6 pax posted for a promised moderate post-holiday beatdown. Was it achieved, or was it over-achieved, as the past few weeks have been?
The Thang
COP:
Mosey back to parking lot and retrieve the forgotten item. #noballleftbehind
Fence circuit:
Mosey to football field
Touchdown Club
Mosey to playground
Playground circuit:
Mosey to concession area
Concession circuit:
Mosey back to COP field
Mary:
Done
COT
Announcements:
Moleskin:
After a couple weeks of non-moderate workouts when YHC was Q’ing, the promise was made for a moderate one today. Hopefully, the promise was kept, with opportunities to modify throughout.
YHC joined himself for a preKB workout this morning and had a good sweat going and finished just as Strange Brew pulled in, followed by the rest of the pax. The sweat was still flowing during the COP and SSH, when YHC needed to wipe some of it out of his eye. At this point, the arms and legs became disconnected in the SSH. Upon resuming, the arms and legs were exactly opposite, which took YHC a few cycles to decipher exactly why it felt so awkward. About the same time, Strange Brew did figure out what was wrong and so informed us all. He promised to add it to the backblast, so it might as well be included here.
#Kotters to Salt Lick, coming back from a bulging disk that has kept him from our company for several months. Didn’t miss a beat today. Can you earn #LarryBird and #Kotters in the same workout??
Welcome to LIFO The Mouth, who joined us during the Fence circuit. #betterlatethannever
Great to have Strange Brew’s brother, Moosehead, join us today. Welcome!
During the TD circuit, talent scouts identified Pele and Salt Lick as possible QB’s for our next Turkey Bowl. Both were on target. The rest of us, not so much, but at least we got some running in.
The football field was a little muddy, as the frost began to thaw. Several of us had a few slips, with Moosehead taking it all way down. I’m sure he’s just not used to seeing the ground uncovered this time of year.
The Weinke was written to include running the yard lines with karaoke, shuffles, backpeddles, jogs, etc after all the TD’s were thrown, but YHC forgot to consult said Weinke. Sorry to deprive you guys, but I think we found adequate ways to otherwise occupy our time. We would of had to cut something else to fit it all in, and we wouldn’t have wanted that.
Thanks, guys, for the opportunity to lead today. It’s always an honor.
Aye.
High Tide
12 pax posted at Hydra, not for 12 Days of Christmas (that’s way too mentally challenging for our Q) but for a lump of coal. YHC unfurled his sack and unleashed his shortest, simplest #weinke ever. Turns out, he walked away with the largest lump of coal.
The Thang
COP
Coal Mining:
1 MOM
Done.
COT
Announcements:
Iced Moleskin:
As YHC has made known to some already, he is signed up for his first ever race, the Joe Davis 5k (sign up here), and while some mileage is a good idea, nothing as crazy as Swift, Fast Twitch, or Devi’s Turn is on tap for this committed 0.0 pax. Therefore, the #weinke was made to cover 1/2 mile loops of the Hydra AO, working in some basic exercises along the way. Assuming the #six would run a 10:00 pace (YHC included), each lap should take about 5 min, plus 5 min for the exercise, meaning we’d complete 4+ loops in the 40 minutes allotted, post-COP, for 2.0 miles. T-claps to all as we completed 5+ loops, for 2.5 miles, completing each lap in about 7-8 minutes!
After COP, YHC planned to lead the pax on a tour of the prescribed layout for the first lap, and then turn the thoroughbreds loose at their own pace. Beginning with situps, no issues. On to the fence derkins, again, no problem. On the way to the concession area for jump-ups, YHC decided to take a route he never, ever takes. Guess what? There is a little rain washout area at the bottom of the berm behind the dugout. Perfect for twisting an ankle and tossing you to the ground. After calling out the next exercise for the pax, YHC sat this one out to collect his thoughts and assess the damage. What started as a lot of pain, quickly subsided to a moderate level. YHC stood, found that it didn’t hurt to walk on, and continued on with the workout. It may turn out not to have been a good idea (YHC is not wise to this sort of stuff), but it didn’t really hurt to complete the 2.5 miles with the pax. As I write this, however, it is a little sore, so I’ll continue icing it periodically and see what happens. Thanks for all your support, and offers of a partner carry.
Aside from all that, great 2nd F out there today. Really enjoyed chatting with and getting to know my partner, Floor Slapper. Great to meet some new folks, like Butter and Starfish. Good to see BOG, Chico, Lost Weekend, & Gecko again, as well as the more familiar faces of Pudding Pop, Joker, DK, and Zipadee. Hydra used to be a staple of YHC’s F3 diet, so it was great to get back out here today.
Thanks as always for the opportunity to lead, guys. It’s always an honor.
Aye.
4 pax posted this beautiful morning, each with their own expectation of what lie ahead. All found those expectations quickly exceeded, including YHC. Here’s how it went down:
The Thang
COP
Sprint Intervals on the track
The Ark Walk across the field
Playground circuit
Mary
Jack Webb – up to 5/20 and back down
Done
COT
Announcements
Moleskin:
YHC was experiencing a form of mental block, commonly known as Weinke-block, when it came time to craft a moderate plan for Ascent this week, despite having great ideas earlier in the week that were never put down on paper. So, the idea was to assemble a sort of “greatest hits” from the past 16 months at Ascent. The flaw in that logic is that (1) over time one tends to forget whether said circuit was great or not and (2) this doesn’t consider the cumulative intensity of each element. Some “modify as needed” was needed as we went along.
#cobains to Mall Cop, who posted at Ascent specifically to avoid excessive running, knowing Ascent is moderate and that YHC is an outspoken 0.0 club member. With YHC signed up for his virgin 5k at the Joe Davis on Jan 10 (sign up here), a little mileage is needed, and the sprint/run intervals sounded like a good way to do it, while allowing the pax the opportunity to modify as needed by running at their own pace. Nonetheless, competitive juices or something kicked in and we all tried to keep up with Slim Fast, who lapped us twice on the 1/8th mile track.
Thanks, MC, for leading us in a broken rendition of “Greatest American Hero” while we were doing supermans.
Thanks, Slim Fast, for joining YHC in a pre-KB beatdown of swings and Turkish Getups. I’d like to think that was why the rest of the workout was so tough, but I’m not sure. Hope you agree the pre-KB was a better choice than the pre-run you had planned…
Dumpster Fire, glad you joined us as well for the pre-KB. You missed the warm-up stretches and a few sets of swings, but you got the meat of the program. Keep coming out and the moves will begin to feel more natural.
T-claps to all for really pushing yourself today. Next week, we’ll resume our regularly scheduled, moderate intensity program. Same time, same Bat-channel. (only 3 seasons…really?)
Thanks, gentlemen, for the opportunity to lead. Always an honor.
8 pax ignored the warning and posted for a proclaimed beatdown. Did it live up to the hyperbole? Read on and judge for yourselves, but only those who were there really know what happened The Day the Music Stopped…
The Thang:
COP:
Partner Circuit:
Playground circuit:
Ascending circuit:
Mary (audible):
Done.
COT
Announcements:
Moleskin:
Great group of guys this morning. Plenty of mumble chatter early on (welcome, site FNG Zipadee!) and encouragement later on, when our chatter was spent. The plan was for timed work, instead of counts, to enable both the faster pax (Bulldog, Fletch) and slower pax (YHC) to keep their heart rates up and push themselves to the limit. Based on observation, I think the objective was met.
YHC accomplished a rare double today with two crowd pleasers! First was the Turkish Getups. Not sure if was just the TGUs, the fact that we were doing them on asphalt, or the combination. We need the TGUs (they’re the broccoli of exercises), so next time we’ll mosey to the grass – YHC thought we’d be pressed for time today (we weren’t). The second was the Slow Freddie Mercury’s at the end. (mental note – Bulldog kryptonite)
The Armor Builders were a strong start, after COP & TGUs, with heavy presses and front squats. In a bit of a Q-fail, YHC realized in writing this up that he’d called for swings instead of cleans. Sorry. Knew something didn’t feel right about the transition to the press.
