Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Men's Fitness UK

New year, new you: four words that are bandied around with abandon in health and fitness magazines around this time. But let’s take a second to actually really think about what that means. Personally, it’s about taking check of everything - whether that’s fitness goals, life challenges or mental strength - and putting in place a plan that really works. My old boss used to say the definition of madness was doing the same thing again and again - and expecting a different result. So if you genuinely want to see a 'new you' in 2025, it’s going to take commitment and focus. With that in mind, we've put together a bumper 164-page workout special to help you hit the ground running in 2025. We've pulled together a comprehensive workout…

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…

There’s one training method that will help you get leaner, stronger and more muscular, improve your skin and cardiovascular function, make you feel healthier and cause your stubborn calves to grow. What’s more, you can do it in one or two 20-minute sessions each week – and it doesn’t have to cost anything. What’s this magical training system? Sprinting. I didn’t think running could help build strength. Was I wrong? Traditionally, people have lifted weights to build muscle and done cardio to burn fat. But this approach of low-intensity, high-volume cardio work and high-rep strength endurance work leads to a reduction in the size of your type 2, or fast-twitch, muscle fibres (that’s bad), and even to some type 2b fibres being converted to type 2a (good for cardio, but…

Your one-max rep on the bench press is a good indicator of upper body strength and gym dedication, so everyone wants an impressive score. The problem is that doing too much work on your chest and not enough on your back results in hunched shoulders, which in turn leads to a lack of range of motion and poor posture. It can also cause shoulder pain. You will need strong pecs, deltoids, lats and triceps for this lift. ■ Lie on the bench with a natural arch in your back, your knees bent at 90˚ and your feet on the floor. ■ Grip the bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart directly above your chest. ■ Lower the bar, slowly to your chest and press back up powerfully, without arching…

A lot of people mistakenly think that the best way to lose fat is to embark on long, slow runs. In fact, the most effective way of getting rid of your spare tyre is to do resistance exercise circuits. Studies have shown that resistance training will burn more calories than steady-state cardio because your body burns lots of calories during the session and also afterwards as it recovers. An added benefit is that resistance training helps to build muscle, which is active tissue that, unlike fat, helps to burn even more calories. So by building muscle you are also helping yourself to lose fat. Arranging your workouts in a circuit, where you take minimal rest between exercises, helps to keep your heart-rate up so you’re working hard throughout the session.…

Being on holiday usually means developing an unhealthy relationship with the sun lounger and the cocktail menu. So see off the guilt and the flab that come with gorging on local delicacies and sitting on the beach nine hours a day with MF’s quickfire beach-based, fat-burning circuit. Most of the moves in this routine are based on plyometric exercises, which burn calories and build lean muscle fast. Working out on sand provides less stability, making the simplest of moves much tougher. Running on sand can also burn over 50 per cent more calories than running on a flat surface would, meaning you don’t have to waste precious holiday time with long workouts or punish yourself with an epic workout schedule when your break is over. Perform the exercises in order,…

There are plenty of advantages to working out at home rather than at the gym. You can do it whenever you’ve got the time, you can blast out your own music and there are no sweaty blokes with personal hygiene issues. You might not have a full set of free weights and machines, but this shouldn’t stop you. There’s a vast array of bodyweight exercises – such as the ones selected for this circuit – that will keep your workouts interesting. Meanwhile, the pyramid reps will keep your heart rate high and help build muscle endurance, giving this circuit all the ingredients required to burn fat and build muscle. Time per session 35 minutes Calorie burn 400 START Warm-up by jogging on the spot for one minute before running up…

Target: Pecs Variations Ballistic bench press Push the bar up explosively, as if you were trying to throw it off you, to fire up your fast-twitch muscle fibres (just don’t let go!). Smith machine press The machine locks the bar into a path so you can concentrate on pressing the maximum weight in safety. Press-up Work your chest anywhere, any time with this simple, classic move.…

Target: Lower pecs Variations Incline press-up A great way to warm up before doing decline presses, or to exhaust your lower pec muscles safely afterwards. Decline dumbbell press The dumb-bells allow for a greater range of motion than the bar, and can be kinder to your shoulder and elbow joints. Decline Smith machine press The Smith machine means you don’t have to worry about controlling the bar, so you can afford to go as heavy as you dare.…

Target: Pecs, lats Variations Swiss ball dumbbell pullover Counteracting the wobble gives your core a thorough workout as well as your chest. Dumbbell pullover press By bending your elbows and straightening them as you raise the weight, you give your triceps and extra workout. Cable pullover The cable ensures that you don’t lose resistance at the top of the move.…

Whenever you walk into a gym, there’s always a dazzling array of equipment, much of it looking like it wouldn’t be out of place in a medieval torture dungeon, but nearly all of it does the same job – providing resistance for your muscles to work against. The equipment in a weights room can usually be split into two types: free weights and machines. Free weights include dumb-bells and barbells, and are called ‘free’ because you are not restricted as to how you use them. Most machines, by contrast, can only be used in one way and are designed to target a specific muscle group. When you’re performing the exercises found in this guide, the majority of the equipment you’ll use will fall into the ‘free-weight’ category. Why no machines?…

Anabolic The metabolic phase during which nutrients from your diet, specifically protein, are synthesised by your body and turned into new muscle tissue. Atrophy Muscle atrophy is the wasting away of muscle tissue leading to a decrease in muscle mass, typically due to inactivity. Catabolic The metabolic phase when muscle tissue is broken down and used as energy – the opposite of anabolic. Compound lift An exercise that involves movement in two or more different joints. Good examples include the squat (movement at the hip and knee joints) and shoulder press (movement at the shoulder and elbow joints). These lifts should form the basis of all programmes where increased muscle size and strength are the objectives because they recruit more of the muscle fibres responsible for the development of these…

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they work out is favouring isolation moves such as biceps curls, which work one muscle group, over compound exercises such as the pull-up, which work multiple muscle groups. The main reason for focusing on compound moves is that they recruit more muscle fibres than isolation moves. They also prompt the release of more of the hormones that are essential if you’re looking to swap your gut for guns. By doing compound moves you also teach different body parts to work together, so you’ll increase your stability and co-ordination and ultimately give your workouts bigger real-world benefits. In this section we look at the key compound moves that you should include in your training programmes. We’ve also identified three or four assistance moves…

Good squatting promotes balanced strength and a strong lower body, which is a great way to increase growth hormones around the body, But if you aren’t lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor or deeper, you’re not completing the exercise’s full range of motion. This is usually because of knee pain or placing too great a load on your lower back, so work the weak links for better gains. To do this, strengthen your knee joints and stretch your calves so your centre of gravity doesn’t shift forward and place too much stress on your back. Then you’ll be able to target the right muscles and get bigger and stronger. Follow this form guide to perfect your squat and, to lift more weight safely, do the…

To get an impressive six-pack you need not only to build your abs but also to get rid of the layer of fat that covers them. This circuit has both parts covered – it hits all the muscles in the abdominal wall and burns serious amounts of calories. You start with exercises that switch on your core’s stabilising muscles so your stomach muscles are completed warmed up and ready to work to their full potential. The moves then get progressively harder, hitting the abs from different angles and raising your heart rate. The stabilising moves will help protect your back during this harder section. Do all the exercises in order, with 30 seconds of medicine ball abs slams after each move to activate fast-twitch muscles and burn loads of fat.…

When the sun is shining there is no reason to be sweating it out in the gym – instead it’s time to take your workouts al fresco. But just doing a few laps of your local park simply won’t cut it. You need to string together bodyweight exercises such as burpees, press-ups and lunges into a circuit which will not only push your heart rate and metabolism through the roof but to also add some variety, agility and fun to your workout. A park workout is also good news for your muscles. By working against the natural elements of the great outdoors you will switch on new muscles, as they respond to a new environment while burning more calories. Research shows exercising outdoors can boost your core stability, cut tension…

Not every hotel has a state-of-the-art gym, but that doesn’t mean you should develop an unhealthy relationship with the mini-bar instead. This workout allows you to work on your fitness and burn fat without packing your dumb-bells and gym ball. Working on an unstable platform such as a bed or pillow, according to US research, will make your leg and hip muscles work up to 13 per cent harder as they strive to keep your balance. If you do crash to the floor and disturb other residents, MF takes no responsibility for the arguments – just don’t do it in the middle of the night… Time per session 30 minutes Calorie burn 450 START Get your blood circulating by doing five minutes of jogging on the spot, jumping jacks and…

Each workout consists of one exercise performed for a specific number of reps, every minute on the minute for a specific number of sets. For every workout, use a timer and start each set at the beginning of each minute. The quicker you get through the reps, the more rest you’ll have before the next set starts. 1. Wide-grip pull-up Sets 10 Reps 5 • Grasp the bar with an overhand grip so your palms are facing away from you and your hands are more than shoulder-width apart. Contract your upper back muscles to pull your sternum towards the bar. Lower under control to return to the start. 2. Burpee Sets 10 Reps 10 • From standing, drop down and place your hands on the floor outside your feet. Jump…

Each workout consists of six exercises, performed in five continuous rounds. Perform 12 reps of each exercise in the first round, ten in the second, eight in the third, six in the fourth and four in the final circuit. Rest as little as possible between exercises and rounds. 1. TRX chest press • Assume an incline stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest towards your hands, keeping your entire body as straight as possible – similar to a press-up – then return to the start. 2. TRX jump squat • Stand facing the TRX, holding the handles with a neutral grip. Keep your arms straight and squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Explode upwards, using your glutes to power the move. Bend your…

What does eccentric mean? The eccentric, or lowering, phase of any lift is when the muscle lengthens under tension – think of your biceps when you lower a weight during a curl. There are two other types of muscle contraction: the concentric (lifting) phase, when the muscle shortens under tension, as in the upward part of a curl; and isometric, when the muscle stays the same length while under tension, as in a plank. What’s so important about eccentric contraction? If increases in strength or size are your goal, the eccentric phase of each exercise is crucial. Studies have shown the eccentric phase triggers more hypertrophy – the process of building new muscle tissue – than the concentric. Your muscles are also far stronger in the eccentric portion of a…

The deadlift works wonders on your physique because it requires a team effort from lots of muscles and lets you load the bar heavy. To deadlift efficiently and safely you don’t just need strong thighs and glutes – you should also improve the strength in your core, lower back and erector spinae, which supports and extends the spine. If you have an overdeveloped chest, it pulls you off-balance, and tight hamstrings don’t allow you to adopt the necessary arch in the lower back. Here’s how to do the lift and four smaller moves that will make sure you’re strong in every part of the exercise. ■ Grip the bar just outside your knees with your core braced, your shoulders retracted and over the bar and your back flat. ■ Use…

Although football is a great sport, taking a keen interest in the game can mean that you spend an unhealthy amount of time in the pub or stuck to the sofa. To stop the booze and junk food taking its toll on your gut, try this heart-racing circuit that allows you to blitz calories and protect against injury in less than half an hour. You’ll find that the sprints get your heart rate up quicker than charging across the pub as the ball hits the net, while the plyometric exercises help you produce more power when you are actually on the pitch. There are also moves to help you strengthen your ankles and core, and improve your balance, which will make you less susceptible to injury. Do all the exercises…

After a long day at work, it’s all too tempting to forgo the gym and slump in front of Sky Sports. You’ll feel a lot better about doing this if you’ve already done a vigorous workout. Just set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and take the chance to burn hundreds of calories with a high-intensity circuit first thing in the morning before the chaos of your day gets going. Your testosterone levels are at the their highest point in the morning, which makes it easier to build muscle and burn fat. Since you won’t have eaten much you’ll also blast loads of fat. Do all the exercises in order with just ten seconds’ rest between each move. Once you have completed one circuit, rest for two minutes before repeating it…

For many gym goers, the pursuit of a big, strong, chest is the pinnacle of their fitness goals. This focus often leads to an almost religious devotion to the bench press - an exercise that dominates chest routines the world over. The chest, or pectoral region, comprises the pectoralis major and minor - often known simply as the pecs - and the serratus anterior. These crucial muscles play a vital role in the mechanics of the pushing movement. However, achieving an enviable chest is not just about pumping iron: it requires a strategic approach with enough variety to ensure that you hit every angle for well-rounded development. By diversifying your chest workout routine to include all the exercises we've outlined in this feature, you can boost muscle growth, enhance strength…

Target: Pecs Variations Clap press-up When you push up explosively enough so that you can clap your hands, you target the fast-twitch muscle fibres that have the most potential for growth. Passing medicine-ball press-up This move blends power and co-ordination to give you functional upper-body strength. Alternating offset jump press-up Jump your hands backwards and forwards while doing shallow press-ups to hit your muscles from different angles.…

Cover the prescribed distances for the cycling, sprinting and rowing intervals as fast as you can, then drastically reduce your intensity and cover the distance again. Repeat this ten times. For the skipping, alternate between 30 seconds’ high intensity and 30 seconds’ rest, repeated ten times. 1. Cycling Distance 250m • Adjust the height of the saddle so your leg has only a slight bend in the knee when the pedal is at its lowest point. Strap both your feet into t.he pedals and grip the bars with both hands. Make sure your knees don’t flare out as you get tired. Use your rest periods as active recovery by pedalling at a lower intensity. 2. Sprinting Distance 60m • Run as fast as possible on the balls of your feet,…