I see nothing wrong with it. Vanity, if it gets you moving and eating well, is a fine motivator in my book. It does however, frequently shock me when clients kick ass on the training floor only to have their progress toward said goals negated by crappy nutrition. I know, I know, it’s hard work…but it sure isn’t rocket surgery or brain science (haha). Some of the rules depend on where you are with your diet but here are two simple guidelines to help.

       1. Focus first on food quality. What does this mean? A healthy diet should be based around a few components: quality animal protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits.

A. Quality animal protein – This means “the good stuff” – grass-fed meat, pastured chicken and eggs, wild game, and fresh fish from uncontaminated waters. If you can’t afford or don’t have access to these types of things then you should buy the lower-fat cuts of animal protein to reduce your exposure to “the bad stuff” (and add in extra fats from the following list). Toxins are stored primarilly in the fat and organs of animals, so avoid organ meat from conventional animals as well.

B. Healthy fats – If you’re getting “the good stuff” then you can get a lot of good fat from the animals you’re eating. If not then add or cook with things like coconut oil, virgin olive oil, fish oil supplements, tinned sardines, and avocado. This is not a comprehensive list, but do make a point to stay away from vegetable oils (except the few listed above) and the fat of poorly raised animals. For some people, nuts and seeds and their butters can be problematic (aside from being a potent calorie source) so it may be best to limit intake or at least keep an eye on any possible negative reactions.

C. Vegetables and fruits – This is a no-brainer, right? Aside from a few outliers, anything in this category is a safe bet. Prepare them simply, get organic if you can, but don’t stress out about it. Nobody ever got fat by eating too much apple and broccoli.

       2. Focus then on food quantity, or more specifically on caloric intake. If you’ve been eating a diet based on pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, soda, desserts, and take-out, then just focusing on quality at first will help regulate weight. If not, and eventually anyway, you’ll need to change overall intake. Again, not rocket surgery or brain science here.

A. Small changes in caloric intake while taking longer to change weight are better for long-term weight change.
    
B. A lower-carbohydrate diet will help with losing weight, and adding more carbohydrates will promote growth. When going lower-carb be sure to eat enough of them to keep you feeling and performing well. If you always feel sluggish and your performance in the gym is diving add some carbs back in a little at a time till you feel better.
   
C. Remember also that changing weight is a process. You’ll need to make constant adjustments along the way. What helped you lose the first 5 lbs will not help you lose the last 5. You’ll need to reduce calories as you weigh less, you need fewer calories to support the new, smaller you. The other side of the coin is gaining weight. As you grow you’ll need to up intake to keep up with the beefier version of yourself.
    
D. For gaining mass, liquid meals can be a real help. Try adding milk to the equation and see if you don’t grow.
    
E. Alcohol, while it can be extremely enjoyable, is not a desired calorie source. Try and limit intake whether you’re trying to gain weight or lose weight. It has estrogen-promoting effects that will hamper muscle synthesis needed to gain lean mass, and alcohol alone can destroy an otherwise valiant effort at dropping body fat. Beer belly, wine belly, tequila belly, whatever, let less be more. A few drinks can add up fast calorie-wise, so be wise, wise guy.

    Make sense? I know it’s hard to stick to a plan, but if you don’t have a plan you’re lost. So develop your plan and get cooking!

__________________
What kind of advice would you give someone looking to eat better? In your experience, what has worked for you and what has not?

For Time:
400m Run
20 Jerks 165/115*
400m Run
20 Pull-Ups
400m Run
20 Front Squats 165/115*
400m Run
20 Power Cleans 165/115*
400m Run
20 Burpees

*Athletes will load one barbell and must use the same load for all the barbell movements. There is a 20 minute cap on today’s WOD

Post time and Rx to comments.

Nicole at The Starting Strength Cert
Photo courtesy of Thomas Campitelli

Upcoming Foundations Cycles

November Late Morning Foundations
+ Brooklyn Boulders “Learn the Ropes” Course
11/2/11 – 11/28/11
Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00am-10:15am
Register Here!

November Morning Foundations
11/10/11 – 12/6/11
Thursdays and Tuesdays from 7:00-8:15am
Registere Here!

Running Resources

CrossFit and friends are hosting a 5K at Atlanta Motor Speedway, outside of some nice cash prizes, they’ve offered up some running resources for you to check out.  These links offer insight into footwear, pose running, endurance programming and running drills.  Check it out!

