Category: Backblasts

  • It’s about that time for….

    A disclaimer? No, that’s just what we have to do at the beginning of these beatdowns.  So, with a disclaimer, we are off!

    Mosey to lawn in front of Loyola for warm up with a little help from my friends!

    • Alternating Open Gates IC X20
    • Imperial Walkers with help from Gideon IC X20
    • Kim Jong Uns aka Supreme Leaders IC X20’s
    • Low Slow Squats with help from Thumb Wars IC X20
    • Olivia Newton John’s IC X20 (brought these PAX-pleasers from the Fly Q)

    Nice job Triple Shift for suggesting Co-Q’s to newish PAX to help them get acclimated to leading.  I think it will pay off. 

    Mosey to bottom of Mountain for:

    Here it is…It’s been awhile…Yes it’s time for…Indian Run to top of Mountain!  PAX form 3 lines and up we go!  Can’t remember last time we did this at WPM.  6 floors, Incline run with sprints, 80 plus degrees with Heat Index in the 90’s.  We got this PAX!  Let’s GO!

    Ok.  That was tough. 

    At top, partner up for B.O.M.B.S. All below counts are cumulative.  PAX one runs down top ramp and back to top running backwards while PAX two completes exercises.  Flapjack till reps are complete.

    • 50 Burpees
    • 100 OH Press in People’s Chair
    • 150 Merkins
    • 200 Big Boy Sit-Ups  (had to modify these to 150 because they were taking some time)
    • 250 Squats (modified these to 200)

    Got some comments on mumblechatter about butt-burn from the Big Boy Sit-Ups.  I call that Character Building!  My job is done.

    Down stairs and mosey to Bench’s for:

    • Bulgarian Split Squats L IC X15
    • Dips IC X20
    • Bulgarian Split Squats R IC X15

    Time is running short.  Mosey back to flag for count-off, name-o-rama, intentions and prayer.

  • Kicking Some Grass with The King

    It was a somber day on August 16, 1977.  Elvis Aaron Presley was just finishing up his morning glory when the King collapsed due to heart failure.  Today we honor that great American in the best way we know how; by empowering our bodies through exercise and our souls through listening to his music.  Elvis was a HIM before we know what a HIM was.  

    W/U

    • Side Straddle Hop x 42
    • Imperial Walkers x 20
    • Hill Billies x 20
    • Arm Circles x 20
    • Mountain Climbers x 2o
    • J Lo’s x 10

    The Thang – Complete each exercise for the duration of the song playing. 

    • Hound Dog – Doggie Paddle 2:15
    • Teddy Bear – Bear crawl & Crawl Bear suicide – 1:48
    • American Trilogy – Merkins x10, Staggeredx 10, Staggered x10, Diamond x 10, Wide x 10, Chuck Norris x10,  Crossfit x 10, – 4:28
    • Burning Love – Pure Burn (1. Face the fence 2. Get in the squat position 3/4 up while holding the fence; 3. On the balls of your feet (tiptoes);  Pulse 3/4 down to 1/2 (90 degrees) X 10;  Pulse 1/2 all the way down X10; Repeat) – 2:50
    • Blue Suede Shoes – 1 merk, 2 LBC, 3 Squats,  25 Rocky Balboa’s – 2:00
    • Can’t Help Falling – Tunnel of Love 3:02
    • Don’t be cruel – Burp & Merk  (add a merkin to each burpee) – 2:03
    • Marie’s The Name x 3 – We brought those who had not Qed to the middle to lead.  T-Claps to Breadsticks, Tug Boat, and Fast Tax

    Announcements –  IRON PAX!  Sign up at https://f3greenwood.com/ironpax-form/  We are currently in 2nd place by 11 Pax. 

    Intentions – Those with cancer, our new students starting another school year especially Brady Lefleur, those intentions unspoken and kept in our hearts.

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead, thank you very much!

    Da Parish

  • Wakin’ & Bakin’

    With the HNJ Dads at fantasy camp & a farewell to Smooth at Renaissance, only three PAX were up for Sweaty Bells this morning. Nonetheless the beat down must go on.

    Disclaimer (no FNGs) and a warm-up of SSH x10 without Gabby as he rolled in hot. Arm-circles x10 both ways, grass grabbers x10, halos x10 both ways & around the back x10 again both ways.

    First COP: Side Lunge R with kettle-bell press x10 then L x10, POP & curls x10 OYO, Swings x5, R rows x5, Swings x5, L rows X5 then repeat swing/row sequence.

    Bear crawls moving the kettle-bell with right arm halfway across soccer field then left arm back.

    Second COP: Sumo squat to inverted row x10, Rotations on knees x10, Shoulder press right arm on right knee x10, Rotations on knees x10, shoulder press left arm on left knee x10

    5 swings, throw kettle-bell then frog hop to kettle-bell repeat across field. Crab walk backwards moving kb with R arm back to other end of field.

    Third COP: Squats x10, Chest Presses x10, thrusters x10, Squat hold with kb presses x10, Squat to curls x10

    Crab walk backwards moving kb with L arm then walk back.

    Fourth COP: POP & curls x10, Squat jumps to curls x10, Overhead press x10, Squat hold with curls x10, Tea pots R & L x10

    Mary: RT with an evil overhead press during each rotation x10, LBCx with KBs x15 & Flutters with KBs x20

    A very small COT for the count-off, name-o-rama & prayer.

    P.S. drink mushroom coffee if you forget your keys

  • When Life Gives You Cinderblocks…

    Everyone can finish the saying, “When life gives you lemons…”. But not everyone knows how to complete the saying, “When life gives you cinderblocks….” So let YHC help everyone out; “when life gives you cinderblocks, you use them in your workouts!!!”

    The PAX learned the truth of this saying this morning in a more than intellectual level. And even though this workout was very difficult, I would argue that all the blame should be placed on TurboTax. For he’s the one who lent me his cinderblocks. I take no responsibility, Turbo should have known better.

    So after a disclaimer was given, the fun began.

    Warmup

    Side straddle hop In cadence to 52! I wanted the pax to remember Dredd’s saying when he came down for our GrowRuck, “Be prepared for the expected, but be ready for the unexpected.” Doing side straddle hops to 52 definitely drove that idea home.

    Then we did:

    Windmills in cadence, and a shoulder series warmup in cadence.

    The Thang

    Moseyed to the opening before the bridge where the Grundymobile was parked with the aforementioned cinderblocks. But first we did something called the welsh dragons.

    Welsh Dragons: 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. We went until We reached 10 reps each and covered 30-50 feet.

    Then the Q realized he had left the keys to his car back at the flag… So the Pax got a 5 minute plank/rest while the Q ran back to grab them. I’m sure everyone held a plank the whole time…

    Upon returning, the grundymobile was opened and the cinderblocks were distributed. It was time for the main event. Everyone partnered up (some teams had 3 people), and we did a Dora 1, 2, 3 with cinderblocks. Round 1 (100 step ups on to the sea wall with the cinderblock) partner 2 ran to the walkway and did 3 burpees and returned to take over the rep count. Round 2 (200 kettlebell swings), and round 3 (300 overhead presses).

    There was much pain involved but kudos to all of the pax for pushing through! We returned the cinderblocks and moseyed/walked back to the flag for some Mary.

    Like the beginning of the workout, be ready for anything. Like Little Manny crunches in cadence to 53!!!

    Circled it up and Manny closed us out wonderfully.

    Great job everyone!

    Until next time, Grundy

  • Mahatma Modified

    Oh sure, Mahatma will blame it on being unable to hear the Q, or faulty Q instructions, or the Q just not knowing what the heck he was doing. All of which might be true. But on this glorious morning in City Park, Mahatma Modified.

    06:15: YHC joined Rev-Sox and others at the Peristyle for a round of prayer and stretching Thank you, Rev Sox, for getting this started. What a great way to welcome the morning and get ready for the workout.

    06:25: YHC bolts from the Peristyle to try and get back to MOMA and the Muscleship in time for his Q. Arrives at 6:28:30 to see a group of PAX questioning whether their Q would arrive. As expected, Bogey seemed to be in charge of the muttering and grumbling. Welcome back, Bogey!

    06:30: With a disclaimer, PAX are off – short mosey (WATCH OUT FOR THE CARS) to the Great Lake for a quick warmup watching the sunrise. SSH, Windmills, IW, Grass grabbers. Just enough to get the heart pumping. Then an Indian Run over to the Cinderblocks to get started.

    The Thing

    Grab a cinderblock.

    Round 1: Shoulder Press, Curl, Row x20. Then bear crawl about 30-40 yards, dragging your cinderblock. Some PAX took to throwing the cinderblock. YHC decided that was legal form, as long as PAX did not leave bear crawl form. Much fun had by all, so do the same – and bear crawl back to the starting line.

    Bogey relied on a note from his “doctor” (going by the name “Walleye”) as an excuse to modify his bear crawl.

    Round 2: Shoulder Press, Curl, Row x15. Then duck walk the same distance, again dragging your cinderblock. Again, throwing was deemed acceptable as long as one did not egregiously abandon duck walk stance. Then repeat and return to the starting line.

    Pop Tart’s form is impeccable. All duck-walking-wannabes: take time to watch Pop Tart, and marvel at how his butt can be that close to the grass whilst he walks. Watch and learn and imitate. YHC’s form is, uh, less-good than that.

    Round 3: Shoulder Press, Curl, Row x10. This time crab walk the same distance, again dragging your cinderblock. As YHC started his trek across the field – he saw the sight he never expected to see. Mahatma not following instructions. Instead of dragging, he CARRIED his cinderblock in his lap while crab-walking. Now – that may be just as hard, if not harder. But none-the-less – IT WAS A MODIFICATION.

    Return the cinderblocks. We’ve got more stuff to do.

    More Things

    Quick stop by Tool’s Wall for 2 rounds of Calf-Raise/Monkey Humber combo.

    Quick stop by the Foundry for everyone to get 10 full Pull Ups in. PAX plank while groups went to get their 10 done – using spotter’s as necessary. And for YHC, spotting was definitely necessary (thank you, Mahatma!)

    Indian Run back to the field for a game YHC learned in Houston.

    Ka-Burpee

    Divide into two teams each taking half of a very-imprecisely laid out field (roughly 15 yards across, each half about 30 yards deep). The game:

    PAX from one team crosses the line. Has 30 seconds to tag one member of the other team, then race back across the line to his original side of the field. Upon tagging an opponent, all members of opposing team do 1 burpee, then try to catch the tagger before he crosses back over the line. If the tagger is caught, his team does 5 burpees. If not, the taggee’s team does 5 more burpees.

    Trust me, it makes a bit more sense when you actually play it.

    Cycle through until everyone gets a turn as tagger. Strategies evolved, including Walleye using a Full Takedown maneuver to ensure Tanner would not make it back over the line. Nicely played!

    COT

    Hydrate hydrate hydrate. Then circle up for count-off, announcements (including a definition of CSAUP – Complete Stupid and Utterly Pointless event. Lets get some on the calendar!) Then clone in for a very very sweaty ball of man, and finish with a prayer – as always for YHC, ending with St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity.

    Thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to lead.

  • Routine break

    Backblast will be like the beatdown, just a routine break at work.. It shall be brief and to the point so here it goes..

    Warmup

    10IC Torso twist, 10IC Scorpion kicks, Down dawg stretch with right leg high and left leg high.. 10IC SSH and 10IC Butt kicks..

    Thang

    Standard route through ole Mandeville with 4 breaks in the run. 3 taking place at the corner of Monroe and Massena Street to drop for 5 Merkins, 5 eight count body builders and 25 LBCs. One on the run down, after the circle, on Sunset pier and again at the corner on the return to the AO..

    Upon return the PAX completed 20IC Freddie Mercuries, chill cut Plank with right arm high and left arm high.

    count, announce, COT

    Appreciation to Waterpik for 🙏🏻 us out!!

    👍🏻👊🏻✌🏻 Till the next Gloom!

  • The Dirty DMD – Embrace it!

    YHC was expecting a small group at the Master Melvin, but word obviously spread far and wide about the Q, and 7 eager Pax were in attendance, in desire of a solid beat down. Plant the flag, give a brief disclaimer, and off to the Warm up:

    SSH IC x 31
    Abe Vigodas IC x 10
    Grass Grabbers IC x 10
    Arm Circles IC x 20

    YHC decided to introduce a couple great work out routines to my West Bank Friends. First, the DirtMacDuece. But YHC is calling it the Dirty DMD, as each round is kicked off with 10 Burpees OYO. That’s just Dirty…..
    All exercises are completed in cadence to 12

    Round 1
    10 Burpees OYO
    Merkins
    LBC’s
    Squats
    Run a lap around the park

    Round 2
    10 Burpees OYO
    Shoulder Taps
    Flutter Kicks
    Lunges
    Run a lap

    Round 3
    10 Burpees OYO
    Floyd Mayweathers
    Hello Dolly’s
    Jump Lunges
    Run a lap

    Round 4
    10 Burpees OYO
    Catalina Wine Mixers (6 count, but still 12)
    Big Boi Situps (WW2)
    Low Slow Squats
    Run a lap

    Next up was the Suck. F3 Nola has learned to Embrace it! Not sure who started this, but YHC will credit it to Tool, as that’s where I got it from. Time to introduce our West Bank crew to this horrible routine.

    3 Rounds of 3 minutes doing the following exercises over and over
    7 SSH
    7 Merkins
    7 Jump Squats
    1 minute rest between each round (actually only 30 seconds, but YHC made the Pax feel like they were getting more, YHC is cruel like that….)
    The Westbankers killed it!

    Finish off with some Mary
    Freddie Mercury IC x 15
    Tin Snips IC x 10
    American Hammer IC x 10
    Crunchy Frog IC x 10
    YHC remembered about the Q school thing with only a couple minutes left.
    Called out to T-Square to call an exercise and correctly call to start:
    Spiderman Merkins (aka Angle Grinders I think) IC x 10
    Called out to Pauly D – Dying Cockroach IC x 20

    Times Up, mosey back to flag for

    COT
    Count off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, closed with a prayer to the Sky Q

    NMM

    YHC attended his first Master Melvin last week, and discovered a solid group of Pax that had a lot of drive and no quit. This is pretty much the opposite of YHC. These guys are definitely going to make me better, so I figured I needed to step it up and see if I could challenge these HIM’s. I hope all enjoyed the beat down, and thanks for posting with me!

    SYITG

  • ARMAPALOOZA

    The Uptowner Q list was running low, so YHC jumped at a chance to give Hawg a break and tryout an unused Uptowner resource YHC has had his eye on for a while. Turns out, a no running beatdown is more of a challenge than this F3 neophyte imagined. YHC was honored to lead 13 men through the gloom for this experiment.

    Warmup x 20

    SSH, IW, Arm Circles (10 forward/10 back), Grass Grabbers, Plank Jacks, and Abe Vigodas. There was quite a bit of mumblechatter towards the end of the warmup by a PAX who will remain nameless to protect the guilty so YHC imposed a five-burpee penalty to maintain order. The offending PAX refused to clap during the burpees, which almost lead to another round of penalty burpees, but there was more work to be done so the group was spared.

    The Thang

    The PAX was instructed to grab a medium-sized rock and slowsey to the parking lot in front of the gym. YHC is a fan of Dora 1-2-3 and merkin ladders. The PAX partnered up for 100 curls, 200 overhead presses, and 300 air squats (modified from squat presses with rock after a round or two of an excruciating arm and shoulder workout). While PAX 1 completed the above exercises, PAX 2 bear crawled from the parking lot to the steps of the gym for a merkin ladder (one merkin at the base of the steps and adding a merkin for each step up, for a total of 35), then lunge walk back and switch with PAX 1. Tclaps to mmmBop and Amnesty for bear crawling through a rather large puddle without complaining (guess Amnesty learned his lesson after the penalty burpees). After completing the ARMAPOLOOZA workout, the PAX circled up for a three-minute ISI compliant squat.

    COT- Nam-a-rama, announcements, and prayers.

    Thank you F3 for another opportunity to lead. It’s never taken lightly and always an honor. Thanks to the PAX for participating in my experiment. Parts of this beatdown will be repeated at a future beatdown, but YHC will look to modify to strive for a full body workout with compound exercises.

  • Substance over Form

    Conditions: 82 with a Heat Index of 91. Slight breeze and lots of wet, freshly cut grass to frolic in.

