Tag: GridIron

A slightly variable number of PAX showed up for a beat down today at Gridiron. As the COP started, 2 people from a nearby workout showed up and I thought “2 FNGs, how awesome” and then once we got out of COP they left to go to their normal workout. Perhaps it was the scorpion kicks, note to self. So we went from 15 to 13 to 14 with the 7:59 A.M. appearance of Seymour. I wiped a little sweat on him so he could get credit (probably not good COVID protocol – sorry).

The exercises went like this:

COP: DQs, CPs, Merkins, Freddie Mercuries, Scorpion kicks, ACs

Exercises:

Elevens with Carolina Dry docks and Lt. Dans

Roll of the dice: Based on the roll of two die, we get the following 4 corners: 1. The Exercise (5 or 10 first corner, 10 or 15 2nd corner, 15 or 20 – 3rd corner and 20 or 25 – last corner) and 2. how far we go for four corners.

Dice 1: 1 – Burpees, 2 – HRMs, 3 – WWIIs, 4 – 2 count flutters, 5 – SSHs, 6 – Jump squats

Dice 2 – 1 or 2 – white deer – 10 yards to each corner, 3 or 4 – Pinto – half way down the field, 5 or 6 – Blue Moon – all the way down the field.

After some pitfalls in rolling (when I rolled the dice kept stopping on the grass between two rolls) we had a system in place and completed all 6 four corners exercises. The burpees and HRMs were brutal; hence the hate from Attila.

Mosey to home base – Triple check with donkey kicks, LBCs and run around the parking lot. Close with DQs.

Announcements: Field Day 9/18, Sit and Sip – 9/25, Iron Pax challenge at Heartbreak and somewhere else (getting old can su$k). Prayers are with Gypsy, Bodos and everyone else recovering from COVID and with those who are in Afghanistan. It was a pleasure to distribute a beatdown today.

Fireman Ed

1st F – 12 men braved the early morning mugginess to be able to work up a sweat, get stronger, and have a reason for a Saturday nap. According to the cricketeer outfielders watching us with envy, here is how it went down:

5 burpee start, mosey

COP all in cadence: 15 SSH, 10 DQ, 10 I 4 count Merkins, 15 WW2, 15x Arm Circle both ways + extra credit, 15x Asphalt angels, 15x Australian style, 15x Flutter Kicks (FK), 15x Hello Dolly (HD), 15x Rosalita, 15x Heels to Heaven, 10x slow Freddie Mercury (FM). Mosey.

Classic Dora, partners 100 Merkin, 200 WW2 situp, 300 Squat. Mosey to shake it out.

Triple Check, touch 3 trees, Partner 1: medley 10 Merkin + 25 ww2, Partner 2: Hip flexor medley 20 FK, 20 HD, 20 FM. Mosey.

Pole smoker. 10x Heels to heaven; while waiting FK, HD FM, LBC. Mosey BTTF.

2x Ring of fire

3rd F – Attila took us out. Prayers for those awaiting test results, return to school, moving past mask / vaccine acrimony / fear / anger.

2nd F – Einstein’s

Announcements:

• BRR 9/10, prep at Vinny’s 8/28.
• FVA annual sit n sip / retreat 9/25 – Amelia courthouse area – see upcoming preblast
• Breaking Bread needs signups for the next few months – https://backblasts.f3rva.org/2021/08/13/sign-up-breaking-bread-fall-2021/

NMS –

BB was going to be named for a flock of geese that White Deer and I saw upon arriving, they did a few circles to wait for 2 that joined up later, going back for the six. It was… inspirational.

At second F, Bambi regaled us with modern sensitivity training directives. Apparently there are a whole ton of words / phrases / local colloquialisms that are no longer admissible in an modern employment setting like “rule of thumb”, “basket case”, “thats dumb”, “I see”, and neither can we say that “bald guy” rather, “the person in the red shirt”. But in this same era, Cardi B’s WAP is just fine to play on the radio: https://genius.com/Cardi-b-wap-lyrics… Thats so hot, now I need to get a bucket and a mop.

If YHC is going to get fired for a word, then clearly word choice must be well thought through. Methinks the PAX know what YHC would say.

Get Some.

You can run but you can’t hide from the rain at Gridiron. The good news is that it was about 70 degrees and it didn’t even rain a lot until the last 10 minutes or so.

This was my virgin Richmond Q. I used to Q around 15 to 20 times a year in Charlotte, although typically with an older group.

I’ve attended Gridiron many times over the years. I started with F3 ten years ago, either July or August 2011. Since my son has lived in Richmond since 2007, whenever we came up on weekends, I usually went to Gridiron on Saturday. So roughly about 3 times a year, I would come to Gridiron. I figured I should do my part and Q.

Purpose was to get the heartrate up without doing a lot of running. We went from one exercise to the other with a stretching exercise after ‘groups’ instead of a 10 count. Most of the following was done in cadence.

In the parking lot: 20 SSH, 10 Man-maker Merkins, 15 Knee-ups and a stretching exercise.

To the front of the school: 20 IWs, 10 Diamond Merkins, 15 American Hammers and a stretching exercise

Using the front wall of the school: People’s Chair 15 Air Press, 10 BTTW Hip Slaps, 15 Donkey Kix OYO

People’s Chair 15 Muhammad Ali, 10 BTTW Australian Mountain Climbers, 15 Donkey Kix OYO

People’s Chair 15 Milkers, 10 BTTW Toe Taps, 15 Donkey Kix OYO

To the other end of the football field in front of the school: 20 Copperhead Squats, 15 Crunchy Frogs, 10 Stagger arm Merkins and a stretching exercise

To the practice football field at the side of the for 20 Lunges, 10 Stagger Arm Merkins, 20 Dollies and a stretching exercise

Next, using the hill between the practice field and the regular football field, Jacob’s Ladder.

Next, bathrooms next to where we started: Angry Donkeys (11s with People’s Chair air press and Donkey Kix.

Next, to parking lot for 3 rounds of jumping back and forth over the line in cadence to 20. Let’s call it ‘Happy Feet’, with a stretching exercise in between to catch my breath.

Next, to the playground near the Pickle Ball courts for: 10 Pull ups, 20 Merkins, 30 LBCs: 3 times.

Next, to the soccer field for 7s with Merkins and Squats between the ‘base line’ and the quarter line.

Using the same soccer field lines: bear crawl out and crab walk back. Repeat with broad jump out and crab walk back. To the beginning point for about 3 minutes of stretching.

Today had the markings of a higher mileage, high rep beat-down.  No humidity, plenty of clouds and an extra 1 ½ hours of sleep.  The Gridiron awaited 12 noble and mostly healthy warriors.  Here is how it went down:

• Mosey to the lower football field for COP
  • SSH
  • IW
  • Dead man hang
  • Helicopters
  • Arm circles – forward & backwards
  • Suzanne Somers
  • Merkins
  • LBC
• Mosey to the main baseball field in the back of the school for an arch loader
  • Load the arch from LF line to 2B with:
    • Bear crawl
    • Crab walk
    • Bunny hop
    • Duck walk
    • Cheetah sprint
  • Mosey to the outfield wall for 10 burpees (50 total)
  • Run back to LF line
• Mosey to the tennis courts for four corners with 10, 15, 20 & 25 reps (70 total) of:
  • HRM
  • WWII sit-ups
  • Monkey humpers
  • Crab cakes (2x)
  • Reverse crunches
• Mosey back to the parking lot for a 3x check
  • Run parking lot
  • Chicken peckers
  • LBC
• COT with YHC taking us out

A little over 2 ½ miles with plenty of ground and pound reps.  For those looking in the normal spots for us (e.g. Gypsy and maybe Probation?), we ventured a different path today, so more running for you.  We were not on the turf fields!  YHC had to take advantage of the cool weather and well-conditioned PAX in an effort to see some different parts of the AO.  The PAX learned that there is a crap load of cricket being played at the Gridiron on Saturday.  Our AO is infiltrated with pickle ball and cricket.  Time to reclaim the Gridiron’s masculinity and put some chest hair on it. 

