F3 Knoxville

Tag: Steam

The Amazing Race: Big Ball Edition (Soot Co-Q)

THE SCENE: Lower to Mid 60’s, partly cloudy. Couldn’t ask for better weather!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Arm Circles, Imperial Walkers, This and That, Tempo Squats
THA-THANG:
We divided everyone into two teams for an Amazing Race style workout. Each team was given a clue, then had to decide what landmark that clue was hinting at. If the team went to the right location, Soot or I would tell them the workout for that spot. The first team to hit each location and finish each workout won. A few bonus rules: bear crawl every bridge, 1 burpee at each landing or top of each staircase, and bernie up every hill. Each team went in opposite orders, I led one clockwise while Soot led the other counter-clockwise. Here are the clues, locations, and exercises:

  • “It rises in the morning, but never gets out of bed” – The Sunsphere – Here we did 7’s between the edge of the water and the base of the sunsphere with Smurf Jacks and Star Jacks
  • “Here you might enjoy a nice view of the river, but you won’t enjoy the dense new additions to your team” – The Rockpile – Here we did 30 reps of Thrusters, Tricep Extensions, Curls and Front Raises
  • “The crown jewel of UT’s campus. The hallowed high ground” – The Hill – Here we lined up at the flag pole and did flutterkicks while one at a time each of us bear crawled around the flag pole
  • “Floors of empty spaces” – 11th Street Garage – Here we did the following in all 4 corners of the garage: 15 reps of Merkins, Squats, LBCs, Mountain Climbers (2ct)
  • “It’s almost time for our show to end, so be sure to grab your seats” – The Amphitheater – Here we just did 50 inverted rows
  • “End our race with a world tour and a splash” – The AO – Here we did a kind of inverted Indian Run. While running in line around the fountain, the person in front would do burpees until the rest of the team caught up, then the next person would pick up where they left off and the first person would go to the end of the line. The first team to a total of 200 burpees won.

The race ended just before 8am with our team reaching 200 burpees while Soot’s team was only 3 burpees behind

MARY:
Abort led us in an ATM cash out
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Soot led the word talking about how he and I met his junior year of college when he went to visit a campus ministry that I work for called the Navigators. After meeting we got lunch a couple times and eventually started meeting on a weekly basis for discipleship. After graduating, Soot and I have maintained that relationship, although we no longer meet as often, and Soot has gone on to lead his own Bible study and invest in guys the same way I invested in him. Also, Soot was the guy who first got me to come out to F3. After a lot of tip toeing in the shallow end, I eventually became more involved with F3 here and have also brought a few other FNG’s in along the way.

We shared all this for a few reasons. One being the importance of relationships and community. Soot and I have maintained our relationship with one another even in busy seasons, when he was deployed in Kuwait, and now as he moves from CO to NC. The second being you never realize how far a simple invitation will go. I invited Soot to grab lunch, which led to a mentoring relationship, which led to Soot mentoring others as well. Soot invited me to a workout, which led to me being more involved here with Big Ball and the Quacken, which also led to me inviting others to workouts. These relationships we have and the invitations we extend to others are important, and we never know how far they’ll end up going.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill is coming up

CMU Trail of Fears (Being Conquered)

[ The Scene ]

  • It’s hot with a capital h o t
  • PAX circle up in the bat cave where some shade is afforded

[ Warm-o-Rama ]

  • Windmill: 10 x 4 IC
    • 1 burpee
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
    • 2 burpee
  • Baby Arm Circles
    • F: 10 x 4 IC
    • B: 10 x 4 IC
    • 3 Burpee
  • Seal-Clap Squats: 5
    • Down —> 1 4-count seal clap
    • Up = 1
    • 4 burpees
  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC
    • 1 burpee

[ The Thang ]

—mosey to CMU pile by bat cave—

(1) CMU Warm-Up

  • 5 CMU Getups
    • Deadlift up CMU
    • Squat w/CMU
    • Up + chest-press CMU
    • Deadlift down CMU on ground
  • 10 Cross-Overs
    • CMU on ground
    • Burpee on 1 side
    • “Jump” on the burpee is over the CMU
    • Burpee on the other side
  • 15 CMU Curl Presses
    • Curl + press – back down
  • 20 CMU Flutter Kick Presses
    • Execute flutter kicks while doing 20 CMU presses above
  • 25 CMU Drags
    • Bear Crawl formation
    • Take 1 hand – pull CMU through your legs to your other hand
    • Bear crawl up until the CMU is in the same start position as before
    • R & R
    • Every CMU pull = 1

