F3 Knoxville

D-Day Memorial Beatdown

THE SCENE: Cool but not cold
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

“Welcome to F3! Fitness – Fellowship – Faith. My name is Steam and I will be your Q this morning”

“I am not a professional & you are here on your own volition – which means I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have.
– As every morning – safety is always number one – if you need to modify any of the exercises we do this morning – do it, you will not be looked down on and I cannot make that more clear.
– You will leave a better man than when you woke up this morning – if you’ve ever been to F3 you know this – no man left behind – no man left the same
– HOWEVER What you do in the next 45 minutes is up to you. That is the only thing you have control over. You’re here.
– Just like June 6th, 1944, you’re not here for you, you’re here for them (all pax)
– Dwight D. Eisenhower called the D-Day a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.”
– That’s our thesis this morning. “

1) Lock in & Be loud (when we do a cadence – sound off like it’s the last breath you got)
2) DFQ: Don’t Freaking Quit. Don’t Quit on yourself – don’t quit on the men around you.


WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH: 20 x 4 (in cadence)

Cherry-Picker: 10 x 4 ( in cadence)

Half-Burpee: 10 x 4 (in cadence)
– 1) drop down to plank
– 2) bring legs in
– 3) push legs out
– 4) back up to stand

Merkin: 20 x 4 (in cadence)

Flutter Kick: 20 x 4 (in cadence)

Baby Arm Circles: 12 x 4 forward & 12 x 4 backward

SSH: 10 x 4 in cadence

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to Cardiac Hill
    • Take the baby hill as a team
  • Cardiac Hill (3+ charges)
    • Mosey down Cardiac
      • Identify key points of contact
    • Gather at bottom fo cardiac
    • Q identifies ways to get up cardiac (path or rough it)
    • CHARGE 1
      • Sprint to clearing
      • Battle buddy drag halfway up the hill – switch
      • Spring to top
      • hold plank
      • 10 – 1 count merkins (UP-DOWN)
    • mosey back down Cardiac
    • 15 SSHs in Cadence led by PAX members
    • CHARGE 2
      • Sprint to clearing
      • Army low crawl up to point of contact (tree)
      • Sprint to the top
      • hold squat until 6 recovers
      • 10 – 1 count merkins (UP-DOWN)
    • Mosey back down Cardiac
    • 15 SSHs led by PAX members
    • CHARGE 3
      • Sprint to clearing
      • Army low crawl or bear crawl to point of contact (tree)
      • sprint to top
      • hold plank until 6 recovers
      • 10 – 1 count merkins (UP-DOWN)
    • EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED \\ REACT & ADAPT
    • Mosey back down Cardiac
    • 15 x 4 SSHs led by PAX members
    • CHARGE 4
      • Sprint to the top full-ass, not half-ass
      • hold plank until 6 recovers
      • 10 x 4 SSHs led by PAX members
      • 10 – 1 merkins (UP-DOWN)
    • EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED \\ REACT & ADAPT
    • Mosey back down Cardiac
    • 15 x 4 SSHs led by PAX members
    • CHARGE 5
      • Form 2 lines
      • American Indian Run to the top
      • Mosey back in 2 lines to AO
  • ABS
    • American Hammers (duh)
    • Flutter Kick
    • Hello Dolly .

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

DogBite – Cozmo – Worm – Pringle – Snitch – Walkabout – Cheatsheet – CatGut – Mr. Jinxy – Redo – Cap’n Crunch – Pfeiffer- Ratchet – Proton – Carney – Ribbed – Fabio – AAA – Gibbler – Compost – Bunny – Savannah – Wallace – Hottub – Possum – SlimShady – Shocko – Dreamer – Woodshack – LightsOut – Butterfly – CodeBrown – Umbro – Steam

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower encouraged Allied soldiers taking part in the D-day invasion of June 6, 1944, reminding them, “The eyes of the world are upon you,” before they embarked on ” a great crusade.”

– it is so hard for us to remember how much has been sacrificed for us to be able to do this today. Think back to when you were 18 & idk what you were doing but I bet it wasn’t jumping out of a boat with bullets flying by your head and into your buddies.

– I think Eisenhower’s reminder of the eyes of the world are upon you still ring true for us today though. As Christian men – Men of Impact – the eyes of the world absolutely are on us and we are without a doubt on a crusade. Keep fighting the good fight and keep the faith. Like I said before you are better men than when you showed up this morning – and none of us would be here without the other.

Boulder Shoulders

THE SCENE: Beautiful sunny morning. No humidity. Perfect.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • BAC 10x ea way IC
  • Little bit of this & that
  • Hillbilly 10x IC
  • Tempo Squat 10x IC
  • Tempo Merkin 10x IC

THA-THANG:
Mosey out of AO around the infield loop then to coupon pile below STEM academy. Each PAX grab a large rock, or two small ones and mosey back to the AO start. PAX held rock(s) full extension overhead and walked as a team around the infield. Stopped at 1st corner and performed 10 mt climbers (4 ct) IC. Continued walk with rock held overhead. Stopped at next corner and performed 10 Peter Parkers IC. Continued walk. Stopped at end of infield and performed 6 mt climbers IC and 6 Peter Parkers IC. Mosey back and returned rocks to coupon pile.

PAX mosey to Big Ball stairs. Identify battle buddy.

  • Partner A: Sprint stairs to first flat and perform 2 burpees. Sprint to very top and do 4 burpees. Back to flat 2 burpees. Then back to bottom & tag partner.
  • Partner B: Various ab work: Flutter kicks, LBC’s, American Hammers, Bicycles
  • Rinse & Repeat 4 rounds each person

PAX mosey to Hill/Ayers Hall via pedestrian bridge. Stopped on pedestrian bridge for 10 tempo merkins IC. Continued to Ayers Hall

PAX circle up:

  • 20 flutter kicks IC
  • 10 merks OYO
  • 20 hello dolly IC
  • 10 merks OYO
  • 20 box cutters IC
  • 10 merks OYO
  • 20 LBC’s IC
  • 10 merks OYO
  • 20 American hammers
  • 10 tempo merks IC

Mosey back to AO

MARY:
Cashed out with ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
15 deep. 4 FNGs. Had Soot’s father, uncle and cousin join us as well as Steam’s father.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I recently read Bryan Cranston’s memoir and he talked about an experience he had at the NYC marathon. He was leaning against a tree taking pictures of runners crossing the finish line and he thought to himself “There’s no way that I could do that.” Moments later, an elderly woman, likely in her 80s, crossed the finish line. Then a younger man with one leg. He thought that if they could do it he could too. So he took a leap and just decided to sign up for the following year. He trained for a year and finally entered the race. He breezed through the first 20-22 miles then hit a wall and his body started shutting down. He kept pushing through and just when he thought he was going to collapse, he saw the finish line. He said he never experienced such elation than he did in that moment. After he finished the race he vowed that he would never say the words “I can’t do that.”

This really resonated with me bc of two occasions:

  1. I was at a Friendsgiving dinner back in November and they were talking about running in the Knoxville marathon as a 4-man team. They needed a 4th so I just decided to sign up. I have never even ran in a 5k or 10k, but I took on the longest leg of almost 8 miles. I’ve always told myself (and others) “I can’t do that” when running for distance. However, I signed up and ran in the race and it was very fulfilling.
  2. Pfeiffer has been trying to get me to join F3 for about 1.5 years. By the way he talked about it, I always thought that it was 100% ruck workouts and I repeatedly told him “I can’t do that”. “There’s no way I can do that stuff.” Now we’re both signed up for the Star Course next week, and two tough events this summer. I’ll be forever grateful for Pfeiffer continuing to push me and introducing me to the fine folks of F3.

Don’t be your own roadblock. Don’t tell yourself that you can’t do something. Don’t listen to other naysayers around you. 

Quote from Benjamin Franklin: “I have met the enemy, and it is the eyes of other people.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Printshop Beer coming soon!

Getting warmer out there

THE SCENE: Sunny with temps close to 80.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Plank Reaches, 10 Pickle Pounders, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Windmills
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers, 20 Squat Jumps

Mosey down hill by stop sign at road by south side of park.  We will do 30’s starting with 5 Diamond Merkins at bottom of hill and 25 Big Boys at top of hill.

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel.  We will do sevens starting with 1 x 2 Decline Merkin at stage and six Burpees at other end of chapel.  Merkins will be multiplied by two each time.

Mosey to start of Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will hop to first light, run next four lights, hop to next light, run next four, etc. until we hit perimeter trail by river.

20 Hello Dollies, 20 Shoulder Taps

Mosey to start of Cardiac Hill.  Run up hill doing the following exercises:

  • First turn:  20 Carolina Drydocks
  • Second Turn:  20 Squats
  • Third Turn:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  20 Bench Lifts

Mosey to Stop Sign at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  20 Ice Skaters, 20 Dive Bombers

Mosey to Rock Pile.  Grab boulder.  Do 20 Overhead Presses, 20 Curls, and 20 Rows on own.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Seven men.  No FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We all suffer and when we suffer we sometimes think we are alone.  We question God.  We ask why God could allow such suffering to occur.  We need to remember that we have a God who suffered for us.  He died on the cross for us.  He was stripped of his clothing, he was beaten, he was spit upon, he was lashed.  He carried the cross he was to die on.  He was cursed, teased, taunted on the cross.  He wore a crown of thorns and had nails in his hands.  This God, the one that everyone was expecting to come as a strong, mighty king, was a bloody mess.  We need that we have a God who knows what suffering is.  He has done it for us.  He is not a distant statue like God who knows nothing of the human condition.  He hurt, cried, suffered, just like us.  And, he died for us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill on May 19.

Change of command

THE SCENE: 48* and perfect weather, SWAT team liked it too
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x15 IC
Merkins on 4 ct x15 IC
Hillbillys x15 IC
Cherry pickers x10 IC

THA-THANG:
Form two lines and mosey to amphitheater. Assemble at the stage and partner up.  Routine of 12s: Each partner does one merkin at the bottom of the stairs, runs to the top of the stairs and perform 11 WWII sit ups.  One partner holds the others ankles then flapjack.  Return to the bottom of the stairs, increasing merkins by one rep each time at the bottom and decreasing WWII sit ups at the top each time.

Jackrabbits perform merkins and planks on stage waiting for the 6 to finish.

Change of command ceremony with Steam handing off command to Abort.

Form back into lines, mosey toward lawn of WFP (after investigating the two dummies handcuffed to the rails). Assemble on the sidewalk at the southside of the lawn.  Next routine is Route 66 – start with 1 rep of named exercise, run to the next light pole along the sidewalk and increase rep count by until reaching 11 reps at the top of the hill at the entrance to world’s fair park.

First iteration of Route 66 with 8 count bodybuilders.  This got a few poopy faces among the PAX.  Jackrabbits return to the start of the routine for ab work while waiting for the rest of the PAX to dodge the SWAT team on the way back down.

Recover and 10 count.  Second iteration of Route 66 with jump squats.  This seemed like a better idea until about the fifth or sixth light pole.  Recover to the start point of the routine, form two lines and return to start point of AO for Mary.

MARY:
Box cutters x25 IC
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
20 strong: Preacher, Butterfly, Careless, Cowbell, Steam, Half Caff, Passport, Quarantine, Downhill, Pfeiffer, Rousey, G6, Petey, Swanson, Soup, Threadcount, Bitcoin, Uncle Rico, Rascal, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Leaders surround themselves with other leaders.  I came to F3 for the fitness, and in doing so surrounded myself with leaders without even trying.  Thankful for all the leaders who show up at 5:30 every morning to make me a better man.

You Can Do Anything for 5 Minutes

THE SCENE: Chilly Spring Morning 39 degrees and clear Quickbooks and Dimples Co-Q
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Run in Place, High Knees, Squats, Jump Squats, Squat Pulse, Mary Katherines, lunge pulse – RT, Lunge Pulse LT
THA-THANG:
Mosey from the AO the Playground

  • 5 minutes of 10 Plank Jacks, 10 Box Jumps, 10 Bulgarian Lunges
  • Sprint in the parking lot (down and Back) 10 Burpees, Sprint (D&B) 10 Star Jumps, Sprint (D&B) MTN Climbers
  • Mosey to the new bathroom parking lot
  • 5 minutes of 10 Squats, 10 Squat Jacks, 10 Snowboarders
  • Bear Crawl (down and reverse Back) 10 Burpees, Bear Crawl (D&B) 10 Star Jumps, Bear Crawl(D&B) MTN Climbers
  • Mosey to the Pavillion
  • 5 minutes of 10 Mericans, 10 Dips, 10 Dry Docks
  • Sprint next to the dugouts (down and Back) 10 Burpees, Sprint (D&B) 10 Star Jumps, Sprint (D&B) MTN Climbers
  • Mosey to the AO
  • 5 minutes of 10 Squats, 10 Squat Jacks, 10 Snowboarders
  • Bear Crawl (down and reverse Back) 10 Burpees, Bear Crawl (D&B) 10 Star Jumps, Bear Crawl(D&B) MTN Climbers

MARY:
5 Squats Together
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
31
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

4 times in the OT God makes a formal covenant promise with Israel.  The covenant He makes with Abraham is just like the one we talked about.  The dead animals, the pathway, the whole bit.  It’s in Genesis 15.

The special thing about this promise was that God alone walked through the pathway, he didn’t require Abraham to walk through it.  It was as if to say… I want to bless you, and I am asking you to be faithful to Me, to seek Me, and to obey Me…. But regardless of your faithfulness towards me, I will still hold up my end of the bargain and I will be gracious to you.  Out of love, I chose you, no matter how you treat Me.

So, what does that have to do with marriage?

Everything.  Absolutely everything….

So, what should our response be to our spouse on their worst of days?  A selfless love that thinks first of them and their needs.

I mean, imagine for a second if God said to us on our worst of days, “I’m sick of it.  I give up!  You’re just never going to get it.  I’m done with you.”  Noooo… come on.  He is not like that!!  He is patient, He is kind, He is longsuffering with us, He perseveres with us, He is gracious with us, and He forgives us… and our call to love our husband or wife is the same.