F3 Knoxville

Faster

THE SCENE: Drippy, slushy, 35ish with a brook babbling by in the background
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • High knees
  • Projectivators
  • Tempo squats
  • Little baby arm circles
  • Tempo merkins
  • Dive bombers
  • Fence steppers
  • 5 burpees
  • Cherry pickers

THA-THANG:
3 cycles of AMRAP, 45 s on, 15 s recovery

  • Cycle 1
    • Curls
    • Overhead press
    • Heavy squats
    • CMU Swings
    • Row right
    • Row left
  • Mosey to pool wall and do 7 wall-ups
  • Cycle 2
    • Derkins
    • Block Jump overs
    • Tricep Extensions
    • Heavy freddy’s
    • Thrusters
    • Walking CMU Merkins
    • Mosey to playground for 7 pull ups
  • Cycle 3
    • Heavy Lunges
    • Heel taps
    • Good mornings
    • Heavy flutter kicks
    • Airplanes
    • Blockees
    • Return to parking lot and bear crawl the CMUs back from whence they came

MARY:
60 s tree hugger with a probably-longer-than-necessary joke
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Matthew 6:16-18

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

fasting, Schmemann argues, “rather than weakening us makes us light, concentrated, sober, joyful, pure.

true “Christian asceticism is a fight, not against but for the body.”

In Taft’s words, penance is “not a turning in on self, not a concentration on self-discipline as some sort of spiritual athletics, but an openness to new life, and through it openness to others, the end to which it is all supposed to lead.”

Schmemann counsels a fast to “control our speech”19 so that we can recover a measure of silence in our spiritual life without which we cannot hear the voice of the Lord.

fasting, like all forms of discipline, “is not a pitting of the spirit against the flesh, but rather body and soul united together against sin, body and soul converted together to the Lord.

The body is valuable and a precious gift of the Creator—who Himself of course took on human flesh—but its value is only recognizable paradoxically when it is not pampered but denied, as in fasting: “fasting in Christianity is only truly itself when it realizes the sacredness of the body.

fasting as a physical effort is totally meaningless without its spiritual counterpart: ‘by fasting and prayer.

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-hearted ness, lust of power and idle talk
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant.
Yes, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother;
For Thou are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
MOLESKIN:
I have a couple of goats, and I realized yesterday that the gate to their pen was completely detached at the hinge. If they had bumped the gate, it would have fallen and they could have escaped. But they didn’t. In the long run, fences don’t work because of their strength or durability. They work because we accept them. If you ever want to get out, just keep testing the fence and one day it will fall.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
none

PAUSE

THE SCENE: 48 and wet
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Yep – all the stuff.
WARM-O-RAMA:

• SSH – IC X7
• Squats – IC x5
• Imperial Squawkers – IC x5
• Mountain Climbers – IC X5
• Tempo Merkins – IC X5
• Overhead Clap – IC X5
• LBAC (fwd/back) – IC X5 (bigger)
• Moroccan Nightclub – IC X5
• Hi Knees/burpees x3
• Projectivators x5
• SPRINTS – Parkside to Library and back
• Mosey to Parallel Bars – 5 dips/5 lunges each leg
• Mosey to Pool Wall – 5 wall-ups/5 squats
• Mosey to RC

THA-THANG:

1 CMU mosey to Tinseltown Side Stairs
• 10 single-arm rows each side – CMU stairs
• 10 lunges each leg – CMU stairs
• 10 good mornings + 10 BBS – CMU stairs
• 10 uneven merks each side – CMU stairs
• 10 kettle swings + 10 calf raises – CMU stairs
ROUND 2:
• 10 narrow merk + 10 plio-merk – CMU stairs
• 10 thrusters + 10 squats – CMU stairs
• 10 curls + 10 OHP – CMU stairs
• 10 V-up + 10 flutterkicks (4-ct) – CMU stairs
• 10 tri-ext + 10 overhead side-side (2-ct) – CMU stairs
• 6:05 – return CMU/Pool Wall (5 wallups/squats) to Parallel (5 dips/lunges)/JAIL BREAK TO SHOVEL FLAG

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 MEN: Erector, Borg, Biohack, Mathlete, Rocket, and Snaggletooth

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“Be still [again] and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Still learning the lesson from 2020 – “Be Still” – A resource that I have been using may be a helpful tool to each of us in this time is the Pause App. It’s a simple 1 minute meditation. There are options for a 3-minute, 5-minute, and 10-minute meditation that you can do anytime during the day to come back to God in the midst of the rat-race that is often our workday.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Five Eleven

