Your LastMinuteWeightloss Special!

09
SEPT 2016 £3.99
9 771356 743132
SEPTEMBER 2016

LOSE FIGHT FAT

AND WIN!
YOUR
“WE DON’T FIGHT WHEN WE’RE FULL. WE FIGHT WHEN WE’RE HUNGRY” CONOR MCGREGOR P50

With Conor McGregor

GUT!
In Your Cornerp50

Get Stronger & Leaner

In Just One Hour A Week

OLYMPIC FOOLPROOF
36
MUSCLE 6-PACK HACKS
SECRETS
LIFT LESS

114
FOR TWICE
THE GAINS
HEALTH
UNLIKELY SUPERFOODS 7APPS THAT’LL
(STARTING WITH CHEESE ) SAVE YOUR LIFE
THE NEW
FITNESS

THE WORLD’S
SCIENCE TOUGHEST RACE
OF CARBS
MIND

LEAVE WORK
It’s Good News, By The Way... EARLY TODAY!
HEALTH TOURISM CONOR MCGREGOR, 28,
THE UFC’S HARDEST HITTER

FOR BREXITERS!
 IN THIS ISSUE
THE CHOICEST CUTS FOR A LEANER PHYSIQUE

ON THE COVER
P41 LIFE-SAVING APPS
Your iPhone isn’t the fitness-
killer it’s dialled up to be. This
is how to update your health

P69 LEAVE WORK EARLY!

Why getting out on time
will make you 65% more
productive. Call HR...

P88 EARTH’S HARDEST RACE

Join the elite athletes who
test their fortitude across the
wild islands of the Baltic Sea

P72 SIX-PACK HACKS

T-minus 31 days to take-off?
Fret not. Our day-to-day plan
will get you abs for departure

P102 OLYMPIC MUSCLE COVER CREDITS

Team GB dietitians and top PHOTOGRAPHY PETER YANG
chefs turn dull fitness food
into gold-medal indulgence

+ UNLIKELY SUPERFOODS
Man cannot live on gluten-
free bread alone. Fortunately
full-fat cheese (p24), ribeye
steaks (p32) and chocolate
(p66) are just some of the
foods the latest health
science has reintroduced
to your fitness recipe book
COVER CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHY TURE LILLEGRAVEN

Love me
Tinder: are
dating apps
making us
reckless? p80

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 9

09/16 LAST-MINUTE WEIGHTLOSS SPECIAL

MUSCLE HEALTHH STYLE

P23 GET-UP TO CUT DOWN P35 THE DRINKING M
MAN’S GUIDE P128 LET YOUR HAIR DOWN
Start shifting the sandbag to build all-over Going out out? Our glass-half-full manual The pompadour is no more. This season it’s
athleticism with our one-move workout will make the morning after less bilious low-maintenance mops for follicular props

P26 SUPERSIZE YOUR STRENGTH P63 GIVE CANCER THE BRUSH OFF P144 A LITTLE LESS COMPLICATION
DeFranco’s Gym trains NFL and WWE stars. The humble toothbrush bristles with a new Our pick of the high-end watches that
Find out how they make the big men bigger benefit in the fight to clean up The Big C put timeless design above bezel boasting

P45 DO NOT DISTURB (YOUR GAINS) P96 BREXITERS’ HEALTH TOURISM P146 COS CÉLÈBRE
If the hotel gym is light on heavy metal, use Reboot your body over a long weekend with Beeco
Become
comee a newew modernist
mod
odernistst with advice
a vice
ad ce fro
from
om
our tips to train easy without losing size Europe’s most affordable medical hotspots me s ear’s
menswear ’ss S
Scca
canddi m
miiniim
maalilst
st-i
t-i
- n-
n-chief
c e

WEIGHTLOSS FITNESS NUTRITION

P17 CARBOHYDRATES: RELOADED P37 UNPOUND THE PAVEMENT P32 THE MATURE CHOICE
Still stocking up before race day and cutting Joint pain isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Find Aged beef is a gourmet trend with a good
back for the beach? It’s time for an update out how to ease your aches for a new PB cut of health. The steaks have been raised

P29 HIIT OR LISS? P38 SURVIVAL TACTICS P42 GET UP ON YOUR GRILLS
We pit interval training against steady-state Adventure race season is here. We trial the We test the kit that transforms bland BBQ
cardio to see which delivers a better burn class claiming to get you ready for anything into an al fresco protein fest par excellence

P30 CHEAT YOURSELF LEAN P50 CONOR MCGREGOR P46 BROWNIE POINTS
Strict adherence to a monastic diet slows MH spends a day in Las Vegas with the Have your cake and be fit: our indulgent
your progress. You do want fries with that UFC’s hard-hitting, fast-talking superstar recipe is a sweeter deal for your waistline

10 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

THE EXPERT PANEL
THIS MONTH’S SQUAD OF SPECIALISTS IS HERE TO HELP
YOU REACH THE TOP OF YOUR PERSONAL FITNESS PODIUM
SIX-PACK SECRETS
KELLY STARRETT
Mobility guru Starrett
reveals how to counteract
damage done by your 9-5
and show off the abs hiding
behind p posture p
poor p p72
R
RAISE THE STEAKS
MICHAEL REID
Tap into your inner epicure
with the new wisdom on
old-aged steak courtesy
of Reid, executive chef at
M Restaurants p32
THIS ISSUE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
11 PERSONAL TRAINERS
11 STYLE AUTHORITIES
8 TOP TABLE CHEFS
8 NUTRITIONISTS
5 SCANDI SWIMRUNNERS
4 RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
3 SEXUAL HEALTH CONSULTANTS
TOTAL
57 EXPERTS
12 MEN’S HEALTH
HEAL THE LOVE
DR MICHAEL RAYMENT
Are dating apps sending
STI rates off the charts?
Sexual health clinician and
epidemiologist Rayment
shares the stats p80
BEE FIGHTING FIT
CONOR MCGREGOR
Want the supple physique
and brutal strength of
a UFC fighter? Find out
how this month’s cover
star does it on p50
1 CHIROPRACTOR
1 UFC PRESIDENT
1 MMA SUPERSTAR
1 MUAY THAI WARRIOR
1 X-RATED BLOGGER
1 ORTHODONTIC EXPERT
AND 1 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST
TOBY WISEMAN
EDITOR
DEPUTY EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR PHOTO DIRECTOR
DAVID MORTON DECLAN FAHY RACHAEL CLARK
STYLE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR DIGITAL DIRECTOR
ERIC DOWN SCARLETT WRENCH ED VANSTONE
FEATURES EDITOR ART DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR (STYLE)
TOM WARD TOM PLUMSTEAD MATT HAMBLY
COMMISSIONING EDITOR (PRINT & DIGITAL) SENIOR DESIGNER
TED LANE JESSICA WEBB
STYLE ASSISTANT JUNIOR FITNESS EDITOR SUBEDITOR
RICCARDO CHIUDIONI JACK HART AARON TOUMAZOU
LET’S GET MINIMAL ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR
DAVID KEYTE THOMAS LING ROBERT HICKS MATT EVANS
If you’re wont to agonising
about formalwear, relax.
Universal Works’ founder
advises on a pared-down
way to dress up p132 GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR ALUN WILLIAMS
SALES DIRECTOR GEORGINA PARROTT
BRAND DIRECTOR TOM LAKE
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HEAD OF MARKETING JANE SHACKLETON
SUFFER NO FUELS MARKETING AND EVENTS EXECUTIVE MEG STEPHENSON
MARK ELLISON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER MARK PEACOCK
Boxing nutritionist Ellison OFFICE MANAGER AND EVENTS EXECUTIVE MEGAN BLACKBURN
shows you how to play DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS LISA QUINN
your carbs right for elite PR MANAGER BEN BOLTON
training fodder worthy VP, STRATEGY & PRODUCT MANAGEMENT LEE WILKINSON
of an Olympic champ p102 CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER DARREN GOLDSBY
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 PAGE EDITOR’S LETTER
WHATEVER YOUR FIGHT, WE’RE IN YOUR CORNER

80
72

PAGE
STI rates are exploding. Do
dating apps and medicine
make a dangerous couple?

Workout lore says beach

bodies are made in the winter.
Our potent compendium of
11th-hour tips begs to differ

88 102

PAGE
PAGE

We join up with
MH meets the men who Team GB to turn
brave the Baltic to compete puritanical sporting
in one of the world’s most fare into five-star
extreme tests of endurance fitness fuel

PAGE If you’re going to

cheat, cheat big.

30
96
We explain why
going large will
PAGE

keep you lean

Clock off early on Friday and

return a new man Monday.
This is our cost-cutting guide
to post-Brexit health tourism

P
icking a fight with boxing isn’t flashy, shit-slinging braggart who seems
hard. Note that’s boxing, not to relish the base inhumanity of messing
a boxer – you’re welcome to up his opponents. A man who, beneath
choose the latter, though I will the garish bespoke suits paid for with
hang back like the coward I am. blood money, bears a tattoo on his chest
No, my point is that h pugilismgl as ssport of a gorilla feasting on a human heart.
is easilyl repudiated:
d d it’s primitive, innane. But in our intimate profile you will
Boxing hhas the h Queensberry b Rules
l and learn things that may surprise. Here is
an aristocratic hheritage g to lend
l d iit a man who used an innate talent to drag
CONOR MCGREGOR respectability.
b l But to paraphra h se himself out of a life of drudgery and
WILL NOT STAND Muhammad
h d Ali,
l it can also
l be unruliness. His is a rags-to-riches story
FOR YOUR EXCUSES crudelyy described as a lott of built on an incredible work ethic and
white
h men watching h black
bl a willingness to challenge received
men beat
b eachh other h up. wisdom. He is thoughtful yet fearless;
Then
h there’s
h UFC – boxing
b andd m
martial supremely mentally and physically fit.
arts’ feral
f lovechild. A theatre off vioolence It is too easy to dismiss pro fighters
that
h has h given
g rise to theh apotheosi
h is as mindless and lacking any conscience.
off the thug. Commercialised savageery. But as McGregor’s interview reveals, he
Dogfighting
gf g g in pants. Surely no civiilised knows well the potential consequences
man can justify
j f its worth or virtue? of his actions. Yet he tries to elevate his
And d this
h is whereh I step in and d saay: sport beyond savagery, to find beauty
yes I can, and d yes I will.
ll in the brutality. Whatever your feelings,
Conor McGregor, poster boy off the it makes for one hell of a spectacle.
MMA world ld andd this
h month’s h cover star,
might
gh seem an unlikely l k l witness to callc in TOBY WISEMAN
making this argument. After f all, he’s the BSME EDITOR OF THE YEAR

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 15


THE BIG
QUESTION
Q
I’M DROWNING IN
BEACH-BODY CARB
CONFUSION. MY PT
SAYS MORE, BUT THE
TABLOIDS SAY LESS...
STEVEN, NORFOLK
Ah, the age-old question. You’re
not alone in this bewilderment. But
the blame doesn’t fall entirely on
inconsistent tabloid headlines; even
nutrition scientists can’t seem to
agree on the carb/no carb contention.
The latest research, however, points
to some surprising facts.
Let’s take your personal fitness
endeavours: endurance athletes have
always been told to guzzle carbs like
they’re going extinct. But in a new
study, triathletes who abstained from
WORDS: ALEX HARRIS
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
ASK MH
FROM DONUTS TO DO NOTS, WE HAVE THE ANSWERS
LET US FLOAT AN
IDEA: CARBS WON’T
MAKE YOU BLOW UP
carbs after intense evening training,
and stayed off them until after a
lighter session the next morning, not
only lost body fat but cut their running
times by 3%. Their carb-loading
brethren saw no such improvements.
Conversely, men simply training for
a beach body need more carbs than
accepted wisdom claims. That’s why
your PT is encouraging you to eat
more sweet potatoes. If you’re hoping
to marry the two goals, you need the
best of both worlds: carb-cycling.
CARB ON,
CARB OFF
Use carb-cycling to get
in shape for the sand
i/ TRAINING DAYS
PT David Kingsbury trains
A-listers such as Hugh
Jackman. On gym days,
he suggests adding sweet
potatoes or rice to your
supper and even breakfast.
ii/ REST DAYS
When not training, ditch
carbs. Or use the method
from the triathlon study:
train in the evening then
eschew carbs until after
the next day’s gym session.
iii/ RACE DAYS
Hold the gels. Your normal
diet will meet your needs
up to a half-marathon, says
sports medic Dr Jordan
Metzl. You don’t need two
bananas for a 10K either.
MEN’S HEALTH 17
ASK MH
THROWING SUNBATHING SOME SHADE

AM I
NORMAL?

Q MY EYESIGHT IS CRAP AT THE

OFFICE. WHAT GIVES?
LIAM, SCUNTHORPE
If your desktop’s a blur but the opticians
can find nothing wrong with you, have
faith – science is catching up with this FOLLOW THE GOLDEN
malady, and all the other ocular rifts RULE AND DON’T GO
brought on by our modern lifestyles. OUT UNCOVERED
One issue of which you might be aware
is the gradual, insidious damage done
by blue light from screens. But a far
more likely culprit could be stress. With
a deadline looming, you blink less and
can develop ‘computer vision syndrome’,
which is symptomised by dryness and
discomfort. “Keep any screen 16in from
your face and bump up the text size,”
says Dr Mark Rosenfield, a professor
at SUNY College of Optometry. The
stress hormone cortisol also leads to
impaired retinal function and can result
in a condition called central serous
chorioretinopathy, a build-up of liquid
Q
WILL A BASE
It’s a fair question, when you consider that
that causes blurry vision. Thankfully,
a simple way to combat this is with a
TAN PROTECT 46% of men surveyed by dermatology
workout, so train your vision on that. ME AGAINST scientists consider this a perfectly
SKIN CANCER? acceptable way to dodge any damage. But
Q I’M ONLY 30 BUT MY KNEES
PROTEST EVERY TIME I GO FOR
A RUN. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
THOM, CARDIFF you couldn’t be more wrong. And if that
scares you, we’re not sorry, because it
TRENT, SOMERSET damn well should. Starting the summer
It’s probably less to do with your age than with the delusion that laying down some
your job. Desk-jockeys are wont to ignore
the importance of mobility work required
base bronzing – whether on a sunbed or
of a man who sits for 10 hours a day. just in the park – somehow enables you
More often that not, your knees are to better deal with UV rays is skin suicide.
unlikely to complain as the result of an
actual knee problem (though of course,
Use a decent SPF like the smarter 54%.
if the pain is severe, see your physio or
GP). In men, you can almost always point
to the hips. Tightness here hinders
DOES IT
PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE | SUNGLASSES BY LOCAL SUPPLY

proper joint movement, causing knee

trouble, and simply opening them up will WORK?
reduce pain and boost speed. Your i/ FACE TIME ii/ HOUSE CALL iii/ HEART TRACK
move? Some seriously deep lunging.

Q
Perhaps your ailment If someone said Stanford Uni has
Starting in a press-up position, take one ARE MEDICAL APPS MORE is embarrassing or you could summon created an app that
foot to the outside of the hand on the THAN JUST DIGITAL QUACKS? maybe you simply
don't have the time to
a medic to your door
with the tap of a GPS
allows you to monitor
your heart via all
same side. Breathe out to place your JAMAL, LONDON queue for five hours map, you’d think they the normal cardio
forearm on the floor, elbow nestling into Hold the phone. With the NHS buckling at your local surgery. were the ones in need measures (resting
your instep and hold for a beat. Now take ever closer to its knees and patient Either way, Push of medication. Except BPM, max during
Doctor allows you GPDQ does just that. exercise, and so on)
the same arm and reach up to rotate demands higher than ever, even to engage in video Pay £120 and you’ll but with an added eye
your chest. Hold for a few seconds then institutions as reputable as Cambridge facetime with a vetted be assessed in person on your CV disease
switch sides. Aim for five on each leg University are looking to apps as a way GP, who can assess by the nearest GP. For risk. MyHeart Counts
your illness online. a bit more cash, you stores your data
before your run and after, if you have to help people stay healthy. Here are They can even send can have medication as part of a large
time – which you will do with a new PB. three of the best currently available: you a prescription. sent within hours. population study, too.

18 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 EDITED BY TED LANE

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MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 21

 01
BUCKETS OF
S
MUSCLE A
BUILD YOUR 01
LAID O
OUT

ABS ON SAND
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Lay flat on
o your
back on thet e floor
f oo
with the sandbag
slung oveer your right
h
the SANDBAG GET-UP and shoulderr. Place yyour
right hannd on top
lay the foundations for some of it to keeep
p the
seriously athletic fat burning bag firmly in place.
So far, soo easy.
y

02
T
he traditional get-up is as
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it is of brute stre
ength;
g to Bend your right knee
purists it’s the uultimate and plant your foot
total-body move. But go o against
g on the floor. Brace
the grain, subbing your standard your core and crunch
kettlebell for a sandbag,, and y you’ll forwards, rising on to
torch extra belly fat and d strengthen
g your left elbow before
your core by creating a tidal
t wave extending your left
of even greater instability. y “When arm to prop yourself
you’re holding a weight with an up. Brace yourself.
extended arm, shoulderr stability y
acts as a limiting factor,”” saysy
PT Leo Savage of Third S Space in
London. “You’ll need to keep y your
core activated from start rt to finishs
or face folding under the
sandbag.” This is bad.
e T BEST
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delivers a crushing blow
ve
w to
EEXERCISE
lingering fat by recruiting ng YYOU’RE
all the major muscle gro oups
in your lower body, upping g NOT DOINGG
N
your energy expenditurre and
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w
the sandbag on each sho oulder
for 3 sets in total, restingg
as much as you need

03
and going slow – it
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL HAYNES | GROOMING: NAT SCHMITT

should take you about 155

minutes. The better your form the
more calories you’ll pour out. Four ON ONE KNEE

04
sessions a week is enough to see Use your left hand
serious grains. Sorry, gains. to keep you steady
as you raise your hips
off the floor. Bring MAKE A SSTAND
your left leg back Drive througgh your
and under your body, legs to standd up,
finishing in a kneeling keeping youur core
lunge position. tight. Reversse the
h
process to return
t tto
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wapping g
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN the bag to your left
f
shoulder aftter five
f
reps. Only 25 to ggo……

A BALANCED COBBLESTONE ROCK-SOLID CARRY-ON

PHYSIQUE ABDOMINALS STABILITY STRENGTH

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 A 02
CHEDDAR
GORGE
03
FAT AND
FICTION
MILK THE
BENEFITS
News that dairy doesn’t
just dial down diabetes
but also safeguards your
cardio health means
a fat cheese sarnie is a
legitimate indulgence
F
at’s well-publicised return
from nutritional exile is
maturing into a dietary
redemption story of
cinematic proportion. Adding to
recent news that high-fat foods
slim your waistline, cutting-edge
research from America reveals that
the dairy we’ve been programmed
to dodge could loosen diabetes’
grip on Britain’s love handles. In
fact, Tufts University scientists
found that people with higher
levels of dairy fat in their systems
reduced their type-2 risk by
a supersized 46%.
While you might not fall
among the one-in-11
worldwide who deal with
diabetes (or be close to
joining them), full-fat
24 MEN’S HEALTH
HEALTH
N S D
NEWSFEED
THE GOOD, THE
FAD AND THE UGLY
Not all fats are equal. The
American Heart Association
reveals those to devour
and those to disown
LAY IT ON THICK
Smear toast with
monounsaturated
SPREAD IT fat from peanut
butter. It reduces bad and
raises good cholesterol to cut
your risk of CVD and stroke.
DROP DIETS.
MAINLINE THE CURD YOUR
GOUDA STUFF ENTHUSIASM
Polyunsaturated
fats in tofu contain
omega-3 and -6, which benefit
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS | ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY
both heart and brain. Another
dairy can still deliver
reason for vegans to be smug.
for you. The same
fluctuations in blood sugar BEYOND THE HYPE
that lead to the disease cause A little goes a long
damage to both your heart and way. Coconut oil’s
your blood vessels, increasing sat fat is fine to a
your chances of suffering a stroke point, but with 20% more kcal
or developing heart disease by than butter, don’t let its cred
71%, according to the American make you portion size-blind.
Diabetes Association.
But a fatty acid in dairy products GET FROZEN OUT
called trans-palmitoleic acid The artificial trans
SHED IT
has been found to lower insulin fats in that frozen
levels, in turn increasing insulin margherita pizza are
sensitivity and stabilising blood a diabetes spark plug
sugar to gird the circulatory on a par with sugar.
system. The best source of these Overindulge at your peril.
across-the-board benefits?
Cheese. Pass the pickle, please.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 THE BEST
GYMS IN
THE WORLD
JOIN THE
BIG LEAGUES
Famed for its high-spec gear and
8
The number of seasons
atmosphere of intense kinship, NFL linebacker Brian
Cushing has played with
at DeFranco’s Gym in Texas you the Houston Texans
can test your mettle against stars since graduating from
the University of
of the NFL and WrestleMania Southern California.
Cushing has been
training with DeFranco
since the age of 16.

I
f the nosebleed-heavy metal
doesn’t intimidate you, then the
prospect of sharing your squat
rack with an NFL linebacker might.
But the idea that a sporting career or
just physical toughness carries weight
at DeFranco’s is a misconception. “It
doesn’t matter if you come in as a 400lb
guy, there’s an atmosphere of mutual
respect,” says founder Joe DeFranco.
Head through the obligatory shake
bar and you’re able to take in the full
DeFranco’s experience. Based in
Texas, at the 10,000sqft flagship site
of health and fitness Onnit Academy,
heavy-duty strength equipment sits
alongside a 75ft strip of turf where
prowlers are used to hone devastating
power. Even if you are only here to
throw some iron around, you’re just as
likely to slam tyres with a mace as curl
a dumbbell, in an atmosphere that’s
overseen by posters of the gym’s most
famous alumni hanging on the walls.
But you won’t find anyone skipping
the foam roller, either. “When people
see our guys doing 60in box jumps
on YouTube, they don’t appreciate
the time dedicated to recovery,” says
DeFranco. His coaches have seen NFL
athletes through 12 injury-free years –
no mean feat when three-to-four years
is considered an average career. In the
name of “total human optimisation”, STEEL MACE
you’ll find a cryotherapy chamber and This is one of the Onnit
infrared sauna next to the locker room. Academy’s signature
All that DeFranco asks for – on top tools, along with battle
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON

of $125 per session – is enthusiasm and GYM ropes, sandbags and

an open mind. “I can be a bipolar coach DEFRANCO’S GYM weighted vests. It’s
depending on the client,” he reveals. available to buy through
“If you’re a first-timer we’ll make you LOCATION the Academy shop, along
AUSTIN, TEXAS
comfortable, letting you know we care with the full range of
about your goals. But if you come with WEBSITE supplements and merch.
a cocky attitude, we’ll put you down… DEFRANCOSTRAINING.COM
respectfully.” Check your ego at the door.

26 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 04
AMERICAN
MUSCLE A
$1320
The cost of 12 training
sessions with a DeFranco’s
membership (about £85
per workout). The price
includes a full physical
assessment, bespoke
plan and a guarantee
from the coaching staff
to deliver on results.

APOCALYPSE
“We encourage everyone to
pair weights with sprints,”
says director of sports
RING CRAFT
WWE star Paul ‘Triple H’
performance Cameron
Levesque approached
Josse. “If nothing else,
DeFranco’s in 2011 with
our focus on functional
the aim of staying mobile
performance will give
enough to play with his
you a chance of surviving
kids. Now approaching
a zombie apocalypse.”
47, he’s added lean mass
for the first time in years
and is back in peak shape.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 27

 VERSUS
INTERVALS VS
05
BURNING
QUESTION
06
IGNORANCE
IS LISS A
STEADY-STATE
HIIT OR LISS?
Is fast and breathless the new normal? Or does low-
intensity,
ntensity, steady
steady-state
state (LISS) still
stil win the race? MH
gets
ets up to speed on the optimum approach to fat loss

HIIT LISS
VSS
900
Go all-out for
a short burst, rest,
65%
Percentage of your
max HR you should
repeat and you aim
m for during steady-
can burn this many y state cardio to hit
calories in an hour** th
he fat-burning zone

STOPWATCH
Popularised by physician Izumi Tabata, Anything under that and it’s not really
the ‘20sec on, 10sec off’ protocol is all worth the effort, right? If you can
you need for maximum effect on both 04
MIN
20
MIN
power through for longer, however,
fitness and weightloss in less than 5min you’ll burn as many as 10kcal/min

BONUSES

Lunch hour friendly Calorie burn Testosterone hit Endurance boost Quick recovery Better blood flow

BURNING TRUTH
Your metabolism keeps burning calories Going slow sheds pounds, but not quickly.
long after you hit the showers. A short daily
session can cut 5% body fat in just 45 days
Southern Illinois University
5% 7LB Training for 12 weeks can shift an average
of 7lb, although some men will lose less
Queensland University
* UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE | WORDS: SAM ROWE | PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

ZZ SIDE EFFECTS
Z

Desk sweats (EPOC) Knackering Can limit growth Time consuming Boring Limited progress

HIIT increases your number of fast-twitch FIBRE CLASS Slow-twitch fibres used during LISS provide
muscle fibres, for power and size. Too much their own source of energy, which sustains
too often, however, can threaten mass force for a significant endurance boost
Stockholm Department of Clinical Physiology American Council of Exercise

THE MH VERDICT: HIIT WINS!

Supercharged fat burn, transferable gains and the inimitable thrill of a beasting – all in a
fraction of the time. You’ll feel it the day after, but what’s a workout for if not sweaty effort?
Leave gentle rowing to the old guard – HIIT’s hare beats the LISS tortoise every time.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 29

 A 07
GO LARGE TO
CUT FAT
08
THE BIG
DEALS
MAKE CHEAT
DAYS NO
SMALL FRY
An impromptu portion of
crisps won’t cut it. Go all-in
and you can boost your
fat-burning endeavours
with a gut-busting treat
C
heat days have muscled
their way into the common
consciousness of gym bros
and belly-burners alike
through #hashtags and Dwayne
‘The Rock’ Johnson’s ludicrous
plates of pancakes. But dietary
misdemeanours, planned or
otherwise, have generally been
viewed as hopeful excuses, rather
than hard science – until now.
A study published in Consumer
Psychology journal has concluded
that hedonistic deviations boost
your dieting drive for a leaner
waist in the long run. Researchers
compared a strict 1500kcal diet
to a 1300kcal plan coupled with
a 2700kcal Sunday splurge. Those
participants who indulged showed
increased self-control on dieting
days and came up with better
strategies to overcome temptation
during the week, despite following
a more restrictive meal plan.
The scientists believe that strict
nutrition schedules in pursuit of
30 MEN’S HEALTH
WEIGHTLOSS
NEWSFEED
NEWSF
CHEAT SHEET
Unsure what 2700kcal looks
like? Here are five greedy
visual representations
5½ Burger King
Whopper Sandwiches
148g protein
1 jars of Meridian
Crunchy Peanut Butter
214g fat
2 Pizza Express
Hawaiians
summer abs lead you to interpret
MATCH THE ROCK’S 208g carbs
even the smallest lapse in effort
FOOD PLAN FOR A
as total failure. This sets off what METABOLIC BURN
26 scoops of MyProtein
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS | ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY
psychologists call a ‘capitulation
cascade’ or, in other words, the Impact Whey Powder
‘I may as well finish this entire
grab bag of Twiglets and chuck
it all in’ effect. Zero-tolerance
approaches put untenable strain
on your motivation, which makes
temptation ever more enticing. 546g protein
The answer to ensuring your
weightloss endeavours stick?
Don’t excuse away small slip-ups
13¼ pints of Guinness
by manufacturing an impromptu
cheat day. Instead, plan ahead by
scheduling 24 hours to knowingly
consume (and therefore fully
enjoy) double your day-to-day
calorie intake. It’ll fatten up your 32 units of alcohol
willpower and make eating clean
for the remainder of the week
a far more palatable experience.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 T HE H
E A LT H S N O B’ S E TO
G UID

Youth is wasted on the tongue. Extreme

rem
eme
aged meat is the freshest epicurean
ean trend
tre
rend
end
and one your PT will have little beef
eef with.
h.
This is how to make the mature choicc e

A WAITING GAME
Some things are expected to improve with old age. Cheese, w
wine,
denim – but meat? If you baulk at the thought of six-month--old ME AT OF T HE IS S UE
steak, you’re having a cow for no reason. “The longer you ag
age As witth people, some steaks age betterr than
A h others.
h s.
meat, the more punchy its flavour,” says chef Michael Reid d of Reid fa avours the ribeye: “Fat acts as a p protective
M Restaurants. But it delivers more than gourmet kudos: aggeing coat, sso there’s less lost to tough skin.” He suggests
loosens the connective tissue, making the nutrients easierr to ignoriing health-hipster lore and lookin ng for cows
absorb. For more goodness per gram, here’s how it breaks doown.. t
that have been fed grass and grain. “It e enhances
h
the ma arbling and gives the beef richne ess.”
Thehe more your meat has aged, the drrier it will ll
i) WET-AGED RIBEYE be, and therefore the less you want to c cook it. For
As the name suggests, wet-ageing is
examp ple, a six-month ribeye will take half h the time
about introducing moisture. The beeff is
of a onne-week-old cut. And you can she elve the
vacuum-sealed in plastic. “Natural juiices
extra-v virgin. Once Reid has trimmed off o the excess
from the beef tenderise the meat and d
fat, hee renders it down and uses it as a basteb (Brush
( ush
make it more flavoursome and juicy,”

ORDS: SSCARLETT WRENCH | PHOTOGRAPHY: LOUISA PARRY | FOOD STYLIST: VAL MCARTHURR
£88 jjohh
hnlewis.com). Your summer bod dy will profit
sa
says Reid. “It’s almost like a marinatioon.”
fr
from
f such
s ch thrift, too: the fat and cholessterol in
redd me e
eat helps
help to maintain healthy tesstosterone
i ) ONE-WEEK DRY-AGED
ii levels,
l l , explains
l ns nutritionist Rhiannon n Lambert.
b
Dr
Dry-ageing occurs in purpose-designned d
Inve
I este in a thick
h ck-based steel or alum minium pan
chambers where the temperature and
ch d
(
(£115 llecreuset.co.uuk), which holds and a disperses
hu
humidity are closely controlled. Afterr
heat
h fo
or the all-importanant maillard crust, delivering g
se most
seven days, the steak is still young; m
maxim mum
m flavour.
fl Finally,
ly, Reid favourrs Wüsthoff
ageing occurs over one or two weeks.
ag
knives
k s,
s which
h h have
h a straight,
ht, clean eddge that
h won’t ’
Conssider it a warm-up for your tastebuds.
C s..
damag ge
g the protein ((Cook’s £89 89 and BBoning
i
K
Knifei £59 inthehaus.co.uk)
i k when en slicing. After
i ) SIX-WEEK DRY-AGED
iii) a six-mmonth
m h prep period,
d it would ld b
be a sh
shame to
Anytthing over 21 days is conside
A deredd
d
dull
ll the
h experien nc
nce
nce.
‘ vily aged’. By now, the beeeff will have
‘heav
l about
lost a 18% of its moist
sture. As it dries,,
the
h oouter layer becomemes jerky-like
k l k ((and d
n in a good way)
not y), so needsd to bbe cut
away, leaving thhe tender flesh
away f behind..
AURANTS.CO.UK | WORDS

iv) SIX-MONTH DRY-AGED

This is the ‘blue cheese’ of meats, with
a strong umami flavour. The cut’s weight
will have reduced by up to 40%, but
that’s just water loss. Its nutrients – iron,
*MRESTAUR
AU

selenium, zinc and energy-boosting

B vitamins – remain deliciously intact.
 09
AGEING
BEAUTY
10
STEAK
CLAIMS A
OP TIMAL PRIME
If you’re
you’r
’re after thee to
top
t cuts,
it’s wort
worth
rth befriend
nding your
butcher.. But when bu buy
buying
y g
from the ssupermarket et, bypass
vibrant red steaks, which ich will
ll
be young andan mild, in favo vour
of darker, mamarbled cuts,
for
f meat that is more tender
and
a flavoursome.
flavoursom Feeling
lazy?
l y? Let M Re
laz Restaurants on
London’s
L don’s Vict
Lon Victoria Street
do
d the hard work
w for you
– they’re
t hey’re serving
serv aged-
beef
bee
eef specials throughout
t i) BEEF
BE & VIETNAMESE ’SLAW SANDWIC
DWICH ii) LEMONGRASS & COCONUT BEEF CURRY
September.
Sep
eptember. So don’t SERVES 4 METHOD SERVES 3-4 METHOD
• Coconutt sugar,
g 100g g For best sults, make this salad
b result • White onions, 2 large Sweat the onion, lemongrass,
hang
han
ang around.
• Rice vineggar, 100mll the night
ght before, so the veg is • Lemongrass, 2, crushed garlic and spice, then add the
• Fish sauce, 100ml
1 lmost ‘pickled’. Dissolve the sugar
almo • A garlic clove, crushed tomatoes and coconut water.
• Limes, 2, juiceed in vinegar, fish sauce and lime • Cumin powder, 1tbsp Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add
• Rapeseed oil, 10 00mll over a gentle heat. Add the other • Turmeric powder, 1tbsp the ginger and reduce by a third.
l
• A red cabbage, sliced ingredients (bar the meat) when • Chilli powder, 1tsp “Digestive spices such as cumin
• A wombok, sliced cool. “When buying wet-aged • Tomatoes, 4, chopped and ginger help your body break
• A red onion, sliced meat, touch it first,” says Reid. • Coconut water, 1 litre down red meat,” says Lambert.
• Red chilli, 2, chopped “It should spring back – that’s • Ginger, 25g, chopped Blend, then pass through a sieve.
• Spring onion, bunch a sign of quality.” Cook on a hot • One-week beef, 400g Pan-fry your beef, then sauté the
• Coriander,
o ½ bunch pan until medium-rare. Serve in • A red pepper, chopped peppers in a panpan, adding
d g the
• A lemon, zest only toasted brioche buns, spread • Kale, 4 large leaves kalee to w
wilt. Mix with yyour sauce
MEAT •WWet-aged beef, 400g00g with mustard and piled with ’slaw. • Roast squash, 100g and squash, then gget stuck in..

REQUIREMENTS
Seeing red over steak’s
negative press? Here
are three easy ways to
outflank the haters

KEEP IT REAL
A recent UK study
found organic red
meat is up to 50%
higher in omega-3. “It also has
more minerals,” says Lambert.
A bonafide superfood, we say.

CUT THE COST

Quality needn’t
come at a price:
“Secondary cuts
irt
such as onglet or inside skirt
are cheap but have an amazing
flavour,” says Reid. Plus you’ll
earn respect from your butcher.

PAIR IT WELL iii) SPICY BEEF BUCKWHEAT

Two reds make a
right. Consumed
together, red wine’s
polyphenols balance out the
artery-hardening oxidants in
mea
meat, found Israeli scientists.
Pour it in the pan or your mouth.
DDIIT
WHEAT TTACOS
OS iv) ROAS
ASTED AGED
G RIB OOF BEEFF
SERVES 2 METHOD SERVES 4-66 METHOD
• An avocado, diced For the salsa, simply mix the • Smoked p paprika, 1tbsp Take the rib out of the fridge an
• Tomatoes, 2, diced avocado, tomato, onion, chilli, • Cayenne powder,
p p
1tbsp hour
h before
f cooking. Place a dish
• Red onion, ½, diced basil leaves and lime juice. Season • Chilli flakess, 1tbspp i a 240°C
in 0 C oven.
o e Rub ub the
t e meat
e t
• Red chilli, ½, diced with sea salt. Grill the beef • Onion powdeer, 1tsp p with
w h your spices, then
h putt it in
• Basil leaves, 4, chopped (remember to reduce the cooking • Six-month beeef, 2.5kg g the heated
he ted dish
d sh with the other
• A lime, juice and zest time accordingly) and set aside • A red onion, inn wedges ingredients
i dients. Roast for 15 minutes,
• Olive oil, 4tbsp to rest before slicing. Meanwhile, • Garlic bulb, sm mashed th
then dial down to 160°C and cook
• Six-week beef, 200g toast your tortillas on a dry griddle • Rosemary, 2 sprigs rigs for 2½ hours. Baste the beef with
• Buckwheat tortillas, 2 for 30 seconds a side. Build your • Thyme, 2 sprigs its juices as it cooks. Remove and

tacos with the beef first followed • Sweet potatoes, 2 cover with foil for 30 minutes.
EDI
EERR CCRREED

by the salsa and finish with basil Well, what’s another half hour?
TTER

cress and mixed leaves – Reid

UUTTTE

M Restaurants* will be offering a 160-day aged ribeye special,

GGUT

likes endive and lamb’s lettuce.

GU

the most extreme aged cut ever tasted, throughout September

 WHAT
HAPPENS
11
BOOZE
TRUTHS A
WHEN…
I’M HALF -CUT?
If you’re going out out, use our guide
04

to make the most of alcohol’s social

advantages while limiting its potentially
melancholic consequences 03
BEER GOGGLES
We’re not talking about your
desire to deploy icebreakers
at every opportunity.
Instead, alcohol causes
slower pupil dilation.
In fact, one Western
University study found
05 it reduces your eyes’
30% ability to adjust vision
by 30%, even below the
legal drink-drive limit. If
you’re suffering blurred
03
lines – or channelling your
01 inner Robin Thicke – it’s
time to book an Uber.
01 04
HAPPY HOUR
If even the thought of that SEAL TEAM
first sip makes you feel Three pints in, alcohol
refreshed, you do not have a suppresses the release
problem. Research published of anti-diuretic hormone
in Indiana University found (ADH), responsible for
that the anticipation of your quelling your need to pee in
initial quaff – as well as the the night. While a few drinks
actual event – raises levels won’t end in a change of
of the feelgood hormone sheets, without the ADH
dopamine. Sadly for those dam in your kidneys, water
with a busy day tomorrow, it’s floods your bladder to
that same buzz that convinces bursting. Swap to spirits:
you to have ‘just one more’. the alcohol still inhibits
ADH but a reduced volume
02 will ease the urgency.
DUTCH COURAGE
The confidence delivered by a 05
few drinks is due to ethanol CLEAN UP CREW
soaking through the stomach Once at your liver, booze
lining into your blood. Once is broken down by alcohol
it reaches the brain, according dehydrogenase and
to Psychopharmacology, it converted into harmless
WORDS: BOB MAKELA | ILLUSTRATION: PETER GRUNDY

disengages the amygdala and fatty acids, CO2 and water.

prefrontal cortex to afford you Flood it, however, and an
that sense of happy invincibility. 02 excess of the byproduct
Sipping bubbles? The extra acetaldehyde leads to an
pressure forces the alcohol almighty hangover. Your
into your blood faster – so if liver can process the
you plan on remembering the equivalent of one pint per
wedding, switch to wine ASAP. hour. Stick to this and
see-off trouble in the battle
against morning-after
misery. We’ll drink to that.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 35

 12
TWINGE
VIEWING
13
GREASE THE
WHEELS A
CARDIO
NEWSFE
N S ED

THE END OF
THE ROAD FOR
RUNNER’S KNEE

STOP JOINT
MISERY IN
ITS TRACKS
Curb your cardio fears::
pavement pounding iss a
route to rude knee health

W
hether you’re in
i
training for rac
ce dayy
or clocking upp a few
miles in the naame e
of general fitness, the fear thaat the
*MEN’S HEALTH LAB JOINT ENDURANCE £12.99 BOOTS.CO.UK | WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS

impact from running will lea ave

your joints creaking is a frequ uent
one. And for good reason. Jo oint
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
pain is one of the most common Dr Frederik Fuchs, chiropractor at SpineCentral,
ageing issues – up to 25% of men outlines the best ways to keep running smoothly
are likely to develop arthritis –
and the terror of accelerating that GO EAST BONES TO PICK
process by chewing up tarmac It might look Ligaments,
is the reason that many hang up like a slow mo tendons and
their trainers. Cardio-junkies Street Fighter joints are made
can jog on, however, as research re-enactment, but tai up of collagen, which
shows the link between running chi’s combo of steady you can supplement
and joint pain is a non-starter. a decrease in pain and calories moves and stretching with a bowl of bang-on-
The Lawrence Berkeley burned through exercise. boosts coordination trend bone broth. Health
National Laboratory discovered But what if you’re already and balance, easing hipsters have finally
that runners are less likely to a lightweight cardiohead and you stiffness in painful joints. hit upon a useful fad.
develop joint pain than inactive have concerns about your knees?
people, and that you can run Research found the stimulatory GET OUT MORE TAKE A POP
several marathons a year without effect of running on cartilage Swap the Combine zinc
concern. It’s being overweight that production is actually greater than gym treadmill (for healthy
poses the biggest joint risk, and the wear and tear of impact. All for a park run. bones) with
lab coats found a link between you need to do is combine extra Vitamin D from the vitamin C (better
miles with the joint-saving advice sun regulates calcium cartilage function) to
on the right and your endurance and phosphate – steel your frame against
career can continue at full pace. essential for healthy the toughest 10K grind.
bones – while deficiency Try Men’s Health Lab
leads to osteoporosis. Joint Endurance tabs.*

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 37

 TREND
ON TRIAL
OBSTACLE
RIG YOUR FITNESS TRAINING
BEFORE RACE DAY
Can a gym class really help you scale the
heights of obstacle-race season? MH
got on its hands and knees to find out
nless you’ve been
U living under a rock,
or at the bottom of
a muddy ditch, it will
not have escaped you that
endurance obstacle races
are a big business. Not
content with marathons or
triathlons, cardio-junkies
hungry for a fix are chasing
a new high. Indeed, since
the inception of these dirty
endeavours nearly a decade
ago, millions of people have
survived their adversities.
But these are cross-
country courses mapped
out by the devil, so being
a competent runner is not
necessarily enough to
bring you home. You might
find yourself pushing an
exhausted friend over
a greasy wall, swinging from
the handle of a beer barrel
above a freezing muddy pond
or dragging your tired legs
through waist-deep water. Or
getting electrocuted. Not,
then, your average parkrun.
38 MEN’S HEALTH
Inevitably, gyms cottoned
on to the fact that obstacle
races require specialist
training. “This is about being
prepared for awkward
movements, even when you’re
exhausted,” says Michal
Senkyr, who teaches Gymbox’s
Ninja Warrior, a class designed
to ensure that no hurdle will
stop you collapsing across
the finish line. MH swung
into action to see if you’ll
leave the class ready for
anything, or still be stuck
in the mud come race day.
NINJA WARRIOR
MH’S LAB RAT
MATT HAMBLY
STATS 6FT, 75KG
FITNESS LEVEL MEDIUM
COST £20 GUEST PASS
TO GYMBOX
DISCIPLINE
INTERVAL TRAINING
TEST STATION
GYMBOX, FARRINGDON
TEST METHODS
Arriving at the class, I was half
expecting to see an icy pool dug into
the floor of Gymbox’s Farringdon
branch, accompanied by burning
tyres and a mud-splattered wall. In
fact, the class, made up of 10 eager
participants of varying fitness levels,
took place around a training rig on
solid and, mercifully, dry ground.
Senkyr instructs us to select a
weight around the 10kg mark, and
subjects us to a circuit of exercises
designed to recreate obstacle-related
exertions. Prepping – and punishing
– your arms (shoulder presses,
pull-ups and press-ups), core (planks
and sit-ups) as well as legs (star
jumps, goblet squats and weighted
lunges), it’s a relentless interval-
based assault with three rounds of
45 seconds on and 15 seconds off
at each station. At every change,
Senkyr barked encouragement and
PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS
monitored our form. By the time I’m
finished, even taking off my T-shirt
feels like an obstacle. And not one
that I am especially able to conquer.
 14
ASSAULT
WEAPON A

PAR FOR THE COURSE USER FEEDBACK

Prepare for those obstacles at home
with Senkyr’s introductory circuit
CARRY WEIGHT
These classes are as easy or as
hard as you make them. For a real
test, use a weight that won’t be
easy to lift for three rounds and
you’ll soon be girded for anything.

THROW ME A LINE
Lifting weights in a group class
makes form important, especially
when squatting with heavy
weights. If in doubt, ask for
THE VERDICT
Honestly, despite my
PULL-UP 3 sets of 45 seconds guidance – and if in pain, just stop.
aching arms it did not
Practise hoisting your weight: hang with ignite my appetite for
straight arms from a bar, core engaged, HIT THE WALL
If you’re looking for a class that race day. Or prepare me
before pulling up so your chin is just lets you practise the techniques for the start line in any
above the bar. Lower slowly and repeat. involved in conquering obstacles, obviously unique way.
rather than just getting you fit, I was expecting to swing
this will leave you cold.
from the bars of the rig,
climb over boxes and
perhaps practise the
AT A GLANCE best way to lift another
PRICED BELOW £20 person, all of which would
have made for a more
OFFERED NATIONWIDE
WEIGHTED SQUAT JUMP exciting 45 minutes.
HIGH CALORIE BURN In its defence, the line-up
3 sets of 45 seconds
Get some serious air by planting your FULL-BODY CONDITIONING of moves changes from
feet flat on the floor, with a 10kg weight class to class, so it’s
FREE EQUIPMENT PROVIDED
in both hands, and jumping straight up. possible I caught it on
FOR ALL LEVELS OF FITNESS a slow day. Either way,
Land into a controlled squat and repeat.
LIVES UP TO ITS NAME there’s no doubt that
I felt the effects for a few
NO GYM MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED
days afterwards. If you’re
HELPS WITH TECHNIQUE not used to all-round
GROUP SUPPORT fitness training, this isn’t
a bad place to start. If,
SCORE however, you’re looking

BURPEE 3 sets of 45 seconds

A classic for a reason. For total fitness in
5/10 to break through the wall,
rather than just scramble
over it, you may leave
one move, crouch, jump into a press-up wanting more of a
position, complete one press before MUST TRY HARDER mountainous challenge.
jumping back up explosively. Sorry.

MEN’S HEALTH 39
 THE DEVIL’S
ADVOCATE
15
AN APP
A DAY
16
SCREEN
TESTS A
PHONES UPDATE
YOUR HEALTH
Reckon your mobile is forr
your ? Autocorrect that
thought. It could trigggerr
a for body and min nd

T
here are now more mobile
devices on the planet
than human beings, and
technophobes
are convinced these was too late. Now you
beeping rectangles of can monitor everything
doom are on a mission from blood glucose
to make you fat, lonely (Glooko) to sleep quality
and depressed. Men (Sleep Cycle) and even
WORDS: MARK BAILEY | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS, FREEPIK.COM | FOR MORE FROM SCOTT VISIT SCOTTLAIDLER.COM | PROPS: HTC 10, DESIRE 530, HTC ONE A9

perform 90 minutes of heart rate variability

phone-poking per day (Elite HRV). Deploy
and many scientists are convinced this is we were all each one as a digital
bad for your body. Kent State Uni found shooting in the first line of defence
screen-addicts have inferior aerobic fitness dark) and with for better health 3 .
and enjoy half the sporting activities of free workout apps Nobody is suggesting
casual users. Mobiles are also blamed for such as FitStar, you hammer your
poor sleep and weight gain: exposure to you’re never short phone all day. The
screen light unbalances the sleep hormone of training ideas. message is to use it
melatonin and the hunger hormones Best of all, the gamification of working to create a positive
ghrelin and leptin, leading you to feel out through apps like Strava provides environment. Delete
zombified and crave calorific succour. key mental weapons that psychologists Instagram downers
Phones also stand accused of trashing know maintain motivation; namely and sign up for updates
your mental health. A University of inspiration, accountability, social from motivational
Illinois study support and businesspeople and
suggests that “The gamification of achievement. fitness experts. Quit
users wired up working out is known to Now, while Candy Crush and switch
to 24/7 updates be a key mental weapon Facebook FOMO to Lumosity, which trains your brain to
are vulnerable
to depression
in fitness motivation” triggered by all your
associates sunning
keep you smarter and sharper. And sidestep
newsfeeds of global misery for the guided
4G OR NOT 4G?
and anxiety, while a Chinese study has themselves on holiday can make you THAT IS THE meditation practices of Headspace.
linked excessive use to loneliness. question another late night at the office, QUESTION With a few upgrades, your phone is more
So far, so shrill. But our view of mobiles can it really be true that mobiles make us than just a gadget – it’s your personal
is in serious need of a system update. anxious and lonely? Whether you’re doctor, on-demand psychologist and
Used properly, your phone can make you meeting Tinder dates or organising a training partner. Don’t drop it just yet.
palpably fitter, healthier and happier 1 . catch-up on WhatsApp, they certainly
Let’s start with fitness. A massive 82%
of recreational athletes now use fitness
have a way of boosting your social life.
You could even, you know, phone
> THE DEVIL’S DETAILS
tech and apps, with 75% saying these someone: the British Medical Journal has
tools help them exercise more, not less. shown that talking can be as effective as
Lifesum and MyFitnessPal track calorie drugs for countering depression 2 .
intake and calorie burn (not so long ago Less well known is how your smart
1 HEALTH MOT 2 BREAK AWAY 3 CULL AWAY
Use your phone to Kansas State Uni According to Cornell
phone can support your wellbeing. You
monitor blood proved that those Uni, positive online
SATAN’S LITTLE HELPER can sync it to body-composition scales or pressure and you’ll who enjoy handset news works like an
Scott Laidler is a personal wireless blood-pressure monitors to get please your doctor: ‘microbreaks’ at ‘emotional contagion’
development coach medical biomarkers delivered to the palm 88% say they want work are happier, to lift your own mood,
who specialises in digital patients to track more refreshed and too. Twitter bores
health transformations of your hand. Previously, you’d only know
their health at home. more productive. only bring you down.
if your blood pressure was high when it

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 41

 MH LAB GRILL OF HEALTH 7/10
SUMMER Barbecook Optima Grill £99
Flavour ••••••
BBQS MASTER ALL TRADES 8/10
Variety
Firepower
•••••
••••••••
Weber Master Touch £200 Portability •••••••
JOIN Flavour
Variety
Firepower
••••••••
••••••••••
••••••••
Price •••••••••
TURN WITHOUT BURN Agonising over

THE FRONT Portability

Price
•••••••
••••••••
a slow-cooked joint is all well and good,
but there’s a lot to be said for quickly firing
up the grill for impromptu parties. This

OF THE ’CUE
Barbecue season is about
more than just burgers
and bangers. The right
grill could be the hottest
way to boost your health.
MH rakes over the coals
PUT THE KETTLE ON Don’t let the classic
silhouette fool you into thinking the Weber
lacks innovation. Culinary options abound
with a grill that makes room for wok, Dutch
oven and rotisserie accessories. The handy
one-touch cleaning system minimises
hassle when removing ashes, too.
EXPERT VERDICT Make use of the vents
at both top and bottom to regulate airflow
and create perfect slow cooking conditions.
Also, Weber is the master of the chimney
start, making your coals glow white hot in
no time at all – no easy feat for a grill this
size. Use the lid to seal in smoke and cook
barbecue is simple to assemble, only needs
a rolled up newspaper to light, and will have
you plating up in 20 minutes flat. That sort
of simplicity is best enjoyed with a beer.
EXPERT VERDICT Having the heat source
at the bottom of the chimney ensures
that the flames don’t lick your dinner with
carcinogenic char, but the lack of a lid
means smoking’s off the menu. What your
tastebuds lose, you more than make up
for with the health benefits afforded to
the rest of your body. And you’ll still end
up with a pretty decent steak, too.

S
ummer weekends are when a whole spatchcock chicken. Like Nando’s,
a man’s culinary competence just tastier and, most likely, cheekier.
is put to the test. And when
entertaining moves outdoors,
woe betide any man still tearing the
cellophane from a foil-wrapped grill.
From supersized slow-cookers
to the flash-fried saviour of
impromptu parties, arming
yourself with the right grills
and barbecue knowledge will
help you cater for all-comers. Just
get used to friends showing up
around lunchtime unannounced.
And for those bemoaning cancer
risks associated with close-to-the-
flame cooking, we have welcome
news: marinating your meat in beer
reduces carcinogens by over half.
And the risks of too much meat?
Got you there, too – the resistant
starches in a cold potato salad eat
away at the dangerous microRNA
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST

molecules in your gut associated

with high red meat intake.
STUDIOS | ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

Reach for the firestarters with

Ben Tish of the Salt Yard Group,
a man with barbecue sauce in
his veins and the author of
THANKS TO MACSBBQ.COM

backyard cooking bible

Grill Smoke BBQ. Insipid
burger-and-bap combos
are going up in smoke.

42 MEN’S HEALTH

MICHELIN CHARRED 9/10
Big Green Egg £850
Flavour ••••••••••
Variety ••••••••••
Firepower ••••••••••
Portability •••••
Price •••••
SHELL OUT There’s a reason top chefs
make room for this one in their arsenals.
Space-age ceramic lining ensures the
egg holds incredible heat for hours on
one load of charcoal, and the tight seal for
smoking means that everything is served
up with Michelin-star precision. If you
treat this cooker as a 365-day investment,
the price starts to make more sense.
EXPERT VERDICT This masterpiece is
wasted on lowly sausages. Combine
convection with conduction cooking for
a roast par excellence. First sear your
joint on the grill before sealing the lid
for smoked meat that doesn’t dry out.
Doubters will be left with egg on their faces,
rather than perfectly cooked protein in it.
17
GRILL
POWER
18
CLAIMS TO
FLAME A
PARK LIFE 7/10
Lotus Grill £140
Flavour ••••••
UP IN SMOKE 7.5/10
Variety •••
PRO Q Frontier smoker £180
Firepower •••••••••
Portability ••••••••••
Flavour ••••••••• Price ••••••
Variety ••••••• SHRIMP OF A BARBIE Size isn’t everything.
Firepower •••••••• And because instant options lower quality,
Portability ••••• a portable grill will crown you prince of
Price ••••••• park parties. Lotus is lightweight, but has
SOUTHERN CHARMS Barbecue originates a double-layered case to keep cool so
from America’s southern states, where you can touch it anytime without getting
smokers reign supreme. PRO Q’s mission burned. The small cooking surface does
is to create a smoker capable of saturating restrict your menu, but you can’t fit an
food with authenticity, while looking a entire lamb joint in a bun anyway.
whole lot more stylish than an overturned EXPERT VERDICT The smart addition of
oil drum. You can make this one into a cold an internal fan feeds coals with oxygen for
smoker for salmon come winter, too. near instantaneous cooking temperature,
EXPERT VERDICT This low and slow while also redirecting the smoke away
specialist will transport you to Tennessee. from your food. This results in fewer
By adding woodchips to your coals and carcinogens getting into your food, but
using the water reservoir for extra moisture, also less flavour. In short, a quick, healthy
you can maximise smoke flavour while grill perfect for prawns and asparagus.
ensuring meat doesn’t dry out. Dig out
some dungarees, break out the brisket
and enjoy the true Deep South experience.

MINHNER
W

LICENSE BE A FIRESTARTER
Steal a trick from
TO GRILL Weber and melt prep
Tish assembles the time by lighting coals in a
essential tools that chimney starter (homebase.
will elevate your co.uk). Compact and well
expertise with the ventilated, it creates the
tongs to another level best conditions for fast fire.
CLOSE TO HOME
Imported charcoal
is compressed using
chemicals to stop it crumbling
in transit. British bio-regional
coals (waitrose.co.uk) are
chemical-free and have
a better-tasting smoke, too.
RED EYE FOCUS
Laser thermometers
(maplin.co.uk) get
exact internal temperatures
of both meat and barbecue
for precision cooking. Resist
playing sniper to maintain
an air of professionalism.

MEN’S HEALTH 43

MUSCLE UP
AT THE FLICK
OF A TWITCH
Frequent travellers have
lost their ‘get out of gym
free’ card. Lifting light in
your hotel can put you
on the fast-lane to growth
S
pending another night on
the road with work is liable
to leave you with nothing
more to play with than
an undersized gym stocked with
featherweight dumbbells. For
some men this in an unwelcome
speed bump in their beach body
WORDS: TED LANE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS
programme. For others, it’s an
opportunity to get acquainted
with a different kind of ‘mini bar’.
Whatever your reasoning, a new
study has proven your fears (and
excuses) unfounded. Researchers
discovered that you can add as
much mass lifting just 60% of your
one-rep max as you can chasing
new PBs under a bending barbell.   double the gains. Breathe a sigh of
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
19
TAKE A LOAD
OFF
20
BULK
ORDERS A
MUSCLE
NEWSFEED
DON’T LET NIGHTS
AWAY DISRUPT YOUR
TRAINING GOALS
EXTRA BAGGAGE
Come back bigger with four ways to
give your out-of-office testosterone
levels a natural booster shot
+120%
+93%
Lighter weights target your slow-
twitch fibres, which – although
known for boosting endurance,
not size like their faster relations –
By fitting in 20min When taking a
provide the same pump you’re
of sunshine a day. daily zinc supp.
after when targeted properly. The
Boston State Hospital Wayne State Uni
reason? After muscle-building
bookworms compiled a 13-study
meta-analysis in Sports Medicine, +20% +17%
they found the extra reps racked
up while lifting light provide time
under tension, stimulating growth From watching your With a full pot
equal to fast-twitch-focused sets football team win. of ginger tea.
of three heavy reps. Time to hit University of Utah Tikrit Medical
the hotel gym, then.
Plus, even when you’re home
and lifting heavier, researchers
now recommend scheduling one
lightweight session in your weekly
regimen. You’ll maximise your
muscles’ potential, working both
fast- and slow-twitch muscles for
relief, gentlemen; it’s not the size
that counts, it’s how you lift it.
MEN’S HEALTH 45
 BULK UP,
SLIM DOWN
VICTORY’S SWEETS
The idea of brownies as anything but a gooey
BROWNIES
indulgence might sound half-baked. But our
recipes flip stodge into a body-sculpting snack

GREAT BRITISH BULK-UP

GO NUTS TO SEED NEW MUSCLE MASS
Dessert doesn’t have to leave
a black mark in your food diary. INGREDIENTS
• Self-raising flour,
By using a base of eggs, butter,
200g
milk, bananas and goji berries, • Cacao powder,
you can feast on a chewy treat 50g, sifted
worthy of Paul Hollywood, • Bicarbonate of
soda, 1tsp
while facilitating the right kind
• Bananas, 2 large,
of growth. Eggs serve up quality ripe, mashed
proteins, while the butter packs • Semi-skimmed
bone-building vits K and D, and milk, 100ml
bananas’ potassium protects • Free-range eggs,
3 large, beaten
against post-training cramps. • Butter, 100g, 282IES
Plus swapping milk chocolate cubed CALOR
for raw cacao powder (a source • Goji berries, 35g
of theobromine and magnesium) • Oil for greasing
L K UP

delivers a guilt-free energy boost.

10gIN
To top things off, protein-dense BULK-UP EXTRAS PROTE
nuts – along with a handful of • Hazelnuts,
sleep-aiding pumpkin seeds – 65g, crushed
BU

• Pistachios,
make this a post-gym treat that
will see you wake up stronger.
65g, crushed
• Pumpkin seeds,
1F8ATg
65g, ground

2CA0RBgS
> METHOD SERVES 12

1/ THE WARM-UP
This is how to have your cake and be
fit. Grease a loose-based square tin –
9in in diameter – and line with baking
paper. That’s the boring bit over with.
WORDS: MARK BAILEY | PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN MATTHEWS | FOOD STYLIST: JACK SARGESON
2/ GET STUCK IN
Mix the flour, cacao and bicarb of soda
in a large bowl. Add the crushed nuts
and ground pumpkin seeds, then form
a small well in the centre of the bowl.

3/ THE BIG MELT 4/ BATTER IT UP

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stirring Pour into the well of the flour mix and
regularly. Take it off the heat and stir stir to form thick batter. Scrape it into
in the milk. Add the eggs, banana and the cake tin. Bake at 200°C for 30min
fatigue-busting gojis. Keep mixing. or until firm. Cool, slice and devour.

46 MEN’S HEALTH MEN

ME NSSHE
HEAALLTTHH.C
H..CCO
CO.
O.UK
UK
 21
SLICE OF
MIGHT
22
YOUR JUST
DESSERTS A
FAT TO BURN? BAKE IT OFF
SLICE CALORIES AND CHEW THROUGH HUNGER
A coffee-shop brownie can nuke
INGREDIENTS your nutritional masterplan,
• Black beans,
but rustle up a batch of these
400g, drained
• Honey, 35g homemade treats and you can
• Cacao powder, indulge without the bulge. Raw
30g cacao delivers on taste but also
• Wholewheat boosts your metabolic burn to
flour, 180g
• Salt, pinch melt extra fat. The ingenious
• Baking powder, black bean and prune combo
1½tsp delivers the deliciously gooey
• Water, 2 cups texture you want from brownies,
while unleashing a protein-fibre
SLIM-DOWN blend that regulates blood sugar
EXTRAS and crushes hunger pangs. Plus,
• Prunes, 50g the goji berries preserve muscle
• Goji berries, 50g
mass during weightloss – so
• Oats, 80g
you get leaner without getting
weaker – while the oats contain
enough hunger-culling fibre to
shrink your waistline and fuel
your next HIIT session with
high-quality carbohydrates.
Pass another piece, please.

THE TASTEMAKER
Name: Richard Bainbridge
Job: Restaurant owner
and TV chef
Bainbridge is a Great British Menu
winner and the owner of Benedicts,
a modern British bistro in Norwich.

> METHOD SERVES 12

145
CALOR
IES
SL 1/ TURN UP THE HEAT
Earn some brownie points with your
2/ THE THICK OF IT
Pulse the honey and gojis, before
6g PT. Set the oven to 180°C, then blitz adding the immunity-boosting oats,
IM

PR
OTEIN prunes and beans in a food processor, flour, cacao, salt and baking powder,
adding a cup of water until smooth. along with another cup of water.
DOW

1.8g
N FAT

26g
CA R B S
3/ STICK TO THE PLAN
Coat the tin with non-stick spray, then
pour in the batter (it should be thick
but smooth). Use a spatula to spread
the mixture evenly across the dish.
4/ YOU HAVE BAKE OFF
Bake for 30min. You’ll know it’s ready
if you put a toothpick in the centre
and it comes out clean. Leave to cool,
then slice and eat. A cakewalk, right?

