Death Valley – Nov. 9, 2011* – March 11, 2020
Pax List: Callaway (Original DV Site Q, R), Stage Coach (past DV Site Q), Smokey and Dollywood (current DV Site Q), Floorslapper (wannabe DV Site Q), Runstopper (Q-jacker, respect), Tweetsie, Smokey (R), Point Break, Cheese Curd, Brautwurst (SP?), Bounty Hunter, Bomber, Snuka (R), Spackles, powered by Tito’s, Hops, Lorax, Red Card, Marge, Stone Cold, Ocho Cinco, Pinstripes, Mermaid, Kuechly, Far Side, Good Hands, Strawberry, Puddin’ Pop, Pop’s Gray Shirt (R), Clover, High Tide (R), Checkpoint (R), Hoover, Geraldo, Alf, Hairball, Icky Shuffle, Wild Turkey, Voodoo, Mighty Mite, Witch Doctor, Bananas, Hopper (R), Sanka, Wanker, Sensei, Slim Fast, Busch, Dollywood, Jet Fuel, Bounce, Uncle Leo, Hammer, Deep Dish, Gummy, Cottonmouth, Baracus, Lois, Bugeater, Bug 2.0, Bug’s work gloves, 49er, 49er’s water bottle.
* memories are hazy on the exact start date. This was before the internet, when BB’s were shared by email or group text. Callaway says a couple of months after A51 launch, which was Sept. 2011. The Shore says Jan. 2012. Stone Cold remembers Spring of 2012. Joker narrowed it down with laser-precision: “I remember it was a bit chilly in the morning.” I can verify it was before Feb 2012, cause that’s when I started, and that’s where I posted. So some time in Nov. is as good of a date as any.
Thang:
Gopher Loop around the dirt road, round back of the baseball field to the haunted trail over to Davie. COP on Dragon Lady Field, minus the Dragon Lady. Back through the woods because 1) it wouldn’t be a DV sendoff without a trip through the woods, and 2) it wouldn’t be a DV sendoff if we spent it at Davie.
Pax-led Mary while the 6 comes in, then Stone Cold leads an homage to Donkey Kong with various ways to touch the ground and other Pax and Jack Web 1-10.
Quiz time with Joker, 4 corners, mosey to front lot at school, lay down on the asphalt and talk to the guy next to you while Joker does Mary alone in the middle.
Ball of Man, Lord’s Prayer, lights out.
Old Moley:
For better and/or worse, it was 2013 all over again. Actual cadence counts, ill-advised nature walks by moonlight, partner wheel-barrows, bear crawls, unruly mob of 50+ chattering school girls. A dysfunctional family reunion, but a fun one. Special shout out to Callaway, the original Death Valley Site Q and founding co-father of A51, for making his way out to the gloom again. He and Joker just wanted to lead workouts closer to home but because of their leadership and unselfishness, A51 and all its daughter regions were born.
On the surface, DV can be summarized thus: Hundreds of men worked out at a nondescript middle school at 0530 for 8 years. That’s what we did, but that’s not what happened. Today was about celebrating What Happened but also a reminder to enjoy What’s Happening. Love on your wife, tickle the kids, call your parents, wrestle with the dog, ignore the cat.
And play with your friends at 530 in the morning.
There’s only so much lightning in every bottle and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Tomorrow we pour out the last drop and put DV on the shelf.
There’s 8-ish years and 32 pages of backblasts if you want to get caught up before tomorrow. Go back to the era of your first DV post and enjoy a few. Then text a few folks on that pax list to come join us. Should be a good time.
P.S. Bring a headlamp, old shoes, and a keen sense of balance.
When Cased Meat asks you to Q, you say Yes. Unless, that is, you are the first 15 people he asked….which is how, no doubt to his chagrin (and probably yours) I come to find myself Swift Q tomorrow.
In an effort to make it as Brat-like as possible, I’ve co-opted his plan from a Kiawah taper week of yesteryear: https://f3southcharlotte.com/2016/12/05/preblast-swift-taper-week/ . Meat-like appearance, meat-like smell, but lacking actual meat.
It is my understanding that The People of WalMart (Women’s Tights Division) have their own version of Cased Meat at Fast Twitch. If you are looking for a reason to gouge your eyeballs from your head, that may be the place for you.
Today’s backblast title is brought to you by childhood memories* of West Side Story on LaserDisc, Tato Skins and Tab.
See, what had happened was, the manly men got back from the pre-run to find a clip-boarding pair of interlopers desecrating hallowed Meathead ground: a man and woman (!) squealing to some synth-pop ear candy and romping about on the sinful side of 0.0. We about had a power-snapping donnybrook right there from the get go. Instead, we decided to mock from a distance (just loud enough to let them know we were talking about them, but quiet enough so they wouldn’t make it out and come beat us up), then rammed a snoot-full of High T pheromones right up their beaks with some Led Zeppelin (Moby Dick, all the way to 11), full body ewections (as my grad school TA would say), and a humped monkey or 12 in their general direction. The alpha dominance of 10 prostrate men, loins to the sky, was on full display. (Pro-tip: any time you can use plump, moist or loins in a BB, traffic increases a Hops-approved 13%. Spackler knows.) Bulldog finished them off with seated KB skull crushers. Which reminds me, you still owe me two Shake Weights, you wanker. Which also reminds me, can we call you Wanker again?
Today was the third press day (of 9) on the road to increased pep and vigor. If you’re not lifting cars off children and wearing burlap underwear by the end of this program, that’s on you. Horsehead’s over there getting his EyeBro’s swolt pressing double 45s. That’s like one and a half turkey legs–right up over his head. Speaking of, it’s easy (and fun) to belittle TL (see what I did there?). Just off the top of my head I think he’s been likened to Lawn Darts, midget-wrestlers, summer sausages, elves on shelves, and those monkeys that ride the little bikes and smoke Marlboro Lights. But I’ll tell you this: pound for pound, that’s one strong sum beach. He’s punching double 35’s to the sky like he just nailed the dismount. That’s more than 50% of his body weight–better than the rest of us chumps.
Only 3 Horsemen of the Southern Babdis Convention today: our boy Piggly went AWOL. Remember, you only get Greenbacks if you post. Don’t miss the girl riding the ironing board on page 131.
Your playlist HERE.
The third squat day will end Cycle 1 this Saturday at ELE at 0630. Pre-run at 0600. We will make quick work of the program and then move right into Prowler and Heavy Carries. Li’l Runstopper needs a hug.
*Results vary. Only valid in Sumter County, Effingham, and the Scape Ore Swamp.
The continuing saga of manly transformation from limp-bodied rag dolls to slabs of sinewy steel…Week 1, Day 2: The Squat Pyramid.
Protocol: 1 Clean, 1 Press, 1-n Squat Pyramid, 1 Renegade Row ea side. Based on combined effects of rhabdo, DOMS and rigor mortis from Day 1’s Press Pyramid and Heavy Swings, the dread of Squat Day loomed large. End result: Didn’t seem to bad on the way up, snuck up on you on the way down, then the 5 minutes of snatches about wrecked you. One Squat Day down, eight to go.
Wrapped up by working on our full body…tension: Racked carry, 1 min hard style plan, 1 min hollow body hold, 1 min glute bridge (see Day 1 BB for technique, directives on each). Bring a towel or pad for future workouts–we will end with this sequence going forward.
Day 3 is back to Press Pyramid and Heavy Swings. Saturday at ELE, at 0630, or OYO. Day 4 is Squat Pyramid again, Monday at 0530, ELE.
Remember, this is really an OYO strength program that meets to share KBs and alienate Header’s “friends.” Why he and Chin would do that to anyone is beyond me, but F3 is better for it, for now we have a Piggly added to the Pax list. You post with a surname like Wiggly, that’s like a Chin Music hanging curve getting swatted all the way to Laredo. Lots of pressure on our boy Piggly–don’t waste a great nickname by not showing up next time. Plus, we need to talk more about that Kate Spade leather KB/clutch you nipped from the wife. Many questions….well, more comments, really.
Pickle jars be warned: the six week Total Tension Kettlebell Complex has officially kicked off. It’s not too late for rest of you sluggards to join in–just pick up a couple of kettlebells (or dumbbells, if you must) and go OYO. The group aspect is helpful to pair up on bells and make the time go by but for traveling sales guys and late sleepers, there’s no excuse to miss it. You only get two backblasts for the six weeks: first press pyramid (today), and first squat pyramid (Thursday, Lord help us). So let’s get at it.
With one workout under the belt, this is a good time to review the program objective:
I built the following complex to give you “a-ha” moments in total body linkage and tension. And build some serious muscle mass in the process.
Pavel
Linkage and tension are the objectives. Muscle, mass, and strength are the results.
In retrospect, we should have spent some time practicing linkage and tension before the workout–check these out and practice them at home. We will also review briefly on Thursday.
Looking ahead…Thursday’s workout will pyramid the double front squats. Go to 4:00 mark for the squat standard. The press standard is at the 3:00 minute mark.
