Men-s Health South Africa 2013

Rapidly increase your muscle tone and strength with this weights-free workout that combines five MH staffers' high-intensity upgrades to your classic bodyweight moves

1/

THE SKYDIVE PIKE ROLL

Challenging your body doesn't always require the use of bars and weight plates - as MH readers have proved. We asked for your favourite adaptations of staple bodyweight moves, then selected the five most effective to create this workout. It engages your body from head to toe with no need to set foot in the gym. This circuit naturally tailors itself to your fitness and strength levels. "Your body is very clever and will always find the easiest way to perform a taxing task," says strength and conditioning coach Jamie Sawyer. "By using your own weight as your resistance, your body will seek out a way of making the resistance lighter the only way it knows how - by subtly adjusting your position and effectively reducing your body weight." For the best results, perform three full circuits, resting for 90sec between each of them.

" Power through if yourlower back starts to burn during the dorsal raise-and be careful not to roll onto your manhood when returning to your stomach!"

2/

ROUND THE CLOCK PULL-UP

Grab a pull-up bar w ith a wide, overhand grip. Pull up and touch your right shoulder to your right hand. Pause for a beat. Moving to one side works your biceps harder t han nor mal. B Without dropping up and down, shift your body so t hat your lef t shoulder touches your left hand. Pause again, then lower your body to the centre. Repeat anti-clockwise. A

"I installed a bar above my kitchen door last year, thinking that I'd do some pull-ups every time that I opened the fridge. No surprise then that the bar was quite dusty when I tried this variation out. But once I got going it was actually quite fun. Now I have another pull-up variation to procrastinate with while eyeing outthe contents of my fridge."

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Perform a dorsal raise: lie down, then lift your legs and chest up so you look like a skydiver in freefall. This stretches your abs and works your lower back. B Now roll over into a pike posit ion, w ithout letting your arms or legs touch the floor. This hits your obliques and forms an ab crunch t o boot. Return to the skydive and repeat , keeping your limbs off the ground. A

MH READER ' S I SSUE

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4/

POWER PRESS-UP

Hold a press-up position with your hands on a bench. Then explosively push up so that your hands leave the surface. Keep your body rigid so that your hips don't cave in. a As soon as your hands return to the bench, bend at the elbows and explode back up again. This will generate maximum muscle recruitment in your upper body for improved strength. A

3/

STAR PLANK GET-UP

From a side plank with straight arms, lift your non-weight-bearing arm and leg into a star position. a Now move the leg behind your body and onto the floor, keeping your hips pushed up towards the ceiling. Your body now resembles the "T"'position of a Turkish get-up. From here, reverse the moves back to the start, then roll onto the other side. Alternate back and forth. A

"Another great try-at-home move, this one is all about balance and form.Once lgotthose right (I must admit, I fell over a couple of times atfirst), I could feel the difference in my arms and core."

"This is a great move and one that I love incorporating a few sets of at the start of my 'chest day'. Theexplosiveaction requires a lot more work than a standard push-up and causes a lot more fatigue, but also results in great gains in strength." -Clinton Jurgens, MHSenior Designer

5/

JUMP SPLIT SQUAT

"One of the most underrated exercises. Beware! It gets tougher the more you do, but it's a killer exercise for your legs and core. To getthe most out of it, keep up the intensity and stay balanced."

A Perform a split squat, then jump up forcefully, switching legs in the air and landing wit h the other foot forward. Make sure your front knee doesn't roll inwards when you land. a Repeat, landing with the first foot in front again. Repeat for 30sec to fire more fast-twitch muscle fibres in your legs and glutes than Bryan Habana sprinting for the corner.

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MH READ ER ' S ISS UE ..r'Ji!,l,,l~l~(,-

STAY ON TRACK

THE INCR EASE IN YOU R EN DU RANC E WHEN LI STENI NG

Tune into the playlist that motivates Men's Health readers to work harder. From warm-up to cool-down, these are the tracks - listed in order of beats per minute (BPM) - you use to power your progress

Lecrae "Go Hard" 72BPM NoahMpofu

Three 6 Mafia "It's a Fight" 74BPM Billy Diesel

Rick Ross "Push It" 76BPM Tonderayi Mike Faro

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Victory Lap" 91 BPM Sylver Syl Kibs

Breaking Benjamin "Breath" 94BPM Donald Mhlanga

Bruno Mars 'The Lazy Song" 91BPM Francois Clint Soaiman

11

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R.Kelly "The World's Greatest" 96 BPM Clark Moeketsana

Common "Go!" 99BPM Thato van Tito

Black Coffee "Don't Give Up" 108BPM Ntumba Wo Ka Mnguni

Boston "More Than A Feeling" 109 BPM Nyiko Aject Mnisi

Linkin Park "Burn It Down" llOBPM Kobus Kabous van Rooyen

Skrillex feat Sirah "Bangarang!" 112 BPM Thobong Mokoeno

Metallica "Enter Sandman" 123BPM Jj Visagie

DJ Khaled ft. Drake "No New Friends" 125 BPM BebeMafoko

TobyMac "Eye On It" 12SBPM DanieKocks

Bruno Mars "Locked Out Of Heaven" 128 BPM Shaun Tymon

Flo Rida "Good Feeling" 128BPM Xoloni Ngwenya

Lady Gaga "Edge of Glory" 128BPM Douglas Smith

Col dplay "Clocks" 131BPM VenyShale

The Chemical Brothers "Believe" 132 BPM Liam Boaysen

Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" 137 BPM Gareth Williams

Coldplay "Paradise" 140BPM Joy Mosta Hlolele

Fall Out Boy "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" 152 BPM Hannes Gouws

Clawfinger "Biggest & The Best " 169 BPM Lebogang Griffin Mohlolelo

KNOW WHEN TO HIT PLAY / SllE'lllllll

Music psychologists Dr Vicky Williamson and Greg Whyte tell you what to listen to, when

WARM-UP I II I ll 13

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TO MUSIC

15 17 · ~ 19 16 14 18 20

I

STEADY-STATE CARDID 21

23 22

MH READER 'S I SSUE

We'lb#1" L,..O<;<;

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WEIGHT BEFORE

130 WEIGHT AFTER

90 VITALS

Sergio da Costa, 30,J oburg HEIGHT

1.75m TIME TO GOAL

-

13 mont hs

0

THE GAIN

As a teenager I w as always active. I participated in a Lot of different sports and found it difficult to gain weight, but when I Left school I started to slack. I ended up living off junk food, and inactivity and boredom took the place of fitness. I joined a Local gy m and embarked on a w eight training programme, but I didn't change my eating habits and I didn't see the results I wanted. I w as carel ess with healthy Living and I made fun of myself. I would focus on my personality more than my Looks.

THE CHANGE By 2011 my weight had spiraled to 132kg and my health was totally out of control. Simple tasks like tying a shoelace or getting up from a chair, were done with great effort. Climbing stairs was a defintite " no" (I woul d opt for an escalator), and I had difficulty being mobile. I made a decision to employ a personal

trainer, Beulah Strydom from The Winning Edge Gym. I asked her to transform m y body, to change my bad eating habits, to train me to get fit and most of all to restore my confidence and appearance. Being a hardcore trainer, she said she would train me on one condition: that I didn't fail her and disappoint myself, or waste her valuable t ime.

THE STRATEGY Our game plan was on. We shifted our focu s to correct ive eating: six to eight

smaller meal s daily, drinking Lots of water and training f ive days a week. I also went to Marc Herhert, owner of Gorilla Warfare, for some high intensity interval Tabata training, Olympic lifts and some boxing training.

THE REWARD I have become a spokesperson for fitn ess, health and nutrition. I can now, w ith personal education, help others who are experiencing what I have been through and guide them on a healthy lifestyle. This is

the best I have ever felt in my life and the best I ever Looked, and that has boosted my confidence.

THE RESULT I Lost 40kg in 10 months and my body fat dropped from 28% to 11%. This process restored my confidence and has motivated me to become a CrossFit coach/trainer. I hope to compete in the CrossFit games in 2014 and to be the Face of Fitness. I am not embarrassed and I am not the fat guy w ith the great personality anymore!

The next Belly Off! winner will become the proud owner of a Reebok RealFlex apparel hamper worth RJ 000, including running shoes that deliver a ~ sock-like" feel and promote natural movement. Real Flex training apparel

is made to flex. with Play Ory moisture management and stretch fabrics forfreedom of movement

plus ergonomic armholes and RealVent engineered ventilation

for ventilation without the chafe! For more info go to reebok.co.za.

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, I PRE-WORKOUT "Eating before exercise, as opposed to exercising in the fasting state, has been shown to improve performance," says registered dietician Megan Pentz-Kluyts.

Shaun Balliah: ''A banana with a cup of black coffee." PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "I would advise Shaun to add in some protein or even make a smoothie by adding low-fat m ilk to the banana and consuming it a bit closer to his workout session. This will also help w ith maintaining hydration. The effect of the caffeine from the coffee may be more closely rel ated to its stimulant effect, making you feel more energised and decr easing perceived exertion. A performance-enhancing effect can be seen from as low as lmg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. The average cup of filter coffee has in the region of lOOmg of caffeine per cup."

Nathan Rundle: ''A smoothie with pineapple, kiwi, banana with ice and halfa cup offat-free milk with a cup ofblack coffee (no sugar)." PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "This is a good option wh ich has more readily digested carbs, together wit h a bit of protein from the milk. Mil k contains intact h igh-quality protein and it's a fat-free option, wh ich will assist with gastric emptying - it's pr eferable not to have a full stomach before exercise."

Sean Andrew Sanders: "Watermelon or any lightfruit. It's got the fructose you needfor some energy." PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "A good choice, as Long as Sean has had a meal or more substantial snack two to four hours prior. Otherwise, add a bit of l ow-fat yoghurt."

