Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Men's Fitness UK

START NOW The sooner you start building up your endurance, the better. Pro riders begin training in November or December, so they’re race-ready by the spring and summer. “Building towards a big goal, such as a century ride, will help you to head into the New Year with a great fitness level to build from,” says Paterson. “We recommend athletes build up ride time or distance cautiously by around 10% a week.” GET COMFORTABLE Stamina is only one part of a century challenge. You also need to ensure your body doesn’t suffer from aches and twinges during those long hours in the saddle. “Comfort is key,” says Paterson. “Think about your postural endurance by getting a good bike fit.” Weekly yoga sessions will also help to keep your muscles flexible…

F irstly, you need to check it’s compatible with your phone. If you have an iPhone, you won’t be able to buy a Samsung Watch. If, however, you have an Android phone, Apple Watches are out of the question. Third-party options, such as Garmin, Huawei, and Withings, will usually work with Android and iOS smartphones, though some features might be specific to certain operating systems – so do your research first. If you aren’t sold on the idea of frequently charging your smartwatch, then you should avoid Apple and Samsung watches. Even the longest-lasting options – the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro – require a charge every few days. Garmin, Huawei and Withings watches all last much longer on a single charge. Finally, do you need…

Feeling like a sack of spuds? The fact it’s January is bad enough, but on top of that you’re sitting there cradling the extra belly weight that’s lingered from too much festive food and booze. Of course, the usual mantra of eat right, move more and subsequently end up in a calorie deficit (the key driver for fat loss) is the number-one solution, but there are ways of reaching that point in an accelerated timeframe... 01 Deliver a deficit It’s not new, or particularly fun, but the simple fact is that if you want to reduce your body fat you need to ensure you’re in a calorie deficit. Put simply, that means you burn more calories than you consume. However, there are some smart ways to achieve it. Ari Thiruchelvam is…

The CrossFit brand and workout format has grown steadily since its conception in 2001, with more than ten-million regular participants globally and the annual CrossFit Games allowing participants to battle it out to gain the title of ‘Fittest on Earth’. But if you’re new to the discipline, you’ll need to be prepared for the numerous acronyms and abbreviations it uses. So, what is it? CrossFit describes its concept as ‘constantly varied functional movement at high intensity’. It combines fitness and sociability; if you dislike the isolation of working out alone at the gym, but want to improve your strength, conditioning and cardio in the company of like-minded others, then CrossFit might be for you. Its very essence is built on fitness camaraderie: achieving the best you can and encouraging others.…

This 30-minute dumbbell workout was created by personal trainer, running coach, fitness consultant and co-founder of Track Life Ldn, Omar Mansour. It’s designed to challenge all the major muscles in your body – typified by the opening exercise, which will test your quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, core stability and proprioception. • Complete the exercises as a continuous circuit. • Perform each dumbbell exercise for 60 seconds. • Rest for a maximum of 15 seconds between exercises. • Complete 3 rounds in total, with a 60-second rest between each round. SESSION SUMMARY 1. Reverse lunge to press 2. Bent-over row 3. Russian twist 4. Curtsy lunge 5. Floor chest press 6. Biceps curl 7. Front squat 8. Single-arm snatch 9. Overhead triceps extension 1. REVERSE LUNGE TO PRESS MUSCLES TARGETED: Quadriceps,…

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When fitness trackers evolved into full-blown smartwatches and fitness watches in around 2012, pickings were slim, and Fitbit, Polar and Sony were leading the charge. But fast-forward a decade, and there are now plenty of other brands in the field with incredible options, meaning whatever your training goals, you should be able to find a watch that suits. Need long-lasting battery life? You can now buy powerful wearables that can last 14 days or more before needing a charge, such as the Garmin Enduro 2 or Huawei Watch GT 3. If you want a fitness watch that can double up as a fine-looking timepiece for a black-tie dinner, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is a stunningly designed, long-lasting digital wearable with classic styling. For runners, triathletes and fitness enthusiasts,…

CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITORING WEARABLES ARE ON THE RISE, BUT WHAT INSIGHT DO THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE? CHARLIE ALLENBY BREAKS DOWN ALL THINGS BLOOD SUGAR Over the last decade, there’s a good chance you’ll have become the wearer of a piece of health-tracking tech. Heart rate monitors are built into even the most unsuspecting watches, while it’s common to be bombarded with a smorgasbord of steps, sleep and SpO2 readings on a daily basis. Data tracking is no longer limited to the skin’s surface, though. The future of wearables is implanted, and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are one of the first tools to have made the jump to the mainstream. The various models currently available make bold, flashy claims about providing real-time tracking of how your lifestyle impacts your blood sugar levels,…

It’s the conundrum all weight-watching egg eaters face: the yolk is the best bit, but without bread to mop it up, how do you make sure you get it all? Here’s how: by baking it in an avocado holder, which will give you a hit of healthy fats alongside your muscle-building protein. This combination will also boost your energy and help keep you feeling full, so you avoid the temptation to snack mid-morning. AVOCADO Provides fibre, which helps to improve digestion. PANCETTA Provides vitamin B6, which boosts energy levels. EGGS Provide zinc, which increases testosterone production. AVOCADO BAKED EGGS WITH PANCETTA Prep time: 2 mins Cooking time: 8 mins Ingredients (serves 1): - 1 large avocado - 2 free-range eggs - 70g pancetta - Small handful of cress - Pepper,…

