Tag: Samurai

Posted on

(2.09.22) Hop Hop to the Top (This title’s for you, Kiwi)


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Samurai

PAX: > Bob Evans, Slash, Danish, Walkman, Lumbergh, Steamy Nix, Free Lunch



CONDITIONS

37 degrees and cloudy. Touch of chocolate rain at the end.

Warm Up

  • Side Straddle Hop X 25
  • Edward Scissor Arms X 12
  • Daisy Pickers X 12
  • Butt Kickers X 10
  • Slow High Knees X 10
  • Fast High Knees x 10
  • Mosey down to the track

The Thang

First exercise is running!

  • 400 nuR (backwards run) easy pace
  • 800 Run fast pace 80% effort

After each run, hold plank or squat until 6 is in.

Second exercise is a circuit around the stairs for time:

  • 5 Big Boys at the bottom
  • Hop with both feet up the steps
  • 5 Merkins at the top
  • Walk back down the grass and slide under the railing to get back to the start
  • Repeat with 10, 15, etc.

We did this one for 15 minutes. Most PAX got up to sets of 25.

Then mosey to the side line and buddy up for an experimental exercise:

  • Buddy carry your buddy across your shoulders
  • Run halfway to the other sideline
  • Squat your buddy 10 times
  • Run back
  • Switch places so your buddy can do it

Modifications were necessary, and PAX came up with some really good ones: buddy drag, wheelbarrow, lunges, air squats…

Then we moseyed back to the Lightning Rod.

6MOM

  • Reverse Freddy Mercury x 20 in cadence
  • One PAX ripped a gnarly wet one during this exercise
  • We are taking up a collection to buy him new shorts
  • Side Crunches x 12 hard count each side
  • 30 seconds Glute Bridge Hold with deep breaths
  • The air had mostly cleared by this point so it was safe to breathe deeply
  • 30 seconds Cobra Hold with deep breaths

COT

Q shared some personal experience about struggling to stay honest, the misery that dishonesty can bring, and the joyous freedom that comes from owning up to the truth and setting things right. We finished out with a prayer to God to help us be honest, loving, and kind.

With Love,
Samurai

Posted on

(1.28.22) Hop Hop and Don’t Stop!


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Samurai

PAX: > Bob Evans, Kiwi, Slash, Herbie, Walkman, Steak Juice, Free Lunch



CONDITIONS

29 degrees, clear skies and windy.

Warm Up

Mosey down to the track, up and down the stairs a few times, then down to the goal line.

  • Side Straddle Hop X 25
  • Third Grade X 10
  • Monkey Humpers X 15
  • Butt Kickers X 10
  • Fast High Knees X 10
  • Y to T x 20
  • Side Straddle Hop x 25

The Thang

First exercise is a buddy exercise. Buddy A does the stationary exercise while buddy B does the moving exercise down to the 30 yard line and back. Then buddy B does stationary and buddy A does the moving exercise.

  • Round 1 Squats/Bear Crawl
  • Round 2 Lunges/Big Boys
  • Round 3 Merkins/Broad Jump

Mosey over to the low wall and do the second exercise two times through:

  • 1 Minute Inverted Row
  • 30 Seconds Rest
  • 1 Minute Bench Dips
  • 30 Seconds Rest

Then mosey back to the goal line for the last exercise:

  • Run to the 10 yard line and back
  • Do 1 Burpee
  • Run to the 20 yard line and back
  • Do 2 Burpees…

Everyone made it to the 70 yard line and some PAX got through to 100. Then we mosied back to the Lightning Rod with an extra stairs run on the way.

6MOM

  • Scissor Kicks x 20 in cadence

COT

Each part of this workout was intended to represent one of the three Fs.

The timed portion is a measure of Fitness. Fitness is about being fit for a purpose, suitable for the task we are assigned. It’s not about looking good or even about feeling good. In order to talk about Fitness, we need to know what task we are trying to be fit for. That’s our reason, our Why.

The buddy portion represents Fellowship. It’s a scary world out there, and we’re not going to make it alone. In order to survive, in order to thrive, we have to stick together. We have to work together to get it done, encouraging each other as we go.

The Burpee Ladder is about Faith. We have to believe in something outside of ourselves. This could be God, the Fellowship, the connectedness of the universe- there has to be some Higher Power out there because we can’t be it. We can’t do it on our own. There’s not enough strength in me to run up and down the field doing burpees when it’s freezing cold and dark. That power has to come from somewhere outside of us.

PAX went around the circle and shared about their Why, the task and purpose they want to be fit for, and about their Higher Power, where they get their Faith and their Strength from.

Remember your Why, stay close to your Fellows, and reach out to your Higher Power for help!

With Love,
Samurai

Posted on

(01.26.22) – Clockwork “CORE”nge

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Lumbergh

PAX: Bob Evans, Herbie, Samurai, Walkman, Slash, Free Lunch, Steamy Nix,

Conditions

Frosty and foggy! But energy was high!

Warm up

  • SSH x 20 IC
  • 3rd Grade Exercise x 15 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 10 IC
  • Monkey Humpers x 10 IC
  • Windmills x 10 IC
  • Scissor Arms x 10 IC

Mosey to field

The Thang

Mosey to the middle of the field. Setting up five cones, one in the center of the field, the rest 20 yards away from center creating an ‘X’.

PAX starts in the center and always returns to the center station after visiting each station. Every time the PAX returns to the center of the field –> 5 Merkins (EVERYTIME)

  • Start with your Merkins
  • RUN to the first station do the work, NUR back to center
  • Continue thru this rotation, until all stations have been visited
  • Start next round by adding 5 more reps to each station, Merkins remain 5 reps always
  • Station 1 – Big Bois
  • Station 2 – Opposite Arm/Foot Touches in Pike Plank (HC)
  • Station 3 – Double Leg Raises (without touching the ground)
  • Station 4 – Pickle Draggers (HC)

COT

BEATING BURNOUT
Stress is a fact of professional life, but extreme and unrelenting pressures can lead to the debilitating state we call burnout.

Three symptoms characterize burnout: exhaustion; cynicism, or distancing oneself from work; and inefficacy, or feelings of incompetence and lack of achievement. Research has linked burnout to many health problems, including hypertension, sleep disturbances, depression, and substance abuse. Moreover, it can ruin relationships and jeopardize career prospects.

Resolving burnout often requires changes at the job, team, or organizational level. But you can also take steps toward recovery and prevention on your own: Prioritize your health, shift your perspective to determine which aspects of your situation are fixed and which can be changed, reduce exposure to the most stressful activities and relationships, and seek out helpful interpersonal connections.

It’s important to ward off burnout on your team as well: Insist on time for rest and renewal, set realistic work limits, boost your team’s sense of control, provide meaningful recognition, and ask people what help or training they need to succeed.

https://hbr.org/2016/11/beating-burnout

Posted on

(1.10.22) Left, Right, Left


AO: >Lightning Rod

VQIC: > Samurai

PAX: > Danish, Bob Evans, Kiwi, Walkman, Steak Juice, Free Lunch, Stray Cat



CONDITIONS

35 degrees out. Overcast but not raining!

Warm Up

We did the whole warm up in cadence.

  • Side Straddle Hop x 25
  • Daisy Pickers X 20
  • Slow High Knees X 10
  • Fast High Knees X 20
  • Forward Small Arm Circles x 15
  • Reverse Small Arm Circles x 15
  • Side Straddle Hop x 25

The Thang

PAX formed into two columns and ran 1/2 mile in cadence with Q calling cadences. We are going to need some music lessons to improve our singing. Ended our run down at the track.

Beatdown Part A:

  • 1 Minute of continuous Merkins
  • Big Boys x 10 in cadence (hard count)
  • 1 Minute of continuous Merkins
  • Squats x 20 in cadence (hard count)
  • 1 Minute of continuous merkins

Beatdown Part B:

On the track, on your own. Lunge Walk x 30 (hard count) and then run the rest of the lap back to the starting line. All PAX completed 3 laps and some did more.

PAX formed into two columns and ran in cadence back to the flagpole. Our singing was slightly improved this time around.

6MOM

  • Flutter Kicks x 30 in cadence
  • 1 Minute Low Plank
  • Freddie Mercury x 20 in cadence
  • Reverse Freddie Mercury x 20 in cadence

COT

Q shared about personal journey and the power of fellowship to transform lives. Reach out to your brother next to you and offer your help. It could make all the difference!

With Love,
Samurai

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

(11.08.21) – Parking Lot Pounder

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Lumbergh

PAX: Bob Evans, Walkman, Steamy Nix, Free Lunch, Kiwi, Samurai

Conditions

Steamy cold morning! First beatdown of the fall in the 30s.

Warm up

  • SSH x 20 IC
  • Imperial Walkers x 10 IC
  • 3rd Grade Exercise x 10 IC
  • Monkey Humpers x 10 IC
  • Scissor Arms x 10 IC
  • Halos x 10 IC

The Thang

Mosey to the parking lot by the stadium with coupon

  • Start at the top of the lot
  • 5 curls, 5 squats, 5 OH presses, 5 Block up leg raises
  • Run to the bottom
  • 5 burpees
  • Run back to the top, add 5 reps (each round)
  • Repeat (top of the ladder is 5 rounds, then begin dropping 5 reps each round)

Mosey to the Lightning Rod

6MoM

  • 20 Dead Bugs x IC
  • 10 Outlaws x IC (both directions)
  • LBCs x 20 IC
  • CBLs x 20 (reverse crunch)
  • 10 American Hammers x IC

COT

Disturbance To The Status-quo

Leaders influence movement to advantage

A leader is a person who can influence people to do things that they would not have done otherwise. Put another way, but for the influence of the leader, the things done by his followers would not happen. The leader is the agent, the impetus and the proximate cause of his followers’ movement toward the doing of those specific things that he identifies as advantageous. Without him, they would remain static and focused on maintaining the status quo. In the heart of man inertia will reign–absent a Disruption .

The connection between movement and leadership is critical because it presupposes a need for action, a recognition by the leader himself that the status quo is something less advantageous than some other place, a location the leader visualizes and then articulates to his followers. Only then can the leader begin to persuade them to follow him to the new place. He must describe it to them first because people will only overcome their inertia and follow someone if they believe that he knows where he is going. They won’t leave the known for the unknown, no matter how charismatic the leader is.

That’s a wrap

-Lumbergh

Posted on

(08.28.21) – Jokers wild!

AO: Lavafield

QIC: 2Chainz

PAX: ….crickets. Most of the pax were involved in the hood to coast relay.

Conditions

55 and cool great conditions.

Warm up

  • One lap mosey
  • SSH x 25 IC
  • Windmills x 15 IC
  • Third Grade Exercises x 15
  • Scissor Arms x 15 IC

The Thang

Deck of cards (including jokers) 

Perform the number of reps shown on the card

Hearts – Merkins

Spades – Big Bois

Diamonds – squats

Clubs – lunges

Jokers – 100 yard sprint and mosey back to circle (luckily these were not drawn in succession) 

6MoM

LBC, Flutter kicks, planche pulses , side sit-ups

COT

Pax was out on Hood to coast so wish them all a safe race!

Posted on

(08.25.21) – Pinwheels!

AO: The Gaunlet

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Free Lunch, Samurai, (11) pax from F3Nola including Tinkles, swampcock, Reluctant Yankee. Roots, HogSickle, 86, Bones, Rudy, NipTuck, Peppa.

Conditions

58 and overcast made for a nice morning. The NOLA Hood to Coast crew was early and ready for a pdx beatdown! Learned that Samurai was kind enough to loan his car to the team for their race because rental cars are so hard to get right now.

Warm up

Split into two groups and did a full lap of Simon says 6 man. Last man did 3 merkins before running to the front while the front man called a movement the pax could do while mosying. Circled up in the end zone and did Windmill x 10, Mary Poopins (monkey humpers with arms up like holding an umbrella) x 10, Slow High Knees x 10, Third Grade Exercise x 10.

The Thang

Lined up on the goal line – just enough space for all 14 of us! We completed a series of Pinwheels: Run 20 yards, perform a movement on the ground from the plank position, ‘step’ to the right or left with your arms, do another movement, and continue until you’ve done a full circle on the ground, run another 20 yards, repeato until on the other endzone and then mosied back. Repeato with a new movement. Movements included:

Merkins

Mountain Climbers (HC)

Alternating Side Stars – side plank while lifting the leg

Core rockers – moving between high and low plank

Burpees (courtesy of Samurai’s creativity!)

We completed the Pinwheels way quicker than YHC expected, so we mosied to the stairs and bike racks in a bungled effort to make up some time. Split into two groups, first group stayed at the top and did chutes between the bike racks – sprint forward, slide left or right (2) racks, sprint forward, etc. The first group was then to run down and join the second group, who was doing firefeet in a line while the person at the end of the line ran forward and did a burpee box jump and then ran to the top to join the first group. Completely predictably, instructions broke down and we rallied back to the football field for easy instructions: Bear Crawl Broad jumps the length of the field, alternating every 20 yards. Mosied back to the starting position for some core work.

6MoM

Frozen Freddies x 25

Potty Breaks x 25

Side to Side heel touches (Penguins, apparently) x 25

Outlaws x 10 ea way

COT

I shared a quote a close friend shared with me recently that eloquently captured something I’ve been experiencing for a few years.

“Your value is your birthright.” It was worth repeating and saying in a few different ways.

“Your value is completely disconnected from your performance”

You matter. Regardless of how good you are at something.

What you want, what you feel, what you need, where you’re going. They don’t need justification or defense. They are real, and valid, as they are.

Yes, you can grow to understand them, but you are not deficient for not having fully done so.

It’s ok to be.

Your value is your birthright.

I shared that this is something I’ve been learning as I’ve decoupled my identity from my profession. I see it in a lot of men, particularly my age, who are struggling to resolve this inner conflict. Many men shared that they resonate with this, and that it can happen multiple times in your life, and that it may indeed be necessary to being able to lead and love as our full selves.

Great work today Men!

Walkman

Posted on

(08.13.21) – Ultimate Boot Camp

AO: Lightning Rod

VQIC: Ghost

PAX: Kiwi, Free Lunch, Stray Cat, Whitney

Conditions

Mid 70s before dawn!

Warm up

  • SSH x 15 IC
  • Imperial Walkers x 12 IC
  • Scissor Arms x 10 IC
  • Fast High Knees x 15 IC

The Thang

Mosey down to track. Gather at near side end zone. Hold plank while Free Lunch takes a leak. 🙂

Boot Camp Part 1: Meet your mini-coupon (175g disc for each PAX)

  • Mini-coupon slide burpees (90 seconds)
  • Mini-coupon side lunges (35 seconds each leg)
  • Mini-coupon back slide (20 yards down and back – then come back to pick up the 6)

Boot Camp Part 2: 50 minus merkins

  • Line up on the end zone line. Throw mini-coupon down the field
  • Bear crawl to your mini-coupon. Do merkins equal to remaining yardage to the fifty yard line. Broad jump back to endzone line. Repeat for 7.5 minutes.

Boot Camp Part 3: Throwing Practice

  • Partner up. One of you on end zone line. The other starts on the 10 yard line.
  • Throw the mini-coupon to your partner. If your partner must move to catch or retrieve the mini coupon you both do burpees for each step they have to take.
  • If you complete 4 passes in a row without having to move then the partner on the 10 yard line moves back five yards (to the 15, then to the 20, then to the 25, etc.)
  • Continue for 10 minutes.

Boot Camp Part 4: “Ultimate Freezebee”

  • Not enough PAX – Needed one more 🙁

Tuff Enuff Pull Ups

  • Alternating pullups and holding squat – switching between the two each time you hear the chorus

6MoM

  • 20 Plank Tick Tocks x IC EC
  • 20 LBCs x IC
  • 20 Merkins x IC
  • 15 Box Cutters x IC
  • 5 Big Bois x OYO

COT

Vulnerability

I love that F3 includes this as an integral part of the workout and I love that you in this region have clearly taken that to heart. I don’t have a lot of close male relationships at this time, but I know how valuable they are. The thing I value most about it is that it fosters vulnerability, which helps us connect with each other and is critical to true growth and true servant leadership.

“The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” There are things that all of us keep hidden about ourselves and even hidden from ourselves (self-deception is real!). These include addiction, weakness, fears, anger, pride, etc. Bringing them to the light by sharing them with other men helps to break down the facade of invulnerable competence that we generally keep up. These hidden things control and affect our whole lives so bringing them to light is often the first step in being set free, for a “man is slave to whatever has mastered him.”

PAX shared different struggles, addictions, and weaknesses they have had and were encouraged to share more honestly about these with each other or in other safe male relationships.

-Ghost

Posted on

(08.10.21) – Ask for Improv and you shall receive

AO: THE Gauntlet

QIC: Lumbergh

PAX: Slash, Danish, Kiwi, Free Lunch, Walkman, Samurai, Houdini

Conditions

60 degree start, monsoon season effect still dropping some humidity. PAX ready and able for sweaty beatdown.

Warm up

  • SSH x 10 IC
  • Seal Claps x 10 IC
  • Arm Circles x 10 IC (Fwd & Bkwd)
  • Scissor Kicks x 10 IC
  • Flutter Jacks x 10 IC
  • Windshield Wipers x 10 IC
  • World’s Greatest Stretch x 5 (alternate to other leg)
  • Fold Overs x 5 IC

The Thang

Mosey around the path around the track, make way to other end zone, where the block awaits the PAX.

ROUND 1

  • PAX holds plank in a line
  • Block starts on left end
  • Drag the block with right arm to the other end of the line
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • Pass the block back to the left
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • After the block passes each HIM, complete 3 Burpees

ROUND 2

  • PAX holds American Hammer position in a line
  • Block starts on left end
  • Pass the block to the right first
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • Pass the block back to the left
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • After the block passes each HIM, complete 5 Big Bois

ROUND 3

  • PAX holds Squat position in a line
  • Block starts on left end
  • Pass the block to the right first
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • Pass the block back to the left
  • When it gets to the end, sprint the width of the field and back
  • After the block passes each HIM, complete 5 jump squats

ROUND 4

  • Bantaan Rifle Carry High Knees March to the bike racks
  • Hop overs all the way to one end
  • PAX squats while idle, till the six is in
  • On the way back, Bear crawl
  • PAX squats while idle, till the six is in
  • Hop overs again
  • PAX merkins while idle, till the six is in
  • On the way back, Bear crawl
  • PAX holds and alternates side planks, till the six is in

ROUND 4

  • Bantaan Curl March with PAX lunge walking behind, six runs to front to start curls
  • Meet at the end zone

6MoM

  • 25 Leg Raises x IC EC
  • 10 Glute Bridge x IC
  • 25 Dead Bugs x IC EC (each leg, total of 50)
  • 10 Glute Bridge x IC
  • 25 Big Bois x IC EC
  • 10 Glute Bridge x IC
  • 25 LBCs x IC

COT

Follow up and Recognition

A quick moment of recognition. Like any organization you pivot with growth, I’m proud of the men in this community stepping up to the challenge. Recently, you were challenged to rally around this new AO and each of you have given all that you can to ensure it’s success. Special thank you to Walkman for leading the charge.

Simple things like Slack etiquette and you all recognized and addressed the need/call. Go30 commitments were lacking authentic quality and commitment, with the right amount of accountability callouts and motivation driven by Danish and Kiwi, we’ve seen a nice about face and invigoration.

My next challenge is to have all of you join us and make our first year as a recognized region, a successful one in the IronPAX challenge. Who’s coming with me?

That’s a wrap

-Lumbergh