MEEN
MENS
NSSHE
HEAL
EALLTH
TH.CCCOO.
O.UKK MEN’S HEALTH 47
 MH EVENT

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IS ON!
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#AREYOUASURVIVOR
HE’S THE BRASH, FLASH POSTER BOY OF UFC
WITH A LEGION OF FANS. FIVE MONTHS AGO HE
SHOCKED THE MMA WORLD BY LOSING. THIS
MONTH HE HOPES TO MAKE AMENDS. MH SPENT
A DAY WITH CONOR MCGREGOR TO FIND OUT
HOW UNLIKELY CHAMPIONS ARE CREATED AND
HOW YOU, TOO, CAN SURPASS EXPECTATION
GUTTER CREDIT

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 COVE R M O D E L M U SC LE
CONOR MCGREGOR

FASHION BIG-HITTER AND

THE UFC’S MAIN DRAW:
MR CONOR MCGREGOR

WORDS BY PETER FLAX - PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER YANG

 “IT’S ALL
BEAUTIFUL.
THE MOVEMENTS
ARE BEAUTIFUL
BUT SO IS THE
MCGREGOR BALANCES
GRACEFUL AGILITY WITH
EXPEDITIOUS POWER
BRUTALITY”

5 S S CO U
 Conor COVE R M O D E L M U SC LE
CONOR MCGREGOR

McGregor is explaining what to do should you find

yourself in a bar fight; where, specifically,
to punch someone in the face. The solemn
SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE
UFC SCRAPPER, MCGREGOR
LIKES TO DRESS HIS WAGE

precision of his advice is disconcerting,

though this could, in part, be down to the
fact he is dispensing it while throttling his
convertible Rolls-Royce Phantom down
LA’s Century Freeway at breakneck speed.
“You want to hit someone on the soft
part of their face,” he says with a smile,
one hand on the wheel. The top is down
and the wind makes it hard to hear the
NOTORIOUS hardest pound-for-pound puncher in UFC
WISDOM history. “I recommend putting your fist
between their nose and mouth,” he says,
McGregor does casually. “It’s tender there.”
things his way, McGregor exchanges a warm glance
but his maverick with his longtime girlfriend, Dee. “To hit
methods are someone on the chin you need power,”
not unfounded. he continues, solemnity renewed. “In
MH weighs in any case, don’t wait. Hit first and hit
hard. Get in and get out.”
“We’re the only These last three sentences, delivered
animal that quickly and effectively like his flashing
wakes up and left jab, sum up McGregor’s approach
doesn’t stretch” to both fighting and life. This is a man
Dynamic stretching
in a warm-up can who wraps up championship bouts
enhance muscular in 13 seconds, a 65kg fighter who
performance and hits with a power he has no right to
THE BRUTAL YOUTH
*SOURCES: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS, CANADIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

protect from injury.* possess. A man who went from being

“Machines a plumber’s apprentice to earning Conor McGregor, 28, grew up in the
don’t use multiple championship belts and the first Dublin suburb of Crumlin. It was tough.
machines. And $1 million purse in UFC history. A man “I realised I needed to know how to
I am a machine” who has become the high-torque, brogue- defend myself,” he says. He took up
Bodyweight plyo talking, big-spending, smart-dressing boxing at 12 and it wasn’t long before
moves provide a poster boy of the octagon. his work ethic and devastating left hook
bigger power boost But there is more to McGregor. When caught peoples’ eyes. “I walked into a gym
than lifting heavy.
MH shadows the fighter on a long day in not giving a fuck about a belt or a title,”
“Ritual is a LA, roughly 10 weeks before his eagerly he says. “I got into it just to deal with the
word for fear, awaited rematch with Nate Diaz later street.” Within a few years McGregor was
manifested in this month, a more complex character pursuing grappling, kickboxing, jiu jitsu
a different way” starts to emerge. As the Irishman punches – any discipline he could think of.
McGregor doesn’t and flexes for a Reebok video shoot and When he saw his first UFC event in
have ‘meal times’. gives interviews for affiliate sponsors, he Dublin, aged 18, it changed the arc of his
Eating frequently
reduces the odds shares details about his daring and widely life. “I didn’t have a pot to piss in. But
of evening binges. misunderstood approach to training, I didn’t think anyone I saw in the octagon
one that prioritises unconventional was extra-special or any better than
“There comes movement over brute strength. And as me,” McGregor recalls. “I realised this
a time when you we barrel around the city – accompanied was something I could do with myself.”
need to stop by two security men, numerous agents Not long after, he gave up his plumbing
handing out and his personal masseuse, a man named apprenticeship to pursue his new dream.
flyers and get Vasile who everyone simply refers to as McGregor turned pro as an MMA
back to the Dr Pain – the fighter opens up about his fighter in 2007 and assembled a 12-2
damn shop” rapid-fire approach to life. record as both a featherweight and
Want a fresh focus? “I have a plan,” he says, as the freeway lightweight over the next six years,
Switch stance. finally comes to an end. “Get in, get rich, making him the first European to
Attacking a task in
a different way is and get out.” hold concurrent titles in two different
shown to improve divisions. Even so, international stardom
mental vigilance. eluded him. This changed in 2013 when

S CO U MEN’S HEALTH 53
COVE R M O D E L M U SC LE
CONOR MCGREGOR
UFC President Dana White was in Dublin
to receive an award. “I like to hang and go
to pubs,” says White. “And in every pub I
went to, literally everybody was telling me
about Conor McGregor. I was like, Jesus
Christ, I need to meet this kid.”
White had McGregor flown out to
Las Vegas, the home of UFC. He took
his prospect out for a drive down the
Strip in his white Ferrari and then on
to dinner. McGregor was wowed by the
flash, but White was impressed, too. “All
you have to do is hang out with him for
five minutes. He has this unbelievably
magnetic personality,” he says, recalling
the moment he decided to sign McGregor.
“After dinner I called my partner and said,
‘If this guy can throw a punch, he’s going
to be a superstar.’”
White pauses. “Of course, it worked
out even better than that. Because he can
punch as hard as fuck.”
THE HITMAN COMETH
One night in Las Vegas toward the end
of 2015, some 16,500 fans gathered to
watch Conor McGregor fight for the UFC
World Featherweight Championship
under the bright lights of the MGM Grand
Garden Arena in UFC 194. His opponent
was Jose Aldo, Brazilian mixed martial
artist, reigning featherweight champion
and a man undefeated in 10 years. It was
heralded as the most eagerly awaited
contest in UFC history.
In the first five seconds,
not much seemed to
happen – at least, not to
the untrained eye. Then
“I HELPED
McGregor threw a low kick. TRAIN A GUY
“I did that intentionally,” he
recalls, explaining how he
deliberately showed Aldo
TO KILL
stances and attacks from
multiple disciplines in those
SOMEONE”
opening moments. “I could tell by his face
and body position that he knew trying to
scoop it was a mistake.”
Three seconds later, both men threw
punches with their lefts. Pause the replay
on YouTube 10 seconds in and you’ll see
Aldo and McGregor both have fists just an
inch away from their faces. Aldo is leaning
forward while McGregor stands upright,
weaving and parrying with his feet widely
planted. Something was about to explode.
Both punches hit their mark, but one of
them, the one as hard as fuck, detonated.
“His whole body was tensed – just like
54 MEN’S HEALTH
a piece of glass,” says McGregor, smiling.
“I shut the lights out.” Aldo’s unconscious
body fell to the floor. McGregor pounced
and dropped a few quick hammer fists
before the referee could jump in, push the
Irishman aside and wave his arms. The
fight was over in 13 seconds, the fastest-
ever finish to a UFC title bout. McGregor
celebrated in the ring with an Irish flag
draped over his shoulders.
Later in the evening he was awarded
a $50,000 bonus for his stunning
performance – more than he made in all
his years in Crumlin. This came on top of
the $500,000 purse
that was due to him
anyway, win or lose,
money that would
fund his famously
extravagant taste for
bespoke David August
suits and diamond-
encrusted Audemars
Piguet watches. But
on that night in December, it was not the
spoils that occupied McGregor’s mind so
much as the manner of the win itself.
“He’s powerful and he’s fast,” said
the new champion of the vanquished.
“But precision beats power, and timing
beats speed.”
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL
McGregor is shirtless for our photo
shoot, throwing kicks and punches,
body glistening and twisting. The brisk
violence of his moves is obvious, but
so is the grace. These are roundhouses
and left hooks that buckle pro fighters,
but in the studio they assume a fluidity
that resembles modern dance. This
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observation is warily mentioned to the
fighter, who happens to have a tattoo of
MCGREGOR’S SALARY
a gorilla eating a heart inked on his chest. MAY BE SKY-HIGH
Thankfully, he takes it as a compliment. BUT HARD TRAINING
The truth is that McGregor regards KEEPS HIM GROUNDED
traditional strength training as overrated.
“People are so caught in a routine,
doing the same things over and over,” he
says. “I want to be an expert in different
fighting styles, new training methods,
new ways of thinking.”
Encountering the Israeli movement
specialist Ido Portal proved pivotal in
this. McGregor says he began studying
Portal’s methods on YouTube in 2013 after
he injured his ACL in a bout. Soon after
the two began to work face-to-face. In the
run-up to the Aldo fight, Portal uploaded
videos of movement drills he had been
doing with McGregor: complex gymnastic
sequences, drills that mimicked the
movements of animals, numerous balletic
exercises centred around a bamboo stick.
This was not the kind of fight prep that
MMA fans were used to seeing.
“There’s a lot of bullshit surrounding
this,” says Portal, plainly. “Very few
people understand what we are doing.
They jump to incredible conclusions
without any idea of what’s going on.”
McGregor says the training helped him
become a better fighter. “I’ve learned new
footwork patterns that are very unusual,”
he says. “I’ve learned how to find a lower
centre of gravity and I’ve found more
angles to throw shots. In a bout, I’m not
just fighting another man. I’m dealing
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
POWER MAC
McGregor’s vital statistics
make for some hard-hitting
figures. Gloves up, gents
SHAPE-SHIFTER

5ft8 65kg
Height Weight
Exactly equal to Jack Wilshere

SOCIAL HEAVYWEIGHT
PRECISION, TIMING
11 MILLION
Total social media followers:
AND ANIMAL INSTINCT:
A LETHAL COMBO
3 x that of Rory McIlroy

PUNCHING THE CLOCK

$2,862,000
Disclosed UFC earnings

$357,750
Average take per fight

$11,455
Salary per minute fighting
 COVE R M O D E L M U SC LE
CONOR MCGREGOR

with another man and the ground.

I want to understand how the ground
can be my friend.” MCGREGOR IS A
Back at the photo shoot, McGregor is TIRELESS STUDENT
executing complex spinning kick moves, OF BODY MOVEMENT
each one punctuated with palpable
force. After a few goes, he walks over
to a monitor to study the fine points of
his body position in each image. The
photographer seems happy, but McGregor
wants another stab at it. He wants it to
be perfect and sees no incongruity in
equating violence with finesse.
“It’s all beautiful,” he insists. “The
movements are beautiful but so is the
brutality. To know how to make another
man’s body submit to yours – that’s
a beautiful thing.”

FIGHTING TALK
Conor McGregor is on a roll. Of his 22
professional bouts he has been victorious
in 19, all but two ending in knockouts.
He has earned millions of dollars and
became the first MMA fighter to make the
BE A LEAN 1/ SNEAKING MONKEY 2/ MAX SPRINT
Forbes 100 highest-paid athletes list. He FIGHTING WALK OUT 25M RUN OUT 50M
can refuse to participate in the normal Start in a low squat. Rocking forward Stand up and immediately sprint
promotion roadshow for a championship MACHINE onto your left knee, step out with your forward. Stay low for the first few steps
bout and then vent on social media about right foot without standing up (A). Swap (A), then pump your arms to finish
it – as he did in April as UFC 200 loomed
McGregor uses from right and left to walk
wa forward (B). strong (B). You should be gasping.
– without wrecking his career. He says
animal-inspired
whatever he wants because no one can
movements and A
stop him, not least himself.
intense efforts
But he also knows what it means to
to stay strong
A
confront loss, notably in the defeat he
but supple. Do
suffered to Nate Diaz in a welterweight
the moves in B
championship bout in March this year.
turn, then rest
In the wake of the Aldo fight, people
for 60sec. Aim
began talking about McGregor as if he
for five circuits
were invincible. Yet on this occasion,
total. Then turn
the page for the B
having cockily, perhaps foolishly,
jumped up two weight divisions, the
you next bout
hard-punching Irishman simply ran out
of steam in the second round against CIRCUIT
a larger man. He had never even been
scheduled to fight Diaz, but McGregor’s
PART O1 3/ SPRAWL 4/ DUCK WALK
5 REPS WALK OUT 25M
planned opponent got injured at the last
Think of these as an MMA burpee. From This time, squat down as low as you can
minute and the American was tapped to
standing (A), shoot your legs back to go (A) and waddle forward in small steps
step in. McGregor accepted the switch
land on your hands with your hips low (B). Keep your back straight and core
with nonchalance and paid the price.
(B). Then immediately spring back up. tight throughout.
g No one will dare laugh.
Suddenly, the flamboyant fans’ favourite
was the one playing the fall guy.
McGregor focuses on the lessons he A
learned from the loss. “I look at it as
educational,” he says, admitting that he A
has watched the replay, “dozens of times.”
For one thing, even though he has had
great success dropping weight quickly for
a big fight, he discovered that eating to
put on pounds is trickier. “I was eating two
CUT OUT AND KEEP

B B

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 57


steaks a day. I was eating biscuits,” he
says. “I was just full. We don’t fight when
we’re full; we fight when we’re hungry.”
He also realises that he was remiss in his
cardio prep ahead of the bout. “I slapped
the hell out of him for eight minutes,”
he says. “I didn’t lose on skill; I lost on
stamina. My greatest strength is my
work ethic. And my greatest weakness is
my work ethic. Leading up to Diaz, I was
fucked up from overtraining.”
McGregor will have his chance
to avenge the defeat at UFC 202 on
20 August. “I want this rematch so bad,”
he says. “I’ll be better prepared this
time. You can count on that.”
THE BIGGEST LOSS
By contrast, nothing prepared McGregor
for what he witnessed on 9 April during
a fight in Dublin. As he sat ringside, his
stable-mate Charlie Ward, a talented
featherweight champion, earned a
third-round TKO to beat a young fighter
named Joao Carvalho. At the end of
the fight, Carvalho’s nose was bleeding
profusely, and on-site doctors decided
that he should go to the hospital. Less
than 48 hours later, the 28-year-old
Portuguese died from brain injuries.
Back in the Roller, driving along
Venice Beach toward another gym and
another Reebok commitment, MH asks
McGregor about the incident, how he’s
processing the experience. After a long
stretch of nonstop conversation, the car
is suddenly quiet.
“How do I feel?” he asks with palpable
edge in his voice. “How would you feel?”
MH tells McGregor we have no idea,
that to watch someone
die from hand-to-hand
combat is not a common “I DON’T
occurrence.
He nods. More silence. HAVE TO
WORKOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS
“It’s fucked up,” he says,
finally, eyes firmly on the ANSWER
road as he snakes through
the traffic. “I wasn’t just
watching that fight.
TO NO ONE”
I helped train a guy to kill someone, and
then someone wound up dying. This is
a fucking dangerous game. People call it
a sport, but it’s fighting. I’m just making
sure it ain’t me. And that’s fucked up.”
His wounds are visible. A Lil Wayne
song comes on the radio and McGregor
turns it up loud, blocking out the
internal noise. There will be no more
CUT OUT AND KEEP
conversation in the car for a minute
or two. Then he takes a deep breath
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CORE KO 1/ HANDSTAND LEG RAISE
Your second 60 SECONDS
round of moves Start with your upper back and head
hits your midline against the wall, arms braced (A). Now
hard, for abs use your abs to draw your legs up until
that can take (B). Lower them slowly.
straight (B)
a punch and
look good in A A
promos. Aim for
three circuits,
with 60sec rest
between each
CIRCUIT
B
PART O2
3/ HANGING L-SIT
2 X 30 SECONDS
Using an overhand grip (A), bring your
legs up until they are parallel with the
floor (B). Hold for 30sec, rest, and then
go again. Too hard?? Bend your knees.
A
B B
and the volume comes back down.
“Damn,” he says. “I still can’t believe
that kid is dead.”
WINNER TAKES ALL
McGregor’s last obligation of the long day
is to shoot another promotional video,
this one for new performance-oriented
shoes and apparel. His name, face and
success in the ring sell a lot of products
and his commitments mean he is duty-
bound to play up to them. Is it fun playing
Conor McGregor? “Damn right I’m having
fun,” he says, shrugging off the weariness.
“I don’t have to have a job. I don’t have to
answer to no one.”
He’s dressed like a fighter in training.
Though his shirt will stay on this time,
there will be more acrobatic kicks and
thermonuclear punches thrown. A video
crew is prepping and angsty brand
representatives are anxious to close the
gym’s bay doors – he’s wearing gear that
COVE R M O D E L M U SC LE
CONOR MCGREGOR
2/ SHADOW BOXING
60 SECONDS
Easy, slugger: the focus here is on hand
speed, to get your heart rate up. Throw
fast combinations, take a breath, then
step back in to throw
thro another salvo.
B
4/ PISTOL SQUATS
60 SECONDS
With feet shoulder-width
shoulder width aapart,
apart bend
your left leeeg (A)) to squat, kkeeping your
right
h out-ssstretched
h (B).B) Puuush back up.p
Alternate sides each rep
A p uuntil time is up.
p
A
won’t be released for a few months yet.
Meanwhile, McGregor waits, composed,
as if biding time in the wings ahead
of a bout.
MH asks him how it feels the moment
before he steps into the cage for a fight.
Does he ever feel fear? “No way, man,” he
says. “It feels like freedom. It’s the one
time in my life where I get to do whatever
the fuck I want.”
Kendrick Lamar is drawling to a strong
beat on the sound system as McGregor
grabs a barbell and runs through a quick
weights routine. He does some shrugs,
he stretches his shoulders, he executes
picture-perfect deadlifts. Once he starts
moving like this, whatever fatigue he may
have felt begins to evaporate. As the bay
doors close, Conor McGregor is in the
corner of the gym snapping punches into
the air. It is a uniquely beautiful thing.
MEN’S HEALTH 59
 TIME
WORDS BY DAVID MORTON / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOBE LAWRENSON

MAXIMISING LIFE’S GREATEST LUXURY

03
SECONDS TO THANK
GOD FOR SMITING
COULD THIS BE
THE HOLY GRAIL OF
HANGOVER CURES?

YOUR HANGOVERS when confronted with booze-

related triggers showed

I
f you shunned water in favour significantly increased activity
of a vat of wine last night, the in the regions of the brain linked
chorus of curses that likely to concentration and emotion,
defined your morning will making them more aware of
have brought scant solace. Even the potential for relapsing
a desperate plea to a higher being and the harmful effects
for an end to your self-inflicted of that decision.
suffering won’t help. No, if salvation While we’re certainly
from the temptation of ‘one too not prescribing a vow
many’ is your desire, prayers of abstinence, it stands to
should be offered up before you reason that taking a few seconds
start drinking, rather than after to offer up supplication to your
a night of liver-flagellation. personal power on high will lower
Because researchers from your risk of consuming more
New York University have found drinks than you intend to. The
that praying can minimise alcohol mornings after will be more
cravings, having worked with a glorious than venomous. And for
group of long-time members of that, you can be truly thankful.
Alcoholics Anonymous. In MRI
scans, test subjects who prayed

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 61

 TIME

PRACTISE GOOD DENTAL

HYGIENE TO GRIT YOUR
TEETH AGAINST CANCER

02
MINUTES TO GIVE
YOUR CANCER RISK
I
t’s fair to say that regular
use of your toothbrush
bristles with benefits. But
recent research states that
a dazzling smile and fewer fillings
is merely the bright tip of the oral
iceberg, as bad dental hygiene
has been found to be strongly
linked to the bacteria that cause
their risk of developing pancreatic
tumours. Affecting nearly 9000
Brits every year – the majority of
whom are men – what were once
thought to be oral symptoms of
the disease are now believed to
be among its causes.
While study leader Dr Christina
Ahn says that new medical
methods to prevent and diagnose
the cancer are urgently needed,
THE BRUSH OFF pancreatic cancer.
Research conducted at New
it might be as easy as brushing
up on your daily routine. Happily,
York University showed the to lower your risk, two full minutes
presence of either ‘porphyromonas in front of the mirror twice a day
ADDITIONAL WORDS: JOSEPH CUMMINS

gingivalis’ or ‘aggregatibacter should suffice. Which is reason

actinomycetemcomitans’ (even enough for some fresh resolve
the names are quite the mouthful) at the sink in the morning.
in those tested indicated an
increase of more than 50% in

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 63


C
rosswords and sudokus are
common resorts for wise
men looking to gen up
and expand their mental
strength. But crushing the cryptic
before you get to the office will
only serve to sharpen what you
already have. If you want to really
03
build on your mental limits,
strolling past the weights room
and straight into the yoga studio
has advantages far beyond your
basic ‘enlightenment’.
Research from UCLA states
that a three-month course of
Kundalini yoga – a variety that
focuses on breathing, chanting
and meditation – positively affects
MONTHS TO HONE
YOUR MEMORY WITH
A DOWNWARD DOG
CGI IMAGERY: PETER CROWTHER
FIND YOUR BALANCE
TO BUILD A WELL-
ROUNDED MIND
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
TIME
the way your brains cells
communicate with each other,
increasing cognitive capacity,
improving the speed and
accuracy of your recall and even
serving to limit the issues that
precede Alzheimer’s.
Practising even once a week
was shown to heighten mood and
the study’s author, Harris Eyre,
hopes yoga will be prescribed
to fight anxiety and depression
in the future. So, if you’re feeling
in need of a little more neural
flexibility during your working
week, taking an hour on the mat
to stretch yourself mentally is your
first position. See you down there.
MEN’S HEALTH 65
TIME

CHOC FULL OF
THE SWEET TASTE
OF SUCCESS

14
DAYS TO GET FITTER
AND FASTER WITH A
thletic advocates of
beetroot juice swear by
its results, but agree that
just about anything else is
more palatable. Mark Cavendish
dark varieties, increase nitric
oxide production in much the
same way that beetroot does,
helping to dilate blood vessels
and reduce your oxygen
expenditure during exercise.
Subjects who replaced one
snack with 40g of dark chocolate
a day for 14 days found their
GREEN & BLACKS even bemoans the after effects,
which he charmingly refers to
stamina went up by 6% and
ensured their previous records
as ‘pissing rainbows’. Well, now it in a two-minute time-trial all
seems Tour de France legends but melted away.
and cardio commuters alike can Which means that the guilt-free
spare themselves the purple unwrapping of a bar of 70% for
rain, as a new study shows that the next two weeks will take
dark chocolate plates up similar a generous chunk out of your
muscular-endurance benefits, own PBs. Don’t say that we’re
just in a far sweeter format. not good to you.
A study by Kingston University
has found that flavonols, from
the cacao beans used to make

66 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK


BOWLED
OVER
TEST CRICKET, THE ULTIMATE
FORM OF THE GAME, IS A TRUE
TEST OF FOCUS – SO FUEL YOUR
MIND AS WELL AS YOUR BODY
MH PROMOTION
W
iith test matches lasting up to
five days, and at least six hours
of play each day, not only do
cricket players have to be fit,
but they also need to understand the
importance of good nutrition.
So it won’t come as a surprise that
completely focused on the task at
hand is key to success.
To win the mind game, you have
to give your body the correct nutrition
to keep you going. For Stokes, that’s
where carbohydrates – an energy source
key for endurance sports – comes in.
fuel features high up on the list of “It always gives you that extra
priorities for New Balance athlete and energy boost for the next day,” says
Stokes. “On a typical playing day, I like
England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
Whether he’s at the crease, running in to have homemade fruit smoothies for
to bowl or even just in training, being
MH PROMOTION

PERFORMANCE MERINO HALF ZIP £75

NB ICE SHORT SLEEVE £28
PERFORMANCE MERINO TIGHT £95
breakfast. For lunch I’ll have some FRESH FOAM ZANTE V2 £95
form of carbs – often pasta – to give AVAILABLE AT
NEWBALANCE.CO.UK
me fuel for the two remaining sessions
of play. Then for dinner, my go-to
meal is chicken fajitas.”
If you’ve got an endurance event on
the horizon, or you’re simply working
toward a new fitness goal rather than
weight loss, carbs are far from the
enemy. With any physical challenge you
need your mind to be calm, clear and
ready – tricky if you’re too busy
daydreaming about chips. “I will allow
myself to eat most things in and around
a test match as so many calories are
burned off during play,” says Stokes. It’s
time to fuel your brain and your body.

For more tips from Ben Stokes

head to menshealth.co.uk/
toughestopponent

HOWZAT FOR A
HEALTHY CARB?
Ignore those unpronounceable
supps – simple, natural grub is
all you need to improve your
performance. Try these three
pre-run staples to upgrade
every training session without
exercising your wallet
SWEET POTATO
With so many health benefits
– including high levels of
fibre and potassium – this
super-spud will fill you and
fuel you throughout the day.
PORRIDGE
Oats are the ultimate in
slow-release energy, making this
a mighty breakfast. Make it with
milk for added calcium or just
water to keep it traditional.
QUINOA
This pseudo-grain contains
protein with a complete set of
branch-chain and essential amino
acids, making it a tissue- and
muscle-building powerhouse.

LEARN HOW TO TRAIN YOURSELF AT NEWBALANCE.CO.UK/TOUGHESTOPPONENT #IAMTHECOMPETITION


CLOCKING OFF EARLY
COULD HELP YOU PACK
MORE INTO THE DAY
02
P
roposing an early departure
from work as a strategy
for improving your mood
might seem somewhat
facile – a bit like prescribing early
nights for exhaustion. After all,
HOURS TO TRADE there’s a valid reason you’re still
miserably grinding away into
YOUR DAILY GRIND the small hours – you’ve got too
much work to do. However, recent
FOR AN EASY RIDE studies suggest this might not 
be the most astute approach.
Researchers working with
CASE ASPINAL OF LONDON
nurses in Sweden found that
a six-hour working day not only
made employees 20% happier
(quelle surprise) but, crucially,
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
TIME
it increased
productivity during
that time period by 64%.
Employees in the study also
took half as much sick leave as
those in the eight-hours-a-day
club. The net result? They worked
less but got a lot more done.
Granted, it might be a struggle
to get your new 3pm finish time
signed off by the HR department,
but next time you decide to
pull a late one in the name of
efficiency, don’t forget that
a timely finish today could spare
you an hour spent staring blankly
into your coffee tomorrow. It is
at work as it is with your workouts:
go hard, then go home. And try
to smile on your way out the
door, won’t you?
MEN’S HEALTH 69
THE 31 DAY

