Innholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2021 i Men's Fitness South Africa

■ 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…

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.…

You’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 holeinthewall reeking of 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…

When it comes to setting personal records in the weight room, it’s natural to focus on sets, reps, and weight. But most athletes give little thought to tempo — the cadence at which a movement pattern is performed. Enter tempo training, which was popularised years ago by strength coach Ian King but has resurged. And no wonder: Changing up tempo can produce dramatic results, including increased strength, power, and size. It can also help you bust through plateaus by mixing up stale routines that no longer generate results. “By varying the speed, you trigger a response that creates muscle growth”, says Ken Croner, owner of US-based Munster Sports Performance in Indiana. What’s more, being aware of your tempo ensures a more mindful workout, an antidote to all the digital distractions…

■ 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. 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…

(@GUNNAR) What’s the minimum amount of exercise I can do and still see results? 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…

Timothy Noakes, MD, is an emeritus professor in the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He’s one of the most accomplished exercise physiologists on the planet. You can’t walk by a restaurant in Cape Town that doesn’t offer a “Noakes option” — say, an avocado stuffed with breakfast sausage and eggs, or a double cheeseburger with lettuce sans bun — and evidence of his teachings seems to be everywhere, mostly in the form of our nation’s best-known athletes, including ageless golfing legend Gary Player and eight-time Ironman World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser. In fact, Noakes is a celebrity these days, he’s even been pulled into South African presidential politics: To echo the country’s papers of record, “Is President Jacob Zuma’s and his wife’s dramatic…

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…

DAY 2 45-60 Minutes 1) DEADLIFT Sets: 6 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 4, 2, 1 Rest: 60/120 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…

Singledigit fat: Sample Day 1 WORKOUT • Drink 500ml water BREAKFAST • 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 SNACK • 20 whole-grain crackers topped with:• 60g favourite cheese• 1 cup strawberries, grapes DINNER • 100g grilled marinated chicken breast• 1 cup tabbouleh• 2 cups salad made with:Tomato, cucumber, onion*120g raw, 100g cooked Supersimple BBQ Salmon SERVES 1 INGREDIENTS 100g wild-caught salmon fillet Salt and pepper1 tbsp BBQ sauce…

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.…

TO SLEEP SMART, CUT BLUE RAYS ALL DAY ■ 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.urbanan-droid.org. GERMS MAKE HUGE ATM DEPOSITS ■ An American New York University sample of 66 New York City ATMs found their keypads to be teeming with bacteria. Luckily, though, most…

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.…

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! IKARIA, GREECE ■ 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. KEY FOODS: Wild greens, olive oil, chickpeas, lentils, black-eyed peas, lemons, goat-milk cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, wild…

JEFFREY SCHILLER, AUTHOR OF WINE HACK: WINE EDUCATION THAT STARTS WITH YOUR MOUTH, NOT WITH YOUR HEAD @GONEDRINKIN ■ Putting wine in a 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,…

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…

The ketogenic diet can be dizzyingly complicated. You want to load up on fats and protein and keep your carb intake low—but all fats and proteins aren’t alike, and there are some veggies higher in carbohydrates than others. Oh, and fruit (fruit!) is pretty much banned. But don’t worry: We’ve put together the best and worst of each category so you can go Keto with confidence. CATEGORY FATS EAT THIS! Saturated fats including coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, duck fat, tallow, and lard, all essential for a healthy immune system, dense bones, and proper testosterone levels; monounsaturated fats like olive, avocado, macadamia, and almond oils, which boost heart health and provide vitamin E, important for vision and a strong immune system; polyunsaturated omega-3s, such as wildcaught salmon, sardines, and sustainably…

Send your questions to ask@mensfitness.co.za You can’t beat a big, hot hunk of Klein Karoo ostrich meat. Ostrich has as much as 21% protein per 100g, with less than 2% fat - making it the leaner, healthier option. Ostrich is also readily available in many grocery stores nowadays, not to mention how tasty it is. And it’s so damn easy to cook. To keep it juicy, don’t cook it past medium. Sportsmen, athletes, and health-conscious people with an active lifestyle benefit greatly from the high iron content, which also attributes to the rich red colour. Ostrich meat is definitely a delicious and healthy alternative to beef – and yes, they also taste good flame-grilled.…

