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CONTENTS
12.18
COVER GUY: JASON MOMOA PHOTOGRAPHED BY
DAMIAN BENNETT
Hollywood’s hottest property, Michael B Jordan, reveals how he got in knockout shape for Creed II.
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PHOTOGRAPHS: ART STREIBER
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CONTENTS
12.18 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
H E ALT H
p3
op A Panic Attack
Discover what happens when stresss overwhelms your body.
8 The Final Cut nsidering a vasectomy? First, re ead our writer’s ball-tearing story.
FITNESS
p24 Built To Scale Find out how Aquaman’s Jason Momoa built a watertight body.
p41 Swim for Your Life Why logging laps in the pool could be your ticket to a lengthy lifespan.
NUTRITION
p36 Water Power Fuzzy on fluid intake? We blow hydration myths out of the water.
p44 Guard Your Prostate Discover the foods to munch on to protect your man gland.
TACT I C S
p46 Dodge Insta Fraud
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Around The World In 80 Adventures We scoured the globe for the most exhilarating adventures known to man.
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50 Bestt asts in Health and Fitness Plug in to our pick ick of ds to upgrade your life with superi c self-help.
Find out why highlight-heavy ‘gramming could be self-defeating.
p64 Field Marshal Aussie cricket coach Justin Langer reveals his blueprint for a Baggy Green resurgence.
MUSCLE
p32 Get Abs For Xmas Slam your way to a summer sixpack in just four weeks.
p120 Build Big Arms Use functional bodybuilding moves to upgrade your guns.
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Fit At Any Age Fortify your body against decline with our decade-by-decade guide to jackedness.
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Feast From The East Fuel post-gym recovery with a proteinrich Middle Eastern falafel.
E D I T O R’S L E T T E R
Men's Health Magazine Australia @MensHealthAU @MensHealthAU menshealth.com.au
ESCAPE YOUR RUT Sometimes you’re forced to put your money where your mouth is. The Men’s Health transformation is a time-honoured tradition round these parts. To prove that our workouts deliver genuine results, we take real men with hectic schedules and present them with a challenge: forge a better body in eight, 10 or at best 12 weeks’ time. As representatives of the world’s No.1 health and itness title, it’s only right that we test-drive our workouts before prescribing them to our readers. But the reality – for both you and us – is that life, and ironically work, can get in the way. Tight deadlines mean bad food choices and tighter waistbands. Late nights in the oice mean prioritising sofa time over interval training. Even for those who live and breathe this mag’s ethos, acquiring a physique akin to the men who grace its cover can feel unattainable for “regular blokes” like them. I know, I’ve worked here for the last 10 years. So when this “dad bod” challenge arose, I knew I had to put my hand up. I’d had a full-on year on multiple fronts. The double-whammy of a busy job and two kids under two had left me out of shape and mentally frazzled. So alongside my colleagues, Alex and Scott, I signed up to train for 10 weeks with MH Fitness Director Chief Brabon and his wife Emilie. You can read about our journey on p107. But suice to say, Chief’s training methods really work. By the end, Alex had happily ditched his belly, while Scott lost an astonishing 23kg of fat and rebooted his physical health. As for myself, well, I changed my body composition too, by losing a few kilos and adding lean muscle to my frame. But the real beneit turned out to be mental. Pushing myself through the workouts empowered me with a renewed sense of control amid the chaos of my daily life. By the end of 10 weeks, I didn’t just feel itter, I was calmer and happier as well. Regular readers will be familiar with the notion that it’s never too late to get into the best shape of your life. Yes, I can now vouch for that irst-hand. But the true pay-of is the magic that happens between your ears.
LUKE BENEDICTUS Editor BEN JHOTY Deputy Editor DANIEL WILLIAMS Associate Editor DAVID ASHFORD Creative Director JASON LEE Deputy Art Director KATE FRASER Head Of Pictures – Fashion and Health ALEX DALRYMPLE Multimedia Content Producer CHARLOTTE DALZIEL Digital Content Manager – Health SCOTT HENDERSON Associate Digital Editor ALEX PIEROTTI Digital Content Editor CHIEF BRABON Fitness Director JEFF LACK Style Editor KATE NIVEN Grooming Writer
CLARISSA WILSON
KATHY GLAVAS
Head of Health
Marketing Director – Health
JESS LAY
COURTENAY RAMAN
Brand Partnerships Manager
Marketing Manager – Health
CATHERINE CHOMYONG
Marketing Coordinator – Health
Brand Manager
ELEANOR BRENNAN PAUL KING
KAYLA CHAPMAN
Production Manager
Brand Executive – Fashion & Health CALVIN SIMPSON
Advertising Coordinator – Beauty, Fashion & Health
SAM MAGUIRE
Print Operations Coordinator JEREMY SUTTON
Group Subscriptions Manager
GEREURD ROBERTS Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Magazines MYCHELLE VANDERBURG Retail Sales and Group Marketing Director NICOLE BENCE Commercial Strategy & Solutions Director DEAN PORTER Operations Director
Luke Benedictus Twitter: @LukeBenedictus enedictus menshealth@pacificmags.com.au
RICHARD DORMENT
KIM ST. CLAIR BODDEN
Editor in Chief, Men’s Health US
SVP/Editorial & Brand Director
SIMON HORNE
CHLOE O’BRIEN
SVP/Managing Director Asia Pacific & Russia
Deputy Brands Director
RICHARD BEAN
Executive Director, Content Services
Director of International Licensing and Business Development
SHELLEY MEEKS
Pacific Magazines, Media City, 8 Central Avenue, Eveleigh, NSW 2015 Phone: (02) 9394 2000 Fax: (02) 9394 2319 Subscription enquiries: 1300 668 118 Printing Bluestar Web, 83 Derby Street, Silverwater NSW 2128. Distribution Gordon & Gotch. Published 12 times a year. Registered business name Pacific Magazines Pty Ltd, (ABN) 16 097 410 896. All rights reserved. Title and trademark Men’s Health © Rodale Press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission. Men’s Health is a registered trademark and the unauthorised use of this trademark is strictly prohibited.
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ADELAIDE J Farren-Price 08 8223 2787
Mac a difference Sat 17th November
Visit your local Macca’s® restaurant on McHappy Day® and buy a Big Mac® to support Ronald McDonald House Charities®. $2 from every Big Mac sold helps keep families with seriously ill children together.
ASK MH THE BIG QUESTION
What’s worse for my waistline: craft ales or a low-alcohol session beer?
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS; PHOTOGRAPHY: JOBE LAWRENSON
JE
A CALIBRATED QUAFF COULD AID FLUID WEIGHT LOSS.
FIND YOUR HAPPY MEDIUM
Cutting kilojoules should never mean bland beer
“There are two sources of kilojoules in beer: carbs and alcohol,” says nutritionist Alan Flanagan. “This is crucial: not many people realise that alcohol is a macro, too, with around 30kJ per gram.” What’s more, brews with a high ABV (alcohol by volume) generally pack more carbs in the form of sugars that have been left over after fermentation. So, let’s do the maths. A pint of 6.5 per cent craft beer will set you back around 3.5 units of alcohol. To equal this number when quaffing an easy-going 4 per cent lager, you would need to put away about a pint and a half. In the first instance, you’re downing around 1340kJ; in the second, it’s more like 1130kJ. So, unit for unit, there’s not a lot in it. As for the argument that weak brews are more hydrating than strong ones? Once you’re past the first glass, even low-alcohol beers will dry you out. A better question, JE, is how well do you know yourself? If you love to savour the taste of your tipple then, by all means, pick the drink that appeals most. But if you’re always the last man standing? We would err on the side of caution.
BROOKLYN LAGER
HOEGAARDEN WHITE
BREWDOG DEAD PONY PALE ALE
At just 630kJ per bottle, this flavourful beer has a bitterness that gives it more of a kick than its 5.2 per cent alcohol would suggest.
This Belgian brew has a hit of coriander and orange peel and, with its 4.9 per cent alcohol content, comes in at an estimated 615kJ.
Downing this light bottle will cost you only 480kJ. And you needn’t stop after your first, thanks to its 3.8 per cent ABV.
December 2018
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ASK MH ANCIENT SOLUTION TO A MODERN PROBLEM Should I bulk up first and cut second or can I do both at the same time? AS
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere. Xun Kuang, Chinese philosopher, 300BC
TEXT A PT I’m off on my first-ever trail run this weekend. How can I avoid falling flat on my face? Take it easy. You’ll get injured if you start fast with a 4-minute kay pace in mind. What about the climbs? I’m not sure the treadmill’s 4% incline has prepped me well enough ...
Are smart scales just a gimmick, or are they really worth the extra cash? BL
While it’s true that a lot of fitness tech on the market is a triumph of digitised style over substance, looking beyond your standard scales could be a wise move. They tell just one story – your weight – and using this sole metric to assess your condition is to miss the full picture. After all, the dial between your toes can shift for any number of reasons. Weight loss might simply be water loss, while weight gain may be the desired result of building muscle. Smart scales measure factors such as your body fat, muscle mass and bone density, and may even allow you to sync this information with your phone. If you enjoy geeking out and respond well to
visual prompts, this could boost your fitness motivation: in an Obesity Science & Practice study, people who used smart scales were more likely to weigh in weekly than those who relied on regular ones. Still, smart scales don’t (yet) operate with pinpoint accuracy, and variables such as your hydration levels can affect the results. Remember, too, to strip down to your jocks for every weigh-in (we like Calvin Klein Underwear, $54.95, calvinklein.com/au) The data should be seen more as a guide than fact. As PT James Daly says: “Metrics shouldn’t be of more interest to you than your performance. How your body feels is still the best measure of progress.”
Hike the steep sections. Strong strides with your hands on your thighs can be as speedy as jogging – and you won’t be shattered when you hit the top. Do I need to change my running technique? Shorten your stride; this boosts traction to make recovery easy. But I can go in my normal running shoes, right? Wrong, mate. Ditch the Nikes for a pair with a decent tread, like the Inov-8X-Talon 230s.
SLIDING SCALES
Leave the headphones at home, too? You’ve got it. Enjoy the outdoors in all its glory. Joseph Gray, Pro mountain runner
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JG
We’ve weighed up the smarts of three popular fitnesstracking scales. Pick yours and plot your progress
FOR DATA GEEKS
FOR BEST VALUE
FOR EASE OF USE
iHealth Core, $200, ihealthlabs. com.au PRO: Data-dense, with a linkable app that tracks blood pressure, muscle and bone mass, plus visceral and body fat.
Eufy Bodysense Smart Scale, $100, amazon.com.au PRO: Top quality, yet low cost, with BMI and body-fat data. CON: The display shows weight only.
Fitbit Aria 2, $200, harveynorman.com.au PRO: Works seamlessly with your Fitbit tracker. CON: Lacks key metrics, such as muscle mass.
Take flight with
NEW WHOLEMEAL ® McWRAPS Available after 10:30am.
MAXIMISING LIFE’S GREATEST LUXURY
WORDS: TED LANE; PHOTOGRAPHY: JOBE LAWRENSON; *VU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
FIRE UP YOUR MORNING ROUTINE FOR A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BOOST.
25 SECONDS TO SINK STRESS AND TORCH FAT EVERY MORNING
USUALLY, BEROCCA is what we reach for from the depths of a hangover, a fizzy vitamin hit that brings us back to life. But waiting 25 seconds for it to dissolve and adding it to your daily regimen could also prime your body for fat-burning, as well as alleviate the stress of another day at work. Not bad for 50c a pop. Shortly after your alarm sounds, your body is flooded with the stress hormone cortisol. This spike is designed to wake you up by sending glucose to your brain; your cortisol levels should then rebalance. In today’s culture of early espressos and morning emails, however, it’s all too easy to sustain that initial stress for the entire day, which is bad news for both your weight-loss goals and your mood. Research published in the journal Obesity found that raised cortisol levels correlate with a wider waist circumference and a higher body-mass index score. The stress hormone has also been linked to the deposition of fat in the abdominal area and a greater susceptibility to heart disease*. But swap your morning coffee for a glass of orange fizz and the 500mg of vitamin C will normalise your cortisol levels and help to limit future spikes, taking the stress out of losing weight. Think of it as your new chill pill.
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TREAT YOUR LEGS TO A RENAISSANCE AT LUNCH.
01 HOUR TO BRUSH AWAY MUSCLE SORENESS WITH A CULTURE FIX
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LEGS DAY, WAS IT? If you can feel your lower body seizing up, don’t just sit there. According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, soaking up some culture in your lunch hour is your ticket to soothing DOMS. The scientists linked a “sense of awe” to reduced markers of leg pain-inducing inflammation. If that sounds a little woolly, don’t worry – the science really does stack up. By “awe”, we mean the positive emotions we experience while engaging with works of art or theatre. The emotional effects of a lunchtime spent looking at paintings, for example, were found to be powerful enough to lower levels of inflammatory proteins called cytokines – particularly interleukin-6,
which signals the immune system to work harder. DOMS occurs when your body triggers an inflammatory response to muscle damage following a tough workout. A trip to your local gallery, however, curbs this effect, in much the same way as an ibuprofen tablet. For those with little desire to contemplate a dusty Renaissance portrait, the good news is that the sense of awe extends far beyond the National Gallery. Any sight or sound that truly inspires you will suffice. Pick a favourite lunch spot in your local park and cue up a song that never fails to give you the chills (an awe-inspiring sandwich wouldn’t go amiss, either). It’ll take the sting out of tomorrow’s cycle commute.
always accurate, anywhere you are. Expand your horizons with Astron, a powerful GPS solar watch developed with Seiko’s world-first technology.
* If there are changes in the region / time zone, manual time zone selection may be required.
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24 HOURS TO CUT YOUR CANCER RISK WITH A DNA-HACKING FAST
FASTING, IN ITS MANY FORMS, remains the darling of diet plans. Advocates of intermittent fasting, for example, insist that cramming all of your daily kilojoules into an eight-hour period is the shortest path to attaining your ideal weight. But major lifestyle overhauls aren’t always necessary to deliver significant results. One in 14 men will be affected by bowel cancer in their lifetime; for women, the risk is one in 19. Yet, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, just 24 hours of going without could help you tip the odds in your favour. The results of their animal study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggest that restricting your kilojoule intake for 24 hours – going
from 10,500 down to 2100kJ, say – could flick a metabolic switch to double the rate at which the stem cells in your gut regenerate. As you age, intestinal stem cells stop renewing themselves effectively, and older cells left in the lining of the gut can become susceptible to infection and cancer. Increasing the rate of intestinal regeneration helps you maintain healthy tissue and fight off disease. And you can kick-start this process by cutting back on food for just one day – not every day. So, give your small intestine – a site notoriously susceptible to cancer – the best chance at a clean bill of health, and you can go back to supersetting pizza with pasta the following day. Hunger is the best sauce, after all.
FAST FOR A DAY FOR A BETTER GUT (AND LESS WASHING UP).
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AFTER A HEAVY NIGHT, RAISE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF YOUR LIVER.
06 MINUTES TO REBOOT YOUR LIVER WITH A BREAKFAST UPGRADE 22
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PUT DOWN the bacon sandwich – now there’s a scientific morning-after breakfast option. While you can deal with the bastard behind the eyes that follows a skinful of session IPAs with paracetamol and plenty of water, the toll that booze takes on your liver is more pernicious. But a study published in the Journal of Proteome Research has served up a tasty solution: give your breakfast a Gallic twist. The nutmeg used to spice French toast has now been proven to reduce liver toxicity. The researchers found that nutmeg can help you avert liver damage by restoring healthy levels of various lipids and acylcarnitines in your body. In addition, a compound called myrislignan had a protective effect against liver damage – so it’ll help limit the harm inflicted by alcohol’s inevitable assault next Saturday night, too. It may not be in your repertoire, but French toast is a simple dish to master, taking just six minutes to cook. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg, then dunk in a couple of bread slices. Fry for three minutes on each side, and you’re done. Be liberal with the maple syrup, too – it contains 54 antioxidants, five of which are unique to it. A University of Tokyo study suggests that it could act as a further salve to your poor liver. Serve with a strong coffee and the Sunday papers.
+ Advantage
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME
BALLS TO THE WALL: WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING, MOMOA LEAVES NOTHING IN THE TANK.
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A+ COVER GUY
BUILT TO
SCALE
Whether he’s playing a Dothraki warlord or the King of Atlantis, actor Jason Momoa’s all-out approach to life trickles down to everything he does, especially his training BY BEN JHOTY // PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAMIAN BENNETT
JASON MOMOA’S UPROARIOUS laughter is hard to resist, even from across the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, in this case, I’m the source of his mirth, having just enquired how he feels about closing in on 40. He’s only 39, he bellows down the line from LA. “You did your research, didn’t you?” he says between guffaws. While I want to point out that I’d said “closing in”, the truth is, the way Momoa lives, works and perhaps most importantly plays, the question is kind of ridiculous. This is a man who doesn’t measure life in units of time but depth of experience. One who appears to live beyond limits, more recently the terrestrial kind, diving into everything – from scale-plated spandex to a pint of his favoured Guinness – with the gusto of, well, an amphibious superhuman. “I’m all about just having the best goddamn day I can have,” says Momoa of his full throttle approach to life. “If my wife tells me we’re having spaghetti bolognese for dinner I will work so much harder because I know we’re going to have a great night. I can train hard as long as I know there’s a reward.
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As long as I know there’s going to be a barbecue or something fun at the end of the night and we’re going to have a couple of beers and celebrate, that’s it for me. I don’t like going to bed not having celebrated something. Life is too short.” He’s right of course. And it’s an attitude that appeals, regardless of what your age happens to be.
TRAIN WITH PURPOSE For a character who barely spoke a complete sentence over a two-season run on Game of Thrones, Khal Drogo has had an outsized influence on popular culture. Partly that’s due to GOT’s gargantuan cultural footprint – consider that it wasn’t the established
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Conan reboot that made Momoa a fanboy favourite but the brooding Dothraki chieftain. And part of it may be due to the fact that Drogo was absolutely jacked. “With Drogo I could eat and drink and do whatever I wanted to because I just had to put on size,” says Momoa, looking back on his star-making role. Aquaman, however, was an altogether different beast, sorry, species. For starters, Momoa, who stands 193cm, weighs around 110kg and can put on muscle just by looking at a dumbbell, didn’t need size to inhabit the role. “I felt like I needed to stay a little slimmer,” he says, referencing the slighter builds of co-stars like Patrick Wilson. “I didn’t need to put on bulk because it just wouldn’t be right.”
In Momoa’s first turn as the King of Atlantis in 2017’s Justice League, he worked out with legendary Gym Jones founder Mark Twight. A fellow climber, Twight was more than happy to accommodate his charge’s passion for negotiating crevices, an approach echoed this time around by Mada Abdelhamid, a former WWE wrestler from Egypt, who joined Momoa for Aquaman’s six-month shoot on the Gold Coast. “He loves rock climbing with a passion so by including it in our training it made him work harder,” Abdelhamid says. “If you’re passionate about something you don’t need pushing. You can push yourself.” Given the actor’s contempt for shifting iron purely for the sake of sculpting eye-popping sinew, it proved a wise decision. “I find it very hard to work out for vanity,” Momoa explains. “Looking in the mirror in a gym does not help me, it does not drive me.” Instead, by applying a utilitarian
lens to his lifting regimen, he’s able to see the weight room as a workshop and barbells as tools, equipping him to pursue more authentic goals. “My mindset is that I need to set a goal in something that I love,” he says. “So I target a certain level of climb so that I have to train hard. I may have to do some cardio and I may have to get my weight down to pull off the climb. It doesn’t really matter what gets you there, so long as it gets you there.” In this age of gym selfies, the idea of training for an athletic or recreational goal sounds noble, almost quaint. But the payoff, be it a jaw-dropping view or an extra yard of pace that allows you to burn off a defender, is arguably more fulfilling than the hollow validation of a legion of digital double-tappers. The truth is, to climb at the level Momoa does, he needs to train. His enthusiasm for scaling rock faces is made all the more remarkable by the fact his hulking physique isn’t
particularly suited to it. “If you think of rock climbers who can climb at his standard, not one of them is above 100kg and nobody is close to him in strength,” Abdelhamid confirms. “He’s in a class of his own.” But as crazy as Momoa is about pitches and pinch-holds, his passion is at least matched by Abdelhamid’s fervour for the gym. And while the actor might not have immediately liked it, he responded to his workout partner’s enthusiasm. “I love being around people who are stoked at what they do and if he’s doing it with me and we’re going to get in there and beat each other up then I love that,” he says. “It’s very much a soldier mentality. We’re going to war.” That’s one way to describe the manner in which two giants went at it, spurring each other on to some prodigious efforts on both the weights and a custom-built onset climbing wall. “We were doing hundreds and
“LOOKING IN THE MIRROR IN THE GYM DOES NOT HELP ME, IT DOES NOT DRIVE ME”
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“IN CLIMBING YOU HAVE TO BE THERE 100 PER CENT OR YOU FALL” hundreds of reps, pushing each other to the brink of exhaustion,” says Abdelhamid, who stands 198cm, weighs 130kg and deadlifts 320kg. “It wasn’t about who was bigger or faster or stronger. It was who can work harder?” In the burly Egyptian you could say Momoa found his workout spirit animal, someone he strived to better on a daily basis. In doing so, he pushed Abdelhamid to dig as deep as he ever has. “Very few people in the world can actually match me in the gym but for somebody who doesn’t work out for a living like I do, he comes pretty close,” the trainer says of the pair’s heavyweight workout battle. “And every time I kicked his arse in the gym, he’d kick mine on the climbing wall.” Don’t get off on sets and reps or shudder at the thought of a solitary Sunday morning slog along the sand dunes? Find a trainer or a mate who loves the stuff. Chances are their passion will rub off on you, their expertise inspire you. In the crucible of competition and shared pain, you might just find the motivation you need to reach new heights, or depths, as the case may be.
