F3 Knoxville

Author: Choir Boy

Impromptu Q

THE SCENE: Mid 60s, clear skies, beautiful morning to be alive, outside, and sweating with a bunch of dudes at a dark park at 5:30 a.m. (when you write that out, it doesn’t sound quite right)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Ribbed was on Q, but he was sidelined with a fever and headache, so I warmed us up with:

SSH x 20 (4 ct)

Baby arm circles forward x 10 (4 ct)

Baby arm circles backward x 10 (4 ct)

Overhead claps x 10 (4 ct)

Tempo squats x 10

Tempo merkins x 10

Some Michael Phelps

A little of this and a little of that x 2

THA-THANG:
Handed off to Mouthwash after the warmup, and he took us to the flagpole for a 7 of diamonds – run the loop stopping to do exercises at each of the 4 points of the diamond along the way.

First lap – 7 diamond merkins at each point

Second lap – 14 big boys at each point

Third lap – 21 wide merkins at each point

Fourth lap – 28 squats at each point

Mouthwash handed back to me, and we ran to the Bermuda Triangle in honor of Ribbed.  At the first point, we did 35 v-ups.  Bear crawled to the second point and did 35 Carolina Dry Docks.  Bear crawled to the third point and did flutter kicks x 35 on a 4 ct.  Bear crawled back to the first point.

Handed off to Kentucky who took us to the playground.  Rocky Balboas on the curb on a 4 ct (I think we did either 20 or 25, but I don’t remember for sure – I was trying to keep up with the exercise).  Asymmetrical merkins x 10 each arm (one hand on the ground, the other on the curb and then switch arms after 10).  Mouthwash suggested baby dips on the curb x 25 followed by 10 tempo pull ups (fast up, hold, slow on the way back down).

Kentucky then took us to the splash pad for 15 table rows and 15 box jumps/step ups.

Back to the AO for Mary

MARY:
Kentucky suggested a bicycle race, so I led us in some plank work while he set up the music for the race, which consisted of Freddie Mercurys during the song “Bicycle Race” by Queen with 1 big boy every time the word “bicycle” or “bike” was mentioned, and they were mentioned – a lot.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
No one else had anything to say, so I took the BOM and talked about Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  We are forging both friendships and brotherhoods at F3.  While work, family, church, etc. may prevent us from getting together and hanging out like we would in high school or college, the gloom gives us a chance to bond, encourage, support, and mumble-chatter.  And while some us may be closer friends with some than others, we are all brothers and have each other’s backs in times of adversity.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Ribbed, Lillydipper’s wife, Jinxy’s wife, Doubtfire, Lulu, the two women with brain tumors mentioned by Baywatch, the kids in school, and everyone working.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill on 10/3.  Still trying to put together an Equalizer team.

Traveling Tabata

THE SCENE: Around 70 degrees, humid, no rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 20 (4 ct)

Baby Arm Circles Forward x 10 (4 ct)

Baby Arm Circles Backward x 10 (4 ct)

Imperial Walkers x 10 (4 ct)

Tempo merkins x 10

Tempo squats x 10

A little of this

A little of that

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the flag pole

Tabata workout – 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 8 rounds of each exercise, run after the 8th round to a new location for the next exercise

Merkins at the flagpole then mosey to the circle beyond the splash pad under the light

Big boy sit-ups then mosey to the circle at the dock and then back to the bathrooms

Pull-ups on the bars hanging from the bathroom building then mosey back to the flagpole

Squats at the flagpole then mosey to the tables at the splash pad

Table rows at the splash pad

Mosey to the AO

MARY:
V-ups x 10 (4 ct) courtesy of Ribbed (I should have seen that coming)

Peter Parkers with a 6-inch hold courtesy of Mouthwash

Flutter kicks x 20 (4 ct) courtesy of Snitch

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA:

7 PAX strong, including Shutterfly who does not have a tag in the system.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Summer is ending and school is beginning.

This time of year always makes me sad and reflective.

This year is obviously different.

I’m actually glad to see school returning, and I think my kids are too, but they won’t fully admit it.

It will be different, and it won’t be easy.

But there is hope that we are a bit closer to better days.

And we should not let what we are going through defeat us.

Any one heard of Vikto Emil Frankl?

I read about him this week.  Apparently, he was a famous neurologist, psychiatrist, and author of about 40 books.  He died at 92.

He survived Nazi concentration camps, even though his first wife, mother, father, and brother did not.

Here is what he wrote about the importance of attitude: “Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.”

Proverbs 17:22 – “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

This is from the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: 

“By rights we shouldn’t even be here.  But we are.  It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo.  The ones that really mattered.  Full of darkness and danger, they were.  And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end.  Because how could the end be happy?  How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?  But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.  Even darkness must pass.  A new day will come.  And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9 – “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Face change and challenge with a positive attitude and faith in God and his plan for your life.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Lillydipper’s wife, Doubtfire and his family, Stripped’s wife, Ribbed’s wife, everyone who could not join us for the workout today for whatever reason, and the kids and the new school year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
None mentioned, but check the weekly email

21 Jump Street

THE SCENE: Lower 70s and humid, so typical August weather.  There was a shooting star before we began.  I tried, but I can’t take credit for that.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA

SSH x 21 (4 ct)

Little Baby Arm Circles Forward x 10 (4 ct)

Little Baby Arm Circles Backward x 10 (4 ct)

Overhead clap x 1 (single ct)

Tempo merkins x 10

Tempo squats x 10

Burpee x 1

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the splash pad

Deck of Pain – Blackjack style

Draw a card from the deck

The number on the card tells you the number of reps (2-10 with jacks, queens, and kings equaling 10 and aces equaling 15)

The suit tells you the exercise

Diamonds – diamond merkins

Hearts – box jumps (we seemed to do a lot of these)

Spades – table rows

Clubs – LBCs (4 ct)

And all aces are burpee pull-ups (we seemed to do a lot of these, too)

If we hit 21 at any point, then we get a 21-second rest (we only got one rest)

If we bust, then we do the exercise and run to the dock, do 21 CDDs and return (we did a lot of these, but I lost count)

Mosey back to AO

MARY:
We owed the house 21 CDDs for a bust that we hit before we left for the AO, so we did those and then held a plank until time (about a minute or so).

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Started with 8 and ended with 7.  Ribbed left early, which was supposedly pre-planned and unrelated to the workout.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Anyone heard of Jonathan Isaac?

He plays basketball for the Orlando Magic.

He stood for the National Anthem in the NBA bubble.  He was the first person who did.

He was asked why and if he thought that black lives matter.  Here is his response:

“Absolutely I believe that Black lives matter.  A lot went into my decision and part of it is my thought that kneeling or wearing a black lives matter t-shirt don’t go hand in hand with supporting black lives. . . .  My life has been supported through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Everyone is made in the image of God and that we all fall short of God’s glory.  Each and every one of us each and every day do things that we shouldn’t do.  We say things that we shouldn’t say.  We hate and dislike people that we shouldn’t hate and dislike.  And sometimes it gets to the point where we point fingers about whose evil is worse, and sometimes it comes down to simply whose evil is most visible.  I felt like I wanted just take a stand on — I felt like we all make mistakes but I think the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there’s grace for us.  And that Jesus came and died for our sins.  And that if we all will come to an understanding of that and understand that God wants to have a relationship with us, then we can get past skin color, we can get past all the things in our world that are messed up, jacked up.  I think that when you look around that racism is not the only thing that plagues our society that plagues our nation that plagues our world.  I feel like coming together on that message that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues us as a society, I feel like the answer to it is the Gospel.”

That’s a HIM

It turns out that Isaac is also an ordained minister.

It also turns out that Isaac injured his knee (torn ACL) during his first action and is out for the rest of this season and maybe part of next season.

A radio show on ESPN put up a poll asking if it was funny that the person who stood for the anthem was injured during his first action.  That poll received backlash and was taken down.

Being a HIM is not easy

On his injury, Isaac tweeted this:

“IT IS WELL!!! 2 Kings 4! Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns I’m encouraged. Remember our God is not just a God of the hills but a God of the valleys! (2 Corinthians ch 4 vs 9!) MY COMEBACK WILL BE GREATER THAN MY SETBACK!!!! I STILL STAND IN JESUS NAME!!!!”

Be a HIM

Regardless of whether you stand for the anthem or not, stand for Jesus, especially when it’s not easy to do so.

MOLESKIN:
Thanks for the prayers for Mrs. Choir Boy.  Progress has been made and no bad news.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Dad’s camp this weekend

Don’t Look Back In Anger (I Heard You Say)

THE SCENE: Warm, humid, no rain, lots of mayflies
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x 40 (4 ct)

Burpees x 3

THA-THANG:
Mosey to flag pole

Do these exercises, 43 reps each

Box jumps

Dips

Decline Merkins

Big boy sit-ups

Squats

CDDs

LBCs

Then, bear crawl to south gate of the loop and run around the loop back to the flag pole

Drop the top exercise and do the others and repeat the bear-crawl/running lap

Rinse and repeat until complete or out of time (we ran out of time)

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:
We only had about a minute or so for Mary, so we held planks until time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 total PAX
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Subset of divisiveness (which I talked about at the Asylum on Saturday) is cancel culture.

Cancel culture is contrary to Christian beliefs and the lessons that the Bible teaches.

It is also against the old adage that we teach our kids – your mistakes do not define you, and this one from church – love the sinner, not the sin.

The Bible is full of examples of how a person is not defined by his worst traits, deeds, or words, but here is one.  Saul was not a good man – he persecuted Christians among other things.  Jesus blinds him, converts him, and turns Saul into Paul, who was a great man.  Paul did a lot of good work, is a pillar of Christianity, and is traditionally attributed with writing 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament.

Where would Christianity be without Paul?

In today’s cancel climate, Paul would be canceled because of Saul and with him a lot of the New Testament.  Let that sink in.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:32

My favorite band is Oasis, who had a song titled “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”  That’s good advice from a band that was drunk and high for most of the 90s.  No need to cancel good music because of bad behavior.  Otherwise, we would not have any good music.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Training Wheels and his son traveling out west (look out for Title IX), Mrs. Lillydipper, and Mrs. Choir Boy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mend House clothing drive, La-Z-Boy celebrity Q on Wednesday

Everything You Need To Know You Learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten

THE SCENE: Sunny, around 70, and humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 42 (21 on a 4 ct)

Arm circles forward x 21 (4 ct)

Arm circles backward x 21 (4 ct)

Overhead clap x 43 (single ct)

Little of this and that and that and this

Some standing Michael Phelps

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Rocky Mtn High (every light do a burpee) – 7s – incline merkins with a clap at the top, imperial walkers (4 ct) at the bottom

Mosey to Everest (every light do a burpee) – Do 42 merkins at the bottom, run to the top where the rock pile used to be and do 43 merkins

Mosey to Grinch Hill – 7s – squats at the bottom, captain thors at the top

Mosey to Tree of Life – Hokey Pokeys – 21 each leg, Rowkins (or merkin rows) – 43

Mosey to Small Pavilon (Crawdad dubbed it the Stirrups since Hands was the one who introduced the location to F3) – 7s – pull-ups and merkins

Mosey to Pavilon – 7s – pull-me-ups on the picnic tables and box jumps

Mosey back to the AO via Baby Everest

MARY:

Not much time left for Mary, but we did 43 LBCs and then merkins until the last 30 seconds or so ran out

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 total, including Veggie and Jumbo but their tags don’t show up
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about the divisiveness that is prevalent in the world today.  We need to be part of the solution, not the problem.  Some things to consider:

“You should always go through life working on the assumption that the other guy might be right.”  Senator Howard Baker, Jr.

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”  Romans 16:17-18.

Read the Sneetches by Dr. Suess and pay close attention to Sylvester McMonkey McBean.

Don’t be McBean.  Be the person who helps find equality and common ground, not the person who takes advantage of situations and profits off of others.

Remember what you learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten and the world will be a better place.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Title IX, Mrs. Lillydipper, Lulu’s mom/Veggie‘s grandmother, and Mrs. Choir Boy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: