5077 steps

11 for a moderate… plus …

 

Felt like we needed to run a bit …

Stretched it out, then set up the beatdown with a stroll around the back of FM Middle, where the letters for the AO were strung out under light poles that went forever..

At each letter, do the exercise, then there was a nice long stroll in between around the pickup area.. to the next letter.. each letter had two rounds ..

T – 25 SSH, 25 SSH

H – 20 Merkins, 20 CDD

E – 25 LBC, 7 Burpees

Y – 15 Windmill, 30 Plank Jack

A – 15 Flutters

R – 20 Shoulder tap, 20 Lunges

D – 20 MNC, 20 Imp Walker

Dr J and Major Pain brought a basketball, so to wrap, we shot it out for a burpee challenge.

 

Spoke briefly about Encouragement. I mentioned Strawberry as someone who I believe has been encouraged by the PAX he has met at some very hard posts in the few weeks he’s been with us. Seeing him come back again and again gives me encouragement that F3 is having an impact. 

Props to the Pax for putting up with me.

Gilmore’s fancy watch said we took 5077 steps.

Prayers for the family of Gilmore’s friend Stephanie. Magnum attending a funeral of a fallen servant, F3 Popper, who we hope to see soon and Deacon’s dad Wayne.

 

Aye — 

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2

Nihil Gastrocnemius

TL:DR version

Have to stay off my left calf. I may miss some things or get the order wrong, since I had to modify my plan heavily.  We destroyed some quadriceps…

We took a stroll to the empty side of the AO parking lot and circled up for some

  1. Low Slow Squats
  2. overhead claps
  3. merkins
  4. “under the fence” merkins x 7 (can’t find in the exercises, but I know it’s common, accidentally fired my left calf and almost ate pavement, I had to stop and had everyone get up)
    1. Start in down dog
    2. bend arms like a Carolina dry dock
    3. keep them bent and push up into Honeymooner
    4. Reverse to down dog
  5. Stretching from sumo position, drop the six and extend each leg with the toe up

Next we partnered up for some modified Dora.  Each mover would go one way and start the stationary exercise when they got to the end, while the partner did the moving exercise.  The length was from one center line to another (about 19.5m)

  1. Toy soldiers – Squats x100
  2. Leg Sweeps – LBC x200
    1. Recommended modification for the sweeps was to squat with the six just above ground, extend the left leg and shift with the six almost dragging, bring the feet together, turn 180, extend the right, and continue)
    2. Deacon has SOLID sweeps
  3. A bit of talking about encouragement, and how we as men, (especially YHC) can easily tear down someone without thinking about it
  4. Open Tee Stance  walk – high knees across the body x300
    1. Open Tee Stance – walking with toes at 45’s away from center, the back knee is just above the pavement, and the front foot lands directly in front, come up and step in front of the back knee.  This kills the quads
    2. High knees across the body not  unlike the imperial walker, but higher and combat oriented
  5. 10 count to breath
  6. 10 burpees
  7. 10 count again
  8. Squat walking, with ducking and double punch – flutter
    1. At this point we changed it up to just two lengths, no counting, just flutter

Circle up and get some more leg stretching like in the warmup.  But that was just the interlude.  Some more circle exercises were on their way

  1. Forward split circular fingertip pushups
    1. Legs out with toes up, on your fingertips, sway back going down, and forward over the hands going up
  2. Horse Stance (Al gore, if you want) and 100 2-count punches
  3. Horse Stance and 25 2-count upper cuts
  4. 15 Imperial Walkers
  5. 15 Hillbilly Walkers

Finished with some forearm stretching and back to COT where we did Name O Rama (and my phone decided not to continue recording after 2seconds), and welcomed FNG “Shazam” to F3!! Announcements and prayer and break for the day.

Background on the modification

I’ve got a massive backlog of exercises that don’t involve running, carrying people, and the normal, exhausting, certain-death at other AOs.  Most of these revolve around my shaolin background, and I had built a fun tour of the DT Fort Mill around them…  But fate or my body had other plans…

Early AM yesterday YHC was leaving my son’s school conferences and hopped off the curb onto my left foot and the same muscle pull I experienced at the Hive two weeks ago reared its ugly head. I once again got the chance to hobble around town like someone had given my calf the Tonya Harding treatment.  I thought my number was  up.  I sent messages looking for a backup Q and began praying that when I woke up in the morning I’d be healed.

That didn’t happen.  But the spasm or whatever it is calmed down enough that at 0400 this morning I could put weight on the left without too much pain.  So I geared up and drove down to Footloose in the delightful weather we’re having, and selected exercises that didn’t require anyone to fire their calves.

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7

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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Getting the Led Out

Start with a short Mosey to COP

Warm up:
SSH (IC 12x)
Windmill (IC 12x)
Imperial Walker (IC 12x)
Moroccan Nightclub (IC 12x)
Low Slow Squats (IC12x)
Merkin (IC 12x)
Peter Parker (IC 12x)
Plank stretches
Downward dog
honeymooner

Then Egyptian walk:
All PAX Line up single file
Lunge walk in cadence to the callout (left/right)
Last man in line runs to the front
Like an indian run; Rinse/repeat

Thang 1: Partner run / deck routine
Partner up
Run forward down hill
Run backkwd up the hill
First PAX gets a card from the F3 workout deck (which will be the exercise)
Second PAX gets a card (which will be the count for the above exercise)
Rinse/repeat

Then another short Mosey run:
ziggy zag
Back to a curb

Thang 2: Plank Dominoes
Plank up on the curb, PAX spaced apart
All start with left arm high
PAX #1 does 3 merkins, ends in regular plank
Continue down the line until finished
Then all right arm high and last PAX begins the 3 merkins, end in reg plank
Recover for a ten 10 count
Rinse/Repeat

Recovery walk to a wall

Thang 3: World’s Worst Lottery
All PAX wall sit
One PAX at a time picks a card (F3 workout deck) and does that exercise
All other PAX are still doing wall sits, waiting and critiquing
(Joker would mean all PAX do 10 burpees)
Recover for a ten count
Rise/repeat

Mosey run
To COT area

Six mins of Mary
Circle, each PAX calls out the ab exercise

COT
Announcements: Fast 5 coming up
Prayers:
God’s guidance for doctors and the healing of people in their care.
First responders and all law enforcement personnel.

Great PAX, lots of encouragement, glad to be part of that morning.

Fini

Led Zeppelin songs during the workout:
Rock and Roll
Good times/bad times
Dancing days
Misty mountain hop
Immigrant song
The ocean
whole lotta love
whole lotta love (by Dread Zeppelin)
Ramble on

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1

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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5

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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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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Mosey around The Yard

6 for Bootcamp and a family of runners (4) on a pleasant Saturday at The Yard.

RYAOA is off and running and the rest took off for some warm-up before a run heavy work out.

Warm up: 12 x Imperial Walker, 12 x LS Squat, 24 x OH Claps, 12 x CDD, 12 x Hillbilly Walker, 10 x each leg stationary lunge, 24 x MN Club, 10 x Merkins, 12 x standing toy soldiers, Calf Raises 3×10 OYO, 24 x Seal Claps, 10 x Makhtar N’Diayes.

Mosey to board #1 near the top of the entrance hill: OYO … 10 x Burpees, run down the hill and back, 10×3 Calf Raises, run down the hill and back, 10 x Ski Abs, run down the hill and back, 10 x merkins, run down the hill and back.

Mosey to the parking lot near the football field: grinders from one end to the other, 3 groups of 2, alternating back and forth until each group does 3 exercises on each side. One side, LBCs, Squats, Calf Raises, second end OH Claps, MN Clubs, Crab Cakes.

Mosey to board #2 at the bus loop: OYO … 10 x deep squats, run around the loop, 20 x LBCs, run around the loop, 10 x CDD, run around the loop, 10 Makhtar N’Diayes, run around the loop.

Mosey to board #3 in the main lot: OYO … 10 x Dying Cockroach, run around 1/2 the lot, 10 x  Jump Squats, run around 1/2 the lot, 10 x Mountain Climbers, run around 1/2 the lot, 10 x Burpees, run around 1/2 the lot.

COT

RYAOA will run out of Honey Badger on Monday (NAFO), track work 5-7 miles.

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

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Focus

It was great to post with the 10 #HIMs at the Yard this morning. I told the Pax that we were going to play basketball and there was no need for gloves. They looked apprehensive but said “ok?” Boogie Down brought his son Julian as our FNG. Nice work Boogie Down!

The Thang

Mosey to the back parking lot

COP: SSH (10x), IW (10x), HBW (20x), Sumo Squats (15x), Merkins (20x), Moroccan NIght Clubs and Overhead Claps (15x)

Mosey to the next parking lot near the station

Leg Warm-Up: Toy Soldiers, Shuffle Left, Shuffle Right, Back Pedals, Karaoke Left, Karaoke Right, Power Skips

Mosey to the basketball courts for a quick game of Knockout followed by a 5 on 5 basketball game for intense cardio.

COP: LBCs (15x), Rosalettas (15x), Hello Dollies (15x), Flutters (15x)

Moleskin:

During the first couple of days of a recent summer vacation, I was consumed in distractions from bring present from my family. I was wasting time on my cell phone that I could not get back. I finally decided to put my cell phone in another room so it was not easily accessible. With the phone distraction removed, I was more focused and present for my family. My next challenge is to more consistently remove distractions and to focus on my priorities, like my family and God’s calling on my life.

What are the distractions? Electronic devices are a huge distraction for many of us. Some people are distracted with the past because they obsess over what they could have, should have and could have done. Some people are distracted with worrying about the future. It’s likely that the worries for the future will not become reality.

All we have is right now. Tomorrow is not promised. Yesterday is gone. Be present. Be focused.

Peace,

Deacon

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5

Impact on the Yard

It was a blessing today to Co-Q with my 2.0 and experience him stepping up to help lead the Pax through all his self-doubt and anxiety as we have all experienced when we were asked to step out of our comfort zone.

After many challenges of getting him to think through a plan, a sleepless night and pure unadulterated anxiety… he ultimately stretched the Pax out and completed 5 rounds of COP exercises with perfect voice commands to command the pax.  With  no Weinke in hand no less.  #Impact

The message:

We spoke about impact.  We spoke about impact from the perspective of the impact we have on others and thinking about what do we want others to say about us at our own funerals.  What Impact do we want them speaking about? But we also spoke about those things that have an impact on us.  As unpleasant, vulnerable or difficult as they are we need to recognize those things that have a positive impact on us (i.e. F3) and keep doing them.  Keep going and letting them have their impression on us.

The Thang:

Mosey to side parking lot for some stretching and COP lead by Shin Guard

COP included

  • Merkins
  • Squats
  • Moroccan Night Clubs
  • LBC
  • Mountain Climbers

Mosey to Basketball lot

Rugby Sprints including CDD, Merkins, Flying Squirrels, High Low Flutters

To the wooden tree boxes split into 2 groups group 1 doing or toe touches x2 rounds Dips x 2 rounds and Irkins x1 rounds and group 2 running while group 1 does exercise.

Mosey to wall for some wall sit, bear crawl indian run x2 then some other fun wall activities.

COT

It was a pleasure to lead today and I’m very proud of my 2.0.  Aye!

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