Carry the Load

10 men carried heavy things on a sweaty Wednesday morning at the Sink. Here’s what we did:

Warm-up

  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)
  • 10 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • Front Fold Stretch
  • Side Stretch

Mosey to flag pole

The Thang
The PAX brought a ruck, sandbag, and kettlebell each for a large loop carry then exercise routine. It looked like this:

Round 1

  • Carry your ruck, bell, and sandbag for 1 lap followed by
  • 30 Calf Raises, 30 KB Swings, and 30 Merkins

Round 2

  • Carry 2 items for 2 laps followed by
  • 20 Curls, 20 Flutters w/ a Press, and 20 Squats

Round 3

  • Carry 1 item for 3 laps followed by
  • 10 Burpees, 10 Sit-up to Press, and 10 Bench Press

NMM
We often ask God to lighten our load, but sometimes He strengthens us by teaching us how to carry it. That looks like showing up when you’re tired. It means investing in others even when you see little results. It means leading when recognition is absent. It means remaining faithful to your mission instead of being fixated on measurable success.

Keep going, especially when it’s tough. The process is shaping you into a stronger man.

-IJ

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Deck of Cards – Habits

WARM UP:
SIDE STRADDLE HOP = 15
IMPERIAL WALKER = 15
MOROCCAN NIGHT CLUB = 15
CHERRY PICKER = 15
LOW SLOW SQUAT = 15

DECK OF CARDS WORKOUT / 4 PART WORKOUT / 13 CARDS PER PART / 1 EXERCISE PER CARD:
NUMBER OF REPS = NUMBER ON EACH CARD / 2 – 10 / JACK = 11 / QUEEN = 12 / KING = 13
4 ACES = 20 ABB REPS / PER PART
2 JOKERS = 3 BURPEES / HIDDEN SOMEWHERE IN THE DECK

1ST SET OF CARDS
SPADES = SQUATS
CLUBS = SPEED SKATERS
HEARTS = SIDE STRADDLE HOPS
DIAMONDS = MERKINS
ACE = 20 LBCS

2ND SET OF CARDS
SPADES = SIDE LUNGES
CLUBS = MONKEY HUMPERS
HEARTS = MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
DIAMONDS = MIKE TYSON'S
ACE = 20 BIG BOY SIT-UPS

3RD SET OF CARDS
SPADES = TOY SOLDIERS
CLUBS = HILLBILLY WALKERS
HEARTS = BUTT KICKERS
DIAMONDS = CAROLINA DRY DOCKS
ACE = 20 FLUTTER KICKS

4TH SET OF CARDS
SPADES = LUNGES
CLUBS = CURB DIPS
HEARTS = HIGH KNEES
DIAMONDS = SHOULDER TAPS
ACE = 20 AMERICAN HAMMERS

SET UP IN 2 GROUPS
1 GROUP HOLDS A PLANK
2ND GROUP RUNS TO 100 AND BACK

F3 Discussion Topic: Good and bad Habits

1. The One Good Habit That Changed Everything for You
What single habit (routine, exercise, reading, etc.) has had the biggest positive impact on your life?

2. The Bad Habit You’re Most Proud of Breaking (or Still Fighting)
Share a habit you’ve overcome or are actively working to eliminate. What’s working or not working.

3. What is a lesson learned from breaking a bad habit.

4. What is a habit that will help you give back.
Building the habit of helping others vs. being too self-focused.

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Attack of Heart Attach Hill

WARMUP:
1. DYNAMIC WARMUP (10-12 min)
– Imperial Walkers x10 IC
– Bend & Reach x5 IC
– Side Straddle Hop x10 IC
– Short warmup jog
**20 yards, non-stop, down and back:**
– High knees
– Butt kickers
– Walking world's greatest stretch
– Elephant walks
– Dinosaur walks
– Soldier walks
– Side shuffle (each way)
– Karaoke (each way)
– Power skips
– C-skips
– Sprints

THE THANG:
## 2. HILL SPRINTS & LEGS
**Format:** Sprint up hill → walk/jog down for recovery → 1 leg exercise at the bottom (x20 total, x10 each leg where applicable) → repeat.
**6 rounds — rotate through:**
1. Squats
2. Reverse lunges
3. Knee kicks
4. Forward lunges
5. Calf raises
6. Side lunges
7. No Ruck Squats

## 3. BAG WORK — Back / Abs / Hips (14 min)
**3 rounds:**
– Stiff-leg deadlifts x15 *(neutral spine, hinge at hips — do NOT round the back)*
– Glute bridges or hip thrusts x15
– American hammers x15 (over/back is 1)
– Deadbugs x10 (5each)

MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Stuff the Bus
COT: Family’s and Safety for Travel

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Hills have eyes

WARMUP: mosey down to bottom of Brayden hill
THE THANG: 10 jump squats at bottom of hill
10 merkins at the first street
10 lunges and the parking lot entrance
5 burpees at the top
Run back to the bottom and repeat
MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: yes
COT: yes

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WEP Stations

WARMUP: windmills, hillbilly walkers, moseying, toy soldiers, knee grabs, arm stretches
THE THANG:
Playground Station
C.H.I.P.S. and Dips
Complete 20 reps each of exercises, in cadence, followed by 20 dips off a park bench, and a lap around the playground
C – Calf Raises, Dips
H – Hello Dollies, Dips
I – Imperial Walkers, Dips
P – Parker Peters, Dips
S – Squats, Dips

Mosey to Sidney Johnson Station
Paula Abduls using trees to the left of the path to Looms
5 Overhead claps + 5 Big Boys

Mosey to Calhoun Street Park Station
Bearway to Heaven

  • Parking lot lines
  • Bear crawl 1 space + 7 burpees
  • Bear crawl 2 spaces + 6 burpees
  • Bear crawl 3 spaces + 5 burpees
  • Bear crawl 4 spaces + 4 burpees
  • Bear crawl 5 spaces + 3 burpees
  • Bear crawl 6 spaces + 2 burpees
  • Bear crawl 7 spaces + 1 burpee

Mosey to WEP Parking Lot Station
Triple Nickels
PAX selects exercise for the group, then 5 reps at bottom of hill, 5 at the top of the hill, 5 more at the bottom
Phrasing is important: I asked everyone to choose their favorite exercise, forgetting Wheaties was in attendance
Dojo – Derkins (when I asked Dojo to start us off I think Cyclops yelled out 'DON'T BE DUMB')
Wheaties – Burpees
Bowzer – Big Boys
Only Fans – SSH
Dark Helmet – Nothings
JWOW – CCD (I think)

MARY: throughout

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Upcoming volunteer events – CRI, Stuff the Bus
Read your newsletter
BBBB in November
Cannoli Run 2027 next May

COT:
Patience for parenting, family relationships
Seek out wisdom

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Bat-flippin’ Pharaoh

WARMUP: dynamic plank + broga
THE THANG: partner work:
Set 1: sit-up get up with partner pull assist x12 AND partner merkins
Set 2: side plank on curb partner jump over x12 AND partner leg throws x12
Set 3: partner sled push to curb each person AND wheelbarrow shoulder taps x12
Run ~150m loop, 1 curb burpee and 10 SSH on repeat until 6 is in

Repeat all that 3x

MARY: circle up, alternate pax choice abs with choice reps AND supermans x6
ANNOUNCEMENTS: newsletter
COT: names FNG

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Carrying the burdens

WARMUP: Disclaimer announced and off to Grace Presbyterian lot

Plank until all pax arrived and moved into exercises
Windmills x 10 I/C
Cherry pickers x 10 I/C
Imperial walkers x 10 I/C
Hillbilly Walkers x 10 I/C
Merkins x 11 I/C
Honeymooners and Down Dogs
Shoulder Taps x 10 I/C
Down Dog, hands to feet
Rise and recover

THE THANG:

At the picnic tables, the following:
20 squats – ass to bench
20 incline merkins

15 squats – ass to bench
15 incline merkins

10 step ups each leg
10 incline merkins

Stand on the bench – reflect on whose shoulders we stand. Who loved us enough to get us out here and/or help you get to where you are in life? Go and thank them out loud.

