Tag: Spider Man

Guinea Pigs in The Swamp

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What does that title even mean? Well, it means that I stole a workout plan from the boys in F3 Lexington as we put a twist on the customary deck of cards. And since I wasn’t sure how much time this would take or how difficult it would be, we’d test this, Round 1, on 10 of The Fort’s faithful this Friday morning at The Swamp.

After the disclaimer, we took a mosey over to the Depot lot for some SSH & Windmills & a few stretches. We then moseyed over to the water fountain to read through the exercises and attempt to explain how this would be different from previous versions. And this is what it looked like:

We made it through about 85% of the deck and I think there is room to modify these exercises next time, too. Soooo, until that next time…

Read ya d*mn Newsletter.

Maximus

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Runnin’ Long Laps at The Pond

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Minnow Pond on a brisk 35 degree morning? Sure, I’ll bite. This one’s gonna be short on content but heavy  on work. First I must say that it was good to see some of the not-so-regular guys at this edition.

We had 2 post for extra-extra credit, a few more post at 0500 for the extra credit. Finally at 0514, 10 of us made our way over to Ol’ Glory for The Pledge Of Allegiance. Have I said that I do love this tradition ‘Shanks has established.

Ok, it’s 0515 and here is your brief disclaimer to cover the bases. After that, we took off up the Massey hill just to pull a U-turn at the Church and run it back to the Minnow Pond parking lot for a little more warming up:

SSH & some 180 degree jump squats…THAT’S IT, after all, you just ran up and down that hill.

We then took off on our 1.1mi loop that we’d get more comfortable with. Again, go up the Massey hill but this time, go down to the gas station.
Post up at the gas station for our first set of exercises. Every time we stop, we’d be doing the same 3 exercises and the same number of reps.

(20) 2ct Flutters
(15) Jump Squats
(10) Hand-Release Merkins

Take off to make a R/T on Harris St
R/T on McCammon St
Straight through the light to the Founders Bank parking lot for

(20) 2ct Flutters
(15) Jump Squats
(10) Hand-Release Merkins

Take off to make a R/T on Clebourne St
R/T on Main St
Back to the Veterans Memorial flags for

(20) 2ct Flutters
(15) Jump Squats
(10) Hand-Release Merkins

So that is 1 lap and the goal is to do this repeatedly to ensure you cover the 3mi minimum but also including the exercises at each of the 3 stops on each lap.

Some of the PAX got close to 3mi. Some got over 3.5mi but all pushed and got pushed.

READ YOUR NEWSLETTER

Maximus

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Bright Colors for #F3forFaye

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Yesterday Spiderman & YHC had the realization that we were Qing at the same site today…I had the Golden Corral bootcamp which means he had the Fire Ant Ruck beat down. It’s always good to shake things up so we decided to do just that for this mornings edition.

As can be the case with our own lives, we sometimes over-complicate a workout and stray from the simple but effective model. I’ll go ahead and cut to the chase, I think this was certainly effective but it overshot simple pretty quickly. But hey, we were just looking to give the other 17 PAX that joined us an opportunity to chatter at our expense.

Enough rambling, here it is. We combined Ruckers & Boot Campers (wait, you can’t do that…oh yes we can) and split the combined group in half. We had 4 corners established covering most of the parking lot (corner of Harris Teeter to Red Bowl to the insurance office to the dog wash place). It was a large square-ish figure. Half went with Spider Man and half came with me.

Each corner had a sheet with exercises written on it but here’s the kicker, don’t just jog from one corner to another. Get on it. The ground is wet but “well lit” so you do you but GET IT.
For those present, you can remember all the fond times you had of poking the Q’s about how “things look better on paper” or “I bet these seemed easier in your head” or any number of other completely appropriate jabs that were thrown while trying to figure out the Ruck logistics but none of that matters ’cause you loved it and this is peer led (remember…we’re not professionals).

Corner 1 (with Rucks):
(5) 8-count Body Builders
(10) Squats
(15) Bent over rows

When your group is done, sprint

Corner 2 (w/o rucks):
(5) 8-count Body Builders
(10) Box Cutters
(15) Diamond Merkins
(20) Butt Kickers

When your group is done, sprint

Corner 3 (with Rucks):
(5) 8-count Body Builders
(10) Squats
(15) Bent over rows

When your group is done, sprint

Corner 4 (with Rucks):
(5) 8-count Body Builders
(10) Heels to Heavan
(15) Hand-Release Merkins
(20) Butt Kickers

Sprint back to Corner 1.

We did this full evolution about 3 times then brought the group back together for something we unknowingly stole from Tinsel (plagiarism is the finest form  of flattery, right?).
1 Merkin : 4 Shoulder Taps and we made it to 8:32 before having to cut it short for COT.

Important to remember today why we wore the bright colors. Remembering a little girl, Faye, whose life was too short but her impact will be far-reaching; to families and communities her or her family never knew.

Announcements: In the words of the eloquent Mainframe, “Read your da*n NEWSLETTER.” Hey, he’s right.

Prayers: Family members in battles for their lives. Communication in marriages. Cash’s recovery. Kids healing from broken bones.

Until Next Time.
Spiderman & Maximus

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Slapshot vs 38 Special: Grudge Match

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This last weekend there was a call to head out to one of the local favorite breweries, Amor Artis, to drink beers in the name of helping kids get through school. No, we’re not drinking beer so that there’s less for the kids, that would be ridiculous. But it’s a great way to engage in some 2nd F and contribute some $’s to the Dam2Dam relay (which is shunting their proceeds to Classroom Ready).

And, as we all know, the best and worst ideas have their genesis in a few pints of meticulously processed hops.  This was the story for two young, handsome, ridiculously strong and vigorous PAX who saw the need for a substi-Q for Quagmire the next morning. Neither PAX could decide which would take the mantle, causing YHC to respond to the site Q with a cryptic message about taking the Q if Slapshot did not. Then, over another pint, we decided to just Co-Q it because, why the heck not?

Epic

Not long after the announcement of this team up, the site Q of the Golden Corral realized just how profound it would be and immediately beseeched these captains of men to repeat their as of yet untested plan. What brilliance on the part of Lutefisk the wise.

The gloom

Dark Helmet and his pants crew (I sincerely hope this is taken out of context in 10-15 years) were already galavanting about the Corral when YHC arrived. Senator Tressel was waiting at COT. The rain had let up enough to shed any reason for gear… for about 15 seconds.  After a moment the pantalones party arrived and 0515 was struck. At this time YHC revealed that it was to be yet another Co-Q to the PAX.

Nervous looks were shared by many.

Warm up

A quick mosey around the pharmacy and far enough past the overhang to say, “Why bother trying to keep dry? We’re all men here, right?”

Circle up for:
10x variable speed low-slow squat
10x four-count monkey squats (see the ‘exicon)
10x four-count merkins

The thang: Part 1

Preface: Sometimes a great idea is only great on paper. Sometimes a great ideas come from terrible ideas. And if you don’t try a terrible idea, you may be stuck with an okayish idea for a long time. Sometimes you need terrible ideas to illustrate that okayish ideas are actually great ideas. The point is that you tried, and that those you lead did what they could to make it happen. And if it fails, maybe  you’re a good enough leader to salvage the plan and make something from which everyone can still profit.

WITH THAT IN MIND…

Mosey to the corner of the lot by Lifeline. Break PAX into groups of 4 (and a 3). Modified DORA. One runner goes to each station and relieves the next guy. Stations were Squats (300), Merkins (200) and Big Boys (200). In thought it was a fun way to get everyone using their brain, perhaps a bit confused, but not frustrated. In practice it wasn’t really tenable because when you’re timing your BBSU’s at home they go a lot faster than when you’re in the middle of a Q.  In retrospect… just drop the counts and time it.

After most of the groups seemed to finish, called an audible and everyone did DORA to run out the timer in front of the ice cream place. Since it was an audible, YHC may not recall the exercises because they were thought up on the spot, but the runner was to bear crawl the length of the sidewalk past the dog grooming place. This was reduced after the first run to stop the bear crawl at the top of the small incline, and run the remaining distance of the sidewalk and back. I’m pretty sure we did Lunges, and LBCs were called but I don’t recall if anyone got to them.

The thang: part 2

Slapshot pulled out his phone and announced that we’d be doing HIIT.  Five minute sets and you could rest only if you finished prior to the next minute starting.  And he kept changing the counts.

Set 1 – LBC, Merkins, and Squats
1. 15, 10, 10
2. 20, 10, 10
3. 20, 12, 12
4. 20, 12, 12
5. 25, 15, 15

Set 2 – double count American Hammers, HR Merkins, Single count lunge (each round the same count)
1-5. 20, 10, 12

Set 3
1. 15 burpees
2. 15 burpees
3. 10 burpees
4. 10 burpees
5. 10 burpees

Slapshot then lead the crew back to COT while some of us ran back to pick up some of the discarded gear. When YHC arrived back at COT, Slapshot was running out the clock with Superman/Banana. It was very entertaining to see.

Cot

Name-o-rama while Senator Tressel had to high tail it and everyone wondered what happened to the ruckers (who showed up a moment later).  Announced the various forms of CSAUP torture available over the next few weeks, as well as mention tonight’s 2nd F.

One PAX asked to get things moving faster due to the rain, to which another responded with words along the lines of, “There are men standing in the rain. And there is Lutefisk”

Quickly rounded up prayer requests with a bit of special attention paid to the M relationships owing to the upcoming “holiday”. Lifted up Cha Ching and his M for their trip this weekend as well.

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Black Diamond at the One Word Convergence

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If you’re going to call it a Black Diamond, well then I owe it to the guys who show up for it to give them a true Black Diamond.  Even if that makes 12 guys hate your guts for 40 min.  They’re mad because it sucks, which they willingly signed up for.  I think the below was sucky and vomitty at times, but we’re all better men because of it.  Here we go:

“Warm-up” – 5 exercises, 5 rep counts, we do 1 exercise every minute on the minute (EMOM).  Translation, the faster you finish the one exercise, the more rest you have until the next minute starts up again.

Minute 1 – 20 burpees (do it, its possible)
Minute 2 – 30 jump lunges
Minute 3 – 40 toe touches
Minute 4 – 50 carolina dry docks
Minute 5 – 60 side straddle hops

From there, we broke into two groups.  I informed the pax that we’d be doing a good old fashioned indian run, but notched up a level since it’s a Black Diamond.  Call it a “competitive” indian run.  3 laps around the full Harris Teeter complex (behind the store and then out to the road near Wendy’s).  Measured the lap online and 1 lap was 0.33 miles.  3 laps = 1 mile Indian run.  Guy in back drops and does 3 burpees and then has to haul a$$ back to the front of the group and the last guy drops again.  Do this for all 3 laps.

One team starts on the far side of the parking lot (near Pizza Hut), the other team starts on the opposite end of the parking lot (Moe’s).  Goal is beat the other team to the finish w/ loser having to burpee broad jump 100 yards.  Since the two groups ran in opposite directions, at one point every lap you had a good feel for how your team was performing vs. the other team and the hope was that it would speed up the laps…you can say it worked.

For the first lap I knew we’d have a better understanding of how competitive this was going to be – we passed the other team coming towards us at the same exact spot in the lap (going opposite direction) and both teams were going hard and I’d say were dead even.  This was the point when things got a bit vomity.  Fast forward 3 laps, and without really seeing the other side of the parking lot, I think team Pizza Hut won it out.  In an effort to compromise and make everyone feel equally terrible, we shared the punishment.  We did about 80 yards of burpee broad jumps, turned around and bear crawled back the 80 yards.

Next up – a Jack Webb spiced up for a Black Diamond.  2 exercises w/ a 1:4 rep ratio, up to 10 reps of the first and 40 reps of the second.  Mack Tar Jai / Jump Squats.  1 mack, 4 jump squats, 2 macks, 8 jump squats.  Somewhere around the 6 mack tar jais and 24 jump squats is when I got the feeling some guys might lay down.  I challenged the pax to give it all they got and finish strong, by doing some sort of rep, even if the jump squat was modified to a squat.  Some needed it, others didn’t.  We all finished.  Final rep count – 55 mack tar jais, 220 jump squats in about 10 minutes.

We had 5 minutes, so as promised, we ended where we started with a repeat of the every minute on the minute (EMOM).  Going down for that first burpee of the 20 in minute 1, after 220 jump squats almost ended me.  Arms went down, legs froze and wouldn’t move.

The Black Diamond takers finished and limped over to CoT to close it out.  Great effort fellas.  My only requirement was to make it harder than most workouts we get on a regular basis, so hopeful it met your expectations.  Until next time!

Cha Ching

 

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NYE at the “Ant”- BB 2wks late

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Link to the Pre-Blast: https://f3thefort.com/2019/12/18/the-force-to-bring-us-back-in/

The script changed but we discussed burnout and the challenges associated with getting burned out. Nevertheless, we did some work with heavy sand bags and rucks. The legs were put to the test and teamwork was present.

A lot remains on the written weinke which should see the light of day or the darkness of the gloom…some day.

Until next time.

Maximus

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7th Year Convergence for The Fort

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The 7th Year Convergence for The Fort followed an exhilarating Invergence from the night before.  Hoping to continue that acceleration, the 4 Q’s had a plan to talk about the 4 Skills needed for Virtuous Leadership: Vision, Articulation, Persuasion, Exhortation.

CakeBoss to start us out with Vision: Recognizing advantage and the movement required to achieve it.

Disclaimer and welcome
“Go Hard or Go Home!”

Take off for 100 yard mosey up path, Get in 3 lines – Indian Run across WEP

Break into 4 lines, 2 groups of seal teams -20 seal team sit ups in cadence

Back into 2 lines , Everyone plank – Tunnel of Love (25 guys per line) – Plank series while guys army crawling under

Crowd pleaser for sure!

7 Burpees for 7 Years!

Vision is what I spoke about and the men that saw the advantage of F3 and planted it (moved towards it) in Charlotte, the The Fort and we continued to give it away in Rock Hill & Lake Wylie.

Hand off to Maximus

Articulation: Describing vision to others in a clear manner. Being able to tell others where we’re going and being able to describe that vision to others.

So, with that said, we’re going over to the top of the big hill to start with drill bits:

½ the group goes one direction while the other goes the opposite way

At each white post (drill bit), 10 Jumping Lunges (10 each leg)

10 Jump Squats

Mosey to the base of the other hill, the one with the statue on it:

NUR (backwards run) up the hill

3 Burpees at the top

Bear Crawl down

5 Burpees at the bottom

Hand off to Fun House for the “P”.

Persuasion – The initiation of first Movement.  Convincing people to move in the direction of advantage, abandoning their Status Quo,

YHC gave an awesome yet forgettable speech about Persuasion.  Then the Thang:

Circle Up – Duck, Duck, Goose – One guy runs around the circle the rest of us plank, the next guy goes when the running guy finishes.  Planking excercises were called out: High Plank, Low plank, Mountain Climbers….. Audible called to get the next guy running after 1/2 a lap around the circle of Pax….. Peter Parker, Parker Peters….. Audible called to get the next guy running after 1/3 lap around….. Mak-Tar-Jai, Left Hand High, Right hand high…..Done.  That took 10 minutes!  60 guys is a lot of guys to be running around in circles.

Stay in circle, 5 minutes left, Jack Webb: 1 Merkin to 4 Overhead hand claps.  We got to 8!

Hand off to Pusher for Exhortation!

Exhortation – Incentivizing The Breach Of Obstacles.

Burpees x 10 OYO
Flutters IC x 10
Mosey to a corner of WEP
Burpees x 9 OYO
Flutters IC x 10
LBCs IC x 10
Mosey to another corner
Burpees x 8 OYO
Flutters IC x 10
LBCs IC x 10
Rosalita IC x 10
Mosey to another corner
Burpees x 7 OYO
Flutters IC x 10
LBCs IC x 10
Rosalitas IC x 10
Hello Dollies IC x 10
Mosey to another corner
Burpees x 6 OYO
LBCs IC x 10
Flutters IC x 10
COT
Naked Moleskin – The name-o-rama took forever.  That is a good thing. When 60+ PAX post to celebrate something that has obviously changed their lives, then change is happening!  Thanks to Maximus who put this awesome weekend celebration together!  His leadership is not only Effective (Using VAPE) but he is a Virtuous Leader! (Check out the Q Source for the 5 C’s Virtues of Virtuous Leadership) Can’t wait to see what year 8 brings to The Fort!  More importantly, who it brings!  Time to go EH someone.  See you in the gloom.
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What Lacks in Creativity…

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Call it “coincidental”, impeccable luck, dumb luck, divine appointment, proper Site-Q planning or option “F”, None of the Above but I was fortunate to have the Q at the Swamp today; the morning of our region’s Invergence. If the PAX were grumpy this evening due to not having a decent workout to start their day, that would be on my shoulders. I was really hoping to not let that happen.

So when 19 other men rolled in for an even 20, I had to take note of who might need the extra push. Once the mental note was made (and it shall remain mental), I recognized we’d have to get some distance in before jumping right in and even try to gas people a little here and there.

Disclaimer was uttered and again, my request was made: “All of you are carrying something with you this morning. My request is that you be present for the next 45mins, engage, push and be present with us, here.”

We then…moseyed. Made our way the long way (as if there’s a short way) over to the Kohl’s parking lot mixing in Butt Kickers, High Knees, Toy Soldiers and a few rounds of Sprints (yes, on a warm up mosey).

Circle Up for 7 reps in cadence of each of the following:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Mountain Climbers

Peter Parkers

Parker Peters

Then 5 Burpees

2 Lines for an Indian Run around the entire Kohl’s/Kirklands/Ulta, etc building coming back to the Ulta parking lot (can’t believe a beauty supply store just made its way into the BB…TWICE).

Then our typical warm up: Slow Wind Mills, Slow Squats

Catch Me If You Can with a partner and incorporating 10 Carolina Dry Docks and 10 Monkey Humpers when your partner catches you. Make the parking lot lap 3 times. Word to the wise, if you’re partnered with B.O.T., mandate that he jogs or shoot, walks…#speedy.

Circle Up for 7 more reps in cadence of each of the following:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Mountain Climbers

Peter Parkers

Parker Peters

Then, mosey to the Old Navy parking lot and line up on a white line

Crab Walk 20 yards, 20 dips, crab walk back, 20 Dips

Repeat

Mosey to the Best Buy parking lot

3 reps each:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Burpees

COT

See you at the Invergence tonight and the 1st Convergence tomorrow (Sat) followed by Q-Source.

Honored.

Maximus

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TIREsome fun at Golden Corral

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Gave disclaimer a few minutes early even though Dark Helmet tried to delay the start.

Moseyed over to O ‘Riley’s Auto Parts for the warm up:
SSH
Wind mill
Honeymooner / Downward Dog
Hand release merkins
More Honeymooner / Downward Dog
Mountain Climber
Even more Honeymooner / Downward Dog
LBCs

Then moved to the hill behind Quick Lube
Sprint to top of hill and jog back down
20 LBCs at bottom (repeat 4 times)

Next Pax ventured over to the field adjacent the Gold Hill YMCA.  Every time I drive by this area I am always intrigued by the tires that are sitting out there and no one seems to use them.  So I decided that we would put them to use.  Honestly I wasn’t expecting 15 guys to show up so I had to improvise on what to do until I could come up with something worse.

– had Pax split up in 4 groups (3 tires – 1 big tractor tire and 2 large truck tires)

– 3 Teams took turn rolling the tire down to the other end of the field and back will team 4 did merkins until the teams with the tires got to the end of the field and then squats until the teams returned.

– Team 4 took its turn with the tractor tire and other 3 teams did the merkins and squats

After that I came up with the bad idea that we would all line up in two lines shoulder to shoulder and lift the tractor tire overhead and pass it down the line.  Once it passed by you move to the end of the line.  We kept this going for about 30 + yards before someone almost dropped it on their head.

To finish out the workout we partnered up for a DORA
100 Burpees
200 merkins
300 squats

Needless to say doing a DORA like this at the end of the workout is a smoker.  Everyone was able to finish the merkins and then it was time to head back for COT where we arrived a few minutes early and knocked out about half the squats and a round of Mary.

It was an honor to lead and I appreciate the Pax patience as I adlibbed some of the workout trying to account for numbers.

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Making Bad Things Better

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Most of my Q’s in recent months have been ruck focused.  As I started thinking about what we would do on Wednesday, I realized that one of my last bootcamp Q was likely when Wegman’s held the QvQ event at The Coop in October 2018.  That was a fun Q but there were elements of it that I wish I had done a little different.  So why not take this opportunity to implement a few tweaks.

Warm-Up:

  • SSH x30
  • Merkins x10
  • Wind Mill x10
  • Mountain Climber x10
  • Imperial Walker x10

Mosey to the bottom of the hill by the pull up bars.

Activity 1:  Spider-Man merkins & pull-ups. 5 sets of trees

  • Run to first tree. Complete 2 Spider-Man merkins. Then run to the pull up bars and complete 2 pull ups. Run back down the hill.
  • Run to the first tree. Complete 2 Spider-Man merkins. Run to the second tree. Complete 4 Spider-Man merkins. Run to the pull up bars and complete 4 pull ups. Run back down the hill.
  • Continue the series through the fifth set of trees (10 Spider-Man merkins and 10 pull ups)

Mosey to the football field

Activity 2:  Cross the football field width wise down the yard lines. 5 burpees at each sideline

We did a version of this during the QvQ but I felt that version was ackward.  This one worked much better.

  • Partner carry 10 & 20
  • Bear crawl 30
  • Sprint 40
  • Crab walk 50
  • Reverse Sprint 40
  • Crawl bear 30
  • Wheel barrow 20 & 10

Everyone pushed themselves, the heat and humidity made sure of that!  Great starting the day with such a strong group!

Prayers for safety to all those traveling this week and rememberance of patience and what really matters as we spend time with family and friends.

Thank you Punch List for the opportunity!!

 

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