F3 New Orleans

Author: Steve

  • By The Numbers

    It was supposed to be a Cowbell beatdown. YHC brought gloves, as I imagined it’d likely be something tough… maybe a lazy Dora… maybe a merkin ladder as a warm-up. One of those beatdowns that’s a constant push, no 10 counts, pouring Shooter-eque sweat in the first 5 minutes. No mercy, as the sensei of Cobra Kai might say.

    And to be fair, we waited for the Bell and even gave him his standard 5 minute grace period.

    Knowing that he sorta does his own warmup anyway, YHC took the Q and we started with the usual (good mornings, arm circles, SSH, IWs, WMs, etc.), expecting the truck to pull in at any moment. But with warmorama options fully exhausted and no Cowbell in sight, it was time to roll. After all, Pik and Pixie traveled to the AO on foot this morning (t-claps!) and would need to wrap it up quickly to get back.

    First up, mosey to the Marsh for some…

    30’s: 25 t-merkins / 5 hanging knee tucks on the pull up bars. 20/10, 15/15, etc. Next up, some…

    10’s: 9 pull ups / 1 big boy sit-up. 8/2, etc.

    YHC is not a quick thinker to begin with, and this becomes even more true at 0515, so we kept it simple and stuck with the number theme. Back to the trailhead for a true set of …

    11’s: 10 Freddie Mercs (4-count) / 1 Sister Mary K (2 count), with a bunny hop up the stairs because, yeah, that’s what I’ve been into lately.

    Finished up with some Mary: Putins, leg raises, crunchy frogs, LBC’s, and 10x burpees OYO.

    Nameorama and Goose prayed us out. Thanks guys for pushing and letting me lead on this gloriously hot and humid morning!

  • A Pictogram is Worth a Thousand Words

    *Stick figures not to scale, rep counts lost in the haze of the last few weeks.

  • Hip old granny, who can hip-hop, bebop, dance til you drop…

    Alright, aside from some bunny hops up the stairs, this was a fairly laid back beatdown at Granny’s House.  Almost enjoyable one might say.  In retrospect, it was as if YHC knew that Bean would bring the pain the next morning and that Cowbell’s 1 mile time trial would bring back memories of last year’s Nutria.  So we pushed, but also had enough running breaks that we could chat between sets.

    Warmup: windmills, toe touches, IW’s, SSH’s, arm circles, etc.  All IC, at or around 20x.

    First up, a set of 11’s on the Stairs:

    Merks at bottom, the aforementioned bunny hops up to the top of the stairs, then squats up top.

    Next up, the Dirty McDeuce over at the Stage: Three exercises at x12 reps each, 4 rounds total.

    Round 1:

    • Diamonds
    • Jump Squats
    • LBC’s

    Round 2:

    • Wide armed
    • Lunges
    • Leg Raises

    Round 3:

    • T-merks
    • Groiners
    • Crunchy Frogs

    Round 4:

    • Burpees
    • Monkey Humpers
    • Hammers

    And the finale, a few races down the corridor where the winner chooses both the next exercise as well as the method of racing back.

    A sprint first, which Goose won easily and chose LBC’s x12 IC.  Then he picked broad jumps for the race back.  

    YHC was close, but Cowbell pulled off the win on this one.  We did some (?) crunchy frogs and then he chose a backwards shuffle as the next race. 

    Obviously his strength because he won that one as well (even though Goose put up a good fight) and called of penguins x12 IC as the final exercise.  Time up, COT with Akbar praying us out.

    Thank you men for the push and for the chance to lead!

  • Light June Jaunt

    We’re gonna keep this short and sweet, as YHC is behind the eight ball on these backblasts.  The usual crew posted this morning (minus Shooter, who may still be hauling trees Commando-style out at his camp, and minus Bushwacker, who is attempting to heal a wide assortment of ailments).  Cowbell doesn’t really count, because he is usually “stuck” at the beach anyway on Mondays.  Jose 10k rolled in mid-warm up after a disoriented drive around Old Mandeville finally reminded him of the Marsh location.  

    Warmorama – Good mornings, toe touches, SSH, arm circles, air presses, seal jacks, IW’s, all IC somewhere between 10-20x.

    YHC missed Cowbell’s reopening of the Marsh last week (it’s been barricaded for months), and though it was nice to be able to warmup under on the court again (which could’ve used a Captain Sparkles sweep, btw), we decided to take it on the road this morning.

    Mosey towards the lake, with a stop at each intersection for 15 merkins, 20 squats, and 25 IC flutter kicks.  5 blocks later, we headed over to Rips for a backwards bear crawl up the stairs, followed by calf raises (5x each step) going back down.  Calf raises for the guys either waiting in queue or finished and waiting.

    Already time to head back the way we came, with the same 15 merkins, 20 squats, and 25 flutters at each intersection until we returned to the court just in time.  (Well, ok, maybe a minute late.)

    Pik prayed us out, wishing his brother a happy 40th on this day, and we went on our way.  Thanks gents, posting with you guys is the best way to start the week!

  • QUAD-rophenia

    Blame Akbar.  This was his doing, really.  His “block party,” (henceforth known as ‘Akbar’s Abomination’) – which was preceded by Tank’s Murph – pretty much guaranteed that Saturday’s beatdown would focus on legs and core.  

    But first, the pre-thang : the usual 2 miles out and back with the usual suspects.  Now, YHC was definitely not looking at Bushwacker’s butt.  And neither was Tank.  But I mean, really, when the guy’s shorts are that tight and he’s running in front of you, it’s hard not to take note.  Looked like he had those things painted on.  Tank was comfortable enough in his masculinity to throw out a few catcalls.  Though, judging by Wacker’s mustache (which was recently tamed from a Guy Fawkes-type stache to a more respectable – and less anarchistic – Tom Selleck-type), it is possible that he is more in tune with the modern trends of the day and hey, what do I know, maybe the short shorts are making a comeback this year?

    Yes, this was created with MS Paint.

    Back at the flag, there was a surprisingly large group milling about.  Most noticeable were all the 2.0’s.  It was great to see the Baby Yoda, Pope, and Pixie Stick (along with Grover, who is now a fixture at most beatdowns) posting alongside their fathers.  Also of note, the (second) return of Backdraft, who’s already committed to leading in the near future.

    Warmorama: Good mornings, torso twists, IWs, toe touches, SSHs, merkins, shoulder taps, high knees, all at or around 15x IC.

    Somewhere around the SSH’s, Sparky shows up.  Turns out Bushwacker does not stand alone in his love of Magnum P.I.

    The Thang:

    Simple enough opening routine: Lt. Dan’s to the gazebo.  Which, okay, yes, is about 400 yards.  And felt longer.  But at least the guys had some time to catch up.  

    Next, Core COP: The Bruce Lee.  We’d do all six exercises, x20 IC, then take a 30 second break:

    • Hammers
    • Leg Raises
    • LBCs
    • Heel Touches
    • Crunchy Frogs
    • 100’s

    Rinse & Repeat. Initially we were going to do three rounds, but honestly, YHC can’t multitask – I can either call out cadence for 6 routines or I can suffer through them properly, but doing both proved too much for a third round.  So onward to the bridge!

    Partner up for a Dora:

    P1 runs up and over the bridge and back to swap with P2, who begins knocking out the cumulative reps of:

    • 100 Merkin Toe Touches
    • 200 Freak Nasties
    • 300 Squats

    Nearly out of time, YHC called it so we could make it back to the flag promptly.  Double lined Indian Run back to the flag, where we closed it out with a quick set of Jane Fonda’s.

    Countdown, namerama, and welcoming of FNG Pixie Stick!

    Grover closed us out in a prayer of thanks and everyone set out to coffeteria.  YHC feels blessed to have this group of men pushing me to be a better version of myself.  It felt good to be back out there with such a large group (25 men!), and to see the gift of F3 passed on to so many 2.0’s.  Thank you men for the opportunity to lead!  

  • Unofficial Backblast for an Unofficial Beatdown

    Wow, it’s been a while since YHC has logged onto this site (or even used the term, “YHC”).  The days are growing near when these backblasts will become just another (well, let’s be honest, bothersome) routine.   But… not yet.  

    So this was the second weekend in a row where there was a bit of a (socially distanced) crowd out there.  (I know, tsk, tsk.)  But hey, I spotted two Mandy police cruisers drive by and they must’ve approved of our distance because no arrests were made.  

    Usual 2 mile pre-thang to get things rolling, then onto:

    Warmorama: Toe touches, WM, SSH, IW, hillbillies, seal jacks, bodybuilders, IC x15-20.

    Thang: First up, a routine similar to an Iron Pax challenge, 4 rounds of:

    • 50 squats
    • 40 big boys
    • 30 merkins
    • 20 sister mary’s
    • 10 burpees

    Then a run down Noah’s Ark to complete the round before returning to rinse & repeat.  

    Grundy, Bush, and Tank took the lead on this one, though how Bushwacker did it so quickly with all his whining about sit-ups is beyond me.  (And Grundy might’ve done it a little too quickly, because he had to bow out with an ankle injury immediately after.)  Tank, after 30 days of consecutive Murphs (yeah, you read that correctly), breezed through this one. No surprise there.

    Somewhere around this time, either Bean or Hammer initiated what I believe is called a “flying EH.”  Extremely rare in these parts, this is when someone in the Pax EH’s a guy who is passing by.  Bushwacker, the Northshore communications director, immediately took in James, made him feel at home, and explained all the lingo being slung around.

    Next up, a COP:

    • High knees burpee wave, only two rounds to everyone’s surprise.
    • Next, hold Al Gore for a Bobby Hurley wave. (x3)
    • And finally, hold your ankles (welcome Six Pack!) for a monkey humper wave.  (x3)

    Almost time to head back to the (for now) non-existent flag, but first a quick set of 11’s.  Quick, Shooter asks?!?  Why, yes, no bear crawls or lunges between sets!  And the guys did indeed knock out a set of freak nasties and merkins pretty quickly.

    Back to the start for countdown, nameorama (welcome of Six Pack!), and Hammer prayed us out.  Guys, it was really good to lead again.  Thank you for the opportunity, for the camaraderie, for the push to be better.  SYITG.

  • Virtual Workout for Wednesday, 4/8/20

    Warm-up: (all IC)

    • Good Mornings x10
    • Windmills x10
    • Seal Jacks x20
    • Cherry Pickers x15
    • IW’s x20
    • Hillbillies x15
    • Mountain Climber Merkins x15

    The Thang:

    Grab a chair or bench for:

    • Bulgarian split squats, left leg x12 IC
    • Bulgarian split squats, right leg x12 IC
    • Left leg step ups w/ right knee to chest x10 IC
    • Right leg step ups w/ left knee to chest x10 IC
    • Calf raises x20 IC
    • Jump squats x12
    • Monkey jumpers x12IC

    Shake it off with some SSH x10 IC, then Dips/Freak Nasties x12 IC, and then repeat above routine x3.

    Next, grab cinderblock or similar coupon for non-merkin exercises:

    • Overhead presses x12 IC
    • 10x Werkins
    • Elf on the shelf L->R x12
    • 10x staggered arm merkins, right high
    • Elf on the shelf R->L x12
    • 10x staggered arm merkins, left high
    • Bent over rows x12 IC
    • 10x T-merkins
    • Curls x12 IC
    • 10x Irkins
    • Goblet squats x12 IC
    • 10x Derkins
    • Chest presses x12 IC
    • 10x Regular merkins

    Shake it off with seal jacks, x10 IC.

    On your six, right side for Jane Fondas x10 IC, keep your leg up for quick pulses x10 IC, keep your leg up for knee-to-knee x10 IC, and finally keep it up for heel-to-knee x10 IC. Flapjack for left side.

    If extra time, complete ISI (x23 8-count bodybuilders).

    Mary:

    • 20 BB sit-ups
    • Flutter kicks x20 IC
    • Freddie Mercuries x20 IC
    • LBC’s x15 IC
    • Leg raises x15 IC

  • Doubling Down on 2-22

    When a last-minute request for a Saturday Q yielded no results, the man who’s up for anything, the holder of no secrets, keeper of Girl Scout cookies, and grand captain of all CSAUP’s – that’s right, Mr. Bushwacker himself – offered to co-Q with yours truly. A twofer? On 2-22. How could YHC resist.

    There had been a botched attempt of this beatdown around six months ago, but a tropical storm stymied it and we threw it on the back burner. (Even back then Wacker attempted to explain the rules of Speedball to me with no success. This time around, he sent an 8-minute youtube video to me the night before, which was somehow even less successful than the first attempt.)

    Pre-Thang: You could literally feel the average age of the PAX drop by five years this morning, as the two mile warm-up run had a noticeable shot of speed added to it with Whip, Grover, and FNG Fuzzy Balls leading the way. Of course, it didn’t help that many of us are now near-crippled from all of our RRR mileage. But still…. great to have some youth mixed into the group and YHC hopes we see more of these guys.

    Warmorama: YHC took the warmup and did some pretty basic stuff: SSH, windmills, seal jacks, IW’s, merkins, mountain climbers, plank jacks, etc. All IC, somewhere between 10 and 20.

    Thang: We took a short mosey over to Rip’s, , where the PAX split in two for a derkin stair climb. That’s right: from a plank position, climb the treacherously steep and semi-rotting stairs backwards, doing a derkin on each step. (Disclaimer properly given, mind you.) The rest of the men, having formed two circles, would do whatever exercise the next man up called out. One team added the football to the mix, which made a round of flutter kicks with a game of toss thrown in (penalty burpees for missed catches, of course) seem like it should naturally be added to the exicon. In fact, maybe all Mary should involve a ball?

    Once the painful part of the beatdown was over, it was time to turn the show over to Bush for the fun n’ games. (And, appropriately, let’s turn the backblast reins over to Mr. Wack as well):

    From Rips’s, the PAX moseyed on to the Marsh, football-tossing and rules-explaining along the way. Upon arriving and splitting off into HATS vs No-HATS, the rules were covered one more time for F3 Northshore’s 1st ever fast-paced, high intensity, more than slightly confusing game of Speedball (though little good it did). There was uncertainty ‘til the end…in which Tanked Up was single-handedly reponsible for his bonneted brethren losing 10-1 in a melee wherein each point resulted in the opposing team kissing concrete as they all preformed 5 burpees. With fun n games concluded and lessons learned for the improvement of the next experience, the teams each Indian ran back to the flag where, after one false start and another well-intentioned interruption, the COT was finally underway. Named/welcomed FNG Fuzzy Ballz and Jose prayed us out.

