10 SOBs prepared for the F3 Gladiator Games that are this Saturday 8/8 in Indian Land. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
COP – SSH X 10, Good Mornings X 10, Halos X 8 each direction, around the worlds X 8 each direction, merkins X 15
High Intensity KB Ladders:
Q calls 2 exercises that are performed at your own pace starting with 10 each, then 9, 8, 7, down to 1.
Round 1 – KB Swings & Diamond merkins on your KB
Round 2 – Upright rows & Tricep Extensions
Round 3 – KB Press & Russian Twist
Gear Work:
Divide the PAX into 4 groups, place 3 KBs at the pain stations 2 & 4 and rotate through pain stations.
Pain Station 1 – Hair burners down and back
Pain Station 2 – 2 Handed Swings X 20, Clean X 20 (total), Tire Flips X 15
Pain Station 3 – Hair burners down and back
Pain Station 4 – Upright Rows X 20, One Arm Press X 20 (total), Tire Flips X 15
Moleskin
Kettlebells, Tractor Tires, and Hairburners….Can you start a week of any better? Heck No! Awesome work by the PAX this week. Welcome Don Q to the Foxhole. Hope to get you back out here.
Announcements:
Gladiator Games this Saturday 6-10 in Indian Land
Who: Any Area 51 PAX
What: BRR Training: Legs 22 (5.5 miles, Hard), Leg 23 (5.5 miles, Hard), and Leg 31 (6.5 miles, MG Hard) or Leg 33 (5.2 miles, MG Hard).
When: 8/7- 8/8
Where: Bear Den Campground (https://bear-den.com/)
Why: #CSAUP
The Blue Ridge SOBs are headed to the mountains on 8/7 for some BRR training. All Area 51 PAX are welcome. Our team has a small cabin reserved for Friday night at Bear Den Campground. If you’re interested in joining us, here is the website https://bear-den.com/ .
Friday 8/7:
Our plan is to leave Charlotte around noon on Friday 8/7 and check in at the campground around 2. Then head to leg 22 (5.5 miles, Hard) and start our run around 4pm. Grab dinner and a few beers then head to bed early.
Saturday 8/8:
On Saturday morning, we plan a 7am start on Leg 23 (5.3 miles, Hard), then we will return to the campground to shower and pack up. Our last run will start at 1pm on Leg 31 (6.5 miles, MG Hard) or Leg 33 (5.2 miles, MG Hard). We should arrive back in Charlotte no later than 5pm on Saturday 8/8.
26 SOBs launched at 0530 from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO for a little pain from Go Daddy. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
– Warm up Jog to Deck.
– COP at bottom of Deck. SSH, IW, MC
– Dora 1-2-3 sequence. Partner up. One partner is running up a level and back down while the other partner does an exercise. Between the two people, you stop when you have finished 100 Merkins, 200 LBC, and 300 Squats
– Up the Deck, Down the Body sequence. Run up the deck and do an exercise at each level or turn. This is on your own, but you can remember the exercise because as we go up the deck, we’ll go down the body in terms of muscle groups. 25 C Dry Docs (shoulders)… 25 Diamond Merkins (Chest)… 25 Heels to Heaven (abs)… 25 jump squats (quads)… 25 toe raises on each leg (calves)… run the rest of the way, plank and wait for the PAX.
Mosey back to the COT.
Moleskin:
The weather was perfect and the mumble chatter was high. We covered 3.2 miles running to the deck and back this morning.
This was a great full body workout.
As always, it was a pleasure leading the men in The Gloom.
Announcements:
Convergences – Centurion is converging with The Brave, all Saturday workouts except Stonehenge converge at The Rock
Interested in Q’ing Bagpipe? Let Soft Pretzel know or comment below.
Southern Discomfort – 8/1. 13, 10 and 5 mile options.
7/25 – Dredd and OBT Q’ing at Stonehenge at 6am.
20 SOB turned out for Squid’s VQ. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
Warm up lap around the movie theater.
COP: SSH X 25, IW X 25, LBC X 25, 5 Burpees OYO
Madame Tussauds on Q:
Mosey over to the back wall of the movie theater and partner up. Partner 1 runs up the hill, does 5 burpees and runs back, Partner 2 does the does the called wall exercises, then flapjack – Wall exercises included, Donkey Kicks, People Chair with press, Balls to the wall press. Merkins when finished to wait for the six. Total of 5 rounds.
Backwards bear crawl up the hill, 10 CDDs and bear crawl back down the hill.
Crabwalk up the hill, 15 LBCs, run down the hill. 5 burpees.
