Month: August 2021 (Page 6 of 12)

YHC had the Q for NUOS and bootcamp, Tube took Painlab.  HIM’s came to work.

Warmup all together, start with a review of the mission of F3, encouragement to do what it takes every single time.  SSH, IW, gravel pickers 15x IC. Do some stretches just to be sure Whoppee limber and ready.  Split between Pain Lab and boot camp.

Boot camp heads to the track for modified PT test.  50 merkins and 50 big boy sit ups.  Run a lap.  Repeat 8 times.  We made it 7 rounds, time to head back.

Stopped at entrance to museum for  a sprint to the flag.  Had a few minutes to spare by design.  Spoke for a moment about Whoppee 2.0, Madeline, who just returned from surgery in Boston.  YHC spoke  for a moment about how Madeline had no choice to quit in her journey.  We had been doing 100 merkins for Maddy until her return home, which happened just a couple of days prior.  So we called 100 for Maddy to celebrate her return, encouraging the PAX to dig deep when it got difficult, Maddy didn’t have the option to quit., neither should we. We did 350 merkins at the track, so this was going to be tough.  Invited Whoppee to call them.  Good push men.

Pain Lab returned.  Pledge.

YHC spoke for quick moment on the importance of doing hard things together.  You never know when your brother needs you, or you need him.  Building that brotherhood through doing hard things is invaluable.  Whoppee spoke about  how getting a note or a text or encouragement, and knowing he and his family had so many prayers for them made a very difficult time a little more bearable.

Announcements:  Labor day workout in McAdenville (Sandlot and Mt Hollywood closed, JJ5K coming up, extinction run in November

Prayer requests: Pacer friend, people of Afghanistan, people of Haiti, people impacted by flooding, kids and staff returning to school, Covid impact

YHC took us out

Always an honor

Tiger

Today, at least for Gaston County Schools starts a new milestone for 2.0’s of various ages. Actually some of these starts have occurred over the past week or so, but regardless of when, a new step has occurred. Even at a respectful age now, I can remember some of those first days. I vaguely remember, but my mother enjoys recalling 45 years ago when I wouldn’t get out of the car for kindergarten. For about the first 2 weeks (so I’m told) I cried every morning not to “take me to that place!” Sounds a little like F3 except the crying came after the workouts. Flash forward, class of ’22 Seniors are ready to embrace this moment they’ve been awaiting for years. Confident and ready to assume their mantel of leadership. Quite the opposite for the 6th and 9th graders, entering bigger schools with older kids. Hoping not to get lost or to make an “uncool” mistake. Kind of like an FNG.

I arrive to The Sandlot with only 2 minutes to spare. The circle is formed and chatter is mumbling. Larger group than normal – I wondered if there was a special celebration I was not privy? Ah, who cares, happy to see some guys out in the gloom as I’ve been taking Mondays off recently. Not today, nope, we’re getting this $hit show going early.  Some new faces and a Kotter or two, but no FNGs – still the disclaimer – perform the suggested exercise, modify as needed and don’t sacrifice form. Rarely do I begin my warm-up with Side Straddle Hops but what the hell:

Warm-up:

• Side-Straddle-Hop – in cadence…since I don’t really like this, let’s make the most of it…how long can we go? Once past 20, I wanted to see who would break form first. JK2 was the first I saw, then Whoopee…then I see headlights pull into the parking lot. Who might this be running behind…Cinderella takes a slow mosey to the circle, tying his shoe and various other delay tactics…I announce “we’re not stopping until you join.” EZ Rider says we got to 50 in cadence (Linus – if your tracking at home that’s 100 total reps).
• Next up – Imperial Walker IC x 10
• Side to Side Lunge – IC x 10 (these are better than cotton pickers because Whoopee will do them but they’re effective to open your adductors, hamstrings, and glutes – google it!)
• I think I did one more warm-up-ish exercise. I can’t recall. JK2’s mouth was moving faster than his body so he did get me discombobulated a bit trying to correct my call. Yes, officially these exercises are all in cadence even though I didn’t say “in cadence.”
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Mosey to Martha Rivers Park and the picnic shelter by the turd shack. This would be our home base for the day.