William Lloyd: "One cup oats, 400ml eggs and a Granny Smith apple." PENTZ· KLUYTS SAYS: "Oats and an apple are both good slow-release carb options, but might be a bit too close to the exercise session. The 400ml of eggs sounds like too much protein. Although resistance exercise may necessitate protein intake in excess of the RDA (additional protein, essential amino acids in particular, is needed al ong with sufficient energy to support muscle growth), the general amount recommended is more conservative in nature and directed more at recovery.''

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MH REA DER ' S ISSUE

POST-WORKOUT I According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the amino acid l eucine promotes maximum protein synthesis. "An ideal supplement following resistance training should contain w hey protein that provides at Least 3g of Leucine per serving," says Pentz-Kluyts.

Ryan Botha: "Cooled oats mixed with my Biogen wheyprotein." PENTZ- KLUYTS SAYS: "The combination of carbs and protein is important in the early recovery phase. It promotes the release of the hormone insu lin which stimu lates muscle glycogen replenishment as well as the transport of amino acids into muscle cells which will help to rebuild muscle. T his action also blunts the rise in cortisol, a stress hormone that would otherwise follow exercise. Cortisol suppresses t he rate of muscle rebuilding and tends to stim ulate protein breakdown. Oats that have been cooled have an even l ower GI, but you r muscles are like sponges post-exercise, so a higher GI is best. Enjoy it warm, add some sugar or honey. Ryan could also add milk to his oats."

Shaun Balliah: "A wheyprotein shake and an English muffin topped offwith two eggs." PENTZ- KLUYTS SAYS: "Shaun has included an English muffin which has a higher glycaemic index providing a readily available source of carbohydrate for muscle glycogen recovery. This is a good choice and shou ld be the major carbohydrate choice in recovery meal s. It's a good idea is that Shaun includes fluid to aid in rehydration."

Nathan Rundle: "Eight egg whites with two normal eggs, a cup ofoats with a scoop of whey and a tablespoon ofpeanut butter." PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "Nathan has chosen good sources of protein. However, it is quite a high intake of protein post-exercise. Currently, recommendations regarding protein supplem entat ion are conservative and directed primarily at opt imising t he recovery period after exercise. Garb-rich foods that are faster acting (with a moderate to high glycaemic index) eaten immediately after exercise provide a more readily available source of car bohydrates for muscle glycogen recovery, since they're easily assimilated into blood glucose (blood sugar) and become ready fuel."

Mark Cawood: "A good serving ofprotein! Eitherfish or chicken and some slow carbs." PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "Garbs and protein are always a good combina tion. Just try and make sure tha t it is a good helping of carbs with protein. More readily available carbs are also a good choice post- exercise. And for t he most benefit, aim to eat regularly each day."

Sean Andrew Sanders: "A rice cracker, with halfan avo spread on it, some fresh sliced tomato on top, andfair amount ofsalt and pepper, to really get all the flavours going!" PENTZ-KLUYTS SAYS: "Sean's choice includes healthy fats and some antioxidant s, but it is very Low on carbs and protein. I suggest he up the number of rice crackers, as they are more fast-acting carbs and add some chicken or a chocolate milk."

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We Instagrammed a selection of protein-packed, home-cooked meals, and asked you to pick your favourites. Then we got our nutritionist to tweak the top four

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Swopping parsnips.for broccoli and green beans will cut around 836kJ. The sweet potato will provide all the energy you need at the gym

1/ MUSCLE BUILDING

THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BEEFING UP Steak is a reliable weapon in the battle to bulk up, with protein and creatine arming your muscular growth when training. But it is worth splashing out if this meal is to your taste. "Organic cuts will ensure you get more of the conjugated Linoleic acid that promotes extra fat-burning, keeping your definition while you build size," says registered nutritionist Christine Bailey. "Just 2 tsp of traditional peppercorn sauce can contain over 418 kilojoules, so replace cream with fat-free plain yoghurt to cut the fat content by almost half."

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INGREDIENTS ·olive oil • 1 sweet potato, cut into rough chips • 1 sirloin fillet steak • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 125ml beef stock • 2 heaped tbsp fat-free plain yoghurt • freshly ground black pepper • steamed broccoli and green beans to serve

Put 1 tbsp oil in a roasting tray and stick it in the oven at 200°C. Hard boil the potatoes, add to the tray and bake for 30 min. 2 After 20min, season your steak, then fry for 2-3min on each side. When it's cooked, put it aside for 5min - even your dinner needs a rest period. 3 Tip any excess oil from the pan and add the vinegar and stock. Leave to bubble until there's half left, throw in the yoghurt and pepper. Serve with steak, chips and the green veg.

1

2328 38.8g KILOJOULES

PROTEIN

25.5g 44.6g TOTAL FAT

CARBS

HH REAOER 'S ISS UE

2/ TOTAL RECOVERY

Skewering the fish will ensure it cooks quickly and evenly. Just watch how much sweet chilli sauce you use - it can be high in s ugar

STICK IT TO MUSCLE SORENESS This one is almost spot-on. "The protein and ant i-inflammatories, with the monounsaturated fats of t he avocado, will quickly repair micro-tears to your muscles and limit joint pain following endurance exercise," says Bailey. She suggests replacing the sweetcorn with a low-carb, nutrient-rich veg such as kale to reduce the total carb content, giving you a near-perfect nutritional breakdown. If you're gunning for full marks, opt for cans of mixed beans in water to cut the extra salt and sugar that ot her dastardly varieties hide.

INGREDIENTS · l tbsp sweet chilli sauce • 2 tbsp lime juice · l salmon fillet, cut into chunks • V2 avocado, diced • 4 cherry tomatoes, chopped • handful of coriander leaves, chopped · l tsp olive oil • handful of kale, chopped • % tin mixed beans in water, rinsed · l roasted red pepper, chopped

This is going to be quick, so get ready. Pre-heat the grill t o a medium t empera ture. Combine the chilli sauce and 1 tbsp lime juice. Thread the salmon chunks onto a metal skewer and coat in the sauce. 2 Mix together the avocado, tomatoes and coriander. Season with the remaining lime juice. Grill the skewers for 7-Bmin, turning half way. Your muscle fuel is 3min away. 3 Meanwhile, saute the kale, beans and pepper for 2-3min in a little oil. Serve the salmon with veg and spoon the avocado sal sa on the side. Voita.

1

2086 35.2g KILOJOULES

PROTEIN

27.Bg 26.7g TOTAL FAT

CARBS

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Cheese loses some ofits flavour during heating. Switch to low-:fat soft cheese. You'll cut out kilojoules but do little to limit the taste

3/ LOW KILOJOULE

BURN FAT WITH CHILLI PEPPERS This meal has doubled up on protein by boldly wrapping the chicken in bacon. Rashers are too high in saturated fat to be eaten on a regular basis, so Bailey's tweaked version uses Parma ham instead, which is leaner but (almost) as tasty. " Broccoli is a usef ul source of B vitamins, antioxidant s, iron and calcium," she says. "The jalapeiio peppers will raise your core temperature very slightly for added fa t-burning, but t heir main purpose in this dish is to provide a low-kilojoule kick of flavour." If chicken is your go-to prot ein on a daily basis, this will be much appreciated.

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INGREDIENTS • 4-6 jalapeno peppers • 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped • 30g sweetcorn, tinned • 4 slices Parma ham • 30g reduced-fat cheddar, grated • 1 tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese • broccoli and mange tout cooked to serve

1 Roast the jalapeiios whole for IO min at Let them cool, then hollow them out. Do not rub your eyes. 2 Mix the chicken, sweetcorn and cheeses and season. Place 1 tbsp of the m ixture into each pepper and wrap with a slice of ham. 3 Skewer each pepper w ith a cocktail stick, t hen bake on a tray with a rack so the fat drains away. Take them out after 20min or when the ham is nice and crisp. Serve with the cooked greens.

1ao·c.

1764 51.3g KILOJOULES

PROTEIN

21.lg 6.6g TOTAL FAT

CAR BS

MH REA DE R'S ISS UE

hi!lf FOOV

Cook your spinach.for one minute, rather than eating it raw, to reduce its oxalic acid. This binds to calcium, impairing its absorption

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4/ HIGH ENERGY

AHOT SOURCE OF PROTEIN POWER "This is a good combination of protein-rich f ish and low-GI brown rice," says Bailey. But t he fish is very charred. "Salmon is a good source of healthy fats, but cooking at a high temperature attacks t hese nutrients and limits t heir benefit." Tuna steak is lower in fat but packs Bg more protein per lOOg, so it's an easy way to upgrade this recipe. "Brown rice is a great source of selenium and manganese and, like other wholegrains, contains magnesium - an essential mineral for energy production." says Bailey. This recipe is a little more hands-on, but its performance-boosting powers make it worth the extra effort.

INGREDIENTS • 40g brown rice • 1 shallot. chopped • 1 roasted red pepper from ajar • 1 tsp olive oil • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar • 1 tuna steak • BOg broccoli florets • lOOg baby spinach

leaves

PERCEN TAGE OF YOUR DAILY REQU IREMENT OF MANGAN ESE TH AT' S CONTA I NED I N A CU P OF BR OWN RIC E

1914 62.3g 16.7g 14.4g KILOJOULES

PROTEIN

TOTAL FAT

CAR BS

1 Boil t he rice in 130ml of water; it shou ld take about 20min. Meanwhile, fry t he shallot and red pepper in a splash of oil for a couple of minutes. Now t hrow t hem in a blender with t he vinegar and blitz to make a thick sauce. 2 Take a sheet of foil (or baking paper if you have any), sit the tuna steak bang in the middle and spoon the sauce on top. Seal t he parcel and bake at 2oo·c. for 6-Bmin. Don't worry, you'll get to open your present soon. 3 Steam the broccoli over the rice for a few minutes and chuck the spinach on top for the final m inute. Unw rap t he parcel, pour on the sauce - then give your body what it's been waiting for.

