Author: Rudy

  • Humility is a Moving Target – from Goose

    Storm clouds threatened as 6 PAX gathered in the muggly gloom for YHC’s third and somewhat wonky attempt at a beatdown. Nevertheless, the theme was true and the PAX was hungry. Said theme revolved around gratitude and humility.

    Warmup:
    The norm with an added deep hip flexor pulses (thing yoga crescent lunch with a hint of wife pleasers)

    Thang 1: Psalm 30:6-7
    We all too often, during the good times, can become complacent and thus tempted to push Him aside and “take over the reins.” Even in the tougher times, we are eager to “do it ourselves.” This is self-will run riot. To remind us of this awesome show of humility on the part of King David…
    PAX completed a set of worst worst merkins (6 ct each in slow cadence) with an additional 6 ct of full extended push-ups to fire up the core. (30 total); Lunged 15 yards; Round of mucho leg-o, 5 ct each of narrow squats, normal squats, wide squats, jump squats, and bonnie blair’s (30 total); Bear crawl 15 yards back to starting marker (15 + 15 = 30)

    Thang 2: Highway to Hell
    YHC spoke of a time when he took matters into his own hands, ignored all of the signs (literal and otherwise), and…well…destroyed a minivan and his pride. It was a powerful moment in humility (and certainly gratitude). With free will, we certainly must “drive,” but we also must pay attention to the signs and guideposts.

    PAX was treated to BOSÉ and an effortless demonstration of musical elysium to the tune of “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. PAX did J-Lo’s throughout, dropping down for scuba steve’s during the chorus.

    Thang 3: Matthew the Egyptian (Matt 18:20)
    Part of YHC’s immense gratitude for the Thibodaux PAX could not be better summarized than Matt 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

    PAX lined up and completed a long series of “walk like an egyptian,” in which the entire PAX low lunged and held, while twisting core to the side of the front knee. The last PAX completed 5 LBC’s, bolted to the front of the line; the entire PAX then lunged to the opposite leg with opposite core twist. PAX completed 18 held lunges for a duration of 5 1/2 minutes. (In retrospect, the thang would work better with a larger PAX and clearer instructions from YHC)

    Thang 4: Illusion of Control
    To really break through our need for control in this life, we have to push through to a place where it (control) ceases to exist. In this case, muscle failure.
    PAX did merkins (OYO) until failure. Enron, Goose, and Paradox scorched YHC’s failure point of 32

    Next, PAX did squats until failure. Cardinal and Montana showed off some impressive stamina and eventually YHC had to call it for sake of time (next time, it will be bonnie blairs!).

    Next, freddie mercury’s and finally back to regular merkins under cadence; when YHC failed, Goose picked up the count with Goose and Paradox putting on a showcase of Dad strength.

    PAX finished with a strong session of Mary, big boy sit-ups, zombie crunches, supermans, scuba steve’s, etc. – all 30 ct. For the final exercise, yet to be named (our research team is madly combing through the Exicon literature), PAX got into superman position, but with hands behind head and toes grounded. Then lifted entire torso up to the left; returned to start position, still hovering, then lifted the torso up to right; returned to hover. PAX completed 10 count with a low country chorus of Gollum-like mumble(grunting).

    COT and Montana prayed us out. Grateful for the opportunity to serve. Will sharpen up transitions for next time.

    The storm never materialized.

    SYITG,

    Yankee Joe

  • Usual suspects and Amnesia – from Waterpik

    It was a normal Thursday around these parts until Ammesia showed up coming in hot on his bicycle. He joined us for the run, which was
    4 miles , 8:20 pace. Always tough to take the little red pill and get out of bed, but always proud and glad to have done so. With you guys holding me accountable it always seems easier. Have a good day men!

  • It’s only a minute – from Hokie

    1 Pax gathered at The Lakefront at 78° to the sounds of waves and seagulls at 0530 to very little Mumblechatter during Warm-o-rama

    Enjoying the peace & quiet YHC step up to lead the Q-less AO.

    Staying on the Lakefront we moseyed and periodically stopped at benches and light poles and planter boxes and did cool stuff for one minute.

    Sometimes we would stay at the same spot for two exercises like LEFT leg step ups AND also RIGHT leg step ups. Sometimes we would only do one exercise like merkins.

