Pyramid attempt at Fire Ant

On Christmas Eve, Divac introduced us to the way he was going to run The Fire Ant AO now that he is in charge. And guess what, it’s not for the faint of heart. That said, I had to live up to the billing.
In recent months, I’ve noticed a great way to challenge the PAX is to post the Weinke on the socials ahead of time. It also holds me accountable to planning the proper beatdown. So here goes:

Ruck 1 mile at a sub 14min/mi pace to TCES. Full disclosure, Punch List led us at a 13:37 pace…giraffe.

10 Man Makers
20 Lunges (ea leg)
30 Merkins (single ct)
40 Real Squats (you know what this means)
50 Mountain Climbers (left/right = 1)
60 LBC’s (single ct)
70 Curls
80 Peter Parkers (40 I/C) – I believe this is where the leaders ran out of time.
90 Bent Over Rows (45 I/C) – I was really looking forward to these!
100 Flutters w/ Press (50 I/C) – Surprise, Surprise. I was really, really looking forward to these.

Ruck 1 mile back to the Start Ex at a sub 14min/mi pace. We made it about .25mi and I abruptly stopped everyone for a Switzer. The new instructions were to Jail Break back to the Start Ex to complete as many Flutters/Press as you can until 0600. The leaders arrived at a 10:05 pace and a heart rate that neared, “explosive.”

COT practices with the Golden Corral bootcampers.

SYITG,
Maximus

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Maximus’ half

Disclaimer
Mosey on Confederate St to Main St then back to lot to turn left onto Monroe White St up to Tom Hall then back to the lot.
SSH x 10
Carolina Dry Docks (CDD) x 10
Peter Parkers x 10
CDD x 10
Parker Peters x 10
CDD x 10
3mins of Cherry Pickers & dumping them in the bucket
Up the Church steps and down, up and down, then up to Tom Hall then back to the lot.
Overhead Clap x 10
Merkins x 10
Overhead Press x 10
Diamond Merkins
Overhead Clap
CDD
3-tier suicides with 5 burpees at the end
5mins of Cherry Pickers & dumping them into the bucket

Tesh’s half

Mosey to the big CoG parking lot.

Suicides from the sidewalk to the middle of each row of parking spaces (3 progressions), and when you get past each line, chest to ground, hope back over the line, chest to ground, run back.

Honeymooners from hell (I can’t explain), one ab exercise [dying cockroach, JLo, flutter, snap-crackle-pop, freddy mercs]

Repeat 5 times.  Combination of redlining your heart rate and then simulating a 1 rep max on your core.  (If you’re Johnny Utah, chest to ground means 3 merkins…)

Mosey back to COT. (Air humpers with feet on the wall along the way.)

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Fresh off GR021, we’re now at the Fire Ant

If you were one of the 20 PAX that attended Fire Ant today, you heard me talk briefly about the impact of GR021 (GrowRuck 021) in Louisville this past weekend. Along with Olaf, Shady, Italian Job and Dark Helmet, I was blessed to participate in this extremely impactful weekend. Much like the rest of F3, the true benefits go way beyond the workout or in this case, the 14hr team ruck event spanning Saturday night into Sunday morning.

I tried to bring back just a taste of what we experienced and some of my learnings but unless you actually participate in these GrowRuck weekends, it’s hard to comprehend. However, I did want to bring a taste of the PT to our local PAX and so with 19 other Ruckers, we did the following.

Disclaimer

Warm Up
Jog, Knees to chest, Jog, Toy Soldiers, Butt Kickers, Jog back to our rucks

SSH x 5
Windmills x 5
SSH x 10
Windmills x 5

Ruck Up
Rucks overhead for a 30ct
Ruck Curls x 20 IC
Squat hold with rucks overhead for a 20ct
Ruck swings x 20
Tricep Extensions x 20 IC
Squat with ruck press x 10 IC

2 line ruck shuffle to back lot & ground the rucks
3-tier suicides then ruck up
Bear crawl to the far suicide line and plank
Bear crawl back to the half way point and circle up
Slick-dying cockroach x 30IC
BEAR ROACH for a while (I think we did a total of 20 to the left and 20 to the right). For this exercise, you get into a bear crawl position with your ruck on then upon command, roll over to the dying cockroach position. Upon command, get back to the bear crawl position.

2 line ruck shuffle back to the first starting spot and circle up
5 Merkins – 10 Carolina Dry Dock – 15 Bent Over Rows (all IC)
5 Squats – 5 lunges each leg
2 line ruck march back to COT

Announcements:
Read your newsletter
SIGN UP FOR THE F3 10YR
SIGN UP FOR A FUTURE GROWRUCK

SYITG
Maximus

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The Equalizer

9 got better this morning and 1 got lighter as we tackled a routine I call “The Equalizer.”  Conditions we’re perfect for a sweatastic Merkin Mile beatdown. Here’s what we did…

The Thang

  • 5 Burpees

Run to the 1st entrance of Brayden

  • 10 Wide Arm Merkins

Run to Dave Gibson Blvd

  • 20 Bobby Hurleys

Run to Dam Rd

  • 30 Ranger Merkins

Run to Tara Plantation

  • 40 Squats

Run to YHC’s House

  • 50 Merkins

Run to Tara Plantation

  • 40 Calf Raises

Run to Dam Rd

  • 30 Diamond Merkins

Run to Dave Gibson Blvd

  • 20 Lunges

Run to 1st Entrance of Brayden

  • 10 Tempo Merkins

Run back to Earth Fare

  • 10 Tempo
  • 20 Lunges
  • 30 Diamond
  • 40 Calf Raises
  • 50 Merkins

Circle the lot

  • 10 Wide
  • 20 Bobby Hurleys
  • 30 Ranger
  • 40 Squats
  • 50 Merkins

Mosey back to COT

  • 5 Burpees

NMM
This workout was designed to have the PAX finish together. How do you keep the non-gazelles with the sub-6 minute milers at a running AO? Add Merkins.
As expected, Scalp and Gears had the major lead in the running portion. But as we closed in on the final assault at Earth Fare, Dark Helmet took the lead and never looked back. Major kudos to Band Camp and his Merkin prowess for powering through to the top-5 after the run. As usual, Gekko, Quack Attack, and Fish Sticks finished towards the top. And though he doesn’t like to admit it, Sugar Daddy is starting to look like a runner. Spider-Man did bail early, but when nature calls, you know, you answer. I understand he looked three shades brighter and 2 pounds lighter after his…break.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead. I know this is more Merkins than normal for STL (as noted by the grunting and grumbling), but it’s the only way I could keep up with you fast guys. But as usual, you men persevered and powered through. You did the hard thing and you’re better for it.

One last word to start the week:

You can’t force someone to respect you but you can refuse to be disrespected.

Now go be a force to be reckoned with. Crush the day!

Aye!

Italian Job

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The Full MALTZ at The Honey Badger

DEA Maltz Challenge — CrossFit Amplify

Today, we would be honoring Master Sergeant Michael H. Maltz (19 September 1960 – 23 March 2003).

Week 2 of Hard-Charging August consisted of the Full MALTZ. In total, 22 of us made the decision to start the week at The Honey Badger with cinder blocks, rucks and kettle bells in tow.  There wasn’t a warm up which according to the disclaimer, is a risk every man takes on themselves.

I had to slightly modify the WOD to fit the AO and current social guidelines so it looked like this:

Run 400M which is from the JROTC building steps to the stop sign at AO Jones Rd & back.
50 Pull-Ups
100M Farmer’s Carry which is from the JROTC building steps to the cross walk in in front of the stadium. PAX could use 2 cinder blocks, 2 rucks or 1 of each.
50 Dips and some chose to do this with added weight on their legs
100 Push-Ups: Most did it slick (no added weight) but once a few of us saw Ruby Slippers doing his with weight, he unintentionally pressured a few us to complete the remaining push-ups with weight. The is the good kind of peer pressure.
50 Knees-to-Elbows on the bars
100 Sit-ups with your feet anchored to the ground
Run 400M

To read more about this HERO, click on the link below taking you to the MALTZ Challenge web site.

About

With Honey Badger being 60min, this took us to 0535 so we had time to take advantage of. That said:

Grab a coupon, hoist it overhead and walk to the bottom of the hill. Set your coupon off to the side and bear crawl around one of the islands (follow Dark Helmet).
We did some Mary, a little more Mary and then just a little bit more Mary.
Next, NUR up the hill, run down then repeat.
Next, overhead carry your coupon to the JROTC steps then on to COT.

Announcements & Prayers/Praises

It was awesome to have 22 PAX out there at 0500 on a Monday, just think about that for a second. How many other places in the world would men volunteer to do a hard workout, outside by honoring one of our Service members? Thank you F3 Nation. A reminder for all of us, it’s not about us.

SYITG
Maximus

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ISI DORA

I pulled up to Snake Pit at about 0455 to see a man running his way down the entrance hill. Much to my surprise it was our newest PAX, Refugee. Just a HIM doing HIM things… running 2.3 miles one way to an AO for his third post. NBD. Shout out to Stang for EH’ing him on the trails at Ann Springs.

