My "Fat Gripz" review

It has now been 2 weeks since I began using Fat Gripz,a tool that attaches to the barbells, dumbbells and cable attachments.  The purpose of the fat Gripz is to expand your grip thus improving grip and forearm strength.

I have been using them for several exercises including pushing exercises such as barbell bench presses, shoulder presses and dips.  I have found that they encourage me to hold my wrists much straighter where previously I would allow my wrists to be flexed back.  I have found that the main muscle I am training becomes a lot more stimulated at the same weight without them.

During pulling exercises such as deadlifts, dumbbell rows and pull downs I struggle to maintain grip even at half the weight I would normally lift.  As a result I am only using them for the first 2 or 3 warm up sets.

The main benefit for my pulling moves is after just 2 weeks I no longer need lifting straps which I had previously been using in heavier sets.  Straps now only come out for heavy deadlifts.

Bicep training has become a lot tougher and i have noticed apparent gains in both forearms and biceps

In review, if you are wanting to get stronger (not just in the forearms) and achieve greater muscle stimulus you need these!

Anyone already using these please share your thoughts on my Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/darrencarrollpt

Stay strong or get stronger.

Understanding Carbohydrates and their role in Fat Loss

When looking to make changes in your body, many head to the gym and begin working away.  This is a great start, but only half of the strategy.  The other piece of the jigsaw is diet which can and will have a massive impact upon your success at achieving your goals.

Many people ask how much of achieving your goal is training and how much is diet.

Lots of figures are bouncing around on the internet ranging from 80% Training and 20% diet, through to 20% training and 80% diet.

I say Bullshit!   

If you truly want success you need to be at 100% training and 100% diet, anything less is limiting your potential.

Now onto the main topic.

The body utilises 3 macro nutrients (the food sources that make up the calories within your diet).  They are Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats.

In the past diets primarily focused on the fat only, these days the focus is shifting towards Carbohydrate management, such as Atkins, Paleo, GI diet.

Carbohydrates are the bodies fuel source, providing glyogen which is stored in the muscles providing the energy for daily activites.

2 Types of carbohydrates

• Complex Carbohydrates
• Simple Carbohydrate

Complex Carbohydrates
Complex Carbohydrates are found in Starchy foods such as potatoes, dry beans, bread, cereals, vegetables fruits and wholegrains.

These complex carbs take a longer time to breakdown the food into glucose.  They provided a longer feeling of fullness thus preventing the tendancy for snacking on rubbish.

Simple Carbohyrates
Simple carbs can appear in sugarary foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products as well as the obvious sugars such as sweets, cake, chocolate and fruit juices.  These provide quick glucose but are a short lived energy supply as well as providing quick insulin spikes.

Carbohydrates and Fat Loss

Managing your carbs is a great way of achieving your fat loss/maintenance goals.  If your body is ingesting to many carbs the body will fill muscles to capacity, once the muscles and liver are full carbs any surplus of carbs begin being converted to fat and stored in the bosy as subcutaneous(under the skin) and visceral(around the organs) Fat.

As well as having higher levels of carbs available, they become your primary fuel source and so blunt the bodies ability to utilise fat, so no fat burning is occuring.

Solution

When you begin dieting be sure to measure out all your carbs.  If you find you are not losing weight after 2 weeks remove a further 50-100g of carbs per day and again weigh yourself after 2 weeks and again reduce carbs if necessary.