The “RPG” provides Options

9 Strong at “the” RPG for a perfect weather acceleration into the weekend.  Sasquatch always delivers an impressive BROGA session, followed by a fellowship run with Rebel on Q.  CakeBoss took the Ruck Q and did not disappoint.  Wegmans looked like the Ruck was meaningful, either that or fatherhood has set in very nicely.  Good to see Harry Carey, Body Wash, and Skate or Die.

Sasquatch closed us out.

SYITG!

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RPG: BROGA : RUN : RUCK options

RPG Grand re-opening offers a new start time with a RUCK option.  5:15am new start time allows Sasquatch to stretch your limits with some BROGA, followed by a fellowship run or Ruck option 5:30am sharp!

45 degree weather met the 4 PAX this morning, minus the sweet smell of Bacon normally filling the morning air from the nearby WaffleHouse.  Bass 0 Matic, Fogerty, Cake Boss & Sasquatch patiently waited for a Wegman sighting before taking BROGA to a whole new level.

Sasquatch (after knocking out 100 Burpees) barked out proper instruction to keep the BROGA on an elite level.  The 4 PAX quickly transitioned to a Ruck/Run event at 530am (similar to Triathlon changing areas) efficient and clean with no spills.

Nice work by all.  RPG is back open!  SYITG!

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Virtual Mental Battle Armory

Be careful when you reach your direct messages.  You never know what they will lead to.  Just kidding.

JWow reached out and I happily signed up to Q today for my first virtual/Zoom Q at Armory.  We talked a bit about my mom, some her favorites, her mental illness and then on to more general topics of mental health.

As I mentioned today, get help if you need help.  I am here for you if you need help.  You can reach professionals at 1-800-273-8255.

On with the show!

For our first two rounds of exercises, the number is pulled from something regarding my mom:

Elvis and Ricky Nelson were two favorites of my mom and these are some stats about them…

Elvis – Born 1935 – Passed away age 42
Elvis – 33 #1 singles
Ricky Nelson – Born 1940 – Passed away age 45
Ricky Nelson – 14 Top 10 singles

35 Kettle bell swings or Calf Raises
42 Goblet squats or regular squats
33 Curls or Big boy situps
40 Skull crushers or Moroccan night clubs
45 Flutters
14 Turkish getups


Mom was born 1945 – Passed away 2014
Mom and Dad were married 49 years
Mom was 69 years old and passed due to kidney failure caused by long exposure to mental health medications

45 American hammers
14 Cleans or Flying squirrels
49 Merkins
69 Flutters


Next we talked about the following:

20 veterans commit suicide every day.
77% of suicides are male.
10% of men experience daily depression or anxiety (reported)
36% of psychological referrals are for me.

20 Lawn mowers
77 Rosa Lita’s
10 Burpees
36 LBCs

The mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

Thanks JWow for the chance to lead.  I can’t wait until we are all back in the literal and not virtual Gloom!  Make yourself and the world a better place today.

The Thrill is gone!

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March 11 at The Coop

Super creative? Absolutely not?
Wordy? Definitely not?
Recap of the work done? Absolutely

GQ on warm up for his first ever crack at Qing. He ran us to a spot, performed some warm up exercises, adapted to the feedback and received the AAR in true fashion. That’s how we all get better; if we could all get an AAR after completing objectives.

YHC now on Q and we rant to the football field.

.5mi around the track at a good/heavy-breathing pace.
36 Mak Tar Jah’s
.25mi at a “get after it” pace
35 Mak Tar Jah’s

Planks & abs & stuff

Line up on the goal line
71 Carolina Dry Docks
Bear crawl to the 50yd line
71 Merkins
Crawl bear to the goal line

Mosey to the pull-up bars

20 Pull-Ups
Run down the hill to the stop sign
Nur back up the hill

COT

SYITG

GQ & Maximus

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Boss Hogg Issued a Challenge at the Ballroom and the PAX did not Disappoint!!!

Boss Hogg threw out a challenge to see how many PAX would show up at the Ballroom.  As usual, the PAX did not disappoint.  39 was the count.

Boss Hogg arrived in his all white Q outfit.  Disclaimer was given.  A quick message was given about the power of being an influencer.  PAX were reminded to always pick up the 6 and to encourage the guys around them.

The Thang:

Mosey to the center of the football field for a quick warmup:

  • 15 SSHs
  • 10 Windmills
  • 15 Imperial Walkers
  • 15 Cherry Pickers
  • 15 Hillbilly Walkers
  • 15 Gas Pumpers (THE Twisters favorite exercise)

Next was a Guillermo 1-2-3 (Dora’s little brother).  Similar to a Dora but PAX break up into two groups instead of pairing off in partners.  All exercises are done in cadence with a focus on form, not speed.

Exercises were:

  • 100 Overhead Claps
  • 200 LBCs
  • 300 Low Slow Squats

The other group started at the goal line, bear crawled to the 20, ran to the 50, did 1 burpee, and returned to the goal line.  Teams switched back and forth until all exercises were complete.

With the remaining time, the PAX moved to the track for some large dice fun.  One die contained the name of an exercise on each side.  The other 4 were used to determine the count.  Dice were rolled, exercises were done, and the PAX moved 1/4 of the way around the track.  This was repeated until the group had moved all the way around the track.

Time was up and the group headed back to COT.  Announcements were made.  Prayer requests focused on physical healing and marriages.  Due to the overwhelming support from the PAX in attendance, $1,000 was donated to Classroom Ready.

A great reminder to all PAX, don’t just be influenced but go out and be influencers!

 

 

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BEYOND – Empathy in a Culture of Hurry

The more hurried you are the less compassionate you’ll be. – John Mark

Slow down. We need to slow. down.

COP
SSH + Quick yoga flow + tappy taps + Merkins

Hold High Plank:

In today’s culture, we spend too much time focusing on self. It makes sense. In western culture, the individualized self is the highest goal in our society. We spend so much time focusing on what we desire. We follow those who have the same ideologies. In short, we hate each other and we want more of ourselves. We believe that we are God and only want to be surrounded by others created in our image. What does that say about us as a society?

Aiken Arms
10 Merkins
10 Plank Jacks
10 CDD’s
10 Donkey Kicks

Ass Webbs
Squats + Al Gore Pulses 1:4 – 10:40

Hold High Plank:

We only like things we want to like and curate things we want to see-further creating and hardening our ability to never have to see things we don’t want to see or disagree with. It’s not only desensitizing, it’s dehumanizing. Politics, sports teams, religion, name it. We are able to find what we desire to find and shut out anything we don’t want to hear/see. If we don’t like the news we see we can seek out and find the “news” we want. Using the mediums we currently use (social media specifically), when we see an opposing view that doesn’t align with ours, we aren’t obligated to disagree in a thoughtful and relationship keeping way. Instead the relationship doesn’t matter therefore the disagreement can be toxic, mean, and harsh. Trying to understand each other should be normal, unfortunately it has become a superpower in today’s culture.

Bear Crawl Circuit
Bear Crawl across parking lot
Low Plank in wait for six + 30 seconds
Bear Crawl back across lot
Low Plank in wait for the six + 30 seconds
Repeat w/Al Gores

Hold Al Gore:

You know what really is the driver behind all of this? Fear. A professor at Chapman University started a “Survey of American Fears” in 2014. You know what has been seen as a trend since the beginning of it all? People are beginning to fear what they see in the media. The top 10 fears from 2019 can be directly correlated to the top media stories of the past year. Basically the stories we see are whipping us up into a frenzy and fanning the flames of fear. How big will the fire get before it consumes us all? It really comes down to one question: What do we fear?

Punch Webbs 1:4 – 10:40
Dive bomber Pushups
Plank Jacks

A few Moseys in between rounds due to the difficulty of the Webb.

Hold High Plank:

I asked the question of what do we fear? We fear the other. Whatever the other is for you. white. black. republican. democrat. sunni. shiite. jew. german. christian. atheist. We have to dive head first into that dark and muddy part of our heart. Not put it away. Not shy away from it. Not run from it. What’s down in those depths? If we consider how Jesus actually walked and look at his ethos as he went about his life, we find someone who was afraid of no one and no thing. And this prevented knee jerk reactions. Prevented him from picking up a sword and taking down Rome. And if He wanted to do that, nothing could have stopped him. This made it possible for empathy to radiate from his very being. Because there was actually room for it as opposed to being filled with fear.
He chose to die willingly for others – namely his enemies. If you’re a follower of Jesus, ask yourself: Why are you afraid?

Aiken Legs
20 Squats
20 Box Jumps
20 Bonnie Blair’s (Jump Lunges)
20 Bomb Jacks

Hold High Plank:

What would it look like if we laid down our fears, our weapons, our hate, and picked up enemy love instead? This empathy is not easy. It is a hard won, practiced enemy love.

The difference between fear and enemy love is a difference of franticness and peace.
Fear is frantic.
Fear goes at a speed love does not.
Fear is fast. Fear is frantic. Fear is distracted.
But love?
Goes about three miles per hour.
Three miles per hour it the average pace of someone who is walking purposefully yet gracefully.
Most of Jesus’ miracles happened on his way somewhere else.
We have to go at a pace that can be interrupted. That can be responsive to the moment in front of us.
If you walk at a pace that is in step with our Lord, don’t be surprised if empathy and enemy love show up.
You can’t love someone when you are hustling (for me – I think bedtime with small children).
But when you say no to the hustle? You can be stopped. You can step into the holy moment of grace.
Jesus did it.
He felt other people’s pain. He leaned into their space. He understood their hurt. He waited and didn’t hustle past.
He loved.

Mary
Seal sit ups x 30
Straight Leg American Hammers x 15
Straight Leg LBC’s x 11
World War I sit ups x 5

Announcements
Yeti – Doty – Manion

Prayers/Praises
Band Camp’s travels to DC this weekend with the band.
Chicken Wing is having hip surgery next week.
Prayers for all traveling this weekend and the frenzied fear that is the current virus situation.

Thanks Dirty Harry for the tap to lead the inaugural BEYOND of 2020. Looking forward to what this will become.

Punch List out.

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20% More

Today was a day a long time coming, but more in the NMM.

10 Men showed for a soggy beat down at the Coop.  Here’s what we did:

The Thang:

Mosey, with some shuffle, to the practice field.

COP

  • SSH
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Windmills

Gassers, repeating 5 times with exercises below between

  • 20 yards
  • 50 yards
  • 100 yards

Squats till 6, then MNC till 6

  • 12 Merkins IC
  • 12 Burpees
  • 12 Monkey Squats IC
  • 12 Bombjacks
  • 12 CDD IC

Mosey to Rock Pile

  • Pick a rock, 12 Man Makers
  • Run a lap to sign and back
  • Repeat x3, upgrading rock after each

Mosey to covered area for some Boat and Canoe and American Hammer.

Mosey to Pull Up Bars

  • 6 Pack

Run to Bottom of Hill, Backwards Run Up the Hill then to COT

 

NMM

As we gathered for #BTP, I commented that my FNG workout was at the Coop 5 years ago and it was a VQ for One Niner (BB here) and how it would be neat for him to be there 5 years later.  As we finished the COP and were about to run the Gassers, a lone figure came trotting up in the gloom… none other than One Niner.

I charged the PAX with looking to push themselves 20% more throughout the workout today.  The idea was that we get complacent or comfortable in our routines, but imagine what impact you could make with just 20% more effort to break out of your plateau, regardless of the arena of life.  I saw lots of good effort today with guys really pushing it both on the gassers and the man makers.  This is how we get stronger… by pushing beyond where we’d normally stop.

 

Announcements:

Yeti, Doty Run, Q School – Check your newsletter.

 

Prayers up for Marriages, Punch List’s M with baby pending, and being willing to share with others when life is hard.

 

Honor to Serve.

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Back to the bells

I had the date on my calendar, but when I got a reminder over the weekend from 3D, I couldn’t help but be excited!

While I’ve Q’d my fair share at the old digs (The Tomahawk), this was my first official Q at the Snake Pit!  As I’ve thrown down some memorable Qs (there was the time…nobody was allowed to put down their bell for the entire workout, or the time we did the catch me if you can and we ran all the way out to Dobys Bridge Road, or the Ring of Fire (had to be there))…so what to do….what. to. do.

So there we were, the morning of…the PAX rolled in, a disclaimer was disclaimed, and off we went…the PAX lined up for an Indian run, man in the back performed 3 KB burpees before running to the front of the line as went meandered our way all the way around the perimeter of the school grounds.

The PAX rallied up at the bottom of a hill where they were divided into 2 groups of 4.  Stations (cones) were set up instructing the PAX on what exercise to complete.  There were 4 stations about 15 yards apart with exercises as follows:

1. KB swings, 2. Alternating Lunges w/ overhead KB triceps extension, 3. KB squat, curl, and press, 4. swap the bell for a 35lb brick and run to a cone about 25 yards away and back (this PAX was the timer).  Exercises at each station were completed while the PAX were running.  To rotate, the PAX that completed the run made their way back to station 1, while all other PAX bear crawled with their bell to the next station.  After 4-5 rotations through the stations, the PAX returned to the starting location for PAX-led Mary and COT.

Always an honor to lead!

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A Little Of Dis And A Little Of Dat

Despite the cold temps, thirteen HIM decided to get out of the old fart sack and accelerate their Thursday morning. It was a good opportunity to remind everyone that it was cold out and not to stick your tongue to a flag pole. Disclaimer was given and we were off.
Quick Mosey and we circled up. Exercises were done in reps of 20.
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 20 Windmills
  • 20 Low Slow Squats
Right off the bat, we bear crawled around the covered semi circle. Once the six were in another mosey over to the far parking lot.
  • 20 Plank Jacks
  • 20 Flutters
  • 20 Bib Boy Sit Ups
Moseyed over to the back of the school for some wall work.
  • 20 Wall Mountain Cimbers
  • 20 Peoples Chair Overhead Claps
  • 20 Wall Mountain Cimbers
  • 20 Peoples Chair Overhead Claps
A challenged the group to take some time out and focus on what is really import over the upcoming weeks. The birth of our savior.
Moseyed towards the side of the school.
  • 20 Donkey Kicks
  • 20 Dying Cockroaches
  • 20 American Hammers
Moseyed/Toy Soldiers/Lunges over to the front of the school where two cones were setup for a little Jack Webb. The loop was about a quarter of a mile in total and we had a cone setup on each opposite end. We definitely got some miles in on this segment.
Cone 1: 10 Partner Slap Pushups
Con 2: 1 Big Boy Sit Up 
 
Cone 1: 9 Partner Slap Pushups
Con 2: 2 Big Boy Sit Up 
 
We got down to about 5 and 5 or 4 and six depending on how fast you were running.
 
Moseyed back to COT for prayers and praises.
 
– JWOW

 

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Wegmans and Repeat at the Coop

Since this was Repeat’s 2nd VQ, YHC led the warmup. Nothing fancy. Nothing special.

Partnered up near JROTC building. P1 runs to the top of the loop, 25 Merkins whiles P2 is doing LBCs. Switch once P1 returns. Next is 25 bomb jacks and flutters. Last is 25 monkey humpers and Rosalitas. Hand off to Repeat.

Repeat ran us up near the band field. There is a covered walkway with lights. At the first light we did 5 Merkins and 5 LBCs. At the next light we added 5 to each exercise so 10 and so on and so forth. Repeat estimates we did roughly 280 reps of each exercise.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead Punchlist.

Wegmans

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