F3 Knoxville

Look A Turtle (Press On!)

THE SCENE: 42F and rainy. Things were already going swimmingly.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER– Administered and cell phone check done too. $Free.99, Q was looking like a Turtle and not a professional that’s for sure.

Gazelle Trot (aka Mosey) to overhang outside of CPAC
WARM-O-RAMA:
Donkey Kick x 5
Frog Jump in place x 5
Jumping Spider x 10
Werewolf x 5
Spider Man w/Reach x 5
Flying Squirrels x 5
Copperhead Squat x 5
Monkey Humper x 5

Black Snake 1x each PAX through the line and then continue in formation to the ERC

THA-ANIMAL-THANG:Pyramid Workout – Start with the first exercise and add an exercise each round until you get to all 5 exercises and then drop an exercise until you get to 1 exercise:
10 Monkey Humpers
10 Mountain Goats
10 Frog Jumps
10 Flying Squirrels
10 Jumping Spiders
Choose Your Own Adventure
Duck Walk or Bear Crawl up the ramps at the ERC (alternate at the end of each round) and
Back down the stairs or run 1 lap (~1/8 mile) in the courtyard in the rain

Example Animal Adventure Workout
Round 1  – 10 Monkey Humpers, Bear Crawl
Round 2  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, Duck Walk
Round 3  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, 10 Frog Jumps, Bear Crawl, 1 lap around the courtyard in the rain
Round 4  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, 10 Frog Jumps, 10 Flying Squirrels, Duck Walk, 1 lap around the courtyard in the rain
Round 5  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, 10 Frog Jumps, 10 Flying Squirrels, 10 Jumping Spiders, Bear Crawl, 1 lap around the courtyard in the rain
Round 6 (drop an exercise)  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, 10 Frog Jumps, 10 Flying Squirrels, Duck Walk
Round 7 (drop another exercise)  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, 10 Frog Jumps, Bear Crawl
Round 8 (drop another exercise)  – 10 Monkey Humpers, 10 Mountain Goats, Duck Walk, 1 lap around the courtyard in the rain
Round 9 (drop down to 1 exercise) – 10 Monkey Humpers, 1 lap around the courtyard in the rain,

If time permitted, Round 10 would add an exercise and repeat. I think we had a few PAX finish Round 6. After Round 5 the Q said no more adventures in the courtyard and after another 3 minutes the Q called recover.

MARY (Q had asked Jitters to lead):

20 American Hammers 4 ct OYO
20 LBC’s OYO
20 Flutter Kicks IC (fastest flutters ever I’m pretty sure)
10 Pickle Pounders IC

After calling recover, the Q decided our grand finale would be better done under shelter so “on your 6” was called and the Q asked Waxjob to lead “Row, row, row your boat” as he combined American Hammers + Boat / Canoe and singing all together so that “life is but a dream!”

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
21 PAX including 1FNG, plus 1 Wookie & and 1 Turtle on Q (here’s the ‘picture or it didn’t happen’. Dart Gun had to leave early).

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

For 23 years I thought I was a Christian. There was no fruit, confession, or repentance in my life for over two decades. I was self-absorbed, self-focused, and self-exalting. But God brought me down in my sexual idolatry and humbled me and broke me… and in the process, I believe genuinely saved me. The next steps in my journey are unsure, but the weight of my sin Christ has borne. As Philippians Philippians 3:12-16 says

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Last week my divorce became final. I have confessed, repented, prayed, and begged for the Lord to be pleased with how I walked out the end of my marriage that I destroyed. God is not mocked. But my life is not over. I am called to be a HIM in every sense of the word. Christ died on the cross so I could walk in newness of life. In short, Jesus has called me to PRESS ON. And He has called many HIMs to do the same – in (at least from our perspective) “good” and “bad” circumstances (including rainy 42F F3 workouts):

5k is waiting on Venture Capital funding for his new job.
Mandolin is considering a new job, wife’s job struggles including losing her first patient.
Trolley’s Mom in Cali is recovering from water on the lungs
Judge has a new house, his wife went through post-partum depression (and is now on the other side of it PTL), and has a new mentee who doesn’t like cops or the church.
Anchorman has many Emerald Youth kids he cares for
Guardrail has ongoing heel issues so has to take a break from F3
Snaggletooth is caring for the kids alone this weekend while his wife travels for work
Ginger is moving to Nashville
Mailbox M has heart issues

All of us are called to press on for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This earth and no one and
no thing, job, salary, pleasure are our prize. Christ is our prize. Remember God’s Word through Paul:

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Press on!

MOLESKIN:

Prayer for:
Hideout’s church plant
Mandolin’s job opportunity
Waxjob’s mother-in-law (signs of Alzheimer’s)
Prais for Survivor (FNG Welcome) over 2 years ago getting through his battle with cancer.

The turtle onesie was harder and the workout was harder than the Q expected .
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Waxjob on Q Monday! Don’t forget to keep signing up for future Q’s as the JUCO Q-calendar fills up quickly. Also don’t hesitate to do a JUCO Bomb or a guest Q to help out and encourage other AO’s!

LOOK, A GIRAFFE.

THE SCENE:  A balmy 20 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

LBAC f/b, OH Claps, Tempo Merkins, Tempo Squats, Calve Raises
THA-THANG:
Mosey to business strip center. Perform 5 rounds of the following exercises with a mosey (1/2 of the strip center) between each round: 10 Burpees (50 total), 20 Jump Squats (100 total),  20 Merkins (100 total) 30 Monkey Humpers (150 total), 20 2ct MCs (100 total).

Mosey to shovel flag. Line up along curb. Run to each parking line (5 total) and back, stopping at each line for 5 Diamond Merkins, 5 Merkins, 5 Werkins. MARY:
No time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
26 strong including 8 JUCO Monday Motherruckers.


CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Music is powerful. It can set your mood, stir up thoughts (both good and sinful, inspire people, etc). I recalled the time frame when I first began to come to saving faith in Christ (late 20s). There was a Christian radio station in Houston doing a 30 Day Challenge to anyone interested. The challenge was to listen to Christian radio for 30 days straight. I took part in the challenge and it changed my life in a good way.  I challenged the F3 JUCO men to do this. and suggested several Knoxville radio stations to listen to.  I also discussed what an awesome witness this can be to your children while in the car, on the way to school or wherever.

Phillipians 4:8 states, ” Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

MOLESKIN:
Waxjob……..in a giraffe suit…..
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
N/A

Clapping for Mercy

THE SCENE: 45 degrees and overcast
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Side straddle hops x 10 IC; Cherry Pickers x 7 IC (slow); overhead claps x 25 IC

THA-THANG:
Second installment of the “flight of the blue falcon”  2 PAX hold XL CMUs above their heads while the rest run as a herd through the AO for a 10 count. When 0 is reached, herd performs exercise selected by a CMU holder until CMUs catch up to the group. 2 new carriers are selected and they choose the next exercise and start counting. Exercises included burpees, burpees, more burpees, hurpees… this group grasped the “blue falcon” concept very quickly.

MARY:
Upon return to the AO, we did a relay race across the grinder carrying the CMUs, with non-runners holding a plank.
Relay ended and we circled up with only 2 minutes left, so we completed 50 overhead claps IC to finish.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-7. We need to cast all of our anxieties and fears on Him, and leave them there, not reel them back in like we’re fishing. What does it mean to cast them away? Take on the attitude of Cortez, who in 1519 sailed from Cuba to Mexico and told his men to burn the ships, which gave them only 2 options: conquer or die. Burn the ships of addiction, whether it’s deleting apps from your phone, dumping out a bottle, eating better food, adjusting your daily routine to avoid a co-worker that drives you to sin. We are 100% in control of the things that we put into our bodies and minds, and we need to be diligent about the doors we leave open.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

JUCO is introducing a new OTB (for now, with a goal of being a regular option) ruck option on Monday mornings from 0500-0615, joining the main JUCO crowd for the BOM at the conclusion. It will be a burbs-style beatdown (but slower) covering mileage and incorporating ruck-based exercises.

A Properly Motivated JUCO Posse

THE SCENE: Cloudy and cool, with temps around 32, and a wind chill in the high 20’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: This is F3, Fitness Fellowship, & Faith.  Q has a cell phone in case of Emergency.  He is not a professional, and does not know your injuries.  You will need to modify accordingly.  You are here on your own volition, the only thing that brought you here was an EH (Emotional Headlock), and a desire to check out why these guys get up so early to roll around in parking lots. 
WARM-O-RAMA:
Cherry Pickers to 5
Baby Arm Circles forward & Backward 10 ea
The Motivator from 12 (312 total reps)  This exercise reduced the mumble chatter to zero and left only groaning and complaining.

THA-THANG:

This is a 2 station workout.  At station 1 located near the coupon pile, you will perform 20 reps of each of the following 6 exercises with a coupon: Rows, Curls, Squat Thrusters, Tricep Extensions, Calf Raises, BBS aka “Louganis” holding coupon over head.  After you complete the 6 exercises, run to the top of sophomore hill.  At the top you will perform 6 more exercises, again with 20 reps each.  The exercises are as follows: Wide Merkins, Squat Jumps, Curb Dips, Diamond Merkins, El Capitan to the crosswalk, and handrail pull ups.  Once you finish run back to station 1, where you will rinse and repeat.  This is an AMRAP routine.  Most PAX made it to the third round, some beast studs began their fourth.  Butter Knife was out font leading the charge with Frenchie and Erector hot on his trail.  There may have been others in the lead group, but I was not.

MARY:
Very little time for mary, the PAX held plank on their elbows for a short time (15-20) seconds.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
29 HIM’s, no FNG’s.  My video failed, and I am proud of recalling 29 names from memory.  I will admit I struggled to complete the list as my picture was very grainy.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

  • “I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal.’”
    Quoting the declaration of Independence.
  • “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
    MLK’s Actions required Faith.  He was a champion for the civil rights movement, and so powerful a figure, with such a strong message, that those threatened by him eventually assassinated him.
  • “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
    Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
    John 13:34  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
  • “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
    HIM-High Impact Man

MOLESKIN:
Praise from Butter Knife for the Men of JUCO.
Mermaid, 16th Wedding Anniversary today. His M is a patient woman for putting up with him for that amount of time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill, can we create 2 Juco Teams?
OTB RUCK workout similar to the rush concept on Monday morning.  0500

Lasting Invigoration

THE SCENE:  WHAT?  I thought there was supposed to be a THUNDERSTORM!?!?!  It’s super nice!  60 and no rain!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

Abe Vigoda x 8 IC
Moroccan Nightclub x 8 IC
Mosey to the ducks, Carolina Dry Dock x 10 OYO
Mosey to the flag, Heels 2 Heaven x 15 IC
Fast mosey to the ducks (75%), Merkin x 10 OYO
Fast mosey to the flag (75%), Flutter Kick x 15 IC
Sprint to the ducks, Burpees x 5 OYO

THA THANG:

Mosey to the big parking lot.  Partner up

(Hat tip, Archie!)  Pairs spread out across 6 stations.  At each station there is a “stationary” exercise and a “move” exercise.  First partner does the “stationary” exercise until the second partner does the “move” exercise to the cone and back.

Two minutes each station.  30-second recovery and rotate.

Exercises were;

Station 1:  Bear crawl / Flutter kick
Station 2:  Sprint / Carolina Dry Dock
Station 3:  Broad Jump / Heels 2 Heaven
Station 4:  Sprint / Burpee
Station 5:  Lunge / Merkin
Station 6:  Sprint / Mountain Climber

Performed 9 sets.

Mosey back

MARY:

(Hat tip, Spotter!)  Each person names an exercise and leads 10 reps.  Rotate around x 5 exercises.

Hold plank.  I passed out 12 pieces of paper – each containing a quote from a previous Q at JUCO.  One quote is read aloud.  3 merkins.  Next quote is read…3 Merkins.  Repeat until finished.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 strong (+6 Rushers for the CoT)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

During Mary, I passed out pieces of paper and asked for them to be read aloud (while we plank and Merkin).  On each paper was a quote from a previous Q at JUCO.

      • “When you do wrong by someone, you HAVE TO MAKE IT RIGHT”. – Commission
      • “The process of calling people out by name is BOLD, and it’s powerful to encourage.  We have been called to boldly pray for one another”. – Guardrail
      • “Being thankful is about the mindset of being conscious of what we have and what surrounds us and giving thanks for that as opposed to comparing our lives to others and striving to acquire more and more material objects”. – Mandolin
      • “Let’s strive to be passionate about all that we do. To push ourselves to the next level physically, spiritually, and mentally”.  – Spotter
      • “I come here for the fist bumps”. – Finger Food
      • “What kind of leader are you? Do you go home after a long day and expect to be served? Or are you serving? – Judge Judy
      • “We commit time and discipline to strengthening our physical bodies. How are we strengthening our spirits for the battles we are in?” – Snaggletooth
      • “Put others before yourself and be part of the solution”. – Erector
      • “We should strive to love others like God loves us”. – Booster
      • “To be fighters, we not only have to be physically ready, but mentally as well”. – Sargent Slaughter
      • “I need to set my mind on staying faithful to God’s will and not on my own comfort”. – Archie
      • “You’re here to bear your own load and carry other HIM’s burdens when they can’t, and you let them when you can’t”. – Pool Boy

T-claps for my good friend, Archie, who nagged me about F3 until I finally showed up 8 months ago!  I loved it from Day 1 and have been to almost 100 workouts since!  I love it because it is so much more than a workout (Hat tip, Finger Food).

A few days ago, Waxjob reminded us that F3 has a mission – “to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership”.  Men, this is not just about doing merkins and burpees in the dark – it is about the invigoration of men in our area.  The pump you get from a workout doesn’t last more than a few hours.  Real, life-changing, long-lasting invigoration grows out of these last 5 minutes of our time together (CoT) – when we share wisdom and pray for one-another.

This group is about energizing and revitalizing the man to your left and right (not us, but Christ working in us).  We are about challenging each other and holding each other accountable to a very high standard.  We are about being vulnerable with our own faults and failures, in order to promote growth in others.  We are about pouring into each other’s lives – encouraging one another and allowing yourself to be encouraged, so that we all get better together.  We are about sharing wisdom, a treasure far more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:15), with each other.

 

Two thoughts about sharing wisdom during the CoT

#1:  Scripture says if you prize wisdom, she will make you great, she will honor you (Proverbs 4:8), add years to your life (Proverbs 9:11) and will bring you strength (Ecclesiastes 7:19) and success (Ecclesiastes 10:10). I think you can expect those returns, only IF YOU ARE APPLYING WHAT YOU HEAR (James 1:22).

Men, what if you were applying the wisdom that we read during our Mary (words that YOU have spoken to this group over the past few weeks)?  What if you selflessly served your loved ones (Judge’s Word), cultivated contentment in your life (Mandolin’s Word), sincerely apologized when you wronged others (Commission’s Word), subjugated your comfort to God’s will (Archie’s Word), prayed for your F3 brothers (Guardrail’s Word), loved others like God loves us (Booster’s Word)…  OH, WHAT A MAN YOU WOULD BE!!!  You would certainly be a High-Impact Man, if you APPLIED what you hear.

#2:  If wisdom will make you great, honored, strong, successful – that sounds like the antidote to a meaningless life.  If you have wisdom to share but you’re keeping it to yourself – man, what’s up with that?  Do you have a word of encouragement for us?  SHARE IT, because we struggle against discouragement every day.  Do you have a word that will cut us deeply and expose the innermost thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12)?  If you lack the courage to speak that word of rebuke, you have stolen peace and joy from us.  If, however, you hearten yourself to speak those uncomfortable words with truth and love, Christ may just use you to rescue your brother from his life of self-centeredness and meaninglessness.  OH, WHAT A MAN YOU WOULD BE!!!

Wisdom – APPLY it, SHARE it.

MOLESKIN:

This Q was a tribute to some of my favorite men on earth.

Hat tips to Archie and Spotter for the workout ideas.

Hat tips galore to those who provided inspiration for the Word; Waxjob, 5K, Archie, Spotter, Mandolin, Finger Food, Commission, Pool Boy, Erector, Snaggletooth, Sargent Slaughter, Guardrail, Booster, Judge Judy.

A note about wisdom… Not every sweet platitude written in script on a shabby chic board in Hobby Lobby is wisdom.  Not every word spoken by someone famous is worth repeating.  “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12).  If you bring “wisdom” that you heard from Oprah to a BOM and it falls flat, don’t be surprised.  It is the Word of God which will cut like a sword (Hebrews 4:12) and which never returns void (Isaiah 55:11).  No such promises if your inspiration is another source. 

Music credits;
Rotate (Finger Food’s new favorite song), Rak-Su
Smack Down, Thousand Foot Crutch
Can’t Be Moved, Jeremy Camp
Fire it Up, Thousand Foot Crutch
Purpose for Pain, Scott Stapp
Lifeline, Thousand Foot Crutch
Feel Invincible, Skillet
Move, Thousand Foot Crutch
Move, Toby Mac
The Resistance, Skillet
Final Countdown, Europe
Freedom yell, Mel Gibson

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Prayers for Mailbox’s wife’s health, Mandolin’s wife’s job, Pool-Boy’s divorce hearing tomorrow, Fast-N-Easy’s family, Judge’s mentoring opportunity, WaxJob’s family