Day: February 26, 2018

Sunday afternoon was slow moving to provide plenty of devotion for planning my Q at the Black Knight, so much that I actually packed my car with coupons and tweeted a pre-blast advertising the pain that was planned. I should have checked the weather report. My sweet M informs me during dinner “you know it’s supposed to rain tomorrow?” The look on my face confirmed my failure to plan. It was followed by another thoughtful statement – “you guys are idiots.” That we all know! A new strategy was designed. Hope the PAX will like Plan C.

0510 Monday morning I peer out the window to confirm the ground is wet. Gastone had already called in sick (get well soon brother) giving the feeling the boss would be away. Three of our Ruckers vehicles were in the lot, so I knew I’d have an audience. Slowly others rolled in and 0530 hit for go time.

The warm-up, if you want to call it that was more about waiting for Whoopee, Boudin, and Roscoe to shed their rucks and join the circle. “Forward arm-circles were called to allow the brief disclaimer to be stated. “It’s wet, watch your step, and don’t die…Backward arm-circles.”

Official Warm-Up:

SSH IC x 5

Pledge

Mosey – Whoopee was gleefully excited time was not wasted.

Thang

We quickly arrived across the street and the running portion of the workout was over. Under the covered drive-through of Park Sterling, our 11 men filled the four lanes for Pure Cardio. Unlike past workouts in Tabata format (30 seconds on/10 seconds off) the challenge would be amplified, and I’m not talking about the excellent playlist either. Each circuit was three exercises to be performed for 30 seconds with three rounds in succession. For you Chapel Hill grads, that is a total of 4:30. A 30 second rest was generously granted by YHC but mostly to demonstrate the next circuit of exercises. You’re welcome to try this at home:

1)      SSH, Plank Jacks w/ Shoulder Taps, LBC’s

2)      10/2 Twist Jumps (pretend you’re on a clock face: left foot at 10, right foot at 12: jump turn so left lands on 12 and right on 2), 10/2 Merkins (same as above but in plank/merkin form), American Hammer

3)      4×4 (Mtn Climbers & Merkins; jump up & repeat), Seal Jacks (for JJ, no green card needed), Right Lunge, Squat, Left Lunge (perform lunge facing right, hop into a squat, hop 90 degrees to face & lunge left – this is a nice burn)

4)      Mike Tysons, 4 Plank Jacks then 4 Star Jumps, Flutter Kicks

5)      High Knees, CDD’s, Fifer Scissors with opposite hand punch (R hand to L leg – keep your legs as straight as possible to get the most out of it)

6)      Merkin with Jingle Balls (push-up, right hand touches left toe, push-up, left hand touches right toe – lots of grunts on this one), Squat Pulse (kind of like Monkey Humpers but sans the ankle grab), Ski Abs (the PAX certainly noticed the Ski Abs circled back to the Merkin – the shoulders were burning after this set).

We finished with about 9 minutes left; we recycled only going one time through each set. We then went into Mary for the final time:

·        Flutter Kicks, Chopsticks, Leg Lifts, LBC’s, Freddie Mercury

COT:

There were no prayer requests from our PAX’s immediate family/friends but Roscoe shared that prominent Charlotte business man, Johnny Harris lost his 43 year old daughter unexpectedly. The associate that shared that news lost his father on the same day. YHC noted the recent passing of Reverend Billy Graham. Only the Sky Q knows our time on this earth to make an impact. We need to make the most of our time but know that for those that have passed, they are comforted in God’s arms.

Moleskin:

