Sexy Strength | Luscious & Lean Kettlebell Workout Videos are here!!

TWO BRAND NEW WORKOUT VIDEOS are now ready to order!

Bringing you Luscious & Lean or/and Sexy Strength Kettlebell Workout Videos available in DVD format or Download/Streaming. 

Designed for ALL LEVELS

Shapes

Ages

Sizes

Genders

PRE-ORDER YOUR DVD OR DVD'S NOW. GET BOTH TITLES FOR A DEEP DISCOUNT HERE OR GRAB THE DVD YOU WANT HERE.

 Reviews are starting to come in from the streaming/download combos. DVD's ship early june

Martha Miller Just did Luscious and Lean ... great workout in which I used no more than 14kg!! This one hits every muscle for sure. Loved it!

Kimberly Reed-Tomlin I got the streaming combo & have done all of Lucious & Lean except section 3, which I'm gonna try later today. I absolutely love it, especially the balance work combo in section 1! Lauren, you rock & I love your flower headband!! Where did you find it? It's adorable on you.

IF YOU PREFER STREAMING AND DOWNLOADING YOUR VIDEOS GET YOUR COPY (copies) IN OUR DOWNLOAD/STREAMING STORE NOW! note: most people are ordering the combination package because the price is too good not to order it. 

PREFER STREAMING AND DOWNLOADING YOUR VIDEOS? GET YOUR COPY IN OUR DOWNLOAD/STREAMING STORE NOW!

LUSCIOUS & LEAN

It's time to focus on balance, stability, power, and conditioning while developing a luscious and lean body using kettlebells. This program is designed for all levels and provides modifications along with step by step coaching throughout the entire workout. Experienced students will enjoy more advanced options such as deck squats, single leg clean to presses, and more.

• The 50 Minutes Get Strong Kettlebell
• Includes a Warm Up and Cool Down
• Step by Step Instruction

LUSCIOUS AND LEAN FEATURES : 

• Easy navigation features 
• Workout divided up in to sections for convenience or play workout continuously 
• Level: All levels and Beginner friendly 
• DVD Running time: 56 minutes 

SEXY STRENGTH

BEING STRONG IS A CHOICE!

Embracing pure strength doesn't just change the shape and power of your muscles. It creates a deep empowerment in your everyday life. This workout, designed for all levels, will bring you the inner sexy power that creates confidence both inside and out. 

SEXY STRENGTH FEATURES : 

• DVD Running time: 51 minutes
• Easy navigation features 
• Workout divided up in to sections for convenience or play workout continuously 
• Level: All levels and Beginners welcomed.

Pre-order your DVD or dvd's now. Get both titles for a deep discount here or Grab THE DVD YOU WANT here.

prefer streaming and downloading YOUR VIDEOS? get your copy in our download/streaming store NOW!

 

5 Reasons You Should Learn How To Use Kettlebells

5 more reasons why you need to incorporate kettlebell training in to your life. I recently had the pleasure of contributing an article to the ISSA (International Sports Science Association) blog, which is backed up by scientific research of how Kettlebell training can be life changing. If you're interested in the article, you can read it here or just click on the link below. 

https://www.issaonline.edu/blog/index.cfm/2017/pick-up-a-kettlebell-change-your-life

As always, for ways to begin your kettlebell journey you can check out our most basic Kettlebell DVD's or join Lauren's Playground. 

SPRING SALE - 50% off all Kettlebell DVD's, Streaming, Downloads and Ebook Programs

Happy Spring!!! Take 50% off on the most popular Kettlebell Fitness programs in the world. 

Code: spring50

code: Spring50

KETTLEBELL DVD STORE

KETTLEBELL DOWNLOADABLE VIDEOS AND STREAMING STORE

PULL UP GUIDE, Be SLAM 1 & 2, ROCK SOLID PROGRAM

Having Trouble With Your Kettlebell Clean?

Having Trouble With Your Kettlebell Clean?

Part 1 & 2 now available on this blog post

Cleaning up your Kettlebell Clean - Part 1 

I remember like it was yesterday! 13 years ago I was trying to master the Kettlebell Clean. The instruction was to stand in front of the bell, reach back to the floor, thrust your hips forward and spear your hand through the bell, with hardly any arm usage. Well let me tell you what this resulted in, beautiful black and blue bruises all over my arms. I wasn't the only one! This was pre facebook and well before instagram. With blogging being the leading way to connect with others using kettlebells at the time, boy did I see some photos of battle wounds from people attempting cleans and snatches. This definitely wasn't the best marketing tool to get people involved in using kettlebells.

After months of practice and finally understanding that you have to really create a nice rotation with the bell and your arm as if you're raveling the bell up, never a flip, and then unraveling on the way down, something clicked. Not only for me but for thousand when I came out with this super old video filmed 12 years ago. Do I do it this way now? Not completely, but I still follow some of these principles. This video alone, so I've been told by many, is helped minimize the banging of the clean.

12 year old Kettlebell Clean video

In this first video posted in this blog, the brand new one, I quickly cover how to Clean your kettlebell by starting from the top position to create a relationship with the ending position. I also discuss intensity behind the movement so you can match your hip thrust power to the size of your bell as well as bringing it up in a calm way to minimize any banging. We are getting in to the nitty gritty.

I'll be posting Part 2 over the next few days. To be sure you don't miss any announcement or free access to our featured workouts, nutrition tips and programs be sure to join our community. I promise I won't be annoying and send you a million emails trying to push stuff down your face. That's just not me! Just motivation and information that will enhance your life. Join our community here! You won't be sorry. 

Cleaning up your Kettlebell Clean - Part 2

What an Outdoor Kettlebell Gym Looks Like... Welcome to On The Edge Fitness and Lauren's Playground

COME ON IN.... Take a quick virtual tour of my backyard...

Come on in to my backyard playground gym. Not local? Want to have FREE access to some of our popular kettlebell workout videos? If so, sign up through link in profile 👍🏼, my blog, under tab "Join Thousands Today" and receive free access to our Featured workouts in minutes.  # For more hours and hours of our programs and videos online sign up for Lauren's Playground online gym or any of our videos.  # If you're local drop us a line and we will fill you in with the deets on how to train with us.  #laurenbrooksfitness #ontheedgefitness #kettlebells #tuesdaymotivation #kettlebellworkouts #shutupandtrain #laurenbrooks #fitfam #fitness #fitpregnancy #strongwomen #encinitas #sandiego #meltmethod #encinitasgym #carlsbad #solanabeach #delmar #cardiff #ranchosantafe

A post shared by LAUREN BROOKS 💪🏼 (@laurenbrooksfitness) on Mar 21, 2017 at 10:03am PDT

Come on in to my backyard playground gym. Not local? Get free access to some of our popular workouts in minutes. Sign up here and receive FREE access to our Featured video workouts in minutes.

For hours and hours of our written programs and videos online check out Lauren's Playground or any of our videos.

If you're local drop us a line and we will fill you in with the deets on how to train with us at Sales@ontheedgefitness.comsales@ontheedgefitness.com

If the above video doesn't play you can view it through YouTube below

TODAY we are adding a new beach workout in Lauren's Playground in "The Shredder" section. Look out for this later today. It will be a 15-20 minute combo workout using both kettlebells and bodyweight. Pardon my moaning during this one. My quads were killing me! Someone asked for a burner and I like to give people what they asked for. :)  We are also adding a Shred and Burn ab workout as well in this section today! Try the playground out and if you don't like it, cancel in 7 days with a full return on your investment. 

By the way, I'm going to Asheville, North Carolina in August or September to put on a Kettlebell/Bodyweight/MELT (connective tissue hydration)/Mind/Body Workshop. I haven't locked down the exact dates yet. This will be a fun filled workshop utilizing well rounded applicable fitness concepts and modalities to achieve real results. No fluff or fillers! More details on this to come. 

We will also be holding a workshop like this here in San Diego and have been asked to go to Washington as well.

p.s. Today I just opened up registration for our 4th Winner Circle group. Spots go quickly. Here is a discount link for $100 off. Learn more here. Starts May 1st!  

Golden Milk - The Key To A Good Night Sleep

I started making Golden Milk, which has the key powerful ingredient of turmeric. Turmeric literally is known to help almost everything. Here are just a few things that it can help with

•  Anti-inflammatory 
• Boosts immunity
• Anti-cancer properties
• Depression
• Regulates blood pressure 
• Improve memory
• Gall-bladder
• Improves IBS and IBD
• Arthritis
• Insomnia
• Menopause
• Reduces arsenic
• The list goes on and on. Check out a huge list here with data to back it up.

