I was excited to find Kettlebell expert Lauren Brooks on Facebook, and even more excited to find out that she had her own DVD. I asked if I could review it and she kindly sent me a copy along with an extra for a giveaway. Read more for details.

Goodness, I think an entire week has gone by without a new post. How did that happen? Last Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to spend the day with fitness trainer, guru, and P90X creator, Tony Horton. It was a day filled with sweat, great health and fitness information and terrific people. Read more to find out all about this great day.

As I’m sure we will all agree, grabbing an apple or a handful of nuts for a snack can get pretty boring pretty fast. Chalene created a fun “Snack-O-Matic” chart to help you make fun and fast snacking choices. Basically, you pick a base, a dip, and a topping to reach about a 100 calorie total. I am having fun with it already. Today my snack is apple slices warmed in the microwave with crumbled walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. YUMMY! Here are some of the option ideas:

National Dance Day is July 31. It’s a great opportunity to explore dance for fun and fitness. I decided to tell you all about it because it was what such a great workout just learning and practicing the dance. The experience helped to remind me how much fun dance is as well as what a great option for fitness. So, get up and dance everyone. Your body and spirit will thank you for it.

Here’s a fun article from my buddy over at Yeahtips.com. Why is there such fuss about women’s health and fitness? Men don’t seem to have these issues. This is because women tend to prioritize their families first. No matter if they know every woman’s fitness tip, they are hardwired to feel guilty about putting themselves first. So now, there are endless articles, series, and even television programs to make women realize that they need to keep fit and healthy in order to multitask.

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) A new study confirms what many discovered long ago – strength training plays an important role in ridding the body of extra weight. My own experiences certainly support this research as well. I lost more weight once I added strength training into my regular routine.

Fitness Guru Jon Benson recently wrote a great article about what to eat before your workouts. I thought it would be a great one to share here. One of the most common questions Jon gets asked is: “What should I eat before my workouts if I want to get rid of bodyfat?”

Here is a great recipe, especially if you have a bunch of leftover veggies that you are not sure what to do with. It’s also easy to make, which is my favorite kind of recipe for sure. It’s also rather well balanced when it comes to fat, carbs and protein.