Tag: Circus Maximus

19 members, which included some strong redwoods and some whiny bitches.  Here is how it went down:

• COP
  • SSH
  • IW
  • Ukrainian soldiers
  • Helicopters
  • Arm circles
  • DMH
• Deck of death – 4 suits/4 exercises/12 reps per card, plus the jokers
  • 156 curls
  • 156 hi pulls
  • 156 overhead pulls
  • 156 side swings
  • 24 burpees
• Mary
  • FK
  • Side crunches
  • LBC

This workout is notorious for bringing out the mumble-chatter and commentary.  Ironically, one of the most vocal PAX member rarely Q’s and never shows up on time…Fudd.  Everyone thinks they are a comedian, but YHC will have the last laugh when you are sore tomorrow morning.   That is, if they actually did all of the reps.  All banter aside, good to have these men together and a chance to fellowship while iron sharpens iron.

Prayers up for those sick, in the job market or starting new jobs.  God is good all of the time!

Attila

18 PAX came in for a warm slightly wet weather beatdown. Since Lent has 40 days I attempted to make 40 applicable to each exercise. The workout started (with Fudd only being one minute late and me butchering part of the COP trying to make fun of Fudd – sorry Fudd. My daughter used to tell me I am funny once a month – she may actually be accurate.) Anyway, the workout went as follows:

COP: SOS – DQs, helicopters, merkins, MCs, arm circles and Freddies. Mosey to bus loop.

Cumulative exercises: 5 burpees, 10 sit and press, 20 squats, 30 curls and 40 bench presses.

4 corners cumulative(My tendency is to come up with unique corners that end up not being corners. I guess we did three corners with a repeat of one corner). 10 tricep pull downs, 20 high pulls, 30 halos (15 each direction – Seymour is a world class haloer) and 40 lawnmower pulls – 20 each arm.

Lindseys: swings and calf raises. I am told ladies like a man with muscular calves. The last set of swings was challenging.

Finished at home base with stretching.

Good to see a couple of not as regulars and have an age range of 9 to 73. Slightly frozen triangle is this Saturday. We think that Bodos is doing his 10 year anniversary Q at Dogpile this Saturday. He may sprinkle some Lenten wisdom. Prayers for Upchuck’s friends, one of whom is not likely making it past this week, Fudd’s sister Mary and Handshake’s niece Charlotte. I was told that I led a very calm beatdown this morning. Big shout out goes to Handshake for escalating the resolution of a burst water pipe issue at my house a couple weeks ago. Great job!

Thanks for letting me lead!

Fireman Ed

An FNG Kyle Smecker (not at sure of the last name) showed up, complements of Gomer Pyle and Gypsy! We named him “Honeypot”. (Works in cyber security, lives in Goochland.)
There’s a lot of angst in politics these days. Thus, the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi in COT. Whitesnake suggested an update to the prayer.
We began with the Issuance of the standard disclaimer:
• I am not a professional.
• Feel free to modify.
• Push yourself but don’t hurt yourself.
• You vs You
• Don’t leave here with more injuries than you came with.
Warmup:
• 20 SSHs
• 20 IWs
• 20 Ukrainian Soldiers
• 10 Don Quixote
• Stretch: Right foot, Right Hand
• Stretch: Left foot, Left hand
Mosey to covered walkway
11s. We walked back and forth across the width of the covered walkway.
• Renegade Rows (each arm), Waiter carry both directions, Upright Row
Mosey around the Circus Maximus
Triple Check:
• The Timer rifle carries their KB to the Propane Tank, does 5 burpees and returns
• Partner 2 Squats
• Partner 3 Triceps
Mosey around the Circus Maximus
• Stretch
Triple Check:
• The Timer rifle carries their KB to the Propane Tank, does 5 burpees and returns
• Partner 2 Curls
• Partner 3 Squat Thrusters
Mosey around the Circus Maximus
• Stretch
Back to the flag
Announcements
February 21: Frozen Triangle
COT
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is Circus Maximus, coffee; (Whitesnake addition)
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Piglet, White Deer, By-Product, Blue Moon, Mr. Rogers, Borat, Bootleg, Whitesnake, Joey Chestnut, Mariner, Offshore, Attila, Honeypot, Fudd, Gypsy, Luigi, BedPan, Lighthouse, Fortran, Fireman Ed, Seymour, Pigskin

17 Strong christened the bus loop in anticipation of GHS reopening today.  Here is how it went down:

• COP
  • SSH
  • IW
  • Ukrainian soldiers
  • Helicopters
  • Arm circles
  • DMH
  • Merkins
  • LBC
  • Penguins
• KB 1 man Dora – break up into 5 sets with a run down the bus loop after each set
  • 100 overhead pulls
  • 150 KB FK
  • 200 lawnmower pulls (each arm)
• Mary
  • WWII sit-ups
  • Side crunches, each side
  • LBC
• COT with YHC taking us out

Great to see so many from the PAX out this morning.  Solid work from the robust crowd that was definitely there for the coffee. 

Frozen Triangle this weekend.  Lunch next Tuesday at Firehouse Subs.

Continued prayers for those looking for work.  God is good all of the time!

Attila

11 noble warriors came in at different points over the course of the workout, just ready for a jailbreak.  Here is how it went down:

• COP
  • SSH
  • IW
  • Ukrainian soldiers
  • Helicopters
  • Arm circles
  • DMH
  • Merkins
  • LBC
  • Penguins
• Lucky bus loop, sort of – just using the covered and non-icy bus drop-off zone to do 15 reps of an exercise, carry your KB to the other side and add another exercise with 15 reps
  • 135 lawnmower pulls, each arm
  • 120 high pulls
  • 105 curls
  • 90 tricep presses
  • 75 squats
  • 60 sit ‘n presses
  • 45 presses
  • 30 swings
  • 15 halos
• Mary with a set of LBCs
• COT with YHC taking us out

There are limited spots to workout and remain safe.  There was also talk from Whitesnake of using our KBs to have a curling competition.  KBs slide on the ice, but inconsistent at best.  It was also interesting to see the various choices of dress, both outwear and boots/shoes.  All in all, grateful to have the PAX together.  Prayers of thanksgiving for getting us there and for safety in the days to come.  Kids are not going back to school anytime soon.

T-claps to Mr. Rogers for brewing coffee. Suck that Starbucks that does not open!

God is good all of the time!

Attila

15 kettlebell and/or hammer wielding studs poured into the CM parking lot knowing they not what they were in for entirely but knowing it was a first course of Gumbo followed by a coffee chaser. YHC has been reacquainting himself with his kettlebells and the confines of the Circus, and it was great to get back on the Q sheet there. More to come this year!

Mosey – yes move swiftly without your bell – around the bus loop and back to the parking lot for COP, starting with 8 burpees for the 8 sets of knees covered up and not abiding by the SOP protocols. Other exercises included some stretches, some typical non-KB exercises and some questionable, unnamed KB exercises (possibly made up).

THANG:

Carry your weight to the bus terminal cover and partner up for a Triple Check (NOTE to Ronnie – YHC noticed in COP we had a perfect 15 so we hit the Triple Check first). Runner/Timer had a choice – either wall sit holding your weight for a 60-count or walk your weight, waiter carry style, to the end of the cover and back. Other PAX did sit and press and merkins – again merkins had a choice (I’m a benevolent Q) of offset merkins or merkin pull-throughs or mix and match…just get to work!

Lindsay’s – in Jville’s honor we did Lindsay’s. 30 goblet squats and 10 swings, then carry any way you’d like across the parking lot to the flag, and do 25-15, then 20-20, then 15-25 and then, ouch, 10-30.

Circle up for about 7 minutes of Mary finisher with some weighted flutters, boat and canoe, american hammers and shoulder taps, among others.

Numbers, Names, Announcements, Prayers and YHC took us out.

Announcements:

• The Bridge is on and Pigskin has the Q and the clown car – this Saturday. Beat the snow and ice and get all 3 F’s in one morning.
• Frozen Triangle 2/7. Get Ready

YHC is thankful for all the various options of AOs and groups and workouts we have to choose from. Whether we decide to show up to swing some KBs, hit SCCC for an exclusive foursome, get up extra early for some ruck miles or to stand FirstWatch, hit a run AO or whatever the h___ WTH is, or just go to the closes bootcamp – we have options and variety and always welcoming faces and men ready to get after it and motivate each other (again in different ways). It is great to be able to do this and keep things interesting and keep the relationships building. Keep up the great work men. Get to a new or different AO, or like me, return to an AO you haven’t been to in a while and take the Q. Keep pushing!

Thanks, Offshore, for the coffee. Good stuff my friend and great 2nd F. PS – Wegmans did have chicken and milk – phew!

No More Gumbo For You!

17 PAX arrived in the windy confines of Mills Godwin HS ready to work on their physiques for pool season in just over 4 months. It was a relatively quiet and odor free crew.

COP: DQs, 1 burpee OYO, Helicopters, 2 burpees OYO, Jazzercise – 3 burpees OYO, merkins – 4 burpees OYO, Freddies – 5 burpees OYO little bit of stretching. Head to bus loop

Quadruple triple check with Squat Thrusters, chest press, curls for the ladies and the pacer runs to the end of bus loop does 1 burpee and then runs back. Stay in bus loop

Death crawls for a couple hundred feet, lunge for a couple hundred feet, rifle carry and then halos each side. The halos got really tough (or my shoulders are week or both). mosey to nearby wall.

Tried a new exercise which was wall sit, pass someone’s bell do two curls pass it to your buddy to the right. This took awhile and we were able to handle/touch everyone’s bell. Some bells were large and heavy, some not so much. You do the best you can with the bell that you have. Add in 10 donkey kicks. Go to side of school for Dora time.

Dora: 50 burpees, 100 coupon American hammers, 150 coupon calf raises.

Finished with a DMH for a minute.

Bridge on 1/24 – talk to Pigskin if you are interested. If you have not been yet, please strongly consider attending. Good cause and a good time in one. Frozen triangle – 2/7 – see slack for details.

Prayers for Fudd’s sister, Handshake’s niece, Gypsy’s father n’ law and all those who are suffering or recovering from the flu.

Thanks for letting me lead!

Fireman Ed

Warm-Up Shenanigans

Either burpees are Mariner’s and Joey Chestnut’s favorite exercise, or Whitedeer chose the wrong morning to call Mariner “Sauce,” so we kicked things off with 10 burpees. Conveniently, Fudd arrived shortly thereafter to knock Whitedeer onto his whitetail.

Warm-up continued with merkins, dead man hang, helicopters, LBCs, and a mosey around the bus loop. (This also marked the end of the early chatter, so apparently Joey and Mariner did something right.)

The Beatdown

Joey Chestnut led PAX on a short rifle carry to the covering at the bus loop where we broke down the man-maker:

• Plank rows

• Merkins

• Squats

• Overhead presses

PAX started at 10 reps of each, followed by a mosey to the end of the covering and back, continuing down the ladder through 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. (This was typed out since Attila later claimed he couldn’t perform a 10-count… maybe he can read though.)

Following completion of the man-makers, Mariner led PAX through Four Corners x2.

Round 1:

Lunge walk to each corner with 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 KB high pulls at each respective corner.

Round 2:

Rifle carry to each corner with 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 two-count American Hammers (KB).

