The CLAP – Inspired by Metro

For the month of May, Farmer’s Only has deemed the Kitchen Sink as a next-level kick in the junk. I had the honor of warming everyone up to the idea of what will occur this month. We do a lot of pushing exercises, running, some occasional KB work and your typical stretches. Opportunities exist to stretch yourself and try something you’re not used to and therefore, not strong in. The first F in F3 is Fitness for a reason. Today we focused on functional fitness.
I’ve had the opportunity to head up to CLT Metro a few times lately and work out at Shore Card. It is an absolute suck-fest and it’s glorious. Yes it’s hard but that doesn’t mean we should avoid it. Arguably, we should lean into it. And that is exactly what May is all about, starting today with YHC on Q at The Kitchen Sink.
No warmup, no friendly conversation, no excuses. Just legit work.
Everyone knew what they were in for.
The gear for the morning will be a Ruck (or vest/plate carrier), Sandbag, Kettle Bell (KB) and a Cinder Block. Every man was to have each of these. When I reference “gear”, know that it includes these 4pcs.

WARMUP: We didn’t have one but thankfully a few PAX got the message and showed up early to stretch…or just stand around.
THE THANG: Grab ALL your gear and head out of the school and down Hubert Graham Parkway to the 2nd light pole. This was, what I believe, the eye-opener for many of the PAX. Carrying all this gear for this distance is very abnormal which made it great. It looked good on paper and looked great in person.
With your ruck staying on, carry 1 piece of additional gear to the top of the hill, making your own personal discard pile. Then shuffle back down to your remaining gear and repeat until all gear is on the pile at the top of the hill.

From here, hoist all your gear and meet at the entrance to the school.

With Ruck on, KB swings.
With Ruck on, KB overhead in one hand, farmers carry the cinder block with the other hand to the intersection with the baseball diamond. Another suck-fest.
Ground all gear (ruck, KB, cindy) and shuffle like a gazelle back to your sandbag.
A gear Q of mine wouldn’t be complete without this. Sandbag toss back to your gear pile.

Now, a gear cycle:
Sandbag with Ruck on: 10 Sandbag Thrusters
KB without the Ruck (Slick): 15 Simbas (think, big boy sit up with the KB hoisted overhead)
Cindy with Ruck on: 20 Curls

Grab all gear and move to the flagpoles. It was here where I was reminded we had only 5mins left. So be it….
Cindy with Ruck on: 10 Merkins with left hand up on the block then 10 Merkins with right hand up on the block.
Then, 5 Mike Tysons with Ruck on.
Move all gear back to COT.

MARY: Some dedicated exercises but the core was mostly utilized during all the asymmetrical work.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Yes
COT: 5th CORE Principle

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BOP Kitchen Sink Style

Brought a BOP to the Kitchen Sink.

WARMUP: Not enough time for a standard warmup. Warmup was reviewing the list of exercises on the BOP as there were some combo exercises , PAX performed 2-3 reps to ensure they understood and to practice good form. The latter probably faded towards the end of our time together.

THE THANG:
Normal BOP format – Transport route with a mode of transportation ( most of the time this is simply running, not at the Kitchen Sink ), complete the listed exercise, and then repeat until finished or time is called. No one finished so maybe some adjustments can be made if brought out again in the future.

Transport Area was approx. 15 yards long in the upper parking lot.
Mode of Transportation: Overhead Backward Toss, walk to your SB and perform 1 ManMaker, toss it again, 2 Man Makers, repeat until the end of the 15 yard area ( avg. 4 tosses in this direction ). To come back PAX were asked to alternate Rotational Side Tosses, walk to your bag and perform 1 ManMaker, alternate sides and toss again, 2 ManMakers, repeat until you reach the finish line ( avg. 3 tosses in this direction ).
BOP Excercises: All rep counts were 50 ( total ) of each exercise
1. SB Swings
2. Alt Shoulder OH Press
3. Sumo Squat w/ High Pull
4. BigBoySitups
5. Thrusters
6. Anti-Rotational Plank Pulls w/ Perter Parkers
7. Straight Lower Leg Lifts w/ a Hello Dolly
8. Alt Single Leg Deadlifts w/ Bent Over Row
9. Alt. Forward Lunge w/ WoodChop
10. V-Ups

The kings made it to exercise #7.

MARY: Didn’t need her

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel serve, trash pickup, Cannoli Run

COT: STK

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Sandlot Stations ?

Disclaimer Shared and Injuries reported

WARMUP:

All x 10
Windmills
Cherry :cherries: Pickers
Hillbillies Walkers
Imperial Walkers
Mosey around lot

THE THANG:
Circuit Training composed of 3 Rounds with 8 Stations and 3 modes of transportation

1 Round = 8 Stations w/10 reps each
After one round choose a mode of transport from the following list and move from one island to another and back.

Rinse and repeat for 45 mins

6 Rounds in total :heavy_equals_sign: 480 Reps

Modes of transport :
– shoulder Carry
– bear hug :people_hugging: carry
– farmers carry

Stations :station: Movements all with sandbags and 10 reps each

Over head press with flutter kicks
Squats
Bent Over Rows
Triceps
LBCs
Loaded American :us: Hammer :hammer:
Good morning :sunny: Sandbags
Calf Raises

MARY:

She was never :thumbsdown: found!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Read your newsletter, Bethel Ministries, Fort Mill Center Lawn Care, Manion,

COT: Always stays in COT! Keep praying for each other. Reach out to your brothers. Check in on each other. We are not intended to do this life by ourselves.

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Rosie does the dishes

WARMUP: • 25 SSH (IC)
• 10 Windmills (IC)
• 10 Imperial Walkers (IC)
• 10 Merkins
• Mosey 100 yards and back
THE THANG: Main Workout (35 mins)

? Circuit 1: Strength + Movement (12 mins)

3 Rounds – 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest
• Sandbag Deadlifts
• Sandbag Front Squats
• Overhead Press (strict or push press)
• Sandbag Bear Hug Carry (30 yds out and back)
• Rest 1 min after 3 rounds

? Circuit 2: Partner Grinder (10 mins)

Teams of 2. One works, one moves.
• Partner A does AMRAP sandbag reps
• Bent-over Rows
• Thrusters
• Sandbag Clean-to-Squat
• Partner B: Sandbag Shoulder Carry (30–40 yards out and back), then switch
• Go 10 minutes nonstop

? Break: 1-minute standing rest

? Circuit 3: Core & Finishers (10 mins)

2 Rounds – 40s work / 20s rest
• Sandbag Russian Twists (seated)
• Sandbag Ground-to-Shoulder
• Plank Pull-throughs (sandbag drag side to side)
• Burpee over sandbag

?️ After 2 rounds, 1-minute rest

MARY: 1 second plank
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cannoli Run, Tortoise and Hare
COT: Finish the day strong, men.

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4 corners of pain in the sink

WARMUP: A little plank calf stretch, Moroccan Nightclubs, Windmills, Strawberry Pickers
THE THANG: Mosey with sandbags to start, overhead sandbag carry’s to the pillars, 1 min wall sit with sandbags then drop bag and 1 min without, 25 calf raises, overhead sandbag carry’s to 1st corner, 25 Romanian deadlifts, Bag throws to 2nd corner, 25 bent-over rows, overhead bag carry’s to 3rd corner, 25 sandbag curls, bag throws to 4th corner, Sandbag carry around the sink, REPEAT 4 corners of pain, bag carry to COT, 50 Bag presses, then 4 rounds of Mary
MARY: laying flutters, LBCs, dying cockroaches, sitting flutters w/legs shoulder width apart
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Fastest 5K for VuVu’s son, Waxhax Trail Fest (WTF), read your newsletters
COT: It is what it is… notes, we are all still or have been at a point of struggle in our lives for various reasons. Know we are not alone (ie not the only ones), people need us, our family’s need us, and we all have an obligation to be there for anyone else who needs it.

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A TO B

WARMUP:
– 15 SSH
– 15 CASBAH #2s
– 15 IW
– 15HW

THE THANG: We grabbed our trusty sandbags and shuffled to the first light pole “A” by COT. Destination “A TO B” even though <@U05MQ63R1NU>, <@U05TRFE7TV4> and @3-Way were missing…

#1
– 5 MM- Jog to B (past COT to next light) 10 Squats
– Lunges back to first light pole A 5 MM
– OH TOSS to B 10 Squats
– Jog to A 5MM
#2
– Rifle Carry to B 5 Merkins
– Lunge to A 10 Seal Jacks
– Jog to B 5 Merkins
– Walking OH Press to A 10 Seal Jacks

Shuffle to the stairs:
– Farmers Carry to the bottom down and back 2X

Shuffle to COT:

Modified Jack Webb:
– 1 Clean 4 Push Press
– 2 Clean 8 Push Press
– 3 Clean 12 Push Press
– 2 Clean 8 Push Press
– 1 Clean 4 Push Press

Some stretching and 10 more SSH to close it out.

MARY: She stayed in bed with her purple bacon
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Fast 5, Bethel Men’s Shelter THU 4/3, read your news letter
COT: Gratitude for F3 brotherhood of men, Prayers for safe travels, strength at work and in finding work, for those who are sick tired clod hungry or alone.

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Rinse and repeat

WARMUP: Yep
THE THANG:
10 deadlift mosey to next station
10 deadlift, 10 row, mosey back to first station
10 deadlift mosey to next station
10 deadlift, 10 row mosey to next station
10 deadlift, 10 row, 10 cleans mosey back station
10 deadlift, 10 row and so on and so forth until we got to

10 deadlift, 10 row, 10 cleans, 10 press, 10 front squat, 10 back squat.

