Author Archive Chanel

All About Those Gains

Posted on behalf of Probation:

7 PAX decided to fight the temptation of the fartsack to face a prison yard workout from Probation.

20 Good Mornings
25 Swings
20 Hand Slap Merkins with partner

Warm up – 10’s:
10 Cleans both arms
10 push ups
Repeat x 2

10 Overhead Press
10 push ups
Repeat x 2

10 Clean & Jerk both arms
10 push ups
Repeat x 2

10 Tiger Rag Curls heavy weight
10 push ups
Repeat x 2

Partner up:
P1 Chest Press with heavy weight, P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

P1 Lawnmowers, P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

P1 Tricep Extension, P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

P1 Chest Press with heavy weight, P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

P1 Swings (double if you can), P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

P1 TR curls , P2 runs. Flapjack
Total to 100

P1 Shrugs, P2 runs. Flapjack
Total to 100

P1 Double KB Press, P2 runs. Flapjack
Repeat x 2

Finish it out with 10 Burpees

Moleskine:

Great work out there today…considering.  It was obvious that some of the PAX had a rough time this morning, whether it be returning from vacations or random injuries (neck pains, bad backs, shoulders, etc).  Considering all the challenges everyone did a great job pushing through all the way to the finish.  Tuck injured his back right at the beginning, but stayed and did leg workouts the entire time!  That guy has heart!  Pebbles came out today to show us what Indian Land has to offer..  Guy is a beast, running circles around the rest of us.  Keep coming out brother!  Tootie is killing it out there too, coming out each week and getting better each time.  Madame Tussaud, Brown, Probation always go after it at KB workouts and today was no different.  Great work gents!  See you next week.

Probation affectionately coined a new workout called TR Curls after the love Tiger Rag has for doing curls with kettlebells.  Ahhh, you can almost feel the fits of anger coming…

No Q , No Problem

8 PAX got an early smack in the face when Mic Check’s alarm failed and they had to face the alternate sadistic impromptu Q from YHC.

The Thang:

The Warmup:

SSH x 20 IC
Swings x 20 OYO
IW x 20 IC
Cleans x 20 OYO
Slow Low Squats x 20 IC
Snatches x 20 OYO

Partner up with like size bell for a nice Farmer Carry game of Catch Me If You Can.  P1 takes off with both KB’s while P2 completes 10 Merkins, then catches P1 and flapjack to the bus parking lot.

The Main Event:

With your partner, line up on the first basketball outer line for some partnered doubles work.  P1 does called exercise while P2 runs to the 3rd basketball outer line and back, flapjack. (approximately 80 yards)

  • Round 1 – Double Swings
  • Round 2 – Double Racked Squat
  • Round 3 – Double High Pull
  • Round 4 – Double Chest Press
  • Round 5 – Double SeeSaw Shoulder Press
  • Round 6 – Double Cleans
  • Round 7 – Double Snatch

Farmer Carry and Catch Me If You Can back, stopping at the picnic tables for some singles work.

P1 completes exercise at picnic table while P2 complete KB exercise

  • Round 1 – P1 performs 25 Step Ups while P2 performs Snatches, flapjack to 100 Snatches (50 if doing doubles)
  • Round 2 – P1 and P2 perform TeaBag Squats to total 100

Just enough time for another Farmer Carry and Catch Me If You Can back to the cars and 2 mins of Mary:

  • 20 RDL (10 each side)
  • 20 Russian Twists
  • 20 Dying Cockroaches with KB

Moleskine:

Although unplanned, it was a privilege to lead you men today.  I pulled an old workout, my first at Foxhole in fact, that I knew would challenge us all.  I’m a big fan of kettlebells obviously but really enjoy implementing them in a HIIT workout.  Today we got to hit all parts of the body and kept our heart rates up from beginning to finish.  You men should feel great, the original workout only went 5 rounds but today I had to add another 2 as you guys were flying.  A true testament to how far you have come is a Q having to modify his workouts to keep up with you!

The Hair Burner Mile…or close enough!

Ambiguous warnings were given via Twitter, but alas 8 men disregarded and headed into the gloom for an unexpected leg destroyer.

The Thang:

The Warm-up:

SSH x 25 IC
Merkin x 25 IC
Slow Squat x 25 IC
IW x 25 IC

Enough of that, let’s get to it!