Squid on Q:
Mosey over to the field and circle up for the following:
Toe tapers, Calf raises, Low slow squats, Reverse lunges with high kick (each leg), Ninja squats, Jump squats , Ab scissors (flat on back, right hand to left toe, and left hand to right toe)
Scatter! Being attacked by fire ants! Mosey over to the parking lot and continue with:
Freddy Mercury (changing pace as we go), Protractor (90 degrees to 10 degrees ), Russian twists, Right arm Merkins, Left arm Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Jack Webb (regular Merkins followed bye air shoulder raises from our knees; will double the amount with each set)
6MOM: Heels to Heaven X 20, the can opener? X 30
Line up across the parking lot. 10 merkins sprint across the lot, 20 merkins-sprint, 30 merkins-sprint, 20 merkins- sprint
COT
Moleskin:
Great work Squid on your VQ! The full body workout really started to burn. This was a low running workout and a nice change of pace for The Maul. Some of you moves were new to The Maul and painful (eg. ninjas squats and Reverse lunges with high kick). It was also pretty creative to plan that ant attack in the middle of your Q.
Haggis showed up late to the workout, but came flying in like a gazelle being chased by a lion. Glad you could make it.
Shout out to Wingman for shooting up the hill on the crabwalks. Dude was fast.
POP was attacked by a few fire ants during Squid’s portion of the workout. Hopefully he will be okay. Just rub some dirt on it.
Frehley’s Comet brought his towel out again today, luckily he didn’t need to use it……….
Anyone seen Dolphin? He’s been MIA since Saturday.
Announcements:
F3 Dads Francis Beatty Park 9am
OBT and Dredd on Q at Stonehenge 6am on 7/25
Welcome Tuck and Stone Pony to Foxhole!
11 SOBs wanted to start their week off by swinging a little iron. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
Mosey over to the Playground for COP-
SSH X 10, Halos X 8 each direction, around the worlds X 8 each direction, merkins X 15
Main Event:
Round 1-
KB Swings X 10, 15, 20
Clean X 10, 15, 20 (each arm)
Overhead Press X 10, 15, 20
Pull-up Hang 30 seconds/Merkins
Round 2 –
KB swing X 10, 15, 20
Snatch X 10, 15, 20 (each arm)
One Arm Press X 10, 15, 20 (each arm)
Pull-up Hang 30 seconds/merkins
Round 3 –
One arm KB Swing X 10, 15 (each arm)
Upright rows X 10, 15
High Pulls X 10, 15
Pull-up Hang 30 seconds/ merkins
Moleskin
Here are the high points –
One word…. Humid. It’s felt like we were swinging bells with the sprinklers on. I could barely grip my bell.
Shout out to Brown and Voodoo for stepping up and teaching quality KB techniques to Tuck and Stone Pony.
It was great to see High Tide. I don’t get to see him often unless I make it over to Meathead, which isn’t often.
Mighty mite is a beast. I don’t know what his bell weighs, but it’s big.
Commish is the man. He’s come a long way since January. Keep posting brother.
Announcements:
F3 dads started last Saturday. 9am Saturdays at Francis Beatty park.
Sign up to run the half marathon/4 mile night trail run at the USNWC this Friday at 8pm.
Dredd and OBT are Qing Stonehenge July 25th.
Southern Discomfort is August 1st.
YHC tweeted out yesterday evening that this morning’s workout was designed for men who wanted a little more out in The Gloom, men who wanted that extra push they might not be getting from a normal bootcamp workout. Well, this isn’t a normal bootcamp workout, this is The Brave. A post where men can come to find out what they are made of and I don’t think I disappointed the PAX. 22 SOBs answered the call to be pushed harder this morning.
Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
Mosey to COP (.75 mile) – IW IC X 10, Squats IC X 10, Merkins X 10
Mosey over to the Small Pond (with the bridge) for modified 11s which include running up the hill, 10 merkins at the top, 1 burpee at the bottom and 1 lap around the lake; running up the hill, 9 merkins at the top, 2 burpees at the bottom and 1 lap around the lake; etc… Once you finish your set, meet up with the six and finish their set. (2-2.5 miles depending on the number of laps you did. 0.2 miles per lap around the pond)
Then, mosey over to the bottom of Ben Nevis on Ballantyne Commons for instructions from the Q. (0.25 miles)
Run up Ben Nevis pushing a fast pace, 10 burpees at the top, recover mosey down Ben Nevis to wait for the six, 20 Dips/20 Durkins on the road side guard rail, rinse and repeat. (1 mile)
Head back to the COT (1 mile)
Moleskin:
YHC is headed down to Mexico with the M for a week to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary. My goal was to leave a little gift for the PAX to remember me by. That gift, my brothers, was the gift of pain.
