Workout of the Day
Establish 1RM of the following Barbell Complex:
1 deadlift, 3 hang power cleans, 1 jerk
Bent Rows 4 x 10
Situps 4 x 20
Handstand walking practice 3 attempts
The only scheduled event for the day besides our workout was
an afternoon wine tasting trip to the Maipu region just outside Mendoza. Since the last day was such a long
drive, we decided to give everyone a late wakeup call and not get started
training until after 10:00 am.
After a brief conversation with the hotel attendant, Sven and I learned
that there were a few options for gyms in walking distance of the hotel, but no
crossfit boxes. For that matter,
there didn’t seem to be any concrete options for heavy lifting. We decided to check out the place that
was closest to us first, both because of the proximity and the fact that it was
housed in a sports complex. Turned
out to be a good call.
The sports complex housed tennis and soccer clubs, including
a pretty sick looking set of stadium stairs that a few of our group took
advantage of after the workout.
Underneath the stadium we found the gym: a small cement room with
treadmills, free weights, and front desk guy who was willing to work with me. After a little haggling I got him to
agree to let the 20 of us train for the day, take the weights outside in the
sun, and lend us a soccer ball for a little game. Without a doubt, this man gets the award for coolest and
most accommodating Argentine of the trip.
In all, we had access to 5 barbells and plenty of weight. No Olympic bumper plates so dropping
was out of the question, but that wasn’t a problem for most in our group. The nature of the complex kind of
forced us to be conservative with the loads. The best part of this WOD was the location. We set the bars up adjacent to the
stadium stairs right beneath an enormous crest celebrating the soccer
club. The sun was blazing and the
sky was bluer than blue. The more
experienced lifters kept circulating to give tips and coaching to those who
needed it, making this day one of the most teachable of the trip.
Upon concluding the lifting we separated into teams of 4 and
played some soccer on the mini field nearby. It was astro turf and right by the street so we did our best
to control the competitive impulses, but you could see how easily taken away
people get in the current of the game.
Man was this fun. People
were screaming and cheering like they were back at the Bocca Juniors game and
really playing hard. It was a
great example of how the best plans are sometimes the ones made on the
fly. Nothing that happened at this
complex was pre-determined, all happened spontaneously.
We grabbed a quick lunch then reconvened at the hotel before
getting picked up to go wine tasting.
The first winery we stopped at was extremely commercial, and the most
well-known and oldest winery in the region. It was housed in town on a huge property of vats, museums,
and machinery. To be honest, this
was a cool insight into the business of wine making but not the most beautiful
example of it. The second place we
stopped could not have been more different. A family winery that only produces bottles for sale locally,
this place was out in the country amongst the vineyards and much more in
keeping with my idea of traditional wine culture. We were led through the different rooms and cellars where
the grapes are pressed, sifted, filtered, strained, fermented, and aged. The care taken during this process is
impressive to say the least. These
people are extremely meticulous, patient, and, more than anything, in love with
their craft. The lot of us bought
bottles before leaving.
We wrapped up the day cooking for ourselves in the backyard
pool/barbeque setup at the hotel.
Easily the most enjoyable meal of the trip thus far. Ryan, Sunny, Erik, and Ben teamed up to
grill the meat and vegetables while the rest of us sipped beer and wine and
rehashed the day. Even the Bocca
match doesn’t measure up to this day for me. Such a complete and fulfilling experience to get to train,
play, and learn so much in such a sort span. Tomorrow we head through the Andes toward Santiago, the part
of the trip I’ve been looking forward to more than anything. Going to be a great run!
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