Machines have a well deserved, shitty reputation from many top strength coaches and personal trainers who generally know what it is they are doing. Personally, I haven’t bothered to touch 80% of the mechanical equipment in my gym. When friends ask me to show them how X, Y, Z machine works, my general response is “Pfft, I don’t f*cking know”

Apparently, because I train people I’m supposed to know how every new piece of mechanical contraption works. Well I don’t, because I don’t have time for that shit. Mainly because I’m focusing on more important things such as perfecting my PowerCleans and Deadlift technique.

Having said all of that, there is still a place for machines in your routine. Yes, it’s true… you can use pre-determined movement patterns to see results. But only if you follow the hierarchy of training. You see, your body works as an entire unit, so you need to train it as such. I still don’t know of a single physical task in life where you need to specifically isolate a muscle group.

But when you train it as a unit, there will come a time when smaller stabilizer muscle groups (such anterior and medial deltoids) will start to fatigue and give out well before the primary ones that you are trying to work (such as pectorals). This is where machines can come into play – because they isolate a specific muscle group which can be worked to exhaustion without affecting the smaller stabilizers. Below are four categories of exercises, listed in order, that will give you maximum results in the shortest amount of time. And by results I mean muscle, strength and fat loss… which happen to the 3 factors of sexiness.

The Hierarchy Of Training

1. Instable + Heavy Load (IH)

An IH exercise is any big compound movement which can be heavily loaded with free weights. So Deadlifts, Squats, Benchpress, PowerCleans, Overhead Press, Snatch, Overhead Squat etc. are all great examples. I refer to it as “instable” because your stabilizers will have to fire and their recruitment will play a huge role in the success of the lift. NOT because you’ll be using stupid pieces of equipment such as the Bosu ball and other nonsense. The Bosu stuff is something I like to refer to as EI (Extreme Instability) exercises, which should be used only for physio/rehab purposes as far as I’m concerned.

2. Instable + Light Load (IL)

An IL exercise is any compound movement that cannot be loaded as heavily as an IH. So DB Bench Press, DB Pullover, Goblet Squat, Kettlebell Swings etc. Again, it’s referred to as “instable” because your stabilizers will need to fire but the load that you’ll be able to manage will not be nearly as high as an IH exercise. If you’ve ever compared your maximum lift in a regular BB Bench Press to the DB Bench Press then you know exactly what I’m talking about. A guy with a solid 315lbs press will have a challenging time with 100lbs DB’s in each hand.

3. Stable + Free Load (SF)

A SF exercise is any pre-determined movement/isolation exercise which can be loaded with free weights. So BB curls, Preacher Curls, DB Kickbacks, DB Shoulder fly etc. It is referred to as “stable” because while there is a protagonist/antagonist situation happening, the recruitment of stabilizers is very low, making the exercise itself already very stable in nature.

4. Stable + Load (SL)

And finally, we get to SL, which is basically anything to do with machines. So a machine preacher curl, quad extensions, ab curl nonsense, leg press, pec deck, Smith Machine bullshits etc. There is barely anyprotagonist/antagonist involvement and no recruitment of stabilizer muscles whatsoever. The primary reason that I, or any other strong, logical and good looking trainer doesn’t bother using machines is because by the time we go through IH, IL and SF exercises, we’ve worked hard enough to not bother with SL any nonsense.

But what do you see most idiots do? They walk into the gym and jump right on the machines faster than Charlie Sheen on a hooker. 95% of the time, if you have enough energy left to do SL exercises at the end of your routine, you probably didn’t work hard enough (with minor exceptions such as the leg press).

So which group of individuals make up this 5%? Bodybuilders, and advanced trainees looking to put on muscle. I usually prescribe a SL exercise when the primary goal is hypertrophy VIA sheer volume. Some people have muscle groups that just so fucking stubborn that they will refuse to grow past a certain point unless you completely demolish them. Let’s say that your man boobs, err… I mean chest is a particular problem area. Here’s a simple order of exercises you can follow:

5×5 BB BenchPress

4×8 DB BenchPress

3×8 Weighted Dips

3×8 DB Flys

2×15 Machine Chest Flys

If that doesn’t give you a shirt-ripping chest then either you’re lifting pussy weights or aren’t eating enough. Point Blank Period.

I never thought I’d be recommending machines and their use in a person’s routine but here we are. The simple fact of the matter is that since most gyms these days are 80% filled will machines, we need to find a decent use for them at some point in our training. As long as their presence doesn’t creep into my Dumbbells, Barbells and Squat Rack area I won’t bitch too much.

Now go kick some machine ass, you panzy.

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© 2011 – 2012, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

There are a few really good reasons why you should own a pair of workout gloves. First is the fact that they provide a superior grip in contrast to bare skin against metal. Then there is the reduced number of calluses your hands will incur (though men don’t really give a shit about this one) and finally we have hygiene. The amount of people that touch weights with unwashed hands is probably staggering. In fact I don’t even wanan know… But the reality does exist, so let’s suck it up and deal with it.

Now this begs the question, what kind of workout gloves should you get? I mean god damn… There are a plethora of choices. Some have wrist support, some have finger support, some are padded, some have hooks, others provide the bare minimum. I myself own like 2 pairs for different reasons… But now I own three. Enter Gripads.

Not only do they address the above mentioned problems, they also take care of a few others… Sweat and odor. I know a few of you out there suffer from nasty sweaty hand syndrome and these might be a god-send for you.

Upon a closer look you’ll realize that these aren’t really “gloves” (as the name rightfully suggests). No, these are weight lifting pads, and this means they are much easier to carry, put on, take off and hey… Maybe even share (as long as your buddy doesn’t get sweaty hands).

Let’s take a look at the official word from Gripad about their product.

Product Claims:

Say goodbye to hot, sweaty palms and hello to callus free hands to match your sculpted body! Thanks to GRIPAD®, you no longer have to deal with your hands breaking sweat as you try to maintain a firm grip while working out!

GRIPAD® provide minimal coverage of your hands while maximizing protection! The cushioning grips are secured to the palm of the hand with finger bands that stretch to fit every individual. Made of neoprene, GRIPAD® provides a firm and comfortable grip while at the same time preventing calluses, heat, and odor usually associated with regular workout gloves.

First Impressions:

Gripad sent me two pairs; one black and one pink so big props to them for that. For the sake of the review I will OBVIOUSLY be focusing on the appropriate color… PINK! Life’s good when you can do whatever you want isn’t it?

It came in this plastic packaging which has a little button so you can re-seal your pads and carry them around with a waterproof type protection. A nice touch. The overall presentation isn’t classy but at $15.99 I wasn’t expecting something super fancy anyways. Luckily for Gripad, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to use these and so the lack of a manual is understandable. There are these printed instructions on the back of the cardboard picture. Functionality at it’s best I guess.

For those that have never seen workout pads before, let me start off by saying that they are nothing new. Weight lifting pads have been around for a while, but they are usually these blocks of foam which contort to your grip. This is where Gripad differs because it’s got these three finger loops. So it’s ALMOST like a glove but not really. It’s brilliant.

In fact, the very first thing I said when I put them on was “What the fuck… Why didn’t I think of this? It’s genius”. Yep, I kid you not, Gripad’s sheer simplicity is its major strength.

Next is the material itself. Gripads are made from neoprene and have some top-notch stitching around the edges to ensure that they will last you for a looong time to come. The actual “gripping” part of the pads (where it makes contact with the weights) is has a nice non-slip patter along with a very non-slip type feel to it. It’s also very soft and has the right amount of thickness… This is a major plus.

For shits and giggles I tried them out in different situations… The first being my feet. They don’t really fit but if they did, they would make awesome toe pads cuz they’re really comfy. Everyone makes those stupid heel cushions, but I think there’s money in toe cushions! Now there’s a million dollar business idea from FJ.

