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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What Hill?

As always, love having the opportunity to lead.

Today, kettlebells at The Snake Pit…

15 HIM looking to work hard came out for the latest edition of what I would like to characterize as a solid beatdown, most others would call stupidity.

Off we went.  Hold up – I broke the cardinal rule of disclaiming the disclaimer…and what was worse, we had an FNG.  Fear not, we have a astute bunch that quickly pounced on the oversight.  So I disclaimed the disclaimer and we were off – for reals this time.

For those who have not participated in a SoD beatdown, running with the bells in commonplace. We mosey’d to the top of the hill, next to the football stadium, to collect the 6 and begin our warm-ups.

A cocktail of warm-up exercises including SSHs, windmills, imperial walkers, planks, and mountain climbers were served up over several stations as we made our way down the hill to the main event.

At the bottom of the hill, we found ourselves at the base of different hill perfectly suited to run up and down (with the bell).  This was the main event…

Rotating through the exercises, the PAX were instructed to perform and 1 exercise at the bottom of the hill, run to the top, perform a different exercise, run back to the bottom, and then rinse and repeat with the next exercise.

Bottom:

(1)Plank Rows w/ merkin, (2) Curl into O/H Press, (3) O/H Press into Tricep Extension – all with the bell

Top:

(1) Box Jumps, (2) Step Ups, (3) Calf Raises – all with the bell

Once the PAX completed 3 sets 9 times up and down the hill, some additional upper body and leg work was completed (going up and down the hill), followed by a few “jail break” sprints back up the hill.

With several minutes left before COT, the PAX mosey’d their way back up the original hill to the reward of body destroyers until COT.

Count-o-Rama, Name-o-Rama, FNG Name:(Gilligan), Announcements, Prayers/Praises, Closing Prayer

As always, great to lead this group of HIM – everyone challenged themselves and put in some nice work this morning.

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Handing Off The Shovel Flag for The BALLROOM – Part Deux!

Wow -what a great, steamy morning to be alive. Thanked the Good Lord for the beautiful moon rise on my way to the AO. Overcome with a sense of Deja Vu after handing the Shovel Flag off to Manziel last September, YHC also thanked my lucky stars that Smithers agreed to take it from me.  It wasn’t that easy to find a new Site Q as quite a few Pax turned down the opportunity.

But it was a perfect gloom for a beatdown and to pass the reins to one of the BEST AOs in The Fort, bar none. This place has wide open spaces and limitless potential. Cars kept rolling in and we waited an extra 30 seconds when Polaroid came in HOT. Disclaimer (has anyone actually read it?) was described and detailed. So, our journey began.

THE THANG:

WARM-UP: Mosey to other side of the school

COP:

  • Seal Jacks * 12
  • 5 Burpees
  • Moroccan Night Clubs
  • Mountain Climbers* 12
  • 4 Burpees
  • Squats * 15
  • 3 Burpees
  • Peter Parkers * 12 (almost lost my wind)
  • 2 Burpees
  • Low Slow Squats*10
  • 1 Burpee

MOSEY to ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DROP OFF LANE OR BACK LOT for Dirty McDeuce. Partner up- 3 exercises at each end, 5 reps at each end, then 10, then 15. LBCs, Merkins & Bombjacks

Thoughts on Complacency – How comfortable are you? Are you challenging yourself in any way? Are you stagnant and complacent? Nothing wrong with being comfortable and being able to relax. But a man MUST do things that make him Uncomfortable in order to grow. Without challenges and stepping outside of our comfort zone, our minds and our bodies begin to get soft. To truly thrive, you need to push your boundaries and lean into some discomfort. We live in a world of convenience and comfort. But the more you are wiling to challenge yourself, the more that you will thrive. HARD WORK AND SWEAT IS GONNA PAY OFF.  SO THINK OF WAYS TO PUSH YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. AYE?   

Mosey to WALL – Peoples chair, PAX JUMP out and do 5 SQUAT JUMPS, Bearcrawl to curb. Mosey to lightpoles. 10 Weezy’s. run to next pole, 10 Squats, back to first pole. 10 LBCs at 4th Poles, 10 Merkins at 5th Pole. Return to 1st Pole after each circuit (also called suicides)  

MOSEY TO Front of school for– JACK WEBB (only made it to 6 rounds). Back to COT

Announcements, Prayers (Otis’ Dad, Cash, Our Community). Lean Into the Discomfort and there you will find growth Gentlemen. Great group and great effort out there. These men help to sharpen me every time out. Eternally Grateful & Honored To Lead.