Finisher

PAX returned to the parking lot via rifle carry led by Joey Chestnut, followed by in-cadence:

• 25 KB flutter kicks

• 25 LBCs

• 20 KB sumo squats

• 9 KB swings (Attila skipped the 10-count)

• 10 Don Quixotes

• Ended with a dead man hang

COT Announcements/Prayer

• The bridge 1/24
• Joey’s hotdogs next Tuesday 1/13 (unfortunately Joey Chestnut has school and is unable to attend)
• The Healing Place 10k training team starts 2/7 at 7:30
• This was Joey’s and Mariner’s second QIC and second of the week, to those who went through either of these workouts congratulations you’ve been “Marinutted”

Prayer

• Grateful for this group of men bettering ourselves and each other. Prayers for Mr. Rogers’ mom, Seymour’s patient, UpChuck’s friend, and anyone else in need of healing or extra strength. Encouraged PAX to take this positive energy, connection, and community beyond the AO—it could make a difference in someone’s day.

4 Circus regulars and a man known on the streets as Gumbo showed up 5.5 hrs after the ball drop to show 2026 what’s up.

With much mumble chatter scattered between, the Pax went through 7 rounds of overhead presses, high pulls, curls for the cougars, swings, sumo squats, sit ‘n’ press and American hammers. We did 21 of each, then 18, 15, 12, 9, 6 & 3 – with a lap run between each round.

I learned a lot about Gumbo today. His mother is of Spanish descent, he grew up in Louisiana, his father started Q94 and as a former regular of Circus, he plans to return with a classic KB Lindsay that he’s dropped on the CM clowns before. Great having you today Gumbo and good to get to know you better.

We wrapped things up with 10 overhead curb pulls, 15 Flutters with chest press (IC) and ended w/ a 60 second leg hold. Recover. Well done men.

Numbers and names.

Announcements:

0700 Convergence today. Of course these 4 beasts that joined me today promptly left CM for Dog Pile’s NYD Convergence and doubled dipped.

Dry January is upon us. It’s not too late. Jump on this train – you won’t regret it.

Salt Lick is the only bad ass I know that’s already knocking out burpees for MABA (Make America Burpee Again, 100 burpees a day for all of Jan). He’s done it 3 years in a row. So far he’s moving forward solo this year. Don’t leave him hangin’. Who’s with him?

The Bridge needs a Jan Q.

Breaking Bread – you know the deal – sign up!

Happy 15th B-Day F3. I’m deeply grateful for you.

YHC took us out. Prayers for a fantastic new year. May God lead all of us men, day by day into 2026, to grow ever closer to the men we were designed by God to be. As Fudd recently reminded me (thx Fudd, I needed it) there are plenty of service opportunities around. Pick one and do it. There are lots of problems in the world to solve. What is your part to do? You can’t solve all of them, but you have been designed by God with certain strengths. Put them to use and make your small corner of the universe a little better. I mean, think about it, a couple of dudes showed up in a park to work out together on 1/1/2011 and 15 years later look at where this amazing thing called F3 is. You never know how your actions will ripple out, for good or for bad. Leave the results up to God, but you are responsible for the actions. Let’s go make 2026 all it can be, one day at a time.

Thirteen KB warriors greeted the gloom of Christmas morning at Circus Maximus.  Here is how it went down:

• COP
  • SSH
  • Ukrainian soldiers
  • IW
  • Helicopters
  • Arm circles
  • DMH
  • Merkins
  • LBC
  • Penguins
• KB 12 days of Christmas (had to combine the last 2 rounds due to time)
  • 12 lawn mower pulls (each arm) – 132 total
  • 11 overhead pulls – 110 total
  • 10 sit ‘n presses – 90 total
  • 9 curls – 72 total
  • 8 high pulls – 56 total
  • 7 KB swings – 42 total
  • 6 2x KB FK – 30 total
  • 5 squat thrusters – 20 total
  • 4 2x KB hammer – 12 total
  • 3 halos – 6 total
  • 2 figure 8’s
  • 1 run of the bus loop
• COT with YHC taking us out

A PAX of 13 for Christmas and 2^nd F, which included 2 teenagers.   No AO has more momentum than Circus.  Plus One started with the cannonball, but thankfully bailed after 3 rounds.  Great way to start Christmas!

Prayers up for those sick, dealing with addiction and job loss. 

God is good all of the time!  A savior is born!

Attila