Author: Purple Rain

  • No thanks, I’d like to live.

    A twelve pack of admirable HIMs transformed a Seattle grunge-type of morning into a launch pad for an awesome weekend. Overcast, decent temps, the school year in full swing, we got after it. 7 sharp!  

    Short mosey to the basketball court. 

    Circle up. SSHs, 10 arm circles forward and 10 backward, 10 copperhead squats, Andy Dufresne, dead man hang, merkins, 30 Freddie Mercurys w/ variable cadence, 10 hello Dollys, cobra and downward dog, recover 

    Indigenous run (man in back = 2 squats) to the parking lot across from the dog park. 

    Running back and forth across the width of the lot, 11s. Jump squats and spiderman pushups. Next! 

    Mosey to the ball field where we did indigenous chain smokers. Man in front bear crawls. From foul line to foul line. 

    Mosey to the far end of the lot, enter the woods, approach the exercise equipment. Triple check time. Runner to the gate and back, pullups, dips. 

    Mosey out of the woods to the nearest parking lot. First to 50 at each corner of the lot, winner calls next exercise: squats, LBCs, something like Lt. Dans but w/o the squat (we couldn’t remember the name of this exercise), merkins, shoulder taps, mountain climbers, I know there are three or four more exercises I’m leaving out. We smoked it until the clock ran out. Time called. 

    Names. Numbers. Announcements. Father/daughter dance at the beginning of November. VQ week coming up in early November. Check slack for the rest. McRib took us out. Prayers for those impacted by Helene. For the family of Six Shooter’s co-worker, left behind by an untimely death. 

    Great effort this morning fellas. I was feeling a little ho-hum about the day when I woke up, but after the beatdown, I felt my positivity returning. Posting for an F3 beatdown usually has that effect on me. Thanks for joining me guys! Hope you all enjoyed the menu. It is always an honor to lead you.

  • I can’t make it easy enough for you to not bitc#

    Four bros assembled in the morning mist to get after it. I was in a mellow Q mood after an aerator had its way with me yesterday, and the PAX abided, but with some welcome resistance. So with much mumble chatter and a dash of vinegar…

    Helicopters OYO, Andy Dufresne, dead man hang, merkins, downward dog and cobra

    20 swings, 20 goblet squats, 20 single leg deadlifts (10/leg), repeat 3x

    10 WWIIIs, 50 single count American hammers, 75 calf raises, repeat 3x

    20 upright rows, 20 skull crushers, biceps 21s, repeat 3x

    20 overhead presses, 30 one arm rows (15/arm), repeat 3x

    Time called. The old hundred is a hidden gem of an AO, a special place where calories, according to certain wearable tech devices, evaporate, despite a seemingly casual atmosphere. Don’t ever change old hundred. As someone totally unqualified to offer any opinion on exercise and fitness, I recommend mixing up your weekly regimen of boot camps with runs, rucks, kettlebells, and other unusual shit. Your body in ten years, maybe next week, will thank you for the variation.

    Names and numbers. Hermey took us out. Prayers for Dumar’s dad who I understand is doing well, for brothers on IR, for Wildcat’s hip, and all things unspoken.

    Until next time. It is always an honor to lead you.

  • Raging Hormones

    I think the back blast title is self-explanatory. Men and women of a certain age, ah, well, we had a fun morning with sprawling conversations covering many topics. Like our F3 brethren at other AOs we also saw the UFO, staring slack-jawed while interstellar travelers approached our blue marble. UFO sightings are now a shrug and carry on with your day-type experience here in 2024.  

    We did eventually get around to working out. 

    Warmarama: 

    Helicopters in cadence, rotator cuff stretches, Andy Dufresne, dead man hang, hold a deep squat, downward dog and cobra stretch

    The Work: 

    20 KB swings, 20 goblet squats, 20 single leg deadlifts (10/leg), repeat 3x

    20 Romanian deadlifts, 20 upright rows, 75 calf raises, repeat 3x

    20 merkin pull throughs, 30 – 40 one arm rows (15 – 20/arm), 50 single-count American hammers, repeat 3x

    20 overhead presses, 15 skull crushers, biceps 21s, repeat 3x

    Time called. 

