16 fine gents (including one FNG) appeared in the gloom for a Kevlar gear workout that worked the whole body.
THE THANG
SSH x 15
IW x 15
Merkins x 15
Dry docks x 15
Partner up
Partner 1 runs to touch rock while partner 2 does flutter kicks. Flap jack x 2
Partner 1 runs to touch rock while partner 2 does man maker merkins. Flap jack x 2
Partner 1 runs to touch rock while partner 2 does burpees. Flap jack x 2
Over to soccer field for pairs circuit:
1) Run lap (timer)
2) Pull ups
3) Stagger tire merkin
4) Box jumps
5) Barbell
5) Dry docs in tire
6) Tri dips on tire
7) Weight plate squats
8) Tractor tire flip
Two rounds
Jack Webb with LBC’s with some stretching thrown in #tantra
COT
YE OLDE MOLESKINE
Twas a cold start to the morning as YHC rolled in at 0510 to see Cottontail doing a solo KB workout to the tunes of 91.9 FM. Not the usual numbers we have seen lately but we did have an FNG Steve S who braved the elements in his neoprene sports tights. Not Runstopperesque in the no shorts way but me thinks that they helped hold the dodgy knee in place throughout the morning. Good also to see Orange Whip, Fireman Ed, and Hacker back in the mix after a little winter hiatus.
It took a while for things to warm up today with some sore backs from the Meathead lads including TR and Chanel (Shanaynay) but once the bodies got loose so did the banter. The Jack Webb with the LBC’s mixed in brought out some moaning and Horsehead was loving the deep lunge stretch Les Mis pulled out yesterday as the old tantra jokes started to fly.
FNG Steve S dodged the Love Shack B52 bullet and instead got nicknamed Kazaam after Shaq the basketball player. Welcome!
Enjoy your weekend lads! BD
12 men ventured into the frosty air for a good old fashioned Kevlar beatdown.
THE THANG
SSH x 15
IW x 15
10 burpees OYO
Six inches
Mosey to lower school
Sevens to gate with burpees at bottom and jump squats at top.
Flutters when done.
Run to outside gym
1) Burpees on crash mat x 10 (timer)
2) Decline merkins on box
3) Curls with bar
4) Jump squats on box
5) Abs on ball
6) Bear crawl
7) Decline abs
8) Clean and press with bar
9) Battle ropes
10) Chest press
11) Tri dips
12) Tire flip
Repeato with turkish get ups x 5 as timer
Partner ab work with medicine balls
COT
YE OLDE MOLESKINE
Mumblechatter was tough today with the cold air and bundled up bodies and faces but YHC was impressed with a showing of 12 men in 5 degree temps. Start got slightly delayed as we awaited Sussudio to come back after carrying his sack of medicine balls over to the outside gym but once we got going we didnt stop and soon the cold air became irrelevant. The sevens on the hill were worse than they looked on paper with Alf and Spackler leading the charge up the hill. This got the blood pumping and the lungs engaged.
No “eternal flame” tunes or electronic timer today due to the cold weather but the pax got after it. Some serious plates were getting thrown around today on the bars (dont know why they had “10” written on each one?) as they were bigger than that…
Partner ab work at the end brought some team work into play with Si and YHC winning most of the rounds after getting early starts and then switching to the soccer ball.Staggered merkins were a rough finisher but exactly what we needed to bring us home.
Thanks for allowing me to lead.
Have a great weekend – Bulldog
23 posted and 23 completed a cardio blast at Kevlar on this fine morning.
THE THANG
Mosey to parking lot
5 burpees
SSH x 15
Merkins x 12
Slow squats x 10
Wide arm merkins x 12
Lunges x 15
Diamond merkins x 10
Hit the hills
2 burpees at bottom, 2 jump squats at top. Add 2 each time up to 10.
Mosey to soccer field
Alternate suicides while partner does tire work.
1) Merkins
2) Deep squats
3) Carolina Dry Docks
4) Tri dips
5) Burpees
Regular suicides to all 4 cones while partner planks and alternates on elbows up to plank.
Same but partner does burpees.
Same but partner does Turkish get ups.
Divide into two teams: one team lays down bet. If they score opposing team does the bet. If miss the shooting team does the bet.
Two mins of Mary
Plank it up for Eternal Flame.
