III Pillars – “EMOMa So Ugly…” – 03.08.22

7 PAX gathered on a brisk Tuesday morning for a slow burn of a full-body workout designed to get you beach ready just in time for spring break.

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Formica, Grisham, Howitzer, It’s Just Lunch, Pumpkin Spice, T-Cell

THANG:

Disclaimer and mosey to the track for a warmup lap and COP:

  • SSH x 20
  • LBAC F x 10
  • Overhead Press x 15
  • LBAC R x 10
  • WMH x 20

Phase 1

PAX gathered ’round the jungle gym to embark on an EMOM circuit hitting all major muscle groups as well as the aerobic system, all to the sucré sounds of mostly French electro house. PAX perform reps as prescribed and rest for remainder of minute. Exercises as follows:

  • 0:00 – Pull-Ups x 10
  • 1:00 – Hand Release Merkins x 15 – upped to 20 for second set onward
  • 2:00 – Big Boy Sit-Ups x 15
  • 3:00 – Squats x 20 – scaled up to 1.5x Squats for second set onward
  • 4:00 – 200m Run

RnR up to 25:00

Phase 2

Quick jog over to track gate and down Bernie Incline for a leg afterburner. Iron Mikes x 10 (2=1) followed by Bernie up to gate and jog back down. People’s Chair for six and go again x 2 for 3 rounds total.

Phase 3

Indian Run back to parking lot and circle up for 4MOM:

  • APDs x 10
  • Boxcutters x 10
  • LBCs x 10
  • Shoulder Taps x 10
  • Jane Fondas x 10 ea

COT/BOM

MOLESKINE:

Glad to have Howitzer back out, and great effort by all throughout the EMOM circuit. T-claps to Pumpkin Spice for pushing the pace on the 200s and also to Grisham for providing Spice with a riveting final 200 duel. As predicted, the 200m rest period was the shortest and added an extra level of difficulty to the pull-ups. At first glance, the workout didn’t seem to intimidating, but after witnessing Grisham shed a layer each round, YHC started to feel better about his Q.

BULLHORN:

Continued prayers for IJL’s friend, Formica’s dad, and Howitzer’s M.

Upcoming: Grow Ruck 27 here in Nashville – 04/29 – 05/01. Kick off the weekend with some HIM over beers and hot chicken, wake up Saturday for a morning workout, dive into the four quadrants of Preparedness in the F3 curriculum at GrowSchool, and embark on an overnight ruck designed to you push beyond your comfort zone and accelerate your leadership.  Hit up Big Bang and Tampa Libra with any questions, and be on the lookout for some promo videos.

PA out.

III Pillars – 11.23.21 – Thanksgiving History

Conditions: A crisp 25º, extremely clear, stars shining brightly

QIC: Toothless

PAX: Cowboy, Moneyshot, Rocket Mortgage

A stalwart 4 PAX gathered this morning in the cold dark gloom to get better together and learn a bit more about the upcoming holiday.

Warm-o-rama

  • 21 x Side Straddle Hops (first Thanksgiving was in 1621)
  • 10 x Quad stretches OYO
  • 15 x High Knees
  • 10 x Willy Mays Hays OYO
  • 15 x Butt Kickers

The Thang

0535

Run to the Lipscomb parking garage, a little over 1/2 a mile

0540

It was in 1863 President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a holiday (although federal holidays as we think of them with time off and bank closures had yet to be established)

  • 1 x Run out, start the next exercises heading back
  • 8 x Lt. Dans
  • 6 x Standing broad jumps
  • 3 x Burpees

50 LBC’s at the halfway point for heart rate recovery

Rinse and repeat x 8 until 0555

Run back towards post, stop at swing set at school roundabout

0600

Give thanks for the harvest our bodies have reaped at GHP, also pay homage to the 50 settlers out of the original 100 aboard the Plymouth bound ships who survived to the first harvest festival we now recognize as Thanksgiving.

  • 15 x Decline merkins at long swing sets
  • 20 x J-Los on tennis courts
  • 25 x Incline merkins on picnic tables
  • 30 x LBCs at far playground
  • 35 x Dips at corner bleachers
  • 40 x Two count flutter kicks at entrance corner
  • 45 x Single count euro steps at gate
  • 50 x Carolina dry docks at post

A quick coffeeteria was shared before PAX loaded up togo containers for the day ahead.

Prayers for safe travel for all and for good health as we visit loved ones. I’m so grateful to have the chance to workout and be in community with you men week in and week out, and as always it was an honor to lead!

