Niece and Knees

2 Pax showed post-Super Bowl (Rams defeated the Bengals). Destiny was on the Q-roster, but not present. Hopefully he just had too many wings watching the game. Miss getting to see that HIM in the gloom.

After some mumble chatter about going back home, we warmed up literally and figuratively.
– IW
– HW
– Windmill
– Shoulder Taps
– HUMANE BURPEE (15 swings, 5 merkins, 5 goblet squats, 15 swings, 4 merkins, 4 goblet squats, etc.)

Then we ran through some sequences. Among the work was:
Swings (one hand & two hand)
High Pulls
Plank Rows
Curls
Clean & Press
Push Press
Tricep Extension
Flutters
Chest Press
Burpee Snatch
Snatch

About 15 min in, Smokey and Sugarbug drove up in the coordinating Jeeps. Good thing we stayed with the workout initially. I hate to leave another guy hanging in the gloom.

Once our number was 4, we started rotating the who called exercises.

NMM:
Don’t quit. It ain’t over, ’till we say it’s over.

Prayers for:
Shatner’s Niece
Shatner’s Knees
Liquidate’s little girl undergoing surgery in Boston


Band Camp dismissed

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Convergence – Shop Vac

65 PAX gathered to remember Shop Vac. Probably had closer to 70 at different points during the hour. Fishsticks took the Milkshakers

Lutefish warmup:
Sean Kelley, 56, Shop Vac

There are a couple of young men I was hoping would hear this this morning. While I’m talking to them, I’m also talking to myself and all of you.

We all know that or God, SkyQ, has written our books. He went before us, He knows us by name, and He alone knows when our earthly lives begin and end. God knew our brother Sean was to come home. And it doesn’t make sense to us.

But let me ask you this. What would it be like to know that when it is our time that we would also know that we accomplished the tasks that the Lord created us to do? God knows the great plans He has for each of you. You are here for a reason.

Wouldn’t it feel comforting to know that you full executed your purpose here on earth? Today we celebrate Sean, who I believe did just that. Sean loved his sons. It’s all he talked about when we worked out together. That, and his dream to have a home in Beaufort. He lived out and executed his purpose. We now have 2 of his sons as our brothers, and how great it is that the world is better because of him. Recover on your feet.

I read a quote recently:

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced; live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”

Sean is rejoicing and would want us to do the same. And he would want us to do 56 side straddle hops in cadence.

Split out to:

  • Kettlebells
    • Uhaul
  • Bootcamp: split PAX into two groups for 20min sessions
    • Ruby Slippers
    • Band Camp

Uhaul’s KB workout:
56 Squats
56 Curls
56 Skull Crushers
56 Calf Raises
56 Uhauls
56 Flutters w/ press (4 count)
56 Dead lifts
56 Lawn Mower Pulls R
56 Lawn Mower Pulls L
56 American Hammers
56 LBCs (4 count)

Band Camp’s portion:
EMOM
minute 1 – 20 burpees
minute 2 – 30 jumping lunges
minute 3 – 40 Freddie Mercuries
minute 4 – 50 Carolina Dry Docks
minute 5 – 60 SSH

7s w/ Mike Tysons and Squats
Mode of transportation: bear crawl/crawl bear

Some in cadence jump squats, core work,

I found a backblast from Shop Vac…It reads with a lot more significance to me now. https://f3thefort.com/2021/04/14/403656/
I may have said something asinine while holding a squat and quoting his backblast.
Something like:
Have understanding when I say 5 more squat jumps
Show tolerance when I say 6 more squat jumps
Practice patience when I call 7 more squat jumps
Take direction as we’re now hitting 8 more squat jumps

Did a little sprinting as well with the second group. (Shop Vac would not have approved, and neither did most of the PAX)

NMM: Shop Vac’s love for and pride in his sons was palpable. He made me want to be a better dad. I’m glad to be around men that make me want to be better. Shop Vac was one of those dudes.

