F3 New Orleans

Tag: The Birdcage

  • Big Papi is on Bourbon St still?

    16 PAX gathered at the Birdcage on this chilly may morning. Seaman was lamenting the fact that summer hasn’t brought the heat and oppressive humidity that is just around the corner. Nip/Tuck wandered up to the waiting PAX in a early morning daze. Made me laugh.

    Roots asked me to sub his Q for him – I Q’d the first birdcage workout – so I love to step up for this one whenever I can. Mental note that next time I am going to pass the buck to YSR or Sandbar – both are ready for their VQs.

    I made my plan for our brother from Rock Hill – Big Papi. He joined us on Monday and I wanted to give him an authentic NOLA beatdown but at 230 in the AM I got the fart sack text that Bourbon St kept our man from an AM post. He is not the first exchange student to our PAX that had good intentions of a beatdown waylaid by the urine smelly street of Bourbon with its hand grenades, jazz, neon lights, etc — nor will he be the last. We enjoyed having him on Monday – maybe we will get the chance to gloom again in the future.

    Warm up: SSH x 20, Imp Walker Squats x 20, Merks x 15, Fire Hydrant x 20
    Mosey to the Row bars.
    Do 20 rows then mosey to pull ups 10 pull ups then mosey to the tables for 30 jump squats. Complete two laps of this exercise!

    Then we lined up at the tables. Power step ups down one length of the tables, bear crawl sideways on the left, bear crawl sideways on the right and power step ups down the length again using other leg. Tclaps to Nip/Tuck for figuring out how to get both legs involved.

    After that we did TABATA with Burpees (8 rounds 20 sec on 10 off)–I got in 48 burpees total.
    Our second Tabata round was Donkey Kicks. (8 rounds 20 sec on 10 off switching legs). When we were finishing Donkey kicks I stupidly said thing of me later when you ass hurts. That prompted a bunch or mumblechatter – none to be repeated here. use your imagination.

    I had two other planned TABATA rounds but time was running out.
    So we circled up for Mary. For Mary we did Hip Dips x 12 R and L, Dead Bugs x 30 (Rotate r/l) not Dying Roaches, Russian Twist x 15, and we finished with some plank walk x 20.

    We closed our circle with a shout out to G-spot who is having baby number 2 today. We also had a moment of silence to our F3 brother Papa Smurf.
    Thanks for the opportunity to lead and to push the PAX.

  • Walk The Plank

    Another beautiful muggy morning in New Orleans was met by the crew of Audubon Park for what would turn out to be a test of both mind and body (mostly shoulders).  Went as follows:

    Quick Mosey through the Bag Drop and over to Oak Alley for a warm-up

    • Lunges to the 2nd Light
    • High Knees to the 3rd Light
    • Butt Kicks to the 4th Light
    • Merkins at the 5th Light

    Mosey to The Birdcage where the groans began with the news of Ms. Dora 3-2-1.  The partners took turns running and working while reaching the following quotas:

    • Dips x300 (one more than 299)
    • LBC’s x200
    • Decline Shoulder Taps x100 on the bollards

    After a 20 count all lined up on the curb for a sort of Dominoes+Curb Crawl experience that brought moral soaring up to new heights.

    • PAX left side plank hold while each individual did 5 Merkins down the line; then swapping to a right side plank until the line of dominoes had switched.
    • Reverse Bear Crawl to the curb on the other side of the street
    • Reverse Dominoes down the line
    • Bear Crawl back to the original curb

    As the sun was coming up the PAX moseyed back towards the Pavilion and circled up for Mary.

    • Mission Impossible 20 count
    • Plank walk left / Plank walk right
    • Mission Impossible 20 count
    • American Hammer 35 count (IC)
    • LBC’s 20 count (IC)
    • Pickle Pounders 20 count (IC)
    • Hello Dolly’s 17 count (IC)
    • Mission Impossible 20 count

    Mosey on back to the flag for the count, name-o-rama, and prayer.

    Thanks gentlemen for making my VQ a great one, and for not taking me out in the parking lot.

