F3 New Orleans

Tag: Mothership

  • Saturday…in the park

    Another Saturday in the park. 18 PAX posted for a beatdown and I was determined to minimize the mumblechatter and get to work with quick transitions.

    Disclaimer than we moseyed to the Great Lawn.
    No time for chatter – straight into SSH x 20, IMp Walker Squats x 20, Cross Fit Merks x 20, Mtn Climbers x 20, Lateral Lunges x 20, Hillbillies x 20…For Hawg.

    Then long mosey to the Track.

    I like to make the guys to the Dirty MacDeuce. Its my jam. I also think it is a good workout – so I try to remind everyone that the Deuce is always an option.

    Round 1: Crab Toe Touch, Staggered Merks, Peter Parkers, Slow Squat
    Lap
    Round 2: Crab Toe Touch, Staggered Merks, Parker Peters, Squat Jumps,
    Lap
    Round 3: Crab Toe Touch, Shoulder Taps, Plank Jacks, Reg Squats
    Lap
    Round 4: Crab Toe Touch, Punch Merks (guys from Metairie whined about who punches like that – classic Metairie), Plank Walk, Monkey Humps
    Lap

    Finish that Final Lap and run over to the Football Field.

    We had time for some Tyson. Run to the 50 yrd line and do an exercise, then the goal line, then back to the 50, then finish at the goal line where we started. That gives us 4 stations.

    Rd 1: 15 Dying Roaches, each leg is 1. 30 per station for a total of 120 (Line jumps to wait for the 6)
    Rd 2: I stupidly gave control to Bogey who did 20 Monkey Humps in cadence for a total of 40 Humps per station. 160. (LBCs to wait for the 6)
    Rd 3: I gave control to Mulligan who gave us 15 Mtn Climbers per station for a total of 60.

    We ran out of time here and started our way back to the FLAG.

    Thanks for giving me the privilege of leading. Thanks for getting me out of the sack on this fine Saturday AM.

  • Splish Splash

    Workout started dry and rain started to fall during our warm up.

    Rain ranged from moderate to heavy throughout but the lightning stayed away.

    15 pax weren’t deterred by the weather and pushed through.

    Started with a warmup in the great lawn:

    side straddle hop x 31 ( because that’s what everyone seems to start with and I didn’t want to rock the boat)

    Imperial Walkers, arm circles, hold plank for a minute and after 20 Peter Parkers we weee warmed up

    Mosey to the museum steps.

    Here we did my modified version of an 11. Some have called it Stairway to Heaven. Some have called it Stairway to Hell:

    Bunny hop up the stairs, 10 Burpees at the top, then on the way down the stairs on merkin and then one dip in the fountain ( if you count the merkin and dip as the same exercise it adds up to 11). Then proceed in typical 11 fashion.

    Mosey to the pier over the lake for some Mucho Chesto.

    Mosey to the picnic benches under the pavilion for

    A series of dips with a break to do some step ups.

    By this point the rain was so hard we all looked like we had just climbed out of a swimming pool (but at least it wasn’t hot and there were finally no mosquitoes)

    Zombie walk on the way back to the museum.

    Break into groups of 3. Backwards crawl ( at Kim Chi’s request) up the side museum steps while the other two pax in the group do Rocky Balboas and LBC.

    We finished with a couple of the only women we met in on F3. One is Mary and the other is Roxanne.

    One FNG today who I’m pretty sure I’ve seen wearing a black and gold helmet on TV before.

  • Foggy Gloom

    Well here in New Orleans,  we had our two days of winter (<40F) last week and that can be considered behind us….  Going with the F3 term Gloom, this morning is exactly what I envision for an F3 W.   Great turnout by the PAX @ 22,  enthusiasm and involvement was great as expected (no consideration of DRTF).

    The Thang

     Opening act — Mosey over to the Museum lawn for a typical warm up:

    IWX25, Peter ParkersX20, Mountain Climbers X 20, SSHX25, Shoulder circlesX30 (always remember to breath when counting…)

    Then over to the fountain for some leg work

    **Immediate safety awareness from Q of the slippery surface for box jumps

    Box jumps X 12

    After (6), Q that made safety disclaimer, is the one whom slips on his right leg and bust shin open….. Many thanks to Duct Tape for reacting and providing makeshift gauss pads and band aid (later to be referred to as my sanitary napkin).  Ironically, did not show up with Duct tape?   Likewise to Maverick and others offering to take over as Q,  but as Freddy Mercury said in his last years,  “The Show Must Go On”

    Left Leg step up lunges X12

    Right leg step up lunges X12 (still working on terminology,  but much better alternative to Box jumps now to me!)

    Add another set of all three exercises

    Main Attraction:

    Mosey over to the Foundry for a bit of running and upper body:

    Half group on the workout tasks — Pull ups, dips, lunges, monkey bars, LBCs,  all timed by 8 burpies in rotation.

    Main timer is the second group doing an Indian Run for a full lap around track

    Each group gets a run and work out at the gym,  we loved it so much, everyone asked may I please have another? So we did.

    Time flies when your having fun,  Mosey back to the shovel flag left us no time for the eleven I wanted to get to today.

    Encore

    Number call, namearama, announcements and intro to our new FNG Puff and final COT rounded out a good workout to start our Saturday off right.

    Most should have got >2 miles in running today,  and with the weather,  looks like we are breaking sweats again.   Can’t wait for August.

    Many thanks to Hawg for encouragement and set up for my first Back Blast and everyone bearing with me on my slip.

    Post work out update,  I did take Duct Tapes advise and went to urgent care, got 8 stitches in my Shin….  Doctors orders to stay off leg work out for 14 days.

  • Icy Bliss

    “Ice, Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice

    So cold that JV didn’t wear a wife beater!  But JV, Rudy, and a FNG showed up in shorts… yall made me cold!  Anyway, our Pax of 17 + 1 (find out later) was in a ball of man praying to start.  With a minimal, but essential DISCLAIMER, we were off to go warm up.

    The Thang

    Quick mosey across the great lawn to a bricked area (about 30 yards in length).  We will be here a while.  YHC explained that in the cold, skiing is always on my mind.  (FYI, Rudy is going next week!).  So the deal was we would perform an exercise first, then perform:

    15x Mountain Climbers IC
    Ski Jumps 30 yds to the other side

    Here were the exercises:

    Slaugther Starter – 13 x Burpees OYO
    Nipple Scrappers – 12 x High Plank, then under the fence, and back under
    Oblique Planks – 30 sec holds, then 10x pulses IC (each side)
    Wheel of Animal Walk – 10 merkins, then animal walk across(Duck, Frog, Bear)
    Floyd Mayweathers – 25x Plank Punches IC
    Legorama – 12x LSS IC, 12x Squats IC, 10x LSLunge w/10x Pulse (each leg)
    Alt. Shoulder Taps – 30x IC
    Knee Tucks – 20x Squat Jumps OYO
    Elevens – Merkins & Lunges (YHC loves you!)

    Great warmup!  Now lets mosey over to the parking lot for a test, before the test began, Tool showed up from his morning run…since he missed the exercise spelling warmup, he offered little help to win the game, but in today’s world, he still got a participation trophy!

    Kinda like Wheel of Fortune, but instead of spinning a wheel, we do burpees for YHC telling the Pax the letters (e.g. 1 burpee = 1st letter; 3 burpees = 3rd letter, etc).  I think the Pax’s reaction was like the guy to the right:

    fortune

    YHC messed up the explanation, so we went in letter order… Pax got it by letter 5 S N O W F _ _ _ _ = 10 burpees total.  That could have been bad if they didnt!

    Mosey over to NOMA and split into 6 groups of 3 Pax.  So YHC has been taking a Computer Science course OYO, so here is my attempt at what I’ve learned.   I’m sure Rudy will comment!

    #include <stdPaxMumbleChatter>
    #include <stdExicon>

    Pax1 = Run up to top of NOMA and back down, tag Pax2.
    Pax0 = Pax1
    Pax2 = Burpees OYO, run to tag Pax3.
    Pax3 = Peoples Chair.
    Circuit = Pax1 + Pax2 + Pax3

    int main (void)
    do Circuit (int n, n < until Q says so, n++)
    {
    if (Pax1 tags Pax2)
    Pax1 = Pax2
    else if (Pax2 tags Pax3)
    Pax2 = Pax3
    else
    Pax3 = Pax0
    }
    return 0

    Did 10 minutes of that circuit.  Mosey back to the parking lot neat the SF, and circled up.

    Plie Work: Low open squat hold, while performing these exercises.

    10x Arm Circles (F) IC
    10x Arm Circles (B) IC
    10x Out and Front Claps IC
    10x Out and Up Claps IC

    3 Minutes w/ Mary:
    12x Crunchy Frogs IC
    12x Flutter Kicks IC
    12x Hello Dolly IC
    12x Box Cutters IC

    Times Up!  We held the COT and headed over to Coffeeteria after.  Thanks for letting me lead!

    Moleskin

    Hawg, JV, and Kim Chi are a perfect 6/6 in 2017!  Awesome guys!

  • 2016: Good Riddance

    Weather: Light sprinkles greeted the PAX in the early City Park gloom; an omen of the storms awaiting us for the rest of the day, perhaps – but nothing that keeps the loyal PAX from their morning workout.  Cars rolling in hot turns a PAX of 5 at 5:27 to a PAX of 14 at 5:30.  After the disclaimer, off to the main lawn.  YHC had a workout ready to look back on 2016, remembering those who were called to greater glory during the year.  And what a list it is.

    Warm Up: Mosey to the Great Lawn.  Quick warm up of SSH x25, Peter Parker x25, Mountain Climber x24 (oops…).

    COP 1: Actors left and right.  Debbie Reynolds; Abe Vigoda AND Ron Glass from Barney Miller.  But for the workout, we went with Florence Henderson: TV’s ultimate Mom.  And what says Mom better than a round of every “Minute On the Minute”.

    • 10x Burpees OYO (modify to 12x for the brave, 8x for the faint-of-heart).
    • Repeat at the top of every minute.
    • 7 minutes: Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy and Alice.

    COP 2: Mosey back to the Jungle where we remember the Animals we lost.

    • Harambe: What better way to remember the most famous Gorilla of 2016?
      • Monkey Humpers x25
      • Gorilla Humpers x20 (Monkey Humpers but with feet spread wide and grab inside of ankles)
      • Howling Monkeys: Circle up and all PAX hold the Monkey Humper position.  1 PAX does 10 Monkey Humpers, repeat with the PAX on the right.  All hold until the wave makes it all the way back to the start.  Having so much fun, start a second wave while the first is still going around.
    • Jia Jia: Worlds oldest Panda Bear passes on in October.  Dan Haggerty, he of Grizzly Adams fame too.
      • Bear Crawl Ring of Fire.  Crawl in circle for a while, then PAX hold plank while we pass around a wave of 10 Merkins.
    • Pepe the Frog: Feels Bad Man.  Feels Good Man.
      • Frog Jump to the big oak tree over yonder.

    COP 3: Off to the Tad Gormley fence.  People feared the Calf Raises, but not today.  Instead, YHC calls out from the long list of notable musicians: Maurice White, Leon Russel, Pete Fountain for starters. According to Wikipedia (the source of all truth): Glenn Frey, David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Merle Haggard combined for a total of 66 Billboard #1 hits.  So – Route 66 it is.  11 Brick Pillars on the Tad Gormley Fence.  Squat Jumps is the exercise.  1 at the 1st, 2 at the 2nd, etc…  YHC legs were burning by the end.

    COP 4: To the mini-foundry, today referred to as “Space”.  Here we run a set YHC chooses to call “The Right Stuff”

    • 5 Pull Ups for John Glenn, America’s first Astronaut
    • 10 Dips for Edgar Mitchell, survived Apollo 13 and then landed on the moon with Apollo 14
    • 15 Death-Star Merkins for Carrie Fisher.  Combine Plank Jack and Merkin: “Out, Down, Up, In”.  (People mocked YHC “That’s it?  That’s the best she gets?”  YHC heard much less mocking after PAX had been at it for a while…)

    OYO, repeat repeat repeat until YHC says stop.  YHC said stop after 4:55, commemorating John Glenns 4 hour 55 minute first trip to space.

    In memory of Kenny Baker, the actor who literally played R2-D2, PAX repeated the same cycle for 2 more minutes.

    COP 5: Literary figures: Edward Albee, Umberto Eco.  But for this round, we commemorate Harper Lee with a re-enactment of the great chase scene.  Partner up.

    • PAX 1: Scout.  We don’t have our pageant costumes on.  Instead, High Knee run.  Hands in front, keep knees hitting hands.
    • PAX 2: Bob Ewell.  Drop for 10 Merkins, then chase Scout.
    • Flapjack and repeat until back to the Great Lawn

    YHC noticed that PAX knees (especially his own) were not nearly as high at the end as they were at the start.

    COP 6: Athletes.  Muhammad Ali, 4 separate heavyweight title belts.  Gordie Howe, 4 Stanley Cups.  Arnold Palmer, 4 Masters.  Nate Thurmond, first ever NBA quadruple double.  Athletes and the number 4.

    • Tabata: 4 minutes of Mountain Climbers.

    PAX grumbled about DJ-Rudy’s music selection (1999 from Prince and Heroes from Bowie).

    COP 7: Running short of time, but one last round: Politics.  Intentionally kept to a short list.  Antonin Scalia and Fidel Castro.  Opposite ends of the spectrum (YHC forgot to reference Scalia.  My apologies….).

    • Tabata, take your pick: Scalia’s American Hammer or Castro’s Russian Twist.

    DJ-Rudy queued up Freedom by George Michael.  Bogey especially appreciated DJ-Rudy’s enthusiastic rendition.

    Back to the VSF (where are the flags?).  Count-off, Name-o-Rama, Announcements:

    • Join the F3 NOLA 2017 NYR: how many F3 workouts will you shoot for?  Join the GroupMe chat, make a commitment public.  Let us all hold each other accountable.
    • Check the Q schedule, you may be on it with or without your knowledge

    Finish with a prayer.  As we look back on 2016 and those lost, let us all remember that none of knows the day nor the hour when we will be called back home.  Let us live our life every day as good and faithful servants, doing our best with the talents and abilities we have been blessed with, to be leaders and followers, helpers and servants, inspirers and inspired.  When our time comes, let us each be ready to look back on our time here with pride for what we have done for our brothers and sisters around us.

    Thank you for letting me lead.  I pray for blessings for all of my F3 brothers and their families for a joyful 2017.

  • Countdown to Christmas

    YHC arrived with just one PAX waiting: Cruiser from Houston. Great to have a visitor. But really, just one other PAX? Fear not. Out of Gloom slowly crept 17 more PAX for a quite awesome showing this Christmas Tide, Rudy with his guns a blazin’. So after a Disclaimer, a PAX of 19 set off for the countdown to the Twelve Days of Christmas on this 24th of December.

    Warm Up Countoff
    Sudden Change of 12 burpees
    SSHs 24xIC
    Eric Heidens (ice skaters) 24xIC
    Bows to the King (alternating curtsies) 24xIC
    Parker Peters 24xIC
    Imperial Walkers 24xIC
    Sudden Change of 12 more burpees
    Lots of mumble chatter. Rudy, ever the observant one, seems to detect a pattern.

    Mosey to the wall of honor. The quivering excitement of every kid in anticipation of Christmas or Hannukah is, well, just exciting. How they jump up and down. It’s so infectious. YHC wanted to see if the PAX felt as excited.
    Calf Raises x24IC
    Toes Out x24IC
    Toes In x24IC
    Right Leg Only x24IC
    Left Leg Only x24IC
    Slow Lift x24IC
    The mubble chatter was deafening. Too many in the PAX were still smiling but not giddy enough, so Rinse and Repeat.

    Mosey to Roosevelt Mall for some mix and match: mashing bear crawls, duck walks and frog hops between benches with derkins, dips, erkins (incline merkins) and LBCs (feet on bench) at the benches.
    Bear Crawl to 1st bench for 12 derkins
    Duck Walk to 2nd bench for 12 dips
    Frog Hop to 3rd bench for 12 erkins
    Bear Crawl to 4th bench for 12 LBCs
    Duck Walk to 5th bench for 12 derkins
    Frog Hop to 6th bench for 12 dips
    Bear Crawl to 7th bench for 12 erkins
    Duck Walk to 8th bench for 12 LBCs
    Frog Hop to 9th bench for 12 derkins
    Bear Crawl to 10th bench for 12 dips
    Duck Walk to 11th bench for 12 erkins
    Frog Hop to 12th bench for 12 LBCs
    Missed you, Hawg. Hey, that was one animal walk for each bench exercise, cuz 3×4 always equals 12.

    Mosey back to great lawn for a closing Circle of Mary, with a theme that by now should have been obvious.
    Crunchy Frogs x12IC
    Hundreds (pulsing V-Ups), but just x12IC, not 100
    Russian Twists x12IC
    I box cutters (since you open most boxes by slicing across the botton, up the middle and across the top, this 6-count seemed more apt) x12IC
    Straight Sit-ups x12
    Twists (as in LBTs) x12IC
    Merkins x12IC
    Alternating (i.e., staggered with the right arm forward) Merkins x12IC (it was supposed to be Alternating Shoulder Taps, but YHC had a brain freeze, no blood circulating up top apparently)
    Staggered Merkins (with the left arm forward) x12IC
    Dr. Ws x6IC
    All arounds (aka Rotisserie), as the FIA PAX appeared for some eye candy through the circle o planks
    Ys (pulsing arm lifts on belly) x12IC
    For the orthographically challenged, that’s CHRISTMAS DAY. And with YHC’s apologies to the PAX for running over, we made it through all of CHRISTMAS DAY because, of course, it has 12 letters.

    Tclaps to Cruiser, 60 years young, for posting from Houston, the second Double Respect in two weeks. Way to keep us all humble and inspired. After countoff and namorama, a quick COP with the inspiration to make us all better servant leaders. Merry Christmas to all.

  • Rock Out With Your Block Out

    Despite being the middle of December, the PAX was met with a summer-like temperature and long sleeves were nowhere to be found.  Many Saturday regulars trickled in along with a few new faces including Einstein from the Northshore and two FNGs courtesy of Triple Shift.  The PAX started with a dozen but quickly grew to 15 when a few not-so-punctual guys rolled in hot.  This was YHC’s first Saturday Q in five months so several ideas had been brewing which were narrowed down to another cinder block showdown.  After the disclaimer, we were off in a mosey to the Great Lawn for the Warmup, all in cadence:

    SSH x30, Windmill x20, Arm Circle x20, Peter Parker x20, Plank Jack x20, Low Country Crab (or Crab Cakes?) x20

    Mosey over to the field across from the Big Foundry where YHC had his truck positioned with a pallet of cinder blocks.  This block party would be limited to the half sized variety (18lbs) since inventory was low on the full sizes blocks.  The smaller blocks allowed a different mix of exercises which meant YHC was new to some of these.  Each PAX grabbed a block and circled up for the following:

    COP #1:

    Elf on the Shelf R-L x20

    Squat Block Swing x20

    Merkin w/RH on block x20

    Elf on the Shelf L-R x20

    Squat Block Swing x20

    Merkin w/LH on block x20

    Going by the soreness in YHC back as he types this, the demostrated form could have used some improvement.  Sorry for any tweaked muscles cause by this.

    COP #2:

    Pair up in a line for:

    PAX #1 grab both blocks and lunge walk while farmer’s carrying the blocks to the designated palmetto tree aka “Arecaceae” or whatever the Yale guy said (50yds away?), crank out 10 burpees, and farmer’s carry back (no lunge).  PAX#2 run to foundry, crank out 10 pullups, and run back.  Flip flop, plank and wait for the six.

    Repeat circuit for round 2 with farmer’s carry (no lunge) with block lift there and back with 10 burpees in the middle.  Flip flop with run and pullups.  The forearms were feeling it at this point.

    COP#3:

    Circle up for:

    All PAX shoulder press block while one person drops for a burpee going around counting up to 45 (15 PAX, 3 rounds totaling 45 burpees).  This had some shoulders screaming.

    Repeat circle with block curls and burpees counting up to 45.  T-claps to Bubba for pushing hard and displaying a very intense game face.

    COP#4 w/Mary:

    Russian Twists w/block x20 IC

    Flutter Kick (holding block 6″ above sternum) x20 IC

    Cockroach Crunch Block Press Supreme x20 IC

    Wife Pleasers w/ feet on block x20 IC

    Hello Dolly (w/ block 6″ up) x20 IC + x5 for surprise lagniappe

     

    Mosey over to the the Museum ledge with a few minutes left for COP #5:

    Dips x20 IC, Box Jumps x10 OYO, Dips x10 IC

    Mosey back to the flag where we knocked out an abbreviated version of the plank routine known as “The Rotisserie Chicken” (compliments of Marlin).  Finished one minute in to overtime.

    Note that Hawg pulled a LIFO (Last In, First Out) and ducked out….guess he wasn’t up for any small talk that morning.

    Solid COP including a rather thorough naming process for the two FNGs.  YHC thanked the PAX for keeping me on track the past six months as my son w/special needs was away from home and our family went through a whirlwind of events.  The morning workouts are a good form of therapy for such things and helped YHC stay healthy both mentally and physically.  Thanks for the prayer intentions throughout that time.  My son is now back home and doing better.  Also prayed for Mason, those battling cancer, and the many less fortunate children not just locally but throughout the world.  T-claps to the guys who stuck around for some F2 coffee and our favorite waiter Mike.

    Thanks for letting me lead and sorry again for any sore muscles.

    Tool

     

     

     

  • Baby its cold outside

    A toasty 40 degree morning.  Great day for a workout

    Amnesty was right – it had the makings of a day to separate the men (JV wearing his usual short sleeve t-shirt) from the boys (Amnesty in hat, gloves, sweatshirt, sweatpants, thermal undies, foot warmers and scarf).  And don’t get me started on the regulars who stayed home curled up under their covers (looking at you, Hawg).  Uptowners?  Nowhere to be seen.  Typical.

    Shivering disclaimer issued, then off to the lawn.

    COP 1: Try to stay warm with SSH x25, IW x25, then Plank up for Peter Parker, Mountain Climber, Parker Peter and Shoulder Taps each x25.  PAX was first stunned as Bubba mysteriously and silently turned and fled the circle, leaving YHC to wonder how he had offended.  But lo-and-behold, 1 Bubba left the circle, 1 Bubba + 1 Awesome returned to the circle.  Bogey attempted the same trick to create a PAX out of thin air, but failed as he returned to the circle alone.

    COP 2: Mosey to the track.  Partner-up for a double count round of BLIMPS.  Parter 1 runs one direction, Partner 2 the other.  Whereever you meet your partner on the track, do the next exercise.  Then run again.  Burpees x10, Lunges x20, IW x30, Murican x40, Plank Jack x50, Squats x60.  Nothing like the inspiring sight of Mr. Awesome’s usual giant grin as he laps the PAX.

    COP 3: Looks, Bears!  Partner up at the end of the infield.  Partner 1 start bear crawling.  Partner 2 does 5 burpees then chases down the bear.  Switch roles and continue to the end of the field (120 yards or so).  That was so much fun, lets do it again to get back to the starting line.  Are we having fun yet?  No?  Ok, lets repeat – this time with 10x Muricans and Crab Walks.  That was fun, right gang?

    COP 4: Mosey to the Baby Foundry.  PAX partnered up at 5 stations: Pull Ups, Box Jumps, Dips, Hanging Knee Raises and Burpees (x10 – the timer).  Go.  Complete 2 full rotations, despite Amnesty’s best attempts to convince YHC that it was now 730 and time to go home.

    COP 5: Mosey to the Tool Wall.  Grab a spot on the ledge – Calf Raise x20 (YHC struggled with the unusual “1 2 3” cadence…..)  Hop off for Monkey Humper x20.  Repeat.  Repeat again.  Much grumbling was heard.  Mostly from JV who apparently was disappointed that we stopped at 20 on the Monkey Humpers.

    Mosey back to the flag.  “Mosey” feels like a strong word for that, more like a “Struggle to move the limbs attached to my lower body that no longer respond to messaging from my brain”.  Monkey Humpers prior to a mosey – interest concept, YHC may continue to explore that in future Qs.

    COT: Countoff and Name-o-rama.  Gather for our circle.  YHC asked for blessings on this group of men that continue to inspire him, for blessings on those homeless and hungry in our community, especially in the face of the cold weather, and for blessings on those facing isolation and loneliness through the holidays.

    Moleskin: This week, YHC was in Oklahoma City for a work trip.  Several different thoughts that I’d like to share:

    1. I try to do workouts on my own.  I fail.  I may force myself out of bed in the hotel, or I may sleep.  When I hit the gym, I may push myself for one more set of reps, but most likely I will not.  This group of men that I work out with constantly challenges me to push further than I thought I could.  I feel like I am a better man as a result of knowing you, and I know I am in better shape.  Thank you.
    2. Our company spent Thursday working volunteer shifts at a food bank in Oklahoma City, making lunches for school kids.  This food bank distributes 18,000 backpacks of healthy food and snacks each and every Friday for kids who otherwise do not have enough to eat on the weekend.  Stop and think about that – 18,000 of our precious children in this one city do not have enough food to eat – each and every weekend.  YHC knows these numbers, has heard them countless times before, has volunteered at food banks on occasion before.  But something about this visit felt different.  Please remember the needy, the hungry.  They are all around us, whether we recognize it or not.
    3. We take the cold weather as an inspiring challenge – completing a workout is a small feather in my cap, and YHC enjoys the chance to mock those of us wearing multiple layers of protective gear.  But today as you drive through the city and see the homeless person with his cardboard sign sitting at the intersection – remember that he or she is living in this weather.  This is not a challenge to conquer, but an unavoidable fact of life.  I take for granted so much in life – the knowledge that as I left City Park this am, I’d get to warm up when I walked in the door at home to type this.  Please find whatever ways you can (donations, volunteering, prayers) to help those with so much less.

    Thank you all again for the chance to lead.  I hope in some small way I’m able to inspire any one of you in ways as you have all inspired me.

  • Introducing the Sphinx

    8 pax met up near the Peristyle in City Park on a cool, beautiful morning in New Orleans. After introducing myself, delivering a brief disclaimer, and waiting for Mr. Awesome to tie his shoes, we headed over to the Great Lawn for a warm up loop and COP:

    COP:

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • IW x 10 IC
    • Merkins x 10 IC
    • Mountain Climbers x 20 IC
    • Peter Parkers x 15 IC
    • Low slow squat x 10 IC

    The Main Thang:

    Head to the Peristyle for:

    • Broad jump to other end, mosey back
    • Lunge walk to other end, mosey back
    • Bear crawl to other end, mosey back

    Run back across the Great Lawn and over to the start of Roosevelt Mall Street, a wide avenue with beautiful oak trees. Partner up by speed for the Sphinx™:

    • P1 runs one way, P2 the other. Meet at first intersection for 20 hand slap merkins, return to start via the same direction, and plank for the six.
    • Repeato, switching directions and continuing to the second intersection for 15 hand slap merkins.
    • Repeato, switching directions and continuing to the third intersection for 10 hand slap merkins.
    • Repeato, switching directions and continuing to the fourth intersection for 5 hand slap merkins.

    By now, the pax were on to me, so it was time to change venues. Mosey over to the fountain in front of NOMA for some circuits:

    • 20 dips, 15 bench squats, 10 derkins, run to the first full column (dodging the clipboarder and her crew).
    • Repeato, with incline merkins instead of derkins, run to the second full column.
    • Repeato, with derkins, run to the third full column.
    • Repeato, with incline merkins, run to the fourth full column.

    Mosey back to the Great Lawn for four rounds of AYG gassers from plank, six inches, and belly.

    Mosey to the benches in front of the Peristyle for flutters and Rosalita.

    Mosey to the Peristyle for pax-led exercises, which went approximately like this:

    • Dolly
    • Freddie Mercury
    • Wife pleasers (a/k/a hip bridges) – Mr. Awesome
    • Dr. W (a/k/a rest time for YHC) – Jingle Vader
    • Parker Peters – Reluctant Yankee
    • Dollies
    • Missing one and some names #cobains

    Circle up for the awkward take out by YHC (there’s a reason I don’t volunteer often).

    Announcements:

    • Operation Sweet Tooth – RY is collecting toys for Children’s Hospital.
    • Christmas Workout/2nd F – levee then Cooter Brown’s
    • Gear – Connect with Hawgcycle if you want to get in on a winter shirt order.

    NMM:

    • Thanks to RY for suggesting I Q this past Saturday. Although I’ve posted once before in NOLA, it was great to lead the pax and check out a great AO. Leading the workout is also a great way to prevent fartsacking.
    • It was great to see some pax I met last year and meet others. It was a strong crew out there this morning, unfazed by a fair amount of running (over 3.5 miles) and merkins.
    • YHC was introduced to the Dr. W. After attempting 1 or 2 reps, I had to lay there in awe as Jingle Vader demonstrated perfect, speedy form on possibly the most complex ab exercise ever devised. I’ll be bringing that back to Area 51 with me.
    • Please chime in below with anything that I’ve missed. I look forward to posting again in February during Mardi Gras!

     

  • Conquer the Burpees!

    13 Pax posted for the first cold morning workout in New Orleans.  Perfect temperature.

    I hate burpees and need to conquer them so I worked them into workout in small doses in order to accomplish a large goal.

    First -we started at the flag with .. 10 burpees

    We headed to the Peristyle for some jumps up a small wall, 5 burpees on the patform, 10 plank jacks, 5 extreme decline (balls to the wall?) merkins.  Repeat 4 times.

    Over the bridge and through some woods to warm up in a field: Arm circles, calf raises, 5 burpees, imperial walkers, some other warm-ups, 5 more burpees

    Next – over to Crawfish Island – fortunately it was cold and there were no rotten crawfish.  We grabbed a bench a did a series of box jumps, leg ups, and single-leg squats. No burpees here.

    Indian run through the front of the park with a break for some zombie walkers and… burpees.

    Next over to Delgado community college for some backwards bear crawl up the front steps while the other half of the group did LBCs.  We got kicked out.  Isn’t Delgado a public place?  The campus cop didn’t seem to want to negotiate.

    Back into the park with a couple of burpee breaks.

    Over to the the performance pavillion for some very high leg-ups and box jumps along the water with some breaks for… burpees.

    And finally we finished up on the Great Lawn with a series of animals and Mary with numerous breaks for… burpees.

    110 Burpees in all.  Apparently this is a record for the New Orleans group.  Seems to low. Will push for more next time.

    It was a big goal that I might have wanted quit on all at once…. but by conquering it one bite at a time we easily got there.