    Warm-up

    SSH x 20, Mt. Climbers x 20, IW x 20, Alternating Lunges x 14, 3 Rounds of the Suck (6 SSH, 6 Merkins, 6 Jump Squats)

    The Thang

    Mosey over the 4 hills of Lafreniere landing on the top of the 4th. For a few rounds of 3-6-3 exercises (3 slow reps, 6 normal, 3 slow)

    • Merkins
    • Squats
    • Merkins
    • Sumo Squats
    • Werkins

    Mosey back to the second hill (the highest and possibly the steepest) and gather together about 40 yards from the base. Here we broke out for one of my favorite Iron Pax workouts from last year:

    • 50 Squats
    • 40 Big Boi Situps
    • 30 Merkins
    • 20 MKGs (aka Bonnie Blairs) 2 is one
    • 10 Burpees
    • Run up and over the hill and back
    • Start rolling through the Suck until the 6 arrives.

    We did two rotations of this and then headed back up the high hill for some Quadraphilia – 4 minutes of running down the hill forward and up the hill bakerds. #crowdpleaser

    Back to the flag where we prayed a prayer of gratitude and prayed for those in need.

    NMM

    The internet has this to say about a heat index of 91 – Extreme caution: at this condition, heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible. Continuing activity could result in heat stroke.

    Don’t listen to the internet. Today felt pretty nice. I only lost 3 lbs. of sweat, compared to the 5 I lost during the 10 mile run with Rudy the other day.

    As you may know, YHC’s Merkin form ain’t great. I blame it on my legs. They are too heavy. Same reason I am a terrible swimmer. My legs sink. Maybe it’s all the muscles in them. I don’t know. Anyway, t-claps to Mahatma for pointing this out once again with a “Bruh, you gotta do somethin’ ’bout that form.” With tips about glute activation and some feedback from War Eagle (who should have been working out instead of standing around watching me), I think I made some progress.

    We had to do the 3-6-3 Merkins twice, because I royally screwed them up the first go around. Didn’t help that I started in an ant pile. But that is no excuse, just a condition that I should have overcome. I’ll be better.

    Quadraphilia brings back such good memories of Okwata. I have to get back out there. I will be overwriting some of the LVCC names that have copied and pasted their way through the Q-sheet so that we can all enjoy a round of Quadraphilia in the tall, wet grass of the steep Okwata levee.

    And what’s up with calling running backwards up a hill Bernie Sanders? I see that term used all over F3 Nation. I don’t think Bernie would be all that flattered. Bernie is a man that never gives up, even after everyone else has, and the rest of the world sees absolutely no reason he should still be hanging in there. But Bernie doesn’t care what you have to say. Bernie don’t quit. He’s a fitting namesake for seeing how long you can keep your chin above a pull-up bar, or how long you can hold an Al Gore (oops that one is already named after a Democratic Presidential Candidate). Anyway naming an exercise after him because it burns and his first name is Bernie, is weak in my opinion. C’mon F3 Nation, we can do better. If anyone should be looking at the character of a man it should be us. Let the rest of the world focus on outward appearances and names that sound like Burn, but are spelled differently.

  • A Good Ole Fashion Beat Down!

    It was an extremely humid morning at the Birdcage where 32 PAXs came together for a good ole fashion beat down! After the standard disclaimer and identification of FNGs (there were 2), we proceeded to mosey into the field in front of Audubon Zoo for warm up exercises.  I an effort to encourage more PAX to join the Q sheet, I voluntold Quincy and Moist to each lead an exercise.  

    Warm up Exersises consisted of the following all in cadence:

    SSH x20, Windmills x10 (lead by Quincy), Forward Arm Circles x10, Backwards Arm Circles (Seaman style) x10, Self Love x10

    The PAX then made their way to the front of the Zoo, partnered up and had a DORA 1,2,3 consisting of 100 Merkins, 200 Bobby Hurley’s, 300 Freddie Mercury’s (1:1). While one pax was exercising their partner was running the loop. Once the lap was completed, the PAX switched. The count was cumulative, and this process continued until all reps were complete.

    Once DORA was complete, the PAX mosyed to the pull up station, broke up into 6 groups.  Pull ups x10 was the count, while the rest of groups were Hillbillies, Plank Jacks, Squats, Hurpees, and LBCs. The Pax rotated through each group.

    The workout was concluded with a round of Mary and some stretching. The exercises were as follows, all in cadence:

    Penguins x 15, LBCs (lead by Moist) x15, Hello Dolly x 15, Freddie Mercury’s x15

    The COT ensued with the Count off, Nameorama, announcements, and closing prayer. We welcomed two FNGs this morning Two Wrongs and LittleTiny Tree 

    loop