Monthly Archive January 2021

Starting to Sharpen

….Mosey around the parking 1 time

WARM UP: Location #1 (Concrete Circle)

SSH x 15

Merkin x 15

Mtn Climber x 15

LSS x 15

Calf Stretch

Mosey to location #2

THE THING:

Partner up to complete the following:

Location #2 (tennis courts)

(P1 & P2) – Run a lap around the tennis courts and swap until (100) donkey kicks are completed

(P1 & P2) – Run a lap around the tennis courts and swap until (100) Big Boy sit ups are completed

(P1 & P2) – Run a lap around the tennis courts and swap until (100) Step ups are completed

(P1 & P2) – Run a lap around the tennis courts and swap until (100) mike tyson’s are completed

(Flutters and LSS if finish early)

Mosey to location # 3

Partner up to complete the following:

Location # 3 (Light Pole Sidewalk)

(P1 & P2) – Run to the end of the side walk with (1) burpee at each light post and sprint back and swap until (200) rosalita’s are completed.

(Heels to Heaven x 15 & Peter Parkers x 15 to fill some time gap)

Mosey to location #4

Location #4 (Parking lot beside football practice field)

Jacob’s Ladder  from one median and back on your own

SSH x 5

Burbee x 5

Plank it up on your own

Bear Crawl to light post on your own

Backwards run on your own back to location #1  (concrete circle)

standing in a circle on the sidewalk Side shuffle left and right and stopping for burpee’s on my command.

mosey back to parking lot.

finished up remaining time with the following:

LSS x 15

Merkins x 15

calf stretch.

MOLESKINE:

I was excited that we were finally here and starting things off at this new site. I was thinking that I had been here on my own to workout with my family and others about 20 times but still stirring in my mind on what exactly I had laid out for us this morning and was it all going to fit or was I going to run out of time. Proud that all my brothers had turned out to support me whether that meant a 25 min or a 5 min drive to be here. Feeling a little pressure not to screw up or forget anything and try to seem like I had everything under control. Once we got to the tennis courts everyone started to get acquainted and begin the normal words of encouragement, criticism of form or jokes towards each other.

Announcements: 

Blood Drive (Jan 30th @ 5 Stones Church- Waxhaw)

F3 Waxhaw New Year’s Day

Happy New Year everyone! The new year is often a time for a reset. Time to evaluate what happened the previous year and make changes, hopefully for the better. 2020 was a…different year and one that was especially challenging for many/most folks. Relationships, resolve, perseverance, motivation, drive, survival were just a few things that were tested. One thing that was a constant was this group of High Impact Men from F3 Waxhaw. In this year of turmoil, we saw our numbers grow. We created several new AOs to provide First F(Fitness) opportunities to an ever expanding geography. Though social distancing limited our abilities to hold large, indoor, Second F (Fellowship) events like the Effees or monthly lunches we stayed strong with weekly Coffeeteria and events like the Makeshift Marathon and Turkey Bowl. Even more impressive was the explosive growth we saw in the Third F (Faith) area, where little old Waxhaw has impacted people’s lives ways we won’t even know with things like: Christ’s Closet, Rice and Beans, Blood Drives, Project Hot Wheels, and many more. We say it often, but it bears repeating: “F3 is more than a workout!

This New Year’s Day 42 men arrived on a cold, blustery, rainy morning where we experienced all five of F3 Nation’s core principles. Not sure what those are?

1. Free of Charge – We never charge for a workout. Ever.

2. Open to All Men – If you’re a guy, you’re welcome. Regardless of fitness level, age, or experience you’re welcome and encouraged to be here.

3. Held Rain or Shine – If New Year’s Day wasn’t an indication of how true this is, I don’t know what is. Conditions were pretty miserable but we pushed through.

4. Peer Led – Rotating fashion of men leading each other. You got to see that on full show on this day as depending on which workout you attended you got to see Recalculating, Brutus, Fuse Box, and YHC all taking a turn at the helm.

 

I’m not sure what the other groups did for a workout, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is we ended the workout together in a Circle of Trust. It is, after all, the 5th of the five core principles.

5. Circle of Trust – Always ends with a Circle of Trust.

42 men gathered in a circle to acknowledge the completion of another step in the journey of bettering ourselves. I would invite challenge you to watch the Name-O-Rama and pay attention to the names you DON’T see. Why weren’t they there? Now is the time to reach out and check in on them. Invite them to come back out. Post with them. Encourage them.

F3 Waxhaw New Year’s Day Name-O-Rama

 

2021 is a new year with new challenges. Create some new habits this year and you’ll be better for it. Here are some suggestions from Bottlecap: Show up early, Pre-run, Try Ignition, Don’t modify, ask somebody if you can Q, Talk to a PAX you don’t know.

“Leave no man behind but leave no man where you found him”

Unnamed Pax in Raleigh: “Meat Smoker is a bit of an inappropriate name…” Waxhaw Pax: “Welcome Meat Smoker!”

Posse suckered me into filling in as Site Q at Homecoming while he jumped on this new Clean Slate site. Little did I know it would be a hard start on 1/1/21. That was until I asked him yesterday who was on Q there tomorrow. No one he said which is just freaking awesome.

So for my 60th Q I would be unwillingly thrust into the starting line up on a day they are trying to drive traffic to the new site? Who would show up? I can tell you who didn’t show up…all 12 guys over at Commitment. #selfish

Banjo committed he would be there so I knew I had at least one. Up until about 6:28:30 it was looking like we were going to decide to just bail on the post all together but instead drink coffee. We had Manziel from Raleigh and a local FNG show up.

6ft DiCCS was shared/explained so that the boys in Raleigh could start swinging around what we showed them in the dimly lit parking lot. And we were off…

THE THANG

Mosey to the front of the entrance and back. Circle up for….

1. 20 x SSH IC

2. 20 x Moroccan Night Clubs IC

3. 15 x Imperial Walker

4. 15 x LS Squats IC

5. Calf Stretch

6. Can Opener & Runners Pose

Mosey long way out to main road and back to the school for a reverse Tyson Press Webb. Start at 10 and 40. Work your way down to 1 and 4

Mosey to elementary school loop and pair up. Partner 1 does a hot lap, while partner 2 completes:

• 200 x Speedskaters

• 150 x Big Boy

• 100 x Bobby Hurleys

Let’s mosey to other side of the school. Grab some wall.

• 30 x Air presses with heel lifts

• 30 x Jabs with Toe Lifts

Lineup across parking lot. Exercises and Suicides inbetween. 30 x Dips, 30 x V-Ups and 20 x American Knockout. 6 rounds. One 10sec countdown was requested and I allowed it.

Mosey. Find some nice concrete for some planks. Mosey up to the entrance of the middle school and back. 2.5mins of Have A Nice Day to close it out.

MOLESKIN

Finished. 3.75mi + a smattering of exercises = usually drinking a beer with lunch. But not today, no thanks due to Mad Dog and Dryuary. Hopefully I will be stronger for it? Or possibly at least rid my waistline of this Covid-15 that I have put on during this time.

It was great to meet Manziel and I think he will be introducing our friends up north about Mike Tyson. I think I learned them in GA but it’s an ass kicker. It was great that he dragged his buddy out to join us this AM.

FNG now named Meat Smoker was hanging with us all day. Your first post is usually the worst but I can see him coming back. He’s already verbally committed to Flash on Monday so only time will tell.

My boy Carson was in his traditional Fusebox approved all grey sweatsuit. He may have lost a step due to hiatus but he’s back and damn it I missed him. One of the funnier guys I know and I can’t wait to drink a frosty IPA at the end of this current challenge.

Happy Saturday fellas and see you on Monday!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• 3rd F Tomorrow, see posts on GroupMe for more info

• Neighborhood walk group tomorrow!

• 3 sites on Monday, pick one now!

• See an oppty to lead? Throw your idea out to me, Posse, whoever to see if we could get people to support it. We have two new sites coming online in the next week or 2. If you see a day that has 12+ people posting every week, we might be safe to expand to a new area or to add a specific type of site. This idea applies to 2nd and 3rd F events as well….get creative!

Commitment Tag Team to Start 2021

It was another gloomy January day in Waxhaw.  The temperature the night before said it was expected to be 53, but at wakeup was 43.  Mad Dog and I teamed up to split the Q.

Warm-up

  • Mosey from the parking lot past the circle to the bridge and back to the circle
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 20 Imperial Walkers
  • Calf stretches
  • Downward Dog
  • Right Leg, Right Hand, Left Leg, Left Hand

The Thang

  • Start with 5 merkins from the circle at every other trip heading toward the top of the street, circling back for the 6.
  • Since we skipped every other tree on the way up, we couldn’t leave the ones out that we skipped, so we went back down
    hitting the skipped trees with 5 monkey humpers each tree.
  • Mosey from the circle up to the rock pile for a lifting rock.
  • Partner up
    • 100 curls
    • 100 overhead triceps
    • 100 overhead press
    • 100 standing chest press
    • Run to the first corner and back
  • Lunge walk to the corner
  • Now, I didn’t want to add a new merkin, so instead I added a new plank motion.  In a plank position, start out slow cadence, right foot, right hand, plank position, left foot left hand and continue with a faster cadence.
  • Four laps around large parking lot with 10 reps each corner with the same exercise each lap (burpees, squats, big boys and the last
    round V-Ups.
  • Bonus lap of bomb jacks.
  • Mosey back to COT

The Moleskin

This was my first Q participation (Thanks Mad Dog for not having me do the whole time) in about 3 months after doing Mash and working my way back with other boot camps, dealing with a Sciatica issue that is feeling pretty good.

The PAX were in great spirits today and was a pleasure to co-lead.  We reached around 3 miles in a close area. I was rusty when returning back to COT and may need to go back to Q school for it again 🙂

Thanks gentlemen for helping me provide some challenges today.

Announcements

  • Blood drive 01/30.  Turnbuckle wasn’t present, but can provide the good details.
  • Sledge was the 6th man and shared his experience with F3, in particular dropping an incredible 65 pounds so far and continuing.  Excellent job Sledge 🙂

Centurion 2021 BB 1

8 men joined YHC for 60 minutes of work on New Year’s Day 2021 at Centurion. Disclaimer given. Off we went.

Cross 51 and mosey through campus to stairwell 2 and up to level 3. Circle up for COP. We did some exercises to get warmed up. IW, Merkin, Squat, maybe a few more.

Mosey down to level ground level. We ran from the bottom to the top 3 times, stopping at each right turn to do some reps: 10 reps for 2 exercises at each turn. Merkins, jump squats, Heels to Heaven, Diamond Merks, Wide arm Merks, etc. Chair planks to regroup.

Mosey down stairs and over to the circular benches. Did a Triple Tower Set here. Start with 10 Step Up/15 Derkin/15 dips. Run to Stairwell 1. 5 Burpees at bottom and top. Back to benches. Plank-o-rama to regroup. Proceeded through towers 2 and 3 with some different exercises mixed in. Chopper requested the third tower and chose the exercises. Well, Frehley’s strongly suggested Monkey Humpers, which Chopper agreed to.

Enter the deck for 3 full-length sprints up level 1, full ramp. Rep 1, stop in middle for some exercise we did. Mary at the top. Mosey back down. Repeato x 2, without exercise stops, but with Mary at the top.

Mosey back to the launch lot and under the cover of the shopping center. COT

Moleskin

Light, misting rain, slightly heavier for brief periods, accompanied by steady winds around 10mph with gusts up to 15ish. Pretty damn nice weather for a workout. Thankful for the 8 men who posted. Wanted to have an A51 option this morning for those that did not want to post Metro.

Huge Q fail today. Failed to facilitate and/or lead a takeout prayer. Honestly, don’t think I have ever done that before. Sincere apologies, men.

