F3 New Orleans

Tag: The Undertaker

  • Christmas in the Gazebo – from Rudy

    Thank you BooBoo for reminding me that I had the Q, as I’m not usually a regular Uptowner. But that prompt served as a much needed kick in the rear, as I’ve been quite guilty of repeated fart-sacking (aka “shorty-ing”) of late.

    So – here we are, around a flag, shivering and shaking, looking at the puddles of mud everywhere. What better way to start a Friday am! 12 folks joined in the fun – so with a quick disclaimer, we were off to the rocks.

    Quick warm up cycle – YHC finds that he *really* needs the sllloooowwww Windmills to get started. But lets grab a rock and head to the Gazebo – Mahatma style (no resting rocks on shoulders! carry ’em!)

    The Thang:

    Christmas Songs! Yay! YHC queued up his Spotify Playlist (including favorites like Destiny’s Child, Queen, Run DMC, Vonda Shepard and more). While we celebrate the coming holidays, we’ll run through 10 sets 3 times (yes, a total of 30 sets. PAX math skills need help early in the am). Each set: 45 seconds then 15 seconds of work (yes, 30 sets each for 1 minute equals 30 minutes of work).

    Shoulder Press, Lunge, Curl, Big Boy Situps, Burpees, Rows, Squat Jumps, Bench Press, Box Cutters and finish up with the Irish Jack Ass (thanks, Screwtop, for introducing me to these – they really kick my ass. 45 seconds of them? Yeah right – something for me to strive for…)

    Back to the Rock pile, and back to the flag.

    Welcome aboard “Ring of Fire” (though I’m regretting not going with “Sunshine”. But such is life.).

  • Us Against H8!

    Conditions: Humid, 74 degrees, Humidity 95%, Wind 8mph from ENE

    Warm-up:  Mosey from the flag to the start.  Warm-up on your own.  No time for SSH or Grass Grabbers or J-Los, we’ve got work to do.

    The Thang:  The H8!  F3 NOLA’s overly complicated, semi-annual, feat of strength.  The stick by which our fitness is measured.    

    Each lap consists of running south to the top of the levee, crossing canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running south to the bottom of the levee, cross canal and run north to the top of the levee, cross canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running north down the levee and back across canal to the starting point.  At the starting point you do a descending burp and merk pyramid starting at 8 (burpee with 8 hand release merkins, burpee with 7 hand release merkins, …, burpee with 1 hand release merkin)

    At the end of the 2nd lap the burp and merk pyramid starts at 7, etc.

    The goal is to complete 8 laps in 40 minutes.  According to MapMyRun, each loop is approximately 0.4 miles.  Therefore, to conquer the H8! you will have to do the following in 40 minutes:

    • Run over 3 Miles of Hills
    • 550 Yards of Bear Crawls
    • 36 Burpees
    • 120 Merkins

    NMM

    • The construction at the south base of the levee caused for a slight re-route.  The H8! Committee did a good job of ensuring that the change was slight and the overall distance was not affected so that this fall’s running of the H8! Is considered official. 
    • T-claps to all of the guys coming out for the first time.  I think Heart-A-Quake, Mama’s Pride, Undertaker, Disclaimer, Bieber, Bartman, Catfish, Big Easy, Snooze were all first timers. 
    • I didn’t keep a record of who made it and who didn’t.  I am pretty sure the success rate was just north of 50%.  That’s really good, especially for having so many new guys.  Our fitness continues to accelerate.

    One of the core principles of F3 is that it is open to all men.  But just proclaiming that you are open to all men doesn’t cut it.  We have to be intentional about making sure that we are welcoming to all men and that we are not unintentionally excluding anyone.  There are lots of things that can make men different from one another, but most of them have nothing to do with what F3 is about.  I just mean to say that participating in an F3 workout has nothing to do with what race you are, or what your financial situation is, or what religion you are, etc.  (Side note:  I do think it’s important to think about those things and make sure that we are not being unintentionally exclusive because of the make-up of our Pax.  My point is just that the core principles of F3 workouts could apply to anyone, anywhere).  One thing that does have a lot to do with F3 is fitness level.  That’s why diverse fitness levels have to be considered when planning every workout.  It is important that the guys that have a high level of fitness are getting smoked and it is important the that guys on the lower end of the fitness spectrum are staying with the group and are not being left behind on their own.  I would like to think that we are pretty good across F3 NOLA at making sure that each work out feels like a team event, that we all have a goal of getting better and that we are supporting each other to reach that goal, no matter what our current fitness level is. 