I assure you the workout that was planned – it was going to be brutal and you will get to experience soon, I promise. Sometimes life throws you something and you have to adjust to those circumstances. We’re talking about leading a workout but you get the idea, it happens on a daily basis. Hopefully Plan C (C=cardio) wasn’t too bad. Keeping everyone in a tight circle with music in the background and a rolling clock – you’d think might promote some mumble chatter but it today for some reason was light. Maybe the PAX were concentrating on these new odd-ball exercises. Which are mostly stolen from my Insanity DVDs. But the order, well I read an opinion the most effective cardio was going from standing to plank, or seated. Why do we moan when burpees are called? Repeated up and down movement with jumps and upper body stress kind of suck. So most of the order was done to create the up/down as well as work multiple muscle groups at one time or build on something else. It’s not rocket science but there is a purpose. It was nice to see Roscoe posting at the DK (I know his M is sick – get well Mrs. Roscoe). I was not expecting Turtleman to post with his Uber driver ill – props to you. Whoopee is back at it upon overcoming a cold, getting an EC ruck with Boudin and Roscoe. Solid work from Squirt, JJ, Spiderman, Time Frame, and Stroganoff. HIPPA sported his weight vest. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the fun. Until the next one.

The parking lot was pretty full, and as it got larger you could tell that winter is nearing an end.  How many would make it out for Painlab?  Earlier in the week HIPPA thought I put a gif of a break-dancer with a kettlebell on twitter.  Soon he would meet the Turkish Get-Up.

Large group that Sargento Q’d, he made his usual crack about how Painlab is lesser workout (which he does EVERY time, I’ll break him soon), someone else said something about “only” Painlab, which Mayor replied with something I can’t type here.  Decorum prevents it, sincerely Douglas S. Nedermeir, Sgt. at Arms.

It should be noted that while in the warm-up circle, I met the soon to be Moses (FNG) who showed up by himself.  Dope!  He and I chatted and tried to explain this madness.  But how impressive is that?

We warm-up, we pledge, then Duke, Bandit, HIPPA, Mayor and I grab the gear.  We went to a different spot as I thought asphalt might be easier for the TGU’s.  We made a circle, I put on the tunes and meet the Deck of Pain, which is the Deck of Death but a big twist:

Every number is an exercise, and that tells you the repetitions.  Every suit is a specific exercise, and you drop-set from the exercise to the suit exercise:

2 – Turkish Get-Up

3 – Side Row Lunge (each leg)

4 – Tactical Lunge (each leg)

5 – Bottoms Up Curl (each arm)

6 – Clean & Press (both or single arm)

7 – Snatch (each arm)

8 – Figure 8’s

9 – Skull Crushers

10 – Around the World

Jacks 11 – Clean’s

Queens 12 – High Pulls

Kings 13 – One Arm Swings

Ace – Winner’s choice

The Suits:

Hearts – Merkins

Clubs – Squats

Spades – LBC

Diamonds – Burpees

So if you pull the 7 of Diamonds, we do 7 Snatch’s each arm, then go straight to 7 Burpees.  Next person draw a card.  This was not easy.  I had to employ 4-5 10 counts, especially when the King of Diamonds fell, then about 10 minutes later the Queen.  We pulled a major Omaha on the Turkish Get-Ups.  Along with Swings, this is the best exercise from kettlebells, but it’s also very form specific, and if you’re not used to it, watch out.  I knew that Mayor and HIPPA having on their vests that it would be a challenge.  So from then on when a “2” would drop, I’d Omaha and make it a 20 count of a the suit exercise.  Luckily the 2 of Diamonds didn’t fall!

We got through 5/6 of the deck before the group got back.  Great work by this crew.  Mayor pushed hard, brought the chatter.  You could tell HIPPA was concentrating and accepted every Kbell challenge.  Bandit was a workhorse, never a complaint, corrected form on me and the guys, and came up with a good interrupting exercise.  Duke was slugging it out, modifying and moving, never stopping for more than a few seconds.  Duke came out 4 weeks ago after I put the HC on him on a Friday night.  He has been to every Painlab since.  AYE!  We need more Dukes.

I’m glad the other Q’s encouraged Painlab to stay open.  You do get a workout, I’m glad to modify, and the fact that the last 3 weeks had 3 new Q’s for the lab is incredible.  Tell your buddies who want to modify exercises (I keep a list of alternates), their bodies don’t do well with running or other high-impact, or just want to work with weights to get stronger versus the cardio-centric bootcamp, then bring them along.  Our little circle gets bigger and smaller, over and over, but it’s there for the G-town Pax.  No one should have an excuse to not get-up on a Saturday, breath in the fellowship and fun that a workout can bring.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve F3.

Rudolph