In line with the audibled reps on exercises, I audibled the due date of this backblast by a day…here we go…
This was my first Saturday Q and while I was in no short supply of things to do, my direction on what to do was lacking…sometimes. We start out with a mosey from the lot to the end of the gravel road leading to the trail, then circle back to the circle for some warm-ups.
Warm-Up
30 SSH (in cadence)
20 Imperial Walkers (in cadence)
15 Moroccan Night Clubs (in cadence)
15 Potato Pickers (in cadence)
20 Merkens (in cadence)
30 Mountain Climbers (in cadence)
Downward Dog/Upward Dog
The Thaang
Mosey from the circle back to the 1st tree across from the bathrooms. I can’t pull off repeated burpees, so I thought I’d break it down a bit to merkens and Bobby Hurleys. At the first tree we do 1 each then a Paula Abdul run up 2 trees and back 1 tree and we add a merken and a Bobby Hurley to the routine…we work our way up 3/4 of the way up the road after our first audible…we got up to a set of 12 each (but do the math…seriously, someone do the math, I don’t have the mind for that). Some of the guys probably did more.
We next mosey to the far lot of the school for a Starfish. We start at the center where 20 speed skaters begin the circuit…from the center we hit each of the 4 corners for an exercise, returning to the center after each corner for 20 more speed skaters. The 4 corners: Freddy Mercurys, Squats, Side Ups, and Lunges. We do this 2x.
We mosey back to the top of the hill and partner up. There was some confusion about what we were supposed to do, in what order, etc….my bad. The plan was we do 300 reps of 3 exercises (chest press, curls, overhead press) while the partner runs down the hill to the far end of the lot and return. We started out well…I think we all got through the first exercise up to 300. Time was a tickin’ and the arms were taking a lickin’, so, audible to 250 for the second exercise, then another audible to recover early on the last exercise…me and Chainsaw got over 100 (I’m sure others got more reps in).
Mosey back to the bathroom shed for 2 sets of dips and step ups (20 each) with a lap around the shed after each exercise…oops, scratch that, good call audible the step ups to lunges out of fear of breaking the picnic table benches under F3 weight. Still some time left…
Linebackers from the shed to the circle leading with the right leg, then returning to COT leading with the left leg. Still some time…
LBCs for the last about a minute…that’s a wrap…great work!
Moleskin
Great experience leading a Saturday workout for the first time…I’ll be back to Commitment and other Saturday sites too. The support from all the PAX when I Q and just post is very meaningful to me (and I know to other PAX as well). Such a great group of guys. Thanks!
Announcements
CPR Training on Monday, 3/29, from 6-8…sign up om GroupMe or see Surge.
Keep Centerfold’s mom in your hearts and prayers as she continues her battle against the Big C.
I originally was going to Q the Body Shop for my first time last November, but a bad knee kept everyone waiting with baited breath. Today was the big reveal and…there were 3 of us. Well, thank you to Das Boot and Long Haul for the support and great effort today…thank you! If there was good banter between us I wouldn’t know because I was out of earshot being a hard six all morning long. Honestly, this morning seems like a week ago, so I don’t remember the “can’t get it up” reference, but it wasn’t the obvious…what I can’t keep down, unfortunately, is my weight over the last few weeks. Somehow I gained 5 pounds that have been hard to shed…well, I have no doubt it’s a blip and I’ll lose the weight (and more) steadily and soon.
No toilet paper roll Weinke this time…actually, nothing written at all, sort of made it up on the fly. When I arrived to the site to see how the weather would change what I had in mind, I tested out some murder bunnies with a lifting rock…that doesn’t work…scratch that off the Weinke. Das Boot shows up and now it’s 5:28 and I think it’ll be just us, then Long Haul pulls in to form today’s triumvirate.
DICCS are given and we Mosey along the side of the school in the parking lot and loop back near COT and it’s warm-up time.
