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Momentum & Camaraderie

QIC: VSquared

Date: 08/06/2019

PAX: Sidekick, The Count, Dirk, Milk Man, Sunburn, Ducktales, Candu, Free Time, Peanuts, Cliffhanger

AO: Boneyard

Conditions

Its summer in TN, what do you think #humidity

COP

  1. sunrise yoga stretches
  2. imperial walkers
  3. side straddle hop
  4. ‘mercans
  5. mosey around track:
    1. regular mosey
    2. butt kickers
    3. high knees
    4. regular mosey

The Thang

keep it moving and keep your partner moving, too.

Momentum & Camaraderie
rotate through 4 stations doing #1 on each exercise sheet as much as possible (reps or distance) on the first round, #2 on the second, #3 on the third. Stay at your place until the team after you relieves you of your tasks. leader will need to start rotation each time. we only made it through 2 rounds.

Station 1: 

  1. squat jumps, as many rounds up the steps as possible (walk or hop back down).
  2. lunges along steps back and forth.
  3. squats.

Station 2:

  1. pull ups to max then assist one another to second max, third max, etc. (the fewer you do the more times you do them).
  2. dips to max twice then drop feet to assist to max on third time and following.
  3. push ups to max on wobbly stand as many times as possible.

Station 3:

  1. berni sanders to first pole with flag as many times as possible.
  2. bear crawl to first pole with flag as many times as possible.
  3. crab walk to first pole with flag as many times as possible.

Station 4:

  1. eight count body builders.
  2. eight count body builders.
  3. eight count body builders.

Circle of Mary, where all twelve PAX got a chance to pick and count out their favorite core exercises.

COT

We gotta be about balance in our lives. There are moments when we have to reach out, don’t miss these or you might end up on your back somewhere. There are also moments when instead of pushing hard you have to take a breath and maintain a steady momentum. Missing those moments can result in burnout and all sorts of bad coping mechanisms  – unless you reach out AND have guys there who will listen and reach back. Listening actively is a two way street; do it seek it from others calling them towards it with your own examples and gracious prompts. You need it, and they need it. OYO doesn’t actually exist, because you are always influenced by someone around you. Ask yourself who that or those people are, are they good influences, then draw nearer; are they bad, cut ties. We only have 90 years or less, make a decision today that part of that 90 will be an example your proud to leave; make it an example of camaraderie and momentum. 

Moleskin

I seem to remember getting my butt kicked by a certain 60 year old who I’m trying to hard to emulate and who is feeding off of the younger guys around him. Hell of an example for the words above.

Recent Backblasts

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    Never Alone: Many Hands Make Light Buddies

    QIC: VSquared

    Date: 04/04/2019

    PAX: Venus, Skitch, Candu, The Count, Threeskin, Ringwald, Cowbell, Red Tees, Back Pew, Roadhouse, Sunshine,Flemish, Sunburn, Dirk, Sidekick

    AO: Hill City (Coolidge Park)

    Conditions

    Wonderful; 50 & Dry.

    COP

    1. Warm-Up (@Circle of Sacrifice):
      1. Side Straddle Hop 20 (in cadence)
      2. Stretches (focus on taking a good deep breath or two while in each of these positions): x5 sets:
        1. Forward Fold
        2. Squat Down
        3. Plank Position
        4. Half Merican
        5. Upward Dog
        6. Downward Dog
        7. Back to Fold Position
        8. Reach for the Sky
      3. Mosey to Great Hall:
        1. Ass Kickers
        2. High Knees
        3. 75% run to under bridge by rocks (select one for each hand)
      4. Find a Wall and Arms Up!
        1. Little Arm Circles forward x10
        2. Little Arm Circles backwards x10
        3. Cherry Pickers x10
        4. Moroccan Night Clubs x10
        5. Recover
        6. Side Straddle Hop (in cadence) x 40
      5. Mosey to Mt. Midoriyama in two lines.

    The Thang

    This is about being together; cords of many strands.

    Many Hands Make Light Buddies:

      1. Grab the guy next to you, then grab the pair next to you – this is your team.
      2. This is an Ultra Dora!
        1. Round 1:
          1. Together you will start by doing a combined 400 LBCs.
          2. Then your team will bear crawl up the Mt.
          3. at the top, you will select a teammate and carry them down.
        2. Round 2:
          1. Now your team will do a collective 300 ‘Mericans.
          2. Bernie Sanders to the top.
          3. Carry a different teammate down.
        3. Round 3:
          1. your team will do a collective 200 Squats.
          2. Sprint up the hill
          3. Carry another different guy down.
        4. Round 4:
          1. 100 Collective Bur-pies.
          2. Side shuffle up the hill (switch sides halfway)
          3. Carry the final guy down.
        5. !!Did not get to complete!! One to grow on!
          1. Mosey to the bottom of the steps.
          2. Do a collective 200 dips.
          3. Box jump up together, in cadence, holding Al Gore in-between if your partner falls behind.
        6. Mosey back to the parking lot.
    2. Circle of Mary, in which 6 different HIM called out core based exercises.

    COT

    A Good Recovery:

    Many of us have specific things that have happened to us and that w have gotten ourselves into that require some specific attention, Praise God, and all of us have a disposition that at times makes really stupid decisions.

    In all of these, we must employ some basic discipline and seek to grow from the inside out, from our hearts, and I believe we are given the strength to do this when the time is right – perhaps today is your day. Whenever that day comes to realize that there are three basic tenants to a good recovery, and these happen to parallel what is also good for our broken, unique, complex everyday lives.

    They are:

    • Motivation based, in its healthiest form, of being a better you. Not just white knuckle duty bound actions but humble, thankful, hopeful, and anticipatory obedience and engagement. You find that you simply want to be who you are meant (created) to be and remove all barriers to that. It means some unraveling of who that is and a lot of unlearning false self-narratives. As you get serious about being that orders you will also become more outwardly focused (God and neighbor), but the baseline idea is that you have to get convinced and committed to being you.
    • Life Balance (holistic) to being healthy and happy; less cortisol (stress), the right sleep, more energy. Big and little shifts; dailies habits fall under this. This creates trust when it’s observed by a spouse. These are things that actually make you feel good in your regular structure, and these structures that shouldn’t be let go of when you leave that regular context for a time (travel, vaca, break) and can even provide super presence by continuing to execute even if it’s a little different. All this creates an ability to live in the present in vulnerable places to self, God and others.

    Some intentional movements that fall under this category regularly are:

      • Exercise – where you are physically learning to overcome pain, like in recovery, and release stress, and build self-confidence.
      • Spiritually – time in the Bible; connection to your higher power and a revelation of our hearts.
      • Emotionally – connection to others. Meditation.

    These little things can be what shifts recovery because you won’t be able to do these seemingly mundane things unless my motivation is right behind them. So if you can do this there is alignment at the base.

    • Cognitive Phycological Engagement: you start to notice your triggers and how you behave naturally out of your emotional mind. How to keep from being mindless (numbing) and not just letting your brain do its thing. Founding boundaries. “I actually do experience dozens of emotions a day.” Another tool is the spike narrative (a narrative in your head that exasperates your emotions towards impairments with lies, that you must learn to identify and step back from to reduce reactions and increase acceptance, induce management and increase responses. Managing thoughts and emotions so you can have behaviors). Again, this ties to your intentions, which you can’t truly be mindful about unless your willing to engage the deeper heart of the matter.

    It’s easy to see how we can help each other with life balance, but there is an easy way in which we can help each other. In motivation and knowing our hearts, too. I learned an old Hebrew word this last week Ayeka, and in use it asks, “where are you?” Not just in a physical sense, be that legitimately important, but in an emotional and spiritual sense, too. The term construes longing, even sadness from the asker, and am authentic curiosity. This is the term God spoke to Adam in the garden of Eden after He first sinned, and it’s also a term we can speak to each other to both shows a tangible interest in that other man and his inherent divinity and reminds Him that the God of the Universe is keenly desirous to have his heart as well. Now that’s some motivation!

