Tag: First Watch

Seven of the areas all-stars descended down the hill and back up – working out along the way. Moving was to cover ground – but also escape a certain Pax members gaseous releases. God help him.

Handshake took us out.

9 men broke free from the warmth of the fartsack for the early morning first watch and a bowl of Gumbo to close out their 2025. It was served up as follows:

Mosey through the driveway (paying our burpee tolls at the two speed bumps) to the back parking lot. Line up for some warmups to increase the body temps, including high knees, buttkickers, karaoke, and bounders. Then circle up for traditional COP to Attila’s delight. COP included Froggy’s favorite time to shine – jazzercisers and a bunch of other stuff. COP ended with a controversial game of 2025 pop-trivia that resulted in more burpees than correct answers, but EF Hutton and Splinter were all over the Sydney Sweeney question. You’re welcome for cutting the questions short.

THANG

Four Compounding Corners – 10 merkins, 20 2-ct mountain climbers, 30 jump squats or squat jumps, 40 box cutters (add on at each corner).

Reverso/Australian 4 Corners – 40 SSHs, 30 squats, 20 2-ct Freddies, 10 HRMs (take one off at each corner – going in the opposite direction)

Wall Time – mosey over to side wall and wall sit for instructions:

• Round 1 – 10 Donkey Kicks, 10 Mike Tyson Merkins, Lunge to hedges and mosey back to wall sit.
• Round 2 – 20 DKs, 20 2-ct twisting crunches, Lunge, Mosey back.
• Round 3 – 30 DKs and bear crawl to hedge

Mosey BTTF for 3 minutes of Mary, including:

• Pickle Pounders
• APDs
• Rosalitas
• Hello Dollies
• American Hammers

COT with Numbers, Names, Announcements and YHC took us out

Announcements:

• Convergence at Dogpile tomorrow at 0700
• Breaking Bread is up for 2026 – sign up
• Bridge needs a Q for January

NMS: Great way to start the morning and end the year. We even got a Handshake visit to coffeeteria following his solo workout at W-Dog. The SZN of Giving continued with some bubbly and minis to aid tonight’s festivities. Enjoy celebrating 2025 and all that was accomplished, enjoyed, overcome and experienced. Here is to the excitement of a new year. I wish everyone a happy new year, and I hope we all take our F3 energy into the new year with hope and optimism and that the new year brings health, happiness and prosperity to all in F3 RVA.

No More Gumbo For You!

Nine champions of the snooze gathered at First Watch waiting to see if the godfather would show. When 0500 arrived and no truck was in sight, off we went to the front of the church for:

COP

Various exercises including the ever popular SSH, helicopters, arm circles, jazzercises, mountain climbers, flutter kicks. After a comment on the non-traditional COP completing, off we went to the back of the church for:

The Thang

We broke up a Dora today into individual performances. 10x arms, 20x legs, 30x abs. Burpees were scattered throughout as well.

Round 1/5 – Staggered merkins, jump squats, LBCs

Round 2/6 – Staggered merkins, monkey hummers, box cutters

Round 3/7 – Werkins, reverse lunges, HTH

Round 4/8 – Diamond merkins, ball dippers, APDs

Round 9-10 – Merkins, jump squats, LBCs

Various runs and burpees were to be had with the occasional bear crawl to no where in particular.

Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

Moleskine

Great morning for a workout with mild temperatures and energetic PAX. Kudos to Big Spoon who was back in town from Tulsa. Lots of Tulsa references from the PAX this am.

Enjoy the goodies. See y’all soon.

Splinter

A well rounded 12 men met for this weeks Season of Giving Handshake Q.

Warm up at the small park to allow Fudd to arrive and get settled in. COP. Quick count off (more on this later).

Mosey over to the top of Gaymont and partner up. P1 runs down the hill and back, P2 does an exercise. Running down the hill with your partner after both of run. Keep this up for a while. Down Gaymont, left of Rose Hill until we reached Ralston.

At Ralston we keep forward progression. We stopped around Kubotas house and did squats and ran up the driveway, down the sidewalk, up and over the porch, then through the grass.

Keep moseying up Ralston and stop at Finkles house for a 20 HRM’s and 10 Merkins.

Mosey up to River and down River almost to Gaymont and stop at the pull off and do 36 Squats.

Mosey back to the Parking Lot and get with your partner and do 20 single count Boo-yeah Merkins, 20 single count Boo-yeah WWII’s, 20 Boo-yeah Jump Squats.

