5 pax gathered next to the movie theater in Stonecrest for their weekly pilgrimmage to The Maul.
The Thang:
Mosey in front of the movie theater for a warmup COP
SSH X 25
IW X 20
Slow Squat X 20
Peter Parker Merkin X 10
Ski Abs X 15
Mosey to the fountain for a ladder
20 Wall Squats
20 Derkins
20 Dips
20 Wall Jumps/Step Ups
Run a lap around the nearby stores
Repeato with 30 reps of everything
Repeato with 40 reps of everything
Repeato with 50 reps of everything #crowdpleaser
Mosey to the south end of the mall
Wall Climbers X 10
Lap around the islands
Heels to Heaven X 15
Wall Climbers X 10
Lap around the islands
Rosalita X 20
Dying cockroach X 15
Mosey back to the lauch point
Freddy Mercury to finish out the clock
COT
Moleskin:
YHC was sitting in the parking lot by himself at about 5:25 worried that he would be performing a Han Solo post. Luckily 4 cars arrived by 5:30. If memory serves, The Maul had 7 pax post last week during Charlotte Snowmageddon 2014. Perhaps that weather is preferable to 40 and rainy?
If Frehley’s Comet had shown up, YHC would have offered him a last minute Qing opportunity to make it an even 4 for 4 on his birthday week.
The pax that did show up were up the challenge at hand. The 4 exercise 20, 30, 40, 50 ladder was no easy feat but the pax beasted through it. T Claps to all.
Sometimes a small group is advantageous, as it opens up several more options that would be impossible with a larger group. Today, that was the wall climbers. Many pax have obstacle races coming up in the spring and this was a good way of practicing.
Announcements:
Last week to sign up for the custom GORUCK Challenge on March 14.
Mic Check on Q next week.
Nine of South Charlottes Finest entered the friendly confines of South Charlotte Middle School ready to hit the ground running. It was obvious the pax wanted to get moving as the winds began to whip so we launched right at 5:15 grabbing 2 of the Pax from their Cars on the way out. YHC led the pax through a tempo warm up lap to unveil the 1.75 Mile course through Raintree which was to be our track for the morning. The plan was to do called exercises at each Right Turn during the warm up Lap so if we got separated during the interval work all would know the route. That would not become an issue as all of the pax worked hard to stay within earshot of the leaders. Warm up lap consisted of 10 merkins, 20 squats, 25xSSH IC, 15 merkins, IWx25 – Warm up Done.
The 2 laps of Intervals would begin with the long stretch along 51 to Raintree – Work was to be done at 5K Race Pace – Recovery Jog from Turn to turn – Repeat for 2 Laps. Brief Plankarama to regroup following second interval and then dash to the parking lot for 2 minutes of Mary – LBC x25 The Flutter x25
All in Mileage 5.12 miles
Namarma and COT Followed the Workout (taken out by Chelms) – Lifting up your brother in our Prayers
Moleskine:
Very Strong group of Runners out there this morning. With 3 site FNGs (Hannibal, Gummy and Swiss Miss) the pax was pushing it during the 5K pace interval work. Keep coming out guys. Not a ton of mumblechatter out there that I could hear – again the wind was whipping and at 5k Race Pace YHC was trying to keep the breathing regulated. If i missed any backblast gold – please post below in the comments. Turkey Leg, Frasier and 49er were bringing the heat during the intervals with the rest of the Pax pushing the pace to keep them close. Solid effort by all – we’ll revisit this course, possibly running it the other direction Nascar style.
As Always – an honor and a pleasure to lead the men of F3.
Announcements –
Sign ups for BRR are ongoing – contact Baracas if interested
See Weekly email regaring Mud Run Time Trials 2/15 at Outland site
Didn’t notice whether Harley planted the SF, but with SF or VSF – 27 mostly willing participants set out in the Tuesday morning gloom at SkunkWorks for a bit different variety of KB workout. Patterned this one after Combine, and more specifically — borrowed heavily from a Swamp Fox Q’d beatdown there; and it went a little something like this….
Thang:
Abbreviated COP:
SSH x 13
H-R Merkin x 13
20 2-hand KB Swings
Mosey to Cov. Church Lane, Drop the KB for 0.6 mile AYG run around the church.
Some plankorama when we finished.
