Westeros – 10.12.20 – “R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen”

15 High Impact Men evaded the fartsack and got better together by posting for an overdue Eddie Van Halen tribute workout.

PAX: Blue Mule, Crawlspace, Cub Cadet, Dfrost, Drago, High Flyer, Hi-Viz, Michelin Man, Natural Ice, Right Said, Rug Doctor, Siri, Spinal Tap (FNG), Vector

QIC: Cunning Linguist

Gloom Factor: Mostly Mild and Moist.

INTRO:

At 0529, YHC called out that One Minute Warning and then exactly one minute later, a rougher-than-usual Disclaimer was given (and this is further evidence that YHC needs to post and/or Q more frequently, as has been suggested by Vector, Michelin Man, Crablegs, okay, okay, I get it). Then, a quick mosey over to the right-side of the school (right-side if you’re facing the school straight away, that is) for WOR:

WOR:

15 x SSH
12 x LBAC
12 x rLBAC
12 x WMH
15 x SnL Squats
10 Good Mornings OYO

Next, YHC explained THE THANG. Simply put, we needed to celebrate the legacy of a true guitar legend who recently left this mortal coil at the relatively young age of 65: Eddie Van Halen. Thus, we would spell the name Eddie Van Halen through our workout manuevers, starting with EDDIE:

20 x El Capitans (modified so the PAX remain in place, each leg being one-half count)
20 x Dry Docks
20 x Imperial Walkers
20 x El Capitans, part deux

30 second count courtesy of Drago, then mosey to the front of the school (which is technically always the front of the school, unless you’re facing the back of the sch…, okay, now I am seriously confused, so just forget I typed that) for the VAN:

25 x V-Ups
25 x Alternating Shoulder Taps (each shoulder is one-half)
25 x Norris Merkins (i.e., Merkins on your knuckles, a la the greatest veteran of our Air Force,  Chuck Norris)

20 count courtesy of Michelin Man, then another mosey to the left-side of the school for HALEN:

20 x Humpers IC
20 x Air Press
20 x LBCs
20 x Es of the Burpee variety
20 x Nightclubs of the Moroccan variety

With plenty of time left, we took another mosey along the street toward STARTEX for an impromptu bonus segment of the THANG — we would work out to the most popular song by Van Halen, which is “Jump” (and yes, Drago, I know the song came out more than a decade before you were born, but it remains a great song):

During the verses, Squats
During the chorus, JUMP Squats (totes obvi)
During the solo by Eddie Van Halen, some Side Straddle Hops

With even more time to spare, we sprinted to the end of the lot, and then planted ourselves on our sixes for a somewhat extended round of MARY:

12 x Flutter Kicks
12 x Boxcutters
15 x LBCs
Pigeon Stretch
Newton’s Cradle IC
10 x J-Lo’s
15 x Freddie Mercury
1 Min Free Stretch

End of Workout at 0615

MOLESKINE:

An unexpectedly large turnout for YHC’s Q is both humbling and challenging but in the best of ways. It forces me to step up my game and deliver. My only hope is that we all broke a sweat and enjoyed the creativity on display (and who knows, maybe Van Halen is your new favorite band???) More seriously, I would like to thank you all for continuing to push me to be a better person by being a part of my life.

BULLHORN:

-Thoughts and prayers were given to all of those who are suffering these days in silence and are either embarrassed or otherwise unwilling to ask for help. If you haven’t heard from a friend or family member recently, please check on them. Now is not the time to be silent, men!

-Welcome to F3 Nashville, Spinal Tap! Looking forward to seeing you in the gloom more frequently (and golf clap to Natty Ice for the Emotional Headlock)!

-BOLO for a Side Straddle Hops event in the not-too-distant future. Connect with Toothless on Slack for the deets.

This is The Artist Formerly Known as Colonel Angus, signing off!

C.L.

Lunging up to lovers circle

Monday 6/8/20

PAX: Defrost, Harvey Updyke, BnB, Vector, PA, Drago, Hi Viz, Siri, Right Said, Cub Cadet, Black Lung, Trapper Keeper (QIC).

Gloom Factor: 73° with lower humidity

Disclaimer given and then mosied around to the east side of WEMS for warm up.

WOR:

IPW x 12 IC
SSHs x 12 IC
Squats x 12 IC
LBACs x 12 IC
BBACs x 12 IC
Air presses x 12 IC
RLBACs x 12 IC
RBBACs x 12 IC

Thang:

After the PAX warmed up we took a run up to the base of lovers circle where we transitioned to walking lunges from the base, up to the circle.

Once we reached the circle the PAX participated in clock work which consisted of every quarter of the circle the PAX performed a different exercise. The PAX start at 12 o clock with 12 SSHs, and then moved the big hand to 15 burpees, then to 30 merkins, and then to 45 squats. I difference to time the PAX did not complete the hour but made our way back down to WEMS. Once the PAX reached the pinic tables at WEMS, divided among the tables to take on 15 split squats with each leg while the other portion of the PAX took on 15 merkins and then flip-flopped.

Headed back to parking lot for some Mary.

Mary:

Freddy Mercury’s x 10 IC
J-Los x 10 IC
Flutter Kicks x 10 IC
HCFs x 10 IC
Box Cutters x 10 IC
LBCs x 10 IC
Hello Dollys x 10 IC
Drago’s Russian Twists x 10 IC
WWIs x 10 IC
APDs × 10 IC
BBSs x 10 IC

Prayer for our country, communities, leaders, and prayer that we value and love others no matter race, creed, ethnicity, etc., for everyone is made in the image of God.

~ Trapper Keeper

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. – 17 Feb 2020 @ Westeros

Westeros – 17 Feb 2020. Presidential.

13 PAX took on the beautiful holiday  morning with vigor and without the ability to count or follow directions.

QIC: Crablegs

PAX: Black Lung, Vector, Bicentennial Man, Cowbell (wearing sneakers!), Drago, Michelin Man, Defrost, Blue Mule, Pumpkin Spice, T Cell, Crawlspace, Ahab

WOR:

  • Mosey on over to the Crab trap for some SSH, WMH, Squats, & walkers

THE THANG:

PAX approached the oval office – aka Circular hill by the gym that we frequent and prepared for 45 reps of the following with a trip around the hill (clockwise) after each:

Windshield Wipers

High Knees (4ct?)

Impeccable (Impeachable?) Merkins

Teddy Roosevelt Twists, aka American Hammers – 2-4ct

Extenders -some count.

Speedy PAX waited with Capitol Hillbillies for the 6 then round 2.

House-y Crunch Frogs

Obama (Bear crawl up the hill with 4 merkins every 4 hand moves – west side delight)

Urkell (Czech for Original) – Washington Walkers (imperial)

Squats

Extra Squats (recount!)

Fun was had by all and we finished right on the number.

MOLESKINE:

Beautiful morning – always a pleasure to lead

BULLHORN:

T&P for the Fogartys, Bad Boy, Hipster, Siri, and all of our other walking wounded.

 

Westeros – 01.27.20 – “Remembering Mamba”

12 PAX took the metaphorical court at Westeros for  a tribute to Kobe Bryant chock full of reps, mumblechatter, and pain.

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Black Lung, BnB, Cowbell, Crablegs, Crawlspace, Drago, Harvey Updyke, Michelin Man, Pop-A-Lock, Porcelain, Vector

THE THANG:

Medium mosey to WEMS steps for a COP, all IC:

  • SSH x 24
  • SnL Squats x 24
  • Merkins x 24
  • Mountain Climbers x 24
  • LBAC F/R x 12/12

Quick mosey to the circle to huddle up under the awning and explain today’s main course: a five-round circuit (in honor of Kobe’s five rings) building up to 8 reps of each exercise in each complex.

Complex 1: Perform one Merkin followed by one Ab Thruster. Two Merkins followed by two Ab Thrusters. Repeat ascending up to eight Merkins followed by eight Ab Thrusters.

Complex 2: Perform one Lunge each leg followed by one Jump Squats. Two Lunges each leg followed by two Jump Squats. Repeat ascending up to eight Lunges each leg followed by eight Jump Squats.

Take a lap around the driveway and RnR x 4.

Those who finished all five rounds did Mary of their choice until time was called. Most had begun round five by this point, but it was time to mosey back to the flag for COT/BOM.

MOLESKINE:

This one was a real grinder. 180 reps each of all exercises, and the legs were on fire. Tclaps to all the guys for pushing it all the way to the end.

BULLHORN:

T&P for the Fogartys, Bad Boy, Hipster, Siri, and Michelin Woman.

PA out.

12/16/19: Thundersacked

Location: Westeros

Conditions: 50s, Wet, and Thundrous

QIC: Pumpkin Spice

PAX: BNB, Crablegs, Crawlspace, DFrost, Drago, Hambone, Harvey Updike, Pop-A-Lock, Reveille, Siri, Vector

THE THANG

Warmorama :

The PAX moseyed their way behind the school for some WOR:

  • SSH x 15
  • LBAC x 15
  • rLBAC x 15
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x 15
  • WMH x 10

It was after the WOR that the rain really started pouring. We then moseyed our way to the traffic circle for the main event. The theme of this workout was to increase attendance at #Atlantis, the finest AO in the land of the Nations. It is but a Hop, Skip, and a Jump away from #Westeros, so there’s no good reason not to start posting there. Am i right? Thus, the workout went as so:

  • Start by the covered area by the building entrance in the traffic circle
  • Travel around the circle to the sidewalk
  • Perform 25 Merkins
  • Travel down the sidewalk to the other side of the traffic circle
  • Perform 25 Merkins
  • Travel back to the starting point
  • Perform 25 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Rinse and repeat with the other traveling exercises

The three traveling exercises were as follows:

  • Side Travel Hop
  • High Skip
  • Broad Jump

Once all PAX were done with their three rounds of traveling, 150 Merkins, and 75 BBSUs, the PAX went for a long mosey and ended at the playground, where they partnered up. One PAX did 10 Pull-ups, while the other waited and did Iron Mikes. Flapjack until both have done 30 Pull-ups. Unfortunately, YHC only got through 20 Pull-ups before a decidedly large bolt of lightening struck but a mile or so from the AO. Thus, we were thundersacked and had to mosey back to the shovelflag to close things out for safety.

MOLESKIN

  • Crawlspace and Hambone didn’t seem to care about the traveling exercises — we modified the Side Travel Hop (by facing forward) in their honor to avoid people doing Karaoke instead. Similar mishaps were seen with the broad jumping, with a jump-step-step-step approach seen more common than not. I’ve been known to call this the Mule Jump.
  • Riverdawg has an excellent and apropos quote (among many) we should all learn to live by in our workouts — Do the exercises “As fast as you can, not as fast as you can’t.” Form matters gents, that goes for all of us.

BULLHORN

  • The COT was foreshortened due to the Thundersack, so no BH for today. See you all at #Atlantis on Thursday!

– Pumpkin Spice

Westeros – Dec 2nd 2019 – Love Circle Summit

Dec 2, 2019

Gloom: a wet 39°

PAX:

Tcell, Cub Cadet, Vector, Siri, Harvey Updyke, Drago, Reveille

QIC: Crawlspace

Warm up: quick jog to the parking lot, side straddle hops, Willie Mays Hayes, cherry pickers, squats, lil baby arm circles, shanooks, air presses, reverse lil baby arm circles etc…

Work: Indian run to Love Circle – after summiting:

  • 75 merkins
  • 75 burpees
  • 75 jump squats

*option to trade in 1 Love Circle lap for 15 reps of any exercise

Then mosey back for Mary!

Mary: leg raises, lbc’s, hello dolly, American hammers, hcfrogs, etc

COT:   Sign up for Rev’s gentleman’s feast as he is very generously picking up the bill if you RSVP, right Rev?

4:13 dinner this week??

SYITG,

YHC Crawlspace

Westeros – 11.18.19 – “Woooow”

13 PAX kicked the week off with a short but sweet Owen Wilson birthday tribute and not so short hardcourt throttling.

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Black Lung, Crablegs, Crawlspace, Drago, Harvey Updyke, Hi-Viz, Pumpkin Spice, Right Said, Siri, T-Cell, Vector

THE THANG:

Mosey over to the WEMS circle drive for a little COP:

  • Overhead Claps
  • Werkins
  • E2K
  • Newton’s Cradle
  • Werkins
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Lunges
  • SSH
  • Overhead Press
  • Newton’s Cradle

Happy birthday, Owen Wilson. Now let’s mosey over to the tennis courts for 4-line suicides across both courts. RnR x 3. With the last one complete in 55 seconds, the PAX were challenged to complete one more in 45 seconds or less or else do it again. First try was a success!

Still on the tennis courts, PAX lined up for some 11s with Prisoner Squats and Hand Release Merkins traveling by Broad Jump out and Crawl Bear and back. (For the sake of time, once 8 HRMs were completed, running was subbed for the Crawl Bear)

All in and the PAX split into two groups to head over to they playground for some Pull-ups. Each team would complete 150 Pull-Ups while the other did Flutter Kicks.

Mosey back to the parking lot for some Mary:

  • LBCs
  • Alabama Prom Dates
  • Single Leg APDs
  • American Hammers
  • Long Slow Flutters

COT/BOM

MOLESKINE:

Not much to report other than Crablegs not catching on to the Owen Wilson COP until the very end of the workout. I like to this he’s focusing his mental energy on doctor things.

BULLHORN:

  • 11/23 – The FitTest Challenge at Nolensville High – 0600
  • 12/1 – 3rd F opp with Crievewood Baptist and Room at the Inn – details and sign up here
  • 1/16 – Gentleman’s Dinner at Jimmy Kelly’s – 1800 – HC here

Pleasure as always, gentlemen.

PA out.

Westeros 10-21-2019: Spooky Things Afoot

13 HIM emerged into the gloom for a frighteningly spooky workout.

PAX:  Vector (QIC), Hi-Viz, Harvey Updyke, Cub Cadet, Crablegs, Drago, Bicentennial Man, Siri, Blue Mule, Porcelain, BnB, Reveille, DFrost [T-cell had HC’d but it appears the zombies ate his brains before he could make it safely to Westeros].

Conditions:   65ish degrees, light  breeze,  creepy cloud cover  . . . so basically, perfect.

Disclaimer given. Mosey to back of school for the

Warm-o-rama:  

Pumpkin Pickers x 14
Give You the Willie(s) Mays Hayes x 12
Ghoul Mornings x 12
Frankenstein Walkers x 12
Little Baby Scarecrow Arm Circles x 12
Reverse LBSAC x 12

Mosey to front of school for the

First Round: Thriller

On Saturday, Cunning Linguist [who also must have been eaten by zombies this morning] told me about Blue Mule’s Halloween Q last year.  I stole this in honor of the blue one himself (because what’s more spooky than a blue-colored horse?):

As Thriller plays, the PAX do squats.  Each time the word “thriller” or a spooky sound occurs, they do 1 burpee.  Reminded the PAX that the song goes for about 6 minutes . . .

Second Round:  Trick or Treat

Mosey to playground. The PAX took turns picking an exercise from one pumpkin and the # of reps from the other for rapid fire exercises.  Some highlights included 36 burpees, 75 overhead presses, and 20 pull-ups.  Last few sets multiplied x 3 for a bit more of a trick.

Playlist:  

Thriller – Michael Jackson
Heads Will Roll _ The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo
Zombie – Cranberries

[For completeness, the rest of the playlist that we did not get to]

Twilight Zone – Golden Earring [PS: A  teaser for my Bomber Q next Friday]
Bad Moon Rising – CCR
(Don’t Fear)The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult

Third Round:  B-O-Os

20 Big Boy Sit Ups
15 Overhead Squats
15 Overhead Claps

Fourth Round:  Zombie Walk

Traverse the large field by lunge walking in a Zombie Walk (because after a while, you look like lumbering zombies across the field).  Bonus spooky points to Crablegs for his arm flailing.  Several PAX added zombie groans, but unclear if those were intentional or a result of the workout . . .

COT:

  • Libeery on the 29th – check Slack for details
  • Thankful that Stella (Porcelain 2.0) gets her shots today — get vaccinated, kids (especially the flu shot! Take that Jenny McCarthy!)

Thanks as always for coming out and supporting YHC – I always worry that I won’t push the PAX enough, but it seemed folks were pretty sweaty and breathing hard throughout (I know I was).  Plus I think folks had fun.  Was an honor as always to lead you men this morning.

SYITG,
Vector

Bidding IronPax 2019 a Fond Farewell

Conditions: Tinge of Fall in the early morning air

Pax: BnB, Crablegs, Crawlspace, Cub Cadet, Drago, Harvey Updyke (QIC), Hi Viz, High Flyer, Preacher Man, Reveille, Salpal, Slim Jim, T Cell, Vector

14 pax finished off the 2019 edition of the IronPax challenge, with “Sugar’s Pick Your Poison”. After 4 weeks of beat downs, the pax expressed their simultaneous gratitude and disdain for our brothers in Greenwood through 45(+) minutes of dealer’s choice pain on the WEMS football field.

Disclaimer

Warm-o-rama

Run from meeting point (side note: hoping to have the official Westeros shovel flag up and running soon…) around the park, behind the school. Grab a regulation-sized coupon from the back of YHC’s truck, carry it down to one of the gridiron goal lines.

Thang

IronPax Week 4: “Sugar’s Pick Your Poison”

    • 3 ROUNDS FOR TIME OF THE FOLLOWING:
      • 100 cumulative: merkins and/or squats
      • 100 yard out, 100 yard back coupon carry
      • 100  cumulative: coupon swings and/or bonnie blairs
      • 100 yard out, 100 yard back coupon carry
      • 100  cumulative: coupon thrusters and/or traveling lunge steps
      • 100 yard out, 100 yard back coupon carry

Even starting the Main Event at 5:37, the above was more than enough to carry the majority of the pax beyond the 6:15 mark. We understandably lost a few pax around that point, but the majority pressed on until all 3 rounds were complete, and took pride in our collective accomplishment.

Mary

Toted the bricks back up the bleachers to the truck, and rode Beverley Hillbillies style back to the starting point for CoT.

COT/Announcements:

    • 09/27 – Bourbon & Bacon Fest – contact Crablegs for details.
    • 10/29 – Libeery at Fat Bottom Brewery in The Nations. Time TBD. Book is “The Three Big Questions for Frantic Families” by Patrick Lencioni. AoM podcast interview is a good cliff notes.

Pleasure to lead each of you this morning, and to bid a fond farewell to our Greenwood-curated workouts for the next 11 months or so.

-Harvey

9/16/19: Iron Pax Week 3

Location: Westeros

Conditions: 70 degree humidor

QIC: Pumpkin Spice

PAX: Black Lung, BNB, Crablegs, Cub Cadet, Drago, Hi-Viz, Porcelain, Reveille, Right Said, Slim Fit (FNG), T-cell, Vector

THE THANG

Warmorama : Early PAX did some LBAC, rLBAC, Michael Phelps, and general stretching to account for the lack of warmorama time allocated for Iron Pax Week 3.

PAX collected their coupons and moseyed over to the playground for the main event — AMRAP of the following exercises in 43  minutes:

  • Pull-ups x 10
  • Burpee Coupon Jump Overs x 15
  • Coupon Curls x 20
  • Coupon Squat Thrusters x 25
  • Gas Pumps (reverse crunches) x 30

Those nursing upper extremity injuries did the following exercises instead:

  • 90-Degree Leg Raises x 10
  • Toe Tap Coupon Jump Overs x 15
  • American Hammers x 20
  • Couponless Squat Thrusters x 25
  • Gas Pumps (reverse crunches) x 30

MOLESKIN

  • T-cell rocked out a group best of 610 reps
  • Welcome FNG Slim Fit, who crushed his first workout
  • T-claps to Crablegs for bringing Electrolyteria — which enjoyed an unprecedented mid-workout utilization by multiple PAX
  • Comments were made that Blue Mule would have destroyed this workout. But, alas, he’s off in Eastern Europe taking names

BULLHORN

  • Continued prayers for Porcelain’s 2.0 and M to continue in their good postpartum health
  • Porcelain’s dog just had a splenectomy. Did they also get their appropriate vaccinations for encapsulated organisms? I think I heard Vector offering his personal supply of immunizations.

– Pumpkin Spice