Tag: GridIron

Splendid morning with a strong 8 posting at GridIron. Mosey to the lower football field for Attila’s abbreviated disclaimer of “check it before you wreck it.”

Thang:

Slaughter Starter of the Pan Pax 8 Count Body Builder X20 variety.

Salt and Pepper division of the PAX made with the latter taking the long road to the Pillars and the former taking the more direct route – Burpees X10 at 3 station stops en route.

Pax selects 4 exercises (assortment of upper body, lower body, and core) X20, execute, finish off with Burpees X10. Rinse and Repeat X4.

Enter the Golden Triangle for Dips and Step Ups, Rinse and Repeat.

Slalom Run the Pillars to the Concrete Triangle.

Gather at the Concrete Triangle for APDs X20.

Pepper Pax run the Concrete Triangle X1 and High Skip same X1 while Salt Pax endure Merkins (and some late Carolina Dry Docks). Salt Pax run the Concrete Triangle X1 while Pepper Pax execute Merkins (some of dubious quality).

Pan Pax 8 Count Body Builders X8.

Mosey back to Parking Lot Pavilion – Pepper Pax take the long route and Salt Pax the more direct, each Burpees X5.

Dips X20, Rinse and Repeat.

8 Count Body Builders X3, APDs X20, Superman with vocals, and Child’s Pose Close.

COT: Numberama and Counterama, J’ville announced Century Classic in April, and Takeout Prayer by YHC. Refreshment (fellowship) at Einsteins for 3/4th of the Pax.

MoleSkin: Arriving at the lower football field, Attila was sure there would be little or no further movement at the AO. Wrong, and props to those who self-identified as Pepper Pax, especially Cecil and NightCrawler.

The Pax seemed genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to shape the workout in response to the “on the fly” Q’s solicitation of exercise suggestions for the Stonehedge (naming credit: Johnsonville). WhiteDeer added to his growing list of observable disorders by doggedly defending his selection of Heels to Heaven as a lower body exercise. Diagnosis: autotopagnosia.

ByProduct has set a strong example with his consistent postings – RedWood status earned.

ChumBucket reached deep into his workout toolbox by offering the Pax the En Pointe Squat which is a like a pirouette with a squat in lieu of a turn. Get it wrong and it can be painful and embarrassing.

The only thing planned in advance was the CrowdPleaser, a healthy dose of Burpees – 116 (see below) seemed like a good number.

Stand firm and be thankful.

Psalm 116

It was a glorious morning where 7 faithful and strong brothers in arms came together.  Here is how it went down.

• COP

• • 20 SSH
  • 20 DQ
  • 20 IW
  • 10 2x merkins
  • 10 pickle pounders
  • 20 2x LBC
  • Arm circles – 10 small/5 big, front and backwards
• Mosey to the grassy knoll for 10 minutes of burpees
• 40 APD
• Mosey to the pavilion for a Lindsay with dips and heels to heaven
• 40 APD
• Mosey to the new pickle ball courts
  • Arch loader
    • Wheel barrows
    • Bear crawl
    • Crab walk
    • Lunges
    • Karaoke
    • High skips
    • Crawl bears
  • 40 APD
  • 5 suicides runs
  • 40 APD
• Mosey to the playground for 5x 5 jerkins
• Mosey back to the parking lot
  • Ring of fire (10 merkins)
  • 10 American hammers
• COT with YHC taking us out
• Fellowship at Einsteins for those that could join

I had 2 takeaways from today.  First, White Deer had to leave skid marks on his underpants at one point of the workout.  These noise he made was loud and disturbing.  We questioned if he needed medical attention, and his subsequent chatter and explanation was disturbing.

My biggest takeaway from today is that I am blessed to have the fellowship of this PAX.  We pushed it hard today, but the friendships forged from these workouts is the real blessing.  Strong work today men!  Chum Bucket, you were missed.  Grateful for the relationships forged from our workouts.  It is what makes F3 great!

God is good all the time!

Attila

Following another satisfying Friday evening thread of text messages amongst old guys (but most not yet worthy of Respect), seven posted for Saturday’s GridIron under comparatively (compared to last week) balmy conditions.  YHC pulled a cinder block out of the yard and a kettlebell out of the basement and placed these on the pavement without a firm idea of how we’d use them for the morning.

At 7 AM sharp, we started with Invisible Jump Ropes, Don Quixotes, Imperial Walkers, Russian Soldiers, and Arm Circles.  We then strolled to the nearby playground with one guy holding the cinder block high, another guy hoisting the kettlebell and doing whatever, and the other guys starting with Walking Imperial Walkers – completing 5 with a two count and then jogging to the guys carrying anchor.  We traded off weights and kept moving until we reached the playground.  We took turns completing 5 x Jerkins (on our own), 5 x Shoulder Presses with the cinder block, and 5 x Upright Rows with the kettlebell.  One round involved 5 sets of Jerkins and one each of the other exercises.  We did another full round with an underhand Jerkin (not as bad as it sounds).

