20 strong hit dogpile for an old school beatdown this morning and here is how it went down.

Warm up exercises to get the heart pumping and the muscles loose ..

Love Hill – 1st version partner up run to the top before the turn in the road – exercises walk out merkins – lunges – broad jump burpees – 2nd version run to the top gate – exercises polar bears – Russian Solders – crab walk.

Amp Theatre : dips ladder down 18-1 – back up 1-18 incline merkins

Burpee Shuffle.

Native American Run back to flag

20 hand release merkins ring of fire.

Hardywood got the pax count – EF Hutton took us out.

Way to work guys – thanks for allowing me to lead and for letting me bring back a legendary dogpile workout .

Have a great rest of your weekend.

“Tyranny is our foe. Whatever trapping or disguise it wears, whatever language it speaks, be it external or internal, we must for ever be on our guard, ever mobilized, ever vigilant, always ready to spring at its throat.

In all this we march together. Not only do we march and strive shoulder to shoulder at this moment, under the fire of the enemy on the fields of war or in the air, but also in those realms of thought which are consecrated to the rights and the dignity of man.“-Winston S. Churchill

17 Warriors for freedom, peace and prosperity by way of voluntary cooperation arose to greet the dawn of a new day and defend the island. The white flags were burned long ago and surrender was removed from the vernacular. There would be no appeasing of tyrants and according to legend it went a little something like this.

Mosey over the grass circle for COP

IC X 20; SSH, IW, Lunge, HRM, WWII. Arm circle X 1

Mosey to the coupon depot and on to the valley of doubt.

FIVER

Five rounds of the following; squat press on one side, run to other side and complete five burpees.

FARMER CARRY

Partner up for a big boy version of Catch Me If You Can. One partner grabs both coupons and begins moving down the valley, up the other side, up the hill and on to the circle. The other partner completes 3 Polar Bears and runs to catch his partner, then switcheroo.

TRIPLE CHECK

Exercies are American Hammer with coupon and 6 inches. The timer is the man completing 20 Super Merkins. This is a merkin with both blocks on the ground and your hands on each, completing a merkin with a much bigger range of motion.

FOUR CORNERS

Mosey to field with coupon. Complete 4 burpee ups with blocks at each corner. Return coupons at completion.

HOUSE OF PAIN

Mosey to amphitheater and start at the bottom. Complete a box jump per the number of steps. 1 on first row, 2 on second row, etc.

BURPEE SHUFFLE

Mosey to circle for one last bit of fun.

Namerama, numberama, Probation led us out.

Prayer Requests: Keep Swirly’s M in your prayers this week and send him a word of encouragement. You know he’s done it for you.

FNG: Welcome Schwing. This is an official upgrade as Hobby Lobby, Shot Gun and Fozzy Bear were in the running for the names. He is Shiplap’s step brother. There was some connection to Aldi (either the store or the town in northern Virginia). Aldi the store was also started by brothers who had a falling our with the older brother Dieter apparently being a real jerk. Dieter was a character played by Mike Meyers and the closest thing he had to a brother on SNL was Garth. When Wayne and Garth got boners at the same time they said “Schwing“.

Moleskin: YHC has done lots of reflecting, thinking, praying and researching over the past nine months. It’s a really wild time and I’m particularly interested to think about how history will remember these past nine months and the decisions we have made and what we have allowed to be made for us. The video that opens the post is from a Winston Churchill speech he gave warning the Americans about the dangers of appeasing tyrants. It’s hard to truly understand through a modern lens how much of a pariah he was at the time for this belief. The world was still reeling from the first World War and understandably there was little appetite for a principled stand. This was recorded about one month after the Munich Pact was signed.

The Munich Pact was an agreement that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain thought would prevent a full on war. The agreement was that Germany could have some German speaking parts of Czechoslovakia and this little bit of concession would be enough to stop the totalitarian behavior of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party or Nazis for short. The Nazis had committed atrocities through the 1930s and they never once honored any agreement or pact. Chamberlain was sure that by appeasing them he could prevent a war and lots of smart people agreed with him. They were sure if they sacrificed just a little, they would get a desired outcome.

Churchill stood nearly alone in his resoluteness that appeasing tyrants would only accelerate their abuse. He was steadfast in his belief that the best way to protect his people was by defending their freedom at all costs. Nine months after the Munich Pact was signed, the Germans invaded Poland just as Churchill predicted.

Doing what was easy instead of what was right cost millions of lives and altered the trajectory for an entire nation of people. I wonder how many people initially supported Chamberlain who had a change of heart, but were too afraid to admit a mistake in their strategy. History paints a picture that as the situation with the Nazis worsened, there were many Brits intent on defending their decision rather than their island, much to their detriment.

Winston was far from perfect, but he will go down as one of the most principled and courageous men the world ever produced. May we all be so courageous to identify and defend the things we believe in at all costs with clarity, purpose and conviction.

If you aren’t clear in what you stand for and where your morals are, then some one will do it for you.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

Never give up. Dig a little deeper and get it all out.

Your pal,

Hardywood

Weather was predicted to be 40 degrees and wet. Thankfully for the PAX it was 70 degrees and sunny. 17 men took the Daily Red Pill and descended upon the AO in search of a beat down. This is the known unknown of what transpired that morning.

Mosey to the bright light beside Dogwood Dell for

COP #1 (Winter Olympics Edition)

• Nancy Kerrigans
• Apollo Onos
• Bonnie Blairs

Mosey to circle near Ha’Penny Stage for

COP #2 (More Sports)

• Michael Phelps
• Nolan Ryan
• Bobby Hurley

Stay there for Merkin Jacks (merkin/plank jack), and Captain Thors (WW2/American Hammer). 1/4 up to 5/20 and back down for each.

Mosey to Ha’Penny Stage and grab a coupon. Deliver coupon as ticket for the music from the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater.

The THANG #1 (Tabata)

Music and Tabata set up with 1 minute on, 20 second rest, and 10 rounds:

• Curls
• Weighted Squats
• Derkins
• Weighted WW2s
• Squat Thrusters

Went through above exercises twice to get to 10 rounds.

The THANG #2 (Triple Check #1)

• Partner 1 mosey up stairs, around traffic circle and back down
• Partner 2 Weighted Sqauts
• Partner 3 hold coupon in Cusak position

Mosey back to return coupons. Recovery planking ensued. Recover and head back to amphitheater for:

The THANG #3 (Triple Check part Deaux)

• Partner 1 mosey up stairs, around traffic circle and back down
• Partner 2 Donkey Kicks
• Partner 3 Incline Merkins

Time called before all 3 rounds could be completed. BTTF.

Numbers, Names, Announcements (below), YHC took us out with a poem (also below).

NMM

This Q was to mark YHC’s 38th journey around the sun. A couple days ago YHC learned of the untimely passing of MF DOOM at the age of 49. This hit home as a reminder that there are no guarantees in life. Tomorrow is not promised and YHC must take advantage of his time left. Every day above ground is a blessing, and a good day. This poem really speaks to YHC about making the best possible use of the time we are given on this earth:

The Mower

BY PHILIP LARKIN

The mower stalled, twice; kneeling, I found   
A hedgehog jammed up against the blades,   
Killed. It had been in the long grass.

I had seen it before, and even fed it, once.   
Now I had mauled its unobtrusive world   
Unmendably. Burial was no help:

Next morning I got up and it did not.
The first day after a death, the new absence   
Is always the same; we should be careful

Of each other, we should be kind   
While there is still time.

A handsome collection of gloom vets escaped the Christmas carb coma to embrace an arctic chill. Turns out when you hug Jack Frost, he hugs back. Here’s how the PAX stayed one step ahead of frostbite:

The THANG:

COP #1:

• Mosey to the Carillon Courtyard
• Welcome & F3 Disclaimer
• To warm up, circumnavigate Carillon Field, running lengths, bearcrawl far end, returning to courtyard to complete reps IC for the SIX:
• Round 1: Imperial Squat Walkers & DQ’s
• Round 2: The Opus & Crab Jacks
• Round 3: NoCheat Merkins, Rosalita Whips, Freddie M’s slow to fast

