Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i Men's Fitness UK

I’d like to believe that each of us has some sort of extra special power – that one thing that sets us apart, if not from the rest of the human race, then at least from the other people in our office. Obviously I’m not talking about invisibility, X-ray vision or adamantium claws (think of the accidental upholstery damage) but something we’re just really bloody good at. And whatever it is, you can bet it’s not the result of a cheeky spider bite or genetic dabbling by sinister government officials – it’s all thanks to hard work and discipline. That’s my biggest take-away from our superhero special this issue. While the fictional heroes have largely gained their amazing powers and similarly amazing bodies from a combination of industrial accidents and…

Stretch yourself Pre-race dynamic movements such as high knees and heel flicks don’t just reduce your chances of a post-race limp. The Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research says it also helps you run “significantly further before exhaustion”. Stick with girls Us overeager blokes aren’t as good as pacing ourselves as women, according to another study from the same journal. Tail a lady going at your target speed to stay on track for that PB. (Eyes up, please.) Stop bounding Around 31% of runners get pre-race injuries. Scandinavian researchers found shrinking stride length by 10% correlates to a dramatic drop in that figure. Reduce yours by listening to 180bpm music and synching your steps to the beat.…

This year’s health fad frontrunner is here. It’s bagged a skinny celeb advocate in Jodie Kidd, while boxer Anthony Ogogo and rugby star James Haskell are also supporters. What’s the deal? “Sirt foods activate sirtuin genes – the same ones that are stimulated by exercise – clearing cellular waste and burning fat,” says Aidan Goggins, co-author of The Sirt Food Diet. “A large-scale, independent 2013 study showed they reduce heart disease, diabetes, inflammation and obesity risk, as well as improving brain function.” “It’s hard to criticise,” says dietitian Priya Tew (dietitianuk.com). “The top sirt foods [listed right] appear on most healthy food lists and have plenty of benefits aside from their sirtuin-activating properties. However, it’s wise to remember that alcohol is still a toxin, even in delicious red wine. My…

How to do it Hang a weight from each end of the bar using heavy resistance band – or split the load between several bands to cause smaller, but more random oscillations. Do your squat as normal: sitting back, keeping your weight through your heels – you’ll probably have to slow the movement to maintain control. Keep the weights light at first but aim to build up to 80% of what you’d normally lift, and replace your normal squats with the earthquake variation in one session out of every four. First, step away from the Bosu. Though it seems to make sense that wobbling atop one of those half-gym balls beloved of some “functional” trainers should activate your stabiliser muscles, studies suggest that all it actually…

Ice axes “Lightweight tools with picks that have jagged teeth and a finely beveled top edge. That means you can insert the pick into ice, displacing as little ice as possible, and then remove it without getting stuck.” Crampons “These are 12-pronged metal soles which strap to stiff-soled mountain boots. They’ll allow you to move much faster and with more security across glaciers and up steep walls of ice.” Ice screws “Eight-inch [20cm] metal tubes with four sharp prongs at the tip. You push and twist to embed one into an ice wall. If placed in solid ice it can hold 1,500lb [680kg] – more than enough to catch a falling climber.”…

Sell it first Unless you’re planning on heading to the disabled toilet with a neck pillow, you’ll need to run things by the boss. “Explain that you’ll be napping on your own time, during your lunch hour,” says Robbins. “And that you’ll be more productive in the afternoon as a result.” Sleepy time When you do it is key to getting the most from your nap. “Power naps should be between 1pm and 4pm,” says Robbins. “That’s when we feel most drowsy and is early enough not to interfere with falling asleep at bedtime.” Get the timing right Avoid a sleep hangover. “Set an alarm for 20 minutes if you can fall asleep quickly, 25 minutes if not,” says Robbins. “Longer naps mean waking up mid-sleep cycle and feeling groggy…

Q: I’m struggling to get up for it in the bedroom. What can I do to find my mojo? For starters, don’t worry – this is a common problem that can be treated. If you’re relatively young, can get an erection when masturbating and often wake up with one, the issue is probably a psychological one such as stress or sexual anxiety. Opening up with your partner about how you’re feeling can help, as can “talking therapy” if you’d rather speak to a professional to help work things out. If you’re older and fail to get erections at all or suffer from health issues such as high blood pressure or diabetes, then it could be a physiological problem – most of which can be solved with medication that your GP…

Set an inspiring goal If you can find a reason to train, you will find it far more motivating – whether that’s to get fit enough to run a marathon, complete an Ironman or achieve an extraordinary feat for charity. We get much more excited by big challenges that have a purpose than by easy everyday goals, so make it a goal that inspires you. Tell the world Research shows that people who share their goals with others are far more motivated to achieve them than those who keep their goals to themselves. Social media is a great platform for this, enabling you to share your progress with your friends and receive support when the going gets tough. Just get moving If you’re not in the mood to go on…

“I make people laugh for a living and I love it – why be nervous about it?” Getting up at 6.45am on a Sunday in January isn’t usually MF’s idea of fun, but today is different. We’ve been invited to join Kevin Hart, star of Get Hard and the new Ride Along 2, on the first leg of his challenge to run 5K in 15 countries in 2016. He greets us, smiling and laughing, and any early morning grumbles soon evaporate. Tell us about Move With Hart. Of course, people know me for being an incredible actor and hilarious comedian, but I also love to train and I wanted to share that with people too. It’s only right to take things to another level and engage my fans to train…

