That’s not a Hill, THIS is a Hill

QIC:  Oil Can

Date: 02/11/2021

PAX: Skitch, Bru Cru, Cupid, V-Squared, Sunshine, Back Pew, Rodeo, Gimli, Deer Jack, Sherlock, White Glove, Cowbell, Care Bear

AO: Hill City


Conditions

Despite the high percentage chance of rain prior to going to bed, it turned out to be a pretty good morning. Very minimal precipitation could be felt, but only during the COT. Otherwise, it was a fairly cool morning in the gloom with not much of a breeze.


COP

Little Baby Arm Circles (forward & reverse) x10 IC, Big Arm Circles (forward & reverse) x10 IC, Overhead Press x10 IC, Sideways Press x10 IC, Willie Mays Hays x10 IC, 3rd Grade Exercises x10 IC, Quad Stretches OYO, SSHs x10 IC


The Thang

Split PAX into two groups.
Mosey to the Walnut St bridge. Stop & do 10 Squat Jumps OYO on the way.
Round 1
1 Group bear crawls ~75 yards along the bridge & mosey back. Other group does LBCs. Flap Jack.
Round 2
1 group does crab walk ~75 yards along the bridge & mosey back. Other group does Incline Merkins. Flap Jack.

Begin to lunge for ~ 100 yards. Part way through, everyone moseys for a period, then stopped to do 5 burpees. Finish off 100 yard lunge. Mosey back to the end of the bridge, then continue moseying to Kent St hill. On the way to the hill, everyone stops & does 5 burpees.

Rounds 3 & 4
Group 1 bernie up the hill. Once one person has reached the top, everyone can mosey back down. Group 2 does their choice of squats, merkins or flutter kicks. Flap jack, then rinse & repeat.

Bernie up Kent St hill & back down Forest Ave and continue back to Hill City parking lot. On the way to the parking lot, stop & do 10 burpees. Time.


COT

Today was all about distractions. When you really start to think about it, we are constantly distracted in life. Something as simple as a notification on your phone distracting you from what you were doing. Someone who texts or calls you. Maybe you have to leave work briefly to go pick up something from the shops. Distractions, distractions, distractions. YHC encouraged PAX to think about these distractions & how they deal with them.


Moleskin

Best thing to come out of today was when Rodeo was doing some flutter kicks at the bottom of the hill. A real southern guy stopped in his truck to ask if Rodeo was ok, before then saying that he thought Rodeo may have been dead!

YHC had never done a workout at the Kent St hill so was excited to go up it a few times. Definitely one of the steepest streets in Chattanooga & the hills of Renaissance Park have got nothing on it. Great view from up the top too. It was fun to hear from a few PAX who hadn’t been over to the hill in a while. Excited to conquer it again at a future Q.


News

Promoted the 3rd F painting event with Habitat for Humanity this weekend.


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    Merkins, Monkeys & Gorillas!

    QIC:  Oil Can

    Date: 01/30/2021

    PAX: Back Fire, Thin Slice, Back Pew, Skitch, Pink Panther, Fly By, White Glove

    AO: The Landfill


    Conditions

    Temperatures were a rather brisk 30 degrees, however it was dry and there wasn’t much wind.


    COP

    Side Straddle Hops x30 IC, Little Baby Arm Circles (forward & reverse) x12 IC, Shoulder Press x12 IC, Big Arm Circles (forward & reverse) x12 IC

    Forward Fold
    Plank hold 30 seconds
    Side plank hold 30 secs
    Plank hold 30 secs
    Opposite side plank hold 30 secs
    Plank hold 30 secs
    5 Merkins OYO
    Bend the back into Upward Dog
    Plank hold 30 secs
    Walk hands back to Downward dog
    Forward Fold


    The Thang

    Today we were celebrating it already being the 30th of January, so the number 30 was quite prominent throughout the beatdown.
    Round 1
    30x Burpees
    30x Plank Jacks
    30x Monkey Humpers
    30x Lunges (easy way)
    30x American Hammers (hard way)
    PAX had the choice of doing all the exercises at once or spreading them out as they moseyed down the big hill. Most chose to knock out a few at the start & then spread the burpees out.

    Round 2
    Exact same set of 5 exercises as round 1, however PAX this time were working their way up the big hill.

    Rounds 3 & 4
    30x Merkins
    30x Mountain Climbers (hard way)
    30x Gorilla Humpers
    30x Flutter Kicks (hard way)
    30x Squats
    These were all done circled up OYO to provide a break from moseying the hill.

    Round 5
    30x Incline OR Decline Merkins
    30x Hello Dollies
    30x Rocky IVs
    30x Squats
    30x Lunges (easy way)
    YHC had hoped to get through 30 sets of 30 exercises, however time ran out on us.

    Bernie up the Big Thank You, followed by 5 burpees OYO to finish.


    COT

    Spoke about how 2020 was such a difficult year for everyone, and while it’s easy to remember how tough a year it was, we need to be thankful for our health & to reflect on something positive that happened. Encouraged all PAX to think about that today.


    Moleskin

    The Landfill always provides some stories involving the Police. White Glove commented on how they seem to open the gates earlier during the winter than the summer. We were also given a stern warning by one officer about keeping dogs on a leash.

    In other news, the Big Thank You was apparently blocking out some wind for us because it was noticeably colder after getting to the top.


    News

    No major announcements for F3 Chattanooga. Rocket Man will be our Q at The Landfill next Saturday.


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      The Ladders Were Out to Party

      QIC:  Oil Can

      Date: 01/27/2021

      PAX: U-Turn, M.I.A, Sherlock, NordicTrack, Deer Jack

      AO: Detention


      Conditions

      Not quite as nice as it was on Tuesday morning, but still a nice temperature of about 48 degrees with the breeze blowing slightly. Still fantastic conditions considering it’s late-January. The parking lot at Detention was a little painful on the hands.


      COP

      Willie Mays Hays x 10 IC, 3rd Grade Exercises x10 IC, SSHs x20 IC, Little Baby Arm Circles (Forward & Reverse) x10 IC, Wax On x10 IC, Wax Off x10 IC, Overhead Presses x10 IC

      Next we moved onto a bit of a medley of exercises based around the plank position…
      Forward Fold x10 IC, Downward Dog (hold 15 seconds), High Plank (hold 15 seconds), Side Plank (hold 15 seconds), High Plank (hold 15 seconds), other Side Plank (hold 15 seconds), High Plank (hold 15 seconds), Low Plank (hold 15 seconds), High Plank (hold 15 seconds), Upward Dog (hold 15 seconds), High Plank (hold 15 seconds), Downward Dog (hold 15 seconds), Forward Fold (hold 15 seconds)


      The Thang

      For The Thang today we did a couple of different ladders with coupons

      Ladder #1
      Do each exercise, then Rifle Carry about 30 feet. Did two rounds of this ladder.
      5x Atomic Incline Merkins
      10x Windshield Wipers (hard way)
      15x Squats (with the coupon)
      20x LBCs (with the coupon)
      25x Curls

      Ladder #2
      This time, PAX would do the first two exercises (with a Rifle Carry in between) then Rifle Carry back to the start, do the first three exercises, Rifle Carry back to the start etc. 1 round completed.
      5x Atomic Incline Merkins
      10x Windshield Wipers (hard way)
      15x Squats (with the coupon)
      20x LBCs (with the coupon)
      25x Bench Press

      Ladder #3
      This was done in the same style as Ladder #1, however PAX got to choose their final exercise. 1 round completed.
      5x Atomic Incline Merkins
      10x Windshield Wipers (hard way)
      15x Squats (with the coupon)
      20x LBCs (with the coupon)
      25x Curls OR Bench Press (but everyone chose Curls)

      Quick Mary to finish: 15x Flutter Kicks (with coupon) IC, 15x Decline Merkins IC, 15x Bent Over Rows IC


      COT

      Spoke about taking something positive away from 2020. It was a difficult year for everyone, however it’s important to acknowledge what happened (both good & bad), and be thankful for at least one thing that it gave you (time with family, new job, opportunity to get out in the gloom more).


