BE ABOUT IT

Play That Funky Music!
Eric Belliveau • May 16, 2017

Last time I talked about grunting, and all the other noises you make in the gym, and how that may affect your workouts. I'm taking a similar approach this week and talking a little bit about how music can affect your workouts.

Sound systems have evolved over the last 6 years. At CPC, we started out with a multitude of different rigged and hot wired systems with a mish-mash of different speakers, receivers, and iPod/iPhone plug ins. It worked okay, and got us through, but when it didn't, it was pretty infuriating. Now that we have upgraded to the nice Sonos system, there are much fewer interruptions. We only have issues if our network is having issues. But does music really make a difference? Short answer, yes. It probably seems like a no brainer, but there are a few legitimate reasons why.

I've read a few articles about this topic and have found that first and foremost, music is very person specific. What I like and what gets me pumped up may not be the same for you or anyone else. Here are some of the more common affects music may have on a person while they exercise.

  1. It acts as a distraction - if you're focused on the music and singing the lyrics, you're probably less likely to notice your legs burning from the 5 minute wall sit someone is having you do (I would never do that to you guys…)
  2. Helps keep your pace - doing something repetitive or for time/distance, like running or cycling, can be influenced by the music you are listening to and it can help you keep a rhythm. Faster music = faster run.
  3. Gets you fired up - we all have that song(s) that get us amped up and in the zone. It gets us ready to go, ready to kick some ass, and it gets the adrenaline/endorphins going a little bit. Again, a little more on this coming up soon.
  4. Boosts your mood - music is shown to be a mood booster and get you going. Maybe you weren't really feeling like working out, so put on a few of your favorite tunes and see if it gets you motivated. It may put you in a better mood so you can get out there and give it hell.
  5. Makes you wanna move - music has also been shown to make people move. It could be a foot tap, head nod, drumming on your desk, or breaking out into your own full-on rendition of Footloose. Either way, go with it and move and break a sweat.

Now comes my short anecdote for my blog entry today. Like I said earlier, music is very specific from person to person. Some people like country, some rock, others like hip-hop and rap. I happen to know firsthand that one particular staff person at CPC had PR'd multiple times to Sam Hunt's "House Party.” Of course, with all due respect to the current HIPPA laws, this person shall remain nameless. But check out their Bitmoji .

In case you were wondering about the Sam Hunt song, here's a link so you can check it out for yourself.

In closing, we here at CPC try to play a pretty good mix of music and I think we do a pretty good job. So get out there, crank the tunes, and break a sweat... maybe even throw a House Party!

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.