Backblasts

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(12.03.21) When Life Gives You Lemons…


AO: >Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Steamy Nix, Free Lunch, Stray Cat, Kiwi, Ghost



CONDITIONS

> Cold and crisp gloomy day, perfect winter beatdown weather.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • SSH x 20 IC
  • Windmill x 15 IC
  • Scissor Arm x 15 IC
  • Third Grade Exercise x 15 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 15 IC
  • Butt Kickers x 15 IC
  • SSH x 20 IC

Mosey to the track.

The THANG

As many rounds as possible before mosey back to the LR for COT.

ROUND 1

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Merkins and run to the other side of the field and back, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 curls
  • Run up the grass hill and back to the PAX
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 1 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

ROUND 2

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Dips and run up the stadium and down, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 OH Presses
  • Run 400 meters
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 2 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

Mosey back to LR!

6MOM

> Finished on the 6,

  • Big Bois x 30 IC

Moleskin

Recently I went to a church team night for those who serve/volunteer. Our head pastor spoke on Time management, in efforts to help us find ‘more’ time to use towards purpose.

Manage your time for maximum impact

You actually need to enjoy your ever day life. Live with a purpose and meaning. Have healthy relationships with people and God. Right now people are overwhelmed, overworked, and overcommitted. We come up with almost every reason to justify it too. “But you know what excuses do? The kill hopes, dreams, and goals. Eliminate the excuses, and you start to move forward, because you can make excuses or you can make progress, but you can’t make both.”

Tool:

Calendar your big rocks first. If you start with your biggest priorities, it gets your best you, there is always a place for the littler things once you tackle these but not alternatively.

Teacher analogy: Place sand into jar, followed by smallest rocks, then slightly bigger rocks, then larger, finally three big rocks. There is no room for them. If you flip the script, start with the big rocks and work your way back thru the list, everything fits. Consider this application in your life, equating those rocks to your goals/priorities/people and see how your life can change!

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Posted on

When you’re in charge, take charge

A0: The Gauntlet

QIC: Walkman

PAX:  Free Lunch

Conditions

51 and clear. Nice quiet morning in the gloom.

Warm up

Windmill x 10, Third Grade Exercise x 10, Scissor Arms x 10, Slow High Knees x 10, Hammy stretch x10

The Thang

TABATA – 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest.

Rounds 1-3: Thrusters, HR Merkins, Flutter Kicks, Frozen Freddies, Side leg lifts (alternating sides each round)

Rounds 4-6: Squat holds (squat and hold for 3 count), Hot Paw Merkins, Prestige Worldwides, American Hammers, Side Leg Lifts

Rounds 7 &8: Squat pulse (squat and pulse for 3 count), OHP, Flutter Jack, Plank with knee to elbow, Side leg lifts

COT

During the workout YHC shared the story of “The Grizzly” – it takes about 30 minutes to really tell it and it carried into the CoT. The primary message was focused around one of the leadership lessons from Q school, which was

“when you’re in charge, take charge.”

This became very apparent as our Platoon Leaders and Associate Platoon Leaders tried to herd ~30 men who were exhausted, beat down, stressed, and operating with limited visibility throughout the night of The Grizzly.

Additionally, there’s an interesting corrolary that comes out of this lesson. That is

“when you’re not in charge, be a good follower”

Being a good leader, even when you’re not in the leadership position, means you follow well. This can be challenging, particularly when most of the team is used to being leaders. In that environment, it’s even more critical to follow well. There were several instances in the Grizzly where individuals taking initiative undercut the systems the PL & APL were working on to keep us moving. We sorted them out, but it was a great lesson to learn in real life.

This applies to our life as partners, fathers, friends, employees, bosses, etc.

When you’re in charge, take charge. When you’re not, be a good follower.

Great work today men!

Walkman

Posted on

11/29/2021 – So Many Stairs

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: StrayCat

PAX: Free Lunch, Ghost, Kiwi, Lumbergh, Steamy Nicks

Conditions

40F. Ground was wet, but it didn’t rain

Warm up

SSH x 25

Third Grade Exercise x 10

Halos x 10

Pickle Bombers x 10

Mosey to Track

The Thang

10 Pike Merkins

10 Archer Rows

10 Diamond Merkins

20 Full Squats

Run up to the top behind the track and then run up all the bleecher stairs and concrete stairs.

Repeat for time.

Mosey back

Leg Raises x 50

COT

Q talked about his struggle with pride at work and being overlooked for contributions and sacrifices made. He realized his larger goal at work was to lead others to be a better team and so it didn’t really matter. His focus instead was to make his team members feel valued and appreciated for their contributions. Lumbergh shared about doing your part to change company culture from within by recognizing other peoples contributions.

Straycat Out

Posted on

11/25/2021 – Mile to Marathon

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Danish

PAX: Free Lunch, Ghost, Lumbergh, Samurai, Slash

Conditions

40F with a layer of murk in the air

Warm up

Mosey to track

SSH x 25

Slow high knees x 10

Heel to nuts x 10

Halos x 10

Lateral lunges x 10

Butt kicks x 10

The Thang

100 squat thrusts

100 yd bear crawl

100 yd run

100 coupon curls

100 yd lunge walk

100 yd run

100 deadlifts

100 yd bunny murders

100 yd run

100 hand release merkins

100 yd run

100 yd murder bunnies

100 lift overs (feet over vertical coupon)

100 yd coupon carry

100 yd run

100 ground touch squats

262 Mountain climbers

Balloon game: All get in a plank circle, one person hits a balloon in the air while shouting someone’s name. That person has to get up from a plank position and hit the balloon and repeat.

Squid game: Red light green light while doing bear crawls/deadbug shuffle/tall murder bunnies/lunge walks to the caller.

COT

Everyone tell the pax what they are thankful to have happened in the last year.

Posted on

11/22/2021 – It’s Cold: Keep Moving!

AO: LightningRod

QIC: Ghost

PAX: Dockers, Kiwi, Free Lunch, Stray Cat, SteamyNix

Conditions

Dry and cold! 36 degrees

Warm up

SSH x20

Imperial Walkers x10

Halos x10

Windmills x10

Slow High Knees x10

Fast High Knees x10

Mosey to playground first

The Thang

At Playground

box jumps x30

merry-go-round planks x2 minutes – (feet on merry go round, hands walk together clockwise and counter clockwise

Mosey to big hill

hills x5 minutes – (10 tuck jumps at the top, 10 side squats at the bottom)

Mosey to track

Start at end zone (10 burpees, jog to the 20, 10 squats, bear crawl to 40, plank 30 seconds, jog to other 40, 10 merkins, bear crawl to 20, 10 bonnie blairs on hard count, jog to end zone, cross track, 10 rows. Then jog around track back to the endzone. Rinse and repeat. 25 minutes)

Back to LR

boxcutters X20

Reach-around plank x10 each side

COT

“Ghost on the couch”

Here’s what happened last night. Can the PAX fix me? I can get hyperfocused on stupid stuff. Last night I was doing crossword and only half paying attention to my kids and my wife during our family time. Definitely not the way I want to do that, but I wasn’t sure what lesson to draw from this event. I had some ideas, but then asked the PAX for some help.

Kiwi sympathized and had some ideas. He also asked whether doing the crossword was generally a good activity for me, one that helped me to decompress and become calm. I realized that it generally wasn’t.

Free Lunch thought it might indicate that I need to set aside time to decompress so I can be fully present during family time.

Dockers totally got where I’m coming from. He has a similar personality and addictive tendencies. He knows he needs time alone to help him decompress so he can engage with his family in a healthy way.

Ghost out!

Posted on

(11.20.21) – Rocked you to the CORE!

AO: LavaField

QIC: Lumbergh

PAX: Samuari, Slumberkins, 2 Chainz

Conditions

Dry and crisp fall day. Beautiful start to the day.

Warm up

  • Run 400 meters
  • SSH x 20 IC
  • Seal Claps x 10 IC
  • Arm Circles x 10 IC (Fwd & Bkwd)
  • 3rd Grade Exercise x 10 IC
  • Windmill x 10 IC
  • Hamstring Toe Touch (Single Leg) x 5 IC
  • Simple Quad Stretch x OYO

The Thang

Mosey to the endzone

ROUND 1

  • Start on the endzone, mosey to the 10 yard line and back
  • 5 Big Bois
  • Run to the 20 yard line and back
  • 10 Big Bois
  • Repeat, adding 10 yards each time and 5 reps
  • Stopping after a 100 yards and 50 Big Bois

ROUND 2

  • Dead Bugs (Hard Count only going to the 50)

ROUND 3

  • LBXs (Hard Count)

Mosey back to the end zone

COT

A man must be sharpened like a knife blade

Both a man and a knife are made to cut, but neither can be Effective until properly honed.