TRAINER Alot of people assume the more work they put in at the gym, and A the longer and harder they push themselves, the better their results will be. It seems logical. But your body is capable of making only tiny, marginal adaptations and improvements at any one time. Once you’ve given it enough stimulus to make these changes, any additional work you do after that point won’t be making you any better. If anything, it’ll hamper your progress, because you’ll need longer to recover afterwards and won’t feel as fresh when you start your next session. How much work you need to do is relative to your current fitness levels. For example, a relatively new gym-goer who wants to get stronger might read about a squat workout of 10…

“This banded strength circuit will target all your main muscle groups,” says Omar Mansour. “Pick a band that creates a good amount of resistance in each exercise, but one you can control through the movements.” Bands can challenge you in different ways to free weights. Typically the upper portion of the movement is harder, because that’s when the band is stretched tight with the most resistance. Overloading the top part of an exercise in this way can create greater muscular activation. • Complete the exercises back to back. • Do each exercise for 45 secs, rest for 15 secs, then move on. • Rest 60 secs after the last exercise and repeat for a total of 4 rounds. SESSION SUMMARY 1. Front squat 2. Seated back row 3. Press-up 4.…

Using box jumps to improve your power output? Then make sure you limit the number of reps you perform each set. Study subjects who did 10 sets of 2 reps, with a 10-second rest between sets, demonstrated greater power production, take-off velocity and jump height than those who did two sets of ten reps, with 90 seconds’ rest between efforts. If your aim is to develop power endurance, then higher-rep sets may still be useful – but if it’s all-out power you want, keep it short and explosive.…

THE EXPERT Claire Nevinson is superintendent pharmacist at Boots. For ‘convenient care without the hassle’, visit onlinedoctor.boots.com WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? High blood pressure, also known as ‘hypertension’, rarely has noticeable symptoms, but can cause serious health complications. It’s when your heart has to consistently work harder to pump blood around your body. If untreated, the arteries can stiffen and narrow, making it easier for fatty material to clog them up and cause heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. HOW DO YOU MEASURE BLOOD PRESSURE? Your blood pressure is measured by using a blood pressure monitor. The monitor gives two numbers: the systolic pressure (the higher number), which shows the force at which your heart pumps blood around the body, and the diastolic pressure (lower number), to show the…

01. Skip the sweet stuff Swerve adding sugar to things like hot tea and coffee, to minimise self-inflicted blood glucose spikes. 02. Switch to wholefoods If a food isn’t in its original state – for example, apple juice rather than an apple – there’s a good chance sugar has been added as a preservative during processing. 03. Opt for wholegrain Brown is better when it comes to carbohydrates like pasta, rice and bread. Its fibre content means it takes longer to digest, slowing down the release of sugars. 04. Don’t eat in isolation Combining carbohydrates with proteins and fats can have a positive impact on blood glucose levels, reducing the response and turning a spike into a gradual rise. 05. Walk it out Exercise is an insulin-free way of lowering…

Alcohol and exercise do not mix. Booze not only limits the amount of oxygenated blood that reaches your muscles, but also reduces reaction times and compromises balance. It’s also universally accepted that it’s not a great idea to drink immediately after exercise. Research released in PLOS One, a scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, found that having just two alcoholic drinks after an ‘intense workout’ reduces the body’s ability to build and repair muscle by 37%, while a study in the Journal of Applied. Physiology concluded that consuming a drink ‘with at least 4% alcohol’ after physical exertion severely limits one’s ability to recover from dehydration. These findings are supported by Michael Gleeson, emeritus professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University, and author of bestselling books Sport…

After Ola Folawiyo is a 29-year-old recruiter from South London. He decided to get serious about losing weight after doctors told him in early 2022 that his 125kg mass meant he was borderline type 2 diabetic. He already had obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep condition that limited him to just three hours of sleep a night. Having trained with PT Will Duru at his local gym since lockdown, the pair kicked things up a gear. Duru devised a six-month plan to help Folawiyo not only shed at least 25kg, but also be fit enough to compete in a white collar boxing match in September and run a half marathon in October. “I’ve had several weight-loss attempts,” says Folawiyo. “I even tried the keto diet, but I think I put on…

Stick to the basics consistently – squats, presses, deadlifts and rows – and you’re guaranteed to build both muscle and strength. This workout incorporates each of the above, with some chin-ups and dips added to the mix for good measure, to provide a total-body test that will hit every major muscle group. Stick to 3 working sets, but because you’ll be going heavy you’ll want to do some warming up beforehand. Do a set of 10 reps with an empty bar, 5 reps with 50% of your work weight, then 3 reps with about 70%. Low reps and heavier weight make this a strength-focused workout, but you can easily up the reps and drop the weight – consider cutting the rest time, too – to place greater strain on your…