Oh yea if anyone dropped the bag everyone had to do three bag over burpees.
MARY: 3 bag over burpees
ANNOUNCEMENTS: some
COT: in thy circle we trust.

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Pillars of Pain – Part II

No warm-ups, straight to the pillars. Partner exercise. Partner 1 started at Pillar 1 (Squat Thrusters), Partner 2 started at Pillar 17 ( Bent over Rows). Reps = Pillar #. Once Partner 2 completes reps, flip flops with Partner 1.
Big lap around the field and back to the front of the school with stops at each corner, bear crawl and farmer carry between stops.
Sandbag exercises man makers, curls, Flutters . Lunge walk to last pillar. Squats, LBCs, bend over row. 10 reps at first stop, +10 reps at each next stop.
Back to flag for COT.

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Strength in Motion, Buckets of Pain and Cinderblock Regret

Pre-Workout Prep

Pulled into the gloom at 4:45 AM—silent, still, and completely void of movement. With no one in sight, I set up three lanes with four stations each:
• Cone 1: 5-gallon buckets filled with bricks for farmer carries
• Cone 2: Cinderblocks
• Cone 3: Sandbags
• Cone 4: More cinderblocks

Then it hit me—I was 15 minutes early. The start time was 5:15, not 5:00. So, a slow mosey to the COT area, where I linked up with Farmers Only and Brawley. Soon enough, the PAX began to roll in, ready to put in work.

At 5:15 on the dot, we launched. Disclaimer was given, and movement began.

Warmup (Buy-In)
• 25 Cinderblock Thrusters
• 25 Sandbag Throws
• 25 Bucket Squats

The Thang

PAX counted off into two teams, then received their marching orders: Work through each station in rotation, with a farmer carry serving as the movement driver.

Round 1
• Cone 1: Farmer carry buckets (approx. 0.05 miles)
• Cone 2: Sandbag Squats
• Cone 3: Cinderblock Front Raises
• Cone 4: Cinderblock Overhead Press

Partner 1 carried the two 5-gallon buckets down to the cone and back while the remaining PAX worked at their respective stations. Upon return, everyone rotated stations.

Round 2
• Cone 1: Farmer carry buckets
• Cone 2: Sandbag Bent Over Rows
• Cone 3: Cinderblock Curls to Press
• Cone 4: Cinderblock Tricep Extensions

Round 3
• Cone 1: Farmer carry buckets
• Cone 2: Sandbag Curls
• Cone 3: Cinderblock Manmakers
• Cone 4: Cinderblock Swings

Rinse and repeat—we cycled back to Round 1 and got about halfway through before time called.

Finisher (Buy-Out)
• 25 Cinderblock Thrusters
• 25 Sandbag Throws
• 25 Bucket Squats

Quick clean-up, then straight to COT.

COT (Circle of Trust)

Announcements:
• Convergence Friday
• The Jäger on Saturday, plus the check giveaway
• Fast 5K for Luka
• Read your newsletter for more details

Prayers/Praises:
• Health concerns for many family members
• Mental health struggles among the PAX and their loved ones
• Gratitude for the men who showed up, held each other accountable, and pushed through the work

Final Thoughts

No wasted reps. No shortcuts. Just men showing up in the gloom, embracing the grind, and getting stronger together. Iron sharpens iron.

SYITG.

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Loaded Failures up

WARMUP: Yea. A light mosey a few movements, like throwing the bags.

THE THANG:
Kitchen Sink:
10 Cleans
10 Back Squats
10 Manmakers
10 Rows
Move with the bag, do it again.

10 Lateral Lunges
10 Squat Thrusters
10 Burpee hop over bag
10 Plank Pull Through
Move with the bag, do it again.

10 Single Leg Deadlifts
10 Reverse Lunges

Burnout till 0600:
Jack Webb w/ Squats (1) and Lunge Walk (4)
Got to 4 & 16

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence 3/14 at the Hive
Jaeger 3/15 at Model A Brewing

NMM:
Asked each guy to share a bit about their failures. So, many of them shared a regret…something they viewed as a failure that like mising an opportunity. Some shared some pretty epic failures and how they’ve changed because of that.

We don’t necessarily have to regret something for it to be a failure. Personally, I want to try to fail better and often. I wanna dream big, and go big. If it blows up right in my face, hopefully I can learn something for my next big attempt. Shady once told me to fail forward. I like that.

We can’t be afraid to take chances. How are you putting yourself at risk for failure? Is that a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Is it neither but thinking makes it so? (That’s a reference to Hamlet….look it up.) How can we strive to attempt things in ways that leads to good things even when we fail?

This is the kinda stuff I think about. Sometimes a lot. Often in a circular fashion. You’re welcome…or not.

The workout was hard, in the rain, and we went in a giant circle, twice.

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