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MH REA DER 'S I SSUE

~l.,.~

We asked Men's Health readers how they dress for work, now that the office uniform has been relegated to history. Fashion Editor, Azeez Jacobs, picked out the looks that worked best in any modern workplace

Jonas,

Standard Bank

MH SAYS: "One way to make your black suit stand out is with a brightly coloured shirt like this red one. If your shirt is going to be as bright as t his is, keep your tie colour simple and muted."

Zayn, blogger MH SAYS: "If you wear a leather jacket to the office, keep the fit streamlined, like this. Dress it up with a shirt and tie, or down with just a T-shirt."

Jason, Casey,

Sergeant Pepper

MH SAYS: "This works because the fit is great. The tailored, slim-fit look, and the cut brings a great modern edge to t he classic dark and white colours."

MHSAYS: "Double denim? Why not. Just don't triple-up. I like the chinos: denim jeans would have been a step too far! This is a great office look for creative or artsy types."

Emporw Armani

MHSAYS: "A two-buttoned black suit works for work or for a cocktail party the perfect look to take you from the office to an event. The pocket square adds a touch of class."

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MH SAYS: "It's the printed shirt that's the hero here. It takes what's really a simple look - shirt, jacket, chinos - and adds a bit of punch."

Zak,

actor and TV presenter

•

Sandile,

IT Support

Derick,

Footwear Trading

Mike,

MH SAYS: "You can't go wrong with a simple, slim-fit white shirt. You just have to wear it properly - so it doesn't look like your old highschool uniform. The tie, jacket and chino combinat ion make it sophisticated and sleek."

MH SAYS: "The navy blazer st ill rules the office. Instead of a suit, I like the play of the denim jeans and the white shirt. It 's still a smart lookhe's ready for any boardroom meet ing and he'd be the most relaxed man in the room!"

Sunglass Hut

Stuart, Adidas MH SAYS: "Have some fun at the office with some coloured chinos. This look works because of the washed-out shade of the chinos and the neutral tones of t he rest of his outfit. It's colourful but still understated."

MH READER ' S I SS UE

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WHAT WOMEN WANT* You inboxed us, and we put your relationship questions to the Women's Health Facebook community. Here's what they said... YOU ASKED:

YOU ASKED:

Seriously: do you want your boyfriend to de-friend all his ex-girlfriends on Facebook? Marlize D.

Why would he want/need to have his exes on his Facebook if he is dating me/ married to me? I'm not FB friends with any of my exes. It's a respect thing. Plus some girls don't understand t hat when a man is taken they need to leave him alone. DeeM.

No, I trust him. Besides, when you put boundaries in your relationship, by telling him what he can and cannot do, you are asking to be the next ex. Respect includes respecting his right to make his own choices. Confident women are sexy, not whiny, controlling, insecure ones. Yes, it irritates me coz I know men are dogs. I wish he would block t hem, or I'll block him to never even see

Is that a rhetorical question? Someex's area serious problem, still living in the past. No woman needs that.

their communication.

Kgomotso

Motheba M.

M.

Yolanda R.

As long as it st ops at FB.

girlfriend doesn't like the idea

~

o me going a_way on a boys' weekend. y not? What's the big deal? Louise G.

Clarice B .

lthabeleng L.

Rochelle d.B

Boys (and girls) weekends away are for single people, not for people in committed relat ionships. That's all there is to it.

Depends on whether you've been on a boys weekend before and what the

If you've done something in the past that's given

It's definitely a trust issue - but I am always keen on the "me time" and time with my girlfriends. So go!

Morwesi P.

His boys night should be your girls night or some alone t ime. Besides,"absence makes the heart grow fonder".

out come was ...

Ever given her a reason not to trust you? Yeah, shouldn't have done that...

her a reason not

to trust you, or she knows that your crowd of friends usually get up to no good, then it's probably a no. If not. some alone

Cindy P. W.

t ime in a com-

She knows what she gets up to on a girls weekend so...

mitted relationship or marriage, is still great now and again.

Sipokazi S.

Time apart is never a bad thing but there must be a reason why she doesn't like you going away for the weekend.

Are you going fishing or off to party in Vegas? Cos I watched The Hangover so I'm going to say no to Vegas. Joy N.

: ................................................................................................................... . YOU ASKED:

Yolanda N .

What? Of course not. This is the problem, we are so consumed with social media and we forget that it is separate from our daily life. So what if he has a few friends on FB - he probably isn't talking to them anyway. Mandy A.

No - t hey are exes for a reason. Move on from it. Yohanlne R.

If she is ugly then no! Hahahaha. Wanita N.

Nah. If I didn't think I could trust him I wouldn't be with him. Also, if he's fri ends with them on FB, it makes it super easy to spy on them'

YOU ASKED:

How can a guy keep romance alive after you've moved in together? Nicole v.d.W.

Lolly D.

Small surprises such as dinner (even if it's takeaways), two minute massages. wre stling-slash -tickling sessions. spontaneous getaways! Anything to keep the mood lifted and light-hearted.

By not t urning into a disgusting pig: pick up your socks from the floor. do your part of the chores. Surprise your l ady with something like flowers, a small pressie, a massage,

for her wit h a glass of wine. The list is endless, it really is. Just make her feel special and you'll always have that spark. Plus. she will reward you for it in return!

run a bubble bath

Help out around the house -without announcing what has been done! Moni ca J.

Lisa K.

Do the dishes!!!

................................................................................................................................................................................................. YOU ASKED:

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For many women, "being romantic" seems to mean having a guy_ spend money on you. What would you suggest we llo ifwe're strappedfor cash?

I have

af~male

colle
NlclC.

Aneldl G.

Ma deleine R.

Farieda I.

Steal me a flower out of an old lady's garden.

It's the little things that make me feel special.... pouring my wine, giving me a hug and a kiss often, asking if I need anything. Just always be a caring, loving gentleman.

Eerrr, hello! Just tell her to back off and that you're not interested. She won't stop unless you stop her.

z

Get in the car, don't tell her where you're going, have drinks (and snacks and a blanket) packed and go somewhere beautiful to watch the sunset. Adventures don't have to cost a fortune. It's the thought and effort in the planning t hat'll mean a lot.

:::;

Thamar H .

f-

I'm pretty adventurous so all you need to do is pack a backpack wit h a flask of coffee and some rusks and take me for a hike on t he mountain, stopping at a romantic spot on the way for a coffee. Easy (especially if you like hiking).

a.

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Giiiian G.

Romantic dinner at home. a walk on the beach, hire a good movie, buy some cheese, biscuits and wine. So many things that can be done without spending too much.

Being romantic only costs 35c - it's an SMS. It's the Little things that make the relationship. Women just want to be Loved. Beatrice c.

Zuleigah F.

Take me to a bench in a nice park or to the beach. I can sit for hours just watching the view and enjoying his company, just don't forget the sweets.

Nicolene V.

Romance doesn't require money. Just cook for your girl and put on some nice music. But most importantly, make her smile.

Anine Y. A massage! Nothing beats a good back scratch.

Michelle T.

Keeping the kids busy while I have a long bath. A foot rub or massage. A written note and chocolate bar is a huge bonus. Stefn l H-M.

Sadiqah S.

Cook us dinner, give a girl a foot rub - even an unexpected compliment now and then would be appreciated.

For me. it's not always about spending a lot. It's the creativity, effort and love put into anything my man does for me.

Lerato B .

She isn't happy in her relationship and she's looking to get some attention. ElmaK.

If you are not interested at all. say so and do it firmly. [Eds note: If you are, time to break up with your girlfriend. Preferably before you act.]

Tsheplso M.

Poor lady might like you hey...

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NEW TR I K FR M L D These men have spent decades learning how to stay at the toe of their game. Their advice will change your life. Listen up, laaities

11 IAlll CIUlllE IS A WERY UNASSUlllNG ATILETE . Ifyousaw him at the start of a race you'd think: "I could easily take him". And over a short distance you probably would. But in extreme endurance ultras your burst of youthful exuberance and arrogance would peter out, and you'd be forced to watch the rear view of a meticulously paced fi gure disappearing ahead of you. That's because your face-value judgments of his athletic ability d idn't realise that his body has been battle-hardened from the ravages of cancer and most recently a bone marrow transplant. Or that his fiercely uncompromising psyche has driven his legs across thousands of kilometres.

BY IAN MCNAUGHT DAV IS

PHOTOGRAPHS MO RNE VAN ZYL

+ DAVID ....,

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his year, Crombie, a sports scientist at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, returned from running 62 marathons' worth of jungle along the banks of the Mekong River, which snakes through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam into the South China Sea. The enormity of the distance is as impressive as the stand Crombie is making - defiance against doubt, cancer and the notion that men can "retire" their bodies from middle age. That idea - ofmen "giving up" struck Derrick Hill while he was on holiday in Umhlanga Rocks in 2007. Go to any beach and you'll see men with bellies bulging over their boardshorts, bloated from years of dedication to a lifestyle of more eating and less moving. In fact, you don't need to go to a beach to see this; you could probably just turn your head. "Most of the men of South Africa let themselves go," says Hill. "They've got stomachs bigger than pregnant women and they don't need to be like that. They think that after 50 they can just relax on the couch and watch TV." This moment on the beach had a profound effect on Hill who, five years later, came second in the Masters division at the Reebok CrossFit Games in California - a remarkable achievement consid ering his medical history. Like Crombie, Hill had a medical condition that wasn't the result of a negligent, sedentary lifestyle. He worked in the building industry; he hauled bags, bricks and beams around construction sites. He was a long-distance runner who also played squash and water sports. Yet his spine had been disintegrating for the past 40 years. There's a neurosurgeon in Linksfield West who has three decades' worth of records documenting the deterioration of Hill's spine. This is the same spine that orchestrated the movements in getting a silver medal competing against some of the world's fittest men. This, despite having a hip replacement and despite the fact that - according to the South African Medical Research Council - almost twothirds of South African males are classified as physically inactive. Still, Hill's sturdy legs found their way onto the podium in Carson, California because he's spent most of his life refusing d efeat and, at times, doctor's orders. A few years ago, Hill's doctor told him he needed a discectomy. Hill refused, and instead of accepting atrophy, he began strengthening his back. "I've been through times when it's been really sore," he says. "I couldn't walk at times, but I kept on strengthening it." Hill returned to his doctor for another assessment. Again, the doctor advised a discectomy. Hill conceded. However, an MRI scan revealed that he was too late. "The doctor said that at that point it was so bad that ifhe did one disc, they would all go." Hill was given a piece of paper outlining the life he could expect - it had instructions on how to get in and out of a wheelchair, which backrests to use when sitting and how to lift yourself up after sitting down . "I thought: 'Wow, this is not going to happen.' I'd rather live for today," he says. So, once again, Hill got stronger. "I strengthened my back to the extent that I can do the things anybody can do. When I go to a physio now they say they've never seen the muscles holding that spine together like it is," he says. "Whenever the doctor sees me, he just shakes his head." It took a life-threatening moment to alter Farouk Meyer's attitude to exercise. In his mid-twenties Meyer found himself on the operat-

ing table in Groote Schuur Hospital after doctors discovered he had a stress-induced perforated ulcer. He'd always been active while growing up but found he had little time for sport after his family and business commitments. Shortly after the operation, Meyer came across an article on the latest endeavour of the often controversial professor from UCT, Tim Noakes. The story detailed how Noakes had planned to help overweight novice runners with heart conditions train for their first marathon. Meyer, not being obese, didn't fit the criteria but was invited to train with Noakes and his posse. "I went alon g t o the Rondebosch Common. I stayed with them for 12 weeks," he says. "It changed my life," says Meyer, who had been suffering the sideeffects of medication until regular running had eliminated the need to take it any more. Noakes told him to join a running club as he had natural t alent, which he later confirmed by running his first marathon in jus t over three hours. Running quickly moved from a physical therapy to a career and he eventually became chairman of the Western Province Athletics Road Running Commission. At a meeting, Meyer said he would start the biggest club in the province. "Everyone laughed," he says. Five years lat er, the club he founded - ltheko Sport Athletic Club is indeed the biggest club in the Western Cape and the fastest growing club in South Africa. "What is phenomenal is that the club is made up of people who have never run or done sport before." Meyer, who's now the chairman of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, has changed lives through the sport that he discovered in his 20s. Now at the age of 62, he regularly races and is the head coach of the club he founded.

AT THE AGE OF 72, BALES STILL SWIMS REGULARLY, CLOCKING A KILOMETRE-ANO· A-HALF FIVE TIMES A WEEK n the year 1969, man first walked on the moon, Bryan Adams bought his first real six-string, and a 28-yearold Capetonian named Peter Bales found his niche after he emerged, exhausted, from the icy Atlantic on the beaches of Woodstock. Bales and a few friends had braved the frigid waters and writhing currents that lie between Robben Island and the mainland, discovering a challenge that tested their minds and bodies against distance, depth, temperature and nature's unpredictability. A few months later, they founded the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association (CLDSA), which continues today, with members - powered by their arms, legs and mental resolve - ploughing through the waters around the Cape Peninsula as an idea of fun. Later that year, Bales became the first South African to swim "the Everest of swimming" - the English Channel - where he crossed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes from England to France in just over 13 hours. Now, at the age of72, Bales is chairman of the CLDSAand still swims regularly, clocking a kilometre -and-a-half five times a week. Although he's a Masters athletics champion in South Africa, 85-year-old Borg Stannius began his competitive career on a school playground in Denmark. A few boys had a competition to see who could throw a cricket ball the furthest, and the young Borg whipped everyone with metres to spare. He was talked into taking up the javelin, which he took as far as the Danish national team before leaving the country. He then played sports socially but only took up athletics

+ PETER ! BALES

LONG OISTANCf SWIMMrn AGE 72

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ACHIEVEMENTS Fifst South African to swim the English Channel

+ FAROUK V?

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MEYER RUNNER AGE 62

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again at the age of 70 after having moved to South Africa. In August he'll take C/J --< part in the weights ::0 ,..,, :z pentathlon (discus, --< javelin, weight ::c throw, hammer CROSSflT CHAMPION throw and shot put) AGE ACHIEVEMENTS at the World Masters 63 2nd place in the Masters division o t Games in Brazil. the Reebok C1ossFit Gomes 2012 This year he's moved up into the 85 to 89 age group, and being the youngster he knows he's a threat. "Every time I get into a new age group, I break the records and then I just keep going for the hell of it," he says. "Then I hold the records until somebody comes up and does something about it." That refreshing confidence is one of the reasons why he can still make turns in the concrete circle and hurl weights through the air. "Nobody comes along in my age group that I can compete against," he says, "So I go for the record. Breaking records is my game." As you get older you naturally lose your speed, but you don't necessarily lose your strength, Stannius explains. "I feel better now than I have ever felt and I feel that I'm stronger than I was earlier in life. I could lift as much now as I could ever do. I feel marvellous." To say it and mean it at 85 years of age is a testament to training done with the perfect balance of effort, enthusiasm, cautiousness and downright stubbornness. Profiling men like Stannius is unlike interviewing "modern" athletes. A young athlete is a picture of sports going well; an old one is a picture of sports done properly. Sportsmen of the moment will often talk in cliches and sing the praises of products and training method s, whereas older athletes - with their firmer handshakes and deeper stares - embody an unspoken doggedness that's got them through the challenges of their game for decades. The men in these pages have fought battles against disintegrating neurons, multiplying cancer cells and the evaporating seconds of time that their cohorts spend sitting, eating or making excuses. They've spent most of a lifetime learning how to find something you enjoy, master it and do it for the rest of your life. These men have the collective wealth of over 350 years of experience between them. Here are the secrets to being able to talk about your sport and training in the present tense when you're in your 80s.

DERRICK HILL

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THE SECRETS TO STAYING FIT FOREVER I

GET AMENTOR

If you want to be a better athlete, join a group, recommends Bales. "Everybody helps one another and you can always get very useful advice from groups like that." One of the successes of Meyer's expanding club is its ability to unite people with a common ground. "People can relate to one another," he says. "Find yourself someone who's been there and done that, and learn from their mistakes," advises Crombie. "We need to find mentors: someone to inspire us but we also need to discover for ourselves what is possible." Take your time in choosing the right one though. Having

done someth ing for years doesn't necessarily make you better at it, he explains. "Not everyone learns from experience," he warns. "Yo u can keep making the same mistake and get the same outcome." Three years ago Crombie became a mentor to a brigade of running novices whom he'd invited to run the Two Oceans Half Marathon to raise funds for his charity, Home from Home. "They were morbidly obese," he says. "They all said they were never made to run. And I said: 'Read my lips: kak.' What you mean to say is: 'You can't run a half marathon yet.' When they finished and got their medals, a plastic surgeon could not take away the smile on their faces."

1

SMASH THROUGH YOUR COMFORT ZONE

"I've always had this thing that if somebody else did something, I can too," says Hill. "It would always sound like a challenge to me.'' This-as proven by the expanding waistlines of our generationis not a typical approach to life. Crombie explains that the difference between an attitude like Hill's and the sedentary majority has to do with one's essence. "It's got nothing to do with your training, it's your fundamental way of being in the world." When Crombie announced his plans to do the Mekong River Run, people told him he would never be able to do it. "What they're saying is that they would never be able to do that, by virtue of their perspective." Ignore the intimidating numbers, Meyer says. "What I've realised when writing programmes, people look at a running programme, they look at the total at the end and they think, 'I cant do this."'

When you go beyond your limits, you're on a mission to transcend what could be considered normative performance, says Crombie. "This is a very unknown area. Most of us don't go there. Most of us live a life where when the tough gets going, we back off.'' 1

UP YOUR GAME - STRATEGICALLY

Like Bales's steady, year-round swimming routine, Stannius keeps a regular gym routine to maintain his strength. Usually, he'll gym three times a week and practise throwing once a week. He is yet to buy into boutique gyms. "If you know what you're doing you don't need all the fancy stuff." "You've got to be strong in your shoulders, arms and legs so I do special exercises to stay particu· larly fit in those areas." Derrick Hill alternates the intensity of his training according to weeks. "In week one I'll do light weights, then second week it's a bit more intense, third week is intense AUGUST 2013

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and fourth week is your hardest week. My fifth week goes back to week one but a little bit harder.". For Meyer, stockpiling a base of hefty mileage is paramount in training. "Build up time on the legs," he advises. And do it slowly. "You can't do everything at race pace." Meyer focuses on speed work just before a race. "It's more important to get time and kilometres on the legs." I

STAY INJURY·FREE

Bales is an advocate of cross training. "Whenever I'm not swimming, I cycle," he says. "It strengthens your legs and, mentally, I find cycling is a lot easier than swimming in cold water." "Don't do your sport flat-out the whole year round," says Crombie. "Don't try to push it because you'll get burn-out. Don't go chasing PBs every time- just take part. You need to have time when you're not pushing to let the body recover. The body will reward you." Hill says through using swimming as cross training he's been able to dramatically improve his lung capacity. "Get in the swimming pool on your rest day," advises Crombie. "Doing more cardiovascular training won't do any harm, he says, and it will take off any pressure on your weight and joints." I

FUEL UP

Hill's menu isn't dictated by ad iet. "I never gave up drinking soft drinks or eating sweets, but on average I have a fairly good eating plan and I think that's a healthy way of doing it." Keep your protein stocks up, though. "An absence of protein wasahugechallengeonthe Mekong River Run," says Crombie. "It confirmed that if you don't have enough nutrition, you will lose weight and your lean body mass will be cannibalised." Also, drink when you're thirsty, advises Crombie. "I never got dehydrated I made sure of that. I wasn't drinking a litre every hour, I was drinking for thirst." 1

THINK COUNTERINTUITIVELY

One of the most significant reasons why Hill, Stannius, Bales, Meyer and Crombie can still train well beyond middle age is because they never burnt out. Once you get this mindset, it frees you up to be yourself, Crombie says. Therein lies the paradox: he can still compete today because he's not competitive. "I've never tried to run a faster time, I've tried to run better and naturally you get 128

