Tag: The FORGE

Huguenot High School

  • remote waffling

    A dozen hardened HIM’s entered The Forge for another turn under the hammer. Here’s how the slag was beaten away:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey down to the bottom of Love Hill and back up
    • Lunge for the SIX, then butt-kickers, high knees, karaoke both ways, and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Warm-up Reps IC – extended edition, top to bottom with excellent stretching along the way – in Dookie’s words “a workout in and of itself”

    A WEE JAUNT:

    • PAX mosey across Forest Hill Ave into the neighborhood and around the corner a la maison d’Henderson
    • Collect a solid concrete cindy and back out to the road

    CONCRETE PEARLS ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STRING:

    • Mosey between stops, reps in the lamp light
    • Stop #1 – Lunge with blocks held out front
    • Stop #2 – buddy WWII’s x25 with blocks in hand tapping the ground behind and “cheers”-ing in the middle
    • Stop #3 – burpee block jump overs x15
    • Stop #4 – block crushers for the SIX
    • Stop #5 – racked squats for the SIX
    • Stop #6 – going up the steep hill complete x25 murder bunnies then bernie to top
    • Stop #7 – 2-hand rows for the SIX
    • Final stop in DTH front yard – circle up for Captain Thors holding blocks (1:4 WWII to Hammers) and escalate to 5:20
    • Return blocks

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 12
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer – GRATITUDE THEME

    NMS:  Solid numbers out for a surprise jaunt around the neighborhood with coupons. Mumble chatter was strong, most of us overdressed for what turned out to be almost balmy 40 degrees compared to other mornings in the 20’s. Belay and Machismo got in some extra credit miles beforehand and Snuff served up some delicious coffee after while regaling us of his nighttime waffle hunting escapades. You had the be there… Pullups on the mobile bar were accomplished and another fine day at (near) The Forge was fully honored. Thank you permitting me the honor to lead gentlemen. Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • MACHINEHEAD VQ THIS SAT AT BON IRON
    • Dry January Ongoing
    • Weekly Forge Coffee + QSource
    • 2/7 Frozen Triangle
    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge

  • Everyone Knows It’s Windy

    Start at the flag, Jog to the tennis courts, its windy

    Warm Up: Side Straddle Hops; Helicopters; Copperhead Squats; Merkins; WW2; Arm Circles (all count to 15 because its 1/15)

    Workout1: Divide into Pairs. Chase the other, for a lap (Q needs to give better direction on this moving forward):

    • Lap 1: Rotating Squats;

    • Lap 2: Bear Crawl

    • Lap 3: Broad Jump Burpee

    Workout 2: On Football Field – Four Corners Escalator:

    • 1st Corner – Burpees (10)
    • 2nd Corner – Merkins (20)
    • 3rd Corner – Squats (30)
    • 4th Corner – Monkey Humpers (40)

    Workout 3: DORA on the sideline of the football field:

    • Run to first hash / 50 Carolina Dry Docks
    • Run to 2nd hash / 100 Jump Squats
    • Run Across Field / 150 Plank Jacks

    Workout 4: Triple Check at Stairs:

    • Step Ups
    • WW2
    • Tooth Fairy Stairs

    On the way back to flag, stop by wall:

    • 20 count Muhammed Ali/10 Donkey Kicks
    • 15 count Muhammed Ali/10 Donkey Kicks
    • 10 count Muhammed Ali/10 Donkey Kicks

    Mosey Back to Flag, circle up and hold plank, each PAX rotates getting to do a pull-up on the DTH pull-up car-bar (pretty creative contraption, if I do say):

    • Numbers; Names
    • Announcements: Check Slack for The Bridge; Frozen Triangle (2/7); Dry January; Futsal Training with DTH (1/24); Q Source at the FORGE after workout every Thursday; Snuff – You bring it, he’ll brew it (coffee wanted/needed)
    • Prayers

  • Le Fabuleux Destin de Snuff enfin

    Dix-sept hommes cultivés du monde entier se sont réunis pour explorer les aspects les plus raffinés de la culture française et pratiquer des activités physiques.

    La bande originale d’Amélie a enchanté leurs oreilles et a remonté le moral de ces personnes fatiguées et manquant de sommeil.

    À leur agréable surprise, l’échauffement comprenait les exercices habituels : sauts écartés, mouvements de bras à la Don Quichotte, rotations des bras, flexions des jambes et étirements. Le nec plus ultra de l’échauffement !

    Une course à pied lente et incroyablement agréable vers une nouvelle zone de la Forge pour une équipe de trois personnes qui fumaient des cigarettes, dansaient des danses folkloriques et couraient en rond.

    Si vous utilisez Google Traduction pour comprendre ce que j’ai écrit, je vous salue comme un frère. Merci de votre attention, vous êtes vraiment génial et je vous offre une bière.

