Tag: Steve

  • Growing Up with Throwing Stars & Brass Knuckles – from Steve

    YHC was so sure that no one would be posting at the Splashpad this Friday that I had a contingency plan for a solo beatdown, but no actual plan if someone were to show up.

    With Akbar waiting in the parking lot and Pelican coming in soon after, plans to head to the Marsh for a murph were scrapped and it was time to wing it.

    Usual warmorama proceeded by four corners: 5x kraken burpees, 10x lunges, and 15x big boys at each corner.

    This Friday’s topic of conversation was growing up in the late 80’s, those troublemaking friends you had that for some reason had throwing stars and knives and BB guns lying around their house and no parents in sight, and just how much of a leash you should give your kids nowadays so they can still make their mistakes and learn from them. (Poll revealed that despite the unlimited access to everything these days, our particular kids are all somehow more sheltered than we were at that age.)

    Next up, a stop by the Depot, where Step Downs are finally gaining some traction with the Pax (YHC heard Akbar complaining about them Saturday). Mix of the usual, step ups, Bulgarians, step downs, jump overs, calf raises, slow squats, x10-12 IC, punctuated by some freak nasties between sets.

    Head over to the trailhead steps for a set of 11’s – merkins at bottom, Sister Mary’s up top.

    Wrapped up with a quick Mary, COT, and Pelican prayed us out, reminding us to be thankful for the gift of forgiveness. Happy Easter gents.

  • Easter Saturday – from Waterpik

    With the Q sheet empty mid week, YHC grabbed the Q for the beatdown on the lakefront. Temperature 54 degrees to start the workout, beautiful westher this time of the year.

    Warmup consisting of seal jacks hill Billies, side straddle hops, wind mills.

    Mosey to the shaft for the main thing. On today’s menu was 11’s. derkins, reverse merkins, stone mountains on one side and Superman’s, sister mary Catherine’s, and rower sit ups on the other.

    Rinse and repeat with some speed work, burpees and rocky balboas on the seawall in between the sets of 11’s.

    Enjoy Easter with your families, men!

  • Scrambling Ballz on the start of March madness!! – from Shooter

    Well sir Wacker, I am not sure if you would approve of the naming today. Let’s just say it went way wrong way quick and we stuck with it and the FNG welcomed it like a champ… The regulars were there with Hammer, Steve and Waterpik. Chewy decided to post and Ruck and what do you know he also EHed his previous nights victor on the tennis courts to join..

    Well we did a short warmup of Good mornings, Grass Grabbers, Butt kicks, Merkins, Jump squats, arm circles, Cherry pickers and seal jacks..

    Moseyed Shooters Sidewalk with chatter of stamping the newly installed sidewalk with his signature or some type of marker distinguishing his appreciation of tax monies spent recently. Ruckers went out 20 and back.

    Runners completed the 40 mins of run on time and completed the standard 20 Waterpik Merkins.

    Ruckers returned and we counted off and the PAX thought of names for the FNG but Hammer scored the unique name for our new PAX. Welcome Ballz Deep!!

    He most certainly embraced it and there you have it… BD will hopefully post at an AO near you to explain the details..

    Until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!!

  • Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow? – from Steve

    Well, for starters, because you’re gonna forget half your backblast. Kids, don’t procrastinate – write your backblasts as soon as you get home – not after you get off work, two days later. What I do remember… well, it was chilly! A surprising 39 degrees and you will not hear me complaining. (YHC will, however, complain and curse Louisiana in a month, once that heat hits. I agree with Pelican, we should hibernate in the summer.)

    So with just Russo and I for the second Tuesday in a row, we kept it simple: deconstructed burpees at each intersection on our journey through the streets of Old Mandeville (and back of course), and then half a Murph once we hit the Marsh.

    As is often the case with me, conversations tend to turn towards my love-hate relationship with all the various animals my family has forced upon me. A terrifying sequel to Pet Semetary could easily be filmed in my backyard with all the animals I’ve buried under our trampoline – cats, a rabbit, frogs, snakes, dwarf hamster, fish, hermit crabs. Seriously. Hopefully it’s not a sacred Native American burial ground.

