Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Men's Fitness UK

Welcome to the new issue of Men’s Fitness. To help you get more out of your life without having to make major changes to the way you live, we’ve introduced a new section to the mag this month. It’s called Fast Track and it’s been created to distil all the latest and best information and insight from our stable of world-leading experts into simple advice you can put into place today. Once you do you’ll be training more efficiently and eating more effectively, whatever your health and fitness objectives. You’ll also find tips on how to work, sleep and live smarter, putting you on the fast track to fulfilling your potential in every important area of your life. The new section begins on p29 with a belly-blasting kettlebell circuit, which…

A few squares of dark chocolate every day won’t just satisfy your sweet tooth and prevent you from eating less healthy snacks – new research says it will also improve your athletic performance. Amateur cyclists given 40g of dark chocolate a day used less oxygen than a group given 40g of white chocolate when cycling at a moderate pace, and covered a greater distance over a two-minute all-out time trail, according to research published in the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition. It’s thought compounds in dark chocolate called epicatechins, a type of flavanol, increase nitric oxide production in the body. This has the effect of dilating blood vessels and reducing oxygen consumption to help you go faster for longer. It’s a similar effect that comes from drinking…

You know you’re supposed to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day for a healthier body. Yet hitting – and exceeding if possible –- your daily veg target is just as important for your mental health as it is for your physical health, according to a study of more than 60,000 people. Research in the British Medical Journal Open found that people who ate five to seven servings of veg a day had a 12% lower risk of suffering from stress than those who ate none or one, measured over a two-year period. However, fruit intake had no impact on stress.…

There are some elements of getting a cover model look that are easier than others. The washboard abs take a fair amount of work, but there’s at least one thing you can do – courtesy of an insider tip – that requires zero effort. You see, on every MF cover shoot, we apply Kiehl’s Creme de Corps to the models because “it gives the skin a healthy glow”, according to MF make-up artist Laura Tucker. “It drives me mad when you can see a model has been oiled up,” she says. “But this product isn’t too shiny so it works well with camera flash. It’s quite generous – a little goes a long way – so rub it into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and disperse…

This two-move, whole-body workout challenge will make you stronger, torch fat and improve your cardio fitness in just 15 minutes. It uses the concept of a workout ladder, where you do one rep of an exercise then two reps and so on until you get to ten. The twist is that the reps of one move ascend while the reps of the other descend. You start by doing ten thrusters (see p30 for form guides) then one rep of the press-up rows. You then do nine thrusters and two press-up rows and so on until you do one thruster and ten press-up rows. It’s simple to describe but tough to complete. “The thrusters are probably going to feel harder so it’s good to get most of them done when you’re…

Imagine prepping just one lot of healthy, tasty, muscle-building protein-rich food like chicken, pork or beef, then turning that into a week’s worth of meals that take almost no planning, very few ingredients and – after the first day – no more than 15 minutes to make. Impossible? Not when you use these simple suggestions from chef, author and TV personality James Briscione…

1 SUNDAY COOK UP A BIG RUMP ROAST Season a 2.25kg silverside with salt and pepper, then sear in a casserole on the stove. Add some beef stock and roast at 170°C/ gas 3 till the internal temp is 63°C (about 40 minutes). Simmer the roast juice in a pan with some soy sauce till it thickens. Carve some slices and serve with the gravy, steamed broccoli and brown rice or quinoa. SMART MOVE Save time by buying fresh broccoli florets rather than a whole head. They’re a bit pricier, but don’t need chopping. 2 MONDAY ADD IT TO A VEG AND GRAIN BOWL In a bowl, mix a can of chickpeas, chopped cucumbers and spring onions, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and instant couscous. Cube some beef, steam (our choice)…

So there are just eight weeks, or maybe even six or four, until you fly off to hotter climes. It’s not time to panic, but it is time to cast aside all your nobler aspirations – that double-bodyweight deadlift, the human flag, the flexibility routine you’re definitely going to get around to – in favour of looking good in a group beach photo. Maybe it’s hit home that your T-shirts have been hiding a stubborn belly since Christmas, or maybe you’re planning on hitting the beach volleyball court in style. Whatever your starting point, training smart for the final few weeks before a holiday can make a big difference – and even if you’re hitting the mojitos hard on the sun loungers, it’ll lay foundations you can build on when…

The kettlebell is often overlooked as a training tool because it has a reputation for being difficult to use. While it’s true that you need to use it properly in order to avoid injury and get the training benefits, it actually makes some key fat loss-boosting movements more accessible than, say, barbell versions of the same exercise. Kettlebell swings and cleans, for example, are relatively simple ways of developing the dynamic hip thrust found in Olympic lifting movements, which are hard to master. They also let you harness the big muscles in your posterior chain (the ones on the back of your body) to help you get lean and improve your posture and mobility, so you’ll be able to attack your workouts and get the maximum benefit from your time…