COT
YE OLDE MOLESKINE
Great crew as always descended up on Kevlar this morning, The pre KB crowd grew larger and larger as we got closer to the start of the workout. Frasier and co got headlocked into slinging the metal around after being lured in by the quality tunes laid on by DJ TR. Sussudio brought along the son in law from Brazil so the early mumble chatter was in trying to think of a name for our FNG. Thoughts were put on hold due to the O2 deprivation after hitting the hills and the suicides back at the soccer field. As a way to make our Brazilian visitor feel welcome there was a soccer element added which meant shooters could lay down a bet depending on their confidence in scoring on an open net from 30 yards away. Sounds easy but the pressure took its toll with not many of the pax missing the target. The anticipation grew to an almost fever pitch as our team pulled out the secret South American weapon who grew up in the land of the beautiful game. With 20 diamond merkins on the line he stepped back and struck with the ball with ease but a good 20 yards off target to begin with. Knowing that the Brazilians are known for bending the ball like a banana the pax were anticipating a late swerve on the ball – but alas, it never came. The shot was similar to that of Fifty Cent’s opening pitch at a Mets game. There’s the name. Shout out if you don’t like it!
Another rendition of Eternal Flame took us home again and this seems to be the soundtrack of Kevlar lately. You know you love it as much as the next guy (except maybe when we do the up/down merkin wave!
Have a great end to your week. BD
23 came proudly to Kevlar with toys in hand for the second annual shake weight challenge.
THE THANG
10 min warm up
5 burpees and lap of track. Repeat increasing 5 burpees each lap. Prize for winner.
Circle of pain
1) Shake weight (pax favorite)
2) KB swings
3) Jump rope
4) Medicine ball mason twists
5) Ropes
6) TRX flys
7) Pull ups
8) Shoulder presses
9) Box jumps
10) Louganis with medicine ball
11) Ab roller
12) Tractor tire flip
13) Sankas sledgehammer on tire
14) Bar curls
15) Dead lifts
16) KB presses
17) Decline merkins
18) Perfect push ups
19) KB presses
20) LBC’s on big ball
21) Plate raises
22) KB presses
23) Box jumps
Exercise 30 secs hard switch and repeat.
Plank up – six inches and plank around the circle until song finishes (or not)
COT
YE OLDE NAKED MOLESKINE
Great showing today in chilly temps and lots of gizmos came along for the “day of the shake-weight”.
We got going quickly today with the laps and burpees which made the pax forget the cold very quickly as the anticipation for the circle of pain intensified. Whoever won the burpee/running combo was honored with getting their hands on the shakeweight first. It was Joker who wanted it real bad and he just pipped Turkey Leg and Fletch to get to show us how its done.
There were lots of other exercises that got the burn going but it seemed that the shake weight was the most intriguing. Do you go two hands, one hand, behind the head, do you look at the pax, turn around, or close your eyes to soften the pain? Some of the pax looked way more comfortable than others with this gadget – Spackler and Harley spring to mind. For those struggling with technique there seemed to be plenty of advice being offered up.
Tiger Rag was assigned as the DJ to help offset any awkwardness caused by shaking in silence. George Michael seemed to strangely pop up on the playlist more than any other artist today (!) but it was the Bangles that caused the pax the most pain. With only a few minutes to spare YHC called for the plank-six inch wave around the circle. Not knowing how eternal the “Eternal flame” rendition went on for we attempted to outlast the song. Donkey Kong refused after two minutes and instead of calling out “down” or “up” Brown started screaming “stop!” It shames me to write that we failed to outlast the Bangles.
In a morning filled with strange exercising equipment and a random playlist I will leave you with these inspirational lyrics to get you through your day:
Close your eyes
Give me your hand darling
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand
Do you feel the same
Or am I only dreaming?
Is this burning, an eternal flame?
I am sure that all 23 of us now have a connection with this song that will live long in the memory…
Bulldog
Bring your finest piece of home gym equipment for tomorrow’s second annual shake off at Kevlar hosted by Bulldog. Thigh masters, shakeweights, grip enhancers, and ankle weights are welcome!
15 hearty souls thrived in the morning drizzle and slung some metal at Skunkworks on a morning that made the Q feel right at home.
THE THANG
Run a lap around fire lane
SSH x 20
IW x 20
Round 1 – 30 secs 2 handed swings, 30 secs burpees, 30 secs snatches. Repeat and then run lap.
Round 2 – 30 secs alternating swings, 30 jump squats, 30 secs lawnmowers. Repeat and run lap.
Round 3 – 30 secs high swings, 30 secs jump lunges, 30 secs clean and presses. Repeat and run lap.
Round 4 – 30 secs upright row catch and press, 30 secs Spartan burpees, 30 secs high pulls. Repeat and run a lap.
Round 5 – 30 secs thrusters, 30 secs burpees, 30 secs good mornings. Repeat and run a lap.
Jack Webbs with KB. Diamond merkins and KB curls up to 5 and back down.
COT.
