Tag: Sparrow

BACKBLAST: Thursday, May 6, 2021 “Sands of Time” 5:30AM @ AO Mastodon

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

We did PT with sandbags. Pretty simple stuff.

WOR:

20 Bat Wings

20 Goofballs

40 Slow Merkins lifting alternate leg (the moaning started here)

THANG 1:

PAX take turns with Sandbags going from lantern to lantern around the AO Path

At each lantern:

PAX with the Fat Man (120lb sandbag) calls an exercise from the pool of suggestions or comes up with something of their own and all the PAX do that exercise.

  • Fat Man does 10 reps

  • Small Bags do 20 reps

  • Bagless do 40 reps

Once complete do the holding exercise for the 6

Drop the bags and someone else carries it.

Sandbag

Bagless

Holding Exercise

Chest press

Merkins

People’s Chair

Side Lunges

Plank

Bent over Rows

Tricep Dips

Boat

Squat-press

Air Squats

Reverse Plank

Curls

Leg curls

Canoe

Good Morning

Al Gore

Overhead squat

No Surrenders

Side Plank

Split Squat

Low squat

We had enough sandbags and PAX that everyone had one turn with Fat Man, and had a small bag about every 2nd or 3rd lantern.

THANG 2:

Man Rise up Hoffa, sandbags included, Sandees/Burpees at the top. Shiplap did his sandies with the Fat Man followed by Nantan Banks getting in his own 10 bonus reps. YHC tried one with the Fat Man and found it could barely be lifted overhead, so the workout ended abruptly.

Mosey back to the flags was definitely slow today.

NOR: Aloha, Archive, Banks, Beaker, Big Mac, BOGO (FNG), Cookies (Q), Dress Code (FNG), Gummi Bear, Hotbox, Jolly, Katniss, Picasso, Shiplap, Sparrow, T-Bone ¡Respect!, Tortuga ¡Respect!, Wet Burrito ¡Welcome Back!

Nerf 2: Electric Boogalo – The Hunt for Wet Burrito.

by Sparrow, posted in Uncategorized

Warm 0 Rama

Warmup involving high rep block thrusters to surprise everyone who thought this would be easy.


Dodge Ball

Pax split into two teams. To start the game, everyone completes 20 Merkins before making a run for the dodge balls. 3 Squats are required before each throw. When you get out you have to run the perimeter of the tennis courts and then plank till that game ends.
Tortuga suprised us by having a vast knowledge of obscure dodgeball variants. We tried several of his variations.

Bears Vs Crabs

Pax are divide into uneven teams based on their preference for crab walking or bear crawling. Slightly more pax prefer bear crawls. The bears dominate every game, despite a number of rule variations designed to give the crabs an equal opportunity (no hands, hands, goalie rules, etc).

Nerf 2: Electric Boogalo – The Hunt for Wet Burrito.

David and Goliath, with nerf guns. Pax split into two teams. A challenger steps out from his team and challenges the other team to an exercise, naming his rep count (Let’s say, 50 squats). A defender steps out from his team and accepts the challenge on behalf of the whole team. Although the two pax are engaging in representative combat, all PAX present will do the exercise stated. When the first representative warrior reaches the target rep count, he picks up a nerf gun and fires on the other team. When the second representative reaches the target rep count, he also picks up a nerf gun and tries to shoot the attacker. The fighting ceases when either of two things happen: The attacker gets shot, or one of the other pax finishes the reps and runs to the top of the hill, proclaiming freedom for the captives.

Moleskin

Life doesn’t always go the way you planned, but when I shot that guy in the neck, life was good.

Run Club

by Tortuga, posted in Uncategorized

Backblast, 4/2/21, 5:30AM, AO Ground Zero

Eleven PAX posted for this morning’s festivities. @Cookies, @DaVinci, and @Sparrow modified as needed and rucked to spare their knees and/or ankles.

The rest of us warmed up with a 1.4 mile jog over to the Blanchard Road hill, located next to Crossway Books. We ran the hill slowly the first time, made the return trip back down and did it again, increasing our speed each rep so that by the fifth ascent we were at an all out sprint.

Once hills were finished we sprinted the length of the island on Crescent Street that starts just east of the College Ave train station and goes to the end of the block. @Shiplap crushed us. (I think he might need to gain some of that weight back to slow him down a bit.)

The return trip got us back to the AO just after 6:15. We ended up just shy of 5 miles for the run.

NOR: (in alphabetical order) Beaker, Cheese, Cookies, Crack, DaVinci, Jolly, Katniss, Shiplap, Sparrow, T-Bone, Tortuga (Q)

COT: We prayed for T-Bone working to finish a deal with work, Crack and his work trip out east next week, for new believers Sparrow and his team witnessed to from Iran last week – for the strengthening of their faith, Sparrow whose feeling were hurt (not by @Jolly or anyone from F3, surprisingly).

Moleskin: Keep working on our verse of the week, and don’t leave the six behind: check in with your team and encourage/ push the stragglers to finish off the first part of Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” Next week we add the next chunk, “and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Monday 3/15/2021 Ruck club – First Q after DST change – Sparrow

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

It takes a special kind of PAX to attend the first workout after daylight savings ends.
Most PAX will be in bed enjoying a well-earned rest —with my blessing!

But there will be a few, just one or two, who know that F3 improves the rest of their day, every day. They know that daylight savings isn’t getting easier tomorrow, and they want to start getting better today. They know that friendships formed in the gloom are priceless, and they want to be there when it happens. That’s the PAX I want to ruck with.
I’m not looking for numbers this Monday. I’m looking for a few good men.

Backblast:

We warmed up with an emphasis on avoiding injury.

Sparrow suggested “What are you good at?” as a topic of discussion while we rucked/ran.

The Ruckers circled the park, passing around a sandbag as desired. We finished by climbing hoffa hill about 5 times while continuing to hand off the sandbag.

Ruckers: Babe, TBTF, Noodles, Saga, Sparrow, Cookies.
Runners: Shiplap, Tortuga, Jolly, Banks, Crack, Beaker.

Saga shared a Moleskin about being present in the moment.

We then did COT without a camera, as a way to be present in the moment.

Coffeeteria with a beautiful red-sky background. It was dreamlike. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. 7 hours later, with snow and sleet pelting my office window I’m thinking “That escalated quickly.”

Although we might have been short an hour of sleep, today has felt like waking up after a really satisfying dream.

Prayer Ruck for Wheaton 02/15/2021 @ AO Mastodon

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Ruck day does not always have to be hard, but it will always be work!

Another Shackleton, eight PAX accepted the challenge to lift up our community in prayer: @Archive, @Banks, @Crack, @Cookies, @Da Vinci, @Katniss, @Shiplap, @Sparrow.

Warmorama inspired by @Jolly’s VR boxing video, we worked the (imaginary) small bag, took down our virtual opponents on both sides.

The Q hoped in vain for clear sidewalks, instead we made our way the best we could in and out around the perimeter of the AO, praying for the community as we traveled. We prayed for:
– Our neighbors, and the PAX
– Our local churches
– Our local government
– Disadvantaged, refugees, and the poor among our community
– First responders
– Healthcare workers
– Veterans and active military
– Schools and educators
– Our families

Arriving back at the #AO-Mastodon-flag and #OG-Wheaton-flag, we had some extra time so we knocked out some quick warm-down of Mary and Merkins.

Moleskin: It can be easy to get distracted when we pray, wanting to reach out to someone that comes to mind or check up on something. There is nothing wrong with that, but we can’t let that keep us from returning to prayer, for that is where the difference is made.

COT: We have many folks among the PAX that need prayer, keep lifting them up.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Treasure Hunt Remix

by Sparrow, posted in Uncategorized

Story: Through a strange twist of fate, you find yourself stuck inside a library of surprisingly morbid 1980’s “Choose your own adventure” books. Jumping from book to book, you are threatened on all sides. Zombies, cowboys, rival workout gangs, everyone is out to get you. There is only one way to survive: keep moving.

An oddly appropriate theme for a beatdown during life-threatening environmental conditions. 3° temperature, -14° wind chill, unplowed roads, cars stuck in snowbanks, duct tape giving up due to cold,  frozen coupons, back-to-back workouts in the same morning. Why did 12 PAX brave these obstacles? Were they driven by a simple treasure lust? Learn the truth at the end of this post.

The following story segments were stationed around the AO. Each workout accomplished earned PAX one of 6 puzzle pieces, which assembled would reveal the location of real, actual, buried treasure.

Choose your own adventure F3 Q treasure hunt
Your school is on a field trip to the zoo, and you’re trying to catch the attention of your new crush. With your friend holding on to you shirt, you lean way over the gorilla pit and smack the largest gorilla on the back of the head. Your friend loses his grip, and now you’re eye to eye with an angry gorilla, who is trying to decide if you are another gorilla, a snack, or his long lost girlfriend.
You’ll have to do your best gorilla impression if you want to survive until the zoo keepers arrive.
Do 75 total reps in any combination of these:
Overhand Pull ups Underhand Chin ups. Toe to bar.
You’ve aroused the anger of time traveling cowboys. They decide to teach you a lesson by “making you dance”. With pistol shots at your head and feet. You’ll be ducking and jumping to survive.
To dodge the bullets perform 150 reps total of any combination of:
Bench dips
Box Jumps
Step ups


You’ve fallen into the hands of several elderly zombies. They will eat your brains, unless you can blend in with them.
To blend in, you must perform 400 reps on 4 of the permanent workout machines in this area. Choose 4 machines. Bodyweight chest press, inclined sit-up, elliptical movement, etc.
Any machine, any rep count, until your team gets to 400 reps total.

A rival workout gang claims Northside Park as their exclusive territory, unless you can beat them at their own game.
To prove you’re the strongest, you need to do 150 reps in any combination of:
Merkins,
Burpees,
Star Jumps,
Squat jumps

Out of innocent curiosity, you wandered behind the bathhouse. You walked right into a secret meeting of bully’s club called Rodney and the Rathbones.
They’ll let you go free, but only after you do 150 of these (total reps in any combination):
Bent over rows,
Kettle bell swings,
Coupon lunges
You drank something, and it wasn’t Kool-aid™. You can’t tell if someone laced your drink with PCP, Speed, or just the heady power rush that accompanies becoming commander in chief.

Work off your power rush and prove you’re the best by performing 150 Total Reps in any combination of:
Coupon Bicep Curls,
Overhead Press,
Scull Crushers.

Download the Full PDF of this Workout with Pictures, Story, and Exercises Download
Pre Workout: Treasure is buried under snow in the middle of a frozen lake.
Story segments and workout options were positioned around the AO.

Pretty good snow camouflage for the treasure
Thermal imaging makes the treasure spot more visible
This was enough to lead Tortuga and Jazz hands to the treasure.
The Real Treasure map
Approaching the winners
The Victor’s circle
The Treasure

Archive and Captain crunch showed off by getting to the treasure 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Getting tired of counting and re-counting their treasure, they then returned to the workout to “wave their beef sticks in our faces.”

This workout was nobody’s first rodeo, but it was still a wild ride. Why did we do it? Because we know these things to be truth:

  1. Adversity brings us together.
  2. Working hard makes us stronger.
  3. Friendship is the real treasure. Friendship, and toe-warmers.

    Thanks for the memories.
    -Sparrow

Dueling Doomsday Clocks

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Backblast, Tuesday, 2/9/21, 5:30 AM, AO Mastodon

It was definitely a Shackleton today. As I arrived at 5:21, the parking lots had not yet been plowed, but a plow was hard at work. By 5:26, I was able to pull into a plowed spot by the tennis courts. The plow was still clearing the rest of the lot as other PAX pulled in. The driver commented, “I thought you were a gang or something.”

WOR: motivators, tappy taps, goof balls, jog to cooties.

Thang one:

Two stations, teams of three. Station One: pull ups and jump squats. Station Two: Bulgarian Split Squats and SSH. The team member at each station stayed in motion doing the first exercise switching exercises as needed. Third team member ran around the obelisk circle to station one. Members rotated through the stations. (Continued this until QIC finished his 50 strict pull ups.)

PAX were encouraged to recite James while at stations. I think we got through verse eight a few times.

Thang two: Dueling Doomsday Clocks, part one

Moseyed back to the tennis court lot. Two groups for Dueling Doomsday Clocks. Each group formed a circle. At the start signal, each PAX got into the plank position. One PAX did one merkin and returned to the plank, then the PAX on his right did one merkin and returned to the plank, after all PAX in the clock did one merkin, the starting PAX did two merkins, etc. Once a PAX was unable to hold the plank or complete the merkins, he was out of the clock and began doing squats. As soon as one group was down to two remaining PAX, the round ended. One group got up to 10 merkins.

Thang three: Dueling Doomsday Clocks, part two

Moseyed to the pool lot. Repeated clocks with new groups and flipped the script. Clocks started in the squat position. First PAX did one squat, then returned to the squat hold with arms above the head. Eliminated PAX planked. (I was the first out on my team.) We had to call it a tie as time ran out.

NOR: Saga, Banks, Davinci, Whittler, Shiplap, Sparrow, Katniss, Beaker, Big Mac, Jolly, Cookies, Crack, and Tortuga (Q)

COT: Lifted up Hot Box’s M, TBTF with a rough work schedule this week, and Bloomer and Captain Crunch’s 2.0s.

Sparrow sang the praises of hand warmers and made an altar call (forgiveness and salvation being even better news than hand warmers).

Monday Ruck Club – January 25, 2021

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Backblast: Monday Ruck Club – January 25, 2021

15 PAX in attendance including an FNG!

WOR:
10 Abe Vigodas
10 Tappy Taps
OYO Quad Stretches
10 Burpees

Q decided to ease into this week’s beatdowns with an easy Ruck around Mastodon. The PAX took turns leading the way and stopping to call out an exercise of their choice. The only caveat was that it couldn’t be more than 10 reps. Not surprisingly, a couple of PAX (I’m looking at you @Banks and @SAGA!) got around the 10 rep max by calling exercises with several steps built into each rep.

@Jolly – 10 air squats
@Big Mac – 10 burpees
@Panhandle – 10 Merkins
@Katniss – 10 Ruck Pulls
@Banks – 10 Dan Taylors!
@Shiplap – cross bridge without feet touching the ground
@Da Vinci – 10 burpees
@SAGA – 10 Birthbees!
@Sparrow – trek up Hoffa
@Jolly – 10 burpees

Prayers for several job openings as they seek the right candidates. Welcome @Rainbow Bright! (edited)

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are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken
or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. Unless
indicated to the contrary: it does not constitute professional advice or opinions upon
which reliance may be made by the addressee or any other party, and it should be
considered to be a work in progress.
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1/20/21 – Jäzz Händz VQ F2 Bonfire

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Wednesday, Jan 20th, 2021—9 PAX “braved” the evening winter chill for a right ol’ F2 event at AO “Jäzz Händz”. All the important “B’s” where present: bonfire, bourbon, beer, burpees, and boys—large boys (men?), gathering and posting flags for a fun childhood clubhouse vibe. Chilly winds and smoke in our faces didn’t stop us from laughing, sharing, and yes, doing Saga’s EC preblast which was primarily “bourpees” (bourbon burpees) in the snow. It was a jolly time, and @Tortuga @SAGA @Shiplap @Sparrow @Captain Crunch (AJ) @Noodles @Beaker @Crack @Jäzz Händz would all agree, we need to do this more regularly. Glad for all you PAX chipping in to bring firewood, sharable spirits and snacks. Let the nominations for next time begin!

