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11.2020 FEATURES 72 “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING TO REALLY REALIZE WHAT YOU DON’T NEED.”

When the pandemic hit, guitar legend Lenny Kravitz went into seclusion on a tropical island. These days, he’s using his spare time (copious amounts of it) to get stronger and healthier than ever.

BY ALEX PAPPADEMAS

80 FIT AFTER 50

Build power, recover faster, and bulletproof your body well into middle age. Featuring: Tips from trainers still kicking ass in their 50s and 60s.

BY THE EDITORS OF MH Lenny Kravitz photographed by Mark Seliger exclusively for Men’s Health. Grooming

by Felicia Leatherwood. Production by Dake Gonzalez/Shake Productions.

On the cover: Jeans, sunglasses, necklace, and vintage belt, Kravitz’s own; bracelet, available at CHURCH Boutique, Los Angeles; Xplorer Woody paddleboard by Cruiser SUP. This page: Sweatshirt, Lenny Kravitz Tour Merchandise; sweatpants, available at CHURCH Boutique, Los Angeles; sunglasses, Kravitz’s own.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK SELIGER

84 PLANT BASED BUT NOT BORING

A world-renowned chef has unlocked the secret to making produce taste delicious, dish after dish. His trick?

Adding the Three P’s.

BY YOTAM OTTOLENGHI AND IXTA BELFRAGE

88 THE UNSTOPPABLE VIRUS MEETS THE IMMOVABLE MAN

Last year, Kansas City Chiefs player-turnedphysician Laurent Duvernay-Tardif won the Super Bowl. Just six months later, he’d make a life-changing decision to drop out of the 2020 season to help save lives.

BY SEAN GORDON

94 LIFE IN A FITNESS DESERT

Communities of marginalized people in America often lack access to gyms, and it can affect their health in significant ways.

These gym owners and trainers want to fix that.

102 BILLY BUSH’S LOOOOOOOOONG ROAD BACK

In the four years since that incident, the TV anchor has maintained a quiet life. Now he’s busy reconciling his rocky past with a hopeful look at his future.

BY ANNA PEELE MEN’S HEALTH

/ November 2020

3

LIFE 35 Will a four-day

workweek become your postpandemic future?

42 Flatbread: The

delicious carb you’re not making (or eating!) nearly enough of.

46 You’ve gotta try

the best new snacks of 2020. Three words: Pigless pork rinds.

52 Ten sandwiches to

supercharge all those Thanksgiving leftovers.

54 A higher love: The

many ways weed can enhance your sex life.

56 Tackle winter’s worst with rugged boots that look good, too.

60 Reclaim your skin

with zit-zapping tricks.

62 Cool Dad: A cowriter

GOBBLE IT UP! Fig! Sweet potato! Cranberry sauce! Upgrade your boring turkey leftovers with other Thanksgiving staples (page 52).

BODY

9 The music that fuels your workouts, a doctor’s take on the new diets of 2021, and one chef’s quest to drop 100-plus pounds.

17 The rise of social-

media #fitfluencers has created a new form of fitness entertainment. But should you follow them?

20 Get total-body

strength with this ultrafast 30-minute circuit. Grab a towel.

22 6 A.M.: Wu-Tang

legend Method Man entered the gym to beat insomnia. He’s since built samurai-level strength.

24 Beyond foam rolling:

The key to easing muscle tightness.

4

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

MIND 65 Darian Hall quit

26 How a lung doc

who treats COVID-19 patients takes care of his own lungs.

28 Heartburn?

Why weightlifting may be to blame.

30 B12 is a buzzword with the plant-based tribe. Here’s how much of the vitamin you actually need.

32 Your oh-so-

happy holiday COVID-19 riskassessment guide.

his 9-to-5 to work on himself. Today, he’s helping other people of color heal.

68 COVID-19 made

full-contact sports like martial arts unsafe. This is one athlete’s way of fighting through it.

70 CNN’s Don Lemon on why he avoids the news at home to manage his stress.

+ 108 Metrogrades:

The best (and worst) cities for your lungs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHELSEA KYLE

Food styling: Tyna Hoang. Prop styling: Summer Moore/Honey Artists.

MH WORLD

and codirector of Pixar’s latest, Soul, reflects on how traveling with his kids changed their lives—and his.

Richard Dorment

Jack Essig

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SVP/PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Jamie Prokell Creative Director

Chris Peel Executive Director, Hearst Men’s Group

EDITORIAL Ben Court, Mike Darling Executive Editors Ben Paynter Features Editor Nojan Aminosharei Entertainment Director Jordyn Taylor, Spencer Dukoff Deputy Editors Marty Munson Health Director Paul Kita, Josh Ocampo Senior Editors Ebenezer Samuel Fitness Director Brett Williams Associate Fitness Editor Melissa Matthews Health and Nutrition Writer Evan Romano Associate Editor Joshua St. Clair, Temi Adebowale Editorial Assistants

ADVERTISING SALES NEW YORK (212) 649-2000 Caryn Kesler Executive Director, Luxury Goods John Wattiker Executive Director, Fashion & Retail Doug Zimmerman Senior Grooming Director Kim Buonassisi Advertising Sales Director Kyle Taylor East Coast Automotive Sales Director John Cipolla Integrated Account Director Brad Gettelfinger Sales Manager, Hearst Direct Media CHICAGO (312) 964-4900 Autumn Jenks, Justin Harris Midwest Sales Directors LOS ANGELES (310) 664-2801 Patti Lange Western Ad Director Anne Rethmeyer Group Sales Director, Auto SAN FRANCISCO (510) 508-9252 Andrew Kramer Kramer Media DETROIT (248) 614-6120 Marisa Stutz Detroit Automotive Director DALLAS (972) 533-8665 Patty Rudolph PR 4.0 Media

ART Lisa Lok Acting Art Director Eric Rosati Designer Jason Speakman Associate Digital Visual Editor Matthew Montesano Digital Imaging Specialist HEARST VISUAL GROUP Alix Campbell Chief Visual Content Director Fabienne Le Roux Executive Visual Director Sally Berman Visual Director Justin O’Neill Contributing Visual Director Amy Wong Senior Visual Editor Giancarlos Kunhardt Visual Assistant FASHION Ted Stafford Fashion Director Adam Mansuroglu Senior Style & Gear Editor COPY Janna Ojeda Assistant Managing Editor John Kenney Managing Copy Editor Alisa Cohen Barney Senior Copy Editor Connor Sears, David Fairhurst Assistant Copy Editors RESEARCH Jennifer Messimer Research Chief Nick Pachelli Assistant Research Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dan Harris, Garrett Munce, Lauren Larson, Michael Easter, Naomi Piercey OTHER CONTRIBUTORS Liz Chan Contributing Art Director Rashad Minnick Contributing Fashion Associate Marina Shoger Contributing Visual Editor VIDEO Dorenna Newton Executive Producer Tony Xie, Elyssa Aquino Video Producers Mariah Oxley Social Video Producer Ericka Paparella Associate Producer HEARST MEN’S FASHION GROUP Nick Sullivan Fashion Director Alfonso Fernández Navas Market Editor MEN’S HEALTH INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Middle East, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, UK

Samantha Irwin General Manager, Hearst Men’s Group Karen Ferber Business Manager Paul Baumeister Research Director Alison Papalia Executive Director, Consumer Marketing Chris Hertwig Production Manager Aurelia Duke Finance Director Everette Hampton Executive Assistant Zoe Fritz, Toni Starrs, Erica Miller, Yvonne Villareal, Samantha Wolf, Olivia Zurawin Sales Assistants PUBLIC RELATIONS Nathan Christopher Executive Director, Public Relations Lauren Doyle Associate Director, Public Relations MARKETING SERVICES Cameron Connors Executive Director, Head of Brand Strategy and Marketing Stephanie Block Integrated Marketing Director Jaclyn D’Andrea Marketing Coordinator Alison Brown Special Events Director Jana Nesbitt Gale Executive Creative Director Michael B. Sarpy Art Director CIRCULATION Rick Day VP, Strategy and Business Management PUBLISHED BY HEARST Steven R. Swartz President & Chief Executive Officer William R. Hearst III Chairman Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Executive Vice Chairman Mark E. Aldam Chief Operating Officer HEARST MAGAZINES, INC. Debi Chirichella Acting President, Hearst Magazines Group, and Treasurer Kate Lewis Chief Content Officer Kristen M. O’Hara Chief Business Officer Catherine A. Bostron Secretary Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller Publishing Consultants Simon Horne SVP, General Manager & Managing Director Asia & Russia Kim St. Clair Bodden SVP/Editorial & Brand Director Chloe O’Brien Deputy Brands Director Shelley Meeks Executive Director, Content Services

HOW TO REACH US: Customer Service: To change your address, pay a bill, renew your subscription, and more, go online to menshealth.com/customer-service, email mhlcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com, or write Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-1500. Editorial offices: 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. Feedback: mhletters@hearst .com. Licensing & Reprints: Contact Wyndell Hamilton, Wright’s Media, (281) 419-5725, ext. 152, hearst@wrightsmedia .com. Absolute satisfaction guaranteed. Scent-free subscription available on request. From time to time we make our subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers.

If you would rather not receive such mailings by postal mail, please send your current mailing label or exact copy to: Men’s Health, Mail Preference Center, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-0128.

MEET THE MEN’S HEALTH ADVISORY PANEL We know a lot about health and fitness, but we don’t know as much as the doctors, scientists, and trainers who keep us honest and up-to-date.

BRAIN HEALTH:

P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D. David Perlmutter, M.D.

CARDIOLOGY: John Elefteriades, M.D. David Wolinsky, M.D.

DERMATOLOGY:

Brian Capell, M.D., Ph.D. Adnan Nasir, M.D., Ph.D.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE:

Jedidiah Ballard, D.O. Robert Glatter, M.D. Travis Stork, M.D.

ENDOCRINOLOGY:

Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D.

EXERCISE SCIENCE:

Martin Gibala, Ph.D. Mark Peterson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.*D Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.

GASTROENTEROLOGY: Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D.

INTEGRATIVE HEALTH:

Brenda Powell, M.D.

INTERNAL MEDICINE: Keith Roach, M.D.

MENTAL HEALTH:

Gregory Scott Brown, M.D. Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. Avi Klein, L.C.S.W. Drew Ramsey, M.D.

NUTRITION:

Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. Mike Roussell, Ph.D. Brian St. Pierre, R.D., C.S.C.S.

PAIN MEDICINE: Paul Christo, M.D., M.B.A.

SEX & RELATIONSHIPS: Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., M.P.H. Justin Lehmiller, Ph.D.

SLEEP MEDICINE: Mary Carskadon, M.D. W. Christopher Winter, M.D.

SPORTS MEDICINE: Michael Fredericson, M.D. Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S. Bill Hartman, P.T.

TRAINING:

Mike Boyle, M.Ed., A.T.C. Ben Bruno, C.F.S.C. Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S.*D David Jack Mubarak Malik David Otey, C.S.C.S. Don Saladino, NASM

UROLOGY: Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D. Larry Lipshultz, M.D.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., FACPM, FACP Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., M.P.H.,

Men’s Health carries the latest health, fitness, and nutrition reporting to provide you with useful information about your health. But every body is different; individual diagnoses and treatments can come only from a health care practitioner. Printed in USA.

6

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Men’s Health is a registered trademark of Hearst Magazines Group, Inc.

M.P.A., FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FTOS

Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D.

BEHIN D THE SCEN ES W ITH THE EX PERTS, A DV ISORS, A N D R E A DERS W HO BR ING MEN’S HEA LTH TO LIFE.

All of the usual suspects: 311, The Clash, Sublime, etc.

Old school hip-hop is always my gym music. Songs from the ’90s and early 2000s.

@joe.labatte.9

@ibrah.mbwana

Metallica, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Korn, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, System of a Down, Godsmack

METALLICA METALLICA and anything METALLICA!!!

@jbapplebee

@paul.loder.5

Jonathon Kambouris/Gallery Stock

This issue, guitar god LENNY KRAVITZ rocks our cover, hip-hop legend METHOD MAN emcees his 6:00 A.M. workout, and even rap mogul JAY-Z shows up on page 65 as inspiration for a cultural shift.

But three artists do not a playlist make.

So we wanted to know:

Not gonna lie.

“Black Magic” - Little Mix. @james.coady

WHICH MUSICIANS HAVE POPULATED YOUR WORKOUT PLAYLISTS THESE PAST FEW MONTHS?

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It. And I Feel Fine.

REM. @Chen621

MEN’S HEALTH

/ November 2020

9

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Q+A WITH THE E.I.C.

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ATRUE PERFORMANCE ISSUE?

—@demarcusware

NOTHING LIKE HAVING a former NFL

All-Pro (and occasional MH contributor) blowing you up on social and asking when you and your coworkers are going to stop messing around and start getting real.

But the thing is—and I mean this with the due-est of respect, and not just because DeMarcus Ware is still more freight train than man—every issue of Men’s Health is a performance issue. Most of them, like this one, can even be considered a true performance issue, because the type of performance we’re interested in doesn’t always have to do with PRs or VO2 max or #gains of any kind. It has to do with change.

The single most important performance attribute in 2020 isn’t speed or strength, intelligence or agility—it’s adaptability. To the changes in your body and what doctors

and scientists know about them. To the changes in your mind and what doctors and scientists know about them. To the changes in your life and our world—in how we live and work, how we eat and exercise, how we express our bodies and minds and civic duties. And the role of men in the world is changing, too, and we have never had as many opportunities to define strength, success, and happiness in ways that would be unrecognizable to our dads and granddads.

Every issue of Men’s Health is grounded in the daily, unsettling, and often confusing realities of change, and whether it’s your body, your mind, or your life, we’re trying to help you build the mental (and physical!) muscles to power your way through them.

Flipping through this issue, you’ll come across all different kinds of people who are adapting to our roller-coaster world. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (page 88) is putting one of his professional careers on hold (he’s an NFL-lineman-slash-medical-doctor— you know, an underachiever) in response to the historic changes wrought by COVID-19.

Billy Bush (page 102) opens up about how therapy helped him get past the personal and professional trauma of the debacle that was the infamous Access Hollywood tape. And Lenny Kravitz, in lockdown in the Bahamas since this past spring, shows how a man at 56 can adapt to the times while retaining the sense of purpose, passion, and, uh, abs of a guy half his age. Each of these men—and the dozens of experts cited throughout this issue—has something to teach us about change, if we’re ready to learn.

Adaptation is rarely easy. Some of us “perform” it better than others. But if you look around today and see who’s really excelling and succeeding, it’s almost always the people who see change coming and adapt accordingly. At its best, that’s what Men’s Health is trying to help you do, and if it results in better PRs or higher VO2 max or #gains for, say, DeMarcus Ware, so much the better.

ASK MEN’S HEALTH Q. I always gain a couple pounds (okay, ten) during the holiday season.

What’s the best new diet going to be for 2021?

—DYLAN, Bozeman, MT

A. The best new

diet is not dieting. I’ve watched people lose weight on diets—and then gain it all back and more. Diets are not sustainable. That’s largely because your brain establishes a set point for weight that’s mainly based on genetics and reinforced by long-term habits. Here’s the best plan for staying healthy during the holidays— and forever afterward: Eat quality foods (lean protein, whole grains, produce), stay consistent with exercise (skipping occasional, but not regular, workouts is fine), and monitor rest and stress (both contribute to weight).

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?

WHERE TO FIND US

10

Have a question for Rich?

Tweet us at @MensHealthMag with the hashtag #AskMHRich and ask away.

—FATIMA CODY STANFORD, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., A (NEW!) MEN’S HEALTH WEIGHT-MANAGEMENT ADVISOR

Richard Dorment, Editor-in-Chief

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

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WORLD

WORLD

#GOALS

MEANWHILE,

ON YOUTUBE . . .

TRANSFOR-NATION!

Our September cover guy was Watchmen and Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Not only did he write a thoughtful essay on his experience as a Black man in America, but he also took us inside his apartment in Berlin, the city where he’s been filming Matrix 4, for an episode of “Gym & Fridge.” Here are the three most surprising things he showed us.

Before

KEN PATRICK STATS

A LOG

AGE: 46

Seriously. “This is kind of, like, my strongman exercise,” Abdul-Mateen says, holding a log he cut down from a tree himself and painted black. It’s about 30 pounds. He likes to use it for stepups.

LOCATION:

Dallas, Texas OCCUPATION:

Private chef

I COOKED MY WAY TO LOSING 100+ POUNDS RESISTANCE BANDS Abdul-Mateen wraps these elastic bands around a post on his back porch’s railing and hits his back muscles with seated rows and his abs with resistance crunches and heel taps.

I’ve always struggled with my weight, especially when I was teased during lunch and PE class in high school. I lost weight when I joined the Army, but after I left, I didn’t feel obligated to stay in shape. I became a chef and started eating junk—burgers, fries, sodas, cake. After cooking amazing food for my clients, I’d come home, crack open a beer, and go to snack town.

After I left the military, I put on more than 140 pounds.

The Wake-up Call

TONS OF EGGS “For breakfast, I usually do about six or seven eggs,” says Abdul-Mateen. That’s roughly 35 grams of protein from eggs alone. Add a half cup of oatmeal, as he does, and you have a solid breakfast.

12

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

In the summer of 2019, I flew home from a cruise.

I struggled to fasten my seat belt on the plane. I was pretending, holding it with my hands when the flight attendant walked by. She said, “Sir, please fasten your seat belt for takeoff.” I sucked in and

fastened it. But I knew right then I needed to make a change.

The Food As a chef with a background in medical and nutritional therapy, I knew what I needed to do. I gave up the fatty fast foods and late-night snacking.

I began preparing my own weekly meals at home. Breakfasts became oats with fresh berries, citrus segments, and unsweetened almond milk. Lunches were grilled chicken breast, shrimp, or salmon, each with brown rice or a roasted sweet potato and a grilledvegetable medley. Snack was yogurt or a banana. I’d also try to drink about two liters of water each day.

This, plus exercise, helped me start losing the weight I wanted to.

AFTER WEIGHT: 196

The Fitness I’d been working out before, but it was mostly heavy weights with no cardio—bench presses and curls. My daily workouts became lots of cardio: walking, running, cycling, and jumping rope. With a combination of eating healthy meals and consistent cardio, I began seeing noticeable results within the first three months.

The Reward I lost weight and inches— and cleaning out my closets has felt liberating.

My energy levels also increased. We’re on our feet all the time as chefs, and so my weight loss helps me do what I do every day so much easier.

Read Patrick’s full story, as told to Gina Loveless, at MensHealth.com.

Courtesy subject (Patrick)

The Setback

BEFORE WEIGHT: 329

M U LT I - F U N C T I O N POWER TOWER

BLUETOOTH INDOOR TRAINING BIKE W I T H M YC LO U D F I T N E S S A P P

BLUETOOTH ROWING MACHINE WITH M YC LO U D F I T N E S S A P P

B L U E T O O T H C A R D I O S TA I R S T E P P E R W I T H M YC LO U D F I T N E S S A P P

Get that 6-pack with this 4-pack Your Complete Home Gym For Less

FUN WITH POLLING I’m snacking more.

THE MEN’S HEALTH TWITTER POLL

When the pandemic hit, so did the snack attacks—at least according to some new data we included in this month’s Snack Awards.

We asked our social channels:

“How have your snack habits changed during COVID-19?”

Flip to page 46 to see how you

(49.7%) I’m snacking less.

(17.1%) I’m snacking about the same.

I don’t snack?

(25.1%)

(8.1%)

compare with the national average.

Getty Images

WORLD

FUN WITH POLLING

WORLD

THIS MONTH IN THINGS YOU’RE

PSYCHED ABOUT...

WHAT’S

THE G.O.A.T.

THANKSGIVING SIDE DISH? This is for people who like apple pie after.

THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME HAS NEW INDUCTEES THIS MONTH.

WHO MOST DESERVES THE HONOR? Notorious B.I.G.

Mac and cheese

And 100% of people still jam out to “Juicy.”

READY PLAYER TWO,

BY ERNEST CLINE, IS OUT THIS MONTH. WHICH OTHER SCI-FI BOOK WOULD YOU MOST WANT

A BRAND-NEW SEQUEL TO?

No better beach read than futuristic drama.

33.7%

15.3%

Dune Mashed potatoes

29.5%

Sweet potatoes

Nine Inch Nails

Whitney Houston

12.1%

19.8%

20%

Stuffing

43.1% Based on 1,656 responses to @MensHealthMag.

The Doobie Brothers

21.5%

1984

The Martian

49%

29.5%

26.5% Based on 756 responses to @MensHealthMag.

Based on 590 responses to @MensHealthMag.

THE

SOOTHING, HONEY-LIC OUS, NIGHTTIME, SNIFFLING, SNEEZING, COUGHING, ACHING, STUFFY HEAD, FEVER,

BEST SLEEP WITH A COLD, MEDICINE.

Use as directed. © Procter & Gamble, Inc. 2020

?

E G N E L L A H C E H T E K A #T -minute 0 3 l a u s u r ed with you ndswell of r o b e ’r u o y If n the grou es on social media e h t , t u o k r wo halleng c l a r n eed s. i e v n d i t n o u c o e r s r u 15 t the jolt yoound fitness advice, s u j e b y a m king for s stagram) story. o o l e ’r u o y If another (InBR ET T W IL L I A MS ’s t a h t , l l e w ND D U KO F F A B Y S PE N C

ER

Antonie Lo

khorst

Courtesy Lokhorst

IN

LESS THAN A MINUTE, you can accomplish a lot more than you’d think. If you’re imaginative and fit, you could, say, knock out a number of consecutive pushups that matches your age—or hold a handstand while kicking off a pair of sweatpants. Toss in a bit of tech savvy and you could record those feats of strength and post them on social media. Time them right and they could even reach viral velocity on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram Reels.

MEN’S HEALTH

/ November 2020

17

Demi Bagby

off her athletic prowess and bright beam of constant sunshine. “I got on it because I definitely saw a future, but I wasn’t sure which route to take,” she says of TikTok, an app with a rich community of fitfluencers—even despite its tenuous political position. “I was like, Do I have to lip-synch?” (The answer: Yes, but not always.)

If Bagby is the fitfluencer’s embodiment of pure look-what-I-can-do confidence, then Ulisses Jr. is a more conservative social celebrity. The bodybuilder has more than 7.7 million followers on Instagram and more than half a million subscribers on YouTube, and he has secured 1.5 million followers in the few months since he joined TikTok.

FIVE

Ulisses credits his TikTok success to a willingness to showcase more than posed pictures and training videos. (Okay, and his eight-pack probably doesn’t hurt, either.) “The people who succeed in life are the people who adapt to changes,” he says. “So if you can adapt and move with the times and see how social media is evolving, then you can do very well.”

That sometimes means dancing shirtless in jeans and lip-synching to “Let’s Do It Again,” by J Boog. But Ulisses also understands that silliness can act as a bridge. When the time is right, he says, he’ll begin selling his fitness programs.

James Tollefson also is trying to leverage viral social videos to hook viewers with more than just “ ” fitness inspo. Bored by the banality of his software-engineering career, Tollefson

THE PUSHUP #TOOSIECHALLENGE

THE #DRAGONFLAG CHALLENGE

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” makes for the perfect blend of chest and core work. Focus your lower body on his “Right foot up, left foot slide, left foot up, right foot slide” refrain while keeping your abs tight, then hit pushup reps (and get creative with them!) during the verses.

It’s Bruce Lee’s classic core move, socialized. The goal: Hold the dragon flag (lie on your back, arms grabbing something behind your head; lift your legs and torso; and hold) as long as possible. The secret: Protect your back by squeezing not only your abs but also your glutes.

#CHALLENGES

WORTH

THE SWEAT Most viral fitness challenges are best left as viewing fodder, not workout material.

But a few of them just might actually be worth inserting into your routine.

BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.

18

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Courtesy subjects (Bagby, Ulisses Jr.). Greg Makie (Tollefson).

When Antonie Lokhorst did that match-your-age pushup challenge earlier this year, the resulting video racked up 4.8 million views on TikTok. And when Demi Bagby posted her pantsless take on the #handstandchallenge, she collected 2.5 million views. That’s a lot of eyeballs for these fitfluencers— and watching them have fitness fun just might motivate you to do the same.

These quick videos—often no more than 15 seconds—typically can’t get you to shed fat or build muscle. Placing a premium on brevity frequently means that the type of “exercise” the fitfluencers showcase isn’t the fitness your body needs.

In fact, many of these creators aren’t licensed trainers and don’t have the credentials to offer sound advice.

But this collection of personalities has built a social-media playground around fitness, born largely of the COVID-19 stir-crazies. The creators document exercises, issue challenges, and participate in weird dances—all while inviting you to do the same. And they’re doing what your classic home-workout videos can’t: delivering superfast, proof-of-concept pep talks that encourage you to start sweating.

There’s Bagby, the 20-year-old who’s smiled and flipped her way to the top of social media, relying on posts that show

BODY

began posting ab-training videos and shirtless selfies to his Instagram several years ago in hopes of building a following.

On TikTok, Tollefson will pay homage to something trending and finish with workout advice—like doing the viral “Laxed (Siren Beat)” dance before moving on to an accessible ab-workout routine. In that video, he openly acknowledges the tactic with an onscreen pop-up that reads, “Am I trendy yet?” One of Tollefson’s goals: build an audience that trusts him enough to purchase his online coaching classes and fitness e-books. He gained more than 170,000 TikTok followers in less than a year, quit his day job, obtained a personaltraining certification, and started an online training and nutrition service.

Social-media fitfluencers do collect cash for their content, but estimates regarding how much range wildly. It’s possible for an influencer with between 100,000 and half a million followers to collect $5,000 for one in-feed Instagram post and one Instagram Story, says Ishveen Anand, the CEO and founder of OpenSponsorship, a service that connects brands with athletes willing to promote their services and products.

On the higher end, influencers with more than 5 million followers might make upward of $18,000 for their participation, she says. Still, this is a Wild West–style market, and payments fluctuate according to multiple factors.

“The way TikTok works, virality is not necessarily equal to the number of followers you have, so it’s kind of hard to predict what’s going to do well and what’s not,” Anand says. “It’s a little more like putting your finger in the air.

How much do I want to get paid for this?”

Proponents of this fitness-challenge concept argue that all the eyeballs (and dollars) are evidence that right now many people are hungry for a new kind of fitness content: bite-sized, shareable, and not at all serious. The entire trend caters to anyone who isn’t ready for a full-on training plan. And if you’re a beginner, that might be just what you need to get interested in fitness. Physical activity doesn’t have to be something you plan around.

But these flash-in-the-pan fitness “stars” are very often all style and no substance. At best, they distract from a long-term commitment to a slow-build strength plan. At worst, they’re unlicensed “experts” who could get you hurt.

The reality may lie somewhere in the middle. Long-term, your body needs smart movement more than brief, crazy stunts. But if you’re weary from a too-long year fi lled with the same ol’ at-home fitness routines, you’re likely in need of a pick-me-up. A handstand challenge to the beat of Doja Cat’s “Say So” is a nice start. Then do a set of pushups, too.

THE #BOXCHALLENGE

THE #ONEHAND TWOHANDCHALLENGE

This is partner core mayhem. Lie on your back, arms straight, and hold their ankles. They grasp your ankles while in pushup position. You both fold into an L shape and, presto, a box forms. The key for both participants: Keep your rib cage tight to your body and don’t arch your back.

Get in pushup position and follow the directions to “Hit Yo Rollie.”

That’ll mean a series of mountain climbers and plank shoulder taps— and a roll. Never take your eyes off the floor until that roll; it’ll keep your hips and shoulders square (and your abs working hard).

