The Men Who Show Up
When thinking through the idea of The Whole Enchilada, I was thinking a very surface level challenge – one that got me out of my comfort zone for a week, just a brief test of personal durability, commitment, and execution (hopefully). It had been a while since I had been in a head space where I had to stretch, dig, and give myself a good gut-check. A challenge that could be inserted into the daily routine of a ‘normal’ week. Taking the lead to Q 7 workouts over 6 days seemed like a perfect case study. This challenge didn’t require extend months of training/planning/preparation. A few hours of planning on a Sunday morning, a few text messages to site Q’s requesting to the reigns on a specific day, and viola – it was planned. Now just time to get my head right and execute.
Now that I’m on the other side, having just completed the 7th Q in 6 days, the outcome of this week was wildly different than what I had expected. What I did not expect was the men who consistently showed up day after day in support. The text messages from guys towards the end of the week checking on how I was holding up. The encouragement from guys at every workout. The men of F3 showed up this week. I constantly found myself thanking guys for ‘showing up’, and never once was there a request for it. This is what we do when we know someone is taking on a challenge (in this case a good, ridiculous physical challenge) – we show up without asking.
Now let’s zoom out. Remove The Whole Enchilada challenge and insert real life. Maybe it is a family member going through an unexpected sickness, a job loss, a rocky point in your marriage, or a financial struggle. You may be the one picking yourself up every day, but YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You may be the one doing the heavy lifting, the one who must get out of bed and lead but use your brothers around you for support and encouragement. They will help you get to the finish line. This could not have been done without you. Had I said to myself quietly, I’m going to show up to 7 workouts in 6 days and didn’t mention a word about it, it would have been really easy to fart-sack out on a day. By verbalizing the commitment (or hardship), a portion of the burden immediately was spread to the men who showed up. You guys helped carry some of that burden this week allowing me to remain focused and committed on the next Q. The same goes for life – when you are the one with your back against the wall, let us know. Let us shoulder a portion of the burden for you. Let us share the stress with you. This is what we are here for.
About two years ago, my wife and I were faced with some uncertainties surrounding her health, and I was struggling to find any sort of clarity amidst the chaos of the moment. I had heard F3 Agony on a podcast and blindly reached out for any sort of guidance. We met for a coffee and little did he know I was about to unload a symphony of fears/struggles on him, and this was the first time we had ever met face to face. I think Pastors have a way of extracting that out of people – or maybe it’s the sticky note on their forehead that says, “tell me everything”. He turned me on to a verse in the bible I have found a lot of strength in the last few years. The scene is the last supper and Jesus looks to Simon and says:
Luke 22: 31-32 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, That your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
The message is the prayer is not to relieve you of the struggle, but rather the strength to get through it. When you feel you’re being put through the sifter of life, getting ground like wheat, you will have the strength to come through the struggle stronger. And then it becomes our calling “and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers”
With every hardship we grow.
You guys showed up for me every day this week. You guys helped me pull through these last few workouts to make sure this did not go unfinished. Now it is time to go out into the world and show up for those around us who need it most. Make sure those men in your life who’ve got their back against the wall aren’t alone. Make sure they know someone is there to lean on for support.
-Taco Stand
Brief recap of workouts below
Monday: Firestarter
Mosey across street to circle
Warmup
20 SSH
20 IW
20 LSS
20 Planjacks
Reverse ladder around triangle counting down from 15
Corner 1: Big boy sit-ups
Corner 2: Lunges
Corner 3: Burpees
Partner work down office building stretch. P1 called exercise while P2 runs to stop sign and back
Combined counts:
50 russian dead lifts (each leg)
100 merkins
200 squats
Stretch 2:
100 plank jacks
200 shoulder taps
300 LBC
—
Tuesday: Bushwood – upper body day
Mosey around circle to parking lot
Warmup
20 SSH
20 IW
50 Moroccan Night clubs
20 Mountain climbers
4 corners x 4 laps
5 diamond merkins
5 wide-arm merkins
5 hand release merkins
5 exploding merkins
Grab lifting (smaller) rock
20 curls – run lap
20 overhead presses – run lap
20 tricep extensions – run lap
20 rock squats – run lap
Repeato
Mary w/ rock
Corner 1 – hold rock up and flutter
Carry rock overhead to next corner
Corner 2 – Russian twist w/ rock
Lunge walk short side
Corner 3 – big boy sit-ups w/ rock
Carry rock overhead to next corner
Corner 4 – lay out flat and bring rock to meet toes
Back to bus parking lot for partner exercises
P1: lap
P2: called exercise
shoulder taps
LBC’s
squats
—
Wednesday: The Maul
Mosey past theatre to Jersey Mikes
Warmup
20 SSH
20 IW
50 Moroccan Night clubs
20 Mountain climbers
BLIMPS behind Target
5 Burpees
10 Lunges (each leg)
15 Imperial Walkers
20 Merkins
25 Plank Jacks
30 Squats
Up-n-over the hill
Mosey to Elmstone drive
Stop at first street for partner work – run opposite directions, 10 hand-slap merkins when you meet. Complete 3 laps
Down muderhorn and up to pool for Mary
3 rounds of exercises
20 dips
10 pull-ups on playground
20 Heels to heaven
Base of Murder Horn
First light backwards – stop at each light and add 5 merkins all the way to the top
—
Thursday: Nightmare on Elm
Mosey past theatre to Jersey Mikes
Warmup
20 SSH
20 IW
15 Plank Jack
15 Mountain climbers
Mosey to Chipotle and partner up
P1: lap around buildings
P2: called exercise
Combined counts:
100 step-ups
200 squats
300 LBC’s
Mosey across street to Brown Bag
Run up steps to back of parking deck and 5 Mike Tyson’s
Back down for 5 jump squats
Repeato x3
Garage exercises:
Lunge walk across and 15 LBC’s
Bear crawl back and 15 heels to heaven
Repeato x3
Mosey back to Launch
—
Friday: The Brave & Snooze Button double header
Mosey past AAA
Quick warm-up
15 mountain climbers
15 Imperial walkers
15 SSH
Warm-up suicide
-high knees and jog back
-butt kicks and jog back
-side shuffle down and back
-sprint down and back
————————————
Building loop decreasing ladder
4 rounds decreasing by 5 reps each time
1st bldg: dips
2nd: 20 step-ups
3rd: 20 merkins
4th: 20 heels to heaven
Mosey to parking deck
Jog flats
Sprint inclines
Called exercise at top of each ramp
Mary at top
Snooze Button:
Mosey pas AAA for warm-up
-15 SSH
-15 Imperial Walkers
-5 LSS
Make our way to the Wells Building
Head up parking lot road stopping at each crosswalk for 6 squats
At top start first of 6 exercises at 6 stops down the path w/ 6 reps each
-Step-ups
-Big boy sit-ups
-Burpees (ladder down from 6)
Mosey back to launch w/ Mary along the way
—
Saturday: DaVinci (culmination)
Mosey past Best Buy for warm-up
10 SSH, 1 burpee
10 IW, 2 burpees
20 Moroccan night clubs, 3 burpees
10 Hilliybilly’s, 4 burpees
10 LSS, 5 burpees
Mosey to Old Navy side for some shopping – Stop at each storefront for called exercise
Round 1: Big Boy sit-ups
Round 2: Merkins
Round 3: Russian Deadlifts
Mosey to circle for AMRAP:
Stop 1: 5 Mike Tysons at Banana Republic
Stop 2: loop up steps followed by 5 pull-ups on bars
Stop 3: 10 step-ups at fountain
Across the street to circle fountains for some shoulder clock work. Long mosey back to launch wrapping up with some mary until time expires
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