F3 stands for Fitness, Fellowship & Faith.  We train our BODIES for Fitness daily by doing merkins, monkey humpers, and mary during workouts. We train our HEARTS in Fellowship by investing in each other and challenging each other to be better fathers, husbands, and friends. And we train our SPIRIT in discussions about Faith and serving a greater being/purpose than ourselves.  Each of these three facets of F3 share something in common… they all require a high level of MENTAL TOUGHNESS to achieve success in them.  The correlation is simple, the STRONGER your mental game is, the better chance you have to achieve these goals (all goals, really). The WEAKER it is, well, leave it to lady luck to take you to where you want to be. So before we put a lid on 2016, YHC has one question for you…

“HOW MENTALLY TOUGH ARE YOU? “

But save your answer… Don’t tell me, YHC doesn’t want to hear it. In fact don’t show me either, YHC doesn’t need to see it. But do YOURSELF a solid and answer the question for yourself… How MENTALLY TOUGH are you? When’s the last time you pushed yourself to the absolute limit in a F3 workout without needing a Q to motivate you? Do you have the mental fortitude to meet the ambitious goals you have set out to achieve in 2017 or do you expect them to just happen all by themselves?

The phrase “mind over matter” means the ability to use willpower to overcome physical problems. After all, it’s proven the brain controls the muscles. YHC isn’t the only one to believe it. Read this:

• “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something. You can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha
• “Your mind will quit a thousand times before you body will. Feel the fear and do it anyway.” – Cristina Ortiz

ON TO THE PREBLAST…

SO WHERE IS YHC GOING WITH ALL OF THIS?  It’s simple… Friday @The Brave this week isn’t about who’s the fastest, fittest, or strongest, it’s about the opportunity to measure where YOUR mental toughness is, providing an arena for the challenge (Ballantyne Village Parking Deck), in the best workout format for a test, the AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible). With the AMRAP it’s YOU vs YOU, and you’re not limited by anyone else’s desire and abilities, but your own.  Too easy? … Push yourself harder. How bad do you want it?…Only you will know.

This Friday @ The Brave happens to be the 6-month anniversary of the decommissioning of the TOUGHEST workout in all of F3 Nation, Metro’s “THE MUTHASHIP”, an AMRAP 12 story parking deck workout crafted to develop/test mental toughness.  Some of you probably have heard YHC rant about that 12 story concrete behemoth of a parking deck that lured men of all regions Uptown every Monday. YHC won’t rant anymore about it… you can read the link to the BackBlast from the last time we did a workout like this here: http://f3nation.com/2016/06/29/the-brave-tribute-to-the-muthaship/

We’ll simulate The Muthaship workout as best as possible in the 4-story Ballantyne Village Parking Deck this Friday.  YHC did this workout in the Summer on the 1yr anniversary of YHC in F3 Nation, and 6 months later we’re doing it again. Pebbles called it the toughest workout he’s done in F3, Frasier liked it so much he requested we run it back in cooler weather, and everyone else hated it so good. YHC aims to please so it’s baaack.

The Thang…

This time, we’ll run this SOLO… (unless you really miss the 3X partner carries up the hotboxes staircase)

1) 5:15am START: 25 Spartan-style chest-to-ground burpees in Vine parking lot

2) Sprint to lowest level of Ballantyne Village Parking Deck (enter down the steep grassy hill on the left leading to the base of the parking deck, not through main car entrance): 40 Hip Slappers on garage wall (20 each side)

3) Run all levels up to top of deck alternating BACKWARDS RUN FIRST on first ramp, then FORWARDS RUN on next.

4) Down the staircase on the LEFT (farthest from Movies), and CLIMB DOWN & UP STAIRS 3X (210 steps = 12 flights) – use the OUTSIDE lane going UP, and INSIDE lane going down… just like driving around 485

5) At top of the deck: perform 5 BURPEES + CRAB WALK the straightaway + 5 BURPEES (head towards the stairwell closest to the movies)

6) Down the staircase on the LEFT (closest to Movies), and CLIMB DOWN & UP STAIRS 3X (210 steps = 12 flights) – use the OUTSIDE lane going UP, and INSIDE lane going down… just like driving around 485

7) Back down staircase to the bottom, run to the TOP of the grassy hill you initially ran down and start step #2 again. That’s 1 Lap… how many can you complete? #REPEATO #AMRAP #YOUvsYOU

8) 6:12am – stop wherever you are and head back to The Vine parking lot for COT, and Virtual Trophy Award presentation.

*This time YHC will provide ORANGE CONES to help since these steps are soooooo complicated*

YHC hopes to see you all out there Friday. Hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas.

SYITG ~ J.R.R. Tolkien