Block Party 4.6.2021

Catch up BB 4/5

Warm up

Arm/Leg ballistic stretching

SSH/Burpee Pyramid

 

Topic: Accelerating Fitness

Why are we here?

Why do we “take it easy” when it comes to fitness some times? We have the opportunity to be in the gloom. That’s right – an opportunity to be here. We aren’t forced here. It isn’t something that a judge or authority figures ordered us to do. We choose to do this. We get to do this. 

So why, then, is the temptation to “mail it in” so great, even when we go through the trouble to wake up at zero dark thirty? In the famous words of Youts: “We don’t wake up early to half-ass it.”

Mosey down Confederate Street to Withers, turn right to 4 way stop signs

ISI DORA

Partner up and challenge each other. DORA style but keep your reps secret from each other. After both PAX do a round of the movement, reveal the number of reps completed. Loser does the difference in a harder exercise while the winner gets a less difficult movement.

Legs – Run up Withers to Meachem & Back

Loser – Bomb Jacks

Winner – Squats

Bonnie Blairs

Monkey Humpers

Apollo Ono’s

 

Abs – Run down Academy to Forrest & Back

Loser – In & Outs

Winner – LBCs

Big Boys

American Hammers

Flutters

 

Arms – Nur up Withers to Confederate; run back

Loser – Diamonds

Winner – Wide Arms

Merkins

CDD’s

Dips

 

Putting somebody into your corner. 

The use of a brother (or several brothers) to motivate and push you. We are only as strong as we tell ourselves we are. And… spoiler… when we’re in the the thick of it – we’ll try to convince our own bodies to quit. Why?

Maximus quote: “I would have never completed, much less attempted, the GORUCK HTL without these men by my side. They knew the headspace I was in. Physically, I knew I could do it, but mentally, that is where I lacked confidence. These men saw to it that I wouldn’t train alone and each of them had their own motivation.”

There’s power in surrounding yourselves with like minded individuals. 

Mosey back toward Veteran’s Park for COT.

 

Punch List out.

TClap |
0

Laces 4.8.21

Charge out of the gate to get in a warm-up mile

Warm-up
SSH
IW
HW
Yoga
Burpees

Bearpees and a mosey tour around my old elementary school:
Bulgarian split squats and stretches on the rail
Split into two groups for called slow merkins and dead hang pull-ups
– did 5, switched and did 10 (hardwood enjoyed the numbers), did 5
– YHC called up and down

Mosey down to the marching band practice field for one round of
Red Barchetta
– 100yd dash, 100 SSH
– 75yd dash, 75 MC
– 50yd dash, 50 lbc
– 25yd dash, 25 merkins
– 10yd bear crawl, 10 burpees

Mosey back to COT, flutters till 0600

Total of 2.5 miles.

NMM:
Thinking about Moses speech to the Israelite at in Deuteronomy where knowing he’s going to die, he basically lists how many times they’ve failed. It’s a plea to get them to stay on the right path.

How often do we repeat the same mistakes over and over and over and over again?
Maybe Moses is talking to me as much as he is to Israel.


Band Camp dismissed

TClap |
0

Impromptu

10 PAX @ 0515, but no Q

Kaiser tapped me to run point until B.O.B. arrived

Warmup circle near parking area to make sure BOB wasnt’ searching for us when (if?) he arrived.
Did some warmup stuff
-SSH
-MC
-Shoulder Tap
-Yoga
-a few burpees
-Merkins
-more yoga
Trying to buy time for B.O.B.

Went to the track took a lap to thing about what we were going to do.

Goal Line
– bear crawl as a group, stopping every 10 yards for 5 merkins
– stop at the 50

50 yardline, partner up
– one partner goes one way the other goes toward the other goalline
– Lunge walk out
– 10 American Hammers (called by ‘el Spaniard)
– go to the 40
– sprint back to the 50
– go to the 30
– etc.

