F3 Knoxville

Author: Bobbitt

Armor Bears

THE SCENE: 67 degrees and cool as a cucumber.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Dutifully Executed
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • Knoxville Cherry Pickers x5
  • Abe Vigoda x5
  • Willie Mays Hayes x6
  • Tempo Merks x10
  • Tempo Squats x10
  • FLBAC x10
  • RLBAC x10
  • Seal Claps x10
  • OH Claps x10
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x10
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers x11
  • SSH x10

Mosey a lap in the lot.

THA-THANG:
Perform 10 LL Cool J’s – Lunge each leg, burpee, then squat jump (the cool part is the burpee). Hold plank for 6.

Grab a battle buddy for Dora. Pax one performs exercises below. Pax two bear crawls to the cone.

  • 100 Monkey humpers
  • 200 Merkins
  • 300 SSH
  • 400 LBCs
  • 500 squats

LL Cool J came back for an encore at halftime. Thanks, LL!

MARY:

Please don’t tell Mary we didn’t have time for her this morning. She doesn’t exactly like hearing that.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

There’s a really cool story in the Old Testament of Jonathan (Saul’s son) and his armor bearer when they sneak out away from the troops to see if God might hand the enemy over to them. They were at

In 1 Sam 14 it says,

6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will act for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 His armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to.[b] I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.”[c] 8 Then Jonathan said, “Now we will cross over to those men and will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us.”

Jonathan and his armor bearer wound up taking down 20 guys. Then God caused a panic in the enemy camp. The lookouts wound up seeing what was going on and brought it to Saul’s attention who was resting under a tree. Instead of rallying the men, Saul winds up calling roll, calling for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought up, discussing what to do with the priests, and finally rallies the troops to join the battle.

What we have here are two examples; one of initiative and the other of hesitation. While Jonathan was taking the initiative to see if God might hand the enemy over to them, Saul was frustrated with the stalemate and taking a nap.

YHC recently read a quote that said,

“Dear optimist, pessimist, and realist – while you guys were busy arguing about the glass of wine, I drank it! Sincerely, the opportunist!” – Lori Griner

Often we think we are being productive by discussing, analyzing, strategizing when it is often time to act. Action is way more effective than talk.

Theodore Roosevelt once said,

“Get action; do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create; act; take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.”

2 Challenges for Today:
1. Talk Less – Act More
2. Surround yourself with people of action.

MOLESKIN:
Everyone is probably going to need new gloves after that many bear crawls. Binks makes bear crawls look so natural, we’re worried he might have been raised by bears. YHC knows what it feels like to miss a week and #thatsucked. Glad to be suffering in the gloom with you HIMs again.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • T-Shirts hit the store very soon! Need to have 12 purchased within the two week window in order to go to print.
  • Look for first Saturday, 2nd F fellowships coming up! We’re making these regular.
  • Wingman has the Q Wednesday.
  • Prayers for our DLs, DRs, and MiAs!

Gratitude BOMBS

THE SCENE: 67 and delightfully gloomy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Expertly Executed
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • Knox Cherry pickers x5
  • Willy Mays Hayes x8
  • Tempo Squats x10
  • Tempo Merkins x10
  • FLBAC x10
  • RLBAC x10
  • Seal Claps x10
  • OH Claps x10
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x10 (commence agony!)
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers x11
  • SSH x15

Mosey to the track!

THA-THANG:

PAX partnered up for Dora Bombs. Pax 1 moseyed sideline to sideline, Pax 2 did the following until they return then flapjack. Numbers are cumulative.

  • Burpees x50
  • OH Claps x100
  • Merkins x150
  • Big Boys x200
  • Squats x250

All groups finished and took a lap around the track, hold plank for 6.

RTB.

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks 4c IC x15
  • Hello Dollies 4c IC x15

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

YHC got a fancy new watch that measures stress using heart rate variability (HRV). It’s been a challenge trying to figure out how to lower stress throughout the day. Breathing exercises, meditation and prayer, naps have all been moderately effective.

YHC discovered something that brought it down 30 points or more several times; gratitude.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says…

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

In his book “Gratitude Works,” Robert Emmons says the following.

“…groundbreaking research has shown that when people regularly cultivate gratitude, they experience a multitude of psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual benefits. Gratitude has one of the strongest links to mental health and satisfaction with life of any personality trait—more so than even optimism, hope, or compassion. Grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism, and gratitude as a discipline protects us from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness. People who experience gratitude can cope more effectively with everyday stress, show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy more robust physical health. Many of these effects are quantifiable.”

YHC finds it interesting and hilarious that science is just now catching up with what the Bible said 2,000 years ago! These effects ARE quantifiable in YHC’s own experience!

YHC has started a Gratitude Journal to record 5 things to be grateful for that have regularly lowered stress. This is a good practice for everyone to realize how bless we really are.

On that note: YHC is incredibly grateful for all of you F3 brothers. A tooth ache and little sleep is a great reason to fartsack. Some might even call it a smartsack. YHC would rather suffer with you dudes (and actually felt better!). We have something unique in F3 and are very blessed.

MOLESKIN:

  • Welcome FNG-Gizmo!
  • Still heard lingering aches and pains from Monday’s #thatsucked. Great Q Piston!
  • Prayers for our MIAs, DLs, Wingman’s family, Angel Softs M and 2.0, and Feeny’s track team in the heat.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Kickflip has gifted some fancy printed publicity materials to Rampart to share around and EH some sad clowns. See Bobbitt for more if you need them. Let’s get some more Kingston, Rockwood, Harriman guys out with us!

Meekness = Controlled Strength

THE SCENE: A cool, breezy 69 degreezy.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: But of course!

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • Knoxville Cherry Pickers x5
  • Willie Mays Hayes x5 (Stretch that other leg on your own time, fellas!)
  • Tempo Squats x10
  • Tempo Merks x10
  • LBACF x10
  • LBACR x10
  • OH Claps x10
  • Seal Claps x10
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x10
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers xTWELVE!!!

Mosey to the track!

THA-THANG:
Today, Rampart performed their first physical fitness test as a baseline measurement for the incredible physical feats that will be accomplished at this fine AO. We used the Air Force Fitness Assessment. Exercises were as follows. See Slack channel for results.

PAX partnered up. One administered while the other performed the exercise. Then flapjack.

  • One Minute Merkin Max Reps
  • One Minute Big Boy Max Reps
  • Pax took a lap before the run.
    • (Air Force standards require ten minutes between each exercise. Pshhh! This is F3!!)
  • Timed 1.5 Mile Run

MARY:
Guantanamo!!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM: “Strength Under Control”

Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Other translations use the word “gentle” or “humble” for meek. Although these are accurate, the Greek understanding of that word comes with a little more luggage. The Greek word for “meek” is “praus”. The background for how that word became used for humility and meekness is that it was understood as “strength under control” similar to the way a powerful horse needs to be harnessed and tamed.

As Jesus is riding into Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry, Matthew 21:5 says, “Look, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey.” Same word here. Jesus Himself carried this quality of “strength under control”. Of course He did! He’s the Son of God! The whole nature of God becoming a human, the incarnation, is strength under control.

Meekness in the Bible really refers to the one who is able to tame their behavior, thinking, bodies, spirits, temper, ego, sexual desires, worldly desires. How do you bring strength under control? Discipline.

There are 3 types.

  1. Reactive Discipline – when you’re tempted or drawn into something

2. Structural Discipline – routines and habits that make you better

3. Expansive Discipline – opportunities for growth, “doing it anyway” in the face of fear, hesitation, difficulty, etc.

Structural Discipline actually makes room in your life by conserving energy for Reactive and Expansive Discipline. Order your life! Create good habits!

Finally, Desmond Tutu once said to Richard Rohr, “We are only lightbulbs, Richard. Our job is to remain screwed in.” The more you exercise discipline, the more you remain screwed in to your REAL source of strength and discipline, and the brighter your witness!

MOLESKIN:

Welcome FNG-Angel Soft!! Great work today, dude!

Feeny (still waiting on a tag) mentioned that “discipline begets discipline” and told us how creating discipline in one area of his life led to more in other areas. FOR SURE! Good thoughts!

Props to the Clydesdales that CRUSHED their reservation about a mile and a half run! Expansive Discipline at work!! I’m inspired by your efforts today, gentlemen!

Prayers for our HIM brothers on the DL: Olive Oyl and Doppler! Miss you guys! Hope to see you soon!

Prayers for our guys out traveling!


ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Airborne is working on a Saturday, August 20 2nd F BBQ! More details for time and location soon! Be prepared to bring a side or something!

Bobbitt is considering a Saturday morning OTB makeup test for your DLs, DRs, and Fartsackers! 🙂

Back to School, Back to School

THE SCENE: “It’s too darn hot for a penguin to just be walkin’ around here!”

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Dutifully delivered.

WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x15
Knox Cherry Pickers (Late season cherries for obvious reasons) …Enough. We lost count.
Tempo Merks x10
Tempo Squats x10
FLBAC x10
RLBAC x10
Grady Corn x10
Moroccan Night Clubs x10
Chatty Cherries x10
SSH x15

Mosey to the school yard!

THA-THANG:

PAX performed a Billy Madison Routine. Inspired by Billy Madison’s journey through back through school, this routine involves a running loop and exercise per grade. For best effects, perform routine on school grounds. Begin with 12 reps of an exercise, then take a lap to the bridge. Billy passed the 1st grade…”Oh what a glorious day!” Do the 1st grade exercise x 12 reps plus the second grade exercise x 12 reps. This concludes 2nd grade. Continue adding an exercise each time with the lap until you’ve completed one loop and exercise combo for each of the 12 grades. We added a full lap around the parking lot for 6th grade and 12th grade because Middle School is terrible and learning is hard for me SO BACK OFF!

Exercises were as follows:

  1. Air Squats
  2. Merkins
  3. Heels to Heaven
  4. SSH
  5. Shoulder Touches
  6. Big Boys
  7. Monkey Humpers
  8. Flutter Kicks 4 ct
  9. Diamond Push-ups
  10. Bonnie Blairs 2 ct
  11. Burpees
  12. American Hammers

Several PAX made it to the 11th grade but unfortunately did not pass. Poor Billy, Billy Boy.

RTB

MARY:
LBC x15 4ct.
Awkward Turtle x15 4ct.
Rosalitas x10 4ct.
Basilisk x10 4ct.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

1 Peter 5:8-11

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

What this doesn’t say God will keep you from being tempted. It says God will give you strength and restore you. I’ve stopped praying that God would keep me from being tempted. “And lead us not into the time of trial” is a better translation. Temptation will always be there in one form or another. Jesus was tempted! A leadership author (who’s name I have forgotten) wrote that the more you find yourself in leadership, the more you will find yourself tempted and with more at stake.

Instead, of asking for God to take away temptation, I’ve been praying for strength to stand firm against temptations of the flesh, temptations of the world, and temptations from the enemy.

One practical thing I’ve been learning is about will power. Will Power matters more than IQ. According to the Marshmallow Test (search it on YouTube), the 15 minutes of this test could predict kids’ future for the next 15+ years. Kids with will power perform better than kids that have a higher IQ.

Here’s what to remember about your will power: IT’S A MUSCLE – It gets tired. How do you hack your will power? You pre-commit. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus tied himself to the mast and had his crew put wax in their ears to avoid the song of the Sirens. Tempted? Don’t even allow it into your hearing. Be tied to the mast.

I struggle with lunchtime decisions. I started to pre-commit by making my own. I struggle with snacking on junk when I get home. I started to pre-commit with healthy options and eliminated the unhealthy. Other options? TV – unplug it. Social Media? – Delete it and use browser. Waking up to workout in the morning? Hard Commit!

MOLESKIN:

Workout Playlist was as follows…

  1. Old John Braddelum – Alan Mills
    (Everyone loved this one! Considering 45 mins on repeat next time. Great idea, Borg!)
  2. ABC – The Jackson 5
  3. The Stroke – Billy Squier
  4. Carry on Wayward Son – Kansas
  5. I’ll Tumble 4 Ya – Culture Club
  6. Jump Around – House of Pain (I forgot. Clearly not edited. I apologize.)
  7. Beat on the Brat – Ramones
  8. Renegade – Styx
  9. Rock ‘n’ Roll (Part 2) – Gary Glitter (Obviously from Happy Gilmore but we needed a break, right?)

Fun was had by all! Thank you for enjoying this workout!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • July 30: 7 AM.  Shovelflag handoff at the Arsenal. See Slack for details.
  • August 6: Family Workout, 8:00AM. Pancakes in the Park after the workout. See Slack for details.
  • August 6: Shield Lock Pool Party at Borg’s!  10:00 AM.   See Slack for details.
  • August 6: 7 AM.  Work Day at the Cerebral Palsy Center.  See Slack for details.
  • Aug 12-14:  F3 Dad Camp 4.0 @ YMCA Camp Ocoee. See Slack for details.
  • Hey. See Slack for details.

Stranger Things in the Upside Down

THE SCENE: A muggy 73 with ominous silent heat lightening in the distance.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Properly administered.

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x11
  • Knox Cherry Pickers x11
  • Tempo Merk x11
  • Tempo Sq. x11
  • Shoulder Burn x11
    • Little Baby Arm Circles x11
    • RLBAC x11
    • Seal Claps x11
    • OH Claps x11
    • Chatty Cherry Pickers x10 (Dangit.)
  • Mtn Climbers x11

Mosey!

THA-THANG:

11s on Mr. Hill. Russian Twists (Yes, I know. They just go with my theme, ok!) at the bottom. Squats at the top.

Mosey to the clubhouse.

Ascending Testicles …What? I got it from the Exicon 😉 – Cousin of Balls to the Wall. 10 Derkins with feet on the wall at 15 degree position. 10 Derkins 45 degree position. Walk up to full BTTW pose. Hold for 10 count. Rest with 1 Minute People’s Chair. Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey!

Stadium 11s – 10 Derkins at the bottom. Jim Hopper to the top. 1 BBS at the top. 0 Derkins at the bottom. Jim Hopper to the top. 2 BBS at the top. …etc.

Back to the Wall for one more People’s Chair and one more BTTW.

MARY:
Circle Merkins up to 3 and back down with various claps, one arms (nice Wingman!), etc. Finished with dealers choice. 11 LBCs and 11 Heel Touches.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Stranger Things that Lie Beneath the Surface

In Stranger Things, there are these monsters lurking in the Upside Down. Most people aren’t aware of how they are affecting the town and people.

Moses was a Hebrew. Yet, he was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. He didn’t actually FIT anywhere. Think about the identity crisis that must have been going on inside.

Exodus 2:11-15 “One day after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting, and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian”

Moses clearly reacted in this situation and didn’t even think much about how wrong it was until he was exposed. It’s obvious Moses had things lurking on the inside. How did Moses transform from this incredibly rash, reactive guy with such violent outbursts into the great leader of Israel? He spent REGULAR time encountering God.

These encounters with God were the basis of his entire leadership. H sought God’s council on everything. Left to himself, Moses would have been reactive and controlled by what lies under the surface. Instead, he led out of GOD’s wisdom.

Everyone has Stranger Things lurking under the surface. Past hurts that cause us to react. Secret Sins in our past or present that we’re anxious to keep covered up. Temptations that we’d never want someone to know we struggle with. Thought patterns that are negative, unhealthy, or shameful. Being Anxious, Reactive, and Fearful.

Regular Solitude with God helps us to be non-anxious, non-reactive, challenging presence.

Don’t live in the Upside Down. 

Moleskin:
Prayers for Olive Oyl on the DL, Skeletor traveling, and our guys that are out right now.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2nd F event at Shakira’s coffee shop, Coffee Whipped at 8am on July 30.
Aug 6 work day at the Cerebral Palsy Center in Knoxville.