Tag: Router

Swamp Pain

Leave a comment

17 HIM pushed through a nasty beatdown by YHC today at the Swamp.  YHC got to the AO about 15 mins early to check out the Broga dudes… no wait it was to prep the winkie.  Anyway, I ran the hidden greenway trail behind best buy to home depot (not target) and wrote 5 pain stations.  3 for the starting line and 2 halfway through the loop.

Started on time (barely) with a windmill warmup and that was it.   Mosey to the start.  The trail is about 0.65 miles with the loop back around a half mile.  We did it twice with the 5 plank position pain stations (ending with 25 burpees of course). Moseyed to COT area for COP burpees or flying squirrels, diamond merkins or merkins (all dependent upon how far you got on the loop). Hold  Did right arm and leg and left arm and leg for a while and ended with worst merkin ever x 5.  Recover for some painful Moroccan night clubs.  Next hold Al Gore and went around the circle naming some positive things going on in each PAX life.  Way to lift each other up!

Lastly we did some random parking lot drills in time for COT.  In COT we had a couple of guys get out of their shells and open up.  What a great thing!  Shield Lock!!!

TClap |
2

Two Ferns in a Swamp

Leave a comment

YHC was asked to Q at the Swamp by a HIM named Cha Ching (whom was DR and on IR) and I jumped at the request.

We started with a basic Traveling COP with a few stops along the way some SSH, Diamond Merkins, Seal Jax, Ranger (Regular) Merkins, Smurf Jax and Werkin’s. Nobody liked the amount I decided to do but oh well. Those are the reps that I like and I was my Q. We eventually made our way to where I had a speaker and a BOP set up with some side walk chalk.

The Thang was basically 8 exercises each for 1 minute and write down your reps in your parking space. Pretty basic but I love this workout and 4-8 is murders row to the legs.

1. Scorpion Dry Docks
2. Big Boys
3. Ranger Merkins
4. Jump 180 Squats
5. Donkey Kicks
6. Jump Lunges
7. Plank knee tucks
8. Burpees

Then take a run (timed) to the far fire Hydrant by the Home Depot which was shown to the Pax during the COP.

Return winded and then rinse and repeat the 8 exercises but with more reps! Goal was we didn’t have to run the Last lap if 50% or more of the PAX beat their Burpee count. They were successful or lied to me. Most were glad not to run the last lap.

This is a basic bootcamp I know but it will test u and blow u up!

Got to meet a few new PAX and that is why I always like Qing and different AO’s.

Finished up with a COT (announcements, a few prayers and praises and all thankful for another day).

Thanks for the opportunity to lead Cha Ching

I am enjoying this ride I am on and am not sure where it is taking me but all we can do is prepare and train.

TWO FERNS!

TClap |
1

The Prodigal GRT

Leave a comment

It was nice returning to Fire Ant after a loooong hiatus. By long I mean I haven’t been there since the week prior to the DSM. Thankfully, the commute to Huntersville is to blame – not the lack of desire to be at Fire Ant.

I showed up about fifteen minutes early and began to get my stretch on. River Rat showed and followed suit. Gotta be honest – I look up to that dude. He’s got a boatload of kids and he still finds time to make himself better in the gloom.

Bonsai and Router pulled up, and circled up with us. I whipped out my two 60 lb sandbags and disclaimed the disclaimer.

We picked up the sandbags and got to walking 2×2, each PAX holding one side of a bag.

COP

Ruck Around the loop to warm up w/60 lb sandbags
Walk onto soccer field, drop bags, circle up
Slick
SSH x 30
Tappy Taps x 10
Al Gore night club x 11
Low Squat pulses x 20
Yoga

Rucks on – time to put in the work.

Partner Up

Movement 1
P1 Beep beep I’m a Jeep, clank clank I’m a tank to goal posts
P2 does ruck curls
Flap Jack once P1 reaches goal posts

Movement 2
P1 bear crawl to end of field while P2 overhead hold ruck
Once P1 reaches the end, P2 bear crawls to the end while P1 holds ruck overhead

Movement 3
P1 duck walk half way across field
P2 bent over rows
Flap Jack

Movement 4
Grab the sandbags
P1 bear crawl sandbag drag to mid field
P2 Curls
Flapjack

Formation – ruck off of the field to the shovel flag with sandbags – changing side that PAX held. Walking 2×2

Movement 5
Catch Me If You Can
Each PAX keeps ruck on, running PAX carries sixty pound sandbag
Once around parking decks with 7 low squats

Movement 6
Rinse and repeat around parking decks with 7 ruck merkins each time

Mary
Lay in a circle formation – heads pointed in
Holding rucks up, legs at six inches
Press one at a time, clockwise
10 reps each while calling out your reap
Switch directions – flutter kicks with 10 presses
Switch again – dollies with 10 presses
Switch again – Rosalitas with 10 presses

BBS position, rucks on lower legs.
Sit ups in rotating order x 20
Reverse protractor – torso makes the angles instead of the legs – 10 degree hike for last 10 seconds.

And that’s time. Very Fair.

COT
Announcements –
Guidance is back in action – Monday and Wednesday from 4-5. Reach out to Deacon or Crabcakes for more info.
Q v Q is coming
Something special coming in November between Fire Ant and Golden Corral.

Prayers/Praises
Pray for River Rat and his parenting. He’s a HIM with many 2.0’s and wants to lead them well.
Pray for Bonsai’s wife – started a new position with her company and is still making the adjustments. Pray she can find peace through Jesus in the midst of the anxieties in this transition.
Pray for Router – family friends have a daughter of the same age and their daughters aren’t getting along like they used to.
Pray for my me as a father/husband and for my M who is raising three kids alone on most week days while bearing another beautiful baby.

Had I been on Q ten months ago and only four PAX show up, my pride would have been hurt and I would have been mad, honestly. My perspective has taken a 180, though, and I really enjoy the small group – as it creates a better atmosphere for what F3 is all about. That’s why I came to F3 in the first place.

It was a solid morning with good chatter between the few of us. Happy to have had the opportunity to Q Fire Ant. Another notch in my belt!

Punch List out.

TClap |
1

Your partners name is your workload

Leave a comment

Finally a great temperature this morning! That didn’t stop Lutefisk from dishing out a nasty mid-week beatdown!!! Quick disclaimer and ran to the rear of the school the long way. A nic e little warm-o-rama with your typical windmills, mountain climbers, imperial walkers, lbc’s, merkins, and Superman Moroccan night club combos. Follow up with a quick lap to the location of the thang

The Thang: partner up, size matters but not physical size. After we partnered up,  informed the PAX that it was the size of their partner’s name that mattered. I whipped out a board of pain with all 26 letters of the alphabet with a corresponding rep count and exercise. You are to spell your partner’s F3 name. I put some rock music on and we went after it. It had a little bit of everything. I ended up knocking out 100 burpees. Some pax were up BTTW for a total of 8 minutes. Everyone did a ton of SSH. We all helped poor Uber finish his partners name (Dennis The Menace) then took a lap and a 10-count followed by a mosey back to the pillars. We knocked out one more name “pantheon” before COT.

PAX were smoked, it was a good day.

Prayers needed today for Dennis the Menace’s brother who gets test results today. Prayers for marriage. Prayers for other struggles.

TClap |
1
Olaf is evil

Olaf deck of death at the FireAnt

Leave a comment

Disclaimer was disclaimed and we were off for a short warm-up mosey around the parking lot. @chaChing would have been proud.
A few hip and lower back hula-hoop dance moves before starting the real party.

The Thang:
Olaf’s deck of death,
a modified version of the famous Cadre Cleave crowd pleaser.

Each PAX drew a card from the deck and completed the exercise based on the cards suite and the rep count was determined by the value of the card. Instead of face cards being all a value of 10 we started with
Jacks=11, Queens=12, Kings=13, and Aces=14

Exercises were as follows:
Spades= 8 count bodybuilders
Clubs = Flutters, only count one leg, (right leg then left leg equals one), double-count I think? and don’t forget the ruck press
Diamonds = Thrusters, proper form required, (Ruck starts horizontal under the chin with elbows out, squat until elbows touch quads, press until arms fully straightened overhead.
Hearts = Overhead Single Leg Lunges. (right leg, left leg, equals one).

For added excitement, there were two jokers mixed into the deck. When pulled everyone stopped in the middle of the set and grabbed a tire carcass out of the back of my couponmobile, and shuffle a lap around the soccer field.

For the second joker, we added some cute little pieces of wood in addition to the tire carcass.

Everyone had a great time and we all learned a little bit about playing the hand we are dealt in life.

