Tag: The FORGE

A pair of trios fought through the fartsack to descend onto the humid air encompassing South Richmond. According to the security cameras following our hooligan activities, this is what was rumored to have occurred.

Short mosey to the front of Huguenot High School for disclaimer and warm ups that included SSH’s, Helicopters, Dead Man Hang, Jazzercise, Suzanne Summers, Hand Release Merkins and possibly others. No Prince so lets continue to mosey..

Long mosey around the school and thru Snuff Gate, past the tackling rack, oversized tires and onto the plush turf football field. Line up at the goal line, lets get this Beast started..

Stopping at the 25, 50 and opposite 25 for 6 reps each. 6 rounds total. Exercises included merkins, jump squats, WWII’s, hand release merkins, heels to heaven, and burpees. Quick recovery so lets hit the bleachers.

Short mosey for a triple check that included dips and elevated merkins. Timer ran up the bleachers around the block house and back down.

Time running low so make our way back to the flag. On the way back quick stop on the hill, with the freshly cut grass, for some clockwork merkins. Continue on back to the flag.

1 minute of mary to include arm circles and Michael Phelps to loosen up the shoulders.

Numbers, Names, Announcements (4th of July Convergence at Batteau (Forest Hill Park) at 7 am. YHC took us out.

NMS: YHC has been wanting to get back on the football field since we located Snuff Gate. Incorporating the bleachers found significant space at the top for future enjoyment. Beast does not promote significant mumble chatter but the plush turf is always appreciated for a future Hardywood shoeless Q. Way to work those shoulders today boys. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

7 HIM’s ventured off campus along with their 30 pound metallic friend. Getting-squashed-by-cars-while-bearcrawling mumble chatter lightened the mood on this dreary and humid day. Here is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure:

Mosey to the side of the High School for Warmarama: Ukranian Soldiers, Helicopters, Monkey Love Makers, Plank Jacks, Mummy Kicks, Alabama Prom Dates, Runner’s Stretches. Back to the Flag to pick up the kettlebell.

Exercise One: Indigenous People’s run – man in the back does 5 upright lifts, passes the kettle, then run to the front. We crossed Forest Hill Avenue and set up shop in DTH’s driveway.

Exercise Two: Kettle and Hills

Round One: One PAX runs up the hill and back with the Kettlebell. Remainder do ab exercises: WWII sit ups, Flutter Kicks, Hello Dollies, Crunchy Frogs, American Hammers, Heels to Heaven, LBC’s.

Round Two: One PAX does lawnmower pulls with the Kettle. All others go up the hill completing various exercises: Bear Crawl, Bernie Sanders, Lunge Walk, Karaoke, Side Plank Walk, Squatting Side Shuffles, Bernie Mummy Walks.

Exercise Three: Indigenous People’s Run – back to the flag. Man in the back does Sumo Squats with the Kettlebell.

Exercise Four: Kettlebell Ring of Fire. PAX holds plank while everyone completes 25 bench presses with the Kettle.

Mosey to the lower hill for Exercise Five: Murder Gorillas across the hill followed by 5 overhead lifts with the Kettle. We finished three rounds, then reversed direction for an extended version.

Back towards the flag – One minute of Victory Hill to finish things out.

Names/Numbers/Announcements

Florence took us out.

Final Thoughts: Fun times at the FORGE with a lot of running for a quasi Kettlebell workout. Way to push through fellas. I considered “Watch your Manhole” as a backblast title. Will put that one in the queue for a later date. Lots of great events coming up:

Friday: RAMM Gears bike/other modes of transportation. The Murph is happening at Twin Team

Saturday: House Party’s VQ at Rock N Roll! Come out and support him. School of Rock (kid’s workout) to follow at 8am. All ages are welcome. Morning Wood run is also happening at 6:30 that day if you want to complete the trifecta.

Workout at the Bridge in C’ville.

One traveler and 3 Forge faithful came out to a good ole forge beatdown. YHC was at his first post at the forge and to be honest when I signed up to Q I thought I was signing up for an AO not in SOJ. After getting up and out of hotel YHC was happy to find warm confines.

COP- Mosey along with multiple exercises mixed in.

The Thang: Lightpole alley. Starting at a pole behind the stadium and going 10 back toward parking area. Starting with 10 exercises on each end and escalating by 10. The lightpoles are a lot further apart than Timberwolf. We made it to 60. 10 merkins, 20 heels to heaven, 30 Carb cakes, 40 ?, 50 mountain climbers, 60Monkey humpers.

YHC took us out in prayer.

YHC appreciates the hospitality shown to this traveler.

9 men gathered at this institution of higher learning this morning with 1 four legged friend and according to the dog this is what happened

Mosey to the flag poles for COP

DQ’s, Helicopters, Hillbillies, Merkins, LBC’s, Ukrainian Soldiers

Mosey to the back of the school

At the common area on the tiered steps there are 12 frisbees, 6 per side. Each frisbee has an exercise written on the painters tape, each HIM starts at one of the frisbees and does 10 of that exercise then runs around the common area staying on the concrete. Once that lap is complete you move to the next frisbee with 10 of that exercise and a lap, repeto until you’ve done all 12 exercises.

Triple check time Partner #1 runs the same route as the previous beatdown, Partners #2 & #3 do Booyha merkins once partner #1 returns partner #2 runs and #3 & #1 continue the merkins. Once all 3 have gone switch to Booyha WWII’s once all 3 have gone switch to partner leg toss

Mosey BTTF

Numbers / Names DTH took us out

NMS:

Good to have Fresh Prince back in the mix for a beatdown, still need to continue praying for some of our other brothers on IR. DTH reported that Heartburn is going to be getting some surgery done on his jaw from a hard fall he took at Rock n Roll while chasing a frisbee. A couple Ultimate frisbee workouts coming to an AO near you, please be careful and look out for one another.

Snuff has an animal recovery sanctuary going on in his back yard and will be opening it up to the public as a petting zoo in the near future, or at least that’s what Cooper said he was going to do.

What do you get when you mix sweat, brick dust, and a glorious 70 degree sunrise? Well friends, that’s the Forge beating HIM’s into razor sharp blades for massive Kingdom impact. Forever written into the anals of the revered Smokefest Scrolls, this routine will be one to tell the grandchildren:

The THANG:

WARMERAMA:

• Mosey the upper loop and circle up
• Welcome & Disclaimer
• Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

COP #1:

• Mosey past YHC’s truck to collect the BRICK COUPONS (2 per PAX)
• Alternate x5 Hand-Release (Brick-Slide) Merkins with x5 WWII (Holding Bricks overhead) at each light pole going down to the Culdesac (about 12 stops)

***LIFO brothers SNUFF & BONE THUGS arrive fashionably late, blissfully brickless, and were sent back to the top of the AO to collect their bricks – and off they skipped holding hands into the gloom…***

COP #2:

• Circle up in the Culdsac for IC reps of the following exercises WHILE holding bricks in hand:
• “Brick Press Hops” – SSH’s but with Brick Press on top
• Don Briqotez
• Ukraine Soldiers with Bricks held straight out in front
• T-plank Brick Circles, ea side
• American Brick Hammers
• 2-ct Flutters w Bricks held over/behind head

COP #3:

• Mosey back up to the lower lot with one Brick Burpee at each light pole (***pick up SNUFF & THUGS en route***)
• DORA: Moving partner Brick Crawls (bear crawls with bricks in hand) to the top of the grassy hill, then runs down to switch.
• x100 HRM’s (Brick-slide Merkins)
• x200 Straight Leg Raises (bricks held above/behind head)
• x300 Moroccan Night Bricks

Mosey BTTF for COT:

• Group Picture with Bricks 
• Counterama # 10
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

NMS: We may never use our thumbs again, but it was worth it! Shout out to JUDGE celebrating his 33rd Birthday today – YHC hopes you see this little workout as the best possible gift. The sky was unreal as we started the morning, and the sweat was pouring by the end. YHC had a moment of deep nostalgia while doing Brick Slide Merkins, as childhood memories of shooting cap guns filled my mind (apparently similar to the smell of brick dust on pavement). GREAT work today crushing this workout fellas – appreciate ya’ll investing the labor of love. SYITG, DTH

A couple of days ago my wife was taking pictures for a woman who developed a cake recipe inspired by the grief she felt when she lost her infant son. Cashew cardamom coping cake. Then yesterday I was getting one of my own 2.0s ready for school and we talked about some of the things that happened in Texas; it was heavy. I gave him a huge hug before he got on the bus and I went inside and had a giant piece of the coping cake. A few minutes later my wife got a call from a dear friend in Sweden in the late stages of brain cancer. She said how happy she was to live every moment of this life. Afterwards I went back to the kitchen and had to get a second helping of cake.

We all process our different kinds of grief in different ways. But the most clear to me this morning was that in times of tragedy (especially in times of tragedy) the fellowship we felt out there in the rain and the gloom and in the COT… that is own special recipe. A way through and forward. That’s the kind of energy we respond with, for each other and for our communities. Bad things happen but we have the 3 Fs. For that, I’m grateful. /end speech

It went like this:

Mosey down and around to the lower entrance. Warmups were SSHs, DxQs, imperial squat walkers, mirkins, LBCs plus a few other things.

Dora: timer runs up the stairs, 5 burpees, then back down the grass. 100 WW2s, 200 dips, 300 jump squats. Ended with some slow breathing exercises.

Mosey up the stairs to the wall for the Pigskin special: 10 people’s chair arm raises, 10 BttW toe taps, 15 donkey kicks OYO. Then 10 people’s chair milkers, 10 BttW Australian mountain climbers, 15 donkey kicks OYO. Then 10 people’s chair Lalannes, 10 BttW hip slaps, 15 donkey kicks OYO.

Mosey to the amphitheater for a quick little triple check: timer goes up the big steps and around, hold elbow planks, SSHs.

Mosey back to the flag for the COT and announcements.

Shout out to Janeway and Comrade for passing through from the wilds of North Georgia. Great to you have you guys out and best of luck to Comrade on his college tour.

Peace.

The warm gloom of the Forge welcomed 8 studly HIM’s to defeat the flesh, including a new visitor from Rock&Roll, heaping loads of enthusiastic Jamaican vibe, none other than HEARTBURN himself! Here’s how the good Doctor delivered the PAX to victory:

The THANG:

WARMERAMA:

• Mosey loop & circle up nearby
• Welcome & Disclaimer
• Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

COP #1:

• Mosey to “THE GREAT WALL OF TRYHARD” – entire PAX climb 12’ stone retaining wall as a team

COP #2:

• x2 sets of PARTNER JERKINS on the handicap rails – x10 jerkins while partner holds legs in deep squat
• Bear crawl up the grass hillside

COP #3:

• Mosey to upper lot for a SALMON LADDER – while PAX complete WWII’s, two at a time traverse the drainage ditch, stopping at each barrier to do x5 derkins and x5 dips, then await the PAX on the other end doing WWII’s

COP #4: 

• Short mosey to the school wall
• DIRTY HOOKUPS x10 IC
• DONKEY KICKOFFS – ascend DK’s by 5 with 5sec rest with feet on wall between sets: 5, 10, 15, 20

COP #5:

• Mosey to the amphitheater for a KILO-DORA (1000 reps):  While moving partner ascends amphitheater via box jumps up/down big steps TWO times, the other contributes to completing the following:
• x100 Kimchi Twists
• x200 Mtn Climbers (2-ct)
• x300 Flutters (2-ct)
• x400 Elbow Plank Side-To-Side Pickle Pounders (1-ct)
• *ran out of time with ~75 to go*

Mosey BTTF:

• En Route collect PAX to complete a final 100 yard AYG sprint

COT:

• Counterama # 8
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• HEARTBURN took the PAX out in Prayer

NMS:  There is a fresh breeze blowing south of the James, a revival in the spirit of inclusion and camaraderie, with FNG’s being added weekly and the heat getting turned up on choosing the hard path. What a privilege it is to see men moved from Sad Clown to victorious HIM! For the newer guys we are recommending or providing the F3 book “Freed to Lead”, and for those veterans walking the walk, a weekly Shield Lock is happening reviewing the Q Source beginning to end. It’s not for everyone, but the hard path is rarely chosen by accelerating HIM’s. This is only the beginning. Yours, DTH

12 SOJ studs and some dude from Tuckahoe converged on the sprawling estates of Huguenot High. Weather was quite nice, not quite 70 but I will take it. After a brief mosey down to the lowest elevation parking lot the workout went like this:

COP: DQs, Helicopters, merkins, a few scorpion kicks (Pax loved it), FMs, ACs. Short mosey to a different corner of the parking lot.

E1: 4 cumulative corners with 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs (w/ the burpees), 30 jump squats (w the burpees and WWIIs), and then 40 2 count flutter kicks. For some reason there was mixed feedback on these exercises. Short mosey to grassy hill #1.

E2: Wheelbarrows up the hill for each person. I like the layout of grassy hills between parking lots at Huguenot. Mosey to next parking lot.

E3: Doras with 100 HRMs, 200 Helix squats and 300 LBCs, Other partner runs 3/4 the way down the parking lot and back. Mosey to curb next to school entrance.

E4: Curb crawl up to 3 down to 1 followed by a long lunge back towards home base.

Moseyed near flag and finished with AHs, Heels to heaven and DQs.

Announcements: 5/30 Convergence at Tredegar downtown, 6/4 Blood Drive at Epiphany Lutheran (see Pigskin for details), 6/4 Bridge – see Vinny for details, 5/28 – Puppy Pile at Rockwood post workout. September 11 – go with Doozy to run the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the amount of the steps in the World Trade Center building.

Prayers are with Gypsy, Try Hard’s sister, Lab Rat, Mr, Holland, Fresh Prince and Don Draper. I also am getting a CT scan this morning due to a condition I have. Hopefully like the past two CT scans, everything checks out OK. I had fun leading this group. I’d like to come back here again.

Fireman Ed

A dozen PAX converged at Huguenot High School for the latest round of The FORGE. YHC was celebrating 3 years in the group! Some may question whether any of the exercises selected were “fun,” but it appeared that a good time was had nonetheless. Here is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure:

Massacre Start: On the knollercoaster: Bear Crawl up the hills, lunge walk across, crab walk down. Does Massacre or Slaughter sound more intense?

Warm-Up – Walking Ukranian Soldiers, Walking Arm Circles, Walking Helicopters, Hoppin’ Hillbillies, Butt Kicks, High Knees.

Mosey Down the Hill for Exercise One: Broke Back Railing, indigenous people style. PAX goes under the railing, side to side up the hill. Man in the back breaks off and does 5 WWII sit-ups, then runs to the front.

Mosey to the staircase for Tooth Fairies.

Mosey to the top of Mt. Chaplain for Exercise Two:
2 rounds of Mt. Chaplain descent with exercises at 4 of the parking lots.
Rd. 1: 25 lunges, 50 squats, 75 calf raises, 100 monkey humpers
Rd. 2: 25 WWII’s, 50 Flutter Kicks, 75 APD’s, 100 LBC’s
Run back to the top after completion.

Exercise 3: Man Harmers
10 Side Straddle Hops, Forward Straddle Hop across the parking lot, 20 SSH’s, Forward Straddle Hops across the parking lot. Continue pattern up to 70.

Back to the Flag for 5 minutes of Mystery Box:
Burpees, Crawl Bear, Lt. Dan’s

Numbers/Names
Announcements: Upcoming Convergence and regular Q’s at The Bridge. Upcoming blood drive. See Slack for Details

YHC took us out with some reflection on my F3 experience

Final thoughts:

In preparing this workout, I scrolled through some of my prior Q’s. Tried to break out some favorites from the last 3 years. The PAX were looking strong this morning! We lost Last Call for the majority of the workout, but he was located unharmed. F3 continues to have a huge impact on my life and I appreciate all of you!