    So think about the ways your engaging living and being better well, and those you might need some work in; think alps of those people in your life you can and should ask where they are at too, then pick one today and do it. Be an active listener and watch the fellowship we were created to do its work.

    Moleskin

    Recovery is a shit ton of work, though it’s better than addiction and more important than working out which is already something you get up and do regularly.

    Recent Backblasts

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      Aye! Aye! Community & Teamwork

      QIC: VSquared
      Date: 11/22/2018
      PAX: Backup (Nomad, Charlotte), Mr. Clean, Care Bear, FNG-Skitch, Free Candy, Ringwald, Sunshine, FNG-Iron Butt (Respect, Respect), Venus
      AO: Hill City

      Conditions:

      Chilly with a chance of sweat.

      The Disclaimer

      This is a free, volunteer, peer-led workout. I am not a professional. I have no knowledge of any injuries or fitness considerations. It is each person’s responsibility to be safe and modify exercises if you need to. Do not get hurt. But if you do we will carry you to your car if necessary.

      COP

      Warm-Up:

        1. Side Straddle Hop x15 (in cadence)
        1. Flutter Jumps x5 (oyo)
        1. Slow Windmills x10 (in cadence)
        1. Periformas stretch x15 each way (in cadence)
        1. Leg Over stretch x15 each side (in cadence)
        1. Arms Up!
            1. Little Arm Circles forward x10
            1. Little Arm Circles backward x10
          1. Overhead Press x20
      1. Double time Side Straddle Hop x15 (in cadence)

      The Thang

      Teamwork makes the dream work, and we were made for it.

      **Shout out to SpeedBump for some inspiration around this workout!**

          1. Mosey through course, explain as we go.
          1. Form Groups of 4-6 guys.
        1. Course Pieces:
            1. Teammate Carry (Blue path) up the slide hill in a circular fashion, then mosey down to the bench for next person.
            1. Team Run (green path with rope, approx. .25
            1. Indian Push Ups (yellow path) where you do 5 push-ups at the start of the line then hold plank as your teammates jump you. This slow line progression begins at Mount Midoriyama and go to and back from
          1. Crabby Crawl (red path) down the steps and crab crawl back up, backward, and do 5 dips on each step as you go up!

      Circle of Mary! (7 min.)

      COT

      (I paraphrased this AM, but I think the same point came through)

      What was Thanksgiving about? It was about gladness surrounding a safe transition and settlement, and it involved community both directly and indirectly. I want to challenge you to do the same!

      Though despite our transitions in life not looking like the pilgrims they still contain various levels of trails, and we still need a community to make it through them well.

      Many of you have heard my story of brokenness and addiction, which is an example of how not to do the significant transition and what not using community can lead to. But by God’s grace through that same community which I denied and hurt I’m now able to celebrate.

      This is my first Thanksgiving in a handful of years sober. And despite most of those years being a dry drunk of sorts and having an acceptably low level of addiction, life without it and in a community is radically different and much more full. Instead of passively coping with my intense emotions I’m leaning how to work through them and benefiting those around me in the process.

      As my counselor says, if you survived addiction you can survive recovery. I think that’s what the pilgrims found, too, despite there being other great struggles once they had built the perseverance of the voyage and the first year getting established on a consistent piece of solid ground was a more stable way of life.

      They had hope after that and trials can work the same way with us, but even if you make it through certain trails on your own your just paving the path towards an individualism that will eventually kill you or make you incredibly lonely.

      So I want to encourage you if your in a time of transition to reach for vertical community and for horizontal community, if you have made it through some of those periods to be glad and celebrate with community, and to be intentional about actively listening to your community so that you can offer it to others who are moving through significant transitions.

      Happy Thanksgiving Men!

      Moleskin

      Two FNGs! Welcome @Skitch and @IronButt, excited to have you join the family! Also a welcome to our Nomad, @Backwards, 

      Upcoming Qs

      @Mr. Clean at the Landfill this Saturday!
       

