Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2024 i Men's Health

THE MH TEAM ON HOW THEY … COOL DOWN AFTER WORKOUTS…

FEW ATHLETES UNDERSTAND how to train for speed better than the world’s best sprinters, and few understand jumping better than elite basketball players. But when the Olympics kick off in Paris this July, you’ll have a chance to see more than those athletic basics. The athletes from a handful of lesser-known Olympic sports (surfing, tae kwon do, sport climbing, triathlon, and rowing) have mastered ultra-specialized skills to reach the pinnacle of their professions. Learning their lessons can propel you forward in everyday life—and help you crush your fitness goals, too. IMPROVE ROTATIONAL POWER LIKE TAEK WON DO ATHLETE CJNICKOLAS TAE KWON DO REQUIRES agility, grace, speed, and power. You’re part ballet dancer, part assassin. CJ Nickolas started at age three. Now 22, the six-foot-two athlete says he relies on his…

WHAT THEY DO YOU KNOW FROM high school that your lungs bring in oxygen and move it to the blood (inhale) while taking carbon dioxide out of the blood (exhale). Not as well-known: Your lungs are also “immunologically the biggest filter ever,” says Ana Zamora Martinez, M.D., a critical-care pulmonologist at the Mayo Clinic. Their branched structure’s tiny passages for blood and air naturally restrict pollution, germs, and even blood clots. And the lungs help regulate blood pressure by processing a hormone called angiotensin that’s created in the kidneys. HOW THEY DO IT ALL THERE ARE ROUGHLY 8.4 million passageways (aka airways) a breath can travel through to get from your trachea to your bloodstream. The smallest is less than a millimeter in diameter. After air goes in your trachea,…

WHAT IT IS Anti-inflammatory diets target chronic inflammation in your body, a state that has been linked to joint pain, heart disease, and mental-health issues. These diets usually focus on eating plants, which contain inflammation-fighting antioxidants, and fish, for their omega-3 fatty acids. But a new version from integrative-medicine guru Andrew Weil, M.D., takes the diet’s prescriptions a step further. Here’s his breakdown of its daily calories into nutrient targets. ◼ 40 to 50 percent from carbs ◼ 30 percent from healthy fats ◼ 20 to 30 percent from protein THE PROMISE Eat Dr. Weil’s way and you’ll reduce long-term disease risks, according to his website. The diet isn’t tied specifically to weight loss or intended as a short-term fix. This is how you eat healthier for life. THE GOOD…

FRESH BERRIES, cucumbers, mint, and the gin-based liqueur Pimm’s No. 1—a Pimm’s Cup is summer in a glass. This recipe, which I developed with my coauthor, John McCarthy, is from our newest book, Every Cocktail Has a Twist. A frozen Pimm’s is power-fully refreshing and simple, because you toss everything in a blender. HOW TO MAKE IT In a blender, combine 6 oz Pimm’s No. 1, 2 oz simple syrup, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, 4 thin cucumber slices, 4 medium strawberries (tops removed), 1 quarter-inch-thick slice of peeled ginger, and 12 mint leaves, plus 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth. Divide equally among 4 tall glasses and garnish with additional cucumber slices, strawberry halves, and mint. Serves 4 PIMM’S PARTY! Pimm’s is an easy 25 percent ABV. But a Cup…

“BREATHE.” She says this to the man as he bench-presses what feels like a Buick, his face scrunched, spittle flying through his pursed lips, his biceps and pectorals bulging. When she lets loose that single word—Breathe—he forces out a thundering exhale, then sucks back in, inhaling all the air in the neighborhood. She knows when to tell him to breathe. She knows how important it is for him, and when she says “Breathe” she doesn’t scream it at him like a football coach. She says it just loud enough for him to hear over his grunts, and over Dua Lipa on the Bluetooth. (His daughter’s playlist, always.) A command, but gentle. She runs a gym in town, Amp Fitness, but comes here to the four-car garage of his rented McMansion…

ON A CHILLY APRIL MORNING, Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson, a man the world once knew as one of the greatest dunkers on the planet, rises before dawn. He drives about 30 minutes west, parks his car, and walks up an unassuming slope to a set of double doors. The sounds of the Seattle suburbs—the swish of the water and sway of the trees—are a soulful lyric. It’s a shame that this early, the robins don’t even wake to sing. Once inside, he goes down a short hallway to a semicircle of 12 chairs, one of which is waiting for him. The beeps and bops are the first familiar tune of the morning. The same song that’s danced around his ears for the past four years. Once Robinson is in his seat,…

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE EXPERTS, ADVISORS, AND READERS WHO BRING MEN’S HEALTH TO LIFE. Top water bass fishing, backyard BBQs, and Kansas City Royals baseball. @stribling67 Reading books in the garden. Sitting in the grass under trees. Everything is green. Birds are singing. No sounds of cars or other loud noise. @belak.jozsef Standing in front of my smoker with my grandson, and showing him how it’s done @randy.owens.71619 Sunshine, going for a run in the morning, and hitting the pool. @adam.shapiro.167 Anythingoutside and not work related. @carl.mitros Grilled porkchops, watermelon and lemonade. @marcella.velez.56 Cold beers. @njame.emmanuel What is the BEST WAY to have and sustain a HIGH ENERGY LEVEL, for WORKING OUT and for LIFE IN GENERAL? —MICHAEL ROBINSON GREAT QUESTION—and I have answers!—but first, a story. When I…

DIRECTIONS: Do the exercises in order. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and moves. Do this workout 3 times a week, resting at least 1 day between sessions. On non-training days, aim to go for a 20-minute run or walk. CAT-COW TO BEAR PLANK START ON ALL fours, hands directly below shoulders, knees below hips. Round your back. Then slowly arch your back (a). Now tighten your abs and flatten your back, then raise your knees an inch from the floor (b). Hold for 3 seconds, then lower. That’s 1 rep; do 2 sets of 6 to 8. 1 PLYO PUSHUP GET IN PUSHUP position, hands on a bench or step, abs and glutes tight. Bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering until your chest nearly hits the bench.…

WHEN JOSHUA VERGARA, 35, found out he had type 2 diabetes in 2014, the diagnosis explained why he was always so tired. The drag was his body screaming, “This isn’t the way I need to live!” Vergara says. To change, the tech content creator got himself a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Its real-time blood-sugar-level feedback “is a constant reminder of where I am, where I want to be, and where I want to go,” he says. And the monitor kick-started a whole new way to live: USE THE DATA THROUGH HIS CGM’S super-personalized feedback, Vergara learned “how my body is reacting to life.” So if he eats his favorite meal of Korean barbecue and rice, he watches his blood sugar tick up—until a postmeal walk (or round of squats)…

KEEP IT CASUAL Alex Mill’s corduroy shorts have an elastic buttoned waistband that secures, not cinches, with ease. Dockers’ breathable sweater takes you from midday on the boardwalk to sun-down at the cookout. Sweater ($58) by Dockers; shorts ($130) by Alex Mill; sneakers ($89) by Cariuma; watch by IWC. KICK BACK Save Khaki United’s buttonfly shorts have a seven-inch inseam, which gives your quads air and offers ample mobility. Throw on a Brooks Brothers wind-and water-resistant jacket when temps dip. Jacket ($248) by Brooks Brothers; tank ($45) by Polo Ralph Lauren; shorts ($140) by Save Khaki United; sneakers ($149) by Cariuma; watch by IWC; hat by Red Bull. THE BEST SHORTS AT EVERY LENGTH 6-INCH INSEAM VUORI MAVERICK VOLLEY SHORTS Stretchy and moisture wicking, they work for the gym, the beach,…

IN MY MIND, a man is someone you can count on to be there for you,” says Bryan Scott, 38, a married father of two in Milford, Virginia. For years, Scott was an active volunteer. He’d teach at his church, show up for local charities, do yard work for older neighbors, and help friends on nights and weekends. And he did all this even though his workweeks included a daily 170-mile round-trip commute. Scott liked helping people, although he often felt overextended. Plus, he wanted to set a good example for his kids. When Covid eliminated his grueling commute, he expected his schedule to ease up. But Scott watched as more requests quickly consumed his free time. He soon found himself tired all the time, stressed all the time, and…

AS THE WAR in Ukraine rages on, the effects are omnipresent in the country. Even in the capital city of Kyiv, considered one of the “safe spots,” rockets zoom past buildings and drones are visible overhead. Yet Ukraine’s top athletes remain hell-bent on competing in this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris—the nation’s first Olympics since the February 2022 Russian invasion. In the months leading up to the event, Men’s Health reports on the ground to find out how—amid so much uncertainty and adversity—three Olympians train during war and what bringing home a medal would mean for them and their country. What remains clear: The stakes have never been higher, the training routines have never been tougher, and the grit has never been stronger. Oleh Kukharyk 27, Sprint Canoer ON THE OPEN…