TRY THE #MHDAILYCHALLENGE Can’t pull off a handstand pants removal? Opt for the #MHDailyChallenge on our Instagram, @menshealthmag.

Seven days a week, we get your body moving the way it actually needs to.

THE #BRINGSALLY UPCHALLENGE

This Moby-powered squat workout has found new life as an Instagram and YouTube pushup challenge. Lower your torso when Moby says, “Bring Sally down”; press up at “Bring Sally up.”

Keep your elbows tight to your body the whole time.

MEN’S HEALTH

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BODY

STRONG ALL MONTH LONG

30 MINUTES TO STRONGER From biceps curls to dumbbell rows, many go-to exercises focus on a single muscle (or a handful of muscles). But in real life, our muscles work together, whether we’re driving to the basket or shoveling the driveway. Teach your own muscles to work more efficiently as a team with this routine. Do it 4 times a week, resting a day between sessions. On rest days, take a 20-minute walk. After a month, your whole body will feel stronger.

DIRECTIONS: Do this workout as a circuit. Complete all reps of each move, then go directly to the next move without resting. Rest 1 minute after each round. Do 5 rounds.

1

THE WARMUP Spiderman Lunge to Thoracic Spine Rotation You’ll open tight hips, warm up your abs, and stretch your chest with this move.

Start in pushup position, core tight (a). Step your right foot forward, outside your right hand (b). Squeeze your glutes. Lift your right hand and reach it toward the ceiling (c). Return it to the floor. That’s 1 rep; do 2 sets of 10 per side.

(a)

(b)

(c)

2

Bird-Dog Row

Blast your back while stabilizing with your abs.

SHORTS BY RHONE; SNEAKERS BY ATHLETIC PROPULSION LABS (APL).

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Start on all fours, right hand gripping a dumbbell, wrists directly below your shoulders, core tight. Straighten and lift your left leg, tightening your left glute. This is the start (a).

Pull the dumbbell off the floor and row it toward your rib cage (b). Pause, then return to the start. That’s 1 rep.

Do 5 per side.

EB SAYS:

“Squeeze your glutes hard, and reach your straight leg back as far as you can.”

(b)

(a)

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAT WIRSING

YOUR MUSCLE MASTER

Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., Men’s Health fitness director, is a certified strength and conditioning expert who has trained with professional and Olympic athletes.

WORKOUT DESIGNED AND DEMONSTRATED BY CURTIS SHANNON, C.S.C.S. Shannon is a sports-performance

3

Dumbbell Floor Press

coach who specializes in building custom programs for pro athletes. He got his start prepping NFL players for the combine at IMG Academy and has worked with NBA stars, including Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, and Serge Ibaka.

(a)

Build chest and triceps strength.

Lie on your back, feet flat on the floor, dumbbells directly above your shoulders (a). Bend at the elbows and shoulders, lowering the dumbbells until your upper arms touch the floor (b). Pause, then press the dumbbells back up. That’s 1 rep. Do 10.

(b)

4

5

THE FINISHER

Single-Arm Hold Hips-Elevated March

Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Complete as many rounds of this circuit as possible without resting.

Train glutes and abs to stabilize your hips at all times.

6

Lie on the floor, a dumbbell in your left hand directly over your shoulder, knees bent. Squeeze your glutes, lifting your hips. This is the start. Lift your right leg off the floor, raising your thigh.

Return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 10. Switch the dumbbell to the right hand and repeat on the other side.

Build core strength and hone your posture.

Bear Plank Dumbbell Slide to Reach

Teach your abs, lower back muscles, glutes, and lats to work together.

Rack-Down Farmer’s Carry

Hold a dumbbell at your shoulder in your left hand and another dumbbell at your side in your right hand (a). Tighten your core. Walk forward 10 steps (b). Put the dumbbells on the floor, then pick them up again, placing the right dumbbell at your shoulder and holding the left at your side. Walk forward 10 steps.

EB SAYS:

(b)

Start in a bear plank, hands directly below shoulders, knees off the floor, core tight, dumbbell in your right hand (a). As you pull the dumbbell toward your right rib cage, rotate your torso to the left and raise the dumbbell to the ceiling (b). (Your feet will shift when this happens.) Pause, then reverse the moves to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 6 per side.

(a)

(b)

“Focus on keeping your hips and shoulders square to the front as you walk, and tighten your shoulder blades.”

EB SAYS:

“Don’t let your back arch. Contract your abs hard, keeping your rib cage tight to your body.”

(a)

(b)

7

Kyle Hilton (Samuel)

Skater Lunge

(a)

Build agility and athleticism.

Stand on your right leg, knee bent slightly (a). Jump to the left, landing on your left foot, knee slightly bent (b). Leap back the other way. That’s 1 rep; do 5. Struggling? Let your nonjumping leg touch the floor for balance on every rep.

MEN’S HEALTH

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21

On this morning, he’s in a Staten Island gym pondering his next milestone birthday (he turns 50 in March) and crushing sets of deadlifts, pullups, and barbell rows. “I gotta get my roses now,” he says, “because I’m almost 50 fucking years old.

Damn near 50 years old, bruh.”

The Grammy Award– winning rap veteran has lent his voice and creativity to a host of projects lately. He appeared on Starz’s drama Power Book II: You may not have Method Ghost; he voiced the Man’s fancy neck-training character Ben Urich gear or his deadlift weight. in Marvels, a narraBut if you have a resistance tive-fiction podcast; band, you can try his and he’s working on favorite at-home regimen. his next album, Dirty P, a collaboration with Pushups Mobb Deep’s Havoc.

Do 25 to 30 reps.

Aim for 5 sets.

His morning workout has readied him for all that—and it’s kept Banded Curl Stand on a resistance him from predawn band, its ends held at your video-game marathons. sides, your core tight.

In 2018, Smith says, he Curl up, squeezing your biceps; then lower. was battling insomnia, That’s 1 rep; do 15 to 20. frequently waking at Do 5 sets.

2:00 A.M. and playing NBA2K. Realizing he Banded was “just wasting time,” Shoulder Press Stand on a resistance Smith searched for a band, its ends held at your more productive use shoulders, your core tight. of his early-morning Tighten your shoulder blades and press the band hours. “So at 4:00 A.M., overhead. Pause, then I find myself in the gym return to the start. working out,” he says.

That’s 1 rep; do 15 to 20.

Do 5 sets.

“Two days turned into THE 6 A.M. WORKOUT W/ three days. Three days turned into five days, and I’ve been consistent ever since.”

Bonus: His insomnia is gone.

Smith now weighs 219, 12 pounds less than he weighed when he first started Insomnia pushed the legendary training. He hits legs Mondays, shoulWu-Tang rapper into the gym. Now fitness fuels his ders Tuesdays, back Wednesdays, chest days—and helps him sleep easy at night.

Thursdays, and arms Fridays. “He’s a

BY MARK LELINWALLA beast,” says his trainer, Joey Crespo.

“Our routine has only been heavy, heavy, the weight, breathes deeply, and does all year round.”

CLIFF SMITH grunts as he wraps his it all over again. He does five total reps, At the moment, that means gritting out hands around the barbell, bends his knees, and lowers his six-foot-three frame then drops the bar and smiles. “Ain’t even three sets of seated lat pulldowns, followed winded,” he says. “Holla at me.” by a core exercise that has him on his toward the floor. He tenses his entire The five reps are a personal best for knees, rolling a wheel forward, challengbody, exhales twice, and starts pulling Smith (better known as Method Man), ing his abs. He finishes the session by sit455 pounds upward. His legs shake as he who loves starting his day by chasing PRs. ting on a bench with a harness connected stands fully upright, and then he lowers

HOME

WORK!

22

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDRE L PERRY

Grooming: Martyse/The Chop Shop

Method Man

BODY

BETWEEN SETS All-time fitness idol?

Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, because he shouted me out on Instagram.

Favorite celeb on a fitness journey?

I respect any of them that do it. Right now the person that I’m really saluting for getting his ass in the gym is Snoop Dogg. I’m rooting for him.

Favorite exercise?

Deadlift. Once I started doing those, everything else went up, from squats, bench, definitely dumbbells.

Least favorite exercise?

Lunges. I’m too fucking tall, for one, and I still have a problem with form, because I’m so focused on just getting those shits over with.

Favorite cheat meal?

to his forehead, a weight hanging in front of his chest. He lowers his head to look at the ground, then flexes his neck muscles to raise his head and look straight ahead, an old-school neck exercise that few gymgoers will do. Smith does it regularly.

“Regardless of how tired I get, no matter what the workout is, I at least will try it,” he says between deep breaths. “I’m not going to say no to anything.”

I never get a cheat meal, but if I did, it would be pizza— New York pizza. All that other stuff is bullshit.

At first, Smith didn’t enjoy deadlifts (left) but he worked on the move anyway and can now do five reps with 455 pounds.

He also does long-forgotten movements like neck curls (top), which can help develop trap strength. His workouts typically last for nearly two hours.

Current workout playlist?

Griselda Records. Griselda reminds me of ’90s hip-hop but with a modern feel.

MEN’S HEALTH

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23

BODY

P U E L C S MU !

P U N E S O O L TO

coach h t g n e r t of help. Sskop f d n i k y l hing on ialist G reg Ro lances. c t e r t s d ng an echanics spec r muscle imba i l l o r m u Foa and biomplan: Target yo .C.S. r AN, C.S e t N t R e E F b F ha s a R E W HE

BY AND

I

MAGINE WALKING ALONG a sheet of

ice, struggling to find your balance.

Every muscle in your body tightens, bracing for each unknown, unstable step.

“It’s an actual neurological response,” says strength coach and biomechanics specialist Greg Roskopf. “When the body senses instability, it tightens up as a protective mechanism.”

Understanding this mechanism and addressing underlying muscle weaknesses are key to soothing your tight, achy muscles. And this concept lies at the heart of Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT for short), a training protocol that protects your joints, eases muscle pain, and forges strength and stability. MAT does this by identifying weak muscles and activating them with the isolation movements that are often shunned by the functional-fitness world.

In an era when every gym has ten foam rollers and mobility is the buzzword, MAT is a throwback, shifting away from multijoint movements to focus on one muscle at a time. Despite that, Roskopf’s decades-old template (yes, it’s been around that long) has recently drawn attention. Peyton Manning has visited Roskopf’s Denver clinic. Over the past three years, Roskopf has overseen the training for golfer Bryson DeChambeau, who has packed on 40 pounds and racked up six PGA Tour wins, including one this year. “MAT doesn’t reinvent training,” says Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., “but it’s a smart reminder that we shouldn’t overfocus on mobility.”

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Yes, overfocus. Your average trainer will tell you to stretch a tight muscle or foam-roll the tightness away. To Roskopf, that solves nothing. “That’s why people stretch day after day after day and they never get any more flexible,” he says.

“Because they’re still walking on ice.”

According to Roskopf, muscle tightness is a protective mechanism against instability and a signal that other, weaker muscles are causing that instability. Whether you’re standing up from a chair, doing a squat, or balancing on ice, your muscles spend every moment of every day making thousands of microadjustments, tensing and relaxing in response to your environment. They’re also adjusting to one another. When they’re in balance, muscles on the front of your body and muscles on the back of your body essentially tug a joint into “neutral” position.

Your pecs and your lats, for example, help properly position your shoulders. “Think of a tug-of-war with ten 250-pound guys on ei-

ther side of the rope,” says Roskopf. That’s how muscles are supposed to work: equal strength on opposing sides of a joint.

But if your lats weaken—perhaps because you’re sitting constantly, perhaps because you’re not training them—that would allow your shoulders to shift forward, leading to imbalance. Stretching your chest wouldn’t solve weakness in your back, either, says Roskopf. Instead, you need to activate and build strength in your rhomboid and trapezius muscles, the muscles between your spine and shoulder blades (see sidebar).

Roskopf began exploring this philosophy when he was training the Utah Jazz in 1997. He regularly treated John Stockton for tight hips, taking the future Hall of Famer through a series of stretches.

Stockton always returned for more work the next day. “Wherever I saw limitations in range of motion,” says Roskopf, “I saw a muscle weakness.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BEN MOUNSEY-WOOD

HIT THE MAT Foam rolling is an excellent way to promote blood flow to a muscle, and stretching can help you understand your muscles’ full range of motion.

But neither actually solves muscle tightness the way MAT can.

Try it in these situations.

THE PROBLEM:

TIGHT HAMSTRINGS

THE PROBLEM:

TIGHT HIPS

THE SOLUTION:

Lie on the floor, raise your leg as shown, and turn your thigh inward as far as you can. Hold for 6 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 6 times per side.

THE SOLUTION: Strengthen your hip flexors, pulling your pelvis into neutral position below your spine, with the hip-flexor squeeze. Lie on your back, legs straight.

Actively lift your left leg until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Hold it high for 6 seconds. Lower. That’s 1 rep; do 6 on each side.

THE PROBLEM:

SORE SHOULDERS

So one day, Roskopf decided to try something else. He tested Stockton for muscle weaknesses, asking him to push his legs in various directions against Roskopf’s hand. He discovered that while Stockton’s glutes were strong, his hip rotator muscles not so much.

Roskopf spent the rest of the session activating and strengthening Stockton’s hip rotator muscles, and as the season continued, Stockton gradually made fewer trips to the trainer’s room. And his flexibility improved, even without Roskopf stretching him.

“When you get the muscles activated, not only do they contract to a greater range of motion, but then they have strength and integrity in that great range of motion,” he says.

It’s a combination that can help you move better and feel better, erasing plenty of little muscle aches. And it certainly beats walking on ice.

THE SOLUTION: Strengthen your mid-back muscles with prone scapular squeezes. Lie facedown on a firm surface, arms at your sides. Raise your arms and shoulders toward the ceiling, squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Hold for 6 seconds. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 6.

THE PROBLEM:

LOWER BACK PAIN

THE SOLUTION: Build those glutes with prone glute squeezes! Lie facedown on a firm surface and bend your left knee 90 degrees so your heel points toward the ceiling. Tighten your abs and squeeze your left glute, lifting your leg off the floor slightly. Hold and squeeze for 6 seconds. Lower, pause, then repeat for 6 reps. Do 2 sets per side.

MEN’S HEALTH

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25

FRONT LINE

A LUNG DOCTOR S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LUNGS EARLY IN HIS medical training,

pulmonologist ANAND S. IYER, M.D., 35, knew that strong lungs are critical to good health. But ever since he began working in an ICU, and having recently treated people with severe COVID-19— putting them on ventilators, handling end-of-life care, and witnessing the long-term impact on their lungs in his clinic—“I’ve gained a whole new respect for lung health,” he says. Here’s what he does to breathe easier (and better).

1. HIIT IT I knew I needed to change my lifestyle a few years ago when I had to run to a code-blue emergency and arrived out of breath. That was my clue to drop the 20 pounds I’d gained in medical school and work on improving my lung and cardiovascular health. Now I do HIIT training with weightlifting every other day, because it’s time efficient, and build in bursts of aerobic exercise at work by briskly walking around the hospital or sprinting up stairs. I also work with a coach to build muscle mass in my chest using weights, since a strong chest wall and diaphragm are crucial to supporting a strong pulmonary system.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

4. BEAT THE SNOT OUT

2. TAKE A STAND When I work from home, I move around constantly so I don’t hunch, which compresses my rib cage and prevents my lungs from taking a deep breath.

Every hour, I try to remember to change my position—even if it’s moving from the rolling chair in my home office to my dining-room table. Every time I stand up, I improve my posture, breathe deeper, and improve blood flow throughout my body.

If I get a cold, I’m vigilant about getting rid of mucus as fast as possible so it doesn’t drip down and settle in my chest and make me sicker. I cough up mucus from my chest, blow my nose constantly, or use one of those sinus rinses from the pharmacy.

3. MASK UP If, after the pandemic, I travel to a city with a high pollen count or an air-quality index in the orange range or above, I’ll plan to pack a mask to prevent inhaling allergens (I have bad seasonal allergies) or pollutants, such as smog and traffic fumes. I also wear a mask if I’m doing yard work or a dusty home-improvement project—dust can irritate the lining of the airways and lead to chronic lung disease. I don’t expose myself to sprays, polishes, or cleaners with high concentrations of bleach, ammonia, or other volatile organic compounds. There’s some science that people who work with these regularly can have diminished lung function or develop COPD, a leading cause of death in the U. S.

5. BREATHE, ONLY BETTER I practice mindful breathing when I can. I don’t know how much it benefits my lungs, but I do know it helps me manage the toll of working in a high-stress job during a pandemic. I like the Breathe app on my Apple Watch. I match my inhalation and exhalation to the circles as they open and close, and I’m amazed how much calmer I feel after just a couple breaths.

—As told to Sarah E. Richards

ANAND S. IYER, M.D., is a pulmonologist, intensivist, health-outcomes researcher, and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

ILLUSTRATION BY SCIEPRO

Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

BODY

bottom of your esophagus being forced open by the contents of your stomach pressing upward and irritating the esophagus when they do. And all the planks and pushups and hinges that happen with a good strength program can contribute to stomach acid going where it’s not supposed to, because gravity’s not helping you keep it where it’s meant to be. What doesn’t exacerbate the burn: heavy weights. Many men think the more intensity you lift with, the more reflux, but studies haven’t been able to prove that, says Dr. Schnoll-Sussman.

So keep that bar loaded and schedule another workout, because her tips below can help you lift without the wrong kind of burn.

WORK WITH GRAVITY

What to do about heartburn that kicks in when you lift.

BY MARTY MUNSON

Y

OU KNOW THE FEELING:

After a serious bench press/cable fly combination, there’s that burn in your chest that feels like victory (a buzzed, spent sort of victory).

And there’s the burn inside that burn, traveling up your esophagus, that feels like you need to swallow a fire extinguisher.

Heartburn, aka the bad burn that comes with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), often barges into your workout when you’re lifting weights. And GERD and its burn are on the rise in younger people, especially those between 30 and 39, according to recent research 28

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

from Case Western Reserve University. They’re particularly common if you’re overweight, which puts you in the catch-22 of lifting to try to keep your weight down but trying not to get sidelined by heartburn.

So what’s igniting that fire? Whether you’re hoisting kettlebells, a hex bar, or anything else, you’re increasing your intra-abdominal pressure, explains MH advisor Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D., a gastroenterologist at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. That can lead to the valve at the

Which meds help you with what.

OTC ANTACIDS If adjustments in your diet or body position don’t tame the burn, try a basic antacid (like Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta, Alka-Seltzer).

“These don’t change what’s going on; they just counteract the acid in your stomach so what comes up doesn’t burn so much,” says Dr. Schnoll-Sussman.

FUEL UP WISELY If you need something to eat before your session, make it an easily digestible carb, and eat only a little. If you go into the gym with a full stomach, there’s a greater likelihood you will have reflux. (It’s that stomachcontents-pressing-on-the-valve thing again.)

TAKE IT EASY ON LIQUIDS Swilling a lot of liquid, even water, can fill your stomach and precipitate reflux, too. Sipping from a straw can make things worse: You decrease the pressure in the chest and pull from the stomach, which raises the chance of something coming back up. Coffee lovers, you might be fine. Some people can drink it without trouble; others can’t tolerate a pre-workout sip.

H2 BLOCKERS They don’t stop reflux, but these meds do reduce the amount of acid coming up.

You know them as Pepcid AC and Tagamet.

PPIS Proton-pump inhibitors are your next step after H2 blockers. They help inhibit an enzyme involved in producing acid. You have to pop them 30 minutes before a meal, which can be tricky if you work out in the morning. Brands include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid.

Travis Rathbone (burner). Sarah Leituala (illustration).

The Other Kind of Burn

Lying flat can allow your stomach contents to drift upward. So if, for instance, bench presses are giving you trouble, that’s a good time to do a seated machine press or an incline press.

HOW TO DROP (STOMACH) ACID

VERSACEPARFUMS.COM

BODY S e a fo o d , mussels, like is a

STRONG SO URCE O F V I TA M I N B12.

Clam

s, salmon , a n d t ro u t are also good pick s.

YOUR DAILY DOSE

HOW MUCH

B12

DO YOU REALLY NEED?

WHY B12 MATTERS Vitamin B12 is good for your brain and may help improve memory.

But it also helps your red blood cells and nerves function, as well as assisting in the production of DNA, says Brian St. Pierre, R.D., C.S.C.S., director of performance nutrition at Precision Nutrition. Running a B12 deficit puts you in danger of fatigue, anemia, muscle weakness, and even symptoms of depression.

HOW MUCH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RECOMMENDS A mere 2.4 micrograms a day, which is actually the lowest daily recommended dose of any vitamin. “Vitamin B12 requirements are low because we can store up to 2,500 micrograms in the liver,” says Ryan D. Andrews, R.D., C.S.C.S., principal nutritionist at Precision Nutrition.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

WHAT WE RECOMMEND

WHAT ABOUT A SUPPLEMENT?

Just that: 2.4 micrograms a day.

Granted, B12 is tough to track unless you use an app that tallies milligrams and micrograms of specific vitamins and minerals.

(Don’t, because that’s a little extra.) Most meat-eating men consume about 5 micrograms of B12 daily and pee out what they don’t need. But if you’re vegan, you have a GI condition, or you’re 60-plus, you’re at a greater risk of deficiency.

Only if you can’t get enough B12 from real foods and you’re deficient.

(A blood test is the only way to know.) If that’s you, find a supplement with a USP, InformedChoice, or NSF International Certified for Sport seal, signifying it’s third-party tested. And you don’t need a megadose. Hunnes recommends a supplement of no more than 500 micrograms, and even then your body will absorb only as much as it requires.

HOW DO IHIT THE TARGET? If you eat animal products, aim for four palm-sized portions a day, says St. Pierre. Beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and seafood are good sources—in fact, just two small mussels provide a day’s worth of vitamin B12—but so are Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. If you’re vegan or restricting your meat consumption, turn to fortified cereals, nondairy milk, or nutritional yeast, a vegan standby that has a cheesy taste and contains 100 percent of your daily dose of B12 in just one tablespoon, says Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., an adjunct professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

WAIT, WHAT’S “FORTIFIED” CEREAL? IT’S BASICALLY MOST boxed cereals. Food manufacturers have added minerals and vitamins, including B12, to products like cereal (fortifying them) for almost 100 years.

Yes, sugary cereals are fortified, too. That doesn’t make them healthy.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHELSEA KYLE

Food styling: Drew Aichele. Prop styling: Astrid Chastka at Hello Artists.

This nutrient is critical for your brain and body.

But don’t let supplement companies try to sell you on a megadose. BY CASSIE SHORTSLEEVE

YOUR PURCHASE CAN HELP MANY

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BODY

THE OH-SO-HAPPY

HOLIDAY RISK GUIDE THE SEASON OF GIVING has never felt so . . . complex. Because the one thing you

don’t want to give or receive is COVID-19. So we sifted through the data to see how holiday activities stack up in terms of risk.* BY KEITH W. ROACH, M.D.

GOING TO A HOLIDAY PARTY You’ve heard about highly contagious superspreaders.

There’s not one at every party, but act as if there is. Try not to let social distancing devolve, avoid handshakes and hugs, and get in and get out as quickly as you can.

M O D E R ATE RI S K

GOING TO DRINKS/DINNER AT A FRIEND’S HOUSE It’s a moderate risk as long as the visit and the guest list are both short. The CDC says that a small number of people from the same community or town is less risky.

Rely on the standbys: Wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid contact, and stay six feet apart.

HIG H RIS K

TRAVELING BY PLANE The longer you’re in a contained space with infectious particles, the likelier it is you’ll inhale them.

If you have to fly, keep it short (a four-hour flight is about twice as risky as a two-hour one), use a carrier that blocks middle seats, and sit at the window.

SHOPPING AT A MALL There’s probably better air circulation in a mall and its stores than in a stand-alone shop. Look for malls (or big-box stores) with strict risk-reducing policies: limited shoppers, one-way walking areas, and mask requirements.

LE S S RI S K

STAYING AT A HOTEL OR AIRBNB Even though deep cleaning is mandatory in this industry, ask for a room that hasn’t been used in 24 hours—airborne particles can take a few hours to settle. (Airbnb requires hosts to leave 24 hours between guests.) The room’s usually safer than public spaces, so use the stairs, not the elevator, and check in online.

MAKING THE TRIP BY TRAIN If rail poses less risk than air travel, it’s because you have the possibility of choosing a seat as far from other people as you can.

(Again, go for the window; aisle seats expose you to more germs.)

HAVING A FEW CUPS OF HOLIDAY CHEER AT A BAR INDOORS Bars are loaded with people (more potential virus), shared surfaces, and communal air. Plus, you lean in to hear over loud music and remove your mask to drink. Which is the opposite of every COVIDprevention strategy. Not good.

The smaller the space, the more you risk contact with an infected person.

And it’s tough to know if any space is adequately ventilated. If the store is too crowded to maintain distance, go back when it’s not as busy.

HOSTING A SMALL GATHERING WITH FAMILY Your time together will probably be high risk, but if you’ve been in the same bubble, you’re likely okay. If anyone’s at higher risk of severe illness, be extra careful. Also: Have people serve themselves with their own clean utensils (preferably disposable).

HIDING IN YOUR BATHROOM TO GET SOME PEACE You should be okay on the COVID front. But on the mental-wellness front? Maybe try meditation or therapy (with an app like BetterHelp) while you’re in there.

*This chart assesses the risk of scenarios against one another. Your actual risk within each depends upon your personal risk factors and the prevalence of the disease where you live.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDREW HERMIDA

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LIFE

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25 SER IOUSLY G OOD GET-THEM-NOW SNACKS

...................

E X ACTLY W H AT W EED DOES FOR YOU R SE X LIFE

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MOST LI VA BLE CLOTHES A BOU T TH AT ACN E

K N A H T GOD

S T I THURSD AY

Just as all the hows and whys and whens of “working” are being redefined, some companies are testing the seductive promise of a shorter workweek—and whether a compressed schedule leaves you energized or exhausted.

BY DAVI D FERRY

B

EFORE ALL OF THIS —before offices

shuttered, unemployment soared, and “work-life balance” became a sneering oxymoron—Banks Benitez had a radical idea: He wanted his employees to work less.

Benitez is the CEO of a small socialentrepreneur accelerator in Denver called Uncharted, and when he said “work less,” he didn’t mean 45 hours per week instead of 50.

Benitez wanted his employees to work four days a week—32 hours—for a full week’s pay.

Away from screens and work, he wrote in a

MEN’S HEALTH

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LIFE

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

YO U, TH E AV ER AG E AM ER IC AN , WORKED 2 3 4 DAYS LAST YE AR. M E D IE VA L S E R F S HA D M O R E TI M E OF F TH AN YO U. But if they could prove they’d be successful and productive during a fourday workweek, then why should any of us ever work a Friday again?

TESTING THE THEORY

ZACH STROM, Uncharted’s venture-

funding director, is a natural introvert, so working 40 to 50 hours a week and then seeing friends over the weekend—on top of the normal chores and errands that chew through leisure time—left him drained. “I wanted to use that as time to recharge,” he says, but he rarely could.

Benitez hoped to give employees like Strom their weekends back. But Uncharted isn’t a charity; he couldn’t just cut the amount his team produced and pay them the same. That’s why a hallmark of pretty much every company’s attempt to shorten the workweek has been a detailed study of employee productivity.

“I thought theoretically it could work, but I had no idea,” says Jarrod Haar, Ph.D., a professor of human-resource management at the Auckland University of Technology. Haar studies work-life balance, and he likes to think that he is on the worker’s side. So when he heard that Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand firm that manages trusts, wills, and estate planning for clients, was trialing a switch to four days of work back in 2018, he jumped to study the effects. The results were good news for the company. “Productivity stayed the same over four days rather than five,” Haar says. “But interestingly, I had some other performance indicators, too.

How good was customer service? Were employees helpful? More creative? All those things went up, too.”

That’s because, Haar figures, working four days a week was good news for employees as well. Haar’s surveys showed that workers’ lives improved markedly. People exercised more and spent

Travis Rathbone/Trunk Archive

company email, his team would have the time to live more “healthy, creative, and audacious” lives. In May, as the pandemic panic congealed into whatever forevernightmare this is, Uncharted began its grand experiment.

“Before the experiment, I was working 55 hours a week,” Benitez says from his home, where he’s been working since March. “Right now, I’m working 33.5.

That’s just a little over 32—but I’m the CEO, working 33.5 hours a week. I feel good about that.”

The downsized workweek isn’t as fringe as it may sound. The prospect of lessening hours while keeping salaries steady got a boost in May when everybody’s prime-ministerial crush, Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, floated the idea as a way to improve domestic tourism and spending.

Sanna Marin, now Finland’s prime minister, said in 2019, “I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies, and other aspects of life, such as culture.” Big corporations like Microsoft and Shake Shack tried it, too, and didn’t see productivity drop. And it will surprise no one to learn that plenty of studies have tied long hours to weight gain, anxiety and depression, coronary heart disease, and premature mortality.

“The four-day week offers a way of dealing elegantly with a bunch of structural inequalities,” says Alex SoojungKim Pang, Ph.D., a researcher and the author of Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and Less—Here’s How. “Work-life balance, parenting, gender inequality, burnout.

Lots of companies have programs to deal with these, but the four-day week solves all of those problems at once for everybody.”

Or at least some of us. For so many essential workers who get paid by the hour, a shorter workweek would be a disaster.

But that’s why experiments like Uncharted’s matter—if Benitez and his team can prove that happy, healthy employees work harder, then maybe companies will see it’s worth it to pay everybody a living wage, no matter how many hours a week they work.

Still, even for the salaried crew at Uncharted, Benitez worried that the change was inviting disaster. He fretted that his employees wouldn’t be able to get the work done, that they’d be too fried if they did, that morale and teamwork would falter, that clients wouldn’t take them seriously and business would suffer.

THE LONG AND STUBBORN HISTORY OF THE time in their gardens. They baked cakes for neighbors and visited elderly parents.

Self-reported mental-health markers all climbed—stress ticked down 7 percent while the perception of work-life balance jumped 24 percent. Employees who worked less were happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. And as a result, the work improved.

Yet 40 hours has proved hard to cast off.

There’s no centuries-old tradition that marries us to five eight-hour days each week. No data that suggests Monday through Friday is ideal. Forty, it’s worth noting, is an entirely arbitrary number. (See “The Long and Stubborn History of the 40-Hour Workweek,” at right.) The length of the workweek had been steadily declining for about 100 years before the 1900s. “The question is,” says labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, Ph.D., at the University of California, Santa Barbara, “why did we stop at 40 hours a week for so long?”

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH 32 HOURS

WHEN I SPOKE to Benitez in the summer,

Uncharted was halfway through its experiment, and signs were positive. Strom was hiking uncrowded trails on Friday, then seeing friends and family on the weekends and feeling recharged. Data from a third-party auditor wasn’t in yet, but Benitez thought productivity was staying steady.

The change hadn’t been seamless, though. One interpretation of Parkinson’s Law argues that work expands to fill time allotted, but squeezing 40 hours of work into 32 still required a dramatic adjustment in the way employees allotted their time. “I’m a person that, and this is embarrassing to admit,” Strom says, “more often did the stuff that was easiest first—because it feels good to check things off.”

The whole team started drawing up quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals and rearranged the workflow to achieve them.

Everyone read Essentialism, by Greg McKeown, to figure out what parts of their work mattered most. McKeown espouses the 90 percent rule: Rank the work you typically do all day on a scale of importance from zero to 100. If it scores under a 90, it may as well be a zero—cut it. The goal, McKeown says, is to do only things that are excellent uses of your time and do them excellently.

Uncharted employees learned that it wasn’t rude to decline a meeting they didn’t need to attend. Worthless emails

40-HOUR WORKWEEK It wasn’t until the industrial revolution that work became the state of man. And we’ve been stuck there ever since.

How we got there:

1200 MAYBE 24/7, BUT YOU GOT ABOUT FIVE MONTHS OFF Thirteenth-century male serfs worked maybe 135 days per year for a wage. And yet you, the average American, worked about 234 days last year.

(That’s right: Medieval peasants worked less than you do.)

1870 60 TO 80 HOURS PER WEEK During the industrial revolution, new factories churned nonstop, pushing the workweek to 60 to 80 hours until workers rebelled, struck, and unionized. For several decades, they protested, and the workweek shrank slowly.

1926 40 HOURS FOR SOME Henry Ford dropped his factory workers to 40 hours, and productivity rose while turnover and absenteeism declined.

1933 30 HOURS HAD A MOMENT The last time the American labor market frayed and unraveled like a rope end, the Senate passed a revolutionary bill calling for a 30-hour workweek. It was widely popular, but there was another option: Ford’s 40-hour week.

Forty divided well, says University of California, Santa Barbara, labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, Ph.D.: “Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for what we will,” the saying went.

1940 40 IT IS! In 1938, President Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act with a 44-hour maximum (lowered to 40 two years later), and the arbitrary number that still defines your workweek was born.

were banished, and four hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays were devoted to meeting-free “deep work” with minimal distractions. For Benitez, it’s meant a complete restructuring of his week. It’s not perfect. “There are some loose ends,” he admits. “But I think they’re just not important loose ends.”

YOUR BRAIN ON WORKING LESS

DAWNA BALLARD, PH.D., is an expert in chronemics—the study of time and how it relates to human communication—at the University of Texas, and she thinks it makes sense for “knowledge workers” to work less. The time off activates your default mode network, the part of your brain that makes good ideas percolate when you shower or go for a long walk, she says. “A modest decrease in hours leads to greater productivity,” she adds.

“I want to shout at people: If you just give people more time, you would solve so many problems related to people being unproductive.”

Still, the question comes up about whether a decrease in work frequency is offset by an increase in the intensity of the work. Which is no way to live, either.

Early in the summer, Benitez worried that the intense workload could lead to burnout or diminished creativity, though he hadn’t seen it yet. I asked Strom in late August if it was worth the trade-off. He thought about it for a second. “I’ve loved it.

It’s been an incredible benefit,” he says.

If employees like Strom can complete the same amount of work—or more—in less time, then workers everywhere can call for reduced hours for the same pay, and managers might have to listen. We— knowledge workers, hourly laborers, gig guys—could take back more of our lives.

A pandemic—when the economy, individuals, and companies are struggling—may seem like no time for workers to fight for it. But Pang, the four-dayworkweek writer and proponent, says it is.

“These days, everybody’s working lives are upended, and it’s become clear that companies and people are capable of adapting to novel situations,” he says.

So why not try getting out of the moreis-better mentality? After all, for most of us, the hours we work, be it 40 or 32 or 100, aren’t our own. It’s what we do with the remaining time that matters.

MEN’S HEALTH

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o t e m o c l e W *

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BY HAWA HASSA a wh . et n la p e th of rt from a different pa ch ea — es p ci re d a re flatb

REGARDLESS OF where you live in the world, there is nothing more fortifying, nothing more sustaining, than what is most often, at its foundation, a simple combination of water and flour. It’s one of the reasons I wrote my new book, In Bibi’s Kitchen, with my coauthor, Julia Turshen. We wanted to feature phenomenal breads from eight African and Middle Eastern countries—and we wanted to pull the recipes not from chefs but from kitchen experts who could outcook even the most highfalutin foodies: grandmas. Or, as they’re often referred to in their countries, bibis.

What you’ll find here are three easy flatbreads—basically rolledout, flash-cooked dough. They’re so straightforward that they will have you thinking about bread in a whole new way. Which is actually a return to a very old—and very healthful—way of thinking about carbohydrates: not as carbs but as the anchoring element in a hearty, soul-centering, and extremely delicious meal.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

AJEMI BREAD WITH CARROTS AND GREEN PEPPER

INJERA

S P I C E D S A B A AYA D

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHELSEA KYLE

LIFE

Injera

QUIZ THE DIETITIAN

This Ethiopian bread is spongy and has a nutty flavor. Enjoy it with lentil or lamb curry. It’s easy, too: If you can make pancakes, you can make injera.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1 CUP TEFF FLOUR, SUCH AS BOB’S RED MILL 2 TBSP FLOUR VEGETABLE OIL, FOR BRUSHING

H O W T O M A K E I T: 1. In a medium container with a lid, whisk the teff flour and 1¼ cups water. Cover and let sit at room temp until small bubbles appear, at least 24 hours.

2. Stir the batter. Then stir in the flour and ½ tsp salt. Stir in 2 Tbsp water until smooth.

3. Brush a large nonstick pan with oil and place over

Spiced Sabaayad The crushed seeds in this grillable flatbread lend a potent aroma that matches well with beef stews. The grill adds some smokiness, but you can also make it in a cast-iron pan.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS 1 TSP CORIANDER SEEDS 1 CUP MILK 1 TSP TURMERIC 5 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 1½ CUPS FLOUR, PLUS MORE AS NEEDED ½ CUP WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR 1 TBSP SUGAR ½ TSP BAKING POWDER 3 TBSP CILANTRO, CHOPPED

medium high. When the pan is hot (a drop of batter sizzles on contact), pour in ¼ cup batter and swirl to coat the skillet. Cook, adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until the sides of the injera curl and the top sets, about 1 minute.

Flip onto a kitchen towel and cover. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 flatbreads

H O W T O M A K E I T: 1. Spread the cumin and coriander seeds on a cutting board and lightly crush with the bottom of a skillet. In a saucepan over low, heat the milk until it begins to steam. Stir in the turmeric and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, add the flours, sugar, baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Stir in the milk until a loose ball forms. Stir in the seeds and cilantro.

3. Flour your work surface and knead the dough until soft and springy, about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temp.

4. Preheat your grill to medium. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into 4 nine-by-six-inch rectangles. Brush each with olive oil and flip, oil side down, onto the grill.

Grill until bubbles form and bottoms have distinct grill marks, about 3 minutes. Brush the tops with more oil. Flip and grill until golden on the bottom and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap the sabaayad in a kitchen towel and serve warm. Makes 4 flatbreads

Food styling: Victoria Granof. Prop styling: Rebecca Bartoshesky/Hello Artists.

PRO TIP: M A K E FLUFF Y BR E A D E V EN FLUFFIER Bakers deploy the “envelope” technique to help dough rapidly puff under high heat. Try it just after step 3 in the sabaayad recipe or when you make your own pizza dough.

1

Working 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into an 8-inch square.

Brush the top lightly with olive oil, stopping about ½ inch from the edge.

2

Fold the left and right sides in as you would a letter. Fold the bottom edge into the center, then fold the top edge over the bottom, making a small, neat square.

3

Flour the square and roll again to make a thin rectangle, about 9 by 6 inches.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Q: What’s up with those sprouted-grain breads in the freezer section?

A: “ Sprouting means the grains germinate, resulting in slightly higher protein. They’re good sources of fiber. I like Ezekiel and Dave’s Killer Bread.” —Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios

Ajemi Bread with Carrots and Green Pepper This bread, with origins in East Africa, features something most don’t: chopped vegetables baked into the dough.

It’s nice on its own but is also good with roasted eggplant or grilled chicken.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

½ 1 ¼ 3 1 1 2 ½ 1

CUP WHOLE MILK TSP ACTIVE DRY YEAST CUP PLAIN YOGURT TBSP CANOLA OIL, PLUS MORE FOR COOKING LARGE CARROT, COARSELY GRATED GREEN BELL PEPPER, FINELY CHOPPED CUPS FLOUR, PLUS MORE AS NEEDED TSP BAKING POWDER TSP GRANULATED SUGAR

H O W T O M A K E I T: 1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk on low until body temp, about 1 minute. In a large bowl, add the milk and stir in the yeast. Allow to sit until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, 2 Tbsp oil, the carrot, and the bell pepper. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and sugar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

2. Put the dough on a floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour if the dough is sticky. Rub the remaining oil over the interior of a large bowl, add the dough, cover with a towel, and let it sit in a warm area until puffed, about 45 minutes.

3. Punch down the dough, put it on a floured surface, and cut it into 4 pieces. Working 1 piece at a time with floured hands, pat the dough into a ¼-inch-thick oval, about 6 inches in diameter.

Line a dish with a paper towel.

4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium.

Working 1 piece at a time, place a dough oval in the skillet and cook until the underside is brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, spoon 2 tsp oil around the edges, and repeat. Transfer the ajemi to the prepared dish, cover with another paper towel, and repeat the process with the remaining dough. Makes 4 breads MEN’S HEALTH

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Sprinkle a handful of mixed nuts on top to take an everyday salad from dull to delicious.

Mixed nuts is a bourbon’s best man.

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Pairing mixed nuts with craft beers can help alleviate your local dive bar nostalgia.

Seasoned to perfection with a dash of oil and sea salt, this go-to snack is packed with cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and pistachios.

Another pantry staple, oatmeal is even better when topped with cashews and pistachios.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSEA KYLE

LIFE

N N

OT SURPRISING : One third of Americans admit that they’re snacking more than they were before the pandemic, according to the 2020 Food and Health Survey.

Actually kind of surprising: Most people are maintaining their weight despite this snack bonanza, a 2020 survey from the research firm Hunter found.

You could credit shelter-in-place go-getters who have taken control of their diet by grocery shopping more and dining out less. But some of the kudos should go to snack companies. Really. Even before the cluster that is COVID-19 hit, consumer demand for healthy snacks had led companies to start making healthier products. (Enter the kale chip.) Over time, that pipeline of new products aligned with a rise in

FLOCK CHICKEN CHIPS, KETO These crunchy pieces of chicken skin are just salty enough.

And—who would have thought?—they’re good even if you’re not ketone conscious.

Per 28g bag: 13g protein, 180 calories, 0g carbs, 14g fat

more nutrition-minded, captainsof-their-kitchens consumers, and whammo, we now find ourselves in the midst of a healthy-snack boom.

All that said, a great-tasting, truly nutritious snack can still be hard to find. For every bag of healthful salmon-skin chips (a real thing), there’s also a box of not-sohealthful Totino’s mozzarella-filled Takis Fuego Bites (also a real thing).

So we crunched and munched our way through the buffet of new healthyish snack items. We read their (sometimes bizarrely long) ingredient lists. And we weighed their nutrition numbers.

The following 20 snacks are not only good for COVID cravings but will still be good long after this damn thing is over.

(Spoiler alert: Better luck next year, Totino’s.) —Paul Kita

GOODFISH CRISPY SALMON SKINS, CHILI LIME Salmon skin is also a fine source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

These puff y-crispy chips taste tart and hot and are sturdy enough to dip.

Per 15g bag: 10g protein, 80 calories, 0g carbs, 4g fat

EAT WITH EAT WITH

ZENB VEGGIE BITES, RED BELL PEPPER One serving carries a solid dose of fiber, because the company grinds up the seeds and stems of the bell pepper into the bar.

Mango and agave syrup add sweetness.

Per 43g bag: 4g protein, 180 calories, 23g carbs (5g fiber), 0g fat

WHAT MAKES A SNACK THE “BEST,” ANYWAY?

A winning snack contains a decent dose of protein or fiber (ideally both), is lower in calories than other snacks, and has minimal added sugars, if any. We prize short ingredient lists over long ones. And taste is the deciding factor. Even if a snack hits all the nutrition numbers, if it tastes like tree bark, we leave it off the list.

A NOTE ON NUTRITION

For the purposes of building muscle and feeling full, you want to target a snack that has ten grams of protein and five grams of fiber per serving, says Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., a Men’s Health nutrition advisor. Rare is the snack that delivers both—so we’ve paired a few of the winners below to help nudge you toward those goals.

FAGE TRUBLEND, VANILLA

BIENA CHICKPEA PUFFS, VEGAN RANCH

KALAHARI CRISPS, ORIGINAL

Finally, a yogurt without added sugars— including fake ones.

Creamy. Delicious. No nonsense. Add some fruit if you feel like you need it.

Per 150g tub: 13g protein, 110 calories, 9g carbs (2g fiber), 3g fat

They’re chickpea cheese balls, which means they’re slightly higher in protein and fiber than your typical corn-based ball.

Though, honestly, the “cool ranch” flavor is the best part.

Per 28g serving: 6g protein, 140 calories, 13g carbs (2g fiber), 7g fat

It’s beef jerky but slow roasted longer until chip-like. Because it’s made of all beef, one serving has tons of protein.

Per 28g serving: 20g protein, 100 calories, 0g carbs, 2g fat

EAT WITH

EAT WITH

EAT WITH

BARE PINEAPPLE CHIPS WHOLLY GUACAMOLE, DICED AVOCADO Eating avocado: awesome. Preparing avocado: wooooork.

This company peels, pits, dices, and seals.

Open up. Dig in.

Per ¼ cup (50g): 1g protein, 110 calories, 4g carbs (3g fiber), 10g fat

LIFE’S GRAPE VINEDRIED GRAPES, CLASSIC Okay, yes, they’re grapes. But not the shriveled, sugary kind. These are plump, juicy, and naturally sweet. They taste great straight up, too.

Per 28g bag: 1g protein, 80 calories, 22g carbs (1g fiber), 0g fat

VERMONT CREAMERY GOAT CHEESE DIP, CLASSIC Chemically flavored, shelf-stable “cheese product” snack dip this is not. It’s real goat cheese, with a little salt. Dunk away.

Per 2 Tbsp (30g): 3g protein, 45 calories, 1g carbs (0g fiber), 4g fat

Real pineapple dehydrated into snack form.

There are no added sugars, and they serve as a great counterweight to salty snacks.

They’re also nice in homemade trail mix.

Per 45g package: 2g protein, 180 calories, 41g carbs (4g fiber), 0g fat

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YASSO DIPPED GREEK YOGURT BARS, VANILLA CHOCOLATE CRUNCH It’s actually the crisped quinoa in the crunchy chocolate coating that is the unsung hero of this treat. Per 55g bar: 4g protein, 140 calories, 15g carbs (0g fiber), 7g fat

Clif Nut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Here’s your new preworkout snack. These PB bars are a strong source of easily digestible carbs with a skosh of protein.

Per 50g bar: 7g protein, 230 calories, 27g carbs (3g fiber), 11g fat

PIPCORN, SEA SALT

There’s nothing wrong with pork rinds. There’s also nothing wrong with these pea-protein-based copycat snacks, and if we hadn’t told you about that, you would not have known the difference.

Per 28g serving: 7g protein, 130 calories, 13g carbs (1g fiber), 6g fat

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

SANTA FE SPARKLING WATER, LEMON This can of bubbly water spikes its flavor with lemon juice and a little rosemary extract. It fills you up, so yes, consider it a snack.

Per 16 fl oz can: 1 calorie

Courtesy brands (food items)

OUTSTANDING FOODS PIGOUT, NACHO CHEESE

Popcorn, a surprising source of fiber, unsurprisingly always sticks to your teeth. Not Pipcorn, which uses small kernels and tastes nuttier than regular popcorn.

Pair with Netflix.

Per 2½ cups (28g): 3g protein, 120 calories, 18g carbs (3g fiber), 5g fat

Supercharge your health with antioxidants.

Recharge your batteries with P∂M Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. With more antioxidant power on average than red wine, blueberry juice, or green tea, P∂M has the free-radical-fighting juice your body needs.

© 2020 POM Wonderful LLC. All Rights Reserved. POM, POM WONDERFUL, ANTIOXIDANT SUPERPOWER, the accompanying logos, and the Bubble Bottle Design are trademarks of POM Wonderful LLC or its affiliates. PJ200827-07

LIFE JCOCO CHOCOLATE ALASKAN SMOKED SEA SALT These squares of 60 percent dark chocolate also have a salty side, which makes them taste like a bag of chocolatecovered pretzels—without your having to eat a whole bag of chocolatecovered pretzels.

Per 28g bar: 2g protein, 140 calories, 15g carbs (3g fiber), 10g fat

THE

Snack Hall of Fame

Our all-time favorites have two things in common: whole ingredients and very little pomp.

WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS, LIGHTLY SALTED They’re high in heart-healthy fats, but they’re also an unheralded source of protein. (Okay, and they go great with beer.)

6g protein, 150 calories, 8g carbs (3g fiber), 13g fat

JOOLIES ORGANIC MEDJOOL DATES, PITTED STONYFIELD ORGANIC DAILY PROBIOTICS, BLUEBERRY POMEGRANATE These drinkable yogurts offer a quick shot of gut-healthy bacteria and go well with fruit—an apple, a banana, a peach, or more blueberries. Per 92 ml bottle: 3g protein, 60 calories, 11g carbs (0g fiber), 1g fat

If you’ve yet to enjoy one of these chewy-sweet fruits, it’s time. They’re deep and complex—almost like a good brandy—and for that reason you only ever need one or two to feel satisfied. Per 2 dates (40g): 1g protein, 110 calories, 30g carbs (3g fiber), 0g fat

EGGLAND’S BEST ORGANIC HARD COOKED PEELED EGGS Good eggs, cooked and peeled. You could chop them to make egg salad. Or just eat them straight out of the bag. Per egg (44g): 6g protein, 50 calories, 0g carbs, 4g fat

WILD PLANET SARDINES IN WATER WITH SEA SALT Ounce for ounce, you will not find a higher-protein, higher-omega-3 snack anywhere—land or sea. All you need is a few crackers and a spritz of lemon. Per 85g tin: 18g protein, 140 calories, 0g carbs, 8g fat

BABYBEL ORIGINAL CHEESE It’s Edam cheese, in all its rich and creamy glory, individually portioned.

Simple. Excellent. Per wheel (21g): 5g protein, 70 calories, 0g carbs, 6g fat

LUPII, TAHINI LEMON CRANBERRY If you’re not a fan of too-sweet snack bars, here’s a changeup.

Lupii builds its bars with mild, creamy lupini beans. And then instead of clobbering the taste of the beans with added sugars, it turns up the tartness. Per 50g bar: 9g protein, 190 calories, 21g carbs (8g fiber), 7g fat

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Lesser Evil Power Curls, Spicy Salsa They’re made with egg whites, which is kind of wacky, but they’re a decent protein source as a result. The hot and garlicky flavor is what hits, though.

Per 14 curls (28g): 6g protein, 130 calories, 14g carbs (0g fiber), 5g fat

GRILLO’S PICKLES ITALIAN DILL SPEARS They’re crisp. They’re tangy.

They’re fresh. They’re everything those shelf-stable limp and yellowed pickles are not.

Per spear (28g): 5 calories, 1g carbs

Think you’re in control of the sugar you eat?

YOU’RE IN FOR A SHOCK! Uncover the added sugar traps in your food and drink.

Discover the 100+ healthy swaps to cut back.

“Sugar Shock is the perfect book to help you break up with sugar.”

— DJ Blatner, RDN

Get it now wherever books are sold!

LIFE

IT S TIME FOR TURKEY (AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND . . .)

BY MATTHEW KADEY, R.D.

THE BEST thing

about Thanksgiving is all the leftovers.

The worst thing about Thanksgiving is all the leftovers.

Stop stuffing down boring turkey sandwiches and gobble up one—or all ten!—of these stacks instead.

BANH MI BREAD: 2 small baguettes SPREAD: ⅓ cup mayo + 1½ tsp Sriracha TOPPING: ⅓ cup sliced cucumber + ⅓ cup grated carrot + ¼ cup sliced radish + 2 Tbsp rice vinegar + ½ tsp salt (mix all these and let sit for at least 30 minutes) + ¼ cup cilantro

1

52

GET TOASTY

Toasting the bread enhances sandwich flavor and structural integrity. The toaster is fine, but heartier breads (ciabatta, baguette) benefit from a minute or three beneath the broiler to turn crisp outside and chewy inside.

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

2 STACK

SMART

Each recipe makes two sandwiches.

Double the flavor by distributing the spread on the top and bottom bread slices. Then add ½ cup sliced turkey to the bottom slice, followed by an equal portion of the topping and finally the top slice.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSEA KYLE

Spud LOVE BREAD: 4 slices rye BREAD: 4 slices whole wheat 4 slices sourdough SPREAD: ⅓ cup hummus + 2 Tbsp pesto TOPPING: 4 strips cooked bacon + 2 thick

SPREAD: ⅓ cup sour cream + 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish + 1 tsp lemon zest

SPREAD: ¾ cup mashed sweet potato + 1 Tbsp chopped sage + 2 tsp maple syrup + ⅛ tsp cinnamon TOPPING: 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts + 1 sliced small apple + 1 cup baby kale

Big Fig BREAD: 2 sandwich thins SPREAD: ¼ cup BBQ sauce

Food styling by Tyna Hoang; prop styling by Summer Moore at Honey Artists.

TOPPING: ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese + ¼ cup pickled jalapeño slices + 1 cup shredded lettuce

BREAD: 4 slices sprouted grain

BREAD: 4 slices seeded multigrain

SPREAD: 1 mashed avocado + 1 minced garlic clove + 1 Tbsp chopped chives + 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

SPREAD: ¼ cup fig preserves + 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 Tbsp chopped shallot + 1 tsp fresh thyme

TOPPING: 2 fat slices fresh mozzarella + 1 cup baby spinach + ½ cup microgreens

TOPPING: ½ cup sliced fennel + 1 oz crumbled

Mango Curry BREAD: 2 large wraps

Shroom SERVICE

BREAD: 2 ciabatta rolls

SPREAD: ½ cup plain Greek yogurt + 1 tsp yellow curry powder + 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice + ⅛ tsp cayenne

BREAD: 4 slices pumpernickel

SPREAD: ¼ cup cream cheese + 2 tsp lime zest

SPREAD: 2 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard

TOPPING: ¾ cup sliced mango + ½ cup sliced red bell pepper + ½ cup watercress

TOPPING: 2 slices provolone cheese + 1 cup sauteed mushrooms + ⅓ cup parsley

TOPPING: ½ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce + 2 Tbsp chopped white onion + 1 Tbsp minced jalapeño + ¼ cup chopped cilantro MEN’S HEALTH

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53

LIFE

Higher

LOVE

Sex: awesome. And, as more Americans are learning, weed can also be pretty awesome.

Together? Whooooooooaaaaaahh. Here’s everything you need to know about your new favorite unsung sex toy.

BY SOPHIE SAINT THOMAS

T

HESE DAYS, you’re more likely to find pot at a fancy dispensary than in some dude’s backpack in a parking lot. And because of its growing accessibility—it’s now fully legal in 11 states, plus Washington, D. C.—weed is also making inroads in another realm: the bedroom.

“We know pretty conclusively at this point that cannabis can be useful for increasing desire,” says Harvard cannabis researcher Jordan Tishler, M.D. “It can also be useful for increasing the frequency and intensity of an orgasm and generally increases that sense of intimacy.”

Proud stoners of the world (raises hand) say that stoned sex is the best sex. And for some of us, it provides powerful psychological benefits. I began using weed medically for PTSD following a sexual assault.

It brought back my libido and my ability to trust my partners. At the moment, I’m primarily into stoned sex for the full-body orgasms and jealousy-free threesomes.

But even if stoned three-ways aren’t your thing, marijuana can lower your inhibitions around exploring fantasies, boost your creativity for dirty talk and role playing, or just make regular old sex feel incredible. Here’s everything you need to know about sex and weed.

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The Feel-Good Effects of Weed Why weed enhances sex is, well, not super sexy. But it’s important! Two chemicals in marijuana, THC and CBD, fire up your endocannabinoid system (ECS), which boosts feelings of ease and joy, says Julie Holland, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology. Because the ECS runs throughout your body, pot has a ton of physical, mental, and even emotional benefits, like these.

