F3 Knoxville

Will Lindsay with CMU

THE SCENE: Cool, overcast and 29 degrees.  Perfect for this beatdown
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH X 15, Tempo Merkins X 5, Tempo Squats X 10, Willie Mays Hays x 6, LBAC (Front/Back) x 10, OH Claps x 5 and switch to seal claps x 5, Chattanooga Cherry Pickers x 10, and finish with Knoxville Cherry Pickers x 5.

THA-THANG:
Rifle carry the CMUs to the track.

Part 1:  Modified Burpee half mile

  • Run 1/2 mile and complete 50 burpees partitioned by your own choosing.

Part 2:  Will Lindsay WOD with CMU (For time remaining AMRAP)

  • 3 blockees
  • 22 Split Squats (11 per forward leg)
  • 19 Heavy Squats

Rifle carry the CMUs back to the circle.

MARY:
Undertakers X 10, Fire hydrants X 15 per leg, finished with 1 minute of monkey humpers
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 PAX including 4 FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Message on prayer from Nehemiah 1:11 “Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name.  Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.”

As men, we shouldn’t neglect prayer.  It is our source of strength when things get difficult.  And after we pray, we should trust in our God and move according to His purpose.  Much like Nehemiah, we should pray first, then take action.  That makes us high impact men (HIMs).

MOLESKIN:
Prayer for Bobbit, Angel Soft, and all the guys that are DR or on the DL.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Named our FNGs.  Welcome:  “Runaway Bride”, “Hardhat”, “TLC”, and “Ride Along”.

January Metric + Following Your Vocation as a Father

THE SCENE: Just north of shorts weather.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Done and Done well!

WARM-O-RAMA:

Typical Blindside Warmup-y things: 

SSH IC x15 | TieFighters IC x10 each way | Tempo Squats IC x10 | Little bit of this, Little bit of that

THA-THANG:

January Metric Workout:

  • 150 Curls
  • 125 CMU Squats 
  • 100 OHP
  • 75 CMU Swings 
  • 50 CMU Squat Thrusters 
  • 25 Blockees 

After every 25 reps, run 25 yards, do two burpees, and return to start 

Each round is 525 reps (don’t count burpees). 

How many did you get? Record the total HERE

MARY:

Fellowship Mosey™ to the Smokehouse to return CMUs as Mary 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

14 HIMs; 0 FNGs; 3 PreRuckers  

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Excerpt from the foreword of “Man to Man, Dad to Dad: Catholic Faith and Fatherhood” by  Brian Caulfield:

I hear from many men who are quietly yet heroically living a life according to conscience, guided by natural law and the teaching of the Church. Even if they have not lived perfect lives, these men understand the dual meaning of the term “Fathers for Good.” First, once a man has a child, he is a father for good– there is no giving back the gift or commitment that comes with responsibilities. Second, every man, amid his own sin and weakness, deep down wanted to be a good father. He wants to offer something of lasting value to his child that only a father can give. He knows that despite many negative portrayals in popular media and culture, there is a great dignity in the role of father. 

Despite our best efforts, these are still difficult days for men and for fathers. Our identity and duties have been in flux for decades, and it is time for us to start building something new and better from the shifting sands of our culture. It’s time to build the next Greatest Generation. If you’re a man who has faith even the size of a mustard seed, there is a path for your marriage and your fatherhood that leads to the greatest satisfaction a person can have in this world– the grace and accomplishment of finding your vocation. True fatherhood is a call from God the Father. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

5.11 Memorial Ruck tomorrow (1/21) at 8 am at 5.11 Tactical in Cedar Bluff. Perfect opportunity to double up with a beatdown at TruckStop from 6-7 then hit the ruck afterward!

Killer Abs

THE SCENE:

40’s and clear

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Given and received.
WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry Pickers
Tempo Squats
Harry Rockets
Tempo Merkins
Baby arm circles forward
Baby arm circles back

THA-THANG:
Mosy to the big parking lot by the new math/science building.
Start with 5 hand-release-merkins and run to the first exercise. Complete the first and return to start. Do 5 HRM at the start every time and then continue to the next exercise. Continue down the ladder doing an exercise and then return to the start for 5 HRMs.

Exercises are:

  • 20 BBS
  • 40 Pickle Pounders
  • 60 Box cutters
  • 80 Hello Dolly’s
  • 100 LBC
  • 80 Freddy Mercury
  • 60 Pickle Pointer
  • 40 Flutter Kicks
  • 20 Rainbow Drops

Finish it out with some exercises at the math/science building wall:

  • 20 Derkins
  • 20 Step ups
  • 20 Irkins
  • 20 Box Jumps

MARY:
Imperial walkers
Hill Billy Walkers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Little Known Facts About Laziness #5

Let’s review the facts…

Fact #5 – Laziness begets laziness

Consider this verse:

Slothfulness casts into deep sleep and an idle person will suffer hunger.

