Tag: Ginsu

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Leave a comment

As a son/grandson of military servicemen and a cousin in active duty as a graduate of the USNA, it is a privilege and honor to show respect to our  men who are and have served our country for the right to be living here. My grandfather served in WWII as an air force bomber mechanic and hearing stories of his time serving during the war made a early impression on my. If it wasn’t for my birth defect, I too would have been serving this country with my dream of attending the USNA. That didn’t happen, of course. So I always jump on an opportunity to Q on a historical day in military history. Seeing that it is the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, I dusted off my off my college history books and incorporate some statistics into the WO.

COP consisted of good mornings, windmills, mumble chatter as Twister drove off to lead a RGH/Cary PAX to the WO site – welcome Pet Sounds – squats, jumping jacks, and merkins.

Mossy to bottom of hill. Run the hill 3 times. top of hill do 20 merkins each round and 20 LBCs at bottom for first two rounds, then only 10 LBCs at bottom on third round. Reason is that this totals 110 – Japan attacked Pearl Harbor or 110 minutes on Dec 7.

45 V sit-ups, Japan attacked in 2 waves, 45 minutes apart from each other. Mossy to entrance of FMHS football stadium.

PAX did 2 burpees, 3 merkins, 3 burpees, 5 squats. This is 2,335, which represents the number of US soldiers killed on Pearl Harbor (I knew we couldn’t do 2,335 burpees, so modified).

Mossy into FMHS football stadium and line up on the sideline. Army crawl to first hash and tighten up for some Navy Seal sit ups!! Army crawl back to sideline. Mossy to bleachers and run the stairs (since the midshipmen had to run up stairs -ladder per twister – in the battleships to man the guns) three rounds with 10 squats at the top each round. Mossy to fence. Lay on the 6, hands outstretched grabbing the fence. Feet 6 inches off ground and raise feet to fence for 20 OYO.

Mossy to parking lot, partner up. Partner 1 runs to end of parking lot, Partner 2 does exercise.

Round one was 353 LBCs – Japan used 353 airplanes to attack Pearl Harbor.

Round two was 230 squats – Japanese Navy was 230 miles west of Hawaii staging the attack

Round three, which we didn’t finish was  188 arm claps. 188 US airplanes were destroyed that day

Finished with 8 burpees – 8 battleships were destroyed, 2 sunk after the fact, Arizona being the most notably.

COT

One more thing about Pearl Harbor day, Japan attacked on a Sunday morning assuming that we wouldn’t be on alert, we would be relaxed and at church. We shouldn’t have to honor or remember our fallin’ and active brothers on historic days, we should always honor and thank them everyday. If you ever get a chance to visit Honolulu, you MUST visit the Pearl Harbor memorial. Of all the places i have traveled, it will not only take your breath away, it will take your breath away for eternity.

Read your newletter

Prayers to marriages, injured, travels for holidays and those hurting during the holidays

Trucker

TClap |
5

Backblast for The Armory – 12-4-17

Leave a comment

9 PAX joined YHC this AM at The Armory for some KB fun.

WARMUP:

  • Mosey around the parking lot
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 15 merkins
  • 15 mountain climbers
  • 15 low slow squats

Mosey to the bells

THE MAIN THANG

We’ll do a series of exercises, and then mosey to the other side of the parking lot, do 5 burpees and mosey back.

  • Goblet Squats
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Plank rows
  • KB merkins right, left
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Curls right, curls left
  • Deadlift
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Shoulder press right, Shoulder press left
  • Lunge right, lunge left
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • LBCs
  • Flutter
  • Protractor
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Goblet squats
  • Good mornings
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Skull crushers
  • Right arm press, left are press
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Flutter
  • Protractor + Skull crushers
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • LBCs

COT

Announcements

  • thanks for Christmas Party donations
  • upcoming Christmas Convergence

Prayer requests

  • family/travel
  • friends with custody concerns

Out

TClap |
1

A Return Home to the Colosseum

Leave a comment

This morning was the ideal morning to make a return to the Colosseum to fulfill my opportunity to Q. What made it ideal? I woke up, the temps were cold, I wrote a Weinkie, I had a message to deliver and a few Pax showed up to see where they should direct soreness-induced comments come Wednesday morning. That’s what made it ideal. See, we are blessed with this opportunity to join other men as we get broken down physically. And the byproduct of that beat-down is the chance to learn more about the man to our left and right and reach out a hand to see how you can go beyond yourself.

So 18 other men decided that the Colosseum was where they wanted to spend 45mins this Tuesday morning and for that, I’m humbled. 18 other men brought their gloves (most of them anyways) and wanted to see what I had in store. While only 1 man asked to see the deck of cards, it became evident that 18 men were ready to put in some work. But before we did that, I had to say a few words that were intended to be a disclaimer and brief run down of how what we were about to do was slightly different than the norm yet more of what is to come.

We jogged through the drop-off lanes of both schools and found our way to the line of cones in the back bus lot.  We lined up at the cones for a series of 3-tier suicides to the other end of the lot but only at 50%. Now that we’re a little warmed up, we circled up for some stretching:  Hammies, Hip Flexors, Back, SSH, High Knees and Wind Mills

Now we stepped it up a little:

Clock Merkins 1-12 and let the chatter begin

10 Burpees with an extra squat for good measure (I still have to pay up on my 69 Burpees…GO PACK)

Wave Merkins around the circle (5 rounds)

10 Donkey Kicks with 2 Carolina Dry Docks after each

Single Count Diamond Merkins x 10

10 Burpees with a Jump Tuck on each

Back on the line with your partner.

Partner 1: Bear Crawl the length of the parking lot to Shady’s car and sprint back

Partner 2: American Hammers until #1 returns.

Partner 1: Bear Crawl the length of the parking lot to Shady’s car and sprint back

Partner 2: Toe-Touch V-ups or some modification thereof

On The Playground which turned out to be way more complicated than imagined

Partner 1: 20 Swing Crunches or modify to a bench where necessary

Partner 2: 20 Grave Diggers on the left side

Partner 1: 20 Swing Crunches or modify to a bench where necessary

Partner 2: 20 Grave Diggers on the right side

Mosey to the back entrance road. With your same partner, run to the light post and do 2 merkins. Run to the next post and do 2 merkins. Continue this for 6 light posts and rest at the end.

Once we all completed this series, I took advantage of the captive audience to explain what my next venture is. Beginning in January, I’ll be launching a new Black Diamond-inspired AO named, BEYOND. While we typically think physically or geographically when we hear the word, Beyond, I challenge you to think differently. Think Beyond your normal conversations with your family, Beyond your sports-themed conversations with your friends, Beyond your show up and get your job done tasks with work, Beyond your bedtime prayers with kids-type of spiritual relationship and yes, Beyond your typical physical breaking point. Like muscles; our minds, faith, relationships, abilities and comfort zones only improve when stretched BEYOND what they’re used to doing. We grow as men when we’re beaten physically and I’ll use BEYOND as a platform to do just that. Many more details to come but would you consider joining me for a week or more to try it out? This is not to replace any existing AO, purely complimentary

So here’s the walking away assignment. Remember that partner you had? He is now your partner through Friday, December 1. I challenge you to send a text/tweet or call him daily to check in on him. Not simply to say hey or, “Man, I can’t wait to see the Tigers sport their own version of the Turnover Chain” but ask a real question and get ready for a real answer. Don’t ask how he’s doing and expect, “good, you?”.

19 of us responded, “AYE” when I asked if they were willing to do that for their partner.

We then mosey’d back to COT to put a ribbon on this edition of THE COLOSSEUM.

Announcements: Bring the following to Friday’s Christmas Party: a toy, small umbrella, 36″ Duffel Bag and/or alarm clock for CAH and Operation Sweet Tooth. Longshanks can also accept gift cards for OST.

Prayer Requests: New positions at work, improved communication at home, Patience, Sandlot’s wife, making time for our M’s and ensuring they’re not the last one in the house to get the time they deserve. Look for ways to help your M’s this season, to include preparing things and taking care of some of the Christmas shopping.

