Pyramid attempt at Fire Ant

On Christmas Eve, Divac introduced us to the way he was going to run The Fire Ant AO now that he is in charge. And guess what, it’s not for the faint of heart. That said, I had to live up to the billing.
In recent months, I’ve noticed a great way to challenge the PAX is to post the Weinke on the socials ahead of time. It also holds me accountable to planning the proper beatdown. So here goes:

Ruck 1 mile at a sub 14min/mi pace to TCES. Full disclosure, Punch List led us at a 13:37 pace…giraffe.

10 Man Makers
20 Lunges (ea leg)
30 Merkins (single ct)
40 Real Squats (you know what this means)
50 Mountain Climbers (left/right = 1)
60 LBC’s (single ct)
70 Curls
80 Peter Parkers (40 I/C) – I believe this is where the leaders ran out of time.
90 Bent Over Rows (45 I/C) – I was really looking forward to these!
100 Flutters w/ Press (50 I/C) – Surprise, Surprise. I was really, really looking forward to these.

Ruck 1 mile back to the Start Ex at a sub 14min/mi pace. We made it about .25mi and I abruptly stopped everyone for a Switzer. The new instructions were to Jail Break back to the Start Ex to complete as many Flutters/Press as you can until 0600. The leaders arrived at a 10:05 pace and a heart rate that neared, “explosive.”

COT practices with the Golden Corral bootcampers.

SYITG,
Maximus

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The 700 Club Returns

This morning we reminisced on an oldie but goodie brought to us by Cheddah two short years ago. The fabled 700 Club isn’t what you think it is, and golly it hurts.

The PAX showed up one by one and two by two as YHC greeted each. The question of the morning was: have you done a GORUCK event? If so, what events? For the two with the least experience, today they learned a few things. Two Ferns and Dinghy were chosen as the Team Leader (TL) and Assistant Team Leader (ATL).

We rucked/shuffled to our destination in the Home Depot lot, and the weinke was laid out. The TL and ATL were to lead the PAX in completing 7 exercises at 100 repetitions each, in any manner they pleased. If counts were mixed up or time ran out before finishing, a penalty was due.

The seven movements were:

Hand Release Ruck Merkins

Ruck Squats

Ruck Curls

Ruck Swings

4-Count Flutters w/Press

Big Boy Sit Ups

Overhead Ruck Press

Two Ferns and Dinghy got us to working, and somehow we had finished 100 squats before doing half of the other movements. The veterans jumped in to help the TL and ATL get better, and it was a solid showing of how a team can execute a goal during a GORUCK event. We finished all except for 25 Flutters and 40 Hand Release Merkins before time ran out.

As a result of the lack of completion, strap privileges for the rucks were taken away for the ruck back to COT. At about the halfway point the rucks were to be held overhead. That wasn’t pleasant.

 

In all, the PAX did work and everybody learned a thing or two about leading a team. Solid work, men.

 

Punch List out.

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Dead Hang at The Ranch

0510 – no PAX present
0515 – 5 PAX ready to go

Disclaimer
Short Mosey

Warm Up
– Merkins
– Peter Parkers

Short Mosey
– 25 burpees in cadence
– some yoga

Move to playground
– called up & down on pull-ups

Move to Square of Pavement
The Thang:
– 25 Bomb Jacks & Bear Crawl to other side
– 25 Jump Squats & Crawl Bear to other side
– 25 more Jump Squats & Bear Crawl
– 75ish calf raises (in cadence to 38) & crawl bear
– 100 SSH (50 in cadence) & bear crawl
– 100 Flutters & crawl bear
– 75 CDD & bear crawl
– 25 Merkins & crawl bear
– 25 more Merkins & bear crawl

Back to the pull-up bars
– called up and down with Toes-to-Bar
– 10 pull-ups
– dead hang to 15
– dead hang to 15 and then a dead hang pull up

Short Mosey
– 15 burpees in cadence

Mosey back with an additional burpee at each light pole
– 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = 21 burpees

Total burpee count = 61

Dying cockroaches
Split Squats
Pistol Squat (called down and up)

NMM:
Tried to integrate some exercises where PAX knew the rep number we were going to, and some where we were going to keep going until I called stop. Do we work differently towards a goal we can see and know before hand? How does our effort level change if there’s an unknown amount of time or we don’t know how long things are going to last? (Think COVID….)

–Band Camp dismissed

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Laced Up Tight

31 degrees at Laces In? Sure, I’ll take it. I gave the PAX a heads-up, shown below…

At the risk of potential “over-hyping,” here are a number of things to consider for Laces In:

  1. Minow Pond will be converging with us.
  2. AKA will be converging with us.
  3. Looks to be the coldest morning of the week.
  4. Gloves highly recommended.
  5. If you want to stretch or warm up, show up early.
  6. Wheels up 0515 and it’ll be GO-TIME.
  7. You’ll be warm by 0525.
  8. If you’re prone to FOMO, then you should post.

The 12 of us arrived, commented about the cool temps and all the men in tights, were disclaimed and we took off for a lap around part of the gym lot.

Circle Up:
20 x Fast-Paced SSH
10 Burpees
Another lap but this time, just a bit shorter
Line up at one end of the parking lot and bear crawl to the other end of the lot.
Sprint 1/2 way back, 10 Burpees, Sprint the rest of the way

Mosey over to the circle by the stadium:
20 Bomb Jacks
30 Flutter Kicks I/C
Run up the hill to the stop sign and back down
40 Jump Squats
40 Merkins I/C
Run up the hill and back down
10 Burpees

Mosey back to the gym parking lot.

Line up on the line for 2-Tier Grounded Suicides:
Bear crawl out 20 yards, crawl bear back. Bear crawl out 40yds, crawl bear back
10 Wide-Arm Merkins
Crab walk out 20yds, walk crab back. Crab walk out 40yds, walk crab back.
10 Wide-Arm Merkins
10 Burpees

30 American Hammers I/C
20 Flutter Kicks I/C

COT: There are very heavy prayers on the hearts & minds of our PAX. Remember, do not walk alone.

Thank You, Slapshot

Maximus

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October Hustle

9 Stallions greeted October at the Ranch for a Bootcamp and were joined by 2 Ruckers at COT.

The Thang:

Mosey to Square Field for Warm Up

  • SSH
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Hill Billy Walkers
  • Burpees

Mosey to Middle School Back Parking Lot

Bearpees – Jack Webb Burpee 1×4 Bear Crawl

Escalator. One exercise with prescribed count (IC), run the full lot and back

  • 10 Burpees
  • 20 Merkins
  • 30 CDD
  • 40 Low Slow Squats
  • 50 Lunges

Paula Abdul – 5 Burpees, Run Forward 3 Spots, Back 1 the length of the Parking Lot

Mosey around to back of School for Inchworm Merkins for length of the first building.

Mosey to Middle School Pickup Line for Merkin Gassers.  Set of 10 of each followed by Gassers to each speed bump and back.

  • Diamond Merkins
  • Werkins
  • Rangers
  • Merkins

Indian Run back to start for 6MOM and COT

Announcements: Read your Newsletter.

 

Honor to Serve.

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50th Birthday Beatdown

Today YHC celebrated 50 years on this planet with 11 great men of this nation. The weather was rainy and I think that might have kept some away but the beatdown commenced.

We moseyed to the front of Springfield Middle School and warmed up with : Windmills, Morrocan Nightclubs, Imperial Walkers and Hillbilly Walkers.

The Beatdown consisted of …….you guessed it 50 reps of each exercise. We split into 3 groups of four and each group took a color.

GROUP 1 RED: 50 MERKINS, BIG BOYS, PLANK JACKS, AMERICAN HAMMERS AND BOMB JACKS

GROUP 2 BLUE: 50 SQUATS, MT CLIMBERS, LUNGES, FLUTTERS AND SSH

GROUP 3 GREEN: 50 DIPS, SHOULDER TAPS, LBC’S, DONKEY KICKS AND DERKINS.

Each group completed one set of each and then it was dealers choice. The remaining time was spent picking random exercises from the board or some even decided running was the better choice….not me but nured a lap.

We ended with some Mary and COT…. Polaroid brought donuts and Harry Carey and family made cookies in the shape of shields.

Thank you all for making my 50th birthday special.

 

 

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New Fellowship Ruck AO Official Starts 9/10 at 5 am

The fellowship ruck Sole to Soul that we have been doing unofficially for about 3 months has been gaining momentum so we have official start  date of 9/10 at 5 am. We shoot for  4 plus miles every Thursday starting at Panera Bread in Kingsley followed by Hanging with Stang afterwards. What better way could you start your day with a awesome mumblechatter while rucking and a great conversation afterwards with a great sunrise. Join YHC as we launch this AO. I look forward to seeing you in the Gloom.

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The Hammer

Seven strong Pax showed up for a little rain and a little pain. Stumbled across a ruck WOD that was simple (no weinke needed) and brought the right amount of pain.

Here is how it went……

Rucked over to the YMCA yard and partnered up to accomplish the following

300 Ruck Swings

300 Big Boy Sit Ups (with ruck)

300 Squats

300 Curls

Partner 1 got reps while partner two performed an overhead ruck carry the length of the field and ran back for flapjack.

 

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Mash-up

JWOWW (Ruck) and YHC (Boot Camp) had the Qs at Golden Corral on Tuesday.  After the disclaimer, the groups departed from the circle for their respective workouts.

I thought I would try something a little different by combining two exercises together, call it a Mash-up. Like peanut butter and jelly, or like a song with two great singers (No Garth Brooks please!).

The details..one minute of exercises 1, exercise 2, and the Mash-up exercise.  Fifteen second rest recovery between exercises.

Exercise 1                     Exercise 2                      Mash-Up

Round 1                       Merkin                         Peter Parker                    Spiderman Merkin

Round 2                       Squat                           Step-up                           Jump Squat

Round 3                        LBC                              Mountain Climber      Freddie Mercury

Round 4                       Moroccan NC           Flutter                              Moroccan Flutter

Round 5                        Caroline DD             Parker Peter                   Dry Peter

Round 6                        Plank                          SSH                                    Plank Jack

Round 7                        Lunge                         Overhead Clap             Lunge Clap

Round 8                        Shoulder Tap          Ski Ab                               Ski Tap Ab

Round 9                         Imperial Walker     Calf Raise                       Imperial Calf Walker

Round 10                     Burpee                        Broad Jump                 Burpee Broad Jump

 

Once complete, we had about a minute to roll back to COT.

 

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More Bear Crawling than necessary

The Ranch

Mosey got out of the gate.
Plank up wait for 6
Mosey some more

Warmup
Some Yoga
Merkins
Mountain Climbers
Peter Parker’s
Shoulder Tap

Mosey
SSH
More Yoga
Sasquatch joined in

Mosey some more
Was thinking of sprints, but it was too wet for safety on that….so we did the Thighmaster (split squats)

Mosey back toward COT
Bearpees up to 10 burpees and 40 single count bear crawls
(1 burpee, 4 count bear crawl; 2:8, etc.)

Mosey back to the lap
Some balancing scales
Thighmaster again
One lap around the elementary school drop off area and back to COT

Howling Monkeys till 6am

NMM:
Been thinking about what followers learn when they see a leader fail and how that leader responds to failure. Does that response show a follower more about a leader’s abilities and dedication than success?

COT

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