More reading on Tension:
Go back to the press standard video. Notice the balled fist in the free hand? Irradiation at work….
Later, men.
Stop being a Hoka-shod, run-poisoned bag of bones. In just three fun-filled sessions a week you can reclaim your pep and vigor, and up to 25 lbs of handsome, power-packed muscles all over. Improve your he-man good looks 1000%. Win new strength, win new popularity. Whether 15 or 50 years old, shoot new strength into your old backbone and exercise those inner organs—cram your body so full of red-blooded vitality that your friends will grow bug-eyed with wonder.
Too good to be true, you say? Here’s the kind of results we get:
“I gained 11 lbs , 5″ on my chest, 3 inches on my eyebrows, and am never constipated.” HH, Effingham
“I gained 24 pounds and got a new neck tattoo.” D.F., Waxhaw
“I gained 4 inches on my arms, and can open the pickle jar without asking my wife for help.” T.L., Charlotte
Those are real quotation marks, folks. You know it’s gonna be good with those kind of honest, un-exaggerated testimonials. All you need is two kettlebells (or a friend with one the same as yours) and a willingness to work.
Read more about the program HERE.
DETAILS
Finish times may vary depending on how long you decide to rest between sets.
Starts Monday, October 7, and runs for 6 weeks, ending Nov. 16. This is an OYO, Self-Q workout. We’ll meet as noted, but if you miss you make up that day on your own. Program spreadsheet will be posted on A51 and SOB slack channels.
These pythons aren’t at the top of the food chain. I am.
Terry O’Hara
Writing a BB wasn’t on the list for today but I figure if you 1) bring all the gear, 2) make helpful suggestions on the Weinke, and 3) Q-jack the playlist, you, sir, just Q’d a workout. Do the honorable thing and write the BB (with Oxford commas, if you please.)
Some of you new guys are asking, “So you’re saying anyone that leads a workout in Area 51 can write a backblast? I thought it was just for Waxhaw, Horsehead’s multiple personalities, and Gummy’s Chevy Chase quotes.” It would appear that way, but it’s true: you, too, can write a BB. In fact, you can write one even when you don’t Q. To wit…
The handful of runners before the workout went the Spam Runner route, to the right at 51. Now Header gets his little man soccer shorts in a bunch every time you say that, but it’s an established fact that the real Meat Runner is to the left on 51. Regardless, the mesomorphs dominated that day, going 1-2 on the podium while ectomorphs Header, Chin and Two Lips presumably carried on about the topics of the day. By the time we got back, Stone Cold was ready to whip us into shape.
If the Weinke was for one group to push the Prowler and the rest to stand around complaining about the Prowler, pretending to do the other exercises, then you can check that off. We did that. There’s no hiding with the Prowler–it’s either moving or it’s not and it was loaded up this morning. Big props to Turkey Leg; he’s about as thick as a lawn dart but he pushed that thing with the big boys. Then the big boys pushed it with him–on it. Watching TL ride the Prowler was how I imagine I would feel watching midget wrestling: kind of funny and sad at the same time.
Meanwhile, in the Meathead tradition, the Q attempted to get a heavy (but tasteful) metal playlist up on the Spotify but somehow ended up on Horsehead’s wedding reception playlist. With Skid Row and Warrant power ballads failing to inspire the pax, Stone Cold changed over to an indistinguishable hair metal channel before inexplicably settling on Debbie Gibson Radio. I don’t fault the man’s music tastes–we all have our hidden obsessions (see also: Haze, Susanna Hoffs). No, the problem here is that, quicker than you can Shake Your Love, the pax separated themselves into opposing gangs of Sheep (Debbie Gibson) and Goats (Tiffany). We are talking Capulet/Montague, Coke/Pepsi, crunchy/creamy, over/under; quite acrimonious and, seemingly, no middle ground. Even with the receding testosterone, Bananas and Tackling Dummy about came to blows.
Out of this ugliness comes a silver lining. Somehow it has escaped my attention for coming on eight years that Debbie Gibson and Tiffany starred in a movie together: Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. I think it would be fitting for you to just click on over. After a look at the trailer, there’s nothing more to say.
We started with Asleep at the Wheel:
We continued with an unapologetic, unoriginal TR workout: Mostly Running + Some Exercises. (NOTE: This is entirely different from my only other workout: Mostly Running + Some Hairburners.)
Pause at 6:04. The time is now 56 to 7.
We concluded with the honey-soaked Miss’ippi drawl of Big League Chew with possibly the best take out A51 has ever heard. Love bombs, not F-bombs.
Other: Gloss was proud of me.