F3 Knoxville

Category: Asylum AM

Founding AO

CMU Trail of Fears (Being Conquered)

[ The Scene ]

  • It’s hot with a capital h o t
  • PAX circle up in the bat cave where some shade is afforded

[ Warm-o-Rama ]

  • Windmill: 10 x 4 IC
    • 1 burpee
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
    • 2 burpee
  • Baby Arm Circles
    • F: 10 x 4 IC
    • B: 10 x 4 IC
    • 3 Burpee
  • Seal-Clap Squats: 5
    • Down —> 1 4-count seal clap
    • Up = 1
    • 4 burpees
  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC
    • 1 burpee

[ The Thang ]

—mosey to CMU pile by bat cave—

(1) CMU Warm-Up

  • 5 CMU Getups
    • Deadlift up CMU
    • Squat w/CMU
    • Up + chest-press CMU
    • Deadlift down CMU on ground
  • 10 Cross-Overs
    • CMU on ground
    • Burpee on 1 side
    • “Jump” on the burpee is over the CMU
    • Burpee on the other side
  • 15 CMU Curl Presses
    • Curl + press – back down
  • 20 CMU Flutter Kick Presses
    • Execute flutter kicks while doing 20 CMU presses above
  • 25 CMU Drags
    • Bear Crawl formation
    • Take 1 hand – pull CMU through your legs to your other hand
    • Bear crawl up until the CMU is in the same start position as before
    • R & R
    • Every CMU pull = 1

(10 count)

—walkdown the stairs from the bat cave—

—mosey with CMUs to the beginning of lighted path leading up to Saturday morning AO—

(2) CMU Trail of Reps

  • CMU Curls
  • CMU Presses
  • CMU Squats
  • Nickel – Dime – Quarter
  • Light 1 = 5 CMU Curls
  • Light 2 = 10 CMU Presses
  • Light 3 = 25 CMU squats
  • Rinse & Repeat until we get to the small parking lot right over there
  • However – switch the order of the Xs once you get done with the first 3 lights
    • 4th light = 5 CMU Presses
    • 5th light = 10 CMU squats
    • 6th light = 25 CMU Curls

***Disclaimer: this sucked***

There was a teaching moment in this evolution of the beatdown however

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #1: Sweep/Pickup the 6/Wagon-Wheel/No Man Left Behind

The command of “Sweep/Wagon Wheel” was given 3x by the QIC

Pele was the singular HIM that responded and came back initially – the rest of the PAX followed suit after some prompting.

Why do we circle back/wagon wheel/pickup the 6/sweep if the QIC gives the command? (1) Not because the Q is in charge or commands it, but because any one of us could be the 6 on any given day. All of at some point in time have been the 6, you know what it’s like. (2) Circling back/wagon wheel/pickup the 6/sweep isn’t just a physical thing – it’s also mental as well. Sometimes all people need is a little encouragement and if you’re the 6 I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you probably needed some encouragement. Think about what circling back/wagon wheeling/picking up the 6/sweeping does for the 6 – not only does it reaffirm physically “No man left behind” but it also affirms mentally for the 6 and the PAX “No man left behind.”

We circle back. We Wagon Wheel. We pickup the 6. We sweep. No man left behind. That is a non-negotiable of F3. Period.

(Teaching Moment/Q Tip #1 was sunk in with 5 burpees by all PAX – we grow and move together – no man left behind)

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #2: It’s just a piece of rock

We have this thing at Asylum PM – if you break a CMU, 100 burpees or something crazy (stupid) like that. I’ll tell ya, people are generally pretty safe with their CMUs then, right?

However, it happens.

Dewey broke his CMU. Two pieces, on the ground. Disclaimer: Dewey is a tough hombre. Dewey is also the youngest PAX out there and he’s holding his own with the rest of us. Dude is straight crushing it in arguable one of the hardest CMU workouts to hit Asylum PM in a while.

Sometimes all people need a little encouragement. So you broke your CMU? Guess what? It’s a piece of rock – it’s okay. You’re crushing it man, keep your head up.

The bigger of the 2 broken CMU pieces is then shared by the PAX all the way back to the CMU pile. That’s what we do. CMUs are gonna get broken. It’s okay.

However, Teaching Moment/Q Tip #2 was sunk in with 5 burpees as well by all PAX – we share each other’s burdens)

Ah, I digress. Back to the hellish workout.

(Recover by parking lot)

(10 count)

Time to deliver these from whence they came – if you get down to the CMU pile first – come help someone else out with theirs that might be struggling (20/80 success on this).

(3) Pickett’s Charge to the Bat Cave

  • From the Asylum weekday morning AO car parking lot to the top of the overlook to the bat cave

Q lines up PAX in 2 lines – with Lilydipper and Pusher out front

The standard is as such —> run up Pickett’s Charge led by Lilydipper and Pusher —> no one passes them on the way up.

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #3: No one is above the standard, not even the Q.

Q stops PAX after first small hill on Picket’s Charge – reminds men of the standard set – PAX get in merkin plank position – 5 up/down merkins are executed.

Why? You are not above a standard – set by a Q or not. I am not above a standard – set by a Q or not. No one is above a standard – set by a Q or not. I don’t care how fast you are. No one cares how fast you are. There is a standard (set by the Q or not) for a reason. And a Q (and HIM) should expect and accept it to be followed. It’s not about you. It’s about the PAX. Challenge me on this. All feedback is encouraged and welcomed.

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

“Learn how to discern a win” – Jerry Flowers

    • Sometimes all people need is encouragement
    • When you can’t discern a win you’ll begin to mislabel victories
    • Identify a win – examples:
        • Lost something but gained something else
        • Lost something but gained a prayer life
        • Didn’t get the position or promotion but got character development and discipline along the way – that’s a win
        • I wanted to give you 5 examples of what I’ve identified as a few wins/victories for me so far this year:
          • Told to work from home indefinitely and feeling trapped inside all day —> freedom to be more intentional with my prayer life and pour more into things I love like F3 and walking outside – that’s a victory and a win.
          • A couple “failed” relationships —> intentional experiences and I’m being protected – given insight. That’s a victory and a win.
          • Started leading a small group of men – who are all married and in their 40s and up – I don’t say that to boast, I say that because for me this is a win for me because I didn’t see that modeled well a lot when I was growing up and now the Lord’s placed me there so I can actually see it modeled well while I learn how to lead – irrespective of my age or life experience – that’s a blessing and a win.
          • A few different opportunities have come and knocked on my door professionally and personally and instead of just flinging open the door – I’m learning to exercise judgement and wisdom in my decisions – for me that’s a victory and win.
          • We all have that one friend – and if you don’t that’s okay too – that has always been a little crazy right?
            • Well my dad has that one friend too. Great guy, snuck pre-21 years old Steam  a 6 pack at my dad’s wedding a while ago. We all get together for a guys weekend this weekend and play golf, shoot, wet our whistles probably a little more than we should, especially this particular guy and a bi-product of that led to him just opening up and saying “I remember having nowhere to turn, and just crying out to God for help.” Getting to recognize the weight of what was actually happening when he was verbally processing this was a huge win and victory. God’s on the move. 

So, what did we learn?

(1) No Man Left Behind. Period. Circling Back/Wagon Wheeling/Picking Up the 6/Sweeping is more than just a physical action.

(2) Stuff happens. Things break. There are consequences. But we share each other’s burdens. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep your head up.

(3) There’s a standard for a reason. No one is above the standard. Not even the Q.

(4) Learn how to discern a win so you don’t mislabel victories in your life.

(5) Sometimes all someone needs is just a little encouragement.

Iron. Sharpens. Iron.

-Steam

 

In His Mansion

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Plank Jacks, 5 Burpees, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Windmills, Michael Phelps

THA-THANG:

Each man picks up a pair of bricks from my truck.  We then run to parking lot by entrance to Northern Ball Fields.  There will be exercises posted at each corner of the parking lot.  Do the exercise listed, run around the parking lot, then do the next exercise listed.  Always have bricks when running.  Once exercises at one cone are complete, go to the next cone and do those.  When a man is done he will have done 12 exercises (3 from each cone and run around the parking lot 12 times).  Here are the exercises from each cone:

  • Cone 1:  1. 50 Overhead Presses with Bricks  2. 20 Big Boys  3. 50 Curls with Bricks
  • Cone 2:  1. 50 Rows with Bricks  2. 20 Big Boys  3.  50 Wings Up with Bricks
  • Cone 3:  1. 50 Wings Out with Bricks  2. 10 Mini Man-makers 3. 50 Wings Down with Bricks
  • Cone 4.  1. 50 Punches with Bricks.  2. 10 Mini Man-makers  3. 50 Triceps with Bricks

Mosey with bricks back to the truck and replace them there.

Mosey to stop sign at Northeastern corner of admin bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey down steps to small alleyway.  Pick teammate. We will do Doras.  Teammate runs up stairs, around to beginning of alleyway and back to teammate while teammate does exercises.  Teammates the switch off.  Here are the exercises:

  • 150 Squats
  • 150 Big Boy Situps
  • 100 Merkins

Mosey to Parking Lot that semi-circles by soccer fields.  We will Bernie for 20 fence stakes then lunge for 10 tent stakes and repeat that pattern to the end of the parking lot.

Mosey to beginning of mini-cardiac.  Bernie to park sign, then sprint the rest of the way back to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 Men, no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Thomas Merton:  “Creation isn’t something that just happened in the beginning and then God walked off and left us to our own devices.”

Imagine if that were true.  God created this universe and everything in it and then said, “Good luck everybody, I’m going to sleep.”  Would the creator do that?  I don’t think so.

Thomas Merton:  “Creation is going on all the time.  That creation is absolute and perpetual.”

That creation is a gift and a miracle.  It surrounds us and is within us.  Yet, we so often fail to see it.  Some of the great church hymns have God saying to us (or use to Him), “Abide in Me”, knowing that we so often fall short in doing so.

James Finley describes this failure to see God’s gift to us in this way:

What if all along you’ve been living in this incredible mansion all your life but through a tragic mental condition you think you’re living in a little tent behind the garage?  And every week your psychotherapist comes over for your weekly session, and your therapist says, “Look, I wouldn’t, honestly, I wouldn’t lie to you on this one.  You’re in a mansion.  You’ve been living in it all along.”  You say, No.  No.  I . . . as a matter of fact, I don’t even think I deserve to even try to get in there, actually.”  In God, we live and move and have our being.  We’re living our life in the vast interiority of God pouring Himself out and giving himself away as every breath and heartbeat, as every passing moment of our life.  This is confusion.  Jesus called it blindness.  Buddha called it ignorance.  We don’t see the God-given, Godly nature, the boundary-less generosity of every blessed moment in our life.”

To abide in God is to accept his gift, to recognize His beauty, to breath it in what John Eldredge calls “The Sacred Romance.”  Other spiritual writers call it the “Sacred Dance.”  To abide in God is to ask him to abide with us.

I will close with some lines from the song “Abide With Me”:

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers of praise for Lillydipper’s wife (done with double masectomy surgery) and Choir Boys’ wife (does not have lymphoma and is getting rehab for the pain she is experiencing); prayers for wife of Mr. Jinxy who will have surgery on September 17; prayers for Lulu and Doubtfire who both have lost their mothers this past month.

Just, Kind, and Right

THE SCENE: Not too hot, cloudy, low 80s, but soooo dang humid.  Not a stirring of a breeze to be found…
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 50 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.

WARM-O-RAMA:

-25 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Abe Vigodas (4-ct), in cadence

– 25 Grady Corns (4-ct), in cadence

– 25 Tempo Squats (4-ct), in cadence

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Area 51 parking lot.

  • 25s! 5x/20x, 10x/15x, 15x/10x, 20x/5x Reps of exercises
    • EXERCISES: Bobby Hurleys (far side) and Carolina Dry Docks (near side)
    • Do first exercise, run down to opposite side of the lot, do other exercise, BERNIE back.

MOSEY to top of sidewalk hill, going towards Everest.  20 American Hammers. 20 count.

Continue to Base of Everest. 10 American Hammers/10 Hello Dollies/10 Bicycle Kicks (4-ct), run to base of summit. Hold Plank until 6 catches up.

GRINDERS! Count off by 4s to do a staggered start.  1’s start immediately, 2’s = 5 Imperial Walkers, 3’s = 10 Imperial Walkers, 4’s = 15 Imperial Walkers then start.  When finished do Imperial Walkers until 6 catches up

  • BASE OF SUMMIT: 25 1/2 Burpees (no pushup), run up to top of summit
  • TOP OF SUMMIT: 25 LBCs, run to bat house
  • BAT HOUSE: 25 Smurf Jacks, run down stairs
  • BOTTOM OF STAIRS: 25 BBS, run back to summit

RINSE AND REPEAT (we really only did this once, but ran the summit hill twice)

.11s W/ PARTNER in grassy area with wall at top of Evereset: Exercises are DIPS and INCLINE MERKINS.  One partner does the 11, while the other partner does LBCs, then switch.  Progress through the 11s sequence until we run out of time. (most pairs got to 6/5 or 5/6).

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
25 Hello Dollies, courtesy of Lillydipper, (who was complaining about getting on our 6 in the newly cut grass, so I “volunteered” him to lead so he’d quit his yappin’ 😉 ), 10 star jacks, courtesy of Brick, who after his VQ on Tuesday is almost a professional .  All 4-ct, IC.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
17 HIMs, including one FNG!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

THE STORY OF JOSEPH.  The story of Joseph has been on my mind lately.  Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and Jacob’s favorite.  He was a Daddy’s boy.  Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat (coat of many colors), and Joseph had dreams showing him as superior to his brothers, which he tells them about for some reason.  Maybe not the best idea.  To no one’s surprise, all of this causes the brothers to become jealous, throw him in a pit, and sell him into slavery in Egypt.  Although they left him essentially for dead, Joseph thrives in Egypt and becomes vizier to the Pharaoh.  The brothers return to him during a famine, starving, asking for help, but they don’t recognize him.  He is in the position of evening the score.  REVENGE!! (cue Braveheart music…) Does he let bitterness take over his heart?  No.  He ultimately brings his whole family over to Egypt, saving them from the famine.

Who else has thought to themselves when they’re in a difficult situation, struggling in life, or at their wit’s end, “NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF THIS”? But looking back, how often do you see that something good HAS come of it?  God is always there, bending our history and lives to justice and love.  As Joseph tells his brothers when they are reunited, what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good.

Even in the greatest darkness there can be something beautiful and good.  A literal example of this can be seen in some of the great paintings of the world.  There are brushstrokes of darkness and light.  The most beautiful pieces of art contain both sadness and joy.  Without those dark areas, the art would not be as beautiful.  So it is with life.  There is always a source of comfort in difficult times for those who love God.  In the story of Joseph, God was there with him, in the pit, as a slave, in prison, and in Egypt.

Instead of revenge, Jacob focuses on what is JUST, KIND, and RIGHT. He helps his brothers and brings his family to Egypt to avoid the famine.  He does not take the dangerous position of standing in for God.

I saw another example of this in Abscess’s Facebook post from Dredd who was discussing a sign that said NO BIGOTS, RACISTS OR MISOGYNISTS. His point was essentially that this is the wrong approach.  While the sentiment may be admirable, you could argue that this type of judgmental exclusion is taking the position of standing in for God.  We should actually invite factionalists to our table and sit down with them, so we can have discussions.  Who are we to judge?  The Pharisees mocked Jesus for the low company he kept and brought an adulterer to him demanding justice.  The penalty was death by stoning.  That’s when Jesus said “Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone”.  They all dropped their stones and went home.  It does us little good to judge, especially when none of us are exempt from flaws and sin.

We don’t always have to even the score.  Let go of the anger, the frustration, the desire for vengeance, like Jinxy talked about in his Word at the workout on Saturday.  Get rid of it. There is another path.  Today’s world has complex problems, and one of the difficulties I have is that I often see some value in everyone’s perspective (LIBRAs, amiright??…).  Therefore, I have trouble coming to a definitive conclusion about what the best solution is, and become frustrated that there are so many problems, and so few solutions.  The world is very confusing, and the problems we face are numerous, nuanced, and intertwined.  It can be overwhelming to try to make sense of it, try to figure out exactly how to act and fix it.  I think that if we all focused on what is JUST, what is KIND, and what is RIGHT, we can make a bit of difference in the world for the better.

MOLESKIN:
Praise for Jenner for positive developments in his pursuit of a medical degree.  Prayers for Guppy’s grandmother and for Jan, Lillydipper’s wife.

Welcome to FNG Spanky! (Raphael… sorry, I forgot his last name.  He is friends with Puddle)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
None

Chunked Topped Diced

THE SCENE: QVC emerged from a yearlong fartsack! Welcome back.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 
WARM-O-RAMA:
I heard Preacher himself shouting all the way from the Arizonian desert that “burpees are not a warmup”

“Studies indicate” that none of us is likely to keel over dead in the next 10 years.

THA-THANG:
They took the caution tape off the Cloud, which I appreciate. Jack Webb never showed up today, which everybody appreciates! Box-Baby-Boxes x3. Some Merkins. Table row/squat 11s. Balls to the Wall.

A Merkin or two on the way to Cardiac, and Cardiac beat us like we owed it money.

MARY:
Normally I don’t like Mary, but Hands’ Evil Plank made an appearance. And Hands wasn’t even there to enjoy it!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’Connor. A favorite of mine.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
IronPax tomorrow. Much misery ahead.

Brickyard 500

THE SCENE: Cloudy with some rain. Rain stopped during the workout and the sun came out.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH fast and slow

Cherry pickers

5 burpees

Imperial squat walkers

Star fighters 

5 burpees

Side straddle dollys

Michael Phelps, little bit of this, leg stretches

5 burpees

THA-THANG:.

  • Brickyard 500

    Battle buddy up

    1 man at the cmu, 1 running laps w instructions in each corner, stay in the pits until the entire next group is at start, Group 1 ran the lap while group 2 did cmus.

    In cadence

    25 CMU merkins

    25 Bbs

    25 curls

    25 Rows .  .     

    Diamond wide stagger merkin x2 in corner 1

    Sprint to corner 3

    10 plank jack single count in corner 3, run to the pit stop and hold plank on the curb

  • Mosey to pickets charge – flutter kicks

    Pickets charge – run up and switch to Bernie up each incline

  • Bear crawl 360
  • AYG back to the AO!!!!!
  • Hello dollys, ATM cash it out!!!!

MARY:
Insert information about any additional post-THANG work (if applicable).
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
@crispr @abscess @high heels @steam @musiccity @goober @abacus @lilydipper @pele @guppy @utah @puddle @redcard @flashback @manilow @squirtle @thunderstruck @iceman
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Close your eyes for just a minute. Satan wants you to think that every other man besides yourself has it all together while you don’t. He wants you to think you’re alone and you don’t matter. Satans worst attacks are when your isolated mentally, physically, spiritually, and sexually.

We’ve all experienced tragic events in our lives. Whether it’s Suicide, divorce, addiction, pride, greed, disease, and death.

None of us here have it all together, but what we do have here is each other. Now open your eyes. Look around this circle. Each of you have been a blessing in my life. My story?  The past 2 years have unquestionable been the hardest and most intense of my life. I went through the heartbreak of divorce early last year. Loneliness, shame, denial, regret, frustration, fear, and anxiety. But God was there. And also F3 was there. I can tell you that each one of you have touched my life in so many ways and I want to say thank you. We are a brotherhood, we have each other’s six, we leave no man behind, we leave no man left the same, we carry the fight to the enemy, we pick each other up when we’re down, we pray for one another, we hear each other out when we disagree, walls have been tore down between us because we all believe in something bigger than ourselves.

Why do I believe that love and brotherhood exists?

Love is what separates us from the rest of the world.

Verse

1 John 4:19, NIV: “We love because he first loved us.”

This is the Great Commandment which involves loving God fully and loving neighbor as yourself.

So I challenge each of you to rise above the chaos of the culture and rest in the unwavering love of the Lord. And no matter what you’re going through, look around, you have a band of brothers that are in the fight alongside you. I know I am. If you ever need to talk I’m always available. You’re never alone.

MOLESKIN:
It was an honor and a privilege to lead my first Q.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.