Fat Camp BB: A Tribute to the Site-Q’s

Fat Camp BB: A Tribute to the Site-Q’s

A Tribute to F3 Leaders

After taking it easy during most of the workouts for the past month or two (MAF’fing it), YHC decided to honor both of the site-Q’s, Pebbles & Mario, who are tough as they come, by throwing down one of the hardest workouts YHC could put together at their site. You can always count on Pebbles to step up and Q a strong workout at a number of locations week-in and week-out, and he has been the face of F3 Indian Land for some time now. Pebbles challenges others to give their best effort during workouts, leading by example, and you always see him competing at the front of the pack. He has revived the Black Diamond workout, helped start Fat Camp, and challenged PAX from several regions to test their boundaries for several years now in The Gladiator Games (which may or may not be skewed to his strengths).  We need more leaders like Pebbles in F3, we just prefer they don’t stare down the PAX with crazy eyes, to keep men coming back to the workouts.

Mario might just be the youngest SOB despite turning 25yrs old, but if you were to measure leadership by age, Mario would be a RESPECT.  I looked up what it means to be a Leader in the F3 Dictionary and here’s what I got:

A leader shows up to an F3 Dads Workout without being a dad and plays with so many 2.0s that an FNG might think you’re the father of more kids than Antonio Cromartie (13 known 2.0s). A leader steps up to be an active site-Q for multiple AO’s The Brave, Fat Camp, and F3HotTubs. A leader volunteers to manage the never ending Twitter responsibilities for SOB workouts while having a full-time job and full-time grad school.  A leader doesn’t just sign up for the Whetstone Mentorship Project but coordinates and markets the program so heavily because he sees that other men can and should strengthen each other, and acts as a mentor or mentee when possible at all times.  A leader puts more value on a F3 Spartan Team going #1 rather than beating anyone individually. A leader moves forward through obstacles and adversity with positivity and purpose, even when it’s the inexplicable loss of a your father, or some d-bag stealing the bike you worked so hard to pay for.

Mario is the definition of a leader. Buddy know we will be here by your side as you go through this tragedy and lead your family.

We have tremendous leaders in F3 Nation, and YHC sees them every morning from 5:15am-6:15am daily, reads about them in backblasts, sees them in action in community service projects, and knows F3 Nation is a big reason why there are more and more leaders in our communities.  Great work men, continue your leadership. Today, YHC just wanted to publicly recognize two of many for their leadership contributions.

Summary

YHC had the week off from my regular Wednesday men’s group, and volunteered last minute to lead ‘Fat Camp’ for the first time, as a tribute to the Fat Camp Site-Q’s (Pebbles & Mario), and openly promised to make it the HARDEST workout of their week on reduced Twitter marketing (are you happy Twitter followers?!?). 14 men answered the bell, but you’ll need to ask them if YHC delivered on that promise…as for me, it’s Thursday Morning and YHC is flat-out car-accident sore.

The Thang

YHC arrived ~30 minutes early to unpack the truck and set up the field with tons of gear.  Several witty PAX like Wild Turkey assumed a 60minute MAF run was in the cards for Fat Camp, but there would be NO running today (or low heart rates) other than a half-hearted mosey around the parking lot to pick up the final two PAX coming in hot with their vehicles.  The PAX were looking for the Q at 5:13am and apparently missed the bright headlamp and giant truck parked next to the field. Quick disclaimer was given recommending modifications as necessary given the nature of the planned workout #HEAVYstuff #cantsueme

The workout of the day was a TABATA format: 4-min @ 7 different stations w/ 15 seconds of transition time in-between.  The 7 stations were done for two sets, for a total of 13* 14 stations.  2 men started at each station, one man rotating clockwise and the other man rotating counter-clockwise at the completion of each 4-min segment.  So of the two men at station #1, one would move to 7>6>5>4>3>2>1>7>6>5>4>3>2 while the other man would move to 2>3>4>5>6>7>1>2>3>4>5>6>7 at the conclusion of the 4 min period. To YHC instructions seem so simple, but for whatever reason… listening to instructions seem to be the hardest exercise of any workout #noonelistenstotheQ .  Aside from Exercise #7, YHC threw out some of the toughest exercises that could be done for 4 minutes straight, out of respect for the Fat Camp Site-Q Leaders Pebbles & Mario.

*Apologies for YHC’s FIRST, and likely LAST, Q-fail ever, and despite having supernatural genetically infused math skills, YHC miscounted the number of stations by 1, so only 13 4-min rounds were completed not 14*

1. Partner #1 performs a Weighted Sled Push (~250lb) down and back, while Partner #2 performs American Hammer with 20lb sandbag. Flapjack when P1 completes sled push.
2. Both Partners continuously carry ~85lbs Home Depot Bucket of pavers around two cones.  Any rest from carrying would be done in a plank position.
3. Tug-O-War between partners, where partners were to provide plenty of constant resistance against the other partner the entire time.
4. Farmer’s Carry of 2X45lb Kettle Bells or 2X45lb Barbell Plates around two cones. Throw in shoulder shrugs as added level of difficulty. Any rest from carrying would be done in a plank position.
5. Partner Resistance Bands: P1 clipped resistance band around waist and ran FORWARDS, while P2 pulled two straps behind P! for forward resistance. On the way back P1 runs BACKWARDS, while P2 pulled two straps for backwards resistance. Flapjack.
6. Partner #1 Wheelbarrow to the cone, flapjack, Partner #2 wheelbarrow back. Repeato. Modification was Crab Walks not Bear Crawls because #bearcrawlsarebullcrap
7. Both partners low side shuffle to one end of the cones, do 3 burpees, side shuffle back to the other set of cones, 3 burpees. Repeat until 4min is up.

COT…. load the gear back in to truck, be inspired by a great heart-felt takeout by Bubble Boy, peace we outa here!

Naked Moleskine

Back to the Workout… To YHC surprise, 14 men showed up to Fat Camp, which was a larger group than YHC expected. Lucky that 7 stations were in order, and that we had an even number of men which made for a perfect rotation.

Fire Hazard pumped his knees higher than a marching band drum major, and pulled like an ox during the partner resistance band exercises. Peppermint apparently wasn’t getting enough of a workout farmers carrying 90lbs of deadweight, that he carried two paver buckets (170lb) around the cones #ridiculous.  After basically smashing everyone* in the Horsey Hill Race Monday, Fahvra proved he’s got more than just speed and and sexxxy ripped body (direct quote from Flint), but enough power to go toe-to-toe in tug-o-war with pound-for-pound one of the strongest guys in F3 Pebbles.  Speaking of Flint, he’s made great strides in such a short time in F3 and YHC is very proud of him for stepping up to lead Foxhole Monday (despite YHC missing the VQ on account of the “poo-drips” #TMI). Wild Turkey always gives his all, and YHC observed him gassing out his forearms on battle-rope swings like he was back in wrestling camp… wait was that a called exercise (NO)? Despite a busted shoulder, One-Niner beasted the workout and YHC bets could go all day walking on his hands in partner wheelbarrows.  Argonaut has ridiculous strength, choosing to carry the 45lb KB above his head for farmers carry, just as he carried the 70lb log above his head up Bagpipe Hill during one of YHC’s Brave Q’s.  While the heavy sled would barely budge for many Pax, Mighty Mite had no issues pushing the lowest bar (hardest), and even was seen pulling the weight sled backwards without using the tow rope. Firemarshall Bill dragged YHC across the field in tug-o-war faster than Harambe the silver-back gorilla did with the kid at the Cincinnati zoo a few months ago. YHC is sending him the bill for a new pair of workout shorts and butt-bandaids from the turf-burn YHC incurred after only a few minutes.  First time meeting Bubble Boy at a workout, but the guy is legit, and will be pushing for the lead in any workout he posts at. Good to see Kirby show up and work hard at Fat Camp, after YHC invited him after meeting him at Bagpipe the day before. Hope to see you at more workouts.  Bourne is a grinder, and showed it’s not the size of the dog in the fight… it’s the size of the fight in the dog (or something like that).  JRR Tolkien’s apparently just a runner now…a slow one at that, and struggled through everything 🙁 But it was a pleasure to lead a different workout, and serve my F3 Brothers. Thank you Pebbles & Mario for the opportunity to lead.

Announcements

• This Saturday is a great opportunity to get a Metro style workout from one of their BEST Q’s without having to make the drive Uptown.  Post @ Stonehenge this Saturday @ 6am (The Vine American Kitchen) as Foulball has volunteered to Q (yes, the guy that just ran a 16:37 5k at Greekfest which was good for 3rd place overall out of over 1,000 runners) #mancrush .  As an added bonus, you may see the long awaited return of our brother Tuck who has been on the shelf with knee issues.
• Stop reading all the news smut about Anthony “Carlos Danger” Weiner sexting (someone told me about that, ok), instead read the F3 Area51 Newsletter, Wingman does a GREAT job putting it together week-after-week.  It has details about CSAUP and Convergences coming up.

SYITG ~ JRR Tolkien