Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Men's Fitness UK

The pursuit of a fitter and healthier body is a goal no different to any other personal or professional challenge. But what starts out as a seemingly simple body-focused mission can quickly be derailed by your brain. Instead of being your greatest supporter, it can be the barrier that stops you in your tracks. When you worry or obsess about the things over which you have no control, such as whether the gym will be too busy to do the session you want or how quickly you’ll see results, you’re blocking your path to progress. Instead, it’s vital to start thinking only of those elements you can control. For instance, you can find the time to train if you spend ten minutes on a Sunday putting your sessions into your…

It’s a problem in gyms everywhere: people training their “mirror muscles” on the front of the body - think chest, abs and quads - at the expense of those on the rear of the body, especially the lower back and hamstrings. Doing so will result in an unbalanced physique,and significant strength discrepancies between synergistic muscle groups that leads to injury. But you can remedy this with a single exercise, according to new research published in the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research. Barbell deadlifts work the entire posterior chain of muscles from your neck to your hamstrings, and activate more muscle fibres than doing similar moves such as hex-bar deadlifts or glute raises. Researchers found hamstring activation was 28% greater in the barbell deadlift over the hex-bar variation, and 20%…

Ahead of your next big match or tough weights workout, spend some time foam rolling your legs to improve your explosive power and increase your muscles’ range of motion. That’s the finding of new research reported in the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, in which subjects’ vertical jump (to determine explosive power output) and sit-and-reach ability (to determine flexibility) were tested before and after a bout of dynamic stretching combined with foam rolling. After rolling, their performance was improved for up to ten minutes, with the combo of both warm-ups more beneficial than either alone. 6cm If you score more than 6cm in the sit-and-reach test – where you sit on the floor and extend your fingertips past your toes – this shows good flexibility, according to the Australian…

The prospect of cycling in Britain during the cold, dark winter months isn’t exactly the kind of activity that gets you leaping out of bed in the morning. Unless, that is, you’re off to First Light, a new tech-driven gym at the Westfield shopping centre in London. It uses artificial light in its spin studio to mimic the benefits of natural sunlight, so when it’s bleak outside you can work up a sunrise sweat during one of the immersive classes. Other sessions available focus on mindfulness and meditation or upper-body strength. Sadly there’s not much they can do about the conditions you head out into when you’re done. firstlightcycle.co.uk…

Looking for Christmas inspiration? Our handy gift guide offers suggestions for both men (this page) and women (p28). With ideas for all budgets, it’ll help make those decisions a little easier to navigate.…

Sachajuan dry shampoo Stay fresh and stylish on the go with this fast-acting dry shampoo. It contains wheat protein that absorbs impurities without leaving white marks. £20 for 250ml MR anti-dandruff shampoo I didn’t know you had dandruff? Well, I do actually, and I’m quite self-conscious about it. In that case, try this new product, which contains a unique complex that strengthens weak roots and promotes hair renewal. £12 for 300ml Bluebeards Revenge hair tonic Tonic is something of a barber’s secret hairstyling weapon and you can use this new product at home to condition and moisturise your locks to keep them looking healthy. £9.99 for 200ml…

1 HALO PERFECT FORM Hold the bag overhead and rotate it around your head. When you finish a rotation in one direction, switch directions. EXPERT TIP “The bread and butter of the Bulgarian bag,” says Allan-Price. “It’s a fantastic exercise to open up the shoulders and create a stronger core and spine. What I really like about this exercise is the dynamic range of motion and intensity you can hit. As you build momentum, open up your shoulder girdles and squeeze your glutes, keeping your torso upright. Drive the momentum with your hips as you open up your shoulders.” 2 ROTATIONAL SWING PERFECT FORM Grab the bag by both handles and swing it around in front of you in a circle, dipping slightly at the knees as it goes through…

DITCH CRISPS BUY POPCORN Not only does popcorn contain significantly less sodium, calories and saturated fat than crisps, but as a wholegrain it’s also a good source of fibre. Research from the University of Pennsylvania has also found that the high levels of polyphenols in popcorn can protect your heart and reduce the risk of cancer. To maximise these benefits, eat it plain or add a sprinkling of cinnamon. DITCH CHEESY DIPS BUY GUACAMOLE While both are high in fat, the fats found in guacamole are of the healthy variety – which means your body needs them to absorb certain fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamins A and D. US research has also shown that avocado (the main ingredient in guacamole, in case you didn’t know) is great for helping you…

