Lauren Brooks Fitness

Fitness After a C-Section   by Melissa Closser First off, I want to apologize to every new mom I saw pushing their 6 month old child in a stroller and thinking "Why hasn't she lost the weight yet? It can't be that hard."  YES IT IS!!! I got into fitness, primarily kettlebell training, after suffering a miscarriage.  Before getting pregnant with my son, I trained for my first kettlebell competition and level 1 kettlebell certification (I certified while 10 weeks pregnant, with doctor's clearance).  I continued my kettlebell training throughout the first and second trimesters of my pregnancy. 2 month after C-section Once I was cleared from my c-section to start training again, I turned to Lauren's article What Doctor's Don't Tell You After a C-Section for help. I wanted to get my strong body back, but wasn't sure how to begin. I followed her programming of planks, pelvic tilts, kettlebell swings and 4-point tummy vacuum. I also add...

  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...

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...