Author: Flintstone (Page 11 of 23)

Kettlebells were involved.  Or they weren’t.  Hard to say.

The legend returned and Q’d his Redwoods Beatdown and it was one-of-a-kind.  Rocks and walls were involved.

Rucking Madness

The Site Q reached out with a series for the month on Living Third and YHC was honored to get a chance to lead.  8 PAX scampered all over Cramer Woods for a high mileage bootcamp courtesy of Fred’s 2 Feet.  Here’s what I remember:

The Thang:

• 10 x Toy Soldiers (IC)
• 20 x Elwoods (IC)

Hot start on the track for a Wolfpack Warmup, a YHC staple at TRB.

• Half a lap
• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hillbillies (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hi-Lo Punches (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hello Dollies (IC)

Everyone kept up.  We’re gonna have a good time running today.  Let’s mosey to Winder and the entrance to the neighborhood.  3 different sets of exercises today with a long mosey between each set.

Set 1:

• 3 x Chuck Norris Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Rocky Balboas (OYO)
• Repeat 3x
• 30 x Toe Touches (OYO)

Mosey

Set 2:

• 3 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Mountain Climbers (OYO)
• Repeat 3x
• 30 x Flutter Kicks (OYO)

Mosey

Set 3:

• 30 x American Hammers
• Thoughts on Living Third

The 3rd F is Faith, which F3 describes as a belief in something bigger than yourself.  If we only think about ourselves, we never seem satisfied.  It’s when we give of ourselves that we can be content.  Living Third is about prioritizing your community and those in your orbit and working to meet their needs.

Mosey

Set 1

Mosey

Set 2

Mosey

Set 3

The most valuable thing we have isn’t money but time, and when it comes to community and how to prioritize it, F3 gives us the Concentrica.  At the heart is a man’s spouse, then his family, then his shieldlock, then other friends, and then work.  We think of our time as arrows, and there’s a time and place for each of these, but our arrows should be properly distributed through the Concentrica, with the highest portion of them going to the center.  Ultimately, how we spend our time defines our lives and our legacies.

Mosey

Set 1

Mosey

Set 2

Time is short, so rather than wrap up in the neighborhood and do the Triple Nickel on the Weinke, we just started back towards the flag, stopping at a certain house on Winder Trail for

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Mosey back to the school

Set 3

I can’t say that it happens to everyone, because I don’t know, but I know that there’s a lure to going through life undetected.  If we stay under the radar, we won’t be noticed.  Praise and criticism are both uncomfortable, so it’s better to not be known.  It’s what gyms offer–a “judgement free zone” of anonymity.  In F3, we talk about the idea that if you stop showing up, someone will know and will reach out.  That sounds great in theory, but in practice, in a region our size, you can be both well known and not known at all.  People know you just well enough to know your name and some of your story, but they don’t rely on you to be there every week due to work responsibilities, inconsistent posting, or nomadic tendencies.  If you’re not there, you’re not really missed.  Nobody expected you to be there anyways.  For some people, that’s the way they like it.

My charge for the day was to make the conscious decision to be a regular at the AO of your choice.  To make a contribution, you’ve got to leave your mark, and you can’t leave your mark if you stay undetected.  Show up regularly.  Get to know the other PAX.  Take a turn Qing.  Be reliable.  A lot of AOs have 1 reliable PAX showing up–the Site Q.  The bonds get tighter, the mumblechatter gets more lively, candor is dealt more consistently, and everyone grows if it’s more than just the Site Q that make it a point to show up every opportunity.

It’s the difference between pickup basketball and a well organized team.  Pickup ball is great, but when you get to know your teammates and can anticipate their next move, there is a synergy that develops that makes everyone better than they could be on their own.

As we talked about in the Concentrica, time is limited.  You can’t always be everywhere, and can’t necessarily be reliable everywhere, but you can choose where to focus your efforts and make a decision to let your roots grow deep.  Strength and durability in the face of hardships come from the deep roots established by repeatedly showing up and being reliable.

