Author Archive Strawberry

Stay Dry

What we did aka The Thang:

After disclaimer we quickly crossed over to Blakeney at the lot in front of My Gym for warm up of SSH and IW. We then took a quick circle around a designated loop that will be part of the workout.

The workout consisted of movements focusing on Arms, then Abs, then Legs. After every movement, we took a lap around the designated loop I partitioned out with cones. We started each movement together. Whoever finished the movement and loop first did various planks until the 6 arrives. Then we all started on the next movement together.

Movements:

  • Arms: 15 Merkins / 15 Wide arm Merkins / 15 Diamond Merkins (after the loop, we held 6” plank until the 6 finished)
  • Abs: 25 LBC / 25 Flutter / 25 Rosalita (regular plank until the 6 arrives)
  • Legs: 50 Monkey Humpers / 50 Squats (hold 6” while on your 6 until the 6 arrives back)
  • Arms: 25 Wall-Tar Jie / 25 Mike Tyson (6” plank)
  • Abs: 50 Heels to Heaven / 50 WWII Sit-up (regular plank)
  • Legs: 50 Lunges / 50 Bonnie Blair (6” on your 6)
  • Arms: 100 Air press while in Ppl’s chair (6” plank)
  • Abs: 50 American Hammer / 50 Chippy cross (regular plank)
  • Legs: 100 calf raises (6” on our 6)

Rinse and repeat until 5 minutes left. Mosey back to launch.

Moleskin:

  • According to my watch we went 4.41 miles.
  • Not a lot of chatter today. We needed to concentrate on counting!
  • Breakfast is always enjoyable with my brothers.

Announcements:

  • Keep the focus on Christ. He’s the reason for the season.
  • Keep Fallout’s 2.0 and any others in your continued prayers.
  • Hit up Soft Pretzel for Sandbox service opportunities.
  • Winter challenge for COTS – pick up a pair of gloves and/or winter hat. Come serve and give it out to someone in need.

Old School Gear…or just old a*s gear

For Genesis, we took it back old school. No not Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” However, I did wear a fanny pack and those went out of style in the 80’s so we did go back pretty far for us…well at least for me #notamillennial #overripefruit

Any-who, this is what we did:

  • Short mosey through the walkway to the back part of Banana Republic. We were only window shopping.
  • Quick 20 count of SSH and IW
  • Warm up mosey around building to finish back at the fountain for the main course
  • Main Course: 3 ~ 50 lb. logs for 3 men. Circuit work called.
    • 1st round we’ll do 50 dips then shoulder log and run down around playground, over to the Brixx side and back to start.
    • 2nd round called for 50 decline merkins then a lap with the log
    • 3rd round called for 50 incline merkins then a lap with the log
  • Main Course #2: same 3 round circuit with different exercises
    • 1st round – thrusters with logs then run same path but sans log. We did 50…er 25 this time
    • 2nd round – overhead press x 50 with log then around the path sans log
    • 3rd round – bench press x 50 with log then around same path.
  • Palate cleanser: jog around dormant Bermuda grass area with various movements
    • 1st lap – backwards
    • 2nd lap – Karaoke
    • 3rd lap – karaoke flapjack
    • 4th lap – butt kickers
  • Final Course: return logs to truck and grab 2 brick pavers each. At grassy area directions were given.
    • Bear Crawl with bricks 10 yards out then 10 diamonds merkins with bricks
    • Crab Walk 10 yards back then wide arm merkins (also with bricks)
    • Side walk with bricks 10 yards out then 10 regular merkins (continue with bricks)
    • Side walk flap jack 10 yards back then man-maker merkins (unfortunately still with bricks)
  • Finished 30 seconds early. No complaints heard.

Moleskin:

  • Blakovery pax were jealous of our swoleness (yes that’s a word. Per Wiktionary: The state, quality, or condition of being swole)
  • I’m still sore today (Thursday)
  • I missed posting to bootcamps. My back held up; now I just have to quit being lazy.
  • General is a beast. Not sure he broke a sweat.
  • One-Niner wasn’t far behind however. He said at the end of the workout that he broke a sweat. #satisfactionguaranteed

Announcements:

  • COTS is in need of winter clothing. Socks are the most requested item.

 

Thank you guys for letting me lead you this morning. It was fun and I can only now move my arms without pain. I’ll be there again with you on Monday unless we are in #snowmageddon #needaccountability #heartbreaker?

Blackjack

15 high rollers tried their luck at the Uwharrie Bank and Casino. The wolfpack was formed and we all came away big winners.

 

The Thang:

No need to move from where we were hanging pre-work so we circled up. The warm up was incorporated with the disclaimer #twoforone: SSH x 14ish. Wanting to move on we moved at a fast pace up Elm to BCP; stopping for the six and some squats. Moving on we moved down to BDP and Rea for lungs and the six. We crossed Rea and moved to lower floor of the parking deck; circling up to a card table.

With YHC playing the part of dealer, we ran through rounds of Blackjack with the F3 WO Cards. Groups of 4 and 5 play hands. Whomever won the hand led the pax through the exercises listed on their winning cards. Many merkins and backward lunges were performed. #rangermerkins? Every pax played at least 2 hands. YHC won the 1st hand but no more. I thought the house always won?

Slower mosey back to the start with some quick Mary and it was time.

 

Naked Moleskin:

 

– Frehley’s can shuffle quite well while wearing gloves

– Many hands of 21 / blackjack were played.

– I don’t think the fast pace to start was well liked by Mighty Mite.

– Wingman tripped us out on High Knees.

– Apparently a ranger merkin is: Merkin position – however, your hands should be placed back more in line with your rib cage instead of your shoulders.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve led. I hope to get back more involved. Always a blessing to be with you guys. Honored to lead such great men.

 

Announcements:

– Christmas Parties coming up

– YHC is collecting business clothes for COTS

Suns Out, Guns Out

It’s quickly warming and time for short sleeves, no sleeves, no shirt. That means it’s time to start back working on our guns to combat the SOB soccer arm syndrome. This workout should take care of that.

What we did:

  • Quick short mosey and circle up for even quicker warm up: SSH x 20, IW x 10. That’s good enough and we’ll get warm really soon.
  • Run down The Murderhorn to the rock pile and grab yourself a lifting rock.
  • Instructions were given to what we will do the full 45: We’ll do a movement at the rock pile with our rock, run up to the playground/pool to do another movement; Run back to the rock pile and plank for the 6. We’ll then start back with the 1st movement, then add a 2nd movement; run back to the playground/pool area to do the 1st movement there, then add a 2nd movement before running back to the rock pile and plank again. We’ll keep adding movements until time is called.
    • Round 1 – 50 curls at bottom / 50 dips at top
    • Round 2 – 50 curls then 40 overhead press at bottom / 50 dips then 40 offset merkins at top.
    • Round 3 – 50 curls, 40 overhead press, 30 tricep extensions at bottom / 50 dips, 40 offset merkins, 30 derkins at top
    • Round 4 – 40 curls, 40 overhead, 30 tricep extensions, 20 triple lindys / 50 dips. 40 offset merkins, 30 derkins, 20 box jumps
    • Round 5 called for time, but we would have done all of the above plus 10 thrusters and 10 pullups
  • Back up The Murderhorn and back to the launch. The 6 was the Q and when I arrived back it was time.

Moleskin:

  • As is with many of my workouts – what looks great on paper doesn’t translate well in action. I like the concept and the rounds, but the exercises will have to be tweaked so we’re not doing 70 merkins at a time. I’ll also incorporate some more leg work so we’re not all arms with bird legs. #topheavy. We’ll have to save this workout for a Saturday as we all started cutting corners and counts to try and finish. With an hour at my disposal, we can take our time and focus on form. Lastly, better instructions to the pax to pick a smarter rock #runningrock will be given. Cobains men. This workout will be tweaked and brought out again (actually 4/28 at DaVinci more than likely). That being said, everyone still got swole and is probably at bit sore today.
  • Gotta love McGee’s go to response to an exercise that’s ridiculous: “That’s BS!” He then always goes out and crushes it. Form withstanding.
  • Do you know what I have always loved about Rebel Yell so much over the years? It’s the numerous different Pax that we have drawn in. In any given week, we can turn over half or more of the attendees to different ones. Some young (Chunder – hate, hate at 19) to some not so Marlin (51 – Respect). Some who have not posted at RY before (Site FNG Das Boot) to Morning After who is almost always a RY attendee. I love that diversity.
  • Olaf gave all of us some incredible words of wisdom. He recently lost a friend in his early 50’s to a heart attack that had just been given a clean bill of health by his doctor. His advice — Don’t take any day for granted. Tell your family that you love them; and then show it. You do not know when you time on this earth is up, so don’t worry so much about tomorrow because you may never get there.

Announcements:

  • It’s running/race season and there’s a lot of SpeedForNeed races upcoming.
  • F3 Dads camping is next weekend (not announced I don’t think but should have been).
  • 3rdF / service opportunities – Church on the Street and Sandbox. Ask about opportunities to serve.

