Launching the Snake Pit

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YHC was honored to be asked by 3D to Q out East and, based on the calendar, an inaugural Q for the Fort’s newest kettle bell AO.  It required a separate trip to get familiar with the grounds, but a quick scan of the A/O left YHC with lots of options and, fortunately, a great group of HIMs gathered to launch the Snake Pit.  After disclaimers were put forth and JWOW came in hot, we moseyed off around the parking lot, without the bells.

COP – Corner #1 – low slow squats x15

Corner #2 – Side Straddle Hops x 20

Corner #3 – Imperial Walker x 15, People’s Chair hold with Moroccan night clubs x 15 and a                                     10-count hold

Stadium entrance – Merkins x 10, salutations right and left, 6-inch hold with a 10-count

PAX grabbed their bells and moseyed into the stadium, down to the field for a partner pyramid.

In any adversity or challenge we face in life, going through it with others helps ensure we come out stronger on the other side.  In the spirit of working through a challenge (and because partner work was notably present), we did, well, partner work.

While partner 1 began the exercises at the goal line, partner 2 ran to the 50 yard line and back and picked up the exercises where partner 1 left off.  Exercises built on one another a la pearls on a string, to the mid point anyway.

10 goblet squats

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions, 40 American hammers (w/bell)

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions, 40 American hammers (w/bell), 50 swings

50 swings, 40 American hammers (w/bell), 30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

40 American hammers (w/bell), 30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

10 goblet squats

Once all were finished (PAX planked or did LBC’s if they finished before the 6), we moseyed with bells to the flag for a pledge of allegiance and did 30 flutters with the KB press

Mosey out of the stadium back to the lot for the start of a partner DORA – 50 swings and 100 hammer curls.  Partner 1 started the exercises while partner 2 ran to specified landmarks and back, and vice versa.

With no time left to get to 150 and 200 on the DORA, we moseyed back to COT for:  20 flutters with the KB press and 15 LBC’s with the bell.  At that point, it was 0600 and work was complete.

Announcements were made, prayers and praises were offered and YHC led us out.

Special thoughts are with Alright Alright Alright as his ankle heals.

Thanks to 3D for the opportunity to lead the inaugural workout and launch of the Snake Pit and to have the privilege of getting better in the presence of many HIMs.

Honored,

Cyclops

 

 

 

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Hill Street Blues

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YHC was tagged as the Q for one of the baddest Saturday AO south of MacDougal where a downpainment is expected and typically is given. Smuggler (Site Q) tagged me with a partner but things went awry with that HIM so I tagged Double D to join me and a plan was made.

Late Friday, DD got the opportunity to choose a #Concentrica based choice. We face these all of the time. It usually goes something like this “Well honey, I already promised (insert male friends name here) that I would be there for (insert something relatively important although not really here).” However, Double D is an accelerating HIM who contacted me and said “I’ve got a bigger name on the other side of this choice!” It was the right call and YHC is confident it paid dividends with his M and 2.0.

Interestingly enough, I received a text from Gears at exactly the same moment. Gears, a longtime Pax of the Fort, has been a leader in many different areas over the past 7 years. More importantly, we don’t get to see each other enough. Expansion created many different options at the Fort and our paths just don’t cross enough. I quickly tagged him and his response was “I have a plan, it will probably suck”. Boom!

The Thang

Weather: high 50’s. Had to choose between short vs long sleeve. Short sleeve was chosen

Disclaimer

Mosey around the park

IW x 15

Windmills x 10

Merkins x 12

Men Climbers x 20

Squats x 20

Mosey to parking lot

Dirty McDeuce (4 rounds – IC – 12 reps)

WAM

Flutters

Monkey Humpers

Full lap around the park

CDD

Big Boy sit ups

Squats

Full lap

Diamond Merkins

Hello Dolly

Lunges

Full Lap

Merkins

LBC

One legged stretch (for me basically)

Indian Run full lap

Handoff to Gears

Crazy 8s on hill (this did suck FYI)

CDDs x 8 and LBCs x 8 at the bottom

Bombjacks x 8 and Some Squat Sequence that Gears just learned x 4 at the top

Rinse and repeat for 25 minutes (I said it sucked)

Mosey home

 

Moleskin

  • Prayers for marriages
  • Fishsticks turns 50 on Thursday
  • Prayers for the Pax dealing with injury, pain and suffering
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Bite size tennis ball family

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A nice and cool morning turned into something a bit warmer about 3 min in.  9 PAX took the DRP and after a quick, and non-energetic into as called out by Jekyll, YHC jumped out to a quick mosey.  Stopping in front of the elementary school entrance, we circled up for a warm-up.