To build bigger arms, you need to make these muscles work harder than they’ve ever worked before. And that’s exactly what this month’s four-week workout will do to help you add lean size and muscular strength to your biceps and triceps. In this plan you will directly work your arm muscles twice a week, double the amount of training time they get under most gym plans. It also exploits different sets and rep-range strategies to fully push your arms to their limit. You’ll also work all your other major muscle groups once a week so after just 28 days you will have built a bigger, stronger and leaner physique while adding serious size to your upper arms to fill out those T-shirt sleeves. HERE’S HOW THE PLAN WORKS This month’s…

You might need a strong coffee first thing to get you going, but too many later in the day could be affecting how well you sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, but with one in five us always feeling “unusually tired”, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, it seems lots of us aren’t getting enough shut-eye. And too much coffee might be the problem. In healthy adults caffeine has a half-life (the time it takes for half a dose to be metabolised) of 5.7 hours, according to the American Journal Of Clinical Pathology. So having a cup of filter coffee with around 140mg of caffeine at 4pm means that there’s still 70mg in your system at around 9.45pm, when you’re getting ready to wind…

The next time a triple chocolate birthday cake, a packet of biscuits or a tray of doughnuts lands near your desk and you feel your previously cast-iron willpower start to weaken, threatening to derail your fat-loss efforts, get up immediately and go and drink a big glass of water to quash your sweet-treat temptation. That’s the findings of a study, published in the Food, Culture & Society journal, which found that when faced with high-calorie snacks office workers were more empowered to decline politely if they had just made a perceived “healthy” nutrition decision, such as drinking water. The only exception is if it’s your birthday cake, then you have to have a slice. It’s rude otherwise. 49% To build lean muscle and…

Tidy your workspace Pile up those papers because working at a clean desk can help you build a lean body. Subjects were asked to complete a series of questionnaires at either a tidy or messy desk space and then afterwards offered either an apple or a chocolate bar, according to research in the Psychological Science journal. Those who’d worked at an organised desk were more likely to take the fruit, whereas those sat at an untidy one were more likely to pick up the sweets. Keep sweets out of sight When you can clearly see sweet treats you’re far more likely to snack on them without realising how much you’re eating, leading to a higher intake of nutritionally-void calories than you realise. That’s the finding of a study published in…

Whether you want to build a bigger and stronger physique, or a leaner and more defined body, the biggest obstacle to staying on course often comes when you’re out and about for extended periods and there’s nothing healthy at hand. Carry these three snacks and you’ll never get caught short again when hunger strikes. 1 / Nuts A small handful from a bag of mixed nuts provides energy-giving good fats, as well as fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. 2 / Eggs A couple of precooked eggs (boiled, not scrambled) are an ideal high-protein snack, with a dose of omega 3 fats and vitamin D. 3 / Rice cakes Rice cakes are a far healthier choice than crisps –they’re high in fibre but low in fat and sugar calories, as well…

STAY AWAKE If you arrive at your destination and it’s still daylight there, try to resist the temptation to nap. If you must nap, force yourself to get up before the sun sets. Splash cold water on your face and head outside for some fresh air. MAKE A PLAN Go out with friends – this will give you an incentive to resist cuddling back into that warm, inviting bed. They will be eager to see you. Don’t let them down. EXERCISE As counterintuitive as it may seem, nothing wakes the body up more than a good 30-45 minutes of heart-pumping cardio action. If you work out during the day, when night-time comes you will have a much more restful sleep. DRINK LOTS OF WATER And that means LOTS. The urge…

On first glance, Joe Manganiello and Pee-wee Herman make for strange comrades. On second and third glance, too. The hirsute, muscle-bound actor and the weedy, bow-tied creation of comedian Paul Reubens? But this odd-couple pairing makes for big laughs in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, the new Netflix film in which the two star. And they’re not just screen buddies – they’ve been real-life friends since meeting at an Emmy party in 2011. Manganiello was thrilled to meet one of his childhood heroes – he grew up watching Pee-wee TV specials and movies – and Reubens is just as delighted to know him. “What I love about Joe so much is that he’s this amazing-looking guy, 6ft 5in, and he’s on the cover of Men’s Fitness,” Reubens says, “but when you peel…

The Zero Sugar Diet, is a healthy, tasty, easy-to-follow eating plan – created by David Zinczenko, the former editorial director of our sister publication in the US – designed to bring your hormones into balance, assist liver function and take away food cravings while delivering rapid weight loss. Generally speaking, it works by doing one thing very, very effectively: drastically lowering your sugar consumption while boosting your fibre intake. The Zero Sugar Diet requires lots of whole foods like fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains; lean, healthy, satisfying, sugar-free foods like eggs, turkey, chicken and fish; and just the right amount of sugar-free good fats, like guacamole. The dishes here – a sampling of a full day’s worth of food found in the Zero Sugar Diet book – replace simple carbs…

