Tag: #SOJ

  • Conan….what is best in life

    With Spring Break starting…..numbers probably for the next week will be lower. Those are out travelling, trying to get away enjoy a break from RVA and the rat race that it is. 7 came out this morning to see what I had planned.

    A mosey to the tower(where we grabbed Hitch) then started off a nice warmup(SSHs, Imperial Walkers, Copperhead squats, Flutters, Alabama prom dates plus adding a little Wilson’s and Fudd’s wife to get the body ready. First part….triple check consisting of shoulder taps, Lt Dans and run up the right side, behind and back down. Get the body moving and working early

    A classic, something I enjoy putting into my workouts is a Dora. A classic really works plus you add something like a run uphill it adds more to it. The classic is 100 Merkins, 200 squats, 300 LBCs(plus any additional reps or runs to help others finish). After that it was a short mosey to the nearby circle. We did a 4 corners next(now 4 corners can be 4 points) regular styler today 15 Carolina Dry Docks, 30 DC toe taps, 60 mountain climbers, 90 SSHs(that lactic acid gets going with the SSHs(do an old school 100 Florence SSHs you will see how it feels).

    Time wise, we were in good shape. I haven’t done eye of the storm in a good while. Luckily it didn’t rain as much so to the field for a quick(the middle was 2 burpees) 10 Hand release merkins, 20 Bulgarian split squats, 30 American Hammers, 40 jump squats. The end is near….to the amphitheater for a descending ladder of squats and tricep dips(even numbers dips, odd squats). After that a few minutes left to the flag for broga. Then time was up, numbers, names announcements and prayer led by YHC to close it out

    It felt good to lead. I try to just enjoy things figure my body and mind out each time. Even as I get older(with a big year change coming up this summer), I am still learning things on training seeing what my body wants plus making my mental game stronger. Final thought…prayers to Tin Man read on Slack what happened(that was scary give you that whoa moment). He will rest and hope to see him back when he gets the go-ahead. See you next time

  • Divorce Lawyers with Merch

    A fabulous five took a break from their typical Olympic gymnastics training to don their rucks for another round of Ruckhenge! As we began our journey we were overtaken by YHC’s coworker who opted to continue her run rather than stop and listen to a bunch of dudes talk about aliens, middle fingers, and all the other crazy things the kids learn in second grade these days. We kept the route flat and fast as we trekked approximately a three mile loop around Stony Point mall. Great conversation was had by all, several of the world’s problems were solved, but alas nobody wrote anything down of merit.

    Back to the flag with the same crew that started the morning where we definitely answered the question, “do you have to get divorced to receive a Brooks and Baez sweatshirt?”…yes. A serious auto accident also qualifies.

  • Light it up like its dynamite

    1 pulse pounding playlist, 12 men at the club til dawn.

    Warmarama: 7.5 minutes of dancing to this song:

    Mosey across the fields; ground pounding 11s with donkey kicks on the fence, bear crawl 5 yards and mirkins, on repeat.

    Mosey around the field and back to the pavilion for a Dynamite triple check: raise the roof, twerk squats, timer runs to the center of the field.

    3.5 minutes of dancing.

    Monkey jumpers, Alabama prom dates, Rosalitas, pickle pounders to everyone’s favorite Lonely Island song. Cash or credit.

    Circle up for some Charlie XCX, burpee every time she sings ‘I Love It.’

    Scrunchy frogs to the tune of Crazy Frog. Trojan remarked that this song may have more cultural relevance than anything Bob Dylan released. Debatable, but no one can doubt the sheer brilliance of the Crazy Frog.

    Attempted some mankillers but to be honest they weren’t hitting the beat so we just danced instead.

    Mosey to the lot: 11s to the tune of Rihanna: polesmokers, crab walk to the curb, crab cakes. All to the beat: we found love in a hopeless place.

    Mosey back to the flag for one more minute of dancing: “One day you’ll leave this world behind so live a life you will remember.”

    COT and gratitude for the great dance.

  • American Pie

    YHC has had the Q on 3/14 (National Pie Day) for the last couple years but totally forgot this year. In honor of American Pie, we had some music from the soundtracks playing as we…

    WARMARAMA – Took a lap, stretched (very quietly), gave the missions and got into it…

    COP #1 – EMOM

    • Round 1: Build up from (3) Burpees, run to the other end of the parking lot and back. Got up to (10)
    • Round 2: Build up from (3) Squats, run in the grass to the tennis court and back. Got up to (10)

    COP #2 – Partner Exercises on the tennis court

    • Round 1: Bear crawl to middle, (5) booyah merkins and crawl bear back. 3X
    • Round 2: Lunge to the middle, (5) booyah lunges and lunge back. 3X
    • Round 3: Crab Walk to the middle, booyah WW2 and crab walk back. 3X

    COP #3 – Four Corners on the tennis court

    • (10) WW2, (20) American Hammers, (30) LBC’s and (40) Flutter Kicks. 2X

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    • 3-year anniversary at The Alamo next week!
    • Nancy’s fundraiser

    PRAYERS/WINS

    • WIN – FNG ALERT!! From Hawaii…PAX wanted Moana but went with her friend Hey Hey!
    • WIN – The PAX’s generosity helped YHC exceed the goal for Lighthouse Family Ministry! So proud to call y’all friends.

  • 321 Drum Show

    12 HIMs showed up to an AO where tree-choppers are scheduled to arrive at 7am. Respectfully, we moved our cars to the road and relocated the virtual flag.

    According to the guy in the truck who asked us to move, here’s what went down at Dogpile on 3/21:

    YHC thought it would be a good workout to have everyone line-up and carry the person similar to our size, but YHC learned that such exercise has been banned since 2016. so we just did a regular mosey to the field.

    COP:
    Helicopters x12
    Ukrainian Soldiers x12
    Imperial walkers x12
    World’s greatest stretch x3
    Merkins x 10

    Mosey to the tower for a “Rolling Mary”
    3+2+1 of Freddie Mercuries, Flutter kicks, WW2, WW1, box-cutters, while rolling in between each rep, until we reach the tower.

    Tower circuit:
    6 Calf Raises
    3 Incline merkins on each step going up
    Bear crawl around the tower
    3 decline merkins on each step going down modified incline/decline merkins 3+2+1

    6 calf-raises

    Mosey to the Amphitheater:

    2 squats 2 single deadlifts on each leg, up to the top

    2 american hammers, down to the bottom.

    Shadow Boxing:

    2 jabs+1 cross, both sides, 1 min

    2 jabs+1 undercut, both sides, 1 min

    Mosey to the cage:

    Quad-check? Four rounds of:

    5 jump squats

    4 jerkins

    3 pull-ups

    Mosey down to the bridge, and 6 calf-raises on each step going back up.

    Mosey back to the roundabout. 2 mins of mountain climbers, merkins, hand-release merkins.

    COT, Announcements, Prayer Requests

    YHC appreciates the HIMs patience as YHC tests out various work-out combos. Some sad prayer requests were sad today, and we ended with a prayer for the family of a girl whose cancer spread to her brain.

    Twenty-one Pilots resounded in the AO today:

    Stressed out

    Heathens

    Heavydirtysoul

    Car radio

    Holding on to you

    Overcompensate

    Migraine

    Message man

    Shy away

    Tear in my heart

    Trees

    Drum Show

    Lane Boy

    The Judge

  • The Final Ponch of Winter ❄️➡️☀️

    The final Ponch-led beatdown of the winter kicked off under a dark, quiet sky, the kind where the world is still asleep but the stars are putting on a show. It had that calm-before-the-storm feel… and then…

    Man Down.

    Mid-mosey, Woodsman went down—sprained ankle, Wounded in Action. Immediate respect to the PAX for rallying, checking on him, and making sure he was squared away. Wildcat came through with the ambulance and doctoral expertise. Woodsman, heal up brother, we’ll hold the line until you’re back. 💪,

    The mood started gloomy, dark, a little heavy… but like all good mornings in the gloom, we got to work anyway.

    The Thang

    After a brief stretch warm-up, we mosied along and got to what Nancy dubbed it a “Beach Body Workout”… and he wasn’t wrong.

    Summer is coming, men. Whether you’re ready or not.

    🔥 Circuit 1 – Cardio Warm-Up (IC)

    • SSH
    • Heismans
    • 1-2-3s
    • Butt Kickers
    • High Knees
    • Mummy Kicks

    ➡ Run

    💪 Circuit 2 – Core Crusher

    • Flutter Kicks
    • Leg Lifts
    • Rosalitas
    • Freddie Mercurys

    ➡ Run

    🫡 Circuit 3 – Merkin Madness

    • Regular Merkins
    • Wide Merkins
    • Diamond Merkins
    • Hand Release Merkins

    ➡ Run

    🏋️‍♂️ Circuit 4 – Shoulder Burn

    • Arm Circles
    • Overhead Arm Claps
    • Apple Pickers

    ➡ Run

    ⛰️ The Finish

    • Climb to the top of the hill
    • Turn and descend
    • Sprint it out back to the flag

    No music. No distractions. Just breath, grit, and the sound of feet hitting pavement.

    🧠 Moleskin

    What started as a dark, uncertain morning turned into a reminder:

    Even when things don’t start right… you keep moving.

    • We lose a man early → we adapt
    • It’s cold, dark → we push anyway
    • Legs tired → we climb the hill

    That’s the work.

    And those stars overhead? Beauty!

    Just a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there’s still light if you look up.

    🙏 COT

    • Strength prayers for Warby, Swoop, and Crab Grass as they take on their thang this weekend—go get it.
    • Prayers for Woodsman—quick recovery, brother. We’ll be ready when you return.

    Honored to lead the final Ponch beatdown of the winter.

    Spring’s coming… and so is the next level.

    SYITG 💥

  • Hare of the Dog

    The night before was St. Patty’s, but the fellas understood that if they were drinking then, the only “hair of the dog” they’d receive the morning after would be their Q. An easy mosey into the new neighborhood section and subsequent warm-up gave way to a cinder block workout on the Woodshed’s own version of Satan’s Hill (yet to be named). Trips up and down the hill included a handful of burpees on the descent and rounds of various coupon lifts at the bottom (bicep and tricep curls, bent over rows, and military presses).

    Following the hill workout, the PAX did a Triple Check with a shorter run into a cul-de-sac interspersed with goblet squats and flutter kicks. After toting the coupons back to the clubhouse, we finished up with a Circle of Fire.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS: Nancy Lopez is sponsoring a 5K, the GLOW for Galactosemia, on 4/11 at Robius Landing. Rudy is also raising money for Family Lighthouse (and folks could have signed up for his bracket challenge).

    PRAYERS: to everyone in general.

  • Conquering Tryhard at Handicamp

    10 gloom studs assembled for a refreshing ride on the Forge pain train, with YHC digging back in the annals of historic novelty for a nonstop high rep whoopin – as follows:

    The THANG: 

    MORNING CALL:

    • Mosey the latecomers loop and end up back at the Mobile Taco Pullup Station
    • PAX plank while taking turns doing 5 pullups on the bar, each PAX declaring their nickname with gusto and the PAX repeating

    SLAUGHTER LIGHT POLES:

    • Starting at the flag, stop at every light pole going down Sheila Lane to the Culdesac, and at each light pole complete x5 Squats AND x5 Merkins

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Circle up in the Culdesac
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Warm-up Reps IC, including the infamous 8-count “DTH” (Dolly, Toe touch, Heels to Heaven)

    CATCH ME IF YOU CAN:

    • Partner up, runner Bernies while chaser completes x3 Burpees then sprints to switch
    • Stop at the “handicamp” ramp

    THE GREAT WALL OF TRYHARD: 

    • Climb the 8-10’ stone retaining wall, safely, for those PAX feeling comfortable doing so. If not, either spot from the bottom or help out at the top. 

    NEW GLORY RAMP:

    • 1st Half – Bear Crawl
    • 2nd Half – Lunge

    JERKIN GYM:

    • NEW Partners, each completing reps, for three rounds total
    • x10 Dips (feet held)
    • x10 Cliffhanger Merkins (feet held)
    • x10 Jerkins (feet held)

    DORA:

    • NEW Partners assemble at the stairs
    • x100 Heels to Heaven
    • x200 LBC’s
    • x300 Flutters (2-ct)
    • Moving partner Tooth Fairies the stairs and runs the loop back around to switch

    Beeline Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 10
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer – specifically lifting up Scram’s brother in law with new esophageal cancer diagnosis and Dookie sharing about his son’s teacher who suddenly passed 

    NMS:  Solid PAX to run through some of our favorite DTH routines. TClaps to these Forge studs embracing the suck and conquering all these COT’s with great enthusiasm and effort. While bearcrawling the handicap ramp (AKA hadicamp) Snuff noted the brutal hear crawl was better than needing it for a wheelchair. This sentiment of gratitude for the strength and health we enjoy was rolled into the sober reality during COT that none of us can count on tomorrow, and we all ought to do all we can for the time we have today – seek and give forgiveness, put others needs before your own, stop to enjoy the beauty and blessing of moments and margins. Lovely coffeerama followed courtesy of Snuff, with excellent discussion about our 3rd F topics of Prayer and Study. We are better when connected with each other and with a greater power’s accountability and guidance of the What-What. The joyful grand finale on the morning was Scram agreeing to VQ this Saturday at Bon Iron. Let’s GO!!! Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • *Scram VQ* this Sat (3/21) at Bon Iron
    • 3/21 Kickers Game Home Opener
    • 3/29 Family Ruck (2pm Ruckhenge)
    • 4/11 OTB Ruck + BBQ (Machismo’s)
    • Weekly: Forge Coffee + QSource
    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge
    • SEPT 26 GROW RUCK! (Registration Link:
    https://event.freedom-ops.fit/gte-74)

  • O’Doyle rules!

    5 HIMS including an FNG came out for school this morning. Here’s what went down:

    Warm up: mosey to the bus loop and circled up. SSH, Ukranian soldiers, Imperial walkers, and various stretches

    The thang: BILLLY MADISON. We all went back to school today. Run the bus loop and pair it with an exercise with 12 reps. ladder style.

    Kindergarten: 2 Burpees

    1st grade: SSH

    2nd grade: calf raises

    3rd grade: flutter kicks (double count)

    4th grade: squats

    5th grade: LBCs

    6th grade: merkins

    7th grade: Carolina dry docks

    8th grade: Lunges (6 right, 6 left)

    9th grade: plank jacks

    10th grade: American hammers

    11th grade: HR merkins

    12th grade: diamond merkins

    We ran out of time and had to complete 10th – 12th grade at the end in one final set. We modified the run half way through after Ponch noticed each bus parking spot was numbered and we then ran to the associated number, which shortened up the run. Only a GED this morning for the PAX!

    N/N

    Announcements: -> slack, Glow for Galactosemia 5K, Rudy’s fundraiser for Lighthouse

    Prayers: Ledecky’s father in law is recovering from heart surgery, Pax with unmentioned prayers

    Happy to see an FNG come out, thanks to BRU! He gave us a lot of options for names but we landed on Ledecky. Pleasure to lead you fine gentlemen.

  • 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.