SSH x25, windmills x10, low slow squats x10, imperial and hillbilly walkers x10, merkins x10, and finished off with some stretching: lunge stretches including runners stretch and hamstrings as well as some downward dogs and honeymooners.  Enough with the stretching and off to The Thang!

Ran over to the parking lot in the back where the basketball hoops are located and grabbed a tennis ball out of the box.  Everyone was instructed to put their family’s initials on a ball (M and 2.0s) as this was going to be carried around by them for the morning for an extra reminder of why they’re trying to get better.  Family is always going to be with us and to get that extra push or to be mindful of what’s important, the tennis ball fam was going to tag along for the ride!  3 stations with written exercises were located throughout the parking lot.  Instructions were to run to the sheet of paper and do the exercise at the top and the run back to the center where the music was located for 1 burpee.  Then back to the sheet for the next exercise, back to the center and so on.  Once all the exercises were done from the 1 sheet, the PAX were told to run back to the center and finish with 5 burpees.  Then onto the next sheet until all 3 sheets had been completed.

Sheet 1:

  • 10 hand release merkins
  • 20 knee tuck jumps
  • 25 CDD
  • 30 lunges (total)
  • 50 plank shoulder taps

Sheet 2

  • 40 ski jumps (double count)
  • 30 squats
  • 60 calve raises (out/reg/in – 20 each)
  • 20 diamonds
  • 50 SSH

Sheet 3

  • 25 merkins
  • 40 mountain climbers (wrote single count, we did double)
  • 30 american hammers (double count)
  • 30 plank jacks (double count)
  • 50 LBC

Some exercises were done in cadence at sheet 3 to keep the PAX together.  There were a couple instances when we returned closer to the music where Pusher gave us some karaoke solos from the early 90s rap and beastie boys jamming….it was delightful.  Since we had a few min left, it was a race to sheet 1 where first place picked one exercise to do (Jekyll for the hand release), 4th place to sheet 2 with the selection (L Train I think with the squats) and second to last to sheet 3 (Hardwood maybe for the mountain climbers).  (and this is why you don’t wait until the weekend to write a back blast b/c I can’t remember Tuesday!)

We scooped up the sheets and headed for COT for a blinding name-o-rama, announcements, and TAPs.  Tennis ball families were retained by the PAX for their own usages.  Appreciate the call over to the Colosseum as YHC has been overdue for a Q.

Shady….AYE!

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A Morning Walk Through Town

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Five men gathered at Veteran’s Park and spent an hour together.  Here is what they did:

After the Pax were disclaimed,  I took a few minutes to ask each person what their ailment was so I had an idea of what we could do today.   For the record:  Maximus (foot), Twister (detached retina healing), Flat Tire (bruised abdomen/ribs -thanks for showing us too), Crab Cakes (groin pull) and Senator Tressel (knee pain and torn calf muscle).    With that, we were ready to get started and since we were standing next to the Veteran’s Memorial, it seemed fitting to recite the pledge of allegiance.  Then the walk began:

Head west on North White Street.  Along the way, we passed the morning crowd at The Fort who were running circuits and doing something that looked kind of painful. ( Yeah, we weren’t going to do much to that today).

Stop at the small lot next to the Springs building and stretch from head to toe.   Continue on to the playground at WEP.

At the playground do 3 sets of pullups (10 reps/set)  Leave the playground and walk to the entrance in front of the Springs Building.

Plank hold/6″ hold for a bit.  Find the grass and do some abwork (pretzel crunch and something else)  Follow the path to the side parking lot of Springs.

On the low roofline of the building, do wall pull-ups (10 reps).  From there we bear crawled across the lot and held a dip position on the curb.  Bear crawl back to the building and do a wall sit (I think).

Walk back to Veteran’s Park.