WARM EVENING GOLDEN MILK! Holy crap this was Heaven!  This homemade golden milk was absolutely amazing. The perfect evening drink. The benefits of Turmeric are insane. I think it literally cures everything and anything. 😊 I used @gaiaherbs Turmeric Boost restore and stirred 1 tsp on low in 1-2 cups of coconut milk with cinnamon and 1 T of coconut oil in a sauce pan. Then added honey! You're welcome!  #goldenmilk #vegan #glutenfree #cleanliving #kettlebells #laurenbrooksfitness #turmeric #paleofriendly #veganfriendly #love

A post shared by LAUREN BROOKS 💪🏼 (@laurenbrooksfitness) on Mar 7, 2017 at 7:19pm PST

When using turmeric the cucumin's bioavailabity (the magic inside the turmeric) 1000 times greater when black pepper is consumed during the same time. So please make sure you have black pepper when consuming turmeric. Like always with anything new, start small!

The golden milk I make consists of the ingredients below. With a busy household of 4 kids and a hubby I decided to purchase a turmeric mixture that already has black pepper and some other anti inflammatory ingredients. You can certainly make your own with the ingredients below, however I personally use Gaia Turmeric Boost restore, to have a slightly more Chai flavor in my Golden milk and it tastes amazing!

I make all of this in a pot on the stove. I bring it to a slight bowl and mix it well. Here's my concoction for a small cup for two

Water  8  oz
Hemp or Coconut Milk  8oz
Coconut oil  - 1 - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric & Black Pepper (from the turmeric boost) 2  tsp
Cinnamon  - sprinkle
Honey (added at the end)  1-2 tsp to taste


Since making this delicious Golden milk, my husband who normally wakes up every single night for a few hours has slept like a baby! Now asks me to make this for him 1-2 hours before bed and not only does he sleep through the night like a rock, it knocks him out and he wakes up with a ton of energy. If this can work for him, it can probably work for most people. LOL!

Here is a video recipe by Dr. Arjan Khalsa to show you how to make the paste and use this paste throughout the week, I suggest you watch. It's a bit different than how I make it but it it's perfect for those who already have the ingredients and are ready to make it now!

Cheers! Would love to hear how your Golden Milk turns out and see how you feel when implementing this wonderful beverage in to your life!

Apple Cinnamon Gluten Free Muffins and Kettlebells for 5 minutes

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Gluten Free

I've been on a baking kick lately, mostly inspired by my daughter who has recently needed to avoid gluten and dairy. I still give her sprouted whole grain bread from time to time, which she does well with. When 3 out of the 4 kids are able to eat bagels, pizza, ice cream and mac n cheese with no consequences, it can be very difficult for the 1 child who can't eat those things. This is why it's imperative I continue to make delicious food that all the kids can enjoy! 

These muffins can be used for breakfast, snack, dessert or taken on the go. I made them last night and put them in the fridge after they cooled.   This morning this moist apple pie tasting muffin tasted even better than last night!

This tastes very similar to a gluten free apple cake I made years ago, which was very yummy! For that recipe check it out here. This recipe was inspired by my favorite gluten free  chef Elana Amsterdam at www.elanaspantry.com. I made several minor changes to lower the sugar and the sodium content while upping the protein.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups almond flour

1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot powder

1/4 cup grapeseed oil or coconut oil

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 T vanilla extract

2 apples peeled, cored and chopped well.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 paper liners in muffin tins.

Mix all of the wet ingredients well in a bowl.  Combine all of the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl. Then stir the wet ingredients in to the large bowl with the dry. Slowly fold in the finely chopped apples until it's mixed well. 

Fill each muffin cup with mixture. These won't rise very much. I filled them up and was able to get 12. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops become brown. The center will be very moist at first. Let them cool for a 30 - 60 minutes and then put in fridge or serve after when cooled. I'm sure vanilla ice ream would be amazing on top. Feel free to let me know!

Now for the KETTLEBELLS

HOTTEST 5 MINUTE KETTLEBELL WORKOUT

You only need 1 kettlebell

You're welcome! :)

 For programs and videos at your finger tips, check out our community Lauren's Playground or pick up one of her DVD's/Downloads today! 

