F3 Knoxville

St. Ruby

THE SCENE: Cloudy, low 70’s but muggy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Iron Mikes, 4 Burpees, 10 Twistees, 3 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 2 Burpees, 7 Pterodactyls Forward and 7 Backwards, 1 Burpee, Little of This and That.
THA-THANG:
Mosey up Mini Cardiac.  We will stop to do 10 Tempo Squats.

Mosey on trail toward Lyons Bend until we get to rock pile.  We will each take a boulder to do 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Tricepts, and 25 Rows.  Place boulders back in rock pile.

We will Mosey north and west on the trail until we get to a grassy area south of the trail.  There is a large tree stump near the roadway south of the grassy area.  We will stop in the grass about 50 yards away from the stump.  We will split into teams of two for Doras. While one partner runs to the stump, touches it, and runs back the other works on the exercises.  Then partners trade places.  Here are the exercises the partners do as a team:

  • 100 Hello Dollies
  • l100 Flutter Kicks
  • 100 Gas Pumps
  • 100 Freddy Mercuries
  • 200 Baby Crunches

Mosey on the perimeter trail pass the entryway from Lyons Bend and to the rock pile that is on the way to Mt. Everest.  Each man will take a boulder to do 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Tricepts, and 25 Rows.

Mosey to the bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do 20 Merkins and 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  We will then run up Mt. Everest heading left by the split and then going to the roadway.  We will do 50 Baby Crunches and 25 Dead Bugs.

Mosey to the Space Needle.  We will go clockwise around the admin building.  First we will run up to the back porch, run across it, then run to the north side of the building.  There, do 20 Diamond Merkins.  Next, run to the front steps of the admin bldg.  Run up the right side of the stairs and run down the left side.  Next run to the south side of the building.  Do 20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Then run to the Space Needle and go up the stairs to the top and back down.  Rinse and repeat the circuit two more times.

Next we will run to the Coliseum Area. Next, we will run counter-clockwise 3/4 of the way around the circle.  At 1/4 of the way around the circle we will do 20 Squat Jumps.  At 1/2 of the way around the circle, run up the right side of the stairs of the admin bldg. and down the lefts side.  At 3/4 of the way around the circle, do 20 Smurf Jacks.  Those finishing the Smurf Jacks first sweep everyone back, clockwise, to where we started in the Coliseum Area.

Mosey to Haslam’s Rock.  We will take a 30 second gander at the best sunrise in America.

Mosey to bottom of Mini Cardiac.  We will race up Mini Cardiac.

Slow Mosey to AO.

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

St. Ruby

Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

Leadership comes in different forms.  I think that when we generally think of a leader, we think of someone having power or command over others such as the president, the general, the drill sergeant, the CEO, the coach, the quarterback or, yes, the N’antan.  And, certainly, those titles are examples of leadership.  But the power or command type of leadership, as Christ states in Matthew 20, is not the only form of leadership or, to God, the most desired.

Today, I want to talk about a special leader in my life.  She is my mother-in-law, Ruby Grimes.  She is such a good person that those in her family, like me, often jokingly call her St. Ruby.  What is she like?  Well, Ruby Grimes is someone that just makes you feel better in her presence.  What do you feel?  ACCEPTANCE.  With that southern voice of hers you just feel the love. Ruby is going to remember your favorite food and the next time you visit you will get that food.  For me it is always Ruby’s famous Chicken Salad.  She also remembers how I love Pecan Pie and I always get that on my birthday.

Now just because Ruby is a sweetheart does not mean that she is a pushover.  She is going to defend her Kentucky Wildcats to her dying day.  At Christmas time, Ruby has always had two Christmas trees up in the house – the normal Christmas tree and the blue and white Kentucky Wildcat tree.  When you watch a Kentucky basketball game with Ruby you must keep your hands up in the air when a Kentucky ball player is shooting a free throw shot and then come down with your hands yelling ”whoosh” after he makes the shot.

Ruby loves her grandchildren.  And, she has always thrilled with laughter to see their play.  I remember walking into her house, after taking a walk in the Grimes neighborhood, to find my two children, who were young at the time, and their cousins, who are about the same age as them, taking turn sliding down the basement stairs on an old thin mattress.  I exclaimed, what are you doing, you could mess up the stairs, tear up the mattress or get hurt!  “Naw, Gigi gave us the mattress and told us it’s ok.”  I gotta admit that I tried it a few times and had a blast.

Ruby is like a light or magnet that you are just drawn to.  If you go to the Grime’s church with her, expect to have to wait around forever after the service is over.  Ruby has all these church members crowding around her, jabbering with her before we get to ride home in the car.

It has always been tradition, since I married my wife, Jan, that, wherever we lived, we would be at the home of Ruby, and my wonderful father-in-law, Dorlan Grimes, at Christmas.  When my mother was living, she would look just as forward to going to their home for Christmas as I would.  Ruby and Dorlan were wonderful to my mother.  One year, when we were living in Utah, my mother got pneumonia and we could not go to Kentucky for Christmas.  I remember crying like a baby, not only sorry that my mother was so ill, but also that we would miss out on seeing St. Ruby and Dorlan.

Ruby is now 90 years old, as is her husband, Dorlan.  Ruby has Alzheimer Disease now, has had it for years. If you talk to her, she will sound normal for some time until she asks you the same question three or four times. She can no longer cook because her memory is going.  She and Dorlan sold their home a year ago and now live in a senior living setting – but a nice one where they can interact with friends.  Dorlan must look after Ruby, helping her sometimes with getting dressed.  Ruby can no longer bake me those famous pecan pies or make that amazing chicken salad.  Ruby cannot have the deeper intellectual conversations that she used to.  But she has kept that amazing smile and still exudes that special kind of love.  And what happens when your memory goes?  You get to look at pictures of your family and friends, again and again, day after day, and experience the same joy because you forgot you looked at them yesterday.

Ruby Grimes, you mean so much to me.  I love you Saint Ruby.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Kinsey family and Dung Beetle’s son, Baby Cronk, after a recent fender bender.  Prayers also for them financially and personally after some damage to home.  Prayers for father and father-in-law of Q-Bert, particularly for his father-in-law who had recent seizure and possible stroke.  Prayers for Matlock’s 15-year-old nephew, John, who has had significant neurological issues and recently has another surgery where he had 13 more holes drilled in his head.  Prayers for the 18-year-old daughter of one of Abacus’ friends, who also recently went through neurological surgery.  Prayers for those, like St. Ruby, who have Alzheimer’s Disease.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The F3 in the Nude event will be at 7 am at the Cove, next Saturday.  It will be a beach type workout.  Crispr will still lead a workout at Asylum Breakout that morning at 7 am.

Listen

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, temps in upper 50s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Plank Jacks, 10 Burpees, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Rocking Chairs, 10 Gas Pumps, 7 Twistees, 7 Pterodactyls Forward, 7 Pterodactyls Backward, Little of This and That

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Pavilion.  We will do Elevens starting with 10 Picnic Table Pull-ups and 1 Step up.

Mosey to beginning of Cardiac via the batting cage area.  We will run uphill stopping at the following areas to do the following exercises:

  • First Corner:  20 American Hammers (4 ct)
  • Second Corner:  20 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
  • Third Corner:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • Benches:  20 Bench Dips.
  • Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to the top of the Dragon Tail.  We will run down the trail and past the restrooms until we get to the roadway.  We will stop every five lights to do 10 Merkins.

Mosey to the Caribbean.  There will be cones place at every other island.  There is a list of exercises below.  We will do a candy cane run around the parking lot, stopping at every cone to do the first exercise listed.  This will continue until the end of the candy cane.  However, the first man who completes the exercise at the top of the candy cane (where two cones are placed together) will sweep all men back to the start.  Then we will do the same but with the next exercise on the list.  Here are the exercises:

  • Bear Crawl for 10 paces
  • Broad jump forward 5 times
  • Lunge backwards 10 paces

Next we Gentleman’s Mosey to the street, then run up Pickett’s Charge.  Those getting there first circle back to the six encourage them up the hill.

From the Coliseum we will run counterclockwise around the loop.  We will stop at 3 o’clock, 12o’clock and 9 o’clock to do the the listed exercise. The first man to complete the listed exercise sweeps all men back to 6 o’clock.  Here is the exercise:  20 Carolina Dry Docks at 3, up and down stairs at 12, and 20 Carolina Dry Docks at 9.

Mosey toward Haslam Rock.  Stop to gaze at the best sunrise in America.  Then mosey to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 Men, no FNGs.  We had Eliza, who calls his home Shamrock, working out with us this morning.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

James 1:19  :  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

I think it is the tendency of us men to want to fix things. That can be good when it comes to repairing your home.  But it can be bad when it comes to hearing someone who needs to talk or helping those in mental pain.  Perhaps our desire to “fix it” is why men are often accused of not listening as well as women. Someone shares their sorrows with us and we want to fix it, to make it right.  It is difficult to listen to the cries and tribulations of others.  Knowing the other is hurting, we may be too quick to give advice that the sufferer has already heard before. We don’t like it that the other is in pain – it disturbs our own world and we want to make that world right, smooth and non-painful.  So we dole out the advice without fully listening.

Here’s some advice when someone needs to talk or comes to you in mental pain:  LISTEN.  Be there for that sufferer.  Frankly, sometimes there is no worldly solution.  Life can hurt and sometimes there is no answer other than “Live and Let God.”

Here’s a quote from the theologian, Henri Nouwen, that I think is quite apropos:

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.  The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.

True listening is a skill that all of us need to learn.  It can hurt to truly listen to someone who is hurting because we suffer too.  But, in so doing, aren’t we becoming more like Christ or God would want us to be, taking on the wounds of our fellow humans?

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for our Veterans with praise for them serving our country; prayer of praise for the good news about Matlock’s nephew, John, who had successful brain surgery; prayers for those traveling, including high school students like Snitch’s daughter who will be traveling to Colorado to a Christian based camp there; prayers for Sparkler’s father-in-law who is critically ill.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

There is a flag posting ceremony at the Veterans Cemetery across Lyon’s Bend starting at 8:30 this morning.  Men are invited to join the Boy Scouts who will be posting the flags for the veterans.  Some of us will also be going to Hardship Hill today to help set up obstacles.  The race is Monday.  On Saturday, June 10, we will have a workday here at the Asylum to help beautify this wonderful park.  Drum Major set up this service opportunity up for us.  On June 17, F3 and FIA will contribute to the KARM Dragon Boat Festival.  And, registration in now open for FORG3, a F3 brotherhood event that will occur in September.

Forg3 2023 Tour – Asylum AM

The Scene (Info about the weather, etc.)

  • High 50s

F3 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: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs?

Warm-o-Rama

  • SSH: 10×4
  • Cherry Picker: 5×4
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4
  • Cherry-Picker: 5×4
  • Rockette: 10×4
  • Cherry-Pickers: 3
  • ATMs
    • 15×4 shoulder taps 
    • 10×4 merkins 
    • 10 merkins 

The Thang (What went down during the workout)

(Mosey to The Island) 

(1) — Work, Sprint, Work, Mosey

  • 2 sets of cones – on either end of the island 
  • Also — 2 sides of the island  
    • Right: Sprint
    • Left: Mosey 
  • Do 1 of the exercises
  • Sprint 
  • Do 1 of the Xs
  • Mosey 
  • Rinse and repeat for a total of 3x, when you complete all 3 Xs on both sides of the island

Done? —> LBCs

Mary (Insert information about any additional post-Thang work)

  • On the curb
    • Skips down / mosey back 
    • Rockettes down / mosey back 
  • ATMs
    • 15×4 shoulder taps 
    • 10×4 merkins 
    • 10 merkins 

COT (Circle of Trust)

Count Off

  • 12

Name o Rama

  • Dung Beetle, Cosmo2, Coolio, Gibbler, Sawdust, Fabio, SlimShady, Doublewide, Cat Gut, Rainbow, Matlock, Steam

Word — Forg3 Is Coming Sept. 22 – 24

  • I have 2 definitions for you 
  • Forge (v.) – to shape and mold into a new condition, by heating in a fire / to move forward gradually and steadily.
  • Forg3 is a weekend retreat created for F3 men, by F3 men. 
  • Forg3 (n.) – an invigorating 40-hour weekend retreat to challenge and encourage F3 men in their pursuit of high impact manhood. You can expect to engage with other men in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd F sessions, to better understand who you are, whose you are, and the High Impact Man God has called you to be. You’ll have opportunities throughout the weekend to seek adventure, to rest, and to sharpen iron with other F3 men physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. 
  • We want to engage together for a purposeful and relationally-driven weekend to step further into the men God has called us to be. And I want to invite you into this experience with us. 

To find out more about Forg3 2023, and to secure your spot, click or tap here! 

  • Also check out the #forg3 channel in Slack

EVERYTHING IS AWESOMEEEEEEEE

THE SCENE:

  • Overcast
  • 60s
  • BSIA was hiding this morning.

F3 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: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs?

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH: 10×4
  • Squat: 10×4 
  • Merkin: 10×4 
  • Rockette: 10×4 
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4 

THA-THANG:

(Mosey to the rock pile by the gates)

(1) Quarter Pounder

  • 4 rounds of the quarter pounder: 25 reps 91 ct) of an X with a rock, than take a lap around the lot
    • R1: 25 curls 
    • R2: 25 chest presses 
    • R3: 25 rows 
    • R4: 25 squats
  • Circle up 

(Mosey to the Pavilion)

— Warm o Rama #2 — 

Why? Because just like Legos, w’re building something together this morning. 

  • Mountain Climber: 10×4 
  • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 (F)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 (B)
  • Carolina Dry Dock: 10×4
  • Calf Raise: 10×4 

(Mosey to the New Pavilion)

(2) The Double Trouble

  • 2 rounds – 5 Xs – all 20 reps (1ct) – rinse and repeat 1x
  • The Xs for both rounds 
    • Incline Merkins
    • Dips 
    • Squats 
    • Box Jumps 
    • Pull-ups
  • Circle Up

— Warm o Rama #3 — 

Why? Because we’re STILL building something together this morning.

  • SSH: 5×4
  • Squat: 5×4
  • Merkin: 5×4
  • Rockette: 5×4
  • Imperial Walker: 5×4
  • Mountain Climber: 5×4
  • Baby Arm Circles: 5×4 (F)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 5×4 (B)
  • Carolina Dry Docks: 5×4 
  • Calf Raises: 5×4

— RIP / fellowship walk to The Island —

(3) The FP

  • Get into teams of 4

MARY:

SWS (Stretching With Steam) + 1 lap around the parking lot

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Count-Off: 19

Name-o-Rama: Matlock, Crispr, Crawdad, Veggie, Jumbo, Dung Beetle, Brick, Short Sale, Turtle, Musk, LuLu, Waffle House, Swimmies, Cheatsheet, Pusher, Pele, Abacus, Choir Boy, Steam

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Lego Movie Takeaways From This Past Week 

I was watching The Lego Movie this week (no shame) – and surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, I took a lot from it. Man I used to love Legos. And I still do, but haven’t bought any in a while. But there were two specific things I wanted to share this morning, from the movie. 

(1) A quote that invites a powerful mental shift — “You don’t have to be the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things.”

  • I think there are a ton of people in our lives that need to hear this, more than we think. 
  • Take the word “bad” out and replace it with what fits — “Hey you don’t have to be the lonely guy anymore.” “You don’t have to be the addicted guy.” “You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you capable of amazing things.” 
  • Maybe they’re not the most talented or interesting or extraordinary person to you, but to the Creator of the universe? Absolutely they are. And they need to know it.
  • There’s a whole generation of people walking around like Emmet from The Lego Movie – thinking they’re just a normal, boring, uninteresting, life form that’s taking up space. That because of nature or nurture don’t know that God above uniquely created them to be capable of doing amazing things. 
  • I mean think of the power that something like this might have on a person? To intentionally say this to them? “Hey I know you’re this person, or you were this person, but you don’t have to be anymore. You were created to be talented, interesting, and extraordinary. And you’ve been created to do amazing things”………wow. Now that’s the power of helping someone unlock some things. 

(2) What are you building?

  • I think a lot of times life can be a lot like Legos – there’s an infinite number of pieces out there, all with different connectors and functions, and intentionally-designed characteristics.
  • And we’re all building something. Even if you don’t think you are, or if you can’t see it yet, you’re building something. So what did you build this week? And what can you build next week?

Final — We have a great opportunity to take everything we do in F3 – and engage in a intentional and relationally-driven weekend together this fall – something called Forg3 – a weekend retreat created by F3 men, for F3 men. And I’d love to just  invite you into this space with us this fall, as we head to DRG September 22nd – 24th, to focus on why our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd F efforts are so important in the context of community as we continually pursue high impact manhood. 

To find out more about Forg3 2023 and how to get plugged in and register – click here! 

Roll & Run

THE SCENE: 69 degrees & full humidity.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Yes, all the things
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, Cherry Pickers, Windmills, Rockettes, Tempo Merkins, Sumo Squats, Tie-Fighters & X-Wings.
THA-THANG:
Started with 10 reps of Peter Parkers, a run up Baby Everest, a Man Maker at the summit and Jump Squats down Route 66.

Stopped to take a rock for Curls, OVHD Presses & Tricep Extensions (20 Reps each).

Camped out at the top of Circus Maximus with two (2) teams. One team ran, while the other team did a list of exercises. When the Team One returned from the run, they bumped Team Two to run. Team One did the exercises until Team Two returned. Rinse & repeat until the Q called recover. The runs were different, based on the role of a standard die.

The Runs:

  1. All The Way Around the Circus Maximus
  2. Don’t Step onto the Cloud
  3. Sanctuary
  4. Toilet Building
  5. Upper Parking Loop
  6. Water Cooler

The Exercises:

  • 10 – Burpees
  • 15 – Seal Jacks (4 – Count)
  • 20 – LBCs (4 – Count)
  • 15 – Peter Parkers (4 – Count)
  • 10 – Sumo Squats (4 – Count)
  • 15 – Hello Dollys (4 – Count)
  • 20 – Merkins
  • 15 – V-Ups
  • 10 – Lt. Dans
  • 15 – Gas Pumpers
  • 20 – Side Crunches (10 Each Side)
  • 15 – Boxcutters (4 – Count)
  • RINSE & REPEAT THE LIST

MARY:
No time for MARY.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
We had 10 HIMs to include: Sawdust (Q), Matlock, Snitch, SlimShady, Coolio, Hands, Pacman, Rainbow, Crab-Legs & Waxjob
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Took a reflection on a quote from Col. Jeff Cooper USMC (Ret.) that “Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.” Although this more focused on gun safety, the Q took moment to realize how sometimes we try to do everything we think God wants us to do, but don’t always stop to listen and let the Holy Spirit in to guide our actions for Him.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Need assistance in building Hardship Hill Obstacles.