Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2015 i Men's Health

Men are expected to be horndogs, ready for sex at the drop of a bra. That’s a lot of pressure, says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., director of Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion. “Sometimes men end up accepting sex because their partner wants it, but they’re not that into it,” she says. “Then they have difficulty with erections, and it sets them up to feel like they have ED.” So the next time her booty call feels more like a duty call, ask: Do I really want this now? And if the answer is no, be honest: Tell her you’re too tired or stressed, and promise that the sex will be hotter if you two wait a night. Expert Advice from Debby Herbenick, Ph.D. 1 Wet Her Sexual Appetite “Men…

BOB, THOUSAND OAKS, CA Let’s see: Dog licks your face, and you kiss your girlfriend. Do you think maybe she doesn’t want sloppy seconds? But once-removed pooch smooches aside, you should be grossed out too: Canines carry hundreds of different types of bacteria in their mouths, some of which can cause disease in humans, says Jason Stull, V.M.D., M.P.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Ohio State University. Granted, the key word here is “can,” since most guys’ immune systems are strong enough to fight off these bugs, says Dr. Stull. For people with weaker immune systems, however—including children, pregnant women, and the elderly— the slobbering can be more serious. Worst case, they could contract the bug Capnocytophaga, which is found in most healthy dogs and may cause…

433 Extra calories men consume on days they drink alcohol Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition BLAST FAT IN 3, 2, 1... Leave it all at the finish line: You only have to run a 5K a week to burn fat, report Danish researchers. Runners who logged at least 3.1 miles a week lost an average of 4 pounds after a year—that’s without any diet changes. Those who also cut back on soda, snacks, and junk food shed 12 pounds. The key to success? The will to lose weight, says study author Rasmus Nielsen, Ph.D. Those who took up running specifically to drop pounds experienced the best results. WEIRD SCIENCE THAT WORKS The Finding Refrigerating rice can save you calories. Scientists in Sri Lanka say when rice is cooked…

60 Nap duration (in minutes) that can preserve your memory five times better than if you hadn’t napped at all Source: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Don’t Short-Circuit Your Brain Think before you google: Relying too heavily on search engines could mess with your mind. In a Canadian study, people who spent 20 minutes or more per day looking up information on their smartphones performed up to 19 percent worse on cognitive tests than those who used their devices less. Study author Nathaniel Barr, Ph.D., says offloading tasks from your brain instead of solving a problem on your own may make you think less creatively and analytically. Check your mental agility: A bat and a ball cost $1.10 total. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much…

“What do Major League Baseball pitching greats Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan all have in common? Great asses.” —ASSOCIATE EDITOR MICHAEL EASTER ON HOW GLUTES BOOST ATHLETIC PROWESS. LEARN MORE: MENSHEALTH.COM/GLUTES MONTHLY METRICS Paint Pimps 53% of women say the men they dig drive black cars. Sound superficial? Sure, but August is the time to strike a deal on last year’s models. Just sayin’. Scoops Sell 90% of Americans eat ice cream often. To ensure it tastes great, always pull from the back of the freezer case; you’ll avoid flavor-killing ice crystals. Batters Battle 70% of home-run derbies over the past 10 years have been won by an American League player. This year’s amazing slugfest happens July 13. Corn Crunches 42% of U.S. corn is for livestock. But…

Your buddy owes you a beer; he disagrees. Better put up your fists and settle this like men. That’s right—it’s a Rock Paper Scissors challenge. Go best-of-three with these tips from Douglas Walker, coauthor of The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide, and the next one will always be on him. Step 1/Start with Paper Your pal is likely going to throw rock. “Men will almost always start with rock,” says Walker, who’s analyzed thousands of World RPS Society matches to chart this trend. He theorizes men go “rock” to act aggressive. The closed fist certainly looks like our most manly move. Step 2/ Go with Scissors If you won with paper, move on to scissors. Novices tend to cycle throws in a predictable pattern when they lose: rock to…

ACCESSORY LIFTS DO 3 SETS OF 10 REPS FOR EACH MOVE BELOW (UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED). REST 1 MINUTE BETWEEN SETS, USING WEIGHTS THAT CHALLENGE YOU TO COMPLETE ALL 3. DAY 1 1/ Barbell Hip Raise Lie on your back on the floor with a barbell above your hips, your knees bent and feet flat. Raise your hips until they’re aligned with your knees and shoulders. Pause, and return to the starting position. 2/ Single-Leg Deadlift Grab two dumbbells and stand on your left foot, raising your right foot behind you. Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can. Return to the starting position. Do all your reps, switch legs, and repeat. 3/ Suitcase Carry Grab a heavy dumbbell (half your weight) in your right hand…

AMONG OUR ABILITIES AS MEN—THE CAPACITY TO FORM religions, write poetry, and sing karaoke—is our talent for cooking food with fire. Or at least attempting to: Anyone who has attended a lackluster backyard cookout has suffered through medium-rare chicken, briquette-textured steaks, and spatula-mangled fish. Grillers can avoid these BBQ botches by precisely deploying tactical heat. From tender slow-cooked roasts to flash-seared whole fish, this guide will help you fire up better food right now. It’s about damn time that we men treat the grill like the versatile tool it really is. GRILL HEAT LEVEL Maryland-Style Pit Beef This sandwich stacks on the beef and comes dripping with a horseradish-spiked tiger sauce. Slow-cook the meat and then sear it to coax the cut to a juicy, ruby medium-rare. What You’ll Need…

THE FAST FOODIE FASTER THAN A DEADLY DRIVE-THRU, WHIP UP A PILE OF PROTEIN AND LEAFY GREENS, PLUS A SPICY KICK IN THE PALATE. Spicy Sausage with Chicken and Kale Heat a dime-size amount of olive oil in a skillet on medium. Add ¼ pound loose pork sausage and ¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped. Cook, stirring, until the meats brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and a pinch each of red-pepper flakes and ground cumin. Add ½ cup reducedsodium chicken broth and 1 cup chopped kale; cover and simmer till the greens wilt and the meats cook through, 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste. Makes 1 serving RECIPE BY JEREMY LIEB, EXECUTIVE CHEF OF BOCA, CINCINNATI PER SERVING 505 CALORIES, 40 G PROTEIN,…

I AM NO LOGGER (JUST ASK MY BROTHER THE LOGGER), but we heat our house with a woodstove, and I do like to run a chain saw. So I was happy in the forest a few months ago as I revved the engine, dropping trees and bucking them into firewood length for next winter. The snarling roar of the saw rose and fell, safely muffled by my hearing protectors. Then the saw coughed, and died. Outta gas. The forest fell silent. But my head? Not so much. The moment the engine noise ceased, my noggin filled with a high-tensile squeal. The sound seemed to pass through my brain, from ear to ear, like the thinnest steel guitar string drawn so taut that it seems about to snap—and yet never does.…

My girlfriend loves PDA. I’d rather be discreet. What’s the compromise? JEFF, DETROIT, MI Here’s my take: Showing affection in public is a woman’s way of saying “Back off” to the competition. Why? Maybe she feels iffy about your level of commitment. So convey in little ways that you’re all hers. When you’re out, hold her hand. When you’re home, be passionate. Carve out 30 minutes to watch Louie together. Get it? The more intimacy you communicate, the less she’ll need to make a show of it. After four months of dating a woman, my friend is now engaged. Can I tell him it’s a bad idea? ROSS, SEATTLE, WA I’ll tell you what’s a bad idea, Ross: opening your mouth to say anything other than “Congrats, man.” When and…

