F3 Naperville Background and History

What is F3?

F3 is a national network of free, peer-led workouts for men held outdoors throughout the entire year.

What is the Mission of F3?

The Mission of F3 is to PLANT, GROW and SERVE small workout groups for men to INVIGORATE MALE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.

Who can participate in F3?

Any man of any fitness level. The age of F3 participants ranges from teenagers to men in their 60s, 70s and, even, 80s! On occasion the workouts are also open to the kids (daughters and sons – whom we call our “2.0s”) of F3 participants.

There is no requirement for membership other than that you show up at the appointed time and place and follow what the workout leader (the “Q” in F3 lingo) does.

Brief History of F3:

F3 started in 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has grown to more than 300 regions across more than 45 states. There are over 3,700 scheduled workouts per week through the volunteer efforts of men whose lives have been changed by their involvement with the group. In late 2017, F3 came to Naperville, and it has grown drastically since being first introduced to the region. Over 1,500 men have participated in an F3 Naperville workout.

But, F3 is more than just about workouts. Since opening the Naperville region, the men of F3 Naperville have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for not-for-profit and community-service entities and organized numerous volunteer opportunities for the men of F3, and their families, to give back to Naperville and the surrounding communities.

What do the three Fs in our name stand for?

FITNESS

The “1st F” is about leading a health active life. Workouts are open to all men of all fitness levels. The workouts are peer-led and designed to be challenging for all participants. The motto of F3 workouts is that we will not leave any man behind, and we will not leave any man where we find him. All workouts start as a group, and all workouts end with the same group.

FELLOWSHIP

The “2nd F” is about the bonds of genuine friendship formed during the predawn hours (or “Gloom” as we call it) when workouts are held and the strengthening of those bonds through social gatherings, races, competitions and endurance challenges. Many men come for the 1st F, but end up staying involved in F3 because of the 2nd F.

FAITH

The “3rd F” is about our belief that we are not the center of the universe. F3 is NOT a religious organization, but we challenge each other to believe in an live for something bigger than ourselves.

Check out the F3 Naperville Foundation. It is the non-for-profit 501 C3 arm of our region and helps us organize our yearly 5K and fundraising endeavors.  – https://f3naperville.com/foundation/

F3’s Five Core Principles:

  1. All workouts are free.
  2. Open to all men.
  3. Held outdoors, rain or shine, hot or cold.
  4. Peer-led in a rotating fashion; and
  5. Always ending in a “Circle of Trust.”

Ok, so I joined a workout, and I want to come back for more …

Now that you’ve made the choice to join F3, here are a few more details to make your onboarding a bit easier. Below are a bunch of links and tools that you might find useful:

FNG On Boarding Page

Website: https://f3naperville.com/fng/onboarding/

The website is the best place to find details about F3 Naperville, including the workout schedule (dates, times, locations, etc.), “Pre-Blasts” (F3 lingo for a workout preview), “Back-Blasts (F3 lingo for a summaries of the workouts), and other information about special events.

F3 Nation Website

Website: https://f3nation.com/

The national website provides additional information about the origins of F3, our core principles and locations for workouts across the nation. You can also find the “Lexicon” link to assist you in deciphering F3 terminology you will hear, routinely, at workouts. There is also an “Exicon” link to help you understand the interesting names assigned to the many exercises performed. The national website also contains video clips from various workouts that illustrate how F3 workouts operate.