Thanksgiving in the Badlands: No Turkeys Here

Eleven “Is this all you’ve got, Mother Nature?” Badlanders circled around the flag today at Davis Park for a rainy Thanksgiving fitness feast.  Gracias to McDreamy for the help with the coupons!

WARM UP

• Brocrastination: Michael Phelps, toy soldier, SSH, IC x 10 – 15. Would’ve done a couple of more exercises, but had some unexpected burpees pop up (literally and figuratively – see below).
• Burpees: Two sets of 10, one each to celebrate the late arrivals of Wahoo and McDreamy, the latter of whom was technically on site, delivering coupons, but technically late.  Plus, we needed to get warm anyway!

Time’s a’wasting, so let’s get after it…

THE THANG

• Turkey Trot. Over the hills and through the wood, to Jessica Field we go! Mosey; high knees, kick your hips, carioca. YHC is feeling playful, so let’s follow-the-leader bear crawl and crab walk around the playground. Then double time to Jessica Field.

Grab a sandbag!

• The Appetizer: The Dip. Any respectable Thanksgiving feast starts with an appetizer, and as far as appetizers go, YHC loves a good dip.  So let’s break out the equalizer bars! While one Badlander dips, AMRAP, the circled PAX counts his dips while doing one prisoner squat – sandbag overhead – with every dip. Modify prisoner squat as needed.  Rotate until each Badlander has dipped.

 

• The Casser-Row. At YHC’s house, Thanksgiving brings the traditional green bean casserole, so our fitness feast includes the – wait for it – Casser-Row!  (Blank looks for the Pax on this world-class pun. YHC is obviously playing three-dimensional chess at a whole different lev – okay, it was awful.)  Using the equalizer bars, one Badlander assumes the position under the bars to row, AMRAP, putting their feet up on a pile of sandbags to increase said row’s intensity.  The circled PAX holds sandbags and lunges in unison with each row, counting each one off. Switch legs when each rower changes out.

 

Nice leg workout by the Pax – the focus was on the Badlander on the apparatus, but this was really about working the foundation, with each Badlander racking up ~ 200 weighted squats and more than 100 weighted lunges on each leg. Great teamwork with some good encouragement to drive for that “one more” rep of dips and rows. Bonus points to McDreamy and Outhouse for one-upping each other.

 

• Wall work: Some mumble chatter about the lack of a Thanksgiving theme name for this; fair enough, YCH stands chastened. Half of the Pax is on the wall, performing the following exercises, the other is holding a leg lift, pulsing, with the sandbag on his feet, or modifying to LBCs with the sandbag gently nuzzled on their chests. Flapjack after each wall exercise. Wall exercises:
  • Inverted rockettes: balls to the wall, then alternate kicking a leg out (30 seconds)
  • Wall sit (1 min)
  • Peter Parkers (30 seconds) – salute to Bada-Bing for modifying into wall mountain climbers – nice!

 

• The Mayflower: Partner up and move to bleachers. Put your partner’s sandbag on his back, he starts doing merkins. Then you crank out split-leg squats with one leg on the first bleacher row. Switch positions when your partner can’t do more merkins. What’s this combo have to do with the Mayflower?  YHC is reaching here (I mean, really reaching), but here it is: Each duo combines for a total of 102 merkins, one merkin for each pilgrim on the Mayflower.  Da ‘House seemed to appreciate the themed name, which YHC pulled out of his wazoo (not to be confused with Wahoo).

 

• Indian Run back to the flag. Two rotations through, nice.  Wahoo gliding along with the running economy of a young Alberto Salazar.

 

COT / BOM

Prayer requests:  For all those traveling; those serving our country; McDreamy’s wife and her aunt, at her aunt’s time of passage; and clarity of focus for McD as he studies for an upcoming exam.  And for the guys we know who really need this – help them get off the couch!

 

Closing prayer: Today we’ll give thanks for what we have.  YHC wanted to share a prayer he came across that puts a twist on this, that gives thanks for what we don’t have.  The rain destroyed the YHC’s weinke, containing said prayer, so he winged it.  Here’s the proper version:

Thank you, God, for unanswered prayer. It reminds me that You know what’s best for me.

 

Thank you, God, for the uncertainties I’ve experienced. They have deepened my trust in You.

 

Thank you, God, for those people in my life whom you have called home to be with you. Their absence from this earth keeps my heart longing for heaven.

 

And thank You, Father, that You know me, You hear me, and You see my tears. Remind me through difficult times that You are God, You are on the throne, and You are eternally good.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, brothers.