F3 Knoxville

Sowing Seeds

THE SCENE: Beautiful sunshine and cold, temp in 20’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-Straddle Hops.  10 Burpees.  Ten Cherry Pickers.  8 Burpees.  Ten Windmills.  6 Burpees.  Seven Baby Arm Circles Forwards then Backwards.  4 Burpees.  Seven Wide Arm Circles Forwards then Backwards.  2 Burpees.  Little of this and that.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to trail way that is east of parking lot and which meanders towards the Lyons Bend Gate entrance of the park.  We will do 14’s on the trail until it reaches the roadway that goes to the Lyons Bend Gate.  With the 14’s we will bear crawl one light, then run for four lights, then repeat the pattern until we get to the roadway.

On grass by the roadway we will do 20 Hello Dollies in cadence.  Next we will run and do nickel, dime, quarters (run 1 light, do 5 of exercise, then 2 lights and do 10 of exercise, then 5 lights and do 25 of exercise) with the following exercises:

  • Dive Bombers
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups
  • Merkins

We will stop at the bottom of Mt. Everest.  Here, all men will do 10 Hand Release Merkins, then 40 Baby Crunches, then run up Everest and go all the way to the top of the Space Needle.  Men then run back down the stairs to the Space Needle and meet in parking lot.

Mosey to Area 51 at southeastern side of Admin Bldg.

We will be doing sevens on the starting from the bottom of driveway of area 51 and heading south a distance of about 20 yards.  We will start with 1 Squat Jump and go the 20 yards to do 6 Burpees, then continue with the “sevens” sequence.

Mosey onto roadway and head to parking area by apartments. We will do 20 American Hammers in Cadence

Mosey on roadway to parking lot with nice restrooms.  We will do 20 Flutter Kicks in Cadence.

Mosey to CMU Pile.  Each man grabs CMU.  We will do the following exercises.  Between the exercises we will sprint to the end of the parking lot and back.

  • 25 Overhead Presses
  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Rows
  • 20 Bell Ringers
  • 20 Sit Ups with CMU at chest
  • 20 Decline Merkins with feet on CMU

Mosey to bottom of Mini Cardiac.  We will go uphill to AO.  We will start with Bernie Sanders until we get to green sign, then sprint the rest of the way.

MARY:

10 Sideways Shoulder to Knee Bends on Right Side and 10 Shoulder to Knee Bends on Left Side (Four Count)

.COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight Men, No FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

2 Corinthians 9:10

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

Zechariah 8:12

‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

As a very young boy I can remember planting seeds with my mother in a flower bed before the season of Spring came around.  I was very anxious to see when the flowers would grow.  My mother told me it would take some time but I would go out to the garden each day to look, only to see the same old flower bed with no growth. I forgot about it all after a while.  Then one day, the flowers actually sprouted.  I was filled with excitement and wonder.  Those flowers actually came from the tiny little seeds I had planted!!

We as humans can also plant seeds and watch righteousness spread through what we have planted.  A visit to a person in need, an opening the door for a person at a store, a letter to an old friend, listening intently to someone who has something on their heart to say, paying attention to youth as they approach adulthood, an anonymous gift to another, a compliment given a few times a week to others – these are ways we can plant seeds of righteousness.  And as 2 Corinthians 9:10 indicates, God will multiply and harvest the seeds we have planted.

Sometimes we may plant a seed without even knowing it.  For example, an airlines ticket agent planted a seed for me one time when I was flying from Dallas to Jackson, Mississippi back when I was working as a trial consultant.  I was not really looking forward to the trip and was feeling a little sorry for myself that morning.  I heard the ticket agent talking to a fellow ticket agent at the counter about the movie Patch Adams starring Robin Williams.  Patch Adams was a medical doctor who made it his mission to help others, whether he healed them medically or made them smile and even laugh in the face of their serious illnesses.  I left that ticket counter thinking, you know, I can try to be like that this very day.  I have a difficult job ahead of me but I can choose to be kind to those I meet, to carry a face of strength in grace, to plant a few good seeds here and there.  I felt good for the rest of the trip and was even more confident in my work.  In the way I was choosing to act, I felt like God was behind me.  And, who knows, I may have spread some good seeds along the way.

As HIM’s, we make the choice to do good.  And, we can to that daily.  Keep the idea of planting seeds in your mind today and this week.  And remember that God will harvest your seeds of righteousness.

 

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Hand’s wife and her friends on the trip they are taking to Florida for the week. Prayers for Hands as he parents his sons on his own with the hope they don’t burn the house down!  Prayers for our brothers Messi and Pinto.

A Frigid and Motivated Asylum

THE SCENE: Cold, 22 Degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  I am not a professional, the workout is free, and we are at Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.  I do not know your injuries, so modify as you see fit.

WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry Pickers
Motivator from 10
Around the World Merkins (20)
Baby Arm Circles

THA-THANG:

Reps of 20 for each exercise
Station 1 with Coupons
20 Rows
20 Curls
20 Squat Thrusters
20 Tricep Ext
20 Calf Raises with Coupon
20 BBS with Coupon “Louganis”
Run from station 1 to 2, perform exercises, rinse and repeat
Station 2 at the pavilion
20 Wide Merkins
20 Squat Jumps
20 Picnic Table Dips
20 Diamond Merkins
20 El Capitan to bleachers
20 Picnic Table pull Ups
Mosey to Playground
10 Lunges (each leg) with one leg on the wall
20 Derkins
20 Dips
Mosey Back to AO

MARY:

20 Pickle Pounders
20 Merkins
20 Flutter kicks
20 Hello Dolly’s
20 Box Cutters

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Deuteronomy 6:5
Matthew 22:38
God’s message is the same from Moses, to Jesus, and to us.  Love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul.

MOLESKIN:
NA
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
NA

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:

Lap Dogs

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Insert information about the warmup.
THA-THANG:
Grab a CMU and carry it overhead to the boat. Do tris, presses or curls while we mosey.

At the boat,

  • 10 squat presses
  • 10 super presses (iron mike style)
  • 10 tris
  • 10 curls

run towards the steps side shuffling thru the . Zig zag cones

Mosey down to the bottom steps and then up steps to Dwayne Johnson and do 10 Merkins, 10 4-ct shoulder taps and 10 dry docks.

Mosey towards top of hill above where the boat sat and do suicides at cones.

mosey to restaurant entrance and bear crawl down hill from cone to cone.

run around to boat stopping at cone to do 10 squat jumps, 10 lunges per leg, 10 4-ct imperial walkers.

repeat amlap

Mosey to AO w/CMUs
MARY:

30 flutters

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 PAX
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
You are the only Bible that some unbelievers will ever read.  Try to be the person that represents Christianity well.  People are watching And judging.
MOLESKIN:
Good work by the pax today, good fellowship at coffeteria as well. La-z-Boy “roasts” some good coffee!! Thanks for providing it brother.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Possible F3 backpacking trip this spring???

Where Is Your Sting?

THE SCENE: Cloudy, mid thirties.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

25 Side Straddle Hops.  10 Burpees. 10 Iron Mikes.  10 Windmills.  10 Cherry Pickers.  7 Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward.  7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeastern Corner of Admin Bldg.  We will have cones posted along the road that semicircles around the Admin Bldg.  Each cone will give directions regarding exercises and how to get to the next cone.

  • Cone 1:  20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Diamond Merkins.  Hop to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3.  20 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1).  Gravevine with left foot in lead to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  20 Star Jumps.  Grapevine with right foot in lead to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  20 Squat Jumps.  Sprint to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  20 Flutter Kicks (four count).  Bear Crawl to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7.  20 Smurf Jacks.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 8
  • Cone 8.  20 Merkins, 40 Baby Crunches, 20 Hello Dollies (four count), 20 American Hammers (four count), 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count), 20 Bottle Openers (both hands = 1).

Mosey back to stop sign at Northeastern Corner of Admin Bldg., picking up cones and signs along the way.  We will squat for one minute to quietly contemplate the beauty of the scenery toward the lake.

Mosey to CMU pile.  Men will split into pairs.  One partner from each pair will grab a CMU.  We will do Doras with partner one sprinting to other end of parking lot, doing 10 shin lifts, and sprinting back while partner two starts working on the exercises.  Partners will then switch positions.  These are the exercises that each pair will accomplish:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Bell Ringers
  • 100 Merkins with feet on CMU

Mosey through entrance way gate to northern ball fields.  We will go the ball field that is closest to the entryway and congregate at one end of the marked soccer field in the outfield.  We will throw frisbee three times and race to the frisbee.  We will then race to end of the soccer field and back.  Those men who got the frisbee on the three prior throws will be competing to see who gets a free breakfast from the Q leader. Next, we will split into two teams.  Men will split up to play frisbee football.  Every time the frisbee hits the ground, not only does the possession of the frisbee change to the other team but all team members must do five burpees.  I must give my brother, Waffle House, credit for being the originator of this frisbee/burpee rule.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks, Boat Canoe.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Seventeen men with one FNG, a friend of Toto’s named Marty Mason.  His F3 name is now Tinder.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

Edward Abbey was a park ranger and writer.  As a park ranger for the National Park Service he worked in scarcely populated desert areas of Utah, including the Arches National Park and Canyonlands of Southeastern Utah.  In his book Desert Solitaire, he speaks in one chapter about being alone in a very rocky canyon area in Utah.  Although an experienced ranger, he got lost and was stuck on a rock precipice.  He could make a jump across the precipice to a cliff similar in height but which was in the direction he knew would get him home.  He didn’t know how to get back the way he came even though he had tried to track it.  He was running out of water.  His choice was to either die of thirst where he was or make a huge leap from the precipice to the cliff.  The fall if he failed to reach the cliff would be hundreds of feet and would certainly bring him to his death.  He made the choice to jump and, for some good minutes, started thinking about his life before he made the jump.

What would you think about if you were faced with such a situation?  You are about to make the jump that will either continue or end your life?  What thoughts run through your mind.  Would you think about family?  About things that brought you joy?  Actions or lack of action that you regretted?  Would you wish you could say or do some things you had not yet done in life?  Would you have faith that God would follow you through death if death were to occur?  And, on the chance that you might make the jump, would you see life in a different way afterwards?  Would there be things that you would want to accomplish or do that you had yet to attempt?

Abbey gave a very poignant description of his fear and grief before making the jump.  As a man who loved nature, he thought with appreciation yet longing about the beauty of the world all around him before making the death jump.  Obviously, he made it to the other side as he later wrote the book.

As a man I would have been very scared, just as Abbey was.  As a Christian, I hope I would take comfort in verses like the one in Corinthians above.  I hope I would appreciate my mortality and the gift that God has given us in our short lives here on Earth.  But, I also hope I would realize that my perishable body has been clothed with the imperishable armor of God, that my mortality has become immortality through Him.  Then, even knowing I might fall to my death, I could say, “Death, where is your victory, where is your sting?”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Pele’s shoulder as he took a mean fall and hurt it during the frisbee football game.  Pusher, a physical therapist, said he didn’t dislocate.  Prayers for our brother, Pinto, who is suffering through treatment of multiple myeloma cancer.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New pull up bars that we raised money for will be going up.  We will have an AO launch in Morristown on April 4.