Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2016 i Men's Fitness UK

With all the top training, nutrition and life advice in each issue of Men’s Fitness, it’s always hard to pick my favourite story. But this month, if there’s one article that encapsulates everything MF stands for, it’s the results of our celebrity body challenge with Jamie Theakston and Andy Goldstein (p42). The two radio presenters have more in common than their profession: they’re both in their mid-40s, work unsociable hours that undermine the three pillars of fitness (regular exercise, a healthy diet and quality sleep), and had reached a point in their lives where they had to make positive changes to the way they looked and felt. Unlike most people who seek a shortcut to success – which inevitably leads to failure – Jamie and Andy took a slower and…

43% The increase in electromyographic (EMG) activity measured in the leg and core muscles of subjects doing free weight squats over using a Smith machine, according to Canadian research Real-world strength If you’ve ever tried to drag a heavy bag through a packed airport or lug a TV up to a second-floor flat, you know the real-life requirements of functional strength. And you can only train for it with dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells. “You might be able to build size that makes you look the part with resistance machines, but you won’t have the strength in your tendons, ligaments and stabilising muscles for the real world,” says PT Alex Gildea (gildeafitness.com). Fix your weaknesses Body symmetry is important for more than just aesthetic reasons. “An imbalanced body can be especially…

Tea isn’t just a British institution, it’s an office rescue-remedy that’s been shown to alleviate stress and boost relaxation, according to UCL research. But in recent years there’s been an alarming slide in this tradition. Sales of ordinary teabags fell 14% between 2013 and 2015 in the UK and are set to drop another 5% in 2016. So what’s the magic number? The study found four daily cups of black tea keeps stress hormone cortisol in check. Alternatively, you could drink the increasingly popular green tea – which has seen UK sales rise 39% in two years – for its fat-burning antioxidants.…

“I was very small in Gold’s Gym. There were some big units walking around” What a season you’ve just had: 26 starts, 26 wins. A Six Nations Grand Slam. A Premiership. A European Champions Cup. A historic 3-0 series whitewash over Australia. And European Player of the Year, aged 21. How do you follow that up? Ha! That record [number of starts and wins] changes each time. I don’t know the actual number. Last year was good - it was enjoyable to be involved with Saracens and England. I feel very fortunate to be involved with those teams but the exciting thing is we’re not anywhere near our potential yet. There’s room to grow. We’re hungry and we’re looking to improve. I think the future is going to be brighter…

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Performance fabric  The premium four-way stretch fabric has a soft feel, giving you both comfort and mobility. It’s also made with special UV-filtering fabric, which helps to protect against the sun’s rays for added outdoor comfort. Attention to detail  The ribbed shawl collar folds up to keep your neck warm on cold days, while the longer hem provides extra coverage. Practical finish  The zipped pocket at the sleeve offers secure storage – it’s the perfect size for a phone. Welt pockets, also with zippers, on the front let you keep your hands warm in winter as well as providing secure extra storage. Visit eysom.com…

Jamie Theakston, 45 Co-host of the Heart Breakfast show, weekday mornings from 6am to 9am Body fat before 24.1% Body fat after 10.4% “Parts of my body I didn’t know existed were hurting. Chris the trainer said it’d get easier and I didn’t believe him. But he was right” In years gone by, the one-time presenter of C4’s The Games was quite the sportsman – fencing for Sussex, playing club cricket, winning a Man of the Match trophy in Soccer Aid 2010 – but injuries and life got in the way. “When I was active it was easy for me to drink and eat what I wanted, and I would never get any heavier than about 15 stone [95kg],” says Theakston. “When you’re 6ft 4in [1.93m] your height can hide…

These are the highest-rated 20 foods for a Sirtfood-rich diet. Here’s how to incorporate them into your daily meals Bird’s eye chilli Also sold as Thai chillies, they’re more potent than regular chilis, and also more packed with nutrients. Use them to set off sweet or sour recipes. Buckwheat Technically a pseudo-grain: it’s actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb. Also available in noodle form (as soba), but make sure you’re getting the wheat-free version. Capers In case you’re wondering, they’re pickled flower buds. Sprinkle them over salad or roasted cauliflower. Celery The hearts and leaves are the most nutritious part, so don’t throw them away if you’re blending up a shake. Cocoa The flavonol-rich kind improves blood pressure, blood sugar control and cholesterol. Look for a high percentage of…

Burning the candle at both ends? You probably know someone who claims to get by on five hours a night – or you’ve heard that Margaret Thatcher ran the country on four. Here’s the truth: the Iron Lady might have been part of what scientists call the “sleep elite”, but your office show-off’s probably just chronically slumber-deprived. According to a 2009 research project, roughly 1-3% of the population have a gene variation that lets them sleep much less than ordinary people, while keeping their metabolism (and pain tolerance) high. If you barely sleep even when the opportunity’s there, that could be you –but if you struggle by with caffeine and weekend lie-ins, you’re out of luck. Here’s the fix. REFRAME IT “Change starts with your perception,” says Shawn Stevenson, author…

65% The loss of cancer-fighting glucosinolates caused by boiling kale – so steaming, stir-fry or microwave yours, since these methods result in zero glucosinolate loss, according to the University of Warwick 671% 100g of kale contains almost seven times your RDI of vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin needed to build stronger bones It’s hard to avoid kale these days. The so-called superfood is found in everything from salads to smoothies because of its antioxidant phytochemical content. And now new research suggests that the leafy green can also improve heart health: subjects drank 150ml of kale juice every day for three months and then had their blood compared with their pre-trial samples. The results, published in the Biomedical And Environmental Sciences journal, found that blood concentrations of…

“STRESS IMPAIRS DIGESTIVE FUNCTION. IF YOUR BODY’S CHRONICALLY STRESSED AND IN FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT MODE, IT WON’T CARE ABOUT DIGESTION” ACTIVATE LEAST MODE Your body doesn’t digest well under stressful conditions, and for good reason: for our ancestors, getting chased by a sabre-toothed tiger was a good time to divert resources to flight (or fighting) and not digestion. Unfortunately, your nervous system has trouble distinguishing between your nine-to-five worries and a life-or-death situation, and so you need to calm down. Download the Headspace app, take ten minutes a day to meditate, and add some mobility to your evening routine. THE SIZE, IN SQUARE METRES, OF YOUR SMALL INTESTINE A key issue with digestion is surface area. Stretched out to full size, your small intestine has the same area as a tennis court.…

“Setting yourself a realistic goal is the best way to stay motivated” How did you get into fitness modelling? I used to play rugby but that came to an end because of injury, so I had nothing left to train for. This was about six years ago. At the time the fitness show phenomenon was just beginning, so a mate mentioned it to me and I decided to give it a try. I won the first one I entered and from then on I was hooked. I did some research into the industry and came across the WBFF, so I started entering their shows. How did you find the transition from training for a team sport to an individual one? The training didn’t really change - the main difference was…

Some people claim it’s impossible to burn body fat and burn muscle at the same time, believing that you have to prioritise one training goal over the other. That’s not the case – but to achieve both simultaneously, you have to start training smarter. This month’s main workout will get you doing just that because each week it combines two total-body sessions, taxing all your muscles to initiate the fat-burning process, with two upper-body muscle-building sessions, which will add lean mass across your torso. The result is that you will transform your physique by stripping away unwanted fat from across your middle while sculpting a bigger, stronger body. HERE’S HOW THE PLAN WORKS This month’s four-week workout is made up of four sessions a week. Workout one is a total-body…

Looking for gym kit that’ll help you strengthen your grip? One thing you don’t want is wrist straps, which are designed to let your grip off the hook. “If you must use them, save them for the final, heaviest deadlift set or your grip will limit your potential for strength gains,” says Tracey. He recommends these three grip-enhancing bits of kit for one session a week to activate your forearms and crush the life out of your workout. FAT GRIPZ How Slip them on dumbbells for curls and presses. Why? “These transform standard dumbbells into fat ones, doubling the amount of work your forearms have to do to hold on,” says Tracey. “You’ll have to reduce the weight at first, but you’ll be able to lift way more in the…

1 Mix your grip “Vary between wide, narrow and hammer grip hand positions to recruit more muscle fibres and correct any weaknesses for greater overall strength,” says Watson. 2 Break them down “Remove momentum to target all three phases of the lift,” says Watson. “Pull your chest to the bar, pause for three seconds, lower halfway, pause, then lower to the bottom and repeat.” 3 Hang tough “If your grip goes, you go. Get used to hanging from the bar with extra weight until failure. Then raising your own bodyweight when doing pull-ups will feel easy.” Follow Watson on Instagram @functional fitnesstraining…

