F3 Knoxville

Locking Shields

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Pele (Jon Lindberg)
PAX: Drum Major, Lilydipper, Abacus, Lizzy, Mr Jinxy, Pusher, Crash Dummy, Curveball, Welch’s, Brick, MD Hammer, Pele (Jon Lindberg)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP: 20 SSH, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Grady Corns, Yoga Stretches, 10 Hand Release Merkins

THE THANG:
MOSEY to Slope on Picketts Charge.
HILL PYRAMID!:
Run up the slope and back down. Every time you get back down do the exercises (10 REPS EACH):
– JUMP SQUATS
– JUMP SQUATS / BOTTLE OPENERS (2-count)
– JUMP SQUATS/ BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BIG BOY SITUPS

Mosey to Center of Colosseum.
JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER. Start at bottom of hill, run to tree about 2/3 to Admin Bldg, and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position. R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.
Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
Round 2: Imperial Walkers (single count)
Round 3: Lunges (single count)

Mosey to Stop sign on circle drive.
MODIFIED WELSH DRAGON (4-ct Bear Crawl, 1 Merkin, R&R up to 10 Merkins… always only 4-ct Bear Crawl). Run to where the railing begins and do the 1st rep, run back to do the 2nd rep, etc.
AYG to Flag.

MARY: A little light stretching.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill, Ascent Leadership School at Frozen Head

COT: NO GAPS IN THE WALL!
Three years ago Judge Judy, who was our Nantaan at the time, wrote an article in the weekly newsletter called Cracks in the Foundation, which alluded to some situations surrounding F3 that resulted in fractures within groups and between individuals. That message was very timely back then, and as some of you are aware, there’s a little bit of that going on right now. Nothing that I don’t think we can fix, but some things that if we don’t address could just continue to fester. So for my Word, I just wanted to reiterate what I feel is F3’s absolutely greatest attribute: it’s ability to inspire us all to be better men through SHARING. Sharing of the Suck from the workout, Sharing in the responsibilities of being Q, Sharing of life experiences in the Circle that others may learn from or be inspired by, etc.

We often use the term “Lock Shields” in F3. Think about that for a second. What comes to mind? I have this image from Lord of the Rings or a movie about the Roman Empire of a bunch of warriors facing a common enemy, and each one of them standing shoulder to shoulder with their shields up. If it was just one dude, he’d get surrounded, overwhelmed. But it’s a bunch of warriors that are aligned in a common purpose: PROTECT EACH OTHER’S SIX. If there’s a crack or a gap in the wall, then everyone is in deep doo doo.

To no one’s surprise, the guys in F3 have differences. We have our differences in Faith, Politics, what kind of workouts we want to do out here, and maybe even differences in how we think F3 should operate. That’s fine! But how do we keep locking shields if the guy next to us is of a different political party? Religion? If he has way more hair and is better looking than the rest of us (thanks guys… you know who you are…)? It comes down to RESPECT for your brother, who’s out here trying to get 1% better, just like you are. When we’re out here, we lay our differences aside. When we’re out here, I’m continually trying to figure out ways to better serve you so that you can serve others. This requires that we keep that wall tight. NO GAPS IN THAT WALL. And I hope we all have that mindset. But whatever differences we have can be overcome with Grace and empathy and understanding

LT. Dan ain’t got no legs!

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Rap Sheet (Lucas Johnson)
PAX: Piston, Route 44 (Aaron Childs), Abacus, Brick, Curveball, Drum Major, Lilydipper, Lizzy, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Rap Sheet (Lucas Johnson), Title IX (Christian Prescott), Captain aka Tim Burnett
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP:
SSH
Merkins
Mountain climbers
Willie Mayes Hayes
Toe merkins
Squats

THE THANG:
Had to improvise due to the weather and head to the pavilion

– 4 lap @ mosey pace
– 1 lap lunges
– 2 laps @ 60% max pace
– Burpee broad jumps length of pavilion and back
– 4 laps @ slowsy pace
– 35 cactus squats on picnic tables
– Sprint past ball fields and back
– 2 minute wall sit

MARY:
1 full round of Round Robbin which included a lot of abs. And of course MORE RUNNING. (Thanks Piston..)

COT:

Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

There are times when doing the right thing feels hard. Leading our families with patience, showing up consistently, working with integrity, being present for others is a grind. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s extremely exhausting.

Paul writes this to remind us: DONT QUIT. DONT GIVE UP. Even when no one notices. Even when it feels like it’s not making a difference. Because in God’s time – not always our time – we will reap a harvest. The seeds you’re planting through your effort, your words, your presence – THEY MATTER

Things why as men we keep showing up. Why we push through workouts like this. Why we keep being intentional husbands, fathers, friends, and brothers in F3. Because we are trusting in something bigger than we can see or even comprehend.

So as we go: You’re not alone. It IS worth it. Keep going. Keep being HIMs.

Good work tonight men! It was a pleasure to be able to come be apart of your beatdown and we are looking forward to seeing you guys in the future when you infiltrate RoCo! Until then, we will see you men in the gloom :punch:

[genesis-ruck] The Monday Before Mountain Man

AO: genesis-ruck
Q: Steam
PAX: Single (Ryan Chambers), Mermaid, Brick
FNGs: None
COUNT: 4
THE THANG
– 25-30 minutes of rucking down/back the Jean Teague Greenway at a good pace
– 15 minutes of strength training/mobility
– Backwards walk down/back
– 12 merkins
– 12 squats
– 12 curls
– 12 chest presses
– Front carry ruck down + back
– 15 minutes of stretching
– Leg swings: 12×10 each leg
– Gate openers: 10
– Gate closers: 10
– Apollo Onos: 10
– 1/2 parking lot + back: Ground Scoop
– 1/2 parking lot + back: Rockettes
– 1/2 parking lot + back: Knee to chest and lunge
– 1/2 parking lot: Zombie Walks
– On the 6: right leg over
– On the 6: left leg over
– On the 6: left leg back / right tucked in
– On the 6: right leg back / left tucked in
– Merkin position: right arm under
– Merkin position: left arm under
– Money stretch
– Knee rotations

COT

3 Things From A Men’s Retreat This Weekend

(1) Biblical Manhood Definition/Example
“Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.”
– Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭1‬‬2

(2) Nehemiah 4 — Progress In Spite Of Opposition
– ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ — “So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.”
– ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ — “In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
– ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ — “…The officers supported all the people of Judah, who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the ram’s horn was beside me.”

(3) The Picture Of What A Man Does From Nehemiah 4

– He hears the noise
– He hears the negativity
– He hears the pushback
– He still builds the wall and does the work (Nehemiah 4:6)

Why?
– We cannot go back or stop — too much is at stake.

This is a vision of what can be – through Christ.
_____________________________________________

For more insight into this – check out additional resources in this message thread.

God’s Garden

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Pusher, Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), Steam, Mr Jinxy, Brick, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Curveball, Doubtfire (Nick Bond)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
WARMUP: 20 Side Straddle Hops, Curly Stomps, 8 Twistees, 8 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Windmills, 10 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and 10 Backward

THE THANG: Mosey south on roadway past the Administration Building to where the road curves east. We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies

Mosey to stop sign and then head south to the the circle where the Admin Bldg Road converges with the main park road. On the curb by the garden in the circle we will do 15 Decline Merkins with feet on curb and 20 Calf Raises with heels on the curb.

Mosey west to the parking lot on the west side of the large pavilion that is west of the baseball fields. Then mosey to the grassy area just west of the pavilion. We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey south of the pavilion to the area near the dock by the waters. We will have three points of contact. We will loop (running) clockwise around the points of contact to do the listed exercises listed. Do the first exercise listed on the first loop, second exercise on second loop, and third exercise on third loop. Here are the exercises:
– Point of contact 1, 30 yards west on trail from rock pile: 25 Flutter Kicks (4 ct), 25 Freddie Mercuries (4 ct) and 25 Baby Crunches (4 ct).
– Point of contact 2, at rock pile: With rocks, 25 Overhead pressed, 25 Curls, and 25 Rows
– Point of contact 3, picnic tables by water: 25 Step ups, 25 Bench Dips, 25 Incline Merkins

Mosey on trail just south of ballfields and go past all ballfields to grassy area near small pavilion. We will stop to do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey across the main park roadway to grassy area. We will stop to do 15 Tempo Merkins.

Do Pickett’s Charge Run (this will be south of the usual Pickett’s Charge area) to small parking lot south of the Coliseum and then run upstairs and go north to the Coliseum.

Run to the right side of the loop and go to the steps of the Admin Bldg. All men will do calve raises until the six arrives.

Mosey to the roadway in front of the AO. We will sprint to the large tree north of the AO and sprint back to the AO. Rinse and repeat.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Haw Ridge on Friday, March 28.

COT:

Prayers

Prayers for Brick as he financially and mentally copes with divorce. Prayers for Pusher that he will be able to use wise words as he helps his older sister, Carmen, deal with some difficult situations. Prayers for our brother Lizzy as he cope with deaths and illness of family members, for Sparkler that he has a great time on his cruise with family before his surgery for prostate cancer, and for Curveball regarding his biopsy for prostate cancer.

Message

God’s Garden

Have you ever been to a large city garden? Some of the favorite city gardens I have been to are the Portland Japenese Garden and Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. These are human created gardens and the beauty, order, intricacy and attention to detail are spectacular. Heck, go to Dollywood and find the beautiful attention to detail in the gardens there.

Think about God as gardener vs the human as gardener. God’s garden seems much more haphazard. You don’t have the neatly carved details of the bushes or the artistic designs of the way flowers are displayed. Still, the beauty of nature here on our planet is spectacular to survey. And, although I have loved those manmade gardens, I love God’s garden more.

Furthermore, if we more carefully observes God’s garden, we find that it is not as random or haphazard as we think. Each flower, each insect, the soil, the rock, the flow of the rivers, the way that the sun and rains give life to it all, every atom and electron within the living creatures in this world, the way the planets rotate and spin around the sun, all point to a creator that is a designer so great that He is beyond full comprehension. As the song by Chris Tomlin proclaims:

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God

Nature is a gift from God. Let’s take it in, be grateful, give praise and enjoy.

[genesis-ruck] Up/Down + No Sandbags

AO: genesis-ruck
Q: Steam
PAX: Brick, Single (Ryan Chambers)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 3
WARMUP
– BAC F: 10×4
– BAC B: 10×4
– Rockette: 10×4
– Apollo Ono: 10×4
– SSH: 25×4

THE THANG
– No sandbags
– Rucks only

Ruck up the Trade Route
– 15 elevated heel squats
– 15 merkins
– 15 chest presses
– 15 curls
Ruck around the parking lot
Ruck back down and touch the curb
Rinse and repeat

MARY
– Ruck up Moto Hill and around the pool
– SWS

ANNOUNCEMENTS
– 2nd F lunch on Friday (3/21) at Jim N’ Nicks BBQ near West Town Mall @ 12:30ish

COT
Don’t Lose Heart
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

(ESV) “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

(CSB) “Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction  is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

(MSG) “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”

TPQ: What is courage if there is no cost?