Lauren Brooks Fitness

Yes even kettlebells can help your yoga practice and vice versa.  It's so wonderful to actually be able to see and feel the benefits almost immediately. I've been so excited about this since I have added a Yoga portion to my Saturday kettlebell classes. This class is taught by Robin Duncan, certified YogaWorks teacher.  So far, people have loved the feeling of both combined.  Granted the yoga poses are designed specifically for those who just completed an intense class using kettlebells, cables, and other ballistic and strength training movements. From  the research studies from Dr. Stuart McGill, Robin Duncan and I design a safe practice that compliments the kettlebell class.  I have no doubt in my mind that more and more kettlebell instructors will be partnering up with qualified yoga instructors to do the same thing.  However, I hope that other instructors know that there are many popular yoga poses that should not be implemented directly after a stude...

I want to start off by thanking all the participants at the workshop for doing an outstanding job, even with the video cameras and lights all over the place.  I especially would like to thank Carolyn Brumfield RKC II, owner of Phyzyks , for allowing us to use her beautiful facility.  Not only did she allow us to use it, she also instructed the dreaded Double Snatch. For those who missed it, don't worry, the DVD will be out this summer.   I also want to thank Sara Cheatham for being an amazing partner with this workshop.  In spite of this being our first workshop together, our different teaching styles and personalities complimented each other very well.  It was a great atmosphere and vibe throughout! Thank you to everyone, film crew (you know who you are), Della Whelchel (my BuggyBellz partner) and the great people who surrounded us.  At the end of the workshop we handed out some feedback forms which were completely Anonymous. ...

This weekend I went to a Vegan potluck dinner.  My friend Melanie, made a Corn and Arugula salad that was a huge hit.  I could not believe how delicious it was.  I felt like I was at a fine dining restaurant. The dressing was made from scratch along with slicing the corn off the cob and putting it in to the salad.  All the tastes just went so well together. The recipe was derived from the Corn and Arugula Salad recipe at allrecipes.com however Melanie made some changes to it and then I made a subtle change as well.   Here it is and I will put notes of how I did it in red. Ingredients 1/4  cup  cider vinegar ( I used unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar ) 3  tablespoons  minced shallots 2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard 1/2  teaspoon  salt ( only added a dash, since I'm not a believer of using too much salt ) 1/4  cup  olive oil 4  cups  fresh corn kernels (from 4 or 5 ears; see notes) (only use...

** W ORKSHOP NEWS** SOLD OUT!!! Many people have emailed me regarding the upcoming kettlebell workshop on March 21st. Some have expressed to me that they may not feel ready for an Intermediate workshop but still want to attend.  For this reason we have divided the workshop in to 2 portions if you prefer to just attend the morning OR afternoon segment that is now an option. (For the pregnant kettlebell user, you couldn't be in better hands) There will be modifications throughout! Lucky you!!!! PART 1:   Kettlebell Review gently building to  Intermediate Drills, Z- Health Principles, and the perfect Follow Along Workout 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.   This portion will be a review of the basic drills that will get you up to speed if you have been struggling with any of them. There will be some intermediate drills introduced and practiced. You will then have the skills to build up some of the advanced drills if you choose to stay for the second portion of the ...

For everyone who lives in San Diego OR planning on vacationing out here this summer, you don't want to get left behind.  Now is your chance to be apart of one of the best Russian Kettlebell Certification programs.   SAVE $1000 ON TUITION AND SIGN UP FOR THE  RKC WORKSHOP RIGHT HERE

You can call these Banana Apple Sauce Cupcakes if you want since the purpose of this recipe is for a baby's first birthday.  Although my 3 year old also loved them and couldn't get enough. I like them as well and they are great little treats.   I made a very small batch of just 6 cupcakes. If you want to make more I suggest you double the recipe.   1 Cup Almond Flour 1/2 Cup Organic Oats ( Certified Gluten Free - optional) 1/2 cup Apple Sauce 2  Ripe Bananas smashed 1 Organic Egg 1 TBS of Agave Maple Blend (optional) 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda Mix Almond Flour, Oats, and Baking soda together.  Then add mashed bananas, egg, and agave (optional).  Beat until smooth. Pour in to baking cups 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for approx 30-35 minutes.  When toothpick comes out clean they are finished. Let cool and store in an air tight container.  These will be very moist from the almond flour and taste like a banana cake. If you don't mind...

Today we celebrated Chloe's first Birthday.  I remember so clearly being in the hospital doing every thing in my power to deliver my baby naturally.  It's been exactly 1 year since the birth and I am still a bit disappointed I ended up with another C-section.  You can read more about my birth experience here . One day I'll get over it, but I am still bummed! This year with Chloe has been filled with ups and downs.  Having kids is definitely a juggling act.  Seeing my 2 girls interact with one another is one of the biggest joys.  I now have 2 little girls that fill my heart with so much love I just can't stand it. This year I decided not to have a birthday party for Chloe.  I just wanted to experience the moment with us.  After losing a dear friend 2 weeks ago, it's been really hard for me to want to plan any sort of party. It's not like Chloe will ever remember this any way.  Of course I made some yummy banana apple sauce muffins (c...

You do not want to miss out on this special workshop because chances are this exact seminar will not be done again! You can sign up  here  before the price goes up or sells out.  MILITARY AND GROUP DISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE!! For the first time ever , Lauren Brooks and Sara Cheatham will be teaming up together to present a killer Kettlebell / Z -Health combo workshop!!! Sara Cheatham and Lauren Brooks are both very well known for their non-intimidating teaching style, providing clear explanations that makes learning new skills easy and fun!   Lauren and Sara may be the smallest female kettlebell instructors, but don't let size fool you!  They can easily hang with the big boys by moving some heavier kettlebells around!  Ladies never fear! These tiny girls will prove to you that you don't have to be big and bulky to be super strong! Men, if you want to get bulky and you are struggling, we can help you with that as well.  This workshop is specif...

Attention San Diego! On The Edge Fitness has teamed up with San Diego’s leading health and fitness professionals to put on a fitness expo and workout to kick off 2010. The event will be held at Road Runner Sports in Mira Mesa and will include a cross-training circuit led by San Diego’s leading fitness coaches.  Click here to register  – the first 200 participants receive a free body fat analysis.

Well I sure didn't need a research study to prove to me that using kettlebells will result in astounding  fat burning and strength results in half the time .  Upon discovering proper movement pattern training using kettlebell methods, it was clear to me when  properly implemented  in a balanced way, that one can get a killer workout in the most efficient way. Click on image below to see the entire study.  Training methods that have worked well, will usually result in a mass of people jumping on the bandwagon.  When I first began using kettlebells, it was a rarity if someone knew what this hunk of iron was actually all about. When I was fresh out of college, I was employed at a corporate gym as a personal trainer. The owner stopped me from teaching the kettlebell methods to their clientele. The owners believed the method looked dangerous and would scare off their clients. I knew deep down inside that this type of training was going to give these p...