The mission of The Brave is to be a run heavy bootcamp. 4-6 miles each Friday plus your fair share of merkins, durkins, burpees, pull-ups, hill runs and LBCs is what every SOB needs to become a well-rounded fitness animal. Are you ready for Beast Mode? Keep posting men.
As always, it was a pleasure leading my SOB brothers in The Gloom.
Announcements:
F3 Dads starts June 7th at Francis Beatty Park
F3 Dad Camp is Mid-August. Sign up on the F3 Nation Website.
25 SOBs showed up to the Maul for a beat down from The Commish, but The Commish had some family business to take care of, so I was happy to step in and lead the PAX. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
COP – IW X 20, Side Lunge X 10, Merkins X 20, Mountain Climbers X 20
We moseyed to down the Murderhorn to the Club House parking lot and Split into 2 groups. Group 1 headed over to the picnic tables and did two rounds of 20 dips and 20 Durkins and Group 2 went over to the playground for 2 rounds of 10 pull-ups and 30 Merkins, flapjack once your 2 sets are complete.
We then lined up at the bottom of the parking lot for the following:
We then moseyed over to the rock pile at the bottom of the Murderhorn for a single count speed rock workout. All the PAX grabbed a massive rock for the following: 20 curls, 20 presses, 20 tricep extensions, 20 upright rows and Carolina drydocks IC X 10, rinse and repeat the routine.
We then moseyed up the Murderhorn to the parking lot and circle up, 10 burpees OYO and Mary. LBCs x 20, Dollies X 20, Freddy Mercury X 20, Heels to heaven x 20, Crunchy Suitcase (aka Loogie’s Lap dance) X 20, Protractor
COT
Moleskin:
Being honest, YHC received a text from The Commish a few minutes after 5am that said he had something pop up that he needed to take care of. About 25 minutes later, I was standing around with a bunch of SOBs trying to come up with something to push my brothers. By the end of the workout, we seem to have worked most of the major muscle groups covering less than 2 miles of running.
There’s no place I’d rather be than in out in The Gloom with the fellas. It was an honor to lead the PAX this morning.
Announcements:
SOB Happy hours tonight 6-8 at Duckworths in Ballantyne.
Memorial Day convergence this Monday at 7am at South Charlotte Middle School.
5 men (Outback, Mic Check, Mr. Bean, Dear Abby, and YHC) earned extra credit for the advertised pre-tractor tire flipping workout. 15 SOBs launched at 0515 from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO to for a run heavy workout covering 4.5 miles. 1 SOB stayed behind (Outback) for some tractor tire work as he recovers from IR. 16 men in total took the #redpill and asked for pain at The Brave.
Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
COP – SSH IC X 10, IW IC X 10, Squats IC X 10
Head to the bottom of Ben Nevis on Ballantyne Commons for instructions from the Q.
Run up Ben Nevis pushing a fast pace, 10 burpees at the top, recover mosey down Ben Nevis to wait for the six, 20 Dips on the road side guard rail; rinse and repeat.
We then headed over to the basement of the parking deck behind the Ballantyne movie theater.
Partner up – Partner 1 climbs the steep hill out of the basement of the deck, runs around the parking deck and back down the other steep hill back into the parking deck; Partner 2 – Bear crawls until partner 1 is back, flapjack.
Repeat – Partner 1 – runs; Partners 2 – In and Out Planks, flapjack
Repeat – Partner 1 – runs; Partners 2 – Carolina Dry Docks, flapjack
We then headed to the top of the parking deck and lined up shoulder to shoulder while Q gave instructions for the Merkin ladder.
Sprint half way down the ramp and do 15 merkins, sprint up the ramp and do 14 merkins, continue on 13, 12, 11, etc. down to 0. Once finished, gather at the top of the deck for Mary in cadence to wait for the six – LBCs X 20, Heels to Heaven X 20, Dollies X 20
Mosey down the ramp and backwards run back up the ramp.
Mosey down to ground level for sprints. We sprinted up the ramp approx 100 yards X 3
COT
Moleskin:
The goal today was easy, crush the SOBs. The pain started for 5 men wanting extra credit at 0500. We ran through a routine that included flipping a tractor tire 10 times, kettlebell swings, merkins and Mary.
At 0515, the fun began. When we launched there was lots of positive and social mumble chatter. We circled up for a quick COP and headed towards the bottom of Ben Nevis. Then the mumble chatter turned to worry. From behind me I could hear, “MT where are we going? This isn’t good,” but I stayed silent. SOBs don’t typically head toward Ben Nevis, unless of course you’re running with Bratwurst at Swift. There was dead silence when YHC gave the instructions for the ¼ mile climb, which included 10 burpees at the top and off we went. Shout out to Haggis, MC Check, Voodoo and Mr. Bean for the effort. That hill is a beast and they crushed it.
The mumble chatter returned, including sighs of relieve, when I announce we were leaving Ben Nevis after the second hill run. When we got to the basement of the parking deck and I announced that we were starting the “CSAUP” portion of the workout, the looks on guys faces was pretty comical. The hills climbing out of the basement are about 15 feet tall and steep, in fact so steep, I wondered if I was making a terrible decision having the PAX climb up and down them, but I pressed forwards against my better judgement. The highlight of my morning was watching Dolphin come down the hill into the basement on his 3 lap around the parking deck. He slid head first down the steep hill on his belly, most men ran down the hill or slid down on their tails. Dolphin was all smiles and had perfect form like he was belly sliding into home plate for the winning run of a baseball game. It was absolutely hilarious and the dirt and grass stains on his shirt stuck with him for the rest of the workout.
SOBs can thank my buddy Mermaid for the Merkin Ladder. He planted that seed over beers on Wednesday afternoon and I was dead set on using it today at The Brave. He suggested the 20 Merkin ladder in a parking lot, but I made it my own and used 15 ladders on the parking deck ramp. The merkins/sprint combination was painful.
I wanted to “empty the tank” before heading back to the COT and there’s no better way to do that than more sprints. The plan was 2 sets of sprints up a parking deck ramp with a recovery mosey back down, but 2 wasn’t enough for Haggis, so he specially requested another round and I was happy to oblige.
As always, it was a pleasure leading my SOB brothers in The Gloom.
Announcements:
3rd F kicked off last Tuesday. Join us at Einstein’s Bagels at 0630 after Swift & Bagpipe on Tuesday. For next week, read through Chapter 1 of the book “True Measure of a Man” by R. Simmons.
Fight Club re-launched on Mondays at 0530 (new day). Everyone should try this boxing style workout. It’s a different type of workout that is a lot of fun.
Sign up for F3 Death March on May 29th. Sign up and don’t ask what it is, just sign up.
Mr. Bean and YHC are road tripping it to Atlanta on Saturday May 9th to Q one of the launch workouts for Atlanta in Piedmont Park at 7am. EH your buddies in that area to join us.
21 SOBs launched from Stonecrest Movie Theater to celebrate Tax Day with YHC. I wanted a break from running but didn’t want to disappoint the men that expected a beatdown. Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
COP – Merkins X 15, Mountain Climbers X 15, IW X 15, SSH X 15
Mosey over to the short wall in front of Cantina for durkin/dip ladder. Durkins IC X 10, dips IC X 10; durkins IC X 10, Dips IC X 9; etc. Down to 1 Durkin X 1, Dips X 1
Mosey down to the bottom of the Murderhorn for the the Burpee/Murderhorn Beatdown – Burpees OYO X 10, Supine Burpees OYO X 10, High Jump Burpee OYO X 10
Mosey up to the top of the Murderhorn for – Burpees OYO X 10, Supine Burpees OYO X 10, High Jump Burpee OYO X 10
Mosey down to the bottom of the Murderhorn for – Burpees OYO X 10, Supine Burpees OYO X 10, High Jump Burpee OYO X 10
Mosey up to the top of the Murderhorn for – Burpees OYO X 10
Mary – LBC X 20, Heels to Heaven X 20, Dollies X 20
COT
Moleskin:
It a great morning to kick off tax day. I want to welcome Curbie to F3. On his second trip (no pun intended) down the Murderhorn, Curbie was quickly trying to get out of the way of a car by getting on the grass beside the road, but he tripped on the curve on his way over (didn’t get hurt luckily), hence the name Curbie. We do appreciate you coming out and look forward to seeing you more in The Gloom.
The Durkin/Dip ladder was painful. The first few sets weren’t that bad, but once you get to the 7th or 6th ladder, your arms and chest really start to burn. There was tons of complaining and mumble chatter about the exercise but I wasn’t going to abandon it. I’m just happy to know 21 SOBs are working today feeling like their arms and chests are like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s.
The burpees hurt almost as much as the murderhorn. I through in a few new types of burpees this morning for the PAX’s pleasure. I’ve never done supine burpees before prepping for this workout. They are tough, but doable if you get into a rhythm. Any one that did every burpees in the Murderhorn/Burpee Beatdown completed a total of 100 burpees today.
Always a pleasure leading the men in The Gloom. I look forward to next time.
Announcements:
Sign up for golf. All proceeds are donated to Leap
Anyone who would like to Q, please see YHC, Wingman or Frazier. We are happy to split Qs
SOB Happy Hour April 22 at Duckworth’s in Ballantyne 6-8.
SOB shirts will be ordered in the next week or 2.