How ‘fitness, fellowship and faith’ help keep these Beaufort men in shape, connected

You have to be up early to catch the Beaufort F3 men’s workout group, but you don’t necessarily have to be in shape.

Since July, Beaufort has been host to a chapter of F3 Nation, a network of small workout groups for men who focus on the three “f’s” — fitness, fellowship and faith.

For Clark Robinson, it started as a way to keep up with some fellow Citadel grads he noticed were in better shape now than they were in college decades ago.

“We were reunited at a fish camp a couple of years ago and I asked ‘what are you guys doing?’” he said.

The answer was that the men were part of a nearby group who met early in the morning for military-style workouts and the sharing of prayers. An F3 chapter was already in Charleston as an offspring of the first group that started in Charlotte in 2006.

Robinson admits to also being attracted to the idea of dropping the gym membership for a free workout. He began forming a Beaufort-based group modeled on the one in Charleston and ones in Hilton Head and Bluffton.

So for the last six months or so, Robinson and a handful of other men who found out about the group through word-of-mouth have met at 5:30 a.m., every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday near the anchor at the Waterfront Park for strength training, exercises and yes, fellowship.

“I thought the early start would kill me, but the workout days are the days I end up getting the most done,” said Robinson. “It’s affected all aspects of my life and made things easier.”

In addition to losing weight while gaining muscle, Robinson has found his voice as a leader of men.

The F3 approach encourages different leaders for each meeting, and every member gets a chance to help develop and call out exercises that range from pushups and back planks to burpees, a customized squat thrust, and something called an “Al Gore,” which involves hugging a tree from a squat position. No one is a professional trainer, but all the participants have goals — from shedding unwanted pounds to competing in triathlons.

There’s also the concept of using nicknames for members based on how they describe themselves to the rest of the group.

An insulation salesman, for instance, might get the name “Itchy.”

Another member who is not a morning person has earned the name “Sunshine.”

Regardless of names, no member is left behind on a bear crawl.

It’s that camaraderie that keeps them coming back, despite the cold weather and occasional rain.

“I know how good I feel, and I know the guys are expecting me to be there,” said Robinson.

One of those regular guys, Frampton Harper, has also felt the subtle change in energy level and outlook.

“The methods are tried and true, and fitness is certainly a big part of it,” said Harper. “The social aspects, however, are an important part as well.”

Both Harper and Robinson have joined other F3 groups for workouts when visiting places as close as Columbia and as far away as Houston.

The Beaufort group, like all the others, is free to all men regardless of age or ability and always ends with a “circle of trust,” where members share concerns.

There may even be a fourth “F”

“I didn’t expect it to be as much fun as it is,” said Robinson.

With New Year’s coming up, it’s never too late for a fitness and fellowship resolution.

And, 5:30 a.m. may not be too early to find out if he’s right.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "How ‘fitness, fellowship and faith’ help keep these Beaufort men in shape, connected."