Heisenberg

Abs of Steel

/ f3falco / Leave a comment

13 PAX including one FNG showed up to test their abs and core today in Helena.  Side straddle hops not included.

Q Summary:

Willie Mays, Calf stretch in mountain climber position, Quad stretch, Michael Phelps, followed by an Indian run

This was followed by a validator run and core workout – PAX run one at a time (backwards) up the validator and run back down forward.  While waiting, the rest of the PAX performed the following:

  • Reach-for-the-sky sit-ups, American hammers, Merkins, Flutter kicks, LBC’s, Mountain climbers, Elbow planks, The Al Gore, Scissor kicks (The Dolly), Standard planks, Straight leg lifts

This was followed by 50 burpees, a one lap mosey (sprint at the end), a merkin waterfall (5 merkins individually while other PAX planked, then 5 as a team), and 10 pull-ups (extra credit encouraged).  Name-O-Rama with FNG Bling named.

After name-o-rama we discussed the recent F3 podcast regarding fathers and daughters.  Everyone has heard “be a good example for your kids”, but have we thought about showing our daughters what a good man, dating, and love for our wives should look like?  How would we feel if our daughters brought home a boyfriend that was just like us in every way?  We must work every day to eliminate our own bad behaviors if we don’t want our daughters to date boys with the same bad behaviors.  It is also up to us to show them the good behaviors a leader and a man should have.  Date your wife, love your wife, let your kids see that.  Take your daughter on dates, treat them like a lady, open the door for them, pull out their chair for them at dinner.  Show them what a gentleman is.  Strive to be an awesome Dad.

The Snake (and a word on 2nd F)

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YHC enjoyed what I believe to have been only my second Q at The Forum.  Here is a quick Backblast to commemorate that workout.

Conditions: 50 and warming, dry, full sun…as good as it gets.
PAX: 16, including FNG “Roadrunner”
WARM UP
IC SSH
IC Imperial Walker
IC Arm Circles > Raise the Roofs
SC GF (“Good Form”) Merkins
MOSEY TO SUPERMARKET
(YHC caught some flak during the mosey for referring to Walmart’s small grocery store format as a “supermarket” – not be confused the company’s larger Supercenters. After a quick google search, I stand by the chosen terminology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarket )
In front of the…market…we did, to the amusement of a few early arriving employees:
IC Shoulder Taps
SC WWI Situps
SC Sumo Squats
Slow GF Merkins
IC Flutter Kicks
THE SNAKE
The meandering climbing sidewalk that cuts through the eastern edge of Wald Park (and on through that section of Vestavia Hills), was dubbed “The Snake” for that day. After moseying to The Snake, we took off on a run up the path, in pairs, roughly 15 seconds apart. Each telephone pole along the way was a “snake bite” requiring 2 burpees. As PAX finished at the end, The Donald led everyone in that planking/arm lift thing.
LITTLE BEAR HILL
At the steep grass hill at the end of that portion of The Snake, in 2 waves, we bear crawled up and shuffled back down. Rinse and repeat.
THE SNAKE, AGAIN
After moseying to the bottom of The Snake, we went the full length, in new pairs. This time, we lunged the whole distance. The snake bites were 5 GF Merkins at each pole. YHC was paired with 3PO and got to listen to his watch periodically inform him in a female C3PO-like voice, how many calories he had burned. We planked again at the end, were PAX got a preview of the 3PO’s enthusiasm for leading something called a “core workout”.
MOSEY TO BENCHES BY THE TRACK
Here…dips and declines…repeated a few times

MOSEY TO THE FLAG
Back at the flag, YHC called on unsuspecting PAX to command us into another 10 or so exercises. It worked out well.

COT
I didn’t realize it at the time, but one man among us, Copay, had not been around in quite some time. He was at our very first workout, a founding father of F3 Birmingham. Welcome back Copay. During the name-o-rama video, The Donald knocked my water bottle all over me, and pretended it wasn’t intentional. Jiffy closed us out in prayer. We put in some work that morning, and I really enjoyed my time out there. I hope that most others can recount the same.

EPILOGUE
We’ve got a couple of 2nd F events coming up. Please prioritize these, particularly the Anniversary Toast on May 4th at 8 p.m. at Oak Hill, being Q’d by Stuntman. We’ll have workouts this week, next week, the week after that, and the week after that. We are doing great with getting in 1st F. But the 2nd F opportunities are just as important, and there are much fewer of them. We’ll have two workouts during our F3 Birmingham Anniversary weekend. We’ve also got PAX doing a CSAUP (Homewood 5K). If you can only get to one event — make it to The Toast. Even if you just stop by for one pint, and even if you don’t drink….make an appearance. #FELLOWSHIP

– Barney Fife

or
F3BHM One Year Anniversary Celebration (Stuntman)
Stuntman has wisely moved the event to FRIDAY NIGHT, MAY 4TH to avoid crossover with the We Love Homewood Day celebration on the 5th.  May 6th marks the one year since the first F3 workout in Alabama.   To celebrate this triumphant occasion PAX will likely raise a glass in a toast (hopefully several toasts) at 8 p.m. (exact time and confirmation location coming soon).  If you can bring your M, or girlfriend, do so.  If you can only manage to duck out alone, after the kids are in bed, that will do.  Just be there to join your F3 brothers in celebration. Don’t miss this.  berghof-wine-3rdID-flipped-to-corect

The Gear

/ f3barneyfife / 1 Comment

3/3/18.  The Vulcan.

Gents,

It was fun to bring the gear out again, and get our pump on.  The field was a bit squishy, but the sun was out, the air was crisp and the company was excellent.  With a big group (38 PAX) we did a short warm-up, took two laps, divided into four squads, and descended upon the four stations of 7+ exercises each.  Except for some sprints at the end, we spent the whole morning rotating through stations of dumbbells, jump ropes, bricks, pavers, rocks, ruck plates, flutter kicks, merkins, big boy situps, squats, burpees, etc.   The scheme was designed to rotate through alternating body parts, which seems a great way to limit fatigue, so as to get in MAXIMUM REPS.

I’ll take the rest of this backblast to comment on the topic of…backblasts.  First, thank you to those men who take the time to write back to the PAX, following a workout.  It really doesn’t take too long.  I was able to type in the 38 PAX names in the “tags” field here on WordPress, almost as fast as the names were being spoken in the video name-o-rama I listened to.  I checked out the WordPress stats and the most popular recent backblast was Skeletor’s rather professionally described account of his 2/19 “Block Party”.

Here is something worth keeping in mind about backblasts: take the opportunity to write what you want to write to the PAX.  While the central theme of a backblast is traditionally a recap of the workout, such recap does not necessarily have to be detailed and complete.  You may decide to write a very brief description overall theme of the workout, and fill the space with other observations from the day, such as interesting things discussed there, jokes overheard, or a particularly amusing thing that happened.  It is also a great vehicle for writing to the PAX some thoughts that you might have about F3, what it has meant to you, where you want to see it go next, etc.  If you have the opportunity to read some backblasts from elsewhere in F3 nation, you’ll come across detailed accounts of workouts, but you’ll also be fortunate to read some really deep compositions by some men, and some very entertaining musings by others.

“You can make anything by writing.”
― C.S. Lewis

Saturday’s workout was closed-out with announcements, name-o-rama, and a prayer by Blue Angel.  Welcome FNG Grunt and visitors Torrey Clark and Snots.  I thank you men for Saturday’s opportunity to LEAD.

– Barney Fife

 

Photo Feb 28, 9 42 25 PM

2-10-2018 Sparrow’s Insecticide

/ georgeisonaroll / Leave a comment

What doesn’t kill you can kill your friends.

Welcome Dilbert.

Disclaimer: don’t hurt yourself.