Thanks for the opportunity Router,
Stay frosty my friends!
OLAF

TClap |
0

September 11 Memorial Stair Climb

Leave a comment

Today I was honored to lead 39 men of the Fort in my version of a 9/11 Stair Climb…. I asked these gentlemen to bring rucks or sandbags and headlamps. This was to simulate the equipment worn by the first responder’s who entered the World Trade Center to do their jobs. We also had Charetta appear courtesy of Dirty Harry…she was our victim that needed to be  carried up and down the NaFo bleachers ….everyman carried their fare share of weight.

The workout was simple!!!!  There was no warmup….we didn’t need one….

The object was to climb the bleachers 27.5 times up and down carrying a ruck or sandbag….the goal 1980 steps or 110 stories….NaFo bleachers are 36 steps up and down…the men of the Fort  conquered this simple request but there was a catch…..when they came back down they had to do 9 inclined merkins and 11 squats… I think most did more than the required amount and for that I’m in awe…. I love being part of this great nation

Before the climb I shared a little about my experience that day 18 years ago as an NYPD officer and I asked each man to reflect between the hours of 8:46 am to 10:28 am these were the hours that changed my life and change the world as we knew it….I also wanted to remember my friends who gave their lives to save as many people as they could that morning :

NYPD PO MARK ELLIS TRANSIT DISTRICT 4

NYPD PO RAMON SUAREZ TRANSIT DISTRICT 4

PAPD PO ANTONIO RODRIGUES PORT AUTHORITY BUS DEPOT

I worked with these gentleman and they will never be forgotten…

Thank you Punchlist for letting me.lead these great men .

We had one FNG Lassie….welcome

TClap |
11

Playing Cards at The Colosseum

Leave a comment

A return to the arena we call The Colosseum; a homecoming if you will. That’s all that was at stake. With the increased Tuesday attendance and the added AO here in September for the Iron PAX Challenge presenting another posting opportunity, 11 other men decided to join me and a deck of cards at the Colosseum this beautiful morning. Fresh off a Labor Day beach trip, I was happy to ensure Jekyll & Hardwood wouldn’t be disappointed. We had a few rookies for the deck of cards but I hope they’ll incorporate this into their Q’s at a future date. While the first 15-20 cards can be manageable, don’t let that fool you. Depending on your choice of exercises, this gem will bite you. And today, I think most of us felt the effects of that bite.

With a request to focus on our time over the next 45mins and a disclaimer, we were off to the basketball hoops. Our warm-up consisted of:

Squats, Moroccan Night Clubs, Wide-Arm Merkins, Flutters, Freddy Mercuries

Run to the 6th light post up the back road followed by:

5 Burpees, 15 Diamond Merkins, 25 LBC’s

Run back to the hoops for the deck of cards.

If you’re one of the 3 people reading this and you’re unfamiliar with how this works, each card value represents a rep count. 2-10 is that number of reps while Jack =11, Queen=12, King=13 and Ace=14.

Diamonds = Burpees

Hearts = Jumping Lunges

Clubs = Merkins

Spades = Dips

I added 3 Jokers for good measure which meant each was worth 15 American Hammers

In total, we completed:

104 Burpees

104 Jumping Lunges

104 Merkins

104 Dips

45 American Hammers

We followed it up with some flutters in varying speed.

And that was it. See, not too bad.

Be present and I look forward to the next time.

Maximus

TClap |
3

Early Risers at the Swamp

Leave a comment

When I pulled into the parking lot near Best Buy, there were several cars already parked near the AO.  Based on the mumble chatter on social media, several of the PAX were getting in some early training for upcoming events.  There were 23 men at the work out, 13 for ruck, 8 for BC, and 2 runners.

After the disclaimer, we jogged to the front of Best Buy.  We started with a few warm up exercises (Butt Kickers, Toy Solders) before we moseyed over to the back of Just Fresh.

COP

SSH  x 20

Imperial Walker x 20

Windmill x 10

Plank Stretches

 

Next, we moseyed to the front of Home Depot for a round of Dora 1-2-3

100 Lat Pull-ups on the bicycle rack

200 Squats

300 LBCs

Next, we moseyed back to Just Fresh near the staircase for a round of Arod 3-2-1 (reverse Dora). Instead of running around the parking lot, we ran up and down the stairs.

300 Calf Raises

200 Lunges

100 Jump Squats

Next, we headed back to COT for one last exercise, the Merkin Gauntlet.  The Pax lined up in a plank position.  Each person performed 4 merkins in front of each person.

COT

Special prayers for Twister as he recovers from his eye surgery

 

TClap |
1

Minnow Pond Strikes Again

Leave a comment

17 Pax descended upon the Minnow Pond this AM. Many were new to the Pond and all were better for having posted.

In the 5 weeks since launch, Shady along with the other Qs have set the bar high for MP. The workouts have been difficult with more 1st F than 2nd or  3rd F. I have been reminded of a few trips to F3 Metro where YHC was gassed after each post. I loved it!

YHC was honored to be asked to Q early in the existence. Honestly, I was both excited and nervous much like the old days of F3 the Fort. I was excited to lead the group of HIMs and nervous to create a beatdown that matched the intensity from the first 4 weeks. Minnow Pond stretches you as a Q. Whether you are a thoroughbred or a clydesdale, all Pax must get equal pain. After reviewing some backblasts from the Shark Tank (the OG), YHC created a plan that included a few holes at Fort Mill Golf Club.

Weather: 64 and not humid (Football season is here!)

The Thang:

Warm up and disclaimer prior to 5:15

AYG to Fort Mill Church of God parking lot (burpees until the 6 arrives)

10 Merkins, 20 Squats, 30 LBCs

Run to end of lot and back

Repeat 4 times

AYG to FM Golf Course (burpees until the 6 arrives)

Holes 7, 8 and 9

Hole 7 – 50 paces followed by 7 burpees from tee to green

Hole 8 – 50 paces followed by 8 sit ups from tee to green

Hole 9 – 50 paces followed by 9 bombjacks

Burpees until the 6 arrives

AYG to Fort Mill Church of God parking lot (burpees until the 6 arrives)

10 merkins, 20 squats, 30 LBCs

AYG to Veterans Park

Based on loose calculations, we covered the following in 45 minutes:

3+ miles

60 merkins

120 squats

180 LBCs

35+ burpees

40+ sit ups

50+ bombjacks

 

Moleskin:

  • Invergence/Convergence coming up 9/6 – 9/7
  • Mainframe on Q for Q Source on 9/7 at Kingsley amphitheater
  • Minnow Pond t-shirt order
  • Prayers for child at Children’s Attention Home that Nasa is mentoring
  • Praise for successful start to school year
  • Marriages

Thanks to Shady for the opportunity!

Pusher

 

TClap |
6

I Love Cindy

Leave a comment

Borrowed part of this #beatdown from  Dirty Pipes down at F3JOCO. Visited those guys at the Mad Mule in Benson NC and this workout just called for testing in The FORT.   Little did I know it would end up taking 12 cinder blocks, 4 pavers, 1 sandbag, and 3 rucks to accomplish the workout.  Having prepped and arrived early to setup I could see the headlamps of the pre-runners making early morning laps. All Set to COT for bring some pain. HOLY COW!!! The cars just kept rolling in to the lot. Clown Car after Clown car.  Thank goodness Copyright brought more cinder blocks than requested.

Quick Disclaimer and we are off. Had to tote the extra supplies with us as we ran to warmup.  Much appreciate the support of guys that jumped on the extra weight.

Mosey to the Fountain

Circle up.

SSH x 20     MNC x 20    Hillbilly Walkers x 15

Imperial Walker x 15     Weed Pickers x 15

Fountain work

Derkins x 15 OYO

Dips x 20 OYO

Irkins x 20 OYO

Decline Diamonds x 20

It ain’t fun unless you do it twice.

The Thang I Love Cindy

Partner up–6 stations

Station 1  OH press Max reps

Station 2  Blocked BBS Max Reps

Station 3 Block Squats Max reps

Station 4 Curls 1 block or 2 pavers Max reps

Station 5 Tricep Press 1 block or 2 pavers Max Reps

Station 6 GTOs Max reps

Partner 1 does max reps while Partner 2 runs 4 cone suicide. Plank the 6 rotate upon completion of group.

Talk to Group about Doubt in their lives.

Read- Pray- Surround Yourself with those to talk it out with. Don’t go into seclusion.

Partner Carry back to COT only ~600yrds—-It was awesome and the PAX loved it!.

Not sure what Punchlist and Lutefisk were going for with the midrift shirts in the Name-O-Rama but hey, You do You Bros!

Thanks for the Tap to Lead Cha-Ching. Awesome experience to lead a literal HERD of PAX through the Swamp.

Duck Out!

TClap |
3