Pyramid of Pain

AO: the-knoll
Q: The Merchant
PAX: morning stār, Pebbles, AAA, Sooie, Malibu, Timber, Fish Biscuit (2.0), Tonks (2.0), Bumblebee (2.0), Iowa (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
See you all at Sooie’s birthday bash tonight and at my Pain Train Q and Hunger Games tomorrow!

The Deck of Many Workout Things

AO: the-knoll
Q: SalPal
PAX: Sooie, Pebbles, G-string, The Merchant, El Capitan, Timber, Wolfpack, Sparrow, morning stār, Tea Party, Tebow, a number of 2.0s, please add in comments!
FNGs: None
COUNT: a lot
CONDITIONS: Feelin’ lucky

WARMUP: Quick mosey + burpees. Stretching is for the birds.

THE THANG: A modified deck of death. Merkins, squats, BB situps, and mountain Climbers were default routines, spiced things up by changing 2,3,4 to special rules.

MOLESKINE: El Capitan nearly got us to do 40 burpees, we modified as necessary. It got out of hand real fast.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sooie Party, Hunger Games, Night Movez, GEODIS run, Gulliver’s Travels.

COT: Those affected by Beryl, Peace for families, busy season at work, unspoken intentions.

Once Upon a Time in 13 Rowdy Colonies

AO: greenmachine
Q: Hair Band , Black Lung
PAX: Dumpster Fire (F3 Naperville), Pebbles, moneyshot, Hipster, McAfee, The Merchant, Rocket Mortgage, Works for a Guy, Natural Ice, bluemule, DintyMoore, Dilbert, Good Morning America, Cowboy, El Capitan, Wolfpack, SalPal, Hair Band, Sparrow, Tim the Toolman, Black Lung, Esposa, Grape, Country Parkour, Under the Table, Haggis, Strutter, Chunks, Michelin Man, Focker, Fake Job, Late to The Party
FNGs: 2 Fake Job, Late to The Party
COUNT: 34
CONDITIONS: bright and swampy

WARMUP:
30 SSH, 5 Good Mornings, 10 Merkins, 10 Squats. 10 LBAC, 10 Reverse LBAC, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Hillbillies.
Thing 1: Burpee Apocalypse (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

THE THANG:
A salute to the 13 colonies.
1. 10 New York Yurpee (Burpee Variation. Merkin at bottom of burpee is a clap-merkin and on up portion there are 2 tuck jumps per burpee).
2. 30 Virginia V-Ups
3. 50 South Carolina Side Straddle Hops
4. 30 Rhode Island Iron Mikes (2-count)
5. 30 New Hampshire Hand Release Merkins
6. 50 New Jersey Jump Squats
7. 50 Connecticut Crunches
8. 35 Maryland Merkins
9. 50 North Carolina Dry Docks
10. 50 Massachusetts Mountain Climbers (2-count)
11. 50 Georgia Gorilla Humpers
12. 50 Pennsylvania Plank Jacks (2-count)
13. 50 Delaware Dips

Run half lap around the track and start from the top. 3 rounds.

Total reps 1776.

MOLESKINE:
This workout was a beast sprung most from the tortured mind of Black Lung
We had 5/34 men completely finished the work out
We finished by reading the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence & saying the pledge of allegiance

Preamble: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:
– SalPal requests prayers for his baby on the way and his baby they just pulled from daycare

Ring Around the Rosies

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sparrow
PAX: Pebbles, El Capitan, Timber, Sooie, Malibu, WordPress, FLO, Gabby Cat, Bookworm, Smoltz, Iowa, Tonks, Fishbiscuit, Foxy, Samwise
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: 67 Degrees, Partly Cloudy

WARMUP: (5 mins) Inch Worm. Start from touching you toes, walk hands down to down dog. Pedal legs, walk back up to standing, do 15x calf raises. Repeat, except replace pedal with leg lifts. Repeat till time is out.