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better as you train more. But it was taking part that was important, that doesn't mean I'm an underachiever." "It should be about personal achievement as opposed to being better than someone," says Meyer, "Whether you make it before the cut-off time of shave off five secondsofyourpersonalbest: "I don't like the label 'elite' and 'amateur'," says Crombie. "We're all just individuals. You shouldn't have to compare yourself to anyone and flagellate yourself because you're not doing a PB. We can't all be on the podium. Once you get that, you will run more naturally and you'll be able to run a lot longer. I've never been competitive, and I've just run 62 marathons back-to-back." 1

PACE YOURSELF

Stannius, who recently recovered from a back operation that kept him out of training for eight months. knows the importance of pacing yourself. "There's a difference between what you want to do and what you're able to do. You have to find out what you're able to do, and then do that,' he says. "And that takes patience." Crombie uses weightlifting to explain pacing. "If you lifted a five kilo dumbbell 20 times, it would become painful towards the end. But if you did 10, drank a coffee, came back, you'll do 60. That's the science of allowing the muscle to recover and stopping before you get muscle tears." It's the same with any discipline, he explains. "If you train really hard one day and do an easier one the next, it's easier to recover. On the third day when you go out again, it's recovered sufficiently to do another hard one," he says. "It's not debatable, that's the way it is." "You need to know how to run slowly," Meyer says. "If you can't run slowly, you'll never be able to run properly." "You don't need to be a sports scientist, you just need to become a thinking athlete," says Crombie. '"Listen to your body' is my catch phrase, but it means a lot. You need to know what to listen for, and you should learn that when you can't run any further, your pace was wrong." Stannius has fine-tuned his pace by following his own advice. "I've never had a coach but I'm doing alright. It's like they say, 'If it's not broken , don't fix it'." 1

WIN YOUR MINO OVER

"If you can get the mind right, the body will follow," insists Meyer, whose running career was largely influenced by Noakes's emphasis

on psychological fitness. It's his first step when he starts coaching an athlete. "I spend half an hour motivating and inspiring because I need to be sure the mind is right first." "During competitions, Stannius makes sure his mind is as calm as possible. "There's a difference to being excited about something and being nervous. Hopefully you're excited about something because it helps you," he says. The long-distance swims that Bales throws himself into always test more than just his limbs and lungs. Long swims are like going into a state of meditation, he explains. Making peace with the discomfort and the fear is Bale s's strategy. "You develop a mental approach where you actually even start enjoying it. The secret of most cold water swimmers is not to try to fight it, but to invite it in." Crombie agrees. "You need to embrace that you're going to take it on the chin,'' he says. "So when those things happen, you say: 'Bring it on.' You say, 'Okay sun, so it's 38°C and there's no wind and there's no shade-fantastic. That's why I'm here. I'm here to confront those demons and to transcend them. Because that's who I am.'" Hill has completed five

Comrades Marathons and believes endurance sports have strengthened his approach to challenges. "Over those kilometres on the road you have that mental capacity that if you want to get to the end you actually have to keep going." I

HARDEN UP

Dr Salvatore Maddi, a professor of psychology and social behaviour at Harvard, has researched the concept of a "hardy personality" and defined it as a balance of commitment, control and challenges. "You're not born with a hardy personality, explains Crombie, who lectures in emotional intelligence. Your ability to defeat obstacles in life is directly related to one's physical challenges, he explains. When you survive running an "up" Comrades, it offers perspective for the next difficulty in life. "Whether it's a relationship or on a run, you can ask the question: 'What am I dealing with? Is this Field's Hill or is this Polly Shortts? Because I've been there, so bring it on." "Build up those experiential reference points and you can take them as far as you like," advises Crombie. "I've just had a few cancers. I've had a bone marrow transplant,'' he says. "How hard can it get?"

EVEN THE MOST ACTIVE PERSON ON THE EARTH NEVER REALLY BEGINS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL ask Bales what he's done right, that has allowed him to still compete at the age of72. " It's a matter of keeping going," he replies. "If you stopped for a prolonged period, you'd find it difficult to keep going again." That's the simple, straightforward explanation in the increasingly overcomplicated field of fitness: find something, love it and don't stop. "It started with throwing a cricket ball and now I take part in championships around the world," says Stannius, sitting straightbacked in his chair in his living room. "I don't think about when the time is up, I'm just enjoying myself while I'm still around." Hill can walk today because he refused to accept the wheelchairbound life his doctor prescribed. "When I go to a building yard, it's no problem for me to jump up on the trailer and move thirty bags of cement." "Even the most active person on the earth never really begins to reach their full potential, but most of us - male or female, young or old - are way, way behind." says Crombie. "Don't wait until you're confronting a life-threatening illness to push your envelope. Carpe diem." Our inter view ends. He has to train and I have to write a story. "Remember," he says as I shake his hand, "we have no idea what we're capable of."

BORG • STAN NI US -0

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ACHIEVEMENTS

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Masters Athletics Champion

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Injuries are the fun police. Just when you're starting to enjoy yourself, they arrive unannounced to spoil the party. .A. Professor Martin Schwellnus, professor of sports medicine and exercise at the University of Cape Town, breaks these buzz kills down into two main groups: "One involves acute injuries, which are the result of one sudden event and the other group deals with overuse injuries these get progressively worse over time and may have just startea out as a slight niggle. Those overuse injuries occur mostly to your tendons, bones and cartilage while the acute injuries normally occur within the muscles, bones or joints.".A. This guide is all about awareness and prevention, and it focuses on the five most common acute injuries and how you can train to avoid them. Consider it the easiest way to safeguard against hospital bills and sidelines.

WHAT WEXT WRONG!

HAMSTRING STRAIN TOUCH RUGBY, TENNIS

You've anticipated the long pass from the opposition playmaker in your weekly touch rugby game and like a long-armed thief, you snatch the ball in mid-air and pump your legs furiously to escape the younger, fitter oke who's chasing you down. You're five metres from the line, and then ... Pop! You pull your hammie. "The difference between a muscle strain and a sprain: a strain is a partial tear within muscle and tendons, while a sprain is a partial tear in ligaments," says Schwellnus. "There are three main areas that are affected when it comes to muscle tears: hamstrings, calves and groin." These tears normally happen when you accelerate or decelerate quickly in a straight line Oinear sprinting) and differ from the ankle situation as it happens when moving in one direction. "Hamstring tears are the most common strains in men, but calf strains are more common in older men," says Schwellnus. Like the ankle sprain, there are three different grades. With Grade 1, you'll feel slight pain when your hamstrings are stretched or contracted. In a Grade 2 sprain, the pain is more severe, and at the time of injury, you'll probably feel the tear happening. With Grade 3, there's immediate, severe pain and you won't be able to walk properly. The muscle is completely torn and there may be a small bundle of torn tissue above the tear. With both Grades 2 and 3, there may be bruising as there's bleeding within the tissue. 132

A U GUS T 20 1 3

A past history of hamstring injury is the main risk factor

for the next Injury - the re-injure rate for hamstring

Injuries has been found lo bel2·31%.

WHAT TO DO: Take weight off the leg and apply RICE

In the 2004 edition of the European Journal of Sports

Science, studies found that the two factors most consistently associated with a hamstring sb'ain injury are a history of previous injury and age.

If that's a no, then your injury risk is increased.

Studies in the European Journal of Sports Science found that decreased hamstring sb'ength, low hamstring-to-quadriceps strength ratio, and a side-toside difference in hamstring

strength could be risk factors for hamstring strains.

(Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). If it feels like a Grade 1, rest for at least three weeks before getting back into sport. Grade 2 and 3 typically require at least five to six weeks. If it's a total tear, you may need surgery to reattach the muscle and rehab for at least three months. The biggest danger is going back to sport too early you'll end with up with a worse tear if you rush the recovery. "If you are unable to walk pain-free within 24 hours of the injury, it's a predictor of you being unable to return to play in less than four weeks," says Dr Nikolaos Malliaropoulos of the Sports Medicine Clinic of the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics in Greece. HOW TO PREVENT IT: "Research shows that by doing specific exercises called the Nordic hamstring exercises, your risk of injury recurrence is much lower," says Schwellnus. The Nordic hamstring lower exercise is a partner exercise in which the athlete attempts to resist a forward-falling motion of the upper body using the hamstring muscles to maximise loading in the eccentric phase. In a study of Norwegian and Icelandic male soccer players published in the European Journal ofSport Science, this exercise reduced the risk of hamstring strains by 65%. Add these moves to your current workout plan, but make sure you also warm up dynamically before any sprint work, whatever sport you are doing, especially if it's a sport that you don't do regularly.

• erc1ses balance ards can duce the kofankle

WHAT TO DO: Don'tputanyweighton the ankle. Immediately initiate the RICE procedure, which works well to minimise swelling. Don't place ice directly on your ankle (wrap a dishcloth around the ice cubes), and apply it for intervals offive minutes on, one minute off. Repeat this sequence four to six times every six hours. If you hold the ice down for longer periods, it can actually make the swelling worse as it increases the circulation, according to the European Journal ofSport Science. If you use bandages to compress the injury, don't make it so tight that it cuts off circulation. Avoid anti-inflammatories within the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury, but painkillers with paracetamol can help. Once the pain and swelling has reduced, you can start with some gentle cycling on a stationary bike. Still can't put any weight on the ankle? That could mean a fracture. Go see a doctor.

WHAT WENT WllON<:!

SPRAINED ANKLE

By far the strongest risk factor, especially If the sprain has happened In the last 12 months. A study In the European Journal of Sport Science found a two-to five-fold Increased risk for a lateral ankle Ugament Injury after suffering a prior ankle Injury.

