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Sep/Oct 2019

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HOW TO TAKE CROSSFIT TO THE NEXT LEVEL CHECK OUT HOW THESE FIT SINGAPOREANS GOT TO THE WORLD STAGE OF CROSSFIT.

GET THE V-TAPER OF YOUR DREAMS

Because nothing says “fit” like broad sculpted shoulders, wide lats, and big arms.

THE BEST WAY TO CUT EMPTY CALORIES

How to get rid of the junk that delivers calories with little long-term satisfaction and precious few nutrients.

ARE YOU “MANVISING”?

Learn how to stop being condescending when you give advice.

COOK FLANK STEAK LIKE A PRO

Master the art of cooking this tough piece of meat.

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ED’S NOTE ASK MEN’S HE ALTH E X TR AS!

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W W W . M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G

12 T-REX

Terry Crews is more than just an actor. See how he overcame obstacles to be who he is today.

WHAT WE GAIN FROM PAIN

Why do we pay for races, workouts, and other events that hurt so bad?

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

20 PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Are your orgasms weaker than before?

Will alternative farming solutions change how we consume?

58 CARB LOAD

THE RIGHT WAY

Load up on the good stuff before your next race.

THE TECH BOSS

The CEO of running app Strava really takes his fitness seriously.

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Global Editions/ EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ED'S NOTE

Australia IAN COCKERILL Brazil SERGIO XAVIER

5 SKILLS YOU’LL HAVE FIGURED OUT AFTER READING THIS ISSUE

Glibert Wong

China ZHOU SONG Croatia ROBERT FRKOVIC France PATRICK GUERINET

TOUGHING IT OUT If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “life is hard”, you’re not alone. We’ve all been at a stage in our lives when there’s a seemingly endless stream of stress piling on you at work, school, or life in general. But it’s how you handle it and turn it around that really shapes who you are as a person. We can learn a lot from someone like Terry Crews, who has been through some seriously rough periods in his life. From dealing with a pornography addiction that nearly ruined his marriage, to keeping calm when he was sexually assaulted, the actor has shown that he has some serious grit to overcome these dark times in life and come out better and stronger. But it’s not always about beating the odds and getting over the challenging obstacles. Sometimes, it’s about simply having the will to get out and start something or end something. And that too takes some grit. Whether it’s hanging on to your diet so you can finally lose your last few kilos, or if you’re embarking on an intense new workout regimen to really whip you into shape, having the grit to keep your head down and keep moving forward can be a game changer. It’s time to get moving.

Bulgaria VLADIMIR KONSTANTINOV

Germany MARKUS STENGLEIN Greece VASSILIS GEORGAKAKOS Hungary MÁTÉ PÁSZTOR India AROON PURIE Indonesia NINO SUJUDI Italy ENRICO BARBIERI Kazakhstan ANDREY MANUYLOV Malaysia JOHN NG Netherlands JAN PETER JANSEN Philippines ALLAN MADRILEJOS Poland KRZYSZTOF KOMAR Portugal PEDRO LUCAS Romania MIHAI GHIDUC Russia KIRILL VISHNEPOLSKY Serbia and Montenegro IVAN RADOJCIC Singapore KELVIN TAN South Africa JASON BROWN South Korea SEUNG KWAN PAIK Spain JORDI MARTINEZ Thailand CHATCHAWIN UNHANUN Turkey FATIH BÜYÜKBAYRAK

How To Borrow Money Without Being Awkward P10

How To Have True Grit To Succeed P26

Car Maintenance Tips P40

ARUBA

What to Eat Before A Race P58

COSTA RICA

How To Get The Right Personal Trainer P64

Ukraine DMITRY PRIBYTKO United Kingdom TOBY WISEMAN Latin America FRANCISCO CUEVAS ARGENTINA

CHILE COLOMBIA

CURAÇAO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HONDURAS MEXICO NICARAGUA PANAMA PERU VENEZUELA

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ADVE RTORI AL

OLD PROBLEMS, ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

BY GILBERT WONG

THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT TREATMENT TYPES AVAILABLE NOW FOR YOUR ACHES AND PAINS. BUT ARE ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES SAFE AND EFFECTIVE? WE FIND OUT THE PROS AND CONS.

Keeping fit and staying active is essential for good health. But as age catches up to you, your body may not be as resilient as it used to be. This can result in unexpected aches, pains, and injuries that keep you out of action for longer than you would like. Non-invasive treatments are commonly used today to diagnose and treat these pains, whether it’s a joint or a muscular injury. These modern alternative therapies now include shockwave, ultrasound, heat, acupuncture, dry needling, and more. But should you give them a shot? “They are all effective for treating aches, pains and injuries,” says Dr Gowreeson Thevendran, a specialist in orthopaedic surgery. “However, their effectiveness can vary depending on how severe and chronic the aches, pains and injuries are.” “It is common to try nonoperative treatment for most conditions in musculoskeletal medicine for three to six months before deciding if surgical intervention is [necessary],” Dr Gowreeson adds. He advises against relying on them for longer than six months if there is no improvement. But are there any potential side effects for these forms of treatment? “Ultrasound and shockwave therapy are two examples of hugely popular nonoperative treatment options because they’re non-invasive,” Dr Gowreeson explains. “The effects

of these treatments do not permanently alter tissue anatomy and thus the risks of long term treatments are virtually negligible.” “On the contrary, overzealous heat therapy or needling (as with acupuncture) can sometimes cause transient injury with burns or local infection,” he cautions. Whether you’re experiencing a minor pain or a more serious sports-related injury, Dr Gowreeson recommends that alternative therapies should be considered “certainly as the firstline non-operative option.” “One rarely burns any bridges

by giving this a try and if it fails, then be prepared to scale up the treatment pyramid,” he says. “On the other hand, if it works, it is often simple, relatively economical and gives the patient the autonomy to engage more fully in his or her rehabilitation,” he adds.

Dr Gowreeson Thevendran is a specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery and a consultant at Raffles Orthopaedic Centre, Raffles Hospital, Singapore. To consult with him, please call 63112310/63111222, or email thevendran_gowreeson@ rafflesmedical.com

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Pump Up Your Biceps With This Low-Weight High-Rep Arm Workout

Switch things up from your usual routine and give this low-weight high-rep dumbbell workout a shot. You may see unexpected gains in your guns.

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If you want to lose weight—and keep it off— you have to maintain an optimized metabolism all day long. Turn to this collection of the latest research to amplify your fat burn from wake-up to wind-down. https://www.menshealth.com.sg/weight-loss-nutrition/ metabolism-hacks-speed-up-weight-loss-fat/

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12 Metabolism Hacks To Speed Up Your Weight Loss Progress

https://www.menshealth.com.sg/ fitness/pump-low-weight-high-rep-armworkout-biceps/

THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE SPECIAL

SMOOTH OPERATOR WANT A BACHELOR PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE? CONSIDER A BRAZILIAN WAXING PARTY FROM THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE THAT’LL LEAVE YOUR BUDDY FEELING SLICK AND SMOOTH ON HIS WEDDING DAY.

ure, you’ve heard of Tupperware, scrap-booking, wine tasting and spa parties. But it’s not just girls who know how to have fun. Men can have their share of ingenious ways to get together. Just add waxing to that list. Better still, a bachelor Brazilian waxing party for your buddy who’s soon to be married. While it might not sound like an ideal evening out for some, waxing parties are gaining popularity the world over. In Singapore, bachelor waxing is a new Brazilian waxing experience introduced by Thomas D’esthetique, the leading men’s aesthetics, wellness and skincare salon. Its founder, Thomas Tong, has over 20 years of experience as a face and body aromatherapist for men, skilled at hair removal via Brazilian waxing. Thomas D’esthetique provides two waxing services to suit one’s comfort level. In addition, the procedure can be done either in the privacy of one’s home or at the salon. So what actually happens during a waxing session? As you lie face down, warm Brazilian Hard Wax is applied onto your nether regions. The trickling of wax is surprisingly pleasant. Muslin strips are then stuck onto skin and, before you know it, removed with a quick yank. As it’s done with such swift dexterity, the pain is almost negligible. After you turn over, wax is applied on your most delicate areas and the procedure is repeated. For added male bonding, you can have everyone at the party experience Brazilian, too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE AT 6337-6585 OR VISIT THE SALON AT #03-01 EXCELSIOR SHOPPING CENTRE, 5 COLEMAN STREET

MEN’S HEALTH

HOW DO I BORROW MONEY FROM MY FRIEND WITHOUT MAKING THINGS AWKWARD?

– S HAUN

PHOTO 123RF

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G E T M O R E A N S W E R S T O L I F E ’ S Q U E S T I O N S AT

M E N S H E A LT H . C O M . S G /A S K- M H

YES/NO/MAYBE

ARE STANDING DESKS REALLY BETTER? “People would rather talk about their sex problems, that they need Viagra, than talk about their financial problems,” notes Brad Klontz, Psy.D., CFP, founder of the Financial Psychology Institute and author of Mind Over Money: Overcoming the Money Disorders That Threaten Our Financial Health. The reason is that money reflects social status and thus our socioeconomic tribe, Klontz says. We feel out of place if we’re the poorest or richest friend in the group, and the further we stray from the group, the more anxiety we feel. “You’re thinking: how are people going to look at me, are they not going to like me anymore? This, on a biological level, feels like a threat to your survival.” Asking for money is, ultimately, one of those things you should try to avoid, says Klontz. Burrowing money for things like rent are high-risk situations for you friendship, because recurring expenses may leave open the possibility that you’ll come back for more. Ask for these payments only if it’s a one-off situation. When it’s time to ask, think of your friend as a bank, advises Klontz. You need to provide a clear plan on how you’re going to pay your friend back. Don’t put him in an awkward loan shark

– TIM

Much of the standing at work buzz began with these studies that followed thousands of adults over several years and found greater-risk mortality for those who sat for at least 12 hours a day. But then studies started coming along to complicate these findings. So what’s going on? The bigger issue here is inactivity. If you just stood all day in the same position, it’s probably a bit better on your back. But in terms of other health profiles that are associated with inactivity, it’s not necessarily that much better. It’s probably about the same. You shouldn’t be doing anything inactive for six to eight hours a day — whether that’s sitting at a computer or standing at a computer. Our bodies are meant to move. I would recommend bracketing your workday with exercise. So try and do something before you go to work. It may not be going to the gym. It could just be a taking long walk or riding your bike to work. Just some kind of exercise for your body before you have to go into a sitting position. And then at the end of the day, make sure that you’re getting some kind of movement and exercise. - Michael Fredericson, MD, FACSM

position that forces him to break your legs. Say: here’s my situation, here’s how much I need, here’s how and when I’m going to get that back to you. Timetables are important. And be prepared for rejection. Asking your friend for money might seem like an affront to the friendship, cautions Klontz. It may be seen as crossing the line. So chose who you ask wisely and have a clear repayment plan mapped out. How important is sunscreen and what should I use? – John Skin cancers outnumber all other cancers, and the data is very strong that sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer. Everyone, no matter your skin type, is at risk when not using it. Pay attention to your face, ears

and hands. Men tend to have higher rates of melanoma on their trunk area – back and chest too. People who have long commutes might see greater exposure on one side of their body. When buying sunscreen, look for “broad spectrum” – that means protection from UVA and UVB rays. And don’t bother using anything below SPF30. What is she looking for when she shows me sexy photos of women on Instagram? It feels like a trap. — Chris You’re right. There are flashing yellow lights here – proceed with caution. It’s not a trap, but it could shift the tone of an afternoon depending on how jealous your girlfriend gets. People enjoy looking at sexy photos of both women and men

on Instagram – isn’t that why it exists? A solid response is channelling your disinterest: “You know 60 percent of the Internet is fake, right?” My girlfriend has really quiet orgasms. Does that mean she’s faking them? — Ben Probably the opposite. All those super-loud moany orgasms from adult videos? They’re not truly representative of real-life climaxes. Shocking, right? Sometimes they’re loud, but sometimes they’re focused and quiet. Don’t let her sound level fool you. If she’s clenching and verbally lets you know it’s working, you can rest assured. If you suspect she’s faking it, take a few sessions to focus just on her orgasm (i.e., not yours). Ask how she likes to get off. Then take her there.

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WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MORE SOLID THAN TERRY CREWS? WHO?! ACTOR, AUTHOR, FITNESS FREAK, SPOKESMAN, HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER(!), ACTIVIST, POSSESSOR OF A SMILE THAT MAKES A WRONG WORLD SEEM RIGHT. WHO ELSE SHOULDERS MORE, DOES MORE, GIVES MORE? LAUREN LARSON SHARES A WELL-DESERVED CHEAT MEAL WITH THE STRONGEST MAN IN HOLLY WOOD.

T-REX

If you are what you eat, then Terry Crews is a mega sandwich from Fat Sal’s Deli in Los Angeles, a giant à la carte Frankenstein of everything the place offers, conceived in the most unrestrained corner of his mind. Crews goes to Fat Sal’s once or twice a week for his cheat meal. In his sandwich’s warm hoagie embrace are the following: assorted lunchmeats, potato chips, bacon, a hamburger patty, and a hot dog. “You can double or triple it up,” he adds. The sandwich is fully optimized— other sandwiches measure their own limp innards against it and give up. “It’s gigantic and it’s got everything,” Crews says, placing his hands almost to the edges of the table to indicate its size. “Oh my God. It’s like heaven,” he says. Tonight, Crews will make do with just a burger burger. We’re sitting in “the garden” of West Hollywood’s Soho House, a members-only club. A woman in a black dress with a deep slit up the leg walks by, trailing a waddling pit-bull terrier. If the building were zoned for fowl, there would be peacocks strutting around, feeling right at home. Crews is not one of those guys who look really strong on TV but shrink in person. He seems even bigger: People spend long hours Photoshopping themselves to look this muscular. Even in a sweater and white buttondown, he looks perma-flexed throughout our four-hour conversation. He orders the burger and some fries, lays out plans for dessert, and then returns to discussing his soul sandwich with the barely contained desire of a man on an Everest climb reminiscing

about home. Charismatic isn’t the right word. When he talks, his face resembles a series of stock photos of human emotion. He’s angry, then suspicious, and then wide-eyed at the wonders of the world (Fat Sal’s Deli, for example). Even when he’s describing something menial, it’s like he’s telling a ghost story. He speaks either very quietly or very loudly: “I know,” he says when I comment on it. “I have no middle.” Crews often touts his intolerance for the middle. “That character is me,” he says of the guy he played in his Old Spice ad campaign—always shirtless, always shouting. “I’m all or nothing! I live life!” When Crews is listening, he listens with every feature. He doesn’t blink. He leans in, tilts his head, and narrows his eyes at you. He stays perfectly still until you’ve fumbled through

WHEN CREWS IS LISTENING, HE LISTENS WITH EVERY FEATURE. HE DOESN’T BLINK. HE LEANS IN, TILTS HIS HEAD, AND NARROWS HIS EYES AT YOU. HE STAYS PERFECTLY STILL UNTIL YOU’VE FUMBLED THROUGH WHATEVER IS ON YOUR MIND. HE DOESN’T START TALKING AFTER YOU STOP TALKING.

whatever is on your mind. He doesn’t start talking after you stop talking, which makes you just . . . say more stuff. He often doesn’t seem extreme at all. He seems secure, inquisitive, restrained, friendly, and understanding. He’s the opposite of self-involved or intense. Anyone can get Crews’s biceps, triceps, and as-yet-unnamed-ceps, but it’s this ability to stay extremely in the middle that makes him appear so strong in person. Terry Crews would be a great celebrity interviewer. He doesn’t seem distracted at all, in spite of the day’s cyclone of activity. Crews, 50, has come directly from his Men’s Health video shoot. He spent the 20minute car ride to Soho House attending to his social media ahead of the finale of the latest season of America’s Got Talent, which he hosted. Crews loves Twitter. He fires off somewhere between 10 and 900 cheerfully diplomatic thoughts a day. “Men have got to not only do better, but call out this behaviour among ourselves as unacceptable,” he’ll tweet, or he’ll post a GIF of himself, or he’ll say, simply, “Wow,” with a link. Social-media vigilance aside, Crews barely looks at his phone during our time at Soho House. He sets it on the table—as though to test himself—and even when it lights up he doesn’t glance at it. Crews says that growing up in a turbulent household in Flint, Michigan, with a father who beat his mother, taught him to tune out distractions better than most people. That’s certainly one reason he’s such an attentive listener. Another reason: Crews has

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ALPHAMALE

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C H R O N O G R A P H BY T I S S O T. | O N R E B EC C A : TA N K BY AT H L E TA ; L EG G IN G S A N D S N E A K E R S BY N IK E .

the #MeToo guy. He came forward to describe how he’d been groped by talent agent Adam Venit at a party in Hollywood in 2016. He was gratified by the supportive responses and unfazed by those who were convinced that he’d been paid to come forward to further the agendas of white women. “I’ve had people tell me that we had a previous relationship and it went sour,” Crews scoffs. “People have to fill in the blanks.” There was a much larger contingent that couldn’t believe Venit could have molested Crews and walked away. They wondered why Crews didn’t just hit him. Crews used to think that being strong meant proving how strong you are all the time. He learned that growing up in Flint. “My father made sure, every time he came in the house, that we were uncomfortable. He was not happy until we were uncomfortable. That meant: Now I got respect. That’s so many men. That was me.” Then, and certainly when Crews was playing football, strength meant pushing your body to its limits, and pushing everyone around you to their limits. It meant being a great football player but, often, a terrible husband. In the winter of 2010, right before The Expendables came out, when Crews’ career was taking off, his wife, Rebecca King-Crews, left him. He’d admitted to her that a decade earlier, he’d gotten a happy ending in a massage parlour, and for King-Crews it was the last straw. To put his family together again, he’d have to tell her about everything—even the pornography addiction that until then had been a carefully

O N T E R R Y: TA N K B Y N I K E ; S H O R T S B Y J O R D A N ; S N E A K E R S B Y S K E C H E R S ; S O C K S B Y A D I D A S ; T- R A C E

been unable to hear sounds in certain registers since he was a kid. Really high voices like his granddaughter’s, for instance, tend to fall out of his range. When he was 44, his doctor told him that he’d actually been relying on lip reading, without realizing it, for much of his life. “There are times where I don’t hear people,” Crews explains, “and then I just mimic the way they’re acting. They don’t know. They start laughing and I go, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah!’ I’m such a big fake. There’s a lot of mimicry, so you kind of learn to build facial expressions.” I suddenly feel insecure, worrying that he’s just been expertly interpreting my questions through my face. “No, you’re good,” he says, not particularly convincingly. Crews’s expressions are part of what’s made him so recognizable as an actor. So are his pecs. And abs. And lats. (Those lats!) From 1991 to 1997, Crews played football with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He weighs 108kg, and he has about six percent body fat. To make your strength funny, you have to be really, really strong, and Crews is. For a long time, he was “that guy,” stealing scenes in scores of films and TV shows. He was “that guy from Idiocracy” and “that really horny guy who sings ‘A Thousand Miles’ in White Chicks.” For some, he will forever be “that guy from the Old Spice ads.” These days, besides hosting America’s Got Talent, he plays a cop, also named Terry, on Brooklyn NineNine. And in 2017, after he’d built a career playing all those different guys, Crews became

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ALPHAMALE

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N AV I T I M E R 1 B 0 1 C H R O N O G R A P H B Y B R E I T L I N G . | A L L K I D S ’ C L O T H I N G B Y G A P.

