Chris Hemswo h h Workout!

11
NOVEMBER 2017

NOVEMBER 2017 £3.99 9 771356 743132

BULLETPROOF
YOUR HEART SWAP
FAT FOR
BUILD
p25

RIPPED!
JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN: MENTAL FITNESS FOR EVERY MAN # MENDTHEGAP

ARMS
Wake Up Your Inner Athlete

REWIND YOUR
LIKE BODY CLOCK

THIS
Undo Years Of Damage In 15 Mins

SPECIAL REPORT
Get The Hemsworth Plan
For Godlike Strength p52 Changing
Minds
15,000 UK Men
GENIUS Open Up About
Feeling Down
MUSCLE
HACKS!
More Gains, A Lot Less Pain

48 WINTER
FITNESS
FEASTS
Roast PEDs With Gravy!
“FEAR IS A MOTIVATOR. HOW DO I REMOVE DOUBT?
I WORK HARDER” CHRIS HEMSWORTH, ACTOR, 34
#MendTheGap
IN THIS ISSUE
KEEP BOTH BODY AND MIND IN BALANCE

ON THE COVER
The
P38 TESTOSTERONE BOOSTS
Easy lifestyle edits to spike Measure
Of The
the most crucial of hormones

P50 GENIUS MUSCLE HACKS

PHOTOGRAPHY PATRIK GIARDINO

STYLING ERIC DOWN
GROOMING JOHNNY HERNANDEZ
CLOTHING BOSS
How spending less time in the
gym can boost your strength

P52 TRY THOR’S WORKOUT

Chris Hemsworth gives you
Man
An
the upper-body hammering
that made him truly mighty Alternative
P66 WINTER FITNESS FEASTS
Serve up extra stamina with
View Of Mental
an update on your roast recipe Health
P114 SWAP FAT FOR RIPPED In UK Men
Unlock your body’s biggest
muscles to transform fast P70
S CO U S
11/17 FIT FOR THE NEW SEASON

MUSCLE HEALTH WEIGHTLOSS

S
P40 THE RUNNING MAN P31 DOPE SCIENCE P36 REIGNITE YOUR METABOLISM
Make your body great again with training Cannabis is the subject of burning debate. Reviving the breakfasts of your school
tips from London-born NFL star Jay Ajayi But should you give grass the green light? years could restore your body to its prime

P82 ESCAPE THE WEIGHTS ROOM P63 REWIND YOUR BODY CLOCK P120 FAT-BLAZING TRAILS
MH trains with the fitness purists who say How 15 minutes on Insta can add years Take your cardio off road with the trail
natural movement is the key to performance to your lifespan. Simply #follow our plan running kit that will keep you on track

P124 FINISH STRONGER P145 TAKE THE POWER BACK P123 MEAL PREP MADE EASY
Keep your heart rate high and shock your Find out what’s draining your batteries then Batch cook five days’ worth of fitness food
upper body with our 10-minute challenge recharge in a flash with our energising quiz with our macro-balanced, meat-free recipe

NUTRITION MIND STYLE

P28 A SNOB’S GUIDE TO KALE P47 PEAK MENTAL HEALTH P133 THE CUTTING EDGE
Reclaim the ubiquitous superfood from the How a weekly session on the climbing wall Secure a smoother shave with these sharp
clean eaters with our Michelin-starred tips can keep your mood at an all-time high additions to your daily grooming arsenal

P48 EGGS BENEFIT P64 ERASE WORK ANXIETY P134 NEW WOOL ORDER
Have a crack at these all-day recipes for Overwrite the Monday morning blues with Our pick of the best British knitwear to help
a low-cost, highly palatable protein boost a simple exercise you can do at your desk you keep warm but stay cool this season

P88 THE URBAN HUNTER GATHERER P154 SCARE TACTICS P141 WINTER TREADS
Forage for your fuel and hunt extra nutrients Fear ye not – a healthy dose of horror has Take the fight to the weather and win in
with our very modern guide to primal eating measurable benefits for your wellbeing style with high-ranking combat boots

12 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

THE EXPERT PANEL TOBY WISEMAN
EDITOR

REVITALISE YOUR BODY AND MIND THIS MONTH WITH ADVICE DEPUTY EDITOR
DAVID MORTON
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
DECLAN FAHY
PHOTO DIRECTOR
VICI CAVE
FRROM FIVE FITNESS AUTTHORITIES – AND ONE PROFESSOR...
STYLE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR DIGITAL DIRECTOR
ERIC DOWN SCARLETT WRENCH ED VANSTONE

FEATURES EDITOR EDITORIAL BUSINESS MANAGER ART DIRECTOR

TOM WARD RACHAEL CLARK TOM PLUMSTEAD

COMMISSIONING EDITOR (PRINT & DIGITAL) ASSOCIATE EDITOR (STYLE)

TED LANE MATT HAMBLY

SUBEDITOR SENIOR DESIGNER PICTURE EDITOR

LEAH CRAIG JESSICA WEBB FRANKIE HILL

STYLE ASSISTANT DEPUTY STYLE EDITOR

TIME TO BREAK FREE
MIKE FITCH
The founder of movement
system Animal Flow tells
you how an emerging free-
form training
g culture can
uunlock primal strength
g p p82
LISTEN TO THE PRO LEGENDARY MUSCLE RICCARDO CHIUDIONI SHANE C KURUP
PROFESSOR GREEN LUKE ZOCCHI
DIGITAL EDITOR JUNIOR FITNESS EDITOR WORKFLOW DIRECTOR
As record numbers of UK Chris Hemsworth’s trainer
ROBERT HICKS MICHAEL JENNINGS KRIS PACE
men continue to struggle reveals how to build the
with mental health, rapper physique of a Norse god ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR
Green discusses the with his body-hammering ED COOPER MATT EVANS
ticking time bomb p70
tick sample session p52

GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR ALUN WILLIAMS

ACTING SALES DIRECTOR MATT DOWNS
FASHION MANAGER TOM SPRATT
ACCOUNT MANAGER NATASHA BAILEY
ACCOUNT MANAGER CHLOE LUFF
GROUP CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR ANDREA SULLIVAN
PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR MADELINE WHITE
SENIOR PARTNERSHIPS EXECUTIVE JASON MILTON-BARKER
CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS ART DIRECTOR BEN BRILEY
CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS ART EDITOR AOIFE KAVANAGH
PROJECT MANAGER FEDERICA ALECCE-HAGGO
MOVE
O UUP A LEAGGU
GUE ISS GRASS
G GREENER? WILD KINGS PROJECT EXECUTIVE MEGAN BLACKBURN
JA
JJAYY AJAYI
J DR AMIR
A ENGLUND JOHN RENSTEN PRODUCTION MANAGER ROGER BILSLAND
Ann imposing g physique MH deconstructs the Inner-city forager Rensten HEAD OF MARKETING JANE SHACKLETON
is built on more than just hazy science and reported is one of the many modern PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER MARK PEACOCK
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS LISA QUINN
heavy lifting. NFL star medical benefits behind men downing trolleys and
HEAD OF LEGAL AIMEE NISBET
Ajayi divulges his tips for the use of cannabis, with upping tools to scavenge
CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER PAUL CASSAR
muscle that moves p40 help from Dr Englund p31 for his fitness food p88
MARKETING AND CIRCULATION DIRECTOR REID HOLLAND
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER DUNCAN CHATER
CHIEF OPERATIONS DIRECTION CLARE GORMAN
THIS ISSUE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
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10 PERSONAL TRAINERS 3 MASTER BARBERS JAMES WILDMAN
8 UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS 3 NUTRITION CONSULTANTS
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7 MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGNERS 3 PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES PRESIDENT AND CEO, HEARST MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL
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14 MEN’S HEALTH
 PAGE 52
Marvel’s god of thunder,
the new face of Boss
Bottled and a very good
bloke. Find out how
Chris Hemsworth stays
strong amid the storm
70
PAGE
We asked you to speak up;
15,000 of you answered. MH
rounds up the stats to find
the truth about men’s mental
health in the UK today
#MendTheGap
R 
ecently I’ve been thinking about
health. Now, as someone who’s
been working on this magazine
for almost 13 years, I realise
that might sound a little odd –
remiss, even. But sometimes life forces
a different perspective on you.
A fortnight ago, as I write, my father
– my sincerest friend – died less than
six weeks after being diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer. He was just 67. My
wife is currently in hospital, plugged
into an intravenous drip of antibiotics,
having contracted pneumonia. My
response to the necessity of juggling
grief, the dismal bureaucracy of death,
plus the carousel of childcare and work,
has been varied. Part of me has been
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
EDITOR’S LETTER
WHAT DOES GOOD HEALTH REALLY MEAN TO YOU?
PAGE
Meet the movers shaking up
your training plan with a new
free-form fitness philosophy
78
PAGE
Five great minds piece
together what our
mental health survey
results mean for you
predictably destructive (latching on
to all the usual crutches a public house
can provide) while another has been
almost ruthlessly disciplined (running
relentlessly every day to keep mind
and body in check). These are the
kinds of things that get you thinking
about health. That’s real health – not
just the kind you see in the mirror.
I’m conscious that perhaps this is
what is called ‘over-sharing’ in modern
parlance. That you don’t need to be
burdened by my shit. So shoot me. I make
no apology. Men don’t share enough. This
much was made palpably clear when we
interviewed 15,000 UK men this month
about the state of their mental health –
another criminally undervalued,
misunderstood aspect of wellbeing
that doesn’t show up in your reflection.
For some time now, we have been
drawing attention to this poor, neglected
area of men’s health. In particular,
with our #MendTheGap campaign,
we’ve sought to highlight the disparity
between attitudes to – and investment
82
88
PAGE
Our guide to a more
primal and no-less
tasty way of feeding
for the modern,
city-dwelling athlete
PAGE How to pull off
AW17’s boldest
134
knitwear trends
and wrap up
warm without
losing your cool
in – physical and mental health. Our
feature on p70, The Measure Of The
Man, is a comprehensive review of
the state we’re in. In short, it’s not great.
Perhaps not terrible, but we could be
doing a lot, lot better.
Still, things are changing, you feel –
albeit at a glacial place. Government,
society, even your most hard-boiled
of mates, we’re all recognising that
this is something serious that needs
addressing. After all, when suicide
remains the biggest killer of men under
50, how could it not? So, please, do
me a favour this month. Get yourself
Chris Hemsworth’s arms. Make new
inroads towards that elusive PB.
Then, when you’re done, have a think
about real health. It matters much
more than you probably realise.
TOBY WISEMAN
BSME EDITOR OF THE YEAR
MEN’S HEALTH 17
 THE BIG ASK MH
QUESTION SIMPLE DIRECTIONS TO REACH HEALTH FASTER

Q
I NEVER PAY MUCH
A LITTLE KNOW-HOW
WILL KEEP YOU ON THE
ROAD TO FITNESS

ATTENTION TO THOSE
TRAFFIC LIGHT FOOD
LABELS. SHOULD I?
TERRY, ESSEX

When it comes to steering your

diet in the right direction, stopping
at every red light isn’t necessarily
smart. For readers who don’t
frequent the convenience food
aisles, we’re referring here to the
colour-coded ratings for fat, sugar
and salt found on the front of REROUTE YOUR DIET
Brush up on your nutritional
food packets: red for high levels, highway code with our quick
amber for medium, green for low. tips for deciphering food labels
“If a food has a red light on it, that
doesn’t always mean you need i/ KNOW WHEN TO STOP
“Label portion sizes are
to put it back on the shelf,” says set by the manufacturer
Priya Tew from Dietitian UK. “It just and may not be what
means you should probably look you’re used to,” says Tew.
Check before you inhale
at it in closer detail – read the a family-sized lasagne.
ingredients list and look at the full
ii/ KEEP IT SIMPLE
nutritional breakdown.” All fats, An endless list of unfamiliar
for example, get a poor review, which ingredients is another sign
is why a nutritious mackerel fillet that your dinner is highly
processed. ‘Hydxanisole’
fares worse than processed, is unlikely to be the name
fibre-stripped, white bread. “The of a hip new grain, is it?
system is simplistic as it’s meant iii/ MAKE SOME ROOM
to be used for a quick glance rather Less isn’t more. Look for
WORDS: SCARLETT WRENCH | ILLUSTRATIONS: PETER CROWTHER

than providing an in-depth overview.” high levels of the stuff you

The simple solution, of course, want – like protein and
fibre, which aren’t labelled
would be to purchase fresh from the on the front – as well as
farmer’s cart and cook at home. But limiting the stuff you don’t.
our lives are busy, and succumbing
iv/ DON’T BE DIVERTED
to ready-meal temptation is entirely Diversion
Learn to identify ‘hidden’
forgivable. Here, then, is our guide sweeteners. Added sugars
to thinking inside the box... are not always labelled
as such – barley malt, rice
syrup and dextrose will
all have equal ill effect.
 ASK MH
ENSURE YOUR NEXT STEP IS THE RIGHT ONE
TEXT A
IT’S TIME TO LEVEL
DOCTOR UP YOUR CARDIO
TRAINING PLAN

This guy at work says he

doesn’t brush his teeth in the
morning. Pretty grim, right?

Nah, aside from the morning

breath thing (you could be
forgiven for sitting elsewhere
in those 9am catch-ups).
From a medical perspective,
however, I pass no judgement.

But surely he’s going to get

gum disease, or at least
some kind of tooth infection?

Little-known fact: in order to

maintain proper hygiene, you
only need to brush once a day.

Seriously?! When should I

Q
I’M FIT, BUT
do it, then? Morning or night?

Always brush before you go

to bed. Brushing well will
remove the food bits that can
lead to a build up of plaque.
Oh, and use a fluoride paste.
It will help to prevent decay.
Gotcha. So is there any
reason I should ever brush
in the mornings?
If you have gum disease, then
brushing two or even three
times a day with fluoride will
combat this. And it’ll leave
you minty fresh, too.
Dr Mark Wolff, NYU
College of Dentistry MW
ANCIENT SOLUTION TO
A MODERN PROBLEM
Q My boss has put me in charge of
a new project, but I think his plan
I FEEL EXHAUSTED
EVERY TIME I RUN
UPSTAIRS. IS MY HEART OK?
IAN, MAIDENHEAD
While we can’t make any promises, the
phenomenon of which you speak is fairly STEEP PROGRESS
common. Legging it up to your third-floor Find the right form of
incline training for your
meeting works a very different set of current level of fitness
muscles to your Sunday 10K. “Climbing
INTERVALS
GRADUAL INCLINE
places a load on your heart and lungs in For beginners
Run up a gentle
a way your body won’t be used to,” explains hill for 5sec, then walk down.
Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Michael Faulx. Repeat for 7sec, then 10, 7,
and back to 5sec. Keep your
Your hamstrings and glutes work harder feet low on the ascents.
to repeatedly lift and rebalance the body.
STEADY EFFORT
And if you’re breaking into a sprint from For race training
Most runners hit
standing, this will take your heart and lungs the hills too hard. To develop
by surprise, while sending your nervous control, find an short hill and
mimic the effort of a flat run,
system into overdrive as it prepares for no matter how slow you go.
sustained, intense exercise. If you don’t
want to be gulping down air every time you
SHORT SPRINTS
For the pros
UPHILL BATTLE

has some big holes in it. Should Explode up a steep

I speak up and risk offending him? reach the boardroom, make sure to mix up hill for 8-12sec all-out effort.
Take 2min to walk down, then
Yanek, Birmingham your training with interval sprints and hill go again, 8 reps total. Repeat

A I don’t need a friend who changes

when I change and who nods when
I nod; my shadow does that better.
climbs. And maybe work on developing
your time-management skills, too.
each protocol once a week.

Plutarch, historian, 1st-century BC

20 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 EDITED
ED
D BY TED LANE

07
MEAT VS VEG
PAGE 32

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11
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PAGE 36

23
OVER-EASY
NUTRITION
PAGE 48
LTH
HEA UPS SPREAD
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THE LOVE
PAGE 25

PO
NOVEM BER 2017
24 TRAIN
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PAGE 50
04
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ENJOY
PAGE 28

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 23


SPREAD OUT
YOUR LIFESPAN
Chicken liver pâté, best enjoyed
piled liberally onto crusty bread,
is the heart-healing superfood
you’ve been hankering after
A
paste made of minced
offal, butter and – if you’re
a traditionalist – brandy
might not sound like an ally
for your arteries, but pâté’s impressive
nutritional profile has rich scientific
endorsement. Research by the Italian
Society of Diabetology suggests that
chicken liver could have a protective
effect against atherosclerosis,
a build-up of
plaque on
your artery
walls that
puts you at
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH CRUTCHFIELD AT HEARST STUDIOS | POTS PROVIDED BY
DAYLESFORD, FORTNUM & MASON, NORTON BARTON, SOUS CHEF, EPICURE, FORMAN & FIELD, BAKERS & LARNERS
HEALTH
NEWSFEED
11/17
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
01
LIVER LET
LIVE
02
SECOND
HELPINGS A
greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
This is due to its high level of vitamin
B5, or pantothenic acid, which means
ENTRÉE POINTS
At the risk of laying it on
a generous serving could help you,
ahem, liver little longer.
Packing two thirds of your RDA per
too thick, here are a few
further facts on pâté’s
health-boosting nutrients
serving, chicken liver is easily your
smartest source of the nutrient, with
four times as much B5 as its near rivals,
i/ PASTE OF ENERGY
Liver is also high in
salmon and avocado. Which provides
iron, which supplies
a welcome opportunity to flip the script
muscles with oxygen for
on standard wellness ingredients. The
vitamin has a unique antioxidant
stamina and recovery. Ideal
for the gym-going gourmand.
effect against low-grade inflammation,
a major player in the development of
atherosclerosis. Consider, too, that ii/ BRAIN FOOD
boosting your B5 has the potential to Most Western men
enhance your gym progress, increasing are deficient in
your energy levels while also negating choline. Pâté will top up your
performance-hindering muscle cramps. levels for healthy metabolism
It’s not often that indulgent bistro and better brain function.
fare can add both years to your life
and stamina to your workouts, but this iii/ GOOD LOOKING
fat’s a lot of good. Start spreading to While many veg are
your heart’s content. packed with vit A,
pâté’s fat content aids
your uptake of the vit
to protect eyesight.
JUST ONE MORE
REASON TO ADORE THE
‘FRENCH PARADOX’
 THE BEST
03
LIFT AWAY
THE PAIN A
EXERCISE
YOU’RE
NOT DOING WHAT
UNDO THE 01 YOU’LL
TALL ORDER GAIN...
DAMAGE O With feet shoulder-
width and a wide grip
on the bar, raise your

A DESK JOB
Does your back hurt after
a
arms overhead. Make
sure your back and
legs are straight and
that your hands are BULLETPROOF
a long day’s work? Ourrs too. slightly behind your
head in a Y-shape.
LOWER BACK

Use the COSSACK SQ QUAT Stop whistling the

to add posture-protec
p p ctingg Village People.
benefitts to your
y gym
gy plan n
INJURY

W
hile an intensive RESISTANCE
training plan strikes
no fear in the MH
man, increasingly
02
TAKE SIDES
it’s the perils of the day job that can
leave you wincing. Where once a With your core set,
man’s work was breaking backs, it’s lunge to the left and
‘sit down’ onto your EASTERN BLOC
now bending them. Your slouching MUSCLE
desk posture is causing pain and left foot, extending
stilting progress. And those HIIT the opposite leg.
sessions you rely on for fast results Your extended leg
when you finally leave the office are should be resting on
likely exacerbating the problem. its heel with your
You need to slow down. other foot flat on the
The overhead Cossack squat floor. This, by the
focuses on control, way, is the easy bit. SUPREME
FLEXIBILITY
resetting rounded
shoulders, opening
WORDS: WILL ROWLATT ALLEN | PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES | GROOMING: SUSANA MOTA | STYLING: ABENA OFEI
MODEL: CHRISTOPHER WHITLOW AT ANDI PETERS’ MODELS | SHORTS UNDERARMOUR.CO.UK, TRAINERS NIKE.COM

your hip flexors and

strengthening your core
to get an injury-proof posture.
Take it easy to start with: “Get
comfortable performing bodyweight
Cossack squats before adding any
weight,” advises PT and mobility
enthusiast Ollie Frost. “Once the bar
is overhead the key is to keep your
ribs down, back straight and chest 03
SHIFT WORK
04
LAST STAND
up. These cues not only protect you
from injury, but also develop better Lock your arms to Pushing through the
posture for a day at your desk.” stop them wobbling, heel of your right foot,
Join our quest to mobilise the tighten your core and return to standing,
work force, and complete four sets keep your posture under control. Take
of three reps each side, three times tall as you steadily a breath, reset your
a week at the end of your session. shift your weight to shoulder blades and
You’ll sit pain-free within a month. the other leg, ending prepare to repeat
in a mirror position. for another rep.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’
ME N’’SS HE
HEAL
EAL
ALTHH 27
27
 Too sayy thatt h att kale
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GR EEN CR EDEN T I A L S
Along with its brassica cousins cabbage
bage
YO
YOU R F R E SH
and broccoli, kale has something of
AP
PPROACH H
an image problem. Despite achieving ngg Wit proper prep, kale
With ale
superfood status with regular gigss nee
needn’t leave a bitterr
at high-street juice bars, it’s not soo tas in the mouth. You
taste ou
much celebrated as tolerated. Butt can start by removing
a little culinary know-how goes a long the hard stems. The
way: “Kale lends itself to all mannerner of majo
majority of kale’s
dishes, from salads to winter braises,”
ses,” says nutri
nutrients are contained
restaurateur Mark Hix. ix. Time anti
in its antioxidant-rich leaves.
to turn over a new
ew leaf. Hix advises using a razrazor-sharp paring
hand-cr
knife, like this hand-crafted British blade
(£1440 blenheimforge
(£140 blenheimforge.co.uk). Studies have
i) CURLYY KALE sho
hown that dull knives can cause the leakage
shown
The sharp-tasting,
asting, full-fronded cal
of nutrients such as calcium and potassium.
poster boy of the kale crew is Next, rinse and dry your leaves in a salad
a top sourcee of potassium, vital spinner, such as this stainless
st steel option
for muscle function
unction to get more
from your lifting
fting sessions. Pair from Oxo (£75 amazo
amazon.co.uk). Now treat
with lean, white
hite meat and ensure them to a light massag
massage, which will relax the
your effortss reap big rewards. kale’s tough cellulose structure, reducing
some of that trademark
tradema bitterness.
ii) REDBOR
BOR KALE Finally, bring out the
t heavy-duty
Also knownn by the more
ally apt moniker
chromatically cookware. “I like to keep
k things simple, so
ale’, antioxidant-rich
‘purple kale’, these recipes don’t rerequire anything more
eaves contain more
redbor leaves than a heavy-bottom saucepan,” says Hix.
energising
ng iron per calorie “This is the best thin
thing to use when slow
ef – an ironic twist
than beef
cooking, as it retains more heat and helps
itted carnivores.
for committed
to speed up the process.”
proc For best results,
iii) CAVOLO
AVOLO NERO take a leaf out of Hix’s
Hix book and d opt for
Originallyy grown in Tuscany, a cast iron classic from
fro
om Le Creuset
cavolo neroero (which translates (£111 ecookshop.co.uk).
ecooksho
cooksho co.uk).
cookshop.c
as ‘blackk kale’) is richer and
Now,
Now fire up the hobhob.
b.
han its British cousin.
nuttier than
Stuffed with isothiocyanates,
it’s also shown to have a potent
anti-carcinogenic
ant rcinogenic effect.

iv) RED
iv ED RUSSIAN
SSIAN
SIAN
T sweeter,
This weeter, more tender
memberr of the kale fam packs
134% of your vit C RDA per bowl.
Your body’s y’s immune system is
weaker duringring intense training,
so it’ll look out for you when
your defences ces are down.
 04
HAIL THE
KALE
055
DIGG A LITTLE
DEEPER A
H A N DLEE
T H E H E AT
For such a nutrittional
F o al
juggernaut,
j kale
e is
delicate.
d It may contain
c
considerably
c morre vit C
than
t spinach, butt bring
b it to
the
t boil and you’ll losel more
than
t a third of this immunity-
i -
boosting
b benefit. A steam or
gentle
g stir fry will loock in the
hyper-heralded
h nutrrients.
And whatever you do o, says
Hix, don’t add bicarb of soda i)) CURLY KAA LE W ITT H BBU
BUTT
U TTER
ERFL
FLY PRAWNSS iii)
ii
i) BRAIS
B RRAISED
AIS POO RK W IT
ITHH P U RP
RPLE
LEE K AL
ALE
to the water. Your gran nny SSERVES 4 M THOD
THO
METHO SERVES 4 METHOD O
may have sworn by its ability
bl • A head off curly kale, Heat 8cm8cm of oil tto 180°C in • Pork cheeks, 500g, S
Season and lightly
g flour the
to
t keep the colour in yo our washed,
w , trimmed and a thickk pan.
pa Deep-
eep-fry
ep y the kale cut
cu intoo cchunks
u s p k Fry the
pork. h cheeks
h k in oill on
cut into 2-3cm pieces in hhandfuls
f until crisp, p then
t
th pop • Salt and black pepper high
h g heat until brown. Melt the
greens,
gr but it’ll crucify your • Olive oil for frying o kkitchen
on h paperp and d scatter
tter • Flour, 50g g plus dusting
g b
butter in a hheavy-based
b d pan
cruciferous veg’s healthy • Flaky sea salt, lt, to taste w h salt.
with l De-head
h d the h prawns, • Vegetable oil, 1tbsp p and
a d cook
coo tthee oonion o for
o two
t o
benefits. Protect, then serve • Wholee tiger
tig prawns, 122 slice
s llengthways
h anddb baste • Butter, 60g g m
minutes f add the
until soft;
with recipes from Hix Soho. • Dried chilli flakes,
f 1tsp
p w h bbutter and
with d chilli;
h ll cookk on • Onions
On
Onions,
Onion 2, finely
f sliced
d flour,, reduce the heat,, then
LOUIS PARRY | FOOD STYLIST: TAMARA VOS | BOWLS BARBER & OSGERBY FOR ROYAL DOULTON, PLATE HABITAT

• Butter,
B 2tbsp p a griddle pan. To finish your • Dryy cide
cider,
ide , 500ml
500mm g d ll add
gradually dd the
h antioxidant-
d -
d
dish, f the prawn shells,
deep-fry • Chicken stoctoc
tock, 700ml
0ml
ml r cider and stock. Bring
rich g to
then
h d dry and
dbblend d to a coarse • Purple kale, 250-30
0-300g,
0 30 g he boil, add
the dd the
h pork, k season
p d withh the
powder h chilli
h ll andd salt.
l lk removed
stalks
st d a d ssimmer
and e for 60-90
60
6 90 minutes.utes
Sprinkle
S over the top for an Red
Redu
Reduce h sauce, then
the hen ste
st
steam
e
electrolyte-replenishing f
feast. . t e kale
the le uuntil
t te
tender.
de Serve.
Se e

Kaale
K l maay y be th
the lleeaf
af y
g ee
gr e n dudu jouur, but
u
don’
do n t wr
n’ writ
ite off
it ff itss leesss
ffaash
s ioiona
nabl
na blee brretthr
hren n

BRUSSSE
S LSS
A veg for life, not
just
j for Christmas,
s
sprouts are the top
pick
p for anti-cancer
g
glucosinolates,
h journall
reports the
A Horticulturae.
Acta e.

