Changing Paradigms – (Part One)

Changing Paradigms is not easy. To do it, first we must understand what a paradigm is.

Here’s the dictionary definition: Paradigm-a framework containing the basic assumptions, way of thinking and methodologies that are commonly accepted.

To define a paradigm more plainly, you could just say, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” But as those in business already know, doing things just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is death for a company. That kind of thinking stifles innovation, and keeps people making the same mistake over and over and over again. We have to buck these old paradigms in favor of what experience and science tells us is effective, safe, and gets results.

With regards to exercise, parts of the paradigm include:

• Do 30-60 minutes of steady-state cardio 5 times per week to lose weight.
• You have to do three sets of an exercise to get results.
• Use machines to tone and free weights for strength and size.
• To become more explosive, you have to lift explosively.

I could go on, but those statements represent some basic assumptions about how and why you should be exercising. They also represent the way its always been done.

In Part Two, we are going to examine how the exercise paradigm came to be and then in Part Three we’ll see about changing the whole paradigm.