Suzanne Bowen Fitness

Best and Most Affordable Hand Weights From Perform Better

2011-06-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Core Move: SELF.com

2011-03-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous Core Move: SELF.com

Piece on Good Morning America!

2011-01-08T04:47:00.000-08:00

Little Big TV - Episode 15

2011-01-08T04:45:00.000-08:00

Little Big Town at the Studio

2011-01-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

Photo Shoot for the new Gorgeous Core Cover

2011-01-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

Lovely time shooting for the new Gorgeous Core cover with photographer, Jesse Koska. We changed the cover because Acacia UK picked up the title for worldwide distribution (aside from US and Canada) so we wanted to keep it seamless. They renamed the program "Belly Blitz" as it suited them better in the UK and beyond. So don't be confused. The program is the same intense 60-minute packed workout for both titles. :-) Gorgeous Core has been receiving great reviews. I will post them as they come out.

We traveled to NYC last month and I was able to take a class at Exhale Spa from one of my most favorite teachers, Barbara Booloukus, and let's just say I couldn't walk for several days! It was so great being back in the city. I have missed it so much and am very thankful to be going back at the end of this month.

As this year starts, let's all commit to being grateful the the amazing life we have the opportunity to live in this country. Also commit to making good choices (eating, working out, de-stressing, etc). And let's all try to make 2011 great!

All My BEST!

Girls from Little Big Town

2010-11-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

It has been such a pleasure having the amazingly talented girls from Little Big Town working out with BarreAmped over the last few months. They are at the top of my list and I beamed with pride last night as they looked hot at the CMAs! Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman are featured at Seren Motus doing BarreAmped on ABC News. Check it out!

Thanks to Reid Long for amazing photos!

2010-09-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

Review: Gorgeous Core: A New Abdominal Workout DVD

September 7, 2010 | by Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD | No Comments

If you’ve ever done workout routines or abdominal exercises using a DVD in your living room, you know that a great instructor is KEY in motivating you to get off the couch. Regular, consistent exercise on a long term basis is crucial to good health, which makes an amazing fitness DVD an invaluable tool. Over the years, I’ve sweated with some of the fitness world’s most loved instructors. One person that I keep inviting into my living room is Suzanne Bowen. I first tried Bowen’s 10 Minute Solution: Pilates Perfect Body, having had no prior experience with her DVDs. The 10 Minute Solution is not only a great concept, but also incorporates short bursts of intense, concentrated exercises adequate for those who are time crunched or who want to focus on a particular body part of type of exercise (e.g. low impact cardio, dance, etc.). I immediately gravitated to Suzanne’s cues and encouraging demeanor. Next, I added her Ruah Release DVD to my collection and found the two DVDs to compliment each other quite well. Most recently, Suzanne, who has become a friend and colleague, sent me her newest DVD: Gorgeous Core with Suzanne Bowen.

As a dietitian, I know the importance of diet in obtaining and maintaining a healthy level of body fat and a strong core. Excess fat around the midsection makes people more prone to a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, elevated triglycerides and metabolic syndrome. When combined with abdominal exercises that tone the core and work these muscles to the point of fatigue (read: noticeable soreness the following day!), it is easier than ever to achieve a gorgeous (healthy) middle.

Gorgeous Core is designed to be suitable and convenient for those looking for quick 5 to 12 minute workout routines of abdominal exercises, as well as women wanting a full body challenge that targets the core from a variety of angles. Sit ups and crunches are only two of a myriad of abdominal exercises to exhaust the transverse abdominals and obliques. If you choose to do all of the fitness segments included in the DVD, it takes one hour, not a huge time commitment for a healthy body! However, one of the shorter workout routines – the 5 minute on-the-go segment – is great if you are working up a sweat just thinking about how to fit a few abdominal exercises into your busy day!

One of my favorite workout routines was the first 12 minute segment, called Lean, Long and Strong. With Suzanne’s expert cues, I found that my muscles were burning. This is no small feat, considering I’ve often struggled to feel “the burn” despite performing traditional and non-traditional abdominal exercises. And, one of the workout routines – Metabolism Bootcamp – boosts heart rate and helps you tone arms, glutes and thighs in 12 minutes.

In addition to a lovely setting for the DVD (no harsh lighting or thumping rock ‘n roll), Suzanne strikes a wonderful balance of being encouraging but also honest enough to motivate women to work hard and focus. She is a role model herself, promoting sound nutrition and regular cardiovascular exercise in addition to her DVDs, to help you achieve a Gorgeous Core for the long term. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Brooke is a Private Practice Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach, San Diego, CA www.brookejoannanutriton.com

Gorgeous Core Is Finally Here!

2010-08-26T04:09:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous Core is here and we are so excited. To date, this is my favorite workout DVD because I was able to pack it full of intermediate to advanced level core work (with beginner modifications). Get ready to be challenged. If you try Gorgeous Core and don't feel challenged, please check your form and make sure you are not using momentum through segments like Lean, Long and Strong or Sleek Physique Core Work... If you slow down and follow my cues of really committing to the positions you will be challenged.

Remember that it's not about how many reps you do or how advanced you get. It's about how well you do the reps (advanced or not). I can take a beginner barre class and get super sore the next day because I get into the position from the start and allow my muscles to work by concentrating and thinking about the form.

You should feel challenged to the core from the very first rep!

Teaching Teaser at Seren Motus

2010-07-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Great.

2010-04-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

I am so incredibly sore from hours of practicing this workout which I film in LA in a week from tomorrow. But it's so well worth it. It's important to practice, practice, practice in order to create a quality product. I started my career in fitness DVDs back in 2002 at the Lotte Berk Method in NYC (at the Puck Building in Soho which had a price of $25K for the week (just for one, albeit gorgeous, room)). Goodness knows what the rest of the production must have cost! But interestingly I found that I was more natural in front of the camera than I was in front of people. I don't know if that is true for when I am in front of the people in my studio. Because now I LOVE teaching. But back then I was a young instructor on the Upper East Side of NYC. Right? Can you say Intimidating? (Maybe it's true if you can make it there you can make it anywhere)... But honestly I just credit God for opening amazing doors for me as I look back on my career. Having apprenticed and taught at one of the most renowned studios in the country under the tutelage of greats (Lydia Bach, Fred Devito, Shawn McCormack, and Barbara Boolukus to name a few) in the industry is something for which I will be forever grateful. And to have met Andrea Ambandos of Dragonfly Productions on that LBM shoot is huge. She's the mogul director/producer of the fitness DVD industry. She can make you. She knows it. And I love her. And she helps rub off the rough edges for sure (and not without tears as those of you who have been through her boot camp can attest). But my time at the LBM and my time under her direction have really helped mold me into a person who strives for greatness. I wouldn't say I am great. I just like great. I want to give greatness to my clients and to the people who use my DVDs. So the soreness is worth it. Because I want my next DVD to be, well, great.

10 Minute Solution Slim & Sculpt Pilates with Suzanne Bowen

2010-04-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

10 Minute Solution Pilates Perfect Body with Suzanne Bowen

2010-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

10 Minute Solution Pilates Perfect Body

2010-04-17T17:26:00.000-07:00