CLING AND WIN Born in Hawaii and raised in Iowa, as much as Momoa might pepper his speech with “bros” and “dudes”, there is something of the Aussie larrikin about him. Perhaps that’s because the six months he spent on the Gold Coast in 2017 shooting Aquaman wasn’t his first time here. Momoa lived in Adelaide for a stint back in his early twenties, proudly declaring, “Port Power is my team,” before proceeding to praise the rough and tumble nature of Aussie sports and our way of life more broadly. “I love the Australian spirit and I feel like Aussies love me,” he says. “They have such a great attitude to life. They work hard, they play hard.” Just how much Momoa embodies that same maxim was evident in the diet he followed during Aquaman’s six-month production: meat, vegies
and Guinness. While certainly not an optimal carb source, the so-called ‘ebony nectar’ was crucial to sustaining Momoa’s equilibrium and motivation after long days on set. “It comes down to overall calorie intake so when we’re looking to lean down we just cut the Guinness down to a certain number per day,” says Abdelhamid of ensuring Momoa’s love of the black stuff never hampered his weight-loss goals. “If I’d made him cut it out completely he wouldn’t have performed as well.” If the Aquaman set is starting to sound like a testosterone-fuelled frat house that’s because Momoa doesn’t really do downtime in the traditional sense. Alongside the state of the art gym equipment was a drum kit, Fender base guitar and a 1959 Gibson Les Paul played by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. And, of course, looming over it all was the climbing wall. While the challenges presented by his physique are one reason Momoa might gravitate toward this most elemental of physical pursuits, the other might surprise you. “I’m scared of heights so it’s about overcoming those fears,” he says, before waxing with something approaching an addict’s ardour on the pastime’s purity of movement. “It’s like a dance or martial art where you’re in this flow and the way your body moves feels comfortable and it feels alive,” he says breathlessly. “You’re holding onto literally nothing, using every toe, every fingernail, everything is being activated. You have to be there 100 per cent or you fall.” It’s fair to say Momoa’s taken a tumble or two in his personal life since landing his first role in Baywatch Hawaii as a 19-year-old. A scar skirting his left eyebrow from a glassing in a Hollywood bar in 2008 required 140 stitches, shoring up his bad boy bona fides while also causing him to reflect on his wild ways. He’s been saved, he says, by the women in his life, his mother and his wife, actress Lisa Bonet with whom he has two children, a daughter Lola, 11, and
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son Nakoa-Wolf, 9. He’s also stepfather to acclaimed actress Zoe Kravitz. “I’d be dead right now if it wasn’t for women,” he says quietly. “Female power is the ultimate power. I don’t think there’s anything stronger than a woman.” If his family has saved him from himself, from indulging his appetites unchecked or pushing himself too far in his myriad of adrenaline-fuelled hobbies, his instinct as a father is to want to save them. “My biggest fear now is my babies getting hurt,” he says, almost murmuring. “You just find
yourself saying ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’ but you have to let them go do those things.” For a man who’s made his name playing battle-hardened behemoths and is now donning impenetrable, scale-plated armour, Momoa isn’t afraid to show a softer, more vulnerable side. Perhaps that’s because he’s not so larger-than-life after all. “I’m just like you, man”, he blurts out before signing off. Or perhaps it’s because he knows that it’s only once you’ve acknowledged the fragility of life, that you can resolve to squeeze the most out of it.
BUILD A WATERTIGHT BODY For six months Momoa and Abdelhamid undertook a basic three-day split routine that alternated between pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back and biceps) and legs, with core work at the end of each session. “We would usually lift at least four days a week and climb at least three days a week,” Abdelhamid says. Use this three-day regimen to build a body that can part seas and move mountains
Aquaman is in cinemas Dec 26. Total body warm-up: Concept2 SkiErg, bear crawls, sled pulls and drags, kettlebell work 20-30 min.
DAY 1: PULL • Climbing wall – 5mins. • Hammer strength lat pulldown: 4-5 sets 10-12 reps. • Dumbbell row triple drop sets: 3 sets 12 reps – grab a weight you can lift for 12 reps on the first set; take weight off for each set. No resting. • Lat pulldown: three sets of 8-12 reps. “Jump on the walll between sets to stretch out the back.”
• Low cable row: triple drop sets x 3. Work to failure on each set, taking weight off as you go. • Dumbbell curl: three rounds of 50-rep drop sets – work to failure in each set until you amass 50 reps total. Repeat two more times. • Banded barbell curl: three rounds; 6-8 reps with band on. Take band off, and keep going until failure. • The finisher: Partner pull-up “We go back and forth doing pull-ups using different grips. We start with one each, then two and so on. All the way up to 10. Then all the way back down.”
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WATER TORTURE: MOMOA TRAINED TO ENSURE HIS BODY MADE A SPLASH.
DAY 2 PUSH: • Two-minute shoulder activator: 30 seconds of a standing overhead press, followed by 30 seconds of a straight hold overhead. Repeat twice. That’s one set. Do three rounds to get those shoulders firing! • Cable fly: four sets of 15-20 reps • Seated dumbbell shoulder superset with Arnold press: three sets of 8-12 reps each • Smith machine incline press: triple tempo drop sets, 8-12 reps. Followed by five 5-second negatives, then three 8-second positive reps, then two rounds of triple tempo drop sets until failure. • Incline dumbbell press superset with close grip press: four sets of 8-12 reps each.
• Up downs. Load the Smith machine incline press with a stack of 5kg plates. Hit 10 reps and strip one plate off each side; hit another 10 reps and so on until only one plate is left on each side. Then add all the plates back on, one by one on each side, hitting another 10 reps each time until you reach the same number of plates you started with. Usually between 110-130 reps. • Dumbbell side-raise: three rounds of 50-rep drop sets. • Triceps rope extension – “Sevens”: seven reps followed by a sevensecond squeeze at full extension. Repeat seven times. That’s one round – do 3 rounds.
• 100 partner dips: 10 dips each, going back and forth until you both hit 100.
DAY 3 LEGS: • Kettlebell complex: goblet squats, stiff-leg dead lifts, kettlebell swings. 10 reps each, progressing in weight with each set. • Sled push: four rounds of 50m. • Bulgarian split squat: three sets of 8-12 reps.
CORE: • Plank variations: 30-60 seconds each. • Rope crunch: drop sets of three sets of 10-12 reps. • TRX plank: 30-45 seconds. • Med ball crunch toss: three sets of 15 reps. • TRX knee tuck: three sets of 20 reps. • Hanging leg raise: three sets of 15 reps.
• Single-leg box squat: three sets of 8-12 reps. • Leg extensions triple drop sets: three sets of 10-15 reps. • Leg curl: three sets of 10-15 reps.
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A+ FITNESS
STARRT HERE THE BES EXERC S YOU’RE N NOT G DOING
Your Way
P RISE UP With feett shoulder-width old a light med apart, ho ont of your ball in fro pelvis. Sttand side-on to a solid wall and start the rep by lifting the ball our head and above yo rising onto your toes.
H PUMMEL YOUR PAUNCH WITH THE AJ TRIPLE THREAT – A KNOCKOUT CORE WORKOUT CK FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT SIX-PAC DUNK SLAM D From thiss position of triple e extension, engage e every muscle and slam the ball into the floor, hard enough tto make it bounce. Catch it and rotate aw way from the wall to wo ork your core.
FULL SWING Keep your abs tight and rotate fast with your elbow high. Picture Dan Carter’s long pass: try to throw the ball through the wall. The power here comes from your core.
HADOUKEN! Pick up the ball and lift it to your shoulder while rota ating away. Slam it straight ah head, with the power from you ur pecs and shoulder. Turn 180° and go again on the other side.
WH AT YOU’ LL GAIN
+ -R OU N D TA MI N A 32
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+ S LA MMI N ’ A BS
KN OC KOU T POW ER
WORDS: WILL ROWLATT ALLEN; PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES; STYLING: ABENA OFEI
AS HOLIDAY SEASON nears ars, your chances to take your physique from contender to Greatest of All Time are running out. But with this our medicine ball exercise in yo mpion corner – a favourite of cham heavyweight boxer Anthony odds. Joshua – you can upset the o “Med balls are excellent ttools to build up your power, espeecially n if you incorporate a rotation and aerial tosses,” explains Joshua’s strength coach, Jamie y Reynolds. “Their versatility offers an effective way of ticcking the boxes when you’re pushed for time.” Here, those boxess are upper-body power, core streength m is a and kilojoule burn. The slam full-body conditioning exerrcise, the double rotation provides a dynamic core workout, and the ulders chest pass targets your shou to further fill out your T-shiirt. To see results in just fourr weeks, end your five weekday workouts with a seven-minute k, 20 finisher of 40 seconds’ work seconds’ rest, keeping your rep count consistent. Give yourr body goals a fighting chance.
A+ MIND
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN…
…I Have a Panic Attack? Only one in 20 of us will have a full-scale attack – but we’re all familiar with the symptoms. MH breaks down the breakdown
3
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
Overthinking a situation – imagining your boss’s reaction to that missed deadline, for example – will only heighten your anxiety. A US study found that refocusing the mind on simple tasks can calm you down. The solution can be as mundane as counting the number of tiles on your office ceiling until your heart rate falls and the panic passes.
4
FLIGHT, NOT FIGHT
Adrenaline has a half-life of three minutes, which means the initial panic will quickly pass. Cortisol, however, sticks around for longer, so it can take two hours for your more chronic feelings of stress to subside. Bear in mind that if your hypothalamus stays agitated, it’ll keep ordering the release of these hormones. So remove yourself from the situation: leave your desk for a five-minute break.
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A panic attack occurs when the mind makes a powerfully negative interpretation of normal events. An impossible deadline, say, can cause your hypothalamus to overreact. When that email from your boss pings into your inbox, the brain region activates your pituitary and adrenal glands, causing stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol to flood into your system. This triggers the “fight or flight” response.
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RED ALERT
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2
WARNING SIGNALS
The sudden surge of stress hormones induces shortness of breath, an increased heart rate, trembling, palpitations and a redirection of blood to specific muscles and organs that can help you overcome a threat. It’s an evolutionary response, designed to maximise your chances of survival – but it can also make your minor office crisis feel like a matter of life and death. Try to remember that it’s not.
LEARN HOW TO CALM YOUR STATE OF RED ALERT.
COOL RUNNING
In severe cases, doctors may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs along with beta blockers to address heart-rate increases and chest pains. But the best lifestyle prescriptions are these Men’s Health all-stars: omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish significantly inhibit adrenal activation elicited by mental stress, the B vitamins in steak slash cortisol levels, and a lunchtime run produces painkilling, mood-boosting endorphins, while making use of the extra adrenaline. “Flight” is the best way to fight back.
WORDS: TOM WARD; ILLUSTRATION: PETER GRUNDY
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05
N ! W E GET A BEACH-READY BODY IN JUST 3 WEEKS! The21-DayMetashred isarevolutionarynew onlineworkoutprogram thatwillhelp you incineratefatand stackonmuscle intimeforsummer!
metashred.com.au
A+ HEALTH
WHAT WE LOSE WHEN WE SWEAT % BODY WATER LOSS
1-2 2
Your body runs efficiently only if your fluids are in harmony. Avoid these hydration myths to calibrate this balance correctly and you’ll supercharge your health BY BY CHRISTOPHER MOHR // PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED CAVANAUGH
7
Impaired aerobic function; physical work capacity decreased. Thirst, increased heart rate, irritability. Blood pressure drops, increasing fainting risk. Sweating stops, increasing the risk of overheating. Blood slows; may cause organ damage.
NOTE BODY WATER LOSS OF 1 PER CENT IS LESS THAN A 1KG WEIGHT LOSS FOR A GUY WEIGHING 80KG.
MYTH #1
MYTH #2
MYTH #3
MYTH #4
Hydrationisadailygoal reachedbydrinking water.
Youcanbehealthy withoutgoodhydration.
Aslongasyouavoid saltyfoods,you’refine.
Bananasaregreat fordehydrationcramps.
Even minor dehydration can affect physical and cognitive performance, as well as overall health. Imagine your cells are happily swimming around in a pool, awash in an abundance of fluid. Dehydration reduces the amount of fluid circulating in your bloodstream. This makes your heart work harder, limits your body’s ability to cool itself and prematurely fatigues your muscles. Your blood becomes more viscous – thicker, stickier, more concentrated. So don’t shrug off hydration. Pay attention.
Sodium isn’t evil. You need the nutrient to survive, and your body can’t produce it on its own. The electrolyte (yes, that’s what sodium is) contributes to blood volume, and, if you’re active, that’s a biggie. Maintaining normal blood volume helps your skin dissipate heat, helps you absorb nutrients and delivers oxygen to hardworking muscles, including your heart. Sodium is the mineral lost in the greatest quantities in sweat and urine, and replacing it is essential for proper hydration. So how much is too much? It’s complicated. Check out the chart on the next page for more details.
True, but there’s nothing magical about bananas. The potassium in bananas may be key. Potassium, another electrolyte, helps blunt the effects of sodium and, with help from your kidneys, moves it out of your body. Think of sodium and potassium on opposite sides of a seesaw, working to balance each other to achieve proper hydration. Most people get around half the recommended 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily, says Megan Meyer, of the International Food Information Council Foundation. Imbalance can also affect blood pressure and heart contractions.
Your hydration balance depends on how much you sweat, your diet, elevation and even humidity. A healthy diet delivers about 20 per cent of fluid intake, says Kim Schwabenbauer, a USA Triathlon coach. Turn to watermelon, grapefruit, cucumber, broccoli, apples and grapes as snacks to increase your fluid consumption. Or naturally flavour your water with berries, lemon, kiwi, pineapples or oranges. Studies show that if your fluids are flavoured, you’ll drink more.
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FOOD STYLING: JAMIE KIMM; PROP STYLING: ANGELA CAMPOS/BERNSTEIN & ANDRIULLI
Tap Into Water Power
4
CONSEQUENCES
THE HYDRATION SWEET SPOT
MYTH #5
Everyone needs eight glasses of water a day. That’s like saying everyone needs to eat 11,700 kilojoules a day. (They don’t.) Depending on body weight, activity level and temperature, your daily fluid needs can range from as little as 1.8 litres to more than 5.6 litres per day. On days when you don’t exercise, assess your pee. Your urine should look more like lemonade than water or apple juice. Dark urine often reflects dehydration. On days when you work out, weigh yourself pre- and post-exercise. For every halfkilogram of weight you lost, you’ll need to drink 2½ to 3 cups of fluid to restore balance.
Too much sodium and too little potassium may cause your kidneys to draw less luid out of your blood, spiking blood pressure, says nutritionist Alan Aragon. Emerging research inds that consuming too little sodium may lead to kidney problems. Balance both to your beneit. SODIUM
POTASSIUM
WHAT MOST MEN N E E D
2,300 mg (or 1 tsp salt) daily*
4,700 mg daily
WHAT MOST MEN HAVE
3,400 mg daily
3,016 mg daily
HOW TO FIX
Lower sodium intake by eating silverbeet (961 mg per 1 cup, boiled), wholemeal bread (162 mg per two slices), canned white tuna (408 mg per small can), chicken (340 mg per one cup of meat, roasted).
Boost levels by choosing squash (582 mg per 1 cup, baked), sweet potatoes (542 mg per 1 medium, baked), broccoli (229 mg per 1 cup, cooked), bananas (487 mg per 1 med-large).
THE HIDDEN SALT DANGERS Most of the sodium in your diet doesn’t come from the shaker. You could run into trouble when you let others do the cooking.
71% 14% In processed/ restaurant foods
4% 5% 6% Other
*NOTE THIS MAY CHANGE DEPENDING ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
Naturally occurring
Added at the table
Home cooking/ preparation
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A+ HEALTH
A STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR STEADY GROWTH
UP
BALANCING ACT Rules are doomed to fail. Instead, try ‘if-then’ protocols. If you have a big night out, then you’ll sweat the debt with circuits. Psychology
Whatever your fitness ambitions, invest in a motivational strategy to stay strong for longer UP
UP
WOLF PACK
REPETITIVE GAIN Sick of the mere sight of broccoli? Repeated exposure to veggies actually increases their appeal, helping restoke your nutritionplan enthusiasm. Appetite
UP
POP PEP Reach for a lutein pill. It boosts levels of the ‘marathon enzyme’ AMPK, which triggers an energy surge when your muscles are low to keep you going. Plos One
Break down your mission into smaller tasks. Want to lose a kilo? First aim to burn 3000kJ in a single workout. Journal of Research in Science Training
The magic 21 days to form habits is hokum – it takes an average of 66. Make your lunchtime gym session a non-negotiable. European Journal of Social Psychology
DOWN
DOWN
REWARD FAILURE
END GOALS
menshealth.com.au
Make this the time you master the kitchen. Preparing meals makes them taste better, providing one more reason to forego the oven pizza. Health Psychology
LONG AND SHORT
SHORT HAUL
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HOME COOKING
HOLD
DOWN
Don’t celebrate a week of workouts with greasy cheats. The drop in dopamine caused by the sat-fats will reduce willpower. Journal of Neuroscience
UP
Take your eyes off the finish line. Close to 5K competence? Move the goalposts to a 20kg DB press and reignite your ambition. Society for Consumer Psychology
UP
YOUR TUNE-UP Low spirits at certain times of year have been linked to lack of drive, but listening to upbeat music is a simple remedy for both. Bournemouth University
RISERS AND FALLERS UP Picking up speed
HOLD Steady movers
DOWN Putting the brakes on
ILLUSTRATION BY INFOMEN
You’re 42 per cent more likely to lose weight when you’re in it together. Set up a WhatsApp group to share your workouts. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
A+ FITNESS
ADD LENGTHS TO YOUR LIFESPAN It’s time to bring your Speedos out of retirement. A tide of new research suggests you’ll stay in the race longer if you swim for it YOUR UNWAVERING devotion to pounding the pavement is admirable, but clocking miles on the road is not the smartest strategy for protecting your joints further down the track. You’ll earn the same fitness gains emulating Michael Phelps as you would Mo Farah, but swimming also sets you up with a raft of lifeprolonging benefits. Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied a large sample of men aged between 20 and 90 over 32 years. They found that those who swam had a 50 per cent lower mortality rate compared to
runners, walkers and those who didn’t exercise at all. That’s surely reason enough to take the plunge. The life-lengthening impact of swimming is best explained by a study published in Plos One, which found that water-based workouts are more effective at lowering blood pressure and improving vascular function than landlocked activities. Blood pressure decreases because the state of immersion relaxes the blood vessels, enabling them to carry more blood and ease your heart’s workload. But the benefits don’t stop
there. While it’s true that fitness gurus have long recommended aquatic exercise as a jointfriendly alternative to jogging, the science goes much deeper. The wide range of motion required for each stroke (combined with the fact that water is far denser than air) helps to strengthen and mobilise joints to stave off age-related disability, increasing your healthspan – not just your longevity. An extended, healthier life and an opportunity to dig out the budgie smugglers? You’d best dive in now while the weather’s warm and the surf’s up.
WORDS BY LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON; ILLLUSTRATION BY PETER CROWTHER
GET IN YOUR LANE TO KEEP YOUR HEALTH ABOVE THE WATER.
WATER PUMP ENDLESS WIDTHS OF BREASTSTROKE ALONE WON’T CUT IT. MAKE A SPLASH WITH THREE SETS OF THIS WATERBORNE WORKOUT FROM TRIATHLON COACH ROB POPPER
I/ BENT-ARM PLANK
II/ FLUTTER-KICK PLANK
III/ ARM-REACH PLANK
Perform two lengths at 80 per cent effort, then hop out and get into a plank position, elbows under your shoulders. Hold for 60sec.
Slide back in for two lengths at 85 per cent effort, then out into a high plank. Raise and lower alternate legs for 60sec.
After two lengths at 90 per cent effort, set up with hands on the floor. Extend alternate arms in front and lower. Rest for 2min.
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A+ RELATIONSHIPS
NEED SOME
S P A C E The oldest breakup line in the book could be the newest secret to staying together BY JENNIFER TEEMAN
IT SOUNDED LIKE A BREAKUP. About a year into dating, Laurel turned to Joey in bed and said: “I know this is when people talk about moving in together, but I just don’t want to do it.” Joey, 45, felt a wave of relief. Laurel, 35, was relieved he was relieved. The couple has been together for eight happy years now, and the entire time they’ve lived apart. Not the sitcom-y she’s-in-7B-he’s-in-2C apart. We’re talking different postcodes. You could watch an episode of Ozark in the back of an Uber in the time it takes to go from his place to hers. They say they’re absolutely committed to each other. They just don’t want to live together. Not now. Not ever. It’s not that marriage is out of the question. But if they get married, they’re not shacking up. And if they had to move in together, they would each require their own bedroom and separate workspace. They each like to live a certain way, for starters. His place is dark and has a large workbench in the living room for projects. Hers, light and brightly decorated, has plenty of room for
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pet birds. That’s right: she lives with parakeets, but she won’t live with him. And he’s cool with that. Facebook doesn’t offer a relationship status that precisely captures Joey and Laurel’s particular brand of coupledom, but sociologists call it Living Apart Together (LAT). Which, sure, sounds like a dystopian assisted-living facility, but it encapsulates a growing and agreedupon distance between an increasing number of couples. Sharon Hyman, a Montreal filmmaker making a documentary about the trend, calls LAT couples “apartners”. “There are more and more people who are choosing this,” Hyman says. An estimated 6-7 per cent of people in the US, in fact. And 62 per cent of apartners are over age 34, according to recent research from the Center for Family and Demographic Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. “Most of the people I’ve interviewed for my film have previously been married, cohabited, had kids,” Hyman says. “They’ve been there, done that – and they don’t want to do it again.” Maybe they’re on to something. Like the rest of us, apartnered couples are figuring out the balance between space and closeness, dependence and independence, in their relationship. They’ve just taken it to an intriguing new extreme. Our need for that balance is deeply biological: in order to explore the world and develop as individuals, we need independence. But we also have a need to be firmly tethered to another person for
the safety that provides, according to Stan Tatkin, a psychobiology-focused couples therapist. Our individual tolerance for space and closeness – and whether we tend to feel smothered or abandoned – goes back to how attached we were to our caregivers as infants and has been influenced by all of our past romantic relationships. “The question is, How good are two people at tolerating each other’s tolerance?” Tatkin says. The stronger couples, he says, are flexible. They’re not threatened by their partner being too close or too distant. The rest of us trying to figure out the right amount of space in our relationships will run into conflicts that we’ll need to work out. That’s where thinking like an apartner helps. Even if you share a tiny onebedroom flat with someone, keep these ideas in mind:
CLAIM YOUR “ME” AREA Remember the scene in This Is 40 when Paul Rudd’s character hides out on the toilet with his iPad to escape his wife and kids and steal some me time? Not an ideal situation. Apartners always have a go-to place when they need some space – their individual residences. Couples living together can figure out personal spaces where each can indulge their separate interests without hogging the toilet. “Music room, sewing room, whatever,” Tatkin says. “As long as you agree on it and can afford it.” If square meterage is tight, claim a ritual that gives you alone time, like walking the dog or weeding the garden,
OR DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE! The case for less space
My wife, Maria, and I spend three to four months each year on a cruise ship as yoga teachers. And it’s a good thing we’re flexible, because our cabin is 23 square metres, which is roughly the size of a one-car garage, or five prison cells. It has one desk, one couch, one television, one bathroom and one wardrobe. All told, we’ve spent about four years of our marriage sardined
in there. Oddly enough, though, these months on the ship when we can’t escape each other are the strongest times for our relationship. In our small cabin, Maria has her side of the bathroom, and I have a shelf. She has her portion of the closet, and I have a few roomy drawers. Compromise, no matter how minor, means being considerate and respectful of your partner, and
according to Bella DePaulo, author of How We Live Now. Often the merest taste of autonomy is all you need.