CABBAGE
If ’slaw leaves you
limp, unlock added
WORDS: DAN MASOLIVER | PHOTOGRAPHY:: LOUISA

benefits with kimchi

– a fermented, spicy
cabbage shown
to have a powerful
probiotic effect.
iii) CAAVOLO
O O NEROO WI
W I TH C HE
WITH H EESST
S T NU
STN N U TS
NUT TS iv) GGRILLED PLAICE
CEE W ITH
ITT H RU
R U SS
RUS S S IA
SSI I A N KALE
CAULIFLOWER SERVES 4 METHOD
M SERVES 4 METHOD
M O
A distant relative of • Frozen cheestnuts, G
Gentlyy fry tthe chestnutstss for
fo • A large plaice, cut on Brush
B us tthee se
selenium-rich
e u c fish
s
kale, cauliflower is ed and
250g, peeled h minutess or until
three u golden.
unti ld thee bone
bo e intoo 4 w h oill and
with d season, then
h pop it
loaded with choline, halved B g a large
Bring l ge ppan of salted
lted • Olive oil for
f grilling under
u a hot g
grill for about five
vital for cognition • Cavolo nero, 400g
40 g er to the boil. Add the kale
water • Salt and white pepper
p pp m
minutes eachh side.
d Test it withh
and brain health, • Cold-pressed for 40-50 seconds, transfer to
fo • Anya
Any new potatoes, a small knife,, near the bone.
says the Journal of bsp
rapeseed oil, 1tbsp a bowl using a slotted spoon, 700g, washed
washe B the potatoes until soft,
Boil f
Neurophysiology. • Berkswell cheese, then immediately drizzle with • Red Russian kale, then cook the kale in boiling g
80g (or a hard cheese rapeseed oil and season to 150-200g, trimmed salte water ffor two minutes.
salted
like Parmesan) taste. Serve with the chestnuts • Butter, 60g Melt thee butte
butter in a ppan, add
• Sea salt and fresh for an added hit of vitamin C, • Chopped chervil, 1tbsp the kale and blood pres
d pressure- -
black pepper, to taste helping you absorb more iron • A lemon, in 4 wedges curbing chervil and serve with
from the kale. Add the finely the fish, spuds, lemon and –
grated cheese and dig in. oh, go on then – extra butter.

MENSHEA
S ALTH.CO.UK
A MEN’S HEALTH 29
 WHAT
HAPPENS
WHEN...
…I GET
HIGH?
Cannabis is the
subject of burning
medical debate, yet
the facts remain
hazy. MH breaks
down the science
so you don’t make
a hash of things
01
MIND
CONTROL
First up: cannabis is not
a drug. “It’s a plant which
contains various ‘drugs’,
specifically cannabinoids
of which there are at least
144,” says Dr Amir Englund*,
WORDS: SCARLETT WRENCH | *PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIST AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON | ILLUSTRATION: PETER GRUNDY
“notably THC, the one that
gets you high.” THC hits
the brain seconds after
it’s inhaled, longer when
eaten. It interacts with
your endocannabinoid
system, which affects
everything from memory
and appetite to pain relief.
Consider it your brain’s
motherboard, if the idea
doesn’t freak you out.
SHOULD YOU
GIVE GRASS THE
GREEN LIGHT?
S CO U
02
ROLL
CHANGE
That the occasional spliff
has a relaxing influence on
mind and body is a given
(and kind of the point), but
once your cannabinoid
receptors are triggered,
its effects on brain activity
can be erratic. “That’s why
it makes some creative
while in others it impairs
short-term memory,” says
Englund. Lean toward the
latter? Research by Spanish
scientists found the hops
in non-alcoholic beer have
a similar, gentler effect.
01
02
03
EAT, SLEEP,
REPEAT
Not all leafy greens benefit
your nutrition plan. The
munchies are a proven
medical phenomenon, with
cannabinoids enhancing
cravings for sweet flavours
in particular. It’s why the
stereotype of a stoner
clutching grab-bags of
Starmix rings true. As for
its soporific benefits, while
rare use can aid sleep, the
effects wear thin. “It’s like
a prescription drug,” says
Englund. “The more you
use, the more likely you’ll
become desensitised.”
03
04
NOT-SO-DOPE
EFFECTS
The plant is now medically
prescribed for arthritis,
epilepsy, migraines and
muscle spasms, to name
but a few. Yet, like any
other painkiller, it can have
side effects. A dry mouth
and bloodshot eyes might
be the most apparent
morning-after symptoms,
but other health downers
can prove more insidious.
Long-term chronic use
has been linked to sexual
dysfunction, emotional
disorders and paranoia
(yes, we are talking to you).
04
06
THE WEED
CREED A
05
BLOW THE
JOINTS
If you do plan to drop it
like it’s hot, we have good
news: you are unlikely
to become dependent.
“Cannabis is less addictive
than alcohol and tobacco,”
says Englund; withdrawal
typically lasts no longer
than a week. Try scoring
your release elsewhere:
a study in Frontiers in
Psychology found weight
training with 70% of your
1RM produces a “reliable
and robust decrease in
anxiety”. Not all heavy
habits have a comedown.
05
S 3
 A CORNER
07
IN THE RED
08
THE GREEN
VOTE

VERSUS
ANIMAL VS
VEGETABLE
MEAT OR TWO VEG?
From flexitarianism
fl to veganism,
ni
nism,, swapping flesh and
dairy for
f plant-based foodf is a bloom
b ming
m trend. d But can it
really
lly rivall a red-blooded
d bl d d mea eal?
al WWe get
g on the
h bit
b

ANIMAL EGETABLE
V
VS

2.2m This is the number

n
chickens eaaten d
of
daily
l
360% Thee rise in the number
off seelf-identifying
in the UK, along
al withh veggans in Britain over
close to 10,,000 cowss the past 10 years

SCIENCE SAYS
Red meat is thee best source of creatine.
creatine A plant-based diet may be more effective
This nutrient helps more oxygen to reach for weightloss. It improves metabolism to
your muscles, increasing strength by 15% help you shed more than 6kg in six months
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Physicians Committee, Washington DC

POWER MOVES

Natural vit D Curbs cravings Cognitive boost Better burgers Low in calories Hormone-free Heart-healthy Eco kudos

STAR PLAYER
RDA (SPINACH)
RDA (STEAK)

30% 54% 26%

% 187% 46% 19%
WORDS: ED COOPER | *PER 100G | PHOTOGRAPHY: STUDIO 33, SIMON VINALL, DAN MATTHEWS
Sat fat* Protein Vitamin B12 Vitamin A Vitamin C Magnesium

Eating 50g of processed meat a day (that’s SORE SPOTS Surveys suggest vegetarians are 18% more
roughly the weight of a hot dog) is linked likely to report symptoms of depression,
to an 18% increased risk of bowel cancer and 28% more likely to suffer with anxiety
International Agency for Research on Cancer American Heart Association

MAXIMUSCLE WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE QUICK HITS MOTION NUTRITION PEANUT PROTEIN
With a hefty 23g of muscle-fuelling protein Perfect for a fast, clean (it’s gluten-free,
per serving, but just 0.3g of fat, there’s a hipsters) post-gym fix, this is also a tasty
reason this won an MH Sports Nutrition Award ingredient for your muscle-building bakes

THE MH VERDICT: ANIMAL WINS!

While sticking to veg will help you score plenty of vitamins and minerals (not to mention wellness
cachet), there’s scant evidence to support cutting out your weekly ribeye. Trimming your intake
wouldn’t hurt, sure, but for the MH man looking to fuel his training, meat remains the order of the day

32 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 THE BEST
GYMS IN
ELITE TIPS FOR THE WORLD
THE EVERYMAN
The team at Performance Ground
are on a mission to bring advanced
sports-specific training to the
recreational athlete. Drop in to pick
up new skills – with a six-pack bonus

T
he training secrets of high-
level sports teams tend to be
closely guarded, safe from the
prying eyes of competition.
Now London’s Performance Ground
is spilling the beans. Having opened
earlier this year, the venue offers
cutting-edge advice set against a
#gymporn backdrop of pristine lifting
platforms and bright bumper plates.
It’s enough to get any workout
enthusiast racing to lace up his lifters.
Led by director Tristan Baker,
the gym’s methodology centres on
research from the English Institute
of Sport. “If a technique has been
validated in published literature it will
better benefit any level of athlete –
from professional to recreational,” he
says. “There’s a reasons fads burn out.”
Their approach is adaptive, rather
than based on any set philosophy.
“Simply putting your body in a state
of stress will force it to improve,” says
Baker. “Whether you’re a powerlifter
looking to add more weight or a desk
jockey training to fix his posture,
the principle applies.”
Here you’ll leave the bro-split
of ‘chest day’ and ‘legs day’ to the
bodybuilders. Instead, expect to truly
master the barbell with Olympic lifts
and build power with plyometrics.
“Our aim is to educate people that
they don’t have to train in monotonous
ways. There’s more to the gym than Go For Gold
a squat rack and the bench press.” Olympic lifts are
To further your physical education, key to training for
PG also provides its members with performance. Tick
expert seminars, lifting masterclasses off core work and
and on-site physiotherapy. With legs day in one with
this level of elite assistance at your an overhead squat
disposal, the physique of a pampered – stabilising the
pro sportsman is within reach, if not bar above your head
quite the salary. Well, not yet anyway. forces your abs to
work overtime

34 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 09
BREAK NEW
GROUND
10
PG’S
TIPS A

Hang Time Sprint King

Plyometrics like box Practising high
jumps should only knees over hurdles
Quicker Fix Big Three
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM WATKINS

be done in sets of trains you to run in

When training hard, 3-4 reps. Any more At last count, the an efficient, upright
you need to take and you won’t be member records for position. It might
recovery seriously. working at full force, each major lift are: look odd, but you’ll
Operating in-house, limiting the benefits 150kg for the bench generate more force GYM
PERFORMANCE GROUND
the Octopus Clinic to your lower body press, 190kg for the when it comes to
provides osteopathy, development. Go for back squat and stepping on the gas LOCATION
physio and massage maximum air, LeBron 210kg for deadlift. at five-a-side THE STRAND, LONDON
to prevent pain and Join them and you’ll
WEBSITE
keep you on the have to aim high – TRAINWITHPG.COM
lifting platform or heavy, that is

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 35

 A 11
RETRO
FAT LOSS
12
MILK THE
BENEFIT

WEIGHTLOSS
G O S
NEWSFEED
S D
11 17
11/17
G O
O
Sy
With this healthy
SH
hipster update on ann
WAKE UP
U TOO YOUR
OUR
old-school breakfast you BODY’S
O S TRUE U FAT--
LOSS POTENTIAL
can burn fat with teenage ease

P
hotos of you in school uniform
(with that haircut) may bear
a few awkward memories,
yet your teenage metabolism
is no doubt a fond one. Long before
nutritional discipline became an
everyday struggle, you burnt off
canteen curries effortlessly. Now stop
reminiscing: new research suggests
reverting to the breakfast of your
school years (albeit tweaked) can
rewind your body’s fat-loss clock.
Gratifyingly, a study published in
the International Journal of Obesity
found that increasing your calcium
consumption can stoke your ageing
fat-burning potential by as much as
350 calories a day. Researchers believe
that calcium stored in the body’s fat
cells plays a vital role in regulating

WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH CRUUTCHFIELD AT HEARST STUDIOS | KEFIR PROVIDED
how fat is processed and preserved by

BY BIO-TIFUL DAIRY AND LIVE KEFIR COMPANY | GRANOLA RUDEEHEALTH.COM | ILLUSTRATIONS: SON OF ALAN
the body. The more calcium stored
within a fat cell, the more blubber
you will burn and the faster you’ll be
able to lose any excess weight.
All you need to do now is bring your
cereal into the 21st century. Swap your
green-top for kefir, a fermented milk
packed with naturally occurring
probiotic bacteria also linked to
production of the metabolism-raising
YYOUTH
GLP-1 hormone. A healthy glug will CULTURE
provide 30% of your calcium RDA in Looking g for a
one sitting (presuming you drink out ne science
new sc e ce
of the bowl at the end) – easily enough p oject? Creat
project? Create iii/ When the milk
to reel in your waistline. It certainly your own kefir i/ Add 2tsp of active has changed texture
beats spending every other school night by following our kefir grains (£10 ii/ Place the jar in a and starts to smell
toiling on the treadmill. Though we’d DIY guide, then lakeland.co.uk) and warm spot (between pleasant, it’s fully
still advise foregoing the Coco Pops. add it to your up to four cups of 19 and 30°C is fine) cultured. Remove
morning menu milk to a large glass for around 24 hours, the kefir grains and
jar. Cover and secure or until the milk has keep the finished
it with a paper towel thickened. You could product in the fridge
and rubber band. time it for fun. Or you until breakfast time.
could just go to bed.

36 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 A 13
SPIKES AND
SHARES

UP

HOLD
DRIVE TO SUCCEED
Burn rubber and
FIT$E
$ IND£X
MISSING THE YOLK
blubber. Sportscar
drivers enjoy greater TESTOSTERONE
T S OS O
Quit the egg white spikes of T – which
UP omelettes. Your egg’s also aids fat loss – than
GREEN GIANTS healthy fats and men who own a saloon.
Cruciferous veg such cholesterol are linked Concordia Uni
as broccoli and kale to an increase in the Montreal
Sendd your testosterone reduce T-crushing male hormone. Bulk
B lk
oestrogen, shifting up over breakfast.
stock
s soaringg and invest the hormonal balance BioMed Central
i future production off
in back in your favour.
The Journal of UP
t key
the y muscle-buildingg Medicinal Food GLASS HALF FULL
Get drunk on power.
c
commodity. y Greed is ggood Quercetin compounds
in your glass of red
increase levels of
testosterone in the
UP blood. NB do not mix
STRIKE A POSE with barbell training.
Kingston University
Enjoy a 20% rise in
T levels by adopting
a power stance at UP
meetings. Just MR FREEZE
avoid the ‘leg up on A chilly post-gym
desk’ look, Mr Brent. shower will boost
Association for your testosterone
Psychological and sperm count.
Science Man up and put
your head under.
Journal of
Andrology

RISERS
AND
FALLERS
UP
P
Power
pl
players
HOLD
S
Steadyy DOWN
movers
mo ers NIGHT SHIFT
DOWN
N Up for the Asian
Sinking
S g markets? Long
q
quickly working hours and
cutting back to five
hours’ sleep a night
sinks testosterone
by 15%. Clock off.
DOW
DOWN
OWNN University of Chicago
S
SILENT NIGHTT
Sort out the
h nursery
to
t dodge
d dg theh dadbod.
d db d
F h who
Fathers h sleep
l p HOLD DOWN
in
i the
h same room as HEAVY EFFORT MEAT YOUR MATCH
WORDS: MATT EVANS | ILLUSTRATION: INFOMEN

th young children
their h ld n Running more than
see a temporary
p y drop
d p Protein may be your
40 miles a week saps main muscle fuel, but
in
i testosterone. your body’s T stores.
Plos
l Onee
DOWN HOLD carb-free diets can
Chase your high in HIGH & DRY TROUBLE BREWING take a bite out of your
the squat rack once T. Balance out your
a week to even it out. Pre-gym dehydration Rodent studies have
boosts the production linked excess levels of macros to stay level.
University of Journal of Applied
British Columbia of cortisol, a known compounds in green
T-blocker. Drink up to tea extract to a drop Physiology
gain more muscle from in the male hormone.
your weights session. Don’t be a mug – stick
Journal of Sports to builder’s instead.
Science Endochrinology

38 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 HOW
O I
U MY
BUILT
BODY
O Y

YO O
G G N
Learn to build muscle the
American way,

o NFL star
of:
y from the
top British sportingg export
y
you've likely
y never heard
st Jay y Ajayi
j yi
7% B
BODY FATT

I
n only his second season, Jay Ajayi
asse ted himself
asserted se as tthe e Miami
a
Dolphins’ running g man. He rushed
for 1200 y yards, scored eight g
t
touchdowns and booked a p place at the
Pro Bowl. All achievements which ch may y
mean
m very y little to yyou. The smar artt trai
trainin
ning g
that
t facilitated this success,, ho howev
wever,er,,
will be easier for y you to grasp.
g p.
Born in North London, Ajayi mo m ved ed to
the
t States in 2000. As a high g schooll te teen n
he
h traded his beloved football (he’s ( an
Arsenal fan, naturally) y for its American
homonym
h y –y you know, the one where you y
use
u y your hands – and then went on to play y

WEMBLEY ON | OCTOBER IN THE NFL’S LONDON GAMES SERIES. WATCH LIVE

ON BBC TWO FROM 2PM | WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRRAPHY: TOM WATKINS | GROOMING: SABINE CHAMMAS | CLOTHING: ADIDASS
college
c g football for Boise State University y
in
i Idaho before being g drafted by y
t Miami Dolphins.
the p There, his p
is well publicised. It’s
commitment
c to crafting g w
what makes the action,,
a body y fit for purpose showcased this month at
ca e to the
came t e fore.
o e. Wembley y Stadium, so compelling. g
“The weights g B it’s also why
But y there’s more to his
r
room is crazy y in training g than bending g barbells..
M a . There’s
Miami. e e s a lotot “
“Much of my y work is about durability, y
CHEAT LIKE A PRO
In need of swe
weet relief? Enjoy
o heavy
of y weight
g being g because, at the end of the day, y my y body y
A
Ajayi’s Americana treats with
t
thrown around,” says y is my busine ness,
ss,” ssays
ays Aj j y . “That’s why
Ajayi
our health-boosting free passs
j yi. “O
Ajayi
Aja “Olym
lympicpic li
lifti
fting
ng I stay
tayy on top of my y recovery y with
ith re g ar
regul
gular
p ys
pla y a majo j r part in our y
cryotherapy, y icce bath
bathss and
and stretching.” g” PEANUT
U BUTTER
U CU
CUPSS
traini
traiining
ing g becaus
becaus
ause e it
it keep
keepps your
ou “II als
alsoo eatt wel
well
ell – qu
quali
alityy or
l ty, g
organ
ganic
gan ic Eating up to 100g off milk
Eating
chocolate evveryy da
dayy is
i linked
bod
odyy stro
trong
trong g for th
thee whol
h le
hole meals
mea ls,,” A jjay
Ajayayii cont
cont
ontinu
inu
nues
es.
s. “II ea
eatt to
to fuel
uel my y to a lower risk of heart
f
MIAMI DOLPHINS HOST THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT W

season. I try to b build

ild
il d up strength h
where I need it most – in my hamstrings
and shoulders. I also work on balance and
core strength because it’s those smaller
muscles that will ultimately make me
stronger and more compact in collision.”
That word ‘collision’ is worth noting.
The brutal toll his sport takes on the body
body
b d ffor performance,
f not to llook k good,d disease and stroke. Heart Journal
and that’s why you won’t see me avoiding
carbs. I eat a lot of rice and pasta.”
PEANUT M&MS
Studies have found that eating
Slipping through the grip of a 6ft 6in, 10g of peanuts per day leads
150kg defensive tackle requires well- to a lower risk of dying from
stocked glycogen stores, after all. dementia. Netherlands Cohort Study
For a sport seemingly so convoluted,
Ajayi’s recipe for physical success is
MAC ’N’ CHEESE
Researchers have found that
refreshingly simple: lift heavy, eat well a diet high in full-fat dairy
and recover sensibly. Consider this your actually helped people to lose
crash course to a running back’s body. weight. Curtin University of Technology

40 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 14
AMERICAN
BUSTLE
15
SWEET
RELIEF
16
SPEED
WORK A
BE A TRIPLE THREAT GUY
Incorporate Ajayi’s three big

15"
players into your own workout

BICEPS A

01/ SHUTTLE RUNS

10 rounds, 10sec rest after each
Set cones at 10m, 20m and 30m.
Tap the start cone (A), run to 10m,
tap (B) and return. Repeat with
the other cones. That’s one round.

A B

02/ TRX Y AND T ROWS

3 sets of 12 reps
This will stabilise your shoulder
joints. Extend your arms into
a ‘Y’ above your head (A). Lower
and repeat, extending to a ‘T’ (B).
T MOTIVATOR
THE O OR
JJay Ajayi,
j i running
i A
back
b for National
Football
b ll League’s
Miami Dolphins
l h B

INSTAGRAM
M
@j
@ ytrain23
@ja i

03/ LEG PRESS

5 sets of 5 reps
Sit with your knees bent at
90 degrees (A). Fully extend your
legs before returning over 3sec
to get maximum power-

28"
boosting benefit (B).

THIGHS

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 41


THE DEVIL’SS
ADVOCATE
A O E
GG
ISN’T BETTER
Leave the meatheads to it.
Drop out of the arms race
and you can make your
training more intelligent,
effective and enjoyable
W
anting bigger muscles
is entirely natural.
They’re not necessarily
bad or unhealthy – as
long as they’re not acquired through
pharmaceutical means. But the question
worth asking is, why? Do you covet size
because you want to be stronger? Play
your sport better? Or just look good on
the beach? Either way, there are more
effective routes to achieving your goal.
For example, men confuse wanting to
get bigger with getting leaner; often they
already have enough muscle – it’s just
obscured by fat. What they really need to
do is add HIIT or a few steady-state
sessions to their weekly
bro split. Burning
more calories with
cardio will lower
your body fat, dial
up your definition
and help to bring
your muscle mass
to the fore.
Thankfully, there’s an
emerging trend for training as
a more holistic endeavour. If you’re
still gunning it purely for aesthetics,
you’re doing it wrong. Not to mention
the confused conflation between size and
strength 1 . Yes, a bigger muscle will be
WORDS: JAMIE MILLAR | PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER CROWTHER
a stronger one, to an extent. But strength
is largely neuromuscular; it’s about your
brain connecting to your muscles in the
most efficient way possible. Subjects in
an Ohio University study who visualised
exercising 11 minutes a day for a month
THIS MONTH’S ADVOCATE
Kemo Marriott, Brotherhood
Training Club and Holistic
Motions health consultancy
founder (@kemomarriott)
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO U
WANT A BODY THAT
WORKS? IT’S TIME TO
DOWNSIZE YOUR GOALS
significantly increased their strength
without lifting so much as a finger.
According to neuroscientist Daniel
Wolpert, the reason that humans
evolved large brains was to execute
complex movements and ultimately
survive. In turn, complex movements
have been shown to reverse age-related
shrinking of the hippocampus, which is
responsible for memory. It’s a reminder
that you should be learning new skills –
not endlessly repping biceps curls.
Trading isolation moves for mastering
a muscle-up on the rings is a fantastic
way to recruit more lean mass, grow your
brain’s grey matter and show off in the
17
WHY LESS
IS MORE
18
THE BIG
ISSUE A
park 2 . A training routine that benefits
both body and brain will not only increase
longevity, but your healthspan, too.
As mentioned, another training ‘why’
is, increasingly, performance. However,
from the gym equipment companies
down to the punters working out, the
fitness industry generally takes an overly
simplistic, muscle-first approach. Say
you’re a rugby player and want to grow
your glutes so you can sprint faster – you
do squats. But when you run, your feet are
leaving the floor at a rapid pace, not glued
to it. If you want your muscles to react in
the right way, you need to train the
“Bodybuilders’ rigid,
short muscles do not
lend themselves to
long-term athleticism”
specific movements. To move faster on
the sports field, try plyometric hopping
and move through three planes of motion:
forward, to the sides and in rotation.
The performance-driven muscle I’m
advocating also benefits from being more
injury resistant, more mobile – and more
attractive 3 . The rigid and short muscles
of a bodybuilder do not lend themselves
to long-term athleticism, so drop the
bionic, ‘one more rep’ mentality. Listening
to your body is far more important than
hammering it – unless you’re a physique
competitor and it’s your source of income,
of course. Otherwise, why put yourself
through all that for the sake of a few extra
pounds? It’s not big and it’s not clever.
> DEALS WITH THE DEVIL
1 SOFT TOUCH
A Manchester Metropolitan
University study revealed that
bodybuilders’ muscle fibres
actually produced less force,
suggesting poorer quality.
2 MIND GROWN
Uni of Oxford researchers
found that learning complex
motor skills such as juggling
can help increase your white
matter or mental connections.
3 BUFF LOVE
Women shown pictures of
shirtless men at the University
of California selected those
with less-developed muscles
for long-lasting relationships.
MEN’SS HEALTH 433
ROLLING
WITH THE
FOAMIES
Not all foam rollers are
created equal. We rate the
tools you need to trade
in next-day muscle pain
W
alk in, lift heavy,
crawl out. It’s the
tried and tested –
yet undeniably less
effective – workout protocol of the
busy, committed gym-goer. But
a more holistic approach to your
training routine will yield much
faster and less agonising results.
All you need to do is roll with it.
Foam rolling, or self-massage
as it is also known (a term that
makes us feel very uncomfortable),
is a proven way to maximise your
body’s recovery and, in turn,
its adaptation to training and
your progress in the gym. That
means heavier lifts and faster
running times. Plus, all you need
is 15 minutes at the end of your
training session to reap the
benefits. In fact, the Journal of
Athletic Training reported that
post-workout rolling not only
reduces DOMS, but improves sprint
time, power output and strength
endurance in the days following a
tough session, helping you to stay
on track as the week progresses.
This month, the MH Lab enlisted
the expert trainers and in-house
physios at London’s Soho Fitness
Lab to roll over the wonderful
and weird recovery contraptions
that can ease your progress to
elite performance. You can rest
easier in their knowledge.
44 MEN’S HEALTH
POSITIVE VIBES 93/100
Pulseroll Pulseball £90
pulseroll.com
Performance
Design
Ease of use
••••••••••
••••••••••
••••••••••
READY TO RUMBLE With three
vibration settings and an impressive
battery life, the Pulseball promises
compact trigger point release at an
accelerated rate. Its vibration shakes
up your muscles to increase blood
flow and break down painful knots.
EXPERT VERDICT The vibration
offers a comfortable alternative
to the needling teeth of some rollers.
Travel-sized, it also comes equipped
with plug adapters, meaning you
can recover from hotel gym to
departure lounge.
CORE CONTROL 82/100
TriggerPoint Core Roller
£29 amazon.co.uk
Performance ••••••••••
Design ••••••••••
Ease of use ••••••••••
SOLID EFFORT Covered with firm
EVA foam, TriggerPoint’s multi-
density design allows it to channel
blood and oxygen to your muscles,
loosen tightness and enhance
flexibility and mobility without
making you wince – too much.
EXPERT VERDICT Softer than the
average roller, this is useful if you’re
new to self-massage. It also hits
a large surface area for maximum
benefit in minimum time. Opt for the
far more versatile 36in version.
M S
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO K
 19
YOUR DIY
MASSEUR
20
ROLL
MODELS A
BEST OF
THE REST
Soho Fitness Lab
reveals the criteria
FROZEN ASSET 90/100 that determined IN THE PINK 76/100
Moji Curve Pro Massager which of the rollers Nike Recovery Ball
reigned supreme
£34 physique.co.uk £21 fitnessnuts.com
Performance •••••••••• BY THE Performance ••••••••••
Design •••••••••• BOOK
First they
Design ••••••••••
Ease of use ••••••••••
COOL IT Chill your balls in the
read the manual (if
Ease of use ••••••••••
BIGGER, NOT BETTER Nike’s
there was one). Self-
freezer – cold therapy speeds up massage isn’t easy. oversized ball offers a comfortable
recovery and counters inflammation The best tools came massage that is still able to target
and lactic acid build-up. Moji’s with a clear guide. specific muscles groups and work
design also allows you to move it in out DOMS-inducing lactic acid,
ALL BASES
a 360-degree motion, making the COVERED thanks to its textured surface
whole process less cumbersome. The kit was and high-density material.
EXPERT VERDICT Don’t use this one used to test general EXPERT VERDICT It looks great,
on bare skin – it pinches. However, myofascial release on but its size is more awkward than
larger muscles, before
the ability to freeze the balls is no getting down to nitty- useful. Most rolling balls are smaller
pointless gimmick, but a genuine g itt trigger
gritty ti i t
points. and provide deeper concentration,
benefit for tired, post-workout legs. although it did help to target the
YouTube has some excellent ‘how HIDDEN larger area of the pectorals muscles.
EXTRAS S
to’ videos worth your time. Save this one for chest day.
Each roller
hass its
h own US
ts o USP
( vibration).
(eg b ) The
h
team rated how well
h d
they l
delivered d on
h
these l
claims. .

