Tag: Corruption

Less Planning = More Pain

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Somehow, it slipped YHC’s radar that today’s Golden Corral Q fell on him. Nevertheless, when this truth was brought to light 8 hours before launch, frantic efforts were made to plan SOMETHING. Six PAX joined YHC to learn what happens when little time is spent planning a beatdown. Here’s what we did…

Mosey 1½ times around the parking lot, including side shuffles, knees-to-chests, and toy soldiers before circling up in front of O’Reilly Auto Parts next to the bank. Following a quick warmup of the standards (SSH, windmill, low slow squats, and merkins), we moseyed around to the newly paved hill into the newly built apartment complex behind the Teeter.

The Thang

Beginning at the bottom of the hill, PAX will complete a certain number of burpees, run to the top of the hill, perform exercise on sheet taped to cone, run down the hill, more burpees, back up, etc. The breakdown of exercises:

  • 10 burpees at the bottom, 100 LBCs at the top
  • 9 burpees at the bottom, 90 squats at the top
  • 8 burpees at the bottom, 80 merkins at the top (crowd pleaser, this one)
  • 7 burpees at the bottom, 70 Freddie Mercuries at the top (double count)
  • 6 burpees at the bottom, 60 monkey humpers at the top
  • 5 burpees at the bottom, 50 pseudo planche merkins at the top
  • 4 burpees at the bottom, 40 dying cockroaches at the top (double count)
  • 3 burpees at the bottom, 30 hillbilly squat walkers at the top (single count)
  • 2 burpees at the bottom, 20 breakdancer merkins at the top (single count)
  • 1 burpee at the bottom, 10 v-sits at the top

38 Special didn’t get the memo on the descending number of burpees and proceeded to do 10 burpees each round until probably round 4 or 5. There’s always one who doesn’t get it, but good for him for doing the harder thing.

All PAX picked up the six and finished with a mosey to COT, arriving at exactly 0600. For being poorly planned, this turned into a perfectly timed workout.

Announcements:

  • PAINtheon Games, 13.June.2018, 0500
  • Hog and Coyote V, 16.June.2018, 0500 ruck, 0600 everybody else
  • Sweati, sometime in July, details generally lacking

Prayers and praises:

  • CAH – pray for the kids, the workers, the volunteers, and praises for the opportunities we’ve had to pour into them
  • Drummond and his family are handing two foster children over to their forever family this weekend. Prayers for the transition – the good parts, and the hard parts.
  • Per Drop Thrill, Donut Hole is being deployed again, so prayers for him and his family in the weeks/months ahead. (I never thought I’d type a sentence starting with “Per Drop Thrill, Donut Hole…”)
  • Prayers for all the PAX who are injured and for those looking for jobs (or otherwise “funemployed,” as Homebrew called it).

An honor to lead, even if unexpectedly.

Jedi

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Truck full of concrete at Colosseum

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If you’ve posted at the Colosseum, you know Jekyll guarantees it’ll be worth your time. So for all the future Q’s of this AO, the nation looks forward to you keeping the streak alive. Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to post with our brothers in Huntersville/Lake Norman and got absolutely smoked on a Wednesday morning as we spent much of the 45mins pushing cinder blocks around while bear-crawling the parking lot. It was way too painful to keep to myself. After all, we’re supposed to give it away, right?

With a little pre-hype on the machine yesterday, 21 brave souls joined me at The Colosseum and after a donation from Bonsai, I was able to ensure we had enough coupons. Little did I know that you can’t give some of these guys nice things because their way out of doing the workout is to break my blocks.

Once all were accounted for, we moseyed to the bus parking lot for an abbreviated wind mill and stretch session. This was purely at Santini’s request but wasn’t frowned upon by anyone. After all, when you get a request from the guy that EH’d you into F3, do you really have a choice? After that 2mins, we took off for the back entrance road which just so happened to be the launch point of Jekyll’s horribles last week. Some assurance was necessary as people got a little anxious while we stood there. I guess the memory was still fresh from the previous week.