THE SCENE:  40 and clear.  Perfect!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:
 

Squat x 11

Overhead clap x 11

SSH x 11

Imperial walker x 11

Moroccan Nightclub x 11

THA THANG:

Mosey to the fountain plaza.  Elevens on the bench – chest slap irkin + single-leg split squat

Mosey to Y-12 Hill.  Elevens – Star jack, run down, diamond merkins, bear crawl up

Mosey to the Amphitheater.  Elevens – Box jumps, bernie up, mountain climbers, run down

Mosey to the pool wall.  Elevens – Wall up (or supine pull-up) + BBS

Mosey to Friendship Bell.  Elevens – Single leg dips + burpee box jumps

MARY:

Flutter kicks x 11

E2K R x 11

Hello dolly x 11

E2K L x 11

BBS x 11

Jail break!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

9

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I love so many things about F3 workouts – the push, the variety, the comradery, and this right here – the Ball O’ Man or Circle of Trust.  These five minutes that we use to challenge each other to be better men, better fathers, better husbands, better friends…  Where else in our society do men do this?  Maybe in your church… Maybe if you have an exceptional friendship…  Other than that – nowhere do men get to do what we are doing right here and right now.  Oorah, Ball O’ Man!

Exhortation.

The Q-Source has a chapter on Exhortation – Q3.7.  But instead of reading from that, I’m going to borrow an idea from scripture.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing”. 

encourage one another…  The Greek word which is rendered “encourage” is parakaleo.  Many English interpretations of this verse translate the word as “exhort” rather than “encourage” (ASV, ERV, NHEB, WEB…).  I think of encourage as “motivate”, “cheer on”, or “root for”.  But, “Parakaleo” in the Greek has a legal overtone.  The word implies one who is working to compel a court’s decision (like a defense attorney) – which is more earnest and urgent than the word “encourage” would suggest.  What’s more, the word infers that the person’s judgement is based on their first-hand knowledge of a situation.  That’s precisely what we do in this circle, is it not?  We compel each other, often based on our own experiences (e.g. I’m working on this, maybe you are as well – or I made a mistake and suffered, learn from my mistakes…).

…and build each other up… In the Greek, those words are oikodomeo and literally mean “to build a house”.

If Chaco were here, he could tell us how many different disciplines are involved in building a house.  Concrete, framing, electrical, plumping, roofing, insulation, finish work, etc.  Dozens of trades and hundreds of steps.  In this circle, we cover a wide range of topics; service, forgiveness, vision, prayer, playfulness, carrying your burden, and dozens of others.  Just like a house needs a foundation and insulation and plumbing – I need all this variety of exhortation to become more of a HIM.  

I appreciate you men coming out here.  I appreciate so much when you lead!  I appreciate the words that you speak into my life and the way that you exhort me and the other men out here!

 

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Trolley’s wife and family

Good to have Mr. Slate at the Project!

Q Source 3.7, Exhortation

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Playing with the Kids

THE SCENE: A crisp 25 and clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • High knees
  • Projectivators
  • Moroccan nightclubs
  • Little baby arm circles
  • Tempo squats
  • Imperial squawkers
  • Tempo merkins
  • Newton’s cradle

THA-THANG:

Baby steps

  • 6 thrusters and a blockee x3
  • Buzz around the parking lot – mosey with block extended in front
  • 6 Airplane! And a blockee x3
    • Airplane = on 6, crunch up with block then extend arms and legs
  • Buzz around the parking lot
  • 6 curl-presses and a blockee x3
  • Put her to bed with some kettle bell swings

Playing in the yard

  • Farmer carry 2 cmus to the field and line up at first tree
  • Transit from tree to tree with one cmu, then do 5 merkins and go back and get the other cmu
    • Murder bunny – sprint
    • 10-15 dive bombers
    • Gorilla walk – bear crawl
    • Al Gore with both blocks til the 6 is up
    • If there’s time, floor is hot lava – stand on cmu, grab the other and move it forward and step on
  • Farmer carry 2 cmus to peace bell

Top Speed

  • 40 seconds – AMRAP – 20 seconds off
    • Curls
    • Heavy Hammers
    • Right row
    • Left row
    • Heavy Flutter Kicks
    • Double stack squats
    • Heavy LBCs

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Welcome to FNG – Borg!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 71:23,
“My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19,
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

True joy is free from all but one circumstance, God’s saving grace. Play happens when joy bubbles over into action. Thus playfulness has less to do with what you are doing and everything to do with the spirit in which you do it. It can be hard to keep outside forces from pushing in and stifling joy, especially some days. But if we can see beyond the moment, focus on the wider view, then we can gain an unconquerable spirit. We could all stand to play a bit more.

MOLESKIN:
“Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Soldiering through the Project Deck of Pain

THE SCENE: 29°F and 0% chance of water – 100% chance of PAIN!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER– Administered + Cell Phone + COVID
WARM-O-RAMA:

10 x Moroccan Night Club IC
10 x Tennessee Rocking Chair IC (increasing speed ~rep 7)
5 x Tempo Merkin IC
4 x Rainbow Drop OYO
10 x Tempo Squat IC

THA-THANG:
This workout has been months in the making! It takes its inspiration from the Deck of Pain at JUCO as administered by Trolley (many times over) – Deck of Pain /-/ Deck of Pain II /-/ Deck of Pain III /-/ Jailbreak Tour

Also checkout the “official” F3 Workout Deck (it has something like SSH‘s in it… smh but I digress)

Q asked for 4 volunteers – 1 for each suit in a standard deck of cards that I passed out baggies with the exercise cards written on them. Today we have a caveat: I want to cover all exercises today so that the next time around all of the Project PAX know what is what (and hopefully we can have more than 1 PAX per suit of cards).

I’m going to paste in the table I used to make the workout and subsequently write on the cards because trying to remember the order of 52 cards, even in groups of 13, while leading the workout and working out… not happening. Unlike this guy.

Jokers were also administered at key points because you NEVER KNOW when you’re going to get a surprise.

Big Joker: 20 burpees

Actual results of the Q today:

We got through 85% of things but left the Little Joker (the one with lots of text on it) is Dealer’s Choice at the #shovel-flag. Every PAX must name a Mary exercise. There are still some Spades to be done (in BOLD in the table below) but we got most things done.

After each suit was completed, the PAX with the baggie of cards for that suit read the following (that goes along with the BOM):

1. Compassionate (Hearts)- the best soldiers only use deadly force when they are absolutely required to. They find no joy or satisfaction in destroying carnage. They seek to defend what is worth defending. His compassion drives him.

2. Courageous (Diamonds) – Someone courageous says “Please don’t force me to show it.” It readily admits to having a warring attitude when I need to. When a battle is to be fought, I will be in the front line fighting it. I will not back down because I believe Psalm 20:7 which says “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

3. Competent (Clubs)- Without competence, courage becomes folly. The Christian soldier as he engages in war, has to be armed, prepared, and wise. He understands who the Enemy is, what the Enemy is. He does not walk in the flesh morally but physically. Thus, he wages war not in the flesh though he has flesh.

4. Calculating (Spades)- a soldier plans for war. He thinks about what needs to happen where and wisely strikes. He fights spiritual wars. He reasons the truth from Scripture. He brings the Word of God and lets it bear its truth. And, when those who have been warned, just like the apostle Paul he is ready to strike and purge out the false teachers.

 

Location Suit Card Description Card Amt Modified Amt
Shovel Flag Spades 2 1 lap entire shovel flag parking lot 1 1
Shovel Flag Spades 3 Dips on the curb 15 5
Shovel Flag Spades 4 Bear crawl in parking lot Q’s distance Q’s distance
Shovel Flag Spades 5 Moroccan night club (if Erector is present he must lead it IC) 15 15
Shovel Flag Spades 6 Tempo squats 10 10
Shovel Flag Spades 7 4x4s 10 5
Shovel Flag Spades 8 Jumping Spider 10 5
Shovel Flag Spades 9 Heels to Heaven IC 20 10
Shovel Flag Spades 10 Werkin 15 5
Shovel Flag Spades J Stationary Lunges 10 ea leg 5 each leg
Shovel Flag Spades Q Al Gore 30 sec hold x 2 30 sec hold x 1
Shovel Flag Spades K Rotational Merkin 10 5
Shovel Flag Spades A Single Leg Calf Raise 15 ea leg 7 ea leg
Pool Wall Clubs 2 Walls of Jericho See decsription 5 each exercise
Pool Wall Clubs 3 Dips on bars 15 5
Pool Wall Clubs 4 Crawl Bear up steps 1 1
Pool Wall Clubs 5 Pull-ups at the Playground 10 5
Pool Wall Clubs 6 Squats 20 10
Pool Wall Clubs 7 Burpees 10 5
Pool Wall Clubs 8 Clap Merkins 10 5
Pool Wall Clubs 9 Gas Pump IC 15 5
Pool Wall Clubs 10 Merkins IC 20 10
Pool Wall Clubs J Lunges (each leg = 1) 20 10
Pool Wall Clubs Q Michael Phelps 10 30 sec rest
Pool Wall Clubs K Pickle Pounders IC 20 10
Pool Wall Clubs A Incline Calf Raises on top of the Wall 20 10
Amphitheatre Diamonds 2 Run a lap around the theatre 1 1
Amphitheatre Diamonds 3 Dips on the theater wall 15 5
Amphitheatre Diamonds 4 Crab walk across diameter of theater 1 1
Amphitheatre Diamonds 5 Seal Clap Squats IC 20 10
Amphitheatre Diamonds 6 Box Jumps on low theatre wall 15 5
Amphitheatre Diamonds 7 Flying Squirrel 10 5
Amphitheatre Diamonds 8 Shoulder Taps IC 20 10
Amphitheatre Diamonds 9 Dolly IC 20 10
Amphitheatre Diamonds 10 Diamond Merkins 10 5
Amphitheatre Diamonds J Iron Mike / Bonnie Blair (ea leg) 7 5
Amphitheatre Diamonds Q Reach for the Sky / Let it Hang 30 sec each 30 sec total
Amphitheatre Diamonds K Pickle Pointer IC 20 10
Amphitheatre Diamonds A Decline calf raises on the curb/edge 25 10
Friendship Bell Hearts 2 Run to across bridge and back to bell 1 1
Friendship Bell Hearts 3 Dips with feet on wall/bench 15 5
Friendship Bell Hearts 4 Reverse Crab around bell 1 1
Friendship Bell Hearts 5 Raise the roof (air press) 20 10
Friendship Bell Hearts 6 Squat Jump 10 5
Friendship Bell Hearts 7 Burpee with Jump Tuck 10 5
Friendship Bell Hearts 8 Irkin/Derkin alt (each) 10 5
Friendship Bell Hearts 9 Leg Lifts 20 10
Friendship Bell Hearts 10 World’s Greatest Merkin 7 5
Friendship Bell Hearts J Reverse Lunge (each leg) 10 5
Friendship Bell Hearts Q Plank 30 sec x 2 30 sec x 1
Friendship Bell Hearts K Rainbow Drop (single count) 15 5
Friendship Bell Hearts A Alternating Leg single leg calf raises (single count) 40 20

 

MARY:
We did a lot of stuff, but no MARY today.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 Soldiers strong!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The notes and Word I shared comes from two John MacArthur sermons on 2 Corinthians 10:1-6: Winning the Spiritual War Part 1 // Winning the Spiritual War Part 2

We are soldiers in a war whether we know it or not. To wage war, we need to regularly evaluate where we are and prepare for war. Later this morning I have my yearly CPE (that’s Complete Physical Examination) scheduled. To do the blood work they required, I had to fast. Fasting can take many forms, and we’e been “deprived” of a lot this past year due to many circumstances beyond our control. There will continue to be many things that are beyond our control (like the “lot” that is cast when a card from the Deck of Pain is pulled, but we can control our reaction (this has been talked about many times before) as well as we can control how we prepare for situations going forward.

This is where being a soldier comes into play: Life is not a happenstance set of events – we can and should take stock in order to prepare for the battle – and yes, we are at war. Paul tell us this how we are to wage war in 2 Corinthians 10:1-6:

1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Reflect on the 4 aforementioned qualities and see that you are applying them to your life:

1. Compassionate (Hearts)- are you loving those around you, truly caring for their well-being and putting yourself after them? This starts with your immediate family.

2. Courageous (Diamonds) – Are you willing to take a stand when necessary? Do you even know what you’re going to stand for?

3. Competent (Clubs)- Leroy Jenkins is a classic example of courageous but not competent. Are you wisely taking risks, or stumbling into folly?

4. Calculating (Spades)- Last but not least, when push comes to shove, are you ready to take action in specific ways? We don’t just throw away the whole thing, but having a plan that takes out the enemy without civilian casualties (if at all possible) is paramount.

MOLESKIN:
Prayed for Doodle Dandy’s wife and another wife who live in the neighborhood where I live – both were in a car wreck and in the hospital over the weekend with broken ribs, possible spinal cord injuries, and at least one had a collapsed lung. Also prayed for Trolley’s M having a hysterectomy next Tuesday.

It was VERY slippery today. But Soldiers who walk together, even physically distanced, can look out for each other. Nobody fell and we all got stronger!

Also S/O to Kick-flip, Snaggletooth, Mathlete for looking for and to Biohack for finding my keys that dropped out of my pocket by, of course, the Pool wall.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Step up and Q!