5.3.21 – Charge!

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Danish, Lumbergh, Giggles, Kiwi, Bunny, Ditka!, Herbie, Ghost, Samurai, Free Lunch

Conditions

49 clear and dry. 10 Pax arrived on time with one more straggling in (nice job) and another who showed up but missed us (also nice job!).

Warm up

Mosied down to 52nd and down to division, circling up for:

SSH x 15

Windmill x 12

Slow high knees x 12

Third Grade Exercise x 12

Monkey Humpers x 12

Side Lunge x 12

Then mosied to the hill by the track.

The Thang

Started at the bottom of the hill. The Pax ran up, starting the exercise immediately at the top, and once the six was in we performed the exercise in cadence. Jogged down the hill, and started pull ups immediately. Once the six was in, performed 10 pullups in cadence. Repeated for:

Merkins x 10, Jump Squats x 10, Plank x 10, Lunges x 10

Ran up the hill backwards and completed the same for:

Merkins x 15, Jump squats x 15, Plank x 15, Lunges x 15

Broke the group into two groups and completed a lap of a six man run.

Pulled up at the wall and completed wall sits w/ Cherry Pickers x 15, Morrocan Night club x 15, OHP x 10.

Went back to the hill and repeated the above for:

Merkins x 5, Jump squats x 5, Plank x 5, Lunges x 5

Ran up the hill backwards for

Merkins x 10, Jump squats x 10, Lunges x 10

Mosied back to the Lightning Rod.

6MOM

Box Cutter x 15

Big Bois x 25

Frozen Freddie x 10

Plank, L/R side plank x 10ea

Superman x 15

LBX x 10

COT

I shared that I’m currently reading ‘freed to lead’ and am finding it hitting home. In particular, the need to work every single day to become who I want to be is hitting right now. I’ve had this mental block on the need to push myself every day, feeling like 2-3 days a week ‘should’ be good enough. The funny thing is, it obviously isn’t. I keep telling myself I don’t want to do this 5 days a week, particularly as we’re looking to launch NE, but I have all of this evidence that I really do want to do it more: I’m happier, more present, a better husband/father/friend, I see massive cognitive gains, I eat/drink better, i read more, walk my dog, etc. All the evidence in the world, and I still have a mental block on it being ‘required’ to push it every day. The story of F3 is doing a great job of breaking that down for me.

Good work today – Walkman

(04.26.21) DOD Zombie edition


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Bunny

PAX: > Giggles, Herbie, Kiwi, Samurai, Free Lunch, Ghost, Danish



CONDITIONS

> 8 PAX to kick off the week. About 45 and dry – great conditions.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • SSH x 25 IC
  • Third Grade Exercise x 12 IC
  • Windmills x 15 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 15 IC
  • Donkey Kicks x 10 IC (each leg)
  • Arm Circles x 20 IC

The THANG

DOD. Hearts/Merkins (easy count), Diamonds/Incline Merkins (easy count), Spades/Squats (hard count), Clubs/Lunges (hard count), and Jokers/ 12 burpees.

Since we have some VQs this month, and more to come soon, I wanted to give all pax a chance to try out calling exercises IC and getting a feel for the Q. The person that draws the card calls cadence. It went great – I think that every one of the pax present today will eventually lead a kickass Q.

Tried to get through it all, but time and burpees kicked our ass – we left off with 4 cards remaining and a minute to spare.

6MOM

  • LBC x 25 IC

Moleskin

Stepping outside your comfort zone to get where you want to be

Discussed the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone/taking risks, and trying to do at least one thing truly uncomfortable everyday. Every single one of the pax today did this by coming to F3 and continuing to grow as HIMs. Talked about taking some risk in life – without risk there is safety, but no reward. All pax had some good insights/stories/examples to share.

I am really impressed at how this group has grown and retained a sense of fellowship, with everybody adding something different and positive – just a great group of guys. Really makes getting up at 5am worth it.

> Over and Out, Bunny

4.23.21 – Shothouse!

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Giggles, Herbie, Kiwi, Stray Cat, Free Lunch, Danish, Lumbergh, Slash

Conditions

45 and dry for a great Friday beatdown! 10 strong to round of a double digit week!

Warm up

Sun salutations and some light yoga twists to get our joints warmed up and then mosied to the track.

The Thang

Tabata

Shothouse 1000: 100 reps of each exercise. Preferrably performed one at a time (complete 100, move on to next exercise) but encouraged the PAX to adapt as necessary to keep the body moving. We had two finishers and a large number hitting over 750 reps this morning. Killer work!