SOCCER, TRAIL RUNN IN G

You're tearing down the touchline, ball at your feet like CR7. You take on the final defender, with a perfect diski stepover. You go right, but your ankle ligaments go left - and you crumple to the ground. This injury is known as a twisted or rolled ankle, but whatever you call it, it's a partial or complete tear of one or more of the ankle ligaments. "This is a joint and ligament problem that can occur in any running or jumping sport that includes change of direction and speed," says Schwellnus. "It's very common in sports like soccer, squash, basketball and rugby where there's sudden changes in direction, with uneven su rfaces increasing the risk." The symptoms are pain, swelling, warmth and redness. The nerves become more sensitive, so you'll feel pain when you put pressure on the area, the joint will become stiff and bruising will show. These injuries are classified as Grade l , 2 or 3; depending on how much ligament damage there is. A Grade 3 is a complete tear.

If this is your first game after a long lay-off, then your Injury risk increases drastically.

Holes, loose gravel, ditches or divots Increase the risk.

If the answer is no, the risk shoots up. Alm to do at least five to 10 minutes of both dynamic and static stretches.

HOW TO PREVENT IT: Two words: balance training. "Ankle sprains are the most common acute injury in the world," says Schwellnus. "The biggest cause of ankle sprain re-injury is because the ankle joint s tructure is not as secure as it was before the initial injury and neuromuscular control of the ankle is reduced." When athletes return to sport before the ligaments have healed properly, they heal in a stretched position, making the anklejoint less stable. This can lead to a condition called Chronic Ankle Instability, which means you'll be on a first -name basis with your physiotherapist. To prevent this, ankle proprioception is critical to keep the ankle in a safe neutral position, and this ability is often impaired after injury. Studies in the European Journal ofSport Science found that external support Oike bracing and taping) can reduce the risk of re-injury in athletes with a history of ankle sprains, but not in athletes with no previous injury history. A cheaper, well-investigated and highly effective preventative measure is balance training. This kind of neuromuscular training is thought to improve proprioception by re-establishing and strengthening the protective reflexes of the ankle. Exercises on balance boards or mats can reduce the risk of ankle sprains by as much as 50%. Combine this with some plyometric work, and you'll end up with super-stable ankles that'll handle any sport. Ask your physiotherapis t for exan1ples of the exercises needed to improve your ankle proprioception. AUGU S T 20 1 3

133

WHAT WE:\'T WRONG!

SLIPPED/HERNIATED DISC WEIGHT LIFTING, CROSSFIT It's an early morning training session and the barbell is cold to the touch. The weights section is busy, so you're in a rush to get your dead lifts done. You figure you'll warm up after a few sets. You stack the bar for a stab at your PB. The first set goes well, so you jump to your max so you can get th at elusive limit-beating lift. As you straighten up while trying to lift the loa ded barbell, you feel the pain hit your lower back like ballpeen hammer. You've just slipped a disc. "There are a variety of ways you can injure your lower back acutely, but as you get older your discs in b etween the vertebrae are at risk so they injure more easily," says Schwe llnus. "Th e other areas tha t do get injured r egularly are the small joints in your b ack called the facet joints and the ligaments." Even though four out of every five guys have some form of chronic lower back pain, a slipped disc is on e of the most common acute back injuries. You know the injury as a slipped disc, but the medical term for it is a spinal disc he rniation. It's also known as a ruptured disc or a prolapsed disc. 134

AUGUST 2013

The small discs of cartilage in your spine don't actually "slip" (they're fixed in place), b ut what h appens is that there's a tear in the outer, fibrous cover of the disc, and the softer, inside part of the disc bulges out. This can cause serious pain and stiffness, and unfortuna tely, you can do this injury while lifting any heavy object incorrectly.

If your back experiences

wear-and-tear as a result of your job (or your training),

WH AT TO DO: Stop training. Don' t lift anything beyond

a paperweight. In most cases, the herniations are small and can heal within a few weeks with help from rest and anti-infiammatories. But severe herniations are som etimes unable to heal on the ir own and surgery is needed. The inflammation can vary, de pending on the damage done (soft tissue can also be affected). It can also affect nerve roots, which means other areas of your body may feel pain. These injuries can also lead to related health issues, so don't rush back to training before getting a proper diagnosis. In most cases it only affects one side of the body and normally occurs in the lumbar o r cervical regions of your back, but check with your doc to make sure.

it means that you are more

likely to suffer a slipped disc.

One of the main causes of slipped discs comes as result of someone trying

to lift a heavy object with a rounded back. It places a great deal of pressure on the spinal discs, as it places a shearing force on them.

TORN CARTILAGE SQUASH, TENNIS , HOCKEY

It's at the bottom end of the third set, and this guy is making you chase the ball all over the court. He slams a killer shot down the line, but as you turn and sprint to get it, you put your weight on your right leg while twisting it and feel a painful tear inside your knee and drop to the hardwood. You've just torn the meniscus (cartilage) in your knee. The most common knee injury is damage to cartilage, but there's also a number of common acute injuries that affect the four ligaments in the knee (the posterior cruciate ligament, the medial collateral ligament, the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral collateral ligament) and injuries involving bone bruising. There are two types of knee cartilage: one is the meniscus, a crescent-shaped disc that absorbs shock between the femur (the large thigh bone) and the tibia and fibula (the two lower leg bones). This is the type of cartilage that is torn during these kind of injuries. The other is a surface-coating (or articular) cartilage, which covers the ends of the bones where they meet, allowing them to glide against one another. This cartilage is associated more with arthritis and wear and tear than with acute injuries. Cartilage injuries can occur in a combined bending and twisting motion Oike in the squash); a blow to the knee Oike in contact sports such as rugby or MMA); landing badly after a jump; or through prolonged wear and tear (a degenerative tear that's more common in older people).

Core work, correct technique, back braces and hip stretches. "The most important prevention is having stron g core muscles and muscle control," says Schwellnus. Make core work a big part of your training. And if heavy lifting is part of your job (or your routine), lift with the correct form. Ifyou aren't able to lift with a straight back and correct form (chest and torso upright at all times, and using your legs to power the movement), then you're heading for injury. As your body tires, your form is affected. If you start lifting with a rounded back, stop. If you use a decent personal trainer or coach, they will also monitor you. A back brace can help keep the right technique, as even though the support may not be enough to guarantee good form, it will give you feedback so you'll know when your back starts rounding. Lastly, Canadian researchers found that having improved hip mobility through stretching can help you to avoid back injuries. In the 2012 study, men with stiff hips who completed a six-week stretching programme increased their range of motion by 50%. "Guys who can't rotate their hips often twist their lower back, which can injure the spine," says study author Professor Janice Moreside. One quick stretch: put your left foot on a table behind you and raise your left arm. Lean slightly right. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. HOW TO PREVENT IT:

WHA T TO DO: You'll feel pain immediately, there'll be swelling and the range of motion of your knee maybe affected. You may also experience joint locking, where you aren't able to straighten the leg properly (sometimes with clicking sounds). If it's a significant tear, it can also feel like your knee gives way when you try to bend the joint under weight. Apply the RICE method, and schedule an appointment with your doc or even better, an orthopaedic surgeon. Tests will determine if the cartilage is torn, but in most cases, ifbending the knee and squatting are painful, it's a sign you've torn the meniscus. Another warning bell? If you feel pain in the knee while turning over in bed at night. It's called Cooper's sign, and it's present in over 90% of tears.

Startdoingmorelegwork.Conclusive research in the European Journal ofSportScience has shown that comprehensive neuromuscular training that combines plyometrics, strength, balance, sport-specific technique and agility exercises can reduce lower extremity injury risk. You should use a proper landing technique if you're doing box jumps or a similar move (always have a soft landing on the forefoot) and bend your hips and knees when landing. Our favourite move? Plyometric jump squats. They build strength and train your body to withstand impact: 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Squat and lower hips until thighs are parallel to the floor, arms down and back. 3. Explode upward and reach for the ceiling. 4. Land gently. Do 10. Work up to 20. HOW TO PREVENT IT:

If that's a no, your injury risk is increased.

As for most other injury

types, studies published in 2006 in the European Journal of Sport Science have suggested that a history of knee injury is a risk factor for a subsequent knee or ACL injury. But it does help to have the Y chromo-

some, the same studies showed that women have

a three- to six-fold higher incidence of non-contact ACL injuries than their male

counterparts.

If the answer is no, the risk of a knee injury is increased. Men who regularly work on

Improving their leg strength have better knee stability.

WHAT WE:\'T WRONG!

DISLOCATED SHOULDER

MOUNTAIN BIKING, GYMNASTICS

It's 6am, and you're looking down the barrel of a steep single track. You aim your handlebars, dip your heels and start the descent. Three slippery seconds of adrenaline later you reach a hard right. You brace and turn, leaning into the corner and exiting with the skills of a pro. You're so chuffed with yourself that you don't notice the gnarled root peeking out from the mud. Your front wheel digs in, and you glide over the handlebar, holding out your arms to break the fall. A bone-crunching bump, and a dirty slide leaves you bruised, bewildered and broken. With your shoulder dislocated, you're sidelined for weeks until you can get back into the saddle. Because the shoulder joint is such a complex ball and socket, and one that has the greatest range of motion, acute shoulder injuries are common. According to Dr Scott Walsh, shoulder dislocations make up more than half of all dislocation injuries and in almost all cases, it's an anterior dislocation (the upper arm dislocates to the front of your body). In the case of a dislocated shoulder, the humerous bone (upper arm) separates from the scapular (shoulder blade) at the glenohumeraljoint. A partial dislocation is called a subluxation. A shoulder separation is something totally different, as it refers to a ligament being torn that connects the collarbone to the shoulder blade. 136

AUGUST 2013

Lax joints refers to the ligaments being loose in their role as shoulder stabilisers, and as a result, means your

shoulder is more unstable. "People with lax joints are more prone to shoulder dis-

locations," says Schwellnus. People with lax ligaments are hypermobile. meaning that they are very flexible and are sometimes called '"double-

jointed". This may not be a full body issue, some people only have lax joints in certain

WHAT TO DO: The bad news? There'll be pain... and lots of it. Your arm may feel numb too and you'll need to keep it in the same position with a makeshift sling. The less movement your arm makes, the better. Don't try to move the shoulder back into place by yourself or have a mate try to do it: you could trap blood vessels or cause more damage. Leave it to the professionals. It'll also be easier with proper painkillers, but the longer you leave it, the more difficult it'll become. The process ofreturning your shoulder to its rightful home is called reduction and you'll probably be X-rayed both before and after to make sure there are no complications. You arm will be kept in a sling for a few days, at least until the pain subsides and most of your range of movement has returned. Anti-inflammatories can help speed up recovery.

parts of their body. You can inherit lax joints from your parents, or you can end up with them through Injury, and

subsequent lengthening of ligaments In the healing process.

