A Few Merkins More

AO: the-knoll
Q: The Merchant
PAX: Half Lyfe, Lady Liberty, Étouffée, Pebbles, Stubs, morning stār, Sooie, Gold Digger, Bumblebee, Derby
FNGs: 1 Derby
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS:
A little chillier than Tuesday, but dry and clear skies

WARMUP:
10x SSH, 20x BACs, WMHs, 5x Motivators

THE THANG:
Dora: Split up into pairs
One person ran a lap from the playground to the baseball diamond and back, while the other repeated an exercise until they returned, then the two swapped

Repeat until each duo finishes 200x each of:
Alabama prom dates
Merkins
Lunges

Everyone went in a circle and picked an exercise for the group to do 10-20 of, then we ended with a ring of fire.

MOLESKINE:
We briefly contemplated the importance of rest

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Spring Fling
The Merchant’s Hot Buns Spicy Wing Challenge

Another Round of Merkins

AO: the-knoll
Q: The Merchant
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, Sparrow, Sooie, Stubs, Pebbles, Wolfpack, Étouffée, Parka-Eh, morning stār, G-string, Half Lyfe, Timber, Papa Bear, Ex-Pat, Bumblebee, Rubiks, Gold Digger
FNGs: 1 Gold Digger
COUNT: 19
Warm-up:
SSH, BACs, WMHs, Motivators

The Thang:
HIIT Workout
20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest
6 exercises in a round, 75 seconds between rounds

Exercises:
Merkins
Sit Ups
Imperial Walkers
Merkins
Crunches
Squats

3.20.2025

AO: the-knoll
Q: AAA
PAX: Timber, Étouffée, Pebbles, Stubs
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
CONDITIONS: clear skies and dark

WARMUP: -caboose is lose around the knoll
-baby arm circles
-imperial walkers
-slow squats
-Willie Mayes hayes

THE THANG:
Pull up ladder
8- pull ups
Jog to cone and back.
7- pull ups
jog to cone and back.
Down to 1 pull up.

3 sets
1 minute pull ups jog bar hang
1 minute of leg raises

3 sets
1 minute step ups
1 minute of world war 2s

1 set
1 minute spicollis
1 minute of an exercise of choice

Finished with stretching

MOLESKINE:
“We suffer more in our imagination than in reality.” Seneca

Be cognizant of the unecessary stress we put on ourselves worrying about the future and what could happen vs focusing on the now and focusing on what we can control. So many things we worry about never actually happen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:

Predictable as Sunshine: Cosmic rays and work

AO: the-knoll
Q: Malibu
PAX: Sooie, Half Lyfe, Étouffée, AAA, Malibu, Parka-Eh, Pebbles
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
CONDITIONS: 57*F and gloriously warm for this dark.

WARMUP:
Mosey to pickup coupons, BAC/BBAC, slow squats, Freddie mercury, and stretching.

THE THANG:
(1) 15’ amrap: 5x ground to overhead with coupon, sprint to pavement.

Rest and stretch.

(2) 12’ amrap: 6x step ups, 4x half moons with coupon, ~10sec plank.

MOLESKINE:
One way I’ve recently been thinking about Integrity is: thoughts/words/actions all directed and ordered to the deepest good things. When I first listened to Papa Roach many moons ago, my bad choices left some Scars. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to grow in the habit of Integrity by being more aware and intentional about the choices in life, and selective in making the right ones. Learning to Rise Again- like the Mary Ellen Carter- isn’t always the easy road but it’s one worth choosing.
My gratitude today for this group of men, who have helped me to live a life of greater integrity. Cheers!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BBQ on 4/6 @warner parks. See slack for more details.

COT:
Prayers for Josh, who has a long road of recovery ahead; a safe arrival of my folks today for a family visit; and those intentions in our hearts.

Wake up early and work hard

AO: the-knoll
Q: Malibu
PAX: Pebbles, El Capitan, Wolfpack, AAA, Malibu, Papa Bear, Étouffée, Siri
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
CONDITIONS: but nippy at the start but closed with some cosmic ray goodness and warmth at the end.

WARMUP:
Mosey to Peppbles’ place. Move 2k lbs of lumber, mosey back to playground and stretch (dealer’s choice). Prep for Thang 1 and Thang 2.

THE THANG:
(1) 15’ amrap: 7x squats + 7x Mericans.
Extra sauce for jumping squats, burpees, and variations galore.

(2) 13’ amrap: 5x plank walk outs, 10x sit-ups, 10x American Twists (variations encouraged).

MOLESKINE:
I‘ve been recalling recently the fact that I will one day pass away from this life. This reality focuses me more on living well, loving more, and giving of myself for others instead of the self-centered temptations I so often and so easily choose.
I also believe that at the end of my life I will be judged on how much I loved, and recently a friend encouraged me to try to live out and up this notion: how proud can I make my Heavenly Father when he has to judge my choices? A somber thought for sure, but a hopeful one when I know I am surrounded and encouraged by other men such as The Knoll is made.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Merican March Challenge. 4/6 BBQ meetup at Warner Parks.

COT:
Prayers for Étouffée’s friend Josh, El Capitan‘s dad, for good meetings for both Sooie and Papa Bear, and health of all our families.

“What’s next?” 🤔 Hmm…

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning stār
PAX: Wolfpack, Stubs, Pebbles, Malibu, AAA, Sparrow, Parka-Eh, morning stār, Bumble bee (Q, 2.0), Link (2.0), Ice Box (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: chilly and windy

WARMUP: ground movement to the road and back: crawl crawl, army crawl, crab walk, duck walk

THE THANG:
Part 1: Q and dealers choice exercises (WW2s, merkins, motivators, Lt dans, squats, dead bugs, flex capacitors, whatever you want)

Part 2: 3 games of infection

MOLESKINE:
– YHC is a proud of Bumble bee
– Appreciate the PAX kind mumble chatter helping Bumble bee along

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– merkin madness challenge (check slack)
– please turn you head lights off if you pull up to the park and are waiting to get out; we typically get blinded as we walk in

COT:
– count-o-rama
– name-o-rama
– Prayers for travel and hope for the heavy galettes

Providing a new perspective on provision

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning stār
PAX: El Capitan, Wolfpack, Stubs, Papa Bear, morning stār, Bumble bee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: mild and windy

WARMUP: jog to tree line with ground movement; circle up for motivators, arm circles, low slow squats, etc.

Jog to flood memorial table/bench.

THE THANG:
Rotate through 3 exercises on the minute (OTM) for 30 minutes:
– power elevated merkins … to slow merkins mixed with dips
– cross crawl step ups
– SSH with focus on core

MOLESKINE:
– solid work every one; appreciate the mumble chatter

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– Ash Wed ruck starting at 0500 at greenway entrance down the road from the-knoll (text morning stār if you want to join)
– Merkin challenge (check 1stf)

COT:
YHC shared a word study on provision he did years ago in which he came to the following conclusion:
“”I wonder if the more correct definition of provision would be ‘to consider in advance the path and foresee the coming needs, traps, and opportunities, and then to act accordingly so that one’s family is well prepared and equipped to endure and overcome, fulfilling fully all their God given purposes.’””
Stay curious my friends,
-m*

Deconstructed Burpees

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string
PAX: AAA, Sooie, Half Lyfe, Stubs, Lady Liberty
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: Perfect! And luckily the grass was soft.

WARMUP:
– SSH
– Slow Squats
– Inch Worms
– Shoulder Warmup

THE THANG:
5 Rounds
– 15 Floor to ceilings
– 15 Groiners
– 15 Merkins
– 25 Yard Bearcrawl/Crawlbear back

4 rounds of Double EMOM
– 40 yard sprint
– 5-10 pull-ups

MARY
– Leg Raises
– Heel Taps
– Hollow Hold

MOLESKINE:
Talked about two questions from “Intentional Fathers”
What do you want your son to know how to do before he leaves home?
What do you want him to have experienced?

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
March Merkin Madness
Game Night
Night Moves
See the Nashville general channel for these.

COT:
Prayers were offered up.

Thank you gentlemen for letting me lead you this week! It has been and honor and a privilege.

Dealing it out

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string
PAX: Pebbles, morning stār, El Capitan, Half Lyfe, Wolfpack, Stubs, Sooie, Papa Bear, Sparrow, Bumblebee
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Dark with a sliver of crescent moon. Brisk but warmer than than it has been.

WARMUP:
SSH and something else before I got there. Sorry guys!
– Slow Squats
– Mike Tysons
– Willie Mayes Hayes while we went over the mission and core principles

THE THANG:
Deck of cards work out. Reps match the card. Aces are 15
:hearts: – Decline Merkins
:spades: – Pulse Squats
:diamonds: – Pullups
:clubs: – Reverse Lunges
:black_joker: – 10 Burpees
Twos: Mosey to the backstop and sprint back
Threes: 15 reps of the exercise chosen by the person who drew the card.

MOLESKINE:
We discussed two questions.
1. What are some things you want your son (or daughter) to know before they leave home?
2. Who do you want them to be?
We then left with a challenge to think about how to communicate those things.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Biscuit run this weekend
March Merkin Madness starts on Saturday
Night Moves happening

COT:
Prayers were offered up.

A Walk

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: morning stār, Malibu, Étouffée, Stubs, Half Lyfe, Sooie
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
CONDITIONS: 13 degrees

WARMUP: Ruck to pick up Malibu

THE THANG: Ruck for 2.5 miles while passing around 60lb sandbags.

MOLESKINE: YHC was smoked from late nights and sick kids. Great to enjoy a challenging ruck and good conversations. Loved seeing everyone want to take on extra weight.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT: