The Cornerstone – Challenge ( One Year Long )

To all the Pax of F3 Nation

Are you prepared to challenge your self for 2019? I am challenging all Pax’s to join me for 2019 we will take on one exercise for January (merkins single count) 100 reps every day. Then in February we will add another exercise which will be done every day on top of the 100 merkins and so on and so on. We will increase by adding one exercise each month.  These exercises will be above and beyond when you post. So by the end of the year there will be 12 exercises that need to be done everyday at the reps set.

Do you accept the challenge? Do you want to get better?

I will set the next month exercise and reps the week before to keep you on your toes

TClap |
20

Movement keeps one warm

21 gathered at Laces Out and Laces In – 8 and 13 respectively – to prove the theory that movement keeps one warm in chilly December temperatures.

YHC had promised site Q for months that I would take a Laces In Q and it was great to finally fulfill that with such a strong group of PAX and make it through with good fellowship, a little mumble chatter and 45 minutes (or an hour for the 8 runners) of getting a little better than we were the day before.

After a disclaimer and delegating the assumption of risk to all gathered, we moseyed to the FMHS Band parking lot for COP:

COP: Moroccan Night Clubs IC x 20, arm circles – forward and backward in varying quantities, SSH IC x 30, Merkins IC x 12, Windmills IC x 15

Mosey back to the Stadium entrance for Jacob’s Ladder.  Since our workout was 12 days before Christmas, it only seemed fitting that the exercises add up to 12 instead of 11.  YHC, therefore, modified the ladder, given the date on the calendar.

Burpees at the bottom – 11, 10, 9, 8, etc.

Lunge Walks uphill to the 2nd lightpole (crowd pleaser )

Carolina Dry Docks at the 2nd lightpole – 1, 2, 3, 4 and mosey back down

Mosey to the main parking lot for a little partner Dora

100 merkins total – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 does a roughly 120 yard shuttle run  – switch until 100 is reached.

200 squats – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 runs, you get the idea

Had a plan for 300 as well, but YHC was compelled to call an audible at 5:57 (time ran short) to head back for a little ab work…..but just a little.

Boxcutters IC x 30, American Hammers IC x 15, and a body destroyer promptly executed at 5:59 AM.

There was much movement, a little chatter, varying amounts of sweat and a few comments in the days that followed relating to the amount of lunge walks – complimentary of course.

Announcements – Christmas Eve convergence – 12-24 at the Abyss – Palisades Park Elementary and Q source begins on Saturday 1-5-19.

Prayers for all traveling for the holidays.

Relatively new to leading workouts, it was great to see some #HIM’s who, years ago, were encouraging of this serial runner guy to get out of his comfort zone and go do something else.  You each know who you are.  Thank you.

My thanks to Lil’ E for the opportunity to lead.  It was a privilege.

Cyclops

 

 

TClap |
1

The Coop: Beat the temperature day and we did it! #25

It was a cool morning and when I say cool I mean Fonzie cool. PAX came in from all directions and we had met the temperature of 25 degrees. I was proud that the men did not stay in the fartsack where it was easy….but rather said yes to accountability and posted with their brothers.

Had to get the PAX warm, so away we went……

The Thang:

Mosey around parking lot

  • Shuffle
  • Mosey
  • Toy solders
  • more Mosey
  • COP
    • Plank
    • Merkins
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Squats
    • Peter Parker
    • FLutters
    • Parker Peters
  • Mosey
    • 1’s wall sit with shoulder presses
    • 2’s 5 box jumps, 10, derkins, 15 dips
    • Flapjack
    • Mosey to front of NAFO school

Had 12 cinder block stations, partner up

  1. Run around islands of parking lot
  2. perform exercises below with as many reps as possible while waiting on partner
    1. Flapjack until all 12 are completed
  • Bear crawl with Block drag
  • Block swing
  • Floor to Shelf L/R
  • Curls
  • Tri-extensions
  • Leg raises with Block
  • Bear crawl with Block right/left Merkins
  • Squat to overhead press
  • Bent Rows
  • Burpees
  • Sumo deadlifts press
  • LBCs

Time was up and so the PAX moseyed back to COT with blocks in hand

  • Wrap up with Freddy’s and Hello Dolly’s

Thank you Wegmans for the opportunity to Q

  • The Fort Christmas Party is this Saturday 12/1
  • Christmas convergence at Palisades Elementary School 12/24
  • Prayers for the many dealing with health concerns, lost family members and injuries

Individually we can be picked apart and crumble, however when we stand together and support each other we are indestructible. Like the cinder blocks we used, individually they don’t do much but with many of them……makes a solid foundation. Hold a brother accountable and likewise and you will become a solid foundation for your family, friends and community.

Cake Boss

 

TClap |
1

Burpees at Slow Burn

It was a dark and cold Thursday night. I was about to retire to my study when Steve Jobs spoke to me. Well, one of his inventions did. It was Destiny reaching out. He was getting a Unicorn Tramp Stamp tattoo either removed or placed on his back early the next morning and wouldn’t be able to Q Slow Burn.  He needed a substi-Q. Would I be that guy? Could I be that guy? I impulsively said YES.  With time running short and my bedtime quickly approaching I set about writing a winkie. After several visits to the exicon, and some advice from Punch List (thanks, Buddy) things were set and I waited for 0515 to get here.

8 of us assembled in the Chick-fil-A parking lot, at 0515 the disclaimer was disclaimed and off we moseyed down the hill towards Persis. High Knees, Butt Kickers, L/R shuffle. Cirlcle up for a round of SSH, windmills, overhead claps, low slow squats and 5 burpees OYO.  Now that we were  warm, the fun began.

The Thang:

Pax wall sit while first guy in line does 3 burpees, continue until everyone has done burpees. Mosey to guard rail near Lowes, Jacobs Ladder of 10 dips, 1 burpee (mumble Chatter).

After we completed the ladder we took up a mosey to the parking lot left of Lowes.  (b)L.I.M.P.S we did plenty of burpees earlier. 10 Lunges 15 Imperial walkers(I.C.), 20 Merkins, 25 Plank Jacks (I.C.), 30 squats. Bolt 45’s followed, 15 squats 1/2 down, 15 squats 1/2 to bottom, 15 full squats. Partner up, 100 merkins, 100 LBC, 100 squats. Partner 1 does exercise while partner 2 moves from traffic island to traffic island. Pax cant walk or run.  Saw bear crawls, crab walks, lunges, broad jumps and sever other creative ways to travel the distance.

Short mosey behind Lowes for more group wall sits. First Pax runs to guard rail 15-20yrds does 6-10 Carolina dry docks then back to the wall for a sit until everyone had gone. Time flies when you are having fun. Mosey back to COT for a few minutes of Mary. Count-o-rama, Name-o-rama, prayers and praises, ball of man

Thank you for this opportunity to Lead

 

Dirty Harry out

TClap |
2

Just for Kicks – Foot Loos

About 18 men awoke to a nice dark morning before the roosters crowed. It was for more than just for kicks, it was because they are courageous to take on the challenge that was before them.  Here’s what went down

Warmup:      Moroccan Night Club, Wind Mills, some funky Imperial Walkers, Low slow squat.    Let’s mosey

What’s Up: A Dora Set – 100 Merkins, 100 Squats, 100 Flutters, 100 CDD, and helped finish off the teams that needed some bold encouragement. Small Mosey around the parking lot to hear words of encouragement from Joshua 1:9. Wall Sits, with individual counts down the line, and yes, we did wall sits again. Don’t be alarmed because two times a charm.  Time to Mosey again.  Left and then Right curb merkins followed by a friendly squat walk up the steps.

Wrap Up: More merkins, Mtn Climbers, Parker Peter, Peter Parker, Moraccan night club.

Fun was had by all and we even had some runners join in at the end. GREAT way to start a morning.

TClap |
1

Inspirational Morning at the Ballroom

It may have been damp at the Ballroom but that didn’t stop an inspired group of 15 Pax from enjoying the mild and moderate morning.  It went down like this.

Warm up:  Mosey to 20 SSH, 10 Windmills, Arm Circles, 10 Cherry pickers, 15 Mountain Climbers, 15 Peter Parkers, 15 Parker Peters, 20 Moroccan Nightclubs, and 20 LSS.

50 yards of each:  Toy solders, High Knees, Butt Kickers, Shuffle (each side), Backward run, Kareoke (each side), 2 Sprints.

Moseyed to back of school for 4 Wall Sits with Planks followed with 10 Merkins between Wall Sits.  Each set of Planks and Merkins were different: incline, left hand on curb, right hand on curb, and decline.

Mosey to track for 3/4 lap stopping 4 times to one of the following at each stop: 10 Donkey Kicks, 10 Lunges, 20 LSS, 10 Plank Jacks.

Mosey back to school stopping at each light pole for a Burpee (about 12) and finished with 10 Flutters, 10 Box Cutters, and 10 Reverse Box Cutters.