Freekeh has been waiting a couple of millennia for its moment in the spotlight, and it’s finally arrived. This ancient grain (meaning it hasn’t been altered and hybridised over the years) with Middle Eastern origins could well supplant quinoa as the go-to healthy carb. “It’s very versatile – the perfect carb to help you get lean,” says trainer and dietician Jim White (jimwhitefit.com). Freekeh has a low glycaemic index score, meaning it has less of an effect on your blood sugar, which prevents the spikes that spur snack cravings. “And complex carbs help rebuild muscle,” White says. It’s as easy to cook as quinoa and brown rice but has far more fibre and a more robust flavour, as the wheat is fire-roasted after harvest, giving it a smoky taste. Toast…

BULK-UP BROCCOLI The leafy green veggie known as Chinese broccoli, or kai-lin, is the Cantonese cousin of European broccoli, and contains similarly high levels of immunity-boosting vitamins A and C, which stop your body breaking down after a tough gym session. The recipe here, provided by head chef Owen Sullivan of Maze Grill (gordonramsey restaurants.com), twins it with protein-packed chicken to assist your muscle-building efforts. Ingredients (serves 1) 1 bunch of Chinese broccoli / 1 can of cooked chickpeas / 10 whole almonds / 1 cooked chicken breast, torn into strips / 1tsp honey / 1 lemon / 2tbsp olive oil To make Thinly slice the broccoli and fry it in a pan on a high heat for one minute, then add the almonds and cook for a further minute.…

GREEN The tea you’ll find most often in healthy eating plans, largely because it helps speed up your metabolism to burn more calories, but it’s also packed with potent antioxidants that help to prevent cancer. For maximum impact, drink the matcha variety, made with powdered green leaves. WHITE A mild and smooth option – because the leaves are picked when very young – white tea is far lower in caffeine than others at just 15mg per cup, if you want to avoid the risk of becoming jittery. It has high levels of polyphenols, which strengthen the elastin and collagen in your skin to help combat wrinkles. GINGER This herbal tea is a perfect post-gym brew thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which help soothe your aching muscles after a tough…

STARTING STRENGTH Deputy editor Ben Ince says “This beginner-friendly plan is a simple but effective introduction to barbell training. Three times a week you get to grips with the squat, bench, overhead press and deadlift. While it can be repetitive, regular progression and weekly PB-setting make it very rewarding.” Typical workout Squat 3 x 5 Bench press 3 x 5 Deadlift 1 x 5 THE TEXAS METHOD Fitness editor Sam Rider says “Once you’re confident with the core compound lifts, this three-day-a-week plan combining volume, active recovery and intensity will rapidly propel allover strength. But beware – it can be brutal if you don’t recover properly with good food and ample hangover-free rest.” Typical workout Squat 1 x 5 – work up to a new 5RM (five-rep max)…

If you want to see your abs by the time the sun returns from its extended leave, you need to inject raw power into your fat-loss efforts. Moving dynamically, explosively and at full tilt requires serious effort – which means it burns a shedload of calories, causing you to vaporise unwanted fat every time you hit your body’s accelerator. This circuit from trainer Mishal Dasani (ownyourfitness.co.uk) is framed around the simple plyometric box. “It uses full-body high-energy exercises that’ll help you torch fat and move more athletically,” says Dasani. WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE This uses a plyo box, but it’s not a plyometrics workout – those should be saved for sprint training. Here’s how to ensure you’re doing a high-tempo session that will help you scorch fat safely PLYOMETRICS MOVES GOAL…

WHAT IS IT? With spinning developing into a megabucks business – devotees of New York’s celebrity-packed Soul Cycle movement happily pay an eye-watering $3,500 for a 50-session pack – it’s only natural that attention is shifting to the next big thing in group cardio. And heading up the charge right now is group treadmill training. As with spin, the theory is that everyone can tweak their own workout parameters to make sure they’re working at the right intensity for rapid fat-loss and performance results. But – and this hardly needs mentioning – running on a treadmill is quite a lot different from riding a stationary bike. So does it work? THE METHOD Equinox Gym’s Precision Running is the leader of the UK pack, promising a blend of speed work, hill…

Want bigger shoulders? Think small. Yes, your deltoids can handle appreciable amounts of weight, but consider risk/reward for a second: they’re also wrapped around one of the most injury-prone joints in your body, and once you blow a rotator cuff there’s not much you can do about it. Instead of hoisting the heaviest barbell possible aloft, then, the solution is to give them a hefty amount of time under tension – and the double-whammy workout here does just that, while keeping them safe. HOW IT WORKS This workout’s designed to challenge the stabiliser muscles of your rotator cuff and then hit the delts from three different angles, making sure they grow in every direction. Result: impressive, injury-free shoulders. DIRECTIONS Start with the push press: do ten to 15 reps over…

Looking strong, lean and powerful isn’t half as satisfying as being strong, lean and powerful. That’s where hybrid training can give you the edge over the baseball cap-toting 1,000-curl zealots who clog up the gym floor. “This plan unites full-body compound moves, dynamic Olympic lifts and muscle-fortifying assistance exercises into a three-pronged attack on your physique,” says fitness coach and model James Potter (evolvefitnessonline.co.uk) who came to our attention after winning our 2015 Optimum Nutrition workout challenge. Here he shares the plan that got him in winning condition, including the bonus metabolic conditioning workouts that’ll put your respiratory system under short spells of duress to melt away excess fat and enhance your cardiovascular endurance. The final package is a ripped, robust and athletic body that’ll help you score personal bests…

