Skies Out, Thighs Out!

QIC: Peanuts

Date: 09/06/2019

PAX: Sidekick, Money Ball, Bernie, John Doe, T-Rex, Rollback, 9-Volt, FNG-Paper Boy, FNG – Double Dribble, Gaylord, Escobar, Madoff, Anny, Toe Tag, DNF, FNG-WreckedEm

AO: Hacksaw


Conditions

Gloomy (aka foggy) but this was only due to the poor participation (Sidekick) in response to the the call for short shorts (see below). 


COP

Meet up in the parking lot and mosey to the flag pole.

15 x SSH IC

10 (1000) x Forward Fold IC

15 x Imperial Walkers IC

15 x  Pickle Swings OYO

10 x Arm Circles (fwd and reverse) IC

10 x Shoulder Press IC

10 (1000) x Quad Stretch IC (each leg)

10 (1000) x Calf Stretch IC (each leg)

10 x Mercans IC

The Thang

Counted off into groups of 4.  Moseyed around the square and showed each of the 4 stations and went over the scoresheet.  Each team of 4 would have one man at each station to perform the exercise for a 2 minute period.  At the end of 2 minutes Q blows the whistle and the pax mark their total performed on the scoresheet and jailbreak/mosey to the next station.  Each team works through until they complete all 4 rounds at all 4 stations.

Station 1:

  1. Mercans
  2. Shoulder Taps
  3. Burpees
  4. Dips

Station 2:

  1. Air Squats
  2. Single Leg Lunges
  3. St Bernard Squats
  4. Monkey Humpers

Station 3

  1. SSH
  2. Imperial Walkers
  3. Plank Jacks
  4. Iron Mikes aka Bonnie Blairs aka Mike Tysons

Station 4:

  1. Flutter Kicks
  2. LBC
  3. Pickle Pointers
  4. Hello Dolly Crunch

COT

In honor of the Hacksaw and the missing flag, we decided (I decided) to do “just one more” and knocked out 5 burpees.  


Moleskin

It was a bit like herding cats. 


However, that was mostly my fault.  We adapted and overcame with slightly shorter times for the workout stations.  Arithmetic, even simple adding of numbers greater than 10 on a piece of paper, seems challenging at 5:30 am.  

Related image

There was a real lack of participation in my short shorts, tank tops, sweatbands and the like.  I blame Candu, Care Bear and Best in Show for not showing up – fortunately I found at least two of them hanging out down on the pier:

Related image

It kinda disappointed me that we didn’t have more time to try my new version of duck duck goose – I call it duck duck mary. 


News

None.  Except Iron Pax which everyone talks about constantly.


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    Once you go beast, you never go east

    QIC: Whittler

    Date: 09/09/2019

    PAX: Peanuts, Sidekick, Fissure, Threeskin, FastLane, Toucan, FNG-Wallflower, Best in Show, Iron Butt, Gaylord, Mayhem, Early Bird, Jazzy Jag

    AO: Beast Ridge


    Conditions

    Cool with the smell of fresh reptile poop


    COP

    Mosey to the big parking lot, while doing 4×4 intermittently

    Linear SSH x 20

    3rd grade exercises x 15

    Willie Mays Hays x 20

    Windmill x 20

    Forward fold x 5

    Arm circles x 10 each way

    Overhead seal claps x 15

    SSH circle x 10

    The Thang

    Counted off to 7 so we would each have a partner that we might not be familiar with
    Doracide
    Partner one run suicides x 6 lines while partner two exercised then switch

    4×4 x 50 (modified to 20)

    Bonnie Blair x 100

    Flutter kick (4 count) x 200

    Plank x 2 rounds

    Mosey back to cars for Mary

    LBC x 30

    Pretzel  crunch x 15 each side

    Pickle pointers x 30

    Pickle Pounder x 10


    COT

    Sometimes the phrase “Silence is Golden” rings true.  Today was one of those days.  I was gassed and the lack of oxygen to the brain prevented coherent thoughts for a true COT.  


    Moleskin

    Not a lot of chatter

    Many grumblings about IronPax week 2

    Best in Show apparently didn’t think the number of Pickle ________ reflected reality


    News

    IronPax week 2 is live!  Find a day to get it done.

    Signal AO (Smackdown) launches 9/10 and will be every Tuesday


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      One More Day; One More Time

      QIC: VSquared

      Date: 09/03/2019

      PAX: Pebbles, Iron Butt, Sunburn, Dirk, The Count, Cliffhanger

      AO: Boneyard


      Conditions

      Muggly (yes, like Harry Potter; lots of humans out there, no magic.)


