Tag: The Birdcage

  • Hot December Morning

    It’s hard to believe its so hot in December….Oh never mind this is New Orleans wait a day and it will be forty degrees.

    We started out with a mosey to Oak Ally first running by the female boot camp for inspiration.

    At Oak Ally we did suicides

    -10 x V-ups at the start

    -5 x burpees at each light pole

    Indian run to the row bars.

    Four stations at the row bars:

    -Merkins x 20 for the count

    -Side Lunges

    -Mission Impossible

    -Rows

    Mosey to the tables under the pavilion

    -Decline Merkins x 15 for the count

    -Dips

    -Alternating step ups

    -Alternating super step ups

    2 circuits of these exercises.

    On your own Mary:

    -LBC x20

    -Russian Twists x 15

    -Dying Cockroach x 10

    Mosey back to Oak Alley for Suicides again

    -Jumping Squats x 10 at start

    -Bear Crawl to shoulder taps x 5 at each light

    Indian run toward pull up bars then running back (jogging two markers sprinting one) to the flag

    -plank-o-rama, count off, name-o-rama, prayer

    I spared everyone from my inability to count so everything was stations, suicides or on your own.

     

    Thanks,

    86

     

     

     

  • Silence is Golden … Pain Per Syllable

    With apologies to 86 for posting this backblast after his awesome V Q, YHC couldn’t wait any longer because that unrepentant, recalcitrant, inveterate fartsacker Shorty (and, no, that doesn’t mean you’re entrained to The Rebels) is talking way too much smack to stay silent.  I don’t have the patience of 86.

    So after a terse but complete disclaimer, 86 was off for a long mosey without a word.  With the obvious reminder that My Deed Is My Word, 86 would lead by example.  We circled up at the Alley of Death for some suicides.  The instructions were recited once.  [Lesson One: you need to listen to others, it’s not about you.]  Mosey to first lamp post for 5 burpees and return for 10 V-Ups; mosey to 2d for 5 more burpees and return for 10 more V-Ups; same to third lamp post; and same to the fourth.

    After a call for a 15 count from Roots, a single call for an Indian Run to the row station.  Again, the instructions were recited once.  [Lesson Two: see lesson one.]  Break into four groups: 20 Merkins for the count, Side Lunges AMRAP, Mission Impossible til the Merkers say recover, and Inverted Rows AMRAP.

    Mosey to the shelter by the band stand for another split into four groups.  Again, one recitation of instructions.  [Lesson Three: if you didn’t get Lesson One or Two, you’re hopeless.]  15 Derkins for the count, Dips AMRAP (which for YHC ended up being about 12), Steps Ups AMRAP, and Single Left High Lifts (switching legs every 5) AMRAP (which for YHC ended up being about 6-7).  After a single call for a 20 count from C-Man(?), a single call to Rinse and Repeat.

    “Let’s Mosey.”  Ended up being way shorter than YHC was fearing: only to the bollards just outside the shelter.  [For those who’ve skipped The Birdcage too many times or have been there but never listened to the engineers in the PAX, the bollards are those thick posts jammed into the ground.]  The tease was all the more cruel because the next round was two or three levels below Dante’s Ninth Level of Hell: more suicides with the five lamp posts up the Alley of Death.  The instructions were terse and simple: at each lamp post, five sets of a single pair of shoulder taps in plank, bring hands back to feet and hop up; at the bollards, ten jump squats.  Again, a single recitation of the instructions.  [Lesson Four: Listen well, and don’t assume that it will be easy, because this was probably the toughest DownPAINment in months: sorry, Hawg and Bubba; don’t even think you’ve been close, Rudy.]

    YHC assumes there was another call to Mosey, but perhaps not.  Anyway, another Indian Run mosey around the track to some location that YHC couldn’t discern as being any different from anywhere else.  The instructions from there were as short and clear as all the rest: slow mosey past two stencils in the road (the outline of the guy running with arrows in both directions), and then haul ass (YHC’s words; I think 86 simply said run) to the third stencil; and repeat a second time to end up back at the Flag (which in fact was not virtual, but in fact real this time, courtesy of YHC because he knew that the uptowners can’t be relied on in this regard; their flag producing abilities resemble Shorty’s posting abilities).

    End with some planks.  It went like this.  “Regular Plank.”  Silence for an indeterminately long period.  “Put your right hand behind your back.”  Again, silence for an indeterminately long period.  “Regular Plank, again.”  The third word took YHC by surprise: it seemed so surprisingly effusive, but 86 is after all a chef in New Orleans: he certainly is well versed in the sparing use of lagniappe to make the surprise an integral part of The Experience.  Anyway, silence again for another indeterminately long period.  “Put your left hand behind your back.”  Yep, more indeterminately long silence.  “Recover.”  That was it.

    Thank God we were done.  This was more Pain Per Syllable than I thought humanly possible.  Mumble Chatter is easy, but the required use of listening ears throughout the Pain is a challenge.  Today was another good reminder that we gain wisdom, insight and strength by listening, not by idle chatter.  [I did overhear 86 comment at the end that we didn’t do any COPs because he doesn’t like to count: yeah, that’s what all yogis say.]  After a Count-Off and Name-O-Rama, a prayer of thanksgiving for the holidays and new year.  Thanks, 86, for a great Q.

    Jingle Vader

  • VQ with my ROLEX on

    Wednesday 11/09/2016 at the Birdcage. 0530 on the Rolex. There was a brief disclaimer and something about being nervous by the VQ. There was mumble chatter concerning the watch. Some more mumble chatter regarding election results, late night, be tired etc.

    There was a brief mosey to the soccer field in front of the zoo for a warm up.

    SSH X 20 IC
    IW X 20 IC
    Markings X20 IC
    20 Squats IC

    The breathless Q led the mosey to the pull up bars. We divided into three groups, 3, 3, and 4

    Three stations
    Group 1 20 pull UPS, they called the count
    Group 2 Lunges
    Group 3 Plank walk

    Each group made each station twice.

    The supportive PAX then moseyed to the light posts for LIMPS (OYO)
    Mosey to the first light and back 20 Lunges L
    second light and back 20 IW I
    third light and back 20 Merkins M
    fourth light and back Plank walk to squat X 20 P
    wooden posts and back 20 Squats S

    There was a 20 count and then a mosey to the birdcage for Mary. The memory of YHC is unclear on the order of the Mary due to exhaustion, but it went something like this.

    OYO 20 low plank hip ups, right side
    Fat Boy yoga- plank/child’s pose/downward dog
    OYO 20 low plank hip ups, left side
    OYO 20 Hello Dolly
    and the finish, 10 Terkins!

    Terkin- a horrible Merkin variation discovered by Watching Shaun T videos. It is a Merkin where you alternate bringing a knee to the same side elbow as you go down. Yankee said they would be seen again.

    Mosey to the flag for counterama and namorama. Ball of man, the Sky Q was asked to give Mr Trump wisdom and mercy. Thanks were given for having a group of men who wish to be better, better fathers, better husbands, and better brothers.

    VQ done

    Quick Draw OUT

  • Tinkles Twofer

    After the sub-Q on Monday I was back to my regularly scheduled birdcage Q today.  Word must have gotten out about the fun that was missed or perhaps some were thinking one post under my Q was enough for one week, but the result was 9 fresh faces today to add to 6 repeats from Monday.  Lucky for all the birdcage is not known for much running but the aim was to push ourselves none the less.

    The Thang:

    Disclaimer and mosey around the track to open golf course space for warmups:

    • SSH IC X 30
    • Imperial walker IC X 30
    • Monkey humpers IC X 30
    • Peter Parkers IC X 30
    • Arm Circles IC X 20 and then revers X 20

    Walk over to the pull up station.  We will get good at these one way or the other.  We split into three groups:

    • First group: 30 pull ups as a team. Can be divided up anyway the team chooses though the count should be consecutive and not simultaneous.  Somethings are hard to explain in the gloom but we eventually got it right. This is the count
    • Second group: plank walk
    • Third group: plank jack
    • Rinse and repeat.

    Scenic route back to the shelter by the flag, grab some bench (a high bench at that) :

    • Right leg knee ups IC X 30
    • Incline merkin IC X10
    • Left leg knee ups IC X 30
    • Decline merkin IC X 10

    Slow mosey to bandstand for some Mary:

    • Putins IC X 20
    • Pickle pounders IC X 10
    • Dying cockroach IC X 15
    • Rosalitas IC X 21
    • A brief pause to ask the pax who had shat their pants. The stagnant air of the bandstand seemed to keep it around for a while.  A lot of finger pointing though no one fessed up.
    • LBC IC X 25

    Grab some fresh air in front of the bandstand for our last COP:

    • Jack Webs up to ten merkins and 20 airups. Jack Web must have been sadist, albeit an effective one.

    Clock running low but just enough time for a jog, bear crawl, crab walk, jog at alternating lights back to track.  Finished!

    Count off, nameorama, and announcements.  Not announced but the pax needs to think about some 2nd F one evening soon.  We can decide to invite the World or keep it just uptown ;)! No intentions but a prayer of thanks and a plea for God to make us the best men possible!

     

  • Chevy to the Levee – Watch out for the wood?

    Humidity was nasty again today after a few days of cooler air.

    Today was going to be Quick Draw’s Vq BUT he asked for a few more weeks delay – eventhough he posted this AM.

    We started with a mosey to the soccer field on the way to the levee. Here we did our first COP.
    SSH x 20, Monkey Humps x 20, Imperial Walker Squats x 20, and Side Lunge Slides x 20 (this was new and a tricky cadence but I liked the exercise)

    Then we mosey’d to the levee. At the levee we did 20 peter parkers on the river side then ran back to the bike path and did 19 peters, then 18 – down to 12.
    At 12 we did a plank and wait.
    From 12 down we did plank walk for 11,10,9,etc down to one.

    After we finished that levee work we circled up for a COP.
    LBCs x 25, LBTs x 25, Side Crunch x 20 both left and right, Russian Twist x 20, Iron Cross x 20, Crazy Legs x 20, and Wife Pleasers x 20

    We made a big circle for a modified Ring of Fire. 6 rounds of merkins. We crawled to the middle, the left and the right. The whole time there was concern about doggie landmines. We all survived with no casualties.

    After the Mary session and mini-ring of fire we started to run back to the flag. At the train tracks we straddled the tracks for 10 wiley coyotes ON YOUR OWN. On the way back to the SF we ran into a truck that had a decapitation friendly board hanging off the back of its bed. We all escaped with our heads.

    At the COT we prayed for the lack of leadership on the national level. Thanks for getting me out in the gloom!
    Peace-
    RY

  • VQ – Special Mission

    On a gloomy morning last week, I received word, while I sat on the can, that I would be Q’ing, so it would start rolling down from there.  I’m not sure what the V in VQ stood for.  In Naval Aviation it is a special mission squadron so I thought I had to be all secret squirrel with the glooms events.

    Started with light mosey and warm up

    20 – SSH

    20- Windmills

    20- Imperial Walkers

    20- Shoulder Slaps.

    We sashay, shanted over to Audubon for a little Dora 1-2-3

    In the first wave we did Jack Webbs 1:2 while the second group ran around the island.  We did this x3

    After Roots complained about his the bricks bothering his knees, we moved to the island grass where his 6 would enjoy three rounds of Thors (Full Crunch with Twists on the end) we did this x3

    The final round of Dora was 1 leg lifts alternating legs every 10 while the running group lunged to the end of the island and jogged back.  We did this once as it hurt….a lot!

    Oh and we had an FNG (Fiddler New Guy) whom we named Stradivarius with little deliberation.

    Before we left Audubon we did 20 Declined Parker Peters and 20 Dips.  From there we sashay, shanted back to the flag.  With time remaining we did Burppees in honor of those who EH’d me into F3 (Roots, Newhart, Cavalier, Reddit, and Duey)

     

  • Audubon AMRAP

    10 men present for the beatdown Wednesday morning.

    Mosey over to the fairway of the 4th hole on Audubon Golf Course.

    COP#1

    20x Seal Jacks

    20x Peter Parkers

    12x Alabama Ass Kicker (each leg)

    15x Imperial Walker

    20x Smurf Jacks

    Mosey to fairway of 7th hole.

     

    12min AMRAP – 20sec exercise 10sec rest.

    Burpees

    Superman

    Plank Jacks

    Monkey Humpers

     

    Mosey back to fairway of 4th hole.

    Jack Webb 10 sets

    Stay put for MARY

    Mary AMRAP – 20sec exercise 10sec rest

    Freddie Mercs

    American Hammers

    Flutter Kicks

    LBC’s

     

    Mosey back to Flag pole for the 3rd F

     

  • Channeling Sergeant Merwin J Toomey

    The gloom was lifting and rain abating when 14 young recruits and I ventured out at the Birdcage.  Disclaimer.  I am not a professional trainer, heck I’m not even semi-pro, but we all have to do our part.

    Mosey towards the Fly.  Stop in front of the zoo first.

    COP 1- SSH x 25, Plank Jacks x25, Mountain climbers x 25, Seal jacks x 25 10 Burpees

    Mosey to the Levee by the soccer fields.

    stopped for 10 burpees on the way (20 total)

    Levee COP 2- 7’s (instead of 11’s) with ascending count of squat jumps at the base and a descending count of Merkins at the Apex

    Mosey to the soccer field

    10 burpees (30 total)

    COP 3 partnered runs- #1 1 runs backwards across field and returns forward while other partner lateral line jumps.  then swap.  #2. 1 side steps across right leg and back left leg while other partner lunges. then swap. #3. Sprint across and back while partner river dances then swap.

    10 burpees (40 total)

    COP 4 Bear went over the mountain.  Bear crawl over the hill and back while partner plank walks) then swap

    10 burpees (50 total)

    Running our of time.  Fast mosey back.  Stopped twice to let stragglers catch up.  10 burpees each time instead of planking (70 total)

    Sprint to the flag.

    Count off, name-o-rama, named the FNG (who is a big dude that normaly carries a gun and I can’t believe you all made me name him Lacey).  Prayer of gratitude as we watched the real sergeant run by with some ROTC cadets.  Great morning to be in F3!

  • The Outsider from Lake Terrace

    There is strength in numbers.” – Swahili Proverb

    16 men made up the Pax for today’s beatdown.  Although Uptown thinks there is no one/place else in the world, YHC was welcomed with open arms for a Q at the Birdcage (at least initially). Let’s get to it, but first….

    DISCLAIMER

    Tha Thang

    Quick mosey around the golf course parking lot and over to a soggy patch of grass

    COP#1

    10x Burpees OYO
    20x SSH IC
    9x Burpees OYO
    20x Seal Jacks IC
    8x Burpees OYO

    Mosey over to lamp post alley and partner up

    Pax #1 – Merkincides (10 Merkins at start, then run to a sequential lamp post (1..2..3..etc.) and back… there were 5 of em.
    Pax #2 – 12x Dips IC, then up and over the bandstand until Pax #1 is finished…maybe got 6 – 9 sets of these.

    Once done, we took a short walk-to-mosey over to the 4th lamp post and partnered back up for some gassers.

    Gassers = Pax hates the Q, but the Q loves you!!

    smile pleased reaction

    A gasser consisted of running back and forth for 40 secs, then hold Al Gores for 15 secs
    Pax #1 – 3rd lamp post and back
    Pax #2 – 5th lamp post and back

    We did these 5x.  On the 5th Al Gore, we did low squat pulses x 15IC….remember, YHC loves you!

    Slow mosey over to the labyrinth for some Mary time… oh, hello there, creepers in the dark…

    black and white horror scared creepy scary

    YHC called an audible, and we headed back over to a grassy area that was lit up near Magazine.

    COP #3 – 6MOM

    15x Putins IC (we never do these first)
    15x Flutter Kicks IC
    15x Hello Dolly w/ Leg Lifts
    Plankorama – Q Command style

    Back to the flag, where we finished with a COT.  I don’t think the Birdcage will welcome an “out-of-towner” again…this was RY’s reaction (insert “Shorty” for “Spana”)

    …but it’s always a pleasure to Q here.  Thanks for letting me lead.

    Naked Man Moleskin

    Speaking of strength in numbers, the F3 NOLA Convergence is 8.15.16.  Mark your calendars, and let’s get every Uptown/Northshore/Lakeview/Metairie/Gentilly/etc Pax to post to this.  Numbers are powerful!

    GO Ruck is 11.11.16…Do it!
    http://www.goruck.com/tough-challenge-new-orleans-la-11-11-2016-10834/p/E010834

  • Acronymophilia

    After a friendly reminder from Mother Yankee, YHC showed up early this morning and even with a watch (tho per Roots it was four minutes slow). So after a lame disclaimer, a PAX of an even dozen began the THANG.

    Mosey to warm up.
    Good Mornings x15IC
    Imperial Walkers x30IC
    SSHs x30IC
    Peter Parkers x30IC

    Mosey to soccer field for first COP, or what YHC called COMBS. Split up into five groups for some OYO.
    C – Crawl across the soccer goal for the count.
    O – Overhead claps (basically SSHs forcing the lazier PAX to do it the right way)
    M – Merkins, obviously.
    B – Could’ve been Big Boy Situps, but wasn’t. Burpees, of course.
    S – Squats

    Rinse and repeat for some DownPAINment, except this time C is 10 Corn-on-the-Cobs: basically, 10 pull ups alternating from side to side.

    Mosey for second COP. It was going to be ATMs (alternating shoulder taps, then tempo merks and then fast merkins), but QHC had a senior moment. So instead, it was a Merk-and-Burp ladder. A single burpee, then the next burpee with two merkins, then the next burpee with three merks, etc. to a merkin with ten burpees, then back down: a burpee with nine merkins, then a burpee with eight merkins, etc. down to a regular burpee with just one merkin. So that was 19 burpees and 100 merkins.

    Mosey to Popp Fountain for third COP, or what YHC called LIMBS (he had thought of CLIMB, but forgot was C should be). It’s a variation on Dora. The PAX paired up. 75 lunges, 75 imperial walkers, 75 merkins, 75 burpees (sorry! not really), and 75 squats. While one of the pair started the LIMBS, the other ran down the allee and back, and then pick up where partner left off, etc. In the words of SpongeBob, ARRGGG.

    Short, slow mosey to a quick Mary: 101 LBCs. If QHC can count, that’s about 200 merks, 100 burpees and 100 LBCs, plus some lagniappe because the weather was so cool.

    Mosey back to flag for Namorama, jumbled announcements, intentions, and a muddled prayer. Thanks for putting up with old dudes, YHC