F3 Knoxville

45, yep forty-five, men, including 10 FNGs, appeared in the unseasonably warm gloom for the final Saturday of the #LEAP launch structure and, as always, that structure called for Q School. YHC and YHC’s father, Abraham (from F3 Hickory), led the one hour #Q101 session and lessons were learned on F3’s origin, how to count, it’s gotta be hard and plenty more of the do’s and dont’s and how’s and why’s of what we do in F3. Line up your VQs now…Knoxville needs you! (#cobains on the pax list FNG names, I did not get the nicknames list so I only put in what I remember)

Conditions: Clear and bright and dang near 60 degrees. #winter

THETHANG:

“Section” notations refer to the #Q101 outline provided in full below the workout.

Mosey to open parking lot:
COP:
C: SSH x 25
Abe: Merkins x 10
C: Squats x 15
Abe: LBCs x 20
Chaser: CONSISTENCY is the foundation of leadership. Q101 introduction and brief discussion of Section I of the outline.

Mosey to playground wall:
Abe: Section II, a&b
Partner up…
5 minute AMRAP with partner of
10 decline merkins/10 star jumpers #flapjack
C: Section II, c. 1-5

Mosey to field beside playground:
COP:
C: Section II, d. 1-6
C: Diamond Merkins x 5
Abe: Squats x 20
Splinter: SSH Double Merkin Burpees x 20 #crowdpleaser
Abe: Section II, e.

Mosey to tiered hill across the street.
Abe: Never Leave A Man Behind
C: It’s gotta be hard. #PaintTheFence
Jacob’s Ladder 1 to 10 burpees. (yes, counting up, not down, #it’sgottabehard)

Mosey to COT. #Mary with Knox pax calling exercises.
C: Flutter Kicks x 50
Cap’nCrunch: Russian Twists x 20
Edit: Something I can’t remember what it’s called but it sucked.
Someone called more merkins, can’t remember who. #cobains

COT
C: Section II, f.
BOM led by YHC
#coffeeteria #bacon

Moleskin:
– GREAT time once again with the Knoxville pax. These guys get it and a new AO will be born soon. Gotta have it to keep growing and fit in all these new Qs that are raring to go! YHC is already looking at nearby resorts, etc. to bring my wife in the spring to visit again.

– Huge #t-claps to the men of F3 Hickory who made the trek to #giveitaway: Plank, CliffordBigRedDog and Abraham

– Below you will find the #Q101 outline originally drafted by F3Columbia’s HeeHaw (@F3HeeHaw on twitter) that corresponds to the sections mentioned in the workout above. There is also a sample workout at the end to look through. #giveitaway

Q­101: The First “F”
PURPOSE
The Purpose of this outline is to provide guidance on leading Q­101. Q­101 is designed to
teach all pax the proper way to lead a F3 workout. Q­101 is a hands­on learning experience. Q­101
can be incorporated into any, properly designed F3 workout, and is intended to provide the pax with an
example of a proper workout, including Disclaimer, Structure of the Workout, Position Assignments
(Point man, Sweeper, mumblechatter, etc.), How to Count, COT (name­o­rama), and Ball of Man.
EXPLANATION OF FIRST “F” PERSPECTIVE
The First F in F3 stands for Fitness. It is, for all intents and purposes, the workout that we
suffer through together in the Gloom. Traditionally, the First F is the bootcamp, and that is the focus
of Q­101.
I. PLANNING YOUR WORKOUT
There is no “perfect” F3 workout. Everyone’s structure will be different, or at least somewhat
different, but there are some important points that need to be considered and observed in order to
provide a better experience for the pax.
a. It’s not about YOU.
The Workout is not about the Q, it is about the pax, and everything a Q does during the
workout should be with the pax in mind. What does that mean? It means you should try to
avoid starting off the workout with a hundred yard dash from a dead start, or 25 burpees as fast
as you can. Are we telling you that you cannot do that? No. It is your workout and you are the
Q, but if you are thinking about the pax, you wouldn’t want to do that.
b. Actually PLAN your Workout
Plan the workout. Write it down. Think about past workouts. What worked? What
didn’t? If it is your first Q, run your ideas past someone who has Q’ed before. The more
preparation you put in, the better experience it will be for the pax, and for you as the Q.
c. If you can’t DO IT, you can’t Q IT
We do not “clipboard” in F3. You, as the Q, will need to be able and willing to do
anything you call for the pax to do. That doesn’t mean you have to be “first,” although you
should lead from the front, but if you cannot do 20 Merkins, with proper form, in cadence, then
you cannot call it and ask the pax to do it. So, plan your Workout accordingly. Know your
limitations.
1
d. Better to have too MUCH than not ENOUGH
It is always a better idea to have too much planned for the workout than not enough.
When you are tired, especially if this is one of your first Q’s, it is difficult to come up with new
ideas. Better to have 55 minutes of stuff for a 45 minute workout, then to be at the 30 minute
mark and out of ideas.
e. Always wear a WATCH
As the Q you must be able to keep up with the time. We have a set schedule for each
bootcamp, and it is not fair, nor respectful, to the pax to go too far past the scheduled end time.
If you forget your watch then carry your phone with you, or locate a member of the pax that has
a watch and put him on time­keeper duty.
f. NEVER Leave a Man Behind
This is one of the bedrock principles of F3. We start together and finish together. It is
how we make a man feel included, and how we keep people coming back. You have to keep
this in mind when you are planning the workout. Traditionally a bootcamp uses the “String of
Pearls” structure. You move the pax a short distance, then circle back up, which allows slower
pax to catch­up. If you design a 1 mile run, with no stops, into the workout you are apt to leave
someone behind, and we don’t do that.
II. WORKOUT STRUCTURE
Every F3 workout will be different. That is one of the beauties of F3. From a fitness
standpoint the muscle confusion that results from differing workouts is part of the benefit to the pax.
Different workouts also help reduce the monotony that sets in with other workout routines. Lastly, we
purposely have members of the pax step­up and lead (the reasons for that are covered in other
Q­School segments) and we each tend to play to our own strengths. But, the following represent a
certain structure that should be followed in every F3 workout.
a. Show up EARLY and ENERGIZED
Leadership starts with showing up, and good leadership starts with showing up prepared and
ready to go to work.
1. Get there early and make sure the AO is what you expected
2. If you are energetic it will energize the pax
3. Set the tone; welcome guys and allow your presence to establish you are in
command
2
b. Disclaimer
Every workout must start with the Disclaimer. The Disclaimer all too often gets taken for
granted and ignored. This is more than a formality for several reasons.
1. It does have legal significance
2. F3 has standards to uphold, and the Disclaimer is one of them
3. It helps set the tone of the workout from the very beginning
The Disclaimer does not have to be elaborate, but it needs to include the following:
A. I am not a professional.
B. You are participating at your own risk
C. You are responsible for your own well­being
D. You are here voluntarily, and you are not paying to be here
E. Know your limits and do the best you can
c. The Thang
You already planned your Workout, now it’s time to do it.
1. Call out a one minute warning
A. It provides a needed warning
B. It allows you to establish command
C. It gets everyone’s mind right
2. Use your Command Voice
A. Comes from the Gut
B. Weak voice signals weakness
C. Slow, soft, tired voice hurts morale
3. You must use Good Form
A. The pax will be looking to you and taking their lead from you.
B. If you use lousy form, so will they.
C. If you do not pay attention to details, neither will they.
D. Lead by example.
4. Push EVERY Man to give 100% Effort
A. Encourage, don’t discourage
3
B. Praise individuals, critique en masse
5. Get Some Help
A. Assign a Point man, who will usually be out front
B. Assign a Sweeper, to keep eyes on the 6
C. Assign a MumbleChatterer, to keep the morale high
d. How to Call an Exercise and How to Count
In order to get the pax to perform an exercise, you have to call it out, and in F3 we have a very
specific way for calling exercises. Q­101 is not the place to get into the nitty­gritty on “why” we do
these things, but suffice to say it is borrowed from the way the U.S. Army does it, and there is plenty
of research and experience that proves this method creates order in the group and builds morale. Esprit
de Corps.
1. “The Next Exercise is _______”
A. Clear, concise command
B. Pax repeat exercise name to demonstrate understanding
2. “Starting Position … Move”
A. “Starting Position” is the information
B. “Move” is the command
C. Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
3. “In Cadence … Exercise”
A. “In cadence” is the information
i. not all exercises are in cadence
ii. Pax repeat back “in cadence” to demonstrate understanding
B. “Exercise” is the command
i. Signals pax it is time to begin
ii. Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
4. “1, 2, 3” then pax calls rep
A. Your cadence MUST match the called exercise
B. Not all exercises are performed at the same cadence
4
C. Your count matches the body movement
D. Pax call the rep number in place of “4”
5. Change your Voice Inflexion on Last Rep
A. Signals to the pax that we are ending
B. Important to keeping morale and order
6. “Recover”
A. At the end of the called exercise you call “Recover”
B. Important command to let everyone know we are finished
e. Pay Attention to the PAX
As the Q you should constantly be engaging the pax through your presence and your attention.
Look at the pax. Look for signs of confusion, or utter fatigue. If no one is keeping up with you, then
be prepared to slow down. If people exhibit confusion over a called exercise, then be prepared to
DEMONSTRATE.
1. Engage the PAX
2. LOOK at the Pax
3. Demonstrate when needed
4. Don’t be afraid to alter your workout if it isn’t working for the Pax
f. Circle of Trust (COT) and Ball of Man (BOM)
Every F3 workout ends with a COT and BOM. It is part of what makes F3…F3. As the Q you
are responsible for leading the COT.
1. No One sits outside the COT…No One
2. Immediate Acceptance of FNGs is paramount
3. Count­O­Rama (count off, go around the Circle, one at a time)
A. You are responsible for getting the Count
B. You are responsible for communicating the Count
4. Name­O­Rama (go around circle again, one at a time)
A. In F3 Columbia we call out, “Name, Age, Nickname”
B. Every Man calls out his nickname, and the pax repeat it
C. Pax calls “Respect” for those Over 50
D. You are responsible for recording names for BackBlast
5
5. FNGs
A. Every FNG gets a Nickname at the close of Name­O­Rama
B. You are responsible for recording nickname
C. You are responsible for recording Hospital Name and E­Mail (Google
doc)
6. BackBlast
A. You are responsible for doing the Backblast
B. Backblasts are important; You owe it to the Pax
C. The Standard is that the Backblast is posted within 24 Hours
6
III. EXAMPLE WORKOUT
In order to facilitate Q­101, here is an example workout that can be performed. This workout is
not mandatory, so feel free to alter and/or modify to your liking, but this structure allows the Q to
interject at certain points to convey the topics covered in Sections I and II of this outline.
The field work in this “example,” can easily be switched for a “string of pearls” around the
neighborhood streets at your AO, and the exercises in the initial COP can be changed, but this gives a
good overview of the types of exercises we usually do in a F3 bootcamp.
1. Pre­Workout you should assign someone to be “Point Man,” someone to be “Sweeper,” and
encourage one or two guys to lead the “Mumble Chatter.”
2. One­Minute Warning
3. Disclaimer
4. Mosey to COP​:
Side Straddle Hops (SSH) x 25, In Cadence (IC) 4 CT
Imperial Walkers x 20, IC 4 CT
Freedom Twists x 20, IC 4 CT
Merkins x 15, IC 4 CT
Mountain Climbers x 25, IC 4 CT
Squats x 20, IC 4 CT
Flutter Kicks x 25, IC 4 CT
Big Boy Sit­ups x 20 On Your Own (OYO)
Burpees x 10 OYO
[Explain Cadence; focus on Pax; Look around; Command Voice; Demonstrate]
5. Mosey to Field for some Partner Sets
100 Merkins (P1 does 10 while P2 holds plank; 100 total for group)
100 Little Baby Crunches (LBCs) (P1 does 10 while P2 holds 6 inches 100 total for group)
100 Squats (P1 does 10 while P2 holds air chair; 100 total for group)
[Focus here is on Mumble Chatter; Morale; Camaraderie]
6. Circle up for Dealer’s Choice
Call on pax to call out exercises. Have them actually take a turn leading the pax. Gently
critique them on “How to call an exercise,” and “How to Count.” Go 5­7 rounds.
7
7. The BEAST​:
The BEAST is 6 exercises, performing 6 reps at 6 stops.
4 lines (lined field or cones). Start at first line, sprint to second and do 6 reps, then to
third and do 6 reps, then to fourth and do 6 reps, back to third for 6 reps, back to second for 6
reps, back to start line and complete 6 reps. Hold Plank until all finish.
Merkins
LBCs
Squats
Wide Arm Merkins
Freedom Twists
Burpees
[Use time between sets to pick up morale; work in personal story]
[Cut it short if you have to; you need 5­10 minutes in COT to explain Q­101]
8. Mosey to COT
After Count­O­Rama and Name­O­Rama, go over the importance of “how to call an exercise”
and “how to count.” Explain why you did what you did in the workout. Explain duties of the Q, and
how the focus has to be on the Pax. Explain command voice, demonstrate
Take questions if there are any.
9. BOM