Pay attention – it could just get you a second date. That’s according to new Australian research investigating how mindfulness and visual attractiveness influence male and female choices during a speed-dating experiment. In the study, men were (somewhat unsurprisingly) more concerned with looks while, instead, women were drawn to men showing traits of “high dispositional mindfulness”. In other words, someone who’s aware and attentive to what they are thinking and feeling in the moment. “Mindfulness is being the master of your emotions,” explains mindfulness teacher and author Suryacitta Malcolm Smith (mindfulnesscic.co.uk). “If you have high mindfulness, you’re more present and alive in the moment, you listen and empathise better and are more self-assured.” So pay attention to yourself before the big night – using the beginner’s tips above – and…

You’re never too young to look out for your ticker. Almost half of young adults have at least one coronary heart disease risk factor from high blood pressure, stress or an unhealthy diet. Thankfully, you can radically cut your risk by making smarter food choices. Here’s where to start. 1 / Garlic The pungent root improves your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, a study in the Journal Of Nutrition shows. 2 / Kale A fat called alphalinolenic acid in this leafy veg prevents plaque forming in your arteries, according to a Harvard study. 3 / Orange Consuming 100g of this citrus fruit per day reduces risk of cardiovascular mortality by a third, Oxford University research found.…

TRAP BAR DEADLIFT WHY “If you want to get strong you can’t miss out on the compound lifts,” says Itoje. “Because I’m quite tall I use a trap bar that takes the pressure off my back.” HOW Stand in the middle of the hexagon and squat down until you can grab the handles. With a firm grip and keeping your core engaged, shift your weight onto your heels, ensuring your back stays flat and chest stays up. Drive up powerfully through your feet, pushing your hips forwards as you stand. Pause, then lower to the floor. HOW MANY “For strength I do low reps, for speed I do high reps,” says Itoje. HANG CLEAN WHY “Power across your whole body is essential for rugby,” says Itoje. “You can’t be just…

Andy Goldstein, 43 Host of Andy Goldstein’s Sports Bar on talkSPORT, weeknights from 10pm to 1am Body fat before 25.4% Body fat after 9.1% “The first three days were tough because I couldn’t eat any of the crap I normally have, but after that it was a breeze” “I was slowly getting obese,” says Goldstein, about the moment he decided to make some changes. “For me the turning point was around Christmas when I went to the darts. I had about ten pints and a hot dog, and on the way home I had six nuggets, two hamburgers and a large fries, and didn’t think anything of it.” Goldstein’s no stranger to training, with a handful of half and full marathons under his belt, but he’d always avoided the weights…

There’s a reason you don’t take five aspirin for a headache: two will get the job done, and more might trigger unwanted side effects. That’s the concept of the Minimum Effective Dose applied to medicine, but it also works with training - if your aim is to lose fat, add lean muscle or simply get healthier, training until your testosterone levels drop and your cortisol cranks up can actually be counter-productive. Sure, if you’re planning to run the Marathon des Sables or ride the Tour de France then you’ll need more hours on the road or in the saddle, but the game’s the same: do the minimum you need to get the results you want, and not more. So how do you identify your MED? That’s where the team of…

The Outside View “Bodybuilding can be great fun, but old-school training like having an ‘arms only’ day where you do a ton of volume just doesn’t make sense to me and isn’t necessary,” says powerlifter Tom Hamilton (see p68). “My view is that there should be an element of powerlifting within your training programme whereby you have some objective progress, monitoring lifts instead of just basing your opinion on if your training is working by what you see in the mirror – which is very subjective.” What is it? Assuming you aren’t planning to step onstage and bust out a double-biceps spread, physique training is simply training with aesthetics, not performance, at the forefront of your mind. It uses drop sets, forced reps and other techniques to cause maximum muscular…

WHY Everyone likes ribs, but the secret to making this muscle-building pork feast taste amazing is Chinese five-spice powder. It takes its name not from the number of ingredients, but the way this single spice mix hits on all five principal tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. The sweet, spicy flavour acts like a bridge between salt and the heat of chillies, giving these ribs a really round, warm deliciousness. It also lends meat a handsome reddish tone – like the one you get when you put meat in a smoker – which is a big improvement over the unappetising grey tinge that ribs can take on when they’re cooked in the oven. WHAT 2 racks of pork spare ribs cut St Louis-style by a butcher Because ribs are…

Protein mousse INGREDIENTS 175g dark chocolate (approx 80% cocoa solids) 350g soft tofu 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder Juice and zest of 2 oranges Grated orange zest and chocolate (to serve) Makes 4 servings TO MAKE Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly. Blend the tofu, protein powder and orange zest and juice until smooth and creamy. Spoon into four dishes and chill in the fridge until set. Decorate with a little orange zest and grated chocolate. WHY SHOULD I HAVE IT? Flavonols in chocolate are thought to protect against the cellular and tissue damage caused by intense training. Tofu is a good protein source but don’t eat it too often because it contains phytoestrogens, which can affect…

“Having suffered injuries in the past, including the one that ended my rugby career, I’m not one of these people who use getting hurt as an excuse to put my feet up,” says Stafford. “If anything I’m in the gym more, working on getting stronger.” Here’s his three tips for building an injury-proof body. 1 Massage “I have a sports massage and physio ever week, even when I’m not injured. Prevention is always better than cure.” 2 Stretching “Five to ten minutes on the mat every day, stretching and foam rolling, will save you hours and hours on the treatment table.” 3 Warm up “A proper warm-up will fully prepare your muscles for action and improve movement patterns so you lift safely and effectively.”…

How to do it 1 Start with the first tri-set, which works the whole shoulder joint, beginning with 1A. Complete the reps then move into 1B, do all the reps, then move straight into 1C. 2 After the final rep of 1C, rest for 90 seconds, then go back to the start. Repeat this pattern until you have done all three sets of the tri-set. 3 Once you’ve completed the first tri-set and rested for 90 seconds, move on to the second tri-set, which works the three muscles of your shoulders individually. Follow the exact same pattern, only resting after move 2C. Tri-set 1 Shoulders 1A ARNOLD PRESS Sets 3 Reps 12 Tempo 2111 Rest 0sec Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your chest with palms facing…

SWIMMING FOCUS YOUR TRAINING “Aim to do two 20- to 30-minute technique sessions during the week where you focus on improving a specific aspect of your stroke like your breathing or kicking,” says Sam Williams, swimming coach at Swim Studio London (swimstudiolondon.com). “Then do a longer session at the weekend where you add extra lengths or time each week to monitor your progress.” STAY RELAXED “Endurance sports like cycling and running are all about exertion, but if you’re doing it properly, swimming should be the opposite,” says Williams. “If you’re too tense in the water, you’ll end up thrashing around, wasting energy and tiring yourself out. Instead, focus on staying balanced in the water and maintaining a relaxed stroke.” KNOW YOUR KIT “Make sure you train wearing and using the…

Having the grip strength to climb a rope might just save your life. Not just if it’s your only exit from an Indiana Jones-style snake pit, but because a strong grip is linked with a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study in The Lancet . The research, which canvassed 140,000 subjects, found grip strength is a greater predictor of survival than systolic blood pressure, citing it as an indicator of the effects of age taking hold. Another study in the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research found a strong link between grip and total-body muscular strength and endurance. In other words, a weak grip equals a weak body and a mighty grip equals a…

33g The average amount of sugar in a standard 330ml can of non-diet pop – over a third of the UK’s recommended maximum daily intake of 90g 233 The average amount in litres of soft drinks consumed per person in the UK last year – 14.8 billion in total Think you’re doing your fat loss efforts a favour by swapping sugar for artificial sweeteners? Think again. New research from York University has found sugar substitutes, particularly aspartame, negatively affect the body’s ability to manage blood glucose levels, reducing your ability to lose weight and even increasing the risk of diabetes. Artificial sweeteners have long been used because of a belief that they’re not digested by the body, but this study found that bacteria in the gut may be able to…

1 Order in fresh Veg always going off in your fridge? “Use a food delivery service that ships the exact ingredients you need along with simple recipe cards to your door,” says Giles Humphries, co-founder of mindfulchef.com. 2 Play with your veg “Invest in a spiraliser,” says Humphries. “These cheap gadgets transform your dinners.” Think carrot ribbons and sweet potato noodles. “You won’t get the same blood sugar spike as with white starchy pasta.” 3 Blitz in a smoothie Fill your juicer with nutrient-dense veg in place of just sugary fruit. “Start your day with a kale, spinach, banana and almond milk mix for an iron-rich, fibrous boost,” says Humphries. Add spirulina for extra vitamins and protein. 4 Convert into rice “Swap carb-heavy rice for innovative – and more flavoursome…