ON TERRY: SHIRT BY R AG & BONE ; TROUSERS BY RHONE ; SNE AKERS BY SPERRY;

guarded secret. He’d have to study those things himself. Crews found himself alone, with nobody to impress and nobody to validate his behaviour. “I didn’t have a circle,” he says. “I was literally all by myself. There was nobody to call. No group of guys I could go to: ‘Tell me I’m good.’ They would have been like, ‘She doesn’t understand you, dog. Let’s go have a drink.’ Ordinarily, I’m sceptical of any man who claims to have “figured out” toxic masculinity and reformed his behaviour. But Crews is not just any man. He was raised in a rigidly Christian home, for one thing, and though he now considers himself more spiritual than religious, he has a very Christian belief in man’s endless capacity for selfreinvention. He also has a superhuman ability to find motivation within: While most people have only one act, or even half an act, Crews has pulled off careers in two of the most competitive industries in America. He was desperate to change—he felt like he’d lost everything—and he had the perseverance to do it. Hearing that the man before me is a less intense version of some raging protoTerry is hard to grasp. It’s like learning that a crocodile is descended from some dinosaur supercrocodile. The modern-day crocodile is still pretty intense. The sun is going down, Crews’s burger has yet to arrive, and by my calculations, he hasn’t eaten in about 24 hours. Every morning, he wakes up before 5:00. He grabs his workout clothes, which he laid out next to his bed the night before. He takes a boatload of healthy ingestibles:

CREWS YOU CAN USE

By Ebenezer Samuel C.S.C.S. CREWS STARTED CARVING HIS BICEPS 20 YEARS AGO, AND SINCE THEN HE’S USED “LITERALLY 90 PERCENT” OF THE SAME WORKOUT. “CONSISTENCY,” HE SAYS, “IS THE KEY.” DO EACH WORKOUT ONCE A WEEK.

TERRY’S BICEPS BLAST

PULLUPS: Do 4 sets. Do as many reps as you can in each set. TERRY’S TAKE: “When I started to master the pull-up, my biceps really, really got to show. You go to failure on that; you go zonkers.”

STANDING DUMBBELL CURLS: Do 4 sets. Do 10 reps in the first set. Go up in weight each set and reduce the reps by 2. TERRY’S TAKE: “I like going heavy, because I have a lot of energy. I work out a lot of aggression.”

BICEPS CURL 21S: Stand holding an EZ-curl bar. Do 7 curls, stopping on each rep when your forearms are parallel to the floor. Then do 7 curls in which you curl the bar to your chest but lower it. Do 4 sets. TERRY’S TAKE: “That’s my arm workout. But I’ll do really lightweight biceps curls on other days to warm up my arms. So they always get work.”

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multivitamins, essential fatty acids, a fat burner, enzymes for digestion, garlic, glutamine, horny goat weed. . . . He mixes amino acids into water and heads to one of several gyms he belongs to. Then he fasts until 2:00 p.m. We’d met earlier in the day at his Men’s Health video shoot, which began before 2:00, and I didn’t see him snacking at all. But Crews does not appear to suffer from the existential fussiness that most people experience when they haven’t eaten in many hours. He’s the opposite of hangry. He’s jovial and energetic—a “talker” incarnate. “Fasting made a lot of sense, because once, I was in rehab for a pornography addiction, and they put me and my wife on a 90-day sex fast,” he says nonchalantly. Crews has turned his personal life inside out so much in the past few years that he says he no longer feels any self-consciousness. (As a woman, I find Crews’ honest answers to my questions about what it’s like to be a guy revelatory and unsettling.) “Sometimes my gauge is gone,” he says. “I remember going out with a superstar couple, my wife and I, and I was like, ‘I was addicted to porn.’ They were like—” He widens his eyes and puckers his lips. The first time Crews and his wife attempted their sex fast, they made it only 75 days, but the next year, they tried it again and made it all 90 days. “This is the deal,” he says. “Everything that is within your grasp doesn’t need to be in your hand. You have to tell your body no. Because if you listen to your body, you’re gonna be off.” I point out that intermittent fasting seems like exactly the kind of thing the old Terry

Crews—the one obsessed with proving his strength all the time—would have done. Crews explains why it’s not: He now practices intermittent fasting because it feels good, but proto-Terry would have imposed it on other people as a way to demonstrate his control over his world. “I would require it for everyone, and that’s where the line gets crossed,” he says. “My whole family eats whatever they want.” When we start to discuss Crews’ assault in earnest, it’s dark outside. The restaurant’s woodsy lanterns light up, and L. A.’s twinkly sprawl unfolds below. An acquaintance of his who stopped by to say hello when he arrived has dined at another table and gone. Finding the line between doing something for yourself and doing something to intimidate or impress others has been the greatest test of Crews’ life. He didn’t vanquish Adam Venit. William Morris Endeavor, Venit, and Crews settled, and Venit retired from the agency. “Did I get everything I was supposed to get? Did I win? Did he go to jail? No. Did he get punished by the court? By society? No.” But Crews feels vindicated. When he was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee last June regarding proposed sexual-assault legislation, he described how he’d held back, even though his first instinct was to be violent. “Why didn’t you?” Senator Dianne Feinstein interrupted. Crews looked as exasperated as you’re allowed to look when a senator asks you a stupid question. “You’re a big, powerful man. Why didn’t you—” She mimed pushing someone.

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“Senator, as a black man in America—” Crews paused for a few seconds. The idea that Crews might have Hulksmashed Venit into oblivion without risking his acting career reflects a severe alienation from reality. (Crews is more magnanimous toward Feinstein: “Look at her era. Look where she comes from. You’re supposed to knock the guy out.”) Crews took a deep breath and looked down at the table. “Say it as it is,” Feinstein said. Crews spoke firmly when he addressed Feinstein. “I’m from Flint, Michigan. I have seen many, many young black men who were provoked into violence—they were imprisoned or they were killed. And they’re not here. My wife, for years, prepared me. She said, ‘If you ever get goaded, if you ever get prodded—if you ever have anyone try to push you into any situation—don’t do it. Don’t be violent.’ ” The first of those discussions had happened a decade before Adam Venit molested Crews. He and King-Crews had been standing on a busy street in Pasadena when a young man began hassling him for an autograph. The man got aggressive. Crews and his wife had just learned she was pregnant with their fifth child. The man jabbed her, and Crews snapped into action. “It was a flash of body flying everywhere,” he says. “I’m stomping this guy on the pavement.” The police arrived, and they were about to arrest Crews when a white man stepped forward from the crowd. “He says, ‘Sir, sir, stop, stop!’ He stands between me and the cops,” Crews recalls. The man explained that Crews was protecting himself and his

wife. “The police believed him. They weren’t gonna believe me. I could have said the same thing. I was going to jail or getting shot. I’m a big, giant man. I look like Nino Brown [in New Jack City], stomping a man on the street. But they didn’t know the circumstances.” It was a close call, and KingCrews wanted it to be their last. The fight occurred in 2006, post–White Chicks, when Crews was just breaking out as an actor. It was also three years after Mike Tyson was charged with assaulting two men when they taunted him at a hotel in Brooklyn. “I pulled it up on the Internet,” King-Crews remembers. “I said, ‘You are gonna be him if you don’t quit. Our baby’s money for college is gonna go to some idiot in a bar. You have got to learn to just chill.” Over dinner, Crews’s eyes get wet as he describes his wife’s talking-to. “Ten years later, in 2016, that incident [with Venit] would happen. I remembered my promise. This is after we built our lives together and went through all this therapy. ‘I gotta do what she wants here.’ I got in that car and I was gonna rip the steering wheel off. She just kept saying, ‘I’m proud of you, Terry.’ ” He pauses, eyes glistening. “It saved my life. I wouldn’t be here now if I’d have done it. Who would have believed me?” After Venit groped him, Crews and his wife made their exit from the party as quickly as possible. “I wanted to break a glass and go crack the guy over the head, I was so angry,” KingCrews says. “We just held on to each other. We ran to the car and sat in the car. I just touched his arm and I said, ‘I’m proud of you.’ ”

Everybody thinks I’m great.’ This is how men work: We roll in a circle, and that camaraderie doesn’t allow for introspection.” Now Crews travels around the U. S. and beyond to discuss how he broke out of that spiral of toxic masculinity. He wrote a book on the subject called Manhood: How to Be a Better Man—or Just Live with One. Crews does miss the brotherhood of toxic masculinity sometimes. “You miss buddies. You know, men bond through pain. That’s the thing I miss. I loved being on

By then the couple had survived a marital gantlet. Back in 2010, when KingCrews told him she was leaving him, Crews was selfdestructing, spiralling in what he’s since described as a “cult” of toxic masculinity, and he was taking his family down with him. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I’m successful. I’ve got this and this. I’m living the dream.’ And she was like, ‘You can have this dream. I’d rather be broke. I’d rather be by myself.’ ” Crews let her go. “I said, ‘All right, leave. I’ll go get four more girls. I’ll be fine.

pornography addiction; the guy who beat a man on a crowded street in Pasadena; the guy who would have knocked out Adam Venit. For one thing, he’s destroying a lemon tart. He appears totally at ease with himself. Soon he’ll go home to King-Crews and won’t be awake past 10. He’ll wake up at dawn tomorrow and work out alone. “Now,” he says, “it’s about healthy Terry.”

LAUREN LARSON IS A MEN’S HEALTH CONTRIBUTING WRITER.

T- S H I R T B Y J . C R E W ; S H O R T S B Y O L D N AV Y; B O O T S B Y T I M B E R L A N D ; S O C K S B Y L . L . B E A N .

teams. I loved being in these sports. I loved, like, ‘Man, we’re doing this together.’ You know what I mean?” I don’t, really—women establish lifelong bonds just by standing next to each other in line for a bar bathroom—but I do see the appeal of a fraternity forged in fire, and I see why one might miss it. But the Terry Crews sitting across from me also seems totally incongruous with the old Terry Crews whom he’s described: the guy who used to crave the validation of his buddies; the guy who had a

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PUMP UP THE VOLUME ARE YOUR ORGASMS GETTING WEAKER WITH AGE? IT HAPPENED TO GRANT STODDARD, AND HE WANTED A SOLUTION. THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND.

There’s plenty of evidence to support the idea that sex gets better with age. But if your salad days are a decade or two behind you, may have noticed that your orgasms aren’t quite what they used to be. I’m talking about a few different but sometimes related things here; a weakening in the way an orgasm feels; a weakening in the force with which you ejaculate and a reduction in the volume of

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semen you produce when you orgasm. It was several years ago that I started to notice that orgasms that rendered me unable to remember my name or where I was were becoming few and far between. Then, last winter, I started to suspect that the volume of semen I produced was decreasing and the past few months, I’ve become certain that the force of my ejaculations has been on the wane.

S C

TEXT GRANT STODDARD, (BOX STORY) MADELINE HALLER

PHOTOS 123RF

E ING G RGA GA MS

Before chalking it up to the aging process and accepting that my orgasms were going to be markedly less spectacular from here on out, I decided to educate myself on what might be going on down there. I’m glad that I did, and if you want the best orgasms of your life to be ahead of you, you will be, too.

START LIVING ON THE EDGE

There are certain changes we expect to take place as part of the aging process. One we might not think about too much is our capacity for

making more semen. In one study, men over the age of 52 had half the volume of semen as men under that age (1.8 ml versus 3.2ml). “The ability to create the components of semen is also affected by advancing years as the body performs none of its functions with the same robust efficiency of youth as men age,” says Michael Reitano, physician-inresidence at men’s health start-up Ro. While turning back time is not an option, lengthening the time between ejaculations is, and it could result in higher volumes. Even if a reduced capacity for making a mess isn’t a concern, ejaculating in quick succession is likely to result in weaker feeling orgasms, according to Erik Wibowo, a male anatomy expert from the University of Otego in New Zealand. This, he says, is because of the refractory period that follows after an

The Food That Strengthens Your Sperm

Want to strengthen your swimmers? Start stocking up on walnuts.

 Eating just 75 grams of walnuts a day—roughly a handful—can improve the quality of your semen, according to a report published in the journal Biology of Reproduction. Researchers monitored the diets of 117 healthy men, asking half to incorporate 75 grams of walnuts into their diets. After three months, the walnut group saw an improvement in the shape of their sperm, as well as the movement and vitality of their swimmers, explains Wendie Robbins, Ph.D., lead study author and associate professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. (Eating walnuts isn’t the only way to stregthen your swimmers. Check out these 12 other Super Sex Foods.) The researchers hypothesize the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)—a natural plant source of omega-3— in walnuts are responsible for giving the sperm their extra boost. Not a fan of walnuts? Not a problem. You can still get your daily dose of ALA by incorporating flax seed, soybeans, spinach, green beans and Brussels sprouts into your diet.

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ejaculation in which re-arousal is dampened. Wibowo adds that how quickly you could return to baseline varies significantly between individuals. “Lessening frequency of ejaculation may help with

this,” says psychotherapist Ian Kerner, author of He Comes Next. Kerner says that edging or postponing ejaculation during sex or masturbation may increase the tone of the pelvic floor muscles and increase the

, OF ER

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force of ejaculation.

CHANGE YOUR TUNE

Getting set in your ways is, generally speaking, part and parcel of getting older. It stands to reason. By the time you get into your 40s, you’ve gained enough experience under your belt to know what trips your trigger and what doesn’t. However, that trigger will be harder to trip if you don’t switch things up every now and again. And that can mean weaker orgasms. “I’ve observed that when psychological stimulation is high—a particularly juicy piece of porn, a sexual scenario that deviates from one’s pattern— men also claim to have more powerful orgasms, “ says Kerner. “Certainly, psychological stimulation and the percolation of arousal plays a role in the quality of orgasm.” Your move? Whether it’s in your sex life, your mental fantasies, or the kind of porn your watch, keep an open mind when looking for

inspiration. Finding something novel or unexpected is likely to pay dividends.

PUMP UP THE T

You’ve probably heard that, as men age, the amount of testosterone we produce diminishes. What you may not know is that a drop off in testosterone is linked to weaker orgasms. Wibowo says the difficulty in studying this topic is in part because most men with very low levels of testosterone are not engaged in sexual activity anyway, due to the diminished libido associated with it. He does, however, cite a 2018 paper about how androgen deprivation therapy used to treat prostate cancer causes pelvic floor muscle shrinkage. “This is no surprise because skeletal muscle morphology depends on testosterone,’ he says. While a doctor will need to see your blood work to assess whether you could be a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy, there is a suite of things you can do with the aim of boosting it— and your Os—naturally. These include eating a balanced diet consisting of protein, carbs, and fats, engaging regular resistance exercise, lowering stress, supplementing your diet with zinc, vitamin D and other minerals, drinking less alcohol, and making sure you get good sleep consistently. In fact, one study showed that on average, for every additional hour of sleep you fit in, your testosterone levels rise by 15 percent.

TURN YOUR MORNINGS AROUND WITH GLENN AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN WEEKDAYS 6:00AM TO 10:00AM

RELATIONSHIPS

ARE YOU “MANVISING” THE WOMAN IN YOUR LIFE? GIVING ADVICE WITHOUT BEING SUPER CONDESCENDING IS AN ART. LAUREN LARSON SHARES THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.

