Steve's Club

Adversity

Strength:  Weighted Pull-up – 1 rep on the minute for 8 minutes (weighted/deadhang/band assisted)

Metcon – 10 Rounds For Time:

5 Ring Dips (3w)
10 Situps
20 Double Unders

The following comes from a book I've just started to read (and enjoying it greatly) by Ken Rolf titled "Your Greatest Victory:"

“I can honestly say, from the bottom of my heart, I have never had a crisis in my life or a setback thatʼs not made me stronger, and itʼs turned out to be a positive thing in my life -- if I reacted positively to it. And many times I feel that the adversity and the setbacks that you experience are preparing you for something bigger and better, so when you get in that situation, or even a tougher one in the future, youʼll be able to handle it.”

—Lou Holtz 
   
Great read for coaches - http://www.yourgreatestvictory.com/

 

Check it out: 

Paleo Pals by Sarah Fragoso

Energy

Strength:  Power Clean 1 rep on the minute for 8 minutes @ 80%

Metcon – 5 Rounds For Time:

12 Wallballs
12 Toes to Bar

“Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets. We attempt nothing great but from a sense of the difficulties we have to encounter; we persevere in nothing great but from a pride in overcoming them."

-William Hazlitt

Leaders of tomorrow.

Strength:  Push Press 1-1-1-1-1

Metcon – AMRAP 8 Minutes:

5 Hang Squat Snatch (95/65)
10 Box Jumps (24/20)
100m Run

EC:  6×30 second plank hold

Sometimes you just need to put kids in leadership roles and get the #$#% out of the way. That is exactly what I did today. I selected 3 SC athletes today who have shown strong committment to the program over last few months and who all fully grasp the standards of all the movements in CrossFit. Without any notice, I politely told the three of them that they were running class today. Rather than hold their hand and baby them through their first coaching experience, I gave them full reign to teach the class on their own. I went to the back of the room and stood out of their way.

After calming everyone down and taking control of the room, Danny, CJ and Kevin all went through the warm-up with the class before explaining the task at hand and demonstrating each of the movements to be performed in the workout. Depsite a little pre-workout party of everyone getting all hyped up and loud, they regained control and demanded everyone's attention. Then each athlete was asked to set up their own individual station which included a pylo box and a bar (or a dumbell). 

The workout went smooth and the aftermath showed everyone layed out on the floor after giving the workout everything they had left in them (see pic above of Justin). 

It was impressive to see Danny, CJ and Kevin all step up and take charge of the class. I could also tell they all felt a little taller afterwards and more confident as a result of this experience. 

SCNP Local Clubs: Exercising body, mind and spirit.

Strength:  Front Squat 1 Rep Max

Metcon – For Time:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

KB Swings (53/35)
Pullups 

Via Steve's Club National Program blog:

'Sports has to be the most convergent of all human activities because athletes know that there is no fundamental difference between body, mind, and spirit. To be truly great, an athlete must develop all three together, exercise them all together, and bring the strength of all of them to bear on the contest. Only then is greatness possible, and only then does victory have universal meaning because it reflects the fullness and richness of the human heart."
Muhammad Ali

Steve’s Club National Program understands that a kid’s personal development rests not just on the development of strength through Sport, but – as Ali put it – it’s about the development of body, mind and spirit. When we do our job right, we’re exercising “all three together.”

Steve’s Club National Program has several local clubs that are dedicated to that idea, and we want to recognize their great work.

The Girard Academic Movement Program
South Philadelphia, PA
http://themovementprogram.com/

This Local Club was started by Brian Terpak, a teacher at the Girard Academic Music Program, a magnet school in South Philadelphia. He’s a Crossfit L1 trainer with additional certs in Olympic lifting and Mobility, and has built his program using the school cafeteria space, where he trains a group of kids after school.

Brian uses “the principles of CrossFit to inspire and invigorate the bodies and minds” of his students. What his program is all about:

“We move to build. We build muscles and invigorate spirits. We build dreams and conquer nightmares. We build community and develop selflessness. We build faith and abandon despair. We are The Movement Program.”

 

Covington Youth Strength and Conditioning
Covington, KY
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covington-Youth-Strength-and-Conditioning/241765949218939

This Local Club, spearheaded by Laura Cook of CrossFit Covington, started with an open house back in November to get the community involved.

Laura says of the program, “The community not only acts as a positive support but provides youth with role models, and guidance. As an affiliate we are very excited to share our passion for fitness with youth and watch as this program positively effects one youth at a time...”

