Tag: Dark Helmet

2020.43

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Maximus’ half

Disclaimer
Mosey on Confederate St to Main St then back to lot to turn left onto Monroe White St up to Tom Hall then back to the lot.
SSH x 10
Carolina Dry Docks (CDD) x 10
Peter Parkers x 10
CDD x 10
Parker Peters x 10
CDD x 10
3mins of Cherry Pickers & dumping them in the bucket
Up the Church steps and down, up and down, then up to Tom Hall then back to the lot.
Overhead Clap x 10
Merkins x 10
Overhead Press x 10
Diamond Merkins
Overhead Clap
CDD
3-tier suicides with 5 burpees at the end
5mins of Cherry Pickers & dumping them into the bucket

Tesh’s half

Mosey to the big CoG parking lot.

Suicides from the sidewalk to the middle of each row of parking spaces (3 progressions), and when you get past each line, chest to ground, hope back over the line, chest to ground, run back.

Honeymooners from hell (I can’t explain), one ab exercise [dying cockroach, JLo, flutter, snap-crackle-pop, freddy mercs]

Repeat 5 times.  Combination of redlining your heart rate and then simulating a 1 rep max on your core.  (If you’re Johnny Utah, chest to ground means 3 merkins…)

Mosey back to COT. (Air humpers with feet on the wall along the way.)

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Minnow Power

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Seven pax arrived at Minnow Pond on a 62° perfect morning.

Pledge and launch/run to stop “A” which is the small parking lot on Ardrey St. between WEP and the Springs building.

Here the routine is described: board of pain with pairs of exercises. Pax need to do a total of 100 of the pair and can split it up any way they want (i.e. 15 Merkins and 85 squats). Also known as pick your poison.

Then run to stop “B” which is the big parking lot behind Pike. Get there via: Ardrey to Harris to Massey. Distance is 0.7 miles. There’s a board there too. Same deal, pick your poison to the total of 100 reps.

Rinse/repeat run the same route; back/forth between “A” and “B”.

Stop “A” exercises:
Merkins/Squats
Dips/Monkey Humpers
SSH/American Hammers
Stop “B” exercises:
CCD/Bobby Hurley’s
Shoulder Taps/Freddie Mercuries
Calf Raises/ LBC’s

Collected everybody at stop “B” and had cut the last pair of exercises (Calf raises/LBCs) just a tad short since it was 5:59.
Total of 4 miles according to my outdated fitbit.
Fini, COT
Praises for good days and children working on the talents God has given them.

route for Minnow Pond 10/22/20

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How to overcome the Flux

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Run to Roundabout at The Arbors apartments for brief Warm Up

  • 5 Burpees
  • 10 MC
  • 15 Squats
  • 20 SSH

Run to the Fountain, next sets are alternating sides up and down Grand Farm Drive, AKA the Flux

Triple Nickel Up to Fire Station/Stop Sign

  • Merkins @ Top
  • Squats @ Bottom

Jacobs Ladder with incrementing Bombjacks/Jump Squats to 7

Partner Work:

  • Burp Back Mountain – 100 Burpee Dora

Back to Roundabout

  • Merks
  • CDDs
  • Groiners

Mosey around back to O’Reily side of HT for some Mike Tysons and a victory lap to hit 3 miles total and then COT

NMM:

Doing hillwork (the flux) was a lot easier with a brother… remember that.  Carrying the load is easier when you have men you trust to carry it with you.

Read your Newsletter.

 

Honor to Serve

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Shovel Flag Handoff and Legacy Beatdown

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It was my honor to receive the Shovel Flag from Uhaul this morning. I’m looking forward to joining with all the great HIMs that frequent this AO to continue the legacy that was celebrated today.

But enough about YHC, we enjoyed a true legacy beatdown this morning that included the following; (forgive me if I missed something)

0515 came early this morning for some of us… very early for a few that came rolling into the parking lot hot just in time for the fun!

  1. Uhaul started the custom playlist for the morning and then led us in some warmup exercises at the shovel flag to get the blood moving. We did a metric ton of SSH’s, was anybody still counting when they finally ended? All I know is Uhaul was having too much fun with them! These were followed by Moroccan Nightclubs, Tappy-taps… And we were moving!
  2. Mosey with our bells over to the far end of the parking lot for JWOW’s Q; There we did 30 counts of a bunch of exercises including curls, goblet squats, flutters… Probably some more that I forget at the moment. Between each set we ran a “suicide” with cones previously laid out by JWOW.  – Side note- B.O.B. recommended an official name change for suicides in light of our focus on mental health. I believe I heard either Gears or Cake Boss say “Gassers” while in COT, and I would second that. I don’t see that name used in the Exicon, how do we get an official name change for mental health awareness?
  3. After JWOW, Assassin had us on our sixes playing hot potato in a circle, passing our bells around the circle from left to right, then back right to left. We also did a bunch of LBCs while partners ran a kettle bell relay around the parking lot.
  4. Dark Helmet on Q had us lifting our bells, a lot! Shoulders were definitely burning! We also ran again around the parking lot. Music choice was… interesting, I’m going to assume that not many guys have ever worked out to the peaceful and spiritual sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Maybe in SLC? We all thanked Uhaul for that!
  5. My turn. 50 Shoulder presses/tricep extensions, farmer carry across the lot. 50 Front shrugs/upright rows, overhead carry back across the lot. 50 halos and 50 around the worlds, farmer carry across the lot. 50 chest presses/skull crushers, overhead carry across the lot. And finally, 50 bent over reverse flys.

0600 we moseyed back to COT for Nameorama, Shovel Flag Hand-Off, and prayers and praises.

Prayers for our concentricas, prayers for F3 Hightower who was killed in the line of duty this weekend in Myrtle Beach. Especially for those who are left here without him.

Thank you Uhaul for the opportunity, thank you everyone for your support!

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10

The Equalizer

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9 got better this morning and 1 got lighter as we tackled a routine I call “The Equalizer.”  Conditions we’re perfect for a sweatastic Merkin Mile beatdown. Here’s what we did…

The Thang

  • 5 Burpees

Run to the 1st entrance of Brayden

  • 10 Wide Arm Merkins

Run to Dave Gibson Blvd

  • 20 Bobby Hurleys

Run to Dam Rd

  • 30 Ranger Merkins

Run to Tara Plantation

  • 40 Squats

Run to YHC’s House

  • 50 Merkins

Run to Tara Plantation

  • 40 Calf Raises

Run to Dam Rd

  • 30 Diamond Merkins

Run to Dave Gibson Blvd

  • 20 Lunges

Run to 1st Entrance of Brayden

  • 10 Tempo Merkins

Run back to Earth Fare

  • 10 Tempo
  • 20 Lunges
  • 30 Diamond
  • 40 Calf Raises
  • 50 Merkins

Circle the lot

  • 10 Wide
  • 20 Bobby Hurleys
  • 30 Ranger
  • 40 Squats
  • 50 Merkins

Mosey back to COT

  • 5 Burpees

NMM
This workout was designed to have the PAX finish together. How do you keep the non-gazelles with the sub-6 minute milers at a running AO? Add Merkins.
As expected, Scalp and Gears had the major lead in the running portion. But as we closed in on the final assault at Earth Fare, Dark Helmet took the lead and never looked back. Major kudos to Band Camp and his Merkin prowess for powering through to the top-5 after the run. As usual, Gekko, Quack Attack, and Fish Sticks finished towards the top. And though he doesn’t like to admit it, Sugar Daddy is starting to look like a runner. Spider-Man did bail early, but when nature calls, you know, you answer. I understand he looked three shades brighter and 2 pounds lighter after his…break.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead. I know this is more Merkins than normal for STL (as noted by the grunting and grumbling), but it’s the only way I could keep up with you fast guys. But as usual, you men persevered and powered through. You did the hard thing and you’re better for it.

One last word to start the week:

You can’t force someone to respect you but you can refuse to be disrespected.

Now go be a force to be reckoned with. Crush the day!

Aye!

Italian Job

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7

“Get ur rear in gear” workout

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What a morning to workout! Wonderful weather. Many blessings. 12 other workout warriors joined me.

Today’s workout was a “get my rear in gear” style workout. I have been struggling with injuries, lethargy and stress. Not a good mix. So thankful for opportunity to provided to me by Kaiser. First Q since early Feb 2020 that I can recall. (My memory can play tricks on me at 97, Dark Helmet.)

5:00 4 for Warm-up. We did about 18 exercises in 13 minutes.

5:13 13 Circled Up, Mumblechatter

5:14 Disclosure, sighting of an FNG, my message (Words make alive!) below shared:

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. Proverbs 12:14

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crashes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4.

Words can heal. The tongue can be soothing and a tree of life (James 3:9),

Words are like fruit or food for us; we need them to live.

We also need words coming from the outside to affirm and validate us. We do not live by bread alone but by good words, especially those in line with God’s.

2 Questions posed to the PAX:

  1. Are you aware of the great power even your offhand words can have to bless others?
  2. How can you put this observation about how words can make alive into practice – in thought, attitude, word or deed? PAX challenged to make it happen today!

5:17-6:00

Social distanced group single file run around 1/2 of parking lot over to pull-up bars.

Session 1:

Group 1: 1 min each X 3 rounds of: Chin-ups or Pull-ups (your choice), Burpees, Dead Hang, The Hill

Group 2: Burpee broad jump to stop sign then into 10 Peter Pointers, then run back to start; Sprint to stop sign then into 10 Peter Pointers, then run back to start; Bearcrawl to stop sign, then into 10 Peter Pointers, then run back to start; repeat until Group 1 is completed

Session 2:

50 good form reps of each, any order you want:

Plyomerkins

Split squat jumps (knee touching down, 50 each side)

Thumbs up merkins

Flying Squirrels

Session 3: 5 minute continuous abs, 1 min each exercise

Twisting Pistons

Rolling Jackknife

Scissor V-ups

LBC Crunch and Twist (both sides)

Starfish crunch

Session 4: Switched Group assignments from Session 1. One round completed each.

COT:

A few unhappy (non)smiles about the workout they just did. Thanks for the push, fellas.

A BIG PAX WELCOME TO FNG: COPPERTONE!! (Hospital name: Brandon) (He did great!)

Announcements: Shield BD bash at The Ranch 5/17/2020.

Prayers: for a specific PAX’s child, another’s brother, another’s friend challenged with marital difficulties and the hope of opening up to other’s.

My prayer for all PAX: from today’s subtheme: Your words can make alive!

Lord, each of us has a host of people around us who are eager for, and

desirous of, words of blessing and affirmation from us. We are often too

distracted to deliberately praise and appreciate people every day. We earnestly

pray for you to find us ways to say to others, “Well done good and faithful

servant.” (Matt 25:23) Amen.

 

 

 

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Take no fish/prisoner

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22 showed up to get better….22 left better (more tired like YHC, but they took the red pill today).  Pledge of allegiance was properly performed, very short disclaimer (I think) but 5 core principles were done for the FNG…YHC tried to wait for what he was told about 2 PAX coming in HOT only to realized they were already there.  Upon that notification, we were off at a 7 min pace.

We ran down Academy street to the open parking lot by the top of the hill before we got to all the churches…did some planking while we waited for the 6…counted off to make sure we started and left with the same number.  At this point, YHC explained the drill and early route.

  • 10 – hand release merkins
  • 20 – squats
  • 30 – American (no, not russian twists) hammers

We did these in the parking lot, ran down the hill, were greeted from the Footloose PAX (welcome FNG) with some proper form (I guess) monkey humpers.  Very nice call Trucker – brownie points…  We ran to the corner of Tom Hall where we did our 10, 20, 30 – then ran to Hardees for another 10, 20, 30.  Waiting for the 6 we planked…as we should.  Once all PAX were in attendence, YHC instructed the PAX to run up Spring St and cross over to Unity where we would do 10, 20, 30.  At each “up and over” (basically creating an L), we would perform the exercises at either Unity or Spring depending on the up and over…always doing the exercise at the “over” cross street.  Once we reached Summersby (all the way in the back of the neighborhood), we ran back to Hardees.  Due to bad time management by YHC, this caused everyone to run all the way back to COT so you’re welcome for the non-rest.  Sorry, not sorry.

At COT, we named our FNG – Trickle (welcome!!).  D2D race for announcements which sold out in about 5 hours to the surprise of everyone.  Prayers and praises – we had a little of both.  Overall, just the right amount of suck but we got better and that’s the goal.

Shady out (thanks Shanks for the gap in schedule!)

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7

Be Men!

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1 Corinthians 16:13; Be vigilant; stand firm in the faith; BE MEN; be strong. (Shatnerized)

I’m grateful for the opportunity to VQ this fine group of HIM this beautiful muggy morning at Varsity. Thanks Harry Carry for the invite!

7 was the count for a moderately hardish full body workout, good way to end a long, hard week. Effort = Reward and all present put forth the effort this morning.

0515 Circled up at the shovel flag for a quick disclaimer, YHC most likely forgot a couple things, but we were off anyway.

Moseyed on down the way toward Sugar Creek Elementary, but stopped about halfway there for some warmups. SSHs, windmills, imperial walkers, Moroccan nightclubs… YHC was informed that I needed to let everyone know when we were starting each warmup exercise… so we continued down the hill for the main event.

Thang 1

At the bottom of the hill we were introduced to the board of moderately hardish pain. This included 4 groups of exercises split up by a little movement, all to be done OYO. Dark Helmet took a look at the board and decided to go do something easier at the IPAX makeup… J/K

Group 1

50 Highknees

30 Makhtars

20 Half-burpees (down and up, no jump)

Run backward up hill to stop sign at JROTC building, then run back to the board.

 

Group 2

50 LBC Toe Touches

30 Squat Jumps

20 Wide Merkins

Side shuffle around elementary school rear parking lot, and back to the board.

 

Group 3

50 SSH

30 Hip Thrusts (on your back)

20 Alternating Lunges

Sprint up hill to stop sign at JROTC building, then run back to the board.

 

Group 4

50 Parker Peters

30 Seated Flutter Kicks

20 Merkins

Run rear parking lot loop, back to the board.

A few did Group 1 again while waiting on the rest of the PAX to finish, and then on to Thang 2.

 

Thang 2

Since Harry Carry called out Capt. Kirk’s natural Bear Crawl technique, PAX bear crawled up the hill, from the Sugar Creek parking lot to the stop sign at the JROTC building. A couple PAX made it all the way, most needed a break. After that enjoyable crawl, we returned to the shovel flag for the following 6 or 8 minutes of Mary;

 

High planks, then reached out with left arm and right leg and switch. Balance was an issue for some…

Side planks, including side hip thrusts and switch.

Super mans

Went around the circle, each PAX picked an ab exercise to include protractors, merkins (core was engaged), box cutters, leg lifts, flutters, LBCs, and body destroyers.

 

Was that Mars in the sky? It looked bright and red to me so yeah, Mars.

 

Count-o-Rama, Name-o-Rama, Announcements, Prayers/Praises, Closing Prayer

Thanks again for the opportunity, thanks all for the effort and support. Be men!

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5

New Fellowship Ruck AO Official Starts 9/10 at 5 am

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The fellowship ruck Sole to Soul that we have been doing unofficially for about 3 months has been gaining momentum so we have official start  date of 9/10 at 5 am. We shoot for  4 plus miles every Thursday starting at Panera Bread in Kingsley followed by Hanging with Stang afterwards. What better way could you start your day with a awesome mumblechatter while rucking and a great conversation afterwards with a great sunrise. Join YHC as we launch this AO. I look forward to seeing you in the Gloom.

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12

Honoring Schmalstieg at The Fire Ant

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Taking a page out of the Honey Badger book by using a page out of the Hero Workout book. This day at the Fire Ant, we’d honor Gunnery Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg (December 15, 2010).

First, disclaimer.
Second, minor warmup.
Third, drop to the plank and listen:

Justin grew up in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and graduated high school in 2000. He spent a semester at Penn State before enlisting in the Marine Corps, where he initially trained as a bulk fuel specialist. After serving overseas in Kuwait, Justin was stationed in Okinawa, Japan and was accepted into the Explosive Ordnance Disposal program. He finished the demanding training required to become an EOD technician and completed two deployments in the Middle East.

In 2008, Justin received orders to Camp Pendleton in California to serve with the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. He deployed twice more, first to Iraq in February 2009 and then to the Helmand province of Afghanistan in September 2010. During a night mission, Justin’s unit was in danger of being ambushed – it was his job to clear the way back to base. Staff Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, gave his life on December 15 while working to render safe an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his widow, Ann Schneider; his parents, John and Deborah Gilkey; and his brother, John Gilkey Jr. For his service and sacrifice, Justin was posthumously decorated with the Purple Heart and promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

The EOD WArrior Foundation is dedicated to supporting EOD service members and their families through a number of assistance programs. Please consider making a donation in Justin’s name at www.EODWarriorFoundation.org/Memorial/Warrior/Justin-E-Schmalstieg.

So, the WOD would be slightly modified for our Ruck AO to the following:

For Time:
Run 800M Slick (without Ruck)

2 rounds of the following:
50 Burpees (slick)
40 Pull-Ups would be substituted with 80 Upright Rows
30 One-Legged Pistol Squats
20 Ruck Swings
10 Hand Stand Push Ups would be substituted with 10 Carolina Dry Docks & 10 Merkins

Run another 800M Slick (without Ruck)

Once we completed this, we did a few core exercises.

Until next time, SYITG.
Maximus

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