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PHOTOS MASTERFILE

TEXT LAUREN LARSON

Giving advice without being condescending has always been an art. But advice-giving has become even more fraught since 2008, when writer Rebecca Solnit brought us the term “mansplaining,” which referred to men delivering lengthy, unsolicited explanations to women about things they are likely already familiar with. I think we threw the baby (informed, well-intentioned advice) out with the bathwater (mansplanations of the birth canal or, in the case of Solnit, her own books.) For me, one of the best things about being in a relationship is having someone around to be the rational one when I’m irrationally stressed. But there’s a time to advise and a time to sit very still and let your partner’s complaints wash

over you, and knowing the difference can remove a lot of stress from your relationship. Every day, across the nation, couples are having some variation of the same fight: Her: Do not mansplain my own job to me! Him: I was just giving advice! Her: I didn’t want advice, I just wanted you to listen! Him: Well if you’re complaining about a problem, I’m going to try to fix the problem! Her: I wasn’t complaining, I was venting! And so on, louder and louder, until they’re both sitting as far apart as you can possibly sit on a loveseat, pretending to watch Billions but really seething. To understand how to give advice without man-vising, it’s helpful to understand why we feel compelled to give it at all. I took that question to Dr. Peter Pearson, a marriage counsellor who co-founded The Couples Institute with his wife, Dr. Ellyn Bader, in 1984. (That Pearson and Bader remain married after so long working together is very reassuring, like when your dentist has incredible teeth.) Sometimes, Pearson says, we really do give advice just to be helpful: Maybe our advice was solicited, or maybe we have a unique expertise in the situation. Other times, we give advice to “stop our own empathic distress”: When someone is describing a distressing situation to you, Pearson explains, that distress is contagious, so we give advice in the hopes that “if I can get you to feel better, then I will feel better.” Often, we give advice just because it makes us feel valuable in our relationship. In one of a series of studies on the effects of giving and receiving advice, researchers from MIT asked unemployed people to give advice on job-seeking to other unemployed people. 68 percent of people reported that giving advice made them feel more motivated and confident than receiving advice. In another experiment, the researchers assigned 318 middle school students the role of advice-giver or advice-receiver. The

DISHING OUT WISDOM GIVES US A LITTLE SELF-ESTEEM BOOST. THE TRICK, THEN, IS IN KNOWING WHEN YOU’RE GIVING ADVICE FOR YOUR OWN SAKE—TO SOOTHE YOURSELF—AND WHEN YOU’RE GIVING ADVICE FOR YOUR PARTNER’S SAKE. advice-givers spent 38 percent more time on their homework. Dishing out wisdom gives us a little self-esteem boost. The trick, then, is in knowing when you’re giving advice for your own sake—to soothe yourself—and when you’re giving advice for your partner’s sake. Pearson says that the easiest way to do that is to ask. When someone is complaining, he says, you should make sure you’re clear on what’s expected of you before you dive in with your opinion. “You’ll know what’s

expected by asking: ‘What kind of response would be helpful to you right now?’ And then listen for the answer”— and this is critical—”and actually do what they suggest.” Pearson says it’s also important for the complainer to know what they’re expecting. (I’m very bad at this.) “If you’re feeling bad, and you want to talk to your partner, figure out ahead of time what response you would like. Do I want reassurance? Do I want to vent? Maybe I just want a hug!” Even when you’ve been given the green light to advise, you should still tread lightly. Pearson says condescending advice usually starts with “You should...” or “Why don’t you...” Those are very parental phrases, Pearson explains, “It triggers all the times we got unwanted advice growing up.” It’s true that “Why don’t you” sends me into an immediate rage: “Do you THINK I am so STUPID that I have not already DONE that?” Instead, Pearson recommends starting in with “You might consider doing X,” or “Have you considered doing Y?” Those phrases allow the advice recipient to save face. In theory, once you’ve been in a relationship long enough you should be able to intuit each other’s advice needs. Until then, ask.

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GUY WISDOM

GET GRIT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO GET ON, HOLD TIGHT, AND POWER THROUGH IT ALL.

TEXT JIM KRANTZ PHOTOS MASTERFILE

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What is it and why do you need it? GRIT IS ALL AROUND US. At work retreats. On the basket-

ball court. In your grandmother’s book club. It’s a buzzword now, the parlance of education advocates and business-school books in the past several years thanks to the work of Angela Duckworth, Ph.D.: “a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal.” Wait. That’s grit?! But that’s so . . . big and profound and lofty. We think grit is small and dirty and face-in-the-mud. It’s situational courage. When you need it, you need it right now. But how do you access it? How do the people who grit it out for a living do the things that seem undoable— too hard, too messy, too much? Here’s how.

WHEN YOU... HAVE TO GET STARTED SIX-TIME IRONMAN Triathlon world champion Mark Allen once completed a race in eight hours and seven minutes. That included 3.86km of swimming, 180km of biking, and a full 42km marathon—averaging 1.6km every 3.5 minutes. Finishing wasn’t, it goes without saying, easy. But before he ever finished a race, he had to start training, and that can be just as difficult. Here’s how he pushed Play: ASS. IN. SEAT. “The grit is in the very beginning. It’s in taking the first step. You need to give yourself a little block of time to dive in —to be able to say to yourself, ‘I am going to do this, I am now sitting down, I’m starting on it.’ ”

FACE YOUR FAULTS “You need to have awareness of the things you draw back from—the more you’re aware of this happening, over time the less frequently you’ll draw back. Start small: the simple practice of affirming to yourself that you have the ability to do the things that are difficult.”

PEOPLE WITH GRIT

THE CRISIS COUNSELOR WHEN WE train counsellors for crisis work, one of the things we talk about often is that you need to take care of yourself if you want to be able to take care of others. If you let your own self-care become secondary, you’re not going to be able to serve people as well. The things other people bring to you are going to become too much to bear. If I’ve been working with hurricane survivors or witnesses to a shooting, at the end of my time that day, I’m going to sit down with another counsellor and say, “This is what I did; this is how I’m feeling about it.” That allows another person to lay eyes on it and weigh in on whether I need to take a step back. It’s using somebody else to help me be accountable to myself. It also makes sure that we’re keeping an eye on what works well for the people who need our help, because that’s ultimately my focus. I want to make sure I’m bringing them the best that I have. GERARD LAWSON, PH.D.,

an associate professor in the counselor-education program at Virginia Tech (as told to Matt Goulet)

AAAAAND REPEAT “We often resist starting something, but once you’re in and doing it, it’s almost always fulfilling. Every morning, I go exercise. My whole day has huge potential because I’ve done that. When it comes to doing things over and over, think of it this way: If you do one run in your life, you’ll feel good, but if you do a thousand runs, it’ll completely transform you.”

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GUY WISDOM

WHEN YOU... HAVE TO KEEP GOING SAY YOUR boss hates you. You’ve been professionally humiliated. Or you’ve gone viral like a midmarket weatherman biffing an in-the-field report. You’ve still got to show up the next day. Or, more likely, work straight-up sucks. What do you do when you are in a crummy situation that is ultimately negative and harmful? TALK TO YOURSELF Stop and ask yourself one simple question: “What do I need?” Posing the question to yourself gives you the courage to do whatever you’ve got to do next, whether that’s standing up and saying no or finding ways to get a new job. It’s part of something called selfcompassion; giving yourself the encouragement you’d offer a friend in a similar situation. AND BUCK UP The trick is to think about the best coaches you’ve had in your life or, better, Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights—the ones who build you up with a certain recognition of your limits and encourage you to work past what you perceived them to be. If you can get yourself in a conversation with your inner Coach Taylor, the setbacks will seem more like steps on the way to something better. —Christopher germer, ph.d., a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School and cofounder of the Mindful SelfCompassion program

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WHEN YOU... JUST CAN’T FINISH “WHY DID I even start this if I wasn’t gonna finish?” I begin every single workout thinking about this. The internal voices are at their chattiest in the final minutes or reps of any workout, and it’s convenient as hell to listen to them and mail things in. So I head them off before they even get going: “I’ve started this workout, so I’m going to own the finish.” It’s when your lungs are burning and your heart’s beating out of your throat and your muscles are on fire that you’re getting the most out of the session anyway. The body needs to be challenged to adapt (and gain size, strength,

and endurance), and its greatest challenge is the final moments of a workout. Struggling through the end is why you’re in the gym in the first place. Grit begets more grit. Once committed to the finish, I think of “slow aggression” and keep ploughing forward. Take one deep breath, then muscle out a few good reps or seconds of work. Then take another deep breath and bang out a few more. You’re pacing out the hardest part of the workout so you can do good hard work again later. That’s what keeps you in shape. —ebenezer samuel

WHEN YOU... JUST CAN’T STOP ONE FINAL PEP TALK: To stop doing something that ultimately isn’t all that good for you, but in the moment is just amazing, sucks. And requires a form of perseverance that isn’t that different from getting through, say, a triathlon or finishing a tough workout.

QUIT LIKE YOU’D START Putting down the doughnuts. Dialling back on the porn. It takes mental planning. Carve out a moment to acknowledge what you’re doing. Note how it’s affecting you. (“It’s bad for me if I do this; it’s good for me that I don’t.”) And push on through.

PEOPLE WITH GRIT

THE ER DOCTOR I’VE HAD CASES with very difficult patients, unruly patients, where we had multiple security guards at the door, restraining them. I go in there with no ego and a little bit of patience, and I sit down with this particular person. First of all, I show them I understand where they’re coming from. You walk into a room where there are security guards, and some part of me says, “You know, this person is probably more scared than anything.” We learn techniques about sitting down at a patient’s eye level. I tell them, “I’m the person in charge of what happens to you today, and if I’m on your side, you’re gonna be okay.” But I only give them one chance. It’s amazing the amount of de-escalation that occurs when you give them a little bit of empowerment. And give them a sense of humanity. It’d be easier for me to just tell security to restrain them. But then I’d lose a little part of my humanity, because I know I could have done better. In order to be able to cope, you have to expend emotional energy. In the moment of a tough case, it’s understood that you’re in a difficult environment. You can’t let your ego get in the way. Patient care comes first. And it’s about not beating yourself up over the fact that you weren’t the superhero everyone wanted you to be. As much as I talk about difficult cases or patients and having to deal with them, it really is the most enjoyable part of the job. Overall, it’s much more stressful to keep up on the charting. Me taking care of a sick patient is exactly where I want to be. It’s like a professional athlete on the basketball court. HAFEZ BAZZI , M . D ., an ER doctor

at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit (as told to Matt Goulet)

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H E A LT H

WE SPEND MILLIONS TO ESCAPE DISCOMFORT, SO WHY DO WE ALSO SHELL OUT FOR RACES, WORKOUTS, AND OTHER EVENTS THAT HURT SO BAD? JAMIE MILLAR EXPLORES WHAT WE GET FROM ALL THAT AGONY.

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TE X T JAMIE MILL AR | JOBE L AWRENSON

WHAT WE GAIN FROM PAIN

The market for masochism is booming. Forget Ironman triathlons; now there are Deca Ironmans—ten Ironman triathlons in ten days—and endurance races like obstacle courses featuring ice-cold pools, 10,000-volt electric shocks, and tear gas. One of the most popular series, Tough Mudder, has attracted more than 3.5 million participants (20,000 of them with Tough Mudder tattoos) since it began in 2010. Often compared to a cult because of the zeal of its adherents, CrossFit has 15,000-plus locations (more than Starbucks) and an estimated 4 million devotees—outnumbering the populations of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, and North Dakota combined.

Where there’s pain, of course, there’s gain. That’s how training works: You stress your body so it adapts to handle more stress. But there are more agreeable ways of achieving results—in our airconditioned, centrally heated gyms— which implies it’s pain itself that many of us want. So why should we seek suffering? Pain—when you choose it—brings more than stronger muscles and bragging rights. Scientists suggest that people seek it out to provide benefits that a comfortable existence just can’t deliver. TIRING OF PLEASURE You’d think that convenience, luxury, and all our feel-good purchases and pursuits would bring us happiness. Technology, for instance, has saved us from all kinds of hardships: hunter-gathering, cold showers, dial-up Internet. Yet according to the World Health Organization, the most prevalent cause of disability on the planet is depression, affecting 322 million people; that’s an 18 percent increase since 2005. The problem with pleasure is that, uninterrupted, it wears off fast. Studies show that lottery winners see a drop in happiness just 18 months after their win; they become habituated to their new lifestyle and derive less enjoyment from their new everyday activities. Researchers have been studying this for decades, and you’ve probably experienced it: It’s why the fifth ride in business class is rarely as satisfying as the first. (So we’ve heard, anyway.) But bring some pain on board and it disrupts this monotony. It can also amplify subsequent pleasure—think a hot shower after a cold run. What’s more, relief from pain can make you happier than you would have been without the pain in the picture. Relief is not just the absence of a negative, says social psychologist Brock Bastian, Ph.D., author of The Other Side of Happiness; it’s a positive in itself. It may be the antidote to a life that feels brainy, confined, overscheduled, and underlived. GIVING YOUR MIND A BREAK “The more comfort we have, the more we

will actively seek out discomfort,” says Bastian. It’s no accident that Tough Mudder races are marketed with an emphasis on the “tough,” notes Rebecca Scott, Ph.D., a marketing lecturer at Cardiff Business School, who teamed up with colleagues to research Tough Mudder participants for a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. “We found that a target market for these races tended to be people with highly intellectualized jobs, where the mind is very foregrounded and the body is backgrounded,” Scott says. “Pain helps bring our bodies back to our attention. You’re released from your mind.” An extreme example is the electroshock field you need to get through in some Tough Mudders: “Pain completely fills your entire universe,” she says. “You retreat into your body in a way that’s unique and can leave the rest of the world in abeyance.” The big negotiations, the niggling email tasks, the hassle with your health insurer—when pain is there, all of these concerns aren’t. GETTING BETTER AT PAIN William Bridel, Ph.D., of the University of Calgary, interviewed amateur Ironman

THE PROBLEM WITH PLEASURE IS THAT, UNINTERRUPTED, IT WEARS OFF FAST. STUDIES SHOW THAT LOTTERY WINNERS SEE A DROP IN HAPPINESS JUST 18 MONTHS AFTER THEIR WIN; THEY BECOME HABITUATED TO THEIR NEW LIFESTYLE AND DERIVE LESS ENJOYMENT FROM THEIR NEW EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.

athletes to try to understand why anyone would choose something so gruelling as a “leisure” activity. “A few of them conceptualized pushing their bodies to the limit as pleasurable,” he explains. “But I’d say the majority positioned it as a way to prove they could tolerate the pain they’d face.” Not so much masochism, then, as self-mastery. And, to a certain degree, all this helps you master the threat of pain as well. There’s a principle sometimes described as “benign masochism” that comes into play when you trigger and override your body’s threat response, safe in the knowledge that there is no real danger. Maybe that’s by watching a thriller, or scaling the final wall in an adventure race. Research suggests that many people actually enjoy the way their bodies feel when they encounter these “safe” threats, so that pain is perceived as positive. In addition, the greater your capacity for pain, the less threatening it becomes. You’re likely not born with a fixed level of pain endurance; one study suggests that tolerance may be improved after repeated exposure to pain. This resilience can leak into other areas of life. For instance, Matt “Thommo” Thompson, a former member of the Royal Navy and currently a coach at Reebok CrossFit Stockport in the UK, calls himself “a bit of an introvert” and credits ultraintensive training with building his selfbelief. “Through CrossFit, I’ve accomplished things I’d never thought I could do,” he says. “That gave me the selfassurance to pursue things in other walks of life. I have a lot more confidence now when it comes to meeting new people.” LIVING A BETTER LIFE Of course, the blisters, the cuts, the T-shirt, and the finish line can give you a lot to show off on your social-media feed. These athletes aren’t immune to the thrill of the “You did what?” response. But that’s not the whole reason they do it, says Scott. All this swag “is very meaningful and powerful to those who live this cubicle-bound lifestyle. It shows that they live a fulfilled life—that their body has lived.”

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H E A LT H

THUMP-THUMP. THUMP . . . THUMP. (THUMP.)

PRO ATHLETES AND COACHES ARE USING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE TRAINING ACCORDING TO SIGNALS FROM YOUR HEART. MICHAEL EASTER INVESTIGATES WHETHER YOU SHOULD, TOO. The human heart beats like a metronome, right? All evenly spaced thumps and regular rhythms? Wrong. When you’re at your healthiest, your heart is actually more like your six-Scotches-deep uncle whaling on the family drum set: The . . . ... beats . . . are spaced...... . . . . . . . . . ……… unevenly. It’s only when your body is stressed— either for a short-term reason (like a bad night of sleep, a cold, or an insane deadline) or a long-term one (like you’re a smoker or have a chronically stressful job)—that the beats are more sober and steady. (We know: We were surprised, too.) This fluctuation is called heart rate variability, or HRV for short. And some experts say that you can give yourself an

athletic edge by tracking and responding to changes in your HRV—especially now that wearable devices such as the Apple Watch, the Garmin Fenix, and Morpheus (an appbased health monitor) have started measuring it. Various NFL, NBA, and MLB teams and some UFC fighters have built their workout programs around HRV. Should you? It depends on where you stand on all this measuring. HOW TRAINING BY HRV WORKS Wearables collect your data and spit out an HRV “score,” which indicates whether your life stress over the past 24 hours or so has forced your HRV down or it’s remained resiliently up. If your HRV is low, explains New

York City–based cardiologist Johnny Lee, M.D., you’ll have more difficulty absorbing an intense training session, because you’ll just be dumping more stress into an already stressed system. On the other hand, a high HRV indicates that your body has ample energy to devote to long-term health-enhancing projects. So if you work out hard when your HRV is high, the thinking goes, your body will dedicate its abundant energy to rebuilding muscle and improving your cardio system, says strength and conditioning coach Joel Jamieson, who has used HRV data with pro sports teams and the U. S. military. The theory seems to hold: Scientists in Finland discovered that people who did HIIT

A WEEK OF HRV

Here’s how a morning HRV check might affect your training, based on readouts from the Apple Watch (which rates HRV usually from 20 to 90). Each device measures HRV differently, but over time you’ll get to know what’s high and low for you.

A bad night’s sleep.

Do a low-intensity cardio recovery workout and go to bed early.

Everything going well.

Opt for a seriously brutal strengthtraining session.

Yesterday’s training, which has left you wiped and sore.

Take it easy today.

A good night’s sleep but a looming deadline at work.

Do a strength workout, but keep it to a medium intensity.

Going a bit too hard in that medium-intensity workout!

Go for a recovery walk.

Monday A.M.

Tuesday A.M.

Wednesday A.M. Thursday A.M. Friday A.M.

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PHOTO MASTERFILE

SO YOU MIGHT:

TE X T JAMIE MILL AR | JOBE L AWRENSON

IT COULD BE DUE TO:

IF YOUR HRV READOUT IS:

when their HRV was high experienced larger fitness gains. Another study, by Spanish scientists, found that cyclists who tailored their training to their HRV saw their performance improve up to 14 percent more than those who relied on more traditional methods. So using your HRV data to inform your training schedule should theoretically net you no junk workouts. Except, of course, there are detractors. They say the technology has quirks. It’s inexact (but good

enough for pattern spotting). Getting the most accurate reading you can is a pain: One device recommends measuring before you get out of bed; those that track all day are prone to error; and random events like the onset of illness can affect your HRV score. On top of this, Men’s Health fitness advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S., says you really only need common sense to tell you if you’re ready for an intense workout. Rate yourself

from one to five (one is lousy, five is great) on two questions: How did you sleep? And how do you feel? In lieu of measuring HRV, you’re assessing the two factors that most influence it. On days you rate fives, go hard. Days you’re below threes? Lay off a bit. “I’ve found this is as useful as all these monitoring devices,” says Hartman. In other words, you’ll still improve your fitness, but you’ll also save some dough and won’t be at the mercy of yet another thing that pings at you.

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NUTRITION

R I C H A R D M A R T I N | P H O T O G R A P H S BY C H R I S T O P H E R T E S TA N I

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THE FUTURE OF FOOD

YOUR TASTE BUDS DON’T LIE. VEGETABLES AND FRUITS ARE BECOMING BLANDER, AND MANY VARIETIES ARE NOW ENDANGERED THANKS TO THE SPREAD OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE. HOWEVER, TRADITIONALISTS AND FUTURISTS ALIKE ARE REFINING ALTERNATIVE FARMING METHODS THAT OFFER GREAT-TASTING AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS. WHO WILL WIN OUT?

On a cold, rainy night in Brooklyn, a crowd gathers inside the building that houses Square Roots, a company cofounded by CEO Tobias Peggs, a tech entrepreneur, and Kimbal Musk, who sits on the boards of Tesla and SpaceX (both started by his older brother, Elon) as well as Chipotle. Located on a dreary street in BedfordStuyvesant, the building is, technically, a farm. Its parking lot holds ten enclosed shipping containers. With a bit of showmanship, Peggs throws open the door to one of the containers and a violet glow envelops the crowd. Inside, tightly packed vertical rows of red leaf lettuce, basil, and mint grow hydroponically through a combination of artificial light and a nutrient-rich solution.

Musk and Peggs say they can cultivate three acres of plants in one container using a technique that could be adopted by any city in the world. At the heart of the vertical-farming trend championed by Musk and Peggs is the idea that although you can find lettuce at your grocery store in Boston in January, thanks to a system that allows farms in states like California and Arizona to ship fresh greens across the country at a reasonable cost, there are better alternatives. Growing lettuce outdoors on a large-scale farm uses a lot of water. Plus, it’s estimated that during the up-to-fiveday domestic trip from these farms to the grocer, the greens lose much of their nutritional value. About 56km north of Brooklyn, a backto-the-future approach to farming is growing. A few days later, I join Jack Algiere, the farm director of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York, and we walk along a hillside path with cows and lambs grazing on one side, goats frolicking on the other. Dressed in a flannel shirt and a sturdy coat, he enters a half-acre greenhouse. Lettuce leaves the size of a baby elephant’s ears luxuriate in the warm

INDUSTRIAL FARMING IS SO CHEMICALLY RELIANT AND ULTIMATELY BAD FOR THE SOIL (NOT TO MENTION BAD FOR THE DIETS OF THOSE WHO LIVE ON ITS PRODUCE) THAT THE UNITED NATIONS’ 2013 TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE URGED A GLOBAL RETURN TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING PRACTICES.

air. Purple and yellow stalks of chard erupt from the earth, which is dark brown and lush. Algiere treats this food with the same care and attention as Dan Barber, a top chef. Barber runs Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a farm-driven restaurant that consistently ranks as one of the best restaurants in the world. You would think the viewpoints of Musk and Barber, two of the most influential voices in farming, would be closely aligned, but their debate about how to grow lettuce is getting heated and dirty. Barber: “[Kimbal’s] really smart, but the only reason he wants everyone to eat salad in the winter is because it’s the only thing he can grow in a vertical farm. He’d be telling you he’d want everyone to eat rutabaga if he could grow rutabaga. I love the guy, but let’s be honest: You can’t grow anything.” Musk: “I don’t think [Dan] has a fundamental disagreement with what I’m doing. He sees the momentum moving towards indoor farming, and he doesn’t like that future.” What’s at stake is billions of dollars and the future of food on the planet. Over the past 50 years, large farms growing massive amounts of one crop (known as monoculture) have gobbled up land. While industrial farming has increased crop yields, it’s done so at the expense of consumer choice. In a span of 80 years, the variety of the world’s seeds dwindled by 93 percent, according to the Rural Advancement Foundation International: In 1903, 497 types of lettuce existed, but by 1983, there were just 36. Industrial farming is so chemically reliant and ultimately bad for the soil (not to mention bad for the diets of those who live on its produce) that the United Nations’ 2013 trade and development conference urged a global return to sustainable farming practices. Nowhere are the consequences of industrial farming more evident than at your supermarket, where identical-looking potatoes, carrots, and greens line the produce shelves. The presentation looks attractive, but that sameness is a result of destructive land-management practices—practices that lead to lessnutritious produce. And then there’s

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NUTRITION

people love it,” Musk says. “But over time we really want it to be about real food for everyone. We can get the price down and deliver delicious product 365 days a year.”

foodborne illness. Remember the Great 2018 Romaine Lettuce Scare? Investigators traced that outbreak back to a large-scale farm in Santa Maria, California. “It’s not like this is the question we should be thinking about five generations from now,” Barber says. “This stuff takes a long time, but time is running out.” THE MUSKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH Square roots may be the least splashy of all of Kimbal Musk’s endeavours. The South African native became involved in the food world after making millions building and selling start-ups, both on his own and with his brother. He did a stint in culinary school in New York City, then settled in Boulder, Colorado. Lost in the shadows of the Musk sibling mythology is that Kimbal is actually a legitimate farm-to-table pioneer. He opened his first restaurant, the Kitchen, in 2004, sourcing ingredients from Colorado’s rich agriculture and livestock communities. Musk launched Square Roots with Peggs in 2016 with one concept: “Can we take a young person with no experience and bring them in and teach them how to farm in a box in double-quick time and get them to grow food that is tasty, that people want to eat?” The initial results were encouraging, although Square Roots cycled through distribution concepts before arriving at its current direct-to-retail model. You can now find Square Roots’ greens and herbs at specialty grocers around New York City. Later this year, the company plans to operate in other U. S. cities and then scale from there. In each market, the produce will travel from the shipping containers to nearby store shelves, a solution that is hyperlocal and, now, highly traceable. During the Romaine Lettuce scare of late 2018, when an E. coli outbreak in California led to a coast-to-coast recall, Peggs and Musk realized that the data they compile for Square Roots would allow them to trace everything they grow back to the very shipping container that produced it. Now there’s a “Transparency” section on the company’s website where

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Algiere (holding carrots) has worked with Barber for 15 years to promote a place-based approach to farming and eating. Practices include using a mix of heirloom and hybrid seeds, cultivating soil health, and developing more of what Algiere calls “slow tools”—those expressly designed for small-scale, diversified farming.

consumers can enter the lot number from their package of Square Roots herbs. There are energy concerns with this type of farming, as well as a sense that it isn’t natural, but Musk is leaning into those issues. This is lab-grown food, and his team is sciencing the shit out of it. Strawberries, eggplants, beets, radishes, carrots, and more will come to market in five years. “Right now we’re super-premium and

THE REAL DIRT ON HERITAGE FARMING Stone Barns Center runs apprenticeship and education programs aimed at training and supporting small farmers. Small-scale farming is knowledge-intensive and complicated, Algiere acknowledges, but it’s the right thing to do for ourselves and the planet. Watch the news and it’s depressing for farmers, but there was a glimmer of good news in the USDA’s 2017 Agriculture Census. At the same time that the overall number of farms in the United States decreased by 5 percent to only 2 million, farms with annual revenues between SGD$137,740 and SGD$344,351 saw the largest increase in sales between 2016 and 2017. “This is so important,” says Algiere, launching into a soliloquy about the rising interest of young, first-time farmers and the surprising upswing in the number of small U. S. farms. He grabs a rake and continues his lecture on how small farms on the perimeter of major urban centres can not only thrive but can also conserve the land. Algiere walks out into a plot of carrots and runs the rake over the greens protruding from the soil, explaining that most of the equipment available to farmers is of the giant John Deere tractor variety, because industrial farming has dominated society since the mid- to late 20th century. “The problem is that there hasn’t been a set of tools for small-scale, diversified farms since 1940,” he says. That’s why among the many educational endeavours that Stone Barns Center supports is Slow Tools, a collective of farmers, designers, and engineers (with an annual conference held on the property) aimed at manufacturing equipment that can help small farmers grow vegetables and work their five-ish acres more efficiently. Attendees include retired engineers who’ve developed a desire to farm, prototypical millennials seeking a return to the land, and even city dwellers who got their first taste of farming by working at one of the vertical hydroponic

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NUTRITION

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farms. Barber so believes in Algiere’s work, as well as the entire regenerative-farming and land-management movement, that he cofounded Row 7 Seeds last year. Barber asserts that most of the seed business is now owned by chemical companies that have little interest in small, regenerative farms. “They don’t make money on the seeds; they make money on the intervention of chemicals,” he says. “That’s why the seed company became so important to me. It really does lay the foundation for everything that follows, including flavour, up to when it hits your mouth. That can be determined on a genetic level.” Back in the greenhouse, Algiere puts down the rake, heads outside, and walks to a barn filled with hundreds of chickens. They swarm toward him and produce a cacophony of clucks that make it impossible to hold a conversation. He moves toward the pigs and extends his hand toward a comically large sow that comes to greet him. “My animal operations feed the compost and pasture operation here,” he says. “My compost system feeds the crops and orchards, and any leftover feeds the pigs.” As hogs wrestle playfully, he whispers about how amazing the bacon coming from these animals will taste. Eat the pork from Stone Barns Center and you will immediately understand what Algiere means. Try its carrots and you’ll come to believe what Barber does. The flavour of these foods—started from

“MY ANIMAL OPERATIONS FEED THE COMPOST AND PASTURE OPERATION HERE,” HE SAYS. “MY COMPOST SYSTEM FEEDS THE CROPS AND ORCHARDS, AND ANY LEFTOVER FEEDS THE PIGS.”

diverse seeds (both heirloom and experimental hybrids), coddled by premium soil, cultivated with gentler farming methods—rewards the eater in a way that your typical supermarket versions cannot. Is it hard work? Algiere’s calloused hands prove that, yes, it is. But it’s not anything we haven’t done before. THE FIGHT FOR FARMING’S FUTURES Chris Newman, who cofounded Sylvanaqua Farms in rural Virginia with his wife in 2013, calls himself a “permaculturist” and proclaims his reverence for the land— but also for technology. “There is no single ‘right’ way to produce food,” he says in an email interview. His own farming practices aim to be regenerative, like Algiere’s, and he’s adamant that these types of farms can produce food while helping to restore the environment. Yet ultimately they won’t be able to keep up with demand. “Sooner or later, people on both sides of the debate will have to understand that sustainable food production lies in the intersection of nature and technology, not in their mutual exclusion.” Call them rigid in their convictions, but Musk, Peggs, Barber, and Algiere are at least stoking the debate about how to feed the planet healthy food. And they’re drawing prominent investors into the search for a resolution. Investors like Tom Colicchio, a co-host of Top Chef and an early backer of Bowery Farming, a company with two hydroponic farms. “I like what [Barber] has to say, and I also believe that through the right kind of farming and regenerative practices, we can build soil, we can grow,” he says. “That doesn’t help if there’s flooding or drought with climate change. I’m looking at 20 or 30 years down the road, and we’re going to have to rely on indoor farming.” But then there’s the issue of energy use. Henry Gordon-Smith, a leading consultant on urban agriculture, advises multinational corporations and individuals wanting to start their own vertical, rooftop, or greenhouse farms. Seated in his Brooklyn office, he recounts a study he conducted for an international beverage company to determine the carbon footprint of five crops grown in three settings: a vertical

farm and a greenhouse, both in New Jersey, and a soil-based farm in California. The results were mixed, depending on the crop, but a key takeaway was that the vertical farm’s carbon footprint was “extraordinarily higher,” due to the energy used. He adds that when you account for food waste, water use, and social impact, the playing field levels a bit, but the bottom line, he says, is “there’s no silver bullet. That’s not the catchy sound bite that people are looking for, but that’s the fact.” Yet the cash continues to pour into vertical farming. Venture capitalists have pledged about SGD$1.37 billion over the past two years to fund start-ups like Plenty, AeroFarms, and Bowery Farming. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are in the game. Market research projects the global vertical-farming market will hit SGD$13.7 billion by 2025. Operations like AeroFarms’ 70,000-square-foot facility in Newark, New Jersey, and the 100,000-square-foot farm that Plenty built outside Seattle will soon become commonplace, proponents suggest. Matt Barnard—the CEO of Plenty, which has amassed more than SGD$275 million from investors like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and SoftBank, the majority shareholder in Uber—explains that he’s going big because of the scale of the problem. “I was brought in by one thing and now I’m here for many— for health, nutrition, stresses on the land system,” Barnard says. That mission, however, may depend on trusting in not one solution but a combination of many. For the moment, the vegetables available at your local farmers market or upscale grocery store reflect this dichotomy. You can easily find a plastic tub of lettuce from a hydroponic farm and, depending on the season, you may also find a sweeter, smaller, more efficient variety of honeynut squash developed in part by Barber and Row 7 Seeds. Hydroponically grown greens and soilgrown, small-farm-produced squash living side by side in harmony: It’s a utopian vision already playing out in front of your shopping cart. The true question is, will you buy either? The answer, if you’re really concerned about your health and the health of the planet, is that you’ll buy both.

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DRIVING

TUNE-UP YOUR CAR KNOWLEDGE THESE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECKS WILL KEEP YOUR RIDE RUNNING SMOOTHLY

When it comes to knowing basic car maintenance skills, many guys are asleep at the wheel. A survey from tire-maker Michelin finds 33 percent of people don’t know how to check their tires’ pressure. It’s time to wake up: Master these five simple tasks to keep your car running smoothly on the road.

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PHOTOS MASTERFILE

CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE Over-inflated tires can hurt your car’s traction on slick roads. But if your tires don’t have enough air, they’ll wear out faster and reduce your car’s stopping power, Calkins says. Most cars have a sticker somewhere along the driver’s side doorframe that tells you how much pressure (PSI) your tires need. If you don’t find it there, check the inside of the gas tank door or your car’s manual, Calkins says. Most tires fall between 28 and 35 PSI. Don’t check your tires’ pressure using the gauges

TEXT MARKMAN HEID

KNOW YOUR OIL Oil cools, cleans, and lubricates your engine; wait too long to replace it and your engine could get contaminated with dirt and debris, potentially shortening its lifespan. It doesn’t take much to be proactive, says Mike Calkins, manager of technical services at AAA. First, check your vehicle’s manual—“the least-read book on the planet,” Calkins jokes—to find out the type of engine oil in your car. Most new cars require synthetic and semi-synthetic

engine oils. You can usually go 8,000km to 16,000km between changes, compared to conventional oil found in older cars, which breaks down sooner (often after 4,828km), Calkins says. If you know you’ve driven more than 16,000km since your last change, head to the shop. Or, if you have an in-dash oil life monitor—many cars do—schedule an appointment once the level hits 10 percent, says Calkins.

that are built into gas station air hoses. “They’ve probably been run over a thousand times” and won’t be accurate, Calkins says. Instead, buy an electronic tire pressure gauge at an auto shop, big-box store, or online. Once a month, remove the caps from your tires’ air valves and use the gauge to check their pressure first thing in the morning. (Your tires cool down from being parked all night, so the air pressure will be at its lowest point for the day.) If you need to add air, you could drive to the nearest gas station and use its air hose to fill up your tires, or you could buy a car tire inflator. Firmly press the pump’s nozzle onto your tire’s valve while squeezing its handle to inject the air. If you can hear a lot of air escaping, move the nozzle until you secure a tighter fit. After every three seconds of filling, take a break to re-check the pressure. If your wheels are overinflated, hold your pressure gauge partially on your tire’s air valve to allow some of the air inside to escape. You’ll hear it.

CLEAN YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES If your wipers leave blurry streaks or smears on your windshield, that’s a safety hazard, Calkins says. Put a little windshield washer fluid on a clean rag and wipe off the blades, he advises. “That will clean off dirt and debris, or even wax from the car wash.”

Look for ‘min’ and ‘max’ lines on the brake fluid tank, says Calkins. “As long as your brake fluid is between those lines, you’re fine.” If your fluid level is very close to or below the minimum line, either your brake pads are worn—they tend to last anywhere from 32,000km to 96,000km, Calkins says—or there’s a leak in the brakes’ hydraulic system. In either case, you need to take your car to a repair shop right away.

WHEN IT COMES TO KNOWING BASIC CAR MAINTENANCE SKILLS, MANY GUYS ARE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. A SURVEY FROM TIRE-MAKER MICHELIN FINDS 33 PERCENT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO CHECK THEIR TIRES’ PRESSURE.

If the cleaning doesn’t help, you know it’s time to replace the blades. Pop your hood and check your washer fluid levels once a month to make sure you’re never stuck on the road without the ability to clean your windshield. The tank that holds this fluid will be clearly labelled under your hood.

CHECK YOUR BRAKE FLUID Rule of thumb: Every time you get your oil changed, check the translucent reservoir holding your vehicle’s brake fluid—the hydraulic fluid that keeps your brakes working properly. This will be on the driver’s side of your car.

CHECK YOUR ENGINE COOLANT While you’re checking your brake fluid, you should also inspect your engine coolant—the fluid that keeps your engine from overheating and freezing. Read your car manual to locate the coolant reservoir under your hood. When your engine is cold, the coolant level should be at or just above the ‘cool’ mark on its tank, says Calkins. In this case, you don’t need to add any more coolant. “It’ll rise when your engine heats up,” he says. But if you’re below the ‘cool’ line, you’ll need to add coolant. You can pay a pro to do this, or handle it yourself. Make sure to buy the pre-mixed (with water) type listed in your car manual; prices vary, but you will easily find your type at auto shops and hardware stores. Slowly pour coolant through a funnel into the reservoir until it’s filled to a point just above the ‘cool’ line. The good news: Most cars only require new coolant every 2 to 3 years.

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MASTER your MONTH

Field

YOUR GO

AU G UST

20 19

PLANNER 1

BLACK FAIRY COFFEE 2

CHICO LOCO 3

PINK FISH

FORGET FAST FOOD, HAVE FRESH FOOD

There’s plenty of great dining choices that we’ve discovered in this special food edition of Field Guide- and they’re healthy too!

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FIELD GUIDE

AUG

BLACK FAIRY COFFEE

BEST BRO MEAL EVER

This dainty-looking café hides some of the best and nutritious meals we’ve had… and the coffee is excellent at Black Fairy Coffee!

DETAILS Black Fairy Coffee, 131 Tyrwhitt Rd, Singapore 207553

T E X T K E LV I N TA N

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.facebook.com/ blackfairycoffeesg/

Tyrwhitt Road has changed a lot in the last decade- from dodgy massage parlours it’s recently gentrified to have craft beer bars and fancy restaurants. But if you’re walking by after an S-League game at Jalan Besar stadium don’t walk past this dainty sounding café, walk in! What to eat, you ask? Make sure you try The Goblin, a signature

burger with slow roasted pulled pork, onlion and carrot shavings, and toasted brioche bun. They’ve also got great tasting poke bowls, unagi rice bowls, and other delicious delights. If you’re having a sweet tooth day, you can try their Popcorn latte, which is pretty unique, and has a burnt flavor reminiscent of the cinema delight they named it for. Healthy meals wise, the broccoli and mushroom melt is a pretty good option if you’re trying to get some veg in your diet, and if you’re hunting for meat, make sure you get their succulent pork ribs. Just try not to burp too loud and scare the weight staff like we did!

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FIELD GUIDE

AUG

CHICO LOCO

PROTEIN POWER-UP Going on a chicken diet doesn’t mean having to endure dry desiccated meat devoid of flavor- check out Chico Loco!

The folks who run the Loco Group whom we have to thank for Lucha Loco and Super Loco have gone full Loco, with their latest offering Chico Loco. If that’s too much Loco for you, here’s keeping it simple- their Mexican spit-

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roasted chicken is divine. On top of that, if you’re on a cheat day and red meat is an option, you’ve got to try their lamb, which is soft, tender, and devoid of that gamey flavor that usually comes with lamb, which is what turns the fairer sex of this meat. Their sides and sauces are also brilliant- our personal pick, their Chicoslaw, and get the citrus, serrano and tomatillo sauce. For dessert, the salted butterscotch and activated pepitas super natural coconut soft serve is so good we went back the next day just for seconds!

DETAILS  102 Amoy Street, Singapore 069922 FOR MORE INFORMATION www.chico-loco.com

FIELD GUIDE

AUG

PINK FISH

DOUBLE PROTEIN -POWER UP

Just because you’re at Jewel doesn’t mean you’re consigned to pig out on A&W and Shake Shack- check out Pink Fish for their healthy salmon options!

Hip new eatery Pink Fish, has opened the doors of its outlet at Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore, marking the brand’s foray into the international seas. An innovative Norwegian fast-casual

concept restaurant that uses salmon as their main ingredient, Pink Fish promises to serve every meal without 5 minutes- and there’s a big electronic board so you don’t have to stand there and wait- just go have a seat and when your meal’s ready, your name will flash on the screen! Menu-wise they serve salmon and fish-based burgers, wraps, soups and pokebowls that are just as tasty as they are Instagrammableour personal favourite- the American soup, a chili bowl with salmon, beans, coriander and tortilla chips.

DETAILS  78 Airport Blvd, #B1261/262, Jewel, Changi Airport Singapore, 819666 FOR MORE INFORMATION www.pinkfish.sg

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GROOMING FAST FIXES

GET THAT FACE FROM CRAGGY TO SMOOTH YOUR FACE- THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR EACH MORNING. IF BAD COMPLEXION IS WHAT’S BUGGING YOU ABOUT YOUR REFLECTION, PERHAPS IT’S TIME TO LET MEDICAL TECH REMOVE THAT FROWN FROM YOUR FACE.

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P H OTO 1 2 3 R F

As the body’s protective outershell, your skin puts up with a lot. Harmful elements such as chemicals, infections, cuts, scrapes, and sunlight keep the seemingly delicate organ under near-constant assault. The addition of sweaty gymsessions and stress send your epidermis into overdrive, leaving it no choice but to react. We’re not saying a flawless face is impossible, but it takes effort. And for some guys, they go, in the words of Deadpool: “Maximum Effort”, using facial washes, scrubs and moisturisers religiously, but to no avail. The sad fact is once scars have formed, there’s little

remedy that products can provide. But medical tech, on the other hand, has evolved. Meet EndyMed, which received FDA approval a full decade ago in 2009, and arrived on Singapore shores in 2014. It’s used to treat acne scars, and provide help with skin tightening, wrinkles, fine lines, and brown spots on your mug. Keywords to take note of: no surgery! How does it work, you ask? We asked Dr. Kenneth Thean, the medical director of Ensoul Group, who explains: “ The EndyMed 3DEEE is designed to deliver focused radio frequency (RF) energy to dermis in a targeted and controlled way. RF is technology that works by stimulating the deeper dermis layers to increase the generation of new collagen and elastin proteins for firmer, smoother and toned skin.” So who are the Singaporean dudes that this treatment would be best for? “Anyone who has suffered acne and developed atrophic depressed scars, or even scarring after injuries like trauma and post surgery will benefit from this treatment, “ Dr. Thean reveals. “We have also seen an increasing number of men who are looking for anti-aging skin rejuvenation treatments,” he adds, as this procedure helps smoothen fine lines and wrinkles, and brightens up skin complexion. What’s the downtime, though? The last thing you want to is go back into the office with everyone wondering why you look more disfigured than dashing, but thankfully most patients can carry on with daily activities after the procedure, with the redness and slight puffiness post-treatment lasting only for a couple of days, making this a suitable weekend treatment to just stay in and Netflix away.

DOES ENDYMED WORK: TRIED & TESTED  So thankfully my face has never been too pock-scarred, though I did have a serious bout of acne in my late teens that left me with fairly large scars at my left temple and forehead. The rest of my face looked from a distance pretty passable, though each time I went under a beautician’s magnifying glass I couldn’t escape their “tsks” of disagreement. When I was offered a chance to try EndyMed, it seemed like a good idea to try to reverse the ravages of puberty on my face, though I kept my expectaions low, without believing that it was going to make my craggy face look like Daniel Craig’s. So how did it go about on the day itself? First, a detailed consult and assessment with Dr. Thean at Ensoul Medical Clinic, where he planned and marked out the targeted areas to treat. An anesthetic numbing cream was then applied to the targeted area to reduce the discomfort for the treatment to come- which was so effective I couldn’t feel the clingwrap they had on my face! The treatment then followed, with the good doctor using the EndyMed Intensif- a non-surgical applicator with specially designed gold-plated needles to create micro-channels for RF energy to penetrate deep into the dermis with minimal epidermal damage. While it wasn’t the most comfortable process, pain was kept to a minimum, though I did think to myself I now knew how Anakin Skywalker felt right before the Darth Vader facemask was put on, the laser working all over my face and the clingwrap slightly claustrophobic. An hour later and it was all done, and a clinic assistance applied skin

revitaliser serum to aid skin healing. I was pretty exhausted by the whole procedure, so the missus drove me home, and I applied some of the post treatment cream, took the painkillers and crashed in bed. It was a pleasant surprise that while my face was swollen there was little pain when I awoke the next day, and I even got back to my regular football game on Sunday, though I did warn the guys I wasn’t going for any headers. Back at work on Monday, and no one was the wiser, though some asked why I looked slightly sunburnt. So did it work? While the larger scars weren’t completely wiped out they do look far more diminished, and my complexion a month on looks absolutely glowing, and now the missus is thinking of whether to try it out herself! If it’s good enough for the ladies…

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T R A I N E R

HOW TO TAKE CROSSFIT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

PHOTO 123RF

CHECK OUT HOW THESE FIT SINGAPOREANS GOT TO THE WORLD STAGE OF CROSSFIT.

50 MUSCLE GET THE V-TAPER OF YOUR DREAMS BECAUSE NOTHING SAYS “FIT” LIKE BROAD SCULPTED SHOULDERS, WIDE LATS, AND BIG ARMS. 52 MUSCLE BACK OFF FOR MORE GAINS TACK ON SOME EXTRA LOW-WEIGHT WORK TO MAXIMIZE YOUR HEAVY-WEIGHT GAINS. 54 FITNESS AMERICA’S FITTEST EMCEE HOW NICK CANNON STAYS IN INCREDIBLE SHAPE. 56 NUTRITION COOK FLANK STEAK LIKE A PRO MASTER THE ART OF COOKING THIS TOUGH PIECE OF MEAT.

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MUSCLE

MATE T EN

GET THAT UPPER-BODY TAPER 10

05 T

N’ S HEAL

“IT’S ALL ABOUT the ‘V-taper,’ ” says veteran trainer Bobby Maximus, author of Maximus Body and a man who’s worked with everyone from A-list stars to Navy SEALs. “Nothing says ‘ﬁt’ like broad sculpted shoulders, wide lats, and big arms.” They’re all muscle groups people can’t help but see; build them and they’re noticeable even in a T-shirt. And nothing will get you there faster than three days of upper-body training per week, done at a fast tempo that’ll leave you feeling jacked and have you out of the gym in 45 minutes. That’s the Maximus plan. Get to work.. —EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.

DIRECTIONS: Do this upper-body workout 3 days a week, with a full day between sessions. Start with a short warm-up of 15 jumping jacks and two 30-second planks. On 2 off days, set a timer for 30 minutes. Do bodyweight squats, reverse lunges, and sit-ups as a circuit, 20 reps each. Complete as many rounds as you can before time’s up. Rest for 2 days each week.

THE WORKOUT Do the exercises in order. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps for each move. Rest 60 seconds between sets. Standing Row

Standwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart, kneesslightlybent.Hingeforwardandgraspa barbellwithanoverhandgrip.Pullthebartoyour shins,torsoata45-degreeangle(a).Tightenyour core,squeezeyourshoulderblades,andpullthe bartoyourchest.Pause(b).Slowlylowerbackto thestart.That’s1rep.

(a)

EB SAYS:

“Don’t just survive the pause at the top of each rep. Think about actively continuing to pull the bar upward. That’ll light up your back.”

SHORTS BY Four Laps; SNEAKERS BY Under Armour.

2 (a)

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(b)

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

Lie with your back on an adjustable bench set to a 30-degree incline, holding dumbbells directly over your shoulders (a). Your feet should be flat on the floor. Squeeze your shoulder blades. Bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering the dumbbells until they touch the middle of your chest (b). Press back up. That’s 1 rep.

By Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. | Photographs By Allie Holloway | Grooming: Deepti Sadhwani | Kyle Hilton (Samuel)

(b)

(a)

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Sit on a bench holding dumbbells at your shoulders, palms turned to face each other slightly (a). Keep your core tight. Press the dumbbells directly overhead (b), pause, then slowly lower them back to your shoulders. That’s 1 rep.

Triceps Pressdown

Stand facing a cable machine with a rope attachment (or a resistance band anchored to a pull-up bar above you). Grasp the handles, keeping your upper arms close to your torso (a). Press the rope downward until your arms are straight (b). Squeeze your triceps, then return to the start. That’s 1 rep

EB SAYS:

“Don’t arch your back on these! The moment you start, you know you need to lighten the weight.”

6 (a)

(a)

(b)

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

Stand with medium-weight dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in (a). Squeeze your shoulder blades. Curl the right dumbbell up toward your chest, rotating your palm toward your shoulder (b). Pause, then lower the dumbbell back to the start. Repeat on the other arm. That’s 1 rep.

V-Sit Kick-Out

Lie on your back. Tighten your abs, raising your back off the ground, torso at a 45-degree angle. Place your hands on the ground and raise your legs a few inches (a). Keeping your upper body steady, pull your knees to your chest—let them bend as you do (b). Pause, then slowly return to the start. That’s 1 rep.

(b)

(a)

EB SAYS S:

“Avoid leaning your torso forward to create levera ag with body position. Make sure your tris are doing all the work .”

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MUSCLE

BACK OFF TO MOVE YOUR GAINS FORWARD

Tack on some extra low-weight work to maximize your heavy-weight gains.

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focused type I ﬁbres can grow more than previously thought. If you’re looking to pack on mass and maximize your strength potential, you can’t ignore them. YOUR MOVE: After completing what would normally be your last heavy set of an exercise, rest for 60 seconds, reduce the weight you’re lifting by 35 to 40 percent, and then do as many reps as you can. You’re shooting for at least 25 reps in this backoff set to optimize your target muscle’s TUT and hammer its

type I muscle ﬁbres, so keep going right up until you reach technical failure (the point at which your form begins to break down). If you’re only just starting to get the hang of the form of the exercise doing standard reps, hold off on back-off sets until you can safely judge when you need to ease off. When you ﬁnally rack your weights, your muscles should burn and you should feel a nice pump. That’s how you’ll know you’ve “backed off ” enough to optimize your results.

PHOTO 123RF

twofold. First, adding a single low-intensity, high-rep set to the end of an exercise increases the target muscle’s time under tension (TUT). That alone provides a powerful adaptation stimulus. But a back-off set also laser focuses on a muscle’s type I fibres rather than the type IIs targeted by the heavier, lowrep sets. Type II fibres might be the largest and most powerful of the two fibre types—and have the greatest growth potential—but studies show that the more endurance-

TEXT TREVOR THIEME C.S.C.S.

If your primary goal is strength, you need to lift heavy. There’s no getting around that. Three to five sets of up to six reps per exercise is your sweet spot, along with enough rest between sets to attack each one at full capacity. But to truly optimize your strength gains, you also need to lift light. I’m talking about what’s called a “back-off ” set, which you can think of as a final high-rep, low-load “finisher” that you tack on to the end of each exercise in a strengthfocused workout. In a study of Japanese university students, those who followed that lifting protocol saw greater increases in not only strength, but also muscle size and endurance. But strength athletes and bodybuilders don’t need a study to tell them that. They know from personal experience that it just works, since the back-off set is a staple in their training. The likely reasons the protocol is so effective are

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FITNESS

AMERICA’S FITTEST EMCEE

Nick Cannon’s early-morning workout is as wild as his career.

TOTALLY HATES

“Anything to get core strength I love. We do a lot of stuff with tires and wheelbarrows.”

Squats

“Everybody’s always making fun of my legs. But I hate doing squats.”

BREAK OF BRAWN

Bodyweight ab workouts take you only so far. That’s why Cannon chisels his core with weight-room moves. He ends most workouts with this ab crusher from trainer Arron Sain. “Weighted ab exercises provide resistance and aid in muscle growth,” says Sain.

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1 Cable crunch

Fix a rope attachment to a shoulderheight cable column. Kneel in front of it, grasping the rope so its handles are near your ears, torso still upright. Pull your elbows to your knees. Reverse the move. That’s 1 rep. Do 4 sets of 25. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

2 D-bell bench V-up

Sit on a bench with your legs hanging off one side and your torso off the other, a light dumbbell on the floor wedged between your feet. Hold the edges of the bench and lean back. Lift the dumbbell and pull your knees to your chest. Reverse the move. That’s 1 rep. Do 4 sets of 25.

3 Rainbow leg raise

Hang from a pullup bar, legs straight, toes together. Raise your feet in a wide arc to the right, then upward in front of your torso. Lower them in a wide arc to the left, then return to the start. That’s 1 rep. Do 4 sets of 12, alternating directions each rep.

BY ANDREW HEFFERNAN, C.S.C.S. | PHOTOGRAPHS BY IAN MADDOX | GROOMING: K ASE C. GLENN

REALLY LOVES

Strongman Moves

The only thing in front of him is a pile of cinder blocks, an empty parking lot, and a 1-metre-high cinder-block wall. And for some reason, this has Nick Cannon grinning. He grabs a pair of 13.5kg concrete slabs, hoists them onto his shoulders, and starts lunging toward the wall. Once there, he stacks the blocks on the wall, then trudges back toward the pile. “This,” he says, “is great.” The metaphor can’t go unacknowledged—and it was Cannon’s idea. To spice up his workouts, he bought more than 100 cinder blocks and made a small wall out of them in the parking lot at his Ncredible Studios office in Los Angeles. Every few days, he breaks it down, unstacking the blocks and rebuilding the wall in a new spot 10m away. “It’s the mental side of training,” Cannon says. “You’re breaking a wall down, building it up.” And it’s only one of many unorthodox moves that the 38-year-old host and producer of Fox’s sleeper hit The Masked Singer packs into his workout on this rainsplattered morning at the gym just outside his studio. This isn’t a normal workout. But by Cannon’s rationale, he’s spent his whole career working hard in Hollywood, so why not do it in the gym? It’s something he learned from Will Smith when he was the opening act for Smith’s

Hummer drags (above) and cinder-block work have helped Cannon pack on 4kg in the past six months.

concerts as a teenager. “Will Smith told me, ‘Even if you’re not the most talented person in the room, you still need to outwork the most talented person in the room,’ ” he says. Cannon’s training reminds him of the effort he needs at the office—as well as what he’s capable of. Before his 90-minute grind is done, he’ll smack a tire with a 7kg sledgehammer, do sets of upside-down pull-ups, and drag his 2,900kg Hummer across the parking lot. “You pull that truck,” he says, “and you feel like you could move a mountain. I feel like a new human after a workout.” Cannon’s dedication to his health started when he was hospitalized while vacationing in Aspen in 2012. He was later diagnosed with lupus, an incurable autoimmune condition. That began a year of meds, chemotherapy, and a diet free of meat and processed foods. When he recovered, Cannon adopted the crackof-dawn body blast. “I’m doing this to stay alive,” he says. Working on his wall centres him. “It’s a meditation,” says his trainer Arron Sain. It can be monotonous, but it’s uncomplicated—a perfect foil to hosting The Masked Singer, recording and collaborating with artists under the title Ncredible Gang, and leading conversation on his YouTube show about college, Cannon’s Class. He’s constantly running between projects on next to no sleep. “I don’t like to live by man’s clock,” he says. Unless the clock says 5:00 a.m., precisely when his daily workout begins. “Just knowing I’m out here getting it in, that makes me feel like I’m doing more than most,” he says. Then he hoists another block.

BEFORE HIS 90-MINUTE GRIND IS DONE, HE’LL SMACK A TIRE WITH A 7KG SLEDGEHAMMER, DO SETS OF UPSIDE-DOWN PULL-UPS, AND DRAG HIS 2,900KG HUMMER ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. “YOU PULL THAT TRUCK,” HE SAYS, “AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD MOVE A MOUNTAIN. I FEEL LIKE A NEW HUMAN AFTER A WORKOUT.”

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NUTRITION

UPGRADE IT

You can make this meal even more delicious with any one of the steps that follow. You can even do all three (show-off).

IF YOU HAVE ...

5min.

Halve 1 or 2 fresh lemons, flick out any exposed seeds, and pop them on your grill grates while your steak cooks. High heat takes a bit of the bite out of citrus yet preserves its bright flavours. Squeeze the slightly smoky juice over the sliced steak.

10 min.

Before you slap the grilled steak on the cutting board, dress the board itself. Add a squiggle of good olive oil and some more fresh herbs. Scatter some flaky sea salt. Then let the steak rest in this mélange of goodness.

4 hr.

Flank steaks do well with marinades, but don’t feel like you have to go all out. Some olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, and a few sprigs of fresh herbs—plus salt and pepper—are all you need. Marinate in a zip-top bag for at least 4 hours, but if you have 8, even better.

ATTACK THE FLANK!

Flank comes from the underside of the cow in an area called the drop loin. This unsung cut is a steak lover’s prize: deeply meaty and tender if cooked right. Although the cut does have some fat, it’s relatively lean compared with, say, a rib eye. Flanks take well to marinating and quick cooking, especially on the grill.

BUY IT

Paul Kita | Photographs By Mike Garten | Food styling by Simon Andrews. Prop styling by Paige Hicks.

CO O K I T

Most pre-packaged grocery-bin flank steaks weigh between 680g and 1.1kg and come trimmed of most of their fat, gristle, and silver skin. Look for a cut that’s nicely marbled, with intramuscular streaks of white. That fat will help flavour the meat as it cooks.

Seared Flank Steak with Green Lightning Sauce

THE FIBRE

1 . K A L E , C H E R RY T AND CHICKPEA SALAD

In a large bowl, combine 1 (800g) can rinsed and drained chickpeas, 1 medium minced shallot, 1½ cups halved mixedcolour cherry tomatoes, 1½ cups packed baby kale, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings PER SERVING: 257 calories, 11g protein, 43g carbs (11g fibre), 5g fat

You’ll want to grill this cut of beef to rosy, juicy medium-rare. That’s because overcooking flank steak will turn your meal into a jaw-endurance challenge. Flash-sear the flank and then smother thin slices with a simple fresh-from-the-herb-garden sauce.

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D 900G FLANK STEAK 1 C U P F R E S H PA R S L E Y, F I N E LY CHOPPED 1

CUP FRESH CILANTRO, F I N E LY C H O P P E D ¼ C U P F R E S H C H I V E S , F I N E LY CHOPPED 2 3

TBSP FRESH OREGANO, F I N E LY C H O P P E D G A R L I C C LO V E S , F I N E LY CHOPPED

JUICE AND ZEST FROM 1 LIME BIG PINCH CRUSHED RED-PEPPER FLAKES ¼ CUP OLIVE OIL, PLUS MORE FOR BRUSHING

1. Remove the flank steak from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature as you preheat your grill to high. In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, cilantro, chives, oregano, garlic, lime juice and zest, red-pepper flakes, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer the steak to the grill and sear, about 8 minutes per side for mediumrare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving with the sauce. Feeds 6

2. Brush the steak with olive oil and season well

PER SERVING: 341 calories, 32g protein, 2g carbohydrates (0g fibre), 22g fat

2 . B E R RY A N D W H E AT- B E R RY S A L A D Cook 1 cup of wheat berries according to package instructions. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries, ¼ cup mint (finely chopped), 2 Tbsp roasted sunflower kernels, 1 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings PER SERVING: 266 calories, 9g protein, 44g carbs (10g fibre), 8g fat

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REV YOUR RUN

CARBO-HYDRATE YOUR WAY TO FASTER TIMES Learn how you should fuel up before your next big race.

There’s a reason so many marathons and halfs offer a pre-race pasta dinner the night before: A healthy store of carbohydrates is one key component to fuelling your best performance. Here’s how it works: After you consume carbs, like a plate of spaghetti, most of them are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen—your body’s most easily accessible form of energy, explains Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. When you deplete your glycogen stores, that’s when you “hit the wall” and start feeling symptoms such as sudden

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TE X T R .W. SCIOLO FOR RUNNER ’S WORLD US (ISSUE 2, 2019)

PHOTO 123RF

fatigue, a loss of energy, or even muscle cramps, mental confusion, or GI distress. Yep, it’s as rough as it sounds and can put your race goals in serious jeopardy. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you ﬁll up your energy tank before heading into a race. You do that by “carb-loading,” or increasing your intake of carbohydraterich foods and decreasing protein and fat leading up to the big day. “Proper carbloading—or ﬁlling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won’t make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall,” says Benjamin Rapoport, M.D., Ph.D., who has studied the process. Here’s how to do it the right way. The Basics:

DO THE MATH

Carb-loading is a numbers game. It’s easy to execute (pass the bread, please), but not all races require it. Shorter distances, such as 5Ks or 10Ks, don’t require it because it’s unlikely you’ll deplete the fuel in your muscles in the time it takes to complete those distances, says Pamela Nisevich Bede, R.D., sports dietician and co-author of Run to Lose. But if you’re looking at running for longer than 90 minutes, you need to be proactive. Plan out carb-rich meals for

choosing the right foods the night before and the day of your big race. Eat a small, carbheavy dinner early to give your body time to digest, and so you wake up hungry. Then, around three hours before race time, eat about 150 grams of easily digestible carbs, says Ryan. Think: a bagel and yogurt or a sports drink and oatmeal.

WHEN YOU DEPLETE YOUR GLYCOGEN STORES, THAT’S WHEN YOU “HIT THE WALL” AND START FEELING SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SUDDEN FATIGUE, A LOSS OF ENERGY, OR EVEN MUSCLE CRAMPS, MENTAL CONFUSION, OR GI DISTRESS.

Advanced Hack:

two to three days leading up to the race. Just one big bowl of pasta the night before won’t be enough to ﬁll up your stores, says Ryan. But this doesn’t mean you should park it at an all-you-can-eat buffet—it’s not that you’ll be eating more, just that the majority of your calories will come from carbohydrates. As a rule of thumb, shoot for about 4 grams of carbs for every 450g of body weight. That means a 68kg runner should aim for 600 grams of carbs during his or her carb-loading phase, or about 2,400 calories of carbs per day. You also don’t want to wait until your race to try this. Give the whole carb-loading system a trial run about six weeks beforehand, says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. You’ll ﬁnd out what foods agree and disagree with your stomach. Just expect some water-weight gain as you carb-load, since each gram of stored carb stores an

TOP OFF YOUR TANK

extra 3 grams of water. Intermediate Tip:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOODS

High-fat foods, such as oils, butter, and cheese, as well as those that contain high amounts of protein, fill you up fast and take longer to digest than carbohydrates, Ryan says. That can rest heavy in your gut, and spell serious GI trouble midrace. You can also feel some stomach woes or bloating if you choose the wrong types of carbs, especially those that are high in fibre, such as whole-grain cereals and breads or certain kinds of fruit. Aim for easy-to-digest options such as white bread, bagels, rice, or potatoes instead. And to still get your fruit fix with less risk of stomach trouble, bananas are a good choice, but you can also peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce the fibre, Katz adds. Pay even closer attention to

While races that are ﬁnished in less than 90 minutes don’t require carb-loading in the days prior to the event, any efforts over 60 minutes may require an extra shot of energy during the race. The best way to do that is through a sports drink, an energy gel, or an energy chew. Their carbs come in the form of simple sugars, which are your body’s preferred source for quick, efficient fuel during exercise, says Bede. Products that contain two kinds of sugars, such as glucose and fructose, are absorbed even quicker. Take a drink, gel, or chew every 30 to 45 minutes for runs lasting 60 minutes or longer to top off your glycogen stores. Aim for 120 to 240 calories, or 30 to 60 grams of carbs. Many of these options also include electrolytes—which aid in maintaining a proper ﬂuid balance— and caffeine, which can help you power through the last few kilometres.

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FITNESS

MUSCLING UP TO THE TOP Since 2007, the CrossFit Games has been an annual affair that has seen some of the fittest men and women in the world compete for international glory, and a chance to be proclaimed “Fittest on Earth”. You may be familiar with the likes of Mat Fraser, Rich Froning, Tia-Clair Toomey and Katrín Davíðsdóttir. But perhaps it’s time you add two more into the mix.

G R O O M I N G D A X LY E

PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES CHUA

STYLING SHEH

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GILBERT WONG

TRAIN, EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT If you’ve ever seen a CrossFit box, you might get intimidated. There’s lots of sweat, noise, and iron everywhere you look. Nothing like the regular gyms you might be used to. Look around and you’ll quickly learn that when some people say “no days off ”, they really mean it. “I train six times a week, with double sessions on some days depending on the training programme,” Landy recounts. “Most of my days are double sessions, AM and PM, and Thursdays are usually active recovery where I’ll got for a swim or a run,” says Ian, who’s currently in his fourth year of medical studies in NUS. “The active recovery days are just as important as the regular days because the games might

TEXT

GOING AGAINST THE WORLD Landy Eng, 31 and Ian Wee, 24, both dreamt of arriving at the stratosphere of CrossFit, and it became a reality as they both qualiﬁed and represented Singapore in this year’s CrossFit Games held in Madison, Wisconsin. It was always going to be tough going up against the best, and if not for certain changes in the qualiﬁcation criteria, this opportunity might not have happened.

“Previously, if you wanted to qualify, you had to go through the CrossFit Open, and from there, you proceeded to the next level which are Regionals. Then if you get in the top five in Regionals, you qualify for the Games,” explains Landy, a CrossFit coach at Crossfit Mobilus. “The change this year meant that that all the national competitors had a chance.” Opening up the competitive floor by removing Regionals helped paved the way for many more elite CrossFit competitors around the world who would’ve otherwise missed out on this annual competition. As the top male and female competitors in the CrossFit Open in Singapore, Ian and Landy were more than worthy of making it to the world stage.

Whole foods are the way to go, but supplementation does help when it comes recovery and ensuring you have plenty of fuel left in the tank. Ian opts for creatine, ZMA, and multivitamins, while Landy takes BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids) intraworkout, along with whey protein shakes. Both of them also take the slow-digesting casein in the evenings to ensure they have sufficient protein throughout the night. LEVELLING UP It’s clear that CrossFit is a something that takes some crazy dedication to excel at, but don’t let that scare you away. And if you’ve ever harboured thoughts about giving CrossFit a shot, the last thing you should do is do it yourself. “Go to a CrossFit gym, don’t just try it on your own,” urges Landy. “In a gym, you have introduction and fundamental classes so you can follow the right procedures and learn everything safely.” But what if you’re already a CrossFit enthusiast who wants to reach the same heights as Ian and Landy? According to Ian, you need two important things – hard work and commitment. “If you just come for a regular class, no offence, but it’s very hard to go to the next level,” says Ian candidly. “In CrossFit, there are so many skillsets that you need to be most likely feature a swim workout, so it’s a good chance to train.” Unsurprisingly, with hard training comes serious nutrition. In order to get in peak physical condition, every calorie and macronutrient they ingest had to count, and meal prep was more important than ever for the pair. “I have a dietician who I work with now and she tells me exactly what to eat,” says Ian. “Not just the macros, she tells me exactly what food to eat, down to the speciﬁc quantity. I’ve started cooking more as a result.” “Before, during the CrossFit Open, I was eating complete junk!” he adds, laughing. “I had bubble tea every day. But after I won that, I became more serious with my nutrition.”

relatively decent in everything. And if you really want to take yourself to the next level, you need to do your own stuff after class, work on your weaknesses, and perhaps even go to the extent of hiring a coach; someone to look at your movements and form.” For Ian and Landy, being at the CrossFit Games was a challenging but rewarding experience, and it will certainly serve as a benchmark for not just them, but all aspiring CrossFit athletes in Singapore to aim towards.

IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN A CROSSFIT BOX, YOU MIGHT GET INTIMIDATED. THERE’S LOTS OF SWEAT, NOISE, AND IRON EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK. NOTHING LIKE THE REGULAR GYMS YOU MIGHT BE USED TO. LOOK AROUND AND YOU’LL QUICKLY LEARN THAT WHEN SOME PEOPLE SAY “NO DAYS OFF”, THEY REALLY MEAN IT.

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FITNESS

THE TECH BOSS

Take an early-morning run with James Quarles, CEO of the cardio-fueled social network Strava, who puts in the work in more ways than one.

2 Six Minutes of Hell Run the next 4 minutes at your halfmarathon pace. (For Quarles, that’s around an 8-minute mile.) Then go back down to a jog for 2 minutes of recovery.

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3 The Five-Minute Gut Check Take on the next 3 minutes at your 10K pace, which should be slightly faster than your halfmarathon pace. (Quarles aims for 7:30 per 1.6km here.) Then jog for 90 seconds to recover. 4 Your Three-Minute

Miracle Speed up some more, using your 5K pace for the next 2 minutes. (For Quarles, that’s 7 minutes per 1.6km.) Then jog for 1 minute of recovery. 5 Sprint to the Finish! Ignore the fatigue you’re feeling and do the next

minute at your 1.6km pace (5:30 for Quarles). Then jog for 3 minutes. 6 The Hardest Part Repeat the entire sequence, starting at Six Minutes of Hell. 7 The True End Jog for 10 minutes to cool down.

P H O T O G R A P H Y C L AY T O N C O T T E R E L L

One of Quarles’s favorite group runs is called #downandtotheright, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Grab a few friends and tackle the hourlong ladder workout.

1 The Warmup Jog for 15 minutes.

Quarles keeps his warmup drills simple, loosening (top to bottom) his hips, hamstrings, and chest. Then he’s off to the races.

AUSTIN MURPHY

MORNING MILEAGE

When you’re CEO of a ﬁtness technology company, opportunities to exercise are part of the job, thanks to regular group workouts. Chances to think clearly? Not so much. Most days, Quarles slogs through

TEXT

James Quarles’s workout is more than just an 12.8km run through San Francisco. It’s his ﬁrst meeting of the day—even if it’s just a meeting with himself. He solves problems and hatches business plans for Strava, the 40-million-strong social network for runners and cyclists that he’s run for two years. “I use my workout for free space, creative thinking, and being inspired,” he says.

LIKES

The Standing Hamstring Stretch

“I really need a deep hamstring stretch around the 24km mark of a marathon.”

meetings, demo sessions, and too much computer-screen time during his workday. A Wednesday company workout breaks things up but offers no quiet time. He ends days in full Family Man mode, focusing on his wife, Shelly, and their three children. For Quarles, 43, his morning run is his only guaranteed peace. Quarles began running in his mid-20s, something he picked up from his dad, Tom, who’d entered a handful of marathons. He never completed any of them, struggling with fatigue, but his son always admired the attempts. “They inspired me,” Quarles says.