III Pillars – 11.09.21 – “School Ties”

23 PAX participated in a field trip to the birthplace of III Pillars, St. Paul Christian Academy. Q instruction was cloudy at times, but the skies were clear and the coffee was hot!

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Bicentennial Man, Cowboy, Cunning Linguist, Detox (FNG), Dr. Rupp, En Fuego, Gables, Grisham, Harbaugh, High Flyer, Howitzer, It’s Just Lunch, Moneyshot, Oatmeal, Pumpkin Spice, r/Eddit, Red Tees, Silver Medal, Sooner, T-Cell, Tater Hole (WL – Hickory, NC), Toothless

THE THANG:

Moderately brief welcome and mosey around parking lot with moving disclaimer on the way over to the field for COP:

  • SSH x 14
  • LBAC x 12 F/R
  • SnL Squats x 10
  • WMH x 10

Just like St. Paul, today’s workout was built on three pillars:

Academic Excellence

How do we measure our knowledge attainment in school?  With tests, of course! So YHC gave the PAX a test of their own. In this case, a modified version of the Army PFT. PAX partnered up for administration of the following:

  • 2:00 Max Push-Ups
  • 2:00 Max Sit-Ups
  • ~300 yard shuttle (10 x 30 yd shuttle run for time)

Test complete. Everybody passed. Barely.

Passion for Christ

Galatians 6:2 ESV: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Our next segment was inspired by the above verse, and PAX divided into groups of four to complete 200 Burpees as a group. Plenty of huffing and puffing, but lots of teamwork to pick up the six and see that all reps were completed.

Leadership Development

Our final segment took us to the bottom of Bernie Hill off the side of the track. While one PAX performs Crawl Bear/Bernie up to the gate, another leads the PAX in Mary exercise of choice. Next man up picks his replacement leader and so on until time.

Mosey back to flag for one burpee and COT.

MOLESKINE:

Welcome to FNG Chad Elkin aka Detox and Tater Hole visiting from Hickory, NC. It was an absolute pleasure to lead the crew at this AO. With some who had not yet experienced III Pillars at SPCA and several Kotters on hand for the workout, the energy was high and the reunion was sweet. Looking forward to more workouts with these guys and involving even more SPCA dads.

BULLHORN:

Michelin Man on Q next week!

PA out.

 

III Pillars – 06.02.20 – The Oregon Trail

A new record PAX count for the new iiiP location (5) turned out this morning to take part in a journey down the Oregon Trail.

QIC: Toothless

PAX: Crablegs, En Fuego, High Flyer, River Dawg

Conditions: Excellent temperature and relatively low humidity, sunrise was an 8/10, field grass freshly cut

WARM-O-RAMA:

Decent amount of stretching while waiting on the PAX to assemble, gave an extra 2 for the sake of those coming in hot.

  • 20 x SSH
  • 25 x High Knees
  • 25 x Butt Kickers
  • 8 x Jump Squats
  • 10 x Willy Mays Hayes
  • 10 x Windmills
  • 10 x Whatever You Need

THE THANG:

Round 1

Starting at old Independence, MO, the PAX loaded their gear into their wagons with 30 Squats every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 5 minutes.

Once the wagons were loaded, the PAX completed a roughly 30 yard Ox Crawl. That’s a newly coined exercise just for today consisting of 10 Bear Crawl steps capped with 5 Merkins per one rep – PAX did 5 reps.

After all of that traveling, it was time to go hunting and gather some food. Pax took off on a 1/3 mile Indian Run around the field, ending at the Balance Beams.

Round 2

The PAX were then struck with DIPtheria and proceeded to complete:

  • 30 x Dips EMOM for 5 mins = 150 total Dips
  • 40 x LBC’s EMOM for 5 mins = 200 total LBC’s

It was time for more grub, so the PAX took off for a rarely used modification of the Indian Run called the Scout Run. This is where the front runner picks a spot ahead of the group (~15yds away) and sprints there before returning to the back of the line of PAX. This continued around the 1/3 mile loop ending opposite STARTEX.

Round 3

The PAX were almost to Oregon, but they had to cross a river first. First the PAX completed 50 Merkins to make sure everything was packed down good and tight before making the crossing.

PAX proceeded to cross the river with:

  • 50 x Four Count Flutter Kicks
  • 50 x Australian Snow Angels

RIVER Dawg gave us a 15 count, which was enough time for the water to rise and begin washing away one of the wagons. PAX had to complete 20 Burpees quickly to rescue the supplies before they were washed away with the wagon.

PAX then ran back to STARTEX with a short Indian Run

MARY:

Time was running short, but the PAX circled around the campfire and called out an exercise to do 5 reps of. The mumblechatter spiked here as some of the PAX wanted to start the countoff prematurely.

