Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Men's Fitness UK

Staying healthy, for most people, is a confusing business. Blame the 24-hour news cycle, the rise of ‘clickable content’ or whatever else you like – the relentless info-barrage of conflicting advice often leads to what I’ve literally just decided to call ‘fit-igue’, that weird state of apathy characterised by going, ‘Oh, well, they change their minds every two weeks, don’t they? They’ll probably decide cake’s healthy next.’ Then inhaling a Victoria sponge. Well, no. They don’t change their minds every two weeks. Among those who take it seriously, the principles – eat more veg and protein, move about a bit more, don’t inhale cake – are pretty well established. And that’s where Joe Wicks comes in. Although there’s a touch of Che Guevara about his haircut, his fitness ideas aren’t…

No-one puts ‘predictable’ on their dating profile, but getting into good habits is worth it. A new study from Iowa State University shows that a routine is easier to stick to if linked to specific cues. Rather than pledging to go to the gym every other day and then beating yourself up if you don't, instead cycle to work if it’s sunny or hit the gym before visiting the pub. The European Journal Of Social Psychology says that it takes 66 days to form a habit. So pick your cues, be militant for two months and make exercise a Pavlovian response, not a chore.…

How about a refreshing can of fizzy… poison? That’s a bit dramatic, but a new study in the journal Circulation claims sugary drinks could be responsible for up to 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide. The British Medical Association reacted by saying a 20% tax should be added to all sugar-filled beverages and used to subsidise fresh fruit and veg. Not a bad idea, but an even better one is not to drink any. And it’s not just Coke and the like – sugar lurks in more drinks than you probably think, so follow our guide for a serious upgrade to your drinking habits.…

Y-HANDCUFFS REPS 10 Lie with your feet raised and arms in front. Bring your hands to your lower back with palms up, and push your elbows up. KNEELING THORACIC EXTENSION-ROTATION REPS 10 EACH SIDE Kneel, put a hand behind your head and rotate down and across till the elbow hits the opposite knee. Return, rotating as far behind as you can. PRONE BAND SHOULDER ROTATION REPS 10 Lie with a resistance band taut in both hands with arms extended. Move the band over your head and down to the base of your back.…

Most ‘rugged’ portable speakers are like school bullies: noisy, unpleasant to listen to and not as tough as they think they are. The Fugoo Tough, on the other hand, not only sounds beautiful but it can also survive environments that would make Ray Mears look for the nearest Airbnb. It’s sandproof, snowproof and waterproof, and has been tested for drops up to 183cm. It also makes all types of music sound lovely thanks to its two tweeters, two woofers and two passive radiators (for the non-audiophiles, these help distinguish the high-, mid- and low-range frequencies to make all music sound exactly as it should). There are mounts available to attach it to just about anything, while support for Siri and Google Now mean you can get weather updates while mountain…

You’ve probably heard that soy is bad for men. You might have even heard that it spikes your oestrogen levels with disastrous, moob-sprouting results. But the truth behind the myths is this: the two most thorough clinical studies on the effects of soy on male hormones – published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Loma Linda University in California – found that it caused no adverse effects whatsoever. What’s more, new research suggests that in addition to helping you build muscle, eating this veggie- and vegan-friendly protein source could actually help expose your six-pack. A study from the Institute of Biomedical Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico found that it helped to decrease high glucose levels in participants’ blood and reduce fat storage. Sound good? Get…

1 BCAA BCAA 2:1:1 Multipower’s BCAA 2:1:1 provides leucine, valine and isoleucine to stimulate protein synthesis before, during and after intense workouts. Take 10g before and after training to boost muscle building and improve energy delivery. www.multipower.com 2 PRE-WORKOUT MUSCLE BOMB® The active ingredients in Muscle Bomb® – 24,500mg in each 30g serving – are specifically chosen for their role in maximising performance. Available in both caffeinated and caffeine-free varieties. 600g (40 servings). www.reflex-nutrition.com 3 WHEY PROTEIN DIET WHEY The very best ingredients to aid your weight loss goals! Diet Whey is made using a blend of the finest protein sources available. With 80% whey protein concentrate as well as milk protein concentrate, each serving has 30g of premium protein and just 3g of…

