Author: Slash

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Slash

PAX: Danish, Free Lunch, Herbie, Giggles, Kiwi, Fargo, Faceplant, StrayCat, Walkman, Twinposter

Conditions

Sun peaking through and a balmy 52degrees! Was my first beatdown after being away for a week and a half for our move. Good to be BACK!

Warm up

SSH x 20

Imperial Walkers x 20

Shoulder circles (backwards and forwards) x 10

Windmill x 15

Pickle bombers x 15

Plank pulses x 15

Flying Mosey to the field (running while arms outstretched to the sides)

The Thang

Sign of the Beast:

Cones at the 25-year, 50-yard, and 25-yard lines of a football field do to the six exercises below. For Set 1, the pax sprint to the first cone, do six reps of the exercise, sprint to the second cone, do six more reps, sprint to the third cone, do six more reps, sprint to the end line, turn around and sprint back to the beginning. 6 different exercises (6, 6, 6 … the Beast). Exercises:

Burpees
Reverse burpees
Split jumps (hard count)
Kossack squats (hard count)
Crankers (aka Tricep bows)
Wet tuckees (aka Burpee double tucks)

BACK

All in cadence:

Rows (overhead) x10

O-rows x11

Rows (underhand) x10

6MOM

Boxcutters x20
Frozen Freddie Mercuries x15
6 inches x10
Big bois x10 (kinda, we were struggling to get to the end!)

COT

“Abstinence violation effect”, aka the “Fuck It” effect

This is a cognitive bias that’s about our tendency to fall off the wagon hard when we have a slip up, e.g, if I’m trying not to drink for a month, then a beer then fuck it I might as well have 6. Or the other way around – if I miss a workout after being really consistent, then I’m less likely to be active the rest of the day. It’s on my mind because this last week has been a giant departure from my routine. I found myself caught in a few “fuck it” loops – having more beer and unhealthy food because of little choices like not doing a workout or snacking during the day.  I encounter it a lot at work – trying to help people to be consistent w/ their routines (and using Nike’s fitness apps!). Streaks are great until people miss a day, then they’re inclined to say “fuck it I’m going to take a break since my streak is broken”.

Great comments from Danish, Walkman, Free Lunch and Kiwi. They talked about not waiting to get back into a routine (do it today not Monday!), thinking about the why behind the streak (losing weight, feeling better) vs the streak itself, and how it’s easier to keep doing anything (even if it’s really simple/relaxed exercises) b/c you’re not starting cold.

Rock on! Slash

AO: Lava Field

QIC: Slash

PAX: Cherokee, Danish, Free Lunch, Andy, Slumberkins

Conditions

Upper 40s with a soggy field from rain last night. Warm enough to start stripping layers after the warm up. Cherokee was back in the house and flew back in time to make sure he was at the beat down!

Warm up

SSH x 20

Halos x 15

Shoulder circles (backwards and forwards) x 15

Windmill x 15

Pickle bombers x 15

Kossack lunges x 12

Fast high knees x 15

Carioca left 50yds

Carioca right 50yds

High knee strides 50yds

Butt kicker strides 50yds

The Thang

Run 400m

100 merkins

Run 400m

90 squats

Run 400m

80 merkins

Run 400m

70 squats

Run 400m

60 merkins

Run 400m

50 squats

Run 400m

40 merkins

Run 400m

30 squats

Run 400m

20 merkins

Run 400m

10 squats

***Run 800m***

End

Total work is 3 miles of running, 300 merkins, and 250 squats. Danish and Slash finished and Andy was close behind. Took about 45min.

COT

“Process over outcome”

Our marriage counselor gave us this advice. I often focus on trying to make my wife happy (an outcome) but that’s sometimes is out of my control. Plus old habits and patterns are slow to change which is why focusing on our process (how we communicate, following through on our commitments etc) is worth more focus especially in the short term than the outcome. Gains will come if our process is strong and consistent.

This applies to my impatience with planche training. I want to see more progress more quickly. I’m trying to focus on my process – quality and quantity of training.

We had great conversation with almost the whole crew telling stories about how process shows up for them – like discussing hard topics with friends/family, tackling the right kind of process at work to avoid problems down the road and focusing on the positive in relationships (vs the disagreements).

Rock on! Slash

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Slash

PAX: Giggles, Herbie, Kiwi, Stray Cat, Free Lunch, Danish

Conditions

High 40’s and dry, with the sun peaking through as we all arrived. Shorts out, muscle up!

