Since the last edition of in person Da Vinci(March 14), 9 Saturdays have come an gone without the men of F3 SOBland from sweating and accelerating in the gloom of Blakeney followed by a delicious chicken breakfast. That all changed this morning as NC moved into phase 2, 16 men met in the Petsmart/Best Buy parking lot for a Memorial Day Weekend beat down.
The Thang:
Give updated COVID 19 disclaimer. And we’re off. Mosey through the trail behind the stores for a quick dynamic warmup of
high knees, butt kickers, lunges, toy soldiers, karaoke. YHC had to tie my shoes after that so I had the pax do 20 merkins.
YHC was prepared to copy one of Tuck’s Qs from about a year ago and trail run to Polo Ridge Elementary. Unfortunately, the 2nd leg of the trail was closed and we were not going to be able to use it.
Mosey to the grassy square for some partner work.
1 partner bear crawls the other burpees, flapjack
1 partner crab walks, the other jump squats
1 partner broad jumps the other carolina dry docks
Mosey to the roundabout for modified BLIMPS
5 burpees, mosey back 25 plank jacks, 30 squats
10 Lunges, mosey back 25 plank jacks, 30 squats
15 IWs, mosey back 25 plank jacks, 30 squats
20 merkins, mosey back 25 plank jacks, 30 squats
Mosey across Rea Road to Blakeney, stop outside the CVS for bear crawl merkin ladder, up to 20 merkins
Mosey to HT parking lot for 6 min of Mary led by the pax
Last round of partner work by the fountains
1 partner does dips, the other runs to Banana Republic
1 partner does incline merkins, the other runs to Banana Republic
1 partner does decline merkins, the other runs to Banana Republic
20 step ups, 20 split squats,
Mosey back to launch and plank until time is called
COT
Moleskine:
My Q-Fail this morning can teach 2 lessons to less experienced Qs,
It was good to see everyone in person again. Zoom is great but it doesn’t capture the essence of 2nd F gloom like trash talk and Frehley’s farts.
I also noticed a lot of silent refusniking going on especially during the the bear crawl/crab walks(YHC was guilty of this) and during the bear crawl merkin ladder. Once again, Zoom is great but it did create some bad habits.
We didn’t run a ton(2.5 miles??) but it was still a lot compared to the virtual workouts. I was smoked.
Announcements:
It’s up to Site Qs to decide when and how they reopen their sites. Stay tuned to slack for updates from your favorite workouts.
Cooter2 asked YHC to Q vBagpipe tomorrow. Already on the calendar for Swole and Da Vinci, I was hesitant but I realized I might not have many more opportunities for virtual Qs in the future so I decided to take it. We really didn’t really have a lot of variety but we did a lot of reps.
9 pax eventually made it into the zoom room and at 530 we were off.
20 SSH
20 IW
20 Windmill
2 minute run
11s of burpees and jump squats
2 minute run
Now that the blood is flowing, time for the main event…JACK WEBB
1 merkin + 4 air presses, 2 merkins + 8 air presses…….10 merkins + 40 air presses
2 minute run
Jack Webb Abs 1 heel to heaven + 4 lbcs, 2 heels to heaven + 8 lbcs…..10 heels to heaven + 40 lbcs
2 minute run
Jack Webb Legs 1 squat + 4 calf raises, 2 squats + 8 calf raises…..10 squats + 40 calf raises
2 minute run
Plank until 615
COT
Moleskine
This workout was simple but tough. And time did seem to fly by. Pretty good WIB to keep in mind when you can’t post(weather, travel, etc.) and don’t have any gear.
Announcements
Some AOs will be opening over the next week(Da Vinci, Bagpipe, Rebel Yell etc), keep an eye on slack to see which of your favorite workouts will be held in person vs virtually.
As workouts reopen, remember that not everythings is “back to normal” just yet. Pax are asked to remain in small groups(less than 10), avoid partner exercises, pax touching the same things(gear/pullup bars), and have a socially distant COT. It is up to site Qs to figure out if we are welcome back at the respective AOs.
Who: The Pax of SOBland
What: A virtual CSAUP featuring the most Qs of any F3 workout.
When: Saturday April 25 at 630A until…? (It will probably take 1.5 to 2 hours)
Where: This Zoom Room
https://zoom.us/j/294527202?pwd=YUg3c1ljRlB5YVpDVmxXcWl6RnZSdz09
Why: Because you have nothing better to do….
We were planning on having a regional town hall meeting this weekend but with COVID19 cancelling that, Tuck cooked up a brilliant way to get all SOB pax to show up to a Zoom workout. Put them all on Q….Well it won’t be all the pax on Q but plenty of them and hopefully even some newcomers to Zoom or F3 in general. Each Q will have roughly 3 minutes to lead the pax in any way they choose. Tuck will serve as MC and help the list of Qs(shown in link below) navigate through this CSAUP by letting everyone who is up next and who is on deck. If you want to get in on the QTrain, reach out to Tuck ASAP. Pax will be scattered amongst a variety of AOs(basements, garages, parks) but Qs can assume pax are in a place they could run for a few minutes, lift something heavy(kb, rock, sandbag, etc) or do any plethora of bodyweight exercises. See you there.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14apGYDeBoo2_aci1wx_FJOM6NuZhSGUq7GOHaTmFW2Y/edit#gid=0
YHC was awake well before my alarm due to the loud thunder, rain, and wind knocking over trash cans in the alley. Turkey Leg was the only other pax in the lobby when 530 rolled around but his porch sprung a leak and he had to go back inside before we got started. Just before we got started at 535, Rock Thrill or someone pretending to be him(I couldn’t see, it was dark) entered the Zoom Room. Voodoo joined during the first set.
The Thang:
Clean and Press 10 sets of 5 reps with each arm. You can do singles or doubles if you have the bells, but each arm needs to clean and press the bell 50 times each.
Double Squats 5×5
Lawnmowers 3X8
Farmer Holds(not carries, too wet outside) 4 x 60 seconds
1 minute of elbow plank
1 minute of hollow hold
1 minute of glute bridge
COT
Moleskine: Between the Easter Holiday, yucky weather, and power outages causing some alarms to malfunction, this morning was lightly attended but several pax like High Tide, Brexit, Gypsy, and Udder have completed the weinke later on during the day.
YHC did not experience a power outage but both the other pax in the zoom room(Voodoo and Rock Thrill) were slinging iron in the dark. Hopefully their power was turned on soon.
Announcements:
After a lot of work, there is at least one Zoom workout every day Mon-Sat. Several bootcamp options and kettlebell workouts on Mon, Wed, and Sat. If you haven’t Qed yet, step up. If you haven’t seen one of your friends from the gloom, get him to HC. Or HC a brand new FNG who could use F3 in his life right now.
One of the few bright spots of these virtual workouts is the reduction of my commute to the AOs. Now that all I have to do is wake up, make a visit to the toilet, put on my shoes, and hop into the Zoom Room, I’ve set my alarm to 515 most mornings. That was interupted by Voodoo texting me at 511 telling me he was taking the morning off. Flash back in time, 20 hours earlier, YHC and Voodoo were finishing up the 12(13) mile star course at a safe social distance and it took a toll on our feet.
Brexit and War Eagle were waiting for me in the Zoom Room and we got started at 535.
The Thang
1 H Swings 5/4 L, 5/4 R, 10/2 L, 10/2 R. Should be a heavy weight and an explosive movement.
Exploding Merkins(hands leave the ground at the top of the merkin): 2X 5/4, 2X 10/2
Waiters Carries: 4 1 minute rounds…..YHC stood in place for this one because my wheels aren’t 100% at the moment.
1 min Elbow Plank
1 min hollow holds
1 min glute bridge
1 min hold a low squat
COT
Moleskine
Brexit was a regular at Tweet and Meat last fall before getting put in the concussion protocol after a nasty accident. It is great to see that he’s recovered and back to swinging some iron around.
War Eagle was distracted by the birds chirping through Zoom, hence the name of the backblast.
Swing/Merkin day is more moderate than some of the other workouts in this program but it was welcome by YHC after yesterday’s DIY Starcourse.
Wednesday is Snatch/TGU day, which are more advanced/difficult exercises.
Announcements
SOB now has virtual boot camp workouts Mon-Sat(and gear workouts on M, W, and S). We’re even experimenting with a 6:30A workout on Mondays called Garage Band. If you haven’t posted yet, do it. If you haven’t Qed a virtual workout yet, sign up. If you haven’t seen one of your buddies in the ZoomRoom, EH him to give it a try.
In an effort to do just that, we’re having a little Da Vinci vs Stonehenge challenge on Saturday. Stonehenge Pax wear blue. Da Vinci pax wear red. Everyone’s going to be there. You should too.
War Eagle is rumored to be putting together an SOB Happy Hour on Saturday. Stay tuned.
3 Pax joined together in a Zoom Meeting for the first virtual meeting of Swole.
The Thang:
10 Turkish Get Ups, 5 Each Side
Snatches: Start with weak hand; 5 snatches every 30 seconds for 2 minutes. Rest two minutes, switch hands, do the same thing. Repeato. Ends up being 80 total snatches.
Rack carries, 4 rounds for 60 seconds.
1 min elbow plank
1 min hollow hold
1 min glute bridge
Virtual COT
Moleskine: YHC’s first time Qing a virtual workout. It felt good to wake up before 7 for the first time in a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the Zoom Room over the next few weeks.
Udder was a minute or two late so he had the pleasure of Voodoo and YHC coaching up his form on the last couple TGUs.
A few tips for pax making their first Virtual Q in the near future;
7 pax gathered for the 10th episode of Swole. There was a smorgasbord of kettlebells lining the bus parking lot at 530 so we did a quick warm up.
10 Windmills
10 Arm circles forward
10 arm circles backward
The Thang
Not sure if it’s because we wanted to challenge ourselves or are tired of waiter carries but most pax started the kettlebell work with 10 turkish getups as a substitute. Most pax gave it a try. All were challenged.
5X5 Double cleans heavy
5X5 Double Squats HEAVY
14 rounds of 10 1H swings with a 20 sec break
30 seconds of elbow plank
30 seconds of hollow holds
1 min of glute bridge
615
COT
Moleskine:
Voodoo has the biggest yoga mat I’ve ever seen.
It was my first time seeing MAD in the last few months. He was looking pretty strong as he works he way back from injury.
The title of this backblast was inspired by the gentleman in a red sedan that arrived at about 6:08, stopped at the edge of the bus lot(not in a parking spot), and sat with the car on until we all left.
Announcements:
Meathead will meet at South Charlotte Middle School(instead of Calvary) this week(for one week only) as we say good bye to Death Valley. 0530 as usual. If you don’t have a kettlebell, come anyway, we have you covered.
When YHC arrived on site, WT was jumping rope as usual.
6 pax eventually assembled at 0530 for a quick warmup.
Windmill X 10, Arm Circles X 10, Backward Arm Circle X 10.
The Thang
The biggest press ladder to date 5 X (1-2-3-4-5) each arm
1 H Swings, 16 rounds of 10, 20 seconds of rest between sets
Farmers Carries 4 Rounds of 90 Seconds
COT
Moleskine: As the pax finished the last round of Farmers carries, the clock read 6:15. No need to cut out any sets or fill up the last few minutes with Mary.
Being 9 out of 11 weeks into the strength program, Voodoo and I are working on a plan to move into after week 11.
Week 8 of 11 in our program. Wild Turkey was on the sidewalk jumping rope when I got there. The last couple weeks, I’d park in a spot and carry my KBs to the sidewalk where we get our work in. Today was different. I introduced Ziz(28kg/62lbs), Leviathan(32kg/70lbs), and Behemoth(40kg/88lbs) to the family.
By the time 530 hit, Retread, Ickey Shuffle, Gilbert, and C3PO joined us.
A quick warm up: Windmill X 10, Arm Circle X 10, Reverse Arm Circle X10
Main Event
Waiter Carries: 5X 90 seconds
Double Cleans: 5X5
Double Squats: 5X5
2 Handed Swings 10 rounds of 10 reps + 60 sec of rest. The weinke called for a 40-44 kg KB for this one.
A few minutes left for 1 min of elbow plank, 1 min of hollow hold, and 1 minute of glute bridge.
COT
Moleskine:
YHC made a trip to the Kettlebell Store this weekend for a couple of reasons 1. Voodoo tells me I need to lift heavier bells pretty much every time I see him. 2. I’ve been relying on other pax with larger KB collections whenever the weinke calls for doubles or heavy weight 3. Heavy weights are really cool.
Like most Clean/Squat days, I’ve been encouraging pax that find the weinke too easy to go up in a couple KGs in weight. Same went for the first time 2H Swings appeared on the weinke, you should be going heavier than you did for the 30 minutes of 1 handed swings from a few weeks ago. This instruction saw all the pax step a little out of their comfort zone and swing HEAVY.
For those of you that don’t understand the references; Ziz is the King of the Birds according to Psalms 50:11. Leviathan is a ginormous sea serpent alluded to in Psalms, Job, Isaiah, and Amos. Behemoth is the primordial beast of the Earth, referenced in Job and Psalms.
See you at Meathead on Wednesday.
Another Monday in 2020, so it was time to start week 7 in the kettlebell program.
The Thang:
Some pax did a little warm up OYO
Overhead presses 5 x (1-2-3 reps) each arm. You should be lifting HEAVY
Snatches 5 X (10 snatches each arm + 20 Sec of rest)
4 Rounds of Farmers carries for 90 seconds
COT
Announcements: None
Moleskine:
This was the first day we switched from doing swings to snatches. The last time we did swings at Swole, we did 30 minutes of 10 1 handed swings per minute. The snatches were a big step up in intensity. The weinke called for 20 seconds of rest between sets but I have no problem admitting I took more than that. I was smoked.
Due to the amount of time we’ve needed for swings recently, we haven’t been able to finish the farmers carries at the 45 minute workouts. With the snatches not taking as much time, everyone had enough time for all sets of farmers carries.
Wild Turkey has been a regular attendee at both Swole Mondays and Meathead Wednesdays. He has commented how he feels himself getting stronger. Great work!
YHC wasn’t as motivated to put a playlist together on Sunday night so we listened to Guns N Roses Pandora(GNR, Bon Jovi, Lynard Skynard, Ozzie, AC/DC). It also had commercials for TidePods which, resulted in an interesting discussion about Millenials.
See you at Meathead on Wednesday!