Tag: Backdraft

WhatDid brought Sally to the Ranch

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The Ranch, a staple go to AO here in the Fort had 10 HIM show up to get better.  That’s as simple as we kept it.

YHC gave a disclaimer as we had an FNG present. All moves are suggestions, you’re here on your own will, modify as needed and off we went.

My chicken scratch weinke is attached to this post. The highlight – 3 minutes of Sally Up, Sally down merkin fest. Great idea until about minute 2 for most of us. Those merkin beast out there today – great job men.

Welcome to FNG Octane. Who of which, is of Respectable status. He was in my driveway ready to go at 4:45.  It’s never to late for us to get out there and crush it- as proven by Octane. Pax -go out there and EH even our older brothers.  They’ll teach us a few things along the way.

Announcements:

  • Fast5 – Get on a team and ask Anchorman and Zika for details
  • Christmas party on 12/1.
  • Get involved with G-Fit. Which moved to Saturdays at Steele Street park at 3 PM.

Prayers/Praises

  • Praises for all the great Fort AO’s
  • Family, Wives/Children

Until Next time…WhatDid out

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300s at the Ranch

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I’m a little late getting this posted so I don’t recall all the finer conversation points and stimulating discussion points we went shared. But I’m still within the 7 day back-blast window!

Mosey to back of school for pretty standard warm-up. SSHs, Hillbilly Walkers, Windmills, Mtn Climbers, Peter Parkers, Squats.

Mosey to larger lot for warm-up ladder. On one end Merkins, the other Donkey Kicks. Start with 5 on one end and 20 on the other. Go up and down by 5 each time: 5/20, 10/15, 15/10, 20/5. Each time you pass thru the middle 3 burpees.

Mosey to behind school for walkin BTW. Walk on hands all the way down the wall then Lt Dan walk (lunge, lunge, squat) back to start. Only called this once so we had plenty of time for the 300.

Mosey to front of middle school. It’s a semi-scientific fact that 30 reps of anything is right about the point you want to hurl things or insults at the Q. So based on hard science and a plan for not letting Straight-up lap all of us, we started the 300. Pretty simple, 30 reps of 10 exercises. After each exercise run 1/2 lap and wait for PAX. Exercises:

  1. Single Leg Lunges using bench – 15 each leg
  2. Scorpion CDDs – 15 each leg up
  3. Dips using bench
  4. Jump squats
  5. Derkins using bench
  6. Seal Jacks
  7. Calf raises (30 regular, 30 in, 30 out)
  8. Flutters
  9. 10 Box Jumps, 10 Step-ups each leg
  10. Plank Jacks

Great work by all the PAX. We were able to get through the complete 300 with about 1 minute to spare. All the PAX stayed together and encouraged each other to finish strong. Thanks again Backdraft for the opportunity.

Logging off,
Mainframe

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Light Pole Lane – a Colosseum BB for 10/24/17

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Well… it was another day in paradise at The Colosseum.

THANG:
Mosey lap around the pickup loop in front of the school, then circle up at the end of “light pole lane”. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone call it that, but those that have posted there know exactly what I am talking about, I think. We partook of some normal warm-up goodies like Squats, Windmills, Merkins, Moroccan Nightclubs, SSH, etc…

Next it was 1 burpee and add a burpee at each light pole until we get to the end and meet me there, plank for the 6. Then for no fun, we did a few burpees in cadence, which is, I am told, the proper way to do them.

Then we moseyed down the entrance road to the cross street of Patricia Ln, which is about the halfway point between the top of Dave Gibson and the left turn onto Light Pole Lane and to the schools. (If that makes any sense at all) Here, we played “it pays to be a winner” and we hoofed it to the top of Dave Gibson and pack to Patricia as fast as we could. MacGyver (shocker) was the winner, so he got to pick the ab exercise. 30 flutters… Then second place picked the direction to run… up the hill or down the hill… Naturally (I think it was Backdraft who picked) we went up the hill… #choosetheharderthing … then we bear crawled back for the 6.

We repeated this nonsense until about 0552, then we ran down to the corner of Light Pole Lane for a little ab work and an AYG sprint back to COT.

NMM:
A couple of thoughts:
1. Light Pole Lane is longer than I thought and I nearly killed myself trying to stay ahead of Pax until I finally ran completely out of gas and nearly splashed merlot.
2. If you are at a workout with MacGyver, he will most likely be The #King
3. If you are at a workout with Backdraft, he will most likely choose the harder thing, and will push you to do the same.
4. If you are at a workout with Longshanks, he will most likely talk a lot of crap, but he will do it while he is helping you along and making sure you ok. He does that part quietly because he has a rep to maintain.
5. If you are at a workout with Sparkle, he will most likely push harder than you.
6. If you are at a workout with Trucker, he will most likely fake complain a lot, but push harder than you.
7. Finally, if you are at a workout with me, you are not the dumbest guy there, so you got that going for you… which is nice…

Helmet, out.

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Coliseum- Mumble Chatter- Not on my watch

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After seeing twitter post about possible mumble chatter at my Q from some legendary yackers YHC decided to bring one of his old school simple but effective workouts to these guys. a nice 46 degrees to start the day had a few arriving in there sweatshirts, a few were mumbling about not knowing where their cold weather gear was. Little did they know the ones that showed up with it on would be wishing they hadn’t in a few.

Quick disclaimer and were off.

Mosey to basketball court, dynamic stretching toy soldiers, knees to chest.

Circle up SSHs, mtn. climbers, flutter kicks, Windmills, peter parkers, chopsticks.

Mosey to light poles. at each light pole perform 15 Carolina dry docks, 10 alternating jumping lunges, 5 burpees. 10 light poles. Flutter kicks until 6 arrives.

Return down the line except 15Air Squats, 10 merkins, 5 burpees. LBCs until 6 arrives.

Mosey to parking lot and pair up for DORA. 50 merkins, 100 squats, 150 LBCs while partner runs to wall and does 1 muscle up.

Back to COT with 25 yard bear crawl on the way.

COT.

Announcements- Fast 5, Family Ruck, Community Café 5k, The Fort Christmas Party.

Prayers- Passing of Cake Boss sister. PAX looking for work.

Praises.

 

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The Ranch

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Disclaimer

Mosey around parking lot doing various dynamic stretches/warm ups.

Circle up for warm ups- 20 SSHs, 10 merkins, 10 peter parkers, 10 Morakin night clubs.

Mosey to picnic benches 10 step ups, 10 dips, 10 single leg squats (each Leg), 10 derkins, hold plank for the 6 to finish. Drop to 9 the next set until we get to 1.

Mosey to playground- 5 strict pull ups 10 in and out ab crunches on the swings. drop 1 rep on each pull up until you get to 1.

Mosey to middle school parking lot partner up. run 1 lap opposite direction from partner half way do 10 alternating push up and clap. Run other half 1 partner chair sit while partner does 10 air squats. repeat 2 sets.

Mosey to middle school wall. 15 Balls to wall peter parkers 20 second wall sit. 10 balls to wall peter parkers 10 second wall sit.

Mosey to front of school same partners wheel barrow 1 partner to end switch and go back.

Mosey to COT.

Announcements- fast 5, family ruck

Prayers and praises- Our country ( the people and the natural disasters going on), PAX looking for work, families.

 

 

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5 Year Anniversary Convergence BB

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Saturday, September 30th 2017 was a special Convergence for the PAX of The Fort. On that day we celebrated 5 years of using these small workout groups to invigorate male leadership in Fort Mill. To honor the occasion, 88 PAX gathered at one of our favorite AOs (Nations Ford HS) to celebrate the day and the leaders that made it all happen.

We also celebrated 6 Friendly New Guys that joined us that morning. Welcome Tubs, Band Camp, Jughead, Atari, Hat Trick, and Saul.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. Here’s how we got better:

Warmup (led by Ginsu)

  • Mosey to the football field
  • 30 Side Straddle Hops
  • 10, 4-count windmills
  • 30 Moroccan night clubs
  • 10, 4-count merkins
  • 10, 4-count Peter Parkers
  • 10, 4-count Parker Peters
  • 10, 4-count LBCs
  • 20 low slow squats

Split into groups (Run, Regular Bootcamp, Black Diamond, Ruck, Moderate Bootcamp)

Run (led by Birdcage)

  • 800 meter indian run
  • 1000 meter 10k pace with 1 minute rest x2
  • 200 meter 1 mile race pace 200 meter cool down x4
  • 400 meter sprint corners recover straights
  • 1600 meter cool down
  • 5 miles total

Bootcamp (led by Royale)

  • Mosey over to the concrete football field
  • 10 merkins
  • Lunge walk 10 yards then do 3 burpees
  • Next ten yards bear crawl then 3 more burpees
  • Rise and repeat until we hit the other goal line
  • 10 count – going over the Five Core Principals of an F3 workout
  • Next phase we broke into 4 groups
  • At each corner of the end zones there were 5 exercises written on a board.  We would complete in your group and then run to the next corner. Everyone would hit al 4 corners.
    • Corner 1
      • 20 Merkins
      • 30 Lunges
      • 30 Dying Cockroaches
      • 30 Ski Abs
      • 3 Kraken Burpees
    • Corner 2
      • 20 Ranger Merkins
      • 30 Squats
      • 40 Freddy Mercurys
      • 40 Shoulder Taps
      • 10 burpees
    • Corner 3
      • 20 Durkins
      • 20 Jump Squats
      • 50 American Hammers
      • 30 Monkey Humpers
      • 10 Mountain Climber Burpees
    • Corner 4
      • 20 Wide Arm Merkins
      • 20 Sumo Squats
      • 20 V-Up Twists
      • 20 Bombjacks
      • 10 Squat Burpees
We talked about the word of the month – Leadership.  I shared we all have an opportunity to lead through F3, just like we all have the responsibility to lead in our homes.  I know I struggle with the balance of work and family time.  As the leader of our households we need to support our Ms and be the examples to our children.
  • Mosey over to the round about
  • Each man would take a lap around 1st doing Lt Dans
  • Finally we would bear crawl.
  • Mosey to the football field for the last 30 seconds and some LBCs

Black Diamond (led by Backdraft)

  • Mosey from warm up top pull up bars
  • Pull ups/ Burpee challenge – 9 pull ups 1 burpee., 8-2 , 7-3 until finished.
  • Mosey to stadium run the bleachers
  • 10 derkins
  • 10 dips
  • Mosey to track run 1/4 mile as fast as you can. U vs. U
  • Mosey to end zone. Count off by 2s. split into groups first person flips tire 10 times than run end zone to end zone while next person flips tire everyone else continuously do 10 merkins, 10 squats, 10 big boy sit ups. Keep going until all of group is finished.
  • 10 min 100 burpees. Do 10 burpees every minute on the minute. U vs. U
  • Mosey to 50 yard line 5 minute of Mary
  • Sideline sprints x 2 first set after you run 10 tuck jumps. 2nd set 5 hand release merkins

Ruck (led by Trucker)

2 20lb, 3 40lb, and 3 60lb sandbags were snagged from back of car as 8 PAX tucked down to the elementary school and dropped the sandbags next to the telephone poles. The 8 PAX carried the telephone pole around the parking lot. Left telephone pole where we found it and rucked backwards up the hill to the pull up bars. What’s a WO by Trucker without pull ups? YHC challenged the 8 PAX to do 2 sets of 5 pull ups with ruck on.

Rucked into stadium and lined up in 2 columns for sandbag throws from one end of football field to other and back. Then rucked up and down the football stand stairs from one end back. Rinse and repeat with sandbag throws and stadium stairs. Threw sandbags again down to other side of endzone and then formed 2 lines abs flipped tires from one end to other. Sandbag threw back to other endzone and climbed stadium stairs one more time. Finished with a 20 count flutters. Great work by seasoned and rookie ruckers.

Moderate (led by Short Sale)

  • MOSEY to Elementary School
  • Grab some Wall. Wall Sits while Pax at each end jumps out of line for 5 squats
  • Repeat with 5 Bombjacks.
  • Count off by 5’s and mosey to back of the parking lot
    • Number 1’s go to station #1
    • 2’s start at Station3, etc.
  • Stations: 3 minutes/station. Q calls stop & go
    • 1: 10 Merkins, 20 Calf raises
    • 2: 20 LBCs, 20 Monkey Humpers
    • 3: 10 SSHs, 20 Moroccan Night Clubs
    • 4: 10 Scorpion Dry Docks, 20 Squats
    • 5: 20 Imperial Walkers, 10 Apollo Ohnos
    • 6: 10 Broad Jumps, 20 Flutters
    • 7: 10 Bombjacks, 20 squat jabs
    • 8: 10 handclap merkins w/partner, 10 partner Derkins- Beloved by veteran Pax and FNGs alike
    • 9: 10 Jump Squats, 10 CDD’s
    • 10: 10 Dips, 5 jack Webbs
  • Mosey to Stop sign at bottom of hill for some Mary- Hello Dollies, Flutters, Protractor

MESSAGE ON LEADERSHIP- F3 gives us a great platform to grow our leadership skills and build confidence as a leader. The Pax will let you know if/when something has gone wrong but will also be there to lift you up. Also, the best leaders don’t focus on their ROLE, they focus on the GOAL. So, be the leader you were called to be.

Great group of men came to work. Veterans guided the FNGs and encouraged them at every step of the way. YHC kept reminding the group that it is UvsU out here. Some quality mumble chatter about what moderate means. Smiles all around when moved on from the stations.

Wrap Up

What we have at The Fort is special. It is a strong group of PAX led by men who live with intentionality. I am sure that each of us would agree that it has impacted our lives in ways that we will never be able to describe. At some point for each of us, we were gifted F3. We were headlocked by someone who recognized the impact that F3 had on them and how it could help us. With that in mind, let’s pay this gift forward. Be the leader you were called to be and use your influence to headlock the sad clowns around you, FNGs and Kotters, that are where you once were. Be a leader.

Ginsu

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Special Appearance by Thin Mint and Some SOB’s at The Coop!

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Thank you to Thin Mint for pushing himself (and all of us) out of our comfort zones this morning at the Coop.  Great to see the SOB’s present and we need to get together again soon.  Below is the Backblast from Thin Mint. – SugarBug

12 indistinguishable blobs showed up in the 0515 darkness of Nation Ford HS for this SOB’s first Q in The Fort. The next 45 minutes went a little something like this.

The Warm-Up
-Disclaimer
-Imperial Walker x10 IC
-Low Slow Squat x15 IC
-Arm Circles IC (5 small fwd, 5 small back, 5 big back, 5 big fwd)
-Low Slow Merkin x10 IC
-Alternating Leg Lift (from 6 inches) x10 IC

The Thang
Mosey over to the band lot and line up at the goal line for:
-Bear Crawl Burpees – start your burpee (drop, do the pushup), at the top of the pushup bear crawl 5 yards to the next line, finish your burpee (stand up, jump), repeat for 50 yards, sprint to the end
-Return by Lunge Walk 10 yards, Broad Jump 5 yards, repeat to the end

Mosey down to the launch lot and grab a partner for partner suicides:
-5 partner derkins each
-Sprint opposite directions to end of lot, round 1 island, meet back near the middle 1 row from where we started
-10 handslap merkins
-Run back the way you came to the start
-Repeat but go up 2 islands to the 2 nd row, repeat to 3 rd row, 4 th row, 5 th row (for some)

Head to the JROTC building and form groups of 3 for grinders:
-P1 at pull-up bars –1 pull up, 4 hand position changes (if possible, just pull ups if not), repeat
-P2 at bottom of hill – double merkin burpees
-P3 runs from bottom of hill to the top, relieves P1 who runs down to relieve P2, etc.
-Continue until each person has done pull-ups 3 times

Couple minutes of Mary
Plank abreast facing up the hill
Low slow merkins x10 IC
On your belly, wait for GO
AYG uphill to Stop sign, mosey back to launch for COT

Announcements

-Invergence on September 29 th . https://f3thefort.com/2017/08/30/pre-blast- f3-the- fort-5th- year-invergence/
-Convergence on September 30 th , 0700, Nation Ford HS. All other AOs will be closed on the 30 th . https://f3thefort.com/2017/08/29/5-year- convergence-fng- challenge-preblast/
-Following the convergence, help needed to install pull-up bars at Children’s Attention Home. A few more PAX needed to help dig holes and put up the posts and bars. Contact Chicken Wing for more info or to HC. https://f3thefort.com/2017/09/11/childrens-attention- home-workday/

Prayer Requests
-Forgot to do this — not a regular thing for us SOBs but maybe it should be.

Moleskin
YHC tried not to get lost or to faceplant as we moseyed up towards the band practice lot. Nation Ford HS is pretty dark first thing in the morning. I tried to take out Photo Bomb twice by making unannounced sharp turns, but he was too quick on his feet so we warmed up instead. Thankfully the lights came on in the parking lot for the partner suicides or things could have gotten ugly. Have only visited this AO twice (last week and this week), but I can confirm that everyone comes to work hard. Heard your typical mumblechatter this morning, especially on the call for double merkin burpees, but saw every man in attendance pushing hard and getting uncomfortable. Dark Helmet summed things up pretty nicely before the workout when he stated that he knows he CAN modify, but then he looks around at everyone else pushing through and would rather puke today than let up. Beauty of F3 right there. Don’t get me wrong – modify to avoid injury, but not to avoid discomfort. On the other side of uncomfortable things is where each and every one of us finds a better version of ourselves. It’s obvious when you say it (get outside your comfort zone, duh) — but it’s far too easy to forget in the moment. The more we can learn to embrace uncomfortable situations in the gloom with a push from our brothers the more we will find ourselves embracing (or even running headlong at) the everyday discomforts (making that call, having that talk with your M, punishing your 2.0 even when they make the puppy dog eyes) that threaten to force us all into complacency. Or, maybe Dark Helmet was just regretting his choice of a Gordita Supreme at Taco Bell last night. Really enjoyed working out with the men of The Fort this morning and getting pushed by some new faces (especially Backdraft who is one sneaky fast dude). Thanks to Haggis, Fahvra and Fallout for leaving their usual routines to come out to The Coop. Haggis is soon to be a Springfield resident so keep an eye out for him at an AO near you (if he can drag himself off the trails of Anne Springs that is). Very much appreciate the invite from Sugar Bug to lead. YHC definitely plans to visit more often.

