F3 Knoxville

Tag: Abscess

Rats and Kings

THE SCENE: The rain gods couldn’t figure out what to do.  Intermittent sprinkles, damp, but pretty darn mild! (~60 degrees)
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!

Welcome, FNG Shawn, who is a friend of Goober!


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • 20 SSH (4-ct), in cadence
  • 11 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence
  • High knees 30 sec, butt kickers 30 sec, in place.
  • 10 Steve Earls (4-ct), in cadence
  • 10 Windmills  (4-ct), in cadence
  • Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY up Baby Cardiac and veer right towards Cardiac.  Going down Cardiac do Reverse Indian Run.  First in line Bernie Sanders’ back to end of line and yells GO, signaling next PAX to Bernie.  Continue to intersection with trail.

Do “47s” (made up exercise name based on my age.  I’m old… ) up the serpentine trail to the road.

    • Run 4 lights, then do 7 reps of the following 4 exercises: Big Boy Situps (the pavement was very wet… sorry/not sorry), Carolina Dry Docks, Mountain Climbers, and Bobby Hurleys

MOSEY to Pavillion by northern ball fields. More 47s.

    • 7 reps of bench pullups, dips, jump-ups, and decline merkins. RINSE AND REPEAT FOUR TIMES.  The first two sets of reps the Q called on the PAX to lead the cadence.  The second two reps were at your own pace.

MOSEY to parking lot where morning group meets.

CENTURY CLUB: Do 25 reps of four exercises consecutively, without stopping.  Every time you finish a corner, run up baby cardiac and move on to the next corner (counter clockwise) and do the next set of exercises.  One of the trips up the hill (PAX choice; most decided to get it out of the way first) must be a Bernie Sanders.

  • CORNER 1:
    • 25 x MERKINS/CAROLINA DRY DOCKS/DIVE BOMBERS/SHOULDER TAPS (4-ct)
  • CORNER 2:
    • 25 x BBS/AMERICAN HAMMER (4-ct)/LBCs/DEAD BUG (4-ct)
  • CORNER 3 (CMUs):
    • 25 x OVERHEAD PRESS/CURLS/ROWS/SQUATS
  • CORNER 4
    • 25 x ROCKY BALBOA (4-ct)/LUNGES/FROGGIE JUMPS/STAR JUMPS

When finished, run to center of parking lot and do 100 SSHs.

(Spoiler alert… we didn’t finish.  Most PAX got through 3 of the 4 corners.  Q called Recover, then we wrapped up the workout with a final run up baby cardiac together.)
MARY:
No time, and we were too out of breath to call out an exercise anyway.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 strong, including one FNG, Shawn, who we named Saguaro based on the fact that he hails from Arizona.  FUN FACT! “Saguaro” can be pronounced with a hard or silent/soft “g”! Who knew??  Goober.  Goober knew.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

As discussed in the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, Jesus gave us a simple test for taking the measure of something, when he says in MATTHEW Chapter 7 when he’s warning his disciples about false prophets.  He says, “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

I wanted to build on Lillydipper’s Word a few weeks ago about spreading seeds.  What fruit will you bear on this earth?  I’m not talking specifically about children, although they are included in this concept, but what will your legacy be?  Will it spread and multiply? Will it be good?

I’m a biologist and ecologist by training, so I started thinking about seeds.  What kind of seeds are we talking about here?  There are two reproductive strategies commonly found in nature that are known as R and K Strategists.

    • R Strategists (“Rodents”):  Organisms that are “R” strategists produce many seeds (plants) or offspring (animals).  They don’t invest much in their creation, they just fling them out in the world and hope that a few survive (e.g., milkweed, dandelion; rats). Good luck my weak little babies and seeds! Adios!  See you on the other side!
    • K Strategists (“Kings”): Organisms that are “K” strategists produce fewer seeds or offspring that are of higher quality, i.e., more resources are invested in a smaller number in the hopes of improving the survival rate to adulthood.  Plants that are K strategists have seeds with protective coatings and nutrients to help the seed establish and survive (e.g., oaks), while animals produce more complex and better developed offspring, and also spend energy and resources protecting them and nurturing them when they’re young and vulnerable (e.g., whales, humans).

I believe we can try to be BOTH when we “spread our seeds”.  We obviously can’t follow up and develop strong relationships with each and every person we give a smile to or hold the door for throughout the course of our lives.  But these acts of kindness can spread in the world.  And to ensure that the seeds closest to us grow and flourish, we CAN and SHOULD invest more into the seeds of kindness will that we sow with those we are close to, our friends, family, F3 brothers, etc.  The more we invest, the more likely those efforts will be to bear fruit.  Good fruit.  Not bad, ugly, prickly fruit.  Like those weird things you see in the grocery store with spikes on them.  Who eats that??