    Anyway, my complaints about my cats barfing all over the house were dwarfed by Russo’s incredible story of his cat partially coughing up a piece of string that subsequently had to be pulled out by his wife – inch by never-ending inch – while birthday party guests gathered around and watched in horror. I imagine a similar scene played out in one of the Poltergeist films, but you’d have to consult our cultural encyclopedia The Hammer for confirmation.

    Anyway, Russo and I were able to solve City Hall’s fiscal crisis during our half Murph (nice new soft pad replacing the Marsh mulch, btw!), as well as come up with a 10 point plan for how to tackle the ever-growing concern of AI. It’s incredible what can be done when you set your alarm for 4:45am. Hmm. I guess I did end up remembering most of it. Maybe procrastination ain’t so bad?

    Russo, thanks for the being the rock of, not one, but TWO AO’s. You da man. Appreciate you and your steadfast commitment!

  • The Fairy Ring – from Akbar

    14 strong today – with a little EH help from Shooter’s backblast – on this wet gloom for a pre Saint Paddy’s day celebration.

    Legend has it that fairy rings were caused by fairies, elves, and Leprechauns dancing in a circle. If humans joined in the dance they would be punished and made to dance in the ring until they passed out from exhaustion – or DIED. In 1518, the French town of Strasbourg experienced it and other outbreaks across Europe happened in the 10th century.

    It is an unsolved public health mystery, and the most recent case showed up in Mandeville, La at the Lakefront beatdown. There were exercises, dancing, moaning, and groaning, and yes – Fairies.

    Pax : Baby Yoda, Waterpik, Pass Interference, Jose 10k, Duke of Hazzard, Wicket, Bushwhacker, The Hammer, Brexit, Bird, Steve, Russo, Shooter, Akbar

    Warm Up: x10 IC: SSH, Windmills, Arm Circles, Swimmers, Backstroke, Overhead Claps, Toe Touches, Grass Grabbers

    Mosey over towards Rips, circle up for instructions.

    The Thang

    6 exercises x 10 OYO – while listening to YHC’s high school playlist, with an Irish jig after each song. When the Irish jig came on we would mosey in a circle until finished, and pick back up where we left off. A non-stop 30 minute beatdown with no breaks.

    The idea was full body on the wall – (Jose10k noted this was mostly upper body). Then lower body on the Irish Jigs. YHC did not do the math, but the Irish Jigs were around 50 seconds, and the other songs were an average of 3.5 minutes.

    Exercises:

    Wide Tempo Merkin, Step Ups (2 is 1), Freak Nasty, Renegade Row, Reverse Grip Irkin, Stone Mountain

    Irish Jig: High knees, Hallelujah runs, lunge walks, runs, butt kicks

    Fairies are Real
    A quarter way through the playlist took on a mind of its own, skipping ahead, playing a song for 3 seconds, then all together stopping. Were the fairies messing with Q? We killed the tunes and pushed forward. With no music, it looked like the scene from Halloween when the prisoners escaped from the loony bin.

    Time called and we moseyed back to the Flag for some leg work.

    3 sets x10 IC of Sister Mary Catherines, Calf Raises, Copperhead Squats

    Mary x10 IC: Freddy Mercury, Hello Dolly, Rosalita, Flutter Kicks, Heels to Heaven, Hummingbirds (100 100’s), LBC’s

    Time called, reverse count, name-o-rama, YHC prayed us out, and we headed to Coffeeteria.

    Thanks for coming out and following the lead.
    SYITG – Akbar

  • Bare bones backblast – from Russo

    Back to the good grind after what felt like months away this morning. Great weather in the low 50s, and good chatter with Steve as YHC jumps back into a normal routine.

    Warmup (all 10x)
    – good mornings
    – Self love
    – Seal jacks
    – Grass grabbers
    – Cherry pickers
    – Imperial walkers

    Thang
    No real rhyme or rhythm this morning, just laps around Granny’s, starting at the benches where it was 10x (mostly IC):
    Freak Nastys
    Durkins
    Step ups (2 is 1)
    BSSs (2 is 1)

    Over to the pilot house for 3 calf raises each step, then lunges from start to garbage can, followed by a short bear crawl, and a straightaway back pedal.

    Rinse and repeat 3 or so more times all of it, and you have an idea of our morning accomplishments.

    Mary (all 15x IC)
    – LMCs
    – gas pumps
    – Flutter kicks
    – crunchy frogs

    COT, NOR, Announcements, Prayer, in that order. Prayer focused on our family and friends that we continue to lift up.