Hi Diego, it’s great to have you, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! It’s not every day a person wakes up and just decides “hey, I wanna get into fitness!” What started you on your journey and what has been some of the highlights of your career so far? I started in fitness when I was 14 years old, I was bullied at school and I had a big complex of being super skinny and tall so started sculpting my body and mind through the regular implementation of exercise and mindset routines, this was the motivating factor in ensuring I pursue a career that preaches self-acceptance through fitness coaching. My journey caught the attention of the media and I have been featured in the biggest magazines worldwide…

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%.…

DAY 3 45-60 Minutes 1) SQUAT 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. 2) HANG CLEAN TO FRONT-RACK WALKING LUNGE Sets: 3 Reps: 10 with 20 metre…

John Wick has racked up 299 kills since the original film debuted in 2014 — 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 features multistep exercises that efficiently work several muscles and body parts together, to earn you not just a killer physique but killer…

■ 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.…

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.…

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…

About 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. Boxing gym essentials Everlast 120" Hand Wraps ■ 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. Everlast Powerlock Hook & Loop Gloves ■ Versatile enough for bag work and even sparring, Powerlock gloves are constructed entirely of…

■ 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…

PORTION OF THE MONTH ¼ CUP ALMONDS = 1 GOLF BALL Order a diet-friendly salad—by choosing from our list of champs. Our “bar” fight winners In our head-to-head salad contest, the ingredients highlighted in green came out on top: You’ve been Chop’t! 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.…

NOTHING SAYS “I’M ON VACATION” LIKE chilling in your best borrowed terrycloth robe, waiting for someone to deliver a tray of fresh-cooked, delicious food right to your room. But I know what you’re thinking: Room service? It’s the hotel bogeyman! The food sucks, and it’s way overpriced. And the minibar? Don’t even think about it, unless you want to spend R60 on a domestic beer. Well, you can listen to the haters about in-room dining (IRD), or you can start getting smart about it. With that in mind, I called some hotshot hospitality insiders to get their secrets for hacking the system and scoring a killer meal every single time. And I compiled their advice into the definitive Seven Rules of Room Service. 1) Pick up the phone! It’s an…

Putting your body into ketosis — causing it to switch from burning carbs to burning fat for fuel — is a major metabolic change. Some people don’t react well, while others thrive on it and feel more energy. “Low-carb and ketogenic diets aren’t for everyone, so it’s important to listen to your body”, says Alissa Rumsey, RD, CSCS, of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, USA. “If after a few weeks you still feel worse than you did before you started, you should stop and reconsider if it’s the right diet for you.” Here’s what she says you should expect when going keto: FIRST FEW DAYS You may feel low on energy, lethargic, and dizzy. Some people suffer from headaches or flu-like symptoms during the first few days or weeks…

STEP 1 Where are you from? Ethnicity? Highest level of education? WISLØFF SAYS: “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.” RODIO’S TAKE: I type in “Brooklyn”. STEP 2 Gender, age, height, weight. WISLØFF SAYS: “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.” RODIO’S TAKE: 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? WISLØFF SAYS: “It’s a common means of denoting intensity for endurance training.” RODIO’S TAKE: I had no idea, but the site computes…

I’m incredibly hairy, especially on my back, so I hate taking my shirt off in public. Should I get waxed, or even have the hair removed permanently? EVAN T, PORT ELIZABETH ■ Are we talking George “The Animal” Steele? Wolfman? There’s nothing wrong with being hairy, you’re a man. But if it bothers you, you can wax it. There’s momentary pain, but your hair grows back slowly. It’ll last a week and a half or so. There are also places that can do it for you. There’s nothing embarrassing about it — you’re just taking care of yourself. Or if you have a cool partner, get a good pair of clippers and have them trim it down. It takes 15 to 20 minutes and a broom. Especially if you know…

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 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…

■ 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. THE NUMBERS THE GUY 80kg, 1.8m, 35 year-old 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) CARBOHYDRATES 288g–316g total (55%…

HOW IT WORKS 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. Patrick Murphy is an L.A.- based celebrity trainer, murphyfitness.com. Directions Perform each circuit two to three times per week. Complete 15–20 reps of…