Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i Men's Fitness UK

Breathing, you might have noticed, is quite important. You really would struggle to survive without it. However, the reality is that 99% of the time we don’t want to be breathing to survive, because panicked breathing triggers an unsustainable cocktail of fight or flight. Those hormones contribute to everything from early aging to disease. Much like a physical workout, breathwork activates executive functioning in the brain, while also training and strengthening the diaphragm to help you breathe more effectively – both automatically and on command. Here are three powerful breathwork exercises that you can practise in sequence first thing in the morning (think of them as a warm-up for daily life) or individually as required throughout your day. Home breath Also referred to as ‘coherent breathing’, the simple act of…

Men’s Fitness is about more than rippling muscles, or chicken and broccoli dinners. These days, we’ve expanded our remit slightly. Our extensive collection of workouts, strength training tips and nutrition advice will help you look the part, sure, but it’s an unfortunate fact that big muscles don’t equate to happiness. Which is why in the pages of our monthly issues and online at mensfitnesstoday.com, you will also find the tools you need to improve all the unseen aspects of your health, too. If you’re looking for celebrity training plans or quick-fix diets, you’ll be better served elsewhere. However, if you want to learn how to make a healthy way of living second nature – no matter how busy you are – we’ve got you covered. And now, for a limited…

CIRCUIT 1 60-sec changeover 1a. SLAM Reps: 8 Rest: 30secs Sets: 2 • Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands, and lift it overhead• Forcefully slam the ball down to the ground• Catch or retrieve the ball and repeat the slam 1b. WALL BALL Reps: 8 Rest: 30secs Sets: 2 • Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball at chest level• Perform a squat, then explosively stand up and throw the ball at a target on the wall• Catch the ball on its descent, return to the squat position, and repeat the movement 1c. SCISSOR JUMPS Reps: 8 Rest: 30secs Sets: 2 • Stand with one foot forward and the other foot back, in a staggered stance with knees…

UTMB • 171km • 9,963m elevation gain • 2,300 runners CCC • 100km • 6,156m elevation gain • 1,900 runners OCC • 50km • 3,425m elevation gain • 1,200 runners TDS • 145km • 9,176m elevation gain • 1,600 runners MCC • 40km • 2,300m elevation gain • 1,000 runners ETC • 15km • 1,200m elevation gain • 1,000 runners PTL • 300km • 25,000m elevation gain • 300 runners in teams of two or three YCC • 15km • 1,200m elevation gain • 300 runners UTMB 2024 begins on 30 August. Find out more at utmb.world…

SUBSCRIBE TODAY Get expert advice on toning up with workouts to suit your lifestyle and tips on nutrition and beauty to help you look and feel amazing. Every month you will get a workout handbook, a review of the hottest looks every month in our Gym Style section, and several articles on how to eat smart with great recipe ideas. Women’s Fitness is packed with features that will provide inspiration and motivation to get you moving! Enjoy features such as Fit Mind, Fit Mama and Fit Fuel every month focusing on mental well-being, how to stay fit before, during and after pregnancy and nutrition advice. GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE ▪ Save up to £44* ▪ Delivery directly to your door before they hit the shelves ▪ Never miss an issue…

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 such as carrot cake, sweet potato brownies. Nail your nutrition Sugar cravings occur with poor recovery from training. Post-workout, get a good mix of carbs and protein.…

Skipping is more than just a playground pastime; it’s a versatile and effective workout that’s stood the test of time. From ancient practices to modern-day fitness routines, from double dutch skipping to Egyptians reportedly using vines to jump, its history is rich and varied. More recently, the rise of high-intensity interval training and CrossFit have boosted the popularity of skipping. It’s a standard element in numerous workouts, and in the recent CrossFit Open 216,926 athletes completed over 100 double-unders each. But whether you’re a rookie or a returnee to the skipping game, you don’t need a boxer’s finesse to unlock its fitness advantages. Put a spring in your step Skipping is an incredibly effective activity for improving cardio fitness, and it’s proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Remarkably,…

Part 1 of this HYROX session focuses on four of the eight functional stations you’ll face on race day: farmers carry, burpees, walking lunges, and wall balls. The alternating exercises in this workout of carries, jumps, lunges, and ball throws will keep you at a high heart rate throughout, and the reps will promote muscular endurance. It’s structured to start with higher reps and distances, progressively decreasing the number of burpee broad jumps to allow you to manage your energy and pace effectively. Part 2 of the session involves a 25m sled push – often viewed as one of the toughest functional exercises competitors face – followed by an 800m run, repeated four times. Since HYROX consists of over 50% running, it’s essential to integrate cardio exercises into your training…

SAVE £17* IN EVERY ISSUE… WORKOUTS & TRAINING PLANS NUTRITION ADVICE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PRODUCT TESTS & REVIEWS GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE ▪ Save £17 on the shop price ▪ Every issue accessed straight from your device ▪ Expert advice on toning up with workouts to suit your lifestyle and nutrition tips to improve your diet ▪ Receive the free weekly e-newsletter VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/MFDIG24 OR CALL 01959 543747 and quote code MFDIG24 HOTLINE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY, 8.30AM-5.30PM. CALLS ARE CHARGED AT YOUR STANDARD NETWORK RATE Terms & conditions: Offer available for UK Direct Debit customers only. You will pay £29.99 every year and receive the digital version of Men’s Fitness. *Savings are based on the standard digital cover price of £3.99 for one year. Offer ends 31st December 2024. Your subscription will…

Men’s Fitness is published every month. UK annual subscription price: £92.88 Europe annual subscription: £116.88 USA & Canada annual subscription: £116.88 Rest of world annual subscription: £128.88 CONTACT US UK subscription and back issue order line: 01959 543747 Overseas subscription order line: 0044 (0) 1959 543747 Toll-free USA subscription order line: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543747 Customer service email address: cs@kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Men’s Fitness magazine, Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL, United Kingdom WEBSITE Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/men Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/menback ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Manage your subscription online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount…

In the wake of Euro 2024, Manchester United’s legendary striker and England Euro 96 hero Teddy Sheringham is urging Brits to get active. Collaborating with The FA and Nuffield Health to promote the Healthier Nation Index, Sheringham highlights the benefits of low-intensity but still big-benefit activities like walking football, golf and Tai Chi. Men’s Fitness caught up with Teddy, now 58, in the Maldives, to learn more about his fitness regime. Men’s Fitness: According to the Healthier Nation Index, nearly 3 in 4 Brits aren’t hitting the NHS’s recommended 150 minutes of exercise weekly. You did that consistently during your playing days – how about now? Teddy Sheringham: I’m definitely maintaining that 150 minutes a week, if not more. Nowadays, my passion is golf, and I walk the course instead…

Vivobarefoot has undergone an impressive transformation. Just a few years ago it was a niche and fairly eccentric minimalist footwear brand, but these days you’re just as likely to see its flat-bottomed shoes on the soles of elite CrossFitters and bodybuilders as you are calisthenics champions. That move into the gym world is no mistake. The USP of specialist lifting shoes is always the flat, stable base, and Vivobarefoot’s argument is that there’s nothing more stable than the foot itself – with its shoes providing just a touch more grip and thin layer of protection. So following on from a shoe I’m a big fan of, the Motus Strength, we now have the Motus Flex, which I’ve been putting to the test for the past couple of months. First impressions…

1. BOX SQUAT Set 1: 5 reps Set 2: 4 reps Set 3: 3 reps Set 4: 2 reps • Place a box behind you and set up a barbell on your upper back• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower yourself until your glutes touch the box lightly, keeping your chest up and core braced• Drive through your heels to stand up straight, keeping your chest up• Ensure the box height allows your thighs to be parallel to the ground, control your descent, and avoid bouncing off the box 2a. REPEAT COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP Set 1: 5 reps Set 2: 5 reps Set 3: 5 reps Set 4: 5 reps • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides, and engage your core• Quickly drop…

Renowned as one of the greatest mountaineers of all time, Reinhold Messner has achieved an astonishing array of daring feats in his 79 years on this planet. Born in Brixen, in 1944, in the northern Italian region of South Tyrol, he grew up in a hamlet in the Dolomites called St Peter, the second of nine children. By the age of five he had summited his first Dolomite mountain alongside his father. As a teenager, he climbed all over the region, teaming up with his younger brother Günther. During the 1960s he dominated mountain climbing in the Alps, graduating to the Himalayas the following decade. His high-altitude career started in tragedy, though. In 1970, he and Günther were invited on an expedition to attempt the unclimbed Rupal face of Nanga…

In the second instalment of our four-part recipe series – with premium cookware brand HexClad and top chef and fitness enthusiast Chris Baber – we’re savouring the tastes of summer with four fresh and flavourpacked dishes. Baber advocates for a healthy relationship with food, steering away from restrictive diets and promoting a balanced, joyful eating experience. His advice is to listen to your body, relish each bite guilt-free, and embrace food as a sensory delight. HONEY & HARISSA SALMON TACOS Chef says: “This recipe is perfect for a leisurely lunch or a summer evening,” says Chris Baber. “The blend of sweet honey and spicy harissa creates a lovely mix of flavours. As for the slaw, simplicity is key. Many tend to overthink it and opt for store-bought versions, but creating…

Speed “Like sprinting, building up your top-end speed will help you pick up the pace across all other distances,” says Evans. “That means you can vary your training sessions more – in terms of both intensity and pace – and that will lead to greater overall improvement.” Strength “Hill sprints build explosive power,” says Evans, “which will help you build muscle and make running on any other terrain much easier.” Form “Hill sessions shouldn’t be about all-out efforts,” instructs Evans. “You should be focusing on keeping your form, making sure your technique is correct, which makes you a more efficient runner. And if you can do that when you’re tired, it will help massively when you’re feeling fresh.” Full-body test “Good form should include high knees, effective arm drive, and…

• Hold the handles with a firm grip, keep your elbows close to your sides, and use your wrists to rotate the rope • Establish a good rhythm. Jump just high enough to clear the rope and focus on landing softly on the balls of your feet • Keep your shoulders relaxed and don’t tense up. This will help you maintain a smooth and efficient motion • Consider recording yourself or have someone watch you skip to provide feedback on your form…

A good core workout should target every muscle in the core region, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and lower back muscles. This comprehensive session does exactly that, with exercises from mountain climbers to single-arm planks strengthening your core from every angle. This is a circuit, so complete the exercises back-to-back, with minimal rest in-between. Once you’ve made it through one full round, give yourself a 90-second break, then do it all again once or twice more. 1. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER TO LEG RAISE Benefits: Adding a dynamic movement to a static hold will force you to keep your core fully engaged. Your glutes and hamstrings will get worked, too Reps: 12-15 (each leg) • Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders,• Start by…

Improved mobility can significantly enhance not only your strength training, but your day-to-day life. If you’ve ever felt a twinge while touching your toes, lifting weights, or loading a bag into an overhead locker, integrating mobility exercises into your routine might make all the difference. Basic hamstring and shoulder work can alleviate these discomforts and prevent them from recurring. Equally, if you’re lifting heavy, better mobility is essential for maintaining proper form, reducing the risk of injury, and ensuring you can train consistently and effectively over the long-term. 5 REASONS TO… do regular mobility work 1. Increased flexibility Greater range of motion aids in executing exercises with optimal technique. 2. Reduced injury risk Less strain on muscles and joints means fewer injuries and longer-lasting workouts. 3. Improved performance Improved mobility…

If you caught any of the recent Euros, you might have heard about a new nutrition trend being embraced by some of the teams: pickle juice. One of the key draws is its effectiveness as a natural hydrator. Packed with electrolytes like sodium and potassium, pickle juice is a replenishing post-workout drink, aiding in fluid restoration after intense physical efforts. The high vinegar content in pickle juice is rich in acetic acid, too, which has been touted for its cramp-relieving properties. This acid triggers a reflex that prompts muscles to relax, providing relief for athletes grappling with post-exercise cramping. Beyond its immediate effects, there are also gut health benefits thanks to the presence of probiotics found in pickles.…

1. SUMO DEADLIFT Set 1: 5 reps Set 2: 4 reps Set 3: 3 reps Set 4: 3 reps • Stand with feet significantly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward. Position the bar over your mid-foot• Lower your hips and grab the barbell with an overhand or mixed grip, inside your knees. Keep your chest up and back straight• Drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees simultaneously to lift the barbell while keeping it close to your body• Stand fully upright at the top, then lower the barbell back to the ground in a controlled manner by hinging at the hips and bending the knees 2. BARBELL REVERSE LUNGE Set 1: 6 reps Set 2: 6 reps Set 3: 6 reps • Place a barbell on…

First to climb all 14 8000m peaks Messner was the first person to climb all 14 of the world’s 8000-metre peaks, which he completed on 16 October, 1986, with his ascent of Lhotse. First ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen Along with Peter Habeler, Messner was the first to summit Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen on 8 May, 1978. Solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen In 1980, Messner became the first person to summit Everest alone and without supplemental oxygen. Alpine-style ascents Messner was a pioneer of climbing in ‘alpine-style’ on high peaks, which involves climbing without fixed ropes and camps, carrying all necessary equipment, and typically in a single push. Traverse of Antarctica and Greenland Beyond his mountaineering feats, Messner completed treks across…

Warm-up (10 reps of each, in a continuous circuit) • Windscreen wiper• Fire hydrant hip circle• Cat camel• Walking overhead lunge• Sumo squat• Side lunge Isometrics (3 sets of 4 reps with a 6-second hold per rep) • Calf raise Plyometrics (4 sets of 5 reps for each) • Box jump• Low pogo jump Strength (Superset x 3 rounds) • Trap bar deadlift• Single-arm half-kneeling cable row Lower legs (3 sets of 10-15 reps of each) • Box step-down• Superset with single-leg seated calf raise Core conditioning (1 minute of each in a continuous circuit) • Hollow hold• Side plank with hip drop• Pallof press…

1. Cardio fitness. Skipping is a highly effective aerobic exercise that boosts heart health, improves circulation, and enhances cardiovascular endurance. 2. Calorie burning. Skipping burns a significant amount of calories in a short time, making it an efficient workout for weight management and fat loss. 3. Improved coordination and agility. Regular skipping sessions help enhance coordination, balance, and overall agility, making it beneficial for various sports and activities. 4. Bone strength: The impact of skipping helps in strengthening bones, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and improve bone density. 5. Full-body workout. Skipping engages multiple muscle groups, providing a comprehensive workout for the arms, shoulders, core and legs. 6. Enhanced respiratory health. Skipping promotes better respiratory function by increasing lung capacity and strengthening the respiratory muscles. 7. Endurance building. Regular skipping routines improve…

Workouts don’t need to take longer than 30 minutes if the intensity is right. When it comes to building your fitness levels, it doesn’t need endless hours of work. The higher quality the dosage, the more impact and effect it will have. Here is a 30-minute ascending EMOM workout to provide the ultimate bang for your buck stimulus to develop your cardio fitness. This format is scalable, effective for any fitness level and will allow you to work hard at your level. This workout uses two cardio machines, or two aerobic exercises you feel confident with. You could choose a rower and a bike, or a skipping rope and a ski erg – so long as the two movements you choose are easy to hop on and off and are…

Pliability’s Full Flexors pathway focuses on increasing overall body range of motion to prevent injuries and aid in recovery. These stretches help prevent pain and stiffness, enhance posture by stabilising the torso, and boost overall athletic performance. 1. SEATED STRADDLE Hold: 1-2 mins Why::This pose targets inner thighs, groins, and hamstrings, improving hip flexibility and lower body mobility. Ideal for athletes seeking increased range of motion and recovery • Sit on the floor with legs extended in a wide ‘V’ shape• Lengthen the spine, sitting up tall and engaging the core• Hinge forward at the hips, reaching hands forward along the floor• Hold the stretch for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply• Relax into the stretch and slowly return to a seated position 2. PIGEON Hold: 1-2 mins (each side) Why: Enhances…