Skunk you very much
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.
Prepare for the Challenge
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
Bagpipe Barrage in the Garage
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.
Working with Multiples of 50
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:
- Merkins x 10 (IC)
- SSH x 50 (IC)
- Wide-arm Merkins x 10 (IC)
- IW x 50 (IC)
- Staggered Right Arm Merkins x 10 (IC)
- Squats x 50 (IC)
- Staggered Left Arm Merkins x 10 (IC)
- MC x 50 (IC)
- Diamond Merkins x 10 (IC)
Jog over to far side of Soccer Fields and partner up (size does not matter):
- Rd 1 – P1 Bear Crawl to telephone pole, jog to soccer goal & back, Bear Crawl back to start; P2 Burpees; Flapjack and continue until complete 50 Burpees as a team
- Rd 2 – Replace Bear Crawl with Crab Walk; Replace 50 Burpees with 100 Knee ups
- Rd 3 – Replace Crab Walk w/ Lunge Walk; Replace 100 Knee Ups with 150 LBCs
Mosey over to playground for some Circuit Work:
- Rd 1 – 10 Pull-ups, 20 Dips, 20 Incline Merkins
- Rd 2 – 10 Pull-ups, 20 Dips, 20 Decline Merkins
- Rd 3 – 10 Pull-ups, 20 Dips, 20 CDD
Head to front of school for PC:
- PC x 60 secs (w/ arms out front, arms over head w/ 20 air presses)
- Lunge walk to parking lot
- PC x 60 secs
Mosey back to parking lot for 6 MOM:
- Dolly x 20 (IC) (Hold’em w/ 10 count from Joker)
- Flutter x 20 (IC) (Hold’em w/ 10 count from Horsehead)
- Rosalita x 20 (IC)
- LBCs x 20 (IC)
COT
Moleskin:
- YHC tweeted that this mornings workout would involve some multiples of 50. Started with COP and continued on with Partner work on soccer fields. TR wondered if Q was going to make it to the target of 50 Squats IC (and YHC was questioning himself as well), but we powered through.
- Combination of Bear Crawl and Burpees in first round of Partner Work was awful.
- Uncle Leo was wondering if number 50 had to do w/ Super Bowl, but no that Grand Idea was sprouted yesterday afternoon pre-kickoff.
Announcements:
- Email Baracus if any interest in BRR
- Mud Run time trial to be held at Outland on Saturday, 2/15. Bring out your Mud Run team for some practice. If not part of a Mud Run team but interested in participating, come out & run to be paired with unaligned PAX of similar fitness level. Or just come out to get a taste of what the Mud Run is about.
ROCK MONSTERS
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!
- 20 Decline Merkins off the telephone poles
- 20 Incline Merkins on the stumps
- 20 Perkins next to the pond at HHs request
Circuit Work x3:
- 20 Donkey Kicks
- 20 Jump Ups
- 30 Dips
Peoples Chair
- 1 Minute with various arm motion
- 1 minute to include 40 air-presses
Rail Work:
- Supine pull-ups — x10, x8, x6, x4 and back to 10
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
Making House Calls (Posted on behalf of Frasier & Floor Slapper)
- Eleven strong men set out thirty seconds early or on time (depending on whose watch you were looking at) for a pain filled hour of fun on a beautiful brisk morning at #F3Area51.
The Thang:
First Half: Frasier on Q
COP:
- SSH x 25
- IW x 20
- Slow Squat x 20
- Hand Release Merkins x 20
- Mountain Climber x 20
- Parker Peter x 15
Four different pain stations. No man left behind as PAX planked when done until everyone through with the called exercise.
- Station One – T-merkin x 20 at the playground at back of school & then jog to the stumps at the Lighthouse behind the school.
- Station Two – 20 Jump ups or Step ups on the stumps. Jog to the playground at the front of the school. Plank.
- Station Three – 20 Carolina Dry Docks. Plank w/ right leg out & down to 6 in. while holding right leg out for 10 ct. Rinse & Repeat w/ left leg. Jog to last station at the track.
- Station Four – 15 Sumo Squats. Hold the squat for 5 secs and then explode off the ground. Plank.
Mosey to front parking lot for burpee suicides;
- Skip every two parking lines while doing increased burpees at each stop all the way to seven burpees.
