11 #HIM answered the call this extremely humid morning. YHC did not know what to expect as several of the PAX are in Colombia (including the Site Q, Chicken Hawk) on a mission trip. And 36 Pax are tapering for BRR. However, the PAX this morning came ready to work and they put forth outstanding effort.

This is how it went:

Disclaimer

Mosey to Sugar Creek ES side parking lot for start of Warm ups:

50 SSH IC

25 IW iC

7 twelve count slow squats

Bear Crawl from island to island and lunge walk back (rinse and repeat)

Mosey to wall

Moroccan Nightclubs 25 IC

Jack Webb (1 merkin, 4 air presses) up to 10 merkins/40 air presses. (Brief explanation as new to some)

Moroccan Nightclubs 25 iC

Ball to the Wall

With the warm up over we were ready to get started. The warm-up itself was a real crowd pleaser.

Next up Crazy 8 (brief explanation as some had never done). At top of hill 8 reps of merkins and 8 LBC and bottom of hill 8 dips and 8 bombjacks. Run backward up hill and forward downhill. Do 8 rounds.

Next line up at the end of the rounds and run AYG to the dumpster by the stadium.

Then partner up and grab a rock. Partner 1 runs to the visitors entrance while Partner 2 does curls. Flip-flop.

3 minutes of Mary with Pax leading the exercises (Flutters, Gravediggers and Freddie Mercury)

Moleskin:

Great group of guys to morning. Several I had never met before. This is my fault as I have not been to the COOP as often normal as so many choices on Wed and so many new Pax. Thank you Chick Hawk for the invite.

The Pax pushed each other this morning.

Announcements: Check the Newsletter

Prayers: many for aging parents and grandparents along with So-crates son with a broken arms. Colombia trip. Also LEGOLAND’s sister.

Honor to serve!

Nut “cracked”

15 tough minded men showed up this humid Wednesday morning to strengthen their minds and bodies with a beatdown from non other than Backdraft. I have been asking Chicken Hawk for a Q at The Coop since I came off the disabled list, it was even greater than I expected getting to lead these men in a great workout. It went something like this

Disclaimer

Mosey around parking lot with high knees, Karaoke, butt kickers.

Circle up for warm-ups- SSH x 20, Prisoner Squats x 20, peter parkers x 20, arm circles front and back x 20, Mountain climbers x 20.

Mosey down to elementary school and partner up at playground P1 does Swing ab crunches x 15 P2 continuous flutter kicks until partner 1 done swap and repeat for 3 sets.

Mosey to back of school for Jacobs ladder top of hill do 7 bomb jacks at bottom do 1 merkin. Once completed do LBCs until the six was in.

Mosey back around to front of school for peoples chair and Balls to wall.

Mosey to pull up bars Partner up do descending dead hang pulls up from 5 to 1 when not doing pull-ups you are doing LBCs.

Mosey to band practice grounds for sprints.

1st set go to 25 yard line 5 flying squirrels backwards run to end zone.

2nd set sprint to 50 4 flying squirrels backwards run to end zone.

3rd set sprint to 75 yard line 3 flying squirrels backwards run to end zone.

4th set sprint to other end zone line 2 flying squirrels backwards run to other end zone.

Mosey back to COT.

Announcements- read newsletter

Prayers- Men going on mission trip leaving Friday, LEGOLAND’s sister and her battle with cancer, Chickenhawks grandfather after he took a fall, Uncle Si nephew having surgery to restore his hearing.

It was awesome to lead these men.

Backdraft out

YHC had the honor of leading the fine men of the Fort at the Coop again.  As many have said, this is our most complete AO in the rotation and I felt it was time to use all of its goodness today (except for the track, which was locked).  After the warm-up detailed below I talked a bit about something that struck me this weekend as I was listening to BBC radio.  They were speaking to a female rabbi who is leading smaller groups in California to worship a more focused and intimate setting – they meet in private homes, cafes and restaurants.  The thought process is that it is nice to break out of the norm and put yourself in the fringes.  An are where there is a focus on something other than just going with the flow and accepting today’s society as just “the way it is.”  She also spoke about the emergence of mega-churches and the fact that sometime people feel lost in those settings.  She wasn’t making a judgment about mega-churches, in general, but she noticed the needs/wants of certain people to stand out and be held accountable.  People growing tired of the “free pizza if you attend this worship” and the thirst to be missed if you are absent, to be held accountable for when you are there.  For obvious reasons, this put my mind to F3…we are the fringe.  We are missed when we are absent.  We are noticed when we are gone.  And we are held accountable to bring something to the table when we arrive.  Be it sweat equity with the “you against you” attitude of the workouts or actually serving as Q for the workout.  We are the fringe.

Warm-up

• Lap around the parking lot with high knees, butt kickers, karaoke, skip hops and backwards running mixed throughout.
• Circle up near the rock pile for WM, SHH, Slow-low Squats, Slow merkins, and a plank series.
• Now, grab a rock….and choose wisely.

The Tour

• Mosey to the Grinder
  • 10 Rock burpees
  • Sprint to the other side
  • Sprint back
  • 25 yard lunges with the rock
• Mosey to the upper practice field
  •  1st corner = 25 rock squats
  • 2nd corner = 20 rock curls, 20 rock overhead tricep extensions
  • 3rd corner = 25 merkins on your rock
  • 4th corner = I honestly forget – maybe more curls and triceps…
• Mosey back to the parking lot
  • 25 LBCs with rock on chest
  • 10 Russian Twists with rock
• Mosey to ROTC building and split into two groups
  • Group 1 – 10 burpee pull-ups
  • Group 2 – run to bottom of hill with rock and then back up – rock LBCs until Group 1 is done
  • Switch up
• Mosey to Wall of building at base of hill
  • People’s chair while holding rock
  • 10 count Sir Topham Hat – then drop 6″
  • 10 count Pebbles with rock overhead
  • 10 count YHC
• Mosey to garden area
  • 10 (each leg) step ups onto planter boxes with rock
  • 10 (each leg) step ups onto planter boxes with rock press over head
• Mosey to base of hill
  • 25 rock curls
  • 25 rock overhead tricep extensions
• Slow mosey back up hill to rock pile while holding the rock overhead and passing it hand to hand
  • More low slow squats
• Toss that rock and mosey back to COT with come high knees and butt kickers mixed in.

BOM

Moleskin 

Cake Boss made a late appearance to the workout cleverly arriving right after we tossed the rocks – a true veteran move.

Good hard work by all the PAX.  Announcements in the newsletter and some praise lifted up for Chicken Hawk’s son to have the courage to come to him about a delicate matter at school.  Talk to your kids and let them know they can talk to you.  Always a pleasure to lead!

Aye!

A Dirty Dozen rubbed the sleep from their eyes on a somber morning at the Coop.  YHC commented on how long it has been since he’d been at his first AO and decided to pull out some of the “greatest hits” from past posts (read that as “most painful”).

No FNG’s present, but the disclaimer was still disclaimed, then we took off.

The Thang:

Mosey around AO Jones to Band Practice lot with some high knees and butt kickers.

COP

• SSH
• CDD
• Windmills
• Plank Work

Mosey to corner of Band Practice Lot for some East to West work:

• Bear Crawl the width of the field
• Lunge Walk 10 yards
• Crab Walk the width of the field
• Lunge Walk 10 yards
• Repeat to the 50 yard line

Mosey to Tire Pile + Pull Up Bars for some Partner Work

Partner one does Two Merkin Double Pull Up Burpee while Partner Two does each set with flapjack:

• Tire OH Presses x 10
• Tire Around the World x 10
• Tire Squat Thrusters x 10

Repeat, but instead of burpee, Partner One runs the lap up to school and back

Hit the wall for:

• People’s Chair x 3 10 counts
• BTTW x 3 10 counts
• People’s Char x 3 10 counts
• BTTW Push Ups x 10 (Disclaimer re-disclaimed prior)

Mosey back over towards Shovel Flag for COP

Mary Sequence with minimal breaks:

• Dolly x 20
• Rosalita x 20
• Slow Freddies x 15
• LBC x 51

NMM:

I tried, but failed, to have some inspirational nuggets for the PAX this morning due to some family issues distracting me (see prayer requests below).  What I attempted to convey was something I heard at a GORUCK event a few months ago from a retired Army Ranger.  He was commenting on being the “best of the best” of the Army to be selected for the Rangers and how he “never had to try to so hard to be average” as he did once he was in the Rangers surrounded by the Army’s elite.

This got me thinking about how easy it is for us to be average with society’s extremely low bar.  I wanted to challenge the PAX to raise the bar and make the “average” much higher than what the world around you looks for.  This applies to the guy who is dogging it at the back of the herd during hill runs instead of pushing it a little harder, but it doesn’t stop there.  One of the great things about F3 is that it challenges us all to #GetBetter in all realms of our lives, not just the First F.