EMOM Do a set number of reps at regular intervals on a running clock, usually every minute, on the minute. This tests your powers of recovery. Three clean and jerks every minute for 10 minutes AMRAP Complete as many rounds as possible of a given exercise combination within a given time. It builds stamina and burns fat. 12 minutes of eight front squats and eight push presses RFT Complete a given number of rounds of a circuit as fast as possible. Short rest periods develop long-lasting muscle endurance. Eight rounds of 15 kettlebell swings, 10 KB clean and presses and 5 KB snatches CHIPPER A series of exercises, usually high reps. Complete one round for time. A high-volume, muscle building grind. 100 press-ups, 75 bodyweight squats, 50 burpees, 25 pull-ups…

GLYCAEMIC INDEX GI is a measure of how foods affect blood sugar levels. Breaking down starch-containing foods by processing tends to raise their GI value. White bread, rice, pasta and even flour spike your insulin levels, which determines how much sugar is stored as fat or used for energy. LOW GI Eat low-GI carbs most of the time to keep insulin levels, energy and hunger under control PORRIDGE Eat for breakfast for slow release energy SWEET POTATO A lunchtime energy pick-me-up without the afternoon slump BROWN PASTA Go wholegrain for the extra digestion-aiding fibre hit HIGH GI Eat these after training to shuttle amino acids and glycogen to your muscles for recovery BREAD Stick to wholegrain and seeded varieties WHITE RICE/POTATO Indulge after exercise for fast-acting recovery WHITE PASTA Tuck…

NONE 25 MINUTES DIVEBOMBER PRESS-UP Get into a press-up position with your feet close to your hands. Divebomb along the floor, as if you’re pushing a ball along with your nose, then bring your chest up at the end of the move. Reverse the whole thing to go into the next rep. SPLIT SQUAT Take a big step forwards and lunge on to your leading leg. Straighten up slightly, but don’t step back – move straight into the next rep. Do all the reps on one side before switching the lead leg. SPIDER-MAN PRESS-UP Get into the top press-up position. As you lower your chest towards the floor, bring one knee out towards your elbow. Press back up and repeat on the other side. SQUAT Stand with your feet shoulder-width…

KETTLEBELL 20 MINUTES GOBLET SQUAT Grasp your kettlebell by the horns (or by the spherical bit, if it’s more comfortable), then descend into a squat, aiming to touch the insides of your knees with your elbows at the bottom of the move. Drive through your heels to stand. REVERSE LUNGE Keeping the bell in the same position, step backwards into a lunge – it shifts the emphasis to your quads while sparing your knees. Bring your knee back to the front to stand, then repeat on the other side ONE-HANDED SWING Hold the kettlebell in one hand, then bring your hips slightly back as you swing it between your legs. Drive your hips forwards to swing the bell up, and switch hands at the top before letting it drop straight…

KETTLEBELL 8 MINUTES CLEAN Start with the kettlebell in the hang position. Drive up on to your tiptoes and use the momentum to pull the kettlebell to shoulder height, flipping it to catch it on your forearm. ROLLING 45 Lie on the floor with the kettlebell overhead. Roll on to one side and raise yourself up slightly, using one foot to come to a sitting position. Roll back and repeat. You’ll feel it in your obliques.…

NONE 15 MINUTES MAX BURPEE Drop into a press-up, touching your chest to the floor at the bottom of the move. Hop back to your feet, then jump in the air, clapping your hands overhead at the top of the move.…

NONE 10 MINUTES TWIST JUMP SQUAT Drop into a squat, then explode upwards, leaving the ground and trying to spin 180° in the air. Land softly and repeat, turning the other way. JUMP LUNGE Step forwards into a lunge then explode off the ground, switching legs in mid-air and landing with the other foot in front.…

NONE 5 MINUTES GLUTE BRIDGE Lie on your back, with your feet close to your glutes. Raise one foot off the ground, then drive through the other heel to lift your hips. Pause at the top of the move, then lower. Do ten reps each side. LUNGE PULSE Step forwards into a lunge, then stay low – instead of straightening up, do ten “pulses’, just extending your knee slightly to keep the tension in your muscles. Switch legs and do ten pulses on the other side.…

Matt Maynard Outdoor journalist and ultrarunner (p78) “I love long training sessions in the Andes mountains near my home. My superpower would be to magic my favourite training foods out of the air to keep me going.” James Potter Creator of our Hybrid Training plan (p131) “I would chose the ability to recover from training sessions instantly so I could train two or three times a day every day. I love being in the gym and putting the work in, and it’s my body rather than my mindset that keeps me from training even harder.” Dan Wheeler Body transformation specialist (p107) “I’d like to be Empower-Man, giving people the confidence to chase after their own goals.”…

We’ve long known that music boosts running performance – by up to 15% according to a 2012 study – now scientists have looked into how it affects high-intensity interval training. The results? Listen up. McMaster University in Canada found 20 people who’d never done a HIIT workout, and asked them to do sessions on exercise bikes. “People who listened to self-selected music during HIIT not only enjoyed the exercise more, they also worked harder,” says study author Mark Stork. On top of that, none of them considered the workout where they went harder any more demanding. The Bottom Line It’s important to note that the participants listened to their favourite tunes. Pumping out Little Mix won’t have the same effect – or at it least shouldn’t……

The number of people with diabetes in Britain has crept over the four million mark, putting it at an all-time high. Type 2 is generally associated with lifestyle, particularly dietary choices – but just because you aren’t mainlining cakes and fizzy pop, don’t think you’re immune. A four-year Chinese study found anyone with an average heart rate of 88bpm or higher is 73% more likely to develop the condition. The good news? Regular exercise slows it over time. The even better news? Research published in the British Journal Of Sports Medicine found three 33-minute high-intensity interval sessions a week can lower it by 13% in just eight weeks. Beat matching How does your ticker compare to these benchmarks? 72bpm Average UK male 40bpm Endurance athlete 27bpm Lowest recorded…

Reason to eat more protein #657 It builds and repairs muscle, but you already knew that. Now, a study in the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition suggests it strips flab too – a lot of it. Two groups did two upper-body and two lower-body sessions a week. The one on a high-protein diet (3g per kilo of bodyweight each day) dropped three times as much fat over eight weeks. The future could be sweeter An enzyme that could make sugar less unhealthy has been identified by the University of Montreal. “By diverting glucose as glycerol, G3PP prevents excessive formation and storage of fat,” says diabetes researcher Dr Murthy Madiraju. It’s the first new metabolic enzyme discovered since the 1960s, but don’t start the cookie binge just yet…

Overhead hold Pressing an unstable bar overhead and keeping it there will challenge your core and reinforce your pressing position. Aim for a ten-second hold at the top. Bench press Powerlifters do this with a bamboo bar, but you don’t need one: hang a kettlebell from each side of the bar and control it on the way down. Barbell curl Doing earthquake curls will force you to keep your biceps under tension, turbo-charging growth in your upper arms. Don’t go too heavy.…

Would you chug pills to get the edge? The stimulant modafinil is prescription-only but it’s possible, and legal, to buy it over the internet – and a quarter of Oxford University students claim to have taken the drug to harness its reported capacity to increase cognitive ability, while the number of people using it for professional advantage is thought to be rising. “It’s the first real example of a ‘smart drug’ which can genuinely help, for example, with exam preparation,” says professor Guy Goodwin, president of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, who analysed 24 studies into modafinil, 70% of which found very few side effects. Don’t place your order just yet, though. Illicit suppliers are based overseas with little guarantee of purity, and the side effects discovered range from headaches…

Remember that tub of New Year’s resolution whey protein gathering dust on top of your kitchen cupboard? It’s time to put it to good use, with this indulgent yet healthy flapjack recipe from Chef Frankie (frankies-kitchen.com). It swaps the traditional oven-baked approach for a quicker, easier, microwaveable method. A sweet snack that doesn’t have to be saved for cheat days? Winner. Ingredients (makes 10-15 flapjacks) 2 scoops of whey protein / 170g cashew or peanut butter / 2tsp malt extract / 250ml agave nectar / 5g porridge oats / 200g coconut flour / A splash of almond milk To make Mix the coconut flour in a bowl with the whey protein. In a separate bowl, mix the nut butter, agave nectar, malt extract and porridge oats, then cook for one…

Q: Where’s the best place to snorkel in the UK? A: Snorkelling is one of the simplest and cheapest ways of seeing a different world and with around 32,000km of coastline, 16,000km of rivers and 11,000 lakes, the UK is an excellent place to have a go. Most of this underwater world is within reach of the snorkeller – and yet only a small fraction has ever been gazed upon by humans. Not sure where to start? Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset is the home of the UK’s only “snorkel trail” where numbered buoys lead you around with information on the different habitats in each area. If you don’t want to be bothered with any actual swimming, head to the River Lune under the Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria.…

Q: Is my drinking killing me? Put down the merlot! It’ll wreck your liver, it was never good for your heart and now it looks as if it’s probably going to give you cancer as well. At least, that’s what the government’s updated alcohol guidelines say in a nutshell. A new report – headed up by Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England – found drinking even small amounts of alcohol regularly will increase your risk of a range of cancers. Worse, unless you’re a woman over 55 who drinks less than five units a week, there’s no benefit to your heart health. This sobering (pun fully intended) set of findings suggests we’ve been doing ourselves a lot of unnecessary harm over the years. It’s prompted the government to lower…

Kevin Hart @KevinHart4real Why are toilets so damn powerful in the UK? I just flushed the toilet and the water splashed me on my neck. I got toilet water on my NECK. Kevin Hart @KevinHart4real Nothing worse than taking a shower and having to take a shit after you dry off… now I have to get my shitty ass back in the shower lol Kevin Hart @KevinHart4real This is how my week goes: Mooooooooooooonday, Tuuuuuuuuuuuuesday, Weeeeeeeeeeednesday, Thuuuuuuuuuuursday, FridaySaturdaySunday Kevin Hart @KevinHart4real Before Drake started saying YOLO did y’all think you could live twice or some shit? Kevin Hart @KevinHart4real It’s a well-known fact that tall people are evil.…