    Hasselhoff

     

  • Birdcage Ruck #3

    Two Nola pax met up at the birdcage for another evening of Go Ruck prep. YHC initially thought Thursday evenings might bring a good crowd… You’re missing a chance at some great 2nd F if you’re not showing up. We took off at 18:10 and made our way through the park to Loyola, where we made the obligatory ascent up WPM ramps.  After quick scan of our city we descended the ramps and made our way through the Tulane campus and over to The Boot. There were many more students around than YHC expected, so we moseyed on to Maple street and stopped at Phillip’s for refreshments. From there we headed back to the park and around to the starting point. 4.95 miles were covered along w many important topics.

    Good Times!

    Roots

  • Rising Sun Brings Crowds to the Birdcage!

    The Birdcage is getting crowded for a cool morning and an earlier rising sun.
    A euphoric feeling of exhaustion, coffee, and determination to drive the masses to exercise.

    We began with the obligatory mosey and warm up circle
    SSH x20
    Imperial Walker Squats X20
    Forward Arm Circle X20
    Reverse Arm Cricles X20 (thank you Quick Draw for counting correctly!)

    We then moseyed to Oak Alley for alternating lunges and butt kicks.

    At the track we run Burpee Me If You Can out and back total 10 Burpees

    Back up Oak Ally alternating lunges and high knees.

    At the bandstand we partnered up for Dora 100 Mericans, 200 Dips, and 300 Declined Parker Peters, while partner rant to track and back.

    Lastly we moseyed to Oak Alley for alternating lunges and wind sprints to the flag!

  • Birdcage Ruck 2– Even the frogs are doing it?

    There were just two of us taking off at 18:10 from the Birdcage. We moseyed up to the fly where we met up w RY. He bought us a refreshing beverage and hiked across the fly w us for a quarter mile, then headed back to the ballfields. We continued down the levee to Cooter Browns for a refill, then made our way down the avenue for a hike up WPM to catch the sunset. Down the stairs we went and over to the park for a brisk mosey back to the birdcage where we encountered an exceptionally healthy bullfrog. We attempted an EH, but he wouldn’t budge… At the end of the trail we had covered 5.35 miles in 1:45 and many topics. 2nd F is really great on these hikes!

    Good Times!
    Roots

  • Birdcage Ruck

    Three NOLA pax made it to the Birdcage by 18:00 to peel off for the inaugural uptown ruck workout. We took off across magazine street and headed for the fly. We encountered a stopped train and considered going under, but YHC opted for the safest route and we rucked on through the rocks until we hit the end of the train. We jumped on the levee and made our way to Cooter Browns, where we were just in time for a happy hour pitcher of Nola blonde to replenish our lost calories. After our pit stop, we made our way back to St. Charles toward the park. YHC called for some sudden change and we rucked up WPM via the ramps. After our ascent we took the stairs down and made our way back through the park to the starting point. Covered just over 5 miles in 1:40.

    Moleskin: YHC’s new pack worked great. Enjoyed the 2nd F with these guys. Looking forward to more time on the road.

    Good Times!
    Roots

  • Modify When You Modify

    Nice morning in Audubon Park everyone looking enthusiastic and ready for an on your own workout bonanza.  We start with the disclaimer, including that I don’t count.  We mosey around the parking lot to oak alley.

    We pair up:

    One partner runs to the row bar and performs:

    10 burpees

    25 rows

    30 merkins

    The other partner runs suicides to the first four lights performing the following at each light:

    10 yoga squats

    10 jumping lunges

    10 imperial walker squats

    20 shoulder taps

    Repeating until partner returns then the two switch.

    Revit gives us a 30 count then mosey to the benches under the pavilion

    Pair up again, one partner runs to the pull up bars and performs:

    10 pull ups

    20 plank jacks

    30 lbcs

    While the other partner performs:

    20 v-up

    20 ski planks

    20 alternating right and left leg step up

    Repeating until partner returns then switching.

    This is where the modify happened, I was not clear on which pull up bar to go to so everyone went the the one by the flag as I went to the one around the track (valuable lesson be more explicit and try not to get too creative).

    Vader gave us a 20 count then we performed pick your poison mary.(everyone picked an exercise and did a 10 count(9 count) on each exercise.

    Back to the flag, count, name-o-rama, and prayer.

     

    Thanks for letting me lead today,

    86

     

  • Improvising at the Birdcage

    “Ruck this!” – Birdcage Pax

    First GrowRuck AO training of the season!  Hawg, Cowbell and YHC wanted to launch the first one at an Uptown AO to spark some more interest from the NOLA Pax….stuff like “Look at how cool there bags look!” & “Wow, I wanna join in the fun too!!” & “Where do I sign up??”.  Cowbell & YHC were clown-carring and talking about cool things to do with rucks, and YHC was going to incorporate them all into the glorious beatdown.  Cowbell and YHC thought the Pax would be ready to go in the Birdcage gloom:

    PUMA puma backpack GIF

    Instead, we got this:

    South Park unsure sharon marsh standing stephen stotch GIF

    No one knew what to do…We were saddened.  Not even JV or RY had theirs!  Oh well, time to improvise… but first…DISCLAIMER

    The Thang

    Let’s mosey…Cowbell & YHC threw our rucks in his truck bed (blah)….around the parking lot, and over to a grassy area by the bandstand. You see, there was a ruck beatdown in my head, and I had to abort my plan (this is why I never plan these things anymore) and come up with something on the fly…time to think during the warmup

    COP #1: Warmup…( + Shorty’s thoughts)

    10x Burpees OYO…(maybe we could do team stuff like Dora…or maybe we could just do Burpees for 30 minutes <–half joking on that one)
    10x SSH IC
    9x Burpees OYO…(what am I going to do?…Elevens??….I wish some of The World was here, they would know what to do…Man, the Pax should’ve just brought their rucks!!)
    10x SSH IC
    8x Burpees OYO…(Got it! – complete Warmup after this one!)
    10x SSH IC

    More or less what happened.  I think Quick Draw called me out by saying “He’s just making this up”….Yes, my friend, I was.  Mosey over to the bottom of the bandstand by the pond, and partner up in groups of 3 Pax.

    Circuit #1:  Merkincides / Storm the Beach

    Pax A: Merkincides down lamp post alley.. 15x Merkins each time you are at the startline (75 Merks total). Once done, mosey back to Pax B & C to complete the round.  [Timer]
    Pax B: Pax 1 of Storm the Beach – Jump ups to then climb up the Bandstand…at top, do Planks until Pax C tags you out.
    Pax C: Pax 2 of Storm the Beach – Jump ups to then climb up the Bandstand…at top, do Sumo Squats until Pax B tags you out.

    Each group of 3 Pax cycled through the job roles one time.  Great job men!

    Mosey to the half way point in lamp post alley, and partner up into a group of 2 Pax.

    Circuit #2:  8-count Body Builders / Animals – courtesy of Hawg’s email preview (Tclaps for the idea).

    Pax A: AMRAP x 8-count Body Builders IC…got through about 8 – 11 reps of these each set.
    Pax B: Bear Crawl out to a lamp post, Frog Hop back to the start [Timer]

    Each group of 2 Pax cycled through the job roles two times.

    Mosey to the end of lamp post alley by the track.

    COP #2: 6MOM

    12x Crunchy Frogs IC
    12x Putins IC
    12x Flutter Kicks IC
    12x Hello Dolly IC
    12x Real Freddie Mercury IC

    Mosey to a grassy area near the virtual shovel flag (VSF).

    COP #3: Plie Work – a Plie is a low squat, toes pointed out at a 45º angle. Pax held this position and did the following:

    8x Front Claps IC
    8x Above Claps IC
    8x Wing Flaps IC
    8x F. Arm Circles IC
    8x B. Arm Circles IC

    Done! Circled around the VSF, where we held the COT – Countoff, Nameorama, Shoutouts and a Prayer.  Thanks for letting me lead!  Maybe next time there will be more rucks!

    Moleskin

    • On a serious note, F3 beatdowns will get you prepared for a GORuck event.  If you are having doubts about making it through the event, rest your mind since our F3 training has the combination of cardio & strengthening you need be ready for the event.
    • That said…GrowRuck 03 is 06.10.17.  Just sign up… everybody is doing it!
    • Check the F3NOLA emails…lots of great stuff in there!

