Tag: Bonsai

Fun filled morning at The Deep

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I have to admit I was excited to get the invitation from Royal to come out to the Deep and Q.  This gave me the opportunity to visit another AO and share the Bonsai Tree which deep down all Pax have a love hate relationship when they hear me call that exercise.

So I started out the workout with the typical F3 disclaimer, but really reinforced the part about pay attention to your body because it was already extremely warm and very humid.  Last thing I want is for someone to have a heat stroke.

After that bit of a warning we moseyed over to the track and football field for a little warmup and quickly I realized I left my wienkie at home so I had to try and remember everything I had planned.

Warmup:
SSH
Hilly Billy Walker
Merkins
…honestly I can’t remember if there was anything else

The Thang:
We started out with the first half of the Merkin mile and for the merkin count we did (9 merkins and 6 merkins) for laps 1 and 2.  The way this works is you do 9 merkins at the begging of the lap and then at the opposite corner you do 9 again.  Then on lap 2 you do 6.

After everyone completed 2 laps we moved over to the middle of the field and luckily there were flags placed out on the field 3 in a row going across the field and a series of about 8 rows (NOT BY THE Q) so we used them to do the following:

Start on one side an do a cross country skier action and you work side ways toward the first flag and then bear crawl to the next flag.  One you reach the end of that row jog up to the next row.

Row 2: Hop down the line moving feet apart and back together working down the line to the flag.  Repeat bear crawl until the end

Row 3:  Ski hop down to flag, repeat bear crawl

Row 4:  Face toward goal post with feet together and hop to the right toward flag, repeat bear crawl

Row 5: Face left and repeat same as #4.

Rinse and repeat back up the field

After completing this series of exercises we moved over to the track and did LBCs and flutters so I could catch my breath before the completing the merkin mile.

Complete merkin mile with merkin counts of 3 and 1

Move back over to the field where we partnered up and did the following:

Partner 1 put exercise band around waist and Partner 2 held band with resistance as #1 broad jumped to next row of flags.  Then partners performed 5 rounds of the Bonsai Tree each.  Rinse and repeat for Partner 2

Next Partner 1 has band around waist and with resistance from P2 runs to the second row of flags (approx 30 yds).  Then P1 and P2 take turns doing hamstring curls.  Rinse and repeat going back.

At this time the sun was starting to peak over the trees and it was time to head back to the truck for some coupons (aka cinder blocks) and grab some water.

After grabbing the blocks we started with over head carry as we worked our way around the school stopping to do various exercises such as chest press, LBC, upright rows, wall sits.  However Olaf decided to bring his poppers with him and thew one toward the Q while on my six so we had to stop and do burpees for his shenanigans.  After several exercises we would continue make the loop around the school with overhead carry while moving.  We also stopped for balls to the wall and burpee box jumps (do a burpee and then jump on top of cinder block then jump to other side of block and do another burpee (repeat 5 times).

After completing the loop we ended back up at COT just in time and maybe a minute or two more of extra credit.

Lots of prayer request where thrown out for Pax and families including Lutekfisk mother, Cornerstone’s 2.0, jobs and 2.0s and Ms.

Gentlemen it was an honor to be invited to Q and lead a bunch of #Hims.  Thanks to the fellow Fort Mill (Lake Ridge) pax for coming out and thanks to Lake Wylie pax for showing as well.  This is a great AO and I encourage others to go out and check this place out.

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Board of Pain Tabata style

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As the Pax started to gather around this morning I gave a heads up that they needed to get loosened up because there wouldn’t be a warm-up this morning.  Some heeded my warning and some didn’t.  When it hit 5:14 I began to give the normal speech and tell the group we were about to take on the Board of Pain.  However there was one catch to it.  We would work our way through the Board of Pain, but we weren’t going to be counting.  We would do 7 rounds of Tabata each exercise.

For those who don’t know what Tabata is it is where you do a set of exercises for a predetermined amount of time by exercising for 20 sec and then take 10 sec off and keep rotating through.  For us we rotated exercises after 7 rounds of 20/10.  Needless to say I didn’t get to 100 burpees, but I was fine with that.

During the workout I failed as a Q because I had promised music and when I attempted to play the music the speaker wasn’t working.  I believe it had to do with the 150% humidity that morning, but its still a failure on my part.  Luckily fellow pax Change Order and Lutefisk saved me by performing for us several songs including Ice Ice Baby timed perfectly during one of our 10 second counts.

The Thang:

Burpees
Calf Raises
Ski Abs
Merkins
Squats
LBCs
CDC
Am Hammer
Mac Tar Jai

100 Maracain Night Club because I didn’t want to have to Jump Squats for the last 2 minutes

This workout was one of those workouts where you get all 3 Fs during the 45 minutes which was awesome to be apart of.

It was an honor to lead!  Thanks for the opportunity

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Golden Corral – RUCK HEAVY

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It was an awesome morning and 19 PAX showed up to put some work in.  11 of us went to get our RUCK on.  Maximus had reached out and asked if I would be interested in a Co-Q with him as I’ve been freeloading for long enough.  I was pumped for the opportunity and gladly accepted.

WOD:

Grab a couple sandbags and ruck to our Warm-Up

Partner up and play a little catch me if you can… 5 Merkins

Shoulder Press

Upright Row

Curl

Tricep Extensions

Calf raises

Mary – Dead CockRoach, LBC, Flutter Kick

Then he passed the torch….

Indian run with merkins for two rotations through until we got back to the coupons (Ruck On for the rest of the WOD)

Picked up coupons and mosey to a nice gravel hill I found.  Two Groups, first group does squats while group 2 bear crawls up the hill . When six returns we switch.

5 burpees – OYO

Just for fun bear crawl up the gravel hill, then sprint to a marked destination

The PAX where in for a surprise, I drove up early that morning and dropped coupons for their enjoyment.

3 foot cement filled pipe – 7 foot cement filled pipe – 2 Sandbags – 5 gallon bucket filled with 4.5 gallons of water (the worst) – 30lb ammo can – (Add in the three previous sandbags we had that makes 10 coupons) – 11th Pax lost strap privlages.

Make our way to our next destination, while Rucking Heavy

Line up and grab some wall, Rucks on Laps, last guy passes his ruck down the line and sprints to catch it, then grabs some wall until the last guy gets his ruck back. (Gave us a chance to see who Rucks Heavy, and who carries a few barbie dolls)

Leave coupons mosey to a step up wall.

Partner 1 – 10 burpees while Partner 2 does step ups – switch and repeat

2 Double time laps around the oil change and back to repeat the wall rotation and pass.

Grab the coupons and make our way to my truck, we then caught the BC and did some Mary.

P & P

Mastodon, CAH, F3 Dads

Prayers:

Sick kids, Sen. Tressel family, Deacons wife (pregnant)

 

Was happy to lead and know I have a ton to work on but had a great time and can’t wait until the next time.  I mentioned during the WOD that typically the hardest part of a GoRuck event is carrying odd shaped coupons.  We get comfortable with our sand bags and logs.  So from now on if I Q expect some odd shaped coupons coming with.

Until next time, keep it on two wheels, RAD!

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Squad Goals

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20 Men (1 FNG) posted at the Swamp.  11 Ruckers went off to do Rucker things while 9 stayed with YHC for a little AMRAP.

 

We previewed the course and had a little COP including Windmills, Imperial Walkers, and Moroccan Night Clubs.

 

The Thang:

30 Minutes Partner AMRAP, Half a Mile Circuit with 7 stations:

  • 20 Merkins
  • 20 Big Boy Sit Ups
  • 20 Peter Parkers
  • 20 Parker Peters
  • 20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 1 Burpee x Lap Count

Moseyed to COT for 5 MOM:

  • Too many Flutters
  • Just enough American Hammers
  • A touch of Freddy Mercury

 

Naked Man Moleskin:

I had a Cake Boss worthy Homily to share this morning, but maintaining order is more important than imparting wisdom during the 1st F Q.  So, you get the abbreviated (and likely better thought out) version here.

At the beginning of the AMRAP, I asked the guys to partner up with a guy who was comparable fitness-wise.  I asked them to share how many laps they thought they could get around the course.  I have no idea what each guy said, but the intent was to push each other to meet that goal.  I stayed with the FNG and visiting Java from Raleigh.

The purpose of this, and what I wanted to close out with, is that if we aren’t setting goals, we are just going through the motions.  There was some chatter on the twitter machine about moderate workouts being #problematic.  Someone put it best when they said “as long as the guys are working to get better, that’s not an issue”.  So my question to all PAX, regardless of fitness level, is “what are your goals”.  My 1stF goals this year are to a.) run 1500 miles and b.) finish my second marathon in 3:30 or better for a PR.  The reason I put it here is because goals only matter if someone keeps you accountable for them (thus the partner AMRAP).

Every PAX should have a goal for all three F’s, because all 3 F’s are important.  Beyond the F’s, this branches out into your personal and professional life.

Set Goals, Don’t just Coast.   You’ll be amazed at what you can do.

 

Honor to Serve.

 

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Week 1 of Q School at #F3BlockParty

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23 strong for Q101

Disclaimer and official notes listed below:

See you next week

Q101 – First Time Q

PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to assist the new Q in preparing for and leading his first workout,

 

PHILOSOPHY

Q – Pax Relationship:  The unspoken social contract between the Pax and a Q:  “We will follow until you give us a reason not to”.  The Pax are very forgiving toward a new Q.  Most have been through it and understand the anxiety.

 

PREPARATION

Considerations for the first few Qs:

 

  1. Launch a quick grenade over twitter, let local Pax know that this is your VQ, most F3 vets enjoy being part of a VQ Pax.  
  2. Simplicity/Complexity and Originality
    1. Keep the Weinke simple. The fewer moving parts the better.  Many first-time Q Weinke’s are too complicated.

Keep it familiar.  New exercises or sets that require more than the briefest of explanations usually lead to confusion.

    1. Don’t be shy about stealing a Weinke, or parts of a Weinke, from another more-experienced Q.

 

  1. Go with strengths: “Don’t Q it if you can’t do it.”

 

  1. Cadence Counting – PRACTICE THIS, OUT LOUD, BEFORE FIRST Q
      1. Next exercise is [brief pause], the merkin.  
  • The Pax then repeats the exercise called.
  • Speak loudly so all Pax can hear.  You are in charge.
      1. Start(ing) position [brief pause], Move.  
  • Not “exercise” position.  Start position.  
  • The “Move” is to get the Pax to the position required to begin exercise. The “Move” is not a command to begin exercising.
      1. In cadence [brief pause], Exercise.  
  • In cadence simply means the Q counts the movements (1-2-3) and the Pax calls out the repetitions in unison (“One!”).
  • The Q counts should correspond to a distinct movement in the exercise. It is in rhythm. For example, for a merkin: “1” is the movement to the down position, “2” is the movement to the plank position, “3” is the movement back to the down position, the Pax call of “One!” is the move back to plank position.
  • The Q indicates the completion of an exercise by a higher inflection on his last repetition.

See Dredd’s excellent tutorial on the how and why of cadence counting:  http://f3nation.com/2012/02/22/f3-tv-how-to-count/

NOTE: When a Q does not lead an exercise in cadence that would normally be done that way, he is giving away his authority to lead the Pax.  He is implicitly telling the Pax that he not able to count in cadence or is not willing to learn.

 

  1. Weinke review with Site Q or experienced Q. Not required, but a good idea for a vet to check for potential issues.

 

  1. Too long, too short: It takes a few times go get a good feel for how long your Weinke will take to execute.  Be flexible if running too long and have a couple of stand-by ideas in mind in case you run long. Think through transitions from one set to another. Minimize dead time, standing around.

 

  1. Tap a vet – if you need time to get unsmoked or burned through Weinke in 30 minutes, there’s no shame in asking a vet to lead Mary or the next section of the workout.

 

EXECUTION

  1. FNG inquiry and Disclaimer – every workout should start with an FNG Inquiry and Disclaimer
    1. Disclaimer:  
      1. Why: We want to disclaimer in front of Pax because having witnesses adds a layer of protection above asking if they’ve read it on the website.
      2. What: Main points in your own words:
        1. I am not a professional
        2. This is self-policing: Stop or modify the exercises as required

 

  1. Take control—be the leader.  Be assertive, don’t mumble. If something doesn’t work and you have to audible, acknowledge it and move on to the next exercise. Don’t apologize, just move on.

 

  1. Observation – Do your best to keep an eye on the pax during the workout to see if you are losing people, either from it being too easy, too confusing, or too hard.  During your first few Qs, it is hard enough just to make it through the workout.  Ask your Site Q or another experienced Q to keep an eye on things and whisper in your ear if needed.

 

FOLLOW UP

  1. Twitter counts – check with Site Q on whether he or the Q will tweet the count.  Remember to use workout tag (i.e., #TheArmoryF3 also include @F3TheFort ) and the #F3Counts tag.

 

  1. Backblast –
    1. Part of the workout Qs responsibility to post the Backblast, not the Site Q.  The Site Q may volunteer to post the Qs first workout on his behalf but that is at his discretion .
    2. Get backblast credentials BEFORE first Q so that you are prepared to write up BB when it’s done.  The website interface is not difficult and will take only a few minutes to learn.  Here again, your Site Q will be an invaluable aid in assisting you to post your first BB.
    3. Get login credentials from The Fort’s Comz Q wordpress@f3thefort.com

 

  1. Post Mortem – follow up with your Site Q about what went right, what could be improved, what was a disaster, etc.  Seek out honest feedback from other veteran Q and Pax.  The best way to improve is to address your weaknesses head on.
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