BE ABOUT IT

Summit recap(s)
Eric Belliveau • October 4, 2016

Summit Reflection

After coming home from Baltimore and the TRX Trainer Summit I’ve had a little bit of time (actually a couple of weeks) to reflect on the whole weekend. Like everyone else I came away with some of those “tangible” things, the new stuff that we might have learned whether it be a new exercise or programming ideas but what hit me most I think was the keynote speech. We had the chance to listen to Todd Durkin speak, for those that know him he is a well known presence in the “fitness world”, look him up, he does a lot of really great stuff. His talk was one that I have never experienced before and probably won’t for a long time if ever. It hit on so many different levels and emotions, it had it’s highs, it’s lows, was both funny and entertaining but at the same time very serious and poignant. He shared a lot about himself and his life, how he views things and how he goes about his life trying to help people, inspire people, motivate people, and make this world a better place. To say that the talk was motivating was an understatement, I think we all left after and were totally pumped up. What I took away from that night was a plethora of little life…..”tid-bits” I’ll call them, little things to help become a little bit better or help others become a little bit better. I’ve tried to put a few of the things that I learned that night into practice but there are still more that I continue to remember and slowing try to work into my life in some way shape or form. I’m very thankful for having the opportunity to take part in what TD had to say that night, I know it effected me in a positive way and gave me something to take away from it all, I think everyone else that was there did too.

- Mike

Dysfunction is Normal

“I didn’t even realize I was doing that”

Yes - we have all been there. We become so accustomed to the way our
body has been moving for YEARS that our dysfunction becomes normal.
Connecting your mind to your body is much easier said than done. We
can cue all day long, but until your muscles feel, and I mean really
feel what your ears are hearing… there will be no change. You may
think you are stepping out into a correct forward lunge, until you are
corrected that is. We do our best day in and day out to help get you
where you are trying to go. Most of the movements that we do
incorrectly (and are not even aware of it) is because naturally it is
easiest. The smallest correction can make the biggest change. For
instance, standing straight up. Posture is one of the most noticeable
examples. You could slouch for an entire day without having to put in
work, but putting your spine in neutral and keeping your masses and
spaces is the way our body is intended to be held up. It is intended
that we put in that work and core activation. The summit was able to
show me how you could have hundreds of people together working on the
same exercise and have it performed a hundred different ways. Everyone
may be performing the same exercise, but the muscles/activation that
are being fired up could be completely different ...or absent. Being
aware of your movements will help change dysfunction to function.
Making your everyday living WAY more accessible!

- Amber

SK's TRX Summit Highlights...

The 2016 TRX Summit was another exceptional event run well and in an enviously awesome locations. Many clients asked me to bring back something new to challenge them. I return with a new perspective to look at programming and class design. My take aways weren't huge "AH HAs", but smaller subtle pieces of information that to me are more impactful than a new exercise or piece of equipment. I look away a new way to look at power development & integrity of movement on the straps; the concept of RELOAD; and that once again CPC is a leader in bringing the best TRX coaching and cueing to the masses.

- Sarah

Summit take away… Everyone who knows me knows that my mind is always spinning. I walk into a space or have an opportunity to experience a service or facility and I evaluate. “What do I like, dislike? Think they could do better? What can we do better and what am I going to take from this experience and make it our own?” There was a LOT of that from me over the Summit weekend. That's just me though - Going to Baltimore I was excited to connect with the individuals in the field I have become friends with and share some business insights while absorbing some from their brains as well. As Mike mentioned in his recap, TD’s speech was absolutely phucking incredible! I mean that got me so fired up it was crazy! But all of this wasn’t my biggest take away from the summit. My biggest takeaways hit me on the ride back and the week following.

MY TEAM! It’s not often I write in this manner (of I) but in this instance - I’m going to! The CPC staff is a cohesive, bad-ass group of industry professionals. This means I’m about to brag because I couldn’t have been more proud watching my team just be themselves. This team carried itself with such a poise and confidence but NEVER arrogance. They know their stuff, they live this active lifestyle and coach it on the daily. I can honestly say CPC stood out. Everyone on this team moved well and executed the exercises/movements with an intensity and passion for what they do. They met new people with a smile, a handshake and a genuine interest in learning their story. They coached the partner they just met through an exercise ensuring that individual was getting a valuable takeaway from each breakout session of how THEY could move better.

As Amber stated, everyone is doing the same movement but it doesn’t ensure people are moving in the same manner. CPC filled in this gap for some. This team was always amongst the first to show up in the morning, the last ones to leave and always took advantage of having fun in a learning environment.

So, my biggest take away from the Summit… They aren’t yet famous, they don’t have 10’s of thousands of followers, clients or media surrounding them. But they are industry leading and have nothing but amazing things in their future. This facility stands for something different. CPC doesn't do it the easy way. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and by doing so we have every right to hold you accountable to a higher standard as well. Not because we are elitists but because we know damn well you can achieve it. We listen to you, we know you and we're here to coach you. We live and breathe this field and do a really goddamn good job at it. So, call it cliché if you want but these this team… they “don’t talk about it. They are about it.” Don’t hate because we can’t describe it. You just have to experience it.

Proud beyond words of my team and can NOT wait to watch them light sh*t up in 2017!

-Sully

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.