ALL-ROUNDER 98/100
Sklz AccuRoller £20
fitnessnuts.com
Performance ••••••••••
Design ••••••••••
Ease of use ••••••••••
DIFFERENT BALLGAME This roller’s
interchangeable balls hit different
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS

trigger points, plus boost circulation,

relax stressed muscles and promote
recovery. The straps are ideal for
treating hard-to-reach places and
increasing static hold flexibility, too.
EXPERT VERDICT Very versatile
and particularly good for DOMS-
sufferers who find foam rollers too
aggressive. It works for both upper-
and lower-body-focused training,
from distance running to CrossFit.

MH
WINNERR

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 45

 21
GET A GRIP
ON LIFE
22
ROCK-IT
FUEL A
MIND
NEWSFEED
S D
11/17

A O
PEAK MENTAL
G
R above the stresses
Rise
FEEDING UP
These pre- and post-climb
plates will power your push
f Regular
of modern life. for the summit and leave
depression
i grounded
g d
c
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d
depression and stop yyou Natural yoghurt, 40g
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DAVID CLERIHEW AND HEARST STUDIOS | IMAGE MANIPULATION: COLIN BEAGLEY

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y
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WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | PHOTOGRAPHY:

sy
symptoms from moderate to mild. d
doom – or,, at least,, the crash mat.
R

H p
How so? Well, one explanation is F
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the y The vitamin D in eggs
Th gg
fi g
fingertips, there’s little room for g
gain from summiting g your
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leisure centre’s wall, and you have oils can negate the effects of
an active prescription to keep your mild depression. Add sauce
mood at its highest and your week’s because, well, it tastes good.
training varied and rewarding. Give
it a go and don’t stress – you’ll rock it.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO UUK MEN’SS HEALTH 47
 REFINED
DINING
EGGS
EGGS BENEFIT
Why confine them to the breakfast table? Have a crack at our
ultimate all-day egg recip
recipes to hatch a plan for improved fitness

O1 METHOD

LO
LONG-LIFE GREEN 1/ The trick to proper
poached eggs? Swirl a pan
EGGS
E AND HAM of salted, just simmering
EN
ENJOY THIS QUICK DISH HERE, water, then break the eggs
TTHERE AND ANYWHERE FOR A into cups. Pour them in
slowly, so they don’t disperse.
MULTITUDE OF LONGEVITY- 2/ Cook for two minutes.
BO
BOOSTING MICRONUTRIENTS By exposing your eggs to
INGREDIENTS a gentler heat, you’ll preserve
EGGS, 2 • 572 more of their age-proofing
ENGLISH MUFFIN • KCAL nutrients – that’s vits A, B, D,
BUTTER, TO TASTE •
BU and E, plus zinc and selenium.
PROSCIUTTO SLICES •
PRO
WILD ROCKET • 23g 3/ Toast and butter the
PESTO, 2TBSP • PROTEIN muffin, then top with two
slices of prosciutto, rocket,
eggs and pesto. Prefer to go
57g
CARBS DIY? Combine basil, garlic,
pine nuts and parmesan with
plenty of olive oil, for an extra
28g helping of heart-healthy fats.
FAT
With thanks to Pizza East

O2 FIRE
E AND
AN SPICE
RIAN
CALABRIANAN EGGS
RAMP UP BOTHH FLAVOUR AND YOUR
FAT-BURNING ABBILITIESS WITH THISS
PIQUANT ITALLIAN SCRAMBLEE METHHOD
1// Combine
C the chickpeas,
INGREDIIENTS fressh parsley (rich in vit K,
DRAINED CHICKPEAS, 50G
5 • linkeed to fat loss) and chives
PARSLEY, 2TTSP • in a bowl, then dress with oil,
CHIVES, 2TTSP • lemoon juice, salt and pepper.
OLIVE OIL, 1TBBSP • 2/ Melt
M some butter in
LEMON,, ½ •
BUTTER, 110G • a pa
pan on medium heat, then
FREE-RANGE EGGS,, 3 • whissk the eggs and pour
NDUJA SAUSAGE, 550G • intoo the pan. For the perfect
SOURDOUGH, SLIICE • scraamble, let the egg mixture
GARLIC BUULB •
soliddify slightly before stirring
it in a figure-of-eight pattern.
776
76 Wheen it’s nearly done, remove
KCAAL
f om the heat and stir in the
from
piecces of spicy nduja.
31g
1g 3/ Toast
T your sourdough –
PROTTEIN
it’s
t s full
f of slow-release carbs
for lasting energy – and rub
28g
8gg it wiith garlic. Butter and top
CARRBSS withh the hot nduja eggs and
chicckpeas, for a spoonful of
60g
0g hunger-killing fibre, before
FAT
AT devoouring. Buon appetito.
Withh thanks to Eggbreak

48 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 23
MORE THAN
AN OEUF A
O3 MA
AX-STRENGTH
STE K AND EGGS
EAK
ENJOYING YOUR OOEUF WITTH
T A SIDE
S OOF BOEUF
O METHOOD
MAKES FOR A PROTEIN HIT THAT WILL 1// Seaason your steak and
rub itt with oil. Each juicy
GET YOU YOOLKED IN NO TIME ouncee packs 6g of protein
INGREDDIENTS (the
( same s you’d find in an
ONGLET STEAK, 8OZ • egg,
gg asa it happens) along
OLIVE OIL, 1TSP
S • with
w m muscle-building staples,
GREEK YOGHURT, 1TBSP
S • creat
c e tine and zinc. Cook it on
ROSE HARISSA, 1TSP
S • a hot griddle pan for up to
FREE-RANGE EGGS,
S, 2 •
MINT, TO TAS
STE • fivee minutes
m each side.
CORIANDER, TO TAS
STE • 2/ Wh hile it cooks, prep your
dresssing: combine the
514 high-
h gh protein Greek yoghurt
KC
KCAL with spicy
s harissa and mix
well. T Take your steak off the
6g
61g gridd
g le and put aside to rest.
PROOTEIN 3/ Noow for the main event.
Fry thhe eggs by lowering
them into a cool pan with oil
6g and d aallowing them to cook as
CAARBSS
you slowly crank the heat up.
Slice
l the steak into strips and
2g
27g arrange on a plate with the
FAT
eggs and harissa-yoghurt
drizzlle. Garnish with fresh
mint aand coriander.
Withh thanks to Foxlow

O4 SSKINNY DIPPY EGGS

GGSS
AND GREEN SOLDIERSS
THIS LIGHT, LOW-CARB TAKE ON A BREAKFAS
AST
CLASSIC WILL PEEL AWAY YOUR SOFT MIDDDLE
INGREDIENTS METHOD
EGGS, 2 • 1/ If you want to spear a fe few
ASPARAGUS, 8 • extra nutrients, bring 1½
BUTTER, 1TSP •
MALDON SALT • litres of salted water to thehe
BLACK PEPPER • boil and add the asparagus
for five minutes. Each sppear
contains just four caloriies
180 and boasts high levels of the
KCAL
PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS I FOOD STYLIST: TAMARA VOS

fibre inulin, found to cuurb

hunger and boost fat lloss.
14g 2/ Eating eggs for brreakfast
PROTEIN
can cut your calorie intake
i
by 400 a day, accord ding g to
2g a study by the Rochhester
CARBS
Center for Obesity Research.
Pop the eggs in a ppan off
13g boiling water (caref
eful, now)
FAT then reduce the heat
h and d
cook for five minutes.
3/ Melt the buttter, brush
over the asparaaguss and d
season, then pllace the eggs gg
into egg cups, remove the
tops and startt dipping. g
With thanks to Eggbreak
Egg k

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 49

 A 24
LIFT HEAVY,
NOT HARD
25
LEADER’S
DIGEST
TRAIN LESS
TO LIFT MORE
Forget what you know about
strength. Going heavier
with the weights means you
can enjoy a few shortcuts
S the miracles”
printing coach Barry
Ross once sent me
a picture of an exercise
he refers to as “the
torture twist”. The model was
a seemingly average teenager
TIM FERRISS who weighed about 60kg. He
The author of
Tools of Titans nonchalantly added on the
and creator of The phone, “Oh, and she deadlifts
Tim Ferriss Show 180kg for repetitions.” That,
shares his plan my friends, is my kind of
for faster results
strength: relative strength.
The student was not a powerlifter. She
lifted once or twice a week for less than
five minutes of total time under tension.
She’s also not an exception – nearly all of
Ross’s athletes can pull three times their
bodyweight. He manufactures mutants
on demand. I met Ross through Pavel
Tsatsouline, chairman of StrongFirst, a
worldwide school of strength. Tsatsouline,
a former physical training instructor for
Soviet special forces Spetsnaz, is currently
an advisor to the US Marine Corps,
Secret Service and Navy Seals. He
has three fundamental beliefs.
The first, “Strength is the
50 MEN’S HEALTH
THE TIM
FERRISS SHOW
mother quality of all physical qualities,”
and the second, “Strength is a skill, and
as such it must be practised,” are equally
important. But the last, “Lift heavy, not
hard,” is particularly so. For maximal
strength (not simply size), I believe that
you want to feel better after your workout,
rather than before. There should be no
burn, no panting, no racing the clock.
Based partly on Tsatsouline’s research,
Ross developed a deadlift programme
to create world-class
sprinters. (One of his early “Sometimes it’s
prodigies was Olympic gold
medallist Allyson Felix.)
the minimalists
His protocol involves who produce
partial range of motion and
no lowering phase, which
may decrease the likelihood of hamstring
and lower back injuries. After all, strength
training should be used to achieve two key
goals: injury prevention and performance
enhancement. The technique? Deadlift to
your knees, using a sumo stance to keep
your back straight, and then drop the bar.
Perform two or three sets of two or three
reps each (above 85% of your one-rep
max) and then follow each set with
plyometric exercises;
SUCCESS CAN BE
for example, 10-20m
MEASURED IN
EFFORT, NOT HOURS
sprints, or six to eight box jumps with
minimal ground contact time. Then rest
for at least five minutes. Do this twice
a week. The total time under tension
during sets should be less than five
minutes a week. When I followed this
plan, I added 54kg to my max deadlift in
eight weeks (up to 215kg without straps)
and gained less than 5kg of
mass. For relative strength,
I’ve never experienced
anything like it.
Think you’re too old?
Tsatsouline’s father took up
this lift in his seventies. He
pulled more than 180kg just a few years
later, setting several records. In a world
of ‘more is better’, sometimes it’s the
minimalists who produce miracles. When
in doubt – in strength and in all things –
remember the maxim of Henk Kraaijenhof,
coach of Merlene Joyce Ottey, who won
more than 20 medals at the Olympic
Games and World Championships: “Do as
little as needs, not as much as possible.”
> WHAT’S ON MY RADAR
01/ APP I’M TAPPING
Want to sleep better? Right
before I go to bed, I either
use the Headspace app (the
free version is fine) or play
Tetris on my phone.
02/ BOOK I’M READING
José Saramago’s The Tale
of the Unknown Island.
It’s a bite-sized piece of
fiction that helped earn
him a Nobel Prize.
03/ GEAR I’M USING
Nayoya gymnastics rings –
they’re portable and durable.
I use them mostly for dips
and muscle-up progressions.
ILLUSTRATION: JOE MCKENDRY
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 Cover Model Muscle
Chris Hemsworth

Rolling
Thunder
The box-office smashing Norse deity is
striking thrice with a new Thor film out
this month. But under that mighty exterior,
Chris Hemsworth is a Hollywood star of rare
courtesy and straightforward humility. MH sat
down with the most powerful god in cinema.
Turns out he’s a really good bloke
Words by Jamie Millar – Portraits by Patrik Giardino – Styling by Eric Down

C
hris Hemsworth is a man of today.
Quite literally. He has just been unveiled
to a phalanx of journalists and PRs as
global ambassador for the Boss Bottled
fragrance and face of the brand’s Man of
Today advertising campaign, following
in the fragrant footsteps of Gerard Butler
and Ryan Reynolds. But they were
yesterday’s Men of Today. Hemsworth is
the new star in the aromatic ascendance,
currently holding court at Hugo Boss HQ
in Metzingen, Germany. Amid fanfare
a video is played, in which Hemsworth
suits up, sups espresso and smells
good. “Success without integrity means
nothing,” he proclaims via voiceover.
The digs of the Teutonic fashion haus
are as slick as you might well expect: all
grey concrete and slick, monochromatic
tailoring. After the ad premieres,
Hemsworth strides into the room, tall,
tanned and hypertrophied; like a sun
god surrounded by scrawny, whey-
faced worshippers, his radiant glow
amplified by the brilliant white shirt
straining to contain his physique. Even
without the aid of a microphone, his
voice booms like thunder. He is, by any
objective standard, a big man.
Of course, words such as “integrity”
have to be taken with a hefty pinch of
Maldon when they’re bandied about
by big brands. Nevertheless, there is an
unquestionable realness to Hemsworth
beyond the comic-book proportions –
no special effects, no padded costumes,
no flattering camera angles required.
He’s the kind of guy who will shake your
hand firmly and ask you with convincing
sincerity if you’ve met before, even
though the chance of him remembering
your previous interview is minimal
(unless memory happens to be another
one of his superpowers). In short, he’s
the sort of down-to-earth, bluff Aussie
who it’s hard to imagine having anything
resembling a ‘grooming regime’.
“Well, my wife has been telling me to
take care of my skin for years,” admits
the other half of Fast & Furious actress
Elsa Pataky, with whom he has three
young children. “I spend a lot of time
in the sun and in the ocean surfing,
which certainly gives my face a
beating. So as she continues to look
younger and I start to look older, I’m
like, ‘Maybe she’s got a point…’” The
34-year-old, who evidently protests
too much, has since acceded to his
54 MEN’S HEALTH
Cover Model Muscle
Chris Hemsworth
spouse’s repeated offers of her La Mer
moisturiser: “It seems to help.”
Divine Intervention
Clearly, it does. Last year, a breathless
Vanity Fair cover interview declared
Chris Hemsworth to be the best-looking
of his actor peers, rhapsodising over
his sapphire eyes. (To be fair, they are
dreamy.) A couple of years before that,
he was elected People magazine’s Sexiest
Man Alive. “I mean, you’ve got to laugh
at it, don’t you?” he laughs, rather proving
his point. “It’s like, ‘Oh, thank you.’
Chuffed, you know?”
But then Hemsworth has always been
happy to laugh at his own expense, most
notably in a spoof American Express
advert he filmed for Saturday Night Live.
Google it. “When I got to Hollywood,
they said I’d never make it as an actor,”
he narrates earnestly. “They said I was
too tall, too blonde. My muscles were
too big. I bounced around Hollywood
for days.” The joke is that Hemsworth is
merely a genetic lottery winner for whom
the daily struggle is about as mythical
as his Norse deity alter-ego. “If a jacked
Australian with a perfect face can make
it,” concluded the parody, “anyone can.”
In truth, it took a little more than
FOOD OF THE GODS
As a relative gym novice, Hemsworth’s
first outing as Thor (left) required him to
add 9kg by feasting on lean chicken and
steak. In 2017, he’s sliced his meat intake,
focusing on beans, pea protein and eggs.
His results (right) have not suffered.
that. Landing a cameo as Captain Kirk’s
ill-fated father in JJ Abram’s 2009 Star
Trek reboot more or less straight after
leaving Melbourne for LA was followed
by eight arid months of don’t-call-us-
we’ll-call-you. Even when the first Thor
opportunity knocked in 2011 – a role for
which Hemsworth should have been
nailed-on to play – the going wasn’t quite
so straightforward. Despite someone in
casting apparently quipping that they
were looking for, “a Thor-type, not actual
Thor,” the film’s director, Sir Kenneth
Branagh, was rather less enthusiastic.
It took a call from Joss Whedon, then
directing Chris in genre-bending
horror Cabin In The Woods, to give the
Shakespeare veteran pause for thought.
While the gods may have played
a part in Hemsworth finally landing the
lead, filling it was not something that
he was going to leave to chance. He duly
hammered it in the gym to pack on over
9kg of muscle – a process that he repeated
when preparing for the 2013 sequel, Thor:
The Dark World, and for this month’s
threequel, Thor: Ragnarok. In fact, if you
count both of the Avengers: Infinity War
films, currently filming back-to-back and
with the first installment slated for 2018,
we will have seen Thor seven times in as
GROOMING: JOHNNY HERNANDEZ | HUGOBOSS.COM, MAISON MARGIELA AT MRPORTER.COM, ORLEBARBROWN.COM, TAGHEUER.COM, TIMBERLAND.CO.UK
almost as many years.
Needless to say, the franchise has
been an unprecedented success. It’s
also one that shows no sign of abating.
When the first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok
was aired, earlier this year it damn near
Hulk-smashed the internet, with 136m
views in 24 hours – a record for the
Marvel nerd-ustrial complex. Crucially,
from the retro titles, synth soundtrack
and comedic tone, to a new adversary,
new double-sided axe, and even a new
grooming regime, the preview promised
a thrillingly fresh take on the franchise.
“Look, I just got bored with myself as
that ccharacter,” explains Hemsworth.
“I thoo
ought,
g ‘Why are people going to want
to seee a thirrd one?’ It can’t just be another ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: REX FEATURES, © MARVEL STUDIOS 2017
iterattion
t off what we’ve already done. It’s
got
g to o almosst be a new character. So that’s
wher
w ere re that
t at iidea came from: let’s cut his
hair,, let’s destroy
d the hammer.”
S o of his flaxen locks and
Shorn
magic
m g m mallet, Thor is imprisoned
on
n a distant planet, where he’s
fo
orced by Jeff Goldblum’s
Grandmaster to fight the
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 PREVIOUS PAGE
COAT £500 BOSS
-
HENLEY £59 AND
JEANS £119
BOTH BOSS
CARRERA CALIBRE
HEUER 01 45MM
£4150 TAG HEUER

GOD-GIVEN MIGHT? GENETICS

PLAY A PART, BUT HEMSWORTH
WORKS HARD TO EMBODY THOR

“You have to keep shocking your body

in different ways for it to evolve”
 Cover Model Muscle
Chris Hemsworth

aforementioned Hulk in gladiatorial

combat, thus sending fanboys delirious.
However, Thor’s real adversary is Cate
Blanchett’s Hela, the Asgardian goddess
of death who, not content with simply
breaking his tool, is trying to bring about
Ragnarok – the Viking apocalypse.
Indeed, Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo has
“Fear can be a good motivator. How
called it “an intergalactic buddy road
movie” with the Norse god and the not-so-
do I remove doubt? I work harder”
jolly green giant forming an unlikely but
hugely effective comedy duo: large and
XXXL, if you will. Listen carefully and you
can hear the coffers ringing already.

Celestial Body
While the heft Hemsworth brings to the
screen clearly works wonders, it certainly
presents an engineering challenge of
sorts for today’s tailors at Hugo Boss.
“I’m trying on jackets at the moment
and they’re going, ‘Well, these were the
measurements…’” he says. “But I’ve been
shooting Thor and Avengers at the same
time, so I’m a little bigger than I was.”
He explains that he effectively has two
different sizes, depending on where he
is in his filming schedule: “I’ve got a lot
of suits that zig-zag between my Thor
weight and my regular weight.” Regular
weight means the kind of shape he keeps
when back home in Byron Bay, Australia,
“spending most of the day hanging out
with the kids on the beach, swimming,
surfing – it’s a very outdoorsy lifestyle”. rows and curls with battle ropes, bear
But right now, on a scale of one to Thor, crawls attached to a bungee, and playing
Hemsworth says, “I should be at 10. catch with a medicine ball while running
I’ve been travelling a lot and not been from side to side. “I still isolate certain
able to train as much as I would’ve muscle groups because from a purely
liked. But I’m close to it.” cosmetic perspective, that’s the best to keep shocking your body in different
Mercifully, moving the needle has way,” he says. “But now I combine that ways for it to want to evolve,” says the
become less of an ordeal with repetition with a lot more functional movements, actor. “And the variety is key because it
over the years. At least, it has in most too, so I feel more athletic. If you’re just keeps you mentally stimulated.”
respects: “What you notice as time passes isolating muscle groups, you look good,
is that your joints and other bits take but you don’t feel great.” Influential Figures
a beating,” he says. “You start to go, ‘Ah, Of course, it’s easy to get sniffy about He has also outgrown the nutrition plan
that never used to hurt when I lifted that.’ the superiority of progressive functional he adopted for the early Thor films, which
But the muscle memory is a huge plus. training methods over antediluvian might be best described as ‘method’
I remember the first time around I had bodybuilding standards. But the reality eating – in other words, feasting like
to work out and eat so much. Now it’s for Hemsworth is that, once in costume a Viking on as much flesh as possible.
much easier to shift gears. You know your as Thor, only his shoulders and arms are “I was eating excessive amounts of meat
routine, what works, what’s excessive…” visible. So he wouldn’t be doing his job as when I first did this, to be honest,” he
Not that he’s been knocking out the the incarnation of a thunder god – or, for says. “Luckily I don’t need as much to
same reps for the past seven years. For that matter, as an archetypal Aussie – if achieve the same results now. But I’m
Thor: Ragnarok, Hemsworth and his he neglected his beach muscles. He just still conscious of the amount of animal
trainer Luke ‘Zoco the Body Pro’ Zocchi does it in a smarter way. While he aims protein I’m consuming. These days I try
interspersed old faithfuls such as chins, for three days of heavy lifting per week, and get more proteins from legumes,
if Hemsworth is feeling distinctly ungodly grains and vegetables.”
then Zoco will downshift to a more
movement-focused session. “You have

56 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 Neither his diary nor, you suspect,
his active personality allow for much
of the lotus-position variety of self-
examination. “I probably should do more
of it,” he says, not entirely convincingly.
“But I tend to keep pretty busy.”

While not quite tempted to follow his
younger brother, Liam, into veganism,
Hemsworth concedes that he has
acquired more of an interest in holistic
approaches to health and fitness – maybe
with a little sensible circumspection.
“I see that whole ‘chic to be green’ thing
as a general positive, but there’s no doubt
that it’s a business,” he says. “Sometimes
it becomes a complete image, which can
be painful to watch. But still, if it makes
people eat healthier and become more
self-aware, then great.” Besides, while
California is geared up to cater for trend-
surfing, muscle-building flexitarians, “If
you’re living in the Australian suburbs,
you’re going to have a tougher time.”
Months on the Avengers’ set has also
given him the chance to pick the fertile
fitness brain of Robert Downey Jr, though
here the contrasts are Stark. “Downey has
a very different training programme – he’s
Return To Earth
TRAINING ACTS AS A FORM
OF MEDITATION AFTER THE
HIGH DEMANDS OF FILMING he admits. “You think: do I really
COAT £500 BOSS
T-SHIRT £65
ORLEBAR BROWN
TROUSERS £355
MAISON MARGIELA
AT MR PORTER
BOOTS £190
TIMBERLAND
a sort of zen warrior: aikido, meditation
and so on – and I think there’s a very
healthy addiction to that lifestyle that
he has,” says Hemsworth. “I talk a lot
with him about it and the varied training
styles. He’s got me into doing some yoga
with his teacher a couple of times.”
Even so, for the most part you get the
impression that Hemsworth finds his
body suits a different kind of free-spirited
exercise – as does his mind. “Anything
where you’re completely involved,
pushing yourself to that point where
you can’t think about anything because
it’s all your physical response – that’s
my meditation,” he says. “Whether it
be working out or surfing, particularly
when the waves are bigger, that rush and
TRAIN LIKE THOR
adrenaline forces you to be ever-present
and focused. I love that about it.”
If Chris Hemsworth does have a flaw, it’s
imposter syndrome. “With this kind of
work, my main challenge has been
self-doubt and the insecurity,”
deserve this or did I fool them?”
At the same time, he allows, anxiety
is a double-sided axe: “I’m also aware
that fear can be a good motivator. How
can I remove that doubt? I train harder.
I do more research on the character.
Acknowledging that you know nothing is
a good place to start, because then there’s
more to learn. You stay open.”
It’s this levelheaded, earthy honesty
mixed with steel and resilience that
no doubt appealed to the Boss Bottled
marketing team. What makes him a Man
of Today is that he’s polished but not
precious, rugged but not rough, a bloke
but not a lad. He’s a devoted husband and
father who prioritises his family’s quality
of life by moving them to the opposite
side of the world from his place of work
– yet still takes care of business in some
considerable style. And he smells really,
really good. What’s not to like?
For Marvel fanboys, the character of
Thor represents one of the great illustrated
heroes. But Hemsworth’s own role model
lives somewhat closer to home. “My
father drove me to football practice and
to the beach to have a surf before or after
school,” he says. “He worked in child
protection for many years and was always
very vocal about preventing injustice
and the importance of having a healthy,
loving childhood. We were instilled with
that attitude and those values. So yeah,
he’s my hero. Always will be.”
Thor: Ragnarok is out 24 October.
Hemsworth is the global ambassador
for the Boss Bottled fragrance

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 57

 Cover Model Muscle
Chris Hemsworth

HOW TO For advice on training,

nutrition and “how to
WIELD be a flat-out legend”,
Hemsworth turns to his

ALMIGHTY trainer, Zoco. For Thor:

Ragnarok, he mixed
functional exercises with
POWER bodybuilding moves to
broaden Hemsworth’s
upper body. This sample
sess o from
session fr Zoco –
w prov
who p vides online
t
training
gp programmes
a zocoboodypro.com –
at
FIGHTT w ll hamm
will h mer your
c
cardiovas scular system
Warm up for f andd strenngthen your
5-10minn with shoulde s. Consider it
shoulders
light open-hand
h d y
your Norsse code.
sparring g. Rule
numberr one:
o e
don’t toouch yyour
partner’s face. YOUR THREE-PART PLAN FOR
Hits to the
t bodyy A RAGNAROK-HARD BODY
and shooulders
only, pleease.

