F3 New Orleans

Tag: Cowbell

  • Inaugural Fire Fighter Challenge – from Bushwacker

    Since April 27 of this year YHC has been, for better or worse, persona non grata around the F3 northshore. I’ve done my best to show my face at least enough so that yous guys don’t forget what I look like. The Wacker of bushes has been on a journey to become a community servant as a Wacker of Fires. And thus, the long awaited, highly anticipated Fire Fighter Challenge has arrived!

    During academy, and from time to time on shift, we don our turnout gear – boots, pants jacket, hood, helmet, and mask – and go “on air” slinging a self-contained breathing apparatus and 4000 PSI air tank onto our backs – up to 80lbs! We then perform a series of strenuous activities which test our strength, stamina and endurance. And so it was with great preparation and only last minute planning that YHC brought to the men of the Lakefront a facsimile thereof as well as could be expected in the gloom. And, perhaps, a tradition was born?

    WARMORAMA

    In increasing reps starting with 12 (excepting for supersticious 13):
    SSH,
    High Knees
    Butt Kicks
    Cherry Pickers
    Windmills
    Fire Hydrants

    THANG

    We mossied to the gazebo for a few quick rounds of Merkin Waves and Squat Waves. This allowed for 2 things: QIC’s opportunity to count PAX for teams, and one of our resident byciclists, Turbo, to catch up to the crew.

    We then mossied to the shaft where, thanks to help from early birds Steve, Shooter, and Waterpik, the field was set! Breaking up into teams of appx. 3 the PAX lined up, each at a station including the Tire Toss, the Ax Chop, the Tire Flip, the Tire Drag, the Tire Pull, and Moby Chain Drag. While P1 was tackling the task, P2 & P3 was doing a specified exercise, including LBCs, Flutter Kicks, Mnt Climbers, High Knees, Leg Lifts and Gas Pumpers.Somewhere along the way, Waterpick split the massive log, and in a temper tantrum over having not been he who split the mighty oak, the lugubrious Shooter shattered the hickory handle of the ax! There was continuous conversation as men of all ages and capabilities gave it their all battling amongst a sea of black rubber with shimmerings of silver links, all covered in the grassy morning dew. After a couple of rounds, proving to edict that many a hands make light a work, the PAX loaded all the coupons back on the trailer from whence it came, and back to the flag we mosied.

    MARY

    With 3 minutes to spare, it was on your 6 for 20 Putins IC, 20 Flutter Kicks IC, and 100 100s OYO.

    COT

    Count and name-o-rama before naming FNG Dangerfield. Turbo prayed us out. (and Cowbell made it just in time for “Amen”)

    Gentlemen, it was a pleasure that I’ve missed, being back in the main event, and I want to thank ll of you for making F3 Northshore what it is, and allowing me the humble honor of leading you bunch of yahoos through a taste of a new chapter of my life.

    SYITG

  • Nothing but THANKS – from Russo

    YHC is a big fan of finding little things to be thankful for every day. Something new or different. Something unexpected. Something unique. Anything to keep me plugged into how blessed we are.

    Blessings like a bathroom at Grandma’s house. Like a cool, crisp 43 degree morning. Like lunch dates with potential love interests. Like 7 HIM sharing a common experience and making themselves better. Like Zoolander’s encyclopedic knowledge of early-to-mid 90s Halloween and witchcraft movies.

    Giving thanks was the name of the game today at granny’s.

    Warmup (all 10 to 20 IC)
    – Seal jacks
    – Grass grabbers
    – Torso twists
    – Imperial walkers
    – Arm circles
    – Cherry pickers

    Thang

    Mosey around the lakefront, where we stopped intermittently to give THANKS: each exercise starting with the proper letter. T claps to Cowbell for picking up on the pattern quickest (I think).

    T. T merkins (10)
    H. Hallelujah squats (15)
    A. Apollo ohno’s (10: 2 is 1)
    N. Not-so-lazy boys (10)
    K. Knuckle merkins (10)
    S. SMC’s (10)

    T. Traveler merkins (10 in a clockwise pattern)
    H. Hip slappers (20: 1 is 1)
    A. American Hammers (25: 2 is1)
    N. Freak Nastys (15)
    K. Kraken Burpee (5) – T claps to Steve for correctly guessing what was coming.
    S. Step ups (20: 1 is 1)

    T. Twinkle toes (20: 2 is 1)
    H. Hand release merkins (10)
    A. Alligator merkins (10)
    N. Nutcrackers (10 IC)
    K. Knuckle merkins (10) – Respect to JV and Slots (and maybe others) knocking them out on the concrete without gloves
    S. Scissor kicks (20: 2 is 1) – or maybe it was flutter kicks, I can’t keep them straight.

    The mosey back ended with one minute to spare, so Pax planked until the clock hit 0.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out.

    Here’s where I give thanks, not only this week, but every day for this group of (and all) HIM. Getting up before 5 to push harder with the vague goal of making ourselves better, however we want to define it, is never an easy decision, but it’s often the right one. I hope we continue to be able to take some time to give thanks for what God has blessed us with.

    Like breath in our lungs to do Hallelujah squats in a circle in the middle of Girod street, like a cult worship, without getting hauled away to jail to “sleep it off.”

    SYITG

  • Old faces, new faces – from Waterpik

    Brisk 45 degree temps greeted the Pax at the milestone marsh. Speaking of pax there was a mix of old faces (Bushwacker) and new faces (fletch) who showed up for the beatdown. It was good to see fletch out there making his first post to the marsh. And Bushwacker’s return visit reminded us how much we miss his constant chatter throughout the entirety of the
    Workout. His stories and commentary were out in full force as were his wardrobe (beanie hat, his trusty sweatshirt and I think he even dragged his bed comforter out there to keep warm. All joking aside , please grace us with your presence more, mr fire fighter.

    Thang was 4 corners, then mary.

    Men, have a great week! Let’s all try to be the best version of ourselves this week.

    Pik

  • Fall Back – from Steve

    Talk about a dark warmorama. About the only definable figure I could make out was, well nobody, really, since Shooter wasn’t there. Of course I knew Jose was present from the early morning grumbling, but the rest of the crew were shrouded in mystery. Given such circumstances, YHC delivered a clear disclaimer in case there were any FNGs (turned out there were two), and we got things rolling.

    Started off with the usual – good mornings, windmills, torso twists, arm circles, IW’s, Hillbillies, SSHs, High Knees – mostly at 10x IC, but a 15 and a 30 crept in there. I like to say those instances are “to keep the pax on their toes,” but of course the pax is smarter than that – they know it’s just early morning brain fog.

    We hadn’t moseyed to the playground in a while, so that was on the menu today, stopping at each intersection for a set of 10x deconstructed burpees. Zoolander’s No-Booze-November had hit a snag the night before (a snag by the name of Woodford Reserve), and so my originally planned set of x20 burpees seemed cruel as he had, not but 5 minutes before this point, requested “no burpees, please.” So we deconstructed instead, which would mean 10x squats, 10x groiners, 10x merkins, and 10x jump squats. Knocked those out at the three intersections and then hit a fourth one when we reached the playground.

    Then it was time for one of my lakefront standards, a partner routine where P1 wall sits and performs overhead air presses while P2 hits three stations: 10 t-merkins, 10 jump squats, 10 big boys. Three rounds of that and it was on to neighboring grass patch for a few games.

    That’s right, games. Let it not be said (Toto) that I do not include any fun in my beatdowns! First up was a game called When Animals Attack, which features one pax (it) bear crawling to tag any of the other guys, who are all crab walking. Any one who is tagged then performs 5 burpees and immediately joins in as a bear, to help tag the rest of the crew. I had initially envisioned a rabid, growling Tanked Up tearing through that patch of grass, but alas, when the sun finally rose this morning and it was clear who was standing before me, there was no Tank to be found. Grundy was the next best choice, so he became the first bear. Now, whoever invented this game clearly did not know the Northshore region’s distaste for crab walking because when the game finally began, the crabs all just sat in place waiting to be tagged. Some even moved closer to the bear! It seemed unanimous – the guys would rather do their 5 burpees and half-heartedly attempt to tag others than crab walk five steps. The next round was hardly better than the first, with Zoolander and his stomach of steel as the bear, and so we moved on to another game: Duck Jousting.

    To say duck jousting was more successful might be a stretch, but it was certainly more entertaining. In this game, it’s every man for himself. You get in a low duck walk position with your arms across your chest, and hobble over to the nearest pax to try and topple him without the use of your hands. Once you’ve been knocked over, you start high kneeing until the game ends.

    Though this was totally a Mathlete type of game, a surprise attack by Zoolander knocked him out early on. It came down to Jose, Swole, and Zoo. Swole attempted a Switzerland type of strategy, where he simply sat (or squatted) off to the side and awaited the victor between Jose and Zoo. But this proved faulty when Zoo took him down by surprise. By this point, our two gladiators had entirely abandoned the rule of duck walking (well, let’s be fair, Zoolander was never actually duck walking from the start). Even with an assist from Bird, Zoo was unable to take down Jose, but one final assault sent both men to the ground in a tie.

    Time to head back, so we formed two lines and Bataan Death Marched back to the flag. Once back, we did some single leg squats to the sea wall while Turbo graciously picked up the six. Quick Mary and time for COT. Welcome FNG’s Slater and Woody, and t-claps for hanging in there. Hope to see you guys back out soon. (And a personal thanks to our FNG’s for forcing me to write a backblast after months of negligence.) Hammer prayed us out and off to Book and the Bean for coffeteria. Appreciate the opportunity to lead you men, SYITG.

  • Grundy Shrugged – from TurboTax

    It took a good thirty minutes, but Grundy eventually shrugged…or groaned…or exhaled loudly. Sources later confirmed that Grundy experienced a little fatigue at this point in the beatdown. It made YHC feel good. Honestly.

    At any rate, 11 PAX posted in the Gloom this morning. We warmed up with burpees, mountain climbers, SSHs, imperial walkers, and hillbillies and then made our way to the back of the Justice Center.

    We dispersed among the back benches for 3 sets of 10 Bulgarian split squats each leg and 10 derkins, all IC.

    Crab walk to the smoker’s lounge then a long lunge Indian walk/run to the front of the Justice Center.

    Circled up for 3 sets of 10 T merkins, 10 Nolan Ryans each side and 10 hollow hold flutter kicks, all IC.

    Deployed to the front benches for 3 sets of 10 lateral step ups each leg and 10 good mornings, all IC.

    Lunge Indian walk/skip back the way we came where we hit 3 quick rounds up and around the Justice Center stairs and ramp.

    Closed the deal with 3 sets of 10 shoulder taps and 10 Peter Parkers, all IC.

    Countorama, nameorama and a nice positive prayer from who else but Grundy.

    Thanks for letting me lead guys.

    Great to have Cowbell back from his marathon, Maverick back from his injury, and Bubba back from his hiatus for his 3rd Gipper post in a row.

  • O say it ain’t so coach “0”!! – from Shooter

    With chatter of the recent resignation of Coach “0” Jose 10k entertained the PAX with the grumble mumble impersonation on this brisk Gloom.. If teaching doesn’t work out Jose 10k you have a straight path to stand up with the skills demonstrated at Granny’s.. You play the role with such accurate mumbles and grumbles… It appears the PAX has another committed brethren in JV and we look forward to the next step of getting you that VQ in the near future.. 6 PAX in all committed to the red pill 💊 and I hope the YHC didn’t disappoint.. Glad to have Cowbell back out packing the muscle back on after completing his marathon last week.. No more waving as he would often pass the PAX while training for his endeavor…

    All 10IC Grass grabbers, Windmills, Cherry Pickers, self love, Hillbillies, SSH, and Butt kicks,

    Moseyed to the tunnel for 100,200,300
    P1 completed called exercises while P2 utilized Granny’s steepest elevation in proximity for some cardio.
    RD1 P1Burpees P2 Moseyed down to the flat returning backwards up the ramp.. F/J
    RD2 P2 Air squats ( one day YHC will be able to execute the incredible form illustrated by Waterpik) P2 bear crawled out 20 count then returned with the bunny hop.. F/J
    RD3 P1 LBCs P2 Moseyed down and sprinted back up. F/J

    PAX then moseyed to the bus stop. 20 jump overs OYO, 10 donkey kickoffs, 10 either side half jump overs and back to 10 donkey kickoffs.T 👏🏼 to Russo for great extension at the top of the donkey kickoffs.. Rerurned to the flag wrapping up with 20IC Cowbell Flutters and Hello Dollies…

    Appreciate the post gentlemen and following my lead.. Until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!

  • Red Light, Green Light – from Russo

    Sometimes the most fun and effective way to get some something done is to take it back to when we were kids, when it seemed like everything was simpler.

    That was the goal this morning at Grandma’s. Grover owns the “Duck Duck Goose” beatdown, and I still haven’t found a way to plan an effective “Red Rover Red Rover Send Bushwhacker On Over” beatdown in a Post-COVID world, so in the meantime a fine looking Pax of 7 took to the old Mandeville streets to play some Red Light Green Light.

    Warmup (all IC 15x to 20x)
    SSH
    Grass Grabbers
    High Knees
    Cherry Pickers
    Imperial Walkers
    Mummy Kicks

    Thang
    Very simple: mosey around, call “Red light” randomly along the way, and perform exercises of varying reps (e.g. 10 burpees, 50 butt kicks) and distance (e.g. Duck walk), call “green light” to pick the mosey back up.

    The goal was to push the pace a little, but keep it light enough to figure out what our favorite football teams would do in the fall, and if there was time left, solve the world’s problems.

    Beatdown included the following:
    – circle ups
    – merkins
    – squats
    – Apollo Ohnos
    – Bobby Hurleys
    – monkey humpers
    – gas pumps
    – plank jacks
    – shoulder taps
    – butt kicks
    – duck walk
    – murder bunnies (what’s up, IRON Pax, we’re ready)
    – freak nastys
    – step ups
    – LBCs
    – big boi sit-ups

    YHC timed it relatively well, leaving no time for Mary, but plenty of time for a COT, name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer from Hammer (thank you, sir).

    Announcements included kick ball this Thursday, Iron Pax starting up soon (register, earn points good toward nothing but pride and fellowship), and Akbar’s anny Q on Saturday.

    Thank you, gents, for joining and wishing Cowbell a safe and enjoyable trip out to Oregon this week.

    SYITG

  • Some of this and some of that! – from Shooter

    6 PAX decided to join YHC this Gloom at the Scramble. Still keeping with the primary goal of running on our Thursday route I decided to mix in 5 stops along the way with some varying exercises at each stop. Having the return of Sir Bushwacker promised to fill the Gloom with welcomed chatter all the while Jose10k and Cowbell ran the streets of Mandeville at their own pace..

    Brief warmup
    15IC Monkey humpers, grass grabbers, SSH, Scorpion kicks and then lizard crawl for about 30 feet.

    Off we went cutting off the circle and stopping at Monroe and the gate to the pier twice and once at the end of the pier for reps of 5,10,15. These included Body builders, Merkins, Shoulder taps, squat jumps, squats, leg lunges, freak Nasties, Irwin’s and Carolina dry docks..

    Once back at the AO we wrapped up with some core LBCs, scissor kicks, hello Dollies, Rosalitas, freddie Mercurys and leg ups while each PAX completed reps of 10 pull-ups and 10 chin ups.

    PAX finished with Count, Annouce and COT

    YHC prayed out the PAX with intentions for Waterpiks patient and Cowbells travels this weekend..

    Appreciate the follow men and until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!

  • SLT 2.0 – Summary – from Reluctant Yankee

    This is a no frills backblast summary of our organizational meeting on Tuesday 8/18/21 7pm at the PJS on Magazine St. I am sure if Hawgcycle wrote this – it would be witty and clever but I am neither of those things. I assigned it to the Birdcage AO but this really belongs to ALL AOs.

    The rain tried to keep us away, but we would NOT be deterred. Even non-beatdowns happen rain or shine. During the meeting the PAX enjoyed bourbon produced by a PAX member and beer brewed by a PAX member. Seaman brought his own stuff.

    The PAX – assembled…Tool, Roots, Catfish, Triple Shift, Mahatma-Ice, Cowbell, Fast Tax, Kuch, Seaman, Vagabond, Sandbar, FracSac, Rudy, Rev Sox and Baywatch. We were missing Hawg and Gabby due to RONA, several PAX out of town, several PAX had other obligations.

    Tclaps to Aubry Miller – owner of PJS magazine for reserving the space for us!

    The outline of the meeting was…
    1. The History of SLT 1.0
    -Here I explained how I landed the sweet job of Nantan for the last 7 years-(not really 7 but since we became a region). How Hawgcycle became Weasel Shaker and how Tool, Roots, and Rudy(Comz) ended up becoming part of the SLT 1.0 although we never truly embraced this idea. Instead, we focused on the Starfish and all of us equally stepping up and in when and where needed-along with many other PAX of F3 NOLA over the years. Side Fx, Woz, Amnesty and some other PAX have been part of the “undefined” SLT in the past.

    2. Leadership Roles in F3 Nation (typically)
    Nantan – Q of the Region “the guy”
    Weasel Shaker – Support for Nantan but also the guy that keeps people from weaseling out of things. Q school guru. Finger on the pulse of our region guy.
    1st F Q -Fitness: Checks and makes sure we have site Qs, Q schools, checks to see if all Aos are viable,etc. **This is just the surface but you get the idea
    2nd F Q Fellowship– Mr Party Pants “the glue” CSAUPS, etc
    3rd F Q Faith – Dr Dynamite. This is Qsource, Bible Studies, Shield Locks, Outreach, Service opportunities, etc (This model isn’t compulsory- just what is typically done)
    And Comz.
    NOT part of SLT but part of the regional leadership are the Site/AO Qs.
    Each AO has a site Q – we will start to push for yearly leadership change at each AO.
    Site Q duties are:
    a.) Manage Q schedule for AO, headlocks Qs.
    b.) Welcomes Fngs – gets their information to COMZ
    c.) Sells AO, and the mission. Qs when Q fartsacks.
    d.) Harass Qs to write BBs. 1 year term.

    3. The plan for SLT 2.0 — We spent a chunk of time debating selection of the SLT members outside of Nantan and Weasel. Hawg’s wacky lottery idea and my more normal idea that comes from almost all of the other F3 regions concerning selection of SLT by Nantan and Weasel. The end result merged both ideas.
    -Term will start at the CONVERGENCE 10/16/2021
    -SLT 1.0 will not be permitted to serve on SLT 2.0
    -2 year terms (maybe first two appointees only serve one year so that we can change the rotation of leadership to every year we have 2 new leaders every year)
    –New Nantan and Weasel Shaker will be selected by SLT 1.0
    –New SLT breakdown will be 2 selections by the new Nantan/Weasel. 2 selections by self selected lottery. If you agree to be in the lottery – you agree to also be selected by new Nantan/Weasel for the two positions of their choice.
    –Rudy will be COMZ until we find a suitable replacement – that change can happen as soon as we find “the guy” otherwise our leadership is stuck with him
    –SLT 2.0 will need to have meetings (don’t commit to this if you don’t have time)
    –I will reach out to the PAX via the weekly email to volunteer to be in the lottery this weekend.

    4. The plan for future growth (for the SLT 2.0)
    a.) 501c – Tool and the $$, Gaby and Moana
    b.) Slack vs Groupme
    c.) Growth of AOs in the region (Northshore region plan, Thibodaux, West Bank,etc)
    d.) EH Outside our demo

    5. CSAUP calendar
    a.) IRON PAX – Sept – start getting Pax registered now
    b.) 10 yr anniversary in Wilmington, NC aka CAPE FEAR Oct 9/10
    c.) Roast to Coast – first weekend in NOV
    d.) Go Ruck Vets beatdown in NOV
    e.) Christmas Party – Almonaster has the Q

    I am looking forward to pushing forward with SLT 2.0. I can’t wait for some explosive growth in 2022. I hope that we can keep our own regional identity and stay true to the starfish and really insist that we are all the F3 NOLA leadership. Also – NO Otisbombs. If you have a great idea for F3 NOLA – you step up and you Q it!
    SYITG –
    Reluctant Yankee

  • Rising Up, Back On The Street – from Russo

    YHC was taught in 2nd or 3rd grade that if you want to attract eyeballs to your writing, you need a hook: a catchy title or an opening sentence or paragraph that draws attention.

    I may not always be successful, but that’s my goal with these. I had no hook for this morning: that is, until the twin muses of Eagle 98.1 and the band Survivor provided inspiration from the 80’s classic “Eye of the Tiger”.

    Good looking pax of 10 braved the heat and humidity this morning to “rise up” and get “back on the street”…literally. They did their time and took their chances, went the distance, and got back on their feet: just men and their will to survive.

    Warm-up (all IC 15x to 20x)
    – Seal jacks
    – Grass Grabbers
    – Cherry Pickers
    – Self Love
    – Torso Twists
    – Goofballs
    – Imperial Walkers

    Thang

    Tabata today, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest, 1 to 3 exercises per stop, mosey a block or two between stops.

    – 8 Count Bodybuilders
    – Squats
    – LBCs (multiple rounds)
    – Shoulder taps
    – Scissor kicks (definitely NOT flutter kicks)
    – Lunges
    – Flutter kicks (definitely NOT scissor kicks)
    – Peter Parker’s
    – Crab cakes
    – Burpees
    – Monkey Humpers (Not at Steve’s front door desire the request)
    – Star Jumps
    – Freak Nastys
    – Step UPS

    A mosey took us back to start, where YHC could sense Shooter itching to stretch out his calves, so we did 3 calf raises at each step of the pilot house.

    Back at the bottom, a few more LBCs, a standard plank, and a chill cut wrapped things up.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements (sign up for Iron Pax, leadership meeting tonight on SS), and Prayer closed us out.

    Thanks, gents, for joining me. It’s always enjoyable, especially when we’re graced with a Bushwhacker sighting. Best of luck to you as you start your new adventures!

    It was encouraging seeing a couple newer faces (Bends and Swoll Patrol). I hope these two stick around! And the same goes for the “regulars”.

    Until next time, SYITG.