Neighborhood Watch
We walked for an hour. Though not as far as usual. We blame NC, Brexit’s dog, who decided to mark her spot every third mail box. Brexit was beast mode pushing three kids in a stroller with a ruck pack on. Posse got tears thinking of the good ole days (kids in strollers). I made walking a dog with a pink leash look good (no surprises there). Radar was ever free of the early morning cow lick. Lots of second F. I kept my inappropriate jokes to a minimum around the kids, even as brexit kept unknowingly lobbing softball after softball at me (who describes their trails as thin and lacking, seriously). Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Just like riding a bike, except the back blast part….
I haven’t Q’d a boot camp for quite some time as I’ve been mashing for so long given my knee surgery. I’m finally back to full time running as Chicken Little keenly observed and suckered me into asked me to Q flash sometime. I obliged and put together some thoughts for the Monday morning weinke. After 2 1/2 years of F3 and a ton of Q’s at mash, its not too hard to come up with plenty of exercises to keep the group going for 45 min. I do like to try to pull in some new exercises so that the same old things aren’t done every time but we’ll save that weinke for another Q when all the rust is worn off. Dicc’s were a little rusty but we got those covered and off we go–
The thang-
Mosey to the front of the elementary school for some warmups
- imperial walkers
- side straddle hops
- mountain climbers
- calf stretches
- upward/downward dog
Grab a partner, one does reps while the other runs around the circle and then switch.
- 100 merkins, 150 big boys, 200 dips
Mosey to high school gym entrance area
- bottom of the steps 10 squats, run up to top by wall and do Mike Tysons 10x, run back repeat, 10 squats while lowering Tysons to 8x,6x,4x,2x
Mosey to back side of high school by wooden benches
- 3 rounds use wooden benches for 20 incline merkins, run to tables/benches and do 20 step ups
Mosey to Rudys shack, run the path back up to parking lot, getting short on time
- alternate light poles- 3 burpees, then next pole 10 LBCs, keep repeating till we get back to parking lot, times up.
Moleskin-
As the title says, Q’ing its like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it, maybe its a little harder to get creative with exercises if you haven’t done anything in a while or haven’t pulled out the exicon to find some new stuff. The backblast is a little different story- I kinda forgot where to login, my password, how to put all the information in, and mostly its a bit of just being lazy on my part. Well the backblast certainly wasn’t posted in a Flash like the name of the site! Anyway, all you pax that are counting your workouts for the year should now have credit for July 12th. Always a honor to get out in the early morning gloom and lead a fine group of F3 pax, and looking forward to the next time…..
Testing out the new speaker
I rolled into Calvary this morning unsure what I’d find. Summer is always tough with travel and the hot/humid weather. Fortunately, Mighty Mite was there when I showed up and Frehley’s pulled in as I did. I busted out a few kettlebells and a new speaker I’d picked up on Amazon and we got to work.
Warm up:
- SSH x 20 IC
- Prying squat x 2
- Windmills x 10 IC
- Halos x 5 each way
- Merkins x 10 on your bells
Main Thang:
- 100 swing set – 10 swings, 1+1 press, 15 swings, 2+2 presses, 25 swings, 3+3 presses, 50 swings, 4+4 presses
- Complex – The Eagle/Goshawk – 8 squats, 20 meter carry x 8 sets. Use doubles or singles.
- Easy Strength – 4 sets x 5 reps of each of the following exercises:
- Single leg deadlifts (per leg)
- Floor presses
- Lawnmowers
- Double cleans
- Static holds – :20 double overhead/:20 double racked/:20 farmer holds. 4 sets with 1:00 rest between each round.
- Snatches – 10 snatches per minute for 10:00
Mary (1:00 each):
- Hollow body hold
- Glute bridge
- Hard-style elbow plank
COT – RockZero mixed things up by joining us for COT this morning.
Announcements:
- HDHH on Wednesday at Stumptown Station, probably at 5:30, but keep an eye on Slack for more details.
- Crane Relay – October 13th at 9pm. Teams take turns running 3, 4, and 5 mile loops.
- F3 Foundation survey – If you’re on the F3 Nation mailing list, you should have received an invitation to a survey for the F3 Foundation. The survey is intended to provide direction for the Foundation’s efforts. It’s very short, so please fill it out if you’ve received it. If you’re not on the mailing list, please go to F3Nation.com and click the F3 Newsletter Signup button on the left.
- F3 10 year anniversary – F3 Cape Fear (Wilmington, NC) is hosting the 10-year celebration October 8-10. Originally scheduled for January, the event was postponed due to COVID. Visit the website for more information.
Moleskine:
- I decided to upgrade my speaker to get a little more range out of the Bluetooth. It can be hard to hear the mumblechatter while keeping the music loud enough for the pax to hear. Unfortunately, the new speaker’s range wasn’t quite as long as hoped. On the bright side, it did seem a little louder.
- Today’s playlist was provided by Spotify’s Van Halen radio, which received 2 thumbs up from the pax. It can be hard to find music that spans the decades, but this one worked pretty well. I’ll have to file it away for the future.
- Everyone was pushing hard out there. Between the Goshawk complex and the snatches, this workout was full of unsavory exercises. Thanks for coming out and pushing moving some iron with me this morning.
Zebra Cakes & Rocks
11 Manly Men at Rock Zero for stories that included ‘zebra cakes’, ‘babies in Vegas’, and ‘broken noses’. 3.4 miles and running with rocks–celebrate 10 years with McGee Mary…good times!! Joker was NOT there. Hoover was NOT there. Tiger Rag was NOT there.
Here are participants: Mr. Magoo, Crockett, Big League Chew, Floor Slapper, Alf, Boondock, Horsehead, Emoji, Geraldo, McGee, O’Tannenbaum (Q)
COP:
Warm up–SSH, Merkins, IW, Squats, Seal Jacks
The Thang:
- Mosey to Turf for McGee 6 minutes of Mary
- 7’s with Burpees and Merkins between Turf and HotBox
- Mosey to Rock Pile–4 Corners
- 1) Run with Rocks for Squats x 20, jump Squats x 20, one leg deadlifts right x 10, one leg dead lifts left x 10 (2 ROUNDS)
- 2) Run with Rocks for front lifts with rocks x 10, Triceps x 20, presses x 20, curls x 20 (2 ROUNDS)
- Return rocks–Mosey around Church building to finish
MoleSkine:
Good times this morning. Humid, but there was a nice breeze at the end and shade was found throughout the campus. Zebra Cakes make you stronger (and regular) was the summary from the HH/BD family, and they fit into the vacation budget. Who would take their baby to Vegas? A question to be pondered by sweaty immature men all around F3. And when you break your nose—Do you you get it fixed? or just do more merkins? Merkins build character. Strong work by all this morning. Thanks for showing up and for following my lead!
Announcements:
Happy Hour Wednesday at Stumptown Station–see slack for time.
Crane Relay 8/13
OT
12 days of Christmas
It was a hot and sweaty morning in Union County as I crossed the state line on my way to Diesel to Q.
The foolish mortals had asked me to Q and I brought along Christmas… in July!
After we warmed up a bit, we started on The Thang:
Just like the song, you repeat each exercise just like the song. The exercises are:
1 – Walk/Run
2- Makhtar N’Diayes (Pronounced Mac tar Jie)
3- Goblet squats
4- LBCs
5- Diamond merkins
6- Chest press
7- American hammers
8- Calf raises
9- Sumo Goblets
10- Lunges (each leg)
11- Lawn mowers
12- Dead lifts
Great time out there this morning. Thanks Turnbuckle for asking me to Q! Keep up your awesome work, you’re truly a different man than you were a year ago. Keep giving it away!
Loved the mumble chatter this morning and I appreciate the opportunity to lead this morning.
Credo of F3: Leave no man behind but leave no man where you find him.
We Don’t Stop, the Body Shop
7 non-Lawsonians and Briarcrestians joined me for a sweat filled morning.
Warmup:
mosey to other side of parking lot; Plank, 15 plank jacks IC, 15 Mountain climbers IC, 15 peter parkers IC, 10 merkins IC, 10 CDD IC, 10 parker peters IC, 10 wide arm merkins IC
Thang:
at parking lot wall: 40 donkey kicks, 30 shoulder taps, 20 jump squats, 10 mike tysons; then run to first light pole, back to start remove donkey kicks and continue, to second light pole; continued until we hit all 4 poles
Heels to Heaven x20 IC, LBC x15 IC, Dolly x10 IC, flutter x10 IC
To other side of lot: pair up, 1 partner does pull ups, timer is other partner doing 40 donkey kicks; repeat until complete each three times
To other side of lot: Bear crawl across lot, 10 merkins, back to start then 9 merkins, etc down to 6
break to complete Mary; then finish bar crawls with merkins 5 to 1
To other side of lot: suicides-2x -at each line 10 CDD’s, at start 10 jump squats-total of 4 lines each time
Moleskin:
Threw in a little pump fake by asking where the rocks were and not using them. Rea View has small rocks. That’s it.
Thanks to Das Boot for the invite to a site I do not get to and PAX I don’t normally work out with. I think they all expected a lot more running but kept it to under 1.75 for a change in the regular routine. They are all coming to Ignition on Monday though as they felt cheated with the mileage.
Das Boot-holding it down for North Waxhaw. Was disappointed that I didn’t throw in some weird exicon move like Bizarro or Bolt 45s (scoured the B section)
Chipotle-broke out the khaki shorts, must of thought today was Bushwood . Speaking of Bill Murray, there is an exercise named after him in the exicon. I think some people are trying a bit too hard.
Big Tuna-shunned Chipotle all morning, not 100% but I’m fairly confident these guys don’t like each other and don’t talk much
Bunyan-By himself on the MASH crew, he said he did 350 block shoulder presses in 2 minutes. F3 Hartsville where you at?
Noonan –No relation to Foundation. Also, was disgusted during his shining moment of bear crawling when he noticed the Q stopping 10 seconds after stating “try not to stop”
Jwow- Killing it, out front all morning. Said he went to Body Shop rather than Floater as he felt this was going to be an easier workout (or because he was afraid to get maimed crossing the street) 🙁 He was right :((
Honeycomb– Something to work on, he was only smiling like 97% of the workout. Only said “good job” and “thanks” like 10 times this morning.
Announcements: YHC took us out
Is it a sand bag or should we call a coroner?
7 pax gladly (?? – no advance notice of my plan) helped me with Grow Ruck training this am. Emoji, fresh transplant from F3 Richmond, quickly asked if I had a dead body in the taped up bag I brought. He was relieved, for a moment, to find out it was just a home wrapped sand bag. The “plan” was to wing it and see how things played out.
The Thang:
COP for warm up with SSH, Merkings, Mtn Climbers, and Cotton Pickers
YHC picked up the bag and led the pax over to CCHS. We took turn carrying the sand bag down the entranceway and past the deck down to Little Ave. PAX would lunge walk or broad jump until bag carrier got a head start and then would sprint to catch up. The “winner” got to carry the bag for the next segment. I think Hops, Point Break, Snooka, and Snowflake all got turns.
Grab a rock and head down to the practice field via the treacherous path down the hill. Partner up. We did series of partner runs and exercises (one partner runs and other does called exercise). Curls, Overhead presses, Curls, and then running partner carries rock (or sand bag) while exercise was Dolly, Flutter, Boone LBC.
One minute of perfect form sit ups while partner holds feet and then flap jack (hands locked behind head).
Over to tires with two teams of four flipping tire for a few minutes.
Grab rocks and head back up to parking deck, dropping off rocks on the way.
Bottom of short ramp for more partner work. Backward run up and back, karaoke up and back and run up and back with merkins, dolly, and burpees.
Up to level 4 via short ramps with merkins at each turn (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 – that sucked). A few minutes of wall sit before heading back to Amalies. We repeated the sand bag chase up the lane in front of school.
Finished with another round of perfect form sit up for one minute each partner.
Naked Moleskin
Welcome Emoji from Richmond. In addition to asking odd questions about dead bodies he got referrals for dentist, doctor, chiropractor, masseuse, bookies and who knows what else (Snowflake had to get out his dusty contact book).
Welcome back Mild Dew after a stint to see if he could become a world champion kick boxer. I think you can convince the guys at Meathead to do a few rounds of kick boxing with you.
Average age today was over 50 with two 60’s, several in the mid 50’s and only three under 50. Snooka and Snowflake prove that age doesn’t have to hold you back if you keep after it consistently.
PT test – 52 sit ups (hands locked behind head) in 2 minutes, 42 merkins in two minutes, and two mile run in under 18:30. Work on it even if you are not interested in a Grow Ruck.
For a real challenge, check out Shorecard on Tuesday morning (5:15) in lower deck of parking deck next to Poppy’s bagels at Providence and Sharon Amity or SACs in Area 51 (Cheese curd runs a tight ship there).