Great work by the PAX.  Great start to the weekend.  Prayers up for our injured PAX members.  As always, iron sharpens iron, but it is great to laugh while we do it.  Great work men!

God is good all of the time!

Attila

3rd F: (Faith)
Thank you White Deer for taking us today.
3rd F this Tuesday at 8pm see Slack for Zoom details: YHC and Homer Co-Qing a creative discussion of the differences/Similarities in after life and faith between Buddhism and Biblical ideology.

2nd: (Fellowship)
14 of 15 pax showed up for the post work out bagels and coffee. (BAMM!)
7/17: Hitchhiker Karaoke 6pm
7/31: BoneThugs night at the baseball park.

1st F:  (Fitness)
The Thang: (The GridIron:  It all happens in the confines of a football field)
Mosey to the bottom Football field.

Warmup:
Side Straddle Hops, Micheal Philps, Big arm Circles (warm up the upper body.. Its a ground pound day)

Four corner: Run the outside of the football field. At each corner perform a called exercise and return back to start. Each corner you pass you perform that exercise for that corner on the return as well.

• Run to Corner 1: 10 Merkins and return to start.
• Run to  Corner 1: 10 Merkins, run to Corner 2: 10 Full sit ups, run to corner 1: 10 merkins and return to start.
• Run to Corner 1: 10 Merkins, run to Corner 2: 10 Full sit ups, run to corner 3: 10 jump Squats, run to Corner 2: 10 Full sit ups, run to corner 1: 10 merkins and return to start.
• Run to Corner 1: 10 Merkins, run to Corner 2: 10 Full sit ups, run to corner 3: 10 jump Squats, run to corner 4: 10 Burpees, run to corner 3: 10 Jump Squats, run to Corner 2: 10 Full sit ups, run to corner 1: 10 merkins and return to start

Mosey to the center of the field

BLIMPS:
5 burpees, 10 lunge each leg, 15 imperial walker, 20 merkins, 25 plank jacks, 30 squat

Mosey around both goal posts and back to the center.

ATMs
All done in order, with no rest, without leaving plank position. 
Count is to 10 for each exercise

• Alternating Shoulder Touches In Cadence (4-count)
• Tempo Merkins (down on the 1-2-3, up on 4),
• Merrkins.
  Run around the goal post and back to center.

Rinse and repeat 2 more times.

CLIMB
5 Crab cake
10 Lunge
15 Imperial walker
20 Mountain Climber
25 Box cutters.
LBCs to 30 and continue for the 6
Rinse and repeat 2 more times.

Mosey to the endzone and back

Jack Webb:
A merkin then 4 air press with an ascending rep count of each. 
Ie 1 Merkin 4 Air press, 2 Merkin 8 Air Press, 3 Merkins 12 Air Press….  10 Merkins, 40 Air press.
(Why in the heck do air presses in the Jack Webb hurt so bad.. its litterial just raising you arms)

Mosey to the endzone and back

Motivator:
Full SSH, ¾ SSH ½ SSH, ¼ SSH bounce. 10 of each with out stopping, then 9, 8, 7…down to 1
(THIS REALLLLLLLY SUCKED.. Doesnt sound bad.. But my calfs and cardio were both dying) 

Mosey to the endzone and back
LT Dander: 
Lt. Dans plus a merkin.
The sequence goes lunge-lunge-squat-merkin. (10 times)
30 LBCs
Rinse and repeat 3 times
At this point Merkins were more like falling to the ground and trying to push myself back up.  

Mosey back to AO launch site.

MARY:
LBCs, Reverse LBCs, WW2, American Hammer

NMS:
Great work by all today!! I about spilled merlot at my own Q????
I appreciate everyone joining me for a 1hr beatdown at the park. The acceleration of the West Side pax is amazing right now. There are now a few new AOs that are really pushing the pax beyond status quo. Currahee posting double digits for pax members to push the cardio and speed training. Circus Maximus and strength conditioning with Kettle Bells, Wednesday there is WTH that is pushing the limits of the PAX with 3 plus miles of bootcamp. Tuesday the good ole Heart Break ridge that will leave you HATING grassy hills…. and if that is not enough, there is always a pax member ready to bike, ruck, run, grab a lunch, happy hour, or bible study.
Thank you for allowing me to lead today.

As always: Call a pax member you have not seen in a while.. it may be what he needed to get through the day.

v/r
John (Gypsy) Boles

17 able bodied dudes including 2 FNGs (including one in a Tommy Hilfinger rugby shirt) make their appearance at Gridiron. The Fireman saw 8 people at 6:57 thinking this may be a small group but a squadron of cars came in right before 7. Probation arrived at 6:59, WTH?

COP: Two laps through the parking lot and the other workout group, SSH (just kidding I don’t do those anymore), DQs, Dead man hangs, FMs, merkins and arm circles. Mosey to a lesser utilized football field (since the other one had a ton of flags on it meaning I know the field looks like sh%t but please don’t step on it).

Exercise 1: 11s with carolina dry docks and jump squats. Since we had two FNGs I kept saying modify if you need to. Attila then said “If you need to modify just follow White Deer.” Mosey to bus loop.

Exercise 2: 15 different exercises for each spot, some were arm oriented (2 with coupons), some legs, some abs. The pace setter is running or dribbling a somewhat deflated (Patriots like) basketball to the nearest hoop and coming back after hitting a layup. A couple folks missed three layups (sorry J Ville) and one German import missed the whole backboard but then recovered nicely. Mosey to front of school.

Exercise 3: Curb crawl from 1 to 5. Stop at 5. Mosey back to bus loop.

Exercise 4: Repeat exercise 2 with free throws. Most of us missed all three including yours truly. Hangover, one of the FNGs looks like he shoots free throws pretty often. Mosey back to home base.

We finished the session with American hammers and six punitive burpees.

Announcements: Party at Hitchhikers’s house on 7/17, Home Run derby at HBR on Tuesday 7/27, White Deer milestone Q on 7/24 (sorry Corned Beef I took your name off that Q), and I am guessing I missed something.

Welcome Hangover (friend of Tater’s from Tennessee) and Ooh Ah (friend of Carfax from Africa). It was great having you both with us. It was also great to have 17 at Gridiron even if my one exercise routine was set up for 15 or less. Thanks Honey Do for picking up the sh$t that I left because I was so excited that I had 17 PAX.

In terms of Malta, after our workout we got into an abnormally long conversation about Malta. Gomer I guess spent time in Malta when he was deployed and there was debate about which continent it belongs to since it is in the Mediterranean Sea. According to wiki which is always right, it is part of Europe. Argue away my friends.

Have a great productive week. Do great things.

Fireman Ed

YHC forgot to cancel last week for his 50th Bday Q and the Pax had to improvise with a hot potato. My bad. But this week, we had all sorts of fun with plenty of 50 counts. 13 of us posted and we even had an appearance from Water Wing for 1 exercise during warm ups.

After warmup we went to Burpee Hill for 10 burpees, followed by a mosey to the soccer field for another set of 10 burpees. We then worked on legs with a Dora of 100 lunges, 200 squats, 300 heel raises. Next up was a modified Ab-Ripper X…25 Crunchy Frogs, 25 Bicycles forward and back, 25 In and Outs…Bear Crawl to the 18 yrd line for 25 Heels to Heaven, 25 Reverse Crunches, and 25 Flutters…Crab Walk to 50 yrd line for 25 V-up Roll ups, 25 Side Crunches (each side) and 20 Leg Climbs. Having worked legs and abs, it was time for a Clockwork Merkin on the hill. Then a Jack Web of 1 Carolina Dry Docks for every 5 Air Presses. Of course we did 10 sets (it’s a 50 theme). Did another 10 burpees before heading to the exercise bars for a Quadruple Check (Pull-ups, Dips, and Jerkins while the 4th group did 5 burpees). If the math was correct, that’s 20 burpees…for a total of 50 for the day.

Took a mosey back to parking lot to finish off with what else, but 50 American Hammers.

Ten posted for the most recent GridIron including eight regulars and two visitors from Harrisburg, PA – glad to have you Ten Speed and Zero Turn. This one happened Hot Potato-style.

Gypsy lead. Mosey from the parking lot to the grass between our pull up bars and the pickleball courts for COP including some of our go-to warmup exercises. Follow with Elevens pairing Pull Ups and Dips along with a short jog between the bars (Pull Ups) and picnic tables (Dips).

Lighthouse tagged. Mosey to the Grassy Knoll near the bars for 10 Minute of Burpees as usual – complete as many Burpees as you wish within a minute and follow with a short break for the rest of that minute. Repeato – nine more times.

White Deer up. Remain on the hill for ten rounds of Merkins with ten reps each round. Follow with ten rounds of WWII Sit Ups with ten reps each round. Few seconds between each set for all of these.

Zero Turn and 10 Speed step in and show us some new moves (new to the guy preparing this chronicle). Start with Motivators. Complete a called number of reps of SSHs, SSHs with half motion with arms, SSHs with no arm motion, and Jumps/Hops. Complete the same number of reps of each back to back moving instantly to the next number of reps. Recollection was we worked backwards from five reps. Finish with Bat Wings. Complete called reps of Forward Arm Circles, Backward Arm Circles, Front Seal Claps, and Overhead Claps. Last one was a burner. Thanks for sharing these.

Pinto up. Mosey to Striker Park and complete Four Corners rounds with Mary moves – five reps corner one working up, by five, to 20 reps at corner four. Round one – Flutter Kicks. Round two – American Hammers. Round three – LBCs.

Return to the parking lot for a few minutes of stretching. Pinto took us out. Thanks for visiting us guys. Correct in the comments if we missed something or someone.

Fifteen gathered for Saturday’s GridIron. Short mosey up the driveway and oval up on the pavement for warmup with SSHs, IWs, DQs, Squats, and Arm Circles. Clear the driveway for a few late arriving PAX members early in the sequence.

Move off the pavement and into the park to the nearby bars. Break into three groups of five and take a position on the perimeter of the bar box. One guy from each group finds a bar, completes one Pull Up, then holds the pull while PAX, from Plank position, counts down from 12. Switch guys and do the same until all have gone. Two more rounds, holding for 11 and ten seconds, each.

Mosey back to the parking lot and YHC grabs a Disc Golf disc from the vehicle. YHC picks targets across the AO while the PAX takes turns throwing to the target. Three Burpees per miss and three Squats for a hit. Rules adjusted as we progressed, including adding a Burpee to the count after each miss, but with a reset after a hit. If the disc was lost on a roof or in a drop inlet, we would have followed with 75 Burpees – but avoided this.

Made it to the bus shelter behind the nearby school and completed three rounds of 25 Pole Smokers, 20 Plie Squats, 25 Box Cutters, and 30 count People’s Chair.

Disc throws, again, along the school to a traffic island in the front. Circle up for Jack Webb variant with Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks, and Arm Circles completed in a ratio of 1:4:8. We made it to 8:32:64 before moving on.

Disc tosses back across the football field to the main parking lot. Oval up for a few minutes of stretching. COT and Attila took us out.

A solid showing for early summer today at the Gridiron.  Fourteen noble warriors linked arms to attack to the mother of all AOs.  Here is how it went down:

• COP
  • Punitive burpees to shut White Deer up
  • SSH
  • IW
  • DQ
  • Arm circles – forwards and backwards
  • Helicopters
  • Suzanne Somers
  • Merkins
  • LBC
• Mosey to the grassy knoll for 10 minutes of burpees
• 25 APD chaser
• Partner up for 4 sets of 10 jerkins and 20 PLTs
• Mosey to the football field for an abdora (one-man, ab-focused Dora)
  • 100 WWII sit-ups in 20 rep increments
  • 160 reverse crunches in 40 rep increments
  • 200 LBC in 50 rep increments
• Series of sprints to wrap it up
• COT with YHC taking us out

YHC had intended to do 100/200/300 of the abdora exercises, but time became an issue.  Cut is shorter, but still solid work from the PAX.  Good to have familiar and new faces aboard.  Good fellowship at Einsteins followed.  White Deer was quieted rather early.  Tater as usual was hopped up on caffeine. 

God is good all of the time!

Attila