MizzFit Calls Dream Body Workout, "Top 5 hardest workouts."

The workout that got me through my hectic 1st day of Fashion Week...GIVEAWAY TIME!

It was a busy day for me and busy days call for an effective workout solution that can be done in 1-hour or less preferably first thing in the morning. I had no travel time for gym or fitness class so I decided to do one of my new favorite DVD workouts at home. It's called the Fusion Fitness Dream Body Workout and I'm officially calling it one of the 5 hardest DVD workouts of my life.

It's the perfect express workout for fashion week because it's trendy, designed especially for women who want to look good in their clothes, and it's F*%#&ing HARD! You will sweat like a pregnant pig and hate life for 60 minutes, but you'll fall in love with the results and be satisfied with a full body workout that's just as good or better as your favorite cardio & plyometrics fitness class. I'm betting on "better", but you can be the judge of that because I'm giving away 4 of the Fusion Fitness Dream Body DVDs.

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me about the craziest/edgiest outfit you've ever worn for a fashion related event. Even better if it was an outfit you wore for a fitness event or workout! 4 winners will be announced on Friday, September 21st 2012.

Can't wait to read about all your crazy outfits!

Two Belles Fitness Reviews the Dream Body Workout

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Sep102012

Introducing the Dream Body Workout from Darby Brender and Fusion Fitness! Keep reading for a full detailed review of this super fun, super effective, and super unique workout! Darby is ACE certified in group fitness and instructs live fusion classes in Kansas! We really enjoyed working hard with Darby in the workout and know you will too! You can see Darby’s passion and energy shining through in this upbeat workout!

Review: Dream Body Workout by Fusion Fitness
Darby Brender, 2011 ***** (5 of 5 stars)

Darby leads this class of live students through a nonstop 67 minute workout! This is a super unique fusion workout that will work your muscles & spike your heartrate. You will need optional light weights (they use 2 #’s) and a stability ball for this workout. Darby provides modification options and a “bubble girl” will pop up to show proper form.

Darby utilizes weights in most exercises. Exercises include: Mt. Climber up to warrior 3, one leg back flies, side lunge & hop, down dog kick series, donkey kick series, 1 arm tri dips, static pliet & pliet pulses w/ weighted arm work, football run w/ weighted punches, inner thigh helicopter series, weighted punch series, chair squats w/ static upper body hold, burpee -pushup- chair pose, elevator planks, and a stability ball leg series.

This is an advanced workout; Darby wastes no time & all exercises are multitasking! The workout moves quickly but is not hectic at all. Darby provides constant motivation and excellent cuing. VERY unique, upbeat, fun, and effective! I literally have nothing else like this in my extensive dvd library. Very well rounded, hits all the muscles, and great cardio effect w/ little impact. I received this dvd to review.

For More Information, Visit:
Fusion Fitness on the Web
Fusion Fitness on Facebook
Fusion Fitness on Twitter
The Fusion Fitness Blog

I received a sample of this product to review. I was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

http://www.twobellesfitness.com/2012/09/10/review-dream-body-workout-by-fusion-fitness-darby-brender/

Fusion's LA Adventure Continued...

Did you think you missed the memo to read about the rest of our adventures in LA? Nope...we just had a slight delay in continuing this story due to the opening of our BRAND NEW MISSION FARMS STUDIO! We are loving the new space and now have two locations to make you sweat!

Back to LA...

Our next stop after Sadie dominated the treadmill at Drive Cardio was called Yoga Hop, just down the street from Drive. This is one of my favorite streets in Santa Monica called Montana Ave, filled with coffee shops, cute studios and boutiques, hip eateries, and more fro-yo shops than a Kardashian episode.

If you are ever in the area, I always suggest this studio. I was here three years ago and loved it, so I definitely wanted it included on this trip. I have to say, I liked the past class better, but this one was full of super loud hip hop and we loved the motivating buns of our model-esque teacher, Jennifer.

One of my favorite things about this studio is the natural light; it just pours in both of the rooms they have. I don't know if it's all that light or the moves or the music, but something just always leaves me feeling so full of energy and love every time I walk out of there.

The class we took was Vinyasa Flow, and we loved the moves but thought the pace needed some pick-me-up. (Although, you know us Fusion gals are a little high-strung and hyper at times, so maybe we are a little biased?) We moved through about 6 vinyasa flow cycles and then onto a super long stretch and into my least favorite pose, SAVASANA, for what seemed like six hours(!). All in all we missed the sweat but cooled our jets and really did enjoy the relaxation of the class.

