What To Expect At Your First F3 Spring Hill Workout

If you are thinking about going to an F3 Spring Hill workout (or any F3 workout), it is helpful to know what to expect your first time.  Here are a few notes to help you get started.

Is F3 Spring Hill Really Free?

Yes. No catch. 

All F3 Spring Hill workouts are free of charge, and open to all men ages 18+.  We meet six days per week in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station. There is no sign up, just show up at the appointed time and place.  We welcome men of all fitness levels to our workouts.

We are simply providing workouts for free with the mission to invigorate male community leadership.

Where Will You Guys Be?

Visit our Workout Locations to pick which workout is best for you.  When you show up, we will be easy to find, as we’ll most likely be the only people in the park that early!  Walk up and introduce yourself as a new guy.  It may seem odd walking up to a bunch of strangers that early in the morning, but don’t worry, this will be one of the friendliest, most welcoming groups you have ever met.  We have even gotten people riding by on their bikes to stop and come work out with us!  (True story!)

Can I Bring My Kids To A Workout?

Our weekday workouts are only for men ages 18+.  However, we do allow fathers to bring their sons (AKA 2.0’s) to our Saturday workouts!  The only requirements are that he be old enough to participate and not cause disruption, and that the dad must be present at all times.  (We are not a babysitting service!)

What’s With The Goofy Names?

You will find that a lot of F3 revolves around goofy names and acronyms for people and exercises.  We have a nickname for everything we do.  As a newbie, you will be a Friendly New Guy, or F.N.G.  All of the guys in the group call themselves by odd nicknames, what we call their F3 Name.  Don’t worry, you will get your F3 Name after the workout.  It may sound like we’re speaking a foreign language at first, but you can quickly catch up with help from the Lexicon and Exicon.  For a quick start, we have a list of basic terminology to help get you up and running.

What Should I Bring?

All you need to bring is an open mind and a positive attitude. Wear your regular outdoor workout clothes and something you don’t mind getting dirty, and consider bringing a pair of gloves.  The workouts happen in good weather or bad.  Often, we get wet.  So just plan on it. 

The Bootcamp and Murph workouts are a mixture of running and exercises, so wear shoes that are comfortable. We also have road running and trail running workouts, so wear the appropriate shoes for each of those as well.  (Pro tip: Avoid wearing cotton shirts, undies, or socks! They cause problems when they get wet.)

You’ll probably want to bring a bottle of water and a towel too.  

What Are The Workouts like?

Each workout is different, but there are some elements that are common to each. The Q (nickname for the person leading the workout) will start the workout by giving a welcome to the PAX (nickname for the guys at the workout).  After a quick F3 disclaimer, we will do a warm-up and then go into the exercises.  All of our workouts will start on time and end on time, so you don’t have to worry about being late for work.  We do sometimes hang around in the parking lot and drink coffee afterwards (called coffeeteria), but that’s totally optional.

How Tough Is The Workout?

The workout can be as difficult or as easy as you like.  Each person can vary the intensity of the workout on their own. When you are first starting, it is important to remember to MODIFY as needed during the workouts. If you want to go harder – go harder. If you have not exercised in a long time, slow down. if you get to the point where you need to take a break, take a break.  Don’t hurt yourself, or even worse, get discouraged. Just show up, work hard and give it your best. That is all that matters. We are not here competing against one another.  We have guys here of every size, weight, and frame.  The F3 credo is “Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you find him.

How Many Guys Are Typically At A Workout?

We typically have 5 to 15 guys at our workouts.  But as F3 Spring Hill becomes more popular, we are seeing more attendance.  In fact, we’ve been seeing FNG’s (Friendly New Guys) every week for the last few months.