40% off PLUS FREE shipping for Lauren's Kettlebell DVD's

code: 40off

*Does not include Kettlebell Incinerator

Dips, Perfect Push ups & Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo Friendly)

Ring dips and perfect push ups have a lot in common. Arms hug the sides of your lats, abs remain tight, as you power the movement both down and up with control. I usually feel this in my chest, triceps, delts and abs the next day. Not neck or traps. 

Mastering the perfect push up makes dips very doable. I hardly practice dips, but can do them because I practice push ups regularly. Push ups are the bomb! Make sure to practice the right way! 

There's a place for wide push ups, diamond push ups, one arm, etc... The safest one IMO that allows for the healthiest pattern for most people is the push up I demonstrate on my blog videos with link below . The #perfectpushupchallenge program and videos have taken people from zero to 3, zero to 10! Or 3-20 in just 21 days!

THE PERFECT PUSH UPS CHALLENGE BLOG POST IS HERE

A post shared by LAUREN BROOKS 💪🏼 (@laurenbrooksfitness) on Mar 10, 2017 at 9:06am PST

LAST NIGHT I BUSTED OUT MY OLD TRUSTY ALMOND FLOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE. You can find the deets below.

GET RECIPE HERE

Almond flour dark chocolate chip cookies! Vegan, gluten free & Paleo. Hot out of the oven! New picture old recipe! #tbt Super easy and delicious. My oldest daughter is gluten dairy free so made sure to have these on hand for the weekend! Link to recipe in profile for a limited time or can be found on my blog at http://laurenbrooks.laurenbrookstraining.com/2010/08/almond-flour-dark-chocolate-chip.html?m=1 Inspired by @elanaspantry Thank you! #paleofriendly #vegan #glutenfree #kettlebells #laurenbrooksfitness #laurensplayground

A post shared by LAUREN BROOKS 💪🏼 (@laurenbrooksfitness) on Mar 9, 2017 at 6:24pm PST

GET RECIPE HERE

Win ChinUp Apparel Shirts - Giveaway

Today and this week only, we are offering a super rad giveaway with some of the coolest t-shirts and tanks I've seen. I own a few of them and they're so comfortable and hot. Perfect for every day use and of course amazing when training. 

ChinUp Apparel will be giving away their swag to 3 Winners that exclusively follow Lauren Brooks (muaaah) ☺️

Not only will there be 3 WINNERS, each winner will select 2 of their favorite t-shirts/tanks.
If you see how cute they are, you may just want to get a few now in the mean time. They have some manly ones too for the men out there for 10% off for a limited time. Link below.

ENTER TO WIN:

Like the  Lauren Brooks Facebook Page and the pinned post.

Comment and share or tag your friends. 

or

If you're on Instagram you can do all of that here with @LaurenBrooksFitness

Extra entries when you share or tag your friends! So easy!

They've created a coupon code exclusively for my readers/followers see below if you want to snag one for 10% off. 

Link to our site: https://goo.gl/TzZZun

Sale Info: Exclusive coupon code for Lauren Brooks followers. The coupon LIFT10 will give them 10% off their order, and will be good until 3/7.

Giveaway details from ChinUp Apparel:

• Open only to US residents (we can only ship to US addresses)
• Total of 3 winners
• Each winner will get to pick out two free shirts of their choice from ChinUpApparel.com.

The Boring Unsexy Training That Works!

My workouts are considered very boring by many. They're not sexy at all. Just straight up simple and many times the same exercises, when I'm working towards a GOAL! If your goal is to be stronger in a certain movement you need to practice A LOT! You also need to know how to PACE yourself and not over do it.

Our Central Nervous System is very fragile, especially in this day and age. Most people I meet are complete stress cases unless they take time out of their day for self care and listen to their body. I believe in working hard, but I'm also a believer in working SMART!

Todays session was simple. I did a MELT Hand and Foot treatment to rehydrate my connective tissue and create stronger rooting mechanisms with my feet to the floor and a stronger grip with my hands. I did a light mobility movement flow to calmly wake up my body.

Then I was able to knock out 10 reps of holding 70lbs in front of my body. I'm only 115lbs so this did not come easily for me. I remember when I could barely do 3 reps in a row. Then I went to the pull up bar after some breathing and mobility and knocked out 8 strict chin OVER the bar, shoulders away from my ears, traps relaxed, pull ups (palms away from my face and a thumbless grip). I did this for 3 sets.


If you're a guy you may want to stop reading now. The girl time of the month is here and ladies let me tell you. It's REAL! When you're losing a ton of blood our bodies have to work harder to function. It's easier to get light headed. I even faint when someone draws blood out of my arm. LOL! (not really that funny, but unfortunately it's true and many do).

My point in sharing the blood loss, is you have to SLOW your roll. If you want to achieve a certain number of squats at a certain amount of weight, make sure you take enough rest, drink water during your breaks, so you can show up recovered. If your workouts are considered BORING, but then you can perform and EASILY pull up a set of heavyish squats or pull ups with no strain, in a calm way, your workouts are WORKING!


When something is working and I'm achieving my goals, personally that's not boring. Want to know what's boring? "Exercising" without working on a specific skill just to burn calories. There's a time and place to exercise to burn calories. But why not try and get better at jump rope? Or work on increasing your sprint time. You'll burn calories as a by product, but you're goals will be so much more measurable and meaningful that you may stop focusing on what the scale says and be stoked on how much better you're getting. Then by showing up to your TRAINING you'll get the confidence boost that you need while getting to your goals. This is how we do a lot of our training at Lauren's Playground.



By the way, if you're interested in learning more about MELT Hand and Foot treatments read my thoughts on the post below. I'm also hosting an quick intro workshop for my local Southern California students. Sign up if you want to learn more about this simple self-treatment that helps erase pain and stiffness so you can get to your goals easier.



Members Sign Up here | Non-members Sign up here address will be provided after sign up. Spots are limited.


*balls not included with class price If you want a ball or a kit please email us ahead of time.





You can also purchase a kit or the entire system through the MELT STORE if you're not local and enjoy learning from a book or a video. I will be opening up some Skype sessions again in the next 2 weeks if you'd like to learn with me. Email me to be the first to find out at kbellqueen@me.com.

What the heck is MELT METHOD? How it changed my life!

I recently discovered a simple self treatment system that anyone can do called "MELT Method".  I must admit, I was very skeptical at first. What can little balls that you use to roll on your hands and feet actually do for your body? 

Some of the benefits I read about were better sleep, release back pain, release neck pain, lower stress levels, increase metabolism, easier breathing, improved grip, improve flexibility, help with migraines. The list went on!

I still chose not to try the system. As a kettlebell fitness coach I work with an array of clients that are all ages, shapes and sizes. Some of my clients would come in from their stressful work week with neck pain, migraines, lower back aches from sitting too much at the computer or driving long distances and just a ton of tension all over their body. Many of them do yoga too. It would bother me that I didn't have anything for them to do at home other than the normal mobility protocol, continue to move throughout the day and show up to your sessions.

I was getting very frustrated about this. I was also on a quest to figure out why my wrists continued to feel stiff and achey. I did gentle massage and a ton of mobility exercises especially focusing on my wrists daily.  I thought maybe it was from doing push ups or pull ups. So I would take some time off and the wrist stiffness would still be there.

I began looking in to neuromuscular therapy. This is when MELT came back on to the grid. I  finally decided to give MELT a try. I started implementing the MELT hand and foot treatments several times a week. I began with the mini treatments and then worked my way to the soft ball treatments. I noticed in just a few treatments that I wasn't waking up with soreness in my wrists. In fact the pain and stiffness was COMPLETELY GONE!  That's it, I was hooked! I almost couldn't believe it. This sh%t straight up WORKS!

I knew I needed to learn everything about this and understand the WHY and the HOW. I still couldn't grasp why this worked so well. I felt how the treatment would work my connective tissue by gently hydrating it with the compression techniques, then when I would rinse and apply friction I felt the tingling sensation of the water and blood circulating throughout my body. Not just my hands feet!

It was time to learn directly from the creator! I took a leap and signed up for a certification. When I signed up for the certification, you had to read a ton of material, take tests and write about it. It was my kind of certification. One that tested how well you understand and teach, not just how tough you are! I loved that you needed to do your homework and understand the science before showing up as well.

When I arrived at the  3 day course, the founder of MELT, Sue Hitzmann, taught the "geeky" science behind this entire system in the most beautiful, funny, digestible manner possible. It truly created an experience that was mind blowing. It was everything I hoped for and more. All of the anatomy I took in college was a joke compared to this course. I UNDERSTOOD IT! It made sense!

Since receiving my Hand and Foot certification, I've jumped head first into using this method with my clients. In just the very FIRST MELT Hand and Foot Intro Class, here are changes that happened during our assessments.

- Increased flexibility
- Grip increased
- Feet were more grounded after the treatments (perfect before a strength session)
- Balance improved
- Felt more calm and relaxed
- Better night sleep (had feedback the next day after the class)
- Wrists were more mobile and less sticky
- Felt lighter on our feet.
- Hip released and didn't feel "stuck" anymore

This is just from ONE small hand and foot treatment while learning how to use the method. Do this several times a week and it becomes life changing!

I'm pretty excited about this stuff as you may be able to tell. So excited, that I opened up 8 spots to teach this via Skype exclusively for members in Lauren's Playground. With the session I sent them each a MELT soft ball, since that's all you really need to get started. The spots filled up immediately! I will be opening up more spots soon. Please email me to be the first on the list. 

In the meantime if you don't want to wait, you can order the entire kit with the DVD directly from the MELT Method store and start sooner than later.  She also has a great book that will teach you the science behind it. 

If you learn better in person I offer privates or group class settings in the San Diego area. I also offer private lessons via Skype or Facetime if you want to wait until I have more spots available.



I'm so excited to incorporate this approach in to our practice here at On The Edge Fitness. The global hydrating effect that MELT has on your body is priceless. No amount of massage, eating right or exercise will give you the connective tissue hydration that your body is begging for, like these MELT treatments!  Get started now!

If you're local we will be having another Intro MELT Hand and Foot Workshop on 

New date will be announced soon in San Diego (Encinitas) 75 minute workshop.

Sign up below

 Members Sign Up here | Non-members Sign up here  address will be provided after sign 

up. 
Spots are limited.
*balls not included with class price

If you want a ball or a kit please email us ahead of time.

  Members Sign Up here | Non-members Sign up here  address will be provided after sign 

up. 
Spots are limited.
*balls not included with class price

If you want a ball or a kit please email us ahead of time.

The PERFECT Nutrition Program

Would you believe that 10 people could be on 10 completely different diet protocols and still get to their goals? I get asked regularly to share sample eating programs. I've written my share of articles describing an eating protocol that will fast track you to weight loss. Does the advice work? Absolutely it works. Does it work for everyone? No way!

Would you believe that you can be on the perfect program, count your calories to the T and still not lose weight? You're even working out every single day but not seeing the scale move. I admit, this is frustrating. Most of the people who fall in this category, not all, have something else going on. Usually it's from too much stress, lack of sleep, complete burn out and their central nervous system is fried. 

If you fall in this category above, chances are you will do much better figuring out how to lower your stress levels. A few ways to do this.

1. CHOOSE LESS INTENSE WORKOUTS - yeah I know, this sounds counterproductive.  Just maybe your body needs some love instead of beating it up all the time. If you find that when you're done with that spin class and you can't stop eating for the next 3 days, reassess the training choices you're making during this time of your life. Or if you feel completely beat up for 2 days after showing up to a local workout, you didn't do yourself any favors. I know it's weird to ask you to do this, try and give it LESS effort. Maybe go lighter. Spare your body some reserves for life.

2. GO TO BED EARLIER - if you're not sleeping enough, you're not healing your body to its full potential. Many new moms and dads suffer greatly from this. New moms start working out really hard when they first have a baby to "shed that baby weight". Then they find theirselves catching every darn virus and bacterial infection around. On top of that putting themselves in to a deeper postpartum depression. The best thing to do when you're not sleeping is to do low stress training as stated above or "short" bouts of training, that doesn't over stress your body more than it already is. Grab extra zzzz's when you can. It's not being lazy, it's doing what's called, SELF CARE!

3. SELF CARE. self care. self care. - I use to think that self care meant destroying my body by getting the hardest deep tissue, painful massage I can handle. It's what I needed. I'm tough, I can handle it.  WRONG.... So wrong.... Running after pain with pain only creates more stress and dehyration in the body. I'm not discounting deep tissue massages or rolfing. I'm a huge fan of those self care protocols, when done the right way. In fact they're vital for athletes and people who lift heavy or those who suffer from chronic pain, when your body worker understands your daily routine. 
In reality most people can't just get a massage when they want or need. Many of you are lucky to take 15 minutes for yourself. I have students all over the world that have 1 to 11 children! The most inspiring part is, some of these mothers work full time or if they work full time at home, they do it all! It's a miracle how these ladies do it all. Talk about strong!

People often ask me how I do it all.  Let me tell you, I try not to do it all. It takes practice. I learn to delegate and have to say no more than I want to.  I force myselt to take 3 - 5 minutes to myself to just breathe, to take small mental breaks, unplug. I like to call it a mini vacation. With as many balls in the air flying around, it's imperative for me to choose training protocols that don't excite my nervous system too much. I know living in a flight or fight mode all the time will cause major burn out! 

When my plate is full, if I trained half as hard as some of you, I'd be in bed for the rest of the week. I don't look at this as a sign of weakness. I look at this as knowing what I have in the bank. Not overspending the money I have and working from a major debt. When you get yourself in debt, things begin to break and collapse around you. Putting money in the bank and knowing how to use what you have, is the key to finding balance. 

4. KNOW WHEN TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE - Challenging yourself or pushing the envelope from time to time is good stress. It makes you feel alive and shows what you can accomplish. For example, if you practice your pull-ups just 5 minutes every day, not pushing it too hard, you may end up achieving 5 pull ups in 6 months. No pain, no stress, just a bit of relaxed practice and bam you got there with ease. Or you can work youself to the ground by practicing pull ups an hour a day. You may get your 5 pull ups sooner, but suddenly your neck hurts, your traps hurt, your elbow is in pain all of the time. Your pull up days are now over for good .This is because you pushed it too hard too soon. Your body wasn't ready for what your mind wanted. Know when to push the envelope.

My point for all of this, is there is no perfect solution for everyone. Even the "PERFECT NUTRITION PROGRAM" may not get you to your goals.  Some of you feel best when you follow eating habis such as  vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten free, peanut free, FODMAPS, Grain free, dairy free, no legumes, raw food, soy free. 

Whatever your fancy may be, make sure it's the one that your body needs, just because you read it somewhere and people claim it works for them. Experiment from time to time. You are not them! We are not all made up the exact same. We all carry stress differently.

I can tell you one thing for sure about nutrition, people do better off eating whole natural foods. If it comes in a box and you don't understand the ingredients or you see a list of chemicals across the board, chances are it's not good for human beings. If you're drinking soda, even natural soda, chances are it's not really quenching your thirst. When you're thirsty water is the best. Add lemon, ginger, cayenne, probiotics, apple cyder vinegar. Those are all great too. Drink water!  If you don't want to feel like sh#t, eat less sh#t. PERIOD!

On another note, many members in the Playground are finishing up with the Rock Solid Kettlebell program. People have emailed sharing with me that they're stronger than they've ever been, they can actually see their muscles and they FEEL so good. This program was specifically designed for people who have stress in their lives! It's chill but effective! Now that our students in the playground are finishing up with Rock Solid we will be adding some new workouts in to the playground over the next few weeks. 

If you haven't tried the Low Volume program, I would highly recommend you check it out, if you're wondering what to do next. In the mean time try the new workout in our new section "Todd's Workouts" designed by Coach Graham. It's a 15 minute simple, yet challenging workout, where you only need one kettlebell. Go light and pace yourself! Members can sign in here to hit up these programs. 



xoxo, 


p.s. A few Announcements

1. If you're not a member in the playground yet, what are you waiting for? Get access to every workout for every goal. Strength, conditioning, fat loss, muscle gain, mobility, balance. You name it! Now that we've added so much content, our price will be going up soon. Get in before the price goes up so you can be grandfathered at your special rate! Learn more here

2. Todd is forming a Winner Circle for men. He will be taking a very small group of people for this first group. If you're interested please email sales@ontheedgefitness.com.  This group will be dedicated to helping even the busiest most unmotivated, especially those in the corporate world, to incorporate health and fitness in a realistic way, with personalized programs, nutrition and accountability phone calls. 

3. Upcoming Kettlebell Fitness Coaching Workshop (San Diego) - This will be a one day workshop focusing on the depth of proper movement patterns and protocols of training for all fitness levels. This will focus on making kettlebell fitness accessible for almost everyone. More info to follow and date will be announced soon. If you're interested in this unique one day course, please contact us at sales@ontheedgefitness.com  

4. LOCAL San Diego (Southern California) Only - If you're looking for local private instruction or group training we are taking on more students. If you're visiting town we love when you book a session with us. Nothing cooler than meeting you in person! We've had lots of vacationers come in this month! We love it!