YHC realized it had been exactly one year since my last Q at this site. A recycled weinke made a partial appearance, ladder style

Perform the first exercise in the sequence, the run to the church turnaround and back, add an exercise each time until completing 6 rounds, drop the exercise with the fewest reps each round thereafter.

5 burpees
10 diamond merkins
15 wide arm merkins
20 lunges – 10 each leg
25 squats
30 seal jacks

At 0555 PAX stopped where they were and proceeded back toward COT

The question pondered was to come up with one thing you’re carrying that, if shared, would make it feel lighter.

MARY: Time for dying cockroaches I/C

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Always – read your newsletter too.

COT: The challenges were shared and shoulders hopefully a bit lighter as a result.

NMM: The F3 community is one that has blessed YHC and many others. We walk along side one another so that we each know life is most meaningful when shared with others, the good, the bad and everything in between. YHC learned a few things today in COT and am grateful to those who posted and shared what they did.

May the sharing of our challenges help us realize we aren’t alone and that we can navigate life best with others rather than in isolation.

Thanks for the call, Sweet Baby Ray.

Gratefully,
Cyclops

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250th Birthday Party

WARMUP: SSH, Cherry Picker, Hilly Billy and Imperial walkers

THE THANG: DORA with 250 reps of Merkins, Squats, LBC running part was around the Harris teeter parking lot and we worked in front of the firework stand because we had the free will to do so MERICA

MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: July 4th workout at Catawba ridge
COT: prayers for marriages and anniversaries, prayers for travel, prayers for everyone coming back Monday with all the fingers they had on Friday.

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1775

WARMUP:
Moroccan nightclubs
Windmills
Cherry pickers
Hillbilly walkers
Low slow squats
Irkins

Team Bermuda Triangle
2 teams, each with 3 cones marked about 30 yards apart
1 burpee at cone 1, bear crawl to cone 2, then do 2 burpees, bear crawl to cone 3 and do 3 burpees. Bear crawl back to cone 1 and repeat for a total of 3 rounds. Team 1 smoked team 2
THE THANG:
1775
Three rounds of:
17 burpees
75 prayer squats (thighs at or below 90)
Lap around Harris teeter
MARY:
Flutters
Box cutters
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT:

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Carl Lewis

Active stretching before and After is a HUGE MUST!!!

WARMUP:

Hillbilly walkers x10
Bend & Reach x5
Windmill x8
Slow jog
20yards of

  1. High knees
  2. Buttkicks
  3. Walking worlds greatest stretch
  4. Elephant walks
  5. Dinosaur walks
  6. Soldier walks
  7. Side shuffle each way
  8. Karaoke each way
  9. Power skips
  10. Sprints

THE THANG:
Phase 1
Circuit (AMRAP style): 10 mins

  • Sandbag Front Squats x 10
  • Walking Lunges (with sandbag) x 20 steps
  • 40-yard Sprint
  • Broad Jumps x 10

Phase 2
Circuit (AMRAP): 10 mins

  • Sandbag Deadlifts x 20
  • Sandbag Step-Ups (bench/curb) x 10 each leg
  • Bear Crawl (20 yards down & back)
  • Jump Lunges x 20 total

Phase 3 – Cool down
Descending Ladder + Sprint:
Start at 10 reps each, go down to 1:

  • Sandbag cleans
  • Jump Squats
  • 50 meter sprint

Stretch last 3 minutes

  1. Feet together
  2. Pigeon toe
  3. Legs spread L/R/M
  4. Sumo Squat
  5. Hip flexor
  6. Quad stretch

MARY: None
ANNOUNCEMENTS: News Letter & Mens Shelter
COT: Wisdom and Family

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