It’s truly amazing to see our National Program thrive in so many different parts of the country. Those who have been inspired to start Local Clubs are uniquely acquainted with the needs and challenges of the kids they serve, and are able to address those needs with a perceptive and willing spirit while helping kids to develop in body, mind and spirit.

For information on starting your own Local Club, see our Local Clubs page!

 

Hand up, not a hand out.

Strength:  Weighted Pullup 1-1-1-1-1

Metcon – 3 Rounds For Time:

50 Double Unders
10 DB Push Press (#45)
20 Reverse Lunges

Danny is 14 yrs old, weighs 130 lbs, has been doing CrossFit for just over 1 year! (video below)

 

"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch"

Even if something appears to be free there is always a cost to the person or society as a whole even though that cost may be hidden or distributed. For example, a bar offering a free lunch to patrons will likely charge more for its drinks. Individual or a groups can also get a free lunch from a public good (i.e. national defense, welfare), but of course we know someone has to pay the cost of producing these benefits.

In other words, if somone gets something at no cost, somebody else ends up paying for it. If there appears to be no direct cost to any single individual, a cost always comes to society. 

I have a major issue when someone exploits chances to get something for free. This bothers me a great deal. Another name for this person is a free loader, a mooch or a free rider. These people have no problem living off of other people's lives, rarely pay for stuff and never pay people back. They expect things for free and think they should get everything on a silver platter without earning it. Anyone who falls into this class by taking advantage of people or systems are lazy, worthless bums in my opinion.

The only time something is truly free is when it has no value. 

"More government is not what is needed to fix what is wrong with the inner-cities and urban plight. Through action of individuals with the heart and fortitude to bring change to a handful of people, entire neighborhoods can be transformed. This goes to the heart of the matter. Teach the individuals in that community how to succeed and give them a hand up, not a hand out. Start with the youth and they will lead the masses. With the youth of Camden, NJ., Steve is doing just that. CrossFit is the perfect tool. Smoke your Brain, Heart and Body... come out stronger."   Joey Powell, CrossFitter

Every youth needs a role model.

Strength:  Overhead Squat 3 Reps on the minute for 8 minutes @ 50%

Metcon – AMRAP 12 Minutes:

5 SDHP (95/65)
10 Box Jumps (24/20)
1 Rope Climb

Young people need role models. It is that simple and straightforward. Hopefully "Mom" and/or "Dad" acts as the role model(s) for his child but sadly that does not always happen. There are many deadbeat dads (and moms) out there whom are too busy or could care less to take an active interest in their child's life. This is a tradegy and largely contributes, in my opinion, to many of the issues in society today caused by those screwed up and mentally disturbed individuals that make it their calling to committ crimes and treat others like dirt.

When there is a void in the family unit growing up, the chances of issues arising in the child's life greatly increases down the road. In other words, when young kids don't get the proper love and care they need, strange things happen later in life in an effort to release their anger and frustration. 

For the unfortunate kids that don't have a role model in their family household, these same kids turn to outside sources to find one. For most kids, this is usually a professional athlete, rap star, a peer, an older friend/kid or in the worst case a gang leader who appears on the surface to have it all.

I think everyone can agree the best role models for our youth are parents, teachers, coaches, older siblings, and successful leaders in the community.  

The goal of every adult should be to be a great role model to younger kids and especially our own children. If we fail at this, there is little hope for our youth of the future. 

Steve's Club Camden and KOP joins CrossFit Kandahar on MLK Day

HERO WOD “Jack”

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
10 push presses (115lbs)
10 kettlebell swings (55lbs)
10 box jumps (24″)

We did a group workout today bringing together the kids from Steve's Club King Of Prussia and Steve's Club Camden. The workout was skyped/telecasted to troops in Kandahar, Afganistan who did the workout along with us (It was 11pm in Afghanistan). After the workout the kids wrote letters and we will send it all in a care package. We also sent - per their request -a most needed set of supplies gym chalk, PaleoKits, etc. Such a memorable event! 

“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Play well with others.

Strength:  Press 5×3

Metcon – 3 Rounds For NOT FOR TIME:

5 Muscle-ups/Strict Deadhangs
20 Push Press (#25/15)
10 Pistols

Learning to play well with others on the school playground is a highly underrated real world skill for youngsters. Go to most grade schools during recess and you'll witness a complete grab bag of kiddies with a mix of personalities. You'll find the whiner, the athletic kid, the selfish kid, the funny kid, the smart kid, the nice kid, the kid that loves to hug and kiss everyone and of course the big bad bully. Of course, I'm over generalizing here but you get the point. 

I will go out on a limb here and say that the kids whom play most well together and those most cordial on the playground are usually the ones likely to be most successful later in the life. Indeed I have no proof or numbers to back up my bold statement, but I do strongly believe that learning to play well with others early in life proves to be a highly useful quality for those wishing to maintain successful careers and healthy relationships with co-workers, family and friends. 

As an employer, I would much rather hire a person with average intelligence who gets along great with others rather than a super smart, bull headed individual whom believes he or she is always right and can never do any wrong.  Despite how talented or smart that person may be, the major flaw of not working well with others can be very difficult to overcome and become a big enough downfall as to bring down the entire company. 

Since many of the kids who train at Steve's Club share the common bond of working out together, there is a strong sense of community between our walls that encourages everyone to be friends while they share their hearts and souls with one another battling through workouts some days which seem insurmountable at the start.   

 

 

Steve’s Club Strength: Diversity!

Strength:  Barbell Rows 6×3

Metcon – “Helen”

3 Rounds For Time:

400m Run
21 KB Swings (53/35)
12 Pullups

One of the most amazing things about our Steve’s Club community is its diversity. No one kid is just like the other, whether that be in cultural background, interests, talents or life goals.

It never fails that, when we chat with our Steve’s Club athletes, we learn something new. Often it’s an unexpected moment – in the course of normal conversation a kid will share a tradition or thought that is as enlightening as it is culturally unique.

We have learned through experience that the most enriching moments of our lives have been those sudden realizations that you’ve been lucky enough to learn something that day.

Recently one of our Steve's Club Fire-breathers, Danny, came in at 1pm. Danny is an amazing athlete and a huge asset to Steve's Club.

We were surprised because it was a school day, and typically the Steve's Club class is from 4-5pm. We love that Danny knows he's always welcome to come to the gym (and that Steve and Lee are always here)! But of course, we had to ask him...why aren’t you in school today?

Danny explained that his family celebrates "Three Kings Day," a Puerto Rican holiday. This was new to us, and we knew it was probably new to others as well – and this lesson would interest more folks than just the ones in the room at the time!

Three Kings Day, Danny said, is a Christian celebration of when Kings from afar visited Jesus after he was born to present him with gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

Danny writes:

"In my family we celebrate Three Kings Day and we take off from school and work, just to be with our family. When I was little, we did this tradition where we would put grass and water for the camels and the Three Kings would bring us a gift. For my family it's like another day of Christmas. The Three Kings Day is the day that they followed the light in the sky that led them to where Jesus was, and the world brought presents and blessings to him. That's what my family celebrates and believes in."

While Steve’s Club always seeks to explore, learn, and share the extraordinary and diverse traditions, ideas and interests of our athletes, sometimes we’re lucky enough to simply learn them organically. It’s one of our greatest strengths, and part of what makes our work so rewarding.

Thanks for sharing, Danny! 

 

What makes a coach great?

Strength:  Back Squat 1 Rep Max

Metcon:

500m Row

Followed by:

3 x 3 minute AMRAPS

10 Pushups
25 Double Unders

EC: Tabata Plank Holds

"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care" - Don Swartz

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. It is very true and especially relevant when it comes to (good) coaching. There is no doubt that having the necessary knowledge and skill set is a "must have" requirement to being a great coach. A coach must possess a thorough understanding of the game or task at hand before effectively teaching and motivating his or her players to become better athletes on and off the court. Getting to know each player on a personal level is paramount to ensuring a high level of success and to help the team realize their full potential. 

But despite how much the coach may know and how much experience he has, there also must be a baseline level of respect established for each another, in addition to establishing a mutual agreement in which the coach is genuinely interested in helping the athlete and team as a whole succeed. This part can't be faked. If so, all else fails and the players risk playing only to thier own ability without ever realizing their full potential.  

I have noticied this be true for all of the coaches I played for in the past, as well as my past school teachers. 

What I have found is the best coaches and trainers are not always the most knowledgable and smartest people in the room. Instead the best trainers and coaches are the ones that best reach their athletes/students by taking an active and genuine interest in helping them develop and succeed in sport and life. The ones that truly care the most make the best coaches and are the ones we usually remember for a lifetime.