Onto our next stop, Dove's Bodies. We walked into this huge space full of equipment and full of all types of clients; some seemed more beginner while others were prancing their hot bods around. We were immediately directed by a stern woman with a clipboard, who turned out to be our not-so-cheery instructor.

The concept of this place was right on target, going through a circuit and keeping our heart rates up, but it was so out of flow and not that exciting. One minute we'd be running on the treadmill and the next we'd be herded to the group exercise area, doing a lot of old-school aerobics. And our instructor was really grumpy! We hope that was just her on a bad day and it wasn't always like that, but she yelled at Amy for not jumping enough and at Sadie for doing the wrong jump. And not in the fun, motivating way that makes you want to try harder! So we will leave Dove and her clipboard, and keep our nice ways of inspiring you guys.

The next studio was definitely the most creative way of burning cals I have seen. It's called Pound, and we literally did the entire class with drumsticks in our hands. Sounds crazy, but it really was pretty cool. We were thinking about coordination more than banging out the reps, so it made for a nice distraction and gave us a few laughs.

Our adorable instructor, Harmony, was just like you are picturing her. Super energetic, sweet, and totally into what she was doing. Her class kind of reminded me of Zumba, where the whole thing is coordinated and you just have to follow along until you get it. There were only six of us in there, so luckily we weren't worried the whole time of jabbing each other in the eye with a drumstick. We'd do individual moves, and then do some sitting in a line so we'd slap the sticks together like we were performing in Stomp. It was super fun and we were smiling ear to ear the entire time.

If you're ever in LA, Pound is something off the beaten path and you can really get into the groove of the music and enjoy yourself. It feels kind of goofy at first, but experiencing something new everyday is on your to-do list, right?

We wanted to hit a barre class to see if they were doing anything fun, but it turns out that Physique 57 in Beverly Hills is more like your mom's barre class. Or even your grandma's. Yawn! And not just due to our normal pace, but it was just really boring, slow, and literally felt like it was happening in Grandma's dining room. A client even had a baby with her.

Don't get me wrong, the class was well-directed with super nice instructors and good moves, but it was more like a formal ballet class than a fitness barre class. I think we are lucky to have such a fun barre class here at Fusion, because people come here to sweat, not to perfect their plie.

Next we wanted to see what all the hype was about at Barry's Boot Camp. It's all the rave in Hollywood, and in fact Kim Kardashian just tweeted about going there a couple days ago. We wanted to check out how the stars get their sweat on, and possibly get a little of that Kardashian booty lift, so we headed to boot camp.

Upon check-in, we received our dog tags and met our instructor Seth, a total LA guy in his 20s with hair more done than ours and an enthusiastic attitude to teach his first class. The place was packed and decked out in camo everything, to really give that "boot camp" vibe. They gave out that vibe with the class too, as we did so many push-ups I had to drop to my knees a few times, and we did a full 30 minutes on the treadmill in addition to all the other requirements.

Seth was super encouraging and kept on us to 'give it all you got,' but I have to say the class was pretty mundane. It was like we were all doing exercises from Men's Heath, 1985. They were good moves of course, but behind the times and just not too exciting. There was never a feeling of working towards a goal or climax, it was just do one boring exercise and onto the next. The tough amount of reps were challenging and would definitely get a gal in shape, but we prefer more bang for our buck.

Rock It was our next stop, a full two hour drive from all the other studios. I had heard about this place so had to take the drive to experience it.

They had a very cool space, with a juice bar, store, and salon in addition to the studio. The class was the closest to Fusion that we found, even using everybody's fav, the gliders! They had great moves, worked to muscle exhaustion like we do, and it was an overall fun class. They could have picked up the pace, and I thought a lot of their moves weren't extremely challenging. The gliders, for example, were all done standing up.

The feel of Rock It reminded us of a group fitness class you take on vacation. Fun and a decent workout, but a little too aerobics-y. But hey, we were on vacation!

Our last stop was my fav, Soul Cycle. Like many cycling classes, this was done in a dark room with loud music and puddles of sweat under us all by the end of it. Our instructor Angela walked in like an Olympic track star. Not an ounce of fat on this woman's body, and how do you say, you could bounce a quarter off that ass?! Her muscles and healthy attitude were instantly motivating.

At one point in class I thought, if my rented bike shoes didn't snap into the peddles, my feet would literally fly off the peddles we were going so fast. We were totally intermediate in this super-hard class, and the quads they were a-burnin.

But what really set this class apart for me, besides the amazing workout, was the inspiration from Angela. She was so encouraging to everyone and kept pushing us to do our best, asking what our intentions were, and to keep aiming towards them. She talked about being part of a community by doing what we love and finding our purpose.

I really came out of there reaffirmed at why I love Fusion so much and how happy I am with what I do. It's not just exercising, it's inspiring people to love themselves and go find their dreams too. Angela was one of those instructors you have where you get so much more than a workout; we could really see how much she loved helping us feel good about ourselves. She left us with more than sore buns, to say the least.

We came home with fresh ideas that we'll be incorporating into our classes, but even better, being away gave us a fresh look at how special Fusion really is. We work hard to create fun and challenging classes that will keep you coming back not only for a great hour of sweat, but a time to focus on YOU and feel good about yourself, away from the rest of the day's stresses. We love what we do. We went to the best of the best in LA, and it just made us appreciate you guys even more. Thank you, Fusionistas :)

Ice and Competition on Day One

Our first stop was a small studio right off the Santa Monica beach. Like three nervous kids on the first day of school, the jitters of trying something new were getting the best of us! TRX, weight machines, and treadmills surrounded us. Our instructor's name was ICE and we were anticipating moves from the 90s show Gladiator, with sweaty muscle men yelling at us! Whatever it was, once we stepped onto the treadmill our jitters turned to sweat right away and we were ready to roll. 

This was a great first class, a mix between running on the treadmill and doing basic strength moves. ICE was previously a professional athlete’s trainer so his moves were a little on the masculine side, but he was super nice and I think he liked watching us run on the treadmill ;) For those of you who know Sadie, it will come as no surprise that she immediately got into a run off with the Superwoman/tri-athlete woman next to her. Amy and I were at a 7.5 pace (which is no jog) and I surprisingly looked down to see Sadie clipping away at an 11.5. If she was trying to be the fastest in the class, she definitely was!

We liked this class for 3 simple reasons. 

1. People here were super friendly and talkative. 

2. There was good, encouraging energy in the room.

3. They offered functional training with a good mix of cardio & toning.

Our only disappointment with this stop was a lack of creativity with the equipment. We felt additional planning on their part could make this place seem more exciting and fresh. But with our trainer's name being ICE, the gym fit the bill and we got a great workout.

Darby, Amy, and Sadie's LA Adventure

Take Off the Blinders and Slip On the Shades in LA

As many of you know this past week I, along with two other Fusion Fitness instructors Amy Hodes and Sadie Durbin, took a quick trip to LA to check out every studio we could squeeze into our schedule in two days. The workout marathon of 2012 was inspiring, eye opening and even somewhat self-indulgent (which we loved).

What was our purpose and why did we go?

The thing about Fusion Fitness is that it's like my baby, my middle child, that has the ability to keep me up at night and make me proud just like my two kids Dossi and Will do. And just like with kids, it would be nice to have a third eye to see what's going on from the outside and step away from the blinders of day to day life that tend to slip over my eyes. My everlasting goal is to consistantly present our studio in the best possible way and provide the most incredible, challenging, and fun fitness classes to our clients. Our trip to LA gave us the opportunity to actually be the client and get a 360 degree view of what it feels like to walk into a studio with fresh, excited eyes. So for our whirlwind two days, we took off the blinders and put on our shades in sunny Cali.

Not only did we get to experience a variety of studios and classes around the LA fitness scene, but we were also able to stop by and visit our friends at FabFitFun and see behind the scenes of Giuliana Rancic's fitness blog giant. (Check out our nod on the blog here.)

For the next 9 days I will be posting a review on each of the places that we visited. I will share with you what we loved and learned about the classes, and why certain things stuck out to us. Stay tuned for tomorrow's first stop!                                                                                                        

 ---Darby

Instructor Spotlight: Darby Brender

We all know Darby as the owner of Fusion, instructor of classes, and major motivator as she pushes us to do more reps than we thought possible. But aside from her passion for fitness and her genuine love of her clients, what else makes Darby tick? I sat down with her to get her favorite foods, personal exercise tips, quirky habits, and more.

With a body like yours, a lot of us wonder if you spend more time sweating than anything else during a typical day. What is your exercise regime at home, aside from teaching?
"If I workout at home, it's working on Fusion moves or doing a backyard bootcamp with my family. I do hit the gym on my own to get in some mindless cardio every week. I love the way exercise makes me feel & look. I'm a total crab when I can't exercise, it's my sanity medicine!"

What do you tell yourself when you are just too tired to work out? Darby's motto, "go big or go home" can be seen colorfully inscribed on the walls of Fusion, and she really does take this to heart to remind herself that without putting in the work, you will not see results. "Music is important" she says; she keeps her personal and Fusion workouts fresh with new downloads and motivating beats to get her sweat on.

If you happen to skip a workout or indulge on a night of eating and drinking, how do you get back on track rather than feel guilty about it?
Looking at exercise as a way of life more than just a requirement for a nice body, Darby knows that "life needs balance. I love to have a good time too." She doesn't rock her body from starving herself or torturing herself on the treadmill, she looks good because she likes to be healthy. Missing a workout isn't a big problem for her, and she'd rather not sacrifice fun events for a sweat session. "I work hard to keep both in my life," she says, "live without regrets."

Aside from fitness, what is another passion of yours?
Darby didn't start Fusion to be a money-maker, she opened the studio to be able to share her way of life with people. "Fitness and weight-loss go hand in hand," she says, "helping people feel more confident and healthy through weight loss is my biggest passion." Aside from Fusion, you can also find her rooting for Nebraska Husker Football with her friends and family. 


Dossi, a little mini-Darby!

From counting calories, measuring portions, and eliminating entire food groups there are endless tips on managing nutrition from media. What works best for you?
Simplicity is key when it comes to eating; too many rules to follow can feel restricting. Being a vegetarian for 14 years, Darby's number one rule is no meat. "I also limit carbs and dairy, eat plenty of green veggies, and drink a ton of water." Simple!

You have two little blonde babies, Dossi age 5, and Will age 2. How would they describe their mom?
"Mommy is the rule-maker at our home, but Mommy is also the wacky one. At least once a week we have a major dance-off in our living room!"


Will's blonde locks can be seen running around Fusion!

What's something you love about being a mom?
"Early morning snuggles!"

As a mother, wife, business owner and more, how do you relax when you feel stressed?
Darby cites time spent with her husband and friends as the biggest way to help her unwind from the daily grind and get in much-appreciated adult time.

We all wonder if we can enjoy alcohol and a fit body in the same lifetime. Some diets restrict alcohol to only a couple drinks a week or (gasp!) none at all. What is your stance on drinking and maintaining a healthy body?
This is a tuffy, because drinking can be a relaxing habit for many. "I feel so much better when I take alcohol out of my diet; I workout harder, eat better, and just have better energy," she says. "But then again, life is about balance, and I do enjoy drinking once in a while. Just keep in mind that alcohol, especially wine, contains a ton of sugar, and that sugar works against your lean muscle mass. So all that hard work you do at 8 in the morning in the studio can  really be slowed down if you're drinking regularly. Plus, trying to get in your workout when you are hungover is BAD NEWS BEARS! You are dehydrated and your heart beats eighteen times faster." Notice increased shaky muscles when holding planks after a night out? That's your body needing water! Darby is human though, and says "don't get me wrong, this girl does like to have a good time. But I do notice I eat less healthy and have a weaker workout after a big night."

Come on, tell us, do you have any bad habits?
"Oh yeah I do! I snack late at night, I chew ice. Often times, I forget socks with my sneakers. Oh, and when I'm drinking, I don't have just one*." *See above.
What is something you are secretly talented at?
"I love to paint. I'm also pretty crafty, especially around Halloween!"

What is one food you cannot resist?
If you were hoping for an admission of a secret stash of Snickers in her kitchen drawer, think again. "Are you ready for this?! I love pickled red beets! I seriously ate a whole jar of them last night. Gross, I know."

Don't get too excited, but pretend you have an entire day to spend alone with no responsibilities. Aside from flying to an island, what would you do all day here in KC?

This was an easy fantasy to imagine for Darby. "First I'd workout, then sit in the sun and sip coffee," she says. "Then I'd stroll through the Plaza and shop." After a relaxing afternoon, she'd get in another workout and do something we'd all enjoy; take a well-deserved nap. 

If you could take your family, friends and Fusion with you, where would be your ideal place to live in the world?
Raised in Nebraska and even living in Australia for a short period, Darby would choose to stay right where she is over anywhere in the world. "I seriously love Kansas City. I have this weird, magical connection with it. I don't want to be anywhere else!"

The Fun Five

Favorite restaurant: Eden Alley. I love all their yummy vegan options!
Inspiring book: Worth Every Penny by Sarah Petty and Erin Verbeck. I just got my copy; it's a must have for small business owners.
Best place to have a glass of wine: My screened-in porch. Or if I'm going out, I do love a Stoli Doli at Capital Grille, or the D Cup at Gram and Dun.
Beauty advice I'd like to pass on: Drink water and lots of it! It makes for healthy skin and a great-feeling body.
I find my confidence in...The Fusion community. The amazing and always entertaining instructors. The PR and Marketing geniuses. And clients that keep us busy and looking better and better each year.

The New Fusion Fitness DVD: Created With Passion, Inspiring Women

The New Fusion Fitness DVD: Created With Passion, Inspiring Women

January 24, 2012 by Dalai Lina

I have said many times on my blog:

I love people that

a) get over their fear
b) to follow their passion
c) which helps and inspires others

I venture to guess that most of the people reading this post are not pursuing the heart’s desire. Usually the excuses are centered around time, security, failure, and risk. But all are about FEAR. The fear of failure. The fear of the unknown.

When you let go of the fear, magic happens

I sat down to interview Darby Brender, founder of Fusion Fitness, and was struck by her passion and energy. Just like us, she had a dream. Her passion was to open her own boutique fitness studio in a time when big box fitness centers dominated the scene. For years, Darby had designed and followed her own workouts, blending high energy moves with poses from yoga and pilates. She would even hold her own “classes” for people on vacation to help scratch her passion itch. She knew the kinds of classes she wanted to take, and there was nothing out there like them.

(Yes, this is her actual body. Come on, stop looking at it and keep reading.)

Finally, in 2008, with a one-year-old daughter and still being relatively new to Kansas City, 28-year-old Darby took the plunge with friend and partner, Shandy Rooney. The two of them worked tirelessly on innovative workout routines, performing them over and over for each other until they were flawless. After finding the perfect spot in Overland Park, Kansas, the two invested their own money and opened the doors on May 5th.

Just four years later, and Fusion Fitness is THE fitness studio in Kansas City. If you see a good body walking around town, Darby probably had something to do with it. Her classes are intense, results-oriented, and FUN. As she says,

If you want to see a transformation, you have to work hard. I want my clients to see results and strive to give them the best work-outs I can. I am constantly changing the routines so the body doesn’t plateau from getting used to it. I always want to keep Fusion Fitness cutting-edge.”

Something special is going on over there, that’s for sure, because classes are packed and they studio has already had to expand twice. Business is booming and it has been virtually all by word of mouth.

That is what happens when you follow your dreams.

The Universe conspires to assist you along the way. And your passion is contagious…better than any magazine add money could by.

After taking over the business when her partner moved, she went right back into innovating. Her next dream was an exercise video. Not just another exercise video…something that has not been done before. Where you feel like you are actually in the classroom. Clients across the country wanted to be able to take her classes anywhere they went.

Darby says deciding to make the video was

One of the scariest things I have done. Much scarier than opening the studio. I really had to work through that fear and ask my supporters to help me keep on track

The project had a huge time committment and much greater financial risk. But, she followed her dream, got over the fear, and went for it.

As with any intention you put out there, if you focus on it, things start falling into place. Darby serendipitously realized a client had a film production company and would be able to produce the video, a friend hooked her up with the perfect music producer, and actual Fusion Fitness customers agreed to star in it. The results are magical.

The first 500 videos have already flown off the shelves, and you can see why…

Not only is this exercise video amazing enough to go crazy viral, I venture to guess it won’t be the last one you’ll see from Darby. She has “trainer to the stars” quality, and that, coupled with her passion, is contagious. She is truly a special spirit who wants nothing more than to help women’s health.

When you follow your heart’s desire, success is inevitable

Check out her website and blog, and if you want a reall a$$-kicking, treat yourself to her video! (disclaimer: every time I have taken her class, I can barely move for 2 days. You won’t be disappointed!)

Start following your dreams, readers! And while you are, let Fusion Fitness get you into shape!