F3 Knoxville

Tag: Brick

Q101 + GrowSchool

F3 Q101 + GrowSchool

  • 9.25.21
  • 0700-0900
  • AO: Asylum

[ The Scene ]

Dark. Chilly. Foggy. The creaks and moans of men arriving are accompanied by the wake up calls of Creation.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • My name is Steam and I am honored to be your Q this morning
  • This will be a Q101 + GrowSchool:
    • Q101:
      • For the next 60 minutes, we will be doing a Q101 — walking through how to lead an F3 workout with tips and tricks along the way. If you haven’t led an F3 workout yet — you have what it takes to lead. This will be a great learning experience and catalyst for your leadership.

      • For those of you that have led an F3 workout, this is not a time to coast, but a time to work and sharpen your skills.
    • GrowSchool: An intentional time of leadership development in the form of an extended BOM after the Q101.

5 Principles of an F3 Workout:

  • Be free of charge
  • Be open to all men
  • Be held outdoors, rain or shine, heat or cold
  • Be led by men who participate in the workout in a rotating fashion, with no training or certification necessary
  • End with a Circle of Trust

Many of these seem self-explanatory but can get lost in the moment:

  • Start on time. Wear a watch. End on time.
  • Be prepared for your lead to be more strenuous physically than you think.  Counting cadence while you exercise can make it harder to breathe.
  • Remember you have help. If for any reason you want someone to grab a part of the workout even while you are out there, speak up.
  • When you screw up or fail, keep calm and drive on… count louder and push forward. As Dredd says, “When falling, dive!”
  • Every man thrashed, no man left behind. To promote “you versus you” but also to keep the PAX together, offer extra credit to the frontrunners via burpees, planks, merkins, etc.
  • Don’t take unnecessary risks or do stupid stuff. The Pax is looking for leadership and will follow often before thinking if they’re getting a great workout.
  • If your region has the Q do the shoutout, think of CoT words in advance.
  • HAVE FUN. F3 groups are always supportive of new Qs. We love to see new people stepping up.

Disclaimer and Notice — From f3nation.com

“F3 Nation, Inc. (“F3”) is a peer-led, zero-cost non-profit workout group. F3 makes no representations with regard to the skill level of workout leaders, the safety of the exercises performed during workouts or the hazardousness of the premises upon which workouts are conducted. The men who lead F3 workouts are not paid to do so and no representations of any kind are made by F3 about their skill level. The premises upon which F3 workouts are conducted are not owned or maintained by F3. F3 makes no representations of any kind regarding their safety. Although F3 workouts vary widely in intensity, all F3 workouts tend to be rigorous and are undertaken upon uneven ground during periods of limited visibility. Therefore, there are certain dangers inherent in participating in an F3 workout. Participants must be 18 or older and are assumed to have made their own reasonable decision as to whether they should so participate. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a father or male legal guardian. F3 disclaims any and all responsibility for any individual’s decision to participate in an F3 workout. By participating in an F3 workout, an individual assumes the risks inherent in doing so. This Disclaimer and Notice is made by F3 on its own behalf and on the behalf and for the benefit of any person leading an F3 workout and/or otherwise acting for the benefit of F3.”

  • Another and way easier of saying this is:
    • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
    • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
    • Few things before we begin:
      • I’m not a professional
      • You’re here on your own volition
      • You know your body better than anyone, so if you need to modify anything we do this morning, feel free to do so, but push yourself and the men around you — they deserve it and so do you.
  • FNGs? — always check for FNGs. This helps with identifying them to the PAX so they can help them throughout the Q.

[ Warm o Rama ]

Think of muscles like taffy… when cold, snapping happens easier. When warm, nice and smooth.

This is probably the trickiest part for new Qs. Calling Cadence in the F3 style serves a number of purposes:

  • Creates rhythm which distracts the mind from the task at hand
  • Builds teamwork by synchronizing PAX and creating focus
  • Not knowing the number of reps discourages budgeting of effort; you get used to going as long as you have to
  • Cadence
    • “The next exercise is…” [pause] “Side Straddle Hop!” (or name of other exercise)
    • “Starting Position…” [pause] “Move!”
    • “In Cadence…” [pause] “Exercise!” (begin count 1..2..3)
  • There is not a magic # to hit for how many reps you should do. You’re the Q, you choose the # of reps. But be strategic in this effort as well (i.e. not leading 300 squats right out of the gates)
    • SSH: 25×4 IC
    • Rockette: 20×4 IC
    • Squat: 15×4 IC
    • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 IC (B and F)
    • Merkins: 5×4 IC

For how to lead a cadence — see here: https://youtu.be/xRTitxnE-mI

[ The Thang ]

KISS = Keep It Simple Superstar

If you’re a planner, “schedule” more exercises than there is workout time. Time will pass faster than usual, most likely.

Usually you’ll want something that’s a time-eater after a warm-up, search for “routine” in the exercise DB and remember the “pearls on a string” concept. You stop, do something, run to another place, so something else.

(1) 4 Corners

  • 2 Points of contact
    • Parking Lot Corners (4)
    • Pavilion
  • Parking Lot Corners: 10 squats
  • Pavilion: 10 incline merkins
  • Run down to the pavilion, do our 10 incline merkins, and come back up here to 1 of the corners and execute our 10 squats. We will rinse and repeat that process until we hit all 4 corners up here.
  • Recover up here in the parking lot after you finish your 4th corner — merkin plank

(20 seconds and talk)

(Mosey to Cardiac Hill)

(2) SlingShot

  • Battle buddy up
  • 3 points of contact
    • Top
    • 1st curve
    • Bottom (light post)
  • The exercises for cardiac hill is the big boy sit-up + mountain climber
  • One battle buddy will run from the top to the 1st curve — execute 10 big boy sit-ups while battle buddy #2 is at the top executing mountain climbers.
  • Once battle buddy #1 is is done with his 10 BBS at the 1st curve, he will come back to the top and now both battle buddies are running to the 1st curve.
  • This time, the BB that was doing the mountain climbers the first time will run from the 1st curve to the bottom and execute 10 BBS, while the other BB stays at the 1st curve and executes mountain climbers.
  • Once his BBS are complete, he will come back to the 1st curve and BOTH BB will run to the bottom and execute 10 BBS and 10 mountain climbers on a 4 count together.
  • Both BB are going down cardiac, but taking turns being the slingshot

(20 count and talk) — Pause for the Cause

  • Huge learning experience with this
  • The failure or success of an F3 workout is ultimately on the Q and his communication and leadership.
  • Halfway through the “Slingshot” workout, it became clear that there was a miscommunication between the Q and the PAX.
  • This is on the Q. Let me say this again — this is on the Q.
  • The Q circled everyone back together and restated the instructions of the workout and the PAX completed the workout all together until the end.
  • After a 20-count, the Q went through the above bullet points with the PAX — learning experience.

[ Mary ]

Post-beatdown, usually some core Xs or cool down, depending on the Q

Core 4

  • Flutter Kicks: 25

Run across the lot and back

  • LBCs: 25

Run across the lot and back

  • American Hammers: 25

Run across the lot and back

  • Cockroach: 25

Run across the lot and back

Stretching with Steam

  • Q led the PAX in light stretches to end the Mary portions before the COT.

Takeaway from the Q101:

HAVE FUN. F3 groups are always supportive of new Qs. We love to see new people stepping up.

[ COT ]

  • # off — start and finish with the same # of guys 
  • Name o Rama
    • Hospital name, age, F3 name
    • 50 = Respect
    • 60 = Double Respect
    • 70 = Triple Respect
    • 80+ = basically immortal
  • FNGs — none
  • BOM (GrowSchool)

The BOM is a time for the Q to share something that’s on his heart with the men. An encouraging quote, a motivational story, something from the Bible, as long as it is something positive, encouraging, and challenging to the growth of the PAX, that’ll do.

The Q shared a few points from the GrowSchool portion at the COT, and then the PAX converged to Coffeteria at Panera to continue.

Q Source: The F3 Manual of Virtuous Leadership

Foundation: Disruption

Socratic Qs // TPQs

  • What do leaders do?
  • What effect does leadership have on the status quo?
  • Is there a common characteristic shared by leaders who leave a legacy?

Disruption = a disturbance to the status quo

The connection between movement and leadership is critical because it presupposes a need for action, a recognition by the leader himself that that status quo is something less advantageous than some other place — a location the leader visualizes and then articulates to his followers.

Because it induces movement, leadership causes disruption, or a disturbance to the status quo.

If a man calls himself a leader but does not cause disruption by initiating movement, then he is not practicing leadership.

Like the agitator in a washing machine, leadership dislodges things long embedded in people’s emotional fabric.

A Leader is a person who influences movement to advantage.

A great leader’s legacy is built on love, because a great leader’s focus is always upon his followers rather than himself.

He views leadership as a craft that must be honed through continual study and application

It is their (the followers) advantage, not his (the leader’s) to which he initiated movement.

Takeaways

  • Leaders influence movement to advantage
  • Because it induces movement, leadership causes disruption
  • A great leader’s legacy is built on love

For everything about your first Q — check this out: https://f3nation.com/q101/

 

Revised Memory @ Shamrock

THE SCENE: Sweaty!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Tempo Squats
Arm Circles forward and backward
Cherry Pickers

THA-THANG:
Pieces of cardboard were laid out face down.  We drew the pieces one at a time and played memory or match.  You did each exercise turned over unless it was a match, in which case you ran a lap.  One team decisively beat the other 5 matches to zero.  The first time we played, it was 4-1.  We will keep this one on hand and do it again in the future.

MARY:
No time left for Mary.  The workout had plenty of Ab exercises.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We talked about the importance of discipline.  Working out is hard, it hurts, hard to wake up in the morning, but we enjoy and we keep coming back.  I encouraged everyone to apply that same discipline to other aspects of your life.  For me that is spiritual discipline.  I need to be more disciplined in that aspect of my life.  It is hard, it may be painful, but if I stick with it, it will become enjoyable, and I will miss it if I don’t do it.
MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HARDSHIP Hill

Be 20-60-20 or be like Brick!

THE SCENE: Balmy, humid afternoon

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:  

Little baby arm circles, Side straddle hop, little this, little thay

Partner up, 4 rds of lateral jumps and jogging laps, switch off with partner.

THA-THANG:

  • 11’s with Jane Fonda’s, bear crawl up, crawl bear down
  • 20x-60x-20x running up 3 tiers of stairs. 1st group was meekins, bbs, meekins. 2nd group was A. Hammer, squat thrusts, A. Hammer. 3rd group was hello dolly, squats, hello dolly.

MARY:
Hold 30 second plank like Brick to finish out workout.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 HIMS

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Every person in an organization  or team fits somewhere it top 20%, middle 60%, or bottom 20%. The top 20% are the overachievers, who are going to succeed  most of the time. The bottom 20% are people, who put out little effort to contribute to the team’s success. That 60%, however, can be influenced the most when all remaining individuals come together contributing their 1%  When that happens that team  can ûmove in any direction to achieve great things.

#NeverForget2021

[ The Scene ] 

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I will be your Q this morning 
  • Few things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition – meaning you are here on purpose 
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have so feel free to modify any of the exercises we do this morning as need be. 
    • FNGs? — No
    • I’m going to go back to the modify clause for a second.
      • Just because you can modify, is not an excuse to do so
      • Today is not the day to half-ass anything we do………
      • Here’s why: 20 years ago….
        • 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights
        • 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning
        • 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift
        • 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for their morning patrol
        • 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift
        • None of them saw past 10:00am on September 11th, 2001
        • #NeverForget

[ Warm o Rama ] 

SSH: 20×4 IC 

Merkin: 20×4 IC 

Squat: 20×4 IC

Imperial Walker: 20×4 IC

Mountain Climber: 20×4 IC

[ The Thang ] 

(The flag will always stay out front of us this morning)

(Mosey down to the bottom of Mini-Cardiac)

  1. Back Up Again
    • Battle Buddy teams of 4
    • 2 POCs (Points of Contact)
      • Bottom: SSHs
        • Execute 25 SSHs (1ct) and then hold the plank for 20 seconds until your team of 4 is recovered to go up top 
        • THE FLAG WILL ALWAYS GO TO THE TOP
      • Top: Merkins
    • In battle buddy teams of 4, farmers carry the 2 40lb Sandy’s up to the top — everyone executes 10 merkins (1ct)
    • Farmers carry back down to the bottom (other 2 in the battle Buddy team)
  • Rinse and repeat until every battle buddy group has gone up and executed merkins (550 —> 2 locations (275) —> 40 merkins

(Mosey to the bottom of Pickett’s Charge — WITH 2 40lb sandbags)

  1. Pre-Across and Up
  • 2 40lb sandbags 
  • 1 60lb sandbag
  • 2 120lb sandbags
  • 2 POCs
    • Sandys 
      • Rotate between 
      • Curls
      • Deadlifts 
      • Rows
      • Execute 10 reps (1ct) of one exercise and run across the field
    • Across the field 
      • Squats (10)
  • Once you complete your curls, deadlifts, and rows — pick someone who’s not done and run with them. Do not stay behind and do not hold a position here — pick up with someone 

(15 count) 

  1. Across and Up 
  • 2 40lb sandbags 
  • 1 60lb sandbag
  • 2 120lb sandbags 
  • Describe the situation 
  • Get in battle buddy teams of 2-4
  • Our mission is to get these items to safety across this field and up to the Colesium. 
  • When you can’t lift it anymore, your battle buddy should step in and help you carry it
  • Finish at the flat area of the bottom of the Coliseum
     
  • PAX say the pledge of allegiance and knock out some SSHs

(Movement to the bottom of Everest – battle buddy carries and drags the 2 120lb sandbags, 1 60lb sandbag, and 2 40lb sandbags)

  1. Up Everest 
  • with Sandys (gear) 
  • Flag up front always 
  • Plant it at the top
    • 25 SSHs
    • 25 Big Boy situps
    • 25 Merkins
    • 25 squats
  • Make our way back to the AO (flag out front)[ COT ]
    • # off 
    • Name o Rama 
    • FNGs
    • BOM

    Where was God?

Millions of people asked this question on this day 20 years ago, and years later as well. God where were you when those towers fell and these innocent people died?

He was right there with them. He was at the Pentagon, He was in those two towers, He was on Flight 93, and He was right there with them. 20 years later, as we honor the men and women and children and heroes that were killed on this day, we remember that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us. We also remember that on that day and the days afterwards as well, something changed, even for a little bit –> faith, religion, politics, credence, country affiliation aside — we were reminded of our humanity. We were reminded that no matter what we call ourselves or how, we are all humans first and foremost.

So if you remember where you were that day, don’t forget your location – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And if you don’t remember where you were that day, ask someone who does.

And yet the question remains 20 years later — “God, where are you? Do you not see what’s happening in our world and country? Where are you?” Each man must wrestle with this question, daily. We must choose to see God and seek Him out. At our coffee shops, in our conversations, in our workouts, in our places of work, in our families, in our wife and children, in our friendships and relationships — He is there. I have a hunch that if you make the ask of “God where are you,” He will reveal himself in ways that only He can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cat’s in the Cradle

THE SCENE: Beautiful! Around 80 degrees, very low humidity. Aaaaaah!

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check

WARM-O-RAMA:

– 15 Split Jacks L, 15 Split Jacks R (4ct, IC)

– 15 Moroccan Nightclub (4 ct, IC)

–  10 Rockettes (4 ct, IC)

–  10 Cherry Pickers (4 ct, IC)

–  10 Tempo Merkins (4 ct, IC)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to bottom of Everest.  We learned, to our astonishment, that the Great Pyramids are actually not in Egypt, they’re at the bottom of the great Mount Everest!  Who knew???

  • EVEREST PYRAMID:
    • Do the exercise, then run ~1/3 way up Everest 5 times. Exercises will be the following (all single count)
      • 20 Merkins
      • 20 Merkins, 20 Iron Mikes
      • 20 Merkins, 20 Iron Mikes, 20 Bottle Openers
      • 20 Iron Mikes, 20 Bottle Openers
      • 20 Bottle Openers
  • MOSEY to Intersection of Trail and Road (all 4-ct, IC). AB BLASTER!
    • 20 flutter kicks (10 Wide)
    • 20 American Hammers
    • 15 Box Cutters
  • MOSEY to stop sign at northeast corner of Admin building drive.
  • DORAS: Partner 1 Bernie Sanders to end of Guard Rail, then runs to tree, then runs back. Each partner does 3 Burpees during the hand-off. Partner 2 does the exercises, then switch:
    • 100 Big Boy sit-ups
    • 100 Bobby Hurleys
    • 100 Merkins
    • 50 PCMBs (modified to 25 due to time)

AYG to guardrail, Bernie back to Stop Sign, then AYG to bat cave/AO.

MARY:
Homer/Marge.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I heard the song Cat’s in the Cradle the other day.  It’s an incredible song, beautiful, yet sad.  Written by Harry Chapin in 1974, it tells the story of a young boy growing up who’s dad never seems to find the time to spend quality moments with his son.  As the son grows up, as he says in the song, “I’m going to be like you, dad.”  Which at face value sounds like a compliment, but really he’s saying that as he gets older, he will be as ambivalent about spending time with his dad as his dad was to him.  And this comes to pass.  The dad, as he gets older and more frail, wants to spend time with his son, but his son finds excuses of his own, and avoids him.

When I was young, it was actually the reverse for me.  I took my parents for granted, was caught up in my own little world with my friends and activities, and in spite of having loving, caring parents that wanted to be a part of my life, I sort of ignored them, or only interacted with them on a serious level when I wanted something… my allowance, permission to hang out with my friends, etc..  As I got older that changed, and I wanted to spend more time with them and get to know them as people.  Unfortunately, they passed away before I could fulfill that desire.

I wasn’t a great son in that regard.  I’m trying to learn from my mistakes and be a better son to our Heavenly Father.  The temptation is to run to him when we need something… protection, money, salvation, whatever.  But part of the message of the song is that relationships aren’t built on the times when you NEED each other, they’re built on the times when there’s a mutual give and take.  So I’ve tried to be conscientious about really trying to share with God, and not just run to Him when I need something. And God is not like that father in the song.  He ALWAYS has time for us, for hearing us, comforting us, and providing for us.  That’s not how it should work.  In life with kids and parents, or in your spiritual life, with you and your Heavenly Father.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for a friend of Drum Major that is struggling with addiction issues, for Corona Weight’s brother who is doing well and continues to walk the line, and for Sparkler’s friend who’s battle with ALS is coming to an end.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill Oct 2.  Join the Asylum PM team, or make your own!  It’s a great day for a great cause.  We will be needing help building the obstacles in the coming weeks.