  • 5 x Big Boy Situps
  • 5 x Happy Crunchy Frogs (Happy Crunchy Trail Mix)
  • 5 x LBC’s
  • 5 x Freddy Mercury’s
  • 5 x American Flutters

COT/COMAD (Circle of Man Appropriately-Distanced)

BULLHORN:

  • Prayers for our city and nation as we deal with the chaos – know that your brothers are here for you if you just need to talk or do something to take a break
  • Thanks to the PAX this morning the Q sheet is filled up for the next few weeks, but let me know if you want to grab a spot as the time will come quickly. The PAX have enjoyed the new location, and I’m looking forward to further introductions of our regular Tuesday crew.

As always, it was an honor to lead!

– Toothless

2/4/20: CHIEFS

Location: III Pillars

Conditions: 50s and wet

QIC: Pumpkin Spice

PAX: Cowboy, Crablegs, Crawlspace, En Fuego, High Flyer, Money Shot, Right Said, Toothless

THE THANG

Warmorama :

We made our way up to the track, did a single loop, then circled up for some WOR:

  • SSH x 54
  • WMH x 10
  • LBAC x 10
  • rLBAC x 10
  • Mahomes Night Clubs x 10
  • Chinook x 10

After getting sufficiently warm, the PAX received instructions for the Main Event, in honor of the recent Kansas City Chiefs victory in Super Bowl 54. I don’t know about you, but I for one think Andy Reid deserved the heck out of a Super Bowl win.

Main Event

The PAX would perform 50 of each CHIEFS exercise, followed by 4 labs around the track:

  • Clerkins
  • High Knees (each leg 1/2)
  • Imperial Walkers (each leg 1/2)
  • Extenders
  • Freddie Mercuries (each leg 1/2)
  • Squats

After completing the first round, the PAX moved on to a second round with different symbolic numbers. The Chiefs had to come from behind, or what some might call, an incline. Moreover, they ultimately went on to defeat the 49ers, so the PAX did 40 of each of the following exercises each, followed by 9 labs around the track — Chiefs Indian Run style:

  • incline Clerkins
  • incline High Knees
  • incline Imperial Walkers
  • Extenders
  • Freddie Mercuries
  • Squats

After the two rounds of exercises and over 1.5 miles of running, the PAX moved over to the jungle gym to each complete 5+4 perfect Pull-ups.

We then moseyed back to the Shovelflag and that was it!

MOLESKIN

  • T-claps to Crablegs for the idea to incorporate the Indian Run into the 9 labs of the second round. I should have known I could count on the King of Puns to facilitate such an appropriate improvement to the workout.
  • Side Strattle Hops last night may have proven too much for one PAX. The last lap of the Indian Run nearly caused a Pilsner Puke (or perhaps it did, there were no witnesses, so who could ever know??)
  • Coffeteria included some fascinating ideas surrounding an impending Fi-beery, as the merits of passive and active investing were discussed — materialization of this event TBD.

BULLHORN

  • Libeery coming up on March 10th at Fat Bottom Brewery. The book is “Essentialism”. Time TBD, but likely 7pm-ish
  • We continue to pray for Siri, Bad Boy, and Hipster as they recover from injuries/surgeries

– Pumpkin Spice

MAMBA Mentality

9 PAX including 2 Willy Lomans showed up to celebrate the life of Kobe Bean Bryant, employee #8, AKA Black Mamba, and the 9 total passengers aboard this weekend’s helicopter flight

QIC: En Fuego

PAX: Pumpkin Spice, Cowboy (Respect), Rock Drop (WL, Respect), Reveille, Burrito (WL), DFrost, Trapper Keeper, Money Shot

Conditions: Per Pumpkin, a degree outside of IC credit

Following welcomes and introductions to our WLs, a disclaimer, and assurances to Rock Drop that III Pillars was in fact not a running AO, we mosey’d over to the base of Mt. Covenant to set up WOR shop, in preparation for a workout that could be mistaken as a running AO workout.

  • SSH x 20
  • WMH x 15
  • LBAC x 15
  • Scorpion Stretch x 12 (PAX knew it was coming and delighted in it)
  • GMs x 10 OYO

The Thang:

Head over to Mt. Covenant where YHC tees up that we will be honoring the legacy of Kobe by tapping into our Mamba Mentality (per Kobe: “The mindset isn’t about seeking a result – it’s more about the process of getting to that result.  It’s about the journey and the approach.  It’s a way of life…And you have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.”).  With that, we recognize his 20 seasons, two jersey numbers (8 & 24), 5 rings and commence with the following:

Round 1

  • Perform 8 Merkins; Bernie to first light pole up Mt. Covenant, run back for:
  • 8 Merkins, 8 Air Squats; Bernie to second light pole and run back for:
  • 8 Merkins, 8 Air Squats, 8 Mike Tyson’s; Bernie to third light pole and run back for:
  • 8 Merkins, 8 Air Squats, 8 Mike Tyson’s, 8 Bonnie Blairs; Bernie to fourth light pole and run back for:
  • 8 Merkins, 8 Air Squats, 8 Mike Tyson’s, 8 Bonnie Blairs, and 8 Alternating Leg Raises (aka flutter kicks, 4-count); Bernie to top of Covenant and hold plank / SSH for the six.  All in, Mamba mentality fully engaged, we proceed  to base of southern entrance of Covenant for…

Round 2

  • Perform:
    • 24 Merkins at base;
    • Run to the top of hill for 24 Merkins & 24 Air Squats;
    • Run back to bottom for 24 Merkins, 24 Air Squats and 24 total reps of Mike Tyson’s & Monkey Humpers (12 each);
    • Run back to top and in interest of time straight into 24 Alternating Leg Raises

All in, head back to shovel flag and time called upon arrival.  COT / BOM, with T&Ps for healings amongst the PAX, CCR and his family, TK adoption process this Friday, and Pumpkin and Crablegs for their Ms and upcoming 2.0 arrivals.

Moleskin

Excellent effort by the PAX – Mamba leading to 3.05 miles traversed with 51 stories climbed.   As previously coined by PA, those Driveway to Heaven suicides are brutal, especially when Bernied.   Great having Burrito & Rock Drop join representing Chattanooga and Lexington, SC.

Always appreciative of the opportunity to lead.  YHC will leave you with a quote Louisville basketball coach Chris Mack told his team when breaking the Kobe news:

“I told my team today how lucky we are to breathe, how lucky we are to have problems, how lucky we are to have one another.  Sometimes in the midst of all our problems we need to realize we’re having the time of our lives even if we don’t know it.  Find it in the little things man.  In things like driving your kids to school.  Like telling your son a bedtime story…”

En Fuego

 

 

Bean Juice

PAX:
Right Said, Cowboy, Money Shot, High Flyer, En Fuego, Princess Aurora, Toothless, Crawlspace, Bareback, Jug Band, Cowbell, Bicentennial Man, Michelin Man, Reveille, yours Q-ly Tampa Libra

WOR:
SSH X 25, WMH x 10 oyo, Good Mornings x 10, Smurf Jacks x 10, hip flexor stretch x 6

THANG:

  • Mosey to the field for what Money Shot referred to as “a real creative workout”
  • Sprint length of the field and back to the 10 for 2 burpees, 10 prison squats, 10 sec hold
  • Spring the length of the field and back to the 10 for 4 burpees, 20 prison squats, 20 sec hold
  • 6, 30, 30….10, 50, 50
  • R&R with 10 Air Presses, 10 Peter Parkers, 10 push up hold….40, 40, 40 before calling time

MARY:

  • 10 flutters, sprint, 10 flutters, sprint back
  • 20 flutters, sprint, 20 flutters, sprint back
  • 50 heel touches, 15 single leg LBCs each side, 40/15, 30/15, 20/15

COT:

  • Grow Ruck 10/10
  • CSAUP with details forthcoming
  • Prayers for those recovering from surgery
  • Prayers for Awaken Nashville and prayer/fasting throughout Feb
  • Hot Chicken lunch on Thursday

III Pillars – 12.31.19 – “B.A.L.L.S. dropped”

6 PAX turned up for their final workout of 2019 at III Pillars. Considering most would likely be asleep before the ball dropped, the plan was to do a little drop of our own.

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Covenant Eyes, Crablegs, Moneyshot, Pumpkin Spice (LIFO), Trapper Keeper

THE THANG:

After rolling in HOT and delivering a disclaimer before the car door was even closed, the PAX were off to the track for a little COP at midfield.

  • SSH x 20
  • SnL Squats x 20
  • LBAC x 20
  • Overhead Clap x 20
  • RLBAC x 20
  • WMH x 20

Mosey to the back of the east end zone and explain the meat of today’s celebratory workout: a descending ladder of the circuit below:

  • Burpees
  • Air Squats
  • Lunges
  • Leg Raises

PAX performed 10 reps of each exercise and completed one 200m lap. SSH  for the six and repeat again with 9, 8, 7,…1. Pumpkin had to peace out before 5 to go doctor some people, but the rest finished the countdown and ran the last lap together.

Quick skip over to the playground for some push-pull action. Each PAX was to perform 40 (20+20) pull-ups, and rest/wait for bar vacancy with Merkins. Most were busting out sets of 3-4 by the end. Lactic acid burns so good!

All in and it was back to the parking lot for dealer’s choice Mary:

  • Hello Dollies x 20
  • American Hammers x 20
  • Happy Crunchy Frogs x 20
  • LBCs x 20
  • WWIs x 20 OYO

COT/BOM

MOLESKINE:

Appreciated Pumpkin Spice and Moneyshot for pushing the pace on the 200s, and big props to Crablegs for his dedication to full reps on the pull-ups. It’ll pay off. Covenant Eyes, Crablegs, and YHC took a field trip to the OG III Pillars coffeeteria: Starbucks at the Green Hills Mall. Conversation was delightful with topics including podcasts, specialists vs. generalists, and Crablegs’s love of the villain.

BULLHORN:

Prayers for a New Year of focus and follow-through.

  • 1/1/20 – New Year’s Day convergence at FRA
  • 1/16/20 – Gentlemen’s Dinner at Jimmy Kelly’s. Spots MIGHT be available, so see Reveille.

All for now. Go Tigers!

PA out.

III Pillars 12/3/2019 – Golden Glutes Return

PAX: EnFuego, Crablegs, Silver Medal, Moneyshot, Bareback, Tampa Libra, Cowbell (FNG from Tampa), Toothless, Umbrella, PA

QIC: Boone’s Farm

Conditions: nice crisp 30 degrees

WOR:

  • SSH x20
  • WMH x10
  • LBAC x10 F/R
  • Merkins x10
  • scorpion x10

Thang:

Mosey to Hill Center parking deck stairs (~0.75 mi). Announce return of Golden Glutes (blend of Glutes and Ladders and Golden Horseshoe):

  • 20 merkins, lap 1 (up stairs (~5 flights), 5 burpees, down stairs)
  • 20 merkins, 20 storm squats, lap 2
  • 20 merkins, 20 storm squats, 20 dry docks, lap 3
  • 20 merkins, 20 storm squats, 20 dry docks, 20 WWI, lap 4
  • 20 merkins, 20 storm squats, 20 dry docks, 20 WWI, 20 lunges (10 each leg), lap 5 (drop burpees after this lap)
  • 20 storm squats, 20 dry docks, 20 WWI, 20 lunges, lap 6
  • 20 dry docks, 20 WWI, 20 lunges, lap 7
  • 20 WWI, 20 lunges, lap 8
  • 20 lunges, lap 9

PA nearly finished, but we had to head back for time.  We ended with a little extra credit, just over 3 miles and ~40 flights of stairs.

Great work by all and great to be back at III Pillars. Remember in this Advent season that we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus who came to take on our sorrows and give us hope.

Always an honor,

BF

Tuesday at Bernie: 11/19/19

Gloom Factor: 43° and drizzling

PAX: Bi-Centennial Man, Cowboy, Crablegs, En Fuego, Money Shot, Silver Medal, and Trapper Keeper (QIC).

Took a little mosie to the front side of SPs and up the stairs and back around, then traveled up to the middle of the field where the PAX warmed up.

WOR:
SSHs × 15 IC
Squaats! × 15 IC
WMHs × 15 IC
Good Mornings × 10 OYO
LBACs × 15 IC
RLBACs × 15 IC

PAX then mosied from the field around to the bottom of Bernie hill.

THANG:

PAX performed 6 sets with 3 stops.
Set consisted of: 5 burpees at the bottom of Bernie hill, then run up Bernie hill to the edge of the field (1st stop) where 10 squats were performed. Then PAX bear crawled across the width of the field to half way point (2nd stop) where 15 air presses were performed. Then PAX traveled from the mid point of the field to the other side by way of side lunges. PAX traveled back to starting point by reversing the mode of travel but without performing exercises.

Note: Side lunges were switched when traveling back to mid point.

After all 6 sets were complete, 30 burpees, 60 squats, 90 air presses, and 120 SSHs were performed.

At the end of the 6th set, 5 more burpees were performed for good measure.

Mosied back to parking lot for Mary.

MARY:
Alternating Shoulder Taps × 10 IC
Flutter Kicks × 10 IC
Hello Dollies × 10 IC
90° Leg Raises × 10 IC
LBCs × 10 IC
Merkins × 10 IC
SSHs × 30 IC

Always an honor to lead the HIM!

~Trapper Keeper