Party of Five for the Alcatraz Tour

  • QIC: Decibel and Smuggler
  • When: 10/01/16
  • Pax: Trucker, Change Order, FNG - Straight Up
  • Posted In: Alcatraz, The Fort

As the PAX gathered this morning, with single digit attendance it became obvious that the Alcatraz turnout was likely influenced by the other Fort Q’s EH’ing at last night’s 4-year Invergence Celebration. In any case, the four faithful Alcatraz inmates and a Sponsorless FNG posted for their DRP.

The sky was dark and the air was much cooler than it has been recently… just the way we like it. After brief introductions and a short (but thorough) disclaimer, Decibel began our Alcatraz Tour. It’s been several weeks since we’ve used much of this AO, beyond the park, other than a few trips up an down the hill, today was the day to visit some of the other sights and terrain.

The Thang:
Decibel led the inmates out of the yard with a mosey to the wall by the golf course.
20 step ups / 20 dips
Windmill x15
20 step ups / 20 dips
IW x20
Merkins x10

Mosey to the walking trail hill, partner up and find a ROCK that is worthy:
Partner Dora 1-2-3 with partner running up to lone tree and back.
100 shoulder press with rock
200 chest press with rock
300 curl with rock

Mosey up the hill to the clubhouse steps:
Partner wheelbarrow up steps, flip flop. (mumblechatter)
Rinse and Repeat. (lots of mumblechatter)

Pass the Q to Smuggler.

Since the steps were right there... Stair climb sequence
20 reps of an ab exercise (LBC’s, Hello Dolly’s, and X’s&O’s…) at the bottom and 20 bomb jacks at the top.
1st Ascent: Left Leg Hop (mumblechatter)
2nd Ascent: Right Leg Hop (mumblechatter)
3rd Ascent: Bear Crawl
4th Ascent: Crab Walk
5th Ascent: Bunny Hop (mumblechatter)

Reclaim partners and split for a run to the end of the lot while the other partner does LBC’s, Flip Flop, and Rinse and Repeat with Modified Freddy Mercury’s.

Walk a 10 Count and then off at a mosey back to the Alcatraz Yard with a brief stop at the retaining wall for 10 decline merkins.

Arriving back at the small field wall, commence People’s Chair while each of the PAX takes a turn running to the 200′ sign and back.  Legs were getting a bit anxious at the end of this.
Switch from People’s Chair to a Plank with feet on the wall, and take turns bear crawling to 2nd base. Rinse and Repeat. (again, mumblechatter)
One round of BTTW hold for a 10 count from each of the PAX (there were only 5 of us).

Mosey to the playground for a quick round of 20 supine pull-ups and 20 LBC’s.

Today’s Alcatraz Tour covered 2.7 miles!

COT

Welcome to FNG – ‘Straight Up’  – J D Bernie (sp) from Colorado Springs.
Announcements: Check the newsletter, there are a lot…
Praises for health and wedding anniversaries.  We are blessed.
Prayers for our Community, City, and Country.

Always thankful for the opportunity to lead, and be among, this group of men.  Thank you.

Smuggler

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Fusion is on Q… Must mean Wall Squats…!

  • QIC: Fusion
  • When: 09/29/2016
  • Pax: Cool Table, Spartacus, Stock Yard, Pad Eye, Dingo, Lucky Charm, Murdock, Anchor Bar, Roxanne, Mayhem, Capt kangaroo, Italian Job
  • Posted In: The Fort

The Thang

Warm-Up
Slow mosey to the main parking lot
SSH x20
Windmill x20
Imperial Walkers x20
Cherry Pickers x20
Moroccan Night Clubs x20
Followed with some additional stretching

Work out

Mosey to the side wall of TJ Max. Wall squat mule train with last man lunge walking to the front of the line.

Mosey to the parking lot behind Mellow Mushroom. Seal Team sit-ups 3×15.

Mosey to the playground and partner up.
• Partner one does a lap around the playground and partner two does the exercise, then switch after the lap is finished.
o 80 Makhtar N’Diayes
o 100 Irkins
o 100 Derkins
o 200 LBCs
o 200 Free Squats

Mosey back to COT for prayers and announcements. Always a pleasure leading the men of F3!

See you in the Gloom!

Fusion Out

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Passing of the Reins at PHOP

  • QIC: Fusion
  • When: 09/28/2016
  • Pax: Dog Pound, The Riddler, Mr. Big Stuff, Bill Nye, Dingo, Freon, Pad Eye, Dr Ruth, Cool Table, Schrute
  • Posted In: The Fort

The Thang

Warm-Up
Slow warm-up mosey around the church

SSH x20
Windmill x20
Imperial Walkers x20
Cherry Pickers x20
Moroccan Night Clubs x20
Followed with some additional stretching

Work out
Six Pain Stations each packed with its own dose of pain.

  • Separated into two groups starting at opposite sides of the church
  • Pain station 1 – Tractor tire pull and tractor tire flip. As if the tractor tire wasn’t enough to pull we added a 40 pound steel chain to pull it with. Remaining Pax does LBCs while not on the tires.
  • Pain Station 2 – Seal Team sit-ups 3×15. New rule, if you crop dust your group while doing seal team sit-ups it is automatically 20 burpees….
  • Pain Station 3 – Interval/ Ladder Sprints x3 reps. 10 yard sprint down and back, 10 merkins, 20 yard sprint down and back, 10 merkins, and then 30 yard sprint followed by 10 merkins.
  • Pain Station 4 – Wall squat mule train with last man burpee broad jumping to the front of the line.
  • Pain Station 5 – Cinder block partner pass standing back to back. 2×15 each direction
  • Pain Station 6 – Rock bucket 20 yard lunge walk, remaining Pax plant it until it is their turn

Mosey back to COT for prayers and announcements. Always a pleasure leading the men of F3!

Site Q hand off from The Riddler to Dog Pound. Riddler, thank you for leading this AO and let’s keep supporting Dog Pound as we grow and get more terrible toys to work with!!

See you in the Gloom!

Fusion Out

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The Best

  • QIC: Deacon
  • When: 9/26/16
  • Pax: Peabody, Cha Ching, Destiny, Stang, Pin Stripe, Spitz, Librarian, Lug Nut, Geronimo, Barry Manilow, Change Order, MacGruff, Anchor Man, Cotton Eye, Olaf, Trucker, Zimmern, Drop Thrill, Tesh, River Rat, Deacon
  • Posted In: The Armory, The Fort

21 Pax posted for a hideous workout at the Armory. Today’s workout looked better on paper. The lights went out in the parking lot and we still finished our Buffet Of Pain.

The Thang:

SSHs (20x), IWs (20x), Parker Peters (15x), Slow Sumo Squats (15x), WMs (15x), Box Cutters (20x), Windshield Wipers (15x)

Mosey to the parking.

The Buffet Of Pain included a lap around the parking lot between each exercise shown below.

  • Upright Rows (20x)
  • Floor Presses (15x/side)
  • American Hammers (15x)
  • Overhead Squats (20x)
  • Around the World (15x)
  • Skull Crushers (20x)
  • Kettlebell Merkins (10x/side)
  • Flutters w/Bell Overhead (20x)
  • Bent Rows (20x/side)
  • Curls (15x/side)
  • Goblet Squats (15x)
  • Tricep Extensions (15x)
  • Swings (15x)

COT

Moleskin:

We discussed this month’s 3rd F theme of grace. Why did Christ die for our sins as a sign of God’s grace?

The answer: God sees the best in us.

The apostle Paul deserved God’s judgement because of his persecution of Christians. God accepted Paul, gave him grace and leveraged Paul’s strengths to glorify His Kingdom.

Despite our sinful nature, God sees the best in us and can proclaim His name through us.

Understand that God sees the best in us when others don’t, won’t or can’t.

Aye!

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It got heavy at The Deep

  • QIC: Maximus
  • When: 09/17/16
  • Pax: Royale, Kenyan, DaVinci, Tater, Wild Thing
  • Posted In: The Deep, The Fort

Good morning to the only 6 that decided to face the music. Once I had the opportunity to Q the Deep about a week, I knew I had to bring it. The weather was perfect, the PAX were strong and I had spoken enough. Part of the mental game was having the PAX unload the coupons out of the truck which included 13 cinder blocks, 2 medicine balls, 1 50lb sand brick, 1 ruck and one heck of a 45lb sand bag/neck pillow.

After the disclaimer basically consisting of instructions to keep the gloves on and not to break your nose on the blocks, we were off for a parking lot mosey with butt kickers, karaoke’s, side shuffles and bringing it home with toy soldiers.

Slow-short warm up of SSH, Squats and Carolina Dry Docks

In a line with the blocks about 2′ apart, we did side Merkin walks from one end of the blocks to the other and back again. When you weren’t merkin-walking, you were butt-kicking.

Line up on your back, head to toe. As you do a situp, pass the medicine ball from overhead to the man at your feet and repeat down and back. Situps while you wait.

4 Corners of the bus lane with Wide-Arm, Regular and Diamond Merkins at each corner: Corner 1=2 of each, Corner 2=4 of each, Corner 3=6 of each, Corner 4=8 of each.

Mosey to the big hill (or at least, one of the big hills) for Quadzilla: Backwards run/jog/walk up the hill and forward jog down the hill for 4 minutes.

Mosey to the football field and grab a partner. Catch me if you can twice around the field incorporating 3 burpees.

Time for a little plank work: Peter Parkers, Grave Diggers right side, Dips, Grave Diggers left side, Mountain Climbers, Grave Diggers right side, Crab Walk 20yds, Grave Diggers left side.
With your partner, 16 Carolina Dry Dock claps

Mosey back to the blocks for Shoulder Press Squats
Overhead tricep extensions
Bicep curls
Manmaker Burpees
Flutter kicks with block presses
Protractor

Announcements: 9/30 Invergence & read the Newsletter

Prayer Requests: Gears mother-in-law, Maximus’ friend’s dad, calm for Tater’s wife this past weekend.

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No grass. No Burpees. And running? You sure this is a Helmet Q?

  • QIC: Dark Helmet
  • When: 09/17/16
  • Pax: CSPAN, Tesh, The Matador (FNG), Chicken Wing, Rooney, Hotty Totty (Hate Hate - 13), So-Crates, Longshanks, Geronimo, MacGyver, Quack Attack, Dark Helmet (QIC)
  • Posted In: The Fort

Our beloved Gran-tan (SPAN-tan?) gently requested last night that we not get in the grass at the park this am. I adjusted my weinke accordingly… He brought an FNG with him, so I can’t help but accommodate. I love naming FNGs… I’ll explain why later…

Per the title of this post, there were also no burpees, this was by request of myself to myself. Last week at the BRR, I had to drive instead of run because of persistent knee issues, and Zima said I should still have to do something CSAUP, so I did 1000 burpees over the course of the race. Yeah, I don’t need to see a burpee again for a little while…

The Thang:
0700 rolled around and eleven gentlemen joined me in getting to work. We did a quick lap around the park and at the drill bits we did some dynamic warmups, as well as some tried and true favorites. We pulled our knees up to our chest, did toy soldiers, there were windmills, merkins, SSHs, and a couple others.

Then, we ran up Ardrey St. to the Church of the Nazarene. Looks like people are meeting, so we wont use the steps after all…
– Partner up and wheelbarrow from one end of parking lot to the other. Then switch and head back.
– Our next bit of fun was to burpee broad jump from one end to the other and run it back. (Ok, I guess I lied about no burpees, there were like 8 – 10 burpees depending on how far you can jump)
– One more round of wheelbarrows (switch up partners) and then it was time to mosey again…

We took a right out of the parking lot and then ran down and turned left on Massey St. and ran to the Sisk Memorial Baptist Church lot. Then we partnered up again and did a 100 Merkin cumulative…
– Partner 1 runs from one end of the lot and back while Partner 2 does Merkins. Switch until you reach a total of 100… LBCs until the 6 gets in…
That was quick, but it was time to mosey again.

Run down Massey St. until we get to the big lot across from the gun shop at the top of the big hill. This next part was just plain dumb… Maybe a touch CSAUP?
– Bear crawl the length of the lot, then Crawl Bear (Backwards Bear Crawl) back to the other end. This sucked, incidentally.
– Partner up again (same guy if you’d like) and it was time to attack the hill.
– Partner 1 runs down the hill and back up while Partner 2 does squats – cumulatively hit 200
– Finish with the 6…

Next, we all headed down the hill and took a left and then stopped again at the next lot on the left.
– Have a seat on the wall. One 10 count, 30 air presses, and recover and shake it out…
– Sit back on the wall. Three 10 counts and a lot of mumble chatter and recover.
– One more sit on the wall, and by special request from Quack Attack, we did one-legged wall sits for a 10 count on each leg.

Time to mosey again, back to where we started. Hotty Totty (13) had never led any exercises before, so he led us in a little Mary (American Hammers and Flutter Kicks) to finish things up. He did a great job.

COT – Lots of prayers for family and friends who are in need. Prayers for Gears’ MIL, for Felipe that CSPAN met in Colombia, for Clark Kent and his M on the birth of baby #1, and plenty of others spoken and unspoken. Guys… The COT is our time to share a little of our soul. A time to put what’s on your heart out to your brothers and to get help from them and from SkyQ. Prayer works. It’s that simple. Let your brothers shoulder the burden with you and add their faith to yours to help get you through. Take advantage of this time! Remember what they say, “A burden shared is half a burden, a joy shared is twice the joy.”

NMM:
Some things…
1. I do love naming FNGs. While we were out running around, I told the fellas why… It may be lame, or weird, or whatever, but I hold the F3 name a little bit sacred. Yes, it’s supposed to be a little terrible. That’s part of the fun (ask Electric Mayhem in Savannah, or Short Shorts in Lake Wylie). Yes, the longer the stream of consciousness to get there, the better the story you get to tell. Having a name that’s a little terrible is part of the collective suffering that bonds us so tightly. But it’s more than all that, too. For me (not to wax too dramatic or anything), the F3 name marks a line of delineation between the person you were and the beginning of the journey of who you are striving now to become. You leave the Sad Clown behind and start anew as a High Impact Man. So I take the naming of an FNG very seriously… My Dark Helmet self is a far better man than my Frank Schwartz self was on his own. Ask my wife and kids… They will tell you without hesitation. So, let there be no doubt about how desperately we want you to let it motivate you to return and join us regularly in the gloom. You will be a better man if you post. Period. You will push yourself past what you thought you could physically, mentally, and spiritually, and that is what this world needs more than anything else. Men who are not afraid to push past comfort to make IMPACT. The workout is the training ground for that type of toughness.
2. Don’t make comments about Tesh naked.
3. If you thought it looked too far to bear crawl, it isn’t. But it might be too far to do backwards.
4. Pesanka is fast. And yes, even at bear crawling.

That’s all for now… Helmet, out.

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The Kettlebell Shart – the new dance craze at Iron Academy

  • QIC: Cha Ching
  • When: 09/13/16
  • Pax: Java, Italian Job, Olaf, Lucky Charm, Hot Sauce, Smiley Face, Dream House
  • Posted In: The Fort

Second time Q was a blast – had a great group of men Tues morning at the Iron Academy in Rock Hill.  After some quick intros, we hit the field next door for a short warm-up:

Warm-up (in cadence):
side straddle hops x30
merkins x20
Moroccan night club x20
low slow squat x15
windmill x10

The Thang:
kettlebell wood choppers x10 per side (in cadence)
kettlebell T-push-ups x10 per side
single leg mountain climbers x10 per leg (in cadence)
REPEAT

