Tag: Russo

  • Whole Lotta Mosey – from Akbar

    YHC arrived a little early to check the stairs up to the Pilot tower, making sure they were dry enough and no modification would be needed. Russo arrived and sat down to put on his shoes as Snapper walked up. Chewy brought an FNG, a Navy guy who’s on his way from California to Tampa. 5 it would be.

    Warm up x12: SSH, imperial walker, hillbillies, arm circles (f/b), self-love, 10 merkins OYO.

    Short mosey to the Pilot House stairs. 25 reps then run up and down the stairs until finished

    Werkins x50; Shoulder Taps x 100 (1-1)

    Lunge walk mosey to the end of the corridor for Hallelujah Squats (hands up in air) 25 each ,then slalom the length of the corridor and return. Rinse and repeat for 150 total reps.

    Lunge walk mosey to stage, circle up for Stone Mountains IC x20

    Mosey to the end of trailhead for Stirkins x 10 on the wall. Step up each leg, then an Irkin = 1

    Mosey to the gate for These Things. Waterpiks exercise of bodyweight triceps extensions leaning against the gate. He couldn’t think of a name for it and just called it These Things – and it stuck.

    Mosey back to the stairs for Mary, passing the wall by the bathrooms which always reminds me of a brutal Shooter beatdown. We took off our shirts, balls to the wall and then you had to put your shirt back on. I think only Cowbell and Jose10k accomplished it.

    Mary

    Back at the Pilot House for rinse and repeat of the start. Exercise x 25 reps, run up and down the stairs until finished.

    Wife Pleaser x 50, E2K x 100 (50 each knee)

    Circle up for hello dolly 3 ways. Low, mid, and high dolly’s x12

    1 minute lay on your back and stare at the sky

    Heels to Heaven x 10

    Count, Nameorama – Welcome FNG Yeah Yeah (because he says yes to everything).

    COT – Russo prayed us out thinking of Uncle Jimmy and Jose 10K’s mom.

    Til next gloom!

    Akbar

  • Rock me like a…post tropical cyclone? – from Russo

    Pax of 11 braved the 14 mph gusts and one major squall lasting 3.4 minutes at Granny’s this morning. YHC arrived early to do a little chalk drawing of the day’s activities and Hammer was already ready to get going.

    Warm up (all IC, 10-15x each)
    – seal jacks
    – imperial walkers
    – cherry pickers
    – high knees
    – windmills
    – arm circles

    Thing before the Thang
    Never one to shy away from a good mosey (ahem), YHC led a slow mosey around the warehouse and back through Granny’s columns (where Hammer had flashbacks to 1986 in the Lakeside mall arcade lining his quarters up to challenge any and all comers to Centipede).

    In tribute to Shooter and his reluctance to get calf implants, Pax did calf raises up and down the pilot house (3 for each step).

    Thang
    Ladder: (A) 10 exercises, descending rep count from 10 to 1
    (B) 10 rounds
    (C) 10 different starting exercises, so theoretically 55 reps for each movement, 550 total (MATH!!!)
    (D) Rotate clockwise positioning so each person calls out the next rep count and exercise

    – merkins
    – scissor kicks
    – jump squats
    – crab cakes
    – plank jacks (2 is 1)
    – big boy sit-ups
    – sister Mary Catherine’s
    – monkey humpers
    – shoulder tap merkins
    – crunchy frogs

    Post-Thang Thing
    Continuing with the theme of 5 (at marked market position 55 as noted by Chewy), YHC fondly remembers when Arby’s would fill up a growing boy with their “5 for $5” so pax did 5 reps of 5 exercises
    – freak nastys
    – circle ups
    – groiners
    – leg raises
    – suicide squats

    A plank for a minute or so of remaining time closed us out.

    COT, count, name o Rama, and prayer wrapped things up.

    A few reminders:
    (1) FIA/F3 mixer this Thursday!
    (2) Jose is shooting for 15 at the A1C on Friday!
    (3) Gnarly Nutria is scheduled for 7/21
    (4) Planning trip to help out our brother Goose down in God’s other country (Thibodeaux) on 7/24

    BONUS set list from this morning:

    Nutshell – Alice In Chains
    Over the Hills and Far Away – Led Zepplin
    The Zoo – Scorpions
    Broken – Seether
    Money Talks – AC/DC
    Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
    Policy of Truth – Depeche Mode
    Wheels – Foo Fighters
    Little Things – Bush
    Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo

    As always, thank you all for joining me, letting me lead, and helping with that task throughout, but mostly for continuing to entertain me as we make sweat angels. SYITG

  • Get ups, obstacles and shuttle runs, oh my… – from Chewy

    12 pax met at the Lakefront Saturday morning.
    Hammer showed up for a solo Pre-thang. Steve did some other thang with Cowbell and Pik.

    Disclaimer followed by Warm-up:
    -SSH x 20 IC
    -IW x 20 IC
    -Windmills x 10 IC
    -Merkins x 10 IC
    -Mt Climbers x 20 IC

    The Thang:
    -Green Mile: run to playground with 3 burpees at each hydrant.
    Once at playground:
    -Get ups:
    Partner up: P1 performs 10 turkish get ups with Right shoe balanced on R fist (5 Burpee penalty if the shoe falls), P2 performs Curtsey lunges. plank and wait for pax.
    P1 then performs 10 get ups with L shoe balanced on L fist, P2 performs rotational lunges.

    -Obstacles:
    Pax divides up into groups of 3 follows a circuit created by Turbo back in the early days, this includes burpee pullups x5, run to play ground tower up stairs and down fire pole, run to splash pad and broad jump across, run up and over smaller playground tower, and back to pullup/burpee x 5 rounds

    Quick rest and pump primer with some good ol’ Jane Fonda’s x 15 IC followed by

    -Shuttle Runs:
    Partner up: 2 lines partner vs partner in shuttle run relay foot race x 2 rounds. This proved to be brutal.

    Slow mosey back to shovel flag.
    COT, Prayer, Coffeteria

  • Concrete Mount Suribachi – from Hogs Breath

    YHC felt some coupon inspiration could take place at the A1C!

    Warm up
    SSH IC x 20
    Seal jacks x12
    Arm circles x10

    Mosey to our coupons, much to the surprise of waterpick, cowbell, and Russo. “What we had coupons here!?!?!?” (For reference they are in a parking lot at the intersection of 26th ave and N Jefferson Ave, behind some ornamental bushes)

    After carrying our coupons to the the corner of the parking garage, we lunge walked to the entrance, of said parking garage. At the entrance all pax beautifully performed 25 overhead presses. Then backwards walk, with coupons, up the parking ramp. At the first landing, we performed 25 derkins (seeing the trend yet?) on to an overhead carry through the garage, followed by 25 side step overs. Then YHC could not remember the name of the exercise he planned out….so cowbell jumped in with a “murder bunny” suggestion up the parking garage incline! For the record the actual exercise I was looking for is a “bear and block” however, both cause pain so this completes the goal!! At the top we completed 25 curls. And a lunge walk back to the shovel flag, thus we completed a full compliment of Mount Suribachi. BUT what goes up, must come down, So we shoulder walked the coupons down to the base floor entrance. There we performed 10 tricep extensions and began farmers walks back to return the coupons.

    One more time we mosey to the shovel flag and began some Mary, of Captain Thor! One big boy sit up, then four American hammers; then increasing by two and eight respectively. We only made it through six rounds before we had to call time!
    Cowbell prayed us out with thoughts for a safe weekend and allowing us to come together.

  • PARKOUR!!!! – from Hogs Breath

    Through the thick swamp air, three brave souls began a journey over, under and through obstacles at Grandma’s house.

    As YHC planted the shovel flag into the soggy ground, a lone Russo joined in. So two pax began a

    WARM UP

    10 IC toy soldiers
    10 IC mountain man poopers
    10 IC Cornhoulies

    Followed by imperial walkers and butt kicks to “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. As we approached the last 45 seconds Nacho Libre pulled up!

    The Thang:

    Taking inspirations from Michael Scott [the office] we “Parkour!!!” throughout every obstacle YHC found, we would climb, jump, or duck under. Things such as bear crawl across the bench’s, jump over bike stands. Slalom throughout the support posts, then bear crawl through the support posts. A few wounded animals along the parking lot curb. Up the stairs, but under the stair railings!

    After we had enough Parkour we circled back up to perform a burpee-waterfall to “Thunderstruck” by AC / DC each time a “thunder” was called in the song one pax would perform burpee’s while others would SSH. This was performed in a roar sting fashion when each “Thunder” was sung. Nacho and YHC got stuck with several long “Thunder” breaks….

    The final Mary was to “Flower” by Moby. To those unfamiliar the song has the phrase “bring Sally up” and “bring Sally down” we performed this to sit ups [originally planned with Merkins but at this point our arms were smoked!] moving up or down in accordance to the lyrics of the song.

    We closed out with prayers to be good leaders throughout our communities. Thank you for giving me the chance to lead throughout these early gloomy and humid mornings.

