Thinking about checking out an F3 workout? Here’s what you can expect on your first workout.
First off, arrive a couple minutes early. Workouts start promptly at the scheduled time.
When you arrive, keep an eye out for the F3 shovel flag and a group of guys hanging out or warming up. Just introduce yourself as a newbie and someone will help get you situated. On your first day you’ll be the Friendly New Guy, or FNG. There will be a lot of strange nicknames being tossed around; these are the F3 names. You’ll get a new name at the end of the workout during a segment called Name-a-Rama.
Next, the day’s leader, or Q, will start with a welcome and the 5 core principles of F3. This is a peer-led workout, and the Q is not a professional trainer, nor do they know your injuries or skill level. Each attendee (or PAX in F3 lingo) will exercise at their own level, and modify or adapt as appropriate for themself.
The Q then leads the group in a round of warm-up exercises (Warm-O-Rama), usually in cadence. The group will explain each warm-up in advance – nothing too complicated here. These are designed to get the blood moving and limber up your muscles in advance of the main portion of the workout – The Thang.
The Thang is where you’ll get your heart rate up and discover muscles you didn’t know you had. Usually this will involve a mix of running and functional weight training. Most of the time we train with just gravity providing the resistance, but we also incorporate cinder blocks, sand bags, slosh pipes, and other cheap weight-training tools into the mix. We also use every aspect of the landscape in our workouts, from benches and hills to walls and playground equipment.
Every workout ends with a Circle of Trust, in which the day’s Q shares some wisdom with the group, followed by Name-O-Rama in which each PAX shares their hospital name, age, and F3 nickname, and in which FNGs get their new F3 name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should I wear?
A: You just need normal workout clothes, nothing special or fancy. We’re meeting in the early morning gloom, so nobody is going to be able to tell if you spent the paycheck on all new gear, or if you’re literally wearing the same clothes you did in high school PE.
You’ll want comfortable athletic shoes that are good on concrete, grass, or turf. Most running shoes or cross training shoes are fine.
Further, you may want to bring a pair of work gloves or gardening gloves for hoisting those cinder blocks.
Q: Why do you meet so early?
A: Frankly, we get up before the sun because that’s when most of us have free time in our schedules. We also have some Saturday workouts that meet at 7am, and there is a Monday night family-friendly workout as well.
Q: I’m really out of shape. Is this going to be too intense for me?
A: We all start somewhere, and we all have ways to improve. You can make the workout as challenging or as easy as you need it to be. We always encourage every PAX to modify and adapt the exercises as appropriate for their body and skill level. You won’t get left in the dust. In fact, one of the mottos of F3 is “Leave No Man Behind, But Leave No Man Where You Find Him.”
Q: Is this just a cover for some church?
A: Nope. You may hear someone quote the Bible, but you’re just as likely to hear a reading from the Tao Te Ching or a quote from Epictetus. When talking about faith as the third F in F3, we are talking about believing in and working for something outside of ourselves. F3 the organization is not connected with any one religion, sect, denomination, or faith system.
Q: How many people are going to be there?
A: There can be as few as 2 or 3, or as many as 10 to 12 men at a normal morning workout. We occasionally have special events that will draw 20 to 30 PAX from around the region.
The F3 model encourages training up new leaders, and when a specific area of operation (AO) grows large enough, these leaders will spin up a new AO – usually in an area closer to their home. F3 men are Freed to Lead from the first day they attend a workout.
Q: What’s the other F?? Fitness, Faith, and…
A: Fellowship. It’s the thing we know we all need, but nobody wants to admit is lacking in our lives. Work friends are great and all, but you know you’re not talking to them about how rough your work/life balance has been lately, or how worried you are about the rut you’ve been in. F3 is all about doing hard things, together, and that can form a bond you don’t get nearly anywhere else in modern life. After the workout, and after the Circle of Trust, we’ll often have Coffeeteria, which is a chance to just hang out, talk, and connect.