The problem we didn’t know we had

WARMUP: oyo
THE THANG: route to WEP (4.4mi)

L on munn
L on Harris
L on ardrey
L on N White
L on Jackson
R on harris
R on munn
Back to COT

MARY: no
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Minnow pond tomorrow am
Bethel tomorrow pm
8blocker+one word Sat am
Break the dam 1/31

COT: praise medical recoveries, F3
Prayers: Matteo preparing for brain surgery, aging parents and grandparents, 2025 reflections and 2026 optimism.

TClap |
0

Minuteman’s a grandpa!

WARMUP: Imp walkers/MNC/arm raises/SSH/plank/merkins
THE THANG:

THANG 1:
ROUND 1 100
∙ Partner A: Diamond Merkins (max reps)
∙ Partner B: Wall Sit (against stage)

ROUND 2 200
∙ Partner A: American Hammers
∙ Partner B: Plank Hold

ROUND 300:
∙ Partner A: LBCs
∙ Partner B: Wall Sit (against stage)

THANG 2: “Stage AMRAP”
All exercises ON the stage:
∙ 15 Merkins
∙ 20 LBCs
∙ 25 American Hammers IC
∙ 30 Flutter Kicks IC
∙ 35 Plank Jacks
∙ 40 Freddy Mercurys IC
Between rounds: Quick mosey AROUND stage

THANG 3: “11s on the Hill”

BOTTOM: Carolina Dry Docks (1→10)TOP: Spiderman Merkins (10→1)
UP: Bear Crawl | DOWN: Walk

MARY: not needed

ANNOUNCEMENTS: break the dam race, bethel, New Year’s Day at MP
COT: prayers of gratitude for healthy newborn baby Archer!

TClap |
0

Audible at O-Dark-Thirty

Vuvuzela sent a text around 1:30am saying he was still up and wouldn’t be able to Q. Since I was already covering site Q duties anyway, I did what any site Q should do when you have a no show Q—step up and Q yourself but I was able to use Vuvuzela route he provided.

The Thang (Run):
Route took us:

– Down Munn Rd
– To Harris St
– Right into Sutton Mills
– Crossed Sutton Rd
– Down Suttonview Rd
– Into Masons Bend
– And back to home base

Clocked roughly 4–5 miles at a solid, conversational pace.

PSA: Running AOs require constant awareness. Too many distracted drivers out there. We can’t control them, but we can control spacing, visibility, and keeping our heads on a swivel. Shady and Tiller can attest.

COT: Talked briefly about stepping up when plans change. Leadership doesn’t wait for perfect conditions—it responds when needed. That’s how trust is built and how groups stay strong.

Grateful for men who show up, adapt, and get the work in—no excuses.

TClap |
0

Barry Manilow is not just a F3 name

WARMUP: mosey around park while doing SSH, windmill, cherry pickers, imperial walkers, hillbilly walkers, low slow squat, merkins
THE THANG: start off in the parking lot by the fields – from one end to the other, bear crawl, and stop at every 3rd line to do 5 merkins. Once we got to the other side, lunge walk back, and stop at every 3rd line to do 5 squats. Using the parking lot running back and forth we did karaoke, run, nur, toy soilders, butt kicks, and high knees. Mosey to parking lot (stopping along the way for plank to keep pax together) by dog kennel for a Dora – 100 imperial walkers, 150 LBCs, and 200 flutters. Mosey back to flag.
MARY: plank and stretching
ANNOUNCEMENTS: read newsletter
COT: prayers and praises

TClap |
0

Closing out 2025

Eight men showed up for the final workout at Alcatraz this year. We began with some stretching and a slow jog to the fire station. We traveled up and down the three streets across from the park, at the bottom and top of the streets, 10 merkins and 10 squats. After we took a moment to catch our breath, we made our way back to the parking lot and on to the field.
For the remaining time, we performed the Accumulator. List of exercises, sprint across the field and back, add an exercise.

Exercises:
– CCDs
– Jump Squats
– Flutters
– Shoulder Taps
– Side Lunges
– Box Cutters
– Hand Release Merkins
– SSHs
– Burpees

I ended with an analogy. I asked if anyone heard of Stanley Drukenmiller (nope) , or David Tepper (yes). Both of these men have consistently outperformed the stock market over the past 30 years. Doubling their money in less than 3 year compared to 7.2 if invested in an index fund. Relating it back to fitness, you can continue to be average or you can seek out those men who excel and find out what they do differently.
Start now…It doesn’t get any easier when you get older.

TClap |
0

12 days of kettle bell

WARMUP: morrocan night club, windmill, imperial walkers, hill billy walkers, plank, downward dog, honey mooner.
THE THANG: latter adding a new exercise for 12 rounds.
10 x curls
10 x goblet squats
10 x calf raises
10 x over head press
10 x american hammers
10 x pass thrush
10 x flutters with press
10 x lunges pass through
10 x simba
10 x push ups on bell
10 x man makers

MARY: america hammer, x and o’s, freddy merkins
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel men’s shelter, convergence.
COT: thankful for another day and patience around the holidays

TClap |
0

Eve of the Lord’s birth – convergence

WARMUP: The usual
THE THANG: DH-type-stuff
MARY: worked into Thang
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletter & upcoming changes
COT: Lauren Hope Styles (sp?) – 21 RIP, Prayers for Geronimo & family. Reading from Ezekiel centered around helping others find their purpose

TClap |
0

Compound Kettle Bell

WARMUP:
Tick-tock torso twist, right in 3cadence,
Walkout merkins in 5cadence,
Tick-tock torso twist, left in 3cadence,
Moroccan nightclub in 3cadence,
Monkey humpers in 3cadence,
Inchworm to squats in 7 cadence.

THE THANG:

Speedwalk to lighted area by stadium entrance and form a single line. Then while holding the bell in various positions perform 5 reps of the below compound movements 2 times in various cadence:

1 – bell at front waist and then squat to KB swing to side raise to front raise in 8cadence on right then left.
2 – bell at lower back to a front lunge to side lunge, then back lunge to a calf raise in 8cadence on right then left.
3 – bell at side to standing oblique crunch to upright row to jerk press in 7cadence on right then left,
4 – body destroyer pose with bell on ground behind head to chest pullover to chest press to side chest fly to big boy situp to incline press to front raise in 9 cadence,
5 – bell at side to opposite leg lunge to row to bent over triceps kickback in 5cadence on right then left,
6 – sumo squat hold with bell at chest to front press to incline press to military press to overhead triceps press in 10cadence.

Few extra minutes left and did some miscellaneous exercises like chair pose with bell in the incline press hold to single leg good morning pose with bell to plank on bell.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New A/O configuration.

COT:
Prayers for recovery for <@U050B5M1DGR>, driving safety by <@U08NJ8FF1PF>.

TClap |
0

Fa la la la….laughing all the way! ?

WARMUP:
Mosey around the JWow Exercise Pavilion stopping along the way finding our secret Santa gifts :gift:
THE THANG:
Mosey to trail behind parking lot
Partner up
2 rounds of Burpees while partner runs up hill and back
2 rounds of Flying squirrels while partner runs hill and back
1 round of Shoulder Taps
1 round of something

Next up was 22 days of Christmas
Day 1: Burpees with overhead clap
Day 2: Side lunges
Day 3: Broad Jump
Day 4: Leg Lifts
Day 5: merkins
Day 6: Freddy’s
Day7: Sumo Squats
Day 8: reverse lunges
Day9: sumo squats
Day 10: jumping jacks
Day 11: forward lunges
Day 12: jump squats
MARY:
Partner does swing crunch while other runs around playground
2x
Sprint to COT
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
12/24 convergence at NAFO
COT:
Prayers for all dealing with tough times and our man Sofrito to heal up:muscle:

TClap |
0

Rockin Around the Kingsley Christmas Tree

‘around’ should be interpreted here as ‘in the vicinity of’

WARMUP: windmills, imperials, calf raises, moseyed for a bit and added some monsters

THE THANG:
In celebration of the most popular Christmas hit singles, we do sets of 45’s in the Kingsley Amphitheatre
Each round separated by a recovery jog to the fire pit and back

All I Want for Christmas is You To Do Big Boys
It’s the Most Wonderful Time For Shoulder Taps (count one shoulder)
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Jump Squats
Last Christmas I Wasn’t In F3, So I Didn’t Know Merkins Means Pushups
But Do You Recall, the Most Famous Exercise of All? SSH

Intermission: Walkin’ In A Winter Wonderland
(Not considered a popular Christmas hit single but I’m adding it because I’m the Q and I say so)

I’m Dreaming of a Tricep Dip
Santa Baby Crunches
Simply Having a Wonderful Makhtar N’Diaye (45 collectively – favorite plank if not exercising)
Please Lunge Home for Christmas (22.5 each leg)
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Bandcamp (45 collectively – Al Gore if not exercising)

MARY: What would Christmas be without Mother Mary?

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Christmas Convergence, Break the Dam, Bethel

COT: family, health, relationships, new life

TClap |
0