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293
NEW MUSCLE, IMMORTALITY, AND NUTRITION HACKS
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May / June 2018 Features
The Perfect Fit
60 Physical Domination! We’ve put together some expert tips and advice on how to get a body like IFBB physique superstar and USNfit athlete Ryan Terry. So get ready to get ripped! BY E R I C V E L A Z Q U E S
68 Turn Back Your Body Clock Can you be a 45-yearold but maintain the body of a guy in his 20s? According to one world-renowned exercise scientist — the inventor of the Fitness Age — the answer is: Absolutely. And it’s going to change the way you train. BY E R I C B E N SON
76 30 Ways to get the Girl Our sex experts have put together some awesome ways to help you get the girl and keep her!
80 Global Surf and Turf Have a look at some of our new and exciting food combos packed with international flair!
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M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8
MEN’S FITNESS
Breakthroughs
50 Winter Warrior
19 Top News
Staples to keep you covered this season.
The best sports to beat back the Grim Reaper.
58 Modern Classics Snazzy (but cool) new sneakers and watches.
20 Muscle Why meat eaters don’t have an advantage in the gym.
22 Cardio Cardio cancels out binge eating; and shocking your brain leads to gains.
24 Health How downward dogs can lower your blood pressure.
26 Nutrition Is broccoli the veggie of youth?
may / june 95 Eat your way to “shredded” with this get-lean plan.
40 Dress up in top knotch athleisure.
50 Fashion staples to keep you covered, literally.
19 Swingers live longer (no kidding). On Top
Regulars 16 What winners know, tips to live better.
Eat to Win 42 Guy Food
Enter the new world of luxury boxing gyms.
What people from the world’s longest-living regions eat to stay practically immortal.
32 Lift Smart Pace your workout for better PRs.
44 Fast Fuel How to make Spain’s most iconic dish— paella—into a robust, better-for-you one-pan meal.
34 Game On From pirates to gods to cars, we’re delivering on all your gaming fantasies.
46 Fit Chef
32 Cover Star How Laura Lydall stays on top of her game.
The ex-pro swimmer creating an organic chicken empire.
47 Diet Hacks
38 Go Fast Take a look see at some hot rides with the new Civic R, A7 and X-class.
The ultimate salad bar smackdown.
Columns
40 Gear Up 48 Learn It!
Sweat-soaking running gear that banishes BO.
MEN’S FITNESS
89 Unbreakable Your total-body plan to become a human machine.
96 Chow Down The low-fat meal plan.
30 Fight On
12
The Body Book
One man dares to declutter his apartment.
M AY / J U N E
2018
98 Power Up Simple ways to boost your testosterone. 99 A Cut Above The new weight-loss supp you’ve got to try.
100 Melt the Fat Tailor-made highintensity sugarburning workouts to burn flab. 99 The 500-Rep Challenge HIIT at its absolute finest. 106 Celebrity Workout Keanu Reeves’ hitman plan to get a killer body. 110 Be Inspired How to lose 41 kilograms!
MORE POWER. MORE MASERATI. THE ALL-NEW LEVANTE S IS COMING
A NEW JOURNEY HAS BEGUN. The wind that bears its name blows across the Mediterranean and can change from benign calm to gale force in an instant. The Maserati SUV has a similar nature, although its powerful forces always remain under perfect control. Levante S: V6, 3.0-litre - Max power: 430 HP - Top speed: 264 km/h - 0 to 100 km/h: 5.2 sec The data may not refer to the model represented
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’
Advisory Board
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
SOMETIMES, EVEN WE NEED ADVICE. HERE’S WHO WE ASK.
MAN FLU… As we head into the tissue gathering segment of the year (and we are quite fortunate that we don’t have it for too long in South Africa), it’s time to double dose on all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary to fight off the dreaded flu. I’m actually nursing what feels like double pneumonia at the moment and as a man, I know factually and medically that this is the sickest any human being has ever been without dying. I’ve had it a few times over the past few years and somehow manage to survive it, barely. My wife believes it’s an extreme over-exaggeration and given that I have yet to succumb she might be onto something. The key really is to just stay ahead of this winter flu, get loads of rest, eat well and take that “warm thing” to gym so you can wear it post-workout. I’ve recently started a new training regime that’s been quite taxing but I was reminded again about how important it is to mix things up. Keep the body guessing and you will keep it growing and changing. This winter, instead of sticking to your normal workouts and hibernating, why not take up a brand new sport? It’s the ideal time as classes are generally not overly full, you get special attention from coaches and trainers and who knows, by September you could be next big thing in indoor mountain climbing. In the meantime, I am going to wrestle the man flu, someone repay my wife for waiting on me hand and foot because I am just not capable of life at the moment, nevermind deciding which sport I’ll specialise in before September.
STRENGTH TRAINING
CJ Murphy, M.F.S. Owner, Total Performance Sports, Everett, MA Jim Smith, C.P.P.S. Owner, Diesel Strength & Conditioning
M O T I VAT I O N
Danny Boome Celebrity chef, currently on Good Food America for Veria Living
Martin E. Ford, Ph.D. Professor of education, George Mason University
Candice Kumai Author, Clean Green Drinks, candicekumai.com
R E L AT I O N S H I P S
Devin Alexander Celebrity chef; host, PBS’s America’s Chefs on Tour; New York Times best-selling author SPORTS PERFORMANCE
Zach Even-Esh Owner, Underground Strength Gym, Edison, NJ WEIGHT LOSS
Bob Harper Fitness expert; trainer, NBC’s The Biggest Loser Chris Powell, C.S.C.S. Trainer; author; transformation specialist, ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss Frank G. Bottone Jr., Ph.D., R.D. Author, The Diet Denominator: Fill Your Tank for Less
Enjoy this issue.
FOOD
Tammy Nelson, Ph.D. Certified sex therapist, New Haven, CT Michael Aaron, Ph.D. Certified sex therapist and couples counselor, drmichaelaaronnyc.com
Jason Ferruggia, Fitness expert; owner, jasonferruggia.com Dan Trink, C.S.C.S. Owner, Trink Fitness Moushumi Ghose, M.F.T. Licensed psychotherapist and sex therapist, New York City W I L D E R N E S S S U RV I VA L
Jon Hinds Owner, Monkey Bar Gym, Madison, WI Kevin Lilly Former D1 football player; trainer of actors and athletes
Thomas Coyne, E.M.T. President, Survival Training School of California, Tehachapi, CA M A L E H E A LT H
FINANCE
Roy Cohen Career counselor; author, The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide; careercoachny.com
PUBLISHER & CEO
Dirk Steenekamp
Chris Bart, Ph.D. Business consultant; author, A Tale of Two Employees
dirk@mensfitness.co.za
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jodie Graves - jodie@dhsmedia.co.za DIGITAL & CLIENT MANAGER Charelle Johnson - charelle@dhsmedia.co.za
D E R M AT O LO GY
MANAGING EDITOR Jason Fleetwood - jason@dhsmedia.co.za GROOMING EDITOR Greg Forbes - greg@dhsmedia.co.za GAMING EDITOR Andre Coetzer - andre@dhsmedia.co.za TECH EDITOR Peter Wolff - peter@dhsmedia.co.za ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Toon53 Prod. - toon53@dhsmedia.co.za MOTORING EDITOR John Page - john@dhsmedia.co.za SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Charlemagne Olivier - charlemagne@dhsmedia.co.za SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Luba V Nel - luba@dhsmedia.co.za
ADVERTISING SALES pieter@dhsmedia.co.za
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Men’s Fitness South Africa is published by DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd in South Africa for South Africa. Material in this publication, including text and images, is protected by copyright. It may not be copied, reproduced, republished, posted, broadcast, or transmitted in any way without written consent of DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd. The views and opinions expressed in Men’s Fitness South Africa by the contributors may not represent the views of the publishers. DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd as well as its employees accept no responsibility for any loss that may be suffered by any person who relies totally or partially upon any information, description, or pictures contained herein. DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd is not liable for any mistake, misprint, or typographic errors. All prices shown are in ZAR. Any submissions to Men’s Fitness South Africa become the property of DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd. © 2017 American Media, Inc. The name “Men’s Fitness” and the Men’s Fitness logo are registered trademarks of American Media, Inc., and used under license by DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. The United States edition of Men’s Fitness is published monthly by American Media Inc.
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ENDURANCE
Pete Jacobs 2012 Ironman world champion, Sydney, Australia
Steven Lamm, M.D., Director, Men’s Health Center, New York University Medical Center FAS H I O N
SPORTS NUTRITION
Shelby Starnes IFBB bodybuilder; owner, shelbystarnes.com
Tina West, M.D. Boardcertified dermatologist; founder of the West Institute, westskinlaser.com
Nate Miyaki, C.S.S.N. Author, The Samurai Diet; owner natemiyaki.com
Annet King, Director of global education, the International Dermal Institute and Dermalogica
NUTRITION
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Angela Lemond, R.D.N. Owner, Lemond Nutrition; spokesperson, American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Jay Dicharry, M.P.T., C.S.C.S. Director of biomechanics, Rebound Physical Therapy
Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.N. Award-winning writer, nutrition consultant, spokesperson
Jorge Valls Men’s fashion director, Nordstrom Michael Gordon Store director, Tourneau TimeMachine, NYC GROOMING
Anthony Sosnick Founder, Anthony grooming brand Israel Leon Master barber, The Art of Shaving, NYC P SYC H I AT RY
Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., Instructor, Penn Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology
“ALWAYS LOOK FOR AN INSTRUCTOR WHO NOT ONLY ENGAGES YOU PHYSICALLY, BUT CAPTIVATES YOU. TRY TO LOSE YOURSELF .” JESSICA KING Peloton Instructor, New York City
William Bonac THE CONQUEROR
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WINNER 2018 ARNOLD CLASSIC, COLUMBUS USA. 3RD MR OLYMPIA 2017. ND 2 ARNOLD CLASSIC EUROPE 2017.
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Your best life
What winners know Live smarter, look better, and play harder with tips from Men’s Fitness GET THE SCENT
Hugo Urban Journey Q HUGO Parfums unveils the next chapter of its #YourTimeIsNow campaign with a new scent, HUGO Urban Journey, set to encourage millennials to explore the city on their doorstep before venturing into the world beyond. The latest iteration of this multi-faceted campaign will see Hugo fragrance ambassador Zac Efron empower today’s youth to embrace new opportunities to live their lives to the fullest. T RY T H I S !
Peaches And Cream Smoothie Q If you’re anything like our office team, you probably have the same shake every day, at the same time. Satisfy your sweet tooth and get as much nutrients as possible in less meals by, upgrading your daily standard protein shake with this tastier and less boring recipe by searching our Peaches and Cream Smoothie on mensfitness.co.za T RY T H I S !
Thule Subterra Backpack Q Thule introduces their Vital collection of lightweight hydration backpacks built for comfort and ease of use during high-intensity mountain bike rides. Equipped with a handsfree ReTrakt magnetic hose return system and convenient jersey-style pockets for quick access to nutrition, clothing or tools, these sleek backpacks come with Hydrapak reservoirs ranging from 1.75L to 2.5L sizes, and 3L to 8L of cargo storage space. R 1 8 9 9, C yc l e L a b
GET FUNCTIONAL
F45 Training Q Functional group training facilities and classes have revolutionised the fitness industry across the world, so it’s no surprise that international fitness brand F45 have finally swept onto our African shores. With varied functional workouts every day and highly charismatic instructors to keep you motivated, F45 workouts will help sculpt lean, functional muscle through lifting, squatting, jumping, twisting, pulling, pushing and so much more! 16
MEN’S FITNESS
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TECH THIS!
Thomas Sabo Rebel at Heart Watch Q Its minimalist dial with straight-lined indices and hands that immediately catch the eye make this timepiece an easy-to-wear anytime fashion staple. R 6 2 2 5 , t h o m a s s a b o . c o m
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Hard-hitting news from the cutting edge of modern research
BREAKTHROUGHS hich type of cardio gets you the healthiest and keeps you alive the longest? Curious exercise researchers at the University of Sydney examined 11 different health surveys on more than 80 000 people (average age: 52) over 9 years and found that, amazingly, those who’d played racquet sports like tennis, racquetball, or squash in the previous month had a 47% lower risk of early death. And that’s not all: Enthusiasts who swung a racquet regularly also showed a 56% drop in cardiovascular disease. It’s believed that this type of fullbody exercise, which features short bouts of high-intensity effort, helps you live longer by boosting your metabolism and strengthening your heart. Swimming, a great whole-body workout, came in second, with aerobics in third place and cycling in fourth. Surprisingly, neither soccer nor running seemed to significantly reduce premature death. To court longer life, pick up a racquet and add the sport of kings to your cardio routine — it will serve you well.
W
Swingers Live Longer (Swimmers and Cyclists, Too).
—
M AY / J U N E
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ADAM BIBLE
MEN’S FITNESS
19
Muscle
Breakthroughs
Carnivores have no advantage over veggie eaters in muscling up.
Vegetarians build as much lean muscle Getting plenty of protein postworkout is key to speeding muscle growth and aiding recovery — but what type of protein is best? To find out, researchers at the Arizona State University in the US tracked the diet and workout habits of 70 elite endurance athletes — 43 meat eaters and 27 vegetarians. And surprise! At study’s end, the veggie eaters had virtually the same lean muscle mass as the carnivores and just as much leg strength. And though the groups’ VO2 max scores showed they were equally fit, the vegetarian women’s numbers were 13% better. The take-home: If you’re getting the right amount of protein per day (1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight), it doesn’t matter what form it comes in — plant, animal, or supplement.
Ask Men’s Fitness
CROSS VS. CLANK: WHICH GETS YOU FITTEST? Q CrossFitters and
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MEN’S FITNESS
SHORT, EXPLOSIVE MOVES ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
tained contractions.
M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER IN MUSCLES Q That guy with the ungodly big, bulging bi’s? He’s not necessarily stronger than you are. That’s the upshot of a review in Muscle & Nerve
that concluded that the link between post-workout muscle size and muscle strength is tenuous at best. In fact, scientists noted, even when you lose muscle mass after time off, strength often sticks around. Take that, Hulk.
Q If you do want to build strength in your muscles, the best way to do it is through short, explosive contractions lasting less than a second. In a new study in the Journal of Applied Physiology , researchers found that short exercises are not only less tiring and easier, they also build more strength than longer, sus-
J O E W, B LO E M F O N T E I N
What makes a great (or lousy) gym pal? What’s in his head.
Your buddy’s reasons for exercising may be the problem. Impulsive gymgoers are most often motivated by feelings of pressure, guilt, or shame about their bodies, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reports. If those thoughts plague him, it’s going to be tough for him to stay consistent. “The gym should be seen as a thing of value, not a chore or punishment”, says study author Dave Keatley, PhD. If your pal’s impetus to work out is negative (“I look awful”), not positive (“I’m doing something great!”), you may need a new partner.
P e t e r Ya n g
weightlifters often clash over which workout is best — and now we know. Sort of. In a new study in the Journal of Exercise Physiology, 13 seasoned CrossFitters and 13 iron junkies were put through a barrage of tests, including pull-ups, shuttle runs, and explosive jumps. Who won? Well, no one, really. Each
group excelled in whatever played to their regimen: CrossFit folks had more endurance, lifters more strength. So mix it up to get the best of both worlds — fitness snobs always lose out in the end.
My weightlifting partner is really erratic about getting to the gym, and it’s driving me crazy. Any idea what’s going on or what I should do?
Cardio
Breakthroughs
Bring it, bro: Competition gets you to the gym Been slacking off instead of hitting the gym and throwing up some iron? Get yourself an enemy to go after. Okay, not an enemy, exactly, but someone who can give you some stiff competition. That’s the very best motivation to work out, according to US University of Pennsylvania researchers who found that, rather than a cheering section, you need to feel a sense of competitiveness to be extremely consistent with your workouts. Their study, an 11-week weightlifting, running, spinning, and yoga program involving 790 students, showed that exercisers who competed for the top spot on leaderboards had 90% higher gym-attendance rates than those in groups in which competition wasn’t emphasised. So, if you’re feeling less than excited about crushing it these days, challenge one — or a whole gang — of your gym buddies to a duel and watch the gains start rolling in.
BEST WORKOUT MOTIVATION: BEATING SOMEONE’S ASS.
Ask Men’s Fitness
WORKING OUT MAKES UP FOR BINGE EATING (WELL, A WEEK OF IT) Q The ill effects of a brief eating binge can be offset by exercise, says a small study out of the University
of Michigan, USA. In it, four subjects (hey, we said it was a small study) who ate 30% more calories for a week — but still did 150 minutes of cardio and worked out six days — had none of the insulin resistance/inflammation that pigging out usually causes.
SHOCKING EXERCISE NEWS! Q In November 2016, our US counterparts wrote about transcranial directcurrent stimulation (tDCS), a new brainstimulation treatment that seems
Q Many runners believe that landing on the ball of the foot is better than adjusting to a heel-first gait, assuming that going ballsfirst will cushion the impact better. Not so: A study in the Journal of Sports Sciences discovered that when runners switch up their style, there’s no change in the amount of force from one method to the other — the impact is just redirected through the body. RUN FOR IT (BUT HEELTOE OR TOE-HEEL?)
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MEN’S FITNESS
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to boost exercise capacity. (Check it out at mensfitness. com/tdcs.) And, boy, were they ahead of the curve. In a study at the University of Kent in the UK, nine guys in their 20s did leg extensions at about 20% of their max; but when tDCS electrodes jolted their heads with a tiny bit (2 milliamps) of juice, their perceived effort lessened, allowing them to exercise about 15% longer. You can buy a tDCS device at wantitall. co.za but ask your doctor first.
Some studies claim fitness trackers are useless, while others say they’re great for your health. What’s the lowdown? CALEB R, JOHANNESBURG
A fitness tracker can work — if you actually use it.
Like any new tech, trackers have their pros and cons, so nailing down benefits is tricky, says Kelly Evenson, PhD, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US, and the closest thing to a human fitnesstracker “tracker” there is. For example, one recent study she did suggested that trackers don’t improve health; but her newest research shows they can, indeed, lower heart disease risk — but only if used faithfully. For max usefulness, she says, wear it in the same position every day, update software often, and pair it with benefitboosting apps.
Health
Breakthroughs
GERMS MAKE HUGE ATM DEPOSITS
Q Getting enough good sleep is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy. So hear this: The more screen time you put in on your smartphone, computer, or tablet — all day, not just near bedtime — the poorer and shorter your sleep will be, say US University of California, San Francisco scientists, who analysed data on 600-plus subjects. The culprit: Blue light emitted by screens, which hinders the sleep hormone melatonin. To fight the blues, block rays from your phone or computer with an app from justgetflux.com or twilight.urbanandroid.org.