DON’T WORRY,
THESE GUYS WON’T
BE THERE...
 6 - P A CK PR I MER
The stress of an impending summer holiday can play havoc with your best-laid plans to
look good when you get there. Juggling late nights at work with a strict gym programme
is hard, which is why we’ve created this calendar to ease your beach-body endeavours.
With just one simple step per day, you’ll be packing abs for days by the end of the month
WORDS BY TOM WARD
Week
One
31
Undesk
Yourself
Prolonged sitting (like
a deskbound 9-5) tilts
your pelvis forward,
creating a phantom
paunch that can make
a mockery of your
abs-sculpting efforts.
Your saviour is mobility
guru Kelly Starrett.
Perform this stretch
once a day to stand
taller before take-off.
COUCH STRETCH
2 SETS OF
60 SECONDS PER LEG
A are simply swaddled in a
B stripping lean in a hurry.
Kneel with the front of your
foot against a wall. Bring
your left knee forward into
a lunge (A) and straighten
your torso, head up. Bring
your right leg vertical to the
wall, pushing your knee into
the corner (B). Hold for one
minute then switch legs.
30
Now, Take A Deep
Breath...
It’s tempting to jump straight
into torrents of crunches,
breathlessly busting out reps.
But for maximum benefits,
breathe out at the ‘top’ of
each rep – when your core is
working hardest – to better
contract you abs for a
stronger muscular response.
74 MEN’S HEALTH
29
...And Be A
Calculating Man
When you perform your core
set is as important as how.
A study in Sports Medicine
found people complete more
reps of an exercise when it’s
done earlier in a session.
The lack of fatigue helps you
train your core with more
intensity, too, for better form
in the rest of your workout.
28
Make The Cut
Everyone has abs – most
little too much ‘wrapping’.
David Tieu (alex–fitness.
co.uk), a pro muay thai
warrior, is no stranger to
His daily circuit will super-
charge your metabolism.
SHADOW BOXING
3 SETS OF FI
FIVE
IVE MINUTES
Ducking, weaving and
punching is a far more
efficient – and enjoyable – way
to burn calories than yet
another slog around the block.
CHIPPING
AWAY AT FAT
DOESN’T
DEMAND A
FLAT DIET
27
Beef Up, Cut Down
You know that loading up
on protein will help you
carve out abs, but you might
not be aware that red meat
is also adept at re-upping
testosterone levels, which will
make burning through your
fat reserves even easier. For
an antidote to yet another
shake, pick up Men’s Health
Fuel Beef Jerky from Tesco.
SPRINT
5 SETS OF TWO MINUTES
Interval sprints burn fat
faster than an AJ knockout.
Jog at a steady speed for
30 seconds, then up the
pace by 5km/h for the next
30 seconds. Repeat.
CYCLING
1 SET OF 30MIN
Avoid burnout by adding a
bit of steady-state work too.
Take a bike out for 5K – you
can throw in a few incline
sprints to finish, of course.
THE 31 DAY
THE PALATABLE WAY TO
BEEF UP ON THE MOVE
26
SCORCHING
THROUGH FAT IS
THIRSTY WORK
Treat Yourself
After a week of hard work, it’s
time to reward yourself with
some traditional Friday fare.
Harley Street nutritionist
Rhiannon Lambert (rhitrition.
com) has crafted a leaner,
muscle-repairing fish’n’chips.
Battered sausage not
included. Sorry.
INGREDIENTS
A SWEET POTATO,
MEDIUM, CUT INTO WEDGES
COCONUT OIL, 1TBSP
PAPRIKA, PINCH
HIMALAYAN SALT, PINCH
AN EGG, BEATEN
HERBES DE PROVENCE,
LARGE PINCH
GROUND ALMONDS, 30G
HAKE FILLET, 130G
METHOD
Cover the wedges with coconut
oil, paprika and salt, then roast in
the oven at 200°C for 45 minutes
to get started. For the topping,
mix the egg, herbs and almonds
and brush over the hake, which
has been found by researchers at
the Nutrition & Obesity Unit of
Hospital Ramón y Cajal in Madrid
to aid weightloss over other types
of white fish. Fry the seasoned fish
in a pan until flaky, then serve
alongside the wedges. And, as
it’s the weekend, you’ll want a
drink to wash it down with…
 6 - P A CK PR I MER
OPENER PHOTOGRAPHY: TONY KELLY FOLIO-ID.COM | FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS | FOOD STYLING: IONA BLACKSHAW | WORKOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS
25
Toast To Your
Progress
Without the odd indulgence,
a man is liable to become
disenchanted. Negate the risk
of coming off the rails entirely
with our Vodka Scorcher.
INGREDIENTS
ZUBRÓWKA VODKA, 25ML
A GREEN CHILLI, DE-SEEDED
LIME, ½, JUICED
HIMALAYAN SALT, PINCH
SODA WATER, 150ML
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
METHOD
Vodka is low in flab-fortifying
natural sugars. Combined with
the capsaicin-rich chilli – 1g of
which has been proven to reduce
cravings for sugar, salt and fat –
you have a potent motivational
pick-me-up. Add the juice from
half a lime, then shake the lot and
pour over ice. Add a pinch of
Himalayan salt and finish with
soda water. Quench, relax and get
ready for your second seven days.
Week
Two
24
Take Your Abs
Outside
Spending hours in a dark
gym just so you can enjoy
the sun for one week is
false economy. Get a hit of
vit D and add serious core
strength with this outdoor
session from PT Joe 23
Cooper (out-fit.co.uk). Do
each move in order for 3
BBQ Body Fat
Upgrade your grill for
sets, with 90 seconds’ rest. SEND EXCESS
BODY FAT UP beach-body season with
ELEVATED PLANK WITH IN SMOKE a marinade that will add
flavour to your chicken or
KNEE TUCK
3 SETS OF 45 SECONDS beef, with a liberal serving
A of six-pack bonuses.
INGREDIENTS
CLEARSPRING ORGANIC
HATCHO MISO, 1TBSP
SRIRACHA HOT SAUCE, 2TBSP
B BRAGG ORGANIC APPLE CIDER
VINEGAR, 1TBSP
Place your fforearms on a MAPLE SYRUP, 2TBSP
bench in a plank position (A).
Bring one knee up, tucking it
under your lower chest (B). METHOD
Alternate sides and repeat. Make a paste from equal parts
miso paste and boiling water, then
SUPINE CYCLING add the hot sauce, vinegar and
3 SETS OF 45 SECONDS
SECO syrup and whisk until smooth. The
acetic acid in vinegar activates
A a gene called AMPK, which acts
as your body’s fuel gauge,
B signalling it to catabolise fat –
particularly from around your
belly, conveniently. Apply to meat
generously, then get cooking.
Lie with your legs raised at
a right angle (A). Lift your
shoulders a few inches off the
ground and extend your right
leg, keeping it close to the
ground (B). Keep alternating
sides in a cycling motion.
LATERAL PLANK
3 SETS OF 10 REPS
ON EACH SIDE
22
A Doctor The
Results
A shredded physique starts
with the thyroid: hormone
imbalances here can lead
to weight gain and fatigue. If
B
your hard efforts (be honest,
Don’t’t gett up jjustt yet.
t TTurn iinto
t
now) aren’t reaping results,
a side plank with your
shoulders at 90 degrees to the speak to your GP about the
ground. Bring your top knee drug levothyroxine, which
into your chest and tap it (A).
Do all you reps on one side, works as a replacement for
then switch. And smile. You’re unbalanced hormones.
outside, remember (B).
MEN’S HEALTH 75
THE 31 DAY
21
Train For The
Long Game
A dip in motivation as you
near the two-week mark is to
be expected. But bear in mind
that a Finnish study found
boxers who crash-dieted to
make weight were three times
more likely to be obese by
age 60. Rather than seeing
your fortnight in the sun as
the finish line, choose a goal
now to meet after your
holiday. A 10K PB is easier on
the willpower than the thought
of eternal abs sessions.
20
Upset The
Balance
It’s time to add another
dimension to your workouts.
Most core moves focus on
a single plane of motion, but
challenging your body
through unstable, unilateral
moves will activate your
entire core for the rest of
your training, so add in a few
feet-elevated press-ups
and one-leg burpees.
76 MEN’S HEA
EALTHH
19
Tea Yourself Up
All that sweat can take it out
of you, so stick the kettle on.
Green and oolong tea’s
lipid-metabolising catechins
have long been praised in the
fight against flab, but a
recent study by the journal
of Nutrition and Metabolism
showed white tea beats both
by not only boosting the
breakdown of fat, but
preventing the formation of
new fat cells altogether. We’ll
have one, too, thanks.
18
Save Pizza For
The Morning
A Domino’s-shaped slip-up
is forgivable. But while your
flatmates stuff their faces,
waiting until morning to sate
your own hunger will mitigate
some of the fallout. Carbs
that have been cooked then
CHEAT MEALS TO
cooled – think cold pizza, or
a pasta/potato salad – are
converted into fatty acids
rather than sugar, providing
superior fitness fuel.
Week
Three 17
Supercharge
p g
16
Your Satiety Ramp Up Your
Enjoying a greasy wheel at Routine
the two-week mark is all well As an ex-bodybuilder
and good, but it’s imperative turned PT at London’s
you avoid further gorging Evolution of Man
from here on in. To add (eomfitness.com), Lee
toothsome variety, Lambert Bennett knows improved
suggests
gg a well-stocked posture will uncover
cupboard of condiments. definition where it
matters. Do it first thing,
every other morning.
RENEGADE ROW
2 SETS OF 20 REPS
RE
A
Oli
ARGAN OIL
Olivee oil’s nuttier
n ttier cousin,
co sin
B
argan will replenish your
appetite for fish and salad
dishes, as well as balancing In a plank position with
blood sugar and boosting a dumbbell in each hand (A),
lift one weight into your
your digestion.
chest (B), then lower to the
ground before repeating
with the other hand.
OPTIMISE YOUR STRAIGHT ARM
SLICE FAT
PULL
PULL-DOWN
L-DOWN
L-
2 SETS OOF 15 REPSS
GUAC
GU AC AM
AMOL
OLEE
OL
Avos pack mon onounsaturated A
fats and mannooheptulose B
sugars, which slowow insulin
release and enhancee calcium
Grab a shoulder-width,
absorption – both esse sential shoulder-height bar (A)
for a leaner physiquee. and drive it down to your
knees, arms straight (B).
Slowly let the bar back up.
SWISS BALL HYPER
EXTENSION
2 SETS OF 10 REPS
SALSA
SA LSA
LS
SA A
Replace your sugar-heavy
B
ketchup and barbecue
sauces with half a cup of
salsa. This simple swap alone With your stomach on a
is proven to cut belly fat. Swiss ball, anchor your feet
against the wall (A) and
hinge back at the hips to
drive your shoulders up (B).
Lower and repeat.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
6 - P A CK PR I MER
15
Now Get To Class
To multiply cardio motivation
in the crucial third week, sign
up for group gains with these
MH-approved HIIT classes.
M3: FUSION
(STUDIOLAGREEUK.COM)
The Megaformer stations
may look like medieval
torture implements, but a
zero-impact workout slowly
pushes muscles to failure for
a controlled, efficient burn.
AQUACYCLING
(AQUALLURE.CO.UK)
Subaquaticc cycling will
burn up to 800kcal per
session, leaaving regular
spin sessioons for dust.
KOBOX RIING CLASS
(KOBOXLONDON.COM)
This intense ring-ready
session will sculpt the
physique off a pugilist –
minus the cauliflower ears.
14
Freeze Your
Assets
It’s hot out there and you
deserve a summer treat.
For pre-workout bites that
are less Fab, more ab,
Lambert recommends
putting your energy supps
on ice and making a 14-day
batch to last until you fly.
INGREDIENTS
MATCHA POWDER, 1TSP
GINSENG POWDER, 1TSP
COCONUT WATER, 200Ml
METHOD
Matcha increases thermogenesis
by up to 43%, so start by mixing
1tsp with another of ginseng
powder, which boosts cognitive
function to combat fatigue. Add
200ml coconut water to the
mixture and freeze in an ice-
lolly mould overnight.
MENSHEALTH.COO.UKK
13
Weigh
g Upp Your
Options
The European Journal of
Applied Physiologyy found
that athletes training in a
vest weighing 10% of their
bodyweight significantly
improved their VO2 max,
helping them reach the
fat-burning sweet spot of
around 70%. Don one during
your bodyweight and
cardio workouts from here
on out. It just so happens
we know of a good one...
one
£55 argos.co.uk/menshealth
GO DIY AND
GIVE ICE CREAM
VANS THE COLD
SHOULDER
12
Take The Ab
Less Trained
Sure, crunches will build
a basic four-pack, but
you’ve built up enough
strength to stretch your
entire core. Work through
Bennett’s moves to get
one step closer to the
legendary eight.
LYING LEG RAISE
3 SETS OF 15 REPS
B
A A
Lying on a flat bench (A), raise
your straight legs to a vertical
position (B). Brace your glutes
as you lower them for a fuller
stomach definition.
SICK OF CHICKEN?
START SEEING RED
HANGING OBLIQUE
KNEEE TUCK
3 SETS OOF 155 REPSS
A
B
With a shoulder-width
houlder width
overhand grip on a pull-up
bar (A), lift your knees up to
the left (B). Lower before
raising them to the other side.
WEIGHTED PLANK TWIST
3 SETS OF 15 REPS
B
FFrom a press-up position
iti with
light dumbbells, tense your
core to raise one arm in an arc
(A). Reverse to curl it under
your body (B). Switch sides.
11
Goo Grass-Fed
As a tw wice-weekly reward for
making g it this far, swap your
eveninng chicken breast for
top--quality ribeye. CLA
(conjugated linoleic acid) is
an esseential fatty acid adept
at inccreasing metabolism
and prrohibiting fat storage,
resultting in leaner muscle
mass. Grass-fed steaks are
particcularly plentiful, with
4.3mg oof CLA per gram of fat,
meaninng a 230g ribeye steak
is booth the tastiest and
smartesst cut for the last week.
MEN’S HEALTH 77
The THE 31 DAY

Final Push A SUPERCHARGED WAY TO

SEED NEW DEFINITION

10
Double Up On
Your Training
We’re not, however, giving
you carte blanche to go
overboard with dietary
deviations. Arizona State Uni
studies found people overeat
on days when they hit the
gym, believing their good
deed deserves a reward. Two
shorter sessions will keep you
honest all the way to the
boarding gate. And if you
require a bit of tough love…
07
Hang Out For
A V-shape
Hanging core moves
allow for a greater range
of motion while pumping
your upper body too.
Calisthenics legend Lee
Wade Turner shows you
how to go vertical. This
is what your workout
looks like until departure.
TOES-TO
-TO-BAR
BAR
3 SETS OF 5 REPS
S
A

From a dead hang (A), raise

09
Shock Yourself
Into Action
Pavlovian conditioning
holds that good behaviour
can be enforced through
reward and negative actions
rooted out through mild
punishment. It’s a theory the
creators of the Pavlok have
taken to heart, with a band
programmed to give you
a jolt each time you reach
your legs slowly through 90
degrees all the way to meet
the bar (B). Avoid swinging
into it to fully isolate the
effort in your abs.
WINDSHIELD WIPER
3 SETS OF 5 REPS
A
Frrom a dead
B

d hang (A), lift

for a sugary snack.
£117 buy.pavlok.com
08
Sap Fatigue
As you wind up for the last
week, it’s essential to keep
your hydration in check.
Maple water contains half the
sugar of coconut water and
boasts 46 micronutrients.
Tap into the benefits.
drinkmaple.com
toes-to-bar before lowering
your legs to the left, pulling
on your right arm to adjust
to the weight (B). Reverse
and repeat to the right.
KNEES-TO-ELBOWS
3 SETS OF 10 REPS
A
B forward. Neither of you
With arms straight and
palms forward, pull down
on the bar, drawing your
shoulder blades back as you
tuck your knees up to touch
your elbows (A). Hold, then
slowly lower (B).
06
Flesh Out Your
Breakfast
Your abs may be rock hard,
05
but last-minute bloating Join The Real
won’t do your definition any Partner Workout
favours. With probiotic Your better half can assist
properties and plentiful fibre, with extra-curricular core
newly touted superfood
watermelon is a key ally
work to benefit you both.
Adult blogger and author Girl
in scooping out a defined On The Net clues you in:
“Start with your partner
stomach. Sprinkle with an
equal-parts mixture of cumin, facing away and leaning
coriander and chilli powder to
fuel further metabolic fire. should be supported by
anything. Instead, hold onto
her forearms to utilise each
other’s bodyweight. It will feel
great for her, and will engage
your core and thighs, too.”
Girl On The Net: How A Bad
Girl Fell In Love is out now £9

78 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK


04
Aciidify Brassica
The high-fibre greens you’ve
beeen mainlining are all well
and d good, but their starch
raffinose can be difficult for
the body to digest. It often
breaks down into methane
gas, which leads to bloating
(not to mention other
unaattractive side-effects).
Spaare your gut by dousing
youuurr greens in lemon juice
too stimulate digestive
ennzymes before meals.
STRIKE OUT
BLOATING WITH
A SOUR NOTE
03
Lean Out Like
A Pro
Shunning fluids might be
a steadfast bodybuilder’s
trick, but if your biceps don’t
outweigh your brain, you’ll
opt for smarter, safer ways to
fight water retention. Drink
Lambert’s hydrating, muscle-
fortifying smoothie first thing
each morning, and once more
before boarding your flight.
INGREDIENTS
A BANANA, CHOPPED
UNSWEETENED ALMOND
MILK, 200ML
SUPER VITALITY PISTACHIO
& VANILLA WHEY ISOLATE,
2 SCOOPS
WATER, 100ML
METHOD
Staying hydrated is the key to
avoiding unnecessary water
retention; luckily, bananas are
adept at stopping your kidneys
latching onto sodium and
stockpiling water as a result.
And opting for ‘clean’, sugar-
free supplements will power
fat-burning muscle without
leading to excess bulk. Blend
everything and serve over ice.
6 - P A CK PR I MER
02
Pump Up For
Take-off
After four weeks of
enterprise, this 10-minute
pump session, from PT
Leo Savage (thirdspace.
london), leaves nothing to
chance. Slow each rep and
reduce the rest times for
increased blood flow to
your muscles. It will work
as a pre-pool pump, too.
OBLIQUE CRUNCH
2 SETS OF 10 REPS
A
B Slowing down on the
Lying
L i fl
flatt with
ith your arms
held above your head (A),
raise your right leg and left
arm and touch your toe (B).
Slowly lower, then repeat
on the other side, alternating
sides as you crunch up.
TOE TOUCH
2 SETS OF 10 REPS,
60 SECONDS
SECONDS’ REST
A
B
Lie with your arms over your
head (A). Now raise your legs
straight up (B) and touch your
toes with both hands (if you
can). Slowly lower down to the
starting position and repeat.
ECCENTRIC PRESS-UP
2 SETS OF 10 REPS
RE
A
B
descent will encourage a
greater pump across your
torso, emphasising your newly
lean abdominals. Take a full
three seconds to lower (A),
pause for a second at the
bottom (B) and push back
explosively to the top. You’re
ready to start strutting.
SHAKE OFF THAT LAST
STUBBORN LAYER
01
Get In The
Holiday Mood
As a last resort, a little
bronzing the day before
you fly will help to highlight
the hard-earned definition
across your stomach
(£30 tomford.com). But be
sure to use it very sparingly.
You’ve put in 31 days of solid
work. There’s no need to
look like you haven’t.
MEN
N’S HEALTH 79
 S P E C I A L R E P O RT

Love
In The
Time Of
Tinder
AS NEW FIGURES SUGGEST THAT HIV COULD GO THE WAY OF
SMALLPOX, SEXUALLY ACTIVE MEN AND WOMEN ARE ENTERING AN
AGE OF PROCREATIVE ENLIGHTENMENT. BUT, FROM LIBIDINOUS
TEENAGERS TO THE INQUISITIVE OVER-FORTIES, STI RATES
ARE ON THE RISE. HAVE DATING APPS AND BREAKTHROUGH
TREATMENTS IRONICALLY MADE US MORE RECKLESS THAN EVER?
WORDS BY RICHARD GODWIN - ARTWORK BY PETER CROWTHER

80 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 CONSIDER THIS YOUR
RISK ANALYSIS

MODERN LOVE CAN

BE A BATTLEFIELD
 TINDER SURPRISE
Four years on, Tinder

Since the
remains the biggest thing
to happen to hook-ups
since the Jägerbomb.
Ensure you’re plugged in
with the hard stats below*

dawn of
0.7%
the Aids of the world’s
population use
the app

epidemic in 54%
the 1980s,
of users are
not in a
relationship

we’ve been forewarned that sex can

kill. In the intervening decades we’ve
armed ourselves for the fight against
disease, developing – and investing
billions in – medicines, emollients and
preventative measures to safeguard
against sexual infection, from gonorrhea
to human papillomavirus (HPV).
Finally, it seems that the most lethal
and menacing of all sexually transmitted
infections is within our crosshairs. At
in rare cases will it now transmute into
30%
of users
Aids. As Dr Michael Brady, medical admit to
director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, being married
says: “We finally have the tools to make
a massive impact on the epidemic. If OPEN DIALOGUE
you’re on the right anti-retroviral drugs
you’ll have a normal life expectancy and
you won’t transmit the virus to others –
that has revolutionised the lives of people
3%
of users have
IS CHANGING
THE GAME

been divorced
last count, HIV was responsible for 34 who are HIV positive. And, if you are at least once
million deaths via Aids and related HIV negative and have access to PrEP,
complications. This year, researchers you can keep yourself negative with
at the Lewis
Katz School of
Medicine at
Temple University,
“EXPERTS WARN
THAT WE ARE AT A
near 100% certainty.”
This would be
marvellously positive
news were it not for
14%
of the time
Pennsylvania, women on the
reported finding TIPPING POINT FOR one statistical fly in
the ointment. Despite app swipe right
a way to fight back
against the virus
SEXUAL HEALTH” prevailing advances in the
way we manage our sexual
by employing a modified protein called
Cas9 to scrub out HIV’s genetic code.
Human trials are expected to begin in
three years. If it works, researchers will
health, infection rates for almost all forms
of sexually transmitted infections are
rising. At a time when every teenager is
taught there’s no love without a glove,
46%
of the time men
swipe right…
have cured the incurable. Public Health England last year reported
Meanwhile, the experimental drug an increase in STI instances across the

PrEP – ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’ –
is increasingly in demand among gay
British men. Currently only available
as part of a trial across six UK cities,
it is taken pre-intercourse and reduces
the risk of HIV infection, according to
a study by London Proud, by up to 86%.
The result is that fewer people are
dying having contracted HIV and only
45%
capital, with the borough of Hackney
designated the worst area in the country
for chlamydia rates. And with the
European Centre for Disease Prevention of users are aged
and Control warning that untreatable 25-34, the app’s
strains of drug-resistant ‘super gonorrhea’ largest demographic
(home-grown in Leeds, circa 2014) are
spreading across the continent, it’s clear
that somewhere along the way we stopped
heeding our own advice and decided to
throw caution to the wind.

82 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 LOVE IN THE TIME OF TINDER
More alarmingly, 3360 men were newly
diagnosed as HIV positive in 2014 – the
largest annual number ever recorded.
Despite almost half of MSM (men who
have sex with men) using PrEP on a
regular basis, one in 20 of them is now
estimated to be HIV positive.
The British Association for Sexual
Health and HIV recently warned that we
are at a tipping point for sexual health,
staring over the precipice at a whole host
of genital nasties. So what’s going on?
Even with best practice drilled into us,
have modern advances in the prevention
and treatment of our sexual vexations
made us more reckless between the
sheets? Have quick cures ironically made
us feel invincible when it comes to new,
unprotected casual encounters? And is
it those too young to
remember the dark
days who are causing “76% OF TINDER
this spike? Or rather,
is it men old enough
USERS SAID
to know better? THAT THEY HAD
SEX BY NUMBERS CONTRACTED
BUT DO WE HAVE
Dr Michael Rayment
is a clinician at 10
AN INFECTION”
OUR HEALTH ON
Hammersmith Broadway, a state-of-
LOCKDOWN?
the-art NHS sexual health facility in
west London. When he isn’t peering into
orifices or reassuring porn-vexed men
that, actually, 15 minutes is a perfectly
acceptable amount of time to keep it up,
he spends a lot of time studying graphs.
“I find STI epidemiology particularly
fascinating,” Rayment says. “Unlike
flu pandemics or cholera, STI rates
reflect much broader shifts: historical,
socio-economic, technological.” In the
UK doctors have been recording the state
*SOURCE: DMR TINDER STATISTIC REPORT | PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC AT HEARST STUDIOS
of British genitals for around 100 years,
when venereal disease clinics first sprang
up to combat the outbreak of syphilis at
the end of the First World War. When you
look at the patterns over long periods of
time, stories begin to emerge.
“Venereal syphilis is particularly
fascinating,” contends Rayment (who’s
surely an unprecedented success at
dinner parties) as he sketches a graph.
“The last century has seen three big rises.
You see one huge spike after the Second
World War – that’s all the soldiers and
sailors coming back and giving syphilis
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
to their wives. Then everything settles
back down until the advent of oral
contraception and the Summer of Love
in the late 1960s. Then in the 1980s you
have the Aids epidemic and one of the
most successful public health campaigns
in history – and there’s a profound drop
in STIs throughout the 1990s. Now what’s
happening is this…”
He draws a steadily rising curve,
representing an alarming spike in
infection rates that has both confounded
doctors and caused excitable tabloid
writers to quickly point the finger at
hook-up apps like Tinder and Grindr.
There were 440,000 STIs diagnosed in
England in 2014, with syphilis (painless
sores on the genitals,
developing into
a blotchy rash) the
big mover. That year,
infection rates rose by
33%. Gonorrhea cases
(burning sensation
when passing urine,
greenish penis
discharge) rose by
19% in the same period. Both of these
conditions can lead to serious, sometimes
life-threatening complications if left
untreated. Herpes and genital warts
have also increased over the last decade,
notably in hetero men, while chlamydia
(nasty for both sexes, but can lead to
infertility and ectopic pregnancies in
women) remains the most commonly
diagnosed STI, accounting for roughly
half of all infections, and especially
prevalent among teenagers.
“As epidemiologists, we have to work
out what’s causing the numbers to move
and there could be 101 reasons for that
rise,” Rayment says, tapping a finger
against his chart. Chief among the tabloid
scapegoats supposedly responsible for
this rise have been chemsex – the gay
subculture involving multi-day, multi-
partner encounters fuelled by drugs such
as crystal meth or GHB – and the lurid
reports of ‘Serbian Sex Roulette’, so-called
sex parties where, unbeknownst to the
majority of participants, one person
among them is infected with HIV.
On the hearsay of a Serbian stripper
named Tijana (“the real kick for these
people is apparently the risk that they
MEN’S HEALTH 83
 SEX EDUCATION
ISS BETTER
HAN EVER
THAN

might be the one having sex with the

HIV-infected partner”) the story was
reported in numerous outlets as if it w were
happening at a church prayer meeting g
near you. In fact, no witnesses have
ever come forward.
In actuality, one of the only concrette
indicators as to the rise in STIs is a litttle
more Last Of The Summer Wine. It turrns
out that while teenagers are too busy
snapchatting each other pictures of th heir
genitals to actually put them to practiical
use, the CDC reckons it’s their parentss –
babyboomer divorcees between 45 an nd
64 – who are responsible for the bigge est
rises in infection rates. And all thankss to
the freedoms offered by their brand n new
match.com accounts.

CATCH OF THE DAY

Outside of breakthrough drugs, anoth her
technological advancement has been n
fingered for deteriorating sexual health
among all age groups. In an interview
with the BBC last year, NHS sexual health
consultant Dr Peter Greenhouse blamed
the rise in STI rates on a combination of
complacency and the brave new world
4270
of algorithmic shagging represented by
Tinder, Happn and the rest, leading to
halcyon days (and nights) of reckless
abandon. “If enough people with
Hackney
4225
Lambeth
untreated STIs change partners quickly,
it might just start an explosion of HIV in
the heterosexual population,” he doomily
opined. “Apps could do that.”
2576 2572
Camden Chelsea
The Online Dating Association
predicated last year that up to 40% of new
relationships started through apps, but
if Greenhouse’s stance sounds slightly
reactionist, it’s worth considering that
a survey by medexpress.co.uk – an online
pharmacy selling STI-testing kits – found
that Tinder users were twice as likely to
have an STI as non-users. Among 2899 MH attempted to connect with Prevention in the States] conducted
sexually active adults, 76% of Tinder users Tinder CEO, Sean Rad, to get his take the largest and most credible study on
reported that they had contracted an STI, on these claims. He swiped left. But the topic, it has never identified any
in contrast with 38% of app virgins, the a spokesperson did provide links to the connection that supports the idea that
most common complaints being genital sexual health information Tinder usage correlates with, let alone
warts (31%), herpes (29%) and chlamydia
(17%). Among non-Tinder lovers who
published on the website
and within the app, which “CHLAMYDIA RATES causes, an increase in STDs.”
Rayment isn’t sure. “It goes without
had contracted STIs, the patterns were
different; genital warts, for instance, were
seeks to wash its hands
of the whole issue. “An
IN THE OVER-45S saying that if more people are having
sex then you will see more STIs.
much less common (7%). The findings important aspect of any HAVE DOUBLED There’s clearly a pattern – and possibly
suggest that Tinder users form a self-
selecting pool of infection – in this case
healthy relationship –
whether formed on Tinder
SINCE 2010” a correlation – but it’s not the same as
causation,” he says. “More than any
one riddled with papillomavirus. or otherwise – is ensuring sexual health other factor, your risk of catching an STI
and safety,” it reads. “While the CDC
[the Centers for Disease Control and

84 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK


CAPITAL RECORDSS
Planning
P g on hitting
g the tiles
in the big smoke? Public
Health England’s stats on
chlamydia rates by borough
may influence your pick
of party postcode
2473 1948
Fulham
1730
Islington
Westminster
depends on who you’re having sex with
and the kind of sex you’re having – which
orifices you are using, basically.”
The best quality data regarding what
sort of sex we’re all having – and how
often we’re having it – comes from Natsal,
the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes
and Lifestyles, which has been published
every 10 years since 1991. The most recent
report, Natsal-3, was published in 2013.
Are people having more sex? Well, yes,
thank you very much. Men reported that
their average number of (female) sexual
partners has risen from 8.6 in 1991 to 11.7
in 2012. For women, it more than doubled,
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
LOVE IN THE TIME OF TINDER
BUT IT’S NOT WHAT
YO
YOU KNOW, IT’S
HOOW YOU USE IT
“MEN MAY ONE
DAY TAKE PrEP
IN THE SAME WAY
THAT WOMEN
TAKE THE PILL”
from 3.7 to 7.7 in the same period.
Significantly, more people have anal sex,
too (13.8% of men aged 45-54 and 7.6% of
men aged 65-74 have partaken in the last
year). Make of that what you will.
One thing we do know is that for the
over-45s, instances of STIs – particularly
gonorrhea and chlamydia – are rising
sharply. According to the government’s
Sexually Transmitted Infections and
Chlamydia Screening In England: 2014
report, chlamydia rates among those aged
45-64 have doubled since 2010. For the
over-65s, figures rose more than 250%
during the same period.
As researcher Rachel von Simson
points out in Student BMJ’s report Sexual
Health and the Older Adult, the rise of
treatments to correct erectile dysfunction
may well have played a part in the
increased numbers of STIs in British and
US males over 45. The rise in viagra sales
since its FDA approval in 1998 certainly
suggests a correlation. That first year,
40,000 prescriptions were written in
the US alone. By 2012 this number had
increased to 12 million.
There’s also the misplaced belief
that the drastically reduced risk of
pregnancy in later life negates the need
for condoms all together. An FPA sexual
health campaign specifically targeted
this problem in 2010 but as recent figures
show, despite older generations berating
their offspring to stay safe, for the most
part they’ve failed to heed their own
advice. It could
well be time to sit
your old man down
for that talk.
LOVE STORIES
This isn’t to say
that younger
generations
are blameless,
or that drugs like PrEP have negated
the risk of STI infections, despite the
encouraging signs. Harry Dodd, a 25-year-
old architect in London, has been on
the PrEP trial for three years. “As a gay
man, HIV is always at the back of your
mind, before you’ve even come out,”
he says. “People from my generation
have never lived in a world without HIV.
And we were brought up by people who
saw the initial outbreak. PrEP provides
an inner security – it gets rid of that
risk and anxiety.”
As part of the ongoing clinical trials
it’s been suggested that men may one day
take PrEP in much the same quotidian
way that women take the contraceptive
pill. This has led to concerns that
condom-use will fall, but the Proud study
hasn’t shown much evidence for this.
Dodd says he still uses condoms as an
MEN’S HEALTH 85
 SEXUAL DEFICITS
fight against infections, or the campaigns
encouraging us to devote greater care
to looking after our bodies, but rather
underlines the success of that work.
Rayment believes that the outlook for
the UK’s sexual health isn’t nearly as
bleak as it would seem on face value.
“One simple tenet of infections is that the
£200 million £17.2 billion more you test, the more you find. And
Proposed Estimated we’re doing a lot more tests than we’ve
government avoidable ever done before. I also think we’re less
cuts to the expenses judgmental than at any point in the past,
public health arising which is another reason more people
budget as a direct are coming to see us.”
result of Chlamydia infection rates, for example,
these cuts appear to have gone through the roof
recently, but this has a lot to do with
the success of the National Chlamydia
Screening Programme which, for the
first time, reaches the significant cohort
of the population that does not usually
Source: The Family Planning Association attend sexual health clinics. Before that,
most chlamydia went undetected, so the
official figures were elementarily lower.
“We’ve been treating

“I USED TO THINK a lot more undiagnosed

cases recently and

“all-encompassing” means of protection – demystified STIs

a habit mirrored by 50% of UK men when
last surveyed by the Office for National
Statistics in 2007. “There’s an idea that
PrEP is a hedonist’s drug. But the fact is
that you are at risk of HIV whether you use
condoms or not. It isn’t those who are on
PrEP who are the risk-takers – it’s the ones
who deny that risk. You can either accept
the facts and mitigate the risk, or pretend
there is no risk at all.”
Yet regardless of sexual preference
and individual testimony, it’s clear that
a decision to take fewer precautions has
been made. MH speaks to Kevin Harris,
a Londoner in his mid-thirties who
happens to be on his way home from
THAT HERPES
to the point where WAS THE END
there’s an expectation
that the people you
OF THE WORLD.
meet through apps
like Tinder and Happn
IT REALLY ISN’T”
are clean and tested. I feel like because of
this the fear of STIs has gone away.”
You might point to the scene in
Girls where Lena Dunham’s character
discovers she has HPV (“All adventurous
women have it,” she is told). “There used
to be a real stigma about any STI when
I was growing up,” says Harris. “I used
to think that herpes was the end of the
world – and it really isn’t.” He routinely
gets tested and makes additional visits
thereby interrupting
the chain of infection,”
Rayment says. “As a
result we’ve found that
its prevalence among
16-19-year-olds has
actually dropped from
around 13% to 10%.”
Perhaps, rather than focusing on
the instances of STIs, we need to ask
a different question. If no one ever had
sex, gonorrhea rates would fall through
the floor. Should the focus instead – like
the PrEP study – be on how we manage
STIs as part of a healthy sex life? And
when we express horror at STIs, how
much of that comes from some deeper-
lying societal infection stemming from

*SOURCE: SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AND CHLAMYDIA SCREENING IN ENGLAND: 2014

a sexual health clinic when we meet
(he contracted something nasty
somewhere in the course of sleeping with
three women last week). “The treatment
these days is much better,” Harris tells
us. “And the conversation around it has
if he’s had a lot of exposure. “I have no
embarrassment about it at all. I’ll walk
in and say: ‘I reckon I’ve got chlamydia.’
It doesn’t bother me.”
SEXUAL HEALING
Indeed, perhaps the rise in STIs doesn’t
necessarily undermine recent work to
prudishness or sexual repression, rather
than genuine concerns?
Perhaps after a generation of being
told that sex will kill us, we’re finally
coming round to the idea that desire
itself is not a disease.

GENERATION GAME
DIAGNOSIS INCREASE

40%
In the post-Tinder dating 30% 45-64
landscape, the over-45s are age group
20%
muscling their children out
of GUM clinic queues with 10%
20-24
rising chlamydia rates. 0% age group
So, who’s playing it safest?* -10%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

YEAR

86 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 LOVE IN THE TIME OF TINDER

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST

STIs, WE’VE MORE
WEAPONS THAN EVER

BUT PROTECTION
DOESN’T ALWAYS
EQUAL PREVENTION
01

SAFETY IN
NUMBERS
01\ Ath hletees race inn
paairrs, witth a towliine
ennsurin ng th hey straay
noo furth h e r tha n
10
0m apart. Yet, in n
4..5kkm of iccy wateers,
it’’s every sw wim
m-
ru
unn ner for himselff
SCANDI
SEALS In the wilds of Sweden, a drunken bet has
morphed into Scandinavia’s most fearsome race,
attracting all-comers from rap stars to seasoned
athletes and have-a-go adventure enthusiasts.
Men’s Health negotiates the icy Baltic waters
and jagged rocks of the Ötillö Swimrun Utö
WORDS BY DOMINIC BLISS – PHOTOGRAPHY BY FREDRIK CLEMENT AT STEM
 SCANDI SEALS
A DAZED SWEDE
EMERGES FROM THE
SURF AND STAGGERS
ONTO THE BEACH. He spits out a mouthful of seawater and
thwacks his right ear in an attempt to
force water out of the left. His partner –
02
also dripping wet, seaweed
adorning his wetsuit – is
waiting on the sand, urging
him to hurry. Despite
their exhaustion, there is
no time to waste. Within
seconds the men have
re-attached the elastic
towline connecting them
and are jogging up the
beach toward the tree line.
These hardy souls
form just one of 245 two-
person teams braving the
icy waters of the Ötillö
Swimrun Utö, a duathlon
covering six islands of the
Stockholm archipelago off
the east coast of Sweden.
It’s late May and their task
is to complete a 40km
route alternating trail
running and open-water
swimming – 35.3km of
the former and 4.5km of
the latter – that will see
them entering and exiting
the water 16 times. The
longest run section is
6.5km, the longest swim
a gruelling 600m through
the Baltic Sea. Despite
water temperatures of 9ºC,
competitors race in cut-off
wetsuits. In Swimrun,
03 there is no time to acknowledge the cold.
An hour earlier, with a freezing wind
whipping in from the north, all 490
competitors are poised on the starting
line near Utö’s main port, Gruvbryggan,
jogging on the spot to keep warm. A
moment later a loud klaxon sets them
on their way. It’s a short and fast sprint
through the woods to their first entry into
the water, a muddy beach on the edge of
a campsite that they splash through like
migrating wildebeest. In just 10 minutes,
90 MEN’S HEALTH
more bodies have passed through this
remote beach than will visit for the
remainder of the summer.
Then follow 16 swim sections and a
further 16 run sections through some of
the most beautiful terrain the archipelago
has to offer. There are calm, protected
bays juxtaposed with craggy inlets where
the racers must scramble up rocky massifs
and clamber down mossy paths. There
are twisting tracks through thick forest
and there are choppy straits between Utö
and its smaller neighbouring islands.
There’s open farmland and dirt roads. The
trickiest sections of all are the transitions CALL TO
between water and land, where waves, ARMS
seaweed and wet rocks do their utmost 02-05\ A deecaade
to defeat the competitors; and often do. siincce itts inccep
ption
n,
Here, like early amphibians emerging Swwimru un haas growwn
morre populaar than n
from primordial slime, the athletes crawl,
evver, witth thousan nds
scrabble and slither onto drier land. off comp petittors
raacinng overr foour
PRIMAL INSTINCTS evvents. Butt th he
etthoos of minim mal
The Ötillö Swimrun Utö is one of four
eqquipmentt and coold d,
ultimate endurance events in this series – haardd yaards rem main
ns
the others staged in Germany, Switzerland foor newcomerrs an nd
and, for the first time this year, in the Isles olld--han nds alikke
of Scilly, off the tip of Cornwall. All serve
as qualifying events for the big daddy of
04
the pursuit: the Ötillö Swimrun World
Championship, covering 26 islands –
65km of running and 10km of swimming
– also in the Stockholm archipelago.
As with all the best ideas, it was dreamt
up in the pub over a few too many beers.
In 2002, locals Anders Malm, Janne
Lindberg and Jesper and Mats Andersson
challenged each other to run and swim in
teams of two from a hotel on Utö to a hotel
on the island of Sandhamn, 75km to the
north. “My brother and I didn’t have boats
as kids,” says Jesper Andersson, the night
before the race. “So we discussed whether
it’s possible to traverse the archipelago
without one. We looked at the map and
we saw there were five pubs along the
route. We like beer so we said ‘Why don’t
we do that route? And the last one pays
the bill.’” Four years later, their pub-
crawl/swim/run became an official race.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 05

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 91

06

“We want you to feel, smell and taste the water and
ground you’re racing over. Nature dictates the race”

07
WATERWORLD
06-07\ Taccklin ng th e
Baaltticc Sea’ss frreeziing
Ötilllö wateerw ways
mayy be a masochiist’ss
pu ursuitt, but – duee to
thhe event’ss surgin ng
poopularitty – Swim mruun
orrganissers are stiill
loookking g to conqueer
fuurttherr teerrritoory to
addd to itts raacees inn
thhe Brittish Isslees off
Sccillly, the mountaain n adapt to the environment.” Lemmel also
laakees of Switzzerlaand
annd thee Germ man
laakees north h of Berrlinn
SCANDI SEALS
The sport has evolved enormously
during the following 10 years. The original
75km route now forms the basis of the
Swimrun World Championship. Held
each year in September, it can take up to
12 hours to cross the finish line, although
the best teams will do it in eight and a
half. In contrast, today’s qualifying race
is a daunting but manageable 40km.
Whichever stage they’re taking part in,
competitors have long-since ditched the
swim fins, lilos and waterproof rucksacks
used by early pioneers. Nowadays,
teams travel as light as possible, having
learnt that fins end up causing cramp,
cost valuable minutes at transitions,
and create drag on the runs. Today,
equipment is sparse. Apart from wetsuits,
competitors race in light trail-running
shoes, swim caps, goggles and the odd
pull buoy to rest tired leg muscles during
the swims. Plus, a towline to ensure teams
adhere to the rule of never straying more
than 10m apart. The organisers would
have it no other way. Part of the appeal is
that participation is “logistically simple
and symbiotic with nature”.
NATURAL SELECTION
“We want you to feel, smell and taste the
water and ground you’re racing over,”
says event director Michael Lemmel.
“Nature dictates the race. We don’t cut
down trees to clear the race route. We
insists that he won’t pollute the team
spirit of swim-running by allowing solo
competitors. “You do it in pairs. Always.
You need to share the experience to fully
understand the emotional drama of the
race.” Of course, in choppy seas, there’s
the benefit of competing in numbers.
MEN’S HEALTH 93
08

UP AND
OVER
08-10\ Even n th e
mosst flleet--foooted d
off comp petitoors caan
faall victtim to the
slippperry roocks and d
seeaweeed-taang gledd
beeachees th hat makke
upp Ötillöö’s enttriess
annd egreessses. And d
thhatt’ss before the
355km of traail ru unnnin
ng
is taaken n intto accoount

09 “You do it in pairs. Always. You need to share
the experience to fully understand the race”
10
A competitor who appreciates the back-
to-nature aspect of the sport is Petter
Askergren, one of Sweden’s biggest rap
stars. He used to cycle competitively but
found all the “technical stuff” tedious.
“I wanted to break it down; not so much
equipment,” he explains before the
race. “Swimrun is so much more natural
than cycling. We say: ‘OK, let’s go to that
island and see what’s on it.’ It feels like an
adventure. It’s a Neanderthal mentality.”
It’s tempting to imagine the idea of
swimming and running through the
wilderness has its origins among the
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
ancient Scandinavians. Some also suggest
swim-running might have began with
the Swedish military, especially since the
Kustjägarna – a naval special operations
unit – trains around these islands. “That’s
bullshit,” Lemmel counters, insisting the
idea is his and his friends’. “The military
use kayaks.” As for Vikings, Lemmel says
that even the toughest warrior would
have stayed in his longboat rather than
face such ball-achingly cold seas.
ELEMENTAL ENDURANCE
Back in the race, the leading teams are
nearing the finish line. Their route has
been circuitous, to say the least. From
the island of Utö they crossed onto
Angsholmarna, then back to Utö, then to
Rånö and Ålö, across to Utö again, then
Stora Persholmen, and Tallholmen before
finishing on Utö. The winners are Team
189 – Lars and Jonas Ekman, brothers
from Knivsta. They stagger across the line
after three hours and 56 minutes – five
minutes ahead of second place. Lars, 31,
with moustache and crewcut, is a former
diver in the Swedish marines, and now
a medical student; 29-year-old Jonas is a
doctor. “If you want my medical opinion,
I would strongly recommend not to do
this race,” he gasps, minutes after victory.
The brothers – both former national-
level swimmers – do very little Swimrun
SCANDI SEALS
specific training, but put in plenty of
hours on treadmills in the winter and flat
trails in the spring, as well as swimming
in the pool. For Lars, the Utö race was
his first open-water swim of the year.
Their winning tactic, they explain, was
to take turns drafting one another during
the swims – that is, allowing the more
exhausted swimmer to glide in the other’s
wake, depending on who needed to rest
most. That way they both stayed fresh.
Paul Krochak – who, with his partner
Nicolas Remires, came in fifth – has
a more orthodox training programme.
Winner of the Ötillö Swimrun World
Championship in 2013 and 2015, this
Stockholm-based Canadian swims one
8km open-water session and 3km interval
sessions alongside running a 40km and
lots of 15km forest runs every week.
Staffan Björklund and Marika Wagner
came eighth in the Utö race and second
in the mixed category. They use a towline
even when training. “I know when I’m
pulling too hard, or not pulling enough,”
Bjorklund says. “To win Ötillö you have
to listen to your partner, and you have
to be totally amphibious,” Wagner adds.
“But more than the adventure, it’s about
the synergy between two people. And
that’s what’s really important.”
MEN’S HEALTH 95
 THE
69-HOUR
HEALTH
CLUB
We may have our sovereignty back, but it’s now clearer than
ever that the Brexiter bluster about net benefits to the NHS
was bunkum. Sometimes, if you want something done fast,
well and affordably, the EU is still your best bet. With
cut-price European surgeries meeting the highest standards,
now is the time to book a weekend city break with benefits
WORDS BY WILL NICOLL ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATT DARTFORD1
GU TER CCR
GUTTER
GUT ED T
CREDI
EDI

MENSHEALTH
MENS
ME N HEA
NS HEAL
HE ALTHH CCOO UK
UK
 REMODEL YOUR
BODY WITH SOME
OVERSEAS AID
GUTTER
TER
GU TTE
GUT ED T
E CCREDI
CRREDI

MENSHEALTH
ME
ENSHE
NSSHE
HEAL
ALLTHH CO
CO UK
UK
 ard as it may be to imagine, healthcare, powering a cross-border roof, with hair transplants 30% cheaper
once upon a time Europe wellness market worth €15 billion. than anywhere in Europe. Meanwhile,
was popular. Just over 12 Just as traditional tourist spots have this spring, Dubai announced its entry
years ago, former Eastern- individual character to sell, each country into the medical tourism market with
bloc countries flocked to has its own medical specialities. Couples its ‘Health Experience Embrace Life’
join the EU. Borders opened. after fertility treatments often opt for initiative aiming to attract 500,000
Budget airlines boomed. Spain, for example, where exceptional healthcare tourists by 2020.
Stag parties blazed a boozy private hospitals perform 35-40% of Reassuringly, a meta-analysis of
trail to Budapest, Bratislava and beyond. Europe’s IVF procedures. Germany industry data by Dr Michael D Horowitz
But £9.99 airfares didn’t has won acclaim for – an associate researcher at Emory
just facilitate prenuptial spinal surgery, with the University, Atlanta – found that the
bacchanalia in Europe’s Geneva Association bulk of physicians in medical tourist
‘new’ east and cheap
cultural excursions to
£640* reporting that the
Netherlands’ largest
destinations had received post-graduate
training in developed nations and had
the continent’s ‘old’
AVERAGE SAVINGS insurance firms refer the qualifications to match the UK,
west. They gave birth to IN HUNGARY 2.6 million members meaning low-cost treatment needn’t
health tourism – a way COMPARED TO UK there. Incredibly, Greece be a compromise on quality.
of combining medical DENTAL WORK has survived financial With all this in mind, we’ve compiled
treatments with a short collapse to lead the field a comprehensive guide to five of the
break and a nosh on in laser eye surgery. best long-weekend surgery spots
continental fare. And with the NHS under It isn’t just EU countries that are covering everything from dentistry to
increasing pressure, it’s a trend that benefitting. Turkey is becoming known physiotherapy. Book Friday afternoon
shows no sign of abating. An estimated as the de rigueur destination for men off work, pack your passport and return
780 million patients a year travel for wishing to add some extra thatch to the a new man come Monday morning.

*ALL PRICES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS, BUT IN THESE TOPSY-TURVY POST-BREXIT TIMES, WHO KNOWS WHAT TOMORROW HOLDS? | ADDITIONAL IMAGES: GETTY
01 STAY
THE DENTAL MECCA THE CLINIC
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The Thermal
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SEE
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A sleepy town in North-Western Hungary,
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98 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 THE 69-HOUR HEALTH CLUB

02
THE HISTORIC
RECOVERY RETREAT
COUNTRY The Czech Republic is a field-leader in neurology,
CZECH REPUBLIC orthopaedics and oncology, with second city Brno
DISTANCE the go-to destination for physiotherapy treatments
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MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 99

 03
THE IBERIAN
FACIAL FRESHENER
COUNTRY Cosmetic surgery in Spain is, on average, about 60%%
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100 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 THE 69-HOUR HEALTH CLUB

04
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COUNTRY
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Turkey draws a stream of clients from both America
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MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 101

 Starters’
ORDERS IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE FUELLING FOR
P E R F O R M A N C E P L E A S U R A B L E ? O U R A LT E R N A T I V E
G A M E S M E N U C O M E S F O R T I F I E D W I T H TA S T E Y E T
L A C K S N O N E O F T H E P O W E R . TA K E Y O U R M A R K S …
WO R D S B Y T O M WA R D – P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y AG ATA P E C

For every Olympic dreamer, making the down to one or two crucial moments in Rio,
cut is but part of the struggle. Challenging for few contenders are bold enough to deviate.
international victory – that’s a whole other ball But we’re out to prove that a bit of creativity in
game. And as any champion will attest, when the kitchen needn’t be the enemy of results.
it comes to glory, repeating tried and tested Developed in conjunction with a handful
nutritional programmes ad infinitum is key. of smart chefs and Team GB nutritionists,
All well and good for the medal drawer, but these dishes combine competition-quashing
rather less impressive for the tastebuds. It’s a macros with flavour profiles rarely seen in the
hang-up that besets the clean-eating gym rat Olympic village. And while we’d like to think
as much as the ascetic athlete: food becomes that Britain’s hopefuls will be taking heed,
fuel, and inevitably joyless fare. This is why MH’s meals are for every man guilty of letting
champions are invariably so boring, of course. his pursuit of goals come at the expense of
So, what’s a budding athlete to do? With four his epicurean sensibilities. Life’s too short for
years of investment behind what could boil denial, even when you’re in the fastest of lanes.

102 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 TRIPLE THREAT TUNA PIZZA
O LY M P I C G O L D A N D B R O N Z E M E D A L L I S T S R E S P E C T I V E LY, B R O T H E R S
A L I S TA I R A N D J O N N Y B R O W N L E E A R E T H E H I G H K I N G S O F T R I AT H L O N .
T H E I R P R E - R A C E F U E L , H O W E V E R , I S S L I G H T LY M O R E E V E R Y M A N
BY THEO RANDALL, HEAD CHEF AT THEO’S SIMPLE ITALIAN

INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 1)
THE DOUGH
• TIPO 00 FLOUR, 230G
• WARM WATER, 180ML
• DRIED YEAST, 2TSP
• SKIMMED MILK, 1TBSP
• VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, 2TBSP
THE TOPPING
• TOMATO PASSATA, 200ML
• MOZZARELLA, 150G
• TINNED TUNA, 140G Tinned tuna
• BLACK OLIVES, 75G contains up to 28mg
• SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, of the omega-3 EPA,
100G
adept at boosting
• DATTERINI TOMATOES,
150G, SLICED energy levels*
• BASIL, HANDFUL

W
hen he took home
his Olympic gold
in 2012, Alistair
Brownlee finished in one hour,
46 minutes and 25 seconds.
Just 31 seconds was enough of
a gap to put his brother Jonny
*ACCORDING TO A 2002 STUDY BY HYPERTENSION RESEARCH
manager, Richard Downey. “It
provides everything they need
to keep their energy up.” But
while the brothers Brownlee
may think their calorie output
negates any damage, they
might be missing a trick.
METHOD
01\ Mix 30g of flour with the
yeast, slowly adding in 60ml
of water. Tipo 00-rated flour
provides a protein content
of 12%, which serves the dual
purpose of making a robust
dough and preventing
03\ For the topping, spread
the passata evenly over
the base to within 1cm of
the edge. A Journal of
Nutrition study found risk
of sunburn was reduced
by 40% after ingesting

muscle mass being broken the lycopene-rich fruit –

into third place. To stay ahead
of the pack during a testing
swim-bike-run, the Brownlees
employ vieux jeu carb-loading
the evening before a race.
So far, so pedestrian. But
their fortification of choice is
somewhat antithetical to the
concept of fitness fuel.
“It’s hard to mess up with
a takeaway pizza,” says their
“Additives in takeaway
pizzas can lead to long-term
health problems, no matter
how active you are,” warns
nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert.
“Plus, outside of the UK, most
pizzas use hydrogenated
trans fats, which can cause
inflammation.” Feed your own
endurance pursuits minus
the health problems with this
Randall’s tuna, mushroom
and black olive pizza.
down once glycogen stores
have been depleted around
the 5K running mark.
02\ Leave the mix in a warm
place for 15–20 minutes until
frothy, then add the rest of
the dough ingredients –
including a pinch of salt –
and mix together using your
hands. Knead for 10–15
minutes then set aside to rise
for two hours. When you’re
ready to cook you’ll need to
roll out a base 2cm thick.
essential for preventing
a painful mid-race burnout
and avoiding Lycra tan lines.
04\ Scatter the remaining
toppings over the base. Not
only is tuna rich in B vitamins,
its iron helps carry oxygen
to the extremities in times of
stress (ie during every part
of a triathlon). Drizzle with
oil before baking at 250°C
for five to seven minutes.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 103


CARB-LOADING KORMA
AS LASER SAILING WORLD CHAMPION, NICK THOMPSON IS ACCUSTOMED
T O M O R E E X C I T E M E N T O N T H E WAT E R T H A N O N H I S D I N N E R P L AT E .
T H I S D I S H T U R N S A P R E - R A C E C H O R E I N T O A L AT E - N I G H T I N D U L G E N C E
BY LIAM WATTON, HEAD CHEF AT HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN
Himalayan red rice
retains its bran-
packed husk, which
boosts its nutritional
profile by 95%
T
he laser is an incredibly
demanding vessel.
“Sailors are strapped
to their boat and have to
redistribute their weight to
create leverage,” says Paul
Mullan, the British Sailing
Team’s head of Sports Science.
“The physicality of a race can
cause muscle damage similar
to that of a hard leg session –
the difference being that Nick
does several races a day.”
So how exactly does
one refuel for such a high-
intensity pursuit? “Nick is on
the water for a long time, so we
don’t want anything difficult
104 MEN’S HEALTH
to digest,” says Mullan. “To
avoid putting stress on the
gut we opt for bland meals.
White rice and chicken are
ideal.” Plus ça change.
We might not be able to
bring down the chicken-and-
rice tyranny of elite nutrition,
but we can make things less
predictable. The inspiration
for this variation comes from
nutritionist Kamal Patel, who
suggests a few extra additions
for added vim: “Coconut milk
and the catalytic fructose
found in bananas are great
for immediate energy.” In
our book, that means the
best fitness fuel you’ve never
heard of: a proper curry.
METHOD
01\ Marinate the monkfish
in 100ml of coconut milk, the
lemon juice and garam masala
for two hours. Monkfish can
absorb any flavour, making it
ideal spicy fodder, packed
with 32g of protein. Its B
vitamin profile also aids in
the formation of red blood
cells for aerobic respiration
and turning food into energy.
02\ Place a deep saucepan
on a medium heat with 2tbsp
of oil. Add the garlic, ginger
and onion and sauté for four
minutes. Fructans in onions
minimise gut irritation while
garlic was used by Olympians
in Ancient Greece to reduce
fatigue. Add the monkfish
and tomatoes and cover with
water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 1)
• MONKFISH, 170G
• COCONUT MILK, 300ML
• LEMON, ½, JUICED
• GARAM MASALA, 3TBSP
• GARLIC, 2 CLOVES
• GINGER, 1IN, BLITZED
• AN ONION, BLITZED
• TOMATOES, 3, CHOPPED
• A BANANA, PEELED
AND CHOPPED
• HIMALAYAN RED RICE,
350G (COOKED WEIGHT)
• CORIANDER, HANDFUL
• COCONUT FLAKES,
SPRINKLE
03\ Throw in the chopped
banana and simmer for a
further 10 minutes. Bananas
have a low glycemic index
with a high fibre content,
encouraging slow release
energy. The lauric acid in
the coconut milk will also
be rapidly converted to
energy. Pour the rest into
the pan and bring to the boil.
04\ Calories might be key,
but white rice has no place in
the amateur athlete’s arsenal.
Himalayan red rice is made
up of slow-release glucose
chains, while the amylose
content prevents blood-sugar
spikes. Cook in 700ml of
water for 20 minutes. To
serve, garnish with coriander
and toasted coconut flakes.
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 Starters’ ORDERS

F
or a boxer, diet is all
about carbohydrates
for fuelling and protein
for building muscle, says
Mark Ellison, a performance
nutritionist working with
Team GB Boxing. “In a full
day of training without
carbs, Anthony is at risk
of hypoglycaemia – which
can lead to compromised
training intensity and reduced
skill in the execution of his
punches. Crucially, it also
puts him at risk of illness and
immunosuppression.”
So how is a top-level
pugilist to keep his guard up
against poor health while
simultaneously maintaining
twelfth-round stamina?
The answer – sandwiches,
pasta and couscous – is more
summer picnic than podium.
“Maintaining the immune
system to avoid missing
training sessions is key,” says
Patel. “Since meat is high
in glutamine – which can
help immune health when
stressed by training – ditch the
carbs and opt for something
more wholesome.” For a killer
combination of hunger-hitting
flavour with a one-two of
energy and immunity, get
this hot oriental broth in your
corner. It beats raw eggs.
METHOD
01\ Soak the noodles in
cold water for 30 minutes to
soften, then blanch in boiling
water and set aside. Gluten-
free buckwheat noodles pack
high levels of muscle-
repairing amino acids lysine
and arginine. Plus, they’re
richer in iron, manganese,
phosphorus, copper and
magnesium than rice.
02\ Add two eggs to
boiling water, then turn
the heat down and simmer
for seven minutes. Peel
and slice the eggs in half
once cooled. We want the
egg yolks as well as the
whites for protein, selenium
and especially zinc for its
anti-inflammatory, immunity-
improving benefits.
03\ Fry the garlic until lightly
brown, then add the beef to
sear. Transfer to a saucepan,
pour in the stock and simmer
for five minutes. Chicken
may edge it out in the lean
protein stakes, but beef floors
its opponent with a body
shot of creatine, which helps
you perform better in short,
strength-based exercises.
04\ Finally, add the chillies,
ginger, eggs, bok choy and
noodles, along with the fish
sauce, lime juice and seaweed
– the latter of which balances
out iodine deficiencies,
maintaining metabolism-
regulating thyroid function.
Simmer for two minutes
and serve with coriander.
Beware, it packs a punch.

RECOVERY RAMEN
B U L K I N G A N D C U T T I N G C A N L E AV E C O M M O N W E A LT H G A M E S
BOXING GOLD MEDALLIST ANTHONY FOWLER ON THE BACK FOOT IN THE
K I T C H E N . T H I S B E E F B R O T H T H R O W S A N U P P E R C U T AT B L A N D F U E L L I N G
BY SUREE COATES, CHEF PATRON OF THE KING & THAI

INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 1) Beef contains
• BUCKWHEAT NOODLES, roughly 25 times
200G
more fatigue-
• EGGS, 2 beating carnitine
• GARLIC CLOVES, 2, SLICED
• SIRLOIN, 200G, SLICED than chicken
• VEGETABLE STOCK, 2L
• BIRD’S EYE CHILLIES, 3
• GINGER, 3 THIN SLICES
• A BOK CHOY, SLICED
• FISH SAUCE, 1TBSP
• LIME JUICE, 2TSP
• KOMBU SEAWEED, 50G
• CORIANDER, HANDFUL
Starters’ ORDERS

D
ouble trap men shoot
15 clays per round,
with three rounds
one day and two the next,
plus the possibility of an
additional two rounds for the
semi-finals and final, explains
a representative from British
Shooting. “They also have to
hold the gun with horizontal
arms for up to 30 minutes at a
time, which is a very different
form of strength to that of
a sprinter or weightlifter.”
Building strength, keeping
focus and delaying fatigue,
then, are key to scoping out
success. Developed by British
Shooting and the English
Institute of Sport, Kneale’s
diet focuses on complex
carbs – think oatmeal and
brown rice – to maintain blood
glucose, alongside nitrates
like spinach and beetroot to
increase blood flow to the
brain – all of which sounds
more damp squib than heavy
ordinance fitness fuel.
To boost mental strength
over prolonged periods
without loading up on
tasteless carbs, Lambert and
chef Aiden Byrne bring out the
big guns, pulling the trigger
on an unparalleled pairing:
roast pork belly with British
turnips. Take aim, gentlemen.
METHOD
01\ Rinse the pork belly and
season with olive oil and salt.
The zinc in the meat boosts
neurotransmitter function
for a lightning-quick trigger
finger. Roll into a cylinder
and tie with string. Roast at
220°C for 90 minutes then
cut the string and let it rest.
Pour over the honey and
cook for a further 15 minutes.
02\ Make the most of the
venerable turnip by slicing
and roasting at 220°C with
salt, pepper and honey for
40 minutes. Meanwhile,
blanch the turnip greens and
reduce in a pan with the pork
and lemon juices. Eaten
whole, turnip’s high folate
levels prevent age-related
macular degeneration.
03\ The British staple
offers a variety of health
benefits: a spud’s high carb
content maintains blood
glucose levels to prevent
fatigue, while 100g packs
0.8mg of iron – essential
for transporting focus-
sharpening oxygen to the
brain. Start by baking the
potatoes in their jackets.
04\ Leave in the oven for
50 minutes at 220°C or until
soft. Scrape out the insides
and mix with the butter and
milk. Fortified milk packs
high levels of iron and vitamin
E, encouraging increased
nutrient absorption and
comprehensive muscle repair.
Season the dish with the
chopped chives, then serve.

PRECISION ROASTED PORK

BAGGING THE DOUBLE TRAP RECORD REQUIRES SERIOUS
C O N C E N T R AT I O N , Y E T O LY M P I C S H O O T E R T I M K N E A L E ’ S
E AT I N G P L A N L E AV E S A L O T T O T H E I M AG I N AT I O N . T H I S
PORK DISH WILL KEEP YOU FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
BY AIDEN BYRNE, HEAD CHEF AT MANCHESTER HOUSE

INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 1)
• BONELESS PORK BELLY,
500G
• HIMALAYAN SALT, 1TBSP
• MANUKA HONEY, 100G
• BRITISH TURNIPS, 300G
• LEMON, ½, JUICED
• DESIREE POTATOES,
300G
• GRASS-FED BUTTER, 75G
• WHOLE MILK, 50ML
• CHIVES, 2TBSP, FINELY
CHOPPED

DHA fatty acids

in cuts such as pork
belly make up 10%
of the lipids in our
brains and eyes

06 MEEN
1106
10 N’S
’S HEA
EALLTTH M
MEEN
NSSHE
HEAALLTTHH.C
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UK

TRACK RECORD DUCK & TARO
M AC R O N U T R I T I O N CA N LE AV E T R AC K CYC LI N G WO R LD C H A M P I O N S H I P
S I LV E R M E D A L L I S T A N DY T E N N A N T ’ S PA L AT E S P I N N I N G . T H I S D U C K
D E V I AT I O N P R O M I S E S T O G I V E YO U R TA S T E B U D S A H E A D S TA R T
BY ANDREW BREDON, FOUNDER OF BEL-AIR
D
eveloped by Kathryn
Brown of British
Cycling’s in-house
nutrition team, Tennant’s
dietary plan is designed to
FOOD STYLIST: NICO GHIRLANDO | CARTRIDGES JUSTCARTRIDGES.COM
power him through thrice-
daily training sessions, with
the focus on mainlining
macros. “The main principle
is a high protein intake spread
evenly throughout the day,
GT GLOVES BY RAPHA | GOGGLES BY SPEEDO
which equates to a meal every
three to four hours,” says
Brown. “For lunch we opt for
83g complex carbohydrate,
33g protein, a lot of green
leaves and a range of coloured
veg rounding out the plate.”
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
Call us cynics, but that
sounds a lot like chicken,
sweet potatoes and broccoli.
And while it may power
champions of all shapes and
sizes, surely an Olympian
deserves something a little
more exciting?
“Skip the chicken breast in
place of a more flavourful cut,”
Patel advises. With the skin
retained, 100g of duck breast
packs a far-from-featherweight
200 calories. “For a different,
more imaginative carb, taro
is surprisingly versatile as
well as being great fuelling
food.” It’s time, then, to
indulge with a reworked roast
streamlined for rewards.
With 112 calories
per 100g, taro makes
an ideal fitness food
for slow-release
energy
METHOD
01\ Taro packs 11% of your
RDA of fibre per 100g. Put
it on to boil for an hour while
you season the duck and
brown on both sides before
setting aside. In addition
to its calorie content, 100g
of duck breast provides a
complete amino acid profile,
with 18g of protein rounding
out those macro targets.
02\ Sweat the onion, garlic,
and ginger then add 50ml
of water, the soy sauce and
balsamic. Add the matcha,
palm sugar and slightly more
water, then add the duck
skin-side-down and cook for
40 minutes. The antioxidants
and short-chain fatty acids in
the palm sugar will help power
you through a sprint finish.
INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 1)
• TARO, 300G, PEELED
& CUT INTO CHUNKS
• DUCK BREAST, 200G
• ONION, ½, SLICED
• GARLIC, 2 CLOVES,
SLICED
• GINGER, 1IN, SLICED
• SOY SAUCE, 25ML
• BALSAMIC VINEGAR,
1TBSP
• MATCHA POWDER, 2TSP
• COCONUT PALM SUGAR,
2TBSP
• COCONUT MILK, 200ML
• LEMONGRASS, 1 STICK
• GALANGAL, 1IN, SLICED
THE SALAD
• DAIKON, 50G, PEELED
• CARROTS, 50G, PEELED
• SEASAME SEEDS, 2TSP
• RICE VINEGAR, 2TBSP
• LIME JUICE, 1TSP
• OLIVE OIL, 1TBSP
• GINGER, 1IN, GRATED
• DATTERINI TOMATOES,
50G, SLICED
• BASIL, HANDFUL, TORN
03\ Add the lemongrass
and galangal to the coconut
milk and bring to boil. Drain
and mash the taro, then add
in the infused coconut milk.
Lemongrass works as a
natural painkiller, helping
you ignore that lactic acid
build-up, while galangal
stimulates the production
of digestive fluids.
04\ The pickled side salad
will cut through the rich duck
and taro flavours. Shave
the daikon and carrot into
ribbons. Toast the sesame
seeds in a pan on a medium
heat for two minutes, then
mix the rest of the ingredients
and combine in a bowl.
Plate up the duck breast
and taro. Serve. Eat. Win.
MEN’S HEALTH 107
ACTION
PACKED
WEEKEND
RAT RACE’S DIRTY WEEKEND RETURNS FOR ITS FIFTH YEAR. SIGN
UP NOW AND MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON ALL THE FUN
D
escending on Burghley
House on the 6 May 2017, the
Dirty Weekend adventure
race packs one hell of a punch
into its sprawling 20-mile course,
littered with more than 200 obstacles.
Often described as the Glastonbury
of obstacle racing, the sheer scale of
the event is huge, and this epic race
is followed by the best afterparty in
sport. Each year 5000 ‘Muckers’ pack
into the big top-tent on Saturday night
to celebrate their hard-earned victory
with food, drink and live music.
Headliners such as Greg James, Dave
Pearce, Craig Charles and Ash have
graced the stage in previous years.
Dirty Weekend is a race where the
word “can’t” has no currency. From
RACE STATS
cargo nets suspended by crane 50ft
above a river, to monkey bars covering
a Guinness World Record-breaking
distance, there are some monstrous Distance: 20 miles
constructions designed to test you,
as Rat Race pushes the limits of what Obstacles: 200+
you thought was possible. Expect to
face challenges that max-out every Runners: 8000
single muscle in your body, while the
lung-searing mileage you’ll cover
will try to break you both mentally and
Terrain: Trail
physically. You may mutter to yourself
“I can’t”. But you can – and you will.
Average finishing
Just focus on that moment when you
cross the finish line and hobble to the
time: 6 hours
tent, ready to toast your success.
The question on every finishers lips?
“When can I do it all over again?”
Sign up at ratrace.com/dirtyweekend
 MH PROMOTION

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OTHER CHALLENGES
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Brilliant weekend. Great

atmosphere with a well
organised afterparty! PRE
SENTS

Wayne Le Bas
THE MH DIRECTORY
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EDITED BY SCARLETT WRENCH

MH QUIZ
MOVIES
NO.28

This month, MH is taking you to the flicks.

