YHC was inspired by the classic Christmas movie “Die Hard” when compiling today’s workout. Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie? Of course it is. It takes place on Christmas Eve and you try working burpees and merkins into “It’s a Wonderful Life”. 7 PAX showed up for EC and 16 for the ME on a rainy but warm morning.
Warm Up
SSH x 25
Little Baby Arm Circles x 10, then reverse it
Willie Mays Hays x 10
Imperial walkers x 20
Mountain Climbers x 20
Slow Merkins x 10
Fellowship jog down the hill
A cop drove through the parking lot but sadly, YHC did not have a Twinkie or a dead body to drop on the car to replicate a scene in “Die Hard”.
The Thang
2018 is Die Hard’s 30th anniversary. Die Hard was released in 1988 and Bruce Willis spends much of the movie running and avoiding obstacles. A perfect lead-in to the first exercise.
The PAX run one lap around Jordan, stopping at each corner and performing 30 exercises. Plank it out until all PAX arrive and exercise together.
– 30 Merkins
– 30 World War II
– 30 Air Squats
– 30 Bobby Hurleys
“Die Hard” was based on a book – “Nothing Lasts Forever”, which was the second in a series of detective books. The first book in the series was “The Detective”, which was made into a 1968 movie starring Frank Sinatra (interesting side note, Sinatra was offered the role of “Dirty Harry” before Clint Eastwood). Sinatra’s contract stipulated that he had the right of first refusal for any sequels. So the studio was contractually obligated to offer the Bruce Willis role to Sinatra. Since Sinatra was 73 years old at the time, Sinatra and the studio agreed it was better for someone else to play the part. YHC thought 73 was a good number for dips and derkins
Alternating dips and derkins:
Dips x20
Derkins x 20
Dips x 20
Derkins x13
Total Count = 73
Die Hard takes place in a skyscraper. Terrorists (who turn out to be robbers) seize control of the building and threaten to blow it up. So naturally, our next workout will feature BOMBS (Burpees, Overhead Claps, Merkins, Big Boy Sit Ups and Squats)
Partner Up
Partner 1 runs around the loop and back while Partner 2 does the exercise. Everyone does one set of each exercise, switching exercise when partner returns
– Burpees
– Overhead Clap
– Merkins
– Big Boy Sit Ups – substituted World War IIs
– Squats
The PAX were tired, but ready for one more …
Bruce Willis was chosen to play John McClain (the lead in “Die Hard”) after several better known (at the time) action stars turned down the role, including Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The only one of these actors that has an F3 exercise named after him is the Italian Stallion so let’s do some Rocky Balboas
Boucher led the count
– Rocky Balboas (in cadence) x 30
Rinse and Repeat
Mary
Russian Hammer x 25
Freddy Mercury x 20
Merkin Ring of Fire x 5 (5 total movies in the “Die Hard” series.)
The PAX felt like this at the conclusion:
Interesting fact – Alan Rickman – Hans Gruber – did his own stunt when his character dies at the end of the movie. A stunt man held his hand and was supposed to release him on the count of 3 for a 30 foot drop. The stunt man dropped him on the count of 1, so the actor’s look on his way down is completely authentic.
