Backblast for The Armory – 12-4-17

9 PAX joined YHC this AM at The Armory for some KB fun.

WARMUP:

  • Mosey around the parking lot
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 15 merkins
  • 15 mountain climbers
  • 15 low slow squats

Mosey to the bells

THE MAIN THANG

We’ll do a series of exercises, and then mosey to the other side of the parking lot, do 5 burpees and mosey back.

  • Goblet Squats
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Plank rows
  • KB merkins right, left
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Curls right, curls left
  • Deadlift
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Shoulder press right, Shoulder press left
  • Lunge right, lunge left
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • LBCs
  • Flutter
  • Protractor
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Goblet squats
  • Good mornings
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Skull crushers
  • Right arm press, left are press
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • Flutter
  • Protractor + Skull crushers
  • Mosey + Burpees (5)
  • LBCs

COT

Announcements

  • thanks for Christmas Party donations
  • upcoming Christmas Convergence

Prayer requests

  • family/travel
  • friends with custody concerns

Out

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Apologies for no video name-o-rama, my  phone battery died as soon as it started recording. Zapped by the cold.

11 PAX showed up on a chilly Monday morning to get better while slinging some iron together.  I did my best to keep everything in cadence or single count to keep everyone together and unified.

Warm-up
  • Mosey Lap around the parking lot to warm up
  • SSH – 30 I.C.
  • Windmill – 10 I.C.
  • Little Baby Arm Circles – 30 I.C.
  • Arm stretches
  • deep hip stretch squat
  • Merkins on the bells – one hand on the bell at a time plus a diamond merkin in between. 5x of these
  • Mountain Climbers – 15 I.C.
  • Around the world with bell – 10 each direction
  • Lunge with bell passing under leg – 10 each leg
The Thang
  • Mosey to wall for a sit
    • while sitting on wall
      • 10 count with bell held out in front
      • 10 chest presses I.C.
  • Mosey to low wall
  • Curls – 10 each arm
  • Big Boy situps – 10
  • Squats – 10 I.C.
  • Run lap around islands
  • Tricep extensions – 10 I.C.
  • American Hammers – 10 I.C.
  • Calf Raises – 30 I.C.
  • Run lap around islands
  • Lawnmower Pulls – 10 each arm I.C.
  • V-Ups with Bells – 10
  • Step Ups – 10 each leg
  • Run lap around islands
  • Curls – 15 each arm
  • Big Boy situps – 15
  • Squats – 15 I.C.
  • Asked a PAX to share what’s going on in his life and a recent victory
  • Tricep extensions – 15 I.C.
  • American Hammers – 15 I.C.
  • Calf Raises – 30 I.C.
  • Asked Peabody to share where he got his name and what’s going on in his life
  • Lawnmower Pulls – 15 each arm I.C.
  • V-Ups with Bells – 15
  • Step Ups – 15 each leg
  • Asked Trucker where he got his name and what’s going on in his life
  • Mosey back to the COT
  • Shelf lifts – 10 each side I.C.
  • Hip flexor exercise – 10 repetitions of 5 movements

Great work and great mumblechatter today. It’s an honor and a privilege to lead. Thanks for the opportunity Assassin. See you brothers in the gloom soon!

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Alcatraz: Special Thx Uncle Sam VQ and Boss of Cake

I can’t even tell you really how many PAX came to Alcatraz for their DRP, because I thought I was a greeter at Walmart with all the men coming and then leaving it was a constant revolving door. Regardless, a majority of men got after it and with Uncle Sam making his VQ, we were all in for a treat. So after an attempt at introductions, disclaimers and usual office work, YHC handed it off to Uncle Sam.

The Thang:

 

  • Uncle Sam on Q:
We started off jogging to circle up on center field and warmed up the hipsters by shaking some Finkle Swings (5 reps/leg). 14 Moroccan Night Clubs followed up in a weird sequence since the VQ was stumbling into the rhythm.  The 18 Side Straddle Hops helped the inmates @ Alcatraz get the sensation that it was going to be easy but then they had to scrub the floors with some Annies (10 per arm).  24 Imperial Walkers and 24 Hillbillies thrusted them into Q’s arms.
  • Cake Boss on Q:
5 Burpees OYO
Mosey to the Playground for Mini Murph
Each PAX…no partner
1Lap around Park
50 Pullups
100 Merkins
150 Squats
1Lap around Park
Mosey to the Bball Courts count off 1’s and 2’s
1’s suicides
2’s Freddy Murcurys
flap jack
1’s suicides
2’s flutters
flap jack
Mosey to Hill behind Baseball field
Roll the dice of Pain, do the exercise, run the hill
10 Burpees, 10 Lunges, 10 LBCs, 10 Mountain Climbers
Hand off to Uncle Sam 
  • Uncle Sam on Q:
20 Groiners inspired a lot of grumbling  and some started crying “Parking lot!”, but we still had to do 24 LBCs and 8 Starfish Crunches to get our backs wet with the morning dew.  Partnered up we sprinted from base to base in the Baseball field as if we had hit a home run but stopped;ing for some Mountain Climbers at each base.  Inning was over and prisoners got to go back to their POD cell for some announcements, a lot of Turkey talk and a sweaty thanksgiving for all things good that come from SkyQ.
  • YHC spoke to the men about the “Real” things we are thankful about. Yes we all can be thankful for the obvious, but what are the things that when you realize how grateful you are you get emotional and it makes you want to be a better man. We need to focus on those things when life gets tough. When things and expectations are not going our way….and realize….that thing that makes us realize Sky Q loves me and my brothers are standing with me and everything will be fine!
  • Thanksgiving convergence
  • Christmas Party
  • Joe Davis Run
  • The Rooster CSAUP in Rock Hill