Partnered up for the next group of circuits – each partner does both, then you move on to the next:
partner 1 – suicides in the parking lot, partner 2 – single arm plank rows w/ kettlebell (as many as you can)
partner 1 – suicides, partner 2 – jump lunges (as many as you can while your partner runs)
partner 1 – suicides, partner 2 – halos (kettlebell circles around your head/shoulders)
REPEAT

finish where we started, with the following:
super set – kettlebell shoulder raises (x10 in cadence), shoulder press (x10 in cadence), tricep extension (x10 in cadence)
Freddie mercury’s slow x10 / fast x10 / slow x10 / fast x10
diamond push-up / merkin pyramid set (10 / 10, 8 / 8…down to 2 / 2)
REPEAT

It was a beat-down today, but the guys handled their business.  CoT for announcements and prayers.

Prayers / Praises:
Olaf – keep his wife Ann and unborn baby in your thoughts/prayers (have had complications – 18 wks along)

Java – wisdom to push the kingdom along; his company is hiring, if you’re looking for work (pt or ft) find him on Twitter (Joe Helms)

Italian Job – continued recovery for the guys that did BRR over the weekend

Hot Sauce – recently lost his job.  Looking for wisdom on next steps.  Worked in production planning / supply chain management if anyone is aware of openings

Lucky Charm – Elevation revival series has been phenomenal.  Check it out, stream online @ 7pm

Smiley Face – son and son’s girlfriend’s relationship has had some hard times.  Looking for clarity / wisdom from God for son to stay in commitment.

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A workout happened. This is where you read about it.

  • QIC: Dark Helmet
  • When: 09/14/16
  • Pax: Twister (Respect), Birdcage, Leg Breaker, Crab Cakes, Cha-Ching, Double Dribble (FNG!), Java, Lil E, Figaro, Kielbasa, Olaf, On The Rocks, Witch Hunt, Flat Tire, Maximus, Bonsai, Dark Helmet (QIC)
  • Posted In: Laces In, The Fort

I always love to pull up and see a lot full of cars. Oooh… and an FNG to boot… Fun times…

I gave a very official disclaimer, and with that we were off…

First we moseyed to the lot across Ardrey St. from the entrance driveway to the park.
Warm up
Windmills, Merkins, Moroccan Nightclubs, Squats, Mountain Climbers, SSHs… all around 15 or so a piece…

Then it was time to go to church… Mosey up Ardrey Street to the Church of the Nazarene
Partner up – SIZE MATTERS
– Wheelbarrow up the steps and run down – flapjack
– Bunny hop up the steps and run down
– Run to the top of the steps hitting every step, then run down
Repeat this sequence (all of it) X 3

Mosey over to the wall for a little Pink Floyd (soon to be a lexicon submission = a series of wall exercises of varying types):
– People’s chair for a 30 count, the last 20 count with air presses
– BTTW for a 30 count
– Descending testicles – 3 at top, 2 at 45, 1 at bottom
– Repeato x 3

Mosey back to the parking lot hill (the BIG hill was too wet) at WEP for another soon to be submitted to the lexicon:
The Grand Old Duke of York (a series of terribles up and down a hill)
– Grab your original partner, run down the hill and partner carry up the hill then flapjack (modify = Run backwards up hill)
– Next, partner 1 run down and bear crawl up while partner does LBCs then flapjack
– Since this was a crowd pleaser, we did it two more times…

What’s that? Someone’s puking and someone else is wandering aimlessly toward the cars?
We must be done… Jog it down to the parking lot cul-de-sac and plank for the 6.

Then we counted, name-a-rama’ed, and gave the FNG his name. He likes basketball… His name is now Double Dribble… This is not a prostate joke…

Helmet, out…

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Parking Lot Shuffle at the BTC

  • QIC: Popeye
  • When: 9/14/16
  • Pax: Spartacus, Cool Table, River Rat, Pistol, Popeye
  • Posted In: The Fort

With the recon of another Lancaster AO and several PAX still resting up from the BRR, 5 #HIM rolled out of the #fartsack for YHC’s 2nd day on Q, this time at BOOOOOOM Town Central.

THE THANG:

Warm Up

  • 10 SSH
  • 10 WM
  • 10 Squats
  • Stretch the legs for a mosey.

We moseyed over to the Baxter Hood Center but the parking lot was too dark to see very much so #Omaha to the parking lot next to York Tech.

Starting on row 1 of 7 we did 5 merkins on one end ran the row and did 5 squats. Rinse and repeat adding 5 of each to each row. So that’s around 105 reps of each. Real crowd pleaser.

After a 10 count we moseyed over to the other side of York Tech to the parking lot behind the ETV building. (The curved saw tooth roof one) We shuffled the parking lot again island to island with the following

  • Bear Crawl
  • Lt. Dan
  • High Knees
  • Sprint (X2)
  • Bear Crawl
  • Slow Mosey

After a 10 count

We did a round of –

  • 10 Dips
  • 10 Irkins
  • 10 Merkins

On some park benches.

Long Mosey back and around the BTC building to the loading docks for two 10 counts of People’s Chair.

Moseyed back to the COT for a few LBC’s and Flutters with the time left.

Done!

YHC spoke about what Coach Dabo Swinney said in a press conference yesterday, quote:

“The Bible doesn’t say love your neighbor for the same religion. It doesn’t say love your neoighbor if they are the same color as you. It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they pull for the same team as you. It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they are the same gender as you… or if they have the same sexuality as you.  It just says love your neighbor as you love yourself.

If we all lived by this in our country, we wouldn’t have near the problems we have. That’s just my opinion.

That’s a true opinion and if whether you’re a Gamecock, Tiger, Chanticlear, or Eagle fan, Dabo Swinney is a #HIM working and bringing glory to Sky Q for sure. Aye!

Popeye OUT!

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First Solo Q At My Favorite AO

  • QIC: Broteinshake
  • When: 09/12/16
  • Pax: Anchor Bar (RESPECT), Money Bags, Dr. Ruth, Holster, Dark Knight, Waterboy, Dingo, Crayola, Pescador, Reborn, Bill Nye, Popeye, Broteinshake
  • Posted In: The Fort

YHC along with 12 other PAX joined in for my first solo Q.  There were no FNG’s so after brief disclaimer we were off to do a 2.16 mile boot camp.

Warm Up

  • Mosey across East Main and down small parking deck, then turned left up East Black, then left on Saluda, back to East Main, and stopped in front of Fountain Park.
  • 25 Moroccan Night Clubs (IC)
  • 25 SSH (IC)
  • 25 Italian Night Clubs (IC)
  • 25 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • 20 Hilbillies (IC)

The Thang

Mosey to The Hot Box (TD Parking Deck), where 7 pain stations awaited.  Alternated High Knees, Lunges, and Butt Kickers up each ramp.  At the top of each ramp the PAX performed the following:

  • 20 Burpees — Ramp 1
  • 20 Monkey Humpers — Ramp 2
  • 20 Carolina Dry Docks — Ramp 3
  • 20 Low Slow Squats — Ramp 4
  • 20 LBC’s — Ramp 5
  • 20 Merkins — Ramp 6
  • 20 Burpees — Ramp 7

Mosey to The Amphitheater and alternated on each row Bear Crawls and Lunges (Legs really burning by now).

Mosey to Brick Alley where Popeye led us in head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Then a lil’ BTTW where I requested that the first PAX to get tired give us a 10 count.  That 10 count came very quickly.

Mosey back to the AO where to no surprise on my first solo Q, we had about six minutes to spare so we all joined in on some Ab Lab.

There were a few announcements and everyone was asked if they’re receiving the weekly newsletter.  A couple prayer requests (thanks Popeye for sharing about your colleague Tim Buchanan), and a prayer for the state of affairs in our country.

Announcements

Broteinshake Out!

Aye!

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