Tag: Hawgcycle

PLANK FLOATERS AND BALL BUSTERS – from Fast Tax

Twelve PAX rolled up to the Uptowner for a very humid and gloomy Game Day.
After dispensing with the disclaimer, we moseyed toward the rock pile, curiosity evident on the faces of the PAX…What does Fast Tax have in that bag?

Warmups were a sprinkle of typical Uptowner fare: SSHs, Arm Circle variants, Imperial Walkers, and, not to be dissuaded, Crab Merkins.

Sufficiently warmed, YHC selected the fenced in baseball field for the debut of his new game. Amidst the eager anticipation of the PAX, YHC pulled a large balloon out of his big black ball bag and introduced Plank Floaters.

Plank Floaters begins with PAX forming a plank circle while one person hits the balloon into the air and immediately gets back into a plank position. The PAX to his right must jump up and hit the balloon back up, before it touches the ground, and get back in plank, with the cycle repeating around the circle. If the balloon hits the ground, everyone does 5 burpees and then play resumes. As is typical of YHC’s creations, this was a work in progress with a few mods made along the way (direction reverses after a save, 1 PAX in ready position, 3 burpees, etc.).

We headed to the kid’s playground picnic table for the next festivity of the morning –
BALL BUSTER.

Ball Buster is a combination of Capture the Flag and Dodge Ball, except there are no boundaries. PAX form two teams. Each side has a blue ball (referred to as the Flag), which must be positioned at a pre-identified location on each team’s base and each PAX on the team is given one non-blue ball. The object is to steal the opposing sides blue ball (i.e. their flag) and bring it back to your base. The team scored against has to do three burpees.
Similar to dodge ball, PAX can use the ball to hit or “tag” an opposing player or block an incoming ball. If you are hit, or the person you are throwing at catches the ball, you have to immediately drop your ball and do two burpees or five merkins.
PAX can only hold one ball at a time. In order to pick up the flag, you must drop the ball if you are carrying one. You can pick up a tagged PAX’s ball and throw it away, but only after dropping your own.

However, when carrying the opposing team’s flag, it can be strategically used as a regular ball to hit or tag an opposing player. If the opposing team retrieves their flag (b/c the carrier was hit and had to drop the ball), it must be brought or thrown back to base and placed in the same pre-identified spot. A player cannot just run around with the Flag in their possession.
Halfway through the game, the teams should switch sides – which we forgot to do…

Having dispensed with the game rules, play commenced.
Team 1: Booboo, Colonial, Fast Tax, Logo, McGyver, Triple Shift
Team 2: Architect (FNG), Charmin, Cyber Cajun, Hawg Cycle, Mayhem, Pool Boy
What began as an even match quickly descended into a one sided game as Team 2 carried the day 5-3.

At some point toward the end we were joined by Vagabond.
With time running out, we headed to COT for Name-o-rama, Naming of the FNG (Architect), announcements, intentions, and prayer.

Thanks for the fellowship and allowing YHC the chance to engage his creative side!

SYITG!

0

December 10, 2022
Roaming around The playground – from PVC

On a cool crisp yet foggy full moon lit 65 degree morning 8 PAX converged for a Bootcamp in the gloom

Warmorama: squats, Abe vigoda, grass grabbbers, imperial walkers, hill billies, arm circles, Peter Parker’s

Mosey to gym wall for balls to wall, calf raises, donkey kicks (2 sets)

Mosey to pavilion for dips, BBS, step ups (2 sets)

Mosey to hill for bear crawl up n over, flutter kicks, lunge up n over, bear crawl up n over, flutter kicks

Mosey to rock pile shoulder press, bench press, squats (2 sets)

Mosey to football field for Coolorama:
squats, Abe vigoda, grass grabbbers, imperial walkers, hill billies

COT
FNG Buxton was named after I recognized his name from our childhood neighborhood where we grew up

+2

December 7, 2022
Complete the Circle – from PVC

Warmorama: Abe vigoda, Grass grabber, Side straddle hop, peter parker, imperial walker, squat arm circle

Mosey to rock pile, shoulder press, curls, bench press, squats (2 sets)
Mosey to pavilion, dips, BBS, step ups (2 sets)
Mosey to hill, bear crawl up n over, flutter kicks, beear crawl up n over, hillbillies (2 sets)
Mosey to wall, Balls to wall, donkey kicks, calf raises (2 sets)
Mosey to football field

Coolorama: Abe vigoda, Grass grabber, Side straddle hop, peter parker, imperial walker, squat arm circle

COT

+1

November 23, 2022
Pole Dancing – from Rudy

8 HIM on the shores of the lake early in the morning. The weather was nowhere near as cold as YHC expected – so of course, no surprise to see JV in his tank top, making Hawg look absolutely overdressed in his typical shortsleeve shirt. YHC was bundled for a full winter day, as were Wilson and Cheese Steak. Not sure how Cheese Steak was able to move under all of those Brother Martin layers, but that’s on him…

YHC pulled the first backblast he could locate from his Okwata Q records – June, 2017. Appropriately titled “Leg Day at Okwata” – guess what we were gonna focus on this am?

Imitating the new hot Uptown workout, apparently popularized by Willie, the PAX began with speed walk (turn those hips!) to the top of the Levee. From there, a quick warmup of the usuals.

Thang 1: BLIMP ladder. 5 Burpees on top of the levee, run down for 5 BBSU, then run back up. Round 2: 5 Burpees, 10 Lunges, …. Keep adding through the rest of the I – M – P – S cycle.

Thang 2: Quadrophelia – the full 4 minutes worth!

People’s Lunge Walk along the top of the levee. We all lunge walk while the PAX from the back speed walks to the front. One cycle through got us to the House of Pain

Thang 3: 2 rotations of Step Ups, Squats, Pull Ups and a run up the levee with burpees at the top (our timer).

Thang 4: Calves needed some work. Run across the road to see if we could find someplace to do it – and Voila, a new Okwata exercise has been born. The Pole Dancers. Come on out to see and experience. The glory of 8 PAX pole dancing in the sunrise – a sight to behold!

Mosey back to the flag for some last rounds of Mary – including Wife Pleasers and Monkey Humpers.

COT – thank you, Frac, for sharing your story of learning patience from F3. May all of us learn from your example. And may we all be examples of patience to those around us.

+3

November 18, 2022
Ultimate 5K – from Klinger

Ultimate 5k

Today was the first use of what I called “Klingers revenge” but sounds better as the Ultimate 5k

16 people showed up got a quick warm up with some merkins and side straddle hops
Followed by some movement prep
Work out follows
100m run
10 merkins
100m run
10 burpees
100m run
10 squats
100m run
10 big boy situps
Times all that by twelve and you get the ultimate 5k
I knew it would be super challenging and some big kudos to our regular over achievers making us all look bad Hawgcycle Mahatma and Rudy

+4

November 14, 2022
Building the Bums – from Triple Shift

I recently read an article about the importance of strengthening our glutes and hamstrings (BUM as they say in the U.K.) or sometimes called the posterior chain for all you Kinesiology wannabees….Bogey. Specifically, strong bum muscles contribute to better posture, prevents hip osteoarthritis, and reduces the likelihood of chronic low back pain, knee pain and hip pain. It’s not complicated, having strong bum muscles makes physical movement easier and, just to be totally honest, they are nice to look at on the opposite sex.
https://theconversation.com/glute-force-why-big-strong-bum-muscles-matter-for-your-overall-health-190978
So, with that in mind, I crafted a workout to focus on the bum and to remember Veterans Day by having the number 11 sprinkled throughout the workout.

WARMUP
There was a great deal of mumble chatter this morning with a steady drizzle and windy conditions. I gave the disclaimer and reviewed the F3 mission statement with the PAX and headed off to the Children’s Museum. Reverse Plank for the Six. To loosen things up I had the PAX focus on good squat / side lunge form. We held those positions for 5 – 10 seconds each x 5. Lots of mumble chatter and hiking up of shorts!
Forward Arm Circles x 11. Arm Wave x 5. Reverse Arm Circles x 11. Michael Phelps x 5. Pretzel Arms x 11
Hand release Merks (no worming allowed) x 20. – Huge crowd pleaser!

THE THANG
We headed across the street over to the rut filled field next to the exercise station.
Genuflect across the field (1 kneel down followed by a lunge for each leg. Increasing to a max of 10 kneel downs and 10 lunges for each leg). Reverse Plank for the Six
Bearpees to get back (4 hand touches on a bear crawl followed by 1 burpee. 8 hand touches on a bear crawl /2 burpees and so on until you reach 40 hand touches and 10 burpees. Reverse Plank for the Six. No mumble chatter…I guess I’m doing something right.

THE THANG 2 – Mosey back to the Peristyle Benches for our BUM work. Reverse Plank for the Six
Glute Bridge (Figure Four) x 11 IC
Bulgarian Split Squat x 11 IC
Glute Bridge (Figure Four) x 11 IC
Bulgarian Split Squat x 11 IC
Frog Pump x 11 IC
Donkey Kick x 11 IC
Monkey Humpers x 11 IC
Alternating Supermans x 11 IC
Frog Pump x 11 IC
Mission Impossible for last minute

Countoff, Namerama and COT. Welcomed FNG Hoffa and Animal from F3 Jacksonville! Prayers of gratitude that we got up today and did something hard. So blessed for the opportunity to lead and to call you my F3 NOLA brothers!

+1

November 12, 2022
Another Q, Another Stupid Idea (The Reprise) – from Hawgcycle

Conditions: Cool and a little windy. The lake was choppy

Pax: Abacus, Cheese Steak, Cyber Cajun, Glitter Balls, YHC, Jesus Juice, JV, Kuch, Mahatma, Ralph Machio (Charlotte)

Today’s classic Okwata beatdown was a reprisal from March 3rd, 2016. The Original workout was attended by Griswold, Tool, and YHC.

The Thang

Warm up COP – SSH x 30; IW x 30; DQ x 15; LSS x 30

We then moseyed to the levee. From the top of the levee we completed a set of Quadraphiia* – four minutes of running down the levee forward and back up backwards. YHC got in 10 trips, which is better than the 8 I did in 2016.

From there we moseyed along the top of the levee stopping to do a set of Jack Webbs – escalator from 1 to 10, merkins followed by air presses.

After the Jack Webbs we moseyed to the bottom of the hill for some Mary: LBC x 40; Penguin x 20; Elbow Plank Jacks* x 20; Dying Cockroach x 20; Elbow Peter Parkers* x 15; Flutter Kicks x 20.

*This may be the first time I have done Elbow Plank Jacks and Elbow PP (chuckle) since 2016. Why do we not do these more often?

We followed Mary up with 10 hill sprints – sprint to the top of the hill and recovery jog back down, everyone stays together.

Mosey to the water’s edge for some arm work. 20 dips followed by another bad idea by YHC – decline merkins on the steps leading into Lake Pontchartrain x 9. Kuch and I did the in the lake, everyone else chose the planters. We followed that with Incline Merkins a safe distance from the water x 10 and Squats x 20. YHC gave everyone a second chance at the Lake Merkins. Participation was 80% this time. #MakingMemories. This is where the 2016 workout ended. We are apparently much more efficient 6 years later. We still had 15 minutes left.

Mosey to the discarded street sign with the concrete base. One man bear crawls up and down the levee as the timer. One many does rows with the street sign. The third man leads the others in an ab exercise. Rotate through until all have bear crawled and rowed.

Mosey to the flag. One minute remaining for 11 8-count body builders.

NMM
• Good lesson from 2016 about doing the important things first. You don’t want to waste a bunch of time doing arm circles at the beginning of the workout and then only have 30 seconds for Quadraphilia at the end (see last week’s Q). We got a solid 4 minutes in for Quadraphilia this morning because we made it first.
• There are two things that make me think it’s been a good workout. Someone pukes or JV drops an F-bomb. No one puked today, but JV dropped an F-bomb 9 minutes in. I could not be prouder.
• I’ve been doing Jack Webbs for 8 years. I still don’t understand how air can be so heavy.
• We really should do Peter Parkers from our elbows more often.
• Guys were really pushing it on the levee sprints. We should probably do more explosive exercises where we have time to recover. This was a good one.
• When YHC had the original bad idea of doing decline merkins on the steps to Lake Pontchartrain, the Lake was calm. Today, the sea was a little angry. It was so much better this time. I will never forget the image of 8 guys to my side doing decline merkins while the lake was washing up and over them. Top 5 Okwata memory for sure. Could easily be #1.

+7

November 10, 2022
The Payment – from Mahatma

Alarm 4:41 – the smile was already, one give thanks to God for another day with his Grace. Now this joy was no doubt enhanced with the LSU win in Death Valley over the emperor and his tide as there was a small wager to be settled……the “Pie Bet” Rolling out with speaker and pie in hand YHC was making hast to reach Pontiff. Upon arriving for The Real Rock City there apparently were a lot of Tiger and SEC wantabe onlookers waiting for the event. YHC strolled up speaker in tow and made the standard disclaimer and off we went…..with the air of anticipation building.

Short Mosey to a clearing the warm up commenced:
SSH
Mnt Man Poopers
AbVagoda
Grassgrabbers (clapping optional but not encouraged)
And everyone’s favorite – Batwings
1-4 forward backward some form of clapping
Capped off with the night club – YHC actually attempted the “dance” yet was told it was not in good faith. This was not intended!

Now from Houston AO – “double apple sauce” (essentially 2 lines to move quicker to a location, YHC had his balls busted – all good) we headed to pull up area each pax to do 5 then go directly to football field when completed. Now it was time to do the Red Barchetta since @fasttax really wanted to do this at his last Q.
Run length of field 100 SSH
Run back
Run to the 75 – complete 75 BB sit ups
Run back
Run to the 50 – complete 50 merkins
Run back
Run to the 25 – complete 25 prisoner Sq
Run back
Run to the 10 – complete 10 burners
Run back
Pax that finish head out to support others still on the coarse

Double applesauce – 3 pull ups as we head to the rock pile – instructions pick a partner and a medium rock. Head to the tree lined field.
Rock toss rotation Dora
Alternate pax throwing rock and performing said exercises 100 merkins 200 BB sit ups 300 sqts – once rock reached the fence pax that threw it last carry’s it back to the start – throwing rotation starts again.
YHC ended the fun with most just starting their sqts – return the rocks

4 minutes of Mary – head to the flag

COT – I am missing a PAX – sorry brother it was not intentional!

The anticipation could go no further and the pax demanded payment of the debt – YHC ran to his truck to gather the prized pie – upon playing the famed LSU marching bands “pre game” there was an option for last words by @wareagle to which he muttered the emperor was “dead” to him and accepted his pie!

+2

November 9, 2022
What’s the Devil’s Favorite Number? – from Bolt

Arriving with speaker in hand YHC was reminded by Hawg that Hand Grenada was looking to swap Qs for next week—my memory sucks; on to the suck I intended to bring the PAX today, simple but effective, I’d hoped. Warmorama Rapper’s Delight edition near midfield with 11 of the El Diablo’s finest; Hokie added one to our ranks and snuck onto the track for some 1:1 work.

We did BLIMPS (burpees, lunges, imperial walkers, merkins, plank jacks, squats): starting at the goal line with 10 burpees and 20 yard bear crawls in between, adding an exercise and five reps at each stop.

There was very little mumblechatter from the goal line which tells me the nature of today’s beatdown would impress even the Devil with its daunting outline. It continued to be eerily silent at each 20 yard stop, with the exception of YHC’s now infamous, albeit schizophrenic playlist. The typical stud crew (Hawg, Mahatma, and FastTax) soon separated from the pack and led the rest of the way.

T-claps to MacGyver for persevering after several months on IR; it was a great reminder of how important what we do is for our conditioning—and how quickly it slips away even when we are pushing our bodies in the ways we are able while on IR.

Mahatma, being the HIM he is circled MacGyver and did reps with him which prompted YHC to remind the PAX that “we leave no one behind” and announced to those who were finished to also circle our six. Those not brining the six in were invited to my circle where we began with Al Gore for one minute including a full contact version administered to me from FastTax; time for Mary, 2:1 for one minute each: LBC x34, penguin x36, kettlebell “hops” x21, American hammer x10 (ok fine, not quite a minute here, gotta get to the flag). COT.

So what is the Devil’s favorite number, 395 (reps), 100 (bear crawl yds.), 101 (Mary reps), 153 (my avg. heart rate)? Who really knows but my answer is 12: the number of PAX showing up in the gloom today to better themselves by both pushing and leaning on other men in pursuit of acceleration, as Triple Shift says! It was an honor men.

+1

November 9, 2022
Tick Tock – from Hawgcycle

Conditions: Cloudy, 75 degrees, Humidity 88%, Wind 5 m/h from SSE (disappointingly dry.)

Pax: Almonaster, Boge, Catfish, Cheetos (FNG), Eagle Fang, Heisenberg, Igor, Java (FNG), PVC, Revit, Roach (FNG), Rudy, Spalding, Thighs, Tool, Triple, Vagabond, YHC

The Cantores were out last night, predicting a monsoon this morning. Excited to get wet, YHC laid out the swim trunks and took the Q. As previously established, YHC has little faith in the Pax’s desire to overcome conditions. So I started planning a workout for somewhere between 2-4 pax. I arrived at the flagless meeting point a customary 2 minutes early shocked to find more people than I could count on my hands….much less keep up with during the workout.

The Thang
• Mosey to the far side of the mediocre lawn and circle up for the warm-up: SSH x 25; Imperial Walkers x 20; Don Quixote x 10; Merkins x 10, Peter Parker x 15; Parker Peter x 15; Tempo Merkins x 10; Squats x 15; Lunges x 20; Low Slow Squats x 15
• Mosey to the Foundry. Plank and wait for the six
• Bernie Sanders (Hang in there as long as you can) – Partner up. Pax 1 does hangs starting above the bar and then below the bar for as long as possible. Pax 2 makes there way through BLIMPS. When Partner 1 can take no more – flap jack. Keep flap jacking, always picking up where you left off on BLIMPs until time is called
• Start the mosey to the Football field stopping for 10 Catalina Wine Mixers
• Continue mosey to Football field stopping under 610 for clock merkins (6 @ 12:00, 5 @3:00, 4@6:00, 5@9:00)
• Continue mosey stopping in a mess of grass for 15 sumo squats
• Arrive at football field and bear crawl 100 yards Then partner up and sled bear crawl back, switching on Q’s command. For sled bear crawl think the sled you push in football practice. One pax bear crawls while other pax stands in front of him pushing against his shoulders, providing resistance. We made it about 50-75 yards
• Mosey to the parking bollards and balance for the six. Not a lot of participation on this one.
• Start the Mosey back to the flag, taking a dangerous shortcut under 610 for the barefooted among us. Pausing at the Indoor Pickle Ball courts for some semi-balls to the wall
• Continue mosey stopping for some alternating step ups by the Children’s Museum
• Continue the mosey stopping for crunchy frogs.
• Reach the flag 2 minutes early and finish up with penguins and 100s

NMM
• YHC was not prepared for the number of Pax this morning. Maybe there are heartier guys in F3 NOLA than I thought. It’s hard to lead a bunch of dudes all over City Park. Pro-tip: Start the warm-up with SSH and then proceed to rotate in a circle counting each guy as the Pax count the numbers. I am pro, so I did this. The problem was the number was too high for me. I got lost somewhere around 14 or 15.
• Why do you need to count the pax? Because you need to make sure everyone stays with you, especially if you plan to cover a lot of ground, as I hoped to.
• I had no clue how many people were with us. I thought there were 17 in the beginning, but then we had an even number at the Foundry? Then Tool left and we had even numbers again at the Football field? Was it because there was a Vagabond wandering aimlessly around the park, sometimes with us, sometimes not? Was it Almonaster that showed up 55 minutes late? Was it because Tool disappeared? Or is it because YHC has trouble counting once the numbers get into the double digits? I don’t know, but it was not good. I think I got all the FNGs back to the flag. There were only 3, so I could manage that. For all I know, there may still be someone out there. I also don’t have much faith in the pax ability to navigate City Park solo. Maybe if the Renaissance guys could take a drive around the park tomorrow just to make sure?
• Roach wasn’t too excited about his name. Don’t worry Roach, we came up with another one at coffeeteria. We will gladly change it next week if you want. It’s up to you.
• The sled bear crawl is my new favorite exercise.
• The barefoot movement is afoot. Three au naturale pax today. That makes 4 for the week.
• The indoor pickle ball courts need some work. The smell is reminiscent of the WPM stairwell. A number of pax warily stood by the street refusing to enter the grounds. It was telling of how much of their trust I had earned 45 minutes in.
• I wish we could have had a photo shoot there though. The graffiti had Stone Mountain written all over it.
• Less than half way through the workout The Boge started chirping in my ear about getting back to the flag on time. Everytime we stopped for a COP he reminded me that I needed to consider the distance back and the time remaining. I later learned that The Boge was watchless. Does he just have an innate sense of time or was it his familiarity with the Q that caused his anxiety?

+5

November 5, 2022