Welcome to episode twenty of Tone It Down. In this conversation, Karena sits down with her personal trainer and strength coach Sandy Brockman. She’s a Women's Health Magazine contributor and the woman behind the Booty by Brockman method. They share a refreshingly honest, laugh-out-loud conversation about how women have been getting fitness wrong for decades. Together, they cover why cardio alone will never be enough, how to finally wake up your glutes, why protein is the cheat code you've been sleeping on, and what strength training has to do with surviving perimenopause with your brain and body intact.
Is there a smarter, more efficient way to get stronger and feel better — without working out more?
(00:02) Sandy's unconventional path to strength training
At 15, Sandy walked into an all-male weight room with a copy of Muscle & Fitness and never looked back
While the world told women to be thin, Sandy wanted to be strong: powerlifting, gaining weight to compete, eating tuna in her car between sets
That background in male-dominated gyms gave her the knowledge she now uses to finally help women move the needle
(06:36) Why strength is the foundation and cardio is overrated
Women are the hardest working people in the gym and often the most inefficient — more cardio is not the answer
You can maintain real strength in just two to three sessions a week, while getting the same cardiovascular benefits without the joint wear
Sandy's benchmark: 30 minutes of endurance, a strong mile, consistent strength work
(16:46) Your glutes are sleeping and it's affecting everything
Glutes are the biggest muscle in your lower body and are supposed to power most of your movement, but most women have switched them off
Dead butt syndrome is real: tight hips and a lifetime of skipping the weight room mean most women have never truly activated their glutes
When the big muscle groups go dormant, hormone levels and mood follow — building them back up changes everything
(29:35) Protein, perimenopause & what nobody told us
The formula: 20-25 grams of protein every three hours, five times a day, at least one gram per pound of bodyweight — bodybuilders have known this for decades
Perimenopause can start at 35, and the anxiety, brain fog, and unexplained weight gain are real ( not a sign something is wrong with you)
Lean muscle mass supports hormone production and brain health during this season in ways cardio cannot; strength training is the foundation, and real hormonal support is finally here
Connect with Sandy:
Instagram: @sandybrockmanfitness
Women's Health Six-Week Glute Challenge: womenshealth.com
Let's Connect:
Karena Dawn — @karenadawn on IG
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