Tag: Circus Maximus

Five of the faithful posted at #CircusMaximus in the muggy heat for a kettlebell beatdown. Johnsonville planted a SF and took Q. This is what went down, more or less:

21x SSH, 10x burpees OYO, 10x sm. front arm circles, 10x large front arm circles, 12x scap merkins, 10x sm. reverse arm circles, 10x large reverse arm circles

mosey to back corner of parking lot
10 sets of KB cleans and presses — EMOM, alternating arms

mosey along back of parking lot to the other side
20x kb swings
12x figure 8 twists OYO

mosey near SF
elevens lunging between curb cuts starting with 1x goblet squat and 10x merkin rows and finishing with 10x goblet squats and 1x merkin row

mosey to concrete pad by bus loop
21x LBCs, 10x kb get-ups (i.e., sit up with single arm kb press overhead), 10x kb get-ups (other arm), 21x standing mountain climbers (tapping kettlebells soccer style).

Elizabeth Warren run around bus loop
21x flutter kicks

COT by Attila

Moleskin:

This workout was inspired by an earlier one by HoneyDo that featured difficult KB walking lunges. The KB lunges here were not as lengthy, but we did more of them and surrounded them with goblet squats and the killer that is merkin rows. That sequence was hard for YHC to put it mildly. No one can accuse YHC of favoring exercises that I am good at.

YHC was impressed by all, but particularly by Toga’s efforts with the bigger kb on the cleans and presses. We are all going to feel that one for a few days.

In the aftermath of someone’s silent flatulence, Earthworm counseled the suspect, HoneyDo, that he should probably take an Alford plea. Toga recommended instead that he use the Chubacca defense. Some debate ensued within the COP. YHC does not know which is the better strategy, but is glad to be surrounded by truly deep thinkers.

Announcement: Convergence at 0700 on August 6 followed by Coffeeteria and Growschool. Many will be out of town, so try very hard to attend. 2nd F TBD Friday night before the convergence.

Prayers to Toga’s dad for a speedy recovery.

“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Rejoice in truth, Jville

Seven of the able-bodied Faithful posted at the CM under a stunning full moon and ideal conditions. There was little time for pleasantries though, of course, there was a pithy and code compliant welcome and disclaimer. We got right at it as follows:

Thang:

1st Quarter – 10 Minute EMOM:

Odd Minutes:
X5+ KB American Swings
X5+ KB Squat and High Pulls
X5+ KB Squat and Presses

Even Minutes:
X5+ KB Right Arm Rack Left Lunge
X5+ KB Left Arm Rack Right Lunge
X5+ KB Triceps Presses

Farmer’s Carry One Lap of The CM – Single KB (alternating R to L)

2d and 3d Quarters – The 300:

X25 Pole Smokers
X25 KB Right Snatches
X25 Merkins
X25 KB Left Snatches
X25 Air Squats
X25 KB Right Swings
X25 APDs
X25 KB Left Swings
X25 CDDs
X25 KB Right Clean and Presses
X25 Curtsey Lunges
X25 KB Left Clean and Presses

Farmer’s Carry One Lap of The CM – Single KB (alternating R to L)

4th Quarter – 10 Minute EMOM:

Odd Minutes:
X5-X10 KB Halos Clockwise
X5-X10 KB Tricep Presses
X5-X10 KB Halo Counter-Clockwise

Even Minutes:
X5-X10 KB Pull overs
X5-X10 KB WWII Sit-ups
X5-X10 KB Seated Presses

Farmer’s Carry One Lap of The CM – Two KBs OR Two Laps Run of the CM

COT:

Counterama and Namearama

Announcements: (1) BRR (see TYA re possible open slots), ReeseStrong 5K (see Phonics or D’Ville PAXters), and Spartan Race (see Toga); (2) Grow school August 6 following special DogPile Convergence at 0700am.

Toga closed us with prayer and set us out to the workday committed to seek all things good. Special prayer for Toga’s father – appeal to the Great Physician.

Moleskin:

All business today – quick pace.

Glad to have J’ville back from canoe excursion in the Boundary Waters. Also nice to have Jolly Rancher (War Baby) for the first youth posting at the Circus Maximus – well done JR. BTW, J’Ville gives credit to CM for his ability to one-arm hoist his canoe through portage trails requiring serious bushwacking.

White Deer (War Daddy) accepted condolences as he marks his 55.

Attila appears to have posted early this am and asked who’s Qing? Learning that it was YHC he uttered something like: “Oh good, I won’t need to lock my car as it will surely be within arm’s reach for the entire workout.” Just 45 minutes later – on the elective two lap run of the CM at the end of the workout – Toga was observed running an extra half lap to usher Attila to the COT – just saying.

Rosie claims one of the PAX duped him into false starting during the EMOM 10s – the more discerning PAX know better and viewed Rosie’s conduct as part of a purposeful effort to deprive the heavy KB-toting Toga of any meaningful recovery.

The workout was solid, the fellowship strong. Great way to start the day with each one of you. Blessings.

4 Circus Maximus regular Kettlebell(ers) gathered for a great start to a muggy hummid of a day

Welcome back Doner Kebab

COP: SSH, Don Quixote’s

THE THANG:

No Mosey around Circus Maximus this morning – just down to “THE” Kettle business!

30 Halo’s (R&L)

20 Good Mornings

30-45 seconds of Side Winders

30 seconds of “around the world” ( C & CC)

30 seconds of “Figure 8’s” ( C & CC)

20 Side Bends Elbow on a 45  (R&L)

20 Triceps Curls

30 High Pulls

30 Squat to High Pull

10 Windmills (R&L)

20 Squats

20 Single Arm Overhead Squats (R&L)

30 Swings “Russian Style”

30 Swings “American Style”

25 single arm swings (R&L)

10 Bottoms Up Swings Clean to Stop (R&L)

20 Saws (R&L)

20 Rows (R&L)

10 Kettlebell pushups / Partner did 10 Merkins   X2

 

Moleskin:  I’m always concerned with making sure Earthworm has gotten his $$$ worth. DK looked like he might need another vacation. Atilla was most concerned about his left side peck workout. Only gave the PAX 60 seconds of downtime. Earthworm took 10 more on his count.

Could have finished my entire workout plan but needed another 15 minutes.  Only a virgin once.

Great workout – “no pain – no gain”

 

 

75 and moist pretty much describes the setting for another edition of the Circus.  Here’s how it went down:

COP: SSH, Russian Soldiers, Don Quixote, Scapula Merkins, Goblet squats

Behold The Pentagon of Joy/Doom: 30 sec kb swings in center of pentagon, bear crawl to one of the five points for 30 secs of designated exercise, bear crawl with kb back to center and repeat for all five points with swings in the center each time.  Repeato x 2 with stations = Goblet reverse lunge rt leg, goblet reverse lunge left leg, alternating shoulder press, curls, tricep extension

Mosey around circle and return to COP: lawn mowers, merkins w kb rows, wtd sit-ups, clockwise and counterclockwise kb passes, The Rosie (bridge, press, extend, return), wtd sit-ups, brief Turkish getup training

NMM:  YHC assumes everyone has a morning ritual.  Without getting into the details, let’s just say that mine didn’t happen due to user error on the alarm.  YHC still made it on time to get the pentagon setup, but YHC felt things were amiss throughout.  Irregardless, the PAX got right to work and tackled the workout without complaint.  Come to think of it, there wasn’t much mumble chatter at all.

Thanks for the chance to lead!

COT:  Everyone gave a name of someone in need of God’s grace, and we humbly asked for him to watch over them.

Stay Classy,

Toga

5 Circus Maximus regulars gathered for last-day-of-June kettlebell beatdown that went something like this:

THANG

Farmer’s carry around the Circus Maximus bus loop

COP: 20 SSH, 10 slow DQs, 20 Crab Cakes, 20 Hello Dolly, 10 KB Roundabouts each side OYO, 20 KB Figure 8s

Farmer’s carry around the Circus Maximus bus loop

CONVEYOR BELT: each member of the PAX sets up 2 parking lot lines apart; perform a given exercise, bear crawl to the North leaving KB behind, guy on end runs South to the end of the line, stop where you started
10 KB Lawn Mower Pulls (conveyor belt style)
10 KB Swings (conveyor belt style)
KB Merkin Rows – 3 each side (conveyor belt style)

Farmer’s carry around the Circus Maximus bus loop

TAKING & THINKING: similar to Roxanne…but performing exercises to “Ride” by twenty-one pilots
KB Goblet Squat or KB Lunge until you hear “Taking” or “Thinking”, when you perform a KB Clean-Rack-Press

Farmer’s carry around the Circus Maximus bus loop

BACKWARDS CONVEYOR BELT: same as above but crawl bear instead of bear crawl between stations.
10 KB Bob and Weave (backwards conveyor belt style)
10 KB Rows (backwards conveyor belt style)

Farmer’s carry around the Circus Maximus bus loop

COT
Atilla took us out

MOLESKIN
YHC received much grief about going back down to a 20lb KB…but nobody was bitching after we shared KBs during the conveyor belts…except White Deer who apparently gets windy pops from lifting lighter weight

KB Merkin Rows + Bear Crawls X 5 are no joke. Holy shoulder beat down. Might be the only time YHC was happy for a farmer’s carry after that set.

YHC appreciates the patience of the PAX during the “TAKING and THINKING”. White Deer caught a few extra “TAKE”s that YHC hadn’t remembered! KB Presses for everyone!

Five of the faithful posed at #Circus Maximus to build strength using kettlebells. The weather was overcast. Johnsonville (YHC) planted a VSF and took the Q. This is how it went down, more or less:

COP:
25x SSH
25x Don Quiotes
10x Merkins
40x Arm Circles

Farmer Walk Mosey to front of bus loop as rain began to fall.

Dora 1-2-3 in pairs, including
100x merkin kettlebell rows
200x squat presses with kettlebells
300x halos with kettlebells
Partner had choice of running Circus Maximus or Farmer Walking 1/2 leg of CM.

Farmer Walk Mosey to front of school. Observe lightning strike in close proximity to AO. Briefly discuss safety and appropriate path forward.

Scrap planned 2nd Dora 1-2-3, and instead Farmer Walk Mosey to colonnade/shelter beside bus loop for COP as the rain increased to a downpour:

25x Freddie Mercs
Protractor (legs at 6″ for about 1 min.)
15x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (right)
15x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (left)
10x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (right)
10x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (left)
5x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (right)
5x Single Arm Kettlebell Swings (left)
25x WWII sit-ups with Kettlebell press at top
10x Electric slide
10x Electric slide with Kettlebell press at each side

Moleskin:

That Dora 1-2-3 sequence was long and difficult. The PAX did a great job pushing through it.

Many thanks to DK for suggesting that we move to shelter in response to the lightning. That was clearly the right call, and it was easy to adapt the workout. There is no point in taking that kind of a risk.

Congratulations to Rosie for a strong 1/2 marathon in Roanoke last weekend.

Great job this morning. It was a pleasure to lead this group of men!

Jville

4 Circus Maximus regulars posted on this humid June morning to get swing some bells and get stronger.  Seeing no FNGs, YHC skipped the formal disclaimer and jumped right into it.

The Thang went something like this:

COP (all IC):

• Don Quixotes x10
• Arm Circles 5 small and 5 large, forward and reverse
• Halos x10 clockwise; x10 counter-clockwise
• Figure 8s with a twist at the top x10

Kettlebell Tabata – 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest and 15 seconds in between exercises; 6 rounds of each exercise:

• single-arm swings – alternate arms each round
• bob and weave/electric slide
• squat & press – hold kettlebell in racked position and press at the top of the squat; switch arms each round
• double-arm swings and merkins – alternate each round
• lunge & press – hold kettlebell in racked position and press with opposite arm from the leg you lunge with; switch leg/arm each round
• clean & press
• rows & burpees – alternate each round
• WWII situps & press
• high pulls – alternate arms
• double lunges (forward and backward) – alternate legs

Ring of Fire – PAX holds millennium falcon squat while each PAX member drops and performs 10 merkins in rotation

ROF – rotating 2-count flutter kicks x10 and pole-smokers – holding kettlebell overhead for each

Mary — Dolly IC x10; Rosalita IC x10; American Hammers x10 OYO

Numberama, namearama, COT and YHC took us out.

NMS – The humidity was palpable, the sweat was rolling and the mumblechatter was low. I’m not sure I ever stopped sweating from yesterday’s Browns’ Island workout — great time but the afternoon heat is killer.  We packed lots of reps and a good mix of upper and lower body work today.  Very little movement.  If sweat were a measure of success, YHC would put this morning in the win column.  It was a true ground and pound.

Announcements:

• New AO (Batteau) at Forest Hill Park on Monday 6/20 at 0530.  SF will be planted near the Stone House.  See Hardywood’s Pre-Blast.  I believe this will also be Hardywood’s VQ so come out and support Hardywood and the new AO.
• The challenge has been issued to get 60 men to post to F3 workouts next Tuesday so EH some guys and let’s hit that number or more.

Well done gents.  It was a pleasure to lead this morning, as always.

The theme of today’s Ludi Romani was motion under weight around the Chariot Course; and the conditions were dry and warm for the 8 Faithful and 1 FNG who posted at at the Circus Maximus.

Welcome and continuing disclaimer

Thang:

Farmer’s Walk one time around the CM – medley style (Waiter’s Carry Right Hand, Goblet Carry, Waiter’s Carry Left Hand, Goblet, Suitcase Carry Right Hand, Goblet, and Suitcase Carry Left Hand)

8-Count Body-Builders (Pan Pax Cadence)

Round 1 (Waiter’s Carry Right Hand) –

– 20 KB Swings
– 20 KB Halos (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)
– 20 Alternating KB Single Arm Swings (catch and release at top)
– 20 KB Waist Rotations (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)

Round 2 (Waiter’s Carry Left Hand) –

– 20 KB Swings
– 20 KB Halos (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)
– 20 Alternating KB Single Arm Swings (catch and release at top)
– 20 KB Waist Rotations (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)

Round 3 (Goblet Carry) –

– 20 KB Swings (overhead)
– 20 KB Squats
– 20 KB Pullover (lying on back)
– 10 KB Lunges left and 10 KB Lunges right

Round 4 (Suitcase Carry Right Hand) –

– 20 KB Swings
– 20 KB Halos (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)
– 20 Alternating KB Single Arm Swings (catch and release at top)
– 20 KB Waist Rotations (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)

Round 5 (Suitcase Carry Left Hand)

– 20 KB Swings
– 20 KB Halos (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)
– 20 Alternating KB Single Arm Swings (catch and release at top)
– 20 KB Waist Rotations (10 clockwise; 10 counter-clockwise)

Round 6 (Goblet Carry) –

– 20 KB Swings (overhead)
– 20 KB Squats
– 20 KB Pullover (lying on back)
– 10 KB Lunges left and 10 KB Lunges right

KB Presses (Pan Pax)

COT:

Counterama and Namearama

Announcements – Bleeder and TYA have a “Q run” coming up — they (TYA especially) respectfully request ridicule in its most clever and biting form. Bleeder even has a GridIron Q in his sights – don’t miss it – June 11 at 0700 (N.B. pre-game at 0645 — The Deep Water, based on Luke 5:1-11).

Clark reports that there is a local young man on the cusp of Olympic qualification in gymnastics – RVA proud!

Takeout prayer by Attila – strong.

Moleskin:

Welcome to Clark who qualifies for Respect by default (age) and DC Comics given birth name, and more importantly by his strong performance. Also glad to welcome veterans Chum Bucket and Bleeder to the CM for their first time postings at CM, both of whom showed great affinity for the KBs. The other 6 PAX were CM regulars.

Today’s recipe was designed for grip strength emphasis – total of 7 times around the Chariot Course under weight. Best estimate of YHC was that we were under weight for approximately 40 of the 45 minutes (the 5 minutes of weightlessness consisted of the 8-count Body Builders, 3 recovery down counts, and, for some nameless PAX, inadvertent use of the ground in the transition from the KB Pullovers to the Goblet Carry – yes, there appeared to be some resistance to the weighted Turkish Getup as a voluntary transitional move).

Toga continues to tote the heavy KB and does so effortlessly (time to add weight?); DK added weight to his KB repertoire (started too light?); Bleeder seems to like the AO – at least the 0500 access to facilities en route (N.B. keys to J’Ville’s law office executive suite washroom are available upon request); not surprisingly, Chum Bucket appeared to be the first to discover the opportunity for more work by adding the Turkish Getup to the mix; White Deer scoffed at the planned KB Pullovers count and was pleased by the audible increasing same; no discernible yawns by Attila (could this mean he was suitably worked today?); J’Ville impressed with some plyometric supplements and his experiment with a higher weight (to which DK sagely offered the cautionary words “Don’t tell Lindsey” (as in “remember the Spy Rock incident”)); and Clark seems primed for a major weight upgrade at his sophomore posting.

“When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

9 posted for a countdown fest at Circus Maximus.  It went something like this:

Circle up for an extended COP.  The PAX completed the following exercises for 30 seconds each with the first round including 30 seconds rest between each exercise.  Round 2 = 30 secs on and 25 secs rest, Round 3 = 30 secs on and 20 rest… down to no rest for the last set.

• Swings (single arm option)
• High Pulls
• Goblet Squats
• Deadlift (single leg balance option)
• Weighted Sit-up
• Clean and Press (alternating hands each set)

Bonus round= 30 secs of Halos, Lunges, Lawn Mower Row, and American Hammers with 30 secs rest between each exercise: repeato x2

Finish with the Rosie’s prom date to press to extend maneuver

NMM:  The PAX caught on rather quickly to the descending amount of rest as we went through our little routine, and there was very little mumble chatter.  YHC tried to keep the rotation fair and balanced on the single arm exchanges, but we were off by one.  My apologies to JVille on ruining his bodybuilding career.

The PAX also had a visit from Henrico 5-0.  The same cruiser came by twice or the first one called a buddy to see the circus.  Either way, we were not stopped for questioning.  This proved helpful as YHC was trying to count the time throughout each set.  As DK so wisely noted, “there are phones for that,” but then maintaining the flow of AC/DC would have been complicated.

Thanks to all for the opportunities to lead this week.  Strong work by a strong group, Aye!

Stay Classy,

Toga