    Nous avons couru jusqu’à l’amphithéâtre et avons fait une série de 11 exercices, avec des références à la Seconde Guerre mondiale et des mouvements bizarres, sautant sur des caisses comme des grenouilles ivres draguant des étudiants américains en échange universitaire dans un bar touristique quelque part dans le Quartier latin.

    Une affiche spéciale sur le thème du football américain accrochée au mur, avec des danses endiablées, des débauches sans limites, des coups de pied de mule et des rencontres sulfureuses : une parfaite illustration des soirées tardives de Snuff dans le quartier chaud près de Pigalle.

    Retour tranquille vers le drapeau pour quelques instants de détente et le fameux Cercle de Confiance. Café et discussion autour de la source Q – le thème de cette année est la rupture.

    Vois sur ces canaux
    Dormir ces vaisseaux
    Dont l’humeur est vagabonde;
    C’est pour assouvir
    Ton moindre désir
    Qu’ils viennent du bout du monde.
    — Les soleils couchants
    Revêtent les champs,
    Les canaux, la ville entière,
    D’hyacinthe et d’or;
    Le monde s’endort
    Dans une chaude lumière.

    Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté,
    Luxe, calme et volupté.

    — Charles Baudelaire

  • Christmas Smokefest 2025

    Five festive NOS HIM’s posted to The Forge for a second annual DTH gift wrapping smokefest. Without once calling a rep in cadence here’s how the big box was wrapped:

    THE WARMUP BOW:

    • Mosey to the midpoint of the tip lot and circle up
    • Christmas tunes ON
    • Random exercises NOT in-cadence with breaking every two exercises to take a few looping runs on the knolls

    The RIBBON:  PAX run to various location all around the AO and Mt Chaplain to complete the following:

    1. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (2:07) – SSH’s to the beat, and a Burpee for every “Christmas”
    2. Jingle Bell Rock (2:11) – Mtn Climbers to the beat, Merkins for every “Jingle”
    3. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2:32) – Flutters to the beat, WWII for every “Wonderful”
    4. This Christmas (3:52) – Squats to the beat, Burpees for every “This Christmas”
    5. Here Comes Santa Claus (2:30) – Shoulder Taps to the beat, and a Groiner for every “Santa Clause”
    6. You’re a mean one, Mr Grinch (2:57) – V-ups alternated with Supermans to the beat, switching (rolling) with each “Mr Grinch”
    7. A Holly Jolly Christmas (2:16) – Monkey Humpers to the beat, with a Monkey Roll for every “Holly Jolly Christmas”
    8. Run Rudolf Run (2:45) – SSH’s to the beat, with a Lt Dan for every “Run Run Rudolf”
    9. Last Christmas – OYO variable movements ip and down the big hill – Run, Bernie, Bear Crawl, Lunge, Crabwalk, Broadjump

    Mosey BTTVSF for COT:

    • Counterama # 5
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer

    NMS:  MERRY CHRISTMAS F3 RVA! YHC is truly thankful to these fine few brothers who broke from festive fartsack tradition to start the day right. This was also YHC’s first F3 workout on a Christmas morning, and as a gift to myself, we just repeated the musical beatdown YHC gave the NoToll PAX on last year’s Christmas Eve. Might just have to become another F3 holiday tradition! Just like last year the PAX movement produced a lovely wrapped Christmas gift (see picture on Slack) but this year was a lot more hills. These fine brothers also went home laden with delicious cold smoked venison loin for their holiday charcuterie boards or frying pans. Keeping the Christ in Christmas, YHC closed the morning with a bit of a testimony during COT. Bottom line, Jesus is my Lord and Savior and He works through me every day to love and serve others, and it is a supernatural exchange wherein He gives me incomparable peace and joy in exchange for my obedience. My prayer is each of you finds the same miraculous life transformation and eternal purpose in turning your lives over to Jesus. Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge
    • 1/1 Convergence, 0700 Dogpile

  • Mystery B 2025: Pop Lock and Drop It??

    It was a festive atmosphere at The FORGE as Mystery Box made it’s annual holiday appearance. We had 9 strong ready to put in some work while enjoying some amazing music . Here is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure:

    Mosey to the abandoned school for warm-up: Jazzercise, Helicopters, Cherry Pickers, BOC’s, and we are good. To the customary back of the school location for the main event:
    One PAX pulls an exercise out of the box then grabs the medicine ball and runs to the top of the hill and back. The remainder complete that exercise for the duration:

    Burpees
    Crawl Bear
    WWII Sit-ups
    Crunchy Frogs
    Murder Bunnies
    American Hammers
    Broad Jump Burpees
    Hello Dollies
    Sprints with 10 seconds rest
    V-ups
    Smurf Jacks
    Shoulder Taps

    Back to the flag – finished off with a minute or so of ab exercises.

    COT and YHC took us out

    Final Thoughts: We had some tough pulls this morning! L Woods was falsely accused of making up challenging exercises. Overall, I think we got a well rounded beatdown. Lots of great holiday themed workouts to check out this week and next…………..Look for a Mystery Box return sometime next year!

  • Court adjourned, suffering commenced.

    YHC spent the last few weeks prepping for trial as plaintiff’s counsel: long hours, late nights, the usual grind. Got to court ready to roll, and the whole thing got continued. No witnesses, no opening, nothing. Just a quiet little gut punch from the system.

    So instead of wasting that energy on frustration, YHC decided to dump it all into a block beatdown. The pax didn’t deserve it. But they got it anyway.

    Warmarama:

    • Side Straddle Hops
    • Don Quixotes
    • Ukrainian Soldiers
    • LBCs
    • Merkins
    • Alabama Prom Dates
      Standard fare. Quick, uncomfortable, and not the worst part of the morning.

    Mosey to the amphitheater

    Block Ascent (2-Minute Timer):
    One pax runs amphitheater loops. After each loop, stop and do 5 merkins. Switch with Pax doing block work after 2 minute timer sounds.

    Partner does ascending block movements on each level of the amphitheater, moving up one level after both pax members finish the round:

    1. Block Thrusters
    2. Block Swings
    3. Block Halos
    4. Block Squats
    5. Bent Rows
    6. Block Lunges
    7. Floor Press

    Mosey back to the flag.

    Announcements:

    Rosie’s 12 Days of Christmas Dec 23. Secret Santa – don’t forget to grab something for your guy

  • Les Temps Perdu

    8 studs partook in the “Old Dirty 100” powered by 90s alt rock bangers.

    🔥 WARMARAMA (10 min)

    Mosey around parking lot loop working in butt kickers, high knees, karaokes (done on the same side as pointed out by Belay). Circle up for some SSHs, DQs, Helicopters, Cherry Pickers, and stretching.

    Hit play on 90s alt rock then moseyed to bus loop for round 1 of Old Dirty 100.

    💪 The Thang (30 min)

    🔁 Old Dirty 100

    🧱 Round 1: HS Bus Loop

    1. Ran 1 lap then hit 100 Freddie Mercuries
    2. Ran 1 lap then hit 90 squats
    3. Ran 1 lap then hit 80 merkin

    🧱 Round 2: Courtyard Loop

    1. Ran 1 lap then hit 70 LBCs
    2. Ran 1 lap then hit 60 imperial squat walkers (60 is debatable)
    3. Ran 1 lap then hit 50 Chuck Norris merkins

    🧱 Round 3: MS Bus Loop

    1. Ran 1 lap then hit 40 flutters
    2. Ran 1 lap then hit 30 walking lunges
    3. Ran 1 lap then hit 20 mountain climbers
    4. Ran 1 lap then hit 10 burpees

    Slowseyed to a wall and sat in people’s chair while Rage Against the Machine screamed “FU, I won’t do what you tell me” at us.

    🧘 Mary / Cool Down (5 min)

    Moseyed BTTF for 4 minutes of Mary.

    🗣️ COT (Circle of Trust)

    • Name-o-Rama
    • Announcements
    • Prayer Requests – Wildcat

    Dealer’s Musings:

    • Smaller group than usual, but great company and hard work
    • 311 gets Snuff fired up
    • Wedding Singer rages when Rage plays
    • Coffeerama was great!

  • Sting Operation

    A posse of 10 gloom officers attempted to join the sting operation of local law enforcement converging at The Forge, but after 15 minutes of the PAX playing frogger , and no fugitive FNG’s joining the beatdown, the cops moved operations over to the Middle School, and the gloom warriors claimed victory over the day in the following fantastic fashion:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey loop around the top lot and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Warm-up Reps IC including a run to the top of the knolls and back

    COP #1:

    • Mosey to the bottom of Love Hill
    • QUARTER POUNDER
    • Run up to each successive light pole for given reps, Bernie back to start, hold for the SIX
    • x25 Merkins (x10 Wide, x10 Reg, x5 Diamond)
    • x50 Squats
    • x75 LBC’s (x25 Reg, x25 Oblique ea side)
    • x100 SSH’s

    COP #2:

    • Mosey to bottom of Handicap Ramp
    • OVER UNDERS
    • PAX line up to alternate hopping over and ducking under rail intervals

    COP #3:

    • Ascend MOUNT CHAPLAIN
    • Stop at each paved landing going up to complete x10 Merkins and x10 Heels to Heaven

    COP #4:

    • Mosey to the AMPHITHEATER
    • Partner up for a MINI DORA
    • While P1 does reps, P2 box jumps up and down steps to then switch
    • x25 Burpees
    • x50 WWII’s
    • x75 Flutters (2-ct)

    COP #5

    • Mosey up to the ECHO CHAMBER
    • x10 Hoedowns IC
    • x10 Donkey Kicks IC
    • x10 Hoedowns IC 
    • IC reps Loud and proud for the assembled cops

    Mosey BTTF:

    • Circle up to stretch and Review the F3 Mission, Credo, and 5 Core Principles 

    COT:

    • Counterama # 10
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer
    • COFFEE!!! Thank you Snuff m’dear. 

    NMS:  It was quite the happening AO this morning with no less than 15-20 law enforcement driving around and through the AO at various intervals, inspiring discussion as to whether they were looking for a fugitive on the run, or just trying to decide where to meet up. The PAX discussed whether we would take down and hand over the fugitive, or welcome him to F3 as an FNG – this IS open to ALL men you know. Haha. Well, the beatdown kept the PAX moving and our spirits light, and YHC was particularly impressed with how loud and proud the PAX sounded as they counted off reps in cadence in the Echo Chamber. Thank you Snuff for the amazing coffee!!! Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge
    • Thanksgiving Day – TWO options will be 0530 Timberwolf Ultimate Frisbee, and a 0700 pConvergence at Mary
    • 11/23 Alamo Chili Cookoff
    • 12/6 Father Daughter Dance

  • Story Time at the Forge

    A dozen of F3’s finest from various corners of RVA descended onto the plush turf of Huguenot High School in their winter finest for an unexpected beatdown. At the stroke of 5.30 we wandered down the hill stopping at the lower parking lot for introductions, disclaimers and a warm up that included the following: Invisible Jump Rope, Helis, Jazzercise with top taps, Mountain Climbers, LBC’s and some light stretching with some tales of past beatdowns from Heist.

    All seemed warm so we mozyied thru Machismo Gate and onto the plush synthetic turf fields. The main course today was the MICHIGAN, to warm up the cooler temps. Moans of disappointment were audible but did not deter the mission at hand. Line up at the goal line. 10 rounds of 100 yard sprints, 8 rounds of 80, 6 rounds of 60, 4 rounds of 40, 3 rounds of 30, 2 rounds of 20 and 1 round of 10. Stretching was encouraged between each round and well received.

    Still time left so we leave the cozy confines of the field for some lunge walking up the ramp, bear crawls up the hill, 20 Freddies at the parking lot while finishing up with some plank mary at the flag.

    Numbers, Names, Announcements, Prayers. YHC took us out.

    Announcements/Prayers: EF Hutton is leading the Bridge this weekend, see slack if interested in going. Thanksgiving convergence occuring in 2 weeks. Need a Northern Q to debate Handshake on the true beginnings of Turkey Day. Chili Cookoff next Sunday. $100 to anyone that makes Nancy Lopez puke through natural flatulence. Prayers to Wildcat and his family as they go thru ongoing health concerns.

    NMS: After listening to the origin of renaming inverted scorpion kicks to Roscoes’ Mom, thank you Heist; YHC dug through the deep annals of F3 Folklore to dust off some classic routines that may be new to some of the younger PAX members. Everyone knows Mankillers, so lets go with the Michigan. There are no good experiences from participating in this beatdown but the lined turf field was an outstanding host for this event. Never again will YHC Q the Michigan at the Forge but other PAX members may now add it to their arsenal of exercises. Times were had by all, some good and some not so much. YHC is probably going to be on Handshakes unfriendly list soon after unexpected beatdowns. Well done fellas. Great to warm up on a cool morning with you.

  • Last Sunrise

    12 men, 1 playlist, no plan. LFG.

    Mosey around the loop. Warmarama with no breaks, making sure to double up on arm circles so everyone was calibrated on proper arm circle form.

    Clockwork mirkins on the hill follow by clockwork LBCs on the hill. 24 hours of burn.

    Mosey to the lower lot and then part way up Mt Chaplain, snaking up and around and down and around and up and around each tree and bush like a roller coaster off the rails.

    Half a quattro de checko with mountain climbers, squats and flutters while timer rifle carried a traffic cone around the lot.

    Mosey down the ramp where we entered the dangerous portion of the workout. Outside the railing, slow walk up the stone taking care not to fall off the straight drop off to the right.

    Triple check with tooth fairies up and around, dips and step ups on the big bench.

    At the bottom of the hill, we had one goal: get to the top of Mt Chaplain as fast as possible. Sprint to the top.

    Hilltop LBCs and a meditation on what could possibly be our last sunrise.

    COT and a moment to reflect on the one thing we would choose to do, if it were in fact the last day.

    Gratitude.