The Acid Test
Article by world-renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin
Hydrochloric acid presents a few dilemmas for those of us seeking better supplements on a daily basis.
On one hand, it must be handled with appropriate safety precautions because it is a highly corrosive liquid. It is used in various industrial applications including leather manufacturing and PVC plastic production, as well as the removal of rust from iron and steel.1
Of course another great use for hydrochloric acid, or HCl, is to help us digest our food. Our bodies are protected from this corrosive acid by a mucosal barrier in our GI tracts. Many times when people think they have too much acid, they actually have too little barrier and not enough acid. Yes, this acid is a good thing.
Acid is one of the main things that help us to break down those big forkfuls of food into useable nutrients. Despite the popularity of acid-neutralizing and acid-blocking drugs, stomach acid is crucial not only to health, but also to achieving optimal function. When you block acid, you limit nutrient absorption and create an environment that is actually favorable to disease. Even if you don’t use these drugs, studies dating back over 70 years show that our ability to secrete acid decreases as we age.2-4
Having appropriate acid levels is step one. Before you start analyzing your percentage of fat, carbohydrates and protein intake, make sure your acid level is good. Before you start buying expensive supplements, make sure your acid level is good. Before you start analyzing your sets, reps, tempo and frequency, make sure your acid level is good. If you can’t break down your muscle-building nutrients, you’re putting in a lot of money and hard work and not getting the most from them. Again, it is step one.
Testing acid levels
Fortunately, this is easy to test and easy to fix. [click to continue…]
Why is the Sumo Deadlift Safer than a Parallel Squat for Most People?
Adin Smith – CSCS, CHEK 2, BioSignature Practitioner, Personal Trainer
The back loaded squat is one of the most improperly prescribed exercises appearing in general fitness programs today. The sumo deadlift is safer for vast majority of people for the following reasons:
A Sumo Deadlift is Safer Because
- The weight is closer to the body, which is less risky to the low back– simple physics here at work. Also, it allows a more vertical position for the spine, placing less torque on Disc L-4/5 which is the most commonly injured disk in this country. Many people have a deterioration in the L-4/5 disc itself and must be careful to not to place too much stress on it.
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Thousands of people every day search the web using some combination of key words revolving around how to get “wash board abdominals”. I want to let you know in order of importance, which factors contribute to attaining that flat abdomen you’ve been hoping for.
Getting Enough Quality Sleep
Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I (NHANES I.) Participants who slept five hours per night were 73% more likely to become obese than those getting seven to nine nightly hours of sleep.
Most of us do not get enough sleep and those that do, may not be getting quality sleep. So, why is this happening to us? Generally speaking, the answers are: technology, stress, sleep schedule, eating late, alcohol, and stimulants and certain sleeping medications.
Technology and Sleep
All of us have a biological clock called the circadian rhythm. Our hormones rise and fall with the sun. If you expose yourself to full spectrum light into the evening hours, your body will think it’s time to wake up and therefore stop producing melatonin (the hormone that promotes sleep).
Instead, a hormone called cortisol will become elevated when these levels should be low (reaching the lowest point around midnight). Having excess levels of cortisol in the body causes you to gain a layer of body fat right over those beautiful wash board abdominals of yours!
What is the Solution?
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