Thang:

I’m nursing a groin-like injury at the moment. Happened when I did weighted glute bridges last Saturday when I was unable to post but did a YouTube video from my girl Caroline Girvan (check her out for some ideas or a tough workout – or just check her out physically – she’s more ripped than Gold Digger). Note to self – don’t put a 30 lb dumbbell across your junk and imitate Slaw air humping – not a good combination…not really a good visual either, sorry for that. Where was I? oh yeah, my groin hurts. Voodoo offered some advice on Saturday and I’ve done some stretching, rucked instead of ran at the Coconut Horse so hopefully I can get through this Q. I drew inspiration from the WOD site, combining a few ideas into what I thought would work the entire body and avoid having to do any open body weight stuff like flutter kicks or big boys that would aggravate my injury. Now, that is not to say the exercises I selected wouldn’t aggravate the PAX various injuries – but, I did say modify as needed and I am the Q (hint: JK2 if you don’t like what I say – you can Q and do your own thing).

What did we do you’re wondering? 5 exercises, 25 reps each for 4 rounds. After each circuit is complete, run across the parking lot and return.

• Hand Release Merkins
• Squats
• Dips
• Plank Jacks
• Turtle Crunch (back of calves on the bench, sit up)
• Run
• Rinse & repeat 4 times

Next to burpees, I’m of the opinion that HR Merkins are nearly as difficult, especially 25 reps where your arms fatigue. But even if you cut the corner w/o a straight back, you’re still pushing your body weight off the ground. Unlike merkins when you can do baby-pulses for high rep counts. Now combine that move with dips and plank jacks and a nice burn should occur between your elbows and shoulders – maybe not as swole as Cougar benching 350 but definitely feeling it. However, I think I heard the most bitching for the Turtle Crunches…yeah – there not easy either. Even with your feet able to grip the bench and getting you started – it’s pretty much all abs pulling you up to the bench. Keep that in mind when you need to quite the crowd.

So that took longer than I thought but I did have Round II on deck. Same format as the first but different exercises:

• Shoulder Taps (count each movement)
• Step up Right
• Dips (again, I know!)
• Step up Left
• LBCs
• Run

Originally I had derkins queued up but felt the first circuit did enough upper body work. So I offered the PAX a choice and they took shoulder taps. Step ups – now the easy route was to give one leg a break and do both interchangeably. I wont’ argue against that could be more efficient, but the goal was to stress your quad muscle with higher focused rep count. So there is a lesson for the day from the teacher (Q). Running short on time, had to cut this circuit to 3 reps. If I break this out again, maybe go to 15 or 20 so we can get both rounds in. Oh, well – mosey back to base.

Announcements: 2 weeks from today on Labor Day, combined workout with The Sandlot and Mt. Hollywood, post at 0700 at Pharr Yarns across from Spruce Goose in McAdenville; Nutria is Q 8/30 next Monday. Forgot to say in the circle – sign up for Iron Pax Challenge – it will be a challenge for sure. Consider it and give your best effort. Prayers: Cougar’s grandmother, Flintstone’s sister, Whoopee 2.0 recovering, family members, kids, teachers and administrators beginning school.

Moleskin: Heard this in a sermon yesterday and pondered on it a bit and wanted to share (additional disclaimer – I’m not a professional, just trying to get better). Though the sermon wasn’t about starting school, I led with that because of some conversation this morning. In Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” The main theme of the sermon was “Are You Ready to Change?” Change is hard. Many of us are closer to being curmudgeonly old men, if we’re not already, than we are to spring chickens. We’re set in our ways and creatures of habit. For most of us, work doesn’t revolve around a particular school calendar (now don’t go overanalyzing that more than what I intended…other than teachers, most of us are in a continuous cycle – hopefully that makes sense). Point being, we don’t have a particular date that we “start something” that is mandated by someone else (and I’m not headed toward a political discussion about mask/unmask with that). Ok, reset again, so my real point I’m driving at, if you want to change your life or change something in your life, Proverbs says “Start today.” There is some unknown element about tomorrow that even with proper planning, it will be different (reflect back to Q-source and Preparedness). You want to make change in your routine, your diet, your mind – Start Today. I know for some today at The Sandlot, this was a start of something new. Regardless of those inner challenges we have, I know for 100% certainty, the 17 men that posted, we all started the week off better than had we not made the choice to attend. Cheers to new beginnings.

12 PAX posted at The GOAT this morning to do ALL the WORK, while enjoying the 97% humidity.

WARM UP
SSH, Arm Circles, Burpees, Alarm Clocks

Mosey to Floyd & Blackie’s entrance for…

THE THANG

Telephone Pole Run & Fun
Run up 8th St. At each light pole, alternate between sets of:
10 Burpees and 20 Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts/Squats (OYO, 10 each leg)
Run back down 8th St, alternating between sets of:
40 LBCs and 10 CBDs (OYO)

Mosey and circle up on the sidewalk near the entrance of the Goat Island Bridge for…

Four-Ex and Hill-Run
10 Burpees (IC), 10 Ski Abs (IC), 10 Tuck Jumps (OYO), 20 Merkins (IC) + Sprint Up Hill to the RR Tracks, mosey back down to start
Repeato 2x

THe PAX circled up for some Mary, and then…

Time!

COT

Pledge

Announcements
F3 Dads at Folsom, Sat, Aug 21 6:30am
JJ5k – Fundraiser and 5k Trail Run in Stanley Link to JJ5k
Goat Island Games, Aug 28
Labor Day Workout at Downtown McAdenville, Sept 6th – Combining Sandlot & Mt Holly AOs, which will both be closed that day.
Pillager announced that he is looking to pass the SiteQ baton for The GOAT

Prayer Requests
For Pillager’s Surgery and Recovery
For Tesla’s sister’s health
For those who are suffering in Afghanistan
For our Military/Veterans, previously, or currently involved in Afghanistan
For Kids and Teachers who are headed back to school, for their health
For those struggling in Haiti, after the recent 7.0 earthquake, and reeling from the previous natural disasters

Link to Name-O-Rama on Twitter

At the COT, these PAX surprised me and sang Happy Birthday for my 44th. (Yesterday evening, at our Service project at Belmont Central, YHC’s 2.0’s secretly asked a few PAX to sing it to YHC this morning.) A few local animals began howling at the sounds that a few of these PAX made, but YHC appreciated the gesture all the same!

Thanks for the opportunity to lead the workout, and for the birthday celebration! The celebration continued into Coffeeteria at at Floyd and Blackie’s where Orangeman treated YHC to coffee, and Floyd and Blackies baristas treated YHC to a blueberry muffin! What a great way to start a birthday!

YHC appreciates all you PAX and all you do!

—Bubba Sparxxx

YHC wasn’t sure if he ad the Q at The Ricky Bobby but figured out pretty quickly he did once at the AO about 3 minutes prior to go time. So YHC ran back to his car and grabbed his phone with the attitude that my lack of preparation was not excusable for not having a quality workout delivered to pax who had obviously shown up expecting to be well led and having an expereince owrth getting out of bed to get to on a voluntary basis. So , YHC dug into his bag of tricks to deliver as necessary with no complaints. Went like this:

COP:

SSH X 20

IW X 20

Grass Pickers X 20

Grapevines

Peter Parker X 20

Mosey to the back lot for BLIMPS

You know the drill by now but just to repeat it’s Burpees, Lunges, Imperial Walkers, Merkins, Plank Jacks, Squats.

P1- Run the length of the lot (@ 150 yards) and back.

P2 – Do the work as prescribed.

Rinse and repeat through the BLIMP.

Over to the playground for a little nonrunning work as we count off by 3s.

1s- Pullups X 10

2s- Merkins X 10

3s- Big boys X 10

Cycle through 3 times.

Some burpee suicides: Broad jump two parking spaces, nut back one, drop and do 3 burpees. 5X total

Time for light pole suicides, where we run to each light pole (3 total), drop, do an excercise and run back, then go to the next one.

1st set – Hand release merkins X 10

2nd set – big boys X 10

A little taste of the APFT as follows

HR Merkins X 2 minutes (passing: 40)

Butterfly situps X 2minutes (passing: 50)

Mosey up to the field and bleachers:

10 dips OYO

10 stepups each leg

10 inclined big boys

Run across the field and 5 burpees

Jog back to COT.

Hold 3 minute plank.

Pledge and done.