COT:  Lots of announcements that I can’t recall plus the Christmas party sign-up and bring kid’s band aids for the hospital.  Of course, everyone then left to vote.

Magnum

TClap |
1

Footloose and Free thanks to All The Saints!!

Today is November 1 and in some denominations they recognize All Saints day today. See below for more on that, but 3 runners took off early and 13 other PAX came to the dance floor for a litle two step with YHC – Cake Boss! We had a great crowd and was super proud of the hard work put in and the encouragement by all the PAX to keep pushing through. Such an honor to be part of this thing we have, F3, and to be part of this community! Aye!!

The Thang:

Footloose 11/1/18

Mosey to FMCoG parking lot
Toy soldiers
5 Burpees
Side lunges
4 Burpees
Butt kickers
3 Burpees
High knees
2 Burpees
Imperial Walkers
1 Burpees

Mosey across street and partner up for Dora 1-2-3

Partner 1-Run up hill to corner Partner 2-exercise move Flapjack
100 Merkins
200 step ups
300 dips
Alternate running up hill backwards

Mosey to front of FMFBC
Partner 1-bear crawls up church steps Partner 2-exercise move -Flapjack
Flutters
Freddys
Leg raises
Boats/canoes

COT

11/22 Thanksgiving Convergence at The Ranch 0600

12/01 Christmas Party – Sign up and enjoy a night out

Prayers for all the tragic deaths across the country and all dealing with health issues.  Prayers for unity in our country.

 

All Saints Day–This gets chalked up as a Catholic thing, but I want to share some information with everyone. Anyone that has come to JC, led someone else to JC and has lived their life for JC is considered a Saint. Its not meeting some criteria except that of what JC outlined in saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

So my question and challenge to all of us is are we denying ourselves and bringing others to SKY Q? Our ministry starts at home with the M and 2.0s and then shield lock and whetstone partners. We don’t have to have some sort of degree or education to know what Sky Q has done in our lives and to share that with others so they too can be transformed. Being a Saint does not mean being perfect either. Moses, David, Peter and Paul were far from perfect, but they denied themselves for HIS plan not their own. Live it and watch how you influence others for HIM.

TClap |
2

Can Longshanks do Moderate?

So the question came up after Hasselhoff made a call to the bullpen last second as to whether YHC could lead a moderate workout and not get banned from leading it again. 15 PAX showed up to find out the answer.

The Thang

Mosey around the First Baptist Parking lot with some High Knees, Butt Kickers, and Toy Soldiers (already grumbling of not moderate).
Circle up for some COP
SSH x 20
1 Burpee (had to get that mandatory Shanks Q requirement out of the way)
Windmills x 10
Imperial Walkers x 10
Squats x 15
Mountain Climbers x 15
Plankarama

Mosey over to the steps at First Baptist
Run up and Down – do 1 Merkin
run up and down – do 2 Merkins
run up and Down – do 3 Merkins
run up and Down – do 4 Merkins
run up and Down – do 5 Merkins. Plank for the 6

Mosey over to Church of God Lot by the stairs for A Dora 6 pack. 1 partner runs the stairs up and down while the other performs the exercise.
100 LBC’s
100 American Hammers
100 Flutter Kicks
100 Hello Dolly
100 Dying Cockroach
100 Big Boy Situps

Mosey to the Church of God Side way for some people’s chair and Merkins

Mosey back to First Baptist steps for 5 more trips up and down the stairs. This time at the bottom Squats. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Mosey to the flag for COT.

Announcements – Reading at Steele St. Monday and Wednesday 4-5. Christmas Party December 1st. No Fast 5 this Saturday.

Prayers – for those with teenagers.

Moleskin
I realized today that throughout this “moderate” workout YHC didn’t give a single 10 count to catch our breath. Got me thinking about where that applies in life. Often in life I feel when going through something tough, God doesn’t always give us a breather as he needs us to push through whatever it is we are struggling with and that we trust Him to get us through to place where we can get a break.

Shanks out

TClap |
5

No Fear = No EnCOURAGEment

22 boot campers (including 1 FNG) and 5 runners posted to THE Ballroom this week looking for some #Encouragement along the pothole-filled road of life.  YHC offered a full Disclaimer for the benefit of our FNG (T-claps to Barney Fife on the EH) tipped the cap to Sir Topham Hat, who passed the Q baton to YHC due to work travel.  The word of the month (Encouragement) served as the inspiration for today’s adventures in the gloom, so thanks also to Chicken Hawk for his continued wisdom with that program.

