Betting the Ponies
25 men swallowed the red pill and made the affirmative decision to descend upon the Anvil in order to be sharpened this morning. The beatdown went something like this:
The THANG:
Warm-up with 10 burpees OYO and follow the Q as he runs to the semi-circle with bricks and really nice grass.
COP
- 30x SSH
- 15x Merkin
- 20x Mountain Climbers
- 20x Flutter
- 20x Low-Slow-Squats
Brisk jog around church, to bottom of North Face and up we go. Merkins OYO (30ish) while waiting for the Six.
Brisk jog back to other side of church, bear crawl half the width of the parking lot, flip it over for crab walk the remainder of lot (modify with lunge walk as needed).
Run to base of hill for Triple Nickel: 5 Jump Squats at top, 5 CDDs at bottom, repeato x4.
Run to pavilion for 3 circuits of: 20 derkins, 10 single-legged squats (R/L), 20 dips, 15 jump-ups.
Run to rock pile and select a rock for 2 rounds of: 20 curls, 20 overhead presses, 10 straight-arm raises, 10 good mornings.
Run to bottom of Entrance #4 hill for Jacob’s Ladder with 1-7 ascending burpees (crowd pleaser).
Run back to starting point for quick bout with Mary: 20x LBCs, 20x Dollies
COT
NMM:
- Fun time this morning, gents. Thank you for allowing me to lead. Always a pleasure and a challenge to put something in front of you that pushes the beasts you are becoming.
- Well done to everyone out there. Venus, that was a notably excellent job pushing it at the end. Everyone is getting noticeably stronger and faster. Very few stragglers. Very few wimpy rocks chosen from the pile.
- Lack of chatter was noticeable, though. Not sure if it was intensity of the workout or just that everyone was extra sleepy, but it was pretty quiet out there most of the time.
- It’s been awhile since I’ve run a Jacob’s Ladder, so I thought it would be fun to end on a high note. Figured out pretty quick that my legs still want to be in BRR recovery mode. Hope everyone enjoyed that as much as I did.
- Props to the KBers who came out early to swing the metal then stuck around for the main attraction. Y’all don’t sleep enough, but your dedication is noteworthy.
- MLP: Welcome to the PAX. Historically, those with the worst (i.e.,most effeminate) nicknames tend to become the ones we end up trying to catch during the workouts. A lot to live up to, but we have faith you’ll live up to your name.
Announcements:
- 9/11 A51 convergence: 0530-0615 at Anvil/Rock location (aka Calvary Church). See preblast for more info. No other Thursday workouts.
- General cautionary warning from last Friday’s incident at Centurion: Be aware of your surroundings. PAX should travel in packs.
- See twitter (@F3Area51), email of the week and website for other announcements. Let me know if you don’t receive the email of the week and I’ll pass along info necessary to hook you up.
Area 51 9/11 convergence preblast
On September 11, 2001 you know where you were. You will never forget it. We are asked to never forget. What we saw, how we felt, and what transpired has forever changed us. We will honor the memory of those who lost and celebrate those who demonstrated bravery and courage at life’s critical moment.
The Thursday site Q’s plus Spearhead are proud to deliver a workout worthy of your time. It will be a memorable workout.
Location: Calvary Church (Rea & 51)
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2014
Time: 0530-0615
NOTE: Bring KB for Meathead Station
Pre-KB swing challenge 0500 for those pax interested.
Dolla Dolla Bills Ya’ll
27 men decided to take advantage of the cool morning and get in some work in the heart of B-tyne this morning. Thanks to some slightly suggestive workout options and a hapless tomato driving by at just the right time, it was incredible that the dollar bills weren’t raining this morning. More on that later.
- Mosey to Wells Fargo lot
- SSH x 25, Lunge Forward x 5, IW x 20, Lunge Side x 5, Mtn Climbers x 20, Merkins x 10
- Mosey past Loch Ness and down to bridge, lunge walk over bridge
- Mosey to parking lot and commence backward run, then cease backward run and run forward to the hill across Ballantyne Corporate.
- Hill on Ballantyne Corporate – Full Jacob’s Ladder to 7 burpees (plank it up when complete)
- Go to entrance of office lot for Indian Run around office building ending at dock on lake
- Split in 2 groups
- Group 1: LBC’s
- Group 2: Plank-o-Rama on the planks with legs on rope railing (#crowdpleaser)
- Bonus – 10 derkins with legs on rope for good measure
- Flapjack
- Mosey the trail through the woods and up into parking lot
- Commence Dirty MacDeuce (4 sets of 3 exercises with 12 sec rest between sets)
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- Set 1: Standard Merkins x 12, LBC x 12, Superman x 12
- Set 2: Diamond Merkins x 12, Dolly x 12, Peter Parker x 12
- Set 3: Dive Bomber Merkins (imagine a parking lot humping motion) x 12, Rosalita x 12, Parker Peter x 12
- Wait – out of time, skip this part… Set 4: Wide Merkins x 12, Dying Cockroach x 12, Glute Bridge March x 12
- LBJ back to start (1/2 mi.) – bonus time available to get in the dying cockroach x 12
The Naked Moleskin:
– So the call for dive bomber merkins raised some mumblechatter from the PAX. Admittedly, the motion does resemble getting jiggy with the pavement. What made the moment more special was that a lady in an F150 drove past just as we were in the middle of the exercise. She got an up close view of the action and laughed her way right into work. Amazingly no dollars were thrown our way.
– The PAX were after it this morning and it was great to have so many men putting in the work together. Running back to COT, YHC had the opportunity to hear the effect that F3 has had on J R Ewing and his son Vineyard. Vineyard is entering this year of high school with a new self confidence thanks to a new level of fitness and the fellowship and faith of those within the PAX who have worked out along side him. This is what it is about men – building stronger sons, fathers, husbands, and leaders. This is a gift we can give to those around us each day.
– Thank you all for the opportunity to lead this fine group of men.
Announcements:
– Sept 20 – F3 has been asked to do warm up excercises with the participants in the 1-mile fun run at the Isabella Santos Foundation run in downtown Ballantyne. Email jlevins9@hotmail.com if you are interested in helping out.
– Thursday Sept 11 – Convergence at The Rock (Calvary Baptist) at 5:30 – 6:15. See website for preblast tonight. All other Thursday workouts converge at The Rock.
Skunkworks – Half Way
28 men faced down the clock at Skunkworks.
Warm-Up
– Mosey to parking lot, alternating KB rack
– SSH
– IW
– Warrior 3 pose
– 1 legged KB dead lift
– Warrior 3 pose flap jack
– 1 legged KB dead lift flap jack
The Clock / Tabata / Ciabata – 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 8 sets per round
– Merkins and variations
– Goblet squats, all the way, half way
– Snatches, alternating arms
– Sprints and variations
– Curls, all the way, half way
– Swings, 2 handed and alternating
– Triceps: skullcrushers, pullovers, elbows in press mixed in with LBC and Lougainis
Mosey back to the lot
Great to lead on this beautiful morning and great to have the BRR folks back. Hopefully the sprints helped stretch the legs out a bit. Nothing too fancy, just you against the clock for 20 seconds. One of my favorite spirit and body crushing workouts. Some complaints (TR) about the curls but tried to mix it up a bit with the timing and the half way up on the merkins, curls and goblet squats (crowd pleaser).
Announcements
– 9/11 convergence at Calvary on Thursday
– Young Life Mud Run, family friendly event at Whitewater Center on 9/20 (www.ylmudrun.com)
— Harley
Preblast: 10,000 Swings
WHAT: Here’s the 10,000 Swing program if you want to join us. (http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/10000-swing-kettlebell-workout)
WHEN: Starts tomorrow, Wed Sept. 10. Before workouts.
WHERE: Varies. Check tweets.
Tour de Bagpipe (Mud Run Training)
8 PAX embarked on a journey in the Tour de Bagpipe to strengthen their bodies and minds to prepare for the next Mud Run in Columbia, SC on October 4th. The men got more than they bargained for and were amazed at the amount of recon that went into discovering this new route. Here are a few quotes from the PAX during our work: “Madame, we are walking a thin line between good and dangerous” (Soft Prezel) and “ew, I think I just put my hand in dog poop” (Mermaid). We ended up covering 4.7 miles in the hour, which hopefully will make Bratwurst proud he handed over the reins of Swift to YHC.
Here’s what we did:
The Thang:
The PAX launched at 0515 from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO and headed down Ballantyne commons parkway, took a left onto Ballantyne Corporate Pl and crossed back over the Johnston Road bridge. Pain stations along the way included Lunges and a snake hill run.
We turned off Ballantyne Corporate Pl and followed the sidewalk to Pond #1. The PAX slalomed around small trees for a little agility work and gathered on the Dock for SSH X 15, Merkins X 15, lap around Pond #1, Squats X 15 and LBCs X 15.
We then followed the trail through the woods, bear crawled up and over the bridge to Pond #2. We climbed up and over the stone wall and circled Pond #2 and headed to Boggy Hill. The PAX snake ran up and down Boggy Hill and stopped for moving plank work. All PAX lined up in the plank position with head facing downhill and performed moving downhill wide merkins X 10 to the left, repeat moving to the right.
Next we headed to the 5.5 foot stone wall and climbed up and down X 10, then moved over to the grass field next to Pond #3 for bear crawls across the field and crabwalks back. We then ran around Pond #3 (insert good and dangerous quote here) and gathered up at the picnic area for LBCs X 10 and ran another lap around Pond #3.
We then headed over to Pond #4 and started off with backwards run up the hill (crowd pleaser) and mosey down, 10 Merkins at the bottom, and ran a lap around the Pond #4, plank until everyone is finished.
We then headed back over the bridge crossing Pond #4 and up Ballantyne Corporate Pl towards the fitness trail, but stopped for merkins X 10 (insert dog poop quote here) along the way. Once we arrived at the fitness trail, each PAX did arm walks across the parallel bars X 5 and meets at the pull-up bars for the following circuit X 2: Pull-ups X 10, Merkins X 20, squats X 30. Once completed, each man did one more set of arm walks across the parallel bars, ran around Pond #5 and moseyed back for the COT.
Moleskin:
My 4 year old son (F3 Name – Dash) and I did quite a bit of recon work over the weekend in an effort to discover new routes and obstacles in Ballantyne Corporate Park. What we found were unchartered running trials, new ponds to circle, and new hills and walls to climb. The new area provided a great opportunity to get some training in for the Mud Run, which is only a few weeks away.
YHC thoroughly enjoyed the post this morning. The goal was to get a few more miles in than a typical bootcamp at a 2nd F pace, but still endure the pain of merkins, SSHs, bear crawls, hill runs and a few other obstacles.
Great work by all the PAX this morning. It was a pleasure leading the men in the Gloom.
Announcements:
Convergence at The Rock on Thursday 9/11
Islands in the Stream
11 men heard the call for a BRR recovery workout and assembled at SCMS to stretch things out.
Slow mosey down to check out the new track. New pavement. No fancy private school padded track. Just fresh public school pavement. One lap around, dodging the RFYL crew going the wrong way, then back up to the parking lot for a warmup.
SSHx20
I can’t believe I forgot to do IWs
Mountain Climber x 20
Slow Squat x 20
Easy jog down to the Davie park entrance. 10 merkins, 10 LBC, repeat 5x.
Continue easy jog to the Calvary parking lot. Walk up the gentle incline entrance.
Assemble at one end of the parking lot. At each island, do 5x of the called exercise all the way down to the last island. Then briskly jog back to start. Start moves up one island every time.
Merkins, LBCs, CDDs, Squats, Flutter, Dolly, Merkins.
Amble over to the soccer field, gingerly walking down the hill on a diagonal so as not to fully engage the quads.
Two groups, one on each side of the trash cans. Group 1 sprint to first trash can and back. Group 2 does the same when group 1 finishes. Repeat 4 times. Then 3 times to the next trash can. And once to the soccer goal. Cut short to allow time for a slow mosey indian run back to the school.
COT
Moleskin:
I was definitely not going to work out today. Then on Monday afternoon I get an email from Turkey Leg, “Still up for Q of Fast Twitch tomorrow?” Ouch. Sure. At least I can control the pain. Thanks to my BRR brethren for coming out to share in the recovery pain. Lots of war stories. 1/3 of the Flatnin’ The Hills team was out there – nice work gentleman.
Announcements
Area 51 9/11 Convergence at Calvary Church on Thursday at 5:15 (AO for The Rock and Anvil). Normal 45 min workout
Turkey Leg expressed appreciation for the support he and his family have been getting from the PAX. He said his dad loved the idea that we were all wearing armbands with his wife’s (TL’s mom) initials at the BRR – like the NFL helmet stickers, he said. Very cool.
My Buddy, my buddy….
14 Pax ventured to initiate the week on a positive note, starting at Basecamp, though the rain certainly (and sadly) convinced some to fartsack!
“My Buddy, my buddy…wherever I go, he goes!”
Following a Q (YHC) that had his Weinke, but forgot his headlamp (yeah, how the heck you gonna read that Q?), the PAX moseyed to the far reaches of the … errr… sportsfield/complex. There, we would find out buddies!
MOSEY TO Far Softball field
PAX DISCLAIMED… ALL SHOWED QUESTONABLE JUDGEMENT BY NOT LEAVING
7x Burpee – Mtn Climber -> 6x Burpee – SSH ->
5x Burpee – Imperial walker -> 4x Burpee – merkin ->
3x Burpee – Carolina dry dock -> (2+1)3x Burpee
PAIR OFF
- Paired up, line up on right field line
- Partner A runs to Center Field light, Partner B hits the called exercise, THEN flapjack…upon completion, hit the plank for plankorama before next called exercise.
- (NOTE: This worked well, except for the BRR-lightHeadedness suffered by Hopper, who promptly tried to run through the fence! NOTE: he was properly disclaimed)
- Merkin’s
- LBC’s
- Flutter
KEEP YOUR PAIR
MOSEY TO THE BLEACHERS, LUNGE-WALKING ALONG THE WAY
- Paired up
- Partner A executes called animal scurry, Partner B hits the called exercise, THEN flapjack…upon completion, hit the plank for plankorama before next called exercise.
- CRAB WALK + DIPS
- BEAR CRAWL + SUPPINE PULLUPS
- Partner A executes called animal scurry, Partner B hits the called exercise, THEN flapjack…upon completion, hit the plank for plankorama before next called exercise.
MOSEY TO THE WALL… but then… YHC AUDIBLES
New route: MOSEY TO THE TRACK TO FIND THE NEWLY LAID ASPHALT
- New asphalt clearly need to have its … err, needed breaking in
- Indian Run time! With F3 Chants along the way
I don’t Know What You’ve Been Told… But F3 is Good As Gold… They Will Take me as I am … They are Like my Workout Fam!
I don’t know if you can see… But F3 is right for me… Helped to get me off the couch… I’m no longer a slouch!
- Indian Run completed; merkins on the track led by the newly slim White Snake
MOSEY TO THE WALL…
- Taking a seat, 4 one-min “sitting” sessions
- 1st – 60 secs “in it
- 2nd – 60 secs “in it
- 3rd – 60 secs Alternating Left leg up 10 secs, down 10 secs.
- 4th – 60 secs Alternating Right leg up 10 secs, down 10 secs.
MOSEY TO CURB (Take a seat, with your “6” on the edge)
MARY ROULETTE (every other man calls an exercise)
- Protractor
- LBC
- Flutter
- Freddie Mercury
- Rosalita
- Finish out with 8 Burpees… AND WE’RE DONE!
ANNOUCEMENTS
- Safety a concern after Centurion incident. All should be smart and lookout for your brothers
- USMC Mudrun approaching, opportunity still open
- Check your email for other 2nd & 3rd F opportunities
GREAT TAKEOUT OUT BY HOPPER!
Turkey Leg wanted pull-ups
And we are off….Jog around school and circle up in lower parking lot for a lite warm-up
25x SSH
10x burpees
25x IW
10x burpees
25x Squats
10x burpees
25x Mountain Climbers
10x burpees
50x LBC
10x burpees
Jog to parking lot by playground
15x incline merkins
20x dips
15x derkins
20x dips
Jog to side of school for some peoples chair
Round 1 – peoples chair with 50x airpresses
20x – derkins
Round 2 – peoples chair with 50x airpresses
15x – diamond merkins
Jog to playground behind school
Burpee/Pull-up Ladder
1 burpee/1 pull-up….2 burpees/2 pullups…..up to 10 x 10 burpee/ pull-up
Jog back to front playground
Burpee/Pull-up Ladder
Count down
5 MOM
25x Flutter Kick
15x (each side) CCBD
25x Dolly
25x Mason Twist
Skunkworks Preblast
Bring your weary BRR legs to skunkworks tomorrow. There will be limited running but plenty of cardio work. We will be doing all of our work in the parking lot down by the steps if you want to use multiple KBs and drop a heavy bell off early. Exercises will include goblet squats, snatches, curls, 2 handed swings, skull crushers and Louganis, among others. Don’t be late, we will be on the clock.
— Harley