Kevin Lipp

Backblast: 1/21/2021 – Year in Review

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Warm-o-rama (Snapshot 1)

5 Motivators: Chuck Norris breaths air – 5 times a day

Tappy-taps: Chuck Norris got Coronavirus. Now the Coronavirus is in isolation.

Arm Circles: Chuck Norris was once run over by a tank. He refused to pay for it.

5 mountain climbers w/a merkin: Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups, he pushes the earth down.

We circled the crib to hear the tale of the newborn among us: The Birthbee. A demonstration of its beautiful cry was beheld by all in the shape of 2 Dollys + 2 Big Boy Sit-ups (here’s to cramping) + 2 “nursing” nipple scrappers (cause you need to give attention to both sides) + 1 burpee jump + 1 squat = 1. Thus a salute to our mothers who went into double-time pain that we might have breath. (SAGA)

(Saga)

Snapshot 2

Everyone look at the sky, what don’t you see? The Great Conjunction…Still (Crack)

Snapshot 3

In honor of the 3 years we were in Augusta, GA, we each did three trips up Hoffa while the other did LBCs and BBSs (Panhandle)

Snapshot 4

· Do 5 curls, 5 overhead press, 5 rows, 5 grave diggers, 5 skull cruchers, 5 goblet squats, 5 monkey humpers, 5 bernie sanders, 5 BBSU (Jolly’s Santa Delivery)

Snapshot 5

Da Vinci brought us the arts, visual, musical and written but perhaps most memorable are quotes of the Desert Fathers, (Da Vinci) Would you motivate us with one of your favorites? Or perhaps just anything you want?

Snapshot 6

What’s you’re favorite exercise shiplap? Do 40 if you don’t beat shiplap you have to run the hill, for every person who beats Shiplap he has to run the hill. If you win, you can do burpees or whatever for the six. (Shiplap)

Snapshot 7

1. What is the most expensive home in the world? Buckingham Palace (Mose got it correct!) 50 overhead presses (Bigmac)

Snapshot 8

Theme was James 1:2. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.”

(Everyone does 20 Bonnie Blairs) (Tortuga)

Snapshot 9

Howling Monkeys/Gorillas (Cap’n Crunch)

Snapshot 10

Everyone partner off, we’ll run to the baseball field and tell your partner your favorite memory of 2020 and your favorite F3 memory of 2020 (Sparrow)

Snapshot 11

“Make each day a masterpiece”

Have Archive demonstrate perfect IC exercise call of exercise and reps of choice (Archive)

Snapshot 12

The second law of thermodynamics say that during any process, the entropy of the universe increases. In plain language, chemical reactions happen because they increase the randomness and disorder in the universe. You can also say that entropy is the tendency for things to mix. I cannot think of a more random, disordered mix of exercises than the birthbee.

In between sets 2 and 3 (above) we explored the second law by doing and Indian run around the AO, stopping to perform 5 birthbees in the ice at 3 bridges, for a total of 15 birthbees. (Beaker)

Snapshot 13

As many situps as you can in 2 minutes, timed. (You would have a partner counting) (Banks)

Snapshot 14

“Remain in plank position the whole time. Bear crawl forward 4 steps, do 1 merkin, 1 plank jack, and tap the BACK of each shoulder 1 time. Repeat adding 1 rep to each exercise each time – bear crawl forward 4 steps, do 2 merkins, 2 plank jacks, 2 sets of back of shoulder taps… etc. Go until you get to 4 reps each, you’ve covered 30-50 feet, or until your arms fall off – whichever comes first.” (Jazz Hands)

Snapshot 15

Nolan Ryan and One Arm Coupon Rows. (Cookies)

Snapshot 16

Load Eroica Symphony (Beethoven) and do a whole bunch of burpees then shout I FEEL OUTSTANDING!x (Hotbox)

Circle of Trust, Moleskin & Prayer

Reviewing the year, it’s quite clear, F3 was the best part. Thanks to everyone for contributing towards that. We’re better together.

In attendance: (Going from memory…late, sorry if I forgot anyone)