Category: Uncategorized

AO: The General

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Jag, Two Percent, Sharkbait (2.0)

The heatwave had broken, and temps/humidity were inching downward, which likely contributed to the low numbers for this A.M.’s gloom. The PAX of F3ArlingtonVa enjoy punishment, and when the weather doesn’t bring it, the Q must step up. The following is a mostly accurate recounting of how the Foursquare beatdown transpired.

WU: SSH, IW, LBAC (front and back) right into Sealclaps, BWS and Merkins.  Finish with a lap around the track.

ME: Start with some 40yd lateral sprints. That is, 8 x 5 yd lateral skaters as fast as possible. @2 Percent was really good at these. The rest of the PAX, not quite the same, but we struggled through.

Then mosey across the field toward the stair tower. Stop just outside the stadium for 5 x sets of 10 x Aussie Pushups, then 10 x Merkins.  Keep moving to the stair tower where PAX competed the following pyramid routine: run down 5 x exercise, run up, 5 x exercise, run down 10 x exercise, run up, 10 x exercise, etc. Reps went 5,10,15,10,5. Exercises were BWS at bottom, Merkins up top.

Once complete, mosey on into parking garage for some accelerations up each ramp. Stop at bike rack gauntlet for 2 x bear crawl (down and back) through (under) the bike rack loops. SSH to keep moving once finished the bear crawl.

Onward to complete a lap around the school and back to the stadium for some F3 Foursquare. PAX marked out a boxed area with four joined squares on the field. The “king” serves from square 4. Max one bounce allowed in a player’s box, then he must tap the ball into another players box. If a player misses or has two bounces in his box, he must go to square 1 (AKA the toilet). After each player hits the ball, he must do an exercise. We started with 1 x BWS, evolved to 2 x BWS, and culminated with 1 x burpee, which worked the best.

Mary: around the horn for dealers choice, Jag chose 40 x Freddie Mercuries, Sharkbait led 25 x flutter kicks, Two Percent gave us 50 x lateral plank toy soldiers. YHC concluded with 50 x LBCs.

COT: Always a pleasure to lead this group!! Thanks for coming out today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AO: The Patriot

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Horsepunch, Prenup, Lazlo, Dr. D, Bone, Two-Percent, Tea Party, Subprime, Jenner, Apollo, Vegan, Jag, Lucius

Saturday, marked the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk. “The Eagle has landed,” said Neil Armstrong on that day, July 20, 1969, and he placed his foot on the moon’s surface shortly afterward.  Today, the 14 PAX honored the Apollo program as a whole, which succeeded in landing the first humans on the moon from 1969 to 1972.

Mosey around the track, interspersed with high knees, butt kicks and karaoke.  Circle up.

• Side Shuffle Hop x 10
• Imperial walker x 10
• LBAC (front and back ) x 10
• Merkins x 50 SC to honor the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk.  Broken into 3 sets (30, 10, 10) Rest between sets…or hold plank…if your F3 name is Jag.

Main Event

Apollo 1

The Apollo program had a rough start. The Apollo 1 mission ended in tragedy on February 21, 1967 when a fire in the cabin killed all three astronauts on the launch pad. YHC asked if any of the PAX could name just one of them. Apollo, with what could be seen as an unfair advantage, being an active duty Air Force officer and pilot (and, well, named Apollo), responded correctly with fellow USAF pilot Lt. Col. and Command Pilot Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom. The others were Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Rest in Peace brothers. In memory of those three astronauts, we completed a ring of fire with each PAX completing 3 x Burpees.

Mosey over to pick up concrete blocks (AKA payloads). Almost all grab blocks (more PAX than blocks — it’s a good problem to have!) and continue on to the arena.

Space Race

The USA was not the only nation working to get to the moon first, and we were in the midst of a full-on space race with the Soviets now. The Soviets were the first to send   living organisms to the moon and back, including two tortoises, fruit fly eggs, and plants.  the PAX did not know the name of the Soviet spacecraft — the Zond 5.

Split into two groups – group 1 Americans, group 2 Russians, or something like that.

Russians head off into high orbit, which equates to a lap around the arena perimeter. Since we don’t have enough blocks, Two Russian pairs must buddy carry up the stairs and around the perimeter. Americans stay in low orbit for now, and pick up their blocks to execute 5 x curls, 5 x overhead press, and 5 x squats.  Repeat the cycle until the Russians return from their high orbit lap. Flapjack.  Repeato until both groups get to experience high and low orbit twice each.

Apollo 8

America eventually did leave low Earth Orbit. Which Apollo mission?  The PAX did not know and were treated to 8 burpees to help them remember that it was Apollo 8, for the next big Apollo anniversary.

Apollo 8 was the first to leave low Earth orbit, reach the moon and return to Earth. The three astronauts aboard orbited the moon 20 times before returning triumphantly to Earth. To honor this, PAX split into groups of 4, with three astronauts and a command module.  Command modules bearcrawled, and astronauts secured payloads over their heads for the walk to the moon (near Samara). Switcheroo as necessary, because no one wants to be a bearcrawling command module the whole time,  Once at the “moon,” complete 20 Burpees OYO in honor of the 20 moon orbits.

Apollo 11

Mosey onward to the basketball court for the grand lunar landing itself, Apollo 11. Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and one more flew this mission. Who knows? The PAX were not up on their Apollo trivia this day, and failed to guess Michael Collins.

To commemorate, the PAX completed an Elevens sequence across the width of the basketball court, frolicking as though in 1/6th Earth gravity. 10 hand release merkins on one side, skip to the other side, and 1 jump squat on the other, and so on. Skipping is harder than it looks in full Earth gravity…

Time to circle up for Mary.

Mary – Apollo 17

Given that time had run away from us with all the frolicking on the lunar surface, we stayed at the basketball court to commemorate the final Apollo mission, number 17. The mission resulted in several records, to include  the longest moon landing and the most lunar orbits (75).  Time was short, so instead of 75 reps, the PAX completed just 17 (in honor of the mission number) heels to heaven.

COT: It’s been 50 years since brave men set off into space to explore the unknown. The obstacles the PAX faced today pale in comparison to what the Apollo astronauts faced, but no matter what, there are always obstacles that stand before us in our pursuit of excellence. Break through those obstacles, whatever they are, and make the world a better place. Be the better father, husband, son, brother, boss or co-worker.  Be excellent and strive to make the world more excellent.  Aye!

AO:  The Patriot

QIC: Lucius

THE PAX: 2%; Bone; Dr. D; JAG; Maj. Payne; Sunshine; Vegan; Villa

THE WARM UP: SSH; Windmills; LBACs; Downward Dog; 15x Merkins; Hi-Knees; Moroccan Nightclubs; Mosey to the Cinderblocks

THE THANG:

CSUP Warm-up – The PAX split into two groups, which then took turns carrying their cinder blocks up two flights of stairs.  PAX performed CB shoulder carry; squat thrusts (every other step); atlas shrugs (every other step); and overhead carry.  8-count-body-builder rest exercise for the group not carrying CBs.

Crawl-Through – The PAX took turns bear crawling through a balls-to-the-wall tunnel.

Ring Cycle – The PAX circled up for a series of ring-of-fire cinder block (CB) exercises, performing an exercise, passing the CB to a neighbor, then waiting the for next block.  Exercises included:  Chopping wood (in cadence; counter-clockwise); CB pull-through (counter-clockwise); CB overhead press (in cadence); Chopping wood (in cadence; clockwise); CB pull-through (clockwise); CB squat press; 5x CB suicide curls; and CB Farmers’ carry.

THE MARY:

CB flutter-kick ring of fire, with protractor rest exercise.

COT:

In YHC’s recent reading about the development and education of boys, several books and blogs have stressed the importance of boys’ ability to get outside with groups of their friends.  Fellowship and outside exercise draw many to F3.  Thank you for challenging each other to join the group in the gloom.

AO: Olympus

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Hightower, Glee, Mule, JoBu, Jenner, Nano, Banner (2.0), Apollo (2.0), House (HT Sister), Underdog (House 2.0), Sharkbait (2.0), Obadiah

It was a hot and muggy morning in the Capital. We call those Saturdays here. The PAX wanted a beatdown, and that’s what they got, plus some kickball!

Warm-Up:

• Double Time SSH
• Imperial Walker
• OH/Seal Clap Combo
• WMH
• Merkins

Main Event:  

Partner up.  3 Rounds, with 3 exercises and 1 movement type per round.  One partner performs exercise while other partner performs movement.  Switch upon movement partner’s return (i.e., Partner 1 does Exercise 1; Partner 2 does movement.  Partner 2 returns and does Exercise 1; Partner 1 does movement.  Partner 1 returns and commences Exercise 2; Partner 2 resumes movement; etc.).

• Round #1
  • Merkins
  • Squats
  • Flutterkicks
  • Movement: Tracers down and back across three parking spaces.

• Round #2
  • Hand-Release Merkins
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Crunchy Frogs
  • Movement: Full sprint down to end of really really long parking lot (or it might be an 747 runway…not sure) and back.

• Round #3
  • Merkins, with an alternating shoulder tap at top
  • Jump Squats
  • Freddie Mercury
  • Movement: Sprint to end of the planet; backwards run back.

With the PAX thoroughly smoked and time ticking by, YHC decided to forego a final round.  Mosey onward for a game of F3 Kickball.

F3 Kickball

Count off 1-2.  Ones in the field; Twos kick first. Pitcher calls out an exercise for the kicking team to complete 10 reps of.  Kicker focuses on kicking the ball. Fielders must do 3 x burpees once the kicked ball bounces.  So, if the ball is kicked into the air, the fielding team can attempt to catch it for the out, but once that ball bounces, hit those burpees!  Kicker must bear crawl around the bases.

Great fun for all on this one. Worth thinking about whether bunting should be permitted.  The PAX decided to allow it, and it made for a painful amount of burpees for the fielding team. May also want to think about limiting the kicking team to two time through the kicking order.  Maybe YHC needs to improve kickball skillz too.  This was a great opportunity to become covered in sand, and all likely took a fair amount of sand home with them.

COT: Prayers for several of the PAX who are experiencing some challenges in their life.

BOM: Great to lead the PAX as always! Today we knocked out a tough modified Dirty McDeuce and then moved on to play a great game of kickball (albeit with lots of burpees). It’s important to work hard and play hard in everything we do.  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Tackle life with vigor! Enjoy the weekend and cherish your families.

Aye!