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53 Articles

THE EXPERT PANEL

GIOVANNI SOFFIETTO MARTIAL ARTS COACH A great trainer coaxes out your strengths both in life and in the gym. Find out why Soffietto is a name to know p66 DANIEL MURAKAMI STRENGTH TRAINER Who needs metal when you can lift rocks and flip logs? Follow Murakami and heed the call of the wild for a short cut to real-world strength p24 GORDON RAMSAY CHEF AND IRONMAN Learn to thrive in your fifties from celebrity chef Ramsay, who took on his first, gruelling Ironman after reaching middle age p80 ZANIA STAMATAKI VIRAL IMMUNOLOGIST With the pandemic far from over, the race is on for a vaccine that will restore life as we knew it. Stamataki surveys the global effort p88 GABIJA TOLEIKYTE NEUROSCIENTIST After a year like this one, we wouldn’t blame you if your motivation is flagging. Restore your drive withToleikyte’s science-based hack p28 JASON…

THE EXPERT PANEL

UNPEEL THE GIFT OF A LONGER LIFE

01 ORANGE ALERT 02 FESTIVE FEAST Though once considered an exotic luxury, citrus fruit won’t fill you with much excitement if you catch sight of it in your stocking this Christmas. An Apple Watch will impress, but an orange most certainly will not. But the latter’s life-extending properties make it a gift that keeps on giving. Nutrition scientists at the South China University of Technology tested the effects of supermarketbought oranges on nematodes – tiny, transparent organisms commonly used in anti-ageing research – by adding different concentrations of orange extract to a test solution. They noticed that the higher the concentration to which the nematodes were exposed, the longer they survived. Compounds in the festive fruit inhibit the “ageing gene” age-1 and increase the production of detoxifying and protective enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase…

UNPEEL THE GIFT OF A LONGER LIFE

SEASON’S EATINGS

TURKEY Rich in protein, this also contains vitamins B3 and B6 for brain health and energy. BRUSSELS SPROUTS These contain zeaxanthin and lutein, which support eye health. GRAVY Make this out of meat stock to soak up some extra B vitamins, including B2 and B3. PARSNIPS This high-fibre root veg contains falcarinol, which has been shown to reduce cancer risk. CRANBERRY SAUCE Cranberries are linked to a lower risk of heart disease. RED WINE In moderation, wine boosts levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, aiding heart health. CHRISTMAS PUDDING The fruit is packed with fibre, while cinnamon helps control blood sugar. WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON I ARTWORK: PETER CROWTHER AT DEBUT ART I PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE, DAN MATTHEWS, STUDIO 33, GETTY…

SEASON’S EATINGS

THINK INSIDE THE BOX FOR NEW MOBILITY

03 FLEX APPEAL Mobility is crucial. The flexibility to move well without pain is something well worth acquiring – and we’re sure that more people would if it wasn’t so, er, boring. Why spend your limited training time in pursuit of supple hips when you can carve out bigger shoulders? Conveniently, the shin box press delivers on both objectives. “This move’s internalexternal hip rotation counteracts the long-term effects of sitting down, specifically lower back pain,” says James Stirling, Instagram’s London Fitness Guy. “And because the move is single-arm, it places a major demand on your core as it works to offset the imbalance.” So, that’s six more reasons to add this move to your repertoire. Pick a light weight while you master it, then aim for three sets of eight reps on each…

THINK INSIDE THE BOX FOR NEW MOBILITY

THE WIENERS THAT TAKE IT ALL

04 FRANK ADVICE 05 FILL ’EM UP 01 TOP DOGS You could fill Emirates Stadium with all the over-processed, flaccid and sodium-clogged hot dogs you’ll find at the supermarket. Raise your game by shopping for quality. The meat used in Sausage Man’s chilli beef dogs (sausageman.co.uk) is 100% beef, giving you an extra creatine hit, while the heat of the spice will rev up your metabolism. Alternatively, Helen Browning’s organic hot dogs (helenbrowningsorganic.co.uk) are made from free-range British pork, with casings that contain only prime cuts. Pig out with impunity. 02 LOW’N’SLOW Searing heat will burn and split the skin of your hot dogs before they can warm through. Avoid this error by preheating your grill to medium, then adding your franks. Turn them every minute until they’re plump and browned – this should take…

THE WIENERS THAT TAKE IT ALL

I TAKE A THREEWEEK REST DAY?

06 PRESS REFRESH 01 EASY DOES IT If you’ve spent this annus horribilis keeping anxieties at bay with workouts, it might be difficult to stop suddenly. So, stop slowly. A single day off can give you a welcome health boost. According to a study in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, taking a 24-hour break and reaching for a cold beer (rather than a kettlebell) can help to lower your risk of heart disease – a great excuse to put your training plans on hold. 02 HIT THE SACK When you’re juggling work and fitness, your body is flooded with cortisol and adrenalin. This can have an adverse effect on your sleep and your ability to build muscle and burn fat, warn researchers at the University of Tokyo. “A three-hour delay in sleep can take…

I TAKE A THREEWEEK REST DAY?

MAKE YOUR MUSCLE PLAN ROCK SOLID

07 SCHOOL OF ROCK 08 HEAVY GAINS 86kg WEIGHT Daniel Murakami, 33, spent years dominating deadlifts, bench presses and squats. Then, five years ago, he walked up to a boulder field near his home in Murrieta, California, braced his core and tried to lift a huge rock. Nothing happened… except a seismic shift in Murakami’s training philosophy. If he couldn’t lift anything outside of the gym, was gym training working? “I wanted farm-boy strength,” he says, “and I found that was best achieved through unconventional means.” Murakami, a certified trainer who had worked in gyms for more than a decade, began to rethink his methods. He had already mastered bodybuilding, powerlifting, bodyweight training and Olympic lifts. He shifted gears, first exploring the origins of strongman training in the late 1800s, then going even further…

MAKE YOUR MUSCLE PLAN ROCK SOLID

STEPPING STONES

01/ GROUND -TO-OVERHEAD ROCK LIFT 3 sets of 5 reps Deadlift a heavy rock to your thighs, squat and let the rock settle on them. Roll it up to your shoulder, shift your hands beneath it and press overhead. 02/ ROCK AND ROW 5 sets of 10 reps Fire up your lats and forearms. Tighten your core. Pull the rock towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades. Lower it slowly back to the ground. 03/ LOG ZERCHER SQUAT 3 sets of 8 reps Hold a medium-sized log in the crooks of your elbows. Keeping them and your chest up, squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Stand back up. 04/ STUMP FLIP 10 sets of 3 reps Squat and get your hands under a tree stump. Push it up and away from your body, using leverage from your legs…

STEPPING STONES

THE FINAL SHAKEDOWN

09 DAILY GRIND 10 SWEET TALK THE MH VERDICT: SALT WINS! We won’t sugar-coat it: the sweet stuff contributes little to your health and fitness goals. While giving yourself carte blanche with the salt shaker will grind away your six-pack aspirations, a sodium deficiency can be just as debilitating. Time to change your popcorn order. WORDS: THOMAS LING I PHOTOGRAPHY: FULL STOP PHOTOGRAPHY, GETTY I *JOURNAL OF NUTRITION I **QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY I †UNIVERSITY OF READING I ‡ SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS…

THE FINAL SHAKEDOWN

MY MOTIVATION IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. HOW CAN I MASTER MY TO-DO LIST?

As a tumultuous 2020 draws to a close, we’d forgive you for wanting to give your brain a welldeserved break. But at this time of year, snowballing Yuletide chores can easily become an avalanche. That’s why our gift to you is a mental hack that’ll help you avoid starting 2021 buried beneath all the jobs you’ve not got round to yet. “Take 10 seconds to figure out how each task aligns with something meaningful,” advises neuroscientist and productivity specialist Gabija Toleikyte. “For instance, if the idea of lengthy queues for your partner’s present is a drag, think about how being a good husband is important to you.” That might sound like self-help talk, but it’s a strategy based on sound science. A 2008 study by researchers from McGill University, the University…

MY MOTIVATION IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. HOW CAN I MASTER MY TO-DO LIST?

I’M BORED OF MY BUZZ CUT. WHAT NEXT?

11 MIND GAINS 12 POWER POWDERS Check, raise or play a wild card? Here’s how to manage your COVID crop KEEP IT To keep a buzz fresh, you need to maintain it. This could require cutting it every week, says Axe master barber Pedro Rosario. Areas such as your neckline are the first to look unruly. If possible, ask a barber to cut it, then trim it at home using a clipper with no guard. GROW IT Start with a number-four guard on the sides and work your way to a lower number. Once you’re happy, get it cut every four to six weeks. When your hair is long enough to lift up, ask your barber to add texture by cutting it with scissors. This can help camouflage problem areas, such as thinning spots and cowlicks. HAVE…

I’M BORED OF MY BUZZ CUT. WHAT NEXT?

IS VEGAN PROTEIN AS GOOD AS WHEY?

Though meat-based muscle-builders remain whey ahead, vegan shakes offer generous gains, alongside holistic health hits. Here’s the full scoop PURE WHEY PROTEIN Bulk Powders £13 for 500g Best for: raw strength This milk-based supp packs all nine essential amino acids and fuels up to 31% more growth than soya-based alternatives. With 22g of protein per serving, it can increase your leg press one-rep max by around a third*. 100% BEEF PROTEIN ISOLATE Applied Nutrition £45 for 1.8kg Best for: not much This powder’s lacklustre amino acid count will hold you back. Compared to whey, it contains less than half of the muscle-building isoleucine, tryptophan and leucine. Not to mention its burned salt taste… SOY PROTEIN 90 (ISOLATE) The Protein Works £11 for 500g Best for: green gains Soy buoys your levels of hunger-banishing leptin – enough to help you lose 8kg in…

IS VEGAN PROTEIN AS GOOD AS WHEY?

I’M HUNGOVER. SHOULD I WORK OUT?

