Lauren Brooks Fitness

Here is an oldie but goodie.  I wrote this for Liftkettlebells.com several years ago.  Thought it was time to bring to attention on my blog.  More and more new moms are continuing to use this tried and true method.  You can of proof over on our inspiration page. I'm living proof as well! I've had 2 C-sections and my babies were huge! Kettlebells for women with children Why Kettlebells are Perfect for Mommies (Especially the New Ones) Whether you just had a baby or have been enjoying motherhood for many years, we all have something in common. We put our children first and tend to neglect ourselves. The biggest complaints I hear from moms are, “I can’t seem to get the fat off my midsection,” “I just don’t have two hours a day to spend in the gym.” Well, I’m here to give you some wonderful news.  You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get rid of the fat that you accumulated during your pregnancies. You can start by training with ket...

  This pre-exercise is phenomenal for anyone who has ever had a baby, C-section, hysterectomy, abdominal surgery, sits at a desk, or has core weakness. Elise Badone, Muscle Activation Technique Specialist, has come up with this isometric.  This looks like a "knee plank" but there is much more to it.  You will actually feel your TVA and pelvic floor muscles waking up and firing much more efficiently with the way that Elise has you do this exercise. Since I personally have had 2 Cesareans in a 24 month time span, I lost proper communication from my pelvic floor and abdominal muscular system to the brain.  The fact that I had two babies that were very large for my frame, in such a short time span, didn't help either!  With that being said as I became stronger my body became a very good over compensator.  Which happens to anyone who has had any trauma in that region.  Same goes with anyone who has had hip, knee, foot, ankle, or any sort of injury! T...

Chloe is now 7 months and getting close to crawling. She is giggling all the time, singing, laughing, and having fun with her big sister. I am still exclusively breast feeding Chloe, which as you can see by her pictures, she is well fed! Lyla is surprising me everyday with her new words. It's unbelievable watching these 2 girls grow up. Nothing is more fascinating to me then to see my own children grow and become little people. Chloe is finally sleeping through the night, although I'm afraid to say this because as soon as I tell someone that, the next night she wakes up! But it might be safe to say it. With getting a little more sleep things are starting to look clearer to me. It's amazing how just a couple nights of sleep can actually give you a whole new outlook on life. My energy is so much better all around. Which is perfect timing since I have a very important project I am working on. As far as my postpartum recovery goes, I would say I'm feeling awesome...

Little Miss Chloe exactly 6 months here Lyla wanting to be close to her sister Now this here it true love.  Lyla LOVES being a big sister. (tears)  Okay 6 months!!!!  It sounds like such a long time but it feels like yesterday. There is no wasting time these days. I'm constantly on the move now juggling 2 kids, my business, and of course my hubby.  There is never a dull moment in my house.  I'm still adjusting to two little ones.   As far as my fitness and health goes I would say I'm on a slightly slower road than last time. Finding the time with two kids is much more of a challenge. But I have dropped a couple pounds this month since introducing foods to Chloe. Even though I'm making tons of milk now, it's crazy! I'm at a weight and body fat that I am enjoying. My clients and I all took our body fat percentage with hydrostatic weighing (the gold standard, getting dunked in a tank).  At 2 months postpartum I was 117lb with a 19.7% body fat. ...

Well here I am again!  It's now been 5 wonderful months with my new baby.  I will admit that getting back in shape this time around is MUCH harder than it was with the first one.  In addition finding the time and energy to do everything with 2 kids has been more of a challenge.  I keep looking ahead and know that I will get to my goals, but have to accept that it's just taking a little longer this time.  Having the second C-section in 2 years does not help either! Since I am constantly hungry, due to the nursing, it's important to have healthy snacks on hand at all times to keep me from gaining weight.  If I don't eat often I get very low blood sugar and even shaky.  I will not be sad this time when its time to stop nursing Chloe, since I'm ready to have a normal appetite again.  I have been asked by many to post what I am eating. Here is a sample of what I eat. It changes daily. There are several extra snacks than normal for me in addit...

Here is Chloe at 4 months old. Things are going great! Nursing is going well, although I find when my weight falls under 115, my milk supply drops dramatically! It's strange that as long as I am between 115-117 I am able to keep up a healthy supply. I would love to be able to drop about 5 more pounds, but I will have to hold off until it's time to introduce solid foods to Chloe. Which will be 2 more months. In the meantime I am really enjoying getting my strength back.  Yesterday I picked up a bell to do some snatches thinking it was the 16kg (35lb) and realized that I had by accidently snatched the 20kg (44 lb)! Successfully achieved it but definitely felt HEAVY!  Oh well, glad I can do it, but my joints are not ready for it for at least several more weeks.  8-) My friend and client, Robin Duncan (in my first DVD), has really inspired me to try some hot yoga.  I have been meaning to give it a try after I was done with the pregnancy, but like ...

I have now been through 2 C-sections since writing this blog post and thankfully I've recovered beautifully from both with the appropriate progressions. For those who are new and are just finding me. WELCOME! First let me say I did NOT want a C-section. I did everything in my power to avoid the first and even the second. I'm a kettlebell fitness strength and conditioning coach who relies on her body to share, teach, educate, and I was under the impression that having to give birth via C-section would and could destroy my body and career. Boy was I wrong! If you're feeing the same way, start by reading this article I wrote many years ago that still applies today! Many people have asked and here is part of my experience.  I don't claim to be a medical expert but not only have I successfully healed my C-section, my abdominals are no longer numb, and I've successfully helped others who've had multiple C-sections (even some 20 years ago) find their core aga...

I have been flucuating on my body fat scale this past week. Getting a bit frustrated, I have been averaging about a 21.6% body fat. I consider this way too high for my own personal standards. My weight of 115 is great, but the body fat is telling me I need to start working a bit harder. BUT I have a big question running in my mind.  Does breastfeeding hold on to that last bit of fat I am trying to shed? I am fitting in to all my pre pregnancy clothes but I want my super lean look back! Most people say breastfeeding helps you lose weight. Which initially I agree with. I am definitely not trying to make excuses, but I think nursing causes you to hold on to a certain amount of fat. Back in the days in order for the baby to survive when the food was scarce, I believe the mother was designed to hold on to a certain amount of fat, to make sure milk could still be produced for the survival of the baby. I have spoken to many many women who breastfed and said they dropped about...

It's been about 6 weeks since giving birth to my little girl via C-section. I have just got clearance to start lifting weights. As excited as I am to get back in to the gym I know I have a long long LONG way ahead of me. Before I got pregnant I was relatively strong for my size. I was able to easily press and squat two 25 pound kettlebells at the same time. I was also able to do pistols (one legged squats), pull-ups, and swing heavy kettlebells. After 9 months of being pregnant, 6 weeks of recovering from a C-section, and little to no sleep I am very deconditioned. I tried pressing an 18 pound kettlebell and my shoulder was actually shakey. Before I got pregnant I could press that weight in my sleep and hold it over my head for many minutes. So that is just one example of where I am starting from. I decided because I have lost so much strength, muscle, and mobility to start back with a variety of traditional weights, machines,kettlebells, and snowboarding. This workout...