11 PAX descended upon the Armory to enjoy the cooler weather and get their #dailydownpainment from YHC.  Flag planted, disclaimer noted, and off we went.

The Thang

Mosey around the Parking lot then circle up for the warmup:

SSH X 25 (IC), IW X 20 (IC), Mountain Climbers x 20 (IC), Slow Merkins x10 (IC), Peter Parkers x 10 (IC), Parker Peters x 10 (IC), Maktars x 10 (IC), Windmills x10 (IC), 10 KB Burpees OYO, 10 Good Mornings (IC)

Explained that we would be doing the Aaron Rodgers MVP workout in honor of them beating the Bears.  Here is how it works: 2 reps on right side, 2 reps on the left side, 4 reps on right, 4 reps on left, 6 on right, 6 on left, 8 on right, 8 on left, 10 on right, 10 on left, 12 on right, 12 on left, then run a small lap to help muscles recover.  Here are the exercises that were done:

Plank Rows

Chest Press

1 arm KB swings

Bicep curls

Triceps Extension/Upright row (alternated between the 2 since both arms were used

Shoulder Press

Obliques Extension

After this we moseyed to the wall for some People Chair and Balls to the Wall

Finished with 1.5 minutes of LBC’s

COT and BOM

Announcements – Invergence this Friday, Fastest 5k, Mud Run Signups extended,

Prayers – Assassin’s Grandma in Hospital, Friends and families battling illness, for our brothers returning from Columbia

Moleskin – Always impressed with the guys that get up and post and fight through a workout no matter how hard it is.  Lots of grunting this morning and a little complaining but never any quit.  Great job men.  Thanks Dark Helmet for the opportunity to lead.

It was a great morning to be alive in the parking lot where people come to morn and celebrate the lives of the dead.  Other than some minor hiccups with getting the Imperial Walker cadence in check it was an otherwise peaceful morning with the pleasant sounds of mumble chatter and fellowship.

Warm up

–  SSH

–  squat

– Imperial Walker

– mountain climbers

– plank

The thang

Each exercise was done in 40/30/20/10 increment with an Ab exercise between each set.

– 100 curls / 20 Lbc

– 100 plank rows / 20 high low flutter

– 100 squats / 20 Freddie Mercury

– 100 kbs / 20 hello dolly

– 100 shoulder press / 20 CBL

– 100 tricep extension / 20 rosalita

Message:  Don’t let the world dictate what your kids learn and accept as truth.

– be a presence in your child’s life (school, field trips, sporting events)

– be a model for Jesus in their lives (love their mothers, get your family out to serve)

– be the disciplinarian (find teaching moments, introduce your child to biblical principles)

– find ways to love them that involve your time

Its been a long time sing YHC has had the Q at The Armory. I remember the days of 4 or 5 of us out there picking things up and putting them down. I guy named Package was Site Q and a few other faces use to grace the AO with their presence, but then BRR and Palmetto became the “in” thing and they left The Armory behind.

Well I got news for you. The PAX at the Armory is one of pride, dedication and spirit. The site Q, Dark Helmet has a regular 20 + (except for today-15) attending each Monday for their daily red pill. The Armory is a staple in The Fort’s line up of AOs and it will live forever!!

The Thang:

Mosey to Shutterfly (.5 one way) COP of 20 Imperial Walkers Mosey back to FHC “Center Court”

Round 1

12 reps each: Curls, Lunges each leg, LBCs, Bent Row                                          Run Lap                10 reps each: Curls, Lunges each leg, LBCs, Bent Row                                          Run Lap                08 reps each: Curls, Lunges each leg, LBCs, Bent Row                                          Run Lap

Round 2

12 reps each: Dips, Gobblet Squats, Russian Twists, Upright Row                           Run Lap                10 reps each: Dips, Gobblet Squats, Russian Twists, Upright Row                           Run Lap                08 reps each: Dips, Gobblet Squats, Russian Twists, Upright Row                           Run Lap

Round 3

12 reps each: Curl/Press, Figure 8, Skull Crusher off wall, Derkins                           Run Lap                10 reps each: Curl/Press, Figure 8, Skull Crusher off wall, Derkins                           Run Lap              08 reps each: Curl/Press, Figure 8, Skull Crusher off wall, Derkins                           Run Lap

Great PAX today. Lots of running and I know everyone is not a fan of running. I hate running, but it has made me better because of the challenge. To fight through pain and discomfort and accomplish something that every time I say I can’t….and I end up doing it. So when the marriage gets hard, and the kid gets rebellious and the neighbors are ah0$$….on and on, we build up the mental toughness to deal with it and be a man!!

Thank you Dark Helmet for the opportunity. You Rock Brother!

Cake Boss –

Psalm 74, Acts 3, Eph 2, & John 3 – Read and let me know what you all think….would love to hear thoughts 

The Thang:

SSHs (20x), Slow Sumo Squats (15x), IWs (40x for Decibel’s birthday), WMs (15x) and Dying Cockroaches (20x)

Mosey w/ your kettlebell to the stop sign.

Circuit 1:

• Upright rows (7x)
• Floor presses (7x/side)
• Russian Twists (7x)
• One legged rows (10x/side OYO)
• Crushing halos (10x/side OYO)
• Squat w/kettle bell above or in front of you when finished

Mosey w/ your kettle bell to the next stop sign.

Circuit 2:

• Overhead squats (7x)
• Lawnmower (7x/side)
• Curls (7x/side)
• Around the world (10x/direction)
• Get ups (10x/side OYO)
• Squat w/kettle bell above or in front of you when finished

Mosey w/ your kettle bell to the FHC exit door.

Circuit 3:

• Goblet Squats (7x)
• Saxxon press (7x)
• Travolta’s (7x)
• Figure 8’s (8x/side OYO)
• Squat w/kettle bell above or in front of you when finished

Mosey w/ your kettle bell to the FHC entry door.

Circuit 4:

• Tricep extensions (7x)
• Oblique Press (7x/side)
• Kettlebell swings (10x OYO)
• Ribbons (10x/side OYO)
• Squat w/kettlebell above or in front of you when finished

COP: LBCS (15x), Bomb Jacks (10x), Superman, Pepper Grinders (15x)

COT

The Message:

We are surrounded by lost sheep who wander without direction. These sheep tend stray towards the ways of the wicked. We find ourselves struggling to stay on course at times as well. Seek God’s wisdom to brings clarity and a clear direction. Steer lost sheep toward God’s wisdom as our brother, Jesus, did.

Parable of the Lost Sheep:

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14

Another Monday, and 25 gloom-hungry monsters came expecting to work hard.

No newbies, so we disclaimed a little and then chatted for a second. What’s the difference between a hard workout, and a moderate workout? Moderate is a state of mind. Moderate is a choice you make. The workout is the workout to a large degree. Some are crazy hard, some are a little lame, but whether or not it is one of those to you largely depends on the choice you make in your mind to push hard, or to just show up and only go halfway. Aye? Great. The Thang:

WARM UP:
Jog to front of church and circle up.
– 25 fast SSH (IC)
– 10 slow Windmills (IC)
– 25 IW (IC)
– 20 Moroccan Nightclubs (IC)
– 15 Merkins (IC)
– 15 CDD (IC)

PARTNER UP (get somebody with the same sized kettlebell, if possible):
Each exercise will go to 50 counts between the two partners.
Round 1 (3 exercises – Kettlebell Burpees, Overhead Presses, Goblet Squats):
– Partner 1 runs parking lot lap (roughly .18mi) while Partner 2 does the exercise. Get to 50 reps each, then LBCs until the 6 is in
Round 2 (same thing, except 50 Lunges with pass through of bell, 50 curls each arm, 2 handed clean and jerk with a shoulder press combo)

Head to the low wall. Do 50 partner dips (feet on partners back, hands on wall) each.

Head to the big wall. Ascending testicles – 15 derkins with feet at 15 degrees, 10 at 45 degrees, 5 all the way up in BTTW. (This REALLY sucked.)

A little bit of Mary (no, Lou Bega wasn’t involved – if you don’t get the reference Google: Mambo number 5)

Run a Cusak lap to finish things off.

==============

Parting thoughts:
Do we push ourselves all the way, or are we holding back and not leaving it all out “on the field”? In our marriages, with our kids, at work, in our worship, in our workouts, in our resting even… Are we pushing and leaving it out there, or are we holding back? And if we are holding back, why? My challenge to myself (and I guess to other PAX) is to be intentional. Show up. Have a plan. Make it count. Go against the flow if you have to. Run with scissors when it’s called for. Leave it all out there (wherever there may be). Don’t be selfish, self-centered, or afraid. Give it away. Give your best to those who matter most, and stop living less than what you were put here to be. Period.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go play the sh*t out of some Barbies with my three little girls.

Helmet, out…

WARM-UP AND STRETCH OUT

1. Windmills x 10 (IC)
2. Imperial Walker x 20 (IC)
3. Imperial Squat Walker x 20 (IC)
4. Moroccan Night Club x 30 (IC)
5. Squats x 20 (IC)
6. Merkins x 15 (IC)
7. Elbow Plank x :30
8. Mountain Climbers x 20 (IC)

Quick mosey for ¼ mile (big lap around the lot)

Carry bells over to adjacent part of lot for a little pep talk… Remember, one of the main points of a KettleBell workout is to strengthen your core. That is not just abs, it is 29 pairs of muscles that go all the way to your center. In all that we do in our workout today, focus on keeping your core tight and engaged. There are a lot of small muscles in there, that as you strengthen them, will make these difficult workouts less difficult over time. Having a solid core reduces risk of injury, and protects your vital organs. It helps improve your balance, and assists with better, more confident posture. This is the same in life. What is our core? There are a lot of ways to look at that, but in my world, our true core is our relationship to a higher power. In my case, it is a relationship with God and Christ. Then, my relationship with my wife and kids. Then, my relationship with my F3 brothers and other friends. As I keep those things strong, I build a foundation of spiritual muscle that will protect me, help me with balance, give me confidence, and make me stronger to face the day. Just like every other exercise is improved and our physical abilities are made better by having a strong muscle core, so are our mental and spiritual abilities strengthened and improved by having a strong spiritual core… Aye? Very good… let’s get to work…

1 minute AMRAP of each of the following and 20 seconds rest:
1. Swings
2. Curls – Right arm
3. Curls – left arm
4. Chest Press – right arm
5. Chest Press – left arm
6. Around the world – try not to do a hula dance
7. Goblet Squat
8. Single arm Shoulder Press (Kettlebell Press) – right arm
9. Single arm Shoulder Press (Kettlebell Press) – left arm
10. Figure 8
11. Slingshots

Little bell break…
Partner up, size does matter…
1. Partner Power Merkins x 15 (Partner 1 does Derkins off of Partner 2’s back, then Partner 2 does Merkins with Partner 1’s legs on his back) – Flapjack
2. People’s torture chair – Who has the heaviest bell? Put them on the end. Do people’s chair, then pass that bell down and back.
3. BTTW – to failure. As a man fails, he runs one short lap and then begins leg raises until the last man goes down.

But the bells are calling… Calling………….
1. Pullovers x 15
2. Russian twist x 15
3. Situps using bell at feet
4. Bell Webbs – 1 to 3 ratio for 3 rounds (Jack Webbs with the bell, up to 3 merkins on the bell and 9 overhead presses)

COT

Moleskin:
As always, I am honored to lead. Work hard, strengthen your core, make a difference. We were put here to act, not to be acted upon. We have the power to intentionally create for ourselves the life that the SkyQ wants us to lead, through our everyday choices.
Life is amazing, go live it to the fullest. Support your brothers.

Helmet out…