Great post Michael - my father joined an F3 group for a while down on the North Carolina coast when he was 76-years-old. He was the oldest guy there. He was soaked through with sweat by the end of each workout. (Like so sweaty my mom wouldn't go near him until he showered.) The group took good care of him - like the founder said, they didn't discriminate based on his age. It helped him run a Spartan Race with me that year. He crushed it.
I am sure more men suffer from male loneliness than would care to admit to it, myself included. I'm mid 30's and recently it seems like all the friends I had just aren't around anymore. I'm also a father and husband with a full schedule and the only time I have to work out to stay healthy is 5am and I don't know a single person that wants to do that with me so I just do it solo. I've never heard of this group before but I'm glad I just did. It seems like something I could really benefit from.
I’m in the exact same boat as you. I’ve been getting up at 5am in order to workout which I do alone. F3 definitely sounds like a great way to workout and have the community aspect as well. No group close enough to me right now but hopefully I can help change that. Appreciate your comment as it is my same situation and how I feel as well.
I'm not thinking of joining... I'm in the early stages of a multiyear, slow-and-winding journey from zero to Olympic triathlons, and the life of a consultant requires enough travel and odd schedules that I'd be hard-pressed to make any of the workouts. I think I like my multisport training regimen better, too.
But I love the IDEA, and I want to learn more about them so I can share their story to empower people. Maybe I can get them some new members, but at the very least they are a wonderful, uplifting example of how to improve lives. As the old African proverb goes: "if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go FAR, go together." :-)
There's more than just workouts to be part of, and it can be a both/and situation as well. We'd never want you to give up something that is working for you... but this is really a leadership group disguised as a workout group (shhh... don't tell), so if that's something that's interesting... you should at least come and see once...
I just showed up one day out of the blue to a beatdown right before the lockdowns happened in 2020. It was the best decision I've made, and it made me realize the condition I was in. The lie I was telling myself was real, but I was a "Sad Clown" (happy by all appearances outward but not on the inside). I recommend this to anyone, no matter where you are physically...it's you vs you. You'll be surprised by how much you need this...I was.
For almost 25 years in two different cities, I hit the gym at 5 am. There aren’t a whole lot of anybody in the weight room that early and you get to know the dudes (mostly dudes anyway) sweating alongside you. You don’t know everyone super well, but you know them, right? You start seeing them in the neighborhood or at the train station or grabbing a bite someplace. Or out with their families. I still remember how on Sept. 13, 2001, some guys didn’t show up again. The rest of us just kinda knew.
Some of my closest friendships came out of those daily workouts. When the pandemic hit, I started working out with my neighbor in our alley … at 5 pm! It was jarring to at first but I admit I kinda liked it.
Anyway, long story short, I’m back to working out at 5 am in my basement. I hate it, my body hates it, but maybe 5 am is what I really need. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some dudes in a park now!
This was a great read and a good reminder of why I started a weekly 🏀 game for other parents and community members looking for a safe, healthy outlet, thanks for the interview!
Sounds great and very needed in terms of health, friendship. When I read "leadership," however, I feel concern the kind of "leadership" being encouraged is the usual domination kind - of women in particular. Probably all of us saw the football clown doing his commencement speech ordering women back to the kitchen where they can better serve their "leaders/men." Nope. Would be lovely if more men/the majority of men decided that true leadership and deep masculinity meant to step into full partnerships, adulthood, and mutual caring with women and with all people.
I’ve been in F3 for almost two years, and without question, it has made me a better husband. My wife encourages me to go every morning because she’s seen the impact firsthand.
She watched me complete a 15-hour ruck event pushed to my limits physically and mentally only to turn around six short hours later and sit with her for 13 hours at the hospital while her mother faced complications from chemotherapy. Two years ago, I wouldn’t have had the energy for that. Honestly, I probably would have been selfish and stayed home.
But that change isn’t just about me it’s a testament to the men we surround ourselves with every morning. They pull us forward like a magnet, helping us get right physically, spiritually, and relationally so we can serve the people in our lives better and that’s the leadership he is speaking about in the article it’s about being servant leader.
I agree wholeheartedly. In our world, that is often the "leadership" that is taught. We reject the world. I can tell you with 100% confidence that we teach that our wives are at the center of all we do and honoring her and keeping her as an equal partner in leading our families is what we are about. And we define "masculinity" as "courageous love". I tell our men all the time that we are the opposite of what the world teaches. We swim upstream around here...
There's something indescribably powerful, forever life-altering, healing, renewing, restoring, destiny-changing about gathering regularly with YHWH Yeshua the King of all in our midst. It's better to Have Him and not know what to call Him then to know what to call Him and not have Him. A dungeon suddenly becomes a palace when I realize the true Scriptural JESUS of Nazareth is with me, there. Maranatha!
Great post Michael - my father joined an F3 group for a while down on the North Carolina coast when he was 76-years-old. He was the oldest guy there. He was soaked through with sweat by the end of each workout. (Like so sweaty my mom wouldn't go near him until he showered.) The group took good care of him - like the founder said, they didn't discriminate based on his age. It helped him run a Spartan Race with me that year. He crushed it.
That's incredible!
I am sure more men suffer from male loneliness than would care to admit to it, myself included. I'm mid 30's and recently it seems like all the friends I had just aren't around anymore. I'm also a father and husband with a full schedule and the only time I have to work out to stay healthy is 5am and I don't know a single person that wants to do that with me so I just do it solo. I've never heard of this group before but I'm glad I just did. It seems like something I could really benefit from.
Thanks for sharing, Matt. Let us know if you check out F3!
I’m in the exact same boat as you. I’ve been getting up at 5am in order to workout which I do alone. F3 definitely sounds like a great way to workout and have the community aspect as well. No group close enough to me right now but hopefully I can help change that. Appreciate your comment as it is my same situation and how I feel as well.
If you should ever find yourself in the Greater Boston Area, then please feel free to come workout with me!
If you go to the website, there is a place to fill out if you want to get a group started. We'd love to chat with you about it!
Well I didn't expect to finish this article a little misty-eyed.
Now to figure out how to go about starting one of these... None near me as of right now. 💪🏼
https://f3nation.com/start-region
You big softy!
The power of human community, wielded for good, is incredible. I'd never heard of F3, and I'm glad I just did. Great interview, thanks!
Let us know how it goes if you check it out!
I'm not thinking of joining... I'm in the early stages of a multiyear, slow-and-winding journey from zero to Olympic triathlons, and the life of a consultant requires enough travel and odd schedules that I'd be hard-pressed to make any of the workouts. I think I like my multisport training regimen better, too.
But I love the IDEA, and I want to learn more about them so I can share their story to empower people. Maybe I can get them some new members, but at the very least they are a wonderful, uplifting example of how to improve lives. As the old African proverb goes: "if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go FAR, go together." :-)
There's more than just workouts to be part of, and it can be a both/and situation as well. We'd never want you to give up something that is working for you... but this is really a leadership group disguised as a workout group (shhh... don't tell), so if that's something that's interesting... you should at least come and see once...
I just showed up one day out of the blue to a beatdown right before the lockdowns happened in 2020. It was the best decision I've made, and it made me realize the condition I was in. The lie I was telling myself was real, but I was a "Sad Clown" (happy by all appearances outward but not on the inside). I recommend this to anyone, no matter where you are physically...it's you vs you. You'll be surprised by how much you need this...I was.
Epic. Great job taking the plunge.
Had our F3 workout this morning!
Love that you featured F3!!! This is awesome. I originally learned about F3 in a 2% comment section!
Well that was not at all what I expected. Can’t judge a book and all that. Great interview, thanks!
I've talked to a few local F3's groups but it's not for me. Glad that it works for as many as it does though.
I just found out that there is an F3 group that does a weekly ruck about 5 minutes from my house. Might have to check it out!
NOW you're talking... #ComeAndSee
For almost 25 years in two different cities, I hit the gym at 5 am. There aren’t a whole lot of anybody in the weight room that early and you get to know the dudes (mostly dudes anyway) sweating alongside you. You don’t know everyone super well, but you know them, right? You start seeing them in the neighborhood or at the train station or grabbing a bite someplace. Or out with their families. I still remember how on Sept. 13, 2001, some guys didn’t show up again. The rest of us just kinda knew.
Some of my closest friendships came out of those daily workouts. When the pandemic hit, I started working out with my neighbor in our alley … at 5 pm! It was jarring to at first but I admit I kinda liked it.
Anyway, long story short, I’m back to working out at 5 am in my basement. I hate it, my body hates it, but maybe 5 am is what I really need. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some dudes in a park now!
We'd love to have you, and it's not like it would cost you anything... #ComeAndSee
This was a great read and a good reminder of why I started a weekly 🏀 game for other parents and community members looking for a safe, healthy outlet, thanks for the interview!
Sounds great and very needed in terms of health, friendship. When I read "leadership," however, I feel concern the kind of "leadership" being encouraged is the usual domination kind - of women in particular. Probably all of us saw the football clown doing his commencement speech ordering women back to the kitchen where they can better serve their "leaders/men." Nope. Would be lovely if more men/the majority of men decided that true leadership and deep masculinity meant to step into full partnerships, adulthood, and mutual caring with women and with all people.
I haven't gotten any sense of that from anyone I've spoken to at F3.
I’ve been in F3 for almost two years, and without question, it has made me a better husband. My wife encourages me to go every morning because she’s seen the impact firsthand.
She watched me complete a 15-hour ruck event pushed to my limits physically and mentally only to turn around six short hours later and sit with her for 13 hours at the hospital while her mother faced complications from chemotherapy. Two years ago, I wouldn’t have had the energy for that. Honestly, I probably would have been selfish and stayed home.
But that change isn’t just about me it’s a testament to the men we surround ourselves with every morning. They pull us forward like a magnet, helping us get right physically, spiritually, and relationally so we can serve the people in our lives better and that’s the leadership he is speaking about in the article it’s about being servant leader.
Patricia,
I agree wholeheartedly. In our world, that is often the "leadership" that is taught. We reject the world. I can tell you with 100% confidence that we teach that our wives are at the center of all we do and honoring her and keeping her as an equal partner in leading our families is what we are about. And we define "masculinity" as "courageous love". I tell our men all the time that we are the opposite of what the world teaches. We swim upstream around here...
There's something indescribably powerful, forever life-altering, healing, renewing, restoring, destiny-changing about gathering regularly with YHWH Yeshua the King of all in our midst. It's better to Have Him and not know what to call Him then to know what to call Him and not have Him. A dungeon suddenly becomes a palace when I realize the true Scriptural JESUS of Nazareth is with me, there. Maranatha!