A knife is sharpened by a whetstone. While water is used to lubricate the whetstone prior to sharpening that is not where the “whet” part comes from. To whet actually means to sharpen, like with a man’s appetite and his curiosity. In other words, to whet both blade and man is to put on an edge, with a result that is sharp, dynamic and ready to cut. The unsharpened man is dull and lethargic, in-Effective as a Leader and ill-Prepared for the Obstacles he will face in his life.

Just as a man’s appetite for pure food must be whetted, so must his appetite for the heavy responsibility that comes with Leadership . The HIM acts as the Stone to the younger man’s Blade , providing the hard surface against which he becomes sharper and whetting his appetite for greater responsibility.

That’s a wrap

-Lumbergh

Posted on

11/19/2021 – Around the Clock

AO: LightningRod

QIC: Slash

PAX: Herbie, Free Lunch, Samurai, SteamyNix

Conditions

Wet! Mid 50s with a steady rain, which either eased up as we got into the workout, or we didn’t notice. Either way, not too bad!

Warm up

SSH x20

Halos x10

Monkey Humpers x15

3rd grade exercise x15

Windmills x15

Mosey to track

The Thang

Around the Clock

Soldier carry with high knee marches March to 3 o’clock (goal post), 12 o’clock (50 yard line), 9 o’clock (opposing goal post) and 6 o’clock (50 yard line) positions around the track.

Start marching at 6 o’clock toward first position:

30 man makers (burpee with coupon)

Continue marching

120 coupon swings 

Continue marching

90 gorilla rows (hold squat while rowing coupon up to sternum)

Continue marching

60 crooked coupon merkins (1-hand on coupon, other on ground, do 30 on each hand then switch)

Everyone got through the rows (and some had started on the crooked merkins) before time was up and we needed to mosey back to the Rod.

COT

“Let’s hear from Samurai!”

We were all eager to hear from Samurai about the GrowRuck Grizzly last weekend! So I asked him to share a bit. Long story short, it was LONG and HARD (rucking railroad posts, water jugs and timber 50 miles + beatdowns throughout the night) but fulfilling and educational.

A big development he found was an empathetic connection to the men at the event and to those back home. Everyone needed help and wanted to quit at some point during the 5pm-9am event, and the way through it was to help each other and not “go grey” (or fade out) on your fellow men. Samurai shared that if he can help a brother at 3am when he’s exhausted, he can help anyone anytime here back at home.

It reminded me that giving to others is a gift to yourself. In fueling others, you fuel yourself.

Congrats to Samurai, Walkman and BobEvans for completing the challenge and taking away some meaningful lessons!

Rock on, Slash!

Posted on

(11.18.21) SUH-Plex


AO: >Gauntlet

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Kiwi, Stray Cat, Free Lunch



CONDITIONS

> Cool, breezy, and still dark. Stars were still out, as the PAX got after a lung buster of a beatdown

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • SSH x 25 IC
  • Windmill x 15 IC
  • Scissor Arm x 15 IC
  • Third Grade Exercise x 15 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 15 IC
  • Butt Kickers x 15 IC
  • SSH x 25 IC

Mosey to the sidelines.

The THANG

As many rounds as possible before mosey back to Endzone for COT.

ROUND 1

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Merkins and run to the other side of the field and back, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 curls
  • Run 400 meters
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 1 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

ROUND 2

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Squats and run to the other side of the field and back, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 OH Presses
  • Run 400 meters
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 2 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

ROUND 3

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Side Floor Press (each side) and run to the other side of the field and back, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 Rows
  • Run 400 meters
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 2 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

ROUND 4 (we didn’t make it to this one)

Each PAX completes the below, while the others do 10 Big Bois and run to the other side of the field and back, continue till it’s your turn

  • 25 Block Up Leg Raises
  • Run 400 meters
  • Tag the next man to start
  • Round 2 complete when Q finishes and calls recovery

Mosey back to Endzone!

6MOM

> Finished on the 6,

  • Big Bois x 30 IC

Moleskin

What would you tell your younger self?

Recently I came across a post from NFL football player and Portland native, Ndamukong Suh. He said knowing what I’ve learned now and what it takes to be a success, if he knew he wouldn’t make it to the NFL and needed to find a new path, what would he tell his younger self?

