Perform Better Seminar – Gettin’ Fired Up!
“How do you feel?” 
“Fired Up!”
” I can’t hear you!”
I kinda feel like a fish out of water but I pump out some jumping jacks and scream “FIRED UP!” Todd Durkin is warming up the group and already starting to break into a sweat. Durkin is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego and is an inspiring fitness figure who has a booming training business. He was just one of 4 speakers of the day who is now on a rotation to lead us in a cutting edge workout featuring the latest in equipment.
This “Learn-by-Doing Function Training Seminar” is hosted by Perform Better which is a popular exercise equipment company and is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This was my first time attending one of these workshops and it definitely won’t be my last.
The morning was broken into 4 different lecture segments featuring Michael Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Gray Cook and Todd Durkin. They covered a variety of topics in functional training pertaining to flexibility, preparing semi-private training programs, dynamic stability training and the business of fitness.
In my opinion Michael Boyle was the most interesting and entertaining of all the speakers. He is a very respected strength and conditioning coach from Boston. He referred to a couple of quotes in his presentation that stood out to me. The first is from Frank Gelett Burgess who wrote, “If in the last few years you haven’t discarded a major opinion or acquired a new one, check your pulse, you may be dead.” This pertains to everything in life but I find even more so in the health and fitness industry. One decade we’re not supposed to eat fat, the next decade no carbs and on and on.
When I think back to my experiences with my clients over the past 8 years I realize that I learn new methods and techniques all the time. Boyle commented that the key to this field is to continue to learn, experiment and implement. I couldn’t agree more.
After a lunch break we started into the “Hands–On Drills and Exercise” portion of the seminar. Of course I get into Todd Durkin’s Group right away so for the first 15 minutes I am focused on not bringing my lunch back up. We are throwing medicine balls, doing ladder drills, pulling each other with bands around our waist, waving giant ropes around using the TRX straps and jerking kettlebells every which way. It’s madness and a blast all at the same time.
I walked away from the seminar with Michael Boyle’s new book Advances in Functional Training, two exercise DVD’s and a TRX suspension trainer to start utilizing with my clients. The knowledge and ideas I gained from the day’s lessons have inspired me to continue digging deeper into understanding my client’s needs and ways to making their bodies move in a safe and efficient way.
Tags: Alwyn Cosgrove, by Kendra Cannoy, Fitness Quest 10, Functional Training, Gray Cook, Kettlebells, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles, Michael Boyle, Mike Boyle, Perform Better, performbetter.com, Todd Durkin, TRX
January 24, 2010 10:32 pm 
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By Michael Boyle, January 25, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
Glad you enjoyed the seminar. Let me know how you like the book.
By Krisanne, January 26, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
Wow! Sounds like a fantastic day and learning opportunity. Your clients are very lucky to have you as their trainer.