10 Men posted for a humid filled dance around the ballroom and again I was honored to lead this group of men.

Circled up and did a little stretching.  Started with some windmills in honor of C-Span, SSH, merkins, and imperial walkers.

Moseyed across 160 and dodged a few automobiles on the way to the bottom of the stairs.   Partnered up and did some real work

100 merkins.  One pax ran the stairs and then flapjacked.

200 SSH

300 squats.

lots of running and then lots of groaning.   In between the sets we did some peoples chair which was a crowd pleaser.

finished up with some suicides “ladder style”. Ran to the end of the parking lot where we did 1 burpee then ran back and did 5 bombjacks.  Completed rounds to 5 burpees and 25 bombjacks.

Mosey back to COT where we did 6 minutes of AB WORK!

Announcements:  CAH workout Saturday and this little thing called hog and coyote.

prayers out to the sick and injured.

Had a great group this morning at The Ballroom!  Perfect size for what was planned.

Started out with a mosey across the parking lot away from the Hardees to the road that leads to the warehouses.  From there we turned left to get to Gold Hill Rd and headed toward the Hardees.  We took a slight detour through the Hardees parking lot to pick Cake Boss and ran across the street where we circled up for COP.

• SSH x25
• Imperial Walkers x20
• Windmill x15
• Mountain Climbers x15
• Merkins x10

Mosey down the hill to the pot of gold in the form of coupons.  Everyone grabbed a coupon and we split into two groups. One group ran to the top of the hill (stop sign) with the coupon while the other group completed the round’s exercise.  Then switch so everyone shares in the fun.

• Round 1 = Squat Press – Running group running normal with coupon
• Round 2 = Coupon swings (holding coupon between legs, swing it back and then up to shoulder height.  Heavy emphasis on controlling the weight and not swinging it.) – Running group running normal with coupon
• Round 3 = Tricep Extensions – Running group running backwards
• Round 4 = Bend Over Rows – Running group running normal with coupon
• Round 5 = Cinderblock Tower of Merkins (right arm on block for 2 Merkins, then both hands on block for 2 Merkins (kind of like a diamond merkin), then left arm on block for 2 Merkins) – Running group running backwards

Return the coupons to their place of rest so they are there for another day of fun.  Bear crawl up the hill to the second stair case then mosey to the building with the barking guard dog.  Took a seat in the Peoples Chair for 90 seconds.  Balls to the wall until we heard a few drop.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey back across the street which was a little more like Frogger than it was 35 minutes earlier and returned to the cars because it is so much fun to workout right in front of Anytime Fitness.  Bear crawl half way across the parking lot and crab walk the rest.  Was going to rinse and repeat but was talked into Mary by some very convincing PAX.

Mary:

• LBC
• Protractor
• Boats and Canoes
• Hello Dolly
• 3 or 4 others that I can’t remember

Announcements:

• Black Diamond Thursday 5:15 at NaFo
• Nun-Run and workout with Twister before hand starting at 7:00am Saturday
• Varsity will be born on Friday – Promised to be the NOT slow burn.  Dark Helmet promises
• Next Friday will be the Heisman at Fort Mill High School. Bring your kettle bell

Prayer Requests:

• Prayers for Gentry and Hadley Eddings and their family as they learn to cope with the impossible.  May they take comfort in knowing that Dobbs and Reed are in Jesus’ arms!
• Prayers for Change Order’s parents as they work to relocate to Fort Mill
• Prayers for Chicken Hawk’s Step Father that he can figure out what the symptoms he is experiencing are telling him and get the treatment he needs

It is always an honor to lead such a great group of men.  Thank you for continuing to provide me the opportunity, especially Change Order for thinking of me as an option the day before (sincerely appreciate it)!!!

Seven men made the choice to get out of the sack and be better for it!

The Thang

35 lb Kettle Bell Indian Run down Business Park Rd

Circle Up

Chain Breakers x20, Merkin x13, Imperial Walkers x20 , Wide Arm Merkin x12, Cotton Pickers x20, Diamond Merkins x12, Wind Mill x20, Staggered Merkin x10, LBC x50 and Staggered Merkin x10

Line up Side by side and hold squat, do five full side twists then pass down the line until the end

Do jumping lunge x20

Rinse and Repeat Side twists and lunges

Stay in line do Peter pointers, Kettlebell starts at end and do 20 chest press until it is down the line

20 dips

10 50 yard sprints

Mosey to wall with KB

Peoples Chair, 1st man does 5 full side twists and passes to the next guy until it is down the line and back

recover with 10 yard walk and back

Peoples Chair, 10 shoulder press each person down the line and back

Mosey to road

Line up and hold squat- do 15 Tricep extension each down the line

Indian Run back to COT area

Lay in line

Do Boat Canoe while the person with KB does 10 Russian Twist down the line

Do X-O’s while the KB person does 10 more Russian Twists

Great work men!  Honored to work out with you!

Hearing that Change Order couldn’t find a Q, YHC accepted the Q since he wasn’t on an Amtrak train to Raleigh. YHC took a quick pre-tour of the AO prior to pulling up to find 19 PAX who decided to roll out of bed and not fartsack on Cinco De Mayo under a full moon and find out what YHC had in store for them. Little did they know that YHC was performing a V Q at The Ballroom without a weinke (pressure is always on the Q to make the AO worthwhile, but the pressure was elevated when YHC had no real vision prior). After a quick disclaimer and shoot out for Amtrak’s sponsorship, the PAX (minus 1) took off to a quiet dark corner for a quick COP.

As PAX were completing the COP, Spitz mossy’s in (better late than never). Mossy to crosswalk between warehouses to lung walk to Gold Hill Road (great mumble chatter about Lug Nut’s back side). PAX played frogger across Gold Hill Road to the lower parking lot. PAX were informed to complete a lab around the office building, and at each corner complete a burpee & increase by 1 at each corner (or flying squirrel since it was OYO – per Dredd), rinse and repeat 3 times.

Mossy to a hidden hill, bear crawl up the hill, 4 shoulder presses, run down hill, 4 merkins. Rinse and Repeat 4 times.

Mossy to wall in front of daycare, wall sits 3xs, 10 wall mounts x2 (crowd pleaser)

Mossy back to parking lot for Ab Lab since it is Speedo season. PAX loved the BLT and Protractor….

One more lap around the office building, then mossy to COT while playing frogger across Gold Hill Road.

As always, it is an honor to Q and lead the PAX through the unknown. Welcome FNG Warcraft! The night before a Q, YHC always worries about finding creative ways to lead and push the PAX, hoping YHC does justice. However, the real ONE who should be pushing us to be better fathers and leaders is HIM.

Prayers to Flat Tire’s M, Gridlock’s pastor’s wife, people of Nepal, and those who are injured and hurting.

Announcements: Sasquatch is offering free PT to PAX (even has his own table and equipment for inspections – lots of bombjacks should have been implemented then); F3 Dads coming in June; VOTE today for FMSD Bonds; Nun Run (inquire with Twister); F3 clown car to Asheville May 30 (contact CSPAN)

Trucker (sponsored by Amtrak)

Running with Dark Helmets “Ascend” theme from the Ballroom last week, the 12 pax that posted this week were tasked with climbing a pair of cascading walls up to the launch-point parking lot (an exercise introduced by Senator Tressel shortly after this AO came online).

After COT, a bonus exercise of hunting for Dark Helmet’s lost key to his cargo van ensued (tweet pic).  I believe the pax were especially motivated to help find the key in hopes that the van (fence-mobile?) contained high quality goods they could buy with cash at a low price (like speakers or tv sets).  The key was found after a few minutes of searching, but no such booty exchanged hands (at least no one is reporting to have witnessed such transactions).

The Thang:

Double Applesauce down to lowest parking lot for dynamic warm up

• SSH x25
• WM x15
• Bear crawl half way across parking lot, lunge out the rest of the way
• Low Slow Squats x20
• Toy Soldier in place x20
• Sprint back to starting side of parking lot
• IW x20
• Mountain Climbers x20
• Karaoke across parking lot (flip sides half way)
• Carolina Dry Docks x20
• 5 Burpees OYO

Double Applesauce back to one of the upper lots, where the cascading retaining walls loom.

Main Event – Triple Check (modified):

• Split into teams of 3
  • 1st man in People’s Chair
  • 2nd man doing merkins
  • 3rd man climbs wall and runs around back to team
  • Rotation positions when 3rd man returns
  • Exercise complete when team reaches 200 merkins
• Repeat w/ bomb jacks (100 count)
• Repeat w/ plank jacks (200 count)

Run to grassy area near launch point

• Dual tunnel of love
• Seal team sit ups
• Rinse and repeat

Ab Lab

• Seniors choice (start with most senior pax and work down).  Exercises picked were:
  • LBCs
  • Rosaletta
  • Low slow flutter
  • Freddie’s
  • Protractor

Thanks to the pax for post, effort, and encouragement during and after the workout.  It’s always and honor and pleasure to Q.

-old bay

A man learns and says something about himself when he steps up to Q for the first time… Once a man progresses through the 1st and 2nd Fs, and he has gotten his mind and body more disciplined and in shape, he finds himself ready and willing to reach out and to give to something bigger than himself. Today that was embodied by our very own Cerrano as he took the opportunity to VQ the warm-up at The Ballroom.

Cerrano:
Quick disclaimer and then we mosey around the Dance Studio and Anytime Fitness down the hill to the bottom cul-de-sac (0.5 miles)
SSH x 25 (IC) with a Happy Jack (squat jump) after each 5
BLIMPS: Burpees x 10 (OYO), Lunges x 10/leg (OYO), IW x 15 (IC), Merkins x 10 (IC), Plank Jacks x 20 (IC), Squats x 20 (IC)

Hand off to YHC:

Let’s talk “Ascending” for a minute… A quote that I like and read to the PAX from John Greenleaf Whittier: “I’ll lift you, and you lift me, and we’ll both ascend together” The way we make it through life is with support. With help from others… We will be “ascending” throughout this workout, so we will need to encourage one another a lot as we go. Modify as needed and simply do what you can do, no more, no less… Keep moving throughout the whole workout. SkyQ can work with our momentum, but if we choose to stand still and do nothing, we will get nothing… A hearty “AYE!” and on to the rest of The Thang:

Mosey to halfway up the hill (0.25 mi) and grab a piece of curb.
Ascending Curb Crawl: Bear crawl across the street do one Merkin, bear crawl back across and “ascend” one additional Merkin up to 10 Merkins.

Mosey up the hill in front of us to the parking lot marked with cones and line up (about 50 yds of lot).

Run down parking lot and at each cone (6) “ascend” (add) 10 Squats (start at 10 going to 60 for a total of 210)

Crab Walk back and at each cone ascend (add) 5 Dips (start at 5 going to 30 for a total of 105)
Take a lap down and around the lot (.25 mi) and grab some wall

People’s Chair until the 6 arrives

Ascending Testicles: Feet on wall at roughly a foot up, then 5 Derkins; ascend feet to 45 degrees, 5 more Derkins; finally BTTW and 5 more Derkins of you got ’em… (#crowdpleaser)

RINSE AND REPEAT

People’s Chair with Ascending Arm Raises: Wall sit, single count arm raises set of 10, then arms out in front, ascend arm raise count to 20, arms out, then 30…

Jail Break back to cars and circle up for some Mary:
LBCs x 20 (IC)
Boat and Canoe x 5 (IC)
Elbow Plank (hold for ascending count around circle)
Hello Dolly x 20 (IC)

And that’s that…

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As we strive to lead and “be more” in our personal lives and to those around us, let us not forget a couple of things… 1. As Whittier penned, we ascend best when together. It’s ok to ask for and get help…  2. In all of our desire to help others, let’s not forget the warning we receive on the plane about the oxygen masks… Secure your OWN mask before helping others. Do what you need to in order to fill your bucket and anchor yourself in truth before over-extending yourself. Be intentional, work hard, and as I tell my 2.0s every morning, #GoBeAwesome…

Helmet Out…