 

Thank you Senator for the opportunity!

Cake Boss & Uncle Sam

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Sweatin’ To The Oldies @ #Slowburn

26 HIM came out for a warmer-and-drier-than-the-day-before “moderate” beatdown.  Welcome and disclaimer given and then I turned it over to Clark Kent for a little VQ Warm Up that went a little something like this:

10x Goofball
10x Windmill
10x Cherry Picker
10x Low Slow Squat
10x Side Straddle Hop

10x Merkin

Polaroid took back over and we moseyed to the back of Lowe’s for 2 rounds of:

30x Dips
Bear Crawl to the line
Lunge back to the rail
30x Calf Raises
Mosey to the side of Lowe’s for 1 round of Deck of Pain
Hearts = SSH
Diamonds = Bomb Jacks
Spades = Merkins
Clubs = Carolina Dry Docks
Jokers = 10 Burpees – – – – Dangerfield pulled the Joker!Mosey to the front of Lowe’s for a quick ab workout:

10x Flutter
10x LBC

Mosey back to the Warm Up circle for some Sweatin’ To The Oldies with
“I Get Around” by The Beach Boys.

Start in a squat and every time “I get around” is said you go up and down.  It’s 2m8s of squattin’ and hopefully the guys were feeling the Slow Burn.

Most of the PAX gave AYG to the Chick Fil-A hill and a mosey back to COT.  Great job!
Announcements:
-Turkey Day Convergence 11/24 0600 @ The Ranch
-Christmas Party 12/1 1830 @ Regal Manor Clubhouse
-Paradise Turkey Giveaway Bring a FROZEN turkey to an AO on Saturday, November 18th. Why? To bless the Paradise Community with turkeys for Thanksgiving. This turkey giveaway will reduce the financial burden for underprivileged families in this neighborhood as they prepare for the holiday. We will also eat lunch with the community during this event to further build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Paradise. Read the pre-blast for details regarding this fruitful event. Contact Deacon with questions.

Pinup prayed us out.

It’s always an honor Q’ing.  Thanks, again, Barry Manilow.  Peace.
~Polaroid

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Pushing through Puddles at Laces In

17 men (6 for Laces Out at 0500 and 11 for Laces In at 0515) posted in the cold wet gloom this morning to get better. After a quick disclaimer with a repeated reminder to modify as necessary and not sue missionaries, YHC took 10 other PAX (10 + YHC makes 11, for those counting) for some mobility work mixed with a little bit of pain.

Warm up mosey zig-zagging through the big parking lot mixed with high knees, butt kickers, and toy soldiers before circling up for the following:

  • (Really) low (really) slow squats X 10 in cadence
  • Windmills X 10 in cadence
  • Hillbilly walkers X 10 in cadence
  • Peter Parkers X 10 in cadence

Holding plank after the Peter Parkers, we pushed back into Downward Dog to open up the calves, hamstrings, back, and shoulders, then proceeded with a little yoga series.

  • Right leg up for 1-leg downward dog
  • Keeping leg up, go to plank, drop to 6”, back to plank, back to downward dog (X 5)
  • Swing right leg forward into lunge, then come up into high lunge for thighmasters (X 10 in cadence, a real crowd pleaser)
  • Moving through plank then side plank (right arm up), flip over into back plank
  • 10 count with right leg up
  • 10 count with left leg up
  • Flipping to side plank (left arm up) then to plank, bring left leg forward into lunge for more thighmasters (X 10 in cadence)
  • Hands down, press back into downward dog with left leg up
  • Repeat downward dog/plank/6”/plank/downward dog cycle (X 5) with left leg up
  • One final downward dog

Recover and shake it out. Feeling warm and fuzzy, we took up a mosey to the band parking lot for the real fun.