And time was called and that was that.  Had a blast.  Always a fun time at The Ricky Bobby.  Thanks the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo

3 ruckers, 6 runners and a couple for QSource today as we got in some miles in the cold.

10 for QSource as we covered Missionality and Lizard Building to wrap up the year.  “A sidewind is the same as a headwind” is true for Missionality, but those sidewinds are also often part of the cost of business.  The trick is not to invest too many resources in them and to get back on Mission as soon as possible.

Lizard organizations are dependent on strong relationships.  Developing Sua Sponte Leaders who lead from within the organization is most effective.  12 or 43 are the magic numbers, depending on the context.  Keep teams small, and stay prepared as a leader, keeping an eye on the big picture, and incentivizing I2.

Announcements:

• Coconut Horse is closed for Christmas
• QSource 1/1 will be on 8 Block

Good to see some different faces out there this morning.  And good to see the familiar ones too I guess.

My last Q for the year, I think.  Time to start preparing for 2023, but not by sandbagging for the challenge.  Will see y’all on the other side of the ball drop.

Yabba Dabba Doo

Our Redwoods series is over, but 11 HIM came back for more at The Sandlot. YHC left without the shovel flag for the first time in 2 years (well, the second, but burpees were paid for that one).  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 Hello Dollies (IC)
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)
• 20 x Elwoods (IC)

Mosey out to the center of the ballfields.  On the way, the mumblechatter left me scrambling for a change to the Weinke.  Easy enough.

No gimmicks today.  No theme.  Let’s just end this thing like every other Monday – with good, strong, solid work.

Core work early and often.  Mary throughout.

• 15 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 15 x Double Crunches (IC)
• 15 x American Hammers (IC)
• 15 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Sit & Spin

Partner Up

• One PAX runs around Field #3 (outside the fence, as the PAX needed clarification for some reason)
• The other does Wall Sits til they get back (and as the Q was feeling benevolent, PAX could choose burpees or 6 inches instead)
• Switch and repeato

Mosey to the Turd Shack

Same partners

• 2 minutes on the clock
• One PAX does Hip Slappers
• The other does Wall Sits
• Switch back and forth til time expires

More Mary

• 15 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 15 x Double Crunches (IC)
• 15 x American Hammers (IC)
• 15 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Picnic shelter

Lindsays

• 10 x Dips / 30 x Monkey Humpers
• 15 x Dips / 25 x Monkey Humpers
• 20 x Dips / 20 x Monkey Humpers
• 25 x Dips / 15 x Monkey Humpers
• 30 x Dips / 10 x Monkey Humpers

No 10 Count here, but a several minute break, as YHC shared a few thoughts.  Don’t know really what was said, but will try to get into some of it in the Moleskin.

Turd Shack

Partner

• 2 minutes of Hip Slappers / Wall Sits

Mosey back to the center of the ballfields

• 10 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 10 x Double Crunches (IC)
• 10 x American Hammers (IC)
• 10 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Sit & Spin Round 2 around Field #3

Back to the flag for the handoff to the new Site Q of the Sandlot – JJ.

JJ led

• 22 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

and that was that.

Moleskin:

When I took the Site Q at The Sandlot in December of 2020, I was really just getting started as a consistent presence in the Gloom.  I had only Q’d 5 times at that point.  2 years later, I’ve Q’d almost 100 times.  I feel like I’ve been doing this long enough that it’s hard to remember what it felt like to be anything other than Flintstone and most of that time as Flintstone I was also the Site Q at the Sandlot.

I’ll admit to reflection really sinking in hard in the days leading up to the handoff.  Redwoods was fun, but I knew about halfway through the series that that would be it for me.  I needed to turn it over, but the days before, I realized that it wasn’t going to be easy.  The mental commitment to being there every Monday is woven into my life.  When I take away the responsibility and the service of getting to work for the Sandlot PAX, how will that change me?

