F3 Knoxville

Choose Your Partner for War Wisely

THE SCENE: The rain held off for a 65° windy perfect morning
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Delivered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tempo Squats, High Knees, Let it Hang, Reach for the Sky, Cherry pickers, inch worm merkins and 2 SSH.
THA-THANG:
Indian run to the big parking lot dropping for 5 merkins.

  • Slalom each median in the big parking lot with a burpee every time your cross the “road”
  • 11’s in the pit by the far entrance with squats at the bottom and merkins on the road.
  • Mosey to the outer loop behind lake
    • 10 floor tricep dips, and 10 inch worms
    • run the loop
    • 20 flutter kicks and 20 pickle powders
    • run the loop
    • 30 lunges and 30 squats
    • run the loop.
    • on each loop is 5 burpees, 10 4 count hello dollies, and 15 bobby hurley’s
  • found a rope laying on the ground, so we played tug o war, of course

MARY:
Flutter kicks, Pickle pointers, Mountain Climbers, Freddie Mercury 

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 27 verse 4, it says “Though an army May encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.” 

David saying he has lot things against him, an Army, and a War, but David says “my heart shall not fear and, in this I will be confident”  in response.

How does he do that?  FAITH. David has outstanding faith. When David was fighting Goliath, King Saul giving David his armor; but David did not want it because he had faith that God would protect him. How do we get that faith that David has? 

James chapter 1 verse 2 Says “Count it all to Joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

David no doubt has had trials that tested his faith, like fighting Goliath, ruling nation, running from king Saul when Saul was trying kill him. The trials grow your faith. I bet none of us are going to fight a giant, rule a nation, or run from king trying to kill you, but I bet most of us will or has had trials like temptations, relationships, or even COVID.

Thinking about going into battle, if you get to choose 1 guy you guys wouldn’t choose me; not yet at least.  I’m going choose you big guys.  You’re all a lot bigger than me and I look up to you and I know you’d protect me. God is infinitely bigger, infinitely stronger.  One way we show this in our prayer life is to get our knees, like we do here, and say with our posture that we are small. 

I challenge you pray to Jesus privately on your knees and ask Him to grow your faith so you could be confident in trials, and even pray for trials so you could test your faith. David knows that his God can do the impossible. God wants us to believe that he can do impossible. All the big problems in our life are tiny to him. Our God is bigger than our understanding. 

Don’t Wait Another Day!

THE SCENE: 55 and awesome!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers (IC) 4 CT X 7
  • Windmills (IC) 4CT X 7
  • Overhead Claps X 10 (IC)
  • Tempo Squats (IC) X10
  • Tempo Merkins (IC) X 10
  • Tennessee Rocking Horse X 10
  • Indian Run To Coupon Pile (lead runner drops & does 5 merkins)

THA-THANG:

4 Corners in Parking Lot Near Coupon Pile

  • CMU Bentover Rows Per Corner X 20
  • CMU Overhead Press, Curls & Squats Per Corner X 20
  • Merkins, Big Boys, Lunges, Per Corner X 20
  • Wall Squats
  • Mosey To Shovel Flag

MARY:

Imperial Walkers X 20

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

15 men

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Don’t let wait until it’s too late to tell someone you love them or mend fences with friends and family.  We never know when our time on this Earth is up so be intentional with great, good and terrible relationships.

  • Jesus said, “If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.” — Matthew 5:23-24(MSG)
  • A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. — Proverbs 19:11(NIV)
  • Jesus said, “First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” — Matthew 7:5(NLT)
  • Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. — Romans 12:18(TEV)
  • Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9(NIV)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Sign up for May JUCO Challenge

Did not count

THE SCENE: 65 and prefect
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Explained that YHC can’t do 3 things at once.  Exercise & Count & Pray for ya’ll and the day.  So today we just worked out based on time it took others to do stuff.  No counting required.

High Knees -while: Explained the above
Side Straddle Hop-while: Each HIM did 1 Burpee in sequence
Plank (High, Right, Left, 6 inches)-while: Each HIM ran the outside of the circle 1 at a time
Moroccan night club, Overhead clap, Arm circles -while: Each HIM ran the outside of the circle 1 at a time
Flutter Kicks -while: YHC Bear Crawled the inside of the circle
THA-THANG:

Mosey to the close guardrail where one HIM did prison-cell-merkin-burpee’s while everyone else did guardrail dips. Then Clap Merkins on the guardrail while each him did one burpee.

Mosey, with a little Bernie, to the coupon pile (which was nicely cleaned up) where we played “Simon Hey Ho He”  Each guy added one CMU exercise to a sequence and if we got it wrong we had to do a burpee (which in the end seemed far easier than the sequence, and made counting seem super simple.)

Dora

Mountain Climbers While partner:
Pull Ups AMRAP
Advanced CPR Leg Lifts
BBS Wall Touch
Merkins Tree Touch
Wall Hang on brick wall with holes Sprint for Sign

MARY:
Let others try out the inner circle bear crawl while they called out a Mary Exercise.  Hello Dolly, Flutter kicks, Freddie Mercury, Low plank

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

22 quality HIMs: 7 were rushers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Today we didn’t count exercises but I want to talk about making today count.

My good friend from college, Julien, does an awesome job of making every day count.  He is perhaps the smartest guy I know and when he isn’t turning a company around or becoming the CEO of a bio tech company he is rehabbing a 300 year old barn by hand.  The guy works amazingly hard.

A few years back he was down in Mexico at a conference and took some clients out deep sea fishing.  They didn’t catch anything.  When they returned to the harbor they see a local fisherman and his son in a tiny dinghy with 3 huge fish.  Julien, impressed at the catch asked him: “Sir, How did you do that?  How long did it take you?”

“Señor, it’s what I’ve done for years.  My son and I caught these in a little less than an hour.”

Julien responded, “That’s amazing!  Are you going out to catch more?”

“No Señor.  This is more than enough for my family and I’ll sell one at market.  Tomorrow is soon enough.”

Julien, a bit confused but intrigued by this mindset asked, “Can I ask, what do you do with your time?”

The Mexican fisherman replied, “I get up early and spend some time with God, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip a glass of wine and play guitar with my amigos: I have a full and busy life, señor.”

Julien offered to help the fisherman make a business of this man’s fishing talent.  “My name is Julien and went to the best business school in the US.  I’m a CEO and love making business succeed.  I want to invest in you.  Can I help you build a business of this?  You could take clients fishing, get a bigger boat, heck a fleet of boats, then make a business of it.  We’d sell the extra catch direct to the distributer, cutting out the middle man, you could make millions!”

“What would this take señor?  How long would it take?”

“You’d move to Mexico city and run the business, in 15, no maybe only 10 years, you bring the company public, huge IPO!  You’d have enough money to do whatever you want.  What would you do with that kind of freedom?”

The Mexican fisherman looked off to sea and smiled as he thought of the possibilities.  Then locked eyes with Julien. “Julien, I know just what I’d do.  I’d move to a small coastal village, much like this one.  I get up early and spend some time with God, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip a glass of wine and play guitar with my amigos.”

And from that day on, Julien lived his life differently.

Okay, I’ll admit, most of that isn’t a true story.   Julien is a real friend, talented hard working CEO. I don’t know if Julien has ever been to Mexico. The parable, you may have heard before, I heard years ago.  But it speaks to the scripture I want to share for today:

Psalm 90:12 “So, Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

The “so” points back to the first 11 verses that give us God’s perspective on time.  He was before the mountains were formed and our lives are but a breath.  But then it goes on to ask for God’s favor, wisdom – for Him to satisfy us and make us glad and see Him for who He is.

God’s perspective on time is very important to ponder. Take some time today to realize God’s eternal nature and his perspective.  What are you striving after? Your past doesn’t matter; you plans don’t matter.  What matters: Where is your heart with Jesus right now and are you willing to do more with Him?
Maybe that means to spend extra time with your wife or kids. Maybe it’s difficult, but life altering conversations.  Maybe it’s just helping a neighbor in need.

Read Psalm 90 and consider these things.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Get those Save Haven donations in before the month is up and check out Spotter’s May challenge- I encourage you to join.

Repeatedly Building A Pyramid

THE SCENE: Mid-40’s & dry (for only like the 2nd time this year for a Pool Boy Q)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Moroccan Night Club x 15 IC
Tennessee Rocking Chair x 10 IC
Forward Lunge x 5 each leg OYO
Side Lunge x 5 each leg OYO
Tempo Merkin x 10 IC
Pickle Pointer x 10 IC
Rainbow Drop x 10 OYO (5 each side)

THA-THANG:
Stop at the Rocks Behind Sherwin Williams (going the long way around to avoid the sprinklers) – grab a rock in each hand. Do the following followed by a lap around the Sherwin Williams Paint Store:
1. 10 OHP
2. 10 Dips
3. 10 BBS
4. 10 Incline Merkins

Mosey to JUCOmanjaro
Today we’re building a Pyramid! That means that we’re going to be doing the following:
Run to Cone 1. Do Exercise at Cone 1. Run to Start.
Run to Cone 1. Do Exercise at Cone 1. Run to Cone 2. Do exercise at Cone 2. Run to Cone 1. Do exercise at Cone 1. Run back to start.
Go up and go then go back down.

Summary of full Pyramid:
1, 121, 12321, 1234321, 12321, 121, 1

Bottom Cone # Exercise
10 Lunges Start
1 10 Tempo Squats
2 10 Pickle Pointers
3 10 BBS
4
10 Tempo Incline Merkins

Mosey back to the Rocks – grab a rock in each hand. Do the following followed by a lap around the Sherwin Williams Paint Store:

1. 10 OHP
2. 10 Dips
3. 10 BBS
4. 10 Incline Merkins

Fast mosey the long way back around to the Shovel Flag for a Warm Down.

MARY:
Warm Down:
Rainbow Drop x 10 OYO (5 each side)
Pickle Pointer x 10 IC
Tempo Merkin x 10 IC
Side Lunge x 5 each leg OYO
Forward Lunge x 5 each leg OYO
Tennessee Rocking Chair x 10 IC
Moroccan Night Club x 15 IC

Bonus / extra 3 minutes at the end – dealer’s choice (we avoided me having to modify since one PAX said we should do Voldemorts (the exercise that shall not be named!).

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 PAX. No FNGs (keep inviting Sad Clowns out!)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Some days it feels like we do the same thing twice. Today we did!
Pyramid schemes. Bernie Madoff. The news cycle. The grind. Daily trials. Family issues.

We have to do things over and over. But the repetition can be good. Per usual, we have 3 things to consider about repetition:
1. When you do something repetitive, know it’s God who has put you in the spot for your good

James 4:13-15 – 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

2. When you something repetitive, see God’s goodness in giving good works to do.
Ephesians 2:10 – 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

3. When you do something repetitive, your goal should be one step better with the end goal being mastery
Proverbs 22:29 – Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

Today we repeat. Let’s see God’s goodness to us in that.

MOLESKIN:
Prayed for Dart Gun’s coworker who up and out of the blue left his family (and prayed his coworker’s family).

Also enjoyed this one and seeing many PAX modify as needed. This means we’re growing together and still showing up through our injuries and even communicating when one of us fartsacks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Let’s finish strong with our Safe Haven donations this month.

A Waxjob Classic

THE SCENE:  50 and a little drizzly.  Perfect!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry pickers
Michael Phelps
Knee Tap Merkins x 10 IC
Mountain climbers

Quick mosey – stop for flutter kicks

Quick mosey – stop for Hello Dolly

THA THANG:

(Hat tip to Waxjob – he led this Q two years ago)

Mosey to the Tomo courtyard with a couple of stops along the way.

Split into 2 teams. Each team has an list of exercises.

One die with numbers 1,2,3.

One team rolls the die. That’s the number of laps up the stairs and back around.

While that team runs the laps, other team works through the exercises until laps are completed.

When entire team returns from laps, other team rolls.

When list is complete, set up a cone as a counter and start again.

See how many times each team can work through the list.

Exercises:

  • 15 Merkins
  • 15 4-ct Monkey Humpers
  • 15 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 10 Iron Mikes (each leg)
  • 20 Flutter Kicks
  • 10 Squat Jumps
  • 20 BBS
  • 10 Burpees
  • 20 4-ct Mtn Climbers

Mosey to the guardrail for 15 chest-tap merkins + 25 dips

Then to the big lot.  Sprint to 10 islands, stopping at each for a burpee

MARY:

Single file shuttle run back to the flag.  Every 10 seconds, front man falls off and does freddy mercury until the back of the line passes.  As you pass the man on the ground, shout out his F3 name.

Sleeping hillbillies L&R IC

Boat and canoe – Waxjob Classic

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 for the bootcamp + 2 rushers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Almost 2 years ago, I came to my first JUCO F3 bootcamp and Waxjob led that awesome workout.  I was hooked – and JUCO has been a special part of my life ever since.  The Word this morning was about how unique and special this group is…

Early in the biblical story of Daniel, the nation of Babylon besieges Jerusalem – plundering the Temple of God and kidnapping some members of noble families.  Among the captives brought back to Babylon, where they would be taught to rule like Babylonians, were Daniel and his three friends; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Once in captivity, they were given Babylonian names in order to conform to the culture; Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – and they were placed into service of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar.

Two years later, Nebuchadnezzar had a nightmare and issued a threat to his sorcerers and counselors (whom Daniel/Belteshazzar was then among), “Tell me what my dream was and what it means – or you’ll be torn limb from limb and your houses destroyed…”  Picking up in Daniel 2:17-18, “Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened.  He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.” .  Daniel urged his friends to pray with him in his time of need.  Did you catch what Daniel called his friends?  When he needed true friends, Daniel found the men whom he knew in a special way.  He had a history with these men, and he called them by the names that few others in Babylon knew them as; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

At JUCO, we call you by another name and we know you as few others do.  The only people who call you by your F3 name are the men who come out in the gloom with you…and they know you as a man who pushes himself to be better each day.  Those men do burpees in the rain with you…they sweat with you… they challenge you…they pray with you….  It is such a unique and special thing, and I don’t know of a better group of men out there.  Nowhere else do you see men doing what we do out here.

My challenge this morning was simple: To get all the benefits of F3, be engaged with this unique tribe.  It’s not about showing up for workouts, but about really having a community of men to live your life with.  If you’re not now, then how?  Start by sticking around after the photo to talk with another HIM about something besides the workout – family, life, struggles, victories, vacation plans – whatever…  Text some of these men throughout the week.  Post something on Slack for all of us to see.  Share a meal with another HIM – preferably including your families.  Live life together.

F3 JUCO is a special community of special men.  I’m grateful to know you all and want to you feel like part of a unique team.

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Booster’s father and mother-in-law.  Prayers for Sty’s employee.

Cosmo is the Trivia King.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Keep the donations for Safe Haven coming through the end of the month!