Tag: Tool

  • Happy Birthday to the City of New Orleans

    The City of New Orleans has been celebrating its 300th birthday throughout the 2018 year. You may not have known that May 7, 1718 is the date most commonly recognized as when the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne De Bienville, founded Nouvelle – Orleans. So in honor of NOLA’s 300th birthday the following beat down occurred.

    Warm Up

    B   Big Boy Sit-ups – 30x – plus a few more as Q off to rough start with cadence.
    D   Dying Cockroach – 30x
    A   Abe Vigoda – 30x
    Y   Why Side Straddle Hops 30x – because we always do side straddle hops during warm-ups.

    N   Nolan Ryan – 15x Left and 15x Right
    O   Outlaw – 15x Left and 15x Right
    L   LBC’s – 30x
    A   Arm Circles – 15 forward and 15 backward

    The Thang

    Grab a rock and mosey to the track/field. Partner up with each team doing the following:

    Stand on sideline of the field with each pair of PAX completing cumulative 300 rock curls, 300 shoulder-taps, and 300 rock shoulder presses. While one PAX was doing curls, or shoulder-taps, or shoulder presses, the other PAX was running to the opposite sideline and doing bear crawl, then run back to opposite sideline.

    Bring rocks pack to pile and finish with a few minutes of Mary.

    Back to Flag for Count off, Namorama (named FNG Pai Gow), and Announcements (CSAUP this week and UNO Crawfish Mambo this Saturday). Welcome to Pai Gow – thanks for joining the group.

    I am enjoying the F3 experience. Thank you all for the opportunity to lead.

  • Your Kids Are How Old?!?!

    YHC’s commute was from Kenner this morning.  Rather than the usual 20 min drive, it was more like 12 with very little stop lights.   With the extra time, YHC reviewed his Weinke in preparation for todays Beatdown.  A Pax can always prep for his Q, but the only true way to perfect is through experience.   YHC is grateful for F3 and it’s $0 cost mantra.  The best way to show your gratitude and “pay” back what you receive is by signing up to Q.

    W/U

    • SSH x 26
    • Ave Vigoda x 20
    • IW x 20
    • MC x 20
    • Butt Kicks x 10

    The Thang

    Indian Run to NOMA

    • Wall Sits – In COT fashion, name your Occupation, M’s Name, # of Children

    Indian Run to the Foundry for equipment free Beatdown Stations

    • 8 Ct Body Builder x 10 is the count
    • Jack Webbs 1:2, 2:4, 3:6
    • Squat + Plank
    • Plank Combo
    • Jump Squats

    Circle Up for Merkins – In Cot fashion, do a Merkin for each year of the age of your children.  This was either a really good or really bad idea.  Depends on the Pax interpretation.

    • Mambi – 7, 5
    • Pai Gow – 7, 5
    • Walleye – 8, 5
    • Da Parish – 3, 1
    • Cowbell – (K9) 3
    • Bogey – 20, 19, 14
    • Tool – 14, 12

    Mosey to the Track – Pax assigns Mary to be performed and then takes off for a lap.  To save time, a new Pax took off every half lap.

    • Mambi – Flutter Kicks
    • Tool – LBCs
    • Da Parish – Wife Pleasers
    • Walleye(?) – Hello Dolly
    • Cowbell – Crunchy Frog
    • Bogey – American Hammer
    • Pai Gow – Wheezy Jeffersons

    Back to the Flag for Count Off, Namorama, & Announcement (CSAUP/F2 tonight at the Lafitte Greenway & Bayou Beer Garden, Lakeview Running Club every Thursday, Free BabyCakes tickets on May 17).

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead.

    Da Parish

  • 610 Stomp is the Easiest Q Ever

    0530 struck and the scheduled Q was a fartsack.  “I’LL TAKE IT”, YHC passionately exclaimed, “The Stomp is the easiest Q there is.”   As Tool pointed out, this Back Blast is the hardest part.

    The Thang:

    30 min round trip on the traditional Bayou St. John route.   YHC enjoyed some quality F2 & mumblechatter with Tool & Hawgcycle.

    Back at the track for a climb down the sprint ladder.

    • Run as hard as you can for 400m; recover 100
    • Run as hard as you can for 300m; recover 200
    • Run as hard as you can for 200m; recover 300
    • RUN AS HARD AS YOU CAN FOR 100M; recover to the Flag

    Announcements – F2 opportunities ahead!!!  Beatdown with Tool tomorrow evening at the Lafitte Greenway followed by beers & burgers at Bayou Beer Garden.  Lakeview Running Club this Thursday and ever Thursday at the Basin.   Babycakes Baseball game next Thursday (May 17) for F2; let YHC know if you are coming and how many tickets you need.  The tickets are free, just like F3.

    F3 Opportunity available with Woz after Mothership/Coffeteria, Bible Study

    Thanks was given for the 300th anniversary of our city.  May She forever reign.  Intentions were said for her leaders and the impact they make on tomorrow.

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead.  It feels great to Q again.

    Da Parish

  • What’s better then a Merkin ladder? 2 of course!

    I guess its better late than never to post a back-blast. Eight men arrived in the dark gloom on Wednesday 5/2/18. Still no lights on Roosevelt Mall. The usual disclaimer and off we go.

    We moseyed down Roosevelt Mall to a warm-up COP.
    SSH x 20 IC
    Imperial Walkers x 20 IC
    Lunges x 20 IC
    Windmills x 10 IC
    Arm Circles 10 forward, 10 backward IC
    Mountain Climbers x 20 IC

    Next an Indian Run to the front of NOMA.
    Merkin ladder up the steps, 1 Merkin at the bottom, 11 at the top
    10 box jumps on the fountain at the bottom
    Repeat
    Merkin ladder up the steps, 1 merkin at the bottom, 11 at the top
    10 box jumps on the fountain at the bottom

    Mumble chatter ensues. As it turns out, 2 Merkin ladders not as much fun as it sounds. The Pax suggested a Reverse Merkin ladder for round 2 may be better. Perhaps they are right…

    Then exercises up and down the NOMA steps
    10 squat jumps at the top, 20 dips on the fountain at the bottom
    Repeat 3 times

    Next we moseyed to the Foundry for some circuits. 8 men, 4 stations:
    Pull-ups
    Body rows
    Step-ups
    10 WWII had the count
    2 rounds total

    Finally, to the track for some sprints, Hawgcycle-Style.
    We split into pairs. 1 man sprints 200 meters, the partner jogs across the infield to meet on the other side, sprint 200 meters, jog across the infield. 2 times around the track.

    A short mosey back to the flag. Count-off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and a prayer. I am grateful to theses men for keeping me strong. Thanks for the opportunity to lead.

    Walleye

  • A Bulgarian Celebration of Cinco De Mayo

    YHC came in with high hopes of easily surpassing 3 miles in this morning’s Mothership.  Well, we only got to 2.8.  Below is a recap of my failure.

    Warm-up

    Line up on the great lawn:

    • High knees (20 yards)
    • Carioca (40 yards)
    • Butt Kicks (20 yards)
    • Arkansas Do-si-dos (20 yards)

    Circle Up:

    • Arm Circles (15 forward, 20 backwards) – Keep ’em up
    • Moroccan Night Club x 25
    •  Self-Love x 15

    The Thang

    Mosey to the Museum for some Red Hot Chili Pepper

    • 10 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Right Leg Forward
    • 20 Decline Merkins
    • 10 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Left Leg Forward
    • 20 Incline Merkins
    • 8 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Right Leg Forward
    • 10 Decline Merkins
    • 8 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Left Leg Forward
    • 10 Incline Merkins
    • 6 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Right Leg Forward
    • 6 Decline Merkins
    • 6 Bulgarian Split Leg Squats Left Leg Forward
    • 6 Incline Merkins

    Mosey to the Bayou for 10!  Pace is important.  Be quick.

    • 10 Merkins, 10 Squats, 10 Big Boi Sit-ups
    • 9 Merkins, 9 Squats, 9 Big Boi Sit-ups
    • 8 Merkins, 8 Squats, 8 Big Boi Sit-ups
    • …….
    • 2 Merkins, 2 Squats, 2 Big Boi Sit-ups
    • 10 Merkins, 10 Squats, 10 Big Boi Sit-ups  (See what I did there?)

    Mosey on to the track for an SFx Special.  Partner up.  Pax 1 sprints a 200 meters while Pax 2 jogs across the infield to meet him.  Flap jack and meet on the other side.  Each team completed 1600 meters. #CrowdPleaser

    Mosey back the Great Lawn, for some Cinco De Mayo inspired Dora.  YHC knew there was no way were were finishing, but that didn’t keep us from trying.  Partner up.  This was the plan:

    • 100 Ocho-Count Body Builders
    • 200 Mexican Jumping Beans
    • 300 Moribundo Cucaraches

    A few teams made it through the Body-Builders and into the Jumping Beans.

