Tag: The Fighting Yank (Page 4 of 18)

When BOS asked me to to Q the Yank, I gladly accepted. I told him put me down for Valentine’s Day weekend and I’d probably come up with a Q somehow related to love. Well, I didn’t. Anyone who has spent time on the local Slack channel or follow our local PAX on Twitter has likely come across Tesla talking about buttermilk. Frankly, I have no idea why he does it and I don’t know what it really means….. buuuuut I admit I sorta like it. So, since The Yank is Tesla’s stomping ground, I set out to create a buttermilk WOD…Ode to Buttermilk. The rain and cold was abundant this dreary February morning. Considering that and the Extinction Run later that morning, it was a rather easy (and popular) decision to spend the entire workout in the nice dry picnic shelter overlooking Stowe Park. 13 men posted to take a sip of the nectar of the churn. I appreciate Big Pappy, MW, and Oompa making their way across the county to join me today. Tesla was not there but buttermilk was served in his honor.

Warmup:

Jailbreak to the shelter. A quick round of Toy Soldiers and Grass Pickers.

Thang:

Each exercise is 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. We did 4 sets of each exercise with 1 set of burpees between each letter.

B – Burpees
U – Up and Down (squats)
T – Mike Tysons
T – Tricep Dips
E – Elbow to Knee Crunch
R – Rosalitas (I tried to do Sandy Vs…Q fail)
M – Merkins
I – Incline Planche Merkins
L – Lunges
K – Kickstarters (we really did Big Boy Situps but I encouraged everyone to do add the extra leg kick in honor of Def Leppard)

That pretty much filled the whole hour. I sprinkled in some factoids about buttermilk along the way so that everyone better understood the greatness of this -uh- wonderful drink. Here are a few.
– Buttermilk doesn’t contain butter, it is actually the milk leftover after churning butter.
– Therefore, it has less fat that regular milk
– Most buttermilk in stores is made using bacteria cultures and is not a butter byproduct. Who knew buttermilk was cultured?
– Buttermilk stays fresh longer than regular milk. Insert freshness jokes here.
– It provides all macronutrients needed. You can survive on buttermilk.

Prayer requests: Stogie and is dad, Sister Act and family, Breaker’s wife, Sarah Guy and family (transplant), MW’s grandma, praise for Catamount being able to return to work (and continued prayers), Sprinkler. YHC took us out in prayer.

I appreciate the opportunity to lead. I think I brought a solid effort from a 1st F perspective and I hope everyone got some chuckles along the way. I need the bodyweight stuff to supplement the running I’ve been doing so, selfishly, I needed that type of workout anyway! Props to BOS for putting together the Extinction Run. It was a great event and I’m glad I was able to hang around for some running and 2nd F afterward!

• Montross

Been a cold, wet, bone chilling couple of weeks for the pax of late. It’s February. Pretty much what February is all about. The longest four months of the year. No surprise to find out numbers are down.  Had three at The Goat Thursday. it was ugly. but often times winning ugly is what it is all about. So YHC poured the buttermilk. started with a 5;45 am pre ruck with several pax then we got down to the REAL biz of the day:

COP:

SS – Burpees X 5

IWs X 20

Cotton Pickers X 20

Grapevines

Nolan Ryans X 10 each side

Mosey to the top of Heartbreak Hill for some halfpipes in the muck.

Top – Plank jacks X 5

Bottom – Burpees X 5

top – Butt to the street MHs

Repeat 2X , stay on the street when you’re up there.

Mosey over Hawthorne Hill for some KILLER Blimps! (as in Blimps, not Blimp)

P1 – Run to the top of the hill @ 200 yards.

P2 – do the called work.

B – Burpees

L- Lunges

I – IWs

M – Merkins

P- Plank jacks

S – Squats

Hill was tough today! I wanted to call it at BLIMP. But we showed up for BLIMPS! So we did it. All of it.

Mosey back to the park and up the hill. Guess. What. That. Means? Why ELSE would we come here in the 4th quarter of a workout. If your guess is bear Crawl Slalom, you win the prize! So we did do this thing – in the frozen muck. it was pretty epic. Everyone got two turns. After this, mosey down to the Yank to wrap up with a pledge and COT.

NMM:

14 strong willed pax showed up today and did the work. Want to shout out to Liono who really put it out there today. Appreciate the positive feedback on the Q while we were doing BLIMPS. You got a Q who pushes you and you’re out there for that let him know! We ‘re not out here in freezing conditions (which YHC actually likes) to just go through the motions. We’re here to get better and that takes effort. Pax responded well. EC Ruck was good to. 5 pax on that jaunt.

Great prayers today and mostly for praises! Especially for Slim Shady. His health is good. I was a little concerned about that. Glad he’s OK. Obviously we have divided nation that needs some leadership on a day to day local basis. Boys, that’s us!

Enjoyed leading this group.

Tesla out.

13 brave souls came out for some fortune telling fitness. What’s that you say? It’s taking fortune teller origami and converting into a workout. Yea, definitely didn’t think through working fingers in 28 degree weather so definitely plan on bringing it back in summer with a few tweaks. We got the shake and bake going with 25 SSH, 5 burpees, 3X with morrocon night clubs sprinkled in as well. We mosied around to the Belmont Middle School wall for some 30 second wall sits and 10 Merkins. We made our way to the shelter for the fortune telling to begin.

THE TWO FORTUNE TELLER ORIGAMIs- set of exercises (jump Squats, Shoulder Taps, Hammer Curls, Smerkins – slow merkins) and lower reps (10,20,30,40) and set of exercises (Dying Cockroaches, Plank Jacks, Werkins, Monkey Humpers) with higher reps(15,25,35,50). On the outside, one fortune teller had names of F3 Sites – Folsom, Storm, Yank, Goat and the other had some acronyms/terms of F3 – SYITG, Clown, QSource, Lexicon. We ran laps after every 2-3 pulls, rotating between indian runs, karaoke and nervs.

Once we did all cards, we moseyed over for some shady stretching, balls to the wall right foot to ground right hand, switch, hold and then head back to the yank.

We mosied our way back to Yank landing zone and did some final minutes of Mary then 1 minute of Burpees. We did the pledge and gathered prayers in the circle. Many shared around healing of COVID or prayers for those dealing with loss – let’s continue to be there for each and everyone!!!

The fortune telling was not accurate, it was brutal at times but hopefully sharpened each HIM to know there’s only one in control of their fortune and that’s God. Know him and seek his plan for you, Shady OUT!

Pilgrims Promise was rallying troops at Bottom’s Up prior evening, so YHC expected big turnout.  Pax did not disappoint.

Pledge.

Cross street for warm up, SSH, toy soldiers, cotton pickers, all 10x IC.  Mosey to Hawthorne Hill.

Triple nickel, 5 hand release merkins at top, 5 squat press at bottom.  Good start on cold morning.  Mosey back to main street and up hill to crossing of Main and Central.  On to First Pres parking lot.  Partner up for modified DORA.  Instead of calling number of reps, we AMRAP called exercise while partner runs to end of parking lot and back.  Exercises were hand release merkins, lbc, merkins, crunchy frogs, werkins, American hammer,  mike tysons, frddy mercs .  Good work.  Mosey down central ave.

Stop in front of First Baptist at wall.  Step ups – 10 each leg and 20 suspension merkins.  Three rounds.  Mosey to turd shack.

At turd shack, 10 hip slappers count one side, 1 min wall sit.  Three rounds.  Mosey to Yank, 10 derkins.  Time.

Moleskin:  YHC been reading a book by Trevor Mowad titled It Take What It Takes.  Last couple of days of discussed how negativity impacts life in such a greater degree than positive messages.  Negative thoughts and negative self-talk is really difficult to overcome.  Also tears down others much more quickly than positive builds.  Think about it.

Announcements: Extinction Run 2/13 – sign up even if not running so restaurant will know how to prepare, blood drive by Oneblood at First Presbyterian Belmont Tuesday 2/02 from 2-6, new Qsource option after the Yank at Cherubs

Prayer requests: Slim Shady, Nutria friend Pat, El Tigre co-worker, another Pax Sprinkler

YHC took us out

Always an honor

Tiger

Well I got there early did a couple miles and the next thing I know it has to be an 8 min. pace to get back at exactly 7.00 am. The great statement comes lets Mosey… we ran for 10 minutes doing some exercises to keep loose. 10 min. later had over a mile and headed to the Pit for some Figure 8

2 exercises at each corner 8x do each one 8 sets. Each time you cross diagonal you add a burpee. Everyone had two bricks to carry on all exercises.

• Corners: Merkins and Werkins 8x each
• Corner: Freddy Merks and LBC
• Corner: Shoulder Press and Rocking Knights
• Corner: Starjacks and Little Gumby in the woods
• Lots of Burpees.

We finished this and went to Hawthorne Hill did 50 in cadence leg flutters ran to the top and tiger called 30 leg flutters. Then we basically Mosied some back to the yank. Ended up with over 4 miles and a lot of people saying dang termite! Must have done my job… out

Well today is YHC’s 53rd birthday and have been looking forward to Qing it for a couple of weeks. YHC wanted to make sure the number 53 was well represented throughout the workout and spent some time developing a Wienke that would be challenging. However, Friday morning was the first of a few soft launches of a Friday morning AO in Belmont and Tiger put on a pretty good beatdown. Later that afternoon at Bottom’s Up, the group was telling Pilgrim’s Progress, who fart sacked that morning, the level of the beatdown. He looked at YHC and said since Tiger had a strong beatdown, your Saturday B-day Q may be light. Wrong thing to say to YHC, so when YHC got home, changed the Wienke up and gave it little more heat!

After a 3.5 mile EC ruck, it was time to celebrate!

Disclaimer – no FNGs so you know what to expect

Mosey to the pavilion in Stowe Park for Warm-up

• SSH x 53 I/C
• LBCs x 53 OYO
• Mountain Climbers x 53 OYO
• Merkins x 53 OYO
• Moroccan KCs x 53 OYO
• 10 Burpees

The Thang:

Mosey to Myrtle St

Nur up the hill and 5 Squats @ each of the 10 telephone poles = 50 squats, do 3 more to make 53.

10 burpees

Mosey to Hawthorn Hill

Triple Nickel

5 merkins + 1 Burpee, run to top (about .15 mile up hill) , 5 monkey jumpers + 1 burpee (5 reps with 3 exercises = 53)

Mosey to Airline St along train track

Zombie Walk x 53

10 burpees

Mosey back to Stowe Park and circle around the water fountain for some core work

Round 1

• LBC x 20 IC
• American Hammers x 20 IC
• Flutter Kicks x 20 IC
• 5 Burpees

Round 2

• LBC x 15 IC
• American Hammers x 15 IC
• Flutter Kicks x 15 IC
• 5 Burpees

Round 3

• LBC x 10 IC
• American Hammers x 10 IC
• Flutter Kicks x 10 IC
• 3 Burpees to finish out a total of 53 burpees for the birthday

Circle up around The Fighting Yank for COT

The Pledge

Announcements

Prayer Request

• Friend of Nutria’s family with cancer
• TickTok from Race City region, wife passing away
• DoubleTrouble – F3 Charlotte on ventilator
• YHC’s niece with COVID19

YHC shared from a recent devotion on Leadership

What hard choices are you facing today? Every leader has them. Anyone can make easy choices when resources are plentiful, harmony and unity exist, and everything is going as planned. It’s when difficulties erupt that Christ-like leaders and godly wisdom are needed most. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help us discern right from wrong and show us the way to go. Where do you need the Spirit’s guidance today?

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”—John 14:16

Thank you all for allowing me to lead. It was definitely an honor!

Breaker Breaker

Great small group of 6 HIMs gathered to stomp on 2020 and pump up 2021. We got things rolling with 21 SSH and the 20 SSH. 3 burpees in between – Father Son Holy Spirit. We had a special drive by bike guest strike up some mumble chatter and we pushed him to join, as it started to drive a loss of focus and drive, dint believe explanation given on burpees since mumble chatter created some confusion within the Q. Audible led to mosey to the spot. We did a lap around the track and made our way to the shelter. I introduced two mini decks of cards and laid out the instructions/rules, creating a life bridge that if nothing else 2020 taught us that our deck of cards could easily and quickly change, you could have been in a good place then COVID HAPPENED or you could have been in a bad spot and somehow through God’s grace been blessed after COVID.

THE TWO DECKS – good deck ( low cards/reps) and bad deck ( higher cards/reps). Jokers placed in each deck and when pulled, switches to other deck. After each HIM pulled a card, the exercise and rep amount would be done. After 4, we’d do a lap around the track in Indian, karaoke, backward forms.

Ace – American Hammers, 21
King – Werkins, 13
Queen – leg lifts, 12

Jack – plank jacks, 11

Spades – jump squats (deck 1) , calf raises (deck 2)

Hearts – LBCs, dying cockroaches

Diamonds – merkins,derkins

Clubs – mountain climbers, Peter parkers

Once we did all cards, we moseyed over for some shady stretching, balls to the wall right foot to ground right hand, switch, hold and then head back to the yank.

to cap off the cards Dealt for the day we ended with 22 burpees – 21 for the year plus one to show we’re overcomers no matter what comes our way. And we did it through the fellowship we have in the circle where we ended with the pledge and prayers.

December 26th + 19 degrees + 14 HIM = a good time had by all. Driving into Belmont I was looking through the hole in my windshield the defroster had cleared for me. Knowing Tiger and Breaker were out for an early ruck, and Dirt was probably continuing his running streak I kept my eyes open for these early birds on the road.
The Pax began to grow as we reached 0700 so we were off after a quick disclaimer YHC mentioned it was time to return some gifts. It went something like this…

Warm-Up
Side Straddle Hop x 20 IC
Frozen Grass Pickers x 20 IC

Mosey up Main Street, Right turn at Nellies, Right turn at Jekyll & Hyde to the parking lot across the street from the barber shop.
The Gift Return:
With 10 “Gifts” listed on the board the first gift was revealed, completed and then followed by a run around the block. Each trip around the block was 1/4 mile. First one back reveals the next exercise.
Gift #1 = 100 LBC
Run
Gift #2 = 90 Squats
Run
Gift #3 = 80 Dips
Run
Gift #4 = 70 Lunges (single count) YHC did not specify!
Run
Gift #5 = 60 Merkins
Run
Gift #6 = 50 Monkey Humpers
Run
Gift #7 = 40 Shoulder Taps (each shoulder) YHC did specify!
Run
Gift #8 = 30 Step Ups (each leg) YHC did specify!
Run
Gift #9 = 20 Burpees
Run
Gift #10 = Three options were given by YHC and only one was expected, but of course these guys being the rock pushers they are, did all three.
V-Ups x 10
Goof Balls x 10
American Hammers x 10
The speedsters who finished first didn’t want to get cold so they chose to make up the Lunges they avoided earlier. (see Gift #4)
With a fellowship mosey back to the Fighting Yank it was all the time we had.

Announcements:
1/1/21 – F3 10 Year Convergence – (Metro) AG Middle school
1/1/21 – Ruck/ Run 10 Miler. Staggered start to finish by 0800. @Coconut Horse
1/9/21 – F3 Gastonia Convergence – @Folsom

Prayers:
Tiger – Continued healing for his hand.
OrangeMans Family – Daughter recovering from surgery.
Flintstone – Covid Quarantine

YHC was impressed but not surprised at the number of PAX that came out this morning. If anything like me they overate Christmas day and needed to burn some of it off. We warmed up quick and stayed warm throughout the entire time. If you stayed home because of the temp this morning you missed a good time.

Good Stuff!
BOS

It was a great day to turn 38, with a strong crowd of 22 including a FNG (Sweetheart) and a visitor for the occasion in from Shelby (Latte) for a birthday event with singing but no cake.

The Thang:

• 38 x Goofballs (IC)

Seemed the most logical way to start a birthday beatdown.  Then to the pavilion, which had chairs set up, either for YHC’s birthday, or an event the night before.

• 10 Burpees (OYO)
• 10 Toe Touches (IC)

Up the hill to the picnic area for

• 10 Dips (IC)
• 10 Decline Peter Parkers (IC)

To the track for

• 10 Mike Tysons (IC)

Then back down the side of the hill by the park bathrooms for

• 10 Freddie Mercuries (IC)

The push of the PAX is one of the best things about F3, so the workout today was designed to be a partner workout where both partners complete separate parts of the workout, then come together for combined exercises before switching the workouts.  It went something like this:

1. Dora 1-2-3
2. PT Test 100 Round OR Elevens
3. 400 Combined Flutter Kicks
4. Elevens OR PT Test 100 Round
5. 400 Combined MNC

Dora:

• 100 American Hammers
• 200 Seal Jacks
• 300 Dying Cockroaches

PT Test 100 Round:

• Run 1 Lap
• 100 Merkins
• 100 LBCs
• 100 Squats
• 100 SSH
• Run 1 Lap

Same Rules as PT Test in that you can’t move on until you’ve completed all 100 exercises.  No splitting it up

Elevens:

• Pavilion: 1 Burpee & 1 Toe Touch
• Picnic Area: 10 Dips & 10 Decline Peter Parkers

Well by the time YHC had finished the opening monologue of instructions to get this workout in motion, we were almost 20 minutes in.  Everything quickly became double count, and we got in what we could.  All groups finished Dora, first workout, 400 flutter kicks, and were into the 2nd workout when time got short and we headed back to the Pavilion for COT.

Still waiting on the day when 100 Merkins feels easy.  MHC enrollment was up as a result of this workout.  The Hill on the Elevens had things at a crawl for the second group.

YHC apologized for talking too much.  The PAX said they wished there was even more talking.  Anyways, was a different way to lead a workout, and I think I’d try it again, maybe next time with a few fewer instructions.  I’d like to see how it’d turn out if given enough time.

To kick off the COT, the PAX broke into song, with a surprisingly on-key rendition of “Happy Birthday”.  These were not the same men who bellowed “The 12 Days of Christmas” at the Yank last week, that’s for sure.  The official F3 Gastonia Choral Director must have put in some work over the week.

Announcements:

• BOS thanked everyone who participated in the Food Ruck and in donating cans
• Convergence 1/9 @ Folsom in place of the Christmas Party
• 10 miles from Coconut Horse on 1/1.

Prayer Requests:

• Tiger’s hand
• Orangeman’s daughter
• Sister Act’s upcoming surgery
• Slim Shady’s dad with chest pains
• Norwood’s friend and wife dealing with separation
• All those with COVID concerns

We welcomed Sweetheart to the group, as he mentioned marrying his “high school sweetheart” during the naming.  He wasn’t warned.  We look forward to seeing him back in the Gloom.

Always a privilege to lead, and this one meant a little extra with the birthday thrown in.  Also, thanks to Latte for making the drive down from Shelby.  He came out to the Shelby convergence and has been putting in work up there.  I’ll have to make a return trip to the Powderhorn to return the favor.

Still no sign of the cake.  I guess we will have to wait until next year.

Yabba Dabba Doo

It was a perfect morning to push the rock and with it being the holiday season YHC wanted to make things a little festive. 22 HIMs filled the sidewalk at The Fighting Yank so when time came, this is what happened.

Disclaimer

Pledge of Allegiance

Warmup: Goofballs, Don Quixote, Lego Picker Uppers (slight naming variation of the old standby)

YHC dipped into the luxury sedan to pick up the tunes. And we’re off.

Mosey over to the road beside the railroad tracks for a Route 66 of Jingle Balls. Look it up, great exercise for high reps, especially when bear crawling from parking line to parking line, which we did.

Wait for the 6 to arrive and then mosey down to the Pit for the Thang.

12 Days of Christmas with Sargento’s Christmas playlist. It was lit!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Singing was required and the PAX obliged.

1 Burpee (stupid burpees)

2 Sumo Squats

3 WWI Sit Ups

4 Merkins (from the president of the MHC no less)

5 Bobby Hurleys

6 V-Ups

7 CDDs

8 Squats

9 LBCs

10 Dips (on flat ground, oh well…)

11 Lunges each leg

12 Shoulder Taps each shoulder

This was a great routine with plenty of mumblechatter but it didn’t take too awfully long so we moseyed up the road to the shopping district of Belmont.

At YHC’s direction the PAX would stop and do 10 Derkins and 10 Monkey Humpers. We did this up the sidewalk, crossed over and back down for a total of 6 stops.

Mosey back to the Pit for another round of the 12 Days of Christmas except in reverse. It was fun and the PAX got it’s money’s worth for sure!

Fellowship mosey up to the parking lot outside of the jailhouse for a few minutes of Mary and we’re done! Way to push men, Merry Christmas!!!

Announcements: Salvation Army bell ringing (call Sargento), Convergence January 9, Ruck for Cans EC before all workouts next Saturday at 5:30.

Prayer Requests: Tiger & family, Easy Rider, Double Stuf, Orangeman’s daughter’s surgery, end of semester exams for students, family of and community for Mt Holly Police Office Herndon’s passing