Tag: #SOJ

  • Seven Years Transformed

    18 Gloom Studs stepped onto the Frozen Tundra of Rock&Roll, some already swolt from crushing the Hardest Mile, but every warrior fixing hard eyes on the grueling DTH beatdown to come. Here’s how these hero HIM’s quenched their appetite for conquering the flesh:

    The THANG:

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey to the Basketball Court and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Brief warmup reps IC
    • Finish with x7 Burpees in honor of YHC’s first-born birthday today

    COP #1: 

    • Mosey to the large parking lot to meet up with the guys completing The Hardest Mile, and see them to the finish line

    COP #2:

    • Mosey around to the tennis courts
    • SEVEN OF DIAMONDS
    • 7 Rounds, increase reps by 7 at each 4 corners – 7/14/21/28 then back down 21/14/7 – await Six ea round 
    • x7 Burpees
    • x14 Chain Smokers
    • x21 Monkey Humpers
    • x28 SSH
    • x21 Freddie M’s (2-ct)
    • x14 LBC’s
    • x7 Ball-Dippers (2-ct)

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to the muddy hill
    • BEARWAY TO SEVEN
    • Burpees bottom, Squats top – ascending reps from 1-7
    • Bear crawl up, Crawl bear down

    COP #4:

    • Mosey back to the bball court and circle up
    • THE OREO – in honor of 2.0 Pennie Mae, who’s F3 nickname is OREO, YHC presents two painful chocolate wafers double stuffed with beatdown vanilla cream
    • x12 Opus 
    • x30 Rosalita Whips
    • x20 Elbow Slides
    • x16 Opus
    • After each set the PAX took a lap around the court

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 18
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Fellas! Way to GOOOOO!!! Absolutely awesome work, especially to the guys who also completed the Hardest Mile. SOJ continues to embrace each and every challenge and shows UP with solid numbers. My deepest thanks to each of you for permitting me the honor to lead, and to celebrate my firstborn’s 7th birthday. Happy Birthday Penniella Mae, AKA Oreo! YHC is sure the PAX really “appreciated” all the painful reminders. Fatherhood is one of the greatest honors of YHC’s life, as many of you can relate, and it gives us EVERY reason we need to push hard to get prepared for the expected and be prepared for the unexpected. YHC has transformed an unbelievable amount in the last seven years, and with you guys by my side, it’s only getting better! Here’s to even BETTER and stronger in 2024! Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Register for GROWRUCK!!! https://growruck.com/event/gte-47/
    • 45min RUCK tomorrow 12/31 at 7am at Huguenot Flatwater
    • CONVERGENCE on Monday 1/1, 7-8am, at NoToll, coffee after
    • 1/4/24 at 8pm, 2nd F + Final Shoe Drive Collection at STUMPY’s Axe Throwing
    • 1/6/24 6-7am RUCK at Rock&Roll before Rock&Roll (BigRig Q)

  • Satan is satisfied….till 2024

    A foggy morning came, yet 9 of us came out to see what I would have in store today. A warm up(2 laps around the lot, SSHs, Imperial Walkers, Helicopters, Don Quixotes, Nancersizes, Copperhead Squats, Merkins, LBCs, and Alabama Prom Dates to get the blood flowing.

    Round 1: first of 2 triple checks: Clean and press with the Kettlebell, WW2 run down to the curb and back

    Round 2: second triple check(swings, sumo squats, run to the curb, then bernie back up)

    Round 3: Circle of choice(person chooses exercise, they run to the curb and back while we performed their choice. I was amazed by the ones who chose burpees a little unexpected.

    Round 4: reason why it’s called Satan’s Hill. A run up the hill to a point, followed by the parts that will make up the hardest mile(lunges, bear crawls, broad jump burpees)

    Some broga to finish it off, numbers, names announcement and prayer led by YHC to close things out

    Tomorrow 6am the hardest mile at Rock and Roll (challenge yourself) followed by DTH at 7. NYD convergence will be at NOTOLL 7am I believe will be the start time. GROWRUCK registration is open and ongoing so sign up the event is 5/3-5/5(see Slack). There’s ruck training starting 12/31 at 7 see 1st fitness Slack page

    For those who think they can’t do a workout, then get some sleep cause you work nights. I do that this morning grabbed about 2 1/2 hours, came out lead once I am finished, will go back to sleep for a while. It can be done. One final thing…..I had a little Pantera going this morning, next time I will have to play some 5FDP then you will really feel like.. You’re in hell. Have a good one, see everyone this weekend at different spots

  • Start improvement with yourself.

    Two of F3 RVAs finest leaders and a small band of Pax from the Alamo and Satan’s Hill joined up for a Heist Q at Timberwolf.

    Under the cloudy yet moonlit sky, the PAX moseyed to the track, setting the stage for the 2024 Resolution Revolution. We started things off with 20 side straddle hops (don’t we always?), followed by:
    • Arm Circles
    • Michael Phelps
    • LBCs (Little Baby Crunches)
    • Alabama Prom Dates
    • World’s Best Stretch1

    1. In some circles this refers to someone’s Mom ↩︎

    Resolution Circuit: 4 laps around the track. Each lap I asked the guys to think about how you can improve yourself as an individual, a husband*, as a father and as friend to the Pax and your community over 2024.

    * Originally, I said, “think how you can make your wife better.” Quickly realized this might be a disaster if we inform an M how we can make them better. Much mumble chatter ensued.

    The PAX embraced the challenge. Each quarter mile we knocked out various exercises, including bleacher dips, incline merkins, incline diamond merkins, and incline werkins. We knocked out a minute plank and topped things off with five burpees.

    Pyramid sets: Moseyed behind the school under a street lamp for a pyramid circuit: 10 squats/15 double count mountain climbers/20 LBCs/15 mountain climbers and 10 squats. Repeated 4 more times, dropping each circuit by 1/5 of the first number. Ask a friend if you are confused.

    Teamwork: The camaraderie among the PAX reached new heights during the team challenge. Partnering up, we tackled a combined total of 50 air squats, 150 LBCs and 300 SSH. Each partner had to run 75 yards up hill and back between exercises. Nancy and Rosie finished first.

    Mosey back to the flag for about five minutes of stretching. Time.

    Announcements:

    1. Sign up for GrowRuck this May. FYI – you can get a loaner ruck to train with. See Rosie.
    2. New Year’s day convergence at No Toll. 7 a.m.
    3. The Murph is back in 2024 at Twin Team. I have committed myself to bringing back Twin Team this year.

    Closing thoughts: As I took us out in prayer and thought about how I can improve myself as an individual, husband, father, etc., I couldn’t help but think about the two guys (Rosie and Nancy) standing amongst us in the ball of man. To me, these are two real deal HIMs who have been in the gloom well over a decade combined.

    Both have made me better. Nancy encouraged me to step up last year and do my first Q and to lead by example. Rosie has pushed me to run more and helped to open my eyes to the real point of a CSAUP, which has very little to do with yourself, but your bond with the Pax.

    Guys like this make us better as individuals, which makes us better husbands, fathers and leaders. I know others probably have similar stories and there are certainly many great F3 leaders. All appreciated. Keep it coming.

  • Kings of the Mountain

    Fresh off a 7 month hiatus, YHC had The Forge Q today. Here’s how it went down.

    Mosey to the bottom of the hill for COP. Start with 5 burpees OYO. Arm circles, Helicopters, Ukrainian soldiers, Don Quixotes, and Copperhead squats all in cadence.

    All ab Dora with 100 double count flutter kicks, 200 LBC’s, and 300 mountain climbers.

    Mosey to the parking lot for a 4 corners (lady of the night style) with a slight twist. Instead of repeating exercises at each corner, we did 5 burpees. Exercises included 30 hand release merkins, 60 squats, 90 LBC’s and 120 monkey humpers. Finished with a total of 50 burpees.

    Finished off with a trip up Mt. Chaplain doing exercise in cadence at each parking lot. Exercises were merkins, SSH’s, WWII’s and 10 merkins OYO at the top – BTTF

    YHC took us out. Hardest mile at Rock & Roll at 6am. GTE#47 May 3-5. YHC is registered! Check Slack for all the announcements. Great work today! Thanks for letting me lead fellas!

    House Party

  • The Hard Thing About Hard Things

    12 warriors arose to greet the dawn of a new day. Undeterred by the cultural normalization of fragility, the standards of excellence were raised. According to legend, it went a little something like this.

    Warm Up: SSH, FC, WWII, HRM, Lunges X 20. Arm circles X 1 (Even that was too many, RIP Flashdance)

    Four Courtesan: This four corner action was completed in the nymph du prairie style; Corner #1 five burpees, corner #2 ten squats, corner #3 20 Lillith Fairs (this is a V-up with a scissor), corner #4 thirty hand release merkins.

