Backblasts

AO: The Highlands

QIC: JAG

PAX: Toolbox, Trolley, and Jenner

Warm-Up: SSH, IW, IBAC, Cherry Pickers, WMH, and Merkins . . . lots and lots of Merkins.

The Thang:  The PAX did a friendship lap around the luscious Highlands’ pasture and then moseyed over to the Costco garage.  There, the PAX performed a set of Box Jumps, Dips and Derkins before a sprint up the 7 flights of garage.  The PAX returned to the first floor via the garage’s ramps performing a variety of exercises along the way, including Bear Crawls, Crawl Bears, Crab Walks, Walk Crabs, Seal Claps, Inchworm Merkins and Squats.  Once upon solid ground, the PAX did another set of Derkins and Dips before returning to The Highlands’ proper.

Mary: American Hammers, WWIIs and the debut of “Freddy Flutter Mercury Kicks” – an exercise where the Q calls one exercise and then performs the other much to the confusion of the PAX!

COT: Two of the podcasts that the Q listed to this week mentioned the positive effect of exercise – one was an interview with Ryan Manion of the Travis Manion Foundation and another was a biography of President Theodore Roosevelt.  Remember this lesson as we get into the coldest of The Gloom.  Don’t let the dropping temps give you a reason to Fartsack it.  Get up and get after it!

AO: The General

QIC: JAG

PAX: Toolbox, Trolley, 2 Percent, Traveler, Prenup, Subprime and Lucius

Warm-Up: SSH, IBAC, Cherry Pickers, Windmills and Musclemakers . . . lots and lots of Musclemakers

The Thang:  The PAX convened for a leisurely mosey around the greater General area.  We started with a friendship lap around the track to the pull-up bar.  There each PAX performed a set of pull-ups and then a wall sit while they waited for the other PAX to complete their set.  The PAX then headed to the north end of the stadium for Box Jumps, Derkins and Dips.

From there, the PAX did a Ricky Bobby to the local park, where they did a Crawl Bear up the park’s steps, walking lunges and LBCs.  The PAX then moseyed to The General’s garage to perform Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Crawl Bears, Mt. Everests, Walking Lunges, Reverse Walking Lunges, Al Gores and Seal Claps.

After getting momentarily lost (Hey, thanks Q, it’s not raining or anything!), the PAX returned to the stadium for more Derkins and Dips as well as two rounds of Australian Merkins.

Mary: Speedbike, WWIIs and Penguins

COT: Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Are you going to get right, live right, lead right and leave right or do something else?

Voyage #2 of The Love Train picked up a couple of new riders: Elvis + his FNG brother, a real estate guy we nicknamed Short Sale.

We ran 6.5 miles, 8:11min/mi down the W&OD from Vienna to Idylwood Park and back.

Conversation topics ranged from Bone’s explanation of the Cold War to how to scare up a job transition on short notice. I learned that F3 Elvis used to look like the big (real) Elvis and now looks like the lean Elvis. Go F3 + Elvis!

Announcements: Vote on Slack for a new QSource meeting time/day. Lots of 3rdF volunteer opportunities. See Slack channel

AO:  The General

QIC: Lucius

THE PAX:  JAG; Pocket Chicken (DR); Romo; Toolbox; Traveler; Trolley

Seven PAX, including DR guest Pocket Chicken, posted in the gloom to celebrate Sandbag Tuesday.  They performed a series of exercises using two sandbags filled with 50 lbs of play sand (scientifically proven to weigh less than 50 lbs of mason’s sand).  Here’s what the PAX accomplished:

WARM UP: SSH; Windmills; LBACs; Sun Gods; Cherry Pickers; Downward Dog; Cobra Commander

THE THANG:

Sandbag Suicide Relay:  The PAX split into two teams, then took turns moving 50-lb sandbags 10-yards via the traditional clean-and-toss method.  Upon reaching the 10-yard line, each PAX shouldered the bag and ran back for the start, so that the next PAX on his team could take a turn.

Rest exercises for the PAX waiting in the endzone included Merkins, BWS, Plank Jacks; Tree-Huggers, Bonnie Blairs, and Air Presses.

Repeat for the 15, and 20 yard-lines, so that each PAX got 45 yards of clean-and-throws and 45 yards of shoulder carry.  Finish with two rounds of ten single count side-to-shoulder lift and drop for each PAX.

Ring of Sandbag:  The PAX circled up and passed their two 50-lb sandbags from man to man.  After each hand-off, the PAX performed a burpee, then recovered to receive … another sandbag!

 Sandbag Bucket Brigade:  The PAX split into two teams, then moved the sandbags (still 50-lbs) 50 yards via the traditional bucket-brigade method.   After passing off the sandbag, each PAX ran to the front of his team (Ricky Bobby style), to keep the bag moving.

Sandbag Bucket Brigade with Overhead Press: The two teams returned from the mid-field to the end zone, each PAX performing an overhead press before handing the sandbag to his teammate.  Multiple overhead presses per pass for the last 15-20 yards.

Sandbag Pull-Through:  The PAX lined up in plank position, then proceeded to move both sandbags 50 yards via the traditional pull-through method.  Each PAX performed a single-count Merkin before each pull-through.  After passing the second sandbag to his neighbor, each PAX moved to the front of the line (Ricky Bobby style), to keep the bag moving.

 Sandbag Farmer’s Carry:  The PAX took turns performing a 100-yard farmer’s carry with their two sandbags (50 lbs each).  Rest exercises for the waiting PAX included Merkins, BWS, Plank Jacks; Tree-Huggers, Lunge Steps, Air Presses, LBCs, Flutter Kicks, and Freddie Mercuries.

THE MARY:   Having already completed their Mary exercises during the Farmer’s Carry, the PAX ended with a fun game of Bear-Crawl Marco Polo.  No sandbags were used.  YHC lost.

COT:  YHC had the privilege of teaching Sunday School this week, meaning that YHC had the privilege of learning a lot about Joseph in a short amount of time.  Joseph encountered many highs and lows in his life.  He was enslaved, wrongfully imprisoned, named the head of ancient Egypt’s Dept. of Agriculture, and ultimately saved his family from famine. No matter how good things appear—or how bad they appear—change is constant.  Prepare for it.