Tag: Hand-Grenada

  • Monday, Monday, but where’s Marlin?

    YHC checked the schedule late Sunday night, worried that he might have forgotten about a Q.  Instead, YHC saw that Marlin was listed for the Q.  Lets Get It, Baby!  YHC cuddled up under the covers, looking forward to a Rock City morning of inspiration and encouragement from our resident coffee-drinking-bike-riding PAX.

    But alas, it was not meant to be.

    The morning 55 degree chill must’ve been enough to keep Marlin home in bed.  Brrrr….  He might not have had enough clothes to keep warm in this bone-chilling weather.  So at 5:30, YHC tried to do his best impression, and with a “Lets Get It, Baby” the PAX took off into the morning gloom.

    Warm Up

    • Peter Parker x25
    • Shoulder Taps x25
    • Plank Jacks x25
    • Parker Peter x25
    • LSS x25
    • IW x25
    • 10 Burpees OYO

    Grab a rock, and lets head to the track, for….

    Dirty MacDeuce

    • All IC: 12 Shoulder Press, 12 Squats, 12 Box Cutter
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Curl, 12 Lunge, 12 Cockroaches
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Shoulder Press, 12 Squats, 12 Box Cutter
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Curl, 12 Lunge, 12 Cockroaches
    • Run a lap

    Mosey over to the playground, and partner up for a circuit

    • 15 Burpees (the timer)
    • Pull Ups
    • Merkins
    • Big Boy situps (in the mud)
    • Under-dogs (Rev-Sox claims this is a real thing – “Its in the lexicon!”)
    • Throw-the-rocks-over-the-fence

    Mosey back to the rock pile to deposit our friends, and then back to the flag – 6:15 on the dot.

    Count-off, Name-o-rama (welcome back, Mambi!!!  Glad to see Frac didn’t permanently scar you with that name choice!), and finish with our morning prayers.  Remember those who are sick, those who are travelling, those in the middle of war zones.

    NMM: YHC really wanted to hit the snooze button this morning.  At 5:00 am, I just didn’t think I had it in me to get out and do this.  But words from Dredd – If you hit snooze, you’ve lost your first battle of the day – made me drag my lazy butt out of bed; I did not want to start the week with a defeat.  The surprise opportunity to Q was a welcome start to the week: it allowed me to begin with a full U-Turn from where it could have been – instead of fartsacking alone, I was blessed with a chance to step up and lead.  Thank you all for letting me run with the Q.  And may you all have an inspired and successful week.

  • The Passover

    On a Friday morning with perfect temps and dry conditions, we started on what I hoped would be the greatest, most spiritual F3 workout of all time. It was time for Rev Sox to emphasize the Rev in his name and throw imprecatory curses on the Sox.

    To give this exercise greater spiritual significance we warmed up with:

    SSH x24

    IW x 24

    PlankJacks x 12

    Hillbillies x 24

    I am preaching on the First Communion this Sunday at Grace Community Bible Church in River Ridge (gcbcrr.org) at 10am. Since I was meditating on Communion and the Passover, I themed our workout around the Passover story in Exodus. The story begins with 400 years of slavery in Egypt as the children of Israel made bricks for generations, so we grabbed our rocks and made bricks.

    Making Bricks

    While carrying our precious rocks, we slowly made our way across one of the Pontiff fields by dropping down to our knees and rising back up followed by one lunge on each leg and repeated until we crossed the field.

    The Ten Plagues

    We did a series of 10 exercises. 10 reps each time and we never put down our rocks between sets to picture the 10 plagues that God sent on Egypt to rescue the Israelites.

    10 Shoulder presses

    10 Curls

    10 rows

    10 low slow squats

    Repeat all 4

    10 bench presses

    For the 10th and final plague, we painted the doorposts of our homes to protect our families from the angel of the death. The rock was the paintbrush. Starting position was holding the rock by your right foot, the rock was lifted straight up above the right shoulder, moved over the head to above the left shoulder, and slowly brought down to the left foot. The rock was brought back to the right foot for one rep. We painted 10 doorposts (we are friendly Israelites).

    Wandering to the Red Sea

    Following the plagues, Pharaoh sent us out of Egypt. Like the Israelites, we wandered around the desert on our way to the Red Sea. We walked around the bases of two baseball fields while holding our rocks. A few times everyone was instructed to lift their rocks above their heads as Abacus and Hawg serenaded us with In Your Eyes.

    Waiting for the Water to Part

    We went to the fence and took a seat on the fence to remember how God parted the Red Sea as the Israelites watched in awe. We did two sets of 10 curls while seated against the fence as we gathered our belongings to go across the Red Sea.

    Mary to Freedom

    This is where I ran into trouble. I thought the 10 plagues was going to take longer than it did, so we had a little extra time. My story got kind of forgotten as I struggled to think of Marys to finish the workout.

    Penguins x 20

    Big Boy Situps x 20

    10 Burpees

    10 Burpees

    LBCs x 20

    Here I was planning on sharing that the Egyptians ran in after the Red Sea but the water came in top of them. They tried to flutter kick their way to the other side, but their armor weighed them down and they became dying cockroaches. (I forgot this part of the story in my panic to think of things to get everyone to 6:15)

    FlutterKicks x 16

    Dying Cockroaches x 20

    Russian Twists x 20

    Oh Dolly x 20

    We counted off, shared our names, and named an FNG (Max) Mani-Pedi. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to fly my Bible nerd flag. It was awesome.

  • Why six was afraid of seven

    So several years ago, YHC’s 2.0 asked him why six was afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine.  I still laugh at the thought of this seven-year old’s joke, which I suspect to be Sacred Heart lore that perhaps originated from Hawg’s days there many moons ago.  Anyway, with nine PAX and YHC turning 56 (7×8) today, the joke seems apropos.  [Hint, Amnesty: QHC needs some more F2 events!]

    After a terse disclaimer, the PAX was off to the rock pile for the first COP:

    • SSHs 56xIC (with much mumblechatter, and Rudy’s poor attempt to imitate YHC at counting)
    • Low Slow Squats 20xIC
    • Squat Pulses 20xIC (where are ya, Shorty?  They were for you!)
    • Peter Parkers 20xIC
    • Mount Climbers 20xIC
    • Parker Peters 20xIC
    • Merkins 20xIC

    Time to get some rocks to mosey to the open field for COT2, namely, some Elevens.  At the row of trees on the far side of the field, bench presses from 1 to 10 and at the row of trees on the near side of the field, squats with rock from 10 to 1; moseying with rocks in between.  That’s 55 bench presses, and 55 squats.  In honor of YHC and Marlin, he commanded one additional of each for the magical 7×8=56.

    After a mosey to the benches under the pavilion, time for COT3 (a modified, as in very modified, Sparticus: where were you this morning, Amnesty?  This one was for you!):

    • Right Leg Step Ups with rocks 20xIC
    • Dips 20xIC
    • Left Leg Step Ups with rocks 20xIC
    • Irkins 20xIC

    Mosey to the wall for a one-minute sit with your rocks.  Then mosey back to the rock pill for a closing Circle of Mary after ten burpees:

    • Russian Twists with rocks 20xIC
    • Dying Cockroach 20xIC
    • Flutter kicks with rocks 20xIC
    • Penguins 20xIC
    • Hello Dolly with rocks 20xIC

    Another ten burpees, then return rocks, mosey to the flag (TClaps to Rudy for bringing one) to close out with ten more burpees.

    Name-O-Rama, Announcement and a closing COT with thanks for a great Birthday Q.  Jingle Vader

  • R.E.D Friday – The Collin Hero WOD

    Conditions:  Overcast and 61.

    Perfect morning to get some work in.  I showed up about 12 minutes early to find Hand Grenada had beaten me to the AO.  He helped me set up the “equipment” for today’s Hero WOD.  (Thanks to Triple Shift for the buckets of water he stashed by the pumps and thanks to Jefferson Parish for not removing said buckets).

    In all, 8 men posted this morning to pay tribute to our service men and women deployed around the world.  We were honored to have two Veterans with us – Mahatama and Kimchi.  Thank you for your service.

    Warm-up

    SSH x 31; Peter Parker x 31; Windmills x 15; Forward Arm Circles x 15; Morocan Night Club (sans squat) x 15; Backward Arm Circles x 15

    The Thang – Collin Hero WOD

    The goal is 6 rounds in 35 minutes.  Push yourself to do more than that.

    • 400 meter Rock Carry – Use a rock between 20 and 30 pounds
    • 12 Push Press – Use a rock between 40 and 60 pounds
    • 12 Box Jumps – Can be modified to step ups
    • 12 Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pulls – Use Bucket full of water

    Impressive performances all around.  Mahatma, the unofficial king of R.E.D Friday workouts, got in 8 rounds.  Kimchi and YHC got in 7, All others got in 6 more or less.

    • T-claps to Abacus for wearing Red to R.E.D. Friday.  The man gets it.
    • T-claps to HVAC for not only getting in some running before the workout, but timing his pre-thang run so that it ended exactly at 0530
    • T-claps to Hand Grenada for posting consistently since Walley EH’d him (and for not parking illegally).
    • T-claps to Kimchi for coming out on his day off – he’s worked 14 straight 12 hour days or 12 straight 14 hour days…I’m not sure, but either way it’s hard.
    • T-claps to Abacus, Two Yutes, and Rev Sox.  Their consistency and growth is impressive.
    • And T-claps to Mahatma for being a beast and pushing us all.  When I grow up I want to be like him.

    NMM

    Collin Thomas – Age 33 – Morehead, KY

    Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Collin Trent Thomas, 33, of Morehead, Kentucky, assigned to a Navy SEAL team based out of Little Creek, Virginia, was fatally shot on August 18, 2010, during combat operations in Eastern Afghanistan.  He is survived by his fiance Sarah Saunders, his parents, Clay and Jean Thomas, and his sister Meghan Edwards.

    “Collin Thomas was a brave American patriot and an incredibly gifted Navy SEAL.  His tireless professionalism, inspiring passion for life, and humble demeanor made him a role model for all who knew him.”

     

     

  • No Milkman, No Problem

    Where y’at Brother Milkman? We miss you out in the gloom. Don’t let the fear of the umpteen burpees awaiting you keep you from appearing! 9 Rock City regulars were joined by 1 on-vacation special guest; welcome to the park FracSac! As the clock struck 5:30, no Milkman appearance – but that’s not going to stop the PAX. Out the gate we went, off to the usual spot.

    Warm Up: Rudy starts off – with a typical Rudy starting (ND facts and figures, and plank stuff).

    • 17 Burpees OYO.  It’d been 17 years since the last NCAAW championship for ND, so the PAX got to celebrate Sunday Night’s epic win over MSU.
    • 5 Burpees OYO.  In those 17 years, ND has been in 5 finals, losing the previous 4
    • SSH x25
    • IW x25
    • Plank-o-Rama: Peter Parker x25, Shoulder Taps x25, Parker Peter x25, Plank Walk x25

    The Thang 1: Bogey takes the lead.  Grab your rock and head to the field.  He loves him some of that sloooooow-count.

    • Slow Count Curl x20.  Sprint to the parking lot.  5 Burpees.  Sprint back.
    • Slow Count Rows x20.  Sprint to the parking lot.  10 Merkins.  Sprint back
    • Slow Count Squats x20.  Sprint to the parking lot.  20 Monkey Humpers.  Sprint back
    • Slow Count Shoulder Press x20.  Sprint to the parking lot.  20 more Monkey Humpers.  Sprint back.
    • Slow Count Out & Ins.  Much grumbling.

    The Thang 2: Lets Get It Baby.  Marlin takes over, leads us to the Bandstand – where we do IC exercises without the IC part.

    • Right Leg Step Up x20
    • Alternating Staggered Rock Merkins x10 (each arm)
    • Left Leg Step Up x20
    • Derkins x20
    • Something else x20, methinks…

    Move That Rock Pile, says Boss Hog.  3 times.  PAX all grumbling about Triple Shift and Mahatma rock choice.

    Circle up for some Mary, including the new Marlin special of Thrusting Pulsers x100.

    Return the rocks.  Marlin goes big, and grabs the Triple Shift boulder to haul back.

    Circle around the real flag (Thanks FracSac!) for count-off, name-o-rama and prayers.  I ask all of us to keep in prayers a Jesuit senior who suffered a broken back over Easter weekend, and is now staring at a long road of rehab.    Then Marlin took us home, with a strong and passionate call out for all of us to remember the Resurrection.  Our Father to close.

  • 11s or 12s. I can’t remember

    Happy Monday – 7 PAX started the week off right with an early Monday post at Rock City. Tool was apparently still recovering from a weekend of Hogging for a Great Cause, so had handed the Q to YHC.  5:30 on the dot, time to get the show on the road. Disclaimer and off down the gloomy track towards the rocks.

