Strength: Power Snatch – 7×1 (warmup, then build up to a heavy single completing 7 total reps)
Metcon - 12 Minute AMRAP:
5 Deadlifts (75% of 1RM)
10 Pistols (Alternating)
100m Run
30 seconds rest after each completed round
All of us at Steve's Club National Program want to congratulate one of our athletes, Kevin, on a major life accomplishment: He's graduating from High School!
Kevin moved to the United States in 2005 from Puerto Rico, and has been working out with Steve’s Club Camden since 2011. His neighborhood reflects some of the challenges we see many Steve’s Club athletes facing. Kevin says:
“My neighborhood is kinda violent. Every now and then there is a robbery and drug related problem ... Steve’s Club has been a positive thing in my life by keeping me off the streets.”
Our National Program Director, Lee Knight, sees the mission of Steve’s Club in Kevin:
“Kevin is a good example of why Steve’s Club is important. He was getting into trouble at school, got into a few fights, and it seemed possible that he’d let the attitude of his neighborhood prevail.
“Now he comes to Steve’s Club and is excited to share things that happen in school, as well as new PRs in the gym. His successes in CrossFit carry over to a feeling of pride in himself and his accomplishments.“
Kevin, mid-workout
Steve's Club isn't just about the Sport of Fitness; it's about bringing the values of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to everyday life. What we see in the gym is often a reflection of what happens in the outside world.
Kevin is no exception.
Steve Liberati, who started the first Steve’s Club in Camden, NJ, believes Kevin has achieved so much in the gym based on dedication, follow-through, and one of our Steve's Club Values: Discipline.
Discipline: Work hard, be dedicated, commit to excellence.
“On most days Kevin walks to Steve's Club which is about a 45 minute walk from his house,” Steve says. “This really says a lot about the person Kevin is and shows his commitment, drive and dedication to Steve's Club.”
“As a result of his hard work and determination, he can now do advanced exercises such as rope climbs, handstand pushups, ring dips, pullups and muscle-ups. I have seen Kevin make a major transformation both physically and interpersonally.”
Kevin’s accomplishments didn't come easy: according to Lee, he came to Steve’s Club early, stayed late, and did the work necessary to reach his goal. In the span of one month, Kevin went from being unable to do a single pull-up to doing thirty chest-to-bar pullups during the 2012 CrossFit Open thanks to his self-starting attitude and willingness to put in the daily work.
Other Steve’s Club kids look to Kevin as a role model. His great attitude, Steve says, can turn negatives into positives; and he inspires others to work hard in school, at work, and in life.
Kevin and Steve's Club Teammate CJ
One of Kevin’s mentors, John Costa, is a member of CrossFit Tribe (which shares space with Steve’s Club) and sees Kevin as “the hope other at-risk teens need. Other teens need to see kids like Kevin and understand there is more than just the streets. He has shown many athletes who are now part of Steve’s Club a different way of life; one full of determination – which is followed by success.”
“Kevin's progress spans past a set of rings and a barbell.”
We are so proud of Kevin's work both inside and outside the gym. Check out his athlete profile below, along with the video of his first Muscle Up!
Steve's Club Athlete Profile
Name: Kevin A.
Local Steve's Club: Steve’s Club Camden/CrossFit Tribe
Date started CrossFit: May 2011
Favorite WOD or exercise: Muscle Ups, Deadlifts, Clean and Jerk
Grace Time: 4:48 rx’d
What are the proudest CF moments you’ve had so far?
The proudest CrossFit moments I’ve had so far are my first muscle up, getting a PR on my deadlift (365 lbs) and doing “Grace” in 4:48.
Which one of the Steve's Club Values is most important to you?
Teamwork is the most important Steve’s Club value to me.
Tell us about your school goals and your CrossFit goals. Did you achieve them?
My goal was to graduate high school, and my CrossFit goal was a muscle up. I’m proud to say I achieved both in the same week.
What are your new goals?
My personal goal is to go to college and get a major in computer engineering. My new goal in CrossFit is to get butterfly pullups.
The greatest discovery any outsider could make about Camden is it's overriding response to failure: If it didn’t work last year, do it AGAIN this year (and if possible do it MORE).
Every year they pass more laws, hire more police, build more prisons, and sentence more offenders for longer periods-all without moving one inch closer to “ending” crime. If it didn’t work last year or the year before that or the year before that or the year before that, but you can be sure we’ll try it again this year, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that it won’t work this year either.
Every year they spend more money on schools, hoping to “fix” whatever’s wrong with them, and every year the schools remain stubbornly unfixed. Spending money didn’t work last year or the year before that or the year before that, but you can be sure we’ll try it again this year, knowing beyond shadow of a doubt that it won’t work this year either.
Every year they try to make the criminals go away, and every year they remain with us. We couldn’t shoehorn these criminals back into the “the mainstream” last year or the year before that or the year before that or the year before that, but you can be sure we’ll try it again this year, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that it won’t work this year either.
Maybe its time to TRY something DIFFERENT.
Afterall, IF Camden is saved, it will not be saved by old minds with new programs but by new minds with no programs at all.
Much of my inspiration comes from Daniel Quinn in "Ishmael."
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