2018-02-10 07.34.39

All Gone Pest Control

Warmup

20 reps of each of these:
The first exercise is: Side Straddle Hop. Starting Position. Move. In Cadence.
The next exercise is, Prisoner squats Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command
The next exercise is, Ray Lewis Starting Position. Move. In Cadence.
The next exercise is, The Merkin Starting Position. Move. In Cadence. down up on my command
The next exercise is, Big Boy Sit-ups on your own
The next exercise is, The 21 (21 side straddle hops with a silent count. Hands need to slap on your sides in unison on the last count, or there’s punishment).
The next exercise is, 10 Burpees on your own, since the Q finished late on the 21.
The next exercise is, The Sparrow (Big boy sit up but come all the way up so that your arms can wrap your knees) Starting Position. Move. In Cadence. (Down up on my command)
The next exercise is, Crab cakes Starting Position. Move. On your own.
The next exercise is, Werewolf (just 10)- Start in a plank, downward dog to face up at the moon. Similar to dive bomber.

The next exercise is, Groiner – start in a plank, lunge up so that your legs are outside and even with your hands, then lunge back.

Mosey two laps. Talkers in the front, non-talkers in the back

Form two lines:

Indian Lunge Weave – spread out in a long line and lunge to the other side of the park. The last person in line (the indian) runs toward the front, but weaves through the PAX like cones.

Tunnel of Love (worm in the dirt style)
Bridge of Hate (crowd surfing)

Insecticide
Dying Cockroach (20) (lie on back touch opposing hand to knees
Jimmy Cricket (10)(four limb pop-up merkin.)
Dying Cockroach (20)
Jimmy Cricket (10)
Jimmy Cricket (5)

Crab vs bear teams (soccer or Braveheart)

Whamo lung walk – On Pax throws a frisbee and everyone sprints in that direction. When it lands, everyone lunge walks until you get to the frisbee. Repeat.

Amphitheater

The next exercise is, The Dip (20) Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command
The next exercise is, Decline pushups (10) Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command
The next exercise is, The Dip (15) Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command

The next exercise is, Declined pushups (10) Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command
The next exercise is, The Dip (10) Starting Position. Move. In cadence, down up on my command

Ask the PAX to pick one. They picked:
Duck Joust (knock each other over from a duck walk position)

Dora: You do Merkins while your partner runs, then switch 100 pushups total.
Marine Merkin Circle: Your feet on the next guys back. Form a circle or a line.

The Jack Web (5)
40 Flutter Kicks

Squirkin (partnered decline merkin + Squat).

Circle up. Name o Rama. FNGs. Announcements. Prayer. Lead on 3.

Pre-dawn Police- escorted Ruck, Team Orienteering and Bag Pipe Closer

/ f3barneyfife / 1 Comment

October 7, 2017 – The Vulcan

Pre-workout RUCK
A record 11 PAX +1 took the 50-minute R/T walk just past The Vulcan statue. The +1 was on-duty Officer Kitt, who pulled up on us in the parking lot, asked what we were up to, and after about 2 seconds of thought (really) announced to this group of strangers “I’m coming”. Before we knew it, he pulled a tac vest (his weight) out of the back of his Tahoe and headed up the road with us. Kitt turned back after a while and apparently ran (in uniform) at full speed across the park field coming suddenly upon straggler Bird Dog in the darkness. Kitt transported Bird Dog in his patrol vehicle up the road at high speed to the marching PAX.

(not pictured: Slumlord)

unnamed.jpg

Warm Up

(Breeze takes down one of three shovel flags…PAX pays the price with F3 Birmingham’s flag down penalty – 20 O.Y.O. burpees)
IC Side Straddle Hop
IC Should Rotations Each Way
IC Shoulder Taps
IC Hello Dolly
IC Single Leg Merkins
IC Alabama Ass Kickers
IC Sumo Squats

THE THANG
Orienteering (not exactly, but the best way I could think of to describe it)
YHC + 4 other Q’s selected on the spot, each took (5) 6-man teams to different locations within a 2-mile R/T from Homewood Central Park. Each Q was handed an index card with his team’s destination and the work to be done along the way.

Destinations:
Homewood Board of Education Building
Spring Park (it does exist!)
City Hall
Piggly Wiggly
Trak Shack

On the way to destination AND on the way back, all on each team must complete:

50 Merkins
100 foot Bear Crawl
50 Squats
15 Burpees
50 IC Ray Lewis

At destination teams were to do an exercise of the team’s choice. The index cards also had 4 “get to know you” type questions to ask of the team members. YHC wrote up all of this voodoo, carried our team’s laminated index card and somehow forgot about the questions at the bottom of the card. Nice. But our team’s chatter was good, so the time still seemed well spent.

F3 Birmingham’s Scotty welcomed the PAX to the COT with bag pipes (video here), announcements, prayer requests, and prayer by Blue Angel.  Welcome FNG Halftime.

As always, it is a privilege to Q an F3 Birmingham workout and a pleasure to do so on Saturday at The Vulcan.

Thank you,

– Barney Fife

BHam PAX Visit the Surface of the Sun

/ f3barneyfife / Leave a comment

sun

7/22/17

The difference in summertime temperature between 0530 and 0630 is much discussed. I don’t know what the exact temp was on this sunny Saturday morning at The Vulcan, but afternoon’s heat indices are expected to reach 105 to 107. With an official heat advisory in effect, it was a HOT HOUR at The Vulcan. If you catch my mug at the end of this video name-o-rama I looked the worst of the bunch.

With 2 FNGs (Pilgrim and Elmer), a refugee in from the metropolis of Dallas (Plus One), and 22 local PAX, we got on with it…

WARM UP

  • IC (“in cadence”) Side Straddle Hop
  • IC Imperial Walker
  • 20 SC (“single count”) Merkins
  • 25 LYBs OYO (little baby crunches on your own)
  • IC Head Taps (like an alternating shoulder tap, except tap the back of your noggin)

THE THANG

(at the Amphitheater)

  • 15 SC Decline Merkins
  • 15 SC Dips
  • 10 SC Decline Merkins (good form…its only 10!)
  • 10 SC Dips
  • 20 Steps ups for each leg OYO
  • 20 IC Incline Merkins

THE SWITCHBACK (is back)

We’ve done this before.  YHC (your humble correspondent) found it a bit easier than last time, but it is tough.  In a single file slow moving line, we bear crawled down across the first amphitheater seat, make the turn, up to the next row and on again until the top was reached.  The PAX did low flutter kicks at the top while waiting for the 6 to arrive.

THE 700 CLUB

I have to admit… I liked this one.

The specs:

  • In a 4-man team, collectively complete the following,
  • 200 Merkins, 200 Prisoner Squats, 200 Dips, 100 Burpees (700 total reps for team to complete)
  • (7) lap run of “main loop” at the park (1.45 miles total… I measured it with GPS before the workout)

Teams were free to do all of this in any order they chose, as long as they stayed together as a team.  Since teams would certainly complete this at different times, direction was given to stay in teams afterwards and continue with additional exercises of each team’s choice until the end of the workout period.  I planned this intentionally with the goal of some bonding time in the small groups.  I hope some enjoyed that aspect of it.

With 4-5 minutes left we circled-up around the flags and PAX were called up to direct us in an exercise.  We were put to work by Rabbit (who needs to Q soon!), Saluki, and maybe one other.  Grundl closed out the workout for us with a nice cool down selection:  Burpees.

COT

Welcome FNGS: Blake Roberson (“Pilgram) and Paul Darden (“Elmer”)

Announcements:

  • Q School led by Scam coming up (full details to come)
  • Rabbit mentioned the plan for an upcoming AO in Mountain Brook
  • Prayer Request: Bruce Rem (sp?) battling pancreatic cancer

We were led in a pro-style prayer by Saluki.  Approximately 10 PAX headed over to Octane for Coffeteria.

MOLESKIN

It is a privilege to Q an F3 Birmingham workout at The Vulcan.  YHC had a “nice little Saturday planned”.  Thanks for coming out.  Always be head locking.  Find the Sad Clowns out there.

See you in the gloom,

– Fife