    Warm Up: The usual, at least kind-a

    • SSH x25
    • BAM.  Abacus rolls in hot.  Take that, Tool.  That’s a #HIM, showing up on Monday after HfC.
    • Slow Windmills x10
    • IW x24 (YHC was confused on count.  An omen of what was yet to come, I suppose)

    Go grab a rock.  Any rock.  Triple Shift – you’ve been challenged.  I don’t know where Mahatma found that thing.  But it was RIDICULOUS.

    Bring your friend to the tree line.  Peter Parker x25 (didn’t think I’d forget plank stuff, did you?)

    11s: You know what YHC thinks of with the number 11?  Yup, Notre Dame National Championships (and yes, I am painfully aware that none are within the last 30 years.  But there’s always next year.)  So lets do some 11s.

    • Merkins on the far side
    • Curls on the near side
    • “Let’s get it, Baby” says Marlin.  “Go” says YHC.

    OK, YHC forgot how to add up to 11.  Something that shouldn’t be that hard, but seemed perplexing to me.  But fortunately, the heckling of Walleye and Rev Sox straightened out the PAX and got us started correctly.

    OK, YHC also forgot to tell people to BRING THE ROCK WITH YOU.  Several PAX grumbled as they returned to the starting line.  But finally, we were off – Back and forth.

    Plank for the 6, with some Parker Peter IC.

    11s: You know what else YHC saw with the number 11 yesterday?  ND Women’s Lacrosse upset #1 Syracuse 11-10.  So lets do another round of 11s.

    • Squat Jumps on the far side
    • Lunges on the near side
    • Rocks in the middle.  11 shoulder presses each time you run past your friend.
    • Halfway through, a Q-dible: change to 11 rows each time you run past your friend.

    Plank for the 6, with some MC IC.

    Mary: Circle up for a few mins of Mary

    • LBC x25
    • Flutter Kick x25
    • Penguin x25

    Return the rocks and mosey back to the flag.

    At the flag, when given the choice – Bogey selected that we close with 11 burpees.  So 11 burpees it is.

    Finish with Count-off, Name-o-Rama.  Quality group of gentlemen I’m proud to start the week off right with. Props to Hand-Grenada who has jumped into Pontiff F3 with both feet, quickly becoming a regular at Rock City and The Uptowner.

    Finish with our intentions (especially those who are sick and undergoing surgery), and a prayer for the graces of God to be with us today.

  • Cooler (and possibly better) than Rudy

    Q list had Rudy scheduled for this Monday and YHC for the next, but that date was looking iffy.  After working a trade over the weekend, it meant YHC would be leading Rock City sooner than later.  Knowing it would be hard to deliver a beatdown that tops Rudy’s iconic Fighting Irish themed workout of years past or the recent 40’s on the levee, YHC brainstormed up a few ways to appease the PAX that were expecting their favorite ND alum instead.  Here’s what we did:

    Mosey to the usual area for a warm-up COP:

    • IW x25
    • Abe Vig x10
    • Arm Circles x10
    • Burpees x5
    • Burpees x5
    • Burpess x5
    • Burpees x10 #crowdpleaser

    Grab a rock good for curling, hold it overhead, and meander over to the track/field for COP #2 to work on the guns:

    • Curls x15
    • Rows x15
    • LS Squat x20
    • Curls x12
    • Press x12

    Partner up along the back of the end zone for 3 rounds of:

    • Partner 1 runs to opposite endzone, knocks out 5 Burpees, and runs back (Timer) while
    • Partner 2 cranks out x10 Curls, x20 LBC, x10 Curls, x20 LBC,…..

    T-claps to Abacus for the burst of speed on the final run!  #beastmode

    Next up would be yet another crowd pleasing circuit, hopefully way better than whatever Rudy had in store.  Here we circled up for (2) 3 minute rounds of “The Suck” which consisted of as many rounds as possible of SSH x6, Merkin x6, Squat Jumps x6, rinse and repeat for 3 minutes, calling out your count after each round.  Despite the one minute break between rounds, the grumbling never really subsided.  Once done there seemed to be a harmonious feeling of accomplishment.  T-claps to the PAX for pushing hard.

    Grab your rock and start heading back to base, knocking out shoulder presses along the way.  Circle up for one last COP:

    • Flutter Kicks holding rock x20
    • Penguins x20
    • Wife Pleasers x20
    • Curls x15

    Head back to the rock pile but first, SUDDEN CHANGE – Shoulder Press x10.

    Mosey back to the flag with one minute left for some hip flexor stretching.

    COT to seal the deal.

    Hopefully the PAX enjoyed this more than the Hamlet themed stuff Rudy probably would have subjected everyone to.

    Thanks for letting me lead,

    Tool

    P.S. – I had to pick on Rudy since he heckled me for the untimely backblast

     

     

     

     

  • Oops, it’s me again.

    It’s been gloomy this week.  A good resbit before the Turkish steam bath that is soon to arrive.  QHC sees a lonely silhouette of a PAX ready to go.  It’s Hand-Grenada, our FNG from Monday gratis Walleye.  He’s nervously peering into the chasm for the pumping station into Pontiff.  It’s scary business.  But not nearly as scary as when QHC asked who’s today’s Q and was told he was!  Actually, that doesn’t frighten QHC any more.  I just hope my on-the-cuff DownPainMents aren’t too dull, whiskey-dick-ish (TClaps to Tool for the vocab drills) or repetitive.  So with an opportunity for a real Disclaimer (because a professional trainer would know he’s up), the PAX is off–for a distance of about twelve feet.

    COP1:

    • SSHs ICx20
    • Inchworm (gratis YSR at the Birdcage this week) ICx10
    • Moroccan Casbah (gratis The Rev from about a year ago or so) [squat while twisting arms] ICx20
    • Mountain Climbers ICx20

    The PAX gets two rocks: big and bigger for COP2:

    • Overhead press ICx20
    • Curls ICx20
    • Nape scratchers (tricep lifts) ICx20
    • Rows ICx20
    • Bench press on our 6s ICx20
    • Low slow squats ICx20

    Rinse and repeat, but with ICx15 (and regular squats instead of LSS); rinse and repeat again, but with ICx10 (again regular squats instead of LLS); then rinse and repeat again–kinda:

    • Overhead press ICx5 (but real slow, 20 count, for #5)
    • Curls ICx5
    • Nape scratchers ICxG (but real slow, 20 count, for #5)
    • Rows ICx5
    • Bench press ICx5 (hold last for 20 count)
    • Low slow squats (for a total of 25 LLS and 25 regular squats) ICx5

    Time for some relaxing at the wall:

    • People’s chair for a long-ass time, with overheads ICx10 and curls ICx10 and sitting some more
    • Rest oh so briefly
    • People’s chair again for not at long: overheads ICx10, curls ICx10, hold rock out 30 seconds.

    Mosey back (10 feet) for Circle of Mary:

    • Flutter kicks with rocks ICx20
    • LBTs ICx20
    • Hello Dollys with rocks ICx20
    • Penguins ICx20
    • Rosalitas with rocks ICx20
    • WWII situps ICx20
    • Russian twists with rocks ICx20
    • LCBs with rocks ICx20

    And it’s 6:15.  Countoff, Name-o-Rama, Shout Outs and closing prayer from HVAC.  Tclaps to Hand-Grenada for two posts in his first week.  Jingle Vader

  • The Q needs a flashlight and directions

    The only thing worse than posting at 5:30am to workout is posting at 5:30am on the Monday after Daylight Savings Time. I should have checked on that before asking Hawg to let me Q for the first time. Hawg did make my morning by arriving with the flag just before we started to get going. I think this was the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen the elusive F3 flag.

    Disclaimer and then mosey to the rocks.

    The cadence was shaky but we did:

    – SSH x 20

    – Peter Parkers x 30

    – Imperial Walkers x 20

    – Propellers x 22 (11 each direction)

    -Hillbillies x 20

    We grabbed our rocks for some classic rock city exercises with more of my shaky cadence:

    Shoulder Press x 15

    Curls for the Girls x 15

    Rows x 20

    Low, Slow Squats x 30

    We moseyed over to the playground equipment for a 4 part rotation exercise. I needed a little help along the way to locate both the swings and later to the hill. It turns out that working out in the dark doesn’t help me know how Pontiff Park is laid out.

    Our rotation workout:

    Elf on the Shelf with a rock for a 10 count while we rotated between elf, underdogs, dips, and mercins.

    After playing around under the swings, we took our rocks to the hill for elevens. It was 10 bench presses with the rock on one side of the hill and 1 burpee on the other to start.

    We ended with Mary:

    American Hammer x 15

    Penguin x 20

    Dying Cockroach x 15

    LBC x 15

    We dropped off our rocks and moseyed back to the flag. I got us there one minute early and was threatened to put shame upon my family name for finishing at 6:14, so we did Freddie Mercury for one minute.

    Count off, namerama, announcements, and a prayer.

    I led. I survived. I am now a man.