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

That doesn’t look like much.    Was that all we did?  Oh no!  What isn’t shown is all the conversation that happened during the walk and in between the exercises.  I have known these fine gentlemen for several years and decided that today would be a great opportunity to get to know them better.  We shared a lot of things from when we were growing up, through college and our first jobs, how we met our wives and proposed to them, and how we all ended up in Fort Mill.  Here are just a few of the findings from our hour together:

  1.  Charlie comes from a family of engineers and his dad taught at Lousiana Tech
  2. Andrew has known his wife since middle school and lived in Portland for a couple of years.
  3. Dave turned down Notre Dame University for Villanova and Salomon Bros for Pepsi (or another company).
  4. Tyson was a semi-professional rugby player and proposed to his wife in Ireland (in less than ideal conditions).
  5.  Frank became a Naval officer after college, but left after only 18 months on active duty.

Today was all about the 2nd F, and it was one of those times when people together and there is a certain chemistry within the group.    From the start of the hour to the end,  everyone got into the spirit of sharing, and all the guys were more than willing to talk about their lives.  We learned a lot about each other, poked fun at the things we did when we were younger, and enjoyed a walk together on a beautiful autumn morning.  I have Q’d many, many times over the years and can honestly say that today’s Q was one of my favorites.  Thank you, Charlie, Andrew, Dave, and Tyson for making today’s F3 workout memorable, and one that I will remember for a long time.

Announcements/Prayers and Praises

  1.  Funhouse’s son (Offspring) in Alaska with an infection and low O2 level.  Funhouse traveled to Alaska.
  2. Injured Pax and friends with illnesses

 

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Pre-Blast: Let the Merging Begin

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  • QIC: Shady, Magnum, Slash
  • When: 10/26/2019
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

Background: Over the past few months, numbers have been down at Millstone (not a bad thing for IR based AO) and also The Yard (moderate based AO).  In an effort to keep these AOs up and running, a true moderate / IR / FNG friendly option will now be available at The Fort starting on October 26, 6:30-7:30am, for the foreseeable future. Therefore, Millstone and The Yard will be temporarily removed from the AO website to avoid confusion and will not host workouts at their previous locations.  Milkshake (think about it) will be the new AO located at WEP which combines the Yard moderate and Millstone IR.

Q Source at Fort Mill Family Restaurant (FMFR) will also be put on hold and moved to Panera in Kingsley.

Q’s will be scheduled on a weekly basis should PAX show up to The Fort expecting a moderate / IR workout.  If no PAX show for the moderate workout, the scheduled Q will join The Fort crowd for their regularly scheduled beat down.

No changes will be made for The Fort AO aside from now having additional options available.  If numbers increase for moderate / IR workouts at the combined location, decisions to potentially break apart from WEP will be discussed.

The goal is to assess the demand from the PAX, keep 1st and 2nd F levels high, keep options open, and enjoy Q-Source together if so inclined.

Who: All PAX (regular boot camp, Moderate, IR, FNG friendly)

What: The Yard and Millstone (now Milkshake), and The Fort will begin a merger of these AOs at WEP.  (FMFR Q Source will also merge with Panera Q Source.)

When: Starting on Saturday, October 26; 6:30-7:30 am

Where: The Fort / Walter Elisha Park (WEP)

Why: Numbers have fluctuated at Millstone and The Yard

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Hive Demented Uno

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UNO was the game with 9 PAX.   Had to amp it up to meet Airborne’s expectations

Each color was an exercise.

Blue ManMaker

Red Louganis (Skullcrusher into Big Boy Situp but keep your arms extended)

Green Curls

Yellow Triceps

The number was the reps. 0 is 10 reps. Play like normal UNO.  Each PAX takes a turn playing a card.  Either match color or number.

SKIP = run a lap

Reverse = Repeat last card

+2 = Pick two of the exercise and do 2 Reps

+4 = 4 Reps of all 4 exercises, then pick a new color

WILD = pick a new color

If you can’t play a card, draw one.  Rule was to do a BombJack for each card you need to draw.

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Canon X-50 count

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10 PAX gathered on a cool(ish) morning when the entire town of Fort Mill had no running water. 8 for Laces In, 2 started 15min earlier for Laces Out

Disclaimer delivered haltingly as Sugarbug exited his vehicle at 5:14 & 58 seconds to join the group.

Mosey to Band Practice Lot:

50 SSH
Downdog –> Honeymooner –> ect.
50 Moroccan Nightclubs
25 Imperial Walkers
25 Hillbilly Walkers
A bit of mumble chatter about the high count

Mosey to the lot in front of the R-Wing
50 shoulder taps
Downdog –> Honeymooner –> etc.
30 Mountain Climbers (was planning on hitting 50 but looked up after 20 and the PAX were slowing down, at 30 most were just watching me count . . . )
0 Peter Parkers (had planned 50, but wanted to avoid the tacit mutiny)

Mosey to the pullup bars

Partner up
on partner holds position while the other partner does 10 reps. Then switch until both PAX had completed 50 reps each (i.e., 100 total).
– Merkins
– Squats
– Rosalita

Revealed the two kettlebells (30lb and 35lb) I hid prior to the workout

4 Pax on the pull-up bars
4 Pax on the ground

Pax on the ground split 2 with bells and 2 holding squat

Pax with bells did 10 KB swings and switched to hold a squat.
– Pax holding squat then switched to 10 KB swings
Pax on bars free hang until during the first 10 KB Swings
– then during the next 10 KB Swings PAX attempted to hold their chin above the bar
– after other PAX complete 20 total KB Swings back to free hang
– after other PAX complete 30 total KB Swings back to chin above the bar

2 rounds of this and then flip-flopped for 2 more rounds

Plank up in a line
Hold plank while 1 PAX jumps out and does 10 KB Swings (for an individual total of 50 KB Swings). PAX waiting in plank alternated between high plank and six inches everytime someone switched to the Kettlebell.

Mosey back to COT for some Mary (Joined by 2 runners)

– Called a yoga variation and added a crunch alternating to each side of the raised leg

(e.g., 4-count: 1 to the center, 2 back down hands above head, 3 to the outside of the raised leg, 4 back down. Notice the extended heel stays six inches above the ground…I may call this again and if enough PAX hate it…consider giving it a name.
– Rolled over for some Pigeon Lunges
– back over for Flutters until time

NMM:

As men, how much are we challenging ourselves with things we don’t like or don’t understand? Physically we do this in the 5am hour with demanding workouts, but do we try this in all facets of our lives? Consider taking in some art (play, movie, music, museum, etc.) you just don’t understand or trying to interact with something (someone?) you really don’t like.

The piece below by Conlon Nancarrow predates “electronic music.” He used a player piano reel to realize music that was so rhythmically complex, no human players at the time could accomplish it. In Canon X, there are two lines. One starts at a slow tempo and speeds up. The other starts fast and slows down. (So a graph of the tempos looks like an X.) This is a tempo canon rather than a traditional melodic canon. (Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a melodic canon.)

Canon X

This kind of composition may or not may be “enjoyable” to listen to. Or you might not “like” it. But it is fascinating. We don’t have to like something for it to be interesting or valuable.

40+ years after these pieces were written, a small ensemble began stretching what we once thought human musicians were capable of performing. They arranged some of Nancarrow’s player piano reels in an acoustic setting. See the original and the arrangement:

Nancarrow – Player Piano Study No. 2A
Alarm Will Sound – Nancarrow Player Piano Study No. 2A

I don’t know what this means for you in specific. But in general, I hope it encourages you to stretch your boundaries and grow. Because that’s part of what the Arts should help us do!

COT
Praise for the fact that most days we can turn on the taps and clean water comes out.

An honor to lead,
—
Band Camp dismissed

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F3 Sea Legs – October 8, 2019

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We had six on a great fall morning at Sea Legs. Since it was my first Q at Sea Legs, I did a pretty basic route that would be easy for runners who ran different paces.

Sea Legs Route_ October 8 2019

Announcements:
F3 Lake Wylie 3F  Opportunity: On October 19th, F3 Lake Wylie will have their next homeless outreach in Uptown.  PAX will distribute food and supplies, and spend time talking with those we meet.  From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. water, sport drinks, non perishable snacks, and toiletries will be handed out to those less fortunate.  If you are unable to attend, but would like to donate please contact Ryan Wiik or Homebrew.

F3 Lake Wylie CSAUP is Saturday, October 26. More details at https://f3thefort.com/2019/09/16/the-nessie/

Praises:
Homebrew shared that his grandparents recently celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Prayers:
Duck Dynasty recently spoke to a recruiter for a new job opportunity.

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EE 201-Tesla’s Way

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Back in the fall of 1980 YHC walked into Daniels Hall on the campus of NC State University and engaged in the study of Electrical Engineering as taught by the great Donald Rhodes in EE 201, Electric Circuits I. It was a bear. About half the class failed. A bloody mess it was! but we came out of it stronger than we went into it. Which was what it was all about. So YHC decided to expand on this theme and shake things up a bit at the Crow’s Nest as it acquires it’s maturity as an AO. YHC took some time Saturday to tour the AO and just see what it was we could get into on Monday. Then at the Panther’s game on Sunday with a couple of old time Metro F3 brothers YHC came up with the idea of a bit of a circuit to take the pax on. Kind of like the ones we studied at State decades ago! Went like this:

COP:

Stretching for about a minute.

SSH X 20

IW X 20

Copperhead Squats X 10

Merkins X 20

Mtn. Climbers X 20

Mosey back to the fields and playgrounds and mosey- carefully – down the Green Monster. Tesla REALLY liked this hill Saturday! But it looked a little daunting in the dark. So the word was caution going down. The bottom of the hill was station 1. Went like this:

Station 1 – Bottom of the Green Monster – 10 Hand release merkins.

Station 2 – Run up the Green Monster, 10 jump squats.

Station 3 – 10 pull ups on the Monkey bars.

Station 4  – 10 step ups each leg, 10 dirkins

Station 5 – 1st soccer goal, broad jump the length of the field

Station 5 – Fence at top of The Green Monster, 10 big boy sit ups.

Back to the bottom, Rinse and repeat!

2 times was plenty for the pax. All performed well. So time for some real fun.

Task 1 – Bear Crawl Slalom, everybody gets two rolls.

Task 3 – SSH X 20, Regular squats X 20

Mosey to the basketball court for suicides

1 st set, Free throw line, center court, free throw line, end line – back each time.

free throw line – 5 jump squats

Center line – 5 merkins

Free throw line – 5 jump squats

End line – 5 merkins.

Rinse and repeat – 10X each set.

Back to the tables:

10 Bulgarian Split squats each leg.

10 dips

10 elevated sit ups

Rugby sprints – 2X across the basketball court.

Set 1 – 10 CDDs

set 2 – 10 copperhead squats.

Mosey back to the parking lot.

NMM:

We got a lot done and unlike at State 39 years ago everybody passed! And got better. Have to admit I did not know this group very well. Iced Tea asked me to do it and I was glad he did. Loved the AO and look forward to returning soon.

Honor and pleasure to lead as always!

Tesla

 

 

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Garbage Crawl

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We had a strong group of 18 men that did a Garbage Crawl and took in the scent at the best smelling AO in the nation.  We embraced the suck and crushed the workout!

A quick Disclaimer was given and we were off.  However the Q forgot to ask about FNGs.  There were 3 and they dominated the workout today.

Mosey between dumpster one and two and circle up.

IW x20, CDD x15, Cherry Pickers x20, Merkins x12, Windmill x20, LSS x20-

Split into two groups

Group 1 BTW Group 2 Lunge Walk Halfway and sprint rest of way, run back- then switch.

Wall Sit, Crab Walk half way, backward run then back to wall and switch

BTW- Caveman Walk Halfway- sprint run back- switch

Wall Sit- Bear Crawl half way- backward sprint, run back- Switch

Mosey to half wall behind oil change place (finally away from the stench):  Partner up for some Dora

100 Irkens, 200 step ups, 300 squats- other partner runs in front of Napa- er O’Reilly or whatever that place is.

Do LBC x50, Freddy Mercury x50 and Hello Dolly x50

Finish off with some tens: 1 Derkin to 9 dips, 2 to 8 and so on.

Mosey to COT.

It was  a great mix of vets and rookies.  This is the first time in a long time I was able to welcome 3 FNGs.  Pretty awesome keep them coming.  My bad for not identifying them earlier.

Thank you for the chance to lead the AO I was previously site Q at.  What a blast!

 

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