Cinco de Square-O Fiesta

11 pax congregated in the pleasant gloom to kick off Cinco de Mayo properly with some 45-lb. weight plates.  Five post-warmup exercise clusters, almost all with 5 or 5^2 reps.

Conditions: Surprisingly cool, low humidity, felt like early spring again.  We’ll take it while we can!

Warmup:

• 20 x Burpees for Q (penalty for forgetting the shovel flag at Anthill) while pax flutter kick.  T-claps to OTC for joining YHC in solidarity.
• 25 x Don Quixote
• 25 x Merkins
• 25 x LBAC
• Merkin Rolls on Q’s command
• 25 x Ballerinas

The Thang:

Mosey to the racquetball court with two plates, fortunately no overnight guests this morning.

• Split in two groups for People’s Chair.  5x Pass the Plate down the line and back.  Repeato x 2

Mosey back to field for cozy Circle of Pain.

• Pax on 6 holding 6″, two plates traveling the circle w/ 5 chest presses per pax.  5 rounds.

Mosey to the baseline.

• 4-man team 10-min. AMRAP:
  • Lion King w/ weight plate (squat to overhead press)
  • Groiners
  • Psycho Burpees (knees to chest on jump)
  • Run to far sidewalk and back, rotate when runner returns.

Mosey to pavilion.

• La La Leggy (IC):
  • 10 x Lunges
  • 10 x Squats
  • 10 x Drop Lunges
  • 10 x Squat Jumps
  • 10 x Calf Raises

Back to the baseline w/ 3 minutes left on the clock.

• All you got (AYG) 1-way sprints across field on Q’s command.  Think we did 6 sprints?

YHC brought his heavy things and his A-game, and the Jax Pax rose to the challenge as usual.  Well done today gentlemen, and thanks for the honor of getting to lead you in some movin’ and groovin’.

Devo – Don’t Feed the Lion: 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.
1 Peter 5:8‭-‬9 NLT

After sitting on it for the last few Q’s, YHC finally worked up the cojones to challenge the pax in their fight against lust, particularly in the area of pornography.  I believe porn is responsible for more damaged lives and struggling or broken marriages than just about any other factor, especially in today’s environment where it’s never more than 2-3 clicks or taps away.  I was first exposed to porn in my early teens, and while God has given me a lot of victory and I’ve seen growth, the opportunities and temptation to lust are present every day.  We all want to be men of integrity and effective leaders, husbands, fathers and friends, but I believe Satan is very real, that he hates us and wants to destroy us, and that lust is one of the most effective weapons in his arsenal that he uses to derail men in particular.

Lust and porn use breeds shame, and shame snowballs on itself and tells you to withdraw from community.  Lust festers and grows in the darkness, but its power shrivels in the light.  If you’re in stuck in a rut of porn use or have been feeding the lion in other ways, first know that you’re not alone.  There is hope for change, but you need the support of brothers around you and to be willing to bring your struggle into the light where it can be addressed.  That’s a big hurdle for me, but the more open I am about my struggle, the less power shame has over me, and hopefully others can feel the freedom to be vulnerable and transparent with their own struggles.

Announcements:

• All upcoming CSAUP events are now nicely organized in a spreadsheet, courtesy of Jumanji.  If you see an event you’re interested in, volunteer to be the event Q!  You can find the spreadsheet here: https://goo.gl/lOl7Y2
• F3 Orlando launch planning is underway!  Contact Launch Q Big Bird for details, and start spreading the word!