Thursday 010308

Today we are employing a drill the CrossFit crew calls the “wall-ball.” The wall-ball drill is
a deep front squat followed through with a push-press and overhead throw. The ball, a
20 lb Dynamax medicine ball should make contact with the wall at about two feet over your
reach and rebound to your hands where you immediately bring the ball back to your chest
and squat to absorb the impact. The movements up and down are mechanically identical.
Stand about 18 inches away from the wall. The idea is to be in constant motion either on
the way up or catching and lowering. The major faults here are either to not squat to
parallel and to let the ball contact with a thud rather than gently absorbing the impact with
the arms and legs.

Run 800 meters.
Stretch for ten minutes.

Wall-ball for 50 throws within 2 minutes.
Immediately do as many pull-ups as possible in five minutes.
Rest 5 minutes.
Wall-ball for 50 throws within 2 minutes.
Immediately do as many pull-ups as possible in five minutes.
Rest 5 minutes.
Wall-ball for 50 throws within 2 minutes.
Immediately do as many pull-ups as possible in five minutes.
Rest 5 minutes.
Run 800 meters.

Stretch for ten minutes.

"Don't worry about upgrading your equipment. Upgrade your body."
-Anonymous cyclist

There are adaptations to endurance training that are inconsistent with the needs
and aims of most athletes. Endurance work is vital, yet must be limited if you want
optimal fitness and health. Here is Dr. Seiler articulating the third wave of adaptation
to endurance training. The adaptation he reviews in this article is essential to elite
endurance performance. Can you explain precisely what it is about this adaptation
that seriously curtails elite high intensity performance?
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/effiperf.htm