Tag: Rock City

  • Rock City meets Margarita on the Rucks – from Triple Shift

    As 10 HIMs are preparing for the GrowRuck Alamo on April 9-11th, we had to put some work in with weights. As expected, the football field was wet with dew and the weather was unseasonably warm at 5:30 am. Here is the link to the explainer video!

    Those men at F3 Alamo are killing it with their high quality explainer videos and exercises! In short, it was a suck fest performing rock rows, rockees (burpee with rock), flutter kicks, brickyard man makers, squats and then out 50 yards and back and rinse and repeat for 45 minutes. We had to modify it since your QIC was the only one with a ruck. Anyway, truly humbled by the men that yielded themselves to my leadership this morning. Ended in a prayer of gratitude and request to be growing in our leadership.

  • Holiday Black Jack Mile

    ‘twas December 21st so we did 21 exercises, 21 reps apiece, around the 1-mile jogging track carrying rock

    Warmup quick – quick SSH, grass grabber, windmill, arm circles

    Moseyed with rock to 7 stations:

    Station 1

    • Alternating merkins R/L
    • Side squat with rock dip
    • Flutter with rock

    Station 2

    • Rock overhead situps
    • Rows
    • Squats w/ rock

    Station 3

    • Alternating step-ups
    • Dips
    • Decline shoulder taps

    Station 4

    • Thrusters
    • Curls
    • Wife pleaser w/rock

    Station 5

    • Kettle bell
    • Russian twists
    • Hello dolly

    Station 6

    • Plank roll / push rock back and forth r/l
    • Bench press w/feet elevated, legs straight
    • Lunge over hill 21 steps

    Station 7

    • LBCs
    • Al Gore with rock held straight out 21s
    • Bear crawl 21 steps

    Mary:  dying cockroach, Freddy mercury, J Lo, more LBC

    COT, prayer of thanks for Christmas

  • Captain Seamus “Dirty” MacDeuce

    Captain Seamus “Dirty” MacDeuce

    The site Q graciously added YHC’s name to the Q sheet for an AO outside of his Parish and that he also seldom visits. However, the name was on the Q sheet and Q he must. YHC may have also forgotten about his scheduled Q until this morning at approximately 0500. The good news is that the Legendary Captain Seamus MacDeuce would provide.

    What do we really know about Capt Seamus “Dirty” MacDeuce. Born in Meade County, Ireland in 1786, MacDeuce would stow away on a ship headed for the United States at the age of 6. The crew named him “Dirty” as a result of finding him in the cargo hold among the manure. As we know from the published BB of 9/27/2020, “Do Not Do Murder Bunnies on Pavement”, he became a deckhand at the age of 12. It was then that he learned the navigation of the mouth of the Mississippi. Other than his wife, Latrina Bacardi MacDuece, and 12 children; MacDeuce had two loves; physical fitness and rum. Dirty would indulge in the brown bottles till and through nightfall; and then arise at 0530 to led his men for morning PT everyday. The routine was very standard; 12 glasses of rum, 12 exercises and 12 reps of each. Believing that strength without endurance showed weakness; he forced his men to run laps around the ship. While his dedication to physical prowess is how he is best remembered by the HIMs of F3; his heroics during the War of 1812 is how he best served. That, however, is another story for another day.

    W/U

    • SSH x 20
    • IW x 10
    • HB x 10
    • AC x 10 x 10
    • MC x 20

    The Thang – grab a rock and head to the track for the Dirty MacDeuce: 12 exercises, 4 sets of 3 (arms, legs, core), 12 Reps IC, lap around the track

    • Set 1 – Curls, Squats, Flutter Kicks
    • Set 2 – Overhead press, Lunges, Big Boy Sit Ups
    • Set 3 – Triceps Curls, Side Lunge, Rows
    • Set 4 – Front Lifts, Rocky Balboas, Russian Twist

    Return your rock and mosey back to the flag for some stretching.