The Playground circuit was tough, as Bulldog remarked that none of the 3 exercises offered a break. Aye. Tougher than on paper.
By the time the Ascending circuit came around, we were spent. Nonetheless, everyone pressed on, making it up to at least 10 before we started the descent, and at least a couple made it 12.
The only real complaint about the 22 degree temperature this morning came from YHC’s iPhone. While the pax were shedding clothes and working through the playground circuit, the iPhone, which had been supplying our motivational tunes/distraction for the past 25 minutes, abruptly went silent and reported it was overheated and needed to cool down before continuing! Of course, it was too cold, not too hot, and that in itself was a malfunction. It didn’t resume functioning until it was back home, warm and toasty. Learning: 25-30 minutes is the limit for an iPhone functioning in sub-freezing temps, unless it’s in your pocket (not happening at a workout). Sound off below if you have an idea for keeping a phone warm during a workout (use pocket warmers?). We really needed something to distract us for the rest of the workout as we suffered in silence, broken only by the grunts of sweaty men.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead, gentlemen. It’s always an honor.
Aye.
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3 pax chose the black pill (with a handy handle), eager to get their swole on. YHC had tweeted that two Weinkes were ready, depending on the pax that posted. With grizzled veterans on hand, here’s what we found behind Door (Weinke) #1:
The Thang
COP:
Circuit 1:
Mary:
Circuit 2:
Bonus work (OYO):
Done
COT
Announcements:
Fully-clothed Moleskin:
Great workout today – warmer than yesterday, no running, and a small group which enabled easy conversation and experimentation with various KB’s.
Didn’t realize until writing up the backblast that the Good Mornings were skipped in the COP/warmup, but no matter. We were warm anyway and worked in the GM’s in the end.
Coulda, shoulda done more TGU’s, but YHC was too eager to get on with the program. The pax didn’t seem to mind. No one really likes TGU’s.
Thrusters will seriously wind you – which is why we did them. Each of us took a turn on a heavier bell (24 kg) for one set during Circuit 1, before quickly returning to the relative safety of the bell from whence we came (45#).
Mary came early to allow us to catch our breath before Circuit 2. Key learning: Russian Twists are considerably harder when touching the ground on each side versus our usual variety (not touching the ground). Comments of sore abs were expressed early on during Mary. Contributing factor may have been the 28 kg that Probation was using for the pressing moves. #beastmode
On the playground, we were all reminded that pull-ups never get easier. Which is why YHC likes to work them as often as we can. Every AO doesn’t have the facilities to do pull-ups, leaving us with predominantly pushing exercises, so count on them whenever YHC Q’s a workout that supports them.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead today, guys. Always an honor.
Aye.
After good Twitter conversation the evening prior, and accusations of a media blitz by some, 9 pax posted with enthusiasm, eager to get their swole on (and warm up just a bit).
The Thang:
Filthy Fifty: Get Your Swoll On (800 upper body reps by each person)
No running
The Warm Up:
The Main Event: 50 total burpee pulls ups with a partner
Put us over the top: 50 Seal team sit ups
Cool Down: 50 swings – 50 kb press
COT:
Announcements – shoe collection
BOM – closing prayer
Moleskin:
Snowflake and Swiss Miss were Meathead FNGs
Great work to by all. Thanks to everyone who posted at my VQ of Meathead.
(posted by High Tide on behalf of Probation)
A dozen meatheads gathered in the gloom this morning, giddy with excitement over the cooler temps, the prospect of using a lighter bell, or both. We did make good use of both, getting in plenty of work and 0.0 running.
