Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Men's Fitness UK

To look and perform at our best we need to do three things consistently well: exercise, eat and sleep. Two out of three, in this instance, just ain’t good enough. As a reader of MF I bet you, like me, have a great track record in getting to the gym and keep a close eye on your diet. But without getting enough sleep you’re selling yourself short if you’re trying to build a better body, or feel as good as you could. Sleep is something I’ve always struggled with, and I’m not alone: research from the UK’s Sleep Council says the average British person gets just six hours and 35 minutes a night, with more than a quarter of us suffering regularly from poor sleep. The effect isn’t limited to…

Do you want to reduce stress levels and improve mental focus? Then swap four wheels for two when getting to work. Commuting under your own steam instead of driving won’t just keep you fitter, it can also improve concentration and reduce stress levels, according to an analysis of 18,000 British commuters published in the journal Preventive Medicine. Just 3.1% of Brits currently cycle to work while 67.1% drive, according to the 2011 Census, and the research also found that “the longer people spend commuting in cars, the worse their psychological wellbeing”. Time to invest in some Lycra. 7 The weight in kilos you could lose over two years by ditching the car in favour of a bike if your daily commute lasts longer than 30 minutes, according to research from…

Light up With bulbs, not cigarettes. Brightly lit rooms make emotions more intense, both positive and negative. Get out …of your own head. Research shows that considering situations from a third-person perspective improves reasoning. Be present Meditation allows you to cut your losses when you’re already invested in a project, by keeping you present. Get the Headspace app.…

Underwear is an often neglected part of our workout attire. We spend a lot of time selecting the right hi-tech shoes or top, but your choice of undergarments is all-important when comfort is crucial. Need new pants? Then you need Tani USA. Designed for superior performance, they’re made with stretch Italian microfibre that lets you move with ease, and they have a moulded pouch for added comfort and bonded side seams that guarantee a perfect fit. They’re breathable and quick-drying – basically, they gives new meaning to the word comfort. Whether you’re running, lifting, playing sports or just constantly on the move, this is the underwear you’ll want to be wearing. Move Performance Brief, £56, Long Boxer Brief, £63, Performance Leggings, £71, Performance Tank, £71, Performance Crew, £71 taniusa.com…

We’ve always been fans of the grooming brand Bluebeard’s Revenge, and now we have even more reason to like it. For every tub of its new hair gel sold, Bluebeard’s will donate cash to the male suicide prevention charity The Lion’s Barber Collective. The gel itself offers a strong hold and its water base means that it can be used as a pre-styling product in conjunction with a hairdryer to create precise but natural-looking styles. £9.99 50p from each tub of gel will go to a male suicide prevention charity…

You can find this out by completing the questionnaire devised by physiologist Ulrik Wisløff at worldfitnesslevel.org. Here Wisløff walks MF’s Michael Rodio (a casual lifter and former CrossFitter) through each question. STEP 1  What’s your sex, age, height and weight? Wisløff says: “Height and weight are just for calculating BMI, which goes into the algorithm. But sex matters a lot – women’s values tend to be about 20% lower.” Rodio’s take: I’m 26, 5ft 9in, 175lb – the site gives you the option of entering your stats in feet, inches and pounds or centimetres and kilos. STEP 2  What’s your maximum heart rate? Wisløff says: “This is a common means of denoting intensity for endurance training.” Rodio’s take: I had no idea, but the site computes it for me. It’s…

LAYER 1 Salad dressing, fresh fruit and watery vegetables This is key to keeping the greens fresh and crisp. By adding the dressing to the bottom of the jar, along with any other wet ingredients like strawberries or chopped cucumber, you prevent everything else from getting soggy. LAYER 2 Hearty, dry vegetables This layer acts as a bridge. Broccoli, carrots and beans act as a sturdy buffer between the rest of the salad and the dressing. LAYER 3 Grains and more porous vegetables Quinoa, pasta and veggies like mushrooms and aubergine that can absorb moisture go here, protected by the dryer ingredients that preceded them. LAYER 4 Proteins Here’s where meat, cheese and fish go. LAYER 5 Lettuce, nuts, seeds, herbs and dried fruit These go on top to stay…