    Thank you guys for putting up with the two of us!

  • He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

    From Goose: As the PAX circled in the light of a cold Saturday morning, YHC received for the first time as Q the focused look of many men trying to guess the type and magnitude of the pain they’re about to endure. And, though the beatdown wasn’t an overwhelming challenge for most, it was certainly a different experience than they could have guessed.

    Warm-ups consisted of IC: SSH, Seal Jacks, Windmills, toe touches, high knees, and butt kicks. 

    The Thang was varied and sundry:

    First, moseyed to the small open field area before the gazebo and broke into two teams of eight, then into groups of four facing each other about 10 yards apart for 6 rounds of shuttle runs using small cones for moveables. Each round was followed by decreasing numbers of burpees and big-boy sit-ups.

    Then, moseyed about half a mile away from the flag, just over the bridge to a larger open field. Here, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we all got a little closer with some touchy-feely quality time. 

    This started with the Tunnel of Love during which all PAX lined up shoulder to shoulder in plank position while the man on the end army crawled through the tunnel followed by the next until all had wormed their way through and all jokes about overhead clearance were exhausted.

    We then flipped onto our 6 for the Bridge of Hate: all PAX lying shoulder to shoulder as the man on the end lowers himself onto the row of eager hands to be passed, crowd-surfing style, to the end. Each man endured the slow, sloppy process, though wardrobes threatened to malfunction, and the use of knees became necessary to move more than a few men. (Grover, however, being last, was shot like a javelin down the line.)

    This was followed by Three Amigos: the PAX split into groups of three, and each group stood back to back, linked arms, and dropped into a chair-sit position. They then walked in that position about ten yards, completed five copperhead squats together, and squat-walked back.

    We finished in that field with four rounds of exercises (50 LBC’s, 40 SSH, 30 jump squats, and 20 Merkins) each followed by a forty yard sprint into a ten yard army crawl.

    We moved back to flag using a lighter version of a Bataan Death March: Indian Run with the last man stopping and doing three burpees before catching up, tapping the new last man (so he can stop and do burpees), and running to the front. The line was long and the distance short, so most only had one round, but with the time left at the flag, we completed one round of vacuum cleaners and a couple of side-plank domino/waves in a circle. 

    Vacuum cleaners: partner 1 holds partner 2’s legs wheelbarrow-style and moves forward ten yards where partner 1 does 5 Derkins, then moves backwards in the same position to the start before flapjacking. Communication was key for this one, and hand-walking backwards was unexpectedly brutal.

    COT, Count, Name, and Maverick prayed us out.

    Thanks to all who posted for this VQ!  It’s truly an honor to journey with this crew!

  • One long mile with a strong… draft.

    Man it’s been a long time since YHC has written a backblast. And while I’d love to blame it on that insanely good BB Hawg dropped on us last week (I mean, who wants to follow that?), it is of course out of pure laziness. So thanks to today’s special guest for helping to get me back on track.

    Usual warmorama, went something like this: arm circles, cherry pickers, windmills, imperial walkers, seal jacks, toe touches, all IC at or around 15x.

    Thang: Started things off pretty foolishly, considering the Nightmare was a mere two days ago: a Merkin Mile to the tunnel. That’s 1/4 mile, x25 merkins, 1/4 mile, x25 merkins, etc. Once we hit a mile at the tunnel, and 100 merkins, we partnered up for:

    Wilt Chamberlains, or some modification of it: 100 LBC’s, 100 squats, 100 flutters (2-count) and 100 lunges. Cumulative count, with P1 running down to the base and backwards back up for the flapjack.

    Modified Merkin Mile back to the flag, with only half the merkins (that’s right, only 50 this time, that’s it. Not like Hammer and I didn’t do 400 two days ago), back for just enough Mary with a guest appearance by our own Backdraft, back from Gitmo! In his prolonged absence he had all the times wrong, but hey, we were happy to catch even a few minutes of him.

    Mary was leg raises, Putins, Jane Fonda’s (including all three stages: plain jane’s, quick pulses, and heel-to-knees).

    COT with Pik praying us out. Welcome back-Draft, it’s great to have you posting again. Start recruiting some of your friends for next year’s Ivan, seriously, it’s never too early to start plotting.

    Thanks to Goose for stepping up to Q ( a VQ no less!) this Saturday, let’s all post to support… and thanks men for posting this morning, for getting me out the sack, and allowing me to lead such a great group of men. It’s always a pleasure.