Tag: Maximus

Puketoberfest…Wk 2

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Bonsai and his terrible ideas brought together round 2 of The Fort’s Puketoberfest as 7 men joined Jedi & YHC (welcome FNG Hit n’ Run) this past Saturday. The bar was set, the chatter was chatted and as the sun rose this beautiful morning, Jedi stood in the middle of the PAX for a moment to disclaim the disclaimer.

So…we mosey’d down the path with some knees-to-chest, heels-to-butt and toy soldiers. One more short mosey then forward moving hillbilly squat walkers (these are straight-up awkward) to the red-light sign.

Quick shoulder warm-up with Moroccan Night Clubs and some other stuff.

Enough of that, let’s get this going:

5 cones spaced 10yds apart. PAX do 5 burpees or some variation thereof, crawl/move to the next cone, 5 more of those burpees, crawl/move, etc to the end. After the burpees at the 5th cone, immediately do an about face and run the full 5-tier suicide using the cones that just marked your burpees. Finish with a Mary exercise while waiting on the 6. Us slow folks (Maximus writing) thankfully only got through 3 of the planned 6 rounds.

The variations were:

  1. Normal burpees, bear crawl, flutter kicks.
  2. Walmart burpees (Maximus fav), duck walks (Geronimo fav), dying cockroaches (nobody’s fav)
  3. Jackass burpees, 2 CCD & 2 Crab Cakes, LBCs

Hand off to Maximus:

Circle up in Ft. Mill’s best grass…

Jack Webb’s consisting of the typical offenders: 1 Merkin : 4 Overhead Claps up to 10:40

8ct Burpees for a few

Partner up at the playground:

P1: Pull ups while P2 runs to the path near the base of the hill.

Flapjack and repeat

P1: Tuck Jumps while P2 runs to the base of the hill.

Flapjack and repeat

Lt Dans consisting of the typical offenders: 1 Squat : 4 Jumping Lunges up to 6:24.

A few more 8ct burpees.

Line up in 1 line, arms width apart and drop to your 6, facing West for a full 51 (in a 4ct cadence so that is 102 total) American Hammers (Personal favorite)

Mosey to the base of the hill to run the to the top and jog back down…4 times.

Take a breather for a quick chat then 1 more time up for good measure.

COT

Announcements: Paradise reading center opportunity, F3 Christmas Party

Prayers: Marriages, FNGs.

No man left behind and leave no man where you found him.

Jedi & Maximus

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4

Dora Vol. 2 – Back to Basics

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14 PAX (5 BCs 11 Ruckers) all got a proper disclaimer by YHC, and parted ways.

Bootcampers moseyed around the parking lot for COP.

COP (mostly x15 count) – MNC, IW, WM, LSS, Merkins, PP

The Thang – started with 11s, Burpees and Crab cakes, with bear crawling and crab walking in between sets

Moseyed over behind the tire place for DORA 1-2-3 (Derkins, Step Ups, Dips in the wall) with partner running around the two auto shops, a classic, but brutal workout for this AO.

COT – Read your newletter

Thanks Falcon Crest for the opportunity to lead

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1

A little movin’ & rollin’ with Florence

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I’ve been chompin’ at the bit to Q this new official Ruck AO, the Fire Ant, and this morning was the perfect time. Over the last few years, it’s developed a standard consistent with harder AO’s and I was not about to drop the ball today.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to post up at my folk’s house in Wilmington, NC where they recently had Hurricane Florence followed by 1-2 tornadoes pass through. It’s always different seeing storm aftermath in person; the images, the smells, the sounds of cleanup and water pumps getting rid of standing water. I’m not quite sure how I was going to be impacted but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. After all, neighbors are still unable to get in their houses. Perspective teaches me I need to keep my mouth shut and stay hydrated as I chip in to do a small part. After tree #4 came down and got hauled off, I had a revelation. What if I cut this next tree into the perfect lengths that would compliment my upcoming Fire Ant Q? Couple that with a previously-prepared Weinke and there you have it, we were set.

With a truck bed holding (8) 40-50lb logs, 18 of us converged on the Golden Corral/Fire Ant parking lot at HT. After Change Order laid down the disclaimer, us 12 Ruckers moved over for our warm-up jog around the lot.

After that, we kept the rucks on the ground and did our warm up:

Wind Mills

Moroccan Night Clubs

10 Forward & Reverse Arm Circles

Slow Squats

SSH

Grab a partner and meet at the rucks.

Catch me if you can with your partner and 3 Hand-Release Merkins. We went around the big loop once then a smaller loop after that for 2 loops total.

Head over to grab the logs. A brief explanation on where they came from and how they’d be used. We had to move both the rucks and the log and we’d work as a team to do it, looking to relieve the men with the logs.

Line up 2×2 with logs in the front. If you had a log, carry it overhead at the front and the rest of us would look to relive you en route. We made our way to the start of the Harris Teeter wall.

Lunge walk with a log press the length of the wall.

Bear crawl while rolling the log back to the starting position.

2×2 in formation with logs overhead to the 9-round parking lot & circle up.

If you have a log, hold it at 90 degrees and if you don’t hold your Ruck at 90 degrees. Each PAX does 3 curls going around the circle. If you’re not curling, you’re holding at 90.

On your back with legs straight and feet at 6″. Doing a log or ruck press for quite a few reps.

Get in 1 line, shoulder to shoulder. Seal team sit-ups with the rucks on front and keeping your head off the ground.

Same formation, flutter kicks with heads off the ground.

Back in 2×2 formation with logs overhead and offering relief, we made our way back to the original starting position. But before we finished, we got back in the seal-team line, on our backs and did bicycles with the rucks on front, both forward and reverse.

And so…that was it.

Announcements: Fire Ant AO moving to TCES in 3wks. Follow Spiderman for further details. Sign up for Paradise Reading Center: check with Copay and Deacon.

Prayers/Praises: Safety for all the PAX doing races (Bourbon Chase, CLT Marathon, Ragnar, Rucks), wedding anniversaries, Prayers for Half-Shell’s buddy who lost his son recently in a very sad event. We do not understand but we need to have faith in our Creator that he’ll somehow have something positive come from this. Prayers for his family and for all the scouts injured, those who witnessed and for their families.

Enjoy your day & make an impact.

Maximus.

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4

Always Ready

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Maximus at a “Moderate?” I mean, c’mon, Slow Burn isn’t always moderate. That said, I appreciate the opportunity to Q no matter the AO so thank you Smithers for thinking of me. I tried to honor the AO by pushing the PAX and keeping everyone together.

So here it is:

Warm up jog to the lot next to Lowe’s for a warm-up circle of:

SSH (Only for Trucker), Imperial walkers, Wide-Arm Merkins, Donkey Kicks and 10 Burpees (more to come)

Line up shoulder to shoulder on the wall in the peoples’ chair position

Starting at one end, we’d lunge walk to the other end of the peoples’ chair wall.

Next series, PAX line up shoulder to shoulder in a plank position with their feet on the all. Starting at one end, the PAX would bear crawl to the other end.

Jog around the back of Lowe’s heading toward the ever-changing car repair shop. The interesting thing here is that while finishing the jog, I heard a conversation between Chicken Hawk and Wide-Right where the latter mentioned he hasn’t Q’d yet and was interested in getting on a Q schedule. So, I did an about face, confirmed what I thought I heard and gave him the opportunity as soon as we circled up in the repair lot. After a brief mention to the PAX regarding the Q change for the next several minutes, I think he led us in the following:

LBC’s, Mountain Climbers, 10 Burpees Dips, Derkins Peter Parkers, Parker Peters, SSH and 5 Burpees…he then handed it back to me.

Now, jog to the large lot on the other side and circle up:

Flutter kicks w/ a press

Box Cutters then reverse box cutters

A short 3-tier suicide series with jump squats as you return to the starting line.

So that was in; we keep the group together, encourage the chatter and give a man his opportunity to lead us. Just another day in THE FORT.

Leave no man behind but leave no man as you found him.

Maximus

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4

Q School Week 3

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A big turnout of 24 pax posted to Golden Corral for the third week of Q School.  The Ruck gang added another 9 pax, for a total of 33!  It was great to see such a large and enthusiastic group seeking to learn and grow.  The F3 mission is all about leadership, and the leadership foundation of F3 is grounded in the workout Q.  So, YHC was honored by the chance to help teach new Qs and to do so alongside our new 1st F leader, Royale.

Royale started us off with a full disclaimer and why we give it every time.  The PAX need to know and understand the assumption of risk every morning, no matter how many times they’ve posted.

Before the mosey to warm-up Royale took a minute to explain how to “read the PAX”.  The Q should be deliberate when starting the workout by eyeballing guys with experience levels and condition levels.  We talked about a Sweeper and how a Q should assign someone to the six.  No man left behind!

The Thang (DD takes over from here)

Warm-up run to back parking lot behind HT and circle up

COP — series of warm-up exercises led by various pax to get loose and to gain familiarity with Counting in Cadence, emphasizing a few important points:

  • Consistent correct use of three commands of Cadence counting for earning confidence of the pax and keeping them altogether in rhythm
  • Sync each count with a movement in the exercise…the Q is counting MOVES, not just counting out numbers
  • Use good form in all exercises
  • Use moderate or even slow counting pace — you can count too fast but you can never count too slow (just ask Senator Tressell)

After COT we broke the large group into 2 sub-groups.  Double D took Q101 group for newer Qs and those that have not Q’d.  Royale took his hand at the Q201 PAX that have Q’d at least a few times.

Double D continued the COP format to allow all pax more opportunity to lead exercises in cadence.  We discussed the fact that the Q’s role is to lead, and as leader his priority needs to be on the pax.  This is not a workout built for the Q’s benefit.  It’s a workout for the pax who are present, led by the Q. We also discussed not feeling trapped by your Weinke and like you have to follow it rigidly.  If you miss an exercise or your rep count is longer or shorter than you planned, just carry on.  No one knows your Weinke and no one will call you out as making a mistake.  Show yourself some grace and just keep rolling on.

The pax also raised many questions:

  • How to prepare — review prior BBs for the AO, review BBs for other AOs, talk to the site Q, make a scouting trip to the AO, arrive early to the workout, ask site Q to arrive early to the workout, practice cadence counting, practice exercises
  • Exercise choice/workout structure — don’t include anything you can’t comfortably do yourself, don’t overdo # of reps, include Dora, small group stations, OYO or partner portions as means to limit period of time Q has to count in cadence
  • Start/end time — Always start on time (ie, 0515 for most weekday workouts) and always end on time (ie, 0600 for most weekday workouts)
  • How to manage COT — always starts at end of the workout period (ie, COT is not included inside the workout time, such as 0515 to 0600), includes 5 elements: (i) count off, (ii) Name-o-rama, (iii) announcements, (iv) prayers & praises and (v) Ball of Man.  Does not have to be long or complicated.  just plan to cover the basics.
  • Backblasts — Q’s job is not complete until Backblast is posted.  Get Backblast posting rights from Old Bay or Gears.  Don’t feel pressure to write a novel.  Get the names and a basic summary of what happened.  Backblasts are critical because they provide connectivity for all pax – those present and those absent – and they provide material for Qs to draw on for planning their workouts.

In order to get he heart pounding and the sweat flowing, we did some sprints up the street by Grace Church.  Then we moseyed back to COT.  We discussed along the way back the importance of watching the clock and location so that you can finish on time back at home base.  It’s better to arrive back home early and knock out a few exercises there than to reach finish time 1/4 mile or more away from home.

During his session, Royale explained how you handle a Q-Jack or too much mumble chatter.  The group will usually self-police but if they don’t making guys do burpees is an easy way to get them back on track.  Do not give up your authority to lead.  Also talked about how to address the Larry Birds (guys out front on  their own) with a communication to them on what to do if they finish early.

But sitting around was not what we here to do!  Our next evolution started with a Lazy Dora.

  • Partner Up
  • 100 Merkins combined.  Rotate partners at 20 while other partner planks
  • 200 Flutter Kicks (double count) while other partner holds 6 inches.  Rotate at 25
  • 300 Squats while other partner holds Al Gore.  Rotate at 25

During these exercises I shared more about an advanced Q style.  What message can you bring to the PAX to help them become Accelerating men?  Some of my favorite workouts are when the Q shares a life lesson during breaks or incorporates it into his workout.  I gave ideas that I’ve stolen from all kinds of sources.  The Q-source, 43 feet podcasts, Jocko podcast, twitter, our 3rd F theme of the month, etc.…

An example I shared about a recent Q I had at the Abyss (see back blast) around the 43 Feet podcast and a Man’s Concentrica.  I made a bull’s eye game with corn hole bags.  The PAX competed around the different areas of focus in a man’s Concentrica.

We moved on to a wall for some more discussions and exercise.

The first wall had a ledge and was no good, so we moved down to the next building where a better wall was located.  Another great lesson from my mistake by telling guys to recon the site before the workout!

During wall sits we opened up questions from the PAX.  Some great questions were raised around workout groupings, how many reps should you prep for, and knowing your group.  We continued with BTTW and another Wall sit.

Last item I shared during the final wall sit was around the COT Prayer.  This was something that made me very nervous around my first Q.  I was not accustomed to praying much, and certainly not in public.  I told the PAX this is an important piece of your leadership when you Q.  Do not give this away to another man.  Finish what you started by sharing from your heart.  It does not have to be each individual prayer request from COT… but don’t forget about this practice too!

We moseyed back to the front of Harris Teeter and joined back up with Double D’s group.

COT

Naked man moleskin

Double D double-clutched the smartphone video during COT (where’s a millennial when I need one?), so this BB is missing a few pax names.  Apologies to those I missed for allowing my Respect traits sabotage the recording of your presence.

Thank you to all the pax who posted!  It was great to see so many new faces as well as some veterans in support of new Qs.  This morning reflected the excitement and engagement  of the pax necessary to sustain the culture of The Fort.

Thank you to each of the new Qs for stepping up. You will be nervous and anxious — that’s normal and expected.  Your workout won’t be perfect — no Q’s workout ever is.  You will also learn and grow through the process.

And a shout out to the Site Qs — take a look at the list of pax here and get these guys booked into Q slots!

 

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5

Start and stop, repeat

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Man it’s been too long. Cha Ching set me up with the opportunity to Q at the SWAMP and I must say, I do miss that place. But then again, I think I say that with every AO I have the opportunity to Q at. So for this one, I “solicited” a few ideas from my Ragnar team and even got to incorporate a few of them while only 2 of them graced us with their presence.

17 BC’ers and 2 Ruckers for a total of 19 was the count as we circled up to be disclaimed and get a brief unnecessary overview of what I thought would be necessary instructions. In short, this post would be about starting and stopping, that’s it. No deeper meaning, no Beyond discussion this time, just full on “get your work on and get it done.” We’ll be running between our COP’s at 2 different speeds and I’ll call it out before we take off: 1: All you’ve got and 2: As a PAX.

1: COP in THD’s parking lot: for a little warm up.

2: Lt. Dans

3: Merkins/Carolina Dry Docks

4: Kracken Burpee (Only 1 way to get better at these and when in the Lake Wylie area, these are a must).

5: Staggered Merkins & Jump Squats

6: 1 min of 6″ leg holds, 1min 45 degree crunch hold. Followed by Dips & Dry Docks again.

7: 2min Al Gore, 1 min 6″ Merkin hold and 1min Calf Raise hold. Bunny hop 30 yds and back.

8: Diamonds, Wide-Arm Merkins, Slow Sumo Squats & 1min Flutter Kicks with a press

9: 24 Dips & the fountain

COT: Prayers for Stang’s parents, Emma Holt, those in the path of Hurricane Florence. Be open to how you can help others in the wake of the storm.

Until next time…

Maximus

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3

Give Yourself Permission

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9  pax posted to the land of the free and the home of the brave in Fort Mill, SC (aka Walter Elisha Park aka WEP aka The Fort) for a snot-woggler of a morning.  Of course, all men are welcome at F3 AOs and none are left behind.  But, when I took note of the pax present (no FNGs and all wily veterans), I knew we were in for some real pain.  This was not a crew that modifies, and my co-Q (Copay) certainly was going to dole it out.  My mission of the morning was to keep the pax present and encourage them through the barrage.  For the record, a brief Disclaimer was proclaimed.  Then I put forth a short command — “Give yourself permission to be here and only here for the next 60 minutes…let go of everything else that might be occupying your mind.”  All pax confirmed they had permission to proceed, and then the fun began.

The Thang

Double D in the lead

Mosey up hill out the parking lot with right turn down Ardrey St

Series of Karaoke, High knees, Butt kicks, To Soldiers

Take paved trail at first intersection back into the Springs parking lot and work our way through the lot to the building with periods of Lunge walks, Broad jumps, Bear crawl, Backwards lunge walk, Crawl bear, Crab walk.

COP — Al Gore, SSH, IWs, HWs, Merkins, CDDs, Bombjacks

Mosey to UCSynergetic back lot

Pull-ups on the walkway railing + 10 Bombjacks OYO
Rinse and repeat

Mosey partway down grassy hill toward Hwy 160 and then a permission slip check was made before handoff to Copay

Copay in the lead

Build a burpee X5

Mosey to bottom of gun shop hill.

50X Side Straddle Hops

All out Sprint to top Side squats left/right and lunges down

All out Sprint to top Side squats left/right and lunges half way

Lunges and side squats left and right back up

Message Give permission and your “will” will take you further than you want, especially when it’s about doing His will

Mosey to parking lot across from gun shop

Combos:

CDD Donkey Kicks X12

Mountain climber merkins X12

Standing push up jump squats X20

Run back to parking lot
Rinse and repeat

Build a burpee X5

Handoff to Double D for the finish

Mosey to UC Synergetic parking lot along Hwy 160

Plank on curb facing short brick wall

Derkins + sprint to wall + backward sprint back to the curb
Rinse & repeat for 3 cycles total

Mosey to grassy area along Hwy 160 in front of Springs bldg

Freddy Mercurys

Flutter kicks

People’s chair against wall

Balls to the Wall

People’s chair

Mosey back to WEP

Mahktar N’Dyiae

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

Well, it’s Monday afternoon, more than 48 hrs since the beatdown, and My lower body is still sore.  The soreness started Sat afternoon.  A 15 mile run on Sunday and a 5 mile run plus burpees on Monday have yet to relieve the soreness.  Copay really put it on us!

It looked as though we had an in-game EH when Copay was leading us through his first round of Build-a-burpee.  An enthusiastic fellow in his 20s/30s driving a black car w/NY plates parked on the street near the gun shop and got out of his car to ask “Is this the class?”  Of course, we said yes, waved him into the parking lot and continued the burpees until he parked and walked back over.  Suddenly, he didn’t look so excited.  He was looking for the “gun shop class” and the idea of Copay and burpees had him shaking in his boots.  We invited him back to WEP for 9/15.  We’ve got one week to work up one heckuva name.

We covered new territory around the buildings for some pax.  The pull ups on the walkway railings were new to some.  The wall along Hwy 160 was new to others.  Both of these, plus all the other spots demonstrate what an awesome AO WEP continues to be, despite 6 years of downPAINments!

The message for the workout was geared around being PRESENT and INTENTIONAL.  I came upon the phrase “I gave myself permission…” in 2-3 conversations last week and it stuck with me.  Sometimes it takes a bit of a mental device to force us to realize that (a) everything is a choice and (b) the only actions we can make choices about are those in the here and now.  Giving yourself permission to be present to do something specific and intentional is a powerful way of exercising our freedom to choose.  Copay took the “permission” idea to an even greater level with his inspiring words about “giving permission to God to do His will through me now” (only way more powerful coming out of his mouth).

Lots to think about and lots of laundry after this one.

Thanks to Bonsai for the Q opportunity and to the pax for leaving it all out there!

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4

Suffering in Silence

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18 assembled this morning for some bells (6) and #Beyond (12). YHC decided to change things up slightly. We did the Name-a-Rama first. Read on to see why.

NMM

You’ll also note that I’m posting the Naked Man Moleskin before the workout. Sometimes the message is more important than the workout. Today was one of those days. #Beyond is designed to take you out of your comfort zone and push buttons we would rather leave untouched. Today’s discussion was on depression.

Some facts:

  • There are 123 suicides in America every day
  • The highest suicide rate is adult males between the ages of 40 and 54
  • White males accounted for 7 out of every 10 suicides in 2016

These sobering statistics spoke to me because our PAX fit right in the sweet spot of these ranges. The average age this morning was 44 – right in the thick of these numbers. Depression effects men in different ways. This group is sandwiched in between the traditional silent, strong fathers who went to work and provided for their families and the more progressive, open generations of their sons who share parenting duties and aren’t always the breadwinners of the household. Many men never mastered either of these roles and now feel lost. We’ve married capable women who take care of everything from the children to the social agenda, leaving men to feel a void of purpose. Around this age, men look around at their neighbors and ask, “why am I not as successful as my neighbor?” Outside of our homes, we are lonely. We’ve lost track of our college buddies and only connect with our co-workers on a water cooler level. We feel like we haven’t accomplished enough. For all intents and purposes, men in their mid-40s often feel neutered – unable to provide the ways their dads did and unwilling or unprepared to be Mr. Mom to their older children. To make matters worse, a job loss or divorce often leads these men into a downward spiral of addiction and despair. Chances are, you’ve felt this way or know someone who does. It becomes our responsibility to reach out to these men and invite them into a brotherhood of love. Medical professionals recommend a few steps to battle depression. I added number 5:

  1. Seek social support
  2. Support your health (get enough sleep, control stress, and go outside)
  3. Exercise
  4. Eat Healthy
  5. Give your concerns to God

All of these are incorporated into what we do each morning at F3. Social support comes in the form of other men who are battling or have battled this demon themselves. To me, its finding blades and stones to sharpen each other. It’s the second F – Fellowship. Doctors recommend finding outlets to blow off steam, exercising and getting outside. How else better than exercising outside in the elements pushing past pain with your brothers in the Gloom? This is the first F – Fitness. Finally, acknowledging that there is a higher being that loves you and wants what is best for you. Rather than telling God how big your problems are, tell your problem how big your God is. This is the third F – Faith.

I realized that the reason F3 is growing is because it is the answer to the question we never knew we had. It is the antidote to society’s poison of depression. We all struggle, from project managers to pastors. We all battle life. Why not surround yourself with guys who can build the 3 Fs right beside you? Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says it best: “Two are better than one because they have good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, the other can help them up. But pity anyone who falls and has no other to help them up. Also if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Interpret those three strands however you wish. I like to think of them as me, God, and my brothers. That dream team can win any fight. Grab your shield and suit up, we’ve got a battle to wage.

The Thang

  • Mosey to the front of the church
  • Hold the Plank for the duration of Disturbed “Sound of Silence”
    • Listen to the lyrics. Acknowledge that many men battle depression in silence. We weren’t made to fight alone.

Mosey to the upper parking lot

  • 1 Minute of Squats
  • 40 SSHs (IC)
  • 10 Prison Cell Pushups
  • 40 Imperial Walkers (IC)

Mosey to the front of the church

  • 1 Minute of LBCs
  • 1 Minute of Flutters
  • 1 Minute of Rosalitas
  • 1 Minute of Freddie Mercuries

Mosey to the side lot

  • 1 Minute of Mountain Climbers
  • 1 Minute of Alternating Shoulder Taps
  • 1 Minute of Ski Abs
  • 10 Burpees

Mosey to the upper parking lot

  • 40 Overhead Claps (IC)
  • 35 MNCs (IC)
  • 40 Little Baby Arm Circles (IC)
  • 45 Overhead Press (IC)

Mosey to the front of the church

  • 1 Minute of Box Jumps
  • 1 Minute of Irkins
  • 1 Minute Dips
  • 1 Minute of Merkins

Mosey back to COT

  • Butterfly Stretch
  • Left Leg out Stretch
  • Right Leg out Stretch
  • 10 LBCs (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Crunch Left (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Crunch Right (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Stick Crunch Left (IC)
  • 10 Pretzel Stick Crunch Right (IC)

-Italian Job

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16

BEYOND the JOY

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I’m sitting down to write this BB and literally can’t do what I challenged the PAX with at this morning’s BEYOND workout. Eliminate the distractions. Oh, what’s this text say, how about this tweet mention (can’t miss that), work email really needs my immediate response, man those kids left their cereal bowls on the counter, what time are we leaving today, etc, etc, etc. At times it can be funny but others, it can be really frustrating. I allow myself to continuously chase progress and other tasks rather than finding joy in where I am. It then leads to what you’ll read about later…burnout.

So there you have it, this BEYOND post will be focused on a struggle many of us face and that is running from joy, not finding joy where we are or honestly, not being a joy to spend time with. That latter one has been my challenge over these last several years because of those first two.

On to it. Car after car after car rolled into the Hive parking lot and you know the feeling, the feeling of way more cars than you were expecting. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it gives you that kick in the pants, that extra motivation, that reminder of why you put your feet on the floor in the 4 o’clock hour. That’s what I was blessed to experience this beautiful morning as 33 other men, men that have pushed me over the years, men I’ve looked up to over the years, men who are about to bust it right along side me as we embark on something that typically looks better on paper. But that’s the idea, to push ourselves BEYOND our sense of normalcy both physically and mentally.

Funhouse escorted a group of 5 PAX for his killer initiative of RYAOA (T-claps on keeping that going) and the rest of us, 29 to be exact, circled up. After a quick explanation of BEYOND for the rookies and the search for any FNG’s, we discussed the plan with the weight, either Kettle Bell or Ruck…your choice. What I just realized, and to which nobody held be accountable, was that I forgot the all-important disclaimer. Men, never do that again. DO NOT START A WORKOUT WITHOUT A DISCLAIMER. You don’t have to be an attorney but verbalize the basics.

Starting on the curb nearest the tennis courts, run to the other side of the parking lot at 50% then 25% back. 10 Squats, 5 Burpee Broad Jumps then run to the other side at 75% then 25% back. 15 Diamond Merkins, 5 Burpee Broad Jumps then 100% to the other side followed by 100% back.

Switzer up for the first part of the discussion. I read the following definition: “Feeling of great pleasure & happiness.” After a few likely words were tossed out when I asked what word that defines, we got to the word of the day, JOY. I’m sure guys were wondering why in the world we’re talking about joy at an F3 workout, what kind of soft, starbucky-hands nonsense is this? That exact reason is the reason we’re discussing this word. It’s a word and feeling we don’t allow ourselves to enjoy often enough. There are people I enjoy being around and things I like doing but do I truly find joy in those situations? Said differently, do I enjoy being around those people or being in those moments and perhaps more importantly, do people find joy in being around me? Over these last few years, I’ve been operating like a hard-ass, focusing on task completion and moving from one thing to another. I can tell you, I’ve not been a joy to be around. While I was in it, I didn’t even realize it. How did I get here? Really, how do I get out of it?

That said, we split up into 4 groups, 1 for each corner of the large parking lot. In each corner, we did 10 Man Makers with your weight of choice. What varies is your mode of transportation between the corners.

  1. Lunge walks with the weight overhead.
  2. Bear crawl and transport the weight by any means necessary.
  3. Reverse lunge walks with weight overhead or held out front. (This was definitely better on paper as many of us had to modify to a bear hugging of the weight.)
  4. 4 Kettle Bell swings or Ruck swings followed by 4 walking steps.

After 3 of these 4, time got away from me and I had to audible and bring the group back to the center of the lot. As mentioned before, us task-completers run from one half-baked focus to another and we rob ourselves of contentment and joy in the moment. After weeks, months or years of doing this, we inevitably get burned out. Very rarely does something positive come after this stage. However, here in the gloom of our Hive AO here, burn out means something different. I was hoping to have 15mins left at this point but as it was, we had 6 and only got part of the way (you see, I tried to fill the schedule with too much and didn’t complete what I intended). See the irony?

  1. 21 Curls in cadence (3ct down, 1 up)
  2. 21 Flutter Presses in cadence
  3. 21 LBC in cadence
  4. 15 Overhead presses in cadence (b/c I didn’t have what it took to get to 21)

Closeout: We have a hard time refocusing once something bad happens or if it’s not bad, just something that temporarily knocks us off our trajectory. Oddly enough, our kids do a better job of getting back on track than we do. If something negative happens to you during the course of the day, how quickly are you able to course-correct? Are you able to move on from a less-than-positive comment made about you and not let it affect the rest of your day? Watch your kids and take note. Watch them get in a disagreement with a sibling, maybe pout, then start playing or hanging out with them 1-2hrs later. Could you imagine what it’d be like if we dusted ourselves off and went back at it? There’s joy in overcoming.

Listening to a podcast yesterday where Rob O’Neill was being interviewed, he briefly touched on this by saying something that hit me like a 50lb Kettle Bell across the bridge of the nose. A little background, Mr. O’Neill is the Operator on Seal Team 6 who fired the shot that killed the most wanted terrorist of all time, OBL. I’ve been fascinated by our military and specifically, SF, for years and imagine how quickly they need to pivot on a decision and adjust to chart a new course. His comment was this when discussing attitudes, “Are you having a bad day or did you have a bad moment that you’re milking into a bad day.” Don’t shake that off, marinate on that for a while and it might just change how you respond in that next bad moment.

Tesh, I appreciate your willingness to let me run BEYOND at the Hive.

Men of F3, I’m humbled by your company this morning and every morning you allow me to state my hospital name, age and F3 name.

No man left behind but leave no man where you found him.

Maximus

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