Author: Heist

  • Start improvement with yourself.

    Two of F3 RVAs finest leaders and a small band of Pax from the Alamo and Satan’s Hill joined up for a Heist Q at Timberwolf.

    Under the cloudy yet moonlit sky, the PAX moseyed to the track, setting the stage for the 2024 Resolution Revolution. We started things off with 20 side straddle hops (don’t we always?), followed by:
    • Arm Circles
    • Michael Phelps
    • LBCs (Little Baby Crunches)
    • Alabama Prom Dates
    • World’s Best Stretch1

    1. In some circles this refers to someone’s Mom ↩︎

    Resolution Circuit: 4 laps around the track. Each lap I asked the guys to think about how you can improve yourself as an individual, a husband*, as a father and as friend to the Pax and your community over 2024.

    * Originally, I said, “think how you can make your wife better.” Quickly realized this might be a disaster if we inform an M how we can make them better. Much mumble chatter ensued.

    The PAX embraced the challenge. Each quarter mile we knocked out various exercises, including bleacher dips, incline merkins, incline diamond merkins, and incline werkins. We knocked out a minute plank and topped things off with five burpees.

    Pyramid sets: Moseyed behind the school under a street lamp for a pyramid circuit: 10 squats/15 double count mountain climbers/20 LBCs/15 mountain climbers and 10 squats. Repeated 4 more times, dropping each circuit by 1/5 of the first number. Ask a friend if you are confused.

    Teamwork: The camaraderie among the PAX reached new heights during the team challenge. Partnering up, we tackled a combined total of 50 air squats, 150 LBCs and 300 SSH. Each partner had to run 75 yards up hill and back between exercises. Nancy and Rosie finished first.

    Mosey back to the flag for about five minutes of stretching. Time.

    Announcements:

    1. Sign up for GrowRuck this May. FYI – you can get a loaner ruck to train with. See Rosie.
    2. New Year’s day convergence at No Toll. 7 a.m.
    3. The Murph is back in 2024 at Twin Team. I have committed myself to bringing back Twin Team this year.

    Closing thoughts: As I took us out in prayer and thought about how I can improve myself as an individual, husband, father, etc., I couldn’t help but think about the two guys (Rosie and Nancy) standing amongst us in the ball of man. To me, these are two real deal HIMs who have been in the gloom well over a decade combined.

    Both have made me better. Nancy encouraged me to step up last year and do my first Q and to lead by example. Rosie has pushed me to run more and helped to open my eyes to the real point of a CSAUP, which has very little to do with yourself, but your bond with the Pax.

    Guys like this make us better as individuals, which makes us better husbands, fathers and leaders. I know others probably have similar stories and there are certainly many great F3 leaders. All appreciated. Keep it coming.

  • Pre-DoC Alamo long mosey.

    Did a 4 mile run with Wildcat around the neighborhood yesterday and felt a little sore from the extra push. When I got backup Q duty last night I did a little grinch smile. When you Q, you call the shots!

    Thang: 5:30 a.m. Longest warmup jog ever from the clubhouse to the new section of Rountrey….nothing but a barren wasteland of gravel and empty lots. I gave the F3 spiel and double checked with Boberry and Statefarm…btw, working on my F3 flag, so far Harbor Freight seems to be the winner with my $9.99 shovel and $3.99 flag!

    I digress…did some various stretches and carried on down Bellstone. Stopped by Blacktop’s house…Pax owed 10 penalty burpees because he said he was going to come out today.

    Mosey on around the trails behind Swoop’s house. Dodged various muddy puddles. Found a dry spot and did 20x copperhead squats and a 2 minute plank. Popped out on Endstone Trail and headed up the hill.

    • Made up exercise #1 at Endstone Culdesac: S.A.N.T.A.
      • S: SSH (30x)
      • A: APD (30x)
      • N: No cheat merkin (20x)
      • T: “Torso Twist” aka american hammers (20x)
      • A: A Burpee
    • Kicked off the next one to RVa’s one and only Statefarm in Rankin CT for G.R.I.N.C.H.
      • G: Getups(10x) these sucked.
      • R and I: Rows and Incline Merkins. Partner exercise where ankles held for rows and buddy does Merkins. I think the neighbors may have callef the police as it looked illegal.
      • N: No cheat squats (20x)
      • C: Crunchy Frogs (20x)
      • H: Hury up to Alamo….sprint

    Back to Alamo for some stretches. Maybe even some partner stretches, but what happens at the Alamo stays at the Alamo.