1 SUNDAY ROAST TWO JUICY WHOLE CHICKENS To have enough chicken for the week, roast two birds at once. Rub both with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Stuff one with halved lemons and the other with fresh thyme and a head of garlic cut in half. Roast at 190°C/ gas 5 till the thighs register 75°C on your meat thermometer (50–60 minutes). Carve one breast and serve with rice or quinoa and fresh spinach sautéed with garlic and onion. SMART MOVE Buy loads of spinach, make extra rice, and chop a ton of garlic and onion to use all week. 2 MONDAY TOSS IT INTO A VEGGIE RICE BOWL Cook some brown rice – it’s high in fibre and filling, with a nutty flavour, and you…

Motivation-rich and time-poor? If your workmates take a dim view of extended lunchtime workouts, then supersets are the solution. By combining two, three or four moves at once you’ll work harder and improve your results in less time. The key? Doing more moves doesn’t always mean bigger gains, depending on your aims. Here are the four main types you should think about. ANTAGONISTIC SUPERSETS What are they? Supersets that work a muscle and then its opposite number. The biceps-triceps double is a classic, since it’s fairly easy to do, but chest-back and quad-hamstring supersets also work. What are they good for? They’re a time-saver, but there’s another bonus: thanks to an effect known as reciprocal innervation, as one muscle group works the other (antagonistic) group relaxes, improving recovery. There’s also…

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Think skipping is just for boxers and little girls? Then you’re missing out on an any time, any place exercise that can work wonders for your physique and performance. Skipping burns around the same number of calories per minute as running but has far less impact on your muscles, joints and tendons, making it a low-impact form of high-intensity cardio. It can also improve your balance and co-ordination – that’s what happened to footballers who added it to their training, according to the Journal Of Sports Science Medicine. The beauty of skipping is it requires just one cheap bit of kit (plus a little space) and it can be adapted to fit any training plan. Do it as a warm-up before a cardio or weights session, or between sets to…

1 Hands back Start each rep with your hands holding a dumbbell behind your body with arms fully straight. Doing so will help you remember to keep your elbow joints in a fixed position so that your biceps muscles have to do all the lifting. 2 Squeeze at the top At the top of the rep, pause and hold the weight in position, then squeeze your biceps hard. This will maximise the tension on the muscles and so recruit more fibres to manage the weight. It will also increase the amount of blood in your biceps to promote a bigger pump. 3 Go down slow Take between two and four seconds to lower the weights back to the start. Why so slow? Your muscles are stronger when lowering a weight…

1 Go for greens Leafy greens such as spinach and kale are high in lutein, a carotenoid that accumulates in the brain, embedding itself in cell membranes to play a protective role, according to findings published in the journal Frontiers In Aging Neuroscience. 2 Solve puzzles Playing a puzzle game can improve your ability to solve problems quickly in real life, according to a study by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Physics-based smartphone app games proved the best. 3 Eat more fish Omega 3 fatty acids have a pivotal role in improving learning and memory and lower the risk of many mental disorders including depression and dementia, according to research from UCLA. Top sources include oily fish and nuts. 4 Train with intensity The healthier your heart the better your…

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If you want to become a lean machine then start eating more beans. A single daily serving of legumes can contribute to both weight loss and reduced cholesterol levels, according to research in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition. This is thanks to beans’ high protein and fibre content, which help promote feelings of fullness to make those vending-machine Quavers less appetising. Try this quick and easy ten-minute meal that’s packed with three types of beans and beat the snack attacks. EAT THIS THREE-BEAN SALAD The combination of three beans in this salad gives you a low-GI carbohydrate source, so you get slow-release energy rather than falling asleep at your desk mid-afternoon (which never goes down well with the boss). The kidney and mung beans also pack an impressive veggie…

To work your muscles more effectively when bench pressing, and make greater gains, it’s vital to focus on correct form – as explained over these pages. If you want to bench heavier, though, these three exercises will help you by strengthening some of the key supporting muscles that work with the chest to lift and lower the bar. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS You have to lift lighter than with a bar, but training each side of your body independently helps ensure one side isn’t taking on more of a challenge than the other, giving you more balanced strength when you get back under the bar. DUMBBELL TRICEPS EXTENSION In any big lift you’re only ever as strong as your weakest link, and neglecting your triceps can severely hamper your big bench…

1 SUNDAY COOK UP A BIG PORK ROAST Rub the loin with a mix of garlic, rosemary, thyme and sage or black pepper, and put it in a casserole with apple and red onion wedges. Roast till the internal temp is 63°C (about 45 minutes) – the centre will be pink and the meat juicy and ready to eat. Carve and serve with sautéed asparagus and quinoa. SMART MOVE Buy enough asparagus for a few meals. To keep it fresh, stand it in a glass with 5cm water, cover loosely and refrigerate. 2 MONDAY PACK IT INTO CHEESY QUESADILLAS Chop red onion, tomatoes and chillies, mix and leave to marinate for five minutes. Add sautéed mushrooms, chopped courgette and canned pinto beans. Heat two tortillas in a nonstick pan, then…