KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid)

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string
PAX: Stubs, AAA, Pebbles, Timber, morning stār, El Capitan, Sooie, Ex-Pat, Siri, Papa Bear, Sparrow, Bumblebee, the Judge, Rubix
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: Cool and damp

WARMUP:
– SSH
– Seal Claps
– Overhead Press
– Mission and Credo while stretching
– High Plank with 5 merkins for each of the 5 core principles

THE THANG:
– Brief run to the far stop sign with stops
– 10 Burpees
– Politician two houses
– 10 Iron Mikes
– Karaoke two houses
– Wounded Bear Crawl
MAIN THANG: Partner up for a DORA
– 100 Pullups
– 200 Bulgarian Split Squats
– 30 yard Bear-crawl
– One partner crawls while the other does reps. Alternate bear-crawl and crawl-bear

Count the number of sets each pair took to complete the work (35 total). 7 PAX over the HC count (thought it was 8 because I didn’t count the 2.0 HC).
Set out to finish with 8 sets of:
– 35 merkins
– Hill Sprint

T-Claps to Timber, Pebbles, and AAA for completing six sets.

MOLESKINE:
I tried for a long while to come up with a super involved workout that would have taken as much time to explain as it would to do. But then I remembered to just keep it simple. Do lots of just a few exercises, and it’ll work. Sometimes I get so bogged down in the details that I forget simplicity. How often things go better if we do them the straightforward way.
Also, we often say to “modify as necessary,” with the thought of modifying down, but what about modifying up? How often do we challenge ourselves and really try hard? Today I wore a weight vest to challenge myself a bit more, and it was brutal! I felt like it was my first workout all over again. Seek out challenges when they are available.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
none

COT:
-Thankful for our veterans

Burpee Roulette

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: Pitmaster, Sooie, AAA, Ex-Pat, Lady Liberty, El Capitan, morning stār, Bumblebee, Eagle
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: cool

WARMUP:
Inch worms
Motivators
Bacs
Bac Bacs
Slow Merkins
Slow Squats
Stretch oyo
Burpee Apocalypse!!!

THE THANG:
Deck of Cards
Clubs- Burpees
Diamonds – Carolina Dry Docks
Spades – Iron Mikes
Hearts – WWIs

5 min of Mary

MOLESKINE: Fortitude – courage and tenacity. Getting out of bed early, doing something hard, etc. are all habits that are developed one small step at a time.

The world record for burpees in one hour is 1,027. Today as a group we did 1,120 burpees.

Honored to continue to grow in fortitude with all F3 brothers. Together we can do big things.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Check slack

COT: Prayed in thanksgiving

Games in the Dark

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, Ex-Pat, morning stār, Pebbles, Sooie, Stubs, Wolfpack, Bumblebee (2.0), Tonks (2.0), Fish Biscuit (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Perfect

WARMUP:
Head and shoulders OYO
BAC
BBAC
Imperial Walkers
Cherry Pickers
Don Quixote’s
WMH OYO
Slow squats
Slow Merkins
20 yard mosey

THE THANG:
2 team relay
2 cones 20 yards apart
Each team sends a runner down to perform exercise, runner sprints back. After everyone on the team ran, we progressed to the next exercise. First team to finish wins. Exercises were:
5 burpees
10 jump squats
15 WWII’s

GAMES!!!
Bear Crawl Tag to determine who would hold the torch first in Torch Tag.
Torch Tag
1 pax with a flashlight, all other Pax try to tag them. Pax had to do SSH while the flashlight was shining on them. Bumblebee held the torch longest.
Infection
Toilet Tag

Ring of Fire to 5

MOLESKINE:
Didn’t have much of a moleskine planned other than having family fun during fall break.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Big announcement coming 10/10! Come to the-knoll to find out.
Chili Cookoff 10/20. 12:30-2:30 Shelby Park. Bring your M’s and 2.0’s. See Wolfpack for additional details.

COT:
Prayed for East Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida as well as PAX traveling over fall break.

Enjoyed the Mtn Mocha generously provided by El Capitan !

Elevens & the Deadly Dice

AO: the-knoll
Q: El Capitan
PAX: Ex-Pat, AAA, morning stār, El Capitan, Malibu, Sooie, Lady Liberty, Pebbles, Timber, Stubs, Bumblebee (2.0), Schmoltz (2.0), TopGun (2.0), TheJudge (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: 60 degrees & foggy. Starlit overhead.
TUNES: Joyful eclectic playlist

WARMUP:
– Downdog + cobra
– 10x mountain climbers
– Bird Dogs (3x) each side, 3 sets
– Back stretches (the best)

THE THANG:
PART 1: ELEVENS
– Squat Jumps at top of road
– Butt-kickers down hill to road
– Plank Jacks on road curb
– High Knees back up hill.

Repeat until 11’s complete

PART 2: Deadly Dice

Circle up around flood table. One PAX rolls 12-sided die with regular die into bucket.

Regular die represents exercises:
– 1 (Burpees)
– 2 (Downward Dog Toe Taps 2=1)
– 3 (Dips)
– 4 (American Hammers 2=1)
– 5 (Hand-release merkins)
– 6 (Iron Mikes 2=1)

12-sided die represents the amount of reps.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

PART 3: Return of the Plank, Plank, Goose!
– Circle up in grass. One person is “it”. Goes around duck-duck-goose style. When he chooses a goose, he immediately does 10 SSH while the tagged runs around circle & tries to return to spot before tagger does.

Cool down mosey to coupon tree & back to playground.

MOLESKINE:
Encouraged the PAX to look outside themselves & seek opportunities to better serve their families & communities. It’s so easy to be primarily concerned with what matters to me – but true manliness is sacrificial, seeking the good of others for the glory of God.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Happy birthday, @Schmoltz!! Enjoy those birthday breakfast bagels in bed. :joy:
Fat Bear Week is next week, per Sooie! :bear:

COT: Lifted up prayer requests & held a moment of silence. Enjoyed a delicious moment of fellowship & :boar::coffee::tm: post-workout.

Grateful for y’all!

:el-capitan:

MOT CIRCUIT

AO: the-knoll
Q: El Capitan
PAX: Timber, Ex-Pat, The Banker, AAA, El Capitan, morning stār, Sooie, Stubs, Pitmaster, Pebbles, Papa Bear, The Merchant, Bumblebee (2.0), Schmoltz (2.0), Eagle (2.0), TheJudge (2.0), TopGun (2.0)
FNGs: 1 TopGun (2.0)
COUNT: 17
CONDITIONS: mid-60s & blustery

WARMUP:
– Stretches (down dog, cobra, sprinter stretch, BACs & BacBACs x10
– Motivators 5x, run to backstop & back to playground

THE THANG:
PART 1: MOT CIRCUIT
– count off into two teams

Round #1:
– team 1 BEAR CRAWLS around perimeter of playground
– team 2 SKY THRUSTS until team 1 returns, then SWITCH

Round #2:
– team 1 LIZARD CRAWLS around perimeter of playground
– Team 2 FREDDY MERCURY’S until team 1 returns, then SWITCH

Round #3:
– team 1 GORILLA HOPS around perimeter of playground
– Team 2 “REVERSE” BURPEE (WW2 to jump) until team 1 returns, then SWITCH

Round #4:
– team 1 CRAB WALK around perimeter of playground
– Team 2 IMPERIAL WALKERS until team 1 returns, then SWITCH

Part 2: MYSTERY MARY

Two sets of cardboard cards
One set has times (:45-2 min)
One set has CORE workouts
Lie cards face down in two groups, memory game style.
Pax circle up- 2.0s choose a time card + workout card.

Wash, rinse, repeat

Ended with a 1:45 round of Ring of Fire.

MOLESKINE:
“Love is a long road.” Our culture tends to view love as a feeling, something you fall into, experience passionately, etc. But real love is indeed a long road – one that is often defined much more by commitment & faithfulness than feeling. I encouraged the PAX to consider this viewpoint & look around their circle of influence to see who God has placed in their lives to serve for the long haul.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Check Slack for October updates coming soon!

COT: Lifted up G-string & his family at the passing of his great-grandmother, friends of the The Banker dealing with a cancer diagnose, and The Merchant’s purchase of his first home.

A prayer was lifted & coffee + chocolate milk enjoyed.

So grateful for y’all!
:el-capitan:

There are always some more cards to be dealt

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning stār
PAX: Wolfpack, El Capitan, Ranger, Sooie, Tea Party, AAA, Malibu, morning stār, Papa Bear, Stubs, Sparrow, Bumble bee (2.0 / Q), Link (2.0), Samwise (2.0), Iowa (2.0), The Judge (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: mild and dark

WARMUP: motivators 1 to 8

THE THANG: deck of pain
– Hearts = SSH (4ct)
– Spades = t-claps (4ct)
– Clubs = Carolina dry docks
– Diamonds = sit ups
– Ace is 1 rep, J/Q/K are 12 reps
– Joker is 10 4ct flutter kicks

MARY: dealer’s choice

ANNOUNCEMENTS: chili cookoff coming in October

COT: ball of man and “kindness” on 3!

MOLESKIN: this is Bumble bee’s second full Q … he’s growing in confidence which is so great to see. Appreciate the PAX creating an encouraging environment for him to learn and grow.

Stay curious my friends,
-m*

Tea Time

AO: the-knoll
Q: Tea Party
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, morning stār, Sooie, Sparrow, Ex-pat, Bumblebee 2.0
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
CONDITIONS: dark and 60s?

WARMUP: Costa Rica style yoga/stretching ending with the Bretzel body twist

THE THANG: 2 rounds of 9 tea-themed circuits in 1 minute intervals
– premium oolong pull-ups
– Cardamom tea kettlebell swings
– rose hibiscus raise your knees (step-ups)
– Tima tea toe-touches
– Paris yea swing pulls
– ginseng oolong jog/sprint around back-stop
– Mint peach tea bench merkins
– Lichee black tea lunges/lt. dans
– Pure assam plank

Cool down: 1 perfect burpee

MOLESKINE: Embrace the little sparks God gave you in your life that bring you joy, like tea drinking does for me. Those things make a difference for each of us, don’t let them go out and grow dull.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 9/14 F3 10 year anniversary Sevier Park

COT: prayers for hvacs, pregnancies, and moving. Strong Ceylon black tea drink and onion flavored tea biscuits devoured

9.10 Mystery Workout

AO: the-knoll
Q: AAA
PAX: Sooie, El Capitan, Stubs, Sparrow, The Banker, Timber, G-string, morning stār, Malibu, Papa Bear, Bumblebee, Iowa, The Judge
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: mid 50s, damp grass.

WARMUP: -5 motivators
-10 lunges
-Baby arm circles and back BACs
-10 slow squats
-10 slow push ups
-mosey down to tree line and back

THE THANG: 8 rounds of a 2 minute AMRAP start with a 20 yard sprint/run, and then do 11 reps of designated exercise and then run back 20 yards and do another 11 reps until 2 minutes are up.
Round 1- 11 burpees
Round 2- 11 pushups
Round 3 – 11 air squat
Round 4- 11 mountain climbers
Round 5- 11 jumping jacks
Round 6- 11 jumping lunges
Round 7 – 11 Carolina dry dock
Round 8 – 11 tuck jumps

Finished with some Ultimate Frisbee

MOLESKINE: John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

In remembering 9/11 tomorrow, let’s take a moment to think about and remember the ultimate acts of love shown by many on 9/11, and the many years after 9/11.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 9/11 workout at capital steps 5:30 am, Brig workout at 5:30 am

COT:

Sometimes the workout you end up doing isn’t the workout you planned but that’s okay because your intentions for the planned workout weren’t where they should’ve been.

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, G-string, Lady Liberty, morning stār, Sooie, Sparrow, Timber, Dr Stogie, Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
CONDITIONS: :stars: 😎

WARMUP:
Good Mornings OYO
Imperial Walkers
BAC
BBAC
T-Ups
WMH (review mission/core principles/credo)
Loose caboose mosey

THE THANG:
Tabata! 21 rounds.
12 seconds work
48 seconds active recovery/planks
Cycle through Merkins, Jump Squats, Plank toe touches. (20:23 total time)

Ultimate Frisbee ~10 minutes. Epic plays were made by all the PAX.

Recovery breathwork

MOLESKINE:
This week the-knoll celebrates 1 year of being in the books. To commemorate it we did Tabata with 12 seconds on and a total workout time of 20:23 to commemorate the year we launched. I had planned a different beatdown, one that would’ve been harder and more self serving but ultimately felt it wasn’t the right time and my intentions weren’t in the right place. Instead we did a challenging workout that allowed some time for conversation as well. Reminded me that no matter what we do, let’s check our intentions and be mindful of why we do what we do.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
9/11 convergence at the Capitol Steps.
9/11 convergence at The Brig (F3 Franklin) grassland park if the Capitol Steps is too far a drive.
9/14 F3 Nashville 10 year anniversary Sevier Park.

COT:
Prayers lifted. Sooie Brewie enjoyed.

On the Books Anniversary

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: The Banker, morning stār, Sooie, Sparrow, Tea Party, Papa Bear, Pit Master, Dr. Stogie, Stubs, Eagle (2.0), The Judge (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: cool, starry, perfect

WARMUP:
Stretch OYO
Yes/No/maybe
BAC
BBAC
Overhead claps
Seal claps
Don Quixotes
Motivators (from 5)

THE THANG:
Split into 2 teams. Had 6 cones set up 15 yards apart. Each cone had a different exercise on it. Each team had to complete 200 reps of the exercise. The first team to finish the 200 reps captured the cone and added 25 reps to the next exercises.
1. Squats
2. Merkins
3. WW2’s
4. Monkey humpers
5. apollo ohno’s
6. Burpees

Next up a friendly game of capture the flag. Be warned Tea Party has some speed!

MOLESKINE:
“Outdo one another in showing honor”
Romans 12:10

I’ve been incredibly blessed to witness the transformations in the lives of the men at the knoll. Took time to recognize and honor the men both present and absent.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
9/11 convergence at the Capitol Steps
9/14 F3 Nashville 10 year anniversary

COT:
Prayers spoken and offered.