Push-Up fault demos.
(enable sound)

Push-Up 101
Christian Fox

          The Push-Up is a classic bodyweight exercise, and likely one of the first “non-play” physical activities many of us encountered in grade school PE. The benefits of the push up are many. Obviously, upper body pushing strength is one. There’s also…
 
– Shoulder girdle strength – a well-performed push-up requires a stable scapula for the “mover” muscles of the shoulder to work off of. The rotator cuff and scapular muscles create force couples to control the scapula and create a stable base, and rotate the scapula to allow the correct amount of room for the humeral head to move. You can think of your shoulder girdle as another “core” in this way. A bench press or any machine press has a very different vibe. The bench or seat is providing an artificial platform for your pressing muscles to work from instead of in tandem with scapular muscles. This makes the push-up is a fantastic exercise for rehabbing a bum shoulder (depending on the issue) because it re-trains the muscles of the shoulder girdle to work together with the bigger “mover” muscles of the shoulder (pecs, lats, delts, biceps, and triceps). My high school PE teacher wouldn’t let anybody touch a weight unless they could perform 10 strict push-ups with good form. I’ve often used this principle with clients.
 
– Mid-line stability – A well-performed push up has the skeleton in good neutral alignment. The joints at the shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle all line up like ducks, with the spine staying rigid from head to hip. Yes, your abs ARE at work in the push up. Think of it as a moving plank.
 
There are lots of variations; from the toes, from the knees, hands elevated, feet elevated, handstand, band-resisted, with chains, with plates or small humans on your back, clapping, traveling…the list can go on. There are however a few universals that apply to any well performed push up. Here’s what to keep in mind.
 
+ Keep your chest and collar bone buoyant in the movement. Don’t cave in and let them drop between your shoulders. Let your elbows start the movement, and think of keeping your shoulder blades glued to the ribs.
 
+ Keep an arm angle at the shoulder that has your elbows pointing somewhat back and out, not straight out to the sides or straight back toward your feet.
 
+ Keep the back of your head up and chin slightly tucked. Don’t drop your chin out and make like a goose’s neck.
 
+ Keep your abdominal muscles and glutes on. The chest should be the first and only thing to touch the floor. No sagging hips or belly.
 
+ Keep your knees back. One of your quadriceps works at the hip also (see above tip). Activating the quads in tandem with your glutes will help keep your mid-line stable. Think of pulling the kneecap into the thigh.
 
If you’re strong enough for push-ups from the toes but your belly gets in the way (thanks, GOMAD) consider elevating the whole thing. Feet on a small box and hands on parallettes or some plates. Come on, tough guy.

2-2-2
(E3/4) Heavy Double

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compare to 9.6.10

2 rounds of:
400m Farmer's walk

There is a 10 Burpee penalty every time you put your dumbbells down.  People may also opt for either a zercher or bear hug keg carry. 400m is a relatively long farmer's walk that will test your grip strength and endurance.  Check out this very short,  VERY heavy Farmer's Walk

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Whitney H works "skin the cats" at Active Recovery Class

Congratulations to Jesse Q on his new teaching job in the Bronx!  While this is great news for him, we're bummed that we won't get to see him as often at SBK.
Three cheers for Jesse and his continued work with NYC Teaching Fellows!

One of our models of Fitness is known as the "Hopper Model".  Watch this video from 2007 of Greg Glassman explaining it.

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Robb Wolf Nutrition Seminar Group Shot from SBK and… Robb and Nicki visit "one of the best restaurants in the world" in Brooklyn, NY.  If you could eat for FREE at any restaurant in New York for the rest of your life, which would you pick?

"Fight Gone Not As Bad"

3 Rounds of:
30 Sumo Deadlift Highpulls 75/55
30 Box Jumps 20"
30 Push Presses 75/55

Rest 1 exactly minute between rounds.

Post total time minus 2 rest intervals to comments.

Cool down with a 10 Minute MobilityWOD of your choice

Robb's takes some questions from the audience

Have you ordered your team shirts yet?
Paulie and Becca at Quist have generously offered to donate 100% of the proceeds from the FGB5 shirt orders.  So by ordering you not only get a one of a kind badd-ass shirt, you also donate to charity AND raise our affiliate team total. Did your mom throw you 100 bones? Thank her by printing her and extra shirt too!

Team captains can Email PS(AT)QuistIndustries.com to place an order

3-3-Rep Out
(E4/8)
Perform a heavy triple or max effort triple for the first two work sets then drop to 85% of your heaviest weight and rep out. (perform max unbroken reps)

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compare to 9.8.10

10 x 100 yd shuttle runs (50 out – 50 back)
Rest 30 seconds between runs
Score is total time taken to complete all 10 sprints

Post total time to comments.

Married Muscle-Ups

Dogtown CrossFit is currently in first place for Fight Gone Bad fund raising with $26,773 currently raised.  South Brooklyn is a close second with $25,652.  Here is an excerpt from their September 8th blog post,

David and Fox use their exceptional ankle mobility to compete in a inebriated 'pistol-off"
 
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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Some of you are in various stages of a "Mobility Challenge". How's it going so far? Why does good mobility seem to be the last thing on so many athletes's lists?

3 Attempts at max reps
Rest 3 Minutes between attempts
(E2/4)

There is a 10 strict push-up "buy-in" to do the dips.  Athletes who cannot perform 10 unbroken push-ups from their toes will perform 3 attempts at max push-ups at an appropriate scale.

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compare to 9.2.10

5 Rounds NFT of:
5 Turkish Get-Ups, each arm
5 Unilteral Romanian Deadlifts
10 Prone Grip Ring Rows

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Jess F sets up for a split jerk

Attention Fight Gone Bad captains, the limit to put in your t-shirt order to Paulie is this Sunday.  Please make sure you've got your team's name and colors ready asap!

Check out the CFSBK FGB5 widget on the left column of our site to stay updated on our team total and top 5 fundraisers.

Every year we give away some prizes to top fund raisers and competitors.  If you think you've got something you could donate (however small), please email david(AT)CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com.  In the past we've given away shirts, DVD's, wine, theater tickets and other goodies.

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Did you know CFSBK's Birthday is right around the corner?  We'll be three years old on September 19th.  When did you start training with us?

3-3-3
(E3/8) 3-3-3-1 Tempo Squats

A
tempo simply means that the amount of time you spend in certain
positions of an exercise are controlled.  This is a great way to develop
position-specific strength and stability.  Today's tempo will work like
this:
:03 Hold at the top
:03 Hold at 1/4 depth
:03 Hold at full depth
:01 Ascent back to top

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compare to 9.1.10

For time:
Row 1000m
Then 5 Rounds of:
10 Kettlebell Swings 32kg/24kg
10 Goblet Squats 32kg/24kg
Then:
Run 800m

Post time and Rx to comments.

Congratulations Malcolm and Laurel
photo by Dan R

Happy Belated Birthday, Alec H!
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CFSBK is less than $700 away from breaking $20,000 in funds raised for Fight Gone Bad 5.  16 days left…
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Upcoming Foundations Cycle Dates:
September Evening Foundations
9/21/10 – 10/14/10
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00pm-9:15pm
Register Here! SOLD OUT!

October Morning Foundations
10/7/10-11/2/10
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00am-8:00am
Register Here!

October Evening Foundations
10/26/10-11/18/10
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00pm-9:15pm
Register Here!

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Please watch this Mobility WOD before coming to class
Kendrick Farris Clean and Squat Jerks 211kgs (464.2lbs)

Kira D's Double Front Squats

The incredible Matt U has raised $6,625 in two days of fund raising via the Kissing Suzy Kolber blog.  Matt has a LOT on the line for this years Fight Gone Bad, to read about why we all might see Matt doing high pulls in leopard print short shorts, click here!

Here's where our top five fundraisers are so far:
1. Matt U   $6,626 (1st place world wide)
2. David M   $2,880 (6th place world wide)
3. J L   $1,190
4. J.R.M   $1,030
5. Robin Reed   $495

CFSBK has an overall fund raising total of $15,333 putting us in 2nd place for affiliates world wide!!  As amazing as that is, we still need your help.  There is currently a 30 place tie for last place with $0.00 raised among our competitors.  If these amazing folks can raise in the thousands, everyone else can raise at least $100.  How to start?  Every team can organize to donate $25 to someone else on their team.  Captains, can you help bring up your team's total???

Click here for more info

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Our friends at lululemon athletica Brooklyn are co-hosting a 2 day block party!  Check out the information for Friday's festivities here and Saturday's here!

3-3-3
(E2/4) Heavy Triple

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compare to 8.30.10

Alternating rounds of:
2:00 Max Double Unders
2:00 Max Sit-Ups
1:30 Max Double Unders

0:30 Max Sit-Ups

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compare to 12.9.09

Some would call this cruel and unusual punishment

Congratulations to Malcolm and Laurel on their marriage yesterday!  Did you have a good time at their party?

Happy Labor Day! CFSBK will be running Group classes at 12pm, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm.  Strength and Foundations are on as usual.  The only difference is that we are not holding 6am and 7am classes as well as the noon Teaser and BTC.

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Check out this interview Jim Wendler from Elite FTS did with our upcoming guest, Chip Conrad

5 Rounds of:
7 sets of the complex:
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press
Rest as needed between rounds

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compare to 9.12.09

Bryan hits the streets

Tonight at 9:30pm is Malcolm and Laurel's wedding party at SBK.  We will be celebrating with music, ice cream, tequila and gluten free beer well into the night.  Please come by to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. For more information, click here.
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A huge thanks to Robb Wolf and Nicki Violetti for an outstanding Paleolothic Solution Seminar yesterday.  Robb covered a tremendous amount of information ranging from endocrinology to nuerodegeneration to athletic performance and how we can affect it all with what we eat.  All of the information was conveyed in a digestible (sorry) and entertaining format, we even got to receive an advance copy of Robb's new book.  Earlier this week I spoke with someone who had attended this seminar last time around and he said it changed his life forever.  I'm positive many of the people who came out yesterday had similarly enlightening experiences.  The bottom line is that how we eat, sleep, manage stress and exercise can have profound effects on everything from our genetic expression to autoimmunity.   Understanding some of these mechanisms is the first step in making better life decisions in an intelligent and individualized fashion. Thanks, again, Robb!