F3 Knoxville

Taking the Scenic Route

THE SCENE: 73°F, Clear sky with a bright moon
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x20 IC 4-count
  • Burpees x4 OYO
  • Imperial Walker x15 IC 4-count
  • Burpees x6 OYO
  • Imperial Squawkers x10 IC 4-count
  • Burpees x8 OYO

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the ORAU pond walkway (scenic route)
Run laps around the pond:
Before the lap, OYO

  1. Merkins x20
  2. Squats x20
  3. Shoulder Taps (4ct) x10
  4. Smurf Jacks x20
  5. Scorpion Dry Docks x20
  6. Burpees x10
  7. Mountain Climber 4ct x10
  8. Heels to Heaven x20
  9. Jump Squats x20
  10. Plank Jacks x20

Mosey to the Bell
11s- box jumps and derkins

Mosey back to SP

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks x20 IC
  • American Hammer x20 IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7- Rocket, Erector, Kick-flip, Samaritan, Chaco, Snaggletooth, Archie (QIC)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The struggle with Pride is real. It can cause us to react to others negatively because we are comparing ourselves. We are competing with those around us.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” – Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
‭‭Philippians 2:3 ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/59/php.2.3.esv

Untitled Ambitious – Part Deux

THE SCENE: Extra hot and muggy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

So, our fearless leader, Erector, smartsacked this morning because he needed to take care of his health. I Q’d last week and, because I have no sense of timing, we had way too much workout for the time allotted. Some of the guys said, “Hey – we’ll just do the rest of it next week.” I’m like, “Sure, I can do that.” But I decide that I’ll let someone else sign up if they want and I’ll just save it for the next time I’m on Q. Come Sunday, Erector signs up since I didn’t sign up and no one else did either. But he’s been coming down with something and last night sends out a group-me to say that he may need to smartsack. Archie says, “We’ll just do the rest of Snaggletooth’s workout. But I’ll be ready just in case.” So here we are – Untitled Ambitious – Part Deux.

Warm-Up: SSH x15, Tempo Merkin x10, Moroccan Nightclub x15, 5 Burpees OYO, Mosey to Playground

THA-THANG:
1. Little bit of recap from last week: 10 Pull-ups @ Playground/10 Dips @ Parallel Bars – 2 Rounds/Hold Al Gore for 6. Mosey to East Parking Lot.

2. Burpee/Bear Crawl: 5 Burpees – Bear Crawl to 1st Grass Island – 10 Burpees – Bear Crawl to 2nd Grass Island – 15 Burpees – Bear Crawl Back to 1st Grass Island – 10 Burpees – Bear Crawl back to Startex – 5 Burpees. Hold Al Gore until 6. Mosey to West Parking Lot.

3. BEAST (Right out of Q101 Playbook, aptly named because it’s a beast of an exercise, and because it is 6 reps of 6 exercises, and 6 rounds: 666). Sprint to 1st grass island, 6 merkins, sprint to 2nd island, 6 merkins, sprint to far curb, 6 merkins, sprint back to 2nd island, 6 merkins, sprint back to 1st island, 6 merkins, sprint back to startex, 6 merkins. Rinse and repeat with LBC, Squats, Werkins, American Hammer, and Burpees. We completed the cycle of Werkins before time was called. PAX did an excellent job.

MARY:
Kickflip led our Mary exercises. He’s Qing tomorrow morning at JUCO with several new exercises and we were his guinea pigs. I will not steal his thunder by putting them here. Suffice it to say, these exercises will get you in places you would have thought F3 already got to, but haven’t…YET.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Here are the 5 CHAMPIONS (after our AO-Q, Erector/Jason Champion) of the Project this morning: Archie, Chaco, Kick-Flip, Rocket, and me, Snaggletooth.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Kick-Flip has consistently shared insightful and challenging COT/BOM with his Q, particularly his recent Q on International Friend Day (NOT a friendly workout involving a “friend” – read as, CMU). A friend not only holds his friends’ feet to the fire, but he also “unbosoms his soul,” or shares his heart. It’s easy not to. More often than not, this is our MO as guys. But nothing risked, nothing gained. It’s better to risk sharing your heart with a friend who will encourage and pray for you. 

MOLESKIN:

I am blessed by the caliber of guys that I get to work out with in the mornings. F3 is one of the best things I’ve done in the last 20 years. I didn’t know how much I needed it, nor how much I would enjoy getting up before 5AM to exercise but I’m better – 20 years better – because of it. Faafetai, uso (Samoan for “Thanks brother”)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Those who experienced The Convergence shared some take-aways from Saturday and links to pictures as well as Capt Crunch’s challenge. Also 2nd F Lunch @ Oak Ridge Salsarita.

Untitled (Ambitious) Workout

  • THE SCENE: 67 and humid – good for sweating
    F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
    WARM-O-RAMA:

    SSH (IC) – 15
    Tempo Merkins (IC) – 10
    Burpees (OYO) – 5
    Imperial Squawkers (IC) – 15
    LBAC (IC) – 10 (FWD/BWD)
    Cherry Pickers (IC) – 5
    Mosey to Playground/High Knees/Butt Kickers/Lunges
    THA-THANG:
  • 1. 5:40 (5 min)Pull-Ups @ Playground/Dips @ Parallel Bars
    • 3 Rounds 20 – 15 – 10
    • Hold Plank @ Parallel Bars when done
    • Mosey to Amphitheater
  • 2. 5:45 (10 min) Doras @ Amphitheater
    • 100 Merkins, 200 BBS, 300 Squats on Stage
    • Hold Al Gore @ Stage when done
    • Mosey to East Parking Lot (near library)
  • NO TIME FOR BURPEE BEAR CRAWL OR THE BEAST – SO WE BEAR CRAWLED TOWARD SHOVEL FLAG WITH A FEW BURPEES SPRINKLED IN. SAVING THOSE PUPPIES FOR NEXT TIME!

MARY:
No time for Mary. We had to squeeze in some LBC on the way back to the shovel flag.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
5 HIMS got Tuesday off to a good start. Some of us were still moaning about Erector’s workout yesterday. Hopefully, we got a chance to balance out all those descending ladder of squats… Good job Archie, Erector, Kick-flip, and Samaritan for pushing through and not outright rebelling against me and leaving the AO altogether!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
• As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Prov. 27:17, NLT)
• A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. (Prov. 17:17, NIV)
• A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Prov. 18:24, ESV)

MOLESKIN:

I’m very blessed and count myself fortunate to have brothers and friends like these guys at F3. I am a better man for being a part of such great company. And I believe that my marriage and family, my work and ministry, and my relationships and outer concentrica all benefit from this hour I spend with you guys. Many thanks to all of you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence at Big Ball on Saturday 7:00-8:00, 3rd F at Redeemer Church following Convergence 8:30-9:30, Abscess on Q at JUCO tomorrow

Be a High-Impact Friend

THE SCENE: 70 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry Pickers – IC
Windmill – IC
Tempo Squats – IC
Motivators – Single count
LBAC (F/R) – IC
Tempo Merkins – IC

THA-THANG:

Everyone partner up with a “friend” (a.k.a. a CMU) and mosey to the Friendship Bell (a monument at Bissell Park) for the CMU Deck Workout (hat tip to Cap’N Crunch!)
– Draw a card and perform the exercise.  First one finished draws the next card and starts immediately.
– Work at the pace of the fastest man.  If you are lapped, skip the next exercise and get back in rhythm with the PAX.
– For all suits with a card value of A-5 = run that number of laps around the Friendship Bell (with your “friend”, of course)
– For the rest of the deck, perform the number of reps based on the value of the card according to the list below:

Card Value Reps
A-5 Run that many laps around the bell
6-10 Reps = Face Value
J, Q, K Reps = 15

 

Card Value Exercise
Hearts 4-count curls
Spades Step ups
Clubs 4-count flutter kicks (arms extended w/ CMU above chest)
Diamonds 4-count shoulder press

 

Next up….45-second intervals.  Perform each exercise for 45 seconds – 15 seconds of rest in between sets.

Flutter Kick w/ CMU
Merky-Derky
CMU Iron Mike (or lunge)
Dips w/ CMU in your lap
Lion Kings
Crunch-press w/ CMU
Curls

Mosey back.

MARY:
Heavy Freddies
Derkin Pyramid

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

In April 2011 the General Assembly of the United Nations declared July 30 as official “International Friendship Day”.  I’m thrilled to be standing here this morning with one of my oldest and dearest friends (Archie) and six of my newest and dearest friends.

William Penn was a Quaker and a writer in pre-revolution America.  Notably, he was an early advocate for democracy, founder of the colony – later state – of Pennsylvania, and planner of the city of Philadelphia.   He wrote a book titled “Some Fruits of Solitude” – a collection of sayings (similar in tone to Ben Franklin’s Farmer’s Almanac).  It is included in Volume 1 of Harvard’s Non-fiction Classics.  In this book, Penn wrote of pride, of education, of justice, of fidelity…and of friendship.

About friendship, Penn wrote;

“A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.”

That’s what I would call a “high-impact friend”.

Let’s zoom in on those first two characteristics.

One:  As a high-impact friend, you must be advising your friends justly.  This means speaking candidly into the lives of your friends who are falling short of a high standard.  It means giving straight talk to those men around you who are acting foolishly, who are harming themselves and others around them, and who are temporarily blind, ignorant, or uncaring of their foolishness.  Our culture will accommodate, and even encourage, their foolishness.  If you are their friend, you owe it to them to show courage and speak correction and truth into their lives.

Proverbs 27:6

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern]…”

Two:  In order for you to have any credibility whatsoever to speak candidly to a hurting friend, you must first consistently unbosom yourself freely to him – which is an old-fashioned way of saying “open your heart to him”.  You must be candid about your own struggles, fears, insecurities, shortcomings, dreams.  Only then have you earned to right to speak truth to him about his struggles.

As high-impact men, you are set apart from your peers – held to a higher standard.  Friendships built on common interests alone are cheap.

I challenge you today, on International Friendship Day, to unbosom yourself to a friend (share your heart) and to speak courageously into the life of a friend who is headed down a destructive pathUncomfortable as it may be at first, be a High-Impact Friend and you’ll be valued and cherished by those who are dear to you. 

 

MOLESKIN:
Praises for Samaritan’s 20th anniversary and for the safety of KickFlip’s friend’s daughter – who nearly drowned over the weekend.  Prayers of peace for Erector’s friend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Do your friends a favor and invite them to F3!

A little repeat

THE SCENE: low 70s sweat fest
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 SSH, 15 mountain climbers, 10 tempo squats, 10 windmill, 15 Moroccan night club
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the playground, one of my favorite spots for a small circuit.

  • 10 pull-ups, run to amphitheatre
  • 20 derkins at the amphitheatre, run to the top of the hill
  • 10 burpees at the top of the hill
  • Repeat

Mosey to The Ridge

  • 15 Freddie Mercury IC
  • Run to the top
  • 15 squats
  • Repeat

Mosey to highschool track

  • Catch me if you can
  • 5 burpees
  • 10 merkins (Archie and Frenchie got an extra lap in!)

Mosey back to the shovel flag and then do a couple of sprints across the parking lot with 5 lunges each leg at the ends.

MARY:
The protractor, American hammers
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
4 strong today
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
YHC is probably one of the worst at socializing.  I don’t seek to develop relationships, but they are needed. I encourage everyone to get out of their comfort zone and try to make good friends because we need them to lean on sometimes.