74% OF BRITS ARE GETTING LESS THAN SEVEN HOURS’ SLEEP A NIGHT ON AVERAGE BLOOMFIELD SAYS “Aim for a regular bedtime seven days a week. Most of our waking times are fixed either by alarm clock or body clock, so getting to bed at the right time is key.” 12% OF BRITS ARE GETTING LESS THAN FIVE HOURS’ SLEEP A NIGHT ON AVERAGE BLOOMFIELD SAYS “This negatively affects the physical restoration of the body and will significantly reduce the functional capacity and performance of the brain.” 30% OF MEN USE ALCOHOL TO HELP THEM NOD OFF BLOOMFIELD SAYS “Alcohol is used as a sedative, but your body then needs to remove the toxins while you sleep. This has a negative impact on your sleep stages and makes the recovery process…

If you want to live to a ripe old age, start cutting back on the beer now, because exceeding the recommended weekly intake of 14 units of alcohol can raise your risk of serious illness and even lead to an earlier death. Regularly drinking more than this (which is about five pints of 4% ABV beer or five 175ml glasses of 13% wine) was linked to increased risk of stroke and heart disease in a study of more than 600,000 people across 19 countries, published in The Lancet. It also showed that having ten drinks a week shortened life expectancy by one to two years, while more than 18 drinks led to a reduction of between four and five years. If you want help cutting back on booze, go to…

GET THE PLAN All the workouts that got Jon into cover model shape in just eight weeks are detailed in the New Body Plan book. EAT SMART The book’s in-depth nutrition section gives you meal guides according to your body shape goals, as well as an easy-to-follow approach to healthy eating. REAL-WORLD ADVICE Jon’s tried-and-tested tips will help you get a better outcome that you could ever have thought possible. New Body Plan by Jon Lipsey (£9.99, ILMedia) is available from amazon.co.uk and newbodyplan.co.uk…

UPPER ABS 1A CRUNCH Sets 3 Reps 12 Rest 10sec Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with your fingers by your temples. Engage your abs, then raise your torso off the floor without tensing your neck. Keep that tension on your abs as you slowly lower your torso back to the floor. SIDE ABS 1B BICYCLE Reps 12 each side Rest 10sec Lie flat on your back with your fingers by your temples and legs straight. Raise your torso off the floor, engage your abs, and lift your feet off the floor. Crunch up and rotate your torso to one side, bringing your opposite knee in to touch your elbow. Alternate sides with each rep. LOWER ABS 1C V-SIT Reps 12…

SUPERSETS Do these five pairs of moves using the bench, dumbbells, kettlebells and med ball to build lean size and strength in all your major muscle groups EMOM After a mobility and activation warm-up, do these three moves every minute on the minute (EMOM) to turn your body into a fat-fighting machine AMRAP Doing these two “as many reps as possible” (AMRAP) circuits of three moves will push your heart, lungs and muscles to the limit, and improve your fitness…

SHED THE WEIGHT Extra weight - particularly body fat - requires more energy, so runners with high body fat levels have poor running economy. High-intensity interval training and a balanced diet will help shift it. GET THE LEADING KNEE RIGHT A straight knee will produce resistance when the foot lands on the ground. This needs to be overcome with extra energy before forward momentum is generated. DON’T OVERSTRIDE If your foot lands too far ahead of your body it causes a braking motion that must be overcome before moving forwards. Avoid this by planting your foot only slightly ahead of the body. KEEP YOUR REAR FOOT DOWN Efficient runners with good running economy tend to keep their feet close to the ground and avoid wasting energy with a high follow-through…

Sometimes the most effective workouts are also the simplest. Take this AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) session. The aim couldn’t be simpler: you do as many rounds of the four moves as you can in ten minutes. That’s it. “This is a great total-body session that will leave you in a pool of sweat in a short space of time with minimal equipment,” says Olli Foxley of W10 Performance gym (w10performance.co.uk). “It could be used as a finisher to one of your strength sessions or as a stand-alone workout that will hit every major muscle group. AMRAPs force you to get your head down and work, as opposed to checking your instagram feed between every set.” HOW TO DO IT Do five lunges on each leg, then two overhead…

To make major changes to how you look with your shirt off, you need to take your training to a higher level. While there’s no substitute for hard graft if you want to build a better body fast, you’re only as ever as effective as your training plan. After all, working hard without following a smart plan will only return a small percentage of the benefits you could achieve when you work hard and smart at the same time. This month’s four-week workout has been designed to help you add serious size to your arms and chest quickly and effectively by dedicating more training time to these muscle groups. In the first block of the plan your arms get special attention, while in the second block your chest gets more…

1 SQUAT SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 2010 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and your whole body tight, bend your knees to squat down as low as you can but don’t let your knees roll inwards. Push through your heels to stand back up. 2 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 2010 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a barbell with an overhand grip. Keeping your chest up and core braced, bend forwards, hinging at the hips, to let the bar roll down the front of your legs until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings. Reverse the movement. 3 LEG EXTENSION SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 2011 REST 60sec Position yourself correctly on the machine with…

1 OVERHEAD PRESS SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a bar across the front of your chest with an overhand grip. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, press the bar directly overhead so your arms are straight. Lower it under control to return to the start. 2 CHIN-UP SETS 4 REPS 6-10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Hold a bar with an underhand grip and hang with your body straight. Brace your abs and glutes and engage your lats, then pull up until your chin is above your hands. Pause at the top, then lower yourself back to the start under control. 3 EZ-BAR UPRIGHT ROW SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 2011 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding an EZ-bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Keeping…

1 INCLINE BENCH PRESS SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 REST 60sec Lie back on an incline bench, holding a bar with a shoulder-width grip. Plant your feet on the floor and tense your muscles. Lower the bar until it touches your chest, then press it back up powerfully. 2 WIDE LAT PULL-DOWN SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 REST 60sec Position yourself at the machine with a double shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar. Keeping your chest up and abs braced, pull the bar down, leading with your elbows. Hold the bottom position for a second, then return to the start. 3 DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 REST 60sec Lie on a flat bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest height. Plant your…

For the second block of your four-week plan, the session structure has been changed to shift the high-volume emphasis from your arms towards your chest. So in this block there are two chest workouts a week, but don’t worry about losing your newfound arm size and strength – there is still enough dedicated training time for your biceps and triceps to keep the gains coming. In a similar vein to the second week of block 1, in this second week of block 2 the session structure, exercises and exercise order remain the same as in the first week, but again there are two big changes to keep your muscles growing and your belly shrinking. This week you’ll do an extra set of moves 1 and 2 of every workout, taking…

Let’s be honest: no one is going to add garlic to their post-workout shake. But adding some cloves to your evening meal after a tough workout could go a long way to help you recover from exercise-induced swelling and inflammation. That’s because garlic contains – count ’em – four types of sulphuric compounds that are potent anti-inflammatory agents, which reduce the physical damage caused by stress, pollution and exercise, according to a study in the Journal Of Food Medicine. What’s more, it’s also high in compounds that keep your immune system on high alert to seek and destroy foreign invaders fast, according to the University of Western Australia. 100 Garlic also contains powerful antibacterial compounds that are 100 times more effective than common antibiotics in killing off bacteria such as…

1 Get stacked with protein pancakes To get lean you need to cut back on desserts so your body can burn fat. But now you can get leaner and bigger by indulging your sweet tooth – so long as you follow our protein pancake recipe to keep your muscles fuelled. Find out more p64 2 Boost your sex drive by munching nuts Testosterone is one the most important hormones you have because it’s responsible for keeping your libido high as well as helping you add muscle faster. Eat more zinc-rich nuts to elevate your levels today. Find out more p19 3 Fix your six-pack moves for hard abs Your abs get worked every time you train, but for an impressive six-pack you need to hit them hard. The smart way…

If the only time you slice a lime is to slide it into a bottle of Mexican lager, you’re missing out on an easy way to shed some weight. Squeezing the citrus fruit’s juice over a meal lowers its glycaemic index, according to research from the University of Sydney. This means your food is digested more slowly to prevent a big blood sugar spike that not only increases fat storage but will also result in a sudden crash, prompting you to reach for the biscuit tin.…

“In heavy, slow-moving traffic, join the vehicle flow and ride farther from the edge of the road,” says Sidwells. “This will stop motorists from squeezing you to the side of the road, and you’ll avoid pedestrians.” “When you’re cornering to the left, move out into the lane slightly so following vehicles don’t force you to the side of the road, making the turn sharper and more dangerous,” says Sidwells. “When a van or truck has no rear windows it has a blind spot to the rear,” says Sidwells.”Keep your distance and take special care. If you can’t see the wing mirrors, the driver can’t see you.”…

Excess workplace stress can derail performance and lead to burn-out – but new research suggests there might be a stress “sweet spot” where anxiety drives performance, much like it does in professional sport. Study lead Bonnie Cheng of the University of Toronto suggests using “self-regulatory processing” to stay on-task – monitoring your own efforts, recognising your anxiety triggers, and thinking of it as a performance-enhancer when possible. Oh, and she confirms that service jobs are some of the most stressful. Be nice to your barista.…

Barbecue, garden, beach, bar, casual Friday – the summery short-sleeve shirt is at home anywhere. This year’s bold, colourful designs will attract the right kind of attention, so choose your favourite from our round-up.…

Dunhill Century The classic brand has taken a gamble with this bold, dice-inspired bottle. The lively citrus top notes and a woody base ensure that the contents are a winner. £79 for 135ml Bulldog bamboo razor While the rest of the industry considers the merits of a sixth blade, Bulldog has put the environment first with an ecofriendly bamboo razor handle. £12 (available from August) Jo Malone lime, basil and mandarin body and hair oil When you love a scent, you don’t want to dab a bit on your neck. Go head to toe with this non-greasy moisturising oil. £42 for 100ml…

You’re a 35-year-old desk jockey with the heart of a 60-something couch potato? You’re not alone – but there’s hope. Wisløff has created a seven-week programme that primes your heart for a better fitness age (and burns plenty of fat) in just minutes. It’s all built around Wisløff’s lab-tested 4x4 interval training workout: four minutes of high-intensity exercise, followed by three minutes of active recovery, repeated four times. The core concept is to blast your heart to 85-95% of its maximum rate – not quite all-out, but intense enough that you’ll be able to say only a few four-letter words by the end. Then you downshift to a three-minute active-recovery phase at 70% capacity – still moving, but moderately enough to catch your breath and flush lactic acid from your…

If someone invented a pill that was guaranteed to make you leaner and make you live longer, the biggest headache they’d face in life would be finding ports around the globe with the capacity to accommodate their super-yachts. The bad news for pill salesmen and the good news for the rest of us, however, is that this elixir already exists. Even better, it’s free. But it’s not in pill form. The way you access it is to lie down in a dark room and nod off. And if you have any ambition to be healthier and fitter then the science is clear – you need to pay more attention to the quantity, quality and consistency of your sleep. “If you want to lose weight and get fit, the first thing…

BOOZE BEFORE BED “Some people sedate themselves before sleep, and alcohol is common as a way to help people induce sleep, but unfortunately it destroys the mechanics of sleep and hinders the quality,” says Bloomfield. “When you consume alcohol, the morning after you feel tired as well as hung over, even though you may have got a decent quantity of sleep. It takes your body approximately one hour to process one unit of alcohol. So if you have two units of alcohol just before bed you’d expect to still be in that activation state for the first two hours of the night because the body is processing the toxin and trying to get it out of your system. Having said that, fitter people who are in good health and have…

This green chicken chilli is rich in vitamin C, which can ramp up fat burning during exercise, a Nutrition & Metabolismstudy found. No doubt you’ve mastered the art of making a smoothie: chuck stuff in a blender, blend it, drink it. But did you know that all this time you could also have been using that same everyday appliance to mix up fast, healthy chillis, soups, quiches, pancake batters, even ice cream? To bring you up to speed, on these pages we’ll show you how to create those very recipes for well-rounded, satisfying meals that are ready in minutes. Whether you’re running late in the morning or need food in a flash after work then, as Devo once sang, “You must whip it!” 1 MEXICAN GREEN CHICKEN CHILLI Makes 5…

“I wanted to recreate a banana split in protein-packed pancake form” BANANA SPLIT PROTEIN PANCAKES (MAKES 1-2 SERVINGS) INGREDIENTS For the pancakes 30g banana-flavoured whey protein 70g oats 1 egg 1tsp baking powder 200ml milk Coconut oil (or your preferred oil) For the topping 1 chopped banana 1tbsp Greek yogurt Sugar-free chocolate sauce Handful of nuts METHOD • Add all the pancake ingredients to a blender and blend for 45 seconds. • Heat your preferred oil in a non-stick frying pan on a moderate heat. • Add the batter to the pan in small amounts and cook for a minute or so on each side. • Continue this process with all the batter, then add your toppings and enjoy. NUTRITION (PER SERVING) 584 calories 48.4g protein 75.3g carbs 10.8g fat…

CORE 1A PLANK SAW Sets 3 Time 30sec Rest 10sec Get into position, supporting yourself on your forearms. Engage your abs, then raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hold this position, then move your body forwards so your head goes past your hands, then pull back. CORE 1B ROLLING PLANK Time 30sec Rest 10sec Get into position, supporting yourself on your forearms. Engage your abs, then raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hold this position, then roll one hip downwards, then rotate your hips up and over to the other side. CORE 1C PLANK SHOULDER TAP Time 30sec Rest 60sec Start in the top press-up position but with your feet slighter wider…

“SCIENCE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TURN A RECREATIONAL RUNNER INTO AN OLYMPIC CHAMP, BUT IT CAN HELP ANY RUNNER TO GET MORE FROM THEIR PERFORMANCE” On the face of it, running is a simple action. It involves placing one foot in front of the other to generate forward momentum; unlike walking, there is a point during each step phase when both feet are off the ground. But the human body is an advanced mechanism, and the science that underpins running is both extensive and complex. Since the era of the ancient Greeks, running has been evolving from an essential means of movement into a competitive sport and a recreational pastime. In more recent times, it has also provided scientists with a means of better understanding how the human body…

Squat, deadlift, bench press. They’re the three moves that should form the foundation of any serious training programme designed to pack on muscular size and strength in the shortest possible timeframe. But with these essential big lifts it can be easy to sell yourself short by not executing them properly, and it’s common to learn bad habits when you first start lifting that will seriously limit your strength and power gains. We’ve put together the complete guide to these three staple lifts, as well as the key auxiliary moves that will allow you to progress faster, so you can get back to basics and start building a bigger and stronger body. THE MOVE SQUAT It’s the king of leg lifts with good reason. Perfecting your squat technique will add size,…

1 UNDERHAND LAT PULL-DOWN SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 2011 REST 60sec Position yourself at the machine with a shoulder-width underhand grip on the bar. Keeping your chest up and abs braced, pull the bar down, leading with your elbows. Hold the bottom position for a second, then return to the start. 2 TRICEPS DIP SETS 4 REPS 6-10 TEMPO 2010 REST 60sec Grip parallel bars with straight arms and your legs crossed behind you. Keeping your chest up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your body until your elbows are bent at 90°. Press back up to return to the start. 3 DUMBBELL BICEPS CURL SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 2011 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forwards. Keeping…

The workout tables below contain all the information you need to complete the second week of the plan, which is the second and final week of block 1. At first sight the four workouts may appear similar - and indeed the exercises, exercise order and target body part focus of each session are all the same as in the first week. However, there are two small but significant changes this week that have been introduced to push your working muscles harder to build more lean mass, and keep your heart rate high so you continue to chip away at excess fat stores. The first change is that in this week you’ll do an extra set of ten reps of the first two moves of each circuit, so a total of…

1 SQUAT SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and your whole body tight, bend your knees to squat down as low as you can but don’t let your knees roll inwards. Push through your heels to stand back up. 2 OVERHEAD PRESS SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 REST 60sec Stand tall, holding a bar across the front of your chest with an overhand grip. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, press the bar directly overhead so your arms are straight. Lower it under control to return to the start. 3 LEG EXTENSION SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Position yourself correctly on the machine with the padded bar against…

1 CHIN-UP SETS 4 REPS 6-10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Hold a bar with an underhand grip and hang with your body straight. Brace your abs and glutes and engage your lats, then pull up until your chin is above your hands. Pause at the top, then lower yourself back to the start under control. 2 LAT PULL-DOWN SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Position yourself at the machine with a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar. Keeping your chest up and abs braced, pull the bar down, leading with your elbows. Hold the bottom position for a second, then return to the start. 3 PRONE DUMBBELL ROW SETS 4 REPS 10 TEMPO 3011 REST 60sec Lie chest-down on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand.…

When you’re trying to lose body fat, the first thing you should do to help your cause is stop drinking so many calories – especially those high-sugar, nutrient-light drinks. Subjects who replaced their daily can of sugar-laden fizzy pop with the same amount of water lowered their total daily liquid calorie intake from 17% to 11%, according to research from Virginia Tech in the US, which is almost down to the 10% limit of liquid calories recommended by authorities. See below for our top three drink swaps to save you calories without sacrificing taste. SWAP FIZZY DRINKS FOR… SODA WATER A can of pop can contain around 35g of sugar – enough to send your blood sugar levels rocketing then crashing, making you crave another sugar hit. The sweeteners in…

You wouldn’t try to climb a mountain while wearing the same clothes you’d choose for a meeting or a date. At least, we hope you wouldn’t. And by extension, heading into the wild with your city-friendly phone might not be a great idea either. A better choice of mobile for the adventurous could be the new Land Rover Explore. It can survive extreme temperatures, is water- and mud-resistant and has a hefty two-day battery life. The 5in (127mm) screen is optimised for reading in sunlight and can be operated while wearing gloves. The clumsier traveller will also be relieved to know that it is drop-proof to 1.8 metres. £599, snowandrock.com ALL MAPPED OUT The phone includes an augmented reality feature called Skyline that topographically maps what you’re looking…

No-one wants to wear boots or smart shoes in the heat – but sometimes trainers or sandals aren’t right either. Invest in a pair of stylish, lightweight summer shoes that can be worn with smart trousers or shorts and you’re all set for any occasion.…

Mason jar salads are pretty much the perfect food. They’re simple to make, carry and store; you can use delicious flavours from all over the world, from Mexico to Thailand via Italy; and they’re easy to pack with nutrition. The basic formula is “wet foods first, dry foods last” so the salad’s not soggy when you eat it. Start with two wide-mouth, litre-size mason jars, pour in some (preferably fresh) dressing, then layer on the salad ingredients. Then close it and pop it into the fridge (it’ll stay fresh for up to a week), or take it with you to work – just turn it over into a bowl and it’s ready to go. You’re about to open up a world of possibilities. Prepare two mason jars. Divide all the…

WIND DOWN PREBED “Not only do you need to have a consistent sleep time, you need to work backwards from that sleep time to the point in the evening when you’re beginning your phase of relaxation,” says Bloomfield. “You need at least 90 minutes before your eyes close to be shutting off from the business of the day. These days, many of us work late, answering emails into the evening, and then having very little time to unwind and disengage from the hard work of the day. Your nervous system activation levels will be too high – you have to prepare the body for sleep. You can’t just simply stop your business. You may be in bed asleep, but your nervous system hasn’t reached a recovery phase and that may…

Your abs get a decent workout every time you squat, lift or press a weight because their key roles include stabilising your torso and transferring power between your upper and lower body. But only ever doing indirect abs training via the big lifts won’t get you a sculpted six-pack. For that, you need to hit your abs directly. “Fully engaging your abs when doing the workouts ahead is really important to getting the most benefit from the sessions,” says MF cover model Alex Crockford. “I think about ‘sucking in’ my abs before and during the set, and breathing out on the concentric contraction, which can also help with a mind to muscle connection.” And where do most people go wrong in their pursuit of washboard abs? “They keep doing the…

Most men who love training will at some point daydream about having their own personal workout space. It usually occurs at the gym when the queue for the bench press is three deep and you can’t get to a squat rack because it’s being used for biceps curls. The luxury of having a well-equipped workout space in your home is well out of reach of most of us because of two big reasons: space and cost. But both of those problems disappear when you consider the new FitBench Flex, the cheaper and more compact version of the all-in-one workout kit box embraced by commercial gyms across the US to offer clients a way of working out within their own space where all the kit they need is never more than…

In order to run, the body has to produce energy. This occurs as a result of the breakdown of either carbohydrate or fat in the muscles, and for low- and moderate-intensity running this process always uses oxygen. Approximately one-fifth of the air that we breathe into our lungs consists of oxygen, and this is then transported via the lungs to attach to haemoglobin in the blood. With each beat of the heart, oxygen-rich blood from the lungs is pumped to the exercising muscles, where it combines with fat or carbohydrate to produce energy. Blood that is low in oxygen is pumped away from the muscles and back to the lungs. The amount of energy needed to run at a given speed varies between runners, and this in turn determines how…