Innholdsfortegnelse for Sep/Oct 2023 i Men's Health South Africa

RUNNING “Running shoes tend to be lighter in weight but heavier in cushioning,” Shelley says, “especially for the heel and toe.” This is important for protection and comfort as your joints experience the impact when your feet connect with the ground. MH rates: PUMA’s Deviate Nitro Elite 2 running shoes. (R4 499, za.puma.com) CROSS-TRAINING Generic gym shoes are great for multipurpose training that involves sprinting, lifting and jumping. More “rigid and blocky” pairs won’t be ideal for intensive running, but if the odd 5K is just one part of your overall fitness routine, they’ll work fine. MH rates: UA Tribase Reign 5 (R2 599, underarmour.co.za) WEIGHTLIFTING Specialised weightlifting shoes are designed to prevent your ankles from rolling, as well as increasing the range of motion. “Their relatively wide, square-edged…

Even if you trained as a monk, wrote a best-selling book called Think Like a Monk and are the chief purpose officer of the Calm app, life isn’t all om and deep breaths. For JAY SHETTY, it’s more about interviewing people for his top health podcast, On Purpose; tending to business; managing speaking engagements; travelling; writing; and teaching online courses. Here’s how he does it all and still hast time to reflect. 6:00AM TAKE NOTE The first thing he sees is a pink sticky note that reads, “What are you grateful for?” So instead of first thinking, ‘I’m tired’, he might think, ‘I’m grateful I got some sleep’, but I’m going to go to sleep earlier tonight. This sets the day up better and prompts him to ask what shifts…

BODY BEST ANTIPERSPIRANT DOVE MEN+CARE ANTI-PERSPIRANT DEODORANT CLEAN COMFORT 150ml, R45 Be kind to your skin by ditching alcohol-based deos in favour of a spray that actually keeps you dry and odour-free for up to 48 hours. It even sidesteps irritation. BEST BODY-ACNE TREATMENT NEUTROGENA STUBBORN BODY ACNE SPRAY 250ml, R235 Body breakouts? They’re part of being a dude, but this salicylicacid-laced spray is an easy treatment for zits anywhere on your body. Yes, even your back. BEST BODY WASH EARTHSAP EAST INDIA ISLANDS BODY WASH FOR MEN 90g, R199 Suds up with a body wash that isn’t just gentle on your skin but also kind on the planet. Earthsap’s offerings get a green-thumbed high five because all their products are biodegradable, non-toxic and—thankfully—free of synthetic fragrances. This one smells incredible. BEST ROLL-ON…

EASE OF USE Earphones were judged on how easy they were to control, including responsiveness, design and overall functionality. SOUND QUALITY We drafted in an acoustics expert to analyse their treble, bass, leakage, noise cancellation claims and overall quality. COMFORT We used each set for everything from squats to hill sprints and noted how secure and comfortable they felt to wear. BATTERY LIFE Battery life and recharge time were analysed, because there’s little worse than running out of juice mid-sesh.…

Finding losing weight more difficult than keeping track of your loadshedding schedule? On page 90 we’ve got your boep-proof blueprint with 31 smart ways to lose 7kg by summer. ULTIMATE GETAWAY WHEN YOU HAVE TIME OFF? Escape and master the elements (fire, earth, air and water) with our ultimate adventure guide on page 64. Duffel bag packed and ready to go. BEST BRAAI STRATEGY? Wanna be the king of coal (or wood)? Tap into Jan Braai’s tips, tricks and recipes on page 74 and marinate them into memory before September 24th. ARE YOU WORRIED THAT YOU HAVE LOW T? Testosterone, the hero hormone that’s been touted to do everything from helping you get stronger to living longer. On page 48, find out if “T” truly is the key to vitality.…

“Being a fit is about much more than just gym workouts,” says Cote. “They might provide the foundation, but complementing gym sessions with outdoor activities makes the approach feel holistic and fun—and less monotonous.” Here are a few ways you can nurture your gym goals and mind out in nature. MOUNTAIN BIKING +/-680 calories burnt per hour • Improved Heart Health • Better Coordination YOGA +/-400 calories burnt per hour • Reduced Stress • Better Sleep HIKING +/-60 calories burnt per km • Improved Bone Health • Decreased Anxiety SURFING +/-650 calories burnt per hour • Improved Circulation • Full-body Muscle…

01 SLURP’S UP One of the world’s best-loved Japanese dishes, ramen has been popular for more than a century. And it’s endlessly customisable, too, says Tom Moxon, executive group chef at Bone Daddies, a spot that’s been serving it up since it opened its doors 10 years ago. Here are the ingredients to know. A SOYA EGG Boiled and marinated in soya sauce, water and sugar (see right for instructions), these eggs—like any—are a great source of protein and fat-soluble vitamins. They also add a tangy-salty note to the finished dish. Make a batch and add them to stir-fries, too. B DRIED SHIITAKE These aromatics provide a concentrated mushroom flavour—and a little goes a long way. Hydrate in boiling water to release their potent umami note. Shiitake also have impressive antiin-flammatory…

The Naked Arnold Palmer First off, bring the sugar count waaaay down. Go unsweetened on the tea and lower-sugar on the still lemonade (Sir Juice’s option has 12g sugar per 100ml). Then shake. “Tea has a tendency to aerate really well and get nice and frothy, and it just creates a really awesome drinking experience,” says Harrison Snow, co-owner and beverage director at Lullaby in New York City. HOW TO MAKE IT: Shake 125ml unsweetened ice tea and 125ml still lemonade with ice. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wedge. SPIKE IT! Add 30ml of any of these to the recipe above. VACHELLIA PREMIUM VODKA, R400 Seven times distilled, this clear liquor has a creamy and clear texture that’ll…

IT BEGINS AT 4AM on a Saturday, a throbbing and unceasing pain behind my left temple. I try to go back to sleep but can’t—the second missed clue—and around 6am I face another day of weekend work. It’s the autumn of 2020 and I’m at risk of losing my job at ESPN. Two decades of outworking others—by writing books and hosting a podcast, among other pursuits—and of taking pride in friends saying, “How do you do it all?” has convinced me I must do even more now. I should find solace in all the skills I’ve developed to support my wife, Sonya; our three kids and my mother-in-law, who moved in when she retired. I don’t. By midday, I can’t focus and have to lie down. Soon I’m hyperventilating as…

THE SPEED DEMON There are two big reasons speedway racers sport this TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch: functionality and durability. It’s a chronograph, which means it comes outfitted with a hyperprecision stopwatch. It’s also water and shock resistant to handle all manner of pummelling, on the track or otherwise. THE DEEP DIVES This fleet of waterproof watches can sustain plunges of at least 90m. The Citizen Promaster is solar powered. The Tudor Pelagos has a 70-hour power reserve. The Alpina Seastrong is built from recycled stainless steel. And the anti-reflective crystal in both the Hublot Big Bang and the Montblanc Iced Sea makes them always readable. THE TEMPO SETTERS If you’re keeping time, these watches will track it. The Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial and Bulova Lunar Pilot both have a tachymeter to calculate…

ANKER 737 POWER BANK As regular loadshedding becomes part of our daily routines, there’s no doubt that a dependable power bank is your next best investment. Anker’s offering is exactly the type of powerful wingman you need in your daily struggle against blackouts. Decked out with a 24 000mAh battery, it’s got enough juice to charge up an iPhone 13 from empty to full five times over. Bonus: the intuitive smart-tech display will ensure that you’ll always know how much juice you’ve got left. R3 899, takealot.com ASUS ROG ALLY Handheld consoles represent a new era for gamers, with advanced tech squishing epic performance down to bite-sized components. For years, Nintendo’s Switch has ruled without competition but now countless rivals are squaring off in a fight for supremacy in the…

TREK IT Richtersveld National Park, Northern Cape Beyond Port Nolloth, a granitic jungle gym of Tim Burtonesque proportions awaits. Here, upon the edge of the slow flow of the Orange River, you will find a mountain desert more than two million years old. Contorted quiver trees and bizarre euphorbia cacti guard the serrated ridges overlooking neighbouring Namibia, and the arid landscape brims with drama and adventure. Bag a Peak: Set up camp at the De Hoop site and plan a dawn tramp into the tectonic shards smithereened along the western aspect below Rooiberg peak. A knife-edged ridge ascends to a lone pinnacle with breathtaking views across the forbidding Badlands; keep in mind that there are no marked routes, so blaze your own trail. Below you, the lush and life-giving artery of…

BRAAI BONUS High in vitamin C, lemons are an immunity-boosting inclusion to any dish. Polyphenols in lemons might also help prevent obesity. THE SOUTH AFRICAN BRAAIER HAS EVOLVED. That’s one of the opening lines in Jan Braai’s freshly updated ode to spice and fire, The Democratic Republic of Braai. He’s become the face of a wood-fired revolution, leading the charge when it comes to cataloguing the endless possibilities of SA’s preferred cooking method—and his collection of recipes is a testament to the versatility, flavour and health benefits you can sizzle up on the grid. “It’s very practical, and you need minimal equipment,” says Jan. He believes there’s a special alchemy to cooking over smoldering wood: namely, that chemical equation that’s catalysed when juice drips on the coals, flaring back up…

01 FOR THE FRUSTRATED CHEF OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE BY YOTAM OTTOLENGHI We all know that home-cooked meals have health and weight-loss benefits. But even for the culinarily inclined, it can often feel too time-consuming and labour-intensive. Packed with 30-minute recipes, one-pot wonders and easy meal-prep inspo, this book will take some of the fuss out of eating well. 02 FOR THE DEMOTIVATED ATHLETE CAN’T HURT ME BY DAVID GOGGINS After a difficult childhood, Goggins—who struggled with depression and his weight—remoulded himself into an elite Navy Seal and a top endurance athlete. Here, he explains why most of us tap into just 40% of our potential. Take inspiration for your own personal battles. 03 FOR THE AMATEUR PSYCHOLOGIST ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR If maintaining healthy habits is a daily struggle, this…

01 CARBOHYDRATES MAKE YOU FAT In moderation, carbs are an ally, not an enemy. Nutrition coach Lee Amico suggests aiming to get 30% of your calories from carbs. To get the best out of your workouts, shoot for 30g to 60g before and after training. 02 REST DAYS MEAN SOFA TIME You can’t go at 100% all the time. But gently training the same muscles you targeted yesterday—cycling after squats, say—can counteract pain, boost circulation and improve nutrient delivery to muscles, while helping you burn extra calories. 03 CARDIO TRUMPS WEIGHTLIFTING Your muscles contribute to a hefty 20% of your metabolic rate, the International Journal of Obesity found, while your fat mass uses up just 3% of your energy. To maximise benefits, blend strength training with conditioning. 04 CHEAT DAYS…

A\ WARM-UP INCHWORM TO SCORPION ◼ Start standing. Lean forwards and place your hands on the floor, bending your knees just slightly (A). Walk your hands forwards until you’re in push-up position, then lower your chest to the floor. Lift your right leg and reach it over to the left, touching your right foot to the floor (B). Return to push-up position and repeat on the other side. Reverse the movements to stand up. That’s 1 rep; do reps for 60 secs. B\ DUMBBELL WORKOUT 01 RENEGADE ROW ◼ Start in a press-up position, with your hands on a set of dumbbells, your feet spread and your abs and glutes tight (A). Bend at your elbows and shoulders, then lower into a press-up and press back up, lifting the right dumbbell…

Spend two minutes on Instagram or TikTok and you’ll see all kinds of #BigArms training tactics. Not all actually work, of course. Experts agree, however, that arm training has evolved. A decade ago, you’d simply do curls, curls and more curls. But today’s top trainers prioritise a range of exercises that target the biceps and triceps from different angles and emphasise time under tension, and they recommend more total-body work than you’d expect. These best practices set you up for serious gains. It all starts with understanding the answers to the following five questions. 01/SO WHAT’S CHANGED ABOUT ARM TRAINING? The classic biceps curl can always be a staple of your arm training. But if you truly want big, strong arms, consider those curls (and many other arm moves) a…

THE FORMAT Set up somewhere you can see a running clock. You’ve got four movements to get through; aim to complete as many reps as possible in 30 seconds before moving on to the next move. Once all four are in the bag, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for four rounds in total. Keep your form tight and tempo controlled—it’s the pump you’re chasing, not maximum reps. Let’s maximise your hardearned gains. 01 HIT THE DECK Start with this twist on a staple move. Assume push-up position with a resistance band across your lower back, anchored beneath your hands. Lower your chest to the floor before explosively pressing back up against the tension of the band. Keep your hips up and core tight for a one-two punch to your chest…

YOU’RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION. Air pollution is underestimated as a health threat, and has been linked to heart and lung disease, high blood pressure and even cancer. Those living in urban areas such as Joburg (or Cape town or Durban…), where there are more cars and other vehicles emitting noxious gases, are at greater risk than others. In Joburg, for example, particulate matter in the air fluctuates between extremes of two times and six times higher than the WHO guideline, according to IQAir. However, Audrey de Nazelle, a senior lecturer at Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy, says this shouldn’t scare you off your commute. (Unless your doctor tells you otherwise; some people are at greater risk than others.) Air pollution and cardiovascular exercise both act on the…

A LIFE OF GLUTTONY. That was a distinct, long, snack-filled chapter in Shaine Dyers’ life. “I was eating and drinking anything and everything I could get my hands on,” he admits. “I was oblivious to the number of calories I was eating every day.” This mindless scoffing plagues many of us, with Harvard Medical School researchers revealing that a quarter of guys underestimate how many calories they’re chewing on. His meal plan was effectively erasing his efforts in the gym where he was still logging sessions most of the week. THE WAKE-UP Packing on the pounds, Dyers was struggling: “My blood pressure had skyrocketed, I was lethargic and I was experiencing sleep disturbances.” To make matters worse, he wasn’t happy with what he saw in the mirror. Despite being a…

EVERY COUPLE ARGUES—OR SHOULD. No matter how compatible you are, living in conflict-free bliss isn’t love; it’s avoidance. But how do you argue in a way that’s not just having the same old fight every time? Knowing your fight styles—how each of you processes conflict—makes it easier to get a handle on your arguments and helps you stay neutral. My wife, Radhi, and I have completely different styles of arguing. I want to dive in and talk it out, whereas she wants to collect her thoughts and cool down a bit before we speak. I’m eager to find a resolution, while she wants to take a break; decompress and think through the issue on her own before reconvening. Understanding this about each other stopped me from feeling hurt when she…

I TAKE A DEEP BREATH before flipping on the cold water. It’s the heart of winter, and the warm spray splashing from my showerhead has been a brief reprieve from another blistery, bitter Cape Town morning. Almost instantly, hot water is replaced with a flurry of (what feels like) glacial rain. Insanity—that’s what my brain tells me, a primal instinct that compels me to step out from under the crisp cascade. But I’ve been pushing up against that fight-or-flight response in the past few weeks. Last week I swam in 13°C water in Camps Bay’s tidal pool. The week prior? I was submerged in Spar-sourced ice tipped liberally in my bathtub for a DIY plunge that put me in a state of shock. But something is starting to happen: I’ve braced myself…

FOR A LONG TIME, we accepted certain changes as the price (and privilege) of getting older. Your hair turns grey. Your hearing starts to… wait, what was that you said? And, of course, your testosterone level drops. But with a boom in new testosterone-boosting therapies, and podcasts and influencers preaching the powers of hormone optimisation, should guys over 40 think about winding back their T clocks? And by how much? Here’s what to know. T CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER A SHORTAGE of testosterone is associated with a shorter life. “We now have several decades of high-quality research showing remarkable longevity and health benefits in men with normal testosterone levels compared with men with low levels,” says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler at Harvard Medical School and the author of Testosterone for Life.…

YOU DON’T NEED A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST to tell you that music motivates you to work harder during exercise. But you might not know that it also changes the way you perceive your workout after the final rep. When athletes blasted upbeat music during a HIIT session for a study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, not only did their peak power output soar, but they also rated the experience more positively compared with those listening to a podcast or sweating in silence. Less inspiring, however, is a set of ‘phones that slip out of your ears mid-burpee or deliver tinny sound that takes the edge off your favourite tracks. Or—god forbid—fall foul of a sub-standard battery life, exposing you to the chatter of your fellow gym-goers. You need a set…

GLIDE IT Wild Sky Paragliding, Bulwer, KZN “It’s the closest thing to free flight a human can experience,” says Ria Fokkens, an instructor and chief of bookings and finances at Wild Sky Paragliding. “You literally soar with the birds, using thermals to gain altitude.” (For the uninitiated, thermals are columns of rising warm air that—if hit at the right angle—can extend your hangtime.) Fokkens’ paragliding outfit is based out of Bulwer, a small town in KZN’s Midlands region hunkered in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg. Sitting just an hour outside of Pietermaritzburg—or around two if you’re heading from Durban’s bustling city centre—you’ll cut through the aforementioned area, known for its rolling green landscapes and bounty of lakes, rivers and crystal-clear waterfalls. While these sights are literal eye candy from…

HUMAN FITNESS USED to be tested every day. Long before Uber Eats and Outlook calendars, our environment threw tests at us, making us stalk our prey, carry home heavy loads of meat and escape predators. As those tests faded, we began testing ourselves. (See: the Bleep test, pushup challenge, one rep max… the list goes on.) Today, fitness standards have gotten a lot more dizzying. But none of these tests truly look at strength in the 360 degree fashion we need to help us live longer, healthier lives. Strength is more than the muscle to deadlift and the mobility to sit in a deep squat for hours; it’s those qualities and others (think coordination, endurance and reflexes) working together. “If one or more of those systems don’t work well, it’s a…

The success of others leaves clues, but imitation can be the quickest route to failure when it comes to your fitness journey. It’s understandably tempting to look at someone who’s achieved incredible results—be that in weight loss, muscle gain or improved performance—and want to copy their approach, verbatim. But it’s important to remember that the same water that softens the potato hardens the egg. An approach that seemingly led to effortless success for one person may wind up being an unworkable slog for another—whether it’s due to different lifestyles, cultural conditioning or just plain preferences (you don’t have to love chicken and broccoli, but loving pizza and ice cream a little bit less gives you a major leg-up, for sure). I’ve seen people with entirely comparable lives—similar commitments, time constraints…

BOS, THE MUCH-LOVED South African rooibos brand best known for its colourful cans of Ice Tea, has partnered with South African rugby icon Siya Kolisi, his wife Rachel Kolisi and the Kolisi Foundation, launching Siya Kolisi’s Limited Edition BOS Ice Tea to celebrate South Africa, and to spread the idea that, with the right ingredients, we are all brewed for greatness. For each Limited Edition Ice Tea sold, BOS is donating 5% of the turnover to the Kolisi Foundation. Siya Kolisi says it’s very special for him to launch this can with traditional Xhosa patterning: “It’s not just a can. It’s a can that will open so many doors. The support generated by this can could be changing a life. The small difference made by one can, can make a…

01 PUSH-UP ON DUMBBELL 3 sets of 10 reps (per arm) Holding a dumbbell in one hand, start in a plank with your wrists, elbows and shoulders stacked vertically and your arms locked. Flex at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest hits the floor. Push up. Perform 10 reps per arm. 02 DUMBBELL BURPEE 3 sets of 10 reps Drop into push-up position, hands on dumbbells. Lower your chest to the ground and press back up. Hop your legs forwards and jump up, holding the DBs. Repeat. Use a single DB, if preferred. 03 HANG SNATCH 3 sets of 10 reps (per arm) Hold a DB between your legs with soft knees. Snap up through your hips and lift the DB up towards the ceiling, finishing in lockout.…

It all starts with your grip. Whether you’re cleaning a kettlebell, hauling a Woolworths bag into the house or opening a jar of (hopefully protein!) peanut butter, you can’t make anything happen until you wrap high-your hand and fingers around an object and tighten your hold. That’s why grip strength is worth training no matter your gym goals. Powerful forearms ensure you won’t let go of the bar when chasing a deadlift PR, and they’ll help you grab any odd-shaped load in your day-to-day life. A stronger grip may also help you live longer: a 2015 study of about 140,000 individuals found that your risk of mortality-related diseaseses increases as your grip strength declines. Translation: don’t be like the average gymgoer and skip grip training. 1. WHAT DO MY FOREARM…