Donkeys, Monkeys and Scorpions

15 fit dudes and on the other end of the spectrum … YHC on Q

This will hurt me more than it hurts you …

Mosey and circle up
Imperial Walker x 15 IC
LBC x 15 IC
Side SH x 15 IC
Shoulder Taps x 15 IC
HB Walker x 15 IC
Dying Cockroach x 15 IC
Overhead Claps x 30 or so IC
Travolta x 15 IC
Low SS x 15
Freddie x 15 IC
Windmill x 10 IC
HR Merkins x 10

Mosey to the grass
Makhtar N Diayes x 10 IC
Kneetar N Diayes x 10 IC

Mosey back to the big lot for suicides
Donkey K x 10
Donkey K x 10, Monkey H x 10
Donkey K x 10, Monkey H x 10, Scorpion DD x 10
then
Hand Touch Squats x 10
Hand Touch Squats x 10, HR Merkins x 10
Hand Touch Squats x 10, HR Merkins x 10, OH Claps x 10 IC

Line up on the end of the lot, exercise across the lot, stationary exercise, across and back
Squat Walkers, Carolina DD x 10 IC
Windmill Walkers, OH Claps x 20 or so IC
Karaoke L, Scorpion DD x 10 IC
Karaoke R, Morrocan NC x 15 or so IC
Toy Soldier, Shoulder Tap x 10 IC
Soccer Knees Out, OH Claps x 20 IC
Power Skip, Travolta x 10 IC
Bear Crawl, Morroccan NC x 15 or so IC

This again … suicides
Donkey K x 10
Donkey K x 10, Monkey H x 10
Donkey K x 10, Monkey H x 10, 10 x Scorpion DD

Calf Raises, 15 forward, 15 toes in, 15 toes out

To the grass for Jack Webb to 7 x 28

Back to COT

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

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Joint Operation Command – The JOC – time for revival and invigoration of leadership!

34 Men at the JOC

Was so cool to see two regions come together as originally planned for The JOC. Kenyan has been working hard to attract the PAX from both regions to this awesome AO and today it happened.

I want to thank Kenyan for the opportunity to Q and I am humbled for the call. I want to thank Pusher and DOuble D for accepting the invite to Co-Q with me and making the 3 headed monster complete. The compliants about it being a moderate site were outstanding…..Thank you! I want to thank all the PAX for posting this morning and you all have choices and I don’t take it lightly that you chose to post at The JOC. T-clapps to Lake Wylie PAX for posting and making the trek….much appreciated. Way to go FNG Steve – aka Bluto for posting. That was no easy task for 1st Timer and you did awesome!!

The Thang:

Cake Boss intro and disclaimer and them off to Soccer field lot

  • COP
    • Plank
    • Merkins
    • SIde Straddle HOps
    • LBCs
    • Plank
    • Wide Arm Merkins
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Freddy Murcurys
    • Plank
    • Peter Parkers
    • Moracan Night CLubs
    • Squats
    • Hello Dollys
    • Plank
    • Parker Peters
  • Mosey to end of lot
    • High Knees half way then mosey to end
    • BUtt kickers half way then mosey to end

Hand off to Pusher

  • 5 Burpees
  • Mosey 100 yards or so
  • 4 Burpees
  • Mosey 100 yards or so
  • 3 burpees
  • Mosey 100 yards or so
  • 2 burpees
  • Mosey 100 yards or so
  • 1 burpees
  • I think we did exercises after running but who knows…..people we dying and I pulled my hip flexor, but it was all getting us better!!!

Hand off to Double D

  • 6 Burpees
  • Bearcrawl/backward bearcrawl at each light change
  • 7 Burpees
  • lunge/backward lunge at each light change
  • 8 burpees
  • Mosey
  • 9 burpees
  • Sprint
  • 10 burpees
  • Again  we did exercises after running but who knows…i was seeing the Saints in the clouds

COT

Great time was had by all. Kenyan has solid Q list of guys to pull into the JOC Q rotation. Read your newsletters!!

Steve FNG – Bluto owns or runs the Amor Artis brewery on main street n Ft Mill. Go hit him up but more importantly……get him to post and get better each day!

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Power

It was great to post with 6 Pax from the Rock and the Fort today. The mumble chatter and fellowship were amazing. With the recent ascension of Destiny’s mother, it was an emotional morning for all of us. Please continue to keep his family in your prayers.

The Thang

Mosey to the next parking lot for broga

Mosey toward the BMX building

COP: SSH (30x), Merkins (15x), IW (20x), WM (15x), Sumo Squats (15x), LBCs (15x), 

Mosey to the hill for Jacob’s Ladder with Merkins at the top, Squats at the bottom 7x

Mosey to the next parking lot

Pyramid Drill: At each station/corner, do Merkins, LBCs and Bomb Jacks in increments of 5 until we hit 15 repetitions then countdown to 5 as a group. Run to each station.

Mosey to the parking lot near COT for Ab Lab: One Downs Two Ups (15x), Dying Cockroaches(15x)

Mosey to COT for broga

Moleskin:

God has invested power in each of us. An example of God’s invested power in man is when Peter healed the lame beggar in Acts 3. To make this miracle happen, Peter had to build a relationship with God, hear God’s calling and execute an act of obedience.

Do you know what spiritual gift God gave you? If so, what are you doing with your power?

We may not be miracle makers. However, sometimes your obedience can help God’s victory.

 

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Did Not Learn from Quagmire’s Terrible Idea

A complete disclaimer was verbalized this time

Moseyed to somewhere in the massive school parking lot – High knees, butt-kickers, Toy Soldiers and Hip stretch thing a ma bobs.

Circled up for IW, HW, Morrocan NC, Plank/Down dog/Honeymooner, low slow squats, various stretches and slow/old-man/windmills.

Moseyed to the back toward the school where the bad ideas were repeated from yesterday – probably as a result of being a slug for sometime. We did several rounds of 7’s between the curbs,  interrupted by planks  Rd 1 – Mode: Bearcrawl, Peter Parkers and Parker Peters. Rd 2 – Mode: Lungewalk, Calf-raises and Squats. Rd 3 – Mode: Hop, Monkey-humpers and Bomb Jacks.
Moseyed to the back of the school for People’s chair and Donkey Webbs. After the previous bad ideas Donkey Webbs were still a bad idea. We stopped early.

Moseyed to benches on the side of the school – with several rounds of step – ups, dips, werkins and derkins. Slow-moseyed 10 ft. for a good round of Mary. We closed with somemore stretching before slow-moseyed the final 10 ft. to the COT.

COT: Prayers for families, and health issues. Praises for safe travels and M’s.  Praises for work and wedding anniversaries.
The word for May is mentorship. We saw examples this morning – young men, mentored by fathers and friends holding friends accountable. Pastor Tony Evans has a quote – “We are born male, but we choose to be men”. Maxim #3 in “Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men”: is “Manly Men, build Manly men.”
Thank you Short Sale  for getting me out of bed with the opportunity to Q. It is always an honor. Tater.

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Light Pole Circuits & POW POW @ The Ballroom

***Cobains now for the 2 PAX that I missed.   You weren’t in the video and my memory “ain’t what is used to be”.

Weather was near perfect for a “Pearls on a String”- inspired workout.  Dropped the disclaimer, checked for FNGs and we were off.

Circle Up for 10 of each :

SSH

Squats

Windmill

Stretches:

Downward Dog  to Honeymooner  x 3

Runner’s Pose

Warrior Pose

Grass Grabber/Cherry Picker (neither of which are in the F3 exercises, so I am sure this is officially called something else)

Imperial Walker

Mosey to side of the school.

Rotate 20 dips / Wall Sit  – Rinse & Repeat

Run out to end of bridge and back

Stretching with :

Cat Pose (which cracked Spitz up, Big Time! Nice of him and Lug Nut to join us ! )

Hip Stretches

Mosey to light pole closest to Pleasant Rd. , Start exercises there and run to next light. As a PAX, 20 reps each, various PAX leading the count

Merkins

Slow Squat (although I think it was led at a fast pace)

American Hammer

Shoulder Tap

Lunge

Grave Diggers

Wide Arm Merkins

Calf Raises (Kenyan nearly counted us to 50 on this one!)

Flutters

Monkey Humpers

Overhead Claps

Moroccan Night Clubs

Turn around and head back down the string of lights

OH Claps

Monkey Humpers

Flutters

Calf Raises (Seriously, we had to call off Kenyan on this one. I think he was going to 100!!!   Pretty cool that we had a semi-BOM group on this one)

Wide Arm Merkins

Grave Diggers

Several exercises for 5 minutes of Mary and we ended with Airborne’s brutal hip circuit, led and strongly advocated for by Change Order!

 

I asked the PAX to take a look at themselves and determine where they could GROW (theme of the month), relative to one of the three F’s.  Also cautioned them (& myself) against tending to one of the F’s too much, this neglecting the other 2.

Ended in COT, with multiple praise & prayers. Thank you, Short Sale for the opportunity. Always humbled to lead such a group of strong leaders. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t forget, GIVE IT AWAY. Someone else needs it as much – or WORSE – than you did!

 

SYITG –

Beacon

 

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The Workout!   16 Boot Campers and 2 Runners

After a lengthy disclaimer, we began the workout with a warm up –

  • 20 LSS
  • 25 SSH
  • 10 Merkins
  • 15 Seal Jacks
  • 10 WAMs

Mosey across 160 and down to McAllisters.  Here we took a break to talk about committing to a word of the year!

Dora #1

With partner run up stairs, across top of building, back down stairs and execute

  • 150 Merkins
  • 200 LSS
  • 300 Gas Pumpers

Dora #2 

Same running pattern with

  • 100 calf raises
  • 200 SSH
  • 300 LBC

A wee bit of stretching with a mosey back to COT.  This was perhaps a bit more than a “moderate,” but the admonition to moderate was liberally announced.  Good work by all and I think Maximus had worked up a sweat by close.

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Burpees at Slow Burn

It was a dark and cold Thursday night. I was about to retire to my study when Steve Jobs spoke to me. Well, one of his inventions did. It was Destiny reaching out. He was getting a Unicorn Tramp Stamp tattoo either removed or placed on his back early the next morning and wouldn’t be able to Q Slow Burn.  He needed a substi-Q. Would I be that guy? Could I be that guy? I impulsively said YES.  With time running short and my bedtime quickly approaching I set about writing a winkie. After several visits to the exicon, and some advice from Punch List (thanks, Buddy) things were set and I waited for 0515 to get here.

8 of us assembled in the Chick-fil-A parking lot, at 0515 the disclaimer was disclaimed and off we moseyed down the hill towards Persis. High Knees, Butt Kickers, L/R shuffle. Cirlcle up for a round of SSH, windmills, overhead claps, low slow squats and 5 burpees OYO.  Now that we were  warm, the fun began.

The Thang:

Pax wall sit while first guy in line does 3 burpees, continue until everyone has done burpees. Mosey to guard rail near Lowes, Jacobs Ladder of 10 dips, 1 burpee (mumble Chatter).

After we completed the ladder we took up a mosey to the parking lot left of Lowes.  (b)L.I.M.P.S we did plenty of burpees earlier. 10 Lunges 15 Imperial walkers(I.C.), 20 Merkins, 25 Plank Jacks (I.C.), 30 squats. Bolt 45’s followed, 15 squats 1/2 down, 15 squats 1/2 to bottom, 15 full squats. Partner up, 100 merkins, 100 LBC, 100 squats. Partner 1 does exercise while partner 2 moves from traffic island to traffic island. Pax cant walk or run.  Saw bear crawls, crab walks, lunges, broad jumps and sever other creative ways to travel the distance.

Short mosey behind Lowes for more group wall sits. First Pax runs to guard rail 15-20yrds does 6-10 Carolina dry docks then back to the wall for a sit until everyone had gone. Time flies when you are having fun. Mosey back to COT for a few minutes of Mary. Count-o-rama, Name-o-rama, prayers and praises, ball of man

Thank you for this opportunity to Lead

 

Dirty Harry out

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Keeping Warm at The Yard

It was a rather cold morning as the PAX gathered. I was a little worried the cold temps would keep the numbers down but 8 other PAX (plus 2 shorties that might or might not had a choice) showed up ready to work. So after a short disclaimer we moseyed around back. Since it was cold I decided we do a little extended mosey with some stops for exercises. Unfortunately they were doing HVAC work on the school and we had to dodge several work trucks. So quick change of plans to get out of the traffic had us move to the back of the middle school.