    One of the complaints that I have heard about the Iron Pax Challenge is that it is not consistent with F3 in that way; that it puts the focus on the individual and even worse, ranks the individuals.  Some men  that aren’t at the top feel a sense of embarrassment or shame that they aren’t comparable to the guys at the top. You could make the same argument about the H8!  There’s certainly a sense of completing it and not completing it. 

    Personally I think competition like this is really important.  If you want to run faster, you have to run with faster guys.  In order to accelerate our fitness, we need to be in the back of the pack striving to get to the front.  I enjoy competition and I think it plays an important role in growth.  But I also think that it is important that we work hard to keep the sense of comradery and teamwork that all F3 workouts have.  The H8! Is something we all want to conquer and that we want to help each man conquer. 

    There are a couple of quotes that have stuck with me from the book “Run the Mile You are In:  Finding God in Every Step” by Ryan Hall, the American Record Holder in the half-marathon and the fastest American to ever run the Boston Marathon (2:04).  He said “Competition can be a beautiful thing if we are focused on making ourselves and others better and are not concerned about how we stack up with everyone else…..this is why comparisons in athletics and in life are so fruitless.  When we compare, we miss the joy of the journey as well as the joy of the achievement.”     

    Let’s make sure we keep pushing ourselves and each other, without compromising the joy of the journey.  A common motto at an F3 work out is that it’s “You against You”, and that is very true.  But it is also true that it is “Us against H8!”

  • Loredo at The Foundry

    Ten PAX posted in City Park to get their Wednesday off to a good start. On the heels of Memorial Day, YHC thought it would be fitting to incorporate a Hero WOD, especially for those of us that missed The Murph days before. Here’s what went down:

    Mosey to the practice track for a quick warmup consisting of SSH, IPW, WM, and AC. Then YHC filled the crew in on who Loredo was:

    U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Edwardo Loredo, 34, of Houston, Texas, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was killed on June 24, 2010 in Jelewar, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his wife, First Sergeant Jennifer Loredo; his daughter, Laura Isabelle; his stepdaughter, Alexis; and his son, Eduardo Enrique.

    The Thang: Loredo WOD, push hard, AYG, check your time at the end, boomer friendly tunes played for added motivation.

    • 6 Rounds For Time
    • 24 Air Squats
    • 24 Push-Ups
    • 24 Walking Lunges
    • 400 meter Run

    All PAX finished in the 20-something minute range, a few times were estimated:

    Saban 21:00, Walleye, 23:08, Tool 26:29, Bogey 24:05, Kuch 24:44, Beignet 25-ish, Full Nelson 25-ish, High Rise 23:35, The Undertaker 25:30, Belloq 22:50

    We did some round robin Mary until all PAX finished, then a few more rounds for the female onlookers, who mumbled something along the lines of “where’s that handsome guy named Sheetrock?”

    Capped things off with 4 minutes of Plankorama, with first 2 min in silence to pay a little more homage to Staff Sargent Loredo and our fallen soldiers.

    COT and prayer.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead.

    Tool

  • Everybody H8s Okwata

    The Q Sheet has been updated and there is plenty of room to Q Okwata. Join us at the “Wide Water”. Today we reminisced on some of the “Best Of’s” to ever grace the Lakefront Sunrise.

    W/U

    • Mosey around the fountain > Butt Kicks > Karaoke > High Knees > Karaoke
    • SSH x 25
    • IW x 25
    • AC x 10 x 10
    • MC x 20
    • JL x 10

    The Thang(s)

    • H8 (2-3 Laps) – Each lap consists of running south to the top of the levee, crossing canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running south to the bottom of the levee, cross canal and run north to the top of the levee, cross canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running north down the levee and back across canal to the starting point.  At the starting point you do a descending burp and merk pyramid starting at 8 (burpee with 8 merkins, burpee with 7 merkins, …..burpee with 1 merkin)
    • Top 40 – Exercise is 4 sets, 10 reps, alternate sides of the levee for each set. The exercise chosen was for the originator of the Top 40, Irish Jackasses.
    • Murph – 10 Pull Ups, 20 Merkins, 30 Squats; run a lap up & down the levee. Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
    • Mary at the flag – Crunchy Frogs, Dying Cockroaches, LBCs

    Couterama, Namerama, Naming of the FNG (another Chalmation!), COT

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead,

    Da Parish

  • Off on the wrong foot

    Over a month ago I opted to sign some of the usual suspects on the Q sheet for The Chamber of Horrors and The Foundry, mostly consisting of members of the highly exclusive Lakeview Clown Car. I tried to be a good citizen and alert Holygrove Tuesday evening on Mumblechatter that he had the Q for The Foundry, in case he didn’t check the spreadsheet. In the event that he wasn’t able to/didn’t make it I would come up with a beatdown and fill in since I was the one who signed him up in the first place. However late last night Dirty Dell informed me that he was actually the Q, as I had inadvertently looked at the wrong week. Dell wasn’t able to make today despite his best intentions of having a 311-inspired beatdown. So I agreed to fill in as Q.

    All this was a precursor to the odd scene that took place outside my house at 5:15. Screw Top is the usual chauffeur for me and Shuffles for the north-side crew of the LVCC. No sign of either of them. At 5:17 I sent a text asking what was up. 5:19 I opted to just get in my car and go because I didn’t want to be late. I was glad to be joined by 9 men (Shuffles drove himself as well) at the virtual flag for what was sure to be a little bit of a different beatdown.

    Warm up:

    Mosey over to the track. Along the way to the back side of the track I called out carioca to the right, carioca to the left, butt kicks, and high knees. Circle up.

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • Windmills x 10 IC
    • Arm circle x 10 fwd/rev IC each
    • Track grabbers x 15 IC
    • Self love x 15 IC

    At this point Sheetrock who had also overslept decided to join us. Instructions were given to mosey to the pavilion by the festival grounds, sweep the 6 if needed once we get to the Children’s Museum. It was not needed as the PAX stayed tightly bunched.

    Tha Thang:

    1) Splint into 2 groups for some walk through exercises:

    • Lunge walk with a twist there and back
    • Toe Walk there
    • Heel walk back
    • Lateral monster walks there and back

    2) Crazy Indian – All 11 PAX got into balls to the wall position. First man ran around the outer edge of the pavilion until he reached the first available post and resumed balls to the wall. All remaining PAX hold balls to the wall position. Proceed like an Indian Run and once runner reached his post the next guy took off. Everyone took 1 lap around the pavilion. Much harder than I anticipated.

    3) Modified ring of fire – Everyone circle up and maintain a side plank position. One PAX performs 5 side leg raises and proceed until each member has done 5 reps and the circle was completed. 20 sec rest. Rinse and repeat to opposite side.

    4) People’s Chair and more – I feel like we hadn’t done this in a while so we did 5 versions of the People’s Chair for 30 sec each.

    • Feet flat (standard position)
    • Shift weight to ball of foot
    • Shift weight to heel
    • L Single leg
    • R Single leg

    5) Chicken Peckers – I found this on the exicon and the name alone made me want to try it. Basically it’s shoulder taps in a balls to the wall position. 15 reps IC.

    Mosey back to the virtual flag. Count off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, sweaty ball of man. Look forward to the next time and sorry for all the confusion on who was actually going to Q.

  • Sloppy Seconds Ain’t My Style

    Today is March 2nd, which means we’re nearing the end of the (sometimes) cold season here in New Orleans. For those of you keeping track, and I’m sure you all are, my attendance has been spotty over the past several months in what can only be described as F3 hibernation. I loathe below-50 degree weather and do my best to avoid it, especially if its also been raining. I know many people hate the humidity here, but I’ll take the heat any day.

    Now, given the Calvinist nature of the Q assignment, we (usually) don’t select our own Q-ings, but are predestined according to the (presumed) foreknowledge of the AO site coordinator. And as such, I’ve only “reported for duty” on days when the temperature was 50+, unless I was predestined for Q-ing in the cold (see 11/13/2019). But it seems that Rock City AO coordinator Mahatma, in his grace and mercy, saw fit to elect me to Q on March second, a day that had no cold and no sloppy ground – really a perfect weather day.