    Announcements:

    1. Rosie 12 DOC tmw
    2. Vagabond’s last stand at Satan’s Hill on 1/5/24
    3. Bring shoes tmw for donation to DTH.

    Prayers:

    Keep praying for little Liv and her continued healing. Pray for Wildcat. He has shoulder surgery Wednesday a.m. to clean up old football injuries. Pray for recovery for Swoop’s buddy who is in a medically induced coma in Brazil after a hang gliding accident.

    One last thing men. Put your damn cell phone down and spend good quality time with your family this Christmas. Time with our loved ones is precious. Enjoy it!

    Heist out.

  • Be Thankful and Grateful.

    In the brisk, pre-rain chill, we kicked off with a thorough warm-up, including dynamic stretches. Farmer carrying kettlebells, we tackled single-leg curb Alabama prom dates for hamstring focus, followed by sumo squats and lunges. Transitioning to the next spot, we engaged in a core-intensive sequence: 1-minute planks, LBCs, side planks, heels to heaven, and Freddie Mercury, capped off with another minute of regular plank. The mosey back featured two sets of Murican/kettlebell pull-throughs, single-arm shoulder presses, and kettlebell swings. A reflective cooldown of stretching ensued, accompanied by a gratitude-sharing session. As the cold hinted at imminent rain, Three Doors Down led us in prayer, wrapping up a challenging yet fulfilling workout.

    Not super intense today, but good overall body pump.

    Other:

    Great seeing Rudy 2x days in a row. Good luck tonight.

    Keep on Cookie to get on that Q sheet. Your calf seems fine to me.

  • Come on bro. Ain’t that cold!

    In the heart of a bitter winter, four intrepid friends, Heist, Oyster, Swoop, and Bullseye, embarked on a daring adventure. They were known in their close-knit community for their love of fitness and their unwavering commitment to their health.

    The frost-covered wilderness became their playground as they set out each morning to push their limits. Heist, the strategist of the group, always had a plan. Oyster, the ever-optimistic, provided the motivation. Swoop, with his agility, led the way, and Bullseye, a precision seeker, measured their progress.

    They braved the icy winds and frosty trails, facing challenging terrains that tested their mettle. Their breath formed clouds in the frigid air, but their spirits burned hot with determination.

    One day, as they ventured deeper into the wilderness, they stumbled upon an abandoned cabin. It became their base camp, offering shelter and a sense of camaraderie, as they spent nights by the warm crackling fire, sharing stories of their daring expeditions.

    Their workouts intensified with every passing day. Heist’s plans grew more ambitious, Oyster’s optimism shone brighter, Swoop’s agility soared to new heights, and Bullseye’s precision was unmatched. Together, they pushed their limits, stronger than they’d ever been.

    As winter turned to spring, they realized that their journey wasn’t just about physical strength. It was about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the resilience of the human spirit, and the unwavering pursuit of their dreams.

    In the end, their story became a legend in their community, inspiring others to brave the cold and wilderness, not just for fitness but for the indomitable spirit that burned within them.

    Thanks chat GPT. Seriously, here is how it went down:

    1. Mosey through parking lot to base of the hill near bus loop. 
    2. Circle up – Welcome. Disclaimer.
    3. Warmorama: SSH/UkS/CHS/Deadman hang/merks/LBCs

    The Thang:

    1. 11s on the hill: Exercises ”rocky squat” and LBCs. Sprint to top, rocky squat (squat + jab/jab = 1), back to bottom. Started 10:1 squat to LBC, finished 1:10 squat to LBC. 20 count
    2. To the poles!: 10 light poles. 1:2:3 ratio of Burpees/Mountain Climbers/Squats. Jog between poles. Begin at Pole 1 and build up reps to Pole 5, back down reps to pole 10. Example: Pole 1 (1/2/3)…Pole 4 (4/8/12)…Pole 5 (5/10/15)…Pole 6 (4/8/12)…Pole 10 (1/2/3). Al Gore for six. 20 count.
    3. Bear crawl booyahs: Mosey to tennis courts. Grab partner. Face partner along width of tennis court. Perform 5x SSH. Bear crawl accross the court and complete 5x rep booyah (1 rep is 2 pushups with a hand slap with partner). Recover and bear crawl back to line perform. Repeato working down to 4x/3x/2x/1x
    4. Quad check: Start in the tennis courts. A-man: shoulder taps, B-man: heals to heaven, C-man: Plank, D-man: sprint to brick wall opposite cargo container (about 60 yards there and back).
    5. Killtime mosey: Jog back behind school. Stopped a three lampposts starting with 5 curb merkins, added mountain climbers, then squats. 
    6. Little bit of broga at the flag.  

    Numbers/Names

    Announcements: Ruck for food and TYAs famous Thanksgiving Q coming this month.

    Prayers:

    1. Hermes and his upcoming bowel surgery next week. 
    2. Nancy Lopez and his knee
    3. Pray the family of a pastor in Mechanicsville that passed at 45 recently. 
    4. Pray for people battling illness. 
    5. Pray for those less fortunate in our community during this time of year. 

  • Take 2 – no humidity

    4 runners rocked a previously carved route through Salisbury.

    https://onthegomap.com/s/cogor4mc

    No humidity today. Much more pleasant than September when we did this before. Great push by all.

  • Bait not taken.

    Handshake said he was fart sacking this morning and there would be no takeover of the Alamo. My gut told me it was a cover story to fool the good men of the Alamo. Buffalo Bill even captured one of their scouts this morning “EF Hutton.” However, even after several rounds of interrogation we knew Hutton’s claims of visiting his girlfriend around the corner were true. No takeover today. Long live the Alamo.

    Warmorama: Mosey to top of modern home alley for: SSH, stretching, merkins, etc.

    Explained we would be doing:

    B.L.I.M.P.S.

    B – burpees 5x
    L – lunges 10x (kodiak count)
    I – imperial walkers 15x (single count – YHC made this way too easy)
    M – merkins 20x
    P – plank jacks 25x
    S – squats 30x

    And so we did them at:

    1. Alvecote Terrace
    2. Waverton Turn
    3. Endstone Trail/Waverton
    4. Endstone Trail/Port Savage

    Oh yea. Indigenous Person run between each set. Even up Endstone Trail hill.

    Brocode back to Alamo. Partner up for: B.O.M.B.S.
    Similar to Dora 1-2-3 but more exercises, B.O.M.B.S. consisted of Burpees (25x), Overhead Press (50x), Merkins (75x), Big Boy Sit-ups(100x), and Squats (125x). PAX 1 does exercise while PAX 2 runs from tennis court to dumpster and back. Continue alternating until all exercises are complete. 

    A little stretching for 2 min. Then time.

    COT:

    1. Family get together at Rockwood park this Sunday 9/15 from 4 to 6 pm. See DTH/Slack for details.
    2. Sober October is going on. Not too late to jump in. I am reevaluating my relationship with booze and might be done for good. I am at least going through dry January.
    3. Good news! Little Liv is back home and does not need any more treatments. Huge blessing. She can go to daycare, roll around with other kiddos, etc. It’s a big deal. So happy for Yeehaw and his family.
    4. Keep praying for Wildcat and his battle to defeat cancer. We need him out there whooping our butts in shape and making us better Pax
    5. Prayers for people of Israel.

    Wildcat took us out in prayer.

  • Who you gonna call?!

    Rules are rules: 1 car + 3 + dudes + different nano region = Q takeover. 

    Mosey to ‘Murica blacktop for warmorama:

    1. SSH
    2. Deadman hang
    3. Ukrainian Soldiers 
    4. LBCs
    5. Scorpion Stretch
    6. Merkins
    7. Stretch 30 seconds OYO

    The thang: 

    1. TYAs Thanksgiving 11s: 11s on the field using the 10 big oak trees along Cary. Start with 10 squats on westside of field, run to first tree for 1 merkin, run back. Repeat, but keep adding merkins and dropping squats, moving to the next furthest tree. Finish with 10 merkins on east side of the field and return back. 
    2. Indigenous person run: Mosey around Mary because Thanksgiving is coming. Stop back at ‘Murica 
    3. Triple Check: Dips/Pullups/Run to trash can. Might need to work on getting 5 guys on 3 pullup bars. 
    4. New activity for 45 MoM: Maporama! Choose a state and seal your fate:
      • Massachusetts: 15 second Yankee aggressor plank (left hand down, right hand behind back)
      • Virginia: 15 second Southern Gentleman plank (right hand down, left hand behind back)
      • Alabama: 20 APDs
      • Florida: 20 Pickle Pounders
      • Texas: 15 No cheat Merkins
      • California: 40 monkey humpers
      • Took a detour to Korea: 10 kimchi twists 
      • Maryland: 15 crab cakes
      • Michigan: 10 American Hammers
      • Alaska – Start at Alaska and polar bear walk around the US (5 bear crawls + merkin) back to Alaska.

    BTTF – 20 second stretch 

    Numbers/Names. 

    Moleskin: I have posted in a few different areas now outside of RVA (Boston, Fort Thomas KY and Cincy). Exercises and sayings are broadly the same. Some are newer than others (Boston and FT Thomas) and feel a bit “F3 HQ. copy and paste”. One thing about RVA stands out, the deep roots and fraternal bond of the OG Pax. Thank you for building it.



  • wooooooo! Full moon for the Pax

    Seven man wolfpax hit Timberwolf this morning for a nice and easy workout. Here is how it went down:

    Warmup: Jog from flag back to the roundabout to check out the epic full moon this morning. Really stunning sight right as you came around the roundabout this AM. Mosey back to bus loop area for various stretches.

    Thang: Two triple checks. One leg focused (squats and lunges). Next ab focused (flutters and LBCs. Mosey to tennis courts and did 5 merkins at each corner on right side and dry dock down left side.

    10 minutes reserved for Mudslide Broga.

    No, certainly didn’t kill it today. Body needs a light day every now and then.

    Announcements:

    1. Lunch tmw at Rusty Taco
    2. Yeehaw VQ on 10/31 at Alamo.

    Prayers:

    1. Boberry’s Dad has some medical issues. Pray for healing and strength for his mother who is caring for Dad.
    2. OC’s son tore his ACL. Poor guy has gone through several painful surgeries related to hip and burns. Pray for quick recovery.
    3. Little Liv. Keep praying for her healing and for her to thrive.
    4. Pray for Wildcat. He has important pet scans coming up 10/3. Pray for continued strength and kicking cancer in the teeth.

    Thanks for letting me lead guys.

  • Card Deck and Rock Workout: AI thanks.

    Warm-up:
    We began the morning with a rigorous stretching routine and a brisk jog around the park. Everyone was eager and focused on the challenging workout ahead.

    Card Deck Challenge:
    The card deck workout was the main event, and it pushed us to our limits. Here were the assigned exercises for each suit:

    • Hearts: Little Baby Crunches (LBCs)
    • Diamonds: Merkins
    • Clubs: Squat Jumps
    • Spades: Double Count Mountain Climber

    Reps based on number on card. Face cards were 12/11/10 (K/Q/J). A few special cards. Ace equals any exercise choice of the person who pulled. Joker everyone runs up hill and back.

    Split into two groups. Each gets a deck.

    • Team 2: Purple Rain, Yeehaw, McGruff, Three Doors Down, Honeymoon, Walkie Talkie
    • Team 1: Heist, Callahan, Swoop, Wildcat, Oyster, Boberry, Futon

    With a mix of high and low reps, the workout was intense. We drew cards one by one, taking turns to reveal our fate. The variety kept things interesting, and the camaraderie kept us motivated.

    Team 2 won. Punishment was Team 1 ran up the hill one more time. Team 2 played patty cake until we returned.

    Rocking It Out:
    Following the card workout, we transitioned to the rock exercises. Each participant chose a rock, and we took turns calling out different exercises. The twist was that the person calling the exercise had to run with their rock overhead and back, “Hallelujah style.” Here’s what we did:

    1. “Rock Curls”: Bicep curls with our chosen rocks. The sprint added an extra challenge.
    2. “Rock Press”: Overhead presses with the rocks. Running with the rock overhead was no joke.
    3. “Rock Bench Press”: Mimicking a bench press while lying on the ground. The sprint here was more like a dash.
    4. “Rock Lunges”: Holding the rock, we performed lunges with alternating legs. Balancing the rock while running was an adventure in itself.

    Cool-down:
    After the demanding workout, we gathered for a thorough cool-down session, ensuring our muscles had a chance to recover.

    Post-Workout:

    Numbers/Names
    Announcements:

    1. Luv4Liv tmw at the Alamo. 7 am
    2. Convergence next Saturday 9/23. Dog Pile workout for double dip.
    3. Golf even next week with Meatball.

    Until the next challenging workout,
    Skynet

  • Never Forget

    17 desperados paid tribute to the fallen at the Alamo this glorious morning. Wildcat and I shared Q duties this morning for a nice little beatdown. Here is how it went down:

    Warmorama: Lap on around the parking lot, several laps in the tennis court (mixed in some skips, butt kickers, high knees). Circle up for some SSHs, various stretches, some APDs and Merkins.

    COP 1: Quickest triple check in the world. Timer runs 40 yards and back, with other Pax doing copperhead squats and leg lifts.

    COP 2: 9/11 Mailboxes. Mosey to mailbox alley for a rotation of nine tuck jumps followed 11 merkins.

    COP 3: 200s. Mosey to the modern house culdesac. Partner up. Timer runs 50 yards and back to dumpster. Combined reps of 200 mountain climbers/200 squats/200 flutters/200 SSHs.

    COP 4: Cindy fireman brigade. 3 groups of 5 to 6. One block per group. 1 rotation of curls and tricep extension. Guy lifting the block calls out exercises for everyone else. I heard some people did alot of burpees. Cant blame me.

    Native american run back to the flag. Mudslide led us through some broga.

    Numbers/Names:

    1. Love for Liv this Saturday. Be there. 7 am. Refreshments at 8 am at YeeHaw’s house. Ms and 2.0s welcome. Bring a friend.
    2. 9/23 Convergence at Crucible