It's a good Tuesday everyone! Thanks for stopping back in to check out part II, otherwise known as deux to some, of my How to Get Started series.

Part II: Food and Eating

We’ve got our workout routine nailed down, and even if it’s not 100% down, we’ll get there. Now, if you only did weight training and light cardio, ignored what goes on to your plate (literally...wait no...yup, literally), you would absolutely see results, but they would hit a big ole brick wall in the not too distant future. Depending on what you’re currently eating, would determine if that wall the wall arrives sooner or later, but you’re still going to arrive at it. That means that we can’t just ignore this elephant, as it were. Fair warning, this is probably the thing that most people find to be the toughest when it comes to fitness (*raises hand*), so you are not the only one, I promise. There are others going through it too and we all understand, but let’s try to set some basics so you don’t lose that mind of yours and can keep this journey sustainable.

Let’s start with the simple thing, eat food, yeah actual food, it sounds silly, but seriously real food. Supplements take a back seat to eating actual food. The less processed a food is, the better it’s going to be. Think of where you usually find the good stuff for food, on the outside edges of the grocery store.

I want you all to keep this in mind, because people often get confused because of things like this. Whatever diet (keto, vegan, paleo, atkins) your neighbor is doing or your friends brother’s boyfriend is doing, if it’s working for them, awesome, it’s working FOR THEM. It may not work for you, and that’s ok, don’t get intimidated if they get preachy and borderline psycho they get about their diet. It is not the only way to lose body fat.

​Take a look at the graphic posted recently by the amazing people at Precision Nutrition and you'll notice there's a few ways that people find success, so which is the best way comes down to the person.
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The basics of most of the diets out there are; lean protein, a colorful array of vegetables, minimal added sugars, lower calorie sauces & dressings and 0 calorie beverages. Let’s be real we are chronically dehydrated as a society so stick to water. Also, remember that fat is not a bad thing necessarily, it just depends on which type.

I want you to keep in mind, you are in this for the long game, as in, for life! So in order to sustain it, you need to keep your brain from going haywire. Start with finding good foods that you like, at least. If you can't find some fruits, veggies and protein dishes that you really enjoy, to make a crux of your new eating habits, then it won't last. That also means, in the event that you have this issue, time to branch out and try different things. You might be surprised by what new things you like.

Here's another part of making this thing sustainable, you are going to go off track, but it will not be the end of your universe or your journey. If you have a day where you don’t eat the good stuff, it’s ok, don't just throw your hands up in the air and say screw it I’m going to smash a carton of ice cream to my face for the next 2 weeks (though we’d all like to do that some days). It’s going to be OK, just keep plugging away. The only way you lose is if you give in and you give up completely. As long as you don’t quit, good things will happen. Super restrictive diets have been shown to lead to binge eating, so instead, just give yourself some slack. Unless you want to be a dungeon troll and not to be social with friends & family, you'll need some wiggle room. Just be mindful of it and then get yourself back on track the next day.

Finally, don’t be beholden to the number on the scale, on the tape measure or what the tags on your clothes say. That’s just all information, but it doesn’t make you any less or more successful, focus on how you are feeling. Come back tomorrow for part III, something less talked about in this healthy living journey, rest and sleep. Until next time Team First XV, go out there and get after it.

How goes it for everyone today? Whether you are currently traveling to your end of summer vacation, sitting at your desk and waiting for it to get here or just trying to kill time until you need actually be productive, I've got something to help with that. Hopefully you find it useful and perhaps gets the gears turning upstairs.

It’s likely that you’ve noticed with my training, I like to have people pick up heavy objects. Whether that’s your cup of tea or not there’s one thing that can help with that (and many other things), grip strength. Even if you loathe the idea of picking up something heavier than the small dog you keep in your bag, it’s still a good idea to get some of this in. This isn’t just for those people that could probably use a firmer handshake either, though there’s a few out there. Really it comes down to do you want to keep the health of your joints in your arm, wrist and all the way on up, in tact? Do you like the joints in your arm not hurting? Then you probably need to at least maintain, if not increase your grip strength.

Some of you that have been following me may have noticed I've had my battles with my grip strength in recent times. When you have a problem like this, you either learn a bit about it or nothing ever changes, so of course I've taken notes on ways to attack this. Also, yes please have your laugh now and then we can move on….you know what I’m talking about.

When you force yourself, or are forced to, squeeze something really hard, you’ll be really shocked at what other muscles will light up in your arm, not including the ones having to do with your hands, can anyone say rotator cuff?

Here are 6 exercises or variations that will help you with your grip strength;
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​Fat Bar Bent Over Rows- Fat bars and fat grips really force those pincer muscles to work hard, they'll make a pretty moderate weight (RPE=5/6) feel like a working weight (RPE=7/8) in a hurry. Here I've gone with a bent over row, of course you can use this for any movement that requires you to grab a bar.

KB Bottoms Up Bench Press- ​Bottoms up technique will make that forearm and all the way up work real hard just to maintain the position at a stand still, let alone through a movement. I went with a bench press, but you could also do this with an over head press, floor press or single arm variations of these. Important to remember if it feels like the bell is going to constantly flop over out of position (and potentially on your skull) don't be a hero, go down to a weight you can maintain the bell in that bottoms up position.

KB Farmer's Carry- If you've been following me for longer than 5 seconds, it's no secret that I love me some carries. Lot's of upside here, a bit of axial loading, a good metabolic effects (fancy way of saying it's a lot of work) and....wait what was the other thing? Oh right, works that grip pretty good too. Kettlebells are one of several implements you can use, dumbbells, farmer's handles, plates. You can also go one armed and do a suitcase carry. Give the weight a death grip and control it, don't let it control you or you're looking at bad news.

KB Bottoms Up Carry- Let's combine the previous two movements into one, with a bottoms up carry. Same rules with the bottoms up presses, if you can't keep the bells in position and from potentially smashing something important on you, dial it down. Try to keep your elbows up and in front, don't let the ribs flare out and take your time. Watch that arm and shoulder light up like the 4th of July.​

Towel Grip Bench Row- Towel grip work is certainly not a new technique to the S&C universe. Pretty basic concept here, you have to grip things just a little extra harder because towels tend to fit int your hand a little more awkwardly than a bar. I've gone with a simple row here, but of course you can do things like chin-ups & pull-ups, inverted rows and the list goes on.​

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Heavy Deadlifts and RDLs- I mean what's one thing that's going to help you hold on to heavy weight? Picking up heavy weight. I've gone with RDLs here because you need to hold the weight throughout the entirety of the set without any pause or break, no matter how brief, but that's not to say a deadlift off the floor won't help.

Some may wonder, what type of volume should you be looking at with these? Like any type of training, using varying volumes provides different benefits, so I wouldn’t get locked into a particular rep range, use them all.

​A few of these techniques are also a good way to take the load down with a lift, but keep the it challenging. If you're constantly going hard and starting to wear out, consider getting acquainted with one of these techniques.

Of course, this not  a comprehensive list of exercises and techniques that can help with your grip strength, and training in general, but just wanted to give a few examples. Hopefully this has helped you spark a new idea for your training and that's all I can ask for. Until next time everyone, go out there, pick up something heavy and get after it!