F3 Knoxville

Tag: Biohack

Dora B.L.I.M.P.S – Strength Under Control

THE SCENE: 55 and clear skies. The gloomiest of glooms.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Dutifully and “unprofessionally” administered.

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • Knoxville Cherry Pickers x10
  • Abe Vigoda x10 
  • Willy Mays Haze x9
  • Tempo Merks x10
  • Tempo Squats x10
  • FLBAC x10
  • RLBAC x10
  • Grady Corn x10
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x10 (This is where the wincing *read growth* began.)
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers x10
  • SSH x10

THA-THANG:

Mosey for 11s on the “Little Baby Hill”. Hurleys at the bottom. Big Boys at the top.

Mosey to the fountain.

Grab a battle buddy for Dora. Pax one performs exercises below. Pax two bear crawls to the fountain and mosey back.

  • 50 Burpees
  • 100 Lunges (double single count)
  • 150 Imperial Walkers (double count)
  • 200 Merkins
  • 250 Plank Jacks
  • 300 Squats

RTB

MARY:
Flutter Kicks (IC – 15)
Basilisk (IC – 10)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Often when a word is translated, we get the meaning but lose the all the underlying intent. The Greek word for “meek” is praus. We usually interpret that as gentle or humble, which it does mean that. But the background to the word Praus is actually loaded with something like,  “strength under control”.  It’s original use comes from something close to meaning a powerful horse that is tamed.

Matthew 21:5 says, “Look, your king is coming to you, humble (same word – praus) and mounted on a donkey.” This doesn’t mean weak. When we think about it, Jesus was the epitome of “strength under control”

Today, if we’re honest, guys typically struggle with taming their behaviors/habits, appetite (Hello, Halloween candy), thinking (negative self talk), bodies, temper, ego, sexual desires, worldly desires (spend money), etc.

How does one bring strength under control? Discipline.

3 Types of Discipline

  1. Reactive Discipline – when you’re tempted or drawn into something
    (eh hem…Halloween candy last night?). It’s important to know when you’re weakest and what to avoid.
  2. Structural Discipline – routines and habits that make you better.
    The best way to create a habit is to link it to something else.
  3. Expansive Discipline – opportunities for growth, “doing it anyway”
    In the face of fear, hesitation, difficulty, etc.
    Almost always thankful I did what I was most afraid of
    The more dread, the more reward.

Exercise meekness (praus) in your life.
Cultivate and strengthen the 3 types of discipline in your life – Reactive, Structural, Expansive. Know you have the strength to do what needs to be done. Know you have the discipline to control it.

MOLESKIN:
Welcome FNG – Blindspot! Prayers for Ocho finishing up doctoral work deadlines and for Mathlete traveling for work.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Brolympics – Nov 5! Get signed up! See Slack for details!
Christmas Parade is happening! We’re signed up! Watch Slack for details!

Death to Granbak

THE SCENE: Cool, clear, and gloomy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  1. Projectivator – from 13
  2. Tempo merkins
  3. Tempo squats
  4. Overhead clap
  5. Cherry pickers
  6. Run a lap and explain the set up

THA-THANG:

The evil dwarf Granbak stole the children’s Halloween candy.  We must band together as a noble fellowship to save the candy and defeat the monsters.

  1. Chased by wolves to the pool wall.  10 wall ups and climb over the wall to escape.
  2. Mosey to playground. Monkey bar through the jungle.
  3. Stuck in quicksand.  5 pull ups to get out.
  4. Mosey to amphitheater.  Attacked by bears.  Pretend to be a bear by bear crawling up the hill.
  5. Mosey to the dwarf forge (recruiting center) and steal weapons (CMUs).
  6. Caught by a dwarf.  20 thrusters to intimidate him.
  7. Carry to the stairs.
  8. We fell into a trap set by Granbak.  Heavy squat ring of fire.  One adventurer climbs the stairs with his block.
  9. Tricep extension ring of fire; rifle carry hold when not counting. One adventurer climbs the stairs with his block.
  10. After escaping the ring of fire, we tip toe (heavy lunge) to the bank drive through (so we don’t fall into another trap).
  11. Granbak can only be defeated by each of us doing 100 heavy ab exercises.
    1. 20 big boys
    2. 20 flutter kicks
    3. 20 freddy mercuries
    4. 20 LBCs
    5. 20 American Hammers
  12. Return weapons to the forge.
  13. Mosey to amphitheater.  Crawl bear down the hill.
  14. Mosey to the playground.  Monkey bar through the jungle.
  15. Mosey to pool wall.  10 wall ups.
  16. Return to flag.

MARY:
Tuba graced us with a round of 13 prone rows.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

  1. October 31 is…….. Reformation Day!
  2. Martin Luther posted his Ninety Five Theses on this day in 1517
  3. This action led to serious consequences for Luther.
  4. He was tried for heresy and ultimately excommunicated.
  5. Standing up to the most powerful institution on Earth was a huge act of bravery.
  6. Would you be able to face a giant like this?
  7. Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Oak Ridge Halloween event tonight!  Brolympics on Nov. 5.  Clothing and food drives ongoing.

What needs to go?

THE SCENE: Crisp, clear autumn morning. Couldn’t hope for better.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Slow windmills
  • Imperial walkers
  • Cheer leaders
  • Cherry pickers
  • Tempo Merkins
  • Up dog/Down dog
  • Right plank/left plank

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to pool wall for 10 Wall-pees
  • 4 rounds:
    • 20 jungle boi squats
    • 5 pull ups
    • 20 merkins
    • 5 wall-ups
  • Mosey to amphitheater and do 3 rounds
    • 20 LBCs
    • 20 flutter kicks
    • 20 Freddies
    • 20 awkward turtles
    • Bear crawl up the hill
    • 5 burpees
  • Mosey to fountain and do 2ish rounds until time
    • 20 dips
    • 20 step ups
    • 20 dry docks (or Der-docks for +)
    • 20 BBS
    • 20 Iron Mikes
  • RTF

MARY:
Pulled in Erector for Heels to Heaven and Skewer for some Hammers
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

In my pre-blast, I mentioned the need to make hard choices over the next couple months, and I wanted to expand on this just a bit.

I, personally, have been buried with too much stuff. After the relative low of the past couple years, my self-regulation was totally out of whack, and I have said yes to WAY too many things. All good things that bring value when done right, but doing it right requires time to think and plan, which is impossible when there isn’t even enough time to drive between them.

While this is partly a result of a desire to be generous, that isn’t the whole story. When I really scrutinize my inner most thoughts, there are also elements of self-importance, image, and arrogance.

Self-importance in the sense that it is affirming to feel responsible, to have others look to me.

Image in the sense that I want people to see me as the guy who “does it all”. To say things like “I don’t know how you do it”

Arrogance in the sense that I have rather too high an opinion of my own ability and how it compares to others.

In short, it’s ME focused. In F3 we are peer led, not just to make it easier, but because when I give someone else the lead, it gives them an opportunity to develop their skills. It also diffuses the tendency of groups to orbit around strong personalities.

The image that I should be most focused on is the one I project to my 2.0s. I sought involvement because I saw my father as being uninvolved, but now I see that I can be just as disconnected from them when I’m too involved. My attention for them is sacrificed when I must attend to the group.

So now, I find myself working through the new problem, what needs to go.
MOLESKIN:
Just great to be back with the pack.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Halloween event Thursday, 6-8 (setup at 4). Brolympics Nov 5. Christmas parade December 10.

Another Memento Mori

THE SCENE: Crisp and clear, 45, perfect day for heavy lifting
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Projectivators
  • Tempo squats
  • Tempo Merkins
  • Mountain climbers
  • Cherry Pickers
  • Grady Corns

THA-THANG:

Two of our number were executing IPC 2022 Week 5. The rest did as follows.

  • Grab a CMU and head to the field
  • Line up on 0 yd line
  • Rolling Reverse Doras using IPC EMOM
    • Start with Thrusters, trying to accumulate AMRAP between EMOM horns.
    • On the EMOM horn, return to the top
    • Pair with the most reps gets to pick the next exercise from the category (what we actually did)
    • Sequence and Motion
      • Whole body – Dash/Bernie 30 yds (Thrusters, Blockees)
      • Legs – Cusack 30 yds (Lunges, CMU Swings)
      • Arms – Farmer Carry 30 yds (Rows, Plyomerkins)
      • Core – Karioke 30 yds (Heavy BBS, Heavy LBCs)

MARY:
No Time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

October marks the beginning of the fiscal year, which for me means that this week a one-year timer started for me to complete a task that is a “notable outcome” on the lab’s Performance Evaluation of Measurement Plan. In simple terms, if I fail to deliver, the Lab Director’s end of year bonus will be impacted. As such, I have broken the task down into parts, identified the parts that are necessary and optional, and laid them on a timeline to ensure that I can accomplish the task inside the time allotted. Because when I know I have a deadline, it makes sense to make a plan to use the time wisely.

Deadlines motivate action because they force us to clearly see what little time we have. And we are all under a literal deadline. Everyone here today, regardless of all factors, is one day going to die. Birth is a death sentence, and none of us knows when that sentence will be executed.

As our brother Rocket has spoken on before, the ancients coined the phrase “Memento Mori”, Remember Death. This idea permeates many cultures: Stoics, Samurai, Buddhists, Islam, Norse mythology, and Judaism. They say when a victorious Roman general processed through the city, a slave stood behind him saying “Look after you [to the time after your death] and remember you’re [only] a man.”

Then the question becomes, what does my plan look like for my ultimate deadline? What parts are necessary and what parts are optional? What can I do in parallel, and what must be done in series? Fittingly, in my daily reading, I just got to this part in Luke Chapter 12:

13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

MOLESKIN:
Excellent work by our two IPC challengers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2.0 workout on Saturday. Brolympics signup coming soon – Event on Nov. 5. Halloween Event for City of Oak Ridge Oct. 27th.

A little leg and sumpin’ else

THE SCENE: Warm and clear at 70 degrees.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER. Welcome to Fitness Fellowship and Faith, Voluntary, Free, Peer led, not a pro, no knowledge of injuries or fitness considerations, it is each person’s responsibility to be safe and to modify as necessary. Most important, don’t get hurt.

WARM-O-RAMA:  

SSH
Arm circles – small
Imperial walkers
Knox Cherry pickers
Plank
Upward Dog
Downward dog
Indian Run to the coupons – last man does 1 burpee then sprints to the front

THA-THANG:

Carry your coupon through the entire workout. Or use it on the ground to complete exercises like Merkins.

20 Thrusters 20
Lunges (uphill to cones, mosey back)
10 Bonnie Blairs (jumping lunge) (10 Each leg)
Bernies
40 Curls
High knees
20V-ups or modify with 20 LBCs
Lunges
20 Alternating Side Squats
Bernies
20 Grave Diggers (20 each side) (4 count carefully, use your legs)
Butt kicks
10 American Hammers (10 each side)
30 Merkins
20 Flutter kicks with block held high (4 count)

Repeat from the top until the alarm goes off

MARY:

15 minutes of PAX choice, everyone got to choose one, including both FNGs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

What does “Know your limits” mean?
I told a story about playing soccer in a tournament of several games a few weeks ago and the next day mentioned to a Bible Study group that my feet and ankles were very sore from it. Another man in the group said, (somewhat scoldingly) “You gotta know your limits.” His response stuck with me, because he has no clue about me or my “limits”.

So I posed the question at this morning’s COT – What does “Know your limits” mean? The responses from several PAX helped clarify the situation for me. Here are a few insights from the group.
• As a part of living, we are always traversing what appear to be limits as we learn and adjust.
• In order to know your limits, you must explore them and keep them up to date by going and touching them from time to time, because of course they change.
• Consider the source, someone may be giving you advice based on their own limits which could be very bad advice for you.
• Consider the source, and listen, if it is someone who knows you well and they are giving you solid advice from a friend.

The depth of the responses was much greater than I can post here, and I am very grateful that I learn so much from other PAX.

The HIMs at The Project have been a driving force to help me push my limits, shoulder to shoulder. A few months ago, I asked for agreement in prayer to get rid of the nagging fear that I was pushing too much, so that I could enjoy the journey. My fear is gone and I am no longer training “to get slower, slower”, but I am gaining ground. Most encouraging is that I am watching the men around me grow as husbands and HIMs, as well as athletes because they are pushing and evaluating their limits as a natural part of who they are.

My conclusion is that there is no way to “know your limits”, because they are invisible and always changing, so put your confidence in God and your hope in His promises. Maybe it would be better to say, “Know His promises”!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Welcome “Breadbowl” and “Wipeout”, previously known as FNGs.