Tag: JWOW

Canon X-50 count

Leave a comment

10 PAX gathered on a cool(ish) morning when the entire town of Fort Mill had no running water. 8 for Laces In, 2 started 15min earlier for Laces Out

Disclaimer delivered haltingly as Sugarbug exited his vehicle at 5:14 & 58 seconds to join the group.

Mosey to Band Practice Lot:

50 SSH
Downdog –> Honeymooner –> ect.
50 Moroccan Nightclubs
25 Imperial Walkers
25 Hillbilly Walkers
A bit of mumble chatter about the high count

Mosey to the lot in front of the R-Wing
50 shoulder taps
Downdog –> Honeymooner –> etc.
30 Mountain Climbers (was planning on hitting 50 but looked up after 20 and the PAX were slowing down, at 30 most were just watching me count . . . )
0 Peter Parkers (had planned 50, but wanted to avoid the tacit mutiny)

Mosey to the pullup bars

Partner up
on partner holds position while the other partner does 10 reps. Then switch until both PAX had completed 50 reps each (i.e., 100 total).
– Merkins
– Squats
– Rosalita

Revealed the two kettlebells (30lb and 35lb) I hid prior to the workout

4 Pax on the pull-up bars
4 Pax on the ground

Pax on the ground split 2 with bells and 2 holding squat

Pax with bells did 10 KB swings and switched to hold a squat.
– Pax holding squat then switched to 10 KB swings
Pax on bars free hang until during the first 10 KB Swings
– then during the next 10 KB Swings PAX attempted to hold their chin above the bar
– after other PAX complete 20 total KB Swings back to free hang
– after other PAX complete 30 total KB Swings back to chin above the bar

2 rounds of this and then flip-flopped for 2 more rounds

Plank up in a line
Hold plank while 1 PAX jumps out and does 10 KB Swings (for an individual total of 50 KB Swings). PAX waiting in plank alternated between high plank and six inches everytime someone switched to the Kettlebell.

Mosey back to COT for some Mary (Joined by 2 runners)

– Called a yoga variation and added a crunch alternating to each side of the raised leg

(e.g., 4-count: 1 to the center, 2 back down hands above head, 3 to the outside of the raised leg, 4 back down. Notice the extended heel stays six inches above the ground…I may call this again and if enough PAX hate it…consider giving it a name.
– Rolled over for some Pigeon Lunges
– back over for Flutters until time

NMM:

As men, how much are we challenging ourselves with things we don’t like or don’t understand? Physically we do this in the 5am hour with demanding workouts, but do we try this in all facets of our lives? Consider taking in some art (play, movie, music, museum, etc.) you just don’t understand or trying to interact with something (someone?) you really don’t like.

The piece below by Conlon Nancarrow predates “electronic music.” He used a player piano reel to realize music that was so rhythmically complex, no human players at the time could accomplish it. In Canon X, there are two lines. One starts at a slow tempo and speeds up. The other starts fast and slows down. (So a graph of the tempos looks like an X.) This is a tempo canon rather than a traditional melodic canon. (Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a melodic canon.)

Canon X

This kind of composition may or not may be “enjoyable” to listen to. Or you might not “like” it. But it is fascinating. We don’t have to like something for it to be interesting or valuable.

40+ years after these pieces were written, a small ensemble began stretching what we once thought human musicians were capable of performing. They arranged some of Nancarrow’s player piano reels in an acoustic setting. See the original and the arrangement:

Nancarrow – Player Piano Study No. 2A
Alarm Will Sound – Nancarrow Player Piano Study No. 2A

I don’t know what this means for you in specific. But in general, I hope it encourages you to stretch your boundaries and grow. Because that’s part of what the Arts should help us do!

COT
Praise for the fact that most days we can turn on the taps and clean water comes out.

An honor to lead,
—
Band Camp dismissed

TClap |
1

Can I borrow a KB?

Leave a comment

YHC was pleased to be asked by J-Wow (there’s a guy who is accelerating) to come back to the Armory and Q. While not a true Redwood, I was there when the idea of a KB workout was launched at the Baxter pool with Package and Orange Crush (never posted). I immediately went out an purchased a 25lb’er via the internet (shipping costs!) and away we went.

Since that start, I have gravitated to running partly due to CSAUPs and given my bell to Anchorman. But there’s no question that YHC needed a beatdown after a long golf weekend. I started the Hype Train on Sunday with a request to borrow a bell and was met with some witty replies. The Fort represents!

Weather: Its F3 time! 63 with a light breeze

The Thang

Partner KB Workout

Round 1

Partner 1 – KB Swings x 12

Partner 2 – Rests until Partner 1 is finished

Partner 2 – 1 arm military press x 12

Partner 1 – rests until Partner 2 is finished – you get the idea

Partner 1 – Goblet Squats x 10

Partner 2 – Bob and Weave x 10

Partner 1 – Merkins x 12

Partner 2 – Bench Press x 12

Partner 1 – SSH x 20

Partner 2 – SSH x 20

Rinse and Repeat for 7 minutes

Take a lap around the parking lot

Round 2 – Flip the exercises for 7 minutes then take a lap

Round 3

Partner 1 – Curls x12

Partner 2 – Triceps x 12

Partner 1 – Bent Over Rows x 10

Partner 2 – CDD x 12

Partner 1 – Reverse Lunge w/ Hammer x 8

Partner 2 – Jump Squats x 10

Partner 1 – Bombjacks x 12

Partner 2 – Man Climbers x 16

Rinse and repeat for 7 minutes then a lap

Round 4 – Flip the exercises and head home

Mosey to COT

 

Moleskin:

  • 10/19 – Opportunity to serve at Childrens Attention Home – See Culture Club
  • October – opportunity to impact Young Lives – See newsletter
  • Prayers for marriages and kids

Pusher out!

TClap |
2

It’s the 1st F for a reason

Leave a comment

11 pax posted to WEP to celebrate north winds, fall temps, a Santini sighting, an Anchorman celebrity drop-in and 7 yrs + 1 week since the 9.29.12 launch of The Fort.  This, the 365th edition of Saturday at The Fort, was more than just another Saturday of brotherhood and pain.  It was also a reminder of why these gatherings matter.  After a thorough Disclaimer, Crab Cakes led the pax off into the gloom.

The Thang

Mosey up the hill out the parking lot with a right turn toward the Church of the Nazarene.  A few stops along the way for some warm-up moves.

Partner up for a series of exercises paired with running to the church steps, 3x up and down, and return to partner at the far end of the parking lot.  Exercises included, Merkins, Squats and Flutters.

Rugby sprints (it wouldn’t be a Crab Cakes Q without this signature session) with LBCs, Freddys, Flutters, Heel Touches.

Hand off to DD

Mosey back toward WEP

Stop at pecan tree grove near Springs building for some work — Planks, Merkins, CDDs, Peter Parkers, Parker Peters, & Makhtar N’Dyaes (Santini request for the last one)

Mosey to Springs parking lot entrance (in the grass)

Knee-tar-jais

Mosey to brick wall at Springs

People’s chair & Balls to the wall (rinse and repeat)

Mosey to WEP playground (rotating partners) — Pull ups, burpees, monkee, humpers, dips, derkins, lap around playground

Bear crawl to path, crawl bear back

Series of sprints and backward sprints to path and back to playground

Jailbreak home

COT

Naked man moleskin

Crab Cakes and I had a great time at the helm today.  It’s always an honor to lead the pax, and especially at the launching grounds for The Fort.  Sorry to miss Slash.  Thanks for the opportunity to Q and thanks for keeping the mission going at WEP on Saturdays!

Anchorman with 2.0 in tow made a brief showing as we approached 0720. Apologies for the PG-13 language during the final prod to the pax to finish strong.  You can throw me in the creek with your M if you hear that one at the dinner table.

Santini, Rebel and Dark Helmet were rockin’ the perfect sweaty head coifs by the finish.  Checkout the video for proof.  If Funhouse had posted we might’ve been able to establish the pose for The Fort’s Mount Rushmore.

Good to have Sippy Cup among the pax and donning The Fort jersey no less.  Don’t be stranger!  Hope to see you again soon!

The theme for the morning was a focus on 1st F #Fitness.  Thanks to many pax, including my co-Q Crab Cakes, 2nd F is making huge strides.  Thanks to Gekko, Cake Boss, Chicken Hawk, Pusher and others, 3rd F also continues to blossom.  No debate on my part that these two elements are critical to our pax and speak to the core of who we are as men and leaders.  Yet, now that The Fort has entered it’s 8th year, I feel the need to highlight the importance of 1st F.  While it’s not the core of WHO we are as men, it is the core of WHAT we undertake each week as a group.   It’s the magnet that draws us out into the gloom.  And after 4, 5, 6, 7 years, it might begin to taste a little bland from familiarity. The temptation may be there to coast during workouts or even to scale back your weekly posts.  I’m imploring you — DO NOT GIVE UP!  Yes, F3 is about way more than the workout.  And at the same time, it is also rooted in the workout.

Several conversations over the past week highlighted for me the importance of regular, passionate 1st F engagement.  I heard examples of veteran pax who are pushing hard and veteran pax who are dialing back.  Those posting regularly and pushing in 1st F are seeing growth in all 3 Fs.  Those who’ve scaled back are experiencing some regression in other areas.  It’s all connected, gentlemen.  “You get out of it what you put into it” a veteran pax shared with me this week.

F3 isn’t the only way to stay fit.  I’m the first to acknowledge this fact.  I’ve been fit in the past without F3 and I see many men who are fit today without F3.  But, 1st F isn’t just about Fitness.  It’s about relationships.  Friendships are built in the midst of struggle in the Gloom.  Removing that element will impact a relationship.  1st F is also about preparation.  When you post in the Gloom, you surrender to the elements and the Q.  You give up control — willingly.  You don’t know what you’re going to be put through, but you show up anyway.  And you push to the finish because you believe it will make you “better.” It’s preparation for life. Each day we wake up and we surrender to what the world and Sky Q have in store for us. We don’t have nearly the control we’d like. But we carry on to the finish of each day, seeking to get better (or at least get through it to the next day we won’t control).

So, if you’re feeling the tug of the Fartsack or the gym or the coffee pot, speak up.  We’re all susceptible to those temptations. And we all need a dose of #Accountability now and then to keep us on the #Right track.  The same is true for those out front.  If you’re in an acceleration mode, look around to see who’s missing.  Accelerating pax don’t let pax fall back. They pick up the Six. They don’t leave a man where they found him.

Thanks for listening.  Thanks for pushing.  SYITG!

TClap |
3

September 11 Memorial Stair Climb

Leave a comment

Today I was honored to lead 39 men of the Fort in my version of a 9/11 Stair Climb…. I asked these gentlemen to bring rucks or sandbags and headlamps. This was to simulate the equipment worn by the first responder’s who entered the World Trade Center to do their jobs. We also had Charetta appear courtesy of Dirty Harry…she was our victim that needed to be  carried up and down the NaFo bleachers ….everyman carried their fare share of weight.

The workout was simple!!!!  There was no warmup….we didn’t need one….

The object was to climb the bleachers 27.5 times up and down carrying a ruck or sandbag….the goal 1980 steps or 110 stories….NaFo bleachers are 36 steps up and down…the men of the Fort  conquered this simple request but there was a catch…..when they came back down they had to do 9 inclined merkins and 11 squats… I think most did more than the required amount and for that I’m in awe…. I love being part of this great nation

Before the climb I shared a little about my experience that day 18 years ago as an NYPD officer and I asked each man to reflect between the hours of 8:46 am to 10:28 am these were the hours that changed my life and change the world as we knew it….I also wanted to remember my friends who gave their lives to save as many people as they could that morning :

NYPD PO MARK ELLIS TRANSIT DISTRICT 4

NYPD PO RAMON SUAREZ TRANSIT DISTRICT 4

PAPD PO ANTONIO RODRIGUES PORT AUTHORITY BUS DEPOT

I worked with these gentleman and they will never be forgotten…

Thank you Punchlist for letting me.lead these great men .

We had one FNG Lassie….welcome

TClap |
11

Playing Cards at The Colosseum

Leave a comment

A return to the arena we call The Colosseum; a homecoming if you will. That’s all that was at stake. With the increased Tuesday attendance and the added AO here in September for the Iron PAX Challenge presenting another posting opportunity, 11 other men decided to join me and a deck of cards at the Colosseum this beautiful morning. Fresh off a Labor Day beach trip, I was happy to ensure Jekyll & Hardwood wouldn’t be disappointed. We had a few rookies for the deck of cards but I hope they’ll incorporate this into their Q’s at a future date. While the first 15-20 cards can be manageable, don’t let that fool you. Depending on your choice of exercises, this gem will bite you. And today, I think most of us felt the effects of that bite.

With a request to focus on our time over the next 45mins and a disclaimer, we were off to the basketball hoops. Our warm-up consisted of:

Squats, Moroccan Night Clubs, Wide-Arm Merkins, Flutters, Freddy Mercuries

Run to the 6th light post up the back road followed by:

5 Burpees, 15 Diamond Merkins, 25 LBC’s

Run back to the hoops for the deck of cards.

If you’re one of the 3 people reading this and you’re unfamiliar with how this works, each card value represents a rep count. 2-10 is that number of reps while Jack =11, Queen=12, King=13 and Ace=14.

Diamonds = Burpees

Hearts = Jumping Lunges

Clubs = Merkins

Spades = Dips

I added 3 Jokers for good measure which meant each was worth 15 American Hammers

In total, we completed:

104 Burpees

104 Jumping Lunges

104 Merkins

104 Dips

45 American Hammers

We followed it up with some flutters in varying speed.

And that was it. See, not too bad.

Be present and I look forward to the next time.

Maximus

TClap |
3

Power 10 Catch Me If You Can

Leave a comment

20 HIM Caught each other in a Power 10 Catch Me If You Can workout with partners

Power 10 – 10 reps of exercise, 9 reps, 8 reps…1 rep

Partner 1 starts with 10 reps of exercise while Partner 2 nurs or runs slow. Partner 1 sprints to catch up, then Partner 2 does 10 reps while P1 continues on.  P2 catches P1 and P1 starts 9 reps, keep going thru 1 rep.  Then start next exercise.

PAX modified some by adding bear crawls or lunges instead of the NUR or slow run.  Some did 10 of each exercise before moving on the 9.  All finished roughly the same time just in time for COT.

DarkHelmet called it “Spicy”

TClap |
6

Q on Cue

Leave a comment

A strong group of 17 PAX appeared in the midst of a cool late-august gloom.

– Mosey to Springs parking lot
– Carioca one direction
– Carioca the other
– Mosey to the lot blocked off by the chain
Warm Up:
– SSH (until I heard grumbling)
– Windmill (slowly, until I felt better about life)
– Cherry Picker (stopped corrected some form)
– Cherry Picker with better form
– Merkin x12 (cause you were expecting 10)
– Shoulder Taps
– Mountain Climbers
– Downdog –> Honeymooner, repeat
– added a little runners lunge with some twisting (because yoga)
– sprinkled in a burpee

Thang:
– Mosey to Pike Electric front lot
– two burpees
– Circled up – Howling Monkeys
– Dirty Hookups on the wall
– Howling Monkeys
– Dirty Hookups
– Threw in 10 burpees because no PAX could quickly identify where in the bible the store of David and Goliath is located (1st Samuel)
– Threw in 20 bomb jacks for a “That’s what she said” about David being small……..not that kind of group.
– Mosey to MillStone
– Wall sit for the 6
– Mosey to Millstone playground
– Happy Jacks x4
– Divided up in to 4 groups at each little hill:
– Start at the top of the hill
– Standing forward bend (aka: touch your toes)
– Inch-worm down into merkin position
– 10 Derkins
– Inch-wormed back
– Bear Crawl to the next hill
– (total of just 40 derkins)
– COP on the little neglected concrete slab there
– Tammy Wynettes for a while (most groups hit 3 reps)
– Mosey back to COT with some stops to let everyone catch up
– Wallsit at Millstone
– Sprint up Massey Hill
– BTTW at Springs Corporate

NMM:

David and Goliath is a story about faith, but may also be a story about a smaller more agile advisory taking on a big, lumbering giant. This begins to sound like a “lizard” vs a “bullfrog” from the Q-source. Just like David, we sometimes need the faith to trust a lizard or believe that as a lizard we can succeed.

Announcements:
– 9/6 Invergence
– 9/7 Convergence

A privileged to lead.

-Band Camp Dismissed

TClap |
5

Burning Down The Colosseum

Leave a comment

Gladly accepted the Q request from Jekyll a month ago for an AO i had never posted to.  He told me the Qs really bring the pain. Visited the week prior to get the lay of the land and he was not joking. With that I couldn’t slack off. 26 PAX 3 FNG got after it in the Gloom this morning. Really dig these MONSTER number  Workouts.

Here’s how it went down.

Mosey up to second Left turn to Parking spaces.

Bone the Fish.

3 Shuffle Right 3 Shuffle Left 3 Karaoke 1-1-1–Really crazy to do this with these numbers.

Warmup

SSHx15 MNCx15  Hillbilly Walkers x 15

Imperial Walkersx15 Dips x 15

The Thang

9 exercise stations 20 reps per. Except #1. Thanks Pothole! Mode of travel listed at each station for return to middle. All returns to middle do 5 burpees- Mosey to next station

Station 1- Abs 30 American Hammers Ct 1 side- Sprint to light pole/cone 5 Low Slow Sprint to next station

Station 2- Legs 20 Block Squats – Bear Crawl to Center

Station 3- Arms 20 Wide Arm Merkins– Bear Crawl to Center

Station 4- Abs 20 10 Peter Parkers/ 10 Parker Peters- Bear Crawl to Center

Station 5-Combo Al Gore w/bricks  10 Lateral Raise 10 Lateral Row = 20 reps Sprint to cone – 5 merkins Sprint to next station

Station 6- Arms 20 GTOs Ground to Overhead- Crawl Bear to center—–Really how does a Pax break a cinderblock in half????

Station 7-Abs 20 War Hammers combo WWII sit-up 1x American hammer- Crawl Bear to Center

Station 8- Legs 20 Monkey Humpers  Wheel Barrow to center and switch after burpees to station 9

Station 9- Pass the Ruck- Stand Back to back and pass back and forth in circular motion 20x  Mosey to center.

Rinse and Repeat

All PAX completed roughly 1.5 rounds. From the mumble chatter throughout the #Beatdown it appeared to be successful.

Return to COT to name the FNGs and hand off the Shovel flag.

Thanks Again for the Opportunity to lead.

Good Luck Hardwood and Great work Jekyll. Will see me more regularly at the Colosseum.

Duck Out!

TClap |
8

Field of muggy dreams

Leave a comment

12 boot campers in total for a humid, gloomy morning.

Warm Up
Mosey run
SSH (IC 13x)
Windmill (IC 13x)
Imperial Walker (IC 13x)
Low Slow Squats (IC13x)
Merkins (IC 13X)
Peter Parker (IC 13x)
Plank stretches
Downward dog
Honeymooner

Thang 1: Field of Dreams (modified)
Count off by fours. 1’s to first base, 2’s to second base, 3’s to third base, 4’s to home plate.
Home plate: do 15 burpees then run to first base.
First base: do AMRAP of: Monkey humpers until relieved by home plate group
Second base: do AMRAP of: Incline Merkins until relieved
Third base: do AMRAP: LBC until relieved.
Repeat, and on subsequent “runs”do these:
First base: Imp walkers, Squats,
Second base: dips, step ups
Third base: Flutters, Mtn climbers,
We got two complete runs in.

Thang 2:
Merkins (IC 13X)
Sally routine, doing Leg lifts (two ruckers joined in for this)

Fini, COT

This was my 45th birthday and the first time I got to do a true birthday Q.  Truly a blessing to have another year in the books.  Looking forward to another year to try raise my family as God would have us to do.  AMDG!

TClap |
2

Should I see stars in the daylight

Leave a comment

As new pain was looming in the air, there was a quiet murmur across the 15 PAX.  Shady jumped in to provide the quick disclaimer, was on point of the 1st half of fun, and began the mosey over to the path where a drill bit warm-up ensued.  Drill bit warm-up included: SSH, merkins, squats (ghost bit got some love), windmills (with some cherry pickers), then finally toy soldiers with stretching and skipped the last drill bit (I just realized this!!)

Ran over to the small wall parking lot where we lined up to attempt sets of 10, then 9, then 8…you get it.  At the bottom we did side squat into a 180 jump side squat = 1 rep (so we did this 10x), then ran and jumped over the small brick wall where we did 10 each leg jumping lunges.  Then back down over the wall for 9, back up for 9….  We made it to about 3 before time expired for round 2.  Shady ran the PAX back to the WEP parking lot, down the back path as if you were going to Harris Street park, then stopped in front of the dreaded monster grassy hill.

A short message from Shady consisted of: do the difficult thing, push the extra 1 degree or percent for the next 30 min.  Yes it will be hard, but…get….over….it.  Then turned it over to Gandalf!

Gandalf loved the hill so much we stayed there where at the top and bottom we did the following:

  • 5 burpees
  • 10 Russian Twists + the 5 burpees
  • 15 merkins + 10 + 5…
  • 20 flutters + 15 + 10 + 5
  • 25 (I think we made it this far but here’s where I’m drawing a blank from exhaustion)

Once Gandalf had enough fun here, he took us to the playground where we partnered up and 1 partner plank walked around the playground while the other partner did 5 pull ups.  Then swap until we made it around the playground.  THEN we lined up across the field for a quick 100-200 yard jailbreak where we were lucky enough to do 30 wide arm merkins.  Since the bell had sounded, we made our way back to COT.

COT took over for the normal counting, name-o-rama, announcements, and prayers and praises.  Enjoyed getting better with everyone and special thanks to Slash for the invite and special pairing of Shady / Gandalf!

Shady

TClap |
2