A wise sage (Aquaman) said a long time ago (at the Coliseum yesterday) that we need to be intentional with our time…. that’s what this is all about.  The more intentional we are with our actions, the better results we’ll see…. This applies to workouts, to our jobs, to our families, to our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

When you surround yourself with men who raise the bar, you can’t help but shoot for that bar or beyond and make an impact.  Surround yourself with the elite in your communities… your F3 Brothers who are trying to #GetBetter.  Then Get After It.

Announcements:

3rd F Convergence with District Principals, Friday 0600 at Eternal Church Office.  Donation for the use of the facility is encouraged.

Gladiator Games at Indian Land, Saturday, 0630.

World’s Largest Coffeeteria – Applebee’s Rock Hill, Saturday from 0800-1000, Pancake breakfast for Columbia Mission Trip.

Prayers:

Destiny’s in-laws martial issues – Pray for resolution.

Chicken Hawk’s family as they struggle with the Loss of his Sister in Law four years ago.

Wendy Bedwell, wife of pastor at First Baptist Fort Mill with Pancreatic Cancer.

Praise for Gear’s Sister in Law recovering from Breast Cancer treatment

Gears parents for healing, accurate diagnosis, and peace around the mass found in Gear’s father’s bladder yesterday.

Honor to Serve.

With all the Boys II Men mumble chatter in the final lap in Fort Mill, I thought it appropriate to leave a title worthy of bomb jacks.  Thanks to Stang, Chicken Hawk and Lug nut for giving me the Q at the Coop.  In a strange but fitting start, my F3 chauffeur of many years, Pusher, picked me up from my hotel so I could deliver one more leg day as my last official F3 act as a Fort Mill resident.

I thought about winging the Q the night before with a cadence so high I would have plenty of time to pick the next exercise (e.g. last Patriot), but decided to memorize the WOD, which went a little something like this:

Mosey to the field for some sprinkler inspired COP in mostly 25s, which included SSH, Imperial Walkers, merkins, planks, LBC, etc.).  If it wasn’t for the fact that my washer/dryer were packed it would have been the wettest COP not caused by Mother Nature, but alas, we mosey’d to find some dry asphalt to finish COP, a few more SSH, diamonds, planks, makhtars, planks.

Always ready to mosey we hit the band lot to test the four corners, lunge to 25 bomb jacks, sprint to 25 squats, lunge to 25 bomb jacks and sprint back to 25 squats.  The legs were getting sore so I decided to add some monkey humpers, to turn up the heat.  Repeat, lunge to 25 monkey humpers, sprint to 25 squats, lunge to 25 monkey humpers, sprint to 25 squats, and plank it.

We mosey’d for the last time to the hill, for some pick your poison back up (bear crawl, lunge, reverse sprints, frog jumps).  Rinsed and repeated.

Moleskin: We welcomed FNG, Hamptons to the crew after getting an EH assist with Package from Sunday’s pool day.

In closing, I can’t help but think about how amazing the last 3 years have been sweating, swearing and praying with you.  I can’t think of a better way to start the day, then fighting with each of you to become better men, husbands, and fathers.

This whole ride started with Pusher dropping the “we should work out” over dinner one night in ear shot of the M (Haskell move), but one I’ll not regret. The start for us was a 5:45 spin class at the Y, with Leonard and one legendary WOD, which was a 25 minute non-stop burpee fest to honor those injured or killed in Boston.  We realized then we could do a whole lot more than our minds told us we could, and shortly after entered F3 and Santini’s never ending SSHs. It also inspired me to return the favor by EH’ing every dude I knew… we all need a friend even when we don’t think we do.

F3 has added for me another F, fraternity (brotherhood) which has created some cherished friendships of the vintage normally only found in the college years. Some how together, I realize I have very few real problems, and instead a whole lot to be thankful for in this short life on the big ball.  The next chapter of NYC is just starting to be written, but it will forever be altered by the time spent in the pitch dark chasing the man in front of me down a path, and with God’s grace it to will end with a COT.

Red Eye (mic drop)

Want to say thanks to all the men that showed up for my first Q all the way through.

Warmup
35 ssh
20 Hillbilly Wakkers
20 Count Windmills
20 Mountain Climbers
Run parking lot various Kareoke butt kicks toy soldiers.

The Thang

Mosey to asphalt football field.
Line up in endzone. Bear crawl 20 yards then do 20 merkins,bear crawl 20 more yards 20 diamond merks,20 more yards wide arm merks, 20 more yards hand release merks, then 20 burpees at other end zone.
Next round
Suicide runs 10 yards back do 15 ssh
20 yards back do 15 seal jacks 30 yards back do 15 plank jacks 40 yards back do 15 bombjacks then 50 yards back do 15 squats. Plank till six is in.
Mosey to Elementary school
Partner up peoples chair while partner runs hill to rotc building does 10 merkins then comes relieves partner. Rinse and repeat 2x each.
Mosey to playground. Partner 1 does derkins off swings while 2 runs lap around playground. Repeat twice. Cot for some various forms of Mary.

16 pax swooped in on The Coop for humbling Hump Day dose of pain.

The Thang

Short jog to lighted terrain for COP

IW x20

Mtn climbers x20

Plank sequence

SSH x20

Slow merkins x15

15 Bomb jacks OYO

Mosey to soccer field (sprinklers were an unexpected bonus)

Split into four groups, with each group stationed at a corner of the diamond set-up (baseball theme follow up to Tues MLB All-Star game).  Each group moves around the bases with one exercise for each trip around, doing 5 reps at the first base, then 10 at the next, then 15 and then 20, with sprints between each base.  Take a home run trot around all four bases.  When six is in, repeat the cycle with the next exercise.  50 reps of each exercise, 9 rounds. Batting order as follows:

Merkins
CDDs
Diamond merkins
Sumo squats
Jumping lunge
Monkey humpers
Chuck Norris merkins
Moroccan night clubs
Wide arm merkins

Wrap-up with Makhtar N’Dyae x15

Run home

EC = plank jacks x20

NMM

The theme today was “Just say yes.”  The pax did an awesome job saying yes repeatedly as the reps and laps piled up.  Heard some grunts and groans throughout, especially with the core exercises tossed in at the finish.  Way to hang tough to the end!

Welcome to visiting pax from Area 51, our friend Rock Thrill.  Good to have you on board the pain train today.  NOTE to all pax of The Fort: Check out Area 51 news on website for upcoming CSAUP event on Aug 1st (similar to Hog & Coyote).

Beyond merely saying “yes” to the physical pain, the challenge laid out for the pax post-COT is to watch for more opportunities to say “yes” in daily life, especially in the case of requests from family where the immediate reaction would be to say “no.”  No can be the proper response in many cases.  No can also be the “justifiable” response.  YHC has certainly lived in that mindset for a long time.  But recent experiences have exposed in me many cases where the motivations below my conventional parental wisdom in saying “no” are actually more self-centered.  My “no” was aimed at ensuring that my preferences came first, my choices would be fulfilled, my fears would be avoided.  That is not wisdom.  That is not love.  This realization has challenged YHC to dig deep below my initial, instinctive emotional response to determine true motivations and to be open to viewing others’ requests and desires as invitations to me, invitations to say “yes” to an experience that might not otherwise encounter.  There is lots of negativity in our world (mass media, opinion, social media, everyday gossip or watercooler chatter).  Challenge yourself to stay positive.  And in staying positive, stay open to opportunities where you can say “yes” and spread that positive spirit.

Thanks to Chicken Hawk for the opportunity to Q today and for his stellar leadership at The Coop!

19 of the Fort’s finest ignored my warning of No stories, No 10 ten-counts, and No BS, and descended upon the Coop for 45 minutes of hard work and getting better.  Disclaimer was mentioned and off we went.

The Thang

Mosey around the parking lot with some Butt Kicks, High Knees, Shuffle Left, and Shuffle Right.  Circle up for warm-up.  15 x SSH (IC), 15 x IW (IC), 15 x Mountain Climbers (IC), 15 x Peter Parkers (IC), 15 x Parker Peters (IC).

Mosey to the other side of the parking lot that was lit and explain the AMRAP style workout with 2 sides (1 side legs the other side abs).  1st side, start with 10 Merkins, run to first cone and do 15 bombjacks, run back to start and do 10 Merkins, run to first cone and do 15 bombjacks, then second cone and do 15 squats.  Run back to start and do 10 merkins, then 1st cone 15 bombjacks, second cone 15 squats, third cone 15 monkey humpers.  Run back to start and do 10 merkins, then first cone 15 bombjacks, second cone 15 squats, third cone 15 monkey humpers, last cone of 10 burpees.  Run to start and do 10 merkins and switch to the other side.  Other side works the same way but with 15 LBC’s at first cone, 15 Flutter Kicks at second cone, 15 Hello Dolly’s at third cone, and finish with 10 burpees.  Half the group started with Abs Side, half started on Leg side.  Each full round was 80 Merkins, 60 Bombjacks, 60 LBC’s, 45 Squats, 45 Flutter kicks, 30 Monkey Humpers, 30 Hello Dolly’s and 20 Burpees.  Almost everyone got at least 2 rounds in in 30 minutes.  Pebbles and MacGyver got in 2 1/2+.

At 30 minutes time was called and the PAX were told to finish their station and head back to the start.  Finished with Rosalita’s x 10, Dying cockroach x 10, Plank Jacks x 10, and some plankarama.  Mosey to COT for BOM.

Announcements – On August 8th – go to workout, then go to IL for Gladiator Games (Pebbles wants a real challenge), then got to pancakeaterria to support those going on Mission trip to Columbia, then play in a golf tournament with Stang (guess just tell the M you will be gone all day and give her the credit card and tell her to go shopping).

Prayers – Loss of family members and friends by several of the PAX, support for those battling Cancer right now.

Moleskin

* Always an honor to get to Q the Coop.  Loved meeting some new faces today that I hadn’t met yet notably C3PO, Skate-or-die, Snare, Rocky Top, and Legoland.  Your hard work was noticed.  Keep pushing my brothers.

*  One of the things that has really been put in my mind and in my heart is to #getbetter  This applies to all aspects of life.  Fitness, work, home life, and journey with God and Christ.  What are you INTENTIONALLY doing in these aspects to get better?

* Not a lot of mumblechatter.  Which is a good thing.  Everybody working too hard to talk.

* Pebbles and MacGyver rocked this workout.

* Dark Helmet was noticeably absent and in the Fartsack. Thanks for bringing my shirt. Not.  Guess I will get it next time you Q as you seem to Fartsack when I Q.  Which means you won’t be at the Ranch or Varsity this week either.

* Also absent was CSPAN.  Hasn’t made a workout I’ve Q’ed yet. Is he scared or just a #smartoldman

*  Thanks for the opportunity to lead,  If you want some more, come to the Ranch on Thursday and Varsity on Friday.  See you in the Gloom!!!

Da gloom arrived and so did 18 of The Fort’s finest. It was a muggy humid morn and the suck was about to get real. YHC welcomed 2 FNG’s with the usual disclaimer and I threw out the idea that just when we think we have it all together, there is a force that gets in our way…..an opposition to what we are trying to accomplish. More to come……

The Thang:

Mosey on down to Sugar Creek Elementary for some COP

20 of each SSH, Squats, CCDs, Imperial Walkers, Wind Mills and a mosey to front of school

Bear Crawl/karoke/Bear Crawl/karoke/lunge walk/sprint/lungewalk/sprint

Find some curb for stagger curb merkins – 10 each side in caddence

Mosey to bottom of hill in driveway warm up over- YHC talked about when we are always trying to do the righ thing and face the opposition, who could be our own family, that we need to arm ourselves with the Lord and trust in him. We do this by prayer, being in the word and being obiedient to what he wants us to be not the world expectation. When we do the things God defines and are consistent in them, he walks and talks with us through all opposition. The spiritial warfare is real and we can just be another notch for the evil one or a child of God with eternal life based on the decisions we make, starting with following Christ.

A little hill work: 1s & 2s

1s – bear crawl hill to first level – 1 bomb jack – Sprint to next level – 1 bomb jack……………………..

2s LBC’s until 1s are back – go up to 5 bomb jacks

Mosey to side of school—–

People’s Chair/ Balls to Wall / Merkins Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to back of school for more Hill work

Everyone – Jackobs ladder of Up hill do a 1 burpee bottom of hill 7 carolina dry docks Full Ladder

Mosey to bottom hill facing NAFO

1’s sprint up hill and back, 2’s do merkins – Flap jack

Jailbreak back to COT fro bottom of hill

COT:

The men pushed through as the humity was brutal. Band Camp challenges Longshanks in the Jailbreak and gave him a run, but Longshanks stood tall as Band Camp came close to splashing merlot.

Proud of the 2 FNG’s Skate or Die and Motor City, they pushed through and will be looking for new friends after this sweatfest.

Prayers for everyone’s journey and to be strong against opposition. Take it on but rely on the Lord’s provision in all you do!

Humbled and Honored as always. Great PAX make Great Leaders! Be Christ Centered not World Centered

CB