Laurel says. She can’t wait to go over to Joey’s place on Friday and spend the night together.
DRAW A DIGITAL LINE
ACTUALLY BE TOGETHER
Often our lives become so enmeshed that it gets hard to tell where our space ends and theirs begins. That can spill over online – where your “likes” become her “likes”. Sharing a Google calendar to schedule your time together or setting up a shared email address to use for kids’ school and doctors’ forms could be a good idea. (“Transparency just makes life easier,” Tatkin says. “It’s work to hide things.”) But a shared Instagram account will make you two the bane not only of each other’s existence but of all your friends’. Keeping your individual email, phone and computer passwords helps maintain some digital independence.
Because apartnered couples aren’t around each other as often, the time they do spend together is more focused on each other. “Whenever Laurel and I see each other, it’s more of a date,” Joey says. Couples who are living in the same house may be physically close, but they could still be a world apart if they’re glued to separate devices. That’s called “parallel play,” and it’s what developing toddlers do. Developing toddlers are also prone to tantrums and aren’t all that fun to be around. Since you’re both grown adults, watch a show with, not next to, your partner. The couple that keeps up on Better Call Saul together, stays together. There are pitfalls. “Too much distance – too often, too sustained – will break up a relationship,” Tatkin warns. Joey and Laurel both dislike that they live so far apart, making it difficult to get to each other quickly if there’s a problem, to say nothing of a lack of spontaneous sex. (Safe to say, proximity increases probability.) “It takes lots of communication so that no one feels insecure or gets neglected,” Joey acknowledges. So they let each other know whenever one of them needs more (or less) quality time together, making sure they’re never too far apart. Emotionally, if not physically.
LET YOUR INTERESTS BE YOUR INTERESTS “Agree that there are certain things each of you is allowed to do on your own, or with other friends or family, guilt-free,” DePaulo says. Laurel says: “I’m never going to see a Marvel movie, and Joey never has to go see Belle and Sebastian.” Doing stuff alone may stoke your passion for each other. Vicki Larson, coauthor of The New “I Do,” points to famed psychotherapist Esther Perel’s belief that the erotic can’t exist with 24/7 closeness – especially when trackpants are involved. “You need to miss somebody sometimes to feel the desire to be with them,” Larson says. Joey and Laurel have found that to be true. “When you’re not around someone every day, it’s artificial scarcity,”
that daily reminder is a big relationship builder. Therapists will tell you that happy marriages and communication fit together like bacon and eggs. In a tiny living space, ignoring your partner becomes impossible. So when Maria asks a question with no right answer, I can no longer fake mishearing and retreat to another part of the house. When there’s an elephant in the room,
it feels like there’s actually an elephant in the room. It can’t be shooed off into a corner. It needs to be dealt with. After three to four months of living in each other’s personal space, I find I’m able to anticipate Maria’s needs intuitively, and she mine. It’s extreme, sure, but when we’re back on land and living our lives with a little more room, we don’t feel so far away. – By Joe Kita
December 2018 43
A+ NUTRITION
The Best Foo for Y Pros
1
Fight cancer, maintain sexual health and eat well with these picks EEMAN BY JENNIFER TE
1
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TURMER RIC
This yellow wish spice a contains curcumin, c compound tha at may have anti-inflammatory properties. Stu udies show that curcumin disrupts how prostate- cancer cells metabolise. Recent Japanese research reinforced the e idea that the compound suppresses the spread of prostate-canc cer cells. TIP Stir ground turmeric into potatoes, use it to season grilled zucchini, or mix into a po ot of rice for a subtle currry flavour.
2
WATERMELON
For every 2mg of ne lycopen consumed daily, xperienced participants ex a one per cent drop in veloping their risk of dev er, a Uni of prostate cance ound. Just Illinois study fo 1½ cups of watermelon contains 9-13 mg m of lycopene. TIP Blend two handfuls coconut of melon wth c water (try Breville’s The $149 Kinetix Twist, $ n.com.au)) harveynorman to slushie-fy.
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4
3 5
ARTICHOKE HEARTS The centres of these prickly vegetables house the antioxidant ferulic acid. A recent Italian study determined that a diet rich in ferulic and caffeic acid (found in coffee) may lower your risk of developing prostate cancer. TIP After boiling until tender, halve the artichokes, brush with olive oil and lemon juice, and g grill till charred. Top p with salt and pepper.
SARDINES Cold-water fish like these have omega-3 fatty acids, which may improve the health of prostate cells, says urologist David Levy. Eating more omega-3s can improve the metabolic rate of prostate cells after just six weeks, Levy says. TIP Temper the stink by combining chopped sardines with a chopped hard-boiled egg, Greek yoghurt, y g , lemon jjuice,, salt and pepper. Use as a dip.
CARROTS Men who ate the most carrots were 65 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ate the least, according to a recent Vietnamese study. Why? The carotene in carrots may be more “bioavailable” than it is in other foods. TIP Grate a bunch carrots. Add a handful of raisins and splashes of red-wine vinegar g and olive oil. Season. Eat.
A+ MIND
RESIST THE URGE TO FILTER OUT YOUR ANXIETIES.
Stop Trying To Be Happy All The Time DON’T BE FOOLED BY INSTAGRAM PERMA-SMILES – SWIPE THE FORCED GRIN FROM YOUR FACE AND FIND A BETTER BALANCE
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good and bad that life throws at us, because happiness cannot exist without sadness. In short, it’s okay to feel shit. Unending, euphoric joy would, in reality, be bewildering – and it would deny us the variety of emotional responses that makes us human. Our lows, though painful, serve a crucial purpose. Crying is the start of the repairing process 3 and even moderate stress has proven evolutionary benefits. Long-term contentment is a matter of balance, so don’t be fooled by all the perma-smiles you see constantly on Instagram. Many researchers subscribe to a “90/10 principle”, which attributes 10 per cent of your happiness to things that happen to you and 90 per cent to how you react. So, choose to be accepting. Let go of what you can’t change, stay connected with others and buy experiences instead of things – and you may find your own smile is less forced. An appreciation of bad moods can diminish their impact on your physical and mental health. Research published in the journal Emotion discovered that those
“It’s OK to feel sad. Unending, euphoric joy would, in reality, be bewildering” who are able to embrace negative feelings, rather than ignore them, emerged from their funk psychologically unscathed. And according to a study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, feeling down enhances your memory and your attention to detail by improving your ability to block out distractions. Here’s a useful new word for
you: “sisu”. It’s the Finnish term for the psychological strength that allows you to overcome extraordinary challenges. Sisu encourages you to tap into your reserves of determination – a much healthier reaction than feeling glum because you’re not happy, and one that can lead to long-term life satisfaction. It’ll help you develop a backbone, instead of a wishbone.
THE DEVIL’S DETAILS
1
COOL IT
According to a study by Osaka University, Japan, happiness is maximised at 13.9°C. It should be easier to find in Hobart than Port Douglas.
2
PAY PALS
Research by the University of London found upping time spent with friends provides a boost equivalent to a pay rise of $115,000.
3
TEARING UP
Crying activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping to calm and soothe you, reports a Frontiers in Psychology study.
WORDS: TOM WARD; PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE; PAPER PROP BUILD BY ISOBEL BARBER / AGENCYRUSH.COM *AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, NATIONAL SURVEY OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLEBING.
THE CULT OF HAPPINESS isn’t working. According to one survey*, one in 8 men in Australia will suffer depression 1 . A study in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that society’s tendency to avoid admissions of sadness causes people to feel lonely when things inevitably don’t work out. Despite all the social media posts imploring you to focus on your own happiness, there is clearly a problem. Surprisingly, the key to finding true happiness might be to call off the search. US psychologists found that those who actively pursue it often feel pressured to be cheerful, and begin to blame themselves when they’re down. And if you think money can buy you happiness, you’re wrong there, too. Researchers have found that earning anything over $132,000 per year will only cause you greater stress 2 . Consultant psychiatrist Paul McLaren advocates the pursuit of good mental health instead. He argues that a fit mental state helps us cope with both the
A+ MUSCLE
Download Super-fast Gains in 300 Reps
FOR RESULTS AT HYPER-SPEED, LIFT LONGER AND LIGHTER.
THE DEBATE OVER the most effective rep range has been contested ad nauseam, but even those who give serious thought to their training tend to limit their answer to single or double figures. In most gyms, pushing beyond 25 reps in a single sitting is considered the realm of the meathead. But the latest science suggests that you should be doing more – a lot more. Research published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that by hammering out 300 reps with light weights – quad extensions, in the case of the study – you’ll hit the threshold for activating the muscle-building agents known as “satellite cells”. These adult stem cells are crucial for muscle regeneration after injury or general wear and tear, multiplying and fusing together where they are needed to form new, healthy muscle fibres. But it’s only by overloading your muscles with high numbers of reps that you’ll be able to “trick” them into building new tissue. The Dutch scientists recorded satellite cell levels 24 hours after the 300-rep exercise was completed and found significant activation in type-II (or “fast-twitch”) muscle fibres, showing that the body’s repair mechanisms had been successfully duped. You may well receive a few strange looks while you grimace through your last reps of 3kg dumbbell curls, but going the distance reaps big rewards. Hit refresh on your training.
THE NUMBERS GAIN TRIPLE-DIGIT REP RANGES MAY SEEM OTHERWORLDLY AT FIRST, BUT YOU’RE STILL A LONG WAY FROM THE HUMAN LIMIT*
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THE MOST PUSH-UPS
2682
Carlton Williams, UK, May 2017
THE MOST BW SQUATS
4708
Paddy Doyle, UK, November 2007
THE MOST CHIN-UPS
1009
Stephen Hyland, UK, August 2010
THE MOST BURPEES
1840
Paddy Doyle, UK, February 1994
WORDS BY LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON; ILLLUSTRATION BY PETER CROWTHER; *GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS FOR REPS WITHIN 60 MINUTES
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TURN UP THE HEAT THIS SEASON AND UPGRADE YOUR WARDROBE WITH THE RIGHT EDIT STYLING BY JEFF LACK PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIP LE MASURIER
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PRINTS & THE REVOLUTION Print shirts are big for summer. Wear them pared back with plain-coloured chinos, your favourite jeans or a pair of shorts. Throw a denim or leather jacket over the top on cooler evenings or wear them open and layered over a classic white tee. Tip: a little room goes a long way; so make sure you don’t wear your printed shirt too tight.
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Boom Shankar $79 Wrangler $89.95 03 Calibre $169 Double Rainbouu $195 05 ASOS $50 Rolla’s Black $89.95
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SHORT STORY Draw a line in the sand this summer and start rocking swimwear that befits the hard work you’ve put in at the gym or helps you out if you haven’t. A drawstring waist suits most and offers some give. When it comes to length, aim for the sweet spot between the top of your knee and your mid-thigh.
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Huffer $79.90 The Fan Sea $189 Jack and Jones $39.95 Le Coq Sportif $69.95 Hurley boardshorts $59.99
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SHADY CUSTOMERS The right pair of sunglasses won’t just keep the sun out of your eyes, they’ll also transform your face, and not just because they’re hiding the evidence of your late night. But this is one area where you have to try before you buy. Make sure your shades complement your brow-line. Ideally, you want to try and avoid seeing your eyebrows through the lens – they should sit just on top, behind the rim.
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Bolon $209 Bolon $209 Salvatore Ferragamo $490 Bolon $189 Tom Ford $649 Salvatore Ferragamo $690 Bolon $189 Tom Ford $745 December 2018
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HEAVY METAL Hot weather tends to mean T-shirt and shorts. This doesn’t leave much scope to add personality. That’s where jewellery can work. Silver pieces suit any skin colour, unlike gold, which tends to look good only on those with darker skin. Just don’t wear more than two items at once. All jewellery by Thomas Sabo and ToniMay
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FRESH KICKS Start your sneaker game with a classic pair of box-fresh white kicks, then add colour and texture as you dare.
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Superga $179.95 Le Coq Sportif $149.95 ASOS $64 Salvatore Ferragamo $775
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GROOMING
Wipe That Stress Of Your Face How you can undo the damage that anxiety wreaks on your skin
WRINKLES Cause: Cortisol raises blood sugar, damages connective tissue and makes it harder for skin to repair itself, thus accelerating ageing. Fix: SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream, $107, skinceuticals.com.au Pro tip: At night, apply a cream with retinoids, like this one, which shrinks pores and builds collagen to help diminish fine lines and wrinkles.
SLEEPLESSNESS AND STRESS mess with more than your mood. Look in the mirror. Any new lines or jowly-looking skin could be traced back to last night’s news or yesterday’s office hassle. That’s because stress spikes levels of the hormone cortisol in your body, which “creates oxidative stress that results in sagging and less ability to repair skin,” says dermatologist Dr Angela Lamb. “It can also aggravate pre-existing skin conditions or create new ones.” Now that researchers are developing products with ingredients known to counter this damage, you can worry less about worry lines and do something about them instead.
DULL SKIN Cause: Cortisol restricts blood flow and slows repair; a lack of sleep means there’s less time to grow new cells. Fix: Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant, $62, alpha-h.com Pro tip: Light cardio gets blood flowing for an easy refresh.
ACNE
Fix: Jack Black Oil-Control Toner, $ mensbiz.com.au $39,
DRYNESS Cause: Excess cortisol reduces the amount of water your skin retains. Fix: Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, $16.35 for 500mL, chemistwarehouse.com.au Pro tip: Wash with lukewarm water, then apply moisturiser quickly.
DARK CIRCLES Cause: Sodium and lack of sleep slow circulation, expanding blood vessels beneath thin under-eye skin. Fix: Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer, $33, kiehls.com.au Pro tip: De-puff morning eyes by applying ice or frozen tea bags. “The cold reduces puffiness, and tea provides antioxidants,” says dermatologist Dr Paul Jarrod Frank.
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Pro tip: Wipe your ph hone with a cleaning tissue to remove oil and bacteria. Change pillowcases weekly so your skin oils and products from your hair don’t touch your face.
WORDS BY SANDRA NYGAARD AND KATE NIVEN
Cause: For some, a surge of cortisol can le to an increase in lead oil production.
01° Bell & Ross BRV2-93 GMT $5500 This sporty GMT is a watch for the truly jet-set. The reason? It provides the time in three different global locations. The orange hand indicates a second timezone while the 24-hour bezel allows a third timezone reading. The only missing feature is a function to calculate your Frequent Flyer points.
DOUBLE TIME A mechanical timepiece might seem outdated, but a GMT watch with a second time zone remains useful for frequent flyers. And, judging by 2018’s crop, watchmakers expect a lot of air time PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIP LE MASURIER
WE ALL HAVE our own ways of dealing with jet lag – and, like Bill Murray’s character in Lost in Translation, they can involve as many midnight trips to the hotel gym as to the bar. But what if neither lulls you into a slumber? Maybe it’s time to get some work done. A glance at your GMT watch tells you it’s midnight here in Sydney, but your colleague John is on a 3pm deadline at the London office and could do with a hand. This was the point of GMT watches – with the rise of the jet age in the 1950s, a device was needed to let pilots keep tabs on the clock at both their origin and destination. Though our instantly syncing smart devices have called time on the original function of the GMT indicator, this year’s boom in watches with dual-time capability proves that it’s still a popular tool. Not only do you have the novelty of your own miniature observatory strapped to your wrist, but the variety of creative, colourful ways to display that second time zone has resulted in a world of different looks. And with us clocking up more air miles than ever and 37 time zones to negotiate, it’s all the more reason to invest. 58
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02° TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 Chronograph GMT $7750 You’re guaranteed a rock-solid timepiece with TAG, and this GMT chrono is one of the brand’s finest iterations of its iconic Carrera to date. Boasting a 75-hour power reserve and a skeletonised dial, it will mesmerise the mechanically minded for hours.
WA T C H E S
04° Mido Multifort GMT $1625 Mido is a Swiss watch brand that delivers serious bang for your buck. Here, you get the GMT function plus a top-notch ETA movement that’s visible through a sapphire caseback. But it’s a handsome fellow, too, with the textured dial and a lick of colour guaranteed to catch the eye.
05° Frederique Constant Runabout GMT $2650 There’s a classy restraint about the Runabout, with its white indices and clean, well-proportioned dial that’s enlivened by the skeltonised blue GMT hand. Frederique Constant is all about affordable luxury, but this watch reeks of business class.
03° Tudor Black Bay GMT $4670 Tudor’s Black Bay line continues to grow and this year’s GMT model has got pulses racing. The Pepsi colour configuration is a nod to the watches worn by Pan Am pilots in the 1950s. The bezel rotates, so you can use the big-arrowed 24-hour hand to track a third time zone.
06° Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial GMT $15,075 At 45.5mm wide, this is a big boy. But despite its heft, this diver is surprisingly light – the glossy casebody has been crafted from a single block of ceramic. GMT functionality is all present and correct, but this is also a serious diver: it’s water-resistant to 600m.
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The New Rules of Engagement She’s the one? Congratulations. Now, use our guide to ensure you don’t botch the proposal BY HARRIET SIM
FOR TATIANA CAICEDO, the mastermind behind engagement service Proposal007, the morning begins with a series of text messages from an anxious client. Today caps months of meticulous planning, beginning with a discreet phone call, a string of fake invitations and a date. Everything is set but in Caicedo’s line of work, second thoughts are not uncommon. The team goes into damage control and once the nervous client has been reassured, Caicedo sets the plan in motion. Today’s location is a popular CBD cinema, so disguises are mandatory. After carrying out some final adjustments, Caicedo takes her position as a cinema patron alongside her colleague, who hides a long lens camera between cinema seats. As if on cue, the client and his partner enter and slowly trail the aisle of the theatre. What follows is not a jewellery heist – although there is a ring involved, but an elaborate marriage proposal. Jump onto YouTube and you’ll find an endless stream of extravagant proposal videos. There are guys leaping out of planes, flash mobs and football stadium rentals. Clearly, the bar for blokes has been set pretty damn high. Unfortunately, even the most foolproof plans have their flaws. Rain soaks flower petals, a swarm of tourists spoils the mood and the ring that sits fizzing in a champagne flute is unforeseeably swallowed. Relax, we’re here to rescue you from proposal pitfalls and make sure you get the best bling for your buck. 60
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ARE YOU READY? Contrary to Beyoncé’s wisdom: ‘if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it’, experts advise against this method of assessment. Proposal planner and co-founder of One Romance, Tiffany Wright, reveals the relationship checkpoints you need to hit before you’re ready to tie the knot: You’ve actually talked about marriage and it’s something you both want. You’ve been together for longer than a year. You share the same hopes and dreams for the future. “It’s really important when you are thinking of proposing to make sure you are both on the same page,” Wright says. “After all, you’re (hopefully) going to be spending the rest of your lives together.” You’re comfortable with the fact that although you could probably do better, you might as well give this marriage caper a crack. (Okay, we added this one).
STYLE
CHOOSING THE MOMENT Sure, plastering her face across the Sydney Opera House is one way to pop the question (and perhaps, now, a plausible one) but for some, seeing yourself spread across 180-odd metres of white sails can be a little confronting. Especially if PDAs aren’t her scene. Remember it should be more about sentiment and less about show, so think about how you can make the moment personal, Caicedo advises. The place you met or your favourite restaurant are solid choices – just don’t put the ring in the dessert. For the bloke whose partner likes to live life on the larger side (good luck to you), get creative, enlist a friend or consult a proposal planner. We look forward to seeing your YouTube debut.
Should you ask her father for permission? So, he’s drunk you under the table, showed you up on the golf course and now you want his marital blessing. Smart move? Perhaps. But is it necessary? According to a 2015 survey by TheKnot. com, more than three quarters of men still ask for permission from their partner’s father or parents before they propose. While being in her dad’s good books may seem like the right move, make sure it is what your partner would want, warns Meghan Brown, director of Howheasked.com. Not only do many women feel the custom is outdated, it may also save you one of the most excrutiating conversations you can have with a man whose native tongue is banter and specialty: ball-breaking.
the Right Rock , that finger wear is going to get some serious airtime (on Instagram or so choosing the right ring is crucial. But with more rings on the market BA All Star team, where do you start? Well, according to Brisbane llace Bishop (wallacebishop.com.au), the best cheat sheet is the four C’s. an this is the cut, colour, clarity and carat:
Cut
Not the place to cut corners, “the cut is about the shape of the diamond,” says Stuart Bishop, CEO of Wallace Bishop. ‘Pear,’ ‘princess’ and ‘square’ are all popular choices, but if you’re after something timeless, look no further than the classic round diamond, Bishop advises.
Colour
The less colour the better the shine, Bishop says. And the better you’ll look when that ring becomes the focal point at her Sunday girls’ brunch.
Clarity This basically
means examining the diamond for any flaws, blemishes or inclusions. Remember, it’s called ice for a reason - it’s meant to be clear.
Carat
The all-important weight of the stone. This is where your wallet will feel the most impact. But fear not, in this instance, size doesn’t necessarily matter. A well-set diamond can elongate the stone, creating the illusion of a larger rock, Bishop says. So, talk to your jeweller about finding a unique setting. You could even call it a ‘personal touch.’
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FIELD MARSHAL With Australian cricket at its lowest ebb in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, the coming season shapes as one of the most testing in the sport’s history. MH sat down with new coach Justin Langer to discuss how you lead a team that’s gone from heroes to zeroes Ben Jhoty Photography By Richard Whitfield By
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TACTICS
BARE YOUR SOLES: LANGER USES MEDITATION TO FIND MENTAL CLARITY.