SHARP TOUCH Gillette’s thinnest ever blades combine with its most advanced blade coating and the pre-blade MicroComb to cut through your stubble more effectively 3D APPROACH The FlexBall technology allows the shave cartridge to move in three planes of movement, increasing contact with the skin and reducing your chances of missing patches Unless you’re some sort of untamable grooming maverick, the chances are that if you shave, you shave in the morning. And unless you are one of those rare and irritating people who leap out of bed, full of joy and vigour, there’s an equally good chance that you are still half-asleep during the whole facial de-fuzz process. If that is the case, reach for Gillette’s updated Fusion razor. It has strategically placed cooling technology on its lubricating strips…

When, in 2015, US-based fitness and fashion enthusiast Stan Cheung was looking for gym wear that would both perform well and look stylish, he wasn’t happy with the options. “I was on the search for comfortable essentials that could be worn for a workout, going out for coffee, attending meetings or even going out to lunch. I ended up taking my existing gym clothes to the tailor to have them re-engineered. I couldn’t find what I was looking for so I decided to make it myself.” The result was EYSOM (which stands for Exercise Your State Of Mind), a new athleisure label that specialises in, as Cheung says, “taking true performance gym wear and making it versatile enough to wear anywhere while looking elegant and stylish.” The new collection –…

Andy Goldstein “The turning point was when I went to the darts. I had ten pints and a hot dog, and on the way home I had six nuggets, two hamburgers and large fries, and didn’t think anything of it” Jamie Theakston “When you’re 6ft 4in your height can hide a multitude of sins, but at the end of last year I was struggling to fit into anything I could buy off the peg. I had a 38in waist” Anyone who works in an office knows the temptations of the 4pm biscuit run, the Friday doughnut round and the swift post-work half. As it turns out, things aren’t much different in a radio booth: except that the volume gets turned up. “There’s always some kind of ‘week’ on,” says Jamie…

You’ve heardof theSirtDiet onewayor another, even if you don’t recognise the name. In news reports, it’s presented as the plan that lets you eat chocolate and drink red wine, drop kilos in days, look like a supermodel and feel like a superhero. On Instagram, it’s the thing UFC featherweight champ Conor McGregor does – the Irishman took a selfie while reading up on it (caption: “I’m eating like a king these days”) a few days before the first of his two big 2016 fights against Nate Diaz and scooped an above-average 116,000 likes. To Cosmo readers it’s what Jodie Kidd and Adele do – and, of course, to naysayers it’s just the latest fad, another calorie-restriction-and-juice scam that’s making promises it can’t possibly keep. But the fact is, there’s a…

After squats… the “no money” drill Stand up straight with your arms out in front of you, palms up. Then rotate your arms out to your sides – the “no money” gesture – to stretch your pecs and strengthen your external rotators. After press-ups… the wall slide Stand with your back against a wall with your hands up, elbows and forearms against the brickwork. Slide your arms up, then down, maintaining contact with the wall without arching your back. After pull-ups…the Spider-Man reach Take a big lunge forward to stretch your hips. Plant both hands inside your lead foot, then twist towards the ceiling and reach up with one arm. On the next step, switch to the other side.…

The Outside View All that intensity doesn’t come without issues. “The problem I have with CrossFit’s gymnastic elements is that the sole focus seems to be on the volume of repetition with little regard for control, body alignment or required strength,” says calisthenics specialist Darren Onyejekwe (see p64). “Kipping pull-ups and muscle-ups, handstand walking with massively extended spines and wall-assisted handstand press-ups where the legs are thrown up into the air to generate momentum to make the movement easier… Once you combine these movements with fatigue and a competitive environment it’s a recipe for disaster.” The lesson? Build up to them properly. What is it? A fitness company, exercise style and competitive sport, incorporating elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics and strongman. Strict CrossFitters might follow the…

The Outside View It’s a pretty niche sport – and rife with infighting – but fun. “Powerlifting seems fairly misunderstood but can be a great entry into weight training generally,” says Olympic lifting coach Alex Adams (see p60). “As long as powerlifting programmes have enough variety they don’t do you any harm. Problems arise when you become too specialist and only do the competitive lifts.” What is it? Technically, it actually means competing in the Big Three lifts (bench, deadlift and squat) – it isn’t considered good form to call yourself a powerlifter if you just train in them. The sport comes in “raw” (just T-shirt and shorts) and “equipped” varieties, the latter allowing knee and elbow wrapping, alongside spring-loaded suits that provide a hefty degree of assistance. What is…

400g palm sugar 1tbsp fresh lemon juice 200g thinly sliced shallot (4–6 large shallots) 1 dried hot red chilli 3 star anise 1 cinnamon stick 2tsp freshly ground black pepper 120ml Thai fish sauce 1 In a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, combine the palm sugar, lemon juice and 4tbsp water and bring to the boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until it begins to reach an amber colour after about 20 minutes (watch the pan carefully, because caramel can go from pale to burnt in seconds). 2 Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the shallots, chilli, star anise, cinnamon stick and black pepper. Whisk in the…

There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of porridge on a cold morning – or a warm morning, for that matter, because the oaty breakfast is pretty much the healthiest way you can start your day. It’s packed with slow-release carbohydrates to fuel you up, not to mention protein to build muscle and keep you feeling full (plus an extra hit from the milk). It’s ready in minutes – in fact, you can do it in the microwave if even the simple method below is too much of a faff for you - and you can top it with almost anything you like for bonus health points. INGREDIENTS 50g porridge oats 200ml milk 1tbsp manuka honey 2tbsp pecan nuts, halved Handful of blueberries TO MAKE Put the milk and oats in…

When Shaun Stafford was forced to hang up his rugby boots because of a career-ending injury, he turned his focus from training for performance to training for physique. And he hasn’t looked back. In the six years since, his dedication has built a body that’s been rewarded with not one but two World Beauty, Fitness and Fashion (WBFF) titles. Discover his training, diet and recovery secrets so you too can make big changes to how you look with your top off. IN ASSOCIATION WITH…

How to do it 1 Start with the first triset, which works your biceps, beginning with 1A. Complete all the reps then move straight on to 1B, do all the reps, then move straight on to 1C. 2 After the final rep of 1C, rest for 90 seconds, then go back to the start. Repeat this pattern until you have done all three sets of the biceps tri-set. 3 Once you’ve completed the first tri-set and rested for 90 seconds, move on to the second tri-set, which works your triceps. Follow the exact same pattern, only resting after move 2C. Tri-set 1 Biceps 1A DUMBBELL BICEPS CURL Sets 3 Reps 12 Tempo 2111 Rest 0sec Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Curl the weights up, keeping your elbows…

There’s a lot to be said for youthful enthusiasm, but it’s no substitute for the experience that comes with age. That’s especially true in sports nutrition, which is strewn with upstarts – there are more brands, products and high-flying claims than you could ever count. Optimum Nutrition is different. Founded in 1986, it’s spent three decades helping athletes achieve “True Strength” through innovation, invention and attention to detail, making groundbreaking products that are as easy to use as they are effective. ON’s Gold Standard 100% Whey is already recognised as the world’s best-selling whey protein, and while you’re in the gym, the guys at ON are still in the lab: Gold Standard Pre-Workout and Gold Standard BCAA powder, both recently launched, are helping athletes and amateurs alike hit new PBs…

MEET THE EXPERT Ashton Turner is the co-founder of Evolve 353 gym in London (evolve353.com). He has worked with clients across multiple training disciplines including kettlebells, Olympic lifting, strength and conditioning and Pilates. Bodyweight moves are great for developing a foundation of abdominal size and strength – but if you want to sculpt a rock-solid six-pack, you’ll need to start adding resistance. One of the most effective tools for the job is a kettlebell. “I use kettlebells for abs moves because they’re versatile,” says Ashton Turner from London’s Evolve 353 gym. “Single-sided moves make you unbalanced so your body has to work harder to keep you stable. Any overhead move, like a windmill, will also require good core strength to stabilise your spine.” HOW TO DO IT Do three sets…

Pick a med ball at a weight that allows you to perform all the exercises explosively – the main aim here is to develop speed When you think of explosive power, your first thought is likely of sprinters or strongmen who need to move a weight (or themselves) from point A to point B as quickly as they can. But building explosive power won’t just make you faster or stronger, it will also help you build more lean muscle mass in less time. That’s because the quicker and harder you can contract a muscle, the more weight you can lift, and the more tension you can place upon it both during the concentric (lifting) part of a rep as well as the eccentric (lowering) part too. Fortunately, improving your explosiveness…