    So it began with warm-up exercises in the traditional Rock City warm-up area. It was the usual bag of tricks:

    SSH

    Abe Vigodas

    Imperial Walkers

    Grass Grabbers

    Peter Parkers

    Arm Circles

    All @ 26 each. There appeared to be some great letdown among the PAX that 26 had no significance other than having an equal number of forward and backward arm circles. Sorry for those that thought that I might be honoring P.J. Williams or celebrating my 26th birthday…

    Next up we gathered our rocks and headed to the football field, where we paced 10 yards for every exercise, from the goal line, in reps of 15, in cadence:

    Curls

    Tricep Extension

    Merkins

    Chest Press

    Shoulder Press

    We then partnered up for a dash from the 50 yard line to the goal line and back, while the alternating partner worked to complete the following:

    Burpees x 50

    World War II Sit-Ups x 100

    Squats x 150

    Flutter Kicks x 200

    Rows x 300

    Finally, we reversed our 10 yards/reps of 15/in cadence to the original goal line, finishing with just enough time to return our rocks and circle up. I have to say, given my F3 hibernation as of late, I’m definitely not in the same shape I was in November. So much so, that I was fading badly on the last set of tricep extensions and apparently lost the ability to count. Fortunately, Mahatma stepped in and picked up my slack continuing the cadence. It reminded me of that scene in Casino when Joe Pesci is all coked out near the end of the film, and he starts to beat a guy to death, but then doesn’t have the stamina to finish, so one of his henchmen takes over to finish the beatdown. Only without the coke. Or murder.

    In closing, we had no announcements, only prayers for those in our F3 community and those connected to it, giving thanks and glory to God.

    *The title of this post was a line uttered by Danny Zuko (John Travolta) in the movie Grease referring to…well, not muddy fields or March 2nd.

  • 1 Year Anniversary

    My how time flies. I have been getting up to workout at 5:30 3-4 times a week for 1 whole year. It was a major lifestyle change and I could not be more appreciative for my boy YaMomAnEm getting me out here and off my lazy butt. 16 men joined me at The Foundry for what I hoped would be a fun filled and full body beatdown. Disclaimer was given and off we moseyed to the track.

    Warm Up:

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • Windmills x 10 IC
    • Self love x 15 IC
    • Track grabbers x 15 IC
    • Arm circles x 10 each fwd/rev IC

    Thang #1:

    The previous night I, along with multiple members of F3, attended the Lakeview Civic Improvement Association meeting regarding all the crime that has been going on in the city. In honor of this we split into 2 lines and did a Prisoner Indian Run over to the cement cylinders outside of the Children’s Museum. Here is where we spread out to perform Butkus. 1 minute of step ups then a 30 second rest break. 2 rounds for each leg for a total of 4 rounds.

    Thang #2:

    Mosey over to The Foundry where we split up into 6 groups of 3 (there was 1 group of 2). 6 stations consisted of:

    • Burpees (the counter)
    • Jump the snake
    • Lunges
    • Mountain climbers
    • Dips
    • Monkey bars

    First round completed with 15 burpees. 1 minute rest break. Second round completed with 10 burpees. I opted to use the monkey bars as they were originally intended and each member of their group would swing across the bars back and forth until time was called. My apologies to everyone 6 ft and taller.

    Thang #3:

    Mosey back to the warm up spot at the track and sweep the 6. Just enough time to squeeze in The Gross. 12 reps of 12 exercises. Some IC. Some not. Follow the Q’s instructions (looking at you Rudy).

    • Low slow Squats
    • Jumps (don’t let heels touch ground)
    • R side lunges
    • L side lunges
    • Floyd Mayweathers
    • Carolina Dry Docks
    • Diamond merkins
    • Nolia Clap (overhead hand claps)
    • Flutter kicks
    • Hello Dollies
    • Box Cutters
    • Freddy Mercury’s

    Mosey back to the flag. May have been 1 minute over but we’ll survive. Count off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and sweaty ball of man.

    My thanks again to all the men of F3 for continuing to push me both physically with each beatdown and mentally when trying to construct the beatdowns as Q. It’s been an honor and a pleasure and I can’t wait for the next year.

  • Redux of Round One

    Following the honored tradition of Amnesty for Rock City, YHC did a repeat Q (not than any of the PAX had the slightest clue, since they seem to all fartsack on Sundays and are never seen at Sweaty Bells). 

    Warm-up: SSHs 25xIC, Hill Billies 25xIC, Arm Circles 25xIC, Squat Pulses 25xIC, Windmills 25xIC, and (with a brain infarct and thus variation from Sweaty Bells) Merkins 25xIC.

    Mosey to the track for the THANG: Shoulder Presses 20xIC halos, Curls 20xIC, Squats 20xIC, Rows 20xIC, and then a mosey around the track.  Rinse and repeat, but with only 15 reps IC each time and a lap around the track in the opposite direction (lots of mumblechatter from the lemmings).  Rinse and repeat again, but with only 10 reps IC each time, and then a lap around the track in the original direction.  Finally rinse and repeat with just 5 reps IC and a final lap around the track in the opposite direction again.

    Return to rock pile for a Circle of Mary:

    • LBT x20
    • Flutter Kicks x20
    • Hello Dollies x20
    • American Hammers x20
    • Crunchy Frogs x20
    • Dying Cockroaches x20
    • Manmakers x10 OYO

    Count Off, Name-O-Rama, Intentions, and COT.  Thanks to the PAX for helping me recover by glasses after the Post.  I would have been up Schitt’s Creek without ’em, JV

  • Everyone Loves Jailhouse Rock, a Tribute to the King.

    Everyone Loves Jailhouse Rock, a Tribute to the King.

    In Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, in a two-room shotgun house in East Tupelo, then a separate municipality that some called the “roughest town in north Mississippi,” Elvis Aaron Presley was born. Times were hard in the U.S., especially in the South, when Elvis Presley entered this world. To be born poor then was not unusual. What was unusual about Elvis at his birth is that he was a twin. His twin brother, Jesse Garon, did not survive, making Elvis what is called today a “twin-less twin.”

    W/U

    • SSH x 35
    • HB x 35
    • IW x 35
    • AC x 18, Reverse x 17

    The Thang

    Don’t Be Cruel

    • Burp & Merk to 10 Merkins

    All Shook Up

    • Sit on your “throne” like Elvis and in COT style state your Hospital Name, F3 Name, & Favorite Elvis Song.   Hold until the end of the COT. (Jailhouse Rock is the clear favorite among F3 PAX. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that it was the first song mentioned).

    We Can’t’ Go on Together with Suspicious Minds

    • Lunge Indian Run from track to road, then Indian Run to NOMA

    Find your twin Jesse Garon Presley for Dora 1-2-3

    • 100 Merkins
    • 200 Squats
    • 300 LBCs

    Indian Run back to the Flag.

    Counterama, Namerama, COT.  Happy Birthday Elvis!

    Thank you for the opportunity to Lead, Thank you very much,

    Da Parish

  • Baby, it’s cold outside

    To quote the late great Johnny Mercer, ‘baby, it’s cold outside.’ Or at least it was last Wednesday at The Foundry. When we got out of the car, it was 39 degrees with wind gusts of 20+. To get the blood pumping, I issued the disclaimer & then we mosey’d from the flag to the museum. Once at the museum we did the warmup.

    Warmup:

    Side straddle hops – 15 in cadence

    High knees – 15 in cadence

    Butt kicks – 15 in cadence

    Mountain climbers – 15 in cadence

    Windmills – 10 in cadence

    Self love

    Next we did The Thang:

    The Thang:

    Mountain climbers – 25 in cadence

    Irkins on fountain – 25

    Mountain climbers – 25 in cadence

    Box jumps on fountain – 25

    Mountain climbers – 25 in cadence

    Dips on fountain – 25 in cadence

    Next we partnered up and did a Dora 1-2-3. We did 100 merkins, 200 LBC’s & 300 calf raises. While one partner was doing the exercise, the other partner would run a lap around the museum

    Lastly, we did a burpee circuit on the museum steps. We ran up & down the steps of the museum & then did 1 burpee. Then we ran up & down the steps again & did 2 burpees. And so on until we reached 7 burpees.

    Once we completed that, we took a quick water break & then mosey’d back to the flag. Once at the flag, we did the count-off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions & prayer. It was a cold day, but a good day. And, as always, thanks for the opportunity to lead, fellas