December 2018 65
ustin Langer is sitting barefoot in front of the white picket fence that rings the Allan Border Field in Brisbane when a group of Australian fast bowlers saunters past. The pacemen, who include Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc, begin ribbing their coach about his lack of footwear. “Shoes off again,” yells Siddle. Langer smiles. “The way it should be,” he yells back, before getting up off the grass and scampering over to the players, who continue to take the mickey. “Looking good, mate,” says Siddle, placing his hand on Langer’s shoulder as if to assess his muscle tone. “Didn’t you use to like mesh singlets?” someone else chimes in. As the players continue across the oval to the nets, Langer hurries back to his position against the fence. “Great bloke,” he says of Siddle as he resumes his position on the grass. “He’s a ripper.” It’s an innocuous enough exchange. Banter, Langer calls it later when discussing the way his team will play its cricket under his leadership. Over the course of our interview he has similar interactions with a handful of other current and former players, who greet him with a mix of respect, esteem and affection. It’s not hard to see why. Famously intense, disciplined to a fault yet endearingly enigmatic, Langer, or “JL”, was a player who, through sheer hard work and relentless determination, managed to wring every last drop of his potential to get the best out of himself. The question now, as he takes on perhaps the most difficult job in Australian sport, is can he get the best out of others? The other question that’s being asked right now? Can he turn a team that’s not only lost its best players but also its way, into a unit that pursues both excellence and honour? They’re noble, some would say idealistic goals for a team that made its name playing a hard-edged, often hostile brand of cricket. But such is Langer’s self-belief and so instructive is his experience as a player and as a coach at WA, you can’t help feeling he might just have a shot at succeeding. Which is encouraging, because if the Australian cricket team can succeed while being good blokes, maybe anyone can. 66
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TACTICS
MH: What was your reaction to the ball-tampering scandal? JL: I was with my little daughter Gracie, she’s 12 and she loves her sport. We were sitting on the couch and they had this replay and you could just see a hand with something yellow in it. And I remember looking at Gracie, and saying, ‘Pray that’s not Cameron’. Cameron Bancroft has been like one of my sons in Western Australian cricket. Then I saw it and my heart sunk. I was shattered, for him, for us, for Australian cricket. I knew the enormity of it the next morning when I was with my second daughter Ali, my hippy daughter. We go down to Fremantle Markets every Sunday morning. We have our coffee and our gozleme, we talk rubbish and everyone leaves us alone. But the day after, there would have been 10 people come up to us going “JL, what’s happened?” They were angry, they were sad, they couldn’t believe it. So, I’m going ‘Whoa’. That’s when I realised this is Australia’s team. It’s Australia’s team.
MH: One of your core principles is ‘character over cover drives’? Does that take on greater significance with a team that has publicly disgraced itself?
“ MOST GREAT CHAMPIONS ARE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE. IF THEY’RE NOT THEY COME UNDONE ”
JL: My blueprint is really simple. I played in a team where we won a lot but with outstanding people. You look at what guys like Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath have done post their careers. They are incredible, incredible people. Of course you can be a good person and win. Roger Federer is a good person and wins all the time. In my dealings in life, most of the great champions are really humble, really good people. If they’re not they come undone.
MH: You’ve admitted feeling overwhelmed by the job when you first took it on. How did you overcome that? JL: We went to England with three guys suspended, we had four or five of our senior guys injured and we got beaten 5-0. It’s never fun losing to England, I’ll give you the big tip. Then I came home and the scrutiny of the job, it was like walking into the jungle. I was doing a lot of soul searching. I was like, ‘What have I done?’ I knew I needed a bit of a circuit breaker and I didn’t know where it was coming from. Everyone knows at the end
of the season I become a hippy for a month. I don’t wear shoes, I grow a beard and that’s really good reflection time. But my hippy month didn’t happen because I went straight into the job. So, after we got back from England I just stayed at home. I worked from home, I trained from home. I hardly left home. And that was a really nice time. That was the circuit breaker I needed.
MH: You’ve got a strict no-assholes rule in your teams. But assholes can often be some of the best players, right? JL: If you’re going to be a knob or very different you want to be a genius. You want to be an absolute genius. People who choose to be like that, no worries you can do that but you’ve got to be an unbelievable performer to even get a chance at it. So, you’re weighing that up as a coach. But I can tell you now there aren’t too many Christiano Ronaldos in the world. You’ve got to be at that level otherwise it’s no good for the team. It’s not worth it.
MH: Tell us about the incident on the bus with the WA team where you made them run hills before going to the airport? What was the point of that? JL: I’ll never forget this and it will probably happen in the Australian team at some point. WA had beaten SA, which meant we’d come from rock bottom to be in the Sheffield Shield final. So, we all went out to dinner, had a really nice night, went back to the hotel or that’s what I thought. Next morning the players get on the bus. And these are my mates – this is Mike Hussey, Adam Voges – guys I’ve played with. They get on the bus and I go, ‘Something’s not right here’. They’d tied one on. They’d gone out after and had a monster celebration. I remember sitting there and going ‘Righto, what are you going to do here, mate? Are you going to stand for something?’ It was like this conversation in my head. And at first I thought I’d let it slide because that’s the easy thing to do. That’s popular and I don’t want to look like a knob in front of my mates. And then I thought, ‘Nah, this is the moment, mate. This is a really important moment in my coaching career and in Western Australian cricket’. So, I said, ‘Righto, into the change room, put your running shoes and your shorts on’. And then, mate, I gave it to them. December 2018
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There’s this hill at the Adelaide Oval and I go ‘Righto, off you go’. And they’re running up and down the hill and they’re spewing up. They’re going ‘We’re going to miss the plane’ and I’m going ‘I don’t care if we miss the plane’. From that day on I never lost a second’s sleep about our team because they knew what we stood for. In any business, in any team, you’ve got to know what you stand for. Leadership is not a popularity contest and if you don’t believe that, you’ll eventually get burnt.
MH: In your book you said it would be a very sad day if the Australian team lost its killer instinct. There’s no danger of that, right? JL: Of course we’re going to try and win every game we play. It will be very hard to take the old Anzac spirit out of our DNA. I can’t see that changing. But I also know there’s a difference between abuse and banter. If I go into a pub and I abuse someone I’m going to get into a fight and that’s a lose/lose for everyone. But I can go into the same pub and have some banter about my team versus his team. In Australia we quite often call sledging banter, whereas other countries, it’s ‘Oh sledging, that must be abuse’. No, no, in our country, we sledge each other on the golf course, we sledge each other around the dinner table but it’s banter, it’s actually a great part of the humour of our culture. This whole thing about the fine line, I think that’s crap. It’s either abuse or it’s banter. We know what the difference is.
MH: You’ve often been called intense. How do you think that facet of your personality will influence your coaching style? People should never confuse intensity with honesty. I always laugh. Someone looks you in the eye and tells you the truth and it’s like, ‘Geez you’re intense’. No, no, I’m just honest. When I was captain (of Somerset) my expectations of other people were a lot higher than what they should have been. I learned a valuable lesson and that’s that everyone is different. As long as they don’t step outside the boundaries of what’s expected within the group, everything will be fine. One of the great compliments I was given last year was by Marcus Stoinis who came back to WA. He said, ‘You’ve got a lot of rare units here in WA, haven’t you? You know the best part of that’, he says. ‘They feel they 68
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can be rare, they can be themselves’. I love them being different, I love them being rare.
daughter’s cupboard door yesterday: practise being brave. To be brave you’ve got to put yourself in scary situations.
MH: Do you think your early struggles to cement your place in the Australian team will help you as a coach with this team?
MH: You’ve said the pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment. Has that become a tenet of your coaching?
JL: There’s not much these boys will go through that I haven’t gone through myself. The struggles of making the team, the struggles of making your debut, the nerves that go with that. The struggles of getting dropped. When do I retire? What do I do when I’m not playing well? I’ve been through all these things and I’m sure that will have an impact on any success I have as a coach because I’ve walked in their shoes.
JL: It’s the most important mantra in my life. Discipline doesn’t mean you have to jump in freezing cold water and meditate for hours. Discipline is about the choices you make. Do I put sugar in my coffee? Do I eat a hamburger or do I eat a salad? Do I go for a run or do I not go for a run? Do I be nice or do I be a prick? That’s just all discipline. It’s making the right choices. It’s a really powerful mantra for me because if you make the wrong decisions you tend to suffer or you experience disappointment and that’s a horrible feeling.
MH: Luck plays a part in any career and you had your fair share in some of the pivotal moments in yours. What’s your attitude towards risk taking? JL: We’ve all heard the saying the harder you work, the luckier you get. Well, I actually say, the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. There’s a funny thing in the universe. We see the luck, right? But what people don’t see is what happened before that. After I got dropped back in the 2001 Ashes, I got so fit, I hit so many balls. And then all of a sudden this opportunity from nowhere came up. Michael Slater got dropped for the last Test. It all came together and then I got dropped on 7 and went on to make a hundred. Is that a fluke? Who can tell? But at least you give yourself a chance. I wrote this up on my second
MH: You’re a big fan of meditation. How does this help you? JL: I meditate for 20 minutes every day. I like my yoga, I like harmony. So, there’s this paradox. I can be serious but I’ve got a much bigger-picture view of the world, which is about not getting too far ahead of yourself or too far behind. I learned a great mantra in America a couple of weeks ago: be where your feet are. I used to always say ‘watch the ball’ when I had negative thoughts. It brings me back to now. If I worry about now, then I don’t have to worry about what might happen, which 99 per cent of the time doesn’t happen anyway. So, I say watch the ball, be where your feet are. I think that’s pretty good advice for most people.
“THE HARDER YOU WORK, THE HARDER IT IS TO SURRENDER”
The First Test between Australia and India starts on Dec. 6, live on Channel 7.
Fit Any Age! at
Fitness is for life but adhering to the same, old training plan won’t guarantee an ageless physique. You need to evolve. Thankfully, we have the plans to help you sidestep Father Time. Use this guide to stay the leanest, strongest version of yourself, no matter how many miles you have on your clock 70
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FITNESS
MODEL WESTON BOUCHER TRAINS SMARTER, NOT HARDER, TO STAY FIT AT 38.
Your
30s
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Your
30s THE UPSHOT The end of your twenties delivers a double gut punch: not only is it more dificult to find the time to train around your work and new responsibilities, but when you do make it to the gym, it’s also tougher to see results. Your body is pumping out fewer muscle-building hormones, yet that’s no reason to ease up. “De-training occurs rapidly, and restarting a regimen from scratch is tough on your body,” says sports scientist David Leith. Instead, he advocates a more varied approach for complete fitness. CASE STUDY WESTON BOUCHER
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Leith advises against the conventional split of upper- and lower-body sessions. Instead, he recommends workouts that combine elements of strength and endurance, targeting multiple muscles at once to raise your testosterone levels higher than any chestand-tris session. Keep in mind that cutting rest periods is a common error of the time-poor man: they are crucial to ensuring that you’re working at maximum capacity. Use the “dead time” between sets for gentle mobility work until your heart rate returns to its baseline, then finish each session with five sets of 30-second sprints on the bike or treadmill to fire up your cardio fitness. Skip the Sunday long run, if you like.
YOURPOWERMOVE TRAP BAR DEADLIFT
“Using a trap bar puts less stress on the lumbar spine, letting you lift heavy weights with less risk of lower-back injuries,” says Artur Zolkiewicz, PT and manager of the Workshop Gymnasium. “That makes it ideal for desk workers. The deadlift also activates more muscles than any other exercise, so you’ll burn a lot of fat, while increasing testosterone and growth hormone production.”
01%
TESTOSTERONE
Age 38, 193cm, 89kg For most men, battling the “dad bod” falls somewhere in the soft middle of our list of priorities. But losing form was never an option for fitness model Weston Boucher – his work wouldn’t permit it. His methodology wasn’t always as smart as it is today, however: as a teenager, he idolised Hollywood actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone and imitated their training styles, building up his muscle mass with isolation moves. “I assumed that whatever worked for them was good enough for me,” he recalls. But at 38? “It wasn’t until decades later that I learned to marry my lifting with proper nutrition and fat-burning cardio,” he says. This new strategy has resulted in a leaner, more functional physique. He still spends five days a week weight training, but is now a devotee of HIIT and beach volleyball, too. “Volleyball improved my power and agility – and it revealed my almost comical lack of flexibility,” he says. Now, when fitness starts to feel like a grind, he mixes up his routine and includes some yoga. “It’s important to challenge yourself,” he says.
THE PLAN DIVERSIFY TRAINING
AGE
The yearly fall in testosterone after 30 – but smart training can slow its decline
Your
40s THE UPSHOT Weight training in your twenties often felt like a competitive sport, but by now you should be past the point of trying to match the numbers on your neighbour’s bar. That doesn’t have to mean taking yourself out of the game, however. In your forties, you won’t bulk up as quickly as you used to, so focus instead on maintenance: staving of muscle loss and the accompanying drop in metabolism. Don’t be wary of working at high intensity – your body can still handle it. Just ensure that you give yourself a full day’s recovery time between workouts. You’re in it for the long haul.
FITNESS
CASE STUDY ZAYD SHAIKH
SHAIKH FOCUSES ON RECOVERY TO BATTLE AGEING.
Age 45, 170cm, 80kg Contrary to appearances, Zayd Shaikh isn’t a lifelong athlete: worn out by work stress, he took up training at the age of 40. His friends told him that it was too late to make any visible progress, but Shaikh was determined to feel better, not simply to look it. Initially, he enlisted the help of a personal trainer. “I wanted to avoid injuries, so learning proper technique felt important,” he says. “And I was cautious about finding someone who would adapt the program to my age and schedule.” Shaikh now trains for 75 minutes a day, six times a week. His program targets a different muscle group each day to allow time for recovery. He concentrates on his legs twice a week; as the largest muscles in the body, they provide the highest fat burn. He has also learned when to push himself, and what he needs to do to recuperate. “I stretch my muscles both before and after workouts,” he says. “If I feel tired, I rest.”
THE PLAN MOBILITY MATTERS Even younger men shouldn’t skip their warm-ups, but doing so now could cause you serious harm. Decades of desk work have tightened your hips and weakened your abs, raising your risk of back strain. “Stability and activation work are vital for postural alignment and joint mobility,” says Leith. They’ll boost your lifts, too: spend 10 minutes warming up the muscles you’re focusing on at the start of each session. Finally, schedule a weekly workout for “impactloading activities”, such as jumping or running, which will keep your skeletal structure strong – the solid foundation you’ll need for continued muscle growth.
YOURPOWERMOVE
KETTLEBELL WINDMILL
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Your muscles burn a fifth of
your daily kilojoules. Weight training will keep your metabolism high
Mobility and musclebuilding aren’t mutually exclusive. Zolkiewicz advocates this move to strengthen your core, stretch your hamstrings, stabilise your shoulders and mobilise your hips and back. Hold the bell overhead, push your hips in the direction of your weighted arm and reach to the floor with the other hand. Ask an instructor for guidance until you’ve nailed it. December 2018
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BY LIGHTENING HIS LOAD, VAN VEIJEREN EARNED MASSIVE RESULTS.
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FITNESS
THE UPSHOT This is the age at which most people hang up their Metcons – but you’re not most people. According to tests conducted on men with an average age of 54, a regular fitness program can stave of “age-related” declines in energy and testosterone. But your greatest imperative? Protecting your brain. A study in the British Journal of Sports Science found that raising your heart rate also improves thinking and memory. So, stop chasing PBs: high-rep training is the smartest way to keep your brain and body sharp.
CASE STUDY GEE VAN VEIJEREN
Your
ILLUSTRATIONS: SONNY RAMIREZ/ILLUSTRATIONROOM.COM.AU, *BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
50s
Age 51, 175cm, 85kg Gee van Veijeren is in the best shape of his life – an impressive achievement for a man who has been a regular gym-goer since the age of 21. But the years of experience have armed van Veijeren with the knowledge to train intelligently. “If I’m not feeling ‘strong’ on a particular day, I’ll just work at a reduced intensity,” he says. “But I’ll still train: that’s the important thing. I always feel more energised afterwards.” Van Veijeren has shifted from training for size to training for symmetry, using lighter weights with a higher rep count. “I still work to failure, but I’m not 25 any more, so I take care to avoid injury,” he explains. Career commitments have threatened to derail him, but he’s refused to let them succeed. “My health is as important – if not more so – than any work event. That’s why I schedule sessions in my diary.” As a result, he’s happier with his body than he was in his twenties. “And, I love the way people respond when they realise how old I really am,” he admits.
THE PLAN CHOOSE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Forget about smashing it five days a week. “Focus on performing exercises with good form and a full range of motion,” advises Leith. “And be careful not to rush.” Choose functional movements that will help you in your day-to-day life: weighted carries and lunges, rather than curls and leg extensions. If you’re having trouble with your joints, modify your exercises – lower the tempo, or swap in pool sessions – but don’t skip training altogether. Maintaining momentum will help you in the long term. A study by Boston University School of Public Health found that strength training reduced osteoarthritic pain by 35 per cent and increased lower-limb strength by 33 per cent in older adults. Ensure you’re built to last.
YOUR POWER MOVE GOBLET SQUAT
Squats are among the best moves for maintaining muscle mass, burning fat and mobilising your hips, knees and ankles. “But not everyone is blessed with the mobility and core strength to perform a barbell back squat safely,” says Zolkiewicz. This variation, in which you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell to your chest, is easier on your back – but it carries all the same benefits.
40MIN Train for this long five times a week and you can reverse cellular ageing by nine years* December 2018
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BEST PODCASTS IN HEALTH & FITNESS One in four of us now regularly tunes into podcasts: whatever your niche, passion or discipline, there’s an in-ear coach for you. But with thousands to choose from, it isn’t easy for the MH man to pick out the truly useful audio inspo. So, we’ve whittled them down to 50, each packed with sound advice to upgrade every aspect of your life. Listen, learn – and let them entertain you
BY JAMIE MILLAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCKY IF SHARP
KEY HEALTH ENHANCER 76
NUTRITION HACKS
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
TRAINING UPGRADE
ATHLETE SECRETS
HEALTH & FITNESS
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01-02
Jocko Podcast
10% Happier with Dan Harris The Emmy Award-winning Harris was a co-anchor on the American TV institution Good Morning America – until he suffered a panic attack live on air, which prompted him to consider meditation. Converted, he wrote a book about it, also called 10% Happier (and a follow-up, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics). In these meetings of mindfulness devotees, guests muse upon happiness in its many forms and ask whether striving for success and enlightenment are mutually exclusive. LIKE THAT? Try Happier with Gretchen Rubin, in which the US blogger, speaker and author of bestselling books Happier at Home and The Happiness Project offers “practical, manageable” advice.
Jocko Willink is a former commander of the most decorated special operations unit in the Iraq War, who went on to become the officer in charge of training all Navy Seals on the US west coast. In short, he is one of the toughest men you’ll ever listen to. Learn the fundamentals of training and leadership from the Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt who wakes up at 4.30am to “get after it”. LIKE THAT? Try the Unbeatable Mind Podcast with Mark Divine, presented by a retired Navy Seal commander who grills athletes and ex-military personnel for life strategies.
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The Tim Ferriss Show The author of New York Times bestsellers The 4-Hour Work Week, Body and Chef wrote the book(s) on speedy self-improvement. His podcast, in which he “deconstructs world-class performers”, regularly tops the iTunes business chart, as well as Apple’s list of the best podcasts. His subjects range from start-ups to stand-ups, and from athletes to Arnie. The interviews can be long – but they’re always a productive use of your time. LIKE THAT? Try The James Altucher Show, hosted by the entrepreneur, author and chess master. His guests include skater Tony Hawk, former astronaut Mike Massimino and, er, Tim Ferriss.
PLUG INTO THE ELITE’S SECRETS.
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The Dissect Podcast Mark Twight founded the hard-line facility Gym Jones, which put Salt Lake City, Utah, on the workout map by moulding the 300 Spartans and Superman himself, Henry Cavill. With fellow alumni Michael Blevins, Paul Roberts and Ross McGarvey, who “prefer verbs over nouns, action over words and ends over means”, Twight has started a new facility, the Sect, and this podcast. You’ll get schooled on what they disparage as “fitnessing”, but also learn that real transformations are far more profound. LIKE THAT? Try Starting Strength by old-school coach Mark Rippetoe, who supersets expert interviews with tutorials, “Ask Rip” Q&As and discourses on modern masculinity.
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The Joe Rogan Experience A show presented by a stand-up comedian might seem a funny choice on a list of the best fitness podcasts, but Rogan also provides commentary for the UFC and is a former US tae kwon do champion. One of the world’s most popular podcasters, with more than 1,000 episodes under his black belt, the self-dubbed “psychedelic adventurer” is as likely to get into the weeds with his guests on topics such as sports science and mixed martial arts as to discuss legalising cannabis. LIKE THAT? Try WTF with Marc Maron, another comedian and podcast OG (even Barack Obama graced his garage back in 2015), who is a black belt in beating himself up.
PRESCRIBE YOURSELF A TALKING CURE.
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Health Hacker with Adam MacDougall
NRL legend and founder of The Man Shake, Adam MacDougall has a steel-trap mind geared to achieving optimum results with maximum efficiency. Listen and learn to streamline all aspects of your life. LIKE THAT? Try The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes, a NFL player who suffered a career-ending wrist injury then built a multimillion-dollar online business and made it onto Team USA’s handball squad. He now interviews high achievers to find out “what makes great people great”.
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The Rich Roll Podcast A former entertainment attorney, athlete and author, Roll had a healthy midlife crisis on the eve of his 40th birthday after struggling up a flight of stairs. Ditching animal products along with alcohol, drugs and more than 20kg of weight, within two years he ranked among the top 10 male finishers at the Ultraman, a three-day, 515 km multi-sport race. He is now considered one of the fittest men in the world. His wellness conversations with diverse luminaries will make your cardio go faster. LIKE THAT? Radio to tune into non-preachy vegan ultrarunner Matt Frazier, whether you want to run entirely on plants or just a slightly greener fuel.
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Whistle blowhards Dedicated sports podcasts are sonic crack for diehard fans. Here’s four of the best
JunkTime AFL Podcast Michael Chamberlain and Adam Rozenbach’s humourous look at the AFL delivers jokes at about the rate Tom Mitchell racks up centre clearances – not that they’re big on statistical analysis.
