F3 Knoxville

Author: Pool Boy

Follower of Christ. Daily confessing and repenting. Seeking to serve and share Jesus with those who are perishing. Alternatives to SSH's in your next Q: Hillbilly, Imperial Walker, Imperial Squat Walker, Forward & Side Lunges, Tennessee Rocking Chair, (Hairy) Rockettes, & much more!

No Man Left Behind, No Man Left the Same

THE SCENE: Muggy. Midsummer for sure.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered.
WARM-O-RAMA:
Wrist & neck roll (courtesty of Cave man)
Richard Simmons (inspired by Mermaid’s shorts but also pre-planned)
Ankle roll
Flamingo
Seal clap squats
Forward lunges
Backward lunges
Tennessee rocking chair

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the turf field
AMRAP
Reps in 30 seconds:
Skater hops (same)
Merkins (same)
Line over over under under (hop scotch)
Suicides – 10 yard increment
Monkey Humpers / Calf Raises

Mosey to CMU pile

Complete reps & then do more of an exercise: 11’s
Deadlifts
4-ct Flutter kicks
Q stopped about 1 rep left of deadlifts

Mosey to the shovel flag (jailbreak? Decided against it but pushed the normal mosey pace)

Do a circuit for time
4 corners- (aka Judge Judy special)
Mountain climbers/ Leg lifts – 20 each
Squats / LBC – 20 (4-count LBC’s)
Merkins / Dolly – 20 each
Gas Pump / Gas Pump – 20

Core at the end holding a plank, glute bridge or pick

MARY:
Dealer’s choice. We had lots of time for that. Crazy, huh?
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 Hard-working men.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9:21-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When we welcome people in from the outside, we ought to do both pieces of the F3 matra:
“No man left behind”. This means we run in such a way that we know how to bring others alongside us.

We get to circle back for other guys. Do exercises when we are done. Run through Dealer’s Choice. Count off. Count rest.

These are all things we do together.

But it’s also no man left the same.
AMRAP. Complete reps & then do more of an exercise. Do a circuit for time (4-corners). Push yourself!

Where do you need to become as one under the law? Where can you voluntarily submit to the authority in your life for the good of others and God’s glory?

Where do you need to become as one not under the law (but still under grace)? How can you submit yourself to God’s freeing law? Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty?

So let’s read this again:
Today, become someone who leaves no man behind but leaves no man the same. For God’s glory & our good.

MOLESKIN:
I’m signing up for more Q’s so I’ll show up more. A little bit of healthy pushing myself a little bit of learning to lead better by stepping up. You can do the same or even join me for a co-Q!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up to support the F3 / FiA booths – see Slack!

Gratefully Being Told What to Do

THE SCENE: Not too hot… but so muggy I felt like I might get robbed *ba-dum-tss!*
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER– Administered (Fitness, Fellowship, Faith / Not a Professional / Modify as necessary / $Free.99 / Cell phone for Uber Eats or an emergency)

WARM-O-RAMA:
“Not a warm-up at all”
“The hardest warm-up ever”
“Sounds like a Trolley warm-up to me!”
(all of these were heard or in some variation today during the following warm-up)

This was taken from Trolley’s Q “Slot Cars: The Grateful Grid (and my first F3 workout ever).

1. Plank Destroyer
2. Crabet
3. Freddy Mercuries
4. Mountain Parkers
5. Peter Parkers
6. Squat Walkers
7. Donkey Kicks
8. Iron Mikes
9. Burpees
10. Clap Merkins

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the Cheatsheet parking lot.

Slot Cars… but only back and forth between rows of parking spots. Basically the warmup with a 60 second stretch between called by each PAX (we had exactly 10 today!). I didn’t write down all of the stretches but a few examples I remember:

Saigon Stretch (from our FNG Braden aka Tapas!)
Pickle Pointer aka Glute Bridge Hold
Pretzel Knee stretch
Up dog (S/O to Flintstone for getting my joke on this!)

Mosey to the CMU pile for “Heavy Air”:
Reach for the sky
Let it hang
Down dog
Up dog
Hold a glute bridge with your feet on the CMU
Skull crusher (horizontal reach for the sky)

Repeat without a CMU

Mosey to Shovel Flag -> Jailbreak was called

MARY:
Q gave PAX the choice of Dealer’s Choice or Baseball stretches. PAX (Betty) chose Dealer’s choice. We got about 5 reps into SSH’s (while the Q was doing lunges) when time was called.

 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 Grateful men.

 

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

 

3 years ago I was in the middle  of separation that ended in me losing my marriage. I had been humbled & was the most broken in my life I’ve ever been. I sowed & I reaped:
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” –‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:7-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Over those following months (which you can read about my journey if you starting here and working your way forward), but rather than focus on the negatives, today I want to focus on ‘the grateful grid’:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
I’m going to shoutout men who have shield locked with me- and most of these have been done unofficially but very intentionally- & why I keep coming back. These are several of the men I’m grateful for:
Ribbed– you held my feet to the fire & made sure my faith, hypocritical in the past, was true & refined as more valuable than gold.
Trolley– you showed me what I was capable of when I pushed beyond when I want to give up as well as  such joy & camaraderie. Miss you brother.
Guardrail– you reached out even though you had no idea who I was. You’re a faithful brother who was so surprised ‘are you this open with most people?’, but my confidence in God’s ability to work & heal through a friend like you has been a great source of encouragement.
Jitters– you’ve kept in touch even though our paths don’t cross much. Your steadfast faith encourages me.
Anchorman– you just keep showing up. You’re positive & sacrifice for your family.
Mermaid– you’ve been there pretty much the whole time. You’re beyond consistent- you’re persistent! You don’t give up, you don’t let sad clowns go, & you don’t play disc golf much anymore either! Thankful to have shared 3 years of your 3 years & 2 week journey with you.
Judge Judy– you have showed me what it means to follow, lead, & lead well. Your challenges get me in a way that checks my ego just enough to make me want to get better for the right reason. Soli Deo Gloria.
Baby Boomer– we met at F3 even though we are members of the same church. What nonsense is that & yet what divine Providence to have a friend & brother in Christ like you.
And for the rest of you- your story is still unfolding.
Be the man you want as a friend.
Seek wisdom & counsel from those who you see laying down their lives for others.
Gladly assume sacrificial responsibility & when you do the authority will fall squarely on your shoulders to use it for the good of others and God’s glory alone.
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Grace be with you, my F3 brothers.
MOLESKIN:
Prayed for the teachers going back to school already/soon.
Hard to believe 3 years has passed! Missed Mermaid a good bit this morning as he’s been a part of the journey and a huge influence at Shamrock. Next time, sir!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up to Q – I’m glad to help or get someone else to co-Q with you!

Patient Declaration, Undivided Loyalty

THE SCENE: Muggy as all get out

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered

WARM-O-RAMA:
10 x Overhead Clap IC
10 each Tie Fighters forward & backward IC
10 Forward lunges in place OYO
10 Reverse lunges OYO
10 x Tempo Squats IC
5 x Hand Release Merkins OYO
5 x Burpees
5 x Werewolves OYO

THA-THANG:
Falling Indian Run to the Cheatsheet Merkin’ parking lot.

Modified exercise: Werewolves on Route 66 in ‘Murica:

Lunge across 1 parking space.
Do 1 Werewolf
Mosey/jog/run back to the start.
Do 1 Merkin.
Lunge across 2 parking spaces.
Do 2 Werewolves.
Mosey/jog/run back to the start.
Do 1 Merkin.
Lunge across 3 parking spaces.
Do 3 Werewolves.
Mosey/jog/run back to the start.
Do 1 Merkin.
All the way to 11 parking spaces & 11 Werewolves.

Finish with a Salute to America:
10 x American Hammers
5 x Merkins
(the 6 was up or there would have been a 10 second rest before repeating)

Mosey to CMU Pile

Air CMU Runs – 10 each of the following:
Air
Air Press
Squat
Lunges
Merkin
Freddie Mercury

Add a CMU
Thruster
Goblet Squat
CMU Lunges
CMU Merkins (or Bench Press)
Heavy Freddies

Run all the way through the Fia parking lot (since Fia wasn’t there) and back.

The Q called an audible and we only repeated the Air part and then put the CMU’s up.

Falling Indian Run (Squats again) 2x through and then fellowship mosey back to the #shovel-flag.

MARY:
Dealer’s Choice (1x through and then Betty led Flutter kicks til time was called).

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
5 PAX. Basically the fab five.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Today we celebrate the Declaration of Independence being signed on July 4, 1776. But today’s cultural climate is very different from what can be summed up in the following verses say:
Judges 17:6, 21:25 – In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
I want to be a Christian – wholly, through and through. What are some terms we have that mean things aren’t
consistent. Bifurcated, hypocritical, house-divided, tension.

All of these things describe our culture. But the distinction is stark and we need to reconsider culturally where we are going and the consequences of many in society assuming what I’ve heard termed “the myth of neutrality” (meaning that politics and religion can be separated like you can split a person and say you believe one thing and do another). As John Adams said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Of course, Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[a]

So in reflecting on today and how we are split, divided, hypocritical…

But on July 4, 1776, the following words were signed not hastily or arrogantly, but as a means of last resort to be whole:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

They didn’t separate lightly. It wasn’t done after much longsuffering (aka PATIENCE!). I challenge you to not be a split, hypocritical, divided person. Serve the Lord with gladness. Love your neighbor. Sacrifice for your children. Ask your wife to forgive you (but only if you’ve actually done something wrong).
As Jesus said in Matt 16:25 For whoever would save his life[g] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
MOLESKIN:
Before the workout began Betty said (subject matter doesn’t quite matter because of how applicable it can be used in various situations going forward) “That was under the old leadership. We’re under new leadership now.” HILARIOUS and will definitely be quoted many times going forward.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up to Q! July has more days than most months but that isn’t an excuse to Knox Roll (or any other kind of roll!).

Leading Ultimate Frisburpee

THE SCENE: April showers bring May flowers… and sweat. But what do Mayflowers bring?
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Not a Professional
WARM-O-RAMA:
The first exercise is… Mosey to the track. Partner up as we’re heading there. Extra person find a group with two good runners because today will include a lot of running in it.

Warmup in the End Zone aka “the 0-Yard” per Anchorman.
1. Lunges with a twist across
2. Finger walk – to walk (aka Inch Worm)
3. Over over under under (switch halfway)
4. High knees
5. Butt kickers
6. Side lunges with a skip (switch halfway)
7. Tennessee Rocking Chair

Final warmup lap around the track to the opposite end zone. Today we are going to be playing / doing a variant of a routine on the F3 Exicon known as “ultimate frisburpee”

THA-THANG:
We need to do a throwing warmup so everyone has a chance to get touches on the disc.

First we’ll be doing a game of hot potato – toss the disc to a fellow pax while everyone in the circle does squats. When the timer is up the person left with the disc (or who last was supposed to catch it) calls an exercise not named SSH or a SSH variant. Then we’ll do 15 reps of that exercise. Every time the disc is dropped or not caught, the PAX will do a decreasing number of burpees starting from 5, then 4, 3…

Find your partner and pick even or odd (group of 3 just figure this out).

Field size based on # of PAX (odd number rounding down to give a PAX “rest” as he will be doing alternating flutter kicks and pickle pointers in sets of 10 each with a 10 count rest after each set of two exercises)
4 (2v2) – A single 5 yard x 5 yard square for the goal aka Hot Box
6 (3v3) – A single 5 yard x 5 yard square for the goal aka Hot Box
8 (4v4) – 5 yard deep end zones, 40 yard long x 30 yard wide field
10 (5v5) – 10 yard deep end zones, 50 yard long x 30 yard wide field
12 (6v6) – 15 yard deep end zones, 60 yard long x 35 yard wide field
14 (7v7) – 20 yard deep end zones, 70 yard long x 40 yard wide field

The routine is simple: Similar to ultimate frisbee but with penalty burpees. On the 1st turnover, 5 burpees for all PAX. On the 2nd turnover, 4 burpees. On the 3rd, 3 burpees. On the 4th turnover, 2 burpess. On the 5th turnover, 1 burpee. If neither team has scored, the remainder of the point is played like regular ultimate frisbee. Burpee count resets after every point. You do not have to wait for all PAX to finish burpees to begin playing (i.e., it is advantageous to finish your burpees faster). Usually played for about 20 minutes. A PAX favorite in F3 Hampton Roads.

Our variant will be waiting for PAX to finish burpees (to give us a break and let everyone not run into each other since it was light-ish at first but eventually was fine to play). Also, after every point every PAX on the team that scores will do 5 squats and 5 merkins while the team that did not score walks to their end zone.

We ran out of time but it was super fun for everybody (& skins won).

MARY:
Ain’t nobody got time for that.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 men having too much fun for an F3 beatdown!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The decision to lead (a Q or anything else)- what factors come down to it? What factors do you consider when making any decision? What should you consider? I think there are 3, but we’ll focus on the first one:

Qualifications
Ability
Desire

So I’m going to read verses on authority of those with the right qualifications. See where you fit in and see how you can properly exercise and submit to that authority in your life today:
“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” –‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:3-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;”
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” –‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:25‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” –‭‭John‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So, today step into the role you’ve been given to lead – as an official of the government (which is established by God), as an elder in a church, as a husband and a father in your home, and as a friend to a brother who you’re walking with daily. God will be glorified and pleased.

MOLESKIN:
Ultimate used to be an idol in my life. I gave it up for almost 3 years and now I’m playing again. It’s still a lot of fun but with a lot more freedom than I used to. It held me captive and now it is really as the verse says:

17 Now the Lord[a] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” –2 Corinthians 3:17

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence July 2 at JUCO. See Slack for more info!

Go 4th and Be Godly – There Is No “Try”

THE SCENE: 60’s. A little damp ground.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

May the 4th be with you. In honor of Star Wars day, today we will be doing themed exercises. Some you know, some you might know, & some you might even be surprised Pool Boy is leading…

Cantina Night Club (Moroccan Night Club)
Cloud City Rocking Chair (Tennessee Rocking Chair)
Little Princess Leia’s (Little Mermaids)
Chewbacca Humpers (Monkey Humpers)
Hans Solo Release Merkins (Hand-release merkins)
Rebel Squadron Run (Falling Indian Run) past the track to the Cheatsheet merkin parking lot past the track. Do Chewbacca Humpers while we pass then fall in when 6 passes you.

THA-THANG:

11’s:
Imperial Squat Walkers
Lunge between 2 parking spaces
Hans Solo Release Merkins
Lunge between 2 parking spaces (Bear Crawl optional)
Mosey to Coruscant Manufacturing Unit (CMU) pile

Death Star – A routine done with a deck of playing cards where each suit is an exercise and each card dictates the number of reps you do of that exercise all the way up to an Ace being 14 reps. Exercise complete when all 52 cards have been flipped:

Spades – Parking Space Light Speed Suicides
Hearts – Run down to the curb and back each
Clubs – Heavy Core (PAX drawing the two cards picks
Diamond- Hans Solo Relase Merkins
Additional stuff we didn’t have time for: R2D2 & C-3PO  (aka Dora)-
Partner exercises except each round your partner start with 1 Cloud City Rocking Chair
100 Chewbacca Humpers
200 Tie Fighters (100 each way)
300 Imperial Walkers
Mosey to the Rebel Base (Shovel Flag):

MARY:
Light Saber Game for Dealer’s Choice.
Except Yoda Jacks

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 Jedi Knights
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Do or do not, there is no try. Yoda says this and in some ways this is true & others not. But what I think Yoda means is what I’ll sum up in a different way:

God doesn’t expect more of us than we can do. Pause & think about that. He only expects what we’re capable of. But as we all know- & the past few weeks of study & rest I’ve done (legit or not, it’s a decision I made), I chose to do that.  You chose to get out here today & workout. Others chose to be on a business trip out of town, preparing for new life changes, or simply to stay at home. But you did it- you came here.

So now consider this:
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Have you heard the phrase ‘should implies can’? It’s simple yet profound. It’s similar to ‘do or do not, there is no try.’ If you should do something, it means you can. But even that is only what God has given us the ability to do. Today we got some bodily training on Star Wars day. But each new day, whether it’s Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, or another day 20 years from now or after this life, if we are disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness, it will have value now & forevermore.

MOLESKIN:
Mandolin is back! Prayed for Mandolin, Long Noodle’s wife and him, Dumpster Dive traveling and Waxjob’s adoption & financial court stuff. Good to be back after studying for and taking the PE Exam. Hilarious commentary from Dumpster Dive (especially during prayer requests) today – great mumblechatter and had a lot of fun.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP Escape from Haw Ridge this Friday 9pm-midnight! See Slack for details. Shamrock Flag handoff May 15.