To be honest YHC was a bit troubled by the foreboding forecast of precipitation as I lay my head down last night. Having recently committed a decent amount of funds to the Muscle Driver USA selloff extravaganza I was looking forward to flexing the new toys and rain would make what YHC had planned a little more complicated. Needless to say the beautiful morning was an amazing surprise, as was the activities which 13 pax would be subjected to as the sun began to peak over the horizon.
The Thang:
Gathered at the new launch point we headed off at a brinks pace down and around the front of the church in indian style via the road and shoulder (cause who doesn’t love playing car-chicken at 7am???) Pax were just starting to grumble about distance when we arrived at the courtyard for a disclaimer and COP.
All in cadence:
SSH X20
IW X10 (too fast was the mumblechatter here… odd)
Merkins X10
Mountain Climber X10
Peter Parker X10
Parker Peter X10 (These last 4 done without recovery between)
6 inches for an icky-shuffle 10 count
At this point the Pax encountered our first party favors (two 20 lbs. slam balls and a 16 lbs. wall ball.) Again in indian run style we struck out passing the party favors back and sprinting forward when they reached the back of the line. We struck out towards the fields then up the road until we reached the parking lot across from the cemetary where it was time for….
Devil’s Starfish
6 stations in starfish set up with a middle cone. The stations were as follows:
Plate Burpees with 20kg plate (chest to plate on top of a small dumbell) X5
Rope Slam X10
Sandbag Clean&Press (56 lbs. sandbag) X5
Over-ball push ups then slam 3 sets of 4 (20 lbs. slamball)
Plate skull crush then press (10 kg plates) X10
Slamball updowns (40 lbs. slamball) X5
In between each station run to the center and do either 1,2,3,4,5,6 of weighted burpees (56 lbs sandbags) or unweighted for 2,4,6,8,10 with the reps escalating after each station.
Repeato of the above except cut reps in half (10 to 5 and 5 to 3) with the center exercise being jump squats (Weighted 6 down to 1 or unweighted 10-2)
After above a mosey around the front of the church, this time on the grass lawn carrying all of the party favors and switching prodigiously. Drop the heavy plates, sandbags and heavy slamballs before repeating the weight-passing indian run with the remaining party favors (thanks Hoover for YHC transport the remaining plates… passing those didn’t seem a great idea at the time.)
Once arriving at the shelter assume peoples chair. Pass the 20 lbs. slamballs, the wall ball and 10 kg plates down the line without touching the ground, then back.
20 Merkins oyo
Resume the peoples chair and pass the party favors again, this time with overhead presses every time you received an object. Return the party favors to the start of the line.
A quick mosey returned us to the cars where YHC angry Q’d Jack Webb to 8 to finish out the morning.
Moleskin: Admittedly this workout was very #highintensity and featured weighted objects which was out of character for The Rock. Unsurprisingly the Pax gamely rose to the occasion with nary a grumble among them. Thankfully YHC recalled Gummy’s objection to lilly white thighs last week and wore appropriate length shorts so that kept things a bit quieter for sure.
Additionally it was great to have a couple of our “meatier” brethren come and enjoy the regions best AO when they heard rumor of the gear-centric playlist for the day. Welcome back any time guys.
Finally it was bittersweet to have Fragile present for what is his last day in Charlotte before journeying south to join the PAX in Charleston. God’s speed brother, we’ll see you soon (he promised beers at his place if we field trip down… I’m tempted.)
Announcements:
-BRR in 6 months… still too soon
-Spartan Sprint on 4/9 and 4/10 – Team name is F3 Nation
As most men of The Rock are aware, posting a Flipper led workout is likely going to be a bit… different. Aiming not to disappoint this morning, and in keeping with the most important event this December (I joke, I joke,) YHC cooked up a little thematic workout in keepings with the training practices of the ancient Jedi order (ok not really.) The bitter cold kept many a potential padawan learner safe in their fartsacks but 5 brave souls stepped out into the sub-freezing weather to engage in the games.
The Thang:
Mosey around the front of the church to the courtyard where we joined the COP:
-SSH X25
-“High Speed” IW X25
-Low Slow Squat X10
-Merkin X10 into 6 inches for 10 count
-Mountain Climber X15 into 6 inches for 10 count
-Peter Parker X15 into 6 inches for 10 count
-Parker Peter X15
After explaining the premise of the games, 6 events of a different theme the two teams were divided (YHC, Hopper and Boerewors were Blue vs. Gummy, Taffy and E-trade on Red) and we set off. The simple premise was finish the event first and then, as a team, count off in cadence merkins for score. These games went as follows:
Jedi Intelligence: Each team was given a hint to find the source of “their power.” Once the clue was deciphered Red Team and Blue Team set off at a run to gather up what was found to be a saber of pure energy (or tubular plastic with sound effects if you want to get literal.) Red returned first and managed a single Merkin before Blue straggled in.
