F3 Knoxville

big ballin with Charles Bronson

THE SCENE:  37* and calm, great morning
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tempo lunges x10 on 4 count
Baby arm circles reverse x10
Baby arm circles forward x10 (had to be different)
Tempo merkins x10
SSH x20

THA-THANG:
Mosey out past amphitheater and stop just past it, for another 10 SSHs as we had a few guys show up right as we finished warm up exercises.  Continue mosey across Cumberland Avenue to S7 parking lot behind Min Kao building.  Routine is Charles Bronson (which I don’t get the reference for and we need a new name for Knoxville).  Three cone set up: do exercises at cone 1, sprint to cone 2, bear crawl to cone 3, recover and return to cone 1 and move on to next exercise.  Rinse and repeat run and bear crawl after each exercise.

  • SSH x50 on 4 count
  • Merkins x50
  • Burpess x50
  • BBS x50
  • Jump squats x50

Recover and 10 count.  Mosey up painted stairs over to parking lot below Church Street United Methodist Church.  5 cones set up, moving uphill in parking lot about 8-10 yards apart.  PAX instructed to grab a (reasonable) sized rock from the rock pile.  Exercise as follows: line up at first cone, duck walk with rock tight to chest to second cone;  place rock on the ground and perform 5 leg thrusters;  pick rock up and duck walk with arms extended to third cone; place rock on the ground and perform 5 leg thrusters;  rock back up and duck walk rock tight to chest to fourth cone;  rock down and 5 leg thrusters; rock back up and duck walk arms extended to fifth cone;  rock down and another 5 leg thrusters.  Pick up rock and walk back to first cone, plank and wait for 6 to complete.  Recover and 10 count, rinse and repeat exercise second time.  Place rocks back, mosey across Cumberland Ave towards start point.

MARY:
Hurricane Hoedown! PAX on their 6’s, perform each with no break in between:
Hallelujah flutter kicks (arms above head) x7 on 4 count
Hands behind back flutter kicks x7 on 4 count
Slight recline flutter kicks x7 on 4 count
Regular flutter kicks x7 on 4 count
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Bowled a strike with 10 strong:  Swanson, Red Writer, Cowbell, Cheatsheet, Rousey, Amazon, Quarantine, Crawdad, Preacher, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled – have you no shame in that” – Epictetus

Challenge to myself as much as anyone else – do not let your mind be taken from you. Guard it MORE than you would anything, because if you are in control of your mind, nothing can harm you.
MOLESKIN:
Special prayers for Tim, Polly, Jimmy, and Brant as they deal with some difficult times ahead with sickness.

Hiding in the Bushes

THE SCENE: High 40s, drippy and drizzly but not pouring
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x25 or something like that.  Q screwed up the cadence so reps uncertain
LBAC x20 each way IC
TN Rocking Chairs x15 IC
Al Gore Tuck Jumps x8
Hindurkins x15 IC

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the steps by the ball. Hop up first flight of stairs on right foot,
head south and down the steps, circle back around to hop up stairs on left foot.

Keep heading south and down the steps that some idiot decided should be painted with high-gloss paint. Successfully navigated without injury.
Pair up in groups of 3, each group picks up one large and two small coupons from the bank of the stream.

Cross the street to the safe, unpainted set of stairs.
One PAX at top, one PAX at bottom, one PAX in motion for each group
Small coupon exercises on the streetcorner at the bottom of the stairs until relieved:
-Man-Makers
-Side Raise
-Wax On/Wax Off
-Raise the Roof

Large coupon exercises at the top (hidden by the bushes to avoid indecency citation during Hip Thrust)
-Squrls
-Fwd Raise
-Hip Thrust
-Rows

2 rounds through the circuit and it’s time to head back.

MARY:
Squeaked in some Protractors and 3 rounds of Row your Boat
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
15 strong, no FNGs braved the drizzle. Good to see Acapella visiting the gloom from South GA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Jeremiah 2:13 – “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”

Last week I had to replace my water heater. It was old, and had a good run, but it sprang a small leak. Fortunately I managed to get it out before a catastrophic failure. Pulling the old, leaking tank, partly full of sediment, out of the house made me think of Jeremiah 2:13. Be careful where you are looking for your water, your fulfillment. Anything but the source of Living Water is just a cracked and useless cistern.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Tower of Power/Keep the Faith

Maker:S,Date:2017-12-4,Ver:6,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar02,E-Y

THE SCENE: 50 degrees, light to medium rainfall = CBB (Character Building Beatdown
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

“Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith. My name is Steam and I’ll serve as your QIC for the next 45 minutes. I am not a professional – you are here on your own volition. Which means I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have. That being said, if you need to modify any of the exercises we do this morning, feel free to do so but push yourselves and the men around you!”
WARM-O-RAMA:

  1. Side Straddle Hop (SSH): 25 x 4 (in cadence)
  2. Squat: 10 x 4 (in cadence)
  3. Imperial Walker: 10 x 4 (in cadence)
  4. Merkin: 10 x 4 (in cadence)

THA-THANG:
Pre-Mosey —> number off (14) = start with 14, end with 14…keep 100% accountability.

  • Mosey to Locust Street Garage
    • 2 lines
    • Halt by Big Ball
    • Prom King led PAX in 10 squats
    • Mosey across bridge across Henley St.
    • Halt in front of Locust St. Garage –> PAX executes 10 squats
  • Tower of Power
    • 6 Levels = L1 – L6
    • Before we begin, all I have is this: Do you have faith in me as your Q this morning? You have a choice, you always have a choice.”

    • L1 = 50 – 1 count Merkins
      • Bearcrawl to L2 –> upon arrival at L2 – hold merkin plank
    • L2 = 40 – 1 count merkins
      • Bearcrawl to L3 –> upon arrival at L3 – hold merkin plank
    • L3 = 30 squats
      • Battle buddy fireman carry to L4 –> upon arrival at L4 – hold squat
    • L4 = 20 squats
      • Battle buddy fireman carry to L5 –> upon arrival at L5 – hold squat
    • L5 = 10 squats
    • You’ve made it this far – I’ll ask you again: after all we’ve gone through to get up here, do you still have faith in me?

    • Line up shoulder to shoulder facing the ramp up to L6
    • L6 = dark, rainy, unknown…etc
    • You always have a choice. You chose to be here this morning and you chose to push yourselves to get up the tower of power. No one forced you to do that. Men, we always have a choice in life. When crap hits the fan and we’re faced with the unknown, not knowing what comes next, you have a choice. If you still have faith in me, follow me.

****Full sprint to top of L6 —> execute 10 incline merkins on wall*****

  • Mosey down the Tower of Power
  • QIC leads motivational F3 cadence call
  • Mosey back to AO –> sprints the straightaway by the Hilton Hotel at AO

MARY:
Upon arrival at AO — get accountability. 14 started – 14 finished
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
PAX = 14: Abort – G-6 – Prom King – Guppy – Careless – Quarantine – Plunger – Cheatsheet – Petey – Preacher – Amazon – Soot – Stage hand – Steam

FNG = 0
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Before we began the tower of power, I asked if you had faith me as your Q for today. Faith in me to lead all of us, keep us safe, and provide a way for you to get form point A to point B. I knew what the master plan was – I knew where we were going and how we were going to get there. It was tough right? But as we went up the Tower of Power and all of you continued to have faith in me, it got a little easier each level right?

Matthew 17:20 = “…truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move, because nothing is impossible for you.”

The point I’m trying to make is this: Sometimes I feel like I don’t even have the faith of a tiny mustard seed. Because I want to be in control. I want to control my life, my decisions, my outcomes, my future. And I am so scared of what would happen if I just….let go. But it’s not my life to control.

All God wants is to extend to you His hand and say: Do you have faith in me? That’s all he wants, just your faith the size of a mustard seed. A mustard seed of faith in your marriages, your relationships, your vocation, your life. I don’t know what’s going on in your life, but God does. Do you trust Him to be able to let go?
MOLESKIN:
Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight!

