F3 Knoxville

Steam Can’t Count Because He’s Not A Professional, But It Was Still A Pretty Good Q

[ The Scene ]

TBSIA (The Best Sunrise In America) was slowly beginning to arrive on the scene.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness, Fellowship, Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
  • A few things before we begin however:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so. But in that moment of potential modification ask yourself this question: CAN I DO BETTER? Then ask the HIM on your left and right if they can as well.

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • Motivator: 5 (Steam can’t count to 5 for Motivators so he will need a Q101 soon)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 F / 10×4 B
  • Mountain Climber: 10×4
  • Merkin: 10×4

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey to the flagpole)

(1) Flagpole — 5s

  • 5 Xs: 25 reps on a 1 count
    • SSH
    • Merkin
    • Squat
    • LBC
    • American Hammers
  • 5 stations
    • Flagpole: 25 SSH
    • Corner 1 of parking lot: 25 merkins
    • Corner 2 of parking lot: 25 squats
    • Corner 3 of parking lot: 25 LBCs
    • Corner 4 of parking lot: 25 AHs
  • The movements
    • 5 rounds
    • Doing your SSHs here, running to corner 1 and doing that exercise, running back here, and rinse and repeat what you just did, but adding the next corner into the mix
    • For example: SSH, merkins, squats — back to the flagpole
    • Adding a corner each time until you’ve done all 4 corners in one round
  • Recover back here when you’re done

(Mosey to The 3 Strands)

(2) The 3 Strands

  • Strand 1 (Far Left) — run to the other side + execute 5 man-makers + run back on strand 1
  • Strand 2 (Middle) — run to the other side + execute 10 man-makers + run back to the other side
  • Strand 3 (Far Right) — run to turn other side + execute 15 man makers + run back to the other side
  • You’re always starting on this side, and running back to this side after the man-makers

(Mosey to The Dock)

(3) The Dock

  • Core 4 25×4
    • LBCs
    • Cockroaches
    • Flutter kicks
    • Reverse BBS

(Mosey back to the Pavilion)

  • 10 step ups
  • Run to the parking lot (AO)
  • Execute 50 SSH (1 count)
  • Rinse and Repeat

[ Mary ]

Down + Back sprints and squats and merkins across the parking lot

Cash-Out: ATMs

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

[ The Zelensky Leadership Model ]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s response to a potential airlift from the U.S., in light of Russia invading Ukraine, has gotten a lot of attention and spotlight over the past week or so. Here was Zelensky’s response: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Take the politics, the names, positions, locations out of this and what do you have? You have an incredible leadership principle +  model. In this specific situation, you have a leader asking for the tools to stay in the fight, rather than taking the first chance to get out. And don’t we do the opposite of this in our lives sometimes?

If you subscribe to the Christian faith, here’s what this can sound like, at least for me sometimes:

“God if you would just airlift me out of this situation.”

“God please get me out of this.”

If you don’t, and more culturally speaking, the soundtrack of this goes something like this:

“That’s not my job/problem.”

“This is a sign that this isn’t what the universe has for me.”

—versus—

“God supply me what I need to stay in the fight.”

“God – you have me here for a reason. Please supply me with the tools to do your will.”

—Or—

“What tools do I have at my disposal to attempt to make this situation better?”

So what is the “ammunition” that helps us keep the faith + fight the good fight, even when the fight we’re in seems insurmountable? If you’re a follower of Jesus is the Bible or the word of God. So then we take this leadership principle from Zelensky and ask ourselves “Am I asking for ammunition to fight the enemy or simply looking and waiting for a way out?” 

Takeaway: The world needs more High Impact Men that are willing to stay in the fight and ask for the ammo/tools to battle, than jump ship after the first shot is fired. Because here’s what HIM do: 3 things

  • They don’t flee from the fight, they stay rooted in the darkest of night
  • They don’t look for an extraction point, they find and create rallying points
  • They don’t escape, they elevate

Quit looking for rides out and start asking for ammunition to stay rooted where you are.

Shamrock – Pass it on

THE SCENE: Cold / Dark
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Run in circle

Side shuffle then reverse 

High knees

Butt kicks

Side Straddle hop (IC) 4 CT x 25

T-bombs

Buns of steel balance (lean forward balancing on 1 foot with other leg balancing you behind, then do 4-count little up and down moves with rear leg while trying to maintain balance. We did 2 sets of 10 per side.

Stretch 

THA-THANG:

Mosey to grab CMUs – carry them to the playground – 

Partner up 

Swingset – 20 – pullups / CMU rows    2 rounds 

Picnic shelter – 25 curls / step-ups or jump ups – 2 rounds 

Bus lot- 25 CMU Tricep extensions  / Side Straddle Hops – 2 rounds 

Return CMUs

Mosey to football field for 4 corner abs  

Corner 1 – 25 – single count hammers

Corner 2 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks

Corner 3 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks / 75 cockroaches 

Corner 4 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks / 75 cockroaches / 25 Big Boys

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA – 8
Voo Doo, Skid Mark, Honeydew, Mermaid, Curveball, Slappy, Spittoon, Anchorman,
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Booster talked about the example of sacrifice that Jesus gave us. That has stuck with me so I spent some time looking up quotes about sacrifice. 

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.” Mitch Albom – author

Time, attention, money, love, family time. 

 

Shamrock F3 vs. FiA Workout

  • THE SCENE: Shamrock. Weather high 30’s clear morning
    F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
    WARM-O-RAMA:
  • 20 X SSH
  • 10 X Merkins
  • 15 X Forward Baby Arm Circles
  • 16 X Reverse Baby Arm Circles (apparently I lost count)
  • 10 X Tempo Squats

THA-THANG:
The workout was a Tabata Timed workout with :40 seconds of workout at :20 seconds of rest 3 sets of each exercise.  The exercises listed below were a mixture of FiA workouts “borrowed” from my wife “Rapking,” and F3 staples. I had a random list of music playing so that when a song mentions men we would do a workout from the F3 side. When the music mentions women in the song we did a FiA workout. The only exception was Aerosmiths “Dude Looks Like a Lady” this song was the wild card and you could pick any exercise to complete. Some of the songs were “Man I feel Like a Woman,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “Watta Man.”

F3 List

  • Merkins
  • Curls
  • Overhead Press
  • Big Boy Sit-up
  • Snow Angels
  • Tricep Press

FiA List

  • Goblet Squats
  • Freddy Mercury
  • Plank
  • Flutter Kicks
  • Calf Raises
  • Lunges

 

MARY:
10 X Little Baby Crunches
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The message in the workout is to not assume that a female workout is less intense or not as effective as a male workout. This message should be carried over in common life as well, and to never take for granted the importance of your partners role in a relationship. A relationship should not be dominated by one person and instead needs to be a team effort with equal input and contribution. Also today is the start of Lent for most faiths and is practiced by many. Always remember to never take the women in your life for granted and to treat them with the utmost respect just as a HIM should, but also don’t assume that the females are the weaker sex, the workout should be an indication of just how strong most women in our lives can be.

MOLESKIN:
We did say a prayer for Mermaid’s and Anchorman’s friends who are both going through major medical issues in their life. We prayed to keep them and their family strong during this very stressful time in their life.

Find A Dry Spot

[ The Scene ]

  • Cold, wet, rainy, but Friday

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I‘ll be your QIC this morning
  • A few things as we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning, feel free to do so! But here is what this is not: an excuse to modify if you’re tired or sore. Here’s what this is: a call to action to push a little harder, a little longer, and encourage the man on your left and right to do the same.
  • FNGs?

[ Warm o Rama ]

***Everything on a 1 count***

  • 25 SSH
  • 10 merkins
  • 25 SSH
  • 10 squats
  • 25 SSH
  • 10 Rockettes
  • 25 SSH
  • 10 Imperial Walkers
  • 25 SSH

[ The Thang ]

  • Mosey to the CMU pile

(1) 25s

  • 25 curls (1ct)
    • Carry it to the street
    • 25 BBS
    • Carry it back to CMU site
  • 25 chest presses (1ct)
    • Carry it to the street
    • 25 BBS
    • Carry it back to the CMU pile
  • 25 dips (1ct)
    • Carry it to the street
    • 25 BBS
    • Carry it back to the CMU pile
  • 25 rows (1ct)
    • Carry it to the street
    • 25 BBS
    • Carry it back to the CMU pile
  • 25 incline merkins
    • Carry it to the street
    • 25 BBS
    • Carry it back to the CMU pile
  • Drop CMUs

(Mosey back to AO)

(2) 50s

  • POC 1: AO
    • 50 LBCs
    • Run to POC 2
  • POC 2: Entrance to the school
    • 50 calf raises
    • Run to POC 1
  • Rinse + Repeat 3x, for a total of 300 reps on total.

[ Mary ]

Front/Back (100)

  • 10 merkins
  • 10 LBCs
  • 10 Carolina dry docks
  • 10 American hammers
  • 10 mountain climbers
  • 10 flutter kicks
  • 10 pickle pounders
  • 10 shoulder taps
  • 10 cockroaches
  • 10 merkins

Down/Backs

  • 10×4 squats
    • Karaoke down/karaoke back
  • 10×4 squats
    • 50% sprint + back
  • 10×4 squats
    • 75% sprint + back
  • 10×4 squats
    • 100% sprint and back

Stretching With Steam (SWS)

[ COT ]

  • # off — 7 
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs — 0
  • BOM

I am a product of the men of F3 Knoxville’s leadership and faithfulness. When I started with F3 6 years ago, I was just some college kid that was wasting his life away. Through the High Impact Men of F3, I was shown a different way. Surrounding myself with high impact fathers, husbands, leaders, and men helped me grow into the man I am today. And that is something I will never be able to payback. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

Flying in Stormy Conditions

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp in low 20s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Twisties, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and 7 Backward, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign by the road that head to the Coliseum.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey on the perimeter trail to where it curves left by Lyons Bend Road.  We will do 10 Tempo Squats.

Next, we will run up Roadshow Run to the roadway that semi-circles around the Admin Bldg.  Each man shall stop to do 5 burpees at the top of each of the three sets of stairs on Roadshow Run.  At the roadway, men should alternate between Merkins and Big Boy Sit-ups until the six arrives.

Mosey to the stairs at the front of the Admin Bldg.  We will run counterclockwise around the loop that goes between the Admin Bldg and the Coliseum.  We will stop at the following locations to do these exercises:

  • Stairs to Admin Bldg:  20 Calve Raises
  • Southern Curve of Loop:  20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • Benches at Coliseum:  20 Bench Dips
  • Northern Curve of Loop:  20 Star Jumps
  • Rinse and Repeat two more times.

Mosey south to roadway and then to old apartments.  We will do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to southern parking lot.  We will run to the cones set out in parking lot. At each cone, men should turn around and bear crawl for three parking spaces.  Then turn back around and run to next cone.  Do this until last cone where, once again, men should turn around and bear crawl three parking spaces.  The rabbits who finish shall run back to starting spot, sweeping men with them.  Rinse and repeat.

Do again but hop the three parking spaces.  Then, do again but lunge the three parking spaces.

Mosey to entrance to the Caribbean parking lot.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to parking lot near playground.  We will do 10 Rocky Balboa (4 ct).

Mosey to AO.  At the AO we will split into two teams.  The first man of each team will throw a frisbee toward the cone near the opposite curb.  Whoever is closest wins.  His team gets to watch while all members of the other team must sprint to the opposite curb and back, retrieving the frisbees.  Then the second man of each team compete and the procedure starts again.

Run around parking lot two times.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Flying In Cloudy Conditions

An instrument rating is an advanced type of aviation certification enabling pilots to fly rather than be grounded even during cloudy weather and other weather conditions that cause low visibility. The Instrument Flight Rules Rating (IFR) training requirements include 30 hours of pre and post flight ground school, 40 hours of instrument flight training, 50 hours of PIC Cross-Country, and the successful completion of an instrument written exam. It is an excellent addition to a private pilot’s certificate, which by itself leaves the pilot limited to flying only during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

Pilots go through a great amount of training in order to get their private pilot’s certificate to fly.  Despite all the training, that certificate limits the pilot to flying only during conditions where there is nice weather with clear skies.  Clouds, heavy precipitation, low visibility and otherwise adverse conditions are to be avoided.

In order for a pilot to be able to fly during cloudy weather and conditions that cause low visibility the pilot is required to obtain an Instrument Flight Rules Rating.  This requires many more hours of training.  Basically, the pilot must learn the instruments on a plane well enough to fly in conditions where one can’t see out the plane.  That training takes more than just learning what the instruments are.  The pilot must learn to fly while relying on the instruments in flight.  The pilot must not only read the book but put the book to use!

In life, our personal skies are sometimes clear and we can fly full speed ahead.  We can make decisions based on good old logic and we understand well what we are doing.  In life, however, the skies are not always clear.  Sometimes vision gets difficult and sometimes it is hard to see altogether.

Like pilots, we need to rely on something more to get us through difficult times – otherwise, we crash.

At age 65, I have learned to rely on a number of valuable tools to get me through the darkest of times.  First, I rely on the Bible.  It is my “life manual.”  The lessons in it are priceless, give me direction, and teach me who God is.  Second, I rely on teachings from others about the Bible, whether from my attending church, going to Sunday school and bible studies, reading bible commentaries, or discussing the bible with others.  The Bible is a large and complex read.  I can’t rely on my own reading of it alone to fully comprehend its meaning and direct me through the challenges of life.  Third, I rely on practicing the principals I have learned.  Pilots need many hours of training before they get their Instrument Rating and I need many hours of practice myself to manage life’s difficult time.  Living like Jesus isn’t something that you just “do.”  It takes a lifetime of practice to get it right and I am still working on “getting it right.”  It also takes talking to God, through prayer.  Finally, I rely on other people to help me out.  Pilots need to have instructors with them as they are learning to master flying and the use of instruments in cloudy weather.  Commercial pilots need co-pilots sitting beside them.  I rely on others to negotiate my foggy skies and you brothers are some of those I rely on.  I try to gain wisdom from the words of the Q of each BOM I attend.  You guys teach incredible life lessons.  I also know that, when I am in a pinch or feeling lost, I can call on my brothers to help me out.  I have done just that with some of you.

In summary, we need more than our senses to get through the cloudy and dark skies of life.  For me, the Bible, teachings about God’s word, application of God’s word and using the help of Godly people are what I have found necessary to get through the most challenging of times.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Drum Major’s wife and family as his wife’s mother died this last week; prayers for two missionary friends of Crawdad who are serving in Ukraine; prayers for the Special Olympics – Cheatsheet and Lilydipper will be at an event today, the Polar Plunge at the West Town YMCA – registration fees and donations serve the Special Olympics in East Tennessee; prayers for fathers and for the underprivileged who are facing troubles at this time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP on February 26 at 6:30 am, the Asylum.  Also, when registering for the event on Slack, please consider making a donation to the Wesley House.  The link for doing that will be with the CSAUP registration notice.