Category: The Knoll

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AMRAP of AMRAPS

AO: the-knoll
Q: Malibu
PAX: Wolfpack, Sooie, Pebbles, El Capitan, Timber, G-string (Eli Kresta), AAA, morning star, Big Red, Bumblebee, Tonks
FNGs: 1 Tonks
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Glorious 68 autumn morning, overcast.

WARMUP:
Mosey to the stop sign
20 Side straddle hops
20 Baby arm circles
20 Backwards baby arm circles
10 slow squats
10 slow Mericans
Individual stretching and F3 mission, credo, and 5 principles.

THE THANG:
AMRAP in 90s followed by 60s of rest, with two rounds per exercise:
Mericans
Iron Mikes
Flutter kicks
Dips on the stone table

Single round of politicians and bear crawls down+up to hill.

Mr. Spectaculars from the Stone Table back to the playground.

MARY:
20 Sit-ups
20 leg lifts

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
No noise November.
@Sooie is Q’ing on Monday at Ellingson Park.

Prayer requests: for strength amidst the work of fatherhood, especially at the close of a demanding day. For the best possible outcome of a difficult work day ahead amidst injustice. For perseverance as we gird for the cold winter workouts ahead.

COT:
I want to express my gratitude for this opportunity to work with the men in the Knoll these past few months, and VQ today.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Marine Corps birthday, one of my favorite traditions as a Marine. This tradition of coming together includes a birthday ceremony, cutting of the cake, and celebration of our storied past that is very near to me. Today it is a reminder to me to recall where we have come from and adversities overcome so as to prepare ourselves to fulfill the work before us. IWhat Marines celebrate today is an image of that remembrance, and how that call to excellence calls me to become a better man, every day.

And life is always a little brighter with some birthday cake! 😉  🇺🇸  🦅🌎⚓️ 🎂

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Mighty Ducks/Flying V

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: Sooie, Malibu, morning star, Ex-Pat, Wolfpack, Siri, El Capitan, G-string (Eli Kresta), AAA, Timber, Smoltz 2.0, Bumble Bee 2.0, Big Red 2.0
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS:
No complaints

WARMUP:
1. Mosey to stop sign and back
2. Arm Circles
3. Don Quixotes
4. Slow Merkins
5. Slow Pushups

THE THANG:
Triple Deke!
Partner up to complete 100 Merkins, 200 big boys, 300 squats. 1 partner runs to backstop and back while the other is doing reps.

Triple Deke (Part Deux)
Partner up to complete 25 Pull Ups, 50 American Hammers, 75 step ups. 1 partner “Apollo Ono’s” around the playground (ice skating)

Blowout:
3 reps of run down the hill, politician back up

MARY:
15 Supermans with 3 count hold called out by @malibu

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
No Noise November
Hoblin Gobbler Run on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Cold Plunge with @Morning_star

COT:
Prayers for those men who could not make it this morning and those on the fence about coming.

My college coach ended every workout by saying, “Take care of yourself, then if you can, take care of someone else.” For a long time I thought this was selfish. Aren’t we called to be men for others?

As I age, I realize it is impossible to take care of others unless I’m fundamentally fit – mentally, physically, and spiritually. Thankful to this group of men who are helping me in all three areas.

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Lights Out

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, G-string (Eli Kresta), Malibu, Pebbles, Sooie, Timber, Wolfpack
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
CONDITIONS:
27 degrees 🥶, starry ✨

WARMUP:
Breathwerkins:
30 breaths at a tempo of 66bpm. 2 count inhale, 2 count exhale. Breath hold and merkins until failure or Needtobreathe
20 SSH
15 BAC
15 BBAC
10 Don Quixote
Stretch/shakeout OYO

THE THANG:
3 cones scattered throughout the knoll. Mosey to each cone and perform the following plank exercises:
20 thigh taps
20 shoulder taps
20 rotating planks
20 leg raises
20 arm raises

LIGHTS OUT
2 teams, 3 cones per team. Each team sets their illuminated cones in the “end zone”. Teams send a runner sprinting to the end zone, perform an exercise 5x, then either turn the light out on the opposing team’s cone, or return to re-light an extinguished cone. 1 point awarded when a team extinguishes all 3 cones of the opposing team. Change exercise with each point. First to 5 wins.
Merkins
Iron mikes
Dry docks
Big boy sit-ups
Jump squats
…it was a shutout 5-0 ☹️

MARY:
15 leg lifts
15 emperor penguins
Flutter kicks for 1 minute

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
#no-noise-november
Hobblin’ Gobbler
Polar plunge

COT:
YHC shared 5 things I’m hoping to get out of No Noise November. Reflected on quote from Blaise Pascal: “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”
Prayer requests.
Prayed and 15 seconds of silence.
Enjoyed good mymblechatter over some Sooie Brewie ™️

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Ring of Fire

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, morning star, Pebbles, Sooie, Timber, Wolfpack, G-string (Eli Kresta), @Bumblebee 2.0, @Repugnus 2.0
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS:
59 degrees, starry night on the knoll.

WARMUP:
Yes/No/Maybe’s 8x
BAC 15x
BBAC 15x
Imperial Walkers 15x
Cherry pickers 10x
Loose Caboose mosey around the knoll with various moseying techniques (politician, high knees, butt kickers, skips etc)

THE THANG:
6 stations indicated by glowing, orange cones arranged in a circle with a 20 yard diameter. Pair up and pick a starting point. Coupons at each station must be used for all the reps, can be split between partners.
1. 50 Merkins 50 Iron Mikes (12lb vest)
2. 100 ‘Merican punches (5lb dumbbells)
3. 100 shoulder presses (12lb kettlebell)
4. 100 Goblet Squats (25lb dumbbell)
5. 100 ‘Merican Hammers (12lb dumbbell)
6. 100 kneeling rows (15lb dumbbell)
Burpees if you were waiting on a station. 2.0’s ran around the circle tagging random pairs who would then have to complete a lap.

MARY:
Breathwork:
30 breaths 60bpm and breath hold
3 sets of box breathing (4 sec inhale, 4 sec hold, 8 sec exhale)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Octoburpee convergence at #iii-pillars 10/31.
Costume burpee workout at #the-knoll 10/31 for PAX unable to make it to the convergence.

COT:
Honor Time: publicly recognize admirable qualities in the PAX present. Prayer requests.

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Tussle AMRAP

AO: the-knoll
Q: Timber
PAX: Wolfpack, El Capitan, DB, Pebbles, morning star, Sooie, Timber, AAA, Malibu, G-string (Eli Kresta), House Party, Bumblebee (2.0), Big Red (2.0), Smoltz (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: 60 degrees

WARMUP: in cadence: jump combo (8 down to 1), slow squats (10), merkins (10), pike merkins (8); OYO: lunge stretch (covered F3 mission, 5 core principles, credo)

THE THANG: Tussle AMRAP
1.5 minutes AMRAP, 1 minute recovery
Exercises: Burpees, WWIIs, floor to ceiling (w/coupon), burpees, LT Dans, hand release merkins, burpees, flutter kicks, shoulder swings (w/coupon), burpees, Apollo Ohnos

MARY: None

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Tussle this Saturday, last week of Octoburpee and convergence on Oct 31 at 3 Pillars to finish off the month challenge

COT: story of Charles Plumb: Plumb was a navy fighter pilot in Vietnam, who by all measures was considered one of the best. On his 75th and final mission his plane was shot down and he had to eject and parachute to safety. He was captured by the enemy and held in a POW prison for 6 years. Several years after his safe return home, a random stranger approached him and said “I know you. You’re Charles Plumb and I packed your parachute on the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier.” Plumb didn’t sleep that night, as he thought about all the times he probably passed this soldier on the aircraft carrier, and never recognized him or acknowledged him. And this was the guy that saved Charles Plumb’s life! LESSON for me: be grateful and be intentional about acknowledging and thanking those around me who “pack my parachute.”

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Visit to the Burpee Zoo

AO: the-knoll
Q: Salpal
PAX: morning star, AAA, The Banker, Wolfpack, G-string (Eli Kresta), Timber, Pebbles, Ex-Pat, Malibu, Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Great day to go to the zoo.

WARMUP: OYO Stretching + Warmup Run

THE THANG:

Today we are going to the burpee zoo. It’s like any other zoo, except instead of animals, there are burpees. Also, all transactions are done in burpees.

When we first arrive, we have to pay for parking.

10 Burpee Buyin

As we arrive to the front gate, we have to pay the price of admission. 50 burpees!

10 Burpee Emom – 5 minutes

Now inside, we can go see all the burpees on display.

Ladder of Burpees (each station starts at 1, add 1 more as you go around, end at 5):

Set one:
– 1st station: bodybuilder burpees
– 2nd station: shoulder tap burpees

Set two:
– 1st station: spider monkey burpees (burpee + peter parkers)
– 2nd station: kraken burpees

Big Cat Exhibits!
Cheetah Burpees – Burpee Sprints:
– Suicides, but a burpee at each cone before running back.

Tiger burpees – Bear crawl to each cone, 5 burpees

MARY: Isometric Merkins

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Lots of social events. See #3f channel for details on Side-Straddle-Hops, Night Moves, Game Night, and Cookout.

COT: Prayers for my wife, Elizabeth, and firefighter Jake.

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Touch the Trees

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, DB, El Capitan, Ex-Pat, G-string (Eli Kresta), Hot Stuff, Malibu, morning star, Pebbles, Sooie, Wolfpack, Bumble Bee, Big Red, Link, Wrenaldo, Monkey (FNG) [all 2.0’s]
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS:
60 degrees, light of the moon, perfect!

WARMUP:
Top to bottom warm-up:
Yes/No/Maybe’s
BAC
BBAC
Overhead claps
imperial walkers
SSH
OYO Shake out

THE THANG:
Thang 1:
Breakdancer Merkin countdown from 5. X2 air presses between. Plank for the six’s

Thang 2:
Touch the trees in the Knoll, perform exercises at each tree:
Mtn Climbers
Big boy sit-ups
Iron mikes
Plank
Floor to ceilings
Burpees
Jog down hill/Politician back up
Crawl bear down/ Bear crawl up (#FatBearWeek)
Step ups
Spicolli’s
DID’s
Mosey to the rest of the trees
Hang until you can’t x3
Hold a low squat between hangs 30 seconds

MARY:
Pax picked the exercise 15 reps
Flutter kicks
Happy crunchy Frogs
Leg lifts
Hold legs 6″ above the deck for 1 minute
Spell the alphabet with your legs

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Octoburpee!

COT:
YHC reminded Pax that pain is temporary. Shared prayer requests. Prayed. Enjoyed some Sooie Brewie.

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Slow flow joint work + octoburpee primer

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning star
PAX: Sooie, Timber, The Banker, morning star, G-string (Eli Kresta), El Capitan, AAA, Pebbles, bumble bee (co-Q, 2.0), big red (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: pleasant and overcast with lightning on the horizon … clear by end of the workout

WARMUP: LBCs, Egyptian, Hip rotations, Angle rotations while on one foot, SSH, Imperial Walkers, Imaginary jump rope.

THE THANG:
Part 1: mobility burpees in cadence (morning star)
The movement is:
1. stretch up to the sky,
2. move into hip hinge (flat back, butt back, hamstrings in tension) – 5 second countdown
3. down with hands, step back into plank – flex glutes and core
4. right arm to the sky for 3 count, switch to left arm for another 3 count
5. back to plank, then slow push up down
6. 3 breast strokes
7. slow push up up
8. shoulder taps
9. step forward into a goblet squat, stretch the hips by shifting to the right and left
10. explode up to a jump from goblet, aim to do a vertical plank (flex core and glutes)

Mosey around the backstop

Part 2 – circuits + creative burpees (bumble bee)
8 creative burpees: star jump to plank to push up to rotate to the right (where you’re looking at the sky), back to plank, rotate to the left, up again

8 count of the following exercises in cadence:
– squats
– merkins
– jump squats
– star jumps
– air presses
– apple pickers

Do as many creative burpees as you can in 2 minutes (do a push up and dip on every rotation).

Part 3: soccer
If you score, your team does 4 jump squats
If you get scored on, your team does 8 jump squats
If the lantern falls that’s placed at the center line falls over: 5 burpees for everyone

MARY: Count-o-roma and name-o-roma while in plank

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– off the books workout at Red Caboose next wed
– TN Tussle competition (check with @the banker if you want more info)
– night moves evening workout followed by secondF event next week, check slack

COT:
– Consider the pace of your life. Is it smooth or erratic? Challenge to all PAX to reflect on this and consider how to add more smoothness and flow into their daily routine.
– I as a man sometimes have trouble naming what I want and need. Yet, that is so important for me in my growth and acceleration. Each PAX was encouraged to consider a situation in their life and then consider what kind of man they wanted to be in that situation. What virtue do you want to embody?
– PAX shared the virtue they wanted to embody if they were willing and YHC blessed all the men to go out and embody those. Each one of us is capable.

Very much enjoyed the conversation during coffeeteria. Appreciate you men bringing your whole selves to each workout. Love your hearts!

m out!

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Hit The Deck

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, DB, El Capitan, G-string (Eli Kresta), Hot Stuff, Malibu, morning star, Pebbles, Siri, The Banker, Timber, Wolfpack, Bumblebee (2.0), Big Red (2.0), Mark Marchetti (House Party), Lyle Dough (Link 2.0), Wren Carmona (Wrenaldo, 2.0)
FNGs: 4 Mark Marchetti (House Party), Lyle Dough (Link 2.0), Wren Carmona (Wrenaldo, 2.0)
COUNT: 18
CONDITIONS:
59 degrees and perfect

WARMUP:
Windmills
BACs
Back BACs
Imperial Walkers
Willie Mays Hays
45 seconds stretching OYO

THE THANG:
Moseyed over to the flood table. Shuffled the deck cards and began 3 rounds of pain. Jokers were in the deck after the 18th and 35th cards. PAX rotated drawing cards. Suit was the exercise, value was the reps. (J – 11, Q – 12, K – 13, A – 14). When a joker was drawn, PAX would run approx 166.8 yards then proceed to the next round of exercises.

| Suit | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
| —– | ———- | ——— | ———- |
| ♣️ | Merkins | Carolina Dry Docks | Dips |
| ❤️ | SSH | Mtn Climbers | Burpees |
| ♦️ | V-Ups | Freddy Mercs | Big Boys |
| ♠️ | Spiccolis | Squats | Iron Mikes |

MARY:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Octoburpee coming up
YHC stepping up as AOQ for Tuesday workouts at The Knoll

COT:
Romans 12:10 “…Outdo one another in showing honor”

One of the unexpected lessons I’ve learned from the wonderful PAX in Bellevue is the power of encouragement in the midst of suffering. We took turns recognizing the admirable qualities apparent in each other and closed in prayer.

Special shoutout here to @Siri for giving the Knoll a baptism by fire early in May showing us what an F3 workout should be. I was ready to give up at the end of it but he came alongside me and made sure I finished well!

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Breaking Wind

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: DB, morning star, Ex-Pat, AAA, Squints (Will Simpson), The Banker, Sooie, Pebbles, Timber, BigRed2.0, Bumblebee2.0
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS:
Beautifully fall and foggy.

WARMUP:
400 meter mosey
side straddle hops
bacs
back bacs
slow squats
stretch on your own

THE THANG:
2-mile relay race
-split into 2 teams
-as a team complete 8 consecutive laps around improvised 400m track
– during race, Pax complete 100 merkins, 100 squats, 100 dips

400 meter mosey

Worlds Fastest Man
– Pax run 1 lap at marathon world record pace (5:40 mile pace) 85 second lap
Eliud Kipchoge is world record holder @ 2:01:09. Dude is 40 years old! Should be an inspiration for all.

Pull Ups x 30 or Swing Ups x 45

BONUS: Javelin Thow! Pax competed to see who could throw a big stick the farthest.

MARY:
5-min of Mary’s

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:
Decide to be good. Always give your best.
When we see successful athletes or people we often assume they are naturally gifted. This is often not true. @Pebbles shared his personal journey from back of the pack JV cross-country runner to relatively successful D1 athlete. The “secret” to success was simply deciding he wanted to be better, then putting in the hard work to get there. As men we can apply this to our daily family and work duties.