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The Battery Barometer is Born!

QIC:  Abercrombie

Date: 04/10/2021

PAX: FNG – Conjugal Visit, 9 Volt, Rug Doctor, Deep Dish, Clothespin, Land Yacht, El Chapo, Tin Snip

AO: The Battery

Conditions

Upper 50’s. Forecast was for rain, but we never received a drop. Nice breeze too. Could not have asked for better conditions.

COP

Ran a practice lab around the course and completed FIVE reps at each station for familiarization of the thang.  So that means:

5 – Deep Squats

5 Merkins

5 Curls (for the girls of course)

5 Big Boys

The Thang

We ran the below route while stopping to do each exercise OYO.  Continue for 35 minutes.  After 35 minutes, each PAX was given a note pad to write down the number of reps completed.   This will serve as a benchmark to measure future fitness improvements. 

COT

We all got crazy going on in our lives, some hide it better than others, but we all have crazy.   I think that during chaotic times it is important to stay plugged in to the positive constants that God has given us.   In John chapter 15 the red words talk about how Jesus is the vine and the importance of staying connected to him.  Jesus is a positive constant for Christians.   Work, family, friends and many other things can be our anchor during the storms in life.  How about F3?  F3 has become a new source of stability in my life for sure!  I guess my words this morning is just to encourage everyone to show up even when you don’t feel like it.  I have never left a beatdown wishing that I stayed in bed, even though I tease the Q and tell him otherwise.  I’m so glad to know that I have a place of refuge during tough times.  Thanks for being there guys!

Moleskin

This iron pax style beatdown was not very conducive to mumble chatter.

Anytime someone hollered “this is stupid”, the QIC smiled and took it as a compliment.

I’m glad there was a fence between Deep Dish and that dog, that could have gotten interesting.

Coffeeteria went great. Nice getting to know our FNG – Conjugal Visit!

News

Monday nights at Chubby’s is the place to be. Don’t forget that you can always bring items (blankets, tarps, batteries, clothes, sodas, etc.) to your AO and someone will gladly get them to a person in need.

Deep Dish is on Q Tuesday, Blackout on Thursday and 9 Volt on Saturday. Come see us!!

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    Five! Because we can’t count no higher.

    QIC:  Abercrombie

    Date: 03/04/2021

    PAX: Deep Dish, 9 Volt, Mrs. Baker, Tinkerbell, Thin Mint

    AO: The Battery

    Conditions

    Clear and 35. It felt warmer than that though for some reason.

    COP

    • SSH – IC x 42
    • Forward Fold
    • Arm Circles – IC x 42

    The Thang

    In honor of Deep Dish turning 42, I thought it would be appropriate to do 42 reps of everything in increments of Five. Increments of five is important since Deep Dish does not like to count any higher.

    • Big Boys in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Burpees in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Merkins in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Bicep Curls with block in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Dips in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Shoulder press with block in increment of 5 until we complete 42 reps
    • Slow Squats in increment of 5 until we complete 102 reps because we want Deep Dish to live until he is 102 years old. 

    COT

    On several occasions while discussing life’s challenges with my wife, she has asked “what do your F3 guys say about that”?  My response is always the same, “I’m not going to tell them about my problems”.  Well, after nine months and more than 100 beatdowns with men that I have grown to trust, I decided to test the waters and open up a bit.  I shared some parenting challenges that I’ve been having with one of my kids and received some much needed advice.  There is no doubt that God has placed some very smart guys in my life to not only beat me down but build me up and provide much needed guidance.  I guess it was kind of a milestone in my F3 experience and I would encourage others to do the same. 

    Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that seeks counsel is wise.

    Moleskin

    Well, turns out today was not Deep Dish’s birthday LOL!

    News

    Coldplay is on Q at The Battery Saturday. It may or may not be his 40th birthday. Hmmm

    I’ll be altering trusses and putting down plywood flooring in my barn after the Saturday beatdown if anyone is interested in being paid with cheap pizza and cheap beer. A couple PAX have also volunteered to come up Sunday afternoon as well.

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      Much to be thankful for at The Battery

      QIC:  Abercrombie

      Date: 01/23/2021

      PAX: Escobar, M.I.A., Bubbles, Schnitzel, Mrs. Baker, Land Yacht, Thin Mint, Clothespin

      AO: The Battery

      Conditions

      Clear and 30 degrees. Beautiful sunrise!

      COP

      SSH – IC (40)

      Forward Fold – OYO

      Walk it out to downward dog

      Upward dog

      LBAC both directions – IC (10)

      Seal Claps – IC (10)

      Overhead Claps – IC (10)

      The Thang

      Core – all IC (15)

      • Box Cutters
      • American Hammers
      • Flutter kicks
      • Heel grabbers
      • Jane Fonda’s
      • 100’s
      • Freddie Mercury
      • Crunchy Frogs
      • Nolan Ryans
      • Hilly Billy
      • Up downs
      • 21’s (instead of 11’s)
        • Merkins and Curls (3 burpees in the middle OR write something you are thankful for on the dry erase board)
      • 21’s (instead of 11’s)
        • Kettlebell swings and thrusters (3 burpees in the middle OR write something you are thankful for on the dry erase board)

      This is a picture of the board where we wrote things that we are thankful for.

      COT

      I shared in the past my thoughts on wisdom and how I believe that it is more of an action rather than something that goes on in your head.  Wisdom is the application of knowledge.   So, knowledge is a prerequisite to wisdom.  I’ve be thinking about commitment and believe that commitment is also a prerequisite to wisdom.  Commitment is a decision that you make ahead of time to do something specific in the future.  For example, we talk to our kids about sex so that when they are in the heat of the moment, the decision has already been made and they know what to do.  (I’m not ready to be a pa-paw). 

      I finished 2020 with 99 posts (plus a handful out of town in the Atlanta area).  As I think back, I probably would have attended only 5 or 6 if I had not already made the decision/commitment the prior day to wake up at 4:45am and roll away from my wife and warm bed.  Totally preaching to the choir, but just wanted to give a reminder to make important decisions (commitments) prior to game time and don’t wait until it is time to act.

      Proverbs 16:3 ESV / 295 helpful votes

      Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

      Moleskin

      I totally pulled something in my back while giving the kettlebell swing demonstration. Good grief!

      Escobar still remembers directions to The Battery. Great to see you there!

      M.I.A. is just a beast! He had already participated in Uncle Joe’s dry run for his VQ earlier this morning! Very proud of you brother.

      Someone wrote “This is Stupid” on the dry erase board and put the initials C.P. next to it. Hmm. LOL

      News

      Uncle Joe’s VQ at Hacksaw Monday! Come out to support him!

      John Doe is on Q at the Battery on Tuesday. Although he has never attended one of my Q’s and I have attended many of his, I guess I will still go. Ha! Love you JD. Hope to see a big crowd!

      3rd F – Even if you are not able to make it Chubby’s on Mondays, you can still bring blankets, jackets, handwarmers, etc. to your AO and someone will make sure to get those items there.

      Recent Backblasts

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        Jailbreak at the Battery

        QIC:  Abercrombie

        Date: 12/12/2020

        PAX: FNG-Tijuana, 9-Volt, Mrs. Baker, Clothespin, Threeskin, Coldplay

        AO: The Battery

        Conditions

        Conditions were perfect! Any more details would just take away from that.

        COP

        Slow Merkins x 10

        Hillbilly Walkers x 10 (yes, it’s in the exicon)

        Whatever, enough warm up.  Let’s do this!

        The Thang

        Sally up (one of these days I’m going to make it through the entire song, but wasn’t happening today)

        Box Cutters x 10

        American Hammers x 10

        Flutter kicks x 10

        Heel grabbers x 10

        Jane Fonda’s x 20 each side

        100’s x 20

        Freddie Mercury x 10

        Nolan Ryan’s  x 10

        High plank / low plank (up/down) until no one wanted to play anymore. 

        Mosey to the hill and bear crawl backwards up the hill.  9 Volt was the only one with any business participating in this stupid activity. 

        Mosey to the tennis courts

        1 Merkin, 10 squats, 10 SSH

        2 Merkins, 10 squats, 10 SSH

        3 Merkins, 10 squats, 10 SSH

        Continue this for 10 minutes with no rest.  Some of the PAX were in the 15 – 16 Merkin range at this point, it was tough.

        Doracides!!!

        Teams of two starting on a tennis court baseline.  PAX#1 will place one tennis ball in five different designated spots on the tennis court while PAX #2 is doing one of the below exercises.  Once PAX#1 puts out the five tennis balls, he will tag out with PAX#2 and continue the count to 100.

        We completed the following exercises:

        100 Kettlebell swings

        100 Decline Merkins  skipped this one because the Q is a sissy. 

        100 Squats

        100 Should press

        100 Curls

        We finished the beatdown by swinging at some tennis balls.  Many moons ago I was the tennis coach at Ocoee Middle School.  The kids loved playing a game called jailbreak which involves hitting tennis balls on one end of the court while others are trying to catch them on the other end.  Anyway, it was fun and a chill way to end the beatdown. 

        COT

        I just shared a reminder to the PAX to remain cognizant during tough times that you are developing and growing in wisdom as you manage through the difficulties.  It is typically the adversity and challenges in life that create the biggest opportunities for growth and development.  The apostle Paul showed tremendous resilience in his life, which led to him penning near 2/3 of the New Testament. 

        Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.  James 1:2-4. 

        Threeskin tagged on to the COT mentioning how wisdom is an action.  Many times, we pray for wisdom and expect God to just make us smart or give us good decision making abilities.  It does not work that way.  When we pray for wisdom, God grants it by putting us in situations (we usually don’t like) that forces us to grow and develop.   Man!  I love COT time! 

        Moleskin

        9 Volt can bear crawl (backwards) faster than most people run (forward).

        Threeskin is going to wear gloves regardless of the activity, but he still likes to know whether or not they are recommended.

        News

        Last chance to give Toys for Tots! Bring to the Lions Den on Monday 12/14/2020. Or check the 3rd F for more info.

        9 Volt and John Doe are on Q Tuesday and Thursday this week at The Battery. Come see us!

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          The Warped Wagon Wheel

          QIC:  Abercrombie

          Date: 10/31/2020

          PAX: Premier (F3 Birmingham), Clothespin, Deep Dish, Three Skin, Coldplay, Mrs Baker, 9Volt, Wuzntme

          AO: The Battery

          Conditions

          Nice crisp 39 degrees, but it didn’t take long for a laundry pile to accumulate in the wagon wheel hub.

          COP

          Mosey around the dog park and up to the pool parking lot.   Conducted the following in cadence along the way.

          SSH

          Forward Fold

          LB arm circles

          4 count Merkins

          SSH

          The Thang

          Grab a coupon and rotate through 8 exercise stations for the remainder of the hour.  I called this the warped wagon wheel.  After each exercise, go to the wheel hub and complete 10 slow and low squats.

          3 murder bunnies up and down the grassy bank

          10 Man Makers (Blockies)

          20 Thrusters

          30 Alpos

          40 Curls

          50 Merkins

          60 SSH

          70 LBCs

          Conducted two minutes of Mary because Motley Crue “Kick Start My Heart” ended two minutes before time was up and it just seemed right. 

          Flutter Kicks – Coldplay

          10 count making fun of Abercrombie – Deep Dish (getting to be a habit, ahem)

          Big Boy Sit-ups – Clothespin

          COT

          One of my greatest passions in life is racing dirt bikes.  This past weekend I completed a race and felt like my performance did not meet expectations.  After dwelling on it all week, I decided that the issue was not speed, it was fitness.  How could that be?    I have only missed one beatdown in the last four weeks and that was just because I didn’t like the Q (WreckedEm)  Just kidding, Iove you WreckedEm!  Ok, seriously, so what’s the problem?   At the beginning of every beatdown the Q will say the words “push yourself”.  I concluded that I have been cheating my self and not pushing myself.  I shared this prior to The Warped Wagon Wheel and challenged everyone to push extra hard this morning.  I can guarantee you that no one cheated themselves today, I was blown away by how hard everyone worked!  Super proud of the PAX!

          The second part of my COT, after the name-o-rama, was short and sweet.  I just basically said “Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior”.  That’s it.  It’s been a long time since I have publicly said those words and I appreciate the group allowing me an opportunity to do so.    

          Moleskin

          Murder bunnies are more difficult than I remembered.

          When you Q a rotating routine, make sure to tell the PAX which direction they need to go.

          The shuffle on my playlist sure does like Bon Jovi.

          This is my first backblast. Hopefully I didn’t mess it up too bad. I get a message “This video is private” when when trying to watch the the tutorial.

          Recent Backblasts