THE COACH Mishal Dasani THE PLAN ‘Instead of reps, doing each exercise for time will help you focus on good form,’ says Dasani. ‘Only add weight plates to the bar if your form is good and you find it too easy.’ WEEK 1 SETS 3 TIME 30SEC REST 90SEC WEEK 2 SETS 3 TIME 30SEC REST 60SEC WEEK 3 SETS 3 TIME 45SEC REST 90SEC WEEK 4 SETS 3 TIME 45SEC REST 60SEC If your gym vocab needs a reboot, landmines – slightly distastefully – are those swivelling things for slotting a bar into, lurking in the corners of your gym. Haven’t got one? Angle a barbell into a corner or a weight plate on the floor and execute these moves back to back to build a lean…

SURF BROAD Wide-grip pull-ups will give you an enviable V-shaped torso and develop all the key upper back muscles needed to paddle hard. ‘Every day I aim to do four sets of ten,’ says Cotton. POP STARTS Cotton does ten pop-ups during TV ad breaks and hones his pop-up reactions by jumping up when his toast pops up. ‘It helps it become ingrained so it’s instinctive out on the water.’ FLAT RELIEF A flat swell is the time to hone paddling efficiency. ‘Treat it like running intervals. Do 30 seconds flat-out, with a minute’s rest, ten times. This mimics the effort needed when big waves arrive.’…

Fell is an old name for a hill in the north of England, and fell races usually go to the top of one, then back down again. That sounds simple (races can be as short as 45 minutes) but it’s actually as brutal as a barrel-load of chainsaws. The terrain is rough, the gradient unfriendly, and your quads and calves will shriek, but it’ll get you in shape to tackle any running challenge. I’ve been fell running for a couple of years and I’ve finished in a few top fives, including the Welsh 1,000m Peaks Race (32km with 2,678m of ascent), as well as completing the South Wales Traverse (118km across 31 summits over 600m with 5,000m of ascent). Here’s how to conquer the hills. ON THE UP Running steeply…

JOE DEFRANCO PERFORMANCE ENHANCER DeFranco’s Gym in Texas is, simply, where you go if you want to improve. DeFranco himself is known for his hugely impressive ability to get the most out of athletes at any stage of their career, from coaching NFL hopefuls through the punishing combine test to helping WWE legend Triple H get stronger in his 40s. Read his advice on p30. ANDREW COTTON TIDE RIDER Cotton towed Garrett McNamara out to surf the official Guinness World Record 78ft (23.7m) wave off Portugal in 2012. When McNamara returned the favour, Cotton caught a wave generally agreed to be even bigger – but sadly, the Guinness bods weren’t present to make it official. Find out how he trains for these feats on p125. DAVID JACKSON MINDSET MASTER Former…

Throw caution to the wind Snowkiting is simple to explain: put your skis on, hold on to a kite and let the wind do the work. That doesn’t mean it’s simple to do, though – misjudge the wind and you can be in for a bumpy ride. It’s a tough sport and the Red Bull Ragnarok is the hardest race to test your skills in. Photographer Mats Grimsæth used a wide-angle lens to include as many of the kites in the shot as possible. ‘The sharp light of the sun was the biggest challenge with this photo,’ says Grimsæth. ‘I had to factor in the fact it would bounce off the snow and fill the shadows.’ Don’t be fooled by the serenity of the image – just four out of…

BEST FOR… BURNING FAT TWENTYFOUR VIRGIN ACTIVE HIIT’s the name of the game, in a 24-minute session focused on ‘functional’ movements – bending, squatting, pushing, pulling, twisting and lunging. BEST FOR… SPORTS PERFORMANCE TEAM GB PRO ATHLETE FITNESS FIRST Cooked up by Team GB athletes and coaches, this 40-minute session targets every aspect of your performance, particularly agility, endurance, speed, power and strength. BEST FOR… BUILDING MUSCLE PRIMAL STRENGTH LA FITNESS This strongman-inspired class uses old-school kit such as medicine balls, sandbags and kettlebells to build strength and power. Roaring is most definitely encouraged.…

IRON RISKS Anaemia RDA 8.7mg for men FORTIFIED SOURCES Flour, cereal (if consumed with a source of vitamin C) NATURAL SOURCE 600g spinach VITAMIN D RISKS Osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis RDA 400IU in US (no RDA in UK) FORTIFIED SOURCES Bread, fortified milk, margarine, cereal NATURAL SOURCE 100g salmon MAGNESIUM RISKS Bone mass loss, low energy RDA 300mg for men FORTIFIED SOURCE Cereal NATURAL SOURCE 70g pumpkin seeds VITAMIN B12 RISKS Osteoporosis, anaemia RDA 0.0015mg FORTIFIED SOURCES Milk, cereal, yeast products NATURAL SOURCE 100g tuna…

HERSCHEL BLACK LITTLE AMERICA £85 topman.com Classic looks belie the Herschel’s practicality. A roomy bag made from thick canvas, it encourages airflow to your back and has a padded laptop sleeve. TYLT ENERGI+ £160 onpointuk.com A removable battery with three USB slots and a cable tidy system mean the Energi+ turns you into a walking gadget holder with no power worries. MONEY SUPER TONE £60 moneyclothing.com Large yet lightweight, this brightly-coloured pack combines urban swagger with simple design. Loops on the sides let you carry a cap without bending it out of shape. TRAKKE KRUKKE £220 trakke.co.uk That’s a lot to spend, but you shouldn’t ever need another backpack. Handmade from waxed cotton with solid steel buckles, the Krukke could outlast you. DAINES & HATHAWAY CANVAS £145 pittardsonline.com More British…

THE EXPERT ‘People are bombarded by so many dental health products, with the most fantastic claims,’ says Arjinder Chohan, principal dentist at Tavistock Dental & Facial Care London ( tavistockdental.co.uk ). ‘A dental professional is best placed to to help you pick the products that will benefit you the most.’ HOW IMPORTANT IS FLOSSING? ‘If you want to do the best you can for your teeth, flossing is it,’ dentist Arjinder Chohan says. Studies have shown it’s the most effective way to prevent gum disease and bad breath. PHILIPS SONICARE AIRFLOSS PRO £60 johnlewis.com Pressurised air and fluid (either water or mouthwash) clean between your teeth – perfect if flossing freaks you out or consistently makes your gums bleed. ORAL-B SATIN TAPE £2…

Noodles don’t have the best track record in British cuisine – Pot variety included – but with some Asian inspiration, they can easily form the basis of a nutritious, fat-burning meal. Case in point: this Thai-influenced prawn noodle salad recipe, provided by Michelin-starred chef Adam Gray, which combines lean, protein-rich prawns with low-GI glass noodles to fuel your fat-loss workouts and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Adam Gray is executive chef at Skylon in London ( skylon-restaurant.co.uk ) PREP TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 10 minutes per portion CALORIES 528 PROTEIN 30g CARBS 68g FAT 17g INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2) 200g glass noodles / 1 carrot, peeled and cut into fine strips / 1 cucumber, cut into fine strips…

‘What if you never had to worry about food again?’ asks the website for Soylent, a powdered meal-replacement drink that claims to provide ‘all the essential nutrients required to fuel the human body’ while also saving you time and money. Launched as a start-up by Silicon Valley software engineer Rob Rhinehart in 2013, Soylent has proven to be a wildly successful concept, attracting $20 million in investment earlier this year to cope with huge demand. It’s also inspired rival companies such as Joylent (a European take, mixed according to Soylent’s open-source recipe) and the UK-based – and more fitness-minded – Huel. But can one gloopy processed drink really provide all the macro- and micronutrients your body needs? ALL IN ONE Of all the brands in this newly emerging market, Huel…

1 PROTEIN PORRIDGE MUSCLE FOOD Boring old bland-tasting porridge is no more! New Strawberry & Apple and Apple & Cinnamon flavour Protein Porridge smash any other porridge flavours on the market. This product is free-range and sugar-free. www.musclefood.com 2 PROTEIN SMOOTHIE MULTIPOWER With 26g of protein and just 142 calories in every 330ml bottle, the Protein Smoothie will support your weight loss or muscle maintenance regime. In Orange/ Mango and Raspberry/Blueberry flavours, it’s a perfect post-workout shake or healthy treat. www.multipower.com 3 PROTEIN FLAPJACK R-BAR R-BAR is a bar of unrivalled quality, incorporating nutritionally uncompromised ingredients. It provides the finest milk protein, wholegrain oats, rapeseed oil and natural flavours, with no palm oil, glucose syrup or GMO ingredients. £19.99 for 12 x 70g bars.…

THE TALK TEST Use these perceived-effort guidelines with the table on the right to gauge how hard to push on your training runs LEVEL 6 Easy, can speak in complete sentences LEVEL 7 Able to hold a conversation LEVEL 8 Able to speak in short sentences LEVEL 9 Able to say 4-5 words maximum LEVEL 10 Able to say 2-3 words maximum As Christopher McDougall’s best-seller Born To Run explains, man was made to move. And a 10K race is the perfect place to start. Training runs won’t over-stress your body, you’ll challenge your aerobic system and muscular endurance to keep going and the distance is just short enough for a sprint finish. Check out runbritain.com  to find a 10K race near you or…

ANDREW COTTON Age 35 Height 180cm Weight 82kg Achievements • 2014 Rides 25m (80ft) wave at Nazaré, Portugal • 2012, 2014 Shortlisted for Biggest Wave at the Billabong XXL awards – the surfing world’s Oscars Imagine sprinting flat-out for 100m, holding your breath for half a minute, taking a frantic second to gasp one breath, then holding it again for another 30 seconds and never knowing when that’s going to stop. That’s how big-wave surfer Andrew Cotton describes the physical duress he puts his body through every time he heads out hunting a giant to ride. And that doesn’t even account for the impact his body has to endure when crushed by an eight-storey-high wave collapsing on top of him. ‘It’s like being hit by a truck,’ he says, when…

THE COACH Andrew Wiseman is a strength and conditioning coach at Six3Nine (six3nine.com). Having coached at clubs including Chelsea and West Ham United, he’s worked with a range of players from academy level to full internationals. THE GOAL ‘Football is a high-intensity, intermittent sport with a need for a multitude of physical qualities such as strength, power, agility and speed, alongside core stability,’ says Wiseman. ‘Footballers work in all planes of motion, using every part of their bodies in harmony, and I look to strengthen players all over to make them stronger and more robust to resist injury. These exercises build the qualities required to play the game, giving you the edge on the pitch.’ THE WORKOUT ‘These exercises will help you to build a foundation of strength, increase leg…

RUNNING UPHILL ‘Be economical. If you put in too much effort at the base of the hill you’ll have nothing left for the top and the downhill. Keep your stride short and light, driving with your arms at your side like pistons. Walking can be just as quick on steep climbs.’ RUNNING DOWNHILL ‘Lean slightly back, bend your knees and rock back onto your heels. Keep your arms out to the sides to act as stabilisers – you might feel like a gorilla, but it works. Keep relaxed so you don’t lock your quads up, and let gravity take over.’ TOUGHEN UP ‘Hill running needs strong muscles, ligaments and tendons. Standing on one leg for as long as you can helps – doing it on a wobble board will strengthen…

HIGH-END Inov-8 Race Ultra Shell £100 sportsshoes.com Mandatory fell race kit includes a waterproof jacket and trousers. If the weather turns nasty, you’ll depend on them. Inov-8’s new Race Ultra Shell is super-lightweight at just 125g, has taped seams (also mandatory) and allows race numbers to be seen through it. The Ultra running trousers (£70) are even lighter at just 95g. MID-RANGE Salomon S-Lab Advanced Skin 1 Belt Set £60 salomon.com/uk Bumbags are de rigueur for carrying all your kit. The Advanced Skin is comfortable, eliminates bouncing and twisting, and has lots of pockets. BUDGET SmartWool Run PhD From £10 smartwool.com Good socks cushion your toes while ventilating and wicking away sweat to deter blisters. Wool also retains warmth even if wet. These SmartWool…

