This morning’s Ranch Q started10 hours earlier when I began building the weinkie. The first place I went to build my weinkie was to see what this month’s theme was. To my surprise, the theme is margin. But wait, what do we mean by margin? How does that apply to life? Go check it out here.

Monthly Theme: Margin

I couldn’t answer my own questions but reading our well written and always impactful guide I reflected and it hit me. It was right in the middle of the page:

“Margin is the time that is left over after the demands of life and it can be used intentionally or it can be squandered on selfish desires. “

“Do say no to many good things to say yes to the best things

We are pounded by many good requests and commitments. We want to do all of them but that drains our own capacity and leaves little to no margin to focus on the best things. The best things are those that only us as individuals can do most effectively (lead, give to the community, be there for our sons/daughters/wives) or also better known as our D2X.

So, as I built out my weinkie I made a commitment to focus on my margin. Building, creating, identifying capacity to use my margin intentionally and not squander it. To be an intentional father (see: A Voice That Carries: EMPOWER FATHERS TO BE POSITIVE INFLUENCES IN THEIR DAUGHTER’S LIVES ), intentional husband, intentional friend and simply to be intentional at those things I choose to do vs. those things I simply do.

My margin creation starts most days at 4:45 AM – posting with the pax is intentional and reminds me why we do what we do as HIM.

With that, my wienkie was built……

There were no FNGs and 3 of my favorite Pax to lead and we were off with an extremely brief disclaimer….
Headed down to the middle school drop off circle, which is the only lit area. We squared up (hard to make a circle with 4 pax) and began IC

25 SSH
15 Windmills
15 Imperial Walkers
10 Merkins
15 mountain climbers
20 Moroccan night clubs

Great thing about middle school off circle, besides being lit is that it has benches and about 0.25-.30 mile circle (someone fact check me). The weinke called for 2 rounds of…

15 Bench Jump ups, squat (on bench), jump down, jump backwards, burpee and repeat (mumble chatter called for a cadence count but that didn’t happen)
When done, mosey around the circle. I did say mosey, but with pax in attendance, it turned out to a mosey X10 pace.
15 IC knee tuck step ups on the benches(each leg)
Another lap around the circle
25 dips and 15 Derkins on the bench
Another lap around the circle
16 Curb Merkin Walk IC (8 to the right, 8 back to the left)
Another Lap
repeat sequence – By this time, we were feeling pretty spent due to the natural ISI each of us pushed on our pace and intensity.

Once the second round was done we headed back up to the main lot for some unconventional bear crawls.
We paired up and standing at the middle of three light poles, partner one bear crawl forward to their light poll while partner two bear crawled backwards towards the other light pole. Partner one did 15 LBCs, partner two did 10 box cutters. Mosey back to the middle light pole and then switch.

We literally ended at 6 AM and headed back to COT.

NMM
When I showed up, I almost threw the weinkie out as it was 5:12 AM and only spider man was there. I was ready to make it a 45 minute run around the country. Then rolled in Mainframe and of course, Deacon rolled in on two wheels ready to go.

The Fort is growing and we all forgot what its like to work out with just 4 pax. We liked it. We found that we pushed each other more as nobody could hide or phone it in.

Praise & Announcements
We talked about this month’s theme, margin. We all recognized how we struggle to find margin and when we do, what do we do with it. How do we make sure we’re intentional? I think we’ll find ourselves continuing to work on it.

Mark your calendar for 11/12. Empathy at Eternal Church: Empathy

I hear there is a Christmas party….sign up.

Pray for our families, marriages and all of our relationships.

As always, it’s an honor to lead leaders.

WhatDid

Several years ago, the men of the Fort gathered together for the 1st Annual Thanksgiving beatdown. The goal of the workout was simple…cancel as many calories as possible in the AM prior to the feast  later in the day. Like most F3 initiatives, this initial workout was simply the firecracker that brought men together and has led to a celebration of all 3 Fs amongst the Pax.

Over the years, we have met many new FNGs including a lot of Cousin Eddie’s visiting from out of town. We have incorporated a Chef and some fried turkey because who doesn’t love turkey! More importantly, this has become one of the singular events of F3 the Fort with over 100+ men exercising their bodies, their minds and their souls.

This year, we will continue to build on the theme of Thanksgiving. You see, we are all very blessed and have a lot to be thankful for. The moment that you can begin to look at your life in this manner will be the moment that the stresses, pains and perils of life will simply fade away. Call it a “glass half full” approach or call it “faith”, focusing on what you have to thankful for should not be done just one day a year but should be celebrated daily. It is not a rose colored glasses approach because these stresses and pain are very real to those involved. It is a mind shift similar to getting up at 4:30 AM every day, completing a CSAUP, Qing a workout, being a Whetstone partner, etc. All of those felt weird the first time. Heck, maybe they still feel a little weird! But weird becomes special, weird becomes necessary and weird ultimately challenges you. Being focused on thankful is just another weird challenge that will be accepted by those who post on 11/24/16.

So what do we have in store for you on 11/24:

Thanksgiving Day Workout

Location: The Ranch (Springfield Elementary School)

Time: 6 – 7 AM

Q: Santini, Mission Impossible and Pusher

Chef McGruff and Chef Change Order will provide fried turkey

Double Down Opportunity

Baxter Turkey Trot – 1 mile, 3 mile and trail options

Registration is open to Pax, Ms and 2.0s – Registration is Free but Limited

Location: Baxter Village Hall (3387 Richards Crossing)

Time: 9 AM

Registration: http://www.go-greenevents.com/event/id/5201

The First 300 registrants will get a free Turkey Trot T-shirt!

All participants are asked to bring Coats, Blankets or Canned Goods to be donated to the Fort Mill Care Center and the Clothing Closet for Fort Mill School District. Donations will be accepted at Packet Pick-up and at the race.

Opportunity to volunteer for the race: Turkey Trot Volunteer Page

Mosey from the parking lot to front of the middle school.  Circle up for COP:

• SSH X52
• Merkin X10
• Windmill X10
• Imperial Walker X10
• Mountain Climber X15

Move over to the benches.

• Dips X10
• Derkins X10
• Step ups X10 each leg (YHC has an admitted challenge counting these in cadence.  The mockery was not enough to stop trying though)

Mosey around the back of the school to the wall next to the new parking spaces.  Took a seat in the people’s chair.  Arms out, arms up, couple of ten counts….recover.

Mosey to the bleachers by the track.  Jacob’s ladder with pull ups to 7 on the bleachers, then a run to the second light pole on the right in the parking lot….1 burpee.  Back to the bleachers, 6 pull ups, back to the parking lot….2 burpees.  Go until the series is complete.

Now that we were pretty smoked we started working backwards.  Mosey back to the wall for people’s chair.  The PAX creating the most mumble chatter got the call for the 10 count.  Then mosey back to the benches.

At the benches:

• Dips X10
• Derkins X10
• Step ups X10 each leg

Announcements:

• Convergence tomorrow at Empire Pizza (1st F) followed by the 3rd F convergence at Eternal Church

Prayer Requests:

• Prayers for marriages

I’ve been coming to the Ranch for a while now but this was my first opportunity to Q it so I wanted to make the most of it. 14 PAX were ready to begin so we moseyed off to find some light. We circled up in front of the middle school and were starting COP when we see a car driving around the loop towards us. The car proceeds to drive through the middle of us, cracks a window, and says something I didn’t hear and then drives off to park. It turns out to be Straight-Up who’s new to the region and a little late. Way to make an entrance! Chickenhawk ran back to get him and bring him back just as we were finishing COP.

Move over to the benches in front of the middle school for leg pyramid:
10 Burpees -> 20 Lunges using bench -> 30 Mtn Climbers -> 40 Squats -> 50 SSHs -> 40 Squats -> 30 Mtn Climbers -> 20 Lunges using bench -> 10 Burpees

Mosey to rear of middle school for some circles:
10 Merkins, rotate 90 degrees (r90d), 10 Diamond Merkins, r90d, 10 Wide-arm Merkins, r90d, 10 Carolina Dry Docks
Run a lap
20 Plank Jacks, r90d, 10 Peter Parkers, r90d, 10 Ski-hops, r90d, 10 Parker Peters

Mosey to far middle school entrance and repeat the leg pyramid sans bench.
Mosey to parking lot behind elementary school, repeat the first Merkin circle, run a lap, then everyone circle up around parking island. Plank walk half way around curb, then flip over and crab walk with hands on curb for the other half. I need to work on my directions, that wasn’t executed as smoothly as I had it in my mind. Enough time left to repeat second arm circle and then mosey back to COT. I had a third leg pyramid on the weinke but I’ll save it for Friday.

Announcements – Read the newsletter

Prayers:
> Bonsai and Wapner have family members who are battling Cancer. Thankfully it sounds like both were detected early.
> Ginsu – Patience for his family as they go through the adoption process.
> Our kids, particularly those that are in the early teen years. Lots of social and peer pressures they’re going through. I think we all remember how tough this phase of life is.

Thanks again to all the PAX coming out and MI for the opportunity to Q.
Logging off,
Mainframe

Cool crisp fall morning.  Still not cold enough for #Mantights.  (You know who you are… )16 PAX rolled in the Ranch for Straightforward Beat Down.  Disclaimer.

Mosey to Athletic access road by fence.

COP: SSH, Squat, Merkins, LBC, SSH

The Thang

• Burpee (5), Merkin (10), Squat(15), LBC (20) ladder sequence.  At each speed bump (4) do exercise adding next exercise with accending  speed bump. Did series 3 times. In between SBs, Ran, squat walk, Kareoke.

SB 1 Burpee x5

SB 2 Burpee x5, Merkin x10

SB 3 Burpee x 5, Merkin x 10, Squat x 15

SB 4 Burpee x 5, Merkin x 10, Squat x 15, LBC x 20

• Curb Series: Calf raise, plank walk x3 rounds  with increasing reps, 10, 20, 30
• Platoon series- PAX lined up 4×4
  • SSH, Squat, Lunge, Backward Lunge, LBC
• 6 minutes of Mary: LBC, Heels to Heaven, Box Cutter, Hello Dolly, Rosalita, Grave Digger L & R

Naked Man Moleskin

I was reminded by @Pusher and @Cakeboss during their Q at #thedeep how good (and hard) simple can be.  I have been guilty of trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to fitness, exercises, Qs.  Anything done in repetition will get the job done- and then some.  Can we use this #simple in our daily lives?   In our daily speech?  In our daily actions?  Straightforward is good.  Seems to me #integrity can be inferred here.

Boys from #TheRock came up to support or get a beat down.  Both boxes checked.  There was one other reason they posted to find the Ghost of Tom Joad or more to the point- @Stang.  #nocallnoshow.  In fairness @Stang said he worked late.  Probably on his slice…

This just in @Funhouse said he was sore.  I’m sure he was not alone (raising my hand).  Should rename calf raises #golfballimplant.  (for the back row- thats the knot in my calves I have for days following).  Perhaps I should go find a fern for leg day.

Can I get TClaps for @Flipper?  I think I helped name him a couple years ago and havent seen him in a month of Sundays.  Dude was showing some serious intestinal fortitude out there.  He’s not the only one among us who went AWOL and (lucky for us) found his way back.  Brother- your fitness will come, the 2nd F is instant.  Glad to see you.  Dont be a stranger.

Sound off in comment section below.

Go out and be better today than you were yesterday.

Jekyll

As this was my VQ, I appreciate the opportunity to lead the workout and help out.  Dark Helmet reached out and indicated he could use some assistance.  Having been involved with F3 for a while, I had a sense of urgency to do my part….when I saw Dark Helmet’s post for help, I signed up on Twitter and took the plunge….

Dark Helmet’s helped kick-us off and helped me out throughout the process –   his help was greatly appreciated.  He started with the disclaimer.  Dark Helmet also shared that as part of growing F3 in today’s workout we would be stopping at 5:30 to help kick-off a group in Allentown, PA (more on that to come)…

Getting started…mosey to the back of Springfield…..high knee, butt kickers, shuffle both ways and then a quick warm-up…

• 20 X side straddle hops
• 20 X imperial walkers
• 10 X windmills
• 10 X merkins
• 10 X mountain climbers

Mosey over to the other side of the parking lot. We had a couple of minutes to burn before the 5:30 call so did a little work…

• 10 X diamond merkins
• 10 X wide armed merkins
• 10 X Carolina dry docks

We had a quick facetime call with the group from Allentown, PA, gave them the disclaimer and got them started.  Exciting to help the growth of a new region…..

We continued on with a Modified Dora 1, 2, 3. Everyone partnered up, take turns running around the parking lot and completing:

• 150 push-ups
• 200 LBC’s
• 300 situps

We then ran back to the front of the school for some Ab work:

• 10 X Plank punches
• 10 X Parker Peters
• 10 X Peter Parkers
• 20 X Hello Dolly’s
• 15 X American Hammer’s
• 10 X LBC’s
• Wrap-up with planks and slide planks

As we wrapped up with COT (and actually the entire workout) the chaos of the last couple of nights in Charlotte weighed heavily on everyone’s mind. We closed with prayed requests for peace, love and understanding.

Dark Helmet and crew stuck around to help the Allen Town Crew with naming of FNG’s and COT.

I wanted to thank the PAX as they were patient were some early counting issues and were nice enough to notice and provide constructive feedback when my voice cracked during the workout.  It was an honor to get a chance to help out.

When YHC booked a slot at The Ranch in July for a first available spot in August, the monthly theme was different, don’t quiz me, but we exploring the many facets of Forgiveness. As YHC forgot that at the halfway mark we were going to further explore forgiveness, I have to ask for it again humbly. 🙂

It was a fabulous morning for 14 hard charging PAX and everyone lived up to the challenge.

Mosey to bus area.

Warm up

SSH x 30
Squats x 20
Merkins x 15
CDDs x 15
Windmills x 20

Mosey to end of the driveway towards SFMS parking lot for some leg work.

Line up at the end of the parking area.

Single legged hops, right to light post, then switch to the left to the next post.
Back to the start.
Four corner hops to the right for a minute, then to the left for a minute.
Low slow squats x 20
Jump Squats x 20
Calf Raises x 25

Onto the next activity which happened to be a half murph or thereabouts.

Run to Springfield parkway and back to the playground.
5 rounds of 10 pull ups, 20 merkins, 30 squats
Run to Springfield parkway and back to the playground.

Mosey back to the soccer field for some partner work.

Partner 1 Plank, Partner 2 does 20 Derkins. Switch
Partner 1 Plank, Partner 2 does 20 Dips. Switch
Partner 1 Plank, Partner 2 does 10 Junk Yard Dawgs. Switch. Aforementioned crowd pleaser.

Mosey to parking lot for ab lab.

Xs and Ox x 20
In and Outs x 20
LBCs x 20.

COT
Invergence
Read the newsletter!
Sponsor for Golf, see Ginsu
Prayers for Kevin Mohan’s passing and family
Trucker’s son testing for black belt