F3 Knoxville

Uphill Sampler

THE SCENE: 40° Dry and calm
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Butt Kickers, Hill Billy Squats, Newton’s cradle merkins, Mtn Climbers
THA-THANG:
Grab 3 CMU’s for practice for Friday.  Carry them with us.  Mosey to the guardrail for some Derkins, Dips and Overhead Claps with rocks.

Cross the street to our favorite hill.  At each line did things below till the CMU’s made it to the next line.

  • Newton Cradle with Merkin
  • Burpees
  • Mountain climbers
  • Bonnie Blair
  • BBS
  • V ups
  • LBC
  • Side crunch L, R
  • Downhill Merkin
  • Uphill Merkin
  • Freddie Mercury
  • Flutter

We then continued through the woods to look out over Knoxville, did some squats and made it back to the flag in time for some Mary, coming down Valley Vista.

MARY:
Hello Dolly, Freddie Mercury and Flutter Kicks
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Be willing to Write the Check to live the crucified life.
Fun, Safety, Convenience, Popularity, Worldly Success
Today, the day after Easter, is fitting to look at these last 2
Jesus demonstrated the need to lay aside popularity & Worldly Success
Jesus lost his followers and his closest friends had to flee too.
Reminder: Jesus paid it all, we don’t earn salvation by giving up these things.  This is about our sanctification.

Yesterday was Easter and many of my coworkers missed it. It doesn’t take much to stand out as a Jesus follower.
The world won’t look at you and call you a success, but:
Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. 1 Sam 16:17
Consider your legacy.
Will God call you a success?
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Escape from Haw Ridge – this Friday!

Still need someone to take on coordination of building Hardship Hill obstacles.

Sweet Sweet Candy Pyramid

THE SCENE: Very warm compared to recent weather

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Tempo Squats
  • Tempo Merkins
  • Wind Mills
  • Cherry Pickers

THA-THANG:

Easter Candy Pyramid

The PAX voted on their favorite Easter candy. Each candy was an exercise and the candy order determined the exercise order of the pyramid.

Exercise Order

  1. Merkin x 10 = 10 [Reece’s Eggs]
  2. American Hammers x 10 = 20 [Starburst Jelly Beans]
  3. Dips x 10 = 30 (reduced to 15 after first few rounds) [M & M’s]
  4. Burpees = 4 [Cadbury Mini Eggs]
  5. Lap around the building [Chocolate Bunny]
  6. BBS x 5 = 30 [Peeps]
  7. Squats x 5 = 35 [Cadbury Eggs]
  8. Step ups x 5 = 40 [Whopper Robin Eggs]

You start at 1. Once completed each level you start over and complete the next level. (1,2) Next start over and do 3 levels (1,2,3). After completing level 8, start over and complete 1-7 dropping a level each time till you’re completed a single level 1.

Most made it through level 8 and several made it several levels further.

MARY:

Crunches for the last minute.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Little Known Facts About Laziness #6

Let’s review the facts…

Fact #6 – The lazy way is the hardest way

Prov 15:19 – The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns: Those who are lazy may not see it in themselves.

We often choose the lazy way because it seems easier. But it’s not! It’s like a hedge of thorns. I was recently reading about the Barkley Marathon. It’s a super hard marathon and it’s hard for many reasons. But one of those reasons is it takes place through the smoky mountains which are full of briars. You’re fighting through thick brambles and thorns that are tearing at you. It’s incredibly tough and miserable. This is what the lazy way is like.

Prov 18:9 – He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

This is not a gentle rebuke. This is a serious issue. Being a little slack is the same as walking in with a sledge hammer and taking everything down.

Prov 12:24 – The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; But the slothful shall be put under taskwork.

Prov 10:4 – He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich

It’s amazing how many verses deal with laziness. It doesn’t seem to be a really big issue in the world but apparently Proverbs thinks overwise. Consider yourself and where you are lazy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up for Escape from Haw Ridge. Still room on teams.

Fire-Starter!

THE SCENE: 57 Degrees and Dry
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Side straddle hop in cadence 20
10 Tempo squats
10 Hairy Rockettes
Arm rotations thumbs up in cadence
Reverse thumbs down in cadence
Cherry Pickers
10 Windmills in cadence
Bear Crawl in and shake hands/Crawl Bear back
5 burpees on your own
Bear Crawl in and shake hands/Crawl Bear back

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the large parking lot for drills with the HIM in the back sprinting to the front

  • Drills: Side Shuffles, Side to side lunges with toe touches, Hi skips, Lunges, High Knees, Butt-Kicks, and Bear Crawl
  • Hold Plank for the 6/ 20 Pickle Pounders

Mosey to Sophmore Hill lot for drills with the HIM in the back snaking to the front

  • 20 Flutter Kicks
  • Bernie the hill
  • 8 count Merkins

Mosey to Pull-Up bars

  • Half did 5 Pull Ups / while half did Freddy Mercuries x2

Mosey to the Coupon Pile

  • 20 Curls / Rifle Carry to the Stadium
  • Bear Crawl to the top / 2 Burpees
  • Partner Up for Wheel Barrows
  • 20 Tris / Rifle Carry to the coupon pile
  • 20 OHP

Mosey with the HIM in front falling off for 2 Burpees

  • Stopping for 20 Dead Bugs

Mosey back to the flag stopping for some 15 Soul Claps. JAIL BREAK!

MARY:
No 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:
Insert the WORD here.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Looking Up

THE SCENE: Perfect.  64°, dry
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Windmills, Cherry Pickers, Tempo Merkins, Maracan Night club, Overhead claps, Mountain Climbers
THA-THANG:
Black snake to the CMU pile where did 11’s with Incline Merkins (CMU on the curb) and Pull ups up top.

The “game” was 8 stations, 4 per team where you earned points (balls) from the other team.  Swapped half way through to get the other work outs in.  Curls, Triceps, OHP, American Hammer, Lunge, Skull Crusher, Bench and Bent over rows.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Welcome FNG, Half Life
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Out here, with Cinderblocks we know that how we hold a weight changes how hard it is.
That’s true about your head too. Your posture matters. The more you look down, the more weight of your head presses on your spine.
It’s called “Text Neck” and your 12 pound head can put 60 lbs of force on your cervical spine if you are looking down at your cell phone hours on end.
The same is true spiritually. The weight of the the things we are trying to carry on our own gets heavier than if we would just look up.

Psalm 123:1
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Would we give up the convenience of our cell phone. And Look up – see the people around us hungry for conversation or a friend?
But it’s not about the phone. Would you look up from work, from your own ambition to see the needs of your family?
Can I take it one step further – Can you look up from your own emotions and do what you know you need to do?
(for the record, I’m not saying I know what that is, but deep down, I bet you do)
Turn your gaze to Jesus and do what you know you need to do. Worship, serve, Get to Church, get connected.

Remember, if you don’t look up the weight of your current circumstances you will feel more than the full weight of those things.
If you are carrying heavy weights, know: The chapter of your life that you are in, is not the whole story.
What are your conversations about? What is on the pedestal? What you talk about is where your heart is.
If you have found your hope in God – in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, talk about Him. Increasingly.
Do that at home. Do that here. If you have not, assess the things in your life and figure out what is on the throne and what should be on that throne.

With that said, what can we lift up to God in prayer now?
I challenge you to look up during this prayer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Escape from Haw Ridge is coming up!

College Graduation 2 – The Pukeless Sequel

THE SCENE: Mid 40’s, light/limited rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

In honor of my nearly four year anniversary, I decided to take on the second bootcamp I attended, which had me puking my brains out at during the BOM. I wanted to see where I stood in You vs. You fashion. Trolley’s words and workout are cut and pasted below:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  •  SSH x 20 (4 -count)
  • Cherry Pickers x 5 (4 -count)
  • Merkins x 10 (4 -count)
  • Squats x 10 (4 -count)

THA-THANG:

  • At the CMU (aka Freshman) wall,  harken back to when you were a freshman.  Just doing a pushup or finding a class was a challenge.  So for freshman we keep it simple.

    25 Merkins and run around wall.

    Recollect that when certain people would for the first time, spend a full year at the dorms, eating potatoes and carbs for three meals a day, their thighs ended up being a bit large..  So we did a larger (from bottom to top) hill and

    50 Squats + Sophomore Hill

    Then, as a junior you were more refined, you were getting the hang of classes, and getting through the “CORE” classes as well as some of your major classes.. so:

    Run the Junior Hill Stairs and do 75 (four count) Freddy Mercuries

    Then, in preparation for the real world your major courses were kicking your tail, it was and is a long grind, you did what you had to, to reach the graduation finish line.. so

    Run the Senior Stadium hill and follow it up with 100 Burpees.   Break-em up into sets of 15, then 10, and find a battle buddy to do whatever you can to graduate.

MARY:
In the spirit a of leave no man behind, we helped the 6 push through the last 25 burpees and made sure that everyone graduated. We still had some time so we did Imperial Walkers x 20 (4 count) and Tempo Squats x 10 (4 Count)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Just shy of 4 years ago (29 March 2019), I attended my first boot camp after seeing Erector’s post about The Project. Having not seriously worked out in nearly 10 years, Booster’s birthday Q was tough but manageable and had me wanting to come back for more after taking a week’s rest. My second boot camp was led by Trolley and he absolutely murdered me with the above. I remember thinking when he said that we were to do 100 burpees that my goal was to get to 30. I ended up getting to 60 and feeling so proud of myself. Back then, on that day at least, modify as necessary was not a thing. Trolley went down the line confirming each HIM reached his 100. I announced my 60 and he told me to keep going and had everyone else go too. I made it to 80 before we headed back to the flag, feeling spent but prouder still. For the Mary, Trolley asked me what number I got to…so it was more burpees for all. I know we were well past 6:15 but 5K, BOOSTER, ERECTOR, GUANO, KENJO, ROCKET, SNAGGLETOOTH, SPOTTER, TROLLEY, and WAXJOB racked up 100+ burpees to bring me up as the 6. I have no idea what Trolley said because my head was spinning and when he called us in to prayer, I stumbled over to the median and merlot’d the water in my belly. I am pretty sure everyone was thinking, “Well, he’s not coming back!”

Today was a different story. Four years later, I knocked out 100 burpees at the Stadium and another 21 bringing up the 6 and we still had time to do two Mary’s. We have seen a lot of HIMs come and go, including Trolley, but the men of F3, their talent, their character, their effort to be better continues to encourage me and it is the point I emphasize when I share what we do with sad clowns. You gentlemen make this quote easy to live out – “Every man I meet is my superior in some way, in that I learn from him.”

Today, I graduated college!