Tag: Bones

3×3

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In the better late than never category was able to get out to lead my VQ.  Joined in the rainy gloom by 15 PAX.  After a quick disclaimer we moseyed over to the basketball court area for warmup (Squats, Cherry Pickers, Merkin, Windmill, SSH, and Moroccan Nightclub)

Prepping for this had the #3 stuck in my head for some reason so wanting to not overthink things and keep it simple for my VQ I had exercises written down at 3 stations w/3 exercises at each around the track.

  • Station 1 – 30 Squats, 50 SSH, 20 Lunges
  • Station 2 – 20 Big Boy Sit Ups, 50 LBC, 30 American Hammer
  • Station 3 – 20 CDD, 30 Dips, 15 Burpees

I never really have a great concept of time out in the gloom so planned on 2x through each and see where we’re at (thank you Royale & Bones for helping me keep time!)  Had some extra time after that so decided to mosey to the top of the track for partner up exercise of wind sprints and burpees (note to self, don’t ask for suggestions on partner exercises)

Recovered and had a few minutes left so wall chair was recommended.  Ran the wall chair with the pax at each end doing a bear crawl to the curb + 2 burpees.  Mosey back to COT for LBC, Flutters, and Freddie Mercuries.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead.  I found it to be a good and enjoyable challenge.  Was great to have encouragement from the group!  Till next time

Baywatch

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2

You Still Have 40%

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17 brave men gave it their all this morning in the gloom of Quagmire.  After a disclaimer and a quick reminder of the theme of the month (VICTORY) it was off to better ourselves.

Quick Mosey complete with:

  • High knees
  • Butt Kickers
  • Karaoke
  • Toy Soldiers
  • Knees to Chest

Standard circle with warm up exercises

Series of exercises that “simply” came to mind:

Using the parking lot in front of Old Navy (slight incline) and Mosey up and down several times between exercises:

  • Lunge walks (up)
  • 10 Squat Jumps
  • Bear Crawl (down)
  • Reverse Lunge Walk (up)
  • 50 Squats
  • High Knees (up)
  • Butt Kickers (down)
  • 50 Merkins
  • 50 LBC’s in cadence
  • Plank challenge for 170 sec
  • 50 Burpee’s (10/min)
  • 3 Wind Sprints

It was repeated several times about pushing to the limits of what you are capable of.  As I have “famously” said once (and will obviously never live down), “When you think that you can’t go any further you have about 40% left in the tank.”  Many times we quit too early when pushing ourselves and it is not because we can’t “physically” do it but because our mind tells us to quit.  It is only when we push through those barriers on a consistent bases can be experience growth and grit to make us stronger men.  Super proud of every man who posted this morning and proved to themselves that they are willing to leave it all at COT.

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Spiderman Crawls and tires

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Thankful for the opportunity to lead my second Q, 11 PAX joined for a great beat down.

Quick disclaimer  and discussed about the word of the month victory and the power we have to overcome a struggle.

We started the warm up with a 2 minute run around the parking lot, circled up and started with the following in cadence:

15 Windmills

15 Low slow Merkins

20 Moroccan Night Clubs

Then we moseyed to station #1 of our  4 station/corner setup. Quick explanation of the workout followed by demonstration of the spiderman crawl,  we split into groups 1 to 4 and one group went to each corner:

  • First  Corner:

15 big boy sit ups

20 Sledgehammer swings

30 American hammer

  • Second Corner:

5 tire flips

10 deep squats

20 lunges

30 dips on tire or curb

  • Third Corner:

15 two arm triceps extension

20 two arm biceps curl

30 Carolina drydocks

  • Fourth Corner:

5 tire flips

10 diamond merkins

15 regular merkins

30 shoulder taps

After completing each  station we moved to the next one as follows: from station 1 we run to station 2; from 2 to 3 we spiderman crawled; from 3 to 4 we run and from 4 to 1 we spiderman crawled. Each station was planned to be done around the 2 minute mark plus 30 seconds to run/crawl from station to station so a full circuit took around 10 minutes. We completed 3 full circuits.

