F3 Knoxville

Untitled Ambitious – Part Deux

THE SCENE: Extra hot and muggy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

So, our fearless leader, Erector, smartsacked this morning because he needed to take care of his health. I Q’d last week and, because I have no sense of timing, we had way too much workout for the time allotted. Some of the guys said, “Hey – we’ll just do the rest of it next week.” I’m like, “Sure, I can do that.” But I decide that I’ll let someone else sign up if they want and I’ll just save it for the next time I’m on Q. Come Sunday, Erector signs up since I didn’t sign up and no one else did either. But he’s been coming down with something and last night sends out a group-me to say that he may need to smartsack. Archie says, “We’ll just do the rest of Snaggletooth’s workout. But I’ll be ready just in case.” So here we are – Untitled Ambitious – Part Deux.

Warm-Up: SSH x15, Tempo Merkin x10, Moroccan Nightclub x15, 5 Burpees OYO, Mosey to Playground

THA-THANG:
1. Little bit of recap from last week: 10 Pull-ups @ Playground/10 Dips @ Parallel Bars – 2 Rounds/Hold Al Gore for 6. Mosey to East Parking Lot.

2. Burpee/Bear Crawl: 5 Burpees – Bear Crawl to 1st Grass Island – 10 Burpees – Bear Crawl to 2nd Grass Island – 15 Burpees – Bear Crawl Back to 1st Grass Island – 10 Burpees – Bear Crawl back to Startex – 5 Burpees. Hold Al Gore until 6. Mosey to West Parking Lot.

3. BEAST (Right out of Q101 Playbook, aptly named because it’s a beast of an exercise, and because it is 6 reps of 6 exercises, and 6 rounds: 666). Sprint to 1st grass island, 6 merkins, sprint to 2nd island, 6 merkins, sprint to far curb, 6 merkins, sprint back to 2nd island, 6 merkins, sprint back to 1st island, 6 merkins, sprint back to startex, 6 merkins. Rinse and repeat with LBC, Squats, Werkins, American Hammer, and Burpees. We completed the cycle of Werkins before time was called. PAX did an excellent job.

MARY:
Kickflip led our Mary exercises. He’s Qing tomorrow morning at JUCO with several new exercises and we were his guinea pigs. I will not steal his thunder by putting them here. Suffice it to say, these exercises will get you in places you would have thought F3 already got to, but haven’t…YET.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Here are the 5 CHAMPIONS (after our AO-Q, Erector/Jason Champion) of the Project this morning: Archie, Chaco, Kick-Flip, Rocket, and me, Snaggletooth.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Kick-Flip has consistently shared insightful and challenging COT/BOM with his Q, particularly his recent Q on International Friend Day (NOT a friendly workout involving a “friend” – read as, CMU). A friend not only holds his friends’ feet to the fire, but he also “unbosoms his soul,” or shares his heart. It’s easy not to. More often than not, this is our MO as guys. But nothing risked, nothing gained. It’s better to risk sharing your heart with a friend who will encourage and pray for you. 

MOLESKIN:

I am blessed by the caliber of guys that I get to work out with in the mornings. F3 is one of the best things I’ve done in the last 20 years. I didn’t know how much I needed it, nor how much I would enjoy getting up before 5AM to exercise but I’m better – 20 years better – because of it. Faafetai, uso (Samoan for “Thanks brother”)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Those who experienced The Convergence shared some take-aways from Saturday and links to pictures as well as Capt Crunch’s challenge. Also 2nd F Lunch @ Oak Ridge Salsarita.

The Long Haul

THE SCENE: Warm and sweaty
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: 

Welcome two new FNG’s Zack and Brandon!

WARM-O-RAMA:
10 SSH, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Twisters (Twisting Windmills)
THA-THANG:  The Long Haul

In Short: Pick up a CMU and mosey it to the top of JUCOMANJARO with some exercises along the way.

In detail:   Side Straddles (both sides), then a two burpee indian run to the CMU pile.

Pick up a CMU and do exercises (written on the ground) about every 100 yards until you get to the base of JUCOMANJARO.

The exercises were:

  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Push Presses
  • 25 Squats
  • 25 Triceps
  • 25 Right arm block elevated Merkins
  • 25 Left arm block elevated Merkins
  • 25 American Block Hammers
  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Push Presses
  • 25 Squats
  • 25 Triceps

Then at the base of JUCOMANJARO only stop at the two alcoves for exercises.

  1. 100 Single Count Freddy Mercuries (with CMU)
  2. 100 Single Count American Hammers (with CMU)

Once you get to the flat towards the top then lunge to the very end, about 50 lunges.

50 Flutter Kicks at the top, to pick up the six.  We ran out time to bring the cmu’s back, but brought them

down to the second alcove.

MARY:
Thank you Ribbed for leading the group in some more flutters as the group trickled back to the AO

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I love it when the old testament writers write about new testament stuff and the new testament writers write about old testament stuff. In reading Acts 7 (Stephen’s confession) I’m amazed at the history he rattles off. In contrast, I’m amazed at King David’s testimony about the forgiveness that is found in God, which really sounds like new testament Gospel writters. We read Psalm 32 out loud.

Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Boosters Last Stand

THE SCENE: 70 or so in the gloom
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers (IC) 4 CT X 10
  • Baby Arm Circles (forwards) & Michael Phelps (OYO)
  • Baby Arm Circles (backwards) & Michael Phelps (OYO)
  • 5 burpees (OYO)
  • 10 Tempo Squats (IC)
  • 10 Hand release merkins (OYO)
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops (IC)
  • 50 Curb Calf Raises (OYO)
  • Karaokes & Sprints
  • Mosey – Double Wide Indian Run

THA-THANG:

Don’t Act Like A Sophomore on the Hill 

  • Get into groups of 3
  • Partner 1 does AMRAP merkins while Partner 2 runs up Sophomore Hill while partner 3 at the top does AMRAP squats
  • Rotate throughout each position; rinse & repeat
  • Mosey to the junkyard

Be a Junkyard Dog

  • Stay with your same partners, same structure
  • Partner 1 does 10 CMU reps Overhead Press, Triceps extension, Curls & bentover rows as many rounds of the lifts as possible until partner 3 gets down the stairs
  • Partner 2 runs up & replaces Partner 3 who has been doing Big Boy Situps
  • Rinse & Repeat
  • Mosey to big parking lot

Light Pole to Pole

  • 5 burpees & sprint to the next pole, 5 more burpees
  • mosey to AO

MARY:

Judge Judy led us in 75 (or 500) flutterkicks

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

26 HIMS and 1 FNG – Nutmeg

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

We know these words but do we always believe them or have doubts?  Sure we have doubts.  We’re human.  We have doubts, fears, etc.

I started at JUCO in October 2017.  I weighed about 270 and was out of shape physically and spiritually.  I’ve lost 40 pounds since that time and I’m much stronger physically and spiritually.  While I don’t and never will have all of the answers on this Earth, I know more about myself and how I should live my life because of each of you.  Your witness.  Your love for your families and each other is inspiring.  Your willingness to share, be open and vulnerable out here is awesome.

During my first time or two out here, Bartman had me out here in the pouring rain doing burpees and bear crawls down the stairs.  I thought “what the heck am I doing here.”  I don’t remember his closing BOM that day but I really liked it.  Me, him and Shooter circled up, put our hands on one another and prayed and I promise I felt closer to God in this parking lot than I had in a long time in a church pew.

As some of you know, today is my last day at my job as executive director of a cancer charity.  It’s been an honor to build that charity and help more than 7,000 families over the last 5 years.  But I felt it was a time for a change.  I prayed about it.  Shortly thereafter, a couple of consulting opportunities came up so I turned in a 3-month notice and it was the fastest 3 months of my life.  I’m sad, happy, relived and nervous.

I went to Oklahoma last weekend and had a hard time sleeping.  On Monday, I met Sarah McLean who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 25.  A couple of years later she felt like she should start a charity since she had learned so much and wanted to help others battling breast cancer.  She prayed and God told her no, not now so she continued to work at a church and had 2 kids. She then got breast cancer again.  After she healed, she prayed and God told her she was ready.  She shared her story, her faith journey and she wept as she told me about one of her board members dying in her arms.  I was ugly crying.  It wasn’t pretty.  We stood up and hugged.  At that moment, I knew God put me in the right place to help her charity in addition to the other one I will be leading in Oklahoma City.

While I don’t know exactly what will happen in my life, I know God has it under control and will lead me where I need to be.

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot    a time to kill and a time to heal,     a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5   a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,   a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,     a time for war and a time for peace

There’s a time for everything and my time as executive director has come to an end.  When I started at JUCO, we were averaging 2-5 people.  We’ve grown so much but not because of me.  God brought you here for a reason.  I needed F3 and still do.  We all need F3 and there are men out there asleep that should be here right now.  There are men out there worried about their kids, their marriage, their job that could use us in his lives.

Today I’m stepping down as AO Q for JUCO.  I’m going to be travelling quite a bit.  So, I’m proud to say Judge Judy is taking over as AO Q.  He’s a great person, smart, funny, a leader, a lawyer, a husband and father, a great friend and has the coolest name out here.  Abscess is taking over next week as lead of all F3 Knoxville and he’s asked me to help him on some special projects so I’m not going anywhere.  I’ll actually be here all week next week so get ready to wagonwheel to get me at the back!

MOLESKIN:

It’s been an honor to lead JUCO for the last 19 months!  We’re in better hands now with Judge Judy.  Whether you are an FNG or been around for years, we’re all brothers and I want you to know I would do anything for any of you!  Thank each of you for helping me try to become a better person!  God bless each of you and your families!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Dunkin
  • Sign up to Q
  • 3rd F Convergence next Saturday on August 10th at 7:00 a.m. at the Big Ball followed by breakfast/testimonials at Redeemer Church

Be a High-Impact Friend

THE SCENE: 70 and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Cherry Pickers – IC
Windmill – IC
Tempo Squats – IC
Motivators – Single count
LBAC (F/R) – IC
Tempo Merkins – IC

THA-THANG:

Everyone partner up with a “friend” (a.k.a. a CMU) and mosey to the Friendship Bell (a monument at Bissell Park) for the CMU Deck Workout (hat tip to Cap’N Crunch!)
– Draw a card and perform the exercise.  First one finished draws the next card and starts immediately.
– Work at the pace of the fastest man.  If you are lapped, skip the next exercise and get back in rhythm with the PAX.
– For all suits with a card value of A-5 = run that number of laps around the Friendship Bell (with your “friend”, of course)
– For the rest of the deck, perform the number of reps based on the value of the card according to the list below:

Card Value Reps
A-5 Run that many laps around the bell
6-10 Reps = Face Value
J, Q, K Reps = 15

 

Card Value Exercise
Hearts 4-count curls
Spades Step ups
Clubs 4-count flutter kicks (arms extended w/ CMU above chest)
Diamonds 4-count shoulder press

 

Next up….45-second intervals.  Perform each exercise for 45 seconds – 15 seconds of rest in between sets.

Flutter Kick w/ CMU
Merky-Derky
CMU Iron Mike (or lunge)
Dips w/ CMU in your lap
Lion Kings
Crunch-press w/ CMU
Curls

Mosey back.

MARY:
Heavy Freddies
Derkin Pyramid

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

In April 2011 the General Assembly of the United Nations declared July 30 as official “International Friendship Day”.  I’m thrilled to be standing here this morning with one of my oldest and dearest friends (Archie) and six of my newest and dearest friends.

William Penn was a Quaker and a writer in pre-revolution America.  Notably, he was an early advocate for democracy, founder of the colony – later state – of Pennsylvania, and planner of the city of Philadelphia.   He wrote a book titled “Some Fruits of Solitude” – a collection of sayings (similar in tone to Ben Franklin’s Farmer’s Almanac).  It is included in Volume 1 of Harvard’s Non-fiction Classics.  In this book, Penn wrote of pride, of education, of justice, of fidelity…and of friendship.

About friendship, Penn wrote;

“A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.”

That’s what I would call a “high-impact friend”.

Let’s zoom in on those first two characteristics.

One:  As a high-impact friend, you must be advising your friends justly.  This means speaking candidly into the lives of your friends who are falling short of a high standard.  It means giving straight talk to those men around you who are acting foolishly, who are harming themselves and others around them, and who are temporarily blind, ignorant, or uncaring of their foolishness.  Our culture will accommodate, and even encourage, their foolishness.  If you are their friend, you owe it to them to show courage and speak correction and truth into their lives.

Proverbs 27:6

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern]…”

Two:  In order for you to have any credibility whatsoever to speak candidly to a hurting friend, you must first consistently unbosom yourself freely to him – which is an old-fashioned way of saying “open your heart to him”.  You must be candid about your own struggles, fears, insecurities, shortcomings, dreams.  Only then have you earned to right to speak truth to him about his struggles.

As high-impact men, you are set apart from your peers – held to a higher standard.  Friendships built on common interests alone are cheap.

I challenge you today, on International Friendship Day, to unbosom yourself to a friend (share your heart) and to speak courageously into the life of a friend who is headed down a destructive pathUncomfortable as it may be at first, be a High-Impact Friend and you’ll be valued and cherished by those who are dear to you. 

 

MOLESKIN:
Praises for Samaritan’s 20th anniversary and for the safety of KickFlip’s friend’s daughter – who nearly drowned over the weekend.  Prayers of peace for Erector’s friend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Do your friends a favor and invite them to F3!

I like to crawl.

THE SCENE: Beautiful!!!!!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tempo squats

Moroccan night club

manly arm rotations up and down

tempo merkins

SSH

Man-Makers
THA-THANG:
Partner up!!

Sets of 100 merkins collective count

bear crawl

100 arm taps

bear crawl

100 Catalina wine mixers

bear crawl

100 squats

beae crawl

100 lunges

bear crawl

 

mosey to the sophomore

bear crawl to the top, 10 flutter kicks

cralw bear down, 10 hello dollys

mosey back to the large lot

go bakerds’ through the routine oyo sets of 20

 

MARY

5 Apollo creeds each arm

leg drops ( no idea exercon )

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 HIMS!!!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Never take a moment of life for granted

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