Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i Men's Health South Africa

longer; in many cases, they’re growing fitter and stronger with age. Take Lee Phillips, this month’s cover guy, for example. Lee first appeared on the cover back in April 2014. This is his third Men’s Health SA cover. He has also managed to forge an even better physique than he had in his 20s. At 44, this firefighter is more toned, more agile, more functionally fit than ever before. As we grow older, our bodies inevitably change – but then, so do our priorities. Come your mid-30s, the ability to run a 10K in under 40 minutes could be less important than your sense of financial fitness. On the other hand, keeping yourself in above-average physical condition once you’ve breached the big five-oh might just be the best health investment…

If your concern is around erectile dysfunction, you’re certainly not alone. According to a study from the University of Chicago, a third of men aged 50-64 experience ED. Of course, the last thing you want on your mind when your new partner suggests you get it on is whether you’ll be able to get it up. Set yourself up for success by choosing a position where you’ll be on top. With gravity as your wingman, you’ll have better blood flow to the penis, sending your chances of a strong erection, erm, way up. For the best sex positions at any age, check out MH.CO.ZA/SEX-WOMEN 47% Percentage of gym members in a global study by RunRepeat who said they would not return to gym once gyms reopen. More than 36% of…

BREATHE EASY Ten Percent Happier: Posited as a zero-BS meditation app for sceptics, the app features guided meditations, talks, daily features and (yes please!) a fully kitted coronavirus sanity guide. iOS & Android Mindfulness Coach: Developed to help war veterans, this app is useful for anyone keen to practise mindfulness. The app includes a gradual, self-guided training programme that’ll introduce you to basic mindfulness principles at an easy and accessible pace. iOS & Android STRESS LESS Sanvello: The app provides on-demand, clinically validated techniques for reducing stress and treating depression and anxiety. iOS & Android Happify: Feeling anxious? This app features games and activities designed to defuse stress and overcome negative thoughts. iOS & Android SLEEP BETTER CBT-i Coach: COVID-19 has led to an uptick of insomnia globally. If you’re…

Use it or lose it: it’s a cliché, but as the years advance, it begins to bear out. While there are myriad less-than-desirable physiological changes that come with the march of time, many of the ill effects of ageing may be correlative. Not all your aches can be blamed on the number of candles on your birthday cake. As your professional and family commitments mount, the time that you can commit to your body declines. Inevitably, there is also a reduction in non-exercise-related movement, too – it’s not so easy to get a five-a-side team together on a Saturday. With all this, it should come as no surprise that we start to rust and struggle against the discomfort of stiff, inflexible joints when trying to work out. Challenging your body…

When gyms closed way back in March, it hit all of us for six. And every month they stayed shut was a personal affront to our dwindling gains. But it’s time to stop crying into your KFC bucket and start your comeback. And who better to help you than the guy who whips Hollywood actors like Lucifer’s Tom Ellis and Kevin Alejandro into shape (not literally – he uses burpees). Tom and Kevin had four months before filming started (catch season 5 on Netflix this month). You have four months until December holidays. You got this. 1 / Go in with a plan. Forcing yourself to go for the odd run will get you somewhere. But not necessarily where you want to be. “One of the biggest factors in fitness…

CONNOR MCCANN AGE: 25 OCCUPATION: Teacher HEIGHT: 194cm WEIGHT BEFORE: 124kg WEIGHT NOW: 90kg LOCATION: Kwambonambi, KZN We all know losing those stubborn kilos requires a great amount of physical effort, but there’s often a psychological weight that needs to be shifted, too – and it can be just as much of a challenge. In 2013, Connor McCann, a teacher from Kwambonambi, was diagnosed with clinical depression, generalised anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. “I was never happy with the way I looked. I constantly felt sick, and this only compounded my depression,” he says. 1 A PUSH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Connor had just matriculated, but he wasn’t the sporty teen he used to be. A back injury during his final year of high school halted his training…

01 REAP REWARDS Lockdown has caused a resurgence of hobbies. If you don’t have one yet, it’s time to clear the dusty jars at the back of your cupboard and plant the seeds of optimal nutrition. As well as packing the potent flavours you need to make your fitness fuel taste truly gourmet, fresh herbs will add a finishing touch of extra vitamins and minerals to any meal. Allow the experts at Jekka’s (jekkas.com), a herb farm with more than 30 years’ experience, to make your fingers green and your belly full. MINT Mint does far more than keep bad breath at bay. A study conducted by the University of Adelaide demonstrated that it can improve gut health and alleviate IBS symptoms by activating an anti-pain channel called TRPM8.…

BEAN THERE Wake up and smell the coffee. You’ll get a monthly delivery of freshly roasted, fair trade, African coffee. Plus, enjoy surprises from them every now and then. From R320/month,beanthere.co.za TEALYST They select four premium teas from around the world and send you enough for a cuppa a day, info cards, biodegradable tea bags and extra gifts occasionally. That’s just our cup of tea. R299/month,tealyst.com…

GARLIC Contains allicin to improve your testes’ blood flow and protect sperm. MUSHROOMS The selenium in this staple boosts sperm motility and immunity. BROCCOLI A good source of vitamin E. Low levels can impact fertility. ASPARAGUS The high vitamin-C content protects sperm and helps to increase volume. SPINACH Packed with folate, which supports sperm health. CHICKEN A protein hit containing zinc to raise sperm count and quality.…

Strengthen Your Mind Fuel Your Focus Boost Your Energy WHEN I FINALLY get on the phone with Dr Sanjay Gupta, in March, after he has rescheduled three times because he’s prepping for CNN’s first COVID-19 forum, he’s relieved to be talking about something positive: brain science. “We’re seeing evidence that lifestyle changes can significantly improve brain health and even reverse brain disease,” he says. “That may not sound that significant, except that we really never thought of the brain that way until recently. We thought of the heart that way, and some other organs, but the brain was always this black box.” The 50-year-old is best known for his CNN gig, but he’s also a practising neurosurgeon at the Emory University School of Medicine, removing tumours and clipping aneurysms inside…

Make Time for Your FRIENDS “I saw social activities and things like that as very much an indulgence for most of my life,” Gupta says. Not anymore. Now he prioritises them: His house is like O.R. Tambo for his friends, his wife’s friends, plus his three daughters’ friends and their parents. “I spend time with people. I discover – which really engages all parts of the brain – and I kind of find my purpose in there as well by spending time with people, understanding their lives and letting them in on mine.” Research shows that individuals with large social networks are better protected against the cognitive declines related to Alzheimer’s than those with smaller networks. TRY THE BUBBLE METHOD Gupta practises analytical meditation, a technique he learnt from…

PLAY GAMES Solve maths problems or riddles in your head to ease the monotony. Though calculating your (slow) time may have the opposite effect... FOCUS FORWARD It sounds simple, but thinking about how you’ll feel crossing the finish line is a proven way to help you dig deeper when it gets tough. No turning back. HISTORY LESSONS Replay past glories in your head to prove you’ve got grit. A key attribute in confidence is experience. You know that you can handle it: remind yourself.…

David Minton Health and fitness consultant with 30 years’ experience Cary Cooper Organisational psychology professor, Manchester University Victoria Buchanan Senior analyst at the Future Laboratory consultancy Johann Fortwengel Lecturer of international Management at King’s Business School David Ryan Polgar New York-based technology ethicist and writer Professor Tim Lang Founder of City University’s Centre for Food Policy John Appleby Director of research and chief economist at the Nuffield Trust…

We’ve all been guilty of it: smugly swallowing a mouthful of greens before regurgitating platitudes such as, “Abs are made in the kitchen,” or the equally misguided, “It’s 90% diet.” But without rebooting training and diet in harmony, you’ll never tip the scales in your favour. Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle confirmed this when they conducted randomised trials on overweight participants. A clean diet alone was nowhere near as effective for fat loss as combining good nutrition with exercise. In fact, after five years, as many as 95% of dieters will be back where they started, and 41% will have regained more weight than they lost. It’s exercise that makes a plan stick. As well as being beneficial in isolation, training has been proven to…

Level Up Your Mobility Age-Proof Your Fitness Train Like The Devil Adrenaline courses through Lee Phillips’ veins whenever a distress call comes through to the station. Regardless of what he’s doing, the flood of hormones jolts him into action. “I’ve had calls before when I’ve literally been in the middle of a tough workout,” he laughs. “But when that call comes through, all thoughts of tiredness disappear as the adrenaline kicks in.” In a matter of seconds, the first responder and his team are geared up and ready to go. While the adrenaline gets him moving, it’s his fitness that enables Lee to perform heroic feats under pressure. It’s helped him rescue victims from burning buildings and pry them loose from wrecked cars. The firefighter has trained consistently since he…

NEVER SKIP LEG DAY The squat transcends simple exercise: think of it instead as a fundamental movement pattern. The following variations will cover all the bases for real-life mobility that lasts. 01 THE ULTIMATE WARM-UP COSSACK SQUAT 3 sets of 10 reps per side, 30-sec rest Stand with legs wide. Shift your weight to your right foot. Drop into a lateral lunge, right foot planted, left leg straight. At the bottom, drive up to standing through your right foot. Switch legs. 02 ALL-DAY MOBILITY DEEP BODYWEIGHT SQUAT Sets of 60 sec, as many times as possible With your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, sink into a deep squat with your heels on the ground. Press your elbows into your knees, opening up your legs. Hold this position. 03 THE…

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? It needs to be specific and measurable. “I want to lose weight and get stronger” is not an effective goal. Instead, try: “I want to get my body fat down to 12% and do 10 pullups”. HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO OBTAIN IT? This will give you focus and help to determine the frequency and intensity of your training, plus how you eat. But it needs to be realistic. If your timeframe is too short, you may need to adjust your goal. WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU IN THE PAST, AND WHAT HASN’T? If you’ve never been able to stick to a running programme, what makes you think you’ll stick to one now? HIIT training might be a better cardio option for you.…

TURMERIC Long used in Ayurveda for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this spice helps curb the oxidative stress linked to cardiovascular disease. CAYENNE In a study at Tianjin Medical University, men who ate chillies a few times a week performed significantly better in strength tests than those who opted for a mild lemon and herb dressing. GINGER Researchers at Kaohsiung Medical University studied the effects of ginger on cold and flu viruses and found it could help protect the respiratory system when consumed fresh.…

Far be it for me to tell you what to drive – I mean how could I? A human being is a severely nuanced animal, with sensibilities and compulsions. Add to that the fact that our requirements change not just annually, but from day to day. How else would you explain the rise and rise of the multi-purpose crossover vehicle? And again, that’s not even taking into account your budget or current relationship status. Life is far too complicated to navigate alone, so let me at least try to offer up some cars best suited to your age. In your 20s Volkswagen Golf GTI You’re young and brash – well, as young and brash as you’ll ever be, but this is the time in your life where it’s…

Time-Proof Your Wardrobe Manage Your COVID Crop Perform In The Line Of Fire Having a complete wardrobe means having all the essentials covered. Classic items like a leather jacket, oxford shirts and a well-fitting pair of jeans are a must. Then it’s just a matter of mixing and matching so you can look sharp every day without agonising over what to wear. To get the most bang for your buck, look for pieces that will easily transition from spring and summer to the colder months. 1 Gotta Love Leather The essential top layer instantly transforms your basic everyday outfit into a ruggedly stylish look. But we’re not talking about just any leather jacket. Invest in a high-quality, well-fitting jacket and you’ll be wearing it for decades. You may even want…

THINK OF INACTIVITY AS A DISEASE “Every time I’m about to sit, I ask myself: do I need to sit right now?” Gupta says. “That may go further in terms of the benefit of movement on your brain than even going to the gym. I don’t have a chair in my office.” If you can stand or walk during meetings, phone calls and other activities, do it. Think of inactivity as the disease rather than working out as the cure, he says. ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO TRAIN Exercise boosts blood flow to your brain, tamps down inflammation, and promotes growth of new brain cells. You need at least 150 minutes a week. “Wherever I am, I have running shoes, a swimsuit, and resistance bands,” says Gupta. He keeps weights in…

01 / MORNING GLORY Roll over and start the day with a smile. Sex stimulates brain function and burns away fatigue. 02 / RED-HANDED But put a limit on those solo missions. Over-masturbation sinks levels of energy-boosting testosterone. 03 / BRIGHT START Avoid blue light at night, but scrolling the news on your phone in the morning fires up your brain. 04 / GREEN ENERGY Include spirulina in your supp stack. Taken regularly, it can make you physically and mentally sharper. 05 / PEDAL TO THE METAL A lack of iron limits oxygen delivery to your body, so take a pill and stay pumped. 06 / BY A NOSE Add an allergy med to your pill pack. Inflamed sinuses can sabotage sleep to sap…

John Kani Actor, director and playwright – 76 “I had a drive to be the reflecting surface to my own people.” Having performed on the world’s stages for over 50 years, John Kani believes theatre can change the world. I wanted to go to the University of Fort Hare to study law. But my uncle, who was like my elder brother, was arrested and sent to Robben Island for five years. So my father said, I’m really sorry I can’t help you. I don’t have the money. And then I wondered what was going to happen to my life. I was working at a Ford Motor company assembling engines when a friend of mine said, “Come, we are going to be doing plays.” I had always enjoyed doing plays at…

Last summer, Jason Momoa was fat shamed. A picture emerged of the Aquaman star walking around with his top off, as is his wont, and people went crazy. One woman commented, “Been working on his dad bod.” Another wrote, “Someone needs to start lifting again.” One asked, “Where dem abs at?” And this was Jason Momoa, for crying out loud. I could dedicate the rest of my life to a regime of intense, non-stop exercise and I still wouldn’t even come halfway close to Jason Momoa on his worst day. Chances are that you wouldn’t, either. And this can only mean one thing: the fat shamers are coming for us. As always, we’re behind the curve. Women have been bombarded with this sort of thing for years, a festering culture…

Be A Maestro In The Sack Skewer Fat For Life Stress Less, Sleep More Give Your Chair A Break “Keep moving. Get up every 30 minutes and walk around, go outside and get some fresh air. Another important thing is posture. Don’t slouch! Stretching is crucial during this time as our movements are more limited than usual.” – Tyson Brinkley, sales exec Featured in September 2018 Allow Yourself To Bounce Back “I could say it’s been easy during lockdown, but I’d be lying. Having to adapt from weighted training to bodyweight training has been a struggle. Not having the atmosphere, fellow gym buddies and essential equipment has also been a hurdle. But it’s all about discipline and I had to check myself and remind myself of my goals.” – Jody…

MEET SALMAAN KHADER Last month his advice helped you guys grapple with the psychological hazards of navigating life during COVID-19. Now, by popular demand, licensed registered counsellor Salmaan Khader is back to give you more mental tools for life after lockdown. I’ve become a complete germaphobe – it feels like I’m washing my hands every 10 minutes. How can I stop stressing? If you’re glued to the TV or constantly browsing news articles about COVID-19, it’s going to have a knock-on effect. Switch your routine. Instead of the mindless browsing (or viewing) set aside specific spots for tuning into the news. If you find yourself worrying about the virus – and running to the sink for the 15th time that day – try a positive distraction: read a book, watch…

1. HEAVY D BALL TO SHOULDER Keeping your core strong and chest slightly lifted to avoid rounding your spine, squat down and grab the ball with both hands (a). Roll the ball into your forearms (b). As you stand up, lift the ball to your left shoulder(c). Drop the ball back in front of you. That’s one rep. Do four each side. Why it’s great: “It’s a good compound move. In the fire service we’re lifting a lot of heavy equipment from the floor. This is a good move to replicate that.” 2. WEIGHTED PULLUPS Start by adding the appropriate weight to your body. Grab the pullup bar with your palms down, shoulder-width apart (a). Gripping the plate between your legs, pull yourself up to the bar, going…

SUPERMAN PRESSDOWN 4 MAX EFFORT REPS, 30 SEC REST Lie on your stomach with a stick placed across the bottom of your glutes and your hands in front of you. Create tension through your entire body, then lift your chest and feet from the ground as high as possible, squeezing the stick between your glutes and the top of your legs. Hold. SKIN THE CAT 3 SETS OF 3 REPS, 120 SEC REST Grip a chinup bar and hang fully extended, with feet together. Raise your legs up until your feet pass through your arms and over your head. Continue in this arc until your arms are fully extended and your feet are pointed at the ground. Pause, then lift your hips and reverse back to the starting hang. TUCK…

SUNNY DISPOSITION Squats increase your testosterone levels. A 30-minute spike of T will build muscle and help combat anxiety and depression. POWER UP They strengthen your hips and glutes, crucial to transferring your leg power upward, adding oomph to your athletic endeavours. HARD CORE Recruiting a huge percentage of your core musculature to stabilise the lift, squats beat situps and crunches for abs-building, hands down.…

THE WORKOUT Perform the moves in order. Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps of each exercise. Rest for 45 seconds between each set, 1 minute between each exercise. 1 Overhead Split Squat Stand holding a medium-weight dumbbell overhead with your left hand. Step your left foot backward, lowering into a reverse lunge. Without moving your feet, straighten your knees to stand up (a). This is the start. Bend at the knees, lowering your torso until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (b); straighten back up. That’s 1 rep. Switch sides every set. EB SAYS: “If you’re arching your back, hold the dumbbell at your shoulder instead and tighten your abs.” 2 Hip-Lift Alternating Floor Press Lie on your back, dumbbells at your chest, feet…

Harvest Fresh Health Have a Party In A Box Drive Through Each Decade Blow Your Mind With Books 01 Mental Reboot Bombay Chicken No time to cook? With a quick supermarket sweep, you can gatherthe ingredients for a focus-sharpening salad from Meera Sodha, author of East. Its amino acids provide easy mental energy. SERVES 1 A COOKED CHICKEN BREAST 10 BABY PLUM TOMATOES 1 SHALLOT BIG HANDFUL BABY SPINACH HALF A TIN CHICKPEAS HANDFUL BOMBAY MIX 1TBSP MANGO CHUTNEY A DRIZZLE OIL HALF A LIME, SQUEEZED METHOD Start with some quick knife work. Slice the chicken and tomatoes, finely dice the shallot, then combine with the spinach. Spinach is rich in beta-carotene, which helps to protect your eyes from screen glare, while chickpeas’ tryptophan acts as a natural mood…

1 FOR WINE Wine-of-the-Month Club FOR 33 YEARS, The Wine-of-the-Month Club’s panel has been bringing Saffers the very best wine SA has to offer, blind tasting 80 different wines a week (not a bad job, huh?). The real stand-out is the flexibility; choose how many bottles you want (6 or 12) and how often you receive a box. Then choose: red wine, dry white, red and dry white, red and sweet white or sweet and semi-sweet whites. From R650/quarter, wineofthemonth.co.za 2 FOR WHISKY The Whisky Palette TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM into a speakeasy (hold the suspenders). Norman Goodfellows brings you whiskies from some of the finest distilleries in the world; combinations of single malts, blends, bourbons and aged whiskies. You’ll also get a variety of snacks and gourmet…

For many of us, pizza is an unrivalled cheat meal. Gratifyingly, research suggests that it could help you cheat the generation game, too. Male infertility has been found to be the cause of a couple’s failure to conceive in around 50% of cases. As men wait longer to start a family, the problem is growing worse: after you hit 30, the rate at which your fertility declines accelerates. Yet these statistics needn’t leave a bitter taste. Eat more pizza and your odds may improve, science suggests. In a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, men who consumed two tablespoons per day of concentrated tomato purée (which forms the base of your pizza topping) had improved sperm motility – the cells’ ability to move independently – and overall quality.…

ASUS EXPERTBOOK B9 Repeat after me: bigger isn’t always better. And this small, nifty beast proves it. The ExpertBook is the world’s lightest 14-inch business laptop. Weighing in at 870g (thanks to its magnesium-lithium alloy chassis), this cool-running ultrabook is the ideal lap “dog”. Featuring a 10th Gen Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and a tried-and-tested 16-plus hour battery life – the ExpertBook packs a punch that will keep you going until the 12th round, episode or spreadsheet. R31 999, rectron.co.za. FITBIT CHARGE 4 The newest iteration of Fitbit’s popular Charge series is a great option if you’re an active guy, but your goals don’t include anything along the lines of ultramarathon, adventure race or IronMan. It’s lightweight, well-priced, easy to use and has all the stuff you need. Like…

FUEL FOR FOCUS To protect your brain, you need to control your blood sugar. Sugar in excess can be toxic, causing neurons to die and possibly triggering cognitive decline. Gupta experienced this firsthand when he cut added sugar from his diet for a 60 Minutes story and saw his “cognitive day” (how long you can be productive) increase. He advises using the Global Council on Brain Health’s framework to prioritise what to eat. A-LIST FOODS to consume regularly Fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens Whole berries Fish and other seafood (but not fried!) Healthy fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil, avocados, whole eggs Nuts and seeds B-LIST FOODS to include Beans and other legumes Whole fruit in addition to berries Low-sugar, low-fat dairy, such as plain yoghurt and cottage…

Normally, these pages are filled with globetrotting tales of mental and physical heroics. One plucky Team MH contender is sent to train with an elite athlete and tasked with mastering their hot, new pursuit out in the field. However, these are not normal times. The rapid spread of coronavirus has caused the world to ground to a halt – as I write, offices remain closed and transport is limited. Since the government enforced a population lockdown, regular life has become anything but. In this new world, home workouts, garden WODs and kitchen mobility sessions have become the norm. And with races, events and gyms closing – some indefinitely – this way of life posed a unique question: how could I, a fitness editor focused on functional bodybuilding and shunning endless…