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      Daring Greatly; Engaging Shame

       

      QIC: VSquared
      Date: 10/11/2018
      PAX: Care Bear, Deep End, Fabio, Fissure, Free Candy, Flemish, Geek Squad, Laces Out, Ringwald
      AO: Hill City

      Conditions:

      Cloudy & finally cool.

      The Disclaimer

      This is a free, volunteer, peer-led workout. I am not a professional. I have no knowledge of any injuries or fitness considerations. It is each person’s responsibility to be safe and modify exercises if you need to. Do not get hurt. But if you do we will carry you to your car if necessary.

      COP

      1. Mosey to Great Hall.
      2. Abe Vigoda (or what I like to think of as Don Quotes)(Slow stretched or Old Man Windmill)
      3. Toes Stretches:
        1. Lift heals
        2. Lift toes
      4. Side Straddle Hop:
      5. Cotton Picker
      6. Arms up and keep them up!
        1. Forward Arm Circles
        2. Backward Arm Circles
        3. Cherry Pickers
        4. Overhead Press
        5. Chinook
      7. Piriformis stretch
      8. ‘Mericans
      9. Mountain Climbers
      10. Recover!

      The Thang: All in a Mornings Workout:

      Get into groups of 4-5 people and line up on the columns for a relay between teams:

      1. The person designated first in line zigzags back and forth between columns to the end and get the Monday sheet, then sprints back to the group to perform exercises in cadence with single count exercises.
      2. Rest of group recovers while next person runs for next sheet – repeat for all sheets.
      3. Sheets are as follows:
        1. Monday:
          1. 20 Squats
          2. 15 Planks
          3. 25 LBCs
          4. 35 Side Straddle Hop
          5. 15 Lunges
        2. Tuesday:
          1. 10 Squats
          2. 30 Planks
          3. 25 LBCs
          4. 10 Side Straddle Hop
          5. 25 Lunges
        3. Wednesday:
          1. 15 Squats
          2. 40 Planks
          3. 30 LBCs
          4. 50 Side Straddle Hop
          5. 25 Lunges
        4. Thursday:
          1. 35 Squats
          2. 30 Planks
          3. 20 LBCs
          4. 25 Side Straddle Hop
          5. 15 Lunges
        5. Friday:
          1. 35 Squats
          2. 30 Planks
          3. 25 LBCs
          4. 20 Side Straddle Hop
          5. 15 Lunges
        6. Saturday: Suprise! The first team to bring this sheet back gets to pick Mary for everyone else to end the workout.
        7. Sunday: Recover.
      4. Cooldown with 10 minutes of Mary defined by the winning team.

      COT

      Shame. What do you think about when I say that word? If you’re like me then it’s likely that certain actions come to your mind that you regret, but it’s not actually those actions, or behaviors, that make those memories come to the surface; no, behaviors deal with guilt, shame deals with image and state of being. So when you think of those memories chances are those things are points when you really questioned who you were and if you were actually worth anything if you were capable some behavior like you exhibited in those moments.

      Now there are two directions you can take shame towards the benefit of humility (proactive vulnerability) and its many benefits, or the impairments of toxic shame, self-rejection, pride or rage (usually a fearful reaction to the emotion of worthlessness).

      I think this is important for F3 Men to get for several reasons that can be found as core principles in our mission to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leaders.

      Leaders must be willing to engage areas of shame in their lives humbly and vulnerable so that they inspire their followers to do the same and achieve their greatest selves by daring greatly. I love Berne Brown’s quote from Theodore Roosevelt about the Man in the Arena, and how rather he wins or loses his success is in daring greatly. And that’s what we have a chance to do and encourage others to do when we

      For me as a Christian also means bringing the greatest glory to God as I reflect His image in who I was created to be. As a matter of fact, I think that behind humbly engaging vulnerability from a place of healthy shame is hope in that power that is greater than ourselves. The way we build that is to enter trials and suffering – places of vulnerability – (both those we imply and those implied upon us) in humility and not in toxic paralyzing shame, self-rejection, pride or rage. Those things produce endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God – the higher power I believe in –  has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

      (Romans 5:3-5) To me, that’s one of the most foundational truths about God, that He acted first for us in humility and vulnerability – even unto death – so that we might be able to dare greatly and do the same.

      So hears the deal. I want you to think about where you are most vulnerable to shame and instead of living in that place walk out of it focusing on what/who you are taking hope in so that you can engage that by living it out humbly as you lead in your various spheres of influence. Your not perfect and and you have weak points and that is OK, you can still strive for excellence and achieve great things while inspiring those around you to do the same.

      Burne Brown link to TED Talk on Shame

      Look up also, Burne Brown’s TED Talk on vulnerability

      Moleskin

      Inspired by a Twitter post that listed several sets of exercises to do throughout a week, I was inspired to knock them all out in one morning!

      News

      Saturday’s convergence and will be huge, so make sure you are over at White Park by 7:00 AM to take a part in the training that Nashville F3 is bringing our way!
       

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      Partner Up; Up Mountain.

      QIC: VSquared

      Date: 08/30/2018
      PAX: Back Pew, Best in Show, Care Bear, Candu, Fissure, Flemish, Free Candy, Kodak, Moondance, Ringwald, Shortcut, Speed Bump, Sundance, Sunshine, Whittler, Wort
      AO: Hill City

      Conditions

      No rain, a little muggy, no complaints

      The Disclaimer

      This is a free, volunteer, peer lead workout. I am not a proffesional. I have no knoledge of any injuries or fitness considerations. It is each person’s responsibility to be safe and modify exercises if you need to. Do not get hurt, but if you do we will carry you to your car if necessary.

      COP

      1. Abe Vigoda (or what I like to think of as Don Quijote)(Slow stretched or Old Man Windmill)
      2. Side Straddle Hop:
      3. Cotton Picker
      4. Windmill
      5. Arms up and keep them up!
        1. Forward Arm Circles
        2. Backward Arm Circles
        3. Cherry Pickers
        4. Overhead Press
        5. Recover in a Wall Sit (tell guys to give me ten counts)
      6. Piriformis stretch (introduced by Candu)
      7. Mountain Climbers (start slow cadence then go regular rate)
      8. Double time Side Straddle Hops straight to moseying to next place (Mt. Midoriyama, my least favorite and the most functional place in the park)

      The Thang

      Partner Up; Up Mountain.
      (Partner up, both start at the base of the steps and move in two waves.)

      1. At base of marsh steps starts on 310 “Ballerina toe squats” as the person does an abyss push ups alternating sides then box jump up all steps when they are at the top they call out their partners hospital name, age and F3 name, and they start their ascent at the top person keeps doing dips.
      2. Gather at the base of Mt. has one man start on 310 LBCs while the other does Bearpees (burpee with 4x bear crawl) up the hill to the top and jog down to the base of the steps.
      3. Finally, start 310 dips on the benches while the other guy Burnie Sanders the slide Hill then jogs down around it to their teammate who switches out.
      4. Once all teammates are done they hold a plank while other finish.

      No time for Mary.

      COT

      I’m turned 31 yesterday and have learned a lot over the last decade moving through my twenties. The least of which was not through my struggle with pron and sex addiction.
      When I started getting more serious with my girlfriend in College I didn’t know what to do with the sexual tension that arose, though instead of turning to close friends and mentors and pulling back I turned to masturbation and soon after that porn. That was the slickest slope I have ever slid down. Shit, I had no time to consider what was happening or what I was coping with or how porn started to become where I went with all the tensions in my life. And then came the stunted emotional growth and atrophy from years of running with my emotions and justifying my mechanisms of coping.
      But I got to where I could manage it somewhat. Sure, I had bad days and weeks sometimes, but I would get back under control. I wasn’t addicted and all my marital issues were mostly due to my wife …
      I think many of you can see right there that something was wrong. But for years I knew the right words to say, I could articulate my feelings and lead those guys close to me into believing I was doing fine; I was in control. But inside I was allowing shame that I had developed as a junior higher in a family who didn’t talk about the hard things to push me into resentful hurt, sad self-pity, and lonely apathy.
      It was late 2016 as a dream company and several hard years of work started to take a turn that I both didn’t like and couldn’t control that I started to cope harder with this mechanism of dopamine release and try to take full control over my life: I was going to exercise, I was going to read the Bible more and memorize scripture, I was going to get better at bearing my knuckles down on the housework that would make me a better husband – and in the meantime I’d jack-off on occasion to release the tension. I was going to pull up my bootstraps and fuckin’ kick life’s ass just like I felt like my ass was getting kicked.
      Well, I’m not the most disciplined person in any of those areas, and try as I might I kept needing a little more excitement to make up for the areas that just weren’t working the way I intended. In a short span of 2 months, I went from a porn addiction to nearly losing my marriage of 5 years (relationship of 8 years), hurting my family and friends, risking exposure to STDs and being arrested, dragging my Saviors name through the mud, and jeopardizing all the ministry that I was doing in our community.
      Though I did not know it at the time, I risked hurting you all who live in and fight for our community. And for that, I’m sad and sorry.
      At that moment when I had sunk my deepest yet, I suddenly felt out of control realized where I was at and how far from OK I really was. I realized that just like King David the same man I said I would never be is who I had become. And God was opening my eyes. Out of desperation, I went straight to my Pastors that night and through their counsel and loving though stern discipline went to my wife and my accountability partners. That was the hardest 6 hours of my life.
      My wife had known about porn but given me space to deal with it as I said I was. She hadn’t yet aligned my terrible attitudes around serving her with my struggling in that area and my suppression of feeling underlying my addiction. But this did it. This was way different. My actions caused a sudden trauma that is indescribably by me and will echo in her for the rest of her life. And, unlike before that action, the situation was out of my hands now.
      By God’s grace through my wife and ironically the same steady midline emotions she always drives me crazy with my wife held on to me and in doing so gave me a tangible illustration of grace that changed my life from the inside out.
      Recovery personally, in my marriage and with my Lord and community has not been easy, but it beats the shit outta addiction. I can be in recovery openly and get encouragement and help from those around me; not so with addiction. I have a long way to go, but I am back on the path now and more in love than ever with my wife, my God and the process of becoming more like I was created be until he sees fit to bring me home.
      There are many things and people that play parts in my recovery like my wife, my Bible, my Church, my Counsellors, and a men’s group for sex addicts I attend at Roots Counselling (FreeCandy being a major one of those group members and the reason I’m here), and F3 plays a significant part in my recovery, from the aspects of fitness, fellowship, and faith, and in giving me routine and a place to practice and be challenged in accountability in both directions.
      By that I mean that I both get to be held accountable and challenged to be vulnerable and hold those around me accountable and accept their vulnerability.
      And that’s what I want to encourage in you all. Open yourselves to being vulnerable physically as you consistently attend workouts, emotionally as fellowship and honestly present where you are at, and spiritually as you freely converse about all holistic aspects of life.
      So, too, must you be willing to hold those around you accountable as they open these areas of their life up before you. Not harshly, but gently listening and curiously engaging (basic open-ended questions) to whomever you find huffing and puffing or sipping a pint beside you.
      These people around you and in your workplaces (the other men most appropriately) and in your homes are so much more like you than different and are all fighting battles of their own. If you just take a little time to open up and engage well the blessings are abundant, holistic, and impact not only you but everyone else that’s touching you.
      Be those Men, be accountable. Partner up and keep working your way up the mountains that life presents you.
      P.S. – thanks to those of you who held me accountable in finally getting this posted, I’m committed to doing it more quickly next time!

      Moleskin

      I never thought we would make it through the whole workout, but we did and I got so pushed in the process!