Changing of the Guard

28 PAX joined in the gloom for a brisk morning at Block Party. Though the temps were in the high-40s, the wind cut and made it feel much colder. Most were ready to get started and warmed up.

Bobber led off with the disclaimer, then we moseyed to the bank parking lot and circled up for 25 SSH IC. Moseyed to the Hobo’s parking lot for:
15 IW IC
10 Windmills IC
10 Cherry Pickers IC
10 Merkins IC
10 LSS IC
Held low squat for 10 MNC IC

Bobber, fighting back tears, then let go of his beloved BlockParty and passed the shovel flag to YHC. It was quiet as a mouse, absolutely no chatter was mumbled. So we did 5 burpees OYO to get back into it. 

The Thang
I explained to the PAX that I started F3 on a Monday at STL, where Pusher (in attendance) led a great workout, and I was encouraged enough to return the next day. The next day happened to be BlockParty, with CakeBoss on Q. It was a brutal morning, full of pain, so I thought we would do it again. 

3 lanes of bear crawls
5 burpees to exit the low side of the parking lot onto Main Street
Run up Main Street, back to the parking lot entrance on Clebourne Street.
5 burpees to enter the parking lot.
Plank for the 6.
This circuit continued, but the lanes changed to:
3 lanes Burpee Broad Jumps (a whole lot of mumblechatter and requests for a suggestion box)
3 lanes Duck Walk
3 lanes Toy Soldiers

Jogged back to Cot for 3 minutes of Mary.

Name-O-Rama, Announcements, Prayers & Praises. 

Thanks to Bobber for his leadership while Site Q, and providing the opportunity for YHC to continue the tradition at BlockParty. 

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Convergence – Shop Vac

65 PAX gathered to remember Shop Vac. Probably had closer to 70 at different points during the hour. Fishsticks took the Milkshakers

Lutefish warmup:
Sean Kelley, 56, Shop Vac

There are a couple of young men I was hoping would hear this this morning. While I’m talking to them, I’m also talking to myself and all of you.

We all know that or God, SkyQ, has written our books. He went before us, He knows us by name, and He alone knows when our earthly lives begin and end. God knew our brother Sean was to come home. And it doesn’t make sense to us.

But let me ask you this. What would it be like to know that when it is our time that we would also know that we accomplished the tasks that the Lord created us to do? God knows the great plans He has for each of you. You are here for a reason.

Wouldn’t it feel comforting to know that you full executed your purpose here on earth? Today we celebrate Sean, who I believe did just that. Sean loved his sons. It’s all he talked about when we worked out together. That, and his dream to have a home in Beaufort. He lived out and executed his purpose. We now have 2 of his sons as our brothers, and how great it is that the world is better because of him. Recover on your feet.

I read a quote recently:

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced; live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”

Sean is rejoicing and would want us to do the same. And he would want us to do 56 side straddle hops in cadence.

Split out to:

  • Kettlebells
    • Uhaul
  • Bootcamp: split PAX into two groups for 20min sessions
    • Ruby Slippers
    • Band Camp

Uhaul’s KB workout:
56 Squats
56 Curls
56 Skull Crushers
56 Calf Raises
56 Uhauls
56 Flutters w/ press (4 count)
56 Dead lifts
56 Lawn Mower Pulls R
56 Lawn Mower Pulls L
56 American Hammers
56 LBCs (4 count)

Band Camp’s portion:
EMOM
minute 1 – 20 burpees
minute 2 – 30 jumping lunges
minute 3 – 40 Freddie Mercuries
minute 4 – 50 Carolina Dry Docks
minute 5 – 60 SSH

7s w/ Mike Tysons and Squats
Mode of transportation: bear crawl/crawl bear

Some in cadence jump squats, core work,

I found a backblast from Shop Vac…It reads with a lot more significance to me now. https://f3thefort.com/2021/04/14/403656/
I may have said something asinine while holding a squat and quoting his backblast.
Something like:
Have understanding when I say 5 more squat jumps
Show tolerance when I say 6 more squat jumps
Practice patience when I call 7 more squat jumps
Take direction as we’re now hitting 8 more squat jumps

Did a little sprinting as well with the second group. (Shop Vac would not have approved, and neither did most of the PAX)

NMM: Shop Vac’s love for and pride in his sons was palpable. He made me want to be a better dad. I’m glad to be around men that make me want to be better. Shop Vac was one of those dudes.

Ruby Slippers’s portion:
I had the pleasure of working out a lot with Shop Vac. His attitude, smile, and laughter infected you immediately every time you met him.

YHC remembers a time during COT after a workout where frustrations from my work life came bubbling to the surface. After I vented to the PAX about the situation ( usual selfish rant where everyone else has a problem but me ) and the Q finished prayer, Shop Vac pulled me to the side and gently explained that it was my attitude that needed to be adjusted, not everyone else’s. He did it in a manner where I gladly and thankfully accepted his advice.

The Thang:
At every Shop Vac Q you could count on stations, simple exercises and/or routines, and minimal running. The six was never left behind at a Shop Vac workout so we are using the buddy system to make sure that does not happen at this workout.

Set-up 4 stations in the shape of a square in the middle parking lot at The Armory. 4 stations represented each member of the Kelly family, there were 4 exercises at each station, partner work to complete a cumulative total of 56 reps of each exercise:

Sean’s station:
– Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Wide Arm Merkins, CDD’s
Stacey’s station:
– Crunches in cadence, Flutters in cadence, Big Boy Sit-ups, Straight Lower Leg Lifts
Jack’s station:
– Squats, Jump Squats, Lunges, Jumping Lunges
Brian’s station
– Side Straddle Hops in cadence, Seal Jacks in cadence, Mountain Climbers in cadence, Plank Jacks in cadence.

PAX partner up – complete all 4 exercises at a station and then mosey to the center. YHC stood in the center of the square to represent Francis, Shop Vac’s faithful four-legged companion, where PAX would come to complete 56 monkey humpers.

Continued around the stations until time was called.

Video Evidence: https://twitter.com/jisenhour/status/1456967297453727750

Welcome FNGs: Bow Wow Wow, Bam!, Triple H, Dictator, Wax Off, and Pool Boy

Prayers for Sean’s family.

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Veterans Month Kickoff- Ballroom

Lets start the month of November off right. It is an honor to get to represent the Marine Corps. Lets get after it.

Disclaimer
Mosey to Warm Up- Warm up 10 of each exercise in cadence- SSH, Mtn. Climbers, Hillbilly walkers, flutter kicks.

Move to end of parking lot. we will do an exercise than mosey(sprint) to other end and do another exercise. Back and forth, after 4 exercises slow mosey around parking lot.
wide arm merkins
air squats with hold at bottom
LBCs
Burpees
windmills
diamond merkins
Mtn. Climbers
flutter kicks
Burpees
cherry pickers
Reg merkins
Bomb Jacks
Supermans
Burpees
Morracan night clubs
hand release merkins
alternating lunges
hello dollies
burpees
american hammers
dips
We did 246 reps to celebrate the 246th Birthday of The United States Marine Corps

12 of each exercise were completed in cadence except for American hammers we did 15.
Finished with Mary. COT. Backdraft Out

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Yoga Sandwich

3 PAX in the humid gloom

https://www.strava.com/activities/5710121419

Did yoga before and after a 23ish minute run. My heart rate monitor still recorded 686 calories burnt. Nice work done by all. I enjoy that “road to perdition”

Announcements:
– Fast 5 tomorrow
– F3 Dads still happening at 8 on Saturdays
– Stuff the bus on 8/7

Lots of prayers for friends and family suffering from cancer


Band Camp dismissed

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Respectable Beatdown

We had 10 men, including an FNG show up on Saturday for the workout at WEP.  After the disclaimer, we jogged around the park to the parking lot on the corner of Ardrey Street.  We did the following warm-up exercises:  SSH, Imperial Walkers, Windmills, and Plank Stretches.

Next, we ran down Ardrey Street and took the path down behind the park.  I explained to the Pax that Fort Mill has some of the best cross country runners in the state.  They train at WEP each summer by running laps around the park and running hill repeats on the hill in front of us.  I added 10 merkins at the bottom of the hill and 10 squats at the top to break up the running.  Our FNG was in front of the PAX each lap, he also wore a cross country t-shirt.  We thought Hot Wheels was fitting based on his efforts.

We headed back to the playground for the hand-off to Rebel.  Rebel quickly transitioned the workout to a partner Murph.  Partner 1 ran to the statue on the hill and back to the playground while Partner 2 started the exercises (100 Pull-ups, 200 merkins, 300 Squats).  Lots of encouragement and hand slaps as we knocked out the exercises.  Once complete, we ran around the park as a group, caboose  to the front.  We had enough time to do a few ab exercises before time expired.

Great job everyone!

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80s Rock Block at The Ballroom

5 men took a trip down memory lane at The Ballroom this morning for an 80s music-themed beatdown. Here’s what we did.

The Thang

  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)
  • 10 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • 10 Seal Claps (IC)

Mosey to front of school

Perform the first exercise until you hear the keyword. At the keyword, you perform the second exercise, then back to the first.

Song 1 – “Who Can it Be Now” – Men at Work

  • Exercise 1 – Plank, exercise 2 – Plank Jack every time you hear “Who can it be” (13 Plank Jacks)
  • Mosey around the lot

Song 2 – “Your Love” – The Outfield

  • Moroccan Night Clubs, Overhead claps when you hear “Your Love” (21 Overhead Claps)
  • Mosey around the lot

Song 3 – “Jessie’s Girl” – Rick Springfield

  • American Hammers, Big Boy Situps when you hear “Jessie” (28 Big Boys)
  • Mosey around the lot

Song 4 – “867-5309/Jenny” – Tommy Tutone

  • SSHs, Burpees each time you hear “867-5309” (24 Burpees)
  • Mosey around the lot

Song 5 – “You Spin Me Right Round” – Dead or Alive

  • People’s Chair, Calf Raises on every “Spin me” (10 Calf Raises)
  • Mosey around the lot

Song 6 – “Take on Me” – A-Ha

  • Flutters, Freddies every “Take on Me” (16 Freddies)

Song 7 – “Down Under” – Men at Work

  • Dip position up, Dip position down on every “Down Under” (3 Dips)

Song 8 – “Another One Bites The Dust” – Queen

  • Hold People’s Chair, Knee Tar Jais on every “Bites the dust” (18 Knee Tar Jais)

Song 9 – “Roxanne” – The Police

  • Mountain Climbers, Merkins on every “Roxanne” (26 Merkins)

NMM

Thank you, Drop Thrill for the opportunity to lead this morning. Today’s workout was built to burn out one body part at a time. We didn’t cover much ground, but if you’re not sore later today, I’d be surprised.

As a reminder, F3 open to ALL men. We welcome men of all races, faiths, political views, income levels, sizes, ages, abilities, & sexual orientation. We respect differences even when we don’t understand them and cast no judgment. Our willingness to get better unites us. All means ALL!

Let’s continue to give away what was first given to us. All men need an outlet like this and friends like our brothers. F3 is a game changer. Let’s keep the ball rolling. I’m convinced we can change the world, one man at a time.

Aye!

Italian Job

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Quality Questions

12 PAX gathered, brief disclaimer and we’re off at what was collectively determined as “not mosey” pace.

Each stop:
5 burpees
10 Carolina Dry Docks
15 Jump Squats
20 Hello Dollys (some in cadence, some not)

At the Harris Street Park basketball court, we bear crawled cupcakes (line touches). FYI, baseline to baseline is a long way.

6 stops total.

Visited the monument to state sovereignty and the “faithful” slave. Talked about the kinds of questions we ask. YHC grew up in this town and never thought to ask why these monuments were here. Minnow Pond meets at “Veteran’s Park,” but “Confederate Park” is just up the hill… a monument to separatists that fought against the armed services honored at Veteran’s Park. Longshanks typically leads the pledge of allegiance before a workout, yet there are monuments to those who flew a different flag designed to replace the “stars and stripes” just across the railroad tracks. Interesting…

YHC is reading, because that is how academics solve problems. Recommended for non-academics as well. #accelerate

Ta-Nehisi Coates:
“None of us were promised to end the fight on our feet, fists raised to the sky. We could not control our enemies’ number, strength, nor weaponry. Sometimes you just caught a bad one. But whether you fought or ran, you did it together, because that is the part that was in our control.”

How are the questions we ask reinforcing togetherness or keeping us divided? Can we ask better questions?

Welcome FNG from West Charlotte: “Chimay”
May have broken his back, good thing I was also the one who EHed him.


Band Camp dismissed

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Dora Beatdown

Seven years ago today I retired from the greatest police department in the world the NYCPD and  this morning I stand in the gloom with another great group of men that I had the privilege of leading in a Dora Beatdown and some added exercises that filled in our time at the end.

The brisk morning started with a mousey around the NAFO parking lot. We warmed up with some SSH, Tappy Taps, Windmills and Imperial Walkers.

The Dora consisted of:

100 Merkins

200 BBsitups

300 Squats

after that to fill in the time we did 25 knee ups, 25 flutters, 25 burpees, 25 LBC, 10 gaspumper and we held six inch plank several times to finish our beatdown.

COT followed…..we had 6 Bootcampers and 6 runners that split off after Broga

 

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The Stairs at Footloose

18 PAX gathered on a sub-30 morning in The Fort. After some griping about how “moderate” YHC would make this, it was 5:15 and a disclaimer was spoken. We snaked around the main entrance to FBC and then went down to snake around the COG….as a bonus we also hit the big stairs leading to their fellowship center.

This is a moderate AO; YHC kept all counts to 10….except for when Spitz got me laughing and I went to 11 once….something about Christian Yoga with Senior Ladies…..hard to recall. Here’s a brief synopsis of what we did for the warm-up and subsequent leg sequence:

We headed back to the long FBC parking lot for some wind sprints. 50% (that’s an F in school), 75% (just a C), and 93% (cause at least you know your A would transfer if you needed it). In between sprints we, did a yoga series or a leg series. One time (at band camp), I went off books and did some derkins and dips against a retaining wall.

Yoga series got more grumbling. Basic outline was:

Updog–>Downdog—>R Leg high–>bent knee–>R foot between hands–>warrior 1–>warrior 2–>extended side angle–>half moon–>warrior 2–>chaturanga (चतुरङ्ग) and repeat on other side

We walked through it a little modified to keep everyone together….lots of impressive half moons in the PAX today (take that however you like).

A little more wind sprinting and the leg series. To keep the moderate approach, but still push….we went to a 10-count frequently, but the next exercise was just a repeat. Similar to how YHC put a lot of SSH into the warmup.

COT
Prayers – the impermanence of life, illness, managing our aging and the aging of our parents

NMM:

My word of the year, INPUT, comes from jazz writer, Ted Gioia:

I think the most important skill anyone can develop is time management skills. How you use your day. But there is one principle I want to stress because this is very important to me. When people ask me for advice — and once again, this cuts across all fields — but this is the advice I give:

In your life, you will be evaluated on your output. Your boss will evaluate you on your output. If you’re a writer like me, the audience will evaluate you on your output.

But your input is just as important. If you don’t have good input, you cannot maintain good output.

The problem is no one manages your input. The boss never cares about your input. The boss doesn’t care about what books you read. Your boss doesn’t ask you what newspapers you read. The boss doesn’t ask you what movies you saw or what TV shows or what ideas you consume.

But I know for a fact I could not do what I do if I was not zealous in managing high-quality inputs into my mind every day of my life. That’s why I spend maybe two hours a day writing. I’m a writer. I spend two hours a day writing, but I spend three to four hours a day reading and two to three hours a day listening to music.

People think that that’s creating a problem in my schedule, but in fact, I say, “No, no, this is the reason why I’m able to do this. Because I have constant good-quality input.” That is the only reason why I can maintain the output.

Think about where you want to be better and then just take one step in that direction. If another step doesn’t come until tomorrow, it’s still progress. Always an honor to lead.

-Band Camp dismissed

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Moving to keep warm on a windy day

Cyclops and YHC(Bass-o-Matic)  were blessed with the opportunity to have the Q at the Fort.  As we discussed that we had nothing really planned, nobody would have believed it as it came together nicely.

A brief intro, disclaimer and welcome Slim Jim from the New Bern PAX we started right into the warmup as we waited for stragglers to roll in.  We did the typical SSH, Windmills, merkins, imperial walkers, peter parkers and plank jacks.  A brief challenge to the group on how do you plan for the unexpected and how do you respond to those situations?  Now that everyone was ready we split off with Milkshake and moseyed to one of my favorite walls across from the memorial park.

Since the PAX looked a little tired we started of with some wall sits.  This is where it started getting a little saucy.  Round 1 each PAX did a 10 count with an arm variation until we go to the end.  Short 20 second break.  Round 2 Each PAX did 10 bombjacks till we made it down the line.  Saw some great form from the pax.

Changed it up and went to the plan position.  Each PAX held the plan until we went down the line with plank jacks.  20 second recovery and then repeated with mtn. climbers.

Rinse and repeat.  Went back to wall sits with squats for round 1 and SSH for round two.  Funny how quick 30 minutes went and then it was time to hand it over to Cyclops.

We moseyed from the Springs lot to Footloose – a good sojourn.  Once all PAX came in, we circled up for a 10-20-30 pyramid:

10 burpees OYO, 20 squats in cadence (because Bass-o-Matic did no leg work in his half of the Q ; – ) and 15 double count merkins in cadence.  After merkin completion, PAX stretched out from the plank with salutations to the left and right then holding 6 inches off the ground while Tesh gave an efficient 10 count.

We moseyed from Footloose to the front of the Fort Mill Police Department, held a belated veterans day Pledge of Allegiance to honor all who serve, and then moseyed on to Main street for more “fun”.

On the main street benches, PAX did 20 dips and 20 derkins OYO and then we moseyed to the Founders Bank lot for the “main act”

7’s –  6 Kracken Burpees on the horizontal parking space line, lunge walk to the opposite side (because we needed more leg work), 1 Carolina Dry Dock, mosey back to the line, 5 kracken burpees, lunge walk, 2 CDD’s, mosey back……etc. etc. etc. all the way down too 1 KB and 6 CDD’s to finish. PAX finished at this lot before moseying by holding a squat position and did 10 Moroccan night clubs in cadence.  A quick recovery via a 10-count and we moseyed back to the East side of WEP.

At the .1 mile drill bit – Pax bunched up for some more work:  15 double count flutters in cadence, 10 burpees OYO (just because) and 10 double count diamond merkins.  A little mumble chatter came about…but just a little – likely due to the love of burpees and diamond merkins.

A quick mosey back to COT brought us to a few minutes of Mary – which included 15 box cutters in cadence and 45 (ish) seconds worth of protractor work – PAX seemed to enjoy holding legs 6 inches off the ground after completing box cutters making the transition to the protractor more “fun”.  For some reason, pre-mature a count off started at this point – I don’t know why.

We wrapped up at 0730 per custom and moved to name-o-rama, announcements. praises and prayers.

Praise for the health care providers who are caring for many sick friends and family, who are in our thoughts, including Tesla’s Mom and Cyclops’ Dad who are battling forms of cancer.  And for Assassin who is working through an infection and awaiting biopsy results. Slim Jims grandson who is recovering from illness. Kenyan’s loss of his M; prayers for comfort and peace.

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