With about 38 minutes into the workout we moseyed to the hill but some PAX suggested we use the wall instead, so we people chaired for about 30 seconds, did a quick recover and then 30 second of  balls to the wall, with so much excitement coming from all the PAX about BTTW we rinsed and repeated for another 30 seconds and a new name for the exercise was brought out: brains to the floor… we moseyed back to COT and circled up for a head count and namearama.

Announcements:

Christmas Party

CAH dinner in december

Fast 5 Race

Joe Davis Memorial Run

Prayers and Requests:

Family, kids, health, happiness, our jobs and the opportunity to celebrate victory over our daily struggles.

 

 

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Twisted Twister at Abyss

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14 PAX (10 regulars + 3 runners + 1 FNG) assembled in the cold gloom of the Abyss for a mid-week jump start. A severely jumbled attempt at a disclaimer was made (followed by much mumble chatter regarding additional items that were left out), then the fun began.

Mosey around the parking lot with some toy soldiers, tip-toe walks, and heel walks before gathering for COP, which proved to be a time to both warm up and look ridiculous.

All in cadence:

  • 10 windmills
  • 12 thriller lunges (wish we’d had video of this; made mental note for next time)
  • 15 Moroccan night clubs
  • 10 merkins
  • 8 hydrant circles (forward and backward) per leg (these hurt a bit)

Recover, shake the legs out, then mosey around to back of school near the grassy hill to find the Twister Board of Pain.

Laid out the ground rules:

  • Spin the spinner
  • Exercises done OYO
  • After completing assigned reps, run down the hill, 5 bomb jacks, then back up the hill
  • Ab work until the six is in
  • Rinse and repeat

Exercises on the board:

  • Two arms
    • Merkins x20
    • Burpees x10
    • Downward Dog to Plank x20
    • Donkey Kicks x20
  • One arm
    • Merkins x20 (10 per arm)
    • Burpees x10 (5 per arm)
    • Downward Dog to Plank x20 (10 per arm)
    • Donkey Kicks x20 (10 per arm)
  • Two legs
    • Burpees x10
    • Bear Crawl 40 yards total
    • Bunny Hops 40 yards total
    • Squat Jumps x20
  • One leg
    • Burpees x10 (5 per leg)
    • Bear Crawl, aka Boo Boo Bears 40 yards total (20 yards per leg)
    • Bunny Hops 40 yards total (20 yards per leg)
    • Squat Jumps x20 (10 per leg)

PAX started fast and furious, as no exercise had tons of reps. But moving quickly leads to more work, and it didn’t take long before requests for 10 counts began. Lost track of the number of times down and up the hill, and there may or may not have been human intervention in the stopping of the spinner (three spins in a row landing on Squat Jumps got vetoed) at various times. Never did it land on one-arm Burpees, Donkey Kicks, or Merkins, yet we did Squat Jumps at least 3 times. Statistically this is unlikely, but obviously not unheard of. There’s always next time.

Ended with a long, 2-minute mosey back to COT to meet up with runners.

Announcements:

  • CAH on Saturday. Should be a good group, with a special guest appearance mentioned.
  • 2.0-friendly Halloween workout at The Deep on Saturday, 28.October. Starts at 0800. Lots of candy. See Pre-blast.
  • Fast 5 coming up November 4. Lots of fun. Lots of bacon.
  • Royale waxed eloquent about the (every-inch-of-) twenty mile ruck on Saturday as part of the Capital Ruck Tour (see http://capitaltour2017.com/, or follow @capitaltour2017 on the twitter). Amazing experience, with awesome and inspiring stories of those involved.

Praises and Prayers:

  • FNG Head Case, who EH’ed himself after “years” of thinking about it.
  • Prayers for marriages, and families in general. Many of us know someone going through divorce or other difficult family issues, so prayers for them.
  • Prayers for patience. We all need it.
  • Prayers for our country and its leaders. Tensions and divisions are high.
  • Praise for good report on Witch Hunt’s M’s pregnancy. Everything looks good, and less than a month left!

NMM

In prepping for this workout, I was consistently reminded of what we read in Proverbs 16:33:

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

It’s a small and seemingly random thing to flick the spinner on a Twister board and see where it lands, just like casting lots or throwing die or flipping a coin to make a decision seems to provide a random result. And even the result may be of little importance in the grand scheme of things (will it matter if we do 10 burpees or 20 squat jumps?). Yet God is sovereign, and nothing is spontaneous or random to Him, nor is anything of little importance. He was and is in control of the outcomes.

But that does not mean we have no role to play. The spinner didn’t spin itself. The emails don’t write themselves. The diapers don’t change themselves. God has chosen to accomplish His purposes through fallen, broken humans, and we get to be a part of that. It’s not always easy, and at times it may not look good to us. Yet the same God who created all things and keeps everything in order knows us each intimately and has a specific purpose for each one of us. We are not here in the Charlotte area in 2017 by random accident, but by specific and intentional design.  So I encourage you as you go about your days, acknowledge God’s hand in every moment, in every conversation, and rejoice in the opportunity to get to be a part of His plan.

Definitely didn’t think a Twister board would make me think so hard.

Until next time.

Jedi out.

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You don’t have Control

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Friday mornings are my favorite.  Back at the place this whole F3 thang all began for me.  The men started gathering, and by 5:14 it was a large group…but no one that wanted to ruck…so NASA got to join the bootcampers.  I’m sure he was ready for his Q, but lots of guys were probably holding back for the Capital Ruck Tour on Saturday night.  20 PAX with me, so a quick disclaimer and we’re off.

A little dynamic warmup on our run with high knees, butt kickers, side shuffle.  Made our way to the back parking of  the old River Bleu.

COP: 15 IWs – 25 MNCs – 25 SSHs – 10 LS Squats – 10 Merkins – some yoga stuff – 15 planks jacks – 10 Parker Peters

Mosey over to the Fountain to put in some work

3 rounds of following:

10 Step Ups each leg

20 Durkins

30 Dips

quick 10 count time to mosey.

Move to the red balls for Burpicides

Shared a quick word around Control. See Moleskin.

run to each ball – 3 burpees – run back all the way down to the other side

Read to write, hard to do. After a FEW 10 counts time to mosey again.

Made our way closer to the COT, stopped at a nice patch of grass.

I saw someone had pulled out the Jack Webbs this week, it had been too long…

Jack Webbs to 10

Back to COT:

Ab Lab with American Hammers – Freddie Mercuries – LBCs

Announcements – Praises – Prayers

Moleskin:

I had something to share planed for the PAX.  But on the way to the workout I was listening to the radio.  Not something I normally do. A song came on by Logic.  It’s posted here.  Popular song about depression and suicide.  My nephew had previously shown me the video. That morning it almost brought me to tears.  I modified my message about control.  The trials of life and heartache of loss or depression show us many ways that we are not in control.  That even when things are good we can feel like there are bad.  Give that control to God and ask him for guidance.

Too many kids I’ve been hearing about locally that have lost that control and found no other way out than suicide.  We should be those men making a difference in kids lives so they know there is another way.  Start with your own kids.  Talk to them about life, and pain and failure.  Let them know that everything’s not perfect like social media makes it out to be.  Tell them about your failures and how you overcame them.  Just talk…

An honor to lead,

Royale

 

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Stairs, Stairs and more Stairs – The Swamp 10/13/17

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A cool and drizzling day didnt keep the Pax away.  19 was the number with 5 ruckers and 13 bootcampers. Rad took the ruckers and I had the bootcamp.