THE 69-CUBIC-INCH V-TWIN ENGINE rumbles at idle like an angry thunderhead. There’s serious muscle here—100 horsepower—yet the low-slung seat and sporty weight (558 pounds soaking wet) make the Scout as nimble in the city as it is streaking down the highway. The brand responsible for the machine, Indian, has a history that any gearhead can appreciate. But hard times after WWII caused it to stall out and languish for nearly 70 years. Now it’s back. And this year, the company has reimagined its iconic Scout with a long, lean design, outfitting it with electronic fuel injection and a liquid-cooled engine. It’s the cruiser for guys who like speed. Or the speed bike for guys who like cruisers. Take your pick. —CLINT CARTER INDIAN SCOUT $10,999, INDIANMOTORCYCLE.COM AVOID A SPILL Nearly…

obstacle race through downtown. I’ve attended quite a few Urbs over the years, but I’ve always run the sprint version of the race. The reason? Anybody can run 3 miles, even me. Plus, I wanted more time to hobnob with MH readers, enjoy the food, and sample the free beer. Yet when I arrived at last year’s event, I was struck by one thought: I’m the editor-in-friggin’-chief of this magazine. I need to run the whole race! So I decided right then that I would. Let me be clear: I am not a runner. Basketball is my game. And I’m as comfortable on a soccer field as I am on my couch. But running? In an adventure race, I’d look forward to the obstacles just so I could stop. I…

Ignore the Wake-Up Call “I train athletes to utilize the time if they wake up restless at 3 a.m. A pitcher, for example, might visualize throwing three innings. You could picture your golf swing, a bike ride, or a series of lifts. Give your mind something to do other than worrying about lack of sleep.” W. Christopher Winter, M.D., medical director, Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center, Charlottesville, Virginia Don’t Be Patient at the Hospital When physicians at primary-care offices work in interactive teams, patients with heart disease spend 38 percent less time in the hospital, according to a new study. To find this kind of practice—called a patient-centered medical home— just go to recognition.ncqa.org. Ted Epperly, M.D., president, Family Medicine Residency of Idaho; past president, American Academy of Family…

REMEMBER... Sex on the beach is never as good as sex between fresh sheets at a five-star resort. Medium-rare chicken is not a thing. Traffic and crowds suck the thrill out of fireworks displays. You can still enjoy them from afar. Your sharp first-date shirt will develop sweat stains shaped like continents. LIGHTEN UP WITH LINEN The classic summertime fabric looks and feels easy. It breathes like a screen door, and the natural wrinkles and mottled weave help hide sweat. Pick a slim fit in a pale color, and wear it untucked with crisp pants—medium-wash jeans, say. You’ll look and feel great. Sandra Nygaard, fashion and grooming director atMen’s Health Roof-mounted bikes do not fit in garages— or under most historic covered bridges. Christmas in July is unworthy of support.…

3 Number of cups of coffee you should drink daily to optimize the java’s arteryfriendly benefits Source: Heart Beet Down Blood Pressure Start rooting out hypertension. The naturally occurring nitrates in beets may help fight high blood pressure, say British researchers. People with hypertension who drank about a cup of beet juice with nitrates daily for a month saw their BP drop noticeably compared with that of people who drank beet juice without them. Plus, their endothelial function—the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract— improved by about 20 percent. Nitrates convert into nitric oxide when digested, lowering blood pressure within a few hours, the scientists say. No need to swig: Eat one or two beets a day to produce similar benefits. DON’T SLEEP WITH THE FISHES—EAT THEM Give…

30% Reduction in lifters’ quad activation when squatting with knee wraps versus without. Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Go Big, Grow Big You know that heavy lifting leads to faster gains. Now science explains why: Lifting to failure with a heavy weight activates 53 percent more muscle fibers than doing so with a light one, a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology reveals. But don’t abandon light loads entirely. “While most of your sets should be in the 6- to 10-rep range, doing occasional 20- to 30-rep sets will ensure that you hit both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers, maximizing your overall growth,” says lead study author Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. RULE REVERSAL Old Rule Doing low-intensity “filler” exercises between sets of other lifts—jumping rope during rest…