– Psalm 19:15

The first part of this verse indicates laziness makes you tired or sleepy. Notice it’s not the other way around. It’s not that tiredness makes you lazy. It’s not that you’re tired so you are lazy, it’s the other way. Laziness makes you tired. We can’t even trust our feelings and body in this case.

Also, remember fact #2: The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

The lazy are self-deceived. They can’t trust their thoughts and now they can’t trust their feelings. This is getting tricky and a cycle that be a trap. You think you’re tired and need to rest but maybe you’re just lazy?

Of course, tiredness is a thing and real but we can’t always trust our self-evaluation.

I challenge all of you to watch out for this laziness trap.

The PM Crew Tackles Accelerate Metric Workout #1

F3 Q: 1/17/2023

Asylum PM

5:45pm – 6:30pm

[ The Scene ] 

  • 50s
  • Cloudy with a chance of IRON SHARPENING YEAHHHHHHHHHH

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith 
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning 
  • A few things before we begin: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs?

[ Warm o Rama ] 

(5:45pm – 5:50pm)

These warm up Xs will be catered towards the Xs we’re going to do in Accelerate Metric Workout #1 

  • SSH: 15×4 
    • Run 25 yards and back 
  • Cherry Picker: 10×4
    • Run 25 yards and back 
  • Twisty: 10×4
    • Run 25 yards and back 
  • Rockette: 10×4
    • Run 25 yards and back 
  • High Knees: 10×4 
    • 25 yards and back 

Dynamic SWS (5:50 – 5:55)

4 corners – The Movements 

  • 1st Corner: Cobra stretch (30 seconds)
    • Run 
  • 2nd: 20 BAC (Front and Back)
    • Karaoke
  • 3rd: 10 Lunge Twists 
    • Deep Lunge
  • 4th: 10 wind mills
    • Side shuffle back to the light pole 

[ The Thang ] 

(Give instructions at 5:55pm)

(Start the workout at 6pm on the dot)

Accelerate Metric Workout #1

Introducing Accelerate 2023 — In an effort to ensure that the PAX of F3 Knoxville are continuing to accelerate their King (Q-source speak for always getting better in their workouts), we are going to be promoting 6 workouts this year done 6 months apart and to Track PAX progress. So the January and July workouts will be the same, Feb/August, etc. Instead of making it a competition, a la Iron Pax, this is an individual competition. Overall results will not be posted or tracked, just participants. AOQs will be the ones to share with PAX members their overall scores. 

This a YOU vs. YOU acceleration and not an Iron Pax-like competition. It will be about competing with yourself, not other PAX members. Please DM me any feedback you have for this year-long Accelerate challenge!

Here is January + July’s Accelerate workout:

Metric Workout #1 (Every man will need 1 CMU)

Set a timer for 30 minutes.

Complete as many cumulative reps as you can in that time.

The following list of exercises are performed in sets of 25 reps. 

After completing a set of 25 reps, put down your CMU, run 25 yards, do 2 burpees, return to your CMU, and continue. 

Here are the exercises:

  • 150 curls
  • 125 heavy squats
  • 100 OHP
  • 75 CMU swings
  • 50 Thrusters
  • 25 Blockees

When you finish the Blockees, start back at the top with curls.

It will look like this:

25 curls → 25 yard run → 2 burpees → 25 yard run → 25 curls…repeat until 150 curls are finished, then switch to squats (the next exercise)…etc.  

Once through the entire circuit is 525 reps (burpees do not count toward total).

[ COT ]

  • # off —> 13
  • Name o Rama 
    • Pele, Swimmies, Pusher, Sparkler, Rooney, Drum Major, F6, Abacus, Lillydipper, Brick, High-Heels, OnStar,  Steam
  • FNGs — 0
  • BOM

Reflections from the past week: 

  • Cardinal died on Wednesday 
  • My grandfather died yesterday
  • Megan (my wife) is going through a really tough time with her job and searching for a new one

It would be really easy to look at the past week and think “What in the world is going on.” But in light of everything that has happened over the past week, here are three things I need to remember, and maybe we all do heading into a new week. 

(1) We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. – Hebrews 5:3

    • Something about the really hard things we go through in life develop endurance for us to press on, to keep going, and to stay in the fight. 

(2) Memento Mori = Remember that you must die

    • This is just a fact of life. 
    • It’s not an “if” it’s a “when”
    • That being said – how are you you stewarding the days you’ve been given? We each have a certain number of days we’re going to be on this earth, no more, no less. 
    • I’m 28 years old, which is roughly in the neighborhood of 10,000 days —> Have I taken advantage of these days or have they taken advantage of me (Ephesians 5:16 — making the best use of the time, because the days are evil)

(3) Keep showing up

    • High Heels has said “How do you get better at burpees? Do more burpees.” And in the past when I’ve heard that I probably laughed or thought “But why?”
    • But the point is not the success or failure, but to keep showing up. You wanna get better at burpees? Keep showing up and do the work. 
    • To quote Samwise Gamgee —> Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something. That there’s some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for. 
    • Last week we all saw how powerful and impactful it is when men decide to show up. 

You Are More Than Your Job

THE SCENE: Windy, temps in low 60s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Cherry Pickers, 20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Windmills, Sitting knee stretches 10 count right, forward and left.
THA-THANG:
Mosey up Dragon Tail to Haslam Rock.  Stop on roadway to do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to Coliseum Courtyard Area.  We will run counterclockwise around the sidewalk loop.  We will do the following exercises around the circle:

  • First loop:  20 Bench Dips at Coliseum and Admin Bldg steps and 20 Merkins at the two sides of loop.
  • Second loop:  20 Box Jumps on Steps and 20 Carolina Dry Cocks at sides of loop.
  • Third loop:  20 Calf Raises on Steps and 20 Diamond Merkins at side of loop.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey to roadway area close to Haslam Rock.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey on Perimeter Trail to area at bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will split into teams of two and do Doras.  One partner runs to the construction fence going south on the perimeter trail, touches the fence and runs back.  The other partner works on the listed exercises and then partners switch.  As a team, the partners will do the following exercises:

  • 150 Freddie Mercuries (4 ct)
  • 150 Jump Squats
  • 150 Baby Crunches
  • 150 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
21 men with one FNG:  Robert Kelly whom we dubbed Kung Blue.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I know that some men in our brotherhood and some M’s of our brothers have struggled with the jobs they are in and the vocational decisions they are attempting to make. It is difficult to have a job that just doesn’t seem right for you.  It can be bewildering to wonder what direction your professional life should take. It can feel oppressive to go to a job you just don’t like and wonder when the right job will come along.  I look back to my own vocational struggles when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s. I can say that during some of those struggles I was clinically depressed.

As a 66-year-old who has been in the job market for quite some time, let me offer some words to you that may help be of benefit to those of you who have struggled vocationally or who have loved ones who have struggled:

  1. You are more than your job.  I know of people who feel they have never found the “right job.”  But some of them are amongst the finest people I know.  Yes, at parties we may introduce ourselves to others and answer the questions about what we do for a living.  But that isn’t our identity.  There is so much more:  our worship, our families, our friends, our activities outside of work, how we listen to others, how we treat others, how we lead others.
  2. If you are dissatisfied with your job, keep looking.  That doesn’t mean quit your current job.  But network with others, talk to your brothers, let them know you are looking for something new.  Also, when you interview for jobs, that in itself can be a learning process.  I am proud of my son, Bennett, for his growth through networking and interviewing in the past year.  He had a good job but wanted something different.  He thought he wanted to get into the banking industry but he wasn’t sure in what area or what direction to take.  He gradually found out a job that is fitting his desires by networking and interviewing for jobs that weren’t quite the fit.
  3. As our brother High-Heels said in a recent Q, even if you aren’t thrilled with your job, it’s a blessing to have it.  You are getting paid.  Your job is putting food on the table.  There are many people who are jobless and hungry.  Don’t forget that.
  4. You have an opportunity to serve others, no matter what your job.  You can smile at your customers, try to make their lives better, and enhance the lives of your fellow employees with a kind and eager spirit.  And, no matter what your job, whether physician or trash collector, that work is probably contributing to what makes our world spin.

I will sum up the last point with some of the words from a song we sometimes sing at my church called “Day by Day.”

Server, you remind us of our Savior's bowl and towel.
Teacher, you are raising up a child to be kind.
Lawyer, give us hope that justice one day will surround us.
May God's kingdom come, on earth His will be done.

Farmer, you are working for a table full of bounty.
Painter, with each color you are teaching us to see.
Nurse, yours are the healing hands that touch the poor and broken.
May God's kingdom come, on earth His will be done.

Lord, be close to us.  Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, please put Your hand on us day by day.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Jinxy and his family after the death of Jinxy’s father.  The funeral was today.  Prayers of praise for Operation as his wife is over six weeks pregnant after she and Operation went through such a lengthy time with issues of infertility.  Operation is going to be a great father!!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hot Toddy Triple Q at the Asylum on Saturday morning, January 28 at the Asylum!  Pusher will have his Birthday Q with Lumpia likely in February!