Ruby Slippers’s portion:
I had the pleasure of working out a lot with Shop Vac. His attitude, smile, and laughter infected you immediately every time you met him.

YHC remembers a time during COT after a workout where frustrations from my work life came bubbling to the surface. After I vented to the PAX about the situation ( usual selfish rant where everyone else has a problem but me ) and the Q finished prayer, Shop Vac pulled me to the side and gently explained that it was my attitude that needed to be adjusted, not everyone else’s. He did it in a manner where I gladly and thankfully accepted his advice.

The Thang:
At every Shop Vac Q you could count on stations, simple exercises and/or routines, and minimal running. The six was never left behind at a Shop Vac workout so we are using the buddy system to make sure that does not happen at this workout.

Set-up 4 stations in the shape of a square in the middle parking lot at The Armory. 4 stations represented each member of the Kelly family, there were 4 exercises at each station, partner work to complete a cumulative total of 56 reps of each exercise:

Sean’s station:
– Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Wide Arm Merkins, CDD’s
Stacey’s station:
– Crunches in cadence, Flutters in cadence, Big Boy Sit-ups, Straight Lower Leg Lifts
Jack’s station:
– Squats, Jump Squats, Lunges, Jumping Lunges
Brian’s station
– Side Straddle Hops in cadence, Seal Jacks in cadence, Mountain Climbers in cadence, Plank Jacks in cadence.

PAX partner up – complete all 4 exercises at a station and then mosey to the center. YHC stood in the center of the square to represent Francis, Shop Vac’s faithful four-legged companion, where PAX would come to complete 56 monkey humpers.

Continued around the stations until time was called.

Video Evidence: https://twitter.com/jisenhour/status/1456967297453727750

Welcome FNGs: Bow Wow Wow, Bam!, Triple H, Dictator, Wax Off, and Pool Boy

Prayers for Sean’s family.

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Naked….and Afraid VQ warmup! Then up and down and sit in a circle…easy stuff

Oh my special backblast, how I’ve missed you.  You are now my motivation for at least the next 2 months to write you after workouts (and I will not commit to the scrutiny of “within 24 hours” some of these monster writers make happen).  Need to build some habits here so next 2 months I know I’m on some calendars to Q so lookout (and hold me accountable anyone who may be reading this).

This morning started out with a Naked and Afraid warmup (which now duet o waiting too long to write anything up), the details are a bit fuzzy.  See kids, this is what happens when you wait TOO long.  I do recall some SSH, merkins, squats, and some windmills…I think.  AAR was given (3 things he did well, 3 things to work on next time).  AAR = After Action Review

For the first time doing a warm-up, I think this boy has something.  You know what else Naked and Afraid did – he asked some questions about what a full Q would look like, what to prepare for, how to prepare for it, how to make sure it’s long enough.  And you know what, we had answers for him so he could be more successful next time.  I little quote from QSource:

The LDP (Leadership Development Process) has four steps: schooling, apprenticeship, opportunity and failure.

These 4 steps were exercised today.

Next up was YHC for the main KB event.  Here’s what we did, and we didn’t take breaks.

  • Shoulder Press
  • Swings
  • Shoulder Shrugs
  • Triceps extensions
  • Curls
  • Chest Press
  • Lawn Mower
  • Good mornings
  • Squat
  • Lunge pass through
  • Calf raise
  • Flutters
  • Circle of fun (more on this)

For the shoulder press down to Lunges, we started with 10 reps and then increased by 5 up to 20, and for Calf raise and flutters we started with 10 and increased by 10s up to 30.  We did the full circuit at 10s, did the “circle of fun”, then went to 15 (or 20s), and so on.  After we got to 20 (or 30s), we came back down for round 4.

Circle of fun = we sat in a circle with our feet in the middle and passed each of our bells around clockwise until your bell returned to you, then we went counterclockwise until your bell returned.  And for the record, there are some monster bells of 45lbs and up in this group – ouch!

Wrapped up with COT (prayers and praises which again, sadly I don’t remember…fail again).