STOP THE PLAY As host of the longest-running syndicated sports talk show on the radio, I’ve made a career out of critiquing bad calls across almost every sport. Take the Seahawks trying to throw a touchdown from the 1-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX: That crappy idea might have been avoided if they’d taken a second to think. A smart timeout can be the difference between a touchdown and a turnover. The same goes for kids; only with them, you’re trying to curb unsportsmanlike conduct. Trust me, I know. I have two boys, and I use strategic timeouts whenever they act like spoiled superstars. Follow these rules to train your kids for the toughest competitive arena there is—life. 1 Flag Big Problems In the NFL, you get three timeouts per…

TRAINERS WILL TELL YOU THAT TO MAXIMIZE MUSCLE GROWTH, you must eat a gram or more of protein per pound of your target body weight per day. For a 180-pound guy, that means wolfing down the equivalent of three chicken breasts, five rib eyes, or 5 pounds of tofu just to maintain his current muscle mass, let alone build more. That’s why protein powder can be such an asset: One scoop delivers 20 to 25 grams of the nutrient, saving you several servings of soy curd or a bellyful of cow. Which powder is right for you? We chugged through 40 tubs and tapped top nutritionists to help you decide. 1/ Best for Bulking Up If you lift big, shoot for a powder with a 2:1 ratio of protein to…

How many antioxidants should I be consuming daily? MARK, BALTIMORE, MD Actually, no one knows how many of the free-radical fighters you need. Scientists are still figuring out a way to accurately measure the potency of antioxidants. Just strive to eat a variety of different-colored fruits and vegetables daily. The unique colors signal different antioxidants—and the variety of antioxidants you eat may matter more than the quantity, studies suggest. Which protein is better for me— steak or chicken? JESSE, LOS ANGELES, CA Both. Sure, They differ slightly in calories, but from a muscle-building standpoint, steak and chicken are basically the same. Plus, a diet that includes either (or both) may help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Besides, limiting the types of meat in your diet can quickly lead to…

GROWING UP ON A COMMUNE MEANT FEW FASHION CHOICES FOR PABLO Schreiber. Birthday suit, yes. Tailored suit, never. “I spent most of my time either naked or wearing Superman underwear,” he says. “But I very rarely wore anything even close to formal.” Fortunately, with maturity comes perspective—and usually the desire to start wearing pants. Today, the 37-year-old star of Orange Is the New Black and HBO’s new comedy series The Brink firmly believes that what you wear and how you wear it set the tone for who you are as a man. Think it’s time to sport a more mature look? Adapt the following suits to your personal style, and you’ll start making more grownup choices, guaranteed. 1 The Trusty Two-Button If you don’t wear suits often or you want…

PUT BIKINIS, BEACHES, AND BARE CHESTS TOGETHER IN hundred-degree heat, and what happens next is no surprise. In fact, people living in warmer climates report greater sexual activity, according to a recent Trojan survey. And a study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior notes that X-rated search terms tend to spike in early summer. You can capitalize on that libido surge: “Summer means more opportunities to meet women who want to meet you,” says Christie Hartman, Ph.D., a behavioral scientist and the author of Changing Your Game. Allow us to make a few introductions. “ I GO TO LOADS OF SHOWS ALONE AND WILL SEE GUYS MAKING EYES AT ME ALL NIGHT, BUT THEY RARELY EVER APPROACH,” SAYS LEAH, 29. The Surfer READ HER MIND It’s not just the killer…

MAYBE YOU PLAN TO SUMMIT KILIMANJARO one day, or dive the Great Barrier Reef. Excellent dreams, both. But if you hold on to them too tightly, they could be holding you back from life-changing exploits closer to home. Fourteen percent of North America is protected wilderness, and the United States has the largest swath of temperate rain forest on the planet. If you’re not exploring that, you’re losing out on an untapped benefit: Researchers at the University of Essex, England, found that people who spend time in nature return to civilization happier and with higher selfesteem. “Being indoors glued to a computer creates an inflammatory stress response, which taxes your whole system,” says Eva Selhub, M.D., author of Your Health Destiny. “Time in nature counteracts that. It turns off the…

