F3 Knoxville

Gladiator Bear

THE SCENE: Beautiful morning with the BSIA.  60 degrees, sunny, low humidity.  Aahhhhh….
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Performed adequately.
WARM-O-RAMA:

-Motivators (5-count, descending)

– 10 Rockettes (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Tempo Merkins (4-ct, IC)

– BAC forward and backward (4-ct, IC)

– Bolt 45s

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY up Baby Everest to trail that leads to Lyons View entrance

Nickel/Dime Quarters!

Run 1 light do 5 reps, run 2 lights do 10 reps, run 5 lights do 25 reps.  Stop at base of Everest.  Exercises:

  1. MTN CLIMBERS (4-ct)     2. MERKINS  3.  FROGGY JUMPS

BASE OF EVEREST:

BERNIE up Everest until you hit failure.  When you do, do the Failure Ritual of Shame: 20 Merkins/20 Big Boys/20 Squats.  Run up the Summit to the road.  LBCs until the 6 catches up.

MOSEY to Small “Dora” parking lot.

5/10/15s: Get a battle buddy, while one BB jogs back and forth in the bullpen, the other runs up to the stop sign to do two exercises 5x.  Switch off.  Next time 10x, then 15x.   3 Rounds:

ROUND 1:  PETER PARKERS/BOTTLE OPENERS (both 2-ct)

ROUND 2: BIG BOY SITUPS/GAS PUMPS

ROUND 3: BOBBY HURLEYS/IMPERIAL WALKERS (2-ct) (We didn’t finish the “15” round of this last one)

MOSEY TO FIELD BELOW:

ULTIMATE FRISBEE! Divide into two teams.  Rules:

  • Frisbee hits the ground, team that drops it does 2 Deconstructed Burpees. The other team CANNOT START until those are done.
  • Score a touchdown, Scoring team does 5 CHEERLEADERS while losing team does 5 DECONSTRUCTED BURPEES and runs to the other side to receive kickoff
  • WINNER of contest gets a 20 second WALK MOSEY Head start back to the AO. When losers catch them, AYG back to the AO.

MARY:
American Hammers, Hommer/Marge
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Strong + a poochie (Tank)
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I’ve watched two very different shows recently that highlighted some of the same key attributes of leadership that I’d like to talk about today a little bit.  I’ve never considered myself a particularly strong leader, more of a leader by example, but I’ve been trying to improve my leadership skills here and there, and by seeing examples of how it can be done helps give me some pointers.

The first example is a show called BEAR, about a chef who has absolutely climbed the ladder globally, and was working at one of the best restaurants in the world when his brother dies, leaving him a run down Italian beef joint in downtown Chicago that is nearly bankrupt.  All the other workers there are blue-collar types who have worked there for years, and even though he’s “family”, they think of him as a snob, an outsider, and a disruptor.  The way he leads the group to try to get the restaurant back on its feet is impressive, and I wanted to mention a few things specifically.

  • Right off the bat he calls everyone “Chef” as a sign of respect. Everyone is in the same boat, everyone equal.
  • He observes and sees each worker’s strengths and gives them the freedom to pursue their passions within the confines of the restaurant. One guy really loves baking and making desserts, and he allows him to pursue that passion.
  • He does the dirty work. Literally. He’s on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor after everyone else has gone home.

Then there’s a scene in the movie Gladiator, when Russell Crowe’s character, who is an ex-commander of the Roman army that has been wrongfully imprisoned and trapped in the world of the gladiators, is released into the Colosseum in Rome with other criminals to be slaughtered for entertainment by a much better-armed group of gladiators.  His leadership qualities immediately kick in.

  • Before the battle begins, he asks who else has served in the military. A few nod, and he asks for their help.  Makes them feel important.
  • Right before combat, he tells his group to stick together and cooperate. It will give them a better chance to survive.
  • He is one of the first to engage the enemy group. He organizes and inspires his fellow gladiators and they end up winning the battle.

Some commonalities between the two scenarios.

  1. Give others belief in themselves and their unique abilities. Find out what makes them tick, what their skills and passions are, and recognize and encourage them.
  2. Lead from the front. When it’s time to get your hands dirty, be the first to stick them deep in the mud.
  3. When it’s crunch time, whether during a crisis in the kitchen or if you find yourself in a life and death battle in a gladiator arena, step up. Give others confidence.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Asylum cleanup next Saturday 9 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

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.

BlackJack BeatDown

THE SCENE: A cold invigorating gloom
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 side straddle hops, 15 mountain climbers 10 squats,15 American hammers, 8 count motivators,10 BBS, 7 merkins
THA-THANG:
We gathered around a deck of playing cards, cardboard cards, and a speaker as the rules were explained

Each suite had an exercise associated to it, there were four separate exercises a suite could use, however only one at a time on the cardboard card, each suite usually followed a body part theme. The amount of reps would be determined by the number on the card. Face cards followed suite however numbering followed J-11, Q-12, K-13. Aces and Jokers were laps, 1 and 2 laps respectively. 5-6 minutes for each set of exercises before cardboard was cycled. Each member of PAX drew a card for involvement and motivation. Due to nature of AO and day, CMU’s were used, however were not integral to exercise. Rapid luck of the draw fun, with great music accompanying.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I was ignorant to Gods word for most of my life, passing it off as nothing I could use, having not been raised to value it like I should have, I never read the bible, I never went to church, and I never prayed. When my mom passed away, I was told that this was part of God’s plan, and that’s not what I needed to hear at the time, and it ended up turning me away from Him entirely. When my Dad passed away, and I went to live with Waxjob (Joshua Brady) and his family, I saw how they were able to find comfort through Christ, and it opened me up more and more to the idea of God, and I started seeing God in my life more and more, I noticed Godly people and Godly things. Eventually I was able to conclude that God is real, Jesus died on the cross for us, and being able to look at things through eyes of benevolence instead of random chaos, it made dealing with my past traumas so much easier, and I felt myself become a better person because of it. Most recently Cardinal passed away, and when I heard the news I had to sit down and cry, especially when I learned that he had two children, and feeling what they felt, it broke me, seeing Cardinal Jr at the Rampart convergence, and seeing him cry because he missed his dad, he missed those memories he’d never have, he missed his voice and his love, I cried because I missed those too, and that hug I gave Cardinal Jr I hope was what he needed, because it’s what I needed. He’s got this, his sister’s got this, I pray they can find comfort in Christ the way I did.
MOLESKIN:
This was my VQ, and it was certainly a special one, I find it went well and the PAX enjoyed it, thank you to everyone who came out and showed their support and worked out with me, I hope to lead more in the future, and I’m excited for what that future holds. Take care, stay safe, stay hydrated.