The Thang

Avoiding the cars, two lines of cones were set up 60 yards apart, making a 60 yard x 30 yard rectangle. PAX were to perform suggested (since they’re all suggested, right?) exercises, complete 5 plank circles (names suggested by PAX included “breakdancer” and “pommel horse”), then run at 80% to the other set of cones. Repeat the same exercises, plank circles, and run 60 yards back, completing the lap.

The exercises were:

  • Lap 1: broad jump with 5 yard side shuffle, back and forth for 30 yards
  • Lap 2: 2 Carolina dry docks, then flip over and do 2 double-count crab cakes, moving laterally 30 yards
  • Lap 3: lunge walk for 30 yards with 5 jump squats completed every 10 yards along the way
  • Lap 4: bear crawl for 30 yards with 10 LBCs completed every 10 yards along the way

Lacking time to complete lap 5, we ended with 20 burpees OYO and a mosey back to COT to meet up with Laces Out.

Announcements

  • Bonsai needs a sub Q for Saturday at Alcatraz, and encouraged the PAX to go to the Fort at WEP anyway because Olive will be there.
  • Thanksgiving convergence coming up on Thanksgiving.
  • Bring frozen turkeys when you post on the 18th.
  • Beacon is collecting plastic bags to make beds.
  • Christmas party December 1.
  • “We should really have something like a newsletter that contains all these announcements and goes out at the beginning of the week. That would be really nice.”

Praise and Prayer

  • CSPAN noted that 30% of posted PAX were missionaries, which is a praise and a good reminder to pray for missionaries, their ministries, and their families.
  • Prayers for Trucker’s family as they deal with two losses in the family.
  • Veteran’s Day is Saturday (following Marine Corps birthday on Friday). Praises and prayers for those who have or are serving (and good reminder to reach out to and thank veterans in your life).
  • Prayers for families and relationships

This may not have been the most difficult workout ever, but I had fun. I try to incorporate some different skills into all of my Qs to change up from the norm and improve flexibility and mobility and hopefully prevent chronic injury. We may look ridiculous, but you’ll thank me later.

And as always, it’s an honor to get to Q surrounded by a great group of men. Thanks to Lil E for the opportunity, and nice to see Chinito Grande making a cameo during a brief trip Stateside for meetings.

Until next time.

-Jedi

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Campus Tour

10 joined YHC for a tour of the campus, while 5 others showed up a little earlier and ran in circles.

The Thang

Brief Mosey over to the smooth pavement for COP and the following exercises:

SSHs, Imperial Walkers, Windmills, Merkins, Mtn Climbers, Squats, Peter Parkers, Parker Peters, Sumo Squats.

Mosey around to the front of the school for some ascending curb crawl. Perform 1 derkin, bear crawl to other side and do 2 derkins, bear crawl back for 3 derkins. Continue until you get to 11.

A couple quick sets of abs to catch our breath and mosey to the side of the school for 3 rounds of people’s donkey balls. Each round was 20 sec wall sit, 10 donkey kicks oyo, 10 sec balls to wall.

Mosey to the big hill at the front school entrance. Round of 7s. We did burpees at the bottom and squats at the top

We began our mosey back towards COT, but before we made it stopped in the big parking lot. Lined up on curb and sprinted the 25ish yards to the first light pole. Repeato about 5 more times.

Finish mosey back to start point for a few mins of Mary before meeting up with the LacesOut crew. Really great work from all involved.

COT

Announcements

Prayers/Praises

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VQ Nailed it

YHC got the call from the bullpen due to assigned Q bailing. So went to look for a partner and found a VQ who never stepped foot onto Alcatraz island! Even though Ginsu never stepped foot here, he didn’t disappoint the PAX and kept the tradition of being THE hardest Saturday AO.

YHC started with an easy COP, then moseyed  along the trail, stumbling upon a pull up bar behind the homerun fence (hahaha). PAX completed a series of 7’s. each rotated 3xs doing 7 reps individually of: PULL-UPS!, LBCs, dips, squats, merkins.

Then took to the hill! PAX did 7’s on the hill. 1 merkin at top of hill and 6 squats at bottom…till, well you know.

Finished with an exercise I learned by my 8yr old’s agility training class. shoulders on ground, hips up in air with feet on the ground; lift right leg up 7 times, then switch.

Now time for the VQ….

mosey to baseball field and lined up.

– 5 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count LBCs

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 6 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count flutter

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 7 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count heels to heaven

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– 8 burpees OYO

– 10 4-count mountain climbers

– 10 4 count Mac Tar Jais

– 10 4-count Mac Tar Jais (opposite direction)

– 10 4 count LBCs

– bear crawl 50 yards, sprint back to start

 

– backward crouched run

– sprint back to start

– rinse & repeat x3

 

– 9 burpees OYO

Great work PAX, great way to start off the day.

Trucker

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Block Party at Block Party

The last day of October, Halloween and the last day of the month of  respectables at Block Party saw the delivery of blocks.  Concrete blocks.  30 lb blocks.

