Calmly 40 degrees at liftoff

WARMUP: Sat in warm cars until launch
THE THANG: Mosey through the neighborhood over to Catawba for a lap around the high school then head down White street to Peacan ridge, down and back. Extra jug handle loop at Forest creek for those trying to hit 5 miles. YHC led @U090MEQJQBW astray in the homestretch and got back to COT at 6:01. Rookie mistake
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel, Beers for Beetus and 4 B’s
COT: Several prayer requests were shared and YHC took us out.

TClap |
0

Chilly Monday Bread Maker Beatdown

WARMUP: SSH,IW,Hillbilly, Cherry pickers, Runners stretch, Down dog
THE THANG:
Mosey to Forest Creek Football field.

  • 2 lengths of the field.

Length 1: lunge walk 10 yards, Catalina wine mixers, increasing reps by 2 every 10 yards. After 50 yards, switch to Dragon walks and jump squats, decrease reps by 2 every 10 yards.
Repeat the process for another length with skips/big boys & karaoke/freddie mercurys

  • Bearmuda Triangle: Bear crawl to 1st cone, 1 burpee, Bear crawl to 2nd cone, 2 burpees, Bear crawl to 3rd cone, 3 burpees. Repeat for 3 total laps.
  • Partner work, 1 runs 50 yards while other performs the exercise. Plank, Al Gore, Plank, Al Gore, Flutters
  • 4 Corners of Merkins. Diamond, wide arm, staggered, ranger. Then mosey back to COT

MARY:

  • Heels to heaven
  • Metro sit ups
  • Navy seal sit ups
  • J-Lo’s
  • Pickle pointers

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-Bethel sign up genius is live in Mumblechatter
-Q school tomorrow
COT: Prayer requests and close out

TClap |
0

Egypt > Desert > Promised Land Bootcamp

WARMUP: We started with a mile around campus, fleeing Egypt with a few dynamic stretches along the way. Made sure to circle back for the six. @U5MQ8FHV0 stepped up with some Side Straddle Hops while YHC went back for @U02DKM63B7B.
THE THANG: We finally arrived in the Desert, a few parking lot islands away from the Promised Land.
25 Merkins, 25 Squats, 25 Big Boy Sit-Ups, followed by a controlled run to the next aisle. Repeat.
YHC also learned what a zipper is (and apparently isn’t).
Our first complaint came from @U02DKM63B7B, which seemed fitting considering the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness. He also appointed @U0BEBRDB5U7 as his proxy for any reps he wouldn’t be completing.
Once we reached 100 reps of each, we swapped Merkins for Dips, courtesy of @U08NJ8FF1PF.
We finished with a sprint around the parking lot perimeter, making our final push into the Promised Land.
MARY: A little Mary roulette followed, with @U011KKZ17U6 calling Jennifer Lopez, only for @U02DKM63B7B to discover someone was apparently doing the Ben Affleck instead. Hilarious.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Consider donating to F3 to support something that’s changed so many of our lives. Be proactive in providing food for Bethel Men’s Shelter. Convergence next month at the Ranch (apparently there’s good parking). The Excavation at Forest Hill Fort Mill is November 13. A few parties coming up, details of which YHC has not retained.
COT: Prayers for safe travels, a successful surgery for @UJKGM3VKJ and a speedy recovery. Prayers for @U0AQZ0DGP97 as he prepares to start his new job next month. Prayers for the Pope and for those requests left unspoken.

TClap |
0

Running Season is Here


WARMUP:
Mosey down hill behind school with various movements until reached the road loop at the bottom
THE THANG: Running and exercises until finish

First "mile" = Burpees followed by a lap, 4 total starting with 20, then 15, then 10, then 5

Second mile = Shoulder taps in cadence followed by a lap with similar pace partner(s), 4 total with same rep #s as before

Third mile = Sumo squats with slowest group starting first then middle group, then speedsters, only time for one lap so group 20 or 30 or 40 reps together depending on when they started the lap

Run home

MARY: 2 mins

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Beers for Beetus on 10/24 at Print Shop

COT: prayers for aging parents/inlaws, college age 2.0s, family and friends battling cancer and their caregivers

Strong effort today by all pax with terrific temps around 50 at launch. Everyone took advantage and pushed hard.

Simple weinke with spotlight on importance of looping in a partner (or more than one) when life gets tough and when adversity extends for a long stretch. Don't do life OYO!

Thanks for the hard work by all and the invite from brother Pauly!

TClap |
0

FORTeen Years

WARMUP: 14 Burpees
THE THANG: Mosey to center of WEP

Pax rotated into center based on year of 1st post (ie Class of 2026, 2025, 2024, etc). Varied exercises were performed by all including Burpees, Partner Derkins, Squats, Sumo Squats, SSH, Mtn Climbers, Mahktar N'Dyiae, Flutters, Freddys, Monkey Humpers, etc

Pax sprinted home for the finish.

