Category: Uncategorized

Backblast: The Voluntold Beat Down
Date: Monday, 10/21/21
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Archive @Panda Express @Jolly @Tortuga @Hotbox @Bloomer @TackleBox @Big Mac @SAGA @Spokes
FNGs: 0
Q: @8-Track
Total: 11Conditions: Easy Breezy for a easy beat down at the AO.Warm-Up: SSH -20 | Mountain Man Poopers | Arm Circles | Merkins (regular/wide/diamond) | Mike Phelps | Quad stretch | Little Man in the Forest| Curls The Thang: Fearless PAX moseyed over to Hoffa for a
partner Beat downIteration #1- 1) Squat Thrust & 2) Rifle Carry & 5x Blockees
Iteration #2- 1) Kettlebell swing & 2) Sprint Hoffa and 25 BB sit-ups
Iteration #3- 1) 1 arm Rows & 2) Sprint Hoffa x2
Iteration #4- 1) Over-head Press & 2) murder bunnyExtra- 20 x Little Man in the Forest | 20ish BlockeesAnnouncements: #2nd-f event at @Banks‘ house tonightCOT: prayers for @Jolly & @Tortuga for physical recovery and healing, Lift up minds and spirts and growth as Men, Husbands, Fathers, Brothers, and SonsMoleskin: BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORDSpeak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love

Backblast: The Answers to All Your Burning Questions
Date: Wednesday, 10/20/21
AO: #ao_tar_pit)
PAX: @Panhandle, @Zoro, @Sparrow, @8-Track, @wet burrito, @Da Vinci, @SAGA, @TBTF, @Aloha, @Spokes, @Tortuga
FNGs: 0
Q: @Tortuga
Total: 11

July 4th would be meaningless without October 19th, when (240 years ago today), the siege of Yorktown concluded in 1781. This was the end of the Revolutionary War, leading ten years later to the Bill of Rights. It is beyond the power of your local free men’s workout group to determine if this was a just war (Canada achieved independence without one), but leadership within this war did keep others from dying. We will reenact thee war, premised on the Bill of Rights that it led to, ten years later in 1791.

Warmorama to Neil Diamond’s “They’re Coming to America” (follow the Q body scan).

Zip line cannon balls while PAX do burpees to commemorate the Battle of the Chesapeake where the English Navy was defeaated by the French, making the siege of Yorktown possible.

THE SIEGE: First person done is Alexander Hamilton who storms Redoubt 10 and we all follow. Numbers are either 49 (age of Washington), 26 (age of Hamilton) or 81 (year of battle)The First Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest or for other reasons, and to ask the government to fix problems. It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices. It prevents the government from creating or favoring a religion.  THRUSTERS. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.  CURLS. The Third Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes. FLUTTERKICKS. The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property.  BURPEES. The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury.  A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law (fair procedures and trials.)   AMERICAN HAMMERS. The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.  MERKENSThe Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases. MUCHO LEGGOThe Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment. HAND RELEASE BURPEESThe Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.  Skull crushers or BBSU. The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people. COUPON WORKOUT OF YOUR CHOICE.

Moleskin: “If we forget about this spiritual revolution growing out of the Great Awakening and concentrate only on the nation’s political origins, we have no way to explain one of the most striking features of contemporary America… it is remarkably religious. Jonathan Edwards is a towering figure among the founding fathers of the first American revolution, the spiritual revolution of the awakening. He was the Thomas Jefferson of that revolution, not only its leading philosopher but also a sometimes controversial practical leader. George Whitefield was the George Washington of the awakening, the widely admired general in the field.” -George Marsden. Yes, it’s true that Washington, Jefferson, Edwards and Whitfield owned slaves. We need to sit with that. And we also need to sit with the fact that Jonathan Edwards Junior (Edwards’ son) was an abolitionist. That is where the energy of the Great Awakening was leading.

COT: Prayers for many things articulated by many PAX. Gratitude for a country whose ideals can include more and more people – the “We” keeps getting bigger, but which requires more than the limiting ideals of the Bill of Rights to endure. PAX: @MajorCrunch, @8Traack, @Panhandle, @BoPeep, @Zoro, @Jolly, @Bloomer, @Hotbox, @Tortuga, @T-Bone, @Beaker, @PandaExpress, @Banks, @Shiplap, @BigMac, @Sparrow, @Saga, @DaVinci (Q)

Date: Monday, 10/18/21
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Maj Crunch @8-Track @Jolly @Sparrow @Babe @Crack @TBTF @Big Mac @TackleBox @Jailbreak @Archive @Da Vinci @Tortuga @Panhandle @Banks @SAGA
FNGs: 0

Q: @SAGA
Total: 16

Conditions: Bringing a bit of warmth to a cool morning at the AO. A bit of ruck/run in the name of love.

Warm-Up: 15 tappy taps, 15 mountain man poopers, OYO leg stretches, 15 mountain climbers

The Thang: Heartless runners moseyed into the gloom while the ruckers rucked. Past fires were fanned as our stories of love were shared.

Announcements: #2nd-f event at @Banks’ house on Thursday evening

COT: prayers for @Crack’s friend with a swollen lymph node, @Da Vinci’s cousin who was taken off of life support and his pregnant wife and family, @Captain Crunch (AJ) 2.0s and family in quarantine

Moleskin: Choose gratitude. We can choose to not be discontent. Give away your “mine” in the name of love and serve those near you.

Backblast: Thursday October 14th, 2021 – Super Dora
Date: Thursday, 10/14/2021
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Sparrow, @Jolly, @Beaker, @T-bone, @Tortuga, @SAGA, @TBTF, @Banks, @Aloha, @Archive, @Big Mac, @Shiplap
FNGs: 0
Q: @Banks
Total: 12Conditions: Warm and Rainy October Morning!Warm-o-Rama: 7x Motivators, 15x Tin Soldier IC, Leg Stretch, 5 Slow Burpees (aka "The @T-bone)The Thang: Super Dora
We teamed up in groups of 3 and completed the following Dora Style:1 PAX would run to the top of Hoffa, then head to the pullup station, the PAX at the pullup station would move to the S.H.O.P, and the PAX at the S.H.O.P. would run.

• 100 Pullups
• 200 Overhead Table Presses
• 300 Merkins
• 400 Dips
• 500 4 Count Flutter Kicks
• 600 Squats touching your butt to the bench each time

3 MOM:
We circled up and completed a round of GeronimoCOR/NOR/COT:
Thankful for a beautiful October morning and being able to be outside enjoying each other’s company. Prayers for @SAGA as he prepares and travels to a conference, Thankful to have @Shiplap back with us and continued prayers for his family to settle in with the new addition, and prayers for @Big Mac’s friend who is struggling after a rough divorce.Moleskin:
Be thankful for what you have and there is no better place than home. @SAGA shared a great metaphor about how our walk through life can be painful at times, but each step that causes pain is followed by another to give thanks for

Backblast: A Wednesday the 13th Not-So-Frightful-Fest
Date: Wednesday, 10/13/21
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Tortuga, @Panhandle, @SAGA, @Da Vinci, @Big Mac, @T-bone @TBTF @Milk Duds @Hotbox @Banks
FNGs:
Q: @Panhandle
Total: 10

Date: Monday, 10/11/2021
AO:#ao_mastodon
PAX:@8-Track@Archive,@Banks, @Big Mac, @Crack, @Da Vinci, @Katniss, @Jolly
FNGs: 0
Q:@Crack
Total: 8

Conditions: A warm, 70 degree morning with a nice breeze
Warm-o-Rama: SSH IC – 30, Arm Circles (small forward, small reverse, large reverse, large forward) IC – 10 ea, Seal Claps IC – 10, Shoulder/Tricep stretch – 10 count ea, Tappy Taps IC – 10, Quad Stretch – 10 count ea, Merkins IC – 10Brief note: The plan was that all movement between Thangs would involve either Rifle Carry or Murder Bunny. This had to be changed after Thang 2 due to time constraints.

Thang 1: ELEVENS
Working from lightpole to lightpole around the west side of the AO, PAX performed Blockees and Decline Merkins (10/1, 9/2, 8/3,…, 2/9, 1/10). Movement between lightpoles was by Murder Bunny.PAX then moved from the end of Thang 1 to the ball field via Rifle Carry.

Thang 2: DAN TAYLORS to ELEVEN!
PAX performed modified Dan Taylors, substituting Thrusters for squats and weighted lunges for traditional lunges. Final station should have been 11 Thrusters, 44 squats.PAX then moseyed to the end of the road near the pool house.

Thang 3: THESE GO TO ELEVEN! (modified due to time)
The original plan was for this to be performed similar to 5Alive, where previous exercises are repeated at each new station. Due to time, it became just stations
PAX moved from lightpole to lightpole performing 11 reps of a set exercise at each station.

1. Curls for the Girls
2. Upright Rows
3. Skull Crushers
4. Overhead Presses
5. Bent-over Rows
6. Chest Presses
7. Goblet Squats
8. Kettle Bell Swings
9. Grave Diggers
10. Hodors
11. Blockees

Time was called before any of the PAX got to station 10.

COT: Combined with the regular Monday crew, see the other backblast.

Moleskin: Murder Bunnying between stations takes a lot longer than YHC anticipated…

Date: Saturday, 10/9/2021
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Captain Crunch (AJ), @Crack, @Crash, @SAGA
FNGs: 0
Q: @Crack
Total: 4
Conditions: Clear, cool autumn morning, fog dissipating as the flags were planted
Warm-Up: SSH 30 IC, Arm Circles IC small forward, small backward, large backward, large forward (10 ea), Tappy-Taps 10 IC, Abe Vigodas 10 IC, Quad Stretch 10 count each leg
Thang 1: Stations – 3 rounds

• Pull-ups – 15 reps
• Atomic Merkins – 20 reps
• Squats – 25 reps

Thang 2: East side 11’s – working from the traffic circle towards the pool, using the light poles. Burpees and merkins. End near pool building.
Thang 3: Dan Taylors – the PAX moseyed to Dan Taylor Alley, performed DTs from east to west.
Thang 4: The Tortuga Special – PAX moseyed to the monkey bars. Each PAX took a turn traversing the bars down and back while the rest held plank. Touching the ground required a restart.
Thang 5: Assault of Hoffa – as there was a large group of female Wheaton College students congregating at the top of Hoffa, the Q waited till near the end of the workout for this endeavor. The PAX performed reps at the base and then sprinted to the top.