      Moleskin

      Nothing especially worthy of note. All PAX enjoyed having the smaller group but were clearly pushing themselves so there wasn’t much mumble chatter heard.


      News

      Iron Butt on Q at Shot House Friday, praying that Dundee will be back in the gloom on Monday to lead at Detention


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        Tackling those uncomfortable Burpees

        QIC: Oil Can

        Date: 10/10/2020

        PAX: Back Pew, Fly By, Pink Panther, White Glove, Back Fire, FNG – Off Season, Slick Willie, Natty Lite, Bandwagon

        AO: The Landfill


        Conditions

        Fairly cool, some intermittent light drizzle falling and the grass was quite wet.


        COP

        SSH x10, Forward Fold, WMH x10, Windmills x10, Seal Claps x10, Big Arm Circles & Reverse x10, Rockin’ Night Club x10 – All done IC


        The Thang

        Mosey down to the lower pavilion, circle up & hold plank for 1 minute

        Working your way back to the upper pavilion, bear crawl, mosey or bernie to every second light post. Alternate doing 10 burpees, 10 LBCs & 10 squat jumps at each light post until you reach the upper pavilion.

        Dora #1
        Partner A: 100x Giving Birth Crunches, 100x Decline Merkins & 100x Step Ups
        Partner B: Mosey to the bottom of the hill & bernie back up. Pick up on whatever rep Partner A is at until 300 reps have been completed by the pair.

        Dora #2
        Partner A: 100x Incline Merkins, 100x Hello Dollies & 100x Squats
        Partner B: Mosey to the bottom of the hill & bear crawl back up. Pick up on whatever rep Partner A is at until 300 reps have been completed by the pair.

        The Big Finish
        Mosey to the bottom of the big hill & split the group in half. Half of the group bernies to the top of the big hill & then does 25x Burpees. The other half does their 25x Burpees at the bottom and then bernie up the hill.

        Walk back to the pavilion for a quick 2MOM (10x Big Bois, 10x Pickle Pointers & 10x Pickle Pounders) for time.


        COT

        Spoke about how we tackle uncomfortable things in our lives. Today, we did a number of uncomfortable exercises but all PAX tackled them head-on. I encouraged everyone to do that with uncomfortable tasks/situations in life. Reflect on something uncomfortable you’ve done recently, and how you might have been able to do that better. Tackle your next uncomfortable task/situation head-on, and soak up the benefits of doing so afterwards.


        Moleskin

        Was great to see a few new faces out at The Landfill!


        News

        YHC is on Q at Hill City on Tuesday, 10/13. Come join us!


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          Arms, Core & Legs…Oh My!

          QIC:  Oil Can

          Date: 10/03/2020

          PAX: Hambone, Pound Dog, Jorts, Blue, Napoleon

          AO: Convoy


          Conditions

          One of the coldest mornings we’ve had in quite a while (about 45 degrees), but there was no rain around and very little breeze.


          COP

          SSH x20, Forward Fold OYO, Willie Mays Hays x10, 3rd Grade Exercises x10, Windmills x10, LBACs x 10 & reverse, Rockin Night Club x10 & Shoulder Press x20 – All IC


          The Thang

          Mosey to the track and up into the bleachers
          Arms
          10x Burpees, 2x Incline Merkins per step up the bleachers, then complete one lap of the track – mosey the straights and 1/2 the bend, then Bear Crawl/Crab Walk the other half of the bend

          10x Burpees, 3x Dips per step up the bleachers, then complete a lap of the track doing the same as above

          Core
          Hold High Plank for 1 minute
          15x LBCs, 15x Flutter Kicks & 15x Hello Dollies
          Hold Low Plank for 1 minute
          15x LBCs, 15x Flutter Kicks & 15x Hello Dollies

          Rinse & repeat the above once more

          Legs
          Back to the bleachers
          10x Squat Jumps, 2x Squats per step up the bleachers, then complete one lap of the track – mosey the straights and 1/2 the bend, then Lunge the other half of the bend

          10x Squat Jumps, 2x Monkey Humpers per step up the bleachers, then complete a lap of the track doing the same as above

          Arms, Core & Legs…Oh My!
          15x LBCs, 15x Flutter Kicks, 15x Hello Dollies
          2x Incline Merkins per step up the bleachers, followed by 2x Squats per step
          5x Burpees & 5x Squat Jumps

          Mosey back to the parking lot; Circle of Merkins to 5, then a round of Mary: American Hammers, Big Bois, Crunches, Pickle Pointers, Flutter Kicks & Pickle Pounders


          COT

          Discussed the need to appreciate the little things in life. Spend a few moments outside & enjoy the change of weather that we’ve got right now. Feel that slight chill on your legs while the sun is beating down on you; listen to the birds chirping and the trees swaying in the breeze. Enjoy being able to say ‘Good Morning’ to your wife/girlfriend/child.


          Moleskin

          Bear crawling/crab walking the entire bend of an athletic track is really hard & too long of a distance. YHC quickly decided to only do half of the bend. Must be noted that Hambone brought some great 2nd-F coffee & donut holes to enjoy post-beatdown. A trip to Convoy on a Saturday morning is a MUST for all PAX of F3 Chattanooga.


          News

          Some great Qs coming up this week! Get out in the gloom and join your F3 brothers!


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            Anything But Mosey

            QIC:  Oil Can

            Date: 09/15/2020

            PAX: Postman, Snatch, Sherlock, Tasty Cakes, She Shed, Milkman, Hasbro, Big Al, Cleaver, NordicTrack, Gretel, u-Turn

            AO: Detention


            Conditions

            YHC has been enjoying the cooler mornings of late & we had another one at Detention. Just a few clouds above and not too much dew on the grass.


            COP

            SSH x 20 IC, WMH x 10 IC, Forward Fold, Imperial Walkers x20 IC, Little Baby Arm Circles Fwd & Reverse x10 IC, Seal Claps x10 IC, Cherry Pickers x10 IC


            The Thang

            Mosey down to the baseball fields’ parking lot
            Split into groups of 4, then the group of four splits into 2 pairs
            Half of the group does one exercise per corner, while the other group ‘travels’ to the next corner & back. Pairs then rotate, so the group doing an exercise ‘travel’ and vice versa.

            The PAX that are ‘traveling’ can do anything except mosey. Choices include: bernie, bear crawl, crab walk, lunge, karaoke, side shuffle, bunny hop, broad jump, high knees & butt kickers.

            Exercises – Pickle Pointers (Home Plate), Squats (1st Base), Pickle Pounders (Center Field), Plank Jacks (3rd Base)

            Groups work their way around the diamond & wait until six is in after one lap.

            Split up into individual pairs. One person does burpees at home plate, other is ‘traveling’ to first base. Flap jack & hold plank/al gore until six is in.

            Mosey back to the parking lot. 3MOM – American Hammers x15 IC, LBCs x15 IC & Flutter Kicks x15 IC. Time.


            COT

            Spoke about the fires in California, and the seemingly constant series of hurricanes pounding the gulf coast. Recognized the struggles that those people are going through right now, and the affects that those natural disasters will have for many years to come. Followed that up by mentioning that many people in Chattanooga who’s homes were destroyed by the Easter Sunday tornado are still in need of help.


            Moleskin

            PAX enjoyed the term ‘anything but mosey’ and suggested it should be a theme for Oil Can workouts to come. Credit to u-Turn who woke up just 10 minutes before the start of the beatdown & still arrived just a few minutes late.


            News

            No major events on the horizon for F3 Chattanooga. Check out the new AO – Convoy – on the mountain operating Mondays & Saturdays.


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              Crazy 8’s at Shot House

              QIC: Oil Can

              Date: 08/10/2020

              PAX: NordicTrack, Mr. Met, Hasbro, Magnum, Postman, Cleaver, Milkman, Mr. Clean, Resume, Roomba, Dundee, White Lightning, Sherlock

              AO: Shot House


              Conditions

              Typical summer morning — mid to low 70s, a very slight breeze & some birds chirping.


              COP

              Windmills x 15 IC, Forward Fold, SSH x 20 IC, LBACs Fwd & Reverse x10 IC, Cherry Pickers x 10 IC

              Bear crawl merkins – 3-count bear crawl followed by a merkin – for about 50 yards. PAX really enjoyed this warmup…or that’s what it sounded like!


              The Thang

              Crazy Eight’s – Part 1
              Split PAX into groups around the track & do a set of 8 exercises.
              8x Squats
              8x Flutter Kicks
              8x Merkins
              8x Monkey Humpers
              8x Hello Dollies
              8x Plank Jacks
              8x Squat Jumps
              8x LBCs

              Rotate doing 8 lunges, 8 count bear crawl, 8 count crab walk & 8 bunny hops

              Do set of eight exercises again, then rinse & repeat until eight total sets have been completed.

              Crazy Eight’s – Part 2
              Mosey to bleachers & spread out to give room between each PAX
              8x Incline Merkins
              8x Decline Merkins
              8x Dips
              8x Box Jumps

              One trip up to the top of the bleachers will give you four sets, so do two trips up the bleachers.

              Mosey back to the parking lot for time.


              COT

              Read the other day about a 103 year old woman getting her first tattoo to cross it off her bucket list. She got a tattoo of a frog – an animal she loves dearly.

              The grandmother did this during COVID, and I really found it quite touching that despite everything going on, she still found a way to do something on her bucket list. Encouraged the PAX to do something on their bucket list during this time.


              Moleskin

              Nothing of note. Just a solid beatdown enjoyed by all.


              News

              Ponce’s VQ at Shot House on Wednesday; sign up for IronPAX


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              Just keep pushing! Just keep pushing!

              QIC:  Oil Can

              Date: 08/03/2020

              PAX: ThreeSkin, Fissure, Ducktales, Hasbro, The Count (Respect x2), Red Tees

              AO: Anvil


              Conditions

              Classic mid-70s morning, not much of a breeze to speak of. The track was as red as ever, grass quite dewy. Multiple flags posted in respect of to great nation.


              COP

              Very short warm-up so we could get stuck into the beatdown.
              Forward fold OYO, followed by Willie Mays Hays x10 IC and 3rd Grade Exercises x10 IC.


              The Thang

              Mosey 1600 metres (4 laps around track)

              Set of 5 Exercises
              10 Manmakers (Burpees with coupon)
              20 Overhead presses (with coupon)
              30 Kettlebell swings (with coupon)
              40 Goblet squats
              50 Incline Block Merkins

              Mosey 1200 metres (3 laps around track)
              Then do set of 5 exercises again, followed by another mosey around the track for 2 laps.

              No PAX did any more, however the complete Ironpax workout would have you do set of 5 exercises again, followed by a one lap mosey & finish with the 5 exercises.


              COT

              Spoke to the group about making sure there’s something to be excited about during their week. With everything happening in the world right now, it’s difficult to go out and enjoy yourself. There’s very few events to go to, cinemas are closed and many restaurants are only doing take out. Encouraged everyone to find something each week to be excited about – whether it’s a special home-cooked meal, a movie that you love or a game with kids. We ALL need something to be excited about.


              Moleskin

              Hasbro learned that coupons (aka his cinderblock) aren’t invincible as he smashed his into pieces while putting it down. Plenty of good mumble chatter was had while moseying, including conversations about eating kangaroo, crocodile & snake down under.


              News

              BURPH on Friday at Lions Den. Go challenge yourself!


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                Just One More Trip Up the Hill

                QIC:  Oil Can

                Date: 07/30/2020

                PAX: Skitch, Sunshine, Rodeo, Back Pew, Cupid, Omaha, White Glove, Flop

                AO: Hill City


                Conditions

                Pretty typical July morning. Light cloud overhead, slight breeze off the river, warm but not too hot


                COP

                Fwd Fold OYO
                WMH X10 IC
                Slow squats x15 IC

                Mosey the long way to steps
                While moseying, do some butt kickers, high knees, karaoke (both sides), side shuffles (both sides) & toy soldiers


                The Thang

                Part A – The Steps
                PAX pair up; Person A mosey to bottom of the steps & box jump up
                Person B do monkey humpers until partner has reached the top of steps
                Flap Jack, then Rinse & Repeat for 2 total rounds

                Part B – Mount Midoriyama
                Remain with same partner as Part A
                Person A bernie up Mount Midoriyama & mosey back down
                Person B do side squats until partner has returned
                Flap Jack, then Rinse & Repeat for 2 total rounds

                Part C – The Boob Hill
                Hopefully PAX have enjoyed their warm-up, because here comes the main course.
                All PAX do 40 squats before jailbreaking up the boob hill & mosey down to opposite corner. Hold Al Gore until six is in.
                PAX then do 40 reverse lunges (each leg counts as one), jailbreak back up the boob hill to original corner & hold Al Gore until six is in.
                Continue to decrease reps of squats & lunges by intervals of 10. With 10 of each exercise remaining, do all together before ascending the boob hill one final time.

                Mosey back to the parking lot for time.


                COT

                While the hills are great for a workout, they are also a challenge. No one really wants to be doing squats or reverse lunges before sprinting up a steep hill, but they do it anyway because they know that they’ll feel good after doing so. This happens so many times in life – we are all presented with a challenge that must be overcome.

                Even though we don’t want to deal with it, we find a way to convince ourselves into overcoming this obstacle, and often we’ll reap some sort of reward (no matter how great or small) at the end. Q encouraged PAX to face challenges in their life as they would today’s workout – know that you don’t really want to deal with it, but you’re going to, and be thankful later that you did.


                Moleskin

                Q learned that the hills of Hill City are trash dump sites from construction around the area. They now make for great spots to be conquered in the gloom!


                News

                Burph coming up at Lions Den next Friday. Go and challenge yourself!


                Recent Backblasts

                  Who doesn’t love some ACDCs?

                  QIC:  Oil Can

                  Date: 07/29/2020

                  PAX: Moneyball, Backfire, Back Pew, Chum, Iron Butt (Respect x2), Rodeo, Turtle, Ringwald, High Beam, Care Bear, Chief

                  AO: Lions Den


                  Conditions

                  Clear skies, classic warmth & humidity of a July morning in Tennessee.


                  COP

                  Forward Fold OYO
                  15x Windmills IC
                  10x Big Arm Circles & reverse IC
                  15x Toe Merkins OYO
                  Short mosey with coupon


                  The Thang

                  Split PAX into groups of 3 or 4 to form our own classic Aussie rock bands. Every member of the band does exercises together.

                  Part A – ACDCs
                  Australian Snow Angels x45
                  Curls x45
                  Dips x45
                  LBCs x45
                  ‘Lead singer’ (one member of band) mosey to the bottom of the hill & back while carrying their coupon. Everyone else in the band does mountain climbers (to climb to the top of the record charts). Band completes three rounds while enjoying some great ACDC tunes.

                  Part B – INXSs
                  Incline Merkins x35
                  No Surrenders x35
                  Box Jumps x35
                  Squats (with coupon) x35
                  ‘Lead singer’ (one member of band) mosey to the bottom of the hill & back while carrying their coupon. Everyone else in the band does mountain climbers (to climb to the top of the record charts). Band completes two rounds while enjoying some great INXS tunes.


                  COT

                  Watched a video the other day of an Australian Football broadcaster opening up about a complication that his daughter had soon after being born. The video was called The Last Time I Cried and it really hit home about how men are often expected to be the rock of a relationship.

                  I encouraged the PAX to find someone or a handful of people they feel comfortable opening up to, whether that be a friend, spouse or work colleague. It’s important for EVERYONE to be able to be emotional when they need to be, and not to feel the need to bottle this emotion up inside.


                  Moleskin

                  Back Pew showed up a few minutes early – a BIG surprise! Credit to Backfire too who still enjoyed a great beatdown despite missing the first 10 minutes. Great music from ACDC and INXS was enjoyed by all. Care Bear just wished he got to hear some Men at Work. Next time!


                  News

                  Nothing much to note. She Shed on Q at Lions Den Friday. Get out in the gloom and enjoy another beatdown before the weekend!


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