Anouncements/prayer requests
Please continue to pray for Jennings Palmer and About Times family as they continue on journey to beat Jennings cancer. He is doing great but they still have a long way to go to make sure they are out of the woods.
As always, an honor and a privilege.
Around the World with Scuba
WARM UP/ The Thang- The goal was to name world country capitals and the continents they are in, if you got the correct capital and the continent, you did 10 reps of the exercise, if the group got one wrong, it was 15 reps, If they got both wrong it was 20 reps.
| Country | Capital | Continent | Exercise |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | Asia | Side Staddle Hops |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Saint Johns | North America | Imperial Walkers |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | South America | Standing head to knee |
| Australia | Canberra | Oceania | Calf Stretch |
| Bahamas | Nassau | North America | Downward and Upward Dog |
| Belarus | Minsk | Europe | Merkins |
| Belgium | Brussels | Europe | Up back and over |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | Europe | Merkins |
| Canada | Ottawa | North America | Press, press Fling |
| Cayman Islands (UK) | George Town | North America | Merkins |
| Chile | Santiago | South America | Hi, Jack, Hi Jill |
| China | Beijing | Asia | Mekins |
| Colombia | Bogotá | South America | Arm Haulers |
| Cuba | Havana | North America | Over head presses |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Europe | Half curl |
| Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | North America | Upper curls |
| Egypt | Cairo | Africa | Tricep |
| El Salvador | San Salvador | North America | Full curls |
| France | Paris | Europe | LBC |
| Gibraltar (UK) | Gibraltar | Europe | American Hammers |
| Greece | Athens | Europe | Big boy’s |
| Haiti | Port-au-prince | North America | Flutter kicks |
| Hong Kong (China) | Hong Kong City | Asia | Good morning darlings |
| Iran | Tehran | Asia | Heals to heavan |
| Iraq | Baghdad | Asia | Speed skates |
| Ireland | Dublin | Europe | Forward Lunges |
| Israel | Jerusalem | Asia | Reverse Lunges |
| Italy | Rome | Europe | Sguats |
| Japan | Tokyo | Asia | Air presses |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Africa | Air Punches |
| Lebanon | Beirut | Asia | Neck rotations |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Europe | Merkins |
| Mexico | Mexico City | North America | Airchairs |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Europe | Mike Tysons |
MOLESKIN
It’s summer time and are numbers are down. We had 5 plus two 2,0’s tonight. I think we did better this week with country capitals then we did with State capitals last week. Try to keep it in the shade as it was very hot out.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
F3 Dad camp at Camp Thunderbird in Aug.
Mayham took us out.
The only easy day was yesterday!
Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit!
Mall Eleven
Eleven pax arrived for rigorous series of exercises. Some might say the eleven resembled the cast of Oceans Eleven, but most would not. Our morning started with a jog to the parking lot in front of Regal for a warm-up series, fifteen each, of side straddle hops, imperial walkers, low slow squats, mountain climbers, and Peter Parkers. From there we started our first series with a 3 set run to the top of Stonecrest sign hill for 3 burpees and back down for 10 LBCs at the bottom. The next series started at the entry courtyard between Firebirds and Cantina where we did 20 dips, from there to the parking lot at the rear of Basil for 20 merkins, then to the fountain for 20 step ups, then on to the parking lot at the back of Smashburger for 20 heels to heaven, then circled back stopping at the entry to the large courtyard between Basil and Smashburger for 20 jump sqauts, and then back to start at Firebirds, repeating this three times. From there on to series three, the rock pile at St. Matthew where we did 3 sets, 10 each of curls, thrusters, and triceps. On to series four behind Target for bear crawls up the hill with 3 hand release merkins at the top, and back down for 10 WWII sit ups starting at the first light post and repeating at the next two light poles. We then worked our way back running sprints between speed bumps, and finishing with a time killing series of lunges in the parking lot. My fitbit showed we did 1.79 miles, the stupid thing must be broken because it seemed like more. It did say we had a full 45 active minutes, so it least that function works. We had a visitor from Louisville who invited us to a F3 function or something there tomorrow night. No takers. Had he brought mint juleps for us to cool down with maybe a different response. I enjoyed crossing the A51 line to SOB, thanks to Circuit City for the invitation. Thanks too for Circuit City including the names on slack this morning since I didn’t record the close out. Interesting that it counts to 12. Oh well, I’m not changing the backblast.