Tag: Russo

  • I’m only here for PaxMiner – from Russo

    Cool mid 30s this morning at Granny’s, where a Pax of 3 continued making 2024 better than 2023.

    Warmup (all IC, 10x – 20x)
    -Seal jacks
    -hillbillies
    -Arm circles
    -torso twists
    -self love
    -Toe touches
    -high knees

    Thang
    Pax knocked out the Deck of Death (exercise and count based on value and suit of the card turned over from a standard deck of playing cards). YHC likes to split the deck into 4 groups to vary up the exercises, with some moseying between rounds.

    Round 1 at the benches
    Hearts – Freak Nastys
    Diamonds – step ups
    Clubs – BSSs
    Spades – Leg Raises

    Round 2 at the stage
    Hearts – SMCs
    Diamonds – Merkins
    Clubs – monkey humpers
    Spades – gas pumps

    Round 3 at the bus stop
    Hearts – shoulder tap plank jacks
    Diamonds – donkey kicks
    Clubs – star jumps
    Spades – crunchy frogs

    Round 4 at home
    Hearts – Groiners
    Diamonds – jump squats
    Clubs – Lunges (2 is 1)
    Spades – big boy sit-ups

    Mary
    3 calf raises up the pilot house

    All 20x IC
    -Flutter kicks
    -LMCs
    -Wife pleasers

    COT, Name-o-Rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out. January 27 is ‘Whacker’s camping trip, Crazy Ivan is coming up, the Nightmare after Christmas is TBD, and we continue to pray for Freon and his family.

    SYITG

  • Dirty Santa on the 6th day of Christmas – from Russo

    Good weather, maybe a little “brisk” at upper 30s, since YHC will never call it cold. Pax of 11 for some outstanding fellowship and putting in work (or paying the rent as I believe the Millenials like JV call it).

    Warmup (10x – 20x IC)
    – SSHs
    – Self love
    – Imperial walkers
    – Arm circles
    – Toe touches
    – High knees
    – Hillbillies

    Thang
    A replay of Granny’s 12 days of Christmas – themed beatdown. We moseyed down to the lake and back, stopping each block to honor one of the days of Christmas, starting at 12, stopping at the trailhead for Dirty Santa, and making it back down to 1.

    As for the days (it helps if you sing it):
    On the twefth day of Christmas, F3 gave to me:
    – 12 knuckle merkins
    – 11 Peter Parker’s
    – 10 Legs a lunging
    – 9 Americans hammering
    – 8 count body builders (8)
    – 7 jumpers squatting
    – 6 monkeys jumping
    – 5 Don-key kiiiiiiiiicccks
    – 4 frogs a crunching
    – 3 T merkins
    – 2 stars a jumping
    – And a burpee for both you and for meeeeeee

    Dirty Santa – relatively simple
    (1) Each HIM picks a number.
    (2) Number 1 picks a random gift/exercise from the bag and performs said exercise while the other HIM perform the standard (e.g. 10 merkins)
    (3) Number 2 has a choice: Number 1’s chosen exercise, the standard, or a new “gift”. If he chooses either of the first two options, the one who had their “gift” stolen can steal or select another mystery “gift”.
    (4) Around and around we go, until all HIM have a chance to select.

    The “gifts” included one cherry picker, slaloming the columns, trip up and down the pilot house, 20 monkey humpers, donkey kicks, arm circles, etc. Two separate rounds that had Bird intensifying, SOGO hating me, JV doing too many freak nastys, YHC taking notes to never include absolution again, and Jose being the beneficiary of limited cherry pickers this year, a complete 180 from when he got stuck with multiple last year or the year before.

    Back at the lake, we did a quick 12 days, with freak nastys, box jumps, BSSs, step ups, urkins, durkins, wife pleasers, penguins, big boys, Freddie Mercury’s, hello Dollie’s, and one cherry picker.

    COT
    Count, NOR, announcements, and prayer closed us out, where we continued to lift up Freon and his family, as well as the Brady family.

    Wrapping up the year, getting started with a new year on Monday with either an Akbar Marsh beatdown and Waffle House trip, the Franco’s Dip and Dash, or maybe both!

    I look forward to more beatdowns in 2024 and a continuation of the fellowship that makes getting up before 6AM on a cold Saturday morning worth it.

    SYITG

  • FNG and Down Range Visitor – from Waterpik

    It was a cold, yet fruitful morning at Russos’s quaint Splash Pad AO in Old Mamdeville. We welcomed an FNG and a visitor down range from Huntsville, Alabama.

    The Workout was not compatible with an adequate backblast and YHC doesn’t remember rep counts, etc. To sum up, we did a bunch of merkins, sister mary Catherine’s, Peter Parker’s,
    Mountain climbers, core exercises, and burpees. I don’t know how many sets and reps were completed other than to say I was tired when the closing bell rang.

    Welcome to FNG, Grupe and also to spice girl, down range from Huntsville, AL, in town visiting his fiancés family.

  • 12 blocks of Christmas – from Russo

    ‘Twas the day after Christmas, and outside of the house, just three creatures were stirring…no one does the poem justice like Grundy, so why try?

    Good weather this morning, cooler, no rain, still and quiet given festivities the day previous.

    Warmup (all 10x IC)
    – Seal jacks
    – Self love
    – Toe touches
    – High knees
    – Torso twists
    – Hillbillies

    Thang
    True to form, someone had to keep up a tradition of the 12 days of Christmas – themed beatdown. We moseyed down to the lake and back, stopping each block to honor one of the days of Christmas, adding “gifts” from our true love F3 until we made it all the way to 12.

    At the lake, we paused midway for some IC BSSs, freak nastys, and step ups, where an angel of the Lord called out to the two shepherds YHC and Hammer and revealed to us that we were both right-foot dominant. Not exactly the magnitude of revelation from thousands of years ago to those keeping watch, but it’d do.

    As for the days (it helps if you sing it):

    On the twefth day of Christmas, Granny’s Q gave to me:
    – 12 knuckle merkins
    – 11 Peter Parker’s
    – 10 Legs a lunging
    – 9 Americans hammering
    – 8 count body builders (8)
    – 7 jumpers squatting
    – 6 monkeys jumping
    – 5 Don-key kiiiiiiiiicccks
    – 4 frogs a crunching
    – 3 T merkins
    – 2 stars a jumping
    – And a burpee for both you and for meeeeeee

    COT
    Count, NOR, announcements, and prayer closed us out, where we continued to lift up Freon and his family, as well as the Brady family.

    Einstein is going to kill the pax tomorrow at the Gipper with Norwegian speed skating (it’s no joke, your legs will love it) and we’ll have more Christmas fun on Saturday when YHC returns to Q (if not before), so let’s wrap up the year strong!

    SYITG

  • December Flickerball on the Northshore – from TruCoat

    The third installment of Flicker ball on the North Shore’s lakefront pitch was a battle to the end. After a short warmup of core exercises and a push-up medley that included gorillas and spidermans, the group divided into two teams of 8 based on age. Once again the Juniors versus the Seniors went back and forth on a long field, showcasing soccer skills tuned over time, and surely depleting Pontchartrain of the local O2 source. The score ping ponged as the Seniors captured an early lead, the Juniors made a mid-game run that the Seniors rallied to close. Zoolander’s fancy footwork drew taunts by the Seniors and Bushwacker’s vigorous defense may have worn down the Seniors. With the game tied, a two-minute warning was announced that shot adrenaline in the likes of Cowbell, Baby Yoda and Bird whose coordinated pressure resulted in successive goals and the first-ever victory by the Juniors. Some 2-point scoring highlights included Barely Legal’s Messi like magical kick, SOGO’s dominating left-footed end-to-end run, and Bird’s curving shot from unfathomable distance. The pitch welcomed back to the area Burgundy from Houston and Popeye from Huntsville, and the group welcomed first-timers and Dukes of Hazzard’s relatives Fieri (8th grade) and Craggle (4th grade).

  • Die Hard is a Christmas Movie – from Jose10k

    YHC arrived early, a little extra time to stretch. Akbar must have been thinking the same, so I had someone to chit chat with this morning. During the conversation, 4 Covington PD came in hot on the top of the A1C, just to “check things out” according to the officer. We were blessed by an out of town brother, Webelow, joining us from Jackson County (I apologize if I spelled it wrong)
    Warm-up:ssh, grassgrabbers, torso twists, imperial walkers, self love (all to Christmas Time in Hollis Queens). Where the first trivia question, who was John McClain’s limo driver? Russo didn’t know the answer to this question(which was the theme of the beatdown). Argyle was the answer.
    The next question was what was John McClain’s wifes name: russo was wrong yet again. Holly Generro
    The thang: After the warmups, the PAX moseyed to the courthouse. The tragedy at Nakatomi plaza occurred on Christmas Eve, and we gathered today to honor the hero of Nakatomi: John McClain. The event occurred on the 30th floor, so that’s where we started. 30 merkins, 30 squats, 30 big boy sit-ups, 30 leg lifts. In between each exercise ran the length of the courthouse leading up to the stairs, up the stairs and then back down. Once the pax was finished we ran 1 lap around the entire courthouse.
    12 Terrorists entered Nakatomi: 12 burpees
    We now stopped on the side of the courthouse.
    ‘‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring,except for the four assholes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two formation.
    Paired up. Partner one : side lunges the entire grass section to the concrete and back, partner 2= holds an al gore thoroughgood. Repeat.

    The terrorists planned to use C4 to blow up Nakatomi Tower. The PAX completed in cadence 30 reps of these 4 “c”ore exercises: little Manny crunches, flutter kicks, Freddy Mercury’s, and penguins

    Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs.
    Famous line from the air ducts: time to do some ac duct crawling, while partner 2 does squats. Mosey back to the second floor to do a Hans Gruber pull-up: the pax hung from the raptors for 10 count, then did 30 Superman’s (he did fall 30 stories) .back to the stairwell to do 5 calve raises each to the top. And time was up.
    Trivia Question: What type of watch was Holly wearing that Hans hand was caught on? Russo was incorrect with Seiko. Pelican for the win with Rolex. Given to Holly from Ellis. More quotes from Hammer.
    5 Calf raises on each step on the way back up. Circled up for the first thing McClain did after going to the ER: Wife Pleasers in cadence for a 60 count. That’s when we were joined by Moby and turbodog. A few more core exercises.And to further celebrate the heroics of John McClain, a yell of Yippee Ki-yay Motherfu**er. The Trivia Question that Russo finally got correct. Thanks for letting me lead gentleman. COT and Hammer prayed us out. Thanks for the SplashPad joining us, thank you for Hammer to help create peace between battling AOs.
    Thought for the Season: Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas Movie? The answer is yes, and possibly the theme for the next beatdown.

  • It’s beginning to look a lot like bridge-mas – from Russo

    Low 50s again this morning, with a nice breeze to accompany us. Unlike the A1C, no early to mid 90s R&B, but maybe there will be soon.

    Warmup (all 10x – 15x)
    – seal jacks
    – Self love
    – Grass grabbers
    – Toe touches
    – Cherry pickers
    – High knees
    – Hillbillies

    Thang
    Mosey to the bridge, where at every block it was 10 merkins, 10 squats, 10 donkey kicks

    At the bridge:
    One side – 10 crunchy frogs
    Mosey
    Other side – 10 leg raises

    Rinse and repeat, swapping mosey for Carioca, side shuffle, and back pedal intermittently.

    Back at the pad, COT, NOR, Announcements, and Prayer closed us out.

    The same good mumblechatter throughout, where Pelican and I solved the world’s business problems. You should join us for enlightenment.

    Easy come, easy go. SYITG

  • Trio trekking to the Tunnel – from Shooter

    Knowing that Jose10k would not be making a post on this Gloom, YHC decided to incorporate an old common destination.. So after a brief warmup of a loop around Granny’s followed by SSH, Imperial walkers, Grass grabbers, Cherry pickers and arm circles (mix of 10IC & 15IC) we moseyed to the Tunnel.. Squats 300, Chest press 200 (with boulder of a coupon) and Shoulder press 100 (boulder) cumulative count. PAX 1 would do exercise while other two PAX utilized the ramps and flats for sprinting, Carioca, back pedal and Mosey..

    Returned to AO with 6 mins of Mary.
    15IC American Hammers, Penguin’s, Hello Dollies, Little Manny Crunches. 50 💯s and 10 on your own Nolan Ryan’s each side followed by a close out chill cut plank..

    Appreciate you both Russo and Bird for the post and until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!!

  • Have you met my buddy Peter McGroinermerkinplankerjack the mountain climber? – from Russo

    Low 50s this morning at the Pad, where I missed the memo it was “Support the Sad Sack Saints with Shirts” day, as both Pelican and Hammer proudly displayed the fleur de lis on their torsos in a show of solidarity for Dennis Allen. Here’s to win number 21 (versus 40+ losses) as a head coach this week. Pardon me while YHC looks for a job where he will have multi-million dollar salary and only succeed a third of the time (that isn’t a baseball player or politician).

    Warmup (All 1x)
    -Sealjacks
    -hillbillies
    -High knees
    -Toe touches
    -Grass grabbers
    -Torso twists
    -Self love

    Thang

    Mosey to the tunnel and back, where every 45 seconds (or so, rounded) it was one:
    -Peter Parker
    -mountain climber
    -plank Jack
    -Merkin
    -wide merkin
    -diamond merkin
    -groiner

    Once we reached the bridge, we traversed back and forth, still with the same 20 count exercise every 45 seconds (slowed to every trip through the tunnel), this time with 5 jump squats on one side of the bridge, and 5 crunchy frogs on the other.

    Mary
    Conversation got away from us, so it was only IC crunches and American hammers

    COT
    NOR, announcements, and prayer closed us out. Tomorrow Zoolander is up to Q, Grundy has a nightmare on the 17th, before that Bushwhacker has a movie night on the 14th, and before THAT if anyone is interested, our church (St. Timothy on the Northshore) is having their annual Christmas concert (with orchestra) this Sunday, 12/10, with two performances: 3PM and 7PM. Both are free and are a fantastic way to spend an evening. Call it a date night if your M enjoys the holiday season and/or music.

    Thank you to those joining, those reading, and those in general.

    SYITG

  • Ab-Solutelty “Seizing” the Opportunity to Lead HIM – from Bushwacker

    YHC feels like he has been pretty absent as of late – missing openings in my work schedule to join my brother’s in the gloom for side projects and time with the 2.0s. Yes, priorities are what they are, and no one would fault a guy for having them. But seeing an opportunity to pick up the Q at Granny’s, the Wack knew it was just time.

    There were flimsy excuses about pheasants, boxing, and working early flying about, but there were equally stalwart and brave men of the red pill showing up and giving it hell! The cool (almost deceptively so) temps this morning made for a good atmosphere to push some core!

    WARMORAMA

    x10 IC:
    SSH, IW, Torso Twists, Butt Kicks, Tuck Jumps (OYO)

    THANG

    Partnered up and while P1 ran the length of the columns, up the stairs and back, P2 did 500 LBCs, 400 American Hammers, 300 Freddy Mercurys, 200 Crunch Frogs, 100 100s, and 50 each of E2K L/R.

    Our T-Clapsgiving Silver award winner, Jose had to roll out at his appointed early time to transform into his alter ego, Mr. Anderson. And so the rest of the PAX ran a lap around the Trailhead, then proceeded to Imperial Walk from one end o the the field, do 10 IC 8 count Merkin Climbers…Mountain Merkins…a Mountain Climber and two Merkins per 8 count, and then Imperial Walk back

    Circled up in Plank position for several rounds of Ring of…Christmas! Each round had 2-3 runs for each PAX. Round 1: favorite Christmas movie (no repeats), Round 2: favorite Christmas carol (no repeats), Round 3: favorite Christmas dinner item, Round 4: something you’re grateful for

    COT

    Cout, Name, Byrd prayed us out.

    Thursday December 14 5:30pm at Wackatomi Plaza (62215 Raymond Rd) F3 Movie Night featuring Die Hard

    Sunday December 17 1pm at the Lakefront Grundy’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Bring a ruck sack or backpack with 20-40lbs of weights, bricks, etc for a annual dose of hell

    Take 2 – Saturday January 27 the 2nd F3 Camping Trip of the season in Kokomo, MS. 1 day, 1 night 1 non-stop camp fire! Gentlemen this will be one you won’t want to miss as our own Jose 10K has already officially hard committed to his 1st ever F3 Camping Trip!

    Thank you, gentlemen, for the opportunity to pay my F3 dues.

    PS There may have been and minor incident early in the beatdown that was handled with grace and caring thanks to all PAX in attendance. Many thanks.