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Clues about Early Diet Found In Fossilized Teeth NY Times
Why Gamers Are a Great Fit At The Gym CNN
Inside the Cult of CrossFit Men’s Health
Bar Slammin, Wall Punchin, Heavy Liftin Califorina Strength
CrossFit’s Official Trainer Manual

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes of:
2 Muscle-Ups
4 Handstand Push-Ups
8 Kettlebell Swings, 32/24 kg

In honor of Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy, who was killed February 4th, 2008 during combat operations in Iraq.
Nate is survived by his wife, Mindi, and his son Parker

Workout Demo with Eva T

Post rounds and Rx to comments.
compare to 10.20.10

Self Defense at CFSBK Poster, Click to Enlarge

Got a Goat?

Do you have a performance based shortcoming that’s holding you back in Group Classes? Want to work your kipping pull-ups? Are you shoulders really tight and you don’t know what to do about it? Need help developing a lift and learning how to intergrate some personalized programming into your training?  We can help!  Our coaches are available for single and short duration private training to help supplement your CFSBK experience.  If you’d like to find out more about setting up a PT session, please contact us with what you’d like to work on and your availablity. 

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“Improving Ourselves and Each Other” with Greg Glassman CrossFit

Height: 5’9”
Weight: 180
DOB: 10/6/82
Born: Mt. Sinai Hospital, NYC
Grew Up: NYC and Jersey
Place of Higher Learning: University of Wisconsin – Madison; Political Science with Integrated Liberal Studies

He owns a lion suit, among other costumes. There’s a collection of motorcycles. He nearly published a book and is fascinated by the morality of war. According to his roommate, Noah is a vault when it comes to secrets; apparently his own as well.

I remember being gently suspicious of Noah when he arrived at SBK in the spring of 2010. A bright eyed guy, he jumped right into the community. It was Park Slope’s 5th Ave Fair and SBK had a booth. Noah the new guy volunteered to help set up early on a Sunday morning. Despite being bleary-eyed from a late night, he hung with us all day, squeezed in “Fran” at some point and demo’d cleans to the crowd. Who was this guy from Arizona? How come he was so… nice?

What I was witnessing, though, was Noah’s characteristic dedication. He’s not someone who explores an idea or activity partially. Once something takes hold of him, he makes it a point to go all the way down the road with it.

Take motorcycles. Not a vehicle Noah had had much exposure to until he decided he wanted to ride. He’d just graduated from UW and come back to NYC to help a friend open a bar while waiting to hear about a law enforcement job he’d applied for. Notorious for lengthy timelines with little communication, he still didn’t know about the job, so he bought a bike and road it across the country to Houston and then, almost inexorably, back to Madison. A month long, solo trip on a motorcycle. Kind of awesome, I know.

Noah wasn’t just in it for the Easy Rider cameo, though. In fact, one of the first things he did was buy a couple of retired bikes expressly to take them apart. It was important to him to understand the machine all the way through. He’s taken some mechanics classes since, but much of what he’s learned has come from his own tinkering. He relishes the type of problem solving fixing a bike has taught him: homing in on the problem through trial and error which forces flexibility and creative thinking. A process that has proved valuable to the rest of his life.

As a kid, Noah straddled the line between nerd and athlete; not surprisingly, he got along with most. He was “good enough at soccer to sit on the bench of the elite teams.” Chubby Noah always felt like he had to play catch up on the field, but he also had a rich intellectual life. How many teenagers are approached to author books, after all? A local writer had heard Noah give a speech for school and was impressed. She asked him to work on a nonfiction about adolescent boys; they sold the idea and a nearly finished manuscript, but unfortunately, the deal fell through. It was an exciting and disappointing experience – something he rarely talks about.

Political Science at UW was not an arbitrary decision. His interest in the US’s position in the world and public service nearly led him to join the army out of high school. Instead, he thought he might like to be in politics as a speech writer. But after an arduous turn as a New Hampshire organizer for John Edwards (post motorcycle ride), he realized that philosophy was far more compelling than the car salesmanship of real politics. Noah just isn’t a pushy guy.

Here’s a nugget: Noah’s description of organizing sounded awful: 14 hour days, 7 days a week for 6 or 7 months. When I asked him why he stuck it out, he likened it to a nasty workout: he just had to finish it. And, similar to the CF community, he was in the trenches with a diverse and vibrant group of colleagues to whom he ultimately felt more commitment than Edwards. If he left, they’d have to pick up his slack.

If not politics, then what? Noah had all but given up on the law enforcement gig and decided to go to law school. He was nearly ready to head to the University of Richmond when he got a call one day while at the gym with his Mom: the agency had an opening. They generously gave him 24 hours to decide whether to overhaul his law school plans for the job, which he did. Off he went to Academy.

Noah found CrossFit in college. It appealed to his love of endorphins and aesthetic goals. He did it badly for a while, which probably set the stage for blowing out his back while at the Academy. Keeper of secrets, Noah did not tell anyone for fear of losing his place. But, once he returned, he was out of commission for about 10 months. Sobered by the severity of the injury, he decided that when he was well, he would ease back into CrossFit intelligently. Work sent him to Arizona and, as it would happen, there was a quality affiliate nearby. When work brought him back to NYC, he went looking for a gym to replace the great community he’d found in AZ. Enter SBK.

Like fixing bikes, CrossFit has become more than just a way to look good in board shorts. For Noah, it is an externalization of his definition of self: committed, interested, unafraid, goal oriented. It’s all well and good to have a career in this and a collection of that, but Noah finds that what we express within the community of physical challenge is most compelling and truly who we are. That’s probably why he and SBK are such a good fit.

Parting Shots:
He’s got acting in his past, and he played bass in a couple of bands
He owns 4 bikes
He writes emails like we used to write letters
Top authors include: Tom Robbins, Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, Richard Russo

Favorite way to eat eggs: over medium
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Happy Birthday, Robin Reed!
Circuis Hands Talk To Me Johnnie
Strong Legs Westside Barbell
Rob Orlando Pulls Heavy Singles and Talks Deadlifts CrossFit
General Mills Releases New Lucky Charms With 15% Less Leprechaun Meat

5 Rounds For Time of:
10 Deadlifts 225/155
15 Wall Ball 20/14
30 Double Unders

+ The deadlifts should be light enough that you can do each round in 1-2 sets. Loss of neutral spinal alignment will result in your workout being stopped! Make sure to pick a load and if necessary a pulling height that allows you to execute 50 solid reps.
+ If you don’t have double unders, today’s substitution is 15 Box Jumps.

Post time and Rx to comments.

From the Vault: Juliana A leads the pack at the 2009 CrossFit Games

Zen and the Art of Crush Week!

In traditional meditative disciplines you aim to cultivate mindfulness in a physically neutral setting. Often the practitioner sits in a comfortable position and tries to bring attention toward their breathing.   In Yoga, we see a more dynamic approach where rhythmic breathing becomes interwoven with a controlled flow through a series of postures .  In both of these instances, the intention is for the pilot to become more tuned into the “now”.  At CrossFit, we achieve something very similar through a very different approach.   During an intimidating lift or difficult conditioning piece you’re forced to deal with the moment at hand. The high discomfort level of what we do takes that moment and amplifies the physical inputs to the point where you can’t help but focus on what’s happening. You know this intuitively and it’s why you get nervous before a 500m erg test or 3 rep max Back Squat attempt.  You know that once you start you’ll be forced to deal with the “now” until it’s all over. Every second gets dragged out and every moment to rest or doubt yourself becomes amplified against what needs to get done.  Take this opportunity to set your intention for the approaching workouts.  Whenever you find yourself deep in the agonizing “now” embrace it and stay on task.  Don’t look around the room to see where everyone else is, don’t check the clock to see how much time has gone by and don’t make excuses to try and avoid what your feeling. Just keep fighting the barbell up or chipping away at reps until you’ve completed the task.  If you lose focus and get derailed, don’t let it mess with your head, just come back pushing harder. Remember, you’re here to get stronger, both physically AND mentally.
Enjoy Crush Week!  

Keeping Our Ladies Safe

For Time:
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

Post time and Rx to comments
Compare to 11.6.10

This is the start of Crush Week!

Nino D. during FGB

Congratulations to Gabrus on his wedding this weekend!!

It’s Gotta Be the Shoes

CrossFitters use a wide array of footwear to train in.  Below are some resources for the interwebs detailing and comparing some of the most popular makes and models out there.

The Latest and Greatest CrossFit Shoes
The EvoSkin vs. The Vibram Five Fingers Video Comparison
A Sneek Peak: Reebok’s CrossFit Shoe
ShoeMart’s CrossFit Shoe Page

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What’s your favorite shoe to train in? Why?
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Chris Spealler Does Angie CrossFit