  • How to Not Win Friends and Influence People – from The Hammer

    On Friday afternoon, as my thoughts strayed from work, and found their way to my F3 brothers, I noted Bushwhacker’s bat signal that the Lakefront had no Q for the following day. Unacceptable! I leapt at the opportunity to lead such finely honed machines and volunteered to take the proverbial bull by the horns.

    Later that Friday evening, as Bushwhacker destroyed me in Pickleball while local pros Chewy and Nacho gave YHC pity looks, we discussed the following morning’s beatdown. Shortly thereafter, Zoolander texted to inquire if the beatdown would be “burpee heavy”, as he was already 2 scotches in. Apparently YHC’s reputation for continual, repeated, full body movement exercises is well-established because he later assured me he cut himself off at 5, though I thought I detected a faint Highlands brogue in his speech.

    Anyway, 15 strong, including FNGs (Xerxes and Snapper) posted. And away we go…

    Warm Up:

    SSH x 15
    Butt Kicks x 10
    Cherry Pickers x 10
    Arm Circles x 10
    I think one more exercise…

    Thang:

    Mosey towards the beach, stop at Noah’s Ark for 15 Derkins, 15 Irkins oyo…then continue to the beach for…the most intense Battle of the Poles since Jaworski and Bartowski faced off in the early 80s.

    We split into teams of 2, though this was an individual exercise. To quote those motivational sages of Rocky lore, Survivor, “Its you against you”, and “though his body says stop, his spirit cries, NEVER!”

    The Main Event:
    Descending ladder of 8 count body builders. YHC did this once in my spare time and hated it, so I knew others would feel likewise. It goes like this — Each 8 count bodybuilder consists of merkin, plank jack, and groiner movements, so we began descending rounds from 10 to 1.
    Round 1: 10 bodybuilders (Each bodybuilder required 10 reps each of merkins/plank jack/groiners). Thus, to complete this round, one would have done 100 of each movement (10×10).

    Good news: Each round descended by one not only in bodybuilders, but also reps of each movement, thus:
    Round 2: 9 BBs (9 of each movement per rep = 81 each of Merks/PJ/Groiners)
    Round 3: 8 BBs (64 merks/PJ/Groiners)
    Round 3: 7 BBs (49 each)
    …you get the picture. By the Round of 5, it was actually quite refreshing.
    For those that finished, like Sir Whacker, I believe that translated to 387 reps of each movement. (check my math)

    Between each round, we ran about 50 yards to tag a swingset pole and run back.

    We called it about 7:23, and did an Indian Run back to the flag. Said Pledge of Allegiance, and moved our minds and hearts upon the heroic men and women who gave it all so we have the luxury to recreationally torture ourselves. Though best known for one of the most annoying earworms of the early 90s, Billy Ray Cyrus got it right in his song “Some Gave All”:

    “All gave some, but some gave all. Some stood true for the red, white, and blue, and some had to fall. If you ever think of me, think of all your liberty and recall…some gave all”

    YHC prayed us out, lifting up brothers Hog’s Breath, Jose, and welcoming FNGs Xerxes and Snapper. Welcome guys!

    Thanks for letting me lead. It is always a privilege. God Bless!

  • Tabata II: Electric Boogaloo – from Russo

    Pax of 7 were met with humidity and mugginess at the A1C today. Undeterred and unplanned, pax gave a hastily thrown together Tabata a go to celebrate the last day of school for the year!

    Warmup (all IC, between 10x and 20x)
    – Sealjacks
    – Cherry Pickers
    – Mummy Kicks
    – Windmills
    – Imperial Walkers

    Thang
    Tabata (multiple rounds, 45 seconds on, 15-ish seconds off, interspersed with laps around floor 4 of the garage)
    – Shoulder tap merkins
    – Crunchy frogs
    – Jump squats
    – Peter Parker’s
    – Derkins
    – American Hammers
    – Lunges
    – Air presses
    – Calf Raises
    – Bulgarian Split Squats
    – Urkins
    – LBCs

    With a few minutes left, pax wrapped up with Mary: Hello Dollys, Leg Raises, Gas Pumps, and Penguins.

    A great time was had by all!

    COT, Name o’rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out.

    Special mention of the Memorial Day Murph (5:15 AM Monday at the Marsh, corner of Livingston and Lamarque, coffee to follow?) and our thoughts and prayers to Jose for his knee MRI on Monday.

    Thanks to all for the fellowship and fun from the fellas on a Friday.

    SYITG

  • Northshore H8! Practically Perfect in Every Way – from TurboTax

    21 PAX posted for the fourth semi-annual and second official Northshore H8! which, like Mary Poppins, was practically perfect in every way. The weather was great, the course was marked clearly and the PAX were motivated. Plus everyone knew that whatever we did it would be at least .01% better than anything the Southshore could accomplish. We have the Freedom Hammer to prove it.