The Expert Shikera Lewis is manager of Seduire Clinics in Soho, London. A pedicure expert, she’s seen more feet than Quentin Tarantino’s casting director, and recommends getting one done professionally every three months. 1 SOFT START “Soak your feet in warm water for ten minutes, making it easy to remove dead cells and hard skin. Dry your feet thoroughly afterwards.” PRO TIP “If you have really hard skin, add half a cup of milk. The natural lactic acid softens more than any product.” 2 EXTERMINATE “Take a foot file – I use the Microplane Colossal (£13, amazon.co.uk) because of its large surface area – and rub as hard as is comfortable around your heel, the ball of your foot and any bits of tough skin.” PRO TIP “Use a scrub…

1 CHEF’S “This versatile knife will handle most chopping jobs, including chiffonade (cutting leafy veg into long strips), so it’s worth buying a high-quality one that’ll last,” says Saleem Ahmed, head chef of the Drawing Board in Leamington Spa (thedrawingboard.pub). Oxo Good Grips Pro Chef’s Knife, £24 2 BREAD “An example of perfect design that does what other knives can’t, thanks to its large, serrated teeth that will rip through even the coarsest rustic loaves.” Anolon Advanced Bread Knife 22cm, £30 3 SLICING “With a long and slightly flexible shaft, this is your go-to tool for dissecting meat and fish (raw or cooked). It’ll give you a clean cut without scoring your food.” Robert Welch Signature Flexible Slicing Knife 30cm, £56 4 PARING “The smallest knife in your arsenal is…

1 Why am I lifting weights? Resistance training isn’t just about getting bigger biceps. It’s a perfect elixir for health. “It stimulates muscles to grow, bones to strengthen and fat to break down,” says personal trainer Dan Wheeler, whose success in losing 50kg landed him the cover of Men’s Fitness Australia in 2013. “There are all sorts of hormonal benefits too – as well as spiking testosterone for a healthy libido, it improves sleep quality and quantity, energy and even skin complexion. Exercising improves the turnover of collagen in your skin, and sweating cleans your pores.” The weights room also provides you with the raw materials to transform your mental as well as physical state. “For me it’s a form of meditation,” says Wheeler, who drew inspiration from the celebrated…

“Squat rack pins: always err on the low side. It’s easier to drop the bar into them than wobble it back in on tiptoe.” “Grunt as much as it takes to get your best effort out – no more, but certainly not any less.” “Spotting someone on the bench? Don’t touch the bar unless it starts to move down or they ask for help. Otherwise you’ve just ruined their set.” “Really, your phone should be on airplane mode. But it’s only a problem for me if you’re sitting on unused kit while you have a chat.” “For the love of God, I don’t want to lie in your sweat. Two seconds and a wet-wipe is all it takes.” “Curling in the squat rack is frowned upon, but just about acceptable…

Project Fit Walk/Jog/Run is the mantra in an independent class that combines sprints with TRX moves and off-treadmill legwork. All in a room that’s lit like a nuclear sub on high alert. project-fit.co.uk Reshape 1Rebel’s take on high-intensity training issues you with your own weights, band and bench, putting four-minute conditioning blasts between treadmill sprints. Oh, and you get a free juice afterwards. 1rebel.co.uk Barry’s Bootcamp The Kardashian family’s favourite workout combines high-speed sprints with bodyweight moves and full-body dumbbell moves, with occasional guest DJ slots and nightclub-style lighting. barrysbootcamp.com…

What it takes • Unwavering conviction • #failvideo-proof ego • A rocket-powered leg swing Difficulty rating 6/10 1 It’s universal You’ve probably seen all-flair-no-substance footballers show off this trick on a Saturday afternoon (unless their irate manager has banned it) but the kick-the-moon is at the core of a multitude of disciplines. It’s used in gymnastics, martial arts, diving and freerunning – and it’s actually “fairly simple”, according to parkour practitioner and performance coach Alex Pownall (parkourgenerations.com). “It doesn’t require the raw power of a standing back flip or the co-ordination of a front flip. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be scary.” 2 The clue’s in the name The move belongs to a gymnastics move group called gainers, because you need to gain speed and harness momentum to get…

1 DEADLIFT SETS 5 REPS 5 REST 2-3MIN Grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, with your arms straight and knees slightly bent. Keeping your chest up and your back straight, drive down through your heels and pull the bar up your legs, pushing your hips forwards to stand tall. 2 COMPACT KETTLEBELL SWING SETS 3 REPS 15-20 REST 60-90SEC Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms slightly bent and all your muscles tensed. Drive your hips forwards to push the kettlebell off your body to start the swing. As you lower, hinge at the hips by pushing your glutes back. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, drive your hips forward, allowing the kettlebell to rise to head height. 3 GOOD MORNING SETS 4 REPS 8…

1 FRONT SQUAT SETS 5 REPS 5 REST 2-3MIN Rest the bar across your upper chest with your hands holding it in place and your elbows as high as you can get them. Keeping your chest up and back straight, squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, making sure your knees stay wide apart, then drive back up. 2 BARBELL LUNGE SETS 3 REPS 10 REST 2-3MIN Use a light barbell. Holding the bar across your shoulders, take a big step forwards, making sure you’re balanced, and lower your back knee until it’s just off the floor. Keep your back upright and your front knee in line with your front foot. Return to the start and keep alternating…

