Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Men's Fitness UK

ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way since the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993. Back then, fighters were recruited through callouts in MMA magazines and the prize money was set at $50,000. Today, UFC is one of the most lucrative sporting competitions around, and the emergence of rival organisation Bellator is proof that the market for watching two people knock seven shades out of each other is alive and well. But amidst the eye-watering sums and trash-talk showdowns, it’s easy for the incredible athleticism of the fighters to get overlooked. MMA is the ultimate test of full-body fitness: strength, endurance, resilience and power rolled into one. On page 28, we chart the sport’s inexorable rise, and speak to the coach of a…

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has taken the fitness world by storm in the last decade, hailed as the quick-fix fat-burning alternative to more traditional forms of cardio. But while workouts can follow any number of formulas – from as little as the 20-second bouts advocated by TABATA, to much longer efforts – new research suggests HIIT training will only have a positive impact on fitness levels if it's performed at 60-second intervals (the key phrase being ‘fitness levels’; the research says nothing about fat-burning effectiveness). The researchers compared the effects of two HIIT protocols – 60HIIT and 30HIIT – on a small group of 26 previously sedentary men and women over a six-week period, and the 60-second intervals led to improved aerobic capacity. The findings of such a small study…

Training for and running a marathon does more than get you kudos on Strava. According to new research from Barts and University College London, marathon running improves the health of a new runner’s arteries and reduces their ‘vascular age’ by around four years. In six months of training, the 138 novice runners who took part in the study were found to have regained elasticity in their arteries – which can reduce heart attack and stroke risk – and their blood pressure fell significantly. Professor Metin Avkiran of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said, “Keeping active reduces your risk of having a heart attack or stroke and cuts your chances of an early death. As the old mantra goes, ‘If exercise were a pill, it would be hailed…

A decent night’s kip is the foundation of fitness. Scrimping on sleep is not only a wrecking ball for your all-important recovery, but studies show that lack of – and poor quality – rest plays havoc with your fat-controlling hormones, damages your ability to make smart decisions about things like diet, and leaves you performing well below par for your next workout. Taking sleep seriously can boost the body’s restorative functions, such as muscle growth and tissue repair, and getting sufficient zeds can positively impact learning, memory, mood and motivation. But how do you know whether you’re getting enough hours? Or the right mix of deep and REM sleep to reboot body and mind? These latest sleep trackers can help you get a better handle on your bedtime habits. WITHINGS…

Indoor ski centres notwithstanding, the UK has some downhill ski resorts of its own. In Scotland there’s Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, Nevis Range and The Lecht. But they’re very limited, to say the least, and during milder winters they can be more than a little patchy. There are also button lifts, tow ropes and natural ski runs in Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham. Again, fingers crossed for snow. Geographically closer than the Alps are the Vosges Mountains and the Massif Central, both of which have low-lying and very small resorts. However, scheduled flights from the UK are limited or non-direct, so you save no time. If you’re serious about your skiing, you need to head for the Alps. There are several smaller airports very close to resorts, including Sion…

“Training for big-wave surfing is like training for Ironman: you need to cover all bases,” explains von Rupp. “Even when holding onto the rope getting pulled onto a wave, you’re constantly driving around and there’s a lot of tension throughout your body, so you need strong arms and a resilient core.” “When the shit hits the fan and you’re held under for a long time, you need strong training, too. We had a good training block last year, which started with cardio and passed onto strength training, then at the end we focused on flexibility.” “We also did apnea training: carrying weights underwater. In surfing you need many different capacities, so the training can’t leave anything to chance.”…

VEGA ESSENTIALS £29.23 (613g), amazon.co.uk They say: ‘Made from a complete multisource plant-based protein blend.’ We say: Vega Essentials rules the roost for its combination of good taste and all-natural ingredients. This protein is packed with performance-boosting vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre-rich flaxseed and heart-healthy omega-3. Vegan protein doesn’t always get the balance right, but Vega has shown it can be done. FORM SUPERBLEND £26 (520g), formnutrition.com They say: ‘Combining plant-based protein with greens and superfoods in one easy shake that tastes amazing.’ We say: The best-tasting protein powder we tried. Despite containing no artificial flavours, artificial sweeteners or added sugar, it manages to be sweet but not sickly and, as well as the 20g of protein, each serving is loaded with probiotics to keep your gut in…

