F3 Knoxville

Tag: Guppy

Everything You Need To Know You Learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten

THE SCENE: Sunny, around 70, and humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 42 (21 on a 4 ct)

Arm circles forward x 21 (4 ct)

Arm circles backward x 21 (4 ct)

Overhead clap x 43 (single ct)

Little of this and that and that and this

Some standing Michael Phelps

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Rocky Mtn High (every light do a burpee) – 7s – incline merkins with a clap at the top, imperial walkers (4 ct) at the bottom

Mosey to Everest (every light do a burpee) – Do 42 merkins at the bottom, run to the top where the rock pile used to be and do 43 merkins

Mosey to Grinch Hill – 7s – squats at the bottom, captain thors at the top

Mosey to Tree of Life – Hokey Pokeys – 21 each leg, Rowkins (or merkin rows) – 43

Mosey to Small Pavilon (Crawdad dubbed it the Stirrups since Hands was the one who introduced the location to F3) – 7s – pull-ups and merkins

Mosey to Pavilon – 7s – pull-me-ups on the picnic tables and box jumps

Mosey back to the AO via Baby Everest

MARY:

Not much time left for Mary, but we did 43 LBCs and then merkins until the last 30 seconds or so ran out

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 total, including Veggie and Jumbo but their tags don’t show up
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about the divisiveness that is prevalent in the world today.  We need to be part of the solution, not the problem.  Some things to consider:

“You should always go through life working on the assumption that the other guy might be right.”  Senator Howard Baker, Jr.

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”  Romans 16:17-18.

Read the Sneetches by Dr. Suess and pay close attention to Sylvester McMonkey McBean.

Don’t be McBean.  Be the person who helps find equality and common ground, not the person who takes advantage of situations and profits off of others.

Remember what you learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten and the world will be a better place.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Title IX, Mrs. Lillydipper, Lulu’s mom/Veggie‘s grandmother, and Mrs. Choir Boy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Giving Tree

THE SCENE: Mid 80s, cloudy, humid as all get out.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 10 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.

WARM-O-RAMA:

-Motivators, 7-CT decreasing

– 10 Windmills, 4-ct IC

– 25 Grady Corns , 4-ct IC

– 10 Imperial Squat Walkers 4-ct IC

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Coliseum circle in front of admin building:

Modified KRAKEN with 4 cones (“X”s on sidewalk).  Do 5 reps of each exercise, then run around circle PLUS ONE cone, do 10 reps, etc. increasing the reps by 5 at each cone until you finish with 20 of each at the last cone.

  • EXERCISES: PLANK JACKS / SHOULDER TAPS (2-CT)/ Carolina Dry Docks

MOSEY to the dingy little parking lot to the south.  Get a BATTLE BUDDY for THREE BY FIVES.  One partner will be in the “bullpen” slowly running back and forth, while the other partner runs to the Stop sign and does two exercises, then runs back.  Start with 5 reps of both exercises and increase by 5, for three trips doing 5x/10x/15x of the exercises.  The three sets of exercises are:

  1. Peter Parkers (2-ct) / Half-Burpees
  2. Star Jumps / Iron Mikes
  3. Gas Pumps / American Hammers

Mosey to the edge of the lawn in front of the admin building.  25 AMERICAN HAMMERS (4-ct, IC)

BERNIE to the steps of admin building

40 CALF RAISES on steps, OYO

AYG back to the AO.

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein was one of my favorite books when I was a child.  It was about a boy and a tree, and their special relationship.  Early on, the boy swings from the branches and eats apples provided by the tree and loves the tree so much that he carves “Me + Tree” into the bark.  As he gets older, he still comes to the tree, but less often, and not so much for friendship, but because he wants things.  Apples to sell.  Wood (which he chops down) for a house and boat.  The tree is happy to give everything for the “Boy”, but is also sad because they spend less time together, and the Boy leaves as soon as he has what he wants.  When he is an old man, he comes back to the tree one last time.  But the tree has nothing left to give, as it is only a stump.  The old man says that’s all he wants, just a place to sit down.  The tree has is able to give him this last gift.  And for that, it is happy.

Some see this story as an allegory for selfless Christian love.  Pope Francis recently said the following about how natural entities do not benefit from their own qualities themselves, but rather provide for others (from Jan Neece, Lilydipper’s wife’s FB page):

 “Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is…Life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.”

From Tank’s FB page… (Matt 22:34-40)

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Challenge for today: go show some love to a random person today by being kind and doing something for them.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mrs. Lilydipper as she completes her chemo.  Happy 18th Birthday to Curveball’s daughter.  Prayers for Steam and his dad as they lead the effort for some community improvement efforts in Johnson City.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Q101 in the Scorching Fake Gloom

THE SCENE: Hot enough to melt your face off… think of that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the bad guy sees the ark’s contents. 97 degrees at LEAST with probably a 110 degree heat index. It sucked.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Introduced myself as Q and Lilydipper as Co-Q for a Q101 beatdown that will include some commentary during the workout to reinforce the F3 standards of what we do and why we do it.

Done, with explanations as to what the components are and why we do it, including:

– Call out TIME WARNING (2 mins, 1 min) and START ON TIME.

– Carry a WATCH and PHONE!

–  WELCOME to F3! FITNESS, FELLOWSHIP, AND FAITH!!

INTRODUCE yourself! You will be leading these men for the next 45 minutes to an hour, establish yourself as their Q!

– IDENTIFY ANY FNGs

  1. Make sure they understand the disclaimer (get a nod of understanding)
  2. Make sure you demonstrate exercises that may be unfamiliar to them.
  3. Make them feel welcome! Pay special attention to their status during the workout.

–  Include LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:

  1. I am not a professional
  2. You are here on your own volition, and participating at your own risk
  3. F3 is a free program open to all men
  4. Know your limits, and modify if you need to, but do the best you can! ALWAYS GIVE 100%… UNLESS YOU’RE DONATING BLOOD!  Ha Ha Ha.
  5. Additional COVID-related disclaimers. 1. Limit of 50 PAX, 2. No sharing of equipment; gloves recommended, 3. If you’ve been sick, or around someone who’s sick, please stay home. 4. Maintain social distancing.


WARM-O-RAMA:
Performed exercises that would demonstrate various counts and focused on 1.) getting the heart rate up, 2.) stretching the legs, and 3.) stretching the arms.

– TAKE CHARGE!

  1. Make eye contact
  2. Use your “outside voice”
  3. Use GOOD FORM
  4. Bring great ENERGY and ENCOURAGE!

– The Warm up usually consists of 4 to 5 exercises designed to get the heart rate going and provide some stretching of the arms and legs. Call out:

  1. The NAME of the exercise
  2. Whether it’s single count or in cadence
  3. “Ready position”… “Exercise!”
  4. Change cadence on the final rep.

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Steve Earls (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 calf raises, SINGLE COUNT

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

THA THANG is the main part of the workout, and usually consist of 3 to 5 “stations”, where you mosey to and then do an exercise (“String of Pearls”). Keeps the PAX together and provides some variation.

– PLAN OUT the workout ahead of time!

– Keep an eye on your TIME

– EXPLAIN CLEARLY and ENCOURAGE

– If you can’t Q it, don’t do it!  Not a “clipboard” program where the Q sits out

– Be FLEXIBLE!

– Make sure everyone is always ACTIVE! Give the rabbits something to do if they finish first.

– Situational awareness! Pay attention to the PAX. Sweep back to get the 6. NO man left behind!!

MOSEY to the parking lot below the Coliseum.

DORAS: These are a common type of exercise used in F3 where you pick a battle buddy and work towards a cumulative goal, like reps of an exercise.  RABBITS, Help out with the reps of others!

One partner runs a loop up the stairs and around while the other starts the exercises.  Each pair shall complete the total number:

  • 100 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 100 Big Boy Situps
  • 100 Lunges (2-count; only count the left leg)

** Turned the beatdown over to the great and powerful Lilydipper!!**

Mosey to the shaded parking lot across the street from the Northern Ball Fields Entryway parking lot.

We will do four corners with the following exercises:

Corner 1:  20 Star Jumps.  Then Bear Crawl to Corner 2.

Corner 2:  20 Big Boy Sit-Ups.  Then Bernie Sanders to Corner 3.

Corner 3:  20 Merkins.  Then Lunge to Corner 4.

Corner 4:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct).  Then Sprint to Corner 1.

Rinse and Repeat.

Next we will take a short mosey to beginning of the Dragon Tail.  We will do Route 66 up the Dragon Tail with the following exercises. (Note:  Those finishing the last light of the Dragon Tail will sweep men back to start the Dragon Tail again with the next exercise.)

  • Squat Jumps
  • Dive Bombers
  • Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)

(We only finished the first one due to time). Mosey to Shady Tree area by stoplight at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to AO.
MARY:
20 Hello Dollies

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:

One thing that many of us worry about in regarding to Q’ing a workout is giving the message, the BOM, at the end of the workout. We might think “I can’t speak the way that some people can.”  “I don’t have anything wise or good to say.”  “I’m not religious enough.”  “I will screw it up.”

You don’t have to deliver a long speech for the BOM.  Also, you need not know the bible well or deliver a message that must pass religious muster.  Just speak about something you have learned, something important to you, something that might help others.  Not everyone will respond the same way but I can almost guarantee that some of your brothers will get something out of your message.  I personally love hearing what different brothers have to say, the little pearls of life wisdom they can share with me.  And, as for your ability to speak well, thing about Moses, the great leader of the Israelites that led them from Egypt to Isreal:

From Exodus 4: 10-12

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

As to worrying about screwing up, your brothers are on your side no matter what.  And, screwing up is what we do.  Think of Abraham Lincoln.  The following list is from an article by Ron Kurtus:

A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes) is:

  • 1831 – Lost his job
  • 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
  • 1833 – Failed in business
  • 1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
  • 1835 – Sweetheart died
  • 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
  • 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
  • 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
  • 1846 – Elected to Congress (success)
  • 1848 – Lost re-nomination
  • 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
  • 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
  • 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
  • 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
  • 1860 – Elected President (success)

The fact is that we are supposed to screw up as leaders.  That is how we learn and how we grow.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
GrowSchool to immediately follow the workout.  CSAUP this week-end at the Dog Pound, 6:30 am Saturday. Asylum PM is trying to break the attendance record on Tuesday to send Title IX out in style!

Leaders Eat Last

THE SCENE: 92 and full of sunshine
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
15x Side Straddle Hops, 10x Imperial Walkers, 5x Cherry Pickers, A little bit of this, little bit of that, 10x Rockettes

THA-THANG:

Four Corners

CORNER ONE:  Round 1: 25X CMU Curls, Round 2: 25X CMU Bench Press, Round 3: 20x of Both

CORNER TWO:  Round 1: 20X Freddy Mercury’s (4-count), Round 2: 20X Rocky Balboas, Round 3: 10x of Both

CORNER THREE:  Round 1: 25X CMU Good Mornings, Round 2: 25X CMU Rows, Round 3: 20x of Both

CORNER FOUR:  Round 1: 20X Box Cutters, Round 2: 20X LBCs, Round 3: 10x of Both

With COVID rules, we can’t share CMUs.  So…you get to take it with you.

Mosey to the winding hill. At light pole #1, 10x incline Big Boys, at light pole #2, 10x decline Merkins, alternate to the top, rinse and repeat

Mosey towards the AO. 10x bear crawl, 10x lunges, rise and repeat, empty the tank sprint to the bat box.

MARY:

Freddy Mercury’s,H ello Dollies, American Hammers, Plank

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

Obviously the world has a lot of things going on these days.  A lot of bad things.  A lot of the things people want to see changed.  But, a lot of people want to just snap their fingers and have it all fixed. They want to go to bed one night in a world full of problems, then wake up the next morning with all those problems solved.

This got me thinking about leading during troubled times and one of my favorite books, “Leaders Eat Last”, by Simon Sinek.  In his book he writes:

“Good leadership is like exercise.  We do not see any improvement to our bodies with day-to-day comparisons.  In fact, if we only compare the way our bodies look on a given day to how it looked on the previous day we would think our efforts had been wasted.  It’s only when we compare pictures of ourselves over a period of weeks or months that we can see a stark difference.  The impact of leadership is best judged over time.”

This resonates with me right now.  Because right now the world needs SUSTAINED leadership.  Not quick fix leadership.  Not a few leaders focusing on the next news cycle.  Not a few leaders saying, “Look what I did”   Right now we need millions of leaders.  Leaders who are more concerned with making an impact than they are with making headlines.  Leaders who are focused on making a difference and improving the lives of our fellow human beings.

Sometimes we all want to see a more immediate impact from our efforts.  But, sometimes that’s just not the timeline the world is on.  More often than not we’re part of the timeline where we’re pushing a giant boulder up a mountain.  It’s actually rare to be the one who pushes it over the top.  With it being unlikely that we will get any recognition for our efforts it becomes imperative to remember why we are pushing that boulder up that mountain.

And, to remember that when results come slowly that we cannot give up.  That our efforts have not been wasted.  And, that our leadership is best judged over time.  We have to remember why we are serving as leaders.  We have to remember it’s all to make the world a better place for our fellow human beings.

“Leadership is not a license to do less.  It’s a responsibility to do more.  Leadership takes work.  It takes time and energy.  The effects are not always easily measured and they are not always immediate.  But, leadership is always a commitment to human beings.”  ~ Simon Sinek

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
GROW School / Q101 at AsylumPM Thursday.  CSAUP on Saturday.  Title9’s last post before leaving to Oregon will be July 21st.  We plan to set an AsylumPM attendance record for him.

The Lord Is In This Place Although We May Not Know It

THE SCENE: Thunderstorms initially but clearing after we got started
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
We met at Northern Ball Fields Pavilion instead of Admin Bldg parking lot due to the initial thunderstorm.  We started with:  20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Picnic Table Pull-ups, 10 Bench Dips, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Cherry Pickers, Arm Swings, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot with islands in it that is south of northern ball fields.  Stop to do 20 American Hammers.  Mosey to CMU Pile.  Each man grabs one CMU.  There will be cones placed in the CMU Pile parking lot and the shady parking lot directly across the street.  We will make the circuit of cones four times.  These are the exercises at each cone:

  • Cone 1:  (with CMUs) 1. 25 Overhead Presses  2. 25 Curls  3. 25 Squats  4. 25 Rows  (Bernie to Cone 2 )
  • Cone 2:  1. 20 Curb Jumps  2. 10 Burpees  3. 20 Squat Jumps  4. 20 Bobby Hurleys  (Run to Cone 3)
  • Cone 3:  1. 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct)  2. 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)  3. 20 Box Cutters  4. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct) (Bear Crawl to Cone 4)
  • Cone 4:  1. 20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1) 2. 20 Mountain Climbers (both legs = 1)  3. 10 Burpees 4. 20 Plank Jacks (High Knees to Cone 5)
  • Cone 5:  1. 10 Hand Release Merkins 2. 20 Merkins 3. 20 Big Boys 4. 15 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1) (Lunge to Cone 6.)
  • Cone 6. 1. 10 Burpees.  40 Baby Crunches.  3. 20 Diamond Merkins.  4. 20 Carolina Dry Docks.  (Butt Kick to Cone 7).
  • Cone 7:  1. Run to top of Mini Cardiac (to the crosswalk) and then run back to Cone 1.  2, 3 and 4.  Same as above.

Go back to CMUs that are at Cone 1.  Do the following exercises with CMUs, running to curb at other side of parking lot and back after each exercise:

  • 25 Overhead Presses
  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Squats
  • 25 Rows

Replace CMUs.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
We had 13 men with no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Examining What We Take For Granted

In our lives we need to take a close look, more often than what we usually do, at the things we take for granted.  This Coronavirus Epidemic has been a reminder to me, and I know it has to you as well, of things that we take for granted.  Hugging our friends.  Standing together for a picture.  For me, going to Coffeeteria with my buddies.  Watching Current sporting events on television.  Going to a good old crowded restaurant, even if you have to wait to be seated. Feeling the jostle and enthusiasm of sitting with fans at a sporting event.  Going to a live music concert.  For some of us, staying in a hotel.  Going up to greet a neighbor without having to stand a social distance away from them.  Dropping your kids off at school without worrying about what the school will look like, how your children will keep their masks on, whether they may be exposed to Covid-19, or whether school might have to close again.  Finding what you want at a grocery store.  Helping out an old man or lady without scaring them because you might expose them to “you know what.”  The fact is, we are blessed with so much that we rarely take a close look at.  It sometimes takes awful events, tragedy or pandemics to make us truly see.  I know Pinto always loved coming to F3 workouts but I guarantee he thinks on it more poignantly because he is suffering Multiple Myeloma.  I know Filter will yearn for F3 now that he tore his Achilles.  I know Thunderstruck has always loved his mother but I think now of how he relishes the days with her knowing she has cancer.  My wife’s breast cancer has certainly brought home the idea of how much she means to me.

Even in this difficult year of 2020 we can look to see the ways we are blessed.  In those awful days in late March and April when I couldn’t work out with you guys, it sure helped me to just sit on my porch and watch the birds.  To see the flowering trees and bushes.  We may not be able to go to movie theaters or watch live sporting events but we can certainly spend meaningful time with our families.  The mountain, the stars, the cool breeze on a hot summer day, the blue sky, the smell or rain, the wandering animals, even the tiny little crawling insects are still there for us to observe or experience.  I encourage you to just take some time now and then to be thankful for it.  And, thank our Lord for it.  He is still there, he is still Majestic, even in 2020.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Crispr’s father who just had total knee replacement surgery; for Thunderstruck’s mom as she continues with chemotherapy and for Lillydipper’s wife as she continues with chemotherapy.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We will have Q101 at Asylum PM on Thursday, June 16.  Don’t forget CSAUP at Dog Pound on June 18.