Block Party – Smoothing the Stones

Today at the Block Party I was ready to have a namesake beatdown with Cinder Blocks and all the fun of them. So the wienke was made and the plan was to utilize the blocks at Honey Badger Central or Den or the Coop or whatever they are calling NAFO these days. At 0430 I left to go get the blocks and find there are no blocks to be found. It seems the FMSD has taken our blocks away……again!!

After quick conversation with the Darkest of Helmets I had to call….Omaha…..Omaha!!! Was not too bad to change some of the exercise moves and YHC was ready to roll.

15 PAX arrived and I was excited for the turnout at WEP. Its an original AO and one of our best and so love to see the PAX still coming. We had 13 bootcamp and 3 runners for Pathfinder and at 0515 away we all went.

Mosey up the Stairway to Heaven

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Windmills

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Imperial Walkers

The Main event

List of 10 exercises, 100 reps cumulative with Partner

Partner  1 runs around Playground, Partner 2 exercise move…..working the list

  • Squats
  • Merkins
  • Lunge (50 each leg)
  • Swing Crunches
  • Pullups
  • Step ups (100 each leg)
  • Dips
  • Toe Taps
  • Derkins
  • Leg Raises

Nice work by all the PAX. FNG, Liquidate, did great and fun was had by all!!

I talked to the men about David and Goliath and when David chose 5 smooth stones there was a reason. Smooth stones would fly straight and accurate versus those with edges and odd shape. The stones were smooth from being in the water and rubbing against each other over years and smoothing each other out. We as men need each other to help us shoot straight and face our Goliath. By surrounding ourselves with PAX that want to get better and live for something bigger than ourselves, we will all get smoothed out and be able to fly straight and stay on path. Get those trusted advisers in your life and GET BETTER!

Cake Boss

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No Fear = No EnCOURAGEment

22 boot campers (including 1 FNG) and 5 runners posted to THE Ballroom this week looking for some #Encouragement along the pothole-filled road of life.  YHC offered a full Disclaimer for the benefit of our FNG (T-claps to Barney Fife on the EH) tipped the cap to Sir Topham Hat, who passed the Q baton to YHC due to work travel.  The word of the month (Encouragement) served as the inspiration for today’s adventures in the gloom, so thanks also to Chicken Hawk for his continued wisdom with that program.

Encouragement:  root word = Courage

Courage (noun): strength in the face of fear

With this backdrop, the workout unfolded with the objective of getting pax in touch with their own sense of #Fear to illustrate the experience of #Courage and the need/ability/practice of exercising it and #Encouragement of their brothers.

The Thang

warm up run to the football field

COP — SSH, IWs, Hillbilly walkers, Bombjacks, merkins, burpees

Line up along sideline, 3/4 pace sprints — to near hash/back, then far hash/back, lastly far sideline/back

Circle up for the Main Event (Fear or Favorite)

Pax were asked to identify the exercise they most #Fear when they hear the Q say “The next exercise is ___________.”  They were also asked to imagine their #Favorite exercise they like to call when they are Q.  Then we launched into 30 mins of Pax-suggested/Q-chosen exercises.

Plank jacks (Fogerty), Gravedigger (Culture Club), Partner Carry (Bass-o-Matic), V-up Roll-up (Polaroid), Sprints (FNG!), Moroccan Night Clubs (Assassin), Jack Webb (Magnum), Squats (Strawberry), Burpees (Pinup), Merkin (Rebel), Knee Tar N’Dyae (Rebel), Tunnel of Love (Twister)

Mosey home

Final ab work — American Hammer, Flutter

COT

Moleskin

T-claps to the pax for the enthusiastic participation, mumblechatter and #Encouragement throughout.  Apologies to those pax whose exercise I missed and those who I mismatched in the list above.  I know we started with Fogerty catching much flak for a stuttering proclamation of “Plank Jacks” to get us rolling.  Bass-o-matic challenged himself and all the pax in the early going with the Partner Carry call-out.  Yes, YHC quickly claimed FNG/Half Dome as partner (purely for teamwork purposes, I can assure you…it had nothing to do with his svelte frame).  Pinup threw down the gauntlet, claiming Burpees as both his Fear and his Favorite (1500 in September seems to prove the point — well done!).  Strawberry (on only his 2nd post!) showed he knows the proper rhythm of a workout by calling for Squats immediately after Jack Webb (get this man into Q school ASAP!).  And Twister had his mic drop moment with Tunnel of Love to cap it all off.  Fun times throughout!

Welcome to FNG/Half Dome, who posted at the behest of Barney Fife (kudos to both)!

Finally, just a recap on the theme to reinforce the message.  YHC, in my prideful youth and throughout a very long stretch of adulthood, deluded myself that I was purely self-motivated, and no outside influence, inspiration or good words could make a difference to my spirit or performance.  While my M openly claimed her need for affirmation and #Encouragement, I laughed those things off, as though those who needed them were weak, meek and timid.  I also claimed to have few worries or fears throughout these periods.  A-ha!!!   There it is — the smoking gun.  Since #Courage can only exist in the midst of #Fear, I must’ve needed nor displayed any #Courage throughout these years.   And in the absence of feeling #Fear and gathering up #Courage, I had no recognition of the need or value of #Encouragement.  And, so it follows sadly, that in the absence of my personal experience of these, I fumbled and floundered in expressing #Encouragement to those around me who longed for it.  This shortcoming became a significant blind spot and weakness in leading others, including my family.  Yes, sad.  Yes, true.

While I still have plenty of room for growth in the area of #Encouragement of others, my ship turned around when I became more sensitized to my own fears, and I felt the power of #Encouragement from others, and I demonstrated the #Courage that was somewhat dormant inside me.  So, the lesson here — soften your heart, look yourself in the mirror, get in touch with your #Fear.  From that point, you may find immense personal growth opportunity and the ability to better relate and #Impact those around you through #Encouragement.

Thank you to Short Sale for the Q opportunity and to all the pax for making the experience real!

 

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Run, run, run. Do some things. And then run some more. Grass is wet.

The Thang:

 

Mosey up Munn Street to the other side of the school.

A few warm up exercises in the parking lot.

Partner up for accountability and run the LARGE half circle stopping three times to do 10 burpees, 20 merkins, 40 lbcs at each stop.

The complaining..errr…mumblechatter started.

Nice soft grass was found on the lacrosse field along with 2 tires.  Two groups lined up.  One line ran carrying the smaller tire while the other line rolled the tractor tire the length of the field.  The remaining Pax did a series of exercises until their turn.

Complaining.

A nice lil mosey o a wall for some sits and BTTW.

Another run and then 150 calf raises (50 regular/50 toes in/50 toes out)

Lots of complaining.

Ran back to COT for a quick round of Mary.

The End.

My message was short but hopefully is remembered when life happens – there is opportunity in change.  Look for the good side and embrace what that can mean for you.

As always an honor to lead the men of The Fort, esp on the day we honored Dark Visor who passed away yesterday in Alpharetta at a workout.

Until next time….

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The Fort 6 year Anniversary – Making Getting Better a Priority!

September 29, 2012 the landscape of Fort Mill changed dramatically. Some men from north of the border grabbed the attention of a few men south of the boarder and said we may have something for you. Double D, Santini, Senator Tressel, World Wide Leader, Red Banjo, Assassin, Peach and maybe others made the commitment to come to a “workout” on that Saturday morning. It was very skeptical, but I am sure each of them will say it changed their lives.

Here we are 6 years later, meeting in the same park with more than 200 regular participants (800+ over the years) at 37 workouts across The Fort/Lake Wylie area. Thank you to those that gave it away and thank you to those that said yes!! I think it is safe to say, IT’S MORE THAN A WORKOUT!!!

Today we recognize the 6 years with 6 Qs leading a beat down in 1st F style. On September 21st, Jekyll led us in our Invergence, which reminds us of the 3rdF and that there is something bigger than ourselves. Serving, Praying and Worshiping together happened then. On this day, we are getting better physically and having some fellowship with 70 of our PAX,

Format was a rapid fire approach where each Q has 10mins to lay it on the PAX. Old Bay would keep time and blow the air horn (maybe tweet the horn??), and then the next Q jumps in.

YHC asked for FNGS, (none) and explained the plan of attack, and then the Horn Sounded

The Thang:

  • Wegmans for COP
    • Mosey down path out to grass
    • Circle up and some traditional and not so traditional exercise moves.
    • We did notice another “Boot camp” group in the gloom. T-clapps to them, however also saw 2 holding clip boards…..not F3!!
    • Horm Blows
  • Funhouse on Q
    • Mosey to the hill for Jacobs ladder
      • Burpees
      • Squats
      • Some mary to fill time
      • Horn Blows
  • Jwow on Q
    • Mosey to top of hill for partner work
    • step ups/lunge walk up and down hill
    • squat jumps/lunge walk up and down hill
    • Plank hand slap with partner
    • Horn Blow
  • Twister on Q
    • Mosey to tree line
    • Army Crawl to tree /SSHs
    • Sprint to tree/Merkins
    • Army Crawl to Tree/SSHs
    • Sprint to tree/merkins
    • 2 rounds
    • Run Path until Horm
    • Horn Blows
  • FLUX on Q
    • Mosey back to hill
    • 6s – do following 6 times
      • bear crawl up hill
      • diamond merkins
      • bear crawl back down hill
      • Some filler in there of something aweful
      • Horn Blows
  • Assassin On Q
    • Mosey to play grownd
      • Dips
      • Derkins
      • Burpees
      • multiple rounds with running around the playground until…..
      • Horn Blows

The PAX was dripping wet from rolling in grass but also from the humid beat down that just occurred. Thanks to all the Qs for bringing it and having fun out there.

I brought up to the PAX “WHY”? Why F3 versus the many other options we have even outside of fitness and self help books. Why do we get up early and why do we do CSAUPS and why do we attend 3rdF and give away our time at various community organizations???

Pockets, Spud and Assassin all shared their Why. Thank you! I’m sure there were many more that would undoubtedly impactful.

I mentioned my why was straightforward for me. I want to continue to challenge myself physically, surround myself with like minded guys heading in the same direction and reach more guys for Sky Q and HIS purpose. I feel F3 has positively impacted my life in all 3 Fs and why would I not give it away??

See you in the GLOOM!

Cake Boss

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Carport Broga at Footloose

We had 16 pax brave the weather which ended up not being an issue.  After a brief intro and disclaimer we took a short mosey to the first carport at church #1.  Broga was the warmup for our first stop.  The pax was introduced to cat call and pigeon stretches.  Another mosey on to the second carport behind FBC.  We continued broga with some more leg stretches and arm stretches.  Mulble chatter was becoming an issue so I threw in set of burpees.  It got quiet quick.  Mosey to our next stop at the upper parking lot of  COG.  A couple of more warmup sets with merkins and peter parkers.  Finished up the broga with some upward dogs and walked the dog.  More burpees then our final mosey to the meat and potatoes.

Before diving in pax got a short switzer on #getinthegame.  Referred back to the invergence and the service opportunities with CAH, paradise GFit and reading opportunities.  Find out your spiritual gifts and put them into action.

On to the main event.  A couple of rounds of 1/2 parking lot of toy soldiers, knee grabs and lunges then run the other have of lot and back.  I asked pin up if he cracked a sweat yet.  He said no.  Wrong answer.  Ran the whole lot that time up and back.  Not much chatter after that.

We did a pax choice DORA. 100 Merkins, 200 Moroccan night clubs, 300 LBC’s and 400 squats.  The Pax partnered up and alternated run across parking lot while partner worked on exercise.  By the time we got to the squats we had to call an Omaha.  Ended up doing 200 squats and 200 monkey humpers.  More burpees in there somewhere.

Mosey back to COT for a little mary and wrapped up the burpees. Ended up with 33 in total.

Thanks Beacon for the opportunity.  Always a good group at Footloose!

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Partner UP!  Iron Sharpens Iron

Amazing weather morning for a F3 gathering …
Weather was perfect, humidity was bearable and the Pax showed up eager to get better.  No FNG’s disclaimer completed :
Mosey for warmup :

Circle up for the following IC:

Side straddle Hop 15x
Imperial Walkers 10x
Mtn Climbers 10x
LBC’s 10x
Hillbillie Walkers 10x
Moroccan Nightclub 15x
Merkins 10x
Plank Jack 10x
Windmills 10x
2 Burpees (OYO) closed us out

Mosey :

Explained Theme and Goals for the workout :
GET in the Game: “look for opportunities that are presented!
Specifically, the people you intersect within your life…..”
Partner up!  Accountability and Opportunity to GET Better.
Proverbs 27:17. As Iron sharpens Iron, so a Friend sharpens a Friend.

Explained to PAX I joined F3 in September 2015 : My fitness, spiritual and fellowship commitments are so much stronger over the past 3 years than in my previous 40 years on this earth, I am blessed !

The THANG: Partner up!
10x reps : 2 sets
Partner Derkins :
Partner 1 planks : Partner 2 Derkins
Partner Leg Raises ( Iron Crosses)
Partner 1 Assists / counts
Partner 2 : ( on six) raises legs to touch hands of partner one :
Jog to other side of parking lot :
10 partner merkins : hand slap Merkins
Jog back to start : Partner 2 completes reps and sets

Mosey for Round 2 and 3 :

Round 2 : Partner up! Combined total
100 Merkins :
Rotate every (20) : Partner 2 planks

200 Flutter Kicks :
Rotate every (25)  Partner: Al Gore

300 Squats:
Rotate every (30) Partner : Plank

Round 3 : line up on the curb (plenty of room located for all 21 pax…

Toe Taps : while each pax jumps out of line for 2 burps ( start at one end and move to other : modified for each end to start and meet in the middle)

Once completed : Circle up
Body destroyer : while 2 pax met in middle of circle for 2 burpees.
Finished with round of Mary :

COT : 21 Pax : Announcements/Prayers for Hurricane Florence recovery and First Responders along with all volunteers heading over the coast to assist with recovery.

Very Blessed for the Opportunity to Q

Thank you to Beacon!!!

Fogerty

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Partner UP! Iron Sharpens Iron.

Partner UP!

Amazing weather morning for a F3 gathering …
Weather was perfect, humidity was bearable and the Pax showed up eager to get better.   NoFNG’s Disclaimer  : Mosey for warmup

Circle up for the following IC:

Side straddle Hop 15x
Imperial Walkers 10x
Mtn Climbers 10x
LBC’s 10x
Hillbillie Walkers 10x
Moroccan Nightclub 15x
Merkins 10x
Plank Jack 10x
Windmills 10x
2 Burpees (OYO) closed us out

Mosey :

Explained Theme and Goals for the workout : GET in the Game: “Look for opportunities that are presented!  Specifically, the people you intersect within your life…..”
Partner up!  Accountability and Opportunity to GET Better.
Proverbs 27:17. As Iron sharpens Iron, so a Friend sharpens a Friend.

Partner UP for accountability.

Explained to PAX , I joined F3 in September 2015 : My fitness, spiritual and fellowship commitments are so much stronger over the past 3 years than in my previous 40 years on this earth, I am blessed !

The THANG: Partner up!
10x reps : 2 sets
Partner Derkins :
Partner 1 planks : Partner 2 Derkins
Partner Leg Raises ( Iron Crosses)
Partner 1 Assists / counts
Partner 2 : (on six) raises legs to touch hands of partner one :
Jog to other side of parking lot :
Partner Merkins : hand slap Merkins
Jog back to start : Partner 2 completes reps and sets

Mosey for Round 2 and 3 :

Round 2 : Partner up! Combined total
100 Merkins :
Rotate every (20) : Partner 2 planks

200 Flutter Kicks :
Rotate every (25)  Partner: Al Gore

300 Squats:
Rotate every (30) Partner : Plank

Round 3 : Line up on the curb (plenty of room located for all 21 pax…)

Toe Taps : while each pax jumps out of line for 2 burps ( start at one end and move to other : modified for each end to start and meet in the middle)

Once completed : Circle up
 Body destroyer : while 2 pax met in middle of circle for 2 burpees.
Finished with round of Mary :

COT : 21 Pax : Announcements/Prayers for Hurricane Florence recovery and First Responders along with all volunteers heading over the coast to assist with recovery.

Very Blessed for the Opportunity to Q
Thank you to Beacon!!!

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The Yard – “Is this a moderate?” In name only!!

12 PAX and YHC arrived at The Yard for this gorgeous Saturday morning. Nothing like a double down beating early in da gloom!! At least among friends. 9 PAX for 10k run and 5 of those stayed for the double down……definitely a nap day!!

I mention friends because when I look at F3 and especially the 2nd F, I don’t think I ever had as many Friends as I do in the PAX. Grade school, high school, college and career combined can’t touch the number of guys and families I can call “FRIEND” today from the PAX.

God said Abraham was a “Friend” of his. That is powerful when you think about all the things we do as friends together and for Abraham to be called a friend of God’s. In the PAX we workout, eat together, laugh together sometimes cry together. We do crazy CSAUPS we go to church together some of us work together and we are living life together. God calls each of us Friend that choose to be his friend.

Remember everything you do Sky Q is there and wants to share in the highs and the lows and goes before you in all you do. He is your friend and is constant! Never Changing!! Always!!

The Thang:

Little mosey to see if Football field was open, but no dice. The sign with “Private Property” on it was interesting considering each of the men is paying for the field if they own a home in Ft Mill. Anyway…..

Some shuffles, high knees, butt kckers, mosey again to COP

Wind Mills, Squats, Merkins, Freddy Mercurys, Moroccan Night Clubs, 5 burpees OYO

The meat and potatoes:

2 exercises alternating between them completing the reps and going for 3 min

Here they are:

  • SSHs-10
  • Burpees-5—-3 rounds
  • Merkins-10
  • Jump Rope-20
    • 5 burpees
  • Mtn Climbers-10
  • Dips-20
    • 5 burpees
  • Squats-15
  • Curls-10
    • 5 burpees
  • Lunges -10/leg
  • Calf raises -20
    • 5 burpees
  • LBCs-10
  • Donkey Kicks-5
    • 5 burpees
  • Freddys-10
  • Partner Wheelbarrow-curb2curb
    • 5 burpees
  • Big boys-5
  • Partner Plank Hand Taps – 10

With all the burpees mixed in we ended with 55 burpees

Great work by all the PAX. The encouragement and hard work was inspiring.

Thanks Hasselhoff for the Q……as always I am humbled and honored.

Cake Boss

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Varsity: Some HIIT for cool Friday Morning

Varsity 8/24
9 PAX including YHC arrived on this cool Friday morning for a taste of High Intensity interval training. Basically get the heart rate up and down for 45mins.
I choose to do a “9round” type approach and fill in with some pull ups for Haggis. Special requests are encouraged.
Disclaimer given and welcome to FNG – Joe—–aka Dirty Myrtle.
Mosey down to Sugar Creek for mini warm up
  • Squats
  • Merkins
  • LBCs
  • Windmills
  • Moracan Night Clubs
Jump into the Thang:
3 mins of each set of 2 exercises. After 3 mins, run up hill and grab 10 Pull-ups run back down hill.
Here are the sets:
SSHs-10
Burpees-5
Merkins-10
Jump Rope-20
Mtn Climbers-10
Dips-20
Squats-15
Curls-10
Lunges -10/leg
Calf raises -20
LBCs-10
Donkey Kicks-5
Big boys-5
Plank Cinder Block pull -10
Ran out of time but last two sets will be used for future beat down.
Freddys-10
Partner Wheelbarrow-curb2curb
Hanging knee raise-5
Side crunches -10
COT:
We had FNG naming for Joe to Dirty Myrtle since he was from Myrtle Beach of course. Nice EH Punchlist!!
Prayers for Rebels wife procedure, Dilberts friend on kidney surgery  and Dirty Myrtle’s friend on liver cancer and my friend facing auto-immune disease.
PAX praying over schools Sunday at 6pm…..show up at a school and pray over them and the administration and students. Nice work Beacon!
Cake Boss out!
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Moderate? Is that french for ‘burpee’?

With no inspiration hitting me at home, YHC decided to show up and see what the AO would speak to me today.  It was angry and made us do stupid things.

Mosey, warm up with burpee countdown between exercises.

Mosey down the hill to the playground at the elementary school where we counted off into groups and did round robins of swing crunches, LBC’s and mountain climbers twice.

Then over to the wall for some relaxing wall sits and a couple bttw.

Who doesn’t love running in circles?  Partnered up and while partner ran lap, 2nd Pax did LBC’s, WAM’s and CDD’s – flap jack at each lap.

Back over to the middle school hill for 10 bomb jacks, run up the long windy hill and 10 more at the top.

Fairly gassed at this point I heard the words ‘Jack Webb’ in the wind so we did that too.

Mosey for a close of Mary and COT.

As always, an honor to lead the men of F3.  Thanks for being there.

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