    Hardest Mile Training: 100 meter lunges, run 300 meters, 100 meter bear crawls, run 300 meter, 100 meter broad jump burpee, 300 meter run.

    Back to the flag for 5MOM. The fun stuff included squats, American arm circles (the only way arm circles should be done).

    Numberama, namerama, COT, YHC led us out.

    Moleskin: This was the first Q for YHC in a long, long time. With the deepest of gratitude, I thank the eleven men for the honor of leading today. We got after it. With the holiday week, and challenging weather there were lots of reasons not to bring it. However, personal transformation has never happened when one is comfortable. It only happens at the hard edges. If you are unhappy with your day or life, it’s on you to fix it. You can complain or you can get accountable. Your choice here is more powerful than your circumstance.

    We should be very careful in wanting an easier, more comfortable and more equitable world. By wishing away the hard stuff, we are robbing individuals of opportunities to change their perspective of themselves and in many instances their family tree. The world is not fair and it is not equitable. No amount of complaining or victimization will change that. Not now, not ever. This is a good thing.

    Something changes in your spirit when you get the experience that validates you have the tools to deal with what life will throw at you. The people who have risen to meet the challenges that life faces them always end up transformed. These are the people who accomplish great things. When you know you can put a boot to the throat of the injustices of the world, you become the arbiter of your own life, not a victim of circumstance.

    As we navigate these issues in our families, work and communities let us be courageous enough to have tactical empathy; but wise enough to recognize the value of hard things for other people.

    Notes:

    Sign up for Grow Ruck 47 with events on May 3-5. YHC is signed up and ready for the challenge. Don’t procrastinate or let your ego get in the way of a good thing.

    Hardest Mile this Saturday at Rock N Roll starting at 6am followed by a DTH beat down at 7am. IYKYK

  • Saturday the creatures were stirring

    One of my goals recently is to get the backblasts on the weekends out early(plus getting a more current iPad with keyboard). A dozen came out 2 days before Christmas to get another workout in lead by yours truly. Here we go:

    Start out with a good warm up(SSH, Arm Circles, Imperial Walkers, Ukrainian Soldiers, Copperhead Squats, Merkins, and LBCs) after that a mosey over to the big baseball field to begin

    Hardest mile training… It’s easier on the baseball field than concrete save on the joints till next week when the real deal goes down. 10 High knees, 20 Lunges, 20 Bear Crawls, 1 broad jump burpee. As we went along, add 1 more broad jump burpee. The halfway 385 sign, 6 plank suicides to mix it up

    A little mix/Dora style for the next round: 50’monkey humpers, 75 2-count flutters, 75 4 count cadence mountain climbers). After each part, run to the sign up the hill and back storm

    Decided to visit the ladies at the next part: 4 corners the exercises 10 Lt. Dan’s, 20 Australian Mountain climbers, 30 jump squats, 40 Superman’s. A mosey back to where we started for a final round of madness

    Ended with 11s(Mike Tyson’s and leg drivers). Puddle jumpers from one end to another. Great job by everyone getting together for the final round to help House Party finish it out. A little stretch then we closed it out

    Numbers, names and prayer led by YHC to close it out

    Yes next week the hardest mile starting at 6am, then the final Rock and Roll of 2023 with DTH at 7. Registration for the 2024 RVA Growruck 5/3-5/5 is open. NYD convergence we should hear the winner of the location soon. One final thing: start prepping for the frozen triangle coming soon. I have one final Q to lead next Friday at Satan’s Hill, if anyone has or knows someone with a 1-2 year old at least 256gb iPad (keyboard I can get), let me know. Enjoy your weekend, merry xmas, see you next time

  • HIM on a Mission

    6 early rising HIM came out to Rockwood park for pre beatdown ruck/run/hardest mile training session. Big Rig set it off and was later joined by Rosie for a run. Mudslide got in a ruck while YHC rucked for an hour and joined Chaplain for a run. Hardywood prepped for the hardest mile by getting in a run, some lung walking, bear crawling, and broad jump burpees. Morning Wood had it all this morning. Great work fellas. Looking forward to next week!

    House Party

  • Elfs in training

    10 Elfs showed up to get in some last minute training before the big day. YHC had a plan to get them ready!

    Warmarama- Dead man hang, arm circles, imperial walkers, flutter kicks, LBCs , merkins

    Mosey up the hill and around the neighborhood- 10 merkins at every house along the way with Christmas lights – stopping in Nancy’s cul de sac. Surprisingly not that many houses were festive this year.

    Triple check at the cul de sac- Runner ran to nancy’s house 2 burpees before returning, exercises were freddie mercury & squats

    Mosey down heist street and back to the parking lot. Stopping at every house for 10 of called exercises. (werkins, monkey humpers, alabama prom dates, plank jacks, mountain climbers, heels to heaven)

    In the parking lot we did some coupon work 10 , 20, 30, 40 (curls, skull crushers, WWII, Squats) followed by 10, 20, 30 ,40 ( squats, WWII, skull crushers, Curls)

    With still time left we hit the hill for a suicide style run up the hill stopping along the way for some exercises. 1/4 way up 20 dry docks…back to the bottom, half way up 30 squats…back to the bottom, 3/4 way up 40 lunges…back to the bottom, all the way up 5 burpees (christmas present from swoop was not doing 50 burpees to finish)

    mosey back to the parking lot for a quick round of mary then time was called

    announcements- sign up for the ruck and great news from yeehaw about Liv

    Prayers- continued prayers for swoops friend that was in a paragliding accident in brazil and is in a medically induced coma and for patience and staying present and enjoying the holidays with family and friends.

    Merry Christmas!!

  • The Hardest .4 Mile

    With no PAX to be found, House Party emerged from the gloom to save the day. The following is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure.

    Moving warm-up. Ran around the school and stopped at various locations for:
    Dips. Hoedowns, Side Straddle Hops. Hanging Leg Raises, Don Quixotes.

    Made our way to the Track for Exercise One:

    The Hardest Mile (practice edition)
    150 m lunge walk, 100m Bear Crawl, 50 m Broad Jump Burpees, 400 m Run.
    Good times!

    Exercise Two: Dora
    50 Merkins, 100 Pole Smokers, 200 squats. Runner ran up the bleachers, across, and back down.

    Mosey the long way back towards the flag. Stopped for a couple cool down exercises:
    Ukranian Soldiers, LBC’s, Side LBC’s.

    45 seconds of Monkey Humpers to close things out.

    Numbers/Names/Announcements/Pray Request

    Final Thoughts:

    General consensus is that the Hardest Mile is going to be very hard. You’re welcome. The big event will be on 12/30 pre-Rock N Roll. Had a great time hanging out with House Party. Really would have sucked doing this workout solo. Lots going on, so make sure you check Slack for details.

    SYITG

  • Lights….Poles….Action

    I took a little walk down the alley behind the school cause it had been a good while since i had done according to Nancy “a true light pole workout”. It was getting lonely until McGruff showed up, I gave it a couple of minutes then we headed around the corner since it was just 2 for a warm up: SSHs, Arm circles, Imperial Walkers, Ukrainian Soldiers, Merkins, and LBCs. After that, mosey down to the start.

    Light pole alley…. Start at one, run down do the same thing at the end, then to the next one. Each pole, you decrease the exercise by 5. Started with 45 Carolina dry docks, mosey to the end, do the same 45 then to the next pole. I refer to it as a buffet cause you can throw everything at it, and still kick your butt. Flutters, Mike Tysons, Jump Squats, Wide leg mountain climbers, Freddy Mercury’s, Burpees, etc. We finished, then a small trip the tennis courts next to us.

    The ladies from heaven watched us next as we did 4 corner “ladies of the night” style. WW2, Australian Mountain climbers(you will see that Saturday), plank jacks and Alabama Prom Dates when that was done it was 40 minutes so back to the flag.

    Count outs, names and prayer led by YHC to close the session

    Hardest mile coming up 12/30…a few are going to conquer plus after with a DTH queue end the year insanely. Growruck 2024 RVA sign up is ongoing see Slack for all the details. We should next week see who gets the Q to start 2024. I have Rock and Roll this week so come out you want a workout, I will make sure of that.

    Final thing….I haven’t been out as much the past month. I am working at Amazon so that plus the hours I need the sleep. One thing though, I signed up to lead all the Q’s, I commit and make sure I honor it. I have 2 more left to lead this month: Saturday and one more at Satan’s Hill next Friday. Come on out, remember it takes 3 weeks to develop the habit, 3 months to establish the lifestyle change. Have a good one!!!