  1. Build Relationships with purpose. Don’t be afraid to find mentors. Everybody needs a guide. Align yourself with like minded peers, who have long term goals that match yours. Hard work gets you ahead, if it’s shared with the right people.
  2. Become self sustainable. Freedom is defining your own future. If you’re in debt or hitching your success to someone else, that choice disappears. Take help when needed, but make sure you aren’t totally relying on others to achieve your goals.
  3. Be passionate about what you do. Find something you’d love doing, even without the paycheck. Would you wake up excited and committed to do this thing if you weren’t worrying about money? For me, this would be construction.
  4. Have an employer mindset. Start as an employee, become an employer. The jump from employee to employer is the gap between a paycheck and ownership. If you focus on the employer mindset from the start, you’ll be learning everything you need to make that move.
  5. Integrity above all else. Integrity is about reliability, follow through, and execution. Be reliable and eventually you’ll become invaluable. Follow through on your promises and you’ll be trusted. Execute well and you’ll get more responsibility.
  6. Patience in all aspects of life. This was the greatest lesson from my time with Buffett. I was a very impatient youth until I realized it’s the long term that matters. Being patient means being forward thinking, living in the present to plan for the future.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Posted on

All together now (11/7/21)

A0: The Gauntlet

QIC: Kiwi

PAX: Ghost, Free Lunch, Stray Cat,

Conditions

56 and dry. Pretty much perfect.

Warm up

Monkey Humpers x 10,
Third Grade Exercise x 10,
Windmils x 10,
Imperial Squawkers x 10,
bear to downdog x 10,

The Thang

Mosey to the feild and start at the bars
10 rows with 3-second pauses at the top.
20 yards of bear crawl to the stairs.
Peter parkers on each step up the stairs
run 20 yards up the hill towards Ben franklin statue
15 big bois
Run to the top of the hill
10 Burpees
run back down to the same place for 15 big bois
run to top of stairs
bear crawl down the stairs
crawdad 20 yards back to bars
repeat for time

6MOM

Frozen Freddies x 10
Leg lifts x 10

COT

I talked to the pax about how I had recently taken up toastmasters to get better at speaking in public. Often before I get up to speak in front of people I get nervous and fidgety. I often feel like if I burned energy by running a mile, doing push-ups, or doing squats before I gave my speeches I would be much more calm and relaxed. I noticed in F3 that is exactly what I get to do. It is an opportunity to burn a ton of energy before getting in front of people to deliver a speech.

A lot of people have said they have come to F3 and been surprised about how fit they have gotten. However, what I notice most is my improvement in public speaking. I have a ton of gratitude for the opportunity to step in front of people to practice speaking here at F3. There is no other program where you are forced to be sweaty, muddy, and out of breath and then forced to give a speech.

When it comes to building male leadership in the community, it can not be overlooked the subtle ways in which we support and help each other

Thank you all!

Kiwi

Posted on

(11.17.2021) 3/4 Hour of Power

A0: The Lightning Rod

QIC: StrayCat

PAX:  Danish, Dockers, Herbie, Lumbergh, Slash, Steamy Nicks

Conditions

37 F and dry.

Warm up

20 SSH

10 Pickle Bombers

10 Big Arm Circles (switch direction half way through)

12 Third Grade Exercise

10 Slow High Knees

This workout was focused on power. Force = mass x acceleration. We pushed the acceleration this morning.

The Thang

Mosey to the field. Line up on one side line.

Sprint across the Field. Then Mosey back.

10 Squat Thrusters

Sprint across the Field. Mosey back.

10 Hand release Pylo Merkin (push hard and get air at the top)

Sprint across the Field. Mosey back.

10 Burpees with a jump tuck at the top.

Sprint across the Field. Mosey back.

10 Pylo rows with three second hold at the top.

Sprint across the Field. Mosey back.

10 Pylo Bonnie Blairs (try to get as much air at the top as possible).

Repeat above for time.

Line up on end zone:

40 yds of Deadbug Shuffle (switch sides half way)

60 yds of bear crawl

return to pick up six

Mosey back to Lightning Rod

10 Slow Dead bugs

25 Leg Raises

25 Hard Count LBCs

COT

StrayCat shared about slipping in fitness over the last few months as he was traveling. We have to always accelerate our fitness and push harder. You are either improving or sliding backwards. You are green and growing or ripe and rotten.

We need the men of F3 to push us forward to greater levels of fitness. We will backslide on our own.

Danish shared about the joy of suffering workouts together on Mondays after the weekend. Lumbergh shared he was tired from a 5 mile run yesterday, but the PAX pushed him to finish this workout strong.

StrayCat