Homemadegymstuff: Squatting To Parallel?

Now, personally I like Box Squats - you know where you are with 'em. You've either reached the box or you aint. Some people dislike box squats due to the 'inherent dangers', spinal compression and all that malarky. So a couple of the quickest solutions are a mirror(but this can cause worse form) or if you squat in a rack you can tie a length of bungee rope between the safety bars; with the loop's trough at a level that just touches your butt when at parallel. This method also allows for a bit of assistance whilst in the hole(!)

Commercially you could buy a safety squat/squat beeper which is a nifty box o' tricks, and can also be used for dips/press-up etc.

But in keeping with the Homemadegymstuff ethos, here's the Squat-Dinger...

Basically as you squat, the marblerolls along the tube

and rings the bell. Standing-up resets it.

Which probably isn't a million miles away from being akin to the 'original's' prototype.

Xmas Cake Pt II: "Ice to see you, to see you ice!"

The time has come to 'ice the cake'

Apricot Jam, Marzipan & Icing Sugar.

Design was to be along the lines of a natural 'snow-like' finish.

(ie Drifting snow, a bit thinner in places, a bit deeper in others, ahm!)

Here she is...

More of a 'It came from outer space' creation.

Here's the naked cake & recipe.

Stomach Acid - Have you enough?

It's that time of year - where we all suck-in copious amounts of food, then complain about acid reflux etc. Following an article on T-Nation highlighting LOW stomach acid... I looked into it a bit deeper and found this article (which concurs with many others)

"The Dangers of Low Stomach Acid

If you suffer from bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn and a host of other food related digestive issues (including diarrhea and constipation), you could be suffering from low stomach acid. If you are over forty years of age, there is a forty percent chance that you do.

Most likely you have at one time or another taken an antacid or an acid-blocking medication before or after your meal to help with your suffering. If this is the case, you are doing exactly the opposite of what your body needs to alleviate the effects of low stomach acid.

As strange as it sounds, the symptoms of low stomach acid are virtually the same as the symptoms of an overproduction of stomach acid. The treatment, however, is entirely different. In order to feel better, your stomach needs to produce more acid, not less..."

So I decided to add L-Leucine (utilise more of your ingested protein) and Betaine HCL to increase stomach acid. Apparently the Betaine will, in time, encourage the stomach to increase it's own production of HCL.

Whey, Leucine & Digestive Enzymes/Betaine HCL.

You could throw-in some BCAAs aswell.

For top quality products in the UK, I don't think you'll find better than myprotein.co.uk - go see!

Remember though it's no good puttin' it in if you aint gonna use it...