Author: wstark

  • Pump Station (Hood Park) – Afonso Cardoso

    AO: The Pump Station

    PAX:
    Ukulele-Q
    Flat Rate
    Sherpa
    Fossil
    Colt-45
    Shepherd
    Crawdad

    Workout: Buddy Beatdown

    FNG’s: no

    Mission and Principles:
    F3: Fitness, Fellowship, Faith
    Mission: To plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.
    The core principles of F3 are that it is always:
    1. Free of charge
    2. Open to all men
    3. Held outdoors, rain or shine, heat or cold
    4. Led by men who participate in the workout in a rotating fashion, with no training or certification necessary. You versus you. Modify or stop an exercise if you need to. The most important thing is that nobody gets hurt.
    5. Ends with a Circle of Trust
    Credo: Leave no man behind but leave no man where you find him

    Warm-ups: All in cadence 15 “Side Straddle Hops”, 10 “Chain Breakers”, 10 “Willie mays hayes”

    The Thang:

    2 blocks for each pair, one stays on the bottom the other is carried uphill through 3 sections divided in 2 each.

    Partner work – Do an exercise together for 10 rep before moving block up the hill.
    First section is 10 clap merkins, with bear crawl push of the block up hill while the partner does curls with the other block.
    Second section is 10 squats with hands locked leaning back, murder bunnies while partner does goblet squats.
    Third section is 10 sit ups with feet locked on each other with a clap on top, rifle carry up hill while partner does WW2’s.

    For the second block it’s all the same exercises but the partner on the bottom does merkins, squats and normal sit ups while waiting for the switch.

    If there’s time come back down and do partner carry, either wheelbarrow or piggyback 50/50

    Reflection:

    So I thought the workout was pretty solid, but the first challenge was having an odd number of pax, then explaining it properly which I clearly didn’t do. We ended up just moving all of the block up half a section, and the bottom hill exercises went out of order, while the block movement exercises got fixed right away. It was still totally possible to do a team of 3 but that was the team that ended up not doing the partner carry at the end because we had an extra block to move.
    With some better explanation from me and a whiteboard with a sketch to help visualize, the workout would have gone much smoother instead of the chaos that ensued within the first 5 minutes.
    Despite the faults, we worked our bodies well, got wet and flappy, and had some laughs.

    Music: no music this day, just the pax, rain and wind.

    Count-O-Rama: 7
    Name-O-Rama

    The Six – Fossil
    Fossil is as impressive and respectable as ever, coming for both run and beatdown, running from and back to his house even under rain. Truly an example to follow and a goal to achieve, especially given his age of 70. This “triple respect” of Blackswamp is beast.

    LDP3

    Recap of the week on the SMSK 15 on discipline. This focused on spiritual discipline, on how it is necessary to not only hone our bodies but our spirits too. A true warrior grows in his physical capabilities without neglecting his mental and spiritual training. Something as simple as 5 minutes reading scripture can go a long way. The catholic church has daily mass readings that include a new or Old Testament passage, a psalm and a gospel reading and it is a good place to start even if you’re not catholic.

  • Run @ the Pump Station (Hood Park) – Afonso Cardoso

    AO: The Pump Station Run

    PAX:
    Ukulele-Q
    Fossil
    Sherpa
    Colt-45

    Workout: You Vs U

    FNG’s: no

    Mission and Principles:
    F3: Fitness, Fellowship, Faith
    Mission: To plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.
    The core principles of F3 are that it is always:
    1. Free of charge
    2. Open to all men
    3. Held outdoors, rain or shine, heat or cold
    4. Led by men who participate in the workout in a rotating fashion, with no training or certification necessary. You versus you. Modify or stop an exercise if you need to. The most important thing is that nobody gets hurt.
    5. Ends with a Circle of Trust
    Credo: Leave no man behind but leave no man where you find him

    Warm-ups:
    None, simply started running on a slower pace.

    The Thang:

    Run down the stairs up the hill around the monument and back down. Up the stairs to the end of the sidewalk on the street and repeat.

    Reflection: The site was wet, rainy and the stairs were covered in a lot of leaves which made us go slower. Pax seemed to be in a good pace, I lead the way but didn’t beat the record of 13 laps.

    Music: no music this day, just the wind and rain.

    Count-O-Rama: 4
    Name-O-Rama

    The Six – Fossil

    LDP3

    Recap of the week on the SMSK 15 on Discipline. Discussion was made on the 6:15 beatdown with all of the same guys.

  • The Battlefield (The Shops At Fallen Timbers) – Trevor Miller

    Q-school Battlefield –
    Started with Circle of Trust Q school Lesson below.

    Warmup: Led by 5 different PAX, Cadence work using SPMICE.

    Workout
    Back to School Beatdown – Tabata Timer 45 Seconds on 15 Seconds Rest

    American Hammers
    Merkins
    Mountain Climbers
    Side Straddle Hops
    Lunges
    Peter Parkers
    LBCs
    Squats
    Burpees

    Repeat x3 (x5 if time allows)

    PAX –
    Wipers
    Crawdad
    Arcy
    Lyman
    Huckleberry
    Footloose
    Djibouti
    Snowball
    Gulliver
    Jersey
    Shepherds Pie
    Viper
    Purdy
    Flat Stanley
    Battlebus
    Norm – Q

    Lesson From LDP3 FTL13 – C.O.T.
    In our F3 Black Swamp region, we implement the following components into the COT, or Circle of Trust:
    Circle
    All PAX form a circle around the Q usually next to the shovel flag

    Counterama
    A count of the total PAX for the purposes of tracking growth and to identify the "6"

    Namerama
    Each PAX shares the following:
    1) Hospital Name,
    2) Age, and
    3) F3 name (or FNG for Friendly New Guys)

    The 6
    The 6th PAX from the Counterama enters the middle of the COT and shares the following:
    1) Who EH'ed him,
    2) How he got his name, and
    3) Why he showed up, or continues showing up to workouts

    Announcements
    A brief plug for an upcoming event

    LDP3
    A 1-2 minute lesson about F3, an inspirational quote, marriage guidance or life challenge

    The Shout Out
    A short prayer, typically formed in a Ball of Man formation, to close out the COT.

  • The Battlefied Ruck (The Shops At Fallen Timbers) – Carl Miester

    10/18/2025 Battlefield Ruck

    PAX
    Crawdad -Q
    Footloose
    Jersey
    Salisbury
    Arcy
    Gulliver
    Djibouti
    Nomad
    Norm
    Viper
    Wipers
    One man Band
    Full Pull

    Some rucked some ran

    Ruckers headed to fallen timbers monument to the Maumee and back around for right around 3 miles

    Q school focused on COT during the ruck

  • Leadership Ruck – Fitness of the Body, Mind, and Soul – Thor

    10/18/25
    Leadership Ruck/Run
    Pax:
    Thor(q)
    Photon
    Longhorn
    Binford
    Spit Valve
    Golden Gate

    Runners:
    Guardian
    Isosceles
    Carmen San Diego
    Coconut
    Fat Amy

    Leadership Ruck Theme: The Bar Kokhba Revolt (AD 132–135)
    When Strength Turns to Stubbornness
    1. The Setting — Hope in the Ashes

    After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jewish people longed for freedom. Their temple was gone, their land occupied, and their faith wounded.
    Sixty years later, the emperor Hadrian planned to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan city, complete with a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount.

    In that moment of despair, a new leader rose up — Simon bar Kokhba, a warrior from Judea whose name meant “Son of the Star.” Many believed he was the Messiah, the long-awaited deliverer foretold in the book of Numbers: “A star shall come out of Jacob.”

    Ruck Question 1:

    What kind of leader do people tend to look for in times of fear and uncertainty — and why?

    2. The Rise — Power, Purpose, and Pride

    Bar Kokhba was bold, organized, and fiercely devoted to his people. He trained soldiers, built fortresses, and led daring attacks that drove the Romans out of parts of Judea.
    For a short time, the Jews regained control of their homeland. They even minted new coins marked “Year 1 of the Redemption of Israel.”

    Rabbi Akiva, the most respected teacher of the time, publicly called him “the Star out of Jacob” — effectively naming him the Messiah. That declaration gave Bar Kokhba’s leadership spiritual authority. The people didn’t just follow him — they worshiped him.

    Ruck Question 2:

    How does praise or success change the way a leader listens — and who they listen to?

    3. The Turning Point — When Strength Becomes Stubbornness

    As Bar Kokhba’s power grew, his humility faded. He stopped seeking advice and silenced dissent. Those who questioned him were punished or executed. His followers obeyed out of fear more than conviction.

    The Romans regrouped under General Julius Severus and surrounded his strongholds, slowly cutting off supplies. Bar Kokhba refused to retreat, convinced he could not lose. But courage without humility became pride — and pride clouded his judgment.

    Ruck Question 3:

    When have you seen confidence turn into arrogance — in yourself, a team, or a leader you know?

    4. The Fall — Reality and Resistance

    By AD 135, the final Jewish fortress at Bethar fell after a brutal siege. Bar Kokhba was killed, tens of thousands died, and Judea was destroyed.
    Hadrian renamed the land Palestina to erase Jewish identity, and banned Jews from entering Jerusalem.

    Bar Kokhba’s name, once shouted in victory, was remembered with heartbreak. He had inspired a nation — but his pride helped destroy it.

    Ruck Question 4:

    What’s harder for you as a leader — fighting for your vision or accepting when it’s time to yield?

    5. The Legacy — What Endures

    Despite the devastation, the Jewish people’s faith survived. Their hope shifted from political freedom to spiritual renewal.
    Bar Kokhba’s rebellion died, but his story lived on — a lesson about the fine line between courage and stubbornness, confidence and pride.

    Ruck Question 5:

    What kind of legacy are you building — one based on defiance, or one that endures through hope and humility?

  • Rabbit Hole (Whitehouse Library) – Rudy

    The Pax:
    Gold Wing
    Purdy
    Viper
    Doubtfure
    Archy
    Nomad
    Norm
    Vespa
    Bulldog
    Rudy Q

    The Thing:
    Professor Rabbit's last lecture. We covered the following:
    – Cadence Work
    – Timers
    + EMOM
    + Tabata
    + AMRAP
    – Incorporating Music
    – Creative Formats
    + Dice
    + Acronyms
    + Stations
    + Trivia
    + Competitions

  • The Nest (Fassett Jr High) – Raven

    10/29/25
    The Nest
    Monday Suckfest

    PAX:
    Armstrong
    Fallout Boy
    Deliverance
    Raven – Q

    Intro
    5 Principles
    Warm up

    The Thang:
    BD consisted of an area to do the work and a cone a set distance away. We did reps of the work, then traveled to the cone and back in various forms of movement. We also too a lap of the parking lot between each group of sets.
    Movement:
    1. Inch Worm
    2. Crab Walk
    3. Bear Crawls
    4. Lunge Walk

    Work:
    1. BBSU
    2. Good Mornings
    3. Thor's Hammers
    4. Around the World Superman
    Group 2
    1. Jungle Bois
    2. V-ups
    3. Perfect Merkins
    4. Absolutions (yuck)

    NoR
    CoT
    BoM

    It was an honor to lead, as always.

    Aye!

    Raven.

  • The Mud Hole (Ruck at Pearson Park) – Raven

    Wednesday Ruck
    Mudhole
    10/8/25

    Pax:
    Armstrong
    Fallout Boy
    Pinto
    Raven – Q

    Intro
    5 Principles

    Ruck

    CoT

  • The Mud Hole (Ruck at Pearson Park) – Raven

    Wednesday Ruck
    Mudhole
    10/15/25

    Pax:
    Raven – Q
    Fallout Boy

    Intro
    5 Principles

    Ruck

    CoT

  • The Armory (Waterville Library) – Golden Gate

    Pax:

    Golden Gate – Q
    Vespa
    Dave Price – FNG (OSHA)
    Yoshi
    Binford
    Brickyard
    Bulldog
    Fat Amy
    Sven

    Warmup:
    SSH – 115
    Windmill – 11
    Arm Circles (forward and back) – 15

    Thang:
    3v3v3 Kickball

    Between inning cadence work based on Golden Hate Bridge facts:

    Inning 1
    Each tower is 746 ft tall above water.
    7 LBC (IC)
    4 Merkin (IC)
    6 Squats (IC)

    Inning 2
    The bridge can sway 27.7 ft side to side in high winds.
    2 rounds of
    7 Star Jumps
    7 Carolina Dry Docks

    Wrap up:
    Count
    Name
    6th
    FNG name
    Announcements
    Prayer