Deconstructed burpee ladder: Jump squats, merkins, and thrusters between 2 light posts.

  • Start with 0, run to other post for 15 of each, then back to 1st post.
  • 5 each, run to other post for 10 of each, run back.
  • 10 each, run to other post for 5 each, run back.
  • 15 each, then sprint to other post and back.

Since we just practiced the pieces, 5 burpees OYO to make sure the PAX could put them together again.

Mosey around to the front of the middle school for pick a card. I had 2 cones with the same 10 cards at each cone but mixed up order. Pretty simple each card had an exercise for the team to do together and then another exercise for the team to do while next guy ran to get new card. PAX broke into 2 teams and it wasn’t meant to be a competition but you know how things go. Cards included various things like running laps, merkins, dips, flutters, etc but the point was to complete as a team. Both teams worked hard and basically finished at the same time.

Over to the school benches: 20 step-ups, 20 dips, 10 derkins then 10 box-jumps or step-ups, 15 dips, 10 derkins. Move down past the benches to the nice long wall. Get in people’s chair and first PAX bear-crawls to the end. Keep going until all PAX have bear-crawled. Next up is walking BTTW with PAX encouraging each other to make it as far as they could. Great encouragement and work by everyone! Finish off with a quick 10 count wall-tar-jai and times up. Back to COT.

I had to keep it kind of brief in the COT b/c several of us needed to leave to support our 2.0s at the Let Me Run 5K. It’s always encouraging to see so many fellow PAX out there running or just cheering on their 2.0s.

At the end no one was cold, even had some PAX taking some layers off. Thanks to Hasselhoff for the opportunity!

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Suffering in Silence

18 assembled this morning for some bells (6) and #Beyond (12). YHC decided to change things up slightly. We did the Name-a-Rama first. Read on to see why.

NMM

You’ll also note that I’m posting the Naked Man Moleskin before the workout. Sometimes the message is more important than the workout. Today was one of those days. #Beyond is designed to take you out of your comfort zone and push buttons we would rather leave untouched. Today’s discussion was on depression.

Some facts:

  • There are 123 suicides in America every day
  • The highest suicide rate is adult males between the ages of 40 and 54
  • White males accounted for 7 out of every 10 suicides in 2016

These sobering statistics spoke to me because our PAX fit right in the sweet spot of these ranges. The average age this morning was 44 – right in the thick of these numbers. Depression effects men in different ways. This group is sandwiched in between the traditional silent, strong fathers who went to work and provided for their families and the more progressive, open generations of their sons who share parenting duties and aren’t always the breadwinners of the household. Many men never mastered either of these roles and now feel lost. We’ve married capable women who take care of everything from the children to the social agenda, leaving men to feel a void of purpose. Around this age, men look around at their neighbors and ask, “why am I not as successful as my neighbor?” Outside of our homes, we are lonely. We’ve lost track of our college buddies and only connect with our co-workers on a water cooler level. We feel like we haven’t accomplished enough. For all intents and purposes, men in their mid-40s often feel neutered – unable to provide the ways their dads did and unwilling or unprepared to be Mr. Mom to their older children. To make matters worse, a job loss or divorce often leads these men into a downward spiral of addiction and despair. Chances are, you’ve felt this way or know someone who does. It becomes our responsibility to reach out to these men and invite them into a brotherhood of love. Medical professionals recommend a few steps to battle depression. I added number 5:

  1. Seek social support
  2. Support your health (get enough sleep, control stress, and go outside)
  3. Exercise
  4. Eat Healthy
  5. Give your concerns to God

All of these are incorporated into what we do each morning at F3. Social support comes in the form of other men who are battling or have battled this demon themselves. To me, its finding blades and stones to sharpen each other. It’s the second F – Fellowship. Doctors recommend finding outlets to blow off steam, exercising and getting outside. How else better than exercising outside in the elements pushing past pain with your brothers in the Gloom? This is the first F – Fitness. Finally, acknowledging that there is a higher being that loves you and wants what is best for you. Rather than telling God how big your problems are, tell your problem how big your God is. This is the third F – Faith.

