Choose Hard

WARMUP: Run to bandshell at WEP
THE THANG: We did laps around WEP with an accumulator thrown in for fun. When returning to the bandshell after each lap pax did the following starting with the first exercise and then adding the 2nd to it, then the 3rd, then adding the 1st exercise on top of the original 3 following the 4th lap

Burpees x10
Should taps x20
Squat x30

We got in 5 laps before returning home. All the effort in continuous fashion kept the pax warm and kept the cranky mumblechatter flowing.

MARY: done inside the Thang

ANNOUNCEMENTS: D2D items and more
COT: yes!

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Q-School Jan 2025

WARMUP: Yes, and kept us close cause FTC showed up at 5:22am. This happens when there’s more ice on vehicles. If you’re gonna run off, do it knowing that a guy could show up late and you’d be leaving him.
THE THANG: Mosey with some work and some discussion. The 1st F is about Fitness not exercise. So, it matters less what exercise you call and more that you do it well with vigor.

YHC set up 4 corners, but had the PAX call an exercise and mode of transport. The point is, it doesn’t matter what we do, but the consistency and intensity with which we do it. Don’t get so caught up in Qing the hardest or craziest stuff (not that there’s anything wrong with that if you can dem oit), but that isn’t the most importnt thing.

We covered some more ground. Did some bulgarian split squat. Did some wall sitting and chatting with a burpee line.

Got to the band practice lot and had some PAX call cadence. Quite a few of the newer PAX here are ready to Q! The Pirate in particular called well in cadence, and he had a Q on the books for Friday at Stockade. However, I neglected to mention that you should SHOW UP to the AO you’ve agreed to Q. So, he of course fartsacked through that Q. Oh well, better luck next time.

NM:: Topics discussed included WHY:
– the early gloom
– cause if not then, it ain’t gonna happen
– starts the day up 1-0
– makes you intentional the night before
– workouts need to be hard
– increases vulnerability if you’ve been humbled
– intensity and consistency matter
– push don’t settle
– men don’t show up for easy
– lead in a rotating fashion
– This is a leadership development organization
– If the same guys lead ALL THE TIME, that doesn’t develop leaders
– we practice leadership like lawyers practice law. and we’re always getting better
– outside in the elements
– #1 helps keep it free
– we have to overcome the circumstances of our environment
– test of your resolve
– You committing and posting in the wet/cold tells the Q and other men that they matter more to you than temporary discomfort
– It’s Fitness over specific Exercises
– Do the work, don’t fret about everything being unique
– Consistency is more important that innovation
Encouragement was given to
– lean into COT
– if you’re not accelerating in your 2nd and 3rd, you’re missing the point. Make it habit of preparing to share something briefly at COT. Your sharing allows another man to break his own wall and be willing to share
– Share your failures. If you aren’t failing, are you really trying?

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4 corners of Pain

She was a balmy 31 degrees. I was the only one wearing shorts. Go figure. Great to see so many faces at DP!
WARMUP: run to sunbelt parking lot. Standard array of SSH, IW, squat, cherry pickers, arm circles, merkins. Some karaoke thrown in for good measure to get blood pumping on cold morning.
THE THANG: 4 corners with reps of 25 each. Run between the corners. Squat, Carolina Dry Docks, Merkin, Mountain Climbers.
MARY: yep with some stretching
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Charity Wine Dinner fundraiser Feb 6th at Epic. Sign up is in 2nd F channel.
COT: Bella, sunrises, family travel, the Pax.

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Stack up at the Ballroom

WARMUP: Yes – SSH, Squats, Merks, and stretching
THE THANG: Stack it up with step ups, calf raises, Merks, Shoulder Taps, Big Boys, core work with several laps completed in between sets.
Pax kept adding an exercise for each round.
MARY: 3 mins of Mary
ANNOUNCEMENTS:DamtoDam, Fundraising for 2023, F3
COT: Prayers

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Christmas Eve Convergence at The Yard

WARMUP: (cake boss): 5 Burpees, SSH, 4 B., Imp.Walk, 3B., HillWalk, 2B, something else, 1B…

Count off 1 & 2; Group 1 w/ Farmers Only, Group 2 w/ Suplex
Switch Q’s at 1/2 mark

THE THANG:
Group 1 (Farmers only):

Group 2 (Suplex):
Cocaine Bear Crawls to the 50 (2 merkins at each 5yrd). Al Gore till the 6
Mary #1: 12 Hello Ladies (IC), 24 Plank Jacks (IC), 12 BBSU & 24 Heel-taps (OYO)
Go right into….
Burpee Broad Jumps (3 & 3) to end zone
Plank till the 6

R.2
Crane Carries to 50: back to back, 1 runs while other flutter kicks (swap @ 25… mod. to piggyback if needed)
Mary #2: 12 AmHamms (IC), 24 Gas Pumpers (IC), 12 Dying CockRoaches & 24 LBCs (OYO)
Go right into…
Other man in Sparrow Run.
@ end zone: 12 Imp-Squat-walkers (IC) 24 or something else (improv.)

MARY: done w/in Thang
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletters… Merry Christmas!
COT: held (5th core principle)

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Test Taking Anxieties

Pledge of Allegiance right at 05:16 ( a little late due to mumblechatter)
WARMUP: Quick warmup right in the parking lot. All double count.
15 SSH
10 WM
15 IW
15 MNC
Then off to the corner of Main and Confederate to start the Thang.
THE THANG: The APFT – Army Physical Fitness Test
2 mile run
2 min of Merkins, AMRAP
2 min of big boy situps, AMRAP
Form matters or else it is not a rep.

Starting at the corner of Main and Confederate, the loop for the run was 4 laps of
– Down Main
– L on Academy
– L on Withers
– L on Confederate
– Back to corner on Main – that’s about .47 mi. Repeat 4X.
– 4th lap ended about halfway down Academy to make it an even 2 miles.

Everyone crushed it! Cubbie was king on the run, just below 8min pace. Tesh absolutely killed the merkins. Cubbie was also king on BBSUs.

Since the APFT calculator’s final scoring is based on age, the younger you are, the harder it is to pass, Tesh barely failed, but IMO he crushed it. That’s just fuel for next time.

I plan on Q-ing the APFT once a quarter to track progress.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read the newsletter. Get involved!

COT: The holiday season is a time for family, friends, and joy. Not everyone may have that in their lives right now. If you see or know someone in that situation, consider being the one that brings joy into their lives during the holidays.

Also, the holiday seasons – Thanksgiving and Christmas namely – are a time when most people open their hearts, and wallets, and give more than usual. That’s a blessing for sure, and I am not taking that for granted, but imagine how much better this world would be if everyone would do that all year around. We should not need the holiday season to encourage that from others, we should be living in love every day, just like He did.

Blessings,
SYITG
-NASA

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