MOLESKIN:
Congrats to Hooker on the birth of his daughter! Very happy for the proud grandparents, Pinto and Mr. Jinxy.  Prayers that she remains healthy and gains strength (there is an interesting synergy here with the seed/fruit topic in the Word…). Prayers for some long-time employees that Sparkler had to lay off this week due to economic downturns. Appreciation to our FNG, Shawn “Saguaro”, who powered through a tough workout all the way to the end.  Merlot was disgorged. :-/

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board meeting to discuss Hardship Hill obstacle construction immediately after the workout (the fact that there will be beer there is purely coincidental).  Hardship Hill is May 2.  F3 Convergence at JUCO is March 28, with breakfast and third F to follow.  Wesley House food drive ends this Wednesday.

Steadfast

THE SCENE: Sunny skies, temp in 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops; 10 Mountain Climbers; 10 Windmills; 10 Tempo Merkins; 63 Grady Corns
THA-THANG:

Mosey to large parking lot with islands and that is south of northern ball fields.  We will be going counter-clockwise around the parking lot.  There will be four cones around the parking lot.  Exercises will be displayed at each cone.  At each cone will also be instructions of how maneuver to the next cone:

  • Cone 1:  Do 20 Hello Dollies (four count).  Run to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  Do 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  Do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count).  Run to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  Do 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count).  Bernie Sanders to Cone 1.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey on sidewalk that goes from parking lot to Pavilion at northern ball fields.  We will do 20 Picnic Table Pull-Ups, then 20 Bench Dips, then 15 of each, then ten of each, then 5 of each.  After that we will do the same pattern as above but with Bench Jumps and Decline Merkins.

Mosey to CMU Pile.  Men divide into teams of two.  Each team grabs one CMU and heads to the entrance of the parking lot.  We will be doing Doras.  One partner does exercises with CMU while the other partner Bernie’s up Cardiac Hill to the Green Park Sign.  The partner then runs back down hill.  Partners switch places.  These will be the exercises that each team does with the CMUs:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Squat Thrusts
  • 100 Decline Merkins (feet on CMU)

Return CMUs to pile.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Sixteen men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 117:1-2 ESV 

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God’s Love is constant.  It is steadfast.  God does not just love us now and then.  It may feel like that sometimes.  Sometimes God may seem very distant to us.  He is beyond those clouds somewhere and we may not feel his presence.  But don’t allow the way you feel at the moment obscure the truth.  His love for us is steadfast.  We may also feel God loves us less when we do wrong.  We may do something that we regret, that hurts us, hurts someone else, or which God would not like.  Certainly God does not like sin.  And, God loves it when we do good.  But God does not love us more because we do good or less because we sin.  His love is powerful and continuous.  The word “steadfast” is used 219 times in the Bible and in over 200 of those times the word is followed by “love.”  If we believe in the words of the Bible then we must believe that God’s love is steadfast.  This should give us comfort.  Because God offers His great love to us freely, even though we are unworthy.  He loves us even when it doesn’t make sense for Him to do so.  So, take that love in.  Breathe it.  That loves is always there and it ain’t going to go away from you.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for coworker of Crispr whose father is paralyzed after scuba diving in Hawaii; for Woodshack and family after death of his father-in-law; for coworker of Squirtle; for help for Steam at a difficult time; for fathers of Hooker (e.g., Pinto) and Iceman and mother of Thunderstruck; for friend of Jenner.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board meeting!

F3 Q101 and GROW SCHOOL: MAKING AN IMPACT

THE SCENE:  A balmy and crisp 37.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER(Explained Importance of Qing, common anxieties and tips on how to overcome them, discussed mistakes Q has made and the importance of making adjustments ) Free, Voluntary, Q not a professional, here at own risk, know limitations – modify if needed.

WARM-O-RAMA: (Explained Calling Exercises and Cadence) SSH (IC)x20, Imperial Walkers (IC)x15, Tempo Squats (IC)x15, Tempo Merkins (IC)x10, Mountain Climbers (IC)x15, Flutter Kicks (IC)x25, 8ct Body Builders (IC)x7.

THA-THANG: Mosey to lower parking lot…..

4 Corners: (40,30,20,10) of Merkins, then Squats.  Mosey to Playground parking lot:

Quarter Pounder (4 cones separated by comfortable distance, Cone 1-25 Merkins, Cone 2-50 Squats, Cone 3-75 Mountain Climbers, Cone 4-100 SSH). Run back to start after each completed cone.  Mosey to bathroom parking lot….