A finisher can be any exercise or combination of exercises tagged onto the end of your workout, with the aim of exhausting your muscles and ‘finishing’ the job. We recommend taking no more than five to ten minutes, but you should ring out every last ounce of effort in that time. Here’s why… FAT LOSS The best finishers are high-rep, high-intensity exercises that rev up your metabolism before you head for a cold shower and a lie down. The aim might be to blitz your muscles one last time, but the extra effort is also going to elevate your heart rate and burn through calories. ENDURANCE Maintaining a raised heart rate for just a few minutes more at the end of each workout will eventually add up to enhanced aerobic…

In spite of its relative infancy, the sport of mixed martial arts has taken the world by storm. In a quarter of a century or so, the combat sport has enjoyed a meteoric ascent, evolving from unregulated brawls to a slickly marketed, global juggernaut. Combining elements of grappling, striking and submission fighting, all occurring within the unforgiving confines of a locked cage, MMA’s ultimate goal is as uncompromising as those that pledge themselves to it: to become the most popular form of combat in the world. Those spearheading the sport also harbour Olympic ambitions. These are grand plans indeed, especially for a sport that at one point, during its formative decade, found itself lambasted by politicians and dropped from the airwaves by US cable companies for being too ‘barbaric’. However,…

The trouble with mountains – the real ones, with snow all over them – is that they’re so damn far away. Unfortunately for us Brits, to find a ski resort worth strapping on skis and boots for, we need to travel all the way to the Alps or the Pyrenees. And that means booking a holiday. Or does it? With a bit of crafty planning, the short answer is no. You need to have some cash to spare, but it’s perfectly possible to leave the UK on a Friday, ski hard all weekend, and be tucked up back in your own bed come Sunday night. SWISS GETAWAY For my particular weekend, I opted for the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, in the French-speaking Valais region of the country. It’s not the…

Nic von Rupp still possesses the school books he repeatedly defaced in class: doodles of breaking waves scattered across the pages. He would infuriate teachers with the stock answer when asked about his career plans for the future. “I only ever wanted to be a pro surfer,” says the Portuguese native, a decade after realising that dream. But while the aspiration was to surf the smaller, competition waves – a discipline making its Olympic debut later this year – now the chase is not gold, but the biggest wave imaginable. The 29-year-old is among an eclectic mix of surfers aiming to become the first to successfully tackle a 100-foot wave, a sporting achievement as unthinkable as the sub-two-hour marathon once was, before Eliud Kipchoge’s achievement last year on the streets…

If you don’t eat better and exercise more, you’re likely to die,” the doctor warns the patient who just barely survived a heart attack. But tell me, if that were you, would you ‘mend’ your ways? Would the fear of death give you enough willpower to take positive action and change your life? You’d think so, right? But somewhat alarmingly, research shows that when faced with this situation, only one in seven of us are able to follow through. That’s not because we (the other six) lack willpower. It’s actually because willpower isn’t really the answer to change. When people come into my clinic, they often ask me for help with things like: “Can you increase my willpower so I can eat healthily? Or stick to my gym plan?” But…

BE MINDFUL OF EVERY MOVE “Before you start your first crunch, activate your abdominals by feeling them tighten (drawing your belly button down to your spine), then bring your shoulders off the floor for the first rep and repeat,” says Sam Yo, former Buddhist monk turned trainer and UK Peloton instructor. “My years in dance training – contracting and releasing the core to initiate movement – really helps me with my personal core training. You’ll never see a professional dancer with a weak core. Take your mind into each muscle movement, as there is more to be gained in the details when moving your body from point A to B.” STRETCH OUT The Pilates double-leg stretch, the dynamic side bridge, an isometric side bridge and the ‘Pilates hundred’ are among…

“Start by building from a strong foundation. You can do this by working on the main compound movements: aim to get comfortable and strong across your squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, pull-up and bent-over rows. I always advise my clients to prioritise getting the technique right before adding heavy weight. This will work your largest muscle groups while making the most of your time working out. “Isolation exercises (bicep curls, lateral raises or leg extensions) are also a great addition when built in alongside the compound essentials.”…

MF: PELOTON WAS THE BREAKOUT FITNESS CRAZE OF 2019 - TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT IT CR: “Peloton brings the benefit of studio-style workouts to the comfort of your own home through a connected indoor bike. The bike offers live and on-demand fitness classes and has live metrics that measure the cadence, resistance and output, which enables riders to track their own progress. During a live class, instructors can see who’s taking part and there’s also a community aspect: you can connect with other riders via the real-time leaderboard and through social media.” MF: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED? CR: “My background is in dance and I was lucky enough to get to work with celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry as a back-up performer. However, the dance…