Rack ’em/Stack ’em & duck walk with KBs about 1/3 mile or so to lots on Fullwood Rd side of church
20 KB Swings – 10 burpees OYO
80 yd AYG run down & back
20 KB Swings – 10 burpees OYO
80 yd AYG run down & back
5 push press R & L, 10 goblet squats, 10 KB Swings
40 yd AYG run down & back
5 push press R & L, 10 goblet squats, 10 KB Swings
80 yd AYG run down/back
20 KB swings, 10 burpees OYO
80 yd AYG run down/back
Louganis w KB x 13
5 renegade row R & L, 10 goblet squats, 10 Upright Rows
40 yd AYG run down & back
10 renegade row R & L, 20 goblet squats, 20 Upright Rows
80 yd AYG run down & back
20 KB swings, 10 burpees OYO
80 yd AYG run down & back
Not sure exactly what we did at this point nor if the above is 100% accurate; but we also worked in the following 6MoM exercises with KBs:
Flutter w/KB press x 13
Russian Twist w/KB x 13
Dolly w/KB press x 13
40 yd AYG run down & back
Rack ’em/Stack ’em & duck walk w/KBs back to high school lot for COT
Moleskine:
The mumblechatter about too much running for SkunkWorks started Monday evening via Twitter and even last Friday when YHC threw out some bait in the Kevlar backblast. The chatter abated quite a bit after the AYG run around the church. It’s no small task to silence this famously boisterous SW pax, but there was at least enough O2 deprivation throughout to lower the volume of banter significantly.
While we did a lot more running than SW is accustomed to, I think we did a fair amount of metalwork. Bananas commented that there was sufficient swings and such mixed in. YHC’s shoulders are throttled from the upright rows for sure.
Great crew of men out there today. Welcome to Header’s brother, with us this morning from Philly. Animal, YHC decided (exercising workout Q privelege), is his F3 moniker. Come see us again soon for some more Charlotte-style brotherly love. Aye!
Also – great to have ‘FNG to SW’ appearances from Champagne, Purple Haze & Spackler. PH figured it was time to show TR that the hollow-chested, pencil-armed stereotype of the Fast Twitchers was not true. Strong showing for all 3 of you. Spackler was flying on the run around the church and the AYG runs. And T-claps to Champagne for skipping COT. It’s M. Champagne’s birthday; and he hustled home to bring her breakfast in bed….or something like that. Don’t make it your last SW appearance fellas.
Also, T-claps to Brown and Alf for posting and fighting through injury and to Hair Band coming off IR himself. Thanks to Header for the strong prayer to closeout COT.
Read a quote this morning from a guy named Tim Keller that I needed to hear, and thought maybe one or more of you would be encouraged by it as well:
“The best defense to the lies we hear from within our hearts is the rehearsal of truth.”
Thankful to be numbered among the pax.
7 Men Posted at SPEARHEAD with 1 Goal in mind; “Get us ready to handle a GORUCK Challenge”. It was time again to spice it up a little bit and try a few new exercises that may make it on the Cardre’s list for Feb 7th GRC or F3 Custom if you are doing any GORUCK events soon, there is nowhere better to prepare your body for what you are about to go through…
The Thang
Coupons: Telephone Pole, 2-Man Log, 65lbs Sandbag, 50 Foot Rope and a Football
ALL Exercises Performed with Challenge Weight + Ruck
On Your Belly, On Your Back, On Your Feet
In Cadence: “On Your Belly” (Forward Leaning Rest Position)
“On Your Back” (Swivel from Forward Leaning Rest in one motion to Laying on Back)
“On Your Feet” (Similar to Turkish Get Up)
Cadence went as Follows: On your belly, On your back, On your feet. During this cycle, we would pause and perform exercises at key moments of the cadence
On your belly, on your back on your feet x 26
On your belly…Merkin Wave x 15/ Elbow Plank Wave – up to Regular- down to Elbow Planks x 10
On your back…
On your feet…Squats Wave x 20 / Monkey Humpers x 50
Repeat for 15 Minutes
Dead Man Drills: Sprint 1/8 mile
– Every Man gets killed off (one or two at a time)
– Pax has to figure out how to carry that human 100 yards
– Pax not carrying had to carry Sandbag and Lunge Walk
– 4 Rounds = 400 yards of Dead Man’s Carry
Field Work:
Partner Bear Crawl x 100 Yards
Football Game
– Pax Line up on End Zone
– 2 Pax play Pitch and Catch to 35 yard line and back
– ANY DROPPED PASS = Infraction
– Infractions for each dropped pass x 3 (8) count Body Builders
– Pax not playing ball had to do series of exercises
Round 1: Squat with Ruck Press
– 4 dropped passes
– 12 (8) count Body Builders as penalty
Round 2: Front Squats
– 2 dropped passes
– 6 (8) count Body Builders as penalty
Round 3: Bicep Curl with Ruck
– No dropped passes
– Merkins x 20 as penalty
Round 4: Tricep Extensions
– 2 dropped passes
– 6 (8) count Body Builders as penalty
More Field Work:
Low Crawl WITH Telephone Pole and Log x 50 Yards
The Shimmy, Shim, Shim x 30 yards
Backwards Bear Crawl WITH Logs x 50 yards
TUG OF WAR – 2 Rounds
Team 1 Wins first
Team 2 Wins second
Call it a Draw as time expired
COT
Moleskin:
Outstanding work from the Pax today. T-Claps to Flo Rida as he carried my 235 frame 100 yards non-stop #BEAST, Double Trouble for coming out and making it through the grind, also being strong enough to hold himself up for 100 yards while others carried him (it is extremely hard to be carried in the way he was being carried) #mansgotheart!, Liquor Cycle for coming out despite being injured #restupfool!and all the rest of the Pax. You guys make it great to be a Q.
We got all sorts of nasty with some GORUCK type exercises. These kinds of exercises do more than test your cardio and strength; they test your mental fortitude. Unnatural and Uncomfortable moves like low crawl, duck walks, partner carry, shimmy shim shim, etc. make your body think twice because it isn’t familiar. They make you want to quit while your mind races constantly thinking “when is this going to be over”. Additionally they are extremely tough to accomplish and take a long time. This is the kind of training that you need in order to prepare yourself for the Welcome Party and the long ruck with log 15+ miles under weight (btw, there is also PT along the way) at the Challenge. Simply strapping on a Ruck and attending a normal workout is good for cardio and strength, however your body also needs to prepare itself for what you are about to put it through.
– Shoulders need to get strong by carrying logs and poles
– Back needs strength training for partner carries, log work, etc.
– Feet need to get MANY miles under a Ruck in order to be assured you have the right socks, clothes, gear, etc.
– Joints need to be ready for awkward movements
– Elbows and Knees will need to get used to crawling
– All muscles need to be ready for complete fatigue
– Rucks and gear needs testing
– Getting use to being wet or in water with Ruck
– Etc…the list goes on and on…
As always it is an honor to lead you today.
Respectfully, The Hoff
Quite a large group joined the festivities this morning for a return to the Ballantyne Village parking garage where indeed we enjoyed a barrage of rapid fire sprints and exercises. The sprints were to each level of the parking garage followed by variations of 3 different exercises – variations of Merkins, Legs, and Abs. Sprints of 5 levels up and 5 levels down for a total of 30 sets. We finished with a Merkin / Ab ladder and 15 Burpees and ran back to the Vine.
Warmup: Mosey from Vine to BB&T parking lot. SSH X 50, Slow Squat X 20, Imperial Walker X 20, Merkins X 15 in Cadence (30 total). Mosey to the Garage at Ballantyne Village.
10 sets of 3 exercises with reps of 15 solo for Merkins and Legs or 15 in cadence for abs (30 total).
Legs: Jump Squats, Reverse Lunge, Forward Lunge, Deep slow squats, Side Lunges, 5 variations of People’s Chair with 1 to 1.5 minute holds. Variations included adding shoulder press X 30, 1-leg holds for 10 sec, 1 leg switch for 20 count, and deep holds for 1 min.
Merkins: Regular, Diamonds, Carolina Dry Dock, Wide, Narrow, Peter Parker Merkins, Merkins with Plank and 1 arm raises, and some repeats.
Abs: LBCs, Dolly, Flutter, Heels to Heaven w/Dolly, Rosalita, Plank holds for 1 minute, Mason Twist, Bycycle, and some repeats.
Finished with a Merkin and Abs ladder with Merkins x2x3x4x5x6 and Abs in cadence x4x8x12x15x15 and 15 Burpees which was preferred as opposed to continuing the ladder,,,I have no idea why but that was the vote of the PAQ.
16 PAX decided to deny the fartsack and post at #F3TheMatrix regardless of the call for 90% chance of rain. Rewarded with balmy 60 degree temps and dry conditions as rain held off this a.m.
Here’s what we did:
Jog to parking lot & circle up for COP:
Jog over to far side of Soccer Fields and partner up (size does not matter):
Mosey over to playground for some Circuit Work:
Head to front of school for PC:
Mosey back to parking lot for 6 MOM:
COT
Moleskin:
Announcements:
5 SUC’s (Sons of Union County) rose up and were ready for their daily dose of downpainment on this Super Bowl eve.
THA THANG
Double E on Q
Warm-up
30 x SSH
25 x IW
10 x Burpees OYO
15 x Slow Hand Release Perkins
15 x Rotating Lunge Circle Right
10 x Burpees OYO
25 x Slow Squats
Mosey to Pain Station and pick out Rock to Begin Building a Firm Foundation (Luke 6:48)! Aye!
