Handstands are not just for aspiring Cirque du Soleil performers. If handstands aren't on your "must-learn" list, your list needs to be refined. When we are babies and toddlers, our brains obviously make the biggest developmental strides in regards to balance, but we can still make great improvements in this area as adults. As sedentary adults, we come to tolerate one position - upright. And sadly, it's usually upright in a seated/slumped position. When we were kids, we jumped on our parents beds, hung upside on monkey bars, did flips on trampolines, fell out of trees...Well maybe we should incorporate a bit more "play" into our workouts, because if we don't use it, we lose it. The vestibular system in our bodies controls the sense of movement and balance. It modifies and coordinates all the information received from other systems, thereby influencing just about everything that we do! If we don't challenge our vestibular system, our balance will continue to get rustier as we age, and the risk of serious falls will increase. What "challenges" the vestibular system? Think gymnastics - anything where you are turning your body around and upside down. Forward rolls, handstands, handstand walks, cartwheels, and GHD sit-ups are all fantastic vestibular exercises to start incorporating. Dr. Gary, who is a member of CrossFit kids, believes that it is extremely important to include vestibular exercise into our programming on a daily basis - for kids, and also for adults. He believes that this greatly enhances brain development. (http://journal.crossfit.com/2011/02/kidsbrainfunction.tpl)

It's a skill that we all can and should practice regularly. In case you are a bit intimidated by the idea of going upside down with your bodyweight in the air, rest assured you are not alone! Most people have to warm up a bit to the idea. Instead of just diving into it, start with these progressions. Begin with getting some body weight into your arms, while turning your head upside down. If you can hold a plank on your hands, (a pushup position), then start elevating your feet onto a box or step. As the box gets higher, actively push your head away from the ground and pike your hips higher into the air, while pulling your tummy in. Think about pushing your head to your knees. If you can hold your body weight on a pretty high box for a while, say 20+ seconds, it's time to start kicking up. Choose a big flat area where you won't knock into anything or anybody! Start with very small kicks - the idea is not to pop right up into a handstand, but to start practicing the balance, timing and confidence of it all. As you experiment, find which leg you prefer to kick with. Train yourself to kick up with that dominant leg, and then to step back down to earth with the same "kicker" leg, rather than than landing heavy with both feet. When you have gotten the hang of kicking up, and coming down safely, start kicking up against a wall. A few things to remember here. First, it should be a wall you don't care about much...and if you share walls with neighbors, they should either be at work or deaf. Second, hands should be at least 6-8 inches away from the wall. You want to be able to lean slightly into the wall when inverted. Third, when you are inverted, maintain an active shoulder - meaning PUSH the ground away from your head. Fourth, your abs can't be tight enough up there! No banana backs. Pull your belly button in towards your spine. Finally, when you come down, practice stepping out with control - "kicking" leg is the first to touch.
Good luck! Don't give up. It takes time...and a partner to spot you, at least until you are a pro, is a very very good idea!

Wednesday, February 1st
-Partner WOD: Handstand Holds & DB Thrusters
-OHS 3 rep max
-Partner Sandbag Sprints

Learning to move correctly, having fun while being active, and building positive self image, should start at a young age. Our Paradigm Panthers program will be ramping up in March. Stay posted for details!

First real rain of the season!! - is NOT a reason to miss Saturday morning training at Paradigm. Who says you can't run in the rain? I know it's Cali, and we pay a heap to live here for the sun and fabulous weather, but come on. We can handle this. It's actually kind of fun too - makes the sweat less noticeable. Like usual, Saturday's training will be a team-focused WOD. Unless you are enjoying the slopes in Tahoe (in that case, we all hate you), come get a solid start to your weekend with Coach Mandy!

"Trevor with a Twist"
Teams of 4 with 2 movers at a time will complete: 150 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 250 air squats. In between each completed skill set, a nice little run!

After your WOD, drive out to Morgan Hill and watch 20 teams from all over Nor-Cal throw down at Brethren CrossFit. Some of the best athletes in the state will be there competing at this event!
675 Jarvis Drive, Morgan Hill

Thursday, Jan 19th

"Badger" - 3 Rounds for time of:
30 Squat Cleans (95/65)
30 Pull-ups
800m Run

One of the Hero WODs, "Badger" is in honor of Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark Carter, who was killed in Iraq in December of 2007.
All classes at Paradigm today - come out, get after it, and post your time!

It's so easy to get quite obsessed with the little machine on the bathroom floor...but the scale is only part of the complete picture. Why do we insist on taking off our shoes and jacket, using the restroom and emptying our pockets before mounting it? It's because the scale reads everything on it as weight. Muscle, hair, fat, bone and the protein shake we just drank, are all lumped together into one awful number. So what about BMI? It's a shame that the medical world is still largely using this method to categorize patients as skinny or fat. While the scale only takes weight into consideration, BMI claims to show a broader picture by using your height, as well as your weight, to spit out a number that classifies you. No other aspects of your body composition are taken into the equation. But surely, if doctors across the country use this method, while maybe a rougher estimate, it's got to be a pretty close read....right? Sadly no. The problem is that muscle and fat have incredibly different densities.


Because of this, lean muscular people are often pronounced overweight by the BMI standard. A 5' 8'' male who weighs 180 lbs would be in the overweight category - and if that man was lean and athletic, this would be far from the truth. Similarly, a female who is 5' 6'' and weighs 125 lbs would be "normal" with weight - but she could actually have very little lean body mass and a very large percentage of body fat, putting her at risk for the same types of diseases that a clearly "overweight" person might also face. She may actually be "underweight" and "over-fat"!
Just like not everyone is going to wear a size 4, not everyone is going to weigh a certain amount for their given height. What really matters for health and performance (as well as aesthetics!) is your true body composition: how much fat and how much muscle is on your body. Although there are several ways of measuring this, some are much more accurate than others. Because fat floats in water, hydrostatic weighing gives a good analysis of body composition. The process is easy, very interesting, and pretty accurate.

So back to Paradigm "Spring into Sexy"!
What is it? It's a 3-month challenge at Paradigm CrossFit to see which competitor can lose the greatest percentage of body fat! Participants must be hydrostatically weighed at the beginning and end of the contest. There will be two Nutrition Workshops for the contestants. These will be held on Saturday from 12pm-2pm on March 3rd and 31st. A Paleo lunch will be served at both workshops.
What is the prize? The winner will be awarded a 3-month Membership to Paradigm CrossFit ($555 value!) as well as a Paradigm "prize package". The runner-up will receive a 1-month membership.
What does it cost? The buy-in is $100, in addition to the Dunk Tank price - $80 includes two tests (beginning and end). Aaron from Bodywave will be coming to OUR location on Sat. Feb 11th and Sat. May 12th.
What if I can't get weighed on those dates? You can set up an alternate time to get tested. Check out the website for other locations and times. Your initial test must be AFTER Feb 11th, and the final weigh in must be BEFORE May 12th. www.fitnesswavenorcal.com/calendar.html
Can non-competitors join the nutrition workshops? Yes - friends or family can join for $25 each. RSVP prior please!
Won't the competitors with the most body fat to lose have the biggest advantage? NO! Whether you want to lose weight or GAIN muscle, you will be losing body fat. The contest will be based off of percentage of change - meaning everyone entering, regardless of goals or starting numbers, have a fair shot. The person who trains the hardest and dials in their nutrition the most, will win. Period.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to start the year off right!

I have had a major problem my whole life...I have a serious sweet tooth. I love ice cream, cupcakes, and COOKIES. All three at once is not a problem - except for the fact that I also love being healthy, performing the best I can in my training, and fitting in my favorite jeans. A lot of "healthy" versions of my favorite sweets are sadly disappointing, which is why I'm so excited by the baked goods being cranked out by our members Alex Mijares and Mandy Erickson. They have started a cookie-making venture called "Paleo Made Sweets". Check them out on Facebook. There's tons of flavors to choose from, including Chocolate Chip, Almost Oatmeal Raisin (my personal favorite), Brownies, Coconut Clusters, and Coconut Macaroons (my other personal favorite!). Tuesday is Cookie Delivery Day @ Paradigm. Place your orders ($1 per cookie or 7 for $5) and pick them up sometime during the day. Treat yourself to a "cheat" without all of the sugar and extra calories. If you have kids, surprise them with coconut milk and cookies after school! And if you want a tasty treat for your Valentine, then stay posted for their February goodies coming soon - skip the box of chocolates and order some Paleo Made treats for your love!

This pic goes down in Paradigm history as the original group that broke in the gym! Our first workout was held on October 8th, 2011 - "Trevor with a Twist" was full of squats, pull-ups, pushups, and running. Save the date for Saturday October 6th, 2012 - our 1 year Anniversary Party!!