[Men's Health] It’s 5:30 a.m. on a Monday in St. Louis, the sun isn’t even a rumor yet, and I’m joining a dozen men in a free outdoor workout group called F3, gathering for what we all hope will be a glorious beatdown.In a public park, we circle Jason Grothe (F3 nickname: Ringer), who has promised to make our lives miserable for the next 45 minutes. He will grunt and groan alongside us—a core principle of F3 is that the rotating volunteer leaders running workouts also suffer.
Ringer’s playlist starts with Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax,” and as the first notes sound, we’re doing jumping jacks. Burpee box jumps and planks follow. Sweat darkens the concrete under a 58-year-old nicknamed Honey Pot, because he’s a beekeeper, and steam pours off a 36-year-old nicknamed Sheldon. “Don’t cheat the man in the mirror,” someone says. Sucking wind, I don’t respond. Doing so would be disingenuous: I’m thinking unkind thoughts about Ringer.
What is F3?
Men across the country are clamoring to be this miserable, with an estimated 20,000 active participants. Think of it as a hyper-positive Fight Club and hipper YMCA. It gives you up to 15 supportive guys in every workout. To “join,” just log on to the organization's website, find one of the 1,500 free F3 workouts going on in 30 states every morning, and show up ready to sweat in pursuit of conditioning and community. The workouts are usually boot-camp style (reflecting the military background of one of its cofounders), and they happen outside, rain or shine. Occasionally, cinder blocks, kettlebells, or rucks are on the menu; most often, it’s just you versus your body weight.
Organization's web site found at this link.