Q An American New York University sample of 66 New York City ATMs found their keypads to be teeming with bacteria. Luckily, though, most are harmless types that thrive on skin and home surfaces. No, the real evildoers are inside the ATMs, the researchers say: The cash the machines spit out is rife with more than 3000 types of bacteria. Many are linked to acne (collective shudder), but some are deadly antibiotic-resistant strains. So, consider your hands tainted after withdrawals — or, better yet, just swipe your card instore instead.
Daily posing can lower your risk of stroke and heart disease.
Yoga lowers blood pressure
Ask Men’s Fitness I love to hit the golf course on the weekends, but my gym-loving buddies say I’m not getting any real exercise. Am I wasting my time?
Get on the ball: Golfers live longer than non-golfers.
24
MEN’S FITNESS
Any consistent exercise is good for you — even golf, according to new data out of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where golf was born back in the 1400s. The study, the largest and most systematic review ever done, found that golfers live longer than non-golfers and are in better health overall, says author Andrew Murray, MD. “Golf is a great choice for longevity, physical, and mental benefits — and you can play it from age 3 to 103”, Murray says. Just ditch the cart and carry your clubs: An 18-hole round can burn 1200 calories, compared with 600 for cart jockeys.
M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8
Push blood pressure downward with daily yoga sessions.
Thanks to the good folks at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States we know that about 75 million Americans have — and 59 million more are on the verge of developing — high blood pressure, which can dramatically increase heart disease and stroke risk. Those are some scary numbers, even for us here in sunny SA. Of course, if you think or have been told that you’re at risk, taking sensible steps like quitting smoking and exercising can help stave off high BP, also known as hypertension. But if you’d like to be even more proactive, try yoga: A new study presented to the Cardiological Society of India shows that practising hatha yoga an hour a day for a month can lower blood pressure even more than lifestyle changes. In the study, the yogis, who did stretching poses and breathing exercises, had a huge drop in diastolic BP (pressure while your heart is resting) over 24 hours, from a dangerously high 81 to a normal 76. A decrease that drastic could lower stroke risk by 15% and heart disease by 6%.
The way you breathe throughout the day and while exercising can calm your body and mind and help them both perform better. Yet proper breathing is one of the most overlooked methods of improving health. Now there’s even more evidence that breathing right is important: In research at Northwestern University in the US, subjects who inhaled through their noses were able to recognise fearful faces faster and remember images better than when they were exhaling or inhaling through their mouths. Researchers believe rapid (“panicky”) nasal inhalation synchronises brain areas to make us more aware of our surroundings. For respiration tips, go to breathing.com.
BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE!
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Glucomannan ensures the feeling of fullness and satiety during bouts of intense dieting.
Dandelion Root Extract is a potent diuretic, assisting with water retention.
Cinnamon Extract works naturally to support healthy insulin function.
Choline Bitartrate has been proven to promote a faster rate of lipolysis.
Green Tea Extract (EGCG) enhances mental alertness and is a powerful antioxidant.
Green Coffee Bean Extract has been shown to decrease carbohydrate digestion.
Broccoli can help head off the ageing process.
Nutrition
Breakthroughs
Broccoli: a pep stalk from Mother Nature Love broccoli or hate it, you’ll probably be wanting more of it once you read this. Packed with tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients that help you stay fit and trim, broccoli also contains niacin (alias “vitamin B3”), which helps create an enzyme called NMN (for nicotinamide mononucleotide). Now an American study conducted on mice at the Washington University School of Medicine has revealed that the NMN in broccoli helps your body use energy more efficiently, slows age-related weight gain, boosts eyesight, and improves insulin sensitivity. In other words, it staves off many of the negative effects of ageing. Even as the NMN-munching study mice got older, their metabolism and energy levels remained comparable with that of younger, friskier rodents. Can’t stand broccoli? You can still reap the benefits of NMN by eating foods like chicken, pork, tuna, mushrooms, peppers, and peanuts, which are also extremely rich sources of niacin.
Ask Men’s Fitness I’ve picked up a diet soda habit, but now I’m hearing that the diet stuff is almost as bad as the regular. Is that true? SAM R, DURBAN
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Q Have dinner earlier. Stop eating around mid-afternoon, and don’t start again till morning. “Restricted feeding” cuts appetite and ups fat burning at night, say researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in the US.
Q Go low carb once a week. Eating just three low-carb meals in a 24-hour period lowers your insulin resistance, say US scientists from the University of Michigan. This
helps your body burn more fat and protects it against high bp, pre-diabetes, and diabetes.
Q Pretend you’re watching yourself stuff your face. To drop kilograms, try a little mental imagery, says a new report from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Seeing yourself from an external perspective could help you put on the brakes.
YO-YO DIETING MAY BE A GUT REACTION Q After Israeli researchers put mice through a cycle of weight loss and gain, they found that the rodents’ systems all returned to normal but one: Their microbiomes (germ colonies) stayed in “obese” mode for
six extra months, Nature reports. It seems the little guys’ guts remembered obesity fondly and sped up weight gain when off the diet. The finding may lead to treatments to combat yo-yo dieting. Till then, fortify your gut with plenty of probiotic (yoghurt, kimchi) and prebiotic (asparagus, onion) foods.
Q A compound in aged cheeses may help keep you alive longer, says Nature Medicine. Italian researchers found that subjects who ate higher amounts of mature cheese had 40% less risk of heart failure. The compound, spermidine (also abundant in soybeans and mushrooms), was first isolated from semen, winning it our award for “Most Unappetising-Sounding Health Boon Ever”. OLDER CHEESE HELPS YOU GET OLDER
F r o m t o p : L e v i B r o w n / Tr u n k A r c h i v e ; G e t t y
To stay lean, drop diet soda.
Seems so, Sam. Research increasingly shows that sugar substitutes fail to do their job — that is, prevent obesity and diabetes, says Richard Hodin, MD. Case in point: Hodin’s latest study found that, in the stomach, aspartame actually blocks an intestinal enzyme that helps protect us from gaining weight. And it’s not just aspartame. Multiple studies show that, across the board, sugar substitutes tend to promote obesity, plump up belly fat, and, basically, keep you fat. Hodin’s advice: Stick to water.
SCIENCE SAYS: LOSE WEIGHT 3 HEALTHY NEW WAYS
ON TOP
Everything you need to make life work for you
Snap your fist, then pull back for a proper punch.
Enter the ring Boxing checks off all the right training criteria: It’s anaerobic! Muscle toning! Core sculpting! And whether they’re grimy or sparkling, boxing gyms have become beacons of total-body fitness. Plus, you’ll never have more fun hitting things with all your might. Ready to go a few rounds? Step this way. By Mike Woods Photograph by James Ryang
Boxing gyms have come a long way from the gritty, dank caves Rocky prowled in Philly’s predawn hours. Just as we had the luxury-climbinggym revolution last year — when men skipped the treadmill to flex their bouldering skills — we’re now witnessing an explosion of ultra-highend boxing temples. Leading the way are US-based Box ’N Burn Boxing and Fitness, Chicago’s Unanimous Boxing Gym, and, most recently, the gleaming Rumble, which opened a 550-plus-square-metre location in New York City this last January. At this knockdown palace, which is partly co-owned by a former Google executive and a master trainer from Bravo’s Work Out New York, you can work on full-body toning while hitting an aqua heavy bag, which is much easier on the joints and tendons. “Our clients don’t just punch a bag for 45 minutes. We have weights and benches”, says Eugene Remm, a head of the EMM Group and a Rumble co-owner. “Add our overall cleanliness, and nobody thinks ‘boxing’. ” We totally approve of the rise in boxing gyms, and not just because we’ve seen Creed too many times. Boxing isn’t just about fighting — it’s a great workout that boosts mental agility, improves co-ordination, and blends cardio and muscle sculpting. “Boxing is the only sport where you have to stay on your feet the whole time to be successful,” says Eric Kelly, a four-time US amateur national champion who now trains clients in NYC. “Meanwhile, you’ve got to keep a guy’s foot out of your ass. That requires every muscle in the body!” Here’s what you need to know before you step into the ring.
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Pugilist 101
The beginner’s guide to picking a boxing gym Before you can pull on the gloves, you need to find the right place — and the right trainer.
ou’ve hit YouTube, and after watching highlights of Mike Tyson knocking heads into the cheap seats, you’re amped to learn the ropes. Now what? “Start by going to a reputable gym”, says Heather Hardy, the WBC international featherweight champ. What constitutes as “reputable” depends on your personal preference. The gym doesn’t have to be beautiful — it can be a hole-inthe-wall reeking of
Y
Bengay, with heavy bags wrapped with duct tape. Next, find a trainer. “Let the owner know if you’re interested in competition or fitness”, says Hardy. Then ask about style: Do you respond better to an earful of growls from a grizzled vet, or pats on the butt from a gentler soul? Make sure the gym trains “whitecollar types”, and steer clear of anyone lacking ring time. “I don’t take the ‘no fighting experience’ trainers as seriously”, says Kelly. “Ever
heard of a swimming instructor who hasn’t been in the water?” And don’t be intimidated. The camaraderie found in boxing gyms is second to none, and most boxers are chill cats who are happy to share tips. From the banker throwing soft punches to the welterweight prospect fighting on HBO next week, they’re all there to better themselves. “It’s one of America’s last true melting pots”, says Bruce Silverglade, owner of Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, USA.
On Top Slug away Avoid this fate by slipping, or ducking, the next roundhouse that comes your way.
THE SECRET TO SURE-FIRE RIPPED ABS AND CHISELLED ARMS? BOXING.
HOW TO TAKE A PUNCH bout to get clocked? Here’s how to avoid hitting the mat. Keep your eyes open — don’t blink — and focus on your opponent’s chest to spot any muscle movements that’ll indicate an incoming bell ringer. Next, “slip” the punch, which means moving your head to the side — that way, you’ll deflect the hook’s full force. Finally, tuck your chin. This is a matter of discipline, but it’s the best way to prevent an embarrassing TKO.
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Group class or one-on-one? 2
YOUR TOTAL-BODY BOXING WORKOUT The beauty of boxing workouts is that you can still become a mini Mayweather whether you make it to the gym or not. Done right, this boxing workout will eventually transform you into a Golden Gloves god.
Clock wise from top lef t: Jorg Badura; United Ar tists/Photofrest; Nick Ferrari; Prop s t y l i n g b y R a c h e l S t i c k l e y/ B e r n s t e i n & A n d r i u l l i
Q
Group gigs are great for Spinning, but in the boxing space? There’s something to be said for starting out by yourself and locking down the basics. But if you’re not sure you’ll like the sport at all, consider taking a few group classes — they are cheaper, have some nice camaraderie, and can provide a good intro. “One-on-one is best”, says Kelly. “You get all the attention. Your trainer can focus on technique and make sure you ain’t just staring at asses and being lazy.”
Stretch No muscle goes unused, so spend five to 10 minutes before the bell rings stretching every body part. Work those hamstrings: Stand straight and bend over, with your fingers touching the floor. To prevent tearing your shoulder muscles, place your hand against a wall and lean away, which stretches the fibres.
to stay balanced when you punch. It also puts your hammies, adductors, quads, and calves to work as you move laterally. Start with three rounds, sliding and popping combos — which helps refine your evasion techniques — while picturing a foe in your face. You’ll eventually be able to shadowbox for 15 minutes (five rounds) and in the process build a toned trunk.
STEP 2
STEP 4
Jump rope Jumping rope is crucial to building the quickness and agility you’ll need to be a ring king. Start out jumping with both feet, then gradually alternate, jumping five on the left and five on the right. Only after you master that will you be co-ordinated enough to jump back and forth between right and left.
Hit the heavy bag Learn how to control your “foe” with a jab while also working your core and hips, from which you’ll transfer power to your punches. “The power comes from the ground up,” says Kelly, “and the core must be strong to get the right velocity behind each punch.” Aim for heavy bags attached to a chain, rather than those connected to the wall — the swinging helps hone your body movements.
STEP 1
STEP 3
Shadowbox This drill helps you learn
As you hit the bag for three to four rounds, make sure to snap the punch before you bring the hand back.
1
3
STEP 5
Hit the speed bag Fast-twitch muscles pop as the speed bag goes rat-a-tat. The goal is to build combos, which will improve shoulder strength and train you to keep your hands high. Besides helping you get some killer shoulders, practising the speed bag is for rhythm, timing, and relaxation. Punches shouldn’t be thrown with flexed muscles — relax your arm to keep a steady rhythm, which translates to a more fluid motion. Don’t “punch” the bag; it’s as if your hand were holding a bicycle pedal moving in a continuous circle, hitting the bag every time it gets to the top. To improve your accuracy and head movement, sub in a double-end bag.
Boxing gym essentials
Everlast 120" Hand Wraps
Q These wraps will keep your phalanges and metacarpals from splintering. And the polyester-nylon material is breathable, so they won’t get too stanky too quickly. R110, traininn.com
Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Gloves
Q Versatile enough for bag work and even sparring, Powerlock gloves are constructed entirely of a proprietary foam that grips every contour of your fist while absorbing shock upon impact. R2 300, wantitall.co.za
Reebok Boxing Boot-Buck
Q The go-to boxing shoe for ankle support and style. You’ll get good traction while doing the Ali shuffle — and at the right price point for the average Joe Boxer. R1 700, takealot.com
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Photographs by
Brian B Hayes
Meet Laura Lydall, the gorgeous Australian actress and international fitness model with a passion for nutrition and training. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Laura is a previous winner of the Miss Jetset Magazine International Cover Competition. She has become quite the celebrity over the past few years having appeared on television and on the covers of numerous international magazines. Laura works as a personal trainer and her modelling and fitness career has already taken her all over the world. We follow her journey into fitness to find out what motivates her, what are the highlights of her transformation and what inspires her to keep pushing on.
Q
Miss Jetset
On Top Women
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“My tips for guys wanting to approach girls in the gym are to be polite. Avoid lame pick-up lines. Be a gentleman.”
On Top Women
MF: So Laura, could you tell our readers a bit more about yourself? I grew up in Melbourne Australia where I competed in athletics which kept me quite fit. I then started fitness modelling, which I really enjoyed and felt passionate about, so I studied personal training and nutrition. In the last 3 years I’ve travelled all over the world and been lucky enough to feature as a cover model for over eight magazines. MF: Could you tell us more about your career and what you studied? I started studying nutrition, then I coupled that with personal training. I’m serious about my career in both fitness and modelling, and aside from my various international magazine features, I’ve also appeared in numerous television adverts. MF: What motivated you to get into fitness? I’ve always had a passion for it. My dedication to fitness is what motivates me. Seeing my body’s transformation and the end results is what keeps me going. Hard work really does pay, and there’s always something new and interesting to learn when it comes to fitness. MF: Could you share some highlights from your personal
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transformation process? The obvious highlight for me is the noticeable increase in muscle mass – and strength. I also love having a more toned physique, which boosts my confidence because I look and feel good. MF: Aside from fitness, what other interests or hobbies do you have? Other than fitness, modelling and training, my biggest hobby would have to be travelling, with some of my favourite destinations being the Maldives, Mexico and Italy. MF: If you had to choose one person that motivates and inspires you, who would that person be and why? The one person that has always inspired me to do more is my former personal trainer Mr Canada. He has always reassured me of my potential for growth. He makes me realise just how much I can achieve with my training. MF: Tell us a bit about how health and fitness play a role in your lifestyle and career. In my career as a model and actress it is important to be fit. I’ve studied personal training and nutrition whilst travelling around the world and that has been helpful. It can be enjoyable travelling the world for modelling some-
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times there’s so many events and photo shoots it limits the time you can spend in the gym. Luckily, I’ve been able to try the best gyms in many countries from all around the world. MF: At what stage did you realise the importance of having a good relationship with health and fitness? I noticed I had a good relationship with health and fitness when I was an athlete as a child. I love sports and that was an eyeopener for me.
MF: How often do you work out and what does your weekly workout plan look like? How often I work out has varied due to a broken leg. My training regimen has changed and it’s interesting seeing the recovery process and results, hard work pays off.
“My motivation to keep working out is the results I see on my body. I love the feeling I get after a hard workout.�
On Top Women
Typical Training Schedule:
• Squats, 3 sets to failure.
Monday – Hamstrings
• Front squat, 4 sets of 10.
• Stiff-leg deadlift, German volume set 20 warm-up with bar, 10 sets of 10.
• Plyo box stepups holding dumbbell in one hand and step up on the alternating side, 3 sets of 20 each leg.
• Lying hamstring curl, 4 sets of 12 to 15. • Sumo squats with Olympic bar, 4 sets of 12 to 15. • Single-leg deadlift with dumbbell, 4 sets of 12 to 15 for each leg.
• Seated leg extensions, 2 sets of 5 quick, 5 resisted, 5 quick and 2 strip set.
Thursday – Anterior Upper Body • Dumbbell hammer curl, 4 sets of 10.
Tuesday – Posterior Upper Body • Pre-exhaust wide-grip pull-up, 3 sets of 8. • Seated row, 4 sets of 15. • Bent-over Olympic bar row x 20, warm-up with bar, weight up to 6 rep max for 4 reps. • One-arm dumbbell row, 4 sets of 10 each side.
• Ropes, 4 x 30 seconds. • Straight bar cable bicep curl, 4 sets of 12. • Seated press, 4 sets of 8.
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MF: What is your biggest turn-off or annoyance in the gym? My biggest turn-off in the gym is when people won’t get off a machine for hours or are too noisy and rude.
• Javelin press, 3 sets to failure Friday – Cardio
Wednesday – Quads/Glutes
• Kick-backs, 4 sets of 10.
MF: If you’re getting ready for a photo shoot but still want to enjoy a good night out, how do go about making sure you’re equally ready for both? If I’m getting ready for a photo shoot and still going for a night out I try to keep my diet balanced. I take vitamins and supplements to make up for any alcohol I drink or if I have to miss out on too much sleep.
• Cable lateral raise, 4 sets of 10.
Saturday and Sunday - Yoga
• Lying glute bridge on Smith machine, German volume set, 10 sets of 10.
to a man who is interested in his health and fitness.
MF: Would you say that you’re more or less attracted to guys who are very into their health and working out? I would say I’m more attracted
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What tips would you give guys in the gym looking to approach a girl while she is working out? My tips for guys wanting to approach girls in the gym are to be polite. Avoid lame pick-up lines. Be a gentleman.
MF: Do you have any go-to regiments that get you excited and ready before a workout? My go-to regiments that get me excited for a workout is to listen to some good music. I like to get some sunshine and have a little bit of fun before I go into the gym for a workout.
MF: What motivates you to continue working out? My motivation to keep working out is the results I see on my body. I love the feeling I get after a hard workout.
MF: How important is it to you to be with a partner who prioritises his own health and fitness? It’s very important to me that my partner, if I had one, prioritises his fitness. A man’s physical strength and general health is very noticeable. I love a man who is in good shape. Keep up with Laura’s fitness journey by following her on Instagram @ laura_lydall
On Top Go fast
NO COMPROMISE Type R brings the thrill of the racetrack to the road by J o h n Pa g e
Honda is one of the great engineering companies from the seas to the skies, and of course the road. Then there’s also the robotics division – remember Asimo? So when Honda puts its mind to something, to establish a new benchmark, it pools that intelligence across several fields and always succeeds. Perhaps not with the styling, but we’ll get to that. This is the Civic Type R, and as Men’s Fitness recently found out it’s a heart-racing education in hot hatch driving. It arrives in South Africa with the honour of being the fastest front-wheel drive car around the Nurburgring, beating cars like the Golf GTi and Renault Megane RS. But that doesn’t tell the full story because the Civic Type R is not a one trick fire-breathing dragon. Powered by a turbocharged engine driving the front wheels, Civic ups the driver involvement by coming with a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s a great gearbox, short, direct and blipping the downshifts, all the while the revised exhaust roars at high rpm but subsides to a quiet purr when cruising long distance. The interior design is polarising; red seats are not to everyone’s taste but they are supremely comfy while Honda’s touchscreen comes with all the useful creature comforts with minimal distraction.
Brembo brakes are the best in the business. Developed on the racetrack, they give the driver full confidence.
Behind all the extroverted aerodynamic wings which are not merely for show is a four-seater cabin that’s more spacious than rivals. The boot is huge – which is another compelling reason to consider it something other than a weekend toy.
Bold seat colour isn’t for eveyone. More comfortable than they look.
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The main upgrade over its predecessor is the duality of the drive – notably on the adjustable dampers. Civic Type R can go from stiff in Race Mode to relaxed with great absorption in the Comfort setting. It was one of the earlier model’s
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biggest failings and takes the new model out of that very niche role and positions it slightly mainstream. As an enthusiast’s choice, the rawness of its engine and uncompromised styling makes it our hot hatch of the year thus far.
BUSINESS LIMO Audi breaks new ground with A7. It even looks suitably different on the outside
Cocooned in a pod of luxury - that’s the A7’s suave first impression. Nothing is ever too far or unintuitive, which given all the microchips on-board is no easy feat. Speed is effortless. Safety is omnipresent. A suite of autonomous driving sensors permit a long gaze out the side window while the air suspension cossets like a soothing lullaby. The A7 has always been one of Audi’s most underrated products but thanks to a styling overhaul that by Audi’s terms is quite bold, it can now wear its technological innovations proudly. In not so many words the A7 mimics all the cutting-edge, driver-less and tablet-swiping of the bigger A8, then massages it into a sleeker shape that treads a path between sporty and stately. Audi has unwrapped some of its cleverest know-how for the A7. Large panes of glass can be customised, the graphics look like you’ve just picked up your new smartphone and it’s always on show for everybody to see and use. The sheer amount of luxury – if you tick the options – is Audi’s emphatic way of saying to BMW and Mercedes that they need to watch their backs. There are many systems weaved under the A7’s taut skin; some save fuel, others keep the car in its lane and prevent or prepare for dangerous situations, and some are there to make the A7 feel like a super limousine without being mistaken for hotel concierge. They all work discreetly in the background even if the A7’s interior, like the car, is well out of the ordinary.
THE X GOES TO A VEE The definitive X-Class answers all the questions and then some
The bakkie power wars are hotting up but not between Ford or Toyota. The X-Class 350d was, up until a few weeks ago, unchallenged at 190kW but VW’s Amarok has recently undergone its own update to match in an all-German face-off. Still, Men’s Fitness got an exclusive sneak preview of the X350d at the Geneva Motor Show and can confirm its got more Mercedes-ness to it than the other X-Class model. Busting open a new niche of ‘sporty’ doublecabs, the 3.0-litre V6 accelerates to 100kph in 7.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 205kph. Comes standard with a 7-speed automatic gearbox to further differentiate it from the manual-shifting X220d Power. This is pure Mercedes engineering – not some affiliation with Nissan and unlike the Amarok, this one comes with a low range gearbox. Given that it’s possible to spend R790 000 on a smaller-engined X-Class, we’re expecting this to be in the R900s when it arrives in South Africa later this year. Is that too much? As a workhorse, yes, but the X350d is likely to compete with far more premium SUVs. A family bakkie, for urban trips and holiday travels peppered with the grimy and muddy hobbies of a typical Men’s Fitness athlete.
Familiar Mercedes cabin layout reinforces the premium position. Many accessories to choose from.
Mountain bikes, kayaks... even golf clubs. And if you need to tow, the V6 handles that too.
Toys galore. Tabletlike surfaces and expansive glassy panes. Fingerprints love it.
Sleek coupe styling but Audi has managed to free up headroom compared to previous model.
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On Top Gear up
Cool running
STYLE SENSE FA S H I O N T I P S FROM THE PLANET’S B E S T- D R E S S E D M A N
By Charelle Johnson
It’s time to update your wardrobe with threads that’ll keep you stylish as you smash through those PRs
TIM GUNN ( A K A @T I M G U N N )
4
PUMA’s jacket shields your body from the elements.
What are the essential shoes every man should have in his closet and why?
1
Summer bodies are made in the winter so, its time to hit the ground running and, if you’re still sporting basic sweats and a three-year-old wife beater, then its definitely time for a serious upgrade! These high tech and trendy threads are fashionable, practical and designed to provide sheer comfort while you sweat your way to your physical best.
TOM M, CAPE TOWN
Q I believe that shoes are our most important wardrobe investment. We are judged by our footwear, so spending a bit of money and some time on considering the right options will serve you well. Let’s begin with the most essential of all essentials, the black-leather cap-toe oxford. This sleek and elegant musthave is your go-to for weddings and funerals, job interviews, and formal occasions, including black tie. Next is the brown-leather brogue. Dress it up or down, pair it with jeans or grey flannel — it never disappoints. Every man must also own a tan, beige, or light-brown loafer. Like the brogue, the loafer’s hallmark is versatility. A boot — whether a lace-up, a suede desert boot, or a Chelsea model — is a wardrobe staple that enhances your look. Finally, we all need a white-canvas or leather low-top trainer, aka sneaker. The sneaker’s ubiquity is both a blessing and a curse. The most versatile are those with the simplest silhouettes and the fewest bells and whistles. These service jeans and a T-shirt as well as more formal pants and blazers.
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6
5
4) G-Star Raw Horlon Tee
2 3
Q Slogan Tees aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and with its bold text and the most comfortable T-shirt construction, this piece by G-star Raw will make for the perfect first layer during the winter. Pair as we have suggested with sweat pants, a statement jacket and futuristic kicks to get the look. R599, superbalist.com
1) Puma Heritage Jacket
2) Adidas Plgn Pants
3) Nike Air Vapormax Flyknit 2
5) Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Steel Heritage
Q Celebrating 70 years of football passion, Pumas Heritage Collection is designed as a tribute to the beautiful game, and includes this trendy oversized fit jacket with elasticated waistband and cuffs. Throw on either before or after your 90 minutes on the pitch to beat off the winter cold.
Q Gone are the days when sweatpants were just for the gym! Part of the Adidas Originals collection, the PLGN pants are ideal for the athletic guy who still wants to look on top of his game while working out, or while running to the barber for a fresh cut. This pair of sweats is sportswear at its best.
Q With its futuristic sole that’s as ready to hit the road as it is to elevate your overall look, Nikes Air Vapormax Flyknit 2 is as practical as it is fashionable. Equipped with the latest Max Air innovation underfoot, it provides more support around the heel as well as foot-hugging Flyknit comfort.
Q Water Resistant for up to 100m, this timepiece by Bell&Ross is sure to hold up during an intense sweat session. With its satin polished steel bezel and ultra-curved sapphire crystal and anti-reflective coating, this impeccable accessory is both stylish and durable!
R1 699, superbalist.com
R1 699, superbalist.com
R2 999, nike.com
R68 000, Bellagio Jewellers
Smarter ways to rule the kitchen
Eat toWin The diet of Ikaria, Greece, “the island where people forget to die”, features tomatoes, wild mushrooms, and wild greens.
Forever fuel WANT TO LIVE TO BE 100? THE PEOPLE IN SEVEN AREAS AROUND THE WORLD DO JUST THAT — AND WE HAVE THEIR SECRETS. BY NILS BERNSTEIN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LINDA XIAO
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On the menu in Okinawa: brown seaweed, pork, and bitter melon, which looks like ugly cucumber.
Can you eat your way to a long life? People in a handful of regions across the globe apparently do. Author Dan Buettner identified seven so-called “blue zones” — places where residents often live past 100 — and analysed the factors that may explain it. Along with lifestyle, nutrition is key. So pick some favourites from each and start beating the odds!
OKINAWA, JAPAN
Q Called “the island where people forget to die” in Diane Kochilas’ cookbook on its food, Ikaria is a hotbed of oldagers who follow a Med-type diet but eat less meat than most Greeks; farm or forage many foods; and proudly admit they f#ck like bunnies into their twilight years.
Q Why such longevity among Okinawans? It could be their superfood intake: Turmeric is a favourite here, as is go-to veggie bitter melon — both thought to be disease fighters. Most foods are stir-fried quickly in minimal oil.
Wild greens, olive oil, chickpeas, lentils, black-eyed peas, lemons, goat-milk cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, wild mushrooms, sage, rosemary KEY FOODS:
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Goya chanpuru: stir-fried bitter melon, egg, tofu, and thinly sliced pork
DISH TO TRY:
Hortopita: phyllo pie made with wild greens DISH TO TRY:
Brown seaweeds (hijiki, wakame, kombu), bitter melon, turmeric, tofu, sweet potato, lots of all forms of pork, garlic, green tea, brown rice
KEY FOODS:
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HOW TO LIVE (ALMOST) FOREVER The basic principles followed by citizens of “blue zones”
The diet O Plant-based,
though not entirely vegetarian O Lotsa legumes— beans, lentils, peas O Mostly organic and local O Heavy on whole grains
The lifestyle O Not much smoking O Close family
connections O Regular social
engagement O Constant
moderate physical activity
SARDINIA, ITALY
SOUTHERN SWEDEN
NICOYA, COSTA RICA
Q Carbo-loading for
Q Scandinavia’s
Q This Costa Rican
long life? Sardinians eat gobs of pasta and wholegrain breads — even their famed soup, zuppa gallurese, is a sort of bread casserole. It could be the omega-3s they get from shellfish and dairy or the crazyhigh polyphenols in the local red wine…
quality of life (low crime, free health care) offers some non-dietary reasons for long lives. Still, something about the hearty cuisine of Sweden’s Öland, Småland, and Skåne (their flavonoid-packed black currants, perhaps?) keeps them hanging on.
peninsula’s diet is similar to the rest of Latin America’s but with a few key differences: The fruit of its peach palm tree is said to fight cancer, and its wild ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory. Plus, little milk or processed food is consumed.
KEY FOODS: Shellfish (clams, mussels, lobster); sheep’s/ goat’s milk; tomatoes, almonds, fava beans, chickpeas, flatbread, saffron, fennel, red wine
Fregola sarda con arselle e zafferano: semolina pasta with clams and saffron
DISH TO TRY:
Oily fish like salmon and herring, whole grains like rye and buckwheat, berries, peas, oats, yoghurt, root vegetables KEY FOODS:
Fiskbullar med rotmos och ärtor: fish cakes with mashed rutabaga and peas
KEY FOODS: Black beans, corn tortillas, winter squash, ginger, eggs, yucca, plantains, yams, tropical fruits (bananas, papaya, mango, guava, peach palms)
DISH TO TRY:
Gallo pinto: rice, black beans, fried egg, and corn tortillas
DISH TO TRY:
Food st yling by Hadas Smirnof f; Prop st yling by Maeve Sheridan
IKARIA, GREECE
Eat toWin Live longer Grazie, Rosemary!
Loma Linda’s Seventh Day Adventists
Q
The diet of the seventh “blue zone”, the Italian coastal town of Acciaroli, is like that of most of southern Italy, but with one addition: wild rosemary, eaten all day, every day. The local herb’s intense aroma suggests it has even more antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and circulatory and memory-boosting properties than ordinary rosemary. Bonus: Dried rosemary retains most of the nutrients of fresh.
thrive on fresh foods, whole grains — and not an ounce of meat.
Tip Buy organic rosemary to avoid nutrient-killing irradiation.
LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA, USA Q Loma Linda has
one of the world’s largest concentrations of Seventh Day Adventists, who — believing the body and soul to be one — spurn meat, most rich foods, booze, cigs, and caffeine. But some do eat fish — and, sorry, Adventist vegans, but pesco-vegetarian Adventists live longer than you do. KEY FOODS: Whole grains (oats, barley, quinoa), beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, citrus, whole-wheat bread, almonds, soy milk, salmon, avocado DISH TO TRY: Blackbean burger with avocado and tomato
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Eat toWin Fast fuel
Españainapan CREATE AN INCREDIBLY HEARTY, PROTEIN-PACKED ONE-POT FEAST BY UPDATING THE MOST DELICIOUS (AND ICONIC) OF ALL SPANISH DISHES — PAELLA — WITH A HEALTHY WHOLE GRAIN BY TOBY AMIDOR / PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDA XIAO
Q
EXPERT TIP
Pull a rabbit paella out of your hat
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MEN’S FITNESS
Exotic Saffron Packs a Punch (in more ways than one) Just a bit turns a boring plate into a memorable meal. And luckily for your wallet, a little goes a long, long way.
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
Saffron may be expensive, but this tasty, healthy spice is worth the price.
Q Think of saffron as the truffle of the spice kingdom. The fragrant red strands, harvested from the stigma of the saffron crocus flower and then cured, are essential to the flavour of many Spanish dishes. But saffron isn’t just powerfully tasty, it’s also megahealthy, packed with a carotenoid called crocin — an antioxidant that helps fight cancer, stabilise blood sugar, and promote memory retention. Since saffron is also one of the priciest spices you’ll ever come across you’ll want to exercise restraint when you use it — which
isn’t difficult to do, since just a bit will be plenty for pretty much any dish. According to Alex Raij, Chef and Co-owner of US-based NYC’s La Vara restaurant, always buy whole strands of saffron, not the pre-ground variety, which might be cut with marigolds. Ugh. How to use saffron: Before adding it to a dish, crumble the strands in your fingers so the fragrance is distributed evenly. It’s particularly tantalising when added first to a pan of sizzling oil, which really wakes up a dish, Raij says. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Q Want to make a super authentic paella from Valencia, Spain, the proud birthplace of this ultra-versatile dish? Then head straight for the rabbit. Top chefs often name famous Spanish chef Josefa Navarro’s simple rabbit paella as the best paella in the world; and many American students studying in Valencia have been welcomed their first day with a traditional rabbit paella, cooked over an open fire and bestowed upon them by their host family as if it were a gift from the Spanish magi. And cooked right, it is. Because rabbit isn’t just delicious — it tastes a bit like chicken (no kidding) but with a slightly “wilder” flavour. It’s also a nutritional slam dunk: A super lean meat, it has more protein and less fat than chicken, veal, turkey, lamb, beef, and pork and half the calories of lamb or beef. If you don’t have a local butcher who sells rabbit, you can swop out rabbit for something a little easier to find, like say, chicken.
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Shrimp Paella with Quinoa and Edamame
1
tbsp olive oil
2
garlic cloves, minced
1
medium yellow onion, chopped
½ tsp dried thyme ½ tsp fennel seeds ¼ tsp each salt and ground black pepper Pinch saffron threads (crush between fingers just before use) 1
can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
3
cups low-sodium vegetable broth
•
450g peeled, deveined large shrimp
1½ cups quinoa 1
cup shelled edamame
DIRECTIONS
1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s shimmering, add garlic and onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. 2) Add thyme, fennel seed, salt, pepper, and saffron; stir to combine. Add tomatoes and broth. 3) Raise heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 2 minutes. 4) Raise heat to medium and add shrimp; cook for 5 minutes. 5) Add quinoa and edamame and raise heat till mixture comes to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, covered, till shrimp and quinoa are cooked through (20 to 25 minutes). N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)
Calories: 445, Protein: 30g, Carbs: 56g, Fat: 10g
Food st yling by Hadas Smirnof f; Prop st yling by Maeve Sheridan; Saf fron: Givaga/Get t y
The dish paella (pronounced pa-AY-yuh) is actually named for the shallow cooking pan in which it’s made and served. Paella originated in Spain, where centuries ago farmers would throw together white rice and any proteins they could find, and cook them over an open fire in the fields where they worked. Over time, paella evolved into a masterpiece of Spanish cuisine: A dish typically made with white rice; a variety of seafood (shrimp! mussels! lobster!) and/or meat (chicken, chorizo); a flavour base (sofrito) of garlic, onions, peas, and tomatoes; and a sprinkling of saffron. But white rice isn’t the optimum carb for health-conscious guys; and what’s a meal without plenty of veggies? So we’ve put together this better-for-you paella by swapping out rice for quinoa, the king of whole grains, and adding tasty edamame — a nutritious green soybean — to make a healthy, protein-rich meal that’s lower in carbs, calories, fat, and sodium. And for four more great veggieboosted paellas using quinoa, farro, buckwheat and sorghum.
Enamelled cast-iron paella pan in Cherry and optional glass lid by Le Creuset, lecreuset.com
3 Tips for Cooking a Great Paella From expert Sarah Jay, who runs one of the best, most authentic online sources for all things paella, paellapans.com:
1) Use a real paella pan.
2) Don’t stir it once the liquid is boiling.
Q To develop maximum flavour, paella needs to cook in a thin layer — that’s why paella pans from Spain are wide and shallow but not too deep. As an alternative, use the largest sauté pan you have.
Q As paella cooks, the grains should form a loose connection. If you stir it then, it disrupts this network, changing the texture of the grain — and the final dish. So if the grain’s in and the liquid’s bubbling, hands off!
3) Eat the paella straight out of the pan.
Q Traditionally, the whole paella pan is brought to the table, where everyone claims a spot in front of it and digs right in. Try it, and you’ll find the eating more fun, communal, and delicious.
Eat toWin Fit Chef How can you love food but stay so fit? I don’t understand that I don’t understand that “Don’t trust a skinny chef” stereotype. I don’t want to eat what a really unhealthy guy eats; at the same time, I can’t call a salad “dinner” and be happy. For a real meal, I want a beautiful protein and super clean sides: yucca, sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils. With the restaurant, it’s all my favourite things in one place.
ASK THE WINE HACKER JEFFREY SCHILLER, AUTHOR OF WINE HACK: W I N E E D U C AT I O N T H AT S TA R T S W I T H YO U R M O U T H , N O T W I T H YO U R HEAD @GONEDRINKIN
I’ve heard you can make cheap red wine taste more expensive by whipping it in a blender. Is that really a thing? MARK MADISON, CAPE TOWN
Q Putting wine in a
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MEN’S FITNESS
Q&A
The model cook Ex-pro swimmer, runway strutter, and underwear aficionado Franco Noriega is building an organicchicken empire by Nils Bernstein With Peruvian chef Franco Noriega’s shredded physique — he’s modelled for Dolce & -Gabbana — and scantily clad YouTube cooking demos, you’d think his boy toy rep might overshadow his kitchen cred. But at Baby Brasa, his US-based Manhattan pollería, the food takes centre stage. A tribute to taste, nutrition, and affordability, Baby Brasa offers organic rotisserie chicken, creative salads, and sides that all redefine fast food for the fitness minded. We asked Noriega how he stays in model shape. Decanting red wine makes it taste even more appealing
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W H AT ’ S THE DEAL WITH...
Aquafaba?
What’s your favourite ingredient or side? Quinoa is an unbelievable superfood. I’ve
What do you eat for breakfast? First I have green tea with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and wait 30 minutes. Then I usually do a shake with almond milk or açaí; and I have tons of things on the counter — maca root, goji berries, bee pollen, almond butter — so I add whatever’s there, with maybe banana or avocado. Any tips for guys who think “eating healthy” is boring? I enjoy every single bite I take. Having to eat something bland or boring just to get there body-wise — for me it’s not worth it. You can still have great food and look f#cking great. How do you work out? I ride my bike or skateboard across the bridge into Manhattan two or three times a day, so my cardio’s covered. And I go to the gym five times a week. I love it, but I’m learning how important rest days are, whether you want to get bigger or slim down.
Q “Aquafaba”, a name made up to conjure something more fabulous than “chickpea juice”, is simply cooking water or canned liquid from chickpeas or other legumes (like beans, peas, or lentils) that’s been beaten into a stiff froth for use as a vegan substitute for eggs or egg whites. Because its emulsifying properties are similar to that of eggs, it can be used raw or cooked, in sweet or savoury foods from waffles to mousse — it even makes a decent-tasting vegan mayo. Just don’t try scrambling the stuff — it’s best in dishes where eggs are just one of the ingredients, not the leading lady. To make aquafaba, drain the liquid from canned or cooked chickpeas or white beans (they have the most neutral flavour), and whip it. When it’s the consistency of egg whites, it’s done; if it’s too watery, boil it down a little. Three tablespoons (about 10 calories) replaces one egg.
From top: Sandra Arenas; Sam Kaplan
blender — let’s call it “aggressive decanting” — is an old winemaker’s trick to simulate how the wine would taste after ageing. It can make a cheap wine taste better, but only to a degree. How does decanting work? First, most of what you experience in wine is its aromas. When the compounds that create these aromas hit oxygen, they fully release for your nose to detect. Oxygen also mellows tannins, molecules from the oak your wine is aged in, which make wine bitter. Of course, if you’re patient, a more practical alternative to using a blender is to empty the bottle into any container — decanter, pitcher, bucket — that will maximise air contact with the surface, splash it around, then let it sit for half an hour. (Don’t want to serve from a bucket? Funnel it back into the bottle.) Decanting is really for rare wines that have been cooped up in a bottle five-plus years and need to be woken up. So, your R60 bottle of cab? It won’t turn into a 90-pointer, but it will be more appealing.
Baby Brasa’s chicken is all-organic. Why? I ate organic in Peru, where everything is organic and local. When I came to the US, I started gaining weight, feeling tired, getting sick. I mean, we are what we eat. I want food to taste good, but I also want to feel good. At the restaurant, we pay three times more for organic chicken than regular. At first — I really wanted to make a profit! — I cooked an organic chicken and a steroid chicken at the same time, and it was like two different proteins. The difference was so f#cking clear. If you roast organic chicken with only a little salt, it’s delicious. But if you do that with a regular supermarket chicken, it’s horrible.
been eating it since I was a year old. And it’s so versatile! Make a smaller piece of chicken with a mound of quinoa and you’re good to go. Throw it with chopped tomatoes and it’s quinoa salad. You can substitute hot quinoa for rice, or do dessert — quinoa pudding’s delicious.
Eat toWin Diet hacks THE FLAB BLASTER FAT- LO S S T I P S F R O M THE WORLD’S MOST FA M O U S T R A I N E R BY G U N N A R P E T E R S O N (@GUNNAR)
What’s the minimum amount of exercise I can do and still see results?
Salad bar smackdown
Our “bar” fight winners In our head-to-head salad contest, the ingredients highlighted in green came out on top: Spinach
After all the holiday meals, braais, social parties, and comfort-food binges, most of us are ready to race back to the salvation of the salad bar. The huge choice of ingredients can be daunting, though, so we compared the most popular salad fixings to see which have the fewest calories, the most nutrients, and the best chance of keeping you full all day.
Chicken
Mixed mesclun
OR
Steak
Three times leaner, with half the calories and more protein, chicken easily beats steak. Kidney beans
OR
Black beans
All beans are similar in nutrients, but we give black beans the edge for slightly higher protein and fibre.
Winter hibernation is over—you need a big bowl of something fresh and healthy.
JACK D, JOHANNESBURG
OR
Spinach is packed with vitamins — not the case with mesclun, a combo of less nutritious greens.
Tofu
OR
Egg
While tofu wins “calories by weight”, nearperfect eggs have more protein and vitamins.
From top: Jens Mor tensen/Galler y Stock; T VK8 8 8/Get t y; Juliachka/Get t y
Q What year did you graduate from the University of Underachievement? Seriously, “the minimum” — that’s what you want to know? As my friend Zach Even-Esh, from the Underground Strength Gym, says, the way you do anything is the way you do everything. Think about that: If you look for the minimum you have to do, you’ll get the minimum out of it. And that’s across the board — you’ll always leave something on the table and never reach your full potential. So, fine: If you follow the US Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation to get at least 150 minutes of moderate (or 75 minutes of vigorous) aerobic activity a week, and pair that with a decent diet and adequate sleep, you won’t become morbidly obese. Or you can aim for 45 to 90 minutes a day, five to six days a week, with workouts that combine multi-joint strength moves and high-intensity intervals (plus some steadystate cardio before or after), and eat clean food, drink lots of water, and shoot for eight hours of sleep a night, and see what those results look like. Your life, your choice!
Salmon
OR
Tuna
Tuna is a bit leaner and has more protein, but salmon has near triple the heart-smart omega-3s. Cheddar
OR
Feta
Feta has about half the calories of cheddar and is almost 30% lower in fat. Cauliflower
OR
Broccoli
These veggies are similar in calories, but broccoli has more calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K. Almonds
OR
Walnuts
You can’t go wrong with nuts, but almonds have better macros for fat, protein, and vitamin E. Bacon
OR
Ham
An easy choice: Bacon has almost five times the fat of ham and more than three times the calories! Tomatoes
OR
Carrots
Tomatoes ace out carrots for their slightly better carbs and calories (and, IOHO, taste). Beets
OR
Red cabbage
These two are much the same in nutrients, but we pick red cabbage for more vitamin A, B 6, C, and K. Dried cranberries
OR
Raisins
Though similar in macros, raisins have less sugar— dried cranberries often have added sugar!
Order a
You’ve been Chop’t! diet-friendly salad—by PORTION OF THE MONTH
¼ CUP ALMONDS = 1 GOLF BALL
choosing from our list of champs.
If you’re heading to one of the trendy salad shops and want a low-calorie option that’s good for you, try these hacks:
Chop’t Mexicali Vegan (360 cal): Ask them to hold the romaine, add more spinach, and swap in walnuts for chips.
Sweetgreen Spicy Sabzi (440 cal): Ask for red cabbage instead of beets and tomatoes in place of carrots.
Just Salad Mediterranean Mix (570 cal): Switch out the romaine for spinach and the pita chips for pumpkin seeds.
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Learn It!
Tips and tactics for living smarter
Close the dooron clutter ONE EXTREMELY MESSY MAN EMBRACES THE GREAT UNKNOWN: AN ULTRA-CLEAN, HYPER ORGANISED, AND “JOYOUS” APARTMENT
The less junky your junk-filled closet is, the happier you’ll be, says the wildly popular KonMari Method.
As an unmarried man who works really hard, travels a ton, and leads an active social life, I’ve come to accept several less-than-awesome realities about my daily existence. (For starters: I eat way too much take-out, I’m constantly forgetting my toothbrush on trips, and these days, I could probably consume a few less sugary cocktails.) But if there’s one piece of man-on-the-go collateral damage I simply can’t accept, it’s the increasingly gnarly state of my apartment. In recent months, I’ve found myself engaged in a daily battle against the black hole of my storage closet, the mountain of mismatched clothes scattered across various pieces of furniture, and the towering pile of envelopes on my desk. When it took me a full hour to locate my hiking boots (in a kitchen cupboard?) I realised: Holy shit, I’m messy — and I need an intervention. So, I reached out to Patty Morrissey, a Jedi-level practitioner of the ultra-hot KonMari Method of streamlining your life — inspired by the ultra-popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering, by Marie Kondo — for her to whip me into shape. Here’s what I learned. 48
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By Jeff Wilser
1) Keep only what brings you joy
“Let’s start with your clothes”, says Patty. She instructs me to put every article of clothing — winter coats, underwear, bathing suits, the works — into a pile on my living room floor. Good God. She calls this the “power of the pile”, since it forces you to confront how much you truly own. The Kondo principle is dead simple: Touch every single item. Feel it. Think about it. Ask yourself, does it bring me joy? If it does, keep it. If not, ditch it. Patty hands me an old fleece sweatshirt. “What do you think about this?” she asks in a neutral voice. I haven’t worn it in years, and it doesn’t bring me joy. Gone. 2) Saying thank-you to garbage is weird but fun
Before I toss the sweatshirt, Patty asks me to thank it for its many years of service. This is a pillar of the Kondo method, as it helps you get closure on the items you discard. “Thank you for keeping me warm when I jogged to the gym, sweatshirt”, I actually say out loud. This is goofy but strangely empowering. In total, I stuffed 11 bags with clothes, which I donated to charity. 3) Decluttering will nudge you to upgrade
I have a knife rack in my kitchen. It’s the kind that hangs on the wall. To be honest, it looks kind of cool, but the knives are dull, and I never use them. I hold a knife in my hand. Does it bring me joy? In its current condition… no. But what if I get it sharpened? I did just that. Now the knives get me excited to cook, and more cooking (and less Chinese take-out) means healthier eating. Tiny upgrades can have domino effects. 4) Your stuff gives clues to your values
Soon I get to my hiking boots: Joy. Backpack: Joy. Passport: Joy, joy, joy. At a gut level, I realise how much adventure travel means to me. I’m now headed to a trek in the mountains of Thailand — not a coincidence. Changes like this are why Kondo claims in her book that “many of my clients remark that they have lost weight or firmed up their tummies. It’s a very strange phenomenon, but when we reduce what we own and essentially ‘detox’ our house, it has a detox effect on our bodies as well”. 5) Never ball your socks
Kondo views balled-up socks as the devil’s work, since they are “always in a state of tension, their fabric stretched and their elastic pulled… what treatment could be worse than this?” Patty instructs me to fold everything. On a philosophical level, the point is to treat your possessions with respect, which extends their lives and provides greater pleasure. On a more basic level, now my socks don’t slide to my ankles. Win. 6) Sorting your stuff helps sort your past
I hold a coffee mug from an ex-girlfriend. Joy? I’ve been lugging that sucker around for years, never using it but never quite having the guts to throw it out. “Thank you for reminding me of the good times we had, coffee mug”, I say, gently placing it in the trash. Kondo frowns upon clinging to the items that bring us pain. The focus is now on the present, not the past.
home — I’m still working — you can feel immediate results. Bite-size chunks have value. 8) You will like your stuff more when you have less of it
One category is especially tough for me: books. I blanched at the idea of losing a single paperback, but I dutifully went through each and every novel and was embarrassed to find stacks that I had never read. “If you missed your chance to read a particular book… this is your chance to let it go”, Kondo explains. “Get rid of all those unread books.” So I did. And then something unexpected happened: Now I love my bookshelves. They seem to sparkle. The only books that remain are the ones I really like, so every time I glance in its direction, the bookshelves jolt me with a pickme-up. Now extrapolate this sensation with everything you own, and the results can be, well, magical. Q Jeff Wilser is the author of Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to Life. Twitter: @JeffWilser
Before I toss the old sweatshirt, Patty tells me to thank it for its years of service. Closure is crucial, preach KonMari practitioners.
7) This is not an overnight process
“You wouldn’t hire a personal trainer to give you a hot body in four hours”, Patty tells me. It’s a journey. Kondo suggests that the entire process can take six months, but I’ve found that even before you finish your entire MEN’S FITNESS
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The Active Guy’s Guide to Style and Grooming
The
Perfect Fit The Winter
WARRIOR Summer has come and gone and it is safe to say that winter is here and, if you’re a man who
prides himself on always making sure to look his best despite the dreaded cold, no sweat, we have got you covered, literally! Check out these winter staples we think ever y man should have n his winter wardrobe.
Charelle Johnson Kirsten Ho Photography Grooming by Alexa Charilou By
Photography by
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The Easy Denim Shirt If you’re headed to a social event and don’t want to have to beat the cold off with a stick, a denim shirt should be your number one go-to! This easy to throw on tailored denim number with its top-stitched yolk from H&M will get you looking instantly stylish without the effort. Shirt: H&M R329; Pants: REPLAY R4 000.
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The Fitted Tee n our sunny climate not every ay will require numerous layers to stay warm and t-shirts will always serve you well. Lecoq portif are known for their classic take on simple casual wear and, this two-tone tee with front yolk design is no exception to their preferred aesthetic. T-shirt: LE COQ SPORTIF R599; eans: ZARA R599.
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The Manly Pashmina carves are an easy way to rev-up any outfit, without utting in the work. Opt for textures, prints and size, the bigger and bolder, the better! This larger than life, men’s pashmina from Zara is an absolute statement piece. Throw over a plain shirt, and make it the focus of your look. carf: ZARA R429; T-shirt: TOPMAN R149.
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The Old-School Cord orduroy jackets have come a long way from their association with the less stylish, and have ince become a go-to winter warmer for all. Add texture and edge to your evening look with this tailored, panelled and button embellished jacket from Zara. Jacket: ZARA R899; T-shirt: TOPMAN R149; eans: ZARA R599.
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The Military Jacket When Mother Nature gets the best of us, its probably better not to test her ability to reign supreme. over up, stay warm and be the best dressed man in every room with this military inspired collared jacket with press studs, a zip and gingham detail jacket from Dutch designer brand Scotch and Soda’s latest collection. hirt: H&M: R429; acket: SCOTCH & SODA R3 799; Jeans: H&M R629.
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The Richly Coloured Jacket olour is king! Fight the urge to wear dull pigments and brighten your days with richer tones like aroon, mustard and olive. They’re fitting for the season and will make the dreary days go by faster. This Zara jacket will add ome zest to any look. acket: ZARA 899; eans: H&M R629.
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The Textured Jersey n hurried days, when time is not on your side, a quick throw n layer will serve you best. This winter we’re all about maintaining the necessity of simple classics, with a little something extra and, this mustard sweater from H&M seems just that. ersey: H&M R429; Jeans: EPLAY R3 590.
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TO BOOT NEW YORK
1) Alton R 2 5 0 0 , T O B O O T. C O M
ADIDAS ORIGINALS
2) Stan Smith R1 199, SPREE.CO.ZA
CONVERSE
3) Chuck Taylor All-Star ’70 Mono Leather R899, SPREE.CO.ZA
PUMA
4) Sky II Lo B&W R698, AMAZON.COM
A great pair of white sneaks and a wonderfully bold sports watch are the ultimate finishing touches for just about any look. Pick from our favourites to incorporate some eye-popping — but still elegant — flash into your daily life. By
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Barret Wertz Photographs by Levi Brown
Prop st yling by Angela Campos/Stockland Mar tel
MODERN classics
Perfect fit O Watches
Fact: A big, swinging metal watch adds a bit of bling (without making you look like a douche).
BELL & ROSS
1) Vintage BR126 Sport Heritage R63 000, BELLAGIO JEWELLERS
TISSOT
2) Couturier Automatic Chronograph R13 150, T H E S WAT C H G R O U P
TA G H E U E R
3) Heuer 01 R 7 9 1 9 0 , TA G H E U E R . C O M
CASIO
4) Edifice R2 804, T H E C A S I O S H O P. C O M
B U L O VA
5) CURV Chronograph R 9 6 2 6, B U LOVA . C O M
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18 WAYS YOU CAN
> Want to look like IFBB
physique superstar and USN athlete RYAN TERRY in 2018? Start by incorporating these muscle-building tips, each supplied by a different fitness expert.
DOMINATE THIS SEASON
BY ERIC VELAZQUEZ
/// PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE SMITH
A
S THE 2017 CALENDARS MAKE WAY FOR
their 2018 replacements, you are likely contemplating swapping out last year’s physique with an updated version — one more akin to the one you see splashed across the pages of this magazine. And let’s be honest, if you’re looking for a standard-bearer — or an anatomy chart — on which to gauge your progress, then USNfit athlete and IFBB physique pro Ryan Terry is a solid choice.
It’s been a banner year for the 29-year-old Englishman, who took first at the Arnold Classic and finished sixth in the crowded Olympia Physique division. But that success
seems to have only whet Terry’s appetite for bigger and better things in 2018. “My ultimate dream is and always has been to win that Mr Olympia title”, Terry says. “If I take
that title, then I will have achieved the ultimate dream and everything I set out to in my career.” Terry, who spent years competing as a gymnast before going the fitness model route, has flourished in a division that celebrates muscle symmetry, clean lines, and impeccable conditioning — which are worthy goals for any physique-conscious gymgoer. On the following pages, you’ll find a collection of tips, tactics, and strategies from our stable of fitness experts that you can start putting to work for a more Terry-like physique in 2018.
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01
FOR A SIX-PACK, GO HIGH-VOLUME
What are you currently doing for your abs? A few finishing sets at the end of your workout? One or two exercises twice a week? The occasional high-rep set? That’s cute. There’s a reason Ryan Terry looks better in boardshorts than you. Part of it is the ruthless, high-volume routine he has adopted to develop the cover-worthy abs you see here. “I train them twice a week but dedicate my whole hour’s session to my abs”, he says. Let that sink in for a minute. In a world gone Tabata, Ryan Terry spends a full freakin’ hour training his middle… twice a week. “In the early days, I used to train my abs every single day but quickly learned, with a bit more education, that this was a little excessive and in fact was counteractive, as it meant that I was not giving the muscle tissue enough time to repair between each session”, Terry says.
“Twice a week means that I give my abs enough time for muscle recovery, but hitting them hard during those sessions ensures I maintain that 3D look.” For abs like Terry’s, try the following workout.* TERRY ABS
S I X - PA C K W O R K O U T EXERCISE
SETS
REPS
HANGING LEG RAISE SUPERSET WITH PLANK
4
TO FAILURE
4
1 MIN.
CABLE CRUNCH WITH ROPE SUPERSET WITH DECLINE BENCH LEG RAISE
4
18–20
4
18–20
DUMBBELL OBLIQUE TWIST SUPERSET WITH GHD SITUP
4
10 PER SIDE
4
18–20
SUSPENSION TRAINER AB CRUNCH SUPERSET WITH KNEE RAISE
4
20
4
15–18
Terry performs this workout while fasted. *He rests no more than 60 seconds between supersets.
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FAIL LESS
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BATTLE THE BELLS
If you’ve had it beat into your brain that you must venture into failure-ville because that’s where the “gainz” are, you’ve been led astray. “Going to failure isn’t necessary and may do more harm than good”, says powerlifter and strength coach Greg Nuckols of strongerbyscience.com. Science backs up Nuckols’ claim. A recent study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology discovered that it took longer to recover from a training session when going to failure versus staying away from failure but still performing the same training volume. Meanwhile, a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that training all the way to failure wasn’t necessary to maximise muscle growth. A better bet is to keep absolute muscle failure to the final set of your main mass-building moves in order to avoid overtraining and experience long-term muscle gains. Or gainz.
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GROOMING BY CHRISTAL LORETO
If you’re not already using kettlebells in your training, you’re missing out. “The kettlebell is one of the most efective tools to help develop a lean, muscular physique”, says strength and speed guru John Cissik of cissik.com/blog. There are many reasons to incorporate the kettlebell into your conditioning. First, it uses nearly every muscle in the body while emphasising the muscles of the core, glutes, and hamstrings. Second, it burns a lot of calories because it’s a total-body exercise, performed rhythmically, with weights. Third, it’ll improve your aerobic fitness. Cissik’s favourite kettlebell workout? “Jump rope for 60 seconds, then do kettlebell swings for 60 seconds, then do 60 seconds of planks. Repeat the circuit six times.”
RYAN TERRY BIRTH DATE: Nov. 14, 1988 HEIGHT: 1.78m WEIGHT: 90.7kg BIRTHPLACE: Worksop, England CURRENT RESIDENCES: Florida, USA; Nottinghamshire, England WEBSITE: ryanterry.co.uk INSTAGRAM: @ryanjterry FACEBOOK: Ryan Terry
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MAKE MEAL PREP FUN AGAIN
You already know that you should be prepping a lot of your food in advance for the week ahead in order to eat clean and save cash. The problem is, consuming the same lunch every day can make you feel as if you’re dining in prison. That’s why you’ve got to get creative. “Let’s say you make a week’s worth of barbeque chicken in a slow cooker over the weekend”, says Toby Amidor, author of The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook. “During the week, you can use it over a salad, in a wrap, on a pizza, or to top sweet potatoes.” The same goes for chilli, says Amidor: Prep it on Sunday and use it all week — in a flatbread wrap, over a salad, or with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
05
EMBRACE THE GLASS JAR
Prepping your meals in advance is a smart move. But you should be pre-portioning them, too. In other words, divide your meals into containers ahead of time so you never face a fridge full of huge portions. “This will help you avoid overeating, which is the biggest obstacle to eating healthy”, Amidor says. Her container of choice? Glass jars. “I especially love them for salads and trail mixes. You can grab them and go, and you don’t have to worry that they’ll spill.”
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BREAKFAST HARDER
It’s not just what you eat that’s important to carving a six-pack. It’s also when you eat it. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people who ate a big chunk of their calories closer to bedtime were more likely to be chubby. “It’s becoming clearer that consuming more of your calories earlier in the day promotes
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a leaner physique”, says Matthew Kadey, author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports + Adventure. Start following this sound dietary advice: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
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EAT YOUR AMINO ACIDS
We love BCAA pills and powders as much as the next guy, but getting your protein via food may be your best bet for a physique worth gawking at. “More and more research is supporting the idea that food-based sources are more
beneficial for muscle recovery and muscle protein synthesis”, says Dana Angelo White of danawhitenutrition.com. “Seek out sources like chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yoghurt, salmon, and beans. Make these foods constant fixtures in pre and post-workout fuelling.”
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RESPECT RECOVERY
You already train hard. Now it’s time to put the same efort into your recovery. “Recovery is just as important as training”, says Anthony J Yeung, creator of groombuilder.com. He recommends taking
under tension (and improve muscle growth), slow down the lowering portion of your lifts. “Decrease the load and focus on slow eccentric phases to increase time under tension, improve your control, and make muscles work harder”, says Lee Boyce of leeboycetraining.com. As a general rule of thumb, Boyce recommends the following plan for movements like the bench press, squat, leg press, and push-up: three to four seconds down, a second pause at the bottom, then explode up.
MY ULTIMATE DREAM IS TO WIN THAT OLYMPIA TITLE.
time every day to stretch, meditate, and do breathing exercises to avoid running your body into the ground. Also, you should be doing 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic cardio like running, cycling, indoor rowing, or hiking twice a week. “The better your aerobic conditioning”, Yeung says, “the better your recovery”.
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Conditioning Research showed that foam rolling improves joint range of motion and speeds recovery without compromising strength. So make it a habit to spend 10 to 15 minutes foam rolling your muscles after a workout or before bed. It will increase blood flow and turn on your parasympathetic nervous system to help your body unwind and recover. It might even help you fall asleep.
ACTUALLY FOAM-ROLL
Here’s a resolution for you: “This year I’ll actually foamroll.” Because you really should be using that damn thing. A recent study in the Journal of Strength &
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SLOW DOWN
It’s a fairly simple concept, going back to the Pumping Iron days and even earlier: To increase your muscle’s time
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GET MORE Z’S
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MOVE EVERY WAY
Instead of rifling through Tinder profiles till the wee hours, hit your pillow and get some much-needed shuteye. For optimum results, aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Anything less impedes your ability to grow muscle and burn fat. This is because bad sleep patterns wreak havoc on two crucial hormones: growth hormone and testosterone. But that’s not all. “Less sleep leads to low leptin, which leads to eating more food”, says trainer Walter Norton Jr of ipfitness.com, who helped Ben Aleck pack on his Batman muscle. “Also, sleep deprivation leads to high levels of ghrelin, which increases hunger and unplanned food choices.” Bottom line: The less you sleep, the more you eat. And the worse you eat. more you eat.
In the kitchen, a balanced meal is important. In the gym, a balanced workout is vital, too. As Chris Gray, a performance specialist at Ignition APG (ignitionapg.com), points out, the six main movements that humans use on a daily basis are push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, and rotate. Aim to incorporate all these motions in your training week to unlock
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your best body. Gray recommends this workout, which covers all your movement bases: overhead press (push), bent-over row (pull), front squat (squat), Romanian deadlift (hinge), farmer’s carry (carry), and medicine ball twist (rotate).
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DO MORE SETS, NOT MORE REPS
This year, don’t be afraid to question the norms. Like the norm that says you should do three sets of 12 of every exercise. For movements like the bench, squat, and deadlift, Matt Pudvah, head strength coach at US-based Manchester Athletic Club in Massachusetts (@mattpudvahcscs), recommends doing low-volume, highintensity work. “By incorporating more set and rep schemes like 8x2s and reducing sets to failure, you will recover more quickly, gain strength much faster, and be in a better place hormonally for any hypertrophy work that follows.” Similarly, Josh Bryant, of joshstrength.com recommends this biceps blast: “Take the same weight you’d use for 12 reps. Curl it for three reps, rest 15 seconds, curl it for another three reps, rest another 15 seconds, and repeat this for five straight minutes. You’ll get way more done in less time.”
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DON’T DITCH CARDIO
If you don’t enjoy doing your cardio work, you will look for any reason to skip it. So unless jogging for 45 minutes is your idea of a party, make this the year you add some spice to your cardio sessions, says Pudvah. Ditch the boring treadmill in favour of implements that are a heck of a lot more fun, like sleds, slide boards, medicine balls, and jump rope. Hell, you could even swim or play action sports. Says Pudvah: “They all work your cardiovascular system very diferently than a treadmill.”
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TERRY USN
SUPPLEMENT SELECTION Build lean muscle mass and shred like IFBB Pro and Olympia Men’s Physique Athlete competitor Ryan Terry by stacking up with some of his favourite USN supplements. From Left to Right: Creatine Armor; ISOPro Protein; Phedracut Lava X and BlueLab 100% Whey Protein available at Dis-Chem pharmacies.
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GO WIDE
Want a wide back like Terry? Make sure you’re using the wide-grip pulldown. After all, some guy named Arnold once famously said, “Wide grip, wide back”. To take it a step further and really target those upper, outer lats, try this technique recommended by celebrity trainer Alec Penix (@alecthetrainer): Pull the bar forcefully down to your chest, then let it back up and pause for two to three seconds at the midway point before returning the bar to the start position. Do this for four sets, starting at 12 reps and working your way up in weight to eight reps on the last set. Finish things off with a drop set.
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EASE UP
Even if you want to be more ripped than Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool, it’s detrimental to go balls-out every day of the week, let alone the year. And Ryan Reynolds’ trainer agrees. “I’m a believer that we need to scale back a little on intensity, especially when someone is trying to stay lean and hard all year long”, says Don Saladino of donsaladino. com, owner of Drive Health Clubs and fitness whisperer to actors like Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, and Liev Schreiber. Saladino says constantly pushing the limits of intensity can eventually impede progress and lead to overtraining or injury. “Scaled-down intensity will allow you to recover better and increase
the number of times per week you train each body part”, he says. In other words, slow and steady wins the race. Even for Deadpool.
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GUT IT OUT
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KEEP IT SIMPLE
Another tip from Saladino: Embrace probiotics like Greek yoghurt, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, and kombucha. The reason being: We need our guts working properly in order to fully process and metabolise our food. “Imagine eating 200 grams of chicken and only using 100 grams because the body can’t absorb it properly”, Saladino says. “This is what could happen without probiotics.” The bonus: Probiotics also reduce inflammation, cut down on bloating, and boost your immune system — which means your 2018 gym schedule won’t be impeded by frequent colds and flus.
Don’t have a ton of time on a particular day? Embrace the simple circuit for a fast, effective workout. Here are two favourites of Andy Petranek’s, co-founder of the Whole Life Challenge (wholelifechallenge. com): 1) Run 200 metres, then squat 25 times. Complete eight rounds. 2) Run for a minute, then do squats for 30 seconds. Complete six rounds. “It’s the simplest thing, and you can do it anywhere”, Petranek says. “And the options are truly limitless.”
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Can you be a 45-year-old but maintain the body of a guy in his 20s? According to one world-renowned exercise scientist, the inventor of a proprietary formula that assigns you a “fitness age”, the answer is: Absolutely. And it’s going to change the way you train — forever. By
Eric Benson
Photographs by
Dylan Coultier
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Like most fit guys, you’re probably addicted to numbers. Chances are you know your max bench and squat, and you might have a pretty good fix on your body mass index, too. If you’re super hardcore, you might even know your basal metabolic rate (for the uninitiated, that’s the amount of energy your body churns through when you’re at rest). And no doubt if you’re an endurance guy, you can list your PRs in everything from the 5K to a marathon. But before you get too confident in the story that these numbers tell, especially as they pertain to your long-term health, Ulrik Wisløf, PhD, a professor of physiology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, has an important question for you: What is your fitness age? Wait, you don’t know? Well, according to Wisløf, a 49-year-old former semipro soccer player who is also one of the world’s top exercise scientists, that’s deeply unfortunate. Because your fitness age — even more than your real age — is the key to providing confirmation of your physical prowess or exposing a gaping void at the centre of what you thought was a solid training program. What’s more: Paying special attention to your fitness age, which you can maintain with a very targeted HIIT training regimen, might just save your life years down the road.
FITNESS AGE, DEFINED Fitness age, which Wisløf introduced to the world in a 2014 study, is rooted in your body’s level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) — its ability to disperse and consume oxygen. In fact, having
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great CRF — not to be confused with cardiovascular fitness, which refers only to the heart and blood but not the body’s breathing apparatus — is such an important factor to your longevity and your long-term health that a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association described it as a “potentially stronger predictor of mortality than established risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes mellitus”. But as Wisløf knows all too well, CRF is difficult to measure — and even more difficult to make sense of once you have it. The surest way of gauging CRF is to calculate your VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen you can process during an activity. (The average person has a VO2 max of 30 to 60, with some elite athletes, such as pro cyclists, reaching the 90s.) Since the Nobel Prize-winning Physiologist AV Hill introduced the concept in 1923, the only reliable way to measure VO2 max has been with an exercise test, which asks subjects to push their bodies to exhaustion on a treadmill or a stationary bike while breathing into an ergospirometry system. Even if you endured the process, the larger question remained: What does it even mean? If you’re, say, a 34-year-old guy with VO2 max of 52, how does that inform your health and your training? “When we started this research many years ago”, Wisløf says, “we always told people that they had a VO2 max of 30 or 40 or 50, and then they’d always look
MANY GUYS WHO LOOKED FIT — AND WORKED OUT A TON — TURNED OUT TO HAVE GERIATRIC FITNESS AGES.
at us and ask, ‘OK, well, what is that?’” So Wisløf set of to find a way to do two things simultaneously: 1) easily and accurately calculate VO2 max without the hassle of equipment, and 2) translate the findings into something the average athlete can understand and use to his advantage. Enter fitness age. In 2006 he and his colleagues began conducting an enormous study of cardiorespiratory fitness and other health indicators in 4637 Norwegian men and women, and devised a proprietary formula, which you fill out on his website, that assigns you a fitness age, essentially defined as the average VO2 max of healthy people at any given age. That 34-year-old with a VO2 max of 52? According to Wisløf ’s calculations, he’s in fine shape. Generally speaking, the average healthy guy in his 30s has a VO2 max of roughly 49, so the 34-year-old’s fitness age is close to his real age. But he could be doing better, and with the right training regimen, he could easily bring his fitness age down to something on par with a healthy man in his 20s. (Twentysomething males have an average VO2 max of 54.) But if that same 34-year-old found out that he had a VO2 max of 39? Well, he’d have the same fitness age of your typical 60-year-old. He’d be out of shape, with a dangerously elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease and, according to some studies, cancer and Alzheimer’s. But I know what you’re thinking. “I work out. I run. I lift. Surely my fitness age is super young!” Well, not necessarily. When Wisløf began to measure the fitness ages of his test subjects, he encountered many people who looked fit and worked out but had practically geriatric fitness ages. One group of bodybuilders were lean and muscular, but “their fitness in terms of peak VO2 was very low”, Wisløf says. When he tested amateur endurance athletes — many of whom trained up to 10 hours per week — he also found unex-
There are a lot of factors that go into calculating your fitness age — by far the most important of them is cardiorespiratory fitness, says Ulrik Wisløff, PhD
pectedly high fitness ages. That’s because, as Wisløf has consistently found, great CRF is achieved through high-intensity exercise, not long, slow jogging. This has not gone unnoticed by Wisløf ’s peers, who believe his greatest accomplishment might not be in creating the fitness-age algorithm — a simple way to estimate VO2 max — but in devising an easy, efficient way to dramatically improve it. Carl “Chip” Lavie, MD, a leading Cardiologist and the author of The Obesity Paradox, told me that he revered Wisløf for expanding “our knowledge of the importance of higher-intensity exercise and its impact on improving fitness and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease”. When Wisløf pioneered fitness age, he didn’t just create a diagnostic tool; he laid the groundwork for developing what might just be the world’s most useful exercise cure.
STAY YOUNG TIP NO. 1:
SO DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?
SUPERCHARGE YOUR HEART
To calculate your fitness age, visit worldfitnesslevel.org to fill out Wisløf ’s detailed online questionnaire (and be sure to read “How to Calculate Your Fitness Age”, on the next page, for our analysis of the questions). Once you’ve got your fitness age, you can supplement your training program with a scientifically proven fitness-age-reducing intervention. Even if you don’t calculate your exact fitness age, you can still follow these six tips to boost your body’s cardiorespiratory fitness, bulletproofing your health while leaving plenty of time to do all the activities you love: pick-up hoops, distance running, or improving those max bench and squat numbers inside the power rack. Whatever your goals are, here are the six ways to keep your body young.
When Wisløf began to design a training program that could boost VO2 max and reduce fitness age, he asked himself one fundamental question: What limits the body’s ability to uptake oxygen? Wisløf knew skeletal muscles weren’t the principal problem — they can handle more blood than they can possibly get. He also knew that the lungs, while crucial, couldn’t be dramatically altered with training. But the heart is highly trainable, and increasing the heart’s pumping capacity — the amount of blood it can pump in a given amount of time — directly increases the body’s ability to uptake and distribute oxygen. In other words, a more efficient, more powerful heart leads directly to a higher VO2 max. But how exactly do you train your heart to be more efficient and powerful?
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HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR FITNESS AGE You’ll need to fill out a questionnaire devised by exercise scientist Ulrik Wisløff at worldfitnesslevel.org. Here Wisløff walks a casual lifter and an erstwhile CrossFitter through each question. BY MICHAEL RODIO
STEP 1
Where are you from? Ethnicity? Highest level of education? W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “We use that only for research purposes so we can compare Norway, USA, Japan, etc, and different ethnicities — none of this is used in the algorithm.” R O D I O ’ S T A K E : I type in “Brooklyn”. STEP 2
Gender, age, height, weight. W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “Height/weight is just for calculating BMI, which goes into the algorithm. But gender matters a lot — women’s values tend to be about 20% lower.” R O D I O ’ S T A K E : I’m 26, 1.75m, 79 kilograms. I enter twice, because I accidentally type in my weight in kilograms the first time. STEP 3
What’s your maximum heart rate? W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “It’s a common means of denoting intensity for endurance training.” R O D I O ’ S T A K E : I had no idea, but the site computes it for me. (It’s 196 bpm, apparently.) STEP 4
Exercise: How often, how long, and how intense? W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “All these factors matter in a balanced way, but exercise intensity is the most indicative of fitness age.” R O D I O ’ S T A K E : I pick “little hard breathing and sweating,” because there’s no option for “vigorous swearing or crying.” STEP 5
What’s your waistline? What’s your resting pulse? W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “A low resting heartbeat is the sign of a fit heart — world-class endurance athletes use it to see if they’re ready for their next exercise session — but we do know that it’s not enough to predict fitness on its own. Hydration can sway it, for example, so make sure you’re hydrated when you take your measurement.” R O D I O ’ S T A K E : My belt suggests a 79cm waistline. My Fitbit says 55 bpm. T H E TA K E A W AY
Even though I’m 26, with an expected VO2 max of 53, I have the fitness age of someone under 20 years old, with an actual VO 2 max of 60. W I S L Ø F F S A Y S : “That’s not bad for a 26-yearold. It’s about the same as mine.”
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Two factors govern pumping capacity: maximal heart rate and stroke volume. Your maximal heart rate is inborn. (What’s the best formula? 211 minus your age multiplied by 0.64.) No matter how hard you train, that number will tick down throughout your life. But you can do a lot to increase the stroke volume of your heart. “The heart is like any other muscle”, Wisløf says. “It must be loaded to get trained. And the only healthy way to challenge the heart’s pumping capacity is to fill it with maximal amounts of blood for long periods of time.” The heart achieves maximum stroke volume when it’s pumping at 85–95% of its maximum beats per minute. (For most people, the 85–90% range is sufficient.) So if you want to boost your VO2 max, Wisløf says, you’ll want to work out within that range of cardiorespiratory intensity for as long as you possibly can. If you do it right, you’ll end up with an “athlete’s heart”, one that’s bigger, contracts more forcefully, and relaxes quicker. As Wisløf puts it: “You’ll have a better motor.” STAY YOUNG TIP NO. 2:
FOUR MINUTES IS YOUR INTERVAL SWEET SPOT So how exactly do you get your heart rate to the 85% threshold, and how long can you (and should you) keep it there? It usually takes more than a minute of vigorous exercise before you reach maximum stroke volume. That’s easy enough to do — try running, cycling, or rowing really hard for 60 seconds — but the trickier and more exhausting part is keeping your heart rate and stroke volume locked at that rate. The key to mentally and physically sustaining that kind of workload, Wisløf says, is to use interval training. “It is obvious that one cannot exercise for very long periods of time at 85–95% of maximal heart rate”, he says. “But intervals get you up to that needed intensity” and give you enough rest in between “to get rid of lactic acid that builds up during the interval”. But not all interval training is equal. Sprint intervals of one minute or less can get your heart rate past the 85%
threshold, but they just don’t give your heart enough sustained work at its maximum stroke volume. Tabata training with 20-second maximum-intensity intervals followed by 10 seconds of rest can work, but be aware that your heart rate drops as soon as you stop moving. (And the more fit you are, the faster your heart rate plummets.) If your goal is to improve VO2 max, then it’s better to keep your heart pumping consistently at 85% of its maximum rate than for it to be yo-yoing from 75–100% of its max rate throughout your active workout time. How long is the ideal stroke-volume maximising interval? In theory, make it as long as possible. (If you can push out 30-minute intervals at 90% of your max heart rate, go ahead and do it. Also, congratulations, your VO2 max is almost certainly spectacular.) Wisløf and his colleagues found that four minutes is a length most can manage. It lets your heart pump at its maximum stroke capacity for an extended time, and it’s sustainable for untrained individuals and beneficial to elite athletes looking to boost their already excellent CRF. Wisløf ’s recommended program is simple: A 10-minute warm-up, followed by four four-minute intervals of large muscle mass exercise (running, cycling, rowing, swimming) broken up by three minutes of active rest (a very low-intensity version of whatever you’re doing). The results can be dramatic. After the seven-week program, Wisløf has seen spikes in VO2 max and benefits that go beyond CRF into weight-loss and leanmuscle gain. In Norway the response has been ecstatic. “The biggest newspaper here [Verdens Gang] presented this program on their online version”, Wisløf says. “That story is the most visited story in that newspaper’s history. Now there are even training groups and training centres around Norway that are using this. It’s used a lot.” STAY YOUNG TIP NO. 3:
DON’T TRAIN FOR A MARATHON Ask a random sampling of men and women to name the kind of athlete with the best cardiorespiratory fitness, and
you’ll almost certainly get answers like marathoners, triathletes, and Tour de France cyclists. While this may be true at the elite level, it’s often not the case for weekend-warrior endurance athletes, and the reason is simple: Running, cycling, and swimming for long distances won’t push your heart to its maximal stroke volume, so they won’t do a lot to improve VO2 max if you are already in good shape and go hard for four minutes. “I know a lot of endurance athletes on a really high level”, Wisløf says. “Even in those people we have been able to improve fitness a lot by exchanging two to three hours of running for periods of 4x4 intervals or even 3x3 intervals.” Wisløf himself is a runner. He likes to go on 45-minute runs through the forest near his home in Trondheim, Norway. When he does, he makes sure that he is giving his heart extended periods of time above the 85% threshold by working in long, steep uphills. “I would like to say that low-intensity long distance is the best, because I like to do that”, he says. “But it’s surely not the best.” STAY YOUNG TIP NO. 4:
FORGET BEETROOT JUICE AND HYPOXIC MASKS You’ve seen those heart-healthy labels at the supermarket, and you know that “eating clean” is a good thing for your health. So can you eat your way to a lower fitness age? Nope. “Indirectly, it’s important to have a good diet, because if your diet is better, you adapt better to exercise”, Wisløf says. “There have been some reports that if you drink beetroot juice or stuf with a lot of nitric oxide in it, that may help your cardiorespiratory fitness — and that may be true with untrained people. But as you get fitter, that supplement doesn’t seem to work a lot.” What about training at elevation or working out on the treadmill with one of those Predator–style hypoxic masks? After all, don’t all the top endurance athletes run high up in the mountains? Wouldn’t just living at altitude boost your VO2 max and reduce your fitness age? Nope again. The science on hypoxic masks is thin. “Even though there are
THE 7-WEEK ADD-YEARSTO-YOURLIFE INTERVAL WORKOUT PLAN Lower your “Fitness Age” with just two interval workouts a week BY MICHAEL RODIO
You’re a 35-year-old desk jockey with the heart of a 60-something couch potato? Join the club, Jack. But there’s hope for you: Wisløff has created a seven-week program that primes your heart for a better fitness age — and burns plenty of fat — in just minutes of sweat. It’s all built around Wisløff’s lab-tested “4x4 interval training” workout: Four minutes of high-intensity exercise, followed by three minutes of active recovery, repeated four times. The core concept is to blast your heart to 85–95% of its maximum rate — not quite all out but intense enough that you’ll be able to say only a few four-letter words by the end. Then you’ll downshift to a three-minute active-recovery phase at 70% capacity — still moving, but moderately enough to catch your breath and scrub lactic acid from your muscles. The best part? You can do any kind of exercise you want — swimming, cycling, rowing, and running are popular, but anything will work, as long as you’re pushing your heart to the limit. With just two of these 4x4 workouts a week, Wisløff’s lab has made progress with everyone from untrained shlubs to elite athletes. After the fourth round, you should feel like you could have done another round. For Wisløff’s seven-week workout routine, check out mensfitness.com/4x4plan.
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some believers out there, I know that world-class endurance athletes in, for instance, some cross-country skiing do not use them”, Wisløf says. While some world-class endurance athletes travel to high altitudes to train, the efect on performance is tiny. If you’re the thirdbest 800m runner in the world and you want to become the best 800m runner in the world, then by all means move to La Paz, Bolivia (altitude: nearly 12 000 feet). But if you’re something other than an Olympian, you’re going to make the same gains if you do all your interval training in Miami.
YOUR HEART IS MORE TRAINABLE AND ADAPTABLE THAN YOU IMAGINED.
STAY YOUNG TIP NO. 5:
SAVE TIME FOR CROSS-TRAINING You might expect that Wisløf would advise those looking to reduce their fitness age to do nothing but lungbusting sessions of 4x4 interval training. But he knows personally that such a course would be counterproductive. “I can’t just do 4x4”, he says. “I think it’s totally boring to do just that.” In his fitness-age-reducing fitness program, Wisløf reserves days for fun runs and 60-minute activities like five-aside soccer, and he practices what he preaches. He performs 4x4 interval training only a couple of times per week. (One session is always a lab-wide workout in which he leads his 60-person staf in exercises.) The rest of the time, he works out like an outdoorsy and not especially fitness-obsessed man. He plays a weekly game of soccer and kayaks. Wisløf views the 4x4 training as a key fitness intervention, something everyone should and can integrate into the fitness routine that they’re already doing. “When I stopped playing soccer, and I got kids, I became more inactive. But when I started to become active again, I would do interval training two times
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one week, then three times the next, and that’s a really good way to improve fitness quickly”, Wisløf says. “It’s an oxygen cure.” Stay Young Tip No. 6: Choose Your Devices Wisely By now you’ve probably realised that many popular device-based approaches to improving fitness just don’t pass muster when you’re trying to reduce fitness age. Walk 10 000 steps per day? Why? Your heart rate is never going to get anywhere close to a range where you can lower your fitness age. Exercise for 150 minutes per week? Sure, that sounds good. But what’s your real output going to be? Heart rate is a better measure, but Wisløf realised that on its own, it didn’t mean a whole lot. “I’ve been struggling and trying to find how we can translate changes in heart rate into a meaningful index that actually tells me if I’m doing enough exercise per week to be protected against lifestylerelated diseases”, Wisløf says. What he came up with was a new metric called Personalized Activity Intelligence (PAI), which is basically
Wisløf ’s fitness-age calculator in weekly-exercise-plan app form. Your PAI goal is to maintain a weekly score of more than 100. That’s the point at which Wisløf ’s studies show that a man’s risk of cardiovascular disease gets reduced by 17%. (After that point, you’ll get fitter, but your risk of cardiovascular disease won’t significantly decrease.) A couple of exercises per week that in total raise your heart rate so you breathe heavily for about 40 minutes will give you 100 PAI. You can get it also by exercising at moderate intensity for a few hours. The higher the intensity the more PAI you earn. It absolutely can be achieved by low to moderate intensity as well. Daily workouts are not required. “The data is so clear. You don’t need to exercise every day; you just need to have 100 PAI per week”, Wisløf says. So super intense workouts like 4x4 interval training can easily be spaced out with rest days or days of low-intensity workouts, and you’ll still be bulletproofing your body and health. By that point, you might even be able to compete with Wisløf. His fitness age, he told me, is below 20. Q
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30 Be authentic. “If she’s the one for you, she’ll be attracted to who you truly are”, says Ginnie Love, PhD, author and intuitive psychotherapist. “So be yourself, and if that isn’t enough for her, no worries — it will be for the one who finds you.” Think more about who you are than how you look. A person with positive personality traits is much more attractive to the opposite sex than the same person without those traits, a 2014 study found. So buff your character and boost your brain to win more dates. Clean yourself up...In one poll, 85% of single women said they’d prefer a welldressed man over a rich one. That doesn’t mean a suit and tie, says psychotherapist Moushumi Ghose, “Jeans are fine — just add a little something to make it nicer than normal”, like a cool jacket or a (wrinklefree) shirt that matches your eye colour…
…but not too much. Skip the power shave: Evolution & Human Behavior found that women think a light beard or heavy stubble is sexier than a close shave. Having said that: Ditch the bun and trash the ’stache. A man bun is kryptonite to 63% of women, and just 2% in a US West Coast survey thought a moustache was sexy. But keep the chest mat — 73% said they dig some body hair.
85% of women think a welldressed man is sexier than a rich one.
ways to get the girl We asked our sex experts for 30 tips for finding a keeper
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Give her an eyeful. If you have a little bit of game, use your eyes to get the green light: Glance down at her lips, and if she nods or smiles, that’s a good signal you won’t get a stiff arm when you make your move.
Spiff up your social media. About 48% of single women check out their date on Facebook first, so get rid of any unflattering pics or posts.
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Get her laughing. 97% of single women say how funny a man is, is as important as how he looks; and a Psychological Reports study found that a guy’s more likely to get a woman’s digits if he uses humour. So steer clear of serious topics at first. “Think about how you are when you’re in a playful, comfortable mood”, says Ghose. “And don’t be too sarcastic or too touchy. Keep it light and simple. Ask her questions, and definitely
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compliment her.” Don’t play the role of a trainer unless you are one. At the gym? Don’t correct her form or “suggest” how to do a move. Instead, offer to spot her, says author and Sexologist Susan Block, PhD. If you get a conversation going, talk about your weekend, mention your dog… Find love on Aisle 9. The lowkey, family-friendly vibe of a grocery store gives some
level of comfort and safety, says Love. “If the cues are right, make your way over and introduce yourself. It’s that easy.” But skip anything canned (so to speak): Oneliners like “Are those melons fresh?” get guys eye rolls, not dinner dates.
Learn (yes, learn) how to relax. “Take deep, slow breaths to calm down enough to be your best self”, says Love. If that means mastering proper nose breathing — which calms you and makes your brain sharper, US-based Northwestern
University found — it’s worth it. (Try the calm.com app — it’s free!) Give her top billing. “It may seem obvious, but ask her about herself and she’ll be more likely to feel connected to you”, says Ghose. In other words: When
O p e n i n g s p r e a d : S t e p h a n i e R a u s s e r / Tr u n k I m a g e s . T h i s p a g e : C a v a n I m a g e s / O f f s e t ; I s t o c k ; O p p o s i t e p a g e : A r t h u r B e l e b e a u
Don’t freak out if you’re not a muscleman. Sure, women like men with bigger muscles — if they’re looking for a short fling, an American University of California, Los Angeles study found. But in long-term relationships, it’s not a key factor.
you’re on a date together, don’t aim to make her think you’re the most interesting person in the room — aim to make her think she is. Don’t be a braggart. Got a fast car, hot job, sweet pad? Keep them to yourself. Wearing your heart on your sleeve can be endearing—but not your wallet. Surprise her with surprising flattery. “If she thinks she’s smart, tell her she’s pretty”, says Block. “If she thinks she’s pretty, tell her she’s smart.” Keeping her a bit off-balance — as long as you’re not a dick about it — will up the intrigue.
to make the first move”, says Ghose. If you’re not sure, ask. No good at reading body language? Just say, “You’re really beautiful. I’d like to kiss you”, and wait. If she doesn’t say no or run, go for it. Like her? Don’t play games. If you’re genuinely interested in a second date, let her know right away, and try to make a date for three to four days later. Vulnerability (she may say no) combined with confidence (you’re asking her anyway) shows sexiness and strength.
48% of women check out a dude on Facebook before the first date — make sure your profile reflects you positively. Know her go-to mode of communication. Does she consider e-mails and text messages tacky? Phone calls annoying? Find out, Ghose suggests. “That way, you meet her in her comfortable space.” If you cancel a date, reschedule asap. Consistency is key at the start. If something comes up, set up a new date right away,
lest she think you’ve developed cold feet about meeting up. Don’t forget: Sex isn’t a contest… It It doesn’t matter how long you go, or if you come every time (though it doesn’t hurt to try and make sure she does), says Love, “Sometimes it’s about the closeness and connection”. …then again, don’t be afraid to be a sexy beast. Once you’re more intimate, says Ghose, “text her sexy messages that let her know you desire her”. That’s text, not sext — unless she starts it, keep your Anthony Weiner side on a choke chain.
that in mind in tiffs, and you won’t come across as bullying.
Prove you’re paying attention. “Do things that let her know you hear her”, says Ghose. If work’s stressing her, suggest something to help — a spa getaway, making her dinner, giving her a foot massage. She won’t forget.
Give her space if she wants to take a break. Just hit the bricks and see what happens. A breakup doesn’t need to be final — but if you stalk her, it will be.
Be passionate about showing her respect. Let her know how much
If you need to call it quits, do it kindly. “We all know when the spell’s
you admire her and look up to her, says Ghose. Keeping the passion up is all about respect, admiration, and appreciation.
been broken”, says Love, “when not just the attraction but the desire and communication are gone”. But splitting civilly earns you good karma — not to mention good word of mouth around town (or the internet). And that certainly can’t hurt in the long run. Q
Fight gently. “In the moment, men often forget they’re larger and their voices are deeper”, says Love. Keep
Know when to play the old-fashioned gentleman. Treat her right. Make her feel special. Respect her, says Love. And a feminist streak is great, but bury it when the bill comes: 77% of couples say the guy should pay on the first date. Look for the linger. If she keeps close to you — even if her eyes or head is down — or she stays through awkward moments when it seems you’ve run out of things to say, you’ll know it’s time
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G
OE
BA L
SURF
RF
D TU N A
S G
O L
THERE’S NO CLEAR ORIGIN for
surf and turf, the delicious marriage of lobster tail and filet mignon. Some say it was first served during the 1962 World’s Fair. Others claim it debuted at the Continental Restaurant in Lowell, USA, in 1966. In 2018, surf and turf goes beyond lobster and steak — and beyond borders. So, with the help of NYC’s Institute of Culinary Education, we’ve created these exciting new combos packed with international flair. BY JASON STAHL 80
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RECIPES BY CHEF JAMES BRISCIONE AND ANTHONY CAPORALE M AY / J U N E
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES WOJCIK
Shredded beef & lobster “carnitas”
C A R N I TA S PER SERVING
Calories 476 Protein 62g Carbs 18g Fat 16g DRINKS
All drinks are under 200 calories.
Carnitas SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil • 1.4kg beef chuck, cut into large cubes 1 tbsp kosher salt 2 cups minced onion 6 garlic cloves, chopped ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce 1 (410g) can chopped tomatoes 2 lobster tails or about 350g cooked lobster meat 8 tortillas
5) When beef is done, shred with a fork and set aside. Place tomato mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Add ½ cup of the purée to the beef. If meat seems dry, add more purée. Fold lobster into beef mixture, adding more purée as needed. 6) Serve with warm tortillas, sliced scallions, jalapeño pepper slices, minced onion and coriander, and sour cream. If desired, pair with a side of grilled zucchini and squash scapece. (For recipe, go to mensfitness.com /surfandturf.)
Scallions, jalapeño pepper, onion, coriander, sour cream (for serving) DIRECTIONS DRINK PAIRING
1) Preheat oven to 180˚C. 2) Heat oil in a heavybottomed, oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Pat beef cubes dry and toss with salt. Add beef to pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. 3) Drain oil from pan, add onions, and cook 3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chipotle, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and return beef to pan along with any juices. Cover and transfer to oven; cook 2 hours. 4) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop lobster tails into water and cook until shells turn bright red, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl filled with ice water and let cool 5 minutes. Remove lobster meat from shells and chop into chunks.
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Michelada SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
•
•
Juice of ½ lime Celery salt 30ml beef stock Dash Worcestershire sauce Dash Tabasco 350ml Negra Modelo
DIRECTIONS
1) Rim a pint glass with lime juice, then dip in celery salt. Fill with ice and add beef stock, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Stir well, then add Negra Modelo.
Eating lobster regularly helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease 2018
CR AB CAKE BURGERS PER SERVING
Calories 736 Protein 44g Carbs 68g Fat 31g
Crab cake BLT burgers Burgers SERVES 4
until golden brown on both sides. Transfer pan to oven and cook 4 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
2 4 • • 1 1 2 1 4 8
8 1
tbsp butter scallions, sliced 220g lump crabmeat 110g crab claw meat cup breadcrumbs Juice of 1 lemon egg tbsp chopped parsley cup flour Canola oil for frying hamburger buns strips thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp slices tomato cup arugula leaves
DIRECTIONS
5) To assemble burgers, toast buns, then add crab cakes, bacon, tomato slices, and arugula. Top with your favourite aioli (optional). If desired, serve with a side of patatas bravas. (For recipe, go to mensfitness.com /surfandturf.)
DRINK PAIRING
1) Preheat oven to 200˚C. 2) Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add scallions and cook 2 minutes.
Plum Cider SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
3) Transfer scallions to a large bowl and mix in crab, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, egg, and parsley. Form into 4 patties. Place flour in a shallow bowl, then dip each patty into flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour.
• 15ml simple syrup • 30ml chilled rice wine 2 plum slices Juice of 1 lemon wedge • 120ml chilled cider 1 strip pancetta, cooked 1 orange peel DIRECTIONS
4) Heat a heavybottomed, oven-safe sauté pan over mediumhigh heat. Add oil to a depth of 1cm and heat. Carefully add patties to oil and cook
1) In a mixing glass, muddle together simple syrup, rice wine, plum, lemon juice, and cider. Strain into glass over ice. Garnish with pancetta and orange peel.
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T IP
Use a triangle fold if the pleated fold is too difficult.
PORK & SCALLOP DUMPLINGS PER DUMPLING
Calories 42 Protein 3g Carbs 5g Fat 1g
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Pork & scallop dumplings with ginger dipping sauce Dumplings MAKES 24
INGREDIENTS
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage 2 tsp kosher salt • 120g ground pork • 120g fresh scallops, chopped 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sliced scallion 2 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp sesame oil 1 package 8cm round dumpling wrappers DIRECTIONS
1) Toss cabbage with salt in a large bowl. Mix well, squeezing cabbage with your hands. Set aside 15 minutes to let wilt. 2) In a separate bowl, combine pork, scallops, soy sauce, scallion, ginger, and sesame oil. 3) Remove cabbage from bowl and squeeze dry. Chop finely and mix with pork mixture. 4) With a wrapper in the palm of your hand, wet your thumb and index finger with water and wet the inside and outside edges of the top half. Place 2 tsp filling in centre. Pleat the top part with 3 to 5 pleats in the centre.
Bring top and bottom edges together and press to seal them shut. 5) Place each finished dumpling on a lightly oiled sheet pan and keep covered with a damp paper towel until all dumplings have been formed.
DRINK PAIRING
Japanese wasabi cocktail SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
6) Arrange dumplings in a non-stick sauté pan and cook over medium heat until bottoms are browned. Add 1 cup water to pan, cover, and cook until liquid evaporates and dumpling wrappers are tender. Serve with ginger dipping sauce (recipe below).
Sauce MAKES ⅔ CUP
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp minced ginger 1 tsp sesame oil DIRECTIONS
1) Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving.
1
bar spoon wasabi powder • 60ml water • 60ml sake Juice of ½ lime, plus lime hull • 15ml wasabi water 3 thyme sprigs DIRECTIONS
1) Mix together wasabi powder and water, stirring well to dissolve. Add sake, lime juice and hull, wasabi water, and 2 thyme sprigs to a shaker half-filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a Collins glass over ice and garnish with remaining thyme sprig.
Wasabi is known to reduce blood pressure, improve bone strength and liver function, and kill cancer cells. M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8
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Shrimp & chorizo skewers with roasted garlic and white bean dip Skewers
Dip
MAKES 24
MAKES 2 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, minced Zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tbsp chilli powder 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp kosher salt ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 24 slices chorizo (about 1cm thick)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 rosemary sprig 1 (410g) can white beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup water 2 tbsp low-fat plain yoghurt
DIRECTIONS
1) Whisk together garlic, lime zest and juice, chilli powder, oregano, salt, and oil in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Shrimp may be marinated from 1 hour up to overnight.) 2) Brush excess marinade off shrimp with a pasty brush. Curl each shrimp around a chorizo slice and thread onto a skewer. 3) Cook skewers on a hot grill or under the broiler, turning once, until shrimp are firm and no longer opaque at the centre. Serve with white bean dip (recipe at right).
DIRECTIONS
1) Combine oil, garlic, and rosemary in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until garlic is lightly toasted. Add beans and stir to combine. 2) Add water to pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Discard rosemary. 3) Transfer beans and liquid to a blender. Add yogurt and blend on high until smooth.
DRINK PAIRING
Seafood Bloody María SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
• •
1 2 ½ ½ ½ 2
60ml blanco tequila 120ml Clamato juice or tomato cocktail juice tsp horseradish dashes Worcestershire sauce tsp garlic powder tsp onion powder tsp celery salt tsp seafood seasoning, plus more for glass rim Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1) In a mixing glass half-filled with ice, add ingredients and stir well. Pour into a tall glass rimmed with seafood seasoning.
Shrimp and chorizo are complementary. Shrimp is high in protein and low in fat, which makes it low in omega-3 fatty acids. Chorizo, also high in protein, is high in fat and omega-3s.
RECIPES COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF CULINARY EDUCATION. CHEF JAMES BRISCIONE IS THE DIRECTOR OF CULINARY DEVELOPMENT AND ANTHONY CAPOR ALE IS THE DIRECTOR OF BEVER AGE STUDIES AT ICE. ICE.EDU 86
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TIP
Dip the skewers in the cocktail to add flavour to both.
SHRIMP & CHORIZO PER SKEWER
Calories 63 Protein 6g Carbs 1g Fat 4g
Gourmet Biltong Boeries
SOUTH
Boeries SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
•
250g cherry tomatoes 1 glug balsamic vinegar 1 glug olive oil 2 red onions thinly sliced 1 knob butter 4 hotdog rolls 1 packet farm style boerewors, braaied and cut into 4 lengths 1 handful wild rocket • game biltong to garnish
DRINK PAIRING
Springbok SERVES 1
INGREDIENTS
1 part Amarula 3 parts Crème de menthe DIRECTIONS
The Crème de menthe is poured into the shot glass and the Amarula is carefully layered on top. Use the back of a spoon to ensure the colours don’t mix.
DIRECTIONS
1) Heat the braai to 180°C. 2) Roast tomatoes along with a glug each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil until just beginning to burst. 3) Remove and allow to cool slightly. 4) Fry onions in a pan along with butter and a glug of olive oil until caramelised. 5) Fill each hotdog roll with boerewors and top with caramelised onions, roasted tomatoes, biltong and a little wild rocket to serve.
BOERIE ROLLS PER SERVING
Calories 642 Protein 67g Carbs 26g Fat 66g
Biltong is not only a great source of protein, it is also helps the body produce red blood cells and keep the nervous system healthy, that paired with cherry tomatoes which are also an excellent source vitamin C. 88
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AFRICA
YOUR BET TER-BODY BLUEPRINT Ed i t e d by M i c h a e l S i m o n e
Hit the ropes to develop near- superhuman endurance.
Battle ready Build a body that’s more than just a big slab of meat. Our three-day, ready-for-anything program (next page) is the ultimate combo of traditional lifts, hybrid modifications, and endurance challenges. Trim the extra fat — and keep it off — with our lean-eating meal plan, which is specifically designed for steady weight loss. And for your monthly dose of inspiration, check out a dude who lost 40 kilos — and increased his squat by 215%.
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Body Book Power up
Unbreakable YOUR READY-FOR-ANYTHING TOTAL-BODY PLAN
BY MIKE SIMONE // PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES MICHELFELDER
Looking big, strong, and durable is one thing. Being big, strong, and durable is another. Can you push, pull, or carry something incredibly heavy? How well do you sprint, jump, or climb—and do you have the stamina to keep it up for a sustained period of time? Instead of training for the pump, use this program to take your conditioning to a whole new level.
HOW IT WORKS
D AY 1
45-60 Minutes
PUSH AND CARDIO This routine is built around foundational lifts, but with twists that are less conventional. Each day includes a unique challenge to break up a “routine” workout. In Day 1, battle ropes test your endurance, burning up your shoulders, arms, and even your lungs. Day 2 you’ll use the sled, a device that’ll put your entire body on blast. Finally, Day 3 is arguably the most gut-wrenching: Front-racked hang cleans to walking lunges and trap-bar deadlifts with farmer walks will expose and strengthen any weak spots. To be ready for anything, you need to take your body to the brink of failure and beyond. With this plan, three days are all you need.
Exercise 1: Bench press. Tucking in your elbows will save your shoulder joints.
Directions
Rest 90-120 sec after reps of 6 and below. Rest 60 sec after reps above 6. Do these workouts on non-consecutive days for two to four weeks. Do 10 min of foam rolling before the workouts and 10 min of yoga after.
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Grasp the bar just outside shoulder width and slightly arch your back. Pull the bar out of the rack and slowly lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45 degrees to your sides. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet hard into the floor and press the bar back up.
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2) INCLINE BENCH PRESS
3) 3-PART PUSHUP VARIATION
Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 4, 4 Rest: 60/120 sec
Sets: 3 Reps: 25 per variation (3) Rest: 60 sec
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 40-degree angle and lie back on it. Grasp the bar just outside shoulder width, arch your back, and pull it off the rack. Lower the bar to the upper part of your chest and then drive your feet into the floor as your press it back up.
Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width. Keeping your body in a straight line, squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower your body until your chest is an inch above the floor. Position 2: Bring your hands close. Position 3: Place your hands outside shoulder width.
4) 3-PART BATTLE ROPE VARIATION Sets: 3 Reps: 30 sec. per variation (3) Rest: 60 sec
Tuck your elbows into your sides and alternate pumping your arms up and down, creating alternate waves in the rope. Switch to a double wave, where your arms move in tandem. Then move each arm in independent circles in front of you.
5) DIP Sets: 3 Reps: 25 Rest: 60 sec
Suspend yourself over the bars of a dip station and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Add weight using a weighted belt or by holding a dumbbell between your feet. Program designer Mike Counihan is a NYC police officer and personal trainer. @nodonutshere
S t y l i n g by B a r r e t We r t z; G r o o m i n g by C a s ey G e r e n / B e r n s te i n & A n d r i u l l i u s i n g C h a n e l; F i t n e s s Te c h : J e b S t u a r t J o h n s t o n
1) BENCH PRESS Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 4, 4 Rest: 60/120 sec
D AY 2
45-60 Minutes
1
Exercise 5: Dumbbell row. For variety, nix the bench and alternate two dumbbells.
PULL AND CARDIO 1) DEADLIFT
5) DUMBBELL ROW
Sets: 6 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 4, 2, 1 Rest: 60/120 sec
Sets: 5 Reps: 15, 10, 10, 8, 8 Rest: 60 sec
Stand with your feet hip width. Bend your hips back to reach down and grasp the bar, hands just outside your knees. Keeping your back in its natural arch, drive your heels into the floor and pull the bar up along your shins until you’re standing with hips fully extended and the bar is in front of your thighs.
2) BENT-OVER ROW Sets: 5 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 4, 4 Rest: 60/120 sec
Grasp the bar overhand at shoulder width and let it hang in front of your thighs. Bend at the hips and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Bend your knees a bit to take tension off your hamstrings. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly.
3) SLED PULL AND PUSH Sets: 4 Reps: 20 metres down and back Rest: 60 sec
Exercise 1: Deadlift. If you’re having trouble with a slipping bar, try an overhand and underhand grip.
2
Rest your right knee and right hand on a bench and grasp a dumbbell with your left hand. Let the weight hang straight down. Retract your shoulder and row the dumbbell up and to your side. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top and hold for one second. On the final two sets, choose a heavy weight and “cheat” it up, performing your reps explosively and with loose form. Switch sides with each set.
2
1
Exercise 3: Sled pull and push. Keeping your weight on your heels will engage your legs, saving your arms from fatigue.
Facing the sled, pull the straps taut with straight arms. Slightly bend your knees as you pull the straps in a row movement toward you. Then move behind the sled with your arms straight and flexed and drive it forward using slow, controlled steps.
4) PULLDOWN Sets: 5 Reps: 10, 10, 8, 6, 4, Rest: 60/120 sec
Reach up and grasp the handle at a cable station. Pull it down to your collarbone, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull.
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Body Book Power up D AY 3
45-60 Minutes
LOWER BODY AND CARDIO 1) SQUAT 1
Sets: 7 Reps: 15, 10, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, Rest: 60/120 sec
Set up in a squat rack or cage. Grasp the bar as far apart as is comfortable and step under it. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and nudge the bar out of the rack. Step back and stand with your feet shoulder width and your toes turned slightly outward. Take a deep breath and then bend your hips and knees to lower your body as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Push your knees outward as you descend. Extend your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees outward.
3
2
2) HANG CLEAN TO FRONT-RACK WALKING LUNGE
Exercise 2: Front-rack walking lunge. Foam-roll shoulders/triceps before this move.
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 with 20 metre walks Rest: 60 sec
Holding a barbell at shoulder width in front of your thighs, bend your hips and knees so that the bar lowers to just above your knees. Now explosively extend your hips as if jumping while at the same time shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar straight up in front of you. As the bar reaches chest level, quickly slip under the bar and catch it at shoulder level with your upper arms. Complete 10 repetitions. Then step forward into a forward lunge. Continue walking for 20 yards.
MEN’S FITNESS
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 with 20 metre walks Rest: 60 sec
Stand with feet hip width. Bend your hips back and grasp the handles. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, drive through your heels to stand up straight and extend your hips and knees. Walk 20 yards.
4) JUMP SQUAT Sets: 4 Reps: As many reps as possible in 30 sec Rest: 60 sec
With your feet shoulder width, squat down halfway, then jump as high as you can.
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3) TRAP BAR DEADLIFT WITH WALK
Exercise 3: Trap bar deadlift with walk. For more of a challenge, try the suitcase deadlift. Place two loaded barbells side by side; lift and walk. The exercise has four points of instability you must balance.
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2018
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HOME OF THE
Body Book
THE NUMBERS THE GUY
THE SINGLEDIGIT BODY-FAT PROJECT
80kg, 1.8m, 35 yearold active male
Recommended Baseline Macros CALORIES
2100–2300 PROTEIN
1.7g /kg body weight = 105g–115g protein daily, 18g per meal (20% of total calories) C A R B O H Y D R AT E S
288g–316g total (55% total calories) FAT
To achieve the precise body-fat percentage that unsheathes your shredded physique, nutrition is key. With our sample three-day plan, you’ll learn how to melt fat while maintaining muscle for the long haul. By Jim White, Photographs by Linda Xiao
58g–64g (25% of total calories)
Q
The secret to getting that cut, shrinkwrapped look of a fitness model: Whittling your body fat down to between 6% and 13% (depending on how much you want your abs to pop). To do that, you’ll need to cut about 500 calories a day and adopt a high-intensity resistance-training program to add muscle and eviscerate fat. (You’ll lose about a kilogram a week.) Use the three-day sample eating plan on the next pages to ensure that the weight coming off is actual body fat — not water weight — then create your own long-term plan.
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MEN’S FITNESS
95
Body Book Chow down Singledigit fat: Sample Day 1 WORKOUT
• Drink 500ml water BRE AKFAST
• 2 slices sproutedgrain bread topped with: 1 tbsp natural almond butter • 10cm fresh banana • 1 cup skim milk MID-MORNING SNACK
• ¼ cup trail mix made with: Raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios, raisins • 1½ cups fresh pineapple • 1 protein shake made with: 20g protein powder LUNCH
• 100g pan-seared then baked salmon topped with: 1 tbsp BBQ sauce • 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes topped with: 2 tbsp raisins • 1 cup brussels sprouts, roasted
Supersimple BBQ Salmon
SNACK
• 20 whole-grain crackers topped with:
SERVES 1
• 60g favourite cheese INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup strawberries, grapes
100g wild-caught salmon fillet
DINNER
Salt and pepper
• 100g grilled marinated chicken breast
1
• 1 cup tabbouleh
INSTRUCTIONS
• 2 cups salad made with:
1) Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat pan on medium-high. Season salmon with a pinch of salt and pepper, and add to hot pan. Cook skinside down first for 3 to 4 minutes.
Tomato, cucumber, onion *120g raw, 100g cooked
tbsp BBQ sauce
2) Flip salmon and continue cooking for about 1 minute, then flip back. 3) Spread 1 tbsp BBQ sauce on top of salmon, then place in a preheated 180°C oven. Cook salmon until medium (or your desired doneness).
Salmon is brimming with anti-inflammatory
NUTRITION (PER SERVING)
omega-3
210 calories, 21g fat, 11g carbs, 21g protein
fatty acids. 96
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Body Book Chow down
Sample Day 2 WORKOUT
• Drink 500ml water BRE AKFAST
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese topped with: 1 cup mixed berries ¼ cup low-sugar, low-fat granola 10 walnut halves MID-MORNING SNACK
• 1 cup quinoa topped with: ¼ avocado 2 boiled eggs 1 tbsp fresh salsa LUNCH
Muesli
• Burger bowl made with:
SERVES 11
450g ground chicken ½ onion, diced
INGREDIENTS
1 garlic clove, chopped
2
½ bell pepper, chopped
cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1
cup chopped almonds
Favourite spices
1
cup ground flax seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
1
cup raw pumpkin seeds
1
cup chopped walnuts
1
cup golden raisins
• 1 cup farro • 1 cup Tuscan kale sautéed in: 2 tsp olive oil
Sweet spot. Foods high in fibre and protein help you feel fuller longer, promoting weight loss.
½ cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes ½ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup chopped dried apricots 1
tbsp ground cinnamon
1
tsp vanilla extract Dash of nutmeg
Sample Day 3
Pinch of sea salt
WORKOUT
MID-MORNING SNACK
SNACK
INSTRUCTIONS
SNACK
• Drink 500ml water
• Chocolate-PB protein shake made with:
• 100g tuna packed in water
BRE AKFAST
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir.
• ¾ cup cooked muesli topped with:
• 1 cup black beans topped with: 2 tbsp salsa 2 tbsp cheddar cheese • ½ cup brown rice
½ cup blueberries
LUNCH
20g protein powder 1 tsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp peanut butter DINNER
• 100g baked trout • 1½ cups new potatoes roasted with: Salt, pepper, fresh rosemary • 1 cup asparagus, roasted
½ cup milk • 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites, hard-boiled or pan-fried, topped with: ½ avocado
• 2 cups fresh spinach • 1 cup wild rice DINNER
• Chicken sandwich made with: 90g chicken breast 2 slices sproutedgrain bread ¼ avocado Fresh arugula • 1 medium apple
• Ostrich burger made with: 100g ostrich 1 slice Swiss cheese Whole-grain bun • Salad made with: 2 cups greens and fresh veggies
2) Store in an airtight container at room temperature. 3) When ready to eat, portion out ¾ cup muesli and add ½ cup low-fat or nut milk. Soak for about 1 hour in refrigerator or microwave for 2 minutes. N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)
330 calories, 15g fat, 36g carbs, 12g protein
2 tbsp vinaigrette
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97
Body Book Stay strong Try this…
EVOX 100% WHEY PROTEIN ADVANCED Q Evox 100% Whey Protein Advanced has been scientifically developed to guarantee a highly bioavailable, rapidly absorbed whey protein matrix which support muscle tissue recovery and lean mass gains. Available in the following flavours: Vanilla / Cookies and Cream Delite / Double Dutch Chocolate / Strawberry. As a dietary supplement, add 1 slightly rounded scoop (32g) to 150-200ml cold water and blend. For increased protein requirements, add 2 slightly rounded scoops (64g) to 300-400ml of cold water and blend for 30-60 seconds in your EVOX VorTech Shaker. Your protein requirements will vary based on your age, gender and physical goal. Adjust your intake requirements accordingly. Available at Dis-Chem stores nationwide and on evox.co.za from R299.00
Boosting testosterone could be as simple as adding some of these powerhouses to your existing routine.
Power up! Low testosterone can hurt everything from your physique to your mood to your performance in the bedroom. These three supplements may reverse it.
Fenugreek
Q According to a study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, Fenugreek helped to reduce body-fat levels and improve total testosterone versus a placebo in a doubleblind trial. Additional research has also shown it could help to boost libido. You can get it in curries (it’s used to flavour them) and teas, or as a supplement. ( novexbiotech.com )
Ginger
Q This Asian food
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staple has been shown to fight nausea, inflammation, and even cancer; and, according to a study published a couple of years back in the Tikrit Medical Journal, it may also help to significantly improve testosterone and semen quality in infertile men. The best way to get more ginger in your system is through your food. Add ginger to vegetable blends when juicing in the morning, grate some into a stir-fry, or add thinly diced pieces to Asian-themed chowders and soups.
Tribulus Terrestris
Q Studies show that consuming six grams of this ancient root for 60 days helped men with low sperm counts to improve the quality of their erections and also lead to more frequent sex. It also reduced fatigue in the bedroom. Furthermore, these guys’ T levels jumped by a whopping 16%. “Trib”, as it’s called, is thorny and bitter, so supplements are generally the best way to consume it.
Body Book Supp spotlight
SSN Ignite Fat Burner supports increased energy, faster fat loss and overall focus
A cut above All-new SSN Ignite Fat Burner is the weight-loss supp that really delivers
he difference between looking pretty good and looking like you’ve been carved from stone like Michelangelo’s David, but with bigger pecs, is consistency. You need to consistently train with the proper intensity, note how you fuel up and recover, and understand which supps provide the best bang for your buck. Stick to that
T
routine and you’ll be in head-turning shape year-round. When it comes to supps, this all hinges on consuming ingredients that have been shown to work. For example, caffeine
anhydrous should be included in any solid thermogenic, as it increases energy and enhances focus. Secondly, ensure that whatever you take is backed by clinical studies.
Supplements promoted as the holy grail of fat loss are often underdosed and ineffective. While no weight supplement is a replacement for solid nutrition and training, adding SSN Ignite Fat Burner to your plan can help you reduce fat stores, increase energy levels and assist with your focus levels during the day or during a workout. Suggested dosage as a dietery supplement is to take 4 capsules with a glass of water 2 times daily. Taking one serving approximately 30 to 60 minutes prior to your workout and the other upon waking, before breakfast or lunch. Do not exceed 4 capsules within a 4-hour period and 12 capsules in a day. If your’re stimulant sensitive then avoid within 4 hours of sleep.
Weight loss backed by science Q SSN Ignite is a nutritionally advanced fat burning, metabolism and energy boosting formulation comprised of a unique complex of 8 fat-metabolising ingredients. These ingredients act synergistically to support fat burning, boost energy and focus levels and promote thermogenesis. The thermogenic effect causes an elevation in your body’s metabolic activity with the result that fatty acids become a preferred source of energy to working muscles.
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Body Book Melt fat
Blast your gut away These high-intensity sugar-burning workouts are tailor-made to trim your body’s flab by David Zinczenko
magine you’re out for a walk in the bush. During this leisurely stroll, your muscles are using a type of muscle fibre called slow-twitch fibre. These fibres circulate the oxygen you take in, and with every breath, burn off blood glucose and the glycogen stored in your liver. You’re not breathing hard, but if you walk briskly for 20 minutes or more, you’ll begin to run out of glucose. To replace that blood glucose, your body taps into your fat stores. Now imagine you hear a crashing
I
Kick It Up A Knotch With These Training Shorts
noise behind you — it’s an enormous lion, out for blood. Suddenly you’re sprinting, and even though you’re fighting for as much air as you can get, it’s primarily stored sugar that’s propelling you. Your muscles are on fire as you burn glycogen like mad! Suddenly, the lion gets distracted by a leaping springbok, and you collapse safely in a heap. Your muscles probably feel like jelly because you’ve burned all the sugar out of them. If you start thinking about burning sugar when you exercise, and not
about burning calories, you’ll see why short, highenergy bursts of exercise make more sense — you burn off the stored sugar in your muscles, causing your body to melt down fat in order to replace the missing glycogen. The secret to cracking this seemingly impossible barrier: Exercise enough, but not too much. And here’s how it’ll happen: For six days a week, alternate between full-body toning and strengthening workouts (for 15 to 30 minutes) and cardio interval workouts (only 10 to 30 minutes). The former adds the muscle mass
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you need to burn more calories and includes three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of push-ups, dumbbell squats, and other exercises. The latter mixes short bursts of high-intensity activity with less-intensity “recovery” periods, a routine that studies have shown targets belly fat. Every day, do this simple and flexible one-minute-in-the-morning energiser. This workout works with whatever energy levels you’re dealing with, getting you in the groove to move more throughout the day.
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R849, adidas.co.za
One-minute energser on a stationary bike E V E RY D AY ( E V E N D AY 7 )
Q The three 20-second bouts of all-out effort, in between slow bouts of recovery movement, are all you need to gain significant physical benefits of exercise. You can also do the energizer on a treadmill or another cardio machine.
> 90 seconds — Recovery movement. Slow to a very easy pace. Don’t stop; keep pedalling slowly until your breathing returns to a comfortable rate. As you near the 90-second mark, start to ramp up your intensity again.
> 2 minutes — Warmup. Pedal at an easy pace.
> 20 seconds — High-intensity exercise.
> 20 seconds — Pedal as fast and hard as you can while maintaining control and good form. Don’t hold anything back. At the end, you should be huffing and puffing to catch your breath.
> 90 seconds — Recovery pace. > 20 seconds — Highintensity exercise. That’s 6 minutes; you’re done!
Body Book Hang tough
THE -REP CHALLENGE
500
TURN YOUR BODY INTO A FAT-BURNING MACHINE WHILE YOU TEST YOUR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE BY MIKE SIMONE PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES MICHELFELDER
102
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MEN’S FITNESS
If you’re the type who loves walking out of the gym drenched in sweat and shaking with endorphins — this one’s for you. And we’re not just talking about pumping up your pecs and biceps. This is all-out war — not a single muscle will go untouched. No “runner’s high” can even touch the fix this workout produces.
HOW IT WORKS
If you’re Q Move through this circuit one time as
intimidated by 500 reps, cut them in half and
quickly as possible, completing 50 reps per exercise. Rest as needed. For weighted exercises, select resistance where you can perform between 15 and 20 unbroken repetitions at full capacity. It’s suggested you try this in between rest days and after completing a normal program of four to eight weeks.
go for 250.
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103
Body Book Hang tough 1) PUSH-UP 1
Reps: 50 Rest: 0
2
Push-up. To get more in one shot, slightly reposition your hands each rep.
Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width. Keeping your abs braced and your body in a straight line, squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower your body until your chest is an inch above the floor.
2) SQUAT JUMP
3) INVERTED PULL-UP
Reps: 50 Rest: 0
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and squat down until your thighs are about parallel to the floor but no deeper. Jump as high as you can. Land with soft knees and begin the next rep.
Dumbbell front squat. As you descend into the squat, squeeze your glutes.
Reps: 50 Rest: 0
1
Set a barbell in a power rack (or use a Smith machine) at about hip height. Lie underneath it and grab it with hands about shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar so your body forms a straight line. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull yourself up until your back is fully contracted.
Squat jump. Your thighs must hit parallel to the ground to count as a rep.
4) NEUTRALGRIP DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS Reps: 50 Rest: 0
Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders. Turn your wrist so your palms face each other. Slightly bend your knees, then explode upward while pressing the weights over your head. For a complete repetition your elbows and shoulders should be locked out overhead. That’s one rep. Slowly lower the weights back to shoulders and quickly repeat the process.
1
5) DUMBBELL FRONT SQUAT Reps: 50 Rest: 0
2
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2
Hold dumbbells at shoulder level and stand with your feet shoulder width. Sit back with your hips and lower your body as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.
6) RUSSIAN TWIST Reps: 50 Rest: 0
Hold a 5-kilogram ball with both hands and sit on the ground with your legs and feet slightly elevated off the ground. Extend your arms and explosively twist your body to your right. Twist to the left. That’s one rep.
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1
ground and bend your knees.
7) PUSH-UP RENEGADE ROW
9) BENCH HOP 1
Reps: 50 Rest: 0
Reps: 50 Rest: 0
2
Stand on one side of a bench or low box and hop over it. Quickly hop back and forth for the prescribed number of reps.
Get into push-up position with dumbbell in each hand. Perform a push-up and then, in the up position, shift your weight to your right side and row the left-hand dumbbell to your side. Perform another pushup, shift your weight to the left, and row with your right hand.
10) MOUNTAIN CLIMBER Reps: 50 Rest: 0
8) V-UP Reps: 50 Rest: 0
3
Lie on your back on the floor holding the ball with both hands behind your head. Extend your legs. Brace your abs and sit all the way up. Raise your legs simultaneously and reach for your toes with the ball. Your body should form a V shape at the top.
2
Bench hop. Switch out for box jumps if you prefer.
Hold the ball with both hands and get into pushup position on the floor. Drive one knee up to your chest and then quickly drive it back while you raise the opposite knee.
Push-up renegade row. Beginners can eliminate the pushup and focus only on the dumbbell row portion.
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105
Celebrity Workout
The
hit-man plan BULLETPROOF YOUR KILLER BODY
BY MIKE SIMONE PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG INGLISH
John Wick racked up 76 kills in the original film — not too shabby for a retired hit man. The staples in his repertoire include judo, jiu-jitsu, gun fu (kung fu with guns), and hand-to-hand combat. But it isn’t just these skills that let Keanu Reeves-as-John Wick rip someone’s face off with a roundhouse kick. No, what Reeves has — and you can have, too — is something that takes his abilities to a higher level: an enhanced sense of “proprioception”, or a heightened awareness of where every part of his body is and exactly what it’s doing at all times. The following workout, which Reeves used to train for John Wick: Chapter 2, features multistep exercises that efficiently work several muscles and body parts together, to earn you not just a killer physique but killer moves, too.
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Celebrity Workout
Coldhearted circuits
MULTIPURPOSE MOVES AND A NON-STOP STRUCTURE ARE A DEADLY COMBINATION PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES MICHELFELDER
HOW IT WORKS
Patrick Murphy is an L.A.based celebrity trainer, murphyfitness.com.
2) Sync up your entire body.
Directions
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Circuit 1
Perform each circuit two to three times per week. Complete 15–20 reps of each exercise and then move on to the next exercise. That’s one circuit. Rest one minute upon completion then start again.
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1) ISO LUNGE WITH BAND FRONT RAISE
2) ALTERNATING REVERSE LUNGE WITH BAND ROW
Hold the band in both hands shoulder-width apart. Step on the center of the band with one foot. Step forward into a lunge with your free foot. Hold the lunge while slowly raising your hands to shoulder level. Resist the band as you lower your hands. Do 10 reps on one side, then switch.
Anchor your band at navel height. Facing your band, hold it in both hands with light tension. Step back with one foot into a lunge. Row your arms back, elbows grazing your sides. Resist as you re-extend your arms. Step forward and repeat, lunging with the opposite foot.
3) STEP FORWARD AND PRESS PUNCH WITH BAND With a band anchored about chest height, turn around so you’re facing away from the band’s anchor point. Hold the band with light tension. Take a large step forward while forcefully pressing the band forward. Resist as you bring your hands back to the start.
4) BAND OR CABLE PALLOF PRESS With a cable handle or band anchored about chest height, turn sideways and hold the band in both hands in front of your chest. Step away from the anchor point so the band is tense. Press both hands out in front of you, keeping your shoulders square. Resist as you bring hands back to start.
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This is not your traditional musclebuilding plan. Joint stability, mobility, injury prevention, and explosive power are its cornerstones. “Keanu’s body was put through the wringer”, says his trainer, Patrick Murphy. “I had to implement the safest, most effective program possible.” To accomplish that, Murphy made heavy use of bands: “They can be easier on the joints than free weights”, he explains, “but I also like the negative resistance they present.” Other tools in the box are unilateral exercises like ice skaters and single-leg pistol squat hops, which enhance proprioception — the body’s ability to sense what all its parts are doing — and balance.
Circuit 2 1) STANDING LEG SWING
3) MODIFIED ICE SKATER
Balance on one foot. Swing the other forward as far as you can control, then backward the same way. Do all reps on one side before switching.
Start by standing on one foot. Push off that foot to leap to the other side and land softly. Quickly repeat the process in the other direction. During each side leap, tap your calf with the heel of the trailing foot.
2) SINGLE-LEG BALANCE BODY LEVER Stand on one foot, with both arms above your head. Hinge at the hips, extending the free leg back behind you and your arms forward so that your body makes one plane from fingertips to sole of foot. Use the standing leg to pull yourself back up.
4) REVERSE LUNGE KNEE-UP HOP Stand with feet hipwidth apart. Step back into a lunge with one foot. Drive the back knee up and toward your chest to explode into a hop off your other foot. Do all reps on one side before switching.
3) For a joint-friendlier version of this move, see description on left.
1
Circuit 3 1) DUMBBELL FLOOR PRESS
2
With a pair of moderate to heavy dumbbells, lie on the floor with your knees bent. Hold the weights and lay your triceps on the floor with your elbows slightly elevated. Press the weights up above your chest. Squeeze and repeat. Resist the weight as you lower down.
2) IMAGINARY CHAIR CABLE HIGH ROW
1) This shoulder-friendly alternative to the bench press eliminates leg drive, forcing your upper body to work harder.
Attach a rope or straight bar to a cable station set to the highest level. Holding a deep squat, row the cable down to your chest with your elbows coming toward your sides. Squeeze and repeat. Resist as you release the cable, maintaining your squat.
2) Holding form will activate nearly every muscle in the body.
3) SINGLE-LEG LEG PRESS Set up the leg press for moderate to heavy weight. Place both feet on the platform so your knees are at right angles at the start. Remove one leg. Press with the leg remaining for a full range of motion, but avoid locking out the knee. Do all reps on one leg before switching.
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4) SINGLE-LEG PISTOL SQUAT HOP Stand on one foot. Extend the other foot forward while bending your standing knee and sending hips back to squat on one foot. Explode off the standing leg to hop up. Land softly with bent knee. Switch to the other foot and repeat.
2018
MEN’S FITNESS
109
Body Book Be inspired
Chest gains One ordinary day at his job crafting titanium knee implants for an orthopaedic company turned very scary, very quickly for Johnathan Fuller. Out of nowhere, he broke out in a profuse sweat. Moments later, a sharp pain shot through his chest. “I was in so much pain”, he says, “I fell down on my knees. I was really scared that I was about to die”. The discomfort continued for five long minutes. Though not a fatal heart attack, the crushing pressure that all but stopped his breathing told him it was time to regain control of his life. Overweight with a family history of obesity and heart disease, he knew it was time for a change. Here’s how he did it.
A scary cardiac episode led Johnathan Fuller to improved fitness — and a serious change of heart By Adam Bible / Photograph by Andrea Morales
O
40.8kg
BEFORE:
118kg
How long after the
gram did you use?
attack did it take for
I actually picked up
you to hit the gym?
a copy of the Men’s
It was about a week.
Fitness Exercise
My brother Joel and
Bible to get started. I
I went to one and
would go through it
joined on the spot.
and find exercises I
He helped to keep
liked. Squats became
JOHNATHAN FULLER
me motivated. There
one of my favou-
Age:
were some days I
rites, along with
Residence:
would struggle to
the bench press.
get there, but my
Honestly, I started
brother would push
off at about 45kg for
me to go.
squats, but my max now is 140kg. For
28 Southaven, MS
Height: Starting Weight: Current Weight: Total Pounds Lost: Starting Body Fat:
1.7m 118kg 77kg 40.8kg
fast food — that got
ros I eat a day. My
to gain strength
me fat. I was really
intake is about 2800
so I started doing
bad with soda. Sprite
calories, with at least
CrossFit two days a
was my favourite,
175 grams of protein
week. Fran is one of
and I’d hit up all of
a day, and my carbs
my favourite bench-
the usual fast-food
are at around 330
mark WODs. I’m also
places like Burger
grams. I haven’t had
still going to the
King or McDonald’s.
a soda in three years.
gym regularly, and
Now I drink nothing
I’m also hoping to
but water.
enter my first fitness
50%
How did your train-
bench press I could
ing progress?
barely do the bar, but
First off, I stepped up
I started going six
right now my max is
my protein intake,
So guessing no more
year. Long term, I
days a week, just
90kg. And I couldn’t
adding in more
Oreo binges either?
want to make fitness
kind of messing
even do a pull-up.
chicken fillets and
Nope, no Oreos at all.
my career path. I’m
around with lifting
Now I can do 20,
eating fish like cod
If I do have a craving,
planning on going to
weights and mix-
strict.
or sea bass. Going
I’ll make something
school to become a
with the good carbs
healthy like a Greek
nutritionist and chef
and staying away
yoghurt cake sweet-
since I really enjoyed
from the bad carbs
ened with stevia.
learning to cook and
ing in some cardio. When I started see-
What about your
ing results, it helped
diet? How did that
me keep at it.
change? It was the empty cal-
What kind of pro-
110
WEIGHT LOSS:
MEN’S FITNESS
ories I’d eat — Oreos,
MARCH / APRIL 2018
Current Body Fat:
12%
It’s your turn Q Do you deserve to be a Men’s Fitness Success Story? If so, send before and after photos and your name, e-mail, and telephone number to us at successstories@ mens fitness.com.
So what happened?
competition next
was also key. I track
eat right. Now I want
calories now, and
What’s next for you?
to help others do the
how many mac-
Right now, I’m trying
same.
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THE TUNGSTEN COLLECTION Priced at R1995
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legend_jewellery
Bellagio - Nelson Mandela Square | +27 (0)11 782 4062 | Bellagio - Gateway Theatre of Shopping | +27 (0)31 566 2527 Belgravia - Alberton | +27 (0)11 907 5085 | Belgravia - Cradlestone | +27 (0)11 662 2382