Block Party – Smoothing the Stones

Today at the Block Party I was ready to have a namesake beatdown with Cinder Blocks and all the fun of them. So the wienke was made and the plan was to utilize the blocks at Honey Badger Central or Den or the Coop or whatever they are calling NAFO these days. At 0430 I left to go get the blocks and find there are no blocks to be found. It seems the FMSD has taken our blocks away……again!!

After quick conversation with the Darkest of Helmets I had to call….Omaha…..Omaha!!! Was not too bad to change some of the exercise moves and YHC was ready to roll.

15 PAX arrived and I was excited for the turnout at WEP. Its an original AO and one of our best and so love to see the PAX still coming. We had 13 bootcamp and 3 runners for Pathfinder and at 0515 away we all went.

Mosey up the Stairway to Heaven

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Windmills

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Imperial Walkers

The Main event

List of 10 exercises, 100 reps cumulative with Partner

Partner  1 runs around Playground, Partner 2 exercise move…..working the list

  • Squats
  • Merkins
  • Lunge (50 each leg)
  • Swing Crunches
  • Pullups
  • Step ups (100 each leg)
  • Dips
  • Toe Taps
  • Derkins
  • Leg Raises

Nice work by all the PAX. FNG, Liquidate, did great and fun was had by all!!

I talked to the men about David and Goliath and when David chose 5 smooth stones there was a reason. Smooth stones would fly straight and accurate versus those with edges and odd shape. The stones were smooth from being in the water and rubbing against each other over years and smoothing each other out. We as men need each other to help us shoot straight and face our Goliath. By surrounding ourselves with PAX that want to get better and live for something bigger than ourselves, we will all get smoothed out and be able to fly straight and stay on path. Get those trusted advisers in your life and GET BETTER!

Cake Boss

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Reunion Tour @ The Tomahawk

If we go back to Summer 2017… I was EH’d to The Tomahawk by Dark Helmet and Bird Cage. It happened while helping Sharknado move in just down the street. My interest was peaked, so I gave it a try. It was awesome, but it was PAINFUL. CSPAN brought it heavy and it was in that moment I knew F3 was legit. What had me most aghast was the fact that guys two decades older than I were lapping me in a work out that I deemed “up my alley.” On top of that, these men had a bond I haven’t had since moving to the area, and they do their best to follow God. I wanted to be hooked, but work was just too much at the time to HC to F3. Also… Skate or Die was there too.

Fast forward to Summer 2018, I changed positions in my company and was excited to join my now brothers in the gloom. Been posting a bunch, and am super happy to be a part of this high impact community. Polaroid offered me the opportunity to lead at my original AO, and I couldn’t turn it down. Additionally… what other AO has loud music every week?! 

I was just finishing prep of the AO when J Cruise pulled up in his vintage Land Cruiser. I’m sure that thing looks awfully nice in the sunlight. Kielbasa and Skate or Die right behind him. The clock struck 5:15, and I said the disclaimer. We took a short mosey while Pin Up and Small World rolled in. Then we circled up.

COP

Tappy Taps x 10 (These may be a regularly occurring thing… be warned.)

Plank

Shoulder Taps x 10

Parker Peters x 10

SSH x 25

Al Gore Night Clubs x 20

Groucho Walks x 10

Heart rates were up, so we headed toward the main entrance to partake of the Octagon! I had nine workouts, eight surrounding one. The plan was to start at random locations, and once you complete your station you rotate counterclockwise. After each outer workout you would cycle to the middle for something that my shoulders are now feeling much more than I did this morning… figure 8’s with the kettlebell between your legs. Woof.

Figure 8 x 30

Solo Tesh x 3 Each Arm (this, too, should also be a thing)

Figure 8 x 30

Goblet Squats x 30

Figure 8 x 30

Skull Crushers x 20

Figure 8 x 30

Lunge Walks x 15 each leg, holding weight in one arm out and back

Figure 8 x 30

Bent Over Rows x 15 each arm

Figure 8 x 30

KB Swing x 20

Figure 8 x 30

Curls x 20

Figure 8 x 30

Calf Raises x 50

Figure 8 x 30

Repeat as Time Permits

We made it about 1.4 times around.

Mosey to wall

People’s Chair w/ Pass the Dutchie – down and back four times x 2 with the heaviest weight of the day. 

Mary

Crunchy Frog x 11

Flutter w/Weight x 20

Hello Dolly’s w/Weight x 20

LBC’s x 30

Plank until time was up

I asked the men what they liked most about F3 while we planked, and got some good answers.