Thanks for the opportunity Shatner and keep getting after it Naked and Afraid!!

Shady

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Keg and Kettlebell

Started with some warmup then the stuff.

One PAX takes the keg (empty, but still weighting approx. 30 lbs) and carries it around two parking islands and back to the group.  The rest of the PAW do an exercise until he returns.

American Hammers

Carolina Dry Docks

Squats

Box Cutters

Curls

Air Drama

LBC

Halos

Al Gore

UHauls

Butterfly BigBoys

Skull Crushers

Lunges

Superman

Lawn Mowers

Flutters

Chest Presses

Hello Dolly

Side Lunges

The PAX blasted thru this list in half the time so as each PAX left with the keg, he chose an exercise for the rest of the PAX to complete.  @Bandcamp is not invited back for calling Turkish Getups.

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CHAD Training @ The Armory

The weather was delicious in The Gloom today. A cool temp with <50% humidity is hard to come by in September… so YHC was more than blessed to be leading a group of men this morning.

0515. Let’s get to work.

COP

22 SSH’s IC

11 Merkins IC

Yoga Flow to get loose.

11 Squats IC

 

Now that we were all breathing a little bit, YHC led the group to the concrete walls in front of the church.

 

I asked if anybody knew the significance of the number 22. Divac was dead on – 22 US Veterans commit suicide every day. Twenty-two. That’s a staggeringly large number. Today we spent some time remembering those who have taken their own lives – with a specific focus on the below Navy Seal.

WEINKE

22 Step Ups w/bell

Upper 

Halos (5 each way)

Negative bicep curls (20)

Bottoms Up Press (5 each side)

Tricep Extensions (20)

22 Step Ups w/bell

Lower

Overhead Squat (one arm – 5 each side)

Lunge Twists (KB Racked Position – 10 total)

Slick Box Jumps (10)

KB Swings (20)

22 Step Ups w/bell

Core

Z Press / Gas Pumpers (10 – 4 Count)

American Hammer (10 – 4 Count)

Flutter w/Press (10 – 4 Count)

Dollys w/45° Hold (10 – 4 Count)

22 Step Ups w/bell

Short Lap around parking lot, repeat entire circuit. 

Rinse and Repeat as Time Permits

 

In total, two rounds. 176 Step Ups plus 2x all of the above reps. Fun times.

 

We headed back to COT to knock out 5 Big Boy Sit-Ups as the clock struck 0600. Another morning, another DRP.

NMM

Let us not forget those who pay the ultimate sacrifice – either while serving or long after service. We can’t let those who sacrifice so much go isolated. Nor can we let our brothers to our left and our right go it alone. We are not made to do so. We need one another.

Announcements

Sweati

Nessy 

The CHAD WOD is coming. Keep an eye on Slack for our region’s date/time. In the meantime register.

Prayers/Praises

Marine had a heart attack last week, single dad with 8 year old – Paul Rabb

COVID – Divac Brother in law and his family

Praise for sickness passing through YHC’s house

Prayers for kids on quarantine

 

Thanks, Shatner, for inviting this wandering GRT to a KB workout.

 

Punch List out.

 

 

 

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A Dozen in the mist

When 19 HIM descended upon Bushwood and the Snake Pit, YHC did not know how the split would break out.  7 opted for no kettle bells and a ruck or a beatdown delivered by Olaf but 11 HIM chose to join YHC for a 4 corners style workout  – parts of which may have surprised a few folks and parts were likely expected (consistency is a trait we are trying to sharpen after all).

At 0500, YHC came upon a large parking lot and with no rain falling, sidewalk chalk was decreed the flavor of the day to sketch out the work that was to follow.  Upon completing the 4 corners of 3 exercises each, an arrival happened at 0511.  The next 4 minutes of mumble chatter and the joy of seeing fellow brothers in the gloom ensued until 0515 arrived, when Olaf disclaimed us enthusiastically.  With that, we were off.  Here’s what happened.

