Welch’s – F3 Knoxville

Gratitude

August 7, 2025 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Brick
PAX: Curveball, Crash Dummy, Rooney(Carl Whipple), CRISPR, Abacus, Switchhitter (Tony), Franzia, Mr Jinxy, Welch’s, Lizzy, Lilydipper, Doubtfire (Nick Bond), Pele (Jon Lindberg), Serpentine (Jason Pierce), Cheetah Boy
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
WARMUP:
SSH x100

ARMY PHYSICAL READINESS TRAINING
Bend and Reach
Rear Lunge
High Jumper
The Rower
Squat bender that we turned into Tennessee Rocking Chairs haha
Windmill
Forward lunge
Prone Row
Bent leg body twist
Merkins

THE THANG:
•Mosey to Bros Bowl but grab a rock at the rock pile!

Abs with holding rock along the way

Middle of Bros Bowl

Run to the middle after each of the below exercises with your rock and do:
1. 50 curls
2. 50 overhead presses
3. 75 bent over rows
4. 20 total lunges
25 each
– 9pm Wide Squats
– 12pm Derkins
– 3pm Big Boys
– 6pm 10 burpees

7s on the long Bros hill!
SSH/Imperial Walkers

Bottom of Bros
Squats bench touches at top
Crawl Bear at bottom

Run Pickets!
Flutters at the top!
Hello Dollys
Slow LBCs

AYG to the flag

ATMs at flag

MARY:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:
Gratitude!!!!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17 (NIV)

Experts say that the attitude you have for the day is set in the first eight minutes of your day. Do you want to grumble, gripe, and grunt your way through the day, or do you want to be grateful?

The Bible says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

Gratitude gets you to focus on your loving Father who meets all your needs.

Don’t start your day with confession or requests. Start with gratitude. Think about God and his goodness. Tell him he’s a good Father, thanking him for being caring, close, and consistent. List the ways he’s been good to you. Tell him what you’re thankful for: running water, bed and a blanket, a warm house when it’s cold and a cold house when it’s hot outside. You don’t have to worry about the right thing to say. Just say what you feel and what’s on your mind.

One of the ways you can start your day with thankfulness is to make a playlist of songs. Choose songs of gratitude that remind you of who God is and what he has done for you. Turn it on as soon as you open your eyes so that your first thoughts are grateful. Worship is the best way to wake up!

You can also make a list of the things you’re thankful for and keep it near your bed or wherever you have a quiet time. A gratitude list can help keep you focused on God’s goodness, and then you can pour out your heart to him in thanks.

When you wake every morning, make sure the first thing you’re doing is thanking God for his consistent love and recalling all the ways that he’s good to you.

Get up with gratitude. It will change everything about your day!

Shady Tour de Asylum

July 29, 2025 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Drum Major
PAX: Abacus, Welch’s, Lizzy, High Heels, Title IX (Christian Prescott), Honeydew, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Rooney(Carl Whipple), Pusher, Serpentine (Jason Pierce), CRISPR, Curveball, Mr Jinxy
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP:

15 side straddle hops in cadence
5 cherry pickers
10 baby arm circles each way
Little of this and that
10 rockettes
5 burpees

THE THANG:

Mosey to shady spot down by stop sign that leads up to AO
Run to tree and back before each exercise below:
20 merkins
30 squats
40 LBCs

Mosey to parking lot of winter flag spot, if not crowded and shady
Karaoke down and back and each exercise after lap:
20 lunges (each leg)
30 Dry Docks
40 Flutter kicks

Mosey up to Coliseum shady area in the middle
Skip to other tree and run back then do each exercise below
20 shoulder taps (each arm is 1)
30 Bobby Hurleys
40 Heels to Heaven

Quick stop at Admin Bldg stairs for 30 heel raises all together.

Still time hit hilly shady spot down from AO
Run up hill and back then do exercises below
20 Major Merkins
30 Big Boys
40 Hello Dollys

Run up Summit, down stairs by the AO flag and back up the summit a 2nd time before meeting at the flag.

MARY:

Back to AO for some stretching and broga.

Ended with 5 slow De-motivators.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

May get Asylum PM Fantasy Football going again, reach out to Drum Major for details

COT:

“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” — Confucius

Too often we focus on successes others can see or congratulate us on, when the mastery of ones self if the true test of success. It entails gaining control over one’s impulses, emotions, and desires. It means facing inner demons, doubts, and fears with unwavering resolve. It is the commitment to personal growth, self-discipline, and the pursuit of a higher self.

If that sounds scary and hard, that’s because it is both. But if done leads to a state of inner peace, wisdom, and resilience.
It is very easy to give in to your sense of worth being based on what others think or can see. Only you will know your true standing in life.

If you are lying to yourself you will know that before anyone else even has a clue.

Locking Shields

April 17, 2025 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Pele (Jon Lindberg)
PAX: Drum Major, Lilydipper, Abacus, Lizzy, Mr Jinxy, Pusher, Crash Dummy, Curveball, Welch’s, Brick, MD Hammer, Pele (Jon Lindberg)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP: 20 SSH, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Grady Corns, Yoga Stretches, 10 Hand Release Merkins

THE THANG:
MOSEY to Slope on Picketts Charge.
HILL PYRAMID!:
Run up the slope and back down. Every time you get back down do the exercises (10 REPS EACH):
– JUMP SQUATS
– JUMP SQUATS / BOTTLE OPENERS (2-count)
– JUMP SQUATS/ BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BIG BOY SITUPS

Mosey to Center of Colosseum.
JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER. Start at bottom of hill, run to tree about 2/3 to Admin Bldg, and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position. R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.
Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
Round 2: Imperial Walkers (single count)
Round 3: Lunges (single count)

Mosey to Stop sign on circle drive.
MODIFIED WELSH DRAGON (4-ct Bear Crawl, 1 Merkin, R&R up to 10 Merkins… always only 4-ct Bear Crawl). Run to where the railing begins and do the 1st rep, run back to do the 2nd rep, etc.
AYG to Flag.

MARY: A little light stretching.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill, Ascent Leadership School at Frozen Head

COT: NO GAPS IN THE WALL!
Three years ago Judge Judy, who was our Nantaan at the time, wrote an article in the weekly newsletter called Cracks in the Foundation, which alluded to some situations surrounding F3 that resulted in fractures within groups and between individuals. That message was very timely back then, and as some of you are aware, there’s a little bit of that going on right now. Nothing that I don’t think we can fix, but some things that if we don’t address could just continue to fester. So for my Word, I just wanted to reiterate what I feel is F3’s absolutely greatest attribute: it’s ability to inspire us all to be better men through SHARING. Sharing of the Suck from the workout, Sharing in the responsibilities of being Q, Sharing of life experiences in the Circle that others may learn from or be inspired by, etc.

We often use the term “Lock Shields” in F3. Think about that for a second. What comes to mind? I have this image from Lord of the Rings or a movie about the Roman Empire of a bunch of warriors facing a common enemy, and each one of them standing shoulder to shoulder with their shields up. If it was just one dude, he’d get surrounded, overwhelmed. But it’s a bunch of warriors that are aligned in a common purpose: PROTECT EACH OTHER’S SIX. If there’s a crack or a gap in the wall, then everyone is in deep doo doo.

To no one’s surprise, the guys in F3 have differences. We have our differences in Faith, Politics, what kind of workouts we want to do out here, and maybe even differences in how we think F3 should operate. That’s fine! But how do we keep locking shields if the guy next to us is of a different political party? Religion? If he has way more hair and is better looking than the rest of us (thanks guys… you know who you are…)? It comes down to RESPECT for your brother, who’s out here trying to get 1% better, just like you are. When we’re out here, we lay our differences aside. When we’re out here, I’m continually trying to figure out ways to better serve you so that you can serve others. This requires that we keep that wall tight. NO GAPS IN THAT WALL. And I hope we all have that mindset. But whatever differences we have can be overcome with Grace and empathy and understanding

Bill of Rights

September 17, 2024 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Rooney(Carl Whipple)
PAX: Brick, Lilydipper, Lizzy, F3 Pluto ( Hugh Nystrom), Pele (Jon Lindberg), Rooney(Carl Whipple), Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), Welch’s, Colonel (Alex Wallace), Renaissance, Fistbump
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP:
SSHs
Windmills
5 Burpees
Tempo Squats
Rockettes

THE THANG:
1st Amendment – 10 Merkins, Run to Coliseum
2nd Amendment – 10 BBS, Sprint to West end of overlook, 10 BBS
Mosey to circle
3rd Amendment – 30 Rocky Balboas
Mosey to back Jim Haslam building
4th Amendment – 11’s w/dips & step ups
Mosey to Muscle Beach
5th Amendment – 5 1 minute rounds of exercise of choice
Mosey to amphitheater
6th Amendment – 10 incline merkins, 10 jump ups
Mosey up the hill to large oak
7th Amendment – box cutters
Run up to Coliseum
8th Amendment – Bernie to Asylum building
9th Amendment – 2 Bernie’s
Mosey to AO
10th Amendment – SSHs

MARY: American Hammers

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT: George Washington
“The Constitution is the guide which I will never abandon”.

James Madison
“The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world”.

Thomas Jefferson
“It is every Americans right and obligation to read and interpret the Constitution for himself (or herself)”.

Abraham Lincoln
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties”.

Benjamin Franklin
“The U. S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself”.

America is unique as a country that was founded around a set of ideas of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Aluminum PAX

September 6, 2024 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Drum Major
PAX: Lizzy, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Lilydipper, Switchhitter (Tony), Brick, Steam, Rooney (Carl Whipple), Welch’s, Pusher, MD Hammer, Dain Bramage (Will Olson), Curveball, Abacus
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP:

10 Side Straddle Hops

10 rockettes

10 baby arm circles each way + overhead claps

10 cherry pickers

THE THANG:

Mosey to traffic circle – 20 flutter kicks together

Mosey to new parking lot by new baseball fields

Aluminum PAX modified workout

Set Tabata timer for 1 minute, rotating

When 1 minute timer sounds every time do 5 burpees. Then start in on the rotation of exercises.

100 squats

100 LBCs

100 SSHs

When you complete 100 of your exercise run loop mapped out around full outside of parking lot.

If you get through all 3, rinse and repeat.

Mosey to small turf baseball field and lineup up at home plate.

“Diamond of Fire”

1 man goes around bases forward. When he hits 1st base the next man goes. Everyone else does merkins until their turn comes.

After home lineup on other side as you come in and start doing box cutters until last man comes in then do the same thing going backwards (3rd, 2nd 1st, home).

Mosey back to flag, via Pickett’s Charge

MARY:

Ended with some stretching at the flag

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:

Loneliness Epidemic article

Between 1990 and 2024, the percentage of college graduates who reported having zero close friends rose to 10 percent from 2 percent, which is upsetting enough. Among high school graduates, the percentage rose to a heartbreaking 24 percent from 3 percent.

For context about 55% in America are college graduates, so that leaves 45% who have a high school diploma or less.

In 1990, an impressive 49 percent of high school graduates reported having at least six close friends. By 2024, that percentage had been cut by more than half — to 17 percent. The percentage of college graduates with that many friends declined also, but only to 33 percent from 45 percent.

Causes? You may think politics, but I would say that may be more a symptom than a cause. Surely COVID and everything being online and the ease it is to isolate yourself, surely cannot help. We as a collective group need to worry less about the cause…

Article in NYT is quoted:

What is the most important single thing that you can do to heal our national divides and to improve the social and economic mobility of your struggling neighbors?

I’d submit that it’s not voting for the right candidate (though you should certainly do that), nor is it engaging in activism to raise visibility for a worthy cause (though I endorse that as well). Instead, it’s something that is at once much simpler but also much more difficult.

Make a new friend.

Maybe you could even make a new friend outdoors, away from your phone, spending zero dollars, while getting some exercise and hanging out with other guys where politics, education and economic levels are not a factor? If only such a thing existed, wow what a cool thing that could be. I reiterate Crash Dummies challenge from Tuesday. In the next month try and convince a FNG to come out, you may be helping them more than you realize.