Wednesday's Workout

It feels like it's been forever since I last worked out. Sure, it was only a week and a half ago, and I've been engaged in a fair amount of strenuous physical activity (namely, carrying small children around Disneyland and the CrossFit Games in the sweltering heat). And I'm still dutifully cranking out push-ups every day as part of our 100-day push-up challenge. But it wasn't the same as pushing through a workout at CrossFit Palo Alto with the rest of the 5 a.m. crew.

I was particularly excited to get to the gym to check out the new Rogue pull-up rig that Tim and others installed last week. Would we get to do pull-ups today?

I hoped so. Pull-ups are infinitely preferable to box jumps or double-unders right now. Unfortunately, my left Achilles tendon and calf continue to bug me. Until further notice, I'm going to have to refrain from jumping off my left leg, and generally take it easier on myself. (For me, sadly, that's easier said than done.)

Strength Skill:

• Kettlebell Cleans & Presses (5-5-5-5-5)

This has quickly become one of my favorite movements. Before we left for SoCal, I'd practiced cleans and presses at home, and found myself missing my kettlebells while we were traveling. So I was happy that we kicked off our homecoming workout with KB cleans and presses -- even though I was sweating profusely by the time I wrapped up my final set. Twenty-five reps per side doesn't sound like much, but I certainly felt toasty afterwards.

Metcon:

No pull-ups!

For time:

3 rounds of:

• 20 medicine ball snatches (20lb / 14lb)
• 10 medicine ball V-ups

Then, 3 rounds of:

• 20 wall balls
• 20 Russian twists

Yeesh. The last time we did something similar, I wrote that the "wall balls continue to magically suck the energy out of my body," and today was no different. Tim noticed that my knees were collapsing inward during the squat portion of the wall balls, though, which may explain why I continue to be terrible at this movement. I tried keeping an image of Tommy Hackenbruck's Karen performance in my head for inspiration, but it didn't take.

Result: 10:52 as RXed. We'll get 'em next time.

Wednesday's Workout: Balls to the Wall

Medicine balls. Why'd it have to be medicine balls?

But first:

• Overhead Squats (5-5-5-3-3)

These felt great this morning. It's been a few months since we last practiced overhead squats, but I felt strong and stable through my midline. I kept it light and easy today, but I'm hoping to establish a new PR later in this cycle.

Metcon:

• 50 double unders
• 21 wallball shots
• 21 medicine ball cleans
• 21 medicine ball sit-ups
• 15 wallball shots
• 15 medicine ball cleans
• 15 medicine ball sit-ups
• 9 wallball shots
• 9 medicine ball cleans
• 9 medicine ball sit-ups
• 50 double unders

The first set of double-unders flew by. The final set? Not so much. And in between, the wallballs kicked the snot out of me. I wasn't bothered by the med ball sit-ups, but the cleans were tougher than I expected -- probably because I was still reeling from the wallballs.

It's a good reminder that something as simple as a stuffed ball can be a brutally effective training tool.

Result: 11:42 as RXed.

Take Me Out to the Mesoamerican Ballgame

Medicine balls are fun to heave against a wall (note: not really), but what else can you do with a heavy ball?

Well, we could always try to revive the ancient Mesoamerican game of "pitz" (as it was known to Mayans). It is, after all, the first team sport in human history.

The precise rules of the game -- which was first played over three thousand years ago -- are lost to history, but evidence suggests that pitz was similar to volleyball – using rubber balls of different size -- and weighing 9 pounds or more. Two teams consisting of 2 to 4 players each would face off on a walled ballcourt, using their hips, forearms, racquets and bats to try to keep the ball in play. Points were scored by striking the opposing team’s wall with the ball -- but teams could be penalized if they allowed the ball to touch the ground more than once.

Later variations of the game included a stone ring mounted high up on the side of the court; a team could win the game outright by getting the ball through the ring. By 300 B.C., pitz was being played throughout much of what is now Mexico.

Sounds fun, right?

Unfortunately, there were some downsides.

The game was brutal, and injuries inflicted by the heavy ball were severe. Five hundred years ago, Spanish historian Diego Durán reported that some bruises were so severe that they had to be lanced open. He also reported that players were even killed when the ball "hit them in the mouth or the stomach or the intestines".

Plus: Losers got beheaded.

In the Mayan version of the game, it appears that the captain of the losing team -- and possibly other players, too -- would be decapitated following a loss. And with the Aztec version of pitz, the skulls of losing team members were placed in a “skull rack” next to the court -- and some have suggested that the severed heads were occasionally put in play as balls.

When I count my blessings, I often forget to be thankful for the fact that I'm not an ancient Mesoamerican athlete. My cortisol levels would be through the roof. Also: For practicing wallball shots, Dynamax medicine balls are much easier to grip than bloody heads.