Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49er's (yes, the same team that Jarryd Hayne briefly guest starred in) quarterback, became a household name in 2016 when he took a knee during the American national anthem, a move that was designed to protest racial injustice in the US. The polarizing gesture was met with both extreme praise and condemnation, and even drew reactions from President Donald Trump.
"I think there’s a lot of consequences that come along with this," Kaepernick said to ESPN at the time. "There’s a lot of people that don’t want to have this conversation. They’re scared they might lose their job. Or they might not get the endorsements. They might not be treated the same way. Those are things I’m prepared to handle. Things that other people might not be ready for. It’s just a matter of where you’re at in your life. Where your mind is at. At this point, I’ve been blessed to be able to get this far and have the privilege of being able to be in the NFL, making the kind of money I make and enjoy luxuries like that."
That is the extremely short version of an incredibly delicate conversation, and the controversy is believed to have put his NFL career in jeopardy, with Kaepernick now a free agent heading into the 2018/19 season.
However Colin has been thrust back into the spotlight this week as the face of Nike’s 30th Anniversary ‘Just Do It’ campaign.
“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” reads the slogan, referencing Kaepernick’s activism and resulting fallout with the NFL.
Once again, opinion has been extremely split on the campaign, with many applauding the creative and ballsy move by Nike. However others have responded by burning their kicks (including this muppet who burnt them while they were on his feet… karma?).
Regardless of your political standpoint when it comes to his activism, Kaepernick is undoubtedly an athlete of strength, morally and physically, and continues to train like one.
Aside from his 'field’ sessions, Kap takes to the gym, enjoying a cheeky chest, back and arm session just like the rest of us. In search of the workouts that get the athlete slash activist pumped up, we went on deep scroll through his social media to get tips from the man himself, and we stumbled upon one that any man with access to a gym can complete.
Sure to build the upper body strength of an NFL player, it's BYO moral strength and motivation on this one, sorry lads. However if activism is your goal, hit this workout first, take a shower and read up on other ways you can leave the world a better place than you found it.
Kap's Upper Body Strength Workout
Go for three rounds, of 8-12 reps for each movement.
- Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
- Cable Row
- Cable Chest Fly
- Cable Tricep Extension
- Single Arm Dumbbell Bicep Curl