FUNCTION 1/ BEAR CRAWL 2/ PULL-UP TO BURPEE 3/ BATTLE ROPES 4/ MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

On all fours with your knees low to With a wider-than-shoulder grip, Take one end of the rope in each hand After those battle ropes, you’ll be on
Familiar with the ground, crawl forward, moving pull up until your chin clears the bar then squat down and lean back, core the floor – so at least you won’t have
Tabata? For your arms and legs in unison (A). (A), then lower before dropping into tensed (A). Raise and lower each arm far to go. Get in a press-up position:
each move, work Now crawl backward to make this a squat. Hop your feet out (B) and in turn to make waves (B). Experiment hands flat, body pencil-straight (A).
for 20sec, rest beast of a move even harder (B), or back in, then jump and grab the bar. with double-hand slams, circles etc – J
Jump eachh ffoot b
between your hhands
d
attach a ‘bungee’ for resistance. NB It’s a pull-up, not a jump-up. ou have seven round
you rounds left, after all. in
i turn (B)
(B). Repeat add nauseam..
10sec, 8 times
for a total of A
4min each. Rest A
A A
for 60sec, then
move onto the
next exercise.
B
B B
B

FORM 1/ STANDING PRESS 2/ SEATED PRESS 3/ SHOULDER CIRCUIT

Having got your 4 SETS OF 12 REPS 3 SETS OF 10 REPS 4 SETS OF 10, EACH MOVE
With feet hip-width and dumbbells Take a seat (A), but don’t get too You’ll be wanting lighter weights. Do
heart and lungs above your shoulders (A), tense your comfortable. The reduced demand on 10 standing presses (A), as before,
going, you’re core to push them overhead (B). What your core means you can use heavier then go into front raises to shoulder
now due half an you lose in kilos from a barbell press, weights (find a spotter ideally). Press level, 10 on each arm. Then 10 lateral
hour of pumping yyou ggain in muscle activation. overhead (B) and lower, slowly. raises: arms out to the sides (B).
iron before you
cool down. Thor-
B
like shoulders B
aren’t god-given,
B
we’re afraid.
A
A A
CUT OUT AND KEEP

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 59

 TIME
WORDS BY SCARLETT WRENCH & DAVID MORTON / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOBE LAWRENSON

MAXIMISING LIFF E ’SS G R EATEST LUXURYY

T 
here are many things
a couple of cold ones are
known to improve – your
confidence, your proficiency
at pool, your enjoyment of a meal
deal. But your powers of recall not
so much. Well, forget everything
you think you know about memory:
research from the University of

12
Exeter suggests a work-night drink
can be a very smart idea indeed.
In a new study, social drinkers
were subjected to a memorisation
task, after which half of them
were given a free pass at the
pub, averaging a pint and a half
of lager each. When retested the
following morning, the drinking
HOURS TO BOLSTER group performed notably better.
The reasoning is deceptively
YOUR MEMORY WITH simple: alcohol interacts with the
brain’s hippocampus, inhibiting
your ability to learn new information.
A POST-WORK PINT This frees up space to consolidate
your pre-pub memories, moving
them from ‘short-term’ storage
to ‘long-term’. In other words, you
might not recall exactly who paid
for the last round, but the meeting
notes you were reading over at
4pm will remain unblurred.
So don’t feel guilty about
unwinding with a beer at close of
business. It could prove just the
RELEASE THE mental tonic you need before a big
GENIUS IN day in the office. Just don’t try
THE BOTTLE
claiming that on expenses.

S CO U S 6
 TIME

A DAILY DOSE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA COULD
PROVE A PANACEA

15
MINS TO ADD YEARS
TO YOUR LIFE WITH
A 
s a reader of this magazine,
you likely have an interest in
becoming a fitter, healthier
man. Whether or not you
choose to broadcast this fact to
the world six or seven times a day,
however, is very much a matter
of personal preference. Now, we
at Men’s Health are certainly not
averse to the odd post-training
(read: ‘wellness’) lifestyle were
healthier in a 21-year follow-up
period and had a lower risk of
premature death than those who
described themselves as less
active – regardless of the amount
of exercise they actually did.
The researchers think there
could be a powerful placebo effect
at play, in which our beliefs about
our bodies, habits and fitness
could have physiological effects.
A FITNESS #FOLLOW update (#sorrynotsorry), though
we are also of the mind that a
So, even if you’ll never go in for
a gym-mirror selfie or a top-down
social feed dominated by fitness picture of your breakfast, spending
micro-influencers flexing their 15 minutes – the average time
six-packs, front racks and far too users spend on Instagram per
many hashtags can really grate. day – engaging with the workout
Still, you don’t have to participate community will help you double-
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

for the likes – you can do it for
your lifespan, instead.
In research published by Health
Psychology journal, those who
identified as having an active
tap into a healthier, more positive
mindset. Just remember to tag
us should you get a blue tick...
TIME

Getting zen on a crowded

train is, however, a difficult thing
to imagine. Instead, adopt
productivity biohacker and MH
columnist Tim Ferriss’s approach
to mindfulness: take one minute
to write down what’s in your head
– your worries, your objectives

60
for the week, your shopping list –
as a stream of consciousness.
Then, and this is the important
bit, screw it up and throw it
away. This technique has been

I 
f you lie awake on Sunday shown to off-load unnecessary
nights and fret over the anxieties while focusing your
seemingly insurmountable mind on the tasks that really
to-do list you have to deserve your attention.
tackle in the coming week, you Putting work fears in the
SECONDS TO ERASE are not alone in the worrisome
dark. In fact, a quarter of UK
bin before the week has even
really begun is the sort of
WORK ANXIETY AND employees lose sleep due to
anxiety over returning to work
mindfulness we can get
behind. And that you don’t
BOOST PRODUCTIVITY after the weekend, with yet
more reporting that their stress
have to close your eyes,
or focus on the ‘feeling’ of
levels only increase on their your breath is a bonus.
Monday morning commute.
A recent study into the tangible
benefits of mindfulness should
ease your concerns. Researchers
at the University of Waterloo in
Canada found that daily meditation
before taking on your inbox can
decrease mind-wandering and
the “repetitive, off-task thinking”
that hampers your ability to learn,
complete jobs and generally A CREATIVE WAY
TO LIGHTEN YOUR
function throughout your 9-5. MENTAL LOAD
TIME
T 
he tradition of following
your long weekend ride or
run with a congratulatory
90
pub roastie is well earned –
not only are they delicious, but
sometimes they feel like the only
thing that can get you through
those last few miles. But here’s
a thought: tearing into a few slices
of roast chicken before you clock
up your mileage instead could
provide a dramatic boost to your
stamina. As long as you season
MINS TO TURN YOUR it correctly, that is.
That’s because new research
SUNDAY ROAST INTO shows that thyme could be a PED
in disguise. That’s the same thyme
A STAMINA BOOSTTERR we encourage you to stuff into
REFUEL SMARTLY
TO BEAT YOUR
BEST THYME
a chicken’s cavity with some garlic
before roasting it in the oven for
an hour and a half. In the study at
Tabriz University in Iran, rats given
an extract of thyme saw a fivefold
increase to their stamina while
running on a tiny, rodent treadmill.
Granted, the equivalent human
dose would be very unpleasant,
but they also found that a 10th
of the dosage – about as much
as you would get with a liberal
seasoning on your Sunday lunch –
could yield positive results. As yet,
the scientists are unsure as to
quite how the herb enhances
endurance to such an extent. But
in the meantime, pass the gravy.
ILLUSTRATION: ADAM NICKEL AT SYNERGY
 The
Measure
Of The
Man An Alternative View
Of Mental Health In UK Men
W
hen we kicked off last year’s
#MendTheGap campaign,
to help redress the disparity
between attitudes toward
mental and physical health, we asked
famous sufferers of depression and
anxiety to share their stories. In the 18
months since, more men than ever have
opened up about their emotional and
psychological wellbeing. A number of
high-profile sports figures have come
forward to detail their own conflicts,
while revelations from the royals brought
the conversation to a wider audience
still. In the meantime, a number of
documentaries – including the BBC’s
Mind Over Marathon – further praised
the benefits of exercise on mental fitness.
We are finally, it seems, making headway.
But there is still much work to be done.
Today, men remain disproportionately
at risk of suffering from poor mental
wellbeing; they are less likely to speak
70 MEN’S HEALTH
up, less likely to be treated. Damningly,
suicide continues to be the largest cause
of death for UK men under 50, who are
now 3.5 times more likely to take their
own lives than women.
In the past year, political upheaval
and economic uncertainties have
arguably made maintaining one’s
balance more difficult than ever. News
that the government is to invest £1.3bn
in mental health services is reassuring,
and desperately vital; a recent report
published by the Mental Health Alliance
– a group of more than 75 organisations
working in the UK mental health sector
– argues that the government’s 1983
Mental Health Act is in need of urgent
remodelling. Alarmingly, 49% of those
consulted do not believe that people
are treated with dignity under the act,
highlighting the need for further and
immediate institutional reform.
Here at MH, we think a health crisis
of this scale necessitates an ambitious
response. This is why we brought
together charities Mind, Time to Change,
Mental Health UK, Samaritans, BUPA
and Movember with Harley Street
psychologist Dr Mark Winwood* in a
research project of unprecedented scale,
*IN CONJUNCTION WITH AXA PPP HEALTHCARE | WORDS: TOM WARD | PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE
designed to find out exactly how mental
ill-health affects you on a daily basis.
We already know that 25% of us will
deal with a mental health problem in our
lifetime. We know that, at present, just 6%
of the UK’s annual research spend goes
on mental health. And we know that a
quarter of men who take their own lives
have been in contact with their GP in the
week before doing so. What we don’t know
is exactly why so many men fall through
the cracks, or how these issues develop to
such a drastic degree. In order to paint a
broader, more enlightening picture of male
mental health in the UK, we asked 15,000
of you the questions that have never been
asked before. Here’s what you had to say.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 #MendTheGap

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF

MIND? A PROBLEM THAT
CANNOT BE CALIBRATED
IS FELT NO LESS ACUTELY
Health
& 01\
Self-Help
37.5%
Nope

Fitness
Healthy bodies and healthy minds go
hand in hand. It’s when they fall out of
Your relationship with the gym
is complicated: some of you
can’t muster enough motivation,
while others are taking it too
far. Neither augurs well for your
physical or mental wellness
sync that the problems begin. If trying
to make sense of your head has put
81%
This many men claim to be
your body goals in free fall, our survey self-conscious about their body
shows that you are far from alone
From CrossFit to cardio, park football
to pilates, any activity that lifts your heart
72%
Percentage of men who say they
rate is proven to raise your mood, too. have lost their training motivation
Which is great, in theory. But the pursuit
of fitness is a joint endeavour of mind and 43%
More than two fifths of men have
04\
Cold Comfort
Nearly two thirds of respondents admit
62.5%
OK, maybe a little
body; when your head refuses to comply,
simply finding a way to get out and active lost interest in their physical to raiding the fridge when asked,
wellbeing or appearance “Have you been overeating recently?”
can become a catch-22 situation.
“Anhedonia – the condition of losing
interest in things that once made us 02\
happy – is common with depression,” says Mind Games
Dr Winwood. “Abandoning a fitness plan is When exercising, 05\
a key sign that someone isn’t coping.” you prefer to do so…
The drawbacks of this extend beyond
seeing those hard-won abs disappear.
Allowing your mental and physical fitness
to be sidelined can have serious health
implications – research suggests that
men suffering from mental ill-health can
slash between 15 and 20 years from their
Alone – 77%
With colleagues – 10%
As part of a team – 11%
With strangers – 2%

03\
56% The percentage of men who admit to
having had suicidal thoughts

lives due to related complications. Home Improvement

Our multiple-choice question asked how you relax after a hard day.
Searching for succour in indulgence
Levels of alcohol consumption are concerning, but unsurprising.
rather than exertion is a key factor.
Use of pornography, on the other hand, is unexpected
Whatever your poison – be it alcohol,
sugar or pornography – overdoing it will
perpetuate the stress response, says Dr 23%
Winwood. This, in turn, leads to greater 14% None of
levels of anxiety and depression. “After
a hard day, there’s perhaps nothing nicer
27% Coffee
the above

than a pint,” he says. “But coping through 46% Sex

20%
food, drink or tobacco isn’t sustainable. Alcohol
23% Sugar
28%
Subconsciously, you’re using these Tobacco Porn
destructive behaviours to reward stress.”
As ever, balance is key. Debauchery
may have well-publicised complications,
but cutting calories and obsessing over
body image can be harmful, too. “Across
the country, we’re seeing a significant rise
in eating disorders and body dysmorphia
in men,” says Dr Winwood. “This is no less
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS

damaging a mental condition than that of

seeking solace in overconsumption.”
Here, we look at some of the most
common complaints from UK men, the best
ways to circumnavigate them and tools to
unify body and mind once and for all.

72 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 #MendTheGap
ANALYSIS
06\
Outlook Express
More men than ever admit to struggling with
Action
mental ill-health, but almost equal numbers
feel the answers do not lie in a GP’s surgery
Stations
Easing the pressure and reassessing
your targets will bolster both your

70%
physical fitness and mental fortitude

This many men would not describe Go It Alone (Sometimes)

themselves as “living with high
levels of positive mental health”
More than three quarters of men prefer
to exercise alone. But, according to Dr
Winwood, that’s OK: “Team activity has
social benefits, but valuing ‘me time’ is
no bad thing. A lot of people use exercise
as a time for quiet reflection. Mindful
exercise and being present – whether

69%
How many men would not
pushing through a long run or focusing
on deadlift form – can be very beneficial.”

consider speaking to a
healthcare professional
Rework Your System
We all know that moderation is key, but,
when feeling down
then again, moderation isn’t always easy
or desirable. Try looking at it a different
way: “Ask yourself, ‘Am I using this as
a crutch?’” says Gillian Connor, head of
policy partnerships at Mental Health UK.
“You don’t have to cut out everything
you enjoy, but if the line between fun and
dependence is blurry then it’s time to
take action. Start with the self-check
07\ tool at headsupguys.org – it will help you
to tell whether indulgence is a problem.
Lifting The
Mood Don’t Sweat It
Forget the runner’s high: when
When it comes to fitness, MH promotes
you’re low, more of you resort
to hefting iron for a lift
9%
HIIT
12% Team
Swimming
15%
sports
24%
Running
40%
Weight training
balance above all else. This approach
can safeguard your mind, too; punishing
yourself for not achieving a Grecian
physique is good for neither. “Aiming
08\ for perfection erodes your motivation,”
51% Going Dutch says Dr Winwood. “Focus on the parts
Go to the pub When it comes to discussing of your body you like, rather than those
your mental health with a you want to change, and celebrate your
friend for the first time, this achievements.” Feel pleased that you
38% is how you’d prefer to do it made it to the gym today, not despondent
over that last stubborn inch of belly fat.
Other

Find The Light

More than half of men have had suicidal
5% thoughts. But thoughts are very different
Go for dinner 4% to actions, as Dr Winwood explains.
Go to the gym 2% “What’s important is planning not to act
on those thoughts. Often, patients tell
Go for a run
me they don’t feel like they’ve achieved
anything, but they don’t have any goals,
either. This is essential. You needn’t say
you want the body of a teenager at 50,
but you could aim to up your deadlift by
10kg. All of this helps give you a focus.”

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 73

Work 01\
Stress Working

& Feeling the strain? Here’s what you said

when we asked how many of you were
feeling stressed, anxious and overworked
50%

Finance
Yes, but that’s life

19%
I’m fine

Deadlines, vertiginous property

ladders and the pressure to compete
have placed an unnatural strain on
your human resources. But there’s
no need to run for the hills and forsake
your 9-5. You can still survive and
thrive in the workplace jungle
Sure, you can run 100m without keeling
over. Yes, you have a happy home life
and a job with good prospects. You might 16 %
Yes, but I don’t
15%
even be a shoo-in for a pay rise this Yes, I’ve discussed it with
see a way out my partner/GP/colleague
year. But maintaining an even work/life
balance? Well, that’s where we could
all do with a little bit of help.
All of those late nights at the coalface 02\
04\

38%
are getting us down: 66% of UK workers
are said to have experienced a mental Office
health problem, while – according to Temps
research carried out by The Priory – Loss of patience
32% of men said the pressure to provide can be a sign
is the single biggest stress in their lives. that everything
is becoming too
Furthermore, most of those surveyed How many men often spend more
much. We asked if
admitted that mental illness is “having time at work than they should – and
you were becoming
a negative impact on their work
performance”. The news that time lost
admit to checking emails late at
night or early in the morning
more irritable 62%
between 9-5. Here’s Who wants to
due to poor mental health is estimated how you’re feeling know? (Yes)
to cost the UK economy £105bn annually
only serves to pile on the pressure. 03\
Whatever your standing, no one is
exempt. According to the Mental Health
Self-Investment
52% – This many of you said that
Foundation, 73% of men earning less mental ill-health has caused
than £1200pcm have experienced mental them to spend more money on
ill-health; but, then, 59% of those earning impulse purchases
over £3701pcm also have. It’s proof, if
needed, that a hefty pay packet does Of these…
not equate to happiness.
Pablo Vandenabeele, clinical director
of mental health at BUPA, believes that
work stresses feed insecurities, making 20%
Splashed out on spur-of-the-
us more likely to make mistakes on simple
tasks, which, in turn, feeds back into our moment trips and gifts for others
stresses and anxieties. Career and mental
health, therefore, are incontestably
related. But, as our research shows, when
it comes to mental matters, your office 36%
may be more united than you think – and Spent money on overeating,
rounds of drinks or new clothes
38%
therein lies the solution. Relax, mate
(No)

44%
Invested their money elsewhere

74 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 #MendTheGap
ANALYSIS
05\
Future Proof
If the glass always seems half-empty, taking
Promotional
65%
I spend more time
time to reflect on past achievements can help.
Unfortunately, almost two thirds of men spend more
Activity
There’s more to life than clocking on.
worrying about tasks time worrying about what they’ve yet to tick off Use these tips to readdress your mental
I’ve yet to complete their to-do list than reflecting on past successes balance and end the al-desko despair

35% Do More
That’s to say, reward progress instead
I spend more time
reflecting on positive of worrying about deadlines you’ve still
achievements to meet. “People never congratulate
themselves on what they’ve achieved,
but they should,” says Dr Winwood. “As
well as crossing off items on a to-do list,
creating an ‘I have done’ list at the end of
the week is a very positive psychological
process. Writing out your tasks transfers
the pressure into a less nebulous form,
with structure. Often, you’ll think, ‘Is
that what I’m worried about?’”

06\ 08\ Treat Yourself

Performance But only occasionally. Using impulse buys

47%
This many men admitted that concerns
about money have negatively impacted
their state of mind
07\
Clocking Off
Spending eight hours a day with the same people means they’re
likely to notice you’ve changed, even before you do. Here’s how
many of you have been approached by a concerned colleague
Figures
Have you started making mistakes
at work that you normally
wouldn’t, and does it take you
longer to complete a piece of
work than it should do?
to bolster mood feeds a cyclical system
of guilt and overspending, which further
damages mental wellbeing. Better to
delay the gratification, say, until the end
of the month, for a more “psychologically
strengthening” experience, says Connor.
To give you a head start, Mental Health
UK and Lloyds Bank have launched a
support service for those struggling with
both financial and mental health issues.
Go to mentalhealth-uk.org to learn more.

60% Think Small

“If work is your main anxiety source, it’s
No
40% time to be realistic about what you can
Yes
and can’t achieve,” says Vandenabeele.
“Have regular catch-ups with your line
manager to talk through what you should
be achieving and when. This should
reduce stress, because you know what’s
expected of you.” Remember: more hours
doesn’t always mean a higher output. Six
59% 41% hours at 80% efficiency is better than
No Yes eight at 40%, so don’t feel bad about
leaving on time to make it to the gym.
09\
Flip Over A New Leaf

44%
This many men worry about work
at the weekend and also report
feeling more anxious than they
used to when walking into work
Instead of flipping your lid when the
pressure gets too much, Dr Winwood
advises the following: keep a symbol on
your desk – a water bottle will do – and
focus on it whenever a colleague asks
you a question you’ve already answered
over email. “Stop, take a breath and shift
your perspective before reacting,” says
Dr Winwood. “We need to feel anger
and irritation, but flying off the handle
will only negatively impact you.”

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 75

Friends
&
Relationships
Sitting down and opening up about
your mental health might be one of the 67%
01\
biggest steps you’ll take in your life.
But, as our results show, when you
Mates’ Rates of men feel their mental
health is secondary to
Sometimes, two can be the that of a partner, family
do, you might just find that you have
loneliest number. But helping member or friend
more in common with the person you someone else with their mental
speak to than you’d first thought health needn’t mean your own
“When it comes to dealing with mental issues are sidelined
ill-health,” says Hayley Jarvis, community
programmes manager at Mind, “nothing
is more helpful than the simple act of
speaking to your peers.” In fact, we’d
argue, it’s lifesaving. But, while our
research shows that men are getting
better at looking out for their friends, 77%
being honest about their own mental of men whose partners
regularly feel down haven’t
wellbeing remains a challenge. considered speaking to
According to a survey by YouGov and someone themselves
Heads Together, just 37% of men are likely
to come forward and open up about their
mental health, as opposed to 54% of 02\ 03\
women. Instead of being open about how Interest Rate
we feel, for the most part, men prefer to
hide away, hoping that a dark mood will
pass, afraid that others won’t understand
how we feel – or simply preferring to
internalise the issue. “It’s often the case
that men [suffering with poor mental
health] subconsciously think they are
Depression can make even your favourite thing
seem unappealing. Here’s how your enjoyment
is flagging, by activity
11% – Sex 23% – Exercise 26% – Both 57% of you said you’ve recognised things
that have made you concerned about
a friend’s mental health in yourself

worthless, so a common response is to

04\

67%
isolate oneself,” explains Dr Winwood.
“This then manifests in withdrawal from
relationships, sex and your social circle.
It’s a self-perpetuating problem.”  
But, just as internalised wounds will
fester, bringing them out into the open
can be a significant step toward healing The percentage of men who rarely feel excited
pain. In fact, the same survey revealed
that 82% of men who did speak out
found doing so to be beneficial to their
mental state and general wellbeing. The
emphasis, then, should be not only on
speaking out and confiding in friends,
but, crucially, on doing so before normal
feelings of despair or despondency
become an insurmountable problem.
“Men wait until they’re in crisis to open
up, and that’s too late,” says Dr Winwood.
“We will make real advances with male
mental health when they start asking
for help early on.” With a little more
conversation and action, you can be the 05\ Directly,
difference – not only in your friends’ lives, Warning Signs I wouldn’t with no
but in your own as well. We asked how you’d most like to be judgement
Cautiously
approached when feeling low. Here are With a hug
your most common responses

76 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 #MendTheGap
ANALYSIS
06\
Chatty Man
When it comes to opening up, men choose
1% Friends With
their audience carefully – if at all. These
are the ears you’re most likely to bend
Sports teammate
3%
Colleague
Benefits
Mates don’t let mates shoulder a
4% burden alone – so you shouldn’t let
yourself feel the same way, either.
Stranger
Here’s how to break free of a rut
14%
Family member Run For The Hills
“We tend to isolate ourselves when we’re
18% feeling low,” says Dr Winwood. “A big
No one part of isolation is waiting for someone
to contact you and, if you’re sending the
27% wrong signals, you could wait a hell of a
Partner long time. We can break this cycle through
active intervention: making solid plans
34% for the future.” Signing up for this month’s
MH Survival of the Fittest races at
Friends
menshealth.co.uk is a good place to start.

Face-To-Face Time
“Society’s obsession with social media
means we can get disheartened by
constant reminders of everyone’s perfect,
edited existences,” says Dr Winwood. “It
can feed anxiety and loneliness. We need
to remember that social media portrays
a false reality and log off once in a while.”
Making plans to see old friends in
person, rather than sending a WhatsApp,
will make you both more likely to open

07\ 08\ up – especially if it’s in the pub.

OK Computer Social Network

Seventy-four per cent of men speak to friends with
Studies show that social media Back Number One
pressure can lead to depression. When your focus is on an unwell friend or
mental health issues at least once a week. Seldom, partner, it’s not uncommon for your own
We asked how often you compare
though, do these conversations take place face-
yourself to the Instacool crowd wellbeing to become secondary. And
to-face. Here’s how you’re getting in touch
although 57% of us have recognised
things we’re worried about in ourselves
in others’ behaviour, we aren’t doing
anything about it. “We need to hold the
mirror up and have more compassion for
52% – Sometimes ourselves,” says Dr Winwood. “You need
to be your own best mate. Think, ‘If my
28% – All the time friends felt this way, how would I help?’”
20% – Never
Follow Through
You’ve asked your friend if he’s OK. He
isn’t. Now what? “The greatest challenge
is knowing how to support someone who
has a problem,” says Craig Martin, mental
health expert at Movember. The key is
09\
26% 44% Open Season
simply to listen. If that’s difficult, keep in
In person
19% Via text or
WhatsApp
11% Men are unlikely to mention their
mind that men are more likely to open up
when others (ie you) do, too. If that’s a
Through
Via depression when discussing last real stretch, try using anonymous online
Facebook
phone call night’s match. Here’s what it platform Mentalk (mentalk.me) to start
takes for you to open up your own life-saving conversations.
Getting drunk – 40%
A friend talking about their
own wellbeing first – 34%
Anonymity – 26%

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 77

 Professor Jon
Bryony Green Ashworth
Gordon Rapper – real name Labour MP and Shadow
Secretary of State
Telegraph journalist Stephen Manderson – and
and author of mental health advocate for Health
bestseller Mad Girl

Stephen
Buckley
Mental health
expert and head of
information at Mind

Talking To help turn stats into

action for the benefit
of all men, we invited
an illustrious panel of

Heads experts and first-hand

victims of mental
REPORTAGE AND PORTRAITS: GREG FUNNELL

health issues to
discuss our findings,
offer their insights
and pledge support
78 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 #MendTheGap

Ricky never do it. It’s about recognising that

Hatton things aren’t going well for you and
Former boxer and
MH Let’s start with the fact that 70% understanding how you’re behaving at
#MendTheGap
supporter of men admit they are not living with the moment – is it normal for you? If not,
high levels of positive mental health. why not? The earlier someone can ask
Is this surprising? for help, the better.

BUCKLEY It’s not unsurprising. It’s a time GREEN Also, “mental health problems”
of economic uncertainty, in which people sounds so severe. But, often, it’s just about
are overworked or losing their jobs. someone not being able to get themselves
What is interesting is that this is a male- to a level of – not even happiness – just
specific response. When Mind asks these contentment. Not everyone is going to be
questions, it receives responses across happy all the time, but you shouldn’t be
both genders, so it is striking to see that sad all the time, either.
it’s such a high level of men.
BUCKLEY There is still a stigma around
GREEN To read it on paper, it does look male mental health. Media depictions of
shocking – but I don’t talk to that many what a man should be are fed to us early
people who feel optimistic at the moment. on. In the press, mental ill-health in men
is associated with violence and anger,
ASHWORTH As an MP, I see the effects that and that’s harmful.
government cutbacks, difficulties getting
decent housing and low-paid jobs have HATTON In my experience, everyone
on people. The number of men who kill thought I was this macho boxer and that
themselves is too high. It’s something that I was OK. But it was just a smoke screen.
we as a society need to stand up against. When I went home, I was really struggling.
You can’t do it on your own. If you’ve
HATTON It’s important to talk. I was got a drinking problem, you go to an AA
a boxer and world champion. I didn’t meeting – there needs to be somewhere
want to admit I was crying. I nearly for people battling mental health issues.
did commit suicide. Now I’m all for
people getting it off their chests. I’ve ASHWORTH That’s right. If you were
actually started doing speeches about physically injured, you wouldn’t be
mental health at functions ashamed to go to the hospital to get fixed.
and I get more of a sense of There’s no shame in asking for help.
The MH Self-Help Manifesto #1
achievement talking about
Be honest with yourself about the way you
that side of it than talking GORDON Wouldn’t you agree, as an MP,
are feeling. If you’re down, pinpoint what in
about boxing. Everyone that it’s all very well asking for help, but if
your life exacerbates this and plan to lessen
knows my boxing stories. you go to hospital with a broken leg, they
the impact within the next six months.
put a cast on you; if you go in with your
MH Continuing that thought, head, they give you some pills and shove
56% of men say they you on a waiting list for six months?
A survey of this size requires a panel
have thought about suicide, which,
with the ability to bring both personal
considering national suicide statistics, ASHWORTH Unfortunately, because of
experience and qualified insight to bear
isn’t a shock, sadly. cuts, access to therapies is not as good
on its findings. Which is why we were
as it should be. One of my jobs is to make
keen to assemble a diverse yet notable
GORDON We know the biggest killer of the argument that if we’re serious about
group of great minds, comprising both
young men in this country isn’t cars or dealing with mental health, that means
those who have spoken openly about
cancer or drugs – it’s themselves. It can putting the investment in and delivering
their own struggles and those who are
seem counterintuitive for men to speak parity of esteem between mental health
working to effect meaningful change
out, but we need to talk about how it’s and physical health.
at the highest levels. The resulting
normal to sometimes feel weird. I’ve had
conversation, hosted by our features
suicidal thoughts. It shocks people, but MH Since beginning our campaign
editor Tom Ward, proved both moving
we have to normalise the weirdness. last year, men seem more open about
and enlightening. You can watch the
talking to their partners about their
videos online at menshealth.co.uk/
MH How can men manage these thoughts mental health, but don’t want to open up
talkingheads, or read more about our
without acting on them? themselves. In fact, 77% of men whose
campaign at menshealth.co.uk/mend-
partners feel down haven’t considered
the-gap. Join the conversation.
BUCKLEY A lot of men know they need
to ask for help, but taking that step is
like jumping across a river – you could

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 79

speaking to anyone about their
own mental health. Why not?

