F3 Knoxville

A Big Ballin’ Christmas Eve

THE SCENE: Felt Christmas-y. Merry & Bright (not literally).

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

“Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith. My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this Christmas Eve morning. A couple things before we begin:

  • I’m not a professional, despite popular belief
  • You’re here on your own volition – you made a choice to be here/no one’s forcing you to be here, if they are, come see me after and we’ll talk.
  • Modify as you need this morning. You know your body better than anyone, so feel free to modify, but push yourself and the men around you.”

Happy Christmas Eve men!


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH (Side Straddle Hop): 11 x 4 in cadence
  • Windmill: 11 x 4 in cadence
  • Imperial Walker; 11 x 4 in cadence
    • Humble plug for the new Star Wars movie
  • Revised Merkin (Army Standard): 11 x 4 in cadence
  • Half- Burpee: 11 x 4 in cadence

THA-THANG:
Inforrmation about the workout.

[ Mosey to Market Square from Big Ball AO ]

    • AO –> Stairs by Big Ball –> Bridge across Henley –> Market Square
  • Plateau on stairs by Big Ball: 24 x 4 man-makers in cadence
  • American Santa Run to Market Square (basically an American Indian run but more jolly)

(Arrive at the stage at Market Square)

  • 24s
    • Battle Buddy Up
    • As a BB Team:
      • Stage: 24 battle-buddy sit-ups (1 BB holds feet for the other)
      • Sprint around the perimeter of the ice-skating rink and back to the stage
      • Stage: 24 1-count merkins
      • Rinse & Repeat 2x

(24 count from PAX)

(Mosey to Gay Street Christmas Tree)

  • Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
    • 4 points of contact around tree
      • Gay Street Side: 24 squats in cadence
      • Sidewalk(s): 24 1-count Merkins in cadence
      • Grass opposite of Gay Street: 24 squats in cadence

(24 count in cadence)

(Mosey to World’s Fair Park bridge/tunnel with lights)

  • PAX line up in incline merkin position on the ledge facing the water
  • Starting with the 6 – each HIM counts 7 up-down incline merkins then sprints to the front of the line – All PAX complete 7 merkins with the counter
    • This s*** ain’t no joke
    • Q Tip: It’s okay to give PAX a break if the exercise is elongated ^^^ and high-intensity
  • PAX executes exercise
    • Q gives PAX standing rest for 15-20 seconds
    • Q quickly realizes a rinse and repeat would destroy everyone for the upcoming holiday
  • PAX runs through everyone once

(24 count)

(PAX moseys towards AO – F3 Cadence Call ensues)

@ AO = ATMs (cash it out)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

11 Total: 9 PAX // 2 FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

“F3 is not a Christian organization by nature. As long as you believe in a higher power, and that you’re living for more than yourself. However, I’m a Jesus follower, so that’s what I speak about when I Q usually.” – Steam

    • Q Thoughts: I forget to throw this out there before the BOM/in the COT a lot. Which is fine…..however, all men are welcome at F3 and giving whatever men that are in the COT after your Q the reminder that they are welcome regardless of they’re a “varsity Christian” (no such thing), or are struggling in whatever your faith or lack there of may be, you’re welcome.
  • The darkness has not overcome it.
  • Comes from John 1:5 = “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
    • What’s your “it” ?
    • As Jesus followers, we know how the story ends. And our Savior was born as a human to die from the get-go. The darkness (whatever that is for you) cannot overcome the light, the light of the world that we celebrate tomorrow.

Announcements

  • Jan 1st: Polar Bear Plunge in Townsend: Some of our PAX will be clown-car’ing up to Townsend on New Years Day to do an annual Polar Bear Plunge, followed by a 2nd F lunch at Soccer Taco on Northshore Drive. More info to come from Abscess closer to the 1st on where we’ll meetup, etc.

 

  • F3 Knoxville New Year’s Party: 1/3/2020
    • Friday, January 3rd: 5pm – 10:00pm
    • 2223 Mystic Ridge Road
    • “F3 Knoxville is having a New Years party…kind of. It’s on The Friday after New Years. Bring the wife, girlfriend/significant other or even a FNG. It’s going to be a fun night of fellowship to celebrate the new year! What to bring: a few bucks for the game tournaments, a small dessert or appetizer and BYOB. Tea and coffee will be provided. Make the HC now and let your wife/sig other meet the other idiots that you workout with at 5:30am!”

The Rockettes vs. The Five Wise Guys

THE SCENE: 35 degrees, dry and cloudy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 15, Baby Arm Circles x 15 forwards and 15 backwards, Shoulder Taps x 15, Rockettes x 10, Cherry Pickers x 5, some Michael Phelps and A Little of This and A Little of That

Then we broke off into 2 teams, which each chose a team captain and team name. Swanson led the Rockettes while Duggar led the Five Wise Guys.

THA-THANG:
Each exercise below was done as a team competition, whichever team won got to choose what exercise we did at the end.

  • Sunsphere: Everyone did an exercise at the bottom of the stairs while one person from each team raced to the top, did 5 reps of an exercise, and raced back down. 1st team done won, best 2 out of 3. Round 1) SSHs at the bottom and merkins at the top. Round 2) Al Gore at the bottom and Big Boy Situps at the top. The Rockettes won and decided on 25 Carolina Dry Docks.
  • Bridges over Cumberland: Everyone from both teams lined up and held a plank while one person from each team bearcrawled across. Once on the other side, the first man went back to a plank and called the next man from their team to cross. Once everyone from your team had crossed, your whole team bearcrawled back across together. 1st team back across won. The Five Wise Guys won and decided on 25 Hello Dollys in cadence.
  • Big Sloped Sidewalk: Everyone held a plank at the bottom while one man from each team raced to the top of the hill, did 5 burpees and raced back down. 1st team done won. The Five Guys won and decided on 25 Jump Squats.
  • Parking Lot with Rock Pile: Each team had there own rock and had 2 minutes to do as many reps of an exercise as a team. Best 2 out of 3. Round 1) Curls. Round 2) Overhead Presses. The Rockettes won and decided for some odd reason on 10 burpees in cadence
  • Parking Lot with Rocks again: Everyone held an Al Gore while one person from each team Bernied across the lot to their team’s rock, did 5 overhead presses and 5 curls, and ran back. 1st team to all finish the exercises won. The Five Wise Guys barely pulled off the win in a photo finish and decided on 15 4-point merkins.

MARY:
Moseyed back to the AO and did some Ring of Fire with American Hammers to kill the last few minutes
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked very briefly about our tendency to find a lot of misplaced pride and honor in the things we align ourselves with and how that can lead us to be blindly “all in” for something and/or to view others’ as our opposition or enemies. Be it in sports teams, politics, people we work with, or even our families and churches, we tend to want to see ourselves and our camps thrive and conquer and see our enemies fall and suffer. In this Advent season it’s interesting to reflect on the fact that God could have done that with the Messiah, but instead decided for Him to be born a baby, live a human life and die a humiliating death. God chose to demonstrate grace and humility in a way that most of us would have expected to see victory and glory. So I encouraged us all to reflect on the humility of God and to view others’ as more than just opposition or people who are different than us.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A big welcome back to both Knoxville(for the holidays) and the States for Soot

D-Day Anniversary Memorial Beatdown

THE SCENE: 70s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3 men! Fitness – Fellowship – Faith. And welcome to the 75th anniversary of D-Day 21-gun salute. My name is Steam and I am honored to be your Q this morning. I am not a professional and you are here on your own volition this morning. You chose to be here – just like the man on your left and right did. If you need to modify any of the exercises we do this morning, feel free to do so – you know your body better than anyone else. HOWEVER – I encourage you to look across the street (points to the East TN Veterans Memorial site) and REMEMBER those who chose to run into open gunfire so you could be here this morning. When it gets tough in the next 45 minutes, when you’re hurting, or when your battle buddy is hurting – remember those who are worth remembering.

Everything we do this morning will be 21 reps either on a 4-count or 1-count

WARM-O-RAMA:

Side-Straddle Hop (SSH): 21×4 in cadence

Bend & Reach: 21×4 in cadence

Windmill: 21×4 in cadence

Merkin: 21×4 in cadence

Baby Arm Circles: 21×4 in cadence

THA-THANG:

  • Q aligns PAX shoulder to shoulder facing the Big Ball AO green space/field
  • “I’m Up – He Sees Me – I’m Down”
    • ^^ 3 commands ^^
      • I’m Up = sprint
      • He Sees Me = get down flat
      • I’m Down = Stay down flat until the I’m Up command is given
    • PAX sprints across field listening for the 3 commands
    • Simulates running towards an objective with enemy fire coming toward you
  • Rinse & Repeat back across – but with buddy drags/fireman carries

 

  • PAX mosey to Big Ball stairs
  • “Take The Hill”
    • Get in battle buddy teams
    • Teams bear crawl up the stairs until they reach a flat landing
    • Flat landing = 21 sit-ups each person
    • Rinse & Repeat until all PAX are at the top
  • Once at the top – PAX holds the plank for 21 seconds – 2x

 

  • PAX mosey to bridge to the left of the amphitheater stage
  • Hands interlocked behind heads – PAX lunges across bridge and moseys into the amphitheater, on the stage
  • Q leads PAX in 21 1-count SSHs on stage, sprint to the top of the amphitheater
  • Swanson leads 21 1-count SSHs, everyone sprints back down
  • PAX performs 21 1-count incline merkins on the stage – with the commands of “Up – Down”

 

  • Mosey to the edge of Big Ball AO field/World’s Fair Park field

 

  • Q instructs the PAX that the last part of this workout will be in silence after a quote and explanation of what’s to come

 

  • Q reads General Douglas MacArthur
  • It is my earnest hope – indeed the hope of all mankind – that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith – and understanding – a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice

  • Q: “Now we’re going to take this field, and we’re going to take it hard. We will sprint all the way across the field, across the street, to the front of the East TN Veterans Memorial Site. I will lead us in 21 1-count merkins and 21 1-count SSHs in silence once we are over there.

 

  • PAX takes the field – and takes it with a sense of urgency and purpose.
  • PAX executes silent exercises and walks into the center of the memorial.
  • Q prays over the site, the men, the PAX, and initiates the COT

MARY:
Time of Workout: 50:13

Mileage: 1.2 miles

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 PAX – no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Soot called in from deployment in Kuwait to deliver the BOM this morning – talked about the character of those men who charged the beaches 75 years ago – tied it into the 3 Fs of F3 – specifically the importance of the third F – realizing that we were created for so much more and that there is a higher being that we serve. No matter what the “beach” looks like in front of you – no matter how daunting it looks – charge at it knowing He goes before you.

One more 18 beatdown

THE SCENE: Low 50s, perfect temp to sweat
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Windmills x12 IC
Shoulder taps x12 IC
Tempo merkin x12 IC
Tempo lunge x12 IC
SSH x31 IC
THA-THANG:
Collect keys and mosey out of the A.O. toward the amphitheater.  Run under the bridge and through the seldom used part of the park, pausing at the statue for a round of leg blasters.  20 squats, 20 lunges, 10 air squats all done in cadence and no break in between.  Shake your legs out and continue Mosey.  Cross Cumberland Avenue and run up Estabrook behind the engineering buildings until reaching the stairs of Mordor.

Partner up for a Dora workout.  One man performs exercise while the other runs to the stop of the stairs, performs two burpees, and runs back down the stairs to relieve his partner.  Flap jack, all exercises cumulative between partners. 150 reps of each exercise:

  • Bulgarian split squat (using benches)
  • Ranger merkins
  • American hammers on 4-count
  • Overhead claps on 4-count

Recover and 10 count.  Routine took up the entire workout (glad I didn’t say 200 reps of each) so we head back to A.O. for Mary.

MARY:
Flutter kicks x20 IC
Captain Thor up to 5:20
Q favorite of Boat/Canoe until time ran out
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 Strong including 2 FNGs: Swanson, Cowbell, Half Caff, The Voice, Stagehand, Passport, Reverb, Rousey, Soot, G6, Hot Topic (FNG), Amazon, Blackout (FNG), Jenner, Huey, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
New years always bring about resolutions of people trying to set goals, some of which are too vague or too difficult to be obtainable (nothing wrong with resolutions, or setting high goals).  During this time of year, challenge everyone to think of one word they can choose to try to improve different aspects of their life, this stolen from an F3 podcast I listened to.  Examples of words I heard or found were Present, Change, Joyous, Purposeful (what I’m leaning towards).

The point is to let that word improve all aspects of your life instead of just choosing one thing you may or may not do.  In my case, to be purposeful with what I do.  Move and workout with purpose, love those around me with purpose, perform my job with purpose.  LIVE with purpose.
MOLESKIN: Continue to pray for Butterfly and his wife Chelsea and she tries to figure out what has been causing her medical issues; pray for Soot, Huey, and Hot Topic as they return back to station and for Soot’s possible deployment; pray for the Corcoran family who lost their son in a car accident Saturday night; pray for Stagehand as he travels to Florida to be present with his family; pray for our community and our brothers as we close out this year and begin 2019.

Kraken of the Fountain

THE SCENE: Mid-low 40’s, overcast.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Tempo squats x 10 IC
1 burpee
Squats x 10 4-count IC
2 burpee
Squat touch jumps x 10
3 burpee
Tempo merkins
4 burpee
Merkins x 10 4-count IC
5 burpee
Clap merkins x 10
6 burpee
THA-THANG:
Kraken of the fountain
2 different sets of exercises to alternate each round:
First round
1. Merkins 2. Squat touch jumps 3. Mt climbers 4. Burpee 5. Lunge 6. V-up 7. Diamond merkin 8. Split squat
Second round
1. Dry dock 2. Squat 3. Ww2 sit-up 4. Derkin 5. Deadlift touch 6. BBS 7. Door frame pulls 8. Plank jack
Most of us got 3-4 laps around.
Sprints across the field x 7 with 20 LBCs at the end of each.
MARY:
Side v-ups 15 each side
Hello angel x 15 4-count IC
Repeat x 2
40 seconds of LBC
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 men woke and slayed the kraken of the fountain. Welcome to Huey from Rwanda!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go – T.S. Eliot

This is my mantra for 2019. I want to push myself way past my comfort level and break that voice in my brain that tells me to stop. This is mostly about physical endurance for me but if I can break through that wall in my brain I see it bleeding over into work and relationships. At work I want to push myself to be the most productive I can be in my time there. With my wife I want to push my vulnerability to her past my comfort level to the point we are one person in mind.
MOLESKIN:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: