Category: Slow Burn

If you build it, they will come..

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The weather forecasts leading up to Slow Burn showed what could have been a soggy outing. In preparation, I made sure I had not one, but two Weinke’s prepared for the PAX. One bringing back a popular game from College past to keep us dry, “Roxanne,” with a slightly different spin, and the other a friendly mosey around the parking lots with a few exercises mixed in. Surprisingly, it ended up being a perfect day and with it, an impressive 30 PAX showed for the party.

Warm-up

Mosey to the parking lot in front of Empire Pizza

Along the way, did some butt kicks, high knees and side shuffles, left and right and circled up for some warm-up

SSH- x25

LSS- x10

Windmill-x10

Moroccan- x25

Overhead Claps- x20

Happy Jacks- 4 rounds- 5 SSH/ 2 jump squats- a nice new surprise for the PAX

Mountain Climbers- x 10

Annie- 1-2 (1) Total of 10-

The Thang

Mumble Chatter was in full force and hard to avoid with such a great number.

First Round-Same parking lot, PAX lined up close to the center back parking line and faced towards the curb heading at a slight decline. Kicked off the fun with a round of 7’s. PAX started with 1- CDD and sprint to the other side- 6 squats. Continue this pattern until the the flip-flop happens, and you are ending with 6-CDD and 1-squat. Great work out of everyone. Plank until the Six was in.

Second round-Mosey over to the parking lot next to the new restaurant Persia (not sure if that’s the name). PAX lined up along the parking space middle line facing the curb. Seemed to be a theme for the day. Next up- Modified ascending bear crawl until 13. 1-CDD then Bear Crawl to other side- 2 Derkins. Bear Crawl back to starting position, complete 3-CDD. Continue this pattern until you end on 13- CDD. Once complete, a couple of ten counts and off to the next destination. Amazingly, the mumble chatter had decreased significantly!

Third round– Mosey over to the right side of Lowes and all the PAX grabbed some space on the wall. I had originally planned for some chicken peckers, look it up. Instead we started a 10 count at one of the PAX line and continued with all PAX in a chair position. PAX joined in with instructions to push everyone to that great feeling of displeasure. Thanks for chipping in! As it got to the halfway point, I could hear the mumble chatter wondering what happened to the moderate workout, so I gave a quick leg shake break. Quick it was, and then back on the wall. We didn’t quite complete the entire line but I commend the PAX on the effort.

Next up Individual suicides- showed the PAX the lines to hit and off they went. 5 Merkins after first set and 5 flying squirrels after the second.  Took a break in between to highlight for the group the mission and 5 principles of F3. Hopefully the FNG’s heard it!

Headed back to the warm-up spot for some Mary work

Dolly-20

Reverse Crunch- 20

American Hammer- 15

Flutter kicks- 15

Mountain Climbers/Peter Parkers/Parker Peters

Back to COT

It wasn’t quite Six O’ Clock so we needed one more exercise to get us there, and Trucker happily offered up toe touches to get us home. Thanks!

Announcements– read your newsletter

Prayers/Praises– Badger, Glenn, Children, Teachers, Parents, Smithers, CSPAN, if I missed one I apologize

Thanks for the support PAX and for Shady and FMB for bringing FNG’s- Wide Right and Wilson

And Smithers for the opportunity to lead!

Frat BoySlowburn

 

 

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Moderately Crabby

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Thanks to Smithers for allowing me to lead this morning.  23 HIMs started with the disclaimer and then took a little twist on the mosey down the hill to the back side of Lowes for the warm-up and beat down. Two lines formed up at the shovel flag and proceeded to Blacksnake all the way to the warm-up.  It was noted that surprisingly no one was injured bobbing and weaving while running in a line.

The Warm-Up was short and sweet to get the muscles ready and not tired.

  • Brisk 25 SSH
  • 25 Moroccan Night Club
  • 20 Imperial Walkers

The familiar Burpees that are often limited or lost at Slow Burn were tweaked slightly to provide a little 4×4 action!

Immediately following the 4x4s, we jumped right into a round Batwings.  All to a 4-count cadence:

  • 20 Forward Arm Circles
  • 20 Reverse Arm Circles
  • 20 Seal Claps
  • 20 Overhead Claps

After the shoulders were smoked, we met up along the wall of Lowes facing the side parking lot.  Everyone partnered up for some 123’s with a rotating exercise for the traveling partner. The partners completed their 100 Merkins, 200 LBC’s and 300 Squats while crossing the parking lot performing either Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Lunge Walks, or Toe-Walks.  The parking lot had 3 distinct rows of spaces along each PAX to determine the length of their crawls or walks.

Following the 123’s we circled up for a bit of core work; Abs and Back.  I thought it was important to incorporate the most often forgotten part of the core.  This is where the real “crabbing” started among the PAX.  All exercises done in cadence:

  • 20 Crab Cake
  • 20 Crunchy Frog
  • 20 Crab Humpers
  • 20 American Hammers
  • 20 Crab Jacks
  • 20 Big Boy Sit Ups
  • 20 Mountain Climbers
  • 15 Merkins done with several pauses at 6″

The PAX moseyed its way back up to the top at their own pace in preparation for COT

At COT, the origin stories for  a couple of PAX were shared so that we can all get to know one another a little better.

Great work from all the HIMs who pushed through some serious shoulder exercises and goofy crab work.

 

MOAB…out

 

 

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Slow Burn Deck of Pain

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The morning started out cooler than yesterday…and everyone noticed that right away. That’s okay, because what I had in store would keep everyone warm enough without question.

Started out with the standard disclaimer, then moseyed down the hill for the warm-up.

  • Butt Kickers
  • High Knees
  • Circle up
  • SSH’s
  • Cherry Pickers
  • Windmills
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Hillbilly Walkers

Mosey over to the side lot for the Thang.  Now, when we got over there the PAX saw the deck of cards and immediately knew what was coming.  I set the ground rules:

Aces are 1, Face cards are 10, we will use the value of the card and do that many sets of 10 of a given exercise, and each suite for that card will determine what exercise would be done.

We did 4 rounds in total, with a lap around the building in between rounds.

Round 1 – CORE; Round 2 – UPPER BODY; Round 3 – LOWER BODY; Round 4 – CARDIO with the ultimate goal to provide a solid and challenging total body workout!

So, we started out with a face card that meant we had to get after it right out of the gate with 100 box cutters.  And the mumble chatter turned at that very first exercise of round 1 ;-).

Overall, we did hundreds of exercises, some more than others, but the exercises completed for each round were as follows:

  • LBC’s (Hearts) – We did about 60
  • Flutter Kicks (Clubs) – We did 100
  • Box Cutters (Spades) – We did 100
  • American Hammers (Diamonds) – We did 80

Run a lap around the building

  • Merkins (Hearts) – We did 80 or 90
  • Carolina Dry Docks (Clubs) – I think we did 70
  • Moroccan Night Clubs (Spades) – I think we did 40
  • Overhead Hand Claps (Diamonds) – I think we did 50

Run a lap around the building

  • Squats (Hearts) – I can’t remember how many we did
  • Monkey Humpers (Clubs) – We did 100
  • Apollo Ohno’s (Spades) – I think we did 40 or 50
  • Lunges (Diamonds) – We did 10 each leg

Run a lap around the parking lot to save time and get the last round in

  • Peter Parkers (Hearts) – I think we did 40 or 50
  • Mountain Climbers (Clubs) – I think we were in the 30 or 40 range
  • SSH’s (Spades) – We did 80
  • Parker Peters (Diamonds) – I think we did 20

Mosey back up to COT

There was a lot of complaining, but I was really proud of all the PAX as they pushed through the pain and discomfort and came out their comfort zone.  Moderate is a state of mind, and I will admit that a lot of times I tell myself I can’t do something, but then when pushed by the PAX I find out, hey, it hurt like crazy, but yes, I can do that!  Today it was my turn to lead the PAX and push them.  I’m feeling it for sure now, and I know they all are too…but I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Smithers…Out!