Sit back and enjoy the good, bad and ugly
lessons you can learn from big-screen icons
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 113
SEPTEMBER 2016

Q1 \
In Goodfellas’ famous cooking scene,
Q4 \
Which Expendables star swears
Q5\
Vinnie is castigated for adding too y short, intense workouts?
by
In From Russia..., Bond
many onions to the sauce. As spots an imposter when he
it happens, he’s guarding
A
orders red wine with fish.
his friends from…
Jet Li
Pure snobbery?
A
Diabetes
B
A
Cancer B

C
Dolph Lundgren Yes
Heart attacks
B
D
Joe Pesci
C
Jason Statham No
AB&C The skillet stalwarts are packed
with antioxidants and compounds for
regulating blood sugar. Sadly even the
most pungent bulb will not protect D
against pint-sized Sicilian psychopaths. Sylvester Stallone

Q2 \
Match the gym to the movie
C Stath advocates the hard(man)-and- B You can’t argue with Connery: red wine’s higher iron
fast approach. And science agrees content lends fish an unpleasant aftertaste, according to
it features in… (well, who’d dare argue?): HIIT triggers Japanese research. The taste comes from a fatty acid, which
Globo Pumping 60-80% of fast-twitch fibres that are breaks down when exposed to the mineral. Double up on
A Gym i Iron crucial for growth, rather than the 30% iron by ordering steak, and assassinate fatigue at dinner.
activated by endurance workouts.
Mighty Dodgeball
B Mick’s ii
Q6\
C Gold’s
Out of
iii Sight
How will shouting “Run, Forrest, run!”
affect your friend’s race time?
D Kronk iv Rocky

A/ii, B/iv, C/i, D/iii Whether you’re

a budding Mr Universe or bulking
up for a kidnapping caper, don’t go it A
alone. In a Michigan State study, men
who exercised with others worked for Help
11 minutes longer than solo trainers.

WORDS: MIKE SHALLCROSS, JOSEPH CUMMINS | ILLUSTTRATIONS: ALCONIC AT SYNERGY ART

Q3\
Flaked on the gym?
What should you see at
the cinema tonight?
A B
Suicide Squad Ben Hur B

C
Sausage Party
Hinder
C Make Jonah Hill your new PT: just
10 minutes’ laughter burns 50 calories.
Stanford Uni researcher Dr William Fry
even reported that one minute of mirth A Get voccal at the sidelines. In a com
comprehensive analysis carried out by the University of Kent, verbal
could raise his heart rate higher than encourageement was found nd to be an effective motivator during endurance performance. Singing the
a full 10 minutes on a rowing machine. Chariots of Fire
F e them
theme while miming in slow-mo is likely to aggravate, though.
You’ll be all LOLs and no rolls...

114 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 MH QUIZ: MOVIES

Q7\ Q9 \
In Godfather: Part II, Michael Corleone rejects
Twelve pancakes, four pizzas, 21 chocolate weasely brother Fredo’s banana daiquiri for
a club soda. How many calories does he save?
brownies… this is all just one cheat-day in
the life of which musclebound movie star?

A B C
150 350 650
A B Never trust a man who offers you a drink with
The Rock a tinned cherry in it. Your second takeaway tip
is that sweet, creamy cocktails can harbour as
many calories as a dessert. Stick to spirits and
sugar-free mixers to save both face and fat gain.

Q10\
B Which staple of Hannibal’s diet
Hafþór is rich in mood-lifting L-dopa?
Björnsson

A B C
Liver Fava beans A nice chianti

B A serving of Lecter’s favourite beans provides

the building blocks for the ‘pleasure hormone’
dopamine. Combining it with polyphenol-
C
packing red wine and B vit-stuffed liver isn’t a
John Cena bad shout, but we’d advise getting yours from
lamb or calf – not a guy from the census bureau.

Q11\
Swearing is proven to relieve
stress. Tough day? Watch...
A Dwayne Johnson’s cheat days are the stuff of legend. Of course, most of what The Rock
is cooking is very clean (he earned this feast with 150 days of abstinence). Seton Hall A
Uni research advises staying on course for 9/10 meals. A rare indulgence in fats and Wolf of Wall Street
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE, HEARST STUDIOS, GETTY, DAN MATTHEWS, MITCH PAYNE

high-GI carbs can kickstart your metabolism to prevent a weightloss plateau (see p30).
B
Scarface
Q8 \
Hugh Jackman proved himself just as badass as his alter ego Wolverine by joining
C
Nil by Mouth
the 1000lb club last year. Which three lifts did he complete?
D
Swearnet

D This Canadian comedy holds the record

for f-bombs with 935 mentions – though Wolf
comes close with a creditable 506. We can
A Squat B Deadlift C Bench press D Biceps curl only assume Jordan Belfort has studied the
medical journal NeuroReport, which published
AB&C According to Hugh, it’s about going big – at the gym and in the kitchen. “I see people a study demonstrating that swearing reduces
in the corner with the Swiss ball, acting like it’s gonna change their life,” he says. His golden the emotional impact of stress and pain.
(adamantium?) rule: “Train until you want to throw up and eat until you want to throw up.” Quite.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 115

SEPTEMBER 2016

Q12\ Q14\
In Commando, Schwarzenegger’s character
How many minutes do you need to run for in “eats Green Berets for breakfast”. But what
order to burn off a large Odeon popcorn? breakfast staple does the real Arnie decry?

A B C
Bacon Muffins Butter
B Arnie is famous for his consumption of sat
fats, but is mistrustful of refined foods. And for
A good reason: the Endocrine Society found that
testosterone levels drop after high-sugar meals.
30 Beware the muscle Predators in your kitchen.

Q15\
Watching 28 Days Later can reduce your risk
of viral infection…
B A B
True False
60 A Of the non-zombie kind, at least. According to
research from Coventry University, horror films
stimulate the production of white blood cells,
helping your body fight off infections. ‘Controlled
fear’ can also improve your sensitivity to stress.
Consider it a practice run for the apocalypse.

Q16\
C Which actor shed 60lb of fat
75 to embody a Marvel hero?

A B C
C Popcorn is often billed as the acceptable face of snacking (indeed, Scranton University Chris Chris Chris
found it has more antioxidants that many veg) – but you’re not meant to eat it out of an Pratt Hemsworth Evans
industrial skip. Odeon’s largest offering packs 812 calories. Then again, you should be able
to make it through even the corniest of movies without popping out for more (sorry).

Q13\
How many calories does the man-eating shark
in Jaws consume throughout the movie?

A 100,000

B 200,000

A While Hemsworth and Evans were in shape

s p
C 400,000 long before donning their super-suits, Pratt
weighed in close to 300lb. Classic bodybuilding
B The shark eats five people in total, and there are about 80,000 calories in the average moves and metabolic conditioning circuits
human body. Given that water provides 12 times the resistance of air, swimming burns about helped him lean out for Guardians of the Galaxy.
600 calories an hour (for humans, that is), or 14,400 in 24 hours. No wonder he was hungry.

116 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 MH QUIZ: MOVIES

Q17\ Q18\ Q20\

For Rocky III, Stallone What surprising ingredient do the dim-witted
Which of these actors
bodybuilders of Pain & Gain add to their shakes?
trained for four hours has gained the most
a day, every day… weight
g for a film role?
A
True A

B
Robert De Niro
False
A B C B
B Actually it was closer to
Breast milk Oxtail Iron filings
six. His routine comprised Russell Crowe
two hours of cardio, two of A Mixed with a capful of steroids it’s described
weight training, plus sparring – as “the real HGH”. Rather go your own whey? For
which even Sly admits was excessive. Overtraining a less controversial method of increasing human
can cause insomnia and poor immune function. growth hormone, a spoonful of almond butter C
Rest hard if you want to make it to the final round. dishes out the HGH-boosting nutrient l-arginine. Jared Leto

Q19\ D
Violent films make you more aggressive… Vincent D’Onofrio

D When body transformations go

south… De Niro paved the way by
gaining 60lb to play Jake LaMotta
in Raging Bull, but his record was
smashed by the 70lb D’Onofrio
gained for Full Metal Jacket. It took
him nine months to lose the weight.

Q21 \
You should stay off The Green Mile
if you’re feeling low…

A
True
B
False
B In the US, counsellors who practise
‘cathartic cinema therapy’ say patients
can process their emotions by watching
A But only if you have an abrasive personality to begin with. In a study by NY’s Mount Sinai Hospital, something sad. The key, according to
men with a history of aggression experienced reduced activity in the part of their brain that regulates Dr Birgit Wolz, is to acknowledge your
self-control when watching fight films. They also reported feeling more “inspired” and less anxious responses to themes or characters
compared to pacifists. Just something to keep in mind when choosing a mate to watch Warrior with. while watching something that makes
you cry. Such as an immortal mouse.

How 0-7 8-14 15-21

did you CRITICAL FLOP
Even if you’re not a film aficionado,
score? you can still benefit from audio-visual
aid. So long as you pick something
arousing. In a California-Berkeley study,
participants shown an erotic film scored
better on a subsequent memory test.
Your instincts will be more than basic.
LIGHT RELIEF
A decent review. But it’s worth critiquing
your sofa habits too. A hunched sitting
posture is linked to heart disease. Hit the
floor for a mid-film Superman stretch:
face-down, tense to lift your chest, legs
and arms. Three reps of 10 seconds will
rescue your body from gripping tension.
BLOCKBUSTER HIT
A true cinema buff. But remember: the
book is often better. Late-night viewing
increases blood pressure and disrupts
your sleep cycle. Pick up a book before
lights out. Just six minutes’ reading is
enough to slow your heart rate and ease
stress, says the University of Sussex.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 117

 ONE WORD
ANSWER #28
QUESTION
Which essential
grooming tool
will raise your
standing at
work?
E arly sunrises and “just the one”
after-work pints can make it hard
to get your six hours in. (Come on,
who seriously ever manages eight?) But
whether accustomed to the perennial
lack of sleep or not, try to remember that
tiredness harms more than just your
ability to keep your eyes open on the 7:32.
In fact, a new study in the Journal of
Experimental Psychology shows that
tired-looking people are perceived as
less intelligent than their well-rested
peers. And that makes a double espresso
an essential ally before a big presentation.
However, don’t go in thinking you can
fool the crowd with wide eyes and big
hand gestures – you’ll just look like a less
ANSWER
Coffee
WORDS: SCARLETT WRENCH | PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS
intelligent man on amphetamines.
Researchers identified “subtle frowning”
– a downward curvature of the mouth –
as a key negative marker. So what you
might perceive as professional froideur
or earnest focus can actually just come
across as, well, a bit dim. A casual smile,
on the other hand, was seen as a major
sign of alertness.
Our advice? When coffee alone won’t
cut it, try this: save the used grounds
and apply them under your eyes (wait,
wait – let them cool first) for five minutes.
Caffeine constricts blood vessels below
the skin’s surface to reduce puffiness.
You may feel less than clever, but you’ll
be ready to face the daily grind.
 SENTS
PRE
CAPTUR
EVERY
MOMENT
OVERTAKE THE COMPETITION, NO MATTER WHAT LIES AHEAD,
WITH THE VERSATILE URBAN CROSSOVER FROM RENAULT
W
hether you’re sat at the
wheel devouring the
open road or storming
through obstacle-strewn
terrain on foot, the same quality is
paramount: adaptability.
Renault, the headline sponsors of
Survival of the Fittest – Men’s Health’s
10K obstacle race series – know all too
well that, whatever your next adventure
turns out to be, you need the ability to
take the unexpected in your stride and
excel in any environment.
That’s why they’ve created a versatile
urban crossover: the Renault Captur.
Developed to combine the best of three
worlds – the styling and driving position
of an SUV, the cabin space and interior
flexibility of an MPV, and the pure driving
thrill of a hatchback – the Captur is the
perfect partner for any eventuality.
Which is why, as you storm up The
The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (I/100km) for the cars shown are: Urban 40.4(7) -70.6(4); Extra Urban 57.6(4.9) - 83.1(3.4);
Combined 50.4(5.6)- 78.5(3.6). The official C0² emissions for the range are 127-95/km. Based on EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008
test environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO ² may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors.
Renault Crossover Climb during Men’s
Health’s Survival of the Fittest, you’ll
see Renault’s latest superstar right by
your side. Though, sadly, its superb hill
start assist can’t help you until after
the finish line.
This is a model with all the gear and
all the ideas. The hands-free key card
allows you to unlock, start and remotely
lock the car without even touching the
key. The Captur’s on-board touch-
screen tablet, MediaNav†, provides
flawless navigation, media, and
handsfree telephone using Bluetooth®‡.
Plus, the washable and removable seat
covers¥, alloy wheels as standard and
two-tone paint options ensure the
package looks as sharp on the outside
as it feels on the inside.
So, no matter what your next
adventure, you’ll conquer it in style.
MH PROMOTION
MEDIANAV AVAILABLE ON DYNAMIQUE NAV AND DYNAMIQUE S NAV ‡FOR COMPATIBLE DEVICES, PLEASE REFER
TO RENAULT.CO.UK/SERVICES/MULTIMEDIA/BLUETOOTH-COMPATIBILITY.HTML ¥AVAILABLE ON DYNAMIQUE NAV
TH E ADVE NTU R E
CO NTI N U E S . . .
Match the Captur’s all-terrain capabilities
with MH’s SOTF training videos
If you want to make it over every obstacle at this
year’s Survival of the Fittest races then the next few
weeks need to involve more than just a gentle jog
around the park. Join James Cracknell OBE and
Men’s Health ambassadors Faisal Abdalla, Scott
Ashley and James Greenwood as they put you
through your paces with a series of workouts and
physical challenges to prepare you for the start line.
Head to menshealth.co.uk/fitness/survival-of-
the-fittest for the full video series
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE RENAULT
CAPTUR, VISIT RENAULT.CO.UK/
AND DYNAMIQUE S NAV
VEHICLES/NEW-VEHICLES/CAPTUR
†
The 09/16 _

NEW
GUIDE TO
_ STYLE

Modernists
Edited By Eric Down & Matt Hambly

Style has changed of late. It’s gone easier,

less uptight, not so fogyish. Relinquished is
the over-preening; in its place has entered 126
First Aid Kit
Casual isn’t a synonym
a cleaner, more modern way of dressing. for scruffy. This smart
kit makes upkeep easy
The new style challenges conventional 140
notions of smart and casual without ever Simple Updates
Our pick of your
wardrobe staples,
forfeiting sophistication. And our guide will given a modern twist

make it as easy to master as it feels to wear

144 132
Dial M For Minimal The Big Easy
Why the complication? Follow these louche
Turn heads with these guidelines to make
refined watches minimalist style feel as
effortless as it looks

128 129 130

Natural Hairs Scents & Sensibility Be A High Flier
High-maintenance style Invest in an understated Throw shade at flashy
is outmoded. These fragrance to make the sunglasses with a pair
relaxed looks will make right impression, subtly of upgraded Aviators
your mornings a breeze
 Take 09/16
T
a plain
s
sweate
tucked into tracksuit trousers with a tailored coat.
A blazer worn with mismatched, loosely cut trousers.
Perhaps a zip-up bomber jacket under an overcoat,
with rippling strides and white sneakers. Pay
attention, because these ensembles, championed
on the international runways for autumn, are coming
to make your life easier, in more ways than one.
STYLE – 09 / 16

Even if your interest in catwalks and fashion

seasons is minimal, the effects of the increasingly
undone wardrobe, championed by some of the

PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP SINDEN | STYLING: ERIC DOWN | MODEL: JAMAUL AT AMCK | CARDIGAN £275 CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN, HENLEY £60 SCHIESSER, TROUSERS £248 J CREW
world’s biggest design houses, is now dominating
the high street as well as the new generation in
Hollywood. Jack O’Connell, Alexander Skarsgård
and Matthias Schoenaerts might all scrub up for the
red carpet, but off-duty their sartorial lead is less
contrived. It’s all about an easy-going approach.
Estimable high-street brand Cos is the purveyor
of a kind of discreet chic – granddad shirt collars,
132
Simply does it
This relaxed style riffs on a classic approach to roomy T-shirts and luxurious bomber jackets – Take the stress out
dressing – looking as if you’ve made little effort,
GUIDE

despite resembling an elegant Scandinavian
architect. The first trick here is to ensure your hair
says rolled-out-of-bed – think the messy, untamed
tresses of Robert Pattinson or Cillian Murphy.
The next is to abandon anything that might be
considered too TOWIE. Spray tans and any form of
body depilation are categorical goners. Two-ish day
stubble is in. See what we mean about easy?
Clothing wise, French labels such as Ami and
Lemaire are great sources of inspiration. Both offer
clothes that are essentially excellent staples, cut
in modern shapes and designed to break down
traditional smart/casual boundaries. “We’ve just
come out of a very heritage-inspired way of
dressing, which as a trend now feels too buttoned-
up and particular,” says Gordon Richardson,
creative director at Topman. “As a result, designers
have been working with softer, lighter, sports-
inspired fabrics that lend themselves to more
relaxed, oversized silhouettes. It’s that sweet
spot where performance meets streetwear.”
A move toward active apparel chimes with
a rise in looser shapes and the growing acceptance
that it’s admissable to wear everything – and that
includes suits and smart trousers – with sneakers.
that is louche, yet precise. The cut of its tailoring of dressing with
is modern (that translates as relaxed these days, our smart guide
to casual attire
so try a size down) and often constructed from
utilitarian fabrics. The result is office wear you
can treat like your favourite jeans. All of which
mirrors the ongoing breaking down of dress
codes in the work place.
Sir Paul Smith, long known for his clever
balancing of tailoring with an informal breeziness,
thinks men’s lives are just different now. “Having
worked in men’s clothing for 45 years I’ve seen
a very significant shift away from more uniform
ways of dressing,” he says.
“Really, I think the change has happened for
practical reasons. Lots of people sit behind a desk
all day now, they’re not necessarily out and about
interacting with people. Comfort is as important as
presentation.” For autumn, Smith showed his suits
with zip-up knitwear underneath. It’s another nod
to the demise of ties – for now at least.
As Richardson argues: “Why spend your life
feeling cramped and restricted? Done right and
done well, relaxed style does not have to mean
no style.” Indeed, effortless style does not equate
to a lack of thought. So kick back, know the rules,
buy well and, above all, dress easy.
By Simon Chilvers, men’s style director
of matchesfashion.com
 First
Firs FUNDAMENTALSS

A
K
D/ BRUSH AND CLOTH KIT
(PART OF SET) £730

STYLING: ERIC DOWN | SET DESIGN: CARRIE LOUISE | WORDS: MATT HAMBLY | STOCKISTS: ABBEYHORN.CO.UK, ACQUADIPARMA.COM, BROOKSBROTHERS.COM, CZECHANDSPEAKE.COM, SCHIESSER ENDCLOTHING.COM, GROWN ALCHEMIST GOODHOODSTORE.COM
Eveen understated style needs
a bit of maintenance eveery
now w and then. We asked d Tom
Beeecroft, of shoe care artiisans
Thee Jaunty Flanneur, for his
sixx essential tips on wardrobbe
C/ SUEDE CLEANER AND POLISH
connse
co servaattion and body repaair (PART OF SET) £105 LOAKE
STYLE – 09 / 16

A/ SHOE TREE
£100 JOHN LOBB

B/ CLOTHES BRUSH
£37 ABBEYHORN
GUIDE

03
E/ SHOE HORN
Heel the
£25 ABBEYHORN
Damage
Two other essential footwear
02 tools: a coarse brush (D) and
Brush Up a shoe horn (E). Use the former
to apply wax to the stitching
G/ SWISS ARMY KNIFE
£50 VICTORINOX of welted shoes (where the
A little-and-often approach
01 to preservation is always upper is sewn onto the sole)

Tr e e better than neglect followed to keep them waterproof.

of Life
F/ REPAIR KIT, £15
MERCHANT & MILLS Buying quality and caring
for it is always the more
economical investment, and
never more so than with what
you put on your feet. For a pair
of shoes to endure you need
shoe trees (A). Give your
shoes a minute to breathe
once removed, but insert
while the leather is still warm
and malleable. Non-varnished
trees will absorb moisture and
Photography by Aaron Tilley prevent the leather cracking.
by attempted surgery. Remove The shoe horn, meanwhile,
dirt with a horse hair brush is criminally overlooked as
(B) before choosing your an atavistic affectation. Not
only will it preserve the shape
polish. A cream, best for
restoring colour, should be of the heel cup, it’ll protect fine
left on for 45 minutes to be socks against tearing, too.
absorbed. A wax (C), best for
shine, needs only a minute
or so. Apply with a cloth and
use that to buff your shoes.

126 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK


04
Altered
States
Maintenance is a markedly
different affair from repair.
Your best bet is to take
damaged shoes or clothes
to a professional to do the
work for you. That said, self-
sufficiency is a virtue and a
decent repair kit (F) will allow
you to look after a good shirt,
for instance, by reattaching
buttons. A classic Swiss
Army knife (G) is also good
for dealing with loose threads.
JMWESTON.COM, JOHNLOBB.COM, KENTBRUSHES.COM, LOAKE.CO.UK, TRIUMPH & DISASTER MANKIND.CO.UK, MURAD.CO.UK MERCHANTANDMILLS.COM, SUNSPEL.COM, VICTORINOX.COM
K/ RAZOR AND BRUSH (PART
OF KIT) £367 ACQUA DI PARMA
I/ BOXER SHORTS
£30 SUNSPEL
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
05 J/ PYJAMAS £95
BROOKS BROTHERS
S mall
I n v e stm
m en
nts
The jump from off-the-peg
to bespoke can be steep, but
upgrading your underwear (H)
is less of a financial stretch
and worth the effort. Fine
cotton jockey shorts (I)
are more breathable under
trousers and infinitely more
tactile. Pyjamas (J) are making
a comeback, too, not least
because the likes of Gucci
are reclaiming them as shirts.
O/ BODY CLEANSER
£20 GROWN ALCHEMIST
H/ VEST £40
SCHIESSER Q/ HYDRO-DYNAMIC
MOISTURE £55 MURAD
STYLE – 09 / 16
M/ MANICURE TOOLS (PART OF
KIT) £198 CHZECH & SPEAKE
GUIDE
L/ SHAVING CREAM £19.50
TRIUMPH AND DISASTER
06
Razor Sharp
A good badger-hair brush
(K) helps lift hairs and makes
for a closer, smoother shave
(L). In fact, most well-made
grooming products, from
N/ BRISTLE BRUSH nail clippers (M) to hair
£9.50 KENT BRUSHES
brushes (N), will stand the
test of time. Frankly, they look
a lot nicer than disposables,
too. Lastly, a regular cleanse
(O) and moisturise (P, Q) is
P/ BODY CREAM £19 better than an expensive
GROWN ALCHEMIST
spa-based overhaul every
time you have a hangover.
MEN’S HEALTH 127
 N
Natural
a GROOMING
OO G MANUAL

WORDS: MATT HAMBLY | PHOTOGRAPHY: ZAC FRACKELTON | STYLING: ERIC DOWN | STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: RICCARDO CHIUDIONI | MODELS: HARRY, PAUL, EMIN AND ANDREJ AT ESTABLISHED | GROOMING: DESMOND GRUNDY AT CAROL HAYES MANAGEMENT USING CLINIQUE FOR MEN | HAIR: DENIS ROBINSON
H
Hairs

AND EMMALENE GALE USING RUFFIANS | HARRY WEARS SHIRT £95 UNIVERSAL WORKS | PAUL WEARS T-SHIRT £90 JAC + JACK, BLAZER £452 MICHAEL KORS | EMIN WEARS SHIRT £95 OLIVER SPENCER | ANDREJ WEARS COAT £680 AGI & SAM, HENLEY £133 MICHAEL KORS | SHOT AT ISTITUTO MARANGONI
The current tonsorial mood
seees a move away from high-
maaintenance quiffs in favour
of llonger, less-manicured
styyles. So trade time in front
of tthe bathroom mirror for
moooree fun
u in tthee real
ea world

Messy, tousled locks might
seem like a scruffy departure
STYLE – 09 / 16
01 02
The Off-Centre Parting The Nu-Mod
The key to this season’s trend, says Robinson, is to This Weller-esque upgrade is all about smart
let the cut, rather than products, do the talking. “It’s layering. “Tell your barber you want hexagonal

from the coiffured lids we’ve about looking natural rather than overly styled. Ask layers, starting from the nape, with square layering
grown accustomed to, but for the back and sides cut scissor-over-comb with on top,” says Robinson. “Then say you want
as demonstrated on the square layering on top and a point-cut fringe.” You the volume and thickness taken out by point-
catwalks of Tiger of Sweden, may not understand what you’re talking about, but cutting the whole head.” Or just show them
Ami and Oliver Spencer at a good hairdresser will. Style with L’Oreal Super Dust this picture. Dry with L’Oreal Techni-Art Beach
London Collections: Men this (£12 toniandguy.com) for a matte finish. Waves (£11 trilabshop.com) for texture.
year, it’s a style that’s going
to grow on you. “Luckily, you
can grow the top and keep
cutting the sides,” says
Ruffians stylist Denis
GUIDE

Robinson. “Although you’ll

need to take the weight out
of the crown, otherwise it’ll
look like a toupee.” If that
idea’s killing your buzz(cut),
look to autumn’s rightful
hair(styles), with Robinson’s
pointers on what to ask for.

03
The Curly Mop
“This is actually an undercut,” says Robinson,
“though the texture on top softens the effect. As
with the parted look, ask for a scissor-over-comb
undercut – this just means ‘no clippers’ – for soft
blending, with square layers on top.” Finish off with
a strong yet pliable product like Ruffians’ Pomade
(£9.95 shop.ruffians.co.uk) on towel-dried hair
and style naturally with your fingers.
04
The Flock Of Seagulls 2.0
Admittedly, there’s more than a nod toward the
kind of haircut you’ll have last seen on Top of the
Pops circa 1982 here, but don’t let you put that off.
“The key difference is that it’s point-cut to soften
the ends,” says Robinson. Like the layered cut, dry
with L’Oreal Techni-Art Beach Waves and style with
Ruffians Styling Paste (£15 shop.ruffians.co.uk).
Avoid heavy mascara, PVC and a mournful stare.

128 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 01 02
It’s
It ’s not
o jus
ustt ou
ourr thhre
readadss ta
ad taki
king
king a Nifty Odour
tuurnn for the
h simimpl
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acck Scent And Endure
“This little-known “We launched Maison
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nces
nc es aree com mini g up p ros
oses
es..
es boutique brand is Francis Kurkdjian
MH sniiffsff out
ut fou
our off the bes
our e t really putting British exclusively at Liberty,
fragrance on the and Aqua Universalis
map,” says Coonan. is one of our most
“Tom is a renowned iconic fragrances,”
perfectionist and his says Coonan. “While
vision for the brand is its light citrus scent
summed up perfectly has a fairly unisex
04
04 in this pared-back profile, it’s especially
BYREDO CUIR OBSCURE
100ML, £130 woody scent.” sexy on men.”
003
3
ULRICH LANG NEW YORK
APSU 100ML, £75 03 04
002
2 Make A Smell The
MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN
AQUA UNIVERSALIS 70ML, £110
Splash Difference
“This is a reaction “Former L’Oreal Byredo’s new
PHOTOGRAPHY: AARON TILLEY | SET DESIGN: CARRIE LOUISE | THE-REFINERY.COM | AMIDASPA.CO.UK | APSU AND MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN SELFRIDGES.COM, BYREDO HARRODS.COM, TOMDAXON.COM

0011 to the recent plethora executive Ulrich Lang fragrance has been
TOM DAXON IRIDIUM of ostentatious has always had a created exclusively
50ML, £105 Both Sarah Coonan offerings,” says really loyal following for Harrods. “It’s
and Mia Collins Coonan. Don’t let at Liberty” says an interaction of
– fragrance buyer at their simplicity throw Coonan. Green and opposites,” says
Liberty and head of you off the scent – aromatic, this new Collins. “Masculine

STYLE – 09 / 16
Beauty at Harrods, these fragrances fragrance might be and feminine, exotic
respectively – agree: can be considered a minimal, but it has and romantic: this
simple smells are mark of understated all the notes of a new addition is
making a return. confidence. future best seller. really exciting.”