HATES

Ab Wheels

family was still asleep, often, and the sun was not up. . . . I did not miss a single day.” The practice paid off in the Big Apple. Quarles finished in 3:34, despite feeling “like I had three people on my back” by the time he was looping through Central Park. He’s thinking about participating in his first triathlon now, but his most important fitness goals are professional. “When you’re looking at a 5:00 a.m. start,” he says, “you’re in bed by 9:00, 9:30.” And when you’re up early every morning, you learn to use the time productively. “I’m able to look at problems and topics from a different perspective,” he says. (His first problem every morning: getting out of the house without waking Shelly or the kids.) Quarles recalls one run last September when he was struggling to craft a U. S. marketing strategy for Strava. The service had a strong international following, but Quarles believed there was massive room for growth stateside. He just wasn’t sure how to get there. Then, as the sun was rising, he remembered a map his analytics team had given him a few weeks earlier that showed plenty of coastal Strava users. “I took a big bet on more local resources in places like L. A. and N. Y. C.,” he says. “Much of that thinking came from those runs.”

“Every time I try them, I feel like I pulled something in my neck.”

By 2016, when he was a VP of Instagram, running had become his sporadic morning workout. Then last year, Quarles stepped up his habit when a friend bought him an entry into the 2018 New York City Marathon. At ﬁrst, Quarles was slightly annoyed. But he embraced the challenge, ﬁnding a training program from famed running guru Hal Higdon on the Internet and sticking to it for 18 weeks of prep. It was then that he realized the beauty of the predawn workout. “I was waking up consistently at 5:00 a.m.,” he says. “When I got back, my

Quarles frequently listens to podcasts during his runs. One of his favorites: Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing.

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FITNESS

Written

Je f f T o m ko , B .S .,

W.T.F., S R .S .L .Y.

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T U YO S / U

or Pr ado

THENT

YNESS

Phot og ra ph by Vict

O P I I M IST D

A u g u s t 2 01 9

Date

SE AL O F

There are two ways to get cer tified as a fitness trainer: the ti me-c onsu m ing, ex pensi ve, and responsible way . . . and the way ou r w r iter d id it.

N RT TA E CT A N V CE/S IO N / W H AT H A

Signed

J E F F T O M KO , B . S . , W.T. F. , S R . S . L .Y. | P H O T O G R A P H B Y V I C T O R P R A D O

It was a hell of a journey to my new career and life, but at 10:00 p.m. on a recent Tuesday, I was on the cusp of fulfilling my dream of becoming a certified fitness instructor. The last step: a 40-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice test on my computer. “How many calories does one gram of protein provide?” Doozy. “To which group of muscles do the pectorals belong?” The . . . chest? Probably a trick question. To think that it had been just a few days since I first considered getting certified. Why not, right? Seemed like a good gig. Decent pay. Flexible hours. I’m a people person! So I signed up for a SGD$27 Groupon offer at a site called ExpertRating. com, which has a course in personal training and promises “a premium international certification that is recognized by hundreds of employers and government bodies.” After some light studying, I took the test in my kitchen, googling as I went. (A gram of protein has four calories, by the way. And the pecs are chest muscles, which only experts, and Google, know.) I ended up answering 30 of the 40 questions right, and apparently this was enough to qualify me as an expert. I am now Jeff Tomko, personal trainer, and after the test, I got an email with a downloadable certificate that proved it. Three weeks later, I received the real-deal certificate in the mail, and I’m ready to guide you toward your fitness goals, taking your money and putting your health at risk, despite never having worked with a client or, you know, studied fitness. Assuming, of course, a gym will let me partner up with them—which, it turns out, might not be a problem.

THE DAWN OF BRAWN There are now anywhere from 400,000 to 500,000 full- and part-time fitness trainers in America, according to the non-profit Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects full-time training jobs will swell by 10 percent by 2026, fuelled by the spread of corporate employee-health programs, the rise of social-media fitness influencers, and the growth of CrossFit. Personal training is booming, part of a SGD$40.6 billion fitness industry in the United States, so my certification turned out to be a helluva career move. There are lots of ways to get “certified.” You can attend a two-day clinic and take a test for your CrossFit Level 1 certification. You can become an American Sports & Fitness Association water-aerobics instructor with a lifetime renewal, taking the test instantly (and as many times as you want) and paying the SGD$676 fee only if you pass. Or you can do CorePower Yoga teacher training, which a spokesperson said is less about prepping you to teach (despite, you know, its name) and more about helping you “take your practice to the next level.” Forty-five years ago, none of those certs existed. The modern fitness-training industry emerged in the 1950s with bodybuilder and exercise-machine designer Jack LaLanne, who had a popular television show. But strength training was a male-dominated, niche activity, so few could make a living with personal training. “You had your bodybuilding gyms, and that was considered odd,” says trainer and fitness historian Mike Boyle, C.F.S.C., A.T.C. That began to shift in 1976, when Arnold Schwarzenegger flexed his muscles in Stay

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FITNESS

PERSONAL TRAINING IS BOOMING, PART OF A SGD$40.6 BILLION FITNESS INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES, SO MY CERTIFICATION TURNED OUT TO BE A HELLUVA CAREER MOVE. THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO GET “CERTIFIED.” YOU CAN ATTEND A TWO-DAY CLINIC AND TAKE A TEST FOR YOUR CROSSFIT LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATION.

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GOLD STANDARD

KNOW THE INITIALS

WHAT IT ME ANS

BEST IF

This one needs a college degree, and the test requires 5 to 7 months of study time.

You’re a performance athlete, or you’re training for a sport.

NSCACPT

This cert has no college-degree prerequisite and usually requires 3 to 5 months of study.

You need a wellrounded strengthtraining program.

NASM

Would-be trainers will spend 1 to 3 months studying and master the basics of corrective exercise.

You’re struggling with a muscle imbalance or returning from injury.

Trainers prep to work with physical therapists. They’ll study for 3 to 5 months.

You’re just starting out in your quest to get in shape.

Prospective trainers spend 1 to 3 months studying and obtain a solid grasp of muscle science.

You want to go through a group session with some friends.

CROSSFIT LEVEL 1 $1,000

CrossFit’s starter cert preps trainers strictly for boxes with two days of instruction.

You want to get put through a CrossFitspecific WOD.

EXPERT RATING

Most gyms say they wouldn’t accept this certification. Best study method? Lots of Google.

You don’t care too much about your trainer’s qualifications.

C.S.C.S. $340–$475

$300–$435

$450–$1,399

ACSM $279–$349

ACE

$599–$699

ADEQUATE

Not all certifications are created equal—not even the good, accredited ones. Use this chart to find the right trainer for you.

$70

Hungry. Then Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda kicked off the aerobics boom of the 1980s, and personal training evolved as a viable and legitimate profession. “In the ’80s, I would say having a personal trainer was probably a symbol of affluence,” says Boyle. “You know, much like having a car phone.” The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) started issuing certiﬁcations in 1975. Then, in 1985, the

American Council on Exercise (ACE), a nonprofit working to make fitness more accessible, began certifying trainers for group exercise. By 1987, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) oversaw all fitness-certification processes. Currently it recognizes 16 organizations, including the ACSM and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). At a minimum, all top certs require a high

school diploma or equivalent—and several hundred dollars up front. The NSCA’s certified strength and conditioning specialist test, a rigorous cert that requires months of study and a bachelor’s degree, is the gold standard for fitness certifications. The problem is that most people looking for a trainer can’t differentiate between a good certification and a bad one, says Jonathan Goodman, a former C.S.C.S.trainer and the author of Ignite the Fire: The Secrets to Building a Successful Personal Training Career. “An alphabet soup after anyone’s name looks like credibility,” says Goodman, who once signed up his dog Bucky for a training cert. According to the ACE, there are more than 100 providers offering non-accredited certifications, doling out credentials like the one I received from ExpertRating and the SGD$120 online cycling-training cert I got from the National Personal Training Association. Many claim their certs are legit. ExpertRating initially said in an email that “with the exception of the LA Fitness chain of fitness centres, all accept our certification.”But after several major fitness chains told Men’s Health they didn’t accept ExpertRating-certified trainers, the company reversed its stance. “We do not have an official affiliation with any fitness centre or chain of fitness centres to accept our certifications,” said an ExpertRating rep. This confusion speaks to a messy truth: All gyms have different requirements for their trainers. Gold’s Gym and Planet Fitness told MH they hire trainers only with NCCA-accredited certificates. Many Equinox gyms require the same and often demand more, says personal-training manager David Otey, C.S.C.S. Otey wants his trainers to have a “desire to keep seeking new fitness information.” Anytime Fitness in the U.S., which has more than 4,000 locations internationally, was fine with ExpertRating. “If you were a cultural fit, I might hire you with the expectation that you would get a higherlevel cert or degree in a set period of time,” I was told in an email. Crunch, meanwhile,

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FITNESS

puts trainers through a process that includes an in-person interview, a phone interview, and a floor test—but there’s a loophole. “We will hire someone without their certification,” says Jenn Burke, NASM, Crunch’s director of education. “But they will be required to pass an NCCA-accredited certification within 60 days of hire.” Burke’s point is important: Certifications aren’t everything. Easy certs can be a harmless way to start working with clients while improving your fitness education. Furthermore, some quality trainers don’t have any certs, but they were athletes or bodybuilders themselves and forged experience working with clients. For every legit expert, however, there’s one defined only by letters. And the “expert everything” era we live in has led to an explosion of niche certifications for everything from maces to kettlebells to nebulous terms like “foundations.” Such credentials don’t necessarily equip a trainer to teach you those skills, says Don Saladino, NASM, who runs the Drive 495 gym in New York City: “Gimme a break. They fill all these certs with fluff.” The fluff leads to injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about half a million people hurt themselves using exercise equipment yearly, and there’s been an uptick in lawsuits against trainers, according to fitness-business journal Club Industry. In 2016, a SGD$14.8 million verdict went to a 42-year-old Connecticut man. He complained of blurred vision and begged to stop mid-session, but the trainer pushed him to go harder on the rower, resulting in a stroke. The year before, a SGD$1.3 million verdict went to a 45-year-old New York woman who suffered a back injury after her trainer had her do jumping jacks, burpees, and deadlifts even though she’d said she recently had spinal surgery. And in 2014, a 62-year-old Connecticut woman who slipped off a Bosu and fractured her hip and wrist won a SGD$1.01 million verdict. Ill-trained trainers often push clients too hard. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal identified three common issues in negligence lawsuits against trainers:

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unnecessary high-intensity training, training outside the scope of practice, and improper instruction and supervision. Unqualified trainers can’t always spot bad form or teach good form, making injuries more likely, says Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and author of Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Workout Prescription. Unqualified trainers also can’t design efficient programs, limiting gains and motivation. This is what happens when an industry lacks regulation, says Walter Thompson, immediate past president of the ACSM. Some steps have been taken to solve this: The Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals, which is made up of NCCA-accredited organizations, keeps a public database of all the nation’s NCCAaccredited certified trainers at usreps.org. Thompson would like more stringent requirements: “Preferably a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a certification should be required for trainers to get hired.” None of this makes it easy to

CERTIFICATIONS AREN’T EVERYTHING. EASY CERTS CAN BE A HARMLESS WAY TO START WORKING WITH CLIENTS WHILE IMPROVING YOUR FITNESS EDUCATION. FURTHERMORE, SOME QUALITY TRAINERS DON’T HAVE ANY CERTS, BUT THEY WERE ATHLETES OR BODYBUILDERS THEMSELVES AND FORGED EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CLIENTS.

separate good trainers from dangerous ones right now. Here are five red flags to watch out for when you’re looking for a new trainer. TRAINER FRAUD ALERT! • NO GOALS Your first session should start with a conversation. Here the trainer can learn about your medical history and goals, which should drive your workouts. • NO MERCY Too many trainers take pride in building workouts you can’t survive, says Saladino. If your trainer tells you to “go harder” more than four times in your first session, go hard—for the exit. • NO SIMPLICITY Beware anyone who tries to impress with exotic moves, says Saladino. If you’re having trouble doing a standard lunge, your trainer shouldn’t have you doing a lunge and shoulder press. If you feel uncomfortable doing any exercise, speak up. If your trainer insists you push through twice and doesn’t explain why, walk away. • NO LIMITS Some moves shouldn’t be in your first workout—not because they’re “bad” but because a trainer won’t know if you’re ready for them, says MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. If these moves show up in the middle of your first workout, ask why you’re doing them. Max-Height Box Jump: Completing a max-height box jump requires stability that your trainer can’t assume you have. Barbell Power Clean and Snatch: Explosive barbell lifts place a burden on your shoulders and can lead to injury if they’re done too early in a fitness journey. Burpee: If this is the last move in your first workout, that’s fine. It shouldn’t be the first; a burpee requires coordination and mobility that you may or may not have. • NO FEEDBACK You’re working with a trainer because they’re a hands-on coach, says Otey. That means more than just counting reps; it means coaching you to better movement. At least twice in your first workout, ask your trainer to assess your form. No feedback? You’re trainer’s not offering much for the long term. So maybe—just maybe—the education they have doesn’t meet what you need.

WEIGHT LOSS

EMPTY CALORIES MAKE THE MOST WEIGHT

valuable in the right situation, but they’re generally just adding calories to a short workout. CHOOSE BETTER CHIPS Get some nutrition for your crunch. Roasted chickpea snacks, roasted soybeans— they’re legit, tasty, easy-to-eat foods, but they have more satisfying ﬁbre and protein than your basic machine-made crunchy thing. You can even get chips made out of mushrooms, Bonci says. In addition to the plant-based nutrients you get, “they provide crunch and ﬂavour and they’re savoury, which a lot of guys like.”

Marty Munson shares some painless ways to eat better and weigh less.

BE SMARTER ABOUT SPORTS DRINKS “You don’t need a litre of a sports drink every 15 minutes during physical activity,” says Bonci, who’s seen far too many guys construe “stay hydrated” this way. In fact, if you’re doing a 45-minute CrossFit class, or any other workout that’s less than an hour, you probably don’t even need a carb-containing (calorie-containing) drink. Skip a 600ml bottle of the stuff, and you’re saving yourself 150 calories without even trying. Of course, sports drinks are

LET PACKAGING HELP YOU A lot of guys think a bag is a serving, Bonci says. And it can be, but you have to choose the right bag (even healthy foods can deliver too many calories if you polish off too much of them). Here’s where the convenience store wins again— “the package sizes are for one person on the go, not for a family of ﬁve,” Bonci says. Look for items like nuts, and get those small portions of nut butter or peanut butter. “It puts a calorie cap on the snack,” Bonci says.

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PHOTO MASTERFILE

BY EMPTY CALORIES, WE MEAN SODA, DESSERTS, DOUGHNUTS, CHIPS—STUFF THAT YOU EAT AND DRINK THAT DELIVERS CALORIES WITH LITTLE LONG-TERM SATISFACTION AND PRECIOUS FEW NUTRIENTS.

TEXT MARTY MUNSON

When you’re trying to slim down or get healthy, cutting empty calories are the easiest way to give your efforts a jump-start. By empty calories, we mean soda, desserts, doughnuts, chips—stuff that you eat and drink that delivers calories with little long-term satisfaction and precious few nutrients. To pare them down, you don’t need to start cooking every meal from scratch. But you do want your food to be ﬁlled with something other than calories. Like hungerbusting and health-boosting ﬁbre, or muscle-friendly protein. And lots and lots of micronutrients that come from plants that your body runs on. Putting healthy calories where empty ones used to be doesn’t have to be a big, hangry nightmare. Just start with these tips from Leslie Bonci, R.D., sports dietician for the Kansas City Chiefs.

WING IT RIGHT After your basketball game, you go to the bar, “and the chances of a vegetable are nowhere in sight, unless it’s a stalk of celery in a Bloody Mary,” Bonci says. But you have your keto friends to thank for some better menu options at some bars, which have started serving grilled wings, so you don’t only have the option of breaded ones, she says.

THE ULTIMATE MAN CAVE GIVEAWAY BE THE ULTIMATE WINNER AND PICK

ANY 3 PRIZES WORTH UP TO $10,000!

Signature Type Cover may be in a different colour from shown

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 (15”) WITH SURFACE PEN WORTH $4,736 Get powerhouse performance and amazing graphics with Microsoft Surface Book 2, a robust laptop, tablet, and portable studio all in one, with up to 17 hours of battery life, and four times more power than before. Get versatile with its four modes of use: Laptop, Tablet, Studio and View Mode. With a stunning 15” PixelSense Display, Surface Book 2 is built for unprecedented performance for its size, and adapts to the ways you create.

MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6 WITH SIGNATURE TYPE COVER AND SURFACE PEN WORTH $3,265 The new Microsoft Surface Pro 6 makes it easy to work and play virtually anywhere, with laptop-to-tablet versatility that adapts to you. Choose how you interact with type, touch, or Surface Pen to build your dreams. Surface Pro 6 easily syncs with your iPhone and Android, so you can save ﬁles, photos, and more in the cloud and access them across devices. Featuring the latest 8th Generation Intel Core processor, high-resolution 12.3” PixelSense Display touchscreen, and all-day battery life, it helps you take your ideas to the next level. Surface Pro 6 comes with Windows 10 Home, so you can enjoy the familiarity of Windows and take advantage of helpful time savers, including passwordfree Windows Hello sign-in.

Microsoft Surface is available at all 39 Challenger stores island-wide, online at Hachi.tech and other selected retailers.

Who says that men don’t get it? The ultimate giveaway to jazz up your man cave is here again: Stand to win the latest state-of-the-art laptops, coffee machines, sound bars, watches, earphones and other gadgets to die for! ULITMATE WINNER

PICK 3 PRIZES OF YOUR CHOICE WORTH UP TO $10,000!

PRIZES

A TOTAL OF 33 PRIZES WORTH OVER $30,000 ARE UP FOR GRABS.

FOR ALL

ENJOY A FREE DIGITAL ISSUE OF TORQUE, HWM AND MEN’S HEALTH WORTH $19.80.

PARTICIPANTS

DE’LONGHI PRIMADONNA A ELITE EXPERIENCE WORTH $5,000 WITH VIP MEMBERSHIP Coffee breaks do not get any more luxurious than this, with the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Elite Experience. Elegantly designed in brushed stainless steel, its multi-beverage function offers the widest selection of coffee and non-coffee choices. Create your own unique beverage with the mix carafe, which includes interchangeable stirrers to prepare creamy hot chocolate or to froth a light, creamy cold coffee or milk foam. The Coffee Link App provides remote access to all machine functions, and is an easy and intuitive way to create, customize and save a variety of recipes.

DE’LONGHI DINAMICA AND CERAMIC CUP WORTH $1,644 Prepare your perfect coffee beverages with a touch of a button. Dinamica’s innovative One Touch technology employs state-of-the-art electronics with intuitive controls for simple and immediate use. Deliver silky-smooth Cappuccino and milk drinks with the unique LatteCrema System which automatically dispenses milk with the perfect density, creaminess and temperature.

DE’LONGHI DEDICA PUMP MACHINE AND ACCESSORIES WORTH $862

Pick your blend, brew your Espresso and froth your milk like a real barista. Prepare your Espresso with ground coffee or the convenient pods. With the adjustable milk frother, you can manually froth milk for a perfect Cappuccino or steam milk up for a great Caffelatte. The Conical Burr Grinder, Vacuum Coffee Canister and Stainless Steel Milk Frothing Mug complete your set of barista’s equipment to ensure a café-quality cup.

LG DOLBY ATMOS SOUND BAR (SL9YG) WORTH 2 $1,299 TO BE WON

LG GRAM 17 WORTH $2,799 The latest LG gram models are amongst the lightest laptops available in the market today, and their ﬂagship LG gram 17 (17Z990) is the world’s lightest 17-inch laptop, weighing a mere 1,340 grams. Apart from its portability, it also boasts superior durability with its MIL-STD810G military standard, being made of nano-carbon magnesium materials used in aircraft and supercars. LG gram is also setting new display standards with its WQXGA IPS Display (twice the resolution of mainstream laptops with full HD) and 16:10 aspect ratio (ﬁrst of its kind in UltraBooks) which provides 24% more display space (compared with the 15.6” laptop in the 16:9 aspect ratio) that is invaluable to executives working on their spreadsheets and presentations. In addition, LG gram 17 delivers excellent battery performance and can achieve up to 19.5 hours of battery life (based on MobileMark 2014).

SONOS PLAYBASE WORTH $1,149 With the revelation that as 70% of all TVs are not mounted to the wall, the slim yet powerful Sonos Playbase is created speciﬁcally to sit discreetly under the TV, with a custom-designed glass-ﬁlled polycarbonate exterior to keep vibration to a minimum and withstand the weight of a TV. At just 58mm in height and packing 10 drivers, the Playbase offers great sound when the TV is on and music continuously when it’s off, delivering both clear dialogue and immersive bass.

Enjoy breathtakingly realistic surround sound with LG’s latest SL9YG Sound Bar, which supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, for immersive sounds that seem to come from multiple directions and depths. Integrated with Google Assistant, it also offers the convenience of AI smart connectivity, making it possible to control connected devices throughout the home via voice command without leaving the couch.

LG XBOOM AI THINQ SPEAKER ( WK7 ) WORTH $399 The LG ThinQ WK7 Speaker offers intelligent capabilities with high-ﬁdelity audio. With Google Assistant built in, it recognizes up to 6 voices.

KLIPSCH SOUND BAR (RSB-3) 3 WORTH $599

TO BE WON

The Klipsch RSB-3 all-in-one sound bar is designed to distinctively improve television sound, transforming your TV into a home theatre. At just 2.6” tall, the RSB-3 sound bar can ﬁt below the TV for table-top use or wall mounting. It offers two sound control modes – the virtual surround mode delivers optimal surround sound effects, while the voice enhance mode reinforces vocal clarity without increasing ambient sounds.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

CASIO EDIFICE TIMEPIECE ( ECB-900) WORTH $329

TO BE WON

The Casio Edifice series of sleek metal chronographs offers advanced technology and multipurpose functionality. With Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone, it ensures accurate timekeeping when you travel. A smartphone app controls the watch’s features with ease, including activating alarms and selecting from over 300 cities for your World Time City. The ECB-900 is inspired by motorsports in both design and function – it features a stopwatch accurate up to 1/1000th of a second that registers up to 200 lap time records. Fortified with scratchresistant sapphire glass, the Edifice is powered by Casio’s Tough Solar charging system, and can operate smoothly without exposure to light for 6 months, or up to 19 months with the power-saving function.

TO WIN: 10

visit www. sphmagazines. com.sg/mancave19

TO BE WON T

RHA TRUECONNECT WIRELESS EARBUDS WORTH $288

RHA’s TrueConnect wireless earbuds combine stylish, subtle design with excellent call and streaming quality, together with 25 hours of charge -- 5 hours in the earbuds, and another 20 hours in the ﬂip storage case. With IPX5 sweat, splash and weather resistance, they’re ready for intense exercise or serious exploration, and come with a three-year warranty. The innovative stem design and high-quality Bluetooth 5 streaming improve call, music and transmission quality. Intuitive controls in the earpieces start, stop and skip any audio playback, change volume, control calls and activate your digital assistant.

CONTEST CLOSES SEP 30, 2019. HOW WINNERS ARE DETERMINED:

• THE 888TH PARTICIPANT SHALL BE THE ULTIMATE WINNER. • EVERY 100TH PARTICIPANT (100TH, 200TH, 300TH AND SO ON) SHALL WIN A PRIZE THAT IS NOT SELECTED BY THE ULTIMATE WINNER, IN ORDER OF THE VALUE OF PRIZES, FROM THE HIGHEST VALUE.

R AND GADGE TS THAT GIVES YOU THE EDGE

BEAT THE OFFICE BUG GET THIS: DYSON PURE COOL ME

THE BEST PART: At just 245x 401x245mm, it’s small footprint means you can plonk this even on the most cluttered and smallest

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d c isn’t a fan of cooler cleaner air, just redirect it towards yourself with the precise airflow control, a unique dome mechanism that is as simple as just sliding up and down with your palm- no fancy buttons needed! FOR MORE INFO: www.dyson.co.sg

T E X T K E LV I N TA N

READY FOR: Fighting off the office flu bug. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the US found that workers in air-conditioned offices are 2½ times more prone to respiratory problems than those in naturally ventilated environments. So how do you tell if the air in your office is bad? If you often develop symptoms that tend to worsen at the end of a work day or week, while you remain relatively symptom-free during the weekend, it’s probably your office air that’s wreaking havoc with your immune system. Meet Dyson’s first personal purifier fan, projecting cooling, filtered air, wherever you need it.

ENJOY TROUBLE-FREE DELIVERIES GET THIS: ARLO DOORBELL AND PRO 2 WIRELESS CAMERA READY FOR: Pesky delivery men who claim they’ve come by but you weren’t home. Yes, you know the frustration: you’ve been waiting for that online purchase for weeks, and finally an email pops in saying it’s due to be delivered today, so you wait, and wait… and just when you pop to the washroom, a note magically appears on your door gate saying you weren’t home. Never fear, Arlo is here- with it’s doorbell and wireless camera. We tried them out and it worked like a charm- delivery guys

would press on the doorbell and we’d get a notification on our phones to answer them like a normal phone call, and we told them to leave the parcel in the shoe cabinet instead of just running off after leaving a note. (Yes, now you know where our stuff is stashed.) THE BEST PART: It’s all wirefree! Of course, you’ll have to change batteries once in a while, but even for the cameras it’s all USB charging, so what we did was get 3M picture hanging tapes that can hold up to 7.5kg (overkill for a small camera, we know) and just paste the camera up on the wall, which also means it’s easier to remove for recharges! So if the delivery guys say they came, you can just check your phone for the 24/7 live footage! FOR MORE INFO: www.arlo.com

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G EA R AND GADGE TS T HAT THE ED GE A T GI VES YOU T

A SCENT FOR YOU… AND THE LADIES GET THIS: BVLGARI MAN WOOD ESSENCE READY FOR: Date night for sure. So first things first, this isn’t one of those scents which you can try on a tester strip- it smells significantly different when it’s on your

skin. The scent creeps up on you at the start- it’s not that intense. But after a few breaths you’ll smell a tea-like bamboo mixed with citrus, which is absolutely pleasant. THE BEST PART: In a straw poll with the ladies the quite liked it- it works well both as a day or night scent, though we did find the longevity was only about four to five hours, so you’ll need another spritz if you’re going to carry on into the night! FOR MORE INFO: www.bulgari.com

GOING FROM 360 TO 180 GET THIS: INSTA 360 EVO READY FOR: Those who want to sit out the whole GoPro/ DJI action camera face-off and want something that both parties don’t currently provide. So- 360 markets exist in the market, as well cameras that have great digital stablisation. The Evo, interestingly enough, offers both, and one more extra gimmick: a

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180 3D option, that helps caputure any experience in true-to-life depth. THE BEST PART: The FlowState Stablisation is pretty decent, ensuring that you won’t get shaky videos that give a headache. One thing though- it would have been so much better if they had made the product waterproof, which would have taken it to action-cam stature. We also did think that shots taken in low-light conditions had room for improvement, but overall, a good effort. FOR MORE INFO: www.last360.com

YO R DAI HE LTH HA GET THIS: SWISSE SUPPLEMENTS READY FOR: Dudes who feel like some zest is missing. If you

didn’t know, Swisse Wellness signed up Chris Hemsworth as their global ambassador, and really, the man is a shining paragon to what modern manhood is- living life to it’s fullest without burning out. And we tried it out ourself, trying out the brand’s Ultivites, Ultiboost Immune, Ultiboost Glucosamine +Chondroitin, and their Ultiboost Liver Detox. Why’d we pick these? We figured a multivite was a no-brainer for dudes who just wanted a single pill to hit all the

right spots; the immune for those days when the office flubug was running amok; the glucosamine for the post-weekend football days, and the liver detox for post Friday-night binges. THE BEST PART: After taking these religiously for a full month, we did feel healthier, fresher and stronger? It was hard to attribute which particular supplement was doing the trick, but it had been a long

UPGRADE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH GET THIS: PHILIPS SONICARE DIAMONDCLEAN SMART READY FOR: Movie star shiny teeth? Maybe it’s time to use tech to upgrade your humble toothbrush, with Philips’ latest gizmo. It comes with four high-performance

time since we felt this level of freshness waking up the mornings? One extra we tried- their Cranberry concentrate. While that’s marketed towards the ladies for supporting urinary tract and skincare health, we just liked being able to whip up a cranberry drink in a jiffy… and for the antioxidents! FOR MORE INFO: www.swisse.com.sg

brush heads to focus on all areas of your oral health. We tried it for a month and our favourites? The Premium Plaque Control and the Premium White brush heads. The former’s soft flexible sides provide more surface contact and remove more plaque, while the latter is designed to remove surface stains whiten your teeth. THE BEST PART: Of course this comes with an app, which comes with personalized feedback and coaching… on how you’re brushing and where you’re missing out! FOR MORE INFO: www.philips.com.sg

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GE AR A ND G ADG E TS THAT GIVES YOU THE EDGE

FOOTWEAR TAKES A NEW EVOLUTION GET THIS: ADIDAS ALPHAEDGE 4D READY FOR: Those who want the next big thing in sneakers and running shoes. Adidasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Boost tech has been a godsend for those wanting more cushioning, but what next? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the answer: the Alphaedge 4D. The German

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footwear giants co-developed a revolutionary midsole with tech company Carbon- sport meets Silicon valley, really. The intricate lattice structure is precisely tuned for sport, absorbing pressure from any angle and propelling the foot forward and supporting movement where needed. THE BEST PART: We really really loved how Adidas married this together with currently popular tech, their Primeknit

upper, which encases your foot in a seamless sock-like fit- and makes it look perfect, especially in the white option. We will say that this shoe is really better for gym sessions than long runs though- the cushioning is one tier down from the Boost you might have gotten used to, so we did start feeling abit more impact as we crossed the three kilometre mark. FOR MORE INFO: www.adidas.com.sg

P RO DUCTS •

PROMOTI ONS

• EV EN TS

LONGINES Few things can complement your style like a classic timepiece. But with huge leaps in technology and innovation, the watch you wear on your wrist now can do more than you think. The Longines Conquest V.H.P. (“Very High Precision”) line of watches don’t just ooze style and sophistication, their newest GMT Flash Setting takes their watch technology even further. It is equipped with a second time zone and a light-driven management system, known as Flash Setting resulting in a timepiece that can be easily set using a smartphone app without WiFi or Bluetooth. The information recorded in the application is transmitted via light sequences emitted by the smartphone’s flash to a tiny opening on the watch dial, concealed in the number 12. Changing time zones while travelling has never been simpler. For more info, visit http://www. longines.com

AMARIS B. CLINIC Sometimes, watching your diet and sticking to a regular exercise routine may not be enough. When it comes to enhancing your looks, you can count on Amaris B Clinic to help. The clinic provides a suite of services for men, such as VASER Lipo and gynecomastia surgeries, amongst other body sculpting treatment, to combat the effects of time, stress and busy schedules. Located in a cosy downtown boutique shop house, there’s no better place to ease your concerns with their integrated treatments for men. You’ll be in good hands at Amaris B. Clinic with the experienced MOH accredited Dr. Ivan Puah. For more info, head to Amaris B.Clinic, 140 Arab Street, +65 65364211, or their website www.amaris-b.com

THE SHAKE AFFINITY Have you ever wondered how bartenders can whip up your favourite drinks on the fly without breaking a sweat? Now, you can have a chance to learn the art of mixing drinks thanks to The Shake Affinity’s bartending and mixology workshops. Under the guidance of their pro mixologists and bartenders, you’ll be taught with interactive media and training materials developed exclusively by the team so you can start mixing and shaking your way to awesome new self-made concoctions in no time. Plus, with extensive services ranging from a classic artisanal cocktail/mocktail bar and bespoke mixology service, they can help make your next party the talk of the town. For more info, visit http://www.theshakeaffinity.com

TEXT

THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE Men are increasingly paying more attention to their appearance - and what brings out the most of our eyes are our eyebrows. If you have unruly eyebrows (or worse, the dreaded unibrow) you’ll wanna get them cleaned and neat before you head out to any wedding dinner. Thankfully, Thomas D’Esthetique offers latest eyebrow enhancement services such as micropigmentation and feathering, allowing you to have them thickened, arched, elevated, or shaped according to what you fancy. Contact 6337-6858 or visit the salon at #03-01 Excelsior Shopping Centre for more info.

GILBERT

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THE BEST TIPS WE COULDN’T FIT INTO THIS ISSUE

WORTH THE WEIGHT Researchers at UCLA found half of all “overweight” people are actually fit, while a third with “healthy” BMIs are not. MUSCLE STRETCH According to a study from the Maharishi University of Management, short, daily meditation has been linked to spikes in testosterone and human growth hormone, which increase protein synthesis and support the growth of new muscle cells.

IS YOUR BELLY A HEART THREAT?

TO DETERMINE YOUR RISK, HERE’S HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR WAIST-HIP RATIO. MEASURE YOUR WAIST MIDWAY BETWEEN YOUR LOWEST RIB AND THE TOP OF YOUR HIPS. THEN MEASURE YOUR HIPS AROUND THE WIDEST PART OF YOUR GLUTES. DIVIDE YOUR WAIST MEASUREMENT BY YOUR HIPS. IF IT’S 0.9 OR HIGHER, IT’S TIME TO TAKE ACTION.

LOSING IN STYLE No win, no dopamine hit. Even worse, loss activates the same parts of the brain that come online when you experience pain. The hack for this: When your team is eliminated, start watching your archival play. “Research shows that seeing a team that you don’t like lose gives you the same pleasure in your brain as watching your favourite team do well,” says Samuel Sommers, PhD., co-author of This is Your Brain on Sports. “It can be rewarding in a schadenfreude kind of way.” CRASH AND BURN According to a study from the Catholic University of Korea, yo-yo dieting doubles your chances of a premature death and significantly increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. HUMBLE PIE Dieters who rate their self-control highly often fail first, because they make less of an effort to avoid temptation. FAT CHANCE A course of restorative yoga is proven to help you lose more than 2.5 times the amount of subcutaneous fat than standard stretching, according to the National Institute of health.

T E X T L E S L I E B A R R I E | L O U E E D E S S E N T-J A C K S O N | M I C H A E L J E N N I N G S | M E L I S S A M AT T H E W S | B E N W E L C H

DON’T DRINK FOR BETTER SLEEP Your entire sleep cycle is thrown out of balance after four drinks, according to a 2013 review of studies published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Scientists found that people who drink at least four beers had fewer dreams and were awake for longer periods of time. “Sleep is an important part in recharging,” says Gelbart. “It restores you.” Last year, researchers found that anxiety increased by 30 percent in sleep deprived people, Popular Science reported. “Sleep loss triggers the same brain mechanisms that make us sensitive to anxiety to begin with—regions that support emotional processing and also regions that support emotion regulation,” Eti Ben-Simon, study co-author and researcher in the department of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, told the magazine.

PHOTOS 123RF

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