At each light post, 10 SSH and 10 Freddy Mercury’s. Once you hit every light post, bring it back to the start where you get your form called out by none other than CSPAN…hmmm, seems ironic!! We love him anyways.

Now that we got that out of the way, mosey back to my truck where we begin the next chapter. Like a jewelry dealer opening their trench coat to show his watches, I opened the tail gate to reveal 25 cinder blocks. Oh, it’s on now. Grab a block and line up in a straight line with the basketball hoop. I also learned that for those speedy folks out there (that’s you, Tesh), I need to be very specific with my instructions.

Round 1:

10 Burpees

20 Carolina Dry Docks

30 Squats holding the block

Bear Crawl pushing the cinder block to the line at the other basketball hoop.

Round 2:

10 Bomb Jacks

20 Flutter Kicks with a Press

30 Bicep Curls

Bear Crawl pushing the block back to the start

Round 3:

10 Diamond Merkins

20: Deadlifts

30: LBC’s (with or without the block but seriously, is there really an option?)

Bear Crawl pushing the block to the other hoop.

Round 4:

10 Toe Touches (with or without the block)

20 Lunges (20 each leg)

30 Shoulder Press

Bear Crawl pushing it the block back to the start

Circle Up:

Staggered Merkins (6ea side)

Flutter Kicks w/ the press again

Ended with more bicep curls

As a Q, it is great to hear all the chatter but to then have that followed by the moaning and then…silence as the PAX are trying to stay focused, that’s affirmation. Great job to the guys and special T-claps to the next level’ers (Dark Helmet, Trucker and Bonsai) for throwing the ruck on during this. The original workout had a ruck or weight vest involved so I respect you for going that rout. I will join you with the ruck next time. The bear crawls pushing that block while wearing a ruck…that’s memorable.

Prayers:

Upcoming graduations, appreciation to the PAX for checking in on us and holding us accountable, Badger.

Jekyll…I thank you.

Until next time.

Maximus

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April Showers Bring More Burpees

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It rained all day Monday, through the night and the forecast was for more on Tuesday.   CSPAN was Q at The Ballroom, promising stories of OG glory along with cover.  Funhouse’s Ass Kicking April band wagon was rolling into Block Party as well.  So the question was how many pax would post to Colosseum for YHC’s first Q there in a LONG time.  The answer = 4 brave pax.  Some brief comments about rain coming and grumbling about Gunsu’s Q the prior week followed a brief Disclaimer, and then we launched.

The Thang

No wind and rain or lack of headlamps was going to intimidate this group so we took off for a run out the front parking lot and up the hill to 160 and the drive through cover at the bank branch on the corner.

COP – SSHs, Mtn climbers, IWs, Windmills, Merkins,  10 burpees OYO

Mosey over to the day care under the front entrance cover

People’s chair, Sumo squats, People’s chair, monkey humpers, People’s chair calf raises, 10 burpees OYO

Mosey to the  office building and the cover there

Merkins, Freddy Mercury, wide arm merkins, Flutter, diamond merkins, hello dolly, 10 burpees OYO

Mosey to Velux office under the front entrance cover

Shoulder taps, plank sequence, shoulder taps, plank sequence, shoulder taps, 10 burpees OYO

Run back to school

10 Burpees OYO

Run home

COT

NMM

Turned out to be a very nice morning for a workout.  Just enough light rain to provide cooling amid the sweat and gloom.  I was more than willing to take advantage of some cover for the workout, but there was no way I wanted to pass up the chance to run through the rain and stomp through some puddles.  The pax complied quite willingly and put forth a strong effort throughout.  Well done!

We spent the mosey time comparing notes on each man’s workday ahead.  We spend a lot of time in the gloom and I’m always amazed how little I know about the careers among the pax.  It was a treat to learn a little about everyone.

Before banging out the last set of burpees, we touched on the workday ahead and how we should all relish the privilege. Even the worst parts of the day would be better than those faced by people fighting disease (like Badger) or those without work or the many other people in the world who would gladly trade their challenges for our own.

Thanks to the men for posting and to Jekyll for the opportunity to lead.  We missed you, brother.

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Chilly Mid-April Morning at Colosseum

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9 men joined YHC for a cold beatdown.

Mosey around the parking lot.

WARMUP

  • 35 Side Straddle Hops
  • 10 4 count merkins
  • 20 4 count mountain climbers
  • 10 4 count windmills
  • 20 4 count heels to heaven
  • 20 4 count pickle pounders
  • Honeymooner to stretch out the abs

The THANG

Line up at the first line of a series of 19 arrows the run down the back road at Gold Hill Middle

  • 1 burpee per arrow (19 total)
  • run back to start and LBC for six
  • Xs and Os in cadence
  • 3 jump squats per arrow (57 total)
  • run back to start and LBC for six
  • Captain Thors to 5×20
  • 3 merkins per arrow (57 total)
  • run back to start and LBC for six
  • boats and canoes

Mosey to the benches under the awning

  • 10 burpee box jumps
  • protractor
  • rinse & repeat x 3

Mosey to COT

Xs and Os

COT

Announcements for Convergence, Sweettooth Run, Strawberry Festival

Praise for good cancer diagnosis, safety through weather, other health progress. Prayers for Badger, back injury, and safe travel.

– Ginsu

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Colosseum Classic (yes, wall and light poles)

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Beautiful 50F AM at the Colusseum
Mosey through Pickup Lanes x2
Mosey Hill with the light poles
Worked our way up the hill stopping at each light pole:
  • 30x SSH
  • 10x Slow Windmill
  • 25x Moroccan Nightclub
  • 20x 4-count mountain climbers
  • Plank – Reg, L, Reg, R, 6”, Reg
  • 10x Merkins
  • 15x Al Gore calf raises
  • 10x Burpees
YHC had just read “What Radical Husband’s Do” a couple of points were shared.
Give Acceptance to your Wife… Criticism comes from a place of Judgement… which means you are suggesting you are the judge (you aren’t)
Over the wall 11’s + 2
  • Big Boy Sit-ups (1, 2… 10)
    • Over the wall
  • Donkey Kicks (10, 9… 1)
    • Over the Wall
  • +2 Burpees (+2 each round)
Encouragement of the PAX was strong finishing this one
Drop the Rope… most small fights are like tug of war. Everything is small. Drop the rope more often.
Box jumps on Benches x20 until 6min to go…
Mary
  • American Hammer’s
  • Flutter
  • Holly Dolly
  • Protractor
  • Straight up picks – some rendition Holly Dolly + Dying Cockroach
  • Jekyll picks – Rosalita
Twister showed us all out to count (loud under that GHMS awning!)
COT
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ has loved the church (people) and gave Himself up for her.
Prayers
  • T-Squares wife Michelle Angeldorf – surgery colon (laproscopic) 4/11
  • Jekyll – Mrs. Ann Griffin passed away
Praises
  • Straight up – that Longshanks crushed 2 Spartan Races this weekend
  • Longshanks – that Mom got to be around for Spring Break

Thanks Jekyll for the opportunity

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Nothing but Left Turns

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6 on the track this morning.

Mile warmup

Dynamic Stretching.

35 minute AMRAP of:

800 meters (fast)
400 Meters (recovery)

.5 mile recovery run followed by Some Broga.

COT and BOM with Laces In.

Thank you Haggis for posting in The Fort today and reminding us how much slower we are than the guys in SOB. Appreciate it.

