F3 Knoxville

Author: Steam

3/18/2020 Remote WOD – #HumpDay

Yo. Welcome to F3 Knoxville’s Remote WOD #1. While this might not follow our typical beatdown at any given AO, hopefully this will provide a way for you to get after it, just like we normally do all together.

Wherever you find yourself at today, carve out some time and put in some work. Your F3 brothers around our region will be rocking this at different times throughout the day. Even remotely, there are still ways to lock shields and stay in the fight. Let’s get it done today High Impact Men!

The Scene: Wednesday, March 18, 2020: 12am – 12am.

  • Home, driveway, park, etc. Give yourself some room.
    • Probably not a gym…….

Timeframe: This is on you. Hold yourself accountable just like you would at a normal F3 workout. Just because this is a virtual Q, it doesn’t mean you can’t call-out/push a battle-buddy, just gonna look different.

Safety-Brief: Obviously you’re doing this on your own volition. Push yourself just like you do at F3. Go ahead and get it in your mind that you’re not going to quit. Audibly tell yourself “I will not quit.”

    • I’m not a professional
    • Per usual – if you need to modify anything – do it. Like I said above, this is on you!

Warm-Up Exercises:

(Pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you)

(No seriously. Take a second to take stock of what your body is telling you. Feeling any soreness? Pain? Muscle aches? Especially in a time of uncertainty – keeping your body tuned-up and taking stock of where you’re at will be important.)

Slow —-> Fast

    • Cherry-Picker: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
      • Shoot Crawdad a message with questions about proper form and his personal recommendations for this exercise
    • Lunge: 6 each leg – 1 count
    • Rockette: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
    • Squat: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
  • (^^^ slower ^^^ )
    • Mountain Climber: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
    • 4 count merkin: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
      • Starting position: Merkin plank
      • 1 = lower chest down to the ground all the way (laying on the ground)
      • 2 = extend arms out (like you’re flying)
      • 3 = pull arms back in and push-up 
      • 4 = back to starting position
      • = 1
  • (^^^ little faster ^^^)
    • Side-Straddle Hop: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
    • Iron Mikes: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)
    • Burpees: 12 (1 count)
    • Baby Arm Circles: 12 x 4 (12 reps on a 4 count)

(^^^ faster ^^^)

 

Workout of the Day

(KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid)

[3 Different Evolutions]

This is on your own time – whether you crush it in 20 minutes or you keep steady for a whole hour – you do you.

    • Pick a point of contact you can run to – mailbox, end of street, entrance to the neighborhood, neighbor’s house, etc. Find it.
    • You decide how far this is going to be for you – you’ll be running/jogging there more than 5x during the workout.
    • Keep this spot in mind. Designed to break up the different exercises we’ll do.
    • Run to it and back once – to get a feel for where it’s at.

 

 

[ 18s ]

  • Merkins & Squats (all 1 count)
  • 17 merkins
    • Run to your point of contact.
  • 1 squat at your point of contact (don’t cheat yourself treat yourself)
  • Run back to your start point (driveway, wherever that is for you)
  • 16 merkins
    • Run to your point of contact.
  • 2 squats at your point of contact
  • Run back to your start point
  • Rinse & Repeat
    • 15/3, 14/4, so on and so forth until you get to 1 merkin + 17 squats
  • Recover at your start point
    • Breathe. Drink some water/coffee/gatorade/depending on what time you do this workout maybe a cold one?
    • Give yourself 15 seconds to get your head back in it — then run/jog to your point of contact and back.

