Author: Gypsy

  • Go to your corner!! #SupportTheBlue

    3rd F (Faith)

    • TAP to PAX brother HighTower and his family.. HighTower was shot and killed while on duty this week. #SupportTheBlue
    • BoBerry on Q for the RVA bible study on 10/13 at 8 PM.. See Slack 3rd F chan for meeting location
    • Thank you Attila for taking us out this morning

    2nd F (Fellowship)

    • There is a 100 mile relay race coming up on the weekend of the 24th. See Slack 1st F chan for more details.
    • Shoe drive still moving forward. SOJ crew has made it a personal mission to collect more than all other locations combined
      • HoneyDo is collecting for WestSide
      • DTH is collecting in SOJ
      • Spit has the Da-Ville PAX

    1st F (Fitness)
    Disclaimer given stealing the words of Attila .. Check yourself before you wreck yourself and you cant sue any of us if you do wreck yourself.

    Quick warm up with Side Straddle Hops (Jumping Jacks), Low slow Squats in Cadence, and Michael Phillips OYO

    The Thag: Four Corners

    Each round consists of 10 reps of each exercise and two rounds full rounds
    Round one: Legs
    Goblet squats: hold Kettlebell (KB) as if drinking from a Goblet and do full Squat
    Calf raise: hold KB in both hands down in front and do standard calf raises
    Romanian Leg lifts: KB in one hand leaning forward at the hip as your opposite leg kicks up straight behind you. (10 each side)
    Lunges: Holding KB at the chest perform standard front lunges

    Round 2: core
    American hammer: sitting down on the ground feet off the ground. Move the weight back and forth in from of you from one hip to the other to complete 1 rep
    Flutter press: laying flat on the ground perform standard flutter but do a chest press with your KB as the counter.
    Good morning: Feet shoulder width apart. KBin both hands hanging directly in front of you. Bend over at the hips until KB touches the ground then stand straight back up.
    Tea pots: Hold KB in one hand to your side. Other hand on your head. Bend over sideways at the hip driving your elbow for the side touching your head to point toward the ground. then return to standing position. (10 each side)

    Round 3: Upper body
    Overhead press: KB in both hands and push straight above your head until arms are fully extended above you. then return to KB in front of your face.
    Front raise: Using light KB or block holding weight in both hands straight arms lift. From waist level keeping arms straight raise up to shoulder level and return to waist
    Tricep extension: KB over head at full arm extension. Bind at the elbows and take KB back behind your head then return to straight up.
    Merkin: just a plain ole’ Pushup

    Round 4: Back and biceps
    Lawn mower: Left leg out in front bent at the knee 90* KB beside left foot. one hand pull the KB up toward body keeping your arm tight against your body. Return KB to the ground. (10 each side)
    Up tight row: feet shoulder width apart. holding KB with two hands hanging directly in front of you. Left KB up to chin level raising elbows to shoulder level at same time. return to neutral position.
    Bent over rows: Bent over at the hips. Back flat. Holding KB in two hands lift KB off the ground to chest and return to neutral.
    Curls: Two handed standard bicep curls

    Round 5: Mix
    Goblet Squats
    Flutter Press
    Curls
    Upright row

    Burn out time:
    7s KB style: DO NOT PUT KB DOWN UNTIL COMPLETED
    7 Upright rows, 7 deep squats
    6 Upright rows, 6 deep squats
    5 Upright rows, 5 deep squats
    4 Upright rows, 4 deep squats
    3 Upright rows, 3 deep squats
    2 Upright rows, 2 deep squats
    1 Upright rows, 1 deep squats

    Swings: 1 min of swings 30 secs of rest. (3 times)

    4 mins of stretching

    And DONE!!!

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead this morning. I always enjoying getting a good 0.0 KB workout in during a heavy run week.