Accountability

Accountability

Misery

Its the closest thing to my military experience

The leadership cultivation and how it drives men ahead

Honestly, (aside from the military experience) I aligned with each answer. This community and these HIM continue to inspire me. 

Headed back to COT. Counted off six PAX for an Eminem and Toby MAC filled morning of fun. Thanks to Small World for bringing the tunes.

Announcements – 

Fast5 coming October 27. Plenty of chatter on Twitter regarding the details. 

Ragnar this weekend! 

Prayers and Praises –

Pray for our brothers on IR

Pray for F3Alpha for their loss of Darth Visor yesterday morning

EDIT: Pray for Sharknado’s family – his M’s father was Darth Visor

Both of these losses were sudden and unexpected, so keep that in your mind as you go throughout your day/week. We are but a breath. 

Pray for Fort Mill and the school district as the Zoning decision is made. Pray for cool heads on all sides and the best decision to be made.

Thank you Polaroid for the opportunity to lead. It was fun running Q at the AO where I first posted. Looking forward to next time. 

Punch List out.

 

IMG_7683

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Tomahawk 2018.38

So today I had the privilege to Q at Tomahawk.  After driving what seemed like a time i could have squeezed in a Lord of the Rings movie, I finally made it out to Doby’s Bridge Elementary.  I’ll make the backblast short and sweet.

There was a warmup that consisted of the usual suspects:  SSH, Windmills, Merkins, Peter Parkers…

The THANG consisted of three parts

Lunge walk with bell pass through.  Lunge steps not in cadence but on my “Step!” and sprint when I say “Go!”  This was broken up by burpees (everything was broken up by a few burpees), KB swings x20 and snatches x5 each arm.

Next was a DORA but one runs with your partners and your own bell to the end of the parking lot and back.  Exercises were 100 Merkins, 100 LBCs, 100 squats

Last (I think) was mobility.  Wide sumo squat and hold, left, right.  Then work it out with a low slow quat in cadence.   Superman hold to an overhead clap for shoulder mobility.  Then work it out with some plank work: merkins, shoulder taps, 1 arm holds, 6 inches, mountain climbers.

Finish it with a few minutes of mary.  Flutters with bell, protractor with bell, LBCs with bell.

BTW… that some nice new blacktop.

 

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CSPAN Send off Convergence

141 Men came to show the Respectable**CSPAN** some Respect!!

He leaves The Fort and heads north or as Dredd refers to Yankee land. Not gone forever but just up the road 600 miles to start a new chapter in life and in F3 as he will launch F3Philly.

I am not the most eloquent with my back-blasts and I am usually to the point with posting the workout, add some words and being done, however since I can’t get Italian Job to write this up and Double D challenged the PAX to think of one word to represent CSAPN, I think that is the best way to document this convergence.

Thank you CSPAN for being all of these things and more to you r brothers in the PAX. As posted on Twitter and many of these were repeated multiple times:

brother
camaraderie
commitment
confidence
connected
consistent
courageous
dedicated
empathetic
example
genuine
handsome
HIM
honorable
humble
humility
impact
influence
influencer
insightful
inspiration
integrity
investor
legend
magnanimous
model
respect
selfless
servant
shepherd
solid
squaredaway
steadfast
steady
wise

The Workout looked like this:

WWL at the Q:

  • Mosey around the lot
  • Line up; karaoke, side shuffle, high knees, butt kickers, toy solders, lungewalk, power skips
  • COP
    • SSH, squat, merkin, moroccan night club, 10 Flying squirrels
Double D at the Q:
  • Run to practice field
  • Plank sequence
  • Split into 2 groups on each sideline
  • Sprint to center and back to sideline
  • Monkey humpers x25
  • Rinse + repeat with Merkins x 25
  • CDDs x25
  • Burpees x25
Longshanks at the Q:
  • Burpees
  • Lunges
  • Inch worm Merkins
  • Maktar Ndiayes
  • Plank Jacks
  • Squats.

Dredd at the Q:

  • Prayer for CSPAN
  • Merkin/Ab Lab series
  • Truth Nuggets and Leadership development with Major Payne, Wegmans, & Drop Thrill
  • Mosey to hill behind Bob Jones Stadium
  • Prayer for CSPAN heading to F3Philly…..”CSPAN Coming”
  • More Merkin/Ab lab series

COT:

141 Count, Name O’rama, 2 FNGs (Bikini & Manzel), Skinny Jeans pray out over CSPAN and his IMPACT on men and for Sky Q’s kingdom.

