F3 Knoxville

Category: Asylum AM

Founding AO

A little Route 66

THE SCENE: 30 degrees and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Some mosey with SSH, Tempo Squats, Cherry Pickers, Merkins, and Baby Arm Circles mixed in

THA-THANG:

Route 66 day – completed the following exercises in succession:

  • Burpees
  • Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • Merkins
  • Jump Squats
  • American Hammers (4 ct)

Mosey around the oval parking lot until the six finished. Then headed up to the pavilion for a set of 11’s – exercises were Bench Rows and Box Jumps.

MARY:

Just enough time for some Hello Dollies, Sweat Angels, and finished with 30 seconds of LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
24 HIM’s including 1 FNG – Welcome ‘Snoopy’

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

We have a lot to celebrate this time of year, but for some men, it’s a time of loneliness, isolation, and feelings of worthlessness. Those feelings aren’t confined to the holidays obviously, but they can be heightened around this time of the year. We’ll never fully know the battles that others around us are fighting on a daily basis.

If God has put someone on your heart, just reach out to them. A quick phone call (even a text) could make someone’s day. Just hearing the words “I was thinking about you man” can make all the difference in the world. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking about someone but not letting them know that you’re thinking about them, not reaching out, not taking any action. We have thousands of excuses for it – I’m just too busy, I’ll do it later, etc., etc., but they are all just that – excuses to justify our inaction. Let’s make it a point to actually reach out when God puts someone on our hearts this week.

The Weatherman is a Liar (v1)

THE SCENE: Cold, wet, a bit icy. 35 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
10x BAC IC
Little bit of…
10x Sumo Shoulders IC
10x Hillbilly IC
10x Tempo Squat IC
10x Tempo Merks IC
5x Bodybuilders (8ct) IC

THA-THANG:
Shoulder Shredder (100 reps)

Stay in parking lot. PAX partner up along baseline:
Partner A: Run to other side, perform 2x bodybuilders, coming back: bear crawl 3 parking spaces, lunge 3 parking spaces, run back
Partner B: Flapjack (5 merks, 5 flutters, R&R)
Performed 3 sets of above

PAX mosey to picnic tables by concession stand

PT Pyramid:

  • 1 table row (pull-up), 2 merkins, 3 Big Boy Situps
  • 2 rows, 4 merks, 6 BBS, continue up the pyramid
  • …
  • 6 rows, 12 merks, 18 BBS, then back down the pyramid
  • …
  • 1 rows, 2 merks, 3 BBS

PAX mosey to large chapel area where FiA works out. Partner up:
Partner A: Bearcrawl forward to other side, crawl bear back, crab walk forward, crab walk reverse
Partner B: Flutter kicks
2 sets each

PAX mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Had 4 minutes left, so we did another Shoulder Shredder (100 reps)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about working/practicing things you hate doing (i.e. bear crawls & crab walks) to turn deficiencies into strengths.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mend House workout on Wednesday 12/12
2nd F at Printshop on 12/19 (will send invite)

3 C’s

THE SCENE: Mid 30’s, cloudy, just a little precipitation at the end

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Some SSH’s, Cherry Pickers, Baby Arm Circles, Merkins, and Tempo Squats mixed in with some mosey over to the rock pile.

THA-THANG:
Moseyed to the rock pile for 3 sets of the following exercises (with rock):

  • Bicep curls
  • Overhead shoulder press
  • Squats

20 reps of each exercise, run and touch the bottom of the stairs in between each set. After 3rd set, we did 20 reps of 4 ct. flutter kicks with rock overhead.

Mosey to the dead end just below the Asylum for some 7’s. Exercise at the bottom = Jump Squats and exercise at the stop sign = Burpees.

Mosey back to the rock pile for round 2 (same exercises but only 2 sets this time). Finished with the flutter kicks.

Mosey back down to the dead end for another round of 7’s. Exercises = American Hammers (4 ct) and Merkins.

Mosey back to the rock pile for the last round (just 1 set this time). Finished with flutter kicks again.

Mosey to the bottom of Little Baby Hill. Run 3 times up with 1 burpee at the top each time.

MARY:

Just enough time for some Hello Dollies and some Sweat Angels

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 HIM’s – no FNG’s

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

3 C’s that are in direct opposition to being the men we are called to be: Comfortability, Convenience, Complacency

I’ve found myself falling into the trap of the 3 C’s lately in terms of leading my family spiritually. Insert any excuse you want…..tired at the end of the day, in a busy season of life, work stress, etc., etc., etc. But those excuses are all just temporary circumstances, and God doesn’t call us to be governed by our circumstances. We are called to lead our families – not just when it’s comfortable or convenient. Being a HIM is about being the man that God calls us to be, regardless of our present circumstances. 

Brolympics Redux

THE SCENE: Cloudy, mild breeze that would ruffle my hair if I had more of it, mid 40s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Done

WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x 20 IC, Cherry Pickers x 10 IC, Ankle Grabbers/hammie stretch, Baby Arm Circles Forward (x10) and Backward (x10) IC, Shoulder Tap Merkins x 10 IC

THA-THANG:
Today we revisited the events of the Brolympics that we enjoyed at the F3 anniversary a few weeks ago.  We started with the long distance run first, carrying a softball bat high as the Olympic torch.  Indian run from AO up Baby Everest and around running trail to parking lot, then back close to the AO, passing “torch” off as PAX gets to front.

Brolympic Redux:

Parking lot will have 6 different stations that imitate the F3 Brolympics events.  We will do each station for 2 minutes, AMRAP.  The stations are:

  • Merkins
  • BBS
  • Shuttle Run / Suicides
  • Burpee Broad Jumps
  • 40-yd dash
  • Bear Crawl around cones

This was followed by a mini Pickett’s Charge up Baby Everest.  Not enough time to rinse and repeat as planned, so we each PAX member chose whatever exercise they wanted to revisit, rotating as desired, until it was time to head back to the AO.

MARY:
Flutter kicks x 25, 4-ct IC, Box Cutters x 20, 4-ct, IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 Strong!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Doing Christianity – Reverend Gretchen Sylwester at Bethel Church, Elmhurst IL

‘Author and activist Shane Claiborne writes in The Irresistible Revolution: “If you ask most people what Christians believe, they can tell you, ‘Christians believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that Jesus rose from the dead.’ But if you ask the average person how Christians live, they are struck silent. They usually say something like “Christians live pretty much like everybody else, they just sprinkle in a little Jesus along the way.”

One of the speakers at an interfaith community event at the Villa Park Islamic Center said that in her tradition, religious action is far more important than religious belief. From her perspective, how we live is far more important than what we say we believe. More recently, the tragedy in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life Synagogue might make one question about what a “Christian response” to this tragedy might be.

What is essential to a Christian way of life? What are the things that we do that set us apart? If you were to describe the Christian way of life to a non-believer, what would you say? If it is not just Jesus’ sprinkles, what is it?

One place to start is by talking about generosity and grace. We share. Christians use our power and privilege to change things for others who have less. We are slow to judge and quick to forgive. We are diligent in setting aside time for prayer and meditation. We worship with others as an essential practice, something that we make room for in our lives as a “must” rather than a “maybe.” And most of all, Christians look to the future with hope, not fear.

I encourage you to consider your own action plan for being a Christian. Forget about the word “think.”  Forget the word “believe.” Consider what it is that we do that makes us unique. For as the old hymn goes, in the end, “They will know that we are Christians by our love, by our love. They will know we are Christians by our love.” ‘

MOLESKIN:
The PAX shared some words of support for one of our members who is going through a difficult stretch.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F coming up this Saturday at the Outlook, 8:30 a.m.  Breakfast provided, $10 donation recommended.

Pyramids, Laps and Q101

THE SCENE
37 and clear

Welcome, disclaimer and explanation of day (workout + Q insights)

 

THE THANG
COP

  • SSH x25 4ctIC
  • Tempo Squats x15 4ct IC
  • Tempo Merkins x15 4ct IC
  • Line up on curb and then run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees
  • Reverse Lunges x12 4ct IC
  • Run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees
  • BAC Fwd x10 4ct IC
  • BAC Bkwd x10 4ct IC
  • Run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees

Mosey to the parking lot next to the playground partner up with Battle Buddy

 

Pyramid of Pain
Each man will complete the following:

  • Complete exercise 1 then run around the parking lot
  • Complete exercise 1 and 2 then run around the parking lot. Continue until you get to 4 exercises
  • Upon completion of all 4 exercises continue but take on exercise off each round starting with 1 (then 2, 3 and so on).

Exercises (x20 of each):

  1. Narrow Squats
  2. Diamond Merkins
  3. 4ct Flutter Kicks
  4. Tuck Jumps

Mosey to SP

 

Merkin Hill
Run up and down hill doing 3 times performing 5 burpees at the top each time

 

ABS
Box Cutters 20x 4ct IC
Side Crunches 20x each side IC
American Hammers 15x 4ct IC
ATMs

 

COT
Number off and Name-O-Rama – 26 PAX, 2 FNGs – Big Apple, The Dab

 

BOM
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3-4

Leading a F3 Workout

  • KEY: Most important thing: It’s Not About You!
    • Your #1 job as Q is the safety of the PAX.
    • Men have shown up early and are trusting you to challenge them and keep them reasonably safe.
  • PLANNING: Plan the work then work the plan
    • Not just the exercise, but the explanations, transitions and your BOM
      • Explanations and transitions can make or break a workout!
    • Think through the following when planning your exercises:
      • Weather (not just the day of, but the days before)
      • Amount of daylight
      • Size of the PAX (make thing scalable)
      • Fitness levels in the PAX
    • Equipment needs
      • Cones, light sticks, CMUs, etc.
  • ELEMENTS: Basic ingredients of a well-balanced workout
    • Strength
      • Push, pull, core and leg
      • Goal: tax each of the four major muscle groups
    • Cardio
      • Sprints and distance
      • Goal: elevate the heart rate and maintain the elevated state with periodic rests
  • PRACTICE: You play like you practice
    • Make sure YOU can do the exercises properly
    • If you can, walk through the workout at the AO
    • PRACTICE, OUT LOUD, IN CADENCE
  • EXECUTION: Get after it and have some fun!
    • Talk up the morning on GroupMe. Let the PAX know you are excited to lead them.
    • Show up early!
    • Be energetic (you don’t have to be Richard Simmons, but be vocal and upbeat)
    • Always wear a watch
    • USE PROPER CADENCE
      • This seems small…it isn’t. The cadence creates a very real synergy for the group.
      • Proper cadence is:
        • “The Next Exercise is ______________________”
          • Clear and concise command
          • PAX repeat exercise name to demonstrate understanding
        • “Starting Position … Move”
          • “Starting Position” is the information
          • “Move” is the command
          • Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
        • “In Cadence … Exercise”
          • “In cadence” is the information
            • Not all exercises are in cadence
            • PAX repeat back “in cadence” to demonstrate understanding
        • “Exercise” is the command
          • Signals PAX it is time to begin
          • Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
        • “1, 2, 3” then PAX calls rep
          • Your cadence MUST match the called exercise
          • Not all exercises are performed at the same cadence
          • Your count matches the body movement
          • PAX call the rep number in place of “4”
        • Change your voice inflexion on last rep
          • Signals to the PAX that we are ending
          • Important to keeping morale and order
        • “Recover”
          • At the end of the called exercise you call “Recover”
          • Important command to let everyone know we are finished
  • INTANGIBLES: The secret sauce
    • During the workout, engage the PAX
      • Have PAX count off for rest times
      • Use men’s F3 names
      • Laugh, remember…this is supposed to be hard, but it’s also supposed to be fun.
    • If you can’t do it, don’t Q it.
      • This doesn’t mean you have to be the strongest and fastest, just that you can execute the exercise properly
    • Lead from the front with an eye on the back
      • The PAX come expecting to be led. There should be no doubt that you are leading.  You should be visible and vocal, but that DOES NOT mean everything revolves around you or that you need to the all-star of the morning.
        • Have others do 10 counts for breathers
        • Tell someone where you’re heading and have them lead the PAX
        • Have someone else lead the PAX to Cash Out
    • NEVER leave a man behind
      • This is important when moving around the AO. If the PAX gets stretched out we lose cohesion.
      • When on a mosey, if you feel the PAX stretching out, circle back (i.e. wagon wheel) or stop and do a few reps of an exercise (i.e. SSH, Merkins, etc.)