Paragon Athletics

05/30/2026

Here are some fun exercises that came from class this week!
It is widely recognized that force production is a key component of athletic performance. What is often overlooked, however, is an athlete’s ability to effectively express that force.
Coordination and timing are critical qualities that should be included in any well-designed training program alongside resistance training.

The first exercise is a great example of coupling power with coordination. My hands started in the chin-up position, then quickly hopped to the pull-up position before making the approximately 5-foot hop to the upper bar. Believe it or not, this exercise is very scalable. Everyone in class was able to perform some variation of it and, as a result, work on both power and coordination at their current level.
The second exercise is a great drill for developing rate of force production and coordination.
By passing the ball underneath the hopping leg, the drill encourages a powerful knee drive, creating an easy constraint to encourage the knee drive.
Focus on driving the knee upward as explosively as possible.
The third exercise is an excellent movement for the adductors, obliques, and shoulders. Start by pointing the thumb toward the floor with the club, then rotate and reach toward the ceiling. Think of it as a variation of a D1/D2 pattern. A club is not necessary
—you can perform the same movement with a dumbbell.
Give these exercises a try and let me know what you think!
Have a great weekend, everyone!!

05/15/2026

Thought I would share a couple abdominal exercises for you to add to you repertoire from class this week!
1. Is a L-Sit with special sauce. Sitting close to the wall adds a constraint, requiring the ability to extend at the shoulder while maintaining flexion of the lumbar with abdominal control.

2. Is the classic Dragon Flag popularized by Bruce Lee. I simply added a medicine ball. You may even get some adductor work while doing this one! I’ll let you be the judge of how much “medicine” you want in your medicine ball. Word of caution don’t lift the medicine ball directly over you just in case you were to drop it.

3. This is a great little exercise that combines Sloper strength with an abdominal work! The same set up can be achieved by making a knot in a sling and closing in the top of a door. Any ball should do.. I would strongly advise placing a crash pad underneath you just in case. You could also just use handles. Hope you guys have a great weekend!

05/01/2026

Bro… Can you even coordinate?

Is coordination training part of your athletic training program if not, you could be missing out on some juice from the squeeze. Think trail running, climbing… any athletic endeavor that requires the ability to execute smooth, accurate, controlled motor responses.

Here are five coordination drills to play with you can make a ladder with masking tape. To be honest, you don’t really even need that. You could just use a book or a set of stairs the naturally occurring lines in your wood floor or tile with these will get you started.

Give these a shot!

Hope you guys have a great weekend!!
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04/26/2026

Have you ever wanted a truly tailored training program?

I’m demonstrating a few exercises I developed for a national youth climbing team athlete. She’s been experiencing wrist pain when pulling hard on pinches or slopers, so we created three exercises for her to use over the next couple of weeks. After that, we’ll check back in and adjust based on how things are progressing.

She doesn’t have much equipment at home, but her dad is a contractor—so we can build a few tools and get creative with what’s available. Designing custom training programs is one of our specialties.

If you’re a runner looking to squeeze every bit of potential out of your performance, it may be worth connecting with us. If you’re a climber or boulderer aiming for your next grade, we’d love to help design a program with you. And if you’ve been dealing with injury or pain during your activities, there’s a strong chance we can help with that too.

I like to say we’re evidence-based—but in reality, most musculoskeletal treatment is closer to cooking than math. Everyone’s recipe is a little different. It would be convenient if it were purely formulaic, but the human body is far more dynamic.

Also, your passion is our passion.

The first exercise targets the wrist flexors. PVC sleeve over broom handle.
The second focuses on the flexors with wrist supination.towels folded over chin up bar. The more fold the more difficult.
The third emphasizes motor control while loading the flexors through varying ranges. That’s a 10 lb weight balancing on a book.

Everyone’s ‘recipe’ is a little different.

P.S. Most of the exercises you see shared here originate here. We love sharing our innovative approach—and we’d appreciate a little nod if you choose to share. Thanks so much!

04/18/2026

Thought I’d give you a Gloria’s teaser! This Sunday will be doing a community climbing event at Gloria’s! Organized by the Northern Arizona climbers coalition. Will be meeting at Buffalo Park parking area at 10 o’clock and walking in together. I’ll be doing a quick walking tour of the bouldering area sharing some trivia and pointing out some of the best lines. My plan is to place flags along the Boulder area just to give you a little guidance through the day. You should probably pack a lunch maybe even at dinner cause once you start it’s hard to stop.😂
See you Sunday! If you have any questions, feel free to ask below.

04/15/2026

“There is a straight relationship between exercise and the immune system. Exercise may modulate the immune system response acutely and chronically. Nevertheless, physical exercise also induces the release of myokines in the blood circulation. The physiological function of myokines produced by the skeletal muscle is to protect and improve the functionality of many organs. Furthermore, there is convincing evidence that factors secreted by the skeletal muscle act as endocrine signaling mediators and are involved in the beneficial effects of exercise on almost all cell types and organs. From now on, it is important to discover the role of these molecules in the systems and the organs of the body and investigate the difference between physical exercise protocols in the levels of these myokines.”

Strength exercise is a strategy applied in sports and physical training processes. It may induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy. The hypertrophy is dependent on the eccentric muscle actions and on the inflammatory response. Here, we evaluate the ...

04/12/2026

Pretty solid Sunday! A little warm up Kelly Canyon this morning, followed by Training at the shop!

Hope you had a good weekend!!






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04/03/2026

What are you doing on April 19th?! If you’re into bouldering, having fun, and connecting with awesome people, come join us at Gloria’s Boulders!

My plan is to lead a short walking tour of the area, highlighting some of the best lines—many of them quite discreet—while sharing a bit of history and a few personal anecdotes along the way.

In 2002, I was under contract with Wolverine Publishing to author the Flagstaff Bouldering Guidebook. After just a few months of work, I realized the true magnitude and level of effort the project would require… I already had a full time (more than) job.

The late Dave Pegg was incredibly gracious in allowing me to step away from the contract. Even so, I’ve always loved sharing the history of our local bouldering scene and the stories that bring it to life.

03/31/2026

Working with athletes—or anyone experiencing pain—is an unavoidable part of training people.
Even among those living with persistent pain, many individuals use training as a powerful tool to feel better and improve their quality of life. In fact, we often emphasize the importance of continuing to train, even in the presence of pain.

While the percentage referenced above is hyperbole, the underlying point remains: it is rare for exercise to be truly harmful—especially when performed under the guidance of a qualified coach who can safely and effectively navigate the process.

Our bodies possesses an incredible endogenous system that we can tap into through exercise.

Mechanism: Exercise activates descending inhibitory pathways, in which the brainstem sends signals to the spinal cord to suppress pain transmission. This process involves the release of endogenous substances, including endorphins, serotonin, and cannabinoids.

Effect on Pain: The result is an increase in both pain threshold and pain tolerance.

Equally important is maintaining a strong sense of self-advocacy throughout your journey. You are an active participant in your progress, and your voice matters.

Maintaining a sense of agency is essential to the process as well. Empowerment, ownership, and confidence in your ability.
See you soon!

03/13/2026

Here are a couple of fun sends from the last couple of days in Fontainebleau! Heading tomorrow… it went too fast.