LOTUS PUBLISHING COMPLETE CALISTHENICS Would you like to build awesome strength, power and athleticism? If so, read Complete Calisthenics. Learn how to perform a range of exercises, such as press-ups, pull-ups, and dips, using solely your bodyweight for resistance and relying on minimal equipment. • CONTACT  www.lotuspublishing.co.uk Order online at amazon.co.uk MEDI-EVIL We believe that Medi-Evil Berserker› is the most effective pre-workout formula in the world. Containing many advanced ingredients such as VINITROX™, it gives you both a pump and energy on another level, mental focus and recovery without jitters or a subsequent crash. Like our world-leading Fat Burner Excalibur it was designed to lead, not to follow. • CONTACT  Available now at www.medievilfatburner.com and all leading stockists HOWFIT Test your strength and fitness against the world! HowFit is an exciting new…

Max, head of digital content #wellupholstered If you’re still running barefoot, you’re behind the times – maximalist shoes, with more cushioning than traditional running footwear, are where it’s at for 2016. They’re meant to be comfy and protective, so I headed out in the summer sunshine to test a few. See the results on p44. Matt, Optimum Nutrition Upgrader #UPGRADE Coach Shaun Stafford has been helping me get ready for my first fitness physique competition. Posing in your pants is slightly less terrifying when you’ve been prepared by Shaun’s scary upper-body supersets. Find out more on p76. Matt, features writer #belikewater I headed up to Glasgow’s premier MMA gym, The Griphouse, to try out some of Reebok’s new combat gear. As good at that kit was, it still didn’t stop…

When choosing a salad, remember: Cobb is better than Caesar – and that’s proven by science. Why? Carotenoids are thought to prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, as well as boosting your immune system, and brightly coloured vegetables including tomatoes, leafy greens and peppers are simply brimming with them. However, a new study’s found that a large proportion will go unabsorbed unless you have a side serving of eggs. Join us in a minute’s silence for all the carotenoids lost over the years while we diligently munched eggless salads, and then spend the next three waiting for your soft-boiled eggs to be done – an eggs can raise the absorption rate by up to three times.…

Do each exercise for 15 seconds with a 15-second rest between moves. Do as many rounds as you can, aiming to add two rounds each week. Do it three times a week for rapid progression. PULL-UP REPS 3 MINIMUM Using an overhand grip, pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Then lower until your arms are straight. TUCKED FRONT LEVER TIME 15EC Hang from the bar using an overhand grip, with your back parallel to the floor and your knees tucked up as close to your chest as you can get them. STRAIGHT-BAR DIP REPS 3 MINIMUM Hold your body above the bar with arms locked, then lower until your chest is in line with the bar. Push back up to the start position.…

GLUCOSE CHECK ‘The first thing to address is glucose. The more you deplete that, the more your physical and mental capabilities are hampered.’ When you’re depleted, replenish with unprocessed carbs – potatoes and rice will work. QUICK RESPONSE ‘You need automatic response patterns to deal with issues. For example, if you go 30-love down in a tennis match, you should already know your response. Perhaps it’s to drag out the rallies and make your opponent run. But if you’re trying to think and play, then both will suffer.’…

1 JAYBIRD BLUEBUDS X £120 advancedmp3 players.co.uk With eight hours, these have the best battery life of all the Bluetooth earphones tested. Sound quality is also impressive and could challenge the Sennheisers’ audio crown – if the Jaybirds stayed in place long enough to enjoy it. Unfortunately any movement beyond walking soon dislodges them enough to break the seal and reduce fidelity. 2 SENNHEISER OCX 686I SPORTS £70 currys.co.uk No Bluetooth or coaching features mean a lower price and no chance of the battery dying during a workout – although the cables can get snagged, resulting in mid-exercise earphone-yank. But they won’t come out easily, thanks to adjustable wing tips that hold firm whatever size your ears. They also have the best sound of the…

DAY 1 10AM BREAKFAST Arrive at my desk, make the first Huel of the day (three scoops, half a litre of water) and down it. It smells like Play-doh but the taste isn’t unpleasant. 12PM Starting to feel slightly faint. 1PM LUNCH Definitely flagging. Another Huel helps. 4PM MID-AFTERNOON SHAKE Normally this would be biscuit time. Instead, it’s more Huel. It’s dispiriting, frankly. 7.30PM DINNER After my fourth Huel I go for a 3km run with some mini-sprints. Surviving on Huel since this morning hasn’t had a noticeable effect on my performance. I end the day craving real food, though. DAY 2 10AM BREAKFAST The first Huel of the day goes down surprisingly easily. 12PM It seems I’ve avoided yesterday’s weak feeling. I had a bit more than three scoops…