• 25 Merkins
• 50 BBSU
• 75 Squats

As expected, @SAGA was recognized by the ladies…

Mary: As we had 3 minutes left upon returning to the flags, YHC led us in American Hammers (25 IC), Flutter Kicks (20 IC), and Boat/Canoe for time.COT: prayers for recovery from surgery, upcoming surgery, other health concerns of the PAX and families.

Moleskin: @Captain Crunch (AJ) closed us with Henry V’s St. Crispin’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s play, with slight adjustments. Read and enjoy:

WESTMORELAND
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!

KING HENRY V
What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark’d to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from Tar Pit:
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words,
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, @Crash and @Crack, @Captain Crunch (AJ) and our beloved @SAGA
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in Tar Pit now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Date: Thursday, 10/7/2021

17 PAX started out on a humid morning with a short WAR of motivators (7, ic) and merkins (11, ic). We divided up into 4 teams to hear the rules for the beatdown. After chiding YHC for threatening to take away fun and games if there were not enough HCs, the game was explained according to the rules below. In the end teams 3 and 4 were victorious with 4 points each (though team 3 took poetic license in their definition of a redrum). While teams 1 and 2 scored 3 points each. A good time was had by most and coffeteria discussion focused on possible rules changes in the game to close loopholes (ahem, @Banks), optimize the workout, and prevent @Captain Crunch (AJ) and @Archive from cheating.

Rules:

1. You get a point by:

1. bringing a coupon to a bridge, and completing the assigned exercises.

2. completing sets of redrums as a team (no modifications or picking up the six.)

1. You can only advance your coupon to a site (bridge or Hoffa) via rifle carry.

2. You must return to the flag between sites; (your whole team must be present at the flag before advancing to the next site–forgot to mention)

3. You may do as many redrums as you would like. For your first point, your whole team must complete 1 redrum each. Your second point costs your two redrums each. Your third costs you four redrums each. Your fourth costs your eight redrums each. (2^(n-1) redrums gets you your nth point.)

4. If you are the first team to complete the exercises at a bridge, leave your coupon in a horizontal position near the listed exercise.

5. If you arrive at a bridge and there is a horizontal coupon, you must complete 2x the stated reps to earn your point. After completing these reps, carry both coupons back to the flag.

6. As you remove coupons from a bridge, cross out the exercise (not reps) and replace it with an exercise of your choice.

7. Your team does not need to travel together. However, you must all be at the bridge together before a point is awarded. All reps must be completed within 10 feet of the bridge.

8. Only one team may bring their coupon to a bridge at a time. If two teams have men doing reps at a bridge, the team that brings their coupon first gets to continue. The other team loses all their reps and must go to another bridge. Keep your coupon vertical as you are doing your reps so that approaching teams know that the coupon that is there is yours.

9. You may not complete the same bridge 2x in a row.–forgot to mention

10. Any team that is not at the flag by 6:15:00 by my watch surrenders all of their points. Anyone who arrives at the flag early holds plank or canoe under penalty of losing points (some or all) for your team.

11. Carry all coupons at your final station back to the flag, and pick up any at any station you pass on the way.

AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Jolly @Archive @Banks @Sparrow @Ralphy @SAGA @Hotbox @Cookies @8-Track @Katniss @Big Mac @Yankee @Bloomer@T-bone @Captain Crunch (AJ) @FN3 @Beaker
FNGs:1, FN3
Q: @Beaker
Total: 17

Backblast: Coupon Hop
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Jolly, @Tortuga, @Banks, @8-Track, @SAGA, @Panhandle, @Sparrow, @Panda Express, @Aloha, @Bloomer, @Beaker, @Zoro, @Captain Crunch (AJ), @Hotbox FNGs: 0
Q: @Bloomer
Total: 15
Conditions: Dark warmish morn.
Warm-Up: Imperial walkers, squats, windmills, sumo squat walks, side straddle hops. The Thang:
1. Partner up. One partner farmer carries two coupons to the light pole while the other partner runs ahead and does squats until their partner arrives. At light pole partners switch tasks and move to the next light pole, all the way to the soccer field/parking lot by Dan Taylor alley. 2. Upon arrival partners alternate burpees for 3 minutes.
3. We completed 25 murder bunnies, 20 goblet squats, 25 murder bunnies
4. We ran a circuit around the soccer field. We started with 20 sit-ups, back pedal the length of the soccer field, 20 push ups and completed the round by bunny hopping 15 coupons. 5. We completed 15 murder bunnies, 10 goblet squats, 15 murder bunnies
6. PAX carried coupon back to flag and does 7 curls at every light pole in the way back.

COT: Prayers for the full life of captain Crunch, Afghanistan, Haiti, hurricane repair, shooting and senseless violence in America.