F3 Knoxville

Tag: Flashback

2 For Tuesday feat. Tour de Pavilion

THE SCENE: 55 – 60ish degrees #Amazing

PAX gathering early brought back an old Asylum PM tradition – the ceremonial tossing of a frisbee (or football). There’s something really special about this, it made my heart happy. Grown men, who just got off work, or left their family to come do F3 perhaps, tossing around a frisbee lightheartedly, enjoying The Creator’s magnificent-feeling creation.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Themes: #2ForTuesday, Tour de Pavilion, Quarter Pounder (25th)

[Welcome/Safety/Brief]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m honored to be your Q this evening
  • FNG: Kevin Canfield
  • Couple things before we get started:
    • Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • And if you know your body better than anyone so if you need to modify anything we do this evening feel free to do it! But I encourage you to push yourself and the men around you
  • Let’s lock shields and rock these next 45 minutes


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH: 25 (1-count)

(#2FT)

  • SSH: 25 (1-count)
  • Frankenstein: 10 (1-count)

(#2FT)

  • Frankenstein: 10 (1-count)
  • Squat-Bender: 10 (1-count)

(#2FT)

  • Squat-Bender: 10 (1-count)
  • Merkin: 10 (1-count)

(#2FT)

  • Merkin: 10 (1-count)


THA-THANG:

.

Tour de Pavilion commences!

Lay out the roadmap: Tour around the pavilions – each pavilion will encompass a Quarter Pounder (since today is the 25th) and keep in mind, it is in fact 2FT – so let’s celebrate accordingly! Think of it like leveling up in a game – once we pass level 1 – we go to level 2 (Pavilion 2)

(Mosey to Pav1 – baseball fields)

[Quarter Pounder 1]

  • 5 battle buddy sit-ups each
  • 5 lunges Right leg (1 count)
  • 5 lunges Left leg (1 count)
  • 5 squats (1 count)
  • 5 iron mikes (1 count)

(Mosey to Pav2 – Small overhang behind baseball fields facing the river)

[Quarter Pounder 2]

  • 5 incline merkins (1 count)
  • 5 decline merkins (1 count)
  • 5 box jumps (1 count)
  • 5  R leg squats (1 count)
  • 5 L leg squats (1 count)

(Mosey to Pav3 – small chapel)

[Quarter Pounder 3]

  • 5 half burpees
  • 5 mountain climbers (1 count)
  • 5 real burpees
  • 5 plank press-ups (4 count)
  • 5 boat drivers (4 count)
    • Wall-sit and drive the boat

(Mosey to Pav4 – small Pav to the left)

[Quarter Pounder 4]

(this one sucked the most/was the hardest/most character building)

  • 25×4 Side/skater lunges (quick)
  • 25×4 incline merkins
  • 25×4 line hops (quick)
  • 25×4 dips

(Mosey to Pav5 – Pav by fields)

[Quarter Pounder 5]

  • 25 SSHs (1 count)
  • 25 merkins (1 count)
  • 25 Imperial Walkers (1 count)
  • 25 cockroaches (1 count)

(Mosey to Pav6 – Chapel) **Chapel was occupied, stayed in small Pav next to it**

[Quarter Pounder 6]

  • 25 x 4 SSHs (all together)
  • Take a lap around
  • 25×4 Squats (all together)
  • Take a lap around
  • 25×4 Army Merkins (all together)
  • Take a lap around
  • 25×4 SSHs (all together)

(Mosey back to AO)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

(Watch the video until the end – worth it)

IMG_0196

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

“Nothing Worth Having Comes Without a Fight”

The past couple of weeks have felt like a fight. A fight with God, a fight with myself, a fight with reality, a fight with my decisions. Different kind of fight maybe, but still a fight. When you show up for F3 whether it’s in the morning or evening, you know you’re going to fight to the finish. But you (hopefully) know that there’s going to be a brother on your left and a brother on your right that are ready to go toe to toe with you for the next 45 minutes.

Take this outside of F3. What have you had to fight for in your life // what are you currently fighting for? Your marriage, relationship, your kids, your job, your family, your friends, to not go back to a dark place, for the heart of men and women to know Jesus?

Our fights as men come in many different shapes and sizes, whether as a young man or a man with some more notches on his belt. What makes keeping the faith and fighting the good fight worth it during those times? Just like in F3 – you don’t do it alone. F3 is just the huddle – the game is outside the COT. Call a brother out – pull a brother in.

Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight brothers – it’s worth it.

 

Wet N’ Wild

THE SCENE: Steady Downpour
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

THA-THANG:
Elevator style – Complete Round 1 – Run to the area formerly known as the boat and return Complete Round 1 and 2 – Run to the boat and return. After you complete all 4 exercises in 1 round, then begin to take off one exercise each round.

  • 10 Body Builders
  • 20 Thrusters
  • 30 Lunge & Curl
  • 40 Plank Thrusters

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
1 Cor 10:31 – So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Man in the Middle

THE SCENE: Cool. low 40s, cloudy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), IC

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), IC

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), IC

– 20 Tempo Squats (4-ct) IC

– 10 Rockettes (4-ct) IC

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to pavilion by northern ballfields:

  • AIKEN LEGS! 20 Squats, 20 Box Jumps, 20 Lunges (10 each leg), 20 Split Jacks (10 each leg forward)

MOSEY to Big loop parking lot south of ballfields:

  • Catch Me If You Can!
    • Partner #1 Bernie Sanders, Partner #2 does 5 of the exercise then sprints to catch Partner #1. When he does, they reverse rolls.  We will run around the parking lot 4 times doing the following exercises:
  1. 5 American Hammers (2-ct)
  2. 5 Burpees
  3. 5 Gas pumps
  4. 5 Bobby Hurleys

MOSEY to where the path intersects the perimeter trail.

  • 20 American Hammers 4-ct, IC

MOSEY to base of Cardiac:

  • Cardiac 25’s:
    • Run to first turn and back. At bottom do 5/20, 10/15, 15/10, 20/5 of:
      • Mountain climber (2-ct) and LBCs

MOSEY to top of the hill by benches.

    • 20 American Hammers 4-ct, IC

MOSEY to parking lot across from AO

  • Need to get warmed up for Valentine’s day, so… BUCK 25’s!
    • Start at the X.  Karaoke to curb to the left. 10 Pickle Pounders/10 Pickle Pointers
    • Run back to X, Karaoke to right curb. 10 Pickle Pounders/10 Pickle Pointers
    • Run back to X, Bernie Sanders backwards to the curb. 5 Pickle Pounders/5 Pickle Pointers
    • Sprint forward to far curb. 100 Side Straddle Hops (single count). Yell out victoriously and with passion:  “BUCK 25!!”

MARY:
1.5 minutes of heart-shaped leg lifts.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Man in the Middle

During the last workout, Lillydipper and Steam were co-Qs, and gave their perspectives of F3 coming from a guy in his 20s, who was just starting out on his post-college life and correcting the course a little bit from some challenging times, and a guy in his 60s who has found renewed vigor in the workouts and benefits of male companionship.  So I thought I’d add to that and share a bit about what F3 has meant to me, a guy of 47 years, whose age is about in the middle of those two HIMs.

My first F3 workout was in late January, 2018, but F3 for me actually started January 1, 2017.  I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions, but I always start the New Year off with prayer and meditation about what I would like to get better at or improve in my life in the coming year.  That year, I identified two things that were of importance to me: 1) achieve a higher level of physical fitness, and 2) develop a closer and more meaningful relationship with God.

I felt #1 was necessary because I was at that age when some of your physical abilities start to wane.  Hey, it happens.  The sports that had always provided me with such joy and pride, as well as being an outlet for my competitive nature and keeping me fit, were becoming more and more frustrating for me, and injuries were becoming more common; thus, I stopped participating in them as much as I used to.  Consequently, my fitness and strength started to diminish.  I freaking HATE running (unless it’s up and down a basketball court, soccer field, etc.), and although I went to the gym somewhat regularly, I no longer had that avenue for fitness that playing sports 4-5 days a week had provided.

#2 was important to me because I just felt that I didn’t have as intimate a relationship with God as I would like.  I had grown up in a wonderful church, and I enjoyed attending either my home church or my brother’s church up in Chicago when I visited, but I hadn’t landed in a church here.  I had visited or checked out a few with friends who had invited me to service at their places of worship, but none of them felt like the right match.  As a single guy, and a bit of an introvert, I found it awkward to seek out more options on my own, so I had sensed my bond with God becoming a little weaker than I would like, and I resolved to actively seek out ways to strengthen that bond.

Later that same year, I met Lillydipper at a party hosted by a mutual friend.  We started talking, found we had many shared interests, and we struck up a friendship.  He invited me to the Polar Bear Plunge Jan 1, 2018.  There I met Abscess and Jinxy.  They gave me the ol’ EH, and after making excuses a few times, I finally showed up to F3 a few weeks later.  I thought I was going to be a one and done.  I hated it.  I was embarrassed by how slow I was (I was frantically searching for escape routes shortly after just doing the WARMUP left me breathless), the lactic acid or something made me nauseous for days (I remember the guys went out for a beer and some food afterwards… I could barely walk into the restaurant, let alone summon the strength to do more than sip pitifully on my water bottle), it was miserable, dark, and cold during the workout, I hardly knew any of the guys… I clearly remember thinking, just get through this stupid thing without throwing up, and you will never have to do it again. Check. Done.  Soyonara.  Tried it.  It sucked.  Later guys.  Thanks but no thanks.

And yet… and yet…!!

Once the pain and embarrassment faded, I was able to see that F3 offered a unique answer to my prayers. Here was an avenue to better physical Fitness for sure, and the BOM at the end really struck a chord of Faith.  How could I turn my back on this gift, this opportunity?  How could I quit??  I stuck with it, and grew both physically and spiritually.  I started reading backblasts, especially the Word at the end.  Someone once mentioned to me that sometimes they get more out of the BOM than sitting in a pew at church, and I couldn’t agree more.  I love bonding and learning from guys out here who are more conversant with the Bible than I am, or hearing the non-religious messages about improvement and leadership, or just being a good person.  What I DIDN’T pray for back on that New Year’s Day, or count on with my involvement with F3, is the Fellowship.  I had had a pretty good group of friends before, but I was caught by surprise at how strong the bonds of friendship are between the brothers that meet together for F3 workouts.  There is a unique and unexpected melding of spirits that occurs when you lock shields to get through brutally challenging physical hardship together through cooperation and encouragement of your fellow brother.  Through F3, I’ve met men who I not only enjoy having a beer with, but respect immensely and seek to emulate.  I didn’t realize I was missing that in my life.  And so F3 has literally been an answer to my prayers– both spoken aloud, and in my heart but not on my lips– from that day on January 1, 2017.  I am very grateful to the men of F3, and proud of the friendship, commitment to service, philanthropy, and open and accepting community that it provides.  I am especially grateful to, and humbled by, the men of the Fake Gloom, who I have the privilege to call brothers and friends.  I look forward to the challenges, rewards, and shared times that lie ahead.  Let’s GO!!

-Pele

MOLESKIN:
Continuing prayers for Pinto, who is battling a severe illness, and for Thunderstruck and his family.  Prayers for Switchgrass, who is dealing with issues at his work.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Young and Old

THE SCENE:  Cloudy, temps in low 50s.  This was actually a Co-Q by Steam and Lillydipper.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Steam got us warmed up with some 2fers for Tuesday.  We did 11 of each of the following but doubled it up with another 11:

  • Side Straddle Hops
  • Monkey Humpers
  • Merkins
  • Combo Rockettes/Windmills
    THA-THANG:

Steam continued with the following:  Mosey to AO pile.  Men split into teams of two each.  Partner 1 does squat while Partner 2 does 11 repetitions of exercise with CMU.  Then Partner 2 does squat while Partner 1 does repetitions.  Then the team sprints to the other side of the parking lot to do 11 repetitions (twice for 2fer Tuesday) of an exercise without CMUs.  The team will sprint back and forth across the parking lot to do the listed exercises.

With CMUs:

  • Overhead Presses
  • Rows
  • Burpees but pushing up on CMU
  • Pulls up to Chin
  • Incline Merkins on CMU

Without CMUs

  • Star Jumps
  • Merkins
  • Squats
  • Side Straddle Hops

Next, we will do Indian Walk across parking lot where man up front carries CMU, places it on ground after ten paces and walks to back of line.  After reaching each side of parking lot we will do 2fers of the following exercises:

  • 11 Smurf Jacks
  • 11 Side Straddle Hops
  • 11 Merkins
  • 11 Big Boy Situps

Next we will Grapevine Right to one side of parking lot and Grapevine Left back

Next we will Bernie Sanders to one side of parking lot and Bernie back.  Then, put CMUs back.

Next, Lillydipper moved us on with the following:  Mosey out of parking lot and onto roadway, going past the parking lot with the nice restrooms.  Turn right on the sidewalk and stay on sidewalk as it goes between the restrooms and parking lot.  Stop by light on sidewalk that is north of the parking lot.  We will do Route Sixty-Six up the Dragon Tail.  We will do this twice using the following exercises:

  • Smurf Jacks
  • Dive Bombers

Starting at the same point where we started Route 66, we will go up the Dragon Tail again but stop at each light and do 5 Hand Release Merkins and 10 Big Boy Sit-ups.  We will do this for six lights.

Mosey back to AO.  We will, next, sprint around the parking lot one time and Bernie Sanders around the parking lot one time.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Steam:  It is an honor, as a man in his twenties, to be a part of a group of men where most are older than I.  There have been times when I surely haven’t had my life together and I have been able to look to these older warriors for leadership and guidance.  It is nice to know that I can seek them out and it also a great thing to be able to look up to them as role models.

Lillydipper: It is an honor for me to lock shields with the type of young men we have in F3.  The zest and enthusiasm of these younger HIMs inspires me.  I know the world is going to be ok when I see leaders like these grabbing the steering wheel.  To have their respect amazes me.  And to know that they will circle back to pick me up leads me to respect them the more.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Thunderstruck’s mother and Pinto, who are battling cancer.  Prayers for Abscess, Pele and Fob who are overcoming injuries.  Praise to Iceman’s brother and sister-in-law who recently had a baby.

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.