And I realized that it wouldn’t.  As a pusher of rocks, I’d wake up the next day the same as the day before and go out and get after it.  There’s no room in my mind for slack.  I’ve been made better as a result of being one of you, and getting to lead the Sandlot.  I also have screwed up enough times, thinking that I’d accomplished something and taking my foot off the gas as a result, only to watch all my gains come crashing down and the proverbial Pogo 40 or the Flux, or whatever mental hurdle I faced get the best of me.  Fail 100 times.  Get back up 101.

The Sandlot is where I cut my teeth.  I got my name there.  I Kottered there in July of 2020.  And I spent a lot of time growing up there the last 2 years.  Thank you to all the PAX who have been there along with me, getting after it and teaching me more things than you’ll ever know.

When I was looking for who to hand the flag to, I wanted someone I knew we could all count on.  JJ was an obvious choice.  He’s been a HIM I’ve looked up to as long as I’ve been doing this.  His consistency is unmatched.  When he’s here, he’s posting.  When he’s out of town, he’s running.  When he’s got a goal, he reaches it.  And whatever you need, he’s there.  I’m glad to have him in my corner, and look forward to continue not missing Mondays at the Sandlot.

It’s been an honor and a privilege having the opportunity to lead and grow with all of you.  Thanks.

Yabba Dabba Doo

12 Bootcampers & 2 Ruckers got after it on a Saturday morning at The Fighting Yank.  Lots of reps, not a lot of running, something about fish at Christmas and a photo op that went south in a hurry.  Here’s what I remember…

The Thang:

To the Bunker for the warmup.  We lost the ruckers already:

• 10 x SSH (IC)
• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• 10 x Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• 10 x Can Openers (IC)
• 10 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)
• 10 x Hello Dollies (IC)
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)

Anyone who really didn’t want to run was gone, so we took a quick mosey and ended up… right back where we started, at the Bunker.

• 15 x Superman Pullups (IC)
• 15 x American Hammers (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge R (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge L (IC)

YHC put on Christmas music, and we heard “Run Rudolph Run” twice in 3 songs, and an ad for tuna fish, which somehow turned into a Christmas Carol about tuna.

Lazy Dora

Partner Up – One PAX does called exercises, other does the called hold

• 100 x Apollo Ohnos / 6 inches
• 200 x Moroccan Nightclubs / Balls on the Ground (like a Merkin, you just don’t come back up)
• 300 x Toe Touches / Wall Sits

Enough of the Bunker, off we go.  In front of The Station for

• 20 x Dips (OYO)
• 20 x Step Ups (OYO – count each step)

Mosey on around back down Glenway to the big parking lot to watch guys on bikes take 30 minutes to do anything, while we got into round 2 of…

• 15 x Superman Pullups (IC)
• 15 x American Hammers (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge R (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge L (IC)

Back with your partners, one stays and performs called exercise, the other runs to the end of the long parking lot and back.  Switch when they get back and do same exercises.  Here’s the exercises picked…

• Perfect Form Merkins
• Reverse Lunges
• Boat Pose
• Repeato for a second cycle

Was so much fun, we had to do it twice.

Mosey past Jekyll & Hyde to Nellies for one last round of…

• 15 x Superman Pullups (IC)
• 15 x American Hammers (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge R (IC)
• 15 x Single Leg Glute Bridge L (IC)

Triple Nickel on the Weinke.  No time for all that.  Let’s just travel as a group and get done what we get done.

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

We started to mosey back down the street when our Nantan-elect ordered up a group photo.  11 PAX, shoulder-to-shoulder, all the way across the street, and a SUV looking for a way through, parked in the parallel spots trying to thread the needle by us, with a mail truck way off in the distance.  Sounds like a perfect time for YHC to call some monkey humpers.  Did about 3, but we needed to get out of the road.  Cars were trying to get by.  Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2023 SLT!