You should be exercising to torch the competition, not spontaneously combust. Tell that to the approximately 4,300 men who show up at emergency rooms each year with heat-related maladies. An athlete who’s too focused on chasing personal records may not listen to his body’s internal signals to slow down, says Col. Francis O’Connor, M.D., a professor of military and emergency medicine at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. As you exercise, your muscles generate metabolic heat that ramps up your core temperature. The trouble starts when you can’t cool down properly because of other factors— like intense activity, hot and humid weather, lack of proper hydration, or wearing the wrong gear. Once your temp reaches the 103º to 105ºF range, you may experience headache, dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, or extreme…

1/ A Freeze Alert Sounds in Your Mouth As you wolf down rocky road, the frozen goodness cools your pie-à-la-mode-hole. This temperature drop stimulates your trigeminal nerve, which runs throughout the roof of your mouth and helps regulate the amount of blood flowing through your brain. 2/ Your Brain Gets Confused Your trigeminal nerve sends a “Dilate!” command to your anterior cerebral artery. This results in a warm rush of blood to your frontal lobe, your brain’s decision-making HQ. Your brain perceives this as a signal that it’s being threatened with frost damage. 3/ Pleasure Gives Way to Pressure About 20 percent more blood is pumping through your anterior artery to your frontal lobe. The sudden surge causes surrounding tissue to swell, which squishes brain cells against the inside of…

Are raw diets really worth it? JEFF, EUGENE, OR Here’s the premise behind putting away your frying pan: When you eat food raw, you consume key nutrients and enzymes that would be destroyed during cooking. The flaw in this logic is that the enzymes won’t survive the stomach acids released during digestion anyway, explains Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., a D.C.-based nutritionist. And while heat can decrease the nutritional content of some produce, it can also boost your absorption of antioxidants and vitamins from tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli. Plus, some foods have certain things, like E. coli and salmonella, we want cooking to kill. That’s why going raw usually means cutting out meat, fish, and dairy. The one upside to the diet? Adherents eliminate processed foods and often lose weight as a…

ADD MPH TO YOUR HEATER This throwing concept has legs: Ball speed relies on lower-body power. In an Ohio State study, pitchers who threw hardest put more force into the ground. “A stable base helps transfer energy through your hips and up your trunk to your arm,” says lead study author Mike McNally, C.S.C.S. Try these drills: For the lunge throw, hurl a baseball from a lunge position, left leg forward (if you’re a righty). Push your front leg hard into the floor as you throw, letting your back leg rise in the follow-through. For the overhead slam, assume a lunge position, lift a medicine ball overhead, and slam it into the floor, driving your front foot down and straightening your front leg.…

857 Calories burned by the average guy mountain biking vigorously uphill for 45 minutes Source: Compendium of Physical Activities Crank More, Crash Less You might think fearlessness alone is key to bombing downhill with ease. But researchers in the U.K. say mountain biking performance depends on a combination of self-confidence and skill, as well as hand-grip endurance and aerobic capacity. James Wilson, one of America’s top mountain biking trainers, explains how you can develop those attributes and tackle any trail. 1/ DON’T GO PRO To build confidence, revert to flat pedals. Most new riders want to graduate from flat to clipless pedals too soon, Wilson says. “But then they’re afraid to take risks because they’re locked in.” Use flat pedals on tricky trails to give yourself a safety net. “Even…

You’re on a long road trip—or maybe your commute just feels that way—so you pull over to grab a fountain drink from a quickie mart. Now you face a carbonated conundrum: Add too much ice to the cup, and you’ll short yourself soda. Add too little, and you’ll be left with a tepid travel drink. Calculating the optimal amount of ice depends on how long you want your enjoy-ment to last. Plug that number (in minutes) into the equation at left to find out what percentage of your cup to fill with cubes. (This formula will keep the beverage around 45°F. That’s just a bit colder than the refreshment-ready temp of Coca-Cola’s “chill-activated” cans.) Too rushed for parking lot computations? See our chart at right. If you’re going to guzzle…

