F3 Knoxville

Ode to Coolio

THE SCENE: A balmy 70.  At least it wasn’t raining.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 20 (4 ct IC); 15 Moroccan Nightclubs (4ct IC); Imperial Squat Walkers x 10 (4 ct IC); 5 burpees
THA-THANG:

  • Mosey up toward the Colosseum, stop at the last Stop Sign for 25s – Merkins and 4ct LBCs
  • Keep moseying to the Colosseum for 25s of Dips and 4 ct Squats
  • Mosey down the other side all the way to the Elysium Fields for a Coolio special- high knees, with some drop and rolls in the wet grass.  Mosey to the other side of the field, then sprint back across
  • Mosey to the little chapel for 25s of Merkins and 4ct American Hammers
  • Mosey to the base of Cardiac and start the first part of 25s of CDDs and BBS
    • Bernie to the first turn, second part of the 25s,
    • Bear Crawl to the next turn, third part of the 25s,
    • Sprint to the top and finish the 25s
  • Just enough time to make it back to the AO for the COT

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Love is hard:  From 1 Corinthians 4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”  Those are tough words to live up to, but as HIM, that is what we are called to do, and not just for those closest to us, for our family and friends, but for all.  We will fall short.  Keep striving.
MOLESKIN:
Great to see Pac-Man back in action today.  I enjoyed the company guys.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We don’t have to split up if we have 12 now.

Training for the Beach

THE SCENE: Cool with a nice break in the rain (i.e. perfect)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER (no snot rockets, don’t get close enough to hold hands and swap spit)
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 15, IC;  CP x 5, IC; Tie Fighters, front and back x 15 each way, IC
THA-THANG:
This is a 4 corners workout.  To maintain social distancing protocol, no more than 5 in a corner at a time.  This is a workout scientifically designed to get a HIM ready for the beach.  First order of business is to, one at a time, grab a coupon from the CMU pile.  This is yours for the entire workout.  Because HIMs are the ones to carry all the heavy stuff across the sand to the beach, everybody carries a CMU everywhere they go.  Beach themed music provided.

  • First Corner – 3 exercises:  Curls (for the girls) x 25; Flutter Presses x 25 (2 ct); Goblet Squats x 25
  • Second Corner – 3 exercises:  Superman Swims x 25; CMU rows x 25; Lunges x 25;
  • Third Corner – 3 exercises:  Derkins x 25; American Hammers (with CMU option) x 25 (2ct); More Curls x 25;
  • Forth Corner – 1 exercise.  25 Blockees (it helped to think of the CMU as a cooler full of beer)
  • If you hear Queen’s “Bicycle Race,” stop what you’re doing and hit your six for Freddy Mercury’s the duration of the song (3:01).
  • Complete at least 2 circuits
  • Q calls an audible after 2 circuits to go run a little bit.  Groups split up to run up Baby Everest and down the Dragon or vice versa, stopping at one point to knock out 5 burpees.  Race ensues. Bunny may or may not have taken a short cut to beat Gibbler.  All wagon wheel and finish together at the AO.

MARY:
Just enough time to get to 5/20 on Capt. Thors
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A reflection on a couple of quotes.  From Henry Ford: “He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right.” And from Hallerin Hilton Hill: “Attitude determines altitude.”  Stay positive men!

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mrs. Lillydipper and family, Pinto and family, and for a good, safe summer for everybody but special request for Dung Beetle as he guides the kids of Emerald Youth this summer.

Playlist from the morning:  School’s Out, Alice Cooper; Summertime, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys; Beautiful Girls, Van Halen; Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas; Bicycle Race, Queen; Hot Fun in the Summer Sun, Sly and the Family Stone; Cruel Summer, Bananarama; Rockaway Beach, Ramones; Wipe Out, The Surfaries; The Boys of Summer, Don Henley.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Regular time for Monday.  Pluto will Q and have something special.

Alphabet Workout

THE SCENE:
Cooler, dry.  Faint smell of a freshly surfaced parking lot.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
F3- Fitness Fellowship Faith.  S3 – Safe, Socially Distant, Serious!
WARM-O-RAMA:
We got straight at it.
THA-THANG:
Go through the PAX’s F3 names performing the indicated exercise.  Take a little mosey after each name.  All exercises are 4 count, unless marked.

A Big Boys x 10 (1 count)
B Baby Arm Circles For & Back x 10
C Squats x 10
D 2 minute Mosey
E Bear Crawl to said point
F Burpee x 5
G Plank Jacks x 10
H Monkey Humpers x 10
I Iron Mike x 10
J Pickle Pounders x 10
K Windmill x 10
L Lunges x 10 (each leg)
M American Hammer x 10
N Merkins x 10
O Bernie Sanders to said point
P Carioca (L) to said point and back (R)
Q Crab Crawl to said point
R Freddie Mercury x 10
S Cherry Pickers x 7
T Rocky Balboas x 10
U Diamond Merkins x 10 (Tempo)
V High Knees to said point
W Side Stradle Hop x 10
X Inchworm x 10
Y Flutter Kicks x 10
Z Hand Release Merkin x 10 (1 count)

We did Kentucky, Rainbow, Hands, Hot Tub, Gibbler, Bunny, Cosmo (2) & Rooney

MARY:
Charmin led us in the letters M-A-R-Y

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 Strong today, plus two Ruckers joined us for the BOM

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I think about Kipling’s If from time to time.  It seems apt right now with all that is going on in the world.

If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, 
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;
Don’t beat yourself up too much right now – as Baz Luhrman said
Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind
  The race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bunny – there will be rucking at 5:00 on Monday

The Return to the Gloom

THE SCENE: Thought it was gonna rain – it didn’t. 60s and feeling good. Ruckers finishing up, men gathering up and catching up at the top parking lot used for Asylum Saturday Qs because the normal morning A) lot and parking lot were taped off.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

In full disclosure – there was a lot of rust needed to be shaken off by the Q this morning so the disclaimer was basically non-existent…..caught it when we finished, so that’s what counts right?……..

Welcomed the men BACK to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith

    • Dang it’s good to be back

This is going to look a little different than we’re probably used to – but we’re going to adapt and make it work.

No FNGs


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 10×4 IC
  • Rockette: 10×4 IC
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4 IC
  • Merkins: 10×4 IC
  • Cherry-Picker: 7×4 IC
  • 3 burpees on your own

THA-THANG:

Split the PAX into 2 groups of 7 – 1 with Steam and the other with Charmin for 2 different workout locations to be safe. Workouts/exercises written in chalk for both teams

  1. 10 for 10 + 4 Corners + Pyramid 10 for 10

[ 10 for 10 ]

    • 10 light-posts from top parking lot going down to normal AO parking lot 
    • Every light-post = 10 reps of an exercise
      • Merkins
      • Squats
      • Dry Docks
      • LBCs
      • Imperial Walkers
      • Plank-Jacks
      • Burpees
      • American Hammers
      • SSHs
      • Iron Mikes

[ 4 Corners ]

    • 4 corners of normal AO parking lot
    • C1 = 25 incline merkins
    • C2 = 25 squats
    • C3 = 25 line-hops
    • C4 = 25 merkins

[ Pyramid 10 for 10 ]

    • Going back up the same way we came down except:
      • Every light = # of reps that the light is + the previous light’s exercises and reps
        • For light 1 = 1 SSH
        • For light 2 = 1 SSH + 2 Plank Jacks
        • For light 3 = 1 SSH + 2 Plank Jacks + 3 Burpees
        • So and so forth until you get back to the top and end with 10 merkins (start point)

( Both teams get 30 seconds to breathe and recover —> switch missions/workout locations)

  1. Ping Pong + Fab 5 Crosswalk
    • Parking lot just to the left of the Saturday Morning AO parking lot

[ Ping Pong ]

    • Cash-In = 25 SSHs (1 count)
    • Run to 1st light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 incline merkins on curb
    • Duck Walk to 2nd light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 squats (1 count)
    • Bernie Sanders to 3rd lightpost in the small parking lot
      • 25 dips on the curb
    • Bear Crawl to 4th light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 flutter kicks  (4 count)

[ The Fab 5 ]

  • 5 cross-walk lines:
    • 1st = 10 merkins
    • 2nd = 20 squats
    • 3rd = 30 Dry Docks
    • 4th = 40 flutter kicks (2 count)
    • 5th = 50 SSHs (1 count)
  • Run to the middle of the parking lot
    • 5 merkins — straight into 5 dry docks — straight back into 5 merkins — straight into 5 dry docks
  • Cash-Out: 25 SSHs (4 count)

(both groups finish about the same time and recover in the starting parking lot)

  • 2 teams of 7 split up – 1 team in 1 corner of the lot and the other in the opposite corner of the lot
  • 2 teams take turn calling out/leading an exercise for 25 reps either on a 1 count or 4 count — then sprinting to the next corner = around the world
  • 1 around the world later — Q calls to circle up – time to end strong
    • 10×4 flutter kicks
    • 15×4 SSHs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Did the count off/name-o-rama from an extended distance

14 PAX – No FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

“Entertain the idea that there’s a possibility that what you’re going through is not about you.”

MOLESKIN:

 

Luke 22:31-32

“”Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

We have been shaken up, we are being shaken up, and we will continue to be shaken up by an enemy who seeks to exhaust us. The devil knows he can’t win, he can’t destroy us or our faith, but he can work tirelessly to exhaust us in our faith, our relationships, our work, our calling and our purpose. But in the process of being shaken up and sifted – we start to let go of things, start to let things fall off that maybe we didn’t realize were on us – start to become more refined and attuned to being men after God’s own heart. 

Entertain the fact that there’s a possibility of what you’re going through is not about you. What if you’re going through this (fill in the bank of something you’re going through) so that you can gain and renew your strength and in turn help someone else through something. Maybe what you’re going through right now has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with how it’s shaping and refining you to further step into kingdom roles as a HIM.

Don’t run or try to fight being shaken by the enemy! Embrace it as a way to test and strengthen yourselves and your faith as HIM so that when the time comes – your strength will be divinely utilized for someone else.

    • “….and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
    • As He renews your strength and faith and guides you through life – don’t let it just become stagnant —> internalize and externalize that to strengthen a brother/sister/those around you. Sounds pretty similar to “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” IT’S TRUE.

Last thing: As you walk through whatever you’re walking through and go through whatever you’re going through, entertaining the idea that this may have nothing to do with you, also entertain the idea that you, as a High Impact Man, are walking/going through this for a purpose – for such a time as this. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • F3 Dad’s Camp coming up later this year – reach out to Gibbler for more info
  • F3 Hike coming up on Saturday, May 16th – look at the event in the main F3 GroupMe – reach out to Steam or Abscess for more info
  • F3 Morristown Launch is BACK ON: Saturday, June 6 – more info to come
  • Prayer Requests
    • Those who are out of a job and/or looking for a job
    • Lillydipper and his family
    • BlueBird’s son – interview today
    • Pac Man’s sister/family – walking through the loss of a loved one
    • Health & Safety of our region and families

Tour de 11s in the Fog

THE SCENE: Dark, gloomy, foggy, ruckers and their headlights popping in and out of the gloom coming to the AO.

FNG – Kyle shows up with Skeletor early

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m ready to get steamy.
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have – so with the PT we do today, modify as you need but push yourselves and the men around you when at all possible.
  • FREE.99


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 11 x 4 IC
  • 4 Count Merkin: 11 x 4 IC
  • Mountain Climber: 11 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 11 x 4 IC
  • Squat: 11 x 4 IC
  • Baby Arm Circles: 11 x 4 F & 11 x 4 B

THA-THANG:

PT (Tour de 11s)

 

(Mosey to Playground)

[ 11s X ]

  • 10 merkins + 1 pull-up
  • Rinse and Repeat 11x
  • When you’re done – flutter kicks

(11 count)

[ Classic 11s ]

  • @ playground: 10 squats
  • @ top of Bermuda Triangle: 1 lunge
  • Rinse and Repeat (9/2, 8,3, etc)
  • When you’re down hold the squat
  • ALL PAX: Execute 11 more squats <— push through it moment

 

11 count)

(Mosey to splash pad)

[ 11s Down ]

  • 11 box jumps/step ups 
    • Tap-Out literally made one of the benches tap-out. Tap-Out: 1 Bench: 0
  • 11 dips
  • THEN —> 10 box jumps/10 dips
  • So on and so forth
  • When you’re done hold merkin plank
  • When all PAX are done – execute 1 good merkin and recover

(11 count)

(Mosey back to Bermuda Triangle)

[ 11s Pyramid ]

  • Battle-Buddy Up
  • 11 merkins straight up (1 count)
  • 4 SSHs (1-count)
    • The Q messed this count up sorry – wrote down one thing but my mind was telling me another – it sucked either way. In a good way.
  • Take a lap around the Bermuda Triangle with your BB
  • Rinse & Repeat: 10 merkins straight up + 4 SSHs + take a lap

(Q realizes it’s 6:05 – instructs Battle Buddy teams to do one more round and then all PAX will complete 3 more rounds all-together) <— basically a smoke sesh.

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks: 25 x 4 IC
  • LBCs: 25 x 4 IC
  • American Hammers: 10 x 4 quick // 10 x 4 slow // 5 x 4 slow
  • Recover

[ Stretching with Steam ]

  • Slow Cherry-Pickers
    • Try and raise up one vertebrae at a time

 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

14 PAX + 1 FNG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

 

[ Ebeneezers In Your Life ]

  • “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.””
    • 1 Samuel‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭ESV‬
  • “Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where GOD helped us.””
    • 1 Samuel‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Reading these two different verses because I like they way they both paint a picture of the Lord’s faithfulness – but with a little different wording.

A big part of my story is deliverance by the Lord – from a world where I was unconsciously in self-destruct mode. My first 2 years of college (and the previous 3 years or so) was all about me. Me. No one else. I did what I wanted, with little to no regard. The faith component was there, but as a backup….funny. When the Lord really gut punched me and stirred up my convictions (the Holy Spirit really went to town) I walked through some fire, some intense, really hard, annoying, “doesn’t make sense,” pissed-off fire. HOW IN THE WORLD could this turn to something good? The Lord delivered me from a crumbling and crippled world I had built for myself in my first couple years of college in Chattanooga and brought me back to Knoxville. An angry young man at the series of events I had just left, I found myself literally saying “God what are you doing.”

And yet I didn’t realize His faithfulness was more powerful than my faithlessness.

Looking back, that fire I walked through, I wasn’t walking through it alone. I would ask myself years after, “How in the world could God possibly use this screwed-up circumstance for good in my life?” What a laughable thought.

2 years later – I get to share the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of a dark and confusing time with college men and women that were in that same arena I was in just the past couple years.

In the Message version of the passage above it says: “This marks the place where GOD helped us.”

Whether it is a physical/emotional/mental/spiritual testament of a time the Lord provided and came through, went to battle on my behalf, reached down and INTERVENED so that I could draw nearer to Him – that’s an Ebeneezer. And driving home from F3 this morning I thought – dang, if none of that had happened I might have never found F3. I might have never been brought to such a place of desolation where all I could muster was to look up and remember who He is. There are countless Ebeneezers in my life – and I’m sure you have yours too. If we serve a God of 2nd and 102nd chances – take a look back at the places that He’s come through and intervened on your behalf, for HIS glory. Even if you can’t see it yet. Mark those down, write them out, remember them, cherish them. The God that came through for you that time is the same God that will come through for you next time, and time again. How could He not?

So the questions was asked: What marks that place in your life? Share those in boldness! With your family, your friends, F3 brothers, co-workers. Afterall, we were all sad clowns once. And there was someone that spoke life into you just like you are expected to speak life into someone else.

I’ts a haunting thing for me as a young man – 4 years deep into F3 – I might have never found you guys if the Lord hadn’t found my heart first. F3 has changed the trajectory of my life as a young man. Literally. How can I do anything else but be thankful and remember the ebeneezers in my life.

I’m an open book – questions? Hit me up.

Iron. Sharpens. Iron.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.