Tag: darkhelmet

You Will Struggle!

Leave a comment

WARMUP: A few loops in the parking lot while Bowser shared leadership principles learned from Bible study with his buddy, followed by brief series of exercises

THE THANG:
Mosey to playground and pick a partner for Dora

100 Penguins / transit with bear crawl & crawl bear
200 Shoulder Taps / transit via lunge & backward lunge
300 Flutters / transit via run & nur

Mosey to picnic WEP area and pick new partner

Partner 1 planks while Partner 2 does Step ups
Rinse & repeat with Bulgarian Split squats
10 Burpees

Mosey to FM Town Hall picnic area

Pax chose exercise and a dice roll determines the # of reps, including Merkins, Burpees, Squat Jumps, Squats, Freddys & more

Mosey home

MARY: Included in Dora series

ANNOUNCEMENTS: July 4th convergence at Catawba Ridge 0700 launch time

COT: The theme today was built around Struggle because the Summer Steam has kicked into high gear and the core of the F3 engine for me is Shared Suffering. These pax suffered through a tough workout with grit and encouragement throughout. The Struggle in the Gloom can be hard, but the hardest struggles come once we leave the parking lot after COT. The suffering life deals is real and difficult. And the personal struggles that exist inside the heart and mind can be the toughest of all.

Don't believe the lies in your head that other men aren't struggling. We all struggle, from the sharpest and fittest Nantan to the gimpy pax trying to get off IR. DON'T STRUGGLE ALONE! The reason we post is to build the grit and the brotherhood that will get us through every struggle!

Appreciate the contributions of all throughout the workout and in COT!

Thanks for the invite JWOW! You were missed.

#KeepPosting

TClap |
0

Board of Pain

Leave a comment

Muggy morning but 20, yes 20 PAX showed their intestinal fortitude by taking on the board of pain. Several new comers to the board and everyone did great! We even had an FNG brought by Mater. It was also my 50th birthday! Honored for everyone to come out and work hard.
WARMUP: No warm up
THE THANG: Complete each exercise before moving to the next. Recovery run in between exercises.
MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel Mens Shelter Thursday. July 4th convergence with Rock Hill.
COT: marriages, health

TClap |
0

Murph Monday — 22JUN2026

Leave a comment

14 on the EASTSIDE got Murph all over them at The Badger of Fire…

QIC: YHC

Pax: @U090MEQJQBW , @U5DKASDQU , @U19FA0Q8Z , @U5DLC6D7X , @U01E9QD5QQK , @U05K5D10AG6 , @UN6PTD007 , @U0106CCEJ6L , @U08N6B7B3EF , @U01JUGK82TY , Eggo , @U014K6EAUFM , @U087NCUTMPT

The Thang: The Murph… cuz it’s Monday…

NMM: If sweat was dollar bills, @U014K6EAUFM could stop stripping. @U090MEQJQBW admitted that the only part he liked was the mile runs, but relented that doing a pull-up or pushup now and again probably wouldn't kill him or his T-Count. Strange how he looked straight at @U5DKASDQU when he said that, but hey… I’m not here to judge. We just about have @U05K5D10AG6 convinced to activate the FSD on his Tesla so he can nap on the way home from these things. @U08N6B7B3EF came back to the gloom with his terrible foot, and he was swinging (a kettlebell) like the Baxter King of Pineapples instead of running. I tried to get the name-o-rama done OYO, but I couldn't get anyone's age right. @U0106CCEJ6L wants me to get a job at Carowinds so he can come win giant stuffed animals due to my inability to guess ages or weights (which will be my trick for next week).

All in all, a fabulous morning. It's good to choose the harder way. It's usually the right answer.

