Mercy

It was a blessing to post with 7 #HIMs this morning. We finally got a break from seven straight days of rain. JWOWW shared his frigid and wet Yeti experience with us which drastically reduced our FOMO. Polaroid ran a 5K during our workout and finished up the boot camp with us, like a boss. Today’s workout was a slow burn. Intentionally reps that forced us to use our core instead of momentum.

The Thang:

SSHs (20x), IWs (20x), HBWs (20x) Slow Sumo Squats (15x), WMs (15x), MCs (15x)

Mosey w/ your kettlebell to the first corner.

Circuit 1:

  • Upright Rows (7x)
  • Floor Presses (7x/side)
  • American Hammers(7x)
  • Kettlebell Swings (15x OYO)
  • Crushing Halos (10x/side OYO)

Mosey w/ your kettlebell to the next corner.

Circuit 2:

  • Overhead Squats (7x)
  • Bent Rows (7x/side)
  • Curls (7x/side)
  • Around The World (10x/side OYO)
  • Get Ups (5x/side OYO)

Mosey w/ your kettlebell to the next corner.

Circuit 3:

  • Goblet Squats (7x)
  • Kettlebell Holds (2x, 5 counts)
  • Travolta’s (15x)
  • Skull Crushers (20 OYO)
  • Figure 8’s (8x/side OYO)

Mosey w/ your kettlebell to the next corner.

Circuit 4:

  • Tricept Extensions (7x)
  • Saxxon Press (7x)
  • Oblique Press (7x/side)
  • Kettlebell Swings (10x OYO)
  • Ribbons (10x/side OYO)

Partner Drills – Line up at the stop sign and face the end of the parking lot.

  • Partner Drill 1: 100 floor presses total and alternate runners to the end of the parking lot.
  • Partner Drill 2: 100 curls total and alternate runners to the end of the parking lot.
  • Partner Drill 3: 100 goblet squats total and alternate runners to the end of the parking lot.

Moleskin:

What’s the difference between grace and mercy? Mercy is God not punishing us as we deserve.Grace is our undeserved favor from God. An illustration of their difference In today’s terms is as follows:

  • The mercy of God is like God forgiving your financial debt.
  • The grace of God is like filling up an empty bank account with new money.

Know that we deserve God’s wrath but we’re still here because He is merciful. # Proverbs 28:13. Share His mercy by forgiving and praying for others who have trespassed against you. The act of forgiveness is counter to today’s culture but can lead to more abundant life under His mercy.

Peace,

Deacon

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Presidential Day Massacre at the Armory

The weather mostly held out with a few spitting showers but good  mumble chatter by the 11 pax on this cold and wet morning.  It was a morning filled with maybe a little too many facts our presidents but it was a good lesson that no man is perfect and all even through our flaws we can still achieve great success.  May we all be encourage to NOT be defined by our mistakes and to overcome them.

Warm Up:  In honor of our 45 presidents and 4 assassinated presidents (Four sitting Presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Abram Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1897-1901), and John F. Kennedy (1961-63)

  • 45 – SSH
    • 4 – Burpees
  • 45 – Mountain climbers
    • 4 – Burpees
  • 45 – Squats (single count)
    • 4 – Burpees
  • 45 – Merkins (single count)
    • 4 – Burpees

THE THANG…

Mosey to the Knee Wall

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were close friends and correspondents — but they also had a bit of a rivalry. Adams’ dying words were, “Thomas Jefferson survives,” unaware that he had died hours earlier. Both died on July 4, 1826.

4 rounds  –

  • 7 – Wall Jumps
  • 18- Skull Crushers
  • 26 – Dips with Bell

10 – Count:

  • Monrovia, the capital of the Liberia, is named after James Monroe. He supported the American Colonization Society in its work to create a home for freed slaves in Liberia.
  • During his presidency, John Quincy Adams enjoyed skinny-dipping in the Potomac River in the early mornings.
  • Zachary Taylor was a tough guy — a major general in the U.S. Army and hero of the Mexican-American War. But oddly enough, what brought him down in the end was a glass of milk and some cherries that he enjoyed on July 4, 1850. The cherries were likely contaminated with bacteria that caused his death by cholera five days later.

Mosey to Open Parking Lot – Partner Up:

Andrew Jackson was involved in as many as 100 duels, most of which were fought to defend the honor of his wife, Rachel. He was shot in the chest in a duel in 1806 and took a bullet in the arm in a bar fight with Missouri Sen. Thomas Hart Benton in 1813.

John Tyler had 15 children, more than any other president. Two of his grandsonsare still alive today. One of Tyler’s children, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, born in 1853, fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. in 1924 and Harrison Ruffin Tyler in 1928.

Combined

  • 100 – Pass Through Lunges/ Halos/ Curls
  • 15 – Bomb Jacks after each 100 (each person)

10 – Count:

  • Millard Fillmore lived the dream of many a teenage schoolboy. Fillmore’s first wife, Abigail Powers, was his teacher while he was a 19-year-old student at the New Hope Academy in New York.
  • Pierce had a tough time guiding the nation and perhaps an even tougher time guiding his horse. During his presidency, Pierce was arrested for running over a woman with his horse. Charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
  • James Buchanan regularly bought slaves in Washington, D.C. and quietly freed them in Pennsylvania.

Mosey back to COT

Get ready to rumble: Abraham Lincoln could throw down in the wrestling ring. As a young man, he was only defeated once out of approximately300 matches. He made it to the Wrestling Hall of Fame with the honor of “Outstanding American.”

  • 300 Cumulative Reps (KB Swing, Plank Row or Shoulder Press

Ulysses S. Grant smoked a ton of cigars — at least 20 a day. After a great military victory at the Battle of Shiloh, citizens sent him more than 10,000 boxes of cigars as gratitude. He died of throat cancer in 1885.

  • End with continuous rotation of exercises of 20 count until we get to 10,000 total reps.

Other Facts:

  • William McKinley almost always wore a red carnation on his lapel as a good luck charm. While greeting a line of people in 1901, he gave the flower to a little girl. Seconds later, he was shot by an assassin, and died eight days later.
  • Teddy Roosevelt was shot in an assassination attempt while delivering a speech in Milwaukee. “I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot,” he told the stunned audience. “I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot; not a rap.” He completed the 90-minute speech with the bullet still lodged in his chest.
  • Herbert Hoover’s son had two pet alligators, which were occasionally permitted to run loose throughout the White House.
  • Eisenhower played a big role in popularizing golf. He installed a putting green at the White House and played more than 800 rounds while in office — exceeding the record of any other president. He holds a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement Category.
  • LBJ wasn’t scared to show off his, err, Johnson — he nicknamed his penis “Jumbo.” According to biographer Robert Dallek, Johnson met with a reporter who asked him multiple times why American troops were in Vietnam. In response, Johnson unzipped his pants, pulled out “Jumbo,” and yelled, “This is why!”
  • “Dubya” garnered the media attention with his frat boy past, but he also has a more wholesome side (aside from painting, that is). During his senior year of high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., Bush was captain of the cheerleading team.
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The Armory – Viking Metal is always better in the rain

YHC arrived and wanted to do some sidewalk chalk writing but the rain threw a wrench in that plan so had to use the phone as my weinke while also playing the traditional Viking Metal for kettle-bell workout.

After 1 1/2 rounds the cold weather shut my Apple 6plus down. My son would be throwing a fit and saying we need a new phone as this is junk……however just plug it in and it works nicely. Plus saves you $500+ dollars.

So the PAX arrived and we had a kotter, Gridlock come home to the Armory. It was some years ago that I was Q for Gridlock’s FNG appearance. Was great having him and the others there this morning. Nice work men!!

The Thang:

  • SSHs
  • 5burpees
  • squats
  • 4burpees
  • merkins
  • 3 burpees
  • Imperial Walkers
  • 2 burpees
  • Moracan Night clubs (half while holding squat)
  • 1 burpee

Mosey across front of FHC looking for cover, but the rain had stopped so it wasn’t needed.

3 sets of exercises, run lap between them, until time runs out or phone dies….whichever

  • Kettlebell swing
    5 Single hands each & 10 double
    10 Two arm bent row
    10 Figure eight
    10 Goblet squats
    10 Upright row
    10 Dips

    • RUN LAP
  • 10 Lunge press
    10 Sumo upright row
    10 Curls L/R
    10 American Hammer
    10 Bench press L/R
    10 Plank Rows L/R
    10 Tri Extension

    • RUN LAP
  • 10 Flutters
    10 Hello dolly’s
    10 Freddy’s
    10 Deadlift
    10 Sidestep upright row
    10 Kettlebell Merkins

    • RUN LAP

We made it through about 2 rounds of these.

Fun times by all!!

YHC talked about life expectancy  and that wherever we are on the timeline, we should start living intentional. I only have 40% of my life expectancy  left and so there is no wasting the days or hours on silly stuff. GET SOME!!! 2 guys decided to GET RIGHT while in COT and make choice to get better alignment. Well done gents!! We are here to support and encourage you!

Thanks JWOW for the opportunity to lead.

 

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The Armory: Envelope Notes

A lucky 13 PAX gathered in the not too cold late-January gloom for this rendition of The Armory.

Set the disclaimer into motion and the PAX soon followed moseying over to the far side of the church parking lot.

Warm Up:
Windmill x10
SSH x35 (sparked up Trucker’s legendary mumble chatter)
Mountain Climbers x10 (fast count)
Down Dog –> Honeymooner
Mountain Climbers x10 (fast count)
Down Dog –> Honeymooner –> Down Dog –> Standing forward bend (SFB)

Mosey towards bells but then right turn to the back side of the church

Imperial Walkers x10
Hillbilly Walkers x15
Merkin x 10 (slow count)
Down Dog –> HM –>  DD –> SFB

Mosey to bells

The Thang:

Circuit of:
Goblet Squat x20
Upright Row x12
Merkin x10 (modified to manmakers in the 2nd set)
Romanian Deadlift x12 (this was a lot)
Split Squat x8 each side (lunge isolating the reps to one leg before moving to the other side)
One arm press x8 each arm
Kettlebell Swings x20

Mosey a little — 8 snatches (each arm) — rinse and repeat.

At Trucker’s suggestion, we utilized the bell during the Merkins by modifying to 10 Manmakers. I’m not 100% sure that’s what he meant, but his input was helpful.

We made it through 3 sets. Somewhere in the workout we held a plank and everyone shared their word for 2019. I believe Deacon’s word is Maat or Ma’at which is Egyptian mꜣꜥt /ˈmuʀʕat and required a little explanation: the additional plank challenge was welcome. We also discussed at one point how feeling the weight of the kettlebell and gravity pulling you down also allows you to feel the earth holding you up.

After 3 sets, we sprinted to the end of the parking lot and back, did some pigeon lunges, and followed that with flutters until the hour arrived (we made it to 40).

NMM:
I referenced Mary Oliver‘s passing two weeks ago and none of the PAX were familiar with her work. So YHC took the opportunity to read some of her poem “The Summer Day:”

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention . . .
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild precious life?

Gotta up the culture and Third F challenges during the First F work. F3 is certainly more than a workout.

Announcements:
Joe Davis Run
Yeti
Paradise Reading Center

Prayers and Praises:
Shady’s M back pain
38 Special: 2.0 is having an EKG
Deacon’s dad is recovering well from surgery
Chicken Hawk’s extended family interpersonal
Trucker’s 2.0 is dealing with some illness

Official welcome to FNG’s from last week: Chunk and Pigeon. Must have missed getting into the system directly and should now be up and running as PAX of The Fort.

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The Cornerstone – Challenge ( One Year Long )

To all the Pax of F3 Nation

Are you prepared to challenge your self for 2019? I am challenging all Pax’s to join me for 2019 we will take on one exercise for January (merkins single count) 100 reps every day. Then in February we will add another exercise which will be done every day on top of the 100 merkins and so on and so on. We will increase by adding one exercise each month.  These exercises will be above and beyond when you post. So by the end of the year there will be 12 exercises that need to be done everyday at the reps set.

Do you accept the challenge? Do you want to get better?

I will set the next month exercise and reps the week before to keep you on your toes

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No stinkin’ rain at The Armory!

Having been in a Thanksgiving hangover after spending most of it on the road, the commitment I had made to Q the Armory on Monday was not even a thought. That is until, I got the DM from JWOW at 2pm on Sunday. Hmmmm…what excuse could I make I instantly thought, and then after further self-evaluation, and no easy way out, I committed to fulfilling my original obligation.

Weather forecast called for a 60% chance of rain. Fortunately, they are almost always wrong, and we got a nice 50 plus degree morning perfect for a KB workout.

All Vets were at the AO, so after a quick disclaimer, off we went.

Warm-up

Mosey (no KB) towards the front of the Church and then back towards the left side. Started with some side shuffles, changing directions, then butt-kickers and finished off with a little carioca ending back at the original launch spot.

SSH- x30

Moroccan- x30

Arm rolls- forward for 10 and then back for ten

Windmill- x15

LSS- x15

Merkins- x10/ hold

 

Recover

 

Mosey to the far-right parking lot when facing the Church.

 

The Thang

How convenient that there are 4 perfectly placed light posts on the side. And with that came the opportunity to complete 3 rounds of exercises, running between light posts. Just in case we were facing rain, I had placed each round of workouts in a special Ziploc. The PAX were impressed…not really.

Round 1

First light post- One arm curls- 20 each

Run to next

Second- Goblet Squats- 20

Run to next

Third- Overhead press- 15 each arm

Run

Fourth- American Hammers- 30

 

Round 2

 

First- Chest press- 20 each arm

Run

Second- Upright rows- 20

Run

Third- Cleans- 10 each

Run

Fourth- Big Boy- 20

Round 3

First- Single arm triceps extensions- 20 each

Run

Second- Straight arm raises- 15

Run

Snatch- 10 each

Run

LBC’s- 25

Run to final post

Partner Up

Time for some Dora

100- KB swings

200- Two-handed Tricep extensions

300- American Hammers

 

Partner one does the exercise while Partner two runs around the outside of the light posts we were just working through.

 

Called an audible partial way through the triceps due to time.  Asked the PAX to get to 150 Tricep extensions and 200 AH. Once completed, work on 100 squats until time.

 

Everyone hit the 100 squats just in time to get back to COT. With A couple minutes left, all PAX on their six for a quick round of Flutters.

 

Recover. With one-minute left I thought it was good timing to touch briefly on our word of the month, which happens also to be my word of the year. Shared with the PAX my struggles and the growth I think I have had over the last year and asked for their thoughts on the meaning to them. Many thanks to the PAX that did. I think vulnerability is a tough word to wrap your head around and even more difficult to exercise as a man. Challenge to all PAX to be especially more vulnerable to your M’s and 2.0’s. It will definitely bring you all closer and hopefully strengthen your relationships as our 2.0’s face their future challenges.

 

COT

Announcements- Xmas Party, Joe Davis, and Xmas Eve Convergence

Prayers-

PAX who are looking for work

Safe returns from the Holidays and for what’s ahead

California victims

Children fighting illnesses

Very appreciative for the PAX who showed up this morning and for the push. Thanks for the opportunity JWOW!

 

Frat Boy Out

 

 

 

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LBC’s Galore at The Armory

One could assume that, being a Site Q, I would know the importance of posting a Backblast in a timely manner.  I have failed yet again.  9 days later…

8 guys met at Forest Hill Church to start the party at The Armory.  One day prior, I posted to Twitter that I would donate 2 boxes of Character Band-Aids to Cornerstone’s initiative for each pax that hangs out with me during my Q.  I have now included those 16  boxes in my total donation. The Fort is full of HIM, we have surpassed our 1000 box goal and will most likely hit 2000 boxes before Christmas!  Keep ’em coming!

Another initiative happening this month is NASA’s “November of 2000 LBC’s”.  I made sure these HIM were on track to hit that number.

The Warmup:
A slow mosey around the parking lot with Buttkickers and High Knees.

The Thang:
I set out two 35lb bells that pax would Farmer Carry across the parking lot and back and act as the groups timer. We had time to 16 rounds of kettlebell exercises. In between each round we would all complete 20 LBC’s together. 16×20=320 LBC’s! That wasn’t enough, I added 40 more at the end to get 360 LBC’s.
The kettlebell exercises were:
Curls
Swings
Side Swings
Rows
Lawnmowers
American Hammers
Plank Rows
Plank Crosses
Goblet Squats
Polaroid Crunches (maybe there is a real name for these somewhere?)
Skull Crushers
Lunges
Overhead Extensions
Figure 8’s
Halos
Around the Worlds

I asked Airborne to close us out with his Hip routine, he obliged.

NMM:
F3 will have numerous initiatives throughout the year.  We have some true High Impact Men in the group that lead the way supporting charities and organizations near and dear to their hearts.  Cornerstone and his Character Band-Aid donations to support Children’s Hospital; NASA’s supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; DD supported Let Me Run…It’s important that we, all of F3, support our Brothers to help make an impact in our community. I am honored to be a part of this group of men. Thank you for having me.

JWOW, thank you for the opportunity to Q.

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14 posted at The Armory today to honor the service of Assassin who turned the Site Q over to JWOW.   Best of luck to JWOW for the upcoming year although I am sure he won’t need any luck as long as the Brotherhood supports him, I will, how about you?

I am not the glowing writer that othe PAX are so best that I just get to the Thang.

We started with a very, very slow mosey past the tents to the far parking lot and circled up for a warmup.

Moroccan night clubs x20

Baby arm circles x 15

big arm circles x 12

LSS x 10

windmill with KB x10 each leg

We then partnered up because the gloom is always better with a friend. The PAX then head off to a parking spot where the find 8 spots with 3 exercises chalked out the object do the first exercise and the move to the next spot until all 24 exercises are completed. The exercises:

Front raise x 10 each arm
Side raise x 10 each arm
Merkin to row x 10 each arm
American hammer x 20
Sit-ups x 20
LBCs x 20
Skull crushers x 20
Triceps extensions x 10 each arm
Halos x 20
KB swing x 20
1 arm KB swing x 10 each arm
Snatch x 10 each arm
Goblet squat x 20
Calf raises 10 each in/out/regular
Lunge x 10 each leg
Turkish getup x 20
Chest loader swing x 20
Clean and press x 20
Shoulder press x 10 each arm
Upright rows x 20
Chest press x 10 each arm
Curls x 10 each arm
Lawn mowers x 10 each arm
Squat to press x 20

Always amazes at how some PAX can blow through these 24 exercises and start a 4th round kudos to them. I am not there yet…

After completing the rounds moseyed back to COT for flag ceremony, praises and prayers.

Dungaree out

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2°C and nobody noticed

8 HIMs reported to the Armory this morning in what YHC is calling the best morning in SC he’s experienced to date. Everyone had sleeves with a couple polar bears showing some leg.

We started with the warmup.  Very literally…

Low slow squat x15
Morraccan night club x15
Annie (plank arm rotations) x10 each arm x2
Merkins x10

Then everyone paired up and took turns with the following exercise sets. The first two sets were executed with one partner doing the counted exercise while the other did the non-tallied until the partner was done, then switch.  We made it through two and 3/4 rounds.  Between each set there were two “keep warm” exercises.  And at the end the two rounds, some Shoalin mental positions were administrated.  It sounds complex…

The standard rounds are below. Anything done with one hand counted once for every left and right together.  The non-counter was encouraged to encourage the counter.  This may not have been verbal.

  1. Wood choppers x10
    KB swings
  2. Curls x10
    Squats
  3. Shoulder press x10
    Snatch x10
  4. Tricep Extensions x15
    Upright rows x15

To “keep warm” we did the following between each set

  1. Round one:
    Goofballs x10
    Morraccan night clubs x10
  2. Round two
    Flutter x10
    LBC x10
  3. Only done between set 1&2 of the 3rd round so we could hit the 3rd set.
    Cherry Pickers
    Windmill

Shaolin secrets revealed…

  1. Forward stance x30 seconds on each leg bent 90°
    1. Bent leg arm – elbow high, fingertips at the temple, palm facing out with the thumb down
    2. Straight leg arm – Parallel with straight leg, fingertips pointed to the sky
    3. Looking over the shoulder of the straight leg at the fingertips
  2. Tea stance
    1. Standing straight up, step one leg in front of the other an sink down
    2. The front leg holds 80-90% of the weight
    3. Rear knee is by the front foot, trying to keep it 1″ from the ground
    4. Arms are out with hands in tiger claw
    5. Bounce x25 while clenching hands together

With a couple minutes left it was time for some stretching.

  1. Cherry pickers x10
  2. Windmills x10
  3. With legs as far apart as possible, do some “circular” pushups on fingertips.  Rocking back on the legs (this forces the hips to open up) on the way down, and over the fingertips on the way back up.  x10
  4. Right and left forward split (or as low as one can go) and hold.

We closed with COT.  Announcements were announced and prayers were offered.  8 HIMs became a bit better.

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Charter Band-aids for Little Warriors – PreBlast

As most of the PAX in the Fort and Rock regions knows my 5 year old daughter (Emma) is a leukemia survivor. We still make a trip every 4 weeks to get blood drawn to check her counts at Levine Children’s Hospital. We also stepped up and raised money last year (Christmas time) for a fellow brother bout-time out of Area 51 son Jennings who has leukemia also.

It has come to my attention that the budgets have been cut in some of the pediatric departments and the first thing to go is usually the character band aids. You say how important is to have these band-aids? Well as far as the cancer kids go every time the have their PORT’s (Port is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein) which for some kids is traumatic they get a band-aid over it. For others that are done with treatment such as my daughter Emma has to go back for the next 21 years to get checked (mainly blood counts). This not always easy for instance this past Wednesday she was poked 3 times. Well at the end the band aid can put a smile on a child’s face. This also goes for those kiddos that have to constantly get blood work done not just cancer kids.

So what I am challenging you to do is every week you go grocery shopping buy at least one box or more of character band-aids girls or boys. Also Spread the word in every COT. I will tweet out what AO’s I will be at and if anyone wants to step up and help me collect that would be awesome.

I also challenge others in different regions to pull together and do the same thing. My goal is to gather as much as possible and split it between Levine Children’s Hospital and Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital (St. Jude Affiliate Clinic) before Christmas.

Let a simple act of kindness put a smile on a little fighters face.

AYE. Lets do this.

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