Mosey to the wall at front of school for some PC and BTW.
- Alternate PC w/ BTW for two circuits with Alternate Right Leg & Left Leg off the wall or ground.
Head over to middle of track for 6 MOM:
- Russian Twist x 20
- Reverse Crunch x 20
- Windshield Wiper x 15
- Freddy Mercury slow x 5, fast x 5, slow x 5, fast x 5
Hand off to Floor Slapper for 2nd half of beat down:
- Partner 1 trail run, Partner 2 pull up sets, then flapjack
- P1 track run, P2 push ups, then flapjack
- P1 track run, P2 LBC, then flapjack
Playground Ladder
- 5/10/15 squats
- 5/10/15 jump squats
- 5/10/15 forward lunge
Time left for:
- 20 incline merkins
- 20 decline merkins
- 15 burpees
COT
Announcements:
- Email Baracus if any interest in BRR next fall. Setting up 6/9/12 man teams for those interested.
- See weekly email for announcements on upcoming events. Springtime tends to offer lots of opportunities for CSAUP events.
Fifty and Counting…
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 !!)
Confetti Angels
Despite #Cantore calling for Seattle-like weather conditions, 13 men of DMZ were greeted by near perfect conditions. There were no confetti angels this morning, but in honor of the new champs, Q decided a WIB staple (3-man grinders) seemed appropriate. Here’s the Thang:
Clock hit 0530: Fast mosey to Carmel Middle.
SSH x50
Dips x20
Mosey down to rock pile by the ball fields. Form teams of 3 (…eventually). Man 1 kept the coupon company at the bottom of the parking lot. Man 2 took position up the hill at the entrance to the parking lot. Man 3 ran the parking lot to switch. Exercises performed AMRAP until switch.
Man 1 with coupon / Man 2 without:
Goblet squats / Merkins
Lunges / the Carl Dean (Dolly variation)
Russian twists / Wide arms
Overhead press / LBCs
Squat – press / Burpees
Replace coupons and mosey to parking lot entrance. 10 Burpees OYO.
Backwards run up the hill to first speed bump. Alternating karaoke to second speed bump. Jailbreak home.
The suited-man moleskin:
Counting to 3 was really hard this morning. I think the first attempt at “team of 3″ ended up with a single team of 3, 3 teams of 2, and a team of 4. #qfail After YHC endured a seemingly endless stretch of merkins with no teammate in sight, we managed to get the teams split up correctly.
Some interesting rock choices by the Pax, especially given the limited instructions. YHC forgot about the planned overhead presses and chose poorly. #secondQfail Gangsta mouse and team had a rock that could have fit in one hand. Guess they were planning to run with their coupon?
YHC introduced an old wrestling exercise, believed to be yet unseen at F3 that is something similar to the Rosalita and the Dolly. On your back, legs straight at 6″ off the ground, raise legs to 18″, spread, back together, and back to 6”. Welcome to the Carl Dean.
Strong work out there with minimal mumblechatter for my first Q south of Fairview. I think only the widearms and last 10 burpees drew even a single comment. There were no 10-counts and no breaks. Planned exercises hit most all major muscle groups. The WIB-style of workout is constant motion and you vs you (virtual trohpies excluded), which makes it tough yet FNG-friendly. Speaking of…
Welcome to FNG, Ski Bunny, who made his way from Concord to Jackson Hole and back to Charlotte. Great to have you out there this morning, and we hope you make it out again.
Thanks to FOD and Skywalker for the opportunity.
Kirk
DMZ Pre-Blast
Pax of DMZ:
I have no ties to Denver or Seattle. I really don’t care who wins. I suspect many of you feel the same. I want to care, and I want you to care.
So as you settle in to watch the Super Bowl this evening, know that the winner matters…and not in some hollow, clichéd, “history remembers winner” kind of way, but in a personal, “what’s in it for me” kind of way.
There are two “game” plans for tomorrow, each a tribute to the teams competing tonight. So as you watch the Super Bowl tonight, I want you to know that who wins will impact you tomorrow.
If Denver wins: lace’em tight because we’re headed to the track.
If Seattle grinds out a win: pseudo-Area 51 gets introduced to a WIB staple.
See you in the gloom,
Kirk