Tag: Mainframe

Once again, ya never know with Straight Up!

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Qing is Fun! 

Straight Up! at the Ranch hangin’ with ya. Below is the fun we had!

I missed a 6-29 Q date due to injury so I did a throwback to June 2017 where our theme was Faith.

  1. Disclosure mentioned
    1. No FNGs
    2. Theme: Faith
    3. First thought on faith today:
      1. “It is never a question with any of us of faith or no faith; the question is always in what or whom do we put our faith.” – Author unknown.
    4. A head’s up that we will have partners today and teams
      1. Find a partner of (hopeful) equal athletic ability
    5. During warmup, asked partner:
      1. What do you do?
      2. If you were not working, how would you prefer to spend your time?
    6. Divided all partner groups up into 2 teams: Team Trust and Team Faith

II. Groups – 2 lines

Mosey around close circle with some high knees, side shuffles, figure 8s, toy soldiers.

Butt kickers

Side Shuffles

III. Circled up by Springfield Elementary playground to:

(The next exercise is . . ./Starting Positions . . /Move!/Pause/In Cadence/Pause/Exercise / Recover)

Seal Jacks – 19X

Slo Mo Squats with toe raise – 17X

Parker Peters – 15X

Slow Single Merkins with alternating “Straight Up!” hand & foot raise – 5X

Ab Bigoda (Slo Mo Windmill) – 11X

Slow Carolina Dry Docks – 13X

(Fast) Peter Parker – 17X

Partner hamstring stretch (careful, careful)

III. First Segment: Mosey around Springfield school

A. Mini-competitions

(Did 1/2 SSHs or imaginary towel hop while we waited for our partner and others to finish each exercise)

The Hill: Bear crawl half way up the hill, then

Backwards run to end of circle

High knees up the next (smaller) hill

Wall games:

How many can you do? (pushing your partner)

1. Merkin then touch wall in plank position with one arm, another merkin, then other arm; go to failure; How many did you do vs. your partner?

2. Single leg wall squat each leg for max time; (challenge your partner)!

3. Partner’s People Chair (Partner squats-you are not using a wall but the back of your partner); hold for 45 seconds

“The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.” R.C Sproul

2 group lines mosey together to hop-scotch squares doing high knees:

Hop-scotch games: (While you are waiting for your turn 1/2 SSHs. After you finish your challenge, move out of the way and do 1/2 SSHs or towel hop until your partner is finished).

Key question: Will you challenge your partner?

  1. Broad jump to the end race
  2. Non-dominant 1 legged hop back race
  3. Race: Backward bear crawl for one block, then high knee and high arm backward run, then backward bear crawl, then backward run, rotating until completed

“Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness.”

2 group lines mosey together toward playground:

1. “Skip like a child” for 100 yards

2. Indian Runs: Back to front (somewhat race the other team)

At playground:

  1. Pull up challenge with your partner – Round 1
    1. Max reps good form, legs straight, no cheating

2. The “Burnkin” (new exercise; gotta be there to experience it!) Round 1 –  2 warm-up, then first to 6 between partners

3. Back to pull up challenge Round 2

4. The “Burnkin” – Round 2 – first to 6

5. Back to pull up challenge Round 3

2 group lines mosey together to dumpsters and speed hump:

Sprint challenge vs. your partner:

  1. Sprint #1 to end of soccer field but on pavement next to it
  2. Turn left and walk 25 steps to rest; hang out in plank position after the 25 steps
  3. Sprint #2 to soccer field goal area closer to our parked cars
  4. Did SSHs as we waited for everyone else

Field Work:

Team Trust: passed the 30 lb kettle bell alternating sides twisting to pass it to your teammate behind you. Run to the back of the line when you finish your turn. Each person has to do it 2X. Do Squats while you are waiting in line.

Team Faith: Kick-thru burpees until Team Trust was done.

Once Team Trust was finished: immediate switch

OYO max set Clerkins

Mosey to COT

III. COT

A. I encouraged the PAX to have faith in something to build your character. Explained a bit about my faith.

A man is what he believes.

As we reflect back on what we may have learned last month in our journey in understanding Faith better or increasing our faith, I pray that God has blessed you in your own adventure.

B. Announcements

    1. Whetstone – consider getting involved;
    2. Praises – we are blessed.
    3. Prayer requests.
    4. From Brigid of Gael:

I arise today

Through a mighty strength:

God’s power to guide me,

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s eyes to watch over me;

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to give me speech,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s way to lie before me,

God’s shield to shelter me,

God’s host to secure me.

Lord, we thank you that for all who call on You in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired. Amen.

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13 HIM stepped onto the Pain Train YHC and Repeat were delivering in the gloom. With no FNG’s present, a quick disclaimer was given.  The thang….

Mosey over to the front of the middle school and the flag poll for COP.

  • 25 SSH IC
  • 15 Windmills IC
  • 3.5 Imperial Walker Squats IC? This was a bad idea. YHC should have practiced the cadence count on this more prior to breaking it out.  After intense mumble chatter…an audible was called
  •  15 Imperial Walker IC
  • 10 Merkins IC10 Mountain Climbers IC

Post the COP, we took advantage of the hill in the driveway.  Start on the right side of the hill….

  • 25 Merkins OYO
  • Run backwards up the hill to the center & flag poll
  • 50 LBC OYO
  • Run down the other side of the hill
  • 50 squats
  • Run backwards up the hill to the center & flag poll
  • 50 LBC OYO
  • Run down the other side of the hill
  • 20 Merkins OYO
  • **Repeat until we we’re down to 15 merks

***plan was to finish this, but I wanted to hand it over to Repeat (Bad Option)

Repeats Train

Focus was on accountability, one man holding another man accountable, and doing the exercises fully and properly. We partnered up (size didn’t matter).

  • 10 Squats
  • 10 Flutters
  • 10 Burpees

When you and your partner were done, mosey to the next light pole and repeat. When done again, mosey to the next light pole. Continue until the time ran out (felt like forever).

NMM

Not much to add here, but Backdraft did comment that by having WWL at his site that he must have a major announcement.  Maybe similar to his post 7 months ago to let us know that he was expecting his first child.  Well, no major announcement.  Mom and baby are doing well and life will change in 2 months.

Thanks for the honor to lead this fine group of HIMs.

WhatDid & Repeat

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Stinky Morning at the Golden Corral

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Cool morning at the Golden Corral with 20 men in attendance for ruck, running and boot camp activities.  The group split up evenly with two getting in some extra miles running.  After a brief disclaimer, we moseyed to the back parking lot for the following warm-up exercises:

SSH x20

Imperial Walker x20

Moroccan Night Club x20

Plank

Windmill x10

Next, we took a short jog to the top of the parking lot for some partner exercises.  First partner, ran up to the cell tower and performed 10 bomb jacks while the second partner performed the following exercises:

CCDs

Flutter Kicks

Burpees

Our workout was disrupted by the passing garbage truck carrying a potent mixture of foul smelling trash.   A few almost lost their breakfast.

Next, we ran to the church parking lot for a round of Doral 1-2-3.

100 – Squats

200 – LBCs

300 – Merkins

we finished with 50 Moroccan Night Clubs and two rounds of step-ups.

Announcements:

Convergence this Friday at Harris Teeter

Prayers:

Ginsu & M safe travels and new addition to family

Those unspoken

 

Always an honor to serve!

 

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Take Your Kid to The Yard Day

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A moderately cooler morning greeted the PAX as we circled up and exchanged pleasantries.  YHC has gotten the word out that he’d be bringing his 13 y/o 2.0 to the workout and encouraged others to do the same.  It was great to see 4 other young bucks in the circle as well.  Atticus, Chicken Hawk, and Old Bay each had their 2.0 + a visiting cousin (FNG Mogul).  That was all well and great until Vernon arrived and announced “what is this, take your kid to work day”?  No offense was taken but that lit a fire in YHC and it was decided that this would not be a F3 Dads workout.  It might not even be moderate.  Let’s see…

THE THANG

Mosey to COP at back of school.  Old faithful warm-ups in cadence consisting of SSH, Imperial Walkers, Windmills, Merkins, Mountain Climbers, MNC, Plank Jacks, with a plank series thrown in here and there.

Mosey to the basketball goals for 4 Corners of deconstructed burpees.  1st corner – 20 squats.  2nd corner – 20 merkins, 3rd corner – 20 bombjacks, 4th corner 10 burpees.  A simple rinse and repeat was planned but we ended up doing this 3X (crowd pleaser!) due to some Santini chirping.  Good times!

Next we gathered at the brick wall for 3 series of peoples chair and squat jumps.

A few 10 counts were called then we lined up by the curb facing the courts.  Bear crawls to the first light post and back.  Repeat with lunge walks and toy soldiers.

Mosey to the back of the school with the circular drive for what turned out to be Dora 1,2,2.  Partner up and 1 runs while the other starts aggregate exercise:  100 big boy sit ups / LBC, 200 SSH, 200 squats.

6 minutes of Mary led by the PAX.  Completed were various amounts of LBC, Hello Dolly, Rosalita, Flutters, Box Cutters,  etc.

Moleskin

YHC’s oldest 2.0, Captain Snooze, has been attending Saturday workouts this summer.  He’s getting stronger and F3 is helping him develop confidence and an understanding of true brotherhood.  What a blessing!  No better way to raise a HIM than to surround him with just that.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the PAX encouraging, joking with, and getting to know my son.  I’m looking at you Pusher, Santini, Old Bay, Chicken Hawk, Cake Boss, Bubba Gump and others.  Snooze wasn’t ready to lead the warm-up this week but his time is coming!

Announcements / Prayers

Read the newsletter.  AO’s changing, new 3rd F group starting, 3rd F Convergence, it’s all in there.

Prayers were lifted for sick family members, upcoming Colombia Mission Trip, and for strong marriages and families.  The summer has flown by and school is nearly here.  Make the most of your time, you don’t get it back.

AYE!

Flat Tire

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Good times at Golden Corral

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The men were gathered, and two of my buddies crossed the Lake to come join me in Tega Cay for the great local of Golden Corral, Kenyan and Whopper.  My boy Whopper got to have his 1st post back in Charlotte since his last 6 months were spent in Texas for work.  Quick and easy disclaimer,  the group split for the standard 5 ruckers and 7 bootcampers. And we took off.

Mosey behind Harris Teeter for our warmup.  We did

20 SSHs – 2 burpees – 20 MNCs – 2 burpees – 20 IWs – 2 burpees – 10 Merkins – 2 burpees – 10 Peter Parkers – 2 burpees – 10 Parker Peters – 2 final burpess

Mosey to the side of that new tire store…I forget the name to the right of the HT.

Lazy Dora

Partner Up

Combined 100 merkins : Partner 1 = 10 merkins while 2nd partner planks. Then switch until 100

Combined 200 LBCs: 1st = 20 LBCS while other holds 6 inches. Switch until 200

Combined 300 Squats: 1st = 25 Squats while other partner holds low squat.  This one hurts by 300..

I asked Whopper to share a little about his experience without F3 for the last six months and he was kind enough to share about what it’s like to have been a man of F3 and then not have those guys to hold you accountable.

Since Lazy Dora skips all the running round two would include plenty.  We started with People’s Chair while the other partner runs around the building.  Keep the runs going when we switch partners and these exercises.

People’s Chair – BTTW – Wall Plank 90 degree hold – People’s Chair – BTTW

Final round, mosey to the front of the Harris Teeter. Lt Dan’s to the 3rd light.  Then bear crawl to the F3 flag.  The final 3 minutes were Ab Lab.

Announcements – read the newsletter!

Prayers shared and raised in the BOM.

An honor to lead!

Royale

 

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DaVinci Cones Redux

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Full disclosure: 6 of the Pax listed above were ruckers and their workout was led by NASA.

Today was the first time I’ve Q’d in a long time. I was a bit nervous, but have worked out all over this AO and sort of know the lay of the land. My Q Lane is more of the Set-It-And-Forget-It variety, and today was no different. With no further ado, here is:

The Thang

Long Mosey to parking lot in front of Old Navy. Circle up for some COP:

SSH, windmills —SLOW (you’re welcome, CSPAN), low slow squats, merkins, downward dog stretches, honeymooner, mountain climbers, peter parkers, freddys, LBCs

Mosey to the Valvoline for some hill work. Sevens or Jacob’s Ladder: merkins at bottom, bombjacks at the top

Mosey to the raised patio the the old Riverbleu only to find the ruckers using the spot, so it was off to Plan B. I had cones set up on the drive, one on either side of the fountain. Each cone listed 5 exercises and the required reps. Do the exercise, run a half lap to the next cone, do the exercise. And so forth until everyone had finished the circuit. Exercise were as follows:

Cone One:

  1. Slow Squats (20)
  2. Curb Dips (20)
  3. Mtn. Climbers (20 d.c.)
  4. Curb Derkins (20)
  5. CDD’s (20)

Cone Two:

  1. Imperial Wlkrs (20 d.c.)
  2. Jump Lunges (10/leg)
  3. Freddy Mercurys (20 d.c.)
  4. Flying Squirrels (10)
  5. Peter Parkers (10 d.c.)

Then we made our way to the Rivebleu raised patio for the following:

Divide up into groups of 3. First man runs the stairs, does 5 burpees, runs down the back stairs and back to the group while 2nd and 3rd man do squats. Then repeat with 2nd and 3rd man.

By this point, it was time to mosey back to COT for a couple minutes of ab lab. Freddys, Crunchy Frogs (demo and cadence from WitchHunt), LBCs.

Announcements:

Children’s Attention Home: Q or post to support these great kids who are victims of circumstance and are in need of positive male role models.

Delta signups have begun! Reach out to Wild Thing if you’re interested in joining a LKW team.

Prayers for pregnant Ms, for family struggling with addiction and recovery.

Moleskin

At COT,  I shared that today, 7/28/17 would have been my late father’s 75th birthday. In 2001, he died  of a massive heart attack at the age of 59. My father was a good man. A loving man and unfailing provider for our family. But he had personal struggles. He was an alcoholic. A workaholic. Never exercised. Attended church sporadically, especially during my years at home.

My dad didn’t have what I would consider close friends or a strong social network. He had a family, a career, a mortgage, two kids who stayed out of trouble. But he always struck me as lonely. Isolated. I daresay alcohol use was his way of self medicating: his way of trying to fill a hole and mask his feelings of isolation.

I am grateful to write here that I am not an alcoholic, although there was a time in my late 20s that I was definitely auditioning for the part. No one will ever accuse me of being a workaholic (though I do work hard). Though I may not eat the healthiest diet, I do post at workout consistently between 4 and 6 days a week.

But, perhaps most importantly to me, I have gained a strong network of men who support and encourage each other to become better.

My life is on a completely different trajectory.

I am not alone. I am not isolated. I am a grateful part of this community, and I thank each of you for being a part of my life.

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BackBlast from The Ranch 7-27-17

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16 HIMs showed up in the gloom to join me at The Ranch for my last Q/post until after I become a father of 4.

Mosey to the back of the school.

Warmup

  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 20 Squats
  • 5 double count Merkins
  • 20 Mountain Climbers
  • Honeymooner
  • 20 Moroccan Night Clubs

Short Warmup so that we could get to THE THANG:

BOARD OF PAIN

Mosey Back to COT

Announcements

  • Last week of F3Dads this Saturday the 29th – NEED A Q or 2
  • Last week of QSchool next Tuesday the 1st
  • Effort to get VQs in September

Prayers/Praises:

  • Senator Tressel’s Sister & Brother in Law
  • Flat Tire’s mother (health)
  • Flat Tire’s wife – praise for new J-O-B!
  • Prayers for Bella (Ginsu’s soon to be daughter)

Thank you to the men who posted!

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Escalating in difficulting

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For this workout, YHC borrowed heavily from a my Q while on vacation at Ocean Isle the week before.  As we often do in F3, however, it was made more difficult this time.  The focus for this workout was to remind ourselves that we can always dig deeper.  It was fast paced and after completing something that seemed difficult we moved onto something that sounded even more horrible.  Each PAX dug deep and crushed it.

Warm up:

  • Mosey lap around the parking lot
  • SSH X35
  • Merkin X 15
  • Mountain Climber X10
  • Windmill X10
  • Imperial Walker X10

The Thang:

Merkin Suicide

Line up on the line in front of Harris Teeter.  The parking lot has four small islands between Harris Teeter and Fort Mill BBQ.  5 Merkins on the line, then run to the first island, 5 merkins, run back to the start, for 5 merkins.  Then run to the first island again for 5 merkins, continue to the second island for 5 merkins, head back towards HT but stop at the first island again for 5 merkins.

With the suicide run and the requirement to stop for 5 merkins anytime you passed the island that was a total of 65 merkins broken up by a fair amount of running.

Dora 1,2,3

Partner up to complete a series of exercises together with your partner.

Partner 1 would complete the exercise while partner 2 would run the full length of the parking lot.

  • Bomb Jacks X100
  • Squats X200
  • Shoulder Taps X300 counting only the tap on the right shoulder

Partner Burpee Plank

Partner 1 would hold an elbow plank while partner 2 completed burpees.  After each burpee partner 2 will jump over their partner in the plank position.  This was completed in a ladder with one partner completing 10 burpees, switch for the other partner to complete 10 burpees.  Descend in number until complete.  10, 8. 6. 4. 2, Done.

Announcements:

This BB is late posting.  Announcements are outdated.

Thank you Decibel for the opportunity!

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Oshi Shinobu

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What a great morning for a workout with 14 men at The Swamp.  We quickly split off as Ruckers, Runners and Bootcampers.  A short mosey led us to our 1st stop for the warmup:  15 SSH, 3-burpees, 10 Windmills, 3-burpees, 10 Moroccan Night Clubs, 3-burpees, 15 SSH, 3-burpees.

Good and warm we mosey’d to backside of Jush Fresh to the stairs.  Partner Up.  P1 Holds Plank, P2 runs stairs, Flip/Flop; P1 Flutter Kicks, P2 runs stairs, Flip/Flop; P1 Hello Dollies, P2 run stairs, Flip/Flop and finally P1 Wall Sits,  P2 runs stairs, Flip Flop.

Short stroll to the Fountain w/a round-a-bout version of 4-corners.  Working in Decending order w/4-stations;  8, 6, 4 and 2 reps at ea.  Starting at Fountain, Incline/Decline Merkins, run to top of lot, Squats, run around to fountain, step-ups (ea leg), run to bottom of lot, burpees and back to fountain.  Rinse and repeat to next descending count.

I wanted to do something a little different with the PAX this am and introduce a little Jiu Jitsu warmup so we mosey’d over by the Q’s truck and pick up some Martial Arts belts.  Partner up, P1 places belt around himself and sprints while P2 offers resistance by holding him back across the lane.  Rinse&Repeat x 2.  From there we demonstrated what each warmup is for and how to execute it in BJJ with:  seated shrimping, breakdance, alligator crawl, gorilla walks, leg drag drills and finished w/another bout of the belt resistance drills w/new partners and ab-work.

COT

Always a struggle getting moving in the am and putting our bodies through the workouts but love the results and who I get to do it with.  In Jiu Jitsu we always finish w/a bow and handshake to one other with the statement of “OSS!” also known as “ossu”, means Oshi Shinobu, which conveys the idea of “persevering when pushed”. In other words, never give up, have determination, grit and withstand the most arduous of training.

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100 Degrees of Suck

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It was Wednesday and it was hot!  Perfect time for my annual(?) Q at Run & Gun.  Following  a grueling itinerary of coast-to-coast travel over the prior 5 days, I was in deep need of a strong dose of 1st and 2nd F interaction.  This AO is the ideal spot for recharging following a morning in the Smartsack.  Two adventurous R&G regulars posted for the festivities.  With an abbreviated Disclaimer, the sweatfest began.

The Thang

COP — Mtn climbers x10, Parker Peters x10, Merkins x10, Peter Parkers x10, Bombjacks x10 OYO, Karaoke

Meandering run through Baxter neighborhood to the two-story office building at Market/Sutton intersection, run up stairs on one end, across second level, back down stairs and muster on ground level in the shade in the circular center section.

Time for the fun to begin.

10 Bombjacks OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway
20 Bombjacks OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 2x
30 Bombjacks OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 3x
40 Bombjacks OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 4x

Mainframe spied a water fountain on 2nd level so we moseyed upstairs as part of recovery only to find it dry….was it a mirage?

40 Merkins OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 4x
30 Merkins OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 3x
20 Merkins OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway 2x
10 Merkins OYO run center stairway & back down other center stairway

Mosey to Allison Park near Community House, suck down some warm water, splash some warm water from fountain on head, then mosey to playground in the shade

Surprise sighting of Geppetto in the woods!

30 Dips OYO
20 Dips OYO
10 Dips OYO

Run back home

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

Well, it was not 100 degrees officially, but I have to think the heat index was pushing that level.  The sweat came flowing quickly…and didn’t even let up during 2nd F.

It was great to be out at R&G again.  My mind and body scream at the thought of after-work workouts.  Almost 30 yrs of working out in the early AM gloom have conditioned me to think that is the only time to exercise.  Each time I post at R&G (which is admittedly rare), I am reminded of the value of breaking routine.  Corruption, please call me out periodically going forward!

We missed Bolt who was at the Beach.  We also missed Cable Guy for the 1st F portion…he continues to reside on the IR.  It was good to see him (and especially good to see him in good spirits) at Grapevine for Brewteria afterward.

Thanks to Corruption for his continued leadership and the regulars that keep R&G alive!  And thanks for the invite to Q.

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