F3 Knoxville

Gold Stars for Everybody

THE SCENE: Mid 50’s and windy

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Ssh x 15
  • Arm circles little/big on Q
  • Squat Jacks x 30
  • Cherry pickers x 8

THA-THANG:

Pyramid at Waxjob Hill

Find a battle buddy

P1 at bottom doing exercise 5, 10, 15, 20, 15, 10, 5

P2 doing alternating Burpees/BBS on Top until P1 tags

Exercises:

  • Rd 1 – Werkins
  • Rd 2 – Star Jacks
  • Rd 3 – Dry Docks
  • Rd 4 – Deadlift squat

MARY:

Captain Thor 5:20

Superman press (superman then lift core up and hold)

Superman/banana

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Men and no FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Proverbs 17:28

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

We all need to think before we speak.

As Hammy put it: Better to be silent and let them think you a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it.

MOLESKIN:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A Little Variety

THE SCENE: Perfect weather – mid 50’s, no wind

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH IC x 25

Tempo Squats IC x 10

Cherry Pickers IC x 10

Merkins IC x 10

THA-THANG:

Ring of Fire with a few exercises thrown in there that we seldom do. 10 stations set up in a circle; spread out evenly between the stations; do exercise listed at each station for 45 seconds and then rotate to the next station; 30 second rest in between. Threw in a couple moseys and some lunges to the middle of the circle for variety. Exercises at the stations were as follows:

  • Kraken Burpees
  • Sweat Angels
  • Around-the-clock Merkins
  • Box Cutters holding rock in the air
  • Bobby Hurleys
  • Punch-up Merkins
  • Iron Mikes
  • Flutter Kicks holding rock in the air
  • Diamond Merkins
  • Ski Abs

Run up Little Baby Hill twice. Do 2 burpees at the top each time.

MARY:

Side Crunches – 15 each side

ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

32 strong – No FNG’s

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I was reminded of 2 important truths in my life during the Mountain Man Memorial March this past weekend.

  1. When I am focused on my own individual circumstances, I lose the ability to serve others.
  2. I need brothers surrounding me, especially during the difficult, painful times.

I was reminded of those lessons during the physical activity of rucking, but they are applicable to all aspects of life. If we are so focused on our own circumstances, we can’t be there to lift up our brothers. We can’t be present for our wives and for our children. We can’t serve others the way that God is calling us to serve.

During those difficult seasons of life, our natural tendency as men is to isolate ourselves. But more than ever, that’s when we need our brothers. We all experience peaks and valleys, and when we’re in the valley, we need a strong-hearted brother to help us get back up on our feet. As HIM’s, we need to be the men reaching out to help our fellow brothers………….and we should be humble enough to realize that we will inevitably find ourselves in the valley at some point and be in need of our brothers to lift us back up.

Big Ball Kraken

THE SCENE: 37 degrees, partly cloudy.  Cool and crisp
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Baby arm circles (4 ct) x 12 forward/back

Cherry Pickers x 10

SSH x 20 (4 ct)

Tempo Merkins x 10

5 Burpees on your own
THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to Church Street United Methodist Church
  • Kraken on the rocks.  8 stations in circle:  1.  Squats with rock x25.  2.  Merkins on your rock x 25.  3.  Rock Curls x 50.  4.  Mr Spectacular x 25 with rock.  5.  Rock lunge 25 out, 25 in.  6.  Rock burpees x 25.  7.  Rock overhead press x 25.  8.  Lizard merkin crawl to center circle and back.  Complete station.  Run with your rock around circle and start next exercise until all exercises completed.
  • Mosey back to AO
  • La La Leggy:  Squats x 20, Forward Lunge x 20 (10 each leg), Reverse lunge x20 (10 each leg), Squat jumps x20, 20 calf raises.

MARY:
American Hammers x 15 (4 ct)

Hello Dollys x 15 (4 ct)

ATMs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong.  No FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

A Psalm of Life
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Continue to pray for Sam, G-6’s friend battling cancer in Arizona

Konquer the Kranky Kraken

THE SCENE: 35 degrees with a slight breeze
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x 17 IC
  • Cherry Pickers x 10 IC
  • Mosey to CMU Pile and take it to the center of Kraken

THA-THANG:
While running in place, the PAX was instructed to keep moving for the entire workout. Running in place, moseying, and SSH were the only acceptable forms of rest. If you were called out by another PAX for being stationary, a 10 burpee penalty was assessed. (Side note: no burpee penalties were needed. Well done, gents!)

The Kraken consists of 8 cones in a circle. Each cone had an exercise & number of reps on it. The PAX was instructed to complete the exercise, run to center for 20 CMU overhead presses, Bernie Sanders back to the cone and perform the exercise a second time. Each PAX then completes a lap around the circle to proceed to the next cone. Lap 2 was performed in reverse order.

Exercises were as follows:

  • Smurf Jacks x 30
  • Star Jacks x 30
  • Reverse Lunges x 30
  • Dry Docks x 30
  • Flutter Kicks x 20 (4 ct.)
  • Hello Dolly x 20 (4 ct.)
  • Alternating Shoulder Taps x 20 (4 ct.)
  • Narrow Squats x 30

Return CMU to pile and circle up for MARY.

MARY:

  • Plank Jacks x 30 IC
  • Mountain Climbers x 30 IC
  • Ring of Fire (Merkins) until time expires

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Be intentional with every action you make.  

Recently my M and I were rushing to get out of the house on time for Easter Sunday with her parents. The added 1 hour commute to their church adds some extra effort towards an already busy morning with a 2 year old that really doesn’t understand the concept of “hustle”. We were already 15 minutes late and still not on the road when my increasing frustration boiled over. My patience was shot and I let her know it using a tone that, quite frankly, I wouldn’t like if someone else used towards my M.

What did I accomplish with that action?

My goal that morning was to help her, yet my actions didn’t reflect that. I reacted to a situation (poorly) rather than making an intentional effort towards getting us out of the house. What difference did I make by showing my frustration? If anything, it slowed our departure rather than speed it up. It certainly didn’t set a good example for daughter and it did not show my wife that I loved her. Even if I was right to be frustrated, my actions weren’t intentional. The only thing I accomplished was hurting her feelings and that was definitely not on list of goals for the day.

What should I have done instead?

Take a second before you act and make sure those actions are an intentional step towards your goals. Hasty reactions rarely yield the intended results, and if you aren’t moving forward towards your goals you probably aren’t being a good leader.

Be intentional with every action you make.  It sounds simple. We probably learned it in kindergarten, but we have to apply the lesson.

MOLESKIN:
I’m really glad 10 other knuckleheads showed up to work out this morning because the fartsack was tough to climb out of this morning. Thanks, PAX!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up for Hardship Hill if you’re able to participate and/or volunteer!

Fireteam Drills and Running in Squares

THE SCENE: 34 Chilly spring degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Windmills IC x 10, LBAC IC Thumbs Up x 10, Thumbs Down x 10, Tempo Squats IC x 10, SSH IC x 10

THA-THANG:
Mosey to One Tree Hill and assemble PAX at the bottom.  Q explained fireteam movement (stand, run to the cadence of “I’m up they see me I’m down, get on the ground).  PAX took the hill using that cadence and performing 3 rounds of exercises while down.  Round 1: 5 Merkins, Round 2: 5 BBS, Round 3: Carolina Dry Docks.  At the end of R3, stay at the top of the hill.  Each PAX grabbed a CMU and moseyed to the baseball field where 4 cones were set up in a square.  PAX divided into groups of 3 (or 4 where appropriate) and began with the first exercise on the list.  They then ran clockwise to the next cone and repeated the exercise, continuing to each cone until they reached their starting point.  Once back at the starting point, they moved to the next exercise on the list and proceeded clockwise until returning to their original spot.  If all of the exercises were completed, they started again at the top.  The exercises were as follows:

Merkins x 10

Overhead CMU press x 10

Burpees x 10

Squat Jumps x 10

Iron Mikes x 10

SSH x 10

Goblet Squat x 10

Clean and Press x 10

MARY:
With 3 minutes of work time left, PAX went all in with Absolution OYO until time expired.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
One of the techniques that Marines are taught in basic training is counterintuitive to human nature.  That technique is to run toward the threat rather than away from it, thereby lessening our exposure to risk.  If we are ambushed and turn to run, we increase the amount of time the enemy has to get us sighted in.  Often times in life we face challenges that we want to run from, to avoid or to ignore.  We see many examples in the Bible where God calls his people to face the enemy and know that He is in control.  My challenge to the PAX (and myself) is to be strong and present in the face of attack and know that God has my six.  It can be really difficult for me to see how my suffering is for the greater good, especially at that moment, but I know that God is good and I can trust Him to provide the strength I need to face adversity head-on.
MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill is coming up in about a month.  Opportunities are out there to join a team or volunteer.