Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Men's Fitness UK

If lockdown was about simplifying your exercise routine and taking things back to basics – running, press-ups and baked beans bicep curls – this issue we’re celebrating new, revolutionary and, crucially, fun fitness ideas. Because while there’s something to be said for old-school, tried-and-tested methods, there is also plenty of innovation to get excited about. Take the rise of virtual-reality gaming, for example, which has gone from future-gazing fantasy a decade or so ago, to today’s range of readily available products that can transport you to the boxing ring or deep space from the comfort of your own front room. On page 36 we explore the new crop of exercise-oriented VR games that combine out-of-this-world escapism with genuine fitness benefits. From VR to AR, on page 42 we turn our…

FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PENNINE WAY, WHAT SORT OF TERRAIN WERE YOU TACKLING? “Bogs! It’s a lot of moorland, and those moors are like plateaus – they’re not like the fells of the Lake District that drain away quite well. That means it gets boggy when it rains, and it stays that way. “It’s pretty rocky in places, too, and the overall ascent exceeds the height of Mount Everest. So it’s challenging terrain, and pretty slow going at times.” WHAT KIND OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BATTLES DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME? “The biggest challenge was the sleep deprivation – I got about 45 minutes in total and that was the thing slowing me down. “I managed to deal with the mental challenges fairly well, because I worked with a…

AROUND ONE IN THREE ADULTS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCE BACK PAIN IN THE UK EVERY YEAR. BUT MANAGING THAT PAIN DOESN’T NEED TO MEAN TURNING TO MEDICATIONS THAT ARE ONLY SUPPRESSING THE SYMPTOMS AND NOT ADDRESSING THE CAUSE... DE-STRESS Ongoing stresses cause muscles in the back to tighten up, which creates tension and potentially inflammation in the spinal joints. Breathing exercises can be effective at reducing muscle tension and improving blood circulation around your body. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Slowly breathe in, while trying to encourage all of the movement to come from your stomach (not from your chest until the end of the inhale), before slowly breathing out through pursed lips – imagine you are blowing out a candle. Do this process for…

The gamification of exercise is nothing new. However, historically it has been the epitome of both poor video games and ineffective exercise advice. Hope is at hand, though, with a new crop of games that make movement, location and exercise integral to the experience, rather than an afterthought. What these games all share in common is that people are drawn to play them because of the novel uses of different kinds of movement. The game play, narrative and motion interactions are all working together. The health benefits are collateral. BIG BUSINESS This gamification of fitness and health has been on the rise for some time. “We are seeing more fun ways to mix and merge fitness, gaming and entertainment,” says Valerie Vacante, founder of strategy and innovation company Collabsco. “Top…

WRAPAROUND SCREEN Trying to get a quick glance at the top of your wrist during a set isn’t always the easiest thing to do. An all-encompassing display would definitely make viewing data in real-time easier. LONG BATTERY If you train regularly, having a watch that doesn’t need to be charged every few days means that’s one less excuse not to work out. FORM GUIDANCE Being able to count reps is one thing, but having the smarts on board to recognise if you’re doing that rep correctly is actually more useful. SMARTER INSIGHTS The ultimate gym watch should not only track data accurately, but also analyse data to help you make the right workout choices for future sessions. GOOD LOOKS While it needs to be built to withstand the rigours of…

New research has shown that some of our least favourite vegetables could be the most beneficial when it comes to preventing blood vessel disease. It has long been known that cruciferous veg (including the likes of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage and cauliflower) can help protect heart health, but why this happens has now been shown to be, in large part, down to keeping our blood vessels healthy and elastic. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, those eating just half a cup or more of cruciferous vegetables a day were 46 per cent less likely to have build-ups of fatty calcium deposits on the inner walls of their blood vessels. Herb your Enthusiasm Fenugreek is a herb that’s long been used in alternative and Chinese medicine.…

VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS are less likely to experience anxiety, a new study suggests.1 A team of Spanish and Belgian scientists compared mental health and cognitive outcomes for people with a range of different dietary habits, and found that people on a plant-based diet showed a lower likelihood of being anxious. Anxiety is an ‘umbrella term’ which includes a range of conditions, and is thought to affect approximately eight per cent of the UK population. SleepSpecs Struggling for shuteye? Try wearing a pair of Blue Light Glasses for 90 minutes before bed to filter out sleep-blocking waves from your computer, phone, or tablet. A range of health experts have recommended the use of the blue-light blockers, which work by filtering out the short wavelength rays emitted by electronic devices. New research published…

Well-developed triceps don't just look good: they are essential for building upper-body strength, improving range of motion between the arms, shoulders and elbows, and›balancing out those biceps you’ve been prioritising for years. With that in›mind,›Kollins Ezekh – PT, life coach and founder of›@builtbygod›– created the following›resistance-band triceps workout. Do each exercise back to back, with minimal rest between moves. Once you’ve completed one round, rest for no more than 90 secs, then go again for a minimum of 2 more rounds. 1A. PRESS-UP REPS: 12 REST: Straight into 1b Start in a plank position, placing hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with the resistance band behind your back and around your palms. Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor. Pause just above the floor and press…