Raiders from the North

When the call went out that Dromedary was going to be leaderless, YHC from the Northern Territory saw an opportunity to rush down across the border for some UC territorial assault. So, with my best Shakespeare impression, “Once more unto the breach dear friends…” – I jumped into the fray as their morning Q. With a Bratwurst and Tuck’s humid Pre-Run (or as Tuck put it – just sweaty people) along with 15 other men for 17 total – we set off to conquer the pit of misery (actually the plush grass of the practice football fields).

War Tactics:

  • After a 1.5 minute ‘Oops’ delay and a quick disclaimer, we mosey’ed from a flat and well-lit area, to an inclined and dark area for warm ups: SSH x 20, Merkins x 10, IW x 20.
  • After that we Mosey’ed over and around the middle school to the football practice fields where we elbow planked on the softest grass in the entire AO; maybe in all of F3 (Not on purpose but I’ll take credit). After the 6 arrived, instructions given for our first exercise:
    • Line up across the sideline. Do called exercise and sprint to far sideline for elbow plant unto the 6 arrives and planks. Rounds were as follows:
      • LBC x 25
      • Flutter x 20
      • Heels to Heaven x 25
      • Dolly x 20
      • Rosalita x 25
      • Box Cutters x 20
      • Chippy Cross x 25
      • Freddy Mercury x 20
    • Short work for a longer distance to travel, but the grass was worth it.
    • Mosey back around to the lunch room patio at Marvin Middle for many dips and a few step ups until the 6 arrives.
    • Mosey back down to the rock pile and partner up. One lifting rock per team.
    • Partner 1 does a called exercise while partner 2 runs to the far end of the parking lot, and back to relieve them. Flap Jack. Get at least 25 reps each, but lift until your partner returns. Rounds here as follows:
      • Curls
      • Overhead Press
      • Triceps Extensions.
      • Triple Lindy
      • Thrusters were on tap, but we were running out of time. Dang 1.5 minute delay because of YHC socializing. Cobains!
    • Mosey back to launch and bust out 30 LBC’s before we’re done.

War Journal:

  • Not that anyone’s keeping count, but this largely unknown territory to the North Country city slickers had today (and typically has) the largest contingent of pax posting week in and week out between UC, SOB, and A51. TClaps to Bratwurst and Goodfella for their leadership in growing this awesome and diverse AO.
  • Speaking of growth – Goodfella brought out a FNG – Troy Cartegina (sp) or now known as YoAdrian! (my own exclamation point, how can you not say it without?)
  • Everyone was pushing hard today, and you can see the physical growth of many. What’s even better, there’s a lot of great support for each other.
  • Good takeout my Money Ball.
  • Thanks for letting me lead!

Upcoming Skirmishes:

  • It’s 5K racing season starting up. Speed for Need has a ton of racing coming up. Run Jen Run is the first race of the season (actually 2nd – Joe Davis was the 1st). Richard Sheltra, many more. Sign up for one or many and ask to push a track commander in the chariot.
  • Marvin Ridge – Run for the Ridge 5K at the end of March. Speed for Need will be there, but no track commanders as of yet. Let Bratwurst know if you have anyone in mind.
  • Bro-lympics is this Saturday at Weddington HS – be there at 5:30
  • Church on the Street – shameless plug and Q leverage – you need to do this! It will humble you, and we all need that. M and 2.0 are welcome! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4aaba82ca7fe3-church1
  • Q School is scheduled for Saturday 3/3 from 7-9AM. This is for anyone who wants to know more about the method to our madness. We’ll go over cadence, tailoring workouts, help with backblasts, and some basis of why we do what we do. Below is the link to sign up. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTmqrhPvgfvmaGfqcsqWeMLh53_9mNXum88RUtKxZtER66NA/viewform
  • Many 3rd F opportunities are being started up, or have been happening. Great small groups together with other F3 men and/or otherwise:
    • Johnny Utah is starting one – Week from Thursday at Chimney’s clubhouse: 7:30-8:30PM. Book reading – “Disciplines of a Godly Man” Contact him for details
    • Bottlecap and Money Ball have started one Sunday morning 7-7:45AM at Lawson Clubhouse
    • The Sanctuary is Monday evenings 7:30-8:30 at Brooklyn Pizza Parlor in Wesley Chapel.

Box of wine named MVP of Super Bowl and a Happy Birthday to Crab Cake

5 of us didn’t let any super bowl parties keep us from The Big House this morning. Not even with an offensive explosion from a Box of Wine. In the end, we sweated out any remnants of food an alcohol; which is pretty extraordinary in 30-degree weather.

