Author Archive Sony

Cantore and the Fartsack

Posted on behalf of Pele
Cantore and the Fartsack
YHC heard the calls from Cantore last night and prepared the weinke accordingly. It has been a while since YHC has Q’d.  One common occurrence around YHC and Q’ing Ascent, bad weather is usually forecasted.
As 7 am approached and cars kept passing the AO, YHC took a couple of laps around the track and realized Cantore had sold a lot of people the goods and the fartsack’s were full.  No rain and no snow and no sleet was falling.  Really nice morning actually.   No pax posting left YHC the decision of what to do next.  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Aye!
Pele

Kettlebells on a sunny november morning

You know when you have that gut feeling that you’re forgetting something? YHC had that friday night, and fortunately was smart enough to check on the Q schedule before falling asleep after a late game night. So apologies about the KB reminder tweet technically being on Saturday morning…

 

Anyways, as a longtime Q, YHC has a stack of somewhat organized weinkes, so after grabbing a random KB one, off we went.

The thing started with a few warm up laps around the short track, and a few hip stretches courtesy of the Gumby workout and YHCs recent postings there.

With 7 faithful in the gloom, we circled for a little Usain Bolt.  (One PAX calls an exercise, the rest do said exercise while the exercise caller runs a wind Sprint to a distant fence about 100 yards out and back)

Two full rounds of this included everything from halos, presses, triceps, rows, lunges, squats, even some flutter press and Lou Ganis found their way in.

Next, a staple of YHCs workouts, a mini timed Murph (pull ups, Merkins, squats, and laps around the baseball field).  Seems a waste to not take advantage of one of the best pull ups and supine bars around south charlotte.

With time running short, a trip to the wall for a chain of merkins and people’s chair air presses, then circle it up for some KB Mary

 

Pretty relaxed group today, enough mumblechatter to keep things interesting, but nothing noteworthy that YHC caught wind of.

We’ll just ignore that I’m +/- 2 weeks late with this backblast. Cobains!

Stretching the body in ways it does not stretch

After the gumby one year anniversary, Swiss Miss asked YHC if he would Q at Gumby in a month. How hard could it be? But YHC found himself spending more time preparing for this Q than any previous Q. Needing to describe every movement, plan a playlist, and have form notes for the movements, YHC wrote up 7 pages of notes… biggest weinke ever? Well, no comment there from YHC.

Anyways, the thang went something like this.

Sun Salutations


Swan dive from a skyward stretch down to the ground
Flat Back
Down to Plank
To Chaturanga
To Upward Dog
To Plank
BONUS MERKIN!!!
To Downward Dog
Stretch the heels
Walk it in
Flat Back
to Reverse Swan Dive back

Repeat a handful of times.

Runners Pose Sequence


Swan dive, Flat back, plank, chaturanga, upward dog, plank, BONUS MERKIN!, to Downward Dog.
Bring the right heel up, straight line from heel, through core and arms to the hands.
Swing leg through into a runners pose.
Get low!!!
Plank, Downward Dog, Left leg, and reverse the sun salutation back to the top.

Repeat a few times.

Skyward Stretch

Tree Pose each side

Royal Dancer


Grab right leg with right arm, making a wide circle with the arm/leg loop.
Extend the left arm outward in a “Superman” pose.
Swap and repeat

To a seated position for

Half Lord of the Fishes

Cat and Cow back stretches

The Bridge


Feet flat on the floor, parallel to each other
90 degree bend in the knees
Drive the hips upward, pushing the shoulders into the ground, with arms behind the back, clasped and pushing into the ground as well.

The Wheel


(Disclaimer, most PAX stuck with the bridge… but for the flexible this option was provided)
Continue like a bridge, but place the hands even with the head, fingers pointing to the shoulders, and push up into a full arch.

Advanced wheel / Advanced Bridge


From the bridge or wheel position, extend one leg straight out. Hold for several breaths. Swap legs

Crescent Warrior Sequence


Follow the sun salutation to runners pose.
Bring both arms straight up into Crescent pose
Rotate and drop the heel into Warrior 1.
Reverse back to mountain pose.
Repeat with other leg forward.

Follow the sun salutation to runners pose.
Bring both arms straight up into Crescent pose
Rotate and drop the heel into Warrior 1.
Flatten the arms into Warrior 2.
Reverse back to mountain pose.
Repeat with other leg forward.

Follow the sun salutation to runners pose.
Bring both arms straight up into Crescent pose
Rotate and drop the heel into Warrior 1.
Flatten the arms into Warrior 2.
Flip the front hand and stretch back into Reverse warrior
Reverse back to mountain pose.
Repeat with other leg forward.

Return to a seated position for

Cobbler Pose / Bound Angle Pose / Butterfly (the pose of many names)

Then some Pigeon pose options

The Dead Pigeon


On the back
Left ankle across right knee
Pull the right leg back to your chest (grab the hamstring)
Swap sides

The Boosted Pigeon


Left ankle and left knee on the ground
Right leg straight back
Square the shoulders and square the hips
Raise both hands in touchdown pose
Swap sides

Sleeping Pigeon


From boosted pigeon, fall forward over your left knee, stretching forward

Had a few extra minutes so a few sun salutation repeats

Cooldown

Happy Baby Pose


On your back, grab both feet and rock back and forth

Childs Pose
Corpse Pose

Playlist (no one complained, a first for YHC…)


Billie Jean (Acoustic Cover) – The Civil Wars
Free Fallin’ – John Mayer
Amber – 311
Spirits in the Material World – Go-Ray and Duke
Sweet Child O’ Mine (Acoustic Cover) – Taken By Trees
Norwegian Wood (Cover) – Miten
Time After Time (Acoustic Cover) – Iron and Wine
Little Talks (Acoustic Cover) – Julia Sheer and Jon D
Hold On, We’re Going Home (Acoustic Cover) – Yuna
Aqueous Transmission – Incubus

And that was it.

Announcements

5k on November 4th, Speed For Need event, get with Tackling Dummy. Preblast is up https://f3southcharlotte.com/2017/10/11/pre-blast-for-let-them-soar-5k-speedforneed-event/

Naked Moleskine

YHC, in his first Broga-Q, may have overdone the preparation slightly, but after running through the workout, the preparation was crucial. Gumby is a personal favorite workout of YHC, but unfortunately travel messes with attendance. After the preparation for this workout, there’s a new found respect for the Gumby Q’s, of which YHC can probably no longer dodge the rotation.

About the only place where YHC may have abused his youth, flexibility, and outside yoga experiences was during the bridge / wheel section. Yes, YHC has all his ribs, and only one joint that is slightly more flexible than it should be (and it doesn’t even affect that one).

Tabatas revenge at Ascent

Preparing for a large crowd from RockZero, YHC geared up with a plan to test the entire nation, clydesdales and whatever you call those people who run fast.

I dunno if they got the memo.

But before too long, 7:01 (that’s what makes it moderate, or so the claim goes), the usual warm up kicks off, consisting of laps around the short track, standard warm up exercises, like SSH, Merkins, Mountain Climbers, the like.

Then straight into the meat of it…

Enter, the tabata timer. 45 seconds of exercise, 15 seconds of rest/relocate to the next station. Rinse and repeat for 15 stations. Set to music older than YHC, but such is life as the WarBaby.
1. Jump Ups
2. Dips
3. Plank
4. Derkins
5. Lunges
6. 8 Count Manmakers
7. Wind Sprint
8. Merkins
9. People’s Chair
10. Peter Parker
11. Incline Merkins
12. American Hammer
13. KB Swings
14. Squats
15. LBCs

Two Rounds of this.

Then to the playground. Gotta love having pull-up bars at the site, and it’d be a shame to not put them to use.
Mini Murph for time.
Pull ups, Merkins, Squats and laps around the baseball field.

Wrap that up with some PAX choice mary and it’s a wrap.

There wasn’t a whole lot of mumblechatter from the crowd. Partly because of the music. Partly because 15 seconds is a lot shorter than you imagine. So unfortunately no funny anecdotes from today. Maybe if YHC made the timer more like 40-20… bah!

PREBLAST: The revenge of the Tabata at Ascent

With the Isabella Santos / Speed For Need race this Saturday, Ascent will remain open as a 7 am workout option! So all y’all over at the Rock Zero, c’mon up Rea road a bit and join us at Olde Providence Elementary

We will be featuring the Tabata timer (A form of HIIT) which will scale regardless of ability. So take advantage of this to tighten up that EH on that FNG you’ve been targeting, call up the PAX that have fallen off the radar, etc. They will survive, and it’s an easy refusnik if injuries prevent running. (All running will be optional in nature)

See you in the gloom

Ciabatta, er Tabatas at Ascent

7 Pax made their way on a humid morning out to Ascent for a little different of a workout.

The thang:

Warmup

A lap around the warmup-track, 15 SSH IC, 15 IW IC

Another Lap, 5 Super Slow Merkins, 15 Mountain Climbers IC

Another Lap

 

Mosey to the pullup bars

Max pull-ups + 1 assisted, 10 Low Slow Squats

Max pull-ups + 1 assisted, 10 Low Slow Squats

 

The meat-grinder

All workout stations are done 40 seconds max intensity, 20 seconds rest/move to the next station

  1. Left leg step ups
  2. Dips
  3. Right leg step ups
  4. Incline Merkins
  5. Wind-sprint
  6. LBC
  7. People’s chair
  8. 8 Count Manmakers
  9. Mountain Climbers
  10. Balls-to-the-wall/decline merkins/handstand

3 rounts, with an extra minute rest between rounds to allow the PAX to hydrate on such a humid morning.

The cool-down
Not a whole lot of time left on the clock, so just a mosey back to the parking lot for PAX choice Mary

Naked Moleskine
Unlike last time when YHC, the warbaby, tried picking music, there were no complaints about the classic rock playlist put together for today’s workout.  With this being a truly you-vs-you workout, the pax did a great job of pushing themselves to the very limit.  A lot of newer faces in this workout, always enjoyable to lead this group.

Hills, Humidity, and Heavy Rocks

6 PAX showed up on a humid July morning, unknowingly about to face the wrath of a sleep deprived Q…

The Thang:
An easy warmup with a lap of the short-track

SSH IC

IW IC

Another Lap

Mountain Climbers IC

Merkins IC

Somewhere around here, drano rolls in from the Java Run…

A stroll out to the benches for a quick circuit (see also: testing the knee out a bit)
10 Box Jumps

10 Dips

10 Incline Merkins

Plank-a-rama

Repeato x3

 

Then a mosey through the woods and we come to the (in)famous Ascent hill for a triple-nickel

5 rounds, 5 squats at the top of the hill, 5 merkins at the bottom.

 

Then a jog up one more long hill to Rea, a round of flutters to bring in the 6, then across the street to the rock pile.

The lifting pyramid went as such

2 Curls, 2 Overhead Press, 2 Tricep Extensions.

1 Burpee

4/4/4 – 2 Burpees

6/6/6 – 3 Burpees

8/8/8 – 4 Burpees

10/10/10 – 5 Burpees

Somewhere in here Q said something about last one… but then it went back down

8/8/8 – 4 Burpees

6/6/6 – 3 Burpees

4/4/4 – 2 Burpees

2/2/2 – 1 Burpee

 

A jog back across the parking lot for a quick hydration break

To the playground to do some pull-ups/merkins sets

Back to the school wall for the people’s chair with air presses and a tribute Moroccan Nightclub

Then circled up for a PAX choice Mary with some LBC’s, Dolly, Freddie Mercury, Mountain Climbers, and other exercises YHC forgot

Count, Names, Announcements, Ball O’ Man, and that’s a wrap.

 

NMM

A hot and humid morning, the sweat was pouring out in buckets.   YHC was pleasantly surprised to not have every joint in his body falling apart mid-workout, a good sign that the recovery from last month’s non-F3 related injuries has been going well.

The mumblechatter was there, mainly Drano recruiting for driving BRR vans, and the excuses that the PAX had to avoid it (already scheduled races, birthdays, anniversaries, something about a scheduled vacation with their dogs for an iditarod training session, the usual basket of excuses)

Good to see Purell out again, even though he’s yet to post with the guy (in some roundabout way through the M’s or 2.0s, YHC forgot how) who EH’ed him.  Good job Goon, the Black Tahoe was missed today.

 

Announcements:

Some BRR teams are looking for drivers. See Drano (I think it’s Slim Fast’s team)

The Q Sign up sheet for Ascent needs your help! Get on it! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4daca62ea2fc1-qschedule

Sun’s out, time to bring the guns out

With 8 brave souls lined up in the parking lot (and another late roller, you know who you are), YHC hatched a heavyweight plan to smoke the arms, and not skip leg day either

The Thang
Warmup
20x IC SSH
15x IC IW
15x IC Moroccan Nightclub (both forward and side)
Good Mornings
Toe touch to Plank to Downward Dog and back up stretches
10 Merkins at the plank
Pair up and do a little catch me if you can, 5 merkins. Down the field and back

The work
30sec A – 30sec B – 30sec C – 30 sec Rest. Repeat x3
Set 1
Upright Rows
Curls for the Girls
Overhead Press

Set 2
Teabag Squats
Figure 8s
Suitcase Lunges

Set 3
Swings
Clean and Press
High Pulls

Part Deux
An OYO circuit of Pull Ups, Lawnmower Rows and swings or a lap around the baseball field

Mary
PAX Choice
Flutter by Mall Cop
LBC by Toothpaste (FNG)
Freddie Mercury by El Rod
American Hammer by Heisenberg

Naked Moleskine
Great work by everyone that was here. Somewhere along the line Drano ran away. But we are not the marines, we will not send a search party for a lost PAX, especially one that gets lost standing in a circle. He returned during the OYO circuit, claiming to have ran down to the HT.

Great to have Mall Cop, Moon River, and Goon all out from their time on the IR list. Hope this was a good workout to get you back out and sweating but not re-injure anything.

Always a pleasure leading. The Q schedule at Ascent is open, and the upcoming weeks need some love, feel free to sign up, or message me on Twitter (@F3Sony), Ascent Signup Genius

Getting ready for the summer with 15s

YHC had the honor of leading 4 PAX in a 2nd F heavy workout at Ascent

The Thang

Quick Warm up with
15 SSH
15 Low Slow Squats
15 IW

Mosey over to the parking lot behind the Harris Teeter (approx 0.6 mi)

Shoulder-burner Suicides
A 5 step suicide, 3 parking spaces per step
5 Carolina Dry docks at the start line
3,6,9,12,15 Merkins per leg

Two rounds of this, then a mosey back to the site

A little recovery Mary, then a circuit OYO at the playground, run for time
10 Pull ups
10 Squats
10 Incline Merkins

Head from here over to the bleachers
15 IC dips
15 Jump Ups

Mosey back to the start, some Mary and it’s time

NMM
Good fellowship with a great group of guys this morning. YHC runs what most would call “a comfortable pace” when jogging, so there was plenty of catching up, but not so laid back that everyone wasn’t drenched in sweat come 8 am. As always, an honor to lead here.

Announcements
Speed 4 Need
Get on the Ascent Q schedule http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4daca62ea2fc1-qschedule

NEXT Week, convergence at The Rock/Day Zero at Calvary. Enjoy!

Great Saturday

(Posted verbatim on behalf of Goon. I didn’t proofread or spell-check…)

The Thang:

Dynamic stretching – loosening up the arms, shoulders, back, hips, and legs.

On the track: Lap, SSH x 10 IC, Lap, IW x 15 IC, Lap, Carolina Dry Dock x 10 IC, Lap, Dolly x 10 IC, Flutter x 10 IC, Lap, Leg Circles going around the horn spelling each PAX’s name with extended legs.

Mosey to church lot to grab a rock

Curls x 10 IC, Press x 10 IC, Triceps x 10 IC – pass rock to the left

On six: Bench w/rock while flutter kicking x 10 IC, Louganis x 10 IC, American Hammer x 10 IC

Run to basketball net and back (some PAX chose to sprint for extra credit)

Pass rock to left again, Curls x 10 IC, Press x 10 IC, Triceps x 10 IC, Bus Driver Squats x 10 IC

Mosey to Concession Stand

1 circuit: Merkin x 10 OYO, Tricep Dips x 10 OYO, LBC x 20 OYO

To the rear football field

Tunnel of Love x 2

Micro Beast: 50 yards CDD (left), walk back. 50 Yards CDD (right), walk back

Back to Concession Stand

1 circuit: Merkin x 10 OYO, Tricep Dips x 10 OYO, LBC x 20 OYO

Mosey to wall: People’s Chair while each PAX did 10 people’s choice exercises in front – while PAX on wall air pressing.

COT

A few observations:

Great effort by all today. Thanks to Moon River for leading the early stretches and taking us out, and to Slim Fast for graciously suggesting and organizing the Tunnel of Love.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to work in a visit from Jane Webb, but no muscle was left behind today and still got in 2 miles. Thanks to Slim Fast for clarifying the space in his name and extra claps to him and Sony for finishing with 10 burpees each during people’s choice.