Getting fit will never be easy. The work will always be the work. But if technology has anything to do with it, workouts in the not-too-distant future will be more fun, more focused and more effective. The COVID-19 lockdown demonstrated the power and potential of remote training, but studio sessions in your home are just the start. From gamified virtual-reality exercise experiences, to artificially intelligent coaching, we’re at the start of a fitness revolution changing the way we train. WATTBIKE ATOM NEXT GENERATION £1,899, wattbike.com The Wattbike is a popular weapon in the war on comfort zones, and the 2020 incarnation of the Atom – the more home and wallet-friendly ride – is closer to a future where the indoor training experience better mimics grinding the high gears on your…

JUMP ROPE CHALLENGE Free, nintendo.co.uk A virtual skipping game where you hold the Nintendo Switch controllers like rope handles and skip. It sounds and looks simple, but the focus on repetitive and accurate motions makes it a real challenge. The game displays an on-screen counter to help you focus. It also offers different daily challenges and tracks your progress over time. FRU £11.99, Microsoft.com/en-gb An unusual platform video game. One player uses a controller to run and jump around the level; a second player stands in front of the Xbox Kinect camera and appears on the screen in silhouette. This person uses the outline of their body to create platforms and help the character reach the end of each level. This interaction between body and screen means the player must…

POLAR IGNITE £174.50, polar.com/uk Not as bulky as your typical sports watch, the Ignite houses Polar’s latest heart-rate sensor technology to reliably track effort levels and power features that can tell you more about the effects of your training. It will also match daily workouts based on optimal recovery time and looking back at your most recent training history. COROS APEX PRO £299.99, mobile.coros.com This watch is primarily built for triathletes, but proves useful in the gym with automatic rep counting and the ability to follow workout programs designed by other athletes. It even lets you see whether you’re dedicating enough time working all parts of the body. It’s also got the kind of battery to keep you away from the charger for weeks as opposed to days. GARMIN VENU…

GENTLE IMPACT A study published in the Journal of Biomechanics showed that oxygen uptake at 7.7km/h was 16 per cent higher with Nordic walking than running. To achieve the same level of oxygen uptake, you would need to run at 9.8km/h. Conversely, the impact on the lower leg, knee and thigh bones was found to be between 40 and 100 per cent higher in running. DISEASE PREVENTION The British Nordic Walking Association website refers to a range of research highlighting the benefits Nordic walking offers to people affected by various conditions, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and asthma. You also benefit from being in the great outdoors and getting a regular dose of vitamin D, in which most of us are deficient. BACK HEALTH Correct use of Nordic walking…

1. IGNORE YOUR EGO Big weights might look impressive, but slinging them up with improper form is far less effective for muscle activation than lightening the load and really focusing on the squeeze of each rep. 2. TAKE IT SLOW Lift slower for longer to increase time under tension and maximise muscle growth. Focus on the eccentric (lowering) phase of each rep, taking four to six seconds to lower the weight. 3. FLEX BETWEEN SETS Flexing isn’t just for the self-assured. Doing so forces blood to the working muscles, inreasing awareness of the target area and making it easier to isolate. (String vest and mirror selfies are optional.)…

THE SOFT OPTION Concrete road surfaces absorb heat and r adiate it back into the air, virtually cooking an ything in range – like car tyres and unsuspecting runners. Take your running off-road for a cooler, joint-friendly option. 288 THE EXCESS CALORIES EATEN, ON AVERAGE, BY PEOPLE WHO WATCH TV WHILE THEY EAT. THAT’S BECAUSE THE DISTRACTED BRAIN FAILS TO RECOGNISE THAT THE BELLY IS FULL. SITTING AT THE TABLE TO EAT, AS WELL LISTENING TO MUSIC, HAVE BEEN FOUND TO REDUCE OVEREATING. Drink Up Staying well hydrated should be priority number-one, regardless of your age or activity levels. University of Dusseldorf nutritionists found drinking 500ml of chilled water immediately after waking boosts the metabolism by 24 per cent. Espresso Yourself A coffee hit an hour before endurance exercise has…

On a major oversight, whoever invented running didn’t think about where you could put your phone. Solutions have cropped up in the form of arm holders and waist belts, but these can be cumbersome and difficult to access for mid-run song changes or time-checks. Which is where Freetrain comes in. It’s a training vest that takes the faff out of carrying your phone when you exercise – to which some might say, “Don’t carry your phone when you exercise,” but that’s neither practical nor safe a lot of the time. Simply pull the vest over your head and pop your phone in the flip-down chest pocket. A few more practical touches are provided by the adjustable waistband, pockets for your keys and built-in cash/card holders.…

At last count, there were more than 7,000 gyms in the UK, most of them offering a variation on the weights room and cardio corner set-up. There’s nothing wrong with that tried-and-tested fitness model, and there’s clearly plenty of demand for bench pressing and treadmill running, but to make a name for yourself in the gym game you need to offer something different: a training philosophy that breaks the mould and promises a new level of personal improvement. In Unit 15, just off the M40 in High Wycombe, the reigning ‘Best Gym in Buckinghamshire’ is providing just that. Housed in a sprawling three-storey, 100-square-foot space complete with a 700-metre tunnel directly underneath the adjacent motorway, Wild Training is all about introducing members to a huge array of methods: utilising the…

ICAROS £2,150, shop.icaros.com An incredible suspension machine that’s part theme-park ride, part gaming experience, but at its core it’s all about the workout. HOLOFIT £9 p/m, holodia.com If you already have a VR headset and a workout machine, HOLOFIT will allow you to bridge the gap between the two, exploring stunning vistas while getting a sweat on. BOXVR £14.99, fitxr.com Accessible, popular and immense fun, BOXVR simply requires a VR headset and compatible controllers. It’s high-intensity and good fun. Supernatural $20 p/m, getsupernatural.com This newly launched Oculus-based fitness app hasn’t made it to these shores yet, but is making huge waves online for its high quality. Watch this space. VRWorkout Free, store.steampowered.com Despite being one for the budget-conscious, this total-body workout app still supports sprinting, press-ups, planks, crunches, squats, ducking,…

Pick up a Garmin or an Apple Watch, head to the exercise screen and you’ll find the promise of being able to track pretty much every activity under the sun. Except that when you hit that Start button before a lifting session or a CrossFit class, the reality is pretty limited. It’s simply not a level playing field when you see the level of monitoring, metrics and insights on offer for a runner or a swimmer, compared to someone who favours muscling up over running quicker. For many sports watch companies, it’s clear the kind of features that can bring real value to strength training hasn’t been high on the list of priorities. But that’s beginning to change, and there’s now a greater appreciation that people are taking a more…

“Ride your bike, or it will ride you!” Awarm rain spatters against the packed earth of a high bank as I throw my bike into the turn, carving a tyre track across the bowl as I push into the corner. Letting off the brakes to accelerate, I ride into the angled take-off from a tabletop jump. I crouch slightly, then use my legs to drive upwards, lifting body and bike into the air above the platform, before aiming my wheels at the landing, which rises up to meet the tyres with a satisfying thump. When you get mountain biking right, it feels amazing. It taxes your brain and your body equally, and you’re so wrapped up in the moment that you don’t even realise you’re working hard until you reach…

“It’s full speed, pushing hard all the time like you would in a marathon. But…if you miss a step you die” After cementing his legacy as arguably the greatest ultra runner of all time – with seven Skyrunning World Championship titles and multiple wins in just about every prestigious ultra marathon – 32-year-old Kilian Jornet proved he’s a dab hand at the art of speed mountaineering. The Catalan, who grew up in a Pyrenean mountain hut at 2,000m altitude, culminated his ‘Summits of My Life’ project – in which he attempted ascent and descent records on some of the world’s most formidable peaks – with a record-breaking climb of Mount Everest (without ropes or bottled oxygen). We sat down with the king of the mountains – who, by the way,…

1. MECHANICAL PROGRESSIONS “Within the same category of movement, it’s possible to progress the mechanics of certain exercises,” explains elite performance specialist Luke Worthington. “Generally we do this by removing points of contact, so for example a chest-supported row becomes a single-arm row, becomes a three-point row, becomes a two-point row. “Similarly, a split squat becomes a Bulgarian split squat, becomes a reverse lunge, becomes a forward lunge. The progression from split squat to Bulgarian is straight forward, as elevating the rear foot distributes more weight over the front leg, then a reverse lunge adds a dynamic element to the movement, and finally a forward lunge means managing deceleration and change of direction. Despite the walking lunge being the most advance movement, it’s often given to beginners and in…

THE VO2-MAX BUILDER FOCUS: Improve your top-end aerobic capacity and overall endurance DURATION: 59 mins WARM-UP: 10 mins, building from RPE 1 to RPE 5 MAIN SET: Effort 1 – 4 mins at RPE 8 Recovery – 4 mins at RPE 5 Effort 2 – 4 mins at RPE 8 Recovery - 4 mins at RPE 5 Effort 3 – 4 mins at RPE 8 Recovery – 4 mins at RPE 5 Effort 4 – 4 mins at RPE 8 Recovery – 4 mins at RPE 5 Effort 5 – 3 mins at RPE 8 Recovery – 4 mins at RPE 5 COOL-DOWN: 10 mins at RPE 3 THE METABOLISER FOCUS: Increase your metabolic rate with this fat-torching HIIT workout DURATION: 35 mins WARM-UP: 10 mins building from RPE 1…