Totem Pole: 10 Burpees, 9 OHC, 8 Merkins, 7 Mountain Climbers, 6 Squat Jumps, 5 8ct Body Builders, 4 Diamond Merkins, 3 Calve Raises, 2 SSH, 1 Good Morning – Perform all exercises then run to other side of lot and back, knocking off the top exercise each round. Mosey to Dragon’s Tail……

1 Burpee at each light pole as we mosey up the hill back to shovel flag.

MARY:
Dealer’s Choice: Had a few of the PAX who have not Q’d yet call the exercises and cadence. They did awesome!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
37 Strong to include FNG “Twilight.”


CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about two actions/traits that helped early Christians overtake the Roman Empire against insurmountable odds:
1) Love – they demonstrated a type of love that had never been seen before in Roman society. They loved sacrificially. They loved the unloveable. It was strange and did not make sense to the largely unbelieving Roman populous. Unbelievers took notice and were attracted to it, adding to the numbers of believers.
2) Generosity – They gave sacrificially to the poor and outcast with joy in their hearts, people who were marginalized by Roman society. Again, unbelievers noticed, were amazed, and added to the Christian population.

How can you cultivate this type of Love and Generosity in your own life?

When we all go home today, you will be surrounded by a different “PAX”: your wife, your kids, your friends, coworkers, etc. Step up and be their “Q”, leading virtuously. Let what we learned out here today transition and have an impact in our daily lives outside of F3. That’s what F3 is about!
MOLESKIN:
There was a lot of discussion and “teaching” by the Q.  I hope the men that showed benefited from my efforts.  It was a blessing to lead today.  Grow School afterwards was awesome: Abscess talked leadership and more Q101 while Steam showed his tech skills and showed everyone how to post a BB, add FNGs, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Dog Pound Pull-Up Bar Install immediately after.

God In All Things

THE SCENE: Cloudy after rain showers, temps in upper 50s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Cherry Pickers.  Leg Stretch Right and Left.  10 Michael Phelps.

THE THANG:

Mosey to Parking Lot that is south of the northern ball fields.  There will be 8 cones set up around the parking lot.  We will take two trips around the parking lot.  Exercises will be listed and the method of getting to the next cone will also be listed.  The following are the exercises and means by which to get to the next cone.

  • Cone 1:  1. 10 Burpees.  2.  10 Shoulder Taps.  Sprint to next Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  1. 20 Merkins.  2.  20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  1. 20 Smurf Jacks.  2.  20 Star Jumps.  Grapevine Right to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4.  1. 20 Plank Jacks.  2. 20 Mountain Climbers (both legs = 1).  Bear Crawl to Cone 5
  • Cone 5.  1. 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  2. 40 Baby Crunches.  Sprint to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6.  1. 20 Squat Jumps.  2. 20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1). Bernie Sanders to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7.  1. 20 Hello Dollies (four count).  2. 20 Flutter Kicks (four count).  Grapevine Left to Cone 8
  • Cone 8.  1. 20 Imperial Walkers (both legs = 1).  2.  20 Squats.  Lunge to Cone 1.

Mosey to Pavilion.  We will do 20 Picnic Table Pull-ups, 20 Decline Merkins and 20 Bench Dips.  Then we will do 15 of each, then 10 of each and end with 5 of each.

Mosey to CMU pile.  We will mosey with CMU above head to one corner of parking lot.  After placing CMU down, we will run a lap around the parking lot.  We will then do 15 Overhead Presses with the CMUs.  Next, we mosey with CMU over head to second corner.  We put CMUs down and run another lap around parking lot.  We will then do 15 Curls with CMUs.  We will repeat the above pattern to 3rd and 4th corner, doing 15 Rows at Corner 3 and 15 Squats with CMUs at chest at Corner 4.   We will then put CMUs back.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
In plank position we will do reach each hand and each leg up to sky.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Ten men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Colossians 1:16-17 ESV 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Job 12:10 ESV 

In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

What a world God has given us.  He is the creator of all things and he is in all things.  All things are a manifestation of Him.  Sometimes we may feel distant from God.  He is up in heaven, over there, away, too big, too distant.  We feel as if He is not close and does not hear us.  At such times, remember that God is in all things.  Many of us go into the mountains to get closer to God.  There we can better see the heavens and feel his majesty.  But remember that God is in everything.  You can pick up a leaf and look at it closely.  Notice the veins in the leaf, the multi colors, the structure that is similar to other leaves that have fallen from the same tree – yet the leaf is unique.  And, it come from our creator.  Every little cell in that leaf comes from the Maker.  God is in that leaf.  The bugs that have nibbled on the leaf are also from God and are a manifestation of His creation.  Look closely and see God.  Know that His hand is in it.  Look at a stranger.  God created that person.  God is manifested in that person because that human is a part of God’s creation.  Every hair on that stranger’s head come from the Creator.

Christ wants us to see God in all things.  The next time God seems distant to you, just look at a leaf, a piece of grass, pick up a rock.  All of them are from God and God works in each and everything on earth. Our Creator is also in You.  Look close by, look within and see God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for our brother, Pinto, and the Gentry and Buchanan families.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Ski trip for some of the F3 guys this weekend.

The Men in The Arena


THE SCENE: Just cool enough. No wind. FNG (now known as “Title 9” was the first to show this morning, followed by Abscess & Hercules aka Tank the dog

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: FitnessFellowshipFaith
  • Name is Steam & I’ll be your QIC this morning!
  • A couple things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • Modify as you need but push yourself  and the men around you. They deserve to be pushed and motivated and so do you.

[ Name of the game for this morning is 1 foot in front of the other ]

WARM-O-RAMA:

☐ Motivators: 10 IC  

☐ Rockette: 10 x 4 IC 

☐ Iron Mike: 10 x 4 IC 

☐ Michel Phelps: 10 x 4 IC 

☐ Windmill: 10 x 4 IC 

☐ Merkins: 10 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

(Mosey to Cardiac Hill) 

☐ Battle-Buddy Up

☐ You and your BB have 3 points of contact 

☐ Top – Curve 1 – Bottom

☐ Top: 15 BB sit-ups (hold feet) 

☐ Curve 1: 15 1-count buddy merkins (Hugh five)

☐ Bottom: 15 squats

(Sprint back up to the top and hold the plank)

☐ 10 down/up merkins All-Together 

( 10 count)

☐ Rinse & Repeat – same exercises – 10 reps of everything instead of 15 

(Curves led PAX in 10 up/down squats)

(10 count) 

(Mosey to path that goes towards dock) 

☐ 2 lines —> bear crawl to the dock

(COP – Change of Plans: Path/boards to dock were slippery —> Q modified for PAX —> Hold the Al Gore after 1st light post and 10 sea claps)

(Mosey on to the dock)

[ Quarter Pounder ]

☐ 25×4 flitter kicks 

☐ 25×4 LBCs

☐ 25×4 hello dolly’s

☐ 25×4 straight legged curls 

(Mosey to hill before Everest by way of:

—> Dock —> through grass to small pavilion by soccer fields —> up the hill on path towards Everest

@ Small Pavilion

  • New Battle Buddy
  • BB1: Wall-sit + overhead seal claps
  • BB2: Sprint to lightpost in the middle of exterior parking lot + 2 merkins (just 2 ain’t bad right?) + recover BB1
  • Rinse & Repeat 1

(10 count)

(mosey from small pavilion in 2 lined American Indian style)

.25 later —> merge into 1 big American Indian run mosey

☐ Bear crawl up the hill and over the top 

(Mosey to base of Everest) 

“I’m Up – He Sees Me – I’m Down”

☐ “I’m Down” command – 5 merkins and hold until the next command is given 

—> “I’m Up!” Command = sprint up Everest

☐ All the way to the top

(Sandy is planted at the top of Everest behind tree at the top middle)

(Battle buddy Sandy Run to AO)

—> Sandy being carried in front by 2 PAX for 10 seconds (modified to 25 seconds later) and then recovering to the back

PAX rush past Haslam rock and stop at the small (sort of) hill right below Saturday AO parking lot

  • Sandy Toss + 5 up/down merkins up the hill to the parking lot
    • 2 PAX chuck Sandy as far as possible up the hill, all PAX sprint to it and execute 5 up/down merkins until everyone is at the top

MARY:
– 2 rounds of Boat/Canoe

– Cashed out the day with ATMs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 PAX + 1 FNG = 17 total HIM

Cheatsheet, Mr Jinxy, Curves, FNG —> Title 9, Lulu, Waffle House, Otis, Crawdad, Abscess, Jumbo, Choir Boy, Hawk, LillyDipper, Brick, Snag, Swimmies

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Man in the Arena does not quit, although he may be knocked down and falter from the original path at times, he’s in the arena and must learn to get back up again and again and again. This is the way.

MOLESKIN:

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

               – Teddy Roosevelt

☐ In the ring of life sometimes it can feel like we’re on our knees crying out for freedom and all we can do is look up right? 

☐ Song by Anthony Hamilton “Freedom” — some of the lyrics go like this: “Felt like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Pressure to break or retreat at every turn. Facing the feat that the truth I discovered. No telling how all this will work out, but I’ve come too far to turn back now. I’m looking for freedom, looking for freedom. And to find it cost everything I have.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. 1st F3 Knoxville Truebadours Q101/GrowSchool Convergence: Saturday, February 29th, 2020 – Asylum AO. More info to be pushed out in weekly emails + GroupMe soon

2. F3 Morristown Launch: Saturday, April 4th, 2020. Clown car(s) will be assembling to go support the launch on 4/4. Be on the lookout for opportunities between now and then to go post at some “test-Qs” at their new AO in the coming weeks/months.

Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight!