Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i Men's Fitness UK

It’s a common saying in gyms everywhere: summer bodies are built in winter. If you, like many others, spent most of the first quarter of this year simply trying to stay warm instead of laying the foundations for a bigger, stronger and leaner body, you might be worried that you’ve missed your window for getting into the shape of your life for this summer. Luckily for you, there’s still plenty of time for you to transform your physique and build your best ever body. That’s thanks to our new no-nonsense muscle-building and fat-torching training plan, comprising 16 workouts over 28 days. We’ve detailed all you need to know about how to train and eat to make massive changes to how you look and feel with your shirt off, so turn…

1 KEEP THE GREENERY If you can keep it alive, of course. Research suggests that keeping a plant at your desk can boost well-being at work, while being around the colour green can improve creativity. If you’re looking for something low-maintenance that will grow with minimal light, think peace lily or philodendron – they’ll also offer you more of a screen from snack-hoovering colleagues. 2 LOSE YOUR ‘STUFF’ PILE Unless there’s a pressing need for you to have it to hand, file it – it’ll only distract you, and research published by the American Psychological Association suggests that “task switching”, or rapidly shuffling from one job to another, can make you up to 40% less efficient. If you’ve got several projects on, break up your time into 30- to 60-minute…

1 Pair up Iron from non-meat sources is easier to absorb when paired with vitamin C – so if you’re eating spinach, kale or lentils, an orange slice or handful of berries for pudding can net you up to six times the nutrients. Now that’s a-peeling (sorry). 2 Peel time Time your bananas based on your aims. Unripe ones are high in resistant starch, aiding fullness and fat loss. When ripe, they have more antioxidants, and they’re easier to mash up with an egg for some easy protein pancakes. 3 Go blue Blueberries are worth eating for their high polyphenol content – but what kind you get depends on your prep. Cooking ups phenolic acid but knocks out anthocyanins; both are valuable, so mix up your intake. 4 Get the…

Get your workout gear with added inspiration. British sporting icon and former boxing world champion Frank Bruno is the face of Souluxe, a new sportswear line by Matalan that’s designed to keep you going on your fitness journey. Bruno knows how tough it can be to stay physically and mentally healthy. He won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1995, but less than a decade later he was hospitalised with psychological problems and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “There are 24 hours in a day, so give yourself at least one hour to invest in your body, mind and soul,” Bruno says. Now a successful charity marathon runner and a high-profile spokesperson on mental health issues, Bruno has endorsed the Souluxe collection, which is designed to inspire people to stay active throughout…

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If you’re carefully sculpting your facial hair while leaving your body hair to grow into an unruly mess, then you’re getting modern grooming wrong. The new OneBlade from Philips offers a convenient way to fix your body fuzz because you can use it to trim even the most sensitive of skin areas. It has three blade lengths of 1mm, 3mm and 5mm for your face and a special trimmer for your body. £49.99 45 Minutes of battery life when the OneBlade is fully charged…

After quitting his job as a graphic designer and heading out for a trip across Australia on a longboard back in 2005, Dave Cornthwaite came up with the Expedition1000: a plan to take on 25 journeys around the world, each using a different form of non-motorised transport – and with a minimum distance of 1,000 miles. So far he’s completed 12, including a traverse of the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard, a 1,001-mile swim down the Missouri River and more than 3,000 miles of sailing across the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, he’s written three best-selling books, delivered hundreds of lectures, and created life-enhancing brand SayYesMore. And he’s still got 13,000 miles to go… What’s the adventure you’re most proud of? I’ve never been asked this! I guess I…

“Before getting to your feet make sure you are in the centre of the board with your knees either side of the carry handle,” says Hibbard. “To stand, place your hands on the board in front of you to support yourself while standing one foot at a time.” STANCE “Both feet should be facing forwards, roughly shoulder-width apart. Your legs should be slightly bent and your back straight. Try to relax and stand tall.” BASIC PADDLE TECHNIQUE “Holding the paddle with one hand on the T-Grip (top) and the other roughly a third of the way down the shaft, reach forwards and place the blade of the paddle into the water next to the rail (side) of the board. Draw the blade through the water, bringing it out at your…

James Dunmore would be the first to admit he’s best known as the boyfriend of Lucy Watson, a cast member of reality TV show Made In Chelsea between 2012 and 2016. Dunmore appeared on the show himself in 2015, but departed along with Lucy the following year. Since then, while Watson has devoted her time to her growing business, including a soon-to-open vegan restaurant in west London, Dunmore has thrown himself into fundraising work for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. His next charity challenge – a seven-day, 93km walk to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895m above sea level – takes place later this year, and his preparation’s about to get serious… James, how are you feeling about your toughest charity challenge yet? I am very excited. I signed up knowing…

EAT THE FOODS YOU LOVE No foods are banned under The SHIFT56 System. That’s because it takes an 80/20 approach to nutrition, where you eat well approximately 80% of the time. This takes the pressure off and reduces the sense of denial. USE A PERFECT PORTION APPROACH Instead of counting calories (read The SHIFT56 System book to find out why that’s a waste of time) you use a portion-led approach to meals, which means you have a huge amount of flexibility rather than having to stick to a plan. TAKE TIME TO ENJOY YOUR FOOD The SHIFT56 System encourages you to take a bit more time over your food so you can really appreciate the taste and flavour of what you’re eating. The result is higher satisfaction levels and less…

This quick-fix workout takes just ten minutes to complete and will torch a huge number of calories both during and after your session as your body tries to recover from the high-intensity work. “This is a great session that will test your grip and lower-body strength endurance,” says Olli Foxley of W10 Performance (w10performancegym.com). “The descending rep scheme will give you some light at the end of the tunnel and allows you to maintain good technique.” If you don’t have a sled in your gym you can do a farmer’s walk, where you carry dumbbells over a set distance, although you will find that particular substitution poses an even greater challenge to your grip strength. HOW TO DO IT Do 50 kettlebell swings, then push the sled for 20m. Then…

When you want to strip away body fat as quickly as possible it can be tempting to over-complicate matters by trying to do too many different things at once in a desperate bid to shift that spare tyre. But there’s only one way in which burning calories to accelerate fat loss should be complex: doing a barbell complex, which is multiple exercises done back to back using just that one piece of kit. All you need is a barbell, a little space and 15 minutes to shock your body into relinquishing its fat stores so you start to sculpt a leaner and harder body. This five-move barbell complex is so effective because it will push your heart, lungs and muscles hard in a short space of time to work up…

To develop any muscle to its fullest growth potential, you need to move through a variety of angles and use different rep ranges – and your abs are no exception. Yes, you first must shift that spare tyre for them to show, but simply getting lean doesn’t mean you’ll have a solid and sculpted six-pack. For that you need to train your upper, lower and side abs both hard and smart, which is what this circuit session will do. The first move of each tri-set works your upper abs, the second your lower abs, and the third your side abs (or obliques) to sculpt more defined muscles across your entire abdominal region. Focus on good form throughout and keep those abs engaged for the maximum muscle return. HOW TO DO…

With the first four sessions of week 1 in the bag, you may already been feeling a little stronger and lighter on your feet, which is why we are now going to up the ante to accelerate your positive body composition changes. The four workouts of the second week are similar to those of the first week. In order you’ll train chest and triceps; legs and abs; arms; and then shoulders and abs. But there are two big differences in the programme design to keep you on track. First, you’re going to do an extra set of the first and second move of each workout. Then, for the final four moves of each session, the rep count increase by two to 12. Why? Because you now know how to do…

1 Boost brain power with… booze? A headache is par for the course after too many beers, but believe it or not booze can actually improve your brain health by enhancing the process responsible for clearing toxins. There’s a catch, though… Find out more p65 2 Get a workout in the bedroom A satisfying gym session can make you feel good, but for a slightly more fun way to boost your mood – and for up to 24 hours no less – a session between the sheets can’t be beaten. And there are more benefits. Besides the obvious. Find out more p15 3 Set the record straight to add size The only way to build a better body is to follow a progressive training plan. So without recording your workouts,…

Support This position doesn’t look like much, but it’s tough to hold. Most people start with straight arms held close to their sides, but gymnasts aim to turn their hands out until their palms face forwards, locking out their elbows for better efficiency. Train it with five- to ten-second holds, then graduate to using it during dips – even if you can do ten strict ring dips, you’ll probably struggle to do five with an effective turnout at the top of each rep. It’s also surprisingly tough on your core. L-sit The L-sit is the most effective abs move you (probably) aren’t doing. As well as working your core, it’ll improve your shoulder health and also hit your arms. Get into the top support position and bring your legs up…

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Canterbury VapoDri First Layer top This performance tee will keep you dry, and cool or warm depending on the conditions. £29.40, canterbury.co.uk Nike Free X Metcon trainer The flexibility of the Free range and the stability of Metcon makes for a high-spec trainer. £105, dwsports.com 2XU ICE X compression tights Improve performance, lower the risk of injury and speed up recovery in these leggings. £90, 2xu.com/uk Timex Command Collection watch An athleisure-style performance watch made from stainless steel and hard-wearing plastic. £99, timex.co.uk Jo Malone Intense cologne Jasmine sambac and marigold combine for a spicy cologne with a warm vanilla finish. £75 for 50ml, jomalone.co.uk ShakeSphere 2.2-litre water jug Don’t waste training time in the water queue with this session-long…

Alastair Humphreys is a man who knows about adventures both large and small. Early in his career, he went big: witness his four years cycling around the world, his walk across southern India, his six marathons through the Sahara and his Atlantic Ocean row. Recently, though, he’s been going local: he pioneered the art of “micro-adventures” and wrote a book aimed at convincing everyone else to fit more adventure into their lives. In his most recent project, he made his way across Spain busking on the violin – no easy feat, considering he only learned to play it three months before setting off… What’s the adventure you’re most proud of? I’m really proud of my first adventure, not just because cycling around the world was the biggest thing I’ve ever…

STAY RELAXED If you grip the board with your feet it makes it more unstable because you’ve got such a solid connection to the board so every slight movement will rock you, whereas if you stay relaxed your feet can move a little bit and your knees provide suspension. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP Where your head goes, your body will follow. If you look down, you will fall over. So try to keep your head up and look ahead, left or right but not down. FEEL THE RHYTHM… On the dragon you need to keep your rhythm. The guys who sprint hard off the start don’t do so well. You need to build up momentum slowly. The dragon boards are great for training perfect paddle technique because you need to…

You know from experience that too many pints isn’t good for your head, especially the morning after. But drinking little and often can actually benefit your brain by reducing inflammation and helping clear out a build-up of toxins and other waste products, according to new research published in the journal Scientific Reports. While excessive alcohol consumption is a well-documented health hazard, other research has shown a link between low intake and a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. And this latest study suggests that a little alcohol can improve the efficiency of the glymphatic system, which moves cerebral spinal fluid through the brain to remove waste while we sleep. Cheers! 14 The upper limit for the number of units of alcohol you should drink per week,…

“Creatine appears to cause a mild but reliable increase in testosterone concentrations of around 20-25%” There are many supplements on the market claiming to enhance testosterone. In fact many of them are herbal supplements that, while improving libido and boosting confidence, do very little for testosterone levels. These libido enhancers include herbs such as tribulus terrestris, maca and fenugreek, all of which have a noticeable effect on sex drive but none on testosterone. Other ingredients, such as eurycoma and ginger, can only increase testosterone when taken by men who are infertile or have testicular damage. Others, such as horny goat weed, haven’t been studied in humans so there is no reliable evidence for their effects. Bottom line: most “testosterone” supplements on the market have no effect on testosterone levels. But…

1 Keep your head neutral You want to keep your head in a neutral position throughout the lift. This is achieved by looking forwards with your eyes fixed to a spot on the ground about two to three metres ahead of your feet. And focus on keeping your chin up to keep your head in the best position for lifting. 2 Think chest and shoulders You want to maintain a strong spine from the beginning of the lift to the end, and the best way to do this is to keep your chest up throughout to prevent your torso hunching forwards over the bar. Your shoulders should remain slightly in front of your hands until the bar passes mid-thigh level, at which point you want to retract your shoulder blades…

1 CONTRACT THE ANTAGONIST That’s the muscle that’s working against the movement you’re doing. “If you flex your triceps at the bottom of a curl, the biceps will fully lengthen, and vice versa during any triceps extension work – meaning that you’re hitting full ROM,” says trainer Joel Dowey. “It also stops you from cheating and cutting the movement short, and ensures a pause at the end of the eccentric phase.” 2 DON’T LET YOUR WRISTS MOVE “Something I notice in a lot of novice trainees is they tend to ‘break’ at the wrists when things start to get hard,” says Dowey. “Don’t let this happen. For extension movements, push the cable attachment away from your body with the edge of your hand. For curling movements, keep them locked in…

PEOPLE SAY I NEED TO DEDICATE A SEPARATE DAY TO EACH BODY PART. IS THAT NOT RIGHT? No – and it might even be counterproductive. “The problem I see most beginners make is following routines that are too advanced for them,” says Dan Forbes, a strength and conditioning coach and founder of Veteran Athlete. “As every guy who’s been training for a few years knows, the first year or two in the gym is a special time, when it’s possible to make progress each and every session. Those ‘newbie’ gains are glorious, and the best ways to capitalise on them are to get moving properly and work hard. “Doing complex split routines, where you divide your weekly workouts into body-part sessions, as a beginner is like using a sledgehammer to…

How much can you change your body in four weeks? More than you think – but only if you have three things: a good exercise plan, smart eating rules, and the right attitude to follow both with focus and determination. This four-week plan has been designed to constantly test your body and push it outside of its comfort zone so your body has no choice but to build new muscle mass and burn away body fat to radically change your physique. That’s why there are small tweaks to the programme each week: these changes keep your body guessing and, therefore, changing. Making a big alteration to your body in just four weeks is hard, but it can be done. Start as you mean to go on, both in the gym…

As you noticed in the first week of the second block of this plan, some new moves have been introduced to the programme to shake things up and keep your muscles guessing so they keep on growing. The sets, reps and tempo have also been adjusted to make each set of each workout a little more testing for both your mind and muscles. That means the second block of the plan is mentally and physically challenging, but stay focused and determined to complete each session to the best of your abilities and you’ll be amazed by how much progress you can make in sculpting a bigger, stronger and leaner body. The final week’s workouts are listed in table form below and while they use the same exercises in the same…

Could it be the blood rushing to your head? Actually, it’s unclear how the process works, but practising handstands has more benefits than simply upping your party-trick game, according to recent research. Volunteers who included a “balance” component in an exercise programme – as opposed to just training normally – saw improvements in spatial cognition and memory, suggesting a link between neuroplasticity and proprioception (your body’s sense of where its parts are in relation to each other). Meanwhile, aerobic exercise has proven benefits relating to cognitive power. So for the full effect, mix your handstand sessions with some higher-intensity exercise, like ten sets of pull-ups, press-ups and squats: start with two, five and ten respectively, and work your way up.…

You’re just back from an abortive attempt to climb the North Face of the Eiger. What happened? The Beast From The East happened! The plan was to attempt the North Face, but the weather absolutely hammered us. It was minus 35°C on the face itself with 50km/h winds, which took it to about minus 70°. We gave it a crack but had to move to some mountains further south and west, which weren’t being battered quite as much – but it was still pretty full on! Do you think you’ll try again? Yeah. There are few other places in Europe where you can feel so utterly dominated as when standing in front of the North Face of the Eiger. It’s a mile of steep or over-hanging rock, ice and snow,…

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One is a hero of the skies, the other an icon of style. Together, the mighty Spitfire and the model David Gandy combine to create the Aerodrome Collaboration, an 18-piece collection for luxury brand Aspinal of London that includes pieces inspired by classic military looks, using black and tan calfskin leather and navy canvas. The core leather used is traditional pilot’s flying jacket grain, while the hardware reflects specific components of the plane. The lock used on some of the pieces is an exact copy of the Spitfire Mk1 firing button, and other Spitfire-inspired design details have been used across handle holders, studs and zip pulls, which are shaped like propellers. Key pieces include travel bags sized according to trip time (see right), a washbag and a passport cover. For…

Britain has some form with producing polar explorers – and of that impressive lineage, Ben Saunders is the current flag-bearer. The youngest man in history to reach the North Pole alone and on foot – he did it at 27 – he also led the first ever return journey to the South Pole via the route that Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott took in their attempts. As well as sheer grit, he owes much of his success to a brutal work ethic , using deadlifts, tyre flips and sled drags as well as more traditional training to build strength alongside endurance. What’s the adventure you’re most proud of? The Scott Expedition. Between October 2013 and February 2014 my team-mate Tarka L’Herpiniere and I made a 2,888km round-trip to the…

THE BOARD We were racing on Red Paddle’s inflatable four-person Dragon boards. If you want to go solo, start with a Ride board, which are broad for maximum stability, then progress to a Sport board as you get more confident of your ability. For more details, visit redpaddleco.com. THE BAY The calm, clear waters of Carlisle Bay are an ideal place to hone your paddleboarding skills. Local instructors Paddle Barbados will take good care of you and if you’re looking for a place to stay, the Sugar Bay Hotel will treat you like champion. THE BOOZE It may not be a conventional sports nutrition strategy but our world-title tilt was fuelled by local spirit brand Daffy’s, who make a rather nice restorative gin. And as every elite athlete knows, taking…

THE CHEF Adam Gray is a Michelin-starred chef and a champion of ethically and sustainably sourced food. He has been the head chef at award-winning restaurants including Rhodes Twenty Four, Skylon and Bourne and Hollingsworth in London. Chicken super-salad Makes 4 servings INGREDIENTS 4 free-range skin-on chicken breasts Zest of 1 lemon 1 medium-sized cauliflower 2 pomegranates Bunch of flat-leaf parsley 200g pine nuts 300ml rapeseed oil 50ml red wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper TO MAKE 1 Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl, rub all over with 100ml of the rapeseed oil, the lemon zest, salt and pepper, and then cover with cling film. Leave out of the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dish. 2 Cut the pomegranates. Hold a half over…

To build the explosive power that will help you to perform better on the pitch and lift heavier in the gym, look no further than ball wall throws. All you need is a medicine ball and a, um, very sturdy wall. “Wall throws require you to go into triple extension, where there is movement at the ankle, knee and hip joints, which will improve your ability in all activities and lifts that require speed, power and hip drive,” says Jack Lovett, owner of Spartan Performance and two-time British strongman champion. “To fully benefit you must perform the throws as explosively as possible.” Start facing a wall, holding a light ball in both hands. Squat down, then stand back up powerfully and propel the ball forward. Pick it up and do…

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT HOW Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip just outside your thighs. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, bend forwards from the hips – not the waist – and lower the bar down the front of your shins until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings. WHY This variation shifts the emphasis to your hamstrings, making it an ideal accessory exercise to the standard deadlift. SNATCHGRIP DEADLIFT HOW Hold a barbell with your hands roughly double shoulder-width apart. Push through your heels and keep your chest up as you drive forwards with your hips to lift the bar. WHY Because your grip’s wider in this move, you’ll need to move the bar through a larger range of motion, increasing…

 Do you keep a training diary? If not, you’re making a big mistake – it’s a key part of what it takes to build a bigger, stronger, leaner body. “For the best physique results you must keep detailed records of your workouts,” says Nick Mitchell, founder of the global personal training gym business Ultimate Performance. “You may be able to remember how much weight you lifted on your favourite exercise last week, but it is unlikely that you’ll recall this for every exercise in your programme.” “Recording your workouts allows you to look back at the progress you have made and set goals” What’s even less likely is that you can remember how good your technique was or how challenging you found a specific weight during a given set. “Recording…

If you’ve ever been for a run outdoors, you’ll need no convincing that it’s great for both your mental and physical health. And while training runs are all well and good, nothing can beat the buzz of taking part in an organised race, especially in a distance you’ve never done before because you’ll be guaranteed a personal best. The trouble is that securing a starting spot at many big UK races is far harder than all the training: for instance, more than 385,000 people applied for the 17,500 ballot places at this year’s London Marathon. Instead, consider entering a race on foreign shores. Events are not as oversubscribed as British races, and they’re often cheaper to enter. Even better, you can combine your active adventure with a long weekend and…

Drinking more green tea can help you lose weight faster. How? Well, it improves conditions in your intestines so that “good” bacteria linked to aiding weight loss and increasing lean body mass can thrive, while making it harder for bacteria linked to obesity to survive. It’s all down to compounds in green tea that act as prebiotics and allow health-boosting bacteria to proliferate, according to the European Journal Of Nutrition. Green tea also contains polyphenols, chemicals that have been shown to be beneficial in aiding weight loss by increasing your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories at rest). If you’re looking for a tasty option, try Pukka’s new Lean Matcha Green Tea, which also contains ginger, cinnamon and fennel to support your fat-burning efforts, as well as…