Before I Became “P.O.”

A Letter to Bob Cline Before His First F3 Workout

By P.O. (with a little help from ChatGPT)

Hey Bob…yeah you Sad Clown,

You have no idea what you’re about to walk into.

Right now, you think you’re just trying a free workout group because you know you need to get back in shape for about the 32nd time in your life and willing to give anything a shot to see if something sticks.

You’ll tell yourself, “Why not? Worst case, maybe I meet a few guys ...fake my way through workout and never go back again.”

What you don’t realize yet is that this one random early morning workout is about to change a lot more than your fitness.

In a few minutes, you’re going to meet a bunch of guys standing around in a parking lot before sunrise, and honestly, it’s going to seem a little weird at first.

One of them named “Golden Pinky” is leading the workout. You’ll find out later he’s actually the Nantan of the group. Don’t really know what that means yet? Don’t worry…you’ll learn soon enough.

For some odd reason, Golden Pinky thinks combining physical exhaustion with F3 trivia is a great idea.

Spoiler alert…none of these guys know the answers.

To be fair to them, the AO (The Green) had only started a few months prior, but Golden Pinky didn’t care.

Wrong Answer…run.
Wrong Answer…run.
Wrong Answer…run again.

Meanwhile, you’re completely gassed and wondering why grown men willingly do this to themselves at 5:30 in the morning.

But here’s the part you don’t know yet...

You’re going to love it. I mean really love it.

Not because of the burpees. Definitely not because of the burpees.

You’re going to love the energy. The encouragement. The joking around between sets. The way complete strangers immediately make you feel like part of the group.

You’re going to realize pretty quickly that this isn’t really about workouts.

It’s about connection.

It’s about accountability.

It’s about men showing up for each other in a world where a lot of guys quietly go through life carrying stress, isolation, pressure, and responsibilities mostly alone.

And somehow, these early mornings are going to help with that.

You’ll find yourself looking forward to it.

You’ll notice your mindset changing.

You’ll still make it home in time to help get the family going in the mornings and your kids are gonna wanna know what drugs those workout guys are giving you for that extra early morning energy you have now.

Now, I know you’ve never really seen yourself as a leader, but when you find something you truly believe in…you don’t exactly dip your toe in the water, do you?!

Nope, you cannonball straight into the deep end.

And that’s exactly what’s about to happen here.

Instead of easing into F3 like a sane person, you’re going to sign up for your VQ just 23 days after your first workout.

Which, at the time, was apparently borderline insane.

You barely know the exercises. Your cadence will be questionable at best. You’ll probably think every exercise starts with yelling “GO.”

But you’ll do it anyway.

And honestly, that’s kind of the point.

F3 has a funny way of helping men discover more in themselves than they expected.

You think you’re joining a workout group.

What you’re actually finding is friendships, leadership opportunities, confidence, consistency, and a community that’s going to become a meaningful part of your life for years.

So go ahead and show up tomorrow morning, Bob.

You’re tired.
You’re unsure.
You’re probably going to get absolutely smoked…no, you WILL get smoked!!!

But trust me...

It’ll be one of the better decisions you ever make.

Oh and yeah…about that leader you never really saw in yourself? The one that little voice in the back of your head kept whispering about?

How does Nant'an of F3 Austin sound?

Proud of ya, Bob Cline!!

All love man......signed,

P.O.