Merkins

Lunges (left leg)

Lunges (right leg)

Squats

Dips

Pull ups

Shoulder taps (2 count)

Mtn. climber pulses (HC)

Big Bois

LBC’s

6MOM

Box Cutters x 10

COT

The mission of F3 is to Plant, Serve, and Grow men’s small workout groups to reinvigorate male community leadership. This happens day by dad – brick by brick. Each time you take the DRP and show up, you lay another brick and keep getting closer to PRO and becoming a HIM. We find someone faster than ourselves and chase them, every day.

Great work! Walkman

(04.19.21) The Great Equalizer


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Giggles, Herbie, Kiwi, Samurai, Walkman, Free Lunch, Ghost, Stray Cat, Danish



CONDITIONS

> 10 PAX strong this morning. Another dry morning in the PNW, men were out and thirsty for a kickstart to the week.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • Mosey to the Track
  • SSH x 20 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 15 IC
  • Butt Kickers x 15 IC
  • Third Grade Exercises x 15 IC
  • Single Leg Quad Stretch x 10 IC (each leg)
  • SSH x 20 IC

The THANG

For 25 mins

  • Run 400m
  • 20 merkins
  • 20 squats
  • 20 big bois

Mosey back to LR!

6MOM

  • Outlaws x 10 IC (each direction)
  • Dead bugs x 20 IC

Moleskin

The importance of being missional and setting goals to meet that mission

Discussed the need for setting goals, to be a man on mission, leading towards ‘getting right’ and being better men, husbands, fathers, co-workers, neighbors. Highlighted the accountability tools we have in place for meeting these goals (GO30)

Spoke into encouragement to seeking more in oneself through these goals and being there for the group.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

(04.07.21) Intention is 9/10ths of Beatdown


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Giggles, Herbie, Slash, Kiwi, Stray Cat, Danish



CONDITIONS

> The magnificent 7 got after it this morning, overcoming the gloom, humpday, only to come out better on the other side.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • Motivators x 10 count (3 rounds)
  • Windmill x 15 IC
  • Scissor Arm x 15 IC
  • Third Grade Exercise x 15 IC
  • Rotating Hillbillys x 15 IC
  • Slow High Knees x 15 IC
  • Butt Kickers x 15 IC
  • SSH x 15 IC

The THANG

Split the PAX in two groups. 2 rounds of each (one round is start to finish and back to start)

ROUND 1

  • Each group drops to plank
  • 10 Curls, pass the block to the next HIM

ROUND 2

  • Each group drops to squat
  • 10 OH Press, pass the block to the next HIM

For ten minutes

  • Run from LR up sidewalk to street
  • 10 Merkins
  • Run sidewalk back to LR
  • 10 Burpees

Complete each exercise

  • 100 LBCs
  • 50 Mtn Climbers
  • 25 Squat Jumps

6MOM

Finished on the 6

  • Small Flutter Kicks x 15 IC
  • Flutter Jacks x 15 IC
  • Big Flutter Kicks x 15 IC
  • Big Bois x 25 EC IC
  • Double Leg Raises x 20 EC IC
  • Dead Bugs x 20 IC
  • Big Bois x 25 EC IC

Moleskin

Intention is the engine that drives motivated teammates, and leaders must remain aware of the intentions they carry with their thoughts, actions and responses. Your mission statement establishes the framework for why everyone is doing their job, but intention is the meaningful fuel behind showing up and actualizing the mission. It deepens the teams understanding of how they fit within the group and its aims.

Intent-based leadership cultivates a culture and atmosphere where the men feel encouraged, valued and motivated to pursue their potential. The PAX extend their positive intent to one another, and this maximizes the energy of what this kind of leadership does. Those managed through intent-based leadership emerge motivated, inspired and prepared to take ownership of their potential, careers and actions.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Pick up the Six!

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Herbie, Kiwi, Slash, Bunny, Giggles, Danish

Conditions

High 30’s and dry, pleasant way to start a Friday beatdown. Good attitude by the PAX with most of us chuckling about sore hip flexors from Slash’s Wednesday beatdown.

Warm up

Started to mosy but then realized Giggles is still rocking the ankle boot (what a champ) so we turned around and completed Windmill x 12, Slow high knees x 12, Monkey humpers x 12, third grade exercise x 12. Stuck around in the courtyard for the THANG.

The THANG

The Pax completed a Deck of Death featuring Merkins (hearts), Big Bois (diamonds), Squats (clubs) and HC lunges (Spades), with bear crawls around the courtyard on Jokers (ouch). We crushed this way faster than expected (~27 minutes). A DoD is 94 reps of each exercise, so we rounded out each movement up to 100 (April Challenge day 2 completed!), and then we added alternating dips & step ups on the benches – completing 50 HC dips and 50 step ups.

6MOM

Plank x 20, Left plan x 20, Right plank x 20, LBC’s x 25, Frozen Freddies x 10, flutter kicks x 15, LBX x 15.

Moleskin

I shared that my M decided to participate in a challenge with me this month, doing 100 HC lunges each day. She’s never done anything like this, but last night crawling into bed she mentioned that she had 30 left, and I encouraged her to complete them. She embraced it, and I jumped out of bed to pick up the six. Her response was ” you didn’t have to do that” and I loved taking the moment to share with her the value we find in always picking up the six. This is one of my favorite parts of F3 – there’s no virtue in being first (particularly if your form is bad), and there’s no real gain in being first, because then you’re going to go back and re-do the movement with the six. There’s a tremendous amount of value in developing that reflexive muscle of supporting a person right where they are, and putting in the work beside them. It’s a true execution of leadership, and I love this about F3.

Great work today!

Walkman

3.31.21 Trip to the Zoo


AO: >Lighting Rod

QIC: > Slash

PAX: > Herbie, Stray Cat, Walkman, Danish, Kiwi, Dockers, Giggles

CONDITIONS

Mid 30’s and crystal clear. Giggles just got his leg brace off and was ready for action.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

x20 SSH

X15 Imperial walkers

X15 Fast high knees

x15 Alligators (fingers on temple, bring elbows together and back out flexing blades together)

x15 Gorilla Humpers

x10 Froggers (plank to wide squat to stand, back to plank)

x10 Grady corns (hands stretched in front, hands in T, hands together above head)

The Thang

Mosey to the curb for 15 curb merkins with right hand on ground and left hand on curb. Change sides 15 merkins. All in cadence.

Trip to the Zoo

Pax line up at goal line. Animal walk to 50yard line, with early finishers brining up the six:

  • Frog walk (like frogger warmup but moving hands forward each round and no standing up, aka Kill the Bunny with no coupon)
  • Duck walk
  • Sneaky gorilla (sit on right ankle and bring left leg forward laterally, shift weight to left ankle and bring right leg forward laterally)
  • Monkey walk (squat position body turned to school, move hands forward and hop feet up) rotate to other side at 25yds
  • Monkey lifts (like the walk but hand standing instead of hopping)
  • Bear holds to crab holds callouts, stationary on 50 yard line (left side flips up and over or right side flips up and over)
  • Scorpions (bear hold to crab hold with handstands while flipping forward while moving down to end zone). Rotate sides at 25yards (holy hell these got me dizzy!)

15 merkins every 100 yards, finishing with 30 merkins.

6MOM

Mosey back to courtyard

10 merkins to get to 100 total

Ran out of time for abs.

Moleskin

Compound interest

We’re at the end of the merkin challenge. The improvements we’ve made reminds me of the concept of compound interest – earning small amounts of interest on the original investment plus the interest on interest can really add up. Each round of merkins each day (maybe 10-15 at a time) has really added up! Physically and mentally. If you only did 100 each day, that’s over 2hrs of straight up merkins! I also learned I’m sick of merkins and need diversity in my challenge routine or else I go overboard.

Danish shared that adding modifications during challenges (different number of reps per set, wide/narrow grip) is a great idea to keep things fresh, progressing and prevent injury.

Walkman shared that go30 challenges goals should be personal and not necessary physical. It’s an impetus to do something meaningful that you would’ve had done on your own and want the group to hold you accountable to.

Rock on! SLASH

Speak it into existence

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Herbie, Kiwi, Samurai, Giggles, Danish

Conditions

Low 40’s and dry, pleasant way to start a Friday beatdown.

Warm up

Mosied down to the track and circled up for

Monkey Humpers x 10

Imperial Walkers x 10

Mtn Climber x 10

Donkey Kicks x 10

Wall sits with

Cherry Pickers x 12

OHP x 12

Moroccan Night club x12

Seal clap x 12

The THANG

Started at the end zone, completed Frog Merkins to the other end zone. A ‘frog merkin’ is a Merkin, followed by pulling your legs up to your arms like you’re about to stand up, and then falling forward into another Merkin. Took around 70 to get to the other side.

Mosied back to the starting side

Completed touchdown lunges all the way to the other end zone. A touchdown lunge is a lunge with your arms up like you’re indicating a touchdown.

Mosied back to the starting side

Completed Frog Merkin Broad Jumps down the field to the other end zone. This is a Frog Merkin, followed by a broadjump, back into frog merkin, etc. It took about 27 to finish.

Lots of chatter through these – they were hard! Pax did a great job picking up the six and seeing them through. YHC thought some pizza from the night before was going to make an appearance.

Headed to the wall for more wall sits, completed Chery Pickers x 10, OHP x 10.

Headed back to the ‘Rod.

6MOM

Potty break x 10, Pickle Pounders x 10, Big Bois x 15, Frozen Freddies x 10, Plank x 20

Moleskin

I had shared on Monday the results for the month of turning off the Jester of video games for me. It’s been incredibly impactful, and culminated with a dream job offer for me this week.

I told a friend of mine about it, and he said ‘man it’s so awesome that you defined what you wanted just a few weeks ago and now it’s happening. It’s like you spoke it into existence!” This is so true, when you define what you want and go after it, it can happen!

I also shared a story I’d been told last weekend, about a couple who decided to sell everything they owned and walk from Brooklyn to Louisiana last year. They hit a major hurdle around Kentucky, as the M’s feet were being brutalized. They tried new shoes, modifying shoes, everything they could find. They made a decision that at the next town, if they couldn’t fix it, they’d be done. That same day, they walked under a tree that had a pair of shoes in it. They turned out to be a brand new pair of high end walking shoes, in her size. They allowed her to finish the trip. The came to call it ‘trail magic’. They kept finding that once they spoke about what they needed, it would happen in crazy ways.

You can speak amazing things into your life!

Great work today!

Walkman

(03.19.21) Football Field Foley


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Herbie, Bunny, Slash, Danish, Kiwi, Samurai



CONDITIONS

Balmy and touch wet this morning at the Lightning Rod. 7 strong, packed in a grinder on the football field!

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • Mosey to Field
  • SSH x 15 IC
  • Windmill x 15 IC
  • Imperial Walkers x 15 IC
  • Monkey Humpers x 10 IC
  • Scissor Arms x 15 IC
  • 3rd Grade Exercise x 15 IC
  • SSH x 15 IC

The THANG

SPLIT THE PAX INTO 2 SQUADS (Competition Style) – Each team starts on opposite side and ends of the football field (back of end zone)

Beatdown as follows:

  • 25 Merkins
  • Mosey length of field
  • 25 squats
  • Sprint width of field
  • 25 Merkins
  • Mosey length of field
  • 25 squats
  • Sprint width of field
  • 50 Big Bois
  • Repeat

Each HIM per team counts how many complete rounds they finish, team with the least amount of rounds earns 50 burpees as EC following COT

6MOM

  • Flutter Jacks x 10 IC
  • Flutter Kicks x 10 IC

Moleskin

Today marks almost 8 months I’ve been with F3 Portland, at that time there was many days where there was only 2 of us. Now, as I stand back, I look at what we’ve established, am in awe that we now have 15 men committed to a minimum of a day a week. That’s 15 men on mission, that’s 15 committed ‘To Plant, Serve and Grow men’s small Workout groups in order to reinvigorate Male Community Leadership.’

This is only the beginning, as we’ve experienced 2 FNGs already thru this month’s challenge, we have a few more close to joining. If we average 2-3 FNGs a month we could have between 40-50 by the end of year. While that seems like a lot, the more men we reach, the more connections to the community we unlock.

We have guys coming all the way from Beaverton, think about what it would look like if when we plant an AO there, or NE PDX, or Gresham. So much potential but it takes all of us spreading the word, putting in the work and Giving it Away!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

F3 Portland Logo Launch – Slash update

4.3.21 Event – Great beat down from Danish, followed by a fun beer mile

Extra Credit time!!

Remember –> Plant, Serve, Grow.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Testosterone booster!

AO: Lightning Rod

QIC: Walkman

PAX: Herbie, Lumbergh, Danish, Bunny, Samurai, Kiwi (FNG!), Sherpa (FNG!), Slash,

Conditions

38 and clear! Bring on the chilly dry Spring!

Warm up

Slow High Knees x 10

Arm Scissors x 10

Butt Kickers x 10

Windmill x 10

Imperial Walkers x 10

Third Grade Exercise x 10

Mosy to the platue hill by the track

The THANG

We all grabbed a rail at the bottom of the hill and spaced out. Completed the following exercises, first in a set of 5, then 10, then 15, then 20. We regrouped as a pax at the top of the hill and jogged down for a quick break in between sets.

Pull ups

Big Bois

Jog up the hill to the first plateau – Squat Jumps

Jog up the hill to the second plateau – Shoulder taps on the hard Count

Jog up the hill to the third plateau – Lunges on the hard count

Jog to the top of the hill – Merkins

Repeated OYO, starting back at 5, then 10, 15, and 20. Congrats to Slash and Danish who were able to finish before we mosied back to the rod.

6MOM

LBC x 25

Freddie x 12

Flutter Kicks x 13

LBX x 25

Moleskin

Shared that something I’d heard recently on a great podcast with a guy named Andrew Huberman who runs a sleep lab. He shared that ‘Testosterone makes effort feel good’. After hearing this I immediately thought of F3 and wondered how to best boost testosterone. Turns out one of the best ways is HiiT training. Several raging hard on jokes circled the group and will likely live with us forever now that we all have this curse of knowledge. F3 to start the day makes the rest of the effort of the day easier and rewarding. It sets the tone, and I love it.

Extra Testosterone brought to you today by Walkman