    Making “our” way back to the flag for COT “we” stopped for a little leap frog 😜

    After COR we stayed at the Lakefront to knock out this backblast to allow the moment to resonate before heading to coffeeteria and Q Source

  • Happy LiveAid Day! – from Rudy

    37 years ago today. Live Aid. July 13th, 1985. For those of us of a certain age, it might be hard to overstate how big of an event this was. This was early MTV days (music videos!). Concerts were still treats (because I had no real source of income). But I remember watching and listening to the whole thing – the mystery of Phil Collins hitting BOTH stages. IN THE SAME DAY. So today, as I earn my name on the bat alongside Hokie, I put together a Live Aid playlist.

    The Workout:
    Filled up the MINI with a whole bunch of toys from around the house. Battle rope. Bricks. Cinder Blocks (oh, I’ve missed you aNDy!). Logs. Weights. Cones. A lonely Medicine Ball. Thanks to the early arrivers (War Eagle, Charmin, Bogey) who helped me haul all of this from the car out to the field. Get them arranged in a circle and then ponder the eternal Q question “Uh, how many PAX today?” Would I need 6 stations? 16 stations? One never knows.

    Warm Up: somewhere around 10 PAX in the circle at 530. So a mosey around the football field border. Vagabond coming in hot. Then Hokie. BooBoo with the usual Orange Waterbottle (is he EVER without that?).

    Circle up next to the flag (yup, I even brought one of those). SSH, IW, Windmills.

    Meanwhile, the playlist is pushing out Bryan Adams “Summer of 69”

    Next up: trying to herd cats. we’ve got 13 people. so make do with 12 stations. The timer is run a half-a-lap holding the Wood-let/Toothpick overhead.
    * Burpees
    * Medicine Ball PushUps (Diamond or Stagger, your choice)
    * Big wooden Stump Crunch (or Hammer)
    * Butter Fly w/ Weights
    * Battle Rope (in Squat)
    * Dips (yup, we hauled a bench out to the middle)
    * Bear Crawl/Crawl Bear (about 20 yds out & back)
    * Rifle Carry a Cindy Block (again, about 20 yds0
    * Calf Raises on the other Cindy (WHOA Pillsbury! You ok there??? Hold onto the Flag!)
    * Brick Shoulder Taps
    * Curls w/ Weights
    * The big old log – Overhead or Bench Press

    12 stations. I do appreciate Frac BARKING instructions when it was his turn to run with the bat. We need more PAX who are less disruptive! (nah, that’s no fun…)

    Oh by the way, any PAX could buy a “skip” for the cost of 6 burpees for themselves PLUS 2 burpees for Charmin. (One time Charmin attempted to tell YHC that the Q couldn’t just tell 1 PAX to do something. I believe he has been corrected of that misconception.)

    So as we skipped through Sting’s Message in a Bottle (too slow), We Are the World (too cheesy) Madonna’s Get Into the Groove (Madonna?!?) and a few others – Charmin got plenty of burpees in (so did War Eagle for that matter).

    2 songs were Q-declared NO SKIP ALLOWED: Roll with the Changes (REO!) and Radio GaGa (Queen)

    13 loops through got us to 605. Partner up with one pair bricks each. PAX1: Floyd Mayweather. PAX2: Crab Walk/Walk Crab 20 yds out & back. Rinse and Repeat. Finish with a final 3 burpees for Charmin as we hit 615.

    COT: Count Off. Announcements. My word for the day – Intentionality. Asked all the PAX to frame a thought of something they are thankful for, and then commit to INTENTIONALLY showing their thanks to that person today. Not accidental (i.e., we all try to be nice to our family). But intentionally. Above and Beyond the norm. Something done specifically AND explicitly to show appreciation and thanks.

    War Eagle took us home. And THANK YOU to the PAX for helping me haul all this stuff back to the car (where Hand Gernada discovered, apparently for the first time, that YHC has ND stuff plastered all over his car….)

  • Rockin’ Mosey – from Akbar

    9 strong at the Gipper today for a Copperhead style partner beatdown. Great to see the number back up! YHC arrived at 0600 on the dot to get started. Great to have Bean aka Batman back in the mix.

    Warmorama – SSH, arm circles, high knees and some other stuff and we headed to the rock garden.

    Thang
    Partner exercises where P1 does exercise and P2 does a mosey to the Smokehouse and moseys back. 3 sets of each Copperhead style for the rocks.

    Set 1 x 3
    P1 45 degree shoulder press
    P2 Bear crawl

    Set 2 x 3
    P1 Curls
    P2 Flying Nun – lunge walk with arm circles

    Set 3 x 3
    P1 Triceps
    P2 Hallelujah High Knees – if we only had a camera

    Set 4×3
    P1 Merkins straight up
    P2 Rock carry

    Mary
    Copperhead Squats x 10

    Announcements
    Gnarly Nutria next Wednesday across the lake
    Russo’s 5k trail run after the beatdown Saturday at 0900. There is still a spot left if anyone wants it.
    Goose’s St Vincent 500 2 man race beatdown August 13th
    Hammer is starting a Bible study in August at crisis pregnancy center

    NMM
    YHC was just in time for 6:00 due to oversleeping. Maverick was on Cowbell time and caught up with us at the Justice Center. QIC was asked what size rock to pick, and the answer was whatever you want. Which should have been a small one.

    Great to have Bean (aka Batman) back, and great stories about the bats and the cost of a Rabies shot. Mumblechatter was all over the place and included Grover, a nude bar, bats, Turbos beatdown last week, and the Cake walk.

    Thanks for following my lead – Akbar.

  • Deck of Cards – from PVC

    Warmorama
    Grab a rock
    The Thang
    Circled up each PAX pulled a card and gave us an exercise
    COT
    Welcomed FNG and named him Aggie

  • July 11–A Big Day – from Goose

    5 PAX gathered on a warm Monday morning, not knowing it was a big day, which would require a big beatdown. First, July 11 is the 40th anniversary of YHC’s baptism, which started it all. Second, it’s the Feast of St. Benedict, who not only is the father of monasticism, but his monasteries were responsible for preserving western civilization after the fall of Rome. Lots to celebrate!

    Warmup: the usual suspects

    Thang 1: March 21, 547
    Benedict died on that date, just like God told him he would. PAX completed continuous rounds of the following for 3 minutes and 21 seconds: 5 merkins, 4 burpees, 7 squats

    Thang 2: Rule of Life
    Benedict was asked to write a rule of life for the first monastic community–he did such a good job, they tried to kill him twice. Cupid would provide the same experience for us.
    Song–Cupid Shuffle; follow his rules: plank for the duration, move around in a circle for every “to the right” or “to the left”, plank jacks for every “kick”, mountain climbers for every “walk it by yourself”, and hand-release merkin for every “down, down, do yo thang”.

    Thang 3: Death
    Baptism is choosing to enter into death with Christ so to rise with Him. So, we entered into a modified Bataan Death Crawl: Partnered up, and P1 started bear crawling around the perimeter of the field while P2 did 5 burpees and ran to catch up to P1, and they switched. Butt slaps, punches, etc. were encouraged.

    Thang 4: Resurrection
    Song–“Christ is Risen”, by Matt Maher: hold Al Gore for the duration, and jump squat on every “risen”, “awake”, and “rise”. The quads burned with the fire of purification.

    Thang 4: “We will run and not grow weary.”
    PAX moseyed the short loop, sprinting every third street light. Paradox kept YHC honest on maximum effort, and Montana impressively showed some serious afterburners toward the end of his third ever beatdown (and self-reportedly, the third time he’s ever exercised in his life).

    Back to the flag for 7 minutes of substantial Mary, COT, and Yankee Joe prayed us out. Many thanks for an awesome beatdown, fellas!

    SYITG,
    Goose

  • Full-body Beatdown Bonus Burpees – from Bolt

    Warmorama Rapper’s Delight edition
    The Thang: make our way from exercise pad near flag to exercise pad on David Dr. side using the path via alternating side shuffles, stopping at each bench for five burpees (Frac is a semantics stickler and informed us a picnic table is a picnic bench therefore a burpee station). Arriving at the exercise equipment, we assumed the following stations: pull ups, dips, leg press, incline bench, horizontal lat pull, rower, incline sit ups for tabata sets of AMRAP then rotate counterclockwise (a concept War Eagle’s millennial brain couldn’t follow, thus chaos ensued). Return to flag via same route, method as before. Frac was pleased he exceeded his RDA of burpees during a beatdown. Welcomed FNG, stroganoff, who is Glamper’s 15yo 2.0.

  • 100s – from Vagabond

    Face the Bacon Warmup

    100 reps apiece around the lake
    step ups
    big boi
    irkins
    squats
    plank jack

    Pass the ruck along the way

    Sunday mornings

  • Poetic Frac at the Goldmine – from Fracsac

    I arrived ready at the Goldmine
    looking around it was just me
    I did see a feline
    but no sign of F3

    I decided to go for some miles
    and while doing so came across a rabbit
    soon I was radiating with smiles
    as I remembered BooBoos story where he yelled dagnabit!

    Then I remembered this was a beat down
    so I knocked out some burpees
    then I was ready to get to PJs in the next town
    where the pax from the Uptowner were having some coffees.

    SYITG