Maximise Your Face Time

Grooming Gurus Deborah Gayle and Laura Pocock on fine-tuning your routine and getting out of the bathroom in record time

GUIDE
THE TASK THE REASON HOW LONG? HOW OFTEN? THE KIT

Your face is covered in pores that become oily, clogged The Refinery
and produce blackheads. A good facial cleanser will WEDS
Face Wash
emulsify these offenders and clean deeply but gently. 8 (the-refinery.
Cleansing Shower gel will just dry out your skin. 1 minute Daily com £16)

A good scrub will clear dead skin cells that can lead to Kiehl’s Facial
breakouts. But over-use can over-stimulate the skin and Fuel Energizing
lead to, um, breakouts. Use sparingly with circular motions Scrub (kiehls.
Exfoliating to clean pores that regular face washes won’t. 2 minutes Twice weekly co.uk £17.50)

Every self-respecting man knows why they need to do it, The Refinery
WEDS Eye Gel
but many still neglect the bags under their eyes. A gel will
8 (the-refinery.
reduce puffiness. Apply with your third finger, which has
Moisturising the most delicate pad, so as not to damage sensitive skin. 30 seconds Daily com £30)

Post-exfoliation is the ideal time to apply a face mask Tom Ford Intensive
because you’ll have cleaned off the dead cells and exposed Purifying Mud
fresh ones that will benefit from the nutrients. Once Mask (houseof
Toning a week is enough to save face, but twice is preferable. 10 minutes Once weekly fraser.co.uk £45)

Full-on eyebrow shaping is best left to Essex professionals, Tweezerman

but the new modernist can get away with some prudent slanted tweezers
DIY plucking. Don’t overdo it though: stray any further (johnlewis.com £21)
Trimming than the width of your nose and you’ll look like a Ken doll. 5 minutes Once monthly

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 129

 Be A
I S
INSTANT UPGRA
G

H
F
Styyle statements needn’t be
osttentatious. With eyes on TOM FORD AARON
SUNGLASSES £215
AT OCO GLASSES
botth past and future, these
Tomm FFord
ord sshades
hades shout quietly
STYLE – 09 / 16
GUIDE

The best design has function

at its heart. And while Aviator
sunglasses are today more
commonly found on the
streets of Milan than in the
cockpits of MiG-28s, the Ford, of course, is both

80-year-old Anti-Glare
prototype has undergone
surprisingly little remodelling.
But, timeless as they are,
recent years have seen
Aviators lose popular ground
to the equally illustrious
Wayfarers, making them
ripe for an upgrade. “The
advantage of the Aviator’s
frame is that it flatters all
face shapes,” says Jason
Broderick, fashion director
for menswear at Harrods.
“But with this pair, Tom
Ford has taken a safe style
perennial and turned it into
a real statement piece.”
WORDS: MATT HAMBLY | STYLING: ERIC DOWN | SET DESIGN: CARRIE LOUISE | OCOGLASSES.CO.UK
a lover and a challenger of
tradition. So here you have
the classic Top Gun shape
in tact, yet with bridgeless
frames in a mixture of acetate
and steel; in place of the
archetypal green lenses
comes a tobacco tint. In
short, they’re still Aviators,
just flying at Mach 2.
“From accessories to
suiting, Tom Ford continues
to epitomize luxury,” says
Broderick. He is also, it must
be said, synonymous with the
eye-watering prices that
luxury retail commands.
But at just £215, these are
a justifiable summer upgrade
to make before boarding. Photography by Aaron Tilley

130 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

STYLE – 09 / 16

TT O TFOLIO
O O

01
Embrace
Texture
Wearing contrasting fabrics
helps to keep your outfit
low-key yet on-point, much
T in the same way that differing
GUIDE

goodbye to tiepins and collarbars and welcome a more relaxed, modern shades of the same colour
create understated polish.
way of dressing up. It’s simple to perfect if you follow these tenets, “We do a lot of this at Universal
says Nottingham-based Universal Works founder David Keyte Works,” says Keyte. “Coarse
fabrics with a natural weave
or pattern work together
more easily and ensure that
a monochrome ensemble
doesn’t look rigid or one-note.”
It’s a clever way of asserting
a point of difference without
resorting to adding bells and
whistles. Boiled wool, heavy
twill cotton and even jersey,
will all mix well. Offsetting
heavier fabrics like coarse
wool with soft cotton or
towelling works even better.
After all, no stylish man wants
to look like he’s cut from the
same cloth as the next.

Photography By Philip Sinden

Styling By Eric Down

132 – MEN’S HEALTH

 STYLE – 09 / 16
GUIDE
CARDIGAN £275
CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN
HENLEY £60 SCHIESSER
TROUSERS £248 J CREW
SHOES £285 PAUL SMITH
CHAIR £140 ALESSI

MEN’S HEALTH – 133

 THE PORTFOLIO

COAT £895 MACKINTOSH

BLAZER £340
OLIVER SPENCER
T-SHIRT £60 SUNSPEL
TROUSERS £295 JOSEPH
BRACELET £175
MONICA VINADER
WATCH £995
LARSSON & JENNINGS

02
Reject
Structural
Integrity
A traditional Savile Row suit
STYLE – 09 / 16

has more scaffolding than

a high-rise in construction,
which is why in anything
other than a formal situation
they have the habit of making
the wearer look like he has a
rod up the posterior. But with
soft shoulders and a relaxed
silhouette, the unstructured
blazer redefines conventional
GUIDE

dress codes. “Too many men

associate a jacket with work
and the conservatism that
goes with it,” says Keyte. “But
by losing that structure you
liberate the blazer. It becomes
something that looks elegant
and feels comfortable.” We
urge you to think of it like
a cardigan: roll it up, lounge
about and, well, do just about
anything you’re not supposed
to do in your formal best.

134 – MEN’S HEALTH

 03
Set The Tone
WORDS: MATT HAMBLY | STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: RICCARDO CHIUDIONI | PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: CHRIS BROMLEY | MODEL: JAMAUL AT AMCK | GROOMING: JOHN CHRISTOPHER AT CAROL HAYES USING LAB SERIES | HAIR: KEVIN LUCHMUN USING LABEL.M PROFESSIONAL HAIRCARE

Combining shades of the

same colour has the neat
effect of making casual items
smarter and more coherent.
Think of it as a sartorial cheat
day. “Dressing tone-on-tone
is an easy way to give the
appearance of sophistication,”
says Keyte. “Don’t worry if
the shades don’t quite match
either; it’s this soft contrast
that gives your look an easier
edge.” Meanwhile, a judicially
employed pop of contrasting
colour will ironically bring
the ensemble together and
elevate it. “Think of it as you
would a bright pocket square
to set off a dark suit,” says

STYLE – 09 / 16
Keyte. Muted shades of vivid
colours – burnt orange, wine
red – go well with camel, navy
and grey (see opposite page).

GUIDE
COAT £150 H&M STUDIO
SHIRT £190 JOHN SMEDLEY
AT MRPORTER.COM
TROUSERS £79 COS
BRACELET £175
MONICA VINADER
VASE £75 AND BOWL £90
BOTH MAX LAMB FOR
1882 LTD AT SCP
CUP PART OF A SET
£65 AND COFFEE MAKER
BOTH £55 ALESSI

MEN’S HEALTH – 135

 THE PORTFOLIO

04
Broaden Your
Horizons
After years of being given
a wide berth, roomy slacks are
finding their legs again. Now,
we’ve been saying this for a
little while and we know many
of you remain doubtful, so
Keyte has this advice: just
try them on. “We had a guy
model in one of our shows
STYLE – 09 / 16

who had never worn anything

but skinny jeans,” he says.
“After a few hours in these
wider trousers he came back
and asked if he could keep
them. He told us that they
felt comfortable and looked
smarter than he’d suspected,
too. Would he have picked
them up in a shop? Definitely
GUIDE

not.” The key point here is the

issue of smartness: contrary
to expectation, wider legged
trousers are not the preserve
of clowns. If the fit is good,
the silhouette will be elegant,
just a little less conservative.
These are all good things.

136 – MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 TOP £90 ALBAM AT
MRPORTER.COM
TROUSERS £115
UNIVERSAL WORKS
SOCKS £20
SCOTT NICHOL
BANGLE £175
MONICA VINADER
MUG £35 AND VASE £75
BOTH MAX LAMB FOR
1882 LTD AT SCP
CHAIR £490 PINCH

STYLE – 09 / 16
GUIDE

MEN’S HEALTH – 137

 THE PORTFOLIO

05
Invest In
Comfort
The savvy shopper spends
his money wisely, exercising
prudence on staples with
a high wardrobe turnover,
while splashing out on quality
mainstays. Good outerwear
unequivocally falls into the
latter category, says Keyte:
“A well-made, unstructured
STYLE – 09 / 16

overcoat is a piece you’ll

always return to. It’s the lack
of formality that’s key here
because this gives it fluidity.”
If fluidity is not something
you’re accustomed to looking
for when shopping for
clothes, let us put it another
way. Tailored coats with rigid,
padded shoulders might look
GUIDE

great with a suit, but less

so with a crewneck top or
casual shirt. They speak of
formality and go with little
else. A relaxed overcoat in
a quality fabric, however, can
be dressed up and down in
myriad ways. In fact, it might
just be the most versatile
item in your wardrobe.

COAT £450 SUNSPEL

JUMPER £420 CANALI
TROUSERS £400
EMPORIO ARMANI

138 – MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 06
Pump It Up
It was Liam Gallagher who
ventured that when selecting BLAZER £250 YMC
an outfit one should start SHIRT £90 ALLSAINTS
TROUSERS £125
with the shoes. And while Our UNIVERSAL WORKS
Kid has been wrong about BRACELET £175
MONICA VINADER
many things – his songwriting WATCH £995
abilities for one – in this case LARSSON & JENNINGS
SHOES £65
we’ll give credit where it’s CONVERSE JACK PURCELL
STOCKISTS: ALESSI.COM/EN, ALLSAINTS.COM, CANALI.COM, CHRISTOPHERRAEBURN.CO.UK, CONVERSE.COM, COSSTORES.COM, ARMANI.COM, HM.COM, JCREW.COM, JOSEPH-FASHION.COM, LARSSONANDJENNINGS.COM, MACKINTOSH.COM, SCP.CO.UK,

due. “What you wear on your

feet dictates the way you
carry yourself,” says Keyte.
“So it stands to reason that
you’ll cut an easier figure in
sneakers.” Of course, we’re
not suggesting the New
Modernist bases his look on
MONICAVINADER.COM, MRPORTER.COM, OLIVERSPENCER.CO.UK, PAULSMITH.CO.UK, PINCHDESIGN.COM, ENDCLOTHING.COM, SCOTT-NICHOL.COM, SUNSPEL.COM, UNIVERSALWORKS.CO.UK, YOUMUSTCREATE.COM

dirty kicks. But even classic

shoemakers such as Church’s
are dabbling with softer soles
and contemporary uppers.
For our money, a simple pump
from the likes of Converse,

STYLE – 09 / 16
Common Projects or Superga
sets the tone. Give your
brogues and derbies a rest.

GUIDE

MEN’S HEALTH – 139

 The
Th PPRO
O SSELECTOR
C OR

E
Thee season’s best transitional
thrreads will keep you cool
whhen it’s hot and warm when £445 DDAKS
DAK
AAKS
KS

it’ss not. Consult the MH edit

to ensure you spend your
har
ard-eaearneed
d wisseely
STYLE – 09 / 16
GUIDE

Originally designed in
a time before motors were
given roofs, car coats are
clean-lined, weather-proof,
and will help you make
a smooth transition from
summer to autumn

140 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 £795 TURNBULL & ASSER £500 PAUL SMITH
SMIT
MITHH £145 IDRIS ELBA + SUPERDRY
SUPERDR
ERDRYY

STYLE – 09 / 16
GUIDE
£70 TOPMANN £380 MAISON KITSUNÉ
UNÉ £575 GRENFEL
GRENFELL
LL
PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS | STYLING: ERIC DOWN

£70 RIVER ISLAND

LAND £40 NEW LOOK
LOOO K £840 MACKINTOSH
MACKINTOS
OSHH

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 141

 Bo
BootP O SELECTO
S C OR

C
Camp
Fasshion is cyclical and good
styyle timeless, so the return of
£175 RUSSELL & BROMLEY
BROMLE
BR OMLEYY

thaat original Mod staple, the

chuukka boot, is predictable,
sensible
sennsible and desir
desirable
STYLE – 09 / 16

£100 DUNE £180 KURT GEIGER

GER £85 TOMSS
GUIDE

£205 GRENSON
GRENSOO N £120 GEOX £90 ALDO
O

£400 CROCKETT & JONES £120 LACOST

LACOSTE
STE £398 LUDWIG REITER
EITER

142 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

B
Button 09/16
Upp
The re-imagined grandad-
collar shirt is another stylistic
revival – not for its retro value,
but for its stripped-back
aesthetic and plai
plain elegance
£165 PRIVATE WHITE V.C
V.C. £225 THOM SWEENEY
SWEENE
EENEYY

STYLE – 09 / 16
£225 TURNBULL & ASSER £48 W ÅVENN £95 OLIVER SPENCER
ER

GUIDE
£28 NEXTT £95 UNIVERSAL WORKS
KS

£215 PAUL SMITH

SMIT
MITHH £80 SAMS
SAMSØØ E & SAMS
SAMSØØ E £70 HILFIGER DENIM
NIM

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 143

 Dia M
Dial
WRIST
S ASSESSMENT
SS SS T

F 02

M
RADO TRUE THINLINE
PLASMA HIGH-TECH
CERAMIC £1720

Whhilee thhe current mood is for

parring back, in the world of
horrology more tends to be
moore. Why the complication?
Thaankfully, there are a handful
of quality watchmakers happy
to hide
de their light under a bezel
STYLE – 09 / 16

There’s an old acronym, coined

by the chief boffin at Lockheed
Martin during the mid-20th
01
century, that encapsulates SHINOLA CANFIELD
a guiding principle engineers CHRONO 43MM £560
employ to this day. It’s ‘KISS’
GUIDE

– as in Keep It Simple, Stupid.

In other words, when it comes
to technical design, simplicity
is a virtue and complexity
a hindrance. That is, unless
you’re a Swiss watchmaker.
In the rarefied workshops
of Geneva it can sometimes
seem as though the pursuit of
innovation is to deliberately
over-engineer the simple
task of telling the time. The
technical term for an extra
function on a watch is
a ‘complication’, after all.
Even ultra-thin mechanical
watches require their 100-
or-so components tortuously
slimmed. This is part of the
appeal for many, of course;
watches that flaunt their
byzantine mechanics are
what keep the industry
going. But the fact is a £250k
watch won’t tell the time as
accurately as your iPhone.
All of which means that 05
RAYMOND WEIL FREELANCER WORDS: ALEX DOAK | STYLING: ERIC DOWN | SET DESIGN: CARRIE LOUISE
it’s refreshing when high- DIVER AUTOMATIC £1695
end brands play down their
undeniable intricacies in the
name of modern elegance
and subtlety. In the same
way that an elaborate pocket
square needn’t be the
hallmark of an estimable suit,
the watches on these pages
prove that an exquisitely
made timepiece needn’t shout
about its wares. And besides,
the only person who can get
away with pairing jersey
with jewels is Jay Z. Just.

144 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 01
Less
Is Mo’
Youthful Detroit lifestyle
brand Shinola may have
the backing of an ex-Fossil
magnate behind it, but
the watchmaking itself is
conducted by Motowners
brought in from the streets
and trained by Swiss experts.
Which makes the brand’s
technical leaps and bounds
all the more impressive –
such as this year’s ‘top-
loaded’ cases, allowing the
movement to be dropped
in from the front, affording
a cleaner open-dial design.
03
NOMOS GLASHÜTTE
METRO DATUM £2390
04
JUNGHANS MAX BILL
CHRONOSCOPE £1550
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
022
White
Heat
Since single-handedly
pioneering the use of
ceramic in watchmaking as
far back as the ’80s, Rado’s
designers have stuck to
an appropriately glossy
minimalism, as slick as
a Peter Saville album cover.
Meanwhile, the material’s
innovation has continued
apace, peaking with the
current ‘plasma’ technology,
which heats the ceramic to
900ºC, imbuing the otherwise
matte-white case with a
mysterious, metallic sheen.
04
A Little Le s s
Complication
Junghans’ Max Bill collection
is also defined by Bauhaus
simplicity – the difference
here being the direct pedigree
back to that movement,
the titular Herr Bill having
designed an alarm clock for
the brand in the ’50s. This
model’s chronograph function
– named ‘chronoscope’ in
Ancient Greek, as it ‘shows’
the elapsed time, rather
than ‘draws’ it – is barely
noticeable for its minimalism.
Photography by Aaron Tilley
03
Ticking
Eve r y B ox
Nomos was founded in
east Germany upon the fall
of the Berlin Wall and in
relatively little time has
become fully self-sufficient,
making Bauhaus-inspired
beauties with in-house-
manufactured mechanical
movements for low price
points. Thanks to its Berlin
studio agonising over the
tiniest details (the length of
the loop on the ‘2’, say),
STYLE – 09 / 16
it manages that rare thing:
simple yet considered design
you’ll love more over time.
05
Deep
Impact
GUIDE
So many premium-brand
diving watches trumpet their
rugged suitability for the
chilly depths with oversized
cases, glowing hands and
lairy orange straps. Not
this waterbaby – a stealth
submarine whose clean lines
and reasonable price tag
belie its bona fide Scuba
credentials. It’s good to
300m down and comes
equipped with a rotating
bezel, which will help you
time your resurface.
MEN’S HEALTH 145
 Co
CosS

09/16
CREDENTIALS
C S

C
Célèbre
COS’S CREATIVE
FORCE, MARTIN
ANDERSSON

As the brand that brought

Sw
wedish minimalism to the
hig
gh street, Cos has led by
exaample when it comes to
dreessing easy. Its design
direector shares his tips on
beco
beccoming g a new
e modernist

Have you observed

a palpable move toward
BLAZER
dressing more simply? £89 COS
STYLE – 09 / 16

There’s certainly a surge in

interest in clean, functional
lines, especially in wardrobe
staples. As a Swede you grow
up with this idea that good
design is functional. We’re
an international brand but black and navy together, but
we have a Scandinavian I think it’s the most amazing
heritage. Whether we lead a new ease – a generous colour combination.
the way, I couldn’t say, but silhouette in menswear – But what if we want to try
it’s what we’ll always do. something more colourful?
GUIDE

because workplaces have

Why do you think Cos
has been so successful?
We have four pillars that
mark us out: timelessness,
modernity, function and
tactility. We want to make
clothes you can revisit in
years and still look relevant
wearing. If you look at old
modernist buildings that still
look amazing today, the idea
of design that is modern
yet timeless... that’s what
gets us going.
So what is it that makes
clothing ‘modern’?
The difference between a
garment that is modern and
one that’s not tends to lie in
proportion. We would look at
each garment and determine
its purpose and what it’s for.
Certainly right now there’s
become relaxing.
Could you give us three
things all men should be
SHIRT buying for the season?
£55 COS Right now, a pair of pleated
trousers – very loose on the
thigh and very tapered at the
hem – to give you shape and
make them flattering. Wear
them slightly cropped with
a dropped shoulder T-shirt.
It’s a contemporary take on
a ’50s silhouette. Then I’d
suggest a super-lightweight,
completely unstructured
blazer. It’s great for travelling
and looks smart without
being too stuffy.
Do you have any hard and
fast rules for dressing?
No! The one thing you should
never do is follow rules.
Certainly in dressing, rules
are made to be broken. For
There is a shade of dusty
pink that is proving really
popular for us at the moment
in oversized sweatshirts and
T-shirts. It’s grey enough
that it won’t wash you out
and we’re mixing it with
a warm camel colour. That,
together, looks really sharp.
Finally, what single item
should every man have
in his wardrobe?
A white shirt. Several of them,
in fact. I think a white shirt
looks so good whatever you
put it with. You can wear it
into the office and then if
you’re heading out simply roll
the sleeves up and unbutton
the collar. Any outfit that
starts with a white shirt will
be on the right track.
cosstores.com
WORDS: MATT HAMBLY

example, I grew up being told

CHINOS
£59 COS that you should never wear

146 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

PROTEIN

FAT

CARBS

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE
KCALS TO COUNTING MACROS
 PT 09.2016 CONTENTS

We’ve crunched all of the

PICK THE IDEAL EATING numbers to make the maths
of macros easy to digest.
PLAN FOR YOUR GOALS All you need to do is eat

07 THE BIG NUMBERS

FOR HUGE GROWTH
It’s not all about protein. Our high-
energy, carb-rich plan will keep your
muscles well stocked with glycogen,
so you can always work out at the
intensity you need for serious growth
P
SHOPPING LIST 08
P
YOUR MUSCLE MENU 10
P
HINTS AND TIPS 19

21 PRECISION FOOD TO
TARGET WEIGHTLOSS
Fat-burning and flavour are not
mutually exclusive. Use our foods,
recipes and rules to carve out a lean
physique, while still enjoying the
P
46g
46
4 6g
Protein
rotein
ro
ote
ot
ootein
ttein
tei
te
ein
ein
in
indulgences you crave at mealtimes
P
SHOPPING LIST 22
P
FAT-LOSS FEASTS 24
P
HINTS AND TIPS 33

35 THE NEW SCIENCE OF

STAMINA ON A PLATE
Whether you’re a cardio-commuter,
PB-chaser or, you know, just like
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID VENNI

running, what you eat will spike your

performance. Upgrade your meal
prep for more speed and endurance
P
SHOPPING LIST 36
P
RACE-READY RECIPES 38
P
HHINTS AND TIPS 45

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 3

 PT 09.2016 HOW TO
TO USE THIS
T PLAN

MAKE YOUR FOOD COUNT

There are three macronutrients – proteins, fats and
EXPERT James
Conci-Mitchell
EXPERIENCE Founder of
carbs. Hitting your personal fitness targets depends Six3Nine gym and a
on how you balance them. But the maths needn’t be qualified nutritionist, he
calculated these macros
hard nor mealtimes pious and dull. Use this cookbook based on an 80kg guy.
to skip the science and focus on the fun bit: eating CONTACT six3nine.com
SS
LE

IO

C O D
M US FAT L C AR

01 02 03
SELECT YOUR CRUNCH HEAD TO THE
PERSONAL TARGET THE NUMBERS SUPERMARKET
Three leading nutritionists Or, to be more accurate, We ve compiled a list of the
We’ve he
have created dedicated – just read them – our experts most
m effective
ff foods
f for
f
and moreish – recipes for have done the work for you. e
each fitness target.
g These
different goals: building All you need to focus on feature
f prominently in the
muscle, losing weight is following their tips and r p in this manual, and
recipes
and cardio performance. recipes. Oh, and the whole will make up the foundation
f
Pick the one that fits you. ‘exercising’ bit, of course. o your new nutrition plan.
of

044 05 06
CHOOSE YOUR NOW LET’S GET ACHIEVE YOUR
DAILY RECIPESS COOKING... FITNESS GOALS
Our team has divided up
O No scales to hand? Don’t While dietary changes make
the recipes according g to worry. Simply use our visual a massive difference, eating
whether they meet 30%, ingredients guide (below) right is still only half the
2 or 10% of your
20% y dailyy to size up your servings. battle. You should also be
requirements.
r Combine Each of our recipes is maximising your time in the
as it suits you, to reach designed to be quick and gym. Fortunately, we know
100%, whatever simple to prep. No culinary a magazine that can help
your schedule. arts degree required. you out with that endeavour.

PORTION SIZES, AT A GLANCE

To keep things simple, we’ve included like-for-like size icons to help you portion
out ingredients accurately. Look for the iPhone, cup, handful or debit card images.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 5

 NEW!

Nutritious meals
for men, with taste
Quick and flavoursome high-protein dishes
created by the experts at Men’s Health

Find us now in the frozen aisle at

PT 09.2016 MUSCLE MACROS

START CHARTING
YOUR GROWTH
Muscle means protein, right? Well, yes and
YOUR CHEF Sam Wass
EXPERIENCE A nutritionist
with the Great British
Meat Co, Wass knows
no. So long as you’re feeding your fibres it’s protein quality, not
enough to repair and grow, it’s carbs you quantity, that keeps
need to focus on when training for strength. you gaining ground.
Our meals deliver lean muscle in exact mass CONTACT
greatbritishmeat.com

152g
PROTEIN

350g CARBS

2998
YOUR DAILY CALORIE COUNT
110g FAT

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 7

PT 09.2016

BULK COOKING BY NUMBERS

Struggling to eat in line with strict calorie counts and carb quotas?
Use these easy-to-follow recipes, complete with a practical guide for
measuring your ingredients, to hit 100% of your macros for muscle gain

01/ MOROCCAN-STYLE LAMB

Ingredients
Lamb, 80g,
diced

–
Coconut oil,
1tbsp
–
Tinned
tomatoes, 200g
–
Olives, 100g

–
Couscous, 120g
(dry weight)

30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

900
Kcal
Method
46g
01 022 Protein
in
Eating for muscle gain Ad dd a glass off water to 105g
doesn’t have to lack flavour.
Place a saucepan on a
the same pan, alongg with
the tomatoes and olives.
33g C s
Carbs
F t
Fat
medium heat then spoon When they re cooked, add
hen they’re
in the coconut oil. Leave a cup
c off boiling g water
for 30sec then tip in the annd
n p pour in the couscous.
diced lamb and fry it until Reemove the panp ffrom the
the meat is browned all heeatt and
d co e Let
cover. et itt ssitt
over, tossing occasionally. foor 10min, then serve..

10 MEN’S HEALTH
 YOUR MUSCLE MENU 01-02

02/ SALMON WITH POLENTA AND BROCCOLI

Method
01
This meal is both devilishly
simple and very quick
to prep, so cool your boots.
Oil up a pan and put it on
a pre-heated grill. Place
the salmon fillet skin-side
up and leave it to cook for
8-10min while you prepare
the other components.
02
Boil some slightly salted
water in two separate
saucepans. Place the
broccoli in one and let it
simmer for 6-8min, or until
cooked. As soon as the
other pot comes to the boil,
remove it from the heat
and stir in the polenta.
03
When the polenta has
thickened, spoon it onto
a plate and lay the grilled
salmon on top, pouring over
the cooking juices. Add the
broccoli, drizzle on some
olive oil, then serve hot for
a simple plate packing both
flavour and growth.

30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS
g s
Ingredients
Salmon, 150g
(raw)

–
Broccoli, 65g

–
Polenta, 130g

–
Extra virgin
olive oil, 1tbsp

9900
0
K l
Kcal

46g
P
Protein

105g
Carbss

33g
Fatt

M
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO UK MEN’SS HEALTH 11
PT 09.2016

03/ CHICKEN WITH ANCIENT SEEDS SUPER BOWL

30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

Ingredientss
Coconut oil,
1tbsp
–
Onion, 50g,
chopped

–
Red bell
pepper, 80g,
chopped

–
Chicken breast,
100g, diced

Quinoa, 150g
(dry)

–
Walnuts, 15g,
crushed

900
Kcal

46g
6g
Protein
ote n

Method
01
Melt the coconut oil in a
saucepan, then pour in the
chopped onion and pepper.
Fry for 2-3min then add the
chicken, cooking for 4-5min
and stirring regularly. Pour
in a glass of water and leave
for another 10min, letting
the flavours infuse the meat.
105g
5g
Carbs
33gg
02 Fatt
In a separate pan, combine
the quinoa with two and
a half glasses of water,
then simmer until the grain
thickens. Serve the cooked
quinoa with the chicken,
onion and pepper on top,
scattering the walnuts over
it all for a culinary flourish.

12 MEN’S HEALTH
 YOUR MUSCLE MENU 03-04

04/ SWEET PUMPKIN STEAK

Method
01
This recipe is about keeping
things simple while ensuring
powerful flavours. With the
former in mind, place the
potatoes in a bowl with a
small amount of water and
seal the top with clingfilm.
Microwave for 3-4min.
02
While they cook, season the
steak with salt and pepper
before dropping into a
griddle pan with the chopped
garlic. Allow the meat to
cook for 3-4min each side
for a well grilled exterior
and medium-rare middle.
03
Let the steak rest for
a minute when it’s cooked
before slicing and plating
up with the sweet potato.
Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds
over the dish, along with
the chopped parsley and
a generous pinch of paprika.

I
Ingredients
d t
Sweet potato,
300g, cubed

–
Lean sirloin
steak, 100g

–
Coconut oil,
½tbsp
–
A garlic clove,
chopped
–
Pumpkin
seeds, 28g

–
Fresh parsley
–
Paprika

6
600
K
Kcal

3 g
30g
Protein
in

20%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS
22g
Fatt
70g
0g
C s
Carbs

MENSHEALTH
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO UK MEN’S HEALTH 13
PT 09.2016

05/ MEDITERRANEAN TURKEY WITH BUCKWHEAT PASTA

Method
01
Somewhat misleadingly,
buckwheat pasta is actually
gluten-free, so your
#CleanEating credentials
will be off the charts. Set
a pan of salted water to boil
02 03
Scoop the coconut oil Cook the mixture for
into a pan on a medium a further 5-6min before
heat before adding the plating up the pasta and
chopped garlic and turkey piling your Mediterranean
mince. Stir until the meat turkey mince mix on top.
is browned, then pour in Garnish the dish with

20%
and add the buckwheat a glass of water with the black pepper and fresh
pasta; it should take 5-6min. courgette and aubergine. spring onion, then serve.

OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

I
Ingredients
d t
Buckwheat
pasta, 85g

–
Coconut oil,
1tbsp
–
Garlic clove,
chopped
–
Lean turkey
mince, 100g

–
Courgette,
100g, diced
6
600
– Kcall
Aubergine,
100g, diced
30g
3 g
– Protein
ote n
Spring onion,
70g
0g
finely chopped
Carbss

22gg
Fatt

14 MEN’SS HE
HEAL
ALTH
THH MENS
ME NSHHEEAALLTH
NSHE LTH.CCCOO.UK
UK
PT 09.2016

07/ APPLE’N’CHEESE FASTT FIXX

Method
01 02
Don’t baulk until you’ve Mix the cheese annd
n peanut
tried it! Cottage cheese
is a muscle-building staple,
delivering 11g of protein per
100g serving. The addition
of peanut butter, apple and
a sprinkle of cinnamon
eforee
butter in a bowl befo
slicing the apple annd adding
to the mixture. Spriinkle
kl the
snack with a decentt pinch

perfect muscle-buildid
ding
di
h

of ground cinnamonn ffor the

g

10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS
simply sweetens the deal. pre-workout boost.

I
Ingredients
d t
Cottage
cheese, 100g

–
Peanut butter,
1tbsp
–
Large apple
–
Cinnamon,
pinch

300
Kcal

15g
Protein

35g
Carbs
15g
Fat

16 MEN’S
MEN S HEALTH MENSHEALTH
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO UK
 YOUR MUSCLE MENU 07-08

300
3
K
Kcal
15g
P ote
Protein Ingredients
g s
Black-eyed
35g
5g peas, 100g
Carbs
–
11g
Extra-virgin
olive oil,
F t
Fat 3/4tbsp

–
Onion, 50g,
chopped
–
Parsley
–
Lemon juice

08/ BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD

10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

Method
01
A bit more prep is needed
for this fresh salad, so soak
the peas overnight in the
fridge. Drain and rinse
before simmering for 60-
90min. It’s the best way to
improve digestion of these
protein powerhouses.
02
Serve the peas in a bowl
with a drizzle of olive oil,
onion, parsley and lemon
juice, or vinegar if you
prefer. This simple salad
is bursting with flavour,
and beats a mid-afternoon
rush to the corner shop.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEEN’
M N S HE
HEAL
HEAL
ALTTHH 1177
 PT 09.2016 NTT 01-05
MICROO MANAGEMEN
G N 05

DON’T SWEAT
THE SMALL STUFF
Even when the hard work has been done for you,
staying with a structured plan and seeing the
results through can be tough. That’s why we’ve
assembled a micro list of tips, cheats and
bonus buys to help keep your goals on track

YOUR
LIQUID ASSETS
Some of our recipes call for added
water, but this can actually enhance –
not dilute – flavours, says Wass. It also
reduces the breakdown of nutrients
that can occur as a result of
overcooking your veg.
GRIDDLE ME THIS
Upgrade your armoury. A non-stick pan is essential for
a perfect steak. Cast-iron is pricey, but it distributes
heat evenly, giving you the best chance of pulling off
Michelin-style cuisine. When you’re eating more than
3000kcal a day, quality makes all the difference.
Lakeland Valira induction griddle pan
53 lakel
£53 eland.co.uk

STAY TOPPED UPP GET ZINCED

Intense exercise depletes An on-point diet isn’t the only
your body’s stores of piece in the muscle-building
glutamine, an essential aminno puzzle. Zinc helps to elevate
KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS

acid vital for muscle repairr testosterone levels, which in

and growth. So you need too turn promotes muscle growth.
This daily supplement contains
replace glutamine immediatel
after training to stand any
ely
PREPARATION
ON 150% of your RDA, along
long with
chance of effective muscle- PROOFS a number of other 
her essenti
vitamins and minerals.
e ls
tial
building. Pop this supp before Eating at regular points
bed, too, to optimise recovery. Optim
timum Nutrition
ii
throughout the day can set
PHD L-Glutamine
l i p
Opti-Men £15
PHOTOGRAPHY:

you oon a path to indulgent

capsules
l £166 oonacademy.co.uk
on d k
snackery, but keeping it
O OG

phd-supplement
ents.com
om clean is essential. Preparing
food inn advance will help yo
you
stay inn control. These
se boxes
b
makee portion controro easy.
rol
Fit & Fresh two-
F o-
cu containers £8
cup 8
uk.b
u bodybuilding.com
M
MEENSHE
NSSHHEEAL
N ALTH
ALTH
TH.CO.UK
TH.C
..CCO
C UK MEEEN
M N’S HHEEEAALTH 19
N’
The ultimate
arms & abs guide
148 pages of gut-melting exercises and killer workouts
to pump your pecs and sculpt your six-pack

MH
GUIDE

BOOST YOUR
FLEX APPEAL

GAME-
CHANGING

YOUR GUIDE TO
BULGING

EIGHT MORE,
WEIGH LESS

Only
£8.99

On Sale Now!
Available at WHSmith and Tesco
PT 09.2016 FAT LOSS MACROS

BODY FAT’S DAYS YOUR CHEF Caspar Rose

EXPERIENCE At bespoke

ARE NUMBERED
With #foodstagram fit to burst with supergrains,
food delivery service
Fresh Fitness Food,
Rose creates meals
according to specific
the concept of ‘good’ carbs should be easy to macros. He knows how
swallow. But a sky-high protein count is your to make weightloss an
appetising prospect.
key ally here, preserving muscle and curbing CONTACT
hunger throughout your anti-dadbod efforts freshfitnessfood.com

2225
YOUR DAILY CALORIE COUNT
187g
CARBS

212g
PROTEIN

70g FAT

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 21

PT 09.2016
LEANER PICKINGS
If your last layers of stubborn belly fat
are refusing to budge, these flab-searing
foods – all supermarket staples featured
in our weightloss menu – will leave your
love handles with nowhere to hide
SWEET POTATO
One large sweet potato
contains half of your RDA for
vitamin C which, aside from
boosting immunity, is linked
to reduced muscle wastage.
The American College of
Nutrition even suggests that
guys lacking vit C could be
resistant to fat loss.
CHIA SEEDS
Favourites of the eat-clean
clan, these are packed with
satiating fibre. However,
their real nutritional kick
comes from omega-3: the
essential fatty acid can’t
be produced by the body
but is crucial for regulating
TURKEY cardiovascular function.
Meeting a mammoth protein
quota without swamping
76%
your system with excess fats
can be tricky. Swap out steak
for turkey – it contains more OF YOUR FIBRE
protein per gram than most RDA IN 50G
cuts of beef, pork or chicken,
and is incredibly low fat
compared to other sources.
22 MEN’S HEALTHH
CHILLI
That chillies aid weightloss
won’t be a revelation to MH
readers, admittedly. But the
capsaicin in this fiery fruit
is such a potent stimulator
of your metabolism that we
could hardly omit it. Give
sure your meals have a kick
if you’re hot on fat-burning.
MILK
Diets lacking in calcium,
and from dairy in particular,
C SARGESON
cause the body’s natural
S G SO
fat-burning processes to
stall, according to research
S S JACK
from the University of
Tennessee. Milk is perhaps
OO STYLIST:
the easiest – and cheapest
– way to keep your levels up.
FOOD
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
 S O
SHOPPING S 01-10
G LIST 0 0

LEMON COCONUT OIL

A squeeze of lemon can This solid oil is primarily
be fused into most recipes,
and – as well as giving your
salads a fresh, citrus tang –
20G made up of fats called
medium-chain triglycerides
(MCTs), which increase
it kickstarts the production HEALTHY FAT your metabolism and also
PER FRUIT
of bile. Unappetising as that form ketone bodies that
sounds, it’s essential for reduce hunger and put
weightloss, facilitating the your cravings on mute.
proper breakdown of food.

AVOCADO
You’re not really serious
about losing weight in 2016
until you join the avocado
bandwagon. It’s more fact
than fad, though, as the
monounsaturated fats
in this fruit help regulate
blood sugar levels, which
in turn staves off hunger.

QUINOA GINGER
Narrowing your carb While we’re not out to
options to natural sources chastise carbs, diets rich in
is the first step to avoiding the processed kind cause
HEWSS
A HEW

sugar-crashes and cravings, fluctuations in blood sugar,

D N MATT

but you need to go one which intensify hunger.

AT

better for accelerated fat Instead of turning to sweet

DA

loss. Quinoa’s high protein snacks for a pick-me-up,

PHOTOGRAPHY:

and fibre content will keep introduce ginger to your

you satiated for longer. diet to smooth out spikes.
O OG

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
MENSHEALTH
TH CO UK MEN’S HEALTH 23
PT 09.2016

FAT-BURNING, FIGURED OUT

Without an on-point diet, no number of sweat sessions will shift those
extra kilos. Tuck into these meticulously constructed dishes safe in the
knowledge that the macro ratios are rigged to supercharge your metabolism

01/ CREAMY COD TORTILLA

30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

668
Kcal

Ingredients
64g Coconut oil,
Protein 5ml
–
Cod, 250g

56g –
Red onion, 15g
Carbs
–
Red pepper,
50g
21g
Fat –
Cucumber, 50g

–
White cabbage,
50g

Method
011
A Tex-Mex
Te e feast
e st for
o Next you need to prep your
weightloss? It may sound
too good to be true, but
you’ll have to trust us on
this one. Heat the coconut
oil in a non-stick pan, then
fry the cod until cooked
through – normally about
3-4min on each side.
–
Cumin, pinch
–
Lime juice, 5ml
–
02 03 Greek yoghurt,
Once
O the fish
f is cooked, 30ml
veg. Thinly slice the onion, flake it apart then add it
red pepper, cucumber and to the middle of your tortilla. –
white cabbage, then set Pile on the veg and top A soft
so t tortilla
to t a
them aside. To make the with the spiced yoghurt
sauce, combine the cumin, sauce. Garnish with fresh
lime juice and yoghurt in coriander, wrap it all up –
a small bowl. Put it to one fold over the end to hold
side until ready to serve. it together – and devour.

24 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEEALTH.CO.UK

CO UK
 FAT LOSSS FEASTS 01-02
01 02

02/ STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS AND SWEET POTATO

Ingredients
A large sweet
potato (250g)
–
Parsley,
sprinkle
–
A garlic clove
–
Green chilli,
1tsp, chopped
–
Olive oil, 10ml
–
Lemon juice,
10ml
–
Shallots,
1½tbsp
–
Coconut
oil, 5ml
–
Steak, 235g

–
Asparagus,
100g

668
Kcal

64g
Protein

30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS
Method
21g
Fat
56g
Carbs

01
Bake the sweet potato
att 160°C for 30-45min,
oor until it’s soft inside.
W
While that’s in the oven,
prepare your steak sauce.
Blitz the parsley, garlic,
chilli, olive oil, lemon juice
and chopped shallot in
a blender until smooth.
02
Now for the main event. Let
a frying pan get piping hot
and drop in the coconut oil.
Add the steak and press it
down gently to get an even
seal, then cook for 2min per
side. Lower the heat for a
further 2-5min, depending
on how you like it.
03
While the steak is cooking,
trim the asparagus and drop
it in the same pan to cook.
When tender, serve with the
sweet potato, sliced down
the middle into two. Cut the
steak into strips, serve on
top of the asparagus and
pour over the green sauce.

MEEN
M NSSHE
HEAL
A TH.CO.UK
CO UK MEN’S HEALTH 25
PT 09.2016

03/ SPICY TURKEY STIR FRY

Method
01
Start with your vegetables:
slice the peppers, broccoli,
carrot and corn into thin
sticks of a similar size and
Ingredients add the chopped shallot.
Finely slice or crush the
Red peppers, ginger, and mix with the
50g
chilli and coriander. Boil
the rice in a pan for 25min.
–
Broccoli, 50g
02
Place a larg
arge wok over
a high heatt andd add
dd the
h round in the wok for an
coconut oil.. Throw
o in tthee
turkey to seaar, then ad the
hen add
chopped ginger-chilli mix
and sauté the lot together.
Next add the assorted
veg, along with beanshoots
and a glug of soy sauce.
03
Keep moving e
ving everything
aroun
even cook – once the veg
starts to soften and the
meat is done, serve on
top of the rice and pour
over the remaining juices
and a squeeze of lime. Top
with almonds and devour.

–
Carrot, 25g

–
Baby corn, 50g
30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

–
Shallot, 1½tbsp
–
Ginger, 5g
–
Red chilli, 5g
–
Coriander, 5g
–
Brown rice,
25g (dry)

–
Coconut oil,
5ml
–
Turkey breast,
235g

–
Bean shoots,
20g

–
Soy sauce, 5ml
668
Kcal
–
Lime juice, 5ml
–
Almonds, 15g 64g
Protein

56g
Carbs
21g
Fat

26 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 FAT LOSS FEASTS 03-04

04/ FRIE
FRIED TUNA STEAK WITH QUINOA

Ingredients
Asparagus,
50g

–
Courgette, 50g

–
Quinoa, 50g

–
Tuna steak,
140g

–
Cumin, pepper
and lemon zest,
pinch each
–
Olive oil, 10ml
–
Cherry
tomatoes, 30g

–
Basil, 5g
–
Lemon juice,
445 5ml
Kcal

37g

Carbs
42g
Protein
Method
01
Bring two pots of water
to the boil on your stove.
Cut the asparagus and
courgette into short, thin
sticks, then throw them
into one of the pans. Cook
for 3-4min, until soft. In the
other pan, boil the quinoa,
then strain and put aside.
14g
Fat
02
Season the tuna steak with
cumin, black pepper and
lemon zest, then heat the
olive oil in a non-stick pan.
Drop the steak into the pan
and enjoy the satisfying
hiss. Immediately seal it
on each side by gently
pressing it down.
20%
O YOUR
OF OUR DAILY MACROS
03
Cook the tuna foor 60sec pper
side – or longer if you prefer
it cooked througgh, but it’s
best rare. Pile thhe qquinoa on
your plate with the tomatoes,
asparagus and courgette;
c g
slice the tuna annd layer on
top. Garnish withh basil and
a squeeze of lem mon.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEEN’
N’S HHEEAALLTTHH 2277
PT 09.2016

05/ CHICKEN PESTO SALAD WITH BUCKWHEAT AND RADICCHIO

Ingredients
Cumin, black
pepper, lemon
zest and
chives, pinch
each
–
Olive oil, 1tbsp
–
A chicken
breast (110g)

–
Buckwheat,
45g

–
Rocket, 25g

–
Basil, 10g

–
Hazelnuts, 10g

–
Lemon juice,
10ml
– 445
Garlic, 1tsp Kcal
–
Radicchio, 50g
37g
Carbs

Method
42g
Protein
14g
Fat 20%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

01
Heat your oven to 180°C.
Mix the spices, lemon zest
and chopped chives in
a small bowl with half the
olive oil, then coat the
chicken breast with the
mixture. Place on a tray
and roast in the oven until
it’s cooked through.
02
Meanwhile, in a pan, boil
the buckwheat then rinse it
with cold water and strain.
For the pesto: pulse 15g of
the rocket, basil, hazelnuts,
lemon juice and chopped
garlic in a blender with the
rest of the oil. Add a little
water if it’s too thick.
03
Cut the radicchio into large
chunks and pull it apart,
then mix with the remaining
rocket and the buckwheat.
Serve the chicken on top
of the salad mix, tipping
over the pesto. You’re best
off making a big batch and
storing it for next time.

28 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 FAAT LO
LOS
OSS
OSS ASSTTS 05-
SS FEA
EAST 05--0
05 006
6

06/ PRAWN, AVOCAD

ADO AND RICE SALAD

Method
01 02 03
Boil a small pan of slightly Camera? Check. FFilters?
te s Mix everything together
salted water before adding Check. Avocado? Dice itt until the lime jjuice has
the wild rice. Simmer and add to a bowl alonong coated everything and
until it’s tender, but not with the lime juice. Slicee the
h sslightly
g wilted the bok choi.
sticky. Rinse under cold spring onion and bok choi oi Take
T care to not mash the
water to chill it quickly – thinly, adding them to avocado to a pulp
p p in the
the rice is going to form the the bowl along with the process, then plate up your I g
Ingredients
s
base of your salad, so you chopped coriander, sesame #superfood
# p salad with Wild rice, 38g
need it to be nicely cool. seeds and cooked prawns. bonus
bo smug points.
_
Avocado, 50g

–
445 Lime juice, 5ml
–
Kcal Spring onion,
2tbsp
–
37g
7 Bok choi, 50g
Carbss
–
Coriander, 5g
–
42 g Black sesame
seeds, 10g
P ote n
Protein
–
Cooked
14g
4g
prawns, 155g
Fatt

20%
O YOUR
OF OUR DAILY MACR
MACROS

M
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
S CO UK MEN’SS HEALTH 229
PT 09.2016

07/ CHOCOLATE PROTEIN YOGHURT WITH NUTS AND BERRIES

7g
Fat
223
Kcal 10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

19g
Carbs

21g
Protein IIngredients
d ts
Greek yoghurt,
80ml

–
Honey, 2tsp
–
Chocolate
whey protein,
1 scoop
–
Blueberries,
30g

–
Walnuts, 10g

Metthodd
01
Exacctly what it says on
tin. Using
the ti U i a spoon,
combine the yoghurt and
honey in a medium-sized
bowl before adding the
protein powder little by
little, stirring continuously
to make sure you don’t
end up with any lumps.
02
When you’ve got a nice
smoothth mixture,
i t i kl
sprinkle
the blueberries and
chopped walnuts over
with a pro chef’s élan.
If chocolate’s not your
thing, experiment by
subbing in strawberry or
vanilla protein powder.

30 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 FAT LOSS S S 07-0
OSS FEASTS 07-08

08/ CHICKEN AND HONEY SKEWERS

Method
01 02
Cut the chicken into Cook on your barbecue
C
I g d ts
Ingredients small chunks and mix in or a g g sear
grill set to high:
a bowl with the honey, each sidee until brown, then
Small chicken coconut oil, chopped leave to cook through. T
ugh. The
breast, 85g
coriander and peri peri honey will caramelise for a
spice. Cut the red pepper sweet flavour, but be careful
– into chunks and push onto not to let it burn. Eat them
Honey, 3tsp wooden skewers with the straight off the barbie, or
– tomatoes and chicken. chill in the fridge for lunch.
Coconut oil,
5ml
–
Coriander, 3g 223
– Kcal
Peri peri spice,,
pinch
– 7g
Red peppers, Fat
120g

–
19g
Carbs
Cherry
tomatoes, 100g

21g
Protein

4666gg
4
Prrroottei
Pro
P eeiin

10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’SS HHEALTH 31

 PT 09.2016 MICRO MANAGEMENT 01-05

FIRST ORDERS
MAKE THE LITTLE Never skip breakfast. Your macronutrient
requirements can be split across the entire

THINGS COUNT
If, like many of us, you have a long
day, and the calorie count here factors in an
early-morning feed. “Start the day with
a well-balanced meal that includes
protein, good fats and complex
procession of failed eating plans in
carbs,” says Rose.
your wake, give yourself a break. These
are the small tweaks you need to make
a big difference in your future efforts

TAKE IT SLOWLY POWER UP

At the risk of sounding overbearing, we’d Protect your muscle mass
advise you to eat at a leisurely pace. Rushing during fat-burning exercise
your meals doesn’t allow digestive enzymes time with this supplement. It contains leucine,
to process what you’re eating, denying your a nutrient that accelerates protein synthesis: the
body the satiety it’s craving. Half way through process by which your muscles actually use protein.
a meal, pause for a minute. If nothing else, Multipower BCAA 2:1:1 powder
you’ll be a more sociable dinner £40 multipower.com
companion.

GREEN AND LEAN STEAM AHEADD

Resea
search
ch from Penn State According to research from m the
nd that green tea’s
found Journal of Zhejiang Univerrsity, y,
y
polyph
p yphenols help to reduce steaming has the leastt
body fat by boosting
b damaging influence on veg eg’s
g
mettabolism and fat oxidation. nutrients, while helpfullly
The eight-to-10 cups a day
T
IIOOSS
S SSTUDIO
UDIO

sidestepping the need to add

necessary to trigger notable fats or oils. If you’re cookking
PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEKK AT HEARST

losses could prove hard to in bulk for the week aheaad,,

swallow, so try green tea
extract. Though sprinting
back and forth to the gents
would burn extra calories.
Bulk Powders green tea
capsules £10
bulkpowders.co.uk
p
PHOT
this three-tiered steameer
can prep up to nine litress of
food at once – it’s a big sttep
up from your colander.r.
Russell Hobbs 3-tier steaamer
£50 debenhams.com m

MEN’S HEALTH 33
PT 09.2016 PERFORMANCE MACROS

PREPARE TO CUT YOUR CHEF Dan Yeomans

A FASTER FIGURE
EXPERIENCE Head of
operations at Fit Fuel,
Yeomans is a former
Welsh Physique
We’ve taken care of the maths so you can Champ, meaning he
focus on the numbers that matter, be it appreciates the value
track splits or mileage. Fuelling for cardio of manipulating macros
demands a healthy balance and these meals in order to hit your
personal goals.
deliver on all fronts, flavour included
CONTACT fit-fuel.co.uk

2625
170g
PROTEIN
YOUR DAILY CALORIE COUNT

295gCA
CARBS
ARBS 85g FAT

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’SS HE
ME HEALTH 35
PT 09.2016

SET A PB IN THE KITCH

Carbs for muscle glycogen, protein for recovery and ffats for energy –
cardioheads can’t afford to sideline any macros. Thesee big feeds and
quick bites contain a balanced mix to fuel your podium pperformance

01/ MEATBALLS WITH COURGETTE AND BROWN RICE SPA

PAGHETTI

I
Ingredients
d ts
Lean minced
beef, 215g
30%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

–
A small egg,
beaten
–
Herbs to
season
–
Olive oil, 2tsp
–
Onion, ½ ,
chopped
– 7 9
789
Garlic clove, ½ Kcall
–
Courgette, 25g

– 51g
Fresh plum Proteinn
tomatoes, 50g

–
Tomatoes,
9 g
90g
Carbs
bs
400g tin
FFOOD STYLIST: JACK SARGESON
–
Aubergine, 25g 26g
6g
Fatt
–
Balsamic Methodd
vinegar, 1tsp
01 02 03
– Mix the beef, egg and herbs Heat the rest of the oil in Add the aubergine to the
Brown rice
DAN MATTHEWSS | FO

spaghetti, 125g in a large bowl before rolling
into evenly sized balls. Chill
them in the fridge to set
before frying with half the
oil for 8-10min, turning with
a fork. When they’re golden
a saucepan and sweat the
onion, garlic and courgette
for 15min. Then add the
fresh and tinned tomatoes,
cooking on a low heat for
15min. While they simmer,
veg with a glug of balsamic.
Bring it to a simmer before
lowering the heat; leave for
45min. Add the meatballs
and return to a simmer until
cooked through. Meanwhile ile
PHOTOGRAPHY:

brown, sit them on kitchen dice your aubergine and boil your spag for 10-15mi
min.
paper to absorb excess fat. roast at 190°C until golden. Now stock up on energgy.
P

38 MEN’S HEALTH MENS

NSHEALTH.CO.UK
CO UK
 RECIPES 01-02
RACE READY RECIP
RACE-READY

0 RU
02/ RUMP STEAK WITH HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING,, FREEKEH AND VEG

Ingredients
g
Freekeh, 112g

–
Courgette, 20g

–
Aubergine, 20g

–
Pumpkin, 20g

–
Red bell
peppers, 20g

–
Coconut oil,
1tbsp
–
Grass-fed rump
steak, 150g

–
Ghee butter,
1tsp
–
Wholegrain
7 9
789 mustard, 1tsp
–
K
Kcal

30%
Lemon zest,
5 g
58g 1tsp
–
Protein
78g
78 25g Rosemary,
Carbs to taste
Fat
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS
Method
01 02 03
It’s timee to get freekeh. Boil Heat the remaining coconut Mix the ghee with mustard
two cucups of salted water in oil in a non-stick pan and to create your dressing.
a pa
pan and add the grains, season the steak with salt Spoon the freshly cooked
covering with a lid. Lower
co and pepper. Sear it for 4min freekeh onto a plate and
the heat and cook for 40min. on either side for a medium add the roasted vegetables,
Dice the veg and add to a finish, then leave it to rest mixed with lemon zest and
baking tray. Melt half the oil on a plate. Allowing it time rosemary. Slice the steak
and drizzle it over. Roast at to rest off the heat improves and layer atop the veg, then
200°C for about 30-35min. the texture of the meat. drizzle over the sauce.

MENSHEALTH.C
M S CCO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 39
PTT 09
09.2016
0 6

03/ SALMON WITH COUSCOUS AND TENDER-STEM BROCCOLI

Ingredientss
Salmon fillet,
130g

–
Tender stem
broccoli

–
Italian
couscous, 80g

–
Olive oil, 1tbsp
–
Lemon juice

20%
O YOUR
OF OURR DAILY MACROS 34g
Protein
427
Kcal

58g
16g Carbs
Fat

Method
01
Preheat the oven to 180°C
and prepare for culinary
origami. Season the salmon,
place it on an A4 piece of
foil, then fold it over and
twist the edges to seal, a bit
like a Cornish pasty. Place
that package on a tray
and bake for 15-20min.
02
Five minutes before the
salmon is ready, steam the
broccoli in a colander above
a pan of boiling water. Pour
the couscous into a bowl,
tip over just enough boiling
water to cover it, then seal
with clingfilm. Both should
take about 5min to cook.
03
When everything is ready,
spoon the couscous onto
a plate and drizzle with the
olive oil and lemon juice.
Lay the baked salmon on
top and pour over the juices
from the foil parcel, serving
with broccoli. Cardio dining
needn’t be complicated.

400 MEN’SS HEALTHH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 RACE
ACE-READY EESS 03
READY RECIPES 0 -00
00

04/ HARISSA AND LEMON CHICKEN WITH WILD RICCE

Method
01
Rub the chicken with the
harissa paste and leave in
the fridge for at least an
hour, preferably overnight.
Bring a pan to the boil with
three cups of water and a
pinch of salt. Rinse the wild
rice and simmer with the lid
on for 35min, or until tender.
02
Heat half the coconut oil in
a frying pan and sear the
chicken for 5min each side,
then transfer it to a baking
tray and cook for 20min at
180°C. Steam the broccoli
in a colander over a pan of
boiling water. It should take
5min to retain a nice bite.
03
Serve the broccoli toppped
with crushed garlic, sliced
almonds and chilli flakkes.
Drain the rice and platte it up
p
alongside the chickenn and
veg. Garnish with a weedgeg
of lemon and a few leaaves
of roughly torn coriander,
then serve immediatelyely.
ely

Ingredients
Chicken breast,
125g

–
Harissa paste,
1tsp
–
Wild rice, 230g

–
Coconut oil,
1tsp
–
Broccoli florets

–
Garlic clove, ½
–
Almonds, 15g

–
Chilli flakes,
pinch
–
A lemon
wedge
–
Coriander

537
Kcal

44g

20%
Protein

59g
Carbs
14g
Fat O YOUR
OF OUR DAILY MACROS

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 41

PT 09.2016

05/ BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES WITH FRUIT AND MAPLE SYRUP

Method
01
Throw all the ingredients
into a blender, bar the
blueberries, coconut oil and
maple syrup. Blitz the mix
until it forms one smooth
concoction. Pause to check
it every few seconds; you
don’t want it to become
completely pulverized.
02
Heat the oil in a non-stick
pan and add two spoonfuls
– about a quarter – of the
batter. When bubbles start
to break and the underside Ingredients
is golden, flip the pancake Bananas, 2
(style points for air time) –
and cook for 2min. Serve Eggs, 2
with syrup and berries. –
Buckwheat
flour, 60g

–
Baking powder,
1tsp
–
Cinnamon, 1tsp
–
Buttermilk,
235ml

–
Vanilla
essence, 1tsp
–
Rose water,
1tsp
–
Sea salt,
pinch
–
Almond milk,
120ml

–
Blueberries,
50g

–
Coconut oil,
1tbsp
–
141 Maple syrup,
60ml
Kcal

5.4g
Protein

24g
Carbs
3g
Fat
10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

42 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK

 RACE-READY RECIPES 05-06

06/ CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH PROTEIN BALLS

10%
OF YOUR DAILY MACROS

Ingredients
Vanilla whey
protein powder,
2 scoops
–
Almond milk,
240ml

–
Nut butter,
125g

–
Maple syrup,
60ml

–
Mini chocolate
chips, 45g
120
0
Kcal
c l

5g
Protein
in

Method
01
Mix the protein powder and
almond milk together in a
medium-sized bowl before
spooning in the nut butter,
maple syrup and chocolate
chips. The batter’s texture
should be roughly the same
as that of cookie dough.
8g
Carbss
8.5gg
Fatt
02
Scoop out tablespoon-sized
balls of mixture and roll
them in your hands until
smooth. Chill the balls in an
airtight container. They’ll
keep for up to a week in
the fridge, providing an
energy spike in seconds.

MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’SS HEALTH 433

 PT 09.2016
GIVE YOURSELF
A HELPING HAND
Hours spent pounding pavements or
circling a track in pursuit of a PB are
wasted if you haven’t covered all the
bases first. Make sure you’ve ticked
these boxes before lacing your trainers
BUILD YOURSELF
BACK UP
Protein is essential for
endurance athletes to
recover effectively, but
refuelling with carbs has
to be your priority. This
drink blends carbs and
PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK AT HEARST STUDIOS
protein at a 3:1 ratio to
make sure your muscles
receive both macros
immediately, along with
glutamine and electrolytes
to kickstart recovery.
MaxiNutrition
Recovermax £30
shop.maxinutrition.com
MENSHEALTH.CO.UK
MICRO MANAGEMENT 01-05
STAY SOLID
Tempting as it is to jump on the juicing
bandwagon and liquidise everything,
you could be doing yourself a disservice.
Getting the majority of your calories from
solid foods is the best way to avoid
gastrointestinal upset –
AKA ‘10K belly’.
PEAK PERFORMANCE
A study from the Indian Journal of Physiology
and Pharmacology found that a 3% decrease
in hydration can negatively affect muscular
endurance, so make sure you’re getting enough
fluids on board in the days leading up to an event.
If you’re thirsty on the day, it’s already too late.
OPTIMISE YOUR
NUTRITION YOUR FINAL
Packing away MACRO
carbohydrates – and Meticulously planning your
calories – in the name of food intake and counting
faster PBs is fine if you’re calories is only going to
actually processing benefit your training if
everything you eat. To you’re also getting enough
guarantee your gut is sleep. A lack of rest
working efficiently, decreases your insulin
supplement your diet sensitivity, which can
with lactase pills; they’re affect how easily the body
packed with natural absorbs
ab nutrients and
digestive enzymes to help p
processes es carbohydrates.
c
you draw every possible Alongsidede the obvious
ob
obv risk
nutrient from your diet. of diabete
tes, off course
se.
Bulk Powders Lactasee
£10 bulkpowders.co.uk uk
MEN’
N’’S HEALTH 45
N 4
ULTIMATE CHEAT MEALS PT 09.2016

THE BIG MACROS

So you slipped up; big deal. Everyone does and, quite frankly, everyone
should do now and then. If you’re going to go rogue from the clean-eating
campaign, our final nutritional arithmetic plates up some justification

7
4 CHICKEN TIKKA
MASALAS FROM TESCO =
BIG 148g OF PROTEIN, OR JUST
MACS UNDER YOUR TARGET FOR
MUSCLE-BUILDING. BEST
HAVE ANOTHER THEN…

3 KFC 10-PIECE
BARGAIN BUCKETS = 183g OF CARBOHYDRATE, WHICH
OF PROTEIN, SO A LITTLE
MORE THAN YOUR QUOTA
FOR THE CARDIO PLAN 301g IS JUST OVER YOUR CARB
INTAKE FOR ENDURANCE –
THAT’S WITHOUT CHIPS, TOO

MON TUE WED THU FRI S AT SUN

15 PINTS OF GUINNESS
EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK 212g OF PROTEIN, IE JUST ONE DAY’S
PROTEIN QUOTA FOR FAT-BURNING

2 WHOLE CHICKENS

1
LARGE
DOMINO’S
FROM NANDO’S = 175%
OF YOUR PROTEIN TARGET
FOR MUSCLE-BUILDING,
AND 110G OF FAT. THAT’S
YOUR TARGET COOKED
MEATEOR HOT
DOG STUFFED 2 FIVE GUYS CHOCOLATE
CRUST MILKSHAKES

3030kcal
IT SURPASSES YOUR CALORIE INTAKE FOR
MUSCLE-BUILDING, FALLS SLIGHTLY UNDER
72g
FOR PROTEIN AND CARBS – AND SLAMS OF FAT, OR 2G MORE THAN
FAT OUT OF THE WATER BY A MEATY 40G YOU NEED TO LEAN OUT

46 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UK