Warm-Up
25 SSH (in cadence)
20 Imperial Walkers (in cadence)
10 Potato-Pickers (in cadence)
Calf Stretch (10 count – flapjack)
Upward Dog (10 count)
Downward Dog (10 count)
The Thang
Ok…it’s lifting rock time…we each grab a plump lifting rock and head to the first street light to begin our journey up and back the entrance road. We rifle carry our rocks up to the next street light, lay our rock down, run to the next street light and back to our rocks and do 5 Merkens. We continue in this fashion up the road adding 5 Merkens as we go. We max out at 25 Merkens, but we start again with 5 and get up to 15 again, I believe. Once at the top of the road, we keep the same routine on our way back, but instead of rifle carrying, we Mosey while cradling the rock in one arm like a footbal and flap jack the rock each time we run. Instead of Merkens, it’s Heels-to-Heaven. This entire circuit takes much longer than I thought, so with 10 or so minutes to go, I audible.
We return our rocks and Mosey a real short distance and it’s Bobby Hurley and Dry Dock time – 20 each, in cadence, 2 times.
We Mosey another real short distance to the parking stalls and we Paula Abdul lunge walks and back with a bear crawl. We get in about 3 sets and there’s less than 2 minutes…where’d the time go?
We Mosey back to COT for some low slow squats until time is called.
I was bracing for a good amount of rain this morning (and a tornado this afternoon), but neither came to fruition in Waxhaw. Maybe it was too much St. Patrick’s Day fun last night that kept so many home this morning?
Announcements
CPR Class on 3/29 at 6-8 at Five Stones (check with Surge and on GroupMe for sign-up info).
Rockwell is starting up cycling AO on April Fool’s Day at 5;30 in Walnut Creek on the Thread Trail with some 3rd F afterwards (reach out to Rockwell and check GroupMe for details).
For my 1 year F3 Anniversary, let’s jump for joy at Diesel. A bit more cardio than most may have expected, but with my knee not quite there for every day running, I’ve got to work that in somewhere. Lots of support with a great turnout, thank you Brothers!
We all circle up in the Five Stones parking lot…Just before go time I remember I busted my block at Chiseled (yeah, I ripped it apart doing some curls…that’s just what happens when you’re Sledge-O-Matic)…Bunyan to the rescue with an extra one. DICCS given and we’re off (well, we really don’t go anywhere, it’s Chiseled).
My 3rd Q and my 3rd bootcamp since torn meniscus surgery in December…great to be back…and ahead of schedule! Now if we could get the rain to go away…well, it did for the most part during the workout, but we did spend some time on the ground, so getting soaked was unavoidable.
PAX slowly exited their vehicles with just over a minute to spare…DICCS given and we’re off.
We start with a mosey to the shed and we begin to warm-up:
50 SSH (in cadence)
25 Merkens (on my down)
25 Bobby Hurleys (on my up)
50 Speed Skaters (on your own)
Let’s stretch a bit…
10 Potato Pickers (in cadence)
Calf Stretch (for a 10 count)
Upward Dog (for a 10 count)
Cat Stretch (for a 10 count)
Enough of the fun stuff, let’s get at it…
From the shed we work our way back to the parking lot completing the same 3 exercises at each lamplight, building from 5 reps each and adding an additional rep at each stop ending up completing 13 reps at the end. Exercises: LBCs, Carolina Dry Docks, and Bomb jacks.
I’m still the six, so most everyone else had a rough go of it waiting for the 6 to get in while doing Goofballs.
Now for an Indian Run to the Middle School overhang and we partner up. PAX 1 runs around the traffic island while PAX 2 does mountain climbers. This continues with squats, high-knees, and plank jacks. I’m the 6 again and the other PAX do some step-ups.
Thinking the Weinke was 5 or so minutes behind schedule at this point, I cut short the next phase of the workout by having the PAX sprint the length of the traffic island and return by backpedaling – – the Weinke as envisioned called for 4 rounds of this…turns out we could have done it…oh, well, next time.
We mosey back to COT with about 5 minutes to go and it’s time for PAX Choice. I don’t remember who called each exercise, but we went from Moroccan Night Clubs to LBCs to one-legged squats to off-set merkens on the curb and, finally, to a mosey around the COT lot…great work brothers!
My Two Cents…
I’ve missed the bootcamps so much and I’m glad I’m well enough to rejoin and get back to my weight loss journey in earnest. While it is imperative that you, the individual, must want to routinely wake up for 5:30 am workouts, rain or shine, having the F3 Brotherhood to inspire you and hold you accountable strengthens the resolve. I have to also spotlight the importance of the MASH unit for those that are injured, for those that think a bootcamp might be too much, and for those that just need a running break. MASH workouts are legit tough, pretty much Diesel everyday and always growing with new challenges. Centerfold, Mayhem, Penalty Box, and Bunyan have this operation running right. Lastly, there seem to be more Respects these days than youngsters like my 47 y/o self…that’s an awesome inspiration! See you next week for my Diesel Q!
A beautiful morning atop Mt. Chiseled today and a great turnout for a cinder block beat down! Who knew there’d be an ant hill on Mt. Chiseled in the bear crawl path? Well, seems Damascus found out the hard way. I guess we shouldn’t have redirected him to go straight over and across on that stretch. Anyway…
DICCS
All the pax were given the DICCS (though I forgot some and shouted them during the workout). So, technically, I can check this box, but that can’t fly on my next (third) Q.
Warm Up
Mosey to the Five Stones entrance and circle up at the Mt. Chiseled side lot. Exercises were done in cadence (I think I handled the counting correctly): 20 SSH, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Merkins, foot to hand stretches, calf stretch (a crowd pleaser), upward dog into downward dog and recover. Sound off a 1-2 count around the circle of PAX to split the group for an Indian Run.
The Thaaang
PHASE 1: Indian Run 1 1/2 times around Mt. Chiseled so that each PAX makes the end hustle at least once and we head back to the COT to pick up our friend for the day, the cinder block.
We rifle carry our blocks to the midpoint of the parking lot for The Triangle Circuit.
PHASE 2: The Triangle Circuit (3 cones = a circuit).
1st Circuit – rifle carry to each cone and 10 off set merkins (5 right, 5 left).
2nd Circuit – rifle carry to each cone and 21s (curls).
3rd Circuit – rifle carry to each cone and 25 chest press.
…and REPEATO! Not sure how many got through another 3 circuits, but those of you who did…AWESOME!
Next up, rifle carry to the base of Mt. Chiseled and partner up for Phase 3.
PHASE 3: Timer: PAX #1 runs 1/2 around Mt. Chiseled then bear crawls up/over Mt. Chiseled a 1/4 of the way then run back to relieve PAX #2 who is doing an exercise. Exercise order: Overhead press, Freddy Mercurys, Shoulder taps on block, Bobby Hurleys, and Mike Tysons…and REPEATO (time was running out, so not much of a repeato). Rifle carry back to COT for a makeshift, 2 minute phase 4.
PHASE 4: Circle up and we start with a 30 second plank…roll over for 10 LBCs in cadence…side planks with a hip dip…and TIME…great job guys!
Moleskin
This was my second Q and I felt much better this go around…still room for improvement though! When I came out to my first F3 workout on 2/25 this year, a Chiseled workout, I didn’t think I’d have the physical ability to go back for a second workout and never did I think I’d be able to lead a workout. Well, many workouts later (pretty consistently 4-6 times a week since I started) and after the shedding of 64 pounds since mid-January, I have the confidence to continue to lead. As Bottle Cap mentioned in his 6th Man motivation, the F3 workouts may draw you in and get you fit (the “take”), F3 is more than a workout group, it’s a great brotherhood of men with so many other opportunities of faith and service that once you engage in those aspects of the group (the “give”), you’ll find you will become a much stronger and fulfilled person.
Bottle Cap as 6th man today let us know that he’s been with F3 for 5 years and found great fulfillment and reward once he began to engage in the many faith and service opportunities in F3, the Debbie’s House project 4 years ago being his gateway. Bottle Cap got his F3 name due to his past work with Anheuser Busch and current work with Coca-Cola.
No FNGs.
Announcements
The Chicken Little organized Turkey Trot in Briarcrest (and virtually) will be on Thanksgiving Day. Sign-up by 10/30 to secure your T-Shirt. The money being raised is in support of a Briarcrest community member struggling with cancer and an amputation as a result. Check out this link for more information:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdx30ojjRcuytV9b635FGEJYpOAk1drscl4qf9I695lMZjc7g/viewform
CPR classes being organized by Surge are being held on 11/9 and 11/16. Contact Surge and look for more information on Group Me.
SOB is organizing a Makeshift Marathon on 11/14 at 7 am in Ballantyne. The course is a 10K loop and you can run the full marathon or a shorter distance. Check out the Pre-Blast for sign up information:
https://f3southcharlotte.com/2020/09/14/preblast-makeshift-marathon-2020/
A new Open Door opportunity began today at Five Stones at 6:30 am and will be held that day/time going forward in addition to the Open Door opportunities on the weekends. Check GroupMe for more information.
If you didn’t know Mt. Chisled before, you probably wanted to grab one of my extra sledgehammers after this workout to knock it down to size. At least there was some hard-driving classic rock to get us all pumped along the way.
DiCCS given and away we go on the Sledge-O-Matic VQ
The Warm-Up:
Mosey up to the Five Stones entrance and return to Mt. Chiseled grabbing a lifting rock on the way back if coupon-less. Circle up for some warm-up exercises all in 1-2-3 cadence: Sidestraddle Hop x 20, Moroccan Night Club x10, Potato Pickers x10, Imperial Walkers x10.
The Thang:
While one partner functions as the timer (run 1/2 around Mt. Chiseled the long way then up/over and back), the other partner begins the exercises. Each exercise is done “as many as you can” style one at a time til the timing partner returns triumphantly over Mt. Chiseled. The exercises (song: Duane Allman’s guitar gets us started – bring on The Whipping Post!): 1. Merkens, 2. LBCs, 3. Curls (21s w/ coupon) (song: The Who challenge us to find The Real Me), 4. Low Slow Squats (w/ coupon), 5. Diamond Merkens (song: at Chiseled…we “Ain’t Talkin ‘Bout Love”), 6. American Hammers, 7. Overhead Tricep Extensions (w/ coupon) (song: you’ve been Thunderstruck), 8. Monkey Humpers, 9. Carolina Dry Docks (song: Creedence reminds us that the next exercise is always just Up Around The Bend), 10. Flutters, 11. Curls (slow w/ coupon) (song: Springsteen’s got us thinking at this point that Roulette – – russian style – – might be a good option about now), 12. Shoulder Press (w/ coupon), 13. Off-Set Merkens (w/ coupon) (song: Pearl Jam’s got us looking in our Rearview Mirror to see to see who’s got the lead on exercises), 14. Big Boy Sit Ups, 15. Bobby Hurleys (song: Little Steven Van Zandt’s got got us scrambling for Guns, Drugs, And Gasoline to blow up Mt. Chiseled). Certainly some made it to the Bobby Hurleys (I know Bottlecap got there), but not all – – IMPRESSIVE!
The Beastie Boys Sabotage us and we’re off on a couple minutes of sprints! The lifting rocks are returned while other PAX plank up and we all line up at the edge of the parking lot and sprint All You Got to the COT area then sprint back only to the next parking lot island and back to COT again. In a pure rookie move, yours truly prematurely calls a Have A Nice Day with 3 minutes to spare…Fuse Box and Posse graciously call out the error and Sledge-O-Matic audibles Burpees to close us out the last 2 minutes.
Whew, my VQ is nearly complete! I tried to strike a happy medium for the runners and boot camp-ers…my mileage was 1.99 miles, so for certain many others ran more than that.
Announcements & a Triple Respect FNG!
Turnbuckle and Rudy will be organizing a follow-up Blood Drive capitalizing on the hard work and success of the one headed by Fuse Box last week…more to follow. Bottlecap reminded us all about 3rd F opportunities (Open Door) to grow spiritually no matter your faith on Saturday mornings via Zoom and Sundays at Five Stones – check the News Channel for specifics. Ricky Bobby introduced us to a triple respect FNG, a former NHL player, now known to F3 Nation as Penalty Box. Penalty Box shared some sage words of wisdom about the importance of faith and fellowship…well done!
Take us Out…
I am no preacher and I’m not the best practicing Catholic, but I was very glad to take us out this morning. The welcoming and supportive attitude of all F3 PAX I’ve met has inspired an awakening in me physically and spiritually. I said some days are diamonds and some days are rocks and that’s true as a matter of fact, but also as a matter of fiction. We all have the ability to cultivate diamonds from rocks with the right tools and attitude…the fellowship and faith prongs of F3 speak to me and I am grateful. Rave on men, Sledge-O-Matic.