Author: L WOODS

  • Summer Tour: Localized Due to Inflation

    Bon Iron was officially on the Summer Tour this morning, where PAX from across RVA were encouraged to travel far and wide, experience new AOs, and broaden their horizons.

    Apparently inflation and gas prices had other plans.

    Five locals posted. Zero tourists. Bon Iron remains undefeated at attracting the exact same people who already know where it is.

    Tha Thang:

    COP 1: YHC stole this one shamelessly from F3 Orlando, because intellectual property law does not apply before 7:00 a.m.

    Twenty cards were laid out face down in five rows of four.

    Aces: 10 Burpees

    Kings: 10 Squat Thrusters

    Queens: 10 Curls

    Jacks: 10 Rows

    Each team flipped four cards, tried to remember where everything was, then completed all four exercises and ran to the end of the bus parking lot and back.

    Find all four matching cards- exercise disappeared from the board.

    DTH’s team ultimately secured the victory through what can best be described as a liberal interpretation of the rules.

    COP 2: DORA

    Blocks in hand, we headed to the field for:

    100 Block Swings

    200 Halos (incorrectly referred to as around the worlds)

    300 Squats were next in sequences but ran out of time.

    Announcements

    8/28: Pool Party at Snuff’s

    8/29: Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center food distribution

    8/30: Dealer’s Off-the-Books Ruck

    9/11: Overnight Ruck at the Alamo

    9/25: GTE Growruck in Leesburg.

    Prayer / Praise

    Praise for Trojan’s dad, whose heart surgery was successful. Continued prayers for his recovery.

  • MONKEY MATING CALLS IN THE DARKNESS

    15 HIMs descended onto the football field this morning, where YHC quickly discovered that a workout requiring PAX to visually signal one another works significantly less well when nobody can see anything. Necessity being the mother of invention, visual cues were replaced with monkey calls, resulting in what surely sounded to nearby residents like a troop of sexually frustrated primates had taken over Huguenot High School. From there, things became more respectable: lots of running and lateral movements, mixed in with various moans of pain and suffering.

    COP 1 – Monkey Business
    Partner up. P1 started at one 5-yard line doing Monkey Humpers while P2 ran to the opposite 5-yard line. Upon arrival, P2 unleashed his best monkey call into the darkness, signaling P1 to run while P2 took over the Monkey Humpers. Rinse and repeat. Increase by 5 yards until both men are at the 50.

    COP 2 – Modified 11s
    Start at the 10-yard line with 10 burpees and 1 merkin.Run to the opposing end zone and back, then advance the starting point to the twenty doing 9 burpees and 2 merkins. Repeat until complete advancing 10 yards each time.

    COP 3 – Side Shuffle Grinder
    PAX shuffled laterally sideline-to-sideline across the field.

    After each crossing:

    • 10 Jump Squats + 10 WWII Sit-ups
    • 20 + 20
    • 30 + 30
    • 40 + 40
    • 50 + 50

    We then Indigenous Peoples Ran back to the flag, with the six performing 5 double-count American Hammers before sprinting to the front.

    Circled up. PAX held plank while YHC administered the final dose of Mary with Merkins.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    • 8/27 – Heisenberg VQ
    • 8/28 – Party at Snuff’s
    • 8/29 – Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center Food Distribution Event
    • Saturday – Summer Tour at Bon Air: YHC on Q
    • Saturday – Dogpile: Senor Frog on Q
    • 8/30 – Dealer leading an Off-the-Books Ruck
    • 9/25 – GROW Ruck

    PRAYER REQUESTS 🙏
    Prayers for YHC heading into a week-long jury trial in Augusta next week.

  • Stolen Valor

    YHC had every intention of kicking things off at the basketball courts, but those plans were derailed when another individual had already claimed them by doing laps around the court. In hindsight, perhaps that should have been the first clue that this morning wasn’t going to go according to plan. Unfortunately, the biggest surprise came after the workout, when YHC realized the top half of the shovel flag had disappeared. Nobody in our group touched it, which means somewhere out there is a serial flag thief roaming around Robious. If you happen to see the missing top half of an American flag, please notify the proper authorities. Until then, the investigation remains ongoing.

    COP1

    • Indigenous People Run around the soccer fields.
    • Last man performed 10 Side Straddle Hops before catching the group.

    COP2
    Triple Check

    • Runner completed a lap around the basketball courts.
    • Remaining partners completed a wheelbarrow
    • Upon the runner’s return, both partners completed 5 Jump Squats before rotating.

    COP3
    Dora

    • Runner to the opposite baseline and back while partners accumulated:
      • 100 Hand Release Merkins
      • 150 World War IIs
      • 200 Squats

    COP4
    Suicides

    • Sprint to:
      • Free throw line
      • Midcourt
      • Opposite free throw line
      • Opposite baseline
    • At each stop:
      • 10 Double Count Flutter Kicks
      • 10 American Hammers

    Announcements

    • Homegrown Half – August 1
    • GrowRuck – September 25

  • Orthopedic Audible

    Fresh off Team USA’s crushing 4-1 loss to Belgium, nine PAX gathered expecting a spirited game of Ultimate Football. Unfortunately, before the first snap could be taken, YHC was met with an orthopedic mutiny. Four PAX, citing a dangerous combination of missing cleats, questionable knees, and a strong desire to avoid becoming NOS’s next orthopedic consult, declined to participate. With the rebellion complete and democracy having apparently prevailed, YHC called an audible and led the PAX to the center pavilion for a beatdown instead.

    COP 1 – Eye of the Storm

    Run to each corner and back to the pavilion, completing 5 burpees after each return.

    • Corner 1: 30 Double-Tap Shoulder Taps (2-count)
    • Corner 2: 40 Side Straddle Hops
    • Corner 3: 50 Jump Squats
    • Corner 4: 60 Monkey Humpers

    COP 2 – 11s

    Between the pavilion and the end of the field:

    • Pickle Pounders
    • WWII Sit-ups

    COP 3 – Triple Check

    Three-man teams:

    • One PAX ran to the baseball backstop and back.
    • One PAX performed Step-Ups.
    • One PAX performed Incline Merkins.

    A little friendly competition ensued, with the two losing teams earning 15 burpees.

    Paid the toll back with:20 Decline Merkins, 20 Dips

    Finished with a little Mary, holding plank while each PAX called and completed 10 reps of the exercise of his choice.

    Announcements

    • DTH’s Poker Night – Friday evening
    • Home Run Derby at No Toll (meet at the baseball fields at Robious—not Huguenot Park!)
    • Homegrown Half – August 1

    Prayer Requests

    Please keep Doozy and the family and friends of Bruce in your prayers following Bruce’s recent passing.

    F3 is more than workouts. We’re here to shoulder burdens in times of sorrow and celebrate life’s victories together. That’s what this brotherhood is all about.

  • Stars, Stripes & Tow Straps

    With America’s 250th birthday just days away, Team USA fresh off a 2-0 win over Bosnia, and Richmond trapped in a brutal heat wave, YHC decided the obvious course of action was to grab a handful of tow straps and make everyone’s morning significantly worse. Credit goes to Machine Head for inspiring today’s tow-strap beatdown with his outstanding rope Q a few weeks back, and to DTH for bringing the tug-of-war.

    Warm-Up

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Ukrainian Soldiers
    • Imperial Squat Walkers
    • Cherry Pickers
    • Copperhead Squats
    • Merkins
    • Shoulder Taps
    • LBCs
    • Alabama Prom Dates

    The THANG

    COP 1 – Tow Strap Resistance Challenge

    PAX split into teams of three, with two teams of four rotating the extra man.

    Round 1 – Forward Resistance Pull

    • One PAX worked toward the goal line while teammates on each end of the tow strap provided resistance.
    • Stops at the 20-yard line, 40-yard line, and goal line:
      • 10 Merkins at each stop.
    • Rotating fourth man completed a bear crawl before rotating back into the team.

    Round 2 – Lateral Resistance Shuffle

    • Same resistance setup.
    • Stops at the 20-yard line, 40-yard line, and goal line:
      • 5 Burpees at each stop.
    • Rotating fourth man ran alongside before rotating back in.

    Round 3 – Bernie Resistance Pull

    • Same resistance setup.
    • Stops at the 20-yard line, 40-yard line, and goal line:
      • 10 Side Straddle Hops at each stop.

    COP 2 – Tug of War

    Best two out of three using the tow straps. Winning teams earned the right to call the next exercise and rep count.

    COP 3 – Elevens

    From the 20-yard line and back.

    • Two-Count Mountain Climbers
    • Shoulder Taps

    Mosey back to the flag and finish with a one-minute plank.

    Announcements

    • Saturday, July 4: Independence Day Convergence at Gridiron, followed by a July 4th cookout at Machismo’s house.
    • Sunday: Family-friendly, off-the-books ruck at Ruckhenge. Launch at 3:00 PM.

    Prayer Requests

    • Prayers for Doozy’s friend’s family as they begin another round in their battle with lung cancer.
    • Praise for the privilege of living in this incredible country and for the freedoms we enjoy as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

  • Open To All Men

    Following a suggestion from DTH, the YHC took our merry crew of 9 HIMS into the neighborhood, spending the opening portion of the workout distributing NOS flyers throughout Bon Air.

    Along the route, we stopped at various intervals for squats, walking lunges, ruck curls and merkins.

    As we went deeper east into the various neighborhoods, some of the PAX raised concerns regarding the clock. YHC confidently assured everyone we had plenty of time. That assessment proved to be… optimistic.

    As the workout progressed, it became increasingly apparent that our margin for error had disappeared somewhere between the curls and the last neighborhood loop. The result became a couple of series of “everyone sprint so we don’t finish late.”

    Mumble chatter was strong throughout. Discussion topics included the design of a hypothetical F3 parade float, what an F3-themed Speedo would look like, and the wisdom of including “open to all men” on said Speedo. Thankfully, no final design was approved.

    Finally, we have a couple of hundred of flyers for our microregion printed. We can order more on Vistaprint. If you’d like to hand some out at a block party, church etc. please message DTH or myself. We’ve got great momentum with new guys and need to keep it up!

    Announcements:

    • July 4th Convergence at GridIron
    • July 4th gathering at Machismo’s house

    Pray for health and healing for both David and Cowbell.

    All in all a great morning. Remember, Growruck is only 93 days away!

  • OTB Ruck – Sunday Park Heat Edition

    Three HIMs plus family members gathered at Sunday Park for an afternoon ruck that tested both our legs and our hydration plans. With temperatures pushing into the 90s and plenty of Virginia humidity, we set out from the Boathouse and covered roughly four miles through the shaded trails of Brandermill.

    . The real challenge came around mile two when YHC discovered that my kiddo had quietly emptied most of the water bladder through a combination of enthusiastic hydration and a hose left dangling. What began as a well-planned hydration strategy quickly became an exercise in resource management for the remainder of the ruck.

    Despite the heat, everyone finished strong and returned to the Boathouse tired, sweaty, and in good spirits. The shade helped, the company helped more, and no one melted despite conditions that suggested it was a possibility.

    Thanks to Warby and Scram for coming out and bringing the families.

  • Scenes from a F3 Workout

    Many of you may or may not know, but YHC originally hails from Long Island, where Billy Joel is less of a musician and more of a state-sponsored religion. In honor of his (belated) May 9 birthday, the workout soundtrack was entirely Billy Joel themed.

    The gloom began with an Indigenous Peoples Run around the soccer field. The last man in line carried a cinderblock, performed five block squat thrusters, handed the block to the next HIM, then sprinted to the front.

    After Warm-a-rama, the pax moved to the playground. The men formed up shoulder to shoulder in plank position and began passing multiple cinderblocks underneath one another down the line. Somewhere during this evolution, YHC noticed a faint smoky smell and occasional tiny sparks coming off the blocks. In hindsight, this should have been interpreted as a warning from the universe. Shortly thereafter, two blocks catastrophically failed under pressure. We did not start the fire, but the cinderblocks may have been considering it.

    The workout rolled on into multiple Triple Checks around the playground loop, and then to the basketball court for 11s.

    Despite the destruction of government-grade masonry equipment, all men survived, no fingers were lost during plank block transfers, and the pax successfully honored Long Island culture through sweat, confusion, and mild construction debris.

    Announcements:

    NTB going-away party THIS Saturday at 4 p.m., RSVP to DTH.

    Also this Saturday- Bon Iron will be meeting at Dogpile.

    June 13 food distribution for Latinos in VA (details to come on Slack).

    June 14 at 3 p.m., off-the-books ruck at Sunday Park, followed by dinner at the Boathouse.

    Prayer Requests: For the young man at St. Christopher’s who took his life.

  • 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