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Lucky Friday the 13th

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The thang

Disclaimer given

Mosie dow and around the back of Empire Pizza

COP in front of Empire Pizza

13 of each exercise to keep with the Friday the 13th theme

Seal Jacks

Diamond Merkins

Moroccan night club

Mountain Climbers

Wind Mill

Peter Parker

Parker Peter

SSH

Plank Jacks

Mosie over to the sidewalk for 3 rounds of Dips and box/curb jumps 13 ea.

Mosie over to the cones and partner up

Partner 1 stays in and does LBC while partner 2 runs to first cone and does 1 Burpee, run back do 6 handslap merkins with your partner. Partner 1 runs to 1st cone does 1 berpee returns to home and does 7 more handslap merkins, both partners run to next cone together. Increase by one burpee each round till we get to 4 burpees

Round 2 we replaced hand slap merkins with hand slap squats

Mosie over toward COT and do some AB Lab led by each PAX and continue with the 13 theme

COT

A fairly moderate workout but not too moderate!!!

This was my VQ at Slowburn and I’d be happy to go back any time! Not sure the regulars feel the same!!!  🙂

 

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Slow Burn Core Workout

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It was the last weekday of spring break, yet 14 PAX joined us in the gloom for a solid core workout.  Mumble chatter was significant and welcomed!

Getting right to it….Disclaimer then a mosey to warmup:

  • SSH’s – 25
  • Low Slow Squats – 10
  • Windmill – 10
  • Moroccan Nightclubs – 25
  • Cherry Pickers – 10

Mosey to the other side of the eatery strip to get out of the wind a bit.

We took a moment to discuss the word of the month, Worthy…and then got after our cores!

  • LBC’s in Cadence – 15
  • Flutter Kicks in Cadence – 25 (that is a LOT)
  • Hello Dolly in Cadence – 15
  • Run a lap of the parking lot and then Rinse and Repeat

Split the group into two lines and we did a relay sprint race just to get the heart pumping a bit and give our core a short break

  • Hello Dolly in Cadence – 25
  • Freddy Mercury in Cadence – 25
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups, together as single count – 10
  • American Hammer’s in Cadence – 15

To mix it up a bit, People’s chair with 3 popout burpees from each PAX

  • Merkins in Cadence – 10
  • Diamond Merkins in Cadence – 10

Run another lap around the parking lot for a breather

Rinse and Repeat the last round of core exercises

  • Hello Dolly in Cadence – 25
  • Freddy Mercury in Cadence – 25
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups, together as single count – 10
  • American Hammer’s in Cadence – 15

AMRAP style we did two rounds of exercises

  • Low Slow Squats
  • PAX individual choice, but had to be an exercise they really hate doing.  We had burpees to big boy situps, but the PAX all pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone!

Mosey back to COT

It was a fun group, and as usual, completely honored to lead my Brother’s in this workout!

Smithers…Out!

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Sparkplug’s 4 Corners + Coupons

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The morning was actually pleasant.  Upper 60’s, a slight breeze, and no active rain…to start.   Sparkplug was on Q and had Twister bring a trunk load of coupons!  Started out with a partner carrying a coupon in a mosey down to the corner of the restaurant row, Then off to the parking lot for some warm-up.

Mosey around to the far side of Lowes for some wall sits, bear crawls, and a few other things.

Then Mosey back up to the restaurant row where there were 4 exercises listed for each corner.  We counted off in 4’s and each started at our own corner, going clockwise around the building.  It was a great full body workout!  Rain started somewhere during the first cycle, but it was pleasant, not a hindrance. Plus, we got wet on the parking lot when Sparkplug called for LBC’s and Freddy Mercury’s during the initial warm-up!

We even had one of Fort Mill’s finest from the police department stop to check us out.  Spitz did his best to EH him…he seemed interested, but Spitz said he would stalk him to make sure he came out ;-).

Finished up, and partnered up to carry the coupons back up to COT.

Great job to Sparkplug for the Q today!  I have to be honest…I really just wanted to hear him talk for the full 45 minutes ;-).

Smithers, out

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Yahtzee Culture Club Style

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So, Culture Club came out completely prepared as usual.  Always love attending one of his workouts!  This Friday morning we played Yahtzee in a way I personally never have before.

The basics were one PAX called out an exercise from the bottom list seen above, and the remaining PAX did that exercise while the first PAX took his three rolls for Yahtzee.  Once the points were written on the tape, then the blue tape was removed to reveal which exercise would be performed, and the reps would be the amount of the score written in.  If the exercise under the blue tape was highlighted in green it meant that for the next round, instead of choosing an exercise from the bottom list, the PAX would run a lap around the parking lot.

If you have not been out to participate in a Culture Club workout, I highly suggest you plan for it.  He has certainly set a high bar of excellence, at least in my book 😉.

Smithers – Out

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The Big Event – Shovel Flag Handoff

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So the hype has been great, and the STRONG showing this morning proved it has value!  26 HIM’s all came out on what was a pretty cold 48 degree March morning (that WIND).

This was not an ordinary workout.  Barry Manilow was handing over the shovel flag to YHC, as I was stepping into the role of Site Q for Slow Burn.  Barry started the workout for the first half, and then we handed off the Q to me for the last half.

I’ll do my best to get Barry’s portion right:

Mosey all the way down to the far side of Lowes and circle up for the following:

  • OH Hand Claps 10x
  • Moroccan Nightclubs 10x
  • LBC 10x
  • Imperial Walker 10x
  • Travolta 10x
  • Dying Cockroach 10x
  • Hillbilly Walker 10x
  • HR Merkins 15x

Mosey to the Triangle Lot

  • Moroccan Nightclubs 10x
  • OH Hand Claps 10x
  • Grave Digger 7×2
  • Squat 10x
  • Mak Tai Jai 10x
  • Knee Tai Jai 10x
  • Calf Raise Regular 10x
  • Calf Raise Toes Out 10x
  • Calf Raise Toes In 10x

Mosey back to the side of Lowes

  • Wall Sit with Pop Out Burpees
  • Bear Crawl/Toy Soldier to the second island and back
  • Wall Sit with Pop Out Burpees

The official Q Handoff….Barry Manilow Done, Smithers is up…

Mosey back to the Triangle Lot for 4 corners, circle up and count off in 4’s

Three different rounds at each corner station.  Finish one round and rotate to the next corner.  Once returning to where you started, perform the next round’s exercises.  The Rounds looked like this:

Round 1:

  • Corner 1 (CORE) – 30 LBC’s in Cadence
  • Corner 2 (UPPER) – 20 Carolina Dry Docks in Cadence
  • Corner 3 (CARDIO) – 30 SSH’s in Cadence
  • Corner 4 (LOWER) – 20 Low Slow Squats in Cadence

Round 2:

  • Corner 1 (CORE) – 15 Flutters in Cadence
  • Corner 2 (UPPER) – 15 Shoulder Taps in Cadence
  • Corner 3 (CARDIO) – 15 Peter Parker’s in Cadence
  • Corner 4 (LOWER) – 15 Calf Raises in Cadence

Round 3:

  • Corner 1 (CORE) – 15 Wheezy Jefferson’s in Cadence
  • Corner 2 (UPPER) – 30 OH Hand Claps in Cadence
  • Corner 3 (CARDIO) – 15 Imperial Walker’s in Cadence
  • Corner 4 (LOWER) – 15 Jump Squats OYO

Mosey back to COT

Countoff (26), Name-O-Rama, Announcements, Prayers, and the Shovel Flag Handoff!

I’m really looking forward to this opportunity as Site Q for Slow Burn.  I will do my best to keep the Q schedule full and diverse, remember it’s a moderate site, but challenge us to push it just a bit more than comfortable (and beyond).

Smithers…Out

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Be Still

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18 pax posted ’round the Shovel Flag at Slow Burn for some usual Fri 1st F and 2nd F engagement. Well, at launch, we actually had 17 pax and reports of an 18th enroute.   Disclaimer was proclaimed.  February theme of #Worry was noted and the pax were informed that YHC would not disrupt the the Slow Burn rhythm of #moderation and #mumblechatter, though this adventure would force them to talk out their worries.  With that, we launched.

The Thang

Warm up run around CFA through Drive Thru lane

Karaoke lap around CFA through Drive Thru lane

COP alongside CFA — SSHs, Hillbilly walkers, Imperial walkers, Mtn climbers, Windmills

Lugnut posted at this point, so we moseyed on down to the parking lot between the retail strip and Lowes

10 strong form burpees OYO (requested by Twister)

SSH

10 strong form burpees OYO

Partner up to complete all exercises together and talk out your anxieties/worries
Round 1: Merkins x5 + Squats x20, Merkins x10 + Squats x15, Merkins x15 + Squats x10, Merkins x20 + Squats x5
Round 2: CDDs x20 + Bombjacks x5, CDDs x15 + Bombjacks x10, CDDs x10 + Bombjacks x15, CDDs x5 + Bombjacks x20
Round 3: Partner legthrows x20 + LBC x5, Partner legthrows x15 + LBC x10, Partner legthrows x10 + LBC x15, Partner legthrows x5 + LBC x20

Line up along curb

Bear crawl to center parking line, sprint to other side, jog back
(Rinse and repeat for 3 total cycles)

Run home

COT

NMM

Slow Burn has such a great vibe.  It’s always a treat to Q at that AO — it’s Fri, plenty of energy, plenty of mumblechatter, guys looking out for each other and challenging each other, great 1st and 2nd F warm-up for 3rd F experience at CnW afterward.  S/O to Hard Drive for launching it and to Barry Manilow for continuing to carry the torch.  Well done!

As the pax gathered, it appeared Spitz would be the last one in…until he made it to the circle and alerted the crowd that Lugnut was still inbound.  Glad we were able to get him onboard before departure.

I kept the Weinke in the moderate zone, and there were plenty of breaks to discuss Worry and Anxiety.  Somehow I awoke on Sat with a little soreness in spots, so clearly my fitness level needs some attention.

Thanks to pax for engaging fully in dialog and sharing re personal anxieties.  If you haven’t read Chicken Hawk’s February theme one pager, take a look here.

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)   This has become one of my go-to verses in times of worry and anxiety.  I could go on forever about worry/anxiety…I’m closer friends with those two than I ever thought I was or wanted to be.  But when I leave it all in God’s hands and just allow myself to “BE,” I mostly come to realize that (a) my worry is worthless, (b) it’s mostly CREATED by me and (c) it’s too much ABOUT me.  There are many ways to turn this verse into a meditative prayer that cuts through anxiety.  Here’s one:

Be still and know that I am GOD…
Be still and know that I AM God…
Be still and know that I am God…
Be still and know THAT I am God…
Be still and KNOW that I am God…
Be still AND know that I am God…
Be STILL and know that I am God…
BE still and know that I am God.

Here’s another:

Be still and know that I am God…
Be still and know that I am… 
Be still and know that I…
Be still and know that…
Be still and know…
Be still and…
Be still…
Be.

Try ’em and let me know what you discover.

Thanks to Barry Manilow for the chance to lead.  Always an honor.

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