BUCKLEY The language surrounding

mental health could change to make it
easier for men to get their heads round.
Rather than talking about your emotions,
put the question to your friend in a
practical way: “I’m worried I’m drinking
too much. What sort of steps do you
think I should take to address it?”

GREEN In some instances, if your friend

isn’t suffering from anything similar, they
can’t understand, which is when you’re
met with, “Come on man, pull yourself
together.” That’s not helpful, but you can’t
hold it against someone if they haven’t
been in that situation. It doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t ask for help; all you’ve done
is asked the wrong person.

ASHWORTH When I was growing up, my

dad was an alcoholic. He was a working-
class man from Salford and didn’t want
to ask for help. Alcohol was how he dealt
with mental health pressures in his life.
It’s not just about asking the individual The MH Self-Help Manifesto #2
to take responsibility for themselves, but You don’t need to put yourself under as much
asking where they can turn to. pressure at work, or have a flawless physique
by next summer. Set smaller, manageable
HATTON My partner at the time only tasks and reward yourself when completed.
noticed I was unwell after my first defeat.
I was a “Jack the Lad” who loved a pint
with my mates and refused to seek help.
She didn’t know how I would react if
she told people I wasn’t the same man
anymore. She had a bad time of it because
the person she loved was ill and she
didn’t know what to do.

MH A lot of people – 66% of men – told

us they feel lonely, especially when
socialising with friends, or even at work.

BUCKLEY This isn’t surprising. You can

go out with your mates on Saturday and
everyone will have their phone out rather
than interacting. We know that if you’re
feeling lonely, you are more likely to
develop mental health problems.
HATTON I always felt lonely, but I was
never alone. I had loads of mates. It
just depended on what mood I woke
up in. I still see a psychiatrist today for
depression. We all have bad days.
MH We know that a lack of interest
in everyday experiences is a sign of
depression. Our survey found that 67%
of men admit they never feel excited. Is
this something that you can relate to?
GREEN Yes. I’d achieved most of what
I wanted to and was aware that I should
be over the moon, but inside I wasn’t
happy. I couldn’t talk about it because I
thought I’d seem ungrateful. And I wasn’t,
I just couldn’t find happiness in anything.
Now I’m much more self-aware. If I ever
sense that feeling coming on, I know I
need to make some changes in my life.
MH Stephen, as someone who works in
mental health, what particularly stood
out to you from our survey findings?

BUCKLEY It was really interesting to see

80 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

The MH Self-Help Manifesto #3
Tell someone – a partner, a friend, a parent
– how you’re feeling. Do it tonight. Have a
drink, if you like, but get it done. At some
point or another, they’ve felt the same way.
OUR MENTAL HEALTH PANEL
DECONSTRUCTED THE
STATS – AND THESE GREAT
MINDS THINK ALIKE
The MH Self-Help Manifesto #4
Make plans to see a friend and stick to
them. Then make more plans and stick to
those. Get fit together. Talk to one another
and celebrate how much better you feel.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
#MendTheGap
the number of men who said they were
self-conscious about their bodies, and
how many spoke about overeating. That’s
traditionally something that we associate
with women’s mental health. It’s not
well understood in men, at all. I think
the figure you’ve found should give us
all pause for thought. I’d be interested in
investigating that further; there’s very
little credible research on it.
GORDON I think when it comes to issues
such as that, men’s self-esteem is sort of
written off. Men feeling badly about their
bodies isn’t seen as being as important as
a woman feeling funny about her figure,
but it’s the same thing.
ASHWORTH Initiatives like this one are
crucial, and there’s a responsibility on
myself and other MPs to respond to the
very serious needs we’ve identified.
Government ministers have spoken about
mental health provision being a burning
injustice that needs to be put right.
I don’t think they’re going far enough.
But we are realising that all parties have
neglected mental health and we need
to do something about it.
MH What could someone do tomorrow
to improve their mental health?
GORDON There’s this amazing guy called
Chevy Rough. He’s a movement and
mindfulness coach who suffers from
depression and is very inspirational. Watch
his videos on Instagram [@chasing19]
and you’ll realise it’s totally fine to speak
out. I also find running until I look like
I’ve been caught in the glare of a nuclear
bomb really helps me.
GREEN If I was speaking to a mate, I’d
tell them to consciously make better
decisions. Building a routine into your
life can help. I know that if I go to bed
at a decent time, I’ll wake up and exercise
and eat properly – and I’ll feel 100 times
better. It sounds obvious, but it makes
such a difference.
ASHWORTH I think we should ban the
words, “Just pull yourself together.” It’s
the worst piece of advice in the history of
the English language. We have to get rid of
this casual dismissal of people’s concerns
and encourage them to talk.
HATTON You need to admit that you have
a problem. Swallow the ego, or the macho
front, and just come out and say it.
MEN’S HEALTH 81
THE

MOVEMENT
 MOVEMENT
Valuing dynamism over brute strength, and animal agility over mirror
muscle, the ‘movement’ phenomenon has attracted enthusiasts from
Conor McGregor to Jason Statham. But while acolytes are fervent, many
remain sceptical of its purist credo. MH sought out the prime movers
redefining exercise to ask whether fitness fundamentalism truly has legs
WORDS BY JAMIE MILLAR – PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID ELLIS
A round seven
million years ago our ancestors came down
from the trees. Now, at 2pm on a Monday,
I’m turning back the clock and making
like an apeman. Hampstead Heath in
north London is hardly wild, but its 320
hectares of greenery are about as close
to nature as you can get in the capital’s
urban jungle. And anyway, so conditioned
am I to exercising in designated manmade
spaces, the simple act of climbing a tree
feels positively transgressive.
“You can develop a surprisingly strong
grip strength, not to mention get a good
workout for the shoulders and legs, from
climbing,” says my coach, Ben Medder,
one of the capital’s most respected new
‘movement coaches’. “Plus there’s more
variation than with a pull-up bar – every
tree can be climbed in different ways.”
Trees duly scaled, Medder then asks me
to move from my front to my back without
taking my hands and feet off the floor.
Quickly I realise this demands as much
mental agility as mobility in my shoulders
and hips. “There are whole courses that
you can take on simply rolling,” says
Medder, evidently enjoying my struggle
with this deceptively elemental task.
This is ‘movement’. What might sound
like a kid’s afternoon spent frolicking in
the woods is being advanced as a route
to improved dexterity, coordination and
range of motion. Researchers in Florida
have even linked ‘arboreal locomotion’
(yep, that’s tree-climbing) to improved
memory. And with our office-centric
lifestyles increasingly held responsible
for making us too stiff to function and
freezing our metabolisms, the movement
movement is gaining momentum.
As of January, the UK became the first
country officially to recognise parkour –
a close cousin of natural movement –
as a sport. In MMA, Israeli movement
specialist Ido Portal helped make Conor
McGregor a two-belt champion. At the
time of writing, #movement returned
about 3.6m hits on the cultural barometer
that is Instagram. Even MH has got in
84 MEN’S HEALTH
on the act with a new tailored training
app – Primal 9 – focusing on rudimental
exercises with minimal equipment.
In Medder’s view, climbing, rolling and
learning to move like a primate (or, for
that matter, a title-hungry Irish fighter)
are activities “that typified our evolution”.
Movement is a philosophy as much as
a methodology. It prizes
“THE MOVEMENT quality and variety over
quantity and velocity. It
PHILOSOPHY shuns all barbells and most
shoes. It is a throwback;
QUESTIONS NOT the workout equivalent of
ONLY HOW WE the paleo diet. At its most
fundamental, it questions
TRAIN BUT WHY” not only how we train but
why, and the very nature
of what it means to be human.
But, like paleo, it can also seem at once
entirely logical and, well, completely
nuts. That’s why I sought out the men
defining this most literal of movements
to find out whether rejecting decades of
sports-science research and taking cues
from the animals really is the future –
or simply another hypebeast.
THE ORIGINS OF MAN
Because of his hook-up with McGregor
and his Instagram-friendly feats such
as one-arm handstands, Ido Portal is for
many men the gateway into movement.
Appropriately, he’s also very hard to pin
down, eluding MH’s attempts to talk
to him, partly because of scheduling
clashes but also due to secrecy regarding
his methods and clients. (For the record,
Medder, who has studied under Portal,
describes him as, “a warm, encouraging
and cool guy”.) Nevertheless, Portal
is happy to share on social media and
his website, where he speaks about
establishing “a movement culture” to
facilitate “a cross-disciplinary exchange
of information between various types of
movers”. But of course.
In training videos on Portal’s YouTube
channel, McGregor can be seen walking
on all fours, fluidly dodging sticks or
balancing them on his feet as he rolls from
front to back. To some, it might seem just
a step away from wax-on-wax-off territory,
but if McGregor’s career trajectory is
anything to go by, it certainly appears to
be effective. ‘The Notorious’ has declared,
with characteristic modesty, that he’s no
longer a fighter; with Portal’s help he has
become “a master of movement”.
But the movement philosophy
hasn’t always been so fashionable,
nor coherent. Previously its various
disciplines were highly segregated, says
Mike Fitch, creator of Animal Flow, a
ground-based movement system that
cross-breeds elements of gymnastics,
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

parkour, Brazilian capoeira and even
breakdancing. With Animal Flow, you
might find yourself performing – or
attempting to perform – novel exercises
like ‘crab reach’ (a sort of arching back
bridge) or ‘lateral-travelling ape’ (jumping
sideways with your hands on the floor).
“Not so long ago, someone who had done
gymnastics would stay in gymnastics,”
he explains over coffee in east London’s
Ace Hotel. “Parkour was its own little
niche and a very tight community. But
over the past few years, multidisciplinary
approaches have started to evolve.”
Fatigued after a decade in the fitness
industry and constantly sore from getting
swole, Fitch had an epiphany at age 30.
He subsequently put down the weights
and picked up bodyweight training
INSTA–GAINS
Searching for
an easy way into
‘movement’?
These Instagram Ido Portal
gurus can help @portal.ido
you get started: Conor McGregor
title-maker,
409k followers
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CAN A NEW TWIST ON Animal Flow in this magazine in
TRAINING UNRAVEL YOUR 2013; it has since spawned many
BODY’S TRUE POTENTIAL? derivative ‘primal movement’
in all its myriad forms. “I was shit at
everything,” he admits. “I had very little
ability to work my body. But [movement
training] resonated with me right away
on such a deep level.”
A tall, broad-shouldered, blonde-
haired American, Fitch – like many
movement converts – talks of a spiritual
awakening as much as a physical one.
Gradually, he began to join the dots
between the separate disciplines.
“I noticed that they all used some form
of animal locomotion,” he says. “I started
figuring out how I could teach those
in order to improve the function of the
‘human animal’ – neural sequencing,
postural distortions, performance.
“Whether it’s nature or the human
body, everything has an ebb and a flow.
The extreme of exercise is running in one
direction as far as you can, or doing start-
Ross Edgley Kelly Starrett
@rossedgley @mobilitywod
Adventurer and The original
Primal 9 guru, mobility master,
211k followers 194k followers
THE MOVEMENT MOVEMENT
stop, fixed-axis lifts. The recoil is realising
that’s not how we’re designed to move.”
LEARNING THE ROPES
Relative to pursuits such as marathoning
or bodybuilding, movement culture
is still in its infancy. I first wrote about
classes at the likes of your local David
Lloyd and Virgin Active. But while it’s
infiltrated the gym, it hasn’t dominated
it: the weights room gorillas and treadmill
hamsters are for the most part unmoved.
Medder had his Damascene moment
while stagnating in a deskbound IT job
and flirting with the weights floor. Tired
of training for aesthetics, he tried martial
arts and parkour, before stumbling across
a video called ‘The Workout The World
Forgot’. Part Rocky montage, part Planet
Earth episode, it depicts a man running,
jumping, climbing and swimming
through a lush tropical landscape.
This latter-day Tarzan is Erwan Le
Corre, the mostly shirtless founder of
MovNat. Abbreviated from the French
phrase ‘mouvement naturel’, MovNat is
a coaching system that teaches techniques
for activities as haphazard as climbing
trees, plus jumping, swimming, carrying,
throwing, balancing, crawling, walking
and even breathing. Along with Portal,
the equally photogenic Le Corre is one
of the poster boys for movement culture.
“When I first discovered Erwan, he was
a complete unknown living in a Brazilian
forest town,” says author Christopher
McDougall, an American writer who
featured him in his 2013 book Natural
Born Heroes. “[Since then] his MovNat
system has been taught to astronauts and
special forces soldiers. He was even in
former UFC welterweight champ Carlos
Condit’s camp before his last title bout.”
McDougall has himself shifted the
movement needle. His 2009 bestseller
Born To Run popularised barefoot running
Mike Fitch Erwan Le Corre
@mikegbt @erwanlecorre
Animal Flow Wildman of
advocate, movement,
26k followers 5350 followers
MEN’S HEALTH 85

– and pushed yearly sales of Vibram Five
Fingers ‘shoes’ from $500,000 to $50m.
In Natural Born Heroes he argues that
humans need to reconnect with an earlier
form of movement. “The specialisation
we enjoy today, be it as a marathoner,
tennis player, even a triathlete, is a luxury
of modern society,” he says, quoting
kinesiology professor Dr E Paul Zehr. “It
doesn’t have great survival value for homo
sapiens in the wild. You never see your dog
running nonstop around in a circle for an
hour... he’ll chase something, roll around,
sprint, rest, mix things up. Animal play
has a purpose, and it’s not hard to surmise
that human play should as well.”
According to McDougall, “it was our
remarkable range of movement that
enabled us to thrive, manoeuvre across
any terrain, and spread to every corner of
the planet.” The irony is that, in doing so,
we eliminated any need to move.
“Our language is really a language
of reclaiming the natural capacity of
the human being,” says Dr Kelly Starrett,
author of another mobility bible,
Becoming A Supple Leopard. “The leopard
can attack and defend at full capacity
instantly, whereas the average person has
to do things like warm up, activate their
glutes and mobilise their thoracic spine,”
he explains, with the characteristic
loftiness of a movement aficionado.
“That’s not how it’s supposed to be.”
STREET-WALKING CHEETAH
Not everyone is convinced by Starrett
and Portal’s animal allusions, or
programmes that at first glance rely more
on recapturing childhood freedoms than
tried and tested fitness regimens. Bret
86 MEN’S HEALTH
OWN GOALS
ACL injury occurrences
Side-lining mobility
in your training
plan can seriously
impact sporting
performance,
with knee-injury
benched players
costing the
Premier League
£50m last season
11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17
alone. We line up
Season
the numbers
Contreras, an unrepentantly evidence-
based trainer (see p114), has published
a comprehensive movement takedown
called How To Be A Functional Movement
Guru In 40 Easy Steps. While he does
not name names, and admits that “there
are indeed some credible and valuable
functional movement experts out there”,
it isn’t a stretch to envision who was at
the forefront of his mind when he wrote,
“Pseudoscience is much
more profitable these days…
Imagine a world with no
scientific boundaries, where
anything you think up
in your head can be played
off as factual, regardless of
whether or not the idea holds
merit in real life. Imagine
building a strong, cult-like
following and getting paid to spout
off jibber-jabber all day long.”
Elsewhere, former USA Weightlifting
medical chair Dr Brendan Murray has
attributed an increase in injuries to the
extreme ‘knees out’ technique seen in
some weightlifters, CrossFitters and
those mimicking some of the movement
culture’s teachings. Another common
criticism is that, by setting benchmarks
for human biomechanics and an ‘ideal’
way of moving, Starrett et al are ignoring
individual variance and genetics.
Arguably, such criticisms could be
levelled at almost any widely adopted
fitness programme. The fact remains
TRAINING FOR FUN, that our daily lives are less
NOT JUST FORM, IS KEY active than they’ve ever been,
TO MOVEMENT CULTURE
and when we do move, it’s
in increasingly demanding ways. For
instance, where we were once content to sit
on pec decks and leg presses, the growing
popularity of Olympic lifting, CrossFit
and MMA has shown up our movement
deficiencies. Even if Starrett isn’t the
messiah, at least he has initiated the
conversation about how to prevent injuries
17
16
instead of waiting for them to happen.
Modern athletes might be faster and
15
stronger than ever, but, crucially, they’re
14
not tougher. The American Orthopaedic
13
Society for Sports Medicine has diagnosed
12 a rise in overuse injuries in younger
11 athletes that used to be the preserve
10 of old pros, while the University of
09 Wisconsin found that high school athletes
specialising in a single sport are twice
more likely to sustain frequent injuries as
those engaging in a wider range. According
GROOMING: BRADY LEA AT STELLA CREATIVE ARTISTS | MODEL: FARID HERRERAR, MOVEMENT AND PARKOUR COACH | CLOTHING SPORTS DIRECT
to a recent BBC report, ACL injuries in the
English Premier League are at “epidemic
levels”. Whatever the solution, it’s clear
a change of pace is needed.
STANDING STRONG
Natural movement may well prove the
tonic for many of the problems associated
with modern training, but no one is
arguing that it’s a substitute for tried-
and-tested strength and conditioning.
“Pilates and yoga are great for movement,
but you can’t hold them up as complete
systems unless you’re also doing heavy
lifting and hard running,” says Starrett,
“ANIMAL PLAY who has worked with Olympic gold
HAS A PURPOSE. medallists, military personnel and Jason
Statham. “But I’ll take the parkour mover
IT’S NATURAL over the guy who can squat 200kg any
THAT HUMAN PLAY day, because when you ask the freestyle
athlete to deadlift, they’re going to be
SHOULD, TOO” safer, stronger and more powerful.
Movement comes first.”
While its proponents might get
stick for the tree-hugging mantras and
occasional detour into mystic vocabulary,
the truth is it’s difficult to pick holes in
natural movement. The things that it
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 THE MOVEMENT MOVEMENT

entails – running, jumping, climbing,

crawling – are obviously, incontrovertibly
beneficial. If there’s a flaw, it’s perhaps
the overzealousness that also leads
passionate CrossFitters, cyclists and
yogis to forsake other forms of training.
Medder, for his part, still performs squats
and deadlifts in the gym. Only he does
them less frequently than he used to,
04/ Muscle
and as an addition to his natural regime.
Working upper
A WELL BALANCED “Some might take ‘natural’ to
and lower limbs PLAN WILL CURB mean ‘best’, which isn’t what
together recruits YOUR INJURY RISK
I believe,” he says. “I’m happy to
more muscle
UNIFIED than if worked
leave that debate to others; just getting on
APPROACH separately.
with doing, moving and experiencing is
more important to me than who is right.”
Practising natural Med & Science in
At the movement movement’s heart
movement has Sports & Exercise
is an overwhelming feeling that in our
measurable total-
narrow-minded pursuit of sporting
body benefits,
triumph, we’ve lost sight of play. And the
as this research
obsession with performance at the cost of
demonstrates
all else doesn’t just apply to elite athletes.
“This is my biggest
issue with
contemporary
gym culture,” says Starrett.
“We’ve forgotten why we [started going]
in the first place: to refine skills and
develop strength so that we could express
that somewhere else. My wife and I are
hiking, running, swimming, paddling,
biking. We’re playing more.”
Meanwhile, Rafe Kelley, trainer and
founder of Evolve Move Play, makes a
distinction between play, which is for its
own reward, and training, which is a means
to an end. Natural movement can be both
play or training. And while the former
may sound frivolous, Kelley believes it is
nature’s way of getting us to do useful stuff:
01/ Immunity hence why kids run, climb and fight. It is
Two hours in 03/ Memory not coincidental that the phrase ‘working
nature – say Tree climbing, out’ literally prescribes something entirely
an odd-object running barefoot opposite. To borrow Kelley’s analogy, if
session in the or navigating natural movement is a wholefood, then
park – boosts over obstacles exercise is a supplement. If you have
immune cell boosts working ambitious goals, you might need to take
activity by as memory by 50%. more supps. But they shouldn’t represent
much as 50%. 02/ Resilience University of the majority of your diet.
Nippon Medical Athletes who North Florida Back on Hampstead Heath, Medder
School, Tokyo train in multiple
and I spot some saplings and engage in an
sports are 85%
impromptu game of ‘The Floor Is Lava’,
less likely to
climbing between them while keeping
suffer injuries to
off the ground. Toward the end of the
the lower body.
session, we do some ‘roughhousing’:
American
standing palms-to-palms and trying
Orthopaedic
to push each other off balance. When
Society
I eventually retrieve my phone from his
backpack, I’m astonished to see that I’ve
been training for four hours. Then again,
such is the joy of discovering natural
movement for the first time, I realise that
I really haven’t been training at all.

MENS
ME NSSHE
HEAL
ALTH
ALT .C
.CO.
COO.
O.UK
UKK MEN’S HEALTH 87
M
 How ToBecome An

Urban
Hunter
Gatherer
Penned in by office blocks and spoonfed on
supermarket staples, modern man has lost his
ancestral instincts. Instead, he relies on a diet
that is putting him at very real nutritional
risk. Fight back with our guide to combining
your inner Neanderthal with 21st-century
intelligence, from foraging in the urban
wilderness to hunting down the choicest cuts
– all without foregoing your creature comforts
WORDS BY TOM BANHAM – PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROWAN FEE & STEVE RYAN

88 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

Hunter Gatherer – (Noun) A modern human for whom harvesting and harnessing quality sustenance is about thriving, not surviving
 Urban Hunter Gatherer

The Neon-Lit Heading Natural

to the gym?
Neanderthal Remedies
Ambling blearily down Our body’s ability to break
the Tesco Metro chilled Of course Not today down alcohol has been helping
aisle forms the modern us make the most of fermented
man’s hunting pattern. What’s But fitness fruits for 10 million years. But, by
But frantic urban life is your goal? Yes is important, forgoing chemical preservatives,
messing with your brain’s right? more primal ‘natural wines’
dopamine receptors, skip the headache for a crisper
leading you to crave junk morning after. Isabelle Legeron,
food. Next time the need Cut Bulk Not so founder of the Raw Wine fair,
for quick calories threatens much offers her pick of the bunch
to override common
sense, use this flow chart What are
to help you hunt and your plans
gather according to your tonight?
body’s nutritional needs

Work Netflix 01 \ Simple pleasures

Yes
You are... No
Hunter Gatherer
Even if you’re not a strict
adherent to dietary dogma,
as a regular gym-goer, you
most likely enjoy a balanced
approach to health. Venison
– with 30g of protein per 150
calories – will help target your
fat-burning goals while also
building muscle mass. And
whether you’ve trained today
or not, white potatoes (full of
high-GI carbs) will help your
body soak up more of that
protein, helping you get ready
for tomorrow’s session. To
finish, roast some cauliflower;
it’s packed with vitamins to
safeguard long-term health
if you do let training slide.
Do you drinks
sometimes
slip up?
Sure?
You are...
Hunter
You hunt down calories to
fuel growth, but it may not
always be the most nutritious
fare. A sirloin covers all bases
– indulgent, rich in healthy
protein and fats and packed
with creatine, to speed up
muscle synthesis (no more
messing about with chicken
breasts). Round out your
plate with brown rice for slow-
release energy, and leeks for
micronuritents. According
to researchers, they’re a rich
source of kaempferol, a heart-
protective, anti-inflammatory
painkiller. In other words: your
hangover’s worst enemy.
& chill
You are...
Gatherer
Whether you’re piling the
trolley high in an attempt to
bulk up – or just cushioning
your Narcos obsession –
you’re in danger of amassing
organ-restricting visceral fat.
Tuna should be your go-to.
Just one tin packs in 80% of
your protein RDA, meaning
you get a lot of lean, muscle-
building bang for your buck.
For carbs, choose polenta
with added protein to curb
your Monster Munch cravings.
Finish it off with fibrous red
cabbage. According to Cell
journal, pairing protein with
high-fibre foods makes you
feel fuller, faster, so you won’t
hit the fridge mid-episode.
Commercial brands sterilise their
wine, but the only measures that come
between producer Craig Hawkins’ vines
and his wine are picking, pressing and
patience. That means more natural
yeasts, which help you absorb essential
minerals like immunity-boosting zinc.
Testalonga El Bandito
Sweet Cheeks
£25 agwines.co.uk
02 \ Green juice
This Austrian vineyard has been
certified by Demeter – a status a notch
above organic, so you can’t get much
more Neanderthal than that. The wine
picks up ellagic acid from ageing in oak
barrels, which a study in the Journal of
Nutritional Biochemistry found slows
the growth of fat cells. So, no chin-chin.
Timotheus Gut Oggau
£31 buonvino.co.uk

Ice Dietary
Cycles 12 Whole chicken Evolution
Before shopping 11 03 \ Vine and dine
trolleys replaced 10 Due to environmental factors, Chile’s natural wine pioneer works with
spears, raw meat your ancestors took in more
09 Chicken breast protein, fibre and iron than 300-year-old vines. Its time-tested reds
could not afford to 08 are bursting with polyphenols, which
you. Make these swaps to dial
Months

be wasted. Your 07 feed gut bacteria, helping to regulate

ancestors salted and it up without going full paleo
buried their kill; we 06 heart health, weight and immunity,
05 Homo sapien Homo superior according to a study from the American
stick it in the freezer. Cheese Goat’s milk
Use our guide to find 04 Pork chops Society for Nutrition. Bottoms up.
03 Fish fingers Smoked haddock
out how long your Minced beef Clos Ouvert Pipeño
protein will survive 02 Cornflakes Supergrain cereal £18 buonvino.co.uk
Tuna steak
a sub-zero spell 01 Saucisson MH beef jerky
Dark chocolate Organic honey

90 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK


Uncommon
Markets
Over half of the UK’s food is grown
abroad, which means much of
what we eat is out of season.
Your local food market holds
the solution. With a range of
deep-rooted health benefits, these
picks from nutritionist Daniel
O’Shaughnessy (bodhimaya.com)
will sow the seeds of a smarter diet
01\
Jerusalem
artichoke
Though neither an
artichoke nor native
to Jerusalem, this
tuber (prevalent from
October to February)
is an under-the-radar
superfood. “They’re
full of prebiotics,”
says O’Shaughnessy.
“The good bacteria
in your gut feed
off these to grow.”
Roast your ’choke
with lemon to bolster
any Sunday joint.
£4.95 per kg finefood
specialist.co.uk
02\
Galangal
It might look like
ginger, but this
FOOD STYLISTS: MATTHEW FORD, JACK SARGESON | ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY, ALAMY, HEARST STUDIOS
root has a piney
palate. As well
as curbing
inflammation,
it’s also known to
reduce your risk of
certain cancers. In
Southeast Asia, it’s
often served grated
in curries, but if that
sounds like too much
prep, combine it
with lemongrass
and turmeric for an
anti-cancer brew.
£1.49 for 50g healthy
supplies.co.uk
03\
Bitter melon
Available from
summer into early
autumn, this stir-fry
staple is a versatile
addition to your
pantry. Better still,
it contains more
muscle function-
enhancing potassium
than a banana. But
it earns its moniker;
remember to parboil
before cooking to
make its medicine
easier to swallow.
£8.99 for 400g
thaifoodonline.co.uk
04\
Purple yam
Instagrammers are
serving purple yam
in everything
from cannolis
to cakes, but
its effects on
your health can
be just as likeable.
Researchers have
linked the Japanese
tuber’s antioxidants
to longevity. Mash it
with coconut milk
and cinnamon for
a colourful carb.
£2.99 for four
waitrose.com
05\
Romanesco
Half vegetable, half
optical illusion (its
buds form ‘fractals’
or repeating spirals)
the romanesco’s
nutritional appeal is
nevertheless easy to
understand. Similar
to your common or
garden brassica, the
veg is packed with
iron for energy and
vit K for disease-
proofing. Look for
bright green florets,
then steam and
dunk in ice water to
preserve goodness.
£2.50 for two
waitrose.com
 Urban Hunter Gatherer

Cook Sunday For the week

• Gammon joint, 3kg
• A carrot, peeled
Whole Hog – Immunity-Boosting Roast
Once, Eat and sliced
• An onion, peeled
and sliced

All Week • Celery stick, sliced

• Spinach, 75g
• A cabbage, sliced
While you may have • Bay leaves
• Cloves, handful
Deliveroo on speed Method
dial, chasing down Not only will this form
dinner used to be a the basis of a week’s
worth of food, it’ll also
mammoth task boost your immune
for your forebears. system, keeping you
in fighting shape until
That’s why they knew Friday rolls around.
exactly how to make Boil the joint and veg
the most of it. Follow in a large pan for an
hour, then drain the
their lead with these liquid into a bowl.
feast-all-week roast Onions and spinach
are packed with vit C,
gammon recipes from which also helps you
nutrition consultant absorb the meat’s iron.
Rhiannon Lambert Set the veg aside, dot
the rind with cloves
and roast at 200°C
until the fat is golden.

The gammon has 600% The antioxidant

of your zinc RDA, quercetin, found in
for supporting spinach, has been
white blood cells linked to endurance

Monday Tuesday
Blends With Benefits – Protein Punch Pea Soup Solid Foundation – Bone-Guarding Ham Sandwich

100g of pork packs Feta contains

27g of muscle- plentiful phosphorus
sustaining protein, to maintain strong
or 48% of your RDA teeth and enamel

A serving of peas Magnesium in pork

packs 5g extra stimulates a hormone
protein, alongside that directs calcium
fibre for satiety to your bones

Serves 2 Method Serves 1 Method

• An onion, sliced If you ask us, peas to maintain muscle • Hovis soft white A dedicated training the sliced gammon,
• Celery stick, are an over-looked mass following the bread, 2 slices ethic requires a solid meanwhile, form
sliced powerhouse. Not only first session of the • Gammon slices, 2 frame. This simple a vital foundation
• A carrot, sliced are they packed with week. Fry the veg • Feta cheese, 30g sandwich provides for cell growth (and
• Split peas, ½ can fibre, they also form then add the peas and • Salad leaves, just that. Feta boasts it’s an upgrade on
• Veg stock, 50ml one of the best plant- stock. Boil, cool and handful half of your daily any processed ham).
• Cream, ½tbsp based sources of blend. Add the cream • A tomato, sliced requirement of bone- Layer it all up then
• Gammon, 100g, protein. Paired with and gammon, then • Coleman’s mustard, protecting calcium dig in an hour before
cubed gammon, you’ll round simmer and serve. to taste alongside healthy fats you lace up for a
out all of the essential for joint protection. tough session.
amino acids needed The amino acids from

92 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 Wednesday Thursday
Hump Day Over Easy – Upgraded Breakfast Eggs Round Up Recovery – Post-Gym Cowboy Beans

Eggs are rich in Copper in the beans

choline, a nutrient is an antioxidant,
critical to efficient limiting post-gym
brain functioning stress on the body

Per calorie, kale Tomatoes’ thiamine

has more energising helps to protect
iron than beef – so your nerves from
no more 3pm slumps wear and tear

Serves 1 Method Serves 2 Method

• Roast gammon, By combining two of ability to stop you • A red onion, diced As well as balancing and onions – their
2 slices the most nutritionally burning out before • A red pepper, diced blood sugar, lima phytonutrients will
• An egg beneficial foods, this lunch. While the eggs • A green pepper, beans are a great help to speed muscle
• Kale, handful midweek breakfast cook, warm your diced source of manganese recovery – then add
• Paprika, pinch will help you shake gammon in a pan and • Olive oil, ½tbsp (essential for energy the gammon and
• Olive oil, 1tsp off fatigue and push stir-fry the kale with • Gammon, 100g, regulation) and have beans. Heat through,
through to freedom. anti-inflammatory shredded been found to lower stir in a spoonful of
Not only will egg yolks paprika. Plate it up, dig • Lima beans, can your risk of a heart sauce, and serve.
help fight your winter in, then stride toward • BBQ sauce, 1tbsp attack. Start by frying
vit D deficiency, the the weekend. the sliced peppers
copper in kale aids
immune function and
bolsters cognitive

Friday Saturday
Balanced Approach – Energising Pub Garden Salad Gut Decision – Probiotic Gammon and Pea Risotto

Pectin, a soluble Onions are packed

fibre found in most with prebiotics,
vegetables, reduces smoothing your
blood sugar spikes digestive process

Courgettes are a Gelatine in the

rich source of vegetable stock
potassium which builds and repairs
regulates energy your gut lining

Serves 1 Method Serves 2 Method

• Quinoa, handful A quick drink (or two) potatoes include • Arborio rice, 200g Your last supper is stock, adding the
• Shredded gammon, at lunch on a Friday three different kinds • Vegetable stock, certainly not the least gammon, onion and
100g is a working man’s of starch, which are 200ml important. By loading peas five minutes
• Mixed seeds, 1tsp right. The post-pub broken down at • Gammon leftovers, up on fibre you’ll fuel before serving.
• Courgette, ½, sliced crash, however, can varying rates to avoid shredded beneficial bacteria Clean your plate and
• Sweet potato, ½, make the slow wait overloading your • An onion, chopped in your gut, to stave consider yourself fit
sliced until 5pm difficult to system. Roast the • Frozen peas, 100g off everything from to hunt down next
stomach. By balancing veg then mix with fatigue to joint pain. week’s meal plan.
your blood sugar, this the other ingredients As the starchiest
salad will keep your for a bowl that won’t form of rice, arborio
energy constant, even have you struggling provides plenty of
if your concentration come crunch time. sustenance. Cook the
is lagging. Sweet rice in the vegetable

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 93

 A Cut
Above
Trading in supermarket
steaks for the knowledge
of your local butcher can
help you scavenge more
nutrients from a range
of modern-day beasts.
To teach you the worth
of adding the whole lot to
the pot, our expert panel
explains why the best cut
is often the cheapest
01\
Beef in sheep’s
clothing
“Mutton cannon is cut
from the loin and has
the flavour of a beef
fillet,” says Anna
Jordan from butchers
Field & Flower. It’s
cost is closer to that
of a chicken breast
– only you’ll get twice
as much energy-
lifting iron, making it
a reliable midweek
lunch alternative.
03\
Raise the steaks
Tucked above the
diaphragm, onglet
(AKA hanger steak)
has all the flavour of
sirloin with just half
the saturated fat, not
to mention 24g of
protein per average
steak. “Onglet is
incredibly lean, so
perfect for any fat
loss plan,” says Tim
Wilson, founder of
The Ginger Pig.
04\
Cheek to cheek
Not just up-market
restaurant fare, ox
cheek has at-home
health benefits, too.
It’s low in calories but
high in protein and
B vitamins. Plus, the
gelatine found in the
cheek’s fat content
is proven to improve
sleep quality. Jordan
advises slow-cooking
it in a stew – then
eat well before
turning in early.

05\
Offally good
02\ “From kidneys and
Holy order heart to tripe, it’s a
Once relegated to the mistake to overlook
mincing bin, marbled offal,” says Wilson.
popeseye steak is not Organ meats are rich
only toothsome, but in vitamin A, which
incredibly tender, says fights infection and
Butchery LTD founder is thought to prevent
Nathan Mills. The neurodegenerative
fat in grass-fed cows disorders. A cow
is mostly heart-healthy kidney has 500% of
conjugated linoleic your RDA of vit B12,
acid, which is also vital for transporting
linked to increased oxygen. Braise in
muscle mass and a pie for seasonal
reduced body fat. sustenance.

9 S S CO U

Cradle To
The Grave
Modern agriculture,
sedentary lives and
the 99p McDonald’s
cheeseburger have
revolutionised our
dietary habits. And not
for the better. Here’s
how our diets have
changed – and what
they should look like –
from the cradle of
civilisation to the high
mortality rates of the
modern mega city
01\
The Neanderthal diet
20%
veggie
80% meat
According to data in the journal
American Family Physician
02\
Modern Western diet
35% fat
50% carbs
15%
protein
The Journal of Human Evolution
and Quaternary International
03\
The ideal diet
25% fat
15%
60% carbs protein
*THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
According to information from
BBC Health Nutrition
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
Urban Hunter Gatherer
01\ Nettle result
The Inner 04\ The roar diet
Stinging nettles are good for
more than just painfully reliving
City Foraging To the forager, dandelions are no
weed – at least part of the plant
your childhood memories. When
heated, the formic acid-filled
Guide offers something all year, says
Rensten. In autumn and winter,
Your nomadic ancestors
barbs shrivel up and the leaves ranged far and wide in the roots boast antioxidants that
become a sting-free treat. search of survival, but soothe circulatory issues; in
Look for young, green stalks with a little bit of ancient spring and summer, the leaves
and pick from the middle. Boil insight, you needn’t take are full of nutrients that cut your
for tea, or fry the leaves whole to the wildlands north risk of cardiovascular disease.
in tempura batter for a dose of of the M25 to hunt down Drink the former in tea and stir
dinner. John Rensten,
heart-protecting quercetin. forager and author of the latter into soups and stews,
Find it “Parks, dog-walking The Edible City, in place of your usual greens.
routes and back gardens” explains how Find it “Absolutely everywhere,
including your back garden”
02\ In your corner 03\ Shell out
If you can smell garlic, it’s If you can beat the 05\ King of thorns
squirrels, hazelnuts are
probably three-cornered leek, Consider this your pluckable
says Rensten. Look for its white packed with healthy statin. Hawthorn has been
flowers in park plant borders fats, which boost brain linked to a reduction in
from November to January. The function. Pick the nuts heart disease risk. The
sulphurous compounds that give when they’re still a bit red berries appear
it its smell also lower cholesterol. green; you can identify on the trees that ring
Double-down by blitzing into a hazel bush by its Highbury Fields. Look
pesto with heart healthy olive oil. bright, almost-round for leaves with points
Find it “It loves to grow in leaves. They’re best like an arrow’s feathers.
community gardens, and picked this month. Find it “On the edge of
especially old church yards” Find it “Most city parks city woodlands”
and woodlands. Start
with Hampstead Heath”
Imported 100%
90%
Green beans
Lose up to 77% of
Goods 80% Spinach their vit C when
Nutritional Integrity
Not only might Loses up to stored for one week
70%
sourcing your food 90% of its
locally – just like your 60% vitamin C 24 Carrots
ancestors – save the 50% hours after Peas Two weeks’
economy £2.1bn a being picked Lose half of
L refrigeration
40%
year*, but the fresher total nutrients results in a 10%
your produce, the 30% decrease in
a week after
better it is for you. We 20% beta-carotene
outline the average being picked
10%
nutritional changes
to your daily staples: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
Time Before Cooking (Days)
Germ “Whichever grains
you choose to sprout,
(ination) always rinse them
in cold water first,
then decant into a
Warfare jar and seal it with
a cheesecloth,” says
Millet
Allowing your grains
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is packed
Spelt
“Sprouting spelt
With nutrient profiles Barnard. “After about to sprout for up to with flavonoids rutin, reduces indigestible
diminishing as shelf a week boosts levels orientin and vitexin, phytic acid,” says
12 hours, drain the
of tryptophan, a a trio that protect Barnard, while leaving
lives lengthen, a self- water, rinse the grains
precursor of happy against everything plenty of recovery-
sufficient approach is and refill. Do the
hormone serotonin. from cancer to ageing, boosting magnesium.
smart. Nick Barnard, same after another
Mix your millet with the Journal of Food Heat in a pan with
co-founder of Rude 12 hours, and repeat
the process until figs and cinnamon Science and Tech, savoy cabbage, lamb
Health, recommends you see white shoots. for a blood sugar- reports. Cook with and onion for a tasty
you start by sprouting When that happens, balancing porridge. wild rice, hazelnuts post-hunt rejuvenator.
your own grains they’re ready to use £2.49 for 1kg and garlic for a pre- £2.49 for 500g
in everything from healthysupplies.co.uk trail run carb cushion. hollandandbarrett.com
salads to stews.” £1.90 for 500g
tesco.com
MEN’S HEALTH 95
GREAT SCOT
01\ During his 9-5,
Lorne Coulthart
works for Scottish
Hydro Electric; at the
Games, the hammer-
swinging giant
generates power of
a very different kind
 KINGS
IN
THE
NORTH
For the past 150 years, in a small villag
edge of the Cairngorms, the Aboyne Highla
turning boys into men and men into warrio
e on the eastern
nd Games has been
rs. But while
the athletes who
tradition continues to be strictly upheld,
ent beginnings
compete for honours hail from very differ
WORDS BY DAN MASOLIVER – PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHIE HOPSON

raig Sinclair hinges at the hips and rests
the thick, 80kg timber trunk against his
collarbone, nestling it between neck and
shoulder. Clamping his prodigious hands
around the log, he interlocks his fingers
tightly and, bending at the knees, quickly
slides his hands down and underneath
the pole, lifting it off the ground in
a single, powerful, fluid motion.
As one, the thousands-strong crowd
takes a sharp intake of breath as Sinclair
rises to his full 6ft 5in stature, the 6m
column teetering precariously above his
head. As it wobbles, the native Highlander
takes a correctional step backwards and
another to the side before launching into
a sprint – at least, as close to a sprint as
an 145kg behemoth balancing an ex-tree
is able to muster.
Approaching top speed, and with the
pole starting to lean forwards, Sinclair
suddenly stops dead, drops into a squat
and hurls it high and explosively into the
air, his roar temporarily drowning out the
drone of a nearby troupe of bagpipers.
Upended, the top of the trunk lands with
a thud on the grass – as high and straight
as a flagpole – before toppling away from
its ejector. The spectators enthusiastically
applaud the successful tossing of the
caber, which Sinclair, breathing heavily,
acknowledges with a single, raised hand.
BATTLE LINES
Observed from the rolling conifer-lined
hills that border the small Aberdeenshire
village of Aboyne, this scene is a familiar
one. The Aboyne Games is one of the
oldest and most venerated of its kind.
As one of dozens of global Highland
Games, it forms part of an ancient series
of cultural-cum-competitive events
that take place in this arresting region
of northern Scotland throughout the
summer months.
From Ballater to Braemar, Lonach to
Lochearnhead, each of the Games are
divided – just as they always have been
– into four distinct categories. There are
the dancing events, in which “bonnie wee
lassies” don their finest Highland dress
to perform traditional, regional routines.
There are the piping events, responsible
98 MEN’S HEALTH
02
for the relentless murmur of bagpipes
that soundtrack the Games’ proceedings.
There are the light events, which include
the long jump and the 100-yard dash.
And then there’s the main draw: the
Heavies. Kilt-clad and invariably giants
among men, the Heavies spend the course
of the day attempting to outdo each
other by throwing variously sized and
shaped objects as high and as far as they
can. Their motivation is not for the prize
money, which is token at best. Nor is it
for the small replica stag-antlered trophy.
It is all for the glory.
Sinclair is one such giant. For the past
14 years he has planned his life around
training for – and competing in – the
Highland Games. “When I was younger,
in the winter I would train in the gym
for two to three hours, up to four times
a week. Squats, cleans, bench press –
big compound lifts. Then during the
summer I would throw for hours a night,”
he says, the tightly buckled weightlifting
belt around his waist making his 03
considerable, top-loaded mass even more
pronounced. Now, for the 31-year-old
from Banchory, a mere Highland stone’s
toss from where we stand, pursuit of glory
comes at the expense of any semblance
of social life. Working full-time as a joiner,
he must make do with a couple of hours
of throwing each evening.
CLASH OF CLANS
Throwing is the name of the game in
the Heavy events. Stone orbs are putted;
unwieldy tree trunks are tossed; lumps
of iron with ringed handles are hurled
overhead for height; meanwhile, the Scots
Hammer – a long wooden stick topped
with a 22lb steel ball – is swung and flung
for distance. These events have remained
unadulterated throughout the centuries-
long history of the Highland Games. In
fact, apart from the Nike rugby boots
and compression base layers now worn
by competitors, a Highland chieftain
from the 19th century might discern
little difference in the look and feel of
today’s proceedings. 05
Aboyne native Murray Brown is the
convenor of the Heavies, whose job it
is to oversee goings-on and officiate.
Wearing full, formal Highland dress –
black gillie brogues, a kilt of red, green
and gold, leather sporran hanging from
his belt and a sgian-dubh dagger tucked 04
into his long woollen socks – Brown was
a Heavy himself between the early ’70s
and late ’90s. Having famously (at least
05 HIGHLAND GAMES

TEST OF
STRENGTH
02-04\ Once upon
a time, the Highland
Games pitted rival
clans against each
other to find the
strongest men north
of the English border.
Today, competitors
travel from across
the globe. From top:
Vladislav Tulacek of
the Czech Republic,
England’s Scott
Rider and Scotland’s
Craig Sinclair
05-07\ The Aboyne
Games’ Heavies have “The throwing events are all about
remained unchanged
for 150 years. The
tossing of the caber,
warriors, manhood – about finding
which must topple
end-over-end, is the
the strongest men in the community”
day’s high point
04
06 07

in these parts) beaten Commonwealth

Games gold medallist and World’s
Strongest Man hero Geoff Capes in 
the hammer, Brown has attended
the Aboyne Games in almost every
one of his 61 years.
“Nothing much has altered in the
Games over the years,” he agrees, with
a Deeside accent as thick as the white
moustache adorning his upper lip.
“Going way back, the throwing events
were all about warriors, about manhood,
about finding the strongest men in the
community. It still is today. And people
still wear their own tartan, or the clan
tartan that they’re entitled to wear.”
Then, as he scans the field, something

MEN’S HEALTH 99
 08

“It’s a competition DAYS OF

that has authenticity, FUTURE PAST
08\ Lukasz Wenta
credibility and history” hurls a 56lb ball of iron
09\ For hammer
throws, athletes must
keep both feet on the
ground, so screw
spikes to the soles
of their work boots
10-14\ Heavy events
convenor Murray
Brown measures a
mark in the shot put;
the Games’ 150th
anniversary draws
crowds of spectators
15\ Scott Rider tries
– and fails – to toss
an oversized Douglas
Fir caber, dedicated
by the Queen

catches Brown’s eye. His mouth

09 10
flickers into a broad, gap-toothed grin.
“Though if you look at that kilt there,
it’s a bit short. It’s verging on a mini-
kilt,” he chuckles, pointing over to
the towering, shaven-headed figure
of Vladislav Tulacek.

NEW TERRITORY
Whereas most of his rivals’ kilts hang
modestly below their knees, Tulacek’s
reaches but halfway down his thighs –
a fact that owes more to the sheer size of
the man than a risqué dress sense. Once
a promising shot putter and member of
the Czech national track and field team,
the 6ft 7in strength coach from Prague has
travelled over especially for the occasion.
In fact, he plans to participate in eight
Highland Games competitions across
Scotland before his flight home in 10
days’ time. The commute from Prague has
forced him to be selective about which
Games he attends over a season that runs
between late May and early September.
Some things do change, it would
seem. Growing up in Eastern Europe,
Tulacek hadn’t even heard of the Games
until a friend told him about them two
years ago. Nowadays, he’s a convert, and
quite possibly the only man in Prague
with a caber in his back garden. After
his athletics career stuttered to a halt in
his mid-twenties, Tulacek was attracted
by the chance to continue competing in
a familiar event. Now it’s becoming an
increasingly common theme: three of the
seven-strong field of Heavy athletes are
former international shot putters. Along
with Tulacek of the Czech Republic, these
include Lukasz Wenta of Poland and
England’s Scott Rider.
With victory in the 58lb weight for
distance, another in the 58lb weight over
bar, a successfully tossed caber and high
placings in all the other events, Rider
will eventually emerge as today’s overall
winner. Bearded, barrel-chested and with
legs as thick as any caber, Rider was first
a bobsledder, representing Great Britain
in the 2002 Winter Olympics, before
becoming a shot putter, representing 11
England at three Commonwealth Games.
These days, the 39-year-old is a PE teacher
in Dartford during term-time, and one

12
100 MEN’S HEALTH S CO U
 13
14
of the world’s foremost Highland Games
Heavies over the summer holidays.
“There just happened to be a Games
down in London and they needed
competitors,” recalls Rider of his first
foray into the sport, now more than
a decade ago. “They asked if I wanted
to come along and try it, so I said yes.
I had a couple of good events right off the
bat thanks to my shot put background.
And, of course, we got paid for it, too,
which was a big draw.”
SPOILS OF WAR
It’s true that some of the international
Highland Games events, taking place
anywhere from North America to
Australia, will cover competitors’ travel
and accommodation costs – sometimes
even offering a flat fee to top athletes to
take part. But the Aboyne Games is a little
more low-key. Cash prizes are awarded for
every event, ranging from £10 for a sixth
place finish to £120 for a win in a marquee
event. Rider will take home roughly £520
for his exploits today – not bad for a day’s
work, admittedly, but not especially
lucrative given the hundreds of hours
training required to make the grade.
“The competitive aspect is the most
important thing for me,” insists Rider.
“I take part all over the world in front of
S CO U
15
crowds of thousands. It’s good fun. It’s
a competition that has an authenticity,
a credibility, a history. OK, we’re not
pretending that we’re the world’s best
athletes, but the Highland Games has its
challenges, for sure. A lot of guys have
come to this sport from track and field
over the years with mixed results. There
are a lot of unpredictable elements and
a lot of adjustments to be made – I mean,
the stones we’re throwing today are huge.
You never know what you’re going to get,
but that’s part of the charm.”
Not everyone shares this unequivocally
sunny outlook, however. With only four
Scots in today’s competition – only one
of whom is under the age of 25 – many
fear for the Heavy events’ future. “It’s
a sport that, in Scotland at least, is sadly
starting to die out,” laments Sinclair,
whose foreboding size belies a gentle
disposition. “There just aren’t that many
young Scottish guys taking it up.”
HIGHLAND GAMES
Sinclair’s fear is that the Games to
which he has devoted his entire life’s
training could end up being relegated
to little more than a themed attraction
for visiting tourists. Indeed, there is
widespread concern that what was
originally a quest to find the strongest
warrior in the land could end up only
as a quaint picture adorning the lid
of a souvenir shortbread tin.
Nevertheless, he remains upbeat.
“Today’s Games might be close to home for
me, but last weekend I was up at Falkirk,”
he says. “I left home in Banchory at 6.30 in
the morning and wasn’t back until 11. I’ll
do 28 Games this season. And why? Simply
for the love of the sport.” He glances over
at the runners running, the pipers piping
and the dancers dancing. “I’ve been doing
this for 14 years. What will it look like in
another 14 years? Exactly the same.”
MEN’S HEALTH 101
 THE MH
STYLE EDIT
ACCESSORIES

The
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Where matters of style are concerned, it’s the
little things that count. Wherever you’re headed,
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY MAKARIOU | STYLING BY ERIC DOWN

THE URBANE
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---
Watch £700 and bracelet
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Wallet £115 Daks
THE SHARP
OPERATOR
We can’t promise this slick
9-5 kit will earn you a raise of
its own accord, but you’ll be
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off deals with a flourish. The
perfect partners for your
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---
Belt £125 Daks
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Watch £3420 and tie clip
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Pen £65 Links of London

S CO U S 03
 THE ERUDITE
TRAVELLER
For any global gadabout, these
road-worthy touches will
ensure you’re at the departure
gate on time and sail through
security with well-ordered
papers. The folksy bijouterie
might just be for show, but says
‘worldly nomad’ at a glance.
---
Sunglasses £116 and watch
£289 both Emporio Armani
Travel Wallet £115 Daks
Bracelet £150 Links of London
Necklace £320 Gucci

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0 S S CO U
 THE MH
STYLE EDIT
ACCESSORIES

THE LOW-KEY
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---
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wallet £190 Montblanc
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both Links of London
Bangle £115 Emporio Armani

S CO U S 05
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S CO
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OO..UK MEN’S HEALTH 109
PT / 11.2017
A A
NEW!
FORM MASTERCLASS #1

STAND UP
AND PUSH B
B

YOURSELF
Beloved of the Instafit
crowd, the handstand
press-up is for more than
just show-boating. Use it
to build strong shoulders, 01
LOADED WRIST EXTENSION
02
PIKE PRESS-UP
a solid core, defined tris
and, yes, earn a few new 3 SETS OF 15 PULSES 5 SETS OF 5 REPS
Start by preparing your wrists to With your wrists noticeably stronger,
followers. Nail the move withstand your bodyweight. On all fours, improve your press by strengthening
with our five-part plan fingers facing away from you, lock your your triceps. With your feet on a box
arms straight (A). Lean forwards as far as and hands splayed, position your hips
you can, while keeping your palms flat on up and over your shoulders (A). Lean
the floor (B). Hold for five seconds before forward,, bendingg your y arms to bringg
rocking back to the start position. Once yourr ffaccce too thee grooun
o nd ((B)
B). Holdd for
f
all 15 reps are complete, shake your wrists onne seco
secoond
ondd bef
b fore
fore pusshing
sshi
hing baack
ackk up.
out, rest for 30 seconds and repeat. Reestt for
f r a minute
m
miiinutte bbeetw
tween
weenn sets.
setts.
PERFECT THE
PROGRESSIONS
Don’t kick up without doing
the groundwork first. Start
by practising wrist extensions, A
before progressing through
all of the moves, right, and
mastering the handstand last.
They will condition the small
stabiliser muscles needed for
the full move. Nothing worth
posting comes easy B

03
PSEUDO PLANCHE PRESS-UP
04
FACE
ACCE-TO
CCEE-
E TO-WALL
TO-WA
TO-
-WALL
ALLL HAN
HHANDSTAND
ANDS
DSTAN
STAN
ND
ND
5 SETS OF 5 REPS 5 SETS
ETSS OF
SETS OF 30
0 SECOND
30-
30-S ND HOLDS
SECCON
SEC
CONND HOOLDS
OLDDS
Next, turn your focus to your shoulders. Finna
nally,
lllly, yyou
ou neeed
ed too get
geet cooomfo
mfo
fo
fortable
orta
tabl
able
bl
EXPERT Alex Nino Improve stability at the joint by shifting in a handstand position before adding
EXPERIENCE The most emphasis to your front delts. Starting in the press. With your hands on the floor
flexible man on Instagram, an upright plank with your hands facing 30cm away from a wall, walk your feet
gymnastics specialist Nino out, shoulder blades wide, lean forward up into a handstand position with your
has the technique to help until your hands are under your hips (A). glutes and abs tight and back rounded
you execute impressive Perform a press-up, bending your elbows to create a ‘hollow body’ position. Tense
inversions with grace to bring your chest just above the floor your shoulders and triceps and hold for
CONTACT @_alexnino_ (B). Press up. Rest a minute between sets. 30 seconds. Rest one minute; repeat.

