Tag: Shakespeare

Life Skills with kettle bell babies at the Cannonball

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Disclaimer disclaimed while in plank.
Start the party with an Indian run complete failure on my part.
Circle up with kettlebells for some suicide squats, Merkins, and circle of kettlebell rows.
Bring your kettlebells and make a lap around half parking lot. a crowd pleaser for sure.

Then time for life skills. Again a failure on my part of explaining the difference between two rows or columns and two lines.
For the record, a line is what you learned how to stand in back in Kindergarten. You find the back of someone’s head and stare at it. That’s a line.

A row is where you are standing shoulder to shoulder with a fellow PAX facing in the same direction. If anyone wants to correct me I welcome the discussion.

Sadly in today’s broken world, there are some terrible, evil individuals out there they want to cause harm to innocent people. This mornings life training was an attempt to prepare fellow men for such a situation.
The first row of PAX dropped down to a plank with head up facing the church with the kettlebells in front of them. These PAX are going to be jumping up from plank, grabbing two kettlebells, their own along with kettlebell belonging to pax opposite them in row 2, and sprinting away from the starting point as if an active shooter attach was taking place and the kettlebells were their shorties. Use your imagination people! This could save someone’s life.
The row 2 PAX were instructed to also start in the plank position but facing the woods. When YHC says “go” the row 1 PAX jump up, grab kettlebells, and take off towards the woods. PAX in row 2 perform 3 hand release merkins before jumping up and giving chase to PAX in row 1 that just kidnapped PAX 2 shorties. Think of it as a modified “catch me if you can” exercise set.

Finish it up with a more successful attempt at the fuel tank farmer carry Indian run.
I had plenty more planned, let this be a lesson to newer Q’s: always plan at least double the amount of exercises than you think you have time to complete, but given the rapid growth of the @F3_LakeWylie region I wanted to get some future Q’s in the spotlight. Let us not forget that we are challenged to invogorate male community leadership. Great job to those men for going along with being voluntold.

Finish up with Count-A-Rama, then Name-A-Rama, praises and prayers before BOM.
Thanks for the opportunity TwoFerns to lead such a strong group of HIMs.
Until next time “Stay Frosty My Friends”
OLAF.

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Crows nest met Diego

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What a beautiful morning at the nest it was!
17 men came out to get better and wetter. Started with a full disclosure disclaimer and off we went.
Warmup mosey to get our ROCKS and continued to mosey around the other side of the school until I saw fit to stop and do SSH. Mosey to end destination, warmup complete.(You don’t really need them if the thang is hard enough)

The THANG
I dubbed it Diego’s Death Star DOSIE DO!
Partners hand picked by YHC, wimpier rocks disposed of. All exercises to be done with big mama rocks.
50 Burpees
100 Tricep extension
150 overhead press
200 squats
250 curls
300 ABS (100Americans hammers, 100Big boys, 100Small Rock crunches-formally known as LBC but needed to start with an S for my ABS to be legit)
One partner runs the other works. Running partner did merkins and Balboas at end of route. We DID A LOT !
Mosey back to drop off our rocks and circled up for a few minutes of Mary.

Great time leading today! I greatly enjoy my time in the gloom with my brothers. Every week I see our numbers growing,
WELCOME FNG KATNISS!

Prayers for all the children’s camps and travels. Until next time…

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Where’s The P?

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On a rather comfortable June morning myself and 15 other PAX decided to get very uncomfortable at CannonBall. Last night as I was thinking up my weinke I was deciding between Kettle Dora’s or Escalating BLIMPS and I decided on the BLIMPS.  However, I noticed on the F3 Exercise page that the P in the BLIMPS are Mountain Climbers and one of the PAX rightly pointed out what was the P exercise so I changed the P to another M and we now have BLIMMS.

Started with a disclaimer and we did a mosey down the church driveway while holding our kettlebells overhead, then went into ketllebearcrawls then back to regular mosey up the other church driveway while also holding the kettlebell overhead till we circled up for some COP.

COP-KettleSSHx10/HALO’s clockwise/counter-clockwisex10/Hot Potatoesx10/Figure 8’sx10/Hold Kettlebell in front shoulder height and did 3 rounds of 10 counts

Main Event

BLIMMS-5 Burpees/10 Lunges/15 Imperial Walkers/20 Merkins/25 Mountain Climbers/30 Squats.  We started with 5 burpees then ran around parking lot with kettlebell then did 5 burpees/10 lunges in an escalating fashion till we finished with the squats.  The running with the kettlebell was the biggest challenge however as everyone was breathing heavy(even Flux!) You know the workout was good when Flux tells you that he hates you mid way through the workout.

With 8 minutes left on the clock I had us do 3 Turkish Get-Ups(each arm) then we grabbed some wall for some people’s chair. End Pax went out to do 3 burpees while the rest passed their kettlebells down towards the church shed where we store the bells. Our final exercise was putting the bells back in the shed.

Welcome FNG Dreadnought(real name Dave Redding-for real).  Hog and Coyote this weekend, Q school at Bermuda Triangle coming in July and other cool events happening around the region.  Prayers for Shakespeare and family moving to my hood and for those suffering with heart disease.  Thanks 2 Ferns for the opportunity to lead. Peace!

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Q Kicks Own Butt at Quagmire on Memorial Day

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Like most of my F3 brothers, If I’m in town and not already booked, I accept the Q.  When I agreed to take the Q on 5/27 at Quagmire, I didn’t realize it was Memorial Day and we’d maybe want to do a Murph.  Too bad for y’all  (and me) that I’d already planned to bring out my trusty paver bricks for the occasion.   Here is how it went down:

Warm – o – rama

  • 50 yard mosey into the light
  • 10 week pullers (some call them produce pickers) IC
  • 10 Wind Mills, IC
  • 20 SSH, IC
  • 10 Merkins, IC
  • 10 Low Slow Squats, IC
  • Downward Dog, Honeymooner

The Thang, Part 1

After the warm-o-rama, YHC led the pax to the trunk of the ’06 Caddie (it’s the 3.6 liter, not the 2.8) where I invited each man to take two paver bricks, weighing maybe 4lbs each?

  • We moseyed about 3/4 of a mile to the hill yonder near the Sun Trust bank
  • 11s  with the bricks, up the hill for 10 squats, the back down for one CDD at the bottom
  • Repeat until the reps were reversed

The Thang, Part II

Partner beat down, 100 reps of each, one partner running around the SunTrust bank –  Bricks in hands the entire time

  • Two arm bicep curls
  • Lunges (single count)
  • Two Arm Shoulder presses
  • LBCs
  • Squats
  • Flock of Seagulls
  • Flutter Kicks – bricks held up
  • Triceps Extentions

Rinse and repeat

  • 2nd time through we added shrugs after the lunges.  No team made it all the way through the 2nd time
  • Omaha for some ab work
  • Run back to COT with Bricks

Moleskin

I started the workout with a reminder of the US Military KIA and Wounded since WWII and told the story of my Grandfather’s WWII experience.   We closed in prayer with honor and in remembrance for those that served and continue to do so, and for their families;  We thanked God for this great country and for our salvation through Jesus.

It was an honor as always.  Thanks for showing up.

-Aye, Wolverine

 

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No Turkish Get Ups

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16 PAX met in the gloom for my KB VQ. I wasn’t sure how it would go, so I came overprepared. The Q scheduled couldn’t make it, and I managed to get it from Two Ferns before Royale, who wanted to do 45 minutes of Turkish get ups.

After a thorough disclaimer, we mosied around the parking lot with KBs.

COP
Good Mornings x 6
MNC x 10
Sun God’s x 30
LSS x 10

The Thang
Had PAX pair up for the board of modified DORA (see picture). Run/farmer carry was with KB around one of the islands. Everything else was from one island to the next and back. Bear crawls/crawl bears with KB were more brutal than anticipated. I think everyone almost made it to the squats.

Thanks Two Ferns for the opportunity to lead (and for letting me borrow the KB). Welcome FNG Ricky Bobby (speeding ticket story/works on cars).

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Let’s Play

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So in my last Q I was drunk/hungover and in this one I am currently sick.  However duty calls and myself and 12 other Pax answered the bell for this morning’s workout. After a disclaimer we moseyed around the Bowl N Bounce buildings while also doing Toy Soldiers/Bear Crawls/Crab Walks.  

COP- SSHx20-Cherry Pickersx10-Mini Sun Salutations(Reach To Sky/Touch Toes/HoneyMooner/Down Dog)-Merkinsx10-Mini Sun Salutations-Plank Jackx10-LSSx10

While 1 Pax was in BTTW position and shimmied from one end of a wall to another the Pax that were waiting did Burpees.  With 13 Pax we did a lot of Burpees.  We then moseyed on over to the Habitat For Humanity parking lot.

Main Event 

We played Catch Me If You Can-Partner A does 5 Burpees while Partner B Bear Crawls. Partner A then sprints and the 2 Pax switch exercise.  We did three rounds of that then another three rounds with Crab Walks instead of Bear Crawls.

We then did a DORA. 100 Lunges/200 Big Boys/300 Jump Squats.  We did not have enough time to finish so we headed back to COT.  

Prayers/Announcements

Murph scheduled after Monday morning’s workout for Memorial Day.  Prayers for healing of cancer and heart disease.  Thanks Peg for opportunity to lead. Peace!

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Kettlebells, Bear Crawls, Oh My

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Assumed the Cannonball AO was about as far from me as the Deep and left the house early, only to arrive at the AO a solid 12 minutes before kickoff.  Was surprised to see one of the Church doors open and kettlebells visible from the parking lot.  I guess that kind of red carpet service you get when the site Q is the Assistant to the Parking Lot Manager of New River Church and one of their pastors frequents this new AO.

Once the pax funneled in, I took them for a quick loop around the parking lot and knocked out the warm-up:  (in cadence) SSH x25, windmills x10, overhead press w/ KB x10, halos x10 (counter clockwise & clockwise), merkins x15, downward dog / honeymooners and an attempt at Supermans w/ KB in hand (went over real well lol).

Ran the guys w/ our KB’s down to the far end of the parking lot and we got started:

  • 4 cones set-up (1st at the far end of the lot), the next 3 about 7 parking spaces apart.  Quick and dirty – do an exercise at the first cone, immediately lunge walk (w/ twist) w/ KB to the next cone, drop the KB, run back to the first cone (every time) and bear crawl back to your KB.  Once there, you do the next exercise, lunge walk w twist to the next cone, drop weight, run to the very first cone, bear crawl back to weight (now 2x the original distance)….you get the point.
    1. Exercise #1 – plank rows w/ kettlebell (10 reps per side).  Key here being to maintain flat plank the whole time as you hold body w/ 1 arm and pull w/ the other.  Lunge walk, run, bear crawl, (wait for all Pax to finish bear crawl – those waiting did upright rows w/ KB), then
    2. Exercise #2 – wood choppers (crowd pleaser).  It’s a play on the KB swing, but a little harder.  Start w/ KB above your head to the left then swing it down to the right side of your legs, and then swing back up to the left side of your head.  Key here is to not blow out your knee, but to actually accelerate as much as you can on the way UP.  10 reps going left to right, 10 reps right to left.  Lunge walk, run, bearcrawl 2x the distance (wait for pax, those waiting did curls w/ KB), then
    3. Exercise #3 – single leg RDL’s (romanian dead lifts) w/ kettle bell in the hand of the leg that is going straight back.  10 reps per side.  Lunge walk, run, bear crawl 3x the distance (those waiting for pax to get back did thrusters w/ KB), then
    4. Exercise #4 – toe touches w/ KB (20 rep count).
    5. Turn around and rinse and repeat whole cycle, only double the rep count for all exercises above.  Good stuff.  Bear crawled out at this point.
  • Next up were some good old fashioned super sets – two exercises given, do them back to back, no complaining.
    1. Alternating merkins w/ one hand on the KB at all times (10 reps per side) / bent over KB tricep extensions (10 reps per arm)
    2. Get ups (hold KB in each hand 5x each) / KB jump squats (10 reps)
    3. Big boys w/ KB press (15 rep) / KB american hammers (20 reps per side)
  • Only had a few minutes, so we gave ourselves 10 parking spaces to get back to COT and everyone did bear crawls back to COT w/ KB in hand (use it as a hand, no dragging, switch hands half way through).

