Backblasts

QIC:  M.I.A.

Date: 04/30/2021

PAX: BM&E, Lanyard, Shrooms, Sunscreen

AO: Ridgecut

Conditions

60ish and perfect

COP

SSH

Willie Mays Hays

Forward Fold

LBAC (forward and non-forward)

Mosey to Lutefisk’s house and back to coupon stack

The Thang

Split the PAX into two groups (3 and 2)

Group 1 – Perform exercise listed below
Group 2 – Run to the end of soccer field, do 3 burpees, mosey back

PAX completing exercises did the below exercises, which rotated every 3 minutes.

Shoulder Press – with coupon
Imperial Walker Squats
Manmakers
Plank Jacks
LBCs
Extensions of the Triceps

COT

KISS – “Keep it simple stupid” is something I first heard in college, but something I still need to be reminded. I tend to overcomplicate workouts, make elaborate plans, even drag out discussions with a toddler. Sometimes its best if I simplify and take a more direct approach and this applies to quite a few facets of life.

Moleskin

YHC was happy to meet some PAX that I haven’t gotten a chance to post with previously.

One of YCH’s favorite games is to ask a question like “how did you get your name?” while PAX are doing Manmakers… and trying to breathe.

Lanyard will likely start carrying sod from Ridgecut to all future beatdowns. He is a big fan of the healing properties of the turf apparently.

QIC: Blue

Date: 4-23-21

PAX: Milkman, Mr. Clean, Nordic Track, Sherlock, Slois Lane, Ponce, Heisenberg, Cleaver, Geek Squad

AO: Shothouse

Conditions

A warm 50ish with hazy skies, but clear and nice.

Warmup

Some stretches, some SSH’s, and a mosey w/ a coupon to the track.

The Thang

AMLAP

As Many Laps As Possible

Odd Laps

50 yard line visitor side – 5 Manmakers

50 yard line home side – 5 inchworms

Even Laps

End Zone 1 – 10 Capt. Thor’s

End zone 2 – 10 Imperial Walkers (hard count)

CoT

Using some of Slois Lane’s CoT from the previous week about “Alpha Males”, one of their characteristics is being vulnerable. No one has all the shit together, but everyone thinks that everyone else has it all together except for themselves. We are out here in the gloom with our brothers to get better physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, etc. It takes more strength to put yourself out there and be vulnerable than it does to just keep it inside. Pushing it down and keeping it inside, what ever “IT” may be, only works temporarily……..until it festers enough to come out and then, most if the time, it comes out in a negative or destructive fashion. It’s ok to be vulnerable. That what our brothers in the gloom are here for, to help one another.

H

QIC:  Blackout

Date:04/28/2021

PAX: Best in Show, Gilligan, Iron Butt, Lanyard, Lutefisk, Pebbles, Radar, Sidekick, Sunscreen, Swingset

AO: Ridgecut

Conditions

Much warmer and humid than expected, a welcome morning after many weeks of frigid, raining weather.

COP

Mosey lap around parking lot

The Thang

PAX grabbed a partner and moseyed over to Cone #1 to being DORA beatdown

Cone #1 – Upper Body

PAX 1 performed Atomic Merkins while PAX 2 ran to Cone #5, performed 5 burpees, and ran back to Cone 1. PAX flapjacked until 100 Atomic Merkins were performed cumulatively. Once complete, partners bear crawled to Cone #2.

Cone #2 – Core

PAX 1 performed Big Boy Sit-ups while PAX 2 ran to Cone #5, performed 5 burpees, and ran back to Cone 2. PAX flapjacked until 200 BBSU were performed cumulatively. Once complete, partners bear crawled to Cone #3.

Cone #3 – Lower Body

PAX 1 performed Squats while PAX 2 ran to Cone #5, performed 5 burpees, and ran back to Cone 3. PAX flapjacked until 300 Squats were performed cumulatively. Once complete, partners bear crawled to Cone #4.

Cone #4 – Total Body/Core

PAX 1 performed Imperial Walkers while PAX 2 ran to Cone #5, performed 5 burpees, and ran back to Cone 4. PAX flapjacked until 400 Imperial Walkers were performed cumulatively. Once complete, partners bear crawled to Cone #5.

With 4 minutes left, we circled back up to performed some MARY:

COT

Spoke about gratitude. For me, personally, sometimes when I have a bad day or I am in a valley of life, I can sometimes forget just how much I have to be grateful for. Whether it be family, job, physical abilities, mental abilities, etc., we all have something every day to be grateful for even during bad times. Challenged PAX to remember this when going through tough times.

Moleskin

Lutefisk made sure Q knew that there is more to Ridgecut than parking lot and grass field (AKA Hills). Noted, and Q will try to find some of those hills next time out! Speaking of Lutefisk, he was so excited to do ABCs in the MARY that he cut line…..Disagreements ensued.

Heard at one point that “Blackout” might be “blacklisted” from the Q lineup at Ridgecut in the future due to levels of stupid-ness today. It was a joke….at least I think it was a joke….

During a late point in the DORA, Q switched 5 burpees to 3 on the runs to Cone 5. Some PAX were grateful, others pointed that it was the Parliamentarian in me, had to modify somewhere!

Overall, Q enjoyed first time at Ridgecut and mumble chatter therein, will be back! (maybe, see 2 paragraphs up)

News

3rd-F opportunities still going: Chubby’s and Habitat builds

Sign up to mow Hillary Coker’s yard this Spring/Summer. Sign ups have been extended into next year as well. Great opportunity to help the family of a fallen PAX.

VQ at Legacy Thursday 4/29 – Gilligan.

Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 04/27/2021

PAX: AOL, Bonsai, Cavity Search, John Doe, Mayhem, M.I.A., Mothballs, Picabo, Tatonka, Toe Tag, Uncle Joe

AO: Parliament

Conditions

Cut-off weather AKA perfect. No rain and No cold.

COP

Mosey lap around track

The Thang

Track Day Apocalpyse

Run one lap at a “fast” pace and then run second lap at a “Mosey/jog” pace; These paces determined OYO by PAX. Once two lap circuit complete, do the following exercises:

10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins, 10 LBCs

Rinse and Repeat two laps and exercises, except the exercises go down by ones (9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9 Merkins, 9 LBCs, etc.)

COT

Spoke about gratitude. For me, personally, sometimes when I have a bad day or I am in a valley of life, I can sometimes forget just how much I have to be grateful for. Whether it be family, job, physical abilities, mental abilities, etc., we all have something every day to be grateful for even during bad times. Challenged PAX to remember this when going through tough times.

Moleskin

Q had to find something, ANYTHING, to slow Tatonka down. Turns out if you throw in Burpees, Merkins, Squats, and LBCS in between running laps, the rest of us PAX don’t get lapped as often!

M.I.A. busted out the cut-off shirt this AM. It became a major distraction and almost derailed the entire workout!

Turns out it doesn’t rain every time Blackout Qs, contrary to historical data and trends. Weather was perfect,

News

3rd F still rolling: Monday nights at Chubby’s 5:30-6 pm; Habitat Build July 10; See 3rd-F Channel

Two VQs this week: Top Em at Hacksaw Wednesday and Gilligan at Legacy Thursday.

Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Sousa

Date: 04-24-2021

PAX: Pink Panther, Rocket Man

AO: Landfill

Conditions

It rained the whole time, but wasn’t completely miserable as we did do a portion of the beatdown under a nice covered pavilion.

COP

SSH- 20 count

5 burpees

SSH- 30 count

10 burpees

SSH- 40 count

20 burpees

Forward Fold into a downward dog, and into a cobra or upward dog position and back

World’s greatest Stretch- 15 count each side

The Thang

BLOCK PARTY!!!!

There were 4 stations with 1 workout per station. Each round increased the reps of the exercise by 4 reps per round.

Station 1 (Sousa’s) was in the pavilion with station 2 (Blockees) down the hill in another pavilion, station 3 (Derkins) down the path by a lamp post and station 4 (Squat Thrusts) back where station 1 was under the pavilion. This was the course each round.

Round 1: 10 Sousa’s, 10 Blockees, 10 derkins and 10 squat thrusts

Round 2: 15 Sousa’s, 15 Blockees, 15 derkins and 15 squat thrusts

Round 3: 20 Sousa’s, 20 Blockees, 20 derkins and 20 squat thrusts

Round 4: 25 Sousa’s, 25 Blockees, 25 derkins and 25 squat thrusts

COT

With the launch of this mini tour that was delayed by Covid, I Reminded the men that with Spring Cleaning being a thing of physical cleaning, we as men could help clean ours and others lives with a little old fashion male community leadership. Whether leading their family, coworkers, or simply putting the EH on a friend, these are all ways to invigorate the male community leadership that we strive to achieve each and every day.

Moleskin

There is nothing like three guys working out soaking wet in a park with rocks and cinderblocks. Eye Contact is necessary.

News

Recurring Chubby’s 3rd-f opportunity Mondays at 5:30

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 04/22/2021

PAX: AOL, Bernie, Ramrod, FNG – Short Circuit (Maybe, still under debate), Sousa, Uncle Joe

AO: Legacy

Conditions

Cold…..stupidly cold for late April. No rain though, so that was good.

COP

Mosey to Parking Lot beside the playground

The Thang

Round 1:

Perform Atomic Merkins and Squat Jumps (Started with 10 Atomic Merkins and 1 Jump Squat; Worked down to 9 Atomic Merkins/2 Jump Squats, etc. until we got to 1 Atomic Merkin and 10 Jump Squats)

Mosey a lap around park

50 Monkey Humpers (5 rounds of 10)

Round 2:

Perform Big Boy Sit ups and Broad Jump (Started with 10 Big Boy Sit ups and 1 Broad Jump; Worked down to 9 BBSU/1 Broad Jump, etc. until we got to 1 BBSU and 10 Broad Jumps)

NOTE: was supposed to be BBSU and Box jumps OR step-ups. Refer to Weather portion as the benches we were to use had layers of ice. Q audibled so as to assure nobody slipped off the bench during the box jumps.

Mosey a lap around park

2 minutes of reverse lunge burners (1 minute each leg)

Round 3:

Perform Burpees and Flutter Kicks (Started with 10 Burpees and 1 Flutter Kick; Worked down to 9 Burpees/1 Flutter Kick, etc. until we got to 1 Burpee and 10 Flutter Kicks)

Mosey a lap around aprk

Finished out last 70 seconds or so of beatdown holding Plank.

COT

Read John 14:1: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid. Talked about troubles, stress, and worry. We all have the tendency as human beings to worry and have high anxiety at times, especially during times of stress at work, home, during Pandemic, etc. Give those worries to God. Pray during those times that you may think and act with your heart and leave the worries in your mind behind for God to handle. Asked PAX a question: Will this situation I am worrying about matter in a week, a month, a year? If the answer is no, then stop and pray to God to guide you through the worries with peace and comfort.

Moleskin

The MC was wonderful for today’s beatdown!

From what I gathered: Sousa met his now-wife at a Toga party in which there was a goat eating bed posts and sheets. After this, he subsequently lived in a barn on a king-sized bed full of Hay. At some point, the goat turned into a baby lamb that lived inside with his in-laws. It was then determined that Sousa uses a washing machine to wash his box spring (unsure how that works). Oh, and his mother in law is not named Mary so Mary and the Little Lamb didn’t work, however, his father in law is Wendell. Story took a weird turn (if that’s possible) after that discussion began.

It was determined that some of the musical choices were not politically correct, subsequently followed by one PAX saying “Great music today”. Not sure what that means in the grand scheme of things, but worth nothing.

Uncle Joe busted out his fur underwear for the beatdown, fortunately, we took him at his word and no proof was necessary. Did I mention it was cold, like 50 degrees colder than the high two days ago cold?

Sousa was asked what raves were like now since he was the youngest PAX. He followed this up with “the movie theater in East Ridge?” Additionally, he noted that the closest thing he got to a rave was a Church gathering. Reach out to Sousa if you are looking for a new church….

News

3rd-F Channel: Chubby’s Mondays at 5:45-6; Habitat project set for July 10, need 6 people; Legacy park cleanup being rescheduled. See Slack 3rd-F channel

Shawshank on at Parliament tomorrow; Escobar at Hacksaw. Two great options.

Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Gretel

Date: 04/15/2021

PAX: Blue, Cleaver, Doogie, Ducktales, Dundee, Geek Squad, Hasbro, Hoveround, Milkman, NordicTrack, She Shed, Slois Lane, U-Turn

AO: The Huey

Conditions

54 degrees, dry, perfect

COP

Mosey 1 lap to the Love Shack

SSH 20 IC

WMH 10 IC

Windmills 10 IC

3rd Grade 10 IC

LBAC forward/back 10 each IC

Mt. climbers 20 IC – front foot hits the deck each time – no Running Man allowed!

