MSI Press Blog

  Today's book back story is about Brittany Renz's book, Girl, You Got This ! From the publisher --  Brittany (author) was my (publisher) trainer. I was working on a book, Grandma's Ninja Training Diary (still am and someday it will see the world on a printed page). As we worked month by month, Brittany and her husband decided to expand their family of one son to two children (ultimately, Brittany delivered a daughter). As she became more and more pregnant, Brittany continued working with her fitness clients -- and maintained her own fitness routine. One thing we both noticed: no other pregnant women were working out in the gym. Brittany figured it might be because they did not think that they could or did not know how to. Hence, the origin of the book, Girl, You Got This!, which has caught the eye of doctors and women's magazines with its unusual content. Yes, you can be pregnant and also be in the best shape of your life. (And the whole family can work out together; ...

  San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots. Today, San Juan Books presents author Brittany Renz. Brittany Renz is a successful personal trainer and mother in Hollister, California. A popular trainer with a very large, stable clientele, she trains together with her family, as well as coaching others. After years of people asking her how she does it all, she finally decided to take her experience and share it with the world. To see more posts...

  Brittany Renz is a successful personal trainer and mother in Hollister, California. A popular trainer with a very large, stable clientele, she trains together with her family, as well as coaching others. After years of people asking her how she does it all, she finally decided to take her experience and share it with the world. Her book,  Girl, You Got This ,  that focuses on fitness for pregnant mothers-to be, has piqued the interest of fitness fans and sports doctors.  Brittany's first book includes pictures of the whole family participating in fitness efforts. Now, she is working on a new book for mothers--and, for sure, it will include, again, the whole family. Watch for it. For more information about Brittany and her book(s), click HERE .

Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: The Secret to Losing Weight: It’s Not Just Eating Less There is no question that beyond serious muscle training, I needed to lose weight. The weight, though, did not just disappear, though I tried hard to eat less—a lot less. Thanks to Brittany, my trainer, I learned that it really was not how much I ate, but what I ate.      Like most people trying to lose weight, I thought cutting calories was the answer. If I just ate less, surely the pounds would melt away. But instead of feeling lighter, I felt exhausted, cranky, and constantly hungry. Brittany took one look at my food choices and explained that my body wasn’t getting what it needed. It turns out that the key to weight loss wasn’t starvation—it was nourishment. I had to shift my focus from eating less to eating right. More protein, more fiber, and fewer empty carbs. More whole foods, fewer processed snacks. Instead of a tiny bowl of cereal that left me hungry an hour l...

Released yesterday. Mothers everywhere struggle with finding a comfortable balance between their own needs and their children’s needs. “Self-care, what’s that?” many moms joke, but believe it or not, you can be a super mom while still taking care of your home and yourself. Girl, You Got This! is a complete guide to setting yourself up for success while transitioning to motherhood, and the advice comes from an expert. Brittany Renz is a wife, mother of one and a half kids (a three-year-old girl and soon-to-be born baby boy), entrepreneur, and personal trainer. In this book, she uses her knowledge and experience to walk readers through all of the phases of pregnancy, from before conception to delivery. For each phase of pregnancy, this book offers readers advice not only on fitness and dieting, but also: ·         Money: budgeting for a growing family, ·         Medical Concerns: finding an OBGYN and ...

Given the need to attend a wedding in Elk Grove, the lucky contiguity to my son, Shawn, and his family who live in Elk Grove, and the opportunity for lunch with a former assistant Hatem, who now lives in Roseville, my husband, Carl, I, and my youngest son, CB, packed up the car on Friday afternoon for a weekend adventure three hours from where we live. The Studio, a martial arts center in Roseville three hours from our home in San Juan Bautista is the closest gym that offers ninja training -- both for kids (which turned out to be fortunate for short little me) and for adults. The Studio had scheduled the next iteration of the adult class for Saturday, July 28, absolutely perfect timing. I could get there Friday night, get a full night of sleep to be fresh for the ninja training, then have lunch with Hatem, race back to the hotel for a change of clothes, and finish the day at the wedding, with a planned breakfast the next morning our grandchildren and daughter-in-law. Tight ti...

  Precerpt (pre-publication excerpt) from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary -- Memory, Muscle, and Motivation: Rediscovering Strength Later in Life When we return to exercise after a long hiatus, our bodies often surprise us with what they remember. The phenomenon of "muscle memory" isn't just anecdotal—it's a fascinating biological reality that gives older adults a significant advantage when resuming physical activity, something my trainer, Brittany, taught me. My own journey back to fitness revealed the veracity of that reality in unexpected ways. Despite decades away from military training, my body immediately recalled how to execute jumping jacks with surprising efficiency—completing 40 in quick succession when my trainer expected far fewer, and I could have kept going. My muscles had quietly preserved the neural pathways formed during my Army days, waiting patiently to be reactivated. This biological advantage comes from two mechanisms. First, the neural patter...

From MidWest Book Review: Synopsis: "Girl, You Got This!: A Fitness Trainer's Personal Strategies for Success Transitioning into Motherhood" by Brittany Renz is a complete guide to setting yourself up for success while transitioning to motherhood. The 'real world practical' and experience based advice comes from an expert as Brittany is a wife, mother of one and a half kids (a three-year-old girl and soon-to-be born baby boy), entrepreneur, and personal trainer. In "Girl, You Got This!, Brittany deftly and accessibly shares her knowledge and experience to walk her readers through all of the phases of pregnancy, from before conception to delivery -- and ways to stay fit during each phase. Critique: A perfect gift book for expectant mothers, "Girl, You Got This!: A Fitness Trainer's Personal Strategies for Success Transitioning into Motherhood" features color photograph illustrations and is unreservedly endorsed and recommended for pers...

On Septem ber 25, 2019, Brittany Renz, author of Girl, You Got This! , was featured by SportsMD in an article, titled " Motherhood and Self-Care: Staying Fit before and after Childbirth ." Very, very interesting article, chock full of good information and medically sound advice for women about to become new mothers. Read the article HERE . Read more posts about Brittany and her book HERE .

  Coming soon! Watch for it!  Grandma's Ninja Training Diary  (Leaver and Renz) Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a 70-year-old grandmother who dares to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with coach and trainer Brittany Renz, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch. Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor. Grandma shares what she’s learning; Coach Brittany explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age. Part training manual, part motivational memoir,...