There are two main types of protein source: animal origin (meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy) and of plant origin (soy-based products, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes). Proteins consist of smaller sub-units called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in the food supply, nine of which are “essential” amino acids (EAAs), which means that you must get them from your diet because your body can’t produce them otherwise. The EAA content of a protein source is the primary determinant of its quality. Every meal does not have to include all the EAAs, but you do need to get enough of each type over the course of a day for the best muscle-building results. Animal-origin protein sources contain all the EAAs your body needs and are “complete” proteins. In contrast,…

Earlier this year I completed an eight-week body transformation that saw me go from overweight 37-year-old to becoming a Men’s Fitness cover model. The regime I used is outlined in the New Body Plan book, and if you follow it then I’m confident that you’ll experience a similarly dramatic change to the way you look and feel. There is, however, one extra element that will determine the outcome of your efforts. You see, it’s not just the exercises you perform that count – it’s the way that you perform them that will have the biggest impact on the result you achieve. To ensure that you get the results you’re looking for, try to implement the following 13 tips every time you train. It may take a bit of adjustment at…

This six-move legs session will hit your quads, hamstrings and glutes hard, as well as your entire core, to provide the direct stimulus need to pack on lean muscle to your lower body. It’s comprised of two tough straight sets then four more exercises paired into two supersets – and because it gets your heart rate up, there’s a big fat-burning benefit too. Simply do the moves in order, sticking to the sets, reps and rest periods detailed, then have yourself a nice little sit-down. 1 Deadlift Sets 5 Reps 8 Rest 60sec Why It’s the classic big lift for all-over muscle How Stand tall with the barbell in front of you, then squat down and grasp it with an overhand grip. Keeping your chest up and core braced, press…

Your four workouts for the first week begin on the next page, with every exercise explained from using start to end point picture demonstrations and form guides. Underneath each exercise name you’ll find the sets, reps, tempo (explained below) and rest details you need to follow to get the best results possible. Then on p109 you’ll find the workout tables for the second and final week of the plan. If you want to do a full month’s plan, go back to the start and repeat the fortnight, but choose slightly heavier weights.…

CHEST + BACK 1 BENCH PRESS Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec TARGETS Chest, triceps, front shoulders • Lie on a flat bench, holding a barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. • Keeping your whole body tight and your chest up, press the bar directly up until your arms are straight. Slowly lower the bar back to the start position under complete control. 2 BENT-OVER ROW Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec TARGETS Upper back, biceps • Hold the bar with a shoulder-width grip, bending your knees slightly. Hinge forwards from the hips to bend your torso towards the floor but keep your chest up and your core braced. • Pull the bar up to touch your bellybutton, then lower under control 3A DUMBBELL…

CHEST + BACK 1 INCLINE BENCH PRESS Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec TARGETS Chest, triceps, front shoulders • Lie on a bench set at a 45˚ incline, holding a bar over your chest with your grip wider than shoulder width. • Lower the bar until it’s touching your chest, then press it back up. 2 PRONE ROW Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec TARGETS Upper back, biceps • Start with your chest supported on a bench, gripping a bar that’s hanging straight down. • Leading with your elbows, bring the bar up until it touches the bench, then lower back to the start. 3A PRESS-UP Sets 3 Reps 12 Tempo 2010 Rest 30sec TARGETS Chest, triceps, front shoulders • Start in a press-up position with…

1 Build muscle with suspension training Lifting weights is the backbone of any muscle-building plan. But if your results have stalled, throw in suspension training moves, such as TRX press-ups. New research has found they boost testosterone levels by almost a fifth. Find out more p19 2 Get smart with your six-pack workouts Want hard, lean and defined abs? Then crunches won’t cut it. To sculpt a stomach to be proud of you need to upgrade your abs exercises to those that work them through the ranges of motion that guarantee gains. Find out more p34 3 Eat mushrooms for a healthier gut There’s much more to mushrooms than being a low-calorie addition to pad out meals. Around 85g a day can improve gut health by allowing good bacteria to…

When you want to lose fat fast it can be tempting to think you must cut down on dietary fat to shift that spare tyre. But then again, surely cutting out carbs is a better way to blitz that belly? The truth is that following a low-fat nutrition plan has a similar impact on reducing your waist size as a low-carb diet, according to the Journal Of The American Medical Association. More than 600 overweight subjects followed one of the two approaches for 12 months: at the end the low-carb group had lost 6kg while the low-fat group lost 5.3kg. In short, the best way to lose weight is to follow a sustainable diet of lean protein, vegetables and natural fats, with your carb intake based on your activity levels.…

Preparing your muscles ahead of exercise is essential for better performance and to reduce your risk of injury. Prioritise these three drills to warm up the smart way. Balance on your hands with your hamstrings resting on the roller, then roll from the base of your glutes to your knees. Try pointing your feet inwards, outwards and forwards to hit all of your hamstrings. To hit the muscles around your shoulder blades – a must for injury-free bench-pressing – lie with the roller under your middle back. Elevate your glutes and cross your arms across your chest, then roll upwards along your back. To tackle your iliotibial (IT) bands, lie on your side with the roller positioned just below your pelvis. Roll all the way down your thigh until you…

If there’s one thing harder than coming up with ideas for your own presents, it’s narrowing down all the options and picking something for your partner. We’re here to help…

30% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B5 is found in 100g of mushrooms. This essential nutrient plays a role in metabolising protein, carbs and fats Mushrooms are a fantastic food to help “pad out” meals to make them more filling without adding unnecessary calories – 100g of them contains just 22 calories. And a new study suggests that eating more of the fungus, specifically white button mushrooms, can have a big impact on achieving your weight-loss goal by improving gut health. The research, published in the Journal Of Functional Foods, found these mushrooms work as a pre-biotic, providing nutrients to a certain type of healthy bacteria that plays a significant role in blood glucose management. Having more stable blood sugar levels helps maintain the optimal conditions for your…

In the West, many people have heard the term bento without really knowing what it is – something to do with sushi, maybe? In fact, bento simply refers to a packed meal: many workers take a single-portion, home-made meal packed in a bento box to the office every day, and bento is also a popular take-out food in Japan, sold everywhere from convenience stores and train stations to high-end delis. Many traditional restaurants serve bento only during lunchtime, often in a wood or lacquered bento box. Bento culture has a long and diverse history in Japan. Records show that people were eating portable, dried rice as early as the fifth century. When the tea ceremony culture developed around the 12th century, elaborate lacquer wares to hold food – similar to…

41cm A vertical jump height of 41cm is considered average for men, while higher than 61cm is regarded as excellent by an expert consensus To get stronger, leaner and faster, all you need is your body, a bit of space and a bit of time. That’s the finding of a new study that suggests integrating balance drills with plyometric exercises, such as jump squats or vertical jumps, results in a “significant and substantial” improvement in muscle strength, power and speed. In the study, published in the Journal Of Sports Science And Medicine, subjects followed a balance and plyometric training programme, exercising on an unstable surface along with a series of jumping and hopping exercises. After eight weeks, performance in key athletic tests – including 10m and 30m sprints, and vertical…

GET THE PLAN All the workouts that got me 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 plan guides according to your body shape goals, as well as an easy-to-follow approach to healthy eating. REAL-WORLD ADVICE I’ve included lots of bonus advice to help you get a better outcome that you could ever have thought possible.…

GOAL Your objective for this 14-day plan is simple: to lose serious amounts of body fat while adding lean muscle mass to transform your appearance. This fortnight-long plan has been designed to provide your body with the perfect stimulus to both burn fat and build muscle and with four sessions a week over the two weeks, it will hit your muscles harder with each passing workout so your body has no choice by to add new muscle and strip away stubborn body fat. Finding the time to commit to all four training sessions each week is really important, so before you start, make sure you have the time to give it everything you can. SPLIT There are four sessions per week: chest and back; legs and shoulders (delts); arms; and…

LEGS + SHOULDERS 1 FRONT SQUAT Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec TARGETS Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core • Stand tall and hold the bar on the front of your shoulders with your palms facing upwards. • Simultaneously bend at the hips and the knees to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then press through your heels to stand back up again. 2 OVERHEAD PRESS Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec TARGETS Shoulders, triceps • Stand tall with your chest up and core braced, holding the barbell at shoulder height with palms facing forwards. • Press the bar directly overhead so your arms are straight, then return slowly to the start. 3A ROMANIAN DEADLIFT Sets 3 Reps 12 Tempo 1010 Rest 30sec…

Unless you live on top of a mountain with solar power your sole energy source, it’s impossible to avoid breathing polluted air – and the bigger the urban area you live in, the worse the effects on your cardiovascular system are. However, new research published by the American Thoracic Society suggests you can mitigate some of the damaging effects of inhaling fumes and other pollutants by following an olive oil-rich diet. Over the 17-year study, which analysed the health of more than 500,000 Americans, researchers found that subjects who ate a Mediterranean-style diet high in olive oil, fish, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables were less likely to die from heart attacks, strokes and other leading causes of deaths. Why? Eating more of these high-antioxidant foods reduced the impact of cell-damaging…

FEEL FITTER AND HAPPIER IMMEDIATELY Runners are happier, more positive and have higher self-esteem, according to a study by Glasgow Caledonian University of more than 8,000 pavement pounders, who scored 4.4 on the Oxford Happiness Scale. The average score is 4. Another study found that the mental health benefits of running were almost instantaneous. IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY Always forgetting where you left your car keys? Start running instead, because regular aerobic exercise increases the size of your hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. The research found that weight training doesn’t have the same beneficial brain effect. SHARPEN UP YOUR BRAIN The brains of runners have better-connected neural pathways essential for higher-level cognitive functions than sedentary…

Over the past 30 years Fat Face has established itself as a British high-street favourite, providing modern and reliably stylish clothing at great prices. And now it’s set to further cement its place in our hearts (and our wardrobes) thanks to a collaboration with another successful British label, Folk. Celebrated for the calibre of its fabrics, its innovative approach and, as founder Cathal McAteer puts it, “style without drama”, Folk is another British fashion success story of recent years. The new limited-edition collection, available at Fat Face stores, is more about quality and substance than following trends. It includes modern graphic T-shirts, chino-style trousers, wool trousers, check shirts, pea coats and outerwear – everything the stylish man requires for the coming winter. It’s notable for Folk’s trademark attention to detail,…

The modern man isn’t just sensitive at heart. He’s sensitive on the surface too, and that’s why the male grooming experts at Bulldog have created a new skincare range that combats dryness, redness and other common irritations. Every product in the range – which includes a moisturiser, face wash, shave gel and aftershave balm – contains baobab oil to sooth your skin, oat oil to act as a protective barrier and Canadian willow herb to give you a flawless complexion. From £4.50, available from bulldogskincare.com 71% of British men say they have sensitive skin, according to a survey from Mintel…

The fleshy lump of protein sizzles on the griddle, turns from pink to brown, emits crimson juices, and releases a deep smoky aroma. Plonked in a bun, it looks just like a beef burger. But this patty is made from pea protein, its luscious fat comes from canola and coconut oils, and that blood-red colour stems from beets. The result is 20g of muscle-building protein, zero cholesterol – and one very relieved Aberdeen Angus cow. The Beyond Burger is one of a new wave of hyper-realistic, plant-based meat alternatives which, alongside futuristic lab-grown meat, promises game-changing health and environmental benefits. Over 25 million Beyond Burgers have been sold through 25,000 stores and restaurants across America since 2016 and the brand has plans to launch in 50 countries worldwide. It is…

1 CLEAN AND PRESS PERFECT FORM Start with the bag on the ground, then drive up through your heels and lift the bag quickly, flipping it over to catch it at chest height. Pause, then push the bag overhead. EXPERT TIP “This is the foundation exercise of the sandbag variation, and mastering it will give you more options to do later down the track,” says Allan-Price. “It’s a full-body exercise and a great way to elevate your heart rate and burn calories while practising a hinge movement in a low-risk way. Keep the bag as close to your body as possible – don't let it get away from you.” 2 UPRIGHT ROW PERFECT FORM Grip the bag by the central handle – or, for a real test of grip strength,…

“Set your calories and protein intake according to your goal and stick to that. Consistency will get you 90% of the way” The science of nutrition is, when you get down to it, simple. In its most basic form, you need to set your calories and protein intake according to your goal and stick to that. Consistency and adherence to these simple rules over a prolonged period of time (say six to 12 months) will get you 90% of the way to where you want to be. Everything else is minutiae – it’s the psychology of sticking to it that’s the crux of nutrition coaching. Some people love a detailed, super-strict meal plan, not because it’s better, but because they find it’s easier to stick to clear, well-defined rules. Other…