    Anywho…we hit it hard. Reputations were burnished, feelings were hurt and everyone seemed to get their money’s worth. Several PAX completed eight laps and those that didn’t weren’t far behind. Except, of course, for Akbar who very conveniently was “injured.” YHC didn’t see any doctor’s note…just sayin.

    8 laps translates to 3.2 miles running, 550 yards of bear crawls, 36 burpees and 120 hand release Merkins. Not too shabby.

    So rest up for 6 months, guys, and we’ll test ourselves again in November. Thanks for letting me lead. Over and out.

  • Time will tell – from Shooter

    In a selfish attempt to slow multiple PAX down for the upcoming H8, YHC will need to wait 24 hours to see if his evil plan plays to his favor.. Then again all the men that posted on this wonderfully cool gloom at the A1c have proven time and time again that they won’t be denied when it comes to a challenge.. Wether it be Einstein continuing an amazing streak of 38 years at the CCC T👏🏼, or Russo’s transformation of shredding lbs and becoming a runner through this last year of COVID, perhaps most importantly Cowbell breaking his record this week of being on time for the start of every beatdown 😬 (Alexis aka Brains for loaning the Audi)🤪 that must be the reason? Maybe it’s Jose10k and the past 60 plus streak of beatdowns I believe it was with inspiration of course from Zoolander with the sweat gallon challenge 🤢… My skin still itches for you Zoo!! However considering your one armed modified Merks or your Murphs in true form with a ruck sack I am sure your armor repelled the acid filled jug with ease… I look forward to seeing you guys crush the H8 in the Gloom, as I know my evil wish will NOT deter any of you from showing up or showing out or perhaps showing off as we meet at the Lakefront tomorrow for a Turbocharged Turbo tax Q!!

    Brief warmup
    All 10IC Grass grabbers, Torso twists, Cherry pickers, Toe touches, Imperial walkers and Seal Jacks.

    Moseyed over to the front or rear Tax payor funded fortress of a Justice center to Qs parked car. Retrieved our coupons with the perfect number of six.
    Instructions simple
    “Ring of Fire” check out the Exicon for details.

    Short order alternating Blocks/Cardio
    Squat thrusters, Bench box jumps, Shoulder press, Sister Mary’s, Curls, Apollo Onos, Chest press, Jumping Knee tucks, Block clean and jerks, Sprint up stairs and return to R/R 2 full rounds of all 10 and pressed for time we got back to the first 4 for the final round.. 24 sets of AMRAP with time blocks of 1 min…

    Returned to the top of the garage right on time to count-off, announce and YHC closed out the COT with intentions of awareness of Mental health Month for May..

    Always enjoy the Gloom with you men and appreciate the accountability!!

    PAX
    Cowbell, Einstein, Jose10k, Russo, Zoolander

  • What’s Tabata with you? – from Russo

    While I realize YHC is not the first to use that phrase when describing a pseudo-HIIT beatdown, it was certainly appropriate as a superstar pax of 6 knocked on Granny’s door this morning under pleasant (albeit warming) temps.

    Warmup (all IC, 12x to 20x)
    Seal jacks
    Grass grabbers
    Self love
    Toe touches
    Imperial walkers
    Cherry pickers

    Thang
    Trying to mix it up some, YHC deliberately stayed away from all things “Tunnel” and “Pilot House”, opting instead to rock around the block and give old Mandeville (well, at least every car that just HAD to turn onto Monroe) a Tabata show, 45 seconds at a time.

    Topics of chatter somehow included Humboldt State University, the date of April 20th, and Spongebob Squarepants.

    Standard mosey for one or two blocks in between the following, not necessarily in order or to scale:
    – 8 count bodybuilders
    – squat jumps
    – rower sit-ups
    – plankjacks
    – lunges
    – leg raises
    – shoulder tap merkins
    – suicide squats
    – hello dollys
    – T merkins
    – gas pumps
    – Peter Parker’s
    – LBCs
    – Calf raises
    – butt kicks
    – freak nastys
    – step ups (nicely in sync from Chewie, Zoo, and YHC)

    A mosey back home and a quick slalom through Granny’s columns closed us out.

    COT, Name o Rama, announcements, and a prayer from Hammer wrapped it up.

    Thank you to each of the gents posting this morning. It was another fantastic crew.

    Looking forward to Thursday’s F3/FIA mixer (6:30 Covington trailhead) and the Zoorich Classic on Saturday. SYITG