The Guardian Football Weekly Now in it’s 13th year this UK-based pod institution offers a Eurocentric view of the beautiful game. Sharp Brit journos might discuss their breakfast one minute . . . the merits of using a false nine at Celta Vigo the next!
The Back Three Tom Moldoveanu, Kevin Braysher and Denny Griggs run the rule over the week in Rugby League. A focus on in-game nitty gritty rather than big- picture bombast make this one for the purist rather than the casual listener.
The Ringer NBA Show Memphis Grizzlies’ broadcaster Chris Vernon and basketball writer Kevin O’Connor’s good-natured, often heated sparring on all things NBA is fast making them one of the hoop world’s great double acts.
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The Hilarious World of Depression Listening to people talk about depression might not sound like a laugh-a-minute experience, but when the people in question are comedians and other wits who periodically feel low despite being at the top of their game, the chortle rate is unexpectedly high. “Depression is everywhere, and it sucks,” says American public radio presenter John Moe. “But talking about it doesn’t. Talking about it is a re lly good idea.” LIKE THAT? Try The Osher Günsberg Podcast in which the TV presenter and MH cover guy lays his mental demons on the table as he and well-known guests shed their public personas to reveal the pivotal, often emotionally raw experiences that shaped them.
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GMB Fitness Show Devised by martial arts, gymnastics and physical therapy experts, this is a gold-standard bodyweight training program for developing your skills and flexibility. Co-founder Ryan Hurst enlists the help of fitness cognoscenti such as Animal Flow creator Mike Fitch and Al Kavadlo of Progressive Calisthenics. LIKE THAT? Try The Freestyle Way by Carl Paoli, a national gymnast-turned-CrossFit trainer and the founder of Gymnastics WOD.
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Finding Mastery When Felix Baumgartner panicked as he prepared to leap from a hot-air balloon on the edge of space, it was psychologist Michael Gervais who talked him off the ledge. Join him as he explores the “common thread” connecting the world’s greatest performers as they “pursue the boundaries of human potential”. LIKE THAT? Try Mindset RX’d, a WOD for your mind from Tom Foxley, a PT and Royal Marines reservist despite having a heart condition.
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Ted Talks: Health Sadly not a series of wellness monologues from Seth MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed bear, but rather lectures by a global community of thought leaders. Ted Talks cover anything and everything, including health. Think of them as lectures from some of the smartest people on the planet – fascinating and free. LIKE THAT? Try Ted Radio Hour, in which several speakers convene around the mic and share their insights on a topic, from the struggle to find meaningful work to the fountain of youth.
YOUR ROUTE TO UPPERSTREAM FITNESS.
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LISTEN AND LEARN HOWTO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH.
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30 for 30 Podcasts
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Eat, Move and Live Better As well as serving up online diet programmes, Precision Nutrition advises companies such as Nike. Fittingly, the emphasis here is on food. There’s plenty of nutritional facts to get your teeth into and, because they’re bite-sized, you can binge on several in a sitting. LIKE THAT? Try Sigma Nutrition Radio: science prepared by nutritionist Danny Lennon, with a sprinkling of coaches, athletes and researchers.
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Waking Up with Sam Harris If anyone can help you make sense of our incomprehensible world, it’s neuroscientist Sam Harris, author of bestsellers such as Free Will. His podcast ranges from evolutionary psychology and politics to the meaning of life. Prepare for your mind to be truly blown. LIKE THAT? Try the award-winning On Being with Krista Tippett, in which the journalist and former diplomat ruminates on existence with guests such as Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. 80
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When it comes to spine-tingling sports documentaries, American network ESPN is the greatest of all time. And it turns out they work just as effectively without the visuals. A delightfully in-depth refuge from the shallow sports news cycle of previews and predictions, results and reactions, here you can discover everything from the origins of the UFC, to the genesis of the Madden video game franchise. LIKE THAT? Try The Bill Simmons Podcast, the most downloaded sports podcast ever, by the journalist and author who kicked off 30 for 30 before founding his own outlet, The Ringer.
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Trivial Pursuits
The podcasts that will make you the toast of dinner parties and the Rambo of pub ammo
No Such Thing As A Fish After learning that 600 men have two penises, the QI “elves” – the writers of the BBC panel show – set this up to share their latest and greatest “quite interesting” discoveries.
Stuff You Should Know Writers from howstuffworks.com explain, among other things, the mechanisms behind tsunamis, bullfighting and condoms. At the very least, you should know how the last of these work.
99% Invisible If you haven’t seen this on lists of best podcasts, you haven’t been looking. Host Roman Mars gives visibility to the design and architecture of the world around you, from bar codes to Freud’s couch and New York’s cow tunnels (really).
Revisionist History Celebrated author Malcolm Gladwell uses his counterintuitive brain to reconsider misunderstood episodes from the past, such as basketballer Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
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Fight Disciples Collecting awards like Anthony Joshua does belts, radio presenter Adam Catterall and boxing writer Nick Peet don’t restrict themselves to the Queensberry rules, taking on all comers across boxing and UFC, including combatants, coaches and correspondents. It’s the undisputed best brawling podcast. LIKE THAT? Try Fight Night, also hosted by Catterall (and occasionally Peet) and part of TalkSport’s stable, giving it a reach that lets it connect with real heavyweights.
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TheMove
Finish the Job
It’s an inconvenient truth that one of the best cycling podcasts is hosted by Lance Armstrong, who was shorn of his seven Tour de France titles following the revelation of his serial doping. Yes, TheMove is doubtless an attempt to rehabilitate his reputation (and the same goes for The Forward, his terrific series
of interviews with athletes, film-makers and authors). But whatever you think of him, Armstrong knows a lot about riding bikes. LIKE THAT? Try The Cycling Podcast, hosted by three peloton-leading journalists, which finished joint third in the Sport category at the 2018 British Podcast Awards.
GIVE YOURSELF A MENTAL WORKOUT.
Hidden Brain
Freakonomics Radio Hosted by Stephen J Dubner, co-author of the conventional-wisdomdebunking book series, this show “tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn’t)”, from smarter money to the economics of sleep.
How I Built This Guy Raz, host of the Ted Radio Hour, quizzes the upper echelons of the business world – such as James Dyson and Richard Branson – about their empires. Sitting on a great idea? This show will get you moving. The Accidental Creative Whether you create for a living, manage artistic temperaments or use the term as a euphemism for “prone to procrastination”, Todd Henry – the “arms dealer for the creative revolution” – will inspire you.
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The multi-award-winning journalist and Harvard fellow Shankar Vedantam – who is also a former science writer at the Washington Post – combines science and storytelling “to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behaviour”, from the surprisingly long history of fake news to the more baffling question of why we lie. LIKE THAT? Try Invisibilia, which holds that “unseeable forces” control how we behave – what, for example, makes a brain surgery patient’s hand start stubbing out cigarettes of its own accord?
Improve your odds of getting through your listening list with these high-powered productivity podcasts
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The Primal Blueprint Podcast Cavemen didn’t podcast – but don’t dismiss this show approved by endurance athleteturned-paleo author Mark Sissons. Guests include mobility guru Kelly Starrett and surfer Laird Hamilton. Not just for “ancestral health” evangelists, it’ll help anyone who wants to eat and move more naturally. LIKE THAT? Try The Paleo Solution Podcast by powerlifter, martial artist and ex-biochemist Robb Wolf, who co-founded the very first CrossFit affiliate.
Getting Things Done Hailed as “the defining self-help business book of its time” by Time, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has even become an initialism: GTD. This podcast version supports your practice with essential advice.
HBR Ideacast Harvard Business Review is a hotbed of innovation, and its podcast – unlike much of its content – is free. Featuring “the leading thinkers in business and management”, many episodes come in at under 20 minutes – a sound investment. Eat Sleep Work Repeat The side hustle of Twitter’s Bruce Daisley, this business podcast looks at productivity through the lens of workplace culture and happiness. December 2018
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The New Rules of Burning
Fat 82
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PHOTOGRAPHY: LOUISA PARRY, STUDIO 33, ADRIAN WEINBRECHT, MICHAEL HEDGE, JOBE LAWRENSON
HEALTH
(...OR WHY EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS IS WRONG) BY SCARLETT WRENCH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOBE LAWRENSON
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F LOSING WEIGHT FEELS LIKE A MIRTHLESS CHORE, THEN YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. TEAR UP LAST YEAR’S RULE BOOK: THIS IS THE NEW WAY TO GET RIPPED AND (HONESTLY) ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
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Have a Lie-In The “rise and grind” mentality is hitting snooze on your progress. Let’s put it to bed
The OLD rule By the time most of us have hauled ourselves out of bed, the Rock is uploading his muscle-building efforts on Instagram. The pre-dawn period is when the magic happens, you know. The NEW rule To paraphrase sleep scientist Matthew Walker, it took 3.6 million years for Mother Nature to hard-wire the notion of “eight hours’ sleep” into us, and mere decades for us to undo it. Now the average Aussie scrapes by on an inadequate six hours and 58 minutes – leaving you exhausted and prone to weight gain. “Sleep is the unsung hero of fat loss,” says performance coach Artur Zolkiewicz. “Those who log fewer hours see an increase in cortisol, which can lead to muscle loss and a disturbance in appetite regulation.” In a University of Chicago study, men lost half as much fat when they rose after 5.5 hours compared to when they slept for 8.5 hours, regardless of their diet. If you’re sleep-deprived, you’re better off doing a 30-minute session at lunch than an hour of zombie-shuffling at the crack of dawn. Consider sleep your new steady-state cardio.
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Carbs Are King It’s high time that protein was dethroned as the ultimate fat-fighting macro
The OLD rule Picking up a plate of meat and eggs the minute you drop your dumbbells is the ultimate fatburning finisher move. Carbs? No thanks – they’ll only bulk you out. The NEW rule Carbs are like a steady pay cheque: the more you rely on them, the greater you’ll struggle in their absence. The body can adapt to a carb-free diet, but it’s rarely sustainable and, for those of us unwilling to commit to a life of monkish abstinence, not conducive to our fat-loss goals. 84
MAKE SWIFTER PROGRESS WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED.
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“If you cut carbs completely, the body produces less of the thyroid hormone T3, which is crucial to your metabolism,” explains Chris Walton, body transformation specialist at Embody Fitness. “We encourage our clients to take most of their carbs after exercise, when the body is responsive to restocking its muscle and liver glycogen.” Allow your system to remain depleted, however, and it will break down muscle mass – in effect, burning through your biceps instead of your belly. If you’ve been a bit under it at work, this is doubly important.
“Cortisol incr ases on a low-carb iet says Zolkiew . “Combined w th poor sleep a hard traini it’s a recipe adrenal bur out.” Its sympto ? L energy and bdomin weight gain We’re not sugges ng protei doesn’t pl a vital part i maintain that nutr on doesn’t start and end with y-protein shakes and skinl s us the spuds, would you?
REFUELLING WITH CARBS IS A BREADAND-BUTTER PLAY.
HEALTH
BRING ON THE BURN FOR FLAVOUR AND FAT LOSS.
3 Diversify Your Workout Cardio day? Chest day? Gluteus medius day? What you need is some joined-up thinking
The OLD rule Weights stack on muscle and cardio burns kilojoules, so chaining yourself to the treadmill is surely the fast track to your body-fat target. The NEW rule It’s not a choice between looking like Andrew Fifita or Mo Farah. “Both cardiovascular work and weight training will help you burn fat,” says Zolkiewicz. “I build in high-intensity exercises between weights sets to keep my clients’ heart rates up. There’s no reason to train each discipline on separate days.” There are tangible benefits to maintaining a dedicated resistance training regime while trying to lose weight. According to a review in the International Journal of Obesity, your muscles contribute a hefty 20 per cent to your total daily energy expenditure, while your fat mass uses up a mere three per cent. Adding muscle, therefore, is crucial to staying lean. “That’s why we always use full-body training sessions,” says Walton. “Building muscle is the number one thing that’s going to help you burn more calories.” Try creating a circuit of five upper- and lower-body exercises, then simply move around the circuit within a 15-minute time frame. Make a note of how many rounds you complete, then try to beat your score next time.
Get on the Sauce Hard abs are not built on bland food. We suggest you start dressing up a bit The OL LD rule An unsttimulating dinner is the sacrif sac i ice one must make for a leaner p physique. Seasoning, after all, is simply extra kilojoules. Repeat after me: food is fuel, food is fuel . . . The NEW rule You’ve probably heard it said that sauces are full of sugar. Indeed, you’ve probably heard it from us. But while smothering your spinach leaves in mayonnaise is still inadvisable, so, too, is boring yourself back into the arms of your local fast-food chain. “Even the mentally strongest people can struggle with plain food,” Zolkiewicz says. “Good nutrition should fit into your existing lifestyle, and not vice versa.” There’s a reason why Nando’s is such a perennial favourite of pro athletes: adding a generous squirt of peri-peri or similar hot sauce to your protein bumps it up by just 90 kilojoules and 1.2g of carbs – which have a negigible effect on your macros for a whole lot of flavour. As for the 3g of salt, they can even be beneficial. Research related to the Russian space program found that sodium increases your body’s release of glucocorticoids, hormones linked to speedier fat breakdown. In a
subsequent Vanderbilt University study, mice on a saltier diet had to eat 25 per cent more just to maintain their weight. While moderation is still recommended for those with high blood pressure (best get it checked), salt has not been shown to have adverse effects in healthy men, with a McMaster University study suggesting that it could even strengthen your heart, as well as regulating nerve impulses and helping your muscles absorb glucose and amino acids. As for whether you’re more lemon and herb than extra hot – we’re not here to pass judgement.
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5 GIVE YOUR LEGS A LONGER LIFE CYCLE.
Rest Days Are Futile Stop kidding yourself: spending three nights a week on the sofa is the sign of an inefficient training plan
The OLD rule Smash it on Monday, then spend Tuesday wincing every time you stand up from your desk. If you can endure a flight of stairs the day after legs day, that means you weren’t trying hard enough. The NEW rule Sustainability is more than just an environmental buzzword: if you fail to manage your body’s resources, it will burn out quickly. “That old-school ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality isn’t valid any more,” says Zolkiewicz. “Not when you
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Work Less, Burn More If you want to get more out of your HIIT, learn how to take a step back
The OLD rule Those minutes spent on the sidelines are dead time. Rest as little as you need, then start your next interval. You’re here to train, not posture. The NEW rule When most people think of interval training, they think of the Tabata protocol: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. But, says Walton, this more closely resembles steady state: “With anything less than a 1:3 work-to-rest ratio, you’re unlikely to generate the hormonal response – growth hormone, testosterone – you want from a HIIT session.” The first interval will be solid but, after that, you won’t be hitting 100 per cent effort – and you need that big hormonal rush to trigger a fat-burning boost. “One of my favourite protocols is 20 seconds work, 80 seconds recovery,” says Walton. “This generates huge amounts of lactic acid, while allowing you enough recovery time to be able to go again, just as hard.” Steady-effort training is beneficial, too, of course, but by ensuring that you’re also working at your maximum for some of the time, you’ll build in “metabolic flexibility” – the ability to switch between burning fat or carbs. “As we spend most of our days in the low-intensity zone, we want to be burning fat at these times and saving the stored carbs for when we need to work hard,” explains Walton. Spend your rest periods focusing on controlled breathing to bring your heart rate back down to baseline – and not browsing your neglected work emails, which is liable to have the opposite effect.
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can train pain-free and get the same results.” Instead, aim for a more consistent effort. “I’m a fan of low-level activity on recovery days,” he says. “I like including mobility work, such as functional-range conditioning, plus walking and yoga, in my weekly plan.” Sure, none of these are major fat-torchers, but they’ll keep your metabolism ticking over until the next session. Or you can build in a little additional kilojoule-burning: Danish researchers found that gently training the same muscle groups you targeted yesterday
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– whether that’s cycling after a lower-body workout or fitting in a few push-ups the day after your bench session – can counteract muscle pain. By contrast, total inactivity reduces blood circulation, which limits nutrient delivery to the recovering muscles, while slowing the removal of the soreness-causing chemical byproducts of training. So, opt for exercises that keep your heart rate high but steady, such as team sports or swimming, rather than running intervals or chasing PBs. You’ll come back stronger.
And Rip Up Your Meal Plan Don’t stress over erratic eating patterns. Adaptability is the order of the day
The OLD rule Steady fat loss is built on a militant feeding schedule: six small meals, one every two to three hours, and skip breakfast at your peril. Best invest in a bigger work bag for all that Tupperware. The NEW rule It’s trite but true: the best diet is the one you can stick to. So, if you’re insatiable throughout the working day, eat as often as you please. But there’s no need to force down nut-buttered rice cakes two hours after breakfast, out of fear that your fuel-deprived metabolism will screech to a halt. A medical review found no credible link between meal frequency and fat loss, while a study in Plos One found that having three meals a day can actually raise your metabolism. By overruling your
body’s hunger signals, you’re at a greater risk of weight gain: Cornell University scientists found that if people eat according to the clock – regardless of appetite – their blood sugar rises higher than if they wait until their stomach cues them to eat. While this is useful if you want to pack on extra mass, it’s counterproductive when you’re leaning out. “I’m a big fan of intermittent fasting,” says Zolkiewicz. “I use it to prepare for modelling shoots, and it helps me stay in touch with the hunger signals from my body.” A time-restricted eating schedule, which is what nutritional scientists call “skipping a meal”, has even been shown to increase fat oxidation. In other words, if you miss your pre-office porridge window, don’t sweat it. And if you’re hungry, just have something to eat.
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Kilojoules Count for Little Think nutrition is a numbers game? The sums suggest you update your textbook
The OLD rule Weighing and measuring your lean-and-greens may feel tedious (and, by God, it does), but it’s the only way to ensure a daily kilojoule deficit. Keep those numbers on the right side of the bar and you can’t go wrong. The NEW rule Kilojoule-counting is far from an exact science. “For a start, most calorie-tracking devices overestimate your output,” says Walton. As a result, even setting your daily target is guesswork. The same goes for the numbers on food packets. “Research shows that the true calorie content of what you’re eating is often significantly higher or lower than stated,” says Zolkiewicz. “Food companies may use any of several different methods to estimate calories, so regulatory bodies permit inaccuracies of up to 20 per cent.” There are other factors at play. Some foods are more easily broken down than others: nuts, for example, are less completely digested than other foods containing similar macro counts. In other words, the pursuit of precision causes a lot of stress for little pay-off. Besides, no one can stick to a punitive eating plan all of the time, and deviations are inevitable (and advisable). Walton recommends assessing your nutritional intake across the course of a week instead, with three meals that allow you to go “a little off-piste” – “not an entire day when you eat junk, but a treat in place of your usual carb”. Everything in moderation, please: in particular, your moderation.
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DON’T MISCALCULATE THE VALUE OF DAILY TARGETS .
Micros Over Macros Get your fix of vitamins and minerals and the macros will take care of themselves
The OLD rule You’re trying to burn fat, not fend off scurvy. At any rate, whey powder has the same macro profile as tuna and greens – it’s just much easier to prep in the changing rooms. The NEW rule A leaner body can’t be built on vitamins alone, but it’s a mistake to neglect your RDIs while fixating on proteins, fats and carbs. This particular mindset has even spawned a hashtag, #IIFYM, which argues that nothing is off the table “if it fits your macros”. That might
mean a slice of pizza instead of your sweet potato at dinner, or subsisting on protein supps in place of proper meals. But micronutrients – that’s vitamins and minerals – serve a purpose beyond ensuring your organs don’t seize up. “Vitamins participate in all metabolic processes, such as growth, repair, energy transfer and nervous system function,” says Zolkiewicz. Magnesium and the organic acid carnitine play a major role in oxidising fats for energy. A study from the University of Minnesota correlated higher
levels of vitamin D with greater abdominal fat loss, while a Nature Chemical Biology report concluded copper is essential for prepping fat cells for burning. Your best defence against deficiency, then, is to ditch your formulaic diet and introduce a little variety: a lamb shank for your carnitine, shiitake mushrooms for copper. Either way, you’ll still reach your fat-loss goals, so long as you’re training smart and eating moderately. But you’ll get there a lot faster with wholefoods – and enjoy the journey more without yet another energy-bar breakfast. December 2018
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HEALTH
Getting a vasectomy strikes at the core of what it means to be a man. Here, one MH writer who agonised over getting ‘The Snip’ for years takes you through what it’s really like to put your balls on the block BY STEPHEN CORBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIP LE MASURIER
December 2018 89
his is what walking, wobbly kneed, to the guillotine must have felt like. And those poor French suckers probably weren’t wearing underwear either. A sharp implement is about to cut off my life force, effectively, and yet I’m not screaming for mercy or repenting. And when the nice nurse asks me, for the third time, whether I’d like to change my mind, I meekly shake my head and submit myself to the vasectomy I’ve been avoiding, and dreading, for years. And then I see the giant pad of gauze taped to the operating table – the size of a Monopoly board – and try to make a joke with my smiling surgeon about how much he’s expecting my beloved balls to bleed. But the words won’t come out because I’m too damn scared. All I can think is, thank God I’m being sedated for this.
TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO SCREAM Going for the local, as a staggering 60 per cent of Australian blokes do when it comes to vasectomies – lying there, awake, while their hairy purse is pilfered – was never going to be an option for me. Largely, but not entirely, because I’m a wuss. I also blame a former colleague, Nathan, who came into the office two days after his procedure, walking like a man who’d spent a week riding a stegosaurus, and ruing his decision to choose local anaesthetic for his snip. “I was lying there, feeling nothing, and all of a sudden there was this wave of pain, like I’d been kicked in the balls really hard by someone, who then slashed me down there with a knife at the same time. It was both a dull pain and a stabbing one all at once,” Nathan told our office, as we bent over double in empathy. “And I just tried to sit straight up, so the nurse jumped on to hold me down and she’s shouting at the doctor, ‘I think he can feel that!’ And I’m screaming, ‘Do you THINK?’ “It was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my life, and the doctor’s saying, ‘Oh, don’t worry, this happens sometimes’.” Almost a decade later, as I was toying, for the umpteenth time, with spaying myself, I called him to see how 90
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he felt about this horror show now, and his answer surprised me. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done – you should do it,” chirped Nathan, now 44. “Carefree sex, and I’ll never have to use a condom again. Ever. It’s great.” All this from the guy I’d blamed for putting me off doing the deed for years. God knows, I’d tried, at least mentally, to get around to it. Sometimes I’d even looked at my phone and thought about dialling the number to book myself in. But something, perhaps everything, held me back. I was worried about the pain, mostly, if I were forced to justify my reluctance. But there was also something deeper, intangible, a fear I couldn’t put my finger on, but certainly one I could wrap my hand around. So why did I want to do it at all? Because my wife, who can easily remember all of my many faults, and list them, probably in alphabetical order, sometimes struggled to remember to take a single pill each day, which was almost terrifying enough for me. But then she decided it was time to stop taking it altogether – now that we had two children – and pointed out there was another way. This may also have been around the first time I heard it argued that having a vasectomy is the least a man can do, after all his partner has been through to produce his children. It’s something that came up a lot, after I finally talked myself into having one (partly because I wanted to write about it – journalists are weird people). Between you and me, though, the largest and most selfish driver was that I just hate condoms. For me, the difference between them and unprotected sex is like the contrast between watching your team win the World Cup on TV and being there in the stadium. Mind you, I didn’t hate them quite enough to stop me from changing my mind, repeatedly, and walking backwards, figuratively, away from that guillotine.
THE RUNNING MEN Changing your mind, even at the last minute, is not uncommon, according to Dr Justin Low – one of Australia’s most prolific snippers and the national
HEALTH
lead vasectomist at Marie Stopes Australia – a man known to his friends as “the ball whisperer”. “We’ve had guys come in after 10 years of not quite getting around to it, they’ve had three more kids than they wanted to in that time, but they kept putting it off,” he chuckles. “And sometimes we’ll have runners; guys who make it to the front desk and then the nurse will turn away to get their paperwork and they’ll vanish. You call them up and they pretend they were suddenly called to a meeting. “We had one guy, a big fellow, a plumber, looked like a tough guy, and he got up off the table, wearing nothing but his surgical gown, and ran off down the street. Two years later, he came back. I recognised his name and once we had him on the table I grabbed him by the balls and said, ‘Okay, you’re not going anywhere this time’.” So, what is it we’re so afraid of? So terrified, in fact, that when I asked one mate, Sam, 48, who has two young boys and doesn’t want any more why he wouldn’t even consider a vasectomy, he couldn’t even squeak an answer. He just gave me this particular pained expression that you get a lot when you mention The Snip to men. His wife, however, was keen to point out that he is simply too scared of the idea of anything sharp going near that part of his anatomy, and blankly refuses to budge on the issue, despite her contraception recently having failed, leaving them with an unwanted pregnancy. “I think there are two barriers, and the first is the whole ‘protect-yourballs’ thing,” Low postulates. “It’s just a natural thing for men to want to protect that area, so they have this fear about the pain.” For other guys, he says, there’s the masculinity barrier – if I’m sterile, that’s my seed, that’s my masculinity, that’s who I am, I won’t be a man any more. “But I think that’s changing, because it is totally unfounded,” Low adds. “Plus, there are studies showing sexual frequency and the experience of sex are better after vasectomy.” Interestingly, though, I did have one female friend tell me she’d never ask her husband to get the cut because she hates the idea and would see him as less of a man if he did. Then she gave
“THERE WAS THIS PAIN, LIKE I’D BEEN KICKED IN THE BALLS REALLY HARD ” me a look of great pity, shook her head and walked away. There is one more strange, and typically male, reason why some blokes just won’t countenance the idea, as explained to me by a colleague, James, 44. “It’s not the pain, for me, and it’s not that I’d feel like less of a man. It’s more the psychological thing,” he says. “The big thing is that, like all men, I like to keep my options open. You look at Richard Gere (having another baby at age 68 with this 35-year-old wife) and you think, Yeah, maybe, one day, you never know, if I had some much younger woman who I’d shacked up with, and she wanted one, and I was rich, so someone else could look after the kid. Just maybe. And that’s the thing about men: we’re hopelessly optimistic. So I just don’t think I could do something so . . . final. I worry about whether my new haircut is going to suit me in a week’s time. And I find the idea of a tattoo far too permanent, so a vasectomy? There’s just no way.” My wife pointed out that she tried to tell me the same, and warned that, if I’m foolish enough to leave her for
a younger woman years from now, I should not blame her when said sylph is angry that I can’t produce children. In all honesty, this was not something I spent a minute worrying about in the weeks leading up to my procedure. And then, on the last morning, as I desperately tried to explain to my 11-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter why on Earth I was doing this, it hit me, hard. If I love these two children of my own so much, what the hell was I thinking, stopping myself from having any more? It was a deeply emotional and unexpected punch in the lower cockles, and it lasted all of a minute, until I recalled the stench of nappies, the sting of sleepless nights, and the fact that two kids really is enough.
WHOSE TURN IS IT? I have a mate who started having kids much earlier than me, in a different age, and when he and his partner realised he’d had enough he had no hesitation in pressuring her into having her tubes tied. When
$ THE CUT RATE If you live in a remote area it’s probably going to be your local GP who will have to help, and it’s likely to be done with local anaesthetic only. Urologists can conduct the procedure, and prices vary. At Marie Stopes, the procedure costs around $660 with sedation (or $600 with a local) after Medicare, and with private medical insurance you will generally only pay your hospital excess. The best way to start is to go and discuss it with your GP, who will present you with the different options and arrange a referral.
The Science of Ball-Bustin HOLE IN ONE
ROPE A DOPE
The skin of the scrotum is actually highly elastic, Low says, which means it can reattach itself naturally – meaning no stitches – if he keeps the entry hole small enough. He uses a tiny instrument to make a diamond-shaped hole, just 3-4mm diameter in the skin of the scrotum, and not touching the testicles.
Next, Low “pulls the ropes through the hole”, cutting one end of each of the vas deferens – the tubes along which sperm travels. “With the openended technique, we leave that bottom end open and use something called fascial interposition on the top tube, which is like trapping an elastic band inside a drinking straw.” Got it?n.”
BROKEN BONDS
NOT IN STITCHES
It’s rare but the two tubes may secrete proteins to try to rejoin and make you fertile again. Low hasn’t had a “failure” like that in more than five years, and his failure rate is lower than one in 3000.
“We don’t put a stitch in the scrotum at all. We just put a little clamp on the edges of the hole, for a few minutes, and the skin binds itself, like pushing two bits of soft rubber together,” Low says.
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JUST A PRICK Low claims that, for patients who choose to remain awake for the procedure, he’s developed a “pain-free needle technique”, which allows him to get the anaesthetic into the scrotum without the patient feeling a thing, “around 80 per cent” of the time. “We have a lot of people who can’t believe how painless it is, and that’s the best part of my job, when someone stands up at the end and wants to give you a man hug, because they’re just so relieved and so grateful that it wasn’t anything like they feared it would be.” 92
I suggested he might consider a vasectomy he looked at me as if I’d suggested he have his butt sewn shut. One thing I’m fascinated by is that, in the 20-plus years since I was young, the perception of vasectomies has shifted so vastly. When I was a teen, the idea of any man having The Snip was something to joke about, because if couples wanted to stop having children it was usually a case of the mother being sterilised. When I approached my GP for a referral, he assured me that men getting vasectomies was actually far more common, partly because it is a cheaper and far less serious and invasive procedure than tubal ligation, but also largely because of societal change and the general empowerment of women in relationships. “It’s really a case of women saying, ‘No, why don’t YOU go and do it?’ And it really is much safer. It just makes more sense for men to do this,” one medical professional put it to me. Unfortunately, the numbers, particularly globally, do not reflect that societal shift (in some countries, the idea that a man would take any responsibility for contraception is laughable). Low says that despite the efforts of organisations like Marie Stopes International – a not-forprofit provider of family planning services, including free vasectomies, in 40 countries around the world – tubal ligations still far outnumber vasectomies worldwide. “It’s a massive public health issue, and Bill Gates supports Marie Stopes’ work in the third world through his foundation. We talk about climate change, but behind that it’s population change that’s the problem. There are just too many people. And vasectomy is the cheapest and safest way to control population growth,” says Low, who does 1300 vasectomies in NSW each year. “In Australia what we’ve noticed is this sentiment of, ‘I’m taking one for the team, it’s my turn, she’s done everything else’, and it’s good to see men stepping up and contributing.” The number of men getting vasectomies in Australia actually peaked, at nearly 29,000, in 1997, and then dropped dramatically over the next decade. But Low says they have been on the rise again in the past four
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Come Back Stron er
DAY 1
You won’t be able to walk or stand for more than five minutes at a time.
DAY 1-3
You’ll be using cold packs to reduce the swelling and taking Panadol for the pain.
years, with the figure for 2017 hitting 24,380, according to Medicare data. Part of that rise has been a surprising increase in the number of blokes in their 20s and early 30s – who don’t want kids now and don’t think they ever will – opting for the procedure. “In the past there was no way they would get it, because a urologist would simply refuse to give you a vasectomy if you were under the age of 30. But that’s changed. And now we’re seeing more men in their 20s and early 30s, with no kids, who just don’t want them, sometimes because they say there are enough children in the world.”
IS THIS GOING TO HURT? As the date of my much-feared procedure looms, I ask Low to explain his advertised “open-ended, scalpel-free” technique in detail (see breakout), and admit to him that as I am choosing to be sedated rather than have the operation under local anaesthetic, what really worries me is the recovery process. Surely the pain, and the swelling, once the drugs have worn off, must be awful? I’d asked a few blokes about this and received wildly differing reports. One mate, Alex, 49, told me he’d had no pain whatsoever, but that his bollocks had swollen to the size of eggplants and gone an equally purplish-black. Another friend, a hugely tough and frightening man, Ivan, 52, admitted that, “I only got it done because my wife promised me limitless sex, but she lied. I got my revenge by pretending it hurt for longer than it did, and stayed on the couch demanding nursing.” Other, possibly more honest, men
DAY 1-7
Each day for the first week you’re allowed to gradually increase the time you spend walking, but all forms of exercise (including sex) are banned, and you can’t lift anything heavier than 15kg.
merely gave pained, faraway looks and muttered about the importance of frozen peas when asked to recall their convalescent experience. Low has, of course, had a vasectomy himself. Indeed, he says it’s such a simple procedure that some of his American colleagues have done their own, using a mirror, and videoed it. “What you feel afterwards is just a dull ache. It’s exactly like in footy, if you ever got a knock down there. It’s what it feels like one or two days after that – it’s not like the initial smash in the balls. It’s just a little bit of awareness, and Panadol does the job,” he claims, cheerily. When the dark day finally arrives – after an even darker night before, spent trying to shave every hair from my scrotum and penis, a job that’s even less fun than it sounds – my wife is only too happy to take me in. Her face falls somewhat in the pre-op briefing, however, when Low explains that the sperm component of each ejaculation makes up just 2-3 per cent of the total fluid; the rest of the stuff is just there to keep it alive. And it will continue not doing that job, hopefully, for as long as I live. Low offers to write a medical certificate for her, insisting I’d need to produce 25 ejaculations over the next three months to “clear the remaining bullets from the chamber”. She gives him a withering yet quizzical look that says he is a fool if he thinks she doesn’t know there is more than one way to do that. One of the more difficult parts of the vasectomy process is the delayed delivery on what you’re paying for. It takes a full three months before you’re allowed to have yourself tested and find out if all your sperm are gone.
HEALTH
DAY 14
After two weeks, you can lift up to 30kg, carefully, and return to non-contact sports. You can’t go road cycling until the start of the third week.
DAY 28
All contact sports, mountain biking, martial arts and heavy lifting are out until day 28. Many men ignore this advice once they feel better, which can put you at risk of a scrotal haematoma – your scrotum fills up with blood, “to the size of a grapefruit, which can then take two to three months to subside,” Low warns.
And if you fail that test you have to wait another month for retesting. This is like buying a car and being told it’s yours, but you have to keep catching the bus for another three months. The good news is I can report that the procedure itself is, er, a snip. No pain, no memories, in and out in less than an hour. And the bloke next to me when I wake up, who’d only had the local, seems even more relieved and happy afterwards than me. The recovery, however, is not, for me at least, a doddle. Low tells me that, for about 90 per cent of men, there’s a bit of dull aching for a day or two, and that’s it. I fear I might have fallen into the other 10 per cent. While the swelling down there is expected – and makes me look like an underwear model, albeit a sour-faced, grimacing one – what comes as a shock is the bruising. I was prepared for it to look like my balls were preparing for a game of squash, but the fact that my penis also turns black, and purple, is more than mildly alarming. The good doctor tells me it is slightly unusual, but not unheard of, and that it would go away . . . in a couple of weeks. While I hate not being able to exercise for a fortnight afterwards, the general level of discomfort (combatted by ice packs and Panadol) is more bothersome than brutal for the first few days. But then I make an unfortunate slip when a kebab falls off a plate and I duck down to catch it and put myself in the kind of pain that makes me think of poor Nathan’s horror story. Frankly, it would have hurt less if I’d shoved the kebab stick straight into my testicle.It took the full two weeks for that particular ball to stop making its existence known via every single step.
THE BRAIN GAME Sex is, quite sensibly, forbidden for the first week afterwards, but that really isn’t an issue. For me, the most difficult part of this whole process is the psychological pain of that first seven days, during which, for the first time in living memory, my penis does not move, nor even feels like it might stir meaningfully, in any way. In short, it looks, and feels, so battered and broken that I fear it might never work again. Nor am I brave enough to encourage it to arise. Happily, everything did eventually return to normal service. I’m now seeing out what will hopefully be my final months of using contraception. Forever. I, too, may well look back on all this as one of the best things I’ve ever done. What I do know is that, like many men, I wish I hadn’t scared myself out of doing it for so long because, particularly when compared to child birth, having The Snip isn’t that tough at all. Low, in case you’re wondering, was horrified by the story about Nathan and his failed anaesthesia and says it’s not common at all. So, don’t worry. (But go for the sedation, trust me.)
“THE SWELLING MAKES ME LOOK LIKE AN UNDERWEAR MODEL, ALBEIT A SOUR-FACED ONE” December 2018 93
Around the World in
80
Adventures Time off work is an increasingly precious commodity, which is why our annual guide to the world’s most exhilarating and revitalising outdoor escapades is more pertinent than ever. Not only will they take you far beyond the limits of your 9-5, each packs a unique hormonal high, leaving you invigorated for the inevitable return to real life By
Tom Ward
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T R AV E L
HORMONAL HIGHS SEROTONIN
ENDORPHINS
DOPAMINE
ADRENALINE
TESTOSTERONE
Harness the feel-good factor to benefit from total mental rejuvenation
These sweat-inducing challenges will give your brain a healthy buzz
Novelty trips and new experiences to reboot your cognitive powers
Risk life and limb in pursuit of a potent and thrilling natural rush
Highly demanding expeditions to pump you up in both body and mind
01-02
Chase the Bright Lights of Greenland Hunt auroras in the Arctic. On this photography trip, you’ll gain more than just Instagram skills, as you navigate icebergs, traverse a UNESCO World Heritage site, plus spend a night in a traditional Inuit settlement. In short, this will put your daily grind into perspective like nothing else. From $7125 wildphotographyholidays.com LIKE THAT? As well as its picturesque maze of fjords and
estuaries, the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, offers the perfect destination for an ursine encounter. Go full-on Revenant with photographer Marc Carwardine on a floating lodge from where you’ll set out on daily excursions, taking in wolves and orcas. From $11,715 wildlifeworldwide.com December 2018 95
03-04
LET MODERN LIFE’S DAILY ANXIETIES EAT YOUR DUST.
Peek Behind the Iron Curtain Bored of your bike commute? Explore the ancient forests and crystal-clear lakes of the Baltic states on Intrepid’s new 11-day cycling trip. From $3010 intrepidtravel.com LIKE THAT? Cycle Italy’s Merano routes, taking in the Vinschgau Valley. From $1729 preidlhof.it
05-06 Ride and Vine Far from an indicator of a mid-life crisis, exploring Italy’s Chianti region via Harley-Davidson might be the smartest investment you make all year. From $1365 belmond.com LIKE THAT? Ahead of the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, take in the Sakhir Circuit with your own Formula One racing practice. From $610 ritzcarlton.com
07-08 Feed Your Soul in Southern India If you’re tempted by a yoga retreat, but not keen on allday omming, make Kerala’s Soul & Surf hybrid your spiritual home. From $85 per night soulandsurf.com LIKE THAT? Denmark’s Klitmøller surf camp Cold Hawaii is renowned as one of the best spots in Europe. From $200 coldhawaiisurfcamp.com
CARVE OUT A FRESH WAVE OF ACTIVE ZEN.
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09-10
11-12
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Run with the Dogs
Glide the Waves
Or ride with them, at least. The Luleå archipelago in Swedish Lapland is comprised of around 1300 islands. As well as hiring huskies and a sled, you can take a snowmobile trip across the glacial winter landscape to explore the frozen fields and 10m-high mountains of ice. From $1925 lapland. nordicvisitor.com
Want to coast over the waters surrounding a luxury private island? Of course you do. Thankfully, the Maldives’ Velaa resort ofers a range of underwater scooter activities. You needn’t don Bond’s white dinner jacket to take part, but we wouldn’t blame you if you did. From $5340 per night velaaprivateisland.com
Paddle into the Heart of Darkness
LIKE THAT? “Snowkiting”
LIKE THAT? At the more
has taken of in Tyrol, proving that whatever works on water is equally fun on ice. Tour (and glide over) Austria’s frozen lakes wearing either skis or a snowboard. POA tyrol.com
afordable end of the scale, Jet Blade Barbados ofers a water sport that involves being strapped into a giant hose and blasted up above the ocean. From $195 jetbladebarbados.com
The Amazon flows deep within the heart of any self-respecting adventurer. Now you can explore the Peruvian rainforest in search of caimans and other wildlife with Inkaterra’s night-time canoe trips. Plus the lodge where you’ll stay is entirely eco-friendly. POA inkaterra.com LIKE THAT? Navigate Norway’s World Heritagelisted Geirangerfjord mountains by kayaking between each ascent. Guided tours include everything you need to stay afloat. From $175 activegeiranger.no
T R AV E L
21-22 Expand Your Mind Get the best seat in the house for 2019’s solar eclipse at Chile’s Elqui Valley, the world’s stargazing mecca. From $8900 intrepidtravel.com LIKE THAT? Head to the
Brecon Beacons in Wales for views of the Northern Hemisphere’s constellations. From $120 per night stargazersretreat.co.uk
15-16
Drive the World’s Toughest Course Morocco is the site of the original Dakar Rally and riders of any ability can follow in the tyre tracks of the pros. During this 15-day trip, you’ll traverse around 3,250km through the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert. From $7437 hispania-tours.com LIKE THAT? Hop on an off-road bike and explore WA’s iconic 1850km Canning Stock Route from Fremantle to Broome. You’ll blaze a trail across a breathtaking ochre canvas, camping each night by a waterhole under a glittering night sky. From $8600 outbackadventuretreks.com.au
17-18 Break the Ice Russia’s White Sea is the destination for ice-diving. Over seven days you’ll brave the elements as you slip into the Arctic depths, discovering life in the bleakest conditions, from fish to seals. Best of all,
there’s every chance for you to see the Northern Lights from your steam bath in the evenings. From $3710 waterproofexpeditions. com LIKE THAT? Take in sea turtles along Maui’s Wailea-Makena shoreline before enjoying a picnic overlooking Haleakala crater. $200 au.viator.com
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO A NEW CHALLENGE.
23-24 Enrol in Stunt School It never hurts to be prepared. And this camp on the Gold Coast will certainly have you action-ready, teaching stunts from flying on wires to falling from rooftops. From $400 stuntpark.com.au LIKE THAT? Limit yourself to one deadly skill with a week of Muay Thai boxing training in Phuket, Thailand. From $570 tigermuaythai.com
TRAIN TO BECOME YOUR OWN DEADLIEST WEAPON.
on Slovenia’s Planica zipline, the steepest route in the world. From $40 nc-planica.si
SAVE SHARKS IN THE SEYCHELLES From a beach hut on the white sands of Anse St Jose, you’ll work alongside the National Parks Authority to protect the lemon shark population. From $2690 gviaustralia.com.au
TRACK JAGUARS IN COSTA RICA Monitor remote cameras to keep tabs on the (very) big cats in Tortuguero National Park, while developing a unique understanding of the rainforest. From $2690 gvi.australia.com.au
BE ONE WITH THE BUDDHISTS
TRACK WILDLIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Learn to Fly
LIKE THAT? Soar at 85km/h
Altruistic Excursions
To earn a few karma points, head to Pokhara in the Himalayas to volunteer with local children, taking in white-water rafting in your downtime. From $2170 gvi.australia.com.au
19-20 South Lake Tahoe in California might be the ultimate amateur outdoorsman’s escape. Hiking, kayaking and fishing are all on the roster. But the real adrenaline junkie need look no further than fighter pilot training centre Sky Combat Ace, where you’ll pull of acrobatics, simulate combat and fly over majestic scenery. From $400 skycombatace.com
29-31
25-26 Wild Camp in Coastal Turkey Kayak along Turkey’s deserted Kekova coastline, an adventure playground filled with ancient ruins, sarcophagi and medieval villages. From $1805 fairlightjones.com LIKE THAT? Go white-water
rafting across the Ayung, the longest river in Bali, Indonesia, at the Maya Ubud resort. From $80 rizort.com
Wake with the dawn chorus in the bush before setting out to track lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and rhinos in their natural, extremely scenic habitat. From $3170 gvi.australia.com.au
BULK UP IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC Build strength while assisting on construction projects in a Fijian village. Consider hiking through waterfalls your reward. From$2590 gvi.australia.com.au
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Survive at Sub-zero Anything Bear Grylls can do, you can do better. And that’s without the need to eat anything that has more than four legs. Undiscovered Mountains has launched a new challenge in the French Champsaur Valley, during which you’ll climb walls of ice and camp out in a self-made igloo. From $2120 for seven nights undiscoveredmountains.com LIKE THAT? For a taste of the wild that doesn’t forgo creature comforts, Shinta Mani Wild’s luxury campsite sits in the heart of the Cambodian jungle. From $2475 per night shintamani.com
CHANNEL JOHN WAYNE AND ROPE IN MORE BEEF.