Shanks Out

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Man in the Arena

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Perfect gloom conditions.  15 studs out for a beatdown.  Opened with Teddy Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Warm up:

  • warm up 70%  sprints between each exercise
    • SSH, Squat, SSH, Merkin

The Thang:

  • 4 corners- run in between- (abt 30 yards) Rinse/Repeat x 5
    • 3 burpee
    • 4 bombjacks
    • 5 merkin
    • 6 squat
  • Ark Loader Series- 30 yards, Rinse/Repeat x 3
    • Bear Crawl down, 10 merkins
    • Lunge walk back, 10 squat
    • crab walk down, 10 LBC
    • Backward Bear Crawl back, 10 CDD
  • 6 minutes of Mary
    • flutter
    • rosalita
    • protractor
  • Sprint Series
    • 2 x 70%
    • 1 X 85%
    • 5  X 100%

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

Jedi and Straight Up were out front today, all morning.  No surpise here.  Lots of great mumblechatter as the men answered the call for a beatdown and were all in.

 

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Laces: Super 21 on Maundy Thursday

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Laces In:

Slight Mosey to student parking lot

Warm Up – COP
SSH x20
Imperial Walker x10
Hillbilly Walker x10
Windmill x10
Cherry Picker x10

Mosey to Band Practice lot

Super 21s (variation) – Inspired by JWOWW’s VQ at the Hive which used a deck of cards and got me thinking about 21. Then I found Super 21s listed in the F3 Exercises………I wondered why I hadn’t done these before in a workout. Turns out doing Super 21s makes it difficult to raise your arms later…..like days later.

1 merkin to 1 low slow squat
repeat to 10 reps of each
Flutters x21
11-13 reps of merkin/LSS
Hello Dollys x21
14-15 reps of merkin/LSS
Freddie Mercuries x21
16-17 reps of merkin/LSS
Lap around the Painted Lot
18-19 reps of merkin/LSS
Box Cutters x21
20-21 reps of merkin/LSS
Rosalitas x21
(Total of 231 merkins and squats)

Slight mosey to side of Ceramics Studio

Found some curb – stretch calves
Calf raises x21
Wall Sits (slight discussion of the brass technique of multiple tonguing: generated a good deal of mumble chatter)

PAX mentioned (sarcastically?) that if we just did 19 more merkins, we would reach 250. With the challenge laid down, PAX completed 19 merkins and 19 low slow squats. (Total of 250 merkins and squats: except for Trucker who complete 280 and added that to the Name-o-rama so YHC wouldn’t forget.)

Plank up – Because Abiding (see note below) requires flexibility:
Honeymooner to Down dog variations
Stretch out the legs
Leg raises in down dog
One leg plank
Knee taps to elbow x5
Knee taps to opposite elbow x5
Repeat with opposite leg
Pigeon Lunges
Butterfly stretches
Seated forward bends (i.e., touch your toes sitting down)

Mosey back to COT
American Hammers x21

The word for the month is abide. Abiding in God is active alignment of our will to the Lord’s. This is opposed to “the dude” passively abiding in the Big Lebowski. I gave a brief message about how we can abide in what is happening around us or we can strive to abide in God. The word is not a passive acceptance our circumstances, at least not in a scriptural sense.

We also discussed, while sitting against a wall, how I approach my (music) studio teaching at Winthrop. There’s practice dedicated to maintenance/growth at technical elements and the physical skills required to play the instrument (this is how triple tonguing came up), and then there’s practice learning assigned repertoire. Practicing only repertoire means the physical skills needed for new piece/work must be learned from scratch…..every time. Having a set routine for maintenance and growth means the fundamentals on the instrument are already in place, i.e., you’re in shape. At this point, learning repertoire is simply a matter of applying skills you already possess.

My short (5 months) time with F3 reminds me of this model. A routine to develop ourselves (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) so that when we encounter challenges (repertoire) it is only a matter of applying skills we either already posses or are honing. One of the hardest parts of each workout for YHC is leaving the comfort of the bed for the gloom. Yet we are all on this planet (its own form of gloom) called to seek God’s purpose for us and abide in that. I’m grateful to have shared this morning with PAX doing just that . . . . even if that means YHC can barley raise his arms to type a backblast.

Not sure what happened at Laces Out. . . . I’m assuming they ran and can currently lift their arms.

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Slippery When Wet

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Rain stopped promptly at 5:00 leaving us with nice wet surfaces.

After welcome & disclaimer started with a short mosey over to band practice parking lot. 20 SSH, 20 mountain climbers, 20 flutters, 20 bombjacks, and 20 boxcutters wrapped it up, followed by a short talk about anxiety and digging down to the underlying reasons for it.

We then mosey down to the bottom of US21 entrance for The Thang:

Four stations at each light pole to top of hill. Sequence: 1 > 2 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4

  • Station 1: 10 burpees
  • Station 2: 20 big boy situps
  • Station 3: 20 Merkins
  • Station 4: 30 Squats
  • Rinse & repeat

Mosey to building entrance, everyone Al Gore while rotating one pax 5 burpees at a time.

Mosey back to football field parking lot for CoT with a reminder that while many times we need to fight our anxieties, sometimes we need to surrender them.

Had a great time leading my VQ, thanks to all who showed up in spite of rain.

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We got our 28+ at The Colosseum

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We had a total of 28 guys in The Fort region post yesterday (Monday, Feb 26) amidst the rain so I threw out the challenge of getting 28 men out to the Colosseum this AM. With some help from Jeckyll, Pusher, Ginsu, Cha Ching and a few others, we got that done. The PAX made it even better when that was just the boot camp number as we totaled 31 with our 3 runners included.

I can not even begin to tell you how humbled I was to see headlight after headlight roll in and to have 27 other guys run around this AO at 0515 with me. As Assassin mentioned in COT, we do in fact know how special it is to be blessed with the opportunity to be out with the PAX on just another Tuesday morning. To see some faces out there that I haven’t seen in quite a while was great. With the chatter that ensued, I knew I had better bring it.

So after our disclaimer and the departure of the Pathfinder runners, us boot campers jogged to end of the back parking lot. We counted off to our number of 27  at the time and dropped down for a 2min plank followed by a 2min reverse plank. Well 90 seconds into that latter plank, we had a masked ninja run up to join us for our lucky number 28. That ninja also goes by the name STRAIGHT UP  and man, it was good to have him join us.

1/2 of 28 equals 14 Burpees so that is what we did followed by 28reps of the following:

Dying Cockroach, Boats & Canoes, Jumping Lunges, Jump Squats, X&O’s, American Hammers, Monkey Humpers and Squat Calf-Raises

We partnered up for:

Partner 1: Run to the 1st speed bump and back
Partner 2: Diamond Merkins then flap jack

Partner 1. Run to the 3rd speed bump and back

Partner 2: Merkins then flap jack

Partner 1: Run to the gate that was no longer in existence

Partner 2: Carolina Dry Docks or some ab work then flap jack

Bring it back to the GHMS side of the bus parking lot and circle up for some coupon work.

Begin with the 30lb Ruck and 35lb Kettle Bell on opposite sides of the circle. When the coupon came to you, 10 bicep curls of your choosing while the rest of the PAX cycled through Freddy Mercury, Rosalitas and Flutter Kicks.

COT

Announcements: Read that Sunday email containing your F3 Newsletter. New AO launching from Regent Park. Includes (br)yoga, run and coffeeteria  (contact Cake Boss or Sasquatch) every Friday. Don’t forget about the drive for 218 FNG’s. Reading center opportunity (service).

Prayers/Praises: Flat Tire’s new promotion, Straight Up’s wife is feeling better and S.U. is back with us. Cornerstone’s daughter Emma had her last chemo pill last night and will be ringing the bell soon. Ginsu’s daughter took her first steps yesterday. Jeckyll’s son is now a Boy Scout and Jeckyll has now handed over the leadership. Prayers for Mr. Clean and his desire to be out in the gloom. Prayers for Squeaky for what he is facing right now. Praises for reconnecting with my daughter.

Thank you again for coming out in the gloom.

Maximus

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