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And, yes, we ran

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The Thing:

We had 4 or 5 in prep for Ragnar head out on the trails. Most everyone else headed to Wally  World. Flat Tire reminded the Pax to pickup relief supplies while at Walmart for the team headed to Florida. Our prayers are with them and the people they will touch while helping out in the disaster area.

COT:

We finished up with a ball of man.

Prayers and Praises – All kinds of praises and prayers today. Family, marriage, health, Irma, the F3 Columbia mission team diverted to Florida, kids in school, etc…

It was a pleasure running with these guys!

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Everything must change

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On yet another morning of summer swelter, 8 pax posted to Block Party to wring out the impurities in the body and refresh the mind for a new day.

The Thang

Warm up run 1/2 way around path

COP — SSHs, Squats, Mtn climbers, Merkins, windmills, hillbilly walkers, IWs

Mosey back to path

Drill bit w/ 10 Burpees OYO at each post

Mosey to playground

Plank jack x10

Shoulder taps x10

Pull-ups x10 OYO

Plank jack x10

Shoulder taps x10

Pull-ups x10 OYO

Plank jack x10

Shoulder taps x10

Run the path back to COT area

Circle up for some pass the hat Mary — Dollies, American Hammer, Freddie Mercury’s

COT

NMM

Happy to have Uncle Sam back amid the pax!  Sounds like he will be sharing community and pain with us for 9+ months.  Paired with FNG/Mayflower from Portugal at Flight Plan the day before, the week started off with quite an international flavor.

Solid #Respect showing on this morning, with 50% of the pax tipping the solar calendar at 50+ revolutions.  Keep it up men!  You’re as young today as you’re ever going to be!

It was great to see some fresh faces in the form of Spitz, Backdraft and Bridgegate this AM.  These two veterans put it out there through the good and bad today –  very little mumble chatter among pain and sweat.  They were all business in the best possible way.

The theme for the day was about Change, taken from a quote I saw in a presentation at a recent conference.  The quote, from the novel The Leopard is “For things to remain the same, everything must change.”  This quote has stuck with me for days, leading me to dwell on the fact that everything is in a constant state of change.  If I don’t respond to the changes around me, if I don’t adapt to changing circumstances out of either fear of the unknown future or satisfaction with the present, I will find myself left behind and left out.

One of the best things about F3 is the constant state of change that we all experience.  Different AOs, Qs, exercises, paces, messages, weather, gear, prayers/praises, etc.  I don’t think there is anything about change that scares this group, when put into the context of F3.  What about the other areas of your life?  What would it be like to embrace change in all areas besides the Gloom?

Always a privilege to lead the pax.  Thanks for making it real  this AM.

 

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5 Year Convergence + FNG Challenge PreBlast

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On September 26th, The Fort celebrates 5 years of invigorating male leadership in the Fort Mill community. To commemorate this occasion, we are pulling together the PAX of Fort Mill to a 1st F Convergence on Saturday, September 30th at 0700 at Nations Ford HS.

Join us on September 30th as we come together to celebrate this HUGE milestone. There will be 5 different workout options to accommodate PAX and every level. You have no excuses.

Also, with the time of year (weather + vacations are over), weekend date, late start time, workout options, and away Clemson & USC games, this is the PERFECT STORM for EH’ing FNGs. Add in the general excitement that a convergence generates and the conditions could not be more perfect. That said, we’re setting a goal of 20 FNGs. That’s roughly 1 FNG for every 20 PAX…we can do this…easily.

Here’s the Plan:

WHAT: Ruck

  • Q: Trucker
  • Time: 0700

WHAT: Bootcamp

  • Q: Royale
  • Time: 0700

WHAT: Run

  • Q: Birdcage
  • Time: 0700

WHAT: Black Diamond Bootcamp

  • Q: Backdraft
  • Time: 0700

WHAT: Moderate Bootcamp

  • Q: Short Sale
  • Time: 0700

Let’s celebrate the last 5 years of impacting this community and many more years to come!

Ginsu

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