    Monday is typically not on my schedule of Beatdowns and neither is Rock City or Swollfest or any coupon/rock based workout. However, I greatly enjoyed getting out there and being pushed outside of my typical routine. Thank you site Q for signing me up, and thank you for the opportunity to lead.

    Da Parish

  • 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

  • IS IT NOLAN ROBINSON OR NOLAN RICHARDSON???

    Door Dash was double booked as Q for The View and Rock City, which was not discovered until Sunday night. YHC agreed to cover the Rock City Q so the levee dwellers wouldn’t get short changed.  I can share the love with the levee dwellers next week when YHC is Q at The View.  YHC reflected on a recent beat down from the Northshore that came straight from the Exicon.  13 men braved the 72 degree morning with high humidity. 

    After the standard disclaimer, the PAX moseyed to the nearby football field for the following:   

    Warmup

    All in cadence: SSH x31, GG x15, MC x20, AC (10 forward/10 backwards), and Chinooks

    Thang

    After the warmup, the PAX moseyed to the rock pile to select a rock and was instructed to return to the nearside goal line for further instruction.  War Eagle confused the back line of the end zone with the goal line and was essentially lost in the end zone.  Totally understandable given he is a Bama fan. Bama is clearly confused as to where the goal line, end line, and side lines of the end zone are, as evidenced by Bama’s 2013 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl which left them out of contention for a third consecutive BCS Championship appearance.  I digress.  You can get the highlight here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLO2SmM9gPw

    Round 1

    YHC had the PAX count off by ones and twos just to make sure they could count to two since the Alabama native got lost in the end zone. The PAX was then instructed to pair up to complete 150 curls followed by 300 Big Boi Sit-ups.  PAX 1 began the exercises at the goal line while PAX 2 ran backwards to the 50 yard line, completed one Bobby Hurley, and sprinted back to the goal line and switched with PAX 1.  A DORA-style format.  A round of Mary was completed by the PAX who finished first, while waiting for everyone to complete. 

    Round 2

    Same format as above completing 150 Merkins and 300 Chest Presses.

    With four minutes to spare, the PAX returned their rocks and moseyed to the flag.  Approximately half of the groups completed Round 2, and the other half came close.  We will strive for full completion by all next time.

    COT: YHC noted he modified the “Nolan Robinson” workout form the Exicon. Hawg, who apparently has the Exicon and Lexicon memorized, was perplexed.  After much thought and debate, he realized it was the “Nola Richardson;” however, since YHC modified the workout, he believes the name should also be modified and stands by “Nolan Robinson” as true and correct!

    Announcements- the H8! is Thursday, but according to mumblechatter, Kuch would prefer to do yoga. 

    Intentions- gratitude, the recent senseless killing of a two year old, healing for the sick and injured, and protection for a local Army National Guard Unit whose one-year deployment began this week. Fast Tax’s son and a close friend of YHC are members of said Unit. It was an honor to lead such HIM, and I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and assist in a time of need.

  • Making Monday Great Again

    Five pax gathered by the rock pile after the disclaimer for SSH, Grass Grabber, Single foot balance raises, L/R Squat toe touches, Peter Parker, Mtn. Climber, Windmills.

    GYM CIRCUMNAVIGATION:  3 sets of 12 reps of four maneuvers:  dirkins, big boys, jump squats, hillbilly.  Run to back of gym, reverse ascend the wide ramp, 6 donkey kicks, return to front for another round via the ramp in front. Capped with calf raises.

    FOOTBALL FIELD O’ PAIN:  bear crawl while pushing rock 15 yards, then at 20 yard intervals, ALL WITH ROCK:  10x Turkish getups, 10x prisoner kneels, 10x lunge twist, 10x burpees rock lifts.  Returned back across field doing same thing with 6 reps apiece.  At end zone 15 curls, 10 tricep extensions.

    RING O’ FIRE: 3x around:  hold rock in squat, then extend arms holding  7 secs, and then hold rock directly overhead for one time around

    Count, ID, COT Sharing / Prayer.

    mmmBop is leaving for Hawaii soon… will miss him, but dude I be jelly furreal.

    God bless the F3Nola brotherhood.

  • WHO NEEDS SPOTIFY WHEN YOU HAVE BOGEY

    With a rare June cool front upon us, ten men (including an FNG) appeared from the gloom for a Rock City-style beat down.  It was a blustery 72 degrees with 30% humidity.  In most areas of the country that’s no big deal, but in south LA, it’s a huge blessing!  With passport in hand, Gabrielle traveled from burrows of uptown to Pontiff for a no running, Uptowner-style beat down, in an effort to nurse an injury.  Unfortunately, he did not get the memo that during the phased resurrection of F3 NOLA, Rock City lives three days per week at Pontiff, and the Uptowner is on suspension. 

    After the standard disclaimer, the PAX moseyed to the rock pile for a moderate to heavy rock.  We then mosey to what was a nice, open baseball field, only to find it had been fenced off for little league baseball.  YHC made the call to complete a warmup in the sliver of grass available.

    Warmup

    All in cadence: SSH x31, IW x20, MC x20, and Arm Circles (10 forward/10 backwards)

    Thang

    After the warmup, the PAX slowseyed to the adjacent parking lot for the Thang.  Shortly thereafter, Hawg complained, for the first time in my memory, of foot pain because of the asphalt and pebbles in said parking lot.  Poor leadership on my part for not looking out for my men; however, Hawg took it like a champ! My apologies once again brother!

    Ten Rounds of Tyson

    The PAX lined up on one end of the parking lot with their rocks to compete 10 reps of the following exercises, in cadence.  Then run to the other end of the parking lot, leaving the rock, for 10 of the following exercises (this is where Hawg rightfully complained), in cadence:

    Round 1- Overhead presses 2:1

    Round 2-Jump Squats- 1:1

    Round 3- Curls 2:1

    Round 4- Dying Cockroaches 2:1

    Round 5- Squat Presses 1:1

    Round 6- Diamond Merkins 1:1

    Round 7- Chest Presses 2:1

    Round 8- Lunges 2:1

    Round 9- Rows 2:1

    Round 10- 8-count Body Builders

    Tabata

    This is where it really got going.  Bogey was drunk with adrenaline and endorphins and began singing love songs from the 80’s.  He even took requests. The Tabata app was set for one minute on and 20 seconds rest for each of the following exercises:

    Incline Merkins, American Hammers, Monkey Humpers

    Rest

    Flutter Kicks, Freddie Mercury, Elevated Wife Pleasers

    Return rock and mosey to the flag.

    With a minute to spare, we completed penguins so we could feel like we were doing something, but really weren’t (except the FNG who did the penguins with his legs in the air- Tclaps).

    COT: Announcements, intentions, prayer, and named the FNG (Double Fudge- I’m thankful Bogey was not present when I was an FNG). Welcome back everyone, and thank you for the opportunity to lead.

  • Leave No Man Behind

    The MISSION of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

    F3’s Credo is:  Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you find him.

    I have to admit, I have NOT been the leader in my community I could have been. I HAVE left men behind and I HAVE left men where I’ve found them. As a greater community and a country, we’ve all been guilty of the same.

    Let me be clear. I love our country and we’re beyond lucky to call it home. Nevertheless, it’s far from perfect. A horrific injustice has existed since its foundation. Despite what we might like to think, it hasn’t gone away. It’s only taken on different forms. And now it’s simply become far more visible to us all than in recent years.

    The fact is… when we stay silent, we leave our black/brown brothers and sisters behind. When we remain ignorant to the reality of their struggles, we leave them right where they are.

    Men, I sure as hell hope you’re invigorated. We must be leaders. We are being called to action by those who cannot protect themselves or have their voices be heard. Regardless of our individual stories, we all have a level of privilege we can leverage. In our families, businesses, places of worship, and neighborhoods… there is so much we can do. We must listen, educate ourselves/others, show compassion, organize, set an example… be a spoke in the wheel of positive change.

    The Beat Down:

    I woke up in a cozy, yet comfortable Air Bnb in a small town called Metairie, LA. Still tired from a long drive in to this distant destination the day before, I wondered how I would lead a workout in such a strange place. Nonetheless, I ventured to a spot they call “Rock City” to see what I could make of such an exciting adventure. Upon arriving, it was quite clear. I wasn’t in Uptown anymore.

    As if planned out by the Phase 1 Committee an exact 10 Pax showed up. Unfortunately, I hadn’t adjusted my watch for the change in time zones and we kicked off a tad behind schedule after the usual disclaimer. With our starting mosey, they were quick to let me know I was going the wrong way with their screaming from behind. Eventually we came across the mystical rocks I’d heard so much about from tales of travelers at WPM.

    Warm-Up

    • SSH x 20
    • Peter Parkers x 20
    • Merkins x 10
    • Arm Circles Forward x 10
    • Arm Circles Backward x 10

    The Thang

    A rotary phone style workout with 5 stations. I think there may have been a slight language barrier here as my instructions weren’t interpreted entirely.

    • Station 1 = Burpees x 10
    • Station 2 = Squat with coupon x 20
    • Station 3 = Flutter kicks x 30 (2 is 1)
    • Station 4 = Merkins x 40
    • Station 5 = LBCs x 50

    The motion… Start at Station 1 and then proceed immediately to Station 2 upon completion. After Station 2, return to Station 1. Then, proceed directly (in a clockwise fashion) to Station 3. After Station 3, stop at Station 2 on way back to Station 1. And so on from there. See… extremely simple, right?

    Next, we returned the rocks to their homes and paused there for some Mary.

    • Leg Raises x 20
    • Dying Cockroach x 20
    • Real Freddie Mercs x 20

    From there, we Bear Crawled about 25 yards toward the flag, stopping for some LBCs.

    With a few minutes remaining, we closed it out with 3 100 yard sprints on the football field.

    Count-off… Name-or-ama… Distanced COT.

    Thank you to the men of Rock City for having me out there and allowing me to Q this am. I [potentially] will return!

  • What Day Is It?

    What Day Is It?

    Four men arrived to own the gloom at 5:30am for the Hump Day Edition of Rock City at Pontiff Park. YHC gave the standard disclaimer and led the small Pax of men for a short mosey to the rock to get things started.

    The Warm-Up

    SSH – 20

    Imperial Walkers – 20

    Shoulder Taps – 20

    Grass Grabbers – 20

    Smurf-jacks – 15

    The Thang

    Everyone was encouraged to select a rock and carry their burden to the open field located just past the baseball field.

    Making Bricks

    Since YHC missed his annual Passover workout due to the quarantine, he brought out his favorite Passover day workout – Making bricks. Like the Israelites who mixed straw and mud together to max bricks for Pharoah, we slowly carried our bricks across field one lunge step at a time while dropping to our knees between each set of lunge steps to make it all the more taxing in our slow movement across the field.

    Route 66

    The Pax did a standard Route 66 with the rocks. Stop at each tree along the edge of the field for bicep curls. 1 rep at tree one and 11 reps at tree eleven for a total of 66 reps.

    Slow Motion Suicides

    The Pax now moseyed to end of the football field where the Q had kindly placed cones marking the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and end of the football field.

    Run with your rock to cone one – 20 Low Slow Squats

    Run back to the start and pick up your rock on the way to mid field – 20 shoulder presses

    Run back to the start and pick up your rock on the way to cone three – 20 bench presses

    Run back to the start and pick up your rock on the way to the end zone – 20 curls for the girls.

    Run down to the start and then back to the end, hold Al Gore while awaiting the six.

    Rinse and Repeat

    Mary

    YHC celebrated his 13 anniversary yesterday and Vagabond celebrates his tomorrow, so time for a round of Mary that celebrates the joys of marriage.

    Wife-pleasers – 26

    Hello Dolly – 20

    Monkey humpers – 13

    The End

    Count-Off, Name-O-Rama, Announcements, Intentions, and Prayer

    Thank you men for celebrating my wedding anniversary and giving me a great beginning to my 14th year of marriage.

    Happy Hump Day!

    -Rev Sox