We hit the pine straw under the nearby pine trees for 5 minutes of Burpees that included 5 Merkins within each Burpee.  Targeted 5 Burpees per minute, or 125 Merkins over 5 minutes.

We began another team stroll over to the school’s covered bus area.  We traded off block and bell carries while starting with 5 x two count Lunge Walks, then jog to the guys carrying anchor.  Continued Lunge Walks until all had carried each weight once, then started another round with Walking Imperial Walkers.  Upon arrival at the bus shelter, we shifted to the nearby grass and completed another round of 5 minutes of Burpees with the Merkins.

We moved to the bus shelter to complete 10 x Pole Smokers, along with 10 x Lat Pullovers with the bell and 10 x Curls with the block, until all have rounds with both weights.  We completed a second round of with 10 x Box Cutters, along with 10 x Skull Splitters and 10 second Straight Arm Block Hold.  We moved back to the grass for our final round of 5 minutes of Burpees with Merkins.

We worked our way back to the start with the block and bell stroll, initially with 5 second Bear Crawls until all have carried the weights, then Walking Imperial Walkers until we reached the parking lot.  We circled up for a quick few rounds of Ring of Fire involving rotating 5 second Straight Arm Holds of the cinder block and kettlebell.  We stayed in position for COT and Attila took us out.

Nice work fellas.  Byproduct kept up his near perfect winter attendance and flashed the Marionette during warm ups – or the Russian Soldier, but with lifting the arm and leg on the same side.  Attila reported (several different meanings) that it was Kombucha Friday at the Hun house the evening before.  Cecil sporting the Peru home jersey as his second layer.

Get better Earthworm.

Mother Nature’s hammer was fierce and wicked, but 7 noble (and bundled) warriors answered.  Here is how we welcomed in the first Gridiron of 2018.

• COP
  • 18 SSH
  • 18 DQ
  • 18 IW
  • 18 merkins
  • 18 flutter kicks
  • 18 lunges
  • 18 helicopters
  • 18 dips
• Mosey to the playground for a jerkin ladder starting and 8 and counting down to 1
• Mosey to parking lot to celebrate the new year – 1 constant exercise (running) with 8 alternating exercises at various corners of the parking lot (6 reps at 3 corners of the 4 corners of the parking lot for a total of 18 reps of each exercise below)

• • Burpees
  • Monkey Humpers
  • Merkins
  • LBC
  • Pickle Pounders (aka blue ballers in this weather)
  • Heels to heaven
  • Carolina dry docks
  • WWII sit-ups
• 18 APD
• Rinse and repeat on the celebration of 2×18 (see above)
• 18 APD
• 18 3 count deep squats
• Sprint the parking lot x2
• 18 3 count deep squats
• COT with YHC taking us out
• Fellowship at Einsteins

Lots of reps of 18 to celebrate the beginning of a new year at Gridiron.  For the record it was cold, but it was great to see a loyal PAX supporting YHC in his efforts to Q.  I was thrown for a loop when Nightcrawler appeared.  Rumor had it he would be hunting birds, and his camo Elmer Fudd hat hinted at doing that later.

Welcome to Ginger!   Great effort in the freezer-like conditions today.  Do not be a stranger.  As for those out with injuries (Byproduct and White Deer), get well and come back soon.  You were missed.

Even in the frigid cold, God is good all the time!

Attila

7 gents dusted off the lure of The Fartsack, including one LIFO, to celebrate UpChuck’s completion of the Corporate Challenge.

COP
No idea…YHC wasn’t there.  (Footnote: No Idea also was not there.)

Mosey to the Track for Intervals
5 burpees + 1 lap = 1 interval
Complete 10 intervals

Mosey to the Loading Dock for 2-Man Triple Check
One man performs some form of ab exercise
Second man bear crawls to asphalt/concrete line, runs to steps, bunny hops the steps, and descends via the ramp.

Mosey back to VSF for some Mary

Number-rama, Name-a-rama, UpChuck took us out

NMS

This was YHC’s first non-Convergence Gridiron, so it was nice to catch up with some new faces (Earthworm, ByProduct) as well as re-connect with some more familiar faces (Attila, Chum, White Deer, Johnsonville).  YHC confesses that the mere appearance of or mention of the name “White Deer” triggers the following screaming voice in YHC’s head. “You, you in the red shorts!”  Ah, a gift that keeps on giving.  Good times.

This also marked the conclusion of YHC’s Corporate Challenge.  Earthworm marked the occasion by noting that few folks make the Saturday Double-Dip a part of their week.  That’s unfortunate.  YHC recommends folks put this double-dip on their “New Year’s Resolution” list for 2018.  Good PAX at Gridiron, and Einstein’s was a lot of fun.

A PAX seven strong posted on a windy, unseasonably warm Saturday morning for Gridiron.  The message stream pre- and post-workout is strong among the Gridiron regulars.  Leading into Saturday morning, though, several regulars anticipated absence due to illness – except Attila who posted anyway.

Cecil led a pre-game, 3rd F conversation about love.  Cecil, Dark Horse, Attila, and Byproduct were seated at the picnic pavilion with YHC arrived.  There was another car in the parking lot from which, shortly after YHC arrived, Lip Sync and JJ (FNG) hopped out and joined the group.  We circled up in the parking lot and began with SSHs x 25, Don Quixotes x 15, Imperial Walkers x 15, Russian Soldiers x 15, Arm Circles – big only – 15 forward and 15 reverse, and Monkey Humpers x 15.

Mosey to the lower football field for the 13 Acres Baker’s Dozen.  YHC has called this a couple of times at The Punisher.  The AO for The Punisher is located on the former 13 Acres site.  This sequence involves 13 rounds of 13 exercises.  Within each round, we’d complete 13 reps of one exercise and 7 reps of the others.  The line up included, in order, Merkins, Squats, LBCs, Wide-Grip Merkins, Front Lunges, Hello Dollys, Diamond Merkins, Back Lunges, Flutter Kicks, Carolina Dry Docks, Jump Squats, Box Cutters, and Invisible Jump Ropes.  For the most part, the full hour allowed completion according to script but for making the lunges single count in the last few rounds and combining the 12th and 13th rounds due to time running out.  Jog back to the parking lot for COT and Attila took us out.

Nice work fellas.  It was a pleasure.  Nice job working through the crud, Attila.  Hope our other brothers are recovering.

Lip Sync was in Richmond from F3 Raleigh.  FNG JJ (Jimmy) lives in Richmond and was headlocked by Lip Sync.  Welcome to Gridiron guys.

The gloom called (namely an unexpected cold wind), and magnificent warriors answered.  Here is how it went down.

• Pregame – the PAX continued its study of 2 Peter 1 by looking at a series of verses on godliness

• • Why godliness is important – 1 Timothy 6:6-14
  • What is the path to godliness – Titus 2:11-14,  Psalm 1:1-4
  • Words of Encouragement – 1 Timothy 4:7-8

• COP
  • 12 SSH
  • 12 IW
  • Arm circles – 12 forward, 12 backward
• Mosey to the football field for a countdown to the 12 days of Christmas – start with 12 rep exercise and run goal-line to goal-line and back between each interval (2,400 yards or 1.36 miles total)
  • 12 merkins – 144 total
  • 11 WWII sit-ups – 121 total
  • 10 flutter kicks – 100 total
  • 9 Freddie Mercuries – 81 total
  • 8 monkey humpers – 64 total
  • 7 heels to heaven – 49 total
  • 6 one legged APD (each leg) – 36 total
  • 5 burpees – 25 total
  • 4 lunges (2 count) – 16 total
  • 3 crab cakes (2 count) – 9 total
  • 2 diamond merkins – 4 total
  • 1 deep squat (hold for 12 seconds)
• Mosey to the playground for a jerkin ladder (7,6,5,4,3,2,1)
• Mosey to the short, graded field area near the parking lot for an abbreviated arch loader
  • Bear crawl
  • Crab walk
  • Bunny hop
  • Slither like a snake – army crawl
• Mosey to the pavement with Chum Bucket leading us through some stretches
• COT – YHC took us out

I have exhausted the 12 days theme.  It still provided for some great workouts, so I am now feeling some Christmas cheer.  I will take it over shopping any day of the week.  It was an honor to be with the great group of men this morning.  God is good all of the time!