Encouragement:  root word = Courage

Courage (noun): strength in the face of fear

With this backdrop, the workout unfolded with the objective of getting pax in touch with their own sense of #Fear to illustrate the experience of #Courage and the need/ability/practice of exercising it and #Encouragement of their brothers.

The Thang

warm up run to the football field

COP — SSH, IWs, Hillbilly walkers, Bombjacks, merkins, burpees

Line up along sideline, 3/4 pace sprints — to near hash/back, then far hash/back, lastly far sideline/back

Circle up for the Main Event (Fear or Favorite)

Pax were asked to identify the exercise they most #Fear when they hear the Q say “The next exercise is ___________.”  They were also asked to imagine their #Favorite exercise they like to call when they are Q.  Then we launched into 30 mins of Pax-suggested/Q-chosen exercises.

Plank jacks (Fogerty), Gravedigger (Culture Club), Partner Carry (Bass-o-Matic), V-up Roll-up (Polaroid), Sprints (FNG!), Moroccan Night Clubs (Assassin), Jack Webb (Magnum), Squats (Strawberry), Burpees (Pinup), Merkin (Rebel), Knee Tar N’Dyae (Rebel), Tunnel of Love (Twister)

Mosey home

Final ab work — American Hammer, Flutter

COT

Moleskin

T-claps to the pax for the enthusiastic participation, mumblechatter and #Encouragement throughout.  Apologies to those pax whose exercise I missed and those who I mismatched in the list above.  I know we started with Fogerty catching much flak for a stuttering proclamation of “Plank Jacks” to get us rolling.  Bass-o-matic challenged himself and all the pax in the early going with the Partner Carry call-out.  Yes, YHC quickly claimed FNG/Half Dome as partner (purely for teamwork purposes, I can assure you…it had nothing to do with his svelte frame).  Pinup threw down the gauntlet, claiming Burpees as both his Fear and his Favorite (1500 in September seems to prove the point — well done!).  Strawberry (on only his 2nd post!) showed he knows the proper rhythm of a workout by calling for Squats immediately after Jack Webb (get this man into Q school ASAP!).  And Twister had his mic drop moment with Tunnel of Love to cap it all off.  Fun times throughout!

Welcome to FNG/Half Dome, who posted at the behest of Barney Fife (kudos to both)!

Finally, just a recap on the theme to reinforce the message.  YHC, in my prideful youth and throughout a very long stretch of adulthood, deluded myself that I was purely self-motivated, and no outside influence, inspiration or good words could make a difference to my spirit or performance.  While my M openly claimed her need for affirmation and #Encouragement, I laughed those things off, as though those who needed them were weak, meek and timid.  I also claimed to have few worries or fears throughout these periods.  A-ha!!!   There it is — the smoking gun.  Since #Courage can only exist in the midst of #Fear, I must’ve needed nor displayed any #Courage throughout these years.   And in the absence of feeling #Fear and gathering up #Courage, I had no recognition of the need or value of #Encouragement.  And, so it follows sadly, that in the absence of my personal experience of these, I fumbled and floundered in expressing #Encouragement to those around me who longed for it.  This shortcoming became a significant blind spot and weakness in leading others, including my family.  Yes, sad.  Yes, true.

While I still have plenty of room for growth in the area of #Encouragement of others, my ship turned around when I became more sensitized to my own fears, and I felt the power of #Encouragement from others, and I demonstrated the #Courage that was somewhat dormant inside me.  So, the lesson here — soften your heart, look yourself in the mirror, get in touch with your #Fear.  From that point, you may find immense personal growth opportunity and the ability to better relate and #Impact those around you through #Encouragement.

Thank you to Short Sale for the Q opportunity and to all the pax for making the experience real!

 

TClap |
6

3-Speed Track Work at Laces Out

Succinct backblast start >>>>>>

We were on the track for some 3-speed speed work.

  1. 1 mile warm-up
  2. Dynamic stretching (butt kickers, high knees, toy soldiers) back and forth across field
  3. 400m at 10k pace, 200m at 5k pace, 200m recovery pace
  4. 800m at 10k pace, 200m at 5k pace, 200m recovery pace
  5. 1200m at 10k pace, 200m at 5k pace, 200m recovery pace

Rinse and repeat steps 3-5 until 5:55a.  Most normal pax got 5-6 miles in.  I think I heard McGuyver say he got 8 miles.

Well done, pax!  Thanks for the invite to lead, Atlas.

<<<<<< Succinct backblast end

TClap |
1