SSH 20 IC

The Thang

PAX will complete each block OYO then hold Al Gore (if able) until 6 is in

Block 1 – 10 Navy Seal burpees (a burpee with 3 merkins, first merkin bring one knee to chest, second merkin bring other knee to chest, one more merkin then finish the burpee)

10 regular burpees

10 pullups under picnic table

Block 2 – 10 Navy Seals, 10 2-merkin burpees, 10 pullups

Block 3 – 10 Navy Seals, 10 3-merkin burpees, 10 pullups

Active recovery block – mosey a lap

Block 4 – 10 Navy Seals, 10 2-merkin burpees, 20 flutter kicks IC

Block 5 – 10 Navy Seals, 10 burpees, 15 monkey humpers IC

Active recovery block – 30 flutter kicks IC

COT

1st F, the King, it’s what gets us all here to start with. We must be physically fit to lead from the front. Additionally, being physically fit prepares us to weather the storm in times of injury or illness. Push yourself and stay consistent!

Moleskin

QIC’s intentions were questioned as PAX noticed he was not wearing his weight vest.

She Shed does not like licking poles.

Unclear if PAX hated the Navy Seals or the playlist more

News

Check Slack!

Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 04/15/2021

PAX: Clothespin, El Chapo, M.I.A., Thin Mint

AO: The Battery

Conditions

It was a very remarkable change in trends, it didn’t rain for a Blackout Q for the first time, well, ever! Great conditions, 55 degrees, no wind, and low humidity!

COP

Mosey lap around dog park to Pavilion – grab a rock

The Thang

Form 1040 First Half – Upper Body (10 seconds rest/40 seconds exercise)

COT

Stole some of the Mayhem COT from Parliament on Wednesday, talking about where you are now is not your destination. If you are not happy, or in a bad place for whatever reason: job, relationship, internally, etc. Whatever the case may be, it is not too late to make changes for the better. Challenged the PAX to constantly evaluate whether or not they are truly thriving instead of just surviving. Thanks Mayhem, enjoyed that one so stole it a bit.

Moleskin

Lots of good MC, especially with a crowd of 5. Big thanks to Thin Mint for pointing out that Tax Day has been moved to May 17. Told the PAX it must feel great to have it done and paid by the “real” tax day today.

Lots of good names for a tax beatdown: H&R Rocks, H&R Blocks, TurboPAX, PAXact, and my personal favorite from the one and only WuzntMe: “Screw Jackson Hewitt/This workout I will not do it”. He held true to his promise and in fact…did not do it. 10 minutes in, M.I.A. did not find these jokes funny any longer.

Very thoughtful and drawn out discussions about the differences between Gorilla Humpers and Monkey Humpers. Clothespin was gracious enough to demonstrate proper form with sounds as well. Also, we gave Toe Merkins a second name “Twerkins” but then decided that should probably be used for Monkey Humpers instead. Verdict still not reached there.

News

2 spots open for Habitat build 4/17; Legacy clean-up to be rescheduled; Chubby’s continues on Monday nights. Join 3rd-F channel for more info.

Woodrider at Parliament tomorrow; 9 Volt at Hacksaw

Clothespin sending out info for July 24 Fallen Five beatdown and Ruck; Will span from 7 am to early afternoon; Clear your schedule and try to make it out to honor the fallen five that day.

Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Sousa and Ramrod

Date: 04/10/2021

PAX: AOL, Oui Oui, Shawshank, The Count, Mayhem, M.I.A, FNG “Bob Ross”, 

AO: Legacy

Conditions

Light mist in the air with plenty of mud puddles to keep you wet!

COP

Warmup:
SSH- 20 count
Forward fold- 10 count
Third grade exercise- 15 count
Worlds greatest stretch- 10 count each side
SSH- 30 count
Circle Burp: until Pax have each done three burpees

The Thang

Incline Merkins on barn- 25
Jump ups- 10
Squats- 25
Derkins- 25
Burpees- 5
As many rounds as possible. Between each round do a lap around the park.

*Rinse and Repeat, same set of exercises each round

COT

Ramrod shared some great advice with the PAX this morning. HE talked about how in life men try to take the safe way out, whether its in work, at home, etc. His challenge to us this morning was to challenge ourselves to be better. Don’t always take the easy way out, but choose a route where we can learn and grow and become better men, better Christians, and better husbands and fathers.

Moleskin

Wasn’t sure if my FNG “Bob Ross” would show, but sure enough about 15 minutes into the beatdown he came moseying in looking for me! He said when he showed up, he thought I had lied to him and didn’t think it was real. After the beatdown, he finally realized F3 is no hoax, it is in fact a great organization.

News

Check out the Calendy link in Slack to help take care of Night Sweats Family through lawn care. $30 will cover someone they have on retainer to get the work done, or you can personally sign up for a slot to help meet this need.