COP #2:

• Mosey over to the far Circle and Partner Up
• P1 starts carousel planks around curb while while P2 completes x5 burpees, then they switch, and continue alternating until circumference fully traversed
• Slow Curb Dips IC for the SIX

COP #3:

• Mosey to collect coupons at the Stage and form up backside of Carillon
• Triple Check:
• P1 (timer) runs coupon around the Carillon
• P2 does Squat Thrusters alternated with Kettlebell Swings
• P3 does Bench Press Flutters alternated with WWII holding block on chest
• Murder Bunny to return coupons to stage, then Al Gore & Hold Plank for the SIX

COP #4:

• Mosey to top of Amphitheater
• Move to bottom with descending count 17-1, alternating Dips and Monkey Humpers
• At bottom, Am Ham’s IC for the SIX
• Return to top with ascending count 1-17, alternating Box Jumps with Incline Merkins
• Await the SIX with Oblique LBC’s and APD’s IC, then close out with Heels to Heaven and Kimchi Twists IC
• AYG sprint BTTF

COT:

• Counterama # 14
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took us out in Prayer

NMS:

• YHC was surprised and pleased with such a solid turnout the day after Christmas. Also enjoyed having Papabear Boberry out to congratulate the man on a healthy newborn girl. Apparently they are waiting to bring her out to a workout for formal naming by the PAX… YHC is voting for “Not unlike cold molasses, the PAX moved slowly to start, but the warmerama COP served its purpose, and soon it was just lips and fingers suffering the cold. YHC misspoke directions through numb lips at least a few times, and there were more than a few brothers who found the coupon handling endangering fingertip frostbite. Of course Cooper also had to add his own threat to the PAX health and safety, wielding a samurai sword stick around the COT and playing piñata with Doublemint’s scrotum. Pretty sure YHC saw Handshake running toward the danger looking for an inexpensive alternative to the impending doom of urologic sterilization. Maybe next time buddy. Finish the year strong brothers. SYITG, YHC, DTH

18 icicles decided to defrost their toes and warm their hearts collectively in celebration of YHC and HoneyDo’s birthdays at today’s edition of The Dogpile. Temperatures were an unseasonably warm sunny and 70. According to the toll operators on the Nickel Bridge, something like this happened:

10 Burpees to warm our souls.

Split the Q today to spread the birthday love.

HoneyDo Q (birthday mañana):

Quick COP

Warma Dora 60/120/180 of burp ups, merkins, and the tiniest of baby crunches.

Coupon-a-ram-a: 80 presses along with murder bunnies across the field.

3 sets of 15 pullovers

10 sit and press

Partner-up: 2 rounds of wheelbarrows and 3 sets of partner leg tosses.

Quick visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Triple Check

BTTF

UpChuck Q (birthday yesterday):

Mosey towards the river, find a patch of grass (or rocks, Swirly), and circle up.

SSHs x48
IWs x12
Arm circles x18
Various stretches ’cause the Q isn’t 47 anymore
Pickers x10
HRMs x10
WWIIs x10

Mosey to the Nickel Bridge and perform a Burpee Bridge:

Starting at the toll booth, 3 burpees at every lamppost (lighted or not). When 2 men have reached Riverside Drive, returning runners pick up the group. 3 WWIIs at each lamppost on the return.

Mosey to the Tree Stump for a Prostitute (always return to the same corner):

Run from home to first, perform 10 reps of the exercise. Return to home for one burpee.

Run from home to first, perform 10 reps, then move onto second base for 20 reps, then back to first for 10 and then back home for the single burpee. Continue building/reversing up to 30 reps at 3rd base and then up to 40 reps at home.

First base: 10 mercans
Second base: 20 WWIIs
Third base: 30 Rosalitas
Home: 40 flutter kicks

Mosey to Pump House Road for some Exercise Road repeats:

Round 1: 10 monkey humpers at each post (6 posts out, 5 posts back)
Round 2: 10 LBCs
Round 3: Up the hill, 4 posts of oblique crunches (Little Baby Side Crunches?), 10 crunches at each post, alternate right/left abs at each post.

BTTF

Number-am-a, Name-a-ram-a, YHC took us out.

Announcements:

January 1, Carlos Santana’s Hill in Chesterfield/Powhatan/Amelia/Roanoke at 07:00. Roll down the windows and Clown Car with your pals.

Nurses are busy these days. Let’s keep them in our thoughts, and let’s do our part to keep each other healthy.

Two quotes from today’s workout:

“Last week was a 5 alarm emergency.”

“This is definitely not a hoax.”

NMS:

YHC was pretty fired up today after the workout. Lots of “that was a hard Q” from both groups. YHC confesses that he’s not sorry to have missed a Silent Assassin Q. YHC dislikes murder bunnies.

YHC has wanted to visit Burpee Bridge for some time, so a modest sized group at Dogpile offered a nice return to an old favorite. Probation crushed the uphill. Nice work.

YHC had a quick chat with Vinny yesterday, which reminded YHC of the 4-bagger. Like a good eggnog, a good Prostitute warms the heart and the toes on a chilly morning.

Happy birthday to HoneyDo.

YHC thanks Swirly for reminding YHC that having a birthday means getting one year older. YHC promises to practice saying “Tim Nee, UpChuck, 48.”

UpChuck spits the bit.

25 strong emerged in the foggy gloom for a 6am beatdown. Here’s what transpired.

COP: All IC. Dead man hang // Helicopters // DQs // cherry pickers // imperial walkers // LBCs // Crunchy Frogs // Merkins // Werkins // Diamond Merkins // SSH 21s

Descending Triangle: Start at the Traffic Circle, Bear Crawl to the Street, Run down to the bottom of the hill, Bernie Sanders back up. Round 1: 100 2x Min Climbers // Round 2: 75 LBCs // Round 3: 50 Merkins // Round 4: 25 Lt. Dans. COP for the six. Mosey to the Pennystage.

Triple Check with a Coupon: P1: Squat Thrusters // P2: Windshield Wipers // P3: Murder Bunnies to the Light pole, run the coupon back.

Intermission: Head-Shoulders-Knees-and Toes: Start with coupon on ground in front of you, feet shoulder width apart. 1/ Deadlift coupon to thighs 2/ Front Lateral Raise coupon, straight arms 3/ Pull coupon, laterally, to chest 4/ Press coupon overhead 5/ Lower coupon behind your head, elbows pointing up 6/ Extend coupon back over your head, keep elbows up 7/ Lower coupon to chest 8/ Extend coupon out laterally from chest, until arms straight 9/ Lower coupon to thighs, arms straight 10/ Lower coupon to ground, via reverse deadlift. That’s 1 rep. Repeat 10x. This was YHC’s third attempt to lead this and perhaps the last. Return the coupons and Mosey to Salad Bowl.

Jacob’s Ladder: Run to the other side of the Bowl, 1 Burpee. Run back to the other side, 2 Burpees. Up to 10.

Finished with the pax facing the knee height wall. Incline Merkins // Dips // Step ups // Box Jump Burpees x5 OYO.

Mosey back to the flag. Numerama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

NMS: Enjoyed introducing the murder bunnies to the pax who did not experience this year’s Iron Pax Challenge. Was great to see so many out today, including a couple guys we haven’t seen in a while. What a privilege to be a part of this group! SYITG.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Victor Frankl

26 brave souls, mostly clad in Hawaiian shirts and sporting lip caterpillars, and 1 four-legged friend, crashed Robin’s Nest for the 3rd Annual Magnum PI Day. It went a little something like this:

Today’s Q played the Magnum PI Theme Music and proudly displayed the Cornhole Trophy as he planted the flag and then it was 0530 and time to mosey. The mosey took us to the customary COP circle and around it a couple times. Then, COP included:

1. First episode aired 12/11/1980
   1. DQ (Higgins) IC x 12
   2. Helicopters (TC) IC x 11
   3. Magnum Merkins (Stache to the ground) IC x 19
   4. SSHs (just cause) IC x 80 (Q almost passed out)
2. It ran for 8 years – 8 burpees OYO

Enough of that, let’s mosey down to the amphitheater at Robin’s Nest – man was it soupy. Gather at the bottom for instructions. There were 162 episodes of Magnum, and we have 18 steps, and 18 x 9 = 162, so on the way up, 9 squats and on the 9th one box jump to the next step. What goes up must come down, so 9 dips on the way down. Plank-o-Rama for the 6

Mosey to the Golden Triangle for the Volcano STACHE Beast. The first round involved running the Golden Triangle twice….modifications were made and audibles were called, but we still got 6 exercise stops each round and 6 rounds for the BEAST and plenty of exercise and plenty of running. Exercised included:

S – SSHs x6

T – Tempo Merkins x6

A – American Hammers 2-ct x6

C – Carolina Dry Docks x6

H – Monkey Humpers x6

E – Elbow Plank as a PAX for 30-seconds each stop

Back to the COP Circle to honor the Final Episode on 5/8/1988 with rapid fire Mary, as follows:

Hello Dollies x5

Rosalitas x8

Flutter Kicks x19

Box Cutters x8

Freddie Mercuries x8

Magnum was PI, so we finished time with Plank Jacks x8 and Imperial Walkers x8, then we chased the bad guys back to the flag.

COT, Numbers, Names, and YHC took us out.

ANnouncements:

1. HDHH, 12/16 somewhere in Scott’s Addition see Honeydo
2. Rosies 12-days of Christmas coming in 2 weeks at NoToll don’t miss it

NMS – Thanks to everyone for coming out today and celebrating the 3rd Annual Magnum PI Day. We will get back on the horse next year with a stache growing challenge and fundraiser. Props to EFHutton for throwing out the RAISE challenge this year. Tclaps.

It was great to experience the wet paradise with you men. Welcome to Selleck.

There were lots of strong STACHE’s in the PAX today. I love it.

Be well and Be Good!

No More Gumbo For You!

15 studs pushed aside the trip the tryptophan-laden Fart Sack and accepted the challenge of today’s version of the Dogpile. Temps were, once again, sunny and 70.

COP – Mosey to the Carillon

SSHs
Russian Soldiers
Dead Man Hang
Don Quixotes
HRMs
LBCs
Freddie Mercurys

Mosey to the Ha’ Penny Stage and Grab a Block for Touch-a-Tree

Partner Up. Rounds of 4, 6, and 8. Non-runner does thrusters, block presses, and curls.

Bonus Round of 10 with block burpees.

Mosey to the Carillon Picnic Table for a Lindsey.

Start at the picnic table and run to the Valley of Despair (bottom). Exercises were monkey humpers and flutter kicks (4-count). Total 40 exercises on each side (35-5, 30-10, 25-15, etc.). Bonus hook: on each trip down the hill, do 5 derkins and on each trip up the hill, do 5 incline merkins.

Mosey to the Amphitheater

Going up, 5 V-ups on each step. Coming down, 5 jump squats.

Mosey to the Circle for a Curb Crawl

Bear crawl from outer to inner curb, 1 merkin, crawl bear back to outer curb, 2 merkins, repeato up to 6 merkins.

Mosey 10 Feet to the Circle for Mary

Fire hydrants
WWIIs
Snow Angels
Reverse Crunches
Oblique crunches (x5 each side)

BTTF

Announcements/Prayer Requests:

Keep a family friend of Bubble’s in your prayers – they lost their 21 year old to an aneurysm. That’s way too young. Hold your loved ones a bit tighter and spend some quality time with them.

Gomer Pyle reminded us how fortunate we are. The people of Honduras and Nicaragua may feel far away, but they are people like us, and they are suffering from multiple hurricanes / floods to go along with the challenges of COVID. Let’s keep them in our prayers and be ready to help when the opportunities arise.

YHC asks that we keep my friend Al in our prayers. Went Home at the ripe young age of 90 on Thanksgiving. Spent a lifetime building opportunities for those willing to work hard.

NMS:

Nice to partner with BoBerry today.

Good chatter today, mostly about thorough disdain for the Qs directions and counting, so generally par for the course. 4-count flutter kicks are clearly a Pax Favorite. When done in cadence, a flutter kick has 4-counts, and the PAX accept this. Yet, when included as an individual part of an evolution, calling a 4-count flutter kick causes the PAX to wonder what language “4-count” is. This fascinates YHC.

“The six is in.” YHC finds Oyster to be funny.

YHC does worry about the future of breakfast-time capitalism in Richmond. All worms crawled freely today as the self-proclaimed “Early Bird Biscuit Company” employees chose to nestle with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Panera in Carytown apparently opens on the same schedule as Lally Construction’s Complaint Department (every other Thursday from 09:00 to 09:01 a.m.). ETs, of course, may declare themselves to be “Woke,” but certainly cannot manage to woke themselves up and start serving until the day is 1/3rd done. No bueno. Hard work produces winners. Can you imagine where the world would be if the Greatest Generation started at 8 a.m.? The invasion of Normandy started at midnight and was in full swing by 6 a.m. For that matter, Washington crossed the Delaware at midnight, surprised the Hessians, and was back in Pennsylvania before ETs let anyone buy cold bacon.

On the other hand, McDonald’s has cheerful employees, hot coffee, and a 4 car line at 07:30 a.m. I’m lovin’ it.

Good chatter in the ETs parking lot. Nice to see the newer guys setting goals and hitting them. It’s you-against-you, so keep pushing. Way to go.

YHC thanks Gomer for his advice on warm feet.

UpChuck spits the bit.

Gearing up to justify overeating their Thanksgiving favorites, 26 veteran fartsack escapees posted to Dogpile for a DTH smokefest classic. Here’s how it went down:

The THANG:

COP #1:

• Mosey down to form up in the Amphitheater 
• Welcome & F3 Disclaimer
• The usual Variable Warmerama 

COP #2:

• BURPBACK MOUNTAIN:
• Partner up with another cowboy
• P1 starts Burpees
• P2 runs to top of steps & back
• Complete x100 Burpees as a team
• Front runners help the SIX and/or join DTH in variable Mary

COP #3:

• Mosey to the Rusty Cage
• Pull-ups x5 IC
• Hanging leg lifts x5 IC
• Merkins x10 IC
• Complete x3 sets together

COP #4:

• Mosey to the Carillon front circle
• WALLS OF JERICHO:
• Partner Up
• Complete x7 laps around the Carillon Memorial, with x7 Squerkins EACH following each lap
• And all the PAX gave a great SHOUT to bring down the Carillon walls…
• BODOS led plankorama for the SIX, adding (at Hitch’s suggestion) painful elbow plank pickle pounders (ugh)
• Variable Mary

COP #5:

• Mosey to the Carillon Field
• Line up along one side
• Bearcrawl across, Broad Jump back
• Crabwalk across, Lunge back
• Gorilla Shuffle across, alternate-side Gorilla back
• Mosey to the end of the Field for an AYG sprint to the other end

Mosey BTTF:

• Circle back for the SIX
• Run out the clock with OYO Variable Mary

COT:

• Counterama # 26
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took us out in Prayer

NMS:

• YHC was honored to shield lock with so many studly HIM’s this morning. The PAX cowboy’d up with gusto for the hundred burpee opener – and we all said goodbye to our legs for the day. Then we smoked the shoulders at the rusty cage, and kept the burner on HIGH to bring the Carillon crumbing to the ground (Squerkins provided the usual humorous mumble chatter). A smattering of Mary between COP’s and a bit of decent Field work at the end sealed the deal on a full body smokefest. Solid work today gentlemen! SYITG, YHC, Dr Tryhard

FIGHTING FORCE

My VQ

Conditions: Good

PAX: 22

FNGs: 1 (Jim Beckman AKA Chestnut)

Warmarama

• SSH, Don Quixote, Scorpion Kicks

The Thang

• 245 Merkins/Lake Jog
• 79 WWII Situps
• 75 PLT
• 30 Reps, Hot Potato Exercises, 20 minutes
• 15 Helix Squats
• Indian Run

COT

Tribute to the U.S Marine Corps, gratitude for their service and freedom, prayer for elected leaders