Who needs the Day Zero Challenge when we can take a little Spartan inspiration and do “The 300” for a little strength and endurance challenge at Area 51. Six of the faithful were crazy enough for it Saturday morning. Yes, this is a late post. Yes, I am a slacker. Yes, this workout was painful.
The Thang:
8 men decided to close out the 3rd Qtr of the yr with a nice, cool morning at the Foxhole.
Reps & running on the menu today.
COP
SSH x 25
Imperial Walker x 20
Peter Parker Merkin x 15
Mountain Climbers x 20
Farmers Carry around soccer field, with 5 merkins at the KB transfer point.
Field for Partner Century Sets
Partner 1: hammer curls, Partner 2: sprint width of field – flapjack until 100
Partner 1: 2 hand swing, Partner 2: sprint width of field – flapjack until 80 (audible for time)
Partner 1: goblet squats, Partner 2: sprint width of field, 5 merkins – flapjack until 100
Partner 1: 2 hand overhead press, Partner 2: sprint width of field, 5 merkins – flapjack until 100
Mary
Flutter x 15 w/ KB press
Dolly x 10 w/ KB press
LBC x 15 w/ KB press
Russian Twist x 10 w/ KB
Hamburger Hill
Shoulder press x 10 (right), up hill for 20 mountain climbers.
Shoulder press x 10 (left), up hill for 20 mountain climbers.
Standing KB push x 15, up hill for 10 merkins.
Upright rows x 10, up hill for 10 merkins.
Hanging KB squat x 10, up hill for 10 merkins.
Mosey back to home
Rows x 10 (left)
Rows x 10 (right)
* spontaneous burpees by Wingman and Mighty Mite to burn last 14 seconds on the clock
COT
Moleskin
Small group today, which worked well for century sets. Everyone was pushing hard, even
while gassed after the sprints. We definitely hammered out a lot of reps today, and decent
cardio to boot. Great start to the week.
Announcements
Check weekly email for November and December 2nd F events.
15 men showed up this Monday for their weekly dose of THE RED PILL and they got a nice Dora 1-2-3 chaser to go with it…
The Thang
Tiger Rag and Uncle Leo get voluntold to grab the two 35 lb. KBs and we all head to the soccer pitch and circle up for…
COP (in cadence)
Form up into 2 columns behind Tiger Rag and Uncle Leo, KBs at the head of the line, for…
Line up on sidewalk for the Dora 1-2-3. How it works:
– Partner 1 sprints 50-ish yards and back
– Partner 2 does AMRAP for said exercise
– Flapjack until total rep goal is reached per team
6MOM (in cadence)
Finish it all up with…
Mosey back to parking lot for COT.
Moleskin
Swamp Rabbit got infected by the Dora 1-2-3 back in July and they still haven’t found a cure. This one was for them.
It was pretty quiet out there today. Probably just Monday Grumbles. Not sure though. Something about O’Tannenbaum not pulling his usual Matlock. And to say OT was doing even Little Baby Squats would be generous. Those were Cottontail thrash-squats.
Uncle Leo’s bedhead? Now a regular feature of workouts. It would be weird if it wasn’t there.
E-threats of ruck mutiny proved unneeded, despite the appearance of 70-some-odd pounds of coupon at the beginning of the workout. Hey, what happens at SPEARHEAD (ALL CAPS) stays at SPEARHEAD (ALL CAPS).
What’s a “Fingertip Flutter?” Why it’s the Jillian Michaels SelfMagazine.com Sexy Abs Fitness Routine of the Month. No, it just keeps you honest, slows you down and makes you have to run 2 more rounds before finishing the set. Same reason we did hand-release merkins. #slowdown #goodform #dowork
#TClaps to Skinner, Far Side and Chizzik (?) who completed a half iron-man relay this past weekend. Strong work, brothers.
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Dora out.
Gimpy aka Webster aka Run stopper was on Q today, and as always it was a nice easy workout for 17 men at base camp, not a lot of mumble chatter going on, but a whole lot of moans and groans.
Mosey to lower Softball fields:
Continue Mosey to Lower Fields Circle up for COT
Mosey to upper field for 3 rounds of following:
Mosey to Lower Track:
Partner up wheel barrow from 100 yrd start line to end of bleachers (70 yards)
Flapjack change partners return to start.
Four Corners – Perform 25 exercises at each corner of the track
Done.
Moleskin:
Near 40 men gathered in the gloom for a hearty deposit on the week ahead.
The Thang:
Ball of Man – start it right
Run in to Middle School – Warm Up
SSH X 20
Imperial Walker X 15
Merkins X 15
Peter Parker X 20
Mountain Climber X 20
Seal Jacks (brought by Skywalker – a Southie special) X 20
Run to Lacrosse field for Chasers AKA OJ Simpsons
Partner up; Partner 1 lays with their 6 on the deck, Partner 2 sprints while Partner 1 jumps up and tries to catch Partner 2. If caught, P2 does 10 burpees. If not caught, P1 does 5 burpees.
Repeat 4X (2 as hunter, 2 as hunted) followed by mosey and 1 side by side (P1 v P2 – sprint out)
Mosey to parking lot, Karaoke right, Karaoke left
Adjacent Parking Lot – 11s
1 burpee, run 50 yards, 10 lunge jumps – 2 burpees/9 lunge jumps – go til flapjack
6 minutes of Mary, #HorseGrunting going on
Run out to COT
Props: Rampart – pulled hammy but committed and never quit, #Oorah, Chelms – Respect (capital R) — Chelms brings the heat every time I post and he certainly did this morning, Dirt Bike – FNG but posted with style #LeadFromTheFront, Skywalker – for grabbing Dirt Bike for his 1st Post
Correct me on names, Siri was taking a nap when I took roll call, #SiriSucks
The #F3DayZero Challenge
The shovel flag was planted, the tunes were cued up and the giant weinke that held the day’s tasks was hammered into the ground. 14 men, including 1 FNG, gathered in early morning coolness and stared at what we were about to undertake.
In between each exercise, we ran a lap around the 1/3 mile McAlpine Elementary track.
The Challenge was tough, living up to the hype. It showed us no mercy. But we gave it none in return. All the pax worked hard this morning. Most of those that did the Challenge the first time around improved on their results…#MissionAccomplished. And those that did it for the first time battled from start to finish. Congratulations to all who took on the #F3DayZero Challenge.
The next Challenge day is 11/23…mark it down.
The final box score reads 14, including 1 FNG. The presumptive Q was MIA with at T minus 1, so the assumptive Q, hoping for some stair and ramp work at the deck anyway, grabbed the conch before anyone could protest.
Mosey next door for a quick Conspicuous Warm Up, thus signalling tardy pax to join us (we are not always so congenial):
We did some flapping about to warm the muscles and lube the joints, then proceeded to Loch Ness for 11s, consisting of wall jumps and derkins. Then we moseyed a quarter lap for more 11s, this time with wall jumps and dips. Some little baby jogs, a hill sprint, and a half-bridge lunge walk later, we arrived at the deck that is PROHIBIDO during the week but is ALLOWEDO on Saturday.
From here, we did stair work.
Mosey back grade level for ramp work:
Moseys and Sprints two light poles at a time back to the 4-lane, then run it back to the house. Had a nice conversation with Grass Stain (really? who is naming these people?), a flat-bellied, semi-aerobic #HateHate training for the Spartan Beast at his brother’s urging. Keep chasing 40 year olds around the next six weeks and we’ll get you most of the way there.
Turns out we still had about 4 minutes for some one-legged and other-legged flutter and dolly. Harder than it sounds, especially when appropriately dorsiflexed. Small controlled movements are the key.
Number-Rama and Name-O-Rama, then name our FNG. He’s in medical imaging, from Hershey, PA, and got abandoned by his headlocker. Plenty of source material but it went down the X-Ray trail and settled on Backscatter (which means, “one who backscats”). It’s here that our FNG pointed out Glitch in the car and I say to myself: “You know what would be comical? If 14 grown men encircle the car, hold hands and pray together. But–and here’ the funny part–the headlocker stays in the car, looking straight ahead but pretends not to see us.” Turns out it wasn’t as much funny as it was uncomfortable. We all kind of slouched away, trying to avoid eye contact with one another, the pax no doubt thinking this is what it would be like if Michael Scott led a workout.
He who has ears let him hear.
Eleven rucktards and one shadow posted around the shovel flag this morning for a solid dose of pain with a side of fellowship.
The Thang:
We completed the Army Personal Fitness Test, exactly the same way that we did it on 8/9.
Load up coupons:
Ruck towards McAlpine Park – Beastie Boys on the boom box.
When we got to the park, we realized that we were in the middle of a high school/college cross country event. We were quite a distraction for the athletes and spectators as we passed through the park. We turned a lot of heads.
We had started out carrying the tire using the 2×4 through the center, and resting the board on the shoulders of two men. After the park, we changed the plan and switched to a three man tire team rotation – one inside the tire towards the back and two in front with the tire on one shoulder. The man inside the center of the tire had it resting on his ruck, making this the rest point of the three man rotation.
We hit mile marker 4 on the greenway, and then turned around to go back. The PAX didn’t realize that this ruck today was not a loop, so the thought of backtracking four miles was a mind game for some.
Boom box cassette reload – Metallica.
Around mile 5, we came across a group of volunteers cleaning up the greenway. They had a ton of trash bags and other bulky items that they had collected, great work by those guys! We saw a couple school age guys carrying a basketball goal to the trash, and we knew that it was a match made in heaven.
Add one basketball goal to coupon load at mile 5.
As we passed back through the park and the cross country event, we were feeling the pain. The last stretch from the park to the parking lot was definitely the toughest part.
Arrived back at the parking lot 11:40.
Total distance: 10 miles = 2 miles running, 8 miles rucking.
2ndF at Buffalo Wild Wings immediately following.
Moleskin:
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We had a great showing of 19 Pax even considering the Day Zero Challenge and the YL Mud Run to follow. Each seemed to have stepped-up his intensity this morning. Could it have been the cooler weather? Welcome FNG High Knees! Hope to see you back soon brother!!
Pre-Thang BOM (Borrowed, with permission, from Skywalker)
COP
MOSEY to baseball field… Oooops…Due to Little League set up…Correction…Mosey to front field.
Shoulder circles both ways x 20
SSH x30
Slow Good Mornings x10
Slow Squat x10
IW x20
Mt Climbers x20
5 burpees OYO
Shoulder circles both ways x 20
SSH x30
SLOW MERKINS x20
Slow Good Mornings x10 (Cycle could have done these all day)
Slow Squat x10
IW x20
Mt Climbers x20
10 burpees OYO
The Thang:
Indian Run to Pavillion
PARTNER-UP (size matters)
P1 Jump-Ups x 20
P2 Balls to Wall Hold until partner completes above
Flapjack
Plank when done
Rinse & Repeat x3
P1 Dips x 20
P1 Decline Merkins x 20
P2 People’s Chair
Flapjack
Plank when done
Rinse & Repeat x3
Mosey to Soccer Field
Partner-Carry down, Partner Drag-back.
Flapjack (Crowd pleasers)
Plank
Partner Merkins (Hand Slap) x20
Partner Leg Throws R/M/L x10ea
Flapjack
P1. Jack Webb to 10/40
P2. Planks
Flapjack
Indian Run to front field
STARFISH x1
Center 5 burpees
1. Jump Squats x10
Center 5 burpees
2. Maktar Jai x 10
Center 5 burpees
3. LBCs x20
Center 5 burpees
4. Dive Bombers x10
Center 5 burpees
COP for MARY
Plank
Cumberland County Viaduct left x20
Cumberland County Viaduct right x 20
10 Burpees OYO
Mosey back to Shovel Flag
COT
BOM
Moleskine:
YHC planted the shovel flag on a brisk morning at The Rock. It wasn’t long until there seemed to be little chill in the air for the 19 Pax who decided to take a few laps around campus. Strong work men. Nice run-in from Hacksaw! Welcome and T-Claps to our FNG, High Knees (Medhi Nikui) for smokin’ his first F3 post! His comments, following the workout, were resonated by many that the warmup ( a double COP and not too challenging) was deceiving and not a sign of what would follow. YHC noticed Great stamina, from Hops, on holding the plank while his partner did JW’s. Thank you, Donkey Kong, for the audible “We do ten” when the Q called for a measly 4 and 16. YHC and the Pax liked the 10 and 40 JWs so stuck with that. The Q did cut the Starfish short, due to time, but YHC thinks that his watch might have been 2-3 minutes fast and that Saturday’s time might be more lenient as compared to weekdays. You be the judge…
Thank you for great efforts by ALL this morning! We sprinkled lots of ground considering the cool temps. YHC looks forward to more “fun times” with special attention to Jack and Star…consider that a pre-blast with no known date…yet.
Thank you for the opportunity to Q! Great post men!
We had at least 2 pax representing at the Young Life mud run today (great job Tides, can’t wait to hear the report) and the rest of the 7 brave souls (we were so brave that we bravely ran away away, bravely ran away away (extra credit if you get the reference) from the Day Zero challenge) posted at Ascent, including 2 FNG’s who proved they were pull up beasts for:
Jog around the baseball field
COP:
IW x 20
Mtn Climbers x 15
Butt Kickers x 15
Low Slow Squats x 15
Merkins x 15
SSH x 20
CDD’s x 15
Partner up:
Wheelbarrow to marker, flapjack back
Bear crawl to marker, crabwalk back
Broad Jump to marker, backwards jog back
Plank it up when complete
Jack Webb to at least 5
Mosey to Baseball area for:
People’s Chair x 30 sec x 2
Step up/jump ups on bleachers x 10
Dips x 15
Squats x 10 (low slow)
Burpees x 5
Plank it up and repeat
Jog round baseball field to playground
With Partner: AMRAP +2 Pulls ups x 3
CDD’s in between x 10
Set of:
Derkins x 10
LBC x 10
Burpees x 5
Repeato
Mosey to field for:
Mary:
Prairie Fire Mary x 8
Reverse LBC’s x 8
Flutter x 15
Dolly x 18
Russian Twist x 8
Heels to Heaven x 8
Elbow Plank x 2
Reverse Plank x 2
Improv with partner track work for:
partner 1 merkins to 80, partner 2 1 lap, repeat until done
partner 1 lunges to 100, partner 2 1 lap, repeat until done
all pax do 1 lap (audible by Slim Fast)
20 CDD’s in cadence to end it off
Moleskin:
Had some seriously strong effort out there today, YHC felt like he wasn’t able to keep the tempo as high as would have liked but the pax suffered through anyway. Our two FNG’s David R and Kurt P were pull up beasts, on the amrap + 2 we weren’t sure if they were going to stop and do the +2 piece, strong work guys, good to see you out here, see you again in the gloom. Pele claimed at the end that he had a tough time but it sure looked like progress to me (the workouts don’t get easier my friend, you don’t feel better either, but you do get stronger 🙂 ). We had Bourbon out there and YHC is pretty certain that there was 100% effort at all times, this due to the sheer volume of grunting noise coming from that direction, whatever it takes! Showing up before 7, as it right before, was Passport, throwing the brand new ruck on and putting in a couple of bricks as he was running off with the pax, wearing it throughout (minus the pull ups, that would be silly). Slim Fast is likely up for a name change to something like Go Fast but that will have to be covered at another workout. All in all, we had a great effort in some beautiful gloom. The sad clown with the personal trainer couldn’t figure out what we were up to but YHC is pretty sure the trainer wasn’t too pleased with the invite extended to join the pax.
Great send off by Slim Fast, thanks for the reminder of why we are here and how we can serve in the rest of the day!
Announcements:
Sign up for Thunder Road, seriously come on guys, it can’t be that hard (but I’ll confirm once I’ve done it), 49’er on Q for Area 51
Base Camp on Monday’s, new Friday workout at Charlotte Christian on Fridays,