I realized that the reason F3 is growing is because it is the answer to the question we never knew we had. It is the antidote to society’s poison of depression. We all struggle, from project managers to pastors. We all battle life. Why not surround yourself with guys who can build the 3 Fs right beside you? Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says it best: “Two are better than one because they have good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, the other can help them up. But pity anyone who falls and has no other to help them up. Also if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Interpret those three strands however you wish. I like to think of them as me, God, and my brothers. That dream team can win any fight. Grab your shield and suit up, we’ve got a battle to wage.

The Thang

  • Mosey to the front of the church
  • Hold the Plank for the duration of Disturbed “Sound of Silence”
    • Listen to the lyrics. Acknowledge that many men battle depression in silence. We weren’t made to fight alone.

Mosey to the upper parking lot

  • 1 Minute of Squats
  • 40 SSHs (IC)
  • 10 Prison Cell Pushups
  • 40 Imperial Walkers (IC)

Mosey to the front of the church

  • 1 Minute of LBCs
  • 1 Minute of Flutters
  • 1 Minute of Rosalitas
  • 1 Minute of Freddie Mercuries

Mosey to the side lot

  • 1 Minute of Mountain Climbers
  • 1 Minute of Alternating Shoulder Taps
  • 1 Minute of Ski Abs
  • 10 Burpees

Mosey to the upper parking lot

  • 40 Overhead Claps (IC)
  • 35 MNCs (IC)
  • 40 Little Baby Arm Circles (IC)
  • 45 Overhead Press (IC)

Mosey to the front of the church

  • 1 Minute of Box Jumps
  • 1 Minute of Irkins
  • 1 Minute Dips
  • 1 Minute of Merkins

Mosey back to COT

  • Butterfly Stretch
  • Left Leg out Stretch
  • Right Leg out Stretch
  • 10 LBCs (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Crunch Left (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Crunch Right (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Stick Crunch Left (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Stick Crunch Right (IC)

-Italian Job

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CSPAN Send off Convergence

141 Men came to show the Respectable**CSPAN** some Respect!!

He leaves The Fort and heads north or as Dredd refers to Yankee land. Not gone forever but just up the road 600 miles to start a new chapter in life and in F3 as he will launch F3Philly.

I am not the most eloquent with my back-blasts and I am usually to the point with posting the workout, add some words and being done, however since I can’t get Italian Job to write this up and Double D challenged the PAX to think of one word to represent CSAPN, I think that is the best way to document this convergence.

Thank you CSPAN for being all of these things and more to you r brothers in the PAX. As posted on Twitter and many of these were repeated multiple times:

brother
camaraderie
commitment
confidence
connected
consistent
courageous
dedicated
empathetic
example
genuine
handsome
HIM
honorable
humble
humility
impact
influence
influencer
insightful
inspiration
integrity
investor
legend
magnanimous
model
respect
selfless
servant
shepherd
solid
squaredaway
steadfast
steady
wise

The Workout looked like this:

WWL at the Q:

  • Mosey around the lot
  • Line up; karaoke, side shuffle, high knees, butt kickers, toy solders, lungewalk, power skips
  • COP
    • SSH, squat, merkin, moroccan night club, 10 Flying squirrels
Double D at the Q:
  • Run to practice field
  • Plank sequence
  • Split into 2 groups on each sideline
  • Sprint to center and back to sideline
  • Monkey humpers x25
  • Rinse + repeat with Merkins x 25
  • CDDs x25
  • Burpees x25
Longshanks at the Q:
  • Burpees
  • Lunges
  • Inch worm Merkins
  • Maktar Ndiayes
  • Plank Jacks
  • Squats.

Dredd at the Q:

  • Prayer for CSPAN
  • Merkin/Ab Lab series
  • Truth Nuggets and Leadership development with Major Payne, Wegmans, & Drop Thrill
  • Mosey to hill behind Bob Jones Stadium
  • Prayer for CSPAN heading to F3Philly…..”CSPAN Coming”
  • More Merkin/Ab lab series

COT:

141 Count, Name O’rama, 2 FNGs (Bikini & Manzel), Skinny Jeans pray out over CSPAN and his IMPACT on men and for Sky Q’s kingdom.

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