COP:

Noticing that a total of 12 PAX brought bells, the math worked out favorably to break up into groups of 3 (more on the significance of that later).  We walked/jogged/ran/moseyed with our bells to Corner number 1 of the parking lot.  After completing 10 windmills IC, 3 bells were left and the PAX and 9 bells moseyed to

Corner #2 – after 10 Imperial Walkers were done in cadence, 3 bells were left and PAX and 6 bells moseyed to….

Corner #3 – after 10 Hillbilly Walkers in cadence, 3 bells were left and the PAX and the last 3 bells moseyed to…..

Corner #4 – the last 3 bells were left and we circled up to complete COP of:

5 burpees, 10 low slow squats, after squat #10 the people’s chair was held while we completed 10 moroccan night clubs and 10 air presses in cadence.  Bobber was notably pleased at this sequence and we recovered to begin 4 corners in groups of 3 – the main event.

Groups of 3 completed all 3 exercises in counts of 9, 22 and 21 – fittingly aligned with today’s date.  Upon completion, PAX ran to the next corner and continued this effort for 30 ish minutes with the kettle bells left at each station (more on that later).  The lucky exercises were:

Corner 1 – 9 thrusters, 21 chest presses, 22 flutters with press

Corner 2 – 9 manmakers, 21 hammer curls, 22 squats

Corner 3 – 9 burpees, 22 swings, 21 upright rows

Corner 4 – 9 flying squirrels, 22 merkins on the bell (11 each side), 21 LBC’s with the bell

PAX completed nearly 2 rounds and got their money’s worth.

All bells were then brought back to corner #1 at 0555 and YHC posed the following thoughts:

NMM – Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves but a cord of three strands (the number of PAX per group) is not easily broken.  PAX were assigned 3 per corner for a reason beyond the math.  We reflected on this as well as the significance of being a part of as shield lock and how we are better with this in our life than not.  It ensures that we are also leaving no man behind per F3’s credo.

The different weights of kettle bells represent the fact that, in life, we never know what weight we will be asked to carry – the same way no PAX knew this morning what weights would be at which stations (other than their own of course) but we do know that a weight shared among many becomes less and less of a burden and more of a joy.  As we work through and overcome struggles and challenges, we realize that the joy on the other side is worth the work, the pain, the sacrifice and the abandonment of ourselves in serving and being there for others – living 3rd.

My thanks goes out to 3D for the call to the bullpen and the opportunity to Q #eastofthepeachstand.

Honored to share the gloom with you all.  Until next time,

Cyclops

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Remember the 13

Today at the Armory, we spent 45 minutes in an attempt to remember and honor the 13 Service Members who paid the ultimate sacrifice last Thursday, August 26, 2021 in Kabul Afghanistan. While they are not the only ones lost or affected by this last 20 years of service, they are the most recent.
We had 25 PAX (1 FNG) in attendance and a number of shovel flags.

Operation Freedom’s Sentinel: This is the operation involving U.S. forces serving in Afghanistan in/around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in an effort to evacuate U.S. citizens and those that have supported U.S. forces over the last 20 years.

Around 6pm local time, on Thursday, August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber walked into a crowd and detonated the vest.

13: U.S. Service Members were killed in the blast

170: Estimated number of Afghan civilians killed in the blast

15: U.S. Service Members injured

200: Estimated number of Afghan civilians injured in the blast

Regardless of your opinion of the events leading up to and surrounding this attack, our U.S. Military is a volunteer force aware of the risks they face.

Today, we will honor and remember those 13 U.S. Service Members who paid the ultimate price last Thursday.

Marine Corps
Sgt Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, assigned to the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, assigned to the Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, NC.
Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah. He was 0369, an Infantry Unit Leader assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Corporal Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio California. He was a Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Corporal Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska. He was an Infantry Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana. He was a Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas. He was a Infantry Rifleman, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri. He was a Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming. He was a Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California. He was a Rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

Navy
Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio. He was a medic assigned to the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

Army
Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. He was assigned to the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion in Ft. Bragg, NC.