I set up the board, the juke box, and the stage. Then headed to the shovel flag.

The PAX appeared and the disclaimer was spoken. Also… Shatner rolled up for his 8th post in as many days since he was an FNG!!

I started with a quick verse.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

COP

Mosey around the block

Dynamic movements (Karaoke, Toy Soldiers, Butt kickers)

Low Slow Romanian Deadlifts x 10 each side

Merkins on Bell x 10

Mosey to the location YHC laid it all out.

 

Weinke

YHC asked the PAX to partner up with someone of similar athleticism/fitness.

Pax vs Pax BOP

DORA style except each PAX keeps his number of reps a secret. Both PAX do the exercise for one set while the other does the out + back. After both go through one set, the PAX reveal to each other how many reps were completed.

Loser between the two partners makes up the difference with an additional exercise while the winner does a less intense exercise. It causes you to push yourself because you know your partner is also
gunning to win each round. #ISI.

Round 1 – Quadzilla Up Hill to Bypass while partner does movement with KB.

Movement/Penalty

Goblet Squat/American Hammers

Skull Crushers/American Hammers

Alternating Lunges/American Hammers

Round 2 – Straightaway Sprints Three Islands Out + Back

Movement/Penalty

KB Swings/Flutter with Press

Curls/Flutter with Press

Halos/Flutter with Press

Round 3 – Hill Runs to 460

Movement/Penalty

Turkish Get UPS/Manmakers

Burpees Snatch/Manmakers

1 Arm Clean and Press/Manmakers

Time. I was sad that we couldn’t squeeze in round four, but I am happy that the work was put in and most of us were pretty gassed. YHC would never have banged out 6 Turkish get ups that quickly if it were a normal DORA. Just sayin…

As we ran back, “We Are The Champions” began playing on the speakers. It felt right. We got back to COT right at 0600.

NMM

Nice work by all. From what I heard, most PAX stayed within 2-5 reps of each other each round. Strong. The message was again repeated:

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

In this case with the PvP BOP, the way we sharpened each other today was not by coming alongside one another while we were weak. It was sharpening by exhortation; a push that one gave themselves knowing that the other was gunning for the win. It was a nice change of pace.

 

Announcements

Sweati

New boot camp AO coming to a Snake Pit near you

Prayers/Praises

Marriages

New Blood!

Airborne’s 2.0 – deployment is over in two weeks

Maximus’ 2.0’s in Wilmington in the path of the hurricane.

 

Thanks, 3D. YHC was privileged to lead today.

Punch List out.

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Rust removal via building pyramids

22 HIM descended upon Golden Corral, 6 of whom opted for the Fire Ant.  Prior to arrival YHC wrote out the exercises with sidewalk chalk around the grounds and was quickly reminded how rough the parking lot surfaces were around the grounds.  While it made for a few challenges to write things out, all was sketched legibly enough for the attending PAX to enjoy.   The fun was about to begin.

The boot campers ventured off with YHC around the A/O grounds.  Cabana Boy and Slow Jams were also present but YHC could not find them in the tags.  Cobains.   YHC was coming off a week of vacation and looked forward to getting back out with the PAX.  It was time to roll

Here’s what we did.

Mosey to Grace Presby parking lot for the warm up (just before the signs went up for voters).

Imperial and Hillbilly Walkers x 10 (D/C and I/C – Olaf  decided to make the exercise literal

5 burpees after each

Low slow squat x 10 holding into people’s chair after the 10th rep to do the following (all D/C and in cadence)  Morroccan night clubs x10, air press x 10 and shoulder tap x 10

Recover to standing position for 5 more burpees before 15 SSH D/C I/C and off to the Harris Teeter wall for:

Wall Sits while each PAX did 3 burpees.  Cha Ching had the best burpee form.  YHC did not.

Mosey to the back lot, into the fresh country air with accompanying humidity and the main event: Partner Pyramid Work – DORA style.

PAX paired off – 16 made for 8 teams of 2.  While Partner 1 started the pyramid, partner 2 ran to the opposite end of the lot, through the clean smelling aforementioned air, did an assigned exercise for each trip and returned to switch off, picking up exercises where the partner left off on the pyramid.

Run #1 & 5 – 10 burpees

Run #2 & 6 – 10 squats

Run #3 & 7 – 10 diamond merkins

Run #4 & 8 – 10 wide arm merkins

The pyramid was 10 lines total – 5 lines down and 5 lines back up

10 burpees

10 burpees and 20 squats

10 burpees, 20 squats and 30 merkins

10 burpees, 20 squats, 30 merkins and 40 flutters

10 burpees, 20 squats, 30 merkins, 40 flutters & 50 jump squats

50 jump squats, 40 flutters, 30 merkins, 20 squats & 10 burpees

40 flutters, 30 merkins, 20 squats & 10 burpees

30 merkins, 20 squats & 10 burpees

20 squats & 10 burpees

10 burpees

Work was done around a little mumble chatter (but just a little), PAX got better and finished just in time to mosey briskly to COT for a 1-minute geometry class.  A protractor ab exercise was completed for 60 seconds at varying degrees.  For some reason, 0 degrees was the preferred choice but we never quite got there.  At 0600, we called time and circled up for name o rama, announcements, prayers and praises

Announcements:

Convergence at WEP on 7-11

Classroom ready notebook fundraiser is in full swing and runs through the end of June.    Questions – reach out to Bonsai.

Praises were offered up and prayers were offered up for those battling addictions and for families as well.

NMM – In a time of crisis, all of us benefit from routines, disciplines and accountability – staying true to the values and standards that make us the leaders we are called to be – at home with our families, at our places of work and in our community.  In any crisis, a person can only rise to the level of their training.  As we work our way through this pandemic it is YHC’s hope for all PAX that they look around and know that no matter what they are going through, we all can use the unforeseen events of the past months as opportunity to enhance our resolve, encourage one another and to help one another accelerate in our development of all dimensions – physical, mental, professional, spiritual, the list goes on.

My thanks to Lutefisk for the call out and opportunity to Q.  It was good to get out in the gloom and accelerate with a great group of #HIM.  I’m thankful for all of you.

Honored,

Cyclops

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Negative Splits

23 was the number to launch The Fort’s newest AO: Sweep The Leg.  The goal of any AO should be acceleration of overall fitness of the Pax, and I believe we delivered this morning.

The workout was simple.  3 miles, half mile segments with pain stations.  The goal was negative splits with 3 minute pain stations between segments.  Something like the following:

  • .5 miles at 8:15 pace, 3 min pain station
  • .5 miles at 8:00 pace, 3 min pain station
  • .5 miles at 7:45 pace, 3 min pain station
  • .5 miles at 7:30 pace, 3 min pain station
  • .5 miles at 7:15 pace, 3 min pain station
  • .5 miles at 7:00 pace, 3 min pain station

Pain stations included crowd favorites such as:

  • Burpees
  • Bombjacks
  • Squats
  • Hillybilly Squats
  • Flutter
  • Freddy Mercury’s
  • Merkins
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Peter Parker
  • Parker Peter
  • Monkey Humpers

The leaders of the pack did the full pain station, those bringing up the six may or may not get to do the exercises at the pain station, but it kept the pax mostly together and pushed guys to keep up since the overall pace continued to speed up.

Hit this link for the route and some deets.

The #Kings this week were Pointer, Maximus, and Shady, who will be added to the Q list for an upcoming workout.

Ready your newsletter and pray for our country and the unrest going on right now due to racial injustice.

Honor to Serve.

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Dropkicked at The Rock

BAOPS. It’s an acronym  that Trucker has been pushing, almost devoting himself to, with regard to the AO, Alcatraz, he now oversees. If you’ve been living under a rock for the last several weeks, let me enlighten you on Tega Cay’s own “Rock.”

Rather than being on its own island, our version of Alcatraz is almost at the end of a peninsula. Rather than water with treacherous currents, our version has streets with treacherous hills.
Just as you have to plan some extra time to get to THAT Alcatraz, you also have to plan some extra drive time to get to our version of Alcatraz…it’s way down TC Drive.

When Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was in operation, it housed the hardest, most notorious criminals of its day. In Trucker’s verbiage, BAOPS stands for the “Baddest Area of Operations (AO) for Pain on Saturday.” Consistent with the last several weeks, some of the most hard-charging PAX from The Fort & Rock Hill (The Rock-how fitting) posted at Alcatraz this morning. Some even thought they rolled up on a convergence when they drove in with all the cars.

