MD Hammer – Page 8 – F3 Knoxville

Q101 and Rainbows

August 12, 2022 Pele

THE SCENE: Threatening rain, but stayed dry. Humid as heck, and kind of hot when the sun came out, mid 80s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

IMPORTANT POINTS:

– TIME! 1. Call out TIME WARNING (2 mins, 1 min), 2. START ON TIME, 3. END on time.

– Carry a WATCH and PHONE!

– INTRO! WELCOME to F3! FITNESS, FELLOWSHIP, AND FAITH!!

INTRODUCE yourself! You will be leading these men for the next 45 minutes to an hour, establish yourself as their Q!

– IDENTIFY ANY FNGs

Make sure they understand the disclaimer (get a nod of understanding)
Make sure you demonstrate exercises that may be unfamiliar to them.
Make them feel welcome! Pay special attention to their status during the workout.

– Include LEGAL DISCLAIMERS (Legal significance, part of F3 standards, sets the tone):

I am not a professional
You are here on your own volition, and participating at your own risk
F3 is a free program open to all men
Know your limits, and modify if you need to, but do the best you can! ALWAYS GIVE 100%… UNLESS YOU’RE DONATING BLOOD! J

WARM-O-RAMA:

IMPORTANT POINTS:

– TAKE CHARGE!

Make eye contact
Use your “outside voice”
Use GOOD FORM
Bring great ENERGY and ENCOURAGE!

– The Warm up usually consists of 4 to 5 exercises designed to 1. get the heart rate going, 2. Stretch the legs, and 3. Stretch the Arms. Call out:

The NAME of the exercise. PAX REPEATS.
Whether it’s single count or in cadence. PAX REPEATS
“Ready position”… “Exercise!”
Change the tone or number of the cadence on the final rep. Call out Recover! This indicates a stop to the exercise.
PRACTICE doing the CADENCE count at home. Different exercises have different cadences!

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Steve Earls (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 LBCs forward and backward (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 calf raises, SINGLE COUNT

THA-THANG:

THA THANG is the main part of the workout, and usually consist of 3 to 5 “stations”, where you mosey to and then do an exercise (“String of Pearls”). Keeps the PAX together and provides some variation.

IMPORTANT POINTS:

– PLAN OUT the workout ahead of time!

– Keep an eye on your TIME

– EXPLAIN CLEARLY and ENCOURAGE

– If you can’t Q it, don’t do it! Not a “clipboard” program where the Q sits out

– Be FLEXIBLE!

– Make sure everyone is always ACTIVE! Give the rabbits something to do if they finish first.

– Situational awareness! Pay attention to the PAX. Sweep back to get the 6. NO man left behind!!

MOSEY to DORA Parking Lot. Partners trade off carrying CMU.

Battle Buddy Up

ROUND 1:

Partner 1 does 20 PRESSES and 20 TRICEPS, alternating, Partner 2 runs the loop. Switch.

ROUND 2: Partner 1 does 20 ROWS and 20 CURLS alternating, Partner 2 runs the loop. Switch.

ROUND 3: Partner 1 does 20 Off-set MERKINS, 20 ½ BURPEES, alternating, Partner 2 runs the loop. Switch.

ROUND 4: Partner 1 does 20 CMU BBSs, 20 CHEST PRESSES, alternating, Partner 2 runs the loop. Switch.

Leave CMUs. Mosey to STOP SIGN at the southern point of the Loop Road.

QUARTER POUNDER:

Run to first cone, 25 merkins, run back.
Run to second cone, 50 Squats, run back
Run to third cone, 75 Mountain Climbers, run back
Run to Fourth cone, 100 SSH, run back

Mosey to AO. Partner 1 does 10 SSH, then catches Partner 2 who is RIFLE CARRYING the CMU. Switch. R&R until top.

MARY:

Random Ab exercises… The Mary is the “slush fund”. Use it if you have extra time, but skip it if you’re at the end of the workout.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 strong
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Everyone takes part in the COT.

One thing that many of us worry about when Q’ing a workout for the first time is this part… giving the message in the COT, at the end of the workout. We might think “I can’t speak the way that some people can.” “I don’t have anything wise or good to say.” “I’m not religious enough.” “I will screw it up.”

You don’t have to deliver a long speech for the BOM. Also, you don’t need to know the bible front to back, or worry about whether your message passes some level of religious muster. Just speak about something you have learned, something important to you, something that might help others. Not everyone will respond the same way but I can guarantee that pretty much every one of your brothers will get something out of your message. I personally love hearing what different brothers have to say, the little pearls of life wisdom they can share with me. And, as for your ability to speak well, think about Moses, who lead the Israelites from Egypt to Isreal:

^{From Exodus 4: 10-12}

¹⁰But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

As to worrying about screwing up, your brothers are on your side no matter what. And, screwing up is what we do. As an example of this think of Abraham Lincoln. The following list is from an article by Ron Kurtus:

A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes) is:

1831 – Lost his job
1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
1833 – Failed in business
1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
1835 – Sweetheart died
1836 – Had nervous breakdown
1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
1846 – Elected to Congress (success)
1848 – Lost re-nomination
1849 – Rejected for land officer position
1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1860 – Elected President (success)

The fact is that we are supposed to screw up as leaders. That is how we learn and how we grow. Don’t let fear of failure keep you from moving forward, whether it be in F3 or in life. We’re here to support each other, and grow and develop as leaders. If you haven’t Q’d yet, take that plunge. I guarantee you will be better for it!

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bearden band fundraiser car wash this week-end. Ask for Kaitlyn (Pusher’s daughter)!

chocolate chip

August 5, 2022 Curveball

THE SCENE:

Partly Cloudy	Temperature	Feels Like	Humidity	Wind Speed	Wind Direction
Partly Cloudy	88 ℉	96 ℉	63%	5.6 mi/h	SSW

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER.
Delivered as desired. I am not a professional.

WARM-O-RAMA:

Stretching with Cherry Pickers, Willie Mays, Neck Rolls. 10 Imperial Walkers. Mountain Climbers.

THA-THANG:

On my phone is an app. Tiny Decisions. It is a spinning wheel that randomly selects an exercise and a rep count.

Mostly just run from shaded area to shaded area. Then spin the wheel and do what it says.

We did move along the walking path and do 2 burpees at each lamp post.
We did 11’s at one point that included Merkins and Squats.
And at the top of Cardiac, we used 5 lamp posts to do LBCs. Starting at 5 increasing by 5 at each post. (25 at last post.)

Then
We saw a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning very, very frightening me
(Galileo) Galileo
(Galileo) Galileo
Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o

So we headed back to the flag.

MARY:
Storm moved away so we did some Mary based on the spinning wheel.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Cookie Lovers.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Welcome FNG – Steve-O

MOLESKIN:
For Andrew and his battles to find a better path. And for all the sick and suffering. For the unsaid prayers in our hearts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

August 6th workday 7AM – Cerebral Palsy Center.

The Extraordinary Salt of the Earth

July 25, 2022 Lillydipper

THE SCENE: Cloudy, high 80s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Mountain Climbers, 4 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 3 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 2 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, 1 Burpee, Stretching from Plank Position

THA-THANG:

Mosey toward stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg. Stop in shade for 20 Hello Dollies..

Mosey to small parking lot that is east of Utilities Bldg. We will do elevens, starting with 10 Squat Jumps near Utilities Bldg and 1 Merkin at other shaded end of parking lot.

Mosey toward Northshore Gate and then head north on perimeter trail. We will stop at shaded north side of Utilities Bldg to do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to bottom of MT. Everest. We run up Mt. Everest but stop at three different areas (first tree, second tree, and then grove right before last climb to summit) to do 25 Baby Crunches at each tree.

Run up the remainder of Mt. Everest and go back to the bat cave area. We will stop to get water. We will then do 20 Flutter Kicks.

Next, we will divide into groups of three. One man will be in shade near bat cave. The next man will be at shade of large tree near roadway northeast of the bat cave. While one partner runs from one location to the other, the other partners do exercises. When partner runs to the location, the next partner runs to the other. Here are the exercises at each location:

In shade near bat cave: Squats
In shade near tree: Squat Jumps

Rinse and repeat with Lunges at bat cave and Iron Mikes at tree.

Money to AO.

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

Proverbs 31:26

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

The news we watch on television is more often than not a reflection of the worst kinds of actions amongst humans: murder, mass shootings, war, political showboating, disparaging statements amongst politicians and world leaders, angry comments about how the other side is acting, fraud, deceit, and purposeful or negligent actions that lead to the harm or death of others. By reading or listening to the news, one would think that the world is full of terrible people. Fortunately, that is not the truth. There are plenty of good people out there doing things that we never hear about. These people aren’t famous. They aren’t boasting and saying, “hey everybody, look at what I have done!” They are just doing God’s will, being the salt of the earth.

Let me give you an example of a female patient in my psychology practice. I want to keep her name confidential so for the purpose of talking about her, I will just call her “Sally.” Sally isn’t a perfect person by any means. She has been seeing me because she needs help with anxiety. What does she worry about? Mostly, her kids. How many children does she have? She has two biological children that are fully grown adults. She also has 24 foster children that are primarily adults now. You read it correctly, 24!

Some people may claim that she and her husband have done it for the money. After all, the state does pay for families to provide foster care to children that are under the protection of the Department of Children’s Services or DCS. However, having got to know Sally, she isn’t in it for the money. Her husband has always had a full-time job. She has loved the kids she has fostered. It isn’t an easy job. DCS got involved with the kids because they came from families of neglect or emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Some of the kids had terrible behavioral and emotional issues because of the former environments they were raised in. Sally and her husband had to be loving but firm with them. Sally and her husband get close to these children. They adopted one of them who is now 14 years-old and a straight A student. They almost adopted three others but the boys were placed back in the care of their biological father before the adoption occurred. Those boys are now adults. Two are serving in the United States Armed Forces and the third is applying since he recently graduated from high school. All three keep in continual touch with Sally. In fact, most of her foster children do. None now live with her except the girl she adopted. At their ages, Sally and her husband have decided to no longer provide foster care. But they have plenty of “children” to keep up with – their former foster children and the children of those foster children still come to visit Sally and her husband. And when they do visit, Sally makes sure she has some fine cooking on the table for them.

Sally is a saint, but she isn’t some Renaissance Artist’s depiction of a saint. In her sessions with me, she is usually wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. A woman who likes to stay busy, she now works as a cashier at a convenience store. The work keeps her mind off her worries. And, she worries about all those kids she has raised. When you have been involved in raising 24 children that came to you through DCS, some of them are going to struggle when they are adults. She keeps in touch even with the ones who have difficulties, who get into trouble. And, her home is always open to them for a good meal and some loving words.

This is news that I wish we could hear more about on television or read about on our cell phones. I guess it isn’t “breaking news.” But it is good news and people like Sally are doing things like this all over our country. The Lord is working in wonderful ways through what some may call ordinary people. But when you get to know them, like I have got to know Sally, you find out that they are extraordinary.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Abacus’ mother who will need another surgery.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Workday at Cerebral Palsy Center on August 6

Zone Improvement Plan

July 1, 2022 Curveball

THE SCENE:

Partly Cloudy	Temperature	Humidity	Feels like	Wind Speed	Wind Direction
Partly Cloudy	90 ℉	50%	95 ℉	4.7 mi/h	SSW

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER.
Delivered as desired. I am not a professional.

WARM-O-RAMA:

As PAX arrive give them each a golf ball and have them write an exercise on it (using Sharpie and be careful to let dry a bit).
25 SSHs, 10 Tie Fighters, 15 Grady Corns, 10 Rockettes.

THA-THANG:

Head down the stairs to flat area at bottom. Have each PAX put their golf ball into a cooler. Cooler is already half full with ice water, bottled water, and some golf balls that I have marked up before arriving.

Next to cooler: Clock Merkins – 5 Merkins at Noon, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock.

Mosey to hillside north of park entrance road.
On the hill and in the shade,
10 Incline Merkins (Head up the the hill)
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Merkins facing 3 o’clock. Right arm down hillside.
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Decline Merkins facing 6 o’clock.
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Merkins facing 9 o’clock. Left arm down hillside.

Reverse path and do same 4 stations as you make your way back to the cooler.

At the cooler, a PAX reaches into cooler (cooling his wrists) and picks a golf ball. Another PAX rolls dice to see home many of the drawn exercises will be done. Between 15 and 30 count. Repeat with different PAX until time is called. Some rules I implemented. After 4 exercises, we ran a lap around wooded area (.2 miles up steep grade back to and down staircase to cooler). I also included some golf balls with the ‘Lap’ as the exercise. So, you could end up running sooner than expected. Only 10 burpees and man-makers.

Mosey back up stairs to Flag.
MARY:
American Hammers/Big Boy Situps. 20/5.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 Brothers.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

MOLESKIN:
For the safety of all those traveling and staying home this coming week. For all the sick and suffering. For the unsaid prayers in our hearts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Convergence July 2nd at JUCO

God Is Perfect

June 23, 2022 Lillydipper

THE SCENE: Hot day, blue skies, temps in low 90s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Plank Jacks, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Windmills, Stretches, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign of the northeastern corner of the Admin Bldg. There will be five cones set up with one of those cones in the middle and the others extending out to shaded areas outside the middle cone. Men will run from four outside cones to the middle cone, do 10 Merkins at the middle cone, then run to the next outside cone. We will do this so that we go to each outside cone twice. There will also be exercises to do at each outside cone:

Cone 1: 1. 20 Star Jumps 2. 20 Smurf Jacks
Cone 2: 1. 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct) 2. 20 Box Cutters
Cone 3: 20 Bobby Hurleys 2. 20 Squat Jumps
Cone 4: 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct) 2. 20 Gas Pumps

Mosey to the Admin Bldg Porch. We will do run up steps on one side and down on the other ten times.

There will be a Water Cooler on a picnic table close to the Admin Bldg. After drinking from the cooler, we will Indian Run to Area 51 via the roadway. The man in front carries the water cooler and switches off to the man running from the back to catch him.

At Area 51 we will go to the shady eastern side of the Facilities Bldg. We will do Doras with one partner doing exercises in shade while other partner runs to shaded area of parking lot that is east of the Facilities Bldg., does 10 Diamond Merkins, then runs back. The partners then trade places. Here are the exercises that each team does in the shaded area by the Facilities Bldg:

100 Big Boy Sit-ups
100 Carolina Dry Docks

Mosey south of the Facilities Bldg in shaded area towardthe Northshore Park Entrance Gate, then circle back and go around the Facilities Bldg toward the northern side of the bldg. We will run through the grass to the perimeter trail as it head north. Men will trade off carrying the Water Cooler in pairs as we run. Next, we will run uphill toward the Admin Bldg, stopping at different shaded areas under trees to trade off who carries the water cooler. Once at the roadway near the Admin Bldg, mosey to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men with one FNG, Walker Higgins, whom we dubbed “Dog Paddle.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

God Is Perfect

Throughout time, the leaders of countries have promised their people great things. But they mess up. Every president of the United States runs on a campaign full of promises. What happens to all of those promises? Many are fulfilled but many are also broken. In all other countries, the same things occur. We search for a great leader, thinking of heroes like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or Abraham Lincoln. But if we look back at history closely, even these great men had their failures. We look for heroes in this world, often times in sports figures or some person we see on television or read about that we think is awesome. Then we read of their transgressions, their sins, and we are hurt because we realize these figures are not the people we had hoped they would be. In our fallen and failing world, who do we look to?

Fortunately, as proclaimed in the first verse of Psalm 19, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” He is the one we can look to for absolute perfection. We humans mess things up, we pollute, we take from others, we falter. But God does not fail. That is good to know, good to count on when we think the world is just going to crumble.

Verses 7 through 9 of Psalm 19 speak of God’s perfection:

The law of the Lord is perfect,^[c]
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[d] of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.

God, help me see and have faith in your perfection, your truth, your purity, your righteousness when human failings and my own shortcomings lead me to doubt. Help me to trust in you. Amen.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for our new member, Dog Paddle, whose wife has decided she wants to divorce him.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP at JUCO on July 2.