Source: Military Times & Taskandpurpose.com

The Thang:
Plank while we listened to the list of names, ranks, assignments of the fallen.

13 Burpees
13 SSH

Mosey the estimated .1mi that we’d do before each of the 13 exercises
13 Upright Rows

Mosey
13 Lunges (ea leg)

Mosey
13 Staggered Merkins (13 with the right hand on the bell then flapjack)

Mosey
13 KB Swings

Mosey
13 Squats

Mosey
13 Leg Lifts

Mosey
13 Lawnmower Pulls

Mosey
13 Curls each arm or 26 two-handed curls

Mosey
13 Box Cutters

Mosey
13 Flutters w/ Press

Mosey
13 Overhead, single-arm press

Mosey
13 Side Lunges (ea leg)

Mosey
13 Merkins

We had a few minutes at the end:

Flutter Kicks w/ Press
American Hammers
We then reread the names.

SYITG
Maximus

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Milkshake Found and Not Found

Six pax posted for Milkshake with half rucking it.  The route and exercises are in the image below.

Through the walk I presented sayings/things that people generally think are from the Bible…but really are not.  These are:

The forbidden apple in the garden of Eden: Bible does not specify it was an apple.

Three wise men: there was three gifts…but the number of wise men is not specified.

A whale swallowed Jonah: Original translations say a “great fish”.

Money is the root of all evil: 1 Timothy 6:10 actually says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

God works in mysterious ways: Isaiah 55:8-9 says that God’s ways are different from ours, not mysterious as U2 may want us to believe.

God helps those who help themselves: nope not there. Variations are proverbial statements in ancient Greek tragedies. The Quran (13:11) has something similar. An English politician gave us the exact wording, which Benjamin Franklin quotes in Poor Richard’s Almanac.

But these next sayings are FROM the Bible:

Escaping by the skin of your teeth: Job says he escaped with his life by the skin of his teeth in Job 19:20.

A house divided against itself cannot stand: not honest Abe but Jesus when rebuffing Pharisee charges that he was casting out demons because He was possessed Himself, Jesus uttered the phrase.

A drop in the bucket: To demonstrate the enormity of God, the prophet coins the phrase in Isaiah 40:15: “the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales.”

Scapegoat: In the Old Testament, two goats were chosen for the Day of Atonement. One was sacrificed, but Leviticus 16:10 speaks of the scapegoat, which was released into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people.

Writing is on the wall: No one knew what the writing on the wall in Daniel 5 meant, until God gave Daniel the interpretation that the kingdom would be taken away from the king.

Fini.

Milkshake route and exercises

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Armory – Super Sets

11 PAX for 0.0 miles and what I felt was a hard workout…Tesh may argue differently.

Did a little warmup
SSH
Round the World
Good Mornings
Some Yoga

Super Sets done for a set time with some rest between.
Set 1:
KB Cleans (30 seconds)
Single Leg Dead Lift (30 seconds)
rest
Repeat 6 times (3 right, 3 left)

SSH

Set 2:
KB Swings (60 seconds)
Merkins (30 seconds)
rest (30 seconds)
Repeat 5 times

SSH

Set 3:
Snatch (30 seconds)
Goblet Squat (30 seconds)
rest (30 seconds)
Repeat 6 times

SSH

Set 4:
Manmakers (30 seconds)
Renegade Rows w/ pass through (30 seconds)
rest (30 seconds)
go till 6…I think we did 4ish?

NMM:

What is paired up as difficult in your life and what are you putting in between to mitigate?


Band Camp dismissed

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Better late than never!

4 Corners – Travel with KBover head

Squate/Lunges

Alt Arm Merk / Mtn Climber

Press/Burpee’

Curls/Am Hammer

Skull Crusher/LBC (I think)

Message: Say YES especially when you want to say NO. Good things follow that uncomfortable feeling.

Stack the deck in your favor every morning by asking for direction, patience, tolerance and understanding.

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