Settle a bet for Settlea betfor me, Jimmy: What’s the cheapest way to get drunk at a bar? SCOTT, AUSTIN, TX You can smuggle in a flask. You can slam back a few crappy well shots. You can drink on a shared tab and then pretend you forgot your wallet when it’s time to settle up. But if you’re looking to save a buck, do me a favor: Buy some bottom-shelf booze and drink it at home. Drunk guys are always the most obnoxious people at the bar. You really want to spend less? Then drink less. I prefer customers who just want to sip a couple of good drinks to lubricate the conversation. Stop by my place when you’re ready for that. Someone swiped my iPad at work. I…

MORE. THAT IS WHAT WE ALL want, right? It is an existential force, but you don’t have to bone up on Sartre to see how it applies to your body—more strength, more athleticism, and most of all, more muscle. But once you’ve blown out 30 candles, the quest becomes harder. Your metabolism slows, your testosterone levels dip, and your muscle starts wasting away. Soon you’re stuck in what the Viagra ads call “the age of knowing.” That’s a nice way of saying old and soft. As a 44-year-old, I find that terrifying. But I also see it as a challenge. What would it take for a busy family guy like me to not only regain lost muscle but also add several pounds more? Tied to my quest for “more” was…

THE FUNDAMENTALS DROP AND ROLL As soon as you finish your workout, grab a foam roller (our pick: Rumble Roller, $45, amazon.com) and give each muscle group five rolls. You’ll not only increase bloodflow but also break up knots and adhesions, boosting mobility and power, says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., author of The M.A.X. Muscle Plan. REDEFINE “REST” Allow 48 hours between workouts to optimize recovery, but don’t just sit around. “Doing light activity on rest days accelerates repair by cycling key nutrients through your muscles,” says Schoenfeld. Check out the moves on this page and see “Feed Your Gains” to take in more of your most critical nutrient: protein. HIT THE SACK EARLY “ Your body produces its highest levels of growth hormone while you sleep,” says Schoenfeld, “which…

QUICK-PICKLE PRINCIPLES IT’S TIME TO GRADUATE FROM GHERKINS. SLICE AND DICE YOUR INGREDIENTS The density and composition of the produce, as well as the size of the pieces, all affect the length of the pickling process. So thinly slice firm ingredients like carrots, shred bulky ones like cabbages and onions, and peel thicks-kinned items like pears so they’ll absorb more of the flavorful brine. DROWN THEM IN DELICIOUSNESS Brine, in chef-speak, is a solution of spices, salt, and liquid that gives pickled foods their tangy flavor. Mix and match your spices and liquids to come up with a combo you prefer. The example shown in the 16-ounce jars on these pages uses breakfast radishes, with the “zesty” flavor pack and rice vinegar. 1 Pick Your Produce (Choose One) The fresher…

MEN CAN GET AWAY WITH VISIBLE SCARS. THEY’RE PROOF that you’ve lived an interesting life, taken risks, maybe lost a bet involving an alligator and a bottle of A.1. sauce. But warts? Those—and a roster of other body blemishes—don’t come with a cool story. No man ever said “I got these liver spots from 20 years of skipping sunscreen. Gnarly, huh?” Now, you could spend a ton of time and money to have a skin doc clean up your epidermal act. But a guy with guts— with scars—will grab whatever’s handy and take care of his own damn warts! You are that guy, and this is your guide. Ingrown Hairs Give your face a brewed awakening. Used coffee grounds slough off skin, which allows facial hairs to sprout up through…

“So wait, which one of you is the man in the relationship?” Prepare to have your mind blown: We both are! In fairness, when straight guys ask this question— and as a gay man who covers LGBT issues for Gawker, I get it a lot— they’re usually curious about our sexual roles. But it’s not so simple. About 40 percent of gay guys are versatile—each one is, to some degree, a “bottom” and a “top,” according to a 2010 Archives of Sexual Behavior study. That’s not always the easiest idea for people to accept. A 2013 Yale Law School survey, for instance, reported a strong distaste among heterosexuals when it comes to gay men switching roles. So if that sounds like TMI, just don’t ask. “Must be nice to hook…

BEACHSIDE BARS LOVE RUM FOR ONE SIMPLE REASON: IT BLENDS PERfectly into cheap, sugary mixers. But if you think rum is only tolerable when it’s cranked up to Bahama Mama–level sweetness, then you’re missing out. Spanish, French, and English production methods create vastly different flavors, and the aged versions are often complex enough to sip neat. “Rum styles can be as different as cabernet and pinot grigio,” says Jeff Berry, a rum historian and the author of Potions of the Caribbean. So guys, it’s time to reintroduce yourself to rum. All three of them. —JOHN McCARTHY The Spaniard Ever heard of Bacardi? That’s Spanish rum, the style you’re probably most familiar with. Fermented from molasses in a column still, the spirit’s hallmarks are clarity, dryness, and a taste neutral enough…

Strengthen During his twiceweekly lifting sessions, Pratt focused on total-body exercises and core work, including circuits like the Prison 60: Do 60 pushups, 60 squats, and 60 situps. Then descend—50, 40, 30, 20, 10. On recovery days he did yoga. Swim Pratt swam about three days a week for three months, doing two 2,000-yard workouts and an intervals day. Stretch your stroke to go faster: Count your strokes for a length, then try to reduce the number by 10 percent by extending your pull and glide. Bike A strong rider, Pratt banged out three even-paced 25- to 50-mile rides a week. He also hit his local gym’s spin class once a week for workouts that combined intervals and climbing, often doing back-to-back classes to build his stamina. Run Pratt ran…

DESIGNED BY Joe DiStefano, C.S.C.S., director of fitness and training at Spartan Race BEST FOR Building the upperbody muscle, total-body power, and endurance needed to run an obstacle race—or just be in your best shape ever EQUIPMENT Chinup bar, kettlebell, balloon CALORIES BURNED 781* TIME 52 minutes *As measured by a fit 5'11", 175 lb man using a Polar FT7 sports watch. Values are for strength workout only. DIRECTIONS Alternate strength and cardio days, doing three of each workout (plus a rest day) per week for 5 weeks leading up to the race. On strength days, do the workout shown, starting with the warmup exercises. On cardio days, do the workout shown on the training calendar, starting with 10 minutes of light jogging. If you don’t have a strong aerobic…

My big-league debut arrived when I was called up on June 26, 2012. It was just a few days after the start of summer, and I was with my third team in three years. I’m glad I ended up in a Cubs uniform when I got my promotion, because I remember it being like the scene in Rookie of the Year— except I got lost on the way to the dugout. Finally, I burst out of the tunnel and ran onto the field. When I made it onto the diamond, the ovation gave me chills. In my first at-bat I hit a bleeder into the infield that was first ruled an error. But the official scorer gave me a break. Now I feel at home at Wrigley. Down at first…

“SURGEONS HAD TO PUT A CAGE IN MY SINUSES TO KEEP MY BRAIN IN PLACE WHILE THEY TORE ALL THIS TISSUE OUT,” says Ed Currie, 51, a contagiously likable banker turned chile breeder. Today, as he’s driving down a highway just outside Charlotte, North Carolina, in a van emblazoned with his company name—PuckerButt Pepper Co.—he smiles constantly, happy to be alive. The surgery took place in 2007. After dealing with months of headaches and nosebleeds, Currie finally received a diagnosis: A doctor had discovered a suspicious mass in his head. Then the mass tripled in size in a few weeks. Currie was alarmed—his body had already been battered by cancer. Decades earlier he’d had a malignant growth removed from his arm, and he later underwent surgery for thyroid cancer and…