Ten Trees!

AO: the-knoll
Q: Wolfpack
PAX: AAA, The Banker, G-string (Eli Kresta), Pebbles, morning star, El Capitan, Sooie, Bumblebee (2.0), Big Red (2.0), Link (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Cold enough for gloves, yet warm enough for short sleeves… very confusing times we live in…

WARMUP: Mosey to stop sign then a series of stretching exercises led by Link.

THE THANG:
Thang 1
Huddle around the River Table to complete a series of exercises done in reps of 10. After each set of 10 you must run and touch a tree.

Round 1: Squats (5reps) Merkins (5reps) x10 sets
Round 2: Iron Mikes (5reps) Dips (5reps) x10 sets

Partnered up for the next two rounds:
Round 3: Picolis until partner returns from touching a tree x10 sets
Round 4: Shoulder taps until partner returns from touch a tree x10 sets

Thang 2
6 rounds of 1 minute freeze tag.
If you get tagged you must stand with legs apart performing Overhead claps until someone crawls between your legs to unfreeze you. All Pax got a chance to be “it”

Mary
LBCs and Flutter kicks

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Lots coming up! I encourage everyone to check out Toothless’s latest post in General for everything.

Tuesday 3/5 – Take Your Kid to Workout Day here at The Knoll… great chance to share our passion for the three Fs with your family, friends, Pax who haven’t come out in a while, and PAX who haven’t experienced the beatdown that is a 2.0 workout.

COT:
Sometimes showing up is enough.

dad jokes; lol

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning star
PAX: Sooie, Wolfpack, G-string (Eli Kresta), The Banker, Pebbles, DB, Malibu, morning star, Link (2.0), Bumble bee (2.0), RP (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
CONDITIONS: dark, yet lovely

WARMUP: split into 4 teams and mosey to the tree line while passing a ball among the team … stop at the knoll hill and roll down.

30 SSH (led by RP), motivator x5, balance follow the leader style, 15 low slow squats (led by RP)

THE THANG: mosey to the backstop and split into 4 stations:
1. move rocks into a pile, then do it again
2. Three sets of motivators x 5
3. Crawl forwards and backwards between the backstop benches (change crawling each set)
4. One partner does a body builder burpee, the other does fast and loose drills, then switch

Continue at your station until another team team relieves you. The motivators are the clock, once they finish, they transition to new stations.

Music: Dad jokes music …

MOLESKIN: YHC talked about the importance as men, and especially fathers to learn to get back to joy from challenging emotions. There’s a joy center in our brain that can keep growing as we practice appreciation and connection. Joy is relational, its about being delighted to be with someone. YHC was inspired by a workbook my 2.0s have been going through to create a “calming bag” to help with this. My intention is to go to the bag instead of food when I’m stressed and dysregulated.

YCH encouraged the PAX to reflect on how they are leading by example in their household, especially in the area of soul/heart care.

YHC prayed the PAX out.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– F3 Franklin has a monthly physical challenge; run/walk/ruck at least 1 mile a day … reach out if you want access to the spreadsheet.
– YHC will be taking a mini-break from AOQ for Feb/March, Wolfpack will sub in for me. Honor to Wolfpack for his willingness; excited to grow under your leadership!

Christmas cookies

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string (Eli Kresta)
PAX: AAA, G-string (Eli Kresta), morning star, The Banker, Pebbles, @bumblebee
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS:
Chilly

WARMUP:
Inchworm walkouts to merkin X5
Slooow squats X12
SSH X24
Willie Mayes Hayes (sp?) while we went over mission, principles, and credo
Bearcrawl to tree and lunge back

THE THANG:
Split into two teams of three
One Round robin
-PAX one does lunges with sandbag to the road and back
-PAX two does pull-ups until pax one returns
-PAX three does three-count merkins

Two Rounds robin
-25 front squats with bag
-Swing rows
-derkins

Three rounds individual
-10 Bulgarian split squats each leg
-20 ierkins

Pair up
Two fifteen yard brother bear crawls

End with little drummer boy merkins

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New Year’s convergence at Green Machine
The Knoll is on for next week

MOLESKIN:
During BINGRO, one challenge was to write your own eulogy. This was quite an emotional experience for me, and one key takeaway was thinking about who I’ll leave behind. Furthermore, what am I doing to prepare them for my death? How can I train my children to be successful when I’m no longer around.
So in thinking about that, I started drawing up a plan of all the things I want to pass on to them like: how to change a tire, change the oil in their car, skin a pig, appreciate good food and good whiskey, etc. most of all, I want to teach them how to think and question and explore the world around them.
Keeping this in mind makes me so much more intentional with my day-to-day activities and conversations. Think about what you want to pass on and how you will set up your family to thrive when you’re no longer their protector.