Frehley’s Comet on Q next week. Followed by Preschool 1/15 (site VQ) and Sable 1/22

Best wishes for 2021

Inaugural 2021 Kettlebell Program

In January 2020, we rolled out a series of structured kettlebell workouts in order to provide some direction to the pax’s strength training. We spent months performing a modified StrongFirst Level I SFG training program, a swing/merkin/snatch program, and a swing program. For 2021, we will likely re-run some of those programs as well as revisit the Total Tension program some pax followed in late 2019.

Starting at Swole on Monday, we will transition to a new program focused on heavier weights and lower reps. The focus of the program will be two programs devised by Geoff Neupert: Kettlebell Strong and Kettlebell One. The Strong program consists of double cleans and double presses while the One program consists of double swings. If you don’t have a pair of identical bells, both can be performed with either (i) a single kettlebell or (ii) mismatched double kettlebells (switch sides each set). You should start with a weight that you can press for 4-5 tough reps. The goal is to gradually increase the number of reps being performed each workout. By the end, that weight will be much more manageable than when you started.

Each workout will consist of 4 sections:

  1. Warm-up (SSH, IW, Sharon Towers, prying squats, etc.)
  2. Neupert (KB Strong or KB One, based on the schedule) – this is the only thing the Q has to make sure they get in there. The reps are generally low, but it should be challenging so there should be ample rest. Ideally, the pax will use doubles, but singles will do. Bell size should be a weight that can be pressed 4-5 times with effort.
  3. Complex – I’ve included a selection of complexes from a few authors. Some are time-based (i.e., AMRAP for 15:00) and some just need to be completed. If they don’t take enough time, the Q can do another complex or move on to the next section.
  4. Easy Strength – We might only have time for this on Saturdays, but the idea is to do 5 exercises with relatively low reps at a challenging weight. I’ve provided some examples of the types of exercises, but they should include: deadlift, upper body pull, upper body push, full body explosive, and abs.
  5. Mary – If there’s not enough time to get through Easy Strength, Mary should be performed (elbow planks, hollow body holds, glute bridges, etc.).

The specifics of sections 2-4 can be found on the different tabs of the Google Sheet saved here. The Q has discretion over the Warm-up, any Complex(es), the Easy Strength, and Mary portions. Suggestions are included in the spreadsheet. Each workout will have a prescribed Neupert workout based on the schedule in the spreadsheet.

As always, the focus of each workout should be performing good quality reps. If you have questions about any of the exercises, please ask questions of the Q or site Qs at the workout. I (Voodoo) am working on collecting some of the bells that I have lent out during the pandemic and will bring extra bells to the workouts to lend to pax in need of them once I have them.

If you’ve been posting for a while, we hope you will continue to come out and support the sites. If you’ve been curious about bells, please join us and give it a try. If you have questions, please ask.

See you in the gloom,

Voodoo, Mighty Mite, Unplugged, Ickey Shuffle, and High Tide

An Ode to My F3 Brothers

For those of you that know me know that I am not one who is apt to put pen to paper with a whole lot of introspection, but as 2020 becomes 2021 I felt the need to tell you all how thankful I am for you.  Apologies in advance for the length of this but I have a lot to say.  Much has obviously been made about the challenges of 2020 but I am grateful for the men of F3 who helped me to stay centered during all the challenges.  Whether it was a fist bump pushing me along while getting my butt kicked at a workout or laughing out loud at a post on Slack, it all helped to maintain some sanity.  Truth be told, for the majority of us 2020 was not as bad as it has been made out to be.  As my pastor noted, many of us were inconvenienced but did not suffer.  I am grateful to have had F3 through the year to help navigate the “inconveniences”.  That is not to say that some of our F3 brothers were not directly impacted during 2020.  And if you suffered a job loss, loss of a loved one or other hardship I truly hope that we were there to support you and be a sounding board or a source of normalcy for you.  And that is what I think the underlying strength of F3 is.  The fact that there is a large group of men that are there to support each other in whatever form is needed.  There are guys that we get to know well and develop close friendships with and there are others that we may have only worked out with one time or only know on Slack.  Regardless they all form a shield lock and have our backs no matter what and are willing to help.  As 2020 becomes 2021 things are obviously not going to swing a 180 and completely change overnight.  So, if the challenges are weighing you down please do not hesitate to reach out to your brothers.  WE HAVE YOUR BACK.

Now, there were bright spots in 2020.  We were able to get an awesome Beer Run in pre-Covid.  We pivoted during the stay at home and while it was not anyone’s preference, we were able to keep guys connected with each other and motivated with virtual workouts and happy hours.  The Hi Impact Local Race and Makeshift Marathons were fantastic events that provided brotherhood and impacts to local charities.  Since we were limited with social gatherings a fun trend has started with holiday workouts/post workout holiday parties with the Turkey Jam and Christmas Eve workouts.  The Passport Challenge has been excellent for encouraging Pax to venture to AO’s that they normally would not hit.  A wise man once said that F3 does not run itself so I would like to thank anyone who helped put on an event or participated in an event.  My sincerest thanks to the site Q’s who keep each site running smoothly and ensure that we all have a place to workout every day…well except Sunday.  I am extremely indebted to the SOB Board (Cooter, Kirby, Madame Tussauds, Mighty Mite, Soft Pretzel, Taco Stand, Thin Mint, Tuck and Wingman) who have provided guidance and thoughtfulness throughout this year and steered SOB through 2020.  And thanks to Voodoo and Bottlecap, the other region Nantans, as I appreciate the fact that we can bounce things off each other and look forward to more of the same in 2021.

Finally, I would like to leave each of you with a call to action.  If you have merely been “inconvenienced” during 2020 I challenge you to lean into F3.  Bring your positivity and optimism to others.  Be that strength and that source of centering to others who have been struggling.  If you have been struggling in 2020 I also challenge you to lean into F3.  Allow the 1st F to improve you physically, the 2nd F to uplift you emotionally and the 3rd F to brighten your soul.  Each and every one of you in the Pax brings something different to F3 and that is what makes it fun yet meaningful.  It is also the reason that I went from saying the only reason that I would run is if a big animal is chasing me to for the last 3 years running around in the early morning dark with a bunch of guys, and loving it!

Happy New Year’s guys…oh and Roll Tide!!

The Waffle (Mini CSAUP)

So shortly after the Five Stones trails were cut, Posse had this horrible idea that we should combine three workouts and two locations into a single workout.   I took off with that idea and came up with today’s “mini” CSAUP.   Mini because it was only 90 minutes (though I feel the guys that joined today may take issue with me calling it “only 90 minutes”).   The original idea from Posse also included a way to tie together all the Waffle talk from last year into a “lets come together” workout where Impromptu and Diesel join hands and workout together.  Unfortunately, that idea quickly fizzled with the Friday Site Q’s decided 90 minutes wasn’t welcoming to FNG’s and Kotters (and they were right).  But the name and idea lived on anyways.  So how exactly will we accomplish 3 workouts into two locations?   Here’s how:

Start with a 30 minute Boot camp (Impromptu).  Then Run 1 mile to Five Stones Church (Swarm) for a 30 minute gear workout (Diesel).  Once the Friday Site Q’s backed out, I decided to turn the Diesel portion into an Iron Pax Challenge.    And finally a 1 Mile run back to COT (second dose of Swarm).   So there was the plan.   Here is what we actually did.

 

WARM UP

Mosey to lower bus parking lot for Side Straddle Hops and various stretches.  Then Mosey to the round a bout for an AMRAP workout.

 

THE THANG

Hub and Spoke.   5 outer exercises and 1 inner exercise.  The inside exercise was 10 Fence Squat Jumps (Posse was pleased the Russian Get Up’s had been removed from the previous Q I had recycled this from).  The outer excercises were:

  • 2o Dry Docks
  • 20 Merkins
  • 20 Step Ups
  • 20 Dips
  • 20 Heels to Heaven

 

We made it through two full rounds.   This is where Hurry left us to go join the 8:00 am workout.   Indian Run towards the entrance stopping at the middle school drive for a quick calf stretch since Drive By has apparently barrowed Moneyball’s calves for the winter.   Reverse Lunge walk up the hill for 20 yards and the turn to mosey to the light.

Safely cross Cuthberson together then run to the four way stop stopping at lights on both sides for 5 jump squats.  Collect everyone at then head left towards the pool.   Quick right on the trail and gather folks at the concrete bridge.   This is the closest point that the Five Stones trail comes to the Champion Forest trail.  Its about 20-30 feet of walking through the woods.   Five Stones trail were slick so we carefully mosey’ed to pick up blocks and gather in the gravel lot for Iron Pax.

For the Iron Pax portion, I attempted to combine two Iron pax workouts from this past fall into one workout while sprinkling in my own suck as well.  It was designed to be an out and back workout with stacked exercises on one side and increase rep exercises on the other.  Here is what we did:

  • 1 Blockee and 10 Block Hops.  Murder Bunnies for 25 yards.   10 Block Merkins.   Riffle Carry back 25 yards to start.
  • 2 Blockees and 10 Block Hops.  Murder Bunnies for 25 yards.  10 Block Merkins and 20 Curls.  Riffle carry back.
  • 3 Blockees and 10 block hops.  Murder Bunnies.  10 Block Merkins, 20 Curls, and 30 overhead presses.  Riffle Carry back.
  • 4 Blockees and 10 block hops.  Murder Bunnies.  10 block merkins, 20 curls, 30 OH press, and 40 Rows.  Riffle back.
  • 5 Blockees and 10 block hops.  Murder Bunnies.  10 block merkins, 20 curls, 30 OH press, 40 Rows, and….just to be an ass hole two 50’s.  50 foot release squats on your block and 50 chest presses.   Riffle back to start.
  • Finish with 6 Blockees and 10 jumps.

This sucked on paper and I can assure you it was worse in real life.  My timing worked out well here as we had just enough suck to fill the 30 minutes I intended.   15 minutes to make it back to COT.

Gingerly navigate the mucky Five Stones trail and collect on Champion Forest concrete bridge.   Jailbreak back up the trail (fairly steep incline) to the road.   Slow mosey to 4 way stop.   Team up for leap frog sprints.  Team 1 sprints to first driveway, then team 2 leap frogs them to driveway 2 and so on.   We did this all the way up to Cuthberson Rd.   Crossed safely together then short mosey to the middle school road.  Another Indian Run to the bus lot entrance and the all you’ve got to the middle school entrance.   About 2 minutes left so I called for 10 burpees on your own and then we caught up with the group (that exceeded the governors mandate of 25) to finish their Jack Webb of 10 Merkins and 40 presses.   90 minutes, three workouts, two sites….Done.

 

MOLESKIN

  • Posse was right.  It was dumb, it sucked, but I’m glad I did it.   It felt great starting the year a little outside of my comfort zone.  As my Shield Lock knows, and those that attend Q Source with me.  I think CSAUPs are dumb.  The risk outweighs the reward for me.   But I may be on board with these mini CSAUPs.
  • Thanks to Honeycomb and Drive by for joining.   Honeycomb crushed the Iron Pax.  He was in the lead the entire time.   Drive by pushed through a calf issue to complete the workout (and talked my ear off the entire time – but in a good way that kept my mind off how bad iron pax was).
  • Posse was stuck coming regardless.  It was his brain child, I only took his idea and brought it to life.
  • Have a good New Years Day.  I can’t wait to see the groupme trash talking between our Clemson (Posse), Ohio State (Rubbermaid and Dasher), and Notre Dame (Rudy) fans.  I can’t think of any Bama guys.
  • Doughboy, I’m coming for you and your KY Jelly Wildcats tomorrow at the Gator Bowl.  (Nevermind that our D Tackle ((#1 in the country) is skipping the bowl against a team that prides itself on its running game).   Go Pack.