Being short of time, space or kit should is never a reasonable excuse for missing a workout. Even if you only have five minutes and the clothes you’re standing up in, you can do back-to-back sets of press-ups, squats and burpees to work up a real sweat. (Well, it helps to have a spare shirt to change into.) But if you’re in the gym and time’s against you, don’t despair – grab a barbell and do this six-move circuit to take you one step closer to your body composition goal. All the exercises are compounds lifts to hit all your major muscle groups to elicit a fat-burning and muscle-building response, and are ordered to make it easy to move between them. The weight on the bar should be at a…

The press-up is often overlooked and considered unworthy of inclusion in many men’s training programmes. That’s a big mistake. Because when it comes to building a bigger and stronger chest, few moves are better than the classic bodyweight exercise that’s still used to separate the army men from the army boys. This effective chest-builder can be done anywhere, any time – and it works your shoulders, triceps and abs too. Plus there are a number of great variations that mean you’ll never run out of simple moves that sculpt impressive pecs. Here’s how to get started. PERFORM THE PERFECT PRESSUP 1 HAND WIDTH HOW Place your hands shoulder-width apart with arms straight. Your shoulders, elbows and wrists should line up. WHY This position, with all the joints of your arms…

To get fast results, you need to make smart decisions when it comes to how you exercise and eat. Luckily for you, we’ve made it easier than ever to make big changes to the way you look with your shirt off by creating this torso-transforming workout plan to ignite your fat-burning efforts over eight sessions in 14 days. To help you strip away your belly quickly, you’ll be training four times a week. Each session focuses on a pairing the major muscle groups, with some challenging but rewarding abs exercises at the end of each workout. What’s more, you’ll be training your chest and back muscles twice in each seven-day period, in the first and final sessions. This will help shock these muscles into growing bigger and stronger to radically…

Q What weight should I lift for each exercise? A Weight selection is important, but not the be-all and end-all and not worth obsessing about! Avoid the temptation to go really heavy if that means you can’t do all the sets or reps stated, or perform the move at the prescribed tempo. It’s more crucial that you complete all the sets and reps with good form than hit a new weight PB, so select the weight that only just allows you to complete the final rep of the final set for each exercise. If you finish the set and haven’t broken a sweat then the weight is too light – so increase it next set. Q Can I really make a big change to my physique in just two weeks?…

ARMS 1 CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec TARGETS Triceps, chest, front shoulders • Lie on a flat bench, holding the bar with hands roughly shoulder-width apart, • Lower it to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides. Pause, then press it back to the starting position. 2 INCLINE DB BICEPS CURL Sets 4 Reps 10 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec TARGETS Biceps • Sit on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. • Keeping your elbows tight to your sides, curl the weights up to shoulder height. Pause and squeeze your biceps at the top, then lower them back to the start, fully flexing your triceps at the bottom. 3A LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION Sets 3 Reps 12 Tempo 2010 Rest…

EAT PROTEIN IN ALL MEALS Lifting weights causes tiny tears in your muscle fibres, and it’s the consumption of high-quality protein that repairs this damage and rebuilds your muscles bigger and stronger. In short, you need to eat lots of protein – from red and white meat, fish and eggs – to build lean muscle mass quickly and effectively. Aim for at least a fist-sized portion of high-quality lean protein at every meal. A protein shake is fine after workouts, but don’t rely on supplements. BE SENSIBLE WITH CARBS Eating the right carbs at the right time will help your body build lean mass faster. This means you should prioritise eating carbs before your workouts to give you the energy to exercise hard, and after sessions to enhance the recovery…

10% One large egg contains 10% of your RDI of vitamin D, which plays a crucial role in hundreds of biological functions, including aiding the absorption of many other essential nutrients To keep your heart healthy, eat more eggs. That’s the simple verdict of a huge joint UK-China study of more than half a million people, which found that eating eggs daily can reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 18% and decreases the odds of suffering a stroke by 28%. The research was published in the journal Heart. Previous research that suggested egg consumption should be limited because of dietary cholesterol has been largely discredited, unless you have underlying cholesterol issues or a family history of similar problems. Now experts agree that the high-quality protein, fats and…