     

  • Burpee Fun Time

    With only Saban’s single burpee on Monday the PAX requested a healthy dose.To enhance our Wednesday morning experience, we added a fun movement to every burpee.

    After mocking Tickles’ shorts that he apparently stole from John Stockton in the 80’s, we moseyed:

    1st COP – the warm-up: SSH x20, Mountain Climbers x15, Elbow MC x15, IW x20, Peter Parker x15, Elbow PP x15, Low slow squat x20

    To the bollards: Burpee Knee-Up suicides – starting at one then increasing by one per light intertwined with 5 merkins at the bollards

    Over to the benches: Dips x20, Bulgarian Split Lunges L x15, Dips x15,  Bulgarian Split Lunges R x15

    Back to the bollards: Burpee Star Jumps suicides intertwined with 5 diamond merkins (stars and diamonds)

    Once more to the benches: RLSU x25, Incline Merkin Right leg up x15, LLSU x25, IMLLU x15

    Mosey to the track by the lights: Bear crawl to the 1st light then five Half Burpee-Plank Jack-Mekins, crab walk to the second then Five HBPJMs again repeat to the third and forth light

    Final COP for mary:

    Russian Twist (aka The Carter Page or The Paul Manafort or The Roger Stone) x20

    LBC x20, LBT x20

    Russian Twist again (also aka The Micheal Flynn or The Jeff Sessions or The Rex Tillerson or Ivaka’s BFF…F’ it…I’ll just call it “The Treason” from now on to simplify things) x20

    Back to the flag for count-off, name-o-rama & a short prayer.

    God Bless America!

     

     

  • New Thang

    Perhaps the Today Show spot has energized the Pax a bit as 21 men posted at The Birdcage today.  My take after watching the video was that there is whole new world of exercise out there- why not try some?  They can often fail but we can’t just do burpees and bear crawls forever.

    The Thang:

    Pre-disclaimer directions to Whoop on where to meet us after his own warm up in the men’s room.  Disclaimer and mosey around the lot and back to oak alley.

    Warm up:

    • SSH X 30
    • IW Squats X 20
    • Arm circles front X 20, back X 20
    • Peter parker X 20, Squat jack X 20, Mountain climber X 20

    Partner up for some running and AMRAP

    • Runner: oak alley and back to track, Partner: burpees, switch
    • Runner: track to the left through parking lot and back down oak alley, Partner: squats, switch
    • Runner: track to the right to dirt path and back down oak alley, Partner: LBC, switch

    First ‘new’ exercise of the day is the Bataan Death March.  Perhaps similar to Catch Me if You Can.  One of our F3 OG’s will have to school us on the difference.  Something like this:

    • Two columns in a mosey.  Last guy drops and does 5 burpees then catches up to column to tag the last guy and proceeds to the front of the line.  Out and back on the track until everyone had a chance at the fun.

    Back to oak alley for some animal work.  Bear crawl, duck walk, crab walk, bear crawl through the sets of lights.

    Slow mosey to the benches under the shelter.  I think Whoop is out the bathroom.

    • Left leg on bench for right leg power ups X 20
    • Right leg on bench for left leg power ups X 20 (These benches may not be regulation height, good thing we have a disclaimer!)

    Last ‘new’ exercise of the day: Ascending Testicles

    As a urologist Q this is must do.  This is not to be confused with testicular torsion, undescended testicles, retractile testes, dislocated testicles, testicular rupture, atrophic testes, or horse nuts.  I think the pax may have mumbled each of those clinically relevant terms during this exercise and I applaud the attention to men’s health!

    • Feet on the wall 15 degrees above plane for 10 mercans, climb the wall to 45 degreees above plane for 5 mercans, climb the wall until ‘balls to the wall’ for a 10 count.  This was hard.

    Mosey back to the flag (Roots!!) for count off, nameorama, announcements, and intentions.  COT in the form of sweaty ball of man.  Dear lord please help us to continue to improve and be willing to accept help as means of growth.  Thanks for the chance to lead!