Tag: Tesh

Make it happen

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21 men tackled day five of the new year at Block Party. Here’s what we did.

Warm up

  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)
  • 10 Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
  • 10 Moroccan Night Clubs (IC)

The Thang

The route today was .5 miles (left on Main St., left of Clebourne St., left at Founders, left on White St.).

Round 1 – Take a Lap

  • 10 Burpees
  • 20 Merkins
  • 30 LBCs
  • 40 Squats
  • 50 Calf Raises
  • 1 Lap

Round 2

  • 10 Wide Arm Merkins
  • 20 Lunges
  • 30 Flutters
  • 40 Overhead Claps
  • 50 SSHs
  • 2 Laps

Round 3

  • 10 Diamond Merkins
  • 20 Jump Squats
  • 30 Crunchy Frogs
  • 40 Alternating Shoulder Taps
  • 50 MNCs
  • 3 Laps

Total distance: 3.5 miles.

NMM

I was encouraged this morning to see so many men shunning the fartsack for a chance to better themselves physically. We covered some ground, but kept close enough that no one ran alone. I enjoyed the heck out of this morning. Today’s mumblechatter reminded me of how important the 2nd F is. Fitness without fellowship is a workout group. Fellowship and friendship takes us to the next level and makes us better men. And men need other men to keep accelerating.

I recently read, “You can’t get wet reading about the ocean.” I found it appropriate for the first week of the year as people begin making resolutions. This is the time of year people make resolutions for a “new year and a new you.” They make promises to get in shape, to make more money, to read more, or basically become a better version of themselves. However, come mid-February, the gyms are empty, the books haven’t been cracked, and work status quo and malaise has settled in.

Resolutions fail because change requires effort. Change takes a dream, willpower, consistency, and guard rails. It’s gradual. It’s difficult. But it’s worth it!

You must take action if you want improvement. Take the first step even if it feels strange or others say its stupid. Growth can only happen if you move forward. So dream it, want it, do it, do it again, and have someone to keep you accountable. Positive habits require consistent effort. Make it happen and have friends to keep you in line. Then bask in the glory in accomplishing your goals.

Aye!

Italian Job

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5

Deck of Pain

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After a quick disclaimer and generic warmup, we moseyed over to firepit area and circled up for the Deck of Pain.

Twelve strong men got stronger on Monday with a whole lot of fun kettlebell reps. We all took turns drawing from the deck so that YHC couldn’t be blamed for every card…

Spades were Squat Thrusts

Diamonds were Dead Lift/Upright Row combos

Clubs were Curls/Shrugs combos

Hearts were Tricep Extensions/Shoulder Press combos

Reps were figured by the face value of the card drawn, with all face cards being 10.

Aces meant a quick lap around the parking lot, and the Jokers made us do 10 burpees/manmakers.

Everyone worked super hard, and the mumble chatter was kept to a minimum.

Prayers for our families, our teenagers, and for us to have strength to get through our trials and keep to our goals.

Thanks to everyone for the fun morning in the gloom!

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Minnow Pond 12.17.2020

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The promo:
https://twitter.com/jisenhour/status/1339217811231674368

The route:
https://www.strava.com/routes/2773907426356036818

10 stops along the way
5 burpees/10 merkins/15 squats each time

16 PAX. It was hard. Had to average 10min/mile with the exercises to finish at COT by 0600. We did.

Strava Stats: https://twitter.com/jisenhour/status/1339542289048285184

NMM:
Today was a workout where I tried harder because I was on Q. Being a leader isn’t just about exhorting acceleration in others or the group; it also forces you to accelerate individually. That was pretty evident to me this morning from my heart rate monitor. All the guys that came out today pushed me to be better. When you’re a follower, are you following in a way that is helping your leaders be better?

—
Band Camp dismissed

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Expect the Unexpected

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As the first Q to kickoff the Block Party December to Remember, I knew I had a huge shoe to fill seeing the lineup Bobber scheduled. So I figured I had to take a page out of my Yinzer’s Q book and do something that I am not a fan of – burpees. If you have ever posted to one of my Q’s, you know there will be plenty of merkins and pull-ups, but not burpees nor running. Well, expect the unexpected.

I pulled in to the parking lot with some ideas, but no Weinke. When I mentioned this as we were standing around waiting for 05:15 start, you could imagine the mumble chatter!

So the Thang:

Was about to mossy when I called a Switzer and circled up for some stretching, then we mossy to Hobo parking lot for a little bit of COP. Low slooowww squats, merkins, and OH claps. Lines up at dumpster and for 5 rounds: 5 burpees, 10 squats, 15 merkins, run to Main Street Gazebo and back and rinse and repeat. Tesh was on round 5 when most PAX were on round 3…but his shirt was still on so maybe that slowed him down.

Mossy to “The Hill”. I figured most of the PAX won’t travel west of the Peach Stand on a Saturday to experience #BAOPS, so why not bring it to them! NUR up the hill and perform 1 burpee. Run down the hill, 10 LBCs. NUR up to 2 burpees, run down to 20 LBCs. NUR up to 3 burpees, run down to 30 LBCs. NUR up to 4 burpees, run down to 40 LBCs. NUR up to 5 burpees, run down to 50 LBCs.

Run to the park across from Main Street/160 intersection. 10 merkins, run up the stairs to the Xmas tree for 20 Freddie Mercury’s. Run back. Rinse and repeat by adding 5 additional reps at each end, with running the stairs in between. I realized I still had 8 minutes, so went back down the ladder to 15 merkins then 10 merkins with runnign the stairs in between each set with Freddies at the tree.

There is a snippet of what you  would experience at #BAOPS @ Alcatraz. Fill up your gas tank, get your M’s approval, and get your passport stamp some Saturday at #BAOPS – YOU WON’T REGRET IT

Thanks for the opportunity to lead!

Prayers go to Splinter’, Bobber, Trucker, and more recently Orange Crush son!

Trucker

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Stealing from Metro

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11 PAX on a crisp November morning

YHC got some influence one from one of the few backblasts written at F3-Metro’s Combine (Kettlebell and Sprinting) AO.

Warm-up
Run a big lap with unnecessary looping
Plank
– shoulder tap
– yoga
– mountain climber
– yoga
– peter parker
– yoga
– parker peter
Imperial Walker
Hillbilly Walker

Move with bells to parking lot
Line up from one island facing another

Ladder:

  • 5 manmakers
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    -crawl bear to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    10 overhead presses in cadence

Move with bells to the farthest parking lot
Line up between one set of lights facing the other
We did an exercise with the bells and then sprinted to the other set of lights. At the other end, we did a descending count of merkins and sprinted back to our bells. So:

10 Merkins/Sprint/10 Alternating Lunges in cadence/Sprint back
9 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single Legged Dead-lifts
8 Merkins / 10 Sumo Squats
7 Merkins / 5 Manmakers, then 5 more
6 Merkins / 5R & 5L Snatches
5 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single arm overhead press
4 Merkins / 5 Lawnmower pulls each side, then 5 more, then 5 more
3 Merkins / 5 Goblet Squats in cadence
2 Merkins / 10 Swings
1 Merkin / 10 Overhead Presses

Move with bell back to COT

Flutters with press
Seated Yoga until 0600

Prayers:
Fathers that have passed recently
Those battling illness (COVID, Cancer)

NMM:
I sat on this backblast a bit and have lost my steam on a message. I remember an idea of checking in with your word of the year and how much of a struggle this year has been.

My word was Input. And I’ve been letting the world decide what my mental input is more often than deciding myself. There’s still days in the year left to get better…so let’s go work on it.

—
Band Camp dismissed

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Ow, my Arms-ory

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Welcome to another edition of a #SkateOrDie beatdown.  This one the result of Uhaul (as former site Q of the Armory…when did that happen?) attempted to not be there for my workout.  He was there, so I guess that didn’t  “work out” for him!

The warmup:

Moseyed the bells over to position them for use during the main event.  Continued to mosey around the parking lot, picking up Uhaul and  Shatner along the way.  Some dynamic stretching and SSHs rounded out the pre-work.

On the the main event:

– 5 cones marked the stations for the following exercises:

– 20 KB swings, 20 KB Squat, Curl, and Press, 20 (10 each arm) KB Clean and Press, 20 KB Thrusters w/ O/H Triceps Extension, 10 Man-makers w/ the bell

– Travel between the cones was by way of bear crawls w/ the bell and back to start was by way of lunge walk w/ KB pass-thru.

– Rinse and Repeat 3x.

– Circle up for PAX-led Mary for last 5 minutes.

– Discussed Thankfulness in advance of the upcoming holiday (and no running with the bells).

– Thankful for the opportunity to lead!!!

 

 

 

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22 in the Rain

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Veterans Day 2020.
Formerly known as Armistice Day which was to honor the end of WWI, Veterans Day was established in 1954 to honor  all veterans, those deceased and those still with us.

As we’ve all become familiar with, the number 22 is often referenced as the number of veterans who take their own life, everyday. While there is varying research out there to suggest the number might be a little less or a little more, there is one thing that cannot be disputed. Veterans are taking their own lives at a greater rate than civilians/those of us who didn’t serve. THAT is where we need to focus. Don’t worry about whether the number is really 19 or 23, know that our veterans are living with experience we, as those who didn’t serve, can’t begin to imagine. It is for that sacrifice and humility to serve above all, that we honor them on Veterans Day and yet again say, “Thank you for your service.”