Next is typing, for which they are completely useless. Moving on…

Then we have driving, for which they aren’t too shabby. Actually they are TOO grippy. If you drive with your hands in the 9 and 3 position the entire time (you freakin’ dork) then I guess they’ll work. But from time to time I like to palm the wheel or change positions and for those tasks it just sticks like glue to the wheel. So bottom line… Don’t bother driving with em.

And finally we have sign language. Since the only time I use sign language is when I’m pissed off, I decided to test drive it. Hey what do you know… It works brilliantly! You can be safe knowing that if there ever comes a time where you need to express your anger at someone who won’t get off the squat rack… You can give them the finger. Perfect.

Real World Results:

Alright, enough dilly dally, let’s get right down to it. I’ll be going through a bunch of exercises for which I used the Gripads for and will try to sum up the experience in one paragraph or less. Maybe…

Pull ups: Just flawless. The bars at my gym are too thin for my liking and end up putting my fingers through some serious pain. Because of this, I’m never able to perform the amount of pull ups I can at my gymnastics gym. With Gripads though, I was able to crank out 3 extra reps because it made everything so much more comfortable. Nice.

Curls (Preacher or Dumbbell): Another great exercise where the Gripads shine through. They provide the fingers with an adequate amount of cushion, this can help some people lift more than they’re usually able to. Over the years I’ve noticed that thickness of the bar or handle makes a huge difference. If it’s too small or too big, you won’t be able to lift your maximum amount of weight, and because FJ wants peak efficiency, I try and make sure the grip is just right.

Press (Bench, Shoulder): This exercise brings out the little kink in Gripad’s otherwise flawless armor. See, when you put on the Gripad, you’ll notice that around the thumb area it’s coverage is pretty weak. What this mean is that when you perform a bench press with proper form (keeping your wrists straight) the bar is half touching the pads and half resting on the abductor and flexor pollicis brevis (the thumb muscles).

I don’t have to tell you what an awkward and uncomfortable feeling this is. If you have a bad habit and tend to bend your wrist while doing the bench press, the Gripads might work for you. Overall I found the edges of the pads were digging into my hand because of the immense pressure that was being laid upon them. The fix for this problem would be pretty easy > just make the pads are slightly longer and wider… Making sure to cover the thumb muscles. For those of you with smaller hands though, you should have no problems here.

Dead Lifts: Now were back to happy land. Not sure if it was the pads or my recovery (probably a combination of both) but I was able to easily add 10lbs to my max dead lift. What more can I say? It put a smile on my face.

Squats: Meh, they don’t really make a difference here since all you’re doing is stabilizing the bar and holding it in one place… but I guess it’s nice to have a thicker grip to prevent it from falling off.

Push-ups: Just like the bench press, the lack of coverage of the thumb muscles means its completely in-effective for push-ups. If you want to get picky, you COULD say that they take some pressure off the fingers… but that’s insignificant. Luckily, most people don’t need workout gloves to do push-ups anyways, so it’s not a huge deal breaker since the Gripads easily slip off.

So overall, not too shabby huh? I thought so. In fact I was quite happy with them. Let’s wrap this up.

Conclusion:

I can’t possibly list EVERY single weight lifting exercise because my fingers will fall off from typing like a damn maniac, which is why I’ve written about a few key ones to give you a fair idea of what to expect from Gripads.

I must say that they are excellent at preventing odors and do soak up any from of sweatiness that you could possibly experience in the gym. The grip is fucking superb, and this gives you the confidence to push your limits and pack on a few extra pounds to whatever lift you happen to be doing. Yes, they aren’t great for bench presses but so what? Gripads are easy to take off and at $15.99 they can pretty much out-perform most of the other weight lifting gloves or pads available today.

One aspect where I failed to see any information on was the warranty. Personally, I’m pretty damn confident that the Gripads will last you for years to come, but most people like to have piece of mind and know that their ass is covered should anything happen. I will be contacting them about this so expect an update soon.

Here’s something really cool though: Gripad will custom print any logo/picture that you like on the pads (for a different price). This can end up being an excellent branding tool for any business or professional trainers. It’s a sexy touch of marketing by Gripad, and I applaud them for that.

Now the question arises… Should you get these? I think so. There are literally thousands of different weight lifting exercises for which the Gripads won’t fail you. I tried the Gripads with my resistance bands today (a few hours before publishing this review) and it was all honey and rainbows. Unless your entire workout revolves around the bench press, I think these are a great little addition to anyone’s gym bag, for this reason the Gripad gets…

-Fit Jerk
Flawless Fitness Book

Question: What did you think of the pads? Could they could replace your current workout gloves? Speak your mind and show me you exist for crying out loud.

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© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: SuperPump 250
Company: Gaspari Nutrition
MSRP: $49.00
Availability: High (Stores & Online)
Servings: 40

Ah the “pump”… The single best feeling that drives most men into the gym so they can work their ass off and pound the weights like no man has pounded them before. Truth be told, we would not go around pounding this way if it wasn’t for that awesome feeling. If at this point you are confused whether I’m talking about working out or making sweet love then its ok… So was Arnold. If you recall his famous quote “It’s [the pump] as satisfying to me as cumming is…”

So today we have another pre-workout supplement that not only promises a pump… Oh no… But a SUPERPUMP, and not just one, 250 of them! Ok so maybe I’m picking on the marketing name a little, but with a name like that, it’s got some serious hype to live up to. On top of that SuperPump 250 is becoming just as popular as BSN’s N.O Xplode… And so naturally, FJ had to investigate.

Was this purely because of awesome marketing or does this stuff actually have some merit? That’s what I wanted to find out. On a side note I will say this… I’ve heard that quite a few people had problems stomaching this stuff. Because of this it earned itself the following nick-name: SuperDump 250. lol

So… If you’re considering this stuff, just be forewarned that you might want to go through a couple sample packs to see how your tummy handles it. In my personal experience, there were no super dumps that took place. Those only used to occur when I was in love with Taco Bell many many moons ago.

First Impressions:

Packaging seems adequate, and the fact that you get 40 servings out of one jar equates to about $1.22 per serving. This isn’t bad, but could be better. Were living in a recession and this means budgets are tighter and smart consumers know that pre-workout supplements should be a commodity… Not a necessity. It’s the POST workout supplement which should get priority. But whatever, let’s move on and dissect it’s guts.

First up is the Anabolic Signalling Complex^TM (unknown amount). It contains: A Glucose Polymer (sugar), Creatine Monohydrate (YES! Good stuff… But we don’t know exactly HOW much… Which is a major bummer and a down side if its 3g or less), NO2 complex (basically a bunch of different forms of Arginine… Which is basically CRAP as far as helping with nitric oxide goes), Guanidinopropionic Acid (Meant to spike insulin levels without having to ingest simple carbohydrates and is supposed to help the body absorb more creatine… Sounds good but couldn’t find hard evidence to backup those claims. Needs to be studied more IMO), Salicyclic Acid (basically aspirin… Guessing its used to reduce pain but truthfully, it’s not needed here)

Next is the Xtreme Focus Agent^TM (unknown amount). It contains: L-Tyrosine ( A non-essential amino acid that is a pre-cursor to neurotransmitters. Basically it’s supposed to drive up mental alertness and stimulation.  May decrease appetite but there needs to be more research done on this), Caffeine (A proven stimulant that drives up focus, energy and also overall power output & strength. Always a good addition), NAC ( NAC is a natural sulfur-containing amino acid derivative found naturally in foods and is a powerful antioxidant), Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract ( Supposed to increase mental performance and reduce fatigue by optimizing serotonin and dopamine levels… Hard evidence on this is fuzzy but looks promising), Ginko Biloba (Supposed to be a nootropic and a concentration enhancer but studies have found it to be ineffective so far… therefore as of now, I’d say its a bust and a waste of space in the 20g scoop).

Then we have the Myogenic Transcription Factor^TM (unknown amount). It contains: Taurine (supposed to give you energy, but it hasn’t been proven. You’ll find this stuff in energy drinks), L-Leucine (Good stuff, shown to be THE branched chain amino acid responsible for the majority of protein synthesis that takes place in your body. Without it you are limiting your success factors so glad to see it in here but its more of a post workout ingredient IMO), L-Glutamine ( Some people say it’s useless depending on which studies they have read but I’m all for it since I use it and have noticed that I recover faster. Bottom line is that I’m glad to see it in this mixture), L-Valine & L-Isoleucine (BCAA’s… Enough said), L-Citruline (Is transformed in the kidneys to L-Arginine which in turn is supposed to help up regulate your nitric oxide levels… Right? WRONG. This is a waste), Choline Bitartrate (Supposed to increase neurotransmitter levels. In rats it showed an increase in mental performance but this same effect could NOT be duplicated in humans… Therefore it’s useless ingredient in a workout supplement)

Finally we have the Insulin Secretagogue Complex^TM… And instead of boring you with details on this one I’m going to tell you the OBVIOUS reason it exists. To SPIKE your insulin levels in order to shuttle the compounds into your muscles. Plain and simple.

Real World Results:

Alright so I cracked open the Raspberry Lemonade packet and give it a slight wiff… Not bad. Threw it in the shaker cup along with some cold water, gave it a vigorous shake for about 10 seconds and what do you know, it mixed! Not only did it mix, it left zero clumps behind.

Then came the taste… Holy FUCK. It tastes SO damn good. I’m not exaggerating here, this stuff was as close to fruit punch as you can possibly get from a supplement. I’m not sure if its because I’ve tried a SHIT load of supplements in my time and I finally found one that tastes good, but this stuff was exceptional. On that same note, the grape flavour is something you might want to avoid though. It’s not bad, but it’s no raspberry lemonade.

Ok so it mixes like a dream and tastes like heaven, so what happens AFTER you take it? Well this is when the happy moonshines, unicorn rainbows and even the slightest glimmer of potential start to disappear.

10 minutes after taking it… Nothing.

20 minutes after taking it… Still nothing.

30 minutes in… I’m thinking I should have just drank less expensive fruit punch.

Started working out, had no noticeable gain in pumps, no increase in energy and no noticeable gain in focus either. I was seriously tripping out. What the hell was going on here?

I mean bad supplements are one thing, but I didn’t even get a caffeine kick… My morning coffee does a better job of waking me up than this stuff. NOT impressed!

But since I had 6 packets I figured what the hell, maybe it’s just me? Maybe I got a bad batch? I tried the grape flavor and still nothing. But, I was determined to see it produce SOME kind of result in a human being!

So I told Steven, a good buddy of mine (a retired national level gymnast) to try a serving. Now this guy barely takes supplements, and on top of that he’s a vegetarian so if there is anyone out there with highly responsive, virgin receptors, it’s him. I even made sure this substance was anonymous to him. I just mixed the powder in with some water, told him to drink it before we hit up the gym and asked him to jot down or remember anything “out of the ordinary” that he feels as a result of taking LamePump 250.

So what were the shocking results? Well in short… NOTHING YET AGAIN. Steven was very confused, he asked me if I had just given him some fruit juice and played a prank on his ass because he felt absolutely nothing. If anyone is playing a prank here, it’s Gaspari Nutrition. I won’t dis their entire product line based on one crappy supplement but wtf is this? April fools is OVER god damn it!

Conclusion:

At $1.22 per serving I guess it COULD replace Gatorade or some other lame sports drinks as your during-workout cocktail, but that’s NOT what it’s been advertised as. Therefore, since SuperPump250 tastes AWESOME but lives up to NONE of it’s claims, I’m gona give it 1 star.

But where I see failure I also see opportunity. Gaspari… Remove the useless ingredients, put some REAL god damn caffeine in the product & drop the price by about $15 bucks. Then market it as a during-workout drink. It’s sure to be a winner… But as for providing SUPER pumps and INCREASED lean mass and all that bullshit, this stuff is pathetic. Please move along.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Im going to have my last packet of Raspberry lemonade with a grilled chicken salad.

-FitJerk

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© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.