F3 New Orleans

Tag: Goose

  • I Wanna Know What Love Is, and I Want Goose to Show Me! – from Goose

    8 PAX arrived by ones and twos for the first ever “Valentine’s Day Tuff” beatdown, and it was clear that these lugs were in need of some educatin’ on the true meaning of love. Thankfully, though YHC may not be a smart man, I know what love is.
    The warmup started with Seal Jacks, which blew everyone’s mind, causing the schismatic tendencies of Yankee Joe, Paradox, and Enron to flare up for the first of the typical ten or so times this beatdown. But, we made it through via synced clapping, which is always a morale booster. Warmup continued with the usuals plus some mountain climbers, high knees, and butt kicks without much of a break between each exercise–YHC knew we needed time for all the lecturing that was to be peppered (heavily) throughout the beatdown.

    We started with a song to get the juices flowing and the cardio system blowing in preparation for another Merkin Mile for time. YHC chose “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys to illustrate that the earliest, shallowest stages of love pretty much consists of idealism and brain chemicals. Though important to the process, this stage should be endured without making any major decisions or doing anything that can’t be undone. So, we let the “good vibrations” and “excitations” be our trigger words for burpees while SSH’s carried us through the rest of the song. Most idealism driven chemicals come and go pretty quick, especially when real life kicks in, like endless burpees.

    The stage after the initial buzz of being struck by the arrow of love is typically a sort of tunnel vision–it takes over all your thoughts and all your time, and you can’t focus on anything else. What better way to navigate this stage than a manly Tunnel of Love. YHC hearkened back to my VQ exactly three years ago where this routine was one of the highlights. You can’t beat crawling through a sweaty man tunnel fraught with stalactites, stank breath, and butt slaps. Once again, being hit with the reality of life is the only way to safely navigate to this stage.

    The third stage of love is usually defined by a sense that we can conquer the world together, there has never been a love as strong as ours, and we’ll “stay right here forever, until the sky falls down on us”. Again, this is chemicals talking, so still not rooted in reality, but an important part of the process, nonetheless.
    This stage would be experienced by the PAX through completing the weekly Merkin Mile (1 mile run w/25 merkins at each quarter mile), which has been given special attention due to the superhuman efforts of Pommel Horse from Lake Charles setting the bar at 7:47. The PAX started with watches synced and a belief that our determination, desire, and confidence (brain chemicals) would see us through to at least a sub 8:00 time. Alas, reality broke through again–nothing kills determination and confidence chemicals like survival instinct chemicals kicking in somewhere between that second and third set of merkins. Self-preservation is ultimately the enemy of love, and every man felt it this morning. The fastest time was 8:25, which was slower than the previous week’s posting, most likely because of that added block that was mistakenly left out last week. But, the push was, again, impressive, and it set us up well for the next stage.

    So, if love isn’t a feeling, if it isn’t just a natural chemical reaction that runs the risk of fading away when things get tough, then what is it? We’re naturally attracted by the “other-ness” of the other, but it’s exactly that “other-ness” that tends to wear on us over time and cause us to go into self-preservation mode. And, our brains actually can’t handle a non-stop flow of those “in-love” chemicals; they actually have to fade for us to be able to properly function. So, what is love, then?
    IT’S A CHOICE.
    When the body says I need to take care of me, it’s a choice to live for another. When I get tired and want to retreat, it’s a choice to push forward into the mystery, into the pain, into the risk of losing it all because the other is truly worth it, and there is so much beauty yet to be discovered.
    This morning, there was so much concrete, grass, and mud yet to be discovered, and the only way to get better at pushing through the instinct to self-preservation is practice. So, since practice makes perfect, and the number 7 is the symbol of perfection, 7’s it would be.

    We started at the stage with 6 curls (for the girls in our lives) and then block and bear across the field to the sidewalk for 1 thruster before murder bunnying back to the stage for 5 curls, etc. The tenacity of the men was impressive, especially Enron’s, who used his sprint/stop/sprint technique and his long limbs to draft YHC for the duration and then powerfully pass me on the last stretch. Also, Smooth Operator continues to show the same solid determination and drive that’s got him #1 in the rucking category for Run Cajun Run–even once time was called, he refused to stop and finished strong on his last stretch of bunnies. What a beast!
    We didn’t finish the 7’s because we still have a long, long way to go before we’re perfect in our ability to love our wives. So, bring on the blocks, bears, bunnies, merkins, burpees, crying babies, financial unknowns, in-laws, mood swings, and getting older. It’s gonna be a helluva ride.

    COT and Paradox prayed us out. It’s an awesome gift to be able to train not just the body but the mind and heart through F3, and it wouldn’t be possible or nearly as fruitful without you guys. Deeply grateful for the camaraderie this morning, and looking forward to continuing to improve with y’all!

    SYITG,
    Goose

  • Cold Hands, Warm Hearts, Can’t Lose! – from Lil Cuz

    The game is over, you’re a Champion! You finally accomplished all that you have been working towards and now what…relief? Excitement? What comes next? The greatest players of all time always answer one thing to this question. “Let’s get back to work.” Most elite level athletes allow themselves the night of the biggest wins of their careers to celebrate, but when the next morning comes, they are back to working just as hard as if they are rookies again walking onto the field for the first time. This is the mindset that needs to be sought after in order to continue growing throughout life. Living in humility and knowing you can take care of business when the call comes.

    We may not be Superbowl winning level athletes, but we can apply this same work ethic in our everyday lives. We relax and enjoy our families on Sunday but Monday rolls around and it’s time to get back to work and continue on this path with our cross on our shoulder. We march on, thankful to God for the reprieve of Sunday and thankful to God for the strength to keep moving and working to better ourselves. So this Monday morning, in the cold and in the dark; We got back to work…

    Thang 1:

    Start by Shovel Flag with 50 SSH’s.
    – Sprint to concrete on opposite side of field.
    – Bear Crawl to halfway point of field.
    – Mosey around track back to Shovel Flag.

    Complete 25 Merkins.
    – Repeat sprint, bear crawl and mosey back to Shovel Flag.

    Complete 15 Burpees.
    – Repeat sprint, bear crawl and mosey back to Shovel Flag.

    Complete 50 LBC’s
    – Repeat sprint, bear crawl and mosey back to Shovel Flag.

    Complete 40 Jump Squats.
    – Repeat sprint, bear crawl and mosey back to Shovel Flag.

    Thang 2:
    Relay race with the Pax split into 2 teams and team members spread out to the four corners of the Stage track. All Pax doing SSH’s while waiting their turn to run. Runner gets to next Pax on his team and calls a workout of which the next Pax to run would do a set of 15 before running to his next teammate. Two laps and winning team would get to relish in their “prize”. We had some real shiners that chose today to showcase their true speed, and a bunch of racers whose competitive spirit really showed through. The relay was neck and neck the whole way through, but Team 1 pulled out the win in the very last section of the race.

    Winning team would get to choose an additional 5 reps of each workout if they wanted to get the extra burn this morning or could take 5 reps away if they would like to relax. This was chosen in silence between the individual Pax and God, not as a team.

    Thang 3: Back to Thang 1 and this time seemed to be done much slower than the first, and each round felt so much sweeter as we got closer and closer to the end.

    Admittedly, YHC thought that thang 1 would take up much more time, but these fellas came to workout this morning and they weren’t having any slow counts in the cold. Relay race was supposed to be a finishing round but ended up as a middler to really see how far our muscles could be pushed. Everyone pushed so hard to finish and we did it with 1 minute to spare. There was dispute as YHC was under the impression we exercised for an hour during the week but YHC was quickly downvoted and told to lay off the Q-drenaline as we only had 1 minute left.

    :30 – :45 of Mary to close which consisted of 6-inch hold for duration.

    COT, name-o-rama, and Dox prayed us out.

    Thanks for the backblast name, Wet Tap! Cold Hands, Warm Hearts, Can’t Lose! This really has described the Thibodaux F3 Pax throughout the winter and I can’t wait for the next one.

