F3 Knoxville

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!

Forgiveness

THE SCENE: cool spring rainy morning at JUCO.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 SSH, 15 Mountain climbers, 10 tempo merkins, 15 Moroccan night club, 10 tempo squats, 10 harry Rockettes, 5 cherry pickers
THA-THANG:
This workout is inspired by the burpee mile. The first set is the burpee mile. 12 burpees followed by 1, 1/4 mile lap. Repeat 4 times. Next mile challenge is squats followed by merkins.

  • 25 squats each lap
  • 25 Merkins each lap

MARY:
No time!
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 PAX got it done!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“Then summoning him, his Lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his Lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:32‭-‬35 NASB1995

If we fail to forgive those who sin against us, the Father will also not forgive us. We are to forgive in the same way that God does: continually.

Peter thought he was being generous.

“Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Matthew 18:21‭-‬22 NASB1995

However, this wasn’t acceptable either. No matter how many times we sin, if we repent (1 John 1:9), God will forgive us. We must give our fellow mankind the same forgiveness.

MOLESKIN:
YHC knew that this was an ambitious plan, but everyone put in a lot of work and got through as much as possible. Way to push!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Painting this weekend at Cardinal’s widow’s place.

JUCO March Metric UvU

THE SCENE: 41° dry & calm – will will be wishing for that in 6 months
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Harry Rockets, Cherry Pickers, 8 Count merkins, Baby Arm circles, and a short lap around the parking lot.
THA-THANG:

Line up at 1st line
Start the timer.  We used 2 parking spaces as the lines.
All PAX perform each exercise for 1 full minute (no rest interval between sets).
After each 50 reps, move forward one line.
Immediately following the 10th set (no rest), perform 5 minutes of CMU Thrusters (keep counting toward your total # of reps).
Total duration: 15 minutes

1-minute of CMU OHP
1-minute of CMU Goblet Squats
1-minute of CMU Bent Over Rows
1-minute of CMU BBS
1-minute of CMU Biceps curls
1-minute of CMU Lunges
1-minute of Derkins (feet elevated on CMU)
1-minute of CMU LBCs
1-minute of CMU Triceps extension
1-minute of CMU Deadlifts
5-minutes of CMU Thrusters

Record 1st Round # of reps
Rest 3 minutes

Now…REPEAT the full routine – starting over with your rep count

Great work 7 HIMS + a runner:

Log your scores here: Form

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Gal 2:20 Now…REPEAT the full routine – starting over with your rep count
I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me
and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me.

From AW Tozer, Crucified Life: last time I spoke of living the crucified life – it has a currency. We have to give some things up. Pay something.  This is not salvation – Jesus Christ paid that price in full, but for our sanctification, it costs something.
We looked at Fun
Also consider: Safety |Convenience |Popularity| Worldly Success

Let me be clear, these are not things we have to give up – but if God asked us to, would we.
Would we write the check that says.
All our security and safety?

It would be safer to be at a gym where no one is going to ask you to lead
It would be safer to store up more treasures on earth in case things fall apart in the future
It would be safer to stay in comfortable, familiar settings and not risk it

It would be safer to not go on that missions trip.

It would have been safer for Bonhoeffer to stay in England and not fight the evil of Nazi Germany.
But God calls us to live the crucified life because it is worth it. Eternity is on the line
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Wed Still Open.  Build your escape from Haw Ridge teams.  Painting Cardinal’s widow’s house Saturday

Bringing Habits HOME – Year 2

THE SCENE: 41 and windy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Administered

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x20 (IC)
  • Cherry Pickers x5 (IC)
  • Little Baby Arm Circles (IC) x10, both forward and reverse
  • Dive Bombers x5 (IC)
  • Squats x10 (IC)
  • 30 seconds on your own

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the quad.

Ghostman Baseball -Split into two teams. First team runs to first, completes the exercise, returns home while the other team does the Home exercise. Switch when running team returns. Second round: Run to 1st, do the exercise, run to second, do the exercise, return home. Continue the pattern until you reach home. You do not need to run back from home.

  • First Base
    • 15 Merkins
    • Big Boys at Home
  • Second Base
    • 30 Smurf Jacks
    • American Hammers at Home
  • Third Base
    • 5 Burpees
    • Flutter Kicks at Home
  • Home Plate
    • 30 Squats
    • Plank at Home

Mosey towards the duck pond and stop for 50 Boosters (Toe Merkins) on the curb

  • Welsh Dragons up the hill near the duck pond parking lot (bear crawl forward x4, 1 merkin, tap each shoulder, plank jack – repeat and increment merkin, shoulder tap, plank jack each time until you get to 10 or your arms fall off!)

Mosey to parking lot west of the flag.

  • Seven of Diamonds (7, 14, 21, 28 of each exercise) at the four light poles
    • Split back into same two teams from baseball.
    • One team will do exercises clockwise and other will be counter-clockwise. First team to complete all exercises wins.
    • Round 1 – Squats
    • Round 2 – LBCs
    • Round 3 – SSHs (single-count)

MARY:
PAX choice for a few rounds to finish out
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 total – 6 Bootcampers and 6 RUSHers
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

It’s been right at one year since I led my first F3 Q. Over that time, several things have changed in my life. I’m now a father of 3. I’ve changed jobs. Despite the changes in my personal and home life, F3 has been a constant steady source of encouragement, wisdom and physical strengthening.

I’ve participated in a convergence at JUCO, a CSAUP at The Asylum, Brolympics, and a memorial Q for Cardinal. Every one of these events was a ton of fun, but there’s something deeper just below the surface if you take a minute to pause, look for, and appreciate it.

Each of you here has that thing within you and I know it because you are here this morning. You set an alarm, you got up and drove here when most people are still in bed. You were intentional.

Intentionality is one of the things F3 has given me over the last year. I’m by no means perfect but I’m better than I was before.

My challenge to you this morning is to pick one part of your life and be more intentional in pouring into it the rest of the week. It could be your marriage, a friendship, your children or maybe even a hobby for yourself. Whatever it is, be intentional because that’s how change is made and that’s how we get better.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

3/18 – Painting for Cardinal’s widow
4/14 – Escape From Haw Ridge (pre-order a shirt by 3/10 if you want one)