What we did:

  • Bad disclaimer given (cobains) and quick mosey to park loop. Indian run around loop for our warmup. Circle up for: SSH, IW, LSS. All a short 10 count cadence.
  • Circuit work between shelter 1 and 2:
    • 20 dips, derkins, and incline merkins at Shelter 1.
    • 10 box jumps at concrete squares, 10 more at benches
    • 20 knee ups, flutter, and LBC at Shelter 2.
    • Jog around loop.
  • Peoples Chair to catch breath. Here we held our arms out and did air presses with increased speed ~ 30 count.
  • Back to circuit work described above but up counts to 30; followed by another jog around loop.
  • Another round of Peoples Chair.
  • Last Circuit with count upped to 40 each exercise movement.
  • Short loop back to launch for 2 minutes of Mary – 40 x Dolly and 15 x Rosalita.

Moleskin/Observations:

  • Bad idea: drinking out of boxes of wine
  • Good Idea??? – posting this workout after drinking out of boxes of wine
  • Brilliant Idea – choosing the shortest part of the concrete squares to do box jumps.
  • Winner of all the above – Tool Bag. He also wins the award for the most entertaining.

Announcements:

  • It’s Speed for Need / running season starting back up.
    • Go Jen Go / Run Jen Run is the next Speed for Need event. 3/3/18 – register and talk with Frazier about pushing the Speed for Need chariot.
    • Richard Sheltra Memorial Run is another Speed for Need event. 4/28/18. Dumpster Fire is trying to work out a partnership with the Fire Dept. on the chariots (with whom Richard Sheltra was a part of and through his service lost his life).
    • Brolympics are 2/24/18 (why the winter?) If your disappointed that they are not having football throw and keg toss, you can help out with admin. Duties. There’s a pre-blast courtesy of Transporter with details.
    • F3 Dads has 2 events coming up: 3/17 for Charlotte Checkers and Camping at Cane Creek Park: 4/20-22. Go to F3 Dads on Slack for Details
    • Talk to me about serving at Church on the Street. It’s an incredibly humbling experience, and we are serving Christ as we serve our brothers and sisters.
    • Keep Private Benjamin in your prayers. He had surgery and is recovering.
    • Happy 48th Birthday to Crab Cake. Getting closer to #RESPECT

 

  • Thanks to Dumpster Fire for the great takeout and the opportunity to lead this morning.

 

Running or Lifting Rock

On invite from Good Fella; YHC descended on Marvin Creek to lead the great men of Dromedary. No logs this time, but we all did learn that we could run with a ‘lifting’ rock.

Disclaimer was given, and partners were chosen. Quick Mosey towards rock pile, but stopping for a quick warmup. Circle up for SSH x 50 so the stragglers could catch up (I was going for that count anyway).

One Partner grab a lifting rock. Grab a big one or else. With your partner CMIYC up and down the parking lot lanes to the halfway point. One partner runs with rock. The other 10 hand release merkins and catch your partner.

Mosey to the hill in front of MCHS. Partner 1 does thrusters while partner 2 runs up the hill for 10 LBC. Total per team = 200. However, stop halfway through to pass your rock down to your right for the next team. Finish out your last 100 Thrusters.

CMIYC back up and down the parking lot lanes back to discard your rocks. Same deal as before – 10 hand release merkins and catch your partner running with the rock.

With us running short on time, I decided to change up my plan on the fly – it wasn’t as clean as a result. We did 4 corners/21’s. At each corner of same span we just ran, we will do merkins and squats. At the 1st, 20 merkins/1 Squat; then 19 merkins, 2 squats at the next corner, then 18 merkins/3 squats. So on and so forth until the count for merkins and squats are reversed…or until time.

We had to cut the 4 corners short due to time, but quickly circled for a last second LBC round.

Moleskin:

– It had been a while my last Q here. Thanks goes to Goodfella for bringing me back.

– The SSH were aggressive but we needed a warm up.

– Glad so see some real rocks were picked. I’ve seen quite a few pebbles and YHC wasn’t having that.

– Dromedary consistently has good numbers of Pax. Great leadership guys!

– Many ‘Respect’ members today. You can’t tell as they grind and lead as good as the young bucks.

Announcements:

– Speed for Need races upcoming – Isabella Santos and Susan B. Komen

– COTS is a great organization and I implore you to check it out and sign up to serve.

– F3 Golf is in October

 

 

 

Log PT / Burp-Day

Today is YHC’s 43rd birthday. What a better way to spend it is opening new burp-day presents with friends.

 

Disclaimer; get in teams of 4 (one five) – similar heights recommended.