• Short Mosey
• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO – to the beat of Christmas Vacation)
• Short Mosey
• 5 x Burpees
• Short Mosey
• 30 x Flutter Kicks
• Short Mosey
• 5 x Burpees
• Short Mosey
• 30 x Monkey Humpers

Back to the Yank, arriving with the ruckers for COT.

Moleskin:

This was the first Bootcamp I’ve led in 3 months.  Glad to get back at it.  Thanks for the opportunity lead and get after it with a solid group of HIMs.

Yabba Dabba Doo

2022 is winding down, and we’re in the season to celebrate our victories, learn from our mistakes, and turn our attention to 2023.

We’re all going to have our individual goals, and a well thought out 8-block can help us all figure out what those are.  But as PAX in F3 Nation, we all have a 1st F focus.  We all aim to “Get Right” which often starts with fitness.  Those who are already “Living Right” will aim in 2023 to keep up and maintain the work they’ve put in.  Regardless of where we are individually, what matters is that we are accelerating our fitness.  There is no stasis.  We’re either accelerating or decelerating.

One of the most important things I’ve learned as a PAX in F3 Gastonia is the importance of consistency.  Dirt & Watts Up’s EC runs before bootcamps and Roscoe’s November Challenge to put in 25 workouts showed me how to push rocks, and I learned that the best things worth achieving don’t come quickly, but by being persistent and watching the transformation happen over time.

So here’s a 3 month Challenge.  It’s simple.

• For every post, you get 1 point
• For every pound you lose, you get 1 point
• For every time you attend Q-Source, you get 1 bonus point
• Get a minimum of 20 points each month, January through March

Those who complete the Pushing Rocks Challenge and get a minimum of 20 points every month will receive a patch commemorating their consistency.

If you post 4 times a week and attend Q-Source 3 of 4 weeks, and your weight stays the same, you should be fine to get your 20 points.  If you post twice a week and lose 12 pounds, you should be fine for one month.  Just don’t find those pounds the next month, or you’ll be in trouble, because

• For every pound you gain, you LOSE 1/2 a point

So there are many ways to get it done.  With some planning, you can find out what works best for you, and do it.

But you don’t have to stop at 20 points.  We know Seuss and Gearwrench won’t.  As men who are fitness focused, we can get a little competitive, so we will keep a leaderboard of who accumulates the most points for the month.  If you post a lot, cut a bunch of weight, and come to all 4 Q-Sources, you can put up a lot of points, and bragging rights in the region.

Speaking of our region and competition, one of the major things that makes our region unique is our territorial size and the subregions that exist within F3 Gastonia.  We’ve got Folsom guys and PainLabbers, Pub Runners and guys who only ever go to Mt. Hollywood.  And we know that as hard as we work for ourselves, we work that much harder for the man working next to us.  So we’re going to turn this into a team competition.

When you sign up for the challenge, you’ll be asked to choose an AO to represent.  Your options will be:

• Folsom
• Midoriyama
• Gashouse/PainLab
• The Fighting Yank
• Mt. Hollywood

Once we have the full list of PAX who are up for the challenge, we will form teams of 4-10 PAX who will compete against one another.  As part of the team competition, we will be tracking:

• Total Points (per PAX if teams are uneven)
• Percentage of PAX who reach 20 points for the month

If your team accumulates a lot of points AND everyone hits their 20 points, you will have a good chance at winning.

The team prize will be the honor and privilege to lead the 2nd Quarter Convergence at your chosen site.

So while we will have Folsom competing against Mt. Hollywood, we will also have Folsom competing against Folsom, as there will be AOs with enough participating PAX that they will have more than 1 team.

So what will you need to do to be part of the challenge?

• Sign-up – Please sign up by Christmas Day so I can make teams the following week and have things ready to go on New Years Day. (Sign-up Form on Google coming soon)
• Send me your weight on December 31st.  This is on the honor system, and will be entered on a spreadsheet that all participants in the challenge can see.  If you lie about your weight, prepare to be called out.
• Commit to getting 20 points per month, however you’ve got to do it.
• Commit to supporting your teammates and really all the PAX in the region.
• Spread the word, and EH your fellow PAX to join in.  The goal is to encourage acceleration across the region.

There will be other details that need to be figured out (weekly weigh-ins for more immediate accountability and leaderboard updates?, how do we get guys involved who join in late?, and other things I’m sure I haven’t thought of), so be patient as we figure things out.  That said, if you foresee any issues or see a way to troubleshoot a problem, please send it along.

Keep on Pushing the Rock.

Yabba Dabba Doo

5 F3 Gastonia PAX didn’t do the Chad 1000, but threw kettlebells around instead.  We all still went to the same place for Coffeeteria afterwards, so it all ended the same way.  Here’s what I remember…

Whoopee led some things and train and whatnot

Quick walking bonus warmup:

• 10 x Don Q’s (IC)
• Half Lap
• 10 x Gravel Pickers (IC)
• Half Lap
• 10 x Imperial Walkers (IC)
• Half Lap
• 10 x Air Presses (IC)
• Half Lap
• 10 x Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• Half Lap
• 10 x 1-armed Seal Claps (IC)

To the step up steps for

• 10 x Dips (OYO)
• 10 x Bulgarian Split Squats R (OYO)
• 10 x Bulgarian Split Squats L (OYO)
• 10 x Step Ups (OYO)

Back to the bells for

• 15 x Sumo High Pulls (OYO)
• 15 x Squeezes (OYO)
  • Basically a standing forward chest press while squeezing the kettlebell as hard as you can
• 15 x American Hammers (OYO)
• 15 x Tricep Extensions (OYO)
• 15 x KB Swings (OYO)

Lazy Dora

• 100 x Merkins / 6 Inches
• 200 x Dying Cockroaches / Plank
• 300 x Jump Ropes (or Calf Raises) / Al Gore

Mary & Ab work

Back to the bells for

• 20 x Sumo High Pulls (OYO)
• 20 x Squeezes (OYO)
  • Basically a standing forward chest press while squeezing the kettlebell as hard as you can
• 20 x American Hammers (OYO)
• 20 x Tricep Extensions (OYO)
• 20 x KB Swings (OYO)

To the step up steps for

• 15 x Dips (OYO)
• 15 x Bulgarian Split Squats R (OYO)
• 15 x Bulgarian Split Squats L (OYO)
• 15 x Step Ups (OYO)

Partner

• 40 x Around the world (OYO – 20 each way) / Jump Rope (or LBC)
• 40x Halos (OYO – 20 each way) / Jump Rope (or LBC)

Back to the bells for

• 25 x Sumo High Pulls (OYO)
• 25 x Squeezes (OYO)
  • Basically a standing forward chest press while squeezing the kettlebell as hard as you can
• 25 x American Hammers (OYO)
• 25 x Tricep Extensions (OYO)
• 25 x KB Swings (OYO)

Mary – Round 2

Time

Enjoyed it

Yabba Dabba Doo

3 PAX EH’d each other and set out in the Gloom to retrace some steps and stumble on connections they didn’t know existed.  Here’s what I remember:

Runners ran

Sammich stayed for

• 10 x Upright Rows (IC)
• 10 x American Hammers (IC)
• 10 x Chest Presses (IC)
• 10 x Double Crunches (IC)
• 10 x Chest Presses (IC)
• 10 x Flutter Kicks (IC)
• 10 x Upright Rows (IC)

And off we went into the wild woods of Huntington Forest where we found not 1, but 2 former Schultz residences, one of which a young Flintstone visited at an open house, but was too late to make an offer on.  We both had nothing but fond memories of that cozy little ranch house.

Announcements and Prayer Requests with Oompa

Can’t beat Diablo, especially when Linus and Bandit are involved.  Great times as always.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo