F3 Knoxville

48 is the new 12

THE SCENE: Crisp (29) and clear.  Perfect!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH (4 ct) x 48; couple of laps around the parking lot; Squats (4 ct) x 32 (4×8=32)

THA-THANG:
#1:  12s – Like 11s, but more awesomer.  Burpees and Hello Dollies (4ct) with a run from one side of parking lot to the other in between.

#2:  Mosey to the cloud:  48 LBCs

#3:  Mosey to the back parking lot. 32 Speed Skaters.

#4:  More 12s with Merkins and Squat Jumps, but this time, run a quarter lap between exercises.  Check the time and abort early so we have time for . . .

#5:    Mosey to Cardiac.  4 stops up the hill with 8 reps of each: Manmakers, Flutters (4ct), Sumo Squats (4 ct); Dips (4 ct).

MARY:
Captain Thors till we reach 8 BBS and 32 AHs.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
In my 49th trip around the Sun, I’m going to try to get out of my comfort zone.  This is difficult for me.  I love being comfortable.  I think about Paul’s exhortation from Philippians 4:13 and the level of discomfort Paul took on.  If God saw Paul through his discomfort, then he’ll surely see through any that I have.  Push on!
MOLESKIN:
I’m proud to share a birthday with High-Heels!  Continued prayers for Cheatsheet’s grandmother and daughter.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar bear plunge on New Year’s and sign-ups open for Hardship Hill.

Presents for Everyone

THE SCENE: Cold and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
THA-THANG:
Handed out some presents early – 25 envelopes, each containing an exercise. We went through our gifts in sequential order:

  1. 25 SSH
  2. 10 Tempo Squats
  3. 10 Tempo Merkins
  4. 12 Baby Arm Circles (forward and reverse)
  5. Bear Crawl across the parking lot
  6. Crawl Bear across the parking lot
  7. 20 Derkins
  8. 20 Bench Rows
  9. 10 Burpee Box Jumps
  10. 15 LBC’s (4 ct)
  11. 20 Tuck Jumps
  12. 15 Hand Release Merkins
  13. 10 Lunges (10 each leg)
  14. 20 American Hammers (4 ct)
  15. 10 Dive Bombers
  16. 10 Iron Mikes (4 ct)
  17. 15 Sweat Angels (4 ct)
  18. 15 Diamond Merkins
  19. 20 Squats (4 ct)
  20. 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  21. 20 Dry Docks
  22. 20 Jump Squats
  23. 15 Box Cutters (4 ct)
  24. 10 Burpees
  25. 1 Time All You’ve Got up Little Baby Hill

MARY:

Just enough time for some plank work and Cap’n helped us cash out with some ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
33 HIM’s – no FNG’s

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Especially this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness – getting things wrapped up before the new year, planning for next year, finishing up the Christmas shopping, figuring out logistics for the holidays, etc, etc. Sometimes the most difficult task is to just slow down and enjoy the moments, the memories.

I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to getting caught up in the “hamster wheel of life” – creating my list of things I need to get done, worrying about what’s to come tomorrow, and simply not slowing down to appreciate the moments right in front of me. I was reminded of this last night when I was getting ready for the Q this morning. I was preparing the envelopes for the workout (just another task that I needed to get checked off my long list of things to get done over the next couple days), but my 4 year old son was so excited when I asked him to put some stickers on the envelopes. He swelled with pride knowing that Daddy needed his help, and he quickly plopped down next to me and began meticulously placing his Christmas stickers on each envelope. It was just a little moment – inconsequential in the grand scheme of things – but I cherished that time with him. He won’t always be 4 years old, and he won’t always want to help his Dad with those silly projects.

Cherish the moments.

I Heard the Bells…..

THE SCENE: gloomy and 40 degrees.  perfect weather for a workout
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tie Fighter w/baby arm circles and tempo merkins and tempo squats and SSH
THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to rock pile w/2 rounds of exercies
    • squats w/overhead press
    • woodchoppers
    • curls
    • merkins w/rocks
    • flutter kicks
  • mosey to parking lot by playground (drop the lowest exercise after each lap
    • 10 squats
    • 9 plank jacks
    • 8 merkins
    • 7 box cutters
    • 6 monkey humpers
    • 5 burpees
    • 4 jump squats
    • 3 CDD
    • 2 diamond merkins
    • 1 burpee

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“I heard the Bells on Christmas Day” poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  written out of grief for wife and son.  Christmas is about hope through Jesus.  Reach out to your brothers who are suffering and Christmas is a tough time of the year.

A little Route 66

THE SCENE: 30 degrees and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Some mosey with SSH, Tempo Squats, Cherry Pickers, Merkins, and Baby Arm Circles mixed in

THA-THANG:

Route 66 day – completed the following exercises in succession:

  • Burpees
  • Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • Merkins
  • Jump Squats
  • American Hammers (4 ct)

Mosey around the oval parking lot until the six finished. Then headed up to the pavilion for a set of 11’s – exercises were Bench Rows and Box Jumps.

MARY:

Just enough time for some Hello Dollies, Sweat Angels, and finished with 30 seconds of LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
24 HIM’s including 1 FNG – Welcome ‘Snoopy’

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

We have a lot to celebrate this time of year, but for some men, it’s a time of loneliness, isolation, and feelings of worthlessness. Those feelings aren’t confined to the holidays obviously, but they can be heightened around this time of the year. We’ll never fully know the battles that others around us are fighting on a daily basis.

If God has put someone on your heart, just reach out to them. A quick phone call (even a text) could make someone’s day. Just hearing the words “I was thinking about you man” can make all the difference in the world. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking about someone but not letting them know that you’re thinking about them, not reaching out, not taking any action. We have thousands of excuses for it – I’m just too busy, I’ll do it later, etc., etc., but they are all just that – excuses to justify our inaction. Let’s make it a point to actually reach out when God puts someone on our hearts this week.

Pyramids, Laps and Q101

THE SCENE
37 and clear

Welcome, disclaimer and explanation of day (workout + Q insights)

 

THE THANG
COP

  • SSH x25 4ctIC
  • Tempo Squats x15 4ct IC
  • Tempo Merkins x15 4ct IC
  • Line up on curb and then run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees
  • Reverse Lunges x12 4ct IC
  • Run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees
  • BAC Fwd x10 4ct IC
  • BAC Bkwd x10 4ct IC
  • Run to far curb and back, stopping in the middle for three Burpees

Mosey to the parking lot next to the playground partner up with Battle Buddy

 

Pyramid of Pain
Each man will complete the following:

  • Complete exercise 1 then run around the parking lot
  • Complete exercise 1 and 2 then run around the parking lot. Continue until you get to 4 exercises
  • Upon completion of all 4 exercises continue but take on exercise off each round starting with 1 (then 2, 3 and so on).

Exercises (x20 of each):

  1. Narrow Squats
  2. Diamond Merkins
  3. 4ct Flutter Kicks
  4. Tuck Jumps

Mosey to SP

 

Merkin Hill
Run up and down hill doing 3 times performing 5 burpees at the top each time

 

ABS
Box Cutters 20x 4ct IC
Side Crunches 20x each side IC
American Hammers 15x 4ct IC
ATMs

 

COT
Number off and Name-O-Rama – 26 PAX, 2 FNGs – Big Apple, The Dab

 

BOM
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3-4

Leading a F3 Workout

  • KEY: Most important thing: It’s Not About You!
    • Your #1 job as Q is the safety of the PAX.
    • Men have shown up early and are trusting you to challenge them and keep them reasonably safe.
  • PLANNING: Plan the work then work the plan
    • Not just the exercise, but the explanations, transitions and your BOM
      • Explanations and transitions can make or break a workout!
    • Think through the following when planning your exercises:
      • Weather (not just the day of, but the days before)
      • Amount of daylight
      • Size of the PAX (make thing scalable)
      • Fitness levels in the PAX
    • Equipment needs
      • Cones, light sticks, CMUs, etc.
  • ELEMENTS: Basic ingredients of a well-balanced workout
    • Strength
      • Push, pull, core and leg
      • Goal: tax each of the four major muscle groups
    • Cardio
      • Sprints and distance
      • Goal: elevate the heart rate and maintain the elevated state with periodic rests
  • PRACTICE: You play like you practice
    • Make sure YOU can do the exercises properly
    • If you can, walk through the workout at the AO
    • PRACTICE, OUT LOUD, IN CADENCE
  • EXECUTION: Get after it and have some fun!
    • Talk up the morning on GroupMe. Let the PAX know you are excited to lead them.
    • Show up early!
    • Be energetic (you don’t have to be Richard Simmons, but be vocal and upbeat)
    • Always wear a watch
    • USE PROPER CADENCE
      • This seems small…it isn’t. The cadence creates a very real synergy for the group.
      • Proper cadence is:
        • “The Next Exercise is ______________________”
          • Clear and concise command
          • PAX repeat exercise name to demonstrate understanding
        • “Starting Position … Move”
          • “Starting Position” is the information
          • “Move” is the command
          • Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
        • “In Cadence … Exercise”
          • “In cadence” is the information
            • Not all exercises are in cadence
            • PAX repeat back “in cadence” to demonstrate understanding
        • “Exercise” is the command
          • Signals PAX it is time to begin
          • Pause between info and command, to assist with understanding
        • “1, 2, 3” then PAX calls rep
          • Your cadence MUST match the called exercise
          • Not all exercises are performed at the same cadence
          • Your count matches the body movement
          • PAX call the rep number in place of “4”
        • Change your voice inflexion on last rep
          • Signals to the PAX that we are ending
          • Important to keeping morale and order
        • “Recover”
          • At the end of the called exercise you call “Recover”
          • Important command to let everyone know we are finished
  • INTANGIBLES: The secret sauce
    • During the workout, engage the PAX
      • Have PAX count off for rest times
      • Use men’s F3 names
      • Laugh, remember…this is supposed to be hard, but it’s also supposed to be fun.
    • If you can’t do it, don’t Q it.
      • This doesn’t mean you have to be the strongest and fastest, just that you can execute the exercise properly
    • Lead from the front with an eye on the back
      • The PAX come expecting to be led. There should be no doubt that you are leading.  You should be visible and vocal, but that DOES NOT mean everything revolves around you or that you need to the all-star of the morning.
        • Have others do 10 counts for breathers
        • Tell someone where you’re heading and have them lead the PAX
        • Have someone else lead the PAX to Cash Out
    • NEVER leave a man behind
      • This is important when moving around the AO. If the PAX gets stretched out we lose cohesion.
      • When on a mosey, if you feel the PAX stretching out, circle back (i.e. wagon wheel) or stop and do a few reps of an exercise (i.e. SSH, Merkins, etc.)