 

[ One Foot In Front of the Other ]

    • 50 Total Reps
    • What = 1 rep?
      • 1 rep = 1 TouchDown + 1 Lunge
      • TouchDown
        • Starting position: feet together
        • Put weight on 1 of your legs & raise the other a little off the ground – balancing on your planted leg
        • Take the opposite hand/arm of the the leg that is planted and shifting your weight forward touch your hand to your planted foot – letting your lifted leg raise up straight back as well
        • Raise back up to the starting position
      • Lunge: lunge forward with the leg you raised up
      • = 1
    • Knock out 50 of these bad boys then run/jog to your point of contact and back

 

[ 10 for 10 ]

    • 10 Reps of 10 exercises – for 10 rounds. All on a 1 count. Except 1. Read below to see why! <3
    • The Exercises:
      • Merkins (duh)
      • Squats (also duh)
      • Plank Jacks
      • Bobby Hurley (Driblle and jump-shoot a basketball in place)
      • Side-Lunges (5/leg)
      • Side-Straddle Hops
      • American Hammers
      • Big Boy Situps
      • V-Ups
      • Man-Makers (8-Count body builder)
    • Run/jog to your point of contact after every round

 

  • Drink some water
  • Check-in with your body – how’re you feeling?
  • Do some minor stretching (or major if you need it)

 

COT/BOM

  • When you’re done – snap a pic with a thumbs up (or something cooler idk) and SEND IT to the F3 Knoxville GroupMe with your F3 name. 

 

  • BOM – will post a video BOM tomorrow morning no later than 9am.

 

Thanks for sticking with it – keep leading from the front, middle, and back men. Your families, colleagues, friends, community, and country need you more than ever.

 

Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight!

-Steam

BOM

In addition to my video BOM – here’s the devo content from Jim Branch’s The Blue Book

  • Opening Prayer: O Lord our God, help us to live our lives with the faith and courage necessary to live by love and not fear. Forgive me when my seeing and my thinking get so distorted that I allow fear to control me and make me its slave – even when I don’t fully realize it. Seize my heart and soul with your perfect love in such a way that it drives out all fear and gives me the freedom to truly love, rather than manipulate, those in my life and world. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

    • Reading For Reflection: The older I get, the more I realize that quite possibly the biggest single enemy of our spiritual lives (other than Satan himself) is fear. Fear seems to be at the very core of all the things that battle against my heart and soul. At the core of my busyness is fear. At the core of my insecurity is fear. At the core of my anxiety is fear. At the core of my competitiveness….you guessed it – fear. Fear of not having what it takes. Fear of now having any value. Fear of not being lovable. The list goes on and on. And maybe the main reason this enemy is so strong and dangerous is that by and large it is a hidden enemy. We never really look beneath the surface of our more familiar enemies to spot it. We rarely follow any of those foes down far enough to see what is at their root. And when we don’t know what we are really fighting, how can we possibly be victorious? We just keep getting defeated over and over and over again. This fear robs us of the intimacy we were created for. It robs us of the freedom that God longs for us to enjoy. It robs us of genuinely loving relationships. It simply controls the way we live our lives.
    • What are we to do? How can we possibly fight against this? A first step would seem to be identifying AND naming our fears. Somehow naming our fears takes some of their power away to control us. Ann Lamott once said, “When you make friends with fear, it can’t rule you.” Once our enemy is identified it makes it much easier to wage war.
    • Secondly, we need to remember that our real enemy (Satan) is the “father of lies.” He will use his lies to manipulate us into believing whatever he can. Because of this, it seems that we need to ask ourselves, “What lies are we believing that are simply not true? How is our seeing or thinking distorted?” When the disciples were on the sea battling against the storm (Mark 6:45-52) they screamed out in terror because they thought Jesus was a ghost. Now it wasn’t really a ghost upon the water, they just thought it was. It was their distorted thinking and seeing that gave power to their fears. Once they saw things more accurately – they were able to put everything in perspective.
    • Which brings us to the biggest weapon we have been given to wage war against fear, and that is what John calls “perfect love” (1 John 4:18). It is perfect love that puts everything in perspective for us. Once the voice of perfect love calls out to us “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then we are reminded that the love of the one who made us, and called us into being, and cares for us more than we can even care for ourselves is in control of all things. And his heart for us is good. He can be trusted even when circumstances look dire, because he loves us so immensely and completely. When he speaks his words of affection and peace, and we hear and truly believe them, then we know that if he is with us all, all will be well. Whatever it is, whatever the seas look like. all will be well. 

 

-Jim Branch, November 2004

Tour de 11s in the Fog

THE SCENE: Dark, gloomy, foggy, ruckers and their headlights popping in and out of the gloom coming to the AO.

FNG – Kyle shows up with Skeletor early

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m ready to get steamy.
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have – so with the PT we do today, modify as you need but push yourselves and the men around you when at all possible.
  • FREE.99


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 11 x 4 IC
  • 4 Count Merkin: 11 x 4 IC
  • Mountain Climber: 11 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 11 x 4 IC
  • Squat: 11 x 4 IC
  • Baby Arm Circles: 11 x 4 F & 11 x 4 B

THA-THANG:

PT (Tour de 11s)

 

(Mosey to Playground)

[ 11s X ]

  • 10 merkins + 1 pull-up
  • Rinse and Repeat 11x
  • When you’re done – flutter kicks

(11 count)

[ Classic 11s ]

  • @ playground: 10 squats
  • @ top of Bermuda Triangle: 1 lunge
  • Rinse and Repeat (9/2, 8,3, etc)
  • When you’re down hold the squat
  • ALL PAX: Execute 11 more squats <— push through it moment

 

11 count)

(Mosey to splash pad)

[ 11s Down ]

  • 11 box jumps/step ups 
    • Tap-Out literally made one of the benches tap-out. Tap-Out: 1 Bench: 0
  • 11 dips
  • THEN —> 10 box jumps/10 dips
  • So on and so forth
  • When you’re done hold merkin plank
  • When all PAX are done – execute 1 good merkin and recover

(11 count)

(Mosey back to Bermuda Triangle)

[ 11s Pyramid ]

  • Battle-Buddy Up
  • 11 merkins straight up (1 count)
  • 4 SSHs (1-count)
    • The Q messed this count up sorry – wrote down one thing but my mind was telling me another – it sucked either way. In a good way.
  • Take a lap around the Bermuda Triangle with your BB
  • Rinse & Repeat: 10 merkins straight up + 4 SSHs + take a lap

(Q realizes it’s 6:05 – instructs Battle Buddy teams to do one more round and then all PAX will complete 3 more rounds all-together) <— basically a smoke sesh.

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks: 25 x 4 IC
  • LBCs: 25 x 4 IC
  • American Hammers: 10 x 4 quick // 10 x 4 slow // 5 x 4 slow
  • Recover

[ Stretching with Steam ]

  • Slow Cherry-Pickers
    • Try and raise up one vertebrae at a time

 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

14 PAX + 1 FNG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

 

[ Ebeneezers In Your Life ]

  • “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.””
    • 1 Samuel‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭ESV‬
  • “Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where GOD helped us.””
    • 1 Samuel‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Reading these two different verses because I like they way they both paint a picture of the Lord’s faithfulness – but with a little different wording.

A big part of my story is deliverance by the Lord – from a world where I was unconsciously in self-destruct mode. My first 2 years of college (and the previous 3 years or so) was all about me. Me. No one else. I did what I wanted, with little to no regard. The faith component was there, but as a backup….funny. When the Lord really gut punched me and stirred up my convictions (the Holy Spirit really went to town) I walked through some fire, some intense, really hard, annoying, “doesn’t make sense,” pissed-off fire. HOW IN THE WORLD could this turn to something good? The Lord delivered me from a crumbling and crippled world I had built for myself in my first couple years of college in Chattanooga and brought me back to Knoxville. An angry young man at the series of events I had just left, I found myself literally saying “God what are you doing.”

And yet I didn’t realize His faithfulness was more powerful than my faithlessness.

Looking back, that fire I walked through, I wasn’t walking through it alone. I would ask myself years after, “How in the world could God possibly use this screwed-up circumstance for good in my life?” What a laughable thought.

2 years later – I get to share the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of a dark and confusing time with college men and women that were in that same arena I was in just the past couple years.

In the Message version of the passage above it says: “This marks the place where GOD helped us.”

Whether it is a physical/emotional/mental/spiritual testament of a time the Lord provided and came through, went to battle on my behalf, reached down and INTERVENED so that I could draw nearer to Him – that’s an Ebeneezer. And driving home from F3 this morning I thought – dang, if none of that had happened I might have never found F3. I might have never been brought to such a place of desolation where all I could muster was to look up and remember who He is. There are countless Ebeneezers in my life – and I’m sure you have yours too. If we serve a God of 2nd and 102nd chances – take a look back at the places that He’s come through and intervened on your behalf, for HIS glory. Even if you can’t see it yet. Mark those down, write them out, remember them, cherish them. The God that came through for you that time is the same God that will come through for you next time, and time again. How could He not?

So the questions was asked: What marks that place in your life? Share those in boldness! With your family, your friends, F3 brothers, co-workers. Afterall, we were all sad clowns once. And there was someone that spoke life into you just like you are expected to speak life into someone else.

I’ts a haunting thing for me as a young man – 4 years deep into F3 – I might have never found you guys if the Lord hadn’t found my heart first. F3 has changed the trajectory of my life as a young man. Literally. How can I do anything else but be thankful and remember the ebeneezers in my life.

I’m an open book – questions? Hit me up.

Iron. Sharpens. Iron.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

10 for 10 + Yoga

THE SCENE: 60s – orange tape everywhere. The Big Ball’s beloved AO meeting spot (World’s Fair Park fountains) was sectioned off by orange tape and construction cones for what I can only assume is the work of an overzealous TN Vols fan.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

 

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m ready to get steamy.
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have – so with the PT we do today, modify as you need but push yourselves and the men around you when at all possible.
  • Because check it out – most people in the world aren’t out here – I think that’s a pretty accurate statement. But you are – make it count


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • 4 Count Merkin: 10 x 4 IC
  • Mountain Climber: 10 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
  • Squat-Bender: 10 x 4
  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

[ Theme of 10s for the day ]

(Mosey to Big Ball Stairs)

[ 10 for 10 ]

  • All 10 exercises will be done here at the bottom of the stairs
  • 1st 5 Xs: execute together – bear crawl up this first flight of stairs – and run around to the right until we’re back here.
  • 2nd 5 Xs: execute together – run to the right and around – bear crawl down the stairs right back here
    • (Modification after 1st round of 2nd 5 Xs –> rain comes down and makes the stairs slick so walk down the stairs and execute 5 squats instead)
  • The Xs
    • 1st 5:
      • 10 merkins (down/up)
      • 10 V-Ups (1 count)
      • 10 wide merkins (down/up)
      • 10 spider-mans (1 count)
      • 10 4 count merkins

( 20 Seconds in between the 1st 5 and 2nd 5 )

  • 2nd 5:
    • 10 squats (down/up)
    • 10 plank jacks (1 count)
    • 10 iron mikes (1 count)
    • 10 Oblique crunches (1 count)
    • 10 lunges (1 count)

( 20 counts of rest )

“Sometimes the only way you can go is up – so up we go)

(Mosey up the full flight of stairs to the top)

(Mosey to WFP entrance across bridge on the Left)

[ Level Up ]

  • In a circular fashion around the monument at the entrance to WFP
    • 5 incline merkins on lowest level
    • push-up hands to the second level — 5 incline merkins
    • push-up hands to the top level — 5 incline merkins

[ DimeLight ]

  • Alternating lights, execute 5 SSHs or 5 merkins (all 1 count) until you get to the other side of the bridge – Al Gore
  • Tired? Sore? Push a little longer – and pull one of these guys with you to push as well