40-41 Draw Out Your Inner Cowboy Colorado’s Zapata Ranch, which borders the largest sand dunes in the USA, is the perfect place to learn to drive cattle from horseback. From $1995 zranch.org LIKE THAT? Trade West for East with ninja training in Kyoto. You’ll learn everything needed to take on the assassins of feudal Japan. POA insidejapantours.com
42-43 Meet Elephants on Their Own Turf CARVE OUT A FRESH WAVE OF ACTIVE ZEN.
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Achieve Peak Health
Fly-fish in Aspen
Hike to the Home of the Gods
Altitude training is all the rage and, with proven benefits for your cardio endurance, rightly so. Mountain Beach’s fitness retreats take it one step further, ofering escapes in Swiss village Verbier, where you’ll beast your way through HIIT sessions at 2,500m. From $3195 mountainbeach fitnessretreats.com LIKE THAT? Ibiza-based bootcamp retreat 38 Degrees North ofers DNA testing to tailor your workouts specifically to you. From $3940 thirtyeightdegreesnorth.com 98
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Located at the top of the brilliantly named Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen is renowned for some of the best trout fishing in the world. Guided trips include equipment and tours of the best spots around. We can (just about) guarantee you’ll catch something. From $360 aspenflyfishing.com LIKE THAT? Leave all the lager-fuelled Brits on boys’ weekends in Dubrovnik for an oyster farm boat tour, plus oyster tasting, in Ston on Croatia’s Pelješac peninsula. From $1080 au.viator.com
Travel into the heart of Greek mythology by summiting Mount Olympus. Miraggio ofers excursions to Greece’s highest mountain, taking in the Mavrolongos gorge and stunning Enipeas canyon. A handy way to train if hills have always been your Achilles heel. From $775 miraggio.gr LIKE THAT? Whether you’re
travelling for its religious significance or the view, watching the sunset from Mount Sinai’s summit is pretty biblical. From $57 sharmexcursions.com
Skip the tourist traps for the Thai wilds of Kui Buri National Park as part of a 13-day trip, and spot one of its 320 elephants in their natural environment. From $5640 audleytravel.com LIKE THAT? Save rhinos in
South Africa. From $500 per night shambalaprivate gamereserve.co.za
44-45 Ride to Relaxation Grab a horse and ride to Taipe Beach’s red clifs, where you’ll find the mineral-rich clay that’s been used by Brazilian natives for centuries as a stress-relieving therapy. From $640 uxua.com LIKE THAT? Charter a seaplane instead to reach the Maldives’ unspoilt luxury island of Niyama. Don’t forget your surfboard – you’ll need it. From $1095 per night niyama.com
T R AV E L
48-52 48-Hour Adventures TROPIC THUNDER Get shredded in paradise on a Bali Fitness Bootcamp. Classes include Crossfit, Body360 and Movement, plus beach runs and yoga. Finish the day with a cooking class or a surf. From $1186 statravel.com.au
SPARK A FITNESS REVOLUTION
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Lift Your Ski Game While Whistler and Banf have been magnets for Aussie ski iends for years, if you want to escape the crowds that flock to these piste powerhouses, try Monashee Powder Snowcats in British Columbia. With a staggering annual snowfall of 18m and 6880 hectares of pristine terrain, it represents the gold standard in back-country powder. From $760 destinationcanada.com LIKE THAT? At 2300m, not only is Val Thorens in France Europe’s highest ski resort, it also boasts skiable snow from November until May, making it the perfect place to hone your skills while avoiding the peak-season scrum. From $87 valthorens.com
Saddle up for serious mountain-biking at Victoria’s Lysterfield Park. There’s 20km of trails designed for all abilities, including the Commonwealth Games cross-country course. Free parkweb.vic.gov.au
STAMP YOUR AUTHORITY Hike through stunning forest, river and alpine vistas on this two-day trek from New Zealand’s Copland Valley towards the Welcome Flat Hot Pools. From $15 doc.govt.nz
BRAVE THE DEEP Enter a world of home-grown labyrinths, giant chambers and waterfalls, with caving expeditions in SA’s famed Naracoorte Caves. From $10 naracoortecaves. com.au
WRECK YOURSELF Plunge into maritime history on the Barrier Reef. The SS Yongala is the largest, most intact shipwreck in Australian waters – 109 metres long and home to jaw-dropping marine life. From $464 yongaladive.com.au 99
SCORE AN EPIC ADRENALINE HIGH CHASING TWISTERS.
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T R AV E L
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Ride On The Storm
Make small talk about the weather more exhilarating. With Weather Holidays, you can embrace the more volatile weather systems of the US. Starting in either Dallas, Texas or Denver, Colorado, you’ll chase tornados for 10 days, coming ever closer to the eye of the beast. From $3065 weatherholidays.com LIKE THAT? It turns out that the coldest place in the world isn’t your
parents’ house in winter but Oymyakon, a Russian village where the lowest temperature recorded was -71°C. Don’t forget your thick socks. From $8755 visityakutia.com
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55-59 Endurance Escapades CONQUER EVEREST If climbing Everest sounds too tame, this race across the Sherpa trails of the Khumbu Valley is for you. Choose from the 60km, 42km or 21km expeditions. From $650 everest marathon.com
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CrossTheWaters
Dubbed “the world’s toughest foot race”, the Badwater 135 Ultra is a 217km journey of self-discovery (and pain) through Death Valley, California. The race is held in midJuly, when temperatures can reach a sweltering 54°C.
BATTLE WITH THE DRAGON A gruelling 315km run, the Dragon’s Back spans the Welsh mountains across five days, including 15km of ascent across treacherous terrain. From $1660 berghausdragons backrace.com
From $1945 badwater.com LIKE THAT? Take on the Big Red Run in the Simpson Desert, Australia’s
first and only 250km multi-day event. From $2895 bigredrun.com.au
REGGAE, STEADY, GO Get into your groove at Jamaica’s premier marathon event, which starts at Long Bay Beach Park, providing a scenic view of Negril’s seven-mile beach. From $120 reggae marathon.com
DEFEAT THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY With a name like that, this coast-to-coast route is asking to be tackled. You’ll cycle 672km from Ireland’s extreme south to its northernmost point. From $5120 wildatlanticway.com
ENTER THE JUNGLE In the humid setting of Manú National Park, Peru, this race involves running, scrambling and fighting your way through 230km of remote jungle. From $4060 worldmarathons.com
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Dine Like the Prince of Persia
Scale an Active Volcano
This culinary tour from Tehran to rural Esfahan Province will introduce you to dishes including fruity fesenjān stews and sangak bread, which you’ll learn to cook in Iranian family homes. Consider it a cheat week like no other.
At 926m, Italy’s Stromboli volcano is a tough climb, made even more dificult by the eruptions that can occur every 30 minutes. While guides advise three hours up, one hour to see
From $4140 intrepidtravel.com LIKE THAT? Not only is Fez one of Morocco’s oldest cities, it’s also home to a new rooftop cookery school where you’ll pick fresh ingredients and learn to cook local delicacies. From $75 palaisamani.com
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the crater and 90 minutes down, you may feel a speedier trip is in order. From $65 volcanodiscovery.com LIKE THAT? Bathe in
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa with soothing silica masks, should you wish to unwind in the detrius of a volcano. From $90 bluelagoon.com FIRE UP YOUR ENDORPHINS WITH AN ALTERNATIVE HIKE.
66-67 Master the Skies This military-style, High Altitude Low Open (Halo) parachute jump isn’t your usual commute. Plummeting from 10,000m with an experienced instructor, you’ll brave temperatures as low as -35°C as you drop towards the Mississippi countryside. From $4795 incredible-adventures.com LIKE THAT? Paraglide over the “top of Europe”. Switzerland’s Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel ofers trips over the Jungfraujoch saddle in the Bernese Alps, 3466m above sea level. POA victoria-jungfrau.ch
T R AV E L
68-69
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Look Life in the Jaws
Take the Weight Off
Run by the world’s foremost shark experts, South Africa’s Apex Shark Expeditions ofers the chance to dive with 10 species, including great whites and hammerheads. From $240 apexpredators.com
In the Middle East’s Jordan Valley, at the lowest point on earth, the ultra-saline waters and mud-floor minerals of the Dead Sea are said to have healing properties.
LIKE THAT? Among the 445
LIKE THAT? Closer to home, the floatation tanks at Flow Revive in Sydney are similarly restorative. From $65 flowrevive.com.au
deserted Rock Islands of Palau, you’ll discover 3000-year-old sunken villages – and many jellyfish. POA samstours.com
From $160 viator.com
GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH REAL POWER.
SWAP LAPS FOR LOCHS AND DRIVE YOUR FITNESS WILD.
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Go into Loch Down At 38km long and 190m deep, Loch Lomond is Britain’s largest expanse of fresh water. Dominated by Ben Lomond mountain on the eastern shore, there are worse places to get your wild swimming in. Free lochlomond-trossachs.org Like that? Build up your water wings at a Learn to Ocean Swim clinic at Bondi Beach. From $145 oceanfit.com.au
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Train Above the Clouds
Swap Starbucks for the Real Deal
Forget Your Feed
Stack for the Future
Reaching from Salta, Argentina to the Chilean border, the Tren a las Nubes (train to the clouds) climbs more than 4km, boasting dramatic scenery as far as the eye can see. From $215
Colombia’s Cofee Zone in Salento is an essential stop on any South American tour. Sample the local java while staying on the plantation. From $55
This adult summer camp in northern California operates a full tech blackout plus a ban on all work talk, ofering live music, yoga and campfire dinners instead. From $900
Space tourism is an inevitability – so start prepping now. Star City is home to Russia’s space program. Here, you’ll learn to pilot a spacecraft, as well as undergoing all the physical rigours required to explore the cosmos.
trenalasnubes.com.ar LIKE THAT? Take a train
through the Swiss Emmental Alps to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn at 2350m. From $290 myswissalps.com
thecolombianway.co
campgrounded.org
LIKE THAT? This hike takes
LIKE THAT? Luxury camp Longitude 131° sits among the red rocks and sand dunes of the NT desert. From $2540 longitude131.com.au
in Saint Lucia’s active volcanoes and the Caribbean island’s cocoa groves. From $20 hotelchocolat.com
POA spaceadventures.com
December 2018 103
M H D A D RING MASTER: MUNDINE WITH LOCAL KIDS, INCLUDING SON ANTHONY ON HIS RIGHT, IN THE MID-EIGHTIES.
WHAT I’VE LEARNT ABOUT FATHERHOOD Former national boxing champion Tony Mundine on teaching your kids to duck life’s haymakers
My father was a great man. Had 11 kids. Growing up, my floor was dirt, a little humpy place my dad built in an Aboriginal community called Baryulgil, not far from Grafton in far northern NSW. A lot of the men worked in the local asbestos mine. My dad was a hard worker who brought me up the hard way, but we survived. My dad didn’t see me as a boxer. I had a few fights at school, bareknuckle. But I didn’t realise I was going to come up the ladder so quick. I just kept knocking them out. I had 25 knockouts straight. I treat all my kids the same. I have three girls and three boys. “Choc” [former world boxing champion Anthony] is my second boy. I set a good example for all of them. I never drank, smoked or gambled. I don’t swear. You’ve got to put them on the right track. The teenage years – that’s when things can go wrong. You have to keep them close.
When he was little I used to drive Anthony through Kings Cross and show him things. I showed him the ones who were on drugs and the ones who were on alcohol. I said, “This is where you end up if you get on the stuff”. I told him, “Whatever you want to do, you’ve got to live a clean life”. And look where he is today. He wouldn’t have all the property he’s got if hadn’t lived clean. I was worried when Anthony switched from rugby league to boxing, because in rugby league your guys will give you a hand. You can lie down if you get knocked in the guts or get the wind knocked out of you. You can put your hand up and say, “Bring your water bottle”. But in the ring, mate, you’re a lone ranger. But he had the gift. And you can’t knock him because he’s had a great career. I’m Anthony’s trainer as well as his dad. See, I’ve been there and done it. I know the ropes and what you’ve got to do in training. So I pass
L .
my knowledge on to him. He’s 43 but he’s not finished. Forty-three is not old. I’m 67 and I’ll fight anybody in the ring. I can punch the bag for one hour. Nonstop. Hard. I did it last night. I’ve been doing it three times a week for the last 30 years. Your job as a father never stops. You want to put a smile on their faces and their kids’ faces. Be happy around them. They’re your blood. I see things that need doing in their houses and I do them. I’ll do anything. I painted Choc’s two-storey house inside and out. – Interview by Daniel Williams
Tony Mundine will be in his son’s corner when Anthony fights former welterweight world champion Jeff Horn in Brisbane on November 30. December 2018 105
M H D D
Fatherhood makes you fat. And it’s not just because you’re always polishing off the remains of your four-year-old’s fish fingers. A study in the American Journal of Men’s Health analysed the BMI of more than 10,000 men from adolescence into their mid-30s. While the non-fathers actually lost weight during this period, men who were living with their kids gained an average of 2kg after becoming a dad. Throw in the fact that sleep deprivation reduces your levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite and boosts energy, and it’s no surprise that dad bod is a real thing. But the fightback starts here. We got three frazzled dads to take on MH Fitness Director Chief Brabon’s 10-week challenge to see if they could get back in shape with family life in full swing. BY MH WRITERS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL LINNET & JASON LEE
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76 KG 72 KG
NAME:
LUKE BENEDICTUS
ROLE:
Editor
AGE:
42
KIDS:
rc (6 months) Joe (22 months), Ma
BEFORE AFTER
KG WEIGHT BEFORE: 76 WEIGHT AFTER:
72KG
FAT LOSS:
7.3KG
MUSCLE GAIN:
4.3KG
HIT THE RESET BUTTON WITH TWO SONS under the age of two, my life is full-blown chaos. Don’t get me wrong – I love being a dad. But my older boy, Joe, is a heinously early riser and is often raring to go by 4.30am. My six-month-old, Marc, meanwhile, is a feisty little fellow and refuses to settle into anything approaching a routine. Throw in the relentless deadlines of a fairly
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demanding day-job and I’d be lying if I said there aren’t times when I feel completely overwhelmed trying to manage the competing demands of work and home. Exhaustion is my new default setting. Something had to give. Sadly, that turned out to be my fitness. Until now I’ve always been pretty active, getting to the gym on a regular(ish) basis and running a half-marathon or two every year. Fatherhood derailed everything. As well as exercising less, I’ve found myself boozing more to unwind at the end of the day. I’ve never carried much excess weight, largely thanks to genetic fluke. But I’ve become increasingly soft around the middle and any suggestion of muscle tone is fading fast. At this rate I’ll soon be entering the dreaded “skinny-fat” zone. Working out with Chief Brabon and his wife Emilie at Plus Fitness, the biggest shock is the intensity of the sessions. Strength exercises are paired back-to-back with minimal rest in between. But it’s the cardio that really has me gasping. Exercises like treadmill sprints or mountain climbers are
performed Tabata-style - 20 seconds of lung-busting effort followed by 10 seconds of rest over three-minute cycles. This is balls-to-the-wall exertion that gets lactic acid surging through your limbs. But after just a week, I find myself actively chasing that burn. Your body adapts to meet the challenge. With the strength exercises, strict form is prioritised over weight. Every time I’d tried to bulk up in the past, I’d always wound up getting injured by trying to go too heavy. But Chief insists I put my sizable ego aside and focus on slow and controlled movements. It’s a tactic that definitely pays off. By the end of the first week, I notice vague traces of upper-body definition returning. That early morale-booster shows I’m on the right track and redoubles my motivation. Over the 10 weeks, my body composition changes significantly. I lose 7kgs of fat while stacking on 4kgs of muscle; my waist shrinks by 5cm and I add some heft to my arms. But the real benefit I get from this is mental. Before I started the training, I felt like a burnt-out
BACK TO YOUR BEST
M H D A D
BUILD LEAN MUSCLE husk of a man. What Chief and Em’s program gives me back is a powerful sense of control. Kids wake-up at crazy hours, cover-shoots fall through at the last minute. But one thing that I can still control is my diet and exercise. Together, they provide an anchor to cling to amid the craziness of daily life. Truth be told, I wasn’t going to sign up for this. On paper, this program was just another thing to add to my groaning to-do list. Yet the pay-off of exercising regularly again has made me feel calmer and happier within my own skin. This 10-week challenge was like hitting a reset button for body and soul.
Do 8-12 reps of exercises 1, 2 and 3 back to back. Then do 3 minutes of mountain climbers – 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Repeat circuit x 3
1. BENCH PRESS
2. DUMBELL ROW
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip. Lower then push it back up.
Grasp dumbbells shoulderwidth apart and lift the dumbbells as close to your body as possible.
3. BARBELL THRUSTERS Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Do a squat hen push them verhead and epeat.
4. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS Set up as though in a sprinter’s blocks, with one foot positioned beneath your waist and one back, with your leg ly straight. Explosivel swap foot positions.
THE
TRAINER’S TIPS FOCUS ON FORM “Unless you’re a power lifter,” Chief says, “it doesn’t matter what you lift, particularly if you’re not moving it well. It’s more important to focus on the quality of the movement and maintaining perfect form.” CHECK YOUR REPS “Our focus with Luke was to increase lean muscle mass. That meant working in a rep range of 8-12. Can’t do 8? Too heavy. Over 12? Too light.”
1
”At the top of a biceps curl, Chief told us to imagine squeezing a mandarin in the crook of your arm.” Luke says. “This forces more blood into the muscle fibres, causing greater micro-trauma to aid your quest for T-shirt arms.”
2
“If you have a sugar craving, liquorice tea gives you that flavour fix without the kilojoules. It tastes incredibly sweet - like you’ve dissolved a Mars Bar in a can of Coke - but miraculously it’s still sugar-free.”
3
“We were on a very low-carb diet but needed protein to feed our muscles. We used Keto-Fit Protein that’s compatible with a keto diet and fuels your body without derailing your diet.” ($29.99 fatblaster.com.au)
MIX IT UP “Over a six-day program, the first three days were focused on compound moves. For the second three days we’d target the same muscle groups, but doing more isolated moves, to build muscle and strength.”
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138
KG
BEFORE
NAME:
SCOTT COU PER
ROLE:
ES MANAGER GROUP CLIENT SERVIC
AGE:
49
KIDS:
(12), Lauren (18), Elise nths) Molly (2), Toby (8 mo
G WEIGHT BEFORE: 138K WEIGHT AFTER:
118KG
FAT LOSS:
23.5KG
MUSCLE GAIN:
3.5KG
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
SCOTT WAS DETERMINED TO GET BACK IN SHAPE FOR THE SAKE OF HIS KIDS.
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GROWING UP I PLAYED a lot of rugby right up to grade level. But one season when I was playing in the colts, our coach Topo Rodriguez (the former Wallabies international) announced he was moving me from No.8 to prop. “But I’ve never played in the front-row before!” I said. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” Topo said. “Just eat, Scotty! Eat!” And I kept eating. When I stopped playing rugby and my training dropped off, my appetite remained intact. I didn’t become almost 140kg overnight. The weight gain was gradual – I just put on 5kg each year until I got to my starting point here. Before we got underway, I went to see my doctor. My blood pressure was dangerously high and I had all sorts of injuries that wouldn’t improve because my weight was putting so much stress on my body. The doctor said, “You’re playing with the odds. And you’ve got four kids…”
To begin with, I find the high-intensity work a real challenge. It is so hard to recover when my heart rate starts going that high. I have a bad moment early on when I think, “How am I ever going to do this?” But that’s where the motivation of working with a trainer kicks in. Training as part of a group also helps to keep me on track and using Chief’s Transformation Coach app is invaluable when exercising solo - you get the day’s workout delivered straight to your phone. After three weeks my body starts to adapt. Maybe it was the muscle memory starting to return but I start to enjoy lifting weights. I am still nervous about the cardio. I’ve got a ceramic hip, screws in my left ankle and bad discs in my lower back - I don’t know if my body will hold up. But I stick with it and start recovering a little bit better each session. Slowly, my confidence begins to return.
One day I am doing a “forced march” on the treadmill when Em says she is going to up the pace. I don’t think I can do it. I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would never run again. But Em gradually increases the speed to 10km/h and I find that, not only can I keep up, I can run! It is mind-blowing. I’ve got a two-year-old and a eight-monthold and until that moment I never thought I’d be able to run around with them or kick a ball in the park. I honestly thought that was out of the question. Running on that treadmill was amazing. It was actually very emotional.
START YOUR JOURNEY
118
M H D A D
KG
AFTER
CHANGE YOUR SHAPE This circuit will add width to your shoulders and whittle away belly fat. Do exercises 1-2 back to back then hit the bike for four minutes. Do three rounds.
1. OVERHEAD PRESS
2. UPRIGHT ROW
Grasp two dumbbells shoulder-width apart and push overhead.
Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip and lift the bar to shoulder height.
3. SEATED CYCLE SPRINTS Cycle at top speed for 20 seconds, go slow for 10 secs then repeat. Do 4 mins.
At the end of the challenge I’ve lost 23.5kg of body fat, taken 12 cm off my waist while my blood pressure and cholesterol have also dropped. I feel better, I have more confidence and I can look people squarely in the eye again – I no longer feel like I’m constantly being judged. I know that I’ve still got a long way to go. But I have achieved some things that I believed that mentally and physically I would never do again. I have gone from a “gunna”, “one day” and “I can’t do this” person to “I can keep improving”.
1
“Don’t miss a day of training,” Scott says. “I think if I’d started to slacken off, I’d have mentally given myself permission to do it again. Even when I went to the Bledisloe Cup in NZ, I trained with Chief and Em’s Transformation Coach app.”
2
TRAINER’S TIPS IDENTIFY YOUR MOTIVATION “Scott’s biggest driving factor was that he wants to be around for his kids,” Chief says. “He knew his weight was putting his life at risk.”
T M EOS CUS NEC N NE E T OLORRO VELL I POSSI REHENDEST . X EA DOL N V ELEE S AS EOS M
“We got healthy microwave meals from THR1VE that were low-carb and high in protein. I liked the flavours, but more importantly they were really helpful in terms of portion control. I learned I could eat like that and still survive.”
THE
RAISE YOUR INTENSITY “Before, Scott was doing steadystate cardio, which burns fewer calories during the session and then, an hour later, you’re back to normal. Go hard!”
3
“Make what you’re doing public – it gives you more motivation. There were times when I was circling the pantry and my kids would say, “Keep going, dad!” or my work colleagues would make a positive comment. I found that support surprisingly helpful.”
HIT THE WEIGHTS “Even if you’re focused on fat loss, adding muscle will accentuate parts of the body to forge a better shape. Now Scott is big through the shoulders, lats and arms, and has created that triangular shape. Good job.”
December 2018
111
NAME:
ALEX DALRY M PLE
ROLE:
Producer Multimedia Content
AGE:
40
KIDS:
) Olivia (8), Henry (4
9 6 KG 8 6 KG BEFORE AFTER
KG WEIGHT BEFORE: 96 WEIGHT AFTER:
86KG
FAT LOSS:
11KG
MUSCLE GAIN:
1.5KG
RETURN TO SLENDER BEANPOLE. WEAKLING. UNCO. These were all insults directed at me when I was a kid. I was tall and gangly with barely a gram of muscle on me. Always the last to be picked for the sports team, I was determined to fill out. My wish was granted in my mid-twenties, but not quite in the way I would have liked. At the time I was working as a breakfast radio producer and the 4am starts
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played havoc with my metabolism. Suddenly I found myself the not-so-proud owner of a belly. I would go to the gym sporadically and make half-hearted attempts to stay in shape, but all I was really doing was slowing my ever-increasing weight gain. Eventually I got to 96.3kgs. I’m 190cm tall so I could hide it quite well, but the spare tyre around my waist kept on inflating. My two kids have so much energy. On the weekends they aren’t content with just sitting at home watching TV all day (which I could quite happily do). They want to go out and play in the park, go on bushwalks and ride their scooters. If I’m to share some of this important bonding time with them, I need to get into shape. Starting on the transformation with Chief and Emilie, the thing that scares me the most is the change of diet. No chips for lunch, snacking on chocolate or even diet soft drinks. In their place come large servings of vegetables, smaller ones of meat and water. Lots of water. Our lunches and dinners, which are supplied by THR1VE, are not only delicious but take the stress out of
meal planning and preparation. For breakfast I make bacon and eggs with avocado on toasted protein bread or a two-egg omelette with smoked salmon and spinach. Ten minutes into my first gym session with Chief I think I am going to vomit. Even after having a gym membership for 15 years, I had never trained so hard. “You’ll be dreaming of days like today in a few weeks time,” says Chief as he’s trying to squeeze the last bench press out of me. Chief is right – it does get more intense, but my ability to handle it vastly improves. We train five days a week for 45 minutes and I back it up with a run or bike ride on Sunday. The speed of my weight loss takes me completely by surprise. Despite being told to stay off the sales, I am just too curious to see how my body is changing. I drop three kilos in the first week. Over the next seven weeks my surplus baggage continues to steadily fall off. There are a couple of blowouts – social events where the lure of a glass of wine, French fries or ice-cream is just too great to resist. I’m only human! But I
BACK TO YOUR BEST
M H D A D
LOSE YOUR GUT always make sure to get back on track afterwards and my weight continues to drop as new muscles and definition on my chest, arms and legs start to appear. Even my abs are starting to come out of hibernation. The other day I bought some new jeans. They were two sizes smaller: I’m now the proud owner of a 32-inch waist. Incredible. Now that I’ve lost the weight, my greatest fear is slipping back into old habits and putting it all back on. My old nightly habit of a wine or three and ice-cream after the kids go to bed is something I can’t go back to if I want to maintain my new physique. It will be a challenge, but one I’m determined to win.
Firing up your biggest muscles (your legs) is your best route to total-body blubber burning. Do exercises 1-3 back to back (6-12 reps), then hit the battle ropes – 20 seconds on, 10 secs off for 3 mins. Repeat circuit x 3.
1. DUMBBELL DEADLIFT
2. GOBLET SQUATS
Hold a dumbbell in each hand on the ground. Stand up, thrusting your hips forward and repeat.
Hold a kettlebell by the side of the handle in front of your chest. Lower your body and stand up.
3. SUMO SQUAT
4. BATTLE ROPES
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart holding a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body. Then push yourself explosively back up.
Hold the ropes in front of your hips, brace your core and raise and lower each arm explosively.
THE
TRAINERS’ TIPS SNACK RIGHT “Alex held a lot of belly fat,” says Em. “Because he’s on the road a lot, he would be very snacky. We focused on getting him to snack right things like meatballs, vegetable sticks with tzatziki and bone broth from THR1VE.” RISK vs REWARD “If you haven’t done a lot of strength training keep it simple,” says Chief. “Dumbbell training can be done quite safely. There’s less risk of injury.”
1
“Drop sets – when you lift a weight to failure and then immediately switch to a lighter one – are a great way to get a serious pump. Even if it’s a little embarrassing when by the end you’re struggling with 3kg biceps curls.”
2
”Drinking water is linked to reduced kilojoule intake. But chugging down litres of it can be tough. Carbonated water with a few drops of lemon juice is refreshing and makes it much easier to stay hydrated.”
3
“When it came to the diet, products from The Protein Bread Company (theproteinbreadco.com.au) were a life-saver. Their bread has 95 per cent less carbs than regular bread and tastes similar. Good muffins, too!”
SPECIAL THANKS TO PLUS FITNESS AND THR1VE READY MEALS
GET BANG FOR YOUR BUCK “Compound moves use more muscle, meaning you’ll expend more energy. They’ll also keep your metabolism revved up for a longer period.”
December 2018 113
ESSENTIALS
Our guide to what’s happening and what’s new
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WELL-GROOMED MENTORS OF MEN Acclaimed actor and producer Richard Roxburgh fronts the summer Van Heusen Mentors campaign, sharing life and style advice to live by, while showcasing the new Relaxed Essentials collections offered by the brand which includes half lined and linen blazers to keep you looking and feeling cool this summer! Product pictured: Check Blazer, $199; Sateen Chino, $89.95; European Tailored Fit Shirt, $59.95; Silk Tie, $54.95. To find out more, head to vanheusen.com.au/thementors
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124 Small fixes for bigger squats
126 Meat-free muscle-building
128 Tame your next triathlon
TR AINER B E C AU S E
F I T
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TAKE YOUR SHOT This is Michael B. Jordan’s moment – and he knows it. Here’s how the Creed II star marshals his strengths to break out of his comfort zone and survive
MIKE ZIMMERMAN ART STREIBER
December 2018 117
Man of the moment Michael B. Jordan shares his hard-graft route to building blockbuster muscle that really lasts
To the uninitiated, Michael B. Jordan’s rise may seem to have been meteoric: he has gone from a bit part in The Sopranos in 1999, followed by a regular role in The Wire, to Hollywood films such as Creed and the billion-dollar Black Panther. But it’s a journey that has taken 19 years. Today, people tell him to slow down, but that has never been part of the plan. “This moment I’m going through right now, I’ve worked my whole life for it,” says Jordan. “I feel as though anything could happen. Take a rest? I just got here. I can’t stop now.” In 2018, Jordan is bigger in every sense. His physique has come a long way since he played Wallace in The Wire. And it all started with his name. The “B” is there to distinguish him from the professional basketball player Michael Jordan, but sharing names with the NBA star became a driving force. “I’m competitive,” says Jordan. “Growing up in sports with that name, and being teased for it, meant I had to compete. I couldn’t have that name and not be good. That has carried over to everything in my life.” From the basketball court
to the silver screen, Jordan has always had something to prove – not just to his peers but to himself. He knows motivation is largely emotional. Something inside needs to push you. Yet, contrary to the Hollywood trope of striving against adversity, his ambition has been to justify his good fortune. “When I was young, things would fall into place. That created a sense of not deserving it,” he says. “The greater the accomplishment, the harder I thought I had to work.” Complacency is the enemy of progress, so applying Jordan’s ethos to your training will guarantee your own success. Few men at 31 can boast of more than 15 years of work, honing their craft. Jordan cautions against wanting too much, too fast. “My career has been full of stepping stones, enabling me to constantly grow and mature in my work,” he says. In an age of instant gratification, this slow and steady approach is reassuring. There’s no quick fix behind Jordan’s transformation – it’s all dedication. And here, the Hollywood stereotype comes to life: hard work really does pay off.
A VETERAN ACTOR AT 31, JORDAN REMAINS AS FOCUSED AS EVER.
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" 17 BICEPS
WORDS: TED LANE; PHOTOGRAPHY: ART STREIBER; GROOMING: CARISSA FERRERI/LA MER/TRACEYMATTINGLY.COM; BARBER: JOVE EDMOND; STYLING: SANDRA NYGAAR
SMASH YOUR WAY TO THE TOP
MICHAEL B JORDAN
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MUSCLE GAIN TO BE CREED
ACE THE ARMS RACE For this 21-rep workout by Jordan’s PT Corey Calliet, perform 7 reps curling to 90°, 7 from 90° to the top, then the full curl for the last 7
B A
01/ PREACHER CURL
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4 sets of 21 reps Load an EZ curl bar with a light weight and sit at a preacher bench (A). Varying your range increases time under tension, giving you a bigger pump (B).
HEIGHT
B
A
02/ STANDING CURL 4 sets of 21 reps Shake out your arms, hold the bar with an underhand grip and stand up (A). Aim to curl up quickly (B) and lower under control. Push through the burn.
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BUILD BIG ARMS & CRUSH BOREDOM
At a glance Expert Marcus Filly Experience CrossFit Games athlete and Functional Bodybuilding pioneer Filly has a library of innovative exercises online to help you look good and move well Insta @marcusfilly
Curls be damned. This “functional bodybuilding” workout harnesses the science of movement to add visible muscle to your arms in just 14 days
1B
2A
1A
2B
FLEX AND FUNCTION If classic bodybuilding favours aesthetics over performance, the new functional training movement does the opposite: the ethos is now “go”, not “show”. This smart workout from CrossFit coach Marcus Filly combines both. “These moves will build and sculpt your body, but variety, instability and new movement patterns will develop your overall fitness, too says Filly. Complete these supersets twice a week.
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1|| KNEELING STAND-UP
2||ALTERNATE ROW
(3 sets of 6-8 reps)
(3 sets of 6-8 reps)
Start your first superset with a test for your arms, abs and legs. On your knees, your torso upright, hold two kettlebells at your shoulders in the front rack position (A). Step up with your right foot to stand (B). Return to your knees by dropping your right leg first. That’s one rep. Alternate your legs for each rep until you hit the full count on both sides.
Loop a resistance band around your quads to keep your glutes under tension throughout the row. With a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended beneath you, hinge at your hips to bring your torso parallel to the ground (A). Row one arm at a time up to your abs, ensuring the other arm remains static (B). Once the reps are done, rest for 90 seconds before set two with the kettlebell.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
SUPERSET
BUILD BIG ARMS & CRUSH BOREDOM
THE SPEC MUSCLES TARGETED
WORKOUT
25 MIN
RESULTS IN
2
WEEKS LEVEL
4A
HARD
4B
3A
SUPERSET
3B
3|| OVERHEAD LUNGE
4||SINGLE-ARM BIAS PULL-UP
(3 sets of 6-8 reps)
(3 sets of 4-6 reps)
Stand holding a kettlebell in the front-rack position with your left hand. With your right hand, press another kettlebell overhead (A). This is your starting position. From here, perform a reverse lunge by stepping back with your left leg, touching your knee to the floor (B). Push back up – that’s one rep. Perform all of the reps on one leg, then switch sides. Head straight to the next move.
Hang from a chin-up bar with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight (A). Instead of pulling up your body as usual, challenge each arm individually, as well as your shoulder stability, by pulling your chin towards your left hand first, then your right (B). Perform at least four reps on each side, resting for 90 seconds before starting your second set of lunges.
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1B 2B
1A 2A
SUPERSET
PUSH FOR PROGRESS Session one tested your pulling power to build your biceps. Now, Filly wants you to focus on pushing strength to load up your triceps. “You’ll be familiar with these classic lifts, but they have undergone tweaks to shock your muscles into rapid growth,” says Filly. As with the first workout, perform this plan twice a week to reinvigorate your tired training schedule and earn noticeably bigger arms in the process.
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1|| FILLY Z PRESS
2||LANDMINE PRESS & ROLL
(3 sets of 4-6 reps)
(3 sets of 5 reps)
Use two pieces of kit to fire up your stabiliser muscles and build definition. On the floor, your legs straight, hold a kettlebell in the front-rack position in your right hand. With a dumbbell in your left, perform an Arnold press, pushing it overhead from shoulder height (A), twisting on the way up (B). When all the reps are done on one side, make the switch.
After completing the Z press, head to the barbell. In a push-up position, place one hand on the end of a landmine (A). The unstable base will test your triceps and abs. As you perform a push-up, roll the barbell out in front of you (B), then back again as you return to the top position. After five reps on both sides, rest for 90 seconds before set two of the Z press.
BUILD BIG ARMS & CRUSH BOREDOM
THE SPEC MUSCLES TARGETED
WORKOUT
25 MIN
RESULTS IN
2
WEEKS
3B
LEVEL
HARD
4B
3A 4A
SUPERSET
3|| ELEVATOR STRICT PRESS
4||SINGLE-ARM BRIDGE PRESS
(3 sets of 4-6 reps)
(3 sets of 6-8 reps)
It’s a traditional strict press with a difference. Instead of pushing the barbell overhead from your shoulders in one movement, here you’ll pause at different stages to keep your muscles under tension for longer. Pause for two seconds a third of the way up (A), twothirds of the way up and, finally, at the top (B). Repeat on the way down. Start the next move without rest.
Working each arm individually will increase the tension in your chest and triceps. On the floor, knees bent, lift your glutes into a bridge. Hold a dumbbell in one hand to the side of your chest (A), press it up (B), then lower under control. Complete the reps on one arm and swap sides. Rest for 90 seconds, then it’s set two of strict presses. You’ll earn new muscle, more motivation – and your shower.
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QUICK FIXES FOR HEAVIER SQUATS As the silent culprit behind failed reps, increasing your ankles’ range of motion should be a cornerstone of any legs-day warm-up. It will both strengthen and lengthen nearby calf muscles and allow you to go deeper and heavier in the sets to come. Let’s loosen up
DYNAMIC POWER
At a glance 1
A
CALF FOAM ROLLING
(3 reps of 30-60 secs)
(2 sets of 30sec)
Stretching and lengthening the soleus muscles in your calves increases your ankles’ ability to flex when lowering into a squat. With both hands pressed against a wall, stand with one foot in front of the other, roughly half a metre apart (A). Slightly bend both knees, heels on the floor, and lean into your ankles to hold the stretch (B). Switch legs and repeat. That’s one rep.
Foam rolling releases tight soft tissue in your calves to boost circulation for squats. With a straight leg resting on the roller, support your weight with your hands and keep your other leg bent (A). Roll and press your muscle into the foam (B). Flex and point your toes as you roll.
A
B
4
3
ANKLE ROCKER
ECCENTR RIC CALF LENGTHE ENING
(3 sets of 8 reps) This dynamic move is perfect just before entering the rack. Adopt a lunge position and loop a band around your front ankle, the other end to a pole behind you (A). Lean your front knee forward into the band (B) and hold for three seconds. Do eight reps per leg.
(3 sets o of 3 reps)
A
g on the Focusing lowering g phase of at will the squa strength hen your calves, enhancing the flex xibility around your ank Standing on a s with both heels the edge e, lift yourself f onto tiptoes, then shift your wei ight onto one leg (A). Keep control as you slowly lower yo our heel (B) fo f r our seconds. . Change sides after do ng g three re eps.
B
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BIGGER NUMBERS
PERFECT TECHNIQUE
B
2
SOLEUS STRETCH
B
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
Expert Tim Maynard Experience Sports physio Tim Maynard has kept pro players match ready. Use his ankle drills to score a stronger squat in no time ti
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MICROWAVE MUSCLE MEAL
FEAST FROM THE EAST With the perfect macro ratio to build muscle post-gym, this falafel pita is ideal for fast-acting repair
TIME TO MAKE KILOJOULES
5MIN 1954 PROTEIN CARBS 17G 51G
YOU WILL NEED...
• Cherry tomatoes, 3, halved • Cucumber slices, 3 • Salad leaves, handful • A wholemeal pita • Ready-made falafels, 3 • Low-fat hummus, 1tbsp
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1
7
0
5
3 4
0-1min Prepare your pita’s salad by tossing the tomatoes, cucumber and salad leaves in a bowl. The vitamin C in your tomatoes fights oxidative stress from exercise, while the cucumber’s 96 per cent water content will help to rehydrate you post-workout.
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1-2min The pita is precisely what you need after training, as your body is primed to absorb carbs and replenish lost glycogen. Heat your bread and falafel in the microwave for 45 seconds each, and then slice the pita carefully down one side to create a pocket.
6
2
5
3 4
3-5min Start assembling your lunch by spreading the hummus in your pita. Either cut your falafels in half, or leave them whole and stuff them inside, followed by the salad. Drizzle over your tahini (below), then head to the gym to er. work up some hunge
your w rap’s atio, otein r carb-to-pr recover y r optimal fo ard h r e t f a training
POWER SAUCE E
DRESS T TO IMPRES SS PACK EXTRA PROTEIN AND VITAMINS INTO YOUR PITA WITH THIS ZINGY TAHINI, WHICH TAKES MOMENTS TO PREPARE FOR LASTING MUSCLE MAINTENANCE
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In a bowl, mix together a teaspoon each of Greek yoghurt and tahini paste.
Then, complete plete your sauce sau auce by stirring in a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Damage limitation Dollop a big spoonful inside your wrap for speedy repair.
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS; PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE; FOOD STYLIST: NICO GHIRLANDO AT HERS AGENCY
3:1
1
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Don’t let sugar cravings sabotage your diet. Available now at
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TREND SECR
ETS
TRIATHLON
MASTER THE SWITCH
BECOME A TRIPLE THREAT
Use our guide for a smooth transition from water to bike and you’ll be gone in 60 seconds
Three is the magic number for aspiring
endurance athletes. We present your cheat sheet to help you swim, spin and sprint to the triathlon finish line 10SEC.
GOGGLES UP But keep them on until you have unzipped. Remove both your cap and your goggles as you pull your arms out, tucking them into the sleeve so you have two hands free.
5
30SEC.
HALF-TIME
1
WHERE DO I START?
Don’t hand in your gym membership. While cardio helps, few realise that strength work is just as crucial to completing the course. “It will make you more powerful and keeps your joints robust,” says Equinox coach George Rose. Build a strong base.
2
WHO’S IT FOR? If you’re a strong runner, take the plunge. It’s easier to make up time on two feet than it is to pull away in the water. Improve your freestyle and you can float through the first stage, conserve energy, and then assert your dominance on the road. 3
WILL IT GET ME RIPPED? Huge kilojoule expenditure is inevitable when training for a triathlon, making it a sure-fire route to a leaner look. But don’t stress about losing your muscle mass. “If you keep your protein intake high, sleep enough and don’t overtrain, you should be able to maintain your size,” says Rose.
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A
B
50SEC.
THE BIG PULL At our bike, pull your wetsuit down as far as it’ll go in one forceful movement. You need to be quick: once water drains out of the suit, it becomes harder to take off.
4
IS THERE A SIGNATURE MOVE TO MASTER? Work on exercises in the gym that will enhance your performance across the three disciplines, Rose advises. “Pull-ups can improve your long-distance swimming, while single-leg presses at a 40-degree angle are best for cycling. Walking lunges (going from A to B) that focus on deceleration and acceleration will power up your legs for running.”
Make like a Brownlee bro and optimise your time in the water with a HUUB Aegis II triathlon wetsuit ($247 proswimwear.com.au). “As it’s a summer sport, the thinner the wetsuit, the better,” says Rose. “A lot of people buy non-triathlonspecific wetsuits but if you get one designed for surfing, it’ll be too heavy, and you won’t have the shoulder mobility you really need.”
60SEC.
FINAL RELEASE Rub your shins and ankles with Vaseline before the race. Now stand on your wetsuit with one foot. In one move, yank the other foot up and out. Repeat and you’re free.
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID? 6
Triathlon training takes a tremendous toll on energy, and it’s all too easy to overlook the importance of food and rest. “You need to take sleep and stretching seriously,” warns Rose. “And make sure your body gets enough of its main fuel source: carbohydrates.” Ours will be a pizza with a side order of pasta, thanks.
WORDS: AARON TOUMAZOU; ILLUSTRATIONS: ALEX WILLIAMSON AND BEN MOUNSEY; PHOTOGRAPHY: HEARST STUDIOS, GETTY IMAGES
GO FOR GOLD ON WHEELS, IN WATER AND ON THE PAVEMENT.
Now unzip your wetsuit, but don’t stop running as you pull it down to your hips. Leave your legs in fully, so you can sprint freely until you reach your bike.
DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL KIT?
ONE WORD ANSWER
QUESTION
What stormy emotion helps your heart and clears a cloudy mind?
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ANSWER
Anger
angry anywhere from several times a day to several times a week.” It’s a relief, then, that seeing red has its uses. A study published in Health Psychology showed that venting our anger can help us maintain our resting blood pressure, while suppressing it has been linked to potentially cancer-inducing increases in stress. Righteous indignation also aids weight loss by reducing our appetite; in a 2014 study, test subjects who were made to feel a sense of injustice
consumed fewer snacks than members of the control group. Their outrage had presumably left behind a bad taste. Most curiously of all, a University of California paper demonstrated that rage – when it doesn’t overwhelm us – improves our ability to process information, increasing our motivation to “discriminate between weak and strong arguments”. Under control, it can make us more, not less, rational. So, it’s a matter of extent. Don’t go menacing cyclists on the road, but don’t resist the urge to release the pressure valve now and then, either. As the Dalai Lama observed, “If a human being never shows anger . . . he’s not right in the brain.”
WORDS: YO ZUSHI; PHOTOGRAPHY: JOBE LAWRENSON
“MY BEHAVIOUR WAS UNACCEPTABLE,” said master butcher Jason Wells in 2015. “I shouldn’t act like that.” Wells was contrite for good reason: he had threatened to smash a cyclist’s teeth down his throat after struggling to overtake him in his Land Rover. Helmet-camera footage of the altercation had gone viral, and twowheeled YouTubers had caricatured him as a snarling “road-rage champion”. In an interview conducted by a catering magazine not long before, however, Wells comes across as a decent, ordinary man – a father of two motivated by his “love of family, food and people”. What happened was probably just a moment of everyday madness. Countless scientific reports have found that anger can cloud our judgment of risk, make us crueller and encourage careless thought. And it’s an extremely common feeling: according to psychologist James Averill of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, “Most people report becoming mildly to moderately