F3 Knoxville

Talk Less, Smile More

THE SCENE: Started off a bit misty, but turned out to be cloudy and downright pleasant, around 65 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!


WARM-O-RAMA:

– Motivators (5-ct, descending)

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), in cadence

– Michael Phelps

– 10 Tempo Seal Claps (4-ct), in Cadence

– 10 Tempo Overhead Claps (4-ct), in Cadence

-10 Steve Earle’s (4-ct), in Cadence

– OYO leg stretching

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Small parking lot south of Colosseum.

  • Do each group of exercises, running a loop after each group is completed, for a total of 5 times around the lot. Can be done in any order.  Exercise groups are:
  1. AB BLASTER:
    • 20x: LBCs, BBSs, American Hammers (2-ct), Dead Bugs (2-ct)
  2. ARM BLASTER:
    • 20x: Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks, Bottle Openers (2-ct), Shoulder Taps (2-ct)
  3. LEG BLASTER:
    • 20x: Bobby Hurleys, Iron Mikes (2-ct), Froggie Jumps, Squats.
  4. CARDIO BLASTER:
    • 20x: SSH (2-ct), High Knees (2-ct), Butt Kickers (2-ct), Mountain Climbers (2-ct), Smurf Jacks
  5. STRETCH BLASTER:
    • 10 x: Cherry Pickers (4-ct), Windmills (4-ct), Grady Corns (4-ct)

Mosey to Road by Roundabout.

  • 5 sets of 30 seconds, AMRAP, 10 second break, BERNIE up to Curb at end of each set:
    • PLANK JACKS, LUNGES

MOSEY to roadway leading up to AO.

  • PARTNER PYRAMIDS! Partner up with like speed. Start ½ way between flag and tree. One partner runs towards flag, other partner runs towards stop sign or tree and back.   Meet at center point and   do the following exercises in REPS of 15.  Then switch directions.
    • LAP 1 Patty-cake Planks (2-ct)
    • LAP 2 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs
    • LAP 3 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct)
    • LAP 4 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurleys
    • LAP 5 LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurleys
    • LAP 6 Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurley s
    • LAP 7 Bobby Hurleys

(we got about 1/2 way through this before running out of time.)
MARY:
Nope
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 sweaty dudes
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Early in the musical HAMILTON, Alexander Hamilton introduces himself to his hero (and future killer), Aaron Burr.  He’s nervous, trying to make a good impression, etc. is kind of hyper, talking passionately, and he’s sort of running off at the mouth a bit.  Aaron Burr stops him and gives him some advice.  “TALK LESS.  SMILE MORE.  DON’T TELL THEM WHAT YOU’RE AGAINST OR WHAT YOU’RE FOR.”

I constantly go back and forth with this concept in my head.  I’ve heard athletes, politicians, movie stars, all sorts of public figures say some version of “I’m going to speak my mind and I don’t give a BLEEP what you think about it.” And they get applauded for it.  Yeah, you go girl.  That’s right, tell them what you think and don’t let anybody tell you you’re wrong.

Well, the knife cuts both ways sometimes.  I was recently in a pretty intense discussion about some deep topics with a friend of mine. I was pretty dang sure that I was on the right side of the argument.  I was dropping knowledge bombs left and right.  Boom. There’s another one, Boom!  Big one coming, BOOM!  Shock and Awe kind of stuff.  And became more and more frustrated and angry that my friend wasn’t agreeing with me or seeing things the same way.  Afterwards, it really bothered me NOT that he didn’t agree with me so much, but that I had been so hard on my friend for not agreeing in the World According to Pele.  I went back to him and apologized, and those lyrics from Hamilton ran through my head.  Talk less. Smile more. Hmmm… maybe I should do that.

This probably isn’t a news flash to you, but people aren’t always going to agree with you.  And when that happens (not if, but when), don’t be like me, and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.  Give THEM an opportunity to explain what their point of view is and be patient, don’t interrupt them at every step pointing out what you think are the flaws of their argument.  TALK LESS.  And at the end of it, even if you never reach an agreement, shake their hand and say you respect their position.  SMILE MORE.  Like the Avett Brothers song says, No Hard Feelings.  Love Thy Neighbor (even when they’re wrong, hee hee).  Friendships are worth more than a fight about who’s right and who’s wrong.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for various PAX, their families and friends
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Accepted As We Are

THE SCENE: Sunny, temperature about 80 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Plank Jacks, 10 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 7 Cherry Pickers, 7 Windmills, 6 Pterodactyls forward, 6 Pterodactyls backward, Michael Phelps.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Rocky Balboas.

Mosey on perimeter trail toward the entrance gate at Lyons Bend then on the trail heading east.  There will be a cone out in the field nearby. We will split into teams of two for Doras.  While one partner runs up to the tree stump at the top of the hill and back, the other partner does exercises.  Then partners switch off. Here is the exercises that each team of two partners will do:

  • 100 Squat Jumps
  • 100 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 100 Hello Dollies
  • 100 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)
  • 100 Diamond Merkins
  • 200 Baby Crunches

Mosey back up the hill and past the stump to the roadway. Then mosey to the Stop Sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will run on the shaded trail to sidewalk that loops in front of the Admin Bldg.  Then head east to the parking lot area.  Then run on roadway back to the Stop Sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  There will be five cones set up along the way.  Each time we run the route we will do different exercises at the cones:

  • First run:  10 squats at each cone.
  • Second Run: 10 Flutter kicks (4 ct) at each cone.
  • Third run:  10 Lunges, 5 each leg, at each cone.
  • Fourth run:  10 Bobby Hurleys at each cone.

From the Stop Sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg. will will race back to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 Men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I hope that F3 will always be an organization where brothers feel welcomed by all brothers . . . where a man is not judged by the job he has, by the car he drives, by how fast he runs, or how fancy the shoes on his feet look.  I think the message of F3 should be, “my man, we accept you as you are.  That doesn’t mean that we won’t mold you into a better man . . . but it means that you can be you.”

One of my F3 brothers was recently talking about coworkers at his job. These guys make good money.  But the narcissistic, self-centered attitude of some of these coworkers, the selfish boasting, and the failure to help one’s fellow man sometimes make my friend feel sick.  My friend strives on at his job but he certainly doesn’t appreciate the attitude of some of his coworkers.

I formerly worked as a jury and trial consultant for a consulting firm that was hired by law firms on pretty major cases.  I highly respected many of the attorneys I worked for.  But, there were some attorneys I definitely did not respect.  I remember a mock trial that my consulting firm conducted in Jackson, Mississippi.  Some of the attorneys on the case and I arrived at the same time at the airport in Jackson and hailed a taxi together to ride to the hotel we were staying at.  I recall the smirks, comments and laughter about the taxi driver after we were dropped off.  The attorneys made fun of his accent and his seemingly backward ways while they also made negative inferences regarding the common state of the city.  I remember thinking during that stay in Jackson that I would be much more likely to enjoy eating dinner with that taxi driver than with those conceited attorneys.  I wondered what dreams that taxi driver had, what friendships, what his family was like, how hard he might be working to make sure dinner was on the table.  He certainly seemed friendlier than the attorneys and was probably much more real.  My bet was that his “seemingly backward ways” had much more depth and poignancy than the shallow sightedness of the out-of-town observers.

God, let me be surrounded by people who can be real with one another, who will appreciate one another for who they are and bring out the best in their fellow humans.  God, help F3 Knoxville to continue to be that type of band of men.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for daughter of Glamper as she is currently ill.  Prayers for Abacus’ son who is struggling with some issues and for his daughter as she prepares to graduate from high school.  Prayer for the wonderful way our F3 brothers pull together to help each other across the finish line.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
On Tuesday of next week, Justice Knox has their annual Nehemiah Action event at the Civic Auditorium.  A coalition of faith communities will meet and work to make Knoxville a better place to live for everyone.  All are invited.  We will be preparing the Asylum PM made obstacles for Hardship Hill on May 20. This will be the weekend before Hardship Hill.  Sparkler will be in charge and we can use everyone’s help.

March Metric Workout – Asylum PM’d

F3 Q – 3.28.23

  • Asylum PM AO
  • 5:45pm – 6:30pm
  • Steam on Q
  • Accelerate You vs. You – March Metric Workout 

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • 3-5 minutes

[ The Thang ] 

March Metric Workout

  • Start the timer
  • All PAX perform each exercise for 1 full minute (no rest interval between sets)
  • Immediately following the 10th exercise (CMU deadlifts) (no rest), perform 5 minutes of CMU Thrusters (keep counting toward your total # of reps)
  • You will keep track of the TOTAL number of reps (cumulative) for each exercise below
  • Duration: 15 minutes
  •  Exercises
    • 1-minute of CMU OHP
    • 1-minute of CMU Goblet Squats
    • 1-minute of CMU Bent Over Rows
    • 1-minute of CMU BBS
    • 1-minute of CMU Biceps curls
    • 1-minute of CMU Lunges
    • 1-minute of Derkins (feet elevated on CMU)
    • 1-minute of CMU LBCs
    • 1-minute of CMU Triceps extension
    • 1-minute of CMU Deadlifts
    • 5-minutes of CMU Thrusters

Crispr recorded 1st Round # of reps

Rest 3 minutes.

Repeat the full routine – starting over with your rep count. Total duration: 30 minutes.

Submit BOTH scores – Round 1 reps and Round 2 reps (scored individually, not cumulatively).

Enter your times and reps on THIS FORM. 

[ Mary ]

Stretched for the last 60 seconds

[ COT ]

  • # off – 16
  • FNGs? – 0
  • Name o Rama
    • Pusher, Pluto, Rooney, Sparkler, Z-Bone, Lillydipper, Onstar, Crispr, Cheetah Boy, Steam, Flashback, Red Card, Abacus, Switchgrass, Down Under, Swimmies
  • Word

Pray for Nashville’s shooting victims. This morning at a small group I’m a part of one of the older guys said that you were going to see a lot of blame start to happen because of this weather it is gun control or stuff about the shooter, being transgender or the lack of security, and all this stuff. But really what it is, is that we live in a fallen world and its sin.

Do we need better precautions and things in place to protect our kids and be more responsible as citizens of this earth? Absolutely but we need Jesus even more. 

Check out these powerful lyrics, from the song “Never Let Go” by Seventh Day Slumber. I was listening to this on the way to the workout tonight and these lyrics hit really hard:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of deathYour perfect love is casting out fearAnd even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this lifeI won’t turn backI know You are near
And I will fear no evilFor my God is with meAnd if my God is with meWhom then shall I fear?Whom then shall I fear?
Oh no, You never let goThrough the calm and through the stormOh no, You never let goIn every high and every lowOh no, You never let goLord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds onA glorious light beyond all compareAnd there will be an end to these troublesBut until that day comesWe’ll live to know You here on the earth

Listen to “Never Let Go” on Spotify

Drum Major 52nd Birthday Workout

THE SCENE: Gloomy, but rain held off
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 Side Straddle Hops

5 Cherry Pickers

10 rockettes

10 baby arm circles each way

Little bit of this and that

THA-THANG:

Mosey long route to top of the dragon (stop at Haslam rock area and do some rocky balboas)

Skip 66 – skipping to each light

Exercise is the plank jack

 

Doras at Parking lot by Good Restrooms (If heavy rain do this in Pavilion)

Battle buddy up

One man karaoke one way to hallway point, turn around karaoke rest of way to end and then run back, other does:

52 flutter kicks (each leg is 1)

52 Bobby Hurleys

52 Major Merkins

52 Peter Parkers (each leg is one)

52 Imperial Squat Walkers (each leg is one)

52 Big Boys

Help other teams finish after you finish

**Rinse and repeat with other Battle Buddy starting this time. Runner do high knees to halfway and then butt kickers to end before running back on this round.

 

 

Choose Your Own Adventure – Stay Dry or Get Wet – HIMs Choice run back up to AO

 

Added challenge is you must do 52 hand release merkins along the way to the flag

MARY:
Finished in time
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:

Grace meaning – undeserved favor

For Christians it is the belief that God bestows this undeserved favor on us all and that we all are meant to do the same for our fellow man.

 

“Grace is the very opposite of merit… Grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor, shown to the one who has deserved the very opposite.” – Harry Ironside

 

This belief does not need to be restricted to Christians, and I believe our world could use a lot more of this. Think of times you could offer more grace, maybe while driving, dealing with your kids, or at work and put it to practice more often in your life.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Updates on upcoming F3 events and service opps

Suicide Hill

THE SCENE: Sunny, warm evening around 75 F. Especially warm for February.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, Slow Windmills, Imperial Walkers, Rockettes, Baby Arm circles, & Cherry Pickers.

THA-THANG:

5 stations were evenly (or not so evenly) placed along the hill at Lakeshore. Each station contained a sheet with 2 exercises on it, one for going over the hill and the other for coming back. Starting at the bottom by the stop sign, the PAX was instructed to run up 2 stations and back one and perform the “Going” exercise 10 times. Then run 2 more stations and back one, perform the Going exercise 10 times. At the 5th station, perform both exercises (Going & Back) and then do the same thing (up 2, back 1) on the way back, except perform the “Back” exercises. Once the PAX reaches the 1st station, rinse and repeat but perform 15 of each exercise, 3rd round 20 of each. Exercises were as follows:

  1. Going – Merkins, Back – American Hammers
  2. Going – Monkey Humpers, Back – TIE Fighters
  3. Going – Box Cutters, Back – Shoulder Taps
  4. Going – Carolina Dry Docks, Back – Hello Dollys
  5. Going – Big Boy Situps, Back – Squats

(After 1st Round, I called an audible and just had us run to the next station instead of up 2 and back 1)

MARY: 

Circled up and finished with LBCs, Ring of Fire, and 5 Burpees

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA – 17 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
God is Love. Love conquers hate. I know that because I know in myself that love feels better than hate. Where there is love, there is hope and peace. Finished BOM with playing of Amazing Grace on trombone.