(PAX is spent – but still rocking)

(Mosey under the bridge by the water)

  • Battle buddy up
  • Battle buddy teams against either side of the tunnel/bridge below the Big Ball

[ 1 more + 5 ]

  • BB1: handstand against wall
  • BB2: Bear crawl to the middle (ruck as a point of contact)
    • Execute 1 merkin
    • Bear crawl back to recover BB1
  • BB1 & BB2 switch roles
    • However – BB2 now does 2 merkins
    • Same thing next time, except BB3 does 3, so on and so on
  • When BB team finishes 5 merkins total – hold the wall-sit

(Rest  = 5 SSHs in cadence)

  • BB teams back on the wall
  • BB1: Wall Sit
  • BB2: Long jump to the middle (ruck)
    • Execute 1 burpee
    • Long jump back to recover BB1
  • BBs switch roles
    • Same deal as above

(10 SSHs all together)

  • Single file line going towards AO
  • American Indian run back to ShovelFlag

[ At ShovelFlag/Next to AO ]

MARY:

[ Quarter-Pounder ]

  • 25 flutter kicks (4 count)
  • 25 LBCs (4 count)
  • 25 American Hammers (4 count)
  • 25 Mountain Climbers (4 count)

^^^Holy crap that’s a core killer ^^^

[ Yoga with Steam – 5 Minutes ]

  • Why? Because I’m getting old and sore and don’t stretch at all pre or post F3. And apparently it’s good for you, idk. It was a worthy endeavor.
  • Worked through a variety of slow movements – exposing and manipulating muscle groups that were worked today

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

12 PAX – No FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

 

[ What do you do when you don’t get the results you want? ]

MOLESKIN:

  • Training for Army OCS, and yesterday I didn’t get the answer I wanted. I was off by 4 points on my testing. Missed it by that much. I was pretty pissed. 4 points are you kidding me? I racked my brain going through what I could have done better, playing out hundreds of scenarios in my head – of what I thought would be a very different turnout. 
  • So what now?

 

  • And yeah – it’s disappointing but I have 2 options – (1) take it as a crushing blow and count myself down and out or (2) absorb the blow – get back up on the horse and move forward – realizing the work I need to do to make it happen next time. 

 

  • Regroup. Get back up. Stay in it.

 

  • Question/Challenge to all of us is this: when you don’t get the news or results you want – what’s your initial instinct and how do you pick yourself up and move forward. 
    • Maybe a bigger question is not what your initial instinct is but who/where do you run to?

Motivational Statement from a timeless classic: https://youtu.be/umSlEYfYzK4

 

 

Just 5 More

THE SCENE:

Chilly and a slight bit windy (30s)

Title9 and Steam get back from the pre-ruck as guys are pulling in and getting ready.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m your Q in charge this morning
  • Let’s get a couple things out of the way before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your body and any injuries you may have – I don’t. If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do it. But push yourself and the men around you!
  • FNGs?
  • The name of the game for the next 58 minutes or so is “5 more.” Look at one of your hands – how many fingers? Hopefully 5. When you’re beat down, tired, cold, asking yourself why am I out here in the freezing cold, tell your mind and your body “5 more.” Whether it’s 5 more breaths, 5 more steps, or 5 more seconds of suffering, it will pass and you will push through. AYE?


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circle: 5 x 4 (F) & 5 x 4 (B)
  • Mountain-Climbers: 10 x 4 IC
  • Cherry-Picker: 10 x 4 IC
  • Windmill: 10 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

[ 10s ]

  • Battle buddy teams will run to the next light post
  • 1 BB will hold the feet of the other, as they execute 10 BB sit-ups
  • Run to the next light – same thing
  • The BB that is executing sit-ups will roster every light
  • Go to the street
  • Once at the street – execute flute kicks

(10 count)

[ 5s ]

  • Same type of deal – we’re going to go back down this path
  • Every light = 5 battle buddy merkins together

[ Flying EH from Hooker – Mahamoud (FNG) ]

    • Hooker picks up a runner named Mahamoud
    • Mahamoud knows who we are – he sees us every Saturday running around the park.
    • Joins PAX in finishing up “5s” exercise – PAX gives a warm welcome and Lillydipper sticks with our new FNG
  • Finish in that parking lot where we started – squats until 6 recovers

[ Parking Lot Obstacle Course ]

  • 3 points of contact: middle + 2 perimeter sides
    • PAX bear crawls to one side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle – executes 10 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls to opposite side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle side – executes 10 x 4 SSHs

(15 count)

(Mosey to Cardiac)

[ Blackjack/21 ]

  • New Battle-Buddy
  • Push each other through this evolution
  • 3 points of contact on Cardiac
    • Top
    • Curve (middle)
    • Bottom lamp post
  • Top: 10 x 4 Mountain Climbers
  • Curve (Middle): 10 x 4 Merkins (Army)
  • Bottom: 10 x 4 SSHs
  • Run back Up to Top and hold the plank until 6 is up

[ All PAX does Blackjack/21 together – finishing at the bottom ]

[ Mahamoud is still with us! ]

(15 count from PAX)

(PAX moseys to covered pavilion facing lake below baseball fields)

[ 5 More ]

  • All-Together
    • 5 incline merkins on bench
    • 5 dips
    • 5 decline merkins on bench
  • Rinse & Repeat 3x
    • EXCEPT – 1 evolution = 10 reps each – Mahamoud answered the questions “How many fingers are on your hand” with 10 – so 10 it was.
  • PAX push through 1 more set of 5 together

(Mosey to big pavilion next to morning AO)

[5s]

  • All Together
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 incline merkins
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 decline merkins

( Rinse & Repeat – Q asks PAX for just 5 more )

(PAX mosey to morning AO parking lot)

  • Q leads PAX in cool-down drills
    • karaoke, frankenstein stretches, side-shuffles, jog/merkins across the lot and back

(New Battle Buddy Teams)

  • Q releases each battle buddy team to sprint it out and finish up the hill to the Saturday AO parking lot

(30 seconds left)

  • 5 final SSHs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

12 PAX – 1 FNG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]   [ 5 More ]

MOLESKIN:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]

(LOTR – The Two Towers)

Frodo : I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam : I know. It’s all wrong. 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 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. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for

This pivotal question halfway through the story-line of Lord of the Rings must be asked and called out. What are we holding on to as High Impact Men? What are you holding on to?

When you’re in the suck (whatever that is for you), remind yourself of this crucial question. That YES, THERE IS evil in the world and it’s not always a good and fair place BUT YES, THERE IS some good left in this world and it absolutely is worth fighting for. It’s worth going toe to to with men at 0530, it’s worth being the leader of your family day in day out, it’s worth that conversation, it’s worth pushing your battle buddy and reminding them of this truth as well.

Biblically – I think this ties in extremely well with Sam’s truth that he speaks in the midst of a hellish and seemingly impossible mission.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Note the similarities in this rhetoric. Not ideal situations BUT/YET – the reminder of hope appears.

[ 5 More ]

  • Take a look at your hand at some point in time this week and look at how many fingers you have. 5 (hopefully….)
  • I encourage all of us to push ourselves and the people around us this week with this simple challenge: Can I give 5 more?
    • 5 more breaths
    • 5 more steps
    • 5 more reps
    • 5 more minutes
    • 5 more_____________
  • Tell your mind that you’re going to push harder, go further, and give 5 more this week.

Big Ballin’ Monday

THE SCENE:

The Big Ball Ruckers just got done, cars started pulling up, the weather was cooked to perfection.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m honored to be your QIC this Monday morning
  • Any FNGs?
  • Let’s get a couple things out of the way before we jump in:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • I don’t know what injuries you may or may not have so while this is a workout I planned – no one is going to make you do every single rep to perfection so if you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so!
  • Here’s the challenge with that – push yourself and the men around you – let’s get to work this morning.

WARM-O-RAMA

 

( The 1st exercise is________ )

( Ready position: Move! )

( In Cadence: Exercise! )

  • SSH: 20 x 4 IC
  • Imperial Walker: 15 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
  • Merkin: 5 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

[ Ring of Fire – Inside AO ]

  • Assemble battle buddy teams
  • As a team:
    • 50 Incline Merkins
    • 50 Dips
    • 50 pole-pulls
    • 50 box jumps
  • BB1 is executing their exercise while BB2 is taking 2 laps around this ring because we’re 2 days into March
  • If you get done: flutter kicks on the bench

(10 count please)

(Mosey to the top of Amphitheater)

[ 11s ]

  • Top: chin-ups/pull-ups
  • Bottom of your respective side: Squat (1 count)
    • Start with 1 chin-up :: 11 calf-raises
  • Recover on the stage when you’re done
  • PAX executes core work and then picks up the 6 team

(Mosey to Big Ball Stairs)

– PAX bear crawls up 2 flights of stairs and then holds the squat until everyone bear crawling is on top

*1 of the PAX goes down – breathing and conscious, but just some lightheadedness*

Everyone recovers back at the bottom of the stairs.

Q instructs Swanson to lead PAX up stairs again while Q and north provide support for downed PAX member.

Q talks and provides minimalist support while Abort sprints back to cars to get water. Q had a ruck with medical gear & CPR but made the final decision before leaving the car to not bring water in the ruck.

LESSON: You don’t need it until you do. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Downed PAX recovers, slowly, drinking water, and the rest of the PAX finish from bear crawl stairs.

Abort and Jenner provide support as Q leads PAX in 1 final bear crawl/merkin charge up the stairs and beyond and back. When they arrive back down where Abort and Jenner and downed PAX member is, the decision is made for one final exercise and to hold the COT here,  instead of moseying back to AO, taking into consideration the recovering PAX member (Great suggestion by G-6).

PAX circle it up and execute 20 down/up merkins. Done.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAM

17 PAX – No FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

(1) 2 Timothy 1: 1-7 & (2) 2 Timothy 4: 6-7

(1) You then my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

(2) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

My aunt read this to us at the dinner table this past weekend and it made the hairs on the back of my neck step up. It challenged me to ask myself a few thought-provoking questions (TPQs) such as:

  • What do I allow myself to get entangled in throughout the week that is preventing my from being who God is calling me to be?
  • Who am I aiming to please this week // Who is enlisting me?
    • Work? Circumstances? Jesus? Etc Etc Etc…

The run you race as a man is a long one. It’s one that is righteous, but it is one that is long and difficult as well sometimes. I love in 2 Timothy 4:6 that it says “I am already being poured out as a drink offering…” You are being utilized for the Kingdom and for the Lord already, in your home, in your relationships, in your work, in every sphere of influence He has uniquely placed you in. To bring glory to Him – keep running that race, keep fighting that good fight, and keep the faith, even when the race gets dark and heavy, remember to look up and realize the name of the game is one foot in front of the other.

MOLESKIN:

  • It’s okay when things don’t go to plan. You must learn to react and adapt swiftly and appropriately, especially when there is potentially a life at stake/a downed PAX member

 

  • You will never be 100% prepared for every single scenario that you might encounter. HOWEVER, it is important to be as prepared as you can. I did not put water in my ruck when I left my car and walked to the AO this morning. It was right there and I left it in my car. And a time came when one of the PAX under my command/responsibility needed it and I didn’t have it on-hand. You don’t need it until you do – and it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. This was a great example of that this morning.
  • This is what High Impact Men do – step up, react, and adapt. Special shout-out to Abort and Jenner and Clark for doing just that this morning.