    Kegger at Heist’s pad tonight from 8 until the cops show up. But please leave by 9:30. BYOB. F3RVA 10-year anniversary convergence bootcamp at the Dogpile AO on 9/21 from 7-8 AM. New AOs popping up all over, thanks to the male community leadership bubbling up from the F3RVA headwaters. Sign up to lead one of them on the Q sheet, or at least head over to The Deep, Green Mile, Goyne Hard, or Ruckhenge to receive a beatdown. 

    YHC took us out. 

    Thanks guys for a fun morning. As always, it’s my honor to lead you. 

  • Bourbon Muscles

    Five men of steel seized the morning, and thus the day. Sixty minutes is a long time to do hard stuff, and it went something like this. 

    Warmarama:

    Andy Dufresne (center, R & L), dead man hang (center, R & L), helicopters, 10 HRMs, merkins in cadence, 30 variable cadence Freddie Mercurys, cobra stretch and downward dog

    The Nitty Gritty: 

    The following movements were completed crossing the width of the basketball court and back again:

    Broad jump burpees, lunges, inchworms, crab walk, bear crawl over and crawl bear back

    Next up, an indigenous people’s run about ¾ of the way around the entire park, man in back does three burpees and sprints to the front. Ended our run at the concession stand, for…

    This awful thing Big Rig does! 

    Dora. 100 stiletto squats, 200 jump squats, 300 monkey humpers. Timer bernies up the steep hill next to the ball field, runs across the deck behind the concession stand, descends the stairs, and relieves their ailing partner. 

    Mosey into the woods for a group exercise bank. While the PAX is getting after it, one PAX member at a time does 10 pullups then rejoins the group, at which point another PAX member goes for 10 pullups.

    1000 LBCs

    500 dips. During the dips, pullups were replaced with a bear crawl. 

    Mosey back to the parking lot. Two rounds of a merkin ring of fire. Finished up with 100 heels to heaven. Time called. 

    Nice intimate group this morning. We tried to remember all the various upcoming F3 events, dates, times, places. After failing to recount many details, we summed it up as check slack. But there is a lot going on, which is awesome. 

    YHC took us out. 

    Thanks for joining me gentlemen. It is always an honor to lead you.

  • Crowdsourcing

    Seven dudes, seven kettlebells, one parking lot, a Fitbit showing 5:30. You know what time it is!

    Mosey around the school, sans kettlebells. Circle up for:

    Andy Dufresne straight up, R then L, helicopters in cadence, dead man hang straight down, R then L, hold a deep squat, 20 merkins in cadence, Fudd and Wilson’s wives, in plank position R foot to R hand and hold, reverso, Freddie Mercurys w/ variable cadence

    YHC hit the easy button and let the PAX decide today’s workout. 

    The parking lot has 4 corners. Corner 1 = upper body, corner 2 = lower body, corner 3 = core, corner 4 = wildcard, PAX rifle carried their kettlebells between corners. The PAX chose the following exercises: 

    Corner 1 = Overhead press, merkins, clean and press, lawnmower pulls

    Corner 2 = Single-leg deadlifts, goblet squats, single-leg calf raises, Romanian deadlifts 

    Corner 3 = Plank pull throughs, swings, WWIIIs, lay on back with feet together and raised 6” off the ground and perform 25 chest presses

    Corner 4 = Curls, skull crushers, American hammers, burpees 

    Some time still on the clock. Circle up to bank reps, everyone’s reps count toward the group total. We did 200 curls, 200 skull crushers, and 200 swings. OYO stretching for another minute or two before time called.  

    Hermey took us out. 

    Lots of good mumble chatter. If you plan to go to Busch Gardens, a chat with Heist or Tzatziki will help you make the most of your visit. OC gives the best gifts; ask him if you need ideas. Hermey likes to fish. Boberry answered your prayers and is bringing IronPAX back next month. Lots going on. Check Slack. Get in on the action. Thank you all for showing up and putting out. Always an honor for me to lead. 

  • 6 Hard Men

    5:30 and we’re off! Quick mosey round the school. Nice intimate group today, good chatter, good vibes, high humidity. An eclectic playlist and some serious work going on. But first…

    Andy Dufresne, straight up, over to the R then L, helicopters in cadence, grass grabbers in cadence, dead man hang, straight down, to the R then L, hold a deep squat and maybe bounce a little bit, butterfly stretch, lie on back R leg held to chest then L leg, 10 merkins in cadence, the wives stretches

    The Work:

    All of the following 4 blocks of 3 exercise pairings performed in sequence and repeated through 3x with KBs.

    20 swings, 20 squats, 20 single leg deadlifts (10/leg)

    50 single count American hammers, 20 Romanian deadlifts, 75 calf raises

    20 upright rows, 20 bent over rows (10/arm), 20 WWIIIs

    20 merkin pull throughs, 15 skull crushers, 21s

    Time called.

    Crabgrass VQ @ Satan’s Hill this Friday. Shirts (check slack) up for preorder celebrating 10 years of F3rva. 10 year convergence 9/20. Too many other things to mention. Check slack!

    I really appreciate these guys, their resolve to show up and do hard things. It’s inspiring to see. And it’s always an honor and privilege to lead. Prayers giving thanks for our blessings, and for the opportunity to gather in fitness, fellowship and faith.

  • Swung

    8 model HIMs posted to the old hundred for some KB action. Great to see everyone! I was concerned Wildcat had gotten the best of our local PAX yesterday but later reprimanded myself for such thoughts; F3 men ALWAYS rise to meet any challenge. With a choice playlist (Talking Heads, Stones, Dire Straits, Bon Jovi, etc.) and occasional mumble chatter supplying the soundtrack, this happened.

    Warmaramma: Andy Dufresne stretch straight up the middle, then right and left side stretches for the lats, helicopters, deadman hang, grass grabbers, deadman hang to right then left sides, SSHs, hold a deep squat position for a nice stretch, Wilson and Fudd’s wives, 10 slow & deep merkins, lay on your back with right then left knee held to chest, overhead triceps stretch

    The Work: Groupings of two exercises, one performed directly after the other (a superset), all with kettlebells, we performed each grouping 3x

    20 swings, 20 (10/ leg) single leg deadlifts, repeat 3x

    20 (10/leg) reverse lunges, 75 calf raises, repeat 3x

    20 Romanian deadlifts, 15 WWIIIs, repeat 3x

    40 one arm rows (20/side), 20 merkin pull throughs, repeat 3x

    Biceps curl 21s, 15 skull crushers, repeat 3x

    To run down the remaining 1.5 minutes, a ring of fire. Time called. BTTF. Oh. We never left the flag.

    F3rva has so much to offer; between boot camps, rucks, KB workouts, runs, and other spur of the moment activities, there is a ton of variation to keep from overtraining while torching calories and encountering HIMs. The blade stays sharp.

    Announcements: A lot happening in the world of F3rva, and it’s great to see. Field day convergence 7/4 @ Forrest Hill park. Daddy/daughter dance in early November. An upcoming family camping trip. If you see an opportunity on Slack to help out, especially in areas where your heart and skills are in alignment, reach out. Get in the game. Be a part of the rising tide which lifts all ships.

    Prayers: No requests, but there are always unspoken needs. Hermey took us out.

    Thank you everyone for turning out and putting in the work. It is always my privilege to lead such great guys!