Today 8.49am I’ve got a dry mouth, headache and nausea: I’m hanging like the Gardens of Babylon. Will a heavy weights sesh sort me out? Exercise does metabolise alcohol, but big lifts are out. Dehydration drains the fluid in your spinal column, shrinking your discs by up to 80%. Don’t risk slipping one. What about a run? Or a? Either. Any steady-state cardio between 30-40 minutes is ideal. But take it easy: if you’re not able to talk during the workout, you’re probably going too hard. Sounds perfect. Lacing up now! Hold on, Rocky. Exercising too soon can get you drunk all over again. Increasing your blood flow will push any remaining alcohol to your brain. Go for a fatty breakfast: you can’t go wrong with eggs and avo on toast. Plus, plenty of drink. Hair of…

I’M HUNGOVER. SHOULD I WORK OUT?

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD DAD?

13 PARENTAL GUIDANCE I’ve started to notice a weird quirk of celebrity interviews. If the interviewee is a man and has small children, he’s invariably asked whether he changes nappies. It’s a binary question with binary consequences. If he doesn’t, he’s a bad dad. If he does, then he’s an amazing dad. Now, I don’t have a problem with the former assumption. If you’re a father in 2020 and you’ve never changed a nappy, shame on you. It’s the latter that I take issue with, because changing a nappy is nothing. Making sure that the person you love most in the world doesn’t have to waddle around caked in their own shit is the least that any father can do. And yet the nappy issue still seems to be the dividing line…

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD DAD?

WIN THE ARMS RACE AT HOME

14 HOUSE OF GUNS You might be waiting until the pandemic is over to re-up your gym membership, but there’s no reason why you can’t go large in the meantime. Simmonds’s at-home upper-body bulk-up requires no dumbbells. Its push-pull format ensures that one muscle group works while the other rests – so you can squeeze 150 reps from a single workout for supersized benefits. Complete 10 reps of all six exercises before resting and going again, taking off two reps with each new round. Think big. 01 PULL-UP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST Wedge a pull-up bar into your door frame. Start by hanging with an overhand grip at shoulder width (A). Keeping your core tight, drive your elbows towards your hips, contracting your back and biceps to lift…

WIN THE ARMS RACE AT HOME

CRACK ON FOR LIFELONG GAINS

15 PROXY SERVINGS 16 PRIME TIMES Turning 40 is no reason to slow down. If anything, you need to speed up – left to its own devices, your body will shed 3-5% of its muscle mass each decade after you hit 30. But while getting older may be inevitable, feeling it and looking it are not. To hold on to your prime, you’ll need protein – lots of it. You can start by doubling the amount you take in from your first two meals of the day. In a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, UK scientists compared the average protein intake per meal of different age groups, ranging from people in their twenties to those in their seventies. They found that older people got most of their protein at dinner, with far…

CRACK ON FOR LIFELONG GAINS

GOOD VIBRATIONS

17 FAST AND LOOSE 18 FOAM, SWEET FOAM Created in 2007 by chiropractor Jason Wersland to manage pain following a motorbike accident, the Theragun is now used by more than 250 professional sports teams. Percussive therapy is the manipulation of soft tissue, delivered in the form of rapid bursts of pressure. It increases blood flow to muscles, helping to reduce the inflammation that contributes to painful DOMS – meaning shorter recovery times after tough training sessions. Parting with £549 is a bit much when fitness isn’t your profession, but tending to sore shoulders after WFH is as important as soothing your hamstrings post-workout. So, Therabody has released the Theragun Mini: despite its everyman price tag, it doesn’t scrimp on any of the therapeutic tech. Here’s what the buzz is about. i_QX35 This is the motor…

GOOD VIBRATIONS

FIGHT AGEING WHILE YOU SLEEP

19 SAVING FACE 20 FEAST FOR THE EYES After a long, stressful day, the last thing you need is yet more stuff to deal with – and rooting through the skincare products on your bathroom shelf might feel like one hassle too many. But having a strategy for taking care of your face before sleep is well worth the effort. It’ll leave you relaxed and ready to take on the next day looking and feeling fresh, instead of progressively frazzled. Science has shown that the night is the best time to double down on your anti-ageing efforts. “During the day, your skin is in defence mode,” explains dermatologist Morgan Rabach. Which isn’t too surprising, since this is when your face is blasted by the elements: harsh sunlight, city smog, cold air, and your…

FIGHT AGEING WHILE YOU SLEEP

MASSAGE THE FAT-LOSS STATISTICS

21 SMELL OF SUCCESS 22 OIL CHANGE For all our best-laid plans, the balance of calories in and calories out all too easily tips the wrong way come Christmas. The obvious prescription is to squeeze in yet more exercise. But for those committed to indulging in a proper three-week rest day, that sounds a bit exhausting. Gratifyingly, scientists may have found a soothing alternative. Book in for a COVID-secure massage and ask your therapist to add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to the lotion. That might sound far too decadent to be a certified weightloss technique, but Japanese scientists have discovered the beneficial effects of the scent of grapefruit. In a rodent study, they recorded electrical activity in the nerve pathways to the animals’ fat tissue and observed that the smell…

MASSAGE THE FAT-LOSS STATISTICS

UPGRADE YOUR HOME STRETCH

23 GET ON A ROLL By now, your YouTube side bar may consist entirely of sweaty HIIT sessions – but if you truly want to fine-tune your fitness, we suggest a strategic change of pace. A good place to start is Patrick Beach’s channel, Patrick and Carling, which hosts a varied range of accessible videos. Next, make a smart investment in a mat. Regular practice can improve strength, endurance and flexibility after just 12 weeks; a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that it can also reduce cortisol and anxiety levels. According to yoga instructor Sarah Malcolm, a good yoga mat should be suited to the kind of workout you’ll most often be using it for. If you like your yoga fast-paced and dynamic, a non-slip mat (up…

UPGRADE YOUR HOME STRETCH

REBOOT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

24 DEFENCE STRATEGY 01 MODERATE EXERCISE If you exercise too long or too hard, your immune system weakens, according to research by Appalachian State University. So, follow the 60/60 rule: exercise for 60 minutes or less, with an average intensity of about 60% of your maximum heart rate. That means you can still do HIIT workouts, as long as you take it extra easy during the recovery periods. 02 HAVING SEX While some research indicates that people who have sex once or twice a week have higher levels of immunityrelated proteins, the science is pretty flaccid. Other research links masturbation to increased immune cells, but the link is far from solid. Don’t let this stop you, though. 03 VITAMIN C Taking vitamin C pills won’t reduce your risk of catching a cold, according to a review…

REBOOT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

24 Hour Fitness

ONE IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE. ONE MONTH TO TRAIN. GO I would be lying if I claimed there wasn’t a touch of Groundhog Day to all this. A few months ago, I took on my last challenge as the Adventurist in lockdown: an ultraduathlon broken down into laps of my house and a mind- and glute-numbing stint on a stationary bike. It was my first attempt at such a distance, and I had a lot of time to think about our current reality. My latest mission – to tackle thousands of press-ups, pull-ups, muscle-ups and squats, lift ton after ton of iron, and run an accumulated marathon-esque distance, all in 24 hours – wasn’t a new undertaking for me. This was my annual attempt at WODvember, a month-long fundraising initiative that raises money to…

24 Hour Fitness

Man Out Of Time

One morning in late summer, drivers heading north on Route 101, not far from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, were treated to a surreal sight, even for Hollywood. Sputtering along in the slow lane of the freeway was a big man with even bigger hair in a roofless, windscreen-less 1929 Ford Model A hot rod. His long mane was whipping across his face in the wind; the red blanket that he’d placed over his busted car seat as a cushion was flying like a cape behind his neck. Those who pulled up closer to get a better look at what might pass for a real-life (albeit grizzled) Superman weren’t too far off the mark. It was Aquaman in his natural habitat: behind the wheel of a vintage car, his…

Man Out Of Time

Self-Care For Consumerists The Ultimate Gift-It-Yourself Guide

SELF-CARE noun. Positive action taken to improve one’s well-being. Example: purchasing the nice new pair of headphones that you’ve been hankering after It’s said that giving is better than receiving, but the maxim has a flaw: it assumes that the giver and the receiver are never one and the same. We all know that generosity feels good, and there’s sound scientific basis for it: research shows that the act of giving activates the neural networks associated with pleasure – the same ones triggered by food or drugs – in a phenomenon known as the “helper’s high”.But that doesn’t mean you can’t help yourself. After all, receiving gifts feels pretty good, too, and no one is more familiar with your taste, habits and predilections than, well, you. Besides, you’ve had a tough few…

Self-Care For Consumerists The Ultimate Gift-It-Yourself Guide

Fine-Tune Your Training

01 The Mind Manager This new smartwatch from Fitbit doesn’t just clock the movements you make but how your body responds to them. Along with the usual tick list (including 20-plus exercise modes), the Sense evaluates your electrodermal activity and heart rhythm to assess your stress levels. Its six-day battery life is handy, too. FITBIT SENSE £300 FITBIT.COM 02 The Bell from Hell For those with neither the budget nor the space for a three-tier weights rack at home, the stark choice is often between weights that are impractically heavy and those that are ineffectually light. This kettlebell will ring the changes. Part of the adjustable SelectTech line, it can be scaled up or down in six increments, from 3.5kg up to 18kg, meaning you can share it with your less-swole friends and family,…

Fine-Tune Your Training

Upgrade Your Toys

01 The Mood Maker Light and sound can boost your mood and focus, as well as enhance your sleep. With its transparent dome inspired by a Jony Ive design for Apple, this Bluetooth speaker combines all of these benefits in a single package. It delivers roomfilling, 360° sound via two 15-watt tweeters and a 100-watt subwoofer, while mood-amplifying ambient light dances to your chosen soundtrack, helping you tune in, zone out or doze off. HARMAN/KARDON AURA STUDIO 3 £279 HARMANKARDON.CO.UK 02 The Sharp Shooter A cut above your regular smartphone gimbal, the Movi has a dual-motor stabiliser to help you shoot Hollywood-style hero shots of even your bumpiest, most extreme active endeavours. You can place it anywhere without a tripod, and one charge lets you capture eight hours of next-level footage, with features including…

Upgrade Your Toys

Elevate Your Meal Prep

01 The Power Planter No matter how virtuous the contents of your shopping basket, the sad reality is that plants start losing their micronutrients from the moment they’re picked. Luckily, growing your own isn’t just for the green of finger. This app-controlled indoor garden is fitted with automatic watering and nutrient delivery systems, and makes harvesting fresh basil, chillies and other healthy plants as simple as operating a vending machine. SMART GARDEN 9 £180 EU.CLICKANDGROW.COM 02 The Culture King A minimalist’s dream, this implausibly versatile tool is equipped to replace half of what’s in your kitchen cupboards: it whisks, blends, browns, steams, sautés and slow-cooks. But its USP is fermentation. The Thermomix creates the perfect environment in which good bacteria thrive, making gut-healthy probiotic yogurt or raising your sourdough at the touch of a…

Elevate Your Meal Prep

Power Up Your Weekends

01 The Stand-Up Buy In this time of pandemic, Brits seeking adventure on home shores have brought paddle-boarding into the mainstream. This hi-tech inflatable board is lightweight and stiff, while packing away easily into a backpack or the boot of your car. You can save your roof rack for your bike. STARBOARD 10FT 4IN IGO DELUXE SINGLE CHAMBER BOARD £799 SUP.STAR-BOARD.COM 02 The Great Protector Whether you’re out on the water, or merely at the mercy of winter downpours, being able to guarantee that certain things stay dry can save your outing from becoming a damp squib. This hardy roll-top dry bag will safely stow your phone, spare clothing and wallet. FILSON 4.5L DRY BAG £50 FILSON.COM/UK 03 The Featherweight Champ When you want to escape at a moment’s notice, toting a mammoth bag somewhat spoils your…

Power Up Your Weekends

BRITAIN’S BEST COACHES

57,000 The number of fitness instructors working in the UK last year Those who aren’t locker-room regulars often assume that the fitness industry is populated by overmuscled meatheads, underfed models and wannabe wellness gurus. But those who have a gym they call home know that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, you’ll probably cross paths with some of those stereotypes, but the world of health and fitness is also full of men and women transforming people’s lives for the better. There are those fighting to make fitness more inclusive; there are tireless charity fundraisers; and there are trainers working overtime to provide information and accessible tools to those who can’t otherwise afford them. Of course, none of this is news to you, the Men’s Health reader. That’s why almost 2,000…

BRITAIN’S BEST COACHES

Christmaths Satiating By Numbers

1,200kcal Double cream, 50ml, 230kcal | Port, 75ml, 115kcal Christmas pudding, ¼, 390kcal | Dessert wine, 250ml, 220kcal Brandy butter, 40g, 245kcal kcal 1,200kcal Turkey breast, 150g, 180kcal | Gravy, 50ml, 40kcal | Sprouts, 100g, 55kcal | Butter, 8g, 70kcal Cranberry sauce, 15g, 30kcal | Dry white wine, 125ml, 90kcal | Roast parsnips, 100g, 100kcal Grilled chilli prawns, 120g, 115kcal | Large green olives, 50g, 90kcal Turkey thigh, 100g, 140kcal | Roast potatoes, 210g, 290kcal kcal Enjoy a Sweeter Deal “If you love macadamia nuts, by all means eat them. But don’t force yourself to because you feel you should,” says nutrition consultant Graeme Tomlinson (@thefitnesschef_). Gramme for gramme, nuts and chocolate have a fairly equal calorie count. Just because a food is healthy, it doesn’t always mean it’s conducive to fat loss, and vice…

Christmaths Satiating By Numbers

01 Succeed in the (Ultra) Long Run

After falling out with his high-school track coach, Dean Karnazes didn’t run again until his 30th birthday, when he walked home from a bar, got into his trainers and completed 30 miles. At 44, he completed 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. My speed has decreased but my endurance has increased. Staying up for long periods seems easier. I think the physiological adaptations to the vascular system over time are advantageous but, most importantly, you acquire an added level of mental stamina as you get older. Maintaining the same pace that once came easily now requires more specific types of work: hill repeats and interval training to boost speed, and cross-training to boost strength. Thankfully, I enjoy these things. I’ve even learned to love burpees. I’ve never been much of a…

01 Succeed in the (Ultra) Long Run

02 Put Your Health on the Front Burner

When most men go off the boil, Gordon Ramsay turned up the heat, completing the hellish Ironman at Kona in Hawaii in just over 14 hours in 2013. Six years later, at 52, he welcomed his fifth child and is now at the age when his father died of a heart attack. I got to my 40th birthday and realised that time on my own was just impossible. I’d become so consumed by running the business that it was starting to run me. Cooking is a young person’s game. Only the fittest can survive. I knew the pinnacle was an Ironman. No disrespect to a sprint or an Olympic distance – they’re all good, but they wouldn’t slow me down at work, and I knew that an Ironman would slow me down. You…