    NMS: If you have read this far then take the next 30 secs to reach out with a text to a pax member you have not seen in a while. I hear rumors of guys that have not posted in a while.. send them a message and tell them you are thinking of them this morning.
    Remember why you started in F3.. and also remember what the mission is.. try not to hide behind the way things have always been just because someone said so. This a men’s fellowship organization that helps promote leadership. So WE should challenge all men of F3 every day in everything they do, to lead and not just blindly follow because someone said so or “because we have always done it this way”.
    Guess what.. Change happens and its not always a bad thing. Those that try to prevent change are not leading.. they are placing a cap on the growth of men that may want to step and learn how to lead in a safe Fellowship environment. Allowing the pax to be mentored along the way by those that have come before them from that mythical place called “Always” that is referred to in the “because we have Always done it this way”
    #FreeToLead #BeADisrupter

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • Crazy 8s: Karens come a calling

    3rd F (Faith)

    • Thank you Greenbow for the powerful words to take us out this morning.
    • Next Virtual 3rd F will be hosted by BoBerry on Tuesday October 13th. Mark it on your calendar now so you don’t have any reason to not be there.

    2nd F (Fellowship)

    • Lots going on right now (See Slack for more details on the below)
      • Sit and Sip men’s retreat this weekend in Amelia Courthouse
      • 100 mile RVA relay run
      • October RVA shoe drive
      • Apparently everyone is looking for junior size golf clubs too??
    • If you are not on slack DM your email and i can send you a link to join

    1st F (Fitness)

    Currahee is a running AO so its pretty easy to plan but much harder to execute. Today’s route was a big figure 8 for 5.5 miles that allowed for a cut of to drop miles if needed. As the Q, you spend a lot of time ping-ponging back and forth to make sure the front crew knows the next turn and the back crew is hanging in there.
    Mubblechatter was ample this morning with discussions ranging from needing to get rid of excess CO2 to why Karens blow there horns at you in the morning while you are running to pax members looking to step up across the region to begin working out a SLT in RVA with a growth plan and regional focus.

    I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend.
    Friday is calling.. gotta go.
    SYITG!!!

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • What is missing: AO Pre-Blast

    Go into the national map for AOs. (https://f3nation.com/workouts/) Click on Wednesdays and you will see a glaring blank spot right there in front of you for the RVA region.

    There is not anything remotely close to the Short Pump area on Wednesdays. But the PAX of the West End have a remedy for that.

    Starting October 7th we will begin a dry run for the newest AO in RVA. The naming is still out there to be identified by the RVA PAX. But the format will lend itself to only the brave and fearless that are looking to accelerate themselves in the gloom.

    Pocahontas Middle School, 12000 Three Chopt Rd, Richmond, VA 23233
    5:15 there will be a Pre-Run.
    5:30 the main event.

    This AO will be a RUN focused AO, but not a Run only.
    Hands will hit the ground.
    There will be no man left behind

    However, the Q is charged with ensuring that the Wienke is set for a 3 mile MINIMUM (excluding pre-run). That is the only requirement of this AO. Everything else is dealers choice.
    Gear is allowed, Ruck sacks, Yoga mats, you name it.. so long as we hit that 3 mile min during the 45 mins, the rest is up to you.

    This AO launch site (anything with in 1.5 miles of launch point is part of the AO) has 4 shopping center parking lots for 11’s, Giant 4 corners, 1/4 mile long DORA’s, etc.. There is a track for track ladders with Merkins at the turns, Catch me if you can on a 1/4 mile loop, or flat out speed training.. There are quiet neighborhood roads for hill intervals with pain stations at the top before recovers back down.. endless opportunity.

    Basically, this AO was set up for this kind of work out.

    So if you are bat flipping your current Bootcamps and just going through the motions versus accelerating. Come out to this AO beginning 10/7 to help set the ground work and cadence for a midweek beat down that will have you knowing you put in a little extra effort!!

    SYITG!!

  • Your Tipping Point

    RVA’s virtual 3rd F men’s open faith discussion covered the book of Job.
    In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
    We read that Job did not have a tipping point to drive him away from his integrity and faith.
    Would you?
    What is it?
    Can you identify it and harden yourself against it now?
    Where is your Shield lock if you were to hit this tipping point event?
    Who will sit with you for 7 days in silence?

    6 men of RVA talked over these questions and personal tipping points.

    BUT

    1st Rule of 3rd F… What happens in 3rd F stays in 3rd F.
    You gotta show to know

    Follow the RVA 3RD F channel to gather start times and location

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • RVA shoe drive

    F3: Our mission is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

    Fall is upon us and the cold months of Winter will be setting in before you know it. For many, life is comfortable, warm, and stable, the choices we have made along the road have led us to right here where we are being called upon to lead in a world that desperately needs leaders to step up and take action in the community.

