Category: The Fort

Colosseum- KISS (you know what it stands for)

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Always one of my favorite AOS in the Fort. A great place that makes you want to work. I like to KISS (keep it simple st&#%d)
We had a little disclaimer and intro and were off.
couple laps around the parking lot and circle up for a quick warmup.
22 SSHs
10 windmills
22 Mtn Climbers
6 inches with slow 10 count x 2
head down road for dynamic stretching and let the games begin.
light poles
1. 5 burpees.
2. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks.
3. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15 merkins
4. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15merkins, 20 squats
5. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15merkins, 20 squats, 25 LBCs
Mosey down road. Pick up piece of rip rap
10 chest presses, 10 curls, 10 shoulder presses x 3 sets
Hill repeats mosey to top 10 merkins, 15 squats mosey to bottom 5 burpees. flutter kicks until 6 finishes 3 sets.
Indian run back to light poles.
1. 5 burpees.
2. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks.
3. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15 merkins
4. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15merkins, 20 squats
5. 5 burpees, 10 plank jacks, 15merkins, 20 squats, 25 LBCs
COT- like I said KISS.
announcements- thanksgiving convergence
Christmas Party sign up by Sat. Dec. 30th
Prayers and Praises

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Watch D.O.G.S. PAX volunteer effort at Tega Cay Elementary ( Pantheon )

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Watch D.O.G.S.

Whether you attended our Watch DOGS kickoff event or not, we hope that you will participate in this exciting program by volunteering one or more days this school year as a Watch DOG. Please visit our Sign Up Calendar for more information and to choose a date to volunteer that works for you. You must complete a FMSD Volunteer Screening and sign up for a duty date on the sign up calendar to serve as a Watch DOG.

CLICK HERE for the calendar link to sign up to be a Watch DOG!

CLICK HERE to complete a FMSD Volunteer Screening

CLICK HERE to watch the Today Show segment about Watch D.O.G.S.

If you did not order your shirt, you may purchase one on the day you serve as a Watch DOG for $20 (credit/debit preferred, exact cash/check accepted). Uniform shirts are required so you will be easily identifiable by teachers, staff, and students. Financial assistance available upon request.

If you have any questions about this opportunity to make an impact at Tega Cay Elementary School, please contact Kristen Motte (School Counselor & Watch DOG Program Coordinator) at mottek@fortmillschools.org.

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11/20/2019 Pantheon Backblast

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‘BACK-blast’ or rather Back workout day at Pantheon.  Brought out Pandoras Box ( travel trailer with gym equipment ) for alternating partner work.

Warmup:  2 rounds of Side Straddle hops, Low Slow Squats and Carolina Dry docks x 10 reps in cadence.  2nd set at faster cadence.  Add’l set of Front Straddle hops ( seal jacks ) with tight body to activate the back muscles.

The Thang:  2 Full rounds

  • TRX – 15 reps of wide, med, and close grip x15 reps – Partner:  mac tar jai,
  • 35lb battle ropes – 15 reps of full, medium and close motion – Partner:  plank hold,
  • Slam ballz – 3 sets of 5 reps w/ 20, 16, and 12 lb ballz – Partner:  25lb standing chair DB rows
  • Pullups – 3 sets of 5 reps – Partner:  25lb DB pullover,
  • Deadlift – 3 sets of 5 reps w/105lb barbell – Partner:  12lb wide range American Hammer

Intermezzo:  3 sets – Reverse ballz to the wall walks – Partner:  5 sec fence pull-up hold

Cool down – Back stretches – 10 reps each of wide arm circles ( backward/forward ), body huggerz, Carolina Dry Dock stretch, Honeymooner stretch.

Prayers/Praises – Clean Cancer Scans, Patience around holidays with family, work travel.

Announcements – Clave Boss Christmas festivities.

Thank you for the assistance in repacking the trailer.

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Pre-Blast F3 The Fort 2019 Christmas Party

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2ND F….. AKA FELLOWSHIP TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR AND BLESSINGS.
The Thang:

Meet up at Baxter Community Center- Mushroom Pool Clubhouse.

Warmup with some meetin’ and greetin’.

Mosey to the buffet line for catered fine foods (Improper Pig). Partner carry plate to table and fellowship.

3 hrs of Music- Dance if you want to. Mumble chatter welcome.

Moleskin:

F3 is awesome and it makes us all better. We have such an awesome community of PAX and so many new men, that we need to come together and celebrate. 2nd ‘F’ is Fellowship. That means hanging together, enjoying conversation and having a good time. Make every effort to be part of events like this. Let your Ms meet the guys and their better halves.

Details:

Place: Mushroom Pool Clubhouse- 3387 Richards Crossing, Fort Mill, SC 29708
Date: Friday December 6th
Time: 7:00pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30/person——->$60 per couple deadline to sign up Nov 30th 12pm
pay here: https://www.paypal.me/f3thefort
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/xGupWMSXt6xyxNV36
Includes: Facility, Tables/Chairs, Food, Music

Catering by: THE IMPROPER PIG (you know you want some of that)
Menu:
Pulled Pork
Pulled Chicken
Baked Beans
Mac & Cheese
Asian and House slaw
Southern Hushpuppies
Your choice of Queen Bee or Eastern BBQ sauce
Sweet Tea
Lemonade

Please bring a dessert
BYOB – No bar this year…responsible for own drinks

CONTEST FOR PRIZES!!!!
Dessert Contest – Voted by ballot and awarded after dinner (cookies, cakes, pies)

Dress: Nice Casual or crushed velvet red suit

Instructions – RSVP is required, so please follow these steps:

Sign up using this form: https://forms.gle/xGupWMSXt6xyxNV36
Pay ($60/couple or $30/person) via the PayPal page.

Questions? Contact Wegmans, Backdraft or Crab Cakes

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Moving to keep warm on a windy day

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Cyclops and YHC(Bass-o-Matic)  were blessed with the opportunity to have the Q at the Fort.  As we discussed that we had nothing really planned, nobody would have believed it as it came together nicely.

A brief intro, disclaimer and welcome Slim Jim from the New Bern PAX we started right into the warmup as we waited for stragglers to roll in.  We did the typical SSH, Windmills, merkins, imperial walkers, peter parkers and plank jacks.  A brief challenge to the group on how do you plan for the unexpected and how do you respond to those situations?  Now that everyone was ready we split off with Milkshake and moseyed to one of my favorite walls across from the memorial park.

Since the PAX looked a little tired we started of with some wall sits.  This is where it started getting a little saucy.  Round 1 each PAX did a 10 count with an arm variation until we go to the end.  Short 20 second break.  Round 2 Each PAX did 10 bombjacks till we made it down the line.  Saw some great form from the pax.

Changed it up and went to the plan position.  Each PAX held the plan until we went down the line with plank jacks.  20 second recovery and then repeated with mtn. climbers.

Rinse and repeat.  Went back to wall sits with squats for round 1 and SSH for round two.  Funny how quick 30 minutes went and then it was time to hand it over to Cyclops.

We moseyed from the Springs lot to Footloose – a good sojourn.  Once all PAX came in, we circled up for a 10-20-30 pyramid:

10 burpees OYO, 20 squats in cadence (because Bass-o-Matic did no leg work in his half of the Q ; – ) and 15 double count merkins in cadence.  After merkin completion, PAX stretched out from the plank with salutations to the left and right then holding 6 inches off the ground while Tesh gave an efficient 10 count.

We moseyed from Footloose to the front of the Fort Mill Police Department, held a belated veterans day Pledge of Allegiance to honor all who serve, and then moseyed on to Main street for more “fun”.

On the main street benches, PAX did 20 dips and 20 derkins OYO and then we moseyed to the Founders Bank lot for the “main act”

7’s –  6 Kracken Burpees on the horizontal parking space line, lunge walk to the opposite side (because we needed more leg work), 1 Carolina Dry Dock, mosey back to the line, 5 kracken burpees, lunge walk, 2 CDD’s, mosey back……etc. etc. etc. all the way down too 1 KB and 6 CDD’s to finish. PAX finished at this lot before moseying by holding a squat position and did 10 Moroccan night clubs in cadence.  A quick recovery via a 10-count and we moseyed back to the East side of WEP.

At the .1 mile drill bit – Pax bunched up for some more work:  15 double count flutters in cadence, 10 burpees OYO (just because) and 10 double count diamond merkins.  A little mumble chatter came about…but just a little – likely due to the love of burpees and diamond merkins.

A quick mosey back to COT brought us to a few minutes of Mary – which included 15 box cutters in cadence and 45 (ish) seconds worth of protractor work – PAX seemed to enjoy holding legs 6 inches off the ground after completing box cutters making the transition to the protractor more “fun”.  For some reason, pre-mature a count off started at this point – I don’t know why.

We wrapped up at 0730 per custom and moved to name-o-rama, announcements. praises and prayers.

Praise for the health care providers who are caring for many sick friends and family, who are in our thoughts, including Tesla’s Mom and Cyclops’ Dad who are battling forms of cancer.  And for Assassin who is working through an infection and awaiting biopsy results. Slim Jims grandson who is recovering from illness. Kenyan’s loss of his M; prayers for comfort and peace.

Read your newsletter.

 

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Two Shared A Milkshake

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Today at Milkshake,  we only had to show up.

So I decided just to make it pretty simple and what we did was a tour of Fort Mill.

Crab Cakes and I  walked down toward the churches and the gun shop and stopped alongthe way to do a few exercises here and there.

We talked about where we grew up and talked about the crazy wind this morning.

We met up with The Fort main group at one point and hung out for a bit and then headed back to COT.

Thankfully the rain held off until we were almost finished.

Thanks  Shady  for the chance to lead.

Remember Kenyan in your prayers.

DT out.

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Halloween Rain- The Ranch

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It was a warm dark morning, rain heavy as I drove to The Ranch. One of my personal favorite AOs in The Fort. Maybe becouse it is where I was the site Q for awhile or maybe just becouse there are lots of areas to torture people when I am on the Q.
I was first to arrive and wondered how many would join me in the rainy gloom. Couple cars roll in just before zero dark start time.
Disclaimer. Mosey around parking lot and get a quick warmup. SSHs, LBACs, windmills, IWs.
Mosey to front of middle school- partner up by benches- 20 derkins, 20 alternating stepups, 20 dips.
Partner wheel barrow to end of side walk and back. repeat x’s 3.
Mosey to back of school- chair sits in cadence- Balls to wall incadence- bearcrawl out to edge of parking lot and back- 3 sets.
Mosey to play ground- 3 sets 5 pullups, 10 merkins, 15 squats.
Mosey to bus loop- duck walks 10 diamond merkins, bunny hops 10 wide arm merkins, 1 leg jumps 5 pistol squats, switch to other leg repeat.
Mosey to COT.
announcements, prayers and praises.
Backdraft out.

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You want me to take that coupon to the top of that hill HOW??

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The morning started simply enough with a warm-up mosey around WEP with stops at each pain station to warm up and explain the ins and outs of the first half workout…

Station

  1. Carolina Dry Dock to Bear Crawl in the direction of the next station in an ascending fashion…
    1. 1:4, 2:8, 3:12, 4:16, 5:20 and then run to the next station
  2. 5 Burpees then 25 Low Slow Squats finishing with 5 burpees before running to the next station
  3. 25x Shoulder Taps in cadence to 25 Lunge Walks (each leg) then running to the next station
  4. 60 count Honeymooner to allow for reset, 20x Merkins in Cadence, 20x Low Slow Squats in cadence and running to the final station
  5. 25x American Hammers in cadence, 25 Plank Jacks in cadence
  6. Rinse and Repeat course until halted by JWow

Then began the real pain…  after unloading coupons in the shape of cinder blocks from the back of the Slash-mobile we wandered off to a secluded portion of the park…

JWow found many ways to carry the coupons up a hill in an irrational and chaotic way…  A grand time was had by all.

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Launching the Snake Pit

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YHC was honored to be asked by 3D to Q out East and, based on the calendar, an inaugural Q for the Fort’s newest kettle bell AO.  It required a separate trip to get familiar with the grounds, but a quick scan of the A/O left YHC with lots of options and, fortunately, a great group of HIMs gathered to launch the Snake Pit.  After disclaimers were put forth and JWOW came in hot, we moseyed off around the parking lot, without the bells.

COP – Corner #1 – low slow squats x15

Corner #2 – Side Straddle Hops x 20

Corner #3 – Imperial Walker x 15, People’s Chair hold with Moroccan night clubs x 15 and a                                     10-count hold

Stadium entrance – Merkins x 10, salutations right and left, 6-inch hold with a 10-count

PAX grabbed their bells and moseyed into the stadium, down to the field for a partner pyramid.

In any adversity or challenge we face in life, going through it with others helps ensure we come out stronger on the other side.  In the spirit of working through a challenge (and because partner work was notably present), we did, well, partner work.

While partner 1 began the exercises at the goal line, partner 2 ran to the 50 yard line and back and picked up the exercises where partner 1 left off.  Exercises built on one another a la pearls on a string, to the mid point anyway.

10 goblet squats

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions, 40 American hammers (w/bell)

10 goblet squats, 20 hammer curls, 30 tricep extensions, 40 American hammers (w/bell), 50 swings

50 swings, 40 American hammers (w/bell), 30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

40 American hammers (w/bell), 30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

30 tricep extensions, 20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

20 hammer curls, 10 goblet squats

10 goblet squats

Once all were finished (PAX planked or did LBC’s if they finished before the 6), we moseyed with bells to the flag for a pledge of allegiance and did 30 flutters with the KB press

Mosey out of the stadium back to the lot for the start of a partner DORA – 50 swings and 100 hammer curls.  Partner 1 started the exercises while partner 2 ran to specified landmarks and back, and vice versa.

With no time left to get to 150 and 200 on the DORA, we moseyed back to COT for:  20 flutters with the KB press and 15 LBC’s with the bell.  At that point, it was 0600 and work was complete.

Announcements were made, prayers and praises were offered and YHC led us out.

Special thoughts are with Alright Alright Alright as his ankle heals.

Thanks to 3D for the opportunity to lead the inaugural workout and launch of the Snake Pit and to have the privilege of getting better in the presence of many HIMs.

Honored,

Cyclops

 

 

 

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It’s the 1st F for a reason

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11 pax posted to WEP to celebrate north winds, fall temps, a Santini sighting, an Anchorman celebrity drop-in and 7 yrs + 1 week since the 9.29.12 launch of The Fort.  This, the 365th edition of Saturday at The Fort, was more than just another Saturday of brotherhood and pain.  It was also a reminder of why these gatherings matter.  After a thorough Disclaimer, Crab Cakes led the pax off into the gloom.

The Thang

Mosey up the hill out the parking lot with a right turn toward the Church of the Nazarene.  A few stops along the way for some warm-up moves.

Partner up for a series of exercises paired with running to the church steps, 3x up and down, and return to partner at the far end of the parking lot.  Exercises included, Merkins, Squats and Flutters.

Rugby sprints (it wouldn’t be a Crab Cakes Q without this signature session) with LBCs, Freddys, Flutters, Heel Touches.

Hand off to DD

Mosey back toward WEP

Stop at pecan tree grove near Springs building for some work — Planks, Merkins, CDDs, Peter Parkers, Parker Peters, & Makhtar N’Dyaes (Santini request for the last one)

Mosey to Springs parking lot entrance (in the grass)

Knee-tar-jais

Mosey to brick wall at Springs

People’s chair & Balls to the wall (rinse and repeat)

Mosey to WEP playground (rotating partners) — Pull ups, burpees, monkee, humpers, dips, derkins, lap around playground

Bear crawl to path, crawl bear back

Series of sprints and backward sprints to path and back to playground

Jailbreak home

COT

Naked man moleskin

Crab Cakes and I had a great time at the helm today.  It’s always an honor to lead the pax, and especially at the launching grounds for The Fort.  Sorry to miss Slash.  Thanks for the opportunity to Q and thanks for keeping the mission going at WEP on Saturdays!

Anchorman with 2.0 in tow made a brief showing as we approached 0720. Apologies for the PG-13 language during the final prod to the pax to finish strong.  You can throw me in the creek with your M if you hear that one at the dinner table.

Santini, Rebel and Dark Helmet were rockin’ the perfect sweaty head coifs by the finish.  Checkout the video for proof.  If Funhouse had posted we might’ve been able to establish the pose for The Fort’s Mount Rushmore.

Good to have Sippy Cup among the pax and donning The Fort jersey no less.  Don’t be stranger!  Hope to see you again soon!

The theme for the morning was a focus on 1st F #Fitness.  Thanks to many pax, including my co-Q Crab Cakes, 2nd F is making huge strides.  Thanks to Gekko, Cake Boss, Chicken Hawk, Pusher and others, 3rd F also continues to blossom.  No debate on my part that these two elements are critical to our pax and speak to the core of who we are as men and leaders.  Yet, now that The Fort has entered it’s 8th year, I feel the need to highlight the importance of 1st F.  While it’s not the core of WHO we are as men, it is the core of WHAT we undertake each week as a group.   It’s the magnet that draws us out into the gloom.  And after 4, 5, 6, 7 years, it might begin to taste a little bland from familiarity. The temptation may be there to coast during workouts or even to scale back your weekly posts.  I’m imploring you — DO NOT GIVE UP!  Yes, F3 is about way more than the workout.  And at the same time, it is also rooted in the workout.

Several conversations over the past week highlighted for me the importance of regular, passionate 1st F engagement.  I heard examples of veteran pax who are pushing hard and veteran pax who are dialing back.  Those posting regularly and pushing in 1st F are seeing growth in all 3 Fs.  Those who’ve scaled back are experiencing some regression in other areas.  It’s all connected, gentlemen.  “You get out of it what you put into it” a veteran pax shared with me this week.

F3 isn’t the only way to stay fit.  I’m the first to acknowledge this fact.  I’ve been fit in the past without F3 and I see many men who are fit today without F3.  But, 1st F isn’t just about Fitness.  It’s about relationships.  Friendships are built in the midst of struggle in the Gloom.  Removing that element will impact a relationship.  1st F is also about preparation.  When you post in the Gloom, you surrender to the elements and the Q.  You give up control — willingly.  You don’t know what you’re going to be put through, but you show up anyway.  And you push to the finish because you believe it will make you “better.” It’s preparation for life. Each day we wake up and we surrender to what the world and Sky Q have in store for us. We don’t have nearly the control we’d like. But we carry on to the finish of each day, seeking to get better (or at least get through it to the next day we won’t control).

So, if you’re feeling the tug of the Fartsack or the gym or the coffee pot, speak up.  We’re all susceptible to those temptations. And we all need a dose of #Accountability now and then to keep us on the #Right track.  The same is true for those out front.  If you’re in an acceleration mode, look around to see who’s missing.  Accelerating pax don’t let pax fall back. They pick up the Six. They don’t leave a man where they found him.

Thanks for listening.  Thanks for pushing.  SYITG!

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