Men, Bear Your Brothers Burdens

It was a cold and windy January morning ITG as YHC pulled into the Badlands parking lot to strategic place symbolic burdens around the AO. As PAX roll in from their holiday travels to the northeast and midwest there is a sense that they’ve brought the cold back to Florida for the New Year as temps sit close to 40° (feels like 30°) with 30+ mile per hour wind gusts. T-Claps to the 10 PAX who left their cozy fartsacks for the first beatdown of the 2018 New Year in the Badlands to practice discipline, drive and determination. YHC unveils his newly acquired Bada Bing! t-shirt in case their was any confusion as to whether he was a “connected guy.” Many PAX on the IR or just plain couldn’t handle the “how is it this cold in Florida?” conditions…however, the literal wind could not be taken out of YHC’s sails on this day. It went a little something like this. 

The Warmorama (COP) Burdens

• 10 Burpees OYO for any men who missed the 1/1/18 MANatee Convergence including YHC
  
• 18 SSH IC
• 18 Michael Phelps IC
• 18 imperial Walkers
• 18 LBC’s IC
• 3 Minute Perfect Plank Circle (PAX move to center nearest to flag pole where you will find sidewalk chalk)

YHC just finished Freed To Lead on his way back from NYC and reminded the PAX that to think about their male relationships and which of those bonds will survive the sifter of life. When your life gets a good hard shake, who can you turn to, who will stick with you? The man to your right and left. In 2018, you might feel pressure, tragedy, burdens (financial, marriage, job)…Do you have it all together? Nope, none of us do which is why we need each other.

YHC shares scripture from Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

• Burdens: Write one word on concrete describing your struggle i.e. Job, family, frustration, anger, anxiety, unbelief, money, control, fear, pride, lust, negative thoughts, etc.
• Intentions: Write one intention on concrete for 2018 that you can focus on to help overcome the burden i.e. Love, joy, peace, courage, patience, trust, contentment, acceptance, clarity, commitment, consistency, etc.

3 minute Perfect Plank Circle directly over PAX burdens and intentions (YHC calls out time every 30 seconds (micro-tasks) while also reading the below words of encouragement to keep the men engaged for entire task)

Words of Encouragement:

• Focus on your breath as your anchor. Breathe is your focus to overcome the pain (4 count box breathing from core is key)
• Look to the man next to you and smile. 
• Success is a matter of hanging on after others have let go
• What the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve
• Victorious warriors win the battle first in their mind before going to battle
• Do or do not, there is no try
• Life is a mountainside that you either slide up or down, a little bit everyday
• Your arms are not failing, your mind is failing. Breathe
• Pain plus reflection equals progress
• A warrior learns to realize that everything is impermanent. Change is perpetual. And the only thing we can control is our own ability to maintain a proper mental and emotional state around what’s happening

The Thang Burdens

Mosey to baseball field and hop right field fence. Loving your brother is an action…Bearing a burden is shouldering the load…thus Partner 1 carry partner 2 from outfield to infield.  Switch partner 2 carry partner 1 to home plate

Field of Teams (2 man teams, each exercise requires the use of the partners body as support) 

• Home plate – 18 OYO Partner Derkins (Partner 1 plank, partner 2 decline merkins with feet on partner 1 back then switch)
• 1st base – 18 OYO Iron Crosses then switch
• 2nd base – 18 OYO Power Merkins (Partner 1 does merkins while partner 2 planks feet on top of partner 1’s back then switch)
• 3rd base – 10 Burpee Jumps OYO over partner while planking then switch
• Sprint to home plate and plank until six

Mosey to sidewalk and Wheelbarrow partner 1 to first light pole, then switch and wheelbarrow partner 2 second light pole.  

The Shield Lock

The Shield Lock (Lock Arms in a circle) – A community of men locked in arms is stronger than the individual to both protect and serve one another and the community. As we lock arms let’s remember we need to watch our brothers six. Aye! Accountability.

• 18 Tempo Squats IC (Men huddle locking arms)
• Hold Peoples Chair – 30 seconds (still locking arms…mumblechatter about the days activities ensued because men never look that closely in another man’s eyes this early in the morning)
• 18 Big Boy Sit-ups IC (Cadence didn’t go so well, so changed to OYO)
• 18 Flutter Kicks IC (Looked like a bunch of kids kicking each other)

Mosey on out of here to bear crawl hall for 40 Yard Dash competition Burdens

Partner race to light pole #1: Loser does 20 merkins (partner has option to bear brothers burden and help). Repeat to light pole #2: Both winner and loser get to do 10 burpees because life is not fair. We must learn that we don’t deserve anything. No one is insulated from the burdens of life.

Mosey to the Starfish

• F3 is like a Starfish. It is only as strong as its appendages. No one man is in the center. So in light of that we will bear the burdens of the entire starfish.
• 5 cones in the shape of a Starfish with “burdens” i.e. 40lb sandbags near the middle of the starfish. Group of 2 PAX at each cone. Partner 1 Bear Crawl backwards to cone while partner 2 closest to center overhead presses burdens/sandbags
• Overhead presses not complete until each appendage has done 100 total so PAX understand that bearing a burden is hard work. 

Find your 20X factor Burdens

“You guys are capable of at least 20X what you think you are” “Embrace the suck” “Discipline, Drive and Determination”

At some point YHC lost his partner, Zamboni, to an urge that hit half way through the workout. He was off to the official Badlands sanctioned dumping station to drop the kids off at the pool and came back 5lbs lighter. 

• 100 Yard Dash then 50 SSHs ea., run back to start point;
• 80 yard dash then 40 mountain climbers ea., run back to start point;
• 50 yard dash then 50 LBCs ea., run back to start point;
• 25 yard dash then 25 Merkins ea., run back to start point;
• 10 yard dash then 10 burpees ea., run back to start point; plank until six

COT/BOM: Burdens

Count o Rama, Name o Rama – No FNGs

YHC shared the words of Jesus when he said in Matthew 11:28, 30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” and once again the command from the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:2 to Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

Call to Action: Pray for your brothers, call/text your brothers, take action and bear the burden with your brothers. This is living third! 

Prayer Requests: Tinker Toy – Job Opportunity in Clearwater, Bada Bing – Starting New Job, F3 Men on IR, Squeege hammy, To be more vulnerable with our brothers regarding burdens in 2018

F3 Nation

Burdens, Burden

F3Jax