We started with a short mosey to the parking lot behind Just Fresh where we circled up to stretch and loosen up. COP involved:

  • SSH x25
  • IW x10
  • Windmills x10
  • Weed Pullers x10
  • Merkins x10
  • Honeymooners/Downward Dogs

Pax were ready so we started The Thang:

I had the Pax split into groups of 3 with one group having 4.  Each Pax would be performing a different excercise using the Pax running the stairs as the timer. Each Pax would rotate the excercises until each Pax had run the stairs twice.  The cycles were:

  • Cycle 1
    • Pax 1 – Up and Down Stairs x5
    • Pax 2 – Broad Jump across parking lot (didn’t anticipate the rain which made this a little tricky)
    • Pax 3 – Flutter Kicks
  • a couple 10 counts
  • Cycle 2
    • Pax 1 – Up and Down Stairs x5
    • Pax 2 – Bear Crawl across parking lot (Tip: Parking lines are slick when wet)
    • Pax 3 – Peoples Chair
  • a couple 10 counts
  • Cycle 3
    • Pax 1 – Up and Down Stairs x5
    • Pax 2 – Recovery run across parking lot
    • Pax 3 – Burpees (CROWD PLEASER)

With that completed we were out of time so we lined up for an Indian Run back to COT where the Ruckers were waiting.

Thanks to Cable Guy for the opportunity to lead.

Until next time, back to the hunt…

 

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Q school 101 & 201

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16 Pax for Q School

YHC arrived early and Dark Helmet Q101) rolled in let’s just say a little later than that

The first rule of Q school is arrive early!!!

Dark Helmet took the 101 beginner class and YHC took the advanced class (or at least we think we are advanced) split off and began to teach some good stuff

201 started out with 10 perfect Burpees and we mosied to the back of the school to the COP

Everyone lead 10 SSH each making sure we could all count

We then did merkins 2 ea all the way around the circle

We continued our warm up and talked through some things we all felt were important

Another rule to follow is don’t do stupid things….In other words don’t do partner carries on a wet hill in the dark, don’t cross a major highway with 30 PAX in the dark….Be smart about what you’re doing and try not to get anyone hurt, we are out here to get in better shape after all!

Although they say not to make the workout too hard I don’t believe that. Everyone will work at their own pace and make sure they know that’s ok! Modify as needed is not just something we say it’s also true

The 201 school did some bear crawls, then partner hand slap merkins.

Ran around the circle and did hand clap sit ups

Ran around the circle and did hand slap burpees

Ran around the circle and did hand slap squats

Finished with 15 Burpees then mosied to COP where Dark Helmet had us do an additional 10 Burpees

Not too hard of a workout but we did stay warm and learned at least a couple of things!

Not sure what Dark Helmet talked about during his schooling but I am certain the PAX learned at least one thing from him today……

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Q School at Abyss – 10-11-17

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Welcome to Q school from Senator Tressel and Ginsu! 19 PAX posted to sharpen their leadership skills.

Senator Tressel started off with guidelines on safety:

  • Always start with a disclaimer as a reminder, especially to new guys, that this is a voluntary workout led by non-professional fitness leaders. F3, nor the Q for the day assume any reliability if you get sick or hurt.   Be aware of your physical limitations and modify the workout if you need to.
  • Workouts are rain or shine, but should be cancelled if the conditions are unsafe. Usually this will be due to lightning or ice, but can be for other reasons.  The Q should use good judgement and make the call to cancel if he feels the conditions are not safe.  It’s OK to cancel a workout.  There will be another one tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that.  BE SMART.    Spring’s Maltz Challenge at NAFO was sighted as an example of what not to do.  The Q should also determine what exercises are safe to do (i.e. – no partner carries up a wet hill)
  • Always start with a warm up. ‘Surprising’ the Pax with 30 burpees to get things start might be fun, but is ill-advised.    Today, we did the Tressel  standard warm up which includes lunge walks, knee and ankle pulls, toy soldiers, arm circles and pulls.  Jogging and stretching are always good to start off a workout.

