HANDSTAND CHALLENGE

Want to perfect your handstand? Never done one? LET'S TRY!!! I'm pretty good at HSPU's but not freeform handstands. I challenge you. It's a 90-day challenge (Thanks Crossfit Surf City for the idea!!).

THIS IS THE DEAL: do handstand holds every day for 90 days. Wall handstands are cool, but the point is to eventually perform a freeform handstand.

PLEASE BE SAFE.


Start with a spotter or use the wall when you are beginning. If you cannot do a handstand push up (HSPU), then this is good time to get proficient.

How long each day? It's up to you. I'm going to do it as part of my warmup everyday. I will start using a wall and I will try to do 30 sec handstand holds. Every day I'm going to start by trying to do freeform handstands.



Handstands: Against the wall or freeform
Day 1: 1 handstand
Day 2: 2 handstands
all the way to
Day 90: 90 handstands


You can do it ANYWHERE. Home, gym, office, wherever you feel comfortable.

Keep track of your progress. Take a picture.
REMEMBER: use a spotter or a wall until you become comfortable

One man making a difference.

I had the opportunity & honor to visit with Mr. Tony Reyes who is the Executive Director of Mission 911 in Corpus Christi, TX this morning (11/13/10). This happened because of my involvement in Leadership Corpus Christi class XXXIX (BEST class EVER!!). He is pictured on the left sitting down, Jimmy (the facility manager) is pictured standing. Jimmy was giving a short talk on the cold hard reality of not having a home. The Mission on 911 Park Street is now his home and his life because of Mr. Tony Reyes' dedication and hard work. Mission 911 is an old elementary school facility that Mr. Reyes attended as a child. He applied for a grant to purchase the property over 10 years ago and has been there since. While it has been cleaned up and repaired, this wasn't always the case. Mr Reyes informed us that it took 8 very large construction dumpsters to clear out all of the trash and junk from the old dilapidated school. From walking the facility this morning, you can tell that the people living here take pride in the property. The lawn is mowed, the trees are trimmed and it the facility looks tidy. There are people living here that want to change their lives for the better and Mr. Reyes does all he can to help them. The grounds and facility require constant upkeep and improvement. I urge you to donate time, or support in ANY form. Please check the following link: http://www.ccmission911.org/pages/Support.htm

SAPPY or not, written on the wall pictured here was this:

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of GOD." Romans 12:2.

What does this have to do with a 40 something crossfitter? "Open Source" and renewal. Being open to change and ALWAYS learning. Everyone has something to offer if you're open to receiving it.

We as human beings tend to take advice and comments (constructive criticism) as a personal affront. We can sure as helk dish it out though. It's human nature. We've all been there. It doesn't take a 40 year old to know this. Integrity and honesty are large.  I'm not on a soapbox, I'm not perfect, never said I was.

If someone offers advice and you don't like their tone, don't get down, don't get upset and if you do, channel it in a positive way. WORK HARDER.

Mr. Reyes has AND he won't stop. He hasn't let anyone stop him from helping others. He has had countless obstacles that he has overcome. Those obstacles could not stop him. He is on a mission from GOD. He is an incredible individual. For 10 years he has been running Mission 911. He is driven, passionate and is always learning.

Anything is possible. It starts with setting a goal, then HARD work and tenacity must follow.

It's all about collaboration. Lumberjack 20.

I was invited earlier this week to attend an open wod at a brand new affiliate xfit gym in Corpus Christi, TX. SeaCity Crossfit. Doesn't take much to twist my arm, even after finding out the wod was going to be the Lumberjack 20 wod. Check the link, it's worth the read. If you have it in you, please donate time or money to the cause, even if you only do the wod and remember the fallen and their families.

Lumberjack 20

20 Deadlifts (275lbs)
...Run 400m
20 KB swings (2pood)
Run 400m
20 Overhead Squats (115lbs)
Run 400m
20 Burpees
Run 400m
20 Pullups (Chest to Bar)
Run 400m
20 Box jumps (24")
Run 400m
20 DB Squat Cleans (45lbs each)
Run 400m

my time: (Rx) 28:35

best time today: (Rx) 26:45 by Tony Reyes, who killed it.

Tim Hamilton had a great turnout, so good that we had to do 2 heats. Their was a diverse group in attendance. Tim is an encyclopedia of knowledge and is always spreading a good vibe and most of all he is an excellent trainer. He had been telling me for a while that he wanted to get a group together for a wod and collaboration on Saturday afternoons. This was the 4th one, 3 of which I have been in attendance and was by far the best. What's the big deal and why is this important to me? WELL because it embodies what has been called the 'open' source crossfit attitude. Crossfit Family. I have found this to be the case for most of the people I have crossed paths with since I started crossfitting in Feb 2009. What is the point? The point is there is much to be learned and everyone has something offer. People have different experiences, backgrounds, ideologies, & methodologies.  My dad raised me to   always be open to ideas and learning. I have had eye opening experiences from the most obscure situations and people. All that matters is that it is honest and truthful. This afternoon was such an occasion. People coming together to find a common bond and help each other improve and better themselves. That is, after all, what it's all about.

The SCOOP

Been extremely busy lately and haven't had time to blog. Made a list and started scratching things off of it and blogging was on it. So, here it is............I switched boxes early 2010 and have settled in nicely to my new one. TOP NOTCH. As life would present itself, since the time I switched, I have made some MAJOR improvements all around. This includes improvement in technique, strength and stamina. If you've seen my before & after story, my first year crossfitting I made gigantic changes in my life. This is a common story with crossfit. It is simply life changing. Things happen for a reason, things change and so must we. I got side tracked for a bit BUT, my dad taught me to set goals, achieve them, set more and keep going.....Don't stagnate, never stay in the same spot, always improve yourself. God is good, life is good and as a 40 something crossfitter, I will always keep learning & improving. I'll stop only when my soul has moved on past this plane. GOD willing.

