Fitness Blog

I came across an ad on Facebook a couple months ago for a company that makes palm grips designed to protect your hands from tearing, ripping or developing ugly calluses while working out.

The company's called GriPad and I sent them an email and asked if they'd be interested in sending me a pair so I could try them out. My hands have always been pretty rough and I've had calluses since I was a kid so wasn't too concerned about the protection they offered but thought the grips might help me make some gains on a few exercises like weighted pull-ups, barbell deadlift and bent over row.

I've had the grips for a few weeks now and have tried them out about a half a dozen times with a few different exercises. For me, they work really well for low rep, weighted pull-ups, lat-pull down, bent over dumbbell row and seated cable row. They give me a much stronger grip on the bar and allow me to focus more on the muscles I'm working (lats, rhomboids, rear delts) rather than thinking about my grip.

The two exercises they didn't really help me with though were high rep pull-ups and the barbell deadlift. With the high rep pull-ups, the Gripads helped to save my hands from tearing but once I started to fatigue, I had trouble re-gripping the bar. If I didn't have the grips on I could have re-adjusted my hand position on the bar and squeaked out a few more reps. With the barbell deadlift, I wasn't able to get a good enough hook grip on the bar with the Gripads on, I still prefer just using chalk.

All in all I think the Gripads would be an excellent addition to any gym bag!  I used mine yesterday during my workout, I've been using them with several of my clients and I've had a few other trainers in the gym ask to borrow as well. The grips are relatively inexpensive, I think about $15 a piece, and come in a wide variety of colors!

I’ve received a few emails this new year asking me about diet and weight loss so I figured I’d post a couple sample meal plans that’ll give people some examples of healthy eating and smarter food choices. It’s recommended to eat 5-6 small meals a day or every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going and help prevent binge eating. So try to eat your breakfast first thing in the morning and stop eating approximately 3 hours before bed.

We’re currently working on a brand new nutrition section that will be launched in a few months and I’ll be contributing to that regularly, posting meal plans, recipes, cooking tips and more! It’ll also include a calorie counter and food journal so you’ll be able to keep track of the foods you eat which will definitely help keep you more accountable to your goals! 

Sample Meal Plan 

* Breakfast 

2 slices of whole grain toast 

2 tbsp peanut butter 

1/2 cup of grapes 

1 cup of skim milk 

* Snack 

1 oz of cheese 

I apple 

* Lunch 

Turkey wrap 

3 slices of turkey breast 

1 whole grain wrap 

1/2 cup peppers 

1/4 cup of bean sprouts 

* Snack 

1/3 cup of hummus 

3 finn crisp crackers 

* Dinner 

Grilled Chicken and Green Beans 

3 oz of skinless chicken breast  

1 cup of green beans 

1/2 cup cooked brown rice 

1 tsp olive oil  

Sample Meal Plan 

* Breakfast 

Breakfast Wrap 

1 scrambled egg with red pepper & green onion 

1 ounce light havarti cheese 

1 orange 

1 cup of skim milk 

* Snack 

1/2 cup of strawberries 

low fat yogurt 

* Lunch 

Chicken Sandwich 

2 oz grilled skinless chicken breast 

roasted peppers, spinach, tomato, 

onion & mustard 

*Snack 

15 almonds 

1 small banana 

* Dinner 

3 oz lean beef 

1/2 cup sweet potato 

Large salad with 1 tbsp dried cranberries 

2 tbsp cashew nuts, 1 oz feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, 

1 tsp olive oil