Disclaimer then Snake Pit and Bushwood broke off.
Snake Pit:
Establish the 1/4mi loop around the parking lot with a warm up jog followed by
Arm Circles, Overhead Claps, SSH and a few Jump Squats

22
Will be in a circle and each exercise will consist of 22 reps, varying between 11 of each side or 22 in cadence.

22 Flutters w/ the press I/C, lunge walk to the center, 5 burpees, lunge back out.
22 LBC’s I/C, bear crawl in, 5 burpees, bear crawl out

Run 1/4mi loop

22 Overhead Press (11ea arm), crab walk in, 5 burpees, crab walk out
22 Merkins (11ea side with hand on the bell), lunge in, 5 burpees, lunge out

Run 1/4mi loop

22 Reverse lunges (11ea side), bear crawl in, 5 burpees, bear crawl out
22 Calf Raises, crab walk in, 5 burpees, crab walk out

Run 1/4mi loop

22 Bicycles (like Freddies but the bell held overhead or behind you), lunge in, 5 burpees, lunge out
22 Bells to Toes (it’s a V-up with the bell-11 I/C), bear crawl in, 5 burpees, bear crawl out

Run 1/4mi loop

22 Upright  Rows, crab walk in, 5 burpees, crab walk out
22 Curls

COT – THANK YOU VETERANS

SYITG
Maximus

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Shield Lock 2020.1

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Bobber and YHC were tossing around an idea of doing a Shield Lock focused month at his AO over the Summer – and we were finally able to land on the month of November. Today was part one of YHC’s shield lock taking over Block Party for the month to discuss the SL and inflict pain.

So, what is a Shield Lock (SL)? 

If you click the link above, you’ll read about it in a manner much better articulated than YHC could. A Shield Lock is a metaphor of men who “lock shields” together to form a stronger barrier against those powers actively trying to bring us back to sad clown status. If you’ve seen the movie 300, you’ve seen a Shield Lock (Phalanx) in action and how effective it can be against an attacking force.

YHC led with a quick message about the SL being a group of 3-5 men with a common goal of getting better. YHC highlighted the three P’s (3P) of the SL being Proximate, Purposeful, and Periodic. Two of YHC’s SL were in attendance this morning, World Wide Leader (WWL) and Wegmans.

With that, we moseyed to the spot of our first iteration. Today’s Weinke was designed to focus on the ups/downs and how the men to your left and right can motivate you through the differing paces of life.

 

Proximate

“Proximity requires physical nearness. The Shield Lock will not function if its Members are geographically disparate. While men no longer literally interlock their shields to fight, the metaphorical battle still requires physical contact. Teams are founded upon Trust , and Trust waxes and wanes in direct proportion to physical distance. Trust is hard to build and maintain, and the farther away another man is the harder it is to Trust him.”

 

Slow/Pulse Circuit

Low Slow Squats x 20

Hold 60 Seconds at end of last squat

Pulse 20 times

Recover

Forward Lunges x 15 (one side at a time)

Hold 60 Seconds at end of last lunge 

Pulse 20 times

Flap Jack

Recover

PAX get into Forward Leaning Rest Position – 

Merkins x 10 IC

Plank Hold – 30 Seconds

Lift one leg at a time, pulse 20 times up and down

Recover

Mosey to Upper Pike Lot

 

Purposeful

“By locking shields with other men, the HIM hedges his brother’s peak against his own valley, and vice-versa. He knows that his valleys will tempt him to the Flux, and that he will need the strength of his brother’s peak to maintain Acceleration. Likewise, he knows that it will be his peak that provides his brother the bulwark he will need when a valley draws him toward the Flux. This, not companionship, is the ultimate Purpose of the Shield Lock and its primary distinction from a Club.”

WWL is a man of discipline. So much so that every evening at promptly 8:34 a text comes through from him highlighting four items, as a daily AAR.

  1. Daily Weight
  2. Daily Red Pill (DRP)
  3. Completion of our SL Bible Plan
  4. One extracurricular activity to better one’s self (reading a book, spending time with M/2.0, community service, etc).

This purposeful communication allows YHC to better fight the Flux and stay out of the valleys that are inevitable, and to return the favor to WWL and other members of the SL when they are down in valleys.

 

Build Up/Bearpee Circuit 

1:4-10:40

8 CT Body Builders:Bear Crawls

Many breaks were taken during this iteration, as it sucked terribly. During one of said breaks, YHC took time to talk about a hero (or anti hero, if you so perceive it) in the Bible – Samson. He was a man of great strength but he had many weaknesses. Instead of surrounding himself with strong, like minded men, he decided to take the solo path and “do it himself.” On many occasions, he made decisions that were unbecoming of his path as a Nazarite, and it led to his ultimate destruction. Ultimately Samson came back to God and was given strength to perform one more time for God’s glory – but YHC regularly wonders how Samson would have ended up if he had solid counsel and strong men to his left and right.

 

Now, my man Wegmans has it all going on in the SL. He uses a perfect combination of sass and positive language to really drive home a point of when YHC is veering off the Path. A true linguistic HIM that doesn’t let you give a BS answer when push comes to shove. He is not bashful in his correction of YHC and others in the SL. Every man needs someone to speak to them like this from time to time – especially in a horizontal relationship such as the SL.

 

Periodic

“Periodic is the final element of the 3P. The Shield Lock must come together periodically to be Effective. For the HIM, this is a form of preventive maintenance. The Amateur waits until the needle is on empty before he stops for gas, but the Pro fills his tank periodically–regardless of where his needle is pointing at any given moment. By meeting periodically, the Members of the Shield Lock recognize each other’s incipient valleys and proactively initiate the fight against the Flux as a Team. In this way, the Shield Lock parcels out the pain felt by the man in the valley and bears it together as a team.”

Every Tuesday at 0445, YHC’s SL comes together for an hour ruck followed by an additional DRP to strengthen one another. We takes turns switching out who Q’s.

 

Fast/Hill DORA Circuit

Because what good is a message about the Shield Lock without some DORA?

Partner up, P1 runs down Massey St Hill and back while P2 works on reps of:

100/200/300

CDD’s/Curb Dips/Seal Jacks

Head back to COT.

 

What has my SL done for me?

It has kept me away from bad habits, kept my head up in challenging times, it has allowed me to tap into wisdom that I would have otherwise been blind to if I were doing this thing alone. It has stretched and challenged me to be a better man. It has given me life long friends. 

At the end of the work out, YHC asked by show of hands who was in a Shield Lock. About 75% of the PAX raised their hands. Good.

If you’re not in a SL, look to your left and your right. Who do you post with regularly? Who’s in a similar stage of life? It doesn’t have to be some magical connection reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. We are men who (for the most part) all have the same struggles. This is important. Take the step!

 

Dirty Harry and Repeat are the other two in YHC’s shield lock. They could not be in attendance due to illness today, but they have impacted YHC in many ways.

DH is the kind of friend who will do dumb things with you because you want to do them. By dumb, YHC means ridiculous GORUCK training and marathon rucks – for fun. He has impacted YHC in many ways beyond taking a DRP, as he has served our country and he proudly serves his M and 2.0’s above all others.

Repeat is the quiet one in the group, but he has stepped up when hitting the peaks to pull YHC out of the valleys. He is a solid member of the group and has walked alongside YHC recently in life challenges that we both are facing. YHC is happy to have him in the group.

 

Announcements

FiA LKW Marathon this weekend – hit up Slow Jamz for more info!

Fort Mill Golf Tournament Dec 12 – hit up Stang for more info.

Christmas Party up and coming. 

Read your newsletter.

Prayers/Praise

Rebel’s 2.0 is 23 today! 

Praise for YHC’s Shield Lock

Prayers for our country.

Prayers for One Niner looking for a job. 

 

Bobber – thank you for tapping our SL to lead on such an important topic. We men cannot do this alone.

Punch List out.

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2020.43

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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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Minnow Power

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Seven pax arrived at Minnow Pond on a 62° perfect morning.

Pledge and launch/run to stop “A” which is the small parking lot on Ardrey St. between WEP and the Springs building.

Here the routine is described: board of pain with pairs of exercises. Pax need to do a total of 100 of the pair and can split it up any way they want (i.e. 15 Merkins and 85 squats). Also known as pick your poison.

Then run to stop “B” which is the big parking lot behind Pike. Get there via: Ardrey to Harris to Massey. Distance is 0.7 miles. There’s a board there too. Same deal, pick your poison to the total of 100 reps.

Rinse/repeat run the same route; back/forth between “A” and “B”.

Stop “A” exercises:
Merkins/Squats
Dips/Monkey Humpers
SSH/American Hammers
Stop “B” exercises:
CCD/Bobby Hurley’s
Shoulder Taps/Freddie Mercuries
Calf Raises/ LBC’s

Collected everybody at stop “B” and had cut the last pair of exercises (Calf raises/LBCs) just a tad short since it was 5:59.
Total of 4 miles according to my outdated fitbit.
Fini, COT
Praises for good days and children working on the talents God has given them.

route for Minnow Pond 10/22/20

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