Author: L WOODS

  • Welcome Freezerburn!

    12 HIMS showed up on perhaps the coldest morning of the year and pushed through the gloom, welcoming NOS’s newest FNG, Freezerburn, whose name was well earned thanks to the brutal temps and bare hands. After a short mosey and warmerama, YHC fired up the box timer and a ’90s/early-2000s rap playlist that drew mixed reactions but kept things moving.

    The beatdown featured a long kettlebell grind followed by a hill Dora up Mountain Chaplain. The frosty morning concluded with waiter carries across the parking lot.

    The Thang:

    Mosey around parking lot

    Warmerama:

    SSHs, cherry pickers, jazzercise, copperhead squats, merkins, world war 2s

    Boxtimer one minute work/ 30 second rest, alternating arms

    Curls, american hammers, side arm extension, front arm extension top tricep extension

    Hill Doras, one partner suitcase carries kettlebell up hill, alternate 100 x swings, 200 x rows, 300 x squats

    End with parking lot waiter carry

    Announcements: Rosie’s 12 days of Christmas, Christmas Q at the Forge brought to you by DTH

  • The Cinderblock Schlong

    Three HIMs joined YHC for Day 2 of his mini-takeover of NOS, as he makes his way through Qs at The Forge, Bon Iron, and Huge Bells, because, as they say, good things come in threes. The morning kicked off with a continuation of the cinderblock beatdown from The Forge. After some solid work with coupons, YHC finally showed mercy and put them aside… at least until Monday.

    It’s unclear whether the PAX appreciated the coupon-centric workout, though DTH’s mid-workout creation (which resembled either a stone phallus or a middle finger) may have offered some insight. The morning wrapped with a solid coffeeteria shared between Rosie and YHC.

    The Thang:

    Warmerama:Side straddle hops, ukranian soldiers, don quixotes, arm circles, copper head squats, merkins, Freddie mercuies, flutter kicks

    COP 1: Quadruple check: Timer rifle carries and walks around median. Rest of pax do  cinder block squats, curls, and plank pull throughs

    COP 2: Mosey to church parking lot, 11s with big boy sit ups and flutter kicks

    COP 3: Mosey back to bus parking lot, four corners

    Ring of fire with each pax member picking a merkin.

    Announcements: Rosie’s 12 days of Christmas (December 23); Also, DTH will be delivering some Christmas Day pain as he Qs the Forge on the 25th.

  • Court adjourned, suffering commenced.

    YHC spent the last few weeks prepping for trial as plaintiff’s counsel: long hours, late nights, the usual grind. Got to court ready to roll, and the whole thing got continued. No witnesses, no opening, nothing. Just a quiet little gut punch from the system.

    So instead of wasting that energy on frustration, YHC decided to dump it all into a block beatdown. The pax didn’t deserve it. But they got it anyway.

    Warmarama:

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Don Quixotes
    • Ukrainian Soldiers
    • LBCs
    • Merkins
    • Alabama Prom Dates
      Standard fare. Quick, uncomfortable, and not the worst part of the morning.

    Mosey to the amphitheater

    Block Ascent (2-Minute Timer):
    One pax runs amphitheater loops. After each loop, stop and do 5 merkins. Switch with Pax doing block work after 2 minute timer sounds.

    Partner does ascending block movements on each level of the amphitheater, moving up one level after both pax members finish the round:

    1. Block Thrusters
    2. Block Swings
    3. Block Halos
    4. Block Squats
    5. Bent Rows
    6. Block Lunges
    7. Floor Press

    Mosey back to the flag.

    Announcements:

    Rosie’s 12 Days of Christmas Dec 23. Secret Santa – don’t forget to grab something for your guy

  • You don’t have to do rucksack burpees with L Woods, you get to.

    For a long time, YHC hesitated to Q Ruckhenge out of a lingering fear of getting lost. But after being inspired by Bru’s VQ last week, YHC finally took the plunge and stepped up to lead the night before. The route wound its way through the woods, broken up by several stops for squats and overhead presses.

    As the pax emerged from the trees, the path continued behind the shopping center. Right behind Granite Hill Restaurant, just when everyone thought we were wrapping up, YHC called for 11s: donkey kicks on the wall paired with burpees, much to DK’s dismay.

    Strong work by all the pax, and in the end, the only thing that truly got lost was one of YHC’s gloves.

    Announcements: Chili Cook off November 23 @ The Alamo, Ultimate Frisbee Thanksgiving Day @ Timberwolf (530); Thanksgiving Day Convergence at 7.

  • Welcome to Club L Woods

    On a frigid, blustery Veterans Day, YHC kicked things off with a simple prompt: name someone, military or not, who has made sacrifices in your life.

    Before the beat even dropped, Scram, hearing the low hum of YHC’s generator, asked the question of the morning: “What’s that sound?” Moments later, the PAX would learn exactly what it was as the playground at NoToll transformed into Club L Woods, complete with a generator-powered karaoke speaker and flashing lights.