    Sprint back to the flag for COT.  Welcome to our FNG Stooge and T-Claps to The Hokey Pokey for the EH.  Big Coffeeteria afterwards with 17 Pax.  T-claps to Bogey for buying with his NCAA winnings and T-Claps to Rudy and Fracsac for paying their burpee debt.  Bible Study with Woz on Q next week at 8:15.

    -Hawg

     

     

  • Running. Remember that?

    Humidity is back.  Lights are still missing.  Tuesday morning at The Stomp, and Rudy was ready for a run.  Last few weeks have seen some variations from the tried-and-true out-and-back run, but YHC was looking to get some mileage in.

    A solid group of 7 PAX started off on the typical route.  Looks like Woz is going to be the rabbit WHOA WATCH OUT!  One lost Uber driver deposited a foreigner in our midst halfway down Roosevelt Mall and sped off into the darkness.  Welcome, Plunger (from Winston Salem)….

    The PAX resumed the run.  YHC enjoyed the convos with Woz and Plunger on the way out to Tulane and back.  Meet back at the flags at 610 for:

    • FK x50
    • Dolly x31
    • Boxcutter x31
    • 10 burpees OYO

    Gqther around the flag for count off, name-o-rama and COT.  Bar-a-thin and Summer Series are around the corner!

     

  • Happy ANZAC Day. With Bricks.

    ANZAC Day

    A day of remembrance for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who landed on Gallipoli in World War 1.  Depending on your point of view, this was perhaps the most devious but poorly executed plan, or the most ill-begotten idea ever devised by humans.  Regardless, the actual outcome was a far cry from the hopes originally envisioned by one Winston Churchill when he devised the plan as a way to break the Western Front stalemate in 1915.  After the failed seaborne invasion, the military commanders arrived on a plan to land troops and take the peninsula.  Alas, they probably couldn’t have picked worst landing points – and the Australian/New Zealand troops landed on a small beachhead, surrounded by high ground and entrenched Turkish troops.  The troops never came close to a breakthrough, and instead took 8 months of astounding losses – but refused to retreat from their position.

    Please take some time today to offer a prayer for military troops everywhere who have suffered and died in their missions.

    Brick Day: YHC woke to a beautiful crisp morning at the Foundry.  The lights are still out, so I struggled to identify the shadows milling about the flag.  “Is that you Milkman?”  Yes, it was.  “I hear singing!”  Yup, there was Bogey.  Smooth and Tool snuck in quietly, forgoing their cars to mosey to the AO.  Mambi, Abacus and Mahatma rounded out the morning crew.

    5:30 – disclaimer (especially watch footing because its so darn dark…)  Stop by YHC’s car for a morning surprise.  Bricks.  I like to keep bricks in the car just in case something like this (a morning Q for F3).  Everyone grab 2 bricks and lets go.

    Stop #1: ANZAC Day remembrance

    • A: Abe Vigodas x15.  Slow cadence, no bricks
    • N: Newton’s Cradle x20.  With bricks.  Good times
    • Z: Zig Zag Hops.  10x Out and Back
    • A: Absolution x20.  Look it up in the lexicon.  8 count plank exercise.
    • C: Crunches x25

    Stop #2: Brick-BLIMPS on the track.  Partner Up.  Each partner runs opposite ways on the track.  Whenever they meet, do the next exercise.  Then back to the track to run opposite ways.  All exercises with bricks.  Total of 3+ laps on the track plus the assorted exercises.  Plank, then throw in another set of 10 Newton’s Cradles.

    Stop #3: Off to the baby Foundry.

    Quick Change of Pace: Brick Bear Crawl across the field (maybe 50 yards?).  Bricks slide, but then get harder to hold as they get slick….

    At the Foundry, leave the bricks in a pile and partner up for 4 stations

    • Box Jumps x20 (the timer)
    • Pull Ups
    • Hanging Knee Lifts
    • Jumping over the Green Snake

    Repeat x2

    Stop #4: Not a complete Rudy workout without a plank-o-rama.  Since its 4/25, we’ll do 4 sets of 25.  I guess we do 4 sets of 25 every time.  But whatever.  It was special today anyway.

    • Peter Parker x25
    • Shoulder Taps x25 (with or without brick at your choice)
    • Parker Peter x25
    • Floyd Mayweather x25 (with or without bricks – though it was MUCH HARDER with the bricks)

    Back to the flag (stopping to carefully put the bricks back in YHC’s car).  We had a minute to spare, so close up with 15 Burpees OYO.

    Did you know – today (4/25) is also the day that Admiral Farragut demanded the surrender of New Orleans in the Civil War (1862), and the day that US and Russian troops met at the Elbe river in German in World War II (1945).

    Close with Announcements – 5/18 Barathon, 6/2 Summer Series race.  COT to remember all of our intentions, and ask for blessings to use the gift of today wisely, and grace to be better leaders and servants.

    Thanks for letting me (the Foundry Foreigner, I suppose) Q today.

  • Trifecta of Anniversaries

    Rewind 3 years ago to a rainy Saturday morning in April when YHC was coaxed into coming to his first F3 workout, standing in the dark amid the mud and a bunch of dudes calling each other by goofy names.  Not exactly the best way to spend a Saturday morning but I went with the flow since my buddy Amensty assured me it would be way more fun than my usual morning jog.  Just a few minutes in, I quickly learned what a burpee was and silently cursed whoever invented it.  The rest of the workout went about the same and an hour later, after almost bailing mid-way, I was still standing, feeling a newfound sense of accomplishment.

    Three years and umpteen burpees later, there I was standing in the same spot preparing to lead 16 other men through a workout that would not only touch on the greatest hits of the past few years, but also pay homage to the NOLA Tricentennial celebration going on throughout the city.  Let’s face it, 300 reps of an exercise is way better than 3.  Weather was 60 degrees with clear skies, the optimal conditions for running around and testing the limits of our almost late model chassis.  The PAX had a good mix of guys from The World and Uptown along with a visitor, F3 Thibodaux, currently living China, previously from N.C., originally from the NO area.  Here’s what went down:

    Warmup on The Great Lawn:

    • SSH x30
    • Burpees x3
    • IW x20
    • Burpees x3  (“I see where this is going” -The Peanut Gallery)
    • Arm Circles x20
    • Burpees x3
    • Windmill x20
    • Burpees x3
    • Low Country Crab x20
    • Burpees x10 (Expect the unexpected…learned that in my first workout)

    Next up, a mosey to The Foundry for some pimping.  Here we knocked out 3 rounds of PIMPS OYO:

    • Pull Ups x5
    • IW x10
    • Merkins x15
    • Plank Jacks x20
    • Squats x25

    Mosey towards the museum and hook a left in the grass not far from the NOLA 300 sign.  This is one of 4 signs erected around town to commemorate the 300th anniversary of New Orleans.  Since the Tricentennial celebration has been in full swing the past few weeks, YHC thought we’d acknowledge that with some Dora 3-3-3.  This involved partnering up, with partner #1 running (approx 30 yds?) to the NOLA 300 sign, cranking out 3 burpees, and running back while partner #2 keeps a cumulative count of:

    • 300 Hello Dollys (single count)
    • 300 Alternating Shoulder Taps (count each tap)
    • 300 LBT

    This proved to be a circuit that kept the PAX busy for a while.  YHC often dreaded the drawn-out circuits of Dora, elevens, etc in the early days but now have a love/hate feeling when doing them….always hate when they start but smile when they’re done cause they push us more than one would typically done solo.  After this, we made our way over to the water fountain for hydration and a little planking.  From there, a mosey back towards the same area but this time we lined up along with neutral ground curb, facing the NOLA 300 sign where we knocked out:  100 Rocky Balboas OYO, bear crawl to opposite curb for 10 merkins, then backwards bear crawl back.  Rinse and repeat twice for a total of 3 rounds and 300 Rocky Balboas.  YHC heard zero mumble chatter on this so apparently/hopefully it had the PAX in a zone.

    Next up we circled up in a nearby field, this time in the shade just for Rudy, for a round of The Suck.  For those unfamiliar, it’s a fairly new circuit we’ve done a few times that always seems to bring excitement and cheers from the PAX.  The Suck consists of SSHx6, Jump Squatsx6, Merkinsx6, as many times as possible in 3 minutes, calling out your count after each circuit.  Typically this is best enjoyed with 2-3 rounds broken up by a minute of rest in between, but time was ticking and the PAX had to settle for just a single round.  T-claps to the crew for pushing hard and to those who approached the 8,9,10? mark.

    As we started to make our way back to the flag, there was just enough time to pay homage to one last anniversary.  It just so happened to be YHC’s 17th wedding anniversary so what better way to celebrate than 17 burpees.  The commemoration of me losing my bachelorhood was followed by a mosey back to base where we called it a morning.

    COT included YHC thanking the PAX for pushing me over the past 3 years to become stronger, faster, healthier, and a better leader.  I’ve reaped many more benefits from this than I did jogging on my own.  Prayed for safe travels for Thibodaux, Mahatma’s two youngest sons, and a few other things YHC was too woozy to recall.

    Moleskin:  I often recall something I read a few years ago in a backblast from a fellow PAX in South Carolina (?) that hit his one year mark of posting with F3.  Among many other things, he said something along the lines of, “…I used to think my glory days were behind me but I now realize they are yet to come.”  I’ll have to try to dig that out of the archives.  It was a cool and inspiring post.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead, and most of all thanks for all the great beatdowns over the past few years.

    Tool

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • A Hidden Tribe of Super Athletes and the Greatest 610 Stomp The World Has Ever Seen

    The Natives gathered in the gloom awaiting the arrival of  El Caballo Blanco.  In true Islenos fashion, he rolls in hot just after the disclaimer and instructions had been given.  The natives were excited at his arrival, believing he would provide the beacon of light they needed to reach the mountain that morning.  Alas, once again, they were disappointed by El Caballo Blanco, as they quickly noticed he had no light to shine.

    Before his arrival, the natives had counted off and assembled themselves in two teams, one comprised of even numbers, the other of odds.  One of the natives accurately surmised that El Caballo Blanco is odd and pointed him to his team.

    The Thang

    A Rarajipari race to Laborde Mountain.  One team of two (Tool and Hawg) vs. a team of three (Smooth, Frac, and Da Parish).  Each team must kick a baseball all the way to Laborde Mountain in the Couturie Forest (approximately 1.75 miles).  First team to get their baseball to the top of the mountain wins.  Once at the top we completed Monday and Tuesdays ISI challenge, then it was a race back to the flag.  Each team decided to take different routes out of the forest.  Tool and YHC took the long route and fell so far behind the other team, we weren’t sure if we were behind them or ahead of them.   We were definitely behind them.  We picked up our ball and took the Marconi shortcut to find the victors sealing the deal with burpees.

    NMM

    This was a fun one.  As Da Parish remarked, it didn’t feel like we ran 3.75 miles.  The pace was pretty good too for kicking a ball the whole way.  Tool and I were about 9 minutes/mile on the way to the mountain.  This has CSAUP written all over it.  Need to figure out a long path…ten to 15 miles where we could race without worrying too much about cars.

  • Rock – Kong

    Couldn’t ask for better weather to start a Monday so “Let’s Rock-Kong”!  10 men showed up to push their physical boundary.  Disclaimer given then off for a quick mosey to circle up for a warm up:

    SSH x 20 IC

    Peter Parker x 20 IC

    Mtn Climbers x 20 IC

    Shoulder Taps x 20 IC

    Wind Mills x 10 IC

    Now it was time to work – grab a rock and head to the field where we found a box made of bases.   Pax lined up with rocks in hand for 7 to 1 around the rectangle of bases: run to the mid point of the 1st long side then perform 7 squat press then complete the run. 1st short side Kong with rock from one end to the other.  2nd long side run to mid point perform 1 “rainbow” core left to right then back right to left continue running 2nd short side Kong with rock and continue 6 to 2, 5 to 3 ……until the count is flipped.  No doubt there is something to be said about pushing your boundaries that comes with sweat and fatigue but regardless….integrity in your effort must be maintained.

    Thank you Marlin!

    Now the Pax lined up on the track for a march “Indian Style” with our rocks held over head or out in front – last man did 2 Burpees with the rock then ran to take the lead.  One lap wasn’t good enough so on to a 2nd lap and add a 3rd Burpee and do it again.  After Marlin completed the 2nd round we slipped out the gate on to the path back to the start.

    Line the fence (2 rounds of 10 IC) each curls then off the fence for overhead triceps.  The final rock routine – rock core front raises (1 round of 10 IC).

    Return the rocks and head back to the pen…..Tool took off and set the pace.  QIC felt the need to keep up where out of no where Marlin pushed a heated run to the finish!

    As we counted off….Rudy called to question (a 2nd time) the integrity of a complete work out with 2 minutes remaining – so 10 men – 10 burpees then to ensure no time would be left to wonder – 10 Catalina Wine Press (the count was off but the sweat was just the same).  Before the QIC could add another round Bogey kicked in the name o rama and the work was complete.  “Rock solid” work to kick the week off!

    Announcements, Intensions and Circle of Prayer!

    Through action we grow.