21 PAX (welcome Suplex) joined Router & YHC for a total of 23 to embark on a twist of a workout this morning. It’s been a minute since we’ve had Router post with us but consistent with our memory, he was prepared to bring it. After we were disclaimed and he shared with us his plan to put us through some conditioning (as part of the strength & conditioning workout), we took off for a warm-up mosey, ultimately leading us to the top of “the hill” on the back side of the park. This time however, we’d be going the other direction.
So here’s the deal, we’re running segments, of which there are 3. Segment 1, you’re running to your “pukey” limit. You know what that is; the place you get to where you’re about to splash. Yeah, get in that zone. Run it to the stop sign just past the Firehouse and do a recovery run back to the start. Then pukey-limit run to the stop sign and run to what amounts to the trail entrance just past the COT parking lot and recovery run the remaining trek back to the start. Now, pukey run that whole thing. Oh no, then….do a few more of those segments again but honestly, this is where the wheels started to come off as the PAX spread out and nobody was exactly sure what to do next . So, some ran more, some did some mary and some picked up the six. Yup, just as planned.
Then…oh dear Lord, this is where we take it to the next phase and you think your heart is going to pop out of your eye socket. Router takes us to the bottom of the hill, yes that hill. He explains his plan for 30/60/90. Fortunately, we never made it to 90 but nevertheless, when he says GO, we’re to take off up the hill, running for 30 seconds until he says stop. Yeah, that was tough but he made us go back down the hill to do the 60. Run up the hill and keep running for 60 seconds. Now that was B-RUTAL. Fortunately it was now 0701 and it was time to hand off to Maximus for the strength portion of the strength & conditioning.

With Max on Q, we would slow mosey (oh, thank you) back to the parking lot, pull a Switzer at one end and drop to a plank (ala Honey Badger). Next up, a nod to a USMC Serviceman named Cpl Albert (Bert) Gettings, 27, of New Castle, PA. Yup, we’re doing a modified BERT. If you’ve never done the real Bert, go give it a run and recap it to me afterward. Cpl. Albert Gettings was killed in action Jan 5, 2009 while conducting counter-sniper operations in Fallujah, Iraq. He was serving as a team leader with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, NC.

HERE WE GO!!!
25 Burpees
50m Bear Crawl to the other end of the parking lot
50 Hand-Release Merkins
50m Bear Crawl
80 Walking lunges
Bear Crawl back
50 Squats
50m Bear Crawl
80 Carolina Dry Docks
50m Bear Crawl
Mary til the six is in

In closing, please do yourself a favor, push yourself to do something more challenging than what you thought you were capable of. Not just in the 1st F although that is a great start, but in the 2nd & 3rd, too. This world needs it now and frankly, you’ve been built and called for this. Do not be a wallflower.

Announcements: Gears starting a new hard-hitting AO this Monday, 6/1. Classroom Ready partnership oppty coming soon from Bonsai, Q-Source is for everyone, AO’s opening back up week of 6/8, big ‘ol convergence 7/11 and several other announcements.

Prayer Request: PAX going through job/life transitions. Our country always but especially now with community tensions. Health of family/friends.

SYITG
Router & Maximus

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Honor CMPD’s Fallen

Police Officer Clark and Police Officer Jeffrey Shelton were shot and killed after responding to a disturbance call.

At approximately 11:30 pm, the two officers responded to a disturbance call in an east Charlotte housing complex on Barrington Drive. They had resolved the disturbance and were walking away when they engaged in a conversation with a man who had nothing to do with the call. As they turned to walk away from the man, he produced a gun and shot both officers in the back.

Both officers were transported to the Carolinas Medical Center where they died from their injuries.

The shooter fled the scene, but was later arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The suspect has five prior convictions for resisting arrest and assaulting a government official. On September 30, 2010, he was convicted of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

 

Police Officer Sean Robert Clark

Officer Clark was a U.S Air Force veteran and had served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for one year and was assigned to the North Tryon Division. He is survived by his expectant wife and 2-year-old son.

DOB:  11/22/1972 (run to the bottom of the hill after each exercise)

11 pull ups
22 burpees
19 hand release merkins
72 single count flutters


Badge #:  3769

37 pull ups
69 shoulder taps

Police Officer Jeff Shelton

Officer Shelton had served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for six years and was assigned to the North Tryon Division. He is survived by his wife.

DOB:  9/9/1971 (football field)

Jacob’s Ladder:  9 wide arm merkins, run across field 1 Bobby Hurley
19 – Diamond Merkins
71 – Mountain Climbers

 

Badge #:  2884

28Big Boy Sit-ups
84 – Heel touches

 

4/1/2007

4 laps for 1 mile
20 reps – 7 exercises
o Bomb jacks
o CDD
o Donkey Kicks
o Mak Tar Jai
o Dying Cockroach
o Lunge
o 8ct Body Builder

Sean Clark – age = 34 Yard Bear Crawl

Jeff Shelton – age = 35 Yard Crawl Bear

 

Strong work by everyone that attended today. Thank you Dirty Harry for the opportunity.

Heavy encouragement to attend the Mike Doty run this Saturday!!

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