The Main Event:

Mosey over to the Arsenal (Chanel’s Truck of F3 torture devices) and grab some of those pretty, fresh painted 45 lb plates.  Mosey over to the small track trading off the 45 plates as needed along the way.  Count off and form two groups of 4.  Simple and brutal will be theme from here on out, you will get fatigued early but will be better for it after getting through the entirety!

Round 1

  • P1 – Starts hair burners around the track
  • P2-P4 – 10 Burpees then run and catch P1
  • Rotate through partners until you make it around the track
  • Once lap is complete do 25 LBC’s

Round 2

  • P1 – Starts hair burners around the track
  • P2-P4 – 10 Burpees then run and catch P1
  • Rotate through partners until you make it around the track
  • Once lap is complete do 25 LBC’s

Round 3

  • P1 – Starts hair burners around the track
  • P2-P4 – 10 Wide Arm Merkins then run and catch P1
  • Rotate through partners until you make it around the track
  • Once lap is complete do 25 LBC’s

Round 4

  • P1 – Starts hair burners around the track
  • P2-P4 – 10 Jump Squats then run and catch P1
  • Rotate through partners until you make it around the track
  • Once lap is complete do 25 LBC’s

Round 5

  • P1 – Starts hair burners around the track
  • P2-P4 – 10 Groiners then run and catch P1
  • Rotate through partners until you make it around the track
  • Once lap is complete do 25 LBC’s

Grab the plates and mosey back to the cars for COT.

Moleskine:

I had to take it old school today to one of my first few Death Valley workouts.  As soon as we got started I had horrible flashbacks to how awful it was then and how awful it still is now!  I think everyone had enough after the first lap, little did they know there would be several more to come. It was great to be on the other side as I clearly remember now thinking the Q couldn’t be serious when he called for more laps after round 2 and it just kept going on and on.  I got the very same reactions today from the PAX.  Great work by all today, several were so gassed toward the end that they simply rolled out of the way when it was there time to switch from the hair burners; others (Ice 9) decided to sabotage the other team by putting obstacles in their way (branches, his own shoe).  At one point a football was discovered, I believe Honey Bee was the instigator on this one, and it was lobbed several times at the guys pushing the plates…and I mean lobbed b/c no one had the energy to throw a spiral!  Some PAX (Ice 9..again) were disappointed as they expected more of an upper body workout from YHC. #profiling

Great to have Donatello back out and giving it his all.  Grease Monkey was doing work today as well and has become a regular at Dromedary, improving each time I see him.  Keep coming out guys, this was a smoker and if you can get through this you will be fine.  Great to have Honey Bee make the trip out to Union County, apologies we didn’t get to explore the AO as much today.  Keep  coming out and I’m sure you will get to see all of it after a few trips, this place is massive!

Thank you Snowflake for the strong takeout and prayers for our fellow PAX and their families.  It’s a good reminder of why we do what we do.

Announcements:

  • Site Q’s, signup for the F3 CPR classes, 3 of us were on site today that went to last night’s class and were all prepared in the event something were to happen to one of our PAX.  The first few minutes are crucial and could save a life!
  • Long Haul is set to return next week after battling a shoulder injury, looking forward to your return!
  • F3 Death March – March 29: f3nation.com/2015/05/06/f3-death-march-preblast/
  • Reach out to Donatello if anyone is interested in joining a softball team and/or fishing

The Doubles Finisher…Doubled

Caution, reading this may induce traumatic flashbacks of this mornings brutality.

13 Brave men fought the fartsack and entered the Thunderdome, but none left without being pummeled by the The Finisher.

The Thang:

The Warm-up:

Swings x 20 OYO
Around the World x 5 each way
Halos x 5 each way
Prying Squat

Enough of that, let’s get to it!

The Main Event:

Partner up with like sized bells for doubles. Each Partner will perform 5 exercises; some new, some old, all equally disturbing and painful. Each partner must complete 3 rounds of each exercise. Let the madness ensue!

  • Exercise 1 – Double Half Snatch, 3 rounds x 60 seconds AMRAP
  • Exercise 2 – Double Clean & Jerk, 3 rounds x 60 seconds AMRAP
  • Exercise 3 – Double High Pull, 3 rounds x 60 seconds AMRAP
  • Exercise 4 – Alternating Dead Clean, 3 rounds x 60 seconds AMRAP
  • Exercise 5 – Double Swings, 3 rounds x 60 seconds AMRAP

Done!  But wait, there is more time left!

Partner up to complete 100 Double Bench Press, Decline Style (you can thank Bananas for this brainchild)

Still a minute left, perform single swings until time is up!

Moleskine:

Wow! That was a smoker!  I found this little gem while perusing the normal channels of KB education.  The workout, titled “Doubles Finisher”, originally had only 30 second AMRAPs but being the over achievers we are I doubled it.  I admit a minute might have been a bit long, however you men fought through every second and showed why you’re some of the toughest/strongest men we have!  I really enjoyed implementing some of the new exercises to get some variety into the workout.  The half snatch is a great way to slow down the movement and really concentrate more on the ballistic movement of the hips in the upward swing as oppose to relying on downward momentum…which I know none of us do!  Also, those alternating dead cleans were forearm destroyers by the third round!

Great group of guys today.  It took a moment to get everyone quieted down and started but once we did it was all business.  TR made his usual comments and questioned the form of my perfect KB Clean & Jerk.  It’s all about the “GAINS” TR!  Rock Thrill made his debut to Meathead, great to have you out brother.  Most everyone was too gassed today to make much mumble chatter, it honestly sounded like a symphony of grunts at one point.  I was truly impressed by how much everyone pushed themselves today, great work guys and thank you for the honor to lead!

Thank you TR for the strong takeout and prayers for our fellow PAX.

Announcements:

  • Starting immediately, if you ever travel offsite away from vehicles ensure there are phones among the PAX.
  • Seriously men, if you don’t have one get yourself a Road ID.  This provides your fellow PAX and/or Emergency Responders much needed info in the event you were to ever get hurt.  www.roadid.com (sale going on right now)

Spring Training at the Fox!

Just in time for summer!  We have recruited some of the best kettlebell Q’s in Area 51 to come guest Q Foxhole over the next 2 months. This is a great opportunity to come get a great workout, perfect your form, learn new workouts and see what some of our other PAX are doing across Area 51.

Champagne kicked us off with a brutal workout on 4/6, if you missed it come see what’s in store next week as we host the man, the myth, the legend…Busch!

Get your biceps back America!

But wait, there’s more!

5 PAX chose to answer the call of Foxhole for their Monday down-PAIN-ment.  We played games, saw doubles, singles and even recruited the Principal.

The Thang:

The Warmup:

SSH x 20 IC
Swings x 20 OYO
IW x 20 IC
Cleans x 20 OYO
Merkins x 20 IC
Snatches x 20 OYO
Wide Arm Merkins x 20 IC

Partner up with like size bell for a nice farmer carry game of catch me if you can.  P1 takes off with both KB’s while P2 completes 5 Diamond Merkins, then catches P1 and flapjack all the way to the bus parking lot.

The Main Event:

With your partner line up on the first basketball outer line for some partnered doubles work.  P1 does called exercise while P2 runs to the last basketball outer line (Audible to 3rd after 1st round), approximately 80 yards.

  • Round 1 – Double Swings
  • Round 2 – Double Racked Squat
  • Round 3 – Double High Pull
  • Round 4 – Double Chest Press
  • Round 5 – Double SeeSaw Shoulder Press

Grab your bells and mosey back, stopping at the picnic tables for some singles work.  P1 completes exercise at picnic table while P2 complete KB exercise

  • Round 1 – P1 performs 25 Step Ups while P2 performs Snatches, flapjack to 100 Snatches
  • Round 2 – P1 performs 20 Derkins while P2 performs TeaBag Squats, flapjack to 100 Squats

Just enough time for another catch me if you can farmer carry back to the cars!

Moleskine:

It was a privilege to lead you men at my first Foxhole Q.  I appreciate you indulging me through a workout that allowed me to explore the AO and see some of what it had to offer.  Today we got a good HIIT workout in while exhausting most of our body.  There wasn’t a lot of mumble chatter today as I think we were all trying to get through each called exercise as best we could.  Great work out there today in the partner work, iron sharpens iron and you men displayed that in droves.

Voodoo, great to have you out there and hope to see you keep coming out.  You and Loogie were killing it.  Wingman, great work today as always.  This guy ran 7 miles yesterday and shows up today and is speeding up as the workout and exhaustion were at its max!  Perhaps the biggest surprise was Brown on that last farmer carry.  I’ve never seen him run so fast, no one will believe me that the legendary 0.0 left everyone else in the dust.  I almost forgot about the Principal of the school off-roading on his own campus to come see what the heck we were doing!  Loogie didn’t skip a beat and immediately went into recruitment mode.  Immediate visions of “Otter” aka Eric Stratton from Animal House come to mind.

Thanks for taking us out Brown, a great reminder of why we do what we do.

Announcements:

Mutant Starfish

11 PAX angrily took on the Mutant Starfish and conquered it through a barrage of boulder carries, bear crawling up & down stairs, swinging heavy metal and tossing around a 50ft rope like your sister’s pigtails.

The Thang:

The Warmup:

SSH x 20 IC
IW x 20 IC
Slow Squat x 15 IC

Mosey over to the rock quarry and partner up for a game of catch me if you can.  Partner 1 selects a heavy rock and takes off while Partner 2 completes 10 Merkins, then catches Partner 2 and  flapjack all the way around the parking lot, roughly 1/3 mile.

The Main Event:

Dromedary provides a perfect setting for the starfish workout but YHC wanted to change it up a bit by throwing in some gear and partner work at each leg.  The end result was a 2 toed starfish at each leg.  It went something like this:

Leg 1:

  • P1 – Bear Crawl Up/Down Stairs
  • P2 – Squat until P1 finishes
  • Flapjack
  • Return to Center: 25 Merkins

Leg 2:

  • P1 – 20 Lunges
  • P2 – Jump Rope until P1 finishes
  • Flapjack
  • Return to Center: 25 Merkins

Leg 3:

  • P1 – 20 Swings
  • P2 – CDD until P1 finishes
  • Flapjack
  • Return to Center: 25 Merkins

Leg 4:

  • P1 – 20 Derkins
  • P2 – Battle Rope until P1 finishes
  • Flapjack
  • Return to Center: 25 Merkins

Leg 5:

  • P1 – 10 Burpees
  • P2 – LBC until P1 finishes
  • Flapjack
  • Return to Center: 25 Merkins

Rinse and repeat another round with 15 Merkins at center.

Moleskin:

Great to lead you all this morning and many thanks to all the PAX who came out to support each other!  Knowing this group is a hodgepodge of runners, meatheads and new guys I wanted to have something for everyone.  Enter the Mutant Starfish where there would be plenty of running, bootcamp and even some gear for variety.  It’s always hard to tell how well the workout is going as the Q but there were plenty of grunts and heavy breathing to indicate it was going well.  For a moment I thought I might have a mutiny on my hands when I called to repeat the starfish, the look on some of the PAX faces were of disbelief.  However, all of the PAX finished strong today and built each other up along the way.  Great work gentlemen!

Thanks for taking us out Hops, a strong prayer and reminder to continue to support one another and lift each other up.

Announcements:

  • Sign up for #F3Golf,  April 30th at Old Sycamore – getting full, so sign up today
  • Run for the Ridge 5k, March 14th – www.marvinrunfortheridge.com

The 3rd Annual The Skunk That Stole Christmas

22 men braved the cold and wet conditions to earn the claim that they conquered the infamous annual workout known as the Skunk That Stole Christmas.

The Warmup:

SSH x 20 IC
IW x 20 IC
2H Swings x 20  OYO

The Thang: Building on the 12 Days of Christmas style workouts of the past 2 years , this was modified to accommodate the increasing strength of the PAX. Days are cumulative (Day 1; Day 2,1; Day 3,2,1, etc.)

  • Day 1 – 1 Dozen Burpees
  • Day 2 – 2 Turkish Get Ups (1 ea side)
  • Day 3 – 3 snatches (ea side)
  • Day 4 – 4 Renegade Rows (ea side)
  • Day 5 – 5 Lunges w/ KB (ea side)
  • Day 6 – 6 Shoulder Press (ea side)
  • Day 7 – 7 Clean & Squat
  • Day 8 – Louganis
  • Day 9 – Russian Twists (9 ea side)
  • Day 10 – 1 Handed Swings (ea side)
  • Day 11 – Single Leg RDL (ea side)
  • Day 12 – 12 Two Handed Clean & Press

Let’s throw in another 50 swings for good measure, to kill the clock and make it a solid hour of power!

Moleskin:

  • Big thanks to Harley and TR for allowing me to take on this time honored tradition.
  • It truly was an honor to lead you men today.  Although the weather conditions were not ideal you still came out in force and made this one of the most memorable downpainments.  I had been looking forward to this for awhile but as it neared I started feeling the pressure to deliver up to the expectations of previous years. From the lack of mumble chatter, the grunts, and the refusnik on the last call for swings it appeared the workout delivered.
  • Note to all PAX, avoid hanging out with Radar the night before you Q #mindgames
  • Good to have Butter Maker back out for his 3rd workout within a week.  Good work out there brother.
  • Unfortunately I was too smoked, the voice of “if you can’t do it, don’t Q it” on repeat, to focus on any of the good banter of the PAX.  Sound off below on any quality gems that were missed.

Announcements:

  • Sign up for the Movie Unbroken on January 10th
  • Wednesday 12/24 Convergence at Anvil 6am
  • Friday 12/26 Kevlar at Charlotte Christian 7am
  • Saturday 1/3 FNG Convergence at Ascent

Luck Of The Draw

Nine brave men resisted the call of the fartsack and joined YHC to see what fate had in store and gain legendary bragging rights on feats of strength.

The Thang:

The Warm Up:

SSH x 20 IC
IW x 20 IC
2H Swings x 20

Grab your heaviest bell, partner up and mosey to track
P1 Farmer Carry, P2 15 Merkin Chasers
Plank when done to allow PAX to catch up

The Main Event:

1st PAX draws 2 cards, one from solo stack and one from group stack
Group performs their designated exercise until solo completes his
Move clockwise until all PAX have completed solo exercise

P1 Farmer Carry, P2 15 Merkin Chasers
Plank when done to allow PAX to catch up

1st PAX draws 2 cards, one from solo stack and one from group stack
Group performs their designated exercise until solo completes his
Move clockwise until all PAX have completed solo exercise
Repeato until time is up

Shuffled Deck Results:

  • Solo: 50 Merkins, Group: Lunge w/ KB
  • Solo: 30 Goblet Squats , Group: Lawnmowers
  • Solo: 20 Pull-ups, Group: Squat & Press
  • Solo: 25 KB Press (on back), Group: Merkins
  • Solo: 40 Upright Rows, Group: KB Clean & Press
  • Solo: 30 Merkins, Group: KB Halo
  • Solo: 50 Swings, Group: KB Press (on back)
  • Solo: 20 KB Merkins, Group: Good Mornings
  • Solo: 40 Dips, Group: Cleans
  • Solo: 50 Lawnmowers, Group: Alternating Arm Swings
  • Solo: 30 Tricep Extension, Group: High Pulls
  • Solo: 20 KB Clean & Press, Group: Lunge w/ KB Press
  • Solo: 50 KB Press (on back), Group: Goblet Squat
  • Solo: 25 Swings , Group: Deadlifts
  • Solo: 6 Turkish Get Ups, Group: KB Merkin
  • Solo: 15 per arm Squat & Press, Group: , KB Figure 8’s
  • Solo: 40 Alternating Arm Swings, Group: Tricep Extension
  • Solo: 20 KB Press (on 6), Group: Snatches
  • Solo: 10 Pull-ups, Group: KB Press (on 6)
  • Solo: 10 KB Clean & Press, Group: Swings

 Moleskin:

The idea here was to put together a slew of group exercises that worked the entire body while utilizing a strenuous individual exercise as the timer for the group exercise. This resulted in each member having to push through the pain in order to avoid the PAX uproar. The catch? Shuffled decks of exercises for the group and the individual, resulting in a complete random combination of exercises and always leaving the PAX wondering what fate had in store for them next! I believe everyone got through 3 solo’s with a few of us getting lucky with 4.

Strong work by all today as you pushed yourselves through those solo exercises, none of which were easy. Horsehead claimed he was the master of his own destiny but was soon greeted with what fate had in store for him and it wasn’t pretty, Happy Birthday brotha. Probation killed the Turkish Get Ups to the relief of the rest of the PAX, on the flipside some thought Bulldog had left for the day after his visit to the playground for 20 pull-ups. #T-claps to Bulldog though for switching it up and going after some of the heavier bells.

Thanks for taking us out Bulldog and the strong prayer to lift us up as we venture out today.

My VQ was long overdue, but if anything it gave me plenty of time to think up this one! From all the mumble chatter and a couple audible 10 counts (Brown) it would appear the workout delivered. Leading you gents was an honor and I look forward to doing it again soon. Thank you all for bearing with me as I stumbled through some of vernacular, nerves will get ya every time!

Announcements:

  • Shoes still needed for #SoleRedemption
  • Be on the lookout for Thanksgiving morning convergence
  • A51 Christmas Party signup by 11/20