Continuum Performance

BE ABOUT IT

Wake Up Beauty, It’s Time to Beast
Eric Belliveau • Aug 28, 2018

When you grow up in a certain environment you tend to be influenced in different ways. I was lucky enough to grow up with two older brothers, who all my life influenced and inspired me in more ways than I could ever repay. One of the most important lessons that I can thank them for is always taking me out of my comfort zone. Many boys (and men) can often be fearless. When I was younger, it didn’t matter what it was, if those two said to do it, there I was blindly following right behind. If I wanted to play with them, well, then I had to keep up. Sometimes that meant agreeing to things even when I didn’t really want to. Like when they would ask you to play street hockey just so they can have a goalie to shoot on. What younger sister doesn’t dream of being pelted with (fortunately) tennis balls all day long? But little did I know, all of those tiny pushes outside my comfort zone carried me a lot further than I could have imagined.

I realized I wanted to be that person to push people past their limits. While this started in such a minuscule way, it continually became more apparent to me as I progressed through different stages of my life. It is such a rewarding feeling to see and be part of the progress individuals create for themselves. Fortunately I get to do that every single day. Sports and fitness have always been in my life. To me, it is a no-brainer. The easiest way for me to let out steam is to go for a long run, play a sport, workout, yoga, hike, you get the idea. Sports and fitness were specific to me and my nature based on the environment and individuals I have been surrounded by. I know it isn’t for everyone. My pursuits may sound off-putting or just straight up not enjoyable to some people. But it has made me begin to ask people what they do for their release, what makes them FEEL good? Some of the answers are general, some very specific, all extremely fascinating. We all develop into something that is within our comfort zone and makes us feel at ease or helps us to escape. Many of my favorite answers have been from individuals I have worked with since starting this job three years ago. You can see firsthand the shift in people after leaving this space. After they have allowed themselves to find what they enjoy and dive in. One program that has really landed with me in terms of appreciation for individuals stepping out of their comfort zone is Ladies Only Lift.

This program allows women to see a new meaning to overall health. Training is not all physical. In fact, most of it is mental...Not only does it feel amazing to accomplish something you once may have laughed at the idea of, you begin to empower yourself and others.

Ladies Only Lift was created at CPC to provide a safe, fun, and comfortable environment for woman to learn and feel confident in not only themselves, but in a weight room. Walking into a room full of equipment can be intimidating. I’ve been there too, we all start somewhere. Ladies Lift allows women to be surrounded by a willing group of others who learn functional, strengthening, and core movements for many who had never even considered strength training. The stigma that has been placed into the minds of so many women due to culture, society, etc. made them believe that training in such a way may cause them to “bulk up” or wouldn’t give them results they thought they were looking for. For so long it was cardio, cardio, cardio. When in reality, strength training and other modalities are such inspiring ways to get and stay strong in your body, mind, and confidence. This program allows women to see a new meaning to overall health. Training is not all physical. In fact, most of it is mental as Olivia mentioned in her previous blog. Not only does it feel amazing to accomplish something you once may have laughed at the idea of, you begin to empower yourself and others. The support system that surrounds you is undeniable. Women encouraging and cheering one another on is such a pure form of motivation. Say goodbye to giving up on the stigmas or prenotions that you’re going to “get big” or “not know what you’re doing.” You have all of the resources at the tips of your fingers, you just need to believe it.

Once you allow your vision to shift on how you view the weight room, your vision will start to shift in how you view others things in your life. You learn new skills which encourages growth and learning outside of the gym. This space is here to focus your energy on the betterment of yourself, not to discredit yourself for not reaching a goal the first time you attempt it. Coming from a performance coach sure, you’re probably thinking “Of course she is going to say that!” But you will never fully believe it and invest in it for YOU, until you try it. So rather than hearing it from me, I’ll leave you with a few comments from ladies who have not only tried the program, but have changed their mindset. It’s amazing what you can do when you dedicate your time to stepping out of your comfort zone.

Success comes through failure. Heck, I learn that every. single. day. Trust me with two older brothers winning and being successful was almost never an outcome. Trying things that scare us or that may not be our cup tea, allows us to grow. I would have never willingly stepped into a hockey net without the push from my two older brothers. I used a simple example because at the end of the day, all of our choices can be if we allow ourselves to fail, and try again. Only to find out how empowering it could be.

“Ladies Lift is a place where fitness, body type, and experience don't matter. It's a group of women that come together in support of each other to accomplish more than they thought possible.” - Kristina Olesak

“In Ladies Only Lift I learned that strong has no age limits. I learned to lift correctly, made a lot of new friends and fell in love with deadlifting.” - Beth Pecia

“Ladies Lift for me has been life changing! The program helped me overcome the fears of not knowing how to lift or use the equipment. It provided a place to bond with one another without judgement, with caring, patient and knowledgeable trainers.” -Heather Lane

“It gave me such an empowerment that I could learn how to lift in the comfort of other women and not feel out of place. It’s nice to have these ladies encourage you every step of the way and know that you are not alone. Lifting gave me strength not only physically but mentally as well.” - Janie Lizak

“Who would have thought at 57, with a bad back, I would start lifting weights... and enjoy it, make friends, and see improvement and progress in my strength, flexibility, and balance? Not me! But amazingly it happened” -Brenda Tobin

New Ladies Lift is starting back up on Thursday September 13th. Reach out for more details. Grab your gals and let’s do this!

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • 07 Oct, 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 • 23 Sep, 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 • 07 Oct, 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 • 23 Sep, 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.
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