Mosey to side lot for warm up – 43 SSH.

Cross over Elm and reconvene at the top of The Murderhorn. Directions given for 10 merkins at the 3 streetlights, then 13 at the stop sign. Continue up to my truck parked at the community park.

Presents were opened. For my birthday I had 7 logs. Three of them weighed ~48 lbs., 3 more 55-60 lbs., and one big boy at 75 lbs. My other presents offered were 2 x 12 ft. 6×6 posts.

Two 4-5 man teams shoulder posts and make your way down to the stop sign at the bottom of The Murderhorn. Return to the start point and switch with another team. Only one trip per team. Remaining teams start on the partner and single man circuits:

 

Single man circuit:

43 Burpees

43 LBC

43 Squats

43 Dips

43 Heels to Heaven

43 Calve Raises

 

Partner circuit:

Military press logs as follows:

25 x Green (48 lb logs) – press all 3 logs

20 x Yellow (55-60 lb logs) – press all 3 logs

8 x Red (75 lb log)

143 total military presses.

 

Once you finish; start back through single man circuit until time is called.

Quick mosey back to cars – 1 minute overtime. Sorry guys. Time.

Observations:

– Laronda and Crab Cake pressing the 48lb logs w/o partners. #beasts.

– Purple Haze finishing everything before I was halfway. #he’sback

– The logs weren’t heavy, but you would get gassed out quickly.

– Still crazy humid.

– Morning After with the funniest comment at Namerama that we’ve heard in a long time “gloves are overrated.” Perfect

 

Announcements:

– Speed for Need races upcoming

– Gutcheck afterwards – Chick-Fil-A at Stonecrest

– F3 Golf

– Need some guys to sign up for COTS

 

Form 101

Sometimes we get caught up with trying to move as fast as we can; we (I) can power through a movement without regard for proper form. Which is counterintuitive with why we get up so early. It’s to work out! So proper form is quite necessary. We always need someone to help remind us nowadays.

Quick Disclaimer – Welcome FNG John Wood. …And we’re off to the Murderhorn. No warm up; no hi-fives. Mosey down the ‘Horn to the playground/pool. Plank for the six; avoid the garbage truck.

Circle for warm up.
– Little baby arm circles front/back.
– Overhead claps/front claps.

Super 21 17 – (we only got 15 here).

Partner up at park entrance. Partner 1 runs up to the top of the Murderhorn. Partner 2 runs the other way down Elmstone to the cul-de-sac. Each pax does 10 bonnie blairs at their respective end, and runs back to meet partner for 20 hand slap merkins. Flap jack routes, and copy/paste.

After one revolution, we all ran to the bottom of The ‘Horn for # 16, and 17 of Super 21. Back up to the top and over to the cars.

M’Skin:

– YHC got called out for my merkin form on Super 21 by Haggis. “Those aren’t Merkins Mate”. I’m sure they were terrible.
– Welcome John Wood from Avon, PA – now known as Mary K.
– Not much else to report in an almost week late BB. Another form fail! Sorry Mate.

Announcements:
– Does it matter. I’m a week late. Cobains.

12 Pax came out to support Chopper for my VQ

In an effort to be creative I presented a twist on an old favorite the triple nickel and called it the 666 Suicide which may have been my downfall. My knee gave way and had to limp the rest of the course while giving directions along the way. Maybe more thorough stretching before and after is in my future as it seems my injured knee is due to tight, locked up leg muscles.

Workout:
1. Assembly, disclaimer & start

2. Warm up: side straddle hop, imperial walkers, low slow squat, windmill, mountain climbers.

3. Partner up at fountain: 200 dips (per team) as partner runs around light pole

4. Mosey to wall behind Old Navy (plank or Mary till 6 arrives)

5. Indian run along back of building to end when it turns toward Rea Rd.

6. Triple 6 Suicide (this is my twist on the triple nickel): start with 6 Carolina dry docks run to first of 6 cones (or some other marker) then do 6 jump squats…end at the 6th marker. Mary until 6 is in.

7. Wall sit exercises for ~2-3 minutes

8. Mary Starfish at the circle

9. Mosey to square on Tolleson Ave. Break into teams of 3 (2 men exercising, 1 running at any given time) step ups at one end and derkins at other end

10. Mosey back to Chick-fil-A for Mary & elbow plank (2 minutes)

Closing circle

MOleskin courtesy of Strawberry:
– 666 Suicides were terrible. Thanks Chopper. I think those did you in.
– It was quite saucy this AM. It’s just getting hotter too.
– Great use of the AO. We traveled in all 4 quadrants, and visited the boardwalk/nature trail as well.