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Opening Presence at the Coop

It was a special morning the Coop this morning because the rain moved out and left a nice humid sometimes breezy morning in the gloom.  15 men joined us this morning and Shinguard started out with the mosey, warm up and Jacobs Ladder

The Message:

Moving from Impact to Presence really isn’t that different because the two ideas are only a couple degrees of separation from one another. This morning we talked about being present with God, with yourself and with your family.  Understanding that we can only experience God in the present, we have to be aware of where our mind is and be present with ourselves and finally be present with our families and understand their needs and serve them where they are not where we want them to be.

The THANG!

Shinguard moseyed us out of the disclaimer toward the band parking lot with some butt kickers, high knees and karaoke along the way.

Circle up in the parking lot for some COP with the following:

  • SSH x 30, Merkins x20, Squats x20, Moroccan Night Clubs x30, Peter Parkers x10, Parker Peters x 12

Mosey to the lower parking lot for Jacobs Ladder between the two light posts.

  • 7 Burpees at the bottom and 1 squat at the top (working down to one and up to 7 with each lap)

Then Chicken Hawk took the reins and took us back to the band parking lot for some sprints.

  • 10, 20, 30 yard suicides
  • 30, 20, 10 yard suicides
  • 100 yard 50%; 100 yard 100%
  • Bear Crawl 5 – 1 CCD, 5 more 2CCD, etc up to 50 yards and 10 CCD

Mosey to Bermuda Triangle in front of the school

  • Round 1: 20 Merkin, 20 Squat, 20 LBC with Bear Crawls in between
  • Round 2: 20 Wide Arm Merkins, 20 Jump Squats, 20 High Low Flutter
  • Round 3: 20 diamond merkins, 20 Jumping Lunges, 20 Ski Jumps

Short Mosey to the wall

  • Wall Sit while 2×2 plate push down parking lot and back
  • Balls to the wall
  • Finish with Ab Lab.

It was a special morning and I can’t express enough gratitude with being able to post with by 2.0 and lead side by side with him.  Thank you of the Pax that are accepting and encouraging to Shinguard.  This summer is having an impact in my and his life.  Aye!

CH

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The Fort 2018.24

For the first couple minutes we just stood around and watched the Hogs and Coyotes enjoy a pain station.  Someone finally looked at a watch and realized we better get going.  First half of the Q was Deacon with some inspiration.

Mosey around the park SSH (20x), WM (10x), Squats (10x), Hill Billy Walkers (10x), Imperial Walkers (10x), Merkins (10x)
Run to the hill for Jacob’s Ladder: Burpees at the top, Squat at the bottom (7x)
Run to the playground for partner drills One partner does pull ups, the other runs a lap – 2x One partner does dips, the other runs a lap – 2x One partner does LBCs, the other runs a lap 2x

Next up was YHC with some strength and mobility.  Mosey to the Springs Global parking lot and mobilize the shoulders with and overhead clap x20 in a varied cadence.  Going slow and maintaining your hands as far back as you can will make it difficult and increase range of motion.  Next on the ground for Superman with more overhead claps.  Balls2wall till the last man falls.  Moroccan night clubs x20, superman Moroccan night clubsx10, balls2wall.

Next is mobilize the hips with lung walks simon says style, only stepping on my signal and hold as low as you can go. x20 lunges sprint to end of parking lot.  Calf raises x20, AlGore calf raises x10.  Rinse & Repeat.

Last was core and total body.  Warmup with Snap-Crackle-Pops (3 count exercise on your 6, go to LBC position, put your right leg over left, bring your right elbow up to knee, left elbow, and down is on 3, then vice versa) x10 each side, Amercican hammer x20, Dragon-walk 15 yards.  Rinse & repeat.

Mosey to COT.

Moleskin:   The theme of the month is IMPACT.  If I may try to relay the sentiment of the words from Deacon, don’t let your impact be influenced by fear.  There will be obstacle put in your way that look insurmountable, but that’s simply fear put there lead you to comfort and away from impact.   I also noted that I like to make mental models of impact, and gave two: asteroid craters and boat wakes.  The IMPACT will be measured LONG AFTER the asteroid has fallen or the boat has passed.  Your IMPACT has infinite consequences whereas your feelings are fleeting.  Till next time, brothers.  Always honored.

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Shovelflag handoff @ The Coop

Thank you for the 24 guys that came out to The Coop this morning for the shovel flag handoff to YHC from Sugarbug. I decided to give the FBI PFT test as the workout.

We moseyed to the field and did a chicken wing approved warmup. We warmed up until he gave the clearance to proceed.

FBI PFT is as follows:

Max situps in 1 minute

300m sprint

Max pushups

1.5 mile run

Pull-ups (optional) we didn’t have enough time for these.

Out of the 25 PAX that posted only 7 passed unofficially.

Dark Helmet

Subprime

Sasquatch

Skate or Die

Harry Carry

Caddy Shack

Bonsai

Some guys were close, but the sprint and run is where most guys got caught . Welcome FNG Easy Button!

My first order of business as new Site Q is to move the congregation point to the good asphalt so when we do Mary, we don’t feel like we are laying on broken glass.

Thanks to sugarbug for the peaceful transition and thank you for all your leadership!

 

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Ask and Q’s show up…with a couple day old weinkes!

This was almost a repeat from #thehive after the quick Q request from none other than Polaroid. Since that Friday workout was such a good sweaty mess, it was worth keeping as is with a few minor tweaks for extra fun.  After the full on disclaimer was made, we did a quick mosey around the parking lot and continued with some warm-up.

Warm-up included: merkins x10, Moroccan night club x30, windmill x10, parker peter x10, hillbilly walker x10, cherry picker x10, SSH x20, downward dog and honeymooner.

The Thang….with some classic rock jams in the background brought to the PAX by the site Q – always a bonus!

  • 30x KB swings
  • 30x KB squats
  • 30x KB shoulder presses
  • 30x KB rows
  • 30 total / 15 each leg KB lunges with passing the KB between your legs on each lunge
  • 30 / 15 (single) clean and jerk – start at left foot, lift KB with right arm, press over right shoulder

Suicides as a quick cool down at 3 sections in the parking lot – then a quick 10 count break or so.

  • 30 / 15x one arm KB swings
  • 30x (double count) American hammers
  • 15x burpee – dead lift the KB, set it down next to you, burpee, pick it up on your way up
  • 30 / 15x lawnmower pulls
  • 30x KB presses
  • 30x triceps presses behind your head
  • 30x KB shoulder shrugs

Suicides as a quick cool down at 3 sections in the parking lot – then a quick 10 count break.

THEN – we got to choose between round 1 or 2….we chose round 1 for another go because burpees weren’t part of that round.  But of course, after we finished the last exercise, the burpee somehow made it into our mix for a 10 rep count.

Finished up with a round of Mary being called out around the circle by PAX for final 5 min.

Count off, name-o-rama, announcements, prayers and praises, BOM – and that’s all she wrote.  Enjoyed it (again) and can’t wait to see what kind of pain we’re in store for tomorrow!

Aye – Shady

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FALLEN HEROES

The Brave Men who have gone before us were remembered this Memorial Day throughout the Nation with various tribute workouts. It was an honor to lead a great group of Pax on this day and appreciate the gift of freedom that our brave have fought so hard to provide for our great country.

Warm Up in the light rain of standard far of SSHs, Abe Vigotas, Arm Circles with calf stretch, merkins, downward dogs, and honeymooners.

Mosey around the lot and headed to the school.

We did two rounds of the following….15 reps on the first round and 10 on the second for time.

F – Frankensteins
A – American Hammers
L – Lunge w passthrough
L – Low Slow Squat
E – Elf on the Shelf
N – No Fun Burpees

H – Hot Potato (Big boy situps with weight pass to partner)
E – Endless Merkins
R – Run with bell
O – Overhead Press
E – Elevens (Freddies and Box Cutters w bell)
S – Suicides w bell

COT

Praises for Uncle Donald and Uncle Richard killed will in uniform.
Praises for the men before us for the freedom they have provided us.
Prayers for the strength to lead in the footsteps of those who lead by great example.

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Sandy Cones at Alcatraz

Warmup:  Seal Jacks, Multiple Hold Merkins, Low Slow Squats.

1st Half Thang by Bear Grylls:  Mosey to the hill for uphill AMRAP sandbag and 20 & 35lb ruck work.

  • 20lb slam ball – Carolina Dry Docs and A Frame Crunches,
  • 20lb Sandbag – Lunge Choppers,
  • 45lb KettleBag – Squat Upright Rows,
  • 40lb Spartan Pancake – Front Raise to Overhead Tricep Extension,
  • 60lb Sandbag – Row to Curl.
  • 75lb Sandbag – Clean Jerk Press

As rucks reach top or bottom of hill, PAX advance to next station via bear crawl.

2nd Half Thang by SkateOrDie:  Mosey to Parking lot for cone workout

Cones with 3 exercises each for 20 reps in each corner, then advance to middle for group cone exercise then back to corners.

Prayers for victims and perp at school shooting, those in hospitals.  Praises for pax brother new job and pax wife negative test results for good health.

Aye!

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