YE OLDE NAKED MOLESKINE
After Brown called in injured with a “tennis elbow” I was left with coming up with something to burn a few calories prior to the New Year festivities. Poor Brown was getting abused after bailing on his Q on a mass email. Watch out for a rename when the lad returns to the fold as “Serena” and “Martina’ could be contenders and who knows where it can deviate from there…
A few technical issues on the Pill front and timer front today with the steady drizzle but it wasn’t long before the hip-hop hoorays were pumping the pax through the rounds. The drizzle took its toll more so on Busch apparent “60 pounder” which flew through the air during the alternating swings narrowly missing the high tech gadgets in the center of the circle. When the kettlebell finally came to rest the number 60 had fallen off revealing a cork like substance for all to see. We may need an official scale at the next Skunkworks to verify the true weight and substance of the bell in question…
Other than that good work today from everyone present.
Bulldog
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sign up for Unbroken movie otherwise Simba’s credit card will be charged.
Convergences tomorrow and New Years Day. Check weekly email and Twitter.
Kevlar and Joust regular 5:30 am times this Friday.
25 fine lads braved the frost and converged for the first inaugural Joust/Kevlar Boxing Day beat down lead by Baracus and Bulldog.
THE THANG
Barracus on Q
10 burpees OYO
Mosey to football field and stop along the way for 2 more sets of burpees x 10, high knees and butt kickers
COP on field
SSH x 50
IW x 25
Slow squats x 25
Merkins x 25
Mountain climbers x 25
Bleacher work
10 x exercise on bleachers
Run steps one time up and one time down
Repeato with 20 and two steps and thirty with three steps
Exercises were derkins, tricep dips, and step ups
Mosey to grandma mountain
Run up to blue door
Peoples chair with air presses
Run back down
Repeato
Bulldog on Q
Half a lap mosey
Three minute rounds in center circle
Round 1
30 secs jump squat twist
30 secs sit up with punches
30 secs hand release merkins on bottoms and at top
Repeato
Mosey to touch goal post
Round 2
30 secs jump squats touching ground
30 secs mason twists
30 secs merkin with punch/shoulder taps
Repeato
Round 3
30 secs burpees
30 secs Freddy Mercurys
30 secs diamond Merkins
Indian run around track
Sprint to cars
Six mins of Mary
COT
YE OLDE NAKED MOLESKINE
A great turnout today for a good old Boxing Day convergence. Apparently it’s not just the Brits that enjoy this fine day off as Strangebrew claimed the Canadians got in on the act too. Baracus got the pax going out of the gate with a burpee bonanza on the way to the stadium field. The Q was on a mission knocking out 50 side straddle hops and 50 merkins in the warm up alone. The bleacher work was tough going and the upper bodies were smoked by the time we hit Grandma mountain and the blue doors. The frost made tricky footing and Slimfast found the quick way to the bottom on his bum!
Even though Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport (other than wanting to knock out the in-laws) YHC decided that was the theme for today. We knocked out three x three minute rounds of 30 sec intervals that helped shed some of the festive blubber. We finished the workout with an all out race back through the gates. Big League Chew and Beaver looked like Rocky being chased by the kids as we gave them a head start! I think Lobster Roll ended up winning by a ways but the staggered start made things interesting!
Great work by all today and thank you to Simba for taking us out and reminding us all as to the reason for the festive season.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sign up for Unbroken movie
Saturday workouts as scheduled
Sign up for Joe Davis Run
20 pax heeded the Kevlar call on this frosty morning.
THE THANG
Mosey to parking lot
SSH x 20
IW x 15
Half group runs laps others do merkins and flap jack
Repeato with lunges, dry docks, burpees
Plankorama
Mosey back to lot
Circuit of pain
Jack Webbs with heels to heaven
YE OLDE NAKED & SHRIVELLED MOLESKINE
The morning began with a half hearted effort of KB swinging at 0500 by Busch, Horsehead, Cottontail, and YHC amidst setting up for the real deal. An early spillage placing the tractor tire in place left a treacherous layer of ice on the parking lot and also on Buschs foot. Spackler showed up with case in hand ready for an early jump on the weekend’s festivities. Good to see ZipADee back along with Donkey Kong who had to take it easy on the deep squats due to recent norovirus. Only a couple of lads had the gumption to go pantless so it was all about getting warm quickly. After a few of the old chestnuts it was right into it with quick laps and exercise combos. Some were moving fast like Horsehead and Hairball whereas Brown was all about bringing up the rear. The circle of pain encompassed a lot of KB’s and a few tires and some quality tunes. The timer kept having to be adjusted with it initially being a sprint to touch the rock and finally ended up being a stroll across the grass to touch the flagpole. Kimpossible was moving like he had stolen something sprinting with his hoodie up which was good for the pax on the exercises. The Zac Brown/Naughty By Nature Pandora station kept everyone guessing what was coming out of the Beats Pill. There was no guessing what was coming out of the rear ends during the final round of Jack Webbs although Spackler had some ideas of his own!
Have a great weekend! BD
Announcements: 3rd F – Aftermath new book starts Wednesday – David and Goliath, Compass on Fridays is going through Family Shepherd. Look out for 2nd F movie night out early in the New Year.