TClap |
0

Starfish

Leave a comment

WARMUP: 20 SSH
Mosey down the path to Harris Street Park / Basketball Court
THE THANG:
Starfish: on basketball court
20 Merkins on corner
Run to center and do 2 burpees
20 Mountain Climbers
Run to center and do 2 burpees
20 Big Boys
Run to center and do 2 burpees
20 Squats
Run to center and do 2 burpees
10 round and drop reps by two each time

Rank up Harris to COT
Did EMOM
1 lap & 15 SSH’s for 10 rounds / minutes
MARY: 3 minutes: American Hammers, Flutters,
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT:

TClap |
0

Room for Balls

Leave a comment

The Thang: A little warm up and a jog to the track where some sort of Baxter Pineapple thing was going on. There were men, women, and children all exercising together… sketchy if you ask me… but then again, you didn't ask me…
We started the main event with a burpee half mile, 5 at each “corner” for two laps. Those of us that elected to wear our training bras weren't the biggest fans, but that's the way life goes sometimes. Shifted gears to a Midget Dora (50-75-100) with a 50yd run.
Cohiba’s watch started talking dirty to him at that point and so we departed to separate ourselves from the dudes running with other dudes’ wives…
Ended with a 4-corner jaunt and a jog back for some Mary.

NMM: Whatever you gotta do, freaking do it. Ask for help, make a plan, it doesn't matter. The main thing is, stop making excuses, stop stopping, and do the thing.

TClap |
0

The Loredo

Leave a comment

WARMUP: 20 SSH, 20, Hillbilly Walkers, Moroccan Nightclubs (or some version of that)
THE THANG:
The Thang
We put our own spin on Loredo, kicking things off with the run:
6 Rounds for Time

  • 🏃 400-meter Run
  • 🦵 24 Squats
  • 💪 24 Merkins
  • 🚶 24 Walking Lunges

The prescribed 24 reps represent the 24th day of June, the day Staff Sgt. Loredo made the ultimate sacrifice.
Every PAX pushed through, encouraged one another, and crossed the finish line. The pace varied, but the effort did not. Everyone finished on their own time, proving once again that in F3, it’s not about being first—it’s about refusing to quit.
Not satisfied with just one beatdown, we followed it up with some 11s:

  • 📍 Sideline to sideline
  • Big Boys
  • Monkey Humpers

MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT:

TClap |
0

Block Party Pickup

Leave a comment

WARMUP: Jog over to short wall for some of the basic opening warmup exercises, including: SSH, Hillbillies, Imperials, Windmills and Step-ups
THE THANG: Over the years, I've gotten a little complacent when it comes to Qing a workout. Frankly, I've lost sight of the true honor and responsibility it represents and therefore, the leadership respect it should be treated with. As I perform both a self-assessment and others-assessment, I see I am not the only one. I'm guilty and, I'm not here to judge. I am here to say, come with me as we step into a new space where we treat this unique opportunity the way it should be treated. On a given morning, you have the opportunity to lead 1-10+ other men who woke up in the 4 o'clock hour to spend 45+mins with you and challenge themselves a little or hopefully, a lot, as they pursue acceleration. Why would I ever treat that opportunity with anything less than the respect it deserves? That would be a slap in the face to F3 Nation and to every man who shows up in that parking lot.
A member of my Shieldlock asked if one of us could sub in as Mammon was pulling him DR. Without regard to my calendar (any number of things on there would have said to not take the Q), I said yes, put me in coach. Mind you, I'm coming off just completing a modified MURPH consisting of core and leg exercises due to my shoulders not cooperating. As I sit at my kids' swim meet last night, I was thinking about my Q the following morning (today) and figured I had done this enough times, I'd be fine winging it. After all, just run around, do some squats, maybe a few hills and mary, then boom, 0600 and we're back at COT. That's all, right?
WRONG…I wasn't going to disrespect the PAX or F3 Nation that way. Knowing I couldn't call any exercises involving my shoulders, I got to come up with a plan, quickly. So I set the alarm 25mins earlier so that I could write down the Weinke because if I don't write down notes, it'll be garbage. There it is, a little discipline to ensure that my fellow PAX were treated with a proper workout and hopefully, they found it to be as much. So, after the warmup, here was the rest:
Run up Main St to the newish community parking lot
Side lunge from one end to to the other then side lunge it back
Modified Capt Thor: 1 BBSU : 4 Flutters I/C (We performed up to 5 BBSU & 20 Flutters I/C)
Run to the end of the horseshoe drive at First Presbyterian Church
PAX performs squats while 2 PAX at a time run up and around to the other end of the horseshoe. Complete this until all PAX make their way to the other end.
Now, in the same fashion, PAX performs calf raises while 2 PAX run back to the start.
Upon completion, PAX run to the oh-so-smooth parking lot of First Baptist (I know, another Church…crazy)
Lunge walk to the end of the parking lot and complete 25 LBC's at each light pole on the left side.
Upon completion, complete another round and a half of the modified Capt Thor.
Run it all the way back to COT.
I love you too much to wing it.
MARY: See above
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Yes
COT: 5th Core Principle

TClap |
0

THE MURPH – Modified or Not

Leave a comment

WARMUP: Nope, just the reading of Lt Michael Murphy's Congressional Medal of Honor Citation.
THE THANG: Just the workout which, included with the Citation, is listed below.
You see, the MURPH often intimidates people. Why? Because it's difficult? Or, they can't do pull-ups. Let me share some personal experience and a hard truth we ALL know to be truth. We shall not allow the difficulty of a task to reign supreme over our desire to overcome it. Now, some of us have real injuries standing in the way. For those, we offered a modification, also detailed below.
CITATION
LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHY
UNITED STATES NAVY
For service set forth in the following
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION:
FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS THE LEADER OF A SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENT WITH NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK UNIT AFGHANISTAN ON 27 AND 28 JUNE 2005.
WHILE LEADING A MISSION TO LOCATE A HIGH-LEVEL ANTI-COALITION MILITIA LEADER, LIEUTENANT MURPHY DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER IN THE VICINITY OF ASADABAD, KONAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN.
ON 28 JUNE 2005, OPERATING IN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED ENEMY-CONTROLLED AREA, LIEUTENANT MURPHY’S TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY ANTI-COALITION MILITIA SYMPATHIZERS, WHO REVEALED THEIR POSITION TO TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AS A RESULT, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ENEMY FIGHTERS BESIEGED HIS FOUR-MEMBER TEAM. DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESOLVE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY VALIANTLY LED HIS MEN IN ENGAGING THE LARGE ENEMY FORCE. THE ENSUING FIERCE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ENEMY CASUALTIES, AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE TEAM.
IGNORING HIS OWN WOUNDS AND DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL COMPOSURE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY CONTINUED TO LEAD AND ENCOURAGE HIS MEN. WHEN THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATOR FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HIS BELEAGUERED TEAMMATES.
REALIZING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN, AND IN THE FACE OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH, HE FOUGHT HIS WAY INTO OPEN TERRAIN TO GAIN A BETTER POSITION TO TRANSMIT A CALL. THIS DELIBERATE, HEROIC ACT DEPRIVED HIM OF COVER, EXPOSING HIM TO DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. FINALLY ACHIEVING CONTACT WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS, LIEUTENANT MURPHY MAINTAINED HIS EXPOSED POSITION WHILE HE PROVIDED HIS LOCATION AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR HIS TEAM.
IN HIS FINAL ACT OF BRAVERY, HE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED, GALLANTLY GIVING HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. BY HIS SELFLESS LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH

The MURPH as Prescribed (w/ a 20lb vest)
Run 1mi
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
Run 1mi

The MURPH as offered with a modification (w/ or w/o a 20lb vest)
Run 1mi
100 4ct American Hammers
200 4ct Flutter Kicks
300 Squats
Run 1mi

YHC was only able to complete 3 of the final mile 4 laps.

MARY: See above
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Yes
COT: For Sure

TClap |
0

On repeat

Leave a comment

WARMUP: Yes:
SSH,
IW,
HW,
yoga w/
shoulder taps
peter parkers

THE THANG:
6 deadlifts
5 hang cleans
4 front squats
3 over head presses
2 manmakers
Then move!

We just did that on repeat. Like wiping down the counters, doing the laundry, dealing with traffic, or making the bed, some stuff isn't awful once or at first, but the monotony of having to do it day after day after day after day after day grinds on you.

Gotta build the strength to keep on keeping on. It ain't about what you WANT to do; it's about what you GET TO do, or what you NEED TO do. Often an authentic meaning is found in the work you've been avoiding.

TClap |
0