MARY: She participated during the Thang

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel Shelters service

COT: Yes, of course, 5th Core Principle

The pax came early and stayed late to celebrate this Community of Brothers we call The Fort. For 14 years, men have posted in the Gloom of WEP and other wonderful sites throughout FM/TC (and in Rock Hill, Clover/LKW and now Chester) to sharpen each other, to hone leadership skills, and to prepare themselves and each other to tackle the ups and downs Life will regularly throw their way.

The number of men who've stood at COT in The Fort over these years exceeds 2,000. And roughly 200 pax keep the flame burning in 2026. Their continued participation is an individual choice, one they can't not keep making because, as they shared, they've found brotherhood, community, belonging and accountability in The Fort.

Who will be standing in COT in 2036 or 2046? Anybody? Nobody? You? Your son or son-in-law or grandson?

As Band Camp shared, we Get To make this choice. Each man stands apart from the general crowd in our culture in making this choice. And yet, each man of The Fort is no better than any other man who lives among us. All men are made of the same fiber in the same image of our Creator. As Dark Helmet said, every man is needed in the leadership mission required to bring to fruition the world our Creator intended. So stay in the game. Find the next man and bring him into the fold. Because 14 years of history only matters if we continue to bring Impact to men and our broader community today, tomorrow, next week and next year. #KeepPosting

TClap |
0

A hill and sauerkraut

WARMUP:

  • SSH / IW / WM
  • mosey to hill behind the school

THE THANG:

  • modified suicides
  • 5 stops with increasing exercise count: 10/20/30/40/50
  • exercises: squats, shoulder taps, monkey humpers, imperial walker
  • rest every 5 min: 10 burpees
  • brief broga
  • mosey back

MARY:

  • sally squads

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • read newsletter

COT:

  • was held
TClap |
0

Week 4 of 4 Shield-Lock-September

WARMUP: yes
THE THANG:
2 laps around the theater (apparently that's a far distance)
11’s with Burpees and Jump Squats
Ab Webb ft. Straight leg Freddy Mercurys
MARY: hold a plank and then American hammers
ANNOUNCEMENTS: newsletter
COT: yes

TClap |
0

Q-School

WARMUP: Disclaimer and mosey down the hill to a warmup circle with the following exercises in cadence
Windmills x 10
Cherry Pickers x 10
Imperial walkers x 10
5 burpees OYO
Hillbilly Walkers x 10
4 burpees OYO
Seal Jacks x 10
3 burpees OYO
Low slow squat x 10
hold peoples chair while doing moroccan night clubs x 10 and shoulder presses x 10 and recover
2 burpees OYO
1 burpee OYO
side straddle hops x 21 (just because)

Mosey to main event

THE THANG: 4 corners that escalated in cadence
The credo of F3 is leave no man behind but leave no man where you found him. In that spirit, pax stayed together at all four corners performing the following exercises at each corner in cadence unless otherwise specified:

Merkins
Squats
Lunges
Burpees

Corner 1 – 5 reps of each and NUR to corner 2 – burpees were OYO
Corner 2 – 10 reps of each and bear crawl to corner 3 – burpees were OYO
Corner 3 – 15 reps of each at NUR to corner 4 – Time Machine graciously asked for in cadence 6 count burpees, YHC obliged.

Corner 4 – 20 reps of each with flying squirrels OYO instead of burpees

2 10 counts, a reminder of the credo and a mosey to the light poles

Light pole 1 – 10 LBC's in cadence
Light Pole 2 – 10 Rosalitas in cadence
Light Pole 3 – 10 Hello Dollys in cadence
Light Pole 4 – Plank with salutations for a total of one minute
Light Pole 4 – 10 incline merkins in cadence

Mosey to COT for a 45 second body destroyer at Bird Cage's gracious request.

MARY: No time
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read you newsletter. Immediate need for Bethel on 10-1.
COT: 5th Core principle
NMM: Q-school provides us the opportunity to give the PAX a look at how to lead a workout. Choosing our credo as the theme today was not accidental. This credo creates an opportunity for tremendous impact in our lives and in the communities we serve. We show up for the man next to us and benefit as a result, taking another step in becoming #thatsomebody in our homes, neighborhoods, communities and world. How are you living out that credo in your life? It starts with the 2-3 people you will influence today.

Thanks for the opportunity, Pauly D.

TClap |
0

Kumquat

WARMUP: BC led that….it involved burpees in cadence, but only after some creative running

THE THANG: Split into 3 groups, was gonna be 4, but Tesh was late. Rotated at Esso's whistle. Band Camp's job was to travel the groups in reverse and …… "encourage" full completion of the exercises

Esso had arms
Shady had core
Slash had legs

It was pretty solid. We know this because Esso could barely move his arms after doing it 3 times, Shady has a massive F3 tramp stamp from the situps, and Slash actually worked out the full duration according to all accounts

MARY: Again Band Camp called more burpees.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletter
14th year convergence at WEP on 9/29

COT: We discussed why shield lock is important. AND that it may not work the first….or second….or third time you try to form one. A man leads from his shield lock, without it I'm not going to be the leader I'm capable of being.

It's kinda like having access to outside consultants who know what's up and are tasked with being honest to you even when you don't want it.

TClap |
0