      COP

      Warm-Up (@Front of Edu Building):

      1. Side Straddle Hop x32 (in cadence)
      2. ‘Mericans x32, hold 6 above ground until ALL finish.
      3. Slide into Updog, hold x32 sec, slide into Downdog, hold x32 sec, walk it back out.
      4. Jump Lunges x32.
      5. Mosey to middle parking lot.

      The Thang

      One More Day, One More Time

      1. Mosey to little workout area.
      2. Circle of Ups: Plank position, one at a time do five pull-ups, others hold plank, once one can do no more they call on the next guy to help them complete their five, continue until last person needs help.
      3. Circle of Downs: Switch to high dip bar, same process.
      4. Suicide Bear ‘Mericans: Mosey to tennis courts, Bernie by stone wall, line up on one side of the court, bear crawl to line 1, do one ‘merican, Bear crawl back, do two ‘merican, continue to 5 lines, join last PAX to finish out.
      5. Lunging Body Builders: Mosey to lighted parking lot, use lines to lunge to second line, do one body builder, lunge two more lines and do two body builders, continue 6 reps (12 lines) out.
      6. Invisible Sits: Mosey to long wall in back of Rec Center, wall sit position, do forward the side arm raises, then shoulder raises.
      7. Mosey back to parking lot.

      Circle of Mary, in which ## different HIM called out core based exercises, including some …


      COT

      Ok, here is the thing, it doesn’t happen all the time, but there are clear times in which we need help. I also don’t think it’s mere coincidence that we reach points on in our lives were it’s unavoidable. That’s another reason we’re here, because in addition to needing basic encouragement and comradely sometimes we need a hand up, a hand out. We get in ruts and places of quicksand, times when we get on thin ice that breaks under us, and we need help to just survive.

      However, times we actually have a choice to go it alone or to bring in brothers and friends, and most the time we go it alone. Rather it’s due to pride or shame or fear or anger we don’t reach out. If it’s a smaller issue then we pass up reaching out because “we don’t need to,” but in doing so we don’t practice and when the big things come around we can’t get around the barriers of our emotional impairments. But that’s what gets us in trouble, because when we get into big things it can mean big trouble for us and those around us on whom we have influence.

      We think we are suppose to be in control all the time; to not need each other because that means we are weak. That getting loud or quite will allow it to pass and us to move on. And some emotions are like that, but the places I’m talking about are always made better by someone else coming along side of us; Grabbing our feet as we pull or push up.

      So take a minute today to reach out. If nothing else practice. Maybe it’s a spouse in many cases or a friend or F3 brother, a peer or an elder depending on the issue. Make it happen now, honesty and humbleness, so that when your in a leading position where it’s more naturally lonely you have the skills to reach out and seek the help you need to keep supporting the people on whom you have significant impact.

      Mission of F3: Plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

       


      Moleskin

      Frankly, this was a while ago – do your backblast on time!

       


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        Paraplegic Porn Stars – 9-Volt

        QIC: 9-Volt

        Date: 09/07/2019

        PAX: Mrs Baker, Deep Dish, Sidewinder, El Chapo, Mustang, Topless,Rug Doctor, Schnitzel

        AO: The Battery


        Conditions

        Fall like and awesome.  Can the rain be far behind?


        COP

        Hobble to the pavilion.  

        The Thang

        A 100% “No legs” workout in honor of all the damaged Battery PAX.

        Theme music provided courtesy of the Spotify 70’s Porn Music Play List –(Yes that is really a thing)

         
        The PAX will navigate a circuit of 10 stations and exercise for 1 minute with 30 seconds of recovery in between.  After each round the PAX will perform 1 Minute of Big Boy Sit Ups.

        1.  Tricep Kickback -20lbs
        2. Star Gazers (Lay on back under picnic table and pull yourself up)
        3. Bent Over Rows – 40lbs
        4. Wrist Curls -20lbs
        5. Two hand tricep extension – 30lbs
        6. Dips
        7. Deltroid raise – W/rubber band resistance
        8. Merkins
        9. Straight arm front raise – 8lbs
        10. Military Press – 40lbs 


        COT

         Counterama – 9 PAX, Namerama – Names were Rama’ed


        Moleskin

        The only place at the Battery where the shovel flags can be pounded into the ground is where we filled in the gofer holes.

        70’s Porn music all sounds pretty much the same


        News

        Iron PAX sign up closes tonight at midnight. 


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          Gorilla, Man, Gun

          QIC: Geek Squad

          Date: 09/05/2019

          PAX: Blindside, Couch Potato, Ducktales, Fissure, Freetime, Loan Shark, Prosciutto (“Ni-cola La-porta”), RadioHead, Sidekick, Snowflake, U-Turn

          AO: The Huey


          Conditions

          A nice breeze blowing!

          Disclaimer: This is F3, I am not a professional, you are here on your own free will, modify if necessary, IF injury should occur, we will help you in whatever way possible to your car.

          F3 is a men’s workout group, with the mission to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

           


          COP

          25 SSH IC

          15 Proscuitto’s Gold chains IC
          15 LB arm circles forward IC
          15 LB arm circles backward IC
          15 cherry pickers
          15 Moroccan night club

          15 butterfly Timed exercise
          10 each leg knee to chest exercise

          25 SSH IC

           

          The Thang

          (4 laps around the track = 1.33 mi total)

          1st Set Around the Track to the Pavilion

          Gorilla hops OYO to corner  (all 4 laps)
          Man – Mosey to next pole (1st & 2nd – Mosey, 3rd – Bernie, 4th-Bernie)
          Gun – 10 merkins (all 4 Laps)
          Mosey to Pavillion (1st & 2nd – Mosey, 3rd – Bernie, 4th-Mosey)


          2nd Set at Pavilion

          Lap 1 & 3
          Wall sits. 15
          Bus drivers. 15
          Joe Frasier’s. 15
          Ali s 15

          Lap 2 & 4
          Decline Merkins 10 OYO
          Incline Merkins 10 OYO

           

          3rd Set From the Pavillion back to startex (exercises at 3 light poles for 4 laps)

          Plank jacks x 15 SC. Mosey
          Squats x 15  SC. Mosey
          Shoulder taps x 30 SC. Mosey

          Marys around the flags
          Heel touches x15
          LBCs x15.
          Burpees x 5
          Big Boy sit-ups 15
          Burpees x 10

           


          COT

          Fissure led with baton passing ceremony for Huey from Geek Squad to Ducktales.


           

           

          Dropped the Ball – Picked it up

          QIC: She Shed

          Date: 08/23/2019

          PAX: Ascot, Cliffhanger, Sunburn, Derk, VSquared, FNG-Elvis Jackson, Money Ball

          AO: Boneyard


          Conditions

          70 degrees and humid\


          COP

          Track warm-up, Mall walker style:

          Mozie with a few change ups along the way.
          Gallup, high knees, bernie, heel walk, butt kickers, lunges

          Forward fold, willie haze, 3rd grade exercise  

          The Thang

          Track X4: Partner Up

          4X around or until over well done

          Rotate workouts each time you go around the track.

          Dips and Declines 20
          Burpees and 8 count body builders X10
          Squats and Squirkins (yeah, look it up) X20
          Crunches and Calf Raises X30


          COT

          Rather than living your life happy with the good decisions you have made in the past, keep yourself motivated to continue. Push yourself in your social life, career, faith, etc. Lean on the brothers around you to keep that motivation to persevere.



          OLDS

          I call this section olds because it ended up taking me nearly two weeks to post this. Don’t get too excited now. Ball = dropped


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            22’s by 2’s

            QIC: Fissure

            Date: 09/04/2019

            PAX:  Gaylord, WuzntMe, Toe Tag, Pinky Tag, Clothespin, POS, John Doe, Moondance, Peanuts

            AO: Hacksaw


            Conditions

            Nice.  Low 70’s.  Stars were out.


            COP

            Mosey to the memorial and circle up
            SSH x 50 IC
            Fwd Fold x 10 IC
            Partner up for finkle swings x 15 each leg
            Mosey under Apison Pike past Imagination Station onto the grass of the Commons via Swinyar Drive

            The Thang

            Grab a paver from the conveniently placed stack (Thanks Collegedale)
            22’s by 2’s
            Holding paver Bernie Sanders across the field to treeline
            2 big boi sit-ups holding paver then mosey back across the field to the start and perform 20 diamond merkins with hands on the paver
            Sit-up reps increase by 2 as the merkin reps decrease by 2 until you’ve done your final 2 merkins reps

            We did the following while waiting for the six:
            SSH x 25 IC
            8-count bodybuilders x 5 OYO
            Flutter kicks until six returned

            Mosey back to flag for flutter kicks x 9 IC, done


            COT

            We read a portion of Psalm 139.  God loves us and knows everything about us.  It’s important to stop looking to the next thing and live in the moment and remember God isn’t so big and impersonal.  


            Moleskin

            The commons is kind of a hike from the memorial.  We had to stop a couple times to “regather.”

            We took the short way home across Apison.  Probably should’ve held hands.


            News

            Check #ironpax channel on slack for updates


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              Labor of Love

              QIC: Sidekick

              Date: 09/02/2019

              PAX: Wuznt me, Clothespin, Best in Show (R), Iron Butt (RX2), Doubtfire, Gaylord, Focker, Whittler, Toucan, Hasbro, FNG-Chipper, Prosciutto, Free Candy, Vsquared, Sunburn (R), Back Pew, Spielberg, Bernie, BMX, FNG-Wally, Uncle Fester, FNG-Semicolon, Fissure, FNG-Thin Mint, Trex, Red Tees, Peanuts, Centerfold, FNG-Tomahawk, Madoff, Escobar, FNG – Router, Threeskin, Mayhem (R), PR, Skitch, early Bird

              AO: Beast Ridge


              Conditions

              70 degerees and humid.  Low hanging Gloom for a 7 AM tee time

              COP

              Best In Show took us out on a mosey followed by a SSH filled warm up.  Included were some crowd faves of St Bernard squats and Fire Hydrants.

              The Thang

              Brisk Mosey to the big Soccer field.  partner up for some Dora. 

              Round 1

              100 Ircans; Full field width run

              Round 2

              80 Box Jumps up the bleachers; 15 yards and Back of Traveling burpees

              Brisk Mosey to the new practice area

              Sidekick’s “What Fall means to me Relay”

              Start out throwing cornhole – Tailgating.  1 pt = 25 Mercans; 2 pt = 20 Mercans; 3 pt= 15 Mercans; 4+ pt = 0 Mercans.  Replace the bags at start.

              Sprint to the Corn – Deer Hunting.  5 Squats with the 40 lb bag of corn (it started out at 40 lbs but was busted on the first run netting in a loss of a few pounds), lunge to the cone, 5 more squats, lunge back, 5 more squats.  Place corn gently on ground – FISSURE.

              Sprint to the Football – College Football; Throw the ball into the bucket.  When you miss, retrieve and throw again form where it stopped.  Repeat until the ball is in the bucket.  Replace the ball back at the start.

              Sprint to the tape toss – Kids Fall Festivals.  Toss the roll of tape into the bucket.  3 attempts, then sprint back to start.

              Intent here was to time and delay the next participant by that amount so that one team would win in the end.  With 40 Pax, this was a pipe dream.  This went to hell quickly.  Props to Vsquared for leading a ton of Mary for the non participants as they waited their turn.

              Mosey back to flag.


              COT

              Labor day, a day to rest and reflect.  We need to reflect on and appreciate what we have.  We also need to understand that these are not the fruits of our labors alone but the grace of God that provides for us.  We can not do these things alone, our achievements are not ours alone to celebrate and our failures are not burdens we bear alone.


              Moleskin

              I was too busying trying to heard cats to hear what all was being said today.  hope everybody had a little beat down and a little fun


              News

              Iron Pax.  Get involved and push yoursef


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                Back & Forth @ The Landfill

                QIC: VSquared

                Date: 08/31/2019

                PAX: Uncle Fester, Candu, She Shed, Money Ball, Peanuts, Song Bird, Head Gasket, Whittler, Free Candy, Prosciutto, Sunburn, Back Pew, Pink Panther, Peach

                AO: Landfill


                Conditions

                Cool and Muggy.


                COP

                1. Warm-Up (@Circle of Sacrifice):
                  1. Side Straddle Hop x50 (in cadence)
                  2. ‘Mericans x40, hold 6 above ground until ALL finish.
                  3. Slide into Updog, hold, slide into Downdog, hold, walk it back.
                  4. Imperial Jumpers x30.
                  5. Mosey to middle parking lot.

                The Thang

                Sometimes we end up where we think we started, thats how today will start. … One More Time:

                1. Big hill first:
                  1. Circuit 1:
                    1. Bear Crawl Up, join last Pax on the way up;
                    2. Indian Run around field;
                    3. Mosey to 1/3 way down, do left side abyss ‘mericans;
                    4. Mosey to 2/3 way down, do right side abyss ‘mericans;
                  2. Circuit 2: Lunge Up, etc.
                  3. Circuit 3: Burney Sanders Up, etc.
                  4. Circuit 4: Prison Break Up, etc.
                2. Pavilion Second:
                  1. Dips x20;
                  2. Squats x20;
                  3. Decline Pushups x20;
                  4. Jump Lunges x20 (each leg);
                3. Little hill third:
                  1. Circuit 1:
                    1. Bear Crawl Up, join last Pax on the way up;
                    2. No run;
                    3. Mosey to 1/3 way down, do left side abyss ‘mericans;
                    4. Mosey to 2/3 way down, do right side abyss ‘mericans;
                  2. Circuit 2: Lunge Up, etc.
                  3. Circuit 3: Burney Sanders Up, etc.
                  4. Circuit 4: Prison Break Up, etc.
                4. (!!Important!! Modify to reach for COT) Mosey back to upper parking lot where we started.
                5. Circle of Mary, in which ## different HIM called out core based exercises, including mostly good Ol’ core burners.

                COT

                Here is the thing, sometimes when we get into life it can feel like we are just going back and forth. Sometimes you even end up right back where you started. The same car problem, the same job, the same argument with your manager, or kids, or spouse, the same struggle, the same fall, the same guilt and shame and loneliness. Seemingly we are back to where, if we are honest with ourselves, we feared to come back to ever again. Maybe its not the worst loop you have ever experienced, but the same nagging doubt returns of if we’ll ever move or if we’re stuck and doomed to repeat this same story of rise and falling, back and forth.

                See, heres the thing though, your more complex then that, and just because your physical location there are so many more aspects of you to take into consideration. Holistically speaking your not only physical, your emotional, social, intellectual, social, and spiritual – to name a few aspects of the areas in which you have a significance presence and influence.

                I just want to encourage you to take a larger view of yourself, to realize that there is more to the process then what is most tangible. For me that understanding has come through my faith and my study of what the Bible says. Its says I’m more then those tings around me in which I can feel so stuck and fearful, and thats because someone else, Jesus, broke the cycle of back and forth, life to death.

                We are in the same place we started this morning, but your a little better for the trip we took in-between. Both the big trip we took and every little micro repetition you did, up and down, back and forth, that strained you and in the long run gave you a little more confidence, a little more faith that you’d make it up again. Not only that, but those with whom you have been with are a little better, too, and your both better then if you had taken that trip alone.

                What I mean by that is not that you might have been able to workout like this on your own – but even that’s debatable – rather it’s that the other parts of you gained today, too, and we’re most surely assisted in their growth by the men around you.

                So keep engaging. Keep showing up. Keep getting a little better. On top of helping yourself you also helping those around you; true to F3 focus your being built into and building leaders that will impact your community.

                Mission of F3: Plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

                Run off 5 main principles:

                • Are free of charge
                • Are open to all men
                • Are held outdoors, rain or shine, heat or cold
                • Are led by men who participate in the workout in a rotating fashion, with no training or certification necessary
                • End with a Circle of Trust


                BALL OF MAN: Congregation of two or more men in physical contact, usually (but not exclusively) in the prayer that terminates the COT. Abbr: BOM]


                Moleskin

                Some of my best conversations come after being stuck on never ending hills with you guys. Lets keep that up, ‘casue in the end they all do end and I’m at least a little better for it!


                Recent Backblasts

                  IronPax ’19 Week 1 @ The Battery

                  QIC: WuzntMe

                  Date: 9/3/19

                  PAX: 9Volt (R), Mrs Baker (R), Deep Dish, John Doe, Clothespin, El Chapo

                  AO: The Battery


                  Conditions

                  Muggy enough to be a pain


                  COP

                  Quick mosey around the baseball field. Circle up under the lights at The Big Tree
                  SSH IC x30
                  Don Quixote IC x 15
                  Forward Fold IC x 20

                  The Thang

                  Iron Pax Week One: The Killer Bs
                  Broad jump 10 yards:
                  10 burpees
                  10 Bonnie Blairs
                  10 BBS
                  Broad Jump 10 yards:
                  10 burpees
                  10 Bonnie Blairs
                  10 BBS
                  Broad jump 10 yards:
                  10 burpees
                  10 Bonnie Blairs
                  10 BBS

                  Bear crawl back to start. Repeat 5 times for time.


                  COT

                  Asked Pax for accountability. I’m entering a very difficult season at work, and I don’t want to withdraw from the group. However, that’s my natural reaction. Asked for help, texts, Slack call outs, outright kidnapping at my house if I start to pull away. I need F3 as a stress reliever. Don’t let me get lazy.


                  Moleskin

                  Pax thoroughly smoked.
                  El Chapo and Escobar need to meet.


                  News

                  Inaugural Tuesday at the Battery.


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