Don’t cut yourself Short.

Shortest Of All Sales, Out.

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6 for a Moderate Board of Misery

6 pax conquered the Board of Moderate Misery:
5 Merkins (tempo)
5 Low Slow Squats
5 LBCs (4 count)
5 Dips (down-up-1)
5 Lunges (4 count)
5 CBLs (reverse lbc)
5 Shoulder Taps (4 count)
5 Step Ups (4 count)
5 Flutters (4 count)
Easy Peasy!
Now Rinse & Repeat but add 1 rep each. Take a lap after 2 sets.
We did sets of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1

Smithers is back in action and has agreed to take the shovel and be Site Q beginning August 4th!

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Noderate at Footloose

I pulled into the lot with a deck of cards and 4 different versions of the Deck of Pain planned. The pax in attendance all looked like runners so I changed the plan and we all ran to check out the Minnow Pond AO. We couldn’t find anybody but Hallelujah! we found a porta-potty for Training Wheels. The rest of planked it up and did some merkins while we patiently waited. Next we ran back to Footloose (1 mile!) and started on the original plan of the Deck of Pain.
Clubs: Squats
Spades: Merkins
Hearts: Flutters
Diamonds: Big Boys
Joker: Burpees
We played this game through most of the deck but I called an audible for the last 11 minutes and we all ran another mile.

Footloose is a moderate boot camp but when the Q knows the dudes in attendance can push a little harder than moderate, please push.

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Taking off the Training Wheels at The Snake Pit

14 HIMs showed up for what was promising to be a great morning.  Prior to this morning HIC had not posted in 3 weeks.  While not fartsacking, I certainly was not pushing myself.  Being know for not wanting to do much cadence there was a plan hatched the night before that was sure to be easy to lead yet keep everyone on their toes and with any hope, a bit sore the next day.

 

After a good bit of razzing from the group about an FNG on Q (Yeah I get it, it’s been a while) we start off.

Warmup:  Mosey around the lot. SSH (x20) MNC (x20) Tappy Tap (20x)

Grab your bells

Slight move of location for The Main Event.  Keeping with the theme of I don’t want to count we’ll use a run timer for the remainder of the morning.  One person runs out to the gate and back, the rest of us do exercises for that time.

Goblet Squats

Curls

Lunges

Scull Crusher

Calf Raises

Overhead Press

Romanian Deadlift

Chest Press

Big Boy Sit-ups.

 

BREAK:  Move to the wall.  Peoples chair.  Everyone does 5 burpees down the line.

 

Second verse same as the first:

Goblet Squats

Curls

Lunges

Scull Crusher

Calf Raises

Overhead Press

Romanian Deadlift

Chest Press

Big Boy Sit-ups.

Back to the wall:  Bear crawls to the end.

 

5 min of Mary.

 

Announcements:

Convergence at WEP on 7-11

My thanks to 3D for the call out and opportunity to Q.  It was much needed to get out of my covid funk.  It takes a village, and I’m thankful for all of you.

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6 endured Broga and Bunzercise

Most of us dont stretch enough, especially those of us who do a lot of KB workouts.  That’s me.  I’m usually KB MWF.  Since I was asked to Q Footloose, I thought it was a good opportunity to get myself some stretching.

After waiting for Uhaul to not show, we ran down to Church of God for a warmup and more comfortable surface. Let the PAX in a variety of the usual warmup exercises (SSH, cherry pickers) then started into Broga and stretching for about 25 minutes.  I could sense the PAX were restless so threw in some Burpees after a smart alec remark from Polaroid.  Then we ran the COG zigzag stairs and back to the lot for a variety of ab work.  Followed with another stair run and then Airborne’s Hip Flexor torture.  Ran back to COT.

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Snake Pit – Back and Open for Business

A few weeks ago, YHC was asked to Q at the Snake Pit.  The timing of dates was ironic given that  YHC was lucky enough to have the Q spot at the launch last October.   So the re-opening was set and PAX showed to support an accelerating site.

YHC chalked out the weinke the day before but mother nature washed it out overnight.  Thankfully an early arrival allowed time to re-chalk the “fun” PAX would have early that morning.

16 #HIM arrived ready to go with copious amounts of mumble chatter – something YHC sorely missed.  It was great to be back out in the gloom and at familiar sites.   After disclaimers were given, confirmation took place that no FNG’s were present (there were not) and the 5 core principles of F3 workouts were announced, off we moseyed without the bells.  Here’s what followed:

Mosey down the hill to the bus loop.  Upon arrival PAX began to circle until a JWOW sighting took place.  Fashionably late, he picked up the pace to join us and was met half way back up the hill.  We circled (or ovaled) up for the following IC:

Imperial Walkers x 15, 6 burpees OYO, Hillbilly Walkers X 15, 5 burpees OYO, Low slow squats x 12 with a hold to the people’s chair on the 12th rep.  While in the people’s chair, PAX completed the following IC:  10 Moroccan Night clubs, 10  shoulder taps, 10 air presses.  Legs were good and warm for what was to follow.  We moseyed back up the hill to our kettle bells and saunterd off to the base of the parking lot hill for a Partner Pyramid.  The pyramid was launched on the football field at the launch of the Snake Pit.  It seemed appropriate to bring it back out for the re-launch.  So we did.

Main Event:  Everyone was able to partner up evenly and began working up the pyramid then back down.  Exercises were 10, 10-20, 10-20-30, 10-20-30-40, 10-20-30-40-50, 50-40-30-20-10, 40-30-20-10, 30-20-10, 20-10, 10.  10 – goblet squats, 20 – hammer curls, 30 – tricep extensions, 40 – American hammers with the bell, 50 – kettle bell swings.  Partners alternated between working the pyramid and doing a 100 (ish) yard shuttle run to the top of the hill into the fire lane where work awaited arriving PAX before returning down the hill.  Partner 1 ran to the fire lane at the top of hill and did 10 burpees on trip one before coming back down to pick up where partner 2 left off on the pyramid, trip 2 was run, 10 hand release merkins, return. Trip 3 was run, 10 squats, return. Trip 4 was run, 10 diamond merkins, return.  Back to run, 10 burpees, return for trip 5 and so on.

PAX finished up the pyramid by moving to Al Gore as the 6 came in.  From there, we moseyed with the bells at 0557 to COT.  Time for an ab exercise or two until 0600 was upon us.

Flutters with the press x 15 plus a 30 second body destroyer to soak in the humidity was all time would allow.

Announcements were made for the 7-11 convergence as well as the discussion on race relations being held this Saturday, 6-13 at the Amphitheatre in Kingsley.  Prayers and praises were offered up for Polaroid’s daughter, for Cash, for YHC’s Dad and for 3D’s M.

NMM – Proximity matters.  If there’s one thing YHC has missed (and I suspect others have as well) during this pandemic, it’s the ability to look another PAX in the eye and to push one another to improvements we would likely never attain on our own.  Get proximate.  Engage with a shield lock and the accountability drives you to a much better place than without it.  Thank you, brothers.  And to 3D for the opportunity to Q again and re-launch the Snake Pit.

It was a honor to post with all of you.

Until next time:

Cyclops

 

 

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20 at The Snake Pit

OMG Becky, am I at the correct AO? That was my thought when I pulled up at 5:11am and saw 15+ dudes waiting in the parking lot. The power of location! The Snake Pit doesn’t get much love way out at CRHS. I was honored to lead 19 others in a kettlebell workout. Here’s what we did:
1 Curl (each side)
1 Tricep Extension
1 Chest Press
1 Big Boy w/ Press
1 Goblet Squat
1 KB Side Bend
1 Bentover Row (each side)
1 KB Swing

Longshanks came running through with a super bright headlamp.

Round 2 was the same set with an added rep, so 2 of each. 3 of each in Round 3. 4 of each in Round 4. 5 of each in Round 5….we did 12 Rounds and got swole! It wasn’t too shabby the first few rounds but after round 5 the groaning and complaining started. Music to a Q’s ears! After 12 Rounds we circled up for 20 Flutters in cadence and 10 Box Cutters in cadence. 6 o’clock happened.

We heard about Park and School AO’s opening soon.
We heard about an upcoming Convergence.
We prayed for Tinsel’s son.
We prayed for the end of the school year.
We praised Sky Q for life and the ability to workout in His presence.

Site Q’s…please schedule me.

The Thang

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