PHYSICALLY,

MENTALLY,

EMOTIONALLY,

WEED CAN . . .

WEED CAN . . .

WEED CAN . . .

. . . enhance blood flow to the genitals, making every touch electric and orgasms out of this world.

. . . promote divergent thinking, the process of connecting seemingly unrelated ideas, which encourages creative sex. I’m not a doctor, but I can play one in the bedroom.

...shrink your negative bias, helping you appreciate your partner and find the bright side of any issues in the bedroom.

. . . reduce pain during vaginal or anal sex, especially when applied topically. . . . heighten, or even blur, the five senses, creating a psychedelic sexual experience. Did I just feel that dirty talk in my dick?

. . . boost your focus during sex, thanks to those all-consuming physical sensations. . . . soothe your nerves—studies show that the compound CBD eases anxiety.

. . . safely lower inhibitions, helping you open up about your fantasies and desires (and then act them out). . . . help you unwind after a rigorous sex session, whether you’re sharing a cannabis chocolate or spreading a topical over achy (read: spanked) body parts.

HOW THE HECK D O I B U Y T H IS S T U F F ?

The BEST BUDS for Your BEDROOM Weed comes in many different forms.

Find the one that matches your style for the best results.

You are:

Opposite: Levi Brown/Trunk Archive, Freepix (cannabis leaf composition).

This page: Pete Baker from the Noun Project (cannabis leaf). Cappi Thompson/Getty (cannabis buds). Kandid Kush Studios (Kin Slips). Courtesy brands (other products).

New to all this.

First, check o ut norml.org for regulation s by state, an d then go to le afly.com for dispensary lo cations in your area.

Try/why:

Topicals They aren’t psychoactive, meaning they won’t get you high, but they do have painrelieving and anti-inflammatory benefits. Use cannabis oil to give your partner a massage, or add some to a bath to make it even more relaxing.

Her Highness Pleasure Oil ($60) There are massages without it (kinda nice), and then there are massages with this silkysmooth, instantly relaxing oil (un-be-lievable).

In the mood. Like, right now.

Sublinguals They deliver the fullbody buzz of edibles, but they kick in faster. Though some companies make strips you can place under your tongue, typically a sublingual is a tincture made with alcohol or oil. Delivery is fun, too: Place a droplet beneath your tongue; kiss your partner. Take turns. One thing: Not everyone loves the taste, and if that’s you, you can always mix them with food or a drink.

Kin Slips Cloud Buster 5mg 20 pack ($30) Hints of tarragon and citrus? Fancy and fun.

Ready to go all night.

Edibles They’re candy! (Or

KIVA High THC Chocolate Bar ($22) Because sex and chocolate go hand in hand. Each bar comes in 20 pieces to help you dose safely.

brownies, if you choose to cook with cannabis oil.) They’re also discreet (pop one at dinner), last about eight hours, and come on gradually, allowing you to ease into the experience. If you’re new, try five milligrams. If, two hours later, you want more, have another five and work up from there.

THE CBD HEAT CHART

Don’t want to get high? CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabis component with a host of purported benefits.

(Less anxiety! No more pain!) But two CBD products can contain vastly different things, and some of it’s pure snake oil, Dr. Tishler warns.

However, if you know what to look for, you may find CBD even better than THC when it comes to sex.

BUY THIS

Full-Spectrum CBD This stuff contains all the ingredients that cannabis has to offer, including THC and aromatic oils called terpenes. Keeping these components together, as opposed to isolating the CBD, produces what’s known as the entourage effect. “Think of it as an ensemble of instruments: When the whole band plays together, it sounds amazing, but if you just play the clarinet, it’s not going to sound as good,” Dr. Holland says.

Broad-Spectrum CBD It’s got everything full-spectrum has except the THC. If you’re not into taking THC—say, because of an upcoming drug test—this is your best option for relaxation.

CBD Isolate

Feeling adventurous.

Suppositories A vaginal suppository can help fight discomfort and dryness, making sex more enjoyable for everyone. An anal suppository can help reduce pain during all kinds of butt stuff (along with your trusty pal lube).

Wherever you and your partner are popping them in, wait 30 minutes before go time for the chemicals to get started.

You’re looking at pure CBD and nothing else, so it doesn’t unlock that powerfully relaxing entourage effect, says Dr. Holland. When it comes to sex, she doesn’t recommend a CBD isolate—unless it’s infused in a lube. “Any lube is going to make sex better,” she says.

Foria THC Vaginal and Anal Suppositories ($45, $55) Foria is the OG sex and cannabis brand. Be brave and try these. Trust me.

Anything That Lists “Hemp Oil” as an Ingredient

NOPE Don’t. Because of the proven health risks, like breathing problems and lung disease, Men’s Health isn’t here for inhaling anything other than air.

While it may have microscopic amounts of CBD, hemp oil is touted more as a nutritional supplement and does not offer the same benefits as CBD.

+

Sophie Saint Thomas is the author of Finding Your Higher Self: Your Guide to Cannabis for Self-Care and The Little Book of CBD for Self-Care.

MEN’S HEALTH

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55

LIFE

COLD COMFORT

When the temps drop, you need durable, versatile layers that’ll help you keep warm and look good, outside or indoors. Tackle the day ahead with these transitional cold-weather staples.

Sure, your old flannel holds up fine, but this shirt-jacket collab by outdoorsy icon L.L.Bean and American designer Todd Snyder is built to last a lifetime. Made from a wool-and-nylon blend, it’s ultradurable, insulating, and the ultimate layer for times when you’re chilling by the fire in the backyard— or escaping the chill inside.

Wool shirt jacket ($139) and T-shirt ($50) by L.L.Bean x Todd Snyder; pants ($198) by AG; Thinsulate boots ($169) by L.L.Bean; Runwell chronograph ($800) by Shinola.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDRE L PERRY

ADVERTISEMENT

Weight Loss

DAD BODS? SHRINK YOUR GUT

1HHG WR GURS VRPH SRXQGV" 7DNH LW R ZLWK D PRUQLQJ VKDNH

By Chris Hansen

B

eing a trainer, bodybuilder, and nutrition expert means that companies frequently send me their products and ask for my stamp of approval. Most of the time I dive into research, test the product out, and send the company honest feedback.

Sometimes, however, I refuse to give the product a try, because frankly, the ingredients inside aren’t real food. And I’d rather drink diesel fuel than torture my body with a chemical concoction.

Like my father always said, “What you put inside your body always shows up on the outside.”

One protein shake that I received, that will remain nameless, was touted as ‘the next big shake’ but really had a list of gut destroying ingredients. Everywhere I read I saw harmful artificial ingredients, added sugars, synthetic dyes, preservatives and cheap proteins; the kind of proteins that keep you fat no matter how hard you hit the gym, sap your energy and do nothing for your muscles.

Disappointed after reviewing this “new”

shake, I hit the gym and bumped into my favorite bodybuilding coach. This guy is pushing 50, has the energy of a college kid, and is ripped.

So are his clients.

While I firmly believe that the gym is a notalk focus zone, I had to ask, “Hey Zee, what protein shake are you recommending to your clients these days?”

Zee looked at me, and shook his head.

“Protein shakes are old news and loaded with junk. I don’t recommend protein shakes, I tell my clients to drink INVIGOR8 Superfood Shake because it’s the only all natural meal replacement that works and has a taste so good that it’s addicting.”

Being skeptical of what Zee told me, I decided to investigate this superfood shake called INVIGOR8.

Turns out INVIGOR8 Superfood Shake has a near 5-star rating on Amazon. The creators are actual scientists and personal trainers who set out to create a complete meal replacement shake chocked full of superfoods that—get this—actually accelerate how quickly and easily

you lose belly fat and builds even more lean, calorie burning muscle.

We all know that the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn. The more fat you melt away the more definition you get in your arms, pecs and abs.

The makers of INVIGOR8 were determined to make the first complete, natural, non-GMO superfood shake that helps you lose fat and build lean muscle. The result is a shake that contains 100% grass-fed whey that has a superior nutrient profile to the grain-fed whey found in most shakes, metabolism boosting raw coconut oil, hormone free colostrum to promote a healthy immune system, Omega 3, 6, 9-rich chia and flaxseeds, superfood greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, alfalfa, and chlorella, and clinically tested cognitive enhancers for improved mood and brain function. The company even went a step further by including a balance of pre and probiotics for regularity in optimal digestive health, and digestive enzymes so your body absorbs the high-caliber nutrition you get from INVIGOR8.

While there are over 1000 testimonials on Amazon about how INVIGOR8 “gave me more energy and stamina” and “melts away abdominal fat like butter on a hot sidewalk”, what really impressed me was how many customers raved about the taste. So I had to give it a try.

When it arrived I gave it the sniff test. Unlike most meal replacement shakes it smelled like whole food, not a chemical factory. So far so good. Still INVIGOR8 had to pass the most important test, the taste test.

And INVIGOR8 was good. Better than good.

I could see what Zee meant when he said his clients found the taste addicting.

I also wanted to see if Invigor8 would help me burn that body fat I’d tried to shave off for years to achieve total definition.

Just a few weeks later I’m pleased to say, shaving that last abdominal fat from my midsection wasn’t just easy. It was delicious.

Considering all the shakes I’ve tried I can honestly say that the results I’ve experienced from INVIGOR8 are nothing short of astonishing.

A company spokesperson confirmed an exclusive offer for Men’s Health readers: if you order INVIGOR8 this month, you’ll receive $10 off your first order by using promo code “MEN10” at checkout. If you’re in a rush to burn fat, restore lean muscle and boost your stamina and energy you can order INVIGOR8 today at www.drinkInvigor8.com or by calling 1-800958-3392.

LIFE

Sweater weather calls for a protective layer that looks and feels great in any setting. (Bulky winter coats can wait.) This crewneck sweater by Patagonia is soft as hell and easy to throw on before your fourth Zoom meeting of the day. Best of all, it’s made from 70 percent recycled wool.

Recycled-wool sweater ($139)

by Patagonia; Warmknit Henley ($68) by Mack Weldon; stretch cargo pants ($188) by Good Man Brand; Gore-Tex boots ($160) by Vasque; Chandler chronograph ($275) by Citizen.

The benefit of this lightweight and water-resistant Ben Sherman vest, made from a nylon-cotton blend, is that it’s all-purpose and all-weather. Cold out? Throw on a Henley and jeans, like our guy here. Raining? Grab a pair of waterproof boots (cough, cough, look right) and a reliable raincoat.

Still warm outside? Rock a polo and some 5.5-inch-inseam shorts and call it a day.

Jeffrey Westbrook (boots)

Quilted vest ($135) by Ben Sherman; thermal Henley ($78) by Outerknown; Voyager flex jeans ($85) by Eddie Bauer; duck boots ($130) by UGG; hat ($40) by L.L.Bean x Todd Snyder; Promaster Tough chronograph ($550) by Citizen.

Yes, camo’s about blending in, but this fleece jacket by Timberland is all about helping you stand out and can upgrade any basic tee and khakis. Even better, it’s lined with mesh, which allows for better ventilation, and is made entirely from recycled fleece.

Recycled-fleece jacket ($128)

by Timberland; T-shirt ($69) by Arc’teryx; pants ($140) by Fjällräven; Toa Gore-Tex boots ($170) by Hoka One One; Navi XL watch ($259) by Timex.

THE ULTIMATE REBOOT

FOR THE STORM CHASERS Fall weather can be unpredictable. Prepare for those rainy days with this pair of waterproof boots from L.L.Bean x Todd Snyder.

The rubber chain-tread bottom provides extra traction, and the upper molds to the shape of your foot and ankle for more comfort.

FOR THE GUYS ON THE GO We all need at least one pair of boots that can match with a tee as seamlessly as with a casual blazer. Danner’s fit the bill. Plus, they’re lightweight, slip resistant, and made from a full-grain leather that’s both durable and strong.

FOR THE ADVENTURERS These purpose-built Merrell hiking boots are all about performance. The suede upper is abrasion and tear resistant, and the cushion in the heel is made to absorb shock and offer added stability while you’re on the trails.

FOR THE WFH CROWD When you’re inside all day, comfort’s crucial—that’s where these leather Milwaukee Boot Co. boots come in. Made with a leather padded OrthoLite foam footbed, the cushioning is soft and sturdy. And if your day takes a pivot and you end up at happy hour, this pair just looks good, too.

MEN’S HEALTH

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A D U LT A C N E !

Let s Clear Up a Few Things Skin problems don’t disappear when you hit your 20s. Or 30s.

Or 40s. So instead of waiting to “grow out” of your acne (you won’t), decode the causes and prevent future breakouts.

BY GARRETT MUNCE

L

IKE BACKPACKS and bowl cuts, you may have thought pimples and blackheads were reserved for your teen years. Except that adult acne is exceedingly common, says Michelle Henry, M.D., a New York–based dermatologist. “There is adult-onset acne, when patients who never had it now have it as adults, and there are patients who have had it their entire lives,” she says. Regardless of when it happens, there’s usually a why. Find the problem, match the mode of prevention.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

All. This. Stress.

Anxiety releases the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol. That chemical activates your sebaceous glands, which flood your pores with breakout-causing oil. Plus: “There’s an increased release of inflammatory molecules and hormones that we think can have a direct effect on the skin,” says New York dermatologist and psychiatrist Evan Rieder, M.D. It’s not always acute stress that makes this happen. Low-level, consistent stress (sound familiar?) keeps cortisol levels high and could even lead to chronic acne, too.

PREVENT IT: Reduce your stress, obviously, but more realistically you could talk to your dermatologist about medications called retinoids, which can decrease inflammation, says Birmingham-based dermatologist Corey Hartman, M.D. Adapalene (Differin) is an over-the-counter option, but talk to a doctor about using it first.

Your Diet Adults who said they frequently consumed foods with a high glycemic index, such as milk and sugar, also reported having more acne, according to a 2020

LIFE

study published in JAMA Dermatology. “Now we understand that things like chocolate and empty carbohydrates can also make your skin more oily,” says Dr. Henry.

PREVENT IT: Monitor your intake.

You don’t have to start a food journal.

Just take note of when you eat an extra slice of pumpkin pie or double up on a milk-based shake and then scan your face for a day or two afterward for blemishes. If you notice more acne, dial back on the food or drink that likely caused it.

Friction When something rubs against your skin, the heat and friction can force dirt and oil into your pores and trigger inflammation. “You see this on anyone who’s wearing gear that’s causing a lot of rubbing,” like football players and construction workers, says Dr. Henry. Or, as maybe you’ve experienced lately, everyone wearing face masks during COVID-19.

Lisa Lok (illustration). Shutterstock (cartoon). Courtesy brands (face products).

PREVENT IT: “You want to create a barrier,” says Dr. Henry, who recommends applying a heavy but gentle moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid, like Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion ($18; ulta.com), which keeps moisture in the skin while also protecting it from the rubbing.

Hormones Androgens like testosterone, which rage in your teens, can also increase the production of sebum. This waxlike goop clogs pores and can lead

to deep-rooted cysts. While women suffer more often from hormonal acne, men can experience these testosterone-related breakouts, too, says Dr. Hartman—although hormonal acne in men is more often associated with the intake of outside hormones from supplements or food.

PREVENT IT: Doctors treat hormone-related acne in women with testosterone blockers. But you don’t want to mess with your T levels. Instead, buy organic animal products. The USDA organic seal ensures that food producers did not use hormones at any stage of the production process, which means no testosterone will sneak its way into your diet.

Grooming Goop “Most oils will cause clogged pores and breakouts,” says Dr. Hartman. If your hair-care or beard products contain any oil, it can settle directly into your pores.

Oil-based hair-styling products can accumulate on your hairline or temples and lead to pimples.

PREVENT IT: Though there are some types of oil that have been shown not to clog pores, Dr. Hartman recommends erring on the side of caution. “You can get moisture and hydration from other things—just avoid oil altogether,” he says. Switch hair and beard products to options that specifically say “oil-free” or “water-based” on the label, like Baxter of California Hard Water Pomade ($23; baxterofcalifornia.com).

VANQUISH THE DARK MARKS Popping zits is dangerous. Rooting out a deep cyst you can’t see on the surface can result in cell damage and the release of melanin, a dark pigment, leaving a nasty scar in its wake. Instead, apply a salicylic acid spot treatment like Clean & Clear

YOUR ALL-PURPOSE

ACNE-TREATMENT POWER PLAN Now you know how to prevent breakouts. Here are three ways to deal with the acne you may already have.

RETINOL “Everyone should be using retinol,” says Dr. Hartman. “It’s the best way to manage acne and prevent it from coming back.” Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, helps exfoliate and unclog pores and aids cell turnover, which is why it’s a common ingredient in antiaging products. Try this: Differin Adapalene Gel ($19; cvs.com).

EXFOLIATING ACIDS Salicylic and glycolic acids specifically can help remove dead cells from the surface of your skin. They can also help remove acne-causing buildup from within your pores. Salicylic acid is typically used for acne but can be irritating and drying to skin. If it’s rough on yours, try glycolic acid, which is gentler.

Try these: Bevel Exfoliating Toner with Glycolic Acid ($14; getbevel.com) and the Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser ($10; theinkeylist.com).

BENZOYL PEROXIDE This chemical helps kill acne-causing bacteria inside pores called P. acnes.

That said, “it can be a little inflammatory,” says Dr. Henry, and it can lead to dryness. Start by using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser every few days.

Try this: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Facial Cleanser ($8; neutrogena.com).

Advantage Spot Treatment ($7; cleanandclear.com) or cover it with a Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Acne Patch ($13; herocosmetics.com) to help it heal. If you already have dark spots from previous breakouts, ingredients like glycolic acid can also help even

out your complexion. And if you’re looking for a more immediate solution, like for that Zoom meeting in five minutes, a little dab of Stryx Concealer ($20; stryx .com) will help temporarily cover both pimples and dark spots.

MEN’S HEALTH

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LIFE

COOL DAD

Fatherhood: A Travel Guide A writer and director of Pixar’s latest, Soul, had big plans for his kids when it came to globe-trotting. Now he sees the world a little differently. BY KEMP POWERS Like the year the three of us and my partner went to Japan, where we admired tant things a Black American parent can buy for their young children are swimming the Meiji Shrine, walked the streets of Shibuya, hit the Tsukiji fish market, lessons and a passport. That’s because swimming and travel are effective tools for and even made it to the Ghibli Museum. teaching children not to be limited by fear. (Though the hotel toilets were my nineyear-old son’s highlight.) Or the year we When both of my kids were young, bolted to London, where we visited the they took swimming lessons, and now Tate Modern, went on a shopping spree they’re capable swimmers. That was the at Fortnum & Mason, and then took in a (relatively) easy one. Travel was trickier. gaggle of West End plays, including the Not only was it less goal-oriented—you impossible-to-get Harry Potter and either swim or, ahem, sink—I had admitthe Cursed Child—parts one and two in a tedly set the bar quite high. I wanted to single day. (Though my daughter, then 18, help my children develop into . . . wait for still talks about the hotel happyit . . . sophisticated travelers. hour cheese trays.) I saw these As soon as I had the means, we + trips as an opportunity for me began a new family tradition: one Kemp Powers is a to blow their young minds while major trip per year. The farther cowriter and codirector of Pixar’s simultaneously turning them away the better. Lean financial Soul, out November into model global citizens. years sometimes limited our trips 20, and wrote AmaWhich, let’s be honest, made to domestic destinations. But on zon’s upcoming good years, we’d go for broke.

One Night in Miami. me look great. With every stamp I’VE ALWAYS said that the two most impor-

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

that filled one of my kids’ passports, it was less likely anyone would suspect that when I was their age, I’d never even flown on an airplane. I liked to tell my kids that the difference between being a tourist and a traveler was “acting like you belong here, wherever you are.”

I must have told them this about a dozen times before I finally realized that it wasn’t them who required convincing that they belonged—it was me. I’d seen so little of the world; my kids were merely conduits for my own self-discovery.

And, I’ll admit now, I may have overcompensated. Picking foreign locales, agenda-packing itineraries, priming mind-blowing cultural experiences— while my kids do still recollect fondly our big trips, our approach to travel together has changed for the better and not at all because of me.

My daughter is 22 now and my son is 16.

Scheduling anything involving the both of them can be difficult. They’re both busy with other important things. Like being indecisive. And Instagram. Our last trip—before the pandemic shut down travel—was a short one: a road trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, only five hours by car from my home in Los Angeles.

There were no big moments on this trip, no real plans other than to see the aquarium. We spent most of the time on the road, at rest stops, grabbing something to eat, and catching up. We didn’t even linger that long at the aquarium, opting instead to return to our hotel rooms to rest before dinner.

While the kids slept, I stared out my hotel-room window at the peaceful bay. I thought about how, as a young father, I may have tried to force memories into my children, captaining epic trips to distant lands in hopes of forever altering their gray matter. I know that travel helped my kids grow, but maybe they didn’t need me applying such firm pressure. Maybe learning to travel is more like learning to swim: You ease into it.

Outside the hotel window, a sea otter danced among the kelp beds as I sipped a glass of Scotch. I contemplated canceling our somewhat-elaborate evening plans and ordering room service instead.

We could all eat dinner in bed, watch mediocre television, and goof off—like the sophisticated travelers we are.

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL FISHEL

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Marcus V Richardson

Top of Mind

DARIAN HALL quit his job to find a higher purpose. Two years later, after realizing that there was no “gym” for his mental health he could call home, he helped build one: HealHaus.

BY JOSH OCAMPO

YOU R THR EE-STEP HOLIDAY

.................................................

BOYS DON’T CRY. MAN UP. GROW A PAIR.

You’ve probably heard one (or all) of these at some point in your life. Maybe you’ve even said them—to yourself or to another person. That’s been the default for men several generations going: If something is bothering you, soldier on.

The experience is worse for men of color, who face a cultural stigma surrounding things like self-care. Only one third of Black and Hispanic adult men in the U. S. who need mentalhealth care receive it.

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MIND

ONCE HE LEFT his job in May 2016, Hall, who had always wanted to travel, booked a one-way ticket to Paris. He spent the next six months in Europe, Japan, South America, and West Africa, traveling from place to place without an itinerary. “It was freeing,” he says.

“But when I came back, I didn’t know what I wanted to do now that I had that taste of freedom.”

When Hall returned home to New York that November, he was stuck. He had tried building an app with friends that would connect travelers with locals, but it didn’t get off the ground after months of development. He was also in the throes of the breakup of a six-year relationship. Both of these events left him feeling in a void.

This uncertainty about his future prompted unanswered questions about his past—like the whereabouts of his father. Until then, Hall knew little about his dad, not even his name. “I had never inquired about who my father was. I had normalized the fact that I didn’t know anything about him,” he says.

Hall talked to his mom, who provided enough information for him to do an Internet search. That search led him to message his father on Facebook. Then, in July 2017, the two met. Hall found out 66

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

HOW I

MANAGE

A HEALING HAND: Darian Hall wanted to help other men of color prioritize their self-care.

Self-care’s easier than you think. Take a cue from Hall’s three-step routine.

PUT DOWN

THE PHONE If he’s feeling stressed, Hall says his phone doesn’t help. So when he knows he’s facing a particularly challenging day, he’ll avoid reaching for it in the morning so he can ground and center himself for the remainder of the workday. If something comes up that’s truly important, someone will find a way to reach him.

PUT ON

A RECORD Music transports. And for Hall, there’s something about starting and ending his day with music.

In the evening, putting on a good album and listening through headphones is a ritual he’s performed since he was younger. Some of his favorite albums: D’Angelo’s Voodoo and Sade’s Diamond Life.

SAY

“OM” Hall tries to meditate for 30 minutes a day via HealHaus’s programming. But the time span isn’t the goal. He aims to spend as much of that time as he can flowing with whatever he’s feeling instead of fighting it.

he had half siblings. During the meeting, his father’s wife shared with Hall a photo of him as a kid that his father had kept. And when Hall posted to Instagram about meeting his father, along with the photo of them standing side by side, his comments section blew up.

His fraternity brothers from college, also Black men, shared their own experiences with their families, relationships, and fatherhood. “They were being vulnerable about different things for the first time with me because I was being real about meeting my dad,” he says. “These conversations led me to question why we didn’t have spaces that incorporated therapy in a way that’s inviting. The idea was keeping me up at night.”

SHORTLY AFTER Hall’s meeting with his father, he had a conversation with his friend Elisa Shankle. As a practicing yogi, she was used to the lack of diverse practitioners in her classes. Something clicked for Hall, who had been going to yoga classes, meditation classes, and therapy clinics. “None of it resonated with me because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me.”

Marcus V Richardson (Hall). Courtesy HealHaus (interior).

That’s why Darian Hall, 39, cofounded the Brooklyn-based HealHaus, a revolutionary new community for men that’s at the forefront of changing perceptions surrounding mental health for people of color. Until the spring of 2016, he’d been working in medical-device sales for more than a decade. Although he was grateful for the job, ultimately the work was unfulfilling, and the sales quotas applied an ever-increasing load of pressure. “It plays on your psyche,” he says.

“I didn’t want to determine my worth and success based upon hitting a certain number.” So instead of soldiering on, he did the opposite. He quit.

He didn’t know it then, but that simple act of surrender would lay the foundation for HealHaus.

And then a string of events brought him to another place uncharted: his past.

I DIDN’T WANT TO DETERMINE MY WORTH AND SUCCESS BASED UPON HITTING A CERTAIN NUMBER.

So a few weeks later, Hall and Shankle hatched a plan: They’d establish a wellness studio for people of color to come together and heal. “We were going to create something that no one else had done,” Hall says. “There was no blueprint.”

But there was a conscious shift taking place for men, and men of color specifically, he says. “You have LeBron James partnering with a meditation app, Jay-Z rapping about therapy. Guys are starting to have these conversations that are needed and realizing that not talking about them hasn’t served us in the past.”

A 2019 survey by the American Psychological Association found that young people, and Gen Zers in particular, seek therapy and other treatment for their mental health significantly more than Gen Xers and baby boomers. And now there are plenty of new, digital resources that promise to meet every mental-health need—virtual psychiatrists, meditation apps, online group therapy. Hall wanted to make these kinds of resources equally accessible for men of color.

After months of recruiting diverse teachers from the New York City area, in May 2018 they launched the studio, HealHaus, in the Clinton Hill neigh-

borhood of Brooklyn. The studio offers your standard wellness fare, like yoga and meditation classes, but also more tailored workshops on subjects like breathwork, as well as men’s wellness circles. Hall says that while HealHaus is open to all, people of color finally have a space of their own. “That first week we opened, I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “But after our first couple of classes, I knew we had tapped into something special, because we had guys meditating for the first time.”

Hall wanted to meet the needs of men of color as much as he could. Amid the pandemic and in the wake of the recent murders of Black Americans, including George Floyd, he began hosting virtual healing sessions for men of color to share their experiences as minorities, with a life coach and a therapist helping to facilitate the sessions with Hall. Hundreds of men signed up.

Now they’re hosting monthly sessions and other workshops for men, like mindfulness classes. Following one recent healing session, Hall recalls receiving a direct message on Instagram from a participant who said he finally felt like part of a community. “I get messages like that all the time,” he says. “It’s not lost on me the work that we’re doing, because for any guy to open up about his life, it’s a big deal.

We’re not conditioned to be like that most of the time. It’s humbling.”

MEDITATION:

DECODED

There’s no one-size-fits-all form of meditation, says Nikki Starr Noce, M.D., a meditation expert. In fact, finding a practice that works for you starts with simply sitting still and focusing the mind.

IF YOU’RE TYPE A AND TIGHTLY WOUND, TRY . . . BREATHWORK MEDITATION. It’s guided instruction on deep breathing, sometimes accompanied by counting (breathe in for three seconds, hold for one, breathe out for three, hold for one). That gives your mind something to focus on, but it also leads to relaxation, says Dr. Starr Noce.

IF YOU’RE CHIIIIILLLLL, TRY . . . SOUND MEDITATION. You might think you don’t need meditation if you’re already chill, but Dr. Starr Noce says it’s useful in preventing stress during challenging situations.

If you live near a beach, listen to the waves. If you have music that soothes you, sit and concentrate on the song.

IF YOU HONESTLY HAVE NO CLUE WHERE TO BEGIN, TRY . . . OBSERVATION MEDITATION. Start with mindfulness basics: Sit still, close your eyes, observe yourself in stillness, and breathe.

“Observe the rate and the rhythm of your breath without trying to change it or control it,” says Dr. Starr Noce. “It’s really a practice in being still and observing yourself.”

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Sometimes You Just Wanna Punch Someone When the pandemic closed my martial-arts gym, I was left with a growing sense of aggression. My search for an outlet led me to find out a few things I didn’t expect.

BY BRETT WILLIAMS THE SECOND WEEK of March was the last time I had a chance to hit someone.

I remember agonizing over what I then thought was a tough choice: go to Elements Athletics, my Brooklyn mixedmartial-arts gym, for my weekly Muay Thai training session—the one socially acceptable activity that allows me to act on my aggressive streak—or take the evening off. I was burned out at work, my right hand was recovering from a sprain I’d suffered in my first exhibition fight months before, and I was starting to worry about the coronavirus, cases of which had recently been confirmed in the U. S. 68

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I stayed home to rest and unknowingly gave up my final opportunity to train at Elements. By the end of that week, my office closed, Governor Andrew Cuomo banned public gatherings, and New York City declared a state of emergency. Come the first week of June, the fate of the gym was clear: When the city eventually reopened, Elements would not.

MARTIAL-ARTS training can never be

done six feet apart. To properly practice Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, physical contact isn’t just unavoidable— it’s the whole point. You’re going to hit,

get hit, and roll (jiu-jitsu parlance for wrestling).

“When you are sparring or rolling with somebody, you’re breathing very heavily—this virus is transmitted via respiratory droplets,” says Darragh O’Carroll, M.D., an emergency physician in Honolulu who has also served as an MMA ringside physician and as a medical consultant on Netflix’s Pandemic docuseries. “It’s one of the highest-risk activities I think we could participate in at this time.”

According to Dr. O’Carroll, normal practice of martial arts and similar pursuits will remain dangerous until there’s an effective treatment or vaccine available and widely used, which, of course, will probably be a while.

Each successive blow to my ability to practice Muay Thai made me so frustrated that I wanted to hit someone even more. I know these urges indicate some toxically masculine tendencies that I should handle through nonviolent mental outlets. But the controlled aggression of my martial-arts practice had helped me find balance. Now I felt stagnant, stuck. A void had opened—and it was growing wider.

“I think people are struggling overall because the thing that they’re enthusiastic about they cannot do, and there’s a psychological and physiological component to that,” says Jonathan Fader, Ph.D., a sports and performance psychologist.

“One way to think about it is, the whole world is injured right now. Everybody’s a downed athlete.”

When I stopped playing football after 15 years, I grappled with a similar existential challenge. For me, “meaning” is the order I feel in my life when I’m participating in disciplined training, especially in a group. But there are also real physical effects of losing my practice.

“Athletics and physical activity bring endorphins,” Fader says. “They bring in adrenaline, and the absence of those things is actually a brain change. When that’s removed, most people are going to feel some sort of withdrawal.”

This means that downed athletes like me have nowhere to find what Dr. O’Carroll calls “that drug” some athletes need to take. And for grapplers and MMA practitioners, the dosage is even higher. “There’s more adrenaline ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC ROSATI

MIND

involved in their types of exercise,” he says. “For a lot of people, that’s something that they need to have involved in their life.” Not want. Need.

DURING MY football career, which

spanned college and a professional season overseas in Germany’s GFL, I prided myself on being aggressive in the game. I feel at my best when I’m pursuing a goal and there is some potential for collision, if not conflict. I need to know that if someone brings force against me, I can stand against them, holding my ground to defend myself or whomever they threaten.

Without martial arts in my life, particularly during arguably the most tumultuous period in a generation, I felt frustrated and angry. Yes, I wanted to hit someone. But maybe more importantly, I wanted to have the feeling that someone might hit me back—that I could have a chance to counter the blow, instead of the reality of COVID-19, where danger comes from the invisible specter of a deadly virus.

I can blame my caveman brain for my aggro inclinations, according to Fader. He believes that some people feel the need for battle and are built for it more than others. “Especially people who are built for being leaders,” he says.

“Facing danger, they have a tough time

A Personal Oasis “I got a freestanding heavy bag at the start of the pandemic to give me something safe to punch,” says the author, shown here.

“I take out my stress by piling on the strikes one three-minute round at a time, just like a UFC fight.”

police brutality, where any aggression would put myself and others at risk.

You need to figure out what else you can do to find meaning, Fader suggests.

“What we find is that athletes that have several pillars to the way that they define themselves are more resilient when that opportunity to compete is removed,” he says.

I’ve wrestled with self-definition throughout the pandemic, more so since the shifting conditions have made any type of certitude laughable.

I constantly return to my own pillars: my family, my friends, and the satisfaction I have in doing good work.

During the pandemic, my tiny Brooklyn backyard has Empty gyms, shuttered martial-arts studios, closed CrossFit boxes—the served as an oasis from the pandemic has likely sidelined your tried-and-true fitness routine. Until turmoil of the outside world. normalcy returns, here’s how to thrive instead of just survive.

The space is just a few dozen square feet of dirt with a small concrete patch I use for exercise, complete with a standing Try Narrow Chase Find Someone heavy bag in the corner. When the Tri Your Focus a Thrill to Lean On I’m at my most frustrated, I go Triathlons require If you’ve always Contact sports Athletes who are long hours of solo wanted to run often deliver an benched often get outside, envision the paneffort (and solo a sub-25:00 5K adrenaline rush. strength from other demic and the challenges it virtual racing, these or bench your Try to replicate it areas of their lives, presents as my opponent, and days), but the bodyweight, now’s with socialsays Fader. So try start swinging. mixture of sports can the time. Setting a distance-friendly giving a workout to Even if I’m not dodging offer a sense of numerical goal, and alternatives like your picking-up-the“newness” that your then working toward surfing, rock climbing, phone muscle and any real blows, the punches brain craves, says it, can help scratch and trail running—all call (note: not text) I throw have a real effect—in Jonathan Fader, the competitive activities that trigger a friend or family my head, I’m taking on the Ph.D., a sports and itch, even if what Fader calls the member. Talk worst that the world can performance the competition is “fight, flight, or for 15 minutes. psychologist. with yourself. freeze” response.

Rest. Repeat. throw at me, and I’m striking back, hard. remaining stagnant. My view of sports, especially contact sports, is they are a societally acceptable way of sublimating those desires.”

He continues: “I would bet that if you took people who were big-wave surfing, you would find a similar neurological response. I think it’s the extremeness rather than the actual contact action.”

Despite knowing this, the biggest risk I’ve taken is getting a bike. I haven’t gone extreme. The closest I’ve come to this adrenaline-fueled state of confrontation since March has been at protests against

FOUR WAYS TO

FIGHT THROUGH COVID

Courtesy Brett Williams

1

2

3

4

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MIND

Don Lemon Is Working on

Don Lemon 2020 has been brutal on everyone—but the CNN Tonight anchor has been through some shit. Here’s how Lemon is weathering the election firestorm, COVID-19’s impact, racial injustice, and being called out by Dave Chappelle. BY GREGORY SCOTT BROWN, M.D. 70

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

I

N MY PSYCHIATRY PRACTICE, my

patients keep telling me, Doc, the news is stressing me out. Which made me wonder: How is someone who works amid the 24-hour news cycle managing the stress? So I turned to Don Lemon—one of a few Black prime-time cable news anchors, who’s not only reporting on racial-justice protests and COVID-19’s toll on communities of color but processing it all in real time and taking severe backlash for his commentary. We talked over Zoom one afternoon in between my seeing patients. Here’s how he’s dealing with everything coming at him, especially as the nation heads into the election.

YOUR EXPERT

Gregory Scott Brown, M.D., is a psychiatrist, a Men’s Health advisor, and the founder and director of the Center for Green Psychiatry in Austin.

BROWN: HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE STRESS OF THE NEWS CYCLE? Lemon: I just hung up with my therapist.

I have a weekly call for at least an hour.

When I’m not working, I try to dial out and not watch any news. I just think it’s important to be as clear and clean as possible in these times so that you can deal with it properly. I want to be informed, but I don’t want to be inundated.

Kyle Hilton (Brown). Rowan Morgan (Cards Against Humanity). Getty Images (turkey).

ARE THERE NEWS STORIES THAT REALLY GET UNDER YOUR SKIN? I had to get everything off my chest when it comes to racism. I had to do that when George Floyd died. At that time, I was the only person like me on prime time on cable. I felt like if I didn’t say that it wasn’t up to Black people to solve the problem, who was going to say it? The way I defused it was by getting it off my chest, exposing it, bringing light to it, putting it out in the open. I deal with the rest of it in my personal life, and I deal with it in therapy.

AS A BLACK MAN, I WAS HORRIFIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO GEORGE FLOYD, BUT INITIALLY I WASN’T SURPRISED TO HEAR ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY WE LIVE IN IS THAT THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY. I’m like you. I wasn’t surprised to hear it, but when I saw the actual video, it infuriated me. It angered me that someone thought they could have authority over someone else’s life that way, and so it just made me mad and I had to get it off my chest. My initial reaction to it was anger and fury.

I’M TRAINED TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, BUT I’M LEARNING THAT TALKING ABOUT RACE WITH PEOPLE WHO DON’T LOOK LIKE US CAN BE CHALLENGING. ARE THESE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS DIFFICULT FOR YOU? The difficulty is not having conversations with someone who doesn’t look like me; it’s having a conversation with someone who doesn’t get it, and this goes beyond bigotry. I can have a conversation with a bigot and I know where they’re coming from. The worst are well-intentioned people who think that they’re not bigots, who think that they are not racists, and who have racial blind spots and unconscious biases. One can only do so much.

You must remain open, but at a certain point you have to let people go. You have to protect yourself and focus on the people who are changeable.

A CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT THE WAY WE ARE INTENTIONALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO RACE NOW WILL EVENTUALLY BLOW OVER AND BE FORGOTTEN. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I think that people are already starting to feel the way you’re feeling. They’re wanting to go back to normal, and they’re forgetting the lessons from the summer of 2020. The pictures of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery are fading in their memory banks. I don’t know how to hold on to it, but I think that it’s incumbent upon people who have platforms like me to continue to elevate it and to continue to call it out. And quite honestly, Greg, I believe Black people need to support each other.

If we let this critical moment pass, then shame on us. I’m not going to let it pass.

Some people may love me, some people may hate me—it doesn’t matter. I’m using my platform every single night to do this.

I am doing it through my podcast. I’m doing it through relationships with my friends and neighbors. I am doing it by writing a book that will publish next year.

ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE ANY HOPE IN THIS MOMENT? Yes, I am. I believe that lives evolve and people evolve and change, and that the world keeps spinning, and I think that you have to navigate that and figure out where you are within all of that. Right now the events of the summer of 2020 changed me, and I think for the better, and I’m looking forward to the person that has evolved out of those events.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

DON LEMON’S

3-PIECE HOLIDAY SURVIVAL KIT

1. “Fortunately, in my family, the holidays aren’t about people disagreeing with each other on politics. Instead, we get together and play silly board games.”

2. “When we’re not together, we stay connected via a family text.

We do talk about the news there, and it gets pretty animated.”

3. “We really just try to chill and eat, and get as fat as we can.”

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BY

ALEX PAPPADEMAS

IT S A BEAUTIFUL THING TO REALLY REALIZE WHAT YOU DON T NEED.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

MARK SELIGER

At age 56,

LENNY KRAVITZ is still the

ULTIMATE ROCK GOD and a divorced dad who actually gets along with his ex (and everyone around him).

He didn’t choose to go into seclusion, but it’s only made him

STRONGER.

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ONE THING LENNY KRAVITZ has been trying to tell us all

along is that another world is possible—a better world, a world guided by love and not by fear, where people choose unity and peace over division and self-destruction. In a world more like that one, the past few months might have gone very differently for almost everyone, including Lenny Kravitz. He might have spent spring and summer as he’d originally intended, playing a run of concerts in Australia and New Zealand and then everywhere from Lithuania to Lisbon, in support of his 2018 album, Raise Vibration, a record that, like most Lenny Kravitz albums, seems to summon gyrating supermodels out of thin air every time you play it, an album that opens—as his recent shows usually have—with Lenny singing the Prince-goes-to-“Kashmir” anthem “We Can Get It All Together,” asking to be delivered from his loneliness and selfishness and brokenness so that he can join hands with the rest of humankind.

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November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Instead, in early March, as the spread of COVID-19 picked up speed, Kravitz left his house in Paris and caught a flight to the Bahamas, thinking he’d hang out at his place on the island of Eleuthera for a few days until things went back to normal. His tour luggage had already been shipped to Australia; he landed in the islands with a few pairs of jeans in a weekend bag.

“And I’ve been living out of this weekend bag,” Kravitz says, “for almost five and a half months.”

In Eleuthera, in the one-room house he finally got around to putting up after sleeping on the beach in an Airstream for years, he is alone, except for Leroy and Jojo, the potcake dogs—Caribbean mutts, both adopted off the street, boon companions even though they don’t talk (although at this point, Kravitz says, “I’ve been here so long, I’m starting to hear words”).

In the photos on Lenny’s Facebook feed, it looks like a pretty idyllic exile experience, all things considered.

Here is Lenny, shirtless and barefoot, changing a tire

itz presents itself: He’s the last mass-cultural rock star standing, because no one else is willing to unselfconsciously embody all the contradictory archetypes of the profession, from sensualist/maximalist decadence to antimaterialist beach-bummery. He lives up, at all times, to our dream of what Lenny Kravitz might be doing at any given moment, because in an age of live streamers, he remains a performer, which is something different. That’s true even now, on this island—someone is framing and taking these man-alone photos he’s posting on Facebook, after all, and it’s probably not the dogs.

Today, a pixelated Kravitz bobs into view on a Zoom call, wandering that house in search of a more favorable wireless signal. His image comes into focus, then freezes, becoming an accidental selfie of the rock star as castaway—jean shirt buttoned south of his sternum, a chunk of green mineral around his neck on a piece of rope, hexagonal silver shades reflecting jungle and a strip of white sky. He turned 56 in May, but only the dusting of gray in his stubble gives that away; add a soul patch and he could pass for Lenny at 25. The most effective way to stay perennially cool is to never visibly age, if you can pull it off.

He finds a signal and a seat and begins to talk about the island, where confirmed cases of COVID-19 are low but everyone is being very careful. You can leave your property to buy food, but only on certain days. And yet this life doesn’t feel like deprivation. It never does. “When I’m here, I pretty much live that way anyway,” he says. “It’s a beautiful thing to really realize what you don’t need. If I have to stay here another five months, five years, I’m good.”

Grooming: Felicia Leatherwood. Production: Dake Gonzalez/Shake Productions.

Page 73: Sweatshirt, Lenny Kravitz tour merchandise; sweatpants, bracelet, and ring available at CHURCH Boutique, Los Angeles; cycling shoes by Shimano; customized crystal and gem jewelry by Amie Hertzig for High Priestess Originals; sunglasses, his own; bicycle by Open.

Left: Shirt, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello; customized crystal and gem jewelry by Amie Hertzig for High Priestess Originals; bracelet and ring available at CHURCH Boutique, Los Angeles; jeans, sunglasses, and vintage belt, his own.

on an old Volkswagen Bug. Here is Lenny playing guitar by a calm blue ocean. Here is Lenny carrying home his banana crop in two overflowing baskets. Here is Lenny, no more immune than any of us to the cumulative psychic weight of the past few months, just sitting in a corner feeling it all (photo caption: “Feeling it all”). The photos depict a man living sparsely, thoughtfully but not unhappily alone.

Which is not to say Kravitz is averse to owning things. He’s still got the place in Paris’s upscale 16th Arrondissement, a four-story 1920s townhouse with a speakeasy in the basement, Warhols and Basquiats on the walls, and room for a collection of mementos that once belonged to myriad heroes—Prince’s guitar, John Lennon’s shirt, a closetful of James Brown’s dancing shoes, and a pair of Muhammad Ali’s boots complete with a tiny dried fleck of Ali’s actual blood.

Contemplate the yin-yang of Paris Lenny and Eleuthera Lenny long enough and a unified theory of Krav-

MOST DAYS out here he’ll wake up and check his crops—it’s the dry season,

but he’s got some things growing on his land. Cucumbers, okra, watermelons, passion fruit, sugar apples, soursops, pomegranates, coconuts, mangoes.

Herbs, too—lemon grass, five-finger grass, moringa, cerasee. Bush medicine, his grandparents used to call it: “You’re feeling this. Go pick this. Make a tea.”

His roots in this part of the world go deep. His grandfather Albert Roker was born on Inagua, down by Cuba and Haiti at the southernmost point of the Bahama island chain. “He lived up until his 90s, but even up into his 80s, he was ripped,” Kravitz says, shedding light on his enviable genetic legacy. “Black island man. Like iron. He had a workout that he would do in the backyard that consisted of a tree and a leather belt and, like, a broom handle. All resistance.”

Since the late ’90s, Kravitz has worked with Miami-based trainer Dodd Romero, whom he credits with helping him maintain a slinky silhouette and the stamina to play three-hour concerts well into his 50s. The routine is targeted—fasted cardio in the morning, cardio before bed so he’s burning all night, weights throughout the day. These days, they work together via FaceTime, Kravitz says, “and we always have a goal in front of us. My best shape is not behind me. It’s in front of me right now. We keep moving that bar as we get older.” But in Eleuthera he’s had to improvise a little, Albert Roker style. He’s found trails on his property, runs through the bush on grass and dirt. “That’s been my cardio,” he says, “and then I moved some hand weights over next to a coconut tree that basically comes out of the ground sideways, so that’s now my bench, and I lift weights on this coconut tree. I’m doing a complete jungle workout.”

What he hasn’t been doing is recording. Gregory Town Sound, the concretebunker-like studio where he recorded his past three albums, survived without a scratch when Hurricane Dorian pounded the Bahamas in 2019 but has been out of commission since last year due to flooding. “A piece of PVC pipe about this big,” Kravitz says, holding up his thumb and finger to indicate something half the size of a doughnut, “under the bathroom sink, burst one night and took out my entire studio.” Not being able to make records this year has been tough, because Kravitz has a few things on his mind.

Back in 2011, Kravitz released a buoyant, funk-infused album called Black and White America. It’s a pure product of Obama-era optimism; the cover MEN’S HEALTH

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Rapid Fire photo is a preteen Lenny with a peace sign painted on his forehead, and the title track contrasts the world in which his Black mother and white, Jewish father met and married—“And when they walked down the street, they were in danger”—with the new reality seemingly heralded by the election of America’s first Black president: There is no division, don’t you understand The future looks as though it has come around And maybe we have finally found our common ground “Isn’t it amazing,” Kravitz says, laughing, in 2020, “that we thought that’s what was coming?”

ANOTHER WORLD is possible, but it begins with point-

FAVORITE CHEAT MEAL? “One is the full-on Beyond Burger, with lettuce and avocado and onions and everything. Just a big old nasty burger with hot sauce and ketchup.”

WHO ARE YOUR HEROES? “My mother, my grandfather, and my daughter.

Zoë—she’s the most real person I know. It wasn’t easy, I’m sure, but she’s just forged her way with elegance, you know?”

EUPHEMISM FOR SEX? “Wow. Spiritual

ing out what’s wrong right here. Although he has a not undeexchange.” served reputation for patchouli-dipped utopianism, Kravitz SECRET TO has been writing about systemic racism since his very first LOOKING YOUNG? album, 1989’s Let Love Rule—“Mr. Cab Driver” is about how “Your state of mind— a dread can’t get a ride uptown. He wrote “Bank Robber Man,” that’s so important. Are a borderline-punk rager from 2001’s Lenny, after being you living your life doing arrested and cuffed on his way to the gym by Miami police something you love or doing something you who’d mistaken him for a suspect. And when Minneapolis can’t stand?” police officers killed George Floyd in May, touching off a summer of insurgency in cities across America, Kravitz reached LAST TIME YOU CRIED? back to Let Love Rule again, posting “Does Anybody Out There “My friend’s little daughter started praying for me, Even Care”—a Beatlesque lament that mentions lynching as asking God to protect me well as “riots in the streets”—on his Facebook page. and find me love—it was “I’ve been talking about this stuff,” Kravitz says. “I would profound. I lost it.” have thought we’d be in such a better place than we are now.

That we would have evolved. Not that it would have been DO YOU HAVE A MOTTO? “Let love rule!” anything close to perfect.” Raise Vibration, so far the only Kravitz album released during the Trump era, felt like a hopeful soundtrack to resistance—a syncopated protest march that might end at a rooftop party. Given everything that’s happened since, I ask Kravitz if he has any plans to address this comparably grim American moment. “That’s what I can feel is coming, obviously,” he says. “There’s things to say. There’s a lot of things to say.”

In the meantime, he’s been practicing—playing his own songs, sometimes, but also mastering tiny hidden details on records he thought he knew by heart.

Zeppelin, Hendrix, Marley, Pink Floyd, Chuck Berry—the classic rock on which he’s built his church. Kravitz is getting ready to publish a book, too, also titled Let Love Rule, which among other things is a memoir of those influences and how they changed him. In junior high he gets stoned for the first time and his friend throws in a cassette of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” a moment Kravitz compares to the light-speed jump from Star Wars. “It opened up a whole new world for me,” he says, “in sound and attitude and music and songwriting and guitar.”

In the book, Kravitz is born in New York in 1964 to the Obie-winning theater actress Roxie Roker and Sy Kravitz, an assignment editor at NBC News; moves from Manhattan to Los Angeles when Norman Lear casts Roker on The Jeffersons as Helen Willis, George Jefferson’s neighbor and part of the first interracial couple on prime-time TV; acclimates by learning to skateboard and get high; and settles into the well-to-do Black neighborhood of Baldwin Hills.

He sings with the California Boys’ Choir at the Hollywood Bowl; finds God when a friend invites him to pray at choir camp; finds Prince, whose mix of R&B chops and guitar firepower opens another portal; and trades his Afro for a Jheri curl. He starts his first band; decides “Lenny Kravitz” sounds “more like an accountant than a rock musician”; and temporarily rechristens himself “Romeo Blue.” He turns down big-break-ish record deals with companies want76

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I ve been TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF Kravitz says about systemic racism.

I would have thought we d be in such a BETTER PLACE than we are now. That we would have EVOLVED. Not that it would have been anything CLOSE TO PERFECT.

Tracksuit by Adidas; sneakers

by Nike; sunglasses and vintage socks, his own.

ing something different from Romeo Blue than Kravitz wants from himself, forgoing these opportunities even while living in a Ford Pinto he rents for $4.99 per day.

He passes, for example, on a chance to record his friend Kennedy Gordy’s song “Somebody’s Watching Me,” which becomes an R&B hit when Gordy records it himself under the name Rockwell. “I turned things down,” Kravitz says, “because my spirit wouldn’t allow me to do it. And I wouldn’t be here now, talking to you, if I had taken those opportunities.”

Kravitz describes the book as “an enormous therapy session.” The strongest force in it, apart from Kravitz’s own will, is his father, Sy, a disciplinarian ex–Green Beret and Korean War veteran who Kravitz says “enabled me to become who I needed to become, through our conflicts.” Eventually, Kravitz discovers that his father has been cheating on his mother. As Sy is walking out the door with suitcases in hand, Roker tells him to say something to his son, and after a long pause, Sy looks at Lenny and says, “You’ll do it, too.”

“Those four words, man,” Kravitz says, “affected me more than I knew.” He acknowledges that they have shaped how he’s acted in relationships and his approach to fidelity. “There were times in my life where that was very difficult, and I didn’t understand why,” he says. “I love my father, and we made peace before he died, but I held on to some things that had affected me in our relationship, and through writing the book . . . I was able to strip away some of the judgment that I had held on to and got to just see him as a human being.”

In the mid-’80s, after a chance meeting in a backstage elevator at a New Edition concert, Kravitz and The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet became friends, then close friends. She was a rising star and would soon be leading the cast of a college-set Cosby spin-off, A Different World. Kravitz was a wannabe rock star who sometimes lived in a midsize hatchback. They married in 1987, at the Chapel of Love in Las Vegas on Bonet’s 20th birthday, and spent time in the Bahamas, where Kravitz fell in love with Eleuthera. Then Bonet found out she was pregnant with their daughter, Zoë.

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before the revelations that led to his sexualassault convictions, Bill Cosby still had an image to maintain. He refused to write this real-life plot twist into A Different World’s second season and pulled Bonet from the cast.

Bonet cowrote two songs on Let Love Rule; Kravitz says her creative influence helped him realize that the world needed Lenny Kravitz, not Romeo Blue. “The voice I was looking for, the name, the image, was already there,” he says. “It was the first time I’d opened up like that, and had known love like that, and freedom. And watching her do what she did, how she maneuvered, in her artistic life—it was that last thing I needed, on this road. This sound, this message, this movement that I was looking for—I heard it in my head. That’s the way I still work to this day.

I wait until I hear it in my head. That takes my ego out of it. It may not be what you thought you were looking for, but it’s what you get.”

Largely self-produced and almost entirely selfperformed, Let Love Rule crossbreeds Curtis Mayfield and John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix in what we now recognize as classic Kravitz fashion, but the songs were anything but a hot commodity at first. After countless A&R types told him his music was either too Black or too white to sell, he signed with Virgin Records, then had to talk them out of releasing a slicked-up version of the album remixed to compete on the radio with the 78

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likes of Bon Jovi. By the early ’90s, thanks to everything from the bubblegum oldies on the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack to Beck playing folk music in corduroy flares, the ’70s would become a totemic hipster reference point, but in the late ’80s, Kravitz’s retro affinities made him a man without context.

“As if compelled to self-destruct, Kravitz courts artistic disaster by continually evoking his betters,” Rolling Stone sniffed, before acknowledging his guitar tone, his ear for sonic detail, and his way with a groove. The record peaked at number 61 on the Billboard charts but eventually caught fire in Europe, where Kravitz is still huge. He’s been triumphantly out of step ever since; he walks down to that concrete studio by the water, plugs in,

Ben Mounsey-Wood (illustrations)

This sound this message this movement that I was LOOKING FOR—I heard it in my head says Kravitz. That s the way I still work to this day. I wait until I HEAR IT IN MY HEAD. That TAKES MY EGO OUT OF IT. It may not be what you thought you were looking for BUT IT’S WHAT YOU GET. and makes rock records that exist outside of time. “He’s not an early bird,” says Kravitz’s Eleuthera neighbor Craig Ross, who’s toured with him since 1991 and played on every album since 1993’s Are You Gonna Go My Way. “And when that happens, I go, ‘Oh, he must have dreamt a song last night and he wants to get it out.’ Otherwise he’d call me in the afternoon.”

The book ends with Kravitz married and on his way to stardom at the age of 25, leaving off before 1991’s Mama Said—Kravitz’s breakthrough album, the source of “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over,” an aching megahit addressed to Bonet. They divorced in 1993, when Zoë was four; she grew up primarily with Bonet in L. A., then moved to Miami at 11 to live with her rock-star father. Kravitz says his daughter has grown up to be “the most real person I know,” noting that her path to independent success as an actress and producer can’t have been easy. “Just having two parents who were known in the world. The comparisons. She didn’t let any of that hinder her in any way.”

These days, Kravitz is close to Bonet and seemingly even closer to her new husband, Aquaman star Jason Momoa.

“People can’t believe how tight Jason and I are, or how tight I still am with Zoë’s mom, how we all relate,” Kravitz says with a shrug. “We just do it because that’s what you do.

You let love rule, right? I mean, obviously, after a breakup, it’s work—it takes some work and time, healing and reflection, et cetera. But as far as Jason and I? Literally the moment we met, we were like, ‘Oh, yeah. I love this dude.’ ” There is nothing in the book about any of this, nor about the time Kravitz split his leather pants onstage in Stockholm, inadvertently revealing his penis to the crowd and subsequently to the entire Internet. “I don’t even think about it,” Kravitz says about his big reveal. “Y’know, John Lennon was [naked] on the cover of that Two Virgins record. If he could do that, then it’s whatever.”

The book is essentially about a young man following his heart, refusing to bend for commercial exigency, and falling in real love for the first time ever. I ask if the Kravitz we’d meet in a hypothetical second volume would be a more complicated character, perhaps even an antihero. Lenny laughs. “Oh, it gets real messy,” he says. “It gets really interesting. Things turn upside down.”

ALEX PAPPADEMAS has written for GQ, The New York Times, and Grantland.

TRAIN LIKE LENNY Kravitz doesn’t build his body with exotic exercises. Instead, he focuses on basic movements, working through high-rep sets. Try his full-body dumbbell workout from trainer Dodd Romero.

DIRECTIONS: Warm up with 2 minutes of jumping jacks, then do each exercise. Rest 2 minutes between each set.

DUMBBELL CURL Stand holding a pair of dumbbells, then curl them up to shoulder height, squeezing your biceps. Lower. Do 5 sets. The first set, do 50 reps (yes, really). Do 35 in the second, 21 in the third, 14 in the fourth, and 10 in the final set.

DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS Do 5 sets. Do 50 reps in the first set, then 35 in the second. Follow with a 21-rep set, a 14-rep set, and a 10-rep set.

BODYWEIGHT SQUAT Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the knees and hips, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the floor; stand back up. Do 5 sets. Do 77 reps in the first set, 50 in the second, 35 in the third, 21 in the fourth, and 14 in the final set.

PULLUP-POSITION KNEE RAISE Hang from a pullup bar with an overhand grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades and pull your chest to the bar. This is the start.

Tuck your knees to your chest, squeezing your abs. Lower your legs. That’s 1 rep; do 4 sets of 21.

FIT AFTER

50

No, age isn’t just a number. But it’s not a harbinger of gym doom, either.

Tweak your training smartly, and even if you’re nowhere near 50, you’ll feel strong as the years go on (and on, and . . . on). Here’s your guide to eternal power.

BY THE EDITORS OF MH

WE ALL KNOWthat staying in shape gets harder as you get older. But with more guys in their 50s hitting the Ironman, and other guys in their 50s and 60s looking like 20-somethings, you know your potential: You can stay in shape even as you age.

Older men continue to chase muscle. Witness cover guy Lenny Kravitz, who is 56 with abs that can break Instagram. Or Hugh Jackman, still deadlifting like Wolverine.

Or Jason Statham (yes, he’s 53 . . . and still kicking ass).

Your own muscle quest can continue past the half-century mark, and we’ve found the elder-statesmen trainers who can show you how. Maybe you can’t endure hypertrophy hell anymore—but you’re not headed for Jazzercise and speed-walking, either. “You don’t have to change everything you’re doing,” says 47-year-old former bodybuilder Bryan Krahn, C.S.C.S., the author of Men’s Health Muscle After 40. “Just work smart.” Here’s how.

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STEP 1

CHANGE YOUR MIND-SET

DUMBBELLS ARE YOUR FRIEND

EMBRACE BODYBUILDING MOVES

BARBELL LIFTING is the gym

TOTAL-BODY MOVES (think

gold standard, but it restricts your limbs from moving comfortably. (It’s overrated in your youth, too.). As you age, consider ditching the barbell presses for dumbbell presses, for example, since, as Krahn says, your connective tissues are losing elasticity.

cleans and squats) are CrossFit mainstays, but bodybuilding-style isolation exercises like biceps curls should also be in your workouts. You’ll recover from these exercises more quickly than heavy lifts, allowing you to train more often. Do them twice a week.

I pay attention to little things.

If I dial in sleep stress and nutrition I can continue to train at a high level.

—BOBBY MAXIMUS 42 trainer and author of Maximus Body

STEP 2

IDENTIFY THE REAL ENEMY The biggest threat to staying fit comes from inside your body.

Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, erases 3 percent to 8 percent of your muscle mass each decade starting in your 30s. But you can fight back.

BUILD POWER

Lisa MacDonald (Maximus). Getty Images (trainer).

If you’re an older guy still approaching workouts as if you were in your 20s, you’re destined to fail. And if you’re young and already tired of tweaking joints and muscles, just you wait. Everyone can gain from making these four mental adjustments.

WORK HARD, RECOVER HARDER

SET LIMITS ON YOUR TRAINING

YOUR BODY can still recover

AN EXTRA minute of burpees

from brutal workouts—with a little extra TLC. So double down on recovery time. Trainer Bobby Maximus, 42, author of the book Maximus Body, hits the spa more than the gym.

Do the same. For every half hour in the gym, spend an hour foam rolling or doing easy yoga.

today isn’t worth not training tomorrow. “Your work capacity is starting to decline,” says Krahn, “along with your ability to recuperate.” So cap your sessions with a time limit (say, 45 minutes) or track total sets (12 working sets and not a single one more).

You don’t beat sarcopenia just by lifting weights to build strength, says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., a veteran muscle researcher. You need to build a unique brand of strength: power.

Classic strength is your ability to lift, say, 20 pounds. Power is your ability to lift that same weight quickly. Build power training into your workouts twice weekly, using lighter weights for your exercises.

Do 3 sets of 6 reps, taking 2 seconds to lower the weight and no more than 1 second to accelerate it upward.

EAT FOR MUSCLE Training breaks down your muscles, so you need protein to rebuild. Skip that and your muscles never fully recover.

Schoenfeld recommends consuming 35 to 40 grams of protein per meal. (Try a protein shake, or 4 to 6 ounces of meat.)

“Most people,” he says, “simply don’t get sufficient protein intake.”

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I m doing more resistance training as I get older to maintain muscle mass. I ve always been big on cardio activities but I must do more weight training for strength and muscle building.

STEP 3

LOVE THE

LITTLE THINGS!

The big, badass exercises (power cleans!) are fun, but it’s the little ones with nerdy names that keep you healthy. “Subtle exercises make a world of difference for injury prevention, superior conditioning, and max performance,” says trainer Kirk Charles, who’s 57.

Master these three.

STRENGTHEN YOUR HAMSTRINGS,

which come into play whenever you pick up a box. Lie with your back on the ground, heels on a chair, toes pointed toward the ceiling, knees slightly bent.

Tighten your core, dig your heels into the chair, and raise your hips as high as possible, or until your hips are in line with your knees and shoulders. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, squeezing your hamstrings. That’s 1 rep; do 5.

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PALLOF PRESS MEET YOUR WEAPON against

lower-back pain. Anchor a resistance band to a post just below shoulder height.

Grasp the band with both hands, arms near your chest; turn so your left shoulder faces the anchor point; and step away until the band is tight. This is the start.

Tighten your core and straighten your arms in front of you; hold for 2 seconds.

Return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 12 to 15 per side.

RESISTANCE-BAND PULL-APART MIDBACK STRENGTH WILL protect

your shoulders long-term. Stand holding a light resistance band in both hands, arms in front of you, core tight, palms facing each other, just a slight bend in your elbows. Keeping your arms parallel to the ground, rotate your arms wide, pulling the band apart, squeezing your shoulder blades. Pause, then return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 15.

William Heuberger (Charles)

ELEVATED HIP BRIDGE HOLD

—KIRK CHARLES 57 NASM trainer and MH.com columnist

STEP 4

MAKE BETTER MOVES (& FIX THE BAD ONES) NEWS FLASH: Your body doesn’t care that you can pull off Instagram’s wildest exercise

hits (and your happy-hour buddies don’t, either). Build muscle and stay healthy by relying on safe movements—and modifying some riskier ones, too.

3 TO LOVE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT Not everyone has the hip mobility to deadlift from the ground. Romanian deadlifts help. Start standing, holding weight at your hips, then slowly lower your torso and push your butt back.

FLOOR PRESS This offers the same chest-development upside as dumbbell and barbell bench presses while delivering greater protection for your shoulders.

HOLLOW HOLD This gymnastics staple has you lying on your back, lower back pressed into the ground, legs and shoulder blades off the ground. That builds all-around core strength.

3 TO TWEAK MAX-HEIGHT BOX JUMP Box jumps develop lower-body explosiveness, but set the box 10 inches lower than your max.

WIDE-GRIP PULLUP Opt for neutral-grip pullups instead, with hands slightly wider than shoulder width, protecting your shoulders from long-term injury.

BARBELL AND DUMBBELL MILITARY PRESS Most lifters lack the shoulder mobility to press overhead.

Opt for land-mine presses instead, allowing your arms to move slightly in front of your torso.

50-SOMETHING MUSCLE IN ACTION! Don’t think you can train smart and hard? Witness a week in the life of 52-year-old NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. BY MARK LELINWALLA The former tight end has spent five years cohosting Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on FS1 while also maintaining his bodybuilder-level physique. How? With a five-day-a-week regimen that includes plenty of rest and recovery.

Getty Images (trainer)

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Two-a-day sesSharpe attacks his sions aren’t bad— shoulders, but he but they can’t be doesn’t go heavy. brutal! Sharpe logs Five years ago, a 30- to 40-minute he had shoulder chest workout surgery. “I leave and an afternoon my ego at home,” CrossFit workout. he says.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

After two tough days, Sharpe knows his body needs to recover, so he doesn’t work out and gets a massage.

You don’t have to push heavy weights every day. Sharpe does a single CrossFit session on Thursday.

Sharpe keeps Friday flexible, allowing for extra soreness—or a burst of energy.

Weekends are a great time for extra cardio.

Sharpe does CrossFit, followed by an hour-long spin class. He rests on Sunday.

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PLANT BASED TOO MANY FUSSY CHEFS TRY TO FORCE-FEED YOU MEATLESS RECIPES

BY CONVINCING YOU “YOU WON’T MISS THE MEAT!” BUT ALL YOU NEED IN A PLANT-BASED FEAST ARE THE THREE P’S. LEARN THEM, USE THEM, AND FOREVER BUILD AND SAVOR MEALS THAT ARE ALSO VERY, VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

BY

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI AND IXTA BELFRAGE

The Ultim ate Roa sting - Pa n Ra g ù

( 84

*AND ACTUALLY REALLY

November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

BUT NOT

BORING* I HAVE NEVER BEEN SHY about my love of produce.

I have been singing the praises of cauliflower, tomatoes, and eggplant for more than a decade, since long before the groundswell of plant-based everything. I have done this in cooking demos, on book tours, and in the pages of books and magazines. It’s become my mission to understand what makes vegetables distinct and transform them, through cooking, into f lavor bombs.

Still, in the spirit of openness, I must confess to a nagging doubt that creeps in now and then. How many more ways are there to fry an eggplant, slice a tomato, or roast a head of cauliflower? The answer, I am delighted to report, is many.

This discovery comes in three forms. I call them the Three P’s.

The first P is process—what happens to vegetables when you cook them. You’ll see what I mean when you make the Potato and Gochujang Braised Eggs in this article.

When the humble potato, shredded and mixed with a few unexpected ingredients, emerges from a stint in the oven, the root vegetable has been transformed into a crispysoft vessel of deliciousness intensified by the gooey yolks of the eggs.

The second P is pairing. What you match a vegetable with can draw out its distinctive qualities.

Every time you cook, you pair ingredients (obviously). What I have done, though, is learn four basic pairings—sweetness, fat,

acidity, and spicy heat . Introducing one or more of these key pairings to a dish can show the vegetables (or fruit) in a new light.

My proof: the Tomato Salad with Lime and Cardamom Yogurt recipe that follows. Sweet tomatoes match with creamy yogurt and goat cheese, a tang of lime juice, and lip-tingling jalapeño.

The third P deals with produce itself. Taste what I mean in my Ultimate Roasting-Pan Rag ù, in which mushrooms carry the weight of a complex dish on their own little shoulders. Mushrooms are bursting with umami and perfectly capable of providing ample flavor and serious texture.

Great cooking—plant based or otherwise—is never the result of one element in isolation. If you’ve ever had an incredible meal at a restaurant, it was because that dish had all Three P’s. And now that you know them, too, you don’t need a restaurant. You have your kitchen.

—Yotam Ottolenghi

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D I N N E R:

THE ULTIMAT E RO A S T I N G -PA N R AGÙ In our quest to create the best meatless ragù, we made enough versions to sink a large ship. (Ixta nearly lost her will to live, but that has happened once or twice before.) There’s no denying that the list of ingredients is long, but these are all here to give the ragù its fantastic umami. The method, however, could not be simpler.

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D : 2 C A R R O T S, P E E L E D, C H O P P E D INTO LARGE CHUNKS 1 O N I O N , P E E L E D, C H O P P E D I N TO LARGE CHUNKS 8 ½ OZ OY S T E R M U S H R O O M S, R O U G H LY C H O P P E D 1 ¾ OZ D R I E D PORCINI M U S H R O O M S, R O U G H LY C H O P P E D 3 G A R L I C C LO V E S, CRUSHED 3 P L U M TO M ATO E S, C H O P P E D I N TO LARGE CHUNKS 6 TBSP OLIVE OIL

3 T B S P M I S O PA S T E 2 TBSP HARISSA 3 T B S P T O M AT O PA S T E 5 T B S P S OY S A U C E 1½ TSP CUMIN S E E D S, C R U S H E D ¾ CUP DRIED BROWN OR GREEN LENTILS 6 TBSP BARLEY 3¼ CUPS V EG E TA B L E S TO C K 7 TBSP COCONUT CREAM (NOT COCONUT MILK) 1⁄3 C U P R E D W I N E

H O W T O M A K E I T: 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a food processor and working in batches, pulse the carrots, onion, oyster mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, garlic, and tomatoes until very finely chopped.

2. In a 9-by-13-inch walled nonstick roasting pan, combine the chopped vegetables, olive oil, miso, harissa, tomato paste, soy sauce, and cumin seeds. Mix well. Bake until browned around the edges, about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

3. Lower the oven temp to 375°F. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and add the lentils, barley, stock, coconut cream, wine, ½ cup water, ¼ tsp salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Stir well, scraping the crispy sides and bottom with a spatula. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for another 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a final 5 minutes. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes, so the sauce is absorbed slightly, before serving. Feeds 6 to 8

Potato and G ochujang B ra i s e d Eg g s Reprinted from Ottolenghi Flavor. Copyright © 2020 by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage.

Photographs copyright © 2020 by Jonathan Lovekin. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

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B RE AKFAST:

P O TAT O AND G OC HUJA NG B R A I S ED EGG S Eggs nestled in crispy-bottom hash browns and adorned with a bright sauce—all in one pan. If you’re not a fan of kohlrabi, a crisp turniplike vegetable, feel free to use potato only, though we like the complexity that kohlrabi brings with it.

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D :

H O W T O M A K E I T:

2 M E D I U M R U S S E T P O TAT O E S, P E E L E D, C U T I N TO M ATC H S T I C K S 1 S M A L L KO H L R A B I , P E E L E D, C U T I N TO M AT C H S T I C K S 1 TBSP GOCHUJANG PA S T E + 1 T S P 2 T S P M I S O PA S T E 2 S M A L L G A R L I C C LO V E S, CRUSHED 5 TBSP OLIVE OIL 8 EG G S 1 TBSP LIME JUICE 2 T S P C H I V E S, F I N E LY C H O P P E D 2 TSP WHITE OR BLACK SESAME S E E D S, TO A S T E D 1 L I M E , C U T I N TO W E D G E S

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease an oven-safe pan and heat in the oven, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, kohlrabi, 1 Tbsp gochujang, miso, garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil, and ¼ tsp salt. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, add the potato mixture, and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.

3. With the back of a spoon, make 8 wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well, cover the pan with a lid, and return it to the oven until the whites are set yet the yolks are still runny, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, remaining gochujang, remaining oil, chives, and sesame seeds. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, season the eggs with salt, and drizzle with sauce.

Serve with lime wedges. Feeds 4

O t to l e n g h i (le f t) a n d B e l fra g e (right) will make you actually want to e at your ve g eta b le s .

Tom ato S a l a d wit h Lim e a n d C a rd a m o m Yo g u r t

LU N C H :

T OMAT O S A L A D W ITH LIME AND C A R DAMOM YOG URT This recipe takes the timeless combination of tomatoes and shallots, mixes it with a creamy-spicy dressing, and adds pops of unexpected flavor with cardamom. You’ll want a good crusty bread to soak up the tomato juices.

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D :

H O W T O M A K E I T:

¼ C U P G R E E K-S T Y L E YO G U R T 1 ¾ OZ S O F T G O AT C H E E S E ½ S M A L L G A R L I C C LO V E , CRUSHED 1 TSP LIME ZEST 4½ T S P L I M E J U I C E 15 C A R D A M O M P O D S, PODS DISCARDED AND S E E D S F I N E LY C R U S H E D 1 L A R G E J A L A P E Ñ O, F I N E LY C H O P P E D (S E E D E D FO R L E S S H E AT ) 18 OZ C H E R R Y TO M ATO E S, H A LV E D 1 L A R G E S H A L LO T, F I N E LY SLICED ¼ CUP OLIVE OIL ½ C U P M I N T L E AV E S, TORN

1. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, goat cheese, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Add half the lime zest, half the crushed cardamom, and half the jalapeño. Stir well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the tomatoes, shallot, lime juice, half the olive oil, and ½ tsp salt with the remaining lime zest, cardamom, and jalapeño.

Add the yogurt mixture and mint. Gently mix.

Transfer to a platter, drizzle with the remaining oil, and serve. Feeds 4

YOTAM OTTOLENGHI is a London-based chef and the author of the best-selling cookbooks Plenty and Plenty More. IXTA BELFRAGE is a recipe developer. They are coauthors of the new cookbook Ottolenghi Flavor, from which this article was adapted.

A BLAZING MORNING

his opponents on the defensive line to 321 of pulverizing, concussive force. this past summer, Laurent pounds Not that he sees any of this as a conDuvernay-Tardif arrives tradiction. Duvernay-Tardif views each at a soccer field in the sub- high-stakes, high-stress discipline as an urbs of Montreal, hoping emotional and mental offset to the other. how you’re able to take your mind off to find some open space “That’s something,” he explains. “By focusing 100 for a workout. Hordes of percent on something else. For me, that’s my face-mask-clad kids have form of balance.” A broken leg and a busted Part of the game and weeks on the already claimed most of the ankle? sideline. Concussions? Dangers to manage turf—a bad sign for social and monitor. (He’s had two that he knows distancing—so the six- of.) But there are some risks to playing footfoot-five, 321-pound offen- ball (and generally being alive) in 2020 that can’t just rationalize away, so despite all sive guard of the Super he the long days sprinting back and forth across Bowl–w inning Kansas real and imaginary fields, on July 24, he was City Chiefs packs an arm- the first NFL player to announce that he’d load of cones and hurdles back into his SUV. He sets off be opting out of playing this season. “I canallow myself to potentially transmit the for an artificial-turf field near his home in Montreal’s not virus in our communities simply to play the hipster-friendly Plateau Mont-Royal district, only to sport that I love,” he wrote in a tweet. “If I am discover that the gates are locked. Wearing a burgun- to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.”

During a phone interview a few weeks dy hoodie and silver shorts, Duvernay-Tardif stares up after the announcement, he elaborated on at the sky for a quick moment. “Montreal,” he says in a his initial statement, switching from blunt, deep voice that still has a hint of his native Quebecois deliberate English to his native French to make his meaning clear. “I realize I’m accent, “is not always an easy place to be an athlete.” extremely, extremely privileged. I’ve been in the NFL for six years, and I’ve attained a certain level of financial stability that allows me to follow my deepest convictions.

But people in possession of a Super Bowl ring do not give up so From the position I’m in, medicine is going to be part of my ecoeasily. He walks over to a rutted, cracked bike path next to the system for the next 40 years. I just didn’t think it was the right field and begins pacing off a distance of 53 yards—the width of a decision for me to go play,” he says, his voice pitching higher as he football field—along the chunk of asphalt. He starts a timer on his goes on. “My situation is unique in many ways.” phone and finally begins to simulate a training-camp fitness test, sprinting across his makeshift field in 19 seconds or less, once per minute, 15 times. “If you don’t make it, you’re not allowed to pracpersonal theory of baltice,” he says between reps, breathing heavily but not breathless. ance was developed early and intensely by his parents. His mothSuch was the drill for most of 2020, with the 29-year-old er, Guylaine Duvernay, helped found an alternative grade school a Duvernay-Tardif eager to return to his team and defend its short drive from the family’s home in the Montreal suburb of Montchampionship. He’d lift weights twice a day, setting up a porta- Saint-Hilaire that focused on art, physicality, and intellectual ble gym on the rooftop of his condo once the coronavirus hit, and creativity. His father, François Tardif, was a teacher at an agriculdo speed and cardio drills wherever he could find those 53 yards, tural college. (Their current venture? Three artisanal bakeries.) all in order to maintain the power, drive, and agility that has The family, including two younger sisters who grew up to be sports fueled his career. The point is: He was ready to play. Exactly none stars in their own right, twice took yearlong sabbaticals by sailing of which would be all that remarkable on its own—even Gronk to different countries on a 30-foot sailboat. “My parents always told trains in the off-season—except Duvernay-Tardif is also a med- me being passionate about something is being free,” he says. ical doctor who had to squeeze in these workouts between carThat all changed when Duvernay-Tardif attended a traditional ing for patients suffering and dying from COVID-19. When he high school in the mid-aughts, and he turned to sports to burn off earned his medical degree in 2018, he became the only licensed some of his pent-up energy: badminton before class, intramurals medical doctor playing in the National Football League and thus at lunch, soccer after school, football at night. By his mid-teens, the a walking professional contradiction: an expert in alleviating highlight of his day was playing football, for the sheer physicality pain and inflicting it; optimizing health and destroying it; help- of it as well as its band-of-brothers ethos, and as he grew into his ing his patients protect their bodies and minds while subjecting massive body, he displayed an obvious gift for the sport.

DUVERNAY-TARDIF’S

McGill was a perennial loser—the team went 6 and 30 during He also discovered that he loved science and initially considered becoming an engineer before deciding he wanted to spend his time there—but Duvernay-Tardif went on to win the J. P. Methis day interacting with people, not screens. In 2008, Duver- ras Trophy as Canada’s most outstanding down lineman, and he nay-Tardif enrolled in a CEGEP, a pre-university academic pro- shined in the 2014 East-West Shrine Game for top college seniors. gram unique to Quebec. From there, he went to medical school at His coaches thought he had the raw talent to go pro, so in early McGill University, a Canadian college with an Ivy League–like 2014, with his anticipated med-school graduation still a year and reputation, where all of the classes are taught in English. (In Que- a half away, he opted to take a couple months off and prepare for bec, would-be doctors start med school as undergrads and can the NFL draft. Duvernay-Tardif booked a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, to work out with trainer Charles Petrone, who is known play collegiate sports.)

Attending school in a different language required a major for conditioning NFL-caliber talent. He didn’t go to the combine adjustment. “My English at the time was really bad,” he says. “I but held a pro scouting day back home instead.

His gamble paid off. In May of that year, the Chiefs took Duverwas able to say yes, no, and toaster, and that was about it.” (His nay-Tardif in the sixth round, and from 2015 on, he started English now is perfectly good.)

His first year, he worried about balancing football and classes, at right guard in front of 80,000 screaming fans on Sundays only but without it, he was miserable. “I realized I needed something to fly home and become just another med student in a lab coat at 6:45 A.M. on the following Thursdays. His abilto channel my excess energy, and football ity to take a full course load decreased, but by was helping me focus better in the classspring of 2018, seven years after starting med room,” he says. A few weeks into the season, he joined the team with a promise to Laurent Duvernay-Tardif anchors the school, he earned his M.D. and sat for the national board exam, running to catch a plane after the test himself: “No matter what happens, I’ll do Chiefs’ offensive line during a 2019 game against the Baltimore Ravens. so he could make his next practice with the both at the same time.”

Chiefs. When it was time to graduate, he flew back to Montreal for commencement, accepted his diploma around 11:00 A.M., and flew back to KC at 1:30 that same day.

Duvernay-Tardif considers graduating from med school to be the moment of his life he’s most proud of, even more than winning the Super Bowl, but he didn’t slow down to savor it. “I love that feeling of, okay, back to reality,” he says. “It’s just important to have different anchors in different spheres that allow you to move on, to clear your mind. You can’t think about football all day, every day.”

AFTER WINNING

the Super Bowl and taking some time to rest and recover, Duvernay-Tardif used the moment to unplug and sail around the Caribbean with his longtime girlfriend, the Montreal art curator Florence DubéMoreau. At the time, the coronavirus was still concentrated in Asia and Europe, and people were still getting on airplanes and traveling to the Caribbean. The couple had spotty WiFi on the water, but when they finally picked up a signal, they learned that COVID-19 was spreading more rapidly than anyone had thought and that Canada would soon be entering lockdown. They flew home as soon as they could, and Duvernay-Tardif started to look for ways that he could help.

Because he hasn’t yet completed his medical residency, which involves gaining hands-on experience through shifts at hospitals and clinics, he couldn’t formally practice medicine. But after a few days of just sitting around the house, he realized he was not built for staying on the sidelines. “It was catastrophic. I was not able to stay home,” he

says. So he applied to work at himself has suffered at least one of Canada’s publicly fundtwo concussions: one in Janed seniors’ homes, a collection uary 2016, during a playoff of more than 400 facilities game (he took himself out that accounted for roughly 80 of the game), the other in percent of the country’s 9,000 training camp in 2018 (he COVID-19-related deaths sat out just over two weeks). this past spring and summer.

But that risk, to him at least, Duvernay-Tardif took the only has always felt somewhat job he could get: as an orderly, manageable. He’s a memcleaning bedpans, feeding ber of the NFLPA’s healthand bathing the elderly and and-safety committee and infirm at a long-term-care considers the NFL to be home with 180 beds spread safer today than it was when over six floors. he first started—he cites A couple weeks after he started, he called Duvernay-Tardif sports protective greater education about how to hit, beefedhis agent, Sasha Ghavami. The two first met in gear while helping people at a senior- up return-to-play protocols, and the closer CEGEP and are longtime friends. Now Duver- care facility in Quebec in April. tracking of player health. It’s not perfect, but nay-Tardif was driving home and needed to to him, it’s progress. talk. He’d been working long hours, surrounded When asked how he reconciles playing a by incapacitated, desperately sick and dying sport that could very well threaten his longpeople, and as the days wore on, his overworked colleagues began term cognitive ability as a doctor—show of hands: who wants to get infected. “He didn’t really go into detail about what he’d a doctor who might suffer from issues with memory retention, seen, but it obviously hit him pretty hard,” Ghavami says. “It may impulse control, anxiety, and mood?—he deflects the question by have been the first time I’ve ever seen him rattled.” reframing it. “Instead of seeing injury risk in the NFL and mediDuvernay-Tardif says the entire experience shook him. “When cine as a paradox, I try to see those two things as a unique opportuyou’re on the front lines, you see not only the people who are suf- nity,” he says. In his view, being both a doctor and a player means fering through the disease, but all the collateral damage,” he says. he both understands and has experienced the risks. “I want to be “All the people who work in hospital environments who have been part of the solution and to help make sure football endures, that isolated from family for months, all the systems and personnel who we’re still playing it in 50 years,” he says. were totally overwhelmed.” After spending nine weeks caring for He sees the risks of COVID-19 as fundamentally different, patients, he still planned to leave for training camp in Missouri; because as a player he could both contract it and transmit it to othhe’d rented an apartment there and was involved in the NFL Play- ers. “The question then becomes: Does my passion for football and ers Association COVID task force to ensure there were league-wide my desire to play weigh more heavily in the balance than the risk to measures that could lower the risk of virus transmission. which I would be exposing myself and the community?” he says.

But he gradually came to grasp that low risk isn’t no risk. “The That he can “transmit” brain trauma by smashing into other linefact I could even theoretically be involved with furthering the men doesn’t fit into this equation because it’s not like those other spread of the virus is something I had a lot of trouble with,” he linemen can then give brain trauma to their friends and family. No says. “When it came time to return to Kansas City, it finally became real what that meant in terms of travel, crossing the border, and participating in a contact sport where there are inevitably going to be cases despite everything that’s being done to reduce the spread.” Three days before the NFL announced it was resuming its activities, Duvernay-Tardif shot Ghavami a text, confirming he’d made up his mind.

IN SOME WAYS, Duvernay-Tardif has

spent years facing and accepting far greater risks than COVID-19. After all, the league is in the midst of a concussion crisis, with its long history of head trauma now clearly linked to increasing diagnoses of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the progressive, degenerative, and debilitating brain disease that can cause long-term issues with memory retention, impulse control, anxiety, and mood. Duvernay-Tardif

such luck with COVID-19, and even though Duvernay-Tardif sees people who practice medicine. “Larry has that quality, and you’re his situation as unique in many ways, his ability to contract and seeing it to the utmost here.” Patrick Mahomes, the team’s star spread the coronavirus isn’t one of them. He’s just like the rest of us. player and quarterback, was also publicly supportive. “Everybody For Duvernay-Tardif, the toughest part of deciding not to play was respects his decision 100 percent,” he said during a news conferbreaking the news to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, position coach ence shortly after the announcement.

Duvernay-Tardif has made it clear that he is only planning on Andy Heck, and his teammates, never mind the estimated $2.6 million he left sitting on the table. “Even though I feel like I made the sitting out this season—he’s aiming to return next season, but he knows the stats as well as anyone. The average NFL career lasts right decision, I had the sense I was letting the team down.” three years, and he’s played double that already. He’s But Reid, whose mother graduatnot ready to walk away from the game, but he’s aware ed from the same medical school as the game might walk away from him, and he’s planDuvernay-Tardif, praised the decision in a Zoom call with reporters on the Rather than risk spreading the coro- ning accordingly. This fall, he’s taking graduate classes at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and opening day of training camp. “They’re navirus, Duvernay-Tardif opted out he intends to continue working as a frontline respondgivers, they’re not takers,” he said about of playing in the NFL this season. er as the need arises. He’ll be staying in game shape between shifts, too, just like he’s always done.

But his experience working with patients in the summer has reinforced that the football mentality of playing (and winning) at all costs doesn’t make for a great football player any more than the medical mentality of treating diseases rather than people makes for a great doctor. “I went there with my medical-student background thinking, Let’s try to optimize everything,” he says of his time in the senior-care facility. “What I realized is if you just do that, you’re only seeing the negative. The good orderly, the good nurse’s assistant, they’re the ones who spend the most time with the patient. If you’re just coming, dropping off medication, and leaving, what are you really doing? What are you really doing to make your patient more comfortable and happier?”

As he tells it, there is a profoundly humanizing and important connection that happens if you can just take time to give an elderly man a much-needed haircut. At one point, with all the patients in lockdown, he was able to hold a phone up for a quadriplegic patient so that his daughters, who hadn’t been able to visit for 12 weeks, could finally see him.

“So what do you do? You burst into tears because there’s nothing else to do,” he says. “When you start to do those little things, that’s when you start seeing the positive. That’s when you’re contributing and not just suffering like everybody else. That was a big lesson for me, for sure.”

To stay organized as his life continues to shift and evolve, he keeps a list of his appointments and commitments in the Notes app of his iPhone. “Every night, I check everything I did off it, and I put new stuff on,” he says. “I have three open files. One is for stuff that I think I could do next day. There’s a medium-range list, and a long-term-planning one. Whenever I’m able to tick off all the items for the next-day list, that’s a really good feeling.” Does that happen often? He laughs. “No.” But that’s a good thing, too.

SEAN GORDON lives in Montreal. He’s written for the Athletic, The Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star.

MH SPECIAL REPORT:

LIFE

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In their efforts to get fit—or to become fitness trainers

themselves—members of marginalized communities

have long struggled against structural hurdles and insidious bias.

IN A FITNESS DESERT It’s time for that to change.

BY ANDREW LAWRENCE PHOTOGRAPH BY THE VOORHES

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MH SPECIAL REPORT: LIFE IN A FITNESS DESERT

OSE THE POTBELLY. That was Flagumy Valcourt’s fitness goal to start 2020. A 35-year-old Brooklynite overburdened by the 225 POUNDS on his fivenine frame, Valcourt had to manage a chaotic work schedule as an NYPD field intelligence officer. So no, he couldn’t clock out early every day and head to the last class at the Sheepshead Bay kickboxing gym—a 30-MINUTE DRIVE from where he worked.

Once or twice a week, he did manage to make it to kickboxing, the fitness activity he actually enjoyed. Other nights, he’d trek to Blink Fitness, a 15-minute walk from his Coney Island home, and slog through 90 minutes of self-guided weight training. A top trainer would have told Valcourt that a shorter session could help him reach his goals. Alone in a gym he didn’t like, he thought long workouts were his road to weight loss. Three months in, though, his waistline wasn’t shrinking, but after he’d spent $330 on gym memberships, his wallet was. “I couldn’t keep it up,” he says. He quit.

You might want to blame Valcourt for a lack of gym motivation, because #noexcuses. Yet for millions of Americans, working out isn’t as simple as hitting the gym or doing 100 morning burpees. As many as 50 percent of people who start a fitness program don’t keep it up, and this is a more systemic problem than you may think.

In some areas, weight rooms, yoga centers, and spin studios are flourishing, but in other areas—call them fitness deserts— there are few if any places to work out.

Physical proximity to a gym is important. It’s much easier to stick to a routine if you’re close to your gym, which is why 70 to 80 percent of gymgoers live within a 12-minute home or office commute of their gym, according to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

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filtered for race, Hispanics (31.7 percent) and non-Hispanic Blacks (30.3 percent) fare far worse than non-Hispanic whites (23.4 percent). Both populations—as well as Asian Americans and Native Americans—are at greater risk than nonHispanic whites for diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Blacks (49.6 percent) and Hispanics (44.8 percent) also exceed the national obesity rate of 42.4 percent. This all comes despite increasing racial and ethnic diversity in major cities, which generally feature plenty of physical-activity options, ranging from the high end (posh gyms, group fitness studios) to the free (bike paths, parks). Then again, experts hint that these facilities aren’t always accessible. “The context matters,” says Geoffrey Whitfield, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the CDC focusing on physical activity and public health. “And that’s something we but research has shown that enjoyment of don’t get with these really big health suryour routine helps you maintain it. So fun fitness options, whether in group classes or veys, because we just don’t have the time to ask people.” Sidewalks, for example, with innovative trainers, are a huge asset. encourage you to be active. But if In fitness deserts, one or both of these they’re not well lit at night, or if they’re characteristics—access to facilities and good guidance—are absent, leaving many historically unsafe, will you use them?

Green space is often key in low-income struggling to sustain routines, much less communities, because it offers a training start from a dead stop. These deserts can area free of monthly membership fees— appear anywhere, but they harm lowand yet it’s missing in some of the nation’s income and marginalized communities most diverse cities, even those known most, partly because those groups face for their gym culture. Miami, which is other systemic gym deterrents.

89.3 percent nonwhite, has a 67.4 percent Add it all up and you have an underrated obesity rate, and only 12 percent of its high factor in the nation’s collective health school students attend daily physicaldownturn. The U. S. obesity rate reached 42.4 percent in 2018, the most recent year education classes. There’s less room to work out in Miami than you would imagfor which the CDC has data. That marked ine. Its citizens have just 166 square feet of the first time the obesity rate was more than 40 percent—and it’s just one way the green space per person, second worst in a 2019 Geotab study of 15 major cities. fitness deserts are causing damage.

The city with the least green space in the study: New York City. Home to a 67.9 CCORDING TO a three-year percent nonwhite population, it has 146 study of the 500 largest U. S. square feet of green space per person. cities by the CDC and state health Fifty-seven percent of New Yorkers are departments, the percentage of adults who either overweight or describe themselves as obese. Viewed through having participated in this lens, Valcourt’s strugno leisure-time physical gles make sense. New activity within at least the York’s five boroughs have past month ranges from 21 SoulCycles and five 12.9 percent in Newport Rumble boxing studios Beach, California, to 45.4 U.S. OBESITY RATE IN 2018, but only one full-service percent in Camden, New the most recent year for which gym within the IHRSAJersey. In New York City, the CDC has data. referenced 12-minute the rate is 30 percent. travel time for Valcourt.

When the data is

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PRX, after years of training clients oneproblematic depictions That four of the five on-one. In those instances, he frequently of strength. According cities with the least code-switched (the practice of changing to one 2016 study, Men’s green space per person one’s speech around others of different Health was once part of in the Geotab study SQUARE FEET OF GREEN SPACE PER PERSON IN NEW races and ethnicities, a social tactic that the problem: The Interna(New York City, Boston, YORK CITY, home to a 67.9 tional Review for the Sociol- 40 percent of Black and Hispanic adults Chicago, and Miami) percent nonwhite population. ogy of Sport evaluated every use, according to 2019 Pew research). “You have majority nonwhite have to kind of be a chameleon,” Myers issue of the British edition populations ought to be says, “and make people feel comfortable.” of the magazine from entirely unsurprising, Myers isn’t the only Black trainer who has 2011, studying them from cover to cover, thanks to an American legacy of culturally to alter his demeanor among non-Blacks. biased urban planning. From 1872 through and found that white physiques were Stanley Crump, who owns Okinawan represented as “idealised masculine the end of World War II, national parks Karate Dojo in Ellicott City, Maryland, types,” goals for readers. Black physiques were segregated spaces. Robert Moses, spent his early career playing down his were “spectacular, violent and hyperone of the godfathers of urban planning, “boss” status. “Because I was so busy, it’d masculine,” in varying degrees, and often designed and directed the construction take them a while to connect the dots,” he depicted in extraordinary poses that could of low bridges on Long Island parkways, says, “before they’d kind of look me up and seem less attainable. It’s no wonder that a in effect preventing urban people of color say, ‘Oh, wow. You’re the owner.’ ” from taking buses to beaches. In Minneap- separate small research study showed that fitness clients are repeatedly influenced olis, where Black Lives Matter demonstraby body type and race—making it increastions arose in the wake of George Floyd’s HE GEOGRAPHY of this barren ingly likely that clients will favor white police murder, the most desirable green fitness landscape is shifting, trainers. This all may contribute to trainspaces were ringed by residential districts thanks to the efforts of trainers of ers of color having fewer opportunities. that redlined people of color, blocking color. Collectively, they’re slowly democThe industry-wide lack of diversity them from living there. Further dissect ratizing fitness, making it accessible to stealthily embeds itself in the minds green spaces and you’ll learn that in Los their own marginalized communities— of some minorities, causing them to Angeles, people on the wealthy west side of and anyone else struggling to get fit. question whether they town boast 42.8 square feet of park space The gym shutdown can survive in fitness. per person while lower-income L. A. southforced by the coronavirus And if they already face siders have 23.9 square feet per person, has actually helped in diminished opportunismaller than a typical hotel bathroom. some ways. For years, ties to gain clients, Those desperate for quality workouts Myers and other trainers should they even seek can travel beyond their neighborhoods, of color have been huslegitimate fitnessmaking the lengthy treks to the more tling on social media and OBESITY RATE OF MIAMI, trainer certification, prominent, more specialized gym expeon workout apps, delivwhich is 89.3 percent nonwhite.

Just 12 percent of its high which can cost anywhere riences they want. Their reward is a good ering fitness that can school students attend daily from $400 to $2,000? sweat—and, all too often, reminders that thrive in any desert. Now physical-education classes.

That certification is they’re outsiders in those spaces. masses go to Instagram, only the beginning. Top searching for trainers trainers typically pursue and guided workouts.

REQUENTLY, IT’S left to people other certifications and courses, broadThis has presented an opportunity. within marginalized communities ening their knowledge of such things as With online platforms, Black men can dive to craft their own desert oases. mobility training (Kinstretch), kettlebells into yoga with Changa Bell’s Black Male Sometimes they come in the form of orga(StrongFirst), and battle roping (KettleYoga Initiative, and Asian Americans can nized group workouts, as Loren Anthony bell Kings). That allows them to offer you draw inspiration from Gina Bontempo’s has done for the Navajo on reservations in less repetitive workouts, which can help beginner-friendly workouts (both on page New Mexico and Arizona (page 101). On keep you on track. The cert classes are 99). Yes, new microaggressions happen, for other occasions, minority trainers open often only available in major cities, and both communities and trainers of color, but their own gyms, as Jason Burns did in once again, cost is prohibitive.

Myers believes the platforms can still help Chicago’s historically Black Bronzeville And none of those certs guarantee circumvent fitness deserts. district (page 98). you a job—or your own gym, because It was on Instagram, after all, where But even these efforts meet roadblocks, of prejudicial obstacles in the loanValcourt discovered Myers in March. In because the fitness-training industry has securing process. Yusuf Myers, a Black the past eight months, he’s trained with long been influenced by structural racism. trainer, experienced this after deciding Myers online, dropping to 192 pounds.

Just 18.4 percent of recreation and fitness he wanted to open a gym, PRX, in New “Every week, he has a different challenge, workers are nonwhite, according to the York City. Myers, 38, first talked about which makes you set different goals,” Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure opening his own gym in 2007, but he was Valcourt says. “It keeps you coming back.” speaks to how minorities are viewed in a refused several bank loans. It wasn’t Myers is offering one road from the looks-driven industry that’s frequently until 2013 that he had the capital to open desert. These five trainers are, too. powered by the media’s unrealistic, often

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INTRODUCING CROSSFIT TO A FORGOTTEN BLACK COMMUNITY JASON BURNS’s brief pro football career taught him that community-based fitness has the power to push somebody into their best shape. That’s why he opened Mettle Fitness in 2012, aiming to demonstrate that power to historically Black Bronzeville, a neighborhood without a CrossFit box. Eight years later, Burns and Mettle are still going strong.

IN CHICAGO, Black families lost between $3 billion and $4 billion in wealth because they were denied mortgages in the 1950s and 1960s. My journey in health and wellness begins here. I operate Mettle Fitness—home of Bronzeville CrossFit, the only 100 percent Black-owned CrossFit gym in the city. I wanted to contribute to the economic development of a community that has been plundered and bring functional fitness to it in our own way.

As an entrepreneur, I’m now building a safe community for others. I saw the benefit of CrossFit as a methodology, but also saw where the movement was lacking. I knew the power of the culture I grew up in could elevate it.

None of this would have been possible if I’d spent my time looking for acceptance when it wasn’t gladly extended. This year, CrossFit wrestled with questions of inclusion after former CEO Greg Glassman’s offensive comments about the murder of George Floyd. (“We’re not mourning for George Floyd,” he told gym owners over a Zoom conference call.) We dropped the CrossFit name when his remarks came out. When CrossFit’s sale to its new owner, Eric Roza, was announced a 98

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few weeks later, we decided to wait and see if the ownership change would make it worth continuing the relationship.

Not that it was ever about acceptance when I opened a CrossFit facility on the South Side of Chicago. The point wasn’t to assimilate Black people into the traditional, mostly white culture of CrossFit. I grew up with fitness all around me. My father was heavily involved in youth sports, and the camaraderie of being part of a team has been a way of life for me for as long as I can remember. Bonds formed in college and NFL locker rooms gave me an appreciation for belonging. Community-based fitness has the ability to create those same feelings.

Because of Chicago’s segregation, Black communities have lacked basic options and access to fitness facilities. Individuals seeking these services often ended up in spaces where they didn’t feel readily accepted, which affected their motivation. A new member at Mettle left their gym because of offensive responses they overheard from members surrounding Glassman’s comments. They felt the CrossFit community was not one they belonged to, and sought

30 DIFFERENCE IN YEARS IN THE LIFE EXPECTANCY of those living in the Chicago suburbs Streeterville (which is 69 percent white) and Englewood (which is 94 percent Black).

Streeterville residents, on average, live to age 90. Englewood residents live to age 60.

something different. I felt obligated to provide my community with a space where they are welcome to be themselves while also providing an exceptional fitness experience.

Mettle Fitness cannot restore the billions my neighborhood was robbed of. Still, Mettle’s existence is a powerful statement of defiance. In a city and nation that devalue Black life, it stands. In a sport that has, at best, been apathetic to Black concerns, CrossFit’s new CEO appears to be sensitive to the current environment and moving CrossFit in the right direction in terms of social impact.

It remains to be seen if this will be permanent when Black lives are no longer a trending topic. But Mettle Fitness is undeterred.

The same spirit my parents instilled in me, the drive that carried me to the NFL and to master the sport of CrossFit, I’m bringing to my community. My journey never required acceptance or even fairness, although it would have been far easier with them.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NOLIS ANDERSON

MH SPECIAL REPORT: LIFE IN A FITNESS DESERT

BATTLING THE LIMITS OF CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS

Adriano Bontempo (Bontempo). David Colwell (Bell). Reprinted with the permission of Baltimore magazine, June 2017.

Fitness is rarely a priority for Asian Americans, and that has quietly caused a series of health issues.

GINA BONTEMPO has a solution for that.

I WAS THE piano prodigy in Georgia as a child—every Asian mother’s dream.

I performed with the Savannah Symphony Orchestra when I was 12 years old. I was a straight-A student. Everywhere, my mother, a first-generation American, bragged about my latest musical or academic accomplishment.

But after college, I wanted to help others find lasting health.

I jumped into hot-yoga teacher training. Completing this felt like an accomplishment. In my mother’s eyes, it was a disappointment.

Everything my mother did was rooted in love. As an immigrant who came to this country without a high school diploma, she worked hard, and she wanted me to seize every opportunity that she never had growing up in South Korea. “You can be anything you want to be,” she told me when I was a child, but I always knew deep down that she had a very specific vision. She wanted me to attend an Ivy League university and never have to worry about money again.

Security and success are every Asian mother’s wish for her child.

Fitness takes a back seat. One 2015 study showed that Asian Ameri-

cans are less likely to meet basic U. S. guidelines for weekly physical activity than other racial and ethnic groups. An Asian mother’s idea of success usually involves a corner off ice, a six-figure salary, and a 401(k), and I’m hardly the only Asian who was steered away from sports.

Only 1.8 percent of male athletes participating in NCAA-sanctioned sports are Asian. (Asians make up 5.9 percent of the U. S. population.)

When you don’t see anyone who looks like you on a field of play or in the gym, why bother trying?

“Let’s say you have an Indian kid who wants to play football in high school,” says Dee Gautham, CPT, founder of online coaching company the Boss Body Revolution. “If his parents immigrated to the U. S. when he was young, there’s a good chance he didn’t grow up tossing the ball around with his dad on Sundays or watching football on TV. He may be at a disadvantage when it comes to tryouts, both with his skills and outlook.”

Coupled with Confucian ethics, which placed scholars at the top of the food chain and physical laborers at the bottom, it’s a recipe for long-term health issues in 2020. One recent study of Asian-American subgroups found that Vietnamese Americans are more than twice as likely as whites to report fair or poor health. Korean, Filipino, and Japanese Americans are more likely than whites to report that they have diabetes.

When I created my recent fitness and lifestyle program, the 8-Week Shift, the target was the everyday person with a full schedule, especially Asians who aren’t accustomed to prioritizing health. (I haven’t done anything specific to reach out to Asians, but they’ve responded positively to the program.)

I can’t say I’ve completely eliminated my mother’s concerns for my career. But while visiting my parents recently, I overheard her on the phone talking to a family friend. She said I was “doing really good.”

CREATING THE YOGA HOME BLACK MEN NEED When CHANGA BELL saw that only a handful of Black men were practicing yoga, he knew something had to change. That’s why, in 2015, he started the Black Male Yoga Initiative in Baltimore, teaching classes to organizations that serve Black men.

I LIVED a typical American lifestyle in my 20s— plenty of happy hours and plates of fried Buffalo wings. Then in 2002, when I was 30, it landed me in the hospital with a heart condition. I had never been diagnosed and couldn’t afford a screening because I didn’t have insurance. The doctors did offer me a pacemaker, but I was scared to have heart surgery, so I ended up checking out of the hospital.

That was a life-altering experience, one that sent me down the path of wellness. I started juicing fruits and vegetables and occasionally attempting the yoga poses in my dad’s books. I was also running every day.

But sometimes my heart would stop beating while I was running, and I’d bang my chest and cough. On one of my jogs, I saw my father under a pine tree at the park, preparing to do yoga. Since my heart was acting up again, I decided to head over to him and just die in his arms. “You’re looking good out there,” he said. I could sense his love and hope for me. Right then I wanted to live. I wanted to practice yoga and embody that aspect of my dad’s life even more. Later that week, I signed up for my first yoga class.

My dad is 79 now, and he spent 37 years serving as a first sergeant in the U. S. Army, all while practicing yoga.

I’m not sure how or why he got into yoga, but when he was only 21, his father died. After that, he became an ultra health fanatic. I always thought that juxtaposition was interesting: Here he was, a soldier, but also a man, bare-chested, with his body twisted into knots every morning in the living room.

I think I chose yoga as my main form of fitness to be like him. I’d never witnessed him in discomfort or poor health my entire life. After a checkup with my cardiologist, I started regularly practicing yoga on my own, with my MEN’S HEALTH

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MH SPECIAL REPORT: LIFE IN A FITNESS DESERT

father’s guidance, and I found it gave me a heightened body awareness. I can feel a cold coming and know when to intervene. I’ve grown more sensitive to what I put into my body. I used to love cosmopolitans and margaritas, but now I don’t like the way alcohol makes me feel.

After three months of my new health regimen, I returned to my cardiologist for a checkup, and he was amazed to find my heart in excellent condition. He told me I never had to come back.

I kept practicing yoga until I felt I had something to offer it, in the same way that MCs like Kendrick Lamar provide us with a great body of work and don’t just take from hip-hop. I discovered that yoga offered me the same opportunity to give of my whole self.

I set out to create a safe space for other Black men to reap the benefits of yoga, one that was welcoming culturally and with men’s bodies in mind. The Black Male Yoga Initiative grew out of that need. My goal: to train 1,000 people of color as yoga teachers, all of whom would train ten more people of color so it becomes a bigger part of who we are as people.

Black and brown men are considPERCENTAGE OF BLACK ered anomalies AMERICANS who practiced in this country’s yoga in 2017, the most recent yoga community, year that the CDC collected that which is still largely data. The number of white young, white, and Americans practicing yoga is female. I actually nearly twice that (17.1 percent). stopped going to commercial yoga studios and did a self-practice for four to six hours a day. If I felt something wasn’t correct, I would read classic texts to identify what I was missing.

The yoga community in Maryland can be surprisingly judgmental: I’ll say, “Hey, I practice yoga; I own a yoga studio,” and the first question out of people’s mouths is often “Oh, do you teach in the prisons?” When I answer no, they ask, “Do you work with kids in schools?” I doubt my counterparts of other ethnicities get those questions.

I want men of color to know they’re welcome and wanted, and I want to earn their trust and respect by not committing these or other microaggressions. I’ll ask them to hold a downward dog for 60 seconds but let them know that ten is fine. I want these rough-and-tumble guys to feel comfortable. One time, I was in a private lesson, working with this one guy on heart, hamstring, and shoulder openers, when he looked up and said, “I feel like I want to cry right now. What’s happening?”

Yoga has brought me a certain emotional awareness that I wasn’t used to before. Before, if I felt myself get low, I’d try to dull the pain by playing basketball. But now I ask, “Why is that here? What is this going to teach me?” Amid all the polarity and protests against police violence, the practice has given me an equanimity. I don’t feel neutral about what’s going on, but balanced in my mind and body, and solution-oriented, the same as I would be in a difficult pose.

I ask myself, how can Black men prioritize internal peace when a war is being waged externally on their bodies? That question has guided my personal journey to discovering peace and my calling to make it accessible to all, especially those who look like me.

—As told to Melissa Pandika

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FINDING SANCTUARY IN THE BOXING RING East Los Angeles, a primarily Hispanic community, is plagued by gang violence. That’s precisely why JAVIER CAPETILLO opened a boxing academy there.

MY FATHER, Javier Capetillo Sr., trained ten world champions over his career. They called him the General. When he was 17, he walked into a boxing gym in Guadalajara.

They said, “You want to fight?” And they threw him in the ring with a pro. He tied the fighters’ gloves, helped out, carried his weight. So they let him train there for free.

I grew up in a rough neighborhood in South Central L. A. Gang life was pretty much the only way to feel a sense of belonging or identity. There weren’t any boxing gyms in the neighborhood—you had to drive to downtown. I had about 50 boxing fights of my own growing up, but I was heavy into gang life: I got shot three times, the first time when I was 14. A lot of my friends are dead. Some com-

mitted suicide. So I’m very blessed to still be here.

I opened Capetillo Boxing Academy in 2016 in East Los Angeles.

There are 706 crimes committed here per 100,000 people, a rate nearly twice the national average. A boxing gym doesn’t generate a lot of money. Plenty of kids see the Rocky movies and decide they want to fight but give up when they realize how hard it is. If you have a world champion, everyone wants to be part of your gym, but when you’re up and coming, nobody does.

We have major fighters here now. One of our guys, Lucas Santamaria, recently fought on Fox. I’ve been working with him for six years. But I didn’t open this gym for the money. I opened it because I truly in my heart wanted to help

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN ST. JOHN

the kids. And that’s what we do: Some kids come after school and stay there until 8:00 at night. I never kick them out. It’s like daycare. That’s part of how we help the community—being a safe place for the kids to go.

We build on whatever qualities these kids have. Some are aggressive; some are counterpunchers. Some fight on the inside. Middle distance, short hands, long hands. Sometimes they turn out to be coaches; they have the vision to help people put punches together in

ways that make sense. Everyone’s different. You find their strength and work from there.

Other gyms charge $150 to go once or twice a week. Oneon-one training can be $100 an hour. I charge $70 a month for a kid to use the gym whenever they want. There’s an LA Fitness around here, but no one here likes long-term contracts.

Because of my background, I can talk to these kids. There was this young girl who was being abused by her uncle. She was cutting herself. I helped get

TACKLING THE NAVAJO DIABETES CRISIS Ten years ago, LOREN ANTHONY was overweight and prediabetic. Then he found fitness. Now he’s using it to help his people beat the disease.

LOREN ANTHONY’S backyard gym keeps growing. Early this year, he had a few wooden beams.

