Backblasts

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That Beatdown’s Got Legs

We were 5 strong at the Compound this morning: Adman, Nano, Sidecar, YNAB & Monk.

As I made my DEINKE yesterday evening, I got the idea of typing “legs” into the Exicon and came up with this:

Warm-up: SSH, Arm circles, Dogs, Cobra, Rockette Hillbillies, Mountain Man Poopers, mosey to Market parking deck, which has about 8 flights of stairs, or at least it felt like it.

The Thang:

Thang 1: A version of the Leg Wrecker + Everest: One group holds an Al Gore. The other group climbs a flight of stairs by zombie walk (this looks idiotic but takes coordination), and holds Al Gore (this just looks idiotic). The other group zombie-walks a flight to catch the other group. Alternate this way to the top deck, where we performed … 

Thang 2: 11’s with Mike Tysons on one end and No Surrenders on the other. Then back down the stairs by …

Thang 3: Grizzcalator to descend the stairs, one at a time in plank position, with a merkin on each stair. With 0615 fast approaching, we moseyed back to while talking about the …

Announcements: I forgot what they were. Did I mention my 52nd b’day is just over a month away? I’ll post a wish list soon.

Really enjoyed this crew this morning. Looking forward to Turkey Trot around Lake Accotink tomorrow at 0700 (that was one of the announcements.)

Monk-out

 

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The Oak Grove Olympics

AO: The General

QIC: Traveler

PAX: Jenner, Major Payne, Prenup, Horsepunch, Toolbox, Sub Prime

The PAX voyaged to nearby Oak Grove Park where they made unconventional use of park infrastructure for the beatdown.

Warmup: SSH, arm circles, imperial walkers. Moseyed to Oak Grove Park, with a brief pit stop for Merkins.

The Thang:

One at time, the PAX did 5 flights of stair repeats while everyone else AMRAPed an exercise that the stair-climbing PAX prescribed. We quickly realized that the incentives were misaligned for the stair-climbing PAX to climb slowly while everyone else grinded through the exercise they suggested. Exercises included Burpees, Freddie Mercuries, Bonnie Blairs, Merkins, Flutter Kicks, and Bear Crawl (in a circle).

Inspired by a Jenner playground circuit at a different park in the AO, YHC devised a circuit in the Oak Grove Park playground. The loop included: 10 Dips on the slide, Bear Crawl along the ledge of the playground, 10 box [picnic bench] jumps, Bear Crawl along the other ledge, and 4 pullups on a rope hanging between two slides. The PAX did as many rounds as possible in a 5 minute window. Surprisingly, no injuries were sustained while completing this course in the gloom.

PAX moseyed to an entrance ramp to the park which had a dual-railing – a top rail for Australian Merkins and a bottom rail to hold the feet for sit-ups. While one PAX did a set of 20 Bonnie Blairs, the rest AMRAPed on Australian Merkins. Then while the next PAX completed Bonnie Blairs, the rest AMRAPed on sit-ups. PAX kept rotating between Australian Merkins and sit-ups until everyone completed their set of Bonnie Blairs.

We finished our time in Oak Grove Park with a homemade Pentathlon. The PAX made their way around the track on the perimeter of the park, completing a different workout at each of the 5 signposts around the track. The exercises were: 10 Burpees, 15 Merkins, 20 Jump Squats, 25 Toe Touches, and Walking Lunge / Frog Jump combination to the finish line.

Moseyed back to the field at The General.

Mary:

What’s better than 7 Minute Abs? 1 Minute Abs! With time running out, YHQ led the PAX in one minute of Gas Pedals in cadence.

CoT:

YHC was celebrating the newfound freedom of owning his first car, but recalled the wise words of the legendary Navy SEAL-turned-leadership-guru, Jocko Willink, and his motto – “Discipline Equals Freedom.” Freedom doesn’t mean doing whatever you want at any time. It means becoming whoever you want to be. This is accomplished not through spontaneity, but through the discipline to set goals and execute on them.

Announcements:

A new schedule is posted on The General slack channel! First up: Toolbox!

 

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Who’s Block is it Anyway?

AO: The Patriot

QIC: Lazlo

The PAX: 3 Mile, Prenup, FNG SwingLine, Lucius, Tiesto, Poe, Hightower, Jenner, 2 Percent, Sunshine, JAG, Bone, Bambino, Major Payne, Elvis

On a strangely warm morning, we had a Game Day Friday.

WARM UP: SSH; imperial walkers; cherry pickers, arm circles; mosey to the coupons to bring them down to the field

THA-THANG: 

GAME #1: Who’s Block is it Anyway (Hat tip: Bone for the name)

The PAX were divided into groups by careful scientific analysis of fitness level, blood O2, cognitive evaluation, and counting off by twos. The objective for each team was to move a coupon from one endzone to the other. Each point allowed the PAX to move the coupon one yard. To earn points, PAX were allowed to choose their exercises, with increasing points given to exercises of increasing difficulty. The exercises were:

1 point: 2 Merkins

2 points: Bear crawl to the 10 yard line, 20 Bobby Hurley’s

3 points: Bear crawl to the 20 yard line, 10 squat thrusters

5 points: Bear crawl to the 30 yard line, 5 man makers

8 points: Bear crawl to the 40 yard line, 20 yard traveling burpees

After the first round, degree of difficulty increased for another round where points awarded were 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

GAME #2: Get Off of My Lawn!

Still dividing into two groups, the coupons were even split with half on each sideline. The objective was to get all of the coupons to the other team’s sideline. To move a coupon, the PAX had to do an exercise of their choosing. As the exercises got easier, they got longer to incur a greater time penalty. The exercises were:

-10 Burpees

-20 Frog jumps, 10 SSH

-20 Carolina dry docks, 20 SSH

-15 Flutter kicks IC, 30 SSH

-30 LBCs, 40 SSH

After generous helpings of both mumblechatter and shenanigans, it was time for Mary.

MARY: WWIIs, toy soldiers, flutter kicks

COT: We talked about the F3 Mission Statement: Our mission is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

And the F3 credo: Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you find him.

Both are important aspects of why we meet and what we do at stupid hours of the morning in all kinds of weather, but are also valuable thoughts in other aspects of your life. Plant. Grow. Serve. Leave things better than you found them. Aye!

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Tour de Highlands

AO: The Highlands

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Trolley, JAG, Toolbox, Antman, FNG Sputnik, FNG Hubble, Deflator, Posse, Cueball, MileHigh and Lightyear

A dozen PAX gathered for a special beatdown at The Highlands. It was a convergence of DRPAX, with one coming from Charlotte (Posse) and six inbound from Montgomery, AL, where they are building out their mustard seed. Incidentally, Lightyear celebrated his BDay at the Highlands, although he didn’t say anything about it.  Want to know how YHC learned of this?  Listen here where his hospital brother Hello Kitty mentions it and then proceeds to provide a pretty darn great podcast featuring father/son F3 PAX Liverpool and Spitshine who discuss the recent GrowRuck 17 (Quicksand) in the Sandhills area of N.C.If you haven’t done a GrowRuck – schedule it now and do it. It’ll change you — for the much better.

Now, the following is a mostly true account of the Nov 21 Tour de Highlands adventure.

WU: Follow me! Mosey on towards an adventure like no other. First stop – corner of Hayes and 15th. Knock out some SSH. Cross the street and flow into a few IW.  Keep on moving south on Hayes to the TSA HQ for 20 x suitcase situps (get it?). Then a short jaunt to the DEA HQ for 20 x Derkins, 20 x Erkins and 20 x Air Presses (see what we did there?). Continue forward to Army Navy Dr. and Fern St. where the PAX conducted upwards of 50 x BWS as all waited for the light to turn so we could mosey on under I-395 and to the Pentagon parking lot.  Traveling on the sidewalk of South Parking toward the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial, the PAX completed 20 x Merkins, 20 x Flutter Kicks and 20 x Jump Squats. The Memorial is closed for renovation, so no tour through the hallowed ground.  Only stopped momentarily to pay respects and then moseyed onward to the pedestrian tunnel. WU was almost complete, but first, the PAX were required to Ricky Bobby the length of the tunnel under I-395 via Bear Crawl (last man runs to front as PAX bear crawl). Admittedly, it was a lengthy distance — football field-ish length.  All likely have gone further, but this distance definitely left a small mark.  Once back onto Army Navy Dr, take a louie to head south on Joyce St. Bank right at Pentagon Row Park and don’t stop until the hill.

The Thang: Jacobs Ladder. Start at the top of the hill with 1 x pull-up, run down the hill for 6 x Merkins, back up for 2 x pull-ups and down for 5 x Merkins.  And so on until 6 x pull-ups and 1 x Merkin.

Time flies when PAX have fun, and a roundabout mosey brought all back to Virginia Highlands Park where there was time to swing through some monkey bars on the playground, knock out 20 x Merkins and then move to center of the turf field for 50 x LBCs and finish.

COT: It’s always an honor to lead the PAX.  We in F3TheCapital often say we specialize in DRPAX and this day in the gloom was no exception with 7 in our midst. There’s a great feeling associated with welcoming in fellow brothers from around the nation. We draw energy from each other, and our task is to take that positive energy and sprinkle it across our day, wherever we may travel and whomever we may meet.  Be a positive force for others. Be the best husband, brother, father, son, friend, neighbor, work colleague, boss, crazy uncle — whatever your role in life.  Be the best you possibly can!  Aye!

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Tractor pull

AO:  The Patriot

Q:  Fish Fry

Pax:  Maj. Payne, Lucius, Jenner, Shark Week, Murdoch, Vegan, Bone, 2%, Lazlo, 3 mile, Brown Bag

Warm up:  SSH, Seal Claps, Mosey around the track with hi knees and butt kickers on the straight aways, and then a stop to pick up coupons for The Thang.

The Thang: YHC grew up in the south where he saw lots of monster trucks and tractor pulls, which gave him some ideas for this queue.  After picking up the coupons, we made our way over to the workout location.  Along the way, we made a couple of stops for some post-warmup, pre Thang exercises, to wit, 10 jumping frogs and then a little later 15 aussie pull ups using the rails from the ramp down.  Then the fun began.

We moved our favorite 1000 lb tire Samara into place and loaded up the sled to begin the circuit:

  1.  Sled pull with 1 coupon per person from the concrete pad up the hill to the street and back as the pacer.
  2. Tire flip Samara back and forth on the black top.
  3. 30 DD’s using the benches on the side walk:  10 dips, 10 derkins, 10 split squats each leg.
  4. ALARMS (5 each)
  •             Arms:  Curls
  •             Legs:  Goblet Squat
  •             Abs:  Mountain Climbers
  •             R exercise:  Bent over rows
  •             M Exercise:  Man makers

Once everyone had a trip around the circuit, we returned with a Ricky Bobby run with the coupons in front.   Last person in line went to the front and took the coupon from behind and others passed forward until we returned to Patriot.

Mary:  A very quick but meaningful Mary was had with Wave of Fire up to 3 push ups, and 15 pike ups.

COT:  Built off the following quote:

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Chuck Swindol

Each workout, we are faced with some impossible obstacles that we work to overcome.  We can support each other to meet our obstacles at work, home, at family, and wherever else to strengthen each other.   And we closed with prayer.

Announcements:  JBL 5K on Saturday morning, and 2f Axe throwing on Saturday night.