Attila

Despite a little snow, four faithful Gridiron warriors avoided the fart sack and attacked the morning with a passion unbeknownst to the common man.  Here is how it went down:

• Parking lot tracers with forward/backwards runs and karaokes
• COP
  • 50 SSH
  • 25 Russian soldiers
  • 25 DQ
  • 20 merkins
• Mosey to the playground for a jerkin ladder – 7,6,5,4,3,2,1
• Partner up for PLTs – 4x 25 reps
• Mosey to pavilions
• • 25 dips
  • 25 step-ups (left leg)
  • 25 dips
  • 25 step-ups (right leg)
  • 25 dips
  • 4x 25 WWII sit-ups, 25 APD, 25 flutter kicks (2 count)
  • 25 dips
• Run the perimeter of the Gridiron AO (apx ¾ mile)
• Triple check – run bus loop, wall sit, deep squats
• Mosey to the COT with YHC taking us out
• 3^rd F – breakfast at Einsteins

Today was a day that would make Willard Scott proud.  For those still receiving hate, google him.  The combination of snow and 100 reps of PLTs, dips, WWII sit-ups, APD and flutter kicks was a fitting tribute to the toupee wearing weatherman.  Add in some extra running and the PAX made the most of this glorious morning.  Sorry Honeydo, I could bring us to do 100 jerkins.  We wanted to be able to lift our arms this week.  Chum Bucket could probably pull it off, but we heeded the pre-workout disclaimer and checked it before we wrecked it.

As always, Johnsonville outpaced all of the runners, but it was great to see Byproduct put together his own hat trick.  Three straight weeks of beatdowns at the Gridiron.  Watch out Cal Ripken, here comes Byproduct.

Pre-game devotions will resume at Gridiron next week.  YHC will lead us in a look at godliness.  Better weather should yield a bigger PAX for that.

Today’s weather made it a fun one.  God is good all the time!

Attila

Seven GridIron regulars gathered for Saturday’s offering.  Game time temperatures of around 32 degrees didn’t halt progress.   Cecil led off with a 3rd F conversation (combined with the 2nd F, of course) concerning perseverance.

We followed with this Thang:  70 x Invisible Jump Rope, 20 x Don Quixote, 20 x Russian Soldiers, and 15 x Arm Circles (big only, forward then reverse).  Mosey to the playground for 10 x Jerkins and 25 x Pole Smokers/PLTs.  Complete 4 rounds.

Jog across the nearby bridge to the entry point for the trail.  Complete 10 Burpees then jog into the woods via trail.  Lead PAX member runs at least 20 paces, selects a tree, and all drop and complete 25 LBCs.  Repeat, with each PAX member leading for a short time and completing the same.  Pop out of the trail behind the school and complete 10 Burpees then return to the trail, completing the same exercises back to the beginning.  Hop off the trail once more for 10 more Burpees.  Lost count but all probably led twice at 25 LBCs each time – resulting in about 350 LBCs total.

Return the starting parking lot.  Pick a parking space for a couple of rounds of exercises.  First round – 15 seconds of Bear Crawl followed by 15 x Merkins, 15 x Squats, and 15 x Box Cutters.  Second round – 15 seconds of Crab Walk followed by 15 x Close Grip Merkins, 15 x Front Lunges (single count), and 15 x Hello Dollys.  Third round – 15 seconds of Roving Monkey Humpers followed by 15 x Wide Grip Merkins, 15 x Curtsy Lunges, and 15 x Rosalitas.  One quick round of Shoulder Taps, then some quick stretching until time called.

COT and Attila (if I remember correctly) took us out.

Nice work guys.  Coffeeteria at Einstein Bros. followed.

 

Six of the faithful posted on a chilly late-fall morning at GridIron, one of whom hails from Charlotte and the other of whom hails from Durham. Johnsonville took the Q, and this is what went down, more or less:

Warmup with 50 ssh, 25 imperial walkers, 25 don quiotes.

Mosey to the track. do 12 hillbillies, 12 merkins, arm circles, and 10 burpees.

Do 1 quarter-mile repeat then and another every five minutes. There should have been 10 or so quarter-mile repeats in there. If an exercise was interrupted, we paused it for the repeat and picked it back up after.

After that, and during the pauses between intervals, there were too many exercises for YHC to remember details. After the first repeat, we moved down to the lower field; did dips; ran around the lower field and surrounds ending at the front of the school; did wall thrusts; ran to Pouncey Tract Rd and to the south side of the shcool; did elevens with merkins and bunny hops; took a break in the middle to run back to the tennis courts; completed elevens; ran a loop around back; did a COP in the back tarmac with Makhtar N’Diaye’s and some other things; ran around to the end of the pillars; did a COP with 99 LBC and Alabama prom dates; ran to Pouncey Tract Rd and back to corner of school; did COP flutter kicks, 10 burpees, and plank walks right, Ran back to VSF and did plak walks left.

It was great to have Disney and Porterhouse join us from Charlotte and Durham respectively. Disney was on the team that launched F3RVA over 3 years ago. Porterhouse is a fleet footed guy in town to visit in-laws and joined White Deer and I for a Thanksgiving morning kettlebell workout.

It was also good to have ByProduct and DK back out after a hiatus from GridIron.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead! Jville