Jedi Speed: After a mosey to the front parking lot the race was explained, each member sprinted down to the end of the lot, around the median and back as those waiting their turn assumed side-plank. The race was neck in neck until the final leg where E-trade pulled out to a COMMANDING lead (that boy is quick.) Mercifully Red couldn’t get their act in gear quick enough to get anything more than 1 Merkin (score is now 2-0)
Jedi Endurance: Mosied to the soccer fields where a Burpee (yes Burpee) relay began. This clearly was the most confusing event of the day as it was designed for teams of 4 at minimum so we audibled. The concept was three stations where the participants ran the circuit and there where stations where we performed burpees awaiting the handoff of the saber… this did not work as intended but many burpees were had and Red once again go in a single Merkin (3-0)
Jedi Agility: Mosied to the car where we had a relay of tap-the-line (or quick feet) where, yet again, the pax were a bit stymied by the concept but this time it was the exercise. A relay of sorts occurred and those waiting did star-merkins… We’ll save you the gruesome details but no clear winner was established.
Jedi Accuracy: Mosied to the baseball field where our proton-torpedoes were waiting (tennis balls.) As Luke once said “I used to bullseye womp rats from my T-16 back home, they’re not much more than 2 meters,” a roughly two meter stone target was erected. The premise was to lap the field as a team and each member got one throw at the target, if all three missed there would be a 15 burpee penalty. Blue hit on first shot and got off to a commanding after on first lap, but then failed to hit with a single shot going into the third. Red did connect and got a goodly distance in front to win the race, but again was too disorganized to get many merkins in (I think the count was 4 bringing the score up to 7-0.)
Jedi Power: Partner Carry Relay for about 25 yards, run down as a team, return. Every pax carried every other pax on the team. Blue Crushed this event (maybe because the ~120 lbs. Taffy had to carry his 1.0) and ground out 5 merkins to close the races. This left us with a final score of ~7-5 which was pretty generous considering how badly Blue was beat in speed.
Wrapped up with a merkin challenge finisher which started with max merkins in 2 minutes. Half of your Merkin count in lunges (each leg counted as 1) then half of your lunge count in plank jacks and finally half of your plank jack count in jump squats.
Our final 5 minutes was circle of mary during which we did 30 second sets of Dolly, Flutta, Rosalita, Russian Twist, Heels to Heaven and Freddy Mercury.
Moleskin: It was a lot of fun to get out with Hopper who we hadn’t seen in quite a few weeks and play a little for once. We often take our workouts very seriously so YHC thoroughly enjoyed bringing some game to the pain. I believe the consensus was the pain was still significant enough to call it a first F success. E-Trade was FNG a week ago but clearly will be a dominant force at TheRock for the foreseeable future, the man has some good wheels and isn’t afraid to work hard. T-claps for everyone who played along gamely and I look forward to the next time I get to bring the Flipper funk back to TheRock
In life we are confronted with many things, two of which are responsibilities and circumstances. A perfect example of this is the past weekend. YHC had the responsibility, nay the privilege, of posting ye olde backblast after Qing the mightiest Saturday AO in southern Charlotte. Following the necessary beatdown, a summary was called for yet circumstances of a cranky 2.0, a house full of chores, visiting friends and one of the greatest victories in cardiac cat history were allowed to be a distraction. Thusly we arrive at mid-week and nary a word was written to describe the feats of strength and determination demonstrated by 8 worthy min on this Saturday past. Allow me to remedy said circumstance with a penitent heart and an earnest will.
Some Exposition: Given the all knowing, yet oft mistaken weathermen, had forecast no rain in the early AM I had planned for a field based workout, yet the patter of h20 descending from the heavens as I drove towards the AO required an audible. As such we ended up with something similar to a choose your own adventure book, Flipper Q style… A bit messy to say the least.
The Thang:
Mosey from the cars at the crack of 7 to make a COP down near the rock pile
Imperial Walker X20
Peter Parker X20 Hold plank, 10 seconds in 6 inches
Parker Peter X 20 Hold Plank, 10 seconds in 6 inches
Mtn Climber X15 Hold Plank, 10 seconds in 6 inches
Recover
Grab a manly rock and head down towards the main entrance while doing curls with the rock in cadence
Pause at the mid way point and count off in 2s, 1s did up-down suicides (dropping to the ground every time you change directions) whiles 2s planked, flapjack
As the rain began we proceeded to the back wall of the shelter, over head pressing our rocks as we went. 1s held chair and completed overhead presses while 2s completed balls-to-the-wall pushups, flapjack.
