Day: April 14, 2023

If you haven’t heard, I was the Champion in the QvsQ challenge recently. I think all but one person have accepted that honor. Those of you that are golfers will know the British Open winner is crowned with the title Champion Golfer of the Year. I think since the PAX have spoken the same accolade applies here. So with that honor, the 5 PAX that posted this morning Downtown were the beneficiary of what would be a most excellent beatdown. No rookies so we started like this:

Warm-up:

• Seal Jacks IC x 10
• Imperial walkers IC x 10
• Toy Soldiers IC x 10
• Imperial Walkers IC x 10
• Side to Side Lunge IC x 10
• MNC’s IC x 10
• Arrows IC x 10

No need to mosey, we’ll stay under the shelter even though it wasn’t raining. Mary will get some love on the front side. Each exercise was 30 seconds of core work: Leg lifts, American Hammer, Raised Penguin Crunch, Turtle Crunch, 90 Alt Toe Touch, Plank position: R hand to L knee then L hand to R knee; go to elbow plank – hip roll-overs, bank on your six: Genie crunches, elbow to knee then knees to elbows, Heels 2 Heaven, Crunchy Frog, Hollow Hold aka (douche) canoe, and Ski Abs to end. I gave demos where needed but the instructions were clear, so no complaints.

Now let’s mosey to the parking deck. Way back in Round 1 of the QvsQ challenge I uncorked Walk the Plank but the mumble chatter was high and the PAX were not listening well. My 5 students were curious and attentive – much easier to communicate the plan which requested they find a parking spot on the wall side of the deck. At the beginning of the parking lot line do 10 HR Merkins then Joe Hendricks along the parking line toward the wall. Stop and do 10 Donkey Kicks. Then plank-walk left toward the other side of the parking spot. Stop and do 10 Australian Mtn Climbers. Then bear crawl along the line to the left side opening. That completes the square and by now the shoulders are feeling it a bit. So, let’s go two more rounds.

To give a break to our upper body, we went back to the core with 20 LBC’s, 20 Raised Penguin Crunches, and 20 Ski Abs.

Moving on – PAX still listening to what instructions I have. No challenges, how nice it can be sometimes to enjoy this fine group of gentlemen. We’ll use the levels of the parking deck for a 4 level escalator instead of 4 corner. Round 1, Level 1: 5 burpees – run to Level 4, descend the stairs. Round 2: Level 1: 5 burpees, Level 2: 10 eccentric dips – run to level 4, descend the stairs. Round 3: Level 1: 5 burpees, Level 2: 10 eccentric dips, Level 3: 20 jump squats, run to level 4, descend the stairs. Round 4: Level 1: 5 burpees, Level 2: 10 eccentric dips, Level 3: 20 jump squats, Level 4: 40 merkins, descend the stairs.

At this time we had 8 minutes left so I offered the PAX a choice – run it back or head back for more Mary. Purple Haze said option C – stop at the wall at the condos on MLK for some wall sits and dirty hook-ups. Seuss selected wall sits with marching and arm extension varieties. We hustled back to the pavilion and did flutters and big boys until time.

COT: Prayers for Stephanie (Pallbearers niece) that is dealing with cancer diagnosis; Stephanie – Watt’s Up teammate dealing w/ health issues; Ratchet’s 2.0, Huck, and Gump (Seuss visited with him yesterday and he learned of his sentence). Announcements: 2F lunch in Dallas this upcoming Wednesday, Flash relay (see Flintstone), 4/29 Convergence at Midoriyama 0700.

The rain held and we stayed dry – I guess some Q’s have that kind of command on the weather. The attendees bought into the instruction and supported the instruction to receive a core focused workout that will only benefit them. Thanks to those men to enjoy the fellowship. Oddly Pallbearer was the only under 50 PAX, hence the title.

Until the next one – thanks for the opportunity to lead.