After the warm up, we moseyed to the back of the school for COP. ST led off with 25 side straddle hops and 10 merkins and then invited some of the newer Pax to lead exercises and practice counting. Things we stressed today:

  • The proper way, official, F3 way to start exercises in cadence is:  THE NEXT EXERCISE IS……, STARTING POSITION…MOVE….IN CADENCE… . EXERCISE!  (this is commonly done incorrectly)
  • COUNT MORE SLOWLY. ST is of the opinion that guys, in general, count too fast.  Slower counting is more effective for conditioning and leads to better form.  Your count should match your body movement when counting.
  • PROJECT YOUR VOICE so everyone can hear.
  • If your AO has pull up bars use them as much as possible.  The Abyss does have pull up bars so we split into three groups and did pull ups, step ups, and one lap around the track (3 reps were planned, but we only had time for one).

After each group got through a round of pull ups, we all assumed the plank position in a a tight circle for today’s message. Working the monthly theme or other message into the workout is not required, but can be an effective addition to the workout.    This is something unique to the Fort region.

Senator Tressel normally does not do a message, but felt compelled after reading an article about the reasons that people commit acts like the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas.  The writer opined that loneliness, frustration, unhappiness, and lack of purpose can lead people to commit heinous crimes.  The mission of F3 addresses these issues.  ST shared that the greatest thing that F3 has done for him is make him a much happier,  ‘at peace’ man.

ST handed off to Ginsu for the 2nd half.

Mosey to the front parking lot.

For the second half of the workout, we focused on the following:

  • Simplicity – Keep the workouts simple! Creativity is encouraged, but not at the expense of a solid, well organized workout. Keeping your workout simple makes organization easy and is less confusing for the PAX. Repetition (e.g. DORA, Jacob’s Ladder, etc.) is a good way to keep workouts simple.
  • Simple does not mean EASY! Burpees, pull-ups, merkins, bear crawls, etc. are all SIMPLE exercise options. But they are not EASY. Challenge the PAX with good workouts, keep it simple, but not EASY.
  • If you can’t do it, don’t Q it! – Challenge your PAX, but don’t turn a 45 minute workout into a CSAUP event. Use good judgment and don’t ask your PAX to do something that you can’t do yourself.
  • Pick up the SIX! – F3 is not like other workout groups. Here, it is you vs you and we pick each other up. We also EH new PAX weekly that are often as out of shape as the rest of us were when we began. Pick them up, encourage them. Appoint one of the PAX to hang back with them, if necessary.
  • Write your BackBlasts! This is part of the responsibility of being a Q. The simpler your workout, the easier the BBs are to write. It takes 5-10 minutes to do this. Just get it done.

With all this talk, you would think we didn’t actually do any work…we did. We kept it simple.

  • 4 cones in the shape of a square 50 yds apart. Do the following exercises at each cone, run to the next:
    • 5 burpees
    • 10 merkins
    • 10 big boy sit ups
    • Vinnie’s choice – 10 Freddie Mercury’s (4 count)

COT 

  • Announcements
    • Fast 5 – November 4th
    • CAH – Saturday, October 14th
    • BBQ Competition in Waxhaw
    • October 21st – run in Tega Cay to benefit Community Cafe
  • Prayer Requests
    • Marriages
    • Vegas
    • ST’s sister
    • CakeBoss’s sister

Thanks for the invitation Lake Dub!

 

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3

Week 1 of Q School at the Abyss

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This Wednesday started a month long opportunity for the PAX of Lake Wylie the hear more about the important responsibilities of a Q from veteran leaders around the Fort Region.  We’ll have Wednesdays in the month of October dedicated to teaching these valuable lessons.

This Wednesday started with the 1st Nantan of the Fort region, Double D!  It was a real pleasure having him share the history and some knowledge about F3 and important aspects of the Q.

Here’s what we did.

Mosey around the parking lot with some High knees, butt kickers, side shuffles and toy soldiers until we circled up.

I started the warmup  with the reason we count in cadence.  Cadence helps validate your authority to lead.  If you do an exercise that would normally be done in cadence WITHOUT counting  you are giving that authority to lead the group.  We broke down the three parts of counting in cadence.

ANNOUNCE the next exercise

MOVE the men into position

START the movement in cadence

After this instruction we went around the circle and had the men pick and exercise and count it out for the PAX

I handed it over to Double D and he shared more great tidbits about counting in cadence.  He asked the men who has not yet been a Q or only one time.  We had just a few guys that have not done so.  Double D had them come out and lead for an exercise.

Next we moseyed to the hill.

We discussed preparing for your Q.  Idea #1: Keep it simple.  If it takes you too long to explain, you can lose the men. If it’s too complicated to remember, the PAX will do their own thing.

With that in mind, we did 11s

Top of Hill 10 Merkins

Run down do 1 Big Boy Sit-up

Up the hill, reduce merkins by 1

Down the Hill add 1 to sit-ups

Easy to write, hard to do.  After this we moseyed to the circle by the front of the school.

Last words of wisdom for the group.  If you are not going to be with the PAX (you split the group up) make sure you pick exercises everyone knows.  I shared my experience leading just the weekend before at the Convergence.  Of the 20 exercieses I had that day, I picked a few exercises that the men didn’t know. Some of my favorites, the V-Up Twist and Squat Burpees (Thanks Witch Hunt).  Be careful not to make my same mistake.

We then bear crawled around the large circle…painful!

ran back to COT

Announcements

Praises and Prayers

Double D led us out in prayer.  Great to be with all the men and to have him there!

An Honor to Lead,

Royale

 

 

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5

Poopdeck got TireD

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Great attendance for my VQ, 14 PAX decided to show up and play with some toys.

Quick disclaimer and welcomed one FNG. Discussed about control and the power to influence or direct certain behaviors, especially our kids behaviors while they are growing up.

We started the warm up with a run around the parking lot, circled up and started with the following in cadence:

20 Moroccan Night Clubs

20 Low Slow squats

10 Windmills

10 Merkins

Then we moseyed down to the boat parking lot for a 4 station/corner setup with two big tires in the middle forming an X in between stations. Quick explanation of “benefits” and we split into four groups and one group went to each corner:

  • First  Corner:

10 Sledgehammer swings (choose between 8, 10 or 12 lbs sledgehammer)

15 big boy sit ups

20 American hammers

  • Second Corner:

10 lunges

15 squat jumps

20 monkey humpers

  • Third Corner:

10 Sand Bag Toss (choose between 40 or 60 lbs sandbag)

15 shoulder press

20 side straddle hops

  • Fourth Corner:

10 diamond merkins

15 regular merkins

20 count battle rope wave

After finishing exercises on each corner we bear crawled to the big tires, flip them 3-4 times (choose between 280 or 350 lbs tires) and then duck walked to the next corner; every time we finished a corner we repeated the bear crawl, tire flip and duck walk to move on to the following one.

Rinsed and repeated 3 times each corner for a speedy workout.

With 40 minutes into the workout we moseyed back to COT and finished strong with slow merkins: 5 diamond merkins, 10 regular merkins and 15 wide arm merkins.

Namearama and welcomed FNG “buckshot”

Announcements:

Ragnar Race

Community Cafe Race in Tega Cay

Fast 5 Race

Joe Davis Memorial Run

Prayers and Requests:

Family, kids, ragnar racers

We wrapped it up with a prayer we do with my kids were we thank God for our family, life, health, love, happiness, work and the necessary resources and provisions we receive every day to keep going on with our lives; we also ask that every kid in the world has access to a decent meal every day.

It was a great way to start a super busy day!!

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