Mosey half way down the balance of the distance to the main entrance, place the rocks around the road sign then proceed to the very front lot. Inch worm suicide commenced, walking hands out to high plank then jumping feet up to meet your hands. At the turn around mosey back to start then resume inching. This was met with some grumbling and the worst form in the west, but it was done as we continued to saturate from the increasing rainfall.
In a single file the pax proceeded in indian run, then backpedal, then grapevine until we reached the parking lot adjacent to north face. Here we completed wind-sprints of the same styles (forward, backward and side to side) holding plank against the curb in between. Once again with the same rotation of running methods we headed towards our rocks, stopping just short to hear from our old buddy Jack Webb X 7
Once we reached our little rock pile, it was catch me if you can with merkins to return them to the big rock pile, this had to happen twice of course due to the count of granite chunks so all we got back to the littler pile and then catch me if you can again with jump squats.
A bit of a run back to the cars and some merry to wrap the morning. It was hard to tell the rain from the sweat when we finished but the pain was real and YHC was grateful to have doled it out so copiously.
Moleskin:
It was fun to try and come up with an interesting workout on the fly as I did not wish to destroy the fine fields of Calvary in the soaking rain. Some will say it wasn’t so interesting and they may be right, my creative process requires what you would call deliberation. On a morning where many Pax may have stayed abed, I was encouraged to see 9, a goodly number. I was even more impressed as they railed into the storm in a Lt. Dan-like performance of weather defiance and nary a word was said in complaint. The only failure of the day was YHCs forgetfulness to post these words, an oversight which I’ve now laid to rest, albeit a half week in the arrears.
8 solid men answered the call at the godfather of A51, all despite YHC’s warning of the downpainment which was to follow. With supervision from home office in the form of aviary bait and kotters to an old friend it was off into the sunrise at the sound of the bell. What followed was more than a mere challenge, trust and believe.
The Thang:
Long warm up mosey from the cars around the front of the church and into the courtyard for COP
Mosey to the “hotbox” for the main event, split into two groups, 1s ran clockwise round the field, 2s ran counter (T-claps to StoneCold for being pressed into the 2s defacto leader). Meet in the middle for 20 merkins, finish the lap at the Hotbox. 1s assume the peoples chair for 20 arm presses in cadence, 2s wall walked (plank walked backwards up the wall and back again) until 1s finished. Flapjack.
2nd lap opened with backpedal to the meeting point, 20 merkins in cadence, return to the Hotbox where 2s lead with legged peoples chair X 30 seconds while 1s executed balls-to-the-wall-ups (or handstand merkins if you prefer.) Flapjack then repeato on the other leg.
3rd lap opened Karaoke then met at the middle for 20 military merkins in cadence, finish in a regular run back up to the hotbox for Clap-Ups then low slow jump squats X15 in cadence. Last lap was done indian run style but to restrict puppeting, any pax leaving the 6 must run a “double lap” of the line. This challenged the sensibilities of a great many pax and not only did we have a great many double laps, but everyone seemed to trip over each other in the execution, seemed to YHC we could have just paid attention to the pace??? After the obligatory 20 count merkins in cadence (no not 18) we returned to the Hotbox for a visit for Jack Webb. Chatter alleged an “Angry Flipper” which I have yet to understand yet we made it to 7/28 before protestations called Q off from any further repetitions.
As Jack Webb was ended prematurely we made up for it with a 6 tree suicide where hand release merkins matched the number of the outbound trip while a single waited on the inbound. Mad props go to Stone Cold and Hammer for leaving YHC a full lap back by the end of the nearly 5 minute suicide.
After 5 minutes of Merry at the cars we were wrapped and, in YHC’s case at least, completely gassed.
Moleskinnier:
It was great to have our politikan brother from home office stop in and sweat a little, we let him know he made the right choice on this particular Saturday as The Rock never is so lacking in imaginative Qs that it follows a tired script. It was also fantastic to have Fillmont back among the ranks this Saturday after a long absence. The man is truly an inspiration in what can be achieved with a little grit and brotherhood. Finally I was stoked to get 7 souls willing to come work with me on the weekend of F3 camp and even more thrilled to have them willing soak up the punishment I had gleefully scripted for us. After a 4 day break I was looking to sweat hard and that we did, but the pax were game for the pain. Gummy did mention he was happy about no burpees until I pointed out every exercise set he had done was essentially an extended burpee… rules be darned.
Flipper out
Announcements: BRR t-minus 4 weeks, git ‘er done