F3 New Orleans

Tag: Russo

  • Part 1 of Super 21! – from Shooter

    Having signed up a few weeks back to Q Granny’s and the upcoming A1c YHC decided to pull out an old one from the Exicon.. Knowing that the allotted 45 mins would not be enough time for even the fiercest of competitors in Cowbell and Steve to finish YHC gave the PAX an opportunity to commit to Friday’s A1c for a to be continued Super 21…

    YHC was quite impressed with the number of men who took the 💊 on this Tuesday Gloom..
    Arriving a little early to the AO some good chatter was already occurring about the recent ISI thrown out by Zoolander.. Much kudos to HIM as he clearly exemplifies amazing leadership in the way he EHs and challenges the PAX..

    With the arrival of more PAX the time work was upon us, so we jumped into a brief warmup of 10IC Grass grabbers, Torso twists, Cherry Pickers, Arm circles forward/reverse and Imperial walkers..
    PAX then moseyed to the Treen education center where the details of the Super 21 were administered..
    Rounds 1-7 8 count body builders, plank jacks and squats.. 21 LBCs Moseyed loop around the center between each round..
    Rounds 8-14 Merkins, Mountain climbers and alternating leg lunges 2/1. 21 Crunchy 🐸..
    Rounds 15-21 to be continued….

    Most PAX ended around the 12th to13th round with Cowbell and Steve getting through the 14th..

    Moseyed back to the flag with closing of Mary.

    Plank position held with alternating left/right arm high followed by 5 each side Nolan Ryan’s, Up/down plank to chill cut and finished 10 Super mans OYO…

    Count, announce, COT

    Thanks to Fletch for the closeout in prayer..

    Lots of activities on the calendar…

    Till the next Gloom 👊🏼👍🏼✌🏼!!!

  • 2 year anniversary of the A1C – from Jose10k

    Nice humid morning, YHC arrived extra early to apply the finishing touches to the 2nd anniversary beatdown of the A1C. I love when the lights of the parking garage turn on at 5:00, it helps turn on my switch to get ready for the beatdown. An unusual truck appeared first, it took awhile to determine who it was…JV showed up for his first A1C. The numbers showed up, and I was very humbled by the support of my brothers.
    Warm-up: ssh, grass grabbers, self love, torso twists, imperial walkers all ic. Then the cupid shuffle: everyone in plank position, the music starts, shoulder taps until the chorus, right steps, left steps, butt kicks, mountain climbers, then back to shoulder taps.
    The thang: Mosey to the side of the parking garage for some dora. Partner one runs a loops while partner two performs the exercise, then switch up. 100 lunges (2 is 1), 200 squats, 300 merkins. After that fun, mosey back up to the top, where we broke up into 3 groups of 4 for some burpee ball. Every time you hit the ball in the air, you drop and do a burpee. The beach ball is allowed to touch the ground only one time. Penalty exercise is 25 squats. Went all the way to 6, then COT. Welcome back Einstein. Shooter prayed us out, BBQ busted out the celebratory brownies, and we huddle up for a quick picture.
    This was the 106th A1C, and I appreciate all those the help create this AO. The ones who helped me create it, the ones who showed up each week to keep it going, the Mandevillians who came out to support this Covington AO, and my brothers who are always there no matter what is going on. When people ask my about F3, I always tell them that the F2 is the most important aspect of F3. The exercises is just the lagniappe. Thank you for letting me lead today, thank you for giving me the courage to step out of my comfort zone, two years ago, to create this AO. Thank you to Moby, BBQ, and Einstein (my Covington Crew) for making it out each week. Thank you my brothers!! SYITG

  • Rolling Bones – from Russo

    Way too hot and muggy for a Tuesday morning, but with the unnecessary humidity came a glimmer of hope, provided by Jose: the recently recaptured flag, signed by multiple of us and just begging for more John Hancocks.

    For those keeping track at home:
    (1) No, I did not arrive with shoes on.
    (2) Yes, Cowbell did arrive on time.
    (3) Yes, Chewy was back for what I hope becomes a semi-regular occurrence.
    (4) No, there was not a great deal of running, despite what JV might opine.

    Warmup (all 10x-20x IC)
    – Sealjacks
    – Air presses
    – High knees
    – Self love
    – Grass grabbers
    – Toe touches
    – Good mornings

    Thang

    YHC brought out the dice again to give each of us an opportunity to craft the beatdown (and in the case of JV, roll doubles constantly, which meant twice the reps).

    Relatively simple format, varying moseys, backpedals, and side shuffles between blocks, then when we stopped it was 10 reps of each exercise based on the number of the roll. A double roll? Double the reps to 20

    Roll of 2 – 8 count body builders
    3 – Monkey Humpers
    4 – Leg raises
    5 – Sideswipe merkins
    6 – Big boy sit-ups
    7 – Hallelujah squats
    8 – Gas pumps
    9 – Pew kneels – 4 count, drop to one knee, then the other, one leg up, then the next
    10 – Groiners
    11 – Merkins
    12 – Calf raises

    Pax finished the mosey just in time for COT, Name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer to close us out. Reminder that THIS FRIDAY is the A1C’s 2nd anniversary, and that both the St. Vincent 500 (August 13) and Hammer’s Bible study are quickly approaching. Check Slack for more info.

    Special prayers up for the teachers and students gearing up for school.

    If you’ve read this far, thank you. If you’ve read this far and joined this morning, even more thanks. I rarely want to pick my head up, turn off the alarm, let my feet hit the floor, and get dressed to sweat like crazy and often fight soreness and fatigue after. But every time I post, I remember why I do. Thanks, gents.

    SYITG

  • Ruckin Ramble at the Scramble – from Shooter

    With not much chatter of the Gnarly Nutria swirling around the northern parts YHC anticipated more PAX posting on this Gloom.. In previous years the Scramble following the Gnarly was always a ghost town.. Many of the regulars would post the night before at the Gnarly and take a rest the following Gloom.. The Scramble appears to be reaching a different PAX lately. With the introduction of Rucking the past few months we have seen the likes of Akbar and JV posting more often and this morning we were privileged to have Russo in attendance as well.. Until Cowbells 0515:59 arrival it was looking as though Waterpik would be the only stallion on the streets with his reigns pulled tight.. Thankfully though he and Cowbell have similarities in run speeds and it worked out perfectly… After 5 mins of warmup 10IC Toe Touches, Imperial walkers, Hillbillies, Cherry pickers, Torso twists and Grass grabbers. YHC instructed the Ruckers we would go out 20 mins and return. Offered an idea of directions to the stallion’s and for the most part I believe they charted that very course giving the 2 a 4.8 mile distance at a nice 8:26 pace, which in these summer conditions most certainly deserves a T👏🏼 for sure… We all arrived back at the AO right on time to count, announce and COT before parting ways for the rest of the day..

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

  • Independence Day After – from Russo

    This sounds like a broken record these days, but it was 78 degrees and HUMID at Granny’s this morning. What was new(ish) was the return of Cowbell (dare I say on time?), fresh off an amazing stretch of wedding/ national title / honeymoon, a Bird sighting, Bushwhacker and what has become his trusty walkie, and Akbar. They joined “regulars” Hammer, Steve, and YHC to close out Independence Day weekend in style with a 1776 themed beatdown. Doing a quick count of fingers, pax of 7 appeared to have all digits accounted for, so amateur firework festivities seemed to have gone well.

    Warmup (all 10x-20x IC)
    – seal jacks
    – cherry pickers
    – arm circles
    – grass grabbers
    – windmills
    – toe touches
    – imperial walkers

    Thang
    Varying exercises around the number 1776, with a mosey / back pedal / side shuffle jaunt sprinkled between every two rounds or so.

    1 8 count body builder
    7 wide merkins
    7 diamond merkins
    6 burpees

    17 merkins
    76 plank jacks

    17 jump squats
    76 shoulder taps (1 is 1)

    17 monkey humpers
    76 high knees (1 is 1)

    17 freak nastys
    76 calf raises

    17 durkins
    76 squats

    17 groiners
    76 SSHs

    17 urkins
    7/6 Bulgarian split squats
    7/6 step ups

    17 side squats (2 is 1)
    76 butt kicks

    Betsy Ross (Mary)
    17 leg raises
    76 flutter kicks (1 is 1)

    17 big boy sit-ups
    76 American hammers

    17 box cutters
    7 hello Dolly’s
    6 Rosalitas

    17 crunchy frogs
    76 SSHs

    COT, Name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out. Reminder that the Grarly Nutria (July 20) and St. Vincent 500 (August 13) are both quickly approaching. Check Slack for more info.

    Generally speaking, we take a lot of freedoms and blessings for granted, at least I know that I do. It’s easy to be distracted and go about our daily lives with its worries and chores and tasks and not take a minute to give thanks. On July 4th, I’m reminded of just how blessed I am to live in a country where, despite its flaws and fights, disagreements and ideologies, we are allowed to practice freedoms and have rights that others do not have. My challenge to all of us is that we take a minute to give thanks, reflect on how we’re blessed, and then go out and use that to provide good things for those around us.

    I appreciate each of you joining, pushing me to work harder and make myself better, and look forward to doing it again.

    Checking the notes from the pre-blast:
    1 – Minimal burpees (6, 7 if you count an 8 count bodybuilder): check!

    2 – minimal moseying, staying close to home base: check!

    3 – sweat: check!

    4 – math: check!

    5 – bats: check! (Although I only briefly caught a glimpse on the stage as we were moseying, no attacks noted)

    SYITG

  • Opposite Day – from Russo

    Fantastic Pax of 4 this morning at Granny’s, with temps slightly cooler (but no less humid). Early chatter revolved around vacations, new home projects, and various white powders. There was a tease of a theme, so YHC thought about kid’s games and how we might be able to incorporate into a beatdown to mix things up some.

    My head immediately went to “What do I remember doing or saying when I was younger?” Duck Duck Goose is still bouncing around in my brain, Tag is too much running and I didn’t want to be responsible for someone smacking their dome on a metal handrail or column, and Red Red Rover might get one of us killed when JV is sent right over.

    Moving on to phrases, “I know you are but what am I?” doesn’t really lend itself to a beatdown easily and “Takes one to know one” will be reserved for Rummel grads (Raider Pride!), but “Today is opposite day” does can be useful, so away we went with reverses and opposites, albeit very limited in creativity.

    Up Warm (All IC 10x – 20x)
    – Sealjacks
    – Windmills
    – Air presses
    – Toe touches
    – SSH
    – Imperial walkers

    Gnaht (Thang)
    Pax moseyed to the tunnel, but upon hearing “reverse”, we put it into reverse gear and back pedaled until YHC called “reverse” again.

    At the tunnel, it was 4 rounds of traversing the tunnel, side shuffles up and down, back pedal in the tunnel, with 10 plankjack shoulder taps on one side and 10 Parker Peters on the other.

    Mosey back was more of the same “reverse” game, alternating mosey and back pedal until we reached the bus stop, where Pax completed 10 IC Urkins, reversed grip to complete 10 IC freak nastys.

    A final mosey to start, where JV’s fright to simple pick between option “A” and “B” reared its head. His choice of A lead to a backwards climb up the pilot house and a backwards walk down, followed by crawl bears from one end of the columns to the other, 10 gas pumps/reverse crunches, and then reverse lunges back and ten more gas pumps. With about 90 seconds left, we planked it up until COT, Name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out.

    I gave some thought to upping the intensity of the theme by a backwards cadence (think 3…2…1 1!, 3…2…1 2!) but somewhere along the way the Spirit said “you all have enough trouble with cadence regularly, it’s best you keep it simple”.

    Thanks to those that joined, it was rather enjoyable and I look forward to expanding the theme on a future beatdown. Now: is that a true statement or a continuation of Opposite Day?

    SYITG

  • Rotating Rock Party – from Jose10k

    YHC arrived to see a Mandevillian chilling in his car. Russo was ready to go, until they needed to weedeat behind his car, the only grass in the parking lot, and Russo parks there.
    With no one picking up the Q, YHC decided to pull out an old favorite. Time to rotate at the rock garden.
    Warm-ups: All IC, ssh, grass grabbers, torso twists, self love
    The Thang: Moseyed to the rock garden where everyone grabbed a rock. We did 10 reps in cadence. Curls for the girls, shoulder presses, squats, and rows. Then rotate. Rinse and repeat all the way around. Then we did a lap around the courthouse. Stopping at the back and the front for some irkins. Back to the rock garden where the two elder F3 brothers put their two heads together for 5 exercises in tabata style, 1 minute on, 30 seconds rest. Triceps, torso twists, bouncie squats, chest presses, and lbc’s. Moseyed back to the flag, COT, and Moby prayed us out.
    Announcements: Gnarly Nutria coming up on July 20th
    Intentions: Continue prayers for BBQ’s mother who is doing much better.
    Thanks for letting me lead gentlemen.

  • Jam Elatedly Replicating Intricate Cadences Half-Obediently – from Russo

    80 degrees or so and humid to begin the morning at Granny’s. YHC was looking for a unique way to remind folks about the beatdown and draw some attention to our mid week AOs as charged by Jose, and in doing so, Zoolander taught me a new word: acrostics. Who knew it was really a word puzzle in which certain letters in words are clues that form another word (e.g. Join Everyone Running In Certain Heat
    Outdoors) and not an acrobatic mystic or an acrylic heretic?

    Early mumblechatter revolved around dinosaur movies, cars in space, Omaha, sharknados, and JVs drinking habits.

    Warmup (all 10-20x IC)
    – Sealjacks
    – Cherry pickers
    – Arm circles
    – SSH
    – Imperial walkers
    – Air presses

    Thang
    A Shooter favorite, the Walls of Jericho
    (7 rounds of seven exercises, followed by a mosey around Granny’s)
    – 7 merkins
    – 7 squats
    – 7 groiners
    – 7 crunches
    – 7 side squats
    – 7 shoulder tap plank jacks
    – 7 American hammers

    Thang after the Thang (which reminded some of “Never have I ever”, so that’s now back on the rotation for a beatdown)

    One round of:
    – 7 Peter Parker’s
    – 7 Bulgarian split squats
    – 7 Durkins
    – 7 freak nastys
    – 7 step ups
    – 7 Urkins
    – 7 leg raises
    – Calf raises (2 on each step) up the pilot house, with a special guest on Jose’s trip (sorry about that)

    Mary
    – 25 wife pleasers IC
    – 20 LMCs IC

    COT, Name o Rama, Announcements, and prayer closed us out.

    Announcements
    – Hammer is putting together a bible study, check Slack for info and to discuss best time/day.
    – Co-Q by pickaxe and chainsaw on Saturday (Luigi’s and Boom ShackaLackas for everyone!)
    – Gnarly Nutria is July 20th at 9 – more info to come on Slack

    Good times all around, gents, thanks for joining me. SYITG

  • Oy Vey: An Unorthodox Morning at Granny’s – from Steve

    “Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means I don’t work, I don’t drive a car, I don’t lift cinderblocks or crawl like a goddamn bear, and I sure as shit don’t do kraken burpees!”

    -Walter Sobchak (paraphrased)

    Well, at least I tried. YHC thought maybe a pre-beatdown announcement on slack could lure in the likes of Zoolander or Shooter, but alas, they did not take the bait. No bigge, though – the Granny regulars were there, including Granny’s favorite son, Russo, who has (somewhat) recovered from throwing out his back a month ago.

    Now, not wanting to tarnish his enduring reputation for being late after a string of on-time appearances, Cowbell showed up this morning exactly five minutes after we began. What’s so crazy, and I think Hammer has pointed this out before, is that he is so precisely five minutes late every time. He’s got it down to a science, really. I mean, you’d think the guy could just set his alarm clock exactly five minutes earlier and that’d be that.

    Anyway, as he sidled up next to Jose and ignored whatever warmup exercise we were doing, he mentioned that he had a really good excuse for being late this time (and boy did he): Orthodox Jews. We’ll just let that one sit for a moment.

    Warmorama: Torso twists, self love, arm circles, windmills, side straddle hops, toe touches, 10x merkins.

    Thang: First up today, a mosey to the lakefront, stopping at each intersection for a set of 10x leg, 20x chest, and 30x core exercises. Exercises were as follows:

    Squats
    Merkins
    Flutters

    Lunges
    Diamond Merks
    LBCs

    Jump Squats
    Explosive Merks
    Freddie mercs

    Star jumps
    Hand release merkins
    Crunchy Frogs

    Sister Mary’s
    T-merkins
    Leg Raises

    Jump Knee Tucks
    Staggered Merkins
    Heel Pulses

    Before Jose could continue kvetching about helping his uncle with a stuck trailer, or about the number of merkins that were rapidly piling up at this point (130), Cowbell elaborated that some of his biggest (and best) clients are Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn. While detailing some of the interesting quirks of the orthodox, he assured us that he was a man of integrity (yeah, sure, a mensch) and that he loved those guys. In fact, he is often confused for being an orthodox Jew himself! But man, those guys sure send a lot of emails after shabbos…

    Alright, so once we reached the sea wall, it was the usual leg work:
    Step ups L x15
    Step ups R x15
    Freaks x15
    Bulgarians L x15
    Bulgarians R x15
    Derkins x15

    Then a short mosey to rips for 5 calf raises on each step before heading back to Granny’s, alternating between standard mosey and sprints every other block. COT where Hammer prayed us out, thanking God for all of our blessings and asking to open Cowbell’s heart to his people. YHC had to leave shortly thereafter, as the guys stood around discussing the soft white underbelly of America and, trust me, you don’t want to be a part of that conversation. Thank you men for the opportunity to get stronger alongside you, always appreciated!

  • Old reliable – from Russo

    70 degrees and humid this morning for a group of 6 to conquer the semi-regular (when I have put less thought into Q than I’d like) deck of death. Old reliable was supposed to be the deck, but it also meant:

    – JV and Cowbell continuing their verbal sparring / encouragement
    – Hammer coming up with yet another brilliant analogy
    – Sweat angels from YHC that confounds Bushwhacker

    Warmup – all IC 10x -20x

    – Sealjacks
    – Arm circles
    – Toe touches
    – Grass grabbers
    – High knees

    Thang – Deck of Death (count and exercise based on card turned over)

    Split the deck into 3 groups for rounds. Rounds included:
    Spades – Wide merkins
    Clubs – crab cakes
    Diamonds – jump squats
    Hearts – circle ups

    Spades – shoulder tap merkins
    Clubs – calf raises (2 is 1)
    Diamonds – SMCs
    Hearts – Crunchy frogs

    Spades – Freak nastys
    Clubs – Monkey Humpers
    Diamonds – side squats (2 is 1)
    Hearts – box cutters / Cowbell Saturday Night Special (size of boxes varied)

    Mary (with bonus definition of Mary for the Pax from Bushwhacker):

    – 20 freak nastys
    – 20 shoulder tap plank jacks
    – American hammers 10 IC
    – Wife pleasers 20 IC
    – Gas pumps 10 IC
    – Hello Dollie’s 10 IC
    – 10 donkey kicks (what’s up Shooter?!?!)

    COT, name-o-rama, announcements and prayer closed us out. Special intention for those traveling.

    MVP to JV for accepting constructive criticism and encouragement from Cowbell with grace and style.

    Thanks for joining, gents, and yet ANOTHER all star krewe this week.