Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2025 i Men's Health

“FAVORITES WERE SOCCER, SWIMMING, AND CRICKET, IN THAT ORDER.”—BEN COURT, EXECUTIVE EDITOR “I WAS A SECOND-DEGREE BLACK BELT IN TAE KWON DO. PLUS, I DABBLED IN SOME MODERN DANCE.”—TARYN COLBERT, DIGITAL DESIGNER “I LIKED PLAYING BASEBALL AROUND THE BLOCK WITH THE FELLAS.”—EVAN ROMANO, CULTURE EDITOR “TRACK AND FIELD. I ENDED UP TAKING THAT PAST HIGH SCHOOL TO THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL.”—LEE BOYCE, MH FITNESS ADVISOR “I PLAYED VOLLEYBALL DURING MY FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEARS, BUT MY REAL FLEX IS THAT I WAS ON THE VARSITY SOCCER TEAM ALL FOUR YEARS.”—JANIE BOOTH, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER “FOOTBALL AS BOTH LINEBACKER AND RUNNING BACK, AND BASEBALL AT CENTER FIELD.”—DAVID OTEY, CSCS, MH FITNESS ADVISOR…

FEW EXERCISES ARE more brutal than the muscle-up. So why is William Santiago trying to make it even harder? That’s the burning question here at Chiseled Life Gym in Columbia, Maryland, as Santiago, clad in a black-and-red bodysuit (an ode to Dragon Ball Z baddie Jiren, if you’re curious), approaches the pullup bar. Santiago, who weighs maybe 170 pounds, has a weight belt that says pioneer around his waist—and a whopping 50 pounds attached to it. His chalky hands grasp the bar as he inhales deeply. Then comes the jolt of upward energy, driving first his chest and then his hips to bar height. His elbows lock out. He’s just done a weighted muscle-up, a brutal test of strength, power, and coordination. After three judges signal that Santiago’s “lift” is…

Chemical • These sunscreens sink into the skin and convert UV light to harmless heat. (Pretty cool, right?) SPF • It stands for “sun protection factor,” which indicates the amount of UV radiation a product shields you from. Broad-Spectrum • The product protects against both UVA and UVB light. To gain FDA approval, a sunscreen must do both. Mineral • Ingredients like zinc oxide act as a physical skin barrier, reflecting UV rays before they can penetrate. Water-Resistant • This means the sunscreen will protect you (usually for either 40 or 80 minutes) while you’re in the water.…

These screens, a combo of chemical and mineral, are often lighter than pure mineral ones. That’s a win. But recent studies show they may not protect against UVA rays and visible light as well as a chemical-or mineral-only option, says dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD, an MH advisor. Pure mineral sunscreens with a tint provide the most protection against both kinds of damaging light, studies show.…

MARTIN HEINRICH, 53 U.S. Senator (D–New Mexico) When Heinrich was elected senator in 2012 and moved to Washington, D.C., he decorated his new city office with artifacts and images of wild places. “I have European mounts, landscape paintings, Navajo rugs, and a window with views of trees and sky,” says the sportsman and public lands advocate. “I really don’t feel like myself when I don’t get enough time outside. I really worry that too many kids don’t have that kind of on-ramp to the outdoors. Every kid growing up in this country should be within 10 minutes’ walking time of an outdoor space.” RICK TALLMAN, 62 Founder, TallmanPacific Consulting Firm Tallman spent 20 years in Denver, working “24/7” while running as many as three sustainable-energy companies at once. For balance,…

Men’s Health (ISSN 1054-4836) Vol. 40, No. 4 is published bimonthly, by Hearst at 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman. Hearst Magazines, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, President; Regina Buckley, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer & Treasurer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. Copyright 2025 by Hearst Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved. Men’s Health is a registered trademark of Hearst Magazines, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box 5173, Boone, IA 50950. IN CANADA: Postage paid at Gateway, Mississauga, Ontario; Canada Post International…

ERIC ROTHSTEIN STATS AGE: 58 OCCUPATION: Fitness studio owner LOCATION: Spring House, Pennsylvania MEN’S HEALTH MVP members gain access to the best health, fitness, and entertainment coverage anywhere. And each month, we survey our MVPs to choose one guy who is changing his life. Sign up at join.menshealth.com and you could see yourself here one day. FOOD I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Steak (with bourbon). HOW I STAY MOTIVATED Set goals, go after them, achieve them, set new goals! Focus on continuous improvement. IN MY GYM BAG Two pairs of shoes (lifting/Nanos), grips for pullups, calf sleeve for rope climbs, foam roller. DREAM WORKOUT PARTNER Bruce Springsteen. MY ROLE MODEL My 87-year-old father, who walks and swims every day. MY PUMP-UP JAM “The Final Countdown” by Europe. WHAT MAKES ME FEEL STRONG Keeping…

IN THE GOOD intentions vs. reality smackdown that is everyday life, reality usually hits you with the low blow. A rough night’s sleep. A stressful week at work. One of those months when you dined out more than you worked out. Surprise: All this stuff happens to cardiologists too—and they know how it can lead to weight gain, lost sleep, hardened arteries, and heart disease. But they also know how to pivot. Here are some of their go-to plan B strategies. THE PROBLEM NO TIME FOR THE GYM THE FIX: PUSH THE INTENSITY If I can’t do a full workout, I go for four to five minutes of high-intensity intervals (30 seconds effort, 30 seconds recovery) on whatever equipment is available, such as a treadmill, stationary bike, rowing machine, or…

MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCES in the Massachusetts suburbs, circa mid-1990s, were on Friday nights. My friends would all be there at the gym, along with every girl we were crushing on. But not me. While the rest of the seventh grade was getting down to Bon Jovi, TLC, and the “Macarena,” I’d be at home, on the couch, watching The X-Files with my brother. My guy friends would call from the school pay phone to give me a hard time. I’d hear music in the background. Bass. Laughter. It sounded fun. But in the end, I’d always say something like, “You guys know I can’t miss X-Files.” The truth was more complicated. I did love The X Files. But much more so, I was terrified of dancing. Social scientists claim that…

Skin-care obsessives (they exist!) love to complain about how behind the rest of the world the U.S. is when it comes to sunscreen. They’re not wrong. The FDA hasn’t approved a new sunscreen filter since 1999. That could change soon. Bemo trizinol, also known as PARSOL Shield, has been used in Europe and Asia for 20 years and is up for U.S. approval by March 2026. “To get to an SPF 30 or 50, I need to use at least two or three chemical sunscreens [in a formula],” says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. But PARSOL Shield offers more protection with fewer ingredients. So even lighter-weight options could be here, like, soon.…

BILL NYE picks up his phone and peers down at the screen. He’s scrolling. “Hang on,” he says, searching. The sun glints off the iPhone’s glass. Nye, who is almost 70, has just played a loose round of disc golf at the Oak Grove Disc Golf course in Pasadena, California, about a 30-minute drive from where he lives, bopping from hole to hole, shorts and a collared athletic shirt bearing the course’s logo hanging from his gangly frame. (Because you are wondering: He does not wear his signature bow tie when playing disc golf.) He finds what he’s looking for and holds up his phone. “This is real,” he says. It’s an old text chain, but all the texts are from the other person—miles and miles of texts, long messages with…

Fresh tomatoes. @denizeremm Bison patty. Cheese. Bun. Nothing else. @andrewcolesmith Bacon Fat. @skywardfire87 SALT! @dcloeb The right sauce! I’m a spicy mayo person, and you need the right amount of spice for it. @acfreedman Aioli and avocado. @b.j.smith66 Grass fed beef. Flaky salt and most importantly cooper sharp cheese. @callmehickey Doritos @pvsingh I FIRST LEARNED the true power of protein more than a decade ago. On assignment for this magazine, I worked with a trainer and dietitian in the hope of adding muscle to my frail frame. For three months, I bench-pressed, deadlifted, and squatted. And I consumed a lot of protein: beef-laden burritos, whey-heavy protein shakes, and pork tenderloin as a “snack.” All the effort worked: I put on 15 pounds of lean muscle. During my time as food…

ROBERT FITZGERALD DIGGS—better known as RZA—helped build the hip-hop empire known as Wu-Tang Clan from gritty beats, kung fu flicks, and eight other minds that spit razor-sharp poetic philosophies. Today, the 56-year-old is building something else: muscle. And just like Wu-Tang’s music, it’s precise, intense, and just a little bit unorthodox. It’s mid-May and RZA’s at Granite Gym in Beverly Hills, surrounded by old-school steel and sci-fi-looking gear. He’s leaning forward slightly, holding a pair of cable handles, elbows behind his torso, a pair of wires attached to each of his biceps. Trainer Grant Roberts watches closely, ready to push RZA to physical mastery. “What we hittin’ today?” RZA asks, shoulders rolling like he’s about to throw a punch line. “Bis and tris,” replies Roberts. “A’ight. A’ight. Got this. Let’s…

IT WOULD BE easier, we guess, to shell out $15 for one of those sweet, creamy protein shakes at the grocery store or the smoothie shop, but, well: $15?! Plus, there’s a reason those shakes taste so good, and it ain’t the protein. Some of the packaged bottles and prepared bowls can contain 35, 45, or even 55 grams of added sugar. Which is a shame because smoothies are a great way to knock back more muscle-building protein and stomach-filling fiber. Powerfully delicious smoothies don’t have to contain a ton of the sweet stuff to taste awesome. To prove it, we pulled together our favorite smoothies of all time and even broke down the steps to build your own. All you have to do is hit “blend.” The DIY Shake…

WE’RE OFFICIALLY ON burn notice. Despite years of public health warnings, about 88 percent of men still say they never use sunscreen. What’s worse, one in seven adults under 35 believe that sunscreen itself is more harmful than direct sunlight. That’s a damn shame because we’re witnessing a quantum leap forward in all things sunscreen. Modern sunblock is not the goop you spackled on as a kid. Today’s sunscreens—fueled by new research and tech—are pure wizardry. Not only are these products safe, but they block multiple harmful rays, prevent skin cancer, reduce skin damage, combat signs of aging, hydrate, control breakouts, and decrease redness. We dug into the latest science, talked to top dermatologists, and tested next-generation products to unblock your sunblock issues—now and way, way into the future.…

◻ Always opt for a broad-spectrum screen for optimal protection. ◻ Choose SPF 30 or higher. ◻ Pick a water-resistant product so it lasts longer. ◻ Shake a bottle of mineral sunscreen. Reapply every two hours. ◻ Put your sunscreen on indoors. (Let it dry 15 minutes before going outside.) ◻ On your body, use about one ounce of sunscreen total. On your face, use a nickel-size dollop. ◻ Don’t forget to rub in spray-on sunscreen. ◻ Make sure to cover the tops of your feet, ears, and neck too. ◻ Remember your lips. Use a lip balm that’s SPF 30 or higher.…

BACK IN 2016, Manny Almonte joined some friends on a camping trip to Lake George in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. Almonte had grown up in the Dominican Republic, so he’d known nature. But since moving to New York City in the mid-’90s, he hadn’t experienced the powerful restorative benefits bestowed by time in the wild. That camping trip unlocked something for him: Nature was a potent mental health tool—one not tapped by many people. Almonte would go on to create Camping to Connect in 2018, a nonprofit that runs outdoor trips for young men of color, and soon he was inviting other New Yorkers to spend a few nights under the stars. At first, it was a tough sell. “I said, ‘Let’s go into nature and go camping,’…

6 a.m. WAKE UP, WORK OUT “I immediately spring up and I’ve got ideas, so I keep a notepad next to my bed,” he says. Workouts continue the flow: “I think my best ideas come to me when I’m at the gym or in the shower.” 7:30 a.m. LIGHT UP Lamm takes calls and gets ready in a room filled with red-light therapy panels. “On days I don’t do red-light therapy, I feel like my batteries are starting at 60 percent,” he says. Then he spends time with his 9-month-old son before heading to the office. 9 a.m. PRIORITIZE “I live by my calendar, and I make a lot of lists,” says Lamm, who estimates he has 18-plus meetings, 100 calls, and 200 emails daily. “I think there’s a lot more…