Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Men's Fitness UK

Pros: Knurled grip is comfortable and not too aggressive Versatile bar for a wide range of workouts Five colour options Cons: Tensile strength isn’t class-leading Grip may feel a little thin for some There are cheaper options that perform just as well If you’re in the market for a barbell for your home or garage gym, comfort, versatility and aesthetics are likely top priorities. Similarly, if you’re outfitting a commercial gym, durability and visual appeal are key considerations. The Bulldog Gear Cerakote 20kg 7ft Olympic Barbell ticks many boxes. Design This is one of the best-looking bars on the market. If you’re someone who films your own training to post on social media, it’s sure to get you some extra attention. It also comes in Olive green, Black, Blue and…

David Phillips had everything going for him. A successful coach, author and public speaker with major international clients such as Google, Microsoft, Dell, Oracle and HP, he was happily married with three kids. Then, suddenly, in 2016, enormous work stress took its toll, and he was hit by deep depression, confined to bed for two months, wishing he could sleep forever. “I realised I didn’t love anything or enjoy anything,” he tells MF. “I couldn’t relate to what people said in movies or the way my friends saw the world.” Phillips’ depression became so bad that he felt suicidal. “That was constantly on my mind,” admits the 47-year-old. “How to [take his own life]; when to; where to?” He describes his state of mind back then as being one out…

Many men struggle when it comes to achieving a proper front rack position. These issues often stem from poor posture habits, sedentary lifestyles, or inadequate mobility. This mobility flow is created to specifically target and alleviate the discomfort associated with the front rack position. The goal is twofold: to release tension and soreness while simultaneously enhancing overall front rack posture. “Mastering the front rack goes beyond the discomfort it often brings; it’s about unlocking a foundation of strength and flexibility,” says pliability’s director of performance Cody Mooney. “Addressing the intricacies of shoulder, lats, and triceps mobility, the Front Rack Release Pathway is a curated sequence of exercises, designed to break through limitations and enhance your front rack. This pathway empowers you to overcome discomfort, forging a path to a more…

At least that’s the suggestion of a study out of Leiden University Medical Centre in Netherlands. The large-scale research, spanning six years and involving almost 90,000 participants, tracked via wearables, reveals a fascinating insight. Turns out, exercising between 8am and 11am packs a bigger punch against heart disease and stroke compared to hitting the gym later in the day. So, rise and grind, because those early morning gains could be your ticket to a healthier heart and a sharper mind. KICKSTART YOUR DAY Seven concrete benefits of working out in the morning 1. Turbocharge your metabolism Morning workouts get your metabolism revved up early, helping you burn more calories throughout the day. This after burn effect, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), keeps your body in fat-burning mode long…

For fitness enthusiasts in hotter climes, outdoor training has long been a staple. PTs in the US and Australia often take sessions outside, utilising natural resources like branches, benches, stones and steps to create dynamic and challenging workouts. Meanwhile, in the UK, the idea of braving the elements on a rainy Wednesday in Walthamstow might not seem appealing. But recently, there’s been a significant surge in outdoor exercise participation, thanks in part to the community-driven marketing of parkrun and a growing number of outdoor bootcamps, many of which offer professional and well-structured programmes. Here are a few compelling reasons to swap the neon lights and sleek steel of your industrial-chic gym for the great outdoors. Stay committed A Canadian study revealed that exercising outdoors leads to better adherence. When you’re…

FLOAT TO LIVE Helly Hansen and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have joined forces to launch the annual ‘Float to Live’ campaign. “With summer around the corner,” says professional sailor and Helly Hansen ambassador Jack Trigger, “it’s important we take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves safe on or near the water, and knowing how to float is a lifesaving skill we all should practice.” In 2022, there were 226 deaths in the UK from accidental drownings, across inland and coastal locations. Of the people who died, 40% had no intention of entering the water, including those walking – with causes including slips, trips and falls, being cut off by the tide, or being swept in by waves. The official ‘float to live’ advice from the RNLI is as…

The creators of the popular mindfulness app Headspace have introduced Headspace XR, designed for virtual exploration of meditative realms via the Meta Quest VR headset. But with the substantial cost of the headset, does it offer more than existing mindfulness apps, YouTube channels, and traditional practices? I’ve experienced anxiety for as long as I can remember and have used various tools to improve my mental wellbeing: swimming, running, lifting, medication, cutting back on alcohol and social media, and regular therapy sessions. Meditation has become essential for me too, guided by books, YouTube tutorials, and the original Headspace app. These methods taught me techniques I now use independently, often outdoors. Curious about the new Headspace XR app, I tested it on the Meta Quest 3 headset. Headspace says this app targets…

Spring may have given way to summer, but many will be feeling disheartened; guilty that all the big plans made for 2024 have not come into fruition. Perhaps you haven’t managed to go to the gym every day. Maybe you haven’t completed a marathon. The 20lb weight loss you envisaged, for some reason, has not happened. Halfway through the year and it’s back to old patterns. If that sounds like you, you’ve likely been the victim of some unhealthy goal setting, which comes about when we don’t realistically and genuinely assess the goals that we set. Fitness goals in January are dominated by this phenomenon. We respond to a period of lower activity and excess by making equally excessive commitments for the New Year. These commitments fall foul of both…

As a reader of Men’s Fitness, you’ll be well-versed in the importance of structured recovery for maximising muscle growth and strength gains. But here’s a twist: while we focus heavily on recovery between sets, research suggests that the secret to unlocking strength and power lies in the often-overlooked rest periods. In a study published in Journal of Human Kinetics, two groups of regular lifters were put to the test. One group followed a conventional hypertrophy approach of 4 sets of 10 reps with 90 seconds rest in-between. The other group, however, employed a novel strategy: just 2 reps followed by 15 seconds rest, repeated until completing a total of 40 reps. Surprisingly, the results favoured the second group utilising intra-set rest. They maintained greater peak torque, exhibited increased oxygen utilisation…

Ben Proud is GB’s sprint-swimming sensation, who holds multiple British records and recently set the second fastest time in history in the 50m Freestyle. With Commonwealth Games titles and European Championship victories, he’s hoping to claim the ultimate prize at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Much of his training is, of course, spent in the pool, where he spends at least an hour a day, six days a week. But Proud doesn’t shun gym work, either. His weekly routine consists of at least three full-body workouts, incorporating compound exercises alongside abdominal work and stretching. Non-negotiable lifts include rows, bench press and bench pull, which are key contributors to his explosive performance in the water. Proud typically completes 4 sets of 5 reps per exercise, adjusting weights as needed. To ensure peak…

Balance proficiency isn’t just about tightrope walking between skyscrapers; it’s a fundamental aspect of all workouts, sports performance in general, and everyday movements. From standing up from a chair to taking your first step, dynamic stability is essential. While it’s often overlooked, incorporating balance training into your routine can not only prevent falls but also sharpen your skills and reduce the risk of injury. While balance is commonly associated with maintaining an upright position, it’s more accurately termed ‘postural stability’: the ability to keep your centre of gravity within your base of support. Whether static or dynamic, postural stability is crucial for proper alignment during movements like lifting overhead or performing lunges. Balancing depends on three bodily processes: visual, vestibular (inner ear), and somatosensory (touch). Together, these systems form proprioception:…

Marlon Laight knows better than most how life can turn upside down in an instant. In April 2018, while reaching for an e-cigarette, he lost control of his car and crashed, resulting in severe brain injuries and partial blindness. He was in a coma for eight weeks, and part of his skull had to be removed due to brain swelling. The accident nearly took Laight’s life, but a quick-thinking hero saved him by clearing his airway. Despite grim prospects, Laight’s mother, Helen, found hope when he moved his finger a day after doctors prepared her for the worst. After eight months in hospital, Laight lived with his mother and carers for a year before regaining enough mobility to return home. His recovery included three intensive sessions a week at a…

While the world’s press focused on the incredible cross-continent efforts of Russ ‘Hardest Geezer’ Cook [who recently ran the length of Africa from the southernmost to northernmost points], another exceptional runner – 57-year-old Keith Boyd – found himself negotiating his way out of a hostage situation while on a mission to break a different but not dissimilar world record. Travelling from Cape Town to Cairo on foot, along the treacherous Eastern coast of Africa, Boyd aimed to surpass the 26-year-old record of 318 days. Despite grappling with a heart condition and asthma, Boyd dedicated a mere four months to training for what would become one of the toughest and most perilous footraces in the world. On May 22, 2024, he etched his name in the annals of history by completing…

We all know the NHS guidelines: drink eight glasses a day to avoid dizziness, fatigue, and that overall feeling of sluggishness that comes with dehydration. But with the rise of alkaline water, touted for its anti-aging and cancer-risk-reducing properties, and hydrogen water, said to boost energy and muscle recovery, it’s clear that people are seeking more from their hydration than just quenching thirst. Social media is overflowing with ideas to spice up your H2O game. Forget just cucumber and mint – how about gorse flowers, white vinegar, and even edible glitter? The Holland and Barrett Wellness Trends Report 2024 predicts that the market for enhanced water is set to soar. Soon, more of us will be reaching for water with added electrolytes to speed up recovery after a workout, water…

The best training approach to achieve a total-body transformation, build muscle and get lean doesn’t always fit with the time you have available. Ideally you would lift weights in a progressive manner to build muscle and strength, while following a balanced diet for sustained energy and maintaining a moderate calorie deficit diet to burn body fat. But we can’t all spend two hours a day fitting everything in. So what’s the alternative? Enter metabolic resistance training, or MRT for short. MRT will get you great results, helping to build muscle and shed fat, while being as efficient as possible – with workouts completed in 30 minutes or less. What is MRT? Metabolic resistance training is a form of circuit training with progressive weights, in a way that challenges you metabolically.…

Training modalities seem to have evolved into completely separate entities and disciplines when, in reality, they all rely on the same thing: the body’s ability to create tension, produce force and hold structural integrity when doing so. Powerlifting, bodybuilding, functional fitness and Strongman all have crossover: moving load through space. Strongman is nothing new, but it is highly effective. Lifting odd objects, carries, sled work, throwing and big compound movements are all actions the body is designed to do. The equipment may not be in your local gym, but you will almost always have access to heavy load – which means you’re 90% of the way there. If your gym doesn’t have a sandbag, grab a heavy dumbbell. If it doesn’t have med balls, work through an American kettlebell Swing;…