Non-Boring Bio
My Walk, Talk, and All that Education
I want you to be well. Not just because it’s good for you. I want you to be well because it’s good for everyone.
I’ve known from a young age that movement changes things. I was a baton twirler through high school, then traded my batons for Step Aerobics in 1999. (Later in my career, I graced the cover of fitness products at Target, had workout videos subtitled and distributed internationally, and was awarded “Austin’s Fittest Fitness Professional,” but twirling fire to The Doors’ “Come on Baby Light My Fire” as my final halftime performance… I’m not sure anything can top that.) When I started teaching Step, I loved the art of matching music to movement. It was similar to choreographing twirling routines, only now it was with a tribe of other women. After experiencing the splendor of embracing movement together, I knew my life’s calling was to lead others to well-being.
In 2003, I graduated from Texas State University with a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science and minor in Business Administration. In 2004, I graduated from The University of Houston with a M.Ed. in Physical Education with emphasis in Sport and Fitness Administration.
I achieved gold-standard certifications. A few include ACE Personal Trainer, ACSM Exercise Physiologist, and Physical Mind Institute Pilates. I am among the world’s top 1% of kettlebell instructors to train under Pavel Tsatsouline. Over the course of three years, I earned RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge), SFG (StrongFirst Girya) and SFG II (StrongFirst Girya Level II) kettlebell certifications.
I have lectured at universities, led presentations at national fitness conferences and served as an adjunct faculty member. I wrote and developed a 9-hour kettlebell curriculum that taught personal trainers and fitness instructors how to safely and effectively train with kettlebells. I have served campus recreation as Fitness Director at Southern Methodist University (student development is among my core values) and multi-family as Executive Director of Healthy Living for Village Hospitality. You may know me best for my dozens of workout DVDs from when I served as fitness model and exercise physiologist for, then, the nation’s largest provider of at-home fitness equipment. I have represented brands including Livestrong, Hyperwear, Prevention, Power Music and Lebert Fitness. I was selected by Johnny Goldberg (“Johnny G,” the inventor of Spinning) to represent his brand as one of six international Johnny G Spirit Bike Master Trainers.
By 2020, I had worn so many hats in fitness, I referred to myself as the Blossom of the fitness industry. (Yes, the 1991 hit TV show, Blossom.) The global pandemic behooved me to trade all of those for a hair net. I spent a year or so as a chef, teacher, maid, and handi-mom for my family (oh snap, you too?). I devoted the next few years to expanding my education and experiential learning beyond physical fitness to embrace total well-being.
2023 was a pivotal year for me. Hold up. Before we go on, I’m not talking about a pivot like the overused 2020 Word of the Year. I’m talking about a hands in the air, hip pop, hair flip sassy pivot. Now that you get the picture, watch me Whip and watch me Nae Nae.
2023 entailed the publication of “Lift Light, Get Lean” (a book I authored for Hearst), completion of my Professional Life Coach certification through Baylor University, wellness travel writing for Texas Lifestyle Magazine, honoring self-sovereignty by building emotional and relational boundaries, launching a podcast, and writing and learning the ropes of book communication and publicity through PR by the Book’s Author to Influencer Accelerator program.
2024 is when I brought the mountain to Muhammad. I took full control of concept, artistic direction and content– and self-published a book.
There were so many road blocks to get this book to the finish line. I perceived every challenge like the kerosene that soaked the ends of my fire batons in 1999. The oil makes the fire burn brighter. (The next line disproves my long held belief that nothing would ever top that halftime performance.)
“Sweat with Brook Benten,” my memoir-meets-actionable fitness plan, just released. Purchase on Amazon or directly at BrookBenten.com/shop/.
It would give me great joy to cover the tax and shipping on your direct purchase and send you an autographed copy of the book.
All of this was, and is, being done with one intention in mind: to move millions to well-being.