The Thang

A brief warm up:  Lunge Stretch, 25 SSH & Imperial Walkers

The crew then picked up their coupons as well as their complaints and proceeded around the the park stopping at each drill bit for:

  1. 20 curls and 20 LBCs
  2. 20 Prone Presses and 20 LBCs
  3. 20 Upright Rows and 20 LBCs
  4. 20 Squats and 20 LBCs
  5. 20 Lawnmower pulls each arm and 20 LBCs
  6. 20 Overhead Presses and 20 LBCs

Since this was clearly not enough fun, the crew moved to the hill next to COT.   With coupon half way up the hill for 20 curls and all the way up for 20 prone presses. Rinse and repeat about 3 times.

This is the moleskin, and it is important.  God is clearly in control.  At the same time we MUST do our part.  We cannot sit idly by, pray and hope for the best.  We must recognize God’s speaking and His words to us – and then we must act in accordance with His will.

I was honored to lead at this AO.  Thank you to all the PAX who were there.

 

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The real gloom at WEP

What a great Saturday morning. I got out to the AO a little early cause I hadn’t been out to WEP in a very long time. The air was thick with fog, it was dark, it was downright scary  – the perfect type type of gloom that we love to work with.

Men  start showing up about eight minutes before launch, by the time we were ready to go we had a total of 19 PAX ready to get after it . Nomad  brought 3 FNG’s from his youth group and they were excited to figure out what was in store for them this morning.  I bet they felt differently after words.

Maximus were starting us off today so he gave the long disclaimer for new friends and off we went .

It was a nice quick jog and then circle up to do several exercises that I can’t recall individually – but Maximus pushed us to get nice and warmed up.

the Thang

Partner up

partner 1 pull ups AMRAP while partner 2 runs around the playground  perimeter.

Repeat three times

After that we will circle up in the playground dirt and did several of the exercises which included toe touches, LBCs, flutter kicks and chopsticks. Maybe an elbow plank in there as well.

Maximus then turned it over to Royale

Mosey into the grass circled up and picked new partners

Lazy Dora

No running, consists  of the following exercises that are rotated between the two partners until you get to the combined number .

100 merkins

10 each while other partner planks

200 Squats

25 each while other partner holds low squat

300  American hammers single count

30 each  while partner holds 6 inches

This evolution was terrible so I gave the guys a break after it was done and read from Discipline Equals Freedom, a section called “application of discipline ”  from Jocko Willink’s most recent book. I shared his video about the book above.  It’s one of my favorite short motivational videos on YouTube!

The next evolution involved a nice little hill for 11’s

Run up the top the hill- do 10 bomb jacks – run back down – one plank jack until you reverse the cycle down to one Bomb Jack and 10 plank jacks.

Next we moseyed halfway around the park on the running track until we came close to the front road and entrance to the park.

We formed two lines and partnered up with the person right across from you in line- sat down and did two minutes each of big boy sit ups many as you can.

finally spent the last two minutes doing as many as you can burpees – real crowd pleaser

COT with FNG naming, Gomer, Ghost Rider and Chop Block.

Announcements prayers and praises

It was an honor to lead,

Royale & Maximus

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The Big Spoon

With the temp hovering right at about 40 degrees, the PAX were reluctant to leave the warmth of the vehicles. One by one they emerged, ready to get better together.

Warmup
  • Windmill – slow – 10 I.C.
  • Sitting Squat stretch 10 count
  • shoulder stretches
  • Mountain Climbers – 20 I.C.
  • Little Baby Arm Circles – 30 I.C.
  • SSH – 25 I.C.

Mosey to the parking lot with the football field painted on it

The Thang
  • Bear crawl to the 25 yard line. Stopping every 5 yards to do merkins, increasing by 5. (5, 10, 15, 20,25)
  • Crab walk back, stopping to do LBC’s every 5 with an increment of 10. (10,20,30,40,50)
  • 10 count
  • Suicides to the 50 yard line, every 10 yards. (10,20,30,40,50yds)
  • Circle up and asked several PAX to name everyone present. We had success so 10 burpees were done OYO in celebration.

Mosey to the bottom of the hill near the football stadium

  • Partner up for DORA. Partner runs to 4th light pole up  hill while other partner does exercise.
    • 100 Dips
    • 200 Monkey Humpers
    • 300 Flutters
  • 10 count and a brief word about “control”. Seceding our control to the one who is really in control.
  • Run to the top of the hill
  • 20 Calf raises
  • 20 Calf raises toes in
  • 20 Calf raises toes out

Mosey to COT for some Mary

  • Dying cockroaches – 20 I.C.
  • Superman + announcements
  • Honeymoon/Downward dog stretch
  • Boats and Canoes until time

Great work today gentleman. It’s an honor to lead.

-River Rat

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