The Bomb Shelter Run (C.S.A.U.P. Event)

THE SCENE: Low Mid 60’s with some light rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Drifter Q:

start things off with the Disclaimer (He is NOT a professional, refers everyone to take notice of how he is dressed; clearly NOT a professional…1 PAX member commented that Drifter must have had a Blink182 concert to attend after the event…

SSH (IC) x10 slow / x10 fast
Boxer Jacks (IC) x10 slow / x10 fast
Mosey to Grinder:
Lunge forward then backwards
Inchworm Merkins w/hand release
Quad Stretch
Cherry Picker Stretch (fists on ground, walk legs out to the side and back in)
Merkin Ring of Fire, but as a Wave!
Mtn Climbers (IC) 10x slow / 10x fast

THA-THANG:
1st leg was approximately 3.2 miles of running until arriving to the Beatdown:

Mayberry Q:

21 Jump Street:

  • 21 Pull-ups (side of the Alcoa bridge)
  • 21 Burpees (middle of bridge)
  • 21 handstand push-ups (far side of bridge)
    Run back to start and drop 1 rep. (15 min time limit)

2nd leg was approximately 3.2 miles until arriving to the Beatdown:

Snorkel Q:

Split up into 2 groups and then partner up. Near side of Bicentennial Park bridge do:

  • 10 Plank Tri Ext & Derkins Then Wheel Barrel Half of Bridge Switch and come back
  • 8 Plank Tri Ext & Derkins Then Wheel Barrel Half of Bridge Switch and come back
  • 6 Plank Tri Ext & Derkins Then Wheel Barrel Half of Bridge Switch and come back
  • 4 Plank Tri Ext & Derkins Then Wheel Barrel Half of Bridge Switch and come back
  • 2 Plank Tri Ext & Derkins Then Wheel Barrel Half of Bridge Switch and come back

Far side of Bicentennial Park Bridge Partner 1 Wall Sits until Partner 2 completes 15 side to side Merkins.
Partner 2 then monster tire walks to replace Partner 1; Partner 1 bear crawls to area to complete side to side Merkins.

3rd leg….who cares how long, we were too far away to quit and had to get back to the car somehow…(another 3… something miles…felt like 10; here we go!).

Waxjob Q:

Split into 3 groups. 1st man plank, 2nd man bear crawl ahead and plank, 3rd slalom bear crawl to front. Remaining PAX continue to slalom bear crawl to the front until team reaches 50 yard line.
Reverse the process, planking person is now facing the sideline while the PAX in motion jump over the planking PAX.
Mosey to jungle gym:
15x Partner reverse-merkins/OHP on monkey bars
15x Squirkins
10x Over/Unders
15x Leg Throwdowns

4th and final leg was very short, no lies, really short…more like a mosey.

Cap’n Crunch Q:

Starting with 1 exercise, adding another exercise until all 5 exercises are completed in succession. then work back down until only the last exercise is left. 20 seconds per exercise:

  • Burpees (20 sec)
  • Burpees (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec)
  • Burpees (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec)
  • Burpees (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec)
  • Burpees (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec) High Knees (20 sec)
  • High Knees (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec) Burpees (20 sec)
  • High Knees (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec) Dry Docks (20 sec)
  • High Knees (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec) Narrow Squats (20 sec)
  • High Knees (20 sec) Diamond Merkins (20 sec)
  • High Knees (20 sec)

MARY:
No PAX were interested in any ladies, specifically Mary by the end of this event!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
38 PAX!!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

BOM – CSAUP – Bomb Shelter Run (Cap’n Crunch)

I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.

I ask not for an easier path, but for stronger feet.

I ask not for weaker enemies, but for a stronger self.

Jewish Proverb

Congratulations brothers, you did it.  You embraced the challenge and are victorious.  Take and let it sink in…you’ve earned.

I’d like to share something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.  F3 has been a life-changing experience for me.  Every morning I leave a workout I truly leave better than when I arrived.  Lately I’ve been thinking about why that is the case.  Here are my observations.

I believe there are two simple truths that we have lost as men:

  1. The opposite of manhood isn’t womanhood, it’s boyhood
  2. Manhood isn’t a destination or a journey, it’s a mindset

When we lose the distinction between boyhood and manhood our worlds begin to spin off kilter.  We become self-focused, self-protective, self-indulgent and self-reliant.  In other words, it becomes all about us.  As we reject passivity and accept responsibility for our lives we grow as men in all areas: physically, mentally, relationally and spiritually.  We begin to be others-focused, self-sacrificing and interdependent.  We begin acting like men.

In this world, three things serve as resistance to our growth as men:

  • Comfort
  • Convenience
  • Certainty

Overcoming these boils down to our mindset.  We have to daily set aside a boyhood-mindset and embrace a manhood-mindset.  We combat comfort with challenge, we set aside convenience for consistency and we abandon certainty and embrace camaraderie.  I see it as two contrasting mindsets:

A Boyhood-mindset seeks… A Manhood-mindset seeks…
Comfort Challenge
Convenience Consistency
Certainty Camaraderie

Every time we gather, the COP becomes our arena to consistently embrace challenge in the company of like-minded men.

But it’s not enough for us to do this physically.  We MUST carry this mindset to all areas of our lives, especially our relationships with our loved ones and with God.  Never stop striving for more brothers.  Keep embracing new challenges and keep any eye on the six so you can help the man who has stumbled.  Together we will make a difference!

Riding the escalator

THE SCENE: 65* perfect weather to get a sweat on
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Baby arm circles forward 12x IC
Baby arm circles reverse 13x IC
Imperial walkers 10x IC
SSH 20x IC

THA-THANG:
Form two lines behind Gretzky and Swanson, headed toward amphitheater.  PAX mosey in and hop up on stage for directions.  Routine is escalator – start with first exercise, then take a lap around the pond.  Get back, do the first two exercises, take a lap.  Continue adding next exercise down until you’re completing 5 exercises at the end.  Exercises as follows:

  • Plank jacks 10x on a four count (PAX instructed to do half high and half six inches off the deck)
  • Jump squats 10x
  • Pull ups 10x (pull ups performed midway at the Big Ball before returning to stage)
  • Mountain climbers 10x on a four count
  • Lunges 10 each leg

Jack rabbits perform ab exercises on stage waiting for the 6 to complete the routine.  Ab exercises led by Singlet: flutter kicks, penguins, hello Dolly’s, WWII sit ups.  Once 6 is all in, PAX recover and 10 count.

PAX begin short mosey across first bridge and up first set of stairs near the Big Ball.  Next routine is the 4 cone escalator.  Focused on lower body for first routine, second focuses on upper body.  Routine:

  • Crawl bear between cones, at each cone you have a set of merkins.  First cone 5 merkins, second cone 10, third cone 15, fourth cone 20 merkins.  Jog back to start line.
  • Inch worm between cones (start in plank, walk feet to hands, then walk hands back out to plank.  Can’t move feet and hands at the same time), at each cone you have a set of burpees.  First cone 3 burpees, second cone 6, third cone 9, fourth cone 12 burpees.

Recover and 10 count.

Slow mosey back to start point for Mary.  No jailbreak across the park so I don’t lose my pride and my stomach.  MARY:
Flutter kicks 10x IC – quick transition to
Wide flutter kicks 10x IC
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
27 out in force, including 4 FNGs!! Preacher, Gretzky, Sheldon, Hillary, Guppy, Steam, Stage Hand, Soot, Popeye, Putt Putt, Pfeiffer, Cheatsheet, Prom King, Quarantine, Passport, Bessie, G6, Sprinkler (FNG), Swanson, Petey, Amazon, Singlet, Cheeks (FNG), Garfield (FNG), Petro (FNG), Careless, Abort.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Just spoke about the terms Dolphin and Daffodil, and encouraged anyone who hasn’t read Freed To Lead to blaze through it.  Make sure to know your direction, and have a hold on what you do the best and who you care about the most, intersecting that Dolphin and Daffodil for your highest impact.  Challenge to myself as much as to anyone else.

Big thanks to Swanson for getting the prayer today, I couldn’t get my thoughts in order to properly do it.  And he executed much better than I can anyhow.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.