F3 Knoxville

Tag: Magic Mic

Brick by Brick

THE SCENE: Chilly and dark, 28 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Tempo Squats, Tempo Merkins, Arm Circles, Little of This, Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Split into two teams, each team was given a CMU that they had to share responsibility for

  • Big Ball: Each person owed ten laps up and down the stairs with 10 Merkins at the bottom and 10 BBS at the top, and each person had to do at least one lap with their team’s brick
  • Water Bridge: Each team lined up single file holding a squat while one at a time team members ran across the bridge to their team’s brick to do 10 Goblet Squats, 10 Upright Rows and 10 Chest Presses
  • Event Lawn: Each team split in half on either side of the lawn. Each person owed on trip across the field lunging and another across with Murder Bunnies. Alternated between Merkins, Squats, and BBS while waiting
  • Under the Clinch St Bridge: Each team wall sat in a line while passing the brick up and down the line, doing 5 shoulder presses each time they got the brick
  • Back at AO: Formed a circle with the bricks on opposite ends. Alternated between Flutterkicks and American Hammers while passing the bricks around the circle, doing 10 curls, 10 shoulder presses and 10 tricep extensions each time the brick came to you.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Shared again the story of GK Chesterton responding to the London Times’ article “What is wrong with the world today” by writing “Dear Sirs, I am.” Not only does this show a tremendous amount of humility and self awareness, but it also demonstrates what it looks like to live out Jesus’ command to worry more about the plank in our own eyes than the speck in our neighbors’. It’s also really important that whenever we approach any sort of situation or confrontation, even when we are confident we are in the right, we still have our own flaws and tend to bring our own sin to the table. Practicing this level of humility and self awareness will help us to continue to be High Impact Men.

Big Ball 2020 Q Recap

THE SCENE: Upper 40s, cloudy, slightly damp
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Rockettes, Tempo Squats, Little of this
THA-THANG:
Just like all the other recaps we’re seeing on spotify, strava, Facebook, etc., this workout is all pieces of memorable Big Ball workouts from this year.

  • Shoulder Warm Up (Amazon) – 15x Arm Circles (forward and back), Moroccan Night Clubs, Shoulder Taps, Overhead Claps, Shoulder Taps, Moroccan Night Clubs, Arm Circles (forward and back)
  • Monkey Jumpers (Mine) – Went over to the side walk next to the field for Monkey Jumpers (3 Monkey Humpers followed by a broad jump) all the way down to the end of the field
  • 343 Reps and 1980 steps (Pfeifer) – Went to the Big Ball steps for a modified version of Pfeifer’s 9/11 workout. Instead of 343 reps and 110 flights of stairs we did 3 laps up and down the steps followed by 30 Merkins, 40 Big Boys and 30 Merkins respectively
  • Make It Count (Postman) – At the middle landing of steps, we broad jumped across the convention center to the top of the next stair case, keeping track of the number of jumps we took. We then used that number for 2x our number of Squats and 1x our number of Squat Jumps
  • Twofer Tuesday (Steam) – Moseyed over to the stage. Did 11 incline merkins, ran across the stage for 11 decline merkins, then rinsed and repeated
  • Reverse Suicide Ladder (Abort) – Used trees next to event lawn as cones. Tree 1 – 10x Hand Release Merkins, Tree 2 – 10x Jump Squats, Tree 3 – 10x American Hammers. Ran to first tree and back, then to second tree then first and back, then to third then second then first and back
  • Duck Jousting (Trowel) – Formed two single file lines facing each other in the duck position (squat with hands behind head). The front person of each line had 10 seconds to knock down the other front person of the other line without breaking the duck position. Everyone tied except Abort
  • Burpee Indian Run (Soot and Mine) – Ran an Indian Run around the AO, whoever was in front stepped to the side and did burpees til the rest caught back up to him, joined the back of the line and the new front person took his place doing burpees

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We’ve said it enough, but this year has been unexpected with change, heart ache, anxiety, loss and many other things. The sad reality of how we approach a new year is that the change in the last number in the date won’t change any of this, regardless of how much we celebrate tonight. We learned this year that a lot of what we put our hope and trust in is actually quite fragile, temporary or even unnecessary. But even in a year like 2020 we can find refuge in the fact that God is still sovereign, consistent and active. As believers, we also are meant to be consistent and steadfast in what we know to be true and what we value, even in this past year of ever-changing ridiculousness and in the years to come. Micah 6:8 lays out our role almost too simply, “The Lord asks of you this; to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God”.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP coming up, end of January

Saturday Ab Shredder

THE SCENE: Cold and Clear, 27*
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Imperial Walkers, Hillbillies, Tempo Squats, Cherry Pickers, Baby Arm Circles, Hand Release Merkins
THA-THANG:

  • Rock Pile: Got rocks and went to the sidewalk alongside the convention center. Paired up for Doras: 50 American Hammers on a 4-count, 50 squats and 50 Big Boys all with the rock per pair while one partner ran to the convention center sign and back with the rock over head. Then we rinsed and repeated but without the rock carry on the run
  • Sunsphere: Put the rocks back and went to the sunsphere for 11’s: Hand Release-Release Merkins at the bottom and Flutterkicks on a 4-count at the top. Then enjoyed some stargazers in cadence
  • Bridge over Waterfall: Went to the big bridge. There we toe-tap bear crawled across, stopping at each light post for 10 Big Boys
  • Back to the AO: Circled up for Captain Therkins; 1:1 ratio of Big Boys to American Hammers (4-count) increasing reps by one each set but with 5 Hand Release Merkins between each set

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Encouraged the guys to continue thinking along the lines of what Postman brought up on Thursday with the question “What have you learned or gained from 2020 that you want to bring with you?”. Obviously all that 2020 entails doesn’t disappear on January 1st, but once everything is over, what is something the Lord has done in your life or taught you that you hope to hold on to?
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP Jan 30th

10 and 10 and then some

[ The Scene ]

  • 30s
  • Colder than a polar bear’s toe-nail

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this warm morning
  • Couple things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition – meaning you’re here on purpose
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so but push yourselves and the men around you. You got this.
  • FNGs

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH: 10×4 IC
  • Forward Lunge: 5×4 IC
  • Rockette: 10×4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circles: 10×4 IC
  • Man-Maker: 5×4 IC

(Bench Warm-Up)

  • 20 box jumps
  • 20 incline merkins

[ The Thang ]

  • Battle Buddy up

(Mosey to the 1st walking bridge)

(1) 10s

  • 2 points of contact
    • Walking Bridge
    • Bridge over Cumberland
  • Walking Bridge: BBS (4 count)
  • Bridge over Cumberland: Man-Makers (8 count)
  • AS A TEAM – you will do this together – work your way up from 1-10
  • 1 BBS here — run to Bridge over Cumberland — 1 Man-Maker
    • Run back
  • 2 BBS here — run to Bridge over Cumberland — 2 Man-Makers
  • All the way up to 10
  • After 10 — knock out 25 SSH and then hold the plank

(Mosey to the Amphitheater)

(2) 10s

  • Stage: incline merkins
  • top of amphitheater: squats
    • 9 and 1, 8 and 2, etc etc

(mosey back to AO)

[ Mary ]

Half-Dollar > Half-Ass

  • LBCs: 10
  • Flutter-Kicks: 10 
  • American Hammers: 10 
  • Cockroaches: 10
  • Bus drivers: 10

[ COT ]

  • # off
    • 10 total
    • 1 FNG
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
    • Joel Palmer —> RadioCall
  • BOM

Invest + Invite

Was challenged to “invest and invite” in 2021 as a main objective, and then thought, why not start now – this month, this week, today.

  • Invest
    • Think about how you can invest in other with impact
    • This goes so far beyond financially.
      • Investing in others or organizations (church, school, causes, etc) is great and needed – but is not the end all be all
    • We as HIM have an INCREDIBLE opportunity to invest in others with our wisdom, our gifts, and our time. Because chances are, there was someone or a group of people that chose to invest in you (maybe in addition to financially investing) that helped refine you into the man you are today. I hope they still are. Don’t waste their investment. Multiply it.
    • Trust me, it’s worth the investment.
    • For example – when you got up to go to F3 Thursday morning this wasn’t probably something on your mind. But when you choose to post at F3 you’re choosing to invest not just in yourself but in the men around you too – whether you realize it or not. And as the recipient of your investment for the past 4 years or so – thank you. Your investment is something I will never be able to repay you, but it’s something that’s changed the game for me.

 

  • Invite
    • An invitation is not exclusive to a physical location
    • An invitation can be into a new way of thinking or a new way of living
      • There’s an invitation inside the mission of F3 – “To plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership”
        • Inviting men into something more
    • What we’re really doing, and I mean what we’re really really doing at F3 is extending an invitation to men from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds – into something more – something greater than themselves.
    • There’s a high chance that at some point in your life – someone invited you – into a space or new way of thinking.

 

In John 5:1-9 we see a perfect example of this.

“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

We see investment and we see invitation. I once heard a story of this passage of Scripture being preached in a Southern baptist church and when the pastor got to verse 9 the congregation celebrated joyously until the pastor said 3 words that silenced the entire church – What. A. Shame.

I’m sorry…what? What a shame? The pastor went on to say: “What a shame that we don’t know. What a shame that we don’t know whether the invalid went back to the pool to help others. What a shame that we never find out if the invalid returned to the place he was once labeled invalid to help validate others.”

I am the invalid in the story. So are you. Whatever the place is in your life that you might have been labeled (or self-labeled) invalid – Jesus came in and invested and invited you to come out of that place. By His love and grace he validated what was once deemed invalid.

So if we are to claim the term High Impact Man, how can we not invest and invite as Jesus did, does, and will continue to do. We have an awesome opportunity to help validate the invalid as HIM. Because it was first done for us.

Must be nice

THE SCENE: Temperature disputed during pre ruck, anywhere from 29-34.  Felt great though regardless
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Pro tip, going at SSH with great form moves blood into your fingers to keep them warm…
SSH
OH claps Postman style holding a squat
SSH
Hillbilly’s
Patty-cake merkins COVID style (don’t actually clap with anyone)
SSH
THA-THANG:
Quick mosey over to the coupon pile at L&N.  Three station AMRAP with station one there (AMRAP lasts duration of the workout).

Station 1 at L&N: Start with 10 reps of each exercise, then leave rock on the ground and run up the stairs between L&N and the convention center

  • Monkey humpers
  • Upright rows
  • Shoulder press
  • Tricep extensions

Station 2 the top of L&N near Henley St: Start with 7 reps of burpees for first round and increase by one rep each round, elbow plank remains the same at 30 seconds every round.  Once complete, run around to the front of L&N academy above where we park.

  • Burpees
  • Elbow planks

Station 3 in front of L&N near cars: Again start with 10 reps of every exercise and add two reps each round.  Run down the parking lot and back to station 1.

  • Never cross Dolly (4-count)
  • Imperial walkers (4-count)
  • Crab cakes (4-count)
  • Explosive merkins (push up and hands leave the ground at the top)

We ended up getting through rounds of 18 reps and 11 burpees.  Returned rocks to their homes and mosey back to the AO where time was up.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 Strong: Postman, Wedding Singer, Drive Thru, Huffy (welcome back!!), Slim Shady, Swanson, Triple A, Magic Mic, Livestrong, Amazon, G6, Bulldog, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I overheard a conversation between two friends that really got on my nerves and made me consider if I say these things or think this way.  Friend one has a college degree, has had family support his whole life, and while he all hit bumps in the road he generally has had it pretty easy.  Friend two has no degree and works tons of hours every week, has had struggles with addiction and various other things.  During this conversation, Friend one tells the struggling guy it “must be nice” when hearing about how his job was going.

And that really aggravated me, but also got me thinking about how we view our choices and try to absolve ourselves from things we deem are outside our control.  That is the cowardly way out, and I hope that I am not guilty of that very often.  Things will absolutely happen that we can’t control, its inevitable.  But our reaction to those trials determines whether they’re actually positive or negative.  We all need to be aware that we have much much more control over our lives than we want to admit.  We control it, if things are not going well then we need to look internally to fix them rather than place blame elsewhere.