While getting our 4 y/o daughter ready for bed she was doing a reverse wall climb into a headstand and then walked down the wall to a Merkin and I thought “Hmmm… since I have to Q tomorrow why don’t we do Merkins.” So I told the M and she said “Lucas don’t do that… I’m going to warn them.”

No warm-up just circled up and each PAX did as many Merkins as they could in one minute.
Then we added up the total = 1,117

Then around round of Merkins in a minute.
That added up to = 1,135

Another round of Merkins in a minute, but these were hand release Merkins
That added up to = 553
Since we didn’t hit 1,000 we did another round of hand release Merkins and got well more than 1,000

Ran to Alumni Walk on Winthrop University’s campus.
Once there we divided into two groups and the groups did 300 double count LBC’s. Then halfway through we did a audible to just single count LBC’s followed by just Hello Dolly’s to finish us up.

We did 10 Rounds of 10 Merkins – 10 LBC’s – 10 Squats

Then a mosey back to the COT followed by planks for 4 minutes until the clock hit 6 AM!

We had a pack house, so I wanted a workout to keep the PAX moving but always enjoy the mumble chatter regardless.
Appreciate the guys from Fort Mill/Tega Cay/Lake Wylie/Clover for making the drive down.

I was invited to Q a Saturday at F3 York (The Dragon) on Saturday and I couldn’t pass it up. I did warn the guys I like to do a lot of running and upper / lower body work and they seemed okay with it.

We started with the Pledge of Allegiance

Stretched

Run to the backside of York Comp. High School

Normal Warm-up (SSH, Mountain Climbers, Moroccan Nightclubs, etc.) 

10 Rounds of 10 Merkins – 10 LBC’s – 10 Squats

200 Single county SSH

5 Rounds of 5 Hand Release Merkins – 5 Reverse Crunch – 5 Lunges

Caterpillar Walk which is basically a merkin – walk your hands up to your feet – then walk out to do another merkin and repeat until you reach the end

100 Freddie Mercury 

150 Monkey Humpers 

Ran back to COT and held a plank until the clock hit 8 AM!

The guys – while didn’t love the workout – gave it their all and we stayed together as a group the best we could.
Enjoyed the mumble chatter and the time with these York guys.
Welcome Pooh Bear to the PAX.

365 days ago, I was invited by Smiley Face to go to this F3 thing. I was over at his house and he had freed to lead sitting on his couch. He also had amazing black bean burgers on the grill as well, I’ll save that story for another time.

When I first arrived at the workout I did not have gloves or any idea of what would be put upon me. Cake Boss was the Q that day, he talked about the importance of our names. It all led to a workout in which I almost passed out three times. That was a horrible morning as well, getting up that early was not something that I really wanted to do. However I returned to ManU the next week, and continued my journey with F3.

Now I have completed a 10K Race, Half Marathon, The Yeti(solo), and The Hog and Coyote(solo). Now I am training with a team for the BRR, so call me crazy but I have probably doubled down on the Red Pill.

With that being said I have met some awesome people to many to name. However several of the folks that were at my first workout, and still lifting me up today.

So with one year under my belt I have learned a whole lot, and I decided I would share that with some of the new folks that I haven’t met as I have been away from Rock Hill for the SpitzArmy Challenge.

Warm Up & The Thang
We did not need a Warm Up We started with the BOARD OF PAIN
Getting the trophy for Most Improved when we had this at ManU last year was a highlight of my F3 Career. However I had a lot of other pain to dish out so we did two reps for each of these in cadence. This allowed for form and a preview of what the board of pain could look like

Burpees
Calf Raises
Ski Abs
Merkins
Deep Squats
LBCs
Carolina Dry Docks
Russian Twists
Mac Tar Jai
Jump Squats
Mountain Climbers
Shoulder Raises
Mary Catherines
Hello Dolly
Wide Arm Merkins
Squat Jacks
Nippler
Burpees

Mosey Over to the larger Parking lot

Italian Job Brought a workout back from the fine group over at F3Alamo in Texas called BOMBS. I wanted to introduce everyone to it. So we partnered up I was thankful just like my first workout Smiley Face was my partner again today! Guys is a true #HIM and a great friend!

We completed the following workouts, each partner did as many as they could of each until their partner completed a run across half the parking lot and back

B – Burpees(Kraken Style) Thank Lake Wylie F3 for that one 🙂
O – Overhead Claps
M – Wide Arm Merkins A walker favorite but I think he makes them more difficult
B – Big Boy Situps The real mccoy and they are amazing
S – Squats these are one of my favorites, especially if you do them to Sally Up by Flower

Then I really enjoy a good game of blackjack, but like I said we had a lot to do so I changed it to Seven Card Stud

We started with 6 reps on one side ran to the other and did 1 rep of the other exercise. Rinse and repeat until the other side has 6 and you have 1.

We completed these two exercises
Prison Cell Burpees – These came from my good friend Padre
Seal Jacks – Always a good choice!

Then we did a Quick Mosey to the large grassy hill that had me passing out at my first workout. We completed a NUR(backwards run, thanks for these Pop-Eye) and Karaoke in between this mosey.

Performed another Seven Card Stud Routine
Freddie Mercuries – Italian Job started the jukebox – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwvWtZl2ICY

Bear Crawls to the top of the hill

Side Straddle Hop – I am pretty sure Apache owns the record for the longest SSH count in F3. POW POW

Another Quick Mosey to the front of TJ Maxx

Wall Sits

Then another Italian Job Treat – In squat postion, and in cadence reach for the air, then tap knees, and then tap ground. We did 20 of those to the tune of “We Will Rock You” which did not throw YHC off of the count at all. Took me a year to be able to over come the mumble chatter.

Then we complete BALLS TO THE WALL!
I did a nice slow count to five held it, then down to one and held it again. Some one said “Riddler is just rude!”

Mosey Back to COT with a lot of Sweat pouring out of my face.

Time for THUNDERSTRUCK
That Fine AC/DC tune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM

So we went into plank position. CSPAN I believe invented the Flying Squirrel Burpee. Do enough of those and they hurt. However I wanted to get some form in. So we started in Plank and with each thunderstruck from the song, we would jump forward keeping our arms on the ground.

Closing out our time, We did the following:

Honey Mooner
SuperMan
Then we pulled the chute and we were at COT

NMS
So many awesome guys have encouraged me in F3 over this last year. Through helping me with my VQ(Apache), to bringing me out(Smiley Face), to reaching out when I was in a bad spot(Schrute) to just being a motivation factor for me to get better(Italian Job, Burgundy, Catfish, Reborn, SGT York, Mail Man, Deacon, Davinci, and so many others I couldn’t count).

Thanks for letting me lead in F3, I am only better because we do this together! Thanks for all of you in F3 being HIM!

I closed with this

Mark 12:28-31

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

————-

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and each other a simple conversation can change someones life!

Announcements

Tomorrow Convergence Slow Burn Fort Mill – Spud will be speaking and giving an amazing testimony

Saturday – Padre Star Command Convergence, Clown Cars leaving Target on Dave Lyle 5:15 should be back by 11.

Saturday – The Fort Picnic

Prayers
Our Country
Our Families
Those traveling missions and leisure
Parents getting ready for school
F3 PAX to continue to be #HIM in our homes then let that overflow outside in our daily lives.

Thanks for a great first year

The Riddler

AYE

PHOP was the first AO outside of York I visited when I first got involved with F3.  It was a privilege to get an opportunity to lead the Q for it this morning.  18 pax came, and Hindsight being 20/20, I guess I should have spoke up at the start to let everyone know we were challenged by WITCH HUNT to a Burpee Amrap with the loser doing an additional 25.  More on that later.

Warm up consisted of some Outside Knee Strikes, Imperial Walkers, Windmills, SSH’s, Moroccan Nightclubs, Mosey around the Church with High Knees and Butt Kickers, and ending with 10 1-leg Knurkens In Cadence.

Main goal for today at PHOP was a block party.  Riddler was kind enough to pre-place 17 nice cinder blocks in the front parking lot, which everyone noticed as soon as they walked up.  The plan was fairly simple; Cones laid out every 8 yards across the back yard of the AO, although I forgot to go get more cones so I resorted to Red Solo Cups for markers.  Start with an Exercise, then 20 curls to the first cone, Run all out to the other parking lot and back then plank for six.  Once everyone is in, Next exercise was called, executed, then 20 curls on the way to the next cone followed by the run.  Repeat to the end.   Exercises at each cone included Man Makers, Squats, Lunges, Merkins, 6″ Chest Press, Kettle Bell Swings, Dizziness, Puking, grumbling and sweating.  Okay, I may have exaggerated a little.

Returned the blocks and gathered back at AO for a brief 3rd F.  More from my study of book of John, focusing on three key verses; “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin”, “If you live in my word, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”, what is the truth, John Chapter 1, “In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the Word was God” – verse 14, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”.  Christ lived the life we couldn’t, and paid the cost for our sins.  I do my best to live right, but still fall down, yet, through his grace I am forgiven…That is Freedom that I have no words to describe.  Ending with the same challenge I gave to York AO; If you have a relationship with Christ, put some extra focus this week on “Love each other. As I have loved you, you must to likewise” this world needs more of that right now!

Burpee Amrap….The pax were true troopers.  After the block party beat down, they had enough gas in the tank to pull off an impressive 32 average on the 2 minute Burpee challenge.  Great work by all.

Welcome FNG – Uga Duce!

-Nunchuck

I grew up Rodeoing in Missouri where I competed in rough-stock, Bull Riding, for a little over 7 years.  Felt the highs of riding good and the lows that come with: Broken Left Wrist, 5 broke ankles, 3 broke ribs, bruised kidneys, broken left leg, more broken noses then I care to count, broke left hand, C5-C6 vertebrae is fused, tore left arm completely apart and learning to use my fingers again in rehab by picking beans out of playdoah, BUT,…the raging BULL from Rock Hill brought a whole new level of PAIN this gloom at THE TRINITY AO.

We new we were in for it when BULL opened up his car and started stacking coupons on the ground.  These coupons consisted of 4ft of pipe filled with sand that became our traveling buddies as we toured 4 corners of downtown York.

Warm Up: SSH, Imperial Walkers, Merkins
Mosey around the block east of the Church, returning to the AO to grab our coupons.

4 Corners.  Starting with, 100 Triceps Extensions, Mosey to next corner with 100 straight arm raises, Mosey to the 3rd corner for 100 Deep Squats, Mosey to 4th corner for 100 “Curls for the Girls”.

After 1st 100 Curls, we did a series of 3 stage Merkins that consisted of: 1: Center “Normal” Merkin, 1: Wide Arm Merkin, and 1: Diamond Merkin making 1 complete set.  After a series of 3 sets, we repeated 100 Curls and ended with 5 of the Merkin Sets again.

Mosey back towards AO with a stop at the knee wall in front of Will Mitchell’s Insurance office for a series of Step Up’s for each leg.   Ending at AO for captain choice AB Lab.

Really great to have Bull back in York.  He did a fantastic job Q’ing as we all expected he would!  Each Pax brought their A-Game and dug deep to give it their all!  Keep up the hard work Men!!!!

-Nunchuck