(10 count)

—walkdown the stairs from the bat cave—

—mosey with CMUs to the beginning of lighted path leading up to Saturday morning AO—

(2) CMU Trail of Reps

  • CMU Curls
  • CMU Presses
  • CMU Squats
  • Nickel – Dime – Quarter
  • Light 1 = 5 CMU Curls
  • Light 2 = 10 CMU Presses
  • Light 3 = 25 CMU squats
  • Rinse & Repeat until we get to the small parking lot right over there
  • However – switch the order of the Xs once you get done with the first 3 lights
    • 4th light = 5 CMU Presses
    • 5th light = 10 CMU squats
    • 6th light = 25 CMU Curls

***Disclaimer: this sucked***

There was a teaching moment in this evolution of the beatdown however

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #1: Sweep/Pickup the 6/Wagon-Wheel/No Man Left Behind

The command of “Sweep/Wagon Wheel” was given 3x by the QIC

Pele was the singular HIM that responded and came back initially – the rest of the PAX followed suit after some prompting.

Why do we circle back/wagon wheel/pickup the 6/sweep if the QIC gives the command? (1) Not because the Q is in charge or commands it, but because any one of us could be the 6 on any given day. All of at some point in time have been the 6, you know what it’s like. (2) Circling back/wagon wheel/pickup the 6/sweep isn’t just a physical thing – it’s also mental as well. Sometimes all people need is a little encouragement and if you’re the 6 I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you probably needed some encouragement. Think about what circling back/wagon wheeling/picking up the 6/sweeping does for the 6 – not only does it reaffirm physically “No man left behind” but it also affirms mentally for the 6 and the PAX “No man left behind.”

We circle back. We Wagon Wheel. We pickup the 6. We sweep. No man left behind. That is a non-negotiable of F3. Period.

(Teaching Moment/Q Tip #1 was sunk in with 5 burpees by all PAX – we grow and move together – no man left behind)

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #2: It’s just a piece of rock

We have this thing at Asylum PM – if you break a CMU, 100 burpees or something crazy (stupid) like that. I’ll tell ya, people are generally pretty safe with their CMUs then, right?

However, it happens.

Dewey broke his CMU. Two pieces, on the ground. Disclaimer: Dewey is a tough hombre. Dewey is also the youngest PAX out there and he’s holding his own with the rest of us. Dude is straight crushing it in arguable one of the hardest CMU workouts to hit Asylum PM in a while.

Sometimes all people need a little encouragement. So you broke your CMU? Guess what? It’s a piece of rock – it’s okay. You’re crushing it man, keep your head up.

The bigger of the 2 broken CMU pieces is then shared by the PAX all the way back to the CMU pile. That’s what we do. CMUs are gonna get broken. It’s okay.

However, Teaching Moment/Q Tip #2 was sunk in with 5 burpees as well by all PAX – we share each other’s burdens)

Ah, I digress. Back to the hellish workout.

(Recover by parking lot)

(10 count)

Time to deliver these from whence they came – if you get down to the CMU pile first – come help someone else out with theirs that might be struggling (20/80 success on this).

(3) Pickett’s Charge to the Bat Cave

  • From the Asylum weekday morning AO car parking lot to the top of the overlook to the bat cave

Q lines up PAX in 2 lines – with Lilydipper and Pusher out front

The standard is as such —> run up Pickett’s Charge led by Lilydipper and Pusher —> no one passes them on the way up.

Teaching Moment/Q Tip #3: No one is above the standard, not even the Q.

Q stops PAX after first small hill on Picket’s Charge – reminds men of the standard set – PAX get in merkin plank position – 5 up/down merkins are executed.

Why? You are not above a standard – set by a Q or not. I am not above a standard – set by a Q or not. No one is above a standard – set by a Q or not. I don’t care how fast you are. No one cares how fast you are. There is a standard (set by the Q or not) for a reason. And a Q (and HIM) should expect and accept it to be followed. It’s not about you. It’s about the PAX. Challenge me on this. All feedback is encouraged and welcomed.

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

“Learn how to discern a win” – Jerry Flowers

    • Sometimes all people need is encouragement
    • When you can’t discern a win you’ll begin to mislabel victories
    • Identify a win – examples:
        • Lost something but gained something else
        • Lost something but gained a prayer life
        • Didn’t get the position or promotion but got character development and discipline along the way – that’s a win
        • I wanted to give you 5 examples of what I’ve identified as a few wins/victories for me so far this year:
          • Told to work from home indefinitely and feeling trapped inside all day —> freedom to be more intentional with my prayer life and pour more into things I love like F3 and walking outside – that’s a victory and a win.
          • A couple “failed” relationships —> intentional experiences and I’m being protected – given insight. That’s a victory and a win.
          • Started leading a small group of men – who are all married and in their 40s and up – I don’t say that to boast, I say that because for me this is a win for me because I didn’t see that modeled well a lot when I was growing up and now the Lord’s placed me there so I can actually see it modeled well while I learn how to lead – irrespective of my age or life experience – that’s a blessing and a win.
          • A few different opportunities have come and knocked on my door professionally and personally and instead of just flinging open the door – I’m learning to exercise judgement and wisdom in my decisions – for me that’s a victory and win.
          • We all have that one friend – and if you don’t that’s okay too – that has always been a little crazy right?
            • Well my dad has that one friend too. Great guy, snuck pre-21 years old Steam  a 6 pack at my dad’s wedding a while ago. We all get together for a guys weekend this weekend and play golf, shoot, wet our whistles probably a little more than we should, especially this particular guy and a bi-product of that led to him just opening up and saying “I remember having nowhere to turn, and just crying out to God for help.” Getting to recognize the weight of what was actually happening when he was verbally processing this was a huge win and victory. God’s on the move. 

So, what did we learn?

(1) No Man Left Behind. Period. Circling Back/Wagon Wheeling/Picking Up the 6/Sweeping is more than just a physical action.

(2) Stuff happens. Things break. There are consequences. But we share each other’s burdens. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep your head up.

(3) There’s a standard for a reason. No one is above the standard. Not even the Q.

(4) Learn how to discern a win so you don’t mislabel victories in your life.

(5) Sometimes all someone needs is just a little encouragement.

Iron. Sharpens. Iron.

-Steam

 

Hill Yeah

[ The Scene ]

  • Muggy
  • Hot
  • THICK air

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m honored to be your Q this morning
  • Any FNGs?
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • (1) I’m not a professional
    • (2) You’re here on your own volition
    • (3) You know your body better than anyone so if you need to modify anything we do in the next 45 minutes feel free to do so, but push yourself and the men around you.
  • I’ll have water, my phone, and med gear in my ruck so feel free to toss anything like your keys/wallet/phone in there before we step off

[ Warm-o-Rama ]

  • SSH: 25 x 4
  • Baby Arm Circles: 20 x 4 (forward & Backwards)
  • Man-Maker: 15 x 8
  • Tempo Squat: 10 x 4

[ The Thang ]

(1) Cash-In w/Ring of Fire with All Benches

    • Pick a bench
    • Long sides: 5 incline merkins
    • Short sides: 5 dips
    • Mosey clockwise to the next bench
    • Rinse & Repeat until you get around to your OG bench
  • We Warmed Up?

(Mosey to the bottom of colorful stairs)

(2) 25s by 5s

    • Here: burpees
    • Up the hill at the top before Maplehurst apartments: Lower LBCs
    • Only 5 reps at each station
    • 25 total – end here
      • Done? Pickup the 6 with someone else —> Abort went full BEAST MODE and swept the crew

(20 count)

(Mosey down to the light and across the street – American Indian style – headed back to WFP)

(Turn R into WFP at the entrance)

(4) 25s

    • Every lightpost from here to the security building on the left under the bridge: 
      • 5 squats
      • 5 merkins
      • 5 SSHs
      • 5 Shoulder Taps (4 count)
      • 5 SSHs

(Mosey back BTTW to the AO)

[ Mary ]

(1) Quarter Pounder – 25

    • Flutter Kicks: 25 x 4
    • LBCs: 25 x 4
    • American Hammers: 25 x 4
    • Hello Dolly’s: 25 x 4

(Light stretching to finish out the 60 seconds)

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive”

John Eldridge, “Wild at Heart” 

The Pav-Maker (Patent Pending) + Some Other Character Building Stuff

[ The Scene ]

    • 70s
    • About as humid and muggy as it can get

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

    • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
    • My name is Steam and I’m honored to be in your company and be your Q this morning
    • FNGs?
    • Couple of things before we begin:
      • (1) Contrary to popular belief I am not a professional
      • (2) You’re here on your own volition
      • (3) If you need to modify anything we do this morning – feel free to do so as you need but push yourself and those around you.
      • No man left behind – no man left the same
      • COVID measures are still in place so as much as you can let’s try and keep 6ft if possible.

[ Warm o Rama ]

    • SSH: 25 x 4 IC
    • Half-Burpee: 20 x 4 IC
    • Rockette: 15 x 4 IC
    • Shoulder-Tap: 10 x 4 IC
    • Cherry-Picker: 5 x 4 IC

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey to Pavilion by Flag)

(1) – 4 Corners Dora

  • Battle-Buddy up
  • Here at the Pav: Pav-Makers(Patent Pending)
    • Incline Merkin + Box Jump + Dip (8 count?)
  • AO Parking Lot:
    • Corner 1 (closest): 25 SSHs (1 count)
    • Corner 2 (top R): 25 squats (1 count)
    • Corner 3 (top L – farthest): 25 American Hammers (1 count)
    • Corner 4 (bottom L): 25 Rocky Balboas on curb (1 count)
    • (Counter-clockwise)
    • Each BB will complete all 4 corners – 1 at a time – recovering the BB doing Pav-Makers down here in between
  • When each you both have complete all 4 corners – regroup here and wall-sit it up
  • 3-8 count Pav-Makers

(10 count)

(Mosey to lightpost path by AO car lot Via through playground)

(2) – 10s

  • Every lightpost up to the top:
    • Alternating merkins and Imperial Walkers
    • All on a 1-count
  • Separate into 2 waves for space
    • Wave 1 – you’re with me going up first — when we reach the top we’re going to knock out 50 SSHs on a 1 count together
    • Wave 2 – (appoint TL) 50 SSHs on a 1 count together on the front end to let us get some ground in
  • Execute.

(10 count)

  • SSH: 100 x 4 (Shoutout to Charmin)

(Mosey to AO for Mary)

[ Mary ]

(1) – 4 COREners (Ha-ha….)

  • C1 — 20 Lower LBCs (1 count)
  • C2 — 20 V-Ups (1 count)
  • C3 — 20 Cockroaches (1 count)
  • C4 — 20 Freddie Mercury’s

(Toe the line on the curb when done)

[ Post-Thang ]

(1) Lateral moves across AO parking lot to loosen up post-thang

    • Karaoke
    • Walking Rockettes
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Top downs

(2) – Cash-Out with ATMs

  • 15 shoulder taps (4 count)
  • 10 slow merkins (4 count)
  • 10 merkins (1 count)

(3) Dynamic Stretching

    • Lower back
    • Neck/shoulders/Triceps
    • Lower Body

[ COT ]

    • # off = 13
    • Name o Rama
    • BOM

For my BOM this morning I just wanted to share a verse from the Bible I was introduced in the past month or so that has stood out and kept entering into my thought patterns.

Setting the stage: In 1 Chronicles 12:23 these groups of men are introduced, who came to King David armed for battle to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him as the Lord had said.

1 of these groupings specifically stood out for a couple reasons, and not because of the numbers they brought to the table like the other groups (6,800, 7,100, 4, 600, 3,000, 20,800, 18,00 50,000 for example)

1 Chronicles 12:32 —> “from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command”

Another version reads: “from Issachar, men who understood both the times and Israel’s duties — 200 leaders with their families”

And I want to specifically draw attention to a couple things about these men

  • (1) They were faithful – came to David ready for battle – faithful to what the Lord had said
  • (2) They were classified both as men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do and as chiefs — Because they were faithful this was the reputation they were given. They knew who they were and what they were about.
  • (3) They had people that were under their command of leadership and looked to them to lead – specifically all of their relatives and families.

2,000 years or so later — the world still needs men like this. Men like this still exist in the world. What we would call the High Impact Man. 

    • As HIM we should want to both understand the times with wisdom and faithfulness, as well as recognize the people who fall under our command and the sound of our voice.
    • You are the men of Issachar. Call that out in one another. Remember that for yourself as well.

Quarter Pounder +++

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m stoked to be your Q this morning – we have a great morning ahead of us
  • Any FNGs?
  • Couple things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
  • You’re here on your own volition – and I want to phrase that a different way too – you’re here on purpose, meaning both not by accident and we also have a purpose this morning – to sharpen some iron.
    • And if you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do it – I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have.

[ Warm-O-Rama ]

  • SSH: 20 x 4
  • Rockette: 20 x 4
  • Squat: 15 x 1
  • Merkin: 15 x 1
  • Imperial Walker: 10 x 1
  • Cherry-Picker: 10 x 1

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey to WFP Track)

(1) Quarter Pounder

    • 25 merkins
      • Take a lap
    • 25 squats
      • Take a lap
    • 25 Mountain Climbers
      • Take a lap
    • 25 BBSs
      • Take a lap
    • Recover after your 4th lap here – crush some flutter kicks until the 6 is up
      • 25×4

(10 count)

(Mosey to Parking Lot before Neyland Drive)

(2) Quarter Pounder with Cheese (Rock)

    • Grab a rock from the pile
    • Middle of the parking lot: 25 rock get-ups
      • Rock on ground — deadlift — squat — chest press — deadlift rock down = 1
    • Mosey/walk to the Left end of the parking lot island with your rock
      • 25 Curls (1 count)
    • Run back a round to the start
    • Rinse and Repeat
      • 2nd Evolution: Each PAX executes 5 Rock Get-Ups
      • All PAX executes 5 Rock Get-Ups together
        • Walk to Left end of parking lot with rocks
      • Ring of Fire Curls with Rock + 1 merkin in between
        • Going in a circle, 1 PAX calls out the curl rep —> every PAX executes 1 merkin —> ring of fire style up to 25 reps
    • Replace rocks

(20 count)

(Mosey R on Neyland Drive to big parking lot by Neyland)

(Mosey to the top of the lot by way of stairs)

(3) The Neyland Pass + Feels Like ‘98

    • PAX pause before going under Neyland
      • Execute 10 down/up incline merkins on rail
    • PAX mosey down under Neyland
      • Every Gate sign (8) = 5 squats (1-count)
    • After Gate 8 —> PAX mosey in front of gate gazing on the field
      • Q leads Flutter-Kicks on a 4 count in 2 groupings of 30 + 1 grouping of 38 = 98 reps of Flutter Kicks (‘98 may be gone but never forgotten)

(20 count)

(Mosey up from under Neyland via stairs – Bear Crawl up last 3 rows)

(American Indian Run at the top to an outlook overlooking WFP)

(Mosey down below engineering buildings down by stream separating the university + WFP)

    • PAX circles up by the right in front of the stream and executes 20 SSHs on a 4 count)
    • PRE-BOM: “Leadership should cause disruption”
      • Q encourages men to think about that on the mosey home

(PAX links up in 2 man teams —> Battle Buddy American Indian Run back to AO)

[ Mary ]

(1) Quarter Pounder

    • 25 x 4 Flutter Kicks
    • 25 Lower LBCs
    • 25 x 4 American Hammers
    • 25 x 4 flutter kicks

[ COT ]

  • # off —> 6 
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
    • Jon Connor “Livestrong” Davis
  • BOM

[ QSource by David “Dredd” Redding ]

I recently received a copy of “QSource” by Dredd in the mail and it is PACKED with leadership strategies and tactics and ideologies that HIM are called to. Definitely worth the read and felt like this was something I wanted to share in my BOM, probably because I needed to hear it the most (typical of Q BOMs right??). So here are some instrumental passages taken out of the first chapter of QSource.

”Because it induces movement, leadership causes Disruption.”

    • Leadership wrenches people away from the place at which they were determined to to remain. It causes them to question the foundation of their belief that their status quo was desirable, and that stasis was in their best interest. It attacks the palpable (but false) sense of security that inertia provides.
    • Like the agitator in a washing machine, leadership dislodges things long embedded in people’s emotional fabric”
    • If a man calls himself a leaders but does not cause Disruption by initiating movement, then he is not practicing leadership. He might be doing something else, like managing or governing, but he is not leading.
    • A leader is a person who influences movement to advantage.

Takeaways to let marinate:

    • Leaders influence movement to advantage
    • Because it induces movement, leadership causes Disruption
    • A great Leader’s legacy is built on love.

 

    • What needs to be dislodged from your emotional fabric? What needs disruption in your life?
    • As HIM we are expected to lead – not just those we love, but lead ourselves as well. Lead BOTH yourself  and those you love to movement and the advantage.