02 Put Your Health on the Front Burner

03 Reach Your Peak and Get High – Naturally

For his 24th birthday, Paul Oakenfold made his first trip to Ibiza, which birthed the ecstasy-fuelled “Second Summer of Love”. Thirty years later, in 2017, he cleaned up his act to play “the highest party in the world” at Everest Base Camp to highlight environmental issues. I loved the idea of that challenge: to see if I could perform at Base Camp at my age. But once the reality of it dawned on me, I started to worry. I was, like, “This is dangerous. People have died.” Six months prior to the event, I set out to really get into shape. I stopped drinking and started to do long walks. I went on highaltitude walks up in Whistler, the ski resort, wearing a hypoxic mask. I studied the Wim Hof method. When…

03 Reach Your Peak and Get High – Naturally

04 Get Last Minute Tickets to the Gun Show

Terry Crews retired from the NFL in 1997, but staying in shape has remained a fulltime occupation for the stacked actor with the most impressive arm-oury in the Expendables franchise. His workout has stayed 90% the same for 20 years but, as this biceps blast shows, he’s not cruising. Pull-Up, 4 sets of max reps Grab the bar with your hands wider than your shoulders and your palms facing away. Pull down your shoulders, then your elbows, until your chin clears the bar. Lower yourself fully, but don’t let your shoulders shrug up. “This is one of the most valuable biceps exercises… A lot of people spend their time on barbells. For me, it was when I started to master the pull-up that my biceps really started to show.” Dumbbell Curl, 10, 8,…

04 Get Last Minute Tickets to the Gun Show

05 Write a Manifesto for Radical Weight Loss

At the age of 50, Watson was a Westminster heavyweight, tipping the scales at almost 140kg. Over the next two years, “Tommy Two Dinners” shed a whopping 50kg and reversed his diabetes by being more active and following a strict ketogenic diet. 01 Put health at the top of the agenda “Over 30 years, I tried everything: Weight Watchers, calorie counting, the cabbage soup diet… But the mindset wasn’t right. Weight loss would always be second to my career and my kids. It was only when I committed to finding the time that things changed.” 02 Canvas your supporters “One day, I had a very honest conversation with my team and said, ‘Look, this is really important, because I fear I’m going to die, and I need to do this for my…

05 Write a Manifesto for Radical Weight Loss

06 Be the Fittest Man on Earth (in Your Age Group)

Mathews, who co-owns Reebok CrossFit Lab in LA, wasn’t involved in the sport of fitness until he was 41. In five CrossFit Games, the Masters athlete has finished no lower than 11th, winning the 45-49 division in 2016. One of his clients, actor Joe Manganiello, told MH that if there’s a fountain of youth, “That guy’s got it.” When you’re an athlete in your forties, you start to have issues that you didn’t have in your twenties. Now, I have arthritis, scar tissue and bone spurs. It’s normal wear and tear, but it does make getting in shape – gaining mobility, especially – a lot harder. Developing my stamina took years. I was always a short-burst athlete – football, track – working intensely for short periods, with rest afterwards. That’s not CrossFit.…

06 Be the Fittest Man on Earth (in Your Age Group)

07 Kickflip the Fiftysomething Script

Tony Hawk went pro at 14, landed the mythical 900 (two and a half spins) at 31 and then retired from competition. He marked turning 50 by doing 50 tricks that he invented over his four decades. His best one? That he’s still going. 01 Use it, don’t lose it When I was a kid, once people turned 18, they had to get a job. They’d quit skating. There was an assumption that, “Look, you can’t do this physically into your thirties.” My biggest secret is that I never quit. 02 Get regular tune-ups Skating has been my only true form of exercise, and my body has paid the price. I get comments like, “Oh, is something wrong with your neck?” “Yeah, about 30 years of whiplash.” All those falls, they take…

07 Kickflip the Fiftysomething Script

Everybody Wants To Cure The World

Ewan Birney has given up guessing whether he might be immune to coronavirus. “I did try a little bit,” he confesses, of trying to deduce whether he’d been injected with an experimental coronavirus vaccine or a placebo, a dummy that feels like a real jab but offers no protection. Birney is one of around 10,000 volunteers on a coronavirus vaccine trial being run in the UK by Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Half of the volunteers have been given the experimental vaccine, code-named AZD1222; the other half a standard meningitis jab. Neither volunteer nor researcher will know who got which until the end of the trial, when rates of infection and disease in the two groups will be compared. Birney is more qualified than most to play scientific detective: he…

Everybody Wants To Cure The World

How Not to Waste… Food In the UK, we throw away £13bn of edible food each year. That staggering figure doesn’t just reflect the irresponsibility of Big Agriculture or supermarkets: we waste £470 per household. Bad for the environment, sure, but also for your wallet. Here’s how to plug this hole 01 BE A REALIST When we’re planning our weekly shop, we tend to be aspirational. “We hope to cook more and eat better. Then life happens,” says Dana Gunders of the anti-food-waste group ReFED. You might have ambitions to fillet your own sea bass, but we often resort to what’s quick and easy if we’re busy. So, bulk-cook dishes on quiet nights, then freeze them. Cooked veg, meats and grains will generally keep for up to three months. “Plan in advance…

Brand collaborations have resulted in some of the most memorable and noteworthy moments in the worlds of fashion and luxury over recent years. From Louis Vuitton x Supreme to Palace x Ralph Lauren, “x” marks the spot when it comes to pinpointing the zeitgeist of art and commerce today. The logic behind it is straightforward. Brands with contrasting legacies borrow each other’s cultural capital; meanwhile, the clashing of aesthetics and customer bases makes a noise and keeps things fresh, especially when it’s amplified through social media. Conveniently, it can also be a creative short cut. No wonder, then, that so many watch companies have got in on the act. Offbeat collaborations, however, don’t always work. For every Vetements x DHL – a masterstroke of ironic yet enduring appeal, not to mention a…

01/TAG HEUER CARRERA £4,695 With us in one form or another since 1963, TAG Heuer’s Carrera rose again this year in the guise of a back-to-basics chronograph that fulfils the old maxim, “Everything you need and nothing you don’t.” In this case, a most welcome scratch-proof ceramic bezel with an 80-hour Calibre Heuer 02 movement – a thoroughly modern engine for this timeless racer. The broad-flanked 44mm case is unapologetically sporty, as are the pushers and crown, but crucially it doesn’t wear overly large. Thanks also to the change of movement, TAG Heuer’s flagship chronograph once again adheres to a 3-6-9 layout, preferred by purists for its symmetrical design. 02/BELL AND ROSS BR05 SKELETON BLUE £5,600 Since its launch in 2019, Bell & Ross’s BR05 has found success as the knowingly stylised stablemate…

Audemars Piguet Counting Jay-Z and Arnold Schwarzenegger among its fans, an Audemars Piguet makes a statement of success. Since its founding in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet, the company has set several impressive records, including the world’s smallest wristwatch in 1920 and the thinnest automatic movement in 1967. And it’s a brand that is willing to take risks. Back in 1972, it released the Gérald Genta-designed Royal Oak; though initially greeted with scepticism, the world’s first luxury sports watch continues to sell in huge numbers. But AP isn’t content to live off old glories. “Bringing the past into the present, [Re]master01 is equipped with the newest generation of self-winding chronograph mechanisms,” says UK general manager Daniel Compton of the brand’s latest model. “And we have launched a new collection…

01/HUBLOT BIG BANG E £4,800 Though it marks Hublot’s entry into the arena of premium smartwatches, there’s nothing that is tentative about the Big Bang E. The luxury house takes all it learned from creating a bespoke watch for World Cup referees in 2018 (and borrows plenty from LVMH stablemate TAG Heuer) to create a piece that boasts all the smartwatch functions you’d expect, only with an extra dose of character. To this end, Hublot collaborated with French artist Marc Ferrero on a conceptual eight-dial design that swaps and changes throughout the day. Expect plenty of similar partnerships to come. Cased in black ceramic or titanium, at 42mm, it is no bigger than a standard Big Bang. 02/TISSOT T-TOUCH CONNECT SOLAR £845* More watch than device, this Tissot model retains physical hands, with…

Dial C for Colour

There are two sides to the Rolex brand. The one that everybody knows is its reputation as the ultimate watchmaker: the purveyor of the most recognisable sports watches – hell, the most recognisable watches full-stop – and the pursuer of the highest standards of repeatable excellence, all finely honed since the majority of its signature models were conceived in the mid-20th century. Included in this, the best-known face of Rolex, are its dressier models, such as the Day-Date and its everyday staple, the Datejust, as well as its Oyster-cased tool watches. Even in precious metals, the vast majority of these models adhere to conservative, predictable norms. Then we have the second, less recognisable incarnation of the brand: a flamboyant creator, occasionally veering into high camp (diamond-set leopard-print Daytona in rose gold,…

Dial C for Colour

Office life has changed dramatically in the wake of the pandemic. Many of us have swapped the daily commute for a three-second stroll from bed to laptop, our colleagues for housemates, and smart-casual for 50 shades of grey jersey. Friends and housemates of five years Ed Cooper and Simon Hill tell us how they’ve embraced their alternative home office set-up, and model some of the new work-from-home essentials from Very. Ed Cooper, MH Deputy Digital Editor “There are four of us in the house. I already lived with my girlfriend, and Simon’s girlfriend moved in during lockdown. We’ve all been working from home, but we have desks in our rooms, so it hasn’t been too bad. The kitchen’s where you get the most traffic, with pots and pans everywhere, but we…

ACCELERATE YOUR FAT LOSS

THE PLAN Weight loss should be a pleasure, not a chore. That’s why our Lean meals range keeps calories low without sacrificing flavour. High in protein, they’ll boost your metabolism, while the extra fibre will keep hunger at bay. THE DISH Unbox our Mexican chicken with squash fries, rainbow slaw and chipotle dressing for dinner. At 450kcal with 35g of protein and 25g of slow-release carbs, it’s nutritionally calibrated to help you recover after a day of training and build on your progress tomorrow. It’s bloody delicious, too. ORDER IT It couldn’t be simpler, really. Head to menshealthfuel.com and let us put in all the leg work. You’ve got enough on your plate Pick your plan To eat your way to progress, pick one of our four meal plans. For easy fat loss, go Lean. We freshly prepare Our…