OUT OF STEAM The effects of long-term ‘low energy availability’ in exercising men may include susceptibility to anxiety and depression. Men who train a lot and are consistently using more calories than they take in, or who deliberately eat less than they need in order to lose weight, are putting themselves at risk of mental ill health, according to the preliminary findings of research at Lincoln University’s School of Sport and Exercise science. The study found links between low energy availability in men who take regular exercise, and what they describe as a complex and interlinked ‘psychological warzone’. Less is More BUYING LESS MAKES YOU MORE HAPPY. NEW RESEARCH IN YOUNG CONSUMERS COMPARED THE WELLBEING OF CONSUMERS WHO UPCYCLE, REUSE AND ACTIVELY SHOP LESS WITH THOSE WHO DON’T. ON AVERAGE,…

1979 An American MMA League is formed and regulated, but within four years the sport is banned and outlawed in the United States. 1993 UFC 1: Fighters from a range of disciplines engage in a PPV one-night tournament. Royce Gracie and Brazilian jiu-jitsu triumph and MMA has a global audience. Also that year, Senator John McCain calls MMA “human cockfighting”. Years later, he will soften his stance, but his political pressure at the time forces MMA into the wilderness. 1997 Pride Fighting Championships, a Japan-based organisation, launches. It will stage some of MMA’s greatest bouts and serve as the home for Fedor Emilianenko, arguably the greatest fighter to never sign with the UFC. 1999 Boxing’s ten-point scoring system is adopted in MMA. 2000 UFC 28: the New Jersey Athletic Control…

Training at home has come a long way. In the analogue age, it meant gentle stretches and grainy VHS workouts. The last decade saw the dawn of fitness apps and wearables. But even then, domesticated workouts would typically be limited to taping YouTube videos, lifting rickety dumbbells and trying not to bump your head on the ceiling while attempting a pull-up. It’s only now that home training is truly at the sophisticated stage. From live workouts beamed to TVs, to digital kettlebells and immersive, on-demand indoor cycling classes, technology is moving the gym into the household, buffing up couch potatoes and upgrading phones into virtual PTs. And the digital fitness boom is packing serious muscle, making up an ever-growing chunk of the UK’s £5.1bn fitness industry. “This is only the…

At a Newcastle United game in October last year, a fan walked up to a match-day volunteer and told him that he recently lost his brother to suicide. He explained to the volunteer that he had since contemplated suicide himself, but then found Newcastle United Foundation’s mental health group on Facebook, where he found support, made connections and shared his story. The two men had never met before, but the match enabled an open conversation to take place that might otherwise have never happened. GAME CHANGER Newcastle United Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, launched a mental health campaign in February 2019 called #BeAGameChanger. It was designed to enable conversations between Newcastle fans about mental health. The volunteer who was approached at the match in October was wearing a #BeAGameChanger t-shirt.…

MASH IT UP Baked or mashed sweet potato with added salt is easily digestible and provides sustained energy. GET FRUITY For some, dried fruit provides excellent energy lifts, but high fructose and fibre content can lead to gastro-intestinal problems. GO BANANAS Cut a banana in half and spread it with nut butter – it can be tricky to transport but it’s a great option for refuelling. GET CREATIVE By no means sugar-free, but you can try baking your own vegetable-based treats: carrot cake, sweet potato brownies and so on. NAIL YOUR NUTRITION Sugar cravings occur with poor recovery from training. Post-workout, get a good mix of carbs and protein.…

Tai Woffinden competes on the International Speedway circuit, riding in excess of 120kph on 500cc bikes with a single-fixed gear and no brakes. It’s a sport that requires no small amount of physical stamina, upper-body strength and mental resilience. It’s also a sport that requires plenty of bottle. That combination of power, speed and risk isn’t taken lightly by the 29-year-old. Given the high-octane, high-risk nature of the sport, Woffinden follows a strict fitness and nutrition regime, to ensure he's in the best physical condition possible to continue dominating the world of speedway. When MF caught up with him, those physical demands had taken their toll, as he was returning to the sport he loves after sustaining fractured vertebrae in his spine, as well as a broken shoulder blade, following…

FOLLOW YOUR HEART Orangetheory Fitness is a one-hour, highly effective class-based workout, incorporating treadmills, rowers and floor exercises. It utilises wearable heart-rate technology to help you get a more personalised workout experience, measuring your heart rate in real time so you can push yourself further. No OTF session is the same, rotating power, strength and endurance-focused classes so that you get a varied workout whenever you walk through the doors. TREADMILL BLOCK 1 (5 ½ MINS) 30 secs Push (Push pace should challenge you and start to feel uncomfortable) 30 secs Base (Base pace should be comfortable for a longer period, also used for active recovery) 30 secs Push 1 min Base 30 secs Push 90 secs Base 30 secs Push 30 secs All Out (All Out pace is…