F3 Knoxville

Author: Swerve

Spectacular Panini

THE SCENE: Sprinkly, 72 degrees, 1000% humdity.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x 20.
  • Cherry pickers x 8.
  • A little of this.
  • A little of that.

THA-THANG:
The listed workout contained 3 rounds of 5 exercises.  To progress to each new exercise, the pax performed 10 Mr. Spectaculars.

  • CMU curls x 20, 30, 40
  • CMU thrusters x 20, 30, 40
  • CMU flutter kicks x 20, 30, 40
  • CMU Big boys x 20, 30, 40
  • CMU Goblet squats x 20, 30, 40
  • Most of the pax made it to the second round at least.

MARY:
Plank for time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs and one 2.0
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Perseverance is something that I have historically not been great at.  Yet things like F3, and most of my heroes for that matter, are great at this.  There is a “strain” that we should feel in this life if something is worth doing.  My own Dad worked swing shift at a paper mill and went to school for 18 years to earn his undergraduate degree.  It was hard.  I’m sure there were times where he wanted to quit, but he didn’t.  He stuck it out.  We will all face those types of challenges in our lives when life will get hard, and we will question, “Is it worth all this?”  It might be a particular job, a degree, a marriage, or a struggle with our kids.  However the answer is yes, yes it is.  We have to dig down and gut it out when it hurts.  We have to strain, but it is so much easier to do that together than it is to try and shoulder that alone.  God bless you men.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

A Hill Worth Dying On

THE SCENE: 67 Degrees of Perfection
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • LBAC x 10 (forwards and backwards)
  • SSH x 20
    THA-THANG:
    We picked up our blocks of woe, aka CMU’s, and moseyed to the Educator, where the pax gathered at the bottom of the hill.
  • At the bottom, we did Grave-digger steps (1 set of grave-diggers per step) to the top of the hill. Then proceeded to 5 stations on the cones.
  • CMU swings x 20, 40, 60
  • CMU curls x 20, 40, 60
  • Big boys x 20, 40, 60
  • Thrusters x 20, 40, 60
  • Goblet squats x 20, 40, 60
  • Carry CMU back to the bottom of the hill and repeat.
  • Most pax were on the 2nd round when recover was called, a few made it to round 3.

MARY:
A nice long CMU carry back to the grinder for the Mary seemed appropriate.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Hundo, Radioshack, Espy, Limbo, Hammy, Pinocchio, Veep, Rep Sleepy, Drifter, Swerve
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Reflected on Psalm 115:4-8 where the Bible indicates that those who make idols become like them. The truth is we all have these in our lives, and we need to strive to identify them, and ask the Lord’s help in removing them.  Our families, our churches, and our communities deserve that we will be men who fight against the pull of idols in our lives.  If you want an example of a time when men didn’t care about this, just read the entire book of Judges, where “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  The crazy thing is almost anything can become an idol.  If you wonder what your idol is, just do a little self-diagnosis with this question, “what is the one thing that, if God took it away tomorrow, I couldn’t live without?”  The answer to that question will tell you what your idols are.  We have to put Christ first men, to be who God has called us to be.  If anything else occupies the throne of your heart, then we are headed for trouble.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
August 14th, Drifter is speaking at Mt. Olive Baptist in South Knoxville for a Men’s Meating Breakfast at 9:00am.  Join us!!!

150 of Everything, With a Little Running Mixed In

THE SCENE: 73 and muggy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
– Imperial squat walkers x 10. (done with speed)

– LBAC x 10 (forwards and backwards)

– Cherry pickers x 8.
THA-THANG:

  • All Pax grabbed a CMU and moseyed to the Oval Office.  This is a Dora workout, so pax partnered up.  One partner does the exercise, and the other ran the straightaway down and back.
  • Round 1 – Grave diggers x 150.
  • Round 2 – CMU situps with a twist x 150. (switched to straight CMU sit ups for speed)
  • Round 3 – CMU thrusters x 150.
  • Round 4 – CMU goblet squats x 150.
  • Round 5 – CMU curls x 150.
  • Round 6 – CMU pull-through merkins x 150.

Most of the pax made it to round 3.  I over-planned, but I would rather have more than enough than have to think of exercises on the fly.
MARY:
Moseyed back to the grindstone and @Smuggler led us in some boat to canoes until time ran out.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Swerve, Smuggler, Rep Sleepy, Veep
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I impressed on the men the importance of our examples as Fathers.  Considering that yesterday was Father’s day, I mentioned the story of Hiel in 1 Kings 16:34.  In Joshua chapter 6, Joshua laid down a curse for anyone that attempted to rebuild the city of Jericho.  When Hiel built the city back, both his son Abiram and his son Segub died as a result of this curse.  I told the men that the accountability of F3, and the motivation factor of being with my brothers, has pushed me so that I don’t have this as my family story.  I want to honor the Lord with my body and my mind, and F3 helps me with both.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Block Work Makes the Dream Work

THE SCENE: Cool, dark, perfect.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Overhead and in-front claps x 15.

Imperial squat walkers to the tune of “Baba O’riley” by The Who (5 minutes).
THA-THANG:
5 stations of an ascending ladder that only got tougher.  Overhead carry the CMU in between stations going up.  Bear crawl and drag CMU on the way back.

  • Station 1: Grave-diggers x 20.
  • Station 2: CMU Big boys x 20.
  • Station 3: Thrusters x 20.
  • Station 4: Goblet squats x 20.
  • Station 5: CMU curls x 20.

After the completion of each round, add to the rep count by a factor of 20.  Most pax were on 60 reps by the time of the Mary.
MARY:
A sundry assortment of overhead claps, Hello Dollys, tempo squats, LBCs, flutter kicks, and a hollow hold arm twirl thingy.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Proverbs 13:20 – “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Be ware the company we keep.  This advice is talked about for kids and teens, but it applies to adults as well.  Who we are around will influence our thoughts, words, and actions.  We need each other to love each other well enough to tell the truth, to carry us when we are wounded, and to celebrate each others victories.  We also need to be mindful of the influence that we can be on others, especially on our spouses and kids.  If you don’t like what you see in your loved ones, it might be coming from us.  Ended with a thought from a man I respect, “The sins you commit in moderation now your kids will commit in excess.”  This calls for a humble fight every day men, and I’m glad to fight it with you guys.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Getting to 100 the Hard Way

THE SCENE: Mid 60’s, breezy, occasional sprinkles from the Almighty, in other words, perfect.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x 20.
  • Tempo Squats x 20.
  • SSH x 20.
  • Overhead claps x 20.
  • SSH x 10ish.

 

THA-THANG:
The line is our starting point with 5 stations at each cone.  Between each cone, lunge with CMU. After station 5, run to the bridge and back, and begin at the 5th station and go backwards.  Rinse and repeat.

  • Cone 1 – Blockees x 20.
  • Cone 2 – CMU curls x 20.
  • Cone 3 – CMU thrusters x 20.
  • Cone 4 – CMU Big Boys x 20.
  • Cone 5 – CMU swing x 20.

MARY:

  • CMU tempo Big boys x 10.
  • Gas pumps x 10.
  • Hello Dollys x 10
  • Pinnochio’s kneeling/peeing dog movement (I have no idea what exercise that was) X 10 (each leg).
    COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
    10 Hims and one 2.0.
    CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
  • For my 100th post, I wanted to tell you about what F3 has meant to me.  Before I started working on myself, I was 334lbs. of a sad clown.  I believe that is why the F3 phrase, “Leave no man behind and no man where you found him.”  I realized I needed to change, and I needed good men around me to do it.  This reminded me of a story about Moses in Exodus 17:8-13.  Israel was fighting against the Amalekites, and verse 12 says, “But when Moses’ hands grew weary, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands…so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”  As long as Moses’ hands were held up, Israel had victory. That is what F3 is to me.  You men have held me up, held me accountable, motivated, and kicked my tail all across the 2 AO’s where I post.  Why is this important?  It’s important because F3 is a brotherhood, and today many men are trapped in a cycle of helplessness and loneliness.  I know.  I was there.  Our culture seems to breed situations where men become isolated, sad, and disengaged from their God, their families, and each other.  I don’t want that for anyone.  So, just a reminder, F3 is a brotherhood of men that holds each other up.  Don’t live your lives thinking you have to fight alone.  My final thought on brotherhood and holding each other up comes from a man that fought in WWII.  His name was Carwood Lipton.  When he was being interviewed for the HBO special Band of Brothers, at one point he quoted from Shakespeare’s Henry the V to talk about what it mean to be in Easy company.  He said, “From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother.”  We all come to F3 for different reasons.  We stay because we are brothers, and no one leave a brother behind.
    MOLESKIN:

    ANNOUNCEMENTS:
    Pinnochio has shirts!