20 men came to Kevlar ready for a workout to get the blood flowing as the first taste of Old Man Winter came a calling.
THE THANG
10 burpees OYO
Mosey to bottom of hill
IW x 15
Pike push ups x 8
Alt Lunges x 15
10 burpees OYO
Split into 4 groups
Group 1 – sprint to top of hill
Group 2 – steps ups/jumps ups on benches
Group 3 – tri dips in porch
Group 4 – burpees
Repeato
Sprint to top of hill. However many pax the Q beats equals burpees. 11 burpees OYO
Repeat to flag pole – 6 burpees OYO.
Tire work – 45 secs on 15 rest (20 stations)
4 mins of Mary
COT
YE OLDE CHESTNUT MOLESKINE
A strong showing today along with an almost festive atmosphere at Kevlar. Mumblechatter started pre-workout with Brown and Bananas getting some stick for the choice of ski gear as well as Sanka and Chanel sporting matching spandex tights. As a Q sometimes you try and throw in something new but the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” came into play with the introduction (and eventually mockery) of the “pike pushup.” Fair enough its almost like the bear hump but at least it works the chest out unlike the bear hump which I have never understood the body part its meant for…
After a couple of rotations at the bottom of the hill a call was made to sprint all out to the top of the hill. Burpees were on the line for anyone not beating the Q. Not being a huge burpee fan Tiger Rag decides the only way to get out of 20 burpees was to eliminate the Q altogether. After the merest of trips and in true Euro soccer style yours truly took a massive spill along with several rolls while clutching my face. After quickly realizing we were not on a soccer field and with no cards to be brandished it was time to get up quickly and beat 11 of the pax to the top of the hill. Cheaters never prosper.
Over to the tires for a workout in the parking lot which encompassed about every exercise one could ever use with something so simple. Billy Joel and burnt rubber wafted through the morning air as Brown talked about smoking Marlboros and Splinter sat back wanting to get this all on the next F3 promo video.
Hats off to The Bus for his first posting at Kevlar. Great job also on all of the shoes collected for the Charlotte Rescue Mission.
Announcements: Commitment starts tomorrow at 7 am at Weddington High School – get out there for tomorrow’s launch.
17 pax opted for the sleeveless shirts of Skunk Works rather than the tight runners shorts of the Swift/Fast Twitch mosey convergence. This was an olde school Skunk Works beatdown using rusty metal contraptions rather than shiny relay batons.
THE THANG
No pansy warmups.
45 secs two handed swings
45 secs alternating swings
45 secs clean and press right
45 secs clean and press left
45 secs good mornings
Catch me if you can with 3 burpee chaser to east entrance of church. Two laps of the church for catch me if you can – Aye? Aye? Viva? No takers. Over to the outside gym.
1) Pull ups
2) KB thrusters
3) Crash mat burpees
4) Clean and press
5) Goblet squats
6) Alternating swings
7) Tractor tire flips
8) Snatches
9) Two KB firemans carry
10) Decline merkins
11) Clean and press
12) One handed swings
13) Deadlifts with 135 lbs
14) Big ball ab rollers
15) Upright rows
16) Box jumps two footed
17) Tea bags
Jack Webb style KB press with 4 swings up to 5 and 20. back down
Jack Webb style upright rows with 4 diamond merkins up to 20 – back down with wide arm merkins
Louganis x 10
KB ab crunches x 15
KB flutter press in cadence x 10
KB dolly press in cadence x 10
COT
YE OLDE MOLESKINE
Before the introduction of the KB’s Skunk Works was all about the gizmos such as tires, weight plates, sleds etc so today was a throwback to the good old days. Meathead is 0.0 but Skunk Works is not and when the pax were told that catch me if you can was to encompass two laps of the church and the faces were priceless! Of course Brown chimed in with his distaste for running and you know its a bad idea when even Tackling Dummy and Header look at you with evil eyes! A short mosey over to the outside gym area was where the true pain and a set of big balls lay in wait. Pandora tunes (need to upgrade according to Harley) wafted through the crisp morning early and the grunting and sweating began. Drop Thrill took an early spill off the box jump and Susudio looked like Mr. Olympus pumping out the barbell. Pudding Pop was busted stretching out in the shadows instead of doing his pull ups but all in all the pax dug in for 45 secs at a time. According to Alf one can do nearly anything for 45 secs! Hats off to Freedom for his first post at Skunk Works and he was getting some good encouragement from fellow musician Hairband.
Hope you enjoyed it and sorry for forgetting about the ball o man at the end.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bring shoes on Friday to put in Susudios truck.
Alf on Q for Kevlar this Friday. Skywalker on Q at Joust. New Union Co workout at Sun Valley Friday too.