ACCELERATE YOUR FAT LOSS

ATONE FOR CHRISTMAS EXCESS IN 20 MINUTES

To say that this year has been “stressful” would be a bit like referring to the sinking of the Titanic as “a nautical mishap”. What you need right now is a real break, full of all the festivities, frivolities, hangovers and other financially crippling activities that December usually heralds (lockdowns permitting, of course). Yet that doesn’t mean you should let training slide entirely. After all, a regular investment in exercise will do more than just tighten your chunky knit sleeves and brighten your mood. Studies have shown that exercise can lead to a 72% improvement in time management and the workload completed on your training days – worth bearing in mind if you want to get off to a running start in 2021. What follows is an ideal tonic: focused 20-minute, full-body…

ATONE FOR CHRISTMAS EXCESS IN 20 MINUTES

YOUR FITMAS WISH LIST

01/RACK UP NEW GAINS If you’ve been longing to level-up your home fitness set-up but have limited space, squat stands will raise your game. Easily adjusted hooks make them perfect for benching or squatting alike, and you can roll them away into a corner afterwards. Squat Stands £330 blkboxfitness.com 02/BAG THE BODY YOU DESERVE Pound for pound, filling up a 100kg sandbag works out 30 times cheaper than the equivalent in weight plates. Not sold? The real-world strength gains you’ll make by switching ought to swing it. Bulldog Strongman Sandbag £82.50 bulldoggear.eu 03/DON’T SWEAT IT The British climate swings from very cold to annoyingly warm; you’ll also need to move from downpours straight into a baking gym. This luxury layer comes at a normal price tag and will have your back in all conditions. SANVT Hooded Sweatshirt £78…

YOUR FITMAS WISH LIST

SNATCH A LEANER SET OF ABS

THE FORMAT Use the “chipper” format: work your way through all the reps of snatches and crunches in a round, then move on to the next round. You can break up each set and rest, but only as necessary – the key here is to maintain good form. In the first round, complete 40 reps of each movement in turn, followed by 30 of each, then 20, before a final 10. The reps may drop by 10 each round, but this decreases your rest time. Devious. 01 SNATCHED AWAY With your feet just wider than your shoulders, reach down to grab a dumbbell. Squeeze your empty fist to create tension. Driving up through your hips, punch the weight above you to full lockout. Lower, swapping hands before the bell reaches the floor. Alternate…

SNATCH A LEANER SET OF ABS

02 Suede Boots 03 Cycle Jerseys 04 Hand Wash 05 Salt and Vinegar Crisps 06 Music Paperbacks…

Flight BA894 begins its descent towards Keflavík International Airport, the clouds below lit up in oranges and pinks – late-afternoon colours, a spooky sight at exactly 11am. Iceland may be in the same time zone as the UK, but time means something different here. It’s winter and the sun is demob happy, compensating for its marathon 22-hour summer shifts by hardly bothering to show up at all. It clocks on at 11am and is out of office by 3.30pm. By the time Men’s Health reaches Deplar Farm on the northern Troll Peninsula, all that illuminate the sky are cold, white stars and a wondrous, green glow: the northern lights. Deplar is an outpost of Eleven, a company that offers visitors bespoke, “unprecedented adventures” around the world. It’s a mission that Eleven…

Go Jump in the Lakes

01 The Peak Cardio For fell walking in the Lake District, try Gowbarrow Fell, which starts and finishes in the beautiful Aira Force. nationaltrust.org.uk 02 The Splash Zone Put your proprioception and cardio to the test by becoming a board master at Ullswater Wake and Surf. wakeandsurf.co.uk 03 The Swift Sweat Book into my HIITROOM class: a half-hour bodyweight workout that torches calories and hits every muscle group. dowsonfitness.com 04 The Warm-Up The Lake District is full of amazing cafés. Visit Keswick for a quick hike up Catbells, followed by a reinvigorating coffee at Lingholm Kitchen. thelingholmkitchen.co.uk 05 The Big Re-feed Come to Chesters by the River for the veggie pizza, and stay for the hot doughnuts. chestersbytheriver.co.uk 06 The Pig-Out Stop in at the Wild Boar for tea: instead of sandwiches and scones, you’ll find slider burgers and pork pies. englishlakes.co.uk 07 The Rest Stop The Lakeside Suites…

Go Jump in the Lakes

ONE WORD ANSWER #71

Homer Simpson wasn’t drawing from the keg of peer-reviewed science when he observed that booze was “the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems” – but there is a thimble of truth to what he said. Almost 10% of deaths among men in their forties are attributed to alcoholspecific causes, and someone is admitted to hospital every 30 seconds suffering from a condition in which drinking was a factor. In 2009, David Nutt, then chairman of the government’s advisory committee on substance abuse, ranked alcohol as more harmful than illegal drugs such as LSD and ecstasy. Yet there’s a growing body of evidence that booze, in moderation, can actually be good for you. Red wine in particular has been linked to longevity, a reduced risk of cognitive decline and…

ONE WORD ANSWER #71

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