    SYITG

  • What the Ruck is going on you Ruckers? – from Shooter

    Well, I expect the runners at the Scramble. Where are my Ruckers at? Hogsbreath has stayed committed even after the RCR.. So, I ask again but more specific where are my Mandeville Ruckers at?
    Thats the theme of the morning as 5 HIMs moseyed through Mandeville, eventually running into 1 Rucker on Messina.. Prior to the mosey a light warmup of 10IC and 15IC Mummy kicks, Selflove, Butt kicks, Seal jacks, Good mornings and some run stretches.. We returned to the AO and completed 5mins of 10IC Mary Little Manny crunches, L/R elbow to knee F/J, heels to heaven 10 OYO and Nolan Ryan’s L/R F/J finishing with a Waterpik go too 20 Merkins..

    Appreciate the post and see you in the Gloom!!
    👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!

  • The Big Man Doesn’t Disappoint – from Steve

    I had my reservations when I sent out an EH over slack and received back no biceps, no bombs exploding, no thumbs ups. (To Jose’s credit, I did receive a private GIF from him explaining his absence – see, we need a GIF / video option!).

    With heavy rain throughout the night and a few other private texts saying, essentially, negative ghost rider – things were looking bleak. But I shoulda known! You never underestimate the reliability of Mr. Shooter. With just YHC and the Big Man there, it felt like a blast from the past. Hard to believe that we’ve been working out together for nearly 8 years.

    With more rain threatening, YHC set up a quick ladder of merkins, squats, LBC’s, and freak nasties so we could get to work under the covered corridor. Now, I’ve learned many things from Shooter over the years (though mastered none of it): when to get the best prices on Blue Bell (and of course, best flavors), the many uses of deer urine, how to be a good Pee-Paw once that time comes, and generally, what it looks like to be a good man. But one lesson that Shooter has impressed upon us often would not be heeded today and that is to always, ALWAYS descend!

    Instead we ascended and descended the ladder, but honestly, it wasn’t tough. With no burpees or groiners or Bulgarians, it was just enough to get a light sweat and still be able to chatter.

    Appreciate you Shooter, and I hope I get another 8 years of hitting the pavement with you brother.

  • Rolling Dice with Dora!!! – from Shooter

    YHC is not sure what kept so many home today.. Was it the glove recommendation, not sure. Maybe the fact that I have not led a Saturday in some minds EVER, flattering. Or did most just have better things to do than roll Dice with Dora.. Whatever it may have been, 8 still decided to take the red 💊.. Hopefully YHC delivered what was expected but if not just maybe some of you will feel it tomorrow or the next…

    Warmup was brief
    10IC
    Imperial walkers, Hillbillies, Grass grabbers, Good mornings, Cherry Pickers and Mummy kicks..

    Thang
    Split into two groups
    Trigger was the block work

    100 (Squat thrusters/Kettle swings)
    P1 25 reps while P2 rolled the dice..
    For those not familiar Bushwacker made some blocks with stated exercises (Merkins, SSH Burpees, Putins, Jump squats etc.) numbers varied from 5 to 50..
    F/J and at the end Indian run Marigny and back.

    200 (Curls/Tri extension)
    P1 50 reps while P2 rolled the dice..
    F/J and Indian run

    300 (Chest press/Overhead press (time expired)
    P1 75 reps P2 rolled the dice..

    Thankfully the PAX only shared the count in one roll of 50 Burpees..

    Appreciate the post and until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!!

  • It is done! – from Shooter

    Well the Scramble has lost some excitement from the previous weeks numbers, however 6 HIMs still took the red pill 💊 on this beautiful Gloom.
    With 7 days remaining for RCR and every man having different goals to finish. YHC made sure to at least give each man 4.33 miles this morning. Arrived with Steve already out there logging miles and Hammer stretching preparing for the run..
    0515 came and after some warmups of 10IC Imperial walkers, SSH, MC, Superman’s, selflove, Cherry pickers and Scorpion kicks.
    Bushwacker and Hogsbreath rolled in hot..
    YHC was able to finally keep the PAX on the newly completed sidewalk down to Monroe and zig zagged back through Mandeville and returning to AO.
    Lots of great chatter..

    Appreciate the post and until the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!