1 minute of stretching.

Announcements – Kubota is leading The Bridge on 12/27. Festivus tomorrow at Circus. There will be a Kettlebell Workout next Thursday on Christmas morning at Circus.

NMS – fun morning that wasn’t nearly as cold as it has been. Glad to see Wojo out in the fold. Atilla will be on Channel 12 news tonight for urinating on someone’s bush. Senor Frog was the random number I thought of before the workout and he was the real prize for this weeks Season of Giving.

10 Tuckahoans, with collars properly popped, welcomed 4 impressive looking fellows from the warmer side of the river, including 1 clown car that arrived from the far reaches of the flat earth. Cooler temps were expected with numerous knees covered by various fabric selections. A few manlier types selected better ventilation and thus deemed superior. Regardless, here is how things went down.

Handshake finally arrives, so we can begin. Santa Call in his fully starched hat, pulls out his trusty sack to disperse various head gear to the PAX. This gear is meant to be worn throughout the beatdown, however some noggins could not be contained.

Mosey around the parking lot to avoid snow and ice. Circle up for introductions and disclaimers, warm ups included SSH’s, Helicopters, Jazzercise with toe taps, Dead Man Hang, Merkins, LBC’s, all in conversation without counting to encourage the mumblechatter.

Mosey to the base of the Triangle where triple check partners were selected based on headgear. No duplicate hats could be in the same group. Timer runs to River Road and returns with partners doing squats and shoulder taps. 3 rounds complete with quick running route changed after round 1.

Mosey down Cameron Road to the base of Culpepper. Stop for another triple check this time partners are grouped as similar headgear. Timer skips a portion of the way to Grattan and runs the rest. Exercises included mountain climbers and imperial squat walkers.

Mosey back up to Ridge for Dora. 50 merkins, 100 WWII’s, 150 jump squats with timer running to parking lot entrance.

BTTVF for a brief bit of Mary with 10 American Hammers and 10 Heels to Heaven. Numbers, Names, Announcements and Prayers. YHC took us out.

Announcements: Kubota is leading the Bridge on 12/27. Could the SZN of GVN be heading west? Fudd and Flatline are leading Breaking Bread in December, thank you boys. Spaces available in 2026. Gomer is leading a watch party for the Army/Navy game on Saturday at Wood & Iron Short Pump. Gumbo’s 2.0 is marching. See Slack for deets.

NMS: Great turnout for finest 5 am beatdown in the land. Cooler temps lead to YHC on a more mobile workout to keep the warmth moving. All snow was avoided and no slips were registered as of the time of this post. YHC’s M decided to infiltrate the gifts with shameless marketing materials. Enjoy the bevy’s than let Mrs LC handle your portfolio. SZN of GVN keeps rolling with Handshake now on the clock. Well done fellas. Thanks for letting me lead.

Sorta like being invited to a holiday party, only to show up and find out you’re there to park the cars.  That’s showing up for the Season of Giving, but having to swallow the Green Pill.

Here’s what transpired:

Mosey to the Church patio. 

COP

• Don Quixotes
• Helicopters
• Ukranian Soldiers
• Arm Circles
• Copperhead Squats
• Hand Release Merkins
• Plankorama
• Freddie Mercurys
• LBCs
• SSHs

Mosey back to rear corner of parking lot grabbing the cinder blocks along the way.

Endless Escalator – Exercise 1, Run a Lap, Exercise 1 + 2, Run a Lap, Exercise 1+2+3, Run…..Exercise 1-10 and Run a Lap (20 reps of each exercise)

1. Merkins (200 total)
2. Imperial Squats single count (180)
3. WWIIs (160)
4. Carolina Dry Docks (140)
5. Dips (120)
6. Crunchy Frogs (100)
7. Block Curls (80)
8. Block Thrusters (60)
9. Heels to Heaven (40)
10. Burpees (20)
11. Reverso from 10 to 1, if necessary

Numberama, Nameorama, COT

MOLESKIN

Much debate has been had about the ultimate dream girl from our youth.  Age and generation definitely play a role in the PAX’s opinions.  It is a known fact that anyone younger than YHC is a millennial, but a pre-teen and teenage Hutton was smitten with many starlets over the years from the 1980s through today.  The 70s PAX members tend to agree that the young brunette across the street from Kevin Arnold we all know as Winnie Cooper was a Wonder of creation.  The 80s PAX lean to the bubbly cheerleader from Bayside High better known as Kelly Kapowski, who stole Zack’s heart.  Those younger than YHC were raised on the girl with the crazy name and big ti… I mean hair famously known as Topanga Lawrence.  Fun fact, her guy on Boy Meets World is the real life younger brother of Winnie Cooper’s guy on The Wonder Years.  Another fun fact, YHC met Topanga playing roulette at Treasure Island in Las Vegas about 20 years ago.  So I ask, who is your girl?  Any other submissions?  For the record, mother nature has been very kind to all these ladies.  They’ve aged like a very fine wine.  These younger dudes raised on Hannah Montana must be disgusted these days.  The First Watch Season of Giving continues.  Next up, Last Call.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rosie’s 12 Days of Christmas at NoToll – 12/23

F3 RVA Secret Santa, still time to sign up – 12/23

The Bridge – 12/27

Breaking Bread – 12/27 and 12/28

Eleven F3RVA regulars and one Rock Hillian, recently acquired in a trade for Doozy, launched at 5 for the pre-Thanksgiving version of First Watch. Conditions remained steady at 70 and sunny. According to Leroy Jenkins, the following might have happened:

Short mosey around the parking lot taking a series of left turns, then across the street to the front of the church for…

…58 or so SSHs,
Dead Man Hang,
Fudd’s wife (hey, Roger),
Right leg high, left leg high,
Pigeon right, pigeon left,
Fudd’s wife, Wilson’s wife,
Hand release merkins (feel the wetness!),
Flip over to WWIIs
Flutter kicks
Freddie Mercuries

Mosey to the Satellite Parking Lot for…Touch-a-Tree, or Pole, or Post…
10 – flutter kicks,
8 – same,
6 – squats
4 – squats
2 – burpees

Round 2: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2…squats, Carolina dry docks, and burpees.

Mosey to the triangle for Triple 20’s. Groups of three. One man run the triangle. Men 2 and 3 do 20 merkins, 20 four-count flutter kicks, and 20 four-count SSHs. 3 rounds, or due to time and Leroy, 1 full round.

Mosey back to the parking lot, touch 10 cars, and a couple of rounds of Mary.

Numbers, names, and YHC took us out with a message of thanks for what actually makes America great – our unique set of individual rights to free speech, a free press, the absence of state-sponsored religion, free assembly, and the ability to petition our government when we see fit.

NMS:

Leroy Jenkins returned to First Watch and made the appropriate impact adding just a little bit more to an already run-heavy beat down. YHC thanks Handshake for being ready to step in. YHC’s back has been acting up, and it’s always good to know someone is ready to help if need be.

Announcements:

Thanksgiving Convergence. 7:00 a.m. Mary “Mumford,” or Mary Munford, Elementary School, whichever you prefer. Handshake will lead us in being thankful for friends, family, manscaping, and mumble chatter. Those who park in the parking lot will be appreciated by the neighbors sleeping in.

Breaking Bread continues…9 years of F3RVA supporting The Daily Planet’s medical respite…sign up on the Q-sheet.

The Bridge continues 4 years, or so. Kubota leading the charge on December 27. We are looking for a Q to step up for January or February. Anyone who has been once previously is qualified. Who will lead us?

A Lucky 13 gathered this morning at the earliest known workout in F3RVA land. Today’s mission was to start decorating for Christmas. Rewards would follow, but first….

COP on church patio:

Dead Man Hang, Reach for the stars, SSH’s, DQ’s, Helicopters, Ukrainian Soldiers, Inverted Scorpion Kicks, 1.5 Pencil Rolls, Regular Scorpion Kicks, LBC’s

Mosey to the main parking lot for:

Cut down your Christmas Tree (Touch-A-Tree)

Touch 2 trees, partner does Flutter Kicks

Touch 4 trees, partner does Squats

Touch 6 trees, partner does Box Cutters

Next, we have to decorate our tree:

Round 1: Partner 1 Wall Sits while other partner runs and gets strands of lights, switch up

Round 2: Partner 1 Ballz 2 the Wallz while other partner runs and gets tinsel, switch up

Round 3: Partner 1 Donkey Kicks while other partner runs and gets ornaments, switch up

Then, we have to put candles in our windows:

Round 1: Partner 1 tries to reach the church windows via Dwight Howards while other partner bear crawls out and back, switch up

Round 2: Partner 1 keeps trying to reach the church windows via Dwight Howards while other partner lunges out and back, switch up

Round 3: Partner 1 has to replace the light bulbs in the candles via more Dwight Howards while other partner reverse lunges out and back, switch up

Now that the house is decorated, we need to mosey over to the fence and run some garland around it.

Keeping same partners, 3 rounds of exercises while partner runs around the fence, switch up. PAX may or may not have almost broken the beautiful fence in Henrico’s Tiniest Park.

Time to take Santa’s reindeer out for Christmas Eve night:

With same partners, 1.5 rounds of wheelbarrows to the tree on the right and back. Switch as needed.

Time for Santa to throw his sack on his back and deliver toys: Partner Carries across the park and back

Audible! No, that’s not happening. We are too old and big for Partner Carries.

Head over to the guardrail for 4 rounds of Bernie Sanders out and back while partner does Dips, Incline Merkins, Decline Merkins, Dips. Switch up for each round.

Mosey back to the VSF and circle up for Mary

Santa just got home and is looking forward to Alabama Prom Dates with Ms. Claus.

Not satisfied, Santa does Pickle Pounders with Ms. Claus.

One minute of American Hammers to finish it off.

Numbers, Names, Announcements, and YHC took us out!

NMS:

This is either the 4th or 5th year of First Watch SZN of GVN. Each year it seems to start earlier and earlier. I am happy to do this to share my gratefulness to the First Watch PAX for helping me start a 5am workout 6 years ago in order to help me get out and post when a 5:30am workout interfered with my wife having to go to work very early in Western Hanover. YHC changed it up this year and spiced it up a little. Enjoy the treats, men, and lets share our giving hearts with all this holiday season. Make giving contagious! Two more spots are open for SZN, 12/24 and 12/31. Upchuck has the Q next week!

Happy Thanksgiving F3RVA and SYITG!

Kubota

Eight PAX answered the early call to First Watch and started a few seconds early. We did:

COP: SSH, Don Qs, Imperial Walkers, Helicopters, Merkins, Flutterkicks.

Mosey to back lot of RRbC for a “basic 4 corners” as Handshake called it: 10 Burpees, 20 HRMs, 30 Jump Squats, 40 SSH. Go over to front of church and find some grass for PLTs: 3 rounds of 20.

Over back to parking lot to retrieve some coupons, then over to HCSP for a Dora: 100 Block Thrusters, 200 Block presses, 300 Squats. Keep same partner and add 4 rounds: Swings, Skull crushers, SitnPresses, more block presses. Mosey back to flag, drop off coupons, finish up with few seconds of Mary. YHC took us out.

NMS: Solid PAX this morning and great to see Lockjaw back out in the Gloom. With Kubota and Gomer with us YHC chose to not venture out too far from the AO center. Not a ton of mumblechatter this morning besides the PAX being supportive of YHC taking the Q.

Just like all things Christmas encroaches earlier in to November the SZN of GVN at First Watch kicks off next week.

There is no train, or Handshake. The question is, which is more noisy. This question was discussed by the 8 hearty souls who showed up for First Watch this morning.

We started with a traveling COP as we started from the flag and headed down South Ridge to Westham Station which included SSH, DQ, Arm Circles, Dead Man Hang, Fudd’s Wife, Wilson’s Wife.

At the bottom of South Ridge, partner up for a Dora. 50 Merkins, 100 WWIIs, 150 Freddie Mercuries. Runner goes to the 3rd No Parking sign on the right (not the 1st, not the 2nd, but the 3rd).

Find a different partner to head back up South Ridge. Partner 1 does 20 squats while Partner 2 starts up the hill and then runs to catch up when done with squats to trade places. Partner going up the hill does bear crawl, crab walks and then freddie mercury.

Stop at the intersection with overlook and line up for a native american style run back to the parking lot. Once back at the lot, we split into 2 groups for a quad check. Timer ran to the median in the middle of the parking lot. Exercises for those not running were merkins, LBCs and monkey humpers.

With a few minutes left, we returned to the start and circled up for a few minutes of mary.

Announcements / Prayers

1. EF Hutton leading a group to the Bridge on Nov 15. See Slack for details.
2. Prayers EF Hutton and his family as they say goodbye to his aunt.

Numbers, names and YHC took us out. Thank you for letting me lead today!