This Injury does result in permanent damage. Your joint

is less stable and more likely to dislocate in the future.

Strength work can help build up the supporting muscles to make the joint more secure,

but If It's really unstable, It could mean surgery.

HOW TO PREVENT IT: Sadly there's no way to make

sure you'll never fall off your bike (or flat on your face) again, but you can work on making your shoulders more stable, especially if you have lax shoulder joints. All that's keeping your humerus attached to your shoulder bones are muscles and ligaments. The British Journal ofSports M edicine reports that a typical mistake many men make is to focus on the muscles on the front of their body (chest and anterior deltoids: you know, the ones that look good in the mirror) while neglecting the muscles on their back, like the rhomboids, posterior deltoids, infraspinatus and trapezius muscles. Ask your personal trainer or biokineticist for exercises for your rotator cuff that you can do at home (with a resistance band) or exercises that you can add to your current workout. The extra benefit? It'll help improve your overall strength too. Gm

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e've all thought about it. Whether it's because you bumped into her randomly in a bar, or very deliberately on Facebook, ex-girlfriends have a unique allure. Your current relationship status might make it awkward to admit, but you know which one you'd most like to have sex with again. Exactly which one. In fact, by now you can probably not only name her but also recall a precise occasion in graphic detail. The sound she made; the look on her face; what she was or wasn't wearing at the time. Regardless of what prompted you to start thinking about it, once you do it's hard to stop. Trust me. In my particular case, it was a photo. While clearing out my cupboard I dug out a shoebox ofold university paper-

W 140

AUGUST 2 013

work and found a few pictures from the pre-Instagram days among the stack of yellowing essays. There she was: Fiona. We were together for a year or so and she surprised me one winter's evening, waiting for me in my bedroom wearing nothing but a bobble hat. She'd dyed her hair dark brown and we did it on the floor. The relationships I've had in the 10 years since have all had sexual highlights. Still, nothing tops Fiona and her bobble hat. Recently single again after an 18-month relationship, online dating and meeting friends of friends at parties is all well and good. Exciting, sometimes. But if no-strings sex is what you're up for it's a costly and time-hungry process considering it d oesn't always lead to that. And it's fraught with game-playing and no small amount of anxiety.

But with an ex, all that hard work has already been done. More than that, the barriers along the way to sex - compatibility, self-consciousness and a bit of occasional embarrassment- have all been negotiated. You know what really turns her on and she you. There is far less confusion involved. I wanted to know if rekindling old flames for sexual gain would be a way to get more sex, more often. I wanted to find out whether it was possible to relive those moments stored in the more private recesses of your memory. Most of all, I wanted to know if Fiona still looks that good wearing nothing but a bobble hat. So, I gave myself four weeks to have one more attempt with as many of my past girlfriends as possible. I start off by messaging Fiona.

She doesn't reply. It's quite a blow but it doesn't feel as awful as I thought it would. I've roped in a team of sexual psychologists and therapists and Paul Ginocchio, a therapist who specialises in men's sexual issues, explains why I'm less than distraught. "Sleeping with an ex is a means of exercising some type of control. It's a way of circumventing the threat of rejection and the vulnerability that may come with pursuing someone new." Or, as Mike Lousada, a second sex therapist I consult about the proposition, puts it, "You could call it going for the low-hanging fruit. It requires minimum effort with the potential of high re turns. And if you do happen to get rejected you typically won't feel too bad, as you probably didn't have any high expectations in the first place."

THE EX FILES IDENTIFY HER "TYPE" ANO PLAN THE RECONCILIATION

01

You never fully pursued ttw relat1onsh1p says Jud i Keshet· Orr. psychott1er a1w;t

YOUR MOVE ·Make contact thruugt1 J mutual fr1encl so you feel you re on the same level

02

You cuuldnt currnrnt. Now you must pe rsuade tier yuu can

YOUR MOVE Tu rebuild trust. · refL•r tu ttw passing uf t 1nie ·.

says psycl10lug 1st Paul Wilso n.

It does make a lot of sense but it's still a false start. I write down a list of all my other exes and realise that they can all be categorised by how things ended. There are the ones that finished amicably, simply fizzling out for one reason or another. And there are those that ended less so, exploding in a tirade of vitriol and/ or betrayal. I jump onto Facebook and send the following messages: To Louise - a friend of a friend who was more into me than I was into her: "Been thinking about you." To Mary - a relationship that "fizzled" when she decided to move out of town: "I really need to talk to you." To Sarah - the summer fling that ended pretty badly when I admitted to sleeping with another girl behind her back: "Are you in town?"

REAL SEX, FANTASY WOMEN Louise gets back to me a few hours later. We were an item for just a couple of months last year and we did it on the kitchen table once after a night out, while her housemate was asleep upstairs. She was always pretty open to sex but once we started having lots of it and spending inordinate amounts of time together, I began feeling trapped. I told her that I wasn't "in the right place for something serious right now", avoided a few phone calls and that was that. We arrange to have a drink that Friday evening, at the same pub that was the preamble to the kitchen table memory. I wonder if she remembers it. I reckon she does. We talk about our mutual friends and I struggle to remember the names of her colleagues and after an hour or so we're starting to run out of conversation. I walk her home through the park and eventually we find ourselves face-to-face in the almost darkness, and I step in towards her for the sort of hug defined by a mutual pressing of pelvises. She kisses me - or I kiss her - and she pulls back and shrugs with a smile. Back at hers, she unbuckles my belt and drops to her knees. It fee ls good but it's short-lived. In the meantime she'd unbuttoned her shirt and we have sex on her bed with the lights off. Afterwards she tells me that I shouldn't stay, so I call a taxi. We hug on the doorstep (less pelvises this time) and she seems somewhat shameful. Ifl'm honest, so am I. The following morning I consult my therapists. "With this sort of woman, there is always the risk of them thinking that you're interested in more than the physical connection," says Lousada. "At first glance this looks like an easy option - however, this is probably a lose-lose scenario." His point is taken. I feel like I've done something wrong and I'm pretty sure she does too. The sex itself can best be described as familiar; we followed a very similar pattern in terms of sexual positions - missionary, doggy and then her on top - and even disposing

"FANTASY INCUBATION" IS A PROCESS IN WHICH NEGATIVE ASPECTS ARE FORGOTTEN. IT'S JUST SEXUAL EXCITEMENT THAT REMAINS 142

AUGUST 2013

of the condom in the bathroom afterwards gave me an eerie sense of deja vu. The pedal bin banged loudly against the tiling along the walls, making the same echoing ding as it had done previously. I could imagine Louise tutting to herself back in the bedroom. Most crucially, the sex wasn't as good as I remember. It certainly wasn't at all like having her spread out on the table top. That was much better. Consultant psychologist Professor Glen Wilson tells me that this feeling of disappointment is only to be expected. "It's psychologically very difficult not to remember past sexual exploits better than they actually were. This is extremely common in men and it has a name - it's called 'fantasy incubation'. The negative aspects that might have been operating at the time drop out

and are forgotten. It's just that bit of sexual excitement that remains and you modify it, refine it and build other things into it that make it the perfect turn-on." Louise was the ideal candidate in theory but there was a danger ofleading her on or, worse still, having to go through the process of distancing myself from her again. She knew that too. Sex with this sort of ex is high risk for an okay reward but I resolve to leave Louise alone.

THE NO-STRINGS RELATIONSHIP The following Wednesday, I'm waiting outside a restaurant for Sarah. We haven't spoken since the fireworks of our split over four years ago but her messages over the last few days have been pleasant enough. More importantly, Wilson has told me that this ex is exactly the one you should focus on.

"A highly charged termination of the relationship allows for a much greater chance ofreconstruction than if you just drifted apart. Once you move onto friendship it becomes increasingly difficult to recreate the sexual attraction." Mechanically I pull out her chair from the table and just like old times she smiles at me and slumps into it. Within moments we are comparing our adult lives and I feign interest - she was engaged but it didn't work out. We finish dinner and go our separate ways with no real promise of more to come. "It was So good to see you tonight. Again. Soon." She's used first-letter capitalisation for emphasis as long as I've known her. "Really good to see You too," I reply. The next day I send her an email: "Before you find your husband, maybe we can spend a weekend in the country together. It just wouldn't feel right once you're married." It's my last shot. A fortnight later we meet at the hotel. We reprise our old roles and I am utterly surprised when, as we are lying next to each other afterwards, she begins to cry. She explains that our sex reminded her of her youth and how much happier she was then. Compared to this moment, I was happier when I was younger too.

THE EX FILES 03

'Ask yourself if it was the situation and not you putting barriers up.· says Keshet-Orr.

YOUR MOVE ·oon't beat about the bush- be straight with her. · says Wilson. Say the right thing and she's yours

04

Tilis won't be easy. 'but pass the first hurdle and you're onto a sure tl1ing." says Wilson .

YOUR MOVE Honesty is key here: no games: clear. open dialogue.· says Keshet-Orr

Nevertheless, we end up having decent enough missionary-style sex at every opportunity over the course of the weekend. At the end of our stay we split the bill and leave things open-ended. I get the sense that she got what she wanted out of the weekend as well. I feel a bit cheated, not by her, but by the experience. While I succeeded in having sex with two of my exes, that sex

was not of the fantasy-grade I had remembered. I had thought that time apart would have led to more excitement. But the reality of sex with your exes is that they are exes for a reason and, however things ended, the sex is different as a result. "It's true that the sex is probably not as good as your adjusted recollection of it," says Wilson. "But one of the most important factors is a very simple one - you both got older." If you're willing to confront an older version of an ex then rekindling old flames works. It might be a facsimile of the past, rather than a recreation, and it's certainly easier than starting all over again with someone new. It does have its dangers, though. Most of all that your ex could well become an ex-ex. No-strings this is not. Fewerstrings would be more accurate. Which is still preferable to full-strings, mind. On the drive home I think about Fiona in her bobble hat again, this time contemplating the reality rather than further polishing my own picture. It was a decade ago but in my mind she hasn't aged at all. She exists in that moment on my old bedroom floor at university. If she does get back to me, I think I'm going to leave her there. Gm

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IF YOUR DREAMS SEEM JUMBLED AND NONSENSICAL, IT'S BECAUSE THE COMMON THEME IS USUALLY EMOTIONAL, NOT LOGICAL·

Boost your recall! 0 Turn off the alarm. Sound and movement - Like hitting "snooze" can wipe out your dream memory. "If you wake naturally, you'll Likely be in a Long REM period - the right time to remember a dream," says Cartwright. "It's the end of the night, so the dream will be the most interesting, emotionally intense one." IPJ You can't move during your most vivid dreams, so don't move when you wake either. "Keep your eyes closed too," Cartwright says. "Prolonging the physiological state of dreaming makes it easier to relive the Last one." II Jot down a title for your dream - "Surfing in lndo" - and the most intense emotion you experienced. This can enhance recall, especially if you rarely remember dreams, says Cartwright. II Read this page and discuss. "Talking about dreams Leads people to remember them," says Or Howard Katz, of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute.

What exactly are dreams? Nobody's sure, but they may be the result of your brain defragging. "Dreams are probably processing the same thoughts, fears and hopes that you have while awake. Much of it is non-productive," says Harvard psychologist Dr Deirdre Barrett, author of The Committee ofSleep (R388, kalahari.com). "But you're also consolidating memories, anticipating dangers and solving problems." Scientists used to think dreaming happened only during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the phase when your brain is most active and your body is paralysed New research proves otherwise; REM drean1s are simply the most vivid and memorable because the part of your brain that rules your emotions, the amygdala, is in overdrive.

Dreams

- -e

LIBERAL MEN ARE MORE LIKELY THAN CONSERVATIVE MEN TO RECALL SEX DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES.

Three dreams that may mean something

I __ in my sleep. Weird?

154

AUGUST 201 3

sex, the more frequently they have erotic dreams. a German study reveals. "If you just fantasise. you haven't reached a conclusion. That may happen in sleep," says Dr Rosalind Cartwright, author of The Twenty-Four Hour Mind (R264, kalahari.com). Hint: save your masturbation for the morning. IPJ Try this position in bed: a 2012 study in the journal Dreaming shows that sleeping face down may increase your frequency of sex dreams. Why? The pressure on your penis signals pleasure. II Take a sex siesta. "During naps, there's a closer association between your waking brain and sleeping brain,'' says Barrett. Put your sexual fanta sy on repeat as you doze off: calling up a dream topic works about 50% of the time, she says.

INHRCOURSf SfXUAl PROPOSITIONS MAKING OUT rANTASlfS

ACTIONS, PEOPLE AND WORDS CAN BE DISTORTED IN DREAMS, BUT MUSIC NEVER rs .

GOING TO SCHOOl SHING SOMtONf YOU llKf ~f ING CHASrn ~flNG ~lAMtO/PUNISHrn

0 The more men fantasise about

Most Common Sex Dreams

· ---' Most Common Dream Themes

Have a sex dream - every night!

CRY Unless

it h appens regularly, don't wony. "Dreams cut across the whole range of emotions," says BaITett. But if you habitually sob while you snooze, it could indicate depression. WALK Sleepwalking is often linked to stress or sleep deprivation, says Barrett. "It can be induced by anything that messes with the sleep cycle." It's usually not a problem; however, frequent nocturnal wandering is associated with depression, alcoholism and insomnia, a recent Stanford study found. TALK More than half of people talk in their sleep, a Canadian study found. It's not a cause for concern unless you disturb your bed mate (or moan her sister's name).

0

MEN DREAM MORE OFTEN ABOUT MEN THAN ABOUT WOMEN. BLAME PRIMITIVE MAN, WHO MAY HAVE PRACTISED DEFENDING AGAINST ENEMIES IN HIS DREAMS·

FLYING You're probably an out-ofthe-box thinker, says Cartwright. Or it could be purely physical: "As you move toward waking, you become more aware you're paralysed," says Boston University neurologist Dr Patrick McNamara. "This, paradoxically, lets you fly: your mind can soar because your body can't interfere." FALLING "It's a metaphor for a highstress event - for example, the loss of a.job," says McNamara FAILING AN EXAM "The fear of failing in school is a strong, long-term memo1y," says Cartwright. "It can be reactivated by a current experience of not measuring up."

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i

Men'sHealth

2013 PosrER sER1Es

SIX-PACK POWERPLAY

11!!'9!!1!1!1!1 Alternate between workouts A and B ~

w ith at l east a day of rest between them. Perform the exercises in t he order shown; not e t hat each exercise has a different prescription for sets, reps and rest. In each workout, do exercises 3a and 3b as a superset - t hat is, back-to-back without rest. After you finish both moves, rest 30 seconds and repeat.

TORCH FAT, BOOST STRENGTH AND BUILD MORE LEAN MASS WITH TWO TOTAL-BODY WORKOUTS

WORKOUT A A

B

1 TRAP BAR DEAD LIFT Step inside a t rap bar, bend your hips and knees, and grab t he handles [A]. Without rounding your lower back, brace your core, pull your torso back and up, t hrust your hips forward, and squeeze your glutes as you stand [B]. Reverse the move to return to the starting position.

SETS

5

REPS REST 90sec

2 DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS

3a BARBELL GOOD MORNING

•

A

SETS 3

Using a neutral grip (palms in), hold a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders. Set your feet shoulder-w idth apart. knees slightly bent [A] . Press the weights up until your arms are straight [B]. Slowly lower t hem back to the starting posit ion.

REPS

6

REST n/a'

·Pause only long enough between sets ro e)(change your dumbbells for ones rhat are 2 to 41h kitogramsijghter, a technique known as. "d rop 5et!.".

B

Using an overhand grip, hold a barbell across your upper back and set your feet shoulder-w idt h apart [A] . Keep your knees slightly bent as you bend at your hips and lower your t orso until it's almost paral lel to the floor [B]. Pause, and raise your torso back to the starting posit ion.

B

SETS 4 REPS 10 REST n/a

• B

B

3b CHIN-UP

SETS 4

Using a shoulder-width, underhand grip, grab a chin- up bar and hang at arm's length [A]. Pull your chest to the bar [B]. Once t he top of your chest reaches t he bar, pause, and t hen slowly lower yourself back to a dead hang. If chin-ups are too difficult, do lat pull-downs.

A

REPS 12 REST 30sec

B

4 EZ-BAR CURL

SETS 3

5 BAND-RESISTED PUSH-UP

SETS 1

Grab an El-curl bar using an underhand, shoulder-width grip, palms angled inward. Let the bar hang at arm's length in front of your thighs [A]. Wit hout moving your upper arms, curl the bar as close to your shoulders as you can [BJ. Pause, and lower it back to the starting posit ion.

REPS

St retch a resistance band across your lower back and assume a push-up posit ion, holding one end of t he band under each hand [A]. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor [B]. Pause, and push yourself back up to the starting position; repeat as quickly as possible.

REPS 50

REST 4 5sec

REST n/a

MenSHealth

2013 PosrER sER1Es

WORKOUT B A

1 SEATED DUMBBELL SQUAT JUMP Sit on a bench holding a pair of dumbbells at arm's lengt h by your sides, palms in [A). Drive through your heel s as you explode out of the seat ed position into a jump [B]. Land as softly as you can on the balls of your feet , and then lower yourself back to t he starting position.

A

3a DUMBBELL BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT Using a neutral grip, hold a pair of dumbbells at ar m's length next to your sides and place the top of your right foot on a bench [AJ . Slowly lower your body until your left thigh is nearly parallel to the floor [BJ. Pause, and push back up to the starting position. Switch legs halfway through each set.

A

B

2 DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

SETS REPS REST 60sec

·• •

A

B

4 PARALLEL BAR DIP

REPS REST 45sec

B

3b BARBELL ROMANIAN DEAD LIFT

SETS REPS 16' REST n/ a ~Sper leg

5 BODY-WEIGHT SQUAT

SETS

n/ a*-

REST 60sec

•2 short of fa lure

SETS 4

Grab a barbell using an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width, and hold it in front of your hips [AJ. Keep your knees slightly bent as you bend at your hips and lower your torso unt il it 's almost parallel to the floor [BJ. Pause, and raise your torso back t o the starting position.

A

REPS

SETS 3

Lie on your back on a flat bench and hold a pair of dumbbel ls over your chest , using a neutral grip [A). Wi thout changing the angle of your hands, lower t he dumbbel ls to t he sides of your chest [BJ. Pause, and press the weights back up as quickly as you can.

A

Grasp t he bars of a dip stati on and lift yourself so your arms are straight [AJ . Brace your core, bend your el bows, and slowly lower yourself until your upper arms are slightly lower than parallel to the floor [BJ. Pause, and push yourself back up to the start ing position.

B

Hold your arms st raight out in front of you and st and as t all as you can with your feet shoulder-width apart [AJ. Push your hips back and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to t he floor [BJ. Drive back up to t he starting position and repeat as quickly as you can.

REPS 12 REST 30sec

B

SETS 1 REPS 50 REST n/ a

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