Island Vacation at Footloose

My Qotter (thanks Anchorman) after many months.  I’ll keep it short:

The Thang:

Mosey to back lot

COP
SSH
IW
Windmills
Merkins
Mountain Climbers
Double Applesauce around the lot

Stretch-o-Rama

Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Bear Crawl on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Lunge Walk on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

PAX Plank Hurdles

Mosey to Flag
6 MOM

 

Announcements:

Joe Davis, Convergence, Read Your Newsletter

Prayers/Praises shared by all in COT

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Milkshakes at Tomahawk

I love a good Twitter Storm… a little chatter and we had a pretty strong showing for a Monday. Milder weather probably didn’t hurt anything either… Let’s get to it:

Warm up lap around the outer loop of the parking lot

Circle up in middle of lot:
10 x windmill
10 x merkins
10 x squats
15 x SSH
10 x Moroccan Nightclubs

Grab your bell and go around school to small back parking lot.

AMRAP is the name of the game today… As Many Reps As POSSIBLE… You define possible for yourself, but I 100% promise you are capable of more than your mind thinks you are.

Very simple… 40lb. Sandbag is hoisted on to a Pax shoulders, and he runs about 150 yards down and back. This man is the timer. Do the exercise on the cone until the sandbag runner gets back, then rotate to the next cone.

Cones:
Curls
Goblet Squats
KB Front Hold
Flutters with press
Clean and press (L then R)
KB Swings
Around the World (or Slingshot)
REPEAT

NMM:
If you want to know what’s in a man’s head, watch his actions for a bit… We will eventually always betray what is inside us. I had hard work on the mind over the last few days, so I attempted to bring it to the Pax. After a couple rounds, though, I think I had quitting on my mind… I gave some inspiring blah, blah, blah at the start about working hard and how we were going to do as many reps as POSSIBLE, and how we should push and so on and so on… I ran fast when it was my turn… I lifted the heavy things… but I didn’t do it with the intensity and purpose that I knew I should/could have… I keep saying, “The hard work of this world will not be done by weak men.” I know it’s true, but I think I’m not even close to strong enough yet. Fortunately, I don’t have to be yet.

Helmet, out.

 

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Dealer’s Choice, Daniel & the Lion’s Den and talk of Bad Weather/Bad Gear

The Thang

YHC decided to post a poll on the Twitter to decide whether we’d revisit the “12 Days of Christmas” delivered by Anchorman earlier this week at Ballroom OR have a “Dealer’s Choice” workout, where each PAX Q’s an exercise of his choice.  The “Dealer’s Choice” won in a landslide.

Mosey to front parking lot for warm-up

SSH x 10

Cherry Pickers x 10

Low Slow Squat x 10

Moroccan Nightclub x 10

Peter Parker x 10

Imperial Walkers x 10

Shoulder Taps x 10

Explain  the process to PAX:  Count off and each PAX leads an exercise of his choosing.  Can be single count, cadence count, stay in the circle or a Mosey (Gilmore and Deep Dish!).

We had 14 there and went through each PAX once, getting through the 10th guy on the second time around.

Not an all-inclusive list, but the workout contained (mostly x 10):

LBCs

Merkins

Grave Diggers

Low Slow Squats

Catalina Wine Mixers

Some kind of crazy Burpee

Monkey Humpers

SSH

X’ & O’s

Hello Dolly

Rosalita

Diamond Merkins

Slow Merkins

Indian Run

Run to the Stairs

Dips

Wall Sit

Bomb Jacks

Naked Moleskin:

This was a little  different for most of us and, quite frankly, turned out better than I’d anticipated.  Each PAX was able to call the exercise and lead the count; kind of like a very light version of Q school.

Throughout the workout, and especially in COT, several PAX shared testimony and/or words of encouragement and food for thought. Popper shared a great testimony about his thoughts on Daniel & the Lions Den.  We are all surrounded by the “Lions” of life.  Although difficult, we should always try to keep our focus on Christ. Rather than get bogged down in trying to fight or figure out what to do about the Lion’s, give it to Him, have faith.

Several years ago, Santini said something like “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear”.  I don’t know if that’s a life mantra of his or if he was just saying it off the cuff. Either way, it has clearly been imprinted upon me. For years, I felt like he meant it literally. Recently, I have realized that it’s really about life. Our “gear” is what gives us cover in the “bad weather” of life. All too often, we find ourselves claiming “bad weather” when we really just don’t have the right “gear”.  We must prepare our hearts and have faith, which will sustain us in the bad weather. This is an active pursuit. One that must be acknowledged and actively practiced.

Sacrifice.  We were reminded by HeeHaw of the sacrifice that was made by 1,177 heroes on the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. And another 1,226 that consisted of Navy personnel, Marines, Army and civilian. May we never forget or take for granted the sacrifices of so many, then, now and in the future.

YHC asked the PAX to consider:

  1. What are you sacrificing (that you should not be) ?  Is there an area of your life being neglected?
  2. What are you currently making sacrifices for (could be something good. could be something not so good)?  Are your “priorities” showing up in how you spend your time & resources?
  3. What should you be sacrificing for? Which areas need your attention?

Prayers for many PAX, as they face day to day grind of life, relationships with family, family members in poor health, marriages, kids, leaders of our great country, MASH as he recovers from knee surgery and Newman’s son. Praises for the PAX.  Iron Sharpens Iron isn’t just something that looks cool on a t-shirt!  Remember, for Iron to Sharpen Iron, it must be strong & tough. For you to sharpen another, you must be strong. Strong in your faith, strong in your actions.

As always, I am humbled to lead a group of such incredibly High Impact Men. I am already looking forward to the next opportunity! Aye!

Beacon

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Rocks and Hoops at TheYard

10 of Fort Mill’s finest gathered at TheYard in hopes of some sweat and fellowship without rain.  Temps were in the lower 50’s with an overcast sky.  Still doesn’t feel like winter, and not even late fall, really.  Guess it’s the fact that Christmas Season is supposed to be “full on” that makes us feel it should be colder and snowyer.

YHC ended up flying in hot because I had arrived early, but then returned home to get a forgotten piece of the workout gear that was required, as per the loosely outlined weinke.  Spoiler alert: it was a basketball.

Warm-up:

  • Take a few steps back and do SSH until Wapner scrambled over from his car. (about 20 SSH’s)
  • Mosey to a parking lot around back
  • Imperial Walkers x10
  • Low Slow Squats x10
  • Wind Mills x10
  • Seal Jacks x10
  • Mountain Climber x10
  • Right arm high, then flip over to dip position for Dips (x10)
  • Left arm high, then flip over to plank for merkins (x10)

We then moseyed to the bottom of the hill entrance to the school and each pax was instructed to find a quarry rock.

The Thang:

  • 10 squats with coupon, set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • hold 6 inches for 5 seconds
    • run back to rock and wait for the 6
  • 10 squats, 10 curls, set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • hold 6 inches for 5 seconds
    • run back to rock and wait for the 6
  • 10 squats, 10 curls, 10 overhead presses, set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • 10 merkins
    • run back to rock (must select a different rock – because Beacon had become too comfortable with the size of his rock) and wait for the 6
  • 10 squats, 10 curls, 10 overhead presses, 10 tricep extensions , set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • 10 peter parkers
    • run back to rock (must select a different rock) and wait for the 6
  • 10 curls, 10 overhead presses, 10 tricep extensions , set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • 10 parker peters
    • run back to rock (must select a different rock) and wait for the 6
  • 10 overhead presses, 10 tricep extensions , set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • 10 of some other plank exercise I can’t remember
    • run back to rock (must select a different rock) and wait for the 6
  • 10 tricep extensions , set rock down, then
    • run to the top of the hill and plank for the 6
    • 10 of some other plank exercise I can’t remember
    • run back to rock (must select a different rock) and wait for the 6

Rocks returned to the rock pile, and pax moseyed back to the main parking lot for BLIMPS accumulator.

Station 1: 2 Bombjacks
Station 2: 2 Lunges
Station 3: 2 Imperial Walkers
Station 4: 2 Merkins
Station 5: 2 Plank Jacks
Station 6: 2 Scorpion Dry Docks

At end of first round, plank up for the 6, then repeat all stations doing 4 reps at each (then 6, then 8 reps).

Mosey over to the basketball goal and count off by 2’s.  1’s form a line on left side of paint, 2’s on the right side of the paint.  Each person took a turn (alternating back and forth between the teams) blindly selecting an exercise card from the buck-o-pain, then attempting a foul shot.  If they made the shot, the other team had to do the exercise.  If they missed, the shooters team had to do the exercise.

We made it almost twice through everyone before we ran out of time.

It was great getting back to TheYard.  Very much appreciate the opportunity to Q for the loyal group of guys that post there.

 

 

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F3 The Fort Thanksgiving Convergence 2017

70 Men came today to burn calories so they can eat whatever they want the rest of the day. Ok, maybe that was my reasoning, but most came because the know in order to get better, even in being Gratful, it is best when being challenged by your brothers. We all came to get better and realize this great thing we have called F3 and give thanks!
Santini Opening with warm up both physically and mentally with some leadership principles
Split off into the various groups!
4 went for for a Run
  • Drile (F3-Wapner)
    Mozy to the front of SFES, high knees, toy soldiers, Butt kickers, and Knees to chest.
    Mozy to front of SFMS, circled up…Side straddle hop, Merkins, Cherry Pickers, and Moroccan Nightclub
    Mozy to SFMS bus loop …high knees, toy soldiers, Butt kickers, and Knees to chest.
    Circled up.. Flutter Kicks and Low Slow Squats, America Hammer and Low Slow Squats, Merkins and Windmills, mountain climbers and windmills
    Mozy to back of SFES, circled up…Peter Parker’s and Side Straddle Hop, Plank and windmill, shoulder taps and Low Slow Squats, LBCs and Moroccan Nightclub
    Then rinse and repeated the above sequence…before joining the other groups at COT
    Lil E—Bootcamp Q
    Mosey to the parking lot in the rear of school and circle up. SSHs, Imperial Walkers, Windmills, Squats
  • The thang
    • 10 cones set up in a line spaced about 10 paces apart. Each cone had an exercise and rep count on them. Do exercises on the first cone and run a lap of the parking lot. Once you complete the lap do the first cone and the second cone and then run a lap. Repeat this adding the next cone until all 10 are complete. Here were the exercises in order from first to last:
    • Burpees x 10
    • Bombjacks x 10
    • LBCs x 25
    • Merkins x 20
    • Jump Squats x 10
    • Flutter kicks x 40
    • CDDs x 20
    • Lunges x 20
    • Mtn Climbers x 20
    • Monkey Humpers x 20

Majority of the pax finished in the Lunges lap with a few speedsters out in front on the mtn climbers. Mosey back to the front of the school for some Freddy Mercury’s and Rosalitas.

After that met up with the Moderate and Black diamond groups for COT.

Everyone put out great effort today and really pushed themselves.

 

Witch Hunt—Black Diamond Q

Not even a trip to the hospital the night before with a pregnant wife could keep me away from this Thanksgiving workout. Shout out to Royale and Cha Ching for stepping up to help me out. Luckily I made it and we put in work.
We stared by counting off by 4 creating 4 teams.
Each team will compete to complete as many burpees as possible in 2-minutes with a catch. You can only do 10 at a time before you most complete 20 reps of ab exercise. 2 rounds:
1.) Burpees with LBCs (Somehow Bounce House was able to do 50 burpees. That dude is not human.)
2.) Burpees with Knee Tuck with crunchy frogs
Winners plank while losers perform 10 Kraken Burpees.
Blood was flowing so we moseyed to the hill by the middle school for some broken down burpees. Catch was that we had 20 minutes for everyone to complete. If everyone doesnt finish within the time then group does 25 Burpees.
Here was the setup:
Run Hill 10 times. (1 Hill Run = Up & Down)

5 Squat Jumps
5  Plank w\ Shoulder Taps
5 Merkins
5 Froggers
5 Squat Jumps

Run Hill 8 times.

10 Squat Jumps
10 Plank w\ Shoulder Taps
10 Merkins
10 Froggers
10 Squat jumps

Run Hill 6 times.

15 Squat Jumps
15 Plank w\ Shoulder Taps
15 Merkins
15 Froggers
15 Squat jumps

Run Hill 4 time.

20 Squat Jumps
20 Plank w\ Shoulder Taps
20 Merkins
20 Froggers
20 Squat jumps

Run Hill 2 time

25 Squat Jumps
25 Plank w\ Shoulder Taps
25 Merkins
25 Froggers
25 Squat jumps

With some great teamwork by the Pax everyone completed within the 20 minutes so no penalty was given.

I attempted to have Backdraft give us a 10-count however  he responded “There are no 10 counts during the Black Diamond.” So no 10 count and a quick mosey back to the parking lot for the 10 Minute 100 Burpee Challenge:

Complete 10 1-minute rounds of burpees in the following set scheme. Any time left over in the round is yours for rest. (typically PAX finish the set between 25 and 40 seconds)

Rd1- 8

Rd2- 9

Rd3- 10

Rd4- 11

Rd5-12

Rd6-12

Rd7-11

Rd8-10

Rd9- 9

Rd10- 8

Total – 100

Amazing work by all the Pax. I didn’t pull any punches with this setup for the Black Diamond and the Pax took it on without hesitation. We all survived and are better for it.

Thanks to Ginsu and Cake Boss for the opportunity to lead.

Pusher with closing remarks and finding #Victory 

Prayers & Praises

Thank you F3 The Fort

Cake Boss

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Speak Victory

 

What an amazing morning in the gloom on this Fall day. Spitz posted early for a pre-run. We had a couple of young Pax present to push us. Twister was wide open and fueled with enough caffeine the town of Fort Mill. #LoveIt

 

The Thang

 

Leg Warm-Up: Toy Soldiers, Shuffle Left, Shuffle Right, Back Pedals, Karaoke Left, Karaoke Right, Power Skips

 

COP: SSH (10x), IW (10x), HBW (20x), Sumo Squats (15x), MC (20x), Peter Parkers (10x), Parker Peters (10x), Pepper Grinders (10x), LBCs (15x)

 

Stretch-o-rama

 

3 on 3 basketball games for intense cardio.

 

Moleskin:

Many people wake up groggy and dreading the day. Starting your day with a negative mind set is a self-defeating choice. You lose the battle before it starts.

 

Start and end your day on a positive note. What you think and say become reality. Speak victory into the atmosphere to win the battle before it starts. When you are troubled, call on God and His angels to help ensure your victory.

 

Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV – “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

 

Peace,

Deacon

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18 And Life To Cut Footloose!

Firstly it was actually 17, I must’ve been counting SkyQ this morning.

17 strong showed up for a little KISS workout (keep it simple stupid).  It went a little something like this.

COP

10 – SSH
10- Low Slow Squats
10- Hillbilly Walkers
10- Windmills

Now that we’re warmed up a bit here’s the thang:

At the center of the parking lot five burpees, at one end ten squats (jumping or otherwise) at the other end, ten merkins.  Repeato until you reach ten of each round of squats and merkins.

Once our gazelles reached ten, we circled back up for a couple rounds of squats, lunges and core work before wrapping up with some stretching.

This was my first time qing at Footloose.  Thanks for the honor of leading.

Great work out there by everyone!

DT Out.

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Ballroom Fun

The Thang (Workout)

Disclaimer was communicated!

Warm Up: 25 SSH, lunge stretching & 10 Low Slow Squats

Mosey

10 Merkins Upon Request (this should be a new exercise – MUR!) & 25 SSH

Mosey to back Wall – Wall Sits and Balls to the Wall – two counts of 10 each.

Moleskin:  Having God in Control is key.  At the same time WE must be a participant.  We cannot sit on our six and expect action.  We must heed God, His word, His instruction, His will and be a part of the game!!

Mosey to front parking lot.  With a partner, execute partner push across parking lot, 15 Big Boy Sit Ups and 10 Partner Merkins, Rinse and Repeat!!