Nothing conveys strength and commands respect like a firm handshake – but it signifies more than just confidence, according to a new study published in The Lancet . The same grip strength that allows you to exude such power is also indicative of a healthy heart. The study, which assessed the grip strength of 139,000 people over four years, found it directly correlated with risk of cardiovascular mortality. Simply put, the stronger your grip, the healthier your heart. Grip strength was used as an indication of overall strength – and quite rightly. It’s typically your weakest link and the first thing to fail before your larger muscle groups when doing lifts such as deadlifts and pull-ups. So how can you boost your grip and strengthen your heart?…

For me, getting into shape has always been a fundamentally selfish activity – whether it was to live longer, lift a certain weight or make myself more attractive to the ladies, it was always about me. Having a child has changed my outlook, however. I spend a lot of time training and, as my daughter grows up, I find myself wondering if there’s a way to combine that training time with making the world a better place for her. There are always charity races, of course, but they require (a) other people to get involved via sponsorship and (b) specific event training. I just want to be able to work out while helping people and the planet. That’s what GoodGym is about. This community of runners aims to get fit…

1 SPRINT POP-UP TO RECOVERY PLANK SETS 1 REPS 10 REST 3MIN Draw two lines in the sand 10m apart. Starting on one line, sprint to the other, get down on the floor so your chest is touching the sand, then simulate a surfing pop-up to get back on your feet and sprint to the other line. Repeat this process nonstop for ten seconds then drop into a 30-second plank, focusing on big-wave recovery breaths (as Cotton explains on p130) to slow your heart rate. 2 SPRINT GET-UP TO RECOVERY SIDE PLANK SETS 1 REPS 10 REST 3MIN Follow the same process as in exercise 1 but with get-ups and side planks. For the get-up, start flat on your back, contract your core to sit up, using the momentum to…

Morgan Lloyd is a physio at Cyclefit ( cyclefit.co.uk ) and a consultant physio for Trek Factory Racing and Matrix Fitness-Vulpine, helping with pre-season injury screening for riders such as GB Olympic champion Laura Trott. It took two fractured vertebrae for Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara to pull out of this year’s Tour de France – but not before he had finished the last 48km of the stage. For the mere mortal, muscular and joint injuries are more likely to interrupt your ride – but taking these simple steps can keep you in good repair. 1 ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN ‘If your saddle’s too low or far forwards you can put pressure through the patellafemoral joint with each downward pedal stroke, wearing away the cartilage where your kneecap tracks,’ says…

MF TOP PICK SCAFELL PIKE FELL RACE, LAKE DISTRICT 19TH SEPTEMBER The race up England’s highest peak is just 7.2km in distance, but that includes a climb of 914m, so expect unpleasantness. Also Scafell Pike isn’t especially well renowned for its friendly terrain or fair weather. Time for your big boy pants. cfra.co.uk EDALE SKYLINE FELL RACE, PEAK DISTRICT MARCH 2016 Renowned for its challenging weather, this Peaks classic of almost 34km has a total ascent of 1,387m. It can be boggy, with ‘technical’ (rocky) sections and much of the route is high and exposed. dpfr.org.uk WELSH 1,000M PEAKS RACE, SNOWDONIA JUNE 2016 Long for a fell race, this gruelling 32km race takes in the five highest summits in Wales, starting at sea level…

THIS MONTH’S TRAINER DAVID LEWIS is head of personal training at London’s Embody Fitness gym and a former junior powerlifting champion with a record of 445kg (when weighing just 69kg). Follow @embodydavestrength Life can be chaotic at times so it follows you should train chaotically to prepare. Borrowing the principle from Edward Lorenz, the father of mathematical chaos theory, chaos training exposes elite athletes to the random forces they may encounter in competition. ‘While you may not train for professional sport, the ability to deal with the random nature of life – from sprinting for a bus to hauling a TV upstairs – should be a primary goal of how you exercise,’ says David Lewis of Embody Fitness ( embodyfitness.co.uk ), who devised this plan. ‘These workouts will…