Warm up

SSH x 20

Halos x15

Fast high knees x 15

Pickle bombers x 10 (down dog to up dog)

Windmills x15

Knee hugs x10 (put weight on one leg while hugging the raised knee up toward your arm pit)

Tin Soldiers x15 (raise knee up then extend leg forward and hold for 3 count)

Mosey to track

The Thang

Tabata

5sets of each movement. 20 secs work, 10 seconds recovery.

Elevated bird dogs (start in plank, raise opposite arm and leg, straighten and extend fully. Alternate with the other arm/leg)

Lizards (start in plank, swing right foot up and plant as close to the outside of your right hand as possible then swing back to plank. Alternate to left foot)

BLIMPS

5 burpees, 10 lunge easy count, 15 imperial walker, 20 merkins, 25 plank jacks, 30 squat jumps. Start at end zone and work down 100yards.

Danish, giggle and Slash made 100+yards. Everyone made it well past the 50yd line before we called time.

Mosey to LR

ABS

Alphabet – On your 6 – feet elevated like 6-inch hold – spell out the alphabet with your feet. All capital letters. In cadence. Slash almost forgot what came after J.

COT

Is your life a mission or task, or something else entirely? Buying a home, selling a home right now, things getting busier at work, mine feels task-based. When I get too task based without a clear mission, I can fall into a Mindset of scarcity versus abundance. “I don’t have enough time, money, activities with friends…”. But abundance is all around us. Walk into a store to buy any food from around the world, walk in my front door and get the infinitely loving smile from my daughter. Easy to fall into the scarcity scarcity mindset trap but it’s limiting and closes me off.

Danish added a great point about mission giving purpose for the daily tasks. Giggles shared that he doesn’t know how he’s going to find time as he starts to think about having kids and find abundance in an already tight schedule. Free Lunch shared a story about when climbing a mountain, you can’t get distracted by looking at the peak – you need to keep your eyes on the next step.

Rock on, Slash out!

AO: Lightening Rod

QIC: Slash

PAX: Ghost, Giggles, Herbie, Kiwi, Lumbergh, Stray Cat, Walkman, Free Lunch, Dockers, Samauri, Danish, Deadhead (Harrisburg, NC)

Conditions

Crisp dry morning in low 40’s. Almost the whole PAX showed early and ready to go. We had Deadhead joining us while on his layover b/t flights, and a new AO record with 13 men joining up!

Warm up

SSH x 25

Imperial walkers x15

Fast high knees x 15

Pickle bombers x 10 (down dog to up dog)

Windmills x15

Squat reaches x10

Halos x15

Mosey to track

The Thang

Bring up the burpee six

Pax lines up in a straight line and starts to run while last man does 5 burpees. When finished he runs to catch last man in line, says Aye!, then runs to the head of the line while last man does 5 burpees. Group did a mile with each man doing his burpees.

Rows + Merkins – all in cadence

Set 1

Rows x10

Decline merkins x10

Chin up holds x10

Set 2

Typewriter rows x15 (up toward left hand then move torso to right hand and back down, repeat in the opposite direction)

Decline Fire hydrant merkins (knees to elbows on descent ) x15

Chin up hold x15

Set 3

Rows x20

Decline Merkins x20

Chin up holds x20

Tabata time

20 seconds split jumps

10 seconds recover

Repeat 8 rounds (4min total)

Mosey to LR

ABS

X and O holds (low boat to high boat holding each position for 3 count) x20

Straight leg big boys x15

Freddie Mercury x15

Flutter kicks x15

COT

Followed up in Lumbergh sharing the setbacks he experienced in the last week for go30. It reminded me of how important it is to recognize progress beyond metrics. What is progress? Not always improving/more/better. Progress isn’t a straight line. It’s more about Process. It’s about getting in the ring and giving best effort and learning from setbacks.

Lumbergh added that failure of part of the process of growing and he can’t get better without expressing and learning from setbacks. Danish retold a story about his athlete who was metrics obsessed and it was hurting his performance so he had him run without a watch and focus on how he felt. Sometimes we need a perspective change to break through.

Amazing to set an AO record today with 13 men who rocked this beatdown today!

Rock on, Slash out!

AO: Lava Field

QIC: Slash

PAX: Danish, Ghost, StrayCat, Treetrunk, Lumbergh, Samurai, Tater Tot, Slumberkins

Conditions

45F, wet from the rain last night but sun poking out for a beautiful morning. The PAX reminded me DMX transitioned from these mortal chains to Ruff Ryder heaven last night, so I pivoted the music selection to honor the man.

Warm up

SSH x 25

Imperial Walkers x 15

Fast High Knees x 20

Alligators x 15

Windmills x 10

Froggers x 10

Halos x 10

Mosey 400m

The Thang

Mosey to Bleachers, blasting DMX

Round 1

20 reverse lunges EC

Up the stairs – Tooth fairies. Put hands on the 3rd or 4th step (depending on PAX height and step size). Do an incline merkin and at elbow extension do a little hop with hands and feet up to the next steps. (We only did the feet hop since things were wet)

At top – 20 Jump tucks at top

Back down – 1 squat every step back down

Round 2

Same as above, but progressively accumulating merkins on way up (1st step = 1 Merkin, 2nd step = 2 merkins.) And progressive squats on way back down. Total is about 500 reps for each exercise.

Mosey back to field

Relay and “Recover”

4 groups.

While one group does a fast lap, the rest of the PAX performs the following (start a new set when the last of the running group completes the lap). All IC:

Plank-overs (shoulders in front of hands)

Reverse snow angels

Ankle grinders

Speed skaters

6MOM

Flutter kicks x 15 IC

LBFC (flutter kicks while doing LBC) x 10 IC

Straightleg big boys x 15 IC

Side plank raises x 10 IC each side

6 inches x 10 IC

COT

Who I want to be right now.

How do I translate the long term vision I have for myself into daily behavior? A tatic I’m trying is asking myself is “who do I want to be right now?”. The answer is usually one of values: kind, patient, empathetic, encouraging, etc. But often times, the stress or hecticness of the moment can influence me to stray from those. Asking myself this question throughout the day, helps me live into my values in a moment by moment way.

Great share from Danish about recognizing triggers when we’re not living our values. StrayCat and Samauri added solid points about breaking larger potentially intimidating goals into smaller chunks.

Off the coffeeteria to celebrate Ghost and TreeTrunk showing for back to back workouts as their firsts with F3.

Slash out!! RIP DMX

Being in the moment

I talked about the day I found out I was going to be a dad. So emotional thinking about how this would change my life forever. Over the next weeks, found myself thinking about the future (how to be a good dad, logistics, etc) more than the present (being present with my wife, savoring the moment). I learned that I tend to look forward more than I sit with what’s going on right now and that can cause me to miss (or undervalue) some great momemts.

Danish shared that the beginning is a grind but having kids is amazing. You never stop worrying about them.

The rain was coming but the vibes were warm.

Slash out!!

AO: Lightening Rod

QIC: Slash

PAX: Herbie, Lumbergh, Walkman, Beach Bum, Bunny, StrayCat, Samurai, Danish

Conditions

36F and dewy but not an drizzle of rain…yes ANOTHER dry morning! Beach Bum coming back to bring great energy to the PAX. 9 STRONG and on time this morning!

Warm up

SSH x 15

Imperial Walkers x 15

Fast High Knees x 10

Yudo Merkins x 10 (down dog to up dog flow)

Windmills x 15

SSH x 15

Squat Reaches x 10

The Thang

Mosey to field

Shoulder warm-ups: 10xForward Arm Circles, 10xReverse Arm Circles, 10xSeal Claps

“10 to 10″ OYO

Start at 10 yard line. Do 10 merkins. Lunge while stretching torso toward forward leg to the opposed 10 yard line. Do 10 merkins. Squat shuffle with hands behind head (hold squat position while moving laterally) back to opposing 10 yard line.

Repeat above until 100 merkins complete.

Most didn’t make the whole thing, so Q brought the PAX back to the original 10yd line for everyone to complete their 100.

Mosey back to the LR at 6:15.

Moleskin

Reframing our perspective can change our outlook and behavior.

I put an offer in on our neighbor’s house last night! It immediately made me think about what was lacking in our own house. When, in fact, our current house (and situation in life generally) is FULL of abundance. There are literally a billion people who would trade their circumstances for ours. Realizing all I’ve been given and the abundance around me encourages me to live w/ a full heart and positive outlook. I realized it’s like the merkins we did today, which felt like a breather compared to the legwork, ha! How can we reframe hard experiences as positive/educational/beneficial/easy ones?