  • Butterface

    Nine brothers showed up and put in the work, rocked out if you will. The air smelled skunky, with maybe some burned rubber mixed in there? Just trying to paint a picture folks. We stood in our circle with zero mosey for 45 minutes, but veins bulged, chests heaved, and metal was swung. PAX generally agreed the back half of the workout was more enjoyable than the front half.*

    Warmarama: Andy Dufresne stretch, lean to right and left sides to stretch the lats, helicopters, deadman hang straight right and left, hold a deep squat to stretch, SSHs, 20 in cadence merkins, lay flat on the ground and pull right then left leg into chest, Freddie Mercurys in cadence, 10 normal, 10 slow, 10 fast, 20 box cutters, 30 flutter kicks

    The Work:

    Round 1: 20 swings, 20 deadlifts, 20 reverse lunges (10/leg), repeat 3x

    Round 2: 20 single leg deadlifts (10/side), 50 calf raises, 30 American hammers, repeat 3x

    Round 3: 20 one arm rows (10/arm), 20 upright rows, 10 WWIIIs, repeat 3x

    Round 4: 21s (7 biceps curls beginning at the bottom of the movement w/ arms straight and stopping at the midpoint of the curl, followed by 7 curls beginning at the midpoint of the movement and ending at the top of the curl fully flexed, then a final 7 full ROM curls), 15 skull crushers, 20 merkin pull throughs for the first around them audible’d to 15 for 2nd and 3rd rounds, repeat 3x

    Announcement: lots of upcoming events (check slack), new AO this Saturday at Goyne Park in Chester, Daddy/daughter dance is going down, a lot going on

    Always a pleasure and honor to lead you gents!

    *credit to Heist for the punchline

  • Work the Body

    Six fearsome HIMs made the right choice and posted for a kettlebell beatdown at the Old Hundred AO. Warmups included:

    Andy Dufresne stretch w/ stretches to left and right sides for the lats, helicopters, grass grabbers/cherry pickers, hold a deep squat position, sitting hamstring stretch, lay on your back and pull right then left knee into your chest, Wilson and Fudd’s wives, Roscoe’s mom

    There was not much ab work in the KB routine today, so we included some in the warmarama:

    Freddie Mercurys with normal, quick, and slow cadences, box cutters, flutter kicks

    The Thang:

    20 KB Swings

    20 KB Squats

    20 Lunges (10/leg)

    30 Calf Raises 

    20 Single-Leg Deadlifts (10/leg)

    20 Merkin KB Pull Throughs

    10 Big Boy Sit Ups

    20 One Arm Rows (10/arm)

    20 Upright Rows

    20 Single Arm Overhead Presses (10/arm)

    20 Curls

    15 Skull Crushers

    After two rounds of the above KB routine, the PAX went for a brisk mosey around the school. I started to feel like I might toss my cookies (a “Q Spew,” per official F3 lexicon) and walked the final hundred yards back to the KB circle. Of course, the magnanimous PAX, embodying the F3 credo, circled back for me, and, my cookies having settled, we tried to complete a third round but finished about halfway through KB merkin pulls throughs.

    There was some talk afterward, how it’s nice to vary the normal F3 workouts of calisthenics + cardio with some KB training, that variation improves fitness and helps to prevent overtraining (I’m paraphrasing some here).

    Announcements:

    The F3 summer tour is in full swing. 

    Sable is launching a new ruck AO (“Ruckhenge”) tomorrow morning from 5 – 6 AM. Meeting in front of the Einstein Bagels in the parking lot of the Stony Point shopping center. See slack. A historic opportunity to post at a new AO. “Where were you when Ruckhenge launched?” Your grandchildren will want to know. 

    A general call to take care of one another. If you haven’t seen a guy in a bit, reach out, wish them well, tell them you’re thinking about them.

    Prayers:

    For Fudd’s sister Mary

    For PAX on IR

    Always a pleasure and honor to lead you guys. Until next time!

  • Ripples in a Pond

    I really enjoyed my first breaking bread experience. Faces and voices conveyed gratitude and thanks, hearty fried chicken, sides, tea and desert sated the body. My cup was also filled. Serving others, with kindness and humility, makes the world a better place. If you haven’t given breaking bread a try, you won’t regret it, and you will want to return to do it again.