110 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 THE HANDSTAND PRESS-UP

MASTER THE
EXECUTION
Having strengthened all of the
muscles needed to perform
the handstand press-up, be
confident as you approach the PHASE 1
wall for the full rep. Dedicate
10 minutes at the start of each HANDSTAND HOLD
workout to practising the move. Start by holding the position
You’ll soon be the envy of the you mastered in the last of
average gym-goer. Good luck your progression moves. Grip
the floor tightly with your
hands shoulder-width. Keep
your legs straight as you kick
MODELS | TRACK PANTS REEBOK.CO.UK, TRAINERS NIKE.COM

your heels up to touch the wall.

Create a stable core by pulling
your belly in and tensing your
glutes. For added stability,
squeeze your elbows in, too.
C STOPHER WH HITLOW AT ANDI
WHITLOW PETERRS’ MODELS
A PETERS’
PETE

PHASE 2 PHASE 3
MODDEL CHRISTOPHER

BEND YOUR ARMS PRESS BACK UP

CHRIS

To avoid losing balance, When preparing to press up,

OFEI MODEL:

tense your abs when lowering focus on pushing the ground

your body to help support away from you by ‘screwing’
ABENAA OFEI

your lower back; this will help your hands like you’re trying
you avoid collapsing into a to open a jar. Keep your core
ING AABEN

banana shape. At the bottom tight and exhale, pushing

STYLING:

you should be able to touch until your arms are straight.

MOTA | STYL

the floor with your forehead Congratulations: you’ve just

ANA MOTA

or nose. Hold tight here – nailed one of the hardest

you’ve nearly made it. moves on the gym floor.
HAYNES | GROOMING:
HILIP HAYNES
PHILIP
RAPHHY PH
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | PHOTOGRAPHY: GGROOM SUSANA
MING SUSA

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 111

 PT / 11.2017
20 7 E WELL, SAVE TIME
EAT

POWER
O SAUCE
S U #19
#
MICROWAVE MUSCLE MEAL #233 TIME TOO MAKE Y WILL NEED…
YOU
6MIN For the pizza
F i a
• A wholemeal pitta
TAKE A DIP
CALORIES
O S
570
• Mozzarella, 20g
• Spinachh lleavess
TOO REFUELL

Grabbingg a slice of the ggood stuff ff

T PROTEIN
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50G
• Red pepper, ¼
• Chorizo slices,, 3
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IN A FLASH
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Switch sugary
g y barbeccue
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CARBSS • Sundried
d d toms,, heap of garlic and herrb,
needn’t bury y your
y body y goals.
g 667G 100g, chopped and add an extra 8g off
With our quick pitta pizza, y you’lll • Olive oil, 1tbsp protein
i to y your pizza
i a
• Tomato
T puree, 1tspp
takeawayy nothingg but muscle • Dried basil, 1tsp p
• Garlic powder, 1tsp p
• Salt and pepper
p pp r

Load 2tbsp of 0% fat Greek

yyoghurt into a serving bowll
PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS | FOOD STYLIST: TAMARA VOS | IMAGE MANIPULATION: PETER CROWTHER
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | THANKS TO GRAEME TOMLINSON FITNESSCHEF.UK, @THEFITNESSCHEF_

2 %
20%
THE RED PEPPER
Mix in 1tbsp each of garlic
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0 0 0
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14
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2

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122
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4
4

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10
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6
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8 8 8

0 3
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Only fools
f shun bread. Wholegrain
g Once toasted, thinly spread a fifth
ff Place the pitta in the microwave
pitta boasts the B vit thiamine, of your sauce to cover the pitta on the highest
g settingg ffor about
which boosts protein metabolism and store what’s leftf in a sealed 45 seconds. When it dings, open
T PERFECT
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f increased muscle growth. Save
for c
container in the ffridge. Now get the door to find
f your toppings
PIZZA PARTNER
time and lightly toast your pitta c
creative and add the rest off your sizzling and the pitta crispy. Dig
Serve in a pot by the side
while mixing the tomato sauce toppings. Go a bit Pollock iff you’re in for
fo tthee moreish
o e s Italian
t refeed
efeed
of your
y slice for more
ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. f
feeling experimental. your muscles have been craving..
muscle-building goodness

M
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO K MEN’S HEALTH 113
1 3
PT / 11.20177

T BIG GLUTES WORKOUTT

THE

O S
SO
T is not
This
O
n t an arms session. Your glutes
g
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those?) are the body’s
y strongest
g muscles, but sittingg
down all day y renders them useless. Revive yours
y
to banish back pain and ggain strength
g that carries
over to everyy exercise. Put your
y backside into itt
02
02A
0A
01A

02
02B

0B
01B

03A
3A
PRIME TIME
Before going arse-to-grass in
the weights room, you need to
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
Q T
02
1
1-LEG HIP THRUSTT
undo the damage from all that
desk time. Renowned fitness 2 ROUNDS
OU S OOF 12 EACH SSIDE 2 ROUNDS, 12 EACH
coach Bret ‘The Glute Guy’ Working your quads as well as Set up with your arms
Contreras advises starting off your g
glutes develops strength g across
c oss a be
benchc and d feet in ffront
o t
with this bodyweight circuit to a stability in your legs. Begin
and f
– one on the floor, , one raised
mobilise the muscles from all with your back foot on a bench (A).
(A) Working
k g one legl g at a time
SHORTS AND TRAINERS ADIDAS.CO.UK

angles and build a solid base and the other ffoot out in ffront h lp to d
helps develop
l pppower evenly ly
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES

of strength. Perform it twice (A Keeping

(A). g your back straight,
g in b
bothh glutes,
l stopping one
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS

through, with no rest between sink until your back knee nearly side doing the bulk off the work.
exercises and 60 seconds’ rest t
touches g
the ground (B),, before Drive your
y hips
p up p until yyour
between rounds. Some of the p
pushingg back up. Do 12 reps on back is pparallel to the ffloor (B).
B)
moves might look strange, but one leg, swap sides, then move Lower
L to the
h starting g position.
at home there’s no one to judge s
straight on to the hip thrusts. Do
D 12 eachh side,
d then
h move on.

1 MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO UK
U
 WAKE UP YOUR FORGOTTEN MUSCLE

THE SPEC
S
M S S
MUSCLES
TTARGETED
G

WORKOUTT

05B 20
MIN
N
0
04B
R
RESULTS IN
N
2
WEEKSS
LEVEL
0 A
04A
MED
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03B
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0
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OU S OF
O 30 REPSS 2 ROUNDS
OU S OF
O 200 EACH SIDE
S
Take this one lying down. While Working in a higher rep range PPerforming
f lateral moves will
squatting g neglects
g the top halff boosts yyour mind-to-muscle eensure you’re engaging
g g g the h
g
of your glutes, in this position connection, making subsequent wwhole muscle. Prop p yyourselff
they’re
t fforced to work. Lie on lower-body moves easier. Lie on uup on one elbow,
lb withh your legs
l g
GROOMING: SUSANA MOTA | STYLING:
ABENA OFEI | MODEL: CHRISTOPHER

y
your side
d withh your
y knees
k b
bent the floor
f facing
f up with feet
f off the end. Keep your top leg
WHITLOW AT ANDI PETERS’ MODELS

a d support your upper b

and body
d together
g and knees wide (A).
( ) sstraight,
h theh otherh bent
b (A).
(A)
o one elbow
on lb (A).
(A) Pushh through
h h With your arms bent and triceps FFlex your foot,
f turn your toes
your
y bottom knee to raise yyour p
pressed against the floor, thrust iin and raise your leg high (B).(B)
b
body, f g the top knee
while lifting up into a bridge
g and squeeze B
Bonus: these bodyweight g g glutes
as
a hhigh
gh as possible (B). Lower
bl (B) y glutes tightly at the top (B).
your B moves willll also
m l improve
p posture.
p
b
backk to the
h starting position. Don’t cringe, no one’s watching.... Go back
b c fofor the
t e second
seco d round.
ou d.

M S
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO UK
U MEN’SS HEALTH 1155
PT / 11.20177

EEXPERT Bret Contreras

EXPERIENCE
E CE With
t a PhD in
sports
sp science and a repp
as
a the
h world’s
ld premier
glutes
gl gguru, Contreras is
your
y key point off reference
f
to
t unlock
l k yyour llower bbody
dy
CO
CONTACTT bretcontreras.com
@bretcontreras1 0B
01B

03A
3A

0 A
02A

03B
0A
01A

0
02B

O
O F 01
BARBELL HIP THRUSTT
02
WALKING LUNGE
3
ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
With your glutes reactivated,
iit’s time to load up. “The glutes 3 SETS
S S OF
O 12 REPSS 3 SETS
S S OF
O 200 STEPS
S S 3 SETS
S S OF
O 8 REPSS
SHORTS REEBOK.CO.UK, TRAINERS NEWBALANCE.CO.UK

rrespond well to heavy weights, Start

S by
b holding
h ld a barbell
b b ll across Holding g a set of dumbbells by To see your deadlift max weight g
so use progressive overload in y hips,
your h llegs bbent and
d upper y sides, take a long
your g stride, sshoot up, focus on engaging
g g g
yyour workouts,” says Contreras. b k resting
back g on a bench
b h (A).
(A) leaningg forward slightly
g as you yyour glutes with these Romanian
IIn other
h words,d push h it to the
h KKeep your chin h tucked
k d in as you go down (A).A) You should feel f ddeads. With a bar on the floor,
f
llimit, everyy time. Goingg heavy
h y ddrive the
h b bar up, so your bbody
d is y glutes
your l hb
stretch, but d
don’t bbendd to grasp it at shoulder
h ld
w g
with glutes-focused compound pparallel
ll l to the
h gground,d and knees r l As yyou llower, think
relax. h k about
b wwidth. Keep just a slight
g bend
mmoves such as the deadlift and aat a right
h angle l (B).
(B) Keeping your c
contracting g the
h muscle l to power iin your
y knees and push p your
y hips p
squat will see your lifting
f PBs kknees bent stops your hamstrings b k up. Alternate
back l bbetween your bback to feel a stretch in your
rrise across the board. Rest ffor ffrom taking the load, so your r g and left
right f legg on each rep (B).
B) gglutes (A)
(A then squeeze
q them as
990 seconds d bbetween sets. Trust gglutes remain under constant Navigating
N g g the h stairs may prove yyou lift the bar (B).
B) Lower it to
us – you’re going to need d it ttension. Do 12, rest and repeat.
p challenging
ch ll tomorrow.. hhalfway then go g into rep two.

1 MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO UK
U
 WAKE UP YOUR FORGOTTEN MUSCLE

THE SPEC
S
M S S
MUSCLES
TTARGETED
G

WORKOUTT
05B 455N
MIN
R S S IN
RESULTS N
3
WEEKSS
LEVEL
0
04A HARD
D

05
05A

0
BARBELL FRONT SQUAT
Q
0
BACK EXTENSION
N
3 SSETSS OOF 6 REPSS 3 SSETSS OOF 30 REPSS
Holding the barbell across your With your quads flat on the pad,
upper chest, stand tall, keeping g hangg your upper body over the
your elbows pointing g forward edge (A).) To take the strain off
(A).
A) Don’t llet them
h drop
d as you y lower back and target your
your
0
04B sinkk into a squat.
q Go as ddeep p as gl
glutes, kkeep your upper bbackk
possible,
bl while
h l kkeepingg your r
rounded. Come up, squeezing g
torso upright
gh (B) – this
h willll hhelp
lp y glutes
your g at the top (B).
(B) Lower
i
improve b l in your llower
mobility s
slowly. The work will be worth it
b
body. Hold ffor one count at the w
when you see your weights
g ggo
b
bottom before
f pushingg up. The u each week. It might
up g be best
r count is llow, so go hheavy.
rep to take the lift tomorrow, though..

M S
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO UK
U MEN’SS HEALTH 117
 PT / 11.2017 MOBILITY MATRIX

FREE UP NEW SHOULDER STRENGTH

Shoulder mobility is notoriously poor in white collar workers and it stunts your gym
progress. Whether you’re pressing overhead or pulling from the floor, choose from
these pre-workout moves to prime yourself. Improved performance is within reach NEW!
EXPERT
GRIP STRENGGTHH
Tom Bliss is a rugby
player turned PT T. He
He’ss
made smart prep p his B
mission. @tombllissfit
ft B

01 02
DEAD HANG
BOTTOMS UP
KETTLEBELL PRESSSS 3 SETS OF
3 SETS OF 8 REPS 30 SECONDS
EACH SIDE Hanging from a bar
m
might appear easy, but
Preload shoulders
holding this position
with a lighter weight
decoompresses
de o your spine,
before heavier pressing.g Sett
g.
s retching your lats, and
st
up in a lunge position and d,
d,
shoulders for better
with the opposite arm to
staa
s ability during overhead
your lunged leg, hold a light
lig
ghtt
ght
moo
moves. Jump up and grip
kettlebell bottom facinng up
ontt a pull-up bar (A). As
ont
onto
at 90 degrees (A). Withh A
you
yoou hang, draw in your abs
ou
your other arm out, push
too create
crr a slight posterior
the kettlebell overhead,
d,
tilt at your pelvis (B).
keeping your elbow tigghtt
g A
D POWER

Aim to build-up to
and biceps close to yourur earr
60-second holds.
(B). Reverse the move..
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYYNES | GROOMING: SUSANA MOTA | STYLING: ABENA OFEI | MODEL: CHRISSTOPHER

POSTURE
OVERHEAD

04
O

ELEVATED
ELEV
EELE
LEVA
EVVAATTTED
EDD
DOOOWN
DOWNWARD
DDOWNWN NW
N WARRD
WARRD DOG
DOGG
3 SSETS
SET
ETTTS OFF 6 REPS
REPPS
REPPS
WHITLOW AT ANDI PETERS’ MODELS | TRACK PANTS REEBOOK.CO.UK, TRAINERS NEWBALANCE.CO.UKK

Thhis ppllacces
T
This ces a g greate
rea ere looad
oadd
oonn you
youuur ssho ouuuld
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d s, fo
foor
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upp
uppper-
p
perer---ba
er baack
ackk momobility. y. With
obilityy.
obility Withh
03
HELICOPTER
HE
ELIICO
ELIICOOPT
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PTE
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your
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hands
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Liee fa
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wn with
t a pad
pad
Feeeel it in youuur laatsa ?
underneath the top half of
Exccelle
c ent e t.t
your chest and hold two
1.25kg plates in front with
your arms elevated slightly
(A). Pull your scapula back
and bring the plates to your
sides, ensuring they don’t A
touch the floor (B). Slowly
reverse. This will offset
your desk-job hunch, too.

SCAPULAA HEALTHH
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 119
PT / 11..2017

STEADY FOOOTING
O
Withh the
W t path to success
uccess a
GEAR CHANGE
G #21
2 bumpy
buum one, you require
somm
me decent cushioning.
hi
hioning.

B OR hee Speedgoat
The
base b
mult
S

lt
lug
ugs
2’s

ugs, so gripping
’s wide
boaasts high-traction,
action,
directional rubber
ltid ubber
ing and

S
Stay on track when training off-road
Hok
won’t b
Hook
n on tricky
twistinng

oka One On
£130
30
One
ky terrain
be a sticking
king point.
O Speedgoat 2
0 hokaoneone.eu
hokaoneone.eu

w gear that can navigate mid-run

with
r
refuels and high winds.
Because trails needn’t
m
mean tribulations

HEEAD
ADFFOR
ORTTHE
H HIL
ILLSS
In these darker months, a
late-afternoon return leg will
surely get murky. Illuminating
the path 100m ahead, this SSOOCK
OCCKK IT TO PAAIN
run-specific head torch will Your football socks
s simply
see you home safely. You won’t cut
c it if you’re after
can’t slow down just because reliable calf compression.
no one’s around to clock Stop muscle soreness and
your speed, after all. blisters in their tracks
Petzl Actik Head Torch by opting for a pair with
£40 ellis-brigham.com targeted padded zones
for problem areas. They’ll
increase stability, to boot.
Cep Run Socks 2.0
£40 cepsports.co.uk

THE LLO
LONG
ON
NG HAUL
HAUL
If a couple of hours on the
trails is a mere warm-up for
you, multiday events beckon.
A standard rucksack won’t
last in the long run, though,
so invest in one that is
specifically made larger than
most and just as ready for
the extra miles as you are.
Montane Via Dragon 20
£130 montane.co.uk

1 MEN’S HEALTHH
120 MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 LAST THE DISTANCE

EEND YOOUR
UR DRY
RY SPPEELLL
C
Chafing can stop the fittest
oof trail veterans in their
ttracks. This balm glides on
llike a deodorant, moisturising
ssensitive areas to ensure your
ccardio comes without undue
ffriction. And it’s a whole lot
eeasier to re-apply mid-run
tthan a fistful of Vaseline.
g
Bodyglide
B Anti Chafef Balm
£11 ffor 42g amazon.co.uk
£

WEAT
WE AATHE
HER AM
HE MBIITI
MBITTION
ON
NS
Too stay high and
T an dry on the
hills, pack a triple-threat
windbreaker
windbrea that’s water-
repellent, fast-wicking
f and well
ven
ventilated. With your app
pred
predicting blue skies at 10am
but storms by lunchtime, you’ll
be braced for all outcomes.
Icebreaker Cool-Lite
Incline Windbreaker
£140 icebreaker.com
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS

EASY ENERGY
For a PB-breaking
NAV SA
SAVV
VVYY trail mix, combine
Trail running is not the
time for a bit of inventive 40g cashews, walnuts,
navigation. Preview your pumpkin seeds, plus
route before setting out and 60g cherries and
check your remaining ascent
on the Spartan Trainer to
raisins
avoid mid-trail motivation
slumps – or taxis home.
Suunto Spartan Trainer
Wrist HR Black
£219 suunto.com

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 121

 PT / 11.2017 STACKED LUNCH

NEW! SPICY TOFU AND THAI BLACK RICE SALAD

MEAL PREP HERO #1 Split this high-protein recipe into five batches to power your training

ADD SOME FUEL

INGREDIENTS METHOD
1/ Feta, 250g 490 Step 1 To shorten cooking time,
2/ Tofu, 1kg Kcal rinse and soak the rice first.
3/ Peanuts, 65g Two cups of water for one cup

TO YOUR FIRE
4/ Raisins, 65g of rice will serve you well. Cook
5/ Chia seeds, 125g for 20min in a saucepan until
6/ Thai black 27g it has a fluffy texture.
rice, 250g Fat Step 2 Don’t wait while the rice
7/ Beetroot, 500g cooks: soak the tofu (a complete
Prep for five days’ worth of fitness food For the marinade protein source) in the marinade
without breaking a sweat. Our hot Thai 8/ Garlic, 20g
9/ Cinnamon, 5g
32g before grilling in a pan for 3-4min
until each side is golden brown.
Carbs
batch salad covers all your body’s needs 10/ Turmeric, 5g
11/ Soy sauce, 20g
Step 3 Chop the feta and
beetroot, mix the rice with the
12/ Red wine marinade,, then top p with the tofu.
vinegar, 20g
13/ Chili pepper, 110g
g
32gg Separate into five Tupperware
containers and store in the
th
Protein
fridge.
ridge. A job very well done.
don

FRUIT
UIT AND NUT MUSCL
MUSCLE MMIX
P Tupperware:
Per T 25
25g
Pre-workout peanuts
peanu
and
nd raisins dish
di up
salts for hydr
hydratio
hydration
and sugars ffor
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | RECIPE BY ELITE SPORTS NUTRITIONIST MATT LOVELL AMINOMAN.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS | FOOD STYLIST: TAMARA VOS

easyy energy.
energ
g
01

SOW SEEDS
EEDSS FOR REPAIR
REP
Per Tupperware:
upperware:
perware: 25 25g
Chia seeds
eeds are rich in POWER-PUSHING
OWER-PUSHING RIRICE
aa-33 fats,
omega-3 fats promoting Per T
P Tupperware: 50g
50
post-gym
gym m repair, while
whil provi
Rice and beets provide
ng the tofu’s protein
helping ote n crucial
cial carbs for sta
stamin
stamina,
02 reach your muscles faster. hile their polyphenols
while polypheno
polyph
are shown to aid mobility
mobili
lif
for those tough lifts.

03 05 07 09 11

04 06 08 10 12 13

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 123

 THE UPSIDE DOWN PT / 11.2017

NEW! 03
THE MH FINISHER #1 02 TURN IT AROUND
For the handstand, place

HOLD FIRM TO 01
LIFT OFF
WEIGHTED WALKS
Take big steps forward
and ensure you are stood
your palms 10in from the
wall, fingers splayed. Kick
up until both feet meet

END STRONG
The first in our new series of finisher
Your time starts now.
Straddle a sandbag that
weighs 60-80% of your
bodyweight, then hinge
your hips and squat to
tall with your shoulders
back and core braced –
this will stop your spine
rounding and the bag
the wall. Point your toes,
squeeze your thighs and
push away from the floor.
Hold as long as you can,
then rest until 2min is up.
slipping. Focus on taking
moves, THE UPSIDE DOWN fuses grip it, keeping your back deep breaths. Done 50m? Struggling? See p110 to
a strongman carry with gymnastics flat. Extend your hips to
stand tall with you glutes
Hinge at your hips to put supplement your strength.
the bag down, then rest
to shock both arms and shoulders tight and your shoulders until the clock hits 1min.
pulled back and down.
Now start walking.
THE FORMAT:
Set a timer for 10min and follow
an EMOM (every minute on the
minute) structure. So, for all even
minutes, carry a sandbag for 50m,
then rest until the 60sec are up.
For odds, hold a wall handstand
to failure. Allow us to explain...

WHITLOW AT ANDI PETERS’ MODELS | TRACK PANTS UNDERARMOUR.CO.UK, TRAINERS ASICS.COM | YOUARENOTYOURGYMMEMBERSHIP.COM
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS | PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES | GROOMING: SUSANA MOTA | STYLING: ABENA OFEI | MODEL: CHRISTOPHER

THE TASKMASTER
Name: Andrew Tracey
Expertise: Tracey is the king of
devising workouts when you’re
short on time and equipment. The
gym isn’t the end-all, you know.
Contact: @theandrew.tracey

124 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 EDITED BY ERIC DOWN & SHANE C KURUP
INSTANT UPGRADE
Fight
The
Cold Fashion’s flirtation
with the military is
both longstanding and
MODEL: TOM HOLLAND AT AMCK | BACKGROUND IMAGE: GETTY | ALLSAINTS.COM, HM.COM, KENTANDCURWEN.COM
ongoing. From plain white
T-shirts to trusty beige
War
War might be good for
chinos, much of what
hangs in our wardrobes
today has its roots on
the battlefield. Now that
the colder months are
upon is, it’s the turn of the
absolutely nothing, to greatcoat to join the front.
paraphrase a song, but Broad and double-
it’s a handy source of breasted, the greatcoat
gets its name not from
inspiration when it comes the World War in which it
to upgrading your was standard issue, but
from its size and weight.
wardrobe this winter These didn’t just keep
soldiers warm; they made
PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLLIE GROVE them look hench, too.
STYLING BY ERIC DOWN But that bulkiness also
WORDS BY CILLIAN O’CONNORR
made the first greatcoats
unwieldy: throw one of
these on today and you’d
make fast enemies of
your fellow commuters.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO £1200
COAT
KENT & CURWEN N
SSHIRT £80
80 JJUMPER
£80 AND SSHOESS £140
AALL ERDEM X H&M
JEANS £9898 ALLSAINTS
S S
Thankfully, Kent &
Curwen, the Brit heritage
brand David Beckham
has helped to revive, is
breathing new life into
the military staple this
season. Based on a WWI
officer’s coat, but cut
slimmer, this update can
be your wardrobe’s new
secret weapon.
“What’s great about
Kent & Curwen’s take is
the attention to military
detailing: the brass crest
buttons, epaulettes and
stately lapels,” says Tony
Cook of online designer
retailer Farfetch. “It
offers the durability
of army surplus stock
without sacrificing
a sleek silhouette.”
Time to change your
outerwear battle plan.
MEN’S HEALTH 129
 WRIST ASSESSMENT

Revival Of
The Fittest
Nostalgia, they say, is the enemy of progress.
e
ess.
nturing
t
But when retro looks as good as this, venturing
es
estment.
back in time can be an inspirational investment.
This is our pick of 2017’s most relevant
nt reissues

01
O
Origins Story
Remember er when Christopher
Many of the windows at this Walkenen presents ‘The Gold
Watch’
tc to a young Butch in
tch’
year’s Swiss trade fairs were Pulpp Fiction? This is a direct
bursting with Technicolor. s
scendant
descendant of that so-called
But for those unwilling to seek ‘trench
tr
trench watch’, featuring wire
out the end of the rainbow, attachments first pioneered by
the Tommies on the Western
the treasure was a selection Front in WWI. By soldering
of rose-tinted reissues lifted them to their pocket
from the archives of the most watches to free up their
storied watch brands. hands, they changed
the face of horology.
Nostalgia is clearly in thee air

ORIS.CH, OMEGAWATCHES.COM, RADO.COM, TAGHEUER.COM TISSOTWATCHES.COM, TUDORWATCH.COM

Tissot Heritage 1936
– the latest throwbacks range ange Mechanical £835
from pieces commemorating ating the
wristwatch’s post-war coming
of age to its early usee as a sports
timer. Of course, inn uncertain
economic times, it’s easy to view
-blanket tactics.
this as comfort-blanket
urniture and cars,
But as with furniture
horology’s mid-century period
was arguablyably its most proficient.
ertainly its coolest:
It’s certainly
“There’se’s a scent of hipster
ence,” says Philipp Man,
influence,”
thee youthful brain behind
online marketplace Chronext.
“That scene’s aesthetic is
rooted in vintage. But
there’s also a sense that
we’ve seen so many
design iterations that 03
chbrands have
watchbrands Investment
Inves
s ent Bond
d
In 195
1957
95 all threee of Omega’s
Om aa’s
Omega
gone tooo far. We have enduring
end
nd ‘Master’’ m
models
ode
an appetite forr the old were launched: the
w th Railmaster
02
stuff again, even if itt isn’t (its movement encased
e in anti-
The Future’s Orange magnetic iron);
on);
n Bond’s current
as faithful as some watchh First introduced in 1970, the choice, the S Seamaster (for the
snobs would like!” Chronoris was the debut ‘stop-
‘stop
op nascent Scuba
Sc community);
But slavish reproduction is seconds’ chronograph from m and thee ‘‘moonwatch’ itself, the
not the point. Good reissues dip ip Switzerland’s most democratic
democc Speedmaster.
dm
dmaster. Its looks may
watchmaker. Dressed withinwi be old-school,
ld but the insides
one toe into an illustrious past as
ast an ovoid case with racycy orange aree high tech – a shaken
while keeping the other foot ot accents, it had a groooo
groovy co
cocktail of anti-magnetic alloys
firmly forward. Blending both b design language that’s
thh riding and self-lubricating silicon.
iconic looks and modern rn chops, high again on thee back of the Omega Speedmaster
trend for all things
thin
in ’70s. Use 1957 Trilogy £16,000
s
st.
this is our retro wishlist.
the crown at fofour o’clock to
rotate the timing
tim ring, aligning ni
ning
the triangle
gle with either hand,
an
and,
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AGATA PEC then read
ad off the elapseded time.
WORDS BY ALEX
L
LEX DOAK Oris Ch
Chronoris Date £157015
1570

130 MEN’S HEALTH

AL
ALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
MEENS
M NSHHEEAL
EAALLTH.C
TTHH..CCOO..UUKK
 STYLE - 11/17

05
The Popular
ar Vote
When discussingng watershed
chronograph designs,
desig
signs, Omega’s a’s
Speedmaster, the Breitling
B
Navitimer and even H Heuer’s
Heuer’ r’s
own Monaco all comee to mind.
m
ACTION MAN DIVER £55 HARRODS.COM, PLANE £8 FOR SET OF 3 JOHNLEWIS.COM, BOND SPECTRE TWINPACK £39 CORGI.CO.UK

But connoisseurs will tell

tell you
te
the early-’60s Autavia was the
monochrome
original, sporty mon ome
groundbreaker. Last
La year, Tag
masterminded a fanf campaign, gn,
the Autavia Cu
Cup, to decide
which model tot revive. After
55,000 votes,
vote this is your prize.
Heuer Autavia
Tag Heue
04 Heuer-0
Heuer-02 £4000
Clas
Classic
assic Good Looks
as
Rado’s HyperChrome range
Ra
hhas
as become ‘hyper’ in more
ways than one, embracing all
manner of styles from retro
to futurist to cushion-shaped.
cushion-shaped d
This year’s 1962 reissue mix mixes
ix
things up further, but onlyy in
its nomenclature – in ter terms
er of
looks, this representss brazen
b 06
nostalgia at its best,, from
f the Partners In Time
deliberately patinat
patinated
at index Don’t be fooled by its name: e:
batons right downwn to the ‘ping’ while several motifs from
om
of the red date numerals.
n Tudor’s version of big-brother
ther
HyperChrome
Rado HyperCh Ch Rolex’s Submariner have been
Captain Coooo £1830
Cook retained, everything
ing else
about this ‘Heritage’
ge’ is new.
Most notably, thee in-house
automatic chronograph
on
onograph for
less than £4000,0 thanks to an
0,
open exchange
xc
xchange of tech
between
een Tudor and
Breitling.
g Civilised and
g.
extremely
mely
e rewarding.
Tudor
ud Heritage
udor
Black
ck Bay £3430

Winter
Warmer
Items that trigger
nostalgia are proven
to increase our
perception of
temperature

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
MENSHEEAL
ALTH
TH.CCO..UK MEN’S HEALT
HEALTH
LT 131
 GROOMING
01
CUTTING EDGE
“For a nick-free shave,
steep your razor in boiling
water to make it malleable,
then apply a thin layer of
moisturiser to your skin
ROLLERBALL PEN £350 MONTBLANC.COM,ENVELOPES £12, CARDS £22, WAFER NOTEBOOKES £35 FOR 2 AND PANAMA NOTEBOOKS £45 FOR 2 SMYTHSON.COM, SCISSORS £25 HAY AT AMARA.COM
before the foam”
Ruffians barbers
Smooth
Operator
With the razor market valued
at £11bn worldwide, it’s little
surprise that upstart brands
are moving in. MH sharpens up
on which blades are cutting it
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROWAN FEE
WORDS BY CILLIAN O’CONNOR
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
02
03
01
Clear-Cut Choice
To paraphrase a well-worn ad
slogan, Gillette is certainly the
best-known razor a man can get.
Which is not to say that this global
giant is resting on its laurels – its
new model is a shining example
of why Gillette has remained a
household name since 1901. What
sets the Fusion ProShield Chill apart
is its pairing of cooling lubricant
strips and a pivoting, five-blade
head. “It might be too bulky for
detailing, but this razor boasts an
exceedingly comfortable shave,”
says Denis Robinson, creative
director of Ruffians barber shop.
Gillette Fusion ProShield
Chill £12 boots.com
02
Barber Quality
Award-winning British brand
Cornerstone has come a long way
since it was established in 2014.
In fact, the latest razor from this
direct-to-consumer subscription
startup saw its number of
customers increase by more than
fivefold from 20,000 to 104,000
in just one year. “This razor’s
Japanese-tempered steel blades
are what distinguish it from its
competitors,” says Robinson. “It’s
the material used to make the best
hairdressing scissors and chef’s
knives. Consequently you have an
exceptionally durable blade.”
Cornerstone 6-Blade Razor £14
cornerstone.co.uk
STYLE - 11/17
03
Sporting Edge
Having just landed on these shores
with considerable panache, US
subscription brand Harry’s took
the unprecedented early step of
buying the German factory that
manufactures its Truman razor.
Crucially, this allows it to keep
prices low and the quality of its
craftsmanship high. “The Truman’s
five-blade construction guarantees
a full sweep and close shave,” says
Robinson, “while its vibrant colour
and rubberised handle give it a
sporty aesthetic.” Oh, and they’ll
ship a free bottle of foam or gel with
every razor. That’s sharp marketing.
Harry’s The Truman
£8 harrys.com
MEN’S HEALTH 133
 THE PORTFOLIO

£800 0 AM MI
JACKET £22500 AND
A ND
TROUSERS £52£5200
CERRUTII 1881
SWEATERR £31
£3155
RICHARD JAMES
J AME S
BOOTS ££222 0
GREENSON
E N SON

New
Wool
Order
From bold huess and tactile yarrns to exxprressivee typ pography, knitwear
has undergone a style metamoorphossiss for AW177. Buut taking these looks
from catwalk too bracing stroll requirees praacticaal consideration. Brave
the front with our guide to wrap pping up warm withoout losing your cool

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEO CACKETT | STYLING BY ERIC DOWN | WORDS BY SHANE C KURUP

134 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 S T Y L E - 1 1/1 7

JACKET £2680
LOUIS VUITTON
SWEATER £625
RICHARD JAMES
TROUSERS £860
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

Rooll Up
Rollnecks were a staple in the ’60s and ’70s and are now back in the style limelight once again – largely
due to the pique in interest with all things retro. But the versatility of this simple-yet-sleek design should
not be underestimated. “Rollnecks are a great alternative to a classic work shirt. You can wear a fine-gauge
style under a suit or with a blazer, while a chunkier knit removes the need to wear a tailored jacket in the
first place,” says David Aquilina, head of menswear at Harvey Nichols. “Layer up or go one size bigger to
tap into a bit of ’90s grunge – office rules permitting, naturally.” Our standout roll-up looks? Take a tip
from Steve McQueen in 1968’s Bullitt and pair a navy rollneck with a tailored Harris Tweed jacket, or for
something a bit more forward-thinking, layer a robust multi-hued ombré style under a hardy duffle coat.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 135

 THE PORTFOLIO

GROOMING: OSCAR ALEXANDER USING COSMETICS A LA CARTE & NANOGEN | MODEL: GRACIOUS OBIJI AT AMCK | PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: WILL MARSDEN | THE TEAM STAYED AT MHOR 84. FOR BOOKINGS CALL 01877 384646 OR GO TO MHOR.NET
COAT £449
TIGER OF SWEDEN
JACKET £240
OLIVER SPENCER
SWEATER £75
BEN SHERMAN
TROUSERS £775
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
SOCKS £7 SOCK SHOP
SHOES £500 BOSS

Th
he New-Age Tuck
When you think of ‘tucking in’ as a look, images of sepia-tinted shots of your granddad on holiday in
Bognor Regis circa 1951 – or, more recently, Simon Cowell – might spring to mind. But trust us when we
say that the tuck is coming back and when deployed intelligently, it can strike that perfect middle ground
between raffish and cool. “The key is not to make it look too contrived. If you’re going to do it, commit
to it and go full tuck,” says Daniel Todd, buyer at Mr Porter. “I was never a fan of the half-tuck that became
a trend last season. Doing it properly also has the satisfying effect of making you look more streamlined.”
Our advice? Make sure you watch the volume of your knit – it should be fine enough to sit neatly inside the
waistband. Steer clear of chunky jumpers, unless the look you’re going for is excess rolls, of course.

136 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 S T Y L E - 1 1/1 7

HOODIE £290 AMI

SWEATER £115 REISS
TROUSERS £300 BOSS
BOOTS £230 GRENSON
BACKPACK £70
ERDEM X H&M

COAT £60 NEW W LLO

LOO
LOOK
OOOKK
SWEATERR ££455
£45
45555
NEIL BAAR
A R RRETTETT
E T
T-SHIRT £7 TOOP
O PMA
OPMA
PPMMAN
TRACKPANTSS £2 £230
£2322300
OUR LE
LLEG
LEGA
EGA
EEGGGA CY
C
TRAINERSS £145£144545
A DAY’S MARC
MAR
MARCH
MA ARC
R H

Spoortting
g Woollens
You’re probably aware that sportswear has left the gym and found its way into the urban wardrobe.
While this isn’t a new phenomenon, the way in which ‘athleisure’ is being styled for AW17 is. This season, it’s
all about polishing up the look with sophisticated knits. “When donning sportswear for public life, there’s
a fine line between looking like you’ve just rolled out of bed and aimed for the sofa, and appearing destined
for the front door,” says Aquilina. “This being the case, a cashmere cable knit or a fine-gauge rollneck
teamed with tailored track pants and a pair of box-fresh tennis sneakers is a failsafe combination.” So, the
takeaway here? Pair elegant knits and clean-cut accessories with relaxed leisurewear to keep things smart
enough for both town and country. Keeping some trainer wipes to hand isn’t a bad idea, either.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 137

 THE PORTFOLIO

COAT £1215
STELLA MCCARTNEY
SWEATER £135
LACOSTE

ADAYSMARCH.COM, AMIPARIS.COM, BENSHERMAN.CO.UK, CERRUTI.COM, FERRAGAMO.COM, GRENSON.COM, GUCCI AT MATCHESFASHION.COM, HM.COM, HUGOBOSS.COM, JIGSAW-ONLINE.COM, JLINDEBERG.COM, LACOSTE.COM, LOUISVUITTON.COM, MRPORTER.COM,
JEANS £139
TIGER OF SWEDEN
BOOTS £325
GRENSON

Staatement Knits
Sloganeering tends to polarise opinion, and the style world certainly has a love-hate relationship with it.
Whatever your standpoint, this season sees a glut of designers translating the look for knitwear and, when
approached in the right way, it can add a welcome hit of personality to an often unremarkable winter line-up.
“Fashion is often accused of taking itself too seriously, so this is a good opportunity to inject a sense of fun
into your wardrobe,” says Todd. “Avoid anything too political and look for something more light-hearted
such as Raf Simons’ AW17 ‘I love you’ knitwear, which could feasibly have been inspired by that jumper
your grandma gave you for Christmas 1989.” But this is no slight – in fact, the vintage jumper reference
is actually a compliment, given that ’80s and ’90s styling is bang on the money at the moment.

138 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 S T Y L E - 1 1/1 7
NEWLOOK.COM, NORSE PROJECTS AT MRPORTER.COM, OLIVERSPENCER.CO.UK, OURLEGACY.SE, PRADA AT MATCHESFASHION.COM, REISS.COM, RICHARDJAMES.CO.UK, SOCKSHOP.CO.UK, STELLAMCCARTNEY.COM, TIGEROFSWEDEN.COM, TOPMAN.COM, ZEGNA.COM

(ABOVE)
CARDIGAN £835
STELLA MCCARTNEY
JACKET £35 NEW LOOK
SWEATER £795 GUCCI AT
MATCHESFASHION.COM
JEANS £100
A DAY’S MARCH

Tex tural Medleey

As men, we tend to lack the rich variety found in the wardrobes of our female counterparts, which
means we need to be all the more inventive with what we do have. Mixing different textures in an outfit
is an easy way to switch things up from the norm. “Take the rough with the smooth,” advises Men’s Health
style director Eric Down. “Juxtapose a coarse arran jumper with a silky John Smedley number, or try
a corduroy or denim jacket with a knit in a tactile long-fibre yarn, such as mohair or alpaca. “And if you’re
already mixing textures then you can stick to one colour palette or mix poppier colours with neutrals
such as tan, grey or cream to avoid sensory overload.” For the uninitiated, mohair is derived from goats
and, like alpaca, is prized for its cloud-soft handle. It’s not just sheep that count.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 139

 THE EDIT STYLE - 11/17

£550
TOD’S

A SOFT TOUCH
“Polish your boots in the
evening then buff in the
morning. It moisturises
the leather to prevent
blistering or cracking”
Adam Law, cutter at
George Cleverley

£380
MICHAEL
KORS
£269
RED WING
LONDON
WORDS: MATT HAMBLY | FILSON.COM, MICHAELKORS.CO.UK, REDWINGLONDON.COM, RUSSELLANDBROMLEY.CO.UK, TODS.COM

£345
RUSSELL
& BROMLEY

Boot
Camp
Combat’s impact on fashion has never £365
FILSON
missed a step and, this winter, military
boots are reclaiming their stomping
ground. Make sure you’re fit for parade
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROWAN FEE

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 141

OBJECT OF DESIRE
The
Future
Of
Time
Don’t let its good looks
fool you into thinking the
smarts behind Armani’s
touchscreen watch are
skin deep. It has quite
the brain to match, too
In June of this year, Giorgio
Armani sent a Canadian
singer-songwriter and social
media phenomenon called
Shawn Mendes down the
catwalk of his SS18 Emporio
Armani show. Dressed in a
black satin bomber and one of
the brand’s new smartwatches,
Mendes looked equal parts
high-fashion model and
over-excited teenager. And
that, of course, was the point.
A 19-year-old with, at last
count, 24.6 million Instagram
followers, Mendes rose to
fame after posting videos
of his singing on the now
defunct video loop platform
Vine. His clicks-to-catwalk
story is indicative of the way
in which modern icons are
created, and, in turn, makes
his a canny wrist on which
to launch a new generation
of tech. Armani knows that,
like Mendes, these watches
represent the future.
In practice, that future is
one in which your watch
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROWAN FEE | WORDS BY MATT HAMBLY
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
becomes a tool not
just for telling the
time but for improving
your quality of life. All
the tracking metrics you’d
expect from a connected
watch are on display here:
steps counted, miles run,
calories burned. That you can
check the weather before you
head out and change tracks
when you need a musical
boost is a nice touch.
Crucially, though, there is
no compromise on design in
a sector that tends to place
functionality over form. Sleek
and simple, as you’d expect
from Armani, the touchscreen
allows you to switch between
watch faces as comfortably
as scrolling through a social
media feed. Meanwhile, back
in the physical world, three
easily interchangeable straps
let you radically alter the look
of the watch, should you wish
to wear it to work, in the gym
and out dinner on the same
day. Which, of course, you
absolutely should.
Mr Armani made his name
by putting his unique spin
on the traditional world of
menswear. Now he’s done
the same to smartwatches.
We think it’s about time.
STYLE - 11/17
EA CONNECTED
SMARTWATCH
£389 ARMANI.COM
Smart Purchase
Why the right watch
is more than just an
investment in style
01/ Touch Of Genius
Tracking your
personal data
via your wrist
boosts productivity
at work by up to 8.5%,
Goldsmiths University
of London reports.
02/ Healing Hands
California
studies found
smartwatches
have a 97% accuracy
rate for detecting
potentially harmful
heart abnormalities.
03/ Stand & Deliver
By reminding
us to break up
long periods
of sitting, a tracking
watch can increase
calorie burn by up
to 50kcal an hour.
MEN’S HEALTH 143
 x

YOURFREE
10-DAY
GYM PASS
REDEEM THE OFFER AT NUFFIELDHEALTH.COM/MENSHEALTH
Want to experience a gym
that works for you, supporting
Members get access to:
your health and fitness? Fully equipped
At Nuffield Health clubs, members
have access to a range of experts gyms and studios
including onsite physiotherapists at a Personal training
discounted rate and free Health MOTs
throughout membership. These Swimming pools
unique one-hour health checks keep
you informed and on track with your
Sauna and steam rooms
health and fitness – and because Range of group fitness
they’re available every three months classes including GRIT™
it means your journey with Nuffield
Health is always about you. and Indoor Cycling
Get started with Nuffield Health today and claim a
free 10-day trial at nuffieldhealth.com/menshealth*
Terms and Conditions *Redeemable until 11:59 (GMT) on 31st January 2018. 10-day trial available to over 18s only. A copy of this magazine is required to start the trial.
Photocopies will not be accepted. Only one trial per person. 10-day trial is valid for 10 consecutive days starting on day of redemption. 10-day trial entitles you to use only your
chosen gym over a 10-day period. Details of participating clubs can be found online at nuffieldhealth.com/menshealth. Photographic ID will be required upon attendance. No
cash alternative is available. Facilities vary per club. Guest members will not be able to book group fitness classes or Health MOTs. 110 out of 111 clubs have swimming pools;
Battersea Club does not have a swimming pool. Existing Nuffield Health members are not eligible for the trial. Nuffield Health reserves the right to refuse usage of the trial and
facilities where appropriate or deemed necessary.
 EDITED BY SCARLETT WRENCH

MH QUIZ
ENERGY
NO.37

Are You Ready To Take

The Power Back?
Energy is a rare commodity these days, but you needn’t
settle for what you’ve got. Take our quiz to find out what’s
weighing you down and how to re-inject vital firepower
TER CREDIT
GGUTTER
GUT DT
CREDI

MENS
ME NSHE
SHEEAL
ALTH
TH.CO
CO
CO.UUK M N’
ME N’SS HEEAL
ALTH
THH 14
1455
NOVEMBER 2017

Q1 \
Flagging at
Q3\
work? Standing Your energy levels drop
up boosts your
attention span
as you age…
by __ min a day
A
10
B
30
C
50 A

C In news that will prove useful for Hit

both mind-numbing admin jobs and
when trying to feign engagement
during afternoon staff catch-ups,
Texas A&M Uni found alternating
between standing and sitting is

WORDS: NICKY WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY: ARTHUR WOODCROFT, GETTY, KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS, JOHANNA PARKIN, SUN LEE, ROWAN FEE | ILLUSTRATIONS: BEN MOUNSEY, SPOOKY POOKA AT DÉBUT ART
sufficiently energising to reduce
B
wasted time by up to 50 minutes
over the course of a working day. Myth

Q2\
It takes 80mg of
caffeine to power up
your brain. Equal to…

B In fact, a London School of Economics survey found those under 25 report feeling more tired on a
daily basis than older men, even after sleeping for the same number of hours, while separate studies
show maintaining muscle mass is enough to offset age-related drops in energy-boosting testosterone.

Q4 \
Watching which of the following can act
Q5 \
Inhaling which of the following oils can
as a fast, natural pick-me-up? supercharge your early morning workouts?
A
A Red Bull A
Baby pandas
B
A filter coffee
B
C Gym fails
A double espresso

B You
Y don’t need to suffer through
p p
heart palpitations to benefit from
a quick caffeine bump. In a study
carried out by scientists in the
Netherlands, a single cup of coffee
was enough to reduce perceived
mental effort and fatigue in tired
drivers for up to two hours. It’ll stop
you crashing at the office, too.
g C
Political rants
A&B The proliferation of cutesy online animal
videos may grate on your nerves, but Indiana
University found taking a break in your day to
watch something with the ‘ahhh’ factor is linked
to higher subsequent energy levels and improved
mood. Otherwise, a harmless ‘LOL’ at others’
misfortune is shown to have a similar effect.
A B C
Coconut Olive Orange
C Keep this in your bag for the next time you’re
tempted to hop on a bus halfway through your
cardio commute: runners who inhale energy-
enhancing citrus oil are 12-15% faster, reports
the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

146 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 MH QUIZ: ENERGY

Q6\ Q7\ Q9\

At which time of day are A high-fibre breakfast can
your energy levels likely Cold showers: are they
to be at their lowest? really worth the pain? reduce feelings of fatigue by…
A
Yes
C 3 pm
B A
No 5%
A m
7pm A We’re not sure which answer you
B 5p were hoping for, but it seems the
C Research in the British Journal of evidence is more than anecdotal.
Psychology shows our energy naturally A review by the North American
dips from 3-3.30pm. Boredom was noted Journal of Medical Sciences linked
as a key cause. Get paperwork out of cold water immersion to increased
the way early and save creative jobs for energy, mood and memory. Best
after lunch, when a little brain fatigue stick your towel on the radiator…
can actually enhance lateral thinking.
B
C
Q8\ 10% 15%
Convinced you’re too tired to work
out? Which of the following will help
you lighten up?
B ‘Eat more bran’ might be the sort of bland prescription
you’d associate with elderly relatives, but the University of
Cardiff found a bowl a day can help you sleep better, feel
happier and stay energised. Add a scoop of psyllium husks
to your w
wheyy shake for
f a less dodderyy wayy to hit your RDA.
A
Sprints
B
Q11 \
Weightlifting Strugglin
ng to stay awake?
W
Which of these makes the
best afteernoon snack?

Q10
0\
The righ
ht tune can amp
A
Granola
up yourr energy
gy levels… bar
A
True B
Kiwi
B
fruit
C
Cycling False
C
A You knew that one, Chocolate
right? But for best mousse
effects, you need to get
involved. Research by
Sam Houston State Uni B Researchers from New
found singing – or, for Zealand (where else?)
the vocally shy, tapping found that men who ate two
– along to a song raises serotonin-boosting kiwis
C Invest your energy wisely and you’re sure to see returns. In a study by the energy compared to a day felt more energised.
University of Georgia, subjects who made time for 20 minutes of gentle cardio, passive listening. Ideal Sugary snacks, meanwhile,
such as a ride around the park, three times a week reduced symptoms of for morning showers, if cause a slump in energy an
fatigue by two thirds. If you’re feeling burnt out, go easy – then go home. not a dull day at work. hour later. Unless, yunno,
you have another one...

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 147

MH QUIZ: ENERGY NOVEMBER 2017

Q12\ Q14 \ Q15\

Pulled a late one last night?
Securing a window seat at
True or false: chewing gum work can boost your sleep
What’s for breakfast?

is a lazy habit? duration by __ minutes

A
Seeded
00 12 A bagel
B

False 00 28 B
B
Sausages
A 00 46 C

True C Drag your 9-5 set-up C

out of the dark ages.
A Northwestern Uni
study found employees
who are exposed to
natural light during the
day sleep longer, feel
more energised and are
more physically active.
A bright idea indeed.
Avo and
eggs
A Now is not the time for
adhering to your on-point
ketogenic plan. University
of Sydney studies found
a meal high in slow-release
carbs increases alertness
versus a fatty breakfast.

Q16\
Meditating
g ffor how many
minutes will fix
f fading
f ffocus?
B Quite the contrary, Cardiff University found gum is a potential performance
aid. In their study, the simple act of chewing increased mental alertness toward A
B
the end of a memory-testing session, increasing blood flow to the brain. Plus
it’ll create a fresher first impression than your usual morning coffee breath.
10
0 20
0
Q13\
Thinking about which of
the following provides an
instant energy hit? C
A B C 30
0
The weekend Lunchtime Your partner
C Don’t discount the Instagram clichés: love really does
give you wings. A stuudy by researchers at the University of A Just a few minutes of ‘mindfulness’ is enough g to refresh
Western Ontario – w g
with the hashtag-worthy title E g
Energized y focus by reducing
your g the distracted thouuggh
ghtt pa
patterns
By Love – found simmply thinking about your other halff slows that exhaust your brainpower, according to the University
the steady decline inn bl
blood
d gl
glucose experienced when you of Waterloo. Not a zen kind of man? Try our exercise on p64.
haven’t eaten for a while
while. Slap that on a sunset meme.

How 0-5 6-10 11-16

did you BURNT OUT
Sick of being tired? You can start by
score? dousing that burnout with a glass of
water. Even mild dehydration can lead to
fatigue and cognitive impairment, the
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
reports. Knock back a bottle while you’re
queueing for your venti americano.
GETTING WOKE
For those days when staying focused
seems a particular struggle, remember:
green is good. Studies by Washington
State University show that keeping
a plant on your desk can boost your
productivity by an average of 12%, while
also reducing energy-sapping anxiety.
HIGH ALERT
Tell the person next to you about your
high score – your energy levels will
benefit further. A study conducted by
psychologists researching for Nasa
found that taking just seven minutes to
chat to a friend helped sleep-deprived
study participants feel more alert.

148 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

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 ONE WORD
ANSWER #40
QUESTION
What’s the best
way to put the
fear of God into
seasonal flu?

A t this time of year,

the
h cooling
portends
l g climate
l
d more than h
juust a ffaded tan and an end to the
p
acceptability y off short sleeves in the d
to viral threats (of the
non-zombie b kind,
How so? Well,
speculated
l d that
l enhances
adrenaline h
k d naturally)
ll, it’s
h a rise in
ll )).

yyour naturall
ff
office. Indeed, it marks the beginning i
immune responses, preparing i your
of wretched
etc ed manfluu season.se so bodyy to do battle with infectious
But iff your vit D-depleted colleagues g agents.
g That’s also why so-called safe fee
are already
l d starting to resemble bl the
h or
o ‘controlled’
co t olled stress
st ess has
h s been
bee shownsho

WORDS: SCARLETT WRENCH | PHOTOGRAPHY: GRAHAM WALSER AT HEARST STUDIOS

hordes off walking g dead, you can gog to have measurable health benefits, f
one better
b than
h relyingl on a grim including lengthening lifespan
f and
m
mocktail off zinc, echinacea, abstemious f
forming g new brain connections. In
eating g and d earlyl nights.
gh That’s
h bbecause other
h words, d so llong g as on some level l l
a far
f more thrilling way to guard yourselff you’re aware that h your night h willll go
ag gainst infection
f is to settle down to d
undisturbed b d by
b an undead
d d hhorde, d this
h
a heart-hammering g horror film
f instead.. f f could ggive your pre-winter
false-fear
In a studyd byb Coventry University b d the
body h bbooster shoth it needs. d .
sccientists, bl bloodd samples l were taken
k A
ANSWER Off course, the key here is your body’s
from
rom healthy subjects in their twenties response to threat, not your movie choice choic
before and after they watched a slasher
movie that they’d never seen before.
Zombies! itself. If classic horror isn’t your genre, any
film that gets your heart pumping will
When retesting them once the credits have an equally beneficial effect (we’re
had rolled, the researchers noted not here to judge). So, if you’re feeling
significant spikes in the participants’ under the weather, go Netflix and thrill:
count of activated white blood cells, it’s the most stimulating way to ensure
which usually increase in response you survive the office-flu apocalypse.

154 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK