F3 New Orleans

Category: Northshore

  • Jose’s Pride and Joy

    Yep, you guessed it! It’s his sweat jug! (Zoo is starting to get nervous, folks). It’s not that he has his very own AO, the prized, smartly named, A1C (reminds me of Vanilla Ice). Nor is it his nickname, which he re-branded himself from Jose Mourinho to Jose 10k, more recently to Grumble Grumble (and who knows what else).

    We came here to exercise didnt we, Pik? Oh, yeah, here we go…

    YHC broke out and old standby today at the A1C, the Tabata workout. Every 30 seconds, the PAX did an AMRAP exercise with 30 seconds of rest in between. The exercises were: big boy sit-ups, merkins, derkins, flutter kicks, Hello dollies, more merkins, jump squats, bobby hurleys, apollo ohnos, leg raises, stone mountains.

    Thanks for hard work this gloom my brothers! Until next time, SYITG

    Pik

  • Wackerless Wednesday and Thursday?

    YHC cannot remember the last time he has gone Wackerless for so many post!! 😳 Not the same without your mumble chatter in the Gloom sir Bushwacker.. Eight PAX posted on this humid Gloom including the ever reliable Jose10k/A1C/Grumble/Grumble/Sweat Jug contestant.. Boy is that Jug looking nasty 🤢🤮 as Cowbell illustrated in our announcements.. Zoolander, the sights to be seen if this challenge is met will go down in the history books my friend.. Not sure I would want to be on the receiving end of this one though.

    warmup

    10IC Torso twist, Toe touches, Superman’s, Scorpion kicks, down Dawg stretch with left and right lizard poses finished with Copperhead squats..

    thang

    PAX journeyed the standard route with Cowbell scaling back to the Qs pace. Appreciate the chatter and pacing Cowbell. Rest of the PAX ran a moderate 8:50 pace as we returned with 8 mins to spare for some ISI. Alternating 30 seconds of pull-ups as each PAX proceeded through the routine with some added plank holds. Once through the PAX finished with 20IC Hello Dollys and YHC showed admiration to Cowbell with the close of 10IC Crunchy frogs..

    YHC prayed us out and till the next Gloom 👊🏼💪🏼✌🏼!

  • Full Moon Lunacy

    As YHC stood alone pacing our Tuesday AO, a bright full moon briefly escaped the dense clouds. It was that gloomy view that made sense of the haphazardly written weinke in my pocket. I thought the arduous exercises came out of frustration with a lack of names on the sign up sheet, while all along it was simple lunacy!

    WARM O RAMA

    IC x10: Toe touches, Cherry pickers, torso twists, Imperial walkers, fire hydrants, scorpion kicks

    THANG

    lining up at the end of the columns opposite of the stairs, the four packs partnered up for:

    Bear Crawl 1-2-3 – team combines for 100 Merkins, 200 LBC ‘s, and 300 squats. Meanwhile, the other partner is bear crawling to the sixth column and back.

    Burpee Mile – The PAX lined up at the Lafitte and of the trace where OYO 12 Burpee‘s before running to the Girod end of the trace and back. R\R 4X.

    If Time had not been dwindling, there would’ve been other greats such as the Clowny and the Dirty MacDeuce!

    As it was, the remained enough time for:

    MARY

    Down dog, R lizard, down dog, L lizard, down dog warrior 1.

    COT

    And sign up on that sheet before names start being added by site Q’s like the southshore does;)

    Chewy prayed us out with rapidity after, of course, Jose filled his sweat jug to the halfway point.

    Thanks for following where it sometimes seems we should not go, gentlemen.

  • Walking on Sunshine

    To commerorate the 15th anniversary of Katrina, as well as the recent tragedy of Hurricane Laura, YHC crafted a beatdown that was not designed to be finished within the allotted time. The indomitable human spirit, however, persevered, and several beasts completed the task.

    We began by saying the Pledge of Allegiance, which will always begin any beatdown Q’d by YHC, and I would encourage all of us to, when Q’ing, take the 30 seconds to unite our hearts as Americans. Regardless of our views, when we can unite as Americans, we can overcome anything.

    Warm-o-rama:

    SSH x 20

    IW x 20

    Windmills x 10

    Way Backs x 10 (Intensified versions of toe touches, with a fully extended reach back upon returning to an upright position — suggested by none other than our newest PAX, my beloved son Pickaxe.

    We then moseyed to Noah’s Ark (a fitting venue for the date). Upon arrival, we paired up, with one partner running approximately halfway down Noah’s Ark while the other did burpees. Each partner took a turn, and once Partner 2 returned, they each completed 50 burpees, starting from the lowest number completed by a partner (i.e. Partner 1 does 15, and Partner 2 does 13, then they each do 37 more to get to 50 apiece. Thus Partner 1 does a little bit more). This initial exercise was designed not to be fair, but to emphasize we give our best even when things are not, and we always pick up our brothers.

    We then broke into a series of high repetition exercises with our partners:

    Cumulative:

    250 Bulgarian Split Squats

    Partner 1: BSS on the seawall

    Partner 2: Run Noah’s Ark

    500 Shoulder Taps

    Partner 1: STs

    Partner 2: Lunge Walk to/from street

    750 LBCs

    Partner 1: LBC

    Partner 2: Crab Walk to street ( I meant Bear Walk, but was told I said Crab Walk –subconciously wanting to intensify), run backwards from street

    1000 SSHs

    Partner 1: SSH

    Partner 2: Run around Noah’s Ark

    A couple of things: ANY exercise, no matter how simple, is HARD after 400 reps. Two, I’m so proud of our young PAX, ranging in age from 9-16 for hanging w/ the old folks. They manifest far greater maturity and composure than I did at that age (or now). One of the great things about F3 is that, when you show up, you are treated as an equal, regardless of age or ability. No one is above, and no one is beneath. We require not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. Keep up the great work, gentleman, you inspire YHC!

    As stated earlier, a couple of teams finished the beatdown as Rx’d. Amazing.

    We moseyed back to the flag for COT, and welcomed 9 year old Pickaxe to the group. I have on good sourcing that as soon as he got home, he jumped into his parents’ bed and started telling his mother all about the “beatdown”. When Mrs. Hammer asked if he liked it, he responded, “Mom, nobody likes a beatdown, but you push through it.” Pickaxe also wants to make every beatdown every day of the week, even before school, and he is ready for next Saturday. I am so proud of him for coming, and I am humbled by the way each of you inspired him.

    Lastly, as I was running on the lakefront Friday evening, after the rain (intentional nod to the Nelson song), I saw a beautiful rainbow in its full arch. Such ugly weather produced something so profoundly beautiful. I was reminded that is also true in our own lives. In Katrina, we saw the worst of nature, but after, we also saw and experienced some of the best of humanity. People serving other people. We will see that with Laura as well. I am seeing that in my own life, and I hope, when the storms come, you all see it in yours as well. You just have to look.

    Except Jose’s Gallon Sweat Jug. There’s nothing beautiful about that.

  • One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

    One is the loneliest number. I knew some of the usual group was off running a completely stupid and utterly pointless race, so I was expecting a smaller than usual showing. But just me, who was I going to grumble to? At 5:15, I was pondering that idea. It was lonely, but then a pair on headlights came up the ramp. BBQ joined me at the A1C for this morning’s beatdown. I didn’t have to do it alone.

    Warm-ups: All IC to 10

    Windmills, Good mornings, Torso Twists, Cherry Pickers, Toe Touches

    The Thang: We moseyed over to Stone Hedge. Each of us picked up a cinder block. 42 Curls for the girls. Followed by Colt 45’s. 24 down and halfway up, followed by 24 halfway to up. Then 15 slow count WaterPick squats, 42 shoulder presses, 15 slow squats, 24 kettlebell swings, 15 slow squats. Moseyed back to the A1C for a mini dora. 100 mericans, 200 squats, 300 lbcs. Partner 1 held plank while partner 2 did 10 pushups. Then partner 1 performed what BBQ coined an Al Gore meets George Thorogood while parter 2 did 20 squats. (An Al Gore while doing alternating calf raises). Did I mention I was blasting classic rock during the beatdown, and one bourbon, one scotch, one beer was blasting during this section? Then lbcs while the other partner held 6 inches. We finished with plank rock paper scissors. Loser did 1 burpee, winner 1 push-up. Round 2, winner 2 push-ups, loser 2 burpees. Due to BBQ being a professional rock, paper, scissor champion, I did alot of burpees this morning.

    Small COT, prayers to those in the path of the hurricane, our foolish f3 brothers running the coast, Goose and his family.

    And then the joke of the day from BBQ

    A guy walks into a bar, bartender askes “What will you have today”

    The guys asks for a corona and two hurricanes. The bartender respondes ” That will be $20.20.

  • Windows Up / Heat On

    5 strong at the Scramble this morning as Hurricane Laura pummeled Lake Charles and many of the Thursday regulars prepared for their Gulf Coast CSAUP.

    QIC checked the regular route prior to arriving at the double shovel flag. No barricades or pier closures in sight, so after a quick warmup of 10 Good Mornings, 10 Abe Vigodas, 10 Imperial Squat Walkers, and 1-legged chair stretches, the scramblers scrambled with a few stops along the way for Merkins.

    Wrapped up with 50 LBCs, 50 flutter kicks and 15 Burpees. Jose prayed us out.

    YHC was looking forward to Jose’s daily deposit into the sweat jug, but he left it in the garage! So windows up and heat on for the car ride home to squeeze out every last drop. SYITG!

  • Farewell Q

    It is with great sadness and much gratitude that I write my last backblast as a regular member of the Northshore F3 family. (I trust you’ll forgive the length!) As I shared with the men this morning, F3 has been an overwhelming answer to prayer, and as Bushwacker reminded me, it’s the individuals involved who truly make it what it is, so huge thanks for all of you guys allowing me to participate. More on this toward the end.

    This morning’s beatdown was meant to be a quick rundown of a few of the life lessons that F3 has confirmed for me in very concrete ways. The first, of course, being the necessity of a good warm up when you know you’re about to get your rear end kicked:

    Warmup: IC Windmills, IW’s, Cherry Pickers, High Knees, Butt Kicks followed by the first exercise listed on the Exicon (Shooter aced the pop-quiz, like I knew he would!):

    21’s–21 side straddle hops in cadence, but only the first 5 are counted out loud with an expectation that all PAX count the rest silently and end in perfect sync after the 21st. 10 burpees and start over if anyone is anything but perfect.

    Life Lesson #1: Togetherness is more about what’s in your head than it is about the people you’re with. (I may or may not have just made that up, but I think it’s got some staying power.)

    After one penalty set of burpees and a second round of SSH, YHC decided to modify for the sake of time and get moseying to the rock garden for Colt 45’s and Bolt 45’s.

    Colt 45’s = 15 curls from halfway down to all the way up, 15 curls all the way down to halfway up, and 15 curls from all the way down to all the way up.

    Bolt 45’s = same as above, but with squats (and rocks)

    Life Lesson #2: Don’t let your ego determine the size of your rock, especially if you don’t know what’s coming. But no matter how heavy or what the task ends up being, carry the weight you’ve got with courage. Own it!

    After “gently” replacing our rocks, we moseyed to the courthouse steps for some partner work:

    Partner 1 ran up (and down) the stairs using the following pattern: 2 up, 1 down, 3 up, 2 down, 4 up, 3 down, etc. until the top was tediously reached, then ran back down to Partner 2 who did continuous flutter kicks (round 1), Freddy Merc’s (round 2) and LBC’s (round 3) while waiting. In lieu of Jose’s math teaching prowess, Whacker provided tutoring for those who struggled.

    Life Lesson #3: Real progress is usually gradual and hard earned, so be patient, stay focused, and fight discouragement.

    This, followed by a mosey to the top ramp of the parking garage for more partner work:

    Partner 1 holds plank while Partner 2 sprints up the ramp, around to the opposite stairs, down, and back to Partner 1. His job is to get there in enough time for his partner to have held his plank without modifying; if his partner modifies, the sprinter has to do 5 burpees, so the planker’s job is to hold his position for the sake of his partner.

    Life Lesson #4: We are naturally more willing to endure pain and push harder for other people than we are for ourselves, we just need to tap into that power. F3 seems to exists for this reason!

    After two rounds of losing our breath (and eventually losing Bushwhacker to the irresistible call of nature), we moseyed back to the courthouse stairs for an exercise YHC forgot: three rounds of crab walking both up and down the courthouse stairs

    Life Lesson #5: Some things are easier for tall people. (Truth be told, pretty much every other F3 exercise seems to favor the smaller guys. It was nice to finally have an advantage over Cowbell.)

    After this we moseyed back to the flag for the last exercise/lesson:

    Followed the directions given in the song Flower by Moby (“Bring Sally up, bring Sally down…”) with squats, up and down with the words “up” and “down”. Thank you’s to Cowbell, Steve, and Amnesia for modifying with merkins and mission impossible planks to save their legs for the big race tomorrow–you guys made our leg pain seem relatively minimal in comparison.

    Life Lesson #6: Pain is temporary, though the worse it is, the more we tend to fear that it will last forever.

    COT and YHC prayed us out.

    Thanks, gentlemen, for following my lead today, and for an awesome year of comradery, creativity, and the best reason to get up early and sweat that I’ve had since college. Special thanks to Maverick who got me out there, the men who reached out to me during those first few beatdowns to make sure I felt like I was part of the team, the guys who hung back so often with me and kept up conversation to get my mind off my lack of oxygen, the men who were willing to share their lives with me during the longer runs, for the guys who continually witness to the truth that the men we’re exercising with are more important than the exercises we’re doing, and to the men who continue to push beyond their comfort zone so the rest of us can follow.

    It breaks my heart to leave what has become such a central part of my (and Pope’s) life, and though I’ll be working to get F3 started in the Thibodaux/Houma region, it won’t be with you guys, so know that you’re deeply appreciated, and you’ll be greatly missed. I know that God has great things in store for my family and I down there, and I’m sure there are a lot of guys who will greatly benefit from F3, so please keep us in prayer for the transition, and that we’ll remain open to all that God has in store for us, both the blessings and the trials. You’ll certainly be in mine.

    SYITG,

    Goose

  • Sayonara Fujiwhara

    Granny’s House was supposed to be a wash out this morning.  70% when I checked last night.  And as much as YHC appreciates a good wet beatdown, after the Marsh’s Week Zero IPC beatdown yesterday, it seemed like maybe some shelter was in order.

    Of course, there was no rain. But we remained sheltered regardless!

    Warmorama: Good mornings, windmills, torso twists, seal jacks, IWs, and SSHs.

    Thang:

    Starting at the trailhead stairs, we’d bear crawl to every 4th column in the corridor and then perform an exercise.  (The guys were probably dismayed to discover these columns just kept going and going…) 

    Exercises were:

    • 60 Squats
    • 50 LBC’s
    • 40 Merkins
    • 30 Flutter Kicks IC
    • 20 Donkey Kicks
    • 10 Burpees

    And then, of course, head back to the start:

    • 60 Dollies
    • 50 Scorpion Kicks
    • 40 Staggered Merks (20 ea. side)
    • 30 Jump Squats
    • 20 Groiners

    What, no 10 burpees? Well…

    Coconuts was on the brain after talking about him at coffee Monday, so I thought we should bring back one Coconut classics, The Dab:

    10 burpees EMOM for 5 minutes, followed by a 300 yard run.  Rinse and repeat! (This seemed brutal, but then I just kept thinking about the time that Maverick began a beatdown with 100 straight burpees.)

    Normally YHC would search for a GIF to insert here and make the Coconuts tribute complete, but I gotta get to bed for Goose’s final Q tomorrow.

    Mary: Dying cockroaches, leg raises, Freddie Mercs, Rosalitas, something else? 

    Countdown, nameorama, Chewy prayed us out, and Jose filled the sweat jug.  Thank you guys for the push this morning, it was one of those mornings that I really was not feeling, I definitely needed you men out there to get ‘er done! 👊

  • You Want Fun N Games, Call Turbo: Wacker’s Wild Ride!

    The Wacker writing this back blast is not the FNG that our very own Grundy named 3 years ago. The lessons learned – from leadership, kindness & generosity and compassion to grit, tenacity, and perseverance – have come from doing life with my F3 brothers. Fitness fanaticism and adventures of perilous proportions have helped make these last 3 years some of the best. Having gotten so much, giving back is now what it’s all about. And on that note…

    While the Pre-Thangers pre-thanged, YHC was out setting the scene for things to come.

    WARMORAMA

    x10 IC:

    Cherry Pickers, Imperial Walkers, Torso Twists, 30 second Plank, Mountain Climbers, 15 Second Plank, Fire Hydrants

    THANG

    Mosey to the Unit…

    BLACK/BURPEE, RED/RUN

    Split into 4 teams of 6, with each getting a completely random hand of 13 playing cards from a deck shuffled before the PAX’ very eyes.

    With 14 cones placed along the approximately 50 yards to the untit, teams were, as a group, to flip their cards one at a time. Clubs or Spades resulted in team burpees of the number on the card. Hearts and Diamonds sent the team member running to the corresponding cone and back. Out of pity and boredom from planking for so long, the entire PAX joined Manny’s team in finishing out their last 4 PURELY RANDOM cards.

    BURPEE LEAP FROG

    Ok, the wheels may have started falling off the bus around this time, but there were plenty of laughs on the way down! Teams were supposed to form a line with the continuously last man leap frogging the men ahead of him until he reached the front of the line where he did a burpee. There were to be 5 burpee hi 10s, 10 hi 5 merkins and 15 hi 10 squats along the way but that just became fodder for folly and school yard nostalgia.

    TAP BALL

    Finally, with each team grabbing a sadly deflated soccer ball or the one excitedly inflated pink bosu ball the PAX formed circles tapping the ball in the air like a volley ball drill, except after each man tapped, he had to drop for a burpee before he could touch the ball again. Play continued until he ball hit the ground, at which point teams planked until the last team standing finally dropped the ball.

    Mosey back to the flag for…

    MARY

    20-60 seconds each of:

    Freddy Mercuries, Leg Raises, Heel Pulses, 100s, LBCs, Oblique Crunches, and Supermans

    COT

    count, name, named FNG Pussy Cat (thanks Freon)

    Pussy Cat prayed us out.

    Gentlemen, I am humbled by your dedication to your fitness, your friendships and your fellow man. There is never a shortage of inspiration at an F3 Northshore beatdown. Thank you for teaching me how to lead, and for following that lead for the last 3 years, as verbose and boisterous as it may have been.

  • The DNC at the A1C, drop it likes it hot!

    https://youtu.be/T6bjORaYktk

    Well coming off of 4 nights of channel surfing and landing on the DNC, YHC figured the PAX would like to drop it likes it hot..

    Disclaimer:

    This is not any particular endorsement of any one candidate..

    With Cowbell throwing a mix of an after party for Steve and Bushwacker, Q thought he may be journeying solo to the A1C, however Cowbells consistency with late arrivals at AOs allowed for a pre-conversation car ride. Knowing there is always an adventure when you ride with the Wacker this morning’s entertainment was provided by an obviously tired or inebriated vehicle switching signals and lanes as if he was driving like the Joker.

    https://youtu.be/y_7urB6CMgk

    Arriving at the top of the parking garage Bushwacker was anxious to bare a gift he had for the Hammer, but with the mood not correctly set and the hot tub moment in the distant past the Wacker was rejected of his moments joy when the 🔨 respectfully said “No thank you!” If you would like further details Jose10k will be happy to explain at his 41st consecutive post on Saturday (Freaking animal) shirtless of course 😬…

    Enough jabbering let’s get to it.

    15IC SSH, Mountain climbers, Mummy kicks

    20IC Shoulder taps, Windmills, Imperial walkers.

    Now if my numbers are off it’s okay, remember this is the DNC!!

    Thang

    All exercises can be found in the Exicon.

    Climate change:

    Al Gore stance by the PAX as we go around counter clockwise completing 5 Burpees and returning to Al Gore. R/R 4x as we waited for Cowbell to make is entrance.

    Merkin Mania:

    Held blank as we went around completing 5 Merkins, 5 Diamonds, 5 Wide, 5 Curcin (Think that’s right), 5 staggered either side, 5 T-Merkin and Q remembered the 5 Tempo Merkin at the close of the beatdown after Mary..

    Global warming:

    PAX basically assumed the Al Gore position shuffling 360 degrees as the Q stated a called exercise to 10OYO. 8 count body builders, jump squats, wife pleasers and donkey kickoffs air style..

    Quarter pounder:

    Because real men eat Beef! Take that Burger King 👊🏼. I think it’s 100% all beef patty? Who knows? I do however know there were no animals harmed in the making of this beatdown as well as no methane released.. Then again the PAX may need to be questioned on that one.

    Actual quarter pounder, 25 Burpees sprint 25 yards return backpedaling, 50 Merkins sprint 50 yards return back pedaling, 75 Mountain climbers sprint 75 yards return back pedaling and close with 100 squats sprint 100 yards return back pedaling..

    6mins of Mary

    15IC Nolan Ryan’s each side, 15IC 100s, 15IC LBCs, 15IC flutter kicks and finished with 15IC hello dolly!!

    Count off, Announcements, COT and appreciation to Steve for closing us in prayer!!

    And that completes my trifecta Q and BB for the week gentlemen!!

    Till the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!