THE THANG:
(Ring Around the Rosies) – Group 1 that met criteria will run a lap, the group 2 will do an exercise till everyone finishes lap, those who finish early will join exercise. Cycled through Burpees, High Knees, Side Squats, Apollo Onohs, Lung Jumps). Q picked.
Core workout (15 mins): Pattern 45 sec hold, 15 sec rest:
Set 1: Plank Jacks, R Side Plank Crunch, Back Plank with Leg lifts, Left Side Plank Crunch, Plank Shoulder Touch
Set 2: Scissor Legs, Bicycles, ww2’s, Superman Alternating, Rest
Set 3: Repeat Set 1

Cooldown (10 mins): Freeze Tag. 2.0’s are freezers, but it takes 2 unfrozen players to simultaneously touch to unfreeze someone. 2.0’s WON two rounds

MOLESKINE:
As men we often have been conditioned to think in terms of left brain/right brain, reason vs feelings and put a wall between them. This has some merit but sometimes it leads to feeling a disjointed and anxious life. God created our hearts, our desires, and the deepest fundamental reality of who we are. When we see our feelings as flowing from our God given desires, and our thoughts/reasoning as flowing from our heart- it can lead to freedom and contentment, and fellowship with our creator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Lots of stuff going on in F3 Nashville, Check the slack! No Knoll workout next Thursday as there will be a convergence at Green Machine.

FLO will be doing VQ This thursday. Go FLO!

COT:
Prayers offered and lifted.

The quiet return

AO: pain-train
Q: G-string
PAX: FLO, Timber, El Capitan, Pebbles
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
CONDITIONS:
Beautiful summer morning ending with an epic sunrise.

WARMUP:
– inchworm walkouts to merkin
– runners stretch
– GOAT stretch
– High plank with five merkins following the mission and each core principle
– Mosey around the track, pick up coupons and burden carry to playground

THE THANG:
Thang 1: E2MO2M
every two minutes, complete the following
– 15 shoulder presses
– 10 floor-to-ceilings
– 5 burpees over the block
Completed seven rounds. After the fourth round, add two reps to each exercise if finish before the first minute.

Thang 2: MOT race
Split into two teams. One person on the team raced while the other did block curls.
Race down the cones doing three MOTs on the way out then sprint back to start.
– alligator crawl
– Bear crawl
– Gorilla run
Winning team does 10 block leg extensions per leg. Losing team does 15 goblet squats.
Ran four races

To close it out, we did two rounds of ten SADs (slow ass derkins)

MOLESKINE:
The media portrayal of dads is usually trash. Homer is a lazy idiot, the sultan in Aladdin is a doofus, Bluey’s dad is attentive but he “doesn’t remember the boring stuff” (sunscreen, floaties, essentials). Our kids need good, responsible men to look up to, and the stories we tell should reflect that. Right now, being the prince isn’t cool, and princesses have to do it all themselves.

We need to give our girls an image of good men, so they aren’t satisfied with bad men. And we need our sons to aspire to be heroes who can slay the dragon.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– TWO VQs next week at the Knoll!

COT:
– prayers were offered up

War!

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, Ex-Pat, FLO, morning stār, Pebbles, Sooie, Sparrow, Bumblebee (2.0), Barfly, WordPress
FNGs: 2 Barfly, WordPress
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: Cool, Humid, mist on the knoll. Perfect way to kick off the longest day of the year!

WARMUP:
top to bottom
Yes/No/Maybe’s in cadence
BAC
BBAC
Overhead claps
Don Quixote’s
Low slow squats
Slow merkins
Scorpion stretches

20 yard sprints between cones at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100% speed.
Team competition to pick up the most cones on the 120 yard sprint back.

THE THANG:
War! Broke out the ol’ Deck O’ Cards, maintained the 2 teams from the cone competition. Proceeded to play war. Winning team did 1 of 3 exercises based on the color of the face up suits. Losing team did combination of exercises based on the suit.
J = 11
Q = 12
K = 13
A = 14
Winning team exercises:
:large_red_square: = air presses x total
:black_large_square: = Spicolli’s (calf raises) x total
:large_red_square: :black_square: = Imperial walkers x total
Losing team exercises:
:heart: = burpees
:diamonds:= WW2’s
:clubs: = dips
:spades: = squats

MOLESKINE: Had fun playing the game yet it reminded us of tensions, struggle, uncertainty, and injustice around the world. Shared Psalm 46 as a reminder of something more secure and more foundational than what we can see in the world around us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
:alert: VQ’s Next Week! :alert:
Sparrow Tuesday 6/25
FLO Thursday 6/27
Come out and show support!
Convergence at greenmachine 7/4

COT:
Prayers offered and lifted.

90s Summertime

AO: the-knoll
Q: El Capitan
PAX: morning stār, Pebbles, Sooie, The Banker, AAA, El Capitan, Ex-Pat, FLO, Sparrow, Timber, Malibu, @fishbiscuit (2.0), @tonks (2.0), @bumblebee (2.0), @icebox (2.0), @nitro (2.0), @cookie (2.0), @spike (2.0), @fern (2.0)
FNGs: 4 @nitro (2.0), @cookie (2.0), @spike (2.0), @fern (2.0)
COUNT: 19
CONDITIONS: Humid, upper 70s

TUNES: 90s jamzz

WARMUP:

My Climb Warm-up Routine
– downward dog / cobra
– power merkins (3x per side)
– deep calf stretch
– PE back stretch
– lower back stretches

– Mosey around back stop to center of field

THE THANG:

Part 1: Duck, Duck, Goose on the Plank!

– Duck PAX are all planking in a circle. Tagger chooses a “goose!” who will sprint around the circle to return to their spot. Instead of chasing, tagger does 10x Side Straddle Hops. Whoever is last to plank is “it”. (We had several close races!)

Part 2: Water Balloon Challenge

– 16x reusable water balloons contain laminated slips of paper with various workouts & are hidden around the playground.

– All PAX will hold a squat while one looks for a water balloon. He or she may pelt the PAX with the water balloon upon returning. All PAX will perform the exercise written within. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Cool down: Mosey’d a caboose-is-loose around the-knoll, then convened at playground for three minutes of Freddy Mercuries.

MOLESKINE:

– Count Off
– Name-O-Rama
– Welcomed aboard 4 FNG’s visiting Uncle Sooie’s family from Central Florida. All had excellent F3 name choices.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Black Lung & Hair Band to Co-Q a 4th of July convergence beatdown at greenmachine :flag:

COT:

“You are as important as you make another person feel.”
-Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

I am so grateful for the men who make the-knoll such a positive, encouraging place to get stronger. I encourage y’all to be aware of the “least of these”, to see each person as a unique individual made in God’s image who is worthy of respect. Rather than seek glory for ourselves, seek the good of others in quiet service, empathy, and kindness.

Closed in prayer.

It was an honor to lead y’all this morning! :el-capitan:

Trip to the Zoo – Animals on the loose!

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles , Sooie
PAX: Sooie, Nubbins, Timber, AAA, Wolfpack, El Capitan, Pebbles, Sparrow, Malibu, Ex-Pat, Fish Biscuit, Tonks, Iowa, IceBox
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: Warm and damp

WARMUP:
Mosey around the backstop
Disclaimer given
Bac’s – Bac-Bac’s
Don Quioxte’s
Slow Merkins
Slow Squats
Stretch on your own

THE THANG:
THANG 1
2.0s picked an animal then pretended to be that animal while running around distracting the PAX doing station work. 2min at each station.
1. Dips
2. Swing pull ups
3. Jump Squats
4. Pull ups
5. Lunges

THANG 2
6 cones set 50yds apart. Do 6 reps of an exercise then sprint to next cone. (Burpees, WWIIs, Merkins, Lt Dans, Partner Carry x2)
Bear capture the flag
Toilet Tag
Bear Tag

MOLESKINE:
Reflection on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Good reminder that the things we struggle with, while not to minimize them, pale in comparison to what those men did to earn our freedom.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Welcome Nubbins to the-knoll! Looking forward to many more beatdowns together.

T-claps to the one and only morning stār for completing THE STRUGGLE last night. Congrats to all those men who did a very hard thing together.

COT:
Intentions given and Sooie prayed for all.

Packing and Slacking

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles , Sooie
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, Ex-Pat, Malibu, morning stār, Pebbles, Sooie, Sparrow, The Merchant, Timber, Wolfpack, Bumblebee (2.0), Link (2.0), Smoltz (2.0), Mucchi (2.0), Fish Biscuit (2.0), Tonks (2.0), Gabby Cat (2.0), Foxy (2.0), Big Red (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 20
CONDITIONS: perfect late spring morning

WARMUP:
mosey around the backstop.
Motivators from 7
BAC’s
BBAC’s
Slow Merkins
Slow Squats
Mosey to the flood table

THE THANG:
Pack Your Bags
2.0’s shared their ideal vacation spot and the 1 exercise they’d pack with them.
Total of 16 rounds of the exercises. 30 seconds on 30 seconds off. Had to run to catch our flight after we packed 9 bags.

Thang 2: Slacking
We setup a slack line and traversed it in various ways performing various exercises while waiting for to cross.

Thang 3: Game time
Infection
Toilet tag

MOLESKINE:
Reminder that unstructured time is great and sometimes it’s good to just do nothing together.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
El Capitan AOQ FOR THURSDAY’S AT THE KNOLL! El Cap has been at the knoll since the beginning and always brings joy, encouragement, hardwork, and dedication! Looking forward to all that he’ll bring as AOQ! Baby G-string born last week!

COT:
Prayers lifted and offered!

Coffeeteria with bananas for all from Pebbles ! Chocolate Milk for the 2.0’s. :boar: :coffee: :tm: for the adults!

Moseys and Musings

AO: the-knoll
Q: DintyMoore
PAX: AAA, morning stār, Siri, FLO, Wolfpack, El Capitan, Timber, Ex-Pat, Sparrow, Pebbles, Sooie, Bumblebee, Tonks, Fish Biscuit, Smoltz, Gabby Cat, Foxy, Bookworm (2.0)
FNGs: 1 Bookworm (2.0)
COUNT: 19
CONDITIONS: idyllic

WARMUP:
Arm circles – 10 rep
Back backs – 10 rep
Good Mornings – 5 rep
Motivators – 5 count
Willy Mays Hays – 5 count
Hip Swings – 5 count

THE THANG:
Thing 1 – HIIT x 2
Playground
30 sec work / 15 sec rest
High Knees – 30 sec
Drop Squats – 30 sec
Romanian Split Squat Left – 30 sec
Romanian Split Squat Right – 30 sec
Left Leg Negative Squat -30 sec
Right Leg Negative Squat – 30 sec
Iron Mikes – 30 sec
Squat Jumps – 30 sec

Thing 2 – Running bases
Backstop – 4 groups, 30 second reps
Super Mario’s, Bernie, Mosey, Skip between
Merkins – Home
Shoulder Taps – 1st
Carolina Dry Docks – 2nd
Plank Toe Touches – 3rd

2nd lap turned into tag game, picking up any members of group in front of you that you catch after 50 total reps

Mary to finish – 2.0 Dealers Choice

MOLESKINE:
It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts. John wooden to Bill Walton upon graduating from UCLA. Walton passed away this week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence events for end of May U Pull Up Challenge – pain-train and greenmachine on Saturday.

2.0 friendly workouts Saturday afternoon in Franklin – Taco Ruck, next Tuesday at The Knoll, and next Saturday at Middle Tooth.

coworking next Wednesday.

COT:
Wrapped in prayer for various stages of life. G-string 2.0 due any moment, shooting at pain-train, fatherhood and husbandry encouragement.