Short Sale

Champion Q of the Year

Proper warm up

triple nickel pull-ups and step ups

mosey to flag 3 burpees each pole pledge

horse track triple nickel derkins and rows

15,10,5 reps dips split squats incline merkins lap around the track mosey to cot

Announcements shared a word prayer requests Jason black,Wirenut mom,Stogie coworker wife (cancer),Pallbearer cousin Stephanie (cancer),Ratchet 2.0 cancer. I prayed us out.

good times looking forward to the next one

Slack (our communication platform thing) is great. I mean, how else can you put out a message to a big pile of boneheads that makes you accountable for what seemed like a good idea at some point in time and entices other boneheads to respond and then also be accountable for emotional comments and responses? Ever since my Q vs Q loss, I have been looking forward to leading a workout and really trying to push myself a bit harder. There really is no better way to do this than to sign up to Q a workout AND poke some of the guys in Folsom to see if they will show. I tried poking the guy with the pretty hair and low rent jewelry from last year but no luck-he likely was working so he gets a pass. Either way, the motivation to bring some pain was there and fortunately a few HIMs made the trip from Folsom-thanks Westside, Balljoint, and Gearwrench. Last night was like many nights during the first few years of F3Gashouse-I went to bed sort of early but could not fall asleep because I was excited about the workout in the morning (hope I am not the only one that does this???!!!)…..once I fell asleep multiple things woke me during the night……dog needed to pee at 1 am, dog needed water at 120 am, wife got up to check on dog at 130 am, heartburn hit me at 215 am (but the sausage/pepperoni/pasta thing was sooooo good last night and worth it), cat wanted to hang out at around 3 am, heartburn still bothering me at 330 am, alarm went off at 430 am. Aaaawwwww heck, I told Maybelline I would go for some EC by mistake (thought I was responding to Balljoint’s HC for this am but responded to Maybelline’s EC call-old man technology fail) so I gotta get up. I got rolling and made it through the rain on time and went for a partial EC with Maybelline-wanted to walk around the AO and finalize a few things so I did partial EC with him then broke off early for some strategery and planning. Then the PAX arrived and we got started.

Pledge, Warmup, Disclaimer then we were off. We moseyed over to the basketball court-be careful and get over that wire/chain from the parking lot. Gonna start with 4 corners: stack the exercises with 5 burpees first corner, repeat at corner 2 and add 10 Mike Tysons (where were you Sister Act???!!!), repeat at corner 3 and add 15 Big Boys, repeat at corner 4 and add 40 SSA. Keep rolling……mosey to the parking lot for Suicides: cones set up at 4-5 spaces apart: Merkin at the start, 5 Bonnie Blairs at each cone-think there were 5 cones. Next we did some Donkey Kicks on the wall-was not tall enough for hip slappers in that area and didn’t want to muddy up the wall where there was room, that’s ok. Donkey Kicks are good enough at this point. Mosey back to basketball court for some new exercises: Bearby (not Bobby) Hurleys: start on the baseline under the basket, bear crawl to foul line, 5 Bobby Hurleys, bear crawl back. Repeat out to the 3 point line for 5 more Bobby Hurleys then bear crawl back. There was some chatter about some dude named Tesla but I can’t remember what it was. I was focused on the next (new) exercise. Remember those Murder Bunnies? Well I wanted something like that but no blocks around so we went with something not quite as bad……or was it? Manslaughter Bunnies-Same thing but no block. It’s basically a bear crawl with both hands moving forward at the same time. In my opinion, that sucked big balls. Murder Bunnies suck too, but at least you don’t have to bend over as far which, at almost 53 years old, has gotten harder to do lately. We did this all the way across the court-seemed like at least 3 miles of Manslaughter Bunnies but it was really likely not more that 2 miles…..enough of that BS, mosey back to the parking lot (again, make sure to step over that cable thing). Next was 11’s with Big Boys and Merkins. Balljoint then asked “What are we doing in the middle?” so we added a burpee every time you cross center line. I was out of tricks and had used up my Weinke so we did another 4 corners in the big parking lot with jump squats X 10, heels to heaven X 10, diamond merkins X 10, and LBCs X 40. Is it time yet???? NOPE, keep moving-back to end of lot for suicides with 5 squats at each cone every time you pass coming and going with a burpee and 5 SSH every time at the start. This finally got us to time and we called it quits.

COT with prayers and praises-Westside with some good news about a friend at church going thru some $hit but making progress with improvement. Having gone thru some different $hit in the past, I mentioned that it really helps the person going thru that $hit when someone lets you know they are praying for you (which Westside is doing and has told his friend this as well). I don’t always remember this so it was a good reminder for me-having someone pray for you and telling you they are doing it definitely gives you a little more motivation. Try to keep this in mind because I can tell you from personal experience, this is a big deal.

Thanks again for posting this am-Whoopee

A baker’s dozen came and did the thing on a perfect Thursday morning at the F3 Gastonia AO known as the Greatest Of All Time.  There were Sizzle Suicides (because of course there were) & Tammy Wynettes.  No monkeys were spared, and only one PAX left behind.  Here’s what I remember:

The Thang:

• 10 x SSH (IC)
• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• 10 x Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• 10 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)
• 10 x Mountain Climbers (IC)

Mosey to Floyd & Blackies, not for coffee, but the requisite Sizzle Suicides.  See any of YHC’s prior backblasts at The Goat for a description of the Sizzle Suicides.

Instructions were given to hold at the top of the hill, and not run back down.  That didn’t stop Freon.  Failure for all PAX to follow the plan is a failure in leadership.  YHC doubled down with the leadership failure and just left him, but not before the first of many:

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Mosey to the church across from the apartments.  Oh Freon didn’t get to do them, let’s go again:

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

It’s like the old days, when the F3 Gastonia PAX first found out what Monkey Humpers were, and whoever was Qing couldn’t wait to break them out as many times as possible and our asses hurt for days.  YHC was trying to recreate that feeling.  You’re welcome.

To the church parking lot, for the requisite complicatedness that the PAX come to expect from a Flintstone Q.

Partner Up

• Both PAX lunge walk to opposite ends of the church parking lot
• 20 x Eskimo Merkins (OYO)
• Both PAX lunge walk back to the middle
• 20 x Tammy Wynettes (“Stand By Your Man”)
  • PAX 1: 20 x Merkins (keeps count)
  • PAX 2: 20 x Squats (synchronized w/PAX 1)
• Repeat in opposite directions, switching roles w/Tammy Wynettes

Lots of lunging.  Right amount of suck.  Time to further shred them abs, but first, Bottoms Up:

• 15 x Monkey Humpers (IC)
• 20 x Michael Phelps (IC)
• 20 x Toe Touches (IC)
• 20 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)

By the time the Freddies roll around, YHC is ready to be done with all that.

Here’s the part where the PAX were expecting something new, fresh, and inventive.  Nope.

Round 2 (See round 1 above):

• Lunge Walk
• Eskimo Merkins
• Tammy Wynettes
• Repeato

Then

• 15 x Monkey Humpers (IC)
• 20 x Michael Phelps (IC)
• 20 x Toe Touches (IC)
• 20 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)

Second round was about the same amount of suck as the first, if not a little more.  Abs were done, but still more to come.  Let’s go home.  Start the mosey back on Front St, stopping for, you guessed it:

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Little more mosey.  Hey have y’all heard of these things called Monkey Humpers?  How funny is that?  I guess not funny to everyone.  One PAX said it was offensive to monkeys.  Surely not.  They’re flattered that we’re thinking of them.

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Mosey back to the house with the fresh new privacy fence inspired by years of F3 torturing the resident fluff dog for a quick round of, well, this:

Groups of 3

• PAX 1: Mosey to the statue and back
• PAX 2: Hold 6 inches (or 10, or whatever you got)
• PAX 3: American Hammers
• PAX 2 & 3 swap back and forth whenever til PAX 1 gets back, then a different PAX gets up to run
• Repeato til all 3 PAX finish running

We really only got through 2 PAX running before it was time for COT

Announcements and Prayer Requests were there but I need to wrap up this backblast and go to work.  Maybe I’ll add them later in the day.

Sore today.  I guess the monkeys won.

Thanks for the opportunity to do dumb and slightly irreverent things.

Yabba Dabba Doo