Tag: The FORGE

Big numbers at the Forge today, welcoming back a few guys off the IR bench for a DTH-farewell beatdown. Much to the chagrin of many, twas the quarterly NEW GLORY! Here’s how these studs ripped the top off their former NG stats:

The THANG:

WARMERAMA:

• Circle up, review the New Glory circuit
• Disclaimer – check yourself before you wreck yourself
• Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

THE NEW GLORY:

• The Forge quarterly fitness litmus test, to provide PAX the opportunity to monitor their individual physical progress
• Timeframe: 30 minutes
• Style: BEST form possible, You vs YOU!
• THE CIRCUIT:
• Starting point at the Shovel Flag
• 0540 START
• #1:  Complete x10 Burpees at the flag
• #2-5:  Run down S.Coleman Rd to the Handicap Ramp, stopping at each light pole (x4 poles total on the right side) to complete x5 Hand-release Merkins
• #6:  Bear Crawl halfway up the Ramp
• #7:  Lunge walk to the end gate
• #8:  Complete x20 Jerkins on the Rails
• Run up Mount Chaplain, stopping at each new paved landing to complete assigned exercise…
• #9 (Level 1):  x5 Burpees
• #10 (Level 2): x10 Ball Dippers (2-ct)
• #11 (Level 3): x15 Heels-2-Heaven
• #12 (Level 4): x20 Squats
• #13 (Level 5:) x25 Mtn Climbers (2-ct)
• #14:  At the top of Mt Chaplain, complete x30 WWII’s, then run BTTF to begin next Circuit 
• THE GOAL: Complete as many circuit rounds as physically possible with good form until time is called.
• 0610 END

NEW GLORY stats have been posted on the F3RVA Challenge Spreadsheet, where PAX can review progress over the years! Link HERE:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-L8e9W24ygnU0suaGyKxzi1PgPqY1CBd57hLrKTZI-g/edit#gid=116147269

Mosey BTTF for Mary/Stretching/COT:

• Counterama # 14
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Below)
• YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

NMS:  Loved having all you guys out today! Sorry (not sorry) for the New Glory beatdown – and mad respect to you all for pushing hard. YHC enjoyed chatting with LIFO Nails before catching up with Scrum and Doozy, then quality time with Doozy to round out the 30min beatdown. YHX loved seeing some brothers pairing off for quality mumble chatter. TClaps to Fresh Prince, Rosie, Dealer, and Machismo for getting past the 3 circuit mark – ya’ll are a tough act to follow, but we all need a rabbit to chase!  For this being the last Forge in a while for YHC, it was just the kind of challenge and coffeerama quality time needed. You’re in good hands with Snuff at the wheel. Keep posting and YHC will see you on the flip side. Love, DTH

Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

• See the #SOJ channel for our rapidly growing outline of SOJ achievements, ideas, and challenges! Connect with ROSIE if you want to be a part of any given initiative or have your own idea to add to the list. 

Prayer Requests:

• DTH and Fam leaving Tuesday, Mar 7th, for a 2 month medical mission trip to Papua New Guinea. Follow us on out missions Blog:  https://hendersonsinmissions.blogspot.com

Perfect conditions were awaiting a quintet of faithful forgers this morning. Sleeves were optional as 5.30 donged. This is what was rumored to have occurred according to the security footage obtained on at the scene.

Short mosey until PAX found a suitable location. Introductions, disclaimers and warmups commenced, including Helis, DQ’s, Jazzercise, Hillbillies, Dead Man Hang, LBC’s and Suzanne Summers. All warm…..

Short mosey down to the lower bus loop for a triple check. Timer runs the loop, Incline Merkins and Donkey Kicks. Short Mosey back to Snuff’s Gate

Quintuple Check for all involved. Timer runs thru Snuff Gate flips the large tires and runs back up the hill to the awaiting PAX. PAX performs a variety of exercises that include shoulder taps, hand release merkins, LBC’s, flutterkicks, heals to heaven, WWII’s, arm circles, squats, carolina drydocks and others. 3 rounds were completed.

Mosey back up to Forest Hill stopping at every light pole for 8’s. Merkins and American Hammers were the exercises. Upon arriving at the intersection, mosey back to the flag stopping at every light pole along the way rotating between 2 burpees and 2 Lt. Dans. Plank for the 6.

Numbers, Names, Announcements. YHC took us out.

Announcements: Oyster Buying Lunch today at Brick House Grill? in Midlothian 11.30ish? SOJ Social Hour at Diamond Billiards Friday Night 6ish. Bring your own pool stick and try to take Rosie’s money. DTH discussed QSource Podcasts. Reach out to DTH for more information. Prayers to Florence as he recovers from his hip issues.

NMS: Great morning with the perfect number for strong mumble chatter. Topics included a wide variety of items with Bone Thugs always willing to contribute a variety of interesting tidbits. YHC has been trying to incorporate those tires since discovering them last year, today was the day. They were a bit heavier than imagined. Good thing there was a more economical alternative tire available. Thank you to the PAX for riding along on the journey. Great work this morning gents.

8 racers lined up on starting block for a special themed workout that YHC made up on the way over per usual.

The PAX queued up the Drive soundtrack on the radio and channeled their inner Ryan Gosling.

Warmarama with 40 SSHs, switching to non-cadence DQs, helicopers, cherry pickers, LBCs, mirkins and other various stretches.

A special Traffic Cone dora with 100 cone-bell swings, 200 cone presses, and 150 kimchi twists over the cone.

Then, back to the flag where teams of 4 pushed all 4000 lbs of the 4runner to the end of the lot and around the loop. Last Call was quite reckless when he had his turn at the wheel.

Then, a question was asked. Could 8 men push the truck up the hill? From the bottom of the Forge all the way up to the flag? Yes. That is exactly what we did (with a small pit stop in between). Completely bonkers.

Parked at the flag and did a quick Mary with 6-in hold and 5 WW2s around the circle.

A short exercise based on ‘Hands on a Hardbody,’ possibly the greatest documentary of all time. Wall sits on the truck with hoedowns. Then dirty truck hookups. Then wall sit steering wheels, then another around of dirty truck hookups. Don’t take your hand off the truck!

Last but not least, 1 minute of elbow plank.

COT and announcements.

The impossible task of pushing that much weight up the hill on your own is quite possible with the power of the PAX. Drive off into the sunrise.

12 Dudes showed up to a House Party Q not knowing what to expect. All they knew is that YHC was carrying around a blue bag…Here’s what happened.

Mosey to the tennis court

10 SSH
10 Don Quixote’s
10 Imperial squat walkers
10 Merkins
10 WW’s

Mosey to the football field

YHC pulled a speaker from the bag and turned on some tunes. Figured the amazon classic rock workout playlist would get the PAX going. PAX partnered up while one exercised for a count, then alternated exercises. Exercises where done until the song was completed (sometimes) then PAX ran 200 yards, to the opposite end zone and back. Once back, the PAX completed the next round of exercises. Exercises consisted of:

10 Merkins while the other does flutter kicks
15 American hammers while the other does SSH
4 burpees while the other does monkey humpers
20 yard bear crawl while the other does squats
15 WW’s while the other does shoulder taps
10 Carolina dry docks while the other does heels to heaven

With a little time on the clock YHC figured we’d throw in a 4 corners around the football field

5 burpees
15 Merkins
30 squats
45 LBC’s

Its been a while since YHC has Q’d a workout and it was the first AO outside of Rock N Roll. Its always great to see the forge faithful. Thanks for letting me lead today fellas!

House Party

8 PAX joined together for a potential winter mix beat down at the Forge for the usurped (not really) Q.

Mosey to corner – warm up. SSH, Squats, Don Q, Flutters, LBC

New Glory Bro Code – one lap, PAX sticks together and tried to remember the exercises.

Dora #1 – 50 burpees, run bus loop

Dora #2 – 100 WWIIs, run down parking lot, bernie back

Dora #3 – 150 Derkins, run stairs and back

Dora #4 – mosey to football field, 300 LBCs. Suicide on football field adding 10 yards each time.

Mosey back to flag and mary to end with Dealer’s choice or literally Dealer’s choice.

Great work Forge faithful! A snowy workout was welcome but after some wet bootcamps in January, dry will certainly do. DTH rang the site Q and assistant for some coverage, YHC answered. Hopefully the extra rest gets him back in the fold soon. Chatter was abundant concerning the proposed New Glory (for old men!) that had been planned, so YHC decided to run a quick single loop in honor (and grumbles). Bro code helps a little. Thanks to Snuff and Last Call for the 411 on the football field access, we’d have found some extra miles if not for that info.

SOT will have an official running Q out of Midlo Middle Wednesdays (hasn’t it always?). Prayers to Thugs and all men in their older ages doing testing and preventive matters required to stay healthy. What exactly does DTH run out of the back of his truck again? Good to see Greenbow back out again.

-Singer

7 then 8 voyageurs took the gloom of the Forge for a tour of the property. YHC was Dora the exploring when 5:30 struck and beaconed the pax down the swamp gas trail to the Tennis Courts. There first COP went:

10 SSH, Starfish Situp, WWII, Tempo Merkins, Imperial Squat Squat walkers, Ukranian soldiers.

From there, through the Machismo Gate we went (backside of the tennis courts) to the Football field for 1st and 10 (look it up on the exicon for details https://f3nation.com/exicon/. Pax was thankful for Swamp Donkey as we bro coded our way down the field.

Next, to the courtyard amphitheater for some somewhat sketchy Super Mario Jumps to make a Triple check circuit with Dips and starfish situps.

Final disafio was a Dora in the pot smoker’s prison (elementary school courtyard) It went 50 Merkins, 100 Hoe Downs, 150 SSH.

Back to the flag to find Last Call waiting to start numbers.

YHC is thankful for the way F3 has a way of turning A$$’s into Donkeys. Better to Bro code in the gloom than be an A and leave every man for himself.

Kettlebells and running at Twin Team. Rucking at 6am and bootcamp at Rock N Roll. Prayers for my family as I’ll be out of town next week. Thank you Brothers. You are all Stars.

10 strong for another round of fitness, fellowship, and flagellation that we call The FORGE. Here is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure:

Massacre Start – Plank walk on the upper hill, switch to decline plank walk for the latter portion.

Warmarama: SSH’s, Helicopters, Mummy Kicks, Hillbillies, Alabama Prom Dates, LBC’s.

Mosey to the base of Mt. Chaplain for Exercise Two:

11’s – run up hill, crabwalk down. Crab cakes and Hand Release Merkins.

Exercise Two: Broke Back Railing indigenous people’s run. Man in the back does 10 jump squats. PAX worked their way down the sidewalk going under each section of the rail.

Exercise Three: Ab run with stops at each light for 25 count exercises. PAX choice! Mountain Climbers, WWII sit-ups, Starfishes, Rosalita Dips, Freddy Mercury’s, Flutter Kicks, Heels to Heaven, Side LBC’s, Elbow Plank (one minute).

On the way back to the flag: Bernie Sanders, Squatting Side Shuffle (x 2), high knees, butt kicks between light poles.

Numbers/Names/Announcements/Prayer Requests

DTH took us out

Final thoughts: Strong work by all this morning! Enjoyed meeting Flywheel and seeing Swamp Donkey back out. Lots of great mumble chatter throughout. Hope to see everyone on Saturday for the Frozen Triangle!

Yesterday, F3 Knoxville tragically lost Cardinal *during* his VQ. This morning, 11 men gathered at The Forge to pay their respects in the only way they knew how: running back the same workout. Sometimes you just gotta face your own mortality – that is the gift that Cardinal offered up to us.

Warmorama: 15 SSHs, 10 tempo mirkins, 10 Flutter Kicks, 20 arm circles, 10 Hallelujahs, 10 cherry pickers, 20 sec Samson hold in helix position, 10 Willie Mays Hayes.

Workout: ‘Card’s Run and Repeat’ burpee ladder. (Last Call asked ‘why we couldn’t just do an LBC ladder.’ As anyone at a Snuff workout knows, that’s just foreshadowing.)

5x of burpees, big boy situps, heels to heaven. Run to the end of the lot and back, then repeat.

10x of burpees, LBCs, mountain climbers. Run to the end of the lot and back, then repeat.

15x of burpees, squats, Freddie Mercury. Run to the end of the lot and back, then repeat.

20x of burpees. Run to the end of the lot and back, then repeat.

Quite a brutal set of reps. In true RVA style we still had 15 minutes left so we kept it going.

Mosey to the entrance of the HS and bear crawl all the way to the stairs and down the stairs. Mosey around the lot to the base of Mt Chaplain.

Up Mt. Chaplain with the LBC ladder Last Call asked for – 10x and adding 5 at each platform all the way to the top.

Mosey back to the flag.

Please listen to your body. Listen to your heart. This is the form we have been given to walk through this life, and each person has only one. Cardinal’s passing is a somber yet fortifying reminder that what we do in the gloom matters. To ourselves, to F3 RVA, to the nation, to everyone whose lives we touch throughout each day, spidering outward in a web of strength and leadership. Rest in peace brother.

A whopping 15 studs of the gloom rang in the Forge new year with the enthusiasm of kids racing out of class for recess (or maybe racing out of holiday fat pants into new years resolutions). As our local weatherman Snuff predicted, the Forgecast did indeed include merkins…

The THANG:

WARMERAMA:

• 0530:  Brief Welcome & Disclaimer
• Short Mosey to KNOLLERCOASTER
• Bear Crawl to top of each Knoll
• Run down hill to bottom of Knoll & back to top
• Crab Walk down back side of each Knoll
• Curb Plank for the SIX

COP #1:

• Moseyrama back around to Stink Hill
• x3 Merkins ea light pole all the way down to the Culdesac
• Circle up for a few stretching IC Reps

COP #2:

• Moseyrama the straightaway back to the tennis courts
• HARD-CORE FOUR CORNERS:
• Bear crawl between corners, adding reps each corner in escalator fashion
• Corner 1 – x10 WWII
• Corner 2 – x10 + x20 Chainsmokers
• Corner 3 – x10 + x20 + x30 Oblique LBC’s (split x15 ea side)
• Corner 4 – x10 + x20 + x30 + x40 Flutters (2-ct)

COP #3:

• Mosey around to handicap rails
• Line up for OVER-UNDERS half way up
• INDIGENOUS JERKINS – last man completes x3 Jerkins, then runs to front while rest of PAX hang out in jerkin position

COP #4:

• Mosey back to base of Stink Hill and partner up
• P1 begins POLAR BEARS up the hill (bear crawl, stopping to merkin every 5 paces)
• P2 runs to SF at top of Stink Hill, then back down to switch 
• Progress as team until flag reached

Mosey BTTF:

• Brief IC Squats & Lunges
• Elbow Plank to run down the clock

COT:

• Counterama # 15
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Below)
• YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

NMS:  First Forge of 2023 saw big numbers with guys coming off the IR bench (Lumberg and Nails), a couple old Forgers ready to start the year fresh (Greenbow, Fiona), an FNG brought by Rosie – hilariously nicknamed Swamp Donkey, and a couple brothers from North of the river (Otis from Daville who attends YHC’s church, and Hitchhiker who was sore for a good 2nd F Coffeerama). And YHC can’t exclude a shout out to the most faithful Forge brothers a man could ask for – Snuff, Last Call, Chaplain, Dealer, House Party and Machismo. You guys MAKE the Forge great every week, and YHC has been immeasurably thankful to regularly kick the gloom in the teeth with you studs. YHC announced at COT that after almost 4 years as the Forge Site Q, YHC is excited and proud to hand the reins to SNUFF for 2023. Hip Hip Hazahhh!!!! Can’t wait to see this AO grow and embrace the community impact YHC knows we have the potential for. AYE! ~DTH

Announcements:

• SOJ Leadership Mtg – this Friday 1/6 starting at 6pm at Diamond Billiards – all SOJ PAX are welcome to attend while we organize a Shared Leadership Team, ensure all our AO’s have Site Q’s, and everyone participates in sharing vision for 2023. Aaaaand we’ll play some pool too.
• Frozen Triangle 1/21/23

Prayer Requests:

• Last Call shared about a JRHS kid who just took his life, and another local college kid who did the same. With the dark winter months here, and in a culture that fosters isolation and embraces evil, its no surprise young people feel lost. Let us pray for these families, our communities, and seek opportunities to lift others up – we can’t always know who’s struggling so best to assume everyone we encounter could use a good word! 
• Hitch also shared again about Swipe Right, and said Flatline is working on creating a 2nd F opportunity with CPR training included. You never know when you may need to save a life! 

YHC was on a solo mission at the Forge this morning.

Mosey to the circle island in front, between the schools for COP

Schrunchy Frogs, American Hammers, Deadman Hangs, Imperial Walkers, Squats

Man Killers

Mosey to the corner for a solo triple check

50 LBC’s, 50 Plank Jacks, Run around the circle island (X3)

Lung from light pole to light pole, Bear Crawl from light pole to light pole, mosey to front of HS

Another solo Triple Check

50 WWII’s, 50 Squats, Run big circle island (X3)

Mosey beside the school towards the back by the ticket office

Another solo Triple Check

Wall sits (count to 50), 30 Dips, (tried to do Tooth fairies but had to modify to) Bear Crawl up steps mosey around fence back to the start (X3)

Mosey down the ramp BTTF finish with Schrunchy Frogs and American Hammers

Numbers / Names YHC took me out

NMS:

A solo Q is tough especially when it’s cold out, thoughts of stopping early, not doing something because its tough and reducing a count all cross your mind from time to time. Beatdowns are not meant to be done solo, that’s what makes F3 such a great resource. Accountability and fellowship keep you focused and push you to be better. Are you better today? I am better because I know that there are guys that will read this BB who were not there with me physically today but because I am accountable to them and because I draw strength from their friendships, YHC was able to do the hard stuff even when nobody was with me.