GO BEYOND!!

Maximus

TClap |
13

OG Launch at The Fort

Leave a comment

13 pax posted at The Fort on a cool fall morning for the launch of Bonzai’s month of #OG Qs.  Decibel and YHC were honored to kick things off.  No FNGs on this morning, so with little delay we launched following a brief intro and Disclaimer.

The Thang (DD leading)

Warm up jog along the path, past the playground and to the grassy area along 160 by the WEP sign.

COP – IWs, SSH, Windmills, Merkins, Monkey humpers, Mtn climber, Peter Parkers, 10 burpees OYO

Line up even with the sign facing the street

Karaoke to first tree and back

Side shuffle to first tree and back

Run to far end of park near houses (4 trees away), accelerating pace at each tree.

Muster along the path facing with challenge to take the hill — bear crawl as far as possible toward hill on opposite end of field.  When gassed, rise and do 20 squats, then continue bear crawl, repeating as necessary until reaching bottom of hill.  Bear crawl to top of hill then do 10 burpees.  Run down hill and plank at the bottom.

Time for good old Jacobs Ladder — 7 burpees at top, 1 monkey humper at bottom.

Handoff to Decibel

Mosey to path at past statues at bottom of hill leading to soccer field…yes, more hills.

Run to top of hill, do 5 Three Merkin Burpees, run back to bottom, LBCs
(Repeat for total of 4 cycles changing ab moves at bottom each time and with last two series going all the way to gazebo)

Throw in some more abs and work at the bottom.

Mosey to playground for a partner series of runs around playground & exercises — Pull ups, dips, derkins, CDDs, LBCs (I think…YHC began to blackout at this point in the workout).

Circle up for some ab lab — some Boats & Canoes, Russian Hammers, & God knows what else (YHC gasping for air at this point).

Run home

COT

NMM

It was great to be among the pax for a 60-minute boot camp…what was probably my first since end of September.  And, yes,  I felt every bit of it during the workout, afterward and on Sunday and Monday.  I put the Twitter call out for #Sally on Fri night, but Decibel claimed that #Sally is not #OG vintage.  So instead he pummeled the pax with hills and Three Merkin Burpees.  Never thought I would say I missed #Sally.

Great effort by all the pax to endure a tough workout.   I am quite certain my oxygen deprived brain that morning and #Respect level memory missed some portion of Decibel’s Weinke from three weeks ago.  Trust me, I felt like it was Fall 2012 all over again given my recent absence due to personal and business travels.

Hanging tough throughout were three inspirational pax — Little John (War Daddy at 68 yo), Zildjian, a relatively recent arrival who I met for the first time and Mile High, a long timer who I saw back in the gloom for first time after some time out on IR for a while.  Well done, brothers!

Shout out to Senator Tressell whose status on IR kept him from leading at The Fort this month.  He and his #OG leadership were sincerely missed.

Thanks Decibel for a great co-Q and for his continued energetic leadership among the pax some 5 years into this adventure.

Finally, thanks to Bonzai for the invite and for his leadership of The Fort AO.  You are keeping it strong, as it should always be!

 

TClap |
0

BackBlast from The Hive Jam Session – 11-17-17

Leave a comment

10 men joined YHC for a BYOB Jam Session to celebrate the end of a long week at The Hive.

Mosey around the parking lot to get everyone warmed up on this brisk AM.

Warmup:

  • 30 Side straddles
  • 5 burpees
  • 30 squats
  • 10 4 count windmills

VQ Squeaky gets voluntold to lead a couple warmup exercises.

  • 10 4 count merkins
  • 10 4 count mountain climbers
  • 5 burpees OYO

Grab your bell and head to The Thang…

The Thang:

YHC brought some classic rock to fire us up and smooth country to slow us down while did some interval Tabata training with a special focus on legs…and beating the tar out of the PAX.

30 seconds AMRAP, 10 seconds rest (several rounds, give or take in this order):

  • Goblet squats
  • Left leg lunge
  • Right leg lunge
  • Burpees
  • Jump squats
  • Bombjacks
  • LBCs
  • Burpees
  • Side lunge left leg
  • Side lunge right leg
  • Protractor
  • Flutter

We went round and round for a while, enjoyed Pandora’s best and the company of the sweaty PAX around us.

COT

Announcements

  • Christmas Party
  • Thanksgiving Convergence
  • Turkey Drop tomorrow!

Prayers & Praises

  • plenty of praises from all PAX
  • special prayers for young friend of Socrates with cancer & family member of Whitewater involved in car accident

Last word – focus less on the stress caused by being busy and more on the opportunity that God has given you that is making you busy.

TClap |
0

BackBlast from Tomahawk – 11-13-17

Leave a comment

10 men joined YHC this Monday morning in the gloom to kick of a fantastic week.

Mosey to the back of the school

Warmup

  • 25 side straddle hops
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 10 4 count windmills
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 10 4 count merkins
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 20 4 count mountain climbers
  • 5 burpees OYO

Mosey back to the front of the school and grab your bells

Line up at the top of the parking lot

The Thang:

  • 10 4 count goblin squats
  • 10 4 count KB merkins, switch arms, 10 4 count KB merkins
  • 15 4 count flutters (KB over chest)
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 10 4 count lunges, switch legs, 10 4 count lunges
  • 10 4 count diamond merkins
  • 10 4 count LBC (KBs on chest)
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 10 4 count side lunges, switch legs, 10 4 count side lunges
  • 10 4 count wide arm merkins
  • protractor in cadence w/ KB over chest
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 10 clean & press, switch arms, 10 clean & press
  • 20 4 count Freddie Mercury
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 10 4 count goblin squats
  • 10 4 count KB merkins, switch arms, 10 4 count KB merkins
  • 15 4 count flutters (KB over chest)
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 5 4 count lunges, switch legs, 5 4 count lunges
  • 10 4 count diamond merkins
  • 10 4 count LBC (KBs on chest)
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • 5 4 count side lunges, switch legs, 5 4 count side lunges
  • 10 4 count wide arm merkins
  • protractor in cadence w/ KB over chest
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • Run to bottom of parking lot, 5 burpees OYO, run back to top
  • Captain Thor up to 5×20

COT

Announcements:

  • Turkey drive for Paradise – bring turkeys on the 18th
  • Christmas party on the 1st
  • Turkey Day Convergence

Prayers/Praises:

Today, we went around the circle with a praises to focus on how grateful we are for what we’ve been given.

Great time, today. Thanks for the opportunity, Sauerkraut!

Ginsu

TClap |
1

The Ranch 2017.45

Leave a comment

For this one I went back to my roots, the Dora 1-2-3.

Warmup SSH, Hillbilly Walkers, Cherry Pickers.  Mosey to the middle school entrance for some cover.  Discuss where the name (Dora) for the workout came from.  Procrastinate.

Partner up for Dora with 100 Pistol bench squats, 200 Carolina dry docks, 300 Freddy Mercuries

Go over what the word of the month, Victory.  You can’t have a victory without a struggle, without the risk of losing.

20 jump squats, 20 slow merkins, 20 jump squats, 1 min partner plank (1 arm plank with some support from your parnter by placing your hand on their shoulder), 20 jump squats, 1 min other arm partner plank

wall sits with everyone getting a request for the setlist, 1 leg up, other leg up, (something else?), switch for balls2wall, back to sits for 2 more requests, then balls2wall with shoulder taps x10

Mosey back for COT.

TClap |
0

VQ Nailed it

Leave a comment

YHC got the call from the bullpen due to assigned Q bailing. So went to look for a partner and found a VQ who never stepped foot onto Alcatraz island! Even though Ginsu never stepped foot here, he didn’t disappoint the PAX and kept the tradition of being THE hardest Saturday AO.

YHC started with an easy COP, then moseyed  along the trail, stumbling upon a pull up bar behind the homerun fence (hahaha). PAX completed a series of 7’s. each rotated 3xs doing 7 reps individually of: PULL-UPS!, LBCs, dips, squats, merkins.

Then took to the hill! PAX did 7’s on the hill. 1 merkin at top of hill and 6 squats at bottom…till, well you know.

Finished with an exercise I learned by my 8yr old’s agility training class. shoulders on ground, hips up in air with feet on the ground; lift right leg up 7 times, then switch.

Now time for the VQ….

mosey to baseball field and lined up.

– 5 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count LBCs

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 6 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count flutter

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 7 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count heels to heaven

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 8 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count LBCs

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– backward crouched run

– sprint back to start

– rinse & repeat x3

 

– 9 burpees OYO

Great work PAX, great way to start off the day.

Trucker

TClap |
0

WhatDid brought Sally to the Ranch

Leave a comment

The Ranch, a staple go to AO here in the Fort had 10 HIM show up to get better.  That’s as simple as we kept it.

YHC gave a disclaimer as we had an FNG present. All moves are suggestions, you’re here on your own will, modify as needed and off we went.

My chicken scratch weinke is attached to this post. The highlight – 3 minutes of Sally Up, Sally down merkin fest. Great idea until about minute 2 for most of us. Those merkin beast out there today – great job men.

Welcome to FNG Octane. Who of which, is of Respectable status. He was in my driveway ready to go at 4:45.  It’s never to late for us to get out there and crush it- as proven by Octane. Pax -go out there and EH even our older brothers.  They’ll teach us a few things along the way.

Announcements:

  • Fast5 – Get on a team and ask Anchorman and Zika for details
  • Christmas party on 12/1.
  • Get involved with G-Fit. Which moved to Saturdays at Steele Street park at 3 PM.

Prayers/Praises

  • Praises for all the great Fort AO’s
  • Family, Wives/Children

Until Next time…WhatDid out

TClap |
0

The Coop – Small Victories make the Difference

Leave a comment

15 Men arrived at Nation Ford HIgh School (NAFO) aka The Coop for a Wednesday morning Daily Red Pill. The thing we do not realize is we win more than we lose. We focus on the big monsters in our life but never celebrate the small victories in our lives. Simply getting out of the Fartsack and posting is a huge Victory. Leading a group of brothers in getting better, is a HUGH victory. Getting better physically, socially, spiritually is winning at life!! Celebrate the Victories and learn from the losses.

The Thang:

  • 5 Burpees OYO

Mosey to The Coop Jr ( Elementary school) Playground

  • COP
    • Merkins
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Squats
    • Peter Parker
    • LBCs
    • Parker Peters
    • Flutters
    • Moracan Night Clubs
    • Sumo Squats
    • Side Stradle Hops – Lead by Squeaky (Victory VQ)
  • Line up on baseline and partner up
    • Wheel barrows base to base
    • Swap with partner and back
    • Partner 1 suicides
    • Partner 2 squats
    • Move to sidelines
    • Rinse and repeat above
  • Mosey to school
    • People’s Chair with shoulder press
    • BTW with 10 count
    • 3 rounds
  • Mosey to small hill on side of school
    • Ladder work, adding exercise and reps each round
    • 1 Merkin
    • 2 CDDs
    • 3Leg Lifts
    • 4 Flutters
    • 5 Donkey Kicks
    • 6 Squat Jumps
    • 7 Freddy Murcurys
    • 8 Mak tar Shi
  • Wrap up with Plank and 5 count Mak Tar Shis
  • Mosey to base of hill back to The Coop Sr
    • Partner 1 run backward up the hill, 5 pull ups and run back
    • Partner 2 dying cock roach
    • Whole Group backward run to top of hill
    • Partner 1 10 pull ups
    • Partner 2 calf Raises
    • flapjack
    • 2 rounds
  • Full out run to COT

Great work by the PAX. The encouragement and work was tremendous. We worked hard and found victory in working together. T claps to Squeaky for leading Side Straddle Hops.

I spoke to the PAX about we need to know our objective and what are we trying to win. (Marriage, kids, career, life) and do we have the pieces and parts needed to succeed. My objective is to Glorify my Sky Q and i need to be in the word, prayer, fellowship with fellow believers and be accountable to this objective by my brothers. Find Victory brothers by having the right ingredients for winning!

Cake Boss

TClap |
4