F3 New Orleans

Tag: Darkwing Duck

  • Murph Prep

    Murph Prep

    Fifteen men gathered around 3 shovel flags, disclaimer, and let’s mosey to the track.  Two laps and hit the outdoor gym.  As we grow and build up to a full  Murph, we modified.  After the two laps, begin the pull-ups, merkins and squats.  Four sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 merkins and 15 squats is 1 round.  Run one lap after each round.  After the fifth round, run two laps to get the 2 miles.

    TClaps to the few who completed it.  TClaps to the pax who worked hard to grow and improve.

    Back at the Shovel Flags, countoff , namerama, announcements, shoutouts and a prayer.

  • What I Like

    With RevSox on the IL and a number of regulars “preparing” for the H8!, I figured we might have some low numbers and that maybe it would be a good time to do an impromptu Q school at Popeyes. We are going to need some more Qs with RevSox out for the time being.

    The Disclaimer

    I gave the disclaimer with a little extra explanation of what F3 is and why it is different. The mission of F3 is to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership. There are other workout groups on the city, but not counting FIA, these workout groups are led by the same people each time. F3, not only provides us with a good workout, but it also gives us the opportunity to hone our leadership skills. If you are not stepping up to Q, you are missing out on the most important aspect of F3. I love the fact that F3 is organized to be a community of leaders. Every man not only has the opportunity, but is expected to provide leadership for the group. This benefits the entire group. At the most basic level, it gives us a variety of workouts that improves, helping to accelerate our fitness. On a higher level it teaches us how to operate in a community, it helps us to learn how to support one another, it teaches us what works and doesn’t work, etc.

    When you Q, you have to create a plan and execute it. You have to prepare for different situations. You have to effectively communicate your vision to a group of men and have them carry it out. You have to learn to be efficient. You have to motivate and encourage. You have to teach. You have to lead by example. You may just think of it as leading a workout, but if you do it correctly there are a number of skills involved that translate to the most important areas of your life.

    The Warm-up

    Counting is an important skill. We use a standard that helps us to communicate effectively. This makes the workout more efficient. Make sure you have memorized the following:

    • Next exercise is…..the ___________
    • Starting position…..move
    • In-cadence…..exercise

    There are several different types of cadences you can use. Make sure you think through them and choose the one that will be most effective for the exercises you are doing. Make sure you count at an appropriate tempo. You want to make sure you don’t leave others behind. You also want to make sure it supports what you are trying to accomplish with the exercise. In the Warm-up, make sure you touch all of the different muscle groups you will be using. Dynamic stretches are good after the body has warmed. I like to alternate exercise in a standing position and in a plank position to make the pax get up and down.

    SSH x 20 (4-count cadence – Chips), Imperial Squat Walkers x 20 (4-count cadence – Boo Boo), Mountain Climbers x 20 (4-count Kenna), Low Slow Squats x 20 (4-count cadence), Peter Parker x 20 (4-count), , 8-count Body Builders x 10 (Hokey Pokey), Red Bull Smurf Jacks x 20 (4-count cadence – Boo Boo), Catalina Wine Mixers x 10 (6-count cadence Dark Wing Duck), Abe Vigodas (4-count Chips), Merkins x 20 (2-count cadence Kenner Brah)

    The Thang

    The difficulty of Qing a workout is to plan for a variety of physical fitness and abilities. This is the F3 motto: Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you found him. This is difficult and it means that you, and other pax members, are paying attention.

    Mosey to the wall for a Red Hot Chili Pepper. I remember how hard this was when I did it for the first time. It has to be hard. It has to be challenging. Is it ok if guys can’t do it? Of course. They can modify. Make the workout so that you are pushing the fittest guys. Others can modify as needed. If you see a lot of people modifying or just all out quitting, encourage them to keep going by providing them with ways to modify.

    • Bulgarian Split Leg Lunge Right Leg Forward (IC) x 10
    • Derkins (IC) x 20
    • Bulgarian Split Leg Lunge Left Leg Forward (IC) x 10
    • Incline Merkins (IC) x 20
    • BSLL Left (IC) x 8 – (When you smoke yourself, call for a countdown)
    • Derkins (IC) x 10
    • BSLL Right (IC) x 8
    • Incline Merkins (IC) x 10

    Sometimes you have to admit defeat and an realize that you won’t finish eveything you want to. That said, it’s much better to plan too much than not enough.

    We moseyed back to the flag for a round of dealer’s choice Mary.

    • LBC x 20 (Kenna Brah)
    • Big Boi Sit-ups (Hokey Pokey) x 10
    • LBC x 20 (Chips)
    • Flutter Kicks x 20 (Darkwing Duck)
    The Skinny

    The above account is mostly true. It is certainly true that the 6 men named in this backblast all posted at Popeyes and we all led different exercises. Who led which exercises and how many reps did they lead – who knows? But I do know that everyone did a good job of leading and I see some hard-core beatdowns at Popeyes from this group of men in the near future.

  • Spot Start at Popeye’s

    Rev Sox is on the IL with shoulder inflammation so the team at Popeye’s turned to YHC for the spot start. Temps were in the mid 60s and the birds were out in full force.

    Warm-Up

    SSH x 25, Mountain Climbers x 26, Imperial Walkers x 20, Grass Grabbers x 15, Parker Peter x 20 – this all occurred after a mosey of about 15 feet.

    The Thang

    We moseyed to the ledge by the replica of the West Metairie Canal, for some 363 exercises. For those that have forgotten, the 363 was the developed to commemorate the World’s victory over Uptown at the 2017 Gnarly Nutria: World 363 – Uptown 360. The exercise consists of 3 reps of super slow cadence. If you are doing merkins it is a 4 count to go down, another 4 count to come up, etc. You end up holding yourself in the worse possible position at the end of these 3 reps. That didn’t quite come out right, but I mean for merkins you would be holding a mission impossible, for squats it would be an Al Gore…you get it. After those 3 slow reps, you do 6 regular cadence reps that again bring you to Mission Impossible or Al Gore or whatever at the end. Hold that and then start 3 more super slow reps. It’s meant to be a burner, they way it burns the World Victory into your memory forever.

    We did 3-6-3 Merkins, 3-6-3 Squats (using the ledge for full compliance), 3-6-3 Inclined Merkins, then 10 box jumps, 3-6-3 Decline Merkins (by far the worst), Tatum Channings x 20, Channing Tatums x 20.

    Long mosey to a sticker filled soccer field near W. Napoleon for 5 minutes of 12 Burpee EMOM. That’s 60 burpees total for everyone reading this not named Abacus

    Partnered up at the outdoor gym for partner assisted pull ups on the rings: Reps of 10, 7, and finished with 4.

    Long Mosey around Gar Lake to the pavilion. Here we (and by we I mean I) introduced Dr. Webb to F3 NOLA. This is a marriage of Dr. Ws and Jack Webbs that comes from the sick and twisted mind of F3 Jackson’s SFx (formerly of F3 NOLA and F3 Valley Forge. I’m not sure if Jackson claims him or not. He’s definitely a nomadic ginger). JV will love this. 1 Dr. W followed by 4 Dying Cockroaches in cadence, 2 Dr. Ws / 8 dying cockroaches, 3/12, etc… We worked our way up to 5/20 before I felt like time was short (yeah, that’s why I stopped at 5) and moseyed to the flag.

    Luck would have it, we were two minutes early so we did another 3-6-3 set of merkins and squats.

    Boo Boo gave a good reminder to us all about the importance of gratitude in our prayers. I prayed us out, struggling to be heard over the chatter of the birds.

  • A Track so Soft you can run in Mandals

    While this title refers to everywhere if you happen to be Hawg, most of us resort to our carefully fitted and selected-for-foot-type running shoes. However, we could all borrow a page from Hawg’s book (maybe minus all the straps) and run barefoot on the track at Lafreniere. It’s some kind of composite rubber wizardry that feels both springy and cushioned at the same time, never leaving my knees hurting the next day.

    The other great thing about Popeyes is the dedication of Rev Sox. Most of us post, Q from time to time, and make a comment on the mumblechatter every once in a while. Rev has done everything in his power to get a great AO going out in the depths of Metairie, first manning a workout that regularly averaged only a few attendees, and ultimately moving it a bit closer in to an even better location, never giving up on it. This has already paid dividends in forcing some newer guys to step up, and drawing some new blood from that area. So T-claps to Rev Sox for a job well done. Repay his service by making your way out to this AO every once in a while, and I doubt you will be disappointed.

    The Workout

    Speaking of disappointment, I’m sure the PAX was less than thrilled when 5:30 struck, and YHC was nowhere to be found. The LV clown car was moving a little slower than usual this morning, and we had a few coupons to place, so we pulled up at 5:31 sharp, and the PAX, to its credit, had already moseyed and was doing some SSH, where we joined in for:

    • SSHx25
    • Arm Circles forward and back
    • Hill Billies
    • Peter Parker / Parker Peter

    Next, YHC asked for directions for the easiest path to the workout area where the coupons awaited. Helpful locals Boo Boo and Pai Gow showed us the way and off we set on a brisk mosey to the workout area for the thang:

    6 Stations, Rotating

    • Absolution x10 (timer – I messed these up a bit and excluded the plank jack when down on elbows. My mistake). Everything else, AMRAP
    • Arnold Press with pavers, drop set
    • Turkish Get-ups w/ 5 lb dumbells
    • Straight legged deadlift w/ 10 lb kettlebells (bought a couple of these – if anyone ever wants to use them, I can bring them)
    • Kettlebell swings with cinder blocks
    • Hang from pull-up bar as long as possible.

    PAX was encouraged not to cheat yourself. Get every rep. Don’t do 9.5. Don’t lose form. Don’t cut corners. Don’t be afraid to take as long as necessary to complete an exercise. Inspiration: I read this post yesterday, and it made me rethink some of my recent workouts – did I do all 60 burpees yesterday, or did I accept 57 or 58? Do I always do every merkin, or am I afraid of everyone finishing before me? Great read:
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=683278642142599&id=100013814083617

    After that, we sprinted across the field and bear crawled back, where High Rise took over:

    • Wife pleasers w/ legs on bench x15
    • Single leg wife pleasers w/ legs on bench x10 each leg
    • W’s x20

    I’d promised High Rise more time, but had also underestimated the time it would take to get back to the flag. Plus, this time we had coupons. So we finished up with a 5-minute coupon run to the flag, where we all learned that it actually kinda sucks to run with a cinder block. Good to know for future reference. We also left some pavers behind with Rev Sox, so Popeyes now has some coupons.

    Some brief announcements, notably, the 5K run at the Belle Chasse base this weekend, and Rev prayed us out. Come be a part of the great thing we’ve got going at this AO. – Kuch

  • Metry Boys Prepping for H8

    Revsox was on deck for the Q, but had a conflict and requested a sub two days out. YHC and Mahatma volunteered to cover, but YHC got the nod with a courtesy deferral by Mahatma. Walleye crossed the border and made the trek to unfamiliar territory. He got a starlight tour of the AO after getting turned around within the park, but he made it to the flag on time.

    Warm-up

    The PAX moseyed over a small hill to the nearby field for the following warm-up, IC: SSH x 25; Hillbillies x 25; Arm Circles x 10 (each way); Grass Grabbers x 25 (double time); Mountain Climbers x 25; Abe Vigodas x 15

    Thang

    Mahatma expressed an interest in some hill work. YHC was on the same page to help the Metry PAX prepare for H8. After a short mosey across the field, the PAX stood at the base of the tallest hill on the AO for a little Dora 1-2-3. The PAX was separated into a two and three-man group. The PAX groups took turns sprinting up the hill, completing three burpees, and jogging down the hill to the second group, while they collectively completed 100 Catalina wine mixers, 200 American hammers, and 300 LSS. There was a bit of pause at the beginning over the number of Catalina Wine Mixers, but T-claps to the PAX for pushing through and not accepting the offer to modify to less mixers.

    After completing the Dora workout, the PAX sprinted up the hill as a group, bear crawled to the other side, and jogged down the other side. Plank and wait for the six. The PAX moseyed to the outdoor gym for some circuit training as follows: 10 knee-ups (timer), dips, rows, WWII sit ups, and merkins. With time running out, the PAX did the following Mary, IC x 25 each: flutter kicks, LBC, and penguins.

    A quick mosey back to the big hill for a sprint up, bear crawl across, and jog down. Plank and wait for the six. Mosey across the field, over a small hill, and back to the flag. For the last six minutes, Walleye and Triple Shift lead the PAX in several Yoga-based stretches.

    COT

    Namerama, announcements, intentions, and closing prayer.

    Life doesn’t always give us advanced notice. As effective leaders we need to be prepared to step up and lead under any circumstances. This was my third Q and I agreed to sub Q to challenge myself with piecing together a beat down on shorter notice than a scheduled Q. I’m still learning to manage time within a beat down, but practice makes perfect! Thanks for another opportunity to lead and for being good followers. It’s truly an honor.

  • One Last Winter Morn

    8 Pax. Upper 40s. Dry. Still winter at the time of the workout.

    Mahatma was kind enough to allow YHC to take the Q this morning, since I missed my recent Q at Popeye’s. After a disclaimer warning the pax (especially those from Uptown) about the diverse wildlife roaming the park, we headed toward the jogging track on the north end. We gave hurried instructions to Mahatma as he rolled in hot and eventually circled up in the NE corner

    Warm-up
    • SSH x 20 – Rev Sox noticed a tempo change at the end
    • Peter Parker x 33
    • Imperial Walkers x 25
    • Merkins x 10 – tried to keep it nice and slow.
    The Thang

    1st Soccer Field (burpees for the six) – Bear Crawl length (120 yards) Sprint back (100 yards)

    SE corner (planks for the six) – 10! (10 merkins, 10 Squats, 10 WWII Sit-ups, 9 merkins, 9 squats…)

    Southside – lunges for the six

    Outdoor Gym (planks for the six) – 8 Stations. 45 seconds with 15 second rest

    • Burpees
    • Dips
    • Squats (T-claps to War Eagle for pointing out the deficiencies in my form) #TShiftEffect
    • Flexed Arm to Dead Hang
    • Box Jumps
    • Flexed Arm to Dead Hang
    • Dying Cockroaches
    • Flexed Arm to Dead Hang

    Mosey back toward the flag and circle up for Mary (LBCs for the six)

    • Flutter Kicks x 20
    • Keep the feet off the ground
    • Hello Dolly x 15
    • Keep the feet off the ground
    • Flutter Kicks x 10
    • Keep the feet off the ground
    NMM
    • T-claps to Darkwing Duck on his second post.
    • T-claps to JV for finding Lafreniere Park. We were shocked to learn that this was not only his first trip to this AO, but his first trip to the park. #ClassicUptowner
    • T-claps to Triple for completing the Spartan this weekend and continuing to post
    • I didn’t notice nearly as many feral cats this time, but did see a nutria, one roster, and 3 geese. Minimal amount of wildlife today.
    • There seemed to be some mumblechatter concerning the length of the bear crawl, but the pax pushed through and performed admirably.
    • When I visited San Antonio they kept they did not let their feet touch the ground during Mary. I thought implementing this idea was good, but it seemed to meet some resistance, as in most everyone’s feet hit the ground. Maybe I didn’t explain the idea well enough. We were on concrete so maybe concrete was considered ok? Not sure. There were also a few pax complaining about the weight of their shoes. That has a simple solution.
    • Much prayer for those facing cancer.

  • Don’t Say B.O.M.B.S in an airplane…

    But saying B.O.M.B.S at Popeyes means a great beatdown.

    Warm-Up

    Hillbillies X 20

    Mountain Climbers X 20

    SSH X 20

    Peter Parker X 20

    Arm Circles X  20 (10 forward, 10 backwards)

    Abe Vigodas X 10

    The Thang

    Today, YHC decided to consult the F3 Exicon for an optimal beatdown. The best beatdowns are those where you are intentionally pushed by the man beside you so partner up for B.O.M.B.S.

    As a group/pair complete the following:

    Burpees X 50

    Overhand Claps X 100

    Merkins X 150

    Big Boy Sit-Ups X 200

    Squats X 250

    1st PAX runs to the corner of the walking path while the 2nd PAX works on the exercises.

    Two observations from Popeyes this morning. First, at some point during a week Rev Sox must complain about a workout–today was that day. Second, Popeyes is the only AO where a real chicken may join the workout. They are friendly, resilient, and completely harmess so just keep working.

    Post-Thang

    Mosey to the wall at the entrance of the dog park.

    Dips X 25 in cadence

    Irkins X 20 OYO

    Dips X 15 in cadence

    Irkins X 10 OYO

    Mosey Back to the Flag

    Counterama

    Namerama – Welcome FNG – Darkwing Duck (He is a private investigator by trade.)

    COT

    -prayers for those fighting cancer

    As always, it was a pleasure to lead. SYITG.