F3 Knoxville

New Year, New Opportunities

THE SCENE: 33 and snowing…it was awesome!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers (IC) 4 CT X 10
  • Overhead Claps X 10 (IC) followed by Michael Phelps
  • Baby Arm Circles Forward, then Backwards X 10 (IC)
  • Tempo Squats (IC) 4 CT
  • Tempo Merkins (IC) X 10
  • Mosey to the covered area by the Library

THA-THANG:

Modified Seabiscuit

  • 20 Merkins, 30 squats, 40 FlutterKicks (Dollies) then run 1 lap around the courtyard
  • Repeat exercises, run 2 laps
  • Repeat exercises, run 3 laps
  • Repeat exercises, run 4 laps
  • Repeat exercises, run 3 laps
  • Repeat exercises, run 2 laps
  • Repeat exercises, run 1 lap

MARY:

Part of Q; AMRAP of Toe Merkins (Calf Raises)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

12 Men started the new year right

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

John Gordon is an author and speaker on the topics of leadership, culture, sales, and teamwork.  He has great books and provides wonderful, positive quotes and commentary in this negative world we live.

21 Tips for a Positive New Year

Updated for 2022

  1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
  2. Take a daily “Thank You Walk.” You can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Feel blessed and you won’t be stressed.
  3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less foods manufactured in plants.
  4. Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and doubts, talk to yourself with words of truth and encouragement.
  5. Post a sign that says “No Energy Vampires Allowed.” Gandhi said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet,” and neither should you!
  6. Be a Positive Team Member. Being positive doesn’t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better.
  7. Don’t chase success. Decide to make a difference and success will find you.
  8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.
  9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
  10. Look for opportunities to Love, Serve and Care. You don’t have to be great to serve but you have to serve to be great.
  11. Live your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
  12. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Love the process and you’ll love what the process produces.
  13. Trust that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
  14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. If you are complaining, you’re not leading.
  15. Read more books than you did in 2021.

16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead live with love, passion and purpose and happiness will find you.

  1. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
  2. The next time you “fail” remember that it’s not meant to define you. It’s meant to refine you.
  3. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
  4. Boost your immune system and health. Eat wild salmon, turmeric, blueberries. Take vitamin C, D and zinc.
  5. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

Sign up to Q/VQANNOUNCEMENTS:

Just Desk Work

THE SCENE: 52, dry surfaces, minimal fog
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry Pickers, Reach for the stars, Let it hang, Windmill, Tempo Squats, Tempo Merkins, Maracan Night club
THA-THANG:

8 HIMs ended the year right with a little desk work.
Mosey through the courtyard with mountain climbers to start, then side shuffle across each walkway.

Ended with Bernie to the old chair style desks by the PODS.   No CMU’s today.  Just an old desk.

  • Up and Over (step on the chair and hop over)
  • Curls of the deks
  • Derkins on the desk
  • Overhead Press with the desk
  • Squats
  • Float between 2 desks (while your partner ran the hill)
  • Dips between 2 desks (while your partner ran the hill)

The color of your chair/desk determined the number of reps you did each round.  10, 15 or 21

MARY:
On the mosey back, each stop sign or crosswalk one HIM called a core excercise: Imperial walkers, Flutter kicks, Hello dolly, LBC, Heels to heaven.  Ended with 5 burpees and a start jump
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Elementary School was basic. Reading, Writing, Math.
The Christian Walk is basic too. Prayer, Bible Reading, Worship and Service
Today I want to focus on how we finish off this year well with prayer.
I’ll share an article I read just recently and has already made a difference in my prayer life. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/stop-having-quiet-times/
In the gospels we are told Jesus went away to pray 20+ times.
To get away from distraction. but also to talk out loud to His Father.  I encourage you to do the same.
Luke 5:16 But he would withdrawal to a desolate place to pray.
This year, get away, pray out loud and see if it doesn’t breath new life into your prayer life.
Mat 6:6 But when you pray, go to your room and shut the door

MOLESKIN:
Be sure to get away  from it all and pray out loud before the year is up

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Happy New Year!  Great job in 2021.  2022 is going to be even better.

12 Days of Jesus’ Birth

THE SCENE: Something about a midnight clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMERAdministered.
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tempo Squat x 10 IC
Tennessee Rocking Chair x 10 IC
Tempo Hand Release Merkin x 5 IC
Overhead Clap x 10 IC
Baby Arm Circles Forward x 10 IC
Baby Arm Circles Backward x 10 IC
Imperial Squat Walker x 10 IC
Lunges – Forward 5 ea
Lunges – Backward 5 ea
Lunges – Side to side 5 ea

THA-THANG:
Falling Indian Run (Burpees til the 6 passes you) to the middle of the large parking lot.

11’s in the parking lot – a new favorite of mine. Across 2 parking spots (approx 20 feet):
Squats -> Lunges to the other side of the 2 parking spots
Merkins -> Bear Crawl to the other side of the 2 parking spots

Do 20 BBS or until the 6 is done. Rest 20 seconds.

Falling Indian run to the CMU pile. Every PAX grabs a CMU and then the Q goes over the workout:

12 days. That’s how long it took the wise men to find Jesus. Well, not really but there are 12 days of Christmas so we’re going to celebrate them today. At least with 12 exercises:

1. Burpee
2. Merkins
3. Squats
4. V-ups
5. Curls
6. Goblet Squats
7. Skull Crushers
8. Thrusters
9. Superman (may change)
10. Tempo Squats (w or w/o block)
11. Bench Press
12. Pull-ups (go up hill to start with explanation at bottom with Weinke there)

After every round of exercises, run up the stairs, do a pull-up or touch the far wall, and run back down. Repeat until 6:10 and just enough time to get back to the Shovel Flag.

MARY:
12 Mary Exercises. Or that’s the number I wrote the night before the workout. Actual “Mary” – 1 Burpee
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 JUCOninans

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
What to say here? 2021 has been the year of waiting. The year of patience. The year of getting told no. No to reconciliation. No to leadership. No to moving.

Yesterday I was encouraged to think over the song “God Moves” by Sovereign Grace Music / Bob Kauflin. The words are profound (I read verse two for the BOM – italicized below):


VERSE 1
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mines
With never-failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

CHORUS 1
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You

VERSE 2
O fearful saints new courage take
The clouds that you now dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

CHORUS 2
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You
When tears are great
And comforts few
We hope in mercies ever new
We trust in You

VERSE 3
God’s purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain


I’m not sure exactly where this is going, but that’s probably about the same that God’s people felt 2000 years ago. They were under Roman control. No Word from God had come in hundreds of years. God felt distant and silent. But Luke tells us a different story was unfolding that God’s people didn’t even know until it had happened.

Luke 2:1-14

The Birth of Jesus Christ

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c]

The Shepherds and the Angels

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[d]

Just when the people of Israel did not expect it, that is the exact moment God worked.

CS Lewis from the Screwtape Letters (written hypothetically in the pen of a senior demon writing to a junior one and thus the Enemy is God):

“He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

God is indeed pleased with us when we trust in Him as we go through trials. He may just have a smiling face behind a frowning providence this year, this Christmas season.

MOLESKIN:
I had no idea how the workout would turn out. It was fun but hard and modifiable so I think the PAX enjoyed it, but after leading 40+I may even start recycling some workouts until someone either tells me they’ve read this or calls me on it in a workout.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
No current announcements. Merry Christmas!

Don’t Die Hard! Die Right With The Lord!

THE SCENE: 33 degrees and it felt great!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers (IC) 4 CT X 10
  • Overhead Claps X 10 (IC)
  • Baby Arm Circles Forward & Backwards X 10
  • Randys – up 6-12 and down 6-12 inches X 20
  • Tempo Squats (IC) 4 CT
  • Tempo Merkins (IC) X 10
  • Mosey to CMU Pile

THA-THANG:

Nakatomi Plaza Tower from Die Hard had 35 floors, so we did 35 squats to kick off the workout.

John McClanes versus Hans Grubers

We re-enacted Hans Gruber falling out of Nakatomi Tower by seeing who could hang on the pulll-up bars; 2 groups of 6 men; Lil Spice won Heat A & Wheelchair won Heat B; we all did wall squats while we waited.

This is fun battle between McClane and Gruber which featured 15 reps of the following exercises in cadence:

  • CMU squats
  • CMU press
  • CMU curls
  • CMU swings
  • CMU triceps

At the end of these exercises, 1 McClane team member and 1 Gruber team member were timed for 1 minute to see who can do the most reps of one of the exercises in the round.

  • Round 1:         Hand Release Merkins
  • Round 2:         Squats
  • Round 3:         Big Boy Sit-Ups
  • Round 4:         American Hammers
  • Round 5:         Merkins
  • Round 6:         Calf Raises

Hans Gruber’s team won…but not in the movie…which WAS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE!

MARY:

Planks to Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby – we did merkins during (rump bump bump bump)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

16 men combined between Rush and Bootcamp

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Drew & Laura Stockton are from Sweetwater but sold everything and are full-time missionaries in Nicaragua.  I met Drew back in 2018, helped him develop a fundraising plan to ask family, friends, neighbors, church members and churches to help them fulfill God’s calling to sell everything and move to the 2nd poorest country in the Americas to serve the poor and unchurched.

Since 2018, my wife and I support them monthly.  On Sunday, they came to speak to my church Life Group (they are in the US visiting family over Christmas).

They shared triumphs and tribulations along with some valuable life lessons.

They miss a community of friends to hang out with, encourage, and support each others (especially her) – Lesson – be a community to those in your sphere of influence; even if serving as a missionary is your calling, we all need a community!

If God keeps telling you something, listen and do it (ie. become full-time missionaries or teaching English for free to help people get out of poverty)

If God asks you to do something and you don’t know how, he will find the way to make it happen

Things happen on God’s time, not ours.  When it’s meant to be, it will!

Luke 11:28 “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

1 John 5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Pool Boy on Q Friday at JUCO
  • 2.0 Workout at the Project on Friday

JUCOmanjaro through the woods…

THE SCENE: Pretty chilly at 31 degrees, but otherwise clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: executed
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH
Merkins
Tempo Squat
Hairy Rockett
Burbees
Freddy Mercuries

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Guardrail
25 Dips
25 Dirkens
Mosey to JUCOmanjario
– Ladder Run Up the Mt, stopping at each marker doing the following
10 Burpees
20 Squats
30 Merkins
40 Freddie Mercuries (2-count)
50 Flutter Kicks (2-count) — Rabbits back to the 6
40 Freddie Mercuries (2-count)
30 Merkins
20 Squats
10 Burpees (Rabbits back to the 6)
– Through the Woods to the Water Tower
Mosey Back to the AO
– Every 4 minutes, alternate between 10 Burpees & 30 Squats, along with some Monkey Humpers on Hardin Valley Road

MARY:No time

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Wonder of Christmas
Luke 2:7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Do we really take time to think about how incredible this is?  How incredible – the God of the Universe coming down in the form of a baby to reconcile humanity with Himself
This same God-child causes us to fight for our marriages
This same God-child causes us to raise our children differently from the world’s standards
This same God-man walked in our shoes so he can intercede with the Father with first-hand knowledge
This same God-man causes us to fight fleshly desires because we know our bodies are a temple of the Godhead
This does not happen (consistently) because we desire to be good, because in our own power we fail…this is because God came to us in the form of a Baby