The Thang:
Mosey to playground and circle up (more of a horseshoe, really)
COP:
Supersets
4 Turkish Getups (2/side)(modify w/ lighter or no KB, as needed) & 10 pullups
Superset 1:
4 Turkish Getups (2/side) & 10 pullups
Superset 2:
4 Turkish Getups (2/side) & 10 pullups
Superset 3:
4 Turkish Getups (2/side) & 10 pullups
Superset 4:
Time – Done
COT
Announcements:
Moleskin:
Lots of energy and mumblechatter this morning, which makes the workout seem less like work (except for the heavy pieces of iron lying about). The mumblechatter continued loudly through COP, such that YHC isn’t quite sure of the counts, but no matter, we warmed up sufficiently anyway. Thanks, Bananas, for joining our merry bunch in COP to complete our circle and give us an even dozen.
The mumblechatter came to an abrupt end after COP and the first set of TGU/pullups when YHC called for the Snatch/Merkin superset and to repeat it 5 times. It was a unanimous #unsavory #crowdpleaser. There was an audible thrown in to decrease the reps for rounds 4 & 5, so that we could maintain good form and there were no noted objections.
(The plan called for 5 rounds for all the supersets; however, YHC began audibling down, based on time running short and collective need. Call out if what we completed is misrepresented, as I lost track and want to give us credit for the hard work we put in.)
The bottoms-up presses were a new move at Meathead, and all agreed with their potential for building grip strength, provided you didn’t smash in your face in the process. Our lighter bells were not light enough, in some cases. Let’s expect to see that one again, as we work to increase the grip strength of our non-dominant hand. Note: many theories were floated as to the reason for difference in strength between dominant and non-dominant hands, but none were conclusive.
General consensus: Turkish getups suck. They’re hard, awkward, and we don’t like them. But, like castor oil, it is said they’re good for you, so we pressed on.
The rest of the workout was the meat potatoes we all love: lawnmower rows, goblet squats, 1-hand swings, & cleans. Not many complaints by this point, other than we were all pretty beat down by then. Except, there were occasional malodorous emissions, which prompted the discussion: is it the diet or the exercise? A proposal was made for a mandatory pre-Meathead meal to control the source – more details forthcoming. Additionally, consideration will be given to swapping out compression shorts for Depends, just in case. #shart
Thanks to Busch for taking YHC seriously and bringing “all your bells”. After double farmer carries to and from the playground, Busch’s four bells provided considerable variety for him, Bulldog, Brown, and the rest of S CLT. Aye!
In addition to the Meathead shirt mentioned above, Brown announced a forthcoming full line of Meathead branded products, such as: cropped undershirts from his HS football days, zumba/parachute pants, logo’ed Depends, fanny packs, and more. Launch date: TBD, as designs and angel investors are still being sought.
Thanks, as always, for the opportunity to lead. It’s an honor, and a lot of fun.
Thanks, Busch, for the closing prayer.
Aye.
As the pax rolled in for the 0700 start of Ascent, many were questioning whether they’d stumbled upon #F3Meathead or #F3Olympus after eyeing the 3 swole dudes already there and the assortment of kettlebells scattered around. Not to worry, guys, just a little pre-KB work going on. (Tempted to say “nothing to see here”, but there actually was.) When the dust settled and the toys were put away, 10 pax had assembled on the wondrous grounds of Olde Providence, eager to make their downPAINment on the weekend. Full disclosure: no change was provided.
The Thang:
Stump Hugger on Q, properly disclosing the pax
COP:
Slow mosey (2nd F pace) to Harris Teeter, with random stops along the way for called exercises:
Q sent Byron into Harris Teeter w/ 2 bills to pick up some Tic Tacs. #breathmints #wonthelpthesix #errandrunning #grocerygetter
Mosey back to Olde Providence – planks along the way
Indian Run for about half the route – passing the Tic Tac baton.
Arrive safely and with all pax back on the OP campus.
High Tide on Q
Mosey to the playground for some child’s play
Set 1 – Playground
Set 2 – Concession Stand
Rinse and repeat through both sets 4 times or until time called
Mosey to little ball field and meet
Mosey to the school wall
Mosey back to the little ball field
Mary:
Done
COT
Announcements
Moleskin:
What a great group out today. Lots of 2nd F chatter. #Kotters to Relo, attempting to return from an injury. Good to see you, brother. Couple of other pax with tweaks too, trying to stay engaged as they work to return to form – glad to have you at Ascent!
Stumphugger and Byron joined YHC for pre-KB at 0630. Thanks gents! We got a brief pump, and YHC used them to dry run parts of the Weinke for F3Meathead this week. (pre-blast: bring a small bell, in addition to your usual gigantor) Added bonus was the looks and chatter we generated by the arriving pax who thought they had mis-posted to Olympus!
Stumphugger got some grumbles and a near refusnik from some of the pax on the call for a mosey to Harris Teeter, “this isn’t Hydra; that’s why I stopped posting to Hydra”. Mutiny avoided, it was a good trip off campus and offset the minimal running planned by YHC.
Some good mumblechatter on the call from Stumphugger for Byron to buy some Tic Tacs on our trip to Harris Teeter. Does someone’s breath stink? Smells other than breath for the six. Should we have all brought our shopping lists? The M wanted me to pickup a gallon of milk while I’m out… We found out, the Tic Tacs served as the baton for the Indian Run on the way back. Plus, Tic Tacs were on Stumphugger’s shopping list…
Several of the pax seemed to like the strength portion of the workout with MM (minimal moseying), so YHC took the opportunity to promote F3Meathead. #0.0 Looking forward to seeing you guys on Thursday!
Thanks for the opportunity to lead today. Thanks for the co-Q, Stumphugger. For the rest of the pax, let me know when you’d like to lead all or 1/2 of a workout. It’s fun, you pick the exercises you like(!), and you’re more ready than you probably think you are.
Have a great weekend!
Aye!
High Tide
11 pax, including one FNG, ventured out into the cool, dew covered fields of Basecamp to start their week off right with a moderate downPAINment. Here’s how they Rocked It:
The Thang:
Mosey to the lower ball fields, into the outfield for COP
COP:
Mosey to rock pile for hand-sized rock (i.e. you can easily handle it with one hand) and return to the outfield
Rockin’ the Outfield
(brief demonstration of the sequence for a Turkish Getup)
Mosey with your rock to the bleachers
Rockin’ the Bleachers
Right side
Mosey to outfield with rock, circle up and drop rock
Still Rockin, without the Rock
Return rock to pile and mosey to track
Mosey to parking lot and circle up for Mary
Mary
Done.
COT
Announcements:
Moleskin:
Great work by the pax today, with some new moves for Basecamp.
Special welcome to FNG Morning Star, who was “EH’d” by a neighbor’s wife and looked us up on the website to find us on his own! Glad to have you out this morning, and welcome to the Pax. Keep coming out and you’ll notice a difference.
T-claps to Fireman Ed for grinding out the workout this morning. FE survived the Mud Run unscathed, only to injure his thumb yesterday playing soccer, reportedly while flopping. Hope it gets better soon – see a Dr?
So, YHC did some recon on Saturday in hopes of finding the long rumored trail between S CLT Middle and Davies Park for a short mosey over for some pullups, etc on the playground. No such luck in finding the trail, but a couple of rock piles were discovered. The Weinke was changed and those rocks were put to good use instead.
Hope you all enjoyed the Rock Getups – something new for Basecamp and a mild introduction to getups, a great overall body conditioner. The Rock Lunges is another story, in that it was a looong walk from centerfield to the right field fence. #ImGonnaWalkFunnyTomorrow
Marketing note: if you like the rocks or the getups or dislike running, give Meathead a try on Thursdays. We lift heavy things and don’t run very much. #0.0
Thanks for the opportunity to lead today. Always an honor.
Aye.