Tag: Casey Jones

Block Party – Q School With Double D and Cake Boss

Leave a comment

15 or so PAX came to the latest installment of Q school with YHC and Double D.

Double D gave the intros and we quickly realized some PAX might have come for a regular beat down, only to find out we were teaching how to give a beat down.

Double D took the 201 PAX and I took the 101 PAX and we instructed best we could. (See documents on website)

Again, it was hot a mofo out there and we were dripping even teaching the beat down, not just delivering it.

We regathered at about 0550 and answered some final questions from the PAX.

t-clap’s to all the PAX looking to lead. Its amazing what can happen from leading a group of guys in a boot camp. Things start to happen and confidence is grown…..no more sad clown!

Thanks to Ginsu for  the lead and we look forward to all these new Qs in the mix!

 

TClap |
2

The Coop 2017.29

Leave a comment

I was greeted this wonderful morning by over 20 gentlemen that all came to get stronger.  This is not an AO on my routine schedule, but I love it and sneak over here for the pull-up bars on occasion.  It’s the first time I’ve gotten to Q here so guess what?  We’re all going to be sick of the bars before we leave.

Warmup: SSH, Merkins, Freddys

Break up into groups of 3.  Groups of 3 will provide adequate rest between exercises.  This workout is to build strength, not endurance.  Just don’t check twitter while occupying the bench and we’re cool…

Upper body superset: (this is drop set, each exercise is a similar muscle group but an easier movement, so you do more reps)
4 pull-ups, 6 negatives, 8 assisted (one partner gives you a foothold)
Once done Al Gore till the 6 comes in, 10 jump squats, al-gore 30 seconds, 10 jump squats
Core superset:
8 knees to chest, 12 hanging tuck toe pointers, 16 bicycles
Al Gores and jump squats

Repeat the whole thing!

At some point I tried to be a good Q and have a discussion about the topic of the month, and then someone farted…

Stay in groups and head to the bottom of the hill for a 3man Dora.  100 merkins, 100 squats, 100 LBCs.  This is more or less a warmup for your legs, and cool down for your upper and core.ki

Stay in groups for a 3man relay race up the hill and back.  If you don’t almost lose control of some bodily function on this one, you have something left in the tank…  Back to COT.

Moleskin

At COT I gave an explanation of why I train, but to sum it up: I like having solutions to problems.  Some solutions come as physical abilities.  Read the newsletter.

 

TClap |
5

Only you can define Moderate and reflection from my 30’s

Leave a comment

After a 2 1/2 year Slowburn Q ban, YHC was honored to lead 24 #HIMS on a “Create you own Adventure” workout in the 80 degree 150% humidity gloom. After a brief discussion on the moderate and an even shorter disclaimer, we left the CFA parking lot destined for glory.

The Thang

Mosey down to the Parking lot in front of empire pizza. Circle up for:
SSH x 10
Windmills x 10
IW x 10
Peter Parkers x 10

Mosey to the lot in front of Charandas and circle up again
Slow Squats x 10
Slow Merkins x 10
Slow Sumo Squats x 10
Slow WideArm Merkins x 10

Mosey to the Parking lot next to what used to have the bouncy stuff and grab a piece of chalk. Talk the chalk and write an exercise in a parking spot and then write x 40 after it. Partner up and go to a parking spot to start. Do the exercise in the parking spot then run a lap around the bushes (about .08 per lap) and then go to a different spot. You and your partner decide which spots to go to and whether you want to do 40 each or 40 total (20 each).

Spots (exercises included)
LBC’s
Merkins
Burpees
Flutter
Dips
Plank Roes
Scorpion Dry Docks
WideArm Merkins
Freddy Mercury
Box Cutters
and more ab exercise

with about 8 minutes left to go YHC called time

Mosey over to strip in front of the stores as I gave a short testimony about reflecting on my 30’s (don’t worry the longer version is in my moleskin at the bottom). As promised, since its my Birthday everyone got a cupcake (its what we called a suicide growing up, but with youth taking their lives at a younger age due to the pressures put on them, we decided at Basketball to call them cupcakes no instead of suicides).

After the cupcake we moseyed back to CFA for COT and BOM

Announcements – CAH workout next Friday still looking for a Q (contact NASA if interested), F3 Dads this Saturday

Prayers – Smithers in-law close to passing from Cancer, Dark Helmets friend also close to passing from Cancer, Marriages, Qbert’sDar 64 year old father who lost his job yesterday

Moleskin
1. Would like to thank Barry Manilow for allowing be back to Q at this wonderful AO and to all the PAX who came out (or posted elsewhere) that have wished me a happy birthday.

2. Moderate – what does it mean. Well it all means something different to all of us, what it doesn’t mean is easy. Think about moderate this way. If i’m someone who doesn’t drink alcohol very often, 1-2 drinks may be a moderate amount. If I drink a little more frequently 3-4 or a six pack might be moderate. Whereas an alcoholic may think moderate is 7-8 drinks. The point is this applies to your fitness level as well. What I think is moderate may be different than what someone else thinks is moderate. The key is to keep posting and keep getting better.

3. Life in my 30’s – Short Version -turned 30 in 2007, seperated from wife and started going to church again in 2011, divorced finalized in 2012, started going to F3 in October 2013, lost my father to cancer in June 2014, got remarried in August 2015, turn 40 today. Now you see, its more complicated than that. Long Version – In 2007 i thought I had it all was married had a couple of dogs, had a job teaching and coaching, everything was good (just not great). But something in me wanted more. I wanted a family. At this point in my life I was working a lot and my wife at the time worked a lot too. We weren’t going to church, had no relationship with God/Jesus, and really had no time for each other. Was even told my wife at the time that she didn’t want me and that we didn’t have time to be intimate. I turned to Porn. When that wasn’t enough I cheated on my wife. That lead down the path to separation and divorce. It also lead me back to going to church and listening to God’s word. My divorce went final in October 2012. In December 2012 I started dating Elizabeth. In September 2013 we broke up. While broken up I decided to give this F3 thing a try. Santini Q’ed and I already knew half the guys as I was teaching/or had taught many of their kids. On that first Saturday in October in 2013 I struggled through the workout and was given the name Longshanks (evil king in Braveheart). I would post sometimes, just not often. In March 2014 I asked Elizabeth to marry me before heading off to a Spartan Race in Charlotte. She said yes. 3 days later my dad called to tell me he had Pancreatic Cancer, 3 months later he was gone. Married my M in August 2015, and turned 40 today.

4. Back when I was in my early 30’s I thought I had a good amount of guy friends, which may be kind of hard when you teach elementary school PE and there’s only 3-5 guys in the entire school. When I went through my separation and divorce I realized that the almost all the guys I considered my friends were actually just husbands of my ex-wifes friends. I had almost nobody to turn to. Luckily a few guys pointed me back to the church. I got involved in volunteering and being part of a mens a group. Shortly after that I started coming to F3, although at first I didn’t make it a workout priority, I would go on Saturdays if I woke up on time (not always easy when coaching and getting home late Friday nights). If I didn’t wake up to go to F3, I would just go to the gym and do a fern workout. I realized something was still missing so I made it a point to start going to F3 more often. About the same time I started going more often I engaged and that was celebrated by the PAX and my dad learned he had cancer and eventually passed and the PAX where there for me during that too. The thing I’ve realized over the last almost 4 years of coming to F3 is that as long as you are willing to be part of the PAX by posting regularly, the PAX will be there for you when you need it. I know that from being a part of F3, my faith is stronger, my relationship with my M is better, and I feel like a better leader in my house and my community.

5. Keep Posting. Keep mentioning your prayers and praises. Keep getting better!! We are all in this together.

Shanks out (mic drop)

TClap |
34

Week 1 of Q School at #F3BlockParty

Leave a comment

 

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.
TClap |
1