F3 Knoxville

Tag: Guardrail

Identidem Essentitas

THE SCENE:   39 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH
Seal squats
Phelps
Cherry pickers

THA THANG:

  • Mosey to the tennis courts.  Partner up.  P1 does split squats while P2 does a lap around the three courts, sprint, side shuffle, bernie, side shuffle.  Switchero.  Repeat, with P1 doing a decline plank.
  • Sprints across the parking lot.  First pole, second pole, all the way.
  • Mosey to the chamber of commerce.  Partner up.  100 hanging leg lifts between the pair. P2 runs to the sidewalk, 2 burpees, back.
  • North side of the COC – 3 jump squat 180s, crawl bear 2 parking spaces, 6 imperial walkers, repeat to the end of the parking lot.
  • Tricep extensions on the bridge, bob and weave, wall sit for time.
  • High school entrance.  25 LBCs, broad jump up the steps, 15 dips.  Repeat x 3
  • 10 No Chance, Bobbitts (NCBs)*
  • Mosey to the wall – 15 wall-ups
  • Race around 4 light poles – 15 squats at each.
  • 100 merkins scattered throughout

MARY:

100 seconds of plank
Dolly until time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 6 of the best men that I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Last Thursday, Mathlete talked about decision making and the concept of bricklaying.  “Find one thing at a time, make a decision, and then start living that decision out. This will train you to make that decision regularly.”  This morning, I tagged on to that and talked about habits.

The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identify associated with that behavior.  In fact, the word “identity” is derived from the Latin identidem, which means repeatedly, and essentitas, which means “being”.  Your identity is quite literally your “repeated beingness”.  William James said, “All our life…is but a mass of habits”.  You are what you repeatedly do.

It is, therefore, so important to establish and cultivate healthy habits, and to starve unhealthy habits.

How?  Author James Clear agrees with Mathlete – you do it by one little piece at a time.  He wrote in his book Atomic Habits, “it is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis.”  We convince ourselves that success requires some massive dramatic action – but Clear says that small increments is the way to go.  If you established a tiny habit that improves you just 1% improvement per week – you would be 166% better in a year.  You’d be 276% better in 2 years.  There was a study performed in 2009 that determined on average it takes 66 days for a habit to form.  Tiny changes consistently applied over the course of 2 months – bam! – you’ve got a new habit.

One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior (welcome to F3!).  If you are working to remove an unhealthy habit – you need accountability (Shield Locks).  Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.

Why do we quit?

  • Boredom? “The greatest threat to success is not failure, but boredom” (Clear).
  • Short-term perspective?  “It is only when looking back two, five, or ten years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent” (Clear).  When we don’t see progress fast enough, we draw wrong conclusions.  We wrongly conclude that small wise decisions do not matter that much.  They DO.  We’re trying to stop something that is unhealthy – we don’t see results quickly – we wrongly conclude that small unwise decisions do not matter that much.  They DO.  (Hat tip, Craig Groeschel)

Identidem essentitas, your “repeated beingness”.  Every action you take is a vote for the type of man you want to become.  With that in mind…

  • What good habit do you need to start?
  • What unhealthy habit do you need to stop?

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

MOLESKIN:

Man…I LOVE running around in the dark with this band of crazies!

Prayers for Guardrail and his family

Prayers for Bambi’s daughter

* No Chance, Bobbitt (NCB) – An ab tuck while balancing your six on the edge of a bench.  Hold the bench right by your butt and it’ll be no problemo.  Apparently balancing on his rear is Bobbitt’s Achilles heel.  Who knew?

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Join a Shield Lock!  Two groups have formed at The Proj. – see Mathlete to jump into one or to start a third!

FORMing Habits

THE SCENE: 66 and breezy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Today we focused on form and practiced calling out exercises.
I’ll give you an excercise, you announce it to the group, get us ready, and count it out for us.

Side straddle hop in cadence 20
Cherry Pickers
10 tempo merkins
Arm rotations thumbs up in cadence
Reverse thumbs down in cadence
Motivators 8x
Tempo squats
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the new building.

  • Tricep Dips

Mosey to the library. Booster’s Habit: 100 merkins, 100 squats, 3 minutes of planks

  • 1 min plank
  • Mosey to parking lot beside the duck pond do 20 Merkins
    Mosey to the courtyard do 20 squats
    Rinse and repeat 3 times
  • 1 min plank
  • Mosey to parking lot beside the duck pond do 20 Merkins
    Mosey to the courtyard do 20 squats
    Rinse and repeat 2 times
  • Mosey to the cones in the new parking lot for some football drills
  • Scissor Kicks x20
  • Mosey to the flag

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
This week we are going to discuss habits. Day 1:
A Habit, standing alone, can be positive, negative or neutral.
• A negative Habit is one that is damaging to the individual who engages in it, the people who might be affected by it or both. Texting while driving is an example of a negative Habit.
• A neutral Habit is one that is neither damaging nor Advantageous to the individual or anyone else. Chewing gum while driving is a neutral Habit.
• A positive Habit, a Brick, is a regular tendency that is Advantageous to the individual or others. Wearing a seat belt is a positive Habit.

The HIM helps other men discontinue their negative Habits, minimize time spent on neutral Habits while initiating and ingraining positive Habits.

Start small. Say a prayer first thing in the morning, do a Bible study/get into the word, come to an F3 workout, sign up to Q.

Your heart ❤️ follows your habits.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Blimps and Politics

THE SCENE: rain, wind, and mid-40s at JUCO.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 SSH, plank jacks, tempo merkins, tempo squats
THA-THANG:

Mosey to the court yard area. We will use the four corners including the road and the far side walk of the court yard area. The workout:  Hindenburg BLIMPS. Perform exercise at corner #1, sprint to corner #2, perform exercise. Sprint to corner #3 perform exercise. Then to corner #4, exercise and then back to corner #1. Plank it up until all have finished. That’s one round. Round 1 – 10 Burpees; Round 2 – 20 Lunges; Round 3 – 30 Imperial Walkers; Round 4- 40 Merkins; Round 5 – 50 Plank Jacks; Round 6 – 60 Squats.

We chose an audible this morning after 120 merkins and did three corners of plank jacks. Then , we headed to the pull-up bars and did two rounds of 25 squats and 5 pullups.

Mosey back to the flag.

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 had fun in the rain and wind.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I want to share some thoughts on a topic that is much debated: our political leaders. We all have our ideas of the right way to run this country. In the last couple of years, there seems to have been even more divisive opnions than ever, if that is possible. Opinions about shut downs, masks, and vaccinations have caused so many arguments and ill feelings. Yet, it seems to be almost all that some talk about. Here is a question to consider. Is it right to bash political leaders for their decisions? Part of the answer to that question lies within another. Does doing so reflect Christ in our lives?

Romans 13:1‭-‬2 NASB1995

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

What does this passage say about how we should speak of our political leaders? Speaking of our political leaders in a resistive manner is like speaking of resisting an ordinance of God. Jesus says that if we have sinful thoughts, it is practically the same thing as committing the sin itself (Matt. 5:27-28). We need to challenge ourselves to not fall into the temptation to let our opinions cause us to violate an ordinance of God.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP tomorrow.

What’s in a name

THE SCENE: Rainy but warm… and rainy

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Windmill
  • Tempo Squat
  • Cherry Picker
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Moroccan night clubs

Getting stretched out and warmed out.

THA-THANG:

Mosie to the library cover, stopping along the way to do some pull-ups on the ladder statue.

Two sets of exercises:

  • A
    • Burpee x 10
    • Squats x 30
    • Right Hand High Merkins x 20
    • Rainbow Drops x 50
    • Toe Merkins x 50 (heal raises)
  • B
    • BBS x 10
    • Lunge x 30
    • Left Hand High Merkins x 20
    • Kick Throughs x 50
    • SSH x 50

Complete set A then run across the covered walkway to the set B location.
The second time around, skip the first exercise. Each time skip another exercise till you do the last exercise.

Next, grab some coupons from the car trunk conveniently nearby and complete the following exercises:

  • Coupon swings x 15
  • Front Squat with Coupon x 10
  • Burpee with Coupon press x 10
  • Reverse Lunge with coupon curl x8/8 (each leg)
  • Heavy Hammers x10 (4 ct)

Almost out of time so mosey to the flag. Arrive just in time to catch Rush standing around. No time for Mary.

MARY:
No time

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I wanted to share a little about one of the big themes of the Bible, Exile. It first shows up at the very beginning in the garden when Adam and Eve are exiled from the Garden. Later, Isreal is exiled from the promised land. Even Jesus in his ministry was homeless and cared a lot about others who were displaced and without a home.

This concept of exile throughout the Bible is a picture of the human condition. Living in a broken world that’s not quite home. Longing for wholeness and a place of belonging. The early Christians called themselves sojourners or wanderers as they looked to heaven as their ultimate home and Jesus as the path to restoration and belonging.

I invite you all to be wanderers with me and be reminded that our ultimate hope and home is in Heaven.

Watch this. It’s really great.

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/exile/

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP Saturday, Donate to the Wesley house ministry if you can.

Schedule Your Priorities

THE SCENE:   56 and drizzly
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Seal claps
  • Burger Squat Jumps *
  • Angel crunches
  • Gas pumps
  • Plank jacks
  • Catalina wine mixer

THA THANG:

Mosey to the library quad.  Four corners.  Complete exercises as written – EMOM run a lap around the fountain.  Move quadrants as a group – at the pace of the fastest man.

  • 20 Squat + Box Jump
  • 40 BBS
  • 60 Lunge pulses
  • 80 Merkins

Mosey to the playground – max pull-ups.

Mosey to the amphitheater.  Pyramid.  30 seconds each.  Round 1 do exercise 1, Round 2 do exercises 1 and 2, Round 3, do 1, 2, and 3…etc.

  1. Stretch OYO
  2. Boggart Circle **
  3. SSH
  4. Mountain climbers
  5. Burger Jump Squats *
  6. Gas pumps
  7. Catalina wine mixer
  8. Angel crunches
  9. Plank hip dips
  10. Body builders

MARY:

Only had time for this week’s plank challenge – 80 seconds

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 8 of the best men that I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Word this morning starts in Mathew 8… It’s soon after Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.  He and his follows were in Capernaum, getting ready to leave.  A disciple comes and says, “first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus responded, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”  That seems kind of harsh, Jesus.

I was reading in a couple of commentaries – Ellicott’s and Barnes’ – that the word “dead” is used in this passage in two different senses.  The Greek term, nekrous, can mean “dead; corpse” – but it can also be used to express indifference toward a thing; or, rather, to show that a thing has no influence over us.  Roman 7, “dead to the world…”, “dead to the law…” – Romans 6 “dead to sin…” – those all use the term nekrous – to mean “not influenced by”.

So, perhaps, Jesus is using a play on words to say, “Let people who are uninterested in my work – people who are indifferent to spiritual things – let THEM perform routine duties.”  The statement implies… “so that you can spend your time living a higher calling.” Jesus and his band of misfits were healing the sick (!), raising the dead (!), casting out demons (!)…let someone who is not interested in those things do the lower conventional duties (or leave them undone).

Everyone has a finite amount of focus, time, and energy.  We need to prioritize the higher things over the lower things. 

I’m reminded of a Stephen Covey principle, “put first things first”.  He talks about the 4 quadrants that we can use our time – and implores us to convert our Q3 time (where most of us spend the majority of our time) into Q2 time.  In a nutshell…don’t spend all of your time doing unimportant urgent things.  Sacrifice those things so that you can focus on important non-urgent things. 

Here are a couple of Covey quotes;

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

What are the Q2 things?  Not urgent – but important?  Things like;

  • Spending time reading and praying, because that brings me life and then I can offer my best to others…
  • Spending time playing with my kids, because I know that I’ll blink and they’ll be grown…
  • Making time to make love with my wife (hard with a baby in the house), because otherwise we feel a lack of connection to each other…
  • Going to bed early so you can make the F3 workouts and spend time with your F3 brothers

Challenge:  Sometime this week, sacrifice (or delegate) a routine responsibility so that you can do something that is not urgent – but is important.  I’d love to see you respond to the BB thread and let us know what it is you did.  Something like,

  • “I left the clothes in the dryer for a few hours so that I could play with my kids before they went to bed.”
  • “I wanted to spend more time with my pillow, but I rolled out of bed to make the F3 workout”
  • “I paid a guy to come replace my water heater so that I could spend my Saturday catching up with friends who I haven’t seen in a year.”

Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

MOLESKIN:

* Burger Squat Jump:  T-Claps to Guardrail for naming this exercise!  A “Burger Squat Jump” is a wide squat, jump and bring your feet narrow, narrow squat, jump and put your feet back wide.  That’s one.  In-N-Out…

** Boggart Circle:  T-Claps to Cross-check for naming this!  It started out as us doing 30 seconds of SSH in a circle…  Impromptu and out of boredom, we started a thing…  One man would call the name of a man across from him, then they would do traveling SSH to switch sides with each other.  Since we did this 8 times total, later versions got crazy with rotating SSH, dosey-doe movements…it was totally riddikulus – which is how it got the name. (Sidebar: Pool Boy likes Harry Potter but hates SSH…I wonder what he’ll think of the Boggart Circle?).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

CSAUP this Saturday!