    After a friendly reprimand from Rosie to not disturb the neighbors, YHC introduced Scram to his playlist, including some Rage Against the Machine. With power cords, flashing LEDs, and guitar riffs echoing through the cold, the PAX pushed through four-minute stations with 20-second breaks.

    It all wrapped with a final sprint from the playground to the basketball court. As the music faded, each man called out the name of his one, someone who had sacrificed for him.

    WARM-O-RAMA (10 MIN)

    • SSH, Don Quixotes × 10 IC, imperial squat walkers, mummy kicks, merkins, lbcs, alabama prom dates

    THE THANG

    Split into 4 groups- pax count out by 4. rotate every 4 minutes. Timer was used to rotate stations.

    Station 1: One pax Bear crawls up / crawl-bear down  large green hill in playground, 1remaining pax jump squats, rotate.

    Station 2: merry-go-round: 1 pax holds “air plank” while 2 pax member holds their legs, rotate around three times. Remaining pax plank jacking until rotations are done.

    Station 3: Rope climb, one pax member climbs rope, goes over and down and returns. Remaining pax are doing burpees while they wait their turn.

    Station 4: One pax runs around playground loop while remaining do step-ups on bench.

    Finale: Wind-sprint from Playground to end of basketball court.

    Announcements: Convergence Thanksgiving Day, Chili Cook-Off at the Alamo November 23, Daddy-Daughter Dance, 12 days of Christmas December 23. Two New AOs have recently been launched: Bon Iron (Saturdays 6 am) and Huge Bells ( Monday 530 am). Please come out to support them.

    Prayer Requests: Wildcat lung cancer scan.

    Thank you all of our service-members, active and non-active, and for the sacrifices you have made.

  • Bon Iron- L Woods Time Warp

    This morning 5 HIMs entered the L Woods Time Zone—where a minute late somehow becomes right on time. Strong effort all around, and proof that time really does fly when you’re grinding with good men.

    The Thang:

    Warmarama:
    Side Straddle Hops, Cherry Pickers, Arm Circles, Imperial Walkers, Don Quixotes, LBCs, Alabama Prom Dates, Flutter Kicks.

    COP 1 – Modified Laredo:
    Two laps around the playground track, then 24 Merkins, 24 Squats, 24 Lunges.
    Repeat 4 rounds.

    COP 2 – Dora
    100 Step-Ups
    200 WWII Sit-Ups
    300 Double-Count American Hammers
    Runner travels to the chain-link fence at the end of the baseball field.

    Announcements:
    Coffeeteria launching at Bon Iron.
    Zombie Run – October 25.

    Prayer Requests:
    L Woods’ dad recovering from lung surgery.

  • Back on Track

    Fresh off GTE #59, L Woods took the Q and challenged the PAX to reflect on one question before the beatdown began:
    “What’s one thing you need to get back on track in your life?”

    We then proceeded to work the track for the entirety of the post.

    Warm-a-Rama

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Don Quixotes
    • LBCs
    • Alabama Prom Dates
    • Freddie Mercuries

    The Thang

    1. Indian Run 11s
    Cones marked each quarter of the track. Start with 1 burpee and 10 butterfly sit-ups, increasing reps with each lap.

    2. Four Corners — Round 1 (on track)

    • Cone 1 – 10 Merkins
    • Cone 2 – 20 Jump Squats
    • Cone 3 – 30 Side Straddle Hops
    • Cone 4 – 40-count Mountain Climbers

    Four Corners — Round 2 ( on track)

    • Cone 1 – 10 Pickle Pounders
    • Cone 2 – 20 LBCs
    • Cone 3 – 30 American Hammers
    • Cone 4 – 40 WWII Sit-ups

    3. Quarter Grinder

    • Cone 1 – Bear Crawl
    • Cone 2 – Lunge Walk
    • Cone 3 – Broad Jump
    • Cone 4 – Sprint
      (2 rounds total)

    Mosey Back to the Flag
    Closed with a Circle of Pain, each man calling out and leading his favorite push-up variation to finish the morning strong.

    Announcements: New AO- Bon Air- be there Saturday!, Zombie Run October 25 Smoketree, SOS chili Cook-off mid-late November, Father-Daughter Dance December 6

    Prayer Requests: Each PAX shared one item in their life they needed to get back on track.

  • GTE #59

    “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Sir Edmund Hillary

    Three PAX from F3RVA, NTB, Pad Thai, and L Woods, traveled to Cary, North Carolina for GTE 59, led by Cadres PowerClean and Uncle Rico.

    For NTB and Pad Thai, this was their second GrowRuck after Richmond’s event last year. For L Woods, it was a first—completely new territory. After Friday night’s rally, the group started off with the KingBuilder at Carpex AO Shaken Not Stirred in Bond Park.

    At 6:00 PM, the adventure began. L Woods was immediately thrown into the fire as Platoon Leader, learning how to form up, march two by two, and lead a unit on the move. After a few rough starts, the group found rhythm and launched into the darkness.

    The first stop was a gym, where the PAX rotated through stations: tire flips, sled pulls, box step-ups, air bike, medicine ball slams, and dead hangs.

    Stopping at an elementary school 5 hours into the event- we did the PT test. A minimum of 40 hand release merkins and 50 butterfly situps, along with a two mile run to boot.

    After rucking back to Bond Park, the Cadres had us link arms and crawl into one of the nastiest ponds in the area. Pad Thai took over as Platoon Leader and led a brutal overnight grind through downtown Cary, which included a three-man sandbag “snake,” a two-man 120-pound carry, and a mix of 60–80 pound bags that made everyone dig deep.

    At Cary High School, we dropped the sandbags—only to pick up something worse: a 500-600 pound log that had to travel a quarter mile. Every man took a turn. After it was finally cast into the woods, we picked the sandbags back up and moved on toward the Cary War Memorial.

    There, PowerClean gave a powerful talk before calling for a Laredo: two laps, 24 merkins, 24 squats, 24 lunges, repeated until it hurt.

    As the sun rose, we rucked back to Bond Park, rotating sand bags. The Cadres had one last test—two simulated casualties that had to be carried across the soccer fields. NTB took one of the larger PAX over his shoulder. Once we arrived at the evac point, the rest formed a protective circle on the ground.

  • What happens when you put a crab, a bear and a gorilla in the same workout?

    13 men gathered at No Toll for an animal-themed workout, courtesy of L. Woods with inspiration from the F3 Nation Exicon. It began with a “crab vs. bear” soccer match, which resulted in the Q getting beamed in the head and side. From there, the PAX suffered through duck & weave, gorilla crawl stations, and a Tunnel of Love. Lesson learned: sometimes the Exicon should stay in the Exicon.

    Warmerama: Side straddle hops, ukranian soldiers, imperial walkers, cherry pickers, LBCs, freddie mercuries, alabama prom dates

    Pay the toll- 20 incline merkins, 20 dips

    COP 1: Warmup: side straddle hops, Ukrainian soldiers, imperial squat walkers, arm circles, lbcs, Alabama prom dates, Freddie mercuries

    COP 1: bear vs Crab soccer: Divide into two teams – one team has to crab walk while the other has to bear crawl. Once someone scores a goal switch. Team that gets scored on – 10 burpees

    COP 2:duck and weave: Pax line up as if doing an Indigenous People’s Run. Pax duck walks and six runs to front by weaving in and out of pax.

    COP 3: gorilla crawl stations: 4 cones 10 yards apart. Gorilla crawl to cone 1- 10 merkins. Gorilla crawl to cone 2- 20 lbcs. Gorilla crawl to cone 3 – 30 squats. Gorilla crawl to cone – 40 side straddle hops. repeat circuit three times.

    COP 4:tunnel of love Pax line up shoulder to shoulder in high plank, six crawls army style underneath to far side.

    Announcements: Nancy Lopez will be collecting running gear for F3 Kenya; September 20- 11 year F3 convergence; ALAMO CSAUP Friday September 26, Grow Ruck first weekend of October, Social at L. Woods this Saturday at 3 pm.

  • Like A Rolling Stone

    After a brisk jog around the bus circle, at the foot of Mount Chaplain, a surprise awaited — a stash of pavers hidden behind a bush, courtesy of DTH, who apparently moonlights as the Easter Bunny of concrete. From that moment on, the stones became our best friends. They got lifted, rolled, dragged, pressed, and cursed at. If you were here, you carried rocks. If you weren’t here, your shoulders thank you.

    Warmerama: side straddle hops, don quixotes, Ukrainian soldiers, imperial walkers. lbcs, merkins, roscoe’s mom, Fudds wife, Wilson’s wife

    The Thang:

    COP 1: DORA- partner one Bernie’s up the hill, partner 2 with coupon does 100 swings, 200 squats, 300 overhead press

    COP 2: run to second parking lot partner work.
    Dung Beetle: Bear crawl and roll a concrete block in front. Finish at median 30 curls

    COP 3:
    Round: Partner weight work: Wheel barrow to median, switch partners, 25 partner world war twos. Hold at one end. If odd number- odd person lunges with paver

    Round 2: Rescue Carry
    Partner 1 places arms under Partner 2’s armpits, partner two walks. At median 10 burpees, switch 10 burpees when return to starting point.

    COP 4: 11s back at the first parking lot, merkins and world war 2s

    announcment: Labor day convergence at Dog Pile at 7 am, ALAMO CSAUP September 26; GORUCK first weekend of October

    Prayer requests: kids going back to school, Castallana 6 weeks of eating clean, L Woods’ dad biopsy.