JAKE GYLLENHAAL’S Road House adventure paid off. The action reboot became a huge hit, and his Men’s Health “Train Like” video amassed 6.9 million views. The workout was big for everyone looking for a Body by Jake. @infintedopamine6429 This 43-year-old man inspired me to work out and take care of myself. Thank you Jake. @josephaaron4985 This guy doesn’t get enough respect. He dedicates his body to his workouts specifically for this roles, and he never disappoints. One of the most respectable actors in Hollywood, and not much of them anymore. @mery_and_the_gang This is the lost training montage we wanted to see in Road House! @misbehavingtrini I enjoyed this movie, very much in the spirit of the original. Jake looks phenomenal, Conor had fun…easy rewatch!! @bespoke04 Forget the movie, this is about Jake!!…

THERE’S A BIT of music trivia that Barbra Streisand has a mall in her basement, just for her and her guests to putz around in. It’s a place where Babs can cosplay getting a Cinnabon without being swarmed by boomers, but it’s also a monument to a certain kind of stardom: If you’re good enough for long enough to attain the title of living legend, you never quite have to face reality again. Set foot in Jon Bon Jovi’s basement gym and you’ll quickly eyeball enough square footage to host a full Equinox. But instead, the setup below his sprawling property (not far from where he grew up in New Jersey) is decidedly more relatable: most of your standard gym equipment, such as cable stations, barbell racks, cardio machines, plus…

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE HAS been medicine’s own brainteaser. It’s stumped doctors and scientists who, for decades, have been struggling with where it came from, how it progresses, and how to treat it. “When I was a new investigator, I got a negative result in a pilot study, and one of my coinvestigators said, ‘Congratulations, now you’re a real Alzheimer’s researcher!’” recalls Heather E. Whitson, M.D., codirector of the Duke/University of North Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. But recent scientific leaps have resulted in major advances in Alzheimer’s prevention, detection, and treatment success. “Now it feels like big break-throughs are really in reach,” says Dr. Whitson. These new developments are aiming to knock the disease out of its spot as the seventh-leading cause of death in the U. S. and a huge…

EXCELLENCE IS A LOT messier than you think. Thirty or so years ago, mental-performance coaches would spend hours and hours with Olympians, aiming to help them have a flawless event. “There was a lot of focus on being in the zone—in your flow state—and basically trying to set up the perfect performance,” says Sean McCann, Ph.D., who has coached athletes for 33 years as a senior sport psychologist for the U. S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But perfection is rare; chaos is everywhere. (See: the 2020/2021 Games and, well, life.) As the ideas of mind-fulness and resilience gained status in research circles and the zeitgeist as ways to manage that chaos, they took root and got results in high-performance training, too. Mental-performance experts like McCann have started “focusing on moments…

IF BRIAN BELL were a Strava map, he’d be all over it. He’s Strava’s VP of global communications and social impact and a mastermind of the new DM feature that—for better or worse—lets users connect rather than just stalk each other’s workout stats. At a company of 400-plus people, Bell holds the King of the Mountain title for handling emails, Slacks, and stacked meetings. Here are his secrets. —AS TOLD TO CORI RITCHEY 5:15 a.m. FIND CALM I’m naturally high-energy, so waking up is about calming myself so I don’t just jump out of bed and go straight into LFG mode. I meditate and go through my affirmations before launching out of bed. And if my Polar watch doesn’t say I’ve had “good” or “very good” sleep, I know I’ll…

FOR WEEKNIGHT DESSERT Watermelon Granita with Chile Lime In a blender or food processor, puree 1½ lb watermelon chunks, 2 Tbsp sugar, and the juice of ½ lime. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into an 8-inch square pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze, 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and, with a fork, scrape the frozen contents until they resemble wet sand. Place back in the freezer and continue to freeze and scrape every hour or 2 until completely frozen. To serve, scoop into a glass and top with chile-lime seasoning. Feeds 4 FOR A POST-WORKOUT COOLDOWN Chocolate Strawberry Crunch Bowl In a blender, puree 1 cup milk, 1 frozen banana, ½ cup ice cubes, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp honey, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Transfer to…

He’s free-climbed to the top of the Manhattan Bridge at sunset as Batman, jumped 21 feet without wires from balcony to balcony three stories up as James Bond, and fought the Hulk as Thor. Iconic stunt by iconic stunt, character by character, Bobby Holland Hanton, 40, has jumped, spun, and kicked his way to the top of the stunt-double world over the past 15 years—doing the hard work for many major stars, most frequently for Chris Hemsworth. The six-foot-one Brit says his elite gymnastics background gives him a leg up. “Through gymnastics, I learned control of my body, spatial awareness, and being able to pick up choreography routines,” he says. “I study the movement pattern of the actor and emulate that and adjust my training to lean down or bulk…