Thank you for letting me lead you men this morning! Thanks @morning_star for the tea. It went great with the gingerbread cookies!

Katy Guest Q compliments of VMax

AO: the-knoll
Q: Cash
PAX: AAA, Cash, G-string (Eli Kresta), morning star, The Banker, Timber, VMax, Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
Honored to lead the men of The Knoll this morning for my first Tennessee BD! What a solid group of HIMs! We Rickrolled, slayed dragons and rocked around the clock. YHC was even “anointed”!

The Lineup: VMax, Morning Star, Bumblebee (2.0), AAA, GString, Timber, The Banker and YHC

Disclaimer + CPR Q + Sweeper assigned

Warmarama –  Motivator x 6 (countdown of slightly weird choreographed SSH things.), CH Squats x 10 IC, CH merkins x 10 IC, Abe Vagoda x 5 IC, GG x 5 IC

Rickroll Ohnos – the pax probably didn’t know what to think when the Q started doing his best Rick Astley moves, but they fell right in line and got after it!

Indian Run around the field with Bluetooth speaker at high port in the front (or at a “rifle carry” for the non-military types). Circled back at one point to pick up the 6. Never leave a man behind!

The Thang

Clock Merkins – starting at 12 o’clock high, we decreased in reps as we traveled around the dial from 12 to 1 on Q. Goal was to keep your knees off the deck all the way through to #1.

Clock Flutters – again decreased in reps as we traveled around the dial starting at 12 IC.   Involved some creative squirming on your 6 in order to meet the goal of keeping your feet off the deck.

Clock Mountain Climbers – decreased in reps as we traveled around the dial starting at 12 IC.  Fingers were nearly frozen towards the end so Q resorted to making fists.

Indian Run around the field with Bluetooth speaker at high port in the front.

Back to the starting COP. T-claps to Morning Star for bringing the red lantern so we had a beacon guiding us back.

Partner Up, line up across from your partner with the sidewalk in the middle for the…

Deconstructed Welsh Dragon – bear crawl to meet your partner in the middle.  Hand slap, 1 merkin, hand slap, 1 plank jack, hand slap, 1 pair of shoulder taps.  Crawl bear back to the starting point.  Increase in reps to 5 of each exercise.  Plank for the 6 or go work beside them.  Pax worked hard til the very end of this one!

Bobby Hurleys x 25 IC (Q demo’ed proper BH form of slapping both hands on the deck then shooting a J. Swish!)
American Hammers x 25 IC
Carolina Dry Docks x 25 on Q
Bonnie Blairs (jumping lunge) x 15 IC
CH Merkins x 15 IC with a little HOLD at the end.

And for the finale, YHC’s signature move. The Low Flutter with my own twist at the end which in Katy has been affectionately dubbed:
Cash Kicks™️ x 46 IC + HOLD your legs out straight alternating between feet at 6″, 45°, 90°, 45°, 6”. Hold the final 6” til 0615.

COT – Counterama, Namearama

Word – YHC made the point about the importance of the HC not just in the gloom with your brothers but in all the more important parts of life. As always, YHC was preaching more to myself than any of the pax.

TAPs – stay in COT

(Rest of the BB will be shared in the Comments…)

The Holiday Special

AO: greenmachine
Q: Timber
PAX: Esposa, t-cell, Cowboy, The Banker, Pop-A-Lock, Timber, Black Lung, Focker, Works for a Guy, moneyshot, monster biscuit, Grape, G-string (Eli Kresta), Haggis, Blinky (guest from North Carolina F3), Boyardee (said with a French accent)
FNGs: 1 Boyardee (said with a French accent)
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: 34 degrees, frosty turf, and beautiful

WARMUP: Mosey around the parking lot, coupon (cinder block) carry to the field, IC to 10: high knees, butt kicks, merkins, slow squats, BACs, back BACs, lunge stretch (covered F3 mission and core principles here)

THE THANG: done to a playlist with a lot of variety!
Part 1: 20/10s (20 sec AMRAP, 10 sec recovery)
– 10 exercises: merkins, iron mikes, burpee, coupon row, dry dogs, squat jump, coupon shoulder swings, mountain climbers, Apollo Ohnos, Prime Time merkins
– 1 min recovery run to opposite end zone and back
– rinse and repeat!
Part 2: DORA 100s (100 reps total between partners, 1 person runs 200 yards while other does reps)
– 3 exercises: burpees, floor to ceiling with coupon, WWIIs

MARY: The Little Merkin Boy: done to Bing Crosby’s “The Little Drummer Boy,” plank til end of song, merkin on every “pa rum pum pum pum”

ANNOUNCEMENTS: N/A (forgot to ask)

COT: famous playwright Tennessee Williams changed overnight after the success of his work “The Glass Menagerie.” He went from a man that scraped together all his money to afford an apartment and food, to a man that had everything given to him. He wrote about his unhappiness and how he became miserable in an essay titled “The Catastrophe of Success”. His lesson is a good lesson for me: don’t wish for a life without challenges, because that’s not the life we were meant to live! Embrace the virtue, joy, and authentic friendships you gain out of doing hard things!

We finished with a quick prayer, particularly for those during this holiday season who have lost close ones.

Thank you for the invitation, and for the great coffee, @Focker!

– Timber

Gorilla Strength

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string (Eli Kresta)
PAX: morning star, AAA, The Banker, Pebbles, DB, Wolfpack, Timber, G-string (Eli Kresta), V-Max
FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
CONDITIONS:
Crisp and clear

WARMUP:
Jog to @g-string truck since I pulled up late. Mosey to the Stop sign and back to the truck where we unloaded coupons. Suicides with alligator crawl to the first light and back, Murder Bunny to the second light and back, Gorilla run to the third light and mosey back.

THE THANG:
First three exercises were “Hero Style” (first team to finish, ended the exercise for all)
Three rounds:
-Teammate 1, run to first light then 5 burpees, proceed to second light and repeat, then third and repeat.
-Teammate A, 25 Floor-to-ceilings with coupon
(@g-string and @AAA were the heroes)

Two Rounds
-Teammate 1, Gorilla Run Suicides to all three lanterns
-Teammate A, Coupon overhead presses until teammate 1 returns.
(@Timber and @The_Banker were our heroes)

Mosey to the playground
Three rounds
-Teammate 1, 10 pull-ups
-Teammate A, Shoulder taps until Teammate 1 is finished
(@AAA and @g-string were heroes again)

Slowsey back to the lanterns and back to the playground
Two rounds of pull-ups to failure
Circle of pain: All PAX hold high plank while first PAX does 10 merkins. Then the next PAX does 10, and so on until all have done merkins while the rest plank.

MARY:
Two rounds of 15 4-count LBCs in cadence.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Holiday Brew Ruck
New Year’s Day Convergence

COT:
Prayers of thanksgiving but also healing memories for @pebbles youngest child’s 1st birthday.

Sidekicks (Keep Fighting)

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, DB, G-string (Eli Kresta), morning star, Pebbles, Sooie, The Banker, Timber, Wolfpack, VMax (recently moved from Katy TX), Smotz (2.0), Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
CONDITIONS:
Cold and clear. 🌕

WARMUP:
Mosey to stop sign and back.
15 SSH
15 Imperial walkers
10 low slow squats
10 slow merkins
10 Willie Mays Hays
OYO stretches 1 minute

THE THANG:
5 cones, each 10 paces apart.

Return trips from cone 5 to cone 1 were alternating sprints, slip-line uppercut drills.
Plank for the 6’s

4 double-sidekicks low/high at each cone.
Return
4 squat punches at each cone.
Return
4 tuck jumps at each cone.
Return
4 more squat punches at each cone.
Return
4 burpee, jab, cross combos at each cone.
Return
Repeated the full sequence 2x

10 minutes of single-flag Capture the Flag. If you get tagged, 5 burpees or sprint to your base to return to the game. If anyone dropped the flag, everyone does 5 burpees.

MARY:
None

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New years Day convergence.

COT:
When I was a kid, Sidekicks (Chuck Norris, Jonathan Brandis) was one of my favorite movies. Since my brother passed away last week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past and how we grew up. Still processing through all of it but a couple things stand out. Community is vital. Inevitably we’ll each face a moment when we’re tempted to give up. When that happens, we need the strength of those around to help carry us through it.

Failure is a good thing!

AO: the-knoll
Q: Timber
PAX: Pebbles, The Banker, El Capitan, Sooie, AAA, G-string (Eli Kresta), Malibu, morning star, Timber, Smoltz (2.0), Bumblebee (2.0), Iowa (2.0)
FNGs: 1 Iowa (2.0)
COUNT: 12
CONDITIONS: 58 degrees, and raining!

WARMUP: Mosey to stop sign, 10 pull-ups (OYO), 10 merkins (IC 4 ct), 10 jump squats (OYO), hip flexor stretch and hamstring stretch (10 ct)

THE THANG:
1. Hill sprints (8 min): Sprint uphill, recovery jog down (50 yards)
2. Leg burnout (3 sets): Bulgarian squats (10 each leg), jump squats (10), “shadow wrestling” movements (~30 seconds)
3. Upper body burnout (2 sets – 1 min, 40 sec): towel curls, towel tricep extensions, shoulder raises
4. The finisher: towel hang for as long as you can hold

MARY: None

ANNOUNCEMENTS: polar lunge this Thursday, hosted by @morning_star. Reminder/encouragement about No Noise November.

COT: Growth is experienced in challenges. Don’t fear failure! As the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) once said, go to failure and then do a few more reps!

Thanks for coming out in the gloom. There was something oddly satisfying about working out in the cold rain with you men (and the brave 2.0s)!
– Timber

Visit to the Burpee Zoo

AO: the-knoll
Q: Salpal
PAX: morning star, AAA, The Banker, Wolfpack, G-string (Eli Kresta), Timber, Pebbles, Ex-Pat, Malibu, Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Great day to go to the zoo.

WARMUP: OYO Stretching + Warmup Run

THE THANG:

Today we are going to the burpee zoo. It’s like any other zoo, except instead of animals, there are burpees. Also, all transactions are done in burpees.

When we first arrive, we have to pay for parking.

10 Burpee Buyin

As we arrive to the front gate, we have to pay the price of admission. 50 burpees!

10 Burpee Emom – 5 minutes

Now inside, we can go see all the burpees on display.

Ladder of Burpees (each station starts at 1, add 1 more as you go around, end at 5):

Set one:
– 1st station: bodybuilder burpees
– 2nd station: shoulder tap burpees

Set two:
– 1st station: spider monkey burpees (burpee + peter parkers)
– 2nd station: kraken burpees

Big Cat Exhibits!
Cheetah Burpees – Burpee Sprints:
– Suicides, but a burpee at each cone before running back.

Tiger burpees – Bear crawl to each cone, 5 burpees

MARY: Isometric Merkins

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Lots of social events. See #3f channel for details on Side-Straddle-Hops, Night Moves, Game Night, and Cookout.

COT: Prayers for my wife, Elizabeth, and firefighter Jake.

Slow flow joint work + octoburpee primer

AO: the-knoll
Q: morning star
PAX: Sooie, Timber, The Banker, morning star, G-string (Eli Kresta), El Capitan, AAA, Pebbles, bumble bee (co-Q, 2.0), big red (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: pleasant and overcast with lightning on the horizon … clear by end of the workout

WARMUP: LBCs, Egyptian, Hip rotations, Angle rotations while on one foot, SSH, Imperial Walkers, Imaginary jump rope.

THE THANG:
Part 1: mobility burpees in cadence (morning star)
The movement is:
1. stretch up to the sky,
2. move into hip hinge (flat back, butt back, hamstrings in tension) – 5 second countdown
3. down with hands, step back into plank – flex glutes and core
4. right arm to the sky for 3 count, switch to left arm for another 3 count
5. back to plank, then slow push up down
6. 3 breast strokes
7. slow push up up
8. shoulder taps
9. step forward into a goblet squat, stretch the hips by shifting to the right and left
10. explode up to a jump from goblet, aim to do a vertical plank (flex core and glutes)

Mosey around the backstop

Part 2 – circuits + creative burpees (bumble bee)
8 creative burpees: star jump to plank to push up to rotate to the right (where you’re looking at the sky), back to plank, rotate to the left, up again

8 count of the following exercises in cadence:
– squats
– merkins
– jump squats
– star jumps
– air presses
– apple pickers

Do as many creative burpees as you can in 2 minutes (do a push up and dip on every rotation).

Part 3: soccer
If you score, your team does 4 jump squats
If you get scored on, your team does 8 jump squats
If the lantern falls that’s placed at the center line falls over: 5 burpees for everyone

MARY: Count-o-roma and name-o-roma while in plank

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– off the books workout at Red Caboose next wed
– TN Tussle competition (check with @the banker if you want more info)
– night moves evening workout followed by secondF event next week, check slack

COT:
– Consider the pace of your life. Is it smooth or erratic? Challenge to all PAX to reflect on this and consider how to add more smoothness and flow into their daily routine.
– I as a man sometimes have trouble naming what I want and need. Yet, that is so important for me in my growth and acceleration. Each PAX was encouraged to consider a situation in their life and then consider what kind of man they wanted to be in that situation. What virtue do you want to embody?
– PAX shared the virtue they wanted to embody if they were willing and YHC blessed all the men to go out and embody those. Each one of us is capable.

Very much enjoyed the conversation during coffeeteria. Appreciate you men bringing your whole selves to each workout. Love your hearts!

m out!