HARVEST MOON

Had a harvest moon last night. This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. According to the Farmer's Almanac, in two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon.

ANYWAYS.............

After a lecture last week, I had several students ask me about eating and physical fitness. It started out like this:
Student: "Are you a trainer?" "No, not technically." I said. The conversation turned quickly to physical fitness and eating. With another student asking me what I had been doing since last year because they had seen me around campus and had noticed I had "leaned up". "Oh don't get me wrong Mr. Sandoval, you looked like you were in shape, but now you look really in shape." Turns out this young man had recently lost 40 lbs by modifying his diet (Weight Watchers). I told him about crossfit and eating clean. The whole class overheard and I started getting bombarded with questions. "You don't eat bread, or dairy products?" "No, I don't and I don't miss them either."
I finally said the buzz word ("paleo") and the intensity increased. "What is that? Is it safe? Does it work?" If people want information, If I know the subject matter, I will tell them. I've been deprived, so I know the feeling. I said my general disclaimer and told everyone to look up the website. There's a TON of info out there, especially about supplements. You don't need to spend a ton of money on supplements in order to be healthy. Exercise and eating clean goes a long way. There are plenty of workouts on the web too.  IT'S  SIMPLE AND IT WORKS!.

"Just like riding a bike"

I did the EVA wod last Saturday (09/04/10). Yah, she's NASTY. I finished up feeling gassed, but pushed myself, especially through the pullups.
800m run
30 kb swings
30 pullups
5Rounds for Time.

Afterward, my wife and I had a great breakfast and decided to meet my younger brother at the beach. I loaded up my surfboard and ice chest (full of fruit and water) and hit the road. Sounds a bit odd considering 10 years ago it would have been an ice chest full of beer and junk food. I must admit that for several years (actually more like 5) I was too embarrassed to go to the beach, much less even paddle out to the lineup. You already know the story, I got middle aged, fat and  consumed with my career. ANYWAYS, I waxed up my board, put on my rashguard and paddled out on my 7'6" funshape. A funshape is a bit bigger style of board with a rounded nose instead of a pointed nose. They are typically a tad thicker than a normal board and with more buoyancy it makes it easier to paddle into waves. IT'S NOT A LONGBOARD. Nothing against longboarding, it's a blast too. It's all about timing. I duck dived and paddled to the peak just like the old days. Once out, I couldn't find my groove. Paddled around and couldn't catch anything. Finally caught one and barely stood up............ then caught another and did a small turn and fell off. That was it, I came in...... My brother laughed at me...... "You rusty old man?" "Yah, sorta." I said. You have to understand, he's always been better at surfing...... I just looked at him with a smirk and said my timing was off. I ate some fruit and drank some water and felt like a kook. Good thing about being a crossfitter, I was recovered and ready to try again in about 10 minutes. This time I paddled out on my brothers KG fish shape. He doesn't like using it any more and opts for his longboard because he's gained a little weight. It was just what I needed. Caught a wave within the first few minutes, then I was off to the races..............It's amazing what dropping even 10 lbs will do in the water. I've got the bug back. Been checking the surf report and buoy reports all week. Thanks to tropical storm Hermine which brought in some surf. NEXT STOP...... kiteboarding.  Been looking for a used rig.

FOOD for THOUGHT

PALEO......... hmmmmm, my 15 year old daughter cracks up when I say I eat the caveman diet.... I asked her why she finds it amusing and she said she gets a visual of me walking around in Tarzan attire trying to catch and kill something to eat.....  She's on an interesting diet herself, she claims to be a pescatarian. A pescatarian refrains from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. A pescatarian is not a vegetarian. She uses that word loosely, (vegan gets thrown around quite a bit too). She says, "No Dad, that's vegan or vegetarian" when we start talking specifics. She does eat dairy products & breads, which I have been trying to convince her to change.




Paleo update:
I've been on the Whole30 for well over the 30 days now and I feel great......it's TRUE. I didn't do it to lose weight. I did it because I had hit a wall.  I'm eating about 3000 calories a day, or more. I have been eating clean for some time now, but finally went strict. Being disciplined is not hard, I remember when I was in the service (got out in 1993) people thought I was crazy because I would fast for 24 hour periods (and only drink water) once a week (did it for several years). I did it for focus and maintaining will power. I have fasted quite a bit in my life. My wife and I have done several 10-day fasts to clear our minds and bodies, I digress. Anyways, going clean on the whole30 really helped my stomach pains to go away. I was supplementing too much (every day) with protein shakes. You should really take the time to know what you're putting in your body. What supplements are you taking? Do they have artificial sweeteners? Artificial sweeteners are chemicals that trick your taste buds. What effect is it having on your body on a molecular level? Not blasting supplementing, because I do it too. Just make sure you know what you're taking and what it ACTUALLY does (not the blurb the company selling it tells you). Much safer, in my opinion, to eat fruit. ALL NATURAL. Take an inventory of your supplements and you may be surprised, (see supplements, Part I). If you over do it on protein shakes, it will take it's toll on you (see adverse effects of protein supplements). The Temple of Apollo @ Delphi said it the best: "Everything in Moderation".