Slowburn – Pain Stations +

25 PAX gathered at slowburn for a saucy workout.  We gave a quick disclaimer and welcomed 2 FNG’s.  It wasn’t long and we headed out for a short mosey.  We circled up and I turned over the warm up to Fogarty for his V Q.

Fogarty started us off with some of the usual:

SSH
Imperial Walkers
Speedy Windmills
Peter Parkers
Mtn. Climbers
Merkins
Moroccan night clubs
2 double merkin burpees (where’d that come from?)

Fogarty turned it back over to YHC for another Mosey. I gave a shout out to Quickbooks for his intro that he did a couple of weeks back and I tried to do the same giving a little background on YHC. I’ll spare you all the details. Dark Helmet was observant to realize that my years of marriage did match up to how old my son is. That dude’s sharp! I closed out the intro with Romans 5:4. Look it up, it’s a solid verse on building character.

On that note we moseyed to the back of Lowes for some chalk scribble that was planned for the PAX.

We broke into two groups with 3 stations. Each group started on either far end would do an exercise and sprint to the middle station do an exercise and then return back to their starting point for the next exercise. Instructions seems easier that the PAX wrestled with, but they quickly got the hang of it. Here are the pain stations:

Station 1:
Merkins
Shoulder Taps
CDD’s
Mtn. Climbers

Middle Station:
Calf Raises
Squats
Lunges
Donkey Kicks

Station 3:
Leg Raises
LBC’s
Hello Dollies
Flutters

Round 1 15 of exercise run to the middle and then back for the next exercise until all 4 exercises are complete then run to the opposite Station. Do the same thing 15 of each run to the middle. When finisished with 1 and 3 then rinse and repeat with 10 of each exercise. This took us right up to time.

Jailbreak back to COT. Welcome to the fold Moab and Jake Brake FNG’s.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve!

Bass-o Out. <><

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Post Snow Cold Burn

11 at SlowBurn … label me disappointed, is it the cold? Is it the snow on the ground? Prepare Yo Self, put on some mittens and a cap and get out here … please (apparently I don’t say please enough)

Filling in for an injured PAX …

The Thang:
Mosey down the hill and circle up. Reps were 10x or 15x (sprinkled in 25s for OH Claps & MNClub). Burpees (1 or 2) in between each exercise after the first few were in the books. Windmill, Imp Walker, Plank-o-Rama (stretch it out), MNClub, LBCrunch, HR Merkins, Hillbilly Walker, OH Claps, Dying CR, CDDock, LSSquat, MNClub (yes, again), Freddie, Travolta (14 burpees in between).

Mosey to the lot on the other side of Lowe’s, run from the wall to the other side of the parking lot doing 7s, 1-6,2-5,3-4,4-3,5-2,6-1. Burpees and HR Merkins. Back to the wall … sit while the two ends pop out, do 2 burpees and return to the wall, until the ends meet in the middle. Recover. Back to the wall, everyone Bear Crawl from one end to the other. Recover.

Mosey to the front of Lowe’s. 3 station suicides.
Run, Shoulder taps 2ct x10, run back
Run, Shoulder taps 2ct x10, Donkey Kicks x10, run back
Run, Shoulder taps 2ct x10, Donkey Kicks x10, Monkey Hs x10, run back

Back to the big lot for some cool down, stop on the way for calf raises, 10x forward, 10x point in, 10x point out, OYO. Big lot … Squat, Mahktar N ‘Diayes, OH Clap, LBCrunch ….couple more ?

Indian Run back to COT

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

 

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#218in18 Kick-off Convergence BackBlast

76 PAX (including 4 FNGs) met in the gloom at Harris Teeter this morning to kick the year off the right way.

Group 1 – Jedi

Start with 60 seconds of plank tutorial, then a fairly lame attempt to explain the exercise “routine” for the upper body station. The routine, to be done in increasing AMRAP style:
· Incline Merkins
· Low Country Crab Boil (One leg, one hand dips)
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Staggered/Uneven Break Dancer Merkins (Left hand on curb)
· Staggered/Uneven Carolina Dry Docks (Left hand on curb)
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Pseudo Planche Merkins
· Donkey Kicks
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Staggered/Uneven Break Dancer Merkins (Right hand on curb)
· Staggered/Uneven Carolina Dry Docks (Right hand on curb)
· 90° Turn to starting position

Start with 10 reps for each exercise, then add 2 reps each round after that (10, 12, 14, 16, …). Only the elite few made it past the round of 12.

Group 2 – Peabody

An absolute honor to lead a convergence and had so much fun working with all the guys. Here’s the fun of the cardio Q.

SPRINT Relays!!!  

3 team

60 Yard sprint

Team members are doing Seal Jacks, side straddle hops, or flutters while teammate runs.

Winning team selects penalty exercise for 2 losing teams. (Unknown is losing team has to do the penalty exercise too but only half the reps).

Rinse and repeat the sprint relay races once teams are mixed up.

Mary to follow:

  • 50 LBCs
  • 25 Flutters
  • 10 Freddie Mercury’s

Lists of fun to hear the encouragement of other Pax and see the competition bring out the most in guys.  Saw lots of guys really push hard to win for their team.

Group 3 – Jekyll

Motley Crue and 80’s hairband soundtrack

  • COP: SSH, IW, Squat
  • 5 Burpee OYO, 4 OYO, 3 OYO
  • Lt Dan: squat and jumping , 1:4 ration
    • 1 squat: 4 jumping lunge, 2 squat: 8 Jumping lunge…10 squat: 40 jumping lunge
  • 5 burpee OYO
  • Calf Raises 25 each: Straight, Toes Out, Toes In
  • Donkey Kicks

COT

Welcome FNGs Iron City, Humps, Hillary, and Juliet

Prayers by CakeBoss for leadership.

– Ginsu

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Forefeast of the Theophany

10 PAX posted in the arctic air this morning (the Ninth Day of Christmas) after emerging from their warm vehicles. There was some mild griping about the weather and a college football game from the night before. Before our feet froze to the ground, YHC directed a mosey to the WEP playground:

CoP

SSH 27
Windmill (Abe Vigoda style) 18
Imperial Walkers 9
Hillbilly Walkers 9
Mountain Cimbers 9
Plank to Down Dog to Honey Mooner back to Down Dog
Pull-ups (oyo) 9

Mosey to missing drill bit:

CoP

Brief quiz on Theophany that resulted in a lack of correct answers and lead to:
Merkins 9
Low Slow Squats 9
Burpees 9

Mosey to Calhoun St. parking lot

The Thang

Begin w/ 9 bomb jacks (modify to squats if needed)
Run to the center of the parking lot
5 burpees
Run to the end of the parking lot
9 merkins (reserve the right to call hand-release merkins if form is suspect)
Run to center of parking lot
4 burpees
Run back to start

Rinse and Repeat 9 times – (due to time constraints we completed 6-7)

Mosey to CoT for Mary (9 reps of 9 exercises)

1 Love – Flutter
2 Joy – Freddie Mercury
3 Peace – LBC
4 Patience – American Hammer
5 Kindness – Box Cutter
6 Generosity – Monkey Crunches
7 Faithfulness – Big Boy Situps
8 Gentleness – 9 count
9 Self-Control – Catalina Wine Mixer
*Bonus* Stubbornness – 9 Burpees

Naked man moleskin

January 2 is the Ninth Day of Christmas and/or the Forefeast of the Theophany of Jesus Christ. The Theophany, in the orthodox tradition, is the revealing of the divine in Jesus at his Baptism. This date in the more modern tradition coincides with Epiphany, which is the revealing of Jesus as coming to redeem the Gentiles as well as the Jews represented by the Magi.

Some Protestant traditions also celebrate Paul’s nine Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as part of the Ninth Day of Christmas, hence the focus on repetitions of 9. I add a bonus fruit of the spirit, stubbornness. Stubbornness has been a real blessing to my life (and occasionally a source of frustration).

We welcomed FNG, Spay, to the ranks. It is a good sign for a FNG to post in 11ºF (which for the record is -12.2ºC). Welcome to Spay!

This was my VQ. It was an honor to have so many come out and post! Thank to Double D for the opportunity!

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2018 Kick-off 1st F Convergence – #218in18 Sad Clown EH-a-thon

A brand new year is upon us! As we all know, it is a time for new beginnings, new goals, new habits, and renewed interest to break vices. For us, it is a time to celebrate another year focused on becoming better men through this organization called F3. To do that, we are going to CONVERGE on Friday, January 12th @ 0515 @ the Harris Teeter (Baxter) parking lot (1750 Highway 160 W, West Town Market, Fort Mill, SC 29708).

With the new year and our #218in18 campaign, its a perfect time to headlock the sad clowns around us, many of whom are setting goals to become better men themselves. We know these sad clowns are excuse ninjas (here are the top 5), but we were once them and have all the tools we need to break them down over the next 2 weeks. So, let’s each focus on getting at least ONE FNG out there with us that morning. You know who they are, work to get them there.

The format of the workout will be SIMPLE. One option (regular bootcamp) split amongst 3 Qs. Look for an announcement soon with the Qs.

Last, but not least, we will be having a 3rd F Convergence right after at Eternal Church (right behind Zaxby’s) from 6:15 – 7:00 led by Gekko. We’ll be reflecting on our #OneWord for 2017 and sharing our #OneWord for 2018. Look for the PreBlast soon!

Let’s get on this guys. NOW is the time to start EH’ing! Get ‘er done!

