Author: Opus

  • Friday on my Mind

    7 Grown men and one feisty 2.0 showed up for a beatdown this morning.

    Here is what transpired…
    Hallelujah Run around the church

    COP–
    Hillbillies
    Helicopters
    Combos (not the snack) All IC —
    5 SSH, 5 Merkins 5x (no stopping between exercises)
    5 WW2 situps, 5 Freddies 5x
    5 flutterkicks, 5 scissors 5x
    5 copperhead squats, 5 pistol squats 4x

    1 minute toe taps on curb
    30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest
    40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest
    50 seconds on, 10 seconds rest
    1 minute full on.

    Triple Checks at the benches–
    derkins, ww2s on benches, touch a car
    dips, skullcrushers, touch a building

    Catch me if you can — 
    one partner starts bear crawling around the building, other one does 7 burpees and then runs to catch the other one.  Switch roles.  Repeato until we make it round the building.

    Thanks to all the guys and girl who showed up today for this morning’s beatdown.  It was a beautiful morning with a little less humidity than normal.  Nothing stood out this morning as far as mumblechatter is concerned, but YHC thinks everyone was having a great time with the workout.  Pick two has become a regular again and we are glad for that!  Missed regulars Carpenter and Spit this morning.  Hope you both are doing well — see you soon!
    BTW — George Young of AC/DC fame was a member of the Easybeats back in the 60’s.  This is one of the first rock songs YHC remembers from his youth and still loves it!

    Peace
    Opus

     

  • Just a swingin’

    3 Gregarious guys galloped into the heart of Daville this morning and bravely fought the torrential downpours to make it through another F3 workout.  Oh wait, that was just my sweat.  Sorry for the hyperbole.

    Here is what went down:
    COP — SSH, Tempo Merkins, Arm Circles, DQ, Split Jacks
    10 merkins for a break along the way…
    Longish mosey to the jungle gym for the 1st triple check.

    Partner 1 run to second fence, partner 2 flutterkicks, partner 3 does lean outs on the swing (hands on swing, move swing away from you, hold for 3-5 seconds, repeato)

    2nd Triple Check  (not in the original plans) —
    Partner 1 bear crawls to 1st fence and back, partner 2 does heels to heaven, partner 3 does merkins one hand on each swing

    More running….

    Introduce Pick 2 to the hill behind the stadium
    Partner 1 runs up and down the hill while the other guys do squats.  Rotate through.
    Partner 1 runs up and down hill while the rest of us do SSH.  Rotate through.

    Try to hurry back to the flag — where does the time go?
    Decision to stop and do the numberama, namearama, etc. before we make it back.
    Helix takes off like a bat outta hell back to his car.  Pick Two and YHC saunter back…

    Announcements
    Ghost Flag at WDog…

    NMS —
    1) Summer humidity sucks.
    2) Pick Two got his truck back after $1100 in repairs after hitting a bear way back in November.  Hitting a bear
    3) Sorry for being so late.  I had so much planned we didn’t even get to do….
    4) Thanks for letting YHC lead.  The swing set exercises will be coming back…

    Peace out
    Opus

  • The Smurph — or, How we couldn’t stop staring at Rounders big bell.

    8 Smurphy warriors showed up for the monthly murph tradition at Manndate.  This month modified to be a Smurph.

    COP —
    20 Smurf Jacks
    Smurfkins
    20 Smurf Jacks
    Smurf War 2 Situps
    20 Smurf Jacks
    Jump Smurfs

    The SMURPH
    Kettlebell Waiter Carry around loop
    50 Situp Presses
    100 Goblet Squat/Curls
    150 KB Swings
    When done, take 2 laps around bus loop
    OH NO!!!!
    Gargamel takes the Smurphs prisoners — do prisoner squats and prisoner rows IC

    Back to your regular Smurph programming already in progress.  Finish as much of the second set of smurph exercises as humanly possible, then

    Finish with a circle of boat canoes.

    NMS —
    Forget the Smurph recap.  Let’s talk about Rounders elephantine bell.
    Mudface asked if it was Rounders third testicle.
    Yardsale said that when it hit the ground it would cause the USGS to put out a memo clarifying that it was not an actual earthquake.
    It was literally as big as YHC’s noggin.  That is how friggin big it was.

    Everybody kept wanting to touch it.

    See you in the gloom,
    Opus

  • Hello, Friends

    All apologies to EF Hutton… YHC had planned a Master’s themed workout before heading to 45MOM on Thursday.  After Thursday’s amazing Master’s themed workout, YHC considered changing his whole workout around and doing something completely different, but decided the two workouts were different enough that it really didn’t matter too much.

    That being said, here is the way the workout went down…
    9 amateurs showed up for a day on the links.
    Started off bear crawl on short sides of the church.  Ran the long ends.

    COP — SSH, Helicopters, crabcakes, smurf jacks, jack squats, plank jacks, wedge squats(toes out), tiger crawl R, L, in, out with 4 merkins before changing each direction.  Repeato

    Master’s Trivia quiz — Right answers are 10 crabcakes, wrong answers run and touch a car, come back and do a set of round the world merkins on the picnic benches (3 at first, then adding one for each wrong answer)
    Here are the questions.
    1. Site of the Masters?
    2. What year did the Masters start?
    3. What is the 18 hole par score?
    4. Last year’s winner?
    5. What flower is hole number 13 named for?
    6. How many amateurs in this year’s event?
    7. Which golfer came back this year after 3 years off?
    8. Holes 11, 12, and 13 have a special name.  What is it?
    9. Oldest to win?
    10. Youngest to win?
    11. Back to back winners?
    12. Who says ” A Tradition unlike any other?”
    13. Name one thing that if you brought it with you on the course would get you kicked out?
    14. According to Vegas, who has the best odds of winning?
    15.  Another name for a double eagle?
    16. Name one of the first female members of Augusta National.

    One more round of round the world merkins for good measure.

    2 balls, one putter.
    No it’s not the punch line of a joke.  PAX split into two highly unequal teams.
    Moved to the only place with light at the whole AO.
    YHC threw the yellow ball out.  One member from each team putted their ball — closest team wins and has to plank up — other team does ten burpees.  Do this until everyone had a turn.

    Mary —
    Par 4 ring of fire merkins.  PAX holds plank while one person does one merkin.  Pass around the circle.  Then two, three, then four.
    Freddie Couples (Mercuries)

    Highlights and general observations —
    1.  Good to see Patty Mayo again even if we didn’t recognize him at first.  The signature beard was gone!  He said it was a Christmas gift to his wife.
    2.  Question 9 — Spike’s answer was Jack.  YHC asked him for the last name.  He said “Nicholson”  YHC — “No, that’s an actor.  Let’s run.”
    3. Question 13 — The answer YHC was going for was “cell phone”.  What he got from the PAX was camera, weed, knives, guns, chinese throwing stars, etc.  YHC appreciated the creativity and gave them credit for a correct answer for a poorly worded question…
    4. We were planning to do a lot more bear crawls this morning, but YHC changed the plan when Wheelie said bear crawls were bad for his back early on.  YHC wants this brother to keep coming back and not injure himself again, so the plan was altered.
    5. The Jetts are not good golfers, but they are good at doing slooooow merkins.

    Go take on the day!

    Opus

     

     

     

     

     

  • Da Bears.

    6 Dudes showed up this morning for a beary exciting workout.  Here was the flow…

    Bear Crawl Mosey to grassy area
    ATM’s, Doggie Paddles (also known as the hundred), rollups, freddy mercuries, gas pumps. figure 4 lbc’s, doggie paddles, dying cockroach, doggie paddles, bird dogs, flutter kicks, tabletops

    To the road…
    Run to each light.  At each light complete 5 merkins, then hold low plank until the 6 is done.

    To the poles…
    1.grab a pole, pax holds 6 inches, first member does 10 leg lifts then bear crawls to the end  repeato until all have completed.
    2. grab a pole, 6 inches, 10 merkins and a bear crawl

    Alternate bear crawling and sprinting to successive trees on the way to the next exercise area.

    Two teams of three…
    First member of team Bear Crawls from the sidewalk to the donkey kick wall.  10 donkey kicks there and then back down.  tag up.  Other members are doing hand release merkins.

    All to the wall for a round of mountain donkeys

    Indian Bear Crawl till we get to the blacktop.  Each pax member did it two times.

    Back to the flag for some scissor kicks, flutterkicks, and LBC’s

    Numbers, Names, and over and out.

