F3 New Orleans

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  • Paying tribute to a fallen officer!

    Hightower

    YHC has been pulling workouts from the Exicon for the last few Qs. This particular routine caught my attention and I felt the need to bring attention too it at Granny’s House on this beautifully mild Gloom. With tensions on all fronts and from both sides as the media focuses on separating us as a Human race with the election drawing to a close. YHC figured it fitting to remember one of the many fallen hero’s around our communities, which seem to draw less attention in our times of division. This young officer with a calling of service as illustrated in the above clipping shows what so many men and women in Blue face on every routine call. It’s the unknown as he/she responds to a scene from a call to dispatch that could very well be their last. As stated in the beatdown “The Hightower” Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers as they shall be called sons of God.”

    warmup

    10IC

    Grass grabbers, Self-love, Arm circles, Cherry pickers.

    15IC

    SSH, Imperial walkers, Hillbilly’s

    thang

    Upon completion we returned back to the AO for 20IC Freddie Mercury’s and Little Manny crunches..

    Great to see Ringo making the post again through his recovery and t-👏🏼 to Hogsbreath for his commitment to post having to leave early from Slidell to meet our 0515 start time..

    YHC prayed us out reflecting on Matthew 5:9 and how we as men need to be those Peacemakers in our homes, communities and workplaces..

    Appreciate you men following my lead and Till the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!!

  • Pull-Ups Can Be Swole Too

    The first disclaimer this morning, as I turned on my speaker and it immediately died, was that I forgot to charge may speaker last night. Swole Fest just ain’t as swole without some good 90’s tunes. So we had to make due with the iPhone speaker. Just not the same. Apologies to the Swole Fest Pax for letting you down so early on a Monday. Ashamed, I stumbled through the rest of the disclaimer and we got to work.

    Warm-up COP: SSH x 20 IC, Windmills x 10 IC, IW x 20 IC, Grass Grabbers x 10 IC, Arm Circles 10 Forwards 10 Backwards IC, Mountain Climbers x 20 IC

    We started with a Swole Fest cinderblock reverse pyramid. Time to get swole. 5 exercises, 3 rounds, decreasing reps.

    Shoulder press x 20 IC, Curls x 20 IC, Goblet Squats x 20 IC, Rows x 20 IC, Chest Press x 20 IC

    Shoulder press x 15 IC, Curls x 15 IC, Goblet Squats x 15 IC, Rows x 15 IC, Chest Press x 15 IC

    Shoulder press x 10 IC, Curls x 10 IC, Goblet Squats x 10 IC, Rows x 10 IC, Chest Press x 10 IC

    Next we moseyed to the Foundry. We worked the front, now time to work the back. And what better way to get Swole than to bring back Pull-Ups. Pull-Ups have always been a staple of the Foundry and City Park, but we had to abandon them for while during Covid when the exercise equipment was off-limits. Now that the equipment is back open, the Pull-Ups are back on. 3 stations, 2 rounds:

    Pull-Ups x 10 (the count), Rows, Super-Mans, Dips

    We moseyed back to the front of the Children’s Museum, grabbing our blocks on the way, for 11’s.

    Deep Squats on one side, Jump Lunges on the other side.

    Cinderblock in the middle.

    When crossing to one side, 10 Curls in the middle.

    When crossing to the other side, 10 Shoulder Press in the middle.

    We moseyed back to the flag for count-off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and prayer. Thank you for the privilege to lead.

    Walleye

  • The Cards were Aces

    A PAX of 24, including visiting Duracell from BR and Trojan from Houston (awkward thumbs up!), helped celebrate YHC’s two year anniversary with some extended card play.

    Warmups (All in Cadence)

    Seal jacks

    Air presses

    Toe touches

    Imperial Walkers

    High Knees

    Windmills

    Cherry Pickers

    The Main Event

    Pax moseyed over to Noah’s Ark for a celebratory Deck of Death/Decadence, breaking up into 4 groups who (mostly) managed to avoid well-placed landmines. Each group completed reps based on the card value (Aces up to 15) and suit, with two wild cards (a rock around Noah’s Ark) thrown in for good measure.

    Merkins

    Burpees

    Plank Jacks

    Shoulder Taps

    Deep Squats

    Jump Squats

    Lunges

    Box Jumps

    Crunchy Frogs

    Big Boy Situps

    Flutter Kicks

    Gas Pumps

    Donkey Kicks

    Freak Nastys

    Durkins

    Makhtar N’Diaye’s

    After completing 420 total reps, the card were not done with the Pax. There was just enough time for one more party game: Card Sharks!

    PickAx started us off by drawing an ACE to start, sending the Pax into a flurry of 15 8 count bodybuilders. A game of “higher or lower” followed, with a correct guess yielding the next card value multiplied by 2, an incorrect guess yielding the next card value multiplied by 3. Not one to selfishly keep all the cards, YHC offered a choice to multiple Pax on what torture was in store. After the final round of 24 T merkins, the cards were put away until the next time we were feeling lucky.

    A mosey back to the flag, a COT, and Name-O-Rama wrapped us up. Welcome to the newest FNGs, Sex Panther, who correctly noted that 50% of the time, it works every time, and Lollipop, a big Kojack fan, but an even bigger fan of sucking on sweet, sticky, candy treats.

    A prayer closed us out until next time.

    A final word from YHC: I huge thank you to Toto for throwing an EH my way two years ago. That small gesture has made a positive impact in not only my life, but I hope the lives of all those I come in contact with. It’s not often you get the full satisfaction of knowing you absolutely made the right decision. Saying “Yes, I’m in next week” was one of those decisions for me.

    Even after showing up late to my first post (sorry Splice!), and absolutely taking the “6” position and having to be picked up by Tanked Up, I worked up the courage to keep posting, in no small part because of Manny’s sage advice to “just keep coming, it may not every be easy, but it gets easier.”

    Thank you to all of you that keep pushing me, putting up with me, and driving me to be a better human being, whether you know it or not. The fitness is important, but the fellowship with a faith community is probably the most valuable to me.

    SYITG

  • Good to be back at Rock City!

    Pontiff Playground maintenance crew must have known Uptowners were loitering in Metry. The gate to our AO spot was locked. But that didn’t stop the persistent PAX… the train tried…. running full speed at 5:25 a.m. …. blocking few PAX to the AO. But regardless, everyone managed to make it to the football field with his beloved rock just in time for the first exercise – 20 SSHs in cadence… leading into the following warm-ups in cadence:

    Windmills x 10, Grass Grabbers x 10, Hill Billies x 15, Forward Arm Circles x 10, Slow Merks x 10, and Self Love x 10.

    After warmups, everyone lined up about 20 yards from the endzone facing the goal posts.

    Round 1 – 10 curls, moseyed to the goal posts and back, 15 curls, moseyed to the goal posts and back, 20 curls. SSHs for the Six.

    Round 2 – same as Round 1 – instead of curls, the exercise was chest presses. At the end of this round, Mahatma did extra homework and ran to the goal posts and back after the last 20 chest presses. Few mumblechatters here mocking Mahatma how he didn’t follow instruction of stopping after the 20 presses. So the Q decided to add more running in the following rounds. Even more mumblechatters by now…. I think mostly from Rude-y.

    Round 3 – moseyed to the goal posts and back, 10 goblet squats, moseyed to the goal posts and back, 15 goblet squats, moseyed to the goal posts and back, 20 goblet squats, moseyed to the goal posts and back. SSHs for the Six.

    Round 4 – same as Round 3, the PAX did 5, 10, and 15 big boy situps with the rock instead of squats.

    Round 5 – same as Round 3, the PAX did 5, 5, and 5 manmakers instead of squats.

    From here on out, the Q shortened the field to about 15 yards instead of 20 yards.

    Round 6 – 5 thrusters, lunge walked with the rock, 10 thrusters, lunge walked back with the rock, finished the round with 15 thrusters. SSHs for the Six.

    Round 7 – 10 Hello Dollys with the rock, overhead carried the rock towards the goal posts, 15 Hello Dollys, overhead carried back with the rock, and finished the round with 20 Hello Dollys. SSHs for the Six.

    7’s – started with 6 burpee jump overs (over the rock), carried the rock to the other side, 1 overhead press. Carried the rock back to original side of the field, 5 burpee jump overs, carried the rock back to the other side and did 2 overhead presses. Rinse and repeat until you finished with 6 over head presses and 1 burpee jump over. SSHs for the Six.

    20 flutterkicks in cadence with the rock.

    Time to return our companions and moseyed back to the flag.

    COT – announcements – new Yoga session at Okwata (Thursday – 5:30 a.m.). Prayers to Willie’s friend and thankful to be out here with the PAX. Never take it for granted that we have the physical and mental strength to do this on a regular basis. SYITG.

    King Kong

  • Aloha Bells

    Cool morning at 6:30 zoo parking lot.

    Workout began with a custom F3 Hawaii playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2N2sjLjUJN4klBJb334C1z

    Warm up

    • SSH
    • Calf stretch
    • Arm circles front, back, chinook, Moroccan Nightclub

    Farmers carry to the fly with intervals of one-armed curls ten in each side, one armed walking presses ten on each side

    Circle up at the fly for:

    • Tricep extensions x 20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Goblet squats x 20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • One armed swing x20 each side
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Kettle Bell toe touch (extend KB one arm touch opposite toe) x20 each side
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Kettle Bell press x 20
    • Big boy sit-ups with bell x20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Pistol squats x20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Kettle Bell Snatch x20 each side
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Kettle Bell Swings x20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20
    • Kettle Bell Thrusters x20
    • Rocky balboas in cadence for count of 20

    Then repeat all above (excluding thrusters) with reps of ten.

    Farmers carry back to flag with ten single arm curls each side and ten presses each side.

    Name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and Café Gabby.

  • Raccoon before the Rumble

    YHC arrived early in the gloom this morning to a cool 62 degrees and a quick walk around while Grover got some additional shuteye in the car. I was greeted by a Racoon perched on a tree, and wondered if he had cleaned up the Marsh for us. He disappeared but made a couple more appearances before the Rumble scared him off.  The sorely missed Bushwhacker arrived next.  After a brief catch-up, Bush wakes up Grover like a scene from a horror movie as more dark bodies arrive to the gloom and we circle up. 

    Warm Up x10 IC

    SSH, Cherry pickers, Torso Twist, Self-love, Plank Jacks, .2 mile run

    Thang 1: Ascending Ladder, OYO/IC

    5 Pull Ups, 10 Stone Mountain, 15 Supermans, 20 Hand Release Merkins, 25 Twinkle Toes (Al Gore with calf raises), 30 Bulgarian Split Squats, 35 Freak Nasties, 40 Plank Jacks, 45 LBC, 50 SSH, .2m run

    About the time we got to the Supermans, Cowbell told Grover “We need to set a date – with a pregnant pause before adding – for the flag party.  We all got a chuckle, and were happy Cowbell finished the sentence. 

    Thang 2: Broken Ascending Ladder, OYO/IC

    1. 5 Pull ups
    2. 5 Pull ups, 10 Stone Mountain
    3. 5 Pull ups, 10 Stone Mountain, 15 Superman
    4. 5 Pull ups, 10 Stone Mountain, 15 Superman, 20 Hand Release Merkins
    5. 25 Twinkle Toes
    6. 25 Twinkle Toes, 30 Lunges
    7. 25 Twinkle Toes, 30 Lunges, 35 Freak Nasties
    8. 40 Plank Jacks, 45 LBC’s, 50 SSH

    Mary

    Crunchy Frogs IC x20; Leg Raises, Hello Dolly, Heals to Heaven, Hands to heals x 10 IC

    Count/Name-o-rama

    Announcements

    1. Halloween dress up beat down Saturday at the Mothership
    2. Cowbell and Grover’s F2 flag making party,  possibly November 12th, at Cowbells house with pizza and beer. More to come later. 

    COT  – YHC prayed us out. 

    Thought for the day:

    Bad things happen everyday, the difference is how we deal with it. Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it. 

    Always a great way to start the week at the Marsh, thanks for letting me lead.

    ‘Til next Gloom,

    Akbar

  • Us Against H8!

    Conditions: Humid, 74 degrees, Humidity 95%, Wind 8mph from ENE

    Warm-up:  Mosey from the flag to the start.  Warm-up on your own.  No time for SSH or Grass Grabbers or J-Los, we’ve got work to do.

    The Thang:  The H8!  F3 NOLA’s overly complicated, semi-annual, feat of strength.  The stick by which our fitness is measured.    

    Each lap consists of running south to the top of the levee, crossing canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running south to the bottom of the levee, cross canal and run north to the top of the levee, cross canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running north down the levee and back across canal to the starting point.  At the starting point you do a descending burp and merk pyramid starting at 8 (burpee with 8 hand release merkins, burpee with 7 hand release merkins, …, burpee with 1 hand release merkin)

    At the end of the 2nd lap the burp and merk pyramid starts at 7, etc.

    The goal is to complete 8 laps in 40 minutes.  According to MapMyRun, each loop is approximately 0.4 miles.  Therefore, to conquer the H8! you will have to do the following in 40 minutes:

    • Run over 3 Miles of Hills
    • 550 Yards of Bear Crawls
    • 36 Burpees
    • 120 Merkins

    NMM

    • The construction at the south base of the levee caused for a slight re-route.  The H8! Committee did a good job of ensuring that the change was slight and the overall distance was not affected so that this fall’s running of the H8! Is considered official. 
    • T-claps to all of the guys coming out for the first time.  I think Heart-A-Quake, Mama’s Pride, Undertaker, Disclaimer, Bieber, Bartman, Catfish, Big Easy, Snooze were all first timers. 
    • I didn’t keep a record of who made it and who didn’t.  I am pretty sure the success rate was just north of 50%.  That’s really good, especially for having so many new guys.  Our fitness continues to accelerate.

    One of the core principles of F3 is that it is open to all men.  But just proclaiming that you are open to all men doesn’t cut it.  We have to be intentional about making sure that we are welcoming to all men and that we are not unintentionally excluding anyone.  There are lots of things that can make men different from one another, but most of them have nothing to do with what F3 is about.  I just mean to say that participating in an F3 workout has nothing to do with what race you are, or what your financial situation is, or what religion you are, etc.  (Side note:  I do think it’s important to think about those things and make sure that we are not being unintentionally exclusive because of the make-up of our Pax.  My point is just that the core principles of F3 workouts could apply to anyone, anywhere).  One thing that does have a lot to do with F3 is fitness level.  That’s why diverse fitness levels have to be considered when planning every workout.  It is important that the guys that have a high level of fitness are getting smoked and it is important the that guys on the lower end of the fitness spectrum are staying with the group and are not being left behind on their own.  I would like to think that we are pretty good across F3 NOLA at making sure that each work out feels like a team event, that we all have a goal of getting better and that we are supporting each other to reach that goal, no matter what our current fitness level is. 

    One of the complaints that I have heard about the Iron Pax Challenge is that it is not consistent with F3 in that way; that it puts the focus on the individual and even worse, ranks the individuals.  Some men  that aren’t at the top feel a sense of embarrassment or shame that they aren’t comparable to the guys at the top. You could make the same argument about the H8!  There’s certainly a sense of completing it and not completing it. 

    Personally I think competition like this is really important.  If you want to run faster, you have to run with faster guys.  In order to accelerate our fitness, we need to be in the back of the pack striving to get to the front.  I enjoy competition and I think it plays an important role in growth.  But I also think that it is important that we work hard to keep the sense of comradery and teamwork that all F3 workouts have.  The H8! Is something we all want to conquer and that we want to help each man conquer. 

    There are a couple of quotes that have stuck with me from the book “Run the Mile You are In:  Finding God in Every Step” by Ryan Hall, the American Record Holder in the half-marathon and the fastest American to ever run the Boston Marathon (2:04).  He said “Competition can be a beautiful thing if we are focused on making ourselves and others better and are not concerned about how we stack up with everyone else…..this is why comparisons in athletics and in life are so fruitless.  When we compare, we miss the joy of the journey as well as the joy of the achievement.”     

    Let’s make sure we keep pushing ourselves and each other, without compromising the joy of the journey.  A common motto at an F3 work out is that it’s “You against You”, and that is very true.  But it is also true that it is “Us against H8!”

  • 21

    Nothing special at the A1C this morning. Just myself for a 2 mile pre-thang, then BBQ showed up and we went straight to work. I decided to do 21 today. Started with mericans and squats, then run the length of the parking lot. When we got to round 7, we added plank jacks, when we got to 14, we added lbcs. The alarm went off and that was it. Thanks to BBQ for the company and conversation. SYITG

  • Wrangler Ringo returns!!

    6 PAX converged on the Scramble welcoming back Ringo on this Gloom. We journeyed our standard path with 4 stops along the way with sets of 10 Prison Burpees, 15 Merkins, 20 Jump squats. 3 of the stops took place at the corner of Messina and Monroe with the other at the wharf.

    Welcome back Ringo it was great to see you back out with the PAX.

    Appreciate Waterpic praying is out and until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!