F3 New Orleans

Author: Tool

  • Fair Weather Fans Need Not Apply

    Four manly men posted in the rain at The Foundy this am whilst many a fair weather fans stay nestled in their beds.  Rumor had it one of our founding fathers from NC was in town and might post but apparently he didn’t get the memo about “rain or shine.”  Anywho, there we were, standing in a drizzle, waiting for a possible deluge, hoping for no lightening, and as 5:30 approached, cooler heads prevailed and we made the quick drive to the large pavilion near the festival grounds as to focus on a safe beatdown out of the elements.  Here’s what went down:

    • IW x30
    • AC x10F, x10R, x10Chinook
    • WM x10
    • Peter Parker x20
    • LS Squat x20
    • Goofball x20

    Next up, a round of Crowd Pleasers (Merkins followed by Groiners) with some moseying thrown in for good measure.  Line up on one end of the pavilion, run to first column, drop for a 1:1 Crowd Pleaser, mosey back, run to second column for 2:2, mosey back…..up to 5:5 then work back down to 1:1.  Going by the lack of mumblechatter this was in fact a crowd pleaser.

    Still raining pretty good at this point so we opted to stay under cover and lined up on the end of the pavilion again for some on-the-fly festivities:

    • Lunge Walk to far side (28yds), mosey back
    • Inchworm to far side, mosey back
    • Lunge Walk to far side, mosey back
    • Forward Crab Walk to far side, Backward Crab Walk back
    • Monkey Shuffle (sideways) to the right, come back to the left…T-claps to Triple Shift for the suggestion of this beloved exercise

    Still plenty time left so on to some ISI challenge catch up for those of us that have been slacking.

    • Freddie Mercury, max reps (4 count) in 90 seconds
    • Step Up R x20, Dips x20, Step Up L x20
    • Freddie Mercury, max reps (4 count) in 60  seconds
    • Step Up R x20, Dips x20, Step Up L x20
    • Freddie Mercury, max reps (4 count) in 30 seconds
    • Step Up R x20, Dips x20, Step Up L x20

    Wait, there’s more!  One minute of hip flexor stretching and two minutes of a plankorama to seal the deal.

    A good morning was had by all.

    Tool

     

  • Cooler (and possibly better) than Rudy

    Q list had Rudy scheduled for this Monday and YHC for the next, but that date was looking iffy.  After working a trade over the weekend, it meant YHC would be leading Rock City sooner than later.  Knowing it would be hard to deliver a beatdown that tops Rudy’s iconic Fighting Irish themed workout of years past or the recent 40’s on the levee, YHC brainstormed up a few ways to appease the PAX that were expecting their favorite ND alum instead.  Here’s what we did:

    Mosey to the usual area for a warm-up COP:

    • IW x25
    • Abe Vig x10
    • Arm Circles x10
    • Burpees x5
    • Burpees x5
    • Burpess x5
    • Burpees x10 #crowdpleaser

    Grab a rock good for curling, hold it overhead, and meander over to the track/field for COP #2 to work on the guns:

    • Curls x15
    • Rows x15
    • LS Squat x20
    • Curls x12
    • Press x12

    Partner up along the back of the end zone for 3 rounds of:

    • Partner 1 runs to opposite endzone, knocks out 5 Burpees, and runs back (Timer) while
    • Partner 2 cranks out x10 Curls, x20 LBC, x10 Curls, x20 LBC,…..

    T-claps to Abacus for the burst of speed on the final run!  #beastmode

    Next up would be yet another crowd pleasing circuit, hopefully way better than whatever Rudy had in store.  Here we circled up for (2) 3 minute rounds of “The Suck” which consisted of as many rounds as possible of SSH x6, Merkin x6, Squat Jumps x6, rinse and repeat for 3 minutes, calling out your count after each round.  Despite the one minute break between rounds, the grumbling never really subsided.  Once done there seemed to be a harmonious feeling of accomplishment.  T-claps to the PAX for pushing hard.

    Grab your rock and start heading back to base, knocking out shoulder presses along the way.  Circle up for one last COP:

    • Flutter Kicks holding rock x20
    • Penguins x20
    • Wife Pleasers x20
    • Curls x15

    Head back to the rock pile but first, SUDDEN CHANGE – Shoulder Press x10.

    Mosey back to the flag with one minute left for some hip flexor stretching.

    COT to seal the deal.

    Hopefully the PAX enjoyed this more than the Hamlet themed stuff Rudy probably would have subjected everyone to.

    Thanks for letting me lead,

    Tool

    P.S. – I had to pick on Rudy since he heckled me for the untimely backblast

     

     

     

     

  • Going The Distance, Trying For Speed

    Four of F3’s finest made their way to The Stomp for the usual Tuesday running fix.  Pleasant 60-something degree temp and crisp air set the stage for a good moseying conditions so we all agreed we’d go for distance this am.  We were also hoping to inch our way out of last place in the RRR throwdown this month since we’d rather not get beat by those inferior guys from abroad.  The Q slot was empty so a round of eenie meenie miney mo decided who would officialy take the lead and it somehow landed on YHC.  The route was the typical course along the bayou, out and back in 45 min.  We came out the gate with a brisk pace, soon to be throttled down after realizing we still had a ways to go.  T-claps to Hawg for pushing through with a solid run on the heels of a 7+ hour, 31 mile race on Saturday that would have the average Joe still laid up recovering.  Some good F2 was had along the run that included solving a few of the world’s problems.  The PAX covered 4.5+/- miles and conveniently made it back with no time for burpees.

    Great way to start the day.

    Tool

  • King Cake Burnoff

    The carnival season was officially over come Ash Wednesday morning which meant it was time to start burning off the king cakes and beers.  The Q slot was empty and and so was the attendance at the virtual shovel flag as YHC jogged up.  Hopping we wouldn’t have a PAX of one at The Foundry, YHC waited for someone, anyone to help grind through a workout with.  Alas, at 5:31 two braves souls appeared and we quickly concocted a plan for the morning.  Here’s what went down:

    Cowbell to start things off:

    Mosey down Roosevelt Mall and veer off for COP:  SSH, Hill Billies, Peter Parkers, Imp Walkers, and one or two more??

    Mosey over to The Refinery for soem muscle building circuits:

    Round 1 – Pull Ups, Hanging Knee Ups, WWII Sit Ups x25 (timer)

    Round 2 – Dips, Burpees x10(timer), and something???

    Round 3 – Box Jumps, American Hammer, Bench Dips x30 (timer)

    Pass the mic to Tool for a mosey to the track.  Circle up for (4) 3 min rounds of an unnamed routine, I believe once referred to as “The Suck” workout:

    3 exercises (SSHx6, Squatsx6, Merkinsx6), as many rounds as possible in 3 minutes, followed by 1 minute of rest.  We cranked this out 4 times which definitely brought the sweat.

    Next up, some DJ style Mary:

    Flutter Kicks x20, Crunchy Frogs x20, LBC x20, Penguins x20.

    Back to base for a COT and call it a morning.  I’d venture to say a few slices of king cake were burned off during the workout.

    Tool

     

  • Stomp #129 – The Lone Ranger

    Mardi Gras morning 2018 proved to be a day when few were up for a early morning reveille and making a 5:30am post.  The scheduled Q had to bail the night before, rumor had it so he could make a Zumba class with his M, or something.  Several other Stomp regulars dropped like flies via text the night before, all without worthy excuses.  Many of the PAX planned on making the REX run later that morning but YHC could only squeeze in an early run.  So alas, there was a PAX of one at the virtual flag on Roosevelt Mall at 5:30 am, where I gave a silent disclaimer and departed on the normal route.  YHC enjoyed a serene run out along the bayou, down Jeff Davis, and back.  I timed it to be back at the flag for 6:15 in the event of any stragglers who might have posted late but no dice.  Kept on going with a jog home and a silent COT along the way, totaling 5+ miles.  A few hours later some pics surfaced of the many PAX who posted in Audubon for the run with the King of Carnival.  Good to see fartsacking was not dominant that morning.  Great way to start Fat Tuesday.

    Tool

  • Endymion Mambo #3

    Despite a likely chance of rain in the forecast, 14 PAX made their way to The Mothership for the annual Endymion Mambo workout.  Skies were clear which allowed YHC to stick to the weinke and not resort to plan B.  The usual pleasantries exchanged, including a shout out to Fracsac for procuring a new shovel flag w/the official F3 flag…now we’re legit!  Here’s what we did:

    Carpi lap around The Great Lawn then mosey to The Peristyle for some Mardi Gras music and festive warmup with a theme to be figured out as we go:

    • Copperhead Squats x20
    • Arm Circle x20
    • Rosalitas x20
    • Nolan Ryans x10R x10L
    • Imperial Walkers x20
    • V-ups x20
    • Abe Vigodas x10
    • Low Country Crab x20
    • Tempo Merkins x15
    • Imperial Squat Walkers x15 (at this point JV and Yankee had the “Carnival Time” theme figured out)
    • Mountain Climbers x20
    • Elbow Plank x1min while jamming to Carnival Time

    Mosey towards City Park Ave. with a pit stop for a 40yd bear crawl.  From there, we embarked on a 1/2 mile run along the Orleans Ave parade route past Carrollton Ave, then plank on the neutral ground and wait for the six.  Here we circled up for a COP with some Mardi Gras favorites playing the whole time.

    • Tempo Merkin x20
    • American Hammer x20
    • Peter Parker x20
    • LBT x20
    • Tempo Merkin x15

    Time to head back down Orleans Ave and reconvene near City Park Ave where we started the run.  This stretch is always festive and typically involves a bunch on onlookers wondering why the hell we are out doing what we do.  T-claps to those who pushed hard at the front of the PAX.  Double T-claps to Garbrielle for sweeping the six.  From there, a short mosey over to the float staging area near Marconi Ave.  Here’s what went down there:

    Crowd Pleaser Ladder – starting with (1) Groiner and (1) Merkin at the first float, then run to second for 2:2, then third float 3:3, ….up to seventh float for 7:7.  Here we crossed paths with a another run group (Move Ya Brass?) out there starting the day off right too.

    Mosey over to the light pole for:  Lunge Walk to first pole, 5 Burpees, Lunge to second, 5 Burpees, Lunge to third, 5 Burpees, plank and wait.

    The home stretch included a mosey OYO to the Peristyle benches where we enjoyed the following:

    • Dips x15
    • RL Step Ups x20
    • LL Step Ups x20
    • Dips x20

    Then circling up under the Peristyle to bring it home:

    • Penguins x20
    • Wife Pleasers x20
    • Mardi Gras Mambo Plank-jack-a-thon (hold high plank for entire Mardi Gras Mambo song, with plank jack for every “Mambo” and merkin for every “down in New Orleans”).  This lasted 2:12 and was a doosey…in the past we did this early in the workout and it was a bit more palatable.
    • Hip Flexers x30sec ea side to help stretch it out.

    Capped off the morning with a COT.  The running, cadence counts, and planks had YHC was a bit woosey by this point so don’t recall much of the details other than praying for a safe Mardi Gras season and some special intentions.  A few PAX stuck around for more F2 at the usual coffee depot.

    Thanks to those who posted despite the threat of rainy weather.  Also, t-claps to those who still posted after late night parade festivities hours earlier.  Also, for those tracking RRR mileage, one report was that we covered 2.6 miles and another had it at 3.5.  I’m leaning more to the 2.6.

    Always great to lead.  Happy Mardi Gras to all!

    Tool

     

     

     

     

  • Bear Crawl and Bicep Bonanza

    A no-frills yet solid morning was enjoyed by five men at The Uptowner on Friday.  The Q slot was empty the day before so YHC hopped on it and threw together some ideas to bring the sweat.  The focus was stretching, core work, and showing some love to the biceps.  Here’s what we did:

    Windmill x15

    Arm Circle x20

    123 Ups (not sure of official name?) x20

    Lunge Hold x45sec ea side

    Stationary Inchworm x20

    Peter Parker x20

    Low Country Crab x20

    Low Slow Squat x20

    SSH x30

     

    Grab a rock and line up approx 15yds from the paved track.  Here we completed a grueling round of Elevens:

    Rock Curl at start x1-x10

    Backward Bear Crawl to track

    Merkins x10-x1

    Forward Bear Crawl

    This brought out some grunts and groans, as well as some signature JV breathing.  Glad to report that the PAX dug deep and made it happen with very little modifications.

    Regroup and circle up for a four minute “Rotisserie Chicken” plank routine, one of Marlin’s specials.

    Then on to some more rock bonding:

    Curl x20

    Row x20

    LS Squat x20

    Curl x10

    Row x15

    Curl x10

     

    Next up, a round of Mary:

    Crunch Block Press x20

    Hello Dolly x20

    Penguins x20 (stressed good form getting shoulders off ground and reaching to front of foot)

    maybe one more???

     

    Then, shoulder press rocks as we walk back to rock pile and gather around the flag for 2-3 minutes of stretching.  T-claps to Triple Shift, our kinesiology guru, for hoping in and leading on of the stretches.  COT to seal the deal.

     

    Always a great way to start the day.

    Tool

     

     

  • F3 – Frozen Foundry Fools

    What do you do when you sign up in advance to Q a workout then wake up to 22 degree temp, stiff north wind, and ground covered in ice?  Do you back out…do you call it off…blame it on the frozen car doors or icy windshield…maybe claim one of your kids is sick???  Well, those thoughts may have crossed YHC’s mind on Wednesday but knew the backlash and guilt that would result.  So, after adding a few extra layers and spending 10 minutes getting the vehicle drive-able, YHC rolled up to the meeting spot for the Foundry in City Park to find a few other manly men looking to get their F3 fix.  Needless to say, we were the only souls around which had me questioning our sanity and this whole “rain or shine” policy from headquarters.  After exchanging the usual pleasantries to offset the unpleasant conditions, we quickly got things going and blood pumping.  The goal was to be safe, avoid slipping on ice, keep feet and hands dry, and dodge hypothermia.  Here’s what we did:

    Mosey down Roosevelt Mall with pit stop for the pre-thang:

    SSH x30, Arm Circle x20, IPW x20, Windmill x15, Lunge Hold/Stretch 45sec R&L

    Then proceed to the front of the museum (near front door) in hopes of getting out of the wind and having enough light to avoid any black ice.  Once there, we partnered up for Dora 1-2-3 with the timer being PAX#2 running down to the sculpture pond, knocking out 5 side steps, then run back up while other PAX kept a cumulative count of:

    Dips x100

    Inclined Shoulder Taps x200

    People’s Chair with Air Press x300

    At this point, it was time to man up and face the brunt of the wind again so what better way to do that than a mosey over to the banks of the Big Lake and gaze upon the newly installed, illuminated 300 Year sign that is part of the New Orleans Tricentennial celebration.  The original plan called for a few things but since time was ticking we instead cranked out 30 Burpees, one for each decade.  YHC got a funny look from an unnamed PAX but we made it happen.

    Mosey back towards the flag and regroup on Roosevelt Mall to knock out Dips x10 and Inclined Merkins x10 on three separate benches of your choosing in route to base.  One minute left for post-workout stretching, led by Walleye, our muscle and bone guru.

    COT to seal the deal.  T-claps to those who came out in the elements and also, t-claps to those who wanted to come out but made the right call by not driving further distances on the icy roads.  Rumor is the Birdcage had a handful of guys that were able to post as well.

    Side Note:  Several of us have recently talked about the importance of stretching after or at the end of our timed F3 workouts.  It’s something many of us forget about or think may not be macho enough to do during a workout they lead.  YHC has recently been dealing with Achilles tendinitis which is alleviated by lots of stretching.  We should plan on doing it more in order to avoid injury and/or turning into old dudes.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

    Tool

     

     

  • Rock City Trifecta

    Solid showing on Monday at Pontiff, despite the rain.  Eight men braved the iffy forecast to get the usual fix of F3 at Rock City.  The scheduled Q was out with the flu (or maybe Saints game hangover???) so a few of us stepped in to sub.  Here’s what went down:

    Mosey to the rock pile, grab a rock, and head to the pavilion for cover.

    Round 1, courtesy of Tool:

    Warm-up consisting of IPW x25, Peter Parker x25, Arm Circles x20, Windmill x15, Hacky Sack x15, LS Squat x15

    Rock Curl x20, RLSU x20, Rock Curl x20, LLSU x20

    Then, a round of the yet to be named “sucky” circuit previously done a few times, but we altered it a bit.  Three minutes of as many rounds of the following exercises OYO:  SSH x6, Squat Rock Press x6, Bench Dips x6.  Call out your count after each round.  I think a few guys made it to 6 or 7.  Rest with a countdown, then rinse and repeat.  YHC forgot his watch and was fumbling with Marlin space-age apparatus so the timing may have been off.  Either way it was good stuff.  I’m thinking original mix of SSH, Squat Jumps, and Merkins is the way to go on that circuit.

    Round 2, courtesy of Triple Shift:

    Pair up for PAX #1 to knock out Back Extensions x20 hanging off of table while PAX #2 holds #1’s feet and Flutter Kicks.  Flip Flop, then rinse and repeat with Hello Dollies on the second round.  This seemed to use muscles that YHC didn’t know he had.

    Rock Web – ascending reps of Merkin x1 and Rock Press x2, increasing the count by 1/2 each time until x10/x20 is reached.  This was a doozy and proved to be a challenge to all.  T-claps to Rudy and other PAX for finishing strong and doing full reps.

    Round 3, courtesy of JV, who was eager to share some new exercises picked up at during his recent post at a F3 AO in North Carolina.

    Monkey Humper x20?

    “Go at it” with Hindu Planks(??) x20

    Wife Pleaser x20

    Good thing no one else was around to witness 8 grown men in these motions, in particular the second one.

    Time was up so back to the flag.

    COT to seal the deal.  T-claps to Abacus on his second post and his quest to get back in shape after a 10yr hiatus from physical activity.  YHC can’t recall much else other than the fact that he was the youngest PAX there.  Not a bad morning for a bunch of almost old dudes.

    Tool

     

  • Burpee Palooza

    It was Friday at Pontiff Park and YHC was hoping that I wouldn’t be a PAX of one, like Woz was the previous Friday for a rainy, chilly morning at The Uptowner.  Upon walking up, it was good to see several regulars in position and other trickling in, including an exchange student, Crayfish, from F3 Memphis.  Here’s what we did:

    Quick Warmup:

    SSH x20

    Arm Circle x20

    Windmills x10

    Low Country Crab x10

    Then to our goal for the day, 200 Burpees.  Why 200 you ask?  Well, our buddy Babyface had been whittling away at a 1000 Burpee Challenge all week (200 per day) to raise money for a non-profit that he works with, Next Generation.  So as to pay homage to his efforts, YHC thought it would be fitting to rally the PAX to see exactly how enjoyable 200 burpees would be.  After refreshing everyone on proper Burpee form (w/ push up and jump), we started off with 2 minute rounds, descending count:

    20 Burpees + rest in a 2 minute period.  Then, 19 Burpess…..18 Burpees…all the way down to 6 Burpees, making for a total of 200.  After getting to around 14, we shortened the time on each round.  All together, this took us about 25 minutes.  YHC did his best to keep the crew motivated and engaged.  T-claps to those providing the jokes and motivational quotes.  It was not the most pleasant way to spend a Friday morning but was rewarding once complete.  There was some mumble chatter about getting the count up to 250 but cooler heads prevailed and we kept it consistent with Babyface’s 200 per day totals.  Most of the PAX were feeling a Burpee buzz at this point, with a few nearing the stage of being Burpee drunk.

    Sober up with a countdown and still plenty time left to work in some Mary, DJ style:

    The Kimchi Special x15

    American Hammer (HVAC) x20

    Big Boy Wife Pleasers (Triple Shift) x20

    Hello Dolly (Crayfish) x25

    Dying Cockroach (JV) x20?

    Tin Snips (Fracsac) x20

    YHC then called for a Bear Crawl back to the flag (40yds?) to seal the deal.

    Closed out with a COT.  T-claps to Crayfish for finding us in the gloom.  T-claps to Rudy on his marathon training and heckling us as he ran countless loops around the track.  Double T-claps to Babyface for his burpees for a cause throughout the week.

    Moleskin:  I would have never done 200 Burpees on my own.  Thanks to F3 for the continued push.  I am confident that we can do 300 in a workout.  Maybe more???

    Tool