BackBlasts

15 out of 175 pax prefer guns to crayons and gathered to enjoy a crisp sunny day and all at Once felt Alive with an Evenflow of Deep Black Oceans of hard work and figured Why Go around the Porch, the Garden, and the Hub all while wondering if we have any pax named Jeremy when we could just have visited Bob Kraft’s massage parlor for a nice Release?

Pre-ruckers: Fonzie, Scarecrow, Editor, The Mick, Lights Out, Han Solo (pre-pre).

Pre-runners: HHH, Han Solo, Spur. 

PAX: Bert, Kato, Bob Villa, Taxman, Han Solo, Spur, Dr. Freud, HHH, Optimus, PacRat, Scarecrow, Lights Out, The Mick, Fonzie, Editor (QIC)

WARMUP

“Once” (3:51)

Rationale: Warm up needed with pre-ruck temps in the 40s, and I wanted to do a couple things but just “Once”

SSH x10ic

Coupon Good Morning x10ic

Light Pole Lap to buy time for audio issues

Invisible Jump Rope x10ic

Abe Vigoda x10ic

8-ct Body Builder x10ic

Chinooks x10ic

Merkins x10ic

Mtn Climbers x10ic

Coupon Swings x10ic

Squats x10ic

THE THANG

“Even Flow”    (4:53)

Rationale: I wanted this as the theme of the workout as we didn’t want to remain stationary too much, but I wanted something involving balance and rhythm OYO, so until the song ended …

The work: Lt. Dan ascending from 1 OYO until “Even Flow” finished

“Alive” (5:41)

Rationale: Set the tone, face the sun, enjoy a classic jam, and feel “Alive” with a mix of high and low intensity with brief cardio between.

The work: 10-1 Ladder Coupon Curls and Burpees on Dumpster-adjacent hill 

“Black” (5:43)

Rationale: Songs 4 and 5 got flipped on accident, but this song, an all-time favorite power ballad, was one I wanted to march to and really feel and even sing a little. Hence, an active recovery march. I should have done a coupon movement where you swing your coupon to spell the name of the heartbreaker who comes to mind when you hear the song. 

The work: Overhead Coupon Hold March around the church, double apple sauce, with calls for sets of 10 for curls, skull-crushers, chest press, military press, etc. over and over to get to the church wall enclave.

“Why Go” (3:20)

Rationale: Wanted a quick song with a repetitive refrain to squeeze in some important non-running/jumping cardio combined with high-volume exercises.

The work: Mountain Climbers (modify to plank) with hand-release merkins on “Why go” with the background echoes optional. Total of 20 merkins.

“Jeremy” (5:18)

Rationale: Wanted to switch a leg exercise, and Spur had pondered pistol squats for his Glorified G track on Thursday, so I wanted to find a way to use another repetitive song involving guns to squeeze in pistol squats. This song is about a terrible true story of a boy who shot himself in front of his English class, but Vedder also says it was about a kid he knew personally (named Brian) who shot up a room in a school. 

The work: People’s chair with coupon steering wheel. Do one pistol squat as best you can on each leg when the word “Jeremy” is spoken. 

“Oceans” (2:42) and “Porch” (3:30) 

Rationale: Ocean’s 11 is a popular movie, so an 11 ladder made sense. Was hoping people were a little tired and confused by this point so that the upbeat “Porch” with its opening line would rejuvenate us. 

The work: No run component but the ladder was 10 coupon V-ups to 1 Thruster and so forth. 

“Garden” (4:59) and “Deep” (4:18)

Rationale: These songs usually get skipped on the way to “Release”, and I was almost going to skip thinking of something relevant for them, so I just made something with squats so we could get “Deep.” 

The work: Partner up, near shovel flag, modified Dora, one partner runs to light pole, other does Jump Squats with goal of doing 100 per team, followed by 300 curb toe taps per team. 

MARY

“Release” (9:05)

Rationale: Release is a great lie-on-your-6-and-rock jam. I wanted to release the workout but also inject some torture that people would want release from. I love to inject some off-book work into F3 workouts, and this neck routine is something I’ve been doing daily for a month.

Introducing: The Decision-Maker (In hollow body hold, Yes’s, No’s, Maybe’s, wild card ab work)

Decision-Maker x10IC plus 4-ct flutter kicks x10ic

Decision-Maker x10IC plus LBCs x10ic

Decision-Maker x10IC plus Hello Dolly x10ic

Plank 30 seconds

Chilly Jacks x10ic

J-Lo’s x10ic

Decision-Maker x10IC plus LBCs x10ic

Decision-Maker x10ic plus Freddie Mercury x10IC

14-ct Guantanamo

COT

MOLESKIN

This felt good on so many levels, like it was somewhat successful as a gimmick, the music, a nice mix of movements and my own twists on some usuals, not too easy but maybe hard enough, nice to get out in the sun and jam out with the guys on a Saturday, and a much-needed beatdown for all of us who have slunk into our desk chairs a little bit too much with the return of cold weather, school, and football. Huge props to Spur who, since turning 30, has really rocked it. First, he generated this trilogy idea for himself and me and Oilermaker after a summer afternoon listening to the Lithium station on XM satellite radio. He returned to Q’ing this week and then attended the Saturday workout as an actual pax and not an orbiting one and THEN did a huge favor by being my DJ and A/V guy when I botched the music projection aspect of the musical Q. The chef’s kiss move was when he played the finale through his car speakers. It was great to try my first Saturday Q since I’m inconsistent with Saturday attendance and sometimes didn’t feel qualified to be on the same level as frequent Saturday hosts The Mick and HHH. I’ve learned over the years that the way around the “If you can’t do it, don’t Q it” aphorism is to give the pax the opportunity to work themselves to the brink without necessarily killing yourself, a necessary tactic when you are the 14th most athletic guy of the 14 present. (I mean, I don’t see many of you enough, but you are all beasts because of your consistency and drive.) The ladders were often cut off for some of us in the interest of keeping everyone moving, but the stars in the group were able to complete them and hit their numbers, making me feel useful. I hit the burpees early and tried to start with more arms and end with more legs with core sprinkled throughout. I too often make everyone stand in a circle and just do weight lifting with some obligatory runs for honesty’s sake. Thought went into this (some of which I shared here to save time during the exercises), and it was thrilling and fulfilling to share those thoughts, tactics, tips, torture routines and of course the music of the very influential album (worldwide and personally) TEN by Pearl Jam with all my F3 brothers on a glorious fall day.