    I have to say the effort level by everyone was awesome to see – not a single person was half a$$ing it – all were finishing each set strong and suffering through each of the long bear crawls.  I was especially proud of one of their newest pax, Mysterio, who did not give up on that last KB bear crawl stretch.  The dude had some serious fight – he’s going to be good one.

    Thanks Two Ferns for the chance to step up and lead at the new Lake Wylie KB AO.  Didn’t really know what to expect w/ a KB workout, but had a blast – hope the others did as well.

    ChaChing

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Challenged to “Bring It”

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A few months ago, Dark Helmet and I were challenged to “bring it” to The Deep. I’m not sure how I got roped into the conversation as I no longer provide the top-tier workouts I used to. You see, it’s not because I’ve gotten soft (well, maybe a little), it’s more due to the physical acceleration of the PAX, which is evident when I cross the water and see the brothers in Lake Wylie. My workouts aren’t as hard as they used to be for some.

That said, I’ve become known for 2 things: the deck of cards and cinder blocks. I couldn’t disappoint the fellas. Dark Helmet on the other hand, is known for many things (not including many leather-bound books, rich mahogany, a perfect quaff or starbuck-y hands). And, with these many things, he brought his level of creative, pain-inducing exercises to the first half of the morning’s Q.

Once DH signed a few autographs, gave a very clear disclaimer, he took off for the warm up mosey. Then did a few warm-up-type exercises which included all the regulars and plenty of chatter.

Grab a partner and since when does size not matter…in Wheelbarrow racing?

You and your partner will alternate wheelbarrow’ing around the circle which I swear, grew as we were encircling it.

Next, grab the cinder blocks from Maximus’ truck for a little DORA activity.

Partner 1 (P1) would run around the main lot while Partner 2 (P2) would do the exercise then flapjack for:

200 Bicep Curls

300 Overhead Press

400 Bent-Over Rows (modified the count for timing and inserted chest press)

Hand off to Maximus for more partner work

P1: Ski Abs

P2: Toe Taps on the block (25ea side)

Flapjack

P1: Burpee Broad Jump ~50yds & NUR back

P2: Mountain Climbers with your hands on the block

Flapjack

P1: Beep Beep I’m a Jeep for 25yds & Lunge Walk back

P2: Bomb Jacks

Flapjack

Now with both partners at one end and the block at the other:

P1: Sprint to the block, 10 Man Makers with the block, Sprint Back

P2: Flutters from the V-up position

Next up, partner big-boy sit-ups while passing the block back and forth

I can’t fully recall if we did a few 8ct burpees to finish it off but it’d be a lot cooler if we did…so let’s assume we did.

Hey PAX, wherever you call home, go somewhere different. Organize a clown car with a few other locals and go see a different AO on a Saturday and attend their Q-Source. You never know what you’ll learn. Dark Helmet and I appreciate the opportunity to put ourselves through misery in the spirit of Qing for a great group of F3’s finest PAX.

Until Next Time.

DH & MAX

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Games at The Deep

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So this was my 3rd Q of the week and I was seriously running out of ideas. Also I was exhausted and wanted to have a little fun with the Pax, so I channeled my inner Mainframe and planned some games for the Pax.

We stared with a disclaimer and an note that this was a fun Q and to just have fun with it. Then we did a quick warm up of windmills and weed pullers before we started the games.

The idea was we would have three attempts at each activity which would determine the exercise, the rep count and the mode of transportation to the next event depending on a make or miss. The exercises for makes varied (merkins, SSH, jump squats) but misses were always burpees (We did a lot of burpees) The rep counts varied depending on the make or miss or miss from 10 to 20. Mode of transport was always running for a make but always bad for a miss (bear crawls, lunges..)

Below were the events:

Baseball – Pax had 3 chances to hit the ball to the fence off the tee. I would say this was one of our more successful events

Basketball – Pax had 3 chances to make a free throw. We will not be starting a F3 Lake Wylie basketball team any time soon. 

Soccer – Pax had 3 chances to soccer a goal from the center line. This was more difficult then I originally thought. 

Football – Pax had 3 chances to make a field goals from about 10 yards. Was impressed by the Pax ability to make these kicks. 

Baseball – Pax had 3 chances to throw the baseball at the school and hit a 5×5 square I had drawn from about 20 feet. Talk to DaVinci about this….

Basketball – Pax had 3 chances to hit a 3-pointer. See comment above.

Golf – Pax had 3 chances to chip a ball into the GaGa pit from 50 yards. YIKES.

Football – Pax had 3 chances to throw a 40-yard pass to another Pax (had to catch it for it to count) WATCH OUT FOR THE CURB….

Archery – Pax had 3 chances to hit a target with a bow from about 10 yards. Shout  out to Grizzly and Yoda on there archery skills. 

Cornhole – Pax had 3 chances to land a bag on the board from about 15 feet. We need to practice this more at happy hour. 

All in all this was a fun Q and the Pax gave it all they had. But we should stick to running a merkins.

Thanks to Shakespeare for the opportunity to lead.

Until next time, back to the hunt…

 

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Remembering Family

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Thought about this one at the last minute.  April was a great month for me as I celebrated Easter with my family, Spring Break, my mother’s birthday, my 8th wedding anniversary, accepting an offer on my house and so many other things that were wonderful yet forgotten.  But as I tried to create something new for this Q, it dawned on me those family members that are still a part of me emotionally/spiritually but not physically. I wanted to do something that brought back and help me to preserve those special moments that will hopefully stay with me even longer.  That being said, I established a Q that honored the memory of two loved ones that I have lost in the month of April: my maternal grandmother, Gaye Lindsay (April 4, 2001) and my uncle Jody Hudson (April 28, 2014).

Warm-O-Rama: I honestly don’t remember what we did.  But we warmed up.  Some dynamic stretching and the usual amount of SSH’s.

The Thang: as a way to honor my family members, I chose to do a partner BLIMPS type workout with one person completing reps while the other partner running a lap to each respective name.  Up first, my grandmother…

We each grabbed a rock near Papa Doc’s and partnered up to complete 61 reps of each exercise:

  • Goblet squat press (with rock)
  • American hammers (with rock)
  • Yurpee (had to dig in the exicon for this one… and we did this one cumulative with a partner instead of individually…. and without rock)
  • Extensions (triceps extensions with the rock)

Gaye is for the name of my grandmother.  61 reps for her age when she passed.  She died when I was a junior in high school.  She was married for 42 years to my grandfather. She was a great definition of the word Matriarch.

 

Next up… my uncle (no rocks for this one).  Partner style BLIMPS workout again with 40 reps.

  • Jump squats
  • One legged burpee (cumulative reps between partner)
  • Dips
  • Y-lifts

Jody is for the name of my uncle.  40 reps for the age when he died.  He died 5 years ago.  He also died at a young age, which still sticks with me to this day.

COT/Name-O-Rama

This was a workout that I needed.  As time passes, we tend to lose memories of those who are not with us anymore.  There are certain memories that were brought back from just thinking about this workout which brought smiles to my face.  Memories that were long gone but not forgotten.  I hope that more memories I shared with these special people will continue to stay with me and pop up from time to time; allowing me to reminisce on how lucky I was as a child and growing adult to have such wonderful people in my life.

 

As always, thanks for the opportunity to lead Peg!

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