Author: Dr Tryhard

  • 20th Year 9/11 Memorial

    On this 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack, a handful of non-BRR studs joined YHC for a remembrance Q. Here is how we honored the fallen:

    The THANG:

    Heading off to each new COP, YHC spoke the heroic words of Todd Beamer, Flight 93:  “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!”

    COP #1:

    • Mosey to the grassy lit knoll
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • For 2996 TOTAL 9/11 DEATHS:
    • x2 Burpees 
    • x9 Merkins IC
    • x9 Copperhead Squats IC
    • x6 WWII IC
    • Complete x2 more rounds OYO

    COP #2:

    • Mosey to collect coupons at the stage
    • Mosey down to the Amphitheater 
    • The Two Towers had 110 Flights of Stairs (2,071 Steps)
    • Carrying a coupon (Fireman’s gear weighs at least 45lb), PAX were directed to ascend the the 17 Amphitheater steps 6x, then add x8 more individual steps for a total of 110
    • Return Coupons

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to the Carillon Field
    • DORA for the Service Men & Women who died on 9/11
    • Police x60 – WWII’s (Moving partner lunges across field, runs back)
    • Pentagon x189 – Merkins (Moving partner Broad Jumps across field, runs back)
    • Fire Dept x343 – SSH’s (Moving partner Bear Crawls accross field, runs back)

    COP #4:

    • Long round-about mosey to the bottle of the triangle
    • For the 44 Heroes who bravely crashed Flight 93, the PAX circled up to complete x44 Hand-Release Booyah Merkins, alternating slaps on their neighbors shoulders – it was both exhausting and magical

    COP #5:

    • Bernie/Mosey to the 1st Grass Circle:
    • Citizens of 78 countries perished, so complete x78 Flutter Kicks IC

    Mosey BTTF with 5min for Mary:

    • Pick back up on the 2996 theme, going around the circle, still Burpees x2 followed by each PAX calling an exercise IC for the x9, x9, x6 …etc

    COT:

    • Counterama # 7
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  This morning we remembered and honored the fallen, and spoke of our country, our freedom, and our responsibility in this fallen world. It starts with us – sacrificing sleep to do the hard thing, to grow stronger together, to lock shields for one another and our communities. YHC is incredibly honored to count myself among the F3 brotherhood, and I hold myself to a higher standard because of it. The following two quotes were shared and discussed in COT. YHC, Tryhard

    “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”  President Ronald Reagan

    “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

  • So, what does FORGE stand for?

    And just like that, RVA’s sweaty mistress of humidity has departed, leaving a bedraggled summer PAX lapping up the sweet cool air of freedom. Here follows the tale of eight vets and one FNG, invigorated with the first taste of Autumn, digging deep to overcome the flesh:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • Mosey a couple parking lot loops with moving exercises
    • Circle up for F3 Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC exercises to get blood pumping to all the necessary parts 
    • Donkey Kickoffs to close 5–>20

    COP #2:

    • Mosey another couple lots to end up down at the Tooth Fairy stairs
    • LINDSEY:
    • Dips at the bottom 30–>10
    • Tooth Fairy up
    • Donkey Locks at the top 10–>30
    • Mosey around grassy slope to bottom

    COP #3:

    • Mt CHAPLAIN BEAST:
    • x6 reps at each (upper) hardtop levels en route to the top, x3 stops to the top, and hit the same x3 stops down to the start
    • x36 2-Count Lunges
    • x36 Crunchy Frogs
    • x36 Merkins
    • x36 2-Count Flutters
    • x24 Elbow Slides (OUT OF TIME)

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 9
    • Namerama (welcome Ratchet!)
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Absolutely beautiful morning to be out in the gloom with the finest band of brothers a guy could ask for. Also great to have FNG Chris Edwards “Ratchet” join us. He was at the recent men’s retreat (with myself, Doozy, Greenbow, & Elmer’s), and missed the F3 workouts while there, so he chose to come out today. Among many fine attributes and qualities, Chris is a systems manager at a Nursing Facility, hence the Nurse Ratchet reference. Great to have you with us brother! Also, forgot to share this AM, but Greenbow recently challenged me on whether the FORGE was an acronym for something since it’s all-caps. I admitted the original idea was more about the idea of Forging HIM’s in the fire of the 3 F’s, but then came up with the below. Fancy that! SYITG, YHC, DTH

    F – Free

    O – Open to all men

    R – Rain or Shine

    G – Guys rotate the Q

    E – Ends with COT

  • Heavy on F#3

    A few hardened veterans welcomed another Richmond native to the F3 ranks while attending the Windy Gap men’s retreat this weekend. Here’s how the FNG was shown the ropes:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • F3 Welcome, Explanation, & Disclaimer
    • Warmerama on the BBall court, starting with Suicides then getting stretched out with the usual DTH exercises IC

    COP #2:

    • LINDSEY on the grassy slope:
    • Lunges (single count) at the bottom
    • WWII’s at the top
    • Bear crawl from bottom to top
    • Mosey the the end of the upper field

    COP #3:

    • DORA 1-2-3:
    • x100 Merkins
    • x200 Squats
    • x300 LBC’s 
    • Run across field and back between switching partners

    Mosey Loop BTTF:

    • 5min of Mary

    COT:

    • Counterama # 4
    • Namerama (Welcome ELMER’S!)
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  YHC joined with a few dear brothers to attend the annual Windy Gap men’s retreat in North Carolina. This was YHC’s first time attending, and !WOW!, YHC had no idea how much stress and internalized emotions have been bottled up. But nothing like intimate sharing and prayer among true brothers in Christ to receive a new lease on life. Today’s little workout was the 2nd F3 workout at the retreat, Doozy having led the first one yesterday (with FOUR FNG’s no less!), but our buddy Cal from Mechanicsville was also interested in giving it a try, so YHC put together a simple but effective welcome for him this AM. Cal is in the IT world, loves soccer, and has creative interests in the arts & crafts world, hence “Elmer’s” – welcome brother! Ya’ll can expect to see this fine man posting soon to an AO near you. As always, it was a pleasure and joy to join in something hard with awesome brothers. Let me close with a simple but powerful prayer I learned which I hope will bless you too. SYITG, YHC, DTH

    God I know you love me, and I know I have acted in ways that don’t acknowledge your love for me. Help me to remember how much you love me. Amen! 

  • Tour de Forge

    Four sweaty gloom vets (yes, sweaty before it even began) posted to the Forge for a scenic tour, as follows:

    The THANG:

    WARMERAMA:

    • Mosey down South Coleman to the culdesac for a well rounded DTH full body warmerama IC

    THE TOUR:

    • Circuit the entire AO, stopping at every light post to complete called reps
    • The bottom: Alternate x10 Merkins with x10 Squats
    • (GARBAGE PLATE was kind enough join us at this point having already toured the entire AO looking for us)
    • The Hill: Bernie up the hill stopping for x10 WWII alternated with x10 Mtn Climbers
    • The Parking Lot: x5 Burpees alternated with x10 Flutters (2-ct)
    • Front of HS: x10 Ball Dippers (2-ct) alternated with x10 Am.Ham’s (2-ct)
    • Front of MS: x10 DR.W’s alternated with x10 ?can’t recall
    • The Far Side: x10 Jump Squats alternated with x10 Merkins
    • The Back Stretch: x20 LBC’s alternated w x20 SSH’s

    Mosey BTTF:

    • En route, alternate x10 Dry Docks with x10 Monkey Humpers

    COT:

    • Counterama # 4
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • LAST CALL took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Well, 0530 is definitely getting a lot darker these days, but the 1000% humidity hasn’t budged. Good to have a few fine souls to share the sweat fest with. YHC is honored as always to call you brothers. SYITG, YHC, Tryhard

  • Benjamin Franklin Ménage a Dora

    A sleek cinco honorable hombres joined Tryhard to try something new-ish. Chisel (back in town) put a request in for chest work, so here’s how it went down:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • Form up on the BBall court for a usual DTH Warmerama called IC

    COP #2:

    • Mosey to the lush field and partner up for x3 rounds of PLT’s x25 each

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to the Pavilion for a Benjamin Franklin Menage a Dora:
    • x100 Reps per Round, x5 Rounds, different partner each round
    • x100 Derkins
    • x100 Lunges (2-ct)
    • x100 Alternate CNMerkins with Diamond Merkins
    • x100 Hallelujah Flutters (2-ct)
    • x100 Alternate Werkins with Ranger Merkins
    • Partner runs width of Field and back

    COP #4:

    • GrabAss – Q calls a name, PAX chase the rabbit, first hound to slap the rabbit calls x20 reps of an exercise
    • Complete x6 rounds around AO BTTF

    COT:

    • Counterama #6
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS: Awesome work this morning gents, and welcome back CHISEL! It’s also been a while since Cooper has posted and he wanted YHC to share that he had a great time, but that LastCall made him a little uncomfortable with the prolonged rough patting… 😕 SYITG, YHC, DTH

  • Fat Busters Ride the Snake!

    The choking predawn jungle humidity of WaThoHuk cloaked four Jimmy Tango acolytes with shaking beads of sweat as the PAX embarked on another Meth-fueled journey to Bust the Fat for good. See video for context…

    https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/jimmy-tangos-fat-busters/2861295

    WARMERAMA: Four laps around the bus loop with x10 stretch reps IC after each lap

    THE THANG, AKA “Ride the Snake”:

    • Run to the neighborhood, with interval stops every 50-100 yards, completing increasing increments of variable exercises at each stop… 
    • x5 Body Builder Burpees IC
    • Run
    • x10 Opus Walkout Merkins IC
    • Run
    • x15 WWII
    • Run
    • ETC ETC, for a total of 20 stops, riding the neighborhood snake of fat busting glory, then all the way BTTF to conclude with x100 High Knees

    COT:

    • Counterama #4
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • PIGSKIN took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  A mighty fine war party of WaThoHuk warriors bit the head off the snake today. HOW FUNNY is that old SNL skit! Anyway, YHC enjoyed wonderful conversation and camaraderie with Snuff on our journey to and from the Far North. And Pigskin gets TRIPLE RESPECT in my humble opinion. That man is a beast! Thx for letting me lead ya’ll. Peace, DTH

  • “Everybody PLANK!”

    Veteran 2.0’s dragged their Dad’s from cozy fartsacks for a day in the park. Here’s how the animals got covered in fresh cut grass: 

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • Oreo pointed South, and the PAX moseyed to a grassy spot to warm up with a few standard IC reps 
    • Each 2.0 assisted by adding in some creative ideas, Somersaults being the most odd

    COP #2:

    • Disclaimer was provided each Dad would take a lead with the Potato, and Snuff was first to lay hands gently on the tepid earth fruit
    • Triple Check: LBC’s, Planks, and Run

    COP #3:

    • Snuff called a mosey to the Amphitheater for a Froggy Triple Check
    • P1 – Frog hops x4 steps (timer)
    • P2 – Froggy Humpers
    • P3 – Crunchy Frogs

    COP #4:

    • Potato was tossed to Splinter who organized Dad/2.0 teams for 2-3 rounds of running the Amphitheater loop while partner stayed in the bottom for exercise reps
    • YHC’s recollection of what exactly we did is getting fuzzy at this point since YHC was semi-successfully wrangling the two tiny 2.0’s to participate in some form/fashion

    COP #5:

    • Ascending the Amphitheater steps, each team rotated x5 dips with x3 step-ups on each step to the top
    • Then Splinter led the troop to the grass circle where ANIMALS was called, mostly zoo or aquarium types, and the PAX mimicked their movements across the space repeatedly…getting covered in freshly cut grass

    COP #6:

    • YHC believe’s Handshake took the reigns at this point with a mosey back to the top step of the Amphitheater 
    • Descend with alternated WWII & Merkin, x1 rep each step going down
    • YHC vaguely recalls something else being done in the pit before most folks were ready to call it quits

    Mosey BTTF for a Brief 3min of Mary by YHC, then circle up for COT:

    • Counterama # 9
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Already exhausted from the Dogpile Q, and with absolutely nothing planned for Puppypile, YHC was eternally grateful to Snuff, Splinter, and Handshake for their masterful potato handling. Their older boys did a phenomenal job leading the way, while YHC’s mini-2.0’s provided the entertainment. Oreo at one point grabbed an invisible clipboard and attempted a Q-coup to command the PAX from stage in what (I’m sure) would have been a brutal beatdown…but of course the young warrior has still much to learn… Pleasure to have the older 2.0’s back in the Gloom after a pandemic hiatus, and hope we’ll get the full complement of RVA’s 2.0’s for the big 9/11 Dopgpile/Puppypile combo. Until then, YHC, Tryhard

  • Sweat Soup

    The sloppy gloom of Dogpile welcomed 16 HIM vets to cut water weight with the latest edition of Tryhard Or Die Tryin! According to the groggy ?homeless couple nestled in their sleeping bags on the amphitheater stage, who we rudely awoke with our first COP, here’s how these fine men carved their names into the F3RVA wall of fame:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • Mosey to the Amphitheater
    • Variable IC warmerama with interval ascents – either box jumps or bear crawl up the steps

    COP #2:

    • Mosey around to the Bowl
    • LINDSEY:
    • Dips 10/15/20/25/30
    • Merkins 30/25/20/15/10
    • Run between sides
    • Plankorama for the SIX

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to a flat grassy spot
    • CAPTAIN THOR:
    • WWII & Am.Ham’s, escalating from a 1:4 ratio up to 10:40

    COP #4:

    • Mosey to collect Coupons and circle up in the soft wet grass
    • Dealer’s Choice Round Robin to exercise some PAX for near-future CQ’s
    • Going around the circle, each PAX took a turn calling x10 reps IC of a block exercise – there was amazing variety in both exercises as well as ways to count cadence… 
    • Return blocks

    COP #5:

    • Mosey to the grass circle near the amphitheater
    • Partner up for Carousel Burpees 
    • Alternate carousel (plank walks) around circle with other guy doing x5 burpees

    Mosey BTTF for 3min of Mary

    COT:

    • Counterama # 16
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS: Having never had a legit audience for an F3 COP #1, YHC was torn between pride and caution when we discovered two older folks happily snoozing in their fartsacks on the amphitheater stage. Whether it was a hopeful deterrent to the predawn cadence or just a first morning habit, the man lighting up a cigarette while cooly watching our performance certainly lended an air of drama. It was unusual to say the least. Anyway, following a recent pattern for Tryhard Q’s, today’s was also entirely unplanned. The PAX got their share of shoulder and ab work, and the diamond in the rough today was a little Cadence practice for the PAX calling 16 different coupon exercises. What variety! In the most part, the PAX would benefit from Upchuck’s Q school (details TBD), but generally everyone did a great job!!! And look out for Mr Roger’s VQ – he’s already working on a shovel flag for the big day! Proud to serve alongside such fine men. SYITG, YHC, DTH

  • Forward Straddle Hops

    The moist and misty gloom of the Forge welcomed four HIM’s to sharpen their steel. Impromptu was the name of the game, and audibles made their appearance at least twice. Here’s how:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • F3 Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Moseycise with about a dozen mini (x12 IC) Pearls around the parking lot loops off Campbell

    COP #2:

    • Mosey back up to the small loop in front of the Middle school
    • DORA was called and the PAX were asked to choose some exercises… then, as only can be expected for weak suggestions, Burpees were called…ugh
    • x100 Burpees
    • x200 Flutters (2-ct)
    • x300 LBC’s
    • Moving partner circuits the loop, alternating between “Forward Straddle Hops” (think of a moving SSH) and BearCrawl …this sucked

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to the Amphitheater 
    • Quadruple Check:
    • P1 Donkey Kicks
    • P2 Freddie M’s
    • P3 Box Jumps steps
    • P4 Dips up on the picnic table
    • PAX completed the circuit x4 times

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 4
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:   Coming off an awesome week of vaca, YHC’s fartsack had some extra gravitational pull this morning. But that’s one of the great things about signing up to Q – no excuses! YHC had burpees in mind for the Quadruple Check but (regretfully) had to implement them in the Dora, which really sucked. You wouldn’t think it, but traveling SSH’s are quite challenging. GP determined that doing it Bernie-style worked best while Doozy preferred a Side-hopping SSH. Pretty sure Chaplain just powered through broad jump style with a little arm flapping thrown in the mix. Doozy was kind enough to encourage YHC not to give up, and Garbage Plate carried YHC’s struggling butt across the finish line. Thx fellas. SYITG, YHC, Tryhard

  • Acadia with 2.0 Coupons

    YHC has spent a glorious 5 days with the M + 2.0’s + brother John (AKA “Flint”) on Mount Desert Island (Maine), enjoying all that Acadia has to offer. Among many hiking/boating/swimming/fishing adventures, today’s rigorous climb to the summit of St Sauveur Mtn (679’), carrying one or both 2.0 “coupons” was quite the workout worthy of a backblast. The frequent near-vertical rock scrambles made the going a bit hairy, but YHC had the occasional breather picking blueberries along the way, and the views of Somes Sound were breathtaking. The descent was killer on the quads, and we were all exhausted when we reached the bottom. Of course, since we found ourselves about a mile from where we parked, YHC volunteered to complete the workout with a sprint to retrieve the vehicle and maintained a sub-7-min pace on the mile. This was exactly the vaca YHC has been aching for – thanks be to God. SYITG, YHC, Tryhard