    SYITG,
    Lil’ Cuz

  • Super Bowl Pair-a-Dice (by Pope) – from Goose

    It’s Super Bowl weekend, and YHC was ready to rock, both at the flag this morning and in front of the TV later.
    After warmups, YHC introduced something he devised called “Down for the Count”, where the PAX did merkins in cadence and held Mission Impossible plank after the final rep, holding while counting around the circle in a Ring of Fire fashion, followed by the same thing with squats (holding Al Gore) and leg lifts (six-inch hold).
    Next we headed to the Thunderdome for what YHC dubs “Paradise & Pair-a-Dice”. YHC hit up JBL, who told us what he would do “If I had $1,000,000” (8-count BB on “If I had $1,000,000” with SSH/Imperial walkers in between) before rocking “Gangsta’s Paradise” (penguins during verses, gas pumps during refrain).
    When playing some role-playing games, dice with varying numbers of sides are often used to determine outcomes. Today was no different; the numbers rolled by the dice provided by YHC would decide between life and death for the PAX. Each PAX rolled three dice—a 4-side, a 20-side, and a 10-side (with numbers ranging from 10 to 100). The 4-side indicated the exercise (1: burpees, 2: 8-count BBs, 3: Catalina wine-mixers, 4: SSH) the 20-side gave us the reps for rolls of 1, 2 and 3, and the 10-side set the amount of SSH in the case of a 4 being rolled.
    The PAX then moseyed to the ED White football field, where we split op into two 6-man (or kid) teams. The following game of F3 football brought out two things—the Dion Sanders in Paradox and the “bigger, stronger, fast-ish” in the rest of the Thibodaux PAX.
    Prior to each down, the offense and defense did a set number of 8-count BBs (offense does 1, defense does 5 on 1st down, 2:3 on 2nd down, 3:2 on 3rd, 5:1 on 4th). The initial plan was for a scoring team to do 10 star jumps versus the defense’s 10 burpees, but 1) YHC forgot to mention it and 2) nobody scored. With interceptions by Yankee, Goats and Enron and a sack by Coyote, it was a defense-dominated game. Hmm… prelude to the Super Bowl? Perhaps.

  • The Ultimate Sprint: Outsmarting 5th Graders and Conquering the Grave – from Goats in the Machine

    Today’s workout was a true test of both physical and mental strength. The Ultimate Sprint: Outsmarting 5th Graders and Conquering the Grave was a challenging journey through the pathways and bridges of the Civic Center Park area, aka The Lion’s Den. The air was ideal for a beatdown, and the ground was the perfectly saturated.
    Just before the workout began, First responders, including several police cruisers and an ambulance, rushed to the scene with their lights flashing. When they arrived a Police Officer, Officer grabbed a 10-pound maul and approached the door of a temp building with determination. He raised the maul high above his head and brought it down with a loud crash multiple time. Unable to help and wanting to stay out of the way, the Pax continued with their workout.

    Warm-O-Rama:

    The usual stuff

    The Thang:

    The workout kicked off with wind sprints between the sidewalks in front of the Civic Center. We completed two rounds of sprints, planks in between. This served as a groundwork for the challenging exercises ahead. Additionally, the ground was the perfect level of wet for my Choco sandal theory to be tested. YHC successfully avoided soggy sox by utilizing this footwear method. Unfortunately, planks were kind of awkward.

    Next, we made our way over to Aslan for a musical workout with “Ain’t No Grave” by Molly Skaggs. We performed Grave Diggers with burpee on the “down” and SSH on the interlude (“if you walk out of the grave…”). This was a great test of our endurance as we pushed ourselves to dig deep and keep moving. It also gave us a great view of what seemed to be the most action the TPD has seen in years.

    We then returned to the sidewalks for another round of wind sprints, this time with 4 rounds and a plank break between each. The Pax paused for a brief prayer for the emergency situation that was occurring nearby.

    Afterward, we moved to the bridge for a round of 11’s. This included overhead presses and goblet squats in round 1. Followed by kettlebell swings and BBSUs with the coupon in round 2. The coupon mosey back to Aslan was a welcome break before the final challenge.

    The last challenge was a true test of our intelligence with a game of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” with two teams. Correct answers meant a quick plank and incorrect answers meant 5 BBSUs. With questions ranging from history to science and everything in between, this was a fun and challenging way to end the workout.

    In conclusion, today’s workout was a true test of our physical and mental toughness, and I’m proud of everyone who stepped up to the challenge. The Pax of F3 Thibodeaux are grateful for the first responders who showed up this morning to help someone in need. They were a true testament to the bravery and dedication of those who serve and protect their communities. Until next time, stay strong and keep pushing yourselves!

    COT:

    • Count-O-Rama • Name-O-Rama • Announcements • Prayer Requests

    PS:

    IF you lift1 coupon with 2 hands and 2 toddlers with one hand, then you might be a Thibodaux PAX.
    If you typically spend your 10 count saying “ I used to be able to do that when I was younger” then you might be Yankee Joe.

  • “No disciple is [allowed to be] above his teacher.” – from Goose

    8 strong for Tuesday Tuff this morning, including a highly touted FNG who both serves Tana his daily brew and is served by Yankee Joe in the classroom. Tana noticed his truck pulling in with his eagle-salesman eyes, and so we did side straddle hops as we waited for him to make a lap around the neighborhood before coming back and pulling into the parking lot. Thankfully, YJ was in the road, prepared to physically stop his truck and move it into a parking space rather than allow him to take another lap.

    Warmup consisted of the usual things YHC needs to avoid old man injuries (all 20-count; can’t risk it) plus some high knees, butt kicks, and mountain climbers to kickstart the cardio system in preparation for an all out Merkin Mile.
    Manscape, the new leader of F3 Lake Charles had called out YHC late last week with a time to beat on the Merkin Mile since YHC introduced to them earlier this month. So, unable to back down from the challenge, and seeing the opportunity to measure growth amongst the PAX, we started the morning with a Merkin Mile for time. We went all out, pushing as hard as we could, and took stock of our time so that we could return to it in the coming weeks to track improvement…and, so YHC could put the bar higher than Manscape could reach, at least for a while. Knowing him, he’ll crush it soon enough, but I’ll ride the glory till then. Or, at least I thought I would…

    YHC got off to a good start, cruising beyond the rest of the PAX to a distance that felt like a comfortable lead. But, as we began the turn up through the alley behind the townhomes, I could hear footsteps getting closer. Was it Enron with his little brother superpowers, able to push beyond normal human limitations to beat whoever’s on top? Or was it Paradox, who is superhumanly motivated by any opportunity to push YHC’s buttons? As it turns out, it had nothing to do with YHC–it was Yankee Joe, the curmudgeonly GroupMe troll who is often heard complaining about how he just can’t seem to make progress the way the rest of us seem to, how he just gets too tired too quickly because he’s so darn old. And, yet, there he went, not only passing YHC, but continually increasing the distance all the way back to the flag. His motivation became clear as FNG Parker passed me not too far behind him and stayed right on his heels for the rest of the mile. His form was impeccable, and YHC should have known something was coming when he strapped on his Ralph Macchio headband pre-run. YJ, who didn’t know he had a second gear, also didn’t know he had a third gear, apparently, and that it would only be revealed when his professorly dignity was at stake. Either that, or he’s got the supernatural capacity to pour himself out for his students and loves to have a front seat to see them at their best; though, that sounds a little dramatic.
    Regardless, YHC was proud to see all the PAX pushing harder than usual this morning, and figured they earned a couple of 10-counts before the next movement:

    Song: “Jump” by Van Halen
    Hold a version of plank for the duration, and perform a groiner to jump up (top half of a burpee) at every “jump”. First verse–high plank. Second verse–elbow/chill-cut plank. Guitar/synth solo–Mission Impossible plank (this lasted about 15 minutes).

    Next, it was on to a classic Dora 1, 2, 3. YHC realized we hadn’t done one of these in a while, whereas they used to be a staple, so it was good to get back into it. Partnered up to split duty on the following (Partner 1 chipped away at the rep totals while Parter 2 ran a lap around the sidewalk track): 100 airplanes (1:1–alternating side plank with arm up in the sky), 200 Freddy Mercurys (2:1), and 300 Apolo Onos (1:1).
    While Yankee Joe focused again on running faster than everyone else, the rest of the PAX hammered diligently away at their reps and tried not to trip each other during the Onos. With about a minute left and most of the PAX done, YHC called it for a final minute of high plank and mumblechatter before recovering for COT.

    We took a nice, long time to come up with a name for the FNG, but “French Horn” eventually took the prize. Though it doesn’t have a great, creative backstory, it sounds like a solid F3 name (random, not super flattering), so YHC couldn’t pass it up. We definitely look forward to seeing more of French Horn!

    Announcements, prayer intentions, and Tana prayed us out. Awesome morning, fellas! Thanks for being part of this amazing brotherhood!

    SYITG,
    Goose

  • Mellow Monday w/ Montana – from Wiford Montana

    I often try to use the space of F3 as a place to break down my muscles in order to grow them but today, today was a day to do that but something more. This q was to be real, connect, and hopefully show that thru a group of like minded people coupled with the love, strength, and mercy of our Lord Jesus we can become strong in many facets. Not only that but when we struggle with whatever it is we have a network, a common goal, a place to grow. Mellow Monday with Montana was set to begin.
    Warm-o-Rama:
    3 stretches then we churned out a mile on rich man loop.

    The journey of Pro shop Barry:
    Leaving Vandy I was an atheist looking for only self discovery and meaning of life. Was wondering in my “dessert” discovering, I would be willing to bet I have seen more pounds of weed than every pax combined, but I can say this much like all things of the world, they have their short term gains but no matter how much of a short term pleasure they just fall short.

    1st Song: Simmer Down by Bob Marley Thruster on Simmer Down and random “Goblin Squats” through out.

    2nd Song: Exodus (all present were on the true Exodus) by Bob
    Burpees on Exodus and Movement
    68 in total

    Then YHC passed around picture of Pro shop Barry, he was 2 links of boudin away from hitting 3bills
    “Tana killed proshop Barry, he dead now”
    Picture ripped up and we talked about whatever struggle or addiction you can turn to God anytime, and shared I accepted Jesus Sept. 18 2008 centered around 2Cor. 3:3

    3rd Song: Break every Chain- Jesus Culture
    BBS or V-up on power
    Merkin on Break every chain
    Coupon swing and man makers sprinkled in

    Closed out with a quick mile ish and then COT and Dilly prayed us out

    Appreciate each one of you and great work Pax

  • “What We Obtain too Cheap, We Esteem too Lightly” – from Yankee Joe

    “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” – Thomas Paine

    Warmarama
    – SSHs
    – Abe Vigodas (slow windmills)
    – Knoxville cherry pickers
    – Willy Mays Hayes
    – Arm circles
    – Air squats
    – Mountain Climbers

    —————————————
    Part 1: Freedom

    Earlier this week, my oldest daughter, Evelyn Grace (6 yrs old) came home with a kindergarten assignment to write two sentences with the prompt:

    “In my opinion, freedom means…”

    My wife and I were surprised by how difficult it was to explain the concept to her. Most likely because as a six year old, she only understands the dictatorship she currently is living under. But, like any warm blooded American Dad hypocrite, that got me thinking about my own opinion about the meaning of freedom. This beatdown/backblast represents my humble attempt to do just that.

    On this day in 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected as first president of our great nation. I think my intention was to create a theme, any theme, but after some time, I was simply force feeding exercises into historical contexts. It was sloppy and disingenuous. It felt too important. I was stumped.

    As I was abandoning the idea, I started thinking about our independence. I started thinking about what kind of desperate level of crazy it must have taken to, in presumably sound mind, collectively decide to take on the most powerful military (army and navy) power on earth.

    Can you imagine the scene?!?

    Ben Franklin (who was 70 at the time): “Let’s fight Britain.”

    Thomas Jefferson: “Seriously, Ben, go back to sleep.”

    (Sam Adams is off in the corner getting sloshed)

    John Hancock: “Oooh, oooh, oooh…and we can sign something???”

    —————————————–
    Mini Bootcamp Training

    – 20 Imperial Squat walkers
    – 10 triple Merkin, triple jump burpees
    – 10 P2J2s (8ct…2 plank jacks, 2 chillcut peter parker’s, 2 j-los 1:1, 2 pickle pounders = 1 rep)

    ——————————————–
    Part 2: Reality Sets In

    Of course, John Hancock would have that opportunity, and soon King George sent a 32,000 man expeditionary force to the colonies, including 30,000 Hessian mercenaries. Within a short time, the northern strongholds, including New Jersey and New York, had all been taken, and the British viewed the situation as an easily squashed uprising. Indeed, the original force of 23,000 Regulars under the command of Washington had dwindled by December 1776 to nearly 3,000 poorly trained, poorly provisioned men through desertions, disease, and expired enlistments.

    It was all but over.

    Washington, who had nothing like a stellar military record, was perhaps more importantly, an ingenious marketer and effective motivator. The consensus of his councils was that they desperately needed a victory or it would be over within weeks. In fact, the rest of the regular soldiers’ enlistments ended on December 31st.

    At about the same time, another propaganda machine kicked into high gear. Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense, wrote a letter to the public called the American Crisis. It, along with the small victories in early 1777, are credited with turning the tide of morale and public support of fighting for independence.

    December 23, 1776

    THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

    Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

    Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

    Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

    —————————————–
    The Thang:

    – P1 Chillcut peter parker’s (aim for 50); P2 block and bear to marker (30 yards), rifle carry back; flapjack
    – P1 & P2 spiderman crawl to marker; crawl bear back
    —
    – P1 J-Lo’s (aim for 50); P2 murderbunny to marker, redrum return; flapjack
    – P1 & P2 sprint (one with coupon, other with bricks); flapjack

    ————————————–
    Part 3: We Must Go On?

    A couple of days later on Christmas night, Washington took 2,400 men at three launch points across the Delaware. The temperature was below freezing, and by 11 pm when the crossing began in earnest, a straight up blizzard began with wind chills with estimated subzero temperatures. It took eleven hours to cross and the mission was four hours behind schedule.

    Washington later wrote, “…As I was certain there was no making a retreat without being discovered and harassed on repassing the River, I determined to push on at all Events.”

    The Thang:

    – P1 thrusters (aim for 25); P2 brick butterfly walk; flying brick nuns back; flapjack

    ——————————–
    Part 4: One More Month

    On December 31st, 1776, only a week after the surprise attack and subsequent victory in Trenton over the Hessian force, Washington’s meager army was at the end of its enlistment period. The following day, the vast majority of his soldiers had the right to go home to their families and farms. However, Washington and his war council had deliberated for days following Trenton and had made the fateful decision to press whatever little advantage they add against the British forces. On that December 31st morning, Washington appealed to his troops:

    “My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your country, which you probably can never do under any other circumstances.”

    ——————————-
    The Last Thangs:

    Song: Run Away – The Real McCoys
    – Hillbilly squat walkers, burpee on “run away”
    – Approx. 40 burpees

    Song: Jump Around – House of Pain
    – Plank jacks, merkin on “jump”
    – Approx. 40 merkins

    Song: We Built This City – Starship
    – Lbc’s, Freddie’s, hello Dolly’s, leg lifts, flutters, etc.
    – V-ups on “we built this city”

    COT and the PAX excitedly welcomed MAFAT and Ponzi to the beautiful chaos. Goose prayed us out.

    Let us always remember the multitude of blessings and freedoms we enjoy delivered to us by the multitude of sacrifices and hardships endured before us.

    SYITG,
    Yankee Joe

  • Stage Record – from Enron

    With anticipation building of what could be a new Stage record for attendance, YHC nervously arrived in the impossible-to-see foggy gloom to a surprise of multiple pairs of headlights awaiting. Tuesdays have not normally been highly attended, but all the stars had finally aligned to have a “hard commit” (no one ever fartsacks a hard commit) of 11 PAX on the GroupMe. Seeing 4 standing and waiting at 5:20, things were looking up for the record, especially with the surprise arrival of Paradox, aka POOX, and Wilford Montana. The types of compromises and promises that were made to their M’s are unknown, but their presence was welcomed. Vehicles continued to appear along with the arrival of Goose with 300 pounds of coupons in the back of his truck. YHC quickly unloaded one of his 2.0’s dry erase board, as well as additional coupons in set up for what was to come. As 5:30 arrived, a new record had been set. 12 PAX at the stage; this moment will go down in F3 Thibodaux history (which is honestly why this backblast is being forced).
    Warmup:
    SSH, AC, Cherry Pickers, grass grabbers (with the clap) Windmills, Self-Love, IW, Mountain Climbers and a large group bumper mosey.
    YHC can honestly say that nerves set it during the warmup as leading a large group comes with more Q-dreniline than expected. Counts may have been quicker than usual; mumble chatter was heard in the background regarding the cadence. Nothing out of the norm for Yankee Joe and Paradox and their shenanigans.
    Thang 1 and only 1: Modified Jerf
    A short synopsis/speech was given to instruct all the newer guys on the history of the “Jerf”. A combination of a Murph and a Bruce Lee with a twist from Yankee Joe. Quickly named the Jerf back in September/October by a group of PAX attempting to complete one per off-beatdown day. YHC had some new modifications and additions for today’s TuesdayTuff©. All were presented on the previously mentioned dry-erase easel. The following were completed in order, AMRAP, throughout the next 35 minutes. Although, one exercise was voted out and erased after each completed round. After 5 exercises were eliminated (5 rounds), YHC started to add one back on each round. Exercises are as follows:
    20 Coupon Curls
    20 Coupon Presses
    10 Yard Bear Crawl (this could not be eliminated along with the Crab walk as this was a mode of transportation)
    10 Merkins (eliminated 3rd)
    30 LBCS
    10 Yard Crab Walk (back to coupons)
    10 Merkins
    50 Freddy Mercury’s (1=1)
    20 Skull Crushers (eliminated 1st and also added back later as 10)
    20 Leg Raises (eliminated 2nd and added back later as 10)
    30 Squats (eliminated 4th)

    COT and Goose prayed us out. It was truly an honor to be able to lead this larger group of men today. Hopefully this is a sign of continued growth in our region.
    SYITG,
    Enron

  • Basketball Jones – from Paradox

    7 pax entered the Lions Den as a light mist fell around the feet of Aslan(d) . During a recent conversation with Goose YHC got worked up into a full lather about the endless potential the Den has for a basketball beatdown. But first there were a few questions to consider:

    1. Could we work our body , work our body , but make sure we don’t hurt nobody ?
    2. Could the DJ turn it up but make sure he dont burn it up?
    3. Can we set a pick at the free throw line of life?
    4. Will a basketball under our pillow improve our sleep ?

    Certainly 5:30 was early to consider deep philosophy but I knew 7 HIgh impact fellows who could help me find the answers…

    Roll that bean footage Duke !

    Warmup
    Standard issue type where YJ talks to his neighbor in stream of consciousness and Enron has form questions.
    SSH , IW , WM, AC , CP

    Run Cajun Run Mosey to the Bball court then we got down to business.

    In December 1891 Dr James Naismith invented an indoor game to keep athletes in peek condition during winter. With a peach basket and a soccer ball he changed the landscape of American sports. Today we will honor his achievement and learn how to earn our respect on the court.

    Anker Tribute

    Basketball Jones by Cheech and Chong
    This may be my all time favorite F3 song to date. The mixture of pain and laughter was beautiful.
    3 modes :
    Plank up- merkins on basket ball
    Al gore – squats on basketballs
    LBC- crunch on basketball

    NBA Trivia
    Add 5 burpees if wrong
    Bobby Hurleys /MakTars then a court suicide each round
    1/2…6/12 in Jack Webb format

    1. Most NBA champ player?
    Bill Russel
    2. How many referees during NBA game ? 4
    3. Shaq shoe size ? 23
    4. First WNBA player to dunk in a game? Brittany Griner
    5. First MVP by unanimous vote , Steph Curry
    6. All time leading scorer in men’s college basketball-pistol Pete

    We only did 1 set of penalty burpees thanks to our man AOL who, on top of being our IT guy , is also an actual walking computer of NBA knowledge. With quiet strength he put the team on his back and saved us from burpees before we could debate ourselves into more pain. Well done!

    Song:
    Space Jam By Quad City DJs

    YHC Continues to be impressed by YJs knowledge of 80s/90s hip hop . Was he accused of insider trading during the preBlast riddle? That’s a matter for my legal team. But by my calculations YJ would have been 18 years old when the song was out and obviously formed him into the baller he is today so all is forgiven.

    Side shuffle , slap floor on jam, jump shot on Jam
    YHC shared a special moment with Enron as we locked gazes during side shuffle until the slick court mud almost took my life. Tana added several interpretive dance moves that kept our minds off the burning legs. .

    To the main event

    F3 Knockout
    Standard knockout rules with a 5 burpee buy in
    3 strikes and you are out for good.
    This led to the showdown that no one saw coming but we all needed….

    Goose vs Cardinal

    The young calf vs the old bull

    Priest vs Administration

    Man vs Man for all to witness

    A battle for bragging rights at the Office of Parish support. It was all in the table.
    Cardinal hung tough early with some defensive strategy but in the end Goose found his shot and took the title home.