CRACKER DRINKS Finding a natural thirst-quenching drink that’s low in calories but high in vitamins and fruit is not easy. But Cracker Drinks’ new Skinny range offers just that – and it tastes delicious. This vitamin-enriched drink is high in fruit content and will provide all the goodness of vitamin C and fibre you can find in pure orange juice, with 25% fewer calories and no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. It’s ideal as a lunchtime refresher or for a burst of flavour on the go. RRP £1.99 from selected Tesco stores. • CONTACT  crackerdrinks.com, Facebook crackerdrinksco or Twitter @crackerdrinksco GYM ROYALTY Gymwear has evolved. Looking good at the gym is no longer just about what’s under the clothes. Fitness is fashionable, and Gym Royalty’s fresh range of clothing meets…

DUMBBELLS 15 MINUTES RENEGADE ROW Get into the top press-up position with a dumbbell in each hand. Do a press-up, row one weight up to your armpit and return it to the floor, then do the same on the other side. That’s one rep. FLOOR PRESS Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand. Push them overhead, moving inwards over your chest to activate your pecs better. Lower them under control.…

PULL-UP BAR 5 MINUTES WIDE-GRIP PULL-UP Hold the bar with your hands more than shoulder-width apart, brace your abs and pull up until your whole head is above the bar. Lower under control until your arms are straight. Keep your shoulders engaged and don’t sag at the bottom. CLOSE-GRIP CHIN-UP Grasp the bar with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Start from a dead hang with your arms fully extended. Pull up – when it gets really hard, some leg assistance is acceptable.…

DUMBBELLS 20 MINUTES CURL Curl both dumbbells up to chest height, pause and lower. If you’re really pushing for muscle failure, squeeze your biceps at the top of the move. OVERHEAD PRESS Start with the dumbbells at shoulder height and press them overhead, letting your elbows rotate naturally as you push. Pause at the top, then lower. STANDING TRICEPS EXTENSION From the top of your last press, bend your elbows to let the dumbbells go behind your head. Squeeze your triceps and extend your arms. FRONT SQUAT Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, then squat until your hip crease is below parallel. Pause at the bottom, then stand up.…

NONE 10 MINUTES WARRIOR ONE Lunge forwards on one leg, bringing your palms together above your head. Hold for five deep breaths, then repeat on the other side. WARRIOR TWO From the warrior one, extend your arms to either side, palms down. Hold for five deep breaths, then repeat on the other side. SIDE PLANK STAR Lie in a side plank position on one forearm, your feet “stacked” on top of each other. Raise your leg if you can and hold for three breaths, then repeat on the other side.…

KETTLEBELL 15 MINUTES GOBLET SQUAT Grasp your kettlebell by the horns (or by the spherical bit, if it’s more comfortable), then squat, aiming to touch the insides of your knees with your elbows at the bottom of the move. Drive through your heels to stand. SWING Hold the kettlebell in both hands and perform a quarter-squat, swinging the weight back between your legs. Drive your hips forwards to straighten up, using momentum to power the swing.…

NONE 10 MINUTES PLANK SHOULDER TOUCH Get into a press-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your fingers pointing forwards. Staying parallel to the floor, take one hand off the ground to touch your shoulder, then repeat on the other side. Do ten reps on each side. EXPLOSIVE PRESS-UP Without getting off the floor, descend into a press-up, and explode off the ground, adding a clap if you’re feeling confident. Five reps and you’re done. Look out for the new MF MagBook Weeknight Workouts On sale 28th April…

Max, head of digital content #MoveWithHart Over 1,000 people joined stand-up comic and Ride Along star Kevin Hart for an early morning 5K run around Battersea Park. He told MF about working with Nike to get people moving – and why he thinks there’s an athlete in all of us (though probably not a basketball player in him). Read the interview on p45. Sophie, intern #redmonday A Monday HIIT session with Joe Wicks is one way to blow away the cobwebs – and MF’s Man of the Year didn’t go easy on us with his new Fitness First class. I couldn’t finish it, but fellow intern Dale fared worse, earning the nickname “Sicknote”. He blamed a heavy weekend, naturally… Matt, features writer #MFTBT After Christmas I realised I’d built up…

Mealworms, beetle larvae and grasshoppers have all been championed as sustainable protein sources that could stop farmed livestock obliterating the planet’s resources. And now a Dutch research team has found out they’re also a good source of healthy fatty acids. “All the oils smell different… some nicer than others,” says Daylan Tzompa Sosa, lead author of the study published in Food Research International. They’re not yet cleared for human consumption, but could be on shelves later this year – let’s hope they sort the pong out first. In the meantime, you can buy environmentally friendly insect protein as a powder for shakes (smashit.co.uk), smooshed up in bars (chapul.com), or whole (thefarmedinsectcompany.com) for Blumenthal levels of culinary invention. Creepy crawlies have a nutty tang, apparently.…

“Negative thoughts make bad situations worse. While you think you’re warm you can’t be cold” Dream big, start small “I hadn’t swum in eight years, and then I saw a movie about a guy who loses his job and decides to swim the Channel. That day I tried to go nonstop for 45 minutes in the pool. Five months later I was doing five hours straight,” says Walker, 37. “My first open-water experience was in a lake in February. I got severe hypothermia and nearly died.” Most people might have quit then – not Walker. “It just made me more determined. I didn’t want to have nearly killed myself for nothing.” Celebrate any achievement “During the Ocean’s Seven I was up against extreme cold, strong currents, giant swells and terrifying…

Picture the scene: you’re having a drink with an old friend when your phone buzzes. Sure, his story about trekking across the Namibian desert is interesting, but that notification could be a retweet of your pithy legs day joke. Sound familiar? It doesn’t mean you’re an awful person. It just means you have fear of missing out, known as FOMO. This isn’t the latest social media buzzword but a real psychological phenomenon. Here’s what we know about it. Our brains can’t cope In her book Alone Together, social psychologist Sherry Turkle reports that being connected with everyone all the time is a new experience our brains aren’t equipped to cope with yet. Managing hundreds or even thousands of online friends erodes your real-life intimate relationships because we lack the capacity…

Protective panels “There are 19 panels of Ceraspace – a tough, flexible fabric formed from ceramic particles – positioned at predicted impact points to virtually eliminate the chances of rips,” says Steve Tidball, endurance racer and co-founder of Vollebak (vollebak.com). Free movement “If you covered your whole torso in Ceraspace, movement would be restricted,” says Tidball. “Instead, we grooved it all so it’s like body armour. It moves with you, not against you.” Moisture repellent “You know how water droplets collect on leaves? This is like that. NanoSphere makes dirt and water simply run off the jacket’s surface,” says Tidball. Under a microscope you can see it’s ridged, making it near-impossible for anything to take grip. Complete coverage “Mountain bikers and skiers love it because the hood fits over a…

Q: Can memes inspire me to work out harder? We’ve all seen them, cluttering up our Facebook or Instagram timelines: some inspiring words stuck over a picture of Leo Messi or Michael Jordan. We scan them and move on, or ignore them altogether. And let’s be honest: if someone told you reading them would have a significant effect on your training, you’d probably laugh. But before you start unfollowing the worst offenders, let me assure you that there are some positives you can take away. Scientific research has shown that we perform better when we’re having fun or in a good frame of mind than otherwise. A 2011 study published in Perspectives On Psychological Science found that athletes who used positive and instructional self-talk to motive themselves performed better in…

The natural bodybuilder A physique competitor who’s never touched steroids, Rolandas Malinauskas ( personaltraining4u.net ) specialises in body transformations Back in the day bodybuilding was more niche. That meant the guys doing it were serious about their development – they often had more natural potential and approached it with discipline. Now the jacked look has gone mainstream, but few have the knowhow, commitment or genetics to achieve it. That means more guys in gyms who don’t understand or embrace hard training ethics. They see training as a part of their grooming ritual, and they don’t seem to separate steroids from Botox or other beauty treatments. We need more education about natural training and dieting. Body dysmorphia is debilitating, but these conditions occur due to…

Quick adjustables  For… widely varying resistance with no need for a full rack Swiftly switch weights up to a respectable 25kg at the click of a dial with Bodymax Selectabells (£259, powerhouse-fitness.co.uk powerhouse-fitness.co.uk). A satisfying click rewards every weight change on the Bowflex SelectTech (£346, amazon.co.uk). Choose from 2 to 24kg. Colour-coding makes selecting loads (up to 22.5kg in 2.25kg increments) easy with the PowerBlock Sport 5.0 (£305, gymcompany.co.uk). The Ironmaster Quick-Lock (£547, valleyfitness.co.uk) feels more like a regular dumbbell. It’s slower to change than the others but goes up to a whopping 34kg. Shiny chromeset  For… weights so sleek you’ll keep them on display Changing the six weight discs is slower than with the adjustables, but this 20kg Pro Fitness (£55, argos.co.uk) set is cheaper – and works for…

Gone are the days when Michael Keaton could don an injection-moulded suit and remote-Batarang his way through a line of goons. Modern heroes need to be able to run, jump, fight – and look good doing it. We’ve assembled the workouts of the best, including the men set to smash into cinemas in 2016 25 Kick-Ass AKA Aaron Taylor-Johnson He’s an ab-free everyman in the first film, but for the sequel – where Kick-Ass has embraced crimefighting – Taylor-Johnson kicked it up a notch alongside trainer Richard Smedley. Their money move? The three-chair press-up. Arrange your seats in a triangle, then do a press-up between them to get more range of motion and activate your outer pecs. 24 Deathstroke AKA Manu Bennett To cope with shoulder issues from his sword-swinging…

Marathon du Mont Blanc VK 27th June, Chamonix, France Entry is now open for your chance to run up the tallest, most awe-inspiring mountain in western Europe – just a short plane journey from the UK. montblancmarathon.net Cervino Matterhorn X-Trail VK 8th July, Breuil-Cervinia, Italy Ascend 1,000m where the sport was born – on one of the Alps’ most formidable peaks. The 2016 race introduces a Negativo version (down as well as up). cervinoxtrail.com Am Bodach VK 16th September, Kinlochleven, Scotland The Glen Coe Skyline event – part of the Skyrunner World Series – now has a Vertical Kilometre race, the first (and so far only) one you can do in the UK. glencoeskyline.com KM Vertical de Fully October (date TBC), Fully, Switzerland The shortest VK course there is –…

Key Healthy and delicious – an asset to any breakfast A good option in moderation. Choose the healthiest kind Some benefits, but there are better options. Eat sparingly Avoid this food or kiss your abs goodbye 1 Poached egg A complete protein source – meaning it contains all the essential amino acids your body needs – the mighty egg should be the centrepiece of your fry-up, and poaching is by far the healthiest option. 2 Bacon Enjoy more protein and fewer additives by opting for dry-cured packs of back rashers. Smoked has more chemicals than unsmoked – although the jury’s out on whether they’re harmful. 3 Hash browns These deep-fried triangles of blood sugar-spiking potato are one of the worst things you can add to your fry-up. For a leaner…

It’s official: the burger has gone upmarket. After decades of high street dominance, fast-food giants McDonald’s and Burger King have been forced to raise their game by changing tastes and a new breed of “posh” chains such as GBK and Byron, who claim to offer higher-quality grub for patty-savvy consumers. But marketing hype aside, how much actual difference is there between the two tiers of burger joint? My mission to find out begins at my local Maccy D’s. One Big Mac down, I’m actually feeling surprisingly full and content, without any of the lethargy or blood sugar spikes you’d expect after such a sizeable hit of “junk” food. A key reason for this is the quality of the meat. Jamie Oliver may have grabbed headlines by successfully campaigning against the…

THE COACH AND COMPETITOR Tom Hamilton, 26 A former Bristol City apprentice whose pro career was ineded by injury, Hamilton has competed at national level both in bodybuilding and powerlifting. He coaches at W10 Performance in London, a gym that focuses on improving mobility and posture over abs definition and biceps circumference. liftstrong lookstrong.com THE TRANSFORMATION SPECIALIST Daniel Wheeler, 30 Five years ago, Wheeler weighed 140kg. Realising he’d “hit rock bottom”, in his words, he vowed to transform his body and health. Within two years he’d dropped to 90kg and set up Life Changing Fitness to help others realise their own fitness aspirations. lifechanging.fitness…

MOBILISE During your warm-up, massage your calves using a foam roller or hockey ball to loosen knots in the muscle, then do this resistance band drill between exercises. Stand in a split stance with the band wrapped around your leading ankle and attached to something sturdy. Push your leading knee forward against the resistance without lifting your heel. Do 15 reps, holding for two seconds in the stretched position. STRETCH Stretch your calves under load on the calf raise or leg press machine. With a moderate weight, allow your calves to flex so your toes come towards you, and hold this position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat this three times. STABILISE Elevate your heels with a pair of Olympic weightlifting shoes. Nike Romaleos are a worthy investment if you do heavy…

1 POWER SNATCH SETS 3 REPS 3 REST 2-3MIN Hold the bar just above your knees, hingeing at the hips. Then drive your hips forwards to generate power and use this movement to raise the bar above your head, keeping it close to your body. Quickly drop into a quarter squat so you don’t have to lift it as high, lock out your shoulders and stand. 2 PULL-UP SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 60-90SEC Grasp the bar with an overhand grip. Retract your shoulder blades to engage the muscles in your upper back. Brace your core and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, then lower under control. 3 PENDLAY ROW SETS 4 REPS 10 REST 60-90SEC With the bar on the floor, bend your knees slightly…

Eric Underwood The 31-year-old lead male ballet soloist for The Royal Ballet Company ta us through a performa day looks lik 8am Wake up My day is really regimented. I need to plan my daily routine carefully so I can have a late night without feeling drained. Breakfast is always a banana and porridge. 9.30am Pilates It’s vital to loosen up after a night’s sleep. This is a move everyone should do: stand with your back to the wall, then lower yourself slowly one vertebra at a time – as if peeling your spine away from the wall – until you can’t go any further. Reverse the move to stand up. 10.30am Technique time I perfect ballet technique now, so on in rehearsals I can focus on my character later.…

BENCH/CHAIR 10 MINUTES PIKE PRESS-UP Put your feet on the bench and your hands on the floor, so your body makes an inverted L. Lower your body until your head almost touches the floor, then press back up again. BENCH PISTOL SQUAT Stand on a bench or chair and raise one foot in front of you. Bend your supporting leg to lower yourself towards the floor – if lack of flexibility prevents you from keeping the other leg pointing forwards, the extra height will allow you to keep it pointing down. Drive through your heel to return to standing.…

NONE 20 MINUTES PRESS-UP Start with your hands shoulder-width apart, feet together and body in a straight line. Lower yourself until your chest touches the ground, then press back up. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER Start in the top press-up position, bring one knee up to your chest then swap it with the other, as fast as possible. SQUAT Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and sit back into the squat, keeping your weight on your heels. Drive through your heels to stand. V-SIT Lie on the floor with your body in a straight line, and your arms and legs slightly off the floor. Bring your arms and legs up into a V, then lower under control.…

DUMBBELLS 5 MINUTES DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS Holding a set of dumbbells at your shoulders, do a quarter-squat then drive the weights overhead. Pause at the top before blasting straight into the next rep. Once you’ve completed all your reps, go straight into… RKC PLANK Lie on the floor with your forearms as close together as possible and your glutes, abs and hamstrings braced. Hold for 30 seconds – if you’re not quaking by the end, you’re doing it wrong.…

THE DUMBBELLS £25 Concentrate on proper form and 15kg is enough. “Most people have never done a perfect biceps curl,” says trainer Martin Sutcliffe ( equinox.com ). “Curl the dumbbell up for a two-count and squeeze your biceps as hard as you can at the top. Lower for a four-count and squeeze your triceps at the bottom.” Three sets of eight is plenty. argos.co.uk THE AB MAT £8 Your lower back is important, so invest in it: an ab mat takes the strain off your spine while forcing your core to work instead of your hip flexors during sit-ups. amazon.co.uk THE RINGS £21 They’re cheaper than a suspension trainer and more versatile. Use them for chin-ups, press-ups, dips and inverted rows to…