– Ginsu

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2017 Clave Boss 5k/10k & Christmas Convergence

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more——Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!

The largest turn out by far for the Clave Boss 5k/10k was a success. We started on time and as far as I know nobody died. Thank you to all the PAX that ran and had a fun time and fellowship.

For the 5k, here were are winners of Bundt Cakes

  1. MacGyver
  2. Harry Carry

For the 10k, here were are winners of Bundt Cakes

  1. Sir Topham Hat
  2. mix of PAX coming from all directions—no idea

For the Ruck, here were are winners of Bundt Cakes

  1. Dark Helmet for 11min pace 5k ruck…..nice work!

Honorable Mention for Anchorman completing the 5k and Barry Manilow being his wingman!

The Convergence kicked off on time and we had Gecko open us up in prayer. We split the groups up and away we went with COT at 0750. Click on links to see the pain that was delivered…..Merry Christmas!

Black Diamond – Longshanks Q – https://t.co/odVJHWCBPS

Bootcamp – Cha Ching Q – https://f3thefort.com/2017/12/23/christmas-convergence-boot-camp-mixed-w-some-bd/

Noderate – Barry Manilow Q – https://f3thefort.com/2017/12/23/your-moderate-option-at-the-convergence/

COT came together and we had 83 men attend this year.

Welcome FNG – Lake Effect, who is 41 not the 50 that he just shouted out. Classic!

Many announcements:

  • Thank you Site Qs for all your work, dedication and leadership!
  • Serve Saturdays ….reach out to Deacon, Bolt, NASA for info…..HIMs!!
  • Joe Davis Run Jan 6
  • Friday Convergence with 3rdF post beat down Jan 12
  • Rooster CSAUP Jan 20
  • Yeti – February
  • P200 – March

More than a workout!!

Prayers/Praises

  • Dark Helmet shared his sister is in need of prayer. Please remember DH and his family each day in prayer
  • Family visiting is fun and sometimes no so fun. BE HIMs!!
  • Prayers for all the PAX traveling and for peace this week!

Challenge:

I spoke to the PAX about how 2000 years ago Sky Q sent his son into the world in the form of a baby. When looking for a place to come in from the cold there WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN. I believe we all fall into this trap and put so much busy into our lives that we don’t have ROOM AT THE INN for Sky Q in our lives. We fill our hearts and minds with so much and when it come to his word and being in relationship, we DON”T HAVE ROOM AT THE INN (in our hearts).

I challenge myself and the PAX to make room for SKY Q and see how it changes your life in 2018 and beyond.

Honored to lead this PAX. I am blessed and grateful for each of you!

Cake Boss

 

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Pre-Blast: 218 in ’18

In 2018, the 1st F for F3theFort will be focusing on Growth & Consistency. We want to focus on GROWING the number of PAX not simply to increase our numbers. Rather, so that other men can reap the same rewards that F3 affords us every day: opportunities to lead, be held accountable, experience brotherhood, and push ourselves physically. If we continue to do this one PAX at a time, we slowly change our community.

We want to focus on CONSISTENCY so that we can maintain the standards and values that we have all come to expect and appreciate every time we post in the gloom.

In an effort to challenge ourselves to focus on Growth this year, your Fort Leadership Team is proud to announce the 218 in ’18 initiative. Our goal for this coming year will be to add 218 more consistently attending PAX. This may seem like a big number, but when put in the proper context, it is completely reasonable & achievable. That is 1 FNG for every 2 active members for the entire year, or roughly 1 FNG every 1.5 months for each AO.

However, as I mentioned before, we do not want to grow just for growth’s sake. We want to make sure that the new guys that join us this year stick with us so that they can reap the reward. So, I encourage you to headlock your neighbors, coworkers, friends, pizza delivery guys, insurance agents, and pretty much anyone who will talk to you. HOWEVER, EH’ing does not end after their first post…it continues until that new PAX no longer needs the constant encouragement to get our of the fartsack and in the gloom.

With that said, I encourage all of you to start early this year. Let’s get a jump on our goal by inviting FNGs to join us at our 2018 Kickoff Convergence on Friday, January 12th. There’s a high likelihood these sad clowns will have made resolutions to 1) get in shape and 2) save money in the new year….2 birds/1 stone. Gears and Old Bay will keep us honest through the year with a weekly SadClown-ometer included in the newsletter.

Let’s do this!

– Ginsu

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The G.R.I.N.C.H. Posts to Colosseum

18 pax showed up at Colosseum to steal Christmas back from the GRINCH.  Though not a regular at this AO, YHC jumped at the chance to pinch-hit for Pusher.  And being so close to Christmas, it’d almost be a sin to not have a Christmas theme.

Fresh out of Christmas workout ideas (see Alcatraz backblast from 2 weeks ago), YHC took to backblasts from other regions and found a Grinch theme workouted posted in F3GSO. T-Claps to GSO’s CHiPS and WoJo for the idea.

Disclamer was delivered as a few pax were coming in hot.  25 SSH allowed them time to catch up.

Warm-up

We ran a bit, then stopped for 5 burpee broadjumps and a few toy soilders.

Moseyed some more (in the general direction of 160), stopping at various times for warm-up exercises, including:

  • Squats
  • Peter Parkers
  • Seal Jacks
  • Moroccian Nightclubs
  • Windmills

Our run end in the Velux parking lot.  A few pax tried to claim we were at Golden Corral (sarcasm, perhaps?).  On the hill of the parking lot, 3 stations were set up:

  • Bottom of the hill was an orange cone, representing “Whoville”.
  • Mid-way up the hill was a green cone
  • At the top of the hill was a lantern with this sheet:

GRINCH

To summarize, pax were to do the exercises, run down the hill, stop halfway for 5 squats, run the rest of the way and do 5 LBCs, then run backwards up the hill, stopping halfway for 5 monkey humpers.  Once returning to the top, pax planked up for the 6 before starting the next round.

Exercises were cumulative, so pax had to repeat all previous exercises for each round.  A smattering of #mumblechatter ensued when pax learned 30 HR Merkins would follow 25 CDDs.

We wrapped up with about 12 minutes left, so we headed back, with Jekyll (who ran to the WO from home) Larry Bird’ing most of the way back.

We stopped at a parking lot on the edge of campus and effectively did a lap of alternating bear crawls and lunges, with a couple segments of crab walks.

Finally we ran to where we had done the initial burpee broad jumps, and finished out with the same.

Moleskin

Great job by the pax.  Seems like we put on more miles than a typical bootcamp, and with some hills, yet the 6 was never far behind.  Prayer requests at COT:

  • For Trucker’s neighbor
  • For Orange Crush
  • For Fratboy’s friend
  • For Stang

 

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12 Laps of Christmas with Some Discussion on our Favorite Gifts as Well as The Greatest Gift

We began with Sugarbug taking the lead for a mosey around the park and circle up in the field to get warmed up on this fridged 20-something morning.

24 SSH, 12 Windmill, 12 Moracan Nightclub, 12 Peter Parker, 12 Parker Peter (by now Dark Helmet and his ruck were starting to notice a trend and were getting nervous)

 

Mosey over to the playground to do some laps “12 Days of Christmas” style. It went like this (feel free to sing along)

One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Eight double count american hammers, Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Nine dips, Eight double count american hammers, Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Ten SSH, Nine dips, Eight double count american hammers, Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Eleven plank jacks, Ten SSH, Nine dips, Eight double count american hammers, Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

Twelve burpees, Eleven plank jacks, Ten SSH, Nine dips, Eight double count american hammers, Seven dry docks, Six lunges (each side), Five bombjacks, Four 4 count flutters, Three 4 count Mountain Climbers, Two 4 count LBC’s, One 4 count merkin and a lap around the WEP playground

 

Once the carol had been sung the choir lead was passed over to Quack Attack who began his lesson on the greatest gift

-Began with a circle of core work.  Quack Attack would call out an exercise and a PAX would ten count followed by another ten count by the next PAX clockwise. He would then discuss the next exercise as well as some insight into life for about a 10 count and we would begin again with the next PAX clockwise for a revolution around the circle. I don’t remember every exercise because I was trying to not fall over, but we did some plank, a dying cockroach of sorts (but it looked much nicer so we called it a dying palmetto bug), as well as some side planks with a hip dip that apparently looked so impressive the women on the track started giving us more room when they came by.

-Following this circle of fun we proceeded to run halfway around the tack around the park in a “native american” fashion… The PAX running to the front was instructed to yell their F3 name and the favorite gift they received as a child.  I must say based upon the answers it seems Nintendo did well during our childhood… Also I felt bad for the poor lady who must have thought 10 minutes earlier “What a nice cool morning for a peaceful walk with Fido at the park… It will be so relaxing… The odds of 20 men running in circles around me screaming the names of video games is incredibly low…”

-Once everyone had discussed their favorite gifts and we reached everyone’s favorite hill we split the group in half for a relay race.  The line was at the base of the hill and those PAX in line were to squat while the lead member ran up the hill and completed some sort of one leg squat jump that from any distance away looked like a typical drunk wedding dance.  They were then to run back to line and tap the next PAX

-Following this completion which was decided to be a tie (dealing out 5 burpees to everyone) we finished with another “native american” fashioned run the remaining distance around the park to the lot for COT.  On this run we were to say our F3 name and who was going to win the College Football Championship.   While there was some limited SEC support CLEMSON certainly was the polling favorite with a notable write-in (scream in) vote for Air Force… Maybe this is the year of the triple option…

 

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