Episodes
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Season 3 of âMore Than Sweatâ will venture, habit by habit, through all the disciplines of my new book, 10 Minutes to Slim and Sober.
To be disciplined means to be a disciple of something. Today, I am a disciple of Daily Habit 1 in â10 Minutes to Slim and Sober,â and that is a no-fuss 5-step Surefire Morning Routine.
The advice I give on this show comes from my education as a certified personal trainer and professional life coach, as well as my experiential learning as a woman living alcohol-free, jumping off cliffs, eating more fiber than a bunny, lifting heavy weights, and making the most of her one precious life. It is not intended to be construed as medical advice.
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing a medical concern. Talk to me, a life coach, if you want to build a life you donât have to escape from. Until then, Iâll talk to you- in generalities. My message applies to uniquely you and ubiquitously everyone. It is, was, and always will be More Than Sweat.
â10 Minutes to Slim and Soberâ is available for $19.99 (including tax) at https://brookbenten.com/product/2025-ebook/
When you purchase the ebook, you support a family of 4, female entrepreneurship, and my mission to move millions to well-being.
IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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âMore Than Sweatâ always means you and I are doing life together in ways that dig deeper than just a workout. Season One introduced you to my life and vibe with Power Music đś jamming in the background. (In case you forgot, season one episodes had you match the beat of the music on your power walk as I mused on. We had some great walks and sometimes covered over 3 miles!) Season Two celebrated the hardcover book publication of my memoir, âSweat with Brook Benten.â Season Three is a blank slate. Weâll see where this goes, but one thingâs for sure: it will always be with L.O.V.E. (âLet Others Voluntarily Evolveâ). With gratitude and LOVE, hereâs episode one- with a glimpse into my just-launched ebook, â10 Minutes to Slim and Sober.â
10 Minutes to Slim and Sober is available exclusively as a digital book at https://brookbenten.com/product/2025-ebook/IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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When you plant a tree, itâs not sturdy. Itâs a fragile seed that is nurtured to a fragile trunk with fragile limbs. With rich soil, light, water, and time, it can grow sturdy.
So can you.
Whether youâve survived âtâ trauma or âTâ Trauma, you have experienced brokenness.
Repair will be a lengthy process.
âYou may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.â Margaret Thatcher
You can be sturdy again. But youâll never actualize sturdiness with hopes that you may be a passive witness to the process. Youâre the orchestrator. You are both the gardener and the tree.
Hereâs how I became sturdyâ the thirteen minute version of it.
If you feel broken or fragile right now, lean on me. I can be sturdy enough for both of us.
References:
Huberman Lab Podcast Dr. Becky Kennedy: Protocols for Excellent Parenting & Improving Relationships of All Kids
Good Inside, an educational platform by Becky Kennedy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and bestselling author
âSweat with Brook Bentenâ May I have a kidney? No? Then will you leave a glowing Amazon book review here^? (I donât actually need a kidney.) (I do actually need âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸.)
www.BrookBenten.comIG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Does this cycle sound familiar?
You think you may want to make a change.
Yes, you want to make a change.
You listen to podcasts, read books, buy healthy food, join a gym, andâŚ
Take action-ish. You are doing things, but not sure if youâre doing the right things.
Time passes, you get frustrated and it still feels effortful, miles away from maintenance.
You give up and revert back to your old ways.
A model developed in 1977 explains the stages of behavioral change. The cycle above isnât only relatable, itâs scientific. The Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change is what psychiatrists and psychologists use to assess where a patient is at in their readiness to change. From there, they know how to guide growth.
This episode explains the model, simply.
If you find yourself in the preparation stage, I can walk with you through an action plan that will see you through to higher ground: maintenance.
Action is tough on your own because: 1. Action is tough (keeping it real, it is!). 2. There is inaccurate and contradictory information on the World Wide Web. 3. Youâre not a nutritionist, trainer, nor exercise physiologist. 4. Thereâs more to health than what youâve tried.
Hereâs how this time will be different: 1. We can do hard things- together. 2. You wonât have multiple voices in your ear. Youâll have one. Mine. 3. I am a nutritionist, trainer, and exercise physiologist. 4. I have developed a well-being program that addresses all of you- not just the pounds you carry.
March 18 - June 25, 2024.
HEAVY 100
One hundred days of doable healthy action steps that will help you to feel and look your best. Registration is open now.
Here are details, enrollment, and my transformation photos from last yearâs program.
Even if youâve gone through the Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change a thousands times, I wonât ask what took you so long. Iâll simply say âIâm glad youâre here.âIG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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In 2008, a coworker snapped the thumbnail photograph used for todayâs episode. She called it âBrookâs Tour of Duty.â I was working childcare pickup after a day of hosting Hilltop Sports Camp, a summer day camp. When it was any other professionalâs turn to work aftercare pickup, theyâd stand on the sidewalk with a clipboard. I, on the other hand, wheeled a stationary bike out and squeezed in a little workout as I waited for parents to drive up to get their kids.
Iâm made to move. Not made for management.
But I was good at it.
What are you good at that you donât just love?
This episode encourages to to consider doing what you love.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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This episode begins with the background on todayâs juicy title.
Next up, three stories that back the statement.
Not sure you believe the negative effects of a diet rich in sugar and ultra-processed foods? Follow our show up with this podcast, titled âHow Sugar and Processed Foods Impact Your Health.â Youâll gain a deeper understanding from Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D., a neuroendocrinologist at University of California at San Francisco, and best-selling author on nutrition and metabolic health. (But not a single âbeaucoupâ or mention of The Real Housewives. Youâll have to stick with me right here for that.)
HEAVY 100 kicks off on March 18. Itâs a 100-day program to help you feel good.
H: 10 minutes of heavy dumbbell lifting a day (Iâll give you the workouts, written and in video format.)
E: 20 minutes of Endurance aerobic activity outside a day
A: Abstain from alcohol
V: Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
Y: Yield screen time (an hour that you find yourself typically on your phone, deliberately make that screen-free time. Selecting the hour before bedtime has sleep benefits.)
Here are all the program details, including a link to register! You may register now for the Mar. 19 through June 25, 2024 program.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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This episode starts with an announcement that Iâm sharing first with you. Get excited, sweat squad! You have a place here.
Next, I share information on my two-year struggle with an injury at the tendon where the hamstrings insert into the glute (a pain in the butt, literally!).
I wish I had come across Brodie Sharpeâs âOvercoming Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathyâ podcast sooner, but am so glad to have it now. Many physical therapists misunderstand PHT or misdiagnose it as piriformis syndrome, âlazy glute,â or sciatica. Sometimes, well-intending caregivers will suggest stretching (which is not beneficial for PHT- the tendon was overstretched, which fired up the horrible condition in the first place) or rest (which, alone, will not heal the condition). Brodie Sharpe has given me more help in 2024 than Iâve gotten in two years and thousands of dollars spent elsewhere.
The podcast linked above is eye-opening! Brodie Sharpe was kind enough to work with meâ not even wincing at the Australian-to-USA time difference. He serves worldwide (have other running injuries? He can help). I will be spending the foreseeable future working on heavy deadlifts (in addition to some other strength exercises, but deadlifts reigning supreme) to improve the strength and function of the tendon.
The lesson applies to my injury, but it also applies to everything in life:
Injuries Happen When Load Exceeds Capacity.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Never in a million years would I have thought Iâd share these stories. Never in a million years would you have believed themâ from anyone else.
A lightbulb went on over the process of writing my book, Sweat with Brook Benten, which reveals my lifeâs stories, in puns and pieces. I realized that experiencing life and sharing those experiences are what unites us.
So, letâs go there.
Letâs tether our bond tighter by recounting some of most outrageous personal stories that were omitted from the book. (It spoils nothing. There are plenty more in the book.)
In this episode, weâll gab about the time I ____
1. Hosted a reality TV show.
2. Became a YouTube sensation for all the wrong reasons.
3. Solved the most pervasive problem for apartment dwellers (until it didnât work).
My weekly blog at BrookBenten.com/blog/ documents other stories, like a near-fatal accident, a chronic injury, and why the strength chapter in my book isnât just about lifting weights.
I have two more blogs in the series, coming soon. Those will include getting slapped in the face with a beefy soft taco, trying to pull a fast one over on airport security, and the highest and lowest athletic moments of my lifeâ five seconds apart.
This blog series is titled âStories That Didnât Make It In the Book (But Should Have.)â
Sign up for the newsletter at brookbenten.com to stay tuned of new posts, hot off the press of their release.
Your 5-star rating and review of this podcast helps spread growth. Please give a quick glowing review. Growth means making people feel less alone. Isolation is an epidemic. Connectivity is how we move millions to well-being. It is the reason for âMore Than Sweat.â It is the reason for everything.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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A stronghold: that thing that has you. The battle as silent as carbon monoxide and as strong as a bomb. It kills you every day. It chips away at your self-worth. The abusive lover that promises you protection from the world, but takes the world away from you. Too seductive to leave. Too violent to stay.
Telling someone exposes it and weakens its power. But only you can defeat it. Itâs an inside job.
This episode suggests that the battle of breaking a stronghold is not won by your might, but by your moment.
You overcome a stronghold, moment by moment.
Referenced books:
âTiny Habitsâ by B.J. Fogg
âScarcity Brainâ by Michael Easter
âWe Are The Luckiestâ by Laura McKowen
The reference to everybody having an internal mother that loves us â a mother that tenderly cares for us, wants whatâs best for us, and wills us to be well â is from my just-released book, âSweat with Brook Benten.â
Referenced podcasts:
Huberman Lab // How Sugar and Processed Food Impact Your Health, Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000638917560
The Drive // Overcoming Addictive Behaviors, Elevating Well-being, Thriving in an Era of Excess and The Scarcity Loop, Michael Easter
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peter-attia-drive/id1400828889?i=1000640881663
We Can Do Hard Things // Why Sober Life is the Luckiest Life, Laura McKowen
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722?i=1000641796291
Huberman Lab // Healthy Eating & Eating Disorders- Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating, Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/healthy-eating-and-eating-disorders-anorexia-bulimia-binging
Mental Health Hotline 866-903-3787IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Must Love Dogs.
In this episode, I share memories with my four-legged friends. May it inspire you to reflect on good times with (wo)manâs best friend, too.
Hereâs the tribute referenced to Kokomo.
https://youtu.be/zKoFJH1zoeQ?feature=sharedIG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Call it a resolution, goal, or BFHG (big fat hairy goal), we all have them. Theyâre usually at top of mind at top of January. Check out any ad on your social media feed and itâll tell you that itâs a New Year and that you need a new you.
I think you should âxâ out of those ads.
Iâm a fitness and wellness pro, and I donât think you need a new you. I like same you. And I hope you like same me. Letâs stay exactly as we are at the core. And letâs work on improving things we choose to improve.
I give four examples of goals Iâve worked on over the past year or am working on now.
1. I chose sobriety. Youâre keenly aware of that because Iâm always bringing it up. (New Year, New Me would be sorry about that. New Year, Same Me sings âbaby Iâm sorry, Iâm not sorry.â) Goal accomplished. A
2. I had a burning desire to accomplish this ONE fitness goal. Goal accomplished, but in a C- type of way. Itâs sloppy. My 10yo son does it much better than I do.
3. My inability to resist eating too many homemade energy balls. F. Failing.
4. Analysis paralysis. I struggle to get things done, because Iâm continually second-guessing myself. Itâs not perfectionism. Itâs the opposite. Iâm always so certain that my work is terrible and that it needs tweak after tweak after tweak to ever be presentable. So, I canât press send. I move the finish line. I make a good thing bad and bad things worse by picking them apart. I have not accomplished this goal.
A step toward working on it is recording this podcast episode while sitting in an Aldi parking lot with Ernie, the Great Dane, as he shook his ears, audibly and violently.
I did not cut out his ear flops.
Here we go, a raw podcast episode.
That moves the needle on this goal.
New Year, Same Me salutes New Year, Same You. In this episode, letâs talk about goals to be good to our same selves.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Weâre kicking off season two with an excerpt from my new book, âSweat with Brook Benten!â
Overnight success is usually just overnight exposure.
In 2010, it looked like I became an instant fitness star when you couldnât shop at any sporting goods store without seeing my mug on the cover of kettlebell equipment.
But Iâd been plugging away at it since 1999.
I left fitness modeling (I had my reasons) and now devote most of my time to playing silly games with my two young children. I didnât pivot. I self-selected myself out of that chapter and into a new one.
Hayes and Julie Anna are my number one priority.
-But-
Iâm also not well unless Iâm helping people.
Itâs my calling.
In this new territory of mom AND self-published entrepreneur, I have it all. I show them what getting off their devices, moving their bodies and feeding their souls looks like. Plus, I take your hand, walk with you, and gently guide you to green pastures of wellness.
This book has been three years in the works. This profession has been 25 years in the works. This movement is the hill I will die on (a lifetime in the works!). When this piece of work does what itâs intended to do: move millions to well-being, donât call it a comeback. As L.L. Cool J sang, âIâve been here for years.â
Audiobook and 12 Sweat with Brook Benten workout video library are now available at www.BrookBenten.com. Hardcover and eBook will publish on January 15, 2024.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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In the finale episode of season one, Brook Benten lays her ambitious stories out there as if she has no shame. (Weâre told she really is ashamed of returning to a commercial audition in a blonde wig for a do-over).
This episode was saved for last, because the best is in the hustle. The hustle is where the fun is. When youâve lost the motivation to do that, youâve lost everything.
Brook often says, âHustle beats talent when talent doesnât hustle.â
As the final story in this episode, Brook reveals from whom she learned to be ambitious (youâll learn more about that guy at gyrotrips.tv). Brookâs father and she will inspire you to start opening your own doors, too.
Hustle through 20-minutes on a power walk at 132 steps per minute (4.2 MPH) for an endurance cardio workout while listening to this season finale message.
Please rate, share, and review this podcast. It helps to to get more people moving.
If your inquisitive mind wants more details on any of the obtuse stories in this podcast episode, just hit Brook Benten up with a comment under this episodeâs post on any social media channel. No holds barred!IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Power walk at 132 steps/minute for 60-minutes.
For the first 20, youâll be joined by Brook Benten, delivering a message about the importance of solitude.
For the last 40, walk on the beat on your own, reveling in the joy of solitude.
For a video with rolling images from Brook Bentenâs recent trip to Colorado Springs, CO, see YouTube.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Walk at 4.2 MPH (132 steps per minute) for the first half of this episode. The motivating message to power your walk speaks of the life-changing magic of reframing rejection as redirection.
For the second half of this episode, grab dumbbells (or water bottles, soup cans, tennis ball containers, nut butter jars- use what youâve got!) and tone your arms, shoulders, and back through three sets of upper body strength exercises.
No previous strength training is required. Although youâll be able to follow along with audio-only, the strength exercises are much easier to execute with a visual demonstration. You can find that on YouTube here:
Full Episode 11
Strength Portion Only
Exercise is not without risk. To reduce your risk of injury, contact your physician before performing this or any exercise program.
If you love this podcast, please take the time to share it! Your friends may love it, too.
5-star rating and reviews on Apple Podcasts allows More Than Sweat to climb up the Apple Podcasts: Health: Fitness hierarchy.
More Than Sweat is part of Brook Bentenâs broader mission to move millions to well-being. Every share, positive rating, and glowing review bolsters that mission.
The music in this and every More Than Sweat episode is provided courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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With entertainment, humor, and ever going down a few rabbit holes along the way, Brook Benten will give you four food and beverage behavioral changes that you can make to lose weight without dieting.
Every More Than Sweat episode includes a workout. This one is a continuous power walk at 132 steps per minute (4.2 miles per hour), for about a mile and a half and 2,772 steps during the podcast.
Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music by Power Music, the worldâs #1 source of workout music.
Join the More Than Sweat team for Preventionâs Walk for Wellness, a free ($0) virtual 5K walk on Saturday, October7.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Spoiler alert: itâs do things that scare you and do things that delight you.
And weâll do both in this episode.
Youâll be empowered to make scary things and delightful things a foundational part of who you are and what you do, not something you have to add to your daily checklist.
To do both something scary and something delightful in todayâs More Than Sweat podcast, weâll:
-Walk for 5-minutes at 130 steps-per-minute (about 4 miles per hour pace)
-Perform 5-minutes of challenging bodyweight exercises: 1-min each of burpees, planks, push-ups, squats, and lunges (modifications given on each)
-Walk for 5-minutes at 130 steps-per-minute (about 4 miles per hour pace)
-Perform 5-minutes of fun bodyweight exercises: 1-min each of skipping, galloping right, galloping left, âthe pony,â and sagittal pony
20-minutes total workout.
Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.
For follow-along video, see @BrookBenten (Brook Benten Official) channel on YouTube.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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70% of Americans donât get the CDCâs recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise each week and 2 days of strength training.
By 2035, half of the world is predicted to be obese.
It doesnât have to be this way.
More events like this, the one spoken about in detail in this podcast, presented by organizers with clear missions that are far greater than sweat are part of the solution. It doesnât hurt when itâs hosted at places like this, either.
This podcast brings an educational, entertaining, effective exercise session that can be done in 20-minutes with no equipment. Todayâs episode features a 10-min power walk followed by 10-min cardio kick boxing session.
Although the kick boxing cues can be followed with audio-only, if you prefer a visual, this episode is available in video on YouTube at @BrookBenten channel.
More Than Sweat podcast was previously titled Sweat Like a Mother. Even though youâll see me, Brook Benten, pushing a stroller if you watch this episode in video format, it never really was just for mothers or just about making you sweat. For those reasons, the brand evolved. This podcast is for anyone with an able body (thatâs you) and it exists is to make you whole, cleverly disguised as a sweat fest.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Walk further and faster than we have in any previous podcast episode. Todayâs walk and talk will cover 3,000 steps, while walking at a pace of 140 steps/min (4.5 MPH) to the beat of Royalty Free Fitness Music.
Sweat Like a Mother is now âMore Than Sweat.â
Itâs about making you whole, cleverly disguised as a sweat fest.
Topics:
Athleroscerotic Cardiovascular Disease
The sedentary crisis in America
Obesity statistics
Ultra-processed foods- why theyâre bad; whatâs good
What the future looks like if this continues
What you can do about it
Special thanks to The Fitt Insider for providing data and asking the question, âhow do we reverse these trends?â
We, meaning I, Brook Benten, start by releasing this podcast.IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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Hi, Itâs Brook!
I know so many women who say theyâd workout if they had the time, equipment, and knew what to do. Todayâs Sweat Like a Mother podcast is 5-minutes of walking, 5-minutes of bodyweight-only squats, 5-minutes of walking, 5-minutes of bodyweight-only lunges.
Thatâs it!
20-minutes. No equipment. I tell you what to do and even though itâs mega-super-whazzawhazza wow effective, itâs suitable for all fitness levels. (I do this stuff for a living, and Iâm on day three of soreness from this workout right now!)
It can be done indoors, walking in place, if the heat where youâre at is like 105 (thousand) degrees, as it is in Texas.
The podcast is audio-only. Youâd be able to understand what to do just by my verbal cues. But Iâm a visual and kinesthetic learner, and I thought maybe you are, too. So I made this YouTube video to guide you through the workout. Itâs the audio from the podcast with a visual demonstration.
https://youtu.be/_ikUZvg5728
This podcast leads you through a 5:00 walk at 128 steps-per-minute (a 15:00/mile pace), then 5:00 of bodyweight-only pliĂŠ squats, back to 5:00 walk at 128 steps-per-minute, and finishes with 5:00 of bodyweight-only lunges. Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.
Enjoy this Barbie-inspired light but sweaty Sweat Like a Mother episode!IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten
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