04/03/2019 - the asylum - Absolution on a cold day in April
AO: the asylum
When: 04/03/2019
PAX:
Number of Pax: 6
Pax Names:
Abscess, Drafty Kilt, Agassi, Yak, Katmandid, Swedish Ham
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names: none
QIC: Swedish Ham
Introduction
The bulk of inspiration for this workout came from our F3 Cherokee pal and founding father @Westside who led a few weeks ago and slaughtered us well with his unique brand of punishment. I added a few things, removed some others, flipped A and B around, and in the end we ended up back at the shovel flag, exhausted all the same.
Warm-O-Rama
Mosey to Football Field under the orange glow of street lights
SSH In Cadence
Windmill IC
Absolution (a plank based exercise that will have you wishing begging for absolution for your sins by the time you are done)
Angle Grinder IC
The Thang
Partner Dips 150 count
One partner doing dips in a crab walk style position while the other guy runs, not jogs, across the football field and back (trying to get a good triceps burn and warm up the legs for something later on)
Hold Plank until the PAX are completely done. Mosey to Bathroom
“ode to Westside” Rubicon count box jumps and Derkins (downward Merkin) to 11, both exercises utilizing the (hopefully well built) retaining wall. Although I thought I heard Drafty Kilt loosen a few bricks as his size 12 shoes came slamming down on the top of the wall.
Rubicon Count Pull ups and deep squats, to 8. The point of this one is to do a bunch of pull ups to burn out. The squats are just an excuse to not be doing pull ups for a few seconds.
Mosey back to FB field
5 Gassers (sprint across width of field and back, recover)
Alternative exercise offered to those for whom sprinting was off limits was broad jump across field and walk back. The few who tried this out realize it was even worse than sprinting and just went back to sprinting the rest of the time.
Mosey back to flag for some Mary
YHC thought it appropriate to do EVEN more plank, as we started with it, had it sprinkled throughout, and ended with it. Other PAX chipped in each with their own form of torture to close out our time. Abscess got lost in time during his lead of holding legs 6″ off the ground. PAX thought he fell asleep but turns out the guy just has abs of steel. Thanks Abscess!
Circle of Trust
Is F3 really a band of brothers? Can we really count on each other? Is the second F really the glue that holds our gang together? Sounds like propoganda.
Turns out it is not. This group really is a community. An “ecclesia”. YHC gave many examples of how men standing in this very circle had been there for me, how we had grown together through hard work, authentic conversation, and service towards one another. Other PAX not present, QT and Delta Deuce, also got a shout out for being part of my family’s story of community, sacrificial love, and brotherhood.
Here’s the bottom line. We need this. We all do. We need other men we can count on when things get tough. And we need to learn how to be ourselves, truly ourselves with other men. We need to let down the facade and show each other our weakness and ask for help. YHC urged the PAX to bring their concerns, prayers, and issues to the group so we could lean in and carry each other’s burdens. Yak was cited as a great example of this both in the request for prayers for his son and the praise for an MRI that showed no structural damage to the brain.
Men- Keep your eyes open for other men that need THIS, and for men in F3 that need a little something extra. A phone call, a cup of coffee after the workout, or whatever Sky Q leads you to do.
Naked Man Moleskin
Overall I liked this mix of exercises, and enjoyed learning Absolution and Angle Grinder. I have a STRONG feeling Absolution will come back as part of the THANG (and not the warm up) in the very near future. However I do want to tweak the reps a little and explore the park a little more to see where else we might be able to do a similar workout in the future.
Thankful to Sky Q for the awesome weather!