Dora – with partner and cumulative, 100 squats, 200 LBC and 300 SSH

Mosey back to COT with :10 of Mary starting with Dynasty and moving clockwise

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Smithers VQ at Footloose – Stairway to Heaven

Smithers VQ

The weather was wonderful this fine fall October Morning…it felt just about as thick as ever and I was sweating even before I got out of bed!  Perfect day for my VQ!

As we were standing around talking before everything got kicked off I was amazed by the show of support of all the PAX rolling in one after another, 29 in all.  If only they had known what was coming ;-).

Started off with my first ever disclaimer…then a mosey to the back parking lot at First Baptist for the warmup:

  • Side Straddle Hops
  • Low Slow Squats
  • Windmills
  • Walking Calf Raises (aka how Cakeboss walked to school) to the wall
  • Wall sits for each PAX 10 count

Mosey across the street, down the steps, and across the next street to the parking lot next to Fort Mill Church of God…and wait, what was that in the humid glow of the streetlight?  Was that a board of pain?  Oh yes…

The Thang:

Partner up.  One partner starts the exercise while the other runs across the street and runs the snake on the set of steps…then back to take over the exercises for the partner.

  • 50 Bombjacks
  • 150 LBC’s
  • 200 Monkey Humpers
  • 150 Squats
  • 50 Merkins
  • 200 Calf Raises
  • 200 Side Straddle Hops

CONTROL is the word of the month.  We are all men….it’s in our DNA to want to be in control.  What do we need to find control?  In a car you need good tires…in a house you need a solid foundation.  You need a STRONG BASE…so…we worked on ours today.  Our legs (and a little bit of our core) were the focus…to give us a strong base to improve our control!

That said, we have all experienced things that didn’t go according to plan, and in many cases you could not regain that control no matter how hard you tried.  It is not easy to let go…it is not easy to adapt quickly…at least not all the time.  So, even when we ARE feeling in control we know that it is the Sky Q who has allowed that and trusted our leadership, Aye!  You see, the Sky Q uses us daily…sometimes to help others who are down, and pick them up…sometimes we are there to help those looking to help a brother up and we are the ones who are down.  Then there are the days where things just move right along without much resistance.  Those are the days where we should be letting the Sky Q know how much we appreciate His trust in us, and asking for continued strength to make Him proud!

Mosey back to COT for a quick round of Mary (just one set of flutter kicks) to close out our time.

My biggest fear was getting done WAY too early or not coming anywhere CLOSE to finishing the workout.  Sky Q steered me right in all the decisions, and I think for my first Q to finish with less than 2 minutes to spare…well, I’ll take that any day!

So, in closing…

My legs hurt, how about yours?

Smithers Out

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Footloose or don’t Footloose… you pick

Footloose brings the numbers for sure… No sense in getting philosophical at the front…

The Thang:
Warm up:
– Lot lap with dynamic stretching
– Windmills x 10
– IW x 10
– Arm Circles x 20 (10 forward, 10 backward)
– Squats x 10
– SSH x 15

Mosey to back of Baptist Church

]The cones will tell you what to do from here. Each cone has two choices of an exercise to perform. At each cone, make a choice. Neither exercise is “harder” or “easier” per se, but you may look and think, I hate that one, or I’m ok with that one, or I love that one… The point is, you choose. You are faced with choices every day, and different things are needed at different times, and you have to navigate that. There is NO JUDGMENT for what you do or do not choose, only if you do not push yourself a little past what your natural man desires. Pick one or the other, or if you are feeling plucky… do both.

Cone 1:

  • 20 Jump Squats OR 20 regular squats

Cone 2:

  • 20 diamond merkins OR 20 regular merkins

Cone 3:

  • 20 Burpees OR 20 Bombjacks

Cone 4:

  • 40 flutters OR 40 LBCs

Cone 5:

  • 20 dips OR 20 overhead claps

Cone 6:

  • Bear crawl to next cone OR lunge to next cone

Cone 7:

  • 30 shoulder taps or 30 second plank

AMRAP FOR TIME

Ended with a little cadence merkins, squats, and Jack Webb (to 5, it’s moderate after all)…

All things considered, it was a good time.

NMM:
Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it is getting. If you don’t like your results, change your system.

Helmet, out.

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