When summer ended, he had railroad ties, chains, and crates, MacGyver-ing them together for deadlifts and shoulder presses.

The 37-year-old grits out a workout session nearly every day, often uploading clips to his Instagram or Facebook account. It’s how he inspires his Diné people to find ways to train—and he desperately wants them to do that. “I want more people to understand that fitness is a lifestyle that isn’t a trend,” he says.

It’s a lifestyle that Anthony hopes more in the Navajo Nation can embrace, because it may be the key to overcoming PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSÉ MANDOJANA

her set up at this local youth academy. She graduated from high school this year. They couldn’t hold graduation at school because of COVID-19, so we took the pictures at the gym. This other kid was on parole and couldn’t afford the fees, so I let him train for free. He says, “You guys are like my family.”

We’re giving these kids the kind of family support they get from the gangs—only we do it in a positive way. They want a place to feel safe and accepted, and we give them that.

We help their parents stay in shape, too. There’s a lot of obesity and diabetes in this community, so I’m happy to see more people staying active. And it’s a safe place. Even the gangbangers know we’re invested in the neighborhood. I leave my car open when I’m at the gym.

No one has broken into it. They know I’m not running away.

—As told to Andrew Heffernan

the health issue that’s plagued them since the early 1970s: diabetes. Roughly one in every five Navajo has prediabetes, the highest ratio of any racial or ethnic group in the U. S. Dietary issues are part of the problem.

When the Diné were forced off their homeland and moved to Bosque Redondo, in present-day southeast New Mexico, they relied on second-rate government rations due to crop failure and alkaline water. More than a century later, prepackaged foods sold at gas-station convenience stores are the easiest meal choice, partly because there are just 11 grocery stores on the reservation’s 27,413-square-mile expanse.

Lack of fitness facilities and instruction is the other issue. Gyms are an uncommon sight on Navajo lands. When the government started the Special Diabetes Program for Indians in 1997, the Navajo Nation built seven “wellness centers” on the reservation. Even before coronavirus concerns led those gyms to temporarily shut down, limited hours prevented many Navajo from reaching them.

Anthony understands these struggles.

His grandparents were diabetic, and his father died of heart failure in 2013, the result of unaddressed heart issues. In 2009, Anthony himself weighed 298 pounds and struggled to breathe and move. Doctors told him he was prediabetic and had high

WHAT WE’RE DOING The accounts on these pages only scratch the surface of fitness’s diversity problems. Systemic issues have also consistently limited trainers from marginalized communities, stopping them from accessing high-level fitness certifications and educational resources.

That holds them back from top jobs, and it prevents their own marginalized communities from enjoying the workout experiences that make fitness fun for the rest of us.

Men’s Health wants to help. Our new MH Strength in Diversity Initiative offers these trainers a chance to gain the knowledge they need. We’ll equip them with mentoring from fitness icons, world-class instructional clinics, and key certifications, starting them on a path to both personal and community success.

For more information, go to MensHealth.com/ strengthindiversity.

blood pressure. “I really didn’t want the end of me to happen because I didn’t take care of myself,” he says.

He took up bodybuilding and powerlifting, studying both on YouTube. After several years of daily training, he was down more than a hundred pounds. (He currently weighs 181.) He did most of his training at a gym and a football field in nearby Gallup, New Mexico.

In late 2012, he started a workout group, the Iron Warriors. The group met for free workouts twice a week at Gallup’s public school stadium. It began with five people, but within a year, at least 100 were lining up for the field sprints, bear crawls, walking lunges, and pushups. Occasionally, he also held sessions in the community of Tohatchi, in the Navajo Nation, as well as in Phoenix and Albuquerque.

The pandemic forced Anthony to pause his Iron Warriors sessions in March, but he won’t let it quiet his fitness message. He knows diabetes can be beaten, because he’s done it: He’s no longer at risk of the disease, and he’s off his blood-pressure medication. The moment public gatherings are permitted, he says, the Iron Warriors will be on the field again. Until then, it’s more backyard videos.

“It’s encouraging to see people’s progress,” he says, “because that’s something I wish I could’ve done for my dad when he was here.” —Arlyssa Becenti MEN’S HEALTH

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IT’S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE TAPE AND DONALD TRUMP’S RISE TO POTUS. YOU PROBABLY STILL REMEMBER WHAT DONALD SAID— AND WHAT BILLY DIDN’T. THE RESULT HAS BEEN A STRANGE, HARD JOURNEY TOWARD BETTER MENTAL HEALTH.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CELESTE SLOMAN

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When Billy Bush greets me at the ferry, he’s dressed like the American dream. Red, white, and blue, from his cap and his shorts to his flip-flops and wrist sweatband. Bush puts on a white mask for a tour around Maine’s North Haven Island only when he sees that I’m wearing one, but assures me I don’t need it. He’s been on the island three weeks, he says. He’s safe. The logic doesn’t quite work—I have not been quarantining in a Maine idyll for nearly a month—but Bush insists I needn’t wear a mask on his behalf, implying a Bush-conferred immunity as a pandemic ravages the world.

Bush’s security makes sense; after all, he tells me, before the worst thing that ever happened to him happened to him, “nothing bad ever happened to me.” He invited me here to see the family home where nothing bad ever happened. But he knows we’re going to talk about the tape— if you’ve heard of Billy Bush, you know which one—and its inevitable reprise as the 2020 election looms. When I tell him he’s either very unself-aware or has nothing to hide, Bush perhaps affirms both: “I’ve got nothing to hide,” he says.

Indeed, Bush couldn’t be more open as he introduces me to relatives and takes me around town, showing off the island’s main street (Main Street), the road with the tennis court on it (Tennis Court Road), the road with a golf course on it (Golf Course Road), and the cove with three homes owned by members of the Bush family. Bush, who always seems to be mid-snack, speaks in an off-duty announcer’s voice, a patrician take on Regis Philbin’s staccato. He greets nearly everyone by first and last name, from Marty Molloy the lobsterman to members of his own family. His former 104 November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

wife is staying in the family cabin with two of their three daughters while Bush looks after his mother and father in the main house, where Jonathan Bush Sr. is recovering from a broken hip. His ex is introduced as “Sydney Bush” when she drops off a cheese plate.

Bush’s continued guilelessness is surprising given the video the world watched four years ago, one month before the 2016 presidential election. At the start of the then-11-year-old hot-mic footage leaked to The Washington Post, Donald Trump is off-camera on a bus, preparing for an appearance on NBC’s entertainmentnews program Access Hollywood by delivering a profane stream-of-consciousness monologue detailing several unwanted sexual advances. The future president and then-Apprentice star’s horny diatribe is punctuated by the Beavisesque snickers of Bush, Access Hollywood correspondent and, in this video, Trump hype man. Bush is the sidekick in the moment that will eventually derail his own life. Or, as Billy Bush describes his 33-year-old self, he’s a “little suck-up cog” and “little suck-up Billy Bush” and “the fluffer.”

Trump’s muttering, “Grab them by the pussy” is the most famous part of the tape. But the most heartbreaking moment is when Bush and Trump exit the bus and are greeted by the woman Trump had just been fantasizing about grabbing. The actress shakes Trump’s hand and Bush says, “How about a little hug for the Donald?” The actress leans in, the punchline to a joke she hasn’t heard and that’s been made at her expense.

Bush was publicly fired, shamed, and contrite. In the middle of all of this (but not because of it, Bush says), he and his

wife got divorced. In 2019, after years of media exile, Bush returned to his vocation, as host of the broadcast entertainment-news program Extra. Today, he presents himself as a man willing to self-assess as honestly as he can. “I’m afraid if you rolled back many moments that I thought were private, you could do a highlight reel that would last ten hours,” Bush says, popping a piece of cheese into his mouth. “I mean, I’ve many times not been my best self.” He admits that if he were his 33-year-old self on that bus with Trump again, even knowing what he knows now, he doesn’t believe he could have done anything other than simply not laugh, or direct the conversation away from women and onto one of Trump’s other interests: golf, New York sports.

“I’m not going to give [you] a pandering answer,” Bush says. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

What’s tricky is that the things that led to the demise of Bush’s career and emotional well-being are the same ones that led to his ascent. “I’m a really hard worker,” Bush says. “Creative. Fun . . . Affable.”

Hosting is an amoral art of being in the moment, of not letting anything derail the proceedings. On the tape, Bush’s job was to prepare Trump to be Trumpy in what amounted to an ad for another NBC show.

Bush claims, “I’ve moved on completely.” But he also keeps docking the conversation on the subject of Trump, NBC, and what happened in his mid-40s when the tape came out. “How could you take this little slice of shit and paint me with it?” he asks, features contorting in pain and disbelief. Yes, he heard Trump say all of those things on that bus and didn’t stop him. But the man who said them got elected president, by us. And unlike other men who were exposed in the #MeToo reckoning following Trump’s election, Bush insists he has put in the work to try and be better. “I saw it, and I did not like what I saw,” Bush says of the tape today. Four years after the lowest moment in his life, he wants you to know he’s not little suck-up Billy Bush anymore, but a sympathetic journalist unafraid to stand up for himself.

“I’ve been done,” Bush says of why he’s finally talking so much about this now. “I’m not going to be done again.”

But then Bush’s confidence limpens.

He looks across the table for assurance.

“I hope I have some sort of immunity.

Do I get immunity?”

WHEN THE

now-49-year-old Billy Bush was a kid, he bicycled with such abandon that he sustained multiple concussions. His mother, Jody, procured a motorcycle helmet to protect her son when he could not stop and protect himself. Bush says he has ADHD, to which he attributes his evident tendency to impulsively throw himself into things.

After the tape, it was yoga and self-help.

Now it’s Peloton and golf and tennis and evening swims across the cove with his niece, whom he calls “Anna Bush.”

Bush’s father, the brother of President George H. W. Bush, was what Bush calls “a little emotionally unavailable” when he was growing up. “He’s that old stoic,” Bush says of Jonathan Bush Sr. “It was not a, put his arm around you and say, ‘I love you, son.’ That’s never going to happen. But we know that he did.” Bush became a pleaser: “Like me, like me, like me,” he says his old internal monologue went. “Always tell a joke to get out of a weird moment . . . keep the ball in the air, keep everybody happy.

We’re having fun. We’re making laughs.

We’re making silly things.”

Bush was a star lacrosse player and C student at Colby College in Maine.

When he graduated, he got his first job in broadcasting, at a radio station near Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.

The manager of Oldies 105, Bob Adams, didn’t particularly need another DJ, so he also conscripted Bush into selling ads to local businesses. Bush learned that the best way to make the sale was to convince owners to record the ads themselves: “Letting them hear themselves,” as Bush describes it. “That spoke to their ego.”

One car dealership was advertising with six other radio stations in the region.

Every week, Adams would send Bush there to talk to the sales manager in charge of radio buys, and every week the man would send him away with nothing.

Sometimes on the nearly hour-long drive home after his weekly failure, Bush would pull over to the side of the road and cry.

At the urging of Adams, Bush finally asked why the manager bought ads from every station but his. “If you had a nice set of legs and some boobs, that would be a start,” he remembers the man saying.

Instead of bristling at the crude remark, that’s exactly what Bush went and did: A few days later, the ultimate team player

returned in full drag—a miniskirt and sock-stuffed top. “Hello,” said Bush, approximating a Swedish accent. “Billy never told me how cute you are. I was wondering if you’d like to advertise on our radio station?” The manager, apparently delighted by Bush’s brazenness, signed the contract. As a result, Bush’s salary doubled, which allowed him to rent a house on the lake, as well as buy a boat that would later sink. After New Hampshire came five years at a Top 40 station in Washington, D. C., then local TV. In 2002, he Billy-Bushed his way onto Access Hollywood, where he showed a chaotic instinct for humanizing people.

Rob Silverstein, who ran the series for

the network. “He loved me,” Bush says.

“Loved me. I think I was a good foil.” And Bush was—the easygoing, lower-status counterpart to Trump’s bloviating bravado. Trump’s crudeness was widely known and tolerated at NBCUniversal and its parent company, General Electric, from the fluffing bus to the C suite.

When the tape was recorded in 2005, GE was run by CEO and chairman Jeff Immelt. Bush’s brother, Jonathan, who later worked with Immelt at a healthcare company, says Immelt told him that Trump would demand to meet with Immelt on a regular basis, and frequently used inappropriate language. (Immelt did not agree to be interviewed for this

THE TAPE: Billy Bush appears in the leaked Access Hollywood footage, which derailed his career while Donald Trump went on to become president.

20 years, says, “He’s always looking to ‘What can I do that no one else is gonna do? How do I make it interesting?’ And he has that charm.”

The charm was deployed by Bush in booking celebrity talent and establishing a rapport with interview subjects that would hopefully translate to televised magic. A former Today-show staffer recalls the dissociation it takes to chat backstage with ratings-attracting creeps. “You almost have to not be offended by what comes out of people’s mouths,” he says. Bush’s former field producer Mat Baxt explains that the goal of Access Hollywood and all other entertainment-news programs is “to get the biggest star you can possibly get for your show and put them in the best possible light.”

Bush was good at this. And so he became the primary interviewer of Donald Trump, then the biggest star on

story, but another person familiar with these meetings confirms that characterization, though he says Immelt “thought [the] tape was awful and Billy deserved to be fired.”)

It’s easy to see how this all added up to The Moment, when Trump says The Line. (Bush has always maintained he was looking out the window at the cameraman for the cue to get off the bus and never heard it until a few days before the tape leaked.) There have no doubt been countless moments in Donald Trump’s life like the one on the leaked tape, tacit affirmations pushing him along his path to the Oval Office. And on the other side of the transaction was Bush, who orchestrated countless moments like the ones he had with Trump, exploiting celebrities for entertainment until he reached the pinnacle of professional affability: a fulltime job on NBC’s Today show.

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the tape was forgotten, buried in a special drawer at Access Hollywood reserved for life-ruining pieces of footage. Bush was aware of its existence but had never heard or seen it. Trump became the Republican nominee for president right before Bush started hosting the 9:00 A.M. hour of Today, when the tone shifts from news to late-morning wine chat.

Bush says he would bring up the 2005 off-camera conversation with Trump to his coworkers. “Did you hear what this guy said about Mexicans?” he might say.

“Well, one time I was on a bus with him and he said the most disgusting things.”

In these retellings, Bush did not mention his role in the interaction.

Executives at NBC News seemed pleased with Bush’s on-air performance, and while at the 2016 Rio Olympics for one of his first big assignments, he got a scoop interviewing swimmer Ryan “Jeah” Lochte about getting mugged, which was almost immediately revealed as a fiction meant to cover up Lochte’s bad behavior.

When the Today team returned to New York, a senior NBC News staffer says Matt Lauer confronted Bush about tabloid gossip that Lauer was threatened by Bush.

Bush’s brother, Jonathan, remembers Billy repeating Lauer’s words at the time: “The rumors about you and I and competition will stop immediately. Do you hear me?” (The NBC staffer confirms that anecdote; Bush can’t comment. However, another person with knowledge of the conversation disputes that Lauer ever felt threatened, because Bush had shown limited ability to cover serious news.)

Then a producer remembered the tape that was sitting in the drawer of terrible tapes. Early in the week of October 2, Silverstein, who was still running Access Hollywood in NBC’s entertainment division, says he dug it out, had someone splice the disintegrating footage, and sent it to NBC’s general counsel to see if he could legally air it without everyone involved giving consent. Bush recalls watching the tape for the first time in the office of Today’s then–senior producer, Noah Oppenheim, who now runs NBC News.

He sat at Oppenheim’s desk, listening to himself laugh, while Oppenheim stood, watching Bush watch himself. Though it was worse than Bush remembered—he now heard about the pussy-grabbing—he 106 November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

did not understand what was about to happen. (Oppenheim did not agree to be interviewed for this story.)

NBC News asked Rob Silverstein to air the tape by Friday; he wanted to wait until Monday or Tuesday, when Access Hollywood’s ratings were typically higher. But he never got the chance. On the morning of Friday, October 7, the tape was sent to David Fahrenthold at The Washington Post and posted at 4:02 P.M. that day. Bush was shocked: Despite discussions about the footage airing, he didn’t believe that could legally happen. He saw the Washington Post story break while on a plane to Los Angeles. Though Bush says he was assured his job was safe, he began weeping and didn’t stop until the flight landed at

between Trump and the woman he’d just been vocally fantasizing about assaulting.

Bush prepared to apologize on-air on Monday, and believed that he had Lauer’s support to stay on. Whether Lauer actually had Bush’s back isn’t really clear—one source with knowledge of the interaction told me that Lauer spoke with an executive producer to express support for Bush. But Billy now doubts the sincerity of the effort and says, “That he didn’t fight for me is so deeply hurtful because I’ve known him for absolutely ever.” (Lauer declined to provide comment.)

That Sunday night, Bush says, he knew Trump would win the election in the first few minutes of the second presidential debate. Moderator Anderson

From left: Bush interviewing snowboarder Shaun White at the ESPYs in 2003; Bush appearing on-air with other Today hosts during the Rio Olympics in 2016.

LAX. (Officially, only Fahrenthold at the Post and his source know who sent Fahrenthold the tape. But according to two NBC staffers, there has been no internal investigation to find out how the network’s property, which would be the biggest news story of the election, was leaked. NBC declined to comment.)

Back in New York, a senior NBC staffer says several female producers approached Oppenheim and then–NBC News chairman Andy Lack, whose tenure would soon become entangled with Lauer’s termination amid allegations of sexual misconduct and controversy over the network’s reporting decisions around Harvey Weinstein.

(Lack did not respond to interview requests for this story.) The women said they felt uncomfortable about the 11-year-old tape— about Bush’s laughter, certainly. But also unsettling was the hug Bush facilitated

Cooper brought up the tape, and Trump responded that Bill Clinton had done worse. The crowd applauded.

BUSH S TODAY SHOW

career lasted roughly 60 days. He learned he was about to be canned when the driver who was supposed to take him to the airport to fly back to New York said, “Sorry, Mr. Bush. They just canceled the car.” He and his wife had recently and relatively amicably separated, and Bush spent months alone in an apartment, drinking too much whiskey and feeling sorry for himself. He wanted to fight NBC, to show the world that he didn’t deserve to pay for something someone else said in front of his 33-year-

K. Mazur/Getty Images (White). Joe Scarnici/NBC/Getty Images (Today show).

FOR 11 YEARS,

“I ’m no t ju st so m e u n to u ch ed y, li tt le sh el te re d , h ap py- g o -l u ck s en p ap h d o o g g in th y er ev z, ee ‘J to th is g u y’ [p er so n] ,” he says .

“It makes you real.” old self. It has since been widely reported that he received a financial settlement from NBC and that he signed a nondisparagement agreement, though Bush can’t say much to me about that.

Four months into the void, Bush says he told his brother, Jonathan, “I’m paralyzed.

I can’t get off my couch. I can’t stop crying.

I can’t stop thinking terrible thoughts of what I want to do to myself if I didn’t have children. . . . Help.” He attended the Hoffman Process, a weeklong retreat centered on the idea that all of your patterns are formed in childhood and based on your parents; the theory is that you either repeat their behavior or rebel against it. One of Bush’s therapeutic activities involved going alone to a mountain to have a funeral for himself and imagining what people would say about him; Bush soothed himself by thinking, People know I am not a bad person. His downfall so upset his emotionally withholding father that, Bush says, his dad developed stress-induced shingles. Bush got to see how much his father cared, under the shittiest possible circumstances.

Though Bush kept busy—reading selfhelp books, spending time with his daughters, conducting a three-year apology tour aimed at anyone who might have been offended—things didn’t really get better until last November, when he came on as anchor and managing editor at Extra. “I think they were very nervous about hiring me, even after all this time,” he says. “I said, ‘Listen, I’ve interacted with people in public so much. I promise there will be zero blowback for hiring me. No one thinks we need to continue punishing Billy Bush.’ ” Fox gave him a one-year trial. After five weeks, ratings were so good the show got a four-year deal. Bush has plans: a Larry King–style interview show not reliant on celebrity talent, a career of bringing joy through broadcasting like Regis did. But for now, he’s glad to do the grown-up version of his pre-Today job.

“I’m not just some untouched little sheltered, happy-go-lucky, ‘Jeez, every-

thing good happens to this guy’ [person],” Bush says of the upside of public disgrace.

“It makes you real.” When he interviews people now, he doesn’t try to provoke a reaction. Instead, a phrase often comes up from his subjects: “You know.” The “you” is delivered in a high, almost apologetic tone, and the “know” drops a full octave, to the depths of the emotional and career nadir it references. “You know” is short for You know what it’s like to have your life fall to shit.

Bush now knows, he says, “that life isn’t fair. Everybody has some kind of fucked-up shit. And if you don’t know that, and if you don’t know how to handle that, process that, get through that, then you haven’t fully gotten to where you need to be. I’m afraid that event”—you know what event—“was important for my development as a broadcaster, as a journalist, as a man, as a person. I needed to have my ass handed to me.”

BUSH APPEARS

to have developed a profound and genuine sympathy, albeit one mostly focused on his own experiences. When he was in New York in 2017 to be interviewed about the tape on Good Morning America, Bush magnanimously agreed to have a meal with Matt Lauer.

When Bush says he’s less critical now and I request an example, the divorcé says he no longer judges people whose marriages don’t last. When I ask what it’s like to have his public identity subsumed by someone else and mention Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton, Bush stands with Lewinsky: “It should have been him who went through the beatdown. Not her. She was a kid.” He will not tolerate any humor about what Trump said on the bus.

He tells a story about being approached by a muscular man in a Whole Foods checkout line. The man laughed, demanding a photo with the “grab ’em by the pussy” guy. Bush said no—it was the worst

moment of his life, not some joke—and the man said threateningly that he was going to wait for Bush outside in the parking lot.

Bush nervously walked past him with his groceries, checking the reflection in his watch to see if he was being followed. Bush got in his car, where he began pounding on the dashboard. “Yes! Yes!” Bush screams, reenacting the moment by slamming his palms down on the table so hard the cheese board rattles. “Stand up for yourself, dammit!” He says he’s proud of himself and happy with who he is today.

But the progress is fragile. Eleven days after our time in Maine, Bush phones me while eating. I ask him about something his brother told me, a silly workplace story from Bush’s early career, obviously intended by Jonathan to be charming. The question seems to tear a wormhole in Bush’s psyche, transporting him to a place where the world learns about a dumb thing he did forever ago and he loses everything because of it. For half an hour, Bush spirals, confirming the story before catastrophizing about another potential downfall, raising his voice and questioning my judgment, telling me we’re done. The next day, Bush calls again.

“What happened?” I ask. He talks and talks, veering between apologies and attempting to explain what it’s like to live in the liminal space between hiding nothing and utter ruin. “One month before a Trump election and I’m the story again?” he says. “Oh, God. What have I done? I brought it on myself.” It feels like he thinks the more he tells me about himself, the less I’ll say about him. And I do empathize. Bush gained sentience at the same time and in the same way many Americans did: by looking at our own failings—Trump’s election, the need for #MeToo and Black Lives Matter—and realizing our role in them. “The work isn’t done,” he says. “I don’t know if it ever will be. I like to think that that’s the case, but it’s clearly not.”

A few minutes later, we’re laughing.

He calls again and again, to talk about NBC—nondisparagingly, of course—and shoot the shit while snacking. “Anna Peele!” Billy Bush says before revealing more of himself, testing his immunity one more time.

ANNA PEELE has written for Esquire, GQ, and The Washington Post Magazine.

MEN’S HEALTH

/ November 2020 107

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HE A L TH

BEST FOR LUNGS

1. SAN FRANCISCO, CA

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2. HONOLULU, HI

ES T IE S

A MERIC

T CI

AS

METROGRADES

3. MINNEAPOLIS, MN 4. FARGO, ND 5. MADISON, WI 6. SEATTLE, WA 7. BURLINGTON, VT 8. SIOUX FALLS, SD 9. SAN JOSE, CA 10. PORTLAND, OR

THIS MONTH Everyone’s been paying much more attention (cough cough COVID-19) to what they’re inhaling these days. (Check out our doctor’s guide to your lungs on page 26.) And it made us wonder: As a country, what are we inhaling these days?

Our research team went deep into the data on 100 major U. S. cities and scored each on overall air quality, the percentage of residents who currently smoke, the prevalence of pulmonary disease, and how tough the local authorities are on vaping. After the smoke cleared, these emerged as the best (and worst) cities for your lungs.

WORST FOR LUNGS

91. FORT WAYNE, IN 92. INDIANAPOLIS, IN 93. PHILADELPHIA, PA

SEATTLE

DETROIT

CALIFORNIA

WASHINGTON

MICHIGAN

Just 10.2 percent of Seattleites smoke. For comparison, in Indianapolis, which placed 92nd out of 100 in our rankings, 22 percent of people smoke. Washington state banned smoking in indoor public spaces in 2005 (and, yes, this now includes weed). And to further deter nicotine users, a 2020 state law (passed months before the federal statute) raised the legal age to purchase cigarettes and vape products from 18 to 21. You go, Washington.

The Motor City doesn’t have the worst air quality. But 28.9 percent of the population smokes—the highest of all the cities we assessed. The only places you can’t vape: in court and on properties or transportation used for childcare. Quitting both smoking and vaping is still the most important step you can take to improve your lung health right now, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

San Fran breathes easy. Its residents have one of the lowest rates of asthma, as well as the second-lowest incidence of other pulmonary diseases, such as COPD. You can credit, in part, Breathe California, an organization that fights for smoke-free protections, smoking-prevention efforts, clean-air policies, and lunghealth education for children and teens. It’s been around, in some form, since 1908.

To see where your city ranks, go to MensHealth.com/smokycities.

S T O P B Y N E X T M O N T H F O R A M E R I C A’ S H A P P I E S T C I T I E S .

95. MEMPHIS, TN 96. BIRMINGHAM, AL 97. TOLEDO, OH 98. CLEVELAND, OH 99. CINCINNATI, OH 100. DETROIT, MI METHODOLOGY Each city’s air quality, based on unhealthy ozone days and the concentration of particulate matter, accounted for 40 percent of our weighted rankings. Accounting for 20 percent each: percentage of residents who currently smoke, lung-disease prevalence, and vaping bans. For that last category, we assigned a score based on where full or partial vaping bans exist (if at all), including food-service establishments, schools, prisons, and childcare settings. Sources: CDC, EPA, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, the Public Health Law Center, American Lung Association, and state, city, and county health records.

Men’s Health (ISSN 1054-4836) Vol. 35, No. 9 is published 10 times per year, monthly except combined issues in January/February and July/August and when future combined issues are published that count as two issues as indicated on the issue’s cover, by Hearst at 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman; Mark E. Aldam, Chief Operating Officer. Hearst Magazines, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, Acting President, Hearst Magazines Group, and Treasurer; Kate Lewis, Chief Content Officer; Jack A. Rohan Jr., Senior Vice President, Finance; Kristen M. O’Hara, Chief Business Officer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. Copyright 2020 by Hearst Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved. Men’s Health is a registered trademark of Hearst Magazines, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-1500. IN CANADA: Postage paid at Gateway, Mississauga, Ontario; Canada Post International Publication Mail (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40012499. Postmaster (Canada): Send returns and address changes to Men’s Health magazine, P.O. Box 927, Stn Main, Markham ON L3P 9Z9 (GST# R122988611). Mailing Lists: From time to time we make our subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings by postal mail, please send your current mailing label or exact copy to: Men’s Health, Mail Preference Center, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA, 51593. You can also visit preferences.hearstmags.com to manage your preferences and opt out of receiving marketing offers by email. Customer Service: Visit service.menshealth.com or write to Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-1500.

108 November 2020 / MEN’S HEALTH

Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO

94. PHOENIX, AZ