    YHC has been having plantar fasciitis issues recently and is bothered by running, so YHC decided to Q this one, knowing he had control over the amount of running we did today.  Missed seeing Carpenter and Spit there this morning.  They would have enjoyed this workout.

    YHC is never really sure how his workouts go.  Is this too easy?  Is this too hard.  YHC always thinks his workouts are way too easy.  It might be that extra energy one gets from being the Q.  Anyways, it was a fun morning of bear crawling around Atlee.   Let’s EH some people we haven’t seen in a while since the weather is making a turn this week for the better.  See you all in the gloom.

    –Opus

  • Fibonacci’s Beast

    9 Crazy guys showed up this morning for a mathematical beatdown…  Here is what transpired…

    Bear Crawl up to the picnic tables
    Skull Crusher Starter — IC 25x
    Wheel of Merkins on PIcnic Tables 5 each direction IC
    Skull Crusher part deux IC 15x
    Wheel of Merkins repeato

    COP —
    Crabcakes, Plank Jacks, Arm Circles, Heels to Heaven, Dying Cockroach, Pistol Squats, Side Straddle Burpees (8 count)

    Fibonacci’s Beast
    Run to light post, do 2 merkins, then 3, then 5, then 8, then 13, then 21 in Fibonacci sequence.
    Other exercises — American Hammers, Jump Squats, WW2 situps, Smurf Jacks, Burpees

    Bear Crawl relay — 3 teams of three.  1st person bear crawls to 1st curb and runs back, 2nd person to second curb and runs back, third person to 1st curb and runs back.

    Back to flag — hold low merkin position for thirty seconds…

    Numberama, Nameorama, Announcements, Chowdah took us out!

    What a great day for a beatdown — YHC was impressed with not only this groups hustle today, but also their knowledge of the Fibonacci series of numbers!  No one really knows what date Leonardo Pisano (Fibonacci) was born, but today seemed like as good a day as any to celebrate  the joyous occasion.

    Highlights of this morning — watching the Carpenter totally kill these exercises, having LP back today (we missed you), trying out something new and the group really responding to it, being finished with all the burpees at the end of the fibonacci.

    As always it is a pleasure to lead you all!

    Opus

     

  • Make it a double, no a triple!

    10 Surly gentlemen made it out this morning for a little non-alcoholic refreshment.   Since some of you have given up alcohol for lent, this was the way to make it happen without having to break the lenten vows.

    Parking Lot tracers — in honor of Labrat, even though  he was there this morning.

    15 burpees OYO
    1 minute of butt kickers
    1 minute of high knees (just because I like saying it)
    Helicopters
    DQ
    Smurf Jacks
    Arm Circles
    Helix Squat arm circles while doing chinooks
    LBC’s
    Figure 4 crunches
    Dying Cockroach — ikk
    Freddie Mercuries
    More Dying Cockroach — still not dead yet

    Hold low position of merkin for 10, then 15, then 20, then about 28 — in between plank for the same number of seconds

    Situp, Jump up, Push ups 5 sets — Do 5 WW2 situps, jump up, then go down and do 5 merkins, jump up repeat until 5 sets are done.

    Make it a double — PLT’s 20, then 25
    Partner jumpovers — 2 count, do 20

    Make it a triple check —
    1)Bear crawl to light, stump merkins, american hammers
    2)run to light, donkey kicks, flutter kicks

    Back to flag for a little mary
    Merkins, Crab Cakes, Boat Canoes

    Numbers, Names, Announcements

    Highlights of the morning —
    Hearing PAX members groan during the holding of the downward merkin position. You’re welcome.
    Labrat soldiering on despite his feeble state.
    Trying to figure out which car belonged to YHC and which belonged to Wheelie.
    Seeing Liono and Pitbull back out there.  Guess it was warm enough this morning.  Welcome back!
    Leading Parking Lot Tracers for the First time.
    Dying cockroach sucks for me, that is why YHC chose to do them twice this morning.

    See you in the gloom,
    Opus

     

     

  • Merkins and Climbers and Bears, Oh My!

    9 intrepid and somewhat scared voyagers set off on a quest to find emerald city this morning.  YHC revealed that this workout was based on his favorite Christmas movie “The Wizard of Oz”.  YHC lied.  Actually it’s “Bridge on the River Kwai”.  Wizard is number 2.

    Anyhoo, the adventure started like this:
    ATM’s
    SSH
    Copperhead Squats
    Side Straddle Squats or as Phonics was calling them “Jack Squats”
    Seal Jacks
    Little Baby Squats with Arm Circles
    WW2 situps
    Dying Cockroach
    Plank Lifts
    Table Tops

    Mosey to side of Chick
    1 minute of Mountain Climbers
    Squerkin Ladder — partner exercise — 1 merkin, 1 squat, keep going until 10 of each, then let partners complete the other exercise

    Ascending Testicles — 10 merkins at 15 degrees against the wall, 45 degrees and then full BTTW position

    Triple Check — Mountain Donkeys, Rotating Merkins, Bear Crawl to the edge of sidewalk and back

    Catch me if you can — One partner runs, other does broad jump burpees.  Modified to lunges and then backwards run

    Native American Run to the Flag

    Wow — what a workout if YHC does say so himself.
    Todays feature film for no particular reason (don’t get mad if you don’t like your roles) starred Phonics as the Tin Man, Emoji as the Lion, Quaker as Scarecrow, Spit as Uncle henry, Carpenter as Auntie Em, Rounders as Glinda, Helix as Toto, Spike as the Wicked  Witch of the West, and Opus as the Wizard (who looks like he knows what he is doing, but is really flying by the seat of his pants most times)

    Thanks for putting up with me and all my new things I throw out there.  Have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

    • Opus

     

  • Mann-data

    Some mann -data for your Wednesday…

    6 to 7% of men do not wear underwear on a regular basis.  Say what?

    14% of men are 6 feet or taller.

    Guys brush their teeth an average of 4 times a week in the shower.

    25 percent of men  begin to see the first signs of hair loss before age 21.

    The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories

    More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only one out of six attend church on a given Sunday.

    The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church.

    Males account for approximately 70 percent of all Ds and Fs in U.S. public schools.

    Young men are about four times more likely to commit suicide as young women are.

    5 chilly men showed up for Manndate this morning.

    COP:

    1 minute of merkins
    boat canoes
    sit up presses
    halos
    slingshots
    single arm deadlift
    single leg deadlift
    pistol squats without, then with KB IC
    Renegade Rows each side IC
    goblet squats
    racked squats
    half kneeling press
    side stepping swings
    1 minute of merkins

    CAtch me if you Can:
    1 partner KB side lunged around the bus loop, the other skipped to catch the lunger.  Modified to Waiter carry for times sake.

    Odd and Even Ladder:
    1 Burpee, 2 Tricep Presses, 3 burpees, 4 Tricep Presses, repeato up til 10 then come back down the ladder.

    1 partner does Mountain Donkeys, the other runs across the loop and back — switch until time is up.

    30 seconds of Merkins to finish.

    The data about men is startling and disturbing.  I believe that most men are looking for more in life than their current lives are showing.  We crave adventure, challenge and freedom.  We loathe the ordinary, the mundane, the cookie cutter lives that some of us lead.  We tend to  gravitate towards the comfort of an easy chair when we should be on our knees lifting up another brother in prayer, in plank position doing merkins, or spending time with our family and friends.  At times, I am guilty of trying to live that comfortable life and not doing what I need to do to spread hope or make myself a better person or inspire others to be awesome.  Let’s challenge ourselves this week to not be one of the statistics, but to help change what is considered the norm!

    Peace!
    Opus

     

  • Hot Pokettle

    There were 5 PAX members at the Hot Pokettle this morning.  It was a hot workout in the almost bitter cold.

    We started with Helix in the Circle of Pain
    SSH, Helicopters, arm circles, around the world, halos, maybe some others?

    Moved onto No Idea and 11’s
    Kettle Bell Merkins
    Lunge to the Other Side
    KB Swings

    Then it was Mudface’s turn to shine.
    We did a Quintuple check.
    Donkey Kicks on the KB
    Sit Up Presses
    Death Crawl across the lot
    KB Pulls
    Turkish Get ups

    Finally it came to Opus
    for a little Mary (4 minutes)
    Ring of Fire Merkins (10)
    Renegade Rows

    Numbers, Names, Take it out

    NMS
    YHC never realized before that the last person that goes in the HOT POTATO Q has to write the backblast.  Thanks for clearing that up, Mudface!  That means I am the only one who gets credit in big data for Q’ing!    As always, glad I was there!

    Peace!