Author: L WOODS

  • That’s No Moon..

    Six men showed up for a themed workout and quickly realized this wasn’t going to be a casual stroll through the galaxy. Death Star Orbits turned into survival marches, and anything labeled “carry” lived up to the name. By the time we hit the amphitheater, the triple check sealed it. Box jumps lost their bounce, thrusters felt personal, and curls somehow became the hardest thing of the morning. The final hyperspeed sprint back to the flag looked less like light speed and more like a group of guys reconsidering life choices.

    By the end, PAX were laid out across the ground, staring at the sky, questioning decisions, and trying to remember whose idea this was. Great work!

    Tha Thang:

    COP1: Death Star Orbit (bus loop). Partner 1 racked the kettlebell runs the loop until they catch Partner 2.. Partner 2 bear crawls with the kettlebell.

    COP 2: Amphitheatre Triple Check Part 1
    Partner 1: Vader Carry / Luggage Carry around amphitheater
    Partner 2: Lightsaber kettlebell Swings
    Partner 3: Wookiee Rows

    Triple Check 2
    Partner 1: Jedi Box Jumps
    Partner 2: Trooper Thrusters (squat thrusters)
    Partner 3: Skywalker Curls

    Mosey back to main parking lot with waiter carries, walking lunges, and hyperspace sprints back to the flag

    Finished with 5 minutes of Mary, PAX calling out kettlebell exercises.

    Announcements:
    NTB going away party – May 16
    Bon Iron meeting at Dogpile for mini-convergence – May 16
    DTH’s 500th Q – this Thursday
    Memorial Day Convergence – Memorial Day
    Mother’s Day – this Sunday

  • No Sleep, No Q, No Problem

    YHC rolled in this morning thanks to some clutch family backup on rotating baby night shifts.

    Upon arrival, YHC, Scram, Tin Man, and Heisenberg discovered… no Q.

    Four guys stepped up and a hot potato Q was born.

    COPs:

    • COP 1 – School Bus Lot
      • Cocaine bear crawl across the lot
      • Ascending merkins at each white line
    • COP 2 – Field Partner Work
      • Partner 1 runs while second partner rotate through:
        • Groiners
        • Hand-release merkins
        • Flutter kicks
        • WWIIs
    • COP 3 – Playground (Partner Rounds)
      • Round 1: Dips while partner runs lap
      • Round 2: Pull-ups while partner runs lap
      • Round 3: Side straddle hops while partner runs lap
    • COP 4 – Side of School (Tin Man Special)
      • Partner 1: Bear crawl up and down the hill
      • Partner 2: Donkey kicks, how-downs, Mohammed Alis
    • COP 5 – Playground Laps + Ladder
      • Run lap, then:
        • 10 burpees
        • 20 WWIIs
        • Jump squats
      • Rinse and repeat

    Mosey back to the flag for planks while reciting the F3 Credo and, finishing with Alabama prom dates.

    Announcements:

    • NTB going-away party – May 16

  • One Small Roll for Dice, One Giant Leap for PAX-kind.

    As YHC was doing his biweekly calendar review, he realized his Q next week would more than likely coincide with the birth of his second child. Not ideal timing… so an audible was called. After some last-minute coordination with Snuff, who graciously provided both the speaker and a perfectly dialed-in space-themed playlist, a new plan emerged, a space-themed beatdown in honor of the Artemis lunar mission.

    After a thorough warm-a-rama, the PAX moseyed to the amphitheater where we “took off”, rolling the dice to determine our fate, then immediately cashing it in with box jumps up the stairs and a lap around the amphitheater.

    From there, we pushed onward to Mt. Chaplin, ascending higher using a variety of “transport methods”, everything from bear crawls to crab walks, broad jumps to Bernie Sanders. Each climb ended with merkins at the summit, as if the elevation alone wasn’t enough.

    We finished with a light pole run, adding merkins at each stop, and circled up for core work, each man calling his own ab exercise to close out the mission. We ended with a great coffeerama about Impact and the people we touch in our lives.

    The Thang:

    WARM-A-RAMA:

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Ukrainian Soldiers
    • Copperhead Squats
    • LBCs
    • Merkins
    • Alabama Prom Dates
    • Flutter Kicks

    COP #1 – Amphitheater Dice Roll– Circle up, each pax rolls the dice. After each roll, box jump the stairs and come back down the stairs.

    1 – 10 Burpees
    2 – 20 Merkins
    3 – 20 WWIIs
    4 – 20 Lunges
    5 – 30 Squats
    6 – 30 Side Straddle Hops

    COP #2: Mt. Chaplin Climb- each pax rolls the dice. At the top of the mountain, 10 merkins and mosey back down.

    1 – Bear Crawl up
    2 – Crab Walk up
    3 – Broad Jumps up
    4 – Run up
    5 – Bernie Sanders
    6 – Lunge Walk up

    COP #3- Light Pole Run

    Lap around Mt. Chaplin, 5 merkins at each light pole.

    End with ab circle exercises.

    Announcements:

    Saturday April 11, Ruck-A-Q Ruck starting at Ruckhenge, ruck to Machismo’s. BYOM (Bring your own Meat)

    Sunday, April 12 at 4:00 Family friendly Ruck with Beaver starting at Bottom’s up Pizza.

    May 16: NTB’s send off.

    Prayer Requests:

    DTH as he goes on his medical mission trip next week.

    Tin Man’s recovery.

    Prayers for the unborn children in our group.

  • The Mexican Fisherman

    On YHC’s 38th birthday, there was a return of winter to RVA as temperatures hovered around 30. Despite this, we had a strong crew to start the day. We rucked to Bon Iron and got to work. rucks held overhead doing laps around the playground while cycling 38 squats, 38 single-count lunges, and 38 step-ups. From there, we cut over to Logan and Burrough and kept it moving, with DTH making his appearance fashionably late as we ended back at Einstein’s. Discussion of the Mexican Fisherman parable was woven throughout the workout and carried into Coffeerama, a reminder to be intentional about what we’re building and not just grind endlessly without purpose. Grateful for another year and this crew.

    Announcements:

    Richmond Kickers this Saturday at 6,

    Off the Books Ruck on March 29,

    GrowRuck on September 25.

  • Hoop Dreams

    YHC arrived this morning at NoToll with two slightly deflated basketballs, in honor of March Madness. It became very evident within minutes that none of us were bound for basketball glory, or for those who played in high school, our skills had long since expired. While YHC’s initial thoughts were that a pax of 11 doing freethrows would result in a variety of called out exercises, it instead turned into a brutal session of suicides. While the pax saved some face after shooting from much closer, it’s clear we could all use some more practice. We ended with good old fashioned 11s and a session (to some chagrin) of catch me if you can.

    Warm-o-Rama:

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Cherry Pickers
    • Don Quixotes
    • Ukrainian Soldiers
    • Copperhead Squats
    • Merkins
    • LBCs
    • Freddy Mercuries
    • Alabama Prom Dates

    The Thang:

    COP 1: Free throw line shots: PAX took turns shooting while the rest planked. Miss = group suicides (quarter, half, three-quarter, full court).

    COP 2: Split into two teams. Three-shot attempts: first close-up while others did squats. Miss all three-10 burpees. We repeated from the free throw line, this time with side straddle hops.

    COP 3: 11s: Merkins and flutter kicks, traveling cross-court.

    COP 4: Catch Me If You Can: One partner bear crawled while the other ran the perimeter.

      Announcements:

      Breaking Bread- last weekend of this month

      Glow for Galactosemia April 11

      GrowRuck September 25

    1. E Pluribus Unum

      As Richmond thawed from its recent Ice Age, ten HIMs emerged from the thaw to do something hard. YHC aimed for Cedar Grove Cemetery, though time kept us shy at 3.6 miles at a fairly brisk pace.

      Post-ruck at Coffeerama, we leaned into an article entitled “Love your Enemies; How to Get Past America’s Divided Culture of Contempt”. The theme carried into our chatter: how we show unity in the face of disagreement, one step at a time.

      Announcements:

      • Frozen Triangle rescheduled: February 21st.
      • Latinos en Virginia Food Distribution: March 7th, 10–1 (Setup at 9 am)
      • Off-the-books ruck with DTH: March 7th afternoon.
      • GrowRuck: September 25–27.

      Out of many, one.

    2. Super Block Shuffle

      After sliding down Mt. Chaplain twice in the past two weeks and narrowly avoiding becoming an orthopedic case study, YHC decided to keep everyone safely grounded—by strapping PAX to cinder blocks instead. Thus was born a Super Bowl themed beatdown, powered by past halftime show artists and fueled by irresponsible amounts of concrete. Inspiration was pulled from the conveyor belt / gauntlet suffering perfected by Crabgrass and the brothers of SOS.

      The Thang:

      Warmerama: Mosey around bus loop,

      Side Straddle Hops

      Don Quixotes

      Imperial Squat Walkers

      Ukrainian Soldiers

      Alabama Prom Dates

      LBCs

      COP 1: Indigenous people’s conveyor belt – Pax seated on six, 3 cinder blocks circulating down line passing it to the next man. when not holding a block- american hammers.

      COP 2: Cinder Block Gauntlet Relay

      4 cinder blocks lined up in two rows. twenty total flags were used.

      Pax divided into two teams. One pax enters gauntlet at a time, with 5 burpee entry fee. at each block, 10 curls, 10 rows, 10 merkins and 10 skull crushers, run to parking lot and back. when they return, place flag in the bucket and tag next man. First team to place all flags in the bucket wins. Winning team calls 30 count of exercise to losing team.

      COP 3: 11s

      11s using block squat thrusters and block presses

      Announcements: Frozen Triangle Saturday February 7, 6 am at Dogpile. Growruck September 25-27

    3. Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.

      In 20° cold and with illness thinning the ranks, four HIMs still showed up for the work. Early in the ruck, YHC shared the Atomic Habits Quote of the Day, “Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way” , a fitting theme given the conditions and the men who answered the call.

      We covered 2.8 miles from Einstein Bagels through Bon Air, passing Bon Air Elementary, before looping back via Buford and the shopping plaza. Side streets delivered mailbox lunges and squats, and as we left Bon Air Elementary, rucks went overhead for about half a block.

      Near the end of the ruck, YHC took an unplanned spill on the median while juggling maps and traffic. Luckily, nothing was injured except his pride.

      The miles passed with plenty of laughs and solid conversation about Dealer’s childhood dog’s high-protein diet, and leadership talk that carried over to Coffeerama afterward.


      Announcements: Frozen Triangle February 7, Machine Head’s first VQ this Saturday at Bon Iron. He will be bringing the storm.

    4. Off To The Races

      In the dead of winter, when the cold seems endless and it feels like we’ve been stuck in a long stretch without a little competition, YHC decided to bring some playoff spirit to No Toll. With college football and NFL playoffs in full swing, it was the perfect time to get some competitive blood flowing among the PAX.

      The Thang:

      Mosey to the pavilion and pay the toll with 10 step-ups and 15 incline merkins.

      Warmerama: Side straddle hops, Ukranian soldiers, cherry pickers, imperial squat walkers, merkins, lbcs, alabama prom dates

      Count off into twos for teams.

      • Relay Races (losing team has 15 burpee penalty) :
        • First Relay: One man runs to the end of the soccer field and back while the team does flutters.
        • Second Relay: Runner bear crawls to a cone, then sprints the rest of the way down soccer field while the team does World War IIs.
        • Third Relay: Team does American hammers, runner crab walks to the cone and back.
        • Fourth Relay: Team does big-boy sit-ups, runner lunge-twists to the cone and runs back.
        • Final Relay: Team does LBCs, runner does broad jump burpees to the cone, sprints to the end of the field and back.

      Mosey back to the flag, stop for 20 decline merkins and a ring of fire merkins.

      Announcements: Frozen Triangle on February 7th, The Bridge January 24

    5. 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