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

A strong showing at The Coop was the result of 24 PAX showing they weren’t afraid of wet grounds from the mild storms that rolled through last night.  Today we welcomed FNG “Snare” with a variety of exercises, including some that hit muscles YHC is still nursing from the Memorial Day Murph.  By the end of the workout we covered about 2 miles.  Check the map and see if you can find in the “Elevation” window where we did the Jacobs Ladder. (workout map)

The Thang:

Run to top of hill heading down to Sugar Creek Elementary for warmup:

• SSH x30 (IC) => High Knee in formation about 20 yards
• Imperial Walkers with high leg clicks (IC) x20 => High Knee back 20 yards back to starting COP location
• Dry Docks x20 (IC) => Butt Kickers out 20 yards again
• Toy Soldiers x20 (IC) => Butt Kickers back again
• LBCs x20

Mosey to (shrinking) pile of rocks.  Partner up (size no matter) and each team grabs a rock.

“Catch me if you can” to AO Jones, then back all the way down the hill to Sugar Creek Elem, then back to pile of rocks.  Partner 1 runs with the rock while partner 2 does 5 burpees, then chases him down.  Once caught, partner 1 hands over the rock and does 5 burpees while partner 2 continues the run.  Rinse and repeat until run is complete.

Once done, partner 1 does tricep extensions with rock (10) while partner 2 does squats.  Flapjack, then rinse and repeat.

Mosey up to soccer field for “under-over railroad tracks”.  I had planed on doing this on the soccer field, but didn’t anticipate the sprinklers to be running (perhaps a mid-summer exercise?).  We found a long grassy stretch outside the field that suited pretty well (still wet).  Pax plank in a line with space between.  Person at end of line alternates hopping over and crawling under paxs until he reaches front of line, then he planks.  Next pax follows until all pax have completed one rotation.  There was definitely mumblechatter about how this looked better on paper.  I tend to agree, but only because there were 24 pax.  This exercises would probably be a little better with 15-18 pax (or less with multiple rotations).

Mosey around side of soccer field for Jacobs Ladder that started with 1 bomb jack at the top, and 7 squats at the bottom.

6 Minutes of Mary

• LBC x20 (IC)
• LBC x10 (IC) – knees rotated left
• LBC x10 (IC) – knees rotated right
• Slow flutters x10 (IC)
• Hello Dolly x10 (IC)
• Rosalita x10 (IC)
• Russian Twist x10 (IC)

COT

The Coop is a great AO with lots to offer.  It always has me rethinking my schedule of Wednesdays as my “day off” whenever I post there.  Much thanks to Chicken Hawk for allowing me to Q, and for the very encouraging and hard working pax that posted this morning.  Aquaman mentioned in COT that it is his one year anniversary of F3 – very awesome.  His sentiment of now feeling an unsuppressible “need for” posting is a great thing, and something we all desire for with good things in our lives: healthy eating, exercise, fellowship, and a quality relationship with God.  How are you EH’ing others into s lifestyle where they feel an unsupressible “need for” these good things in their lives?  How are working on those things for yourself?

Our one spoken prayer request was for Gentry and Hadley Eddings who are going through a tragedy that most of us can’t even begin to wrap our head around.  Pray that they will feel God’s presence, comfort, and love, directly and through us as support friends and members of the community.  To see the story on WCNC, click here.

I had the honor to once again co-lead a workout with CSPAN.  We started off with a little warm-up as we waited for Funhouse to complete his foot-commute from Tega Cay.  SSH, IW, Squats and Moroccan Nightclubs.  As soon as Funhouse touched down, CSPAN decided to “bully” by taking off to the other side of the parking lot for some Carolina drydocks.  Off again to the Grinder.

The Grinder – toe the line for the following:

1. bear crawl 5 yrds, lunge walk 5 yrds – full length of the field;
2. crab walk 5 yrds, lunge walk 5 yrds – full length of the field;
3. bear crawl 15 yrds, lunge walk 15 yrds – full length of the field;
4. backwards run 30 yards, turn and sprint 70 yrds;
5. backwards run 30 yards, turn and sprint 70 yrds;
6. backwards run 30 yards, turn and sprint 70 yrds;
7. backwards run 30 yards, turn and sprint 70 yrds;
8. Jog 25 yards, sprint 75 yrds.

Prayer for Tatanka and a smoother transition.  Hand off to YHC;

Mosey to the ROTC building and bottom of the hill.

Hill Work

1. Burpee, 5 lunge walks, burpee, rinse and repeat to the top of the hill;
2. Burpee, 3 lunge walks, burpee, rinse and repeat to bottom of the hill;

At this point, the mumble chatter was getting a bit too much and Stang commented that the back of the pack sounded like a bunch of women chatting it up….we’ll solve that problem.

15 burpees, OYO

15 Maktar Kneejis (I always botch that spelling), OYO

15 of the plank to elbows thingies, OYO (Maktar Ninjis?)

Mosey back up to middle of the hill then: Burpee, 1 lunge walk, burpee – rinse and repeat to the top of the hill.

Split into groups of two quickly (counting is hard…) Group 1 – 15 pull-ups, Group 2 – Wide-arm Merkins OYO.  Flapjack.

Wall sit for a painfully slow Trucker 10 count. Mosey to COT and stick the landing right at 6:00.

Announcements included: 3rdF with Chicken hawk, The Murph, Winnsboro clown car, Cannoli Run.  Prayers/Praises: Stang’s family, Trucker and his family’s transition, Tatanka and his move, Flat Tire and his family.

Always an honor to lead, especially alongside a true #HIM like CSPAN.  Humbling to watch everyone get after it and make themselves better.  F3 really is a blessing on so many levels.  Praises for the ability for us all to get up and make each other better in all aspects of life.  It starts with the 1st F but carries through the entire day with the 2nd and 3rd.  #ISI

With 13 strong Pax for a dry but damp morning we collectively conquered the morning.  Nice job by all the PAX slinging tires and pounding pavement.

The Message:

God calls us to a very high standard in our marriages.  We are told to love our wives as God loved the Church, love them as we love ourselves, cleanse and sanctify them.  How do we live up to that standard?

How do we learn to love our wives as Jesus loves the church?  Through changing ourselves, both our hearts and minds must be cleansed by the word.  If we aren’t reading and meditating on the Word and allowing it to live through us then it is impossible to reach the standard set in the Word.

The THANG:

Mosey ( inch worms, lunge walks, side shuffle left then right, bear crawl, crab walk, karaoke left then right)

Warm-up

30 Ssh

5 burpees oyo

20 IW

5 burpees oyo

15 mountain climbers

5 burpees oyo

15 low slow squats

5 burpees oyo

Mosey to the bus parking lot for suicide sprints then exercise:

5-10-15 – Carolina Dry Docks

10-20-30 – Merkins

40-20-10 – Squats

15-10-5

Mosey to tires

7 min. Amrap

10 – around the worlds

10 – over head tire squat

5 – pull ups

7 min. Amrap

3 – Wall climbs

10 – curb merkins

Lap around the bus loop

3 minutes of Mary

CSPAN on Q

Disclaimer and welcome (Legal Department approved message – thanks Chaser)

This was our friend Tatanka’s Q slot, but since he started his new career on Monday in sunny Florida, he wanted me to tell everyone “hello”, and that he is looking forward to getting back out with us. He is feeling better and should be in Fort Mill next week.

The Marines use a 2 Drill Instructor system to increase the intensity of physical training during recruit boot camp. Think of it as a combination punch, the first punch allows you to think the second punch won’t knock you down, which is always wrong …no matter your fitness level. This morning 15 souls foolishly (except 1-Niner who likes abuse) found out what getting “hit in the face with the squad bay door” feels like (direct boot camp quote from my SGT Washington).

Short mosey dodging a bus and an unusual amount of assorted cars dropping kids off

Stop#1 “The Grinder”

SSH, IW, Squats, Windmills, couple of others…

Long plank series…Honeybee will not forget his gloves again…

Long down and back series of forward/backward running

Bear Crawl / Lunge

Backwards Bear / Backwards Lunge

More running

Stop #2 “Shoulders”

OYO 2 sets of max – pull-ups, Americans, & Dry-Docks

MacGyver did a nice final set with a boisterous PAX full of encouragement

Stop #3

Weird sequence of Bear Crawl / Crab Walk / BTW Walk

People’s Chair on single leg #recoverytime

Gunny on Q

This is where you see why the 2 DI system challenges you, about the time you believe the workout is getting easy, here comes a punch in the gut.

Stop# 4 “I think I might get sick?”

Gunny described this as “getting your heart rate up”

5 cycles of American sequence on bottom of the hill (insert “mucho chesto” here), run up 1/8 mile hill, 10 Burpees, run back down 1/8 mile hill…(hence this turned out to be a crowd pleaser…and yes, your heart rate “got up”). Gears departed on an #ElvisEmergency, I believe Gunny thinks of this as a mission accomplished signal, but barfing would have signaled he got the cardio selection right.

AB sequence waiting for 6 to arrive

Stop #5 “Gunny must think this goes until 0630”

4 cycles of Backwards Bear (short hill) / 10 Burpees / Pull-up bar sequence of “boots to bar”

Run back to the bottom of the hill

Long backwards run followed by a “jail break” to COT = Chicken Hawk is ridiculously fast

I was proud of every man getting through that workout, as it felt like Chasers Black Diamond #memories #Ialmostpuked

COT

Prayer & Praise, BOM, and a some post fellowship

Moleskin:

Always an honor to Q, especially with a fellow Marine who is an absolute BADA$$ #RESPECT

Here is everything in my notes:

• 1-Niner on Q at #SLOWBURN
• CRAB CAKES on Q at #SWAMP
• WWL on Q at #RANCH
• #Clowcar to Hartsville this weekend
• #P200F3
• 4/18/15 & 4/25/15 Gastonia #Clowncar
• 5/2/15 1 year Anniversary of Rock Hill with Dredd & OBT
• If you haven’t Q’d , step up, it is what makes F3 work
• #HIM = High Impact Man
• #NoFatPants = Once you make the physical change of F3, burn the ship and those fat pants as there is no going back. A man who can’t get his 1^st F on track will never get his 2^nd and 3^rd Fs online
• Read “Freed to Lead” here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Freed-To-Lead-Unshackling-Modern-day-ebook/dp/B00JJQB2Z8
• Always make the 1^st F too hard, the 2^nd and 3^rd F will come only with deliberate leadership
• Appreciate the enthusiasm, and get your twitter account going, and follow me @CSPANF3 & @F3TheFort

CSPAN – over & out