Horsehead was emotionally unbalanced so he needed a little dose of close group time.
Start with Group Navy Seal Sit Ups x 15 to 15 count elbow planks
Rinse & Repeat
PAINSTATION (With Rock)
Start to enter station
40 x Rock Merkins (20 LH on Rock to 20 RH on Rock)
25 x Rock Curls
20 x Rock Squats (How low can you go?)
20 x Overhead Rock Tricept Extensions
4 Inline cones each about 12 yards apart (surrounded by 4 corner cones @ approx. 60 yards x 30 yards)
3 Exercises at each cone with Rock – Ground to Overhead Thruster, Flutter Press, Burpees
Cone #1 – 20x GTOT, 20x FP, 10x Burp
Painstation Perimeter Run with Rock stopping by Dip Station for 10x Dips
Cone#2 – 15x GTOT, 15X FP, 10x Burp
Painstation Perimeter Run with Rock stopping by Dip Station for 10x Dips
Cone#3 – 10x GTOT, 10X FP, 10X Burp
Painstation Perimeter Run with Rock stopping by Dip Station for 10x Dips
Cone#4 – 5x GTOT, 5x FP, 5x Burp
Painstation Perimeter Run with Rock stopping by Dip Station for 10x Dips
Replace Rock in Rock Pile
The Painstation proved to live up to its name as all PAX were sucking some serious O2 during the workout and run. The chatter of the peanut gallery was silenced by heavy breathing and grunting. Only the sounds of an occasional 10 count, murmer of a choice word, or Vurp from Horse. Great work by all.
Zip Now on Q
Mosey back towards the Middle School!
– Wait, plenty of Pain Stations along the way as we pass the obsticle course we can’t neglect!
Circuit Work x3:
Peoples Chair
Rail Work:
Mosey up the hill to the VSF:
2 MOM
Moleskin:
4 (+1) Eager and Determined PAX arrived to Outland early, ready to welcome the first F3 Beatdown of February. THEN suddenly, like a flash of Lightening, Mr. “I wasn’t late. I just failed to be on time.” Late Show joined the group midway through the run to warm up with the group. Apparently packing both pockets of cargo pants with a full extra change of clothes takes a little extra time. All accounted for, it was time to let the Pain begin!
And the Pain sure followed. The PAX worked hard, was strong but weary throughout. During the 2nd half we thought we’d lost one and not from a wardrobe malfunction. As the PAX was working through the circuit work a loud thunderous THUD came crashing down from Horse Head as he once again has yet to master the wall. #makefriendswiththewall….
Great performance by all!!!!!!
Zip
The Thang:
First Half: Frasier on Q
COP:
Four different pain stations. No man left behind as PAX planked when done until everyone through with the called exercise.
Mosey to front parking lot for burpee suicides;
Mosey to the wall at front of school for some PC and BTW.
Head over to middle of track for 6 MOM:
Hand off to Floor Slapper for 2nd half of beat down:
Playground Ladder
Time left for:
COT
Announcements:
8 brave souls showed up to endure the brutality of a workout led by a newly-turned 50 year old man who apparently doesn’t want to grow old. Man, I’m old enough to be of these guys’ fathers….Anyway, good workout…hard to do 50 reps with a kettlebell (“KB”) so the focus was on a full body experience. Mission accomplished i think.
Workout:: Quick lap around the parking lot; SSH x 50, Run in place KB toe touches for 50 count, 2-arm swing X 20, Goblet squats x 20, Bent over rows X 15 each arm, Merkins x 30, Burpees with KB snatch/press X 10 each arm. Mosey to jungle gym area>
6 exercises – 2 sets each: Plank with upright row X 10 each arm; Dips w/ KB in lap X 15; 10 pullups, 15 Merkins, Squats with KB press X 10 each arm, Bicept curls X 20. Mosey to brick wall>
Peoples Chair with KB (4 sets): 50 second hold w/KB between legs (a/ka/ “sack draggers”); upright row X 15 followed by 1-leg holds for 10 count; 1-armed curl + overhead press X 5 each arm; 50 second sack draggers. Mosey to soccer field>
Mary: LBC w/KB press X 25; Dolly w/KB press X 25; Flutter w/KB press X 25; Heels to Heaven X 15; Dying cock roach w/KB overhead to knees X 15; Mason twist w/KB X 15; the Mighty Mite Twist w/KB X 12. Mosey to sidelines. 15 KB Squats, sprint to other sideline, 15 Merkins. 15 Curls, sprint, 15 Merkins. Mosey to parking lot.
Finished with 50 Burpees. haha – Dropped the “0” (that’s only 5 !!)