    Starting October 1st the men of F3 RVA are being called upon to help those men of Richmond that are in need of a small gesture of help. Over the 31 days in October the challenge is to collect 62 pairs of new or gently used mens/boys shoes or boots that will be donated to a men’s shelter the 1st weekend of November before the cold Virginia winter sets in. For every pair collected, YHC will buy a corresponding set of new socks to go with them.

    Point of Contacts (POC)s have been spread out around the region with YHC tasked with collecting from the POCs every week at the Saturday AOs (Grid Iron and DogPile).
    SOJ: (South of the James) POC: Dr.Try Hard
    West End POC: HoneyDo
    Da-Ville: POC: Spit
    These #HIM will collect your donations at the weekly M-F AOs and bring them to the Saturday AOs for consolidation.

    Let’s make a mountain of shoes and socks men. I know you have pairs in the back of the closet just collecting dust and your 2.0s have outgrown a few pairs as well.

    SYITG!!!
    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • IPC final week: Murder Bunnies

    3rd F (Faith)

    • Thank you Boberry for taking us this morning in COT
    • 3rd F this upcoming Tuesday (YHC) on Q (focus on Job) Open discussion on what would your breaking point be.
    • F3 is Mens organization rooted in Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.
      • Job is an example of Faith in the Qur’an, the Torah, and the Bible. Therefore our discussion will be on faith and not on a specific religion.
        • “Job (Ayub) was a prosperous man, with faith in Allah/God/Yahweh living somewhere in the north-east corner of Arabia. He suffers from a number of calamities: his cattle are destroyed, his servants slain by the sword, and his family crushed under his roof.

    2nd F (Fellowship)

    • RVA gathering on October 3rd will have a work portion of it that will start at 11am to help support the host family with various items.
    • YHC will be collecting used mens and boys shoes over the month of October. Gently used running shoes and other shoes go a long way in the cold months ahead for those less fortunate.
      • For SOJ please give them to Dr. Try Hard
      • For Westend please give them to either YHC or HoneyDo
      • For Da-Ville please give them to Spit
      • Working on a center city contact

    1st F (Fitness) Iron Pax Challenge (Murder Bunny)

    1 Round For Time

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 25yds
    25 Thruster
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 50yds
    50 Alternating block merkins
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 75yds
    75 Curl Presses
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 100yds
    100 Block Windshield Wipers
    Return to the goal line with your block
    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)

    Thank you Timberwolf for let me lead today.

    SYITG!! (or on Zoom at the 3rd F)

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • HBR Iron Pax Challenge Week 3

    3rd F: (Faith)
    Join us this evening at 8pm for the bi-weekly fellowship faith discussion. Zoom link is located in the 3RD F Slack Channel

    On going TAP for the Education staff, Students, and families in this new Virtual learning world.

    2nd F (Fellowship)
    Still time to signup for the Cornhole tournament at the Men’s Retreat on October 3rd.

    Runners: The Diamond is back open for the weekly Wednesday Run club. It starts at 6:15 PM and has both a 4 and 6 mile route. Food and beverages afterwards. Get place to EH future pax.

    Meet-up at Wilson’s house on Saturday night at midnight. He wants his house painted in Miami Dolphin logos and colors. Wants it to be a surprise for his M. 🙂 DM Wilson for details.

    1st F (Fitness) AKA: The Thang
    K.I.S.S.

    • Start
      • Run 400m
        • 100 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 90 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 80 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 70 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 60 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 50 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 40 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 30 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 20 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 10 squats
      • Run 800m
    • End (Total work is 3 miles of running, 300 merkins, and 250 squats.)

    NMS:
    The IPC doesn’t leave much room for mubblechatter so the moleskin is typically hard to put out there… typically random ramblings of strange thoughts that happen when its 530 in the morning and you are oxygen deprived from doing something your body will hate you for later. I will spare you all from the wonderings i had this morning while trying to catch Probation on the track as to why i have the channels i do with the free to air antenna… but i can tell you that for some random reason.. i like Grizzly Adams again. 🙂 Another thing… does any one have any idea why the 1st Merkin is the hardest when doing a ladder. The set of 40; i had to talk myself into that 1st one like a drunk sailor trying to coach his 1st step after getting up off the bar stool… I would imagine after the 90 Squats we all looked like drunk sailors trying to run that track…. oh yeah… who thought it was a good idea to make a track out of tiny sand sized rocks.. that crap is like sandpaper if you get a piece in your sock. Glad i didnt get a piece in my sock, but sure thought of it while i was pacing Light House on the 1st lap. Wait a minute?!?!?! where is Handshake? he was on the text tread yesterday.. didnt see him at HoeDown either… Bet he was watching football to late. Dang… Is that Bodos and GomerPyle already on the other side of the track.. we just started??!?!?!? i wonder if they got rocks in their socks. Are spots normal when you are doing 80 merkins after sprinting a 400? I think they are.. it must be the oxygen i’m not getting and yet still think it is a good idea to keep going when the body is screaming stop.. ok.. maybe a little break… stop it self.. no breaks until you are done.
    OOOPs.. sorry about the random thoughts..

    Until next time.

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • Are You Ready for Some Football?!?!

    3rd F: Faith
    The big one this week is TAP for all the teachers, parents, and 2.0s trying to work through this new virtual world of public school. Stay strong everyone. This will pass.
    Thank you Attila for taking us out this morning

    2nd F: Fellowship

    • Men’s retreat October 3rd: Sign up for cornhole tournament
    • Friday after work events: Who wants to step up and plan the next one. Its easy.. just name the place and time.

    1st F: The Thang
    Two rounds of the below
    Perform the following exercises 1 arm/leg at a time
    Count is 10 per called exercise
    Bicep curl count is 8

    • One arm Swing
      • Bicep curl
    • Romanian dead lift
      • Bicep curl
    • Lawnmowers
      • Bicep curl
    • Snatch
      • Bicep curl
    • Reverse lunge
      • Bicep curl
    • Tricep extensions
      • Bicep curl
    • Goblet Squats
      • Bicep curl
    • Seated 1 arm shoulder press
      • Bicep curl
    • Louganis
      • Bicep curl
    • Flutter press
      • Bicep curl
    • American Hammer
      • Bicep curl

    NMS:
    Not much time to be creative on the BB this week. Dang work is getting in the way of my day drinking and BB writing.
    As always, I want to thank the PAX for allowing me to lead this morning. I mean lets face it… if it weren’t for you guys, I would have been that crazy guy on the news in all black, panting, and sweating on the sidewalk of a kids school at 0615 in the morning making weird grunting noises and cussing myself. At least with multiples of us there we kinda look like we were supposed to be there. 🙂

    Todays theme was curls.. trying to get the pax ready for some 12oz curls as we enter football season

    P.S. If you read this far down. spend the next 30 seconds and text a pax, friend, uncle, dad, brother or son that you have not heard from in a while and just say Hello. It maybe just what he needed today.

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • RVA 2nd F: Drive Shack

    The RVA 2nd F is on the move again.
    This week we will be meeting at Drive Shack:
    Date:
    September 11th

    Location:
    1647 Four Rings Drive
    Richmond, VA 23233
    (Conveniently located off I:64 and VA-288)

    Time: 1800-2000

    RSVP required to reserve bays: Please DM Gypsy by September 10th.
    Cost per booth is 45$ can have up to 5 “Golfers” per booth.

    Bring the M and 2.0s as well.

    v/r
    Gypsy

  • You wont get this in a gym

    You wont get this in a gym

    3rd F: (Faith) The last will be 1st

    • T-Clap for Mudface taking us out in prayer this morning.
    • TAP for all those parents that are striving to maintain a sense of normalcy as their children are attempting to navigate the waters of virtual schooling.
    • Mr. Holland nailed it this morning as we were wrapping up and the sunrise was painted above our heads….
      “You wont get that inside a gym“
      Well said sir.. the natural beauty of this morning’s sunrise is something only the Great Sky Q could paint for us. YHC likes to consider those wonderful acts of nature as a gentle reminder from him to us that he is: all powerful, all loving, and all forgiving.
    • Next 3rd F virtual meet-up is 9/1 at 8pm. See slack 3rd F channel for Zoom meeting URL.

    2nd F: (Fellowship)
    Lots of opportunities in RVA for fellowship and just like the 1st F in the morning.. you just have to show up.

    • Friday HH is moving around the region and it does not always have to mean having drinks. Top Golf, new Restaurants, chips and salsa at Honeydo’s (Hint Hint), etc. lets keep them moving around so all pax have an opportunity to join in. This week it is at Ardent Craft Beer at 6ish.
      • Next week we are moving the show out to Midlothian with Florence to try out Steam Bell Beer Works
    • YHC is working with Disaster Ops to set up a trip down to the Gulf coast for helping our F3 PAX in that region that have been crushed by the recent hurricane. DM me if you are interested in going.
    • October 3rd is the Fellowship retreat. Sign up for the Cornhole tournament

    1st F: (Fitness)

    The Thang:

    • Easy warm up lap around the bus parking lot as we did some butt kickers and high knees to get us into the teacher parking lot for some COP.
    • COP: 1 round of BLIMPS
      • 5 Burpees
      • 10 Lunges
      • 15 Imperial walkers
      • 20 Merkins
      • 25 Plank Jacks
      • 30 Squats
    • 4-Corners (always a staple at YHC workouts)
      • Start in the center: 2 burpess then run to one of 4 corners and perform called exercise to a 15 count then return to center for 2 burpees.. rinse and repeat until all 4 corners are completed.
        • Round one: Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Wide-arm Merkins, Carolina Dry-dock
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the F3 Foundation and Disaster Ops
        • Round two: WW2 situps, LBCs, Dolly’s, Flutter kicks
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the Mission of: Speed For Need and tell a 1st hand story that changed my life forever with a SFN track commander
        • Round three: Squats, Wojo Squat, Sister Mary Catharine’s, reverse lunge.
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the two F3 supported Missions in Peru and Africa.
        • Round four: Merkins, WW2, Squats, Burpee
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the importance of following through with the 2nd and 3rd F in F3.. to make sure its not “Just Another Workout”.
    • Burn Out: Nonstop workout rotating who the timer pax is
      • Each location is assigned an exercise then one pax takes that position. One pax runs to a designated location and back (the timer) as the remaining pax continues to do the exercise at his location until the timer returns; then everyone moves down one exercise position.
        We had 4 pax this morning so we had 3 assigned exercises and 1 timer.
        • Exercises:
          Station 1 Plank (Hold in high plank until timer returns)
          Station 2 Donkey kicks to the wall.
          Station 3 People’s chair air presses.
          Station 4 was the timer.
      • Rinse and repeat.
    • Return to the AO for a cool down:
      • you cool down like you warm up. One round of BLIMPS.

    MoleSkin:
    1st and foremost, thank you to the men this morning for allowing me the opportunity to lead. I look forward to seeing you all in the gloom again very soon.
    Lots of good mubblechatter this morning. I am pretty sure we have convivence Mudface to sign up for the 1/2 marathon beer tour. Need the Da-Ville guys to keep on him for that. 🙂
    Best of luck to Mr. Holland as he not only takes on the adventure of being a teacher during this new learning environment. but also having two 2.0’s of his own at home that are also going through this from a student perspective. If you need to get away for coffee or lunch or to hide.. just give me a call and I will be on my way.
    Cornbeef is laying down the gauntlet this morning with regard to the upcoming team relay race. Sounds like his team is stacked and I might just have to put a wager on them taking the 1st place position on this one.

    NMS (Naked Moleskin)
    AS always, I challenge every pax member that has taken the time to read this far down the Backblast to spend the next 30 seconds texting an F3 pax you have not heard from in a while. Reaching out to someone for no reason is hard to do…but we are F3.. we do hard things every day. So just do it. It may be the quick hello your gloom buddy needed for the week.

    Next Challenge: Look at your F3 actions in the last 30 to 60 days. Have you signed up to Q? Why not? Have you come out to a 2nd or 3rd F event? Why not? The reasons and excuses are just as vast as that sad clown you had to convince to get out of the fartsack and post in the gloom (no time, not ready to lead, I get my fellowship somewhere else, etc…).
    F3 is a fellowship of men .. leaders leading and teaching peer leaders.
    Our mission is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership. Our mission is not to be the fastest, most fit, strongest guy out there in the gloom… Don’t fall into the trap of making F3 only about the 1st F.. there are 2 more F’s to explore and for that matter that you can bring FNGs to. There is no F3 rule that says your FNG has to post 1st to a bootcamp. Bring him out to a 2nd F.. or invite him to the virtual 3rd. The workout is just 1 aspect of the thing we call F3.

    V/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles
    SYITG!!