    Mosey back to Aslan(d) for COT and Ronnie prayed us out.

    A great privilege to lead you men and have some fun to start the day. If you find yourself afflicted with the basketball Jones , well…now you know the cure.

    SYITG
    PDOX

  • Burpeepalooza 2023 (vol. 3) – from Goose

    When Enron asked YHC to switch with him and Q this morning, I asked myself the question, “Is it time for another Burpeepalooza?” and I answered myself the answer, “Why, yes. Yes it is.” Preparation required one hype GIF for the GroupMe and an hour or so of research for songs with repetitive lyrics and good burpee timing. Burpeepalooza 2023 was ready for launch, and YHC was so fired up, I woke before my alarm.

    Oh, and in case I should fail to mention it, new ground was broken last night as YHC reached across a deep, long-standing rift for the sake of a quality beatdown:
    Oontz had been showing some serious inconsistency with volume as of late, and since it would be of absolute necessity for all PAX to hear the trigger words for this beatdown regardless of loud traffic on the highway, there was no doubt about it–it was time to bring in the big guns. YHC knew down deep that BAPS (Big Ass Party Speaker, for the newer guys) was the only one who could handle this kind of weight, so late in the evening, YHC dialed up Yankee Joe. After some initial disbelief and suspicion of being punked (like that one time with JBL), YHC proved himself sincere, and YJ heartily agreed to let BAPS shine. We both shed some healthy tears afterward and slept a little more soundly.

    The warmup this morning had to be seriously substantial. After Lil’ Cuz’s Saturday butt-whoopin’, the soreness was deep and every single muscle was tight. So, given the range of motion burpees require, flexibility would be of the utmost to save the PAX’s joints for the rest of this week’s beatdowns.
    Warm-o-rama: seal jacks, windmills, imperial walkers (so sore), grass grabbers (the “three taps backward with the clap” variety), arm circles, cherry pickers, YJ-led wrist rotations (the non-yoga-demon variety), self-love, tempo merkins (3-count down and 3-count up), mountain climbers, high knees, and butt kicks. Had to cover all the bases, especially for us old guys!

    YHC then introduced the concept of the Burpeepalooza–Enron and Paradox (and the absent Fence Post) were the only ones who had done it before. It’s an entire beatdown of non-stop songs, each having a trigger word or phrase upon which a burpee is executed. Rest between (ha!).

    Here’s the list, played on shuffle so God decides if two or three (or four) hard songs get played in a row:
    “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers–burpees on “gone” and “away”
    “For God is With Us” by For King and Country–burpee on “God is with us”
    “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson–“coconut”
    “Happy” by Pharrell Williams–“Happy” (continuous burpees when they say it really fast)
    “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel–“your eyes” (backup singers count…they’re real people, too)
    “That’s the Way (I Like It)” by KC & the Sunshine Band–“I like it” (Dang.)
    “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone–“come and get your love”
    “Have a Little Faith in Me” by John Hiatt–“have a little faith”
    “Got My Mind Set On You” by George Harrison–“set on you” (Ran out of time for this one, probably because of the ridiculously long warmup)

    This crew was impressive–the mumblechatter continued to be witty and there were no visible signs of discouragement. Muscles were zapped, oxygen was in low supply in the mugginess, and there were some unfulfilled promises of merlot splashing (puking), but spirits remained high as the burpee count continued to quietly climb.
    All said and done, if all triggers resulted in burpees, the count was 245, a record for Thibodaux Burpeepaloozas! And even if some were skipped, most if not all of the PAX did over 200 burpees in 45 minutes! This would have sounded like an impossible feat if this number was shared at 5:29am, but because we were suffering together, distracted by listening for the triggers, and not counting to see how many we had done and how many more we felt like we could rationally do, our bodies outshone even our highest expectations. T-claps especially to the guys who had never done this before and were blindsided this morning!
    COT followed, and we discussed the mistake of trying to measure how much you have left in the tank, both during exercise and throughout our day with family, etc. We can always do more if we live for the person/people around us rather than constantly trying to measure “how much more of this I can take.”
    Q assignments for the rest of the week were finalized, prayer intentions were shared, and YJ prayed us out. It was an honor to get through that with you fellas this morning!

    SYITG (See You in the Gloom),
    Goose