Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2025 i Men's Health

“BEHIND THE BASTARDS. DIDN’T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAKE DICTATORS FUNNY.”—CORI RITCHEY “HUBERMAN LAB, MEL ROBBINS, AND OF COURSE MY OWN.”—RENA MALIK, MH ADVISOR “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PIZZA AT MCDONALD’S? IT’S THE INVESTIGATIVE FEATURE OF OUR TIMES.”—PAUL KITA “THE READ. I GET A DOSE OF HUMOR AND BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON ALL THINGS POP CULTURE.”—JOSEPH CHEATHAM “HIGHER LEARNING. IT OFFERS POLITICAL COMMENTARY THAT IS ENLIGHTENED, RELEVANT, AND FUNNY.”—COREY HARTMAN, MH ADVISOR “AHP’S CULTURE STUDY. MAKES ME FEEL BRAINY ABOUT BOOKTOK, GARDENING, AND CELEB IG FEEDS.”—DANGI MCCOY…

BEST FOR STRENGTH MADABOLIC YOU’VE DONE INTERVAL training classes before, but never like MADabolic’s durability class. The new gym chain (with 44 locations around the country) pushes you through classic strength moves (think kettlebell over-head presses or dumbbell squats) for 50 minutes. The kicker: You’re on a 12-week training cycle, so you can build to heavier weights or increase reps over several sessions, then de-load for a week, then push hard again—just like a high-performance strength athlete. ▸ DO IT ANYWHERE: Build next-level leg strength with this MADabolic favorite, the front rack reverse lunge. Stand with two kettlebells racked at your shoulders, step your left leg back, and lower until your left knee touches the floor. Stand explosively. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per side. BEST YOGA EVOLUTION COREPOWER YOGA…

LOOK INSIDE YOUR EYES ARE only about as big around as quarters. Not exactly a ton of real estate—but oh, how much goes on in there. Whether it’s the visual machinery of the cornea, lens, and retina, or the tears that keep them clean, clear, and feeling good, so much can go wrong that you can prevent or fix. WHAT TO DO IF… YOUR EYES ARE ALWAYS TIRED WHAT IT IS: Eyestrain HOW ELSE IT FEELS: Like it takes effort to see things when it shouldn’t. WHAT TO DO: Screens are a major culprit because they require repeatedly focusing on something close to your face. The standard advice is the “20-20-20 rule”: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. If that doesn’t do much, consider a pair of…

Say goodbye to excuses with the MVP Premium membership from Men’s Health, designed to help readers like you dominate your fitness routine by offering best-in-class workouts anytime, anywhere. Premium membership offers personalized expertise to help you meet and exceed your goals. ENJOY ALL THE BENEFITS OF PRINT AND DIGITAL MEMBERSHIPS, PLUS: Access to Men’s Health streaming workouts on the All/Out Studio app (value $89.99) Hundreds of on-demand workouts led by world-class trainers, with new fitness programs added each month A special discount off your next purchase at the Men’s Health Shop Unlock Premium today for less than $2/week Sign up at menshealth.com/premium or scan to join.…

AMERICANS ARE now spending billions a year on brain-health boosters with names like Magic Mind, Alpha Brain, and Brain Guard+, and the good news is that some of these supplements, also known as nootropics, actually kind of work. The bad news is that most of them don’t, and the key to telling them apart is knowing the science behind each supplement’s active ingredient, says psychiatrist Gary Small, MD, behavioral health physician-in-chief at Hackensack Meridian Health. Here are the ones with the most—and least—potential. PROMISING! • OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS The omega-3s found in fatty fish—DHA and EPA—may help protect your brain from inflammation as you age, says Dr. Small. Getting them in food form is best, but omega-3 supplements might also be helpful. In some studies, large doses of DHA and…

REALLY NOT GOOD ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS A 2024 study from Harvard made headlines when it found that people who ate the most UPFs had a 17 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease than people who ate the least. Processed meats and sugary drinks were the worst offenders. One telltale sign of an ultra-processed food is that the ingredients aren’t in recognizable form in the product—so you can’t see the corn in a corn chip, your turkey lunch meat doesn’t look anything like turkey, or there’s no sign of a strawberry in your strawberry Pop-Tart. NOT GOOD ADDED SUGAR Too much—especially from sodas, energy drinks, and sweets—is linked to inflammation, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, and a higher risk of heart attack, even in people who aren’t over-weight. Aim for less than…

1. The Original Magic Bullet “This is perfect for quick and easy jobs; the blending vessel doubling as a drinking cup creates maximum convenience.” $50, nutribullet.com 2. Cona D-Genius All-Glass “I am a proud coffee snob, and there’s just no comparing a regular paper-filtered cup of joe with the incredible strength and aroma you get out of this,” Irvine says. $298, amazon.com 3. Whoop “There are fitness trackers and then there is this, which tracks training intensity with blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep quality to let you know when your mileage is outpacing your years.” From $199/year, whoop.com 4. Shun Classic 8" Kiritsuke Knife “Its precision and strength are matched only by its durability, and I’ve found mine to be virtually indestructible,” Irvine says. “It’s not cheap, but it’s the very…

Katonah Yoga at The Studio in NYC. @runred Pure Barre, because it empowered me to take control of my health. @cryptomatt83 Performance HQ. It’s real strength paired with simple conditioning and great coaches. @forzag Jiu jitsu because it’s good for both physical and mental health. @katie.m.emerson Spin class its fun and intense at In-Shape Fitness in Sacramento, CA. @imbigdante…

Q. Is there any booze that’s less bad for you? A. All alcohol is alcohol, which is not healthy for humans. However, some (like IPAs, sweet wines, etc.) have more additives and calories than others. One and a half ounces of clear liquor mixed with something low- or zero-calorie (like seltzer) is the “least bad” from a calorie standpoint. However, it is very easy to consume several of these. It is safest to limit drinking to no more than four drinks in a sitting, and no more than 14 in a week.…

EVEN IF YOU’D rather watch sports than play them, you probably know that the anterior cruciate ligament—a half-inch-wide ribbon of collagen fibers connecting your thigh and shinbones—is the china vase of connective tissue: easy to break, notoriously hard to repair. “We were always taught ACLs can’t possibly heal,” says Australia-based sports physician Tom Cross, MBBS. “That if you want to go back to pivoting sports, you have to have a reconstruction”—a painstaking procedure in which a surgeon builds you a new ACL from a graft. The only alternative: close to a year of rehab, in the hope that you’ll be able to compensate for the injured ligament with muscle and strength and control. In 2014, however, a series of coincidences led Dr. Cross and his father, Merv—a pioneering orthopedic knee…

NOT MANY OATMEAL brands are born of suffering. But if you listen to Scott Turner, 32, and Nick Lagonia, 33, tell the origin story behind Misery & Mayhem, their new line of high-protein oats, they’ll make you feel their pain. In 2017, Turner and Lagonia—the first a lean former marine, the second a brick-house former high school football player—started going to a Manhattan “gym” called Complete Body because the two friends needed a place to work out for cheap. “Gym” is in quotation marks because you’re probably envisioning high ceilings, squat racks, and rows of cardio machines. Instead, it “was in this basement with wood paneling,” says Lagonia. “The things we’d do—like, for example, I’m laying on my back and shimmying 60 yards on turf ground, literally giving myself back rug…

YOU WORK OUT, a lot. You sweat, a lot. That may lead you to smell, a lot. That’s why we created the Men’s Health Smell Fresh Awards. To find the freshest in new grooming tools, we assembled a team of editors, advisors, and dermatologists, who sweat-tested everything. Turns out, we’re in a scent revolution: smoothing scrubs, clinical-strength deodorants, and vitamin-rich washes—all infused with awesome fragrance and engineered to cleanse your skin, control odor, and finish things off with just the right scent. These winners definitely don’t stink. CLEANSE BEST BAR SOAP Papatui Sandalwood Suede B vitamins, avocado oil, and mango butter join forces in this sturdy block from the Rock’s skin care line. $8, papatui.com BEST TOOTHPASTE Moon Anticavity Whitening This fluoridated paste prevents cavities with tea extracts. The scent…

6 A.M. WAKE UP AND WALK First thing, Hale checks the Oura app for his sleep and heart rate variability scores to assess his overall readiness for the day. After a shower and a short breathing exercise, he takes a 35-minute walk to work. “Kicking off the day with some movement is critical to my productivity and energy,” he says. “I often use this time to take calls. The route has some challenging hills, and I strategically pose tough questions before the upslope.” (The other person has to talk!) 8 A.M. STICK WITH THE STRUCTURE Hale starts each day with a different focus. He keeps an organized weekly routine, centering each day on a different part of his job, like checking in with direct reports, attending staff meetings, etc. By…

THE OGs Statins (like Lipitor and Crestor) These are mainstays because they cut your risk of heart attack and stroke by 20 to 30 percent. You’ll likely get them if you have diabetes, any evidence of heart disease (like a high calcium score), or stubbornly high cholesterol (yes, lipid scores—HDL, LDL, triglycerides—matter) despite your best effort at a healthy lifestyle. NEW TALENT GLP-1 Agonists You might know these drugs, originally developed for diabetes, as the most effective weightloss drugs ever tested. Now, a growing number of studies show a positive impact on heart disease. Here’s why: Fat tissue drives inflammation, which promotes plaque buildup in arteries. As a result, reducing fat stores can lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In a large clinical trial of overweight or obese…

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 MensHealth.com/signup and you could see yourself here one day. ROCCO BALZANO STATS AGE: 68 OCCUPATION: Mortgage company owner LOCATION: Wantagh, New York FOOD I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Ice cream. HOW I STAY MOTIVATED Staying consistent. I do my best to never miss a workout and try to get them in five or six days a week. IN MY GYM BAG Bands, jump rope, earbuds, and water. DREAM CELEBRITY WORKOUT PARTNER Bobby Maximus. MY ROLE MODEL My dad. He was still doing 85 pushups even at 92. He passed away last summer at 94. MY PUMP-UP JAM Zeppelin,…

MARLON WAYANS sports a grimace as he gingerly walks into the Elite Performance Clinic, a gym in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of northern Los Angeles. A rib is jabbing his upper back, making it tough to breathe. He has an appointment with his chiropractor later, but this morning, he’s still going to train. He starts with 10 minutes in a redox room, a room-temperature chamber that fills with a mineral-infused mist that helps relieve oxidative stress. Then it’s into a spinal decompression chair for 10 minutes. Then 15 minutes of meditation. It’s the calm before a sweat storm. “Sometimes you’re going to need to sit,” says Wayans, tilting his head as a smirky smile crosses his face. “You know you can go harder after you sit.” This holistic work is…

WHAT IT IS The fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) is a five-day eating plan that’s like a fast, except (surprise!) you can eat and drink. You limit calories (1,100 the first day, and 700 to 800 on the rest), largely through soups and nuts. Valter Longo, PhD, designed the diet for cancer patients, though he says anyone can benefit. THE PROMISE Longo’s company, L-Nutra, sells a five-day fasting-mimicking diet in a box (about $200) under the name Prolon, and it claims three 5-day cycles of the diet “can fuel your body into rejuvenation, longevity, and healthy living.” Other advertised benefits include better metabolic health, cellular rejuvenation, and weight loss. THE GOOD There are some promising, though small, studies on a fasting-mimicking diet in humans. Research suggests the FMD could reduce body mass…

A KID LIKE CUDI needs room to grow. When he left his hometown of Solon, Ohio, for New York City at 20, it was with a quiet promise that he’d only make music that helped people feel less alone. Inspired by Kurt Cobain’s raw honesty and Pink Floyd’s cinematic brooding, the artist born Scott Mescudi carved a space in hip-hop as an emo doppelgänger for aggro stoners, loners, and cool kids who saw their inner chaos reflected in his. Over time, his role as a pop culture life coach grew. Mescudi’s catalog doubles as a journal of his most turbulent periods—battles with depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts—all of which he unpacks in his new memoir, Cudi. In June, Mescudi married his partner of two years, Lola Abecassis Sartore, in France.…

YOUR BUDGET IS TIGHT, your time is tight, and your pants are tight… and no matter how many of these things are stressing you out, your heart is taking a beating. Plenty of studies have found links between stress and heart disease, and some experts even say stress is the leading risk factor for poor cardiovascular health. When we’re overstressed, our body is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol—hormones that, in abundance, raise blood pressure and damage the heart. One report published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that job-related chronic stress is associated with a 50 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease. (Studies also show this is an excellent statistic to share with your boss.) Doctors are going to tell you to take down your stress level, which, in…

“I CUT MY LDL CHOLESTEROL IN HALF NATURALLY.” KOLJA SAHM, 48 “I CONSIDER MYSELF to be healthy and fit. I lift weights and prep for triathlons about 12 to 13 hours per week. However, my LDL eventually climbed to 136 mg/dL. My doctor said I could either go on medication or start eating a plant-based, whole-food diet. I opted for the latter. Within three months, my LDL fell to 87. My doctor was impressed. She said only about 20 percent of patients see dramatic shifts in their cholesterol levels when they change their diets, and I am one of them.” ▸ TIP: “One challenge is getting enough protein, so I’ve learned to eat lots of lentils, seeds, nuts, and soy protein. Another is social pressure: I fell back to my…

ALRIGHT, LET’S DO THIS, WHAT-THE-FUCK-STERS, WHAT-THE-FUCKBUDDIES, WHAT-THE-FUCKNIKS, WHAT-THE-FUCKANEERS. WE HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR YOU TODAY. IT’S DIFFERENT, AND I THINK YOU’LL AGREE IT’S PRETTY SPECIAL. WHAT IT IS: MY CONVERSATION WITH MARC MARON. MARC THE FUCK MARON. IT STARTED IN HIS KITCHEN IN LOS ANGELES, AND THEN WE DROVE TO A LEBANESE RESTAURANT HE LIKES CALLED SKAF’S, WHICH BECOMES IMPORTANT LATER IN THE STORY. Now: You’re probably reading this because you’ve listened to all or some of the 1,664 episodes of WTF, the massively influential podcast that Maron created, that he hosts with an improbably alluring mixture of unaffected curiosity and acerbic wit, and that gave shape, substance, and life to the entire medium of podcasting. You not only know who Maron is; you also probably consider him…