Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Men's Fitness UK

GET OUT MORE This issue MF is championing The Great Outdoors and, specifically, the many fitness opportunities that exist in nature’s playground. On page 40, author Joe Minihane takes you on a deep dive of open water’s open secret: wild swimming. Take the plunge, he says, and enjoy an icy tonic for both body and mind. Away from the water, there is plenty for those who like to keep their feet – and their wheels – on solid ground. For this issue’s Big Interview, we sat down with James Golding, the cancer-surviving cyclist whose journey from near death to arguably the world's toughest bike race begs the question, what’s your excuse? Elsewhere, we run the rule over London’s first-of-its-kind ‘Clean Air’ running club – which utilises cutting-edge tech to take…

LOOK AT THE TRAIN TIMES If you train in the middle of the day, or even later on in the evening, the chances are the gym is going to be hot and the environment isn’t going to be a pleasant place to train. Think about switching your sessions to early morning when temperatures are lower and the sun hasn’t reached full strength.The additional benefit of training early is that you’re less likely to skip the gym – a real risk when the sun’s out and the temptation of beers and barbecues is tricky to resist. SWITCH TO A COOLER GYM Training in the heat has actually been shown to bestow positive physiological adaptations on athletes, and improve cardiovascular fitness. However, for most regular gym-goers training in hot conditions won’t be…

Designed with the help of three-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser, the latest iteration in the Metcon line has been dubbed Nike’s ‘most tuned’ version yet. Extra stability has been added for heavy lifting, while outsole traction ensures both speed and durability when called upon. The Metcon 5 is, says Nike, ‘your secret weapon for weightlifting and high-impact training.’ NIKE METCON 5 £114.95, nike.com KEY FEATURES Weight: 377g Offset: 8mm A wider heel improves stability during heavy squats, snatches, cleans and shoulder-to-overhead movements. The haptic chain-link pattern on the upper can better withstand the abuse of rope climbs – the tongue also has more cushioning for better support and lock-down. Everyday athletes put the Nike Metcon 5 through more than 9,000 hours of testing. Grip, traction and abrasion-resistance testing…

It’s January on Brighton beach. There’s snow on the pebbles and a stiff breeze blowing along the promenade. I unzip my down jacket, step out of my tracksuit bottoms and pull off my baselayer. My chest prickles with goose bumps as I tug on my swimming cap, slip on a pair of neoprene shoes and gloves, snap my goggles across my face and stride towards the sea. The air temperature is hovering around zero. The water is a positively balmy 6ºC. I feel something akin to an electric shock travelling up my legs as I wade out. I slow my breathing down before sliding my shoulders beneath the waves. My lungs empty immediately, but I push on into a steady breast stroke (it’s too cold for front crawl). I watch…

There shouldn’t be any rest period really: it’s detrimental, and not only with muscle strain injuries,” says Monika Bayer, as she calls for sports and fitness athletes of all levels to move on from received injury rehab wisdom. We’re discussing the best way to treat strains and sprains of various levels of severity, and the post-doctoral researcher from the Institute of Sports Medicine, Copenhagen, is very clear that time alone is not the great healer. “There’s a much longer time in pain for those athletes who have a rest period, meaning that the tissue repair is probably worse with this time out,” she says. “There are studies from decades ago indicating that ligament sprains show basically the same thing: that rest periods worsen the outcome.” If you’re like me, you’ve…

MAKE THE CUT Reducing your daily calorie intake by just 300 can improve your biomarkers for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and boost your general metabolic health.1 After a two-year study involving 143 participants, the half that cut their daily calories by 300 lost an average of 16 pounds. Speaking to The Lancet, study lead Dr. William Kraus said, “These findings suggest the potential for a substantial advantage for cardiovascular health of practising moderate calorie restriction in young and middle-aged healthy individuals.” MF’s verdict: focus on quality – fresh, minimally-processed, nutrient-rich –—rather than quantity, before considering potentially performance-hampering calorie control. Sub-Standard Supplements A wide-ranging analysis of 277 clinical trials has found that nearly all nutrient supplements cannot be linked to longer life or protection from heart disease.3 "The magic bullet…

If you’re working on your physique, brick-like biceps are likely to be somewhere near the top of your wish list – in which case, you came to the right place. Our 10-move session (on page 86) offers up some of the most effective exercises for muscling up in the arm department, but before you give it a go here’s what the science has to say. 1. MAKE A MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION Aimlessly wafting the weight up and down isn’t going to cut it. To maximise muscle growth, absolute focus is key. Researchers have found that using an internal focus of attention – thinking about how the muscle is working as you perform the movement – leads to greater muscle activation (as measured by surface electromyography).1 2. EMPLOY THE FULL…

“The boats race at over 40mph and you’re virtually flying out the water a lot of the time” Matt Gotrel, 30, started sailing when he was eight years old, alongside his father and grandfather. At university, however, he switched disciplines from the Olympic 49ers to take up rowing. Three years later, he joined Team GB Rowing and, with two World Championships to his name, he won Olympic Gold at Rio in 2016. Now, though, Gotrel is back where it all began, and here he reveals to MF the unique challenges of being a grinder. REGIME “A grinder requires a lot of upper-body strength: to power the winches that trim the sails to the optimum settings and help to manoeuvre the boat,” Gotrel explains. At 6ft 5in tall and over 100kg…

A mere 77 minutes is the amount of time the average person spends outside on a typical day. That’s despite numerous studies linking sunlight to an increase in serotonin – the mood-boosting hormone – as well as solid evidence to show being in green spaces provides tangible stress-relief and a heightened sense of wellbeing. 67 per cent of employees in Britain’s small and medium-sized businesses have experienced work-related stress or anxiety, according to research commissioned by AXA PPP healthcare. The same study found eight out of ten of those very same businesses do not have a health and wellbeing strategy in place. AXA PPP healthcare CEO Tracy Garrad said, “Burnout is now recognised by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon. It’s becoming a workplace epidemic." 4 out of…

With just three little words you can paint some powerful pictures. “She said yes” brings us a feeling of joy, an un-squashable smile and a shiny diamond ring; “We did everything” invokes doctors’ scrubs, a lonely waiting room and many tears to come; ‘Bus Replacement Service’ induces dread. Advertisers are well attuned to this power. In the UK we grew up knowing to cross a road we must ‘Stop, Look, Listen.’ Aussies grew up having to ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’, and across the world most of us know that Nike wants us to ‘Just Do It’. Great speeches are full of three-word statements, whether it’s Obama with his 'Yes we can' or Shakespeare’s ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen,' These phrases that shape our culture are powerful for a purpose. Our brains have a…

Running is more popular than ever. Last year, in the UK alone, 240.7 million runs were recorded on activity tracking app Strava – up a staggering 46.2 per cent from the previous year. The sport is so popular because it is so accessible: unlike other equipment and kit-laden activities, runners need a pair of trainers (some even forego those) and little else. In its simplest form, there are no memberships to pay or spaces to book; all worries can be left at the door. That, at least, is the theory. But the free-and-easy nature of running – particularly in urban areas – is under threat from a malignant, invisible enemy: pollution. While runners of the past could enjoy a care-free jog any time, any place, there are now parts of…

THE BEYOND BURGER £5.50 (pack of 2), tesco.com Our pick of the supermarket options, The Beyond Burger tastes great and packs in 19.6g of plant protein. ‘PLANT’ FROM HONEST BURGERS £13.50, honestburgers.co.uk A beast of a burger with vegan smoked gouda, vegan mayo, mustard, red onion, pickles and lettuce. One for reluctant vegans craving a meaty texture. NEW YORK MELT £10.95, thevurgerco.com Made with a Beyond Meat patty and topped with double vegan cheese, gherkins and house-made burger sauce. A plant-based cheat meal to rule them all.…

OILY FISH: one of the only food sources for vitamin D, but also very high in bone-strengthening calcium. RED MEAT: the best source of iron. Try to eat lean, organic sources once or twice a week. EGGS: a great source of B12 and also a vegetarian source of iron. BERRIES: provide a concentrated dose of immune-boosting vitamin C. WHOLEGRAIN CEREALS AND BREAD: both are good sources of magnesium.…

1. SINGLE-ARM PRESS-UP MUSCLES WORKED: Pecs, Triceps, Delts, Traps, Lats, Core Sets: 2-4 Reps: 1-6 (work up to 6) Rest: 60-90 secs Note: Your strength will dictate whether you will do this using a wall, a bench or from the floor. The toughest of the three options is from the floor. Begin in the usual press-up position with your feet in a wide stance. Turn one hand so that your middle finger is now at approximately 45 degrees, and put your other hand behind your back. With control, slowly lower yourself until your chest touches the back of your hand and your hips stay just off the ground. Pause briefly and then drive yourself back up to the start position. You can now either keep repping on the same…

Paul Babai, 35, was left with nowhere to turn after a severe slipped disc left him unable to sit at the dinner table or put on his shoes, despite emergency surgery and weeks of intensive physiotherapy. The entrepreneur from Camden, north London, was almost out of options until a mobile personal training service, PGPT, came to his aid. “I had a slipped disc in my lower back and had to go for emergency surgery because of the extent to which the disc was trapping my nerve. Whenever you hear the phrase ‘back surgery’ you panic, thinking that you’ll never do sport again. Mentally that was a huge blow.” While the surgery was initially successful, Babai began suffering from chronic back pain, despite weeks of intensive physiotherapy. His injury soon became…

Just a few small changes can turn ‘night owls’ – those forever late to bed – into morning people within a few weeks. A study involving 22 night owls, whose average bedtime was 2:30am with a wake-up time 10:15am, found the benefits of consistently getting an early night included feeling less stressed and depressed, as well as less sleepy during the day.3 To change their habits, they were told to get plenty of daylight early doors, eat lunch at the same time every day and dinner no later than 7pm. The results showed an increase in cognitive (reaction time) and physical (grip strength) performance during the morning, while peak performance times shifted from evening to afternoon. 27 per cent of British gym-goers say they would feel annoyed if they couldn’t connect…

52,000 is the number of extra calories you can burn per year by standing, rather than sitting, at work. A number of small studies have also linked standing to a decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood sugar levels, reduced back pain and – one for any employer’s reading – improved productivity. 22 per cent of young men eat an unhealthy amount of food in order to bulk up.That stark stat comes as a study out of the University of California found teenagers who perceive themselves to be ‘puny’ are at a greater risk of ‘bigorexia’ – the condition characterised by obsessive over-exercising, a rigid diet and an extreme preoccupation with physique – when they’re older. "Some eating disorders can be challenging to diagnose," said study first author Jason Nagata,…

O’NEILL AQUA SHOES £21.95, wetcentre.co.uk Rocky riverbeds and pebble beaches can be tough on bare feet. These O’Neill shoes are made from neoprene and have a toughened sole, making it easy to get in and out. ZONE3 GLOVES £25, zone3.com It’s often cold hands and feet that will have you swimming back to shore first. These gloves are designed to mitigate against frost nip in those winter months. KINAMARA TRUNKS £18, kinamara.com The Kinamara team designs swimwear inspired by their own wild swimming adventures around the world. These trunks are especially comfortable and won’t leave sensitive areas feeling scrunched. NABAIJI NEOPRENE SWIMMING CAP £14.99, decathlon.co.uk When the temperature drops, a decent hat is a must. This extra-thick neoprene hat will stop your head from feeling the chill. ZOGGS PREDATOR FLEX…

AVOID RUSH HOUR “A lot of people run to work now, so this isn’t always possible,” says Grieve, “but if you can’t avoid peak traffic times our research suggests running just one block back from main roads can reduce your exposure to pollution by 50 per cent.” GET OUT EARLY “In the summertime when we tend to get ozone episodes [periods with elevated ozone levels] on hot days, ozone levels peak in the late afternoon/early eve,” explains Grieve, “so if you are running on a hot day, do it in the morning when ozone levels are lower.” WATCH YOUR SPEED To avoid sucking in too many harmful particles, Poole says, “The trick is to run slowly in the pollution ‘hotspots’ and then do intense workouts in the green spaces where…

Convenient and primed for recovery, protein bars have become the snack of choice for anyone leading an active lifestyle. They should, however, be treated with caution, because although they’re packed with the muscle-repairing good stuff, they also tend to be loaded with some not-so-good additives and no small amount of sugar. But as long as you factor that in – and remember ‘high in protein’ doesn’t always mean ‘good for your health’ – most protein bars provide a portable alternative to more cumbersome shakes and time-intensive meals. Here’s our pick of the best… BEACHBODY BEACHBAR £39.79 (box of 15), teambeachbody.com Punchy pricetag aside, these are a tasty, guilt-free option perfect for anyone looking to get enough protein without cramming in too many calories – just 151kcal per bar. The 10g…

KEEP YOURSELF TO YOURSELF We're all for body confidence, and hey, what's a bit of nudity between a room full of sweaty strangers? Relax. Take it easy. But while getting changed means a brief bare bum is to be expected, there will always be one who treats a post-workout shower at your local leisure centre like it's game day at the rugby club – tackles everywhere. Don't be that guy. If you must swing freely, save it for the kettlebells. DON'T RISK A SELFIE In the red-blooded heat of the moment, it's easy to get carried away. You've just done bicep curls for the fifth time this week, you're feeling pumped and you catch yourself in the mirror. Damn, you look good! But realise this: no matter how quick you…