After finishing line up on the far goal line
– bear crawl as a group, stopping every 10 yards for 5 merkins
– stop at the 50

B.O.B. finally shows and we head to the pull-up bars for 7s with
– Squat Thrusters using a cinderblock
– Pull-ups

COT for some mary

TClap |
0

Primed at Minnow Pond

Minnow Pond….

Prime numbers today:
2 burpees,
3 bombjacks,
5 merkins,
7 squats,
11 wildcard reps every time we stopped.

We stopped around 11 times?

Total of 3.5 miles.

NMM:
Luke 5:31 (both prime numbers)
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
Make sure you’re seeking out the “sick” (sad clowns?). Don’t spend all your time with the healthy. That may mean posting with a newer PAX at a moderate to support them.


https://www.strava.com/activities/5007069647


Band Camp Dismissed

 

TClap |
1

Q & Co-Q (VQ) with Skipper

The guy has been on a strong trajectory, we call it acceleration, since coming onto the F3 scene a few months ago. After some advertising and excitement, 13 additional PAX joined SKIPPER and YHC, 15 total, for a Block Party throw down.

Announcement of the Qs…check
Disclaimer…check
I surely hope they got their money’s worth. If not, don’t do the following.
Skipper took the PAX on the warmup run to FMCOG for
SSH
Low Slow Squats
Moroccan Night Clubs

Maximus on Q for the DECK OF CARDS!
Diamonds = Diamond Merkins
Hearts = Carolina Dry Docks
Clubs = V-Ups
Spades = Merkins
Jokers, of which there were 4 = 20 Sumo Squats

We didn’t make it all the way through the deck but here’s what we completed:
90 Diamond Merkins
104 Carolina Dry Docks
96 V-Ups
93 Merkins

Hand off to Skipper!!
From the corner of Withers and Academy, run hill repeats up Withers to Watson Street, yes, that hill. It was a ladder with squats at the top and burpees at the top. He’s a sick, sick man.

Mosey back to COT for the final round(s) of Mary.

Great morning to have these guys supporting Skipper’s VQ. Careful, his official, full 45min VQ is on March 30 at Golden Corral!

This COT stuck out to me due to the vulnerability by the guys. This was a true representation of what we have here and man, was it good. So blessed we are.

SYITG
Skipper & Maximus

TClap |
2

Swimming Laps on a Frigid Morning

17 posted to STL on a crisp morning, perhaps one of the last ones of winter 2020-21 with temps in the 20s.  70+ in the days ahead — sunshine and pollen, Spring is here.

The Thang

Pretty simple weinke this morning

Quick mosey to Baxter and the Mushroom Pool parking lot

From the parking lot run out Richard’s crossing back across Front St, past the homes of Sugar Daddy, Tesh and other pax around the loop and back to the MP parking lot

OYO exercises at the parking lot:
10 Burpees
20 Parker Peters
30 Squats

Rinse and repeat

Return run home

COT

Moleskin

Great to see the pax out pushing hard on a cold morning.  The pace was brisk too, so the bodies warmed up quickly.  Those who made 5 laps ended up with 3.9 miles and those with 4 laps finished with 3.4 miles.  A few OCD pax had to get that 4 mile click so they added a loop in the parking lot on return.  Great effort by all!

It was great to meet Juan Valdez for the first time — keep posting, amigo!

My word for 2021 is NOW.  It’s surfaced a lot in the first two months — a constant reminder to live in the real world with the people immediately around me in the place that I’m in at that moment.  Get out of my head and be aware of what’s happening NOW and how I’m called to live NOW.  Hopefully the challenge for each pax to live my word for this day bore fruit.

A big thank you to Vuvu for the Site Q exemption from the Top 3 rule at STL.  Always an honor to lead the pax.

TClap |
3

EMOM

I always love a smaller group workout. 4 guys at this fitness level will always push me to be better. The fellowship in a small group is better too.

Ran a mile

Warm-Up
Imperial Walker
SSH – to 69 (it is the 69th day of the year…just saying)
Toy Solider
Broad Jump Back
Some Yoga

EMOM for 8 min (40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest)
High Knees
Mountain Climbers
Reverse Lunge Right
Reverse Lunge Left
Squats
Merkins
Al Gore
Plank

EMOM for 10 min
10 burpees each minute
(100 total burpees)

EMOM seems to encourage some good conversation….until minute 8 of the burpees… 😉
Ran a half mile
Some pullups
Ran a half mile, stopping to regroup and do some squats

a little pigeon lunging and we called it a day

NMM:
Lies are often a lot quicker and easier to believe than the truth. Take the time to search for truth


Band Camp dismissed

TClap |
1

shoeless fish still swim

10 PAX present today: Fishsticks showed up with no shoes, but still stayed to workout. Uhaul had an extra pair he borrowed. Perfect examples of durability and preparedness.

Warm up
Lap
SSH
1 man maker
Merkin
2 man makers
MC
Yoga
Monkey Humper
3 man makers
IW
HW
4 man makers
SSH
Merkin
MC
5 man makers

Thang 1 – Length of the parking lot
8 Goblet Squats
Sprint
8 Merkins
Walk Back (we bear crawled the first and last time)
5 Rounds? I lost count

Loaded Carry to courtyard
Thang 2
10 swings
10 cleans
10 push press
5 burpee snatches
10 front squat
Repeat on opposite side

Some additional Yoga

Thang 3
Row
Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Just 3 reps on each side

One muscle up on the wall Shady couldn’t quite reach but that’s why the word assist exists!

Waiter’s Carry back to COT
For some seated forward bends

NMM:
I’m considering fitness….Like what are we fit for? Am I a fit father because I have a child? Am I fit for the jobs I’m given at work? Do I let my physical fitness get in the way of my fitness as a husband?

Prayers for quiet hearts to hear God

Thanks BOB for the opportunity to lead.


Band Camp dismissed
 

TClap |
4

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

11 guys got after it this morning. We promptly headed to Hardee’s for some straightforward instructions, burpees, run, merkins after the pledge.  Block suicides were the name of the game. 5 burpees at Hardee’s (each time) run to the next block for 5 merkins. Merkins increased by 5 each block. However simple, this was not easy by any means. YHC didn’t all finish the route; most ended up with around 4 miles, 45 burpees, and 180 merkins. This was my first Q at the minnow pond. Thanks to Jekyll for the opportunity.

TClap |
8

Embrace the low point…now get up.

It’s Minnow Pond. It’s a 3mi minimum with a few push-ups as we now like to say.
Jekyll asked the question. I answered in the affirmative.
The day before, marketing for competing regional AO’s began and man, it was hot.
The weather was great and I’m hoping these other 15 PAX would’ve still posted in the 35deg rain. But…time will tell. Remember, durability and stories are best formed in adverse conditions.

There you have it, the setup is complete.
0500…A few pre-runners. Remember when guys did that at Minnow Pond? Isn’t the intent to push yourself?
0514 Pledge of Allegiance
0515 Disclaimer for the 16 of us

As a group, run to the FMCOG parking lot at the corner of Withers &  Academy.
Warmup consisting of windmills, SSH & Burpees

The plan…Run each leg then 10 Merkins, 10ea leg Jumping Lunges, 20 American Hammers in the parking lot upon the return.
Leg 1: Run up to Tom Hall & back.
Leg 2: Run up to Banks & back.
Leg 3: Run up to Meacham & back.
Leg 4: Run to Main St & back.

All were able to complete this at least 1 time and some completed it twice for a total distance of 3-4mi.
Run it back to COT for some final closing exercises.

Announcements:
Great Harlan’s Heroes fundraising update from Jekyll. Stay tuned for the next opportunity.
Yeti is coming next weekend. Partner up or do the full thing.

Hey Jekyll. Thanks for the nod.

Maximus

TClap |
9