NMM:

For something made up on the fly this worked out pretty good. Expereince helps a lot here and at almost 8 years in and averaging close to six workouts a week every week you eventually pick up on that so you can do things without a script. Which YHC has found in life in general real leadership emerges when the chaos erupts and you don’t have a script, what do you do then? How do you lead. Well, it’s my own experience is you just start moving and getting it done! Don’t wait for a script. Will there be failure? Of course! But like Churchill said the best way to get through hell is to keep moving! Paralysis kills. All the time. Not that you don’t need to get ahold of the situation before you determine where to move but you have to take the first step. Then one after that and then one after that. Leaders initiate and sustain such movement so as to move the organ they are charged with moving to advantage. This can be true when a threat arrives we need to either liquidate or escape from or an opportunity we need to take advantage of that we never saw coming. You may not be scripted and prepared for either given a situation. However, you need to BE prepared to handle it when it does happen. We did that today and had a pretty solid beatdown in the post Fred humidity.

Happy to serve this morning. Great group to serve with. Look forward to next time. Great to have Plan B in from New Bern, NC.

Tesla

It was an awfully steamy Thursday morning.  Showed up at 5:25 with not a pax in sight – might this be the morning I head back home write a backblast about how its just too humid to run?  Or take my Sandy V for a 5 mile solo jaunt around Gaston Day School road?  Just as I thought I was going to get off easy with no push from anyone here comes JJ and Waterboy on foot! – (damn I am a lazy ass!)  Next Sargento, Short Sale, and Seuss clocked in just before 5:30 – so much for going home and crawling back into bed.   As usual Seuss, Waterboy and Sargento took off as I watched them scamper up the hill.  Unable to breathe through the humidity I just watched as they ran out of site over the course of five miles.  Oh well maybe next time – just didn’t have it in me this morning to keep up.  Kudos to Short Sale who pushed through the pain of recovery as well as to JJ and Waterboy as they ran home afterwords (batflippers as they are).  Upon arriving back to the Pub we were greeted by a Termite who had to takeoff to go to work early. In the end I think we were all just a little better HIM afterwards.

Announcements:

Site Q change Downtown tomorrow

F3 Dads this Saturday at Folsom at 7

Combined Sandlot/Mt Hollywood labor Day at 7 in McAdenville

JJ 5K 25th

Prayers:

Kids going back to school

Praise for Whoopee’s 2.2 headed home today

So, a couple of weeks ago, I ran across a brand new, never been used Navy Seal workout DVD and Book set at the Good Will. I thought, this might be good for a Q. Essentially it was a lot of the same exercises we do already, just a few minor differences.

Warm Up (in-cadence):
10 ‘Roccan Nighclubs
5 Forward Big Arm Circles
5 Backward Big Arm Circles
10 Toy Soldiers
15 Side Straddle Hops
15 Buttkicks
10 Mountain Man Poopers

I demoed what a Reverse Plank Tricep Dip Kick is and how to count off an 8 count Body Builder (basically a burpee with a plank jack but done in an in-cadence count)

Mosey to the Tennis Courts.

The Thang:

20 Merkins
– Frog Jump the next court
10 Big Boys
– Frog Jump the next court

Run back to start and either pick up the six, or plank it up.

Run a lap around the tennis courts.

10 Speed Skaters (each leg)
– (Lt. Dans) Lunge Walk Squat the next court
20 Reverse Plank Tricep Dip Kick
– (Lt. Dans) Lunge Walk Squat the next court

Run back to start and either pick up the six, or plank it up.

Run a lap around the tennis courts.

20 Slow, Low, Deep Squats
– Crab Crawl forward the next court
5 Eight Count Body Builder (slow burpee with a plank jack in the middle)
– Crab Crawl backward the next court

Run back to start and either pick up the six, or plank it up.

Run a lap around the tennis courts.

We repeated at least two more rounds of 4 consecutive exercises from the above list (mostly consisting of Eight Count Body Builders, Merkins, Reverse Plank Tricep Dip Kicks, Lt. Dans, and Frog Jumps).

Circle Up for Mary!

The Q started things off with:
– Turtle Shell (reverse plank with arms, head, and legs up and out (like making an upside down turtle shell).
• We held that position for a minute.
– 20 Mountain Climbers
– 20 Peter Parkers
– 20 Parker Peters

The Q called on 3-4 pf the pax to call out and lead an exercise.

Mosey back to the C.O.T.

Pledge…

22 for the vets.

Discussion:

S.E.A.L stands for Sea, Air, and Land… though, I kept thinking about the GI Joe theme song, “We’re fighting for freedom wherever there’s a struggle – over: land, sea, and air… GI Joe is there!”.

Seals are also known as “Frogmen”, “The Teams”, and “The Men with Green Faces”

Seal Motto is: “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday”

Seals have a 40% Rule… When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done. This totally to me sometimes… it’s a mental thing you have to push through.

The Seal Creed:
I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission.

I tried thinking of how to rewrite the creed to better apply to my life, and maybe the life of a Christian. I came up with this:
“I am here to glorify and give praise to my God, and to tell others about Him and His Son. My family and friends need me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than those who would come against us. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw near to God, and use every ounce of remaining strength, to protect my family and to serve the Lord with gladness.”

I know I falter in certain aspects of this… and was not pointing at anyone during the discussion. But if I was, I had at least three fingers pointing back at me. I also know God loves me because He says:

1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 103:8-12 ESV
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

James 4:8 ESV
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

I tried keeping the group together like a team (even though we ain’t anywhere close to special forces (unless special means something else to you)). I also asked some of the pax which exercise they wanted to do after we finished the 3 rounds. If I didn’t like what they picked I was prepared to override their choices, but this gave a sense of having a say-so (whether they really had one or not). Also calling on the pax during mary allowed them to get a chance to lead as they wanted to (like About Time picking an exercise, but not knowing if he should least it too… then counting it out in-cadence). I intentionally switched things up, here and there, just to ensure the Q was followed. But being that I don’t run as well as some of the other Pax, I was shortcutting the lap on the run. By about the 4th round, some of the others were starting to do the same (instead of doing what they knew to be better… staying with the group). It just shows that not all leaders are infallible and that others are watching you and will often follow the example you lead (whether you know it or not).

Announcements:

• F3 Dads workout at Folsom this Saturday (8-21-21)
• JJ 5K coming up
• Convergence workout Labor Day in McAdenville
• Snowbird Men’s Retreat

Prayer Requests: 

• West Side’s Dad and Family
• Big Pappy and his family
• Bedpan’s Balls
• Ball Joint’s neck/trap
• Pax dealing with things
• Nan (Stogie’s former co-worker and friend with pancreatic cancer)

Thanks for the opportunity to lead and share some thoughts.

I’m Stogie, and I’m out.

8 HIM beat the fartsack to start their week off strong and YHC had a plan. No running (at least not much)! 5:30 came and the disclaimer was given. This is what happened…

Pledge of Allegiance

Warm Up – the patented R over L, Don Q’s, Goofballs, Grass pickers

Mosey down toward the center of Martha’s House. We stopped at a conspicuously flat and open spot in the parking lot for everyone’ favorite ab blaster song, Bring Sally Up. Score!

Move from there to a grassy area close by for The Bruce Lee in which we did 20 reps of each and 3 sets of each.

• American Hammers
• Leg Raises
• LBCs
• Heel Touches
• Crunchy Frogs
• 100s – this was from the exicon on the F3 website which didn’t have an explanation. Even Flintstone didn’t know what it was so I asked for a substitute. I can’t remember what the substitute was.

After that swoletastic routine we took a fellowship mosey over to the parking lot with curbs. This is where we did Doracides. Partner up and while #1 does the suicides, partner #2 exercises. The exercises were

• 100 Merkins
• 200 Freddy Mercury’s
• 300 Rocky Balboa’s
• 400 Air Presses

We got through most of this but had to cut the Air Presses short to mosey back to the start in time. Thanks to Ball Joint for the opportunity to pinch hit. Heal up quick brother!

Announcements – Labor Day workout in McAdenville, JJ5k

Prayer Requests – JK2’s 2.0, Whoopee’s family, Watts Up, Gastone, Stroganoff, Queso & all football players, school starting

Thanks for